South Africa: Nkoana-Mashabane outraged at war waged on women, children

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has expressed her outrage and concern at the relentless war waged on women and children.

This follows the 4th quarter crime statistics released by Police Minister, Bheki Cele, which painted a horrific picture of the extent of violence against women and children, particularly girls in South Africa.

The statistics released on Friday indicated that there is an increase in the number of contact crimes, particularly murders and sexual violence.

Cele echoed the sentiments expressed by Nkoana-Mashabane on the need to take decisive action by society to respond to the prevalence of violence in communities.

Nkoana-Mashabane has consistently indicated that the crimes reported by the media remain the tip of the iceberg on the violence experienced by women and children.

Nkoana-Mashabane noted that many researchers, academics, and activists working in the gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) sector put this figure much higher due to the increasing number of unsolved murder and assault cases still under investigation.

Although the current statistics paint a horrific picture of violence in our homes and communities, the unfortunate reality is that there are many who continue to suffer from extreme forms of violence, in silence. Therefore, we are really faced with a shadow pandemic of violence against women and children, Nkoana-Mashabane said.

The Minister highlighted that over the past few months, the country has witnessed some of the most gruesome acts of violence against women and children.

These include the murder of 35-year old Singwa Namhla Mtwa who was allegedly shot and murdered outside her home in Sidwadwa in Mthatha, the inexplicable killing of six-year-old Bontle Mashiyane who was found murdered in Mganduzweni outside White River, with her womb and knees removed, and the raping and sexual exploitation of a 2-year-old child by the 52 year old Wikus van Deventer in Paarl, Western Cape.

While these cases garnered widespread condemnation, Nkoana-Mashabane said they form part of a much wider pandemic of violence against women and children.

As a society, we often underestimate the barbaric nature of violence against women and children. If we do not act with urgency collectively, we run the risk of reversing some of the great milestones we have achieved in advancing and protecting the rights of women and children, Nkoana-Mashabane warned.

These crime statistics were released as the country commemorated National Child Protection Week between 29 May- 05 June, under the theme, Let us all Protect Children during COVID-19 and Beyond.

Nkoana-Mashabane emphasised that citizens can no longer ignore how high levels of violence remain a threat to the social, cognitive, physical development of the countrys future.

We cannot celebrate our democracy at the expense of the livelihoods of our children. As we commence with Youth Month under the theme Promoting sustainable livelihood and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow, we are particularly sensitive to the lived realities of young women who remain most vulnerable to various forms of gender-based violence, including femicide.

The persistent threat of violence does hinder the ability to build a resilient youthful population that will advocate and lead the development trajectory of our country. The issue of violence is more than just a physical battle. It has a direct impact on the development of South Africa, the Minister said.

She added that in order to fully address the scourge, a passive approach can no longer be taken, but instead we need to invest and strengthen coordinated responses across all spheres of society  especially our communities.

Equally, we must challenge the toxic and violent norms and values that perpetuate the violence in our homes, schools, workplaces and churches. We need collective action to report criminality and intervene as communities in promoting prevention of crimes, Nkoana-Mashabane said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-06-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
UN biodiversity leader praises China's environmental achievements

Xinhua) 08:37, June 06, 2022

SHENYANG, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved inspiring and remarkable outcomes in fighting climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, on Sunday.

Mrema made the remarks at China's national event to mark the 2022 World Environment Day, which she addressed via video link. Themed "work together to build a clean and beautiful world," the event was held in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Mrema noted that China has actively and persistently contributed to global efforts to address environmental issues, promoting sustainable development and building a community for all life on earth.

She also commended China's measures on mainstreaming biodiversity, including establishing national parks and drawing up ecological redlines.

The national event on World Environment Day aims to encourage the whole of society to improve its awareness of environmental protection, participate in the construction of ecological civilization, and build a beautiful China, demonstrating China's role as an important participant, contributor and leader in constructing global ecological civilization, according to the event organizer.

China's Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said at the event that China will further step up international cooperation on climate change, marine pollution control and biodiversity conservation, working together with the international community to fulfill the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
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Australia's Defense Ministry on Sunday claimed that a Chinese fighter jet's aggressive manoeuvres endangered an Australian reconnaissance plane near the South China Sea. The Chinese J-16 fighter jet 'chaffed' Australian Australian P-8 plane near the South China Sea, while it was on a routine surveillance mission in international airspace last month before releasing flares and chaff that entered at least one of the Australian aircraft's engines, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said, reported CNN. Military planes usually release chaff -- typically tiny strips of aluminum or zinc -- as a deliberate countermeasure to confuse missiles, but can also use it to sabotage pursuing aircraft. In a statement, Australia's Defense Ministry described the encounter as "a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew." "The J-16 aircraft flew very close to the side of the P-8 ... in flying close to the side, it released flares," Marles told Australia's 9News in a televised interview. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government had raised the issue with Beijing, reported CNN. "This was not safe, what occurred, and we've made appropriate representations to the Chinese government expressing our concern," Albanese said. This is the second time in a week that Chinese aircraft have been accused of endangering the reconnaissance flights of other militaries, reported CNN. On Wednesday, Canada said Chinese warplanes buzzed its reconnaissance aircraft enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea. In some instances the Chinese warplanes came so close the Canadian aircraft had to change course to avoid a collision, the Canadian Armed Forces said. "In these interactions, PLAAF aircraft did not adhere to international air safety norms," said Dan Le Bouthillier, media relations chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. Tensions between China and Australia have been simmering much of this year. In February, Australia alleged that a Chinese warship used a laser to "illuminate" an Australian P-8 in waters off the country's north coast. Directing a laser at an aircraft can damage the pilots' sight and put the aircraft in jeopardy, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration. The Australian government called that act "dangerous" and "reckless." But Beijing said the Australian allegations were untrue and that its warship was acting in accordance with international law. It accused Australia of "maliciously spreading false information about China." China and Australia have also been at odds over Beijing's effort to pursue new security agreements with a range of Pacific island nations that have been close partners of Australia in the past. (ANI)
Founder of Isha Foundation Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on Sunday said that the gun violence in the US was related to the mental health of the youths. In an exclusive interview with ANI, he said that the violent culture in the US is rising because of the content of television shows, movies and video games. "Mental health and violence are very connected. I am asking -- have we not made violence a very popular thing? A five-year-old is playing a video game. What do you think, he is doing? You think he is playing badminton; he is shooting somebody. Most of the time he is shooting something. From the age of five till 18, if I am that child, if I go on shooting on the screen when I become 18, would I like not to graduate to something more real?" said the spiritual Guru. Recently, 21 people were killed, including 19 children and two teachers after an 18-year-old opened fire in Robb Elementary School of Uvalde in Texas. Sadhguru further narrated an incident, stressing on the rise of the mental health conditions post-COVID-19 pandemic. "I met a lady psychiatrist; she said in my 20 years of practicing psychiatry, nobody ever came and asked this, but, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, many young girls came and asked her 'can you suggest where we can learn yoga and bring some balance to our ourselves'. That search for inner balance has kind of touched people. A few people have hung on with it, others have just forgotten it, thinking that they can settle it with a glass of beer," he said. The Isha Foundation founder was recently in the US as part of his 'Save Soil Movement' - a global movement to increase awareness about deteriorating soil health and bring about a conscious response. The movement was started by Sadhguru in March 2022, who embarked on a 100-day motorcycle journey, passing through 27 countries. June 5 marks the 75th day of the 100-day journey. Sharing his experience of the US on a motorbike journey and screening the culture there, he said that there is a disconnect between youth and their happiness, and their well-being. He also flagged the violence being promoted on various platforms. "Look at all the movies that you make, the television stuff that you make. If you and I have an argument, the only way is that I pick up something and crash it on your head or bash up your face or shoot you on the head. Isn't this the way every disagreement is settled in most movies, television serials, and everything? We are setting up that example, this is the way of settling every argument, every disagreement, while the whole process of civilization is even if we fundamentally disagree with the basic aspect of the life -- we can still sit down and talk it out, debate and if we cannot, we can move little away," he said, adding "this is civilization, but, are we not reversing that in our television screen, cinema screen, and video games screen? Are we not seriously trying to reverse the basic process of civilization where instead of bashing your face, I can talk to you." Regarding gun violence in India, Sadhguru said, "It's not on a large scale because only urban children in India get to do those things. Even in that, only a percentage of well-to-do children get to do those things. It's not as widespread as in the US." (ANI)
A group of high-ranking Buddhist monks, the Chief Prelates on Sunday expressed gratitude to the Indian Government for providing humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka amidst the country's ongoing economic and political crisis. They also thanked India for organising the celebration of Buddha Poornima. "Sri Lankans inherited their religion, culture, traditions and civilization from India and this relationship and brotherhood should grow from strength to strength. Buddhist philosophical concepts are right and most suitable to the entire world at all times and the Maha Sangha was touched immensely over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment and passion towards promoting Buddhism," stated a Sri Lankan magazine, Satipatthana in a press release citing a message of the Chief Prelates. On behalf of Maha Sangha, the prelates also expressed gratitude to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) for organising the grand celebration of Buddha Purnima day on May 16. Besides, they also appreciated the efforts of the Secretary-General IBC, Dr Dhammapiya Thero and the Deputy Secretary-General IBC Dr Damenda Porage of Sri Lanka and members of the IBC for its continued hosting of the event on an imposing and grand scale every year for the past so many years. The message conveyed by the Supreme Patriarch of Sri Lanka Sri Amarapura Maha Nikaya Dr Dodampahala Chandrasiri Maha Thero, the Deputy Chief Prelate of the Malwatte Chapter of the Siyam Maha Nikaya Dimbulkubure Wimaladharma Maha Thero, Deputy Chief Prelate Anunayake Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, and Makulewe Wimala Mahanayake Thero of Sri Ramanna Maha Nikaya also conveyed their blessings for peace and harmony and mutual love in the entire world at this present time of chaos, turbulence and hostility, the press release said. On May 16, the celebration of Buddha Purnima took place in three sacred shrines connected with the birth, life and teachings of the Buddha - Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and New Delhi, which were attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lumbini and President Ram Nath Govind at New Delhi. PM Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba participated in the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of a Centre of Buddhist Culture and Heritage in Lumbini. After the ceremony, the PM unveiled a model of the Buddhist centre, which is envisaged as a Net-Zero compliant world-class facility that would house prayer halls, meditation centre, library, exhibition hall, cafeteria and other amenities. The centre will be open to Buddhist pilgrims and tourists from around the world. PM Modi addressed a large gathering of monks, officials, dignitaries and those associated with the Buddhist world. On the occasion, Buddhist monks, religious masters and practitioners from across the world called for peace and exhorted the people to reflect upon the universal teaching of Buddha and wished the people a very happy, healthy and peaceful Buddha Purnima. (ANI)
The US on Sunday (local time) condemned Myanmar military regime's reported plans to execute pro-democracy and opposition leaders. "The United States strongly condemns the Burmese military regime's reported plans to execute pro-democracy and opposition leaders, exemplifying the regime's disregard for human rights and the rule of law. We urge the release of all unjustly detained," tweeted Ned Price, US State Department's Spokesperson. This comes after Myanmar marked the first judicial executions in Myanmar in decades, two people will be executed in the country by the military junta, CNN reported citing the junta on Saturday. "It's confirmed that Phyo Zayar Thaw and [Ko] Jimmy would be on the execution list," junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said as quoted by CNN, without giving a date. In January 2022, veteran democracy activist Ko Jimmy and former National League of Democracy lawmaker Phyo Zayar Thaw were sentenced to death, according to a statement by Myanmar's Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services. The junta accuses the two men of being "involved in terrorist acts such as explosion attacks, killing of civilians as informants," the junta spokesperson said, CNN reported. According to Amnesty International, news of the resumption of executions is "shocking." They called on authorities to "immediately" drop the plan and for the international community to step up intervention efforts. "The death sentence has become one of many appalling ways the Myanmar military is attempting to sow fear among anyone who opposes its rule and would add to the grave human rights violations, including lethal violence targeted at peaceful protesters and other civilians," Amnesty International tweeted. Raising an alarm over the rights situation in Myanmar, Amnesty International has said the death penalty increased at an alarming rate under military rule, with nearly 90 people sentenced to death by military tribunals since the coup last year. Shortly after taking power in a coup on February 1, 2021, the military imposed a state of emergency under the authority of the Chairman of the State Administration Council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and on March 16 issued Martial Law Order. Among other concerns, another order transferred the authority to try cases of civilians to special or existing military tribunals, for a wide range of offenses including those involving the death penalty, through summary proceedings and without the right to appeal. (ANI)
After Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah issued a warning regarding Imran Khan's possible arrest upon the expiry of his bail, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) members warned of a "strong backlash" from its workers. PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked PTI workers to come up with a "quick response" if Imran Khan is arrested, reported Geo News. "The PTI will retaliate in a strong manner if Imran Khan is arrested. And if PTI workers receive news of Imran Khan's arrest, they should come upon with a quick response to it," Qureshi said in a press conference after attending the party's core committee meeting. The meeting was chaired by former prime minister Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence after his return from Peshawar. Qureshi told the press that everyone had heard Sanaullah's threat to Imran Khan. "Arresting Imran Khan will be a political mistake," said Qureshi, as he also used the press conference to direct the party workers to start preparing their response to Khan's arrest if it happens. Qureshi also said that no party lawmaker would appear before National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to verify their resignations. PTI also announces to take part in by-elections to be held for 20 vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly, reported Geo News. The former foreign minister alleged that the government wanted to use the police and the district administration to steer the results in their favour. Qureshi also stated that the PTI's core committee has expressed concerns about the economic situation of the country. While responding to Qureshi's press conference, Sanaullah said that whoever breaks the law will be dealt with by the law. "Martyrdom of an innocent police officer, using weapons and ammunition is not a political reaction," said the interior minister. He added that the government cannot act as a mere spectator if the PTI "lies and creates anarchy" in the country. "The law and order will be strictly implemented, we will not break the law nor will we allow it," said the interior minister, adding that as soon as Imran Khan returned to Bani Gala, he started spreading a "new pack of lies". A few hours earlier, the interior minister had revealed that the decision to deploy security officials at Bani Gala to guard PTI Chairman Imran Khan was made as per the law, however, the "same security" officials will arrest him once his bail expires, reported Geo News. (ANI)
Bodies of 22 people who died in the Chittagong container depot fire were identified and handed over to their families till Monday morning. Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) authorities handed over the bodies from Sunday night to 10 am this morning, confirmed the CMCH Police Outpost Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Alauddin Talukdar, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Chittagong Deputy Commissioner, Mohammed Mominur Rahman said, "Among the 49 victims of the fire, 41 bodies were at CMCH. The remaining eight bodies are at different hospitals in the city." He said that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday morning started collecting DNA samples from relatives of the victims who died in the fire. "If samples are matched, the remaining bodies will be handed," the Dhaka Tribune quoted him as saying. A forensic team led by Chittagong Crime Investigation Department (CID) AdditionalSuperintendent of Police (ASP), Jahangir Alam set up a booth in front of the CMCH on Monday to cross-match DNA samples of unidentified victims of the Sitakunda fire, the Dhaka Tribune reported. ASP Jahangir Alam said samples were being collected from parents, siblings, or any two of the children of the unidentified victims. At least 49 people have been killed so far and over 450 injured in the fire caused by an explosion at a private Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Sitakunda Upazila. The fire broke out at BM Container Depot in the Kadamrasul area of the Upazila on Saturday night, reported Dhaka Tribune. As per the sources, the explosion shook the neighborhood and shattered glasses of windows of nearby houses. Earlier, Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defense Assistant Director Md Faruk Hossain Sikdar had said, "Around 19 firefighting units are working to douse the blaze and six ambulances are also available on the spot." Police, Fire Service and local sources said the fire broke out inside BM Container Depot's loading point around 9 pm. Around 11:45 pm, there was a massive explosion and the fire spread from one container to another due to the presence of chemicals in one of the containers. The sources added that the explosion shook the neighbourhood and shattered glass windows of nearby houses. Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defense Assistant Director Md Faruk Hossain Sikdar said, "Around 19 firefighting units are working to douse the blaze and six ambulances are also available on the spot." BM Container Depot is set up as an inland container depot that has been operating since May 2011. (ANI)
High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, on Sunday informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved urea consignment of 65,000 metric tons a donation to Sri Lanka, will soon be delivered. "PM Modi has approved the urea consignment donation which will travel directly to Sri Lanka from its origin in Oman. The Indian High Commissioner assured that Sri Lanka would receive the consignment as soon as possible," said Baglay. Sri Lanka Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Amaraweera recently called upon the Indian envoy Baglay and sought help from India for food security and environmental protection, the Colombo Page reported. The two held discussions on the problems related to the country's agricultural sector, and the 65,000 metric tons of urea promised by India last month, to avoid any disruption to the current Yala season. During the discussion, Baglay reiterated that Government of India will extend its full support to Sri Lanka to address the problems in the country's agricultural sector, the Colombo Page reported. Despite an export ban of urea fertilizer from India, the Indian government, at the request of the Sri Lankan government, agreed to provide 65,000 metric tons of Urea to the crisis-ridden island country under the existing USD 1 billion Indian line of credit. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda, last month, held a meeting with the Secretary in the Department of Fertilizers of India Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi where the issue was discussed. Earlier, the Sri Lankan government as a part of its plan to transit toward organic agriculture had banned the import of chemical fertilizers the previous year. However, the sudden economic crisis mixed with the inadequate supply of organic fertilizers heavily impacted the agricultural output reported Daily Mirror. Notably, this was the reason for the Sri Lankan government to revoke the ban on several key crops, reported the Daily Mirror. The Government of India is continuously providing humanitarian supplies to the island nation as ongoing support to the people of Sri Lanka in multiple forms such as financial assistance, forex support, material supply and many more. These efforts prove that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighborhood First' policy which places people-to-people engagement is still active. These are complemented by the people of India who have also been donating generously to their brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka, according to the Colombo Page. India is becoming a stronger and more mutually beneficial partner to Sri Lanka. Apart from assistance during the pandemic and fertilizer chaos, India is also donating the basic products for island nations. Currently, Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices, and power cuts affecting a large number of the citizens. (ANI)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a vote of no confidence as the number of parliamentarians from his Conservative Party calling for the vote had reached the necessary threshold, CNN reported. Chairman of the 1922 Committee, Graham Brady said, "The number of Conservative Party parliamentarians calling for the vote had reached the necessary threshold. Boris Johnson will face a vote of confidence, triggered by discontented lawmakers in his own party." He said that 15 per cent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded. Thus a vote will be held between 6 pm and 8 pm local time on Monday, CNN reported. Johnson's premiership has been precarious following the "Partygate" scandal with months of allegations of parties and gatherings at the heart of his government during various stages of pandemic lockdown eroding confidence in his leadership. The opposition and the members of his own party demanded his resignation. They raised concerns over his regime and termed Johnson a liability. He has also been criticized for his response to a cost-of-living crisis, CNN reported. The party is facing two difficult parliamentary by-elections later this month. Recently, when Johnson arrived at London's St Paul's Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee on Friday, he was booed by public, as they showed disapporval in him as their leader, CNN reported. Under Conservative Party rules, if MPs want to get rid of their leader, they submit a confidential letter of no confidence to the chair of the 1922 Committee, a group of backbench lawmakers who do not hold government posts. (ANI)
Food scarcity, including shortage of wheat a staple for nearly 2.5 billion people, has brought millions, particularly in Africa to the edge of starvation and malnutrition that could plague them for years. The United Nations is ringing loud alarm bells to warn of catastrophic hunger and deaths in the coming months but to little avail. Chair of the African Union and President of Senegal Macky Sall made an urgent trip to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin in person last week to get nearly 20 million tons of wheat out of Ukraine by cargo vessels. But he had to come away without any concrete actions to ease the hunger. The US is accusing Putin of stealing Ukraine's wheat and subverting draconian financial sanctions to sell it cheaply to African countries stricken by drought. He is finding ready takers because wheat prices have shot up more than 60 per cent this year mostly because Russia's invasion of Ukraine has blocked deliveries from those two countries. They usually provide nearly one-third of global wheat exports. UN chief Antonio Guterres, who also met Putin personally in April, said after a visit to Africa's poverty-stricken Sahel region, "Severe acute malnutrition - a wasting disease that can kill if left untreated - is rising. Farm animals are already dying of hunger." "Leaders told me that because of the war in Ukraine, on top of the other crises they face, they fear this dangerous situation could tip into catastrophe," he added. The response from the world's seven richest countries (G7) at meetings last month was disappointing mostly because their focus remains on blaming Putin in case widespread starvation deaths occur in Africa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to supply emergency shipments of wheat to countries requesting help to alleviate hunger. India is the world's second-largest wheat grower after China but the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that it accounted for only 4.1 percent of total global wheat exports in 2020-21. The world's largest wheat exporters are Russia, the EU, Australia, the US, Canada, Argentina, Ukraine, India and Kazakhstan. But the US and its allies are being slow in unblocking large supplies of wheat as humanitarian aid. Worse, the high costs of helping Ukraine have reduced G7 humanitarian aid pledges to only USD 2.6 billion, well below promises they made in 2021 to commit USD 8.5 billion to end famine. Indian farm productivity has made huge gains during the past decade because of improved policies and freer markets promoted by Modi's administration. The country produced 109.6 metric tonnes (mt) of wheat in 2021-22, of which 8.2 metric tons was exported, up from 2.6 metric tons of exports in 2020-21. Before reforms, no food grains were left over for export because wheat and rice are staples for India's 1.3 billion population. Shortages and rising prices can bring down governments in both federal and state elections. Fearing popular unrest, Delhi has temporarily suspended wheat exports citing price pressures stemming from poor harvests caused by life-threatening extreme heat in recent months. However, there is wide public support for waivers to make emergency shipments to alleviate hunger elsewhere. Expanding exports requires freer internal markets in India but the politics are very difficult. Modi is still negotiating with powerful farmer lobbies that want to slow down his push towards freer markets. They have long enjoyed guaranteed prices for wheat and other grains, subsidized by the government. In addition, they benefit from heavily discounted prices for water, electricity and grain storage in silos. Now, they fear having to face competitive markets for food. In global trade negotiations, the US and EU strongly oppose the subsidies but Indian farming lobbies seem to be as politically potent as in those countries. More agricultural cooperation between the West and India as fellow democracies would be helpful since India is one of the few countries capable of efficiently increasing food supplies and exports to alleviate global hunger levels. The UN says that in just two years, the number of severely food insecure people has doubled to 276 million from 135 million before the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine. Almost 21 million children are one step away from starvation and about 811 million go to bed hungry each night because they do not get enough food. This is outrageous because there is more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone. Another shocking symbol of entrenched inequalities is small farmers, herders and fisherman produce about 70 per cent of global food supply, yet poverty and hunger are most acute among them and other rural populations. (ANI)
To mark the World Environment Day this year, a book titled 'Elimination of Infectious Diseases from the South-East Asia Region Keeping the Promise' was launched at a virtual event on Monday. Infectious disease epidemiologist and public health expert, Professor David Heymann said that the book highlights the progress that has been made in the control of communicable diseases in the Region during the past decade. "It provides compelling insights into how this has been done with high-level commitment, funding and maintaining the sense of urgency. It provides good news at a time when the world is faced by the devastating effects of climate change." Edited by the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the book is a compilation of chapters authored by public health experts and details the achievements by Member countries such as elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis, yaws, malaria, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma and moving towards a leprosy free world. These successes follow prioritization of elimination of neglected tropical diseases and others diseases on the verge of elimination, as a flagship priority in the Region, when Dr Khetrapal Singh assumed office as Regional Director in 2014. "Countries of the South-East Asia Region have for decades been fighting communicable diseases. I know the challenges. But as this book shows, those challenges have not stopped the fight against communicable diseases nor have they stopped the strengthening of primary health care and the expansion of universal health coverage," Prof Heymann said. On launching the book as part of World Environment Day initiative, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said, "climate change and other environmental determinants threaten to halt or even reverse the Region's hard-won gains against communicable diseases, which would in turn negatively impact inclusive and sustainable social and economic growth". "Biodiverse and well-functioning ecosystems are vital to sustain and enhance human health. All people must have access to clean air, fresh water, and nutritional security to prevent disease and promote health, and to pursue sustainable livelihoods", the Regional Director said. Countries of the Region are already taking measures to address the problem, in line with the 2017 Male Declaration, the Region's 2019 Framework for Action on Building Health Systems Resilience to Climate Change, and the 'One Health approach' to addressing health threats at the human, animal and environment interface, she said. Dr Khetrapal Singh said, "in the book Keeping the Promise I highlight eight key areas of action which must define Region-wide efforts to control and eliminate communicable diseases and achieve Sustainable Development Goal targets - linking disease elimination with UHC; prioritizing multisectoral engagement; ensuring strong subnational action; ensuring rapid transmission of information; prioritizing disease surveillance; involving communities and people; maximizing access to global public goods; and recognizing the rights of affected people and communities," Special Envoy of the WHO Director-General for COVID-19 Colombo, Sri Lanka, Dr Palitha Abeykoon said that the book is "inspiring, highly engaging and valuable collection of major achievements in communicable diseases control in our Region, as envisioned by Dr Khetrapal at the beginning of her tenure. We all applaud her that the promises have been kept." As the book emphasizes, it is now the responsibility of the countries and all of us to protect and sustain these victories in the coming years particularly in the light of the economic stressors that are being observed by some of our countries, he said. Congratulating Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh for the book, Country Lead of Acceleration Sustainable Control and Elimination Of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ASCEND) Dhaka, Bangladesh, Professor Be-Nazir Ahmed said that she has been inspiring and providing directions to countries to achieve better. The book will serve as an important medical history for the South-East Asia Region. Former Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research, Professor N K Ganguly termed the book as a real time description of what we have done and different experiences of different countries. He stressed that rights-based approach, communication and participation of communities was important for sustainability of the progress as highlighted in the book. Professor A P Dash, eminent scientist and infectious disease expert said, because of global warming there is a changing pattern and behaviour of vector borne diseases. We need to reorient the control programmes according to these changes. An environmental and ecological approach to health is very important to ensure good health. The eight Flagship Priorities identified by the Regional Director give a clear environmental approach to health. The theme of this year's World Environment Day - "Only One Earth" - highlights the importance of living sustainably and in harmony with nature, calling for collective and transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet. The message is aligned with the focus of this year's World Health Day - "Our Planet, Our Health". (ANI)
Pakistan's Sindh province is a nightmare for Scheduled Castes with the highest suicide rates in the country. Xari Jalil, writing in voicepk.net, said that Sindh numbers reveal that the hardest hit are the Scheduled Castes, the lowest socio-economic strata of the Hindu community. There must be something wrong for so many of these incidents to occur within one community more than the others. Members of the Scheduled Caste community claim that these desperate measures are happening mainly because of the extremely distressing economic situation in the province - and they are the most affected. Data compiled by the Sindh police reveals that 681 Muslims and 606 Hindus ended their life between Jan 1, 2014, and June 30, 2019, reported Jalil. According to Advocate Sarwan Bheel, a human rights activist, lawyer, and coordinator of the Pakistan Scheduled Castes, around 590 suicide cases have been recorded only among the Scheduled Castes during this time period. In District Umerkot, 109 men and 77 women died by suicide due to various reasons; in District Mithi 51 men and 70 women; in District Mirpurkhas 26 men and 36 women; in District Badin 15 men and 22 women; in District Tando Allah Yar 20 men and 15 women; in District Matiari nine men and 12 women and in District Hyderabad three men and four women died by suicide. The local community openly blames the government's weak and short-sighted social and economic policies for the suffering of people. The Scheduled Castes are a highly marginalized section of an already marginalized Hindu community. Because of this, they face multiple issues. According to the 2017 state census, the number of Scheduled Castes in Pakistan is 849,614, but the community argues that they remain undercounted. An overwhelming majority of 79 per cent of the Scheduled Caste population said that they faced discriminatory treatment of one or another kind, said Jalil. The worst treatment comes from Muslims, feudal landlords, elites, upper-caste Hindus, and restaurant/shop owners. Almost 70 per cent said that their upper-caste Hindu and Muslim neighbours either do not invite them to their social gatherings like weddings or if invited they are served food separately. In schools, Scheduled Caste students are obliged to sit in the back seats, leaving front seats for students from non-Scheduled Castes. Information gathered from four districts of Sindh revealed that a large part of their population was denied barber services and 90 per cent are served food and tea in separate crockery at hotels and restaurants, which they have to wash by themselves. A report by a local organization, the Association for Water, Applied Education and Renewable Energy (AWARE), says that 443 people from Tharparkar have died by suicide between 2014 and 2020; of these, 79 suicides were recorded in 2020 alone, topping the list among districts. With a poor economic situation, there has been an increase in loans and microcredits. Other information revealed by the report, included that 24 per cent of the victims already had different natures of mental illnesses, while nine per cent of the victims had been under a loan burden. According to the report, 60 per cent of the victims were in the age group of 10 to 20 years, and 36 per cent were in the age bracket of 21 to 30 years. Around 45 per cent of females and 15 per cent of males had no formal education, whereas 60 per cent of females were homemakers and 40 per cent of victims belonged to low-income groups and were unskilled labourers, peasants, daily wage workers, and small-scale business owners. The report has also noted that 15 per cent of suicide victims had attempted suicide previously before completing suicide with the female to male ratio being 4:1. The local economy in the desert area is heavily dependent on rainfall and erratic weather patterns are having an impact on livelihoods and pushing much deeper into poverty. Because of the intersectionality of poverty and gender, the women of the Scheduled Castes are most vulnerable - often even considered sexually available by 'outsider' (Muslim) men. Because they have little backup economic support or political security, women are often the victims of forced conversions. (ANI)
In Pakistan, the all-powerful army is now officially tasked with overseeing key civilian appointments and placements in the government. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the military's powerful intelligence wing, has been officially named the Special Vetting Agency (SVA) that will override even the civilian Intelligence Bureau (IB) that shared the task earlier. This curtails the powers of the executive that ought to have the prerogative, and the last word, in all appointments, including that of the Army Chief. What has been going on for a long has been officially formalised, giving the Umpire unprecedented power and scope that would, in effect, if not in theory, make the political executive subservient. In doing so, the government has given legal cover to a practice that had already been in place, but had not been formalised as part of the protocol. According to the Establishment Division notification: "In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section 1 of section 25 of the Civil Servants Act 1973 read with notification No. SRO 120 (1)/1998 dated Feb. 27, 1998, the Prime Minister is pleased to notify Directorate General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as [the] Special Vetting Agency (SVA) for verification and screening of all Public Office Holders (Officers Category) for induction, important postings/appointments, and promotions." Fears have already been voiced about the curtailment of the executive's and in effect, the legislature's role. There are also apprehensions that more and more military personnel, serving and retired, being already vetted, may be preferred to the civilians. The action of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif government has been subject of speculation. Beleaguered by the unprecedented economic crisis and mounting opposition from Imran Khan who was voted out in April, the government is seen as resorting to this as a desperate measure to bring in the Referee, officially, to calm a heated situation wherein every institution of the state is fighting everyone else, to protect own turf, while making forays into those of others, analysts say. In the free-for-all that is on, the army itself has been the target of much criticism, wherein its Chief, General Qaisar Javed Bajwa is harangued in public on a daily basis by Imran Khan who feels the army that originally propped him up in 2018 should have protected him, yet again, from the opposition onslaught. Khan wants a snap poll, at any cost, where he hopes to get the army on his side. The situation is grim even on the diplomatic front. As Sharif seeks to placate the United States, and seek an economic bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Imran Khan continues to accuse the latter of hatching a conspiracy to oust him and impose an "imported government" on Pakistan. Sharif is having to succumb to IMF stipulations on raising prices of fuels that have a cascading effect on all essential commodities. His introduction of subsidies to lessen the impact on the prices is being disapproved by the IMF that is perceived as delaying the sum Pakistan sorely needs. Khan's latest twist is to include India and Israel as "co-conspirators" that worked with the US to oust him. Baiting all three is the favourite ploy of all politicians who seek to arouse public sentiment. In Pakistan as of today, the president is an Imran Khan loyalist who has been dodging the government. The judiciary that contributed to Khan's ouster after the latter sought to derail the constitutional and parliamentary processes that required him to face a no-confidence motion, has now turned against the Sbehbaz Sharif government as well. On June 6, Sharif and his son Hamza, who is chief minister of Punjab province, appeared in a court to avoid formal arrest in a case of economic irregularities and corruption. This clearly weakens the government's image making its task of governing more difficult. The speculation is whether ISI's new task is Sharif's formal 'surrender' to the powerful men in uniform, or a clever way to step aside to let them do the difficult work, through a caretaker government till elections are held. But this is more a matter of semantics than of wider political implications. The politician is the net loser in either situation, analysts say. The new formal role of the ISI comes after the organisation emerged from a tussle between Imran Khan and Bajwa that was widely perceived as one of the reasons for the military going 'neutral' and allowing Khan to be subjected to being voted out in the National Assembly. Khan wanted to retain Lt. Gen. Faiz Hamid as ISI chief, while Bajwa wanted to shift him. Bajwa had his way, but Hamid remains a powerful officer among the top brass, when Bajwa himself is due to complete his tenure in November. Pakistan may be the only one to allow an intelligence agency, and that too, a military one, to oversee the recruitment and appointment of civilian officials in key positions in the government. This formally extends the role of the military in the civilian domain and may mean more military officers being recruited to key jobs performed by the civilians. As it is, the military oversees, officially, areas like dealing with India, the Kashmir issue, relations with the US, China and the nuclear programmes. (ANI)
A global cyber espionage campaign dubbed "OperationCuckooBees" has been uncovered, targeting manufacturers across North America, Europe and Asia in the Defense, Energy, Aerospace, Biotech and Pharma industries. According to Boston based company Cybereason, this is one of the largest IP theft campaigns of its kind coming from China. Cybereason last month published new research on Operation CuckooBees, a 12-month investigation into Winnti Group's global cyber espionage campaign targeting manufacturers across the world. "Operation Cuckoo Bees research is the culmination of a 12 month investigation that highlights the intricate and extensive efforts of the Chinese state-sponsored Winnti Group (APT 41) to abscond with proprietary information from dozens of global organizations. The most alarming revelation is that the companies weren't aware they were breached, going some as far back as at least 2019, giving Winnti free unfiltered access to intellectual property, blueprints, sensitive diagrams and other proprietary data," said Lior Div, Cybereason CEO and Co-founder. During its investigation, Cybereason discovered that Winnti conducted Operation CuckooBees undetected since at least 2019, likely siphoning thousands of gigabytes of intellectual property and sensitive proprietary data from dozens of companies. Cybereason published two reports, the first examining the tactics and techniques of the overall campaign, and the second providing a detailed analysis of the malware and exploits used. Based on the analysis of the forensic artifacts, Cybereason estimates with medium-high confidence that the perpetrators of the attack are linked to the notorious Winnti APT group. This group has existed since at least 2010 and is believed to be operating on behalf of Chinese state interests and specializes in cyber espionage and intellectual property theft. Other key findings include the discovery of a sophisticated and elusive cyber-espionage operation with the goal of stealing sensitive proprietary information from technology and manufacturing companies mainly in East Asia, Western Europe, and North America. The reports expose a previously undocumented malware strain called DEPLOYLOG used by the Winnti APT group, and highlights new versions of known Winnti malware, including Spyder Loader, PRIVATELOG, and WINNKIT. The reports include an analysis of the complex infection chain that led to the deployment of the WINNKIT rootkit composed of multiple interdependent components. According to the report, the attackers implemented a delicate "house of cards" approach, where each component depends on the others to execute properly, making it very difficult to analyze each component separately. "The security vulnerabilities that are most commonly found in campaigns such as Operation CuckooBees are exploited because of unpatched systems, insufficient network segmentation, unmanaged assets, forgotten accounts and lacking multi-factor authentication products. Although these vulnerabilities may seem be easy to fix, day-to-day security is complex and it's not always easy to implement mitigations at a grand scale. Defenders should follow MITRE and/or similar frameworks in order to make sure that they have the right visibility, detection and remediation capabilities in place to protect their most critical assets," added Div. (ANI)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the third China + Central Asia (C+C5) Foreign Ministers meeting in Kazakhstan as part of his official visit to the country from June 6 to 9, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday. Zhao added that the visit comes at the invitation of Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi. This visit comes at a time when the bilateral relationship between the China-Kazakhstan is apparently facing serious challenges. Chinese investment and implementation of key projects are already facing delays and Kazakhstan has seen several Chinese pull-outs in the recent past, according to Geopolitica.info.The report said popular opposition to Chinese investments has fomented several political protests since 2016, and continues to fester in many others. Kazakhstan established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China in 2019. China is one of Kazakhstan's leading trade and investment partners. In 2021, total bilateral trade reached USD 22.94 billion. Additionally, by the end of 2019, China had accumulated investments worth USD 29.43 billion in Kazakhstan, advanced loans of more than USD 50 billion, cornered contracts for various projects totaling about USD 37.6 billion and the number of Chinese enterprises registered and operating in Kazakhstan exceeded 1,000, a report said. But despite these economic linkages, the serious challenges in the bilateral relationship could negatively impact Chinese enterprises in Kazakhstan. The report said it has often been perceived by the local populace that Chinese companies were encouraging corruption. The Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan has reportedly issued a security risk alert to Chinese companies advising them to closely monitor the developing situation. The unrest may impact Chinese businesses and the gas pipelines running between the two countries. The report said in the first week of April, over 100 workers building a road in Kazakhstan's southern Zhambyl region downed their tools. The workers were reportedly dissatisfied with the working conditions and salaries offered by the Chinese subcontractor, China Xinxing Construction and Development Co. Their earnings were between USD 130 and USD 260 per month for 10-hour workdays. The Chinese company even failed to provide them with appropriate clothes for work, according to Geopolitica.info. The report said worker unrest has been rippling across Kazakhstan in recent months and this latest strike is likely to cause a reappraisal by Chinese investors. Chinese investment and implementation of key projects are already facing delays. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the energy, chemical, and infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese enterprises in Kazakhstan have been hit hard by a shortage of workers and logistics constraints. In 2016 alone, the two countries struck deals for over 50 joint projects, with Kazakhstan promoting itself as the "joining ends" of the BRI. However, only a few have come to fruition till date. In Kazakhstan's 14 provincial administrations, 24 out of 542 projects had been completed and most projects are at various stages of completion involving Chinese investors, according to Geopolitica.info. The report said Kazakhstan has seen several Chinese pull-outs in the recent past. In the Aktobe regional administration, in Kazakhstan's oil-rich west, a Chinese firm backed out of a USD 35-million project to produce carbon black. Likewise, in 2020 Chinese firms withdrew from a USD 1.4 billion fertilizer production project in the same region. Further, China Triumph International, a subsidiary of China National Building Material (CNBM), is alleged to have embezzled over $3 million in a float glass factory in Kyzylorda. Beijing may not find Kazakhstan to be the entirely secure and predictable neighbor that it was, the report said. (ANI)
Pakistan could become one of the first five water-scarce countries if no immediate action is taken, the country's Climate Minister Sherry Rehman Sunday said on Sunday as she expressed deep concern over the ongoing global climate crisis. This comes as Pakistan has been ranked among the top most vulnerable countries affected by climate change, according to German Watch Institute. "Pakistan is particularly afflicted and the immediacy of climate change cannot be stressed any further," Dawn quoted Rehman as saying on the occasion of World Environment Day. According to the climate minister, Pakistan had faced the warmest months on record since 1961, with temperatures ranging from 3 to 6 degrees centigrade warmer than normal. Pakistan had a harsh and lengthy heatwave, the longest one in the country's history. "Pakistan must act to save its resources as much as possible. We must work at home to conserve our water, and stop polluting the sea, the air and our soil," Rehman said, adding that "90 per cent of our plastics, plastic bags, single-use plastic bottles are ending up in our seas and rivers, which are being consumed by the fish and marine life we eat". She stressed that Pakistani youth were instrumental in carrying out critical climate action and were paramount to changing the future for all. "It becomes clearer every day that the world is on an unsustainable trajectory. The UN acknowledges it, as does the UNEP in recognising the triple threat of climate change to human health and prosperity," the Pakistani minister was quoted as saying by Dawn. "We have the human right to a healthy environment, a world where we breathe a little easier, but with continuous assault on our Earth by big corporations and rich countries, there is no stopping the temperature rise," she added. According to the details released by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), the water crisis has broken a 22-year record in Pakistan as the provinces face a 50 per cent shortage of water and there is 97 per cent water scarcity in reservoirs. A total of 56 per cent less water is coming to the rivers due to extremely low temperatures in the northern part of the country, the IRSA said while describing the current water situation as worrisome. (ANI)
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's political rhetoric on conspiracy theories is increasingly becoming irrelevant and his narrative phony, said a geopolitical analyst. Writing for Pakistan's local media outlet The News International, Jan Achakzai, a political analyst, said that Imran Khan's narratives and his pressure tactics on Pakistan's establishment and on the government are of no use now. According to him, Imran Khan's political bubble will burst and the country will move on. Imran Khan, who was ousted by a no-confidence motion, is looking to enter the country's politics once more and this is exactly why he is pushing for an early election. However, if Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf falls short of a victory in the election, it is clear that he will likely dub them rigged and demand fresh elections. Imran Khan is carrying out huge rallies and is pressurizing the government for free and fair elections. But as per the analyst, all of this is just a smokescreen to rehabilitate him in power by rigging the elections as he expects. In the latest rhetoric, he targeted the Pakistani military saying that even when the army knew about the "conspiracy" by the US, they acted up and said that they are being neutral. The former PM is also out with propaganda on social media. His supporters went behind the computer screens and launched a campaign targeting the Army. Drawing a parallel, the analyst said other political leaders like Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and Asif Ali Zardari might have criticized a few individuals in the institutions, but they never attacked the Army, the country, and its vital assets, be its nuclear program or foreign policy interests, as per the media portal. Yet, another conspiracy theory that Imran Khan is playing out is by blaming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government for preparing to recognize Israel as an independent and sovereign state. Regardless of Imran Khan's rhetoric or speeches, one is curious to see what he is planning next. It is quite obvious he will not leave the fray easily as his predecessors did. (ANI)
Amidst Pakistan's failure to address the financial issues concerning the CPEC projects, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the country's State Bank to hold meetings with the Chinese banks for bilateral trade using China's Renminbi (RMB) and Pakistani rupees (PKR). Shehbaz directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to hold meetings with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and the Bank of China. He gave these directions in a meeting with Chinese businessmen on May 30. He said that in case a Ministry is unable to meet the timelines for a justifiable reason, this should be communicated to the Chinese Companies, Planning Division, and the Prime Minister's Office before the expiry of timelines. According to the sources of Pakistan-based outlet Business Recorder, the Finance Division has been directed by the PM to take immediate measures to address the liquidity issues of CPEC Chinese Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The Pakistani PM directed Secretary Power Rashid Langrial to hold meetings with power companies based on imported coal to address their specific issues. He asked them to also work out mechanisms and modalities to tackle the issues. Power Division, as per the sources, has been directed to come up with a sectoral plan to improve the financial health of the power sector within two weeks. During the meeting, it was decided that investments in solar and wind power projects and a desalination plant in Karachi shall be encouraged to save precious foreign exchange being spent on imported fuels, the sources maintained. In view of the recent suicide attack in Pakistan that killed 3 Chinese teachers outside the University of Karachi's (KU) Confucius Institute, Shehbaz earlier also ordered the tightening of security for Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects. Shehbaz said that there will be no compromise on the security of Chinese residents and directed the Interior Ministry and security agencies to ensure foolproof security, the report said. Recently, all the Chinese teachers at Karachi University left the country due to security concerns after the Karachi University suicide attack. Notably, Sharif held a telephonic conversation with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and assured him that his government was determined to take all necessary measures for the enhanced security and safety of all Chinese nationals working in Pakistan, the report said. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar concluded his two-nation European countries' visit to Slovakia and the Czech Republic where he held several high-level exchanges and discussed enhancing cooperation across sectors with the leadership of both the nations. Jaishankar paid an official visit to Slovakia on June 2-3 and to the Czech Republic on June 4-5 2022. The visit to Slovakia, undertaken at the invitation of Ivan Korcok, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, was the first-ever visit at the level of EAM since its creation in 1993. India and Slovakia share close and friendly ties based on common values of democracy, rule of law, freedom and equality. On June 3, EAM participated in the GLOBSEC 2022 Forum held in Bratislava and spoke on the topic 'Taking Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific Region. On the bilateral front, EAM called on Eduard Heger, Prime Minister of Slovakia and had a delegation-level talk with Foreign Minister Korcok. Jaishankar thanked the Slovak side for their assistance in the evacuation of 1,115 Indian students from Ukraine, said a statement in a government press release. He also appreciated the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates between India and Slovakia which has greatly facilitated travel between the two countries. Both sides discussed the expanding cooperation in trade, investment and defence sectors. EAM invited FM Korcok to visit India and conveyed that the rapidly growing private sector, as well as the opening of the Defence industry, had led to considerable ease in doing business. FM Korcok conveyed his interest in visiting India with a large business delegation in the coming months. Jaishankar also invited Slovakia to join the International Solar Alliance. Both sides also exchanged views on regional as well as multilateral issues including Ukraine, the EU and the Indo-Pacific. EAM also interacted with a cross-section of the Indian community, including students. He appreciated their role in strengthening bilateral relations as well as in promoting people-to-people ties between the two countries. On the sidelines of the GLOBSEC 2022 Forum, EAM met Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of European and International Affairs of Austria. FM Schallenberg warmly recalled his visit to India in March 2022 and conveyed that it was very productive and had led to further strengthening of our partnership, especially in the field of business and culture. Both sides agreed to work towards an Agreement on Migration and Mobility as well as mutual recognition of vaccine certificates. The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues, including the Ukraine conflict and its implications. EAM also called on Milo Dukanovic, President of Montenegro. Both leaders noted the friendly ties between the two countries and the close cooperation in the multilateral field. They discussed ways to expand our relations across sectors, especially in the areas of investment, culture, tourism and renewable energy. The Montenegrin President appreciated our ongoing collaboration in the field of ITEC and invited EAM to visit Montenegro in the coming months. Jaishankar visited the Czech Republic at the invitation of Jan Lipavsky, Minister of Foreign Affairs. India and the Czech Republic have historically enjoyed warm and friendly relations which have been strengthened in the last several years through high-level exchanges and enhanced cooperation across sectors. During the delegation-level talks, the two leaders discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, defence & security, S&T, cultural and people to people ties. Both sides appreciated that bilateral trade had crossed over USD 2 billion. Discussions were also held on India-EU relations, including the upcoming Czech Presidency of the EU. Both sides agreed to work towards an early conclusion of the India-EU FTA. Both sides exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict. They also discussed cooperation at multilateral fora and agreed to work closely in this sphere. EAM also interacted with Czech Members of the European Parliament and discussed India's strong ties with the EU, as well as the Czech Republic. They exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific, Food and Energy security, as well as digital cooperation. In Prague, EAM paid floral tributes at the bust of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. He also interacted with the members of the Indian community and appreciated their role in promoting India-Czech people to people ties. (ANI)
Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, the President of Mongolia inaugurated the Exercise in an impressive ceremony organised at the exercise location in Mongolia.

Indian Army is represented by a contingent from the LADAKH SCOUTS.

The 14-day exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, building military to military relationships, developing peace support operations and military readiness among participating nations.

The exercise will also enable sharing of best practices between the Armed Forces of participating nations and will include field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures and demonstration.

The military exercise will enhance the level of defence co-operation between Indian Army and participating countries especially with the Mongolian Armed Forces which will enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

Last year marked the 66th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and Mongolia, during which both sides maintained frequent exchanges and resumed physical interactions at high-levels.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh on October 12, 2021 on the margins of the 6th CICA Foreign Ministers meeting in Kazakhstan.

Both Foreign Ministers briefly met again on November 3, 2021 on the sidelines of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow.

Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, paid an official visit to Mongolia from 23-26 November 2021, which was the first official visit from India to Mongolia since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. (ANI)
During his last leg of a three-nation tour, Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu addressed the members of the Indian diaspora in Doha on Monday. "India-Qatar ties have progressed since PM Modi motivated the 'Look West' policy. He has taken a personal interest in engaging with the Qatar leadership," he said during the interaction with the Indian community. He also addressed members of the business community at India-Qatar Business Forum during his visit and highlighted the strength of the ties as he called for building an enabling environment and forging more collaborations for mutual benefit. As a part of his visit,Vice President Naidu who is on the last leg of his three-country visit launched the "India-Qatar Start-Up bridge" to link the start-up ecosystems of the two countries at the India-Qatar Business Forum on Sunday while he also visited the Qatar National Museum in Doha. The Vice President highlighted the exchanges that paved the way for a special relationship between both the countries which has evolved over centuries through people-to-people and cultural exchanges. "We have now a very robust India-Qatar economic partnership and it is getting enriched with each passing day," he said, adding that bilateral trade between India and Qatar has seen steady progress. The Vice President said Qatar Investment Authority has committed investments of over USD 2 billion in Indian companies in the last two years. During this visit, the Vice President is being accompanied by Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Sushil Kumar Modi, Member of Parliament, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, Member of Parliament, P. Raveendranath, Member of Parliament and senior officials from the Vice President's Secretariat and the Ministry of External Affairs. (ANI)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night survived a no-confidence vote, however a rebellion by 148 of his 359 Conservative Party lawmakers signifies that his job security remains in peril. The vote saw 211 votes in favour and 148 votes against him, according to the chairman of the party committee, Graham Brady. The opposition and the members of his own party demanded his resignation over the "Partygate" scandal as they raised concerns over his regime and termed Johnson a liability. Johnson has been facing accusations over lockdown parties at his home and offices. He broke his own government's COVID-19 lockdown rules by inviting and attending gatherings at the government offices. He will likely seek to frame the result as a chance to move on, but the slim margin of victory means his job security remains in peril, CNN reported. The vote was triggered by disgruntled Conservative MPs. 148 voted to oust Johnson, in a significant rebellion against the sitting Prime Minister, CNN reported. Johnson's premiership has been derailed by the "Partygate" scandal, criticism over his response to a cost of living crisis and a series of local election defeats, it added. Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, said "divided Tories" have propped up Boris Johnson's government and that Conservative MPs "have ignored the British public." In a tweet, Starmer said Johnson has "no plan to tackle the issues you are facing." "The choice is clearer than ever before: Divided Tories propping up Boris Johnson with no plan to tackle the issues you are facing. Or a united Labour Party with a plan to fix the cost of living crisis and restore trust in politics. Labour will get Britain back on track," Keir Starmer tweeted. "The Conservative party now believes that good government, focused on improving lives, is too much to ask," CNN quoted Starmer as saying in a statement issued shortly after Johnson narrowly survived his confidence vote. According to CNN, after febrile speculation about the number of Conservative MPs who would vote against Johnson, the final figure who rebelled against him was higher than many expected as a staggering number of 148 of his own lawmakers decided they had no confidence in Johnson's leadership, against 211 who support him. However, 58.6 per cent of Conservative MPs backed him -- a worse result than former Prime Minister Theresa May, who had the support of 63% of her lawmakers (200, in a much smaller parliamentary party) when she faced a confidence vote in 2018, the report added.(ANI)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson described his vote victory as 'good news' and a 'decisive result' as he managed to save his premiership by a slim margin. "I think it's an extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result which enables us to move on to unite," Johnson said in an interview shortly after the vote. An astonishing 148 of Johnson's own lawmakers turned against him on Monday night whereas 211 voted in support of him, CNN reported. "What it means is that as a government, we can move on and focus on the stuff that really matters to people," Johnson said further, adding that the result gives his government an opportunity to put behind us all the stuff that people in the media like going on about. However, Johnson said he was "not interested" in calling a snap general election but he did not decline the chance to rule one out. The vote saw 211 votes in favour and 148 votes against him, according to the chairman of the party committee, Graham Brady. The opposition and the members of his own party demanded his resignation over the "Partygate" scandal as they raised concerns over his regime and termed Johnson a liability. Johnson has been facing accusations over lockdown parties at his home and offices. He broke his own government's COVID-19 lockdown rules by inviting and attending gatherings at the government offices. He will likely seek to frame the result as a chance to move on, but the slim margin of victory means his job security remains in peril, CNN reported. According to CNN, After febrile speculation about the number of Conservative MPs who would vote against Johnson, the final figure who rebelled against him was higher than many expected as a staggering number of 148 of his own lawmakers decided they had no confidence in Johnson's leadership, against 211 who support him. However, 58.6 per cent of Conservative MPs backed him -- a worse result than former Prime Minister Theresa May, who had the support of 63% of her lawmakers (200, in a much smaller parliamentary party) when she faced a confidence vote in 2018, the report added.(ANI)
Pakistan's National Assembly (NA) on Monday adopted a resolution condemning the controversial comments of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Pakistans nuclear programme and armed forces, media reports said. The resolution read that the House condemns the interview of Imran Khan in which he said that Pakistan would disintegrate into three parts and the Pakistan Army would be dismantled if the establishment did not take the right decisions, Samaa TV reported. The resolution stated that Pakistan Army has made great sacrifices for the country's defence, including in the war against terrorism for which the House pays tribute to it. It added that the state should approach the Supreme Court against the former premier. During his speech, federal minister Ayaz Sadiq said that Imran Khan said big things' in the lust for power which, he feared, would damage Pakistan in the future, Samaa TV reported. He said the armed forces sacrificed numerous lives in the war against terrorism. "The person who says Pakistan would get disintegrated into three parts... no idea to whom he might have given the country's secrets," Sadiq said. He said Imran Khan talks about the nuclear programme which was initiated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and finished by Nawaz Sharif. Sadiq said, "It seems like he [Imran Khan] was also involved in maps showing disintegrated Pakistan as the comments of country's breaking apart is its endorsement." "We cherish our political affiliation and parties, but nothing is dearer than Islam and Pakistan," he added. The minister said that Imran Khan is making senseless remarks since the day he lost power. The minister also said that the lawmakers not signing the resolution would be considered siding with Imran Khan on his statement. --IANS san/arm ( 295 Words) 2022-06-06-22:06:42 (IANS)
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday held Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan accountable for breaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal as he called his faulty decisions 'suicide bombings' on Pakistan. "PTI carried out suicide bombings throughout the country. The decisions they made in the last month, as well as the manner in which they breached the IMF deal and the savagery with which they did so, were acts of suicide attacks against the country," PML-N tweeted, citing Abbasi. Blaming the PTI Chief for the financial mess, former Prime Minister Abbassi said that he has broken promises towards the nation as he has put the country in the doldrums due to his corrupt practices while he urged the Pakistani community to solve the crisis without fearing anyone, lambasting at Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has accused the former PTI government previously of destroying the energy sector of the country while he blamed the Imran Khan's government for its incompetence and neglect in the energy sector. Despite several attempts to block the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, Imran Khan became the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to lose a no-trust vote in Pakistan's history. The voting took place after midnight in which as many as 174 members voted in favour of the motion in the 342-member House while members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were absent. The ouster took place after a high political drama in the National Assembly with the Supreme Court overturning the decision of the Deputy Speaker to reject the opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion against the ruling PTI-led coalition. (ANI)
Oxygen

Detectives continue to scramble for answers and any clues as to the whereabouts of an Oregon boy, who vanished from a school science fair at the age of 7 more than a decade ago. If alive today, Kyron Horman would be 19 years old. Last week, on the twelfth anniversary of his disappearance, officials released an age-progressed image of him in the hopes of drawing renewed attention to the case. As weve seen in recent days, families can get answers long after a childs disappearance, John Bischof
Milwaukee County prosecutors will not file changes against prominent activist Frank Nitty Sensabaugh after four women told police he had sexually assaulted them.

Two prosecutors who reviewed the reports at the District Attorneys Office said they believed the women but did not think they could prove a case in court.

Sensabaugh has denied the allegations and his attorney has said the activist was falsely accused.

The decision closes an investigation that started in November 2020 when Sensabaugh was arrested after a woman told police he had sexually assaulted her.

At the time, Sensabaugh livestreamed his arrest to his tens of thousands of Facebook followers, naming the woman he believed had made the accusation.

Soon after, three more women separately went to police and described experiences of unwanted or coerced oral sex with Sensabaugh.

The back-and-forth played out on social media for much of last year. Some of the women posted videos about their allegations. Sensabaugh denied wrongdoing in his own videos and later, in response to media inquiries, through his attorney.

Three women later spoke to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and shared their frustration at the long wait for a decision in the case and lack of communication from prosecutors. The Journal Sentinel published the article in late January, more than a year after Sensabaugh was arrested.

Nearly three months later, the district attorneys office notified the women it would not issue charges.

"The DAs office failed us," said Tiffany Engel-Rivera, one of the women who came forward, in a statement to the Journal Sentinel.

Assistant District Attorney Erin Karshen said she believes these things happened to the women but cited inconsistencies in the womens statements to police, on social media and to the Journal Sentinel as a barrier to convincing a jury.

She declined to detail the inconsistencies.

Karshen did acknowledge a "passage of time" between when the police reports were first filed and her decision.

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"Anytime you retell something, there can be minor inconsistencies," she said.

Psychologists and other experts have long known trauma can influence how a person's memories of a specific event are stored and retrieved as their body enters a "fight, flight or freeze" state. Police and prosecutors typically receive training on these responses to guide their work interviewing victims and contextualizing a victims' actions to a jury.

Milwaukee police interviewed Sensabaugh about the first allegation after his arrest. He was not arrested or questioned by police about the other three allegations.

Karshen said the decision not to interview Sensabaugh came after conversations with his attorney, who provided materials to support the activist's defense. Sensabaugh has maintained any sexual contact was consensual.

The three women who told their stories to the Journal Sentinel said they were never asked by police or prosecutors to explain any inconsistencies and were never given the opportunity to address or refute whatever information Sensabaugh's attorney provided.

The decision in the case comes as the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office is getting fewer referrals for adult sexual assault cases from police and is charging a smaller percentage of them.

Last year, police agencies referred 306 cases and prosecutors issued charges in 40% of them. That's down from five years earlier, when prosecutors charged 55% of the 551 adult sexual assault cases referred to them.

In general, prosecutors try to make a charging decision within a week of getting a referral from law enforcement, said Matthew Torbenson, deputy district attorney, who supervises the sensitives crimes unit.

In this case, the decision took 17 months.

It took weeks and months to request, receive and review social media data from large companies, such as Facebook and Google, for the investigation, Torbenson said.

On average, it takes the sensitive crimes unit about 55 days to make a charging decision, but that timeframe is only for cases in which charges are filed, according to data provided by the District Attorney's Office.

The office does not track the dates when prosecutors make a decision not to charge, so its unknown if it took longer to make a decision in the Sensabaugh matter than in other uncharged cases.

'None of us ever tell an identical story'

Inconsistencies are used to cast doubt on a person's version of events and suggest they are not credible. Decades of research has shown inconsistencies could have explanations other than a person's veracity.

When sexual assault survivors tell their stories, experts say, its often not as a narrative where they concisely recall first this event happened, then this second one and finally this third one.

Instead, survivors can jump around in their timeline  retrieving their memories as they were stored in a time of stress and danger. Its because of how our brains respond to a traumatic event.

Theres a biological reason it comes out fragmented, said Elana Newman, psychology professor at the University of Tulsa and research director for the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. The hippocampus  where memories are processed and stored  works differently during times of high stress, she said.

Those who work with survivors say they learn something new every time a survivor discusses their experience and that does not make one version less true than another.

Survivors may share their story differently depending on who they are talking to, whether its a police officer or a relative or a reporter or followers on social media. It may be easier to tell a police officer a detail in a private interview rather than sharing it with a reporter, for example.

None of us ever tell an identical story in two different spaces, particularly when there are two different audiences, said Meg Garvin, executive director of the National Crime Victim Law Institute in Las Vegas.

Audience matters and the goal of communication matters, she added.

Inconsistencies also often are seen as solely caused by the survivor, when its entirely possible the people receiving the messages recorded or interpreted them differently, said Erika J. Petty, the executive director of LOTUS Legal Clinic, and Rachel E. Sattler, senior managing attorney, in an email to the Journal Sentinel.

A police officer could forget to note something in a report, a medical record might have a detail missing or a friend could jump to a conclusion about what the survivor meant by "I couldnt get away," Petty and Sattler wrote.

There could be perfectly understandable reasons for those inconsistencies that have nothing to do with the survivors credibility," they added.

Prosecutors linked all four allegations as one case

In the Sensabaugh case, prosecutors never asked for an explanation from the women whose accounts they had described as inconsistent.

Having police re-interview the women could possibly introduce more inconsistencies, Torbenson said.

It becomes a difficult choice to make on do we do we want to clarify these inconsistencies and seek an explanation or are we going to cause further problems in the case by having someone do that follow up investigation? he said.

Ebony Anderson-Carter, one of the women who spoke to the Journal Sentinel, said Karshen identified inconsistencies in the amount or use of force described her in various accounts. Even without the use of force, what Anderson-Carter described could fall under the charge of third-degree sexual assault, defined as sexual intercourse or contact without consent.

But the prosecutor said she would not file that charge, Anderson-Carter told the Journal Sentinel.

Karshen confirmed her decision, saying if there were inconsistencies with the use of force, it did not matter what degree she charged because the inconsistencies remained.

The Journal Sentinel had sought the police reports prior to publishing the story in January but the Milwaukee Police Department denied the request because the investigation remained open. A second records request, filed after the prosecutors decision, is pending.

Karshen also had decided to group all four sexual assault reports as one case early in the investigation. She said she did so given the "very strong modus operandi"  a similar pattern of alleged behavior  and she believed it would make "the strongest case possible."

The decision tied all four cases together, meaning a weakness in one became a weakness for the others even though the prosecutor said not all of the accounts had inconsistencies.

Anderson-Carter said she disagreed with that approach from the beginning.

"I didn't want that," she said. "We just wanted to deal with our situations separately and (Karshen) insisted that we all come together and so on and so forth."

Anderson-Carter also said she believed her public statements criticizing the investigation and length of time it was taking angered the District Attorney's Office.

In an interview with the Journal Sentinel, Torbenson said any criticism did not affect the charging decision.

More: Prosecutors will not file charges in a sex assault case that exposed dysfunction within MPD and oversight commission

Sensabaugh's attorney gave materials to prosecutors

Prosecutors say the case against Sensabaugh is closed unless other information surfaces.

The district attorney's office had an obligation to both the women and Sensabaugh to give some finality to our decision," Torbenson said.

There's a hint that more has happened than what we're aware of, he said. A decision not to charge today doesn't necessarily mean that we can't revisit that decision based on new information in the future.

The statute of limitation for most sex crimes in Wisconsin is 10 years.

Anderson-Carter and Engel-Rivera said they believed the prosecutors' decision will discourage others from coming forward in this case and others. Engel-Rivera filed police reports in Milwaukee and McCandless, Penn. where she said an assault took place during a protest march. Sensabaugh has not faced changes in Pennsylvania.

"Our system often sets up tons of barriers to say we dont want to hear from you," said Garvin, the Las Vegas-based crime victim rights expert.

"So then survivors access the forums in which they can start to tell their story in a healing way or to generate attention," she added. "Then the system all of sudden looks at them and says now we cant listen to you because its inconsistent."

Some supporters of Sensabaugh had viewed the activist as a victim of a conspiracy of false allegations. The prosecutors said they found no evidence the women knew each other personally before disclosing their assaults. Prosecutors also said they are not investigating the women on allegations they made false reports because there was no evidence they had done so.

Sensabaugh and his attorney have maintained the allegations were false from the beginning and that the activist "has consistently and credibly denied any wrongdoing."

In a statement, Attorney Craig Mastantuono said his legal team conducted "thorough investigations" of the allegations.

He said he turned over a packet of materials to police and prosecutors that included witness summaries, copies of texts and other communications to Sensabaugh from some of the women, and polygraph results. Polygraph reports are inadmissible in criminal court proceedings in Wisconsin.

Mastantuono did not share copies of the texts and messages with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel but said they "called into question the credibility of their accusations and refuted that any alleged assault actually happened."

His client, he said, "remains committed to the best police and justice system our city and country can achieve."

There is no data that suggests that rates of false reporting are higher in sexual assault cases than they are for any other crime.

One study recently cited by the Wisconsin Department of Justice estimated the rate of false claims to be 5.9% while an another had an even lower rate, between 2% and 5%, when the accuser is a child.

There are false accusations in the world but the best we can tell from the science is they are such a small proportion, said Newman, the psychology professor in Tulsa.

The larger proportion is people not reporting, she said.

Women do not regret sharing their stories

Tiffany Engel-Rivera is one of four women who have accused Milwaukee activist Frank "Nitty" Sensabaugh of sexual assault. She filed police reports in Milwaukee and McCandless, Penn. in 2020.

Engel-Rivera and Anderson-Carter said they do not regret coming forward.

The prosecutors "decided to take the easiest way out instead of accepting a challenge to help protect future victims from experiencing this trauma we have to live with everyday," Engel-Rivera said.

But telling her story has helped in her healing journey, she said, and she hopes it will encourage others to do the same.

"Although we didnt get justice today, I do strongly feel we will get it one day," she said.

A third woman who reported her allegations to police told the Journal Sentinel she had some hope for justice in the future. She did not want to be named in the Journal Sentinel's stories about the case, citing fears of retaliation and harassment.

But she also had sharp words about how prosecutors handled her case, saying Karshen was not empathetic and she believed the prosecutor's actions will prevent others from coming forward.

"It's shameful of the (prosecutor) to not even try to fight for women survivors of sexual abuse," the woman said.

The Journal Sentinel typically does not identify victims of sexual assault; Engel-Rivera and Anderson-Carter agreed to be named.

Ebony Anderson-Carter stands in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison.

Anderson-Carter, an activist in Madison, said she spoke out to provide an example to her daughter and other Black women.

"I showed my child not to sweep it under the rug," she said. "I showed my child its OK to be honest, vulnerable and angry. Its OK to tell the truth regardless of who that truth may hurt. Its OK to tell the truth even when a Black man is harming you."

The allegations and investigation against Sensabaugh had raised a host of issues, from the competing legal rights of crime victims and the accused to the challenges facing those who report sexual assault. The case also shed light on the underlying racial and gender dynamics of Black women accusing a prominent member of their community.

To women in Wisconsin, to Black women in Wisconsin, just keep trying," Anderson-Carter said.

Where to find help

The City of Milwaukee Health Department has resources for sexual assault survivors here. Advocate Aurora Health's Healing and Advocacy Services for sexual assault survivors includes a 24-hour hotline at (414) 219-5555 and a confidential text line (414) 219-1551. The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at (414) 933-2722 and offers assistance with e-filing for restraining orders at (414) 278-5079. The Milwaukee Women's Center also offers a hotline at (414) 671-6140. The Asha Project, which serves African American women in Milwaukee, provides a crisis line from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (414) 252-0075. Diverse & Resilient, which serves the LGBTQ community, operates the "Room to Be Safe" resource line (414) 856-5428 and has online resources at roomtobesafe.org. The Hmong American Womens Association, which serves the Hmong and southeast Asian community, has advocates available at (414) 930-9352 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The WI Hmong Family Strengthening Helpline is available after hours at (877) 740-4292. The UMOS Latina Resource Center in Milwaukee offers bilingual, bicultural, domestic violence, sexual assault and anti-human trafficking supportive services and operates a 24-hour hotline at (414) 389-6510.

Contact Ashley Luthern at ashley.luthern@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @aluthern.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee activist Frank Nitty will not be charged in sex assault case
A federal judge on Monday rejected a legal challenge to Oklahoma's execution protocol, ruling it does not violate a constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

The decision clears the way for the state to carry out as many as 28 executions by legal injection over the next two years.

Up first could be convicted murderer Richard Glossip, despite his innocence claim that continues to find support.

Inmates specifically complained that the sedative midazolam  the first drug in the three-drug process  doesn't work. They contended they will feel extreme pain as the second and third drugs take effect.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot disagreed, finding it highly probable that an inmate will feel no pain "within in a very short time after the midazolam is pushed."

Oklahomas current protocol involves the intravenous injection of midazolam, followed by a paralytic, vecuronium bromide, and then the heart-stopping drug potassium chloride.

The judge heard conflicting testimony about midazolam over a six-day trial in Oklahoma City federal court earlier this year.

The execution table is shown in this image from a video released by the Oklahoma Corrections Department.

"The evidence persuades the court, and not by a small margin, that even though midazolam is not the drug of choice for maintaining prolonged deep anesthesia, it can be relied upon, as used in the Oklahoma execution protocol, to render the inmate insensate to pain for the few minutes required to complete the execution," he wrote in his 43-page ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court requires inmates to show that a challenged execution method is sure or very likely to cause serious illness and needless suffering, the judge wrote. The inmates "have fallen well short of clearing the bar set by the Supreme Court," he concluded.

Friot further pointed out in his conclusions that the Supreme Court has said an inmate is not guaranteed a painless death and that courts "do not sit as boards of inquiry charged with determining best practices for executions."

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Friot

Oklahoma resumed executions last October after a hiatus of more than six years. Three inmates were executed after Friot kicked them out of the legal challenge. One was never in the case.

The first execution was widely described as botched after media witnesses reported the inmate, John Marion Grant, convulsed violently and vomited.

The judge made detailed findings about those executions in his ruling.

"The credible evidence persuades the court that there is a high probability, with respect to each of the four recent Oklahoma executions, that the ... sequence, beginning with the injection of 500 milligrams of midazolam, worked as intended," he wrote. "It is highly probable that the inmates felt no physical pain other than that associated with the insertion of the IV lines."

He specifically found that John Grant had been rendered unconscious by midazolam "before he lost his gastric contents."

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He also noted Grant had been eating chips and drinking soda just 45 minutes before his execution was scheduled to begin. "In fact, that physiological result of administering that massive dose of midazolam to a man with a full stomach was unsurprising," he wrote.

The judge called most persuasive the testimony of a key state expert, Dr. Ervin Yen.

The longtime Oklahoma City anesthesiologist witnessed three of the recent executions and testified as an expert at the request of the attorney general's office. Yen told the judge at trial the state's execution protocol is "adequate to carry out an execution in as humane a way as possible."

The judge wrote, "Rarely, in any field of litigation, does a court see and hear well-qualified expert witnesses giving expert testimony as squarely  and emphatically  contradictory, on the issues at the heart of the matter, as in this case.

"Some of the opposing experts in this case have squared off in other midazolam challenges in other courts around the country, in what amounts to a midazolam roadshow. ... There is one fresh face in this case, and a credible one at that. That is Dr. Ervin Yen, a practicing anesthesiologist who has administered midazolam and observed its effects thousands of times."

Dr. Ervin Yen files at the state Capitol April 14 to run for governor.

Attorneys for the inmates criticized Yen in a post-trial filing, suggesting he was biased. "Yen is a politician, having served as a State Senator and he was at the time of trial a candidate for Governor," they wrote.

The judge scolded the attorneys in a footnote for their criticism of Yen. "The implicit suggestion that Dr. Yens credibility is somehow diminished by his public service borders on the offensive," he wrote.

"The courts confidence in Dr. Yens expertise ... is based predominantly on ... his vast experience with midazolam and other anesthetic agents and ... his cogent explanation of the basis for the opinions to which he testified. The court cannot but note, also, that Dr. Yen was chosen by four of his colleagues in the practice of anesthesiology to be their anesthesiologist for their heart surgeries."

After the ruling, the archbishop of Oklahoma City again called for state leaders to abolish capital punishment.

No matter the decision of the court on Oklahomas protocol, the use of the death penalty only contributes to the continued coarsening of society and to the spiral of violence," Archbishop Paul S. Coakley said.

"Taking another life does not ultimately bring closure and peace to those who have lost a loved one, and it goes against the principle of valuing life."

Oklahoma currently has 43 inmates awaiting execution. The newest on the list is David Ware, who was convicted of fatally shooting a Tulsa police sergeant during a 2020 traffic stop.

The plaintiffs in the legal challenge are 28 of those inmates. Most have exhausted their appeals of their convictions and punishment.

The people of Oklahoma and the families who have suffered the murder of a loved one moved one step closer to justice with todays ruling, Attorney General John O'Connor said in a news release.

The attorney general this week plans to ask the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to set execution dates, according to the news release.

Attorneys for the inmates will now take the challenge to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.

The district courts decision ignores the overwhelming evidence presented at trial that Oklahomas execution protocol, both as written and as implemented, creates an unacceptable risk that prisoners will experience severe pain and suffering," attorney Jennifer Moreno said.

The lead plaintiff on the legal challenge is Glossip, an Oklahoma City motel manager who was convicted in the 1997 murder of his boss. Among his outspoken supporters is state Rep. Kevin McDugle, R- Broken Arrow.

I do believe personally that we have an innocent man on death row, McDugle said last year at a news conference.

Glossip was to have been executed on Sept. 30, 2015, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. The lethal injection, though, was called off after a doctor discovered the wrong deadly drug had been supplied.

The other plaintiffs are James A. Coddington, Benjamin R. Cole, Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, Richard S. Fairchild, Wendell A. Grissom, Marlon D. Harmon, Raymond E. Johnson, Emmanuel A. Littlejohn, James D. Pavatt, Kendrick A. Simpson, Kevin R. Underwood, Brenda E. Andrew, Phillip D. Hancock, Alfred B. Mitchell, Tremane Wood, Wade Lay, Ronson Kyle Bush, Scott Eizember, John F. Hanson, Mica Alexander Martinez, Ricky Ray Malone, Clarance Goode, Anthony Sanchez, Michael Dewayne Smith, James Ryder, Richard Rojem and Jemaine Cannon.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals is not expected to set an execution date for Lay right away  if asked  because of an upcoming jury trial on his mental state. His attorney contends he is not presently competent to be executed because of delusions.

The competency trial is set for next May in Pittsburg County District Court.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Federal judge allows Oklahoma executions to go forward
The bassist and founding member of Bon Jovi, Alec John Such, has died at the age of 70.

The rock band announced the death on Sunday (5 June).

He was an original, Bon Jovi wrote in a post on Twitter. As a founding member of Bon Jovi, Alec was integral to the formation of the band.

To be honest, we found our way to each other thru [sic] him, the statement added. Alec was always wild and full of life. Today those special moments will bring a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.

Such was a bassist for the rock band from 1983 to 1994.

Details of how he died havent been revealed.

Bon Jovi credited Such for bringing the band together, revealing that he was a friend of drummer Tico Torres and brought him and songwriter Richie Sambora to see the band perform back in the day.

Such left Bon Jovi in 1994 when he was replaced by bassist Hugh McDonald. He rejoined the band for its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

Such played on the bands first five studio albums, including Slippery When Wet, New Jersey and Keep the Faith.

Many people from the music industry have paid tribute to Such.

Jon Bon Jovis brother Matthew Bongiovi posted a photograph with Such on Twitter, writing: Rest Easy brother, Alec John Such.

Music historian Eddie Trunk added: RIP former and original Bon Jovi bassist Alec John Such.

This one's hard to hear. Bon Jovi have been a huge inspiration to me since I took my first breath in this world. Very sad to hear about the passing of their legendary original bassist Alec John Such. You will be missed. Thoughts go out to his family, friends and the band  pic.twitter.com/db03WSvOls  Scott king (@scottking2003) June 5, 2022

Radio jockey Martha Quinn wrote: Im so sorry to hear Alec John Such, og member of @BonJovi has passed away. I can picture his long black trench coat and red t-shirt in Runaway.

To the Such family, please know he will be missed by the entire MTV generation.
Amber Heard (L) leaves hand-in-hand with her sister Whitney Heard (R) from the High Court in London, United Kingdom, on July 24, 2020. Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

Amber Heard's sister spoke publicly for the first time since the trial's verdict was announced.

Whitney Henriquez testified on her sister's behalf during the trial.

In an Instagram post, Henriquez said that "the cards were stacked against us."

Amber Heard's sister, Whitney Henriquez, said that she will continue to stand with her after a Virginia court found that both Heard and her ex-husband Johnny Depp were liable for defaming each other.

Henriquez, who testified during the trial, posted a statement on Instagram on Sunday, four days following the announcement of the verdict.

"I still stand with you, sissy," Henriquez wrote in the caption of the post, which was attached to an image featuring the hashtag #istandwithamberheard.

"Yesterday, today and tomorrow I will always be proud of you for standing up for yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the UK, and for being the voice of so many who can't speak to the things that happen behind closed doors," she wrote.

On Wednesday, jurors found that both Depp and Heard were liable for defaming each other but largely sided with Depp, awarding him $15 million and Heard $2 million in damages.

They found that Heard defamed Depp when she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse in a 2018 op-ed published in the Washington Post. The jury also found that Depp defamed Heard when one of his attorneys described her allegations of sexual abuse as a "hoax."

In May, Henriquez testified that Depp struck her in March 2015, prompting Heard to yell "don't hit my fucking sister" and punch Depp in the face. Henriquez said Depp then hit Heard in the face multiple times before asking Henriquez to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which she says she refused.

"We knew that this was going to be an uphill battle and that the cards were stacked against us," Henriquez said in her statement on Instagram. "But you stood up and spoke out regardless. I am so honored to testify for you, and I would do it a million times over because I know what I saw and because the truth is forever on your side."

Read the original article on Insider
Kirill Kudryavtsev/Getty

The Biden administration has been praised in recent weeks for freeing one American detained in Russia and bringing him home through a prisoner swap. But while freeing Trevor Reed, the administration left behind another American who has been detained in Russia for years. Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan is still behind bars in Russia with no plausible exit plan, his family and lawyers tell The Daily Beast.

While happy that Reed is out of the Kremlins clutches, the Whelan family cant help but feel left behind, and increasingly frustrated with the Biden administration and its process for bringing detainees home.

Whelans attorney Vladimir Zherebenkov told The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview he was ultimately disappointed, when he learned that it was Reed and not his client whom the Biden administration chose to bring home first.

Paul should have been the first to get swapped. He is older, he has had concussions after the war, he has had a surgery and frankly, he has been suffering morally much more than Trevor, Zherebenkov said of Whelan, who is accused of espionage and has been sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison.

Outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 29, 2021. Jim Watson/Getty

Even now, as talk of Whelans potential return home grows louderperhaps in part due to Reeds homecominghis family has run into roadblocks with the Biden administration, whose behavior has shocked them, David Whelan, Paul Whelans twin brother, told The Daily Beast.

In discussions about Reeds case, the State Department informed Whelans family that it expects the family to make more noise if it wants to have its case addressed, David Whelan said.

U.S. State Department representatives tried to clarify that in a call to one of our families this week. They feel we need to do more, make more noise or be a squeakier wheel, David Whelan told The Daily Beast, ticking off the number of events, visits to Washington, D.C., and public appeals the family has made to bring his brother home.

Paul Whelan in court on June 15, 2020. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Getty

His sister, Elizabeth, has made more than 20 visits to Washington to push for his release. The family has done 40 media interviews since Reeds release alone. Through the years the family has gone to the White House, Capitol Hill, and had the ear of the National Security Council.

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But to no avail.

This is a hard message to hear. The family of a wrongful detainee shouldnt be bearing the burden of persuading American government officials to act to secure the release of an American citizen wrongfully detained, Whelan said. What sort of circus does a family need to put on to make more noise, to squeak louder, to move the immovable levers of government?

Families of hostages are typically encouraged not to draw excessive attention to their loved ones case to avoid interfering in negotiations or letting the government responsible for detaining them think they have more leverage.

The State Department declined to comment on their alleged suggestion that the Whelan family make more noise.

We will not provide details about any private conversations, a State Department spokesperson told The Daily Beast. We remain in regular contact with the families of those held hostage or wrongfully detained; we are grateful for their partnership and feedback; and we continue to work to ensure we are communicating and sharing information in a way that is helpful to our families.

But its not totally clearto the family or to the publicwhat the State Departments plan is to help bring Whelan home, a dilemma that is growing in complexity by the day, as American interlocutors must weave detainee negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putins attacks on Ukraine in the ongoing war, which has now been going on for more than 100 days.

Vladimir Zherebenkov, Paul Whelans lawyer. Mladen Antonov/Getty

A glimmer of hope has emerged in recent days, though. The State Department has been considering conducting another prisoner swap to bring Whelan home, Whelans attorney in Russia told The Daily Beast. This time, the Biden administration has been toying with the idea of exchanging him for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was given a 25-year prison sentence in the United States in 2012.

Whelan may finally secure his freedom as negotiations continue, according to Zherebenkov.

Its amazing that now when Russia and the U.S. are practically enemies, the secret services, intelligence [agencies], and governments managed to agree on the swap, Zherebenkov said. I hope the special military operation is not going to prevent the next swap of Whelan for Bout.

The only snag is that the family of Brittney Griner, the WNBA star detained in Russia just days before Russia started the war in Ukraine for carrying cannabis oil, has also heard that Griner could be exchanged for Bout, according to ABC News.

But with rumors flying, its not clear who has the right information, or which family is being strung along.

Former Soviet military officer and arms trafficking suspect Viktor Bout (C) deplanes after arriving at Westchester County Airport on Nov. 16, 2010, in White Plains, New York. Handout/Getty

The State Department declined to elaborate.

We will not comment on speculation, the spokesperson for the State Department told The Daily Beast. What we will say is that using the practice of wrongful detention as a bargaining chip for concessions represents a threat to the safety of everyone traveling, working, and living abroad. The United States opposes this practice everywhere.

The Biden administration considers securing the release of both Whelan and Griner an absolute priority, the spokesperson added.

The plan to exchange Whelan for Bout, Zherebenkov stressed, is still not final.

Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia. Barry Gossage/Getty

Bouts attorney, Steve Zissou, told The Daily Beast he hasnt heard from the State Department about a potential swapfor either Whelan or Grinerat all. They don't engage, Zissou said of the State Department. What there is, on the U.S. side, is complete radio silence.

Zissou is open to an exchange with either Whelan or Griner, and said he suspects the Russian government would be open to it as well. Hes gonna be released soon. Even if hes a bad guy, its time for him to go home, Zissou told The Daily Beast of Bout, referring to his decade served. If it takes Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, so be it.

The idea that Bout might be on the table could be total hogwash, according to Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI).

In my conversations with Biden administration officials, in particular over the last month, exchanges come at great cost. Theyre extraordinarily complicated. They are done in secrecy, Stevens told The Daily Beast. So my presumption is that if were hearing about another trade, its likely something that maybe the Russians are cooking up for propaganda purposes.

Stevens, too, has not heard great answers as to why Whelan and Reed werent both exchanged simultaneously.

Its unclear to me why Trevor and Paul were not returned together, Stevens told The Daily Beast.

The tangled geopolitical situation negotiators need to work throughif there is going to be a swapis growing increasingly complicated by the day, Stevens warned.

Russia and those in charge are very unpredictable, erratic oftentimes, and certainly not operating within normal international accords, Stevens said. Were dealing with an extraordinarily rogue actor.

The last swap was not entirely transparent, though, so details may not emerge for some time, Zherebenkov indicated.

The negotiations were secret and quick, everything was decided so quietly without my involvement, Zherebenkov said of Reeds swap.

And details might be hush-hush for some time, as the United States has actively been trying to get Russia to back away from its war in Ukraineand it doesnt look to be ending anytime soon. U.S. intelligence assessments suggest a stalemate, or a war of attrition, is brewing.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Krishna N. Das and Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - A deadly fire at a container depot in Bangladesh has laid bare the dangers still facing millions of the country's workers a decade after a series of tragedies in the export-focussed garment industry spurred a safety revolution.

Intense scrutiny of Bangladesh and the major international clothing retailers that rely on it for supplies has helped prevent further disasters in the garment sector since a fire in 2012 and a building collapse in 2013 together killed more than 1,200 workers.

But in other industries, mainly catering to Bangladesh's booming domestic economy and without an equal emphasis on safety, hundreds have died in fires in recent years.

At least 41 people burned to death in a depot blaze that erupted on Saturday and has yet to be extinguished. Nearby containers loaded with chemicals pose a risk of further life-threatening explosions.

Bangladesh saw its last major garments factory fire in early 2017 in which six workers were killed. But fires in other commercial settings or factories, making everything from fans to fruit juices, have killed at least 200 since then and injured many more, according to a Reuters count.

"The safety is more in the garments sector than in other industries because there is an international compliance-monitoring system, and no compliance means no orders," said Jewel Das, general secretary of the Bangladesh Association of Fire Consultants that works with the government on fire audits.

"But in other sectors, there is no international monitoring system and the national monitoring system is not strong."

Unlike established garment businesses which have their power systems including diesel generators located away from their factories, many other units are built right on top of their power sources.

"Because most fires start from the electrical systems, it's like sitting above a bomb," Das said.

He said many non-garment factories also lack fire-safety measures like the segregation of flammable materials, maintenance of fire-escape routes and clear demarcation of assembly areas in the densely populated country of more than 160 million.

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Monir Hossain, a senior official at Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence who was inspecting chemicals and fire standards at the depot, agreed that oversight was weak in most other industries. He feared not much would change even after the latest disaster.

"A lot has been done to improve the safety conditions in garments but other sectors still remain out of scrutiny," said Hossain.

"When something happens, there are investigations but after some time, we all forget that. Then another incident happens."

At the container depot, he said even basic fire-safety measures were missing. There were only a handful of fire extinguishers, he said, at a site storing everything from clothes to chemicals.

'NO COMPULSION, NO COMPLIANCE'

The world woke up to Bangladesh's hazardous factory conditions in 2012 when a fire at Tazreen Fashions, which made goods for Walmart Inc and Sears Holdings, killed 112 workers.

The disaster was followed by the collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza a year later, killing 1,135 garment workers and triggering a wave of public outrage around the world about the human cost of cheap clothes.

This prompted global retailers, foreign governments and international agencies like the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) to act to help the world's second-largest garments industry improve safety and labour conditions.

The IFC said it had established a five-year, $40 million credit facility for local banks to help garments and related factories upgrade their structural, electrical, and fire safety standards.

No similar arrangements are in place for other industries which have mushroomed as the economy has grown much faster than in many other countries in the past decade.

The International Labour Organization said it was working with Bangladesh's fire, factories and other departments to improve safety across the economy.

"The lessons learned from the garment sector should be channelled towards focused interventions in other sectors based on hazards and risk to health and safety," it said.

"An effective national industrial and enterprise safety framework as well as enforcement and training system is needed in Bangladesh."

Ali Ahmed Khan, who was the chief of the fire department until a few years ago, said Bangladesh now needs to focus on the small and medium-sized industries if it wants to stop a recurrence of deadly fires.

He said industries like leather goods, pharmaceuticals and plastic goods were stepping up exports but were not fully compliant with fire-safety rules.

"Unless there is a compulsion, people will not comply," he said.

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi and Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Toby Chopra)
(Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Jack Mas Ant Group Co. launched its digital bank in Singapore, as Chinas largest online financial platform branches out of its home market amid regulatory headwinds.

Most Read from Bloomberg

ANEXT Bank will provide digital financial services to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those with cross-border operations, it said in a statement on Monday.

The fintech giant is entering an arena dominated by traditional incumbents including DBS Group Holdings Ltd. and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Using Singapore as a base for its business in Southeast Asia may offset slower growth prospects at home after government-ordered regulatory overhauls. Part-owned by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Ant can also benefit from the e-commerce operators unit in the region, Lazada.

Banking services are essentially a very central part of the holistic suite of financial services that were doing within Southeast Asia and hopefully using Singapore as a launchpad, Toh Su Mei, chief executive officer of ANEXT Bank, said at a news briefing.

Asked about staffing, Toh said the wholly owned bank will build a Singapore-first team, with 75% of workers based in the city-state and the rest in China.

Toh, a former executive at DBS, has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry. She led DBSs lending arm for small and medium-sized enterprises in the region before joining Ant, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The digital bank is starting by offering a preview of its dual-currency deposit account, which includes three-factor authentication verification, remote on-boarding and daily interest, it said. Accounts will be made available from the third quarter.

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Toh said the bank will offer interest rates that are in line with the market. We are not here to create a price war, she said.

Local Partner

Ant was one of two groups to get a wholesale digital banking license in December 2020, allowing it to serve small and midsized firms and other non-retail segments. It requires a capital commitment of S$100 million ($73 million). That compares with a full digital bank license, which can serve all kinds of customers and eventually requires S$1.5 billion in capital as well as local control.

Ant will also partner with Proxtera, a local entity thats part of a public initiative led by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Singapores Infocomm Media Development Authority, to create an open framework for collaboration with financial institutions.

Singapores efforts to open up the banking industry to technology companies come on the heels of a similar move in Hong Kong, where Ant and Chinese competitors including Tencent Holdings Ltd. obtained licenses in 2020.

Continuous innovation and new capabilities that digital banks are slated to bring will no doubt add more engines of growth to Singapores financial sector, MAS Chief Fintech Officer Sopnendu Mohanty said in the statement.

Ants payments app Alipay had about a billion annual active users as of August 2020. The company has invested in 10 digital wallet operators outside China, including Paytm in India and Dana in Indonesia.

(Updates with digital bank CEOs comments from fourth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
A man deposits his mail-in ballot for the US presidential election at a ballot collection box in Phoenix, Arizona on October 18, 2020. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

An Arizona court has rejected Republican efforts to ban mail-in voting.

The Arizona GOP had sued, claiming the state's 1991 voting laws were unconstitutional.

Secretary of State Katie Hobbs told Insider the GOP is "laying the groundwork" to steal an election.

An Arizona judge has bluntly rejected Republican arguments that the state's system of mail-in voting is unconstitutional, but Secretary of State Katie Hobbs told Insider she expects the GOP to continue its "attacks" on voting rights.

In 1991, Arizona's legislature passed a law that allows any voter in the state to request an absentee ballot. Since then, the vast majority of voters have elected to do just that, with 89% of them choosing to cast a ballot by mail in 2020.

In February, however, the state Republican Party filed a lawsuit claiming that two decades of mail-in voting violated Arizona's founding document, Arizona Public Media reported.

"In-person voting at the polls on a fixed date (election day) is the only constitutional manner of voting in Arizona," the party argued in a petition demanding the system of mail-in voting be thrown out ahead of the 2022 election.

The lawsuit built upon unfounded claims, promoted by the party and former President Donald Trump as a means of explaining away the 2020 election results, that mail-in ballots facilitated massive fraud. Numerous audits, including a partisan review commissioned by Arizona's GOP-led Senate, have confirmed President Joe Biden's victory.

On Monday, Judge Lee F. Jantzen of the Mohave County Superior Court threw out the case.

In a five-page ruling, Jantzen  first appointed to his position by former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer  noted that the laws in question had been enforced as written for more than three decades.

"The laws are far from perfect and nobody anticipated thirty years ago that approximately 90 percent of Arizona voters would vote by mail-in ballot during a pandemic, but these laws are NOT in violation of the Arizona Constitution," Jantzen wrote.

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He added that the laws allowing no-excuse and early mail-in voting were indeed consistent with the constitution's demands that Arizona citizens be allowed to vote and that their ballots be kept secret.

"Is the Arizona legislature prohibited by the Arizona Constitution from enacting voting laws that include no-excuse mail-in voting?" he asked. "The answer is no."

'Laying the groundwork'

Democrats praised the ruling. In a statement, state Sen. Raquel Teran, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, praised the decision as a victory for democracy, describing the GOP lawsuit as "shameful, embarrassing, and unconstitutional."

The Arizona Republican Party did not respond to a request for comment.

In an interview, Secretary Hobbs  who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in the August 2 primary  told Insider the decision "is a victory for Arizona voters."

But, Hobbs argued, the GOP lawsuit could still incur damage to the integrity of the vote.

"It's so close to the election. Even if they aren't successful [in court], they might be successful in creating chaos and sowing doubt and making voters confused about how they can vote in the next election," Hobbs said. "I think as long as their party chair continues to tout the 'big lie' from the 2020 election, these attacks will continue."

While many in the Arizona GOP have questioned the outcome of the 2020 election, Republicans in the state legislature do not have enough votes to do away with mail-in ballots and early voting. That spurred the state party, chaired by ardent Trump ally Kelli Ward, to pursue the legal route instead.

Hobbs does not think they will accept defeat.

"They're trying to lay the groundwork," she said. "They're the ones claiming the election was stolen, but they're the ones who actually plan to steal it in '24. And the 2022 elections are going to have a big role in whether they're able to do that or not."

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
Axon has paused work on a project to build drones equipped with its Tasers. A majority of its artificial intelligence ethics board quit after the plan was announced last week.

Nine of the 12 members said in a resignation letter that, just a few weeks ago, the board voted 8-4 to recommend that Axon shouldn't move forward with a pilot study for a Taser-equipped drone concept. "In that limited conception, the Taser-equipped drone was to be used only in situations in which it might avoid a police officer using a firearm, thereby potentially saving a life," the nine board members wrote. They noted Axon might decline to follow that recommendation and were working on a report regarding measures the company should have in place were it to move forward.

The nine individuals said they were blindsided by an announcement from the company last Thursday  nine days after 19 elementary school students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas  about starting development of such a drone. It had an aim of "incapacitating an active shooter in less than 60 seconds." Axon said it "asked the board to re-engage and consider issuing further guidance and feedback on this capability."

Axon CEO Rick Smith suggested the drones could be deployed as a measure to prevent mass shootings. As Reuters notes, he envisioned drones being stationed in school hallways and having the ability to enter rooms through vents. The drone system, which Axon suggested might be ready as soon as 2024, would have cost schools around $1,000 per year.

The system would have tapped into security camera feeds to detect active shooter events using both human monitoring and artificial intelligence. While a human operator would have made the final decision on whether to fire a Taser, Axon planned to develop "targeting algorithms" to help them with "properly and safely aiming the device."

"This type of surveillance undoubtedly will harm communities of color and others who are overpoliced, and likely well beyond that," the resigning board members wrote. "The Taser-equipped drone also has no realistic chance of solving the mass shooting problem Axon now is prescribing it for, only distracting society from real solutions to a tragic problem. We all feel the desperate need to do something to address our epidemic of mass shootings. But Axons proposal to elevate a tech-and-policing response when there are far less harmful alternatives, is not the solution."

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Those board members said that before Axon made its announcement, they urged it to "pull back" on the plans. "But the company charged ahead in a way that struck many of us as trading on the tragedy of the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings," they wrote. "Significantly for us, it bypassed Axons commitment to consult with the companys own AI Ethics Board."

Smith said that the goal of the announcement was to start a conversation about the use of drones equipped with Tasers as a possible solution. "I acknowledge that our passion for finding new solutions to stop mass shootings led us to move quickly," Smith said in a statement. "However, in light of feedback, we are pausing work on this project and refocusing to further engage with key constituencies to fully explore the best path forward."

The AI ethics board has had previous success in convincing Axon to change course. In 2019, the company said it wouldn't use facial recognition in its police body cameras after the board expressed concern about the plan.
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (AP)  Authorities in Bangladesh struggled Monday to determine the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 41 people, including nine firefighters, and injured more than 100 others at a shipping container storage depot, as experts raised concerns over the country's industrial safety standards.

Efforts to fully extinguish the fire at the BM Inland Container Depot, a Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture near the country's main Chittagong Seaport, continued Monday after it broke out around midnight Saturday following explosions in a container full of chemicals. The explosions were felt as far as 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles) away, officials and local media said.

Authorities said there were more than 4,000 containers at the depot, of which about 1,000 were filled with materials including chemicals.

Nearly 40 hours after the initial explosion, smoke was still coming out of some containers. Explosives experts from the military were called in to assist the firefighters.

Officials said the number of casualties rose dramatically over the weekend because many workers and firefighters were unaware of the chemicals stored at the depot and went too close to the containers. A total of 21 firefighters were either killed or injured.

On Monday, authorities began collecting DNA samples from relatives of victims because severe burns made many of the bodies unrecognizable.

Elias Chowdhury, the areas civil surgeon, said the death toll was revised down from 49 on Monday, citing errors in earlier counting.

Mominur Rahman, a senior official in Chittagong, about 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of Dhaka, the capital, said some bodies were taken to a hospital where they were counted, and were later taken to a second hospital where they were counted again, resulting in the error.

The fire raised concern over whether such storage facilities in Bangladesh observe proper safety standards.

Khairul Alam Sujan, vice president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association, said Sunday that containers with hazardous chemicals are often kept near those with garment products ready for export.

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Firefighters said more than a dozen containers stored hydrogen peroxide, which helped spread the fire, but it was still unclear what caused the initial powerful blast.

The head of the country's fire service department regretted that firefighters did not have information from the depot's management about materials stored there while they were fighting the fire.

Bangladeshi media blamed the high death toll on poor industrial safety standards.

The fire  is the latest in an ever-growing list of tragedies that put Bangladeshs appalling industrial safety record once again under the spotlight, the Daily Star newspaper said in an editorial Monday.

The poor infrastructure and institutional preparedness for industrial safety  makes such fire incidents almost inevitable, it said.

The International Labor Organization said in a 2020 report that Bangladesh needs a credible and accountable industrial safety governance structure.

Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters, including factories catching fire with workers trapped inside. Monitoring groups have blamed corruption and lax enforcement.

In the countrys garment industry, which employs about 4 million people, safety conditions have improved significantly after massive reforms, but experts say other sectors need to make similar changes.

In 2012, about 117 workers died when they were trapped behind locked exits in a garment factory in Dhaka.

The countrys worst industrial disaster occurred the following year, when the Rana Plaza garment factory outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

In 2019, a blaze ripped through a 400-year-old area cramped with apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part of Dhaka and killed at least 67 people. Another fire in Old Dhaka in a house illegally storing chemicals killed at least 123 people in 2010.

In 2021, a fire at a food and beverage factory outside Dhaka killed at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped inside by an illegally locked door.

___

Alam reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh.
In this article:

The 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards were held in Santa Monica, California, on Sunday.

Stars like Chrishell Stause and Jennifer Lopez embraced hip cutouts and sheer panels.

Other trends on the red carpet included thigh-high slits and crop tops.

Jennifer Lopez accepted the Generation Award in a Monot look.

Jennifer Lopez attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Emma McIntyre/WireImage

Lopez's dress was designed with a plunging neckline and cutouts at her hips. She paired the black gown with her own DSW by Jennifer Lopez shoes.

Sydney Sweeney arrived at the awards show in a custom Miu Miu look that was designed with a pink crop top and sparkly miniskirt.

Sydney Sweeney attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Celebrity stylist Molly Dickson shared on Instagram that Sweeney specifically requested the bra she wore underneath have sparkles in the middle to match the skirt.

Kristin Cavallari kept it simple in a red, white, and black Saint Laurent outfit.

Kristin Cavallari attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Cavallari paired the look with black heels, gold jewelry, and a clutch.

Olivia Rodrigo attended the awards show in a corseted black dress.

Olivia Rodrigo attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Rodrigo's stylists, Chloe and Chenelle Delgadillo, told Vogue they think the vintage Jean Paul Gaultier dress is from 1987.

"We've always loved the powerful, feminine silhouette of this Jean Paul Gaultier dress," they said. "For a fresh take, we crisscrossed the straps in the front, which made the look feel a bit younger."

The star paired the look with Outhouse earrings and some rings from her personal collection.

Lana Condor popped on the red carpet in this head-to-toe pink look.

Lana Condor attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Condor attended the awards show in a two-piece Valentino set with coordinating tights and pumps.

"Stranger Things" star Jamie Campbell Bower looked effortlessly chic in this suit.

Jamie Campbell Bower attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The actor paired his black-and-white ensemble with sunglasses and burgundy loafers.

"Summer House" star Paige DeSorbo walked the red carpet in a sheer jumpsuit.

Paige DeSorbo attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

DeSorbo paired the Naeem Khan look with Stephanie Gottlieb jewelry.

"Vanderpump Rules" stars Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval both embraced daring trends at the awards show.

Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval attend the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage

Madix wore a Bree Billiter dress designed with a sheer skirt and feathered top, while Sandoval wore a white suit with no shirt underneath. Sandoval paired his suit with Prada boots.

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"Selling Sunset" star Chelsea Lazkani walked the red carpet in a multicolored dress with a plunging neckline and side cutouts.

Chelsea Lazkani attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Rich Polk/Getty Images for MTV

Lazkani shared on Instagram that her dress was a Roberto Cavalli dress from the designer's spring/summer 2006 collection.

Chrishell Stause put a spin on the classic all-black look with her two-piece ensemble.

Chrishell Stause attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The "Selling Sunset" star walked the red carpet in a Grace Ling set with sheer panels on one side. She paired it with Giuseppe Zanotti shoes and a bag shaped like a butt, which was also designed by Ling.

"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Dorit Kemsley wore an all-black outfit designed with sheer pants.

Dorit Kemsley attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

Kemsley paired the lacy look with a Chanel bag.

"Bling Empire" sensation Kim Lee looked terrific in a Sophie Couture dress with a completely sheer skirt.

Kim Lee attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Rich Polk/Getty Images for MTV

The sheer skirt of Lee's dress had feathers and silver embellishments running down it. She accessorized the look with Kyle Chan jewelry.

"Summer House" star Lindsay Hubbard went for a pop of color in this sheer pink look.

Lindsay Hubbard attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Rich Polk/Getty Images for MTV

Hubbard paired the Joy Cioci dress with Nicole Rose jewelry.

Mary Fitzgerald from "Selling Sunset" wore a black look with some asymmetrical details.

Mary Fitzgerald attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for MTV

Fitzgerald attended the awards show in a Gomez-Gracia look. It consisted of a one-shoulder crop top and a black-sequined skirt with a thigh-high slit.

"Jersey Shore" star Angelina Larangeira walked the red carpet in a sheer silver dress.

Angelina Larangeira attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage

Larangeira wrote on Instagram that the silver dress was made by her "fave designer ever," Portia & Scarlett.

Read the original article on Insider
President Biden on Monday will sign an order that will exempt Southeast Asian nations from any new tariffs on solar panels for two years in an effort to boost the solar industry beleaguered by an ongoing Commerce Department investigation.

The White House said in a fact sheet that Biden would establish a 24-month bridge for certain solar imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam by waving tariffs in order to ensure the U.S. has access to a sufficient supply of solar modules to meet electricity generation needs while domestic manufacturing scales up.

The Commerce Department is currently investigating whether solar panel part companies in Southeast Asia are being used to circumvent U.S. tariffs on Chinese solar companies, a probe that began in March. While the investigation is not yet completed, Mondays action will help ease concerns in the solar sector, which currently relies heavily on imports. The investigation spurred the cancellation of hundreds of solar projects in the U.S. amid concerns that it could result in retroactive tariffs up to 250 percent on imported equipment.

Speaking on a call with reporters, a senior administration official said that Biden was exercising his authority under the Tariff Act and said the action is a result of an interagency legal team.

Biden will also invoke the Defense Production Act to expand U.S. manufacturing of solar panel parts, building installation, heat pumps, power grid infrastructure and equipment used to make clean energy-generated fuels, according to the fact sheet. Biden has used the Cold War-era authority in ways, including ramping up domestic production of baby formula amid a nationwide shortage.

Together, these actions are going to spur domestic manufacturing, keep spurring it in the way weve seen over the first year and a half of this administration, the senior administration official said. Its going to put wind in the sail of construction projects all around the country.

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Bidens plans were welcome news to the solar industry. Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, issued a statement praising Biden for taking a thoughtful approach to addressing the current crisis of the paralyzed solar supply chain.

The president is providing improved business certainty today while harnessing the power of the Defense Production Act for tomorrow, she said. Todays actions protect existing solar jobs, will lead to increased employment in the solar industry and foster a robust solar manufacturing base here at home.

The ongoing Commerce Department investigation has triggered debate in Congress, with a bipartisan group of lawmakers arguing that the probe and related tariffs could devastate the domestic solar industry.

One of those lawmakers, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), reacted positively to the White House announcement, arguing it would save solar jobs.

The risk of additional tariffs on imported solar panels would have been devastating for American solar projects, the hundreds of thousands of jobs they support, and our nations clean energy and climate goals, Rosen said in a statement.

Still, some lawmakers have defended the investigation as an important effort to probe the potential circumvention of U.S. tariffs. The Commerce Department concluded following a 2011 investigation that Chinese companies were dumping solar cells and products on the U.S. market and as a result imposed hefty tariffs on Chinese solar panel imports.

The White House fact sheet released Monday asserted that Biden was reinforcing his commitment to safeguarding the integrity and independence of all ongoing trade investigations by career officials at the Department of Commerce and recognizing the vital role these processes play in strengthening our economy.

Updated at 11:22 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Biden will make his first in-studio late night talk show appearance since taking office with a scheduled appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week.

Our very elected President @JoeBiden visits @JimmyKimmelLive Wednesday night, Kimmel said in a tweet on Sunday. No malarkey.

Biden made multiple appearances on Stephen Colberts Late Show before his election.

Wednesdays taping will take place in Los Angeles, where the president and first lady Jill Biden are scheduled to attend the Summit of the Americas, a weeklong event at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The summit will bring together governments from across our hemisphere to focus on pressing challenges, including economic prosperity, climate change, the migration crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House said in a statement announcing the presidents plans to visit the West coast.

Bidens upcoming trip to Los Angeles comes as his approval ratings are up slightly from record lows.

A recent Reuters-Ipsos opinion poll showed the presidents approval ratings rose by 6 percentage points last week to 42 percent after reaching a record low of 36 percent approval the week prior.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The 911 dispatcher accused of hanging up on a caller reporting the mass shooting inside the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York, last month has been fired following a disciplinary hearing.

The dispatcher, who worked for the Erie County Central Police Services Department for eight years, had been on administrative leave since May 16 "as the mishandled call was investigated," Peter Anderson, a spokesman for the office of the Erie County Executive, told media outlets.

Anderson said the dispatcher was fired during a disciplinary hearing Thursday morning and was no longer employed as a police complaint writer for Erie County as of noon that day. Though he did not name the terminated employee, The Buffalo News identified the woman as Sheila E. Ayers.

Ayers, 54, answered the 911 call from Latisha Rogers, an assistant office manager at the Tops Friendly Market located on Jefferson Avenue, as the accused gunman, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, opened fire May 14. Rogers later recounted to news outlets ducking behind the stores customer service desk upon hearing gunfire and dialing 911, though the dispatcher scolded her for whispering into her cell phone.

BUFFALO MASS SHOOTING: 911 DISPATCHER ON LEAVE AFTER ALLEGEDLY HANGING UP ON TOPS SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEE

"I called 911, I go through the whole operator and everything, the dispatcher comes on and I'm whispering to her, and I said Miss, please send help to 1275 Jefferson there is a shooter in the store," Rogers told WZZM. "She proceeded in a very nasty tone and says, I can't hear you, why are you whispering? You don't have to whisper. They can't hear you."

"So, I continued to whisper, and I said, ma'am he's still in the store, he's still shooting! I'm scared for my life, please send help," Rogers added. "Out of nervousness, my phone fell out of my hand, she said something I couldn't make out, and then the phone hung up."

Anderson previously told Fox News Digital that the dispatchers handling of the call "had no bearing on the dispatching of the call," which was sent for "an immediate police response within 30 seconds."

Story continues

Payton Gendron arrives for a hearing at the Erie County Courthouse on May 19, 2022, in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

County Executive Marc Poloncarz last month called the handling of the 911 call "completely unacceptable" and said the county would seek to fire the employee.

The dispatcher's union, the Civil Service Employees Association, said Thursday it had ensured that disciplinary due process provisions were "followed fairly and appropriately here."

The dispatcher told The Buffalo News late last month she was sorry about what the caller went through during the shooting, adding that more facts would come out at the hearing.

Flowers are left at a makeshift memorial outside of Tops market on May 15, 2022, in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Ayers was terminated the same day Gendron pleaded not guilty to new hate-motivated domestic terrorism and other charges Thursday. He was charged with murder shortly after the attack.

On Wednesday, a new indictment expanded the case to include the domestic terrorism charge, along with 10 counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of second-degree murder as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon and three counts of attempted murder as a hate crime.

Gendron has been held without bail since the shooting and is due back in court July 7.

Prosecutors said Gendron drove about three hours to Buffalo from his home in Conklin, New York, to target African Americans. Shortly before opening fire, he allegedly posted documents that outlined his White supremacist views and revealed he had been planning the attack for months.

Fox News' Audrey Conklin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NextShark

A pair of identical twins who grew up in separate countries have somehow developed similar personality traits but significantly different IQ levels, a recent study has found. In the study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, researchers from Kookmin University in Seoul and California State University compared the characteristics of a woman who grew up in South Korea to that of her sister, who was raised in the U.S. The adoptee grew up without knowledge of her siblings, until she participated in a South Korean government program that reunited family members.
The Fiscal Times

A bipartisan group of senators over the weekend announced an agreement on a framework for gun safety legislation, and although theres still a lot of work to do to hammer out the details, it looks like the bill would send billions of federal dollars to the states to assist in implementing new rules and procedures. While the framework falls well short of what many gun control advocates have called for  it does not ban AR-15 rifles or high-capacity magazines, for example, nor does it mandate univ
Six opposition leaders arrested after violent anti-French protests in N'Djamena were on Monday handed one-year suspended sentences for disturbing public order, Chad's public prosecutor told AFP.

They were also fined 10 million CFA francs, or about 15,000 euros, said prosecutor Moussa Wade Djibrine, who had sought two-year prison terms.

The swift trial opened Monday morning at a court at Moussoro, around 300 kilometres (180 miles) from the capital, with defence lawyers boycotting the hearing amid a heavy police presence.

The case comes against a backdrop of political tension with a military junta in power following the death of the country's veteran leader more than a year ago.

An authorised march in the capital on May 14 against France's military presence in Chad turned violent.

Seven petrol stations belonging to the French oil major Total were attacked and 12 police officers injured, according to a police toll.

In the aftermath, the authorities carried out a string of arrests among the march organisers, who denied any responsibility for the violence.

Those charged included Max Loalngar, coordinator for Wakit Tamma, Chad's main opposition coalition, and Gounoung Vaima Gan-Fare, secretary of the Chadian trade union federation.

The six were charged with disturbing public order and destruction of property. They had begun a hunger protest on May 23.

Trade unions, opposition political parties, armed groups and international NGOs have called for the six to be released immediately and unconditionally.

"We will appeal, a suspended sentence is still a sentence," said Wakit Tamma's lawyer Laguerre Ndjarandi.

The six "will be released today", said the Moussoro court's public prosecutor Abdoulaye Bono Kono.

"The court has been kind, it's not a bad thing to calm things down," communication minister Abderaman Koulamallah told AFP.

- Dialogue delayed -

Chad has been under military rule since President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, was killed in April 2021 during operations to crush rebels in the north of the country.

Story continues

He was succeeded by his son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a four-star general, now the transitional president.

His junta vowed to hold "free and democratic elections" within 18 months after staging a proposed nationwide "dialogue".

A reconciliation forum should have started last month but has run into major problems.

Armed groups have warned that Monday's trial further compromises the national dialogue. The political opposition has already withdrawn from the organising process.

France has thousands of troops in the Sahel, including in Chad, under its Barkhane mission.

But in February, Paris announced it would withdraw its troops from Mali and deploy them elsewhere after falling out with the junta in Bamako.

On May 16, Deby, reacting to the violence that had unfolded two days earlier, attacked what he called "false and unfounded allegations" that French troops would redeploy to Chad.

dwi-yas-dyg/bp/imm
Chad's public prosecutor on Monday said he was seeking two-year prison terms against six opposition leaders arrested after violent anti-French protests last month.

"We are calling for two-year jail terms with fines of 100,000 CFA francs" (around $160, 150 euros) against each of the defendants, prosecutor Moussa Wade Djibrine told AFP as their trial got underway.

The case comes against a backdrop of political tension in Chad, where a military junta is in power following the death of the country's veteran leader 14 months ago.

An authorised march in the capital N'Djamena on May 14 against France's military presence in Chad turned violent.

Seven petrol stations belonging to the French oil major Total were attacked and 12 police were injured, according to a police toll.

In the aftermath, the authorities carried out a string of arrests among the march organisers, who denied any responsibility for the violence.

Those charged include Max Loalngar, coordinator for Wakit Tamma, which is the country's main opposition coalition, and Gounoung Vaima Gan-Fare, secretary of the Chadian trade union federation.

The six have been charged with disturbing public order and destruction of property. They began a hunger protest on May 23.

The verdict is expected to be announced on Monday at a court at Moussoro, around 300 kilometres (180 miles) from N'Djamena.

Trade unions, opposition political parties, armed groups and international NGOs have called for the six to be released immediately and unconditionally.

"We will see if the court is independent and follows the (prosecutor) or not," said Djerandi Laguerre, a lawyer for Wakit Tamma.

Defence attorneys boycotted proceedings, which took place amid a heavy police presence.

- Junta -

Chad has been under military rule since President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, was killed in April 2021 during operations to crush rebels in the north of the country.

He was succeeded by his son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a four-star general.

Story continues

He took the helm at the head of a 15-member group of senior officers and was appointed transitional president.

The junta immediately dissolved parliament, sacked the government and suspended the constitution.

It vowed to hold "free and democratic elections" within 18 months after staging a proposed nationwide "dialogue" on the country's problems.

The planned reconciliation forum should have started last month but has run into hefty problems.

Armed groups failed to reach a joint position with the junta at so-called "pre-dialogue" talks in Qatar, and the political opposition has withdrawn from the organising process.

- French ally -

Chad has a long history of coups and revolts since the vast arid country gained independence from France in 1960.

The military's takeover last year was widely accepted by Western countries, led by France, which sees Chad as a close ally in its fight against jihadists in the Sahel.

Other recent coups in Africa -- in Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso -- have encountered condemnation or regional sanctions.

France has thousands of troops in the Sahel, including in Chad, under its Barkhane mission.

But in February, France announced it would withdraw its troops from Mali and deploy them elsewhere after falling out with the junta in Bamako, which has woven close ties with the Kremlin.

On May 16, Deby, reacting to the violence that had unfolded two days earlier, attacked what he called "false and unfounded allegations" that French troops would redeploy in Chad.

dwi-yas-dyg/fio/ri/raz
A J-16 fighter jet in Changchun, China, in 2019. STR/AFP via Getty Images

A Chinese jet cut in front of an Australian plane and fired debris into its engine, officials said.

Australia's defense ministry said the incident happened on May 26 over international waters.

Chinese aircraft regularly "buzz" or try to interfere with foreign aircraft near their airspace.

A Chinese fighter jet veered in front of an Australian military plane and fired off a cloud of debris that entered its engine, Australia's defense ministry said.

The incident happened on May 26 in international airspace over the South China Sea, the ministry said Sunday. The South China Sea is an area where China has tried to assert dominance to gain a strategic advantage in recent years.

Richard Marles, Australia's defense minister, told 9News that a Chinese J-16 fighter jet cut across an Australian P-8 maritime-surveillance aircraft and released "chaff," which are small pieces of metal debris used to confuse missiles.

"The J-16 then accelerated and cut across the nose of the P-8, settling in front of the P-8 at a very close distance," Marles said.

"At that moment it then released a bundle of chaff, which contains small pieces of aluminum, some of which were ingested into the engine of the P-8 aircraft," he added. "Quite obviously, this is very dangerous."

Peter Layton, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer, told CNN that the incident would have forced the P-8 to return to base, though the defense ministry did not give details as to the state of the aircraft.

Chinese aircraft regularly fly close to or try and interfere with foreign aircraft that fly over the South China Sea.

China's relations with Australia have soured over trade and accusations of election interference.

In a Sunday article, the Chinese state media outlet the Global Times called the Australian aircraft "provocative" and rejected claims that Chinese military planes had recently "buzzed" Canadian surveillance aircraft.

Australia's defense ministry said in its statement: "The intercept resulted in a dangerous maneuver which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew."

Story continues

"Defense has for decades undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace," it said.

In February, Australia said a Chinese military vessel pointed a laser at another P-8 patrol aircraft to try and distract the pilot, calling it "reckless."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Angie Teo

(Reuters) - When a team of scientists listened to an audio clip recorded underwater off islands in central Indonesia, they heard what sounded like a campfire.

Instead, it was a coral reef, teeming with life, according to a study scientists from British and Indonesian universities published last month, in which they used hundreds of such audio clips to train a computer programme to monitor the health of a coral reef by listening to it.

A healthy reef has a complex "crackling, campfire-like" sound because of all the creatures living on and in it, while a degraded reef sounds more desolate, life sciences specialist and the team's lead researcher Ben Williams said.

The artificial intelligence (AI) system parses data points such as the frequency and loudness of the sound from the audio clips, and can determine with at least 92% accuracy whether the reef is healthy or degraded, according to the team's study published in Ecological Indicators journal.

The scientists hope this new AI system will help conservation groups around the world to track reef health more efficiently.

Coral reefs are under stress from human-driven carbon emissions that have warmed ocean surfaces by 0.13 degrees every decade and increased their acidity by 30% since the industrial era.

About 14% of the world's coral on reefs was lost between 2009 and 2018, an area 2.5 times the Grand Canyon National Park in the United States, according to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

While they cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, coral reefs support more than 25% of marine biodiversity, including turtles, fish and lobsters - making them fertile ground for global fishing industries.

Indonesian conservationist and lecturer at the marine sciences faculty of Hasanuddin University Syafyudin Yusuf said the research would help in monitoring reef health in Indonesia.

The researchers also hope to collect underwater recordings from reefs in Australia, Mexico and the Virgin Islands to help assess the progress of coral restoration projects.

(Additional reporting by Rahman Muchtar; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Barbara Lewis)
Zephyr18 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

There may be no surer sign that a currency has reached the financial mainstream than when it is used to scam people out of massive piles of money. Thats whats happening with cryptocurrency, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission.

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The report, released on June 3, found that since the start of 2021, more than 46,000 people have reported losing over $1 billion in crypto to scams. In terms of the percentage of dollars lost to scams, cryptocurrency outpaces any other payment method. The reported losses in 2021 were nearly 60 times the amount just three years earlier.

The median individual reported loss was $2,600 per person. The top cryptocurrencies people said they used to pay scammers were Bitcoin (70%), Tether (10%), and Ether (9%).

The problem has only worsened this year. In 2021, a total of $680 million in crypto fraud was reported to the FTC. During the 2022 first quarter alone, nearly half that much was reported  $329 million.

The FTC pointed to several features that make crypto attractive to scammers. The biggest is that no bank or other central authority has been established to flag suspicious cryptocurrency transactions and stop fraud before it happens. Another problem is that once a crypto transaction has taken place, it cant be reversed.

Check Out: 6 Alternative Investments To Consider for Diversification

Social media is a particularly ripe hunting ground for scammers. Nearly half the people who reported losing crypto to a scam since 2021 said it started with an ad, post or message on a social media platform. Most fraud takes the form of investment scams, with romance scams placing a distant second, followed by business and government impersonation scams.

There has been some movement on the part of federal bank regulatory agencies  including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency  to create a roadmap that would institute greater regulation of cryptocurrencies. But for now, its still the Wild West of finance.

Story continues

In the meantime, what can you do to help prevent crypto scams? The FTC offers these tips:

Be wary of crypto investment offers that guarantee profits and big returns . As the FTC notes, no cryptocurrency investment (or any investment) is ever guaranteed to make money, let alone big money.

Avoid transactions that require you to buy cryptocurrency. This is almost always a scam.

Do not mix dating and investment advice. If you meet someone and they offer to show you how to invest in crypto, or ask you to send them crypto, you can be pretty sure its a scam.

To learn more about cryptocurrency scams, visit ftc.gov/cryptocurrency and ftc.gov/scams. You can also report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Crypto Scams: Americans Have Lost $1 Billion Since 2021  What To Look for and Whats Being Done
Watch: Dan Walker 'storms off' Good Morning Britain in dig at old rival Piers Morgan

Dan Walker has had a jab at Piers Morgan, mocking his walkout on Good Morning Britain.

Appearing on the breakfast show to promote his debut hosting Channel 5's news later on Monday, he proceeded to joke about Morgan's controversial exit from the programme last year.

Joining Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley in the ITV studio, Walker abruptly stood up from behind the desk and said: "Im going to do what they normally do on this programme. Storm off."

Read More: Dan Walker announces his Channel 5 debut

Walker then proceeded to head towards the studio exit and shouted: "See you at five oclock on Channel 5!"

Piers Morgan famously stormed off his old show. (PA Images via Getty Images)

Yahoo UK TV Quizzes - test your knowledge (click above)

Reid also joked that only "one person" had ever stormed off the set before and added: "It is a stage that has been set for you."

Morgan infamously stormed off the set of Good Morning Britain in March 2021 to never return. At the time, he was having an on-air argument with weatherman Alex Beresford about the former newspaper editor's comments regarding Meghan Markle.

Read more: Axel Blake wins Britain's Got Talent 2022

Morgan had repeatedly said he did not believe Markle regarding her claims of being a victim of racism from other members of the royal family.

He also dismissed her claims of suicidal thoughts. More than 57,000 people complained about Morgan's comments on the show but he was later cleared by Ofcom of any wrongdoing.

Markle herself would also complain to Ofcom about his comments.

Dan Walker worked for many years at the BBC. (Getty)

Walker and Morgan had a long-running rivalry during their time as BBC and ITV breakfast news hosts, often baiting each other on Twitter about their respective ratings.

Since quitting Good Morning Britain, Morgan has moved to Rupert Murdoch's TalkTV to host Piers Morgan Uncensored.

After debuting to over 300,000 viewers, the show has plummeted in the ratings with a recent broadcast finishing on only 10,000 viewers.

The newly launched channel is frequently beaten in the ratings by fellow right wing targeting channel GB News which counts Nigel Farage as one of its hosts.

Story continues

Guests to have appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored include former president Donald Trump, John Lydon and Tyson Fury.

Watch below: Dan Walker makes Channel 5 news debut
Daniel Dubois (pcitured) will challenge Trevor Bryan for the WBA regular title (Getty Images)

Daniel Dubois returns to the ring this weekend as he takes on Trevor Bryan and looks to edge closer to a shot at a major heavyweight title.

Bryan will put the WBA regular belt on the line in Miami, as well as his unbeaten status. The American, 32, enters this main-event contest with a professional record of 22-0 and 15 knockouts to his name, though Dubois himself is a specialist in stoppages.

The Briton has achieved 16 of his 17 wins via knockout, including his most recent victory  a first-round TKO of Joe Cusumano last August. That result followed Dubois second-round KO of Bogdan Dinu, with which the 24-year-old got back in the win column after suffering a fractured eye socket in a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce.

That defeat by his compatriot marked the first  and so far only  loss of Dubois professional career, and he will hope to make it three victories on the bounce with this outing on Saturday night.

Heres all you need to know.

When is it?

Dubois vs Bryan will take place on Saturday 11 June, with the first fight starting at approximately 7pm BST.

Ring walks for the main event are expected to take place at around 11pm BST, though that is yet to be officially confirmed.

How can I watch it?

The event will air live on BT Sport 1 in the UK.

Odds

Dubois  1/10

Draw  25/1

Bryan  5/1

Via Betfair.

Full card

Trevor Bryan (C) vs Daniel Dubois (WBA regular heavyweight title)

Dacarree Scott vs Jonathan Guidry (heavyweight)

Ahmed Elbiali vs Dervin Colina (light-heavyweight)

Johnnie Langston vs Isaiah Thompson (cruiserweight)

TreSean Wiggins vs Travis Castellon (welterweight)

Ian Green vs Anthony Lenk (middleweight)

Luis J Rodriguez Fernandez vs Ryan Adams (super-middleweight)

Raynel Mederos vs Ryan Wilson (super-lightweight)
Quartz

Indian professionals waiting to return to China will finally be able to do so. For around two years now, several Indian professionals and their families have not been able to return to that country because of a halt on visas in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. A large portion of those affected was enrolled with medical colleges.
Jun. 6EAU CLAIRE  The Eau Claire School Board is expected to hear updates from the Budget Development Committee regarding the potential November referendum during a work session at tonight's meeting.

The committee will present information relating to the district tax levy history; review preliminary plans for South Middle School, Putnam Heights Elementary School and North High School; and review enrollment projections, Demo and Trends Facility Committee recommendations and discussion on referendum question types.

The board is not expected to take any action regarding the referendum tonight.

Also today, the board will vote to approve an intent to file a lawsuit disallowance against Lynn Dehnke, Kirsten Christensen, Chuck Christensen and Lori Placke-Wirth for claims they made against the district, including allegations of practicing medicine without a license, violating the Nuremberg Code and transferring obscene materials to minors.

The board will also vote to renew its contract with the Fall Creek School District to support the Career and Technical Education program during the 2022-2023 school year. Funding comes through the Carl D. Perkins grant and the fee will come from the Eau Claire district's grant funds.

The school board will meet in person at 7 p.m. tonight in the administration building, 500 Main St., room 137. People can attend the meeting in person, online or by phone. Face masks are recommended, but not required, for attendees.

To attend virtually or by phone, visit www.ecasd.us/District/Board-of-Education/Board-Live-Stream.

Also at today's meeting:

* The board will vote to approve accepted and denied open enrollment applications for the 2022-2023 school year.

* The board will also vote to approve its meeting calendar for the 2022-2023 school year.
Elizabeth Olsen has addressed her future as Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel franchise.

The actor has played the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since 2015, and won legions of fans following her appearance in WandaVision in January 2021.

In a recent interview with The Independent, Olsen said that she filmed new sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before WandaVision had even begun showing on Disney Plus.

She said: I didnt know the plot of Doctor Strange 2 until we were almost done with WandaVision. The odd thing is no one saw it who worked on Doctor Strange; we filmed it back-to-back.

Elsewhere in the interview, she reflected on her Marvel future, saying she would consider returning for another standalone TV series if asked.

I dont know how big the plans actually are but Im down for anything as long as theres a good idea attached to it. I wanna know what people want next desperately cause I think there are very clever and creative fan ideas.

Olsen said the important thing with Wanda is that she gets to continue to create a new aspect and some sort of change or shift in her as we move forward so it doesnt become this repeat of something.

Elizabeth Olsen in WandaVision' (Disney/Marvel Studios)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be available to stream on Disney Plus from 22 June.

Read The Independents full interview with Olsen here.
Scientists have innovated a time machine that can recreate the lifecycles of galaxies billions of years past  a capability they hope will help shape our current understanding of the universe.

Harnessing a new set of cosmological simulations, the researchers can look up to 11 billion years in the past and reproduce the distant ancestors of present-day galaxy clusters, according to a new study published in Nature Astronomy.

The simulations allow the scientists to see how structures started out and how they ended, lead author Metin Ata of Japans Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe said in a statement.

Because light from the distant universe is only now reaching the Earth, the galaxies that telescopes can observe today are just a snapshot of the past, the authors note.

Its like finding an old black-and-white picture of your grandfather and creating a video of his life, co-author Khee-Gan Lee said in a statement.

But their time machine can take photos of young grandparent galaxies and fast-forward their age to see how galaxy clusters would form, according to the study.

With the power to predict the final distribution of structures in a given space, the authors said they hope researchers will be able to surface previously undetected discrepancies in the way we view the universe.





Welcome to Equilibrium, a newsletter that tracks the growing global battle over the future of sustainability. Were Saul Elbein and Sharon Udasin. Send us tips and feedback. Subscribe here.

Today well look at President Bidens decision to exempt Southeast Asian countries from solar tariffs and a fresh demand from the U.N. climate change chief. Plus: Why experts say prescribed burns are needed.





Biden scales back solar tariffs

President Biden announced on Monday that he will sign an order exempting Southeast Asian countries from tariffs on solar panels for the next two years, our colleague Morgan Chalfant reported for The Hill.

Story continues

What it means: The decision is an attempt to ameliorate a supply chain crisis affecting the U.S. solar industry amid a Commerce Department investigation into Chinese solar companies.

That probe, which began in March, is investigating whether firms in Southeast Asia that manufacture solar panel parts are being used to evade U.S. tariffs on Chinese solar companies.

A temporary bridge: A White House fact sheet said Biden would create a 24-month bridge for certain solar imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The White House said this would afford the U.S. access to a sufficient supply of solar modules to meet electricity generation needs while domestic manufacturing scales up.

Biden will also be invoking the Defense Production Act to broaden manufacturing of solar panel parts and associated equipment, the fact sheet noted.

Solar installers vs. manufacturers: The New York Times described the decision as a victory for domestic solar installers, who feared that tariffs would have threatened the administrations climate goals.

Domestic solar manufacturers and labor unions, on the other hand, had been pushing for stricter barriers on cheaper imports.

U.S. manufacturer Auxin Solar, the firm responsible for initiating the Commerce inquiry, slammed the administrations decision on Monday, accusing Biden of significantly interfering in Commerces quasi-judicial process, Axios reported.

By taking this unprecedented  and potentially illegal  action, he has opened the door wide for Chinese-funded special interests to defeat the fair application of U.S. trade law, the company said.

Saving solar: Despite the pushback, Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, praised Biden in a statement for addressing the current crisis of the paralyzed solar supply chain.

Todays actions protect existing solar jobs, will lead to increased employment in the solar industry and foster a robust solar manufacturing base here at home, she said.





Outgoing UN climate chief to nations: Do better

The departing United Nations climate change chief called upon countries to do better on Monday ahead of this falls Climate Change Conference (COP27).

What she said: Speaking at a conference in Germany, outgoing U.N. climate chief Patricia Espinosa stressed the need for political-level interventions and decisions if countries want to achieve a balanced package.

Doing so will send a clear message to the world that we are headed in the right direction, she said.

A push for progress: Espinosa, head of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, which oversees U.N. climate conferences, noted the world will want to know what progress leaders have made since last years Glasgow summit.

It is not acceptable to say that we are in challenging times  they know that climate change is not an agenda we can afford to push back on our global schedule.

More work ahead: Espinosa highlighted more collaboration and other progress nations have made, but she said they remain very much behind the climate curve.

But we can do better, we must, she said.

Delegates are convening this week in Germany to work on areas of mitigation, adaptation and support to developing countries. This is the first such meeting since the conclusion of COP26 in Glasgow last November, when parties finalized the operational details of the 2015 Paris Agreement.



Officials attending this weeks summit are laying the groundwork for COP27, which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, and will focus on putting the ambitious Paris Agreement into practice, according to the U.N.





Benefits of planned burns outweigh risks: fire experts

U.S. forest managers cant afford to abandon prescribed burns  even if they come with risks, fire experts told Equilibrium.

Theres no no fire alternative for a lot of these landscapes, said Matthew Hurteau, a professor of fire ecology at the University of New Mexico.

Hurteau spoke with Equilibrium in the wake of the U.S. Forest Services admission last week that New Mexicos still-burning Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fire came as the result of two planned fires running together.

Prescribed burns are the planned and controlled application of fire to a landscape to remove flammable fuels  treatments that nonetheless still sometimes escape control.



Three firefighters were injured in the battle against the combined blaze last Thursday when a helicopter-based water drop went awry, Albuquerque-based Nexstar station KRQE reported.

Fire as necessary tool: We cant afford to have peoples homes burning up in managed fires, but we also cant just forego burning altogether, Hurteau said.

We have to figure out how to deal with that risk, he added.

Ecosystem shift: Although these mountain ecosystems would always have burned, such a blaze would typically have occurred as a low-intensity fire along a carpet of grass and beneath a canopy of ponderosa pines, Hurteau explained.

Now  after a century of overgrazing and fire eradication  the grassy fire corridors are gone, and New Mexicos wildfires are destructive, high-intensity affairs fueled by energy-dense dead logs, according to Hurteau.





TAKING A PAUSE

The announcement that prescribed burns had caused the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fire came one week after U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announced a 90-day moratorium on prescribed fire.

In 99.84 percent of cases, prescribed fires go as planned, Moore said. In rare circumstances, conditions change, and prescribed burns move outside the planned project area and become wildfires.

Marc Castellnou, senior fire analyst for Spains Corps of Firefighters of Catalonia argued the Forest Service risks wasting time with a blanket moratorium.

There are places they could burn with good weather, Castellnou told Equilibrium, stressing that getting a lot of burning done requires using all the days available.

Forest Service chief promises low impact on big plans: The Forest Service currently burns 1.4 million acres of National Forest lands every year  and wants to begin burning four times that much, Moore said last month.

He argued that the moratorium wouldnt keep the Forest Service from meeting those goals, because it conducts more than 90 percent of its prescribed burn operations between September and May.

Stay cautious: When prescribed burns get cleared to start again, Hurteau suggested that fire managers stick to the more conservative side of their models  because theres less water in the drought-riddled forests to protect them from a mistake.

The fire managers who set the fires that escaped control to become Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon, he said, were likely using a prescription and conditions from decades of past experience.

Had this been 20 years ago, it probably would have been fine, Hurteau added.





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Closing the Gaps in Health Insurance, Wednesday, June 8 at 1 p.m. ET

A record number of Americans are insured yet many remain vulnerable to significant medical expenses, including high premiums, out-of-pocket costs and prior authorization burdens. The Hill sits down with Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C), Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) and more to discuss closing the gaps in health insurance. RSVP today.





Monday Miscellanies

Protecting tribal wetlands, saving energy in chemical reactions and reevaluating our carbon budget.

Army Corps blocks strip mine proposed near tribal lands

The Army Corps of Engineers is blocking the construction of a titanium strip mine just outside the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, The Washington Post reported. This move reversed an earlier decision that had garnered opposition from environmental groups and political leaders, according to the Post.

Liquid platinum injections for energy savings

Tiny amounts of liquid platinum can help chemical reactions happen at very low temperatures  potentially allowing enormous reductions in energy usage across a variety of industries, according to a new study in Nature Chemistry.

The carbon budget is running out fast

The amount of fossil fuels humans can burn while staving off climate catastrophe may be smaller than expected, scientists warned in Nature Climate Change. One new factor to consider is how much future warming will occur just based on what weve already emitted, coauthor Michelle Dvorak of University of Washington said in a statement.







One last thing: Endangered Species Condoms

A conservation group plans to hand out environmental-themed condoms on Capitol Hill this week seeking to emphasize protections for the North Atlantic right whale.

The whales population has plunged to its lowest number in two decades, with about 30 animals left, says Catherine Kilduff, an attorney the Center for Biological Diversity.

Activists said they plan to distribute the condoms in honor of World Ocean Day. The group has distributed other Endangered Species Condom varieties since 2009.





Thats it for today. Please visit The Hills Sustainability section online for the web version of this newsletter and more stories. Well see you tomorrow.

VIEW THE FULL EDITION HERE

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The former chief nursing officer at Boston Medical Center joined Boston 25 News on Monday morning to discuss preparedness at local hospitals following recent attacks at medical facilities in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Los Angeles, California.

Lisa OConnor, who now works for FTI Consulting as a senior managing director in the health solutions segment, believes hospitals need to prepare for the potential for tragic events by conducting active-shooter training drills.

OConnors call for such drills comes after a gunman accused of killing his surgeon and three other people at a Tulsa medical office blamed the doctor for his continuing pain after a recent back operation and bought an AR-style rifle just hours before the rampage, according to police. Then just days later, a man walked into a Los Angeles emergency ward and stabbed a doctor and two nurses.

Watch the video above to hear Boston 25s full interview with OConnor.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Story at a glance

New research conducted by Berlin scientists says that COVID-19 patients living in areas with higher levels of NO2 are more likely to need ICU care or mechanical ventilation.

The research has not been peer reviewed yet but is being presented at Euroanaesthesia, an annual meeting of the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, taking place in Italy.

Even though the research does not prove causation, it does suggest a possible answer to increased need for ICU care and mechanical ventilation among COVID-19 patients in more polluted parts of Germany.

New research has found a connection between long-term air pollution exposure and a higher chance of developing severe COVID-19.

The study, published Monday, found that people in German counties with higher levels of nitrogen dioxide were more likely to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit and need mechanical ventilation if they had COVID-19.

Long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas emitted from fossil fuel combustion, can harm lung-function, contribute to the development of asthma and lower resistance to respiratory infections, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Our country is in a historic fight against the coronavirus. Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.

The research, yet to be peer reviewed, will be presented this week at Euroanaesthesia, the annual meeting of the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) in Milan, Italy. Researchers at the Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin used data from the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine registry, which was set up to track hospital ICU capacity during the pandemic.

Examining a month of data from nearly all German counties, researchers concluded that long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide before the pandemic was linked to more patients requiring ICU care and mechanical ventilation to treat COVID-19.

Story continues

To calculate annual mean nitrogen dioxide levels, researchers examined data on German air pollution from 2010 to 2019 and found that county mean levels ranged from 4.6 micrograms per cubic meter to 32 micrograms per cubic meter.

Frankfurt had the highest level of nitrogen dioxide, while the small city of Suhl had the lowest amount.

With every additional 1 microgram per cubic meter of nitrogen dioxide in the air there was a 3.2 percent increase in the number of ICU beds needed for COVID-19 patients and a 3.5 percent increase in the number of hospitalized people with the virus needing mechanical ventilation.

The research states that in the 10 counties with the lowest long-term nitrogen dioxide levels, an average of 28 ICU beds and 19 ventilators were needed for COVID-19 patients during the month studied.

Meanwhile, in the 10 counties with the highest long-term nitrogen dioxide levels, 144 ICU beds and 102 ventilators were needed during that same time period on average.

While the results do not necessarily prove causation, they do point to a potential explanation, scientists say, according to Medical News.

It also supports earlier research, including a Harvard study that linked prolonged air pollution with an 11 percent increase in people dying from COVID-19 for every 1 microgram per cubic meter more of air pollution.

READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA

HEALTH EXPERTS URGE PARENTS TRAVELING WITH KIDS TO CONTINUE TO WEAR MASKS, CONSIDER NOT TAKING FLIGHTS

OMICRON LASTS LONGER ON SURFACES AND SKIN THAN PREVIOUS VARIANTS: STUDIES

BA.2 OMICRON SUBVARIANT NEARLY 35 PERCENT OF U.S. CORONAVIRUS CASES

EXERCISE COULD TREAT SYMPTOMS OF LONG-COVID, RESEARCHERS SAY

WE NEED TO DEFINE WHEN A PANDEMIC BECOMES ENDEMIC

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Fake bot accounts were found to be manipulating public discussion on Facebook connected to most major Indian political parties (AP)

When Facebook whistleblower Sophie Zhang said she had evidence exposing how the social media giant had allowed Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to manipulate public discourse, she expected democratic institutions in the country to be interested in what she had to say.

But more than a year after she made her findings public and six months since a formal request was raised with the speaker of the lower house of Indias parliament (the Lok Sabha) to let her testify about these claims, Ms Zhang says she has heard back from no one.

She made headlines around the world in September 2020 by revealing how governments and third-party actors use fake accounts, or bots, on Facebook to sway the political mood of the public in different countries, including India.

After she was fired from Facebook in 2020, Ms Zhang published two articles in The Guardian detailing her fallout with the company. Her articles in April 2021 claimed that Facebook is easily exploitable by those hoping to interfere in elections, and accused the company of sitting on its hands unless the actions directly hurt its bottom line.

Her expose included a huge warning for India, where the fake engagement activities appeared to involve most of the major political parties but where, she says, the ruling BJP was the only party that Facebook was scared of acting against.

She says she waited for the Indian system to take its own course of action as a sign of deep and abiding respect for Indias laws and institutions before airing their dirty laundry in the open, but that she never heard from them. She even walked into the Indian embassy in the US to check the status of her request, but still did not get an answer.

The data scientist turned whistleblower tells The Independent that she now feels her testimony in parliament is unlikely to take place. And so, finally, she has decided to speak up again.

Sophie Zhang worked with Facebook between 2018 and 2020 (Lisa Danz (via Sophie Zhang))

I cant read the honourable speakers mind, says Ms Zhang. But I do not expect him to provide his consent at this point.

Story continues

It has been 13 months since I came forward publicly, and six months since the Lok Sabha [Standing Committee on Communication and Information & Technology] voted unanimously to invite me, she says. That is more than enough time for anyone to provide a simple yes or no answer.

Ms Zhang adds that the silence is effectively an answer, and that answer is no. Opposition figures in India have interpreted the delayed response as an attempt to protect the ruling party, of which Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla is a member.

Neither the office of the speaker nor the BJP responded to a request for comment from The Independent.

While working for Facebook between 2018 and 2020, Ms Zhang was what she describes as a low-level employee of the team tracking bot accounts on the platform.

Ms Zhang says the potential abuse of fake engagement by political parties wasnt part of her responsibility as a junior employee  It was much above my paygrade.

However, she says she put in extra hours to identify networks that were influencing democracies around the world and moved to alert the platform of their misuse.

For the last 6 months, I've refused inquiries regarding the state of my testimony and additional details of my work.



Due to my deep and abiding respect for India's laws and institutions, I wanted to give her leaders a chance to act before airing their dirty laundry in the open.  Sophie Zhang (@szhang_ds) May 16, 2022

She found political manipulation networks in 25 countries, including Honduras, Azerbaijan, and India. Although it took many months, Facebook did eventually act against these networks in most countries, sometimes at the cost of angering their governments.

However, Ms Zhang witnessed the biggest apprehension from Facebook in acting against one particular politically-sophisticated network in India.

In November of 2019, I first raised to my managers that I had found several networks of fake accounts benefiting Indian politicians, Ms Zhang says. I found an eventual total of five separate networks of fake accounts across the political spectrum, two supporting the INC [Indian National Congress, the main opposition party], two supporting BJP, and one supporting AAP [Aam Aadmi Party].

She says Facebook was relatively quick to approve the removal of networks associated with the INC, AAP and one pro-BJP network, but it was apprehensive to take action against a second pro-BJP network involving 54 bot accounts once it discovered that some of them were being run by a sitting member of parliament from the BJP.

Exasperated by the lack of response from the speaker, Ms Zhang has now publicly named this second pro-BJP network as being associated with the personal account of Vinod Kumar Sonkar, a BJP MP and the current chair of the parliamentary committee on ethics, according to documents published on Monday morning by The Wire.

Ms Zhang told The Independent that she spent months chasing up on her request to take down this network, but Facebook did not respond. Eventually, she was told that they had acted against the network.

However, later in 2020, Ms Zhang was called in for a meeting with HR and told that her performance had been unsatisfactory, and that she was being fired.

Sophie was fired from Facebook in 2020, following repeated attempts to follow up on the investigation into a bot network associated with a BJP MP (Lisa Danz (via Sophie Zhang))

Ms Zhang responded in a now widely circulated 7,800-word memo, which she says was leaked. In it, she alleged that the companys self-interest and greed prevented it from making proactive decisions about the protection of democracy, something several Facebook whistle-blowers have alleged in the past.

Facebook did not respond to The Independents request for a comment. But it has denied Ms Zhangs claims in the past.

Joe Osborne, a spokesperson of Facebook, said in 2021 that it fundamentally disagreed with Ms Zhangs characterisation of its priorities and efforts to root out abuse on the platform. Combatting coordinated inauthentic behaviour is our priority.

Shashi Tharoor, chair of the Lok Sabha standing committee on IT and an MP from Indias opposition INC party, raised a request to let Ms Zhang testify in November 2021.

He said that he had sought permission to allow Ms Zhang to depose before the panel in parliament since in-person testimonies by witnesses from outside India require the consent of the speaker of the house.

However, sources in the committee say that despite repeated reminders, they have received no response from the speakers office. They say attempts to have Ms Zhang testify via video conferencing failed as this would require a change in parliamentary rules.

According to experts on parliamentary procedures, the delay in addressing the matter of Ms Zhangs testimony could be due to several factors, but such requests are usually tended to promptly.

Every committee [of the parliament] is in existence for a year, says Mansi Verma, a lawyer and found of Madhyam, a civic engagement initiative.

While there is no strict timeline for such procedures, it is generally understood that anything a committee has taken in its terms should reach a logical conclusion [in that period], she says.

For Ms Zhang, the main issue at stake here is not the alleged abuse of fake accounts by one politician, but Facebooks lack of will to stop such misuse of its platform.

Ms Zhang says India is an important focus for Facebook given its expansion goals, but it is yet to get its priorities right in the country.

Facebook is prioritising India but not in the way Indian people would want it to, she says. It is prioritising the Indian government, not the Indian people.
from https://findingfloridapodcast.com/episodes/episode-3a-the-wheels-of-daytona-beach-preview/

An old black and white photograph was making its rounds onto Myrtle Beach area Facebook-users feeds.

The photo features a beach scene, with multiple people in it, all wearing old-fashioned clothing. Some subjects could be seen riding a horse and buggy or a bicycle with a large front wheel and smaller back wheel, like many of us are used to seeing in history textbooks.

In some comment sections below the photo, there were debates over whether it was of Myrtle Beach or of Daytona Beach in Florida.

The Sun News reached out to Ben Burroughs, director of the Horry County Archives Center, and was told that the photograph was not likely taken in Myrtle Beach.

The Sun News then reached out to an archivist at the Carl S. Swisher Library in Daytona Beach, Florida. University Archivist and Assistant Professor Clarissa West-White was able to find a version of the photograph that was not cropped and at the bottom left of the uncropped version of the photo, Beach at Seabreeze, Daytona, FLA could be clearly seen.

It may be disheartening to some locals that this cool, vintage photograph might not be of our beach, so we collected some vintage photographs of Myrtle Beach from Burroughs.

Here are six pictures of Myrtle Beach in the early 1900s

The photo below is titled A Morning Dip in Myrtle Beach, S.C. and the date it was taken is unknown.

A Morning Dip in Myrtle Beach provided by CCU Digital Commons / Horry County Archives Center / Horry County Historical Society Photograph Collection

The photo below is titled Boys in swimsuits on beach and the date it was taken is unknown.

Boys in swimsuits on beach provided by CCU Digital Commons / Horry County Archives Center / Horry County Historical Society Photograph Collection

The photo below is titled All Aboard For Myrtle Beach, S.C. and the date it was taken is unknown.

All Aboard For Myrtle Beach, S.C. provided by CCU Digital Commons / Horry County Archives Center / Horry County Historical Society Photograph Collection

The photo below is titled Clubhouse and pier, looking north, Myrtle Beach, S.C. and the date it was taken is unknown.

Clubhouse and pier, looking north, Myrtle Beach, S.C. provided by CCU Digital Commons / Horry County Archives Center / Horry County Historical Society Photograph Collection

The photo below is titled Old bath house on Myrtle Beachs strand and the date it was taken is unknown.

Old bath house on Myrtle Beachs strand provided by CCU Digital Commons / Horry County Archives Center / Horry County Historical Society Photograph Collection

The photo below is titled First Street Looking South Myrtle Beach, S.C. and the date it was taken is unknown.
Fiscal responsibility and tax relief are priorities for candidates in the 96th Illinois House legislative district.

Prescott Paulin and Lisa Smith Roth are seeking the Republican nomination in the June 28 primary race.

The 96th district covers downtown and eastern Springfield, Bolivia, Mount Auburn and central Decatur.

Incumbent Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is uncontested for the Democratic primary nomination. She will face the Republican nominee in the Nov. 8 general election.

More: Springfield council will get a look at new maps that could change wards for 2023 election

Fiscal responsibility for Paulin means standing up for a new kind of tax revenue.

He wants to help introduce legislation for an interconnected economy which he says will attract businesses to the state.

Theres a new type of corporation in Wyoming called the DAO (Decentralized autonomous organization) corporation, its kind of like an NFT. An NFT can be used like a membership card and like at Costco or Sam's Club, it's a piece of ownership that benefits the company. What that would incentivize the state to do if we were to open that kind of corporation is attract new tax revenue and If we do it right we can get billions of dollars that will offset the tax burden or the individual taxpayer, Paulin said.

My belief is that if we can be near what Wyoming is doing and be the second state in the U.S and not the 49th or 50th then Illinois will have that first advantage.

Paulin said he should be elected to lead Illinois to that advantage because he has a history of shaping community-driven policy.

He said it's important to elect someone from a younger generation who knows technology and can communicate, relay, and write policy around it.

Ive experienced listening to people and ensuring theyre represented across the spectrum. I listen to all sides and ensure there's not a hidden agenda on my part and that were actually building things based on the moves of our neighbors," Paulin said.

Story continues

Paulin said his military background and enterprise policy experience with government organizations offer transferable skills. He said those and his knowledge of technology make him the ideal candidate for the job.

Tax relief is Smiths No. 1 priority. She wants to lower taxes and decrease regulations for businesses to increase economic growth within the state.

If we can bring taxes down we can bring more jobs into the state and people will have more money in their pockets. The income for our state will go up, Smith said. It sounds like you shouldnt have better income with less taxes but you do get better income because everyone spends more money and stays happy. That's why its one of my central pieces so we can save Illinois and bring back our jobs.

In addition to bringing back jobs, developing a school-choice program is on the list of Smiths priorities.

More: Meet Lisa Smith Roth, 96th District candidate for the Illinois House

More: Meet Prescott Paulin, 96th House District GOP candidate for Illinois

As a mother of 10 children, Smith said shes concerned about the current education system. She said people should have a choice in what kind of education their tax dollars are paying for.

Lots of families are not happy with the critical race programs being taught in our school systems nor the sex education down to the kindergarten age. Families are not happy about that and they shouldnt be happy about that and if they dont like it they should be able to switch their kids to a different school, Smith said. It doesn't matter what income you are, youre paying your taxes. You should be able to choose which schools you want your kids to go to, the school thats best for them.

Smith also makes it known that shes against abortion and supports law enforcement. She said her persistence and ethical value would make her an effective lawmaker if elected.

Ive been around for a while here in our district working and people know when I say something I'll do it. I feel like we need a change in our government and we need to bring in people that are going to do what the tax-paying constituents in our district want done, she said.

In the Illinois House 108th District, GOP Rep. Wayne Rosenthal is uncontested in the primary to represent the newly drawn district. There is no Democrat candidate seeking the nomination.

In the Illinois Senate, there are no contested primary races in the 44th or 48th districts.

Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, is the candidate in the 44th district that includes Clinton, Lincoln, Mount Pulaski and Monticello. There is no Democrat seeking the primary nomination.

Downtown Springfield and Decatur are connected by the 48th district which is the area that Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, currently represents. Turner will face off against uncontested GOP nominee Sandy Hamilton in the November general election.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: 2022 Illinois primary: House 96th district candidates' priorities
Boats cruise through Lake Keowee on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2020.

OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. - A Fletcher man died after a boating accident in South Carolina, according to the county coroner's office.

Scott Johnson, 60, died in the emergency department at PrismaOconee Memorial Hospital June 5 at 5:08 p.m., according to a news release from Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis.

The accident happened on Lake Keowee.

At 3:32 pm, Oconee 911 Communications received a call reporting a person had been struck by the propeller of a boat near Fall Creek Landing. Johnson was "extricated" from the lake into the boat and taken to the Fall Creek Landing access. He sustained cardiac arrest prior to EMS arrival, the release says.

In Henderson County: Dixie Diner owner's grandson arrested for her murder; robbery count included in charges

More: Dixie Diner owner's son also arrested in connection to her death

A post mortem examination was conducted June 6 "to assist with the death investigation," according to the release, and it concluded that he died from exsanguination  extensive blood loss due to laceration of the right femoral artery, according to the release.

The incident is being investigated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the release says.

His manner of death will be classified as accidental, the release says.

Ryan Oehrli is the breaking news and social justice reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email coehrli@citizentimes.com or call/text 252-944-6816 for tips.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Fletcher man dies in South Carolina boating accident
A former ABC News president is serving as an unannounced media production adviser to the House Select Committee on the January 6 Capitol riot as the panel prepares to give a multimedia presentation during a primetime hearing on Thursday, according to a new report.

Axios reported that James Goldston is producing the primetime hearing  which is the first in a series by the committee, though the others will occur during the day  as if it were a blockbuster investigative special. Goldston hopes the hearing will attract viewers who have not previously followed the minutiae of the Capitol riot investigation, the report says.

The hearing is set to feature a mix of live witnesses and pre-produced video, including clips of the committees depositions. The Democrat-led panel has conducted more than 1,000 depositions and interviews and plans to conduct more, according to the report.

The report notes that only a fraction of the surveillance footage from inside the Capitol has previously been released. In addition, the panel reportedly has official White House photos from the day of the insurrection that have not been shared publicly.

The hearing will come one week after a federal grand jury indicted Peter Navarro, a former Trump White House adviser, on criminal contempt of Congress charges over his refusal to cooperate in the House investigation of the January 6th attack. The House voted in April to refer Navarro to the Justice Department for failing to comply with a February subpoena from the committee.

Navarro was charged with one contempt count for his refusal to appear for a deposition, and another for his refusal to produce documents requested by the committee, despite the subpoena from the January 6 committee, the Justice Department said Friday.

The Justice Department had previously charged former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon with contempt of Congress related to the committees investigation in November.

The committee also took the extraordinarily rare step of issuing subpoenas last month to sitting members of Congress, including House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other House Republicans who had declined the panels requests to voluntarily cooperate. The group also subpoenaed Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.

More from National Review
Hansi Flick is expecting a physical encounter (Sven Hoppe/PA) (PA Archive)

Germany head coach Hansi Flick is expecting a tough battle in Tuesdays special game against England.

The Three Lions are looking to win consecutive matches against Die Mannschaft for the first time since winning the World Cup in 1966.

England secured a memorable 2-0 victory against Germany in the Euro 2020 round of 16  Joachim Lows final match before former assistant Flick took the reins having left Bayern Munich.

Harry Kane scored in Englands 2-0 win over Germany at last summers Euros (Mike Egerton/PA Images) (PA Archive)

The sides meet again at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday in an interestingly-poised Nations League clash, with the Three Lions bruised by defeat in Hungary and Germany having drawn their opener in Italy.

We have prepared well for England, Flick said. If we stick to our plan, well hopefully put in a good performance and get the win in front of a sold-out stadium in Munich.

England are a really physical side and it will be a tough test for us.

We are nevertheless looking forward to it. It will be important to match their physicality and to play our own game.

Its a special game for us. We need to get the fans as pumped up as we are with some attractive football.

Joshua Kimmichs goal earned Germany a draw in their Nations League opener against Italy (Antonio Calanni/AP/PA) (AP)

Marco Reus will be absent having only just linked up with a group that includes a number of players from the Premier League  experience that Flick says has helped those individuals improve physically and play at a higher intensity.

Manchester City title hero Ilkay Gundogan is among that group and expects a challenging evening in Munich.

They are a really strong side with so much depth, the midfielder said. They could easily name three different strong starting XIs. We need to be prepared and up for the challenge.

We need to match their intensity. We have to win our tackles. The physical side of the game will be important too.

Our coach was right, we can improve on the Italy game. Weve got the quality to do just that.
Google's Colab tool began as an internal project. Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Google has prohibited users from creating deepfakes on its machine-learning product Colab.

The rule change happened between May 14 and May 24, according to archived page screenshots.

In recent years, deepfakes have been deployed to propagate disinformation and harass women.

Google has prohibited users from creating deepfakes on its machine-learning research tool Colaboratory, often known as Colab. The new rule comes as deepfakes have risen in popularity in recent years, being incorporated into pop culture and deployed to propagate disinformation.

Google Colab, a product from Google Research that began as an internal company project in 2017, is a free browser program that allows users to create and run Python code, with everything stored on the cloud and hosted by the company. It's the most common software used by developers and researchers in the artificial intelligence community, and one that Google previously took a very loose approach to moderating, according to TechCrunch.

The Colab deepfake rule adjustment, first reported by the robotics and AI blog Unite.AI, happened sometime last month between May 14 and May 24, according to archive.org page screenshots. None of the other rules and prohibitions listed on Google Colab's FAQexecuting code to mine cryptocurrencies, password cracking, and file hosting, among othershave been altered. Google didn't release any official announcement about the change.

Users who try to program deepfakes on Colab now receive an error message that says they "may be executing code that is disallowed, and this may restrict your ability to use Colab in the future," according to the tech news outlet Bleeping Computer.

A spokesperson for Google, which did not respond to Insider's request for comment, told TechCrunch that it banned deepfakes after reviewing patterns and avenues for potential abuse on Colab.

"Deterring abuse is an ever-evolving game, and we cannot disclose specific methods as counterparties can take advantage of the knowledge to evade detection systems," the spokesperson said in a statement to TechCrunch. "In general, we have automated systems that detect and prohibit many types of abuse."

Story continues

The use of deepfakes, which are AI-powered media often used to replace someone's likeness with another, has accelerated rapidly in the last half-decade. The technology has been used for diverse purposes. Internet users have folded deepfakes into viral memes. Musician Kendrick Lamar recently used deepfakes in a music video for his song "The Heart Part 5" to transform into Will Smith, Kanye West, and others.

But the technology has also been used to foment disarray and political unrest, as disinformation researchers and government agencies have warned for years. In March, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine had begun, hackers posted a video online of a fraudulent Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appearing to surrender. The clip circulated around social media, but viewers noticed that the digitally manipulated version of Zelenskyy's accent was off, along with other inauthentic qualities. Zelenskyy quickly called out the video's fakeness as a "childish provocation."

Deepfakes have also been used to maliciously target women and digitally insert them into pornography without their consent. The emergence of this technology has created numerous legal and ethical issues, with digital rights advocates warning that they have the potential to be easily used for nefarious purposes. Several states have enacted or are considering legislation around the use of deepfakes.

Read the original article on Insider
Associated Press

New Yorks highest court on Tuesday rejected former President Donald Trumps last-ditch effort to avoid testifying in the state attorney genera ls civil investigation into his business practices, clearing the way for his deposition next month. The states Court of Appeals said there was no substantial constitutional question that would warrant its intervention in the matter following an intermediate appellate courts ruling last month enforcing a subpoena for Trumps testimony. Trump and his two eldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., agreed last week to answer questions under oath starting July 15 unless the Court of Appeals decided to step in.
Diners at a fish and chip shop in South Sheilds were stunned to discover they were eating alongside Hillary Clinton.

The former US secretary of state and first lady visited Colmans fish and chip shop after delivering the annual South Shields Lecture with ex-local MP David Miliband on Friday.

Ms Clinton, who ran unsuccessfully against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race, stayed at the chippy for around two hours.

Richard Colman Ord, 29, the owner of the chippy, said it was surreal to welcome the renowned politician to his 100-year-old seafront family-run shop.

He said he knew that she would be coming to eat at the business, in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, but added it wasnt every that Hillary Clinton pops into your restaurant.

Paul Skerritt, a professional Jazz singer, meets Ms Clinton at chippy (@paulskerrittmusic / SWNS)

He said Ms Clinton, flanked by several secret service agents, tucked into traditional 12.95 fish and chip, and later posed with staff and guests.

Mr Colman Ord said: She had a great time. She was so engaging with all the guests and so accommodating with the staff.

She had a local crab salad to start and then had our classic fish and chips, and she loved the tartar sauce so much she had seconds.

He added: We didn't charge them for the meal, as it's something we do every year with David Miliband, but our crab on toast is 12.95 and our classic cod and chip is 12.95 too."

Mr Colman Ord said that Ms Clinton had arrived at his fish and chip restaurant, which frequently welcomes guests from the annual South Shields Lecture, at around 8 pm.

Paul Skerritt meets David Miliband, the former MP for South Shields (@paulskerrittmusic / SWNS)

He said: I did know she was coming. David Miliband is our ex-MP for South Shields. Every year we work with him as he puts on the annual lecture.

Hillary Clinton very kindly agreed to do it and came to South Shields, which was incredible as shes one of the biggest names weve had.

Mr Colman Ord, who works at the fish and chip restaurant with his father, Richard Colman Snr, said it was remarkable to have Ms Clinton at the restaurant.

He said: She really spent a lot of time with all of our guests. She ended up staying for a couple of hours. She was really great.

Story continues

Paul Skerritt, a professional Jazz singer, who entertained guests at the restaurant, said Ms Clinton was surrounded by secret service agents when she arrived for the late night meal.

He said: She arrived around 8:15 and left around 10:15.

She had a secret service detail and there were police there as well, but it was very relaxed.

"She was lovely and very complimentary about the music and food.

She also took the traditional Colmans photo with Richard Snr and Junior who run the fish and chip restaurant.
Rioters supporting President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. John Minchillo/AP

The January 6 committee is about to start holding hearings publicly on June 9.

Sources told The Washington Post this may involve sharing testimony by Trump family members.

One committee member said there was a "great deal" of information Americans still haven't seen.

The House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol may share video of the testimonies given by former President Donald Trump's family members, The Washington Post reported, as the committee starts releasing its work to the public.

The January 6 committee is set to start holding its hearings in public, and during prime time, for the first time this week. It is due to start at 8 p.m. on June 9, and will be livestreamed.

It is not clear who will be testifying, but The Post reported that committee would be talking to "administration insiders" this month.

The Post also reported that people with knowledge of the committee's work think the committee will share video testimony previously given by Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner. They were both senior advisors to Donald Trump during his presidency.

The committee has not yet formally decided on whether it will air those testimonies, The Post noted.

One committee member also said that the investigation moving into its public phase means Americans will learn much more about the riot and how it happened.

Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, said on Sunday that there was a lot of information that Americans did not yet know about the riot, despite leaks and briefings about its hearings so far.

"Americans I think know a great deal already  they have seen a number of bombshells already [and] there's a great deal they haven't seen. But perhaps the most important is the public has not seen it woven together, how one thing led to another," he told CBS' "Face the Nation."

He said that a "comprehensive narrative" about the riot would be given for the first time.

Axios reported last month that aides to committee members were warned to prepare for "bombshells" during the public hearings.

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The committee said their next hearing would see the committee "present previously unseen material documenting January 6th, receive witness testimony, preview additional hearings, and provide the American people a summary of its findings about the coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and prevent the transfer of power."

The committee has so far done more than 1,000 interviews, The Post reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Rupam Jain and Saurabh Sharma

MUMBAI (Reuters) -India's government sought on Monday to calm anger at home and abroad after two officials of the ruling BJP party made remarks about the Prophet Mohammed, with 38 people arrested for rioting in a northern city and a protest planned later in Mumbai.

The arrests in the city of Kanpur were part of an effort to quell sporadic religious tension that arose after two officials from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party made remarks that have generated widespread anger among Muslims in India and overseas.

Some of India's top officials were engaged in managing the diplomatic fallout as nations including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran demanded an apology from the government for allowing the derogatory remarks, an Indian foreign ministry official said.

Over the weekend, Indian diplomats stationed in the Gulf and neighbouring Islamic nations were summoned by officials in those countries to protest against the comments by BJP officials.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in a statement, said: "These insults come in the context of the increasing intensity in hatred of and insults to Islam in India and the systematic harassment of Muslims."

The influential 57-member body cited the latest decision to ban the hijab at educational institutions in several Indian states and the destruction of Muslim property to highlight what it said was the Indian government's bias.

Pakistan's Armed Forces in a tweet "strongly condemn blasphemous remarks" by Indian officials.

"The outrageous act is deeply hurtful and clearly indicates extreme level of hate against Muslims and other religions in India," it said.

India's foreign ministry said in a statement the offensive tweets and comments did not, in any way, reflect the views of the government.

"Strong action has already been taken against these individuals by relevant bodies...It is regrettable that OIC Secretariat has yet again chosen to make motivated, misleading and mischievous comments," said Arindam Bagchi, a government spokesperson.

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PROTESTS PLANNED

The BJP suspended a spokesperson and expelled another official on Sunday for hurting religious sentiments of a minority community.

Muslims make up around 13% of India's 1.35 billion people. Protests were planned against the anti-Muslim remarks in the financial capital Mumbai on Monday.

The U.S. State Department in its annual report to the Congress on international religious freedom released in June, alleged that attacks on members of minority communities, including killings, assaults, and intimidation, took place in India throughout 2021.

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and home of its two holiest sites, welcomed the action taken by the BJP to suspend the spokeswoman from work.

A senior official at the Qatar Embassy in New Delhi said Modi's government must publicly distance itself from the comments.

"Hurting our religious sentiments can directly impact economic ties," the official said, adding they were checking reports about boycott of Indian goods by some supermarket owners in Qatar.

India's trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE, stood around $90 billion in 2020-21. Millions of Indians live and work in GCC countries.

Prime Minister Modi in recent years has strengthened economic ties with the energy-rich nations, the top source for country's fuel imports.

(Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous, Alexander Cornwell, Asif Shahzad, Editing by Alex Richardson)
(Bloomberg) -- Balis bars and beaches may have to take the backseat as Indonesia looks to promote its spiritual getaways and booming tech scene to lure longer-staying, higher-spending travelers back to its islands.

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Ecological tourism, sporting events and a special five-year visa for remote workers should bring 3.6 million overseas travelers back to the archipelago now that borders have reopened, Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said in an interview on Monday. This should help create over 1 million jobs for Indonesians, he added.

In the past, the three S was: sun, sea and sand. Were moving it to serenity, spirituality and sustainability. This way were getting better quality and better impact to the local economy, Uno told Bloomberg Televisions Yvonne Man and Rishaad Salamat.

Southeast Asias largest economy has scrapped most of its travel restrictions, allowing fully-vaccinated visitors to come without testing or quarantine requirements, as Covid-19 cases stay low and booster doses are rolled out. Tourist arrivals jumped 500% to 111,000 in April, its highest monthly tally since the pandemic.

Digital Nomads

Streamlined visa processing and more frequent flights should help the nation lure employees of global companies like Airbnb Inc. and Twitter Inc. that are letting their people work from anywhere. Around 95% of surveyed digital nomads have said Indonesia -- particularly Bali -- is their top of mind destination for remote work and they are ready to travel, Uno said.

The ministry has mulled granting a special visa for remote workers and business-leisure travelers since early 2021, before the plan was derailed by coronavirus resurgences, stringent border controls and a lack of flights. The visa would allow its holders to stay for as long as five years without paying taxes if they dont earn their income within Indonesia.

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Now with the pandemic handled and all the ministries getting involved and cooperating from the health side to the immigrations office, we believe that this is an opportune time to relaunch this idea, Uno said.

(Recasts throughout with Indonesias new tourism strategy)

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Heather Watson suffered a hamstring injury in her first-round win at Nottingham (Tim Goode/PA) (PA Wire)

Heather Watson will decide whether to defy doctors orders and continue her Rothesay Open campaign in Nottingham with a possible second-round match against Emma Raducanu.

The 30-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in her first-round clash with American Katie Volynets but did not listen to medical advice and carried on to record a 6-4 6-2 win.

Watson will play US Open champion Raducanu if the British number one can beat Viktorija Golubic on Tuesday, but she does not know whether she will be fit enough to compete.

It doesnt matter who I am playing, I have just got to do what is best for me and the rest of this grass-court season because it is my favourite time of the year. Favourite doesnt even do it justice, she said.

I have to be smart. If it was any other tournament, apart from a grand slam, I would have called it because you know its not going to get better just like that.

When the physio came on she didnt want me to continue, but its the grass-court season, my favourite season of the year. I had to give it a try at least.

Even now I am being advised not to play because I could miss the rest of the grass season and I am not someone who gets injured a lot so this is extra frustrating.

A good day at the office for the Brits on home soil 



 @harriet_dart d. Vekic 6-4, 6-3

 @HeatherWatson92 d. Volynets 6-4, 6-2#RothesayOpen pic.twitter.com/KzICN9Fn32  wta (@WTA) June 6, 2022

I have to be smart but I am going to play it by ear, I am not going to make a decision yet.

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I have got at least a day and then I will see how I am recovering. I know from experience my body heals quite quickly. Also I dont usually get injured.

An all-British tie in the second round would whet the appetite of the home crowd in the opening tournament of the British summer.

Watson, who has been around Raducanu through the teenagers development, is enjoying watching her meteoric rise.

It is such a unique situation, Watson added.

Watson could face British number one Emma Raducanu in the second round (Tim Goode/PA) (PA Wire)

What she has done has never been done before. Its new to everyone and its such an interesting story. Everyone is just looking forward to following her journey.

When you do what she has done there is a lot of expectation, especially from this country. But I think she is doing really well, considering, and I definitely look forward to following her journey.

I definitely saw her being a really good WTA Tour player, top 100 for sure, but I never expected it to go that quickly within one tournament, its amazing.

There was more British success on the opening day of the tournament as Harriet Dart beat 2017 champion Donna Vekic.

Harriet Dart celebrates victory over Croatias Donna Vekic at Nottingham (Tim Goode/PA) (PA Wire)

The British number three, who has slipped out of the top 100 after a poor clay-court campaign, triumphed 6-4 6-3.

She said: I have definitely made strides in the right direction. I have had a rough patch but I am hoping to get back to my best.

I have had a difficult season. Clay is not my best surface  something I hope to improve on in the coming years. I know I can play a really good level on grass. Ive had some good results, it doesnt take very much to swing a match and get some confidence and (Monday) has given me some confidence.

I knew I had to bring my A-game and I felt in patches I played really well.
Injured Liverpool star Mohamed Salah defied his club and captained Egypt to a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Guinea in Cairo at the weekend, according to national coach Ehab Galal.

"Salah was hit by an injury, but played through it," said Galal following his debut after Portuguese Carlos Queiroz quit because he could not agree terms for a new contract.

Galal told a press conference that Salah rejected a Liverpool request to have a pre-match scan on the undisclosed injury, but "that will be done now".

Egypt face Ethiopia on Thursday in Malawi capital Lilongwe because their opponents do not have any international-standard stadiums.

Two-time African Footballer of the Year Salah has experienced two major disappointments with record seven-time Cup of Nations winners Egypt this year.

They lost the Cup of Nations final to Senegal on penalties in February and the following month fell to Senegal again in a shootout, this time in a 2022 World Cup play-off.

dl/mw
Hilary Genga and Sean Cronin, creators of the children's book  and treasure hunt  "Xavier Marx and the Missing Masterpieces." (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

X marks the spot in a new childrens book titled Xavier Marx and the Missing Masterpieces. Created by Hilary Genga and Sean Cronin, this rhyming story about an elementary school class field trip to a museum contains all the clues young readers need to solve a $10,000 treasure hunt.

With a secret clue written by actor Jesse Eisenberg, and additional bonus clues supplied via the books Instagram page by celebrities including Jason Alexander, Wil Wheaton, Ethan Cutkosky, Melissa Joan Hart, Clancy Brown, Daymond John and Queen Sandra Diaz-Twine, the adventure will eventually take one lucky winner  or family of winners  to a physical location in the continental U.S. There intrepid treasure hunters can find the hidden token, which can then be redeemed for the prize money.

All proceeds from the book benefit the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF), which nurtures creativity and empathy in young people through art, and also supplied a variety of pictures by child artists that are used to fun effect (and possibly for clues) in the book itself.

The whole book is up for grabs as far as clues are concerned, says Genga. If you solve every clue in the book, you can walk right to the exact spot and get the treasure. If you don't solve everything, but get in the general area, then it's more like an Easter egg hunt.

The book idea came to Genga and Cronin during the early days of the pandemic, when many activities were off-limits and families were looking for safe outdoor options to enjoy together. Genga runs a swimwear company out of Tarzana and Cronin is a filmmaker living in Long Beach. The friends met online years ago as active users of Eisenbergs game-playing site, oneupme.com. They eventually created their own game for the site.

Gengas love of games extended to treasure hunts. She had followed the story of the Fenn treasure, which was buried in the Rocky Mountains in 2010 by an art dealer and author named Forrest Fenn. Estimated to be worth $2 million, it was found by a lucky winner in June 2020.

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Theres actually a treasure-hunting community, if you can believe that, says Genga, adding that she and Cronin entered its ranks when they participated in a few hunts before creating the book, which Cronin wrote and artist Sara Martin illustrated.

Cronin and Genga cracked the code for the Great U.S. Treasure Hunt last year to discover where a token worth $10,000 was hidden. They were trying to find their way to the site in Tennessee when an announcement came that another hunter had just reached it.

We got to experience the super-high of solving something, and then the super-low of being like, Oh, shoot, we thought we had $10,000, Cronin says and laughs.

The close call led the pair to discuss what they liked and disliked about the various hunts they knew of and had been involved in. Thats when they started thinking about what their ideal treasure hunt would be like. They eventually hit on the idea of a childrens book that would engage the whole family and benefit a good cause.

Xavier Marx and the Missing Masterpieces is the story of a little boy, who, by virtue of his name, is always near the end of the alphabet and therefore often the last to be called on.

Im a bit of a nerd. And routinely outcast, he narrates in the book. But I know that Im smart, and I know that Im cool! Even if Im not the most popular in school.

During a class trip to an art museum, however, Xavier emerges as the hero when the museums masterpieces go missing and he solves the case.

The book concludes with a mischievous twist, reminding young readers that art is in the eye of the beholder  and that the art they create truly matters.

The moral of the story is part of what attracted ICAF co-founder, Katty Guerami, to the project. One of ICAFs primary events is the Arts Olympiad, an event modeled after the Olympics that takes place every four years. Classrooms around the world participate, with kids producing art for local exhibitions. Winners from those exhibitions take part in the World Children's Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The artwork created by children for Xavier Marx was made by recent Arts Olympians, says Guerami, adding that kids were thrilled to have their work in an actual childrens book.

Guerami says shed like to see major institutions like New Yorks Museum of Modern Art feature wings  or even a room  devoted to the work of children, a theme that also comes up in Xavier Marx.

She paraphrases the Picasso quote, It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child, adding that there is a documented phenomenon called the fourth-grade slump, which happens to children between the ages of 8 and 12. Thats when kids begin conforming and start to lose their innate creativity as they attempt to satisfy societal ideas of appropriate creative expression.

So ICAF comes in almost like an intervention, she says. We have programs that serve to say, Hey, you know what? Your creativity is great, you have to stick to it. You can go ahead and think outside the box.'

Genga and Cronin were immediately attracted by this philosophy, and worked to weave it into the book along with the clues to lead readers to the treasure hunt token.

This was no easy trick, say Genga and Cronin. The pair wont share their secrets, but say they believe that thousands of people are currently searching for the treasure. This includes the hardcore treasure-hunting community who buy all treasure-hunting books as soon as they are released, as well as families all over the country. Some have written to the books creators to share where they have been searching  or to posit their solutions.

One mother, Genga says, wrote to say that her 8-year-old daughter became convinced the treasure was inside the wall of her dentists office, behind a Van Gogh print. As a rule, Genga and Cronin dont respond to inaccurate guesses, because they dont want to give anything away, but in this case, Genga says she had to write back.

I said, Please tell your little girl that's a great guess, but the treasure is definitely not inside her dentists wall, Genga says and laughs.

To all the searchers out there, Cronin advises that they first read the book from front to back cover without looking for any clues. Then he says to dig back in and study each page.

Think about different options of any possible thing that maybe looks out of place, he says. Ask yourself, Well, why would the author do this? Why did the author make this choice? Why did the illustrator make this choice? And you can start developing a theory. At the end of the day, it has to lead to a location.

Hardened treasure hunters beware: Genga and Cronin believe this case has the best chances of being cracked by the imaginative mind of a child.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ROME (Reuters) - Italy summoned Russia's ambassador on Monday to protest over criticism from Moscow of coverage by the Italian media of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Italian foreign ministry said in a statement it "rejected insinuations concerning the alleged involvement of our country's media in an anti-Russian campaign".

It added that it "firmly rejected accusations of amorality" levelled at certain unnamed Italian officials and journalists by the Russian foreign ministry.

The Russian embassy in Rome posted a statement on Facebook saying Ambassador Sergey Razov had repudiated the criticism during his meeting with the secretary general of Italy's foreign ministry.

"He pointed out that the propaganda line that is dominating in the Italian media can hardly be qualified otherwise than as hostile," the statement said.

"He called for moderation and balance, traditional for Italian foreign policy, in the interest of maintaining positive relations and cooperation between the Russian and Italian peoples in the long term."

Russia's denunciation of Italian media coverage runs in the face of censure within Italy itself of perceived pro-Russian bias by some influential television news shows.

An Italian parliamentary panel last month opened an investigation into allegations of "disinformation" on television following the frequent appearance of Russian guests on the country's news programmes during the war in Ukraine.

The Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic (Copasir), which oversees the intelligence services, said it was looking into "foreign interference and disinformation activity" in the coverage of the conflict, now in its third month.

On Sunday, a news show on La7 channel was criticised after hosting part of its prime-time programme in Moscow, giving ample air time to allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Veteran Italian newspaper editor Alessandro Sallusti, who was also invited to take part in the show, walked out in protest during the live broadcast. "I am witnessing total servility to the worst kind of propaganda," he said.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Liverpool midfielder James Milner has signed a new 12-month contract (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Archive)

Liverpool midfielder James Milner will play in a 20th successive Premier League campaign next season after signing a new 12-month contract with the club.

The 36-year-olds current deal was due to expire this month but it is understood manager Jurgen Klopp was not prepared to lose a player who has such a huge influence on the dressing room.

Milner made 39 appearances last season, although only 14 were starts and that is reflected in the new contract the player has signed on significantly-reduced personal terms.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was keen to keep James Milner for another season (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

However, there was little negotiation needed with the midfielder, who chose to wait until the end of an epic 63-game season which culminated in defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final just over a week ago before making his decision.

Milner is believed to have turned down offers from at least one Premier League club and two from overseas in order to stay at Anfield.

Since joining from Manchester City  where he won two league titles, two FA Cups and a League Cup  in 2015 Milner has won the Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and, this season, a domestic cup double.

Just when you think theres nothing left in football that can surprise you that happens! Couldnt believe what I was seeing. Amazing way to cap an incredible season and fulfil a promise from 2020. To say thank you doesnt feel enough. What a club #YNWA #CalvinHarris  pic.twitter.com/8HviqyoDqv  James Milner (@JamesMilner) May 31, 2022

Five players  Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain  are about to enter the final 12 months of their existing contracts.

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While negotiations have dragged on with Salah, fellow forward Sadio Mane is attracting interest from Bayern Munich.

Liverpool will not allow the 30-year-old Senegal international, who scored 23 goals this season, to leave unless it is for a fee in excess of 25million, providing they have a suitable replacement lined up.

Mane has yet to make his intentions clear to the club but the Bundesliga champions are looking for a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is likely to leave this summer.
A 24-year-old Jamesburg man was convicted of the 2019 stabbing deaths of his father and another man living in the house they all shared, and then setting the Sheridan Street house on fire to cover up the murders.

Jaree Kitchen was found guilty last week of the murder of his father, Clifford Kitchen Jr, and Gregory Fisher, both 53, following a two-week jury trial, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone announced.

Kitchen also was convicted of aggravated arson, possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of desecrating human remains and tampering with evidence in the Nov. 4, 2019 murders.

Kitchen is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28 by Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Buck in Middlesex County.

During the trial Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutors Amber Gibbs and Caitlin Lavery presented evidence and testimony showing that Kitchen had recently returned to Jamesburg from Georgia to live with his father, but shortly after his arrival the father and son began having issues.

The scene in Jamesburg following a house fire in which two people apparently died

This erupted into a physical altercation that resulted in Kitchen fatally stabbing both his father and Fisher to death on Nov. 4, 2019.

Two days later on Nov. 6, 2019, in an effort to destroy and cover up the murders in the home, Kitchen set the home at 7 Sheridan St. on fire.

The investigation was led by Middlesex County Prosecutors Office Sgts. Deon McCall and Kevin Wilson, and Jamesburg Detective Sgt. Jason Muller and Detective Jim Dennis.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Jamesburg NJ man found guilty of double murder before arson
(Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnsons Conservative Party is heading for a thumping defeat in this months special election in Wakefield, according to a poll published in the Sunday Times, a result that would heighten speculation over the prime ministers long-term future.

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According to a J.L. Partners survey of 501 adults in Wakefield, the main opposition Labour Party has 48% support. Wakefield in Yorkshire is one of the historically Labour-voting constituencies in northern England -- the so-called Red Wall -- that helped deliver a huge majority for Johnson in the 2019 general election.

While the Tories have just 28%, much of their decline comes from voters turning to the Greens and the Liberal Democrats rather than to Keir Starmers Labour -- a factor that could potentially prove less damaging to Johnson.

The Conservatives also face a bruising defeat the same day, June 23, in another special election at Tiverton & Honiton in southwestern England -- both votes are the result of the incumbent Tory member of Parliament stepping down because of separate sex scandals. According to betting site Smarkets.com, the Lib Dems are an 81% probability to take the Tiverton seat. Labour has a 95% chance to triumph in Wakefield.

The prospect of a confidence vote in Johnson has grown in recent days, with dozens of lawmakers stating he should quit because they dont think he can successfully lead the Tories to another general election victory.

MPs could hold the vote as soon as Monday, according to the Times, which also cited an unidentified former cabinet minister saying theres an 80% likelihood it would happen after the June 23 by-elections. Still, partly because the ultimate decision on who leads the Conservatives lies with party members in the shires, betting patterns on smarkets.com suggest the chances of Johnson leading the Tories into the general election remain finely balanced.

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Johnson has been damaged by a probe into the so-called partygate scandal that unveiled the details of repeated Covid rule-breaking gatherings, while many of his Tory MPs are frustrated with his chaotic leadership style, as well as a series of unforced errors and policy u-turns. Added to that, the cost-of-living crisis engulfing swaths of Britain has rendered Johnson increasingly vulnerable to attack.

In a sign of how a politician who thrives on the personal touch has lost his way, Johnson and his wife Carrie were booed by flag-waving crowds outside St Pauls Cathedral on Friday.

The fact that it happened at an event to celebrate Queen Elizabeth IIs 70 years on the throne shows that the nation has had enough of Johnson and his party, according to Labours Starmer.

They booed the prime minister, Starmer told the Press Association. They are fed up with the government.

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(Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnsons UK premiership hangs in the balance after he was fined for attending an illegal gathering with staff at Downing Street during the pandemic lockdown.

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Read More: Johnsons Ex-Aide Accuses Him of Lying to UK Parliament

Amid the fallout, Johnsons ruling Conservatives have slumped in the polls and his partys patience is wearing thin. Yet he is unlikely to resign over what the media has dubbed partygate, so what happens next may hinge on how many Tory members of Parliament decide they no longer want him in the top job.

Below is a guide to how the party deals with leaders it wants rid of.

Shaping History

The fate of Tory prime ministers is determined by rank-and-file Conservative MPs known as the 1922 Committee. It takes its name from a meeting of Tory lawmakers 100 years ago that ultimately brought down a coalition government and led to the Conservatives winning the ensuing election.

The 22 has continued to play a key role in Tory history. While Margaret Thatchers demise in 1990 was prompted by her deputy premier quitting, it was her ministers advice that she wouldnt survive a second 1922 committee ballot on her leadership that made her withdraw. Her reference to men in gray suits calling on her to stand aside is now often used describe the 22.

During her successor John Majors tenure, the group embodied Tory opposition to closer ties with Europe. David Cameron -- who ultimately called the Brexit referendum -- wanted to dilute its influence by opening up its membership. He failed; Graham Brady was elected chairman and has has held the job since.

Eyes on Brady

Nowadays the 22 is primarily a line of communication between the party leadership and the rank-and-file. Reporters gather outside the committees weekly meetings to try to gauge the mood by the volume of desk-thumping.

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When an unhappy Tory MP wants a change in party leadership, its Brady they write to. If letters arrive from 15% of Conservative lawmakers in the House of Commons, he is obliged to call a confidence vote. In Johnsons case, the magic number would be 54.

Nobody except Brady knows how many letters have been submitted at any given time. Reports giving a running count should be treated with extreme caution, Brady told Bloomberg on Monday. Only I would know and I have never breathed a word on the subject to anyone.

Next Steps

If 54 letters do reach Brady, he would inform Johnson and the parliamentary Conservative party, and a vote on his leadership would be held as soon as possible. If Johnson wins, he is immune from another vote for a year.

That particular rule ultimately did not save Johnsons predecessor, Theresa May. She won a Tory confidence vote in December 2018, but was out of Downing Street months later -- after a meeting with Brady -- as the Tory party threatened to tear itself apart over Brexit.

Leadership Contest

If Johnson were to lose a confidence vote, or if he resigns, the next step would be a leadership contest. In the first stage, Conservative MPs put themselves forward as candidates, and their colleagues vote in a series of rounds until two remain. Grassroots Tory members make the final choice.

Theres another way the Tories could arrive at a leadership contest: Johnsons cabinet could effectively take matters into its own hands. If enough members resign, or perhaps one of the two biggest names, that would signal they have lost confidence. The pressure could then make Johnsons position untenable.

Next in Line?

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss have long been the front-runners in any potential leadership contest, though Sunaks chances have been hurt by revelations about his tax affairs.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid is another who might run while from outside the government, Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Jeremy Hunt, a former foreign secretary, could be contenders.

Still, the lack of any clear successor who could connect with voters ahead of the next election has been one factor holding back potential rebels.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a picture of their daughter Lilibet after celebrating her first birthday.

The photograph of Lilibet, who celebrated the occasion with family and close friends of the Sussexes at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor on Saturday, is understood to have been taken by family friend Misan Harriman.

Harry and Meghans second child, born on 4 June 2021 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, was named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.

The couple have been incredibly touched by the birthday wishes that have flooded in for Lilibet.

More than 100,000 dollars (79,800) in donations to the World Central Kitchen were made in her honour by people around the world, for which the Duke and Duchess have also expressed their gratitude.

It follows reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had returned to the US following a short trip to the UK for the jubilee celebrations.

The early departure means the Sussexes missed the finale of the festivities, which saw the Queen make a surprise appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the royal standard flag was raised above the residence during the pageant.

Key points

Harry and Meghan release picture of daughter Lilibet on first birthday

Queen makes statement to mark end of platinum jubilee weekend

Queen makes surprise balcony appearance during Platinum Pageant

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee: the best moments of the weekend celebrations

Harry and Meghan return to California following UK Visit

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis bake cakes ahead of Big Jubilee Lunch

Harry and Meghan release picture of daughter Lilibet on first birthday

22:18 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a picture of their daughter Lilibet after celebrating her first birthday.

The photograph of Lilibet, who celebrated the occasion with family and close friends of the Sussexes at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor on Saturday, is understood to have been taken by family friend Misan Harriman.

Story continues

(PA)

What does it mean to be both a human and a national symbol?

21:30 , Saman Javed

As Her Majesty marks 70 years on the throne, weve taken a closer look at how the royal family navigates the public tightrope between symbolism and human emotion.

Emma Mackenzie reports:

Queen Elizabeth II: What does it mean to be both a human and a national symbol?

Queen shows of her musical ability in skit with Paddington Bear

20:30 , Saman Javed

The audience at BBCs Party at the Palace on Saturday evening enjoyed a pre-recorded segment in which the Queen herself acted opposite Paddington Bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw.

During the skit, the Queen finally revealed what she keeps in her signature black Launer handbag and even played Queens We Will Rock You on a teacup.

The Queens statement to mark end of platinum jubilee in full

19:40 , Saman Javed

The Queen made a statement on Sunday to conclude her platinum jubilee weekend.

When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee, the statement released by Buckingham Palace read.

While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.

I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.

I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations.

Her message was signed Elizabeth R.

The 79 earrings Kate Middleton wore during the platinum jubilee weekend are still in stock

19:00 , Saman Javed

Kate Middleton stepped out in a pair of gold hoop earrings designed by Spells of Love on a royal visit to Cardiff Castle on Saturday.

Not one to shy away from rewearing items in her wardrobe, the Duchess of Cambridge first wore the Caerphilly-based brands hoops on a trip to Cardiff in December 2020.

For those looking for a new addition to their jewellery arsenal, the earrings are still available to buy  and they are just 79.

We have the details here:

Kate Middleton rewore 79 gold hoop earrings during the platinum jubilee

Prince Charles laughs uncontrollably during Platinum Jubilee Pageant

18:20 , Saman Javed

The heir apparant was in good spirits during Sundays festivities, breaking out into a fit of laughter while watching the pageant.

As a troupe of dancing elephants and zebras passed in front of the royal family, the Prince of Wales could help but have a good old giggle.

He was laughing so much that his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, and son, Prince William, leaned over to find out what was so funny.

Media coverage of the platinum jubilee makes me uncomfortable to work in this industry

17:40 , Saman Javed

As a Black woman descended from enslaved African people, the likes of whom were branded with hot irons bearing the initials of royal family members, the past four days of wall-to-wall, uncritical responses to the jubilee have been a gaslighting experience, writes race correspondent Nadine White.

Opinion: Race was off-limits in media coverage of the Queens platinum jubilee

Prince Louis best moments from the Platinum Jubilee Weekend

17:00 , Saman Javed

From screaming into the air while standing next to Her Majesty, pulling faces at the Duchess of Cambridge, to showing off his dance moves, Prince Louis provided plenty of entertainment this weekend.

Weve rounded up our favourite moments here:

Prince Louis best moments from platinum jubilee weekend

How the Buckingham Palace balcony became key to royal familys existence

16:13 , Saman Javed

The crowd outside Buckingham Palace roared with cheers on Sunday evening as the Queen stepped out on to the royal residences balcony.

Marking the conclusion of the long weekend, the Queen stood between Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George, who are first, second and third in line to the throne respectively.

As noted by Professor Pauline MacLaren from the University of Londons Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy, a royal balcony appearance is the monarchy at their most visible.

But it is also them at their most strategic. Time and again down the years, they have used appearances there  with considerable shrewdness, it has to be said  to emphasise and maintain their place at the heart of the nation, MacLaren said.

Weve taken a closer look at the key role the balcony of Buckingham Palace has played throughout the queens reign. Colin Drury reports:

Platinum jubilee  how royal balcony became key to monarchys existence

The best royal fashion moments from the Queens Platinum Jubilee weekend

15:30 , Saman Javed

The Queens platinum jubilee served as the perfect opportunity for members of the royal family to showcase their sartorial prowess this weekend.

The most notable fashion moments included the Duchess of Sussexs belted Dior coat, which she wore to a Service of Thanksgiving at St Pauls Cathedral on Friday.

(Getty Images)

The Duchess of Cambridges looked chic in a crisp white Alexander McQueen suit at the Trooping the Colour on Thursday.

(Getty Images)

Weve charted the best fashion moments from the long weekend. Saman Javed has the full list here:

The best royal fashion moments from the Queens Platinum Jubilee weekend

Meera Syal shows off her dance moves during Platinum Jubilee Pageant

14:45 , Saman Javed

Comedian and actor Meera Syal couldnt help but join in on Sunday as Bollywood dancers put on a performance during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

Footage of her dancing was shared on Twitter, where it has recieved more than 19,000 likes.

You hear those drums and you gotta dance#itsAPunjabiThing, Syal wrote on Twitter.

Syal was seen sitting next to her husband, Sanjeev Bhaskar, who looked on while his wife danced next to him.

When asked by Twitter users why he had not joined in, Bhaskar joked that he was the evenings designated driver.

Dan Levy reacts to meme comparing George and Charlotte to Schitts Creek characters

14:06 , Saman Javed

Dan Levy has reacted to a meme comparing Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the Queens Jubilee to his Schitts Creek character.

The young royals made several appearances at events across the long weekend, with one photo showing George, eight, and Charlotte, seven, appearing to sneer.

One viral tweet compared the children to David (Levy) and Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy), the spoilt adult children from the hit Canadian sitcom Schitts Creek.

They are them, comedian Rohita Kadambi wrote while showing the royals and the characters side by side. The post has been liked more than 134,000 times.

Luckily, Levy saw the funny side, simply commenting: Lol on the post.

Isobel Lewis has the full story:

Dan Levy reacts to meme comparing George and Charlotte to Schitts Creek characters

BBC apologises after Len Goodman recalls nan describing curry powder as foreign muck during jubilee coverage

13:20 , Saman Javed

The BBC has issued an apology after Len Goodman recalled his grandmother describing curry powder as foreign muck, during its coverage of the Queens platinum jubilee celebrations on Sunday.

The former Strictly Come Dancing judge was seen on TV with Masterchef presenter John Torode, sampling jubilee pudding, a lemon and amaretti trifle created by Jemma Melvin.

When asked about his cooking skills, Goodman responded: No, Im hopeless, honestly. My wife did Coronation Chicken yesterday for our tea and Ive never had it before.

Pulling a face, he added: Ive never had curry and curry powder, you know, my nan used to call it all foreign muck.

Peony Hirwani has the full story:

BBC apologises after Len Goodman says nan called curry powder foreign muck

Princess Charlotte playfully conducts orchestra in Wales

12:40 , Saman Javed

Princess Charlotte and Prince George joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on a visit to Wales on Saturday in honour of the Queens platinum jubilee.

The family visited performers and crew involved in the Platinum Jubilee Celebration Concert at Cardiff Castle, where they tried their hands at conducting the orchestra.

Charlotte was seen smiling and giggling at her father as she waved her hands and a makeshift baton.

The funniest and most heart-warming moments from the Queens platinum jubilee weekend

11:50 , Saman Javed

The royal family provided plenty of entertainment during this weekends festivities.

Prince Louis was on hand to amuse crowds during the Trooping the Colour ceremony on Thursday - images of the four-year-old screaming and pulling faces while watching the Royal Air Forces flypast quickly went viral.

The youngest Cambridge child delivered more meme-worthy content during Sundays Platinum Jubilee Pageant, pulling faces at his mother and dancing along to the performers.

Prince Louis deserves is own meme section! I cant with how expressive his face is!!  Love you little bug!  #PlatinumJubileePageant pic.twitter.com/oEHkImlgHh  Canellecitadelle (@Canellelabelle) June 5, 2022

Separately, the Duchess of Cambridge offered a subtle tribute to her late mother-in-law by opting to wear a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana.

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted playfully shushing a few royal children during Thursdays festivities.

Here are our favourite moments from the weekend:

Funniest and most heart-warming moments from the Queens platinum jubilee

Meghan and Harry were the royal familys last hope for a modern monarchy

17:12 , Emily Atkinson

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first public appearance in the UK for over two years this weekend, after stepping down as senior members of the royal family in 2020.

We took a closer look at the potential that was lost when they decided to leave the firm.

Emma Mackenzie reports:

Meghan and Harry were the royal familys last hope for a modern monarchy

Prince Louis steals the show during Platinum Jubilee celebrations

11:09 , Saman Javed

Prince Louis was the gift that kept on giving during the platinum jubilee weekend.

The young royal won the hearts of the public during Thursdays Trooping the Colour ceremony as he joined his family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The four-year-old was photographed pulling several animated faces, covering his ears and screaming into the air.

The youngest Cambridge child also delivered plenty of meme-worthy moments on Sunday as he watched the Platinum Jubilee Pageant from the royal box.

Louis was spotted covering the Duchess of Cambridges mouth, pulling faces at her, and sitting on both the Duke of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales.

Celebrities bring high fashion to Platinum Jubilee celebrations

10:30 , Saman Javed

Celebrities flocked to the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday to show off their high-fashion credentials.

Supermodels Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss were spotted smiling and waving from the top of a double-decker bus celebrating the 1990s.

A total of eight buses made their way down The Mall on Sunday, each celebrating a different decade of the Queens reign.

Moss wore a black silk slip dress under a vintage John Galliano Union Jack blazer, and accessorised with red Vivienne Westwood stilettos. Meanwhile, Campbell looked understated in strapless Burberry maxi dress.

The Vogue cover stars were joined by iconic makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury and Bridgerton star Dynevor.

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Harry and Meghan return to California following UK Visit

09:46 , Saman Javed

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have touched down in the US following their appearance at this weekends Platinum Jubilee celebrations to mark the Queens 70-year reign.

Pictures have emerged of Prince Harry being transported from the airport in California in the passenger seat of a black Range Rover.

The couple were largely absent from the festivities over the four-day weekend, but appeared at the Queens Service of Thanksgiving at St Pauls Cathedral on Friday, their first public appearance in the UK since stepping down as senior royals in 2020.

On Saturday, Harry and Meghan hosted a relaxed party to celebrate their daughter Lilibets first birthday, which is believed to have been attended by the young royals British cousins.

Joanna Whitehead has the details here:

Harry and Meghan arrive in California after missing Jubilee finale

Kate Middleton wears Stella McCartney to star-studded Platinum Jubilee Pageant

09:20 , Saman Javed

The Duchess of Cambridge arrived at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday wearing an elegant fuschia pink dress by Stella McCartney.

The design featured padded shoulders, ruching on one shoulder and puffed long sleeves.

Kate completed the look with simple gold and diamond earrings, natural makeup and her hair in loose curls.

Taking her place in the royal box, the duchess was joined by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and her husband, the Duke of Cambridge.

Saman Javed has the full details here:

Kate Middleton wears fuchsia pink Stella McCartney dress at Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Platinum Party at the Palace review: One of the most bizarre barrages of random entertainment ever staged

09:00 , Peony Hirwani

BBC Ones musical extravaganza was an arbitrary mix of jolting cultural juxtapositions, writes Mark Beaumont. How could anyone look away?

The Jubilee concert was an utterly bizarre barrage of random entertainment  review

Meghan Markles hairdresser reveals rare details about Archie and Lilibet

09:00 , Olivia Petter

George Northwood, hairdresser to the Duchess of Sussex, has lifted the lid on the personalities of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in London with their two children for the Queens platinum jubilee celebrations but are now thought to have departed.

Northwood posted a series of photographs of Meghan from Friday, when she and Prince Harry attended the special Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen at St Pauls Cathedral.

Northwood wrote in the caption: So nostalgic and wonderful to be reunited with HARRY, Meghan, and their family in the UK.

He then described Archie, three, and Lilibet, who is celebrating her first birthday privately in Windsor with her parents and brother on Saturday 4 June.

Archie has grown to be the cutest, well-mannered little boy, he said, and added: Lilibet is just beautiful.

Read more below.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/meghan-markle-harry-archie-lilibet-b2094029.html

Kate Moss wears union jack blazer on pageant bus days after Johnny Depp verdict

08:35 , Olivia Petter

Supermodel Kate Moss was one of the standout stars at Sundays platinum jubilee pageant just days after Johnny Depp won his defamation trial against Amber Heard.

Moss was a witness for the Depp team during the six-week trial, where she testified that Depp did not push her down a flight of stairs during their relationship in the nineties.

During the three-minute video appearance, the 48-year-old denied that Depp had ever pushed her in that way..

Read more below.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/kate-moss-platinum-pageant-johnny-depp-b2094467.html

The Queen showed off her musical ability in skit with Paddington Bear

17:00 , Saman Javed

The audience at the BBCs Party at the Palace on Saturday evening enjoyed a pre-recorded segment in which the Queen herself acted opposite Paddington Bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw.

During the skit, the monarch finally revealed what she keeps in her signature black Launer handbag, and even played Queens We Will Rock You on a teacup.

Watch: Queen Elizabeth appeared on balcony at Platinum Jubilee Pageant finale

07:00 , Peony Hirwani

The Queen was joined by those high in the line of succession  Charles, William, George, Charlotte and Louis  along with Camilla and Kate.

Watch: The Queen's Platinum Jubilee: the best moments of the weekend celebrations

05:00 , Peony Hirwani

Watch the best moments from the Queens Platinum Jubilee weekend here:

My heart is with you all: Queen makes statement to mark end of platinum jubilee

04:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Queen has made a statement to mark the end of her platinum jubilee weekend.

The 96-year-old monarch, who made a suprise appearance at Sundays platinum jubilee pageant, said that over her seven-decade reign there was no guidebook to follow and that she was humbled and deeply touched by the jubilee.

When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee, the statement released by Buckingham Palace read.

While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.

I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.

My colleague Laura Hampson has more:

There is no guidebook: Queen makes statement to mark end of platinum jubilee

Queen said she remains committed to serving the nation

02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Queen has said she remains committed to serving the nation to the best of my ability, after she set the seal on her Platinum Jubilee celebrations by appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The 96-year-old monarch was absent for much of the extended Bank Holiday weekend, after finding the first day enjoyable but tiring, and in a message of thanks acknowledged this but said her heart had been with well-wishers.

The Duchess of Cornwall, patron of the Big Lunch, estimated that up to 18 million people could have taken part in Jubilee street parties, and the Queen expressed her hope this renewed sense of togetherness would be felt for years to come.

After the outpouring of public affection during her balcony appearance, the Queen said she was humbled and deeply touched so many people had taken part in celebrations marking her 70-year reign.

Surrounded by her family, she was cheered by thousands of well-wishers after stepping on to the balcony following the Platinum Pageant, which told the story of her life, and the nation, with an eccentric, fun and imaginative carnival-like display.

Smiling as she acknowledged the spectators, she looked down on The Mall where tens of thousands had waited in hope of seeing her.

The Queen said later in her message: When it comes to how to mark seventy years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee.

While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.

I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.

I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations.

Family day out for Royals at Jubilee Pageant

Monday 6 June 2022 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It was a family day out like no other, with prime seats in the royal box, catching up with cousins and clapping along to classic tunes.

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant was an afternoon of entertainment for members of the royal family, who all sat together alongside their siblings and cousins.

Prince Louis, the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, moved around a little, cosying up to both his parents and his grandfather the Prince of Wales.

At one point, Charles rocked his four-year-old grandson from side to side on his lap.

Louis joined his big brother and sister, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, in the royal box.

As George stood for part of the parade, he mirrored his father William, both adjusting the front of their jackets at the same time.

He was also spotted resting his head on his hand during the show.

Lasting two and a half hours, it was not surprising that restlessness may have set in for the younger spectators.

Zara Tindall watched the pageant with three-year-old daughter Lena on her lap, while her other daughter Mia, eight, sat on her father Mikes lap and had her arm around his neck.

At one point, little Lena sat on her 11-year-old cousin Savannah Phillipss lap.

Princess Eugenie could be seen bouncing her son August on her knee.

The one-year-old was wearing a jumper with a Union flag on the front.

Later, Eugenie posted pictures and videos on Instagram showing August, her husband Jack Brooksbank, and her view of the pageant.

Meanwhile, the Princess Royal, 71, looked happy as she sat next to her brother Charles and clapped along to Kool & The Gangs Celebration.

Those joining the royal family included Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Fans share emotional reactions to Queens surprise balcony appearance

Sunday 5 June 2022 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Her Majesty, who is celebrating her 70th year on the throne, made a surprise appearance to mark the end of the platinum jubilee alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The 96-year-old monarch, who was dressed in vivid green, was flanked by her three heirs during the appearance.

Royal fans were delighted to see the monarch make a final balcony appearance to mark the end of the weekends celebrations, with some even saying that it made them emotional.

I did not think that The Queen coming out on the balcony would make me quite so emotional, what a beautiful moment, one Twitter user wrote.

My colleague Laura Hampson has more here:

Fans share emotional reactions to Queens surprise balcony appearance

Kate Moss wears Union Jack blazer atop pageant bus days after Johnny Depp verdict

Sunday 5 June 2022 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Supermodel Kate Moss has taken part in the platinum jubilee pageant just days after Johnny Depp won his defamation trial against Amber Heard.

Moss was a witness for the Depp team during the six-week trial, where she testified that Depp did not push her down a flight of stairs during their relationship in the nineties, Laura Hampson writes.

During the three-minute video appearance, the 48-year-old denied that Depp had ever pushed her in that way.

Depp was awarded $10 million (8 million) in compensatory damages and $5 million (4 million) dollars in punitive damages by the jury, while Heard was awarded $2 million (1.6 million) in compensatory damages.

On Sunday, for the platinum jubilee pageant to celebrate the Queens 70th year on the British throne, Moss rode atop a double decker bus with makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, and Bridgerton actor Phoebe Dynevor.

Read more here:

Kate Moss rides atop pageant bus days after Johnny Depp verdict

Future of monarchy shown on balcony with magnificent seven'

Sunday 5 June 2022 21:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It was a magnificent seven who surrounded the Queen at the Jubilee finale  the core members of the royal family who are shaping the monarchy.

Future king the Prince of Wales, and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, who was publicly backed this year by the monarch to one day use the title Queen, emerged with the head of state as she stepped onto the Buckingham Palace balcony.

There too were the next in line, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George.

And the Duchess of Cambridge, like Camilla a future Queen Consort, along with Princess Charlotte and little Prince Louis, the siblings a double helping of spares to the heir, writes Laura Elston.

Read more here:

Future of monarchy shown on balcony with magnificent seven

Princess Eugenie shares video of son August waving at Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 21:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Princess Eugenie thanks stars and organisers of Jubilee Pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 21:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Princess Eugenie has expressed her appreciation for all those who organised and took part in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in an Instagram post.

The post includes a video of her son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank waving at those participating in the Pageant.

Dogs compete in corgi derby for Queens Platinum Jubilee

Sunday 5 June 2022 21:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

ICYMI- Media coverage of the platinum jubilee makes me uncomfortable to work in this industry'

Sunday 5 June 2022 20:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

As a Black woman descended from enslaved African people, the likes of whom were branded with hot irons bearing the initials of royal family members, the past four days of wall-to-wall, uncritical responses to the jubilee have been a gaslighting experience, our race correspondent Nadine White writes.

Read more here:

Opinion: Race was off-limits in media coverage of the Queens platinum jubilee

Pippa Middleton is pregnant with her third child

Sunday 5 June 2022 20:38 , Laura Hampson

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews are expecting their third child.

The younger sister to the Duchess of Cambridge debuted her baby bump on Saturday night during the Party at the Palace, which was being held as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations.

Middleton and Matthews are already parents to three-year-old Arthur, and one-year-old Grace.

You can read the full report here:

Pippa Middleton is pregnant with her third child

Princess Eugenies son makes royal debut wearing Union Jack jumper

Sunday 5 June 2022 20:14 , Laura Hampson

Princess Eugenies son has made his first public appearance at the platinum jubilee pageant on Sunday.

August Brooksbank joined his parents and other members of the royal family in the royal box while watching the pageant, which was being held as part of the Queens platinum jubilee celebrations.

August, 1, is the only child of Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank.

You can find the full report here:

Princess Eugenies son makes royal debut wearing Union Jack jumper

Prince Louis steals the show again during platinum jubilee pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 19:38 , Laura Hampson

Prince Louis has stolen the show once again during Sundays platinum jubilee pageant.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridges youngest child already won over crowds on Thursday during the RAF flypast, and he was back at it with his reactions to the pageant.

The four-year-old was spotted covering his mother, Kate Middletons, mouth on Sunday during the pageant, as well as sitting on his father, Prince Williams, and his grandfather, Prince Charles, laps during the ceremony.

Laura Hampson has all the best reactions to the young royal here:

Prince Louis steals the show again during platinum jubilee pageant

Fans share emotional reactions to Queens surprise balcony appearance

Sunday 5 June 2022 19:05 , Laura Hampson

Royal fans were delighted to see the monarch make a final balcony appearance to mark the end of the weekends celebrations, with some even saying that it made them emotional.

I did not think that The Queen coming out on the balcony would make me quite so emotional, what a beautiful moment, one Twitter user wrote.

You can read more reactions here:

Fans share emotional reactions to Queens surprise balcony appearance

BREAKING: My heart is with you all: Queen makes statement to mark end of platinum jubilee

Sunday 5 June 2022 18:31 , Laura Hampson

The Queen has made a statement to mark the end of her platinum jubilee weekend.

When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee, the statement released by Buckingham Palace read.

You can read the statement in full here:

My heart is with you all: Queen makes statement to mark end of platinum jubilee

Queen flanked by heirs as she makes final jubilee appearance

Sunday 5 June 2022 18:02 , Laura Hampson

The Queen was flanked by the three heirs to the throne as she made her final appearance during the platinum jubilee.

Making a surprise appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the platinum pageant, Her Majesty stood between Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George, who are first, second and third in line to the throne respectively.

The Queen saw a much smaller group of family members join her on the balcony on Sunday, compared with the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday.

Laura Hampson has the full report:

Queen flanked by heirs as she makes final jubilee appearance

The Queens surprise balcony appearance  in pictures

Sunday 5 June 2022 17:27 , Laura Hampson

The Queen chatted to her family members during her surprise appearance on Buckingham Palace balcony this afternoon.

(AP)

She was accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

(Reuters)

Her Majesty was flanked by Charles, William and George, the three heirs to the throne.

(Getty)

The Queen, who has been facing mobility issues, only stayed on the balcony for a few minutes before returning inside.

(AP)

The Queen has made a surprise appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

Sunday 5 June 2022 17:08 , Saman Javed

The Queen has closed out the Platinum Jubilee Pageant with a surprise appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The monarch is dressed in an all-green ensemble, and is wearing her signature pearl necklaces.

She is joined by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and three of her great-grand children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

(BBC)

(BBC)

Ed Sheeran closes Platinum Jubilee Pageant with performance of Perfect'

Sunday 5 June 2022 17:04 , Saman Javed

Ed Sheeran is performing his hit single, Perfect, in front of Buckingham Palace.

The performance concludes the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the last official event of the four-day celebration.

Queen set to make surprise appearance at pageant finale

Sunday 5 June 2022 16:56 , Saman Javed

The Queen is expected to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the royal standard was raised above the residence.

Jubilee Pageant displays so far

Sunday 5 June 2022 16:45 , Furvah Shah

Todays Platinum Jubilee Pageant has seen colourful performances and displays from its 10,000 participants.

From bhangra dancing to carnival-themed performances, the third act of the Pageant has been a showstopping event so far.

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

(AP)

(Getty Images)

(EPA)

More famous faces arrive at Jubilee Pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 16:30 , Furvah Shah

Famous faces in British sport and culture have arrived at todays Jubilee Pageant.

Stars such as Sir Mohamed Farah, Dame Kelly Holmes and Gok Wan are amongst attendees at the Pageant running across The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.

The celebrities waved at the crowds below from the top of a jubilee-themed double decker bus.

(PA)

Prince Louis pulls more funny faces at Jubilee Pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 16:15 , Furvah Shah

Prince Louis is yet again entertaining audiences as he pulls funny faces during todays Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

The young prince, aged four, sits alongside his mother, Kate Middleton, and older siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince George.

(Getty Images)

(PA)

(AP)

Celebrities spotted on jubilee buses

Sunday 5 June 2022 16:05 , Furvah Shah

Many famous famous have been spotted at todays Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

Celebrities such as Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Chris Eubank and Sir Cliff Richard waved to crowds down below from jubilee-themed double decker buses as they rode down The Mall.

Charlotte Tilbury also made an appearance, as her brand - Charlotte Tilbury Beauty - is the Official Beauty Partner of todays Jubilee Pageant at all.

Erin O'Connor, Kate Moss, Charlotte Tilbury and Naomi Campbell wave at attendees (Getty Images)

Catherine Jenkins, Chris Eubank, Giles Terera and Cliff Richard ride a bus along The Mall (Getty Images)

Other famous faces also appeared (EPA)

Red Arrows fly past cancelled

Sunday 5 June 2022 15:55 , Furvah Shah

The Royal Air Forces Red Arrows fly past today for the platinum jubilee has been cancelled due to bad weather.

Third act of Pageant underway

Sunday 5 June 2022 15:45 , Furvah Shah

The third act of todays Platinum Jubilee Pageant is now underway.

The act, titled Lets Celebrate, tells the story of the Queens 70-year reign and pays homage to her service and dedication.

So far, it has featured a performative dance routine including a large dragon puppet managed by multiple puppeteers.

Prince Louis steals show at Jubilee Pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 15:35 , Furvah Shah

Prince Louis, four, is in attendance of todays Platinum Jubilee Pageant alongside his father, Prince William, mother, Kate Middleton and siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Much like during Thursdays celebrations, the young prince has amused audiences as he put his head in his hands during the show.

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

More footage of young Queen hologram on Gold State Coach

Sunday 5 June 2022 15:25 , Furvah Shah

As a part of todays Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a hologram of the Queen aged 25 at the 1953 coronation was projected onto the Gold State Coach as it was paraded through central London.

Hologram of young Queen projected onto Gold State Coach

Sunday 5 June 2022 15:20 , Furvah Shah

A hologram of a young Queen was projected onto the Gold State Coach as it travelled through the Platinum Jubilee Pageant today.

While the Queen herself is not currectly in attendance at todays pageant, footage of her from coronation in 1953 was cast onto the historic coach.

Attendees could see the images of the young monarch waving from the backseat of the coach, and Prince Charles stood up as the coach passed by at the pageant that brings the platinum jubilee celebrations to a close.

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

(AP)

(PA)

Boris Johnson, Carrie Johnson and Keir Starmer arrive at pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 15:05 , Furvah Shah

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken his seat at todays jubilee pageant, alongside wife Carrie Johnson.

Labour leader Keir Starmer is also in attendance at the celebration in front of Buckingham Palace, London on the fourth and final day of jubilee festivities.

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(PA)

Todays Platinum Jubilee Pageant kicked off at 2.30pm and will involve 10,000 participants and performances from Ed Sheeran and other famous faces.

Prince William, Kate Middleton arrive with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

Sunday 5 June 2022 15:00 , Saman Javed

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have joined their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in the royal box to watch the pageant.

Kate is dressed in a long-sleeved, form-fitting fuchsia pink dress, while Prince William is wearing a classic black suit.

Charlotte looks sweet in a cream coat with peter pan collar.

George is matching his father in a navy blue suit and Louis is dressed in a white button down, worn under a black coat.

William and George are both wearing suits (AP)

Kate and Prince Louis (Getty Images)

The Cambridge children (AP)

Prince Louis has a playful interaction with Mike Tindall, the husband of Zara Tindal (Getty Images)

Gold State Coach leads Platinum Jubilee Pageant down The Mall

Sunday 5 June 2022 14:43 , Saman Javed

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant has begun.

The Queens Gold State Coach is travelling along The Mall as members of the royal family, including the Prince of Wales, take their position to watch the spectacle.

Half of The Kings Troop, which is leading the procession, are women.

(BBC)

(BBC)

The Queen, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not attend the pageant, royal commentator says

Sunday 5 June 2022 14:40 , Saman Javed

The Queen, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not expected to attend the Platinum Jubilee Pageant this afternoon.

According to royal commentator Omid Scobie, most senior members of the royal family will attend.

The public can expect to see the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie are also set to attend, alongside their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.

Some of the Queens great grandchildren will also be present, Scobie said.

Many royals at #PlatinumJubileePageant today: Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Anne and Sir Tim, Beatrice and Edoardo, Eugenie and Jack, Peter Philips, Zara and Mike, the Gloucesters, and some of the Queen's assorted great grandchildren. No Harry and Meghan or Sophie and Edward.  Omid Scobie (@scobie) June 5, 2022

Crowds line The Mall ahead of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 14:25 , Saman Javed

Crowds have flocked to the capital in anticipation of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which will conclude the four-day weekend.

(REUTERS)

There are plenty of Union Jacks on display (REUTERS)

(Getty Images)

(PA)

Doctor Who Daleks to feature in Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Sunday 5 June 2022 14:05 , Furvah Shah

Daleks from TV show Doctor Who will be amongst the participants at this afternoons Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London.

The sci-fi show villains will be in the company of more than 10,000 people in todays pageant which is set to kick off at 2.30pm.

(PA)

Preparations for Platinum Jubilee Pageant underway

Sunday 5 June 2022 13:50 , Furvah Shah

Preparations for this afternoons Platinum Jubilee Pageant are underway as the final event for the Queens jubilee approaches.

Performers and participants are adding the final touches to their displays as crowds gather ahead of the shows 2.30pm start time.

The pageant comprises of four acts that will tell the story of the Queens 70-year reign and the UKs changing social landscape. It will involve more than 10,000 people from across the Commonwealth - including the military, more than 6,000 volunteers, performers, key workers, and 2,500 members of the general public.

The show will feature performances from Ed Sheeran, Sir Cliff Richard and Dame Shirley Bassey and will be aired from 1pm on BBC One.

(PA)

(PA)

(PA)

Best of todays Big Jubilee Lunches

Sunday 5 June 2022 13:30 , Furvah Shah

Big Jubilee Lunches have been taking place up and down the country today, with an estimated 10 million people taking part in street parties, BBQs and other community celebrations for the Queens platinum jubilee.

In London, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are attending an event in Kennington while Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are visiting party-goers in Westminster.

(Getty Images)

(PA)

In other parts of the country, thousands attended a street party along The Long Walk in Windsor and people danced and enjoyed afternoon tea in Blackpools Tower Ballroom.

(AFP via Getty Images)

(REUTERS)

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie attend Big Jubilee Lunch

Sunday 5 June 2022 13:10 , Furvah Shah

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are attending a Big Jubilee Lunch in Westminster, London this afternoon.

The event was organised by Westminster council for local community groups and volunteers who had assisted during the Covid-19 pandemic at Paddington Recreation Grounds.

The princesses have been meeting with attendees, bowling and trying their hand at plate-spinning at the jubilee celebration.

(PA)

(PA)

(PA)

Platinum Party at the Palace most watched TV event of the year with 13 million viewers

Sunday 5 June 2022 12:50 , Furvah Shah

The BBCs Platinum Party at the Palace has become the most-watched TV event of the year so far as it welcomed 13.3 million viewers at its peak.

The star-studded show outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday featured performances from Diana Ross, Queen with Adam Lambert and Duran Duran.

The event claimed a 74 per cent share of TV viewers on Saturday evening and the audiences favourite moment included the Queen sharing tea with Paddington Bear and tapping her spoon along to We Will Rock You by Queen.

Prince Charles and Camilla drink and cut cake at Big Jubilee Lunch

Sunday 5 June 2022 12:15 , Furvah Shah

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed champagne, canapes and cut a celebratory cake at a Big Jubilee Lunch in Oval, south London today.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall attended the large event at the Oval Cricket Ground, where they chatted with party-goers celebrating the Queens platinum jubilee.

They shared cheers with attendees and cut a large cake in one of many celebrations taking part across the UK today.

(Getty Images)

(Samir Hussein/WireImage)

(PA)

It is estimated that at least 10 million people have taken part in the Big Jubilee Lunch.

How the Buckingham Palace balcony became key to royal familys existence

Sunday 5 June 2022 12:05 , Furvah Shah

From royal weddings, war victory celebrations to Prince Louis covering his ears at the sound of the RAF fly-past, the Buckingham Palace balcony has acted as a precious connection to the royal family.

This is the monarchy at their most visible, says Professor Pauline MacLaren from the University of Londons Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy. But it is also them at their most strategic. Time and again down the years, they have used appearances there  with considerable shrewdness, it has to be said  to emphasise and maintain their place at the heart of the nation.

Colin Drury collates the most iconic moments from the Buckingham Palace balcony here.

Platinum Jubilee Pageant: When is it and who is performing?

Sunday 5 June 2022 11:50 , Furvah Shah

To conclude this weekends festivities, a Platinum Jubilee Pageant is taking place today in celebration of Queen Elizabeths 70-year reign.

The pageant comprises four acts to tell the story of the Queens reign and the UKs changing social landscape.

More than 10,000 people from across the Commonwealth are involved in the pageant, including the military, more than 6,000 volunteers, performers, key workers, and 2,500 members of the general public.

The show will feature performances from Ed Sheeran, Sir Cliff Richard and Dame Shirley Bassey and will be aired from 1pm on BBC One.

Kate Ng has more details.

Prince Charles and Camilla attend Big Jubilee Lunch

Sunday 5 June 2022 11:30 , Furvah Shah

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are attending a Big Jubilee Lunch at the Oval Cricket Ground in London this morning.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall are chatting with party-goers at the event - one of thousands taking place across the UK today.

A variety of elaborate cakes and party foods were on display at the event in south London.

It is thought that at least 10 million people will be joining in todays Big Jubilee Lunch.

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Drones at jubilee celebration cause buzz

Sunday 5 June 2022 11:15 , Furvah Shah

Audiences were stunned by the use of drones at last nights platinum jubilee celebrations.

A sky-sized corgi, pot and cup of tea and a purse were amongst the images displayed on the sky above Buckingham Palace during the Platinum Party at the Palace concert, alongside messages of thanks for the Queen.

Hundreds took to social media to commend the display, which they labelled magical and superb, as part of ongoing jubilee celebrations.

(PA)

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(PA)

Meghan Markles hairdresser reveals rare details about Archie and Lilibet

Sunday 5 June 2022 11:00 , Furvah Shah

George Northwood, hairdresser to the Duchess of Sussex, has revealed small details about the personalities of her children - Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

In an Instagram post, Norwood shared a series of photographs of Meghan from Friday - when she and Prince Harry attended the special Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen at St Pauls Cathedral.

In the caption, he said: So nostalgic and wonderful to be reunited Harry, Meghan and their family in the UK. Archie has grown to be the cutest, well mannered little boy and Lilibet is just beautiful.

Saman Javed has the full story.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte steal show with concert reactions

Sunday 5 June 2022 10:40 , Furvah Shah

At last nights Platinum Party at the Palace, Prince George and Princess Charlotte sat in attendance alongside their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

As the evening went on, the young royals stole the show as they laughed and sang along to the various musical performances and special features.

Most notably, the Queen partook in a pre-recorded sketch featuring her having tea with Paddington Bear - which the Cambridge children seemed to particularly enjoy.

Charlotte and George at last nights concert (Getty Images)

The siblings laughed as they watched the show (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Saman Javed has the full story.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms threaten jubilee street parties

Sunday 5 June 2022 10:15 , Furvah Shah

Heavy, thundery showers are threatening to dampen Sundays celebrations for the Queens platinum jubilee.

The Met Office issued futher severe weather warnings of thunderstorms covering much of England and Wales, which run from midnight on Sunday through to 6pm.

More than 60,000 people have registered to host Big Jubilee Lunches in the UK today, while a further 10 million are expected to join the typically outdoor festivities.

Emily Atkinson has the full story.

George, Charlotte and Louis bake cakes for jubilee street party

Sunday 5 June 2022 10:05 , Furvah Shah

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shared photos of their three children - Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four - baking cakes for street party goers in Cardiff.

Kate Middleton helped her children ice cakes ahead of the street party in the Welsh capital - one of many taking place up and down the country as a part of the Queens platinum jubilee celebrations.

Baking cakes for the local community in Cardiff to enjoy at a Platinum Jubilee street party taking place today! 



We hope you like them!  pic.twitter.com/lK9QkaGugB  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 5, 2022

The post is captioned: Baking cakes for the local community in Cardiff to enjoy at a Platinum Jubilee street party taking place today! We hope you like them!

Over ten million people across the UK are expected to take part in the Big Jubilee Lunch which is set to involve street parties, BBQs and other community celebrations.

Best tributes made to the Queen at Palace party

Sunday 5 June 2022 09:45 , Furvah Shah

At the Platinum Party at the Palace last night, celebrities, politicians and members of the royal family shared tributes to the Queen in celebration of her 70 years of service as monarch.

James Bond actor Daniel Craig thanked the Queen for her unwavering grace and said he would follow her anywhere.

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady, said: I feel deeply honoured to have spent time with you over the years.

Actress Dame Julie Andrews thanked the Queen for dedicating herself to the country and the Commonwealth.

Sports star Sir Mo Farah thanked the monarch for her services to our country and our people and and Emma Raducanu said Her Majesty has remained calm at all times.

Prince William took to the stage to address the climate crisis. He said: Today, in 2022 - as The Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee - the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent.

But like her, I am an optimist. Decades for making the case for taking better care of our world, has meant that environmental issues are now at the top of the global agenda, he continued.

Its my firm hope that my grandmothers words are as true in 70 years time as they are tonight that as nations we come together in common cause, because then there is always room for hope.

Prince Charles, accompanied by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, addressed the Queen as Her Majesty and mummy.

He said: You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us.

Best moments from Party at the Palace performances

Sunday 5 June 2022 09:10 , Furvah Shah

The star-studded Platinum Party at the Palace saw famous faces from across the world come together to celebrate the Queens jubilee.

From the greats such as Diana Ross, Rod Stewart and Queen to fresh faces like Mabel and Ms Banks - performers brought out all the stops for their performances.

Diana Ross (Getty Images)

Rod Stewart (REUTERS)

Adam Lambert and Queens Brian May (REUTERS)

Mabel (Getty Images)

Alicia Keys (Getty Images)

Duran Duran, Ms Banks and Nile Rodgers (PA)

The performances were well received by members of the royal family in the audience, with Prince William, Kate Middleton and children - George and Charlotte - waving union jack flags and singing along.

Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William (Getty Images)

Princess Charlotte and Prince George (REUTERS)

What happened on Friday for platinum jubilee celebrations?

Sunday 5 June 2022 08:30 , Furvah Shah

On Friday evening, the BBCs Platinum Party at the Palace took place which saw stars such as Diana Ross, Queen with Adam Lambert and Duran Duran perform outside of Buckingham Palace.

Prince Charles took to the stage to pay a moving tribute to the Queen, who he addressed as mummy, and thank her for her 70 years of service as monarch.

Prince William also praised the Queen on-stage for her resilience and dedication to the climate crisis.

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

The Epsom Derby also took place yesterday, which the Queen did not attend after experiencing discomfort following Thursdays busy day of celebrations.

Princess Anne and other royals such as Zara Tindall were in attendance at the Derby.

Whats happening for the platinum jubilee today?

Sunday 5 June 2022 07:45 , Furvah Shah

To conclude the festivities of this historic weekend, a Platinum Jubilee Pageant organised by Buckingham Palace and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will take place today to celebrate Queen Elizabeths 70-year reign.

Thousands of performers from across the UK and the Commonwealth will come together tell the story of the Queens time as monarch and the changing face of British society.

It will be broadcast live on the BBC from 1pm and on large screens around The Mall in London, Edinburghs Princes Street Gardens and in Bute Park in Cardiff.

Also, over 60,000 people have registered to host a Big Jubilee Lunch with 10 million people across the UK expected to be joining in on street parties, BBQs and other community celebrations.

Sunday 5 June 2022 07:30 , Furvah Shah

Good morning and welcome to day four of The Independents live coverage of Queen Elizabeths platinum jubilee celebrations!

Saturday 4 June 2022 23:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

We hope you enjoyed todays Platinum Jubilee coverage! We will back tomorrow for the final day of this weekends celebrations.

Diana Ross closes the show

Saturday 4 June 2022 22:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Dianna Ross closes the show with her best hits as the crowd dance along to Aint No Mountain High Enough.

(PA)

#PlatinumJubilee Diana Ross .. thank you pure class #partyatthepalace  Lisa  Jane   (@tmorrowspromise) June 4, 2022

Even after all these years, Diana Ross is pure gold. #partyatthepalace #Queen Elizabeth II  Neil Anderson (@neilanderson27) June 4, 2022

Prince William praises Queens optimism as he urges action to protect climate

Saturday 4 June 2022 22:26 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke of Cambridge hailed the Platinum Jubilee concert as full of optimism and joy as he praised the Queen for her hope in the future of the planet.

Prince William paid tribute to the positive outlook of his grandmother during a segment of the Platinum Party at the Palace dedicated to the environment and featuring Sir David Attenborough.

He echoed the Queens words from her speech to the Cop26 UN Climate Change summit, when she said working together in a common cause always gave rise to hope.

Read more here:

Prince William praises Queens optimism as he urges action to protect climate

You have been there for us: Charles pays tribute to mummy the Queen

Saturday 4 June 2022 22:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prince Charles has delivered a touching speech for his mothers 70 years of service to the country.

Standing alongside the Duchess of Cornwall, Charles asked the crowd to cheer loudly enough for the Queen to hear 20 miles away in Windsor.

Heir to throne Charles, told how the Queen had laughed and cried along with the country through the decades, as he hailed her lifetime of selfless service.

The future king, who was joined by his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, said, addressing the absent monarch, who remains head of state at the age of 96 despite her mobility problems: You pledged to serve your whole life - you continue to deliver.

Charles pays tribute to mummy the Queen in jubilee concert speech

Prince Charles gives touching speech for his mother

Saturday 4 June 2022 22:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prince Charles delivers a speech at the party draws to a close.

He said: You are the head of state, and you are also the mother.

My papa would have enjoyed the show and joined us wholeheartedly in celebrating all your continue to do for your country and your people.

Looking back, you will think of red boxes filled with gvvenemt papers at the end of the day.

How things have changed, we think of all you who have done to make the commonwealth such an important cause of good. And there was still time for fun amidst the work.

But I know what really gets my mother up in the morning. Its all of you, ladies and gentlemen.

All of you watching at home, represented tonight in this great audience.

Your Majesty, you have been with us in our difficult times, and you bring us together to celebrate moments of pride, joy and happiness.

You have met us and talked with us, you have laughed with us and cried with us. And most importantly, you have been there with us for these 70 years.

Duran and Duran and Alicia Keys perform at tonights party at the Palace

Saturday 4 June 2022 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

(PA)

(PA)

(PA)

Prince William makes moving speech about the planet

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Prince William makes an impassioned speech about the environment as he also honours his grandmothers service.

Our planet has become more fragile. Today, in 2022, as the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent. But like her, I am an optimist.

More and more businesses and politicians are answering the call, and perhaps, most inspiringly, the cause is being spearheaded by a united generation across the world.

Congratutlations to all of them. They wont accept the status-quo, they wont accept that change is too difficult to deliver.

Sir David Attenborough pays tribute to Queen and natural world

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Today the natural world everywhere is changing and in retreat because of what we are doing to it, Sir David said.

But there is hope.

We can if we wish begin to restore the natural planet.

And the Queen and her family have been a crucial part in working for the conservbation of our green planet.

Alicia Keys devotes her song to the Queen

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Alicia Keys sings Girl on Fire in honour of the Queen and her 70 years of service to the country.

The awesome Alicia Keys  pic.twitter.com/UMmVmH75Fm  Camilla Tominey (@CamillaTominey) June 4, 2022

Dame Julie Andrews makes touching tribute to Her Majesty

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Dame Julie Andrews makes a touching tribute to the Majesty as she thanks her for Her service.

You were so young when you ascended the throne, the Sound of Music star said.

Dame Julie joined other actors and sporting legends Mo Farah and Emma Radacanu in honouring the Queen. e

Tom Daley and Jessica Ennis-Hill speak of their Olympic pride

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Athletes Tom Daley and Jessica Ennis-Hill told of their pride at representing the UK at the Olympics.

Diver Daley said: When we see that flag going up the flagpole, we know that the whole country helped send us victorious.

Ennis-Hill said it was a priceless feeling to have made the Queen feel proud.

It came after rapper and actor Doc Brown told of the countrys sporting achievements.

(PA)

Jubilee concert: George Ezra censors song lyric about dying during celebration of Queen

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

George Ezra censored his own song lyric about dying during his performance at the Queens platinum jubilee concert.

The musician performed his hit song Green Green Grass at the event, which took place outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday (4 June).

However, his fans noticed that the singer omitted the lyrics, in which he sings: Green green grass, blue blue sky / You better throw a party on the day that I die.

My colleague Jacob Stolworthy has more:

George Ezra censors own song lyric about dying during Queens Jubilee Concert

Twitter blown away by Bocelli

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ok. Andrea Bocelli, with the sun setting, was a bit goosebumpy. #partyatthepalace  Emma Critchley (@EmmaPresenterVO) June 4, 2022

Andrea Bocelli, just smashed it out of the park there! #partyatthepalace  Sir Graham (@GBL70) June 4, 2022

Andrea Bocelli shows off stunning vocal range

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Andrea Bocelli gives an ethereal performance of Nessun Dorma while the sun sets over the Palace at tonights Jubilee celebrations.

as dusk falls, the setting is fabulous, the backdrop of the palace, the sunset, the lights, Queen Victoria......



to the rest of the World



Beat that!!!!!!!!!!!!!#BestofBritish#partyatthepalace



  #GodSaveTheQueen (@DawnieR2) June 4, 2022

Prince George smiles as crowd sing Sweet Caroline

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Duke and Duchess sing along to Sweet Caroline

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children could be seen singing along to Sir Rod Stewarts performance of Sweet Caroline.

William and his son George sang the song from the royal box, as did Kate.

Welcomed to the stage as a rock legend, Sir Rod urged the crowd to join in as he performed.

He also sang Baby Jane.

George Ezra drops problematic lyric for Queens party

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

English singer and songwriter George Ezra performed songs Green Green Grass and Shotgun.

However, he appeared to drop the lyrics on the day that I die during the first performance.

The Duke of Cambridge was seen turning around and laughing in the royal box.

Ezra told the crowd it was an honour to play for them.

Rod Stewart sings Sweet Caroline

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rod Stewart invites the crowd to sing along as he belts out Sweet Caroline.

Rod doing Sweet Caroline is peak jubilee flag waving isnt it? #partyatthepalace  Ash Bradley (@AshWillBradley) June 4, 2022

Eurovision star takes the stage

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Eurovision star Sam Ryder performed his song Space Man as the crowd waved their hands in the air while flames and smoke were let off from the stage.

The Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal could be seen applauding, smiling and chatting after it ended.

(PA)

Royals enjoy the Party at the Palace

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here are some more photos of the Royal Family enjoying tonights celebrations.

(PA)

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Lee Mack makes ad-libbed Boris Johnson Partygate joke during Jubilee concert

Saturday 4 June 2022 21:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website
A look at the shareholders of MotorCycle Holdings Limited (ASX:MTO) can tell us which group is most powerful. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. Warren Buffett said that he likes "a business with enduring competitive advantages that is run by able and owner-oriented people." So it's nice to see some insider ownership, because it may suggest that management is owner-oriented.

MotorCycle Holdings is not a large company by global standards. It has a market capitalization of AU$145m, which means it wouldn't have the attention of many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it seems that institutions own shares in the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about MotorCycle Holdings.

Check out our latest analysis for MotorCycle Holdings

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About MotorCycle Holdings?

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 MotorCycle Holdings does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of MotorCycle Holdings, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

It would appear that 6.9% of MotorCycle Holdings shares are controlled by hedge funds. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. The company's CEO David Ahmet is the largest shareholder with 19% of shares outstanding. The second and third largest shareholders are Bennelong Australian Equity Partners Pty Ltd and Colonial First State Investments Limited, with an equal amount of shares to their name at 14%.

Story continues

Our research also brought to light the fact that roughly 52% of the company is controlled by the top 4 shareholders suggesting that these owners wield significant influence on the business.

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 MotorCycle Holdings

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. 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 MotorCycle Holdings Limited. Insiders own AU$52m worth of shares in the AU$145m company. 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 18% 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.

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. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for MotorCycle Holdings (of which 1 is significant!) you should know about.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said French President Emmanuel Macron was humiliating himself with his latest comments regarding diplomacy with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.

In an interview with French newswire AFP, Macron said Russia must not be humiliated because we need to leave a window for diplomacy.

Emmanuel Macron is humiliating himself, Kinzinger tweeted on Saturday, in response to the comments.

Russia has already been humiliated, and true to their reputation the French are trying to raise the white flag, Kinzinger added.

Macron has attempted to play a mediating role throughout the war, saying in April that European leaders must maintain a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin to avoid a new world war.

Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke via phone with Putin last week, calling for a cease-fire and direct talks between the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Macrons latest remarks were also slammed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Calls to avoid humiliation of Russia can only humiliate France and every other country that would call for it. Because it is Russia that humiliates itself, Kuleba tweeted Saturday.

We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. This will bring peace and save lives, he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seemingly made a more subtle reference to Macrons comment in remarks on Saturday.

The Russian army can stop burning churches. The Russian army can stop destroying cities. The Russian army can stop killing children. If the same person in Moscow just gives such an order, Zelensky said.

And the fact that there is still no such order is an obvious humiliation for the whole world, he added.

Since Moscow launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russian forces have been accused of multiple war crimes, including targeting civilians, raping women and kidnapping children.

As of Friday, more than 4,000 civilian deaths had been recorded in the invasion, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The office noted, however, that the actual figures are considerably higher than those that it has been able to definitively report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
INDIANAPOLIS  What does an opioid overdose look like?

Sometimes it's a sleeping cancer patient, whose recent dosage change led to unforeseen and unmonitored complications. Other times, it's someone with a substance abuse disorder, whose isolated recreational use prevented quick discovery.

Regardless of circumstance, an overdosing person will die if not found and treated in time.

Since a drug overdose can take away one's muscle movement, speech and coherency, it's usually up to people nearby to recognize the signs  shallow breathing, pinprick pupils, discoloring lips  and call emergency responders or, if they have it, administer naloxone, a medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

Quick detection and treatment can save an overdosing person's life, but it puts the responsibility on a nearby individual to know what to do and have the resources on hand to do it.

Rising number of deaths: More than 107,000 Americans died from overdoses last year. This drug is behind most deaths.

That's why two researchers from Indiana University, Feng Guo and Ken Mackie, are developing a wearable device that can both detect and treat an opioid overdose as it happens.

"(The device) could be really convenient because they don't really need a kind of specialist or bystander to have the (naloxone). It could be a kind of automated system to save that person's life," Guo said. "That's why Ken and I think this could be a life saver for the opioid overdosing patient."

Xiang Li holds an example of a medicine delivery device for opioid overdose detection while working at Indiana University on Thursday, May 19, 2022.

Still in its early stages of development, the project recently received $3.8 million in federal funding to continue research on the Bloomington, Indiana, campus.

Health monitor patch is 'automated system to save a person's life'

Guo and Mackie are creating a microneedle skin patch. Projected to be slightly thicker than a nicotine patch, it has two purposes: detect and treat an overdose.

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In order to detect a potentially fatal overdose, the patch will continually monitor a person's respiratory rate, blood oxygen levels, blood pressure and pulse rate. The device's artificial intelligence component should recognize and determine what is considered abnormal for the user's individual health, and the patch also includes a failsafe triggered once it senses an extreme change in oxygen saturation and breathing rate.

"You kind of always design a device like this to have multiple levels of backup because different people are different physiologically," Mackie said.

Feng Guo, left, and Ken Mackie explain how the device will administer medicine while working at Indiana University on Thursday, May 19, 2022.

Once the sensor is triggered, a tiny needle containing naloxone within the patch will be administered through the skin. The user's smartphone, connected to the patch via an app, also will immediately contact emergency services.

The device was conceptualized by Guo and Mackie, Indiana University faculty members and long-time collaborators. Guo already had developed an idea of administering drugs through the skin by using sound waves when Mackie, whose background is in anesthesiology, wondered how the technology could be used to treat an opioid overdose.

'The world doesnt care': Homeless deaths spiked during pandemic, not from COVID. From drugs.

Opioid epidemic persists

The most recent data indicates the ongoing national opioid epidemic is far from slowing down. Between April 2020 and April 2021, the National Center for Health Statistics estimated there were about 75,673 overdose deaths from opioids in the United States, a nearly 35% increase from last year during the same period.

An opioid overdose can happen even when the person takes an opioid as directed. For example, the prescriber may have miscalculated the dose or an error was made by the dispensing pharmacist.

Patients who take opioids therapeutically could be at risk whenever their dosage changes or they move from one narcotic to another, Mackie said.

"That person, in particular, has increased risk for respiratory depression overdose. Unfortunately, that often occurs, say when they're sleeping, so no one's around them. This would be a very good device for that kind of situation," Mackie said.

The device's target audience is those who use opioids therapeutically in a health care setting with limited resources.

"You have limited health care resources, where you may not necessarily be able to monitor patients who are receiving opioids as closely as we would normally in a healthcare setting," Mackie said, such as a mass casualty event or military use.

However, Mackie noted the device potentially could be used by those who have substance abuse disorders.

"That gets into a very controversial field, because on one hand, you want to do that. But on the other hand, would having a sort of safety net like this encourage irresponsible use of opioids? That's always a concern," Mackie said, noting the same concern was voiced when naloxone became available in a nasal spray.

Ken Mackie, left, Xiang Li, middle, and Feng Guo discuss their opioid overdose detection device while working at Indiana University on Thursday, May 19, 2022.

As a physician, Mackie said he wants to provide people with as many options for improving their health as possible and this device is one way to do so.

"If it saves five people but encourages five people to use opioids, I focus on the value of saving five lives rather than encouraging five people to use opioids," Mackie said.

Guo and Mackie have been working on the device for two years with promising results, leading to a grant through the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

'Drugs have gotten more dangerous': Teen overdose deaths are spiking despite drug usage falling, study finds

The patch's journey from mice to men

So far, Indiana University researchers have tested the technology on lab rats with primitive results indicating accuracy of more than 93%. Researchers intend to increase the accuracy to over 98% while scaling up the technology for human use.

Guo and Mackie also have been collaborating with researchers from other universities.

Greg Terman and Jake Sunshine, anesthesiologists and pain physicians from the University of Washington, have been collecting physiological data from people taking opioids under a physician's care as well as those with an opioid use disorder. Larry Cheng, an engineer at Penn State University, is helping to fabricate the sensors for monitoring physiological parameters.

According to Guo, who has experience in the biomedical device field, a project like this usually takes seven to 10 years from the first idea to a product on the shelf.

These researchers are focused on the next step: building a prototype.

"Our goal for the end of this three-year project is to have basically a prototype device that will be able to be used for humans. I would say we're maybe a third of the way along that process," Mackie said.

Follow Rachel Smith on Twitter: @RachelSmithNews.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Researchers tackle US drug overdose crisis at Indiana University
Gus Clemens

Wine containers have evolved for thousands of years. Lets examine.

Earthenware provided the earliest containersamphora and kvevri are the most familiar. They still are in use today to make wine, especially in Italy, Georgia (the country), and Croatia.

Sheep bladderswineskinswere the equivalent of todays wine bottle. They are referenced in the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

The Romans appear to have invented the oak wine barrel. They were inspired by the Gauls, who used barrels to store and transport beer. The Roman breakthrough was to realize oak had an especially positive impact on wine.

Glass wine bottles appeared in the 1600s. Early bottles had fat bottoms and short necks. Over time necks lengthened and bottoms slimmed. In 1821, Rickets of Bristol received a patent for a machine that could manufacture identically-sized bottles in roughly the shape we recognize today.

While glass bottles still dominate, today wine also comes in a plastic bag in a box, in plastic bottles, in cans, and in aseptic packages.

Cork sealing developed alongside glass bottles, but it wasnt until the late 1700s someone invented a practical corkscrew. A renewable resource, cork is the bark of the cork oak that can be harvested about every nine years. Cork oaks can grow to be 60-feet high and 12-feet in circumference and live for 200 years.

When the demand for wine soared late in the 20th century, over-stressed cork producers delivered some cork contaminated with TCA, producing corked wine. The cork industry is successfully addressing the problem, but the door had been opened to alternative closures. Today there are composite corks, synthetic corks, screw caps, and crown caps.

Interesting tidbits:

 Champagne bottles could explode when a follow-on fermentation occurred until the British developed stronger glass by using coal to achieve higher glass-making temperatures. The pressure inside a bottle of sparkling wine is about 90 psithree times the pressure in your car tires.

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 The puntthat indentation in the base of the bottlewas there to add strength to the bottom of the bottle. With improved glass making, large punts are no longer necessary, but traditions die hard in the wine world.

 The foil covering the top of the bottle once discouraged wine cellar vermin from eating the cork. Like the punt, no longer necessary, but the tradition remains.

Last round: You cant run through a campsite. You can only ran, because it is past tents. Wine time.

Email: wine@cwadv.com. Newsletter: gusclemens.substack.com. Website: gusclemensonwine.com. Facebook: Gus Clemens on Wine. Twitter: @gusclemens.

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: A look at the evolution of wine containers
A man who was accused of killing two people in Florida drowned in a Missouri river, according to law enforcement.

Authorities had been searching for 22-year-old Sherron David McCombs Jr. since May 6, according to Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, a community-based program that provides information about crime and wanted suspects in the area.

McCombs was found dead in the Current River in southeastern Missouri about 4 miles outside of Doniphan, a town about 354 miles southeast of Kansas City, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Missouri officials determined that McCombs was swimming when he began to panic and went under the water, according to an incident report from highway patrol. He did not resurface. He was pronounced dead by the Ripley County coroner at 4:10 p.m. on Sunday, June 5.

McCombs had been accused of murder in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 1, 2021, and Jan. 3, 2022, according to Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay. He was considered to be armed and dangerous.

The Crime Stoppers organization had offered an award of up to $5,000 for information that led to his arrest.

Boat propeller injury blamed in death of man pulled from popular SC lake, coroner says

Missing 14-year-old found dead after he was thrown from boat in North Carolina, cops say

Body of 19-year-old swimmer found days after he went missing off NJ coast, cops say
Update: Tyrone Ross was sentenced Monday, June 6 to five years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for the crime. He entered a guilty plea in February.

A 29-year-old man is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he fired a gun several times in downtown Indianapolis last summer during protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

The United States Attorneys Office Southern District of Indiana on Friday said a federal grand jury indicted Tyrone Ross on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm stemming from his actions May 30 while protesting Floyd's murder at the hands of Minneapolis police.

According to the Department of Justice, security cameras at the Birch Bayh Federal Building on Ohio Street about 11:15 p.m. "captured a group of approximately seven individuals who began assembling on federal property at the southeast corner of the federal building."

'Highly upsetting': Report says IMPD was unprepared in George Floyd, Dreasjon Reed protests

The indictment alleges that, as the group began walking west on Ohio Street, a man later identified as Ross "pulled out a firearm from under his clothing and fired at least four shots" across the street toward Yolk restaurant. Prosecutors say the street was "filled with pedestrians and vehicles" at the time and noted people began to run in all directions.

June 2020: Indianapolis sees largest protest against racial inequality in at least 30 years

Ross, the indictment says, ran toward the federal building's southwest corner at the intersection of Ohio and Meridian streets and "fired at least one additional round" into the air while on federal property.

Randomly shooting a gun across a busy street and crowded sidewalk at any time is senseless and reckless, Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress said in a statement. This type of behavior cannot be justified or tolerated in a civil society and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

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Ross faces a maximum $250,000 fine, 10 years in prison and three years supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

IndyStar reporter Johnny Magdaleno contributed.

Contact Lawrence Andrea at 317-775-4313 or landrea@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @lawrencegandrea.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Man who fired gun during 2020 protests gets 5 years in federal prison
A wife served her husband instant noodles every day during their marriage. Mayur Pawar/Getty Images

In India, a man divorced his wife for cooking him instant noodles for all his meals, a judge said.

The judge named it the "Maggi case" after a popular brand of instant noodles.

Divorce rates in India are low but rising, the judge and a professor said.

A judge in India said a man divorced his wife for cooking him instant noodles every day.

ML Raghunath, a principal district- and sessions-court judge, recounted the case on May 27 at a press conference at a court in Mysuru, a city in the southwestern region of India, The New Indian Express reported.

Raghunath told the outlet he was a district judge in Ballari when he attended to what he called the "Maggi case." He did not provide information on the date of the case or the names of the couple involved. Insider was not able to independently verify the case.

The man said his wife would buy packets of Maggi noodles, a brand of instant noodles, and serve them to him for breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout their marriage, Raghunath said at the press conference, according to the news outlet.

Eventually, the couple divorced with mutual consent, the judge said. Under India's Special Marriage Act of 1954, divorce by mutual consent requires both parties to live separately for one year and agree to dissolve the marriage.

A 2018 study by the International Journal of Management, Technology, and Social Sciences found India recorded a divorce rate of 11%. The same study found the US recorded a 50% divorce rate.

While India's divorce rate is low, Raghunath said more married couples had been trying to call it quits in the past few years.

"Divorce cases are increasing drastically over the years," Raghunath said at the press conference, according to The New Indian Express. "Couples have to stay together for at least a year before seeking divorce. If there was no such law, there would be divorce petitions filed directly from wedding halls."

A 2018 study found that 40% of marriages in Mumbai and Delhi might end in divorce. This photo does not show the couple involved in the case. IndiaPix/IndiaPicture/Getty Images

The judge added that divorces were more prevalent in urban areas than in rural villages.

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"In rural areas, village panchayats intervene and settle the problems. Women have no independence and their fear of society and family sentiments force them to cope with the situation. But in cities, women are educated and financially independent," he said at the press conference, according to The New Indian Express.

Shubhada Maitra, a professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, told the Hindustan Times last year that increased expectations were one of the reasons for the increase in divorce cases in India. Women in India are becoming more career-oriented, but many men still expect their wives to fulfill traditional roles, Maitra said.

"So, women bear double brunt, by working as an earning member of the family and at the same time also taking care of the household chores," Maitra told the Hindustan Times.

Read the original article on Insider
Police in Illinois are searching for a suspect who they say stabbed a man multiple times inside an LA Fitness gym.

The stabbing occurred around 11:10 a.m. on Sunday, June 5, in Naperville, just outside Chicago. Police only identified the gym as a health club, but multiple sources, including WLS, say it happened at an LA Fitness, a national chain.

The male victim had confronted the man who he caught going through his personal belongings in the locker room, when the suspect stabbed the victim in his upper body with an unknown object, police said.

The suspect fled on foot, and officers were unable to find him using K-9 crews, according to police.

Officers said the victim has potential life-threatening injuries and is being treated in the intensive care unit of a nearby hospital.

Anyone with information into the incident is asked to contact Naperville police at 630-420-6666.

Woman chained in abandoned house for days saved when man hears her screams in Chicago

Carjacking suspects drown after jumping into river to escape police, Chicago cops say

Man steals ambulance from fire station and drives it for 75 miles, Illinois cops say
A mans life was changed after he spent 17 days in a New Mexico jail because American Airlines wrongfully accused and identified him to police as a shoplifter at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

Michael Lowe boarded a flight at DFW Airport in May 2020. More than a year later, he said, he was on vacation in New Mexico when he was arrested on warrants he had never heard of for a crime he did not commit.

For more than two weeks, Lowe was held in Quay County Jail at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in grossly unsanitary conditions, according to the lawsuit. Lowe said he didnt even find out what he was charged with until after his release.

Ive never heard of this fact pattern in my life or my career, said Lowes attorney, Scott Palmer. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.

American Airlines misidentifies

The events that changed Lowes life began in May 2020, when a stranger to him shoplifted from a store inside Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, the suit says. Surveillance cameras caught the suspect boarding a flight headed to Reno. American Airlines reported the theft to DFW Airport police, which ordered the Fort Worth-based airline to send over the footage and a passenger manifest showing everyone who boarded the flight.

Instead, American Airlines departed from its established procedures, according to the lawsuit, and sent police a single passengers information  Lowes.

An American Airlines spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Lowe had been on the flight as a layover on a trip from Flagstaff to Reno.

At the time of the flight, Lowe had two-inch long gray hair and wore a mask. The surveillance footage  screenshots of which are shown in the lawsuit  shows a man with a military-style buzz cut wearing no mask and carrying several items.

Despite the discrepancies in their appearances, American Airlines identified Lowe as the shoplifter seen in the surveillance footage, the lawsuit said. Based on that information, police issued two arrest warrants for Lowe  one for felony burglary of a building and the second for criminal mischief.

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Fourteen months later, Lowe  unaware of any of the events with American Airlines or police  was in Tucumcari, New Mexico, with his dogs, visiting friends. At a Fourth of July party, someone called the police regarding a disturbance that was unrelated to Lowe. When police got there, they took everyones information. When they pulled up Lowes name, they saw he had two outstanding warrants from Tarrant County. They arrested him.

Lowes confusion was profound, the suit says  he did not know where Tarrant County was or the last time he had even been in Texas. No one would tell him what the warrants accused him of doing.

Finding composure in his knowledge this was a mistake, the lawsuit says, Mr. Lowe told his friends  who were only visiting New Mexico, and were not locals  not to worry, it would all get cleared up quickly. He was wrong.

An excruciating 17 days

Lowe was taken to Quay County Jail, where he continued to insist they arrested the wrong person. But, the suit says, his protestations were not merely falling on deaf ears, but appeared to be antagonizing the jailers.

Lowe was ordered to strip naked and forced to bend over and cough as he was searched for contraband, he said.

He was put into a general population quarantine pod, where he was housed alongside people accused of violent crimes, the suit says.

Aside from fear of physical abuse, Lowe was at risk of catching COVID-19. The facilitys contempt for the health, safety and well-being of its inmates was immediately obvious because no one wore a face mask, the lawsuit says. At the time, New Mexico had the 10th highest death rate from COVID-19 in the country. Quay County Jail was one of three jails in New Mexico where corrections officers had refused to be tested for COVID-19, according to the suit.

For the next 17 days, Lowe was traumatized repeatedly by the conditions at the jail, according to the suit. He slept on the concrete floor, but did not get much rest due to his constant state of fear of confrontation, physical abuse or sexual victimization. The suit describes the violent outbursts in the packed unit that arose over any trivial act. Lowe saw a young man punched in the face three times, he said, and the streak of blood remained on the wall for days.

To have to sit in silence and not come to the aid of a fellow human being  particularly someone vulnerable like the younger inmate, the lawsuit says, was excruciating to Mr. Lowe.

Another man was severely ill and Lowe and other men pleaded to officers for the man to see a doctor, but their request was ignored, he said. Lowe still wonders if the man survived, the suit says.

After Lowe had been in jail for eight days, he was taken to a local judge. He still received no information about why he was there, he said. The judge told him his only options were to waive extradition  in which New Mexico would deliver him to Texas authorities  or wait for Texas authorities to pick him up. Lowe, unsure what the legal implications were of either option, waived extradition based on the courts suggestion that he do so.

He was sent back to the jail.

After the court appearance, Lowes suffering became most acute as his detention appeared to be without any end in sight, the suit says. He still did not know why he had been arrested or when he would be released.

On the 17th day in jail, officers told Lowe he was being released. He took the clothes he had arrived in and was sent out of the jail without any information about why he had been there in the first place, he said.

Lowe walked miles to a McDonalds, where he waited at a bus stop. He tried to clean himself in the McDonalds bathroom, but was kicked out by staff, he said. The bus ride to Flagstaff was a 12-hour trip, but the bus broke down in the middle. It took Lowe two full days before he made it to his home in Flagstaff at 4 a.m.

Upon stepping through the threshold of his home, the suit says, Mr. Lowe allowed himself to sob until he could no longer stand.

Charges dropped

After returning to Flagstaff, Lowe started to try and find out why he had been put through his ordeal. He called various Tarrant County entities and finally reached a detective at the DFW Airport police department. He found out what the charges against him were, but still did not know why he had been misidentified, he said.

The detective had more bad news for Lowe  he told Lowe that he was supposed to have been in court that same morning and because he had not appeared, another warrant would be issued for his arrest, according to the suit.

Lowe tried to convince the detective that he was innocent, but the detective would not tell Lowe what the charges were based on and only said American Airlines provided the information, he said. The call ended with the detective admonishing Lowe for not going to his court hearing, the lawsuit said.

Lowe decided to find a lawyer. After weeks of searching for one he could afford, Lowe retained Palmer. Lowes attorneys asked DFW Airport police to compare photos of Lowe to the surveillance footage of the man who burglarized the DFW airport store.

After police compared the photos, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office dismissed all charges against Lowe, according to the suit.

Continued trauma

Even though the charges against him were dropped, Lowes life has not been the same, the lawsuit says.

Lowes arrest because of American Airlines mistake shook Lowes identity to the core and cast a pall over his view of the world, the suit says.

Lowe works as a tour guide in the Grand Canyon and is a professional outdoorsman. The aspects of his job and life he used to love  sleeping outside, packing light, the feel of a shower after days without one  now remind him of the grotesque filth he lived in for seventeen days.

He is constantly afraid someone will accuse him of something he did not do, and he now suffers an ongoing state of hypervigilance that has robbed him of any ability to rest or relax.

Mr. Lowes strip search, particularly the most demeaning aspects of it such as exposing his anus, seeing the young inmate get punched repeatedly in the face, the blood on the floor and wall, and the sounds of the inmate that he tried to care for, the suit says, all play in his head without warning and evoke the corresponding feelings of shame, fear, anger, and helplessness that he felt at the time he experienced them.

Lowe also had substantial economic damages due to the wrongful arrest, the suit says. He could not work during the time he was in jail, including giving a two-week tour of Alaska to five people, each of whom had paid $6,000 per person. The trip had to be canceled, and Lowe had to refund the group at his own expense. The arrest warrants remained active even after he was released, which meant he could not work until September 2021, the suit says. Longtime employees of Lowes left the job because of the uncertainty of the situation.

Lowes suit accuses American Airlines of negligence for wrongfully identifying him. American could have given police the list of passengers, as police had requested, and instead the airline chose to conduct its own negligent investigation, Lowes attorney said.

I blame American (Airlines), Palmer said. Without American doing what they did, (the detective) never would have issued a warrant. It all starts with the disclosure of his name and his name only.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said in an interview Monday that it makes sense to raise the age from 18 to 21 for buying semi-automatic rifles.

Speaking to CNNs Manu Raju, Manchin said he supports raising the purchase age for such weapons following the elementary school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, carried out by an 18-year-old suspect who legally purchased two rifles.

We know we can do something that would have prevented this. Raising the age, making sure that the age at least gives us a chance to work with that person, see and evaluate if they have a little maturity to them, Manchin said Monday.

Manchin added hes open to doing something that makes sense regarding age-based restrictions, adding he believes raising the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic weapons could potentially curb gun violence.

The moderate West Virginia senator also told CNN that while he likes to shoot he has never felt the need to own an AR-15 rifle.

I never thought I had a need for that type of hyper-high-capacity automatic weapon. I like to shoot, I like to go out and hunt. I like to go out sport shooting. I do all that. But Ive never felt I needed something of that magnitude, he said.

A bipartisan group of senators has been discussing a range of measures recently, including expanded background checks, following the shooting in Uvalde and other mass shootings.

The House is scheduled to vote on a bill that would nationalize so-called red flag laws, which are aimed at keeping firearms away from those who are a threat to themselves or others. However, there is skepticism that the legislation can get through the Senate.

Manchin said that red flag laws do work as long as there is due process.

Polls in the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting show broad public support for a ban on assault-style weapons, though such measures have faced overwhelming GOP opposition on Capitol Hill.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Scottish Seabird Centre is a marine conservation and education centre aiming to provide outreach that gets people involved in environmentalism

A Scottish marine charity believes vital funding as part of a landmark National Lottery campaign will help get more young people involved in environmental work.

The Scottish Seabird Centre is a marine conservation and education centre aiming to provide outreach that gets people involved in environmentalism.

With a vision to maintain the health of Scotlands environment, the centre has benefited from special funding commemorating The Queens Platinum Jubilee.

To mark the Jubilee year, The National Lottery is providing over 22 million to communities across the UK to commemorate Her Majesty The Queens 70-year reign.

Funding has been given across community, arts, sports, and environmental initiatives that have galvanised their local community, whilst leaving a legacy in the name of the Jubilee.

Multiple grants are being made to organisations the length and breadth of the country, thanks to National Lottery players who raise over 30m each week for good causes.

The Scottish Seabird Centres funding has been put towards a new marine ambassadors scheme, Citizen Science, that is targeting teenagers and young adults.

Charlotte Bray, Fundraising Manager said, With Citizen Science, were bringing people together and involving them in data collection projects.

By building up data on the state of Scotlands marine environment, we can really learn more about it. The idea is just to make that as accessible as possible.

The particular thing that our funding went towards is the establishment of the new Citizen Science hub which is particularly looking at engaging people who are 16-24 years old with marine ecology conservation.

The hub will give them a way to learn more about marine environments and the way they can help.

You can fit it around your own free time and feel really good about the contribution you are making, as well as learn valuable skills.

Scotlands marine environment is facing the same serious challenges as other environments when it comes to global warming.

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It is hoped that the scheme supported by the funding can highlight the importance of Scotlands environment and encourage further efforts to preserve it.

Bray added: If you look at Scotland itself, its a really significant place for marine environment and the sea is crucial for nature and people. Weve seen through lockdown that people love being in nature and wild spaces.

In terms of mental health and wellbeing we really know that people benefit from having access to blue and green spaces.

Providing engagement with nature and interacting with it is valuable to people. The whole concept of linking people, places and nature is a big part of our future as well.

National Lottery Ambassadors Rachel Stevens and Roman Kemp visited organisations to learn first-hand how projects have gone beyond celebrating the Queens Jubilee and are creating long lasting change, thanks to The Platinum Jubilee Fund.

With music and theatre close to her heart, Rachel said: What I love about working in music and the performing arts is its ability to connect people to inspire creativity and push boundaries together.

One of the highlights of my career was performing for The Queen at the Golden Jubilee and its amazing to see others get the opportunity to use theatre and performance to celebrate her Platinum year.

Roman added: Thanks to National Lottery players, funding has touched so many communities the length and breadth of the UK  its amazing to see how the funding has been used.

For further information on how The National Lottery is helping bring communities together to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, visit https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/jubilee-celebrations
ABC News

A series of photos taken on election night 2020 inside the Trump White House captures the tension as Trump's family and his top aides track election returns and see Trump's early lead fade away. The photos, taken by a White House photographer and published exclusively in the book, "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show," are a visual representation of the testimony of senior Trump advisers who told the House Jan. 6 committee that they did not believe Donald Trump should declare victory on election night.
Hello and welcome back to Max Q. In this issue:

New threads for astronauts

Ursa Major's latest addition to its rocket engine line-up

News from Blue Origin and more

Dont forget to sign up to get the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to your inbox.

Say goodbye to stuffy, hulking, 40-year-old spacesuits. Keeping step with a larger trend of turning to private industry for space services, NASA announced last Wednesday that it has contracted Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace for next-gen spacesuits and spacewalk systems for astronauts working outside the International Space Station. The total value of the contracts comes in at $3.5 billion.

Notably, the two companies will own the suits and "are encouraged to explore other non-NASA commercial applications for data and technologies they co-develop with NASA," the agency said in a statement. This is in line with NASA positioning itself as one of many customers in a new, burgeoning market for space products and capabilities.

If all goes to plan, the new suits will be used by astronauts under the Artemis program, an ambitious series of planned missions by the agency to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. NASA has for years been trying -- and failing -- to update the astronaut spacesuits and spacewalking suits, so turning to private industry is not entirely unexpected.

History will be made with these suits, Vanessa Wyche, NASA's director of the Johnson Space Center, declared during a media briefing, referring to the agency's intention to send the first person of color and first woman to the moon under the Artemis program.

An artist's rendering of astronauts be-decked in next-gen suits. Image Credits: NASA (opens in a new window)

More news from TC and beyond

Astra's LV0010 rocket has arrived at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral, in advance of the first of three missions the company will launch on behalf of customer NASA later this month.

Blue Origin launched the fifth crewed mission of the New Shepard rocket on Wednesday, sending a crew of six space tourists to suborbital space. The mission had previously been delayed due to issues with one of the rocket's back-up systems.

Elon Musk told SpaceX and Tesla employees that they need to spend a minimum of 40 hours weekly in the office to continue their employment at his respective companies. Goodbye, WFH!

The Federal Aviation Administration has delayed the environmental review of SpaceX's Starbase yet again, now announcing that the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment will be issued on June 13.

ispace, a Japanese startup developing robots for the moon, released video showing engineers mating the two main subassemblies of the company's lunar lander, dubbed Hakuto-R.

The James Webb Space Telescope , NASA's enormous and very fancy orbital telescope, is running smoothly -- and the agency will release the first full-color images from the scope on July 12. Mark your calendars.

NASA awarded five additional crewed astronaut flights to SpaceX, yet another expansion to the company's Commercial Crew Transportation Capabilities (CCtCap) contract with the agency. SpaceX is currently the only provider of astronaut transportation services to and from the International Space Station.

Sony is entering the space industry with the launch of Sony Space Communications, a company that will develop small communications devices for satellites.

Starlink can now claim to be licensed on all seven continents, with news that Nigeria and Mozambique approved the service.

Ursa Major is developing a new rocket engine for medium- and heavy-lift launch vehicles, which it is calling Arroway. The 200,000-pound thrust engine is slated for delivery in 2025.

Story continues

Photo of the week

My face, when I learned that the FAA delayed the environmental review of Starbase yet AGAIN. Image Credits: Know Your Meme/Nintendo (opens in a new window)

REAL Photo of the week

NASA's Hubble Telescope caught a glimpse of the star cluster Liller 1, shown here in red. It's 30,000 light-years from Earth, which the agency said "is neighborly in cosmic terms." Gulp. Image Credits: NASA (opens in a new window)

Max Q is brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. If you enjoy reading Max Q, consider forwarding it to a friend.
Medical and Patient Communities Unite to Urge Congress to Stop Bill That Would Impede Patient Access to Essential Diagnostic Tests

PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2022

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AACC joins more than 100 other medical and patient organizations that have expressed concerns about the Senate HELP committee rushing to pass the VALID Act, a bill that would limit patient access to vital laboratory developed tests and the lifesaving diagnoses these tests enable. Specifically, the medical and patient communities urge Congress to remove the VALID Act from the FDASLA Act, a piece of must-pass legislation that the Senate is on the cusp of ratifying.

Most laboratory developed tests fill gaps where there's no FDA-approved test available. Physicians depend on these tests to care for the most vulnerable patientsfor example, to diagnose treatable genetic abnormalities in newborns or to decide when to perform surgery for cancer patients. Laboratory developed tests are currently regulated by CMS under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). The VALID Act would add FDA oversight to the existing CMS oversight of laboratory developed tests. This would create a dual, expensive, and potentially contradictory regulatory environment that would eliminate most labs' ability to perform lab developed tests and would drastically limit patient access to essential clinical test results.

Worryingly, VALID is being shoe-horned into the FDASLA Act (a bill that reauthorizes FDA user fees) and is being rushed through Congress cloaked in this routine legislation, which could pass as early as this week. AACC and 94 other organizations recently sent a letter to Congress pushing for the removal of VALID from the FDASLA Act so that VALID's flaws can be amended. Separately, seven patient groups and The Pew Charitable Trusts have sent a different letter urging Congress to address issues with the bill before passing it. The two most powerful medical associationsthe American Medical Association and the American Hospital Associationhave also spoken out on the issue of laboratory developed test regulation.

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VALID would drown FDA in new responsibilities while the agency does not have the necessary resources to perform its current regulatory function efficiently. Without this new legislation, FDA typically reviews 4,000 510(k) submissions annually. If the VALID Act passes, the agency could be forced to review more than 132,000 submissions yearly from the more than 11,000 laboratories in the U.S. qualified to perform laboratory developed tests. FDA does not have the resources to keep up with this demand, and as a result, labs' ability to respond swiftly to emerging health threats and patient needs would be stymied.

"For years, AACC and other clinical laboratory groups have advocated against FDA regulation of laboratory developed tests, but so far, Congress has plowed ahead with the VALID Act without addressing our concerns," said AACC President Dr. Stephen R. Master. "We are hopeful that Congress will listen to the united voices of more than 100 medical and patient groups that are joined in opposing the bill. The fact that all of these different organizations have issues with the VALID Act underscores that it is a deeply problematic piece of legislation that would cause significant patient harm. We strongly advocate for the removal of VALID from the FDASLA Act so that Congress can assess VALID's potential impact on patient care and correct its serious flaws."

About AACC

Dedicated to achieving better health through laboratory medicine, AACC brings together more than 70,000 clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and business leaders from around the world focused on clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science. Since 1948, AACC has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing programs that advance scientific collaboration, knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more information, visit www.aacc.org .

Christine DeLong

AACC

Senior Manager, Communications & PR

(p) 202.835.8722

cdelong@aacc.org

Molly Polen

AACC

Senior Director, Communications & PR

(p) 202.420.7612

(c) 703.598.0472

mpolen@aacc.org

Cision

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SOURCE AACC
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday he wont attend the Summit of the Americas hosted by the United States this week in Los Angeles because some of the region's countries were not invited.

There cannot be a summit if all countries are not invited, he said.

A senior Biden administration official confirmed to NBC News that Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela were not invited to the summit.

In his place, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will attend, Lopez Obrador said during his daily news conference.

For weeks, Lopez Obrador had been insisting all countries be invited and threatened to boycott the meeting if they were excluded.

Other regional leaders, like Honduran President Xiomara Castro, have said they won't attend if Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are not on the guest list.

The Biden administration has said it did not want to include undemocratic countries to the summit. The Inter-American Democratic Charter, signed in 2001 by all countries in the region, except Cuba, made it a requirement that only democratically elected leaders can attend.

The U.S. has said immigration will be one of the main topics during the summit. Mexico is one of the main sources of migration, calling into question how much progress can be made on regional cooperation without Mexico's president at the summit.

Held every three years in a different country, the ninth Summit of the Americas is taking place in Los Angeles from June 6-10. It's the first U.S.-hosted summit since the inaugural event in Miami in 1994.

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By David Alire Garcia

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The Mexican president's refusal to attend a U.S.-hosted summit because of disputes over the guest list highlights how Latin America's leftists are pursuing an increasingly independent foreign policy from Washington.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had said he would not go to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week led by U.S. President Joe Biden unless all governments in the region were asked.

On Monday, he followed through as Washington said it was not inviting its antagonists Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua on the grounds of human rights and democratic shortcomings.

Lopez Obrador's firm line over the past few weeks won backing from other left-leaning governments across Latin America eager to stand up to Uncle Sam, fanning diplomatic tensions just as Washington tries to re-engage with its southern neighbors.

Luis Guillermo Solis, a center-left former Costa Rican president, said Lopez Obrador's determination to clamor for an inclusive discussion showed off his anti-imperialist credentials, striking a tone with centuries of resonance in the region.

"The easiest way to do it is to symbolically fight with the United States," Solis said. "It's a well-known play in our neighborhood."

The summit aims to promote democratic unity, but the dispute exposed divisions between Washington and governments sympathetic to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, self-styled leftists who have long been reviled by the U.S. foreign policy establishment.

Leftist leaders in Argentina, Chile, Honduras, and Bolivia have echoed Lopez Obrador's sentiments, taking U.S. officials by surprise and leaving them scrambling to ensure Biden is not left talking to empty chairs when he arrives on Wednesday.{nL1N2XM1B8]

Biden is under domestic pressure from Republicans as well as some fellow Democrats not to look soft on Cuba and Venezuela with the approach of elections in November that will determine whether his party keeps control of Congress.

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The controversy risks overshadowing Washington's desire to prevent democratic backsliding in the region, said John Feeley, a retired U.S. ambassador and veteran Latin America diplomat who helped organize previous regional summits.

Feeley also flagged concerns about Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro undermining confidence in his country's October election and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's push to seek re-election despite constitutional term limits.

"Choppy waters is going to be the reality," said Feeley.

CUBA'S PULL

In March, Cuba began handing down jail sentences of up to 30 years to dozens of people arrested last year at the biggest anti-government protests since the island's 1959 revolution.

That month Citlalli Hernandez, secretary general of Lopez Obrador's ruling party, led a delegation to the communist-run island before he himself went in May, lauding the government and inking a deal to bring Cuban doctors to Mexico.

Hernandez hailed what she called Cuba's own version of participatory democracy, its achievements in health and education, and rejected any suggestion it was a dictatorship.

"We deeply respect the process of Cuban revolution," the 32-year-old senator said.

Her support points to the enduring appeal of Cuba's one-party model among a swath of Latin America's left, underlining a sharp split with Biden's center-left Democratic Party.

While Biden partly rolled back some of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's toughest sanctions, he and most Democrats remain stern critics of Cuba's record on democracy and human rights.

Costa Rica's Solis believes the region's real political fault lines are not between left and right.

"It's a problem between democracy and authoritarianism," he said, describing Maduro's government as "criminal left" and Ortega's Nicaragua as "more like a monarchy".

Venezuela and Nicaragua have criticized the summit as exclusionary, and Cuba's Diaz-Canel said he would not attend regardless of whether he was invited.

Biden is well placed to warn about the risks of weakening democracy, given the false claims of widespread voter fraud and other misinformation pushed by Trump, said ex-diplomat Feeley.

But even the most successful bilateral talks in Los Angeles will unlikely shake the broader trend, he said.

"The overall panorama will continue to be difficult, confused and confusing."

(Reporting by David Alire Garcia; Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Editing by Dave Graham and Grant McCool)
More than two decades after a California college student went missing from campus, a budding podcaster named Chris Lambert decided to look into the case.

His podcast, Your Own Backyard, began somewhat tentatively in September 2019, when Lambert admitted he really didnt know what he was doing.

Now two men are about to go on trial in connection with the disappearance of Kristin Smart, 19, and police give much of the credit to Your Own Backyard.

Driven largely by an obsession with true crime in the USA, a growing number of podcasts are produced by everyday citizens helping generate interest in decades-old crimes.

For cold-case investigators, it can be a godsend, said Chris McDonough, director of Law Enforcement Relationships at the Cold Case Foundation.

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Arrests out of ' Your Own Backyard'

Kristin Smart disappeared in 1996.

"Your Own Backyard" was certainly a godsend for Denise and Stan Smart, who never gave up hope that their oldest daughter would be found and her killer brought to justice.

Kristin Smart, a bright, adventurous communication studies freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, went missing May 25, 1996.

The last person to see her alive, fellow freshman Paul Flores, was arrested in April 2021 and was charged with her murder. His father, Ruben, is charged with accessory to murder after the fact, accused of helping his son get rid of Kristin's body.

They pleaded not guilty. Their attorneys are barred from speaking to members of the media because of a gag order.

Lambert did not fathom that his podcast would help lead to arrests in the case.

At least once a day I asked myself, What are you doing? Lambert said in the podcast's first episode. "Since I'm not an investigator, there's really not much help I can provide."

Chris Lambert started a podcast to document the disappearance of Kristin Smart, a college student who disappeared in 1996. On April 13, 2021, the San Luis Obispo County sheriff announced arrests in the 25-year-old case, crediting Lambert with helping bring in witnesses that propelled the case forward.

He set a simple goal for himself.

"I'm going to try to learn everything I can about Kristin Smart and what happened to her," he said. "And the only way that I know how, by talking to people."

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Over the course of 10 episodes, Lambert interviewed Kristin's parents, her best friends, her college roommate who was with her the night she disappeared and women who knew Paul Flores.

When San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson announced the arrest of Flores and his father, he made sure to give Lambert some of the credit.

"In 2019, (we) interviewed several witnesses that had not been previously interviewed," Parkinson said. "Some of that information came to light through the podcast ... that was produced and eventually led to our interviewing that witness."

'Crowdsource new leads'

Lambert could not be reached for comment this week about the impact of his podcast, but told The Associated Press last year that he was motivated to look into Kristin's case after frequently driving by a billboard about her disappearance.

I thought Id give it a shot and see if I could get a few people talking, Lambert said. All I have to do is get over my shyness and start calling these people out of the blue and start asking really personal questions.

That simple technique is highly effective, said Michael Arntfield, a professor and criminologist with the Cold Case Society at Canada's Western University and author of "How to Solve A Cold Case: And Everything Else You Wanted To Know About Catching Killers."

"You can crowdsource new leads," he said. "Frequently, people who know something at the time won't come forward. They may have been aiding the suspect or know something more than they let on, but with the passage of time, those affiliations and loyalties often erode. Someone may not have thought about it for 10 or 20 years, and when the case comes back into the public eye, they're motivated to come forward finally."

Though some podcasts have helped police, others can hinder them, Arntfield and McDonough said.

A bad podcast done quickly and steeped in rumor and conjecture can create "a tidal wave of misinformation" that leads police down rabbit holes.

"It's a time suck," said McDonough, who was a homicide detective for 13 years in Southern California. "The most valuable tool to an investigator is time."

Police, who can be reluctant to accept unfamiliar tools, should still embrace the medium, he said, noting that some police in the 1980s were slow to embrace DNA testing.

"There's a possessiveness, an ego, that if you let it take over, then the case will not get solved," he said. "But if you're trying to generate leads, then you need to work with the community to generate those leads. And part of embracing that is these podcasts."

Jury selection in the trial of Paul and Ruben Flores begins July 6, and the trial is likely to last months.

Kristin was declared dead in 2002. Her body has not been found.

More coverage from USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How 'Your Own Backyard' podcast led to arrests in Kristin Smart murder
Close-up of a patient's hands showing lesions from the monkeypox virus. (PHOTO: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  A male traveller who had transited through Singapore en route to Australia was diagnosed with monkeypox.

However, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a media statement on Monday (6 June) that there is currently no significant risk of community transmission of the virus in Singapore, as the traveller did not enter the city-state nor interact with persons in the community.

The ministry said that it was informed by the New South Wales Ministry of Health of the confirmed monkeypox case on Saturday.

The traveller had transited through Singapore on Thursday, arrived in Sydney on Friday and had tested positive for monkeypox there. He had previously departed from Barcelona on Wednesday.

Upon arrival at Changi Airport on Thursday, the traveller had remained in the transit holding area until his departure for Sydney on the same day, and did not visit other areas in the airport.

As a precautionary measure, MOH said that it has conducted contact tracing for the two affected flights and those who might have come into contact with the traveller at the airport transit area.

It assessed that there were no close contacts, and hence no requirement for quarantine. However, 13 persons who may have casual contact with the traveller were put on phone surveillance for 21 days.

These persons will receive daily phone calls to ascertain their health status. Should they report symptoms that are suggestive of monkeypox infection, they will be medically assessed and may be conveyed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases for further evaluation.

Monkeypox is a rare disease that causes a rash that spreads, fever, chills and aches, among other symptoms.

Generally confined to western and central Africa, cases have been reported in Europe since May and the number of countries affected has grown since.

Singapore reported its first case of monkeypox in 2019, from a 38-year-old Nigerian who arrived in the city-state alone. He has since recovered and left Singapore.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore
MOUNT VERNON  A couple died Sunday morning in a murder-suicide on South 14th Avenue, city officials said.

The couple's three children were in the home at the time of the killings and were taken in by relatives nearby, Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said in a statement Sunday evening.

This morning our community was shaken to the core by the news of a spousal murder-suicide which left three minor children orphaned and a family with more questions than answers," she said.

Police responded to a report of shots fired at the home just before 6 a.m. Sunday. They discovered two people dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

The Mount Vernon Police Department.

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Police said they do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the public. They have not released any other details on the couple or the circumstances of the double shooting.

Police asked anyone with information on this incident to call them at 914-665-2510.

Erin Nolan is an investigative reporter for the Times Herald-Record and USA Today Network. Reach her at enolan@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Murder-suicide in Mount Vernon kills couple on South 14th Avenue
The Navy has identified the fighter pilot who died after his jet crashed near Trona, Calif., last week.

In a statement on Sunday, the service identified the pilot as Lt. Richard Bullock, who was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 113 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.

Bullock was flying a routine training mission when the aircraft went down in a remote, unpopulated area.

The Navy mourns this tragic loss alongside the family, friends and shipmates of Lt. Bullock, the Navy said.

The Navy initially said on Friday that an F/A-18E Super Hornet jet crashed near the Mojave Desert area around 2:30 p.m. that day, though the pilots identity was not released until the service notified the next of kin.

No civilians were harmed as a result, and the incident is currently under investigation. The scene of the crash was secured by Navy and local officials while recovery efforts were ongoing, the statement added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Interview: Belt and Road railway project "grand gateway" to benefit Southeast Asia, says former Thai deputy PM

Xinhua) 08:53, June 06, 2022

BANGKOK, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos-Thailand railway project will be a grand gateway that benefits people in Southeast Asia, former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Pinit Jarusombat told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The China-Laos railway, which started operation at the end of last year, has provided a new logistics option for Thailand's trade with China.

"It totally exceeded expectations," Pinit said, adding that despite the pandemic, the frequency of train service had to be increased several times due to the huge demand.

"The Sino-Thai railway is currently under construction and Thailand expects it to be operational very soon," Pinit said.

Once it is completed, a transportation corridor through all three countries will significantly increase the speed of movement of people and goods between Southeast Asia and China, he added.

Pinit is also optimistic about the development of cross-border railway logistics and the prospect of Thailand as a regional hub. Citing the example of Thai agricultural products exported to China, he highlighted that the China-Laos railway accelerates the transportation speed of chilled and frozen fruits and vegetables.

In addition to infrastructure construction, Pinit said the Belt and Road Initiative deserves praise for bringing investment and business opportunities to countries along the route.

According to him, an increasing number of Chinese companies have entered Thailand in various fields, such as durian planting, rubber businesses, as well as automobile, energy and high-tech industries.

"The Belt and Road Initiative has further promoted Chinese investment in Thailand and boosted the development of new models of cooperation between Chinese and Thai companies," Pinit said.

Referring to bilateral relations, Pinit, who has visited China dozens of times, said that the trade volume between the two countries has soared in the past decade, and the cooperation has been expanding with increasingly frequent contacts from the top governmental level to the private sector.

He mentioned that the Thai government attaches great importance to the development of the relationship with China, and both countries need to further strengthen cooperation in businesses, investment and tourism in the future.

Pinit spoke highly of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China. He said the initiative is timely and visionary to help countries solve current challenges at a time when the world economy and livelihoods are being threatened by the pandemic.

Food security is also an urgent issue at the moment due to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical factors, Pinit said. He believes that the GDI can help countries reduce disputes and return to the track of dialogue.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Howard Street Brewing likes to call itself Chicagos northernmost brewery  and its true. The tiny taproom where beer is served from an even tinier adjoining brewery sits on Howard Street (naturally), beside the Red Line stop and a half-mile from Lake Michigan. Walk across the street and over a block and youre in Evanston.

Just as notable, though, is the larger picture of where Howard Street Brewing is located: in a part of the Rogers Park neighborhood that has struggled to attract and retain businesses, especially community gathering spots. A half-dozen vacant storefronts are a short walk from the new brewery, whose founder Chuck Patella wants to bring both commerce and a community linchpin to the neighborhood.

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The area has a lot of potential for growth, and from being open the first weekend, I think the neighborhood appreciated having a local place to go, Patella said.

Owner Chuck Patella at Howard Street Brewing, 1617 W. Howard St., on Chicago's border with Evanston. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

The space is a cozy shoebox of a brewery, just 37 seats gathered around a handsome square bar built of wood and metal. Howard Street Brewing doesnt play music or have a TV. Patella said hed rather foster conversation, and during its first weekend open at the end of May, he saw it happen.

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People who didnt know each other wound up talking to each other all weekend and that was really cool, he said. One person says something about Star Wars, and all of a sudden, theres a bar debate: the old ones versus the new ones, the merits of Ewoks, things like that.

Trudy Leong, administrator at Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce, said Howard Street Brewing is exactly the sort of business she wants to see opening in the area. The inability to foster sustainable businesses in the area has long been a frustration, she said.

Breweries are community spots, and theres a lot of potential for a brewery there, she said. Its such a beautiful area being so close to the lake, and it could be filled out very, very well.

In addition to the citys northernmost brewery, Howard Street is quite likely Chicago smallest brewery. It makes beer on a wee one-barrel brewing system that brewer and co-owner Dexter Ellis called a big home brew system, basically. With the flexibility of such a small brewing operation, Howard Street Brewing is also pioneering a $1,200 wedding package, where a couple can help design a beer recipe of their choosing, be on hand for the brewing, then have it tapped on the big day.

Patella said such a small brewery is all he could afford after raising about $150,000, including $10,000 in crowdsourcing. Patella has dreams of growth, but after five years of planning and starts and stops, hes mostly glad to be open.

I knew I wanted to get into professional brewing, and I wanted to start small so I could learn how to do it  not only brew, but run the business on top of it, Patella said. Its simple and cheap and its a delayed opening, but we finally got there.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

He initially hoped to be open within a year or two, though typical delays, such as permitting, became tangled in the unprecedented delay wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Howard Street Brewing finally opened for the long Memorial Day weekend with eight beers on tap, including a Pilsner named for the wait: Better Late Than Never. Its a varied beer lineup with rock-solid classics  such as a deft porter and an old-school pale ale nicely balanced between bitterness, malt character and soft fruitiness  along with beers bearing the occasional twist, such as a sour mango India pale ale.

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Theyre mostly making lower-alcohol beers with a desire to really explore all the styles, Patella said. A saison is coming up, followed by a red rye pale ale. Most of the beers clock in between 4.6% and 6.4% alcohol. Its part of building a brewery focused on socialization, Patella said.

I want people to come in and have their session beers and have two or three without getting loaded, to keep it mild, Patella said.

Howard Street Brewing is housed in a 104-year-old former theater, sandwiched between two businesses that have become bedrocks of the community: Sol Cafe (which makes a mean vegan breakfast sandwich) and The Factory Theater, where Patellas wife, Shannon ONeill, is co-artistic director.

You could do dinner, drinks and a play all in one night  in one building, Patella said.

jbnoel@chicagotribune.com
Grace was being shared when the first shot rang out. For dozens of worshippers at the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, south-western Nigeria, the Lord's prayer turned into a viaticum - the final prayer.

The armed men that burst through the church doors around 11:30 on Sunday set off dynamite that had congregants scampering to escape the explosions.

As worshipers rushed for the other two exits in the chaos, they were met by more armed men, followed by more shots and loud bangs.

At the end, eyewitnesses say at least 50 bodies - some of them children - were left strewn across the church floors, while many more were injured.

There was blood on the altar, blood on the floor, bodies on the pews.

It is still not clear how many people have died and or were injured. But the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo says the church, which is one of the biggest parishes in Ondo state, can hold up to 1,200 people. It was full at the time of the attack.

"They killed to their satisfaction before leaving," chorister John Nwovu told the BBC.

He hid in the sacristy with others while the attack - which lasted for around 30 minutes - was going on and said he was only saved by God's grace.

An explosion blew up the ceiling above him, burying him and several others, he said.

They bore the weight and pain in silence while the killers went about, picking off worshippers hiding under the pews.

Mr Nwovu's brother, also a chorister, was shot in the leg and is recovering in hospital.

"I don't think the shock of what I saw will leave me for the rest of my life," he said.

Dynamite residue still litters the church, while the vestry - where many hid - bears testimony to the chaos.

Shoes, bible pages soaked in blood, purses and other personal belongings are still scattered about.

For members of this quiet community in Ondo state, the church was more than a place of worship - it has been a part of their lives since birth.

This was a surprise attack. Owo is relatively peaceful and has been spared the wanton killings that seem to happen weekly across Nigeria.

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Attacks on churches have happened before - it was a tactic of Islamist militant group Boko Haram, but the gruesomeness of this attack has shocked many.

This was a congregation of the aged and the very young. Worshippers had turned up in their Sunday best for the Pentecost service, which marks the birth of the church and official end of the Easter season.

"I saw entire families being wiped away, friends, relatives, those I knew," said Mr Nwovu.

For orthodox Nigerian Christians, first Sundays of the month are also significant. They are usually full of colourful thanksgivings led by families and parish groups and this would have been no different.

Folake Oni, 56, doesn't remember how she survived the attack. She only recalls exiting the church and being taken to hospital.

Her daughter Elizabeth Ademiluka told the BBC that her mother was traumatized but physically well.

On Monday, a sombre mood engulfed the town, with hundreds of anxious people at the hospitals and dozens more at the church.

People are walking about with a blank stare, wondering how their lives have changed forever.

There is still a crowd at two local hospitals where volunteers rushed to donate blood after the attack.

But more is still needed, said Nigeria's medical association, which has urged people to donate more at local hospitals.

Everyone seems to know someone inside the hospital where many are critically injured and some are fighting for their lives.

Many of the survivors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Owo have been shot in both legs, some might never walk again.

There is a palpable outrage, plenty of which has spilled onto social media, where people followed the attack with shock as it happened.

The pictures are too gory for many Nigerians, even those numbed by the numerous deaths witnessed in the country.

Some of the children killed were unrecognisable - the high-calibre bullets scattered flesh and bones, a medical worker at the FMC told the BBC.

"The audacity of Nigeria to take my parents from me. I will always hate this country!!!!! It's a promise!," said one Twitter user.

The outrage over the killings has been further exacerbated by pictures of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and other members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) eating at a state dinner hosted by the president, hours after the attack.

In one of the pictures, the politicians dressed in colourful robes are smiling. A convention to elect the party's presidential candidate for next year's general elections is underway in Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan and other senior government officials attended a party on Sunday night at the State House.



Pool photos: pic.twitter.com/brzgoCB7C1  Peoples Gazette (@GazetteNGR) June 5, 2022

Mr Buhari has released a statement condemning the attack, an action many Nigerians are now used to, given the frequency of such killings.

"Only fiends from the nether region" could have done this "dastardly act", the statement read.

Elected on promises to end insecurity, Nigeria's security challenges have worsened under Mr Buhari, who is winding down to his tenure's end next May.

Armed gangs which operate across the country are rarely brought to book and no-one has any hopes that the killers of Owo will pay for the atrocity.

All eyes are now on the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who has vowed to hunt down the killers.

This incident will feel personal for Mr Akeredolu, as he comes from Owo.

He is one of the southern governors who have been very critical of the activities of herdsmen, who generally come from the north, and open grazing in Nigeria. He caused a huge furore last year when he ordered them to leave the forests in the state, accusing them of criminality.

There is nothing that links herders to the church attack, who are easily scapegoated for such killings. However, they have been accused of similar attacks in the past, especially in central Nigeria, where the conflict between herders and farmers for land has been especially fierce.

The killers wore khaki trousers used by many of Nigeria's many paramilitary groups, said Mr Nwovu, so they could have been anyone.

The attack comes exactly a week after the head of the Methodist Church in Nigeria was abducted, along with two other clerics in the south-east of the country, and freed after paying $240,000 (190,000).

Also, two weeks ago, two Catholic priests were kidnapped in Katsina, President Buhari's home state in the north of the country. They have not been released.

This might feel like a new wave of attacks on the church, and worshippers like Mr Nwovu are shaken.

"I can't go back to church with what I saw, for now," he said.

"But I can't stop worshipping God," he added.

Additional reporting by the BBC's Olumide Owaduge in Owo

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Read more on the security situation in Nigeria:
Nigeria's ruling APC party starts primaries this week to choose its candidate for the 2023 election with President Muhammadu Buhari urging consensus to overcome divisions in the party ranks.

With no clear frontrunner, the All Progressives Congress or APC's splits have intensified especially after the opposition People's Democratic Party chose veteran Atiku Abubakar as its challenger for next year's ballot.

Among those vying are former Lagos governor and APC strongman Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi and Buhari's loyalist Senate president Ahmad Lawan.

Buhari, who steps down after his two terms allowed in the constitution, has given no public support to a preferred candidate to take over governing Africa's most populous country.

But he has urged the party's local state governors and party leaders to back a single candidate to ensure the APC's victory.

"I charge you to recognise the importance of the stability and unity of the party, which cannot be overemphasised," Buhari said in a statement over the weekend.

Delegates start to arrive Monday in the capital Abuja for primaries with voting expected on Tuesday.

Part of the APC's debate is over so-called "zoning" -- an unofficial agreement among political elites that Nigeria's presidency should rotate between candidates from the south and north of the country.

That accord is meant to act as a form of power-sharing balance in a country almost equally split between the mostly Christian south and the predominantly Muslim north.

After northern Muslim Buhari, most observers have expected the presidency to return to a candidate from the south.

But the PDP chose Abubakar, a wealthy northern Muslim, former vice president and political stalwart who will be on his sixth bid to win the nation's top political post.

The opposition's choice to ignore "zoning" has triggered speculation over how the APC's candidate will appeal to the north, where voter numbers and participation are traditionally higher.

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The APC itself is an alliance of smaller parties who came together to secure Buhari's victory in 2015 and has often struggled with internal strife.

"They need the strong hand of an incumbent president," said Chidi Odinkalu, Nigerian analyst and lecturer at the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy in Tufts University.

"The APC does not have... the internal governance mechanisms to manage the physics that you let loose when all those forces come together."

- Lagos strongman -

Another consideration for the APC will be an unwritten accord for Muslim presidential candidates to chose a Christian vice president on their ticket and vice versa.

Among the APC leading hopefuls Tinubu is a southern Muslim, Osinbajo is a southern Christian pastor and Amaechi, a Christian, is from the southern oil region while Lawan is the only leading APC northern Muslim candidate.

Tinubu, who was instrumental in helping pull APC ranks together and bringing Buhari to power, last week caused waves with a blunt claim to the presidency.

"I helped Buhari to be president. I met him in Kaduna and convinced him to run after he had given up on his bid," Tinubu said. "It is my turn to be president."

The two main candidates will battle for the presidency next February as Nigeria struggles with a 12-year-old jihadist insurgency in the northeast and attacks by criminal kidnap gangs in the northwest.

Highlighting insecurity, gunmen on Sunday attacked a church with explosives in the relatively safe southwest, killing at least 21 worshippers during a morning service.

Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, is also still recovering from the global pandemic and feeling the impact of the Ukraine war which has pushed up fuel and food prices across the continent.

The PDP dominated Nigeria's politics for a decade and a half after the country's 1999 return to democracy after years of military rule.

A long-term political operator, Abubakar was vice president during the first government after the end of the military dictatorship.

But the APC managed to end the PDP's dominance in 2015 with Buhari promising to use his security credentials as a former military man and also tackle the country's rife corruption.

pma/joa/ach
Authorities in North Carolina are still searching for the suspect of a shooting incident at a hospital that left one victim injured.

Police said an "active shooter incident" took place just after 8 p.m. at Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Sunday evening, when the lone gunman shot one victim and fled the scene, Wayne County PIO Joel Gillie told Fox News Digital.

"The Goldsboro Police Department and Wayne County Sheriffs Office responded to an active shooting call at WayneUNC Hospital tonight at 8:17 p.m.," Gillie said.

"The hospital was placed on lockdown, and one victim was located with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound," the officer added.

PHILADELPHIA MASS SHOOTING ON SOUTH STREET LEAVES 3 DEAD, ABOUT A DOZEN INJURED

Police described the shooting as "domestic in nature" and said the lockdown was lifted less than an hour after it was placed.

The identity of the suspect, who fled the hospital after the shooting, is known to law enforcement, police said.

Gillie said the situation is still being investigated and that officers are actively "working to apprehend the suspect."

CHATTANOOGA SHOOTING LEAVES 3 DEAD AND 14 INJURED, SOME STRUCK BY FLEEING CARS

The victim of the shooting was identified as a woman, WNCN reported.

Fox News' Paul Best contributed to this report.
Johanna Garcia, left, and her sister Katherine are the daughters of Enrique Garcia, seen in framed photograph. The Santa Ana man died in December 2017 after a medical procedure. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Robert L. McKenna III, a medical malpractice attorney, was telling an Orange County jury how utterly meritless, insulting and outrageous was the case against his client, a gastroenterologist. The plaintiffs demand for $10 million for the death of their father, a 49-year-old forklift operator, amounted to nothing less than extortion," he said.

I take pride in what I do, and Ive got to tell you, in the 30 years I have been doing this, I have never seen a more insulting, factually devoid presentation in my entire career, the Huntington Beach attorney insisted at the trial in April.

McKenna told jurors to disregard the death certificate, which blamed the death on sepsis and peritonitis due to a colon perforated by a feeding tube, which his client had inserted. He pointed to failures by other hospital staff, and argued that the patient died from other causes. This, he argued, was a cash grab.

Welcome to America. Welcome to the personal-injury machine, the personal-injury industrial complex, he told jurors, who swiftly returned with a 12-0 verdict for his client.

But McKenna summarized the case with decidedly different language when he and colleagues gathered at the office amid balloons in May to celebrate recent victories.

The case involved a guy that was probably negligently killed, but we kind of made it look like other people did it, McKenna said. And we actually had a death certificate that said he died the very way the plaintiff said he died and we had to say, No, you really shouldnt believe what that death certificate says, or the coroner from the Orange County coroners office.'"

McKenna was not done.

Overcoming all of those hurdles, we managed to sock three lawyers in the face, he said, referring to three plaintiffs attorneys. It was the fastest defense verdict he had ever won, he said, inviting the legal partner who had tried the case with him to ring a victory bell.

McKennas speech was recorded on video and posted to his firms social media page, but quickly removed. Nevertheless, it is now in wide circulation, with furious backlash from the legal community.

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In my opinion, this is one of the reasons people tend to distrust and even hate lawyers, said Jorge Ledezma, the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs in the feeding-tube case. They will say one thing to the jury or in public, and then say the opposite in private.

In the video, he said, McKenna is essentially admitting to tricking the jury, adding: This would be the equivalent of Johnnie Cochran saying, I know O.J. did it, but we got him off anyway.

In a statement to The Times, McKenna said his remarks on the video, which he did not know would be recorded and posted, were intended purely as an internal briefing to our staff, using shorthand phrases which might understandably cause confusion for a lay audience unfamiliar with the case at hand, and the law in general.

McKenna described his remarks to his staff as ineloquent and imprecise, and said he understood why people outside the office might take offense.

I have expressed my apologies to my client, opposing counsel, and both the medical and legal communities, McKenna said. However, nothing about my remarks should call into question our very transparent trial strategy or the jurys verdict in favor of my client.

The case centered on the treatment of Enrique Garcia Sanchez, who worked as a radio host in San Salvador before coming to the United States in the early 2000s. He settled in Santa Ana with his two daughters, working in a bike shop and later as a forklift driver.

He would walk us to school and take us everywhere, said his eldest daughter, Johanna Garcia, 27. He was a really proud dad.

On Nov. 5, 2017, he arrived at South Coast Global Medical Center in Santa Ana with severe abdominal pain. His mother had recently died, his family said, and he had been depressed and drinking. He was diagnosed with alcohol-related pancreatitis and struggled for a month, ultimately losing his ability to swallow.

Dr. Essam Quraishi, the gastroenterologist, inserted the feeding tube in Sanchezs abdomen in early December. According to the lawsuit filed by Sanchezs family, the tube pierced the colon, infecting his body and killing him later that month at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange.

He fought to be alive. He fought through the pain to be with us because thats pretty much what he had  us, Johanna Garcia said. To be there sitting next to him until his last breath, give him a last hug and seconds later hes cold and stiff, its traumatizing.

Garcia said she was turned down by four lawyers before Ledezma, a Santa Ana attorney, agreed to take the case.

I thought it was one of the most meritorious medical malpractice cases that Ive ever seen, Ledezma said. The evidence is so convincing, so black and white.

It was the coroners office that said he died as a result of a badly placed PEG tube, Ledezma said, referring to the feeding tube. To me, the story was very compelling, and I thought, even in a very conservative area like Orange County, the story would be received.

Ledezma argued that Quraishi had relied on an X-ray that mistakenly showed the tube was properly placed in the stomach, but that he should have ordered a more detailed CT scan.

McKenna, the doctors attorney, is a founding partner at the law firm of Kjar, McKenna & Stockalper, with offices in El Segundo and Huntington Beach. The firms website boasts that the partners were named "Super Lawyers" by Los Angeles Magazine.

In Quraishi's defense, McKenna pointed to a UC Irvine Medical Center surgeon who had treated Sanchez and believed he did not have peritonitis.

This house of cards that they have built that this man somehow got peritonitis and sepsis and died does not stand the test of scrutiny, and it makes no sense, McKenna told jurors.

McKenna said that Sanchez had a catastrophic injury that ate most of his pancreas, adding: That is not a survivable event.

Referring to the plaintiffs' lawyers, McKenna said that Mr. Jorge and his team were part of the personal-injury industrial complex.

Experts hired by McKenna's team said there was no negligence in Sanchez's death. But the attorney also argued that hospital staff failed to relay key information from a radiology report to Quraishi.

Dr. Quraishi wanted accountability and wanted his day in court and did not want to get denied that by the extortion from the other side, he said.

Sanchezs family asked for $10 million in closing arguments in Orange County Superior Court Judge James Crandalls courtroom.

When McKennas celebratory remarks appeared on social media  bearing the Instagram tag of one of his firms partners  attorneys began downloading the video immediately.

On Torthub, an Instagram page frequented by lawyers, it has been viewed more than 5,500 times. Most of the comments were critical of McKenna, some blisteringly so. Absolutely sickening, one commenter posted. How is he not disbarred???

Others defended McKenna. They did their job. Thats what lawyers do, represent their client to the best of their ability.

Johanna Garcia said she was in shock when she saw McKennas video.

I couldnt believe it. It was infuriating to see that, she said. Ringing bells, as if it wasnt a life that was taken away.

At the same time, she said, she felt a kind of relief. He was admitting to himself that we were right. I feel like the truth came out, even if justice wasnt served.

Her family's attorney, Ledezma, said that McKennas remarks had done a lot of damage to the profession, and said the celebration video is notable for what McKenna did not say about the case.

He didnt say Dr. Quraishi was a good doctor, Ledezma said. He didnt say our case was without merit. He didnt say Dr. Quraishi was the victim of a frivolous lawsuit. He also didnt say that justice was achieved."

Ledezma plans to appeal the verdict on the basis of what he called legal errors in the trial and on McKenna's "inflammatory closing argument."

Mr. McKenna is a really good lawyer, he said. If his goal was to confuse the jury, he did a good job of that.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is criticizing members of her own party who have argued using gender-neutral language to describe members of the Hispanic American community is bad for the Democratic Partys brand.

I also have a mini-rant about this because there are some politicians, including Democratic politicians, that rail against the term Latinx. And theyre like, This is so bad, this is so bad for the party, like blah blah blah.

And like its almost like it hasnt struck some of these folks that another persons identity is not about your re-election prospects, Ocasio-Cortez said during a video message posted to her Instagram account.

Gender is fluid, language is fluid, and I think people right now are using the e term as gender-neutral in order to be as inclusive as possible. Dont have to make drama over it.

Some Democrats have been using more gender-neutral language in reaching out to Hispanic voters, multiple pollsters and political observers have noted in recent months.

A recent Politico poll conducted among Hispanic voters found 40 percent indicating the term Latinx bothers or offends them to some degree and 30 percent said they would be less likely to support a politician or organization that uses the term.

In a March guest essay in The New York Times, Republican political consultant and a co-founder of the Lincoln Project Mike Madrid noted that an internal debate among Democrats about inclusive language could drive Hispanic voters to the Republican Party.

Commonly used by media, political and academic elites as a sign of gender inclusivity, Latinx is virtually nonexistent in the communities it refers to, Madrid wrote.

Members of the Democratic Party dont just live in a distinct cultural bubble removed from the realities of their blue-collar counterparts; they are so removed from the rapidly growing Hispanic working class that many of them are now literally speaking a different language.

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Late last year, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Texas) said his office is not allowed to use the term Latinx in official communications.

When Latino politicos use the term it is largely to appease white rich progressives who think that is the term we use, he said. It is a vicious circle of confirmation bias.

If putting a little x on your campaign literature is the difference between winning and losing an election, you need to talk about healthcare more, you need to raise peoples wages. You need to talk about more issues that also matter to people, Ocasio-Cortez said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Three variations of the AR-15 assault rifle are shown. Under current federal law, the minimum age to buy such rifles is 18. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

A gunman entered a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., last month and fatally shot 10 people. Just 10 days later, a gunman entered an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 students and two teachers.

These horrific tragedies have two things in common: teenage suspects were able to legally purchase AR-15-style assault weapons, and the shooters used such guns to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.

Under current law, a firearms dealer with a federal license may not sell a handgun to a buyer under the age of 21. When that law was passed in 1968, it had broad bipartisan support in the House and the Senate.

However, this protection doesnt apply to military-style assault weapons. The minimum age to buy an assault rifle is only 18. Simply put, this disparity costs lives.

If you cant buy a six pack of beer or a pack of cigarettes, you shouldnt be able to buy an assault weapon. Its long past time that Congress addresses this incongruence.

Thats why we need the Age 21 Act, a bill to prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing assault weapons. President Biden announced his support for the bill, and Im hopeful we can build bipartisan support for this common-sense measure.

I first joined this bill in 2018 when it was introduced by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona after a teenage gunman killed 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. I reintroduced it last Congress, when perhaps it could have prevented the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings.

After the shooting in Buffalo, I introduced the bill again. It has no Republican co-sponsors in the Senate, but it does have broad public support. A recent poll by Politico showed 88% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans support a minimum age of 21 to purchase any firearm.

Assault weapons like the AR-15-style rifle have become the weapons of choice for mass shooters, including in most school shootings. And as we have seen, its all too common in recent history for shooters to be teenagers or young adults.

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A New York Times analysis of mass shootings found that between 1949 and 2017, only two of the 30 deadliest shootings were committed by people under 21. Compare that with the last four years, when the gunman or suspect in six of the nine deadliest mass shootings was a man under the age of 21.

The Giffords Law Center, using FBI and census data, calculated that while 18- to 20-year-olds make up just 4% of the U.S. population, they commit 17% of all homicides. The Age 21 Act wont stop young men in this age range from obtaining weapons. But it will make it harder for them to get the guns used to kill the most people.

Research illustrates why its so important to keep guns away from young people. Brain development extends well into the mid-20s, particularly development of areas of the brain used for judgment and impulse control. Too young to buy a handgun or alcohol  and too young to buy assault weapons.

There are dozens of gun safety bills before the House and Senate to address our epidemic of gun violence. These include proposals to outlaw hard-to-trace ghost guns, to support states in creating red-flag laws to identify threats, to prevent convicted domestic abusers from buying guns, and to ban silencers, assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. I support many of these measures.

But the Age 21 Act in particular would address the problem of school shootings, where so many young perpetrators are often current or recent students, and yet are able to legally obtain weapons of war.

We know from experience that if you limit access to assault weapons, mass shootings decrease. In 1994, I authored the Assault Weapons Ban. In the 10 years the ban was in place, gun massacres dropped 37%; after the ban expired in 2004, gun massacres rose 183%.

I believe the American people are mobilized and motivated to ensure that we pass common-sense gun reform and that should include raising the age to purchase an assault weapon.

Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, is the senior U.S. senator from California.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Does the June share price for The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Boston Beer Company

The calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$120.8m US$146.7m US$165.1m US$178.5m US$189.8m US$199.2m US$207.3m US$214.3m US$220.7m US$226.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Est @ 8.15% Est @ 6.28% Est @ 4.97% Est @ 4.06% Est @ 3.41% Est @ 2.97% Est @ 2.65% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 5.3% US$115 US$132 US$141 US$145 US$146 US$146 US$144 US$142 US$139 US$135

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$1.4b

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After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.3%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2031  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$227m (1 + 1.9%)  (5.3% 1.9%) = US$6.8b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$6.8b ( 1 + 5.3%)10= US$4.1b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$5.4b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$347, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 22% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Boston Beer Company as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 5.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Moving On:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Boston Beer Company, we've compiled three further aspects you should explore:

Financial Health: Does SAM have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does SAM's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

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.
Assemblymember Robert Rivas, left, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon have been engaged in a bruising speakership fight. (Associated Press)

Besides governor, theres no office in California government more powerful than Assembly speaker. Thats why competition for the job can be fierce.

And is now.

Theres a bruising speakership fight being waged mostly out of public view between current Speaker Anthony Rendon of Lakewood and Assemblyman Robert Rivas from Hollister in San Benito County.

The challenger seems to have the upper hand. But Rendon still has the office, and the outcome is unclear.

The bitter brawl is among Democrats who hold a supermajority of the 80 seats. Theyll control 60 after two vacancies are filled in Tuesdays primary. A simple majority vote, 41, is needed to elect a speaker.

Rendon, 54, has been speaker six years. Thats longer than anyone since Willie Brown, who held onto the job for 14 and a half years until a brief Republican takeover and looming term limits forced him out in 1995. Then he was elected San Francisco mayor.

Rivas, 42, was elected to the Assembly in 2018 and would be the first Northern California speaker in 24 years. Seven of the last eight speakers have been from Los Angeles County, so his ascension would mark a geographical power shift.

The former county supervisor also would be the first speaker from a rural district in 52 years.

The rural roots are significant because a top Rivas priority is to make life better for agriculture laborers. Unlike city-reared speakers, he grew up in farmworker housing, eight crammed into a two-bedroom house on a vineyard. He has been chairman of the Assembly Agriculture Committee.

This is whats so inviting about the job he seeks: The speaker appoints all Assembly committee chairs and members, fills scores of seats on state boards, including the Coastal Commission, and is a University of California regent.

The speaker and the Senate president pro tem  currently Toni Atkins of San Diego  are the Legislatures principal negotiators with the governor. They can co-write the legislative agenda and singlehandedly kill any bill they dont like.

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In fact, five years ago Rendon scuttled Atkins bill to create a gargantuan state-run, single-payer, universal healthcare system. He was right. The Senate-passed measure was fiscally irresponsible, lacking a funding mechanism although it had a $400-billion annual price tag  double the state budget. But Rendons brave action created enemies.

He generated more enemies by acting less nobly at the end of the pandemic-marred 2020 legislative session.

He denied the request of Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) to vote by proxy because she was nursing a newborn baby. Wicks feared exposing the infant to COVID-19 if she brought her to the Assembly floor. But she did, to vote on hundreds of bills on the sessions final day. Meanwhile, senators were allowed to vote by Zoom.

Rendon was also accused by Atkins and other lawmakers of running out the clock on the final night, preventing several major Senate bills from being passed before the midnight deadline. Rendon called the accusation absurd. But it apparently wasnt.

Every speaker has a shelf life. Thats the reality, says an assemblyman whos supporting Rivas but didnt want to be identified criticizing the still-powerful Rendon.

Everyone I talked to about the fight requested anonymity so they could speak candidly, except Rivas. But he wouldnt publicly slam Rendon.

The Legislature is ready for new energy, new leadership  a speaker who can work closely with the caucus and other leaders, like the pro tem, Rivas told me.

His Assembly backers contend that under Rendon, the house has become fractured, tense and chaotic. But thats inflamed by a speakership fight.

This is a natural power struggle. Rendon is on his way out anyway. Hell be booted by term limits in 2024. Impatient wannabes have been jockeying for the job, making pitches to Democratic colleagues.

In November, Rendon stripped Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) of a committee chairmanship as he scurried for votes.

Also competing has been North Hollywood Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (no relation to Robert), whom Rendon seemed to be helping by contributing campaign money to her potential supporters. That worried Robert Rivas, so he stepped up his pace.

Right before Memorial Day weekend, Rivas walked into Rendons office holding 34 cards, each with the signature of a Democrat pledging a vote for speaker. That was a majority of Democrats. Normally it would lead to united caucus support.

Rivas asked the speaker to agree on a timetable for transfer of power. Rendon told him to buzz off, refusing to recognize the pledges. He said it wasnt clear whether they were commitments to remove him now or to vote for Rivas when the speaker was ready to leave. And he wasnt ready.

Then Rivas did something unprecedented. The challenger issued a press release declaring he had secured enough votes [from Democrats] to become the next speaker. He was sending a message of inevitability  everyone should jump aboard.

But clearly Rivas didnt have enough votes to oust Rendon now or he would have.

He called for a caucus vote during a bitter six-hour Democratic meeting last week. But Rendon wouldnt allow it.

They issued a strained joint press release.

Rendon acknowledged that Rivas had the support of the current Democratic Caucus to succeed me. But no timetable. And therell be a new caucus mix after the November election.

Rivas said he agreed with the caucus majority that Rendon should remain as speaker for at least the rest of this legislative session. It will end Aug. 31.

Rivas seems destined to be the next speaker. But its not a cinch. Votes on pledge cards dont count until theyre cast on the chamber floor.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg sparred with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Twitter Sunday, accusing her of attacking survivors so you can fundraise.

Hogg, a co-founder of March For Our Lives, has been involved in organizing marches in Washington D.C. and in cities across the country following the mass shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead in Uvalde, Texas.

I hear you & your girls are funded to come to town this week to once again try to manipulate some of my gutless weak colleagues to vote for gun control that will violate our freedoms and leave Americans defenseless, Greene tweeted at Hogg on Sunday, asking why the gun control activist was not planning to meet with her.

Im more interested in protecting children and meeting commonsense people who are looking for reasonable solutions to stop children from dying, Hogg replied. Dont really have time to help you go viral for attacking survivors so you can fundraise.

Fred Guttenberg, another gun control activist who lost his daughter in the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, replied to Greenes tweet as well.

I will also be coming to DC. I will bring pictures of my girl Jaime, who was murdered in Parkland, Guttenberg tweeted on Sunday.

If you are looking for people to put on your schedule, please put me, he added. Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday? What day is best for you?

March for Our Lives, which started after 17 people were killed in the Parkland shooting, is rallying people around the country to march for gun control on June 11.

Activists from the group also intend to meet with lawmakers in the Capitol from June 7 to June 10 in an effort to push for universal background checks.

Our message and ask is simple: no longer will we be held hostage by our lawmakers and no longer will we tolerate feeling unsafe in our communities, the groups website said.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a leading gun control advocate in the Senate, said on Sunday that he is more confident than ever that a gun deal could be reached after a string of recent mass shootings.

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A group of senators from both parties has been meeting about legislation to curb gun violence ever since the Uvalde shooting. Murphy said the talks are focused on mental health funding, school safety measures, background checks and red-flag legislation.

I think, this week, we need to have concepts to present to our colleagues, Murphy told CNN State of the Union co-anchor Jake Tapper.

I dont know that were going to vote this coming week, but we need to make decisions on whether or not we have a sustainable package in the next five days, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has called the Republican one-door solution to school shootings insanity as GOP lawmakers try to avoid measures aimed at restricting access to guns.

Mr Buttigieg appeared on This Week on ABC on Sunday, saying that the GOP idea to only have one entrance to schools in an effort to stop mass shootings is the definition of insanity.

The idea that us being the only developed country where this happens routinely  especially in terms of the mass shootings  is somehow a result of the design of the doorways on our school buildings is the definition of insanity, if not the definition of denial, Mr Buttigieg said.

While the secretary didnt mention any names, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz is one of the more prominent GOP lawmakers to push the one-door solution.

Dont have all of these unlocked backdoors, Mr Cruz said on Fox News on 25 May, the day after the shooting.

Have one door into and out of the school, he added, suggesting that there be armed police officers at that door.

Speaking about the 24 May mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Mr Cruz claimed that if the school had had that setup, the armed police officers could have taken him out and wed have 19 children and two teachers still alive.

TX Sen. Ted Cruz offered a solution have one door into and out of the schoolarmed police officers at that door  Cruz said if that happened the armed police officers could have taken him out and wed have 19 children/2children still alive #Uvalde pic.twitter.com/eah4rct2En  Steven Dial (@StevenDialFox4) May 26, 2022

More than 100 officers were present at the school following the reports of the shooting.

Warmer states often have single classroom buildings spread across a campus, with each of the buildings having one or two entrances, making it difficult to protect every entrance.

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The one-door solution has long been pushed by the gun industry and was used by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick who claimed that a high school near Houston had too many entrances and too many exits following a 2018 school shooting.

Mr Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said that if he had been in charge during a mass shooting, the most difficult thing would be to talk to families ... who have lost their loved ones, and knowing that nothing you can do will bring those loved ones back.

We have a horrific scourge of gun violence in this country, and, you know, as mayor  as every mayor is doing around the country  you take the steps that you can to reduce community violence, to invest in partnerships, to make sure that youve taken the steps you can locally, he told ABC.

He added that youre also looking at Washington to say will anything be different this time?

Will we actually acknowledge the reasons why we are the only country, the only developed country where this happens on a routine basis? he asked.
I feel like I have a responsibility to be very intentional with everything that I put out, said rapper and spoken word artist Rich Robbins. Just out of respect for myself and my family and the audience that listens to it.

That intentionality is most evident in Robbinss latest releases, a three-part collection of new songs and projects that bridge the gap between his career (Robbins teaches spoken word) and his artistic endeavors. Soft and Tender, the first single from his new set of songs, even inspired an interview series set to premiere this month on Fathers Day on YouTube.

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Robbins cites his early years in Oak Park and River Forest High Schools spoken word club as the beginning of his musical pursuits. After joining the club during his sophomore year, Robbins was introduced to the world of live performing and, more specifically, performing his own story in front of groups of people.

I was also going through some really tough family trauma at that time as well, and spoken word was really the first opportunity in my life that I got to learn how to cope with what I was going through and put that on a page, he said. It was one of the most nerve-wracking, but also one of the most crucial things I experienced in high school.

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Later, Robbins joined Young Chicago Authors where he saw artists like Chance the Rapper and Noname garner national attention. It kind of showed what was possible out of the youth of Chicago, he added.

In college, Robbins attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a full-year, full-tuition hip hop and urban art scholarship called First Wave. And they really shaped me into an artist on and offstage, Robbins said. He noted the three pillars of First Wave  arts, activism and academics  are three areas of focus that permeate his music to this day.

Everything that I created in my college years was all kind of grounded in that: it was all music and poetry that had a message to it, that had some type of lesson in it as well, he said.

Rich Robbins at the Young Chicago Authors space in in Chicago's Noble Square neighborhood on June 2, 2022. (Meredith Goldberg/Chicago Tribune)

On one of his latest tracks, Soft and Tender, Robbins message is more relevant than ever. Ive been really trying to challenge myself to write about topics that Ive been kind of subconsciously avoiding, Robbins said. The track focuses on his relationship with his father and, more broadly, on what it means to be a Black father who approaches love toward his son with tenderness.

As part of his songwriting process, Robbins interviewed his own father. I wanted to do it justice, he said. I wanted to get his perspective because I knew mine. Robbins ended up learning a lot not only about his father but his grandfather, which eventually ended up in the song.

After watching Robbins perform the song live, his father gave him a hug and said he cried while listening to it. Ive seen that man cry maybe two or three times in my whole life, Robbins recalled. So to see him cry tears of joy because of that was really great for me.

Robbins makes music for self-reflection, but also for other people. Through keen insight and deep compassion for both himself and the subject matter he talks about, Robbins hones in on a sound and scope unlike many of his contemporary peers. It is music that is equal parts emotionally provocative and heartfelt, without seeming too preachy or overwrought. Finding the right balance is difficult, but Robbins has managed to succeed where others may have failed.

Outside of just the music itself, much of Robbins focus rests on a new interview series he has created, inspired by the themes of Soft and Tender.

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In the series, which he described as the biggest thing hes ever put together, Robbins sits down with other young Black men to discuss their experiences with their fathers. The goal is to normalize diverse stories of Black fatherhood in general and tender Black fatherhood specifically. Featured interviewees include musician Matt Muse, Samir Adrissi, photographer Jalen Terry and Anthony Williams of LGBTQ organization Impulse Chicago, among others. Nine men were interviewed for a total of three episodes.

The conversations are so touching, and I just think thats so universal, Robbins added. We touch on mental health, we touch on generational trauma. Its not all flowers, Black fatherhood. But I think we share a lot of humanity in our stories.

On the music front, Robbins will continue to release his collection of new music across platforms. His latest single, How Bout That, featuring celebrated West Side rapper Saba, came out late last month. Another single comes out later this month.

I just want to be an artist that audiences can depend on to always challenge his creative process, but also challenge the audience to be very reflective in what theyre going through, Robbins said. Im just trying to think of ways of how the music can be more than just a Spotify play.

Soft and Tender and How Bout That are available across all streaming platforms; richrobbins320809532.wordpress.com/music.

Britt Julious is a freelance critic.
Philadelphia Police investigators work the scene of a fatal overnight shooting on South Street in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 5, 2022. AP Photo/Michael Perez

A shooting in Philadelphia left three people dead and injured at least 12 others on Saturday.

An officer fired at one suspect, who ultimately got away, Philadelphia police said.

The three victims were ages 22, 27, and 34. This is what we know so far about them.

A shooting in Philadelphia on Saturday left three people dead and at least 12 others injured in a crowd of hundreds, authorities said.

The shooting broke out at approximately 11:31 p.m. on South Street, a popular nightlife area in the city, The Philadelphia Police Department said in a press conference on Sunday.

Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said officers heard multiple gunshots near South Street, and when they arrived on the scene, they "observed several civilians suffering from gunshot wounds lying on the sidewalk and in the street."

Eleven people were struck by gunfire, the commissioner said. An additional victim was struck by shattered glass, NBC10 Philadelphia reported.

Outlaw said one officer observed an "unknown male on the southwest corner of South and American Street, firing a handgun into a large crowd on the 400 block of South Street, from approximately a half a block away."

"The officer drew his weapon and fired several times in the direction of the unknown male, we believe, striking him. The unknown male dropped his handgun on the sidewalk and ran southbound on 600 American Street. The male was then lost in the area," Outlaw said.

Authorities believe one of the male decedents was involved in the shooting, although Outlaw did not specify who.

"At this time, we believe that one of the three decedents was a male involved in a physical altercation with another male that was potentially the genesis of the shooting. These individuals eventually began firing at one another with both being struck, one fatally," Outlaw said.

She added that police believe the two other decedents and the other shooting victims were "uninvolved in the initial altercation" and were "innocent bystanders."

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The 11 shooting victims who survived were identified by NBC 10 Philadelphia as a 17-year-old boy, two 17-year-old girls, two 18-year-old men, a 19-year-old woman, two 20-year-old men, a 23-year-old man, a 43-year-old man, and a 69-year-old man. Outlaw said their conditions ranged from stable to critical.

Investigators said they are assembling video and witness evidence, but they believe there were additional gunmen who fired "several" rounds, although they did not specify how many.

This is what we know about the victims who died.

Kristopher Minners, 22

Kristopher was a residential advisor and former student of Girard College, a private boarding school in the area, the school's interim President James Turner said.

"Kris had just turned 22 and was celebrating with family and friends. He attended Girard College until 9th grade and since January 2022 has worked in the residential program advising 6th and 2nd grade boys," Turner said in a statement.

Turner said he "visited with Kris' parents" the morning after the shooting.

"Kristopher was so proud to return to Girard and serve as a role model to the young boys in his care. He was doing an amazing job for us, even being named RA of the month in March. Kris was a vital member of our community, and his loss will be felt deeply," Turner said.

The teacher's union AFT Pennsylvania said in a statement that Minners' students "will be without a mentor and a role model."

Alexis Quinn, 27

Details are still emerging, but one woman who identified herself to local news outlets as Quinn's aunt called Philadelphia a "danger zone" following the fatal shooting, per the Bucks County Courier Times.

"The shooting and killings has to stop," the woman said, the paper reported. "That could have been my daughter, she was down there at the same time that happened. We have to do better. Please! Please! Put the guns down the city of Philadelphia is a danger zone yes a danger zone."

Gregory "Japan" Jackson, 34

Gregory Jackson was a professional welterweight boxer until 2019, the Bucks County Courier Times reported. He regularly volunteered with kids in the community.

An employee at Millennium Skate World in Camden, New Jersey told NBC10 that Jackson was a longtime customer.

"He would be very happy when he would walk in the door," Tracy Medley told NBC10. "Just light up and be so excited to be here and then just walk around, shake hands, hugs with everybody. He had a lot of friends here. A lot of his family would come here and skate as well."

Read the original article on Insider
Guests, including Olivia Marciano, second from left, mingle at the cocktail party outside the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Everybody dances fearlessly & without judgement, the invite promised. And it was right.

Welcome back to the Museum of Contemporary Arts annual gala, which took place Saturday night for the first time since 2019 after a three-year pandemic hiatus.

Artists and celebrities, museum leaders and other art world figures  including Eva Longoria, Christina Hendricks, Gia Coppola, Keanu Reeves and artists Karon Davis, Lauren Halsey, Mary Weatherford, Alexandra Grant, Henry Taylor, Mark Grotjahn and Doug Aitken  mingled at a pre-dinner cocktail party on the outdoor plaza of the museums Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo.

Two partygoers lay on cushions inside Pipilotti Rist's MOCA exhibit. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

David C. Martin, left, with Pipilotti Rist, center. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Pipilotti Rist gave a private tour of her art show to Chance the Rapper, the musical guest of the gala. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Noticeably missing? The standard tuxedo and black gown.

Instead, the evening  which marked the closing of the museums vivid, immersive, multimedia exhibition Pipilotti Rist: Big Heartedness, Be My Neighbor on June 6  was a kaleidoscopic blitz of fashion technicolor. The cheery orange pantsuits (yes, there were more than one), pink ruffled tuxedos (also multiples) and flowing fuchsia capes (okay, one)  even the yellow and pink-hued cocktails  seemed in conversation with the Swiss media artists glowing light installations and psychedelic video art. The invitation had encouraged colorful dress, after all.

But the evenings bright color palette had additional significance. It festively marked the arrival of MOCAs new director, Johanna Burton, the museums first-ever female leader. Not to mention a hopeful look forward at exhibitions and overall momentum to come, Burton said at the cocktail party.

Were celebrating the close of Pipis show and the impact of that show, said Burton, who was wearing a rainbow-hued, sequined Gucci gown. But also looking forward to the fall shows, which are all L.A.-based artists. This is a moment for us to reflect on the legacy of the institution and think about its future.

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Artist Greg Ito shows off his blue and purple 'do. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Artist Alexandra Grant and actor Keanu Reeves take a break from mingling and smize for the camera. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

MOCA board member Dallas Price-Van Breda in the midst of an engaging conversation. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Kristina Trautman. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

MOCA board chair Maria Seferian, clad in a gold glove and an orange and pink getup. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Christina Hendricks, center, and George Bianchini, right, chat with a guest seated at their dinner table. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Keni Silva dressed up in neon green backless number. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

The galas sensory pleasures were audible as well. During dinner, Rist  wearing what looked to be loose, floral pajamas, purple lipstick and rose eyeglasses  addressed the crowd, encouraging guests to join her in a round of communal humming. The exercise was part of a new, interactive happening (as opposed to a performance) called Humming Neighbors  neighbors being the operative word.

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Tonight we are one family, Rist told the crowd, and this is our collective dining room.

Around the room, attendees  bathed in the glow of multicolored LED tube lights serving as table centerpieces  lowered their heads or closed their eyes and a meditative chorus of varying-toned humming filled the space.

Honor Titus, left, and Gia Coppola making the rounds at the pre-dinner cocktail party. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Francisco George and William Escalera hold court at their gala table during dinner. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

David C. Martin holds a glass of champagne, perhaps after a toast. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

The MOCA Gala is the museums biggest annual fundraiser, and this year raised more than $2.9 million, the museum said. Proceeds support exhibitions, educational initiatives and other programming.

After a post-dinner performance by musical guest Chance the Rapper, attendees flowed outside to the plaza for espresso martinis, a panoply of desserts and a Rist-designed dance party, to which members of the public had purchased tickets.

Rist downplayed her involvement in planning the dance party. She had only one caveat, she told us after dinner: No hard rock. I told the DJ electronica and funk and soul.

She surveyed the room through dark purple sunglasses.

This is such a great crowd, she said. In the wildest city in the world. All supporting the arts. It cant get any better.

At which point the crowd danced until midnight under a cluster of sparkling disco balls. Fearlessly, for sure. Without judgement? Well, this is the art world, after all.

One thing is certain, though: it was a party to be remembered, a colorful picture of a museum fully reawakening and an art community reconnecting.

Leah D, left, with Noella Bergener, deep in conversation... or a staring contest. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

MOCA board member Deborah Irmas, left, grins with Christine Sun Kim in what appears to be the middle of a hilarious joke. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

MOCA board chair Maria Seferian, left, chats with Pipilotti Rist, center. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Cameron Silver looks out at the distance. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

Pipilotti Rist crawls onstage during her speech at the gala. (Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

(Michelle Groskopf / For The Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Doris J. Walker has been found and is safe, police said in an update just after 6:30 a.m. Monday.

Police asked for help finding a 63-year-old Kansas City woman with dementia who disappeared Sunday evening and is considered endangered, a police spokeswoman said.

Police are searching for Doris J. Walker who was last seen about 4:30 p.m. Sunday walking north in the 2300 block of Lister Avenue, said Capt. Leslie Foreman, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department.

She was described as being 5-foot-10 and weighing about 170 to 180 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.

She was wearing a pink and white tie-dye hoodie with a beige jacket over it. She also had on gray sweatpants with black underwear over the top, one white flip-flop and one black flip-flop.

Police ask anyone who knows her whereabouts to call 911 or the Kansas City Police Departments missing persons unit at 816-234-5220.
Jun. 6A 64-year-old man charged with murder remained jailed Monday in a Cameron County facility on a $1 million bond.

Martin Gonzalez is accused of causing the May 27 death of Rafael Velez at the 4300 block of Boca Chica Boulevard, according to police.

The Brownsville Police Department responded to the apartment in reference to a medical emergency, said Investigator Martin Sandoval, spokesman for the Brownsville Police Department.

By the time police arrived, Brownsville EMS was already there and told the officers there was a dead person inside. Velez was found lying on Gonzalez's living room floor, Sandoval said.

Authorities suspected a disturbance had occurred inside the apartment, and so the police department's Criminal Investigations Unit was sent to the apartment.

A preliminary autopsy report indicated Velez had suffered severe trauma to his head, Sandoval said.

The final autopsy is pending.

According to Sandoval, investigators attempted to interview Gonzalez but he refused to provide any answers. Gonzalez was subsequently booked into the Brownsville City Jail.
The man shot by a Fairfield police officer Sunday in Butler County is in stable condition, the department said.

Officers were dispatched to the 3300 block of Port Union Road after a "911 hang-up call," according to a news release issued around 9 p.m. Sunday. Most police departments have a response procedure in place if someone calls 911 and a dispatcher cannot speak with them.

Officials said the officer sent to investigate found a man standing in the roadway.

"The officer ... attempted to engage him in conversation," the release states. "During the interaction, the officer observed a firearm in the man's hand."

The department said the officer ordered the man to drop the gun several times.

"At one point, the man assumed a shooting stance and pointed the weapon at the officer," the release said. "In response, the officer fired several rounds from their handgun."

Other officers began "life-saving measures" and paramedics took the man to an area hospital where he remained in stable condition Sunday night, police said.

The department said the officer's body camera recorded the shooting and will be released publically "at the appropriate time," along with radio recordings and 911 calls.

The officer who shot the man is on administrative leave. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will be conducting the investigation into the shooting.

The name of the man who was shot and the name of the officer have not been released.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police: Man shot by Fairfield officer after pointing a weapon
Something happened on the way to a potential budget deal at the Rhode Island State House.

Another mass shooting by a lone gunman.

The gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in rural Texas on May 27. Less than two weeks earlier, 10 people were killed and three wounded in a mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York grocery store.

Legislators gather at the State House last week calling for new gun-control measures.

The two massacres  and others since  have sparked urgent calls for more gun control in Rhode Island and beyond, and ardent pushback by the state's pro-gun activists.

What, you ask, does any of this have to do with the $13-billion  and growing  state budget that pays for road and bridges, taxpayer-financed aid to the poor, state government itself  and schools?

The answer: A lot.

A State House insider put it this way last week:

"Crazy times we live in. Normally, the fact that we have such a large budget surplus, plus all that [federal] ARPA money, would mean an easy budget passage (no one is getting cut), but the gun issue changes the equation."

An "Urgent Legislative Alert" from the Rhode Island Firearm Owners' League put it this way:

"Progressives have threatened to vote the state budget down if leadership does not move every [gun control] bill for a floor vote."

"Tell legislators theyre expected to support real school safety reforms rather than using a tragedy as cover for stripping our rights.

"Let them know you oppose: A ban on so-called assault weapons... Restrictions on magazines holding more than 10 rounds... Raising the age of all firearms purchases to 21 years of age... Mandatory storage of firearms... Banning of long arms in public."

For the record, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi told The Journal, through a spokesman, that no one had conveyed to him a threat to hold up the budget until the gun bills move.

And more than one legislator privately told The Journal: they hope it doesn't come to that.

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But here's the math:

The Rhode Island Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of approval by the 75-member House and the 38-member Senate for "every bill appropriating the public money or property for local or private purposes."

In the House:

 A bill to ban so-called assault weapons had 28 co-sponsors and a bill to ban high-capacity magazines capable of holding, and feeding, more than 10 rounds of ammunition to a semiautomatic firearm had 38 co-sponsors in 2021. (Under House rules, they did not need to be re-filed this year.)

 A bill to require the locked storage of firearms when they are not in use  that evolved out of tragedies close to home  had 39 co-sponsors.

And in the 38-member Senate the proposed ban on assault weapons has 23 sponsors, and the proposed limit on high-capacity magazines, 22 sponsors.

If every lawmaker who co-sponsored these bills stood their ground  no action on gun bills, no budget  legislative leaders would be unable to muster the two-thirds needed to pass a budget for the year that begins July 1.

This played a part in 2019 when the R.I. General Assembly passed abortion rights legislation, despite strong personal objections of the conservative Democrats who ruled both chambers.

This political reality is not lost on State House leaders.

But Rep. Justine Caldwell  the lead sponsor of three of the high-profile gun-control bills  does not believe it will come to that.

"I feel confident that the Speaker is going to get to the right place because we pass bills in the House on the merits, and these bills are the right thing to do."

She gave little credence to rumors that only one bill in the five-bill package is headed for a vote: the one to prohibit high-capacity magazines.

"All of us  the Reps, the Senators, the advocates, the attorney general  are focused on the package of five bills. There is no reason not to do all of them right now," especially after what happened in Texas, she said.

"He went and bought his gun(s) legally just after his 18th birthday,'' she said of the Texas shooter, Salvador Ramos. "He bought at least two assault weapons, at least seven high-capacity magazines...

"All of those things that he did before he went into that school  excepting obviously shooting his grandmother  are currently legal in the state of Rhode Island."

Gun-rights supporters listen to speakers at a rally at the State House last week.

More math:

Nine of the 15 members of the House Judiciary Committee co-sponsored one or more of the bills in the gun-safety package.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is not  with five of its eight members A-rated by the NRA  as friendly to gun-control bills as its House counterpart, though the chairwoman, former R.I. State Police Lt. Cynthia Coyne, is passionate on the issue.

If the vote were held today, the gun bills could potentially go down 5-to-3.

But that said, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio  who also netted an A-rating from the NRA in 2020  joined House Speaker Shekarchi last week in promising the passage of "meaningful gun reform legislation" this year.

His influence over the fate of a wide array of bills can go a long way.

And when the votes were counted on a bill to ban guns from school grounds last year, Ruggerio and his two top lieutenants  Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey and Maryellen Goodwin  dropped into the Senate Judiciary Committee just long enough to swing the tide in favor of the bill.

A companion issue: money

How much more money will the legislature's budget writers now earmark for schools to hire more guards  and place metal detectors  at school entrances? Not yet clear.

"Pro-gun" advocates have stepped up their calls locally and nationally for armed police officers in schools, more security measures in school buildings and enforcement of existing laws  as an alternative to any restrictions on gun ownership.

Just last week, there were two developments on this front:

 The McKee administration announced that up to $500,000 in emergency funds will be available to each school district from the R.I. School Building Authority to make additional security upgrades.

 A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill to mandate state funding for the placement of two "school resource officers"  who, by definition, are defined as "career law enforcement officer(s)"  in every R.I. school.

This is not a new conversation.

In 2018, in the wake of a Valentine's Day shooting by a lone gunman that killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Fla., then-Gov. Gina Raimondo signed legislation requiring school districts to adopt safety plans and file those plans with the Rhode Island School Safety Committee every three years.

We realize that funding is always an issue, the chairman of the school safety committee, state police Capt. Derek Borek, said then.

But some things are simple, he said: "like cutting bushes away from schools. Locking your doors up at all times. Camera systems. Monitoring, training. Stuff of that nature.

In 2019: Rhode Island lawmakers passed another new law to address concerns raised by both sides in the gun debate.

This one called for the creation of "threat assessment teams" in each school district to identify "individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to the safety of school staff or students," and refer them for evaluation or treatment.

The stated goal: to "prevent violence before it happens... [and] connect people who are experiencing trouble with the help they need."

Then came another new law requiring the attorney general to provide even more data than he had previously provided on the number, type and disposition of gun crimes.

And he did, earlier this year.

"At this point, I hope there can be no question regarding the prevalence of guns and gun violence in Rhode Island," he wrote.

His rundown included this account: "In May 2021, nine people were wounded in the City of Providences largest mass shooting in history.

"Investigators seized over 500 rounds of ammunition in various calibers as well as 12 pistol and rifle magazines, four of which were large-capacity magazines able to hold over 30 rounds."

At last report, six individuals has been indicted in connection with the shooting.

Last week, The Journal surveyed the House

The single-question survey said: "Two mass shootings have rocked America in as many weeks. What can be done to end gun violence?"

Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Providence, responded: "We cant end gun violence, but we can do more to prevent the violence and lessen the toll.

"It makes no sense for individuals who are younger than 21 and therefore cannot legally gamble, smoke, consume alcohol or purchase cannabis in RI to be able to purchase a firearm legally. We must change that.

"No RI citizen needs a high-capacity magazine," she continued. "And, RI should not be the supplier of high capacity magazines to residents of CT and MA. This is not commerce we want to encourage."

"We must [also] pass a strong safe storage law,'' she wrote. "Unlocked guns result in suicide, injury of innocent children and potential loss to theft to name a few risks."

And finally: "People must register automobiles. Where is the logic opposing registration of firearms?" she asked.

Few lawmakers were this expansive. Some just listed bill numbers. Not all replied. But here is a sampling of some of the other answers:

Rep. Robert Craven, D-North Kingstown, the chairman of the House Judiciary, where the pending gun bills reside, wrote: "Gun violence, both cause and effect, must be addressed this session."

He labeled as "necessary'' the passage of bills to prohibit the sale or possession of certain high-capacity magazines; raise the age required to purchase a rifle or shotgun to 21, and require all gun owners to securely and responsibly store their guns.

"We also must also review school security to ensure safety  investigate 3M film creating one-way viewing at all schools, train school security on handling school shootings, and confine entry to all schools to one locked door."

Rep. Carol McEntee, D-South Kingstown: "The House and Senate must act quickly and pass all proposed gun safety legislation! It's time to show our children that their safety is more important than a person's right to own an automatic weapon! Enough is Enough! "

Rep. Mary Messier, D-Pawtucket, wrote: "A ban on all assault rifles."

Rep. Joseph McNamara, D-Warwick, who doubles as state Democratic Party chairman: "Pass the package of Common Sense gun control bills now pending before the RI General Assembly."

From the other side of the gun debate, only Republican Rep. Michael Chippendale of Foster responded.

"Its clear that the gun-control proposals that we see every year wont have an impact... For example, so-called assault weapons are banned in NY, yet the Buffalo murderer wasnt slowed by that law.

"Its further clear that until we take school safety seriously and harden our school buildings like we do courthouses, government buildings, airports, banks etc. while also placing armed, and trained law enforcement officers in every school building, we will continue to leave our children in harms way."

"While it may be emotionally and intellectually easier to blame the firearm," Chippendale said, "we need to accept the fact that there is a serious mental health crisis in our nation... [and] it is particularly impacting our young boys.

"The ... years of COVID have only amplified that trend."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Political Scene: Budget, guns loom over end of session deal-making
A fruitless and predictable myopia tends to take over political discussion after gun-spawned tragedies like the massacre in Uvalde.

Already deeply entrenched in their positions, politicians mostly argue over the particulars of the most recent tragedy, and how it might have been prevented. A background check? A locked door? In narrow debates, policies are touted or decried based on how applicabile they are to the latest killing.

Left aside is a broad range of gun policy proposals that experts in criminology, public health and law enforcement have for years believed are practical solutions to at least part of the nations enduring problems with gun violence.

Authorities prepared to evacuate students and teachers May 24 after a gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

And while those experts acknowledge that some of the relatively minor changes might not have prevented the massacre freshest in the publics mind, they can reduce mass shootings. Even more, the policies could greatly reduce gun violence overall, which kills more people in the United States than car crashes.

The idea that gun laws wont have an impact in reducing mass shootings and school shooting violence is a myth, said Louis Klarevas, a research professor at Teachers College at Columbia University who studies gun violence.

Simply requiring guns to be stored safely, for example, or outlawing high-capacity magazines wouldnt eliminate mass shootings, he said, but the idea is to reduce the gun violence.

Texans and other Americans support many of the proposals, according to recent polling. What gets in the way, various experts said, is politics.

In the nearly two weeks since a gunman killed 19 elementary schoolchildren and two teachers and injured 17 others in Uvalde, Texas Republican leaders have shunned possible gun restrictions. They say common proposals like universal background checks and red flag laws wont work. In recent years, the GOP-controlled Legislatures most common response to mass shootings has been loosening gun laws so more people can carry weapons in more places.

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The narrative in our country is that theres a great divide by gun ownership or political party on solutions to gun violence, and thats why we cant get anything done, said Cassandra Crifasi, associate professor of health policy at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which conducts regular polling on gun violence solutions. I say gun policy is mostly political among politicians. Americans, including the majority of gun owners, support evidence-based policy.

For example, a majority of Texans support requiring background checks for gun purchases, including at gun shows or through private sellers  which arent regulated in Texas  according to a 2021 poll by the University of Texas at Austin. In February, 43% of Texans surveyed told the university that the state should strengthen gun laws, with only 16% seeking looser gun laws.

Studies and experts from various fields say less controversial steps short of an assault weapons ban would have an impact on all gun violence. Those include raising the age for legal purchase of a long arm from 18 to 21, as is typically the case for handguns, or banning large-capacity magazines, a move studies have shown can at least limit fatalities in mass shootings.

Experts also point to successes with red flag laws, which allow courts to temporarily take guns away from people judged to be a danger to themselves or others, and safe storage laws that require firearms to be locked when stored. They have also urged implementing universal background checks.

James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University who has long studied mass killings, said the policy changes are the right things to do, but not only for mass shootings.

If we reduce mass shootings by 10%, we can reduce homicides by 20%, he said.

After the Uvalde massacre, like the ones before it, a groundswell of support from the left rose for gun restrictions ranging from raising age requirements to assault weapon bans. It was immediately met with a clamor from the right to protect individuals right to bear arms, echoed by Texas leaders. Laws wont stop bad guys from getting guns, they say, so the best solutions are increasing mental health resources in a state notoriously lacking access to such initiatives, fortifying schools and, of course, more good guys with guns.

What stops armed bad guys is armed good guys, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said at the National Rifle Associations convention in Houston days after the Uvalde shooting.

In Uvalde, however, the gunman waited until the law allowed him to purchase particularly lethal weaponry  buying two AR-style rifles shortly after his 18th birthday after he failed to convince his sister to buy him one earlier, police said. The armed police staged outside the classrooms where students and teachers were dead and dying for more than an hour before killing the gunman.

Klarevas at Columbia University said the law enforcement response in Uvalde this month knocks down the argument that good guys with guns are the solution to shootings. He hopes lawmakers and policymakers can find compromise by shifting their framework for debate.

What we really want isnt good guys with guns stopping bad guys with guns, Klarevas said. What we really want is bad guys without guns. Thats a better strategy.

At the congressional level, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has been able to push minor gun safety policies after mass shootings  like legislation meant to improve background checks after the gunman in 2017s Sutherland Springs slaying was able to purchase a gun despite a domestic violence conviction. Cornyn is again leading bipartisan talks, but many of his Republican colleagues said they will only support measures that would have made a difference in Uvalde.

Were reactive, thats human nature, Fox said, though he encouraged lawmakers to look at the bigger picture.

Beyond difficulties in looking at gun violence with a broader lens, a major hurdle for Texas policymakers is agreeing that changes to gun policy should be part of the solution at all. Focusing exclusively on mental health initiatives or fortifying schools wont adequately address the problem if gun access isnt also restricted, a variety of experts agreed.

A challenge we face here is that everybody is looking for one answer, one thing. That doesnt exist, said Jaclyn Schildkraut, associate professor of criminal justice at State University of New York at Oswego. Were dealing with very complex phenomena that go in spider webs in so many different directions but all weaved together.

Jimmy Perdue, president of the Texas Police Chiefs Association, said last week he agrees with the argument that those with ill intent will find a way to get guns. He argued that mental illness and a societal devaluation of the sanctity of life are causes of mass shootings. Still, he said, access does matter.

He said the time has come for the state to make it harder for some people to get firearms, especially with a continuing rise in gun violence in Texas and throughout the country.

There are certainly measures that could be put into place that limit access, whether that be raising the age or some sort of background checks or waiting periods, Perdue said. No one thing is going to prevent it from happening, but I tend to come down on the side of if we can put some measures in place that can prevent one or two, its better than nothing.

Going through background checks or having to wait several days to buy a gun, he argued, isnt an infringement on someones Second Amendment rights.

Guns are a part of our natural fabric of being Texan, but some things have changed, he added. Societys changed, and were at the point where weve got to look at it from a total complexity perspective.

Klarevas said an effective response to prevent future gun violence would include layers of checks and barriers aimed at preventing different types of bad actors from getting their hands on guns that could inflict mass damage. A background check may not stop all potential shooters, he said, but laws limiting their access to assault weapons or large-capacity magazines can decrease the fatality rates.

One law is good, but its just a starting point, he said. The more laws you have, the more effective your framework will be. If you want to do the best job possible, you have to take a comprehensive approach.

For public health researchers, a helpful guide is looking at car crashes. While the rate of gun deaths has increased over the years, the rate of people killed in motor vehicle accidents has steadily fallen, according to Charles DiMaggio, an injury epidemiologist at New York University. Thats in part because states have adopted a more uniform approach to driving safety, like seatbelt laws and drunken driving penalties.

The other issue is that there was a willingness and acceptance that motor vehicle crash injuries [and] pedestrian injuries are in fact a public health problem, and it requires public health approaches, DiMaggio said. I dont think theres that kind of consensus for gun violence.

Sheldon Jacobson, a professor of computer sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said the idea of creating layers of gun policies to prevent future mass shootings is similar to the work he did in creating risk-based assessments that led to the development of Transportation Security Administration PreCheck in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of 2001.

One thing [TSA does] really well is layers, he said. They look for multiple ways to mitigate risks, and when you put them together you come up with a fairly impenetrable fortress.

The PreCheck process expedites airport screening for frequent travelers. In exchange, those travelers submit themselves to background checks that allow the government to vet them ahead of their travels. As a result, those travelers get less-intrusive screenings when entering their terminals.

But the agency is not limited to background checks on travelers who sign up for the program. Regular travelers have a more intrusive screening process, and TSA has cameras at terminals that monitor for suspicious activity. It also limits the items that can be taken on planes, including guns.

Have we seen incidents? We have not, Jacobson said. And thats because there are layers.

Jacobson also sees another parallel to the gun debate. In trying to implement different kinds of security screenings for different passengers, the TSA got political pushback.

To do differential screening meant you had to treat people differently. Thats a bit of a sticky wicket, to say the least, he said. But the fact is if you can justify doing that on the basis of the well-being of the population, it got through.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/06/texas-uvalde-gun-policy/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

More: 'Hug your loved ones': How Uvalde residents united by grief, faith after shooting

More: Like other Texas schools, Uvalde had a safety plan for an active shooter. Was it followed?

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Experts say weve already found solutions after mass shooting
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, smiles during a press conference on the pending lawsuit against the Scottsdale Unified School District announced outside the Arizona Superior Court building in Phoenix on May 5, 2022.

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA: The World Economic Forum has its own police force.

PolitiFact's ruling: False

Here's why: Social media users shared photos of a badge worn by police at the World Economic Forums annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, to make unfounded claims about the organization.

One example is a May 23 tweet by Charlie Kirk suggesting the World Economic Forum has its own police force. Kirk, founder and president of conservative group Turning Point USA, tweeted a photo of a badge with the words "World Economic Forum police" on it.

"Why does the World Economic Forum have their own police force?" Kirk asked in his tweet.

That premise is wrong.

"The WEF organization does not have a police force," said Roman Ruegg, a spokesperson for police from the Grisons canton, or district, where the World Economic Forums annual gathering is held.

Police in the district are identified by official uniforms, ID cards and police patches, Ruegg said. The badge pictured in the tweet was created by emergency services personnel as a way of expressing "team spirit," Ruegg said. It debuted in 2006 and is redesigned every year.

We reached out to Kirk for comment but did not receive a reply.

Similar claims were tweeted by others, including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

The World Economic Forum is a common target of conspiracy theorists. One of its previous summit themes, called "The Great Reset," in recent years prompted hundreds of thousands of posts on social media claiming that "the global elite were planning to use the coronavirus to bring about total economic collapse," CNBC reported.

The World Economic Forum does not have its own police force, and we rate those claims False.

Our Sources

CNBC, "How Davos became a target for conspiracy theorists and anarchists," May 23, 2022

Email interview, Roman Ruegg, spokesperson, cantonal police of Grisons, June 2, 2022

PolitiFact, "Charlie Kirk," accessed June 2, 2022

Twitter post, May 23, 2022

Twitter post, May 23, 2022

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fact-check: Does the World Economic Forum have its own police force?
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are celebrating their daughter Lilibets first birthday with an adorable new photo.

The couples baby girl turned 1 on Saturday and are now sharing a snapshot from her birthday celebration at Frogmore Cottage over the weekend.

Harry and Meghan's daughter turned 1 on June 4. (Misan Harriman)

In the photo, Lili  who has red hair just like her dad  is seen wearing a baby blue dress and a headband with a white bow as she sits on the green grass.

A spokesperson for the couple told TODAY that Misan Harriman, a close family friend and guest at Lilis birthday, took the candid, spontaneous photo. People first got a glimpse of Lili in December 2021, when Harry and Meghan shared their Christmas card.

The duke and duchess  who are also parents to 3-year-old son Archie  had a casual and intimate backyard picnic with close friends and family to celebrate their daughters birthday milestone.

The couples spokesperson shared that baker Claire Ptak from East Londons Violet Bakery created a special cake for the birthday girl. Ptak was also responsible for creating the duke and duchess wedding cake in 2018.

Per their spokesperson, Harry and the former Meghan Markle were incredibly touched by the countless birthday wishes for their daughter, whose full name is Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. The spouses were also amazed to learn that people around the world made donations amounting to over $100,000 to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in her honor.

WCK is a special cause for the couple, who extended their gratitude to all who showed their support. The organization provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate and community crises. Most recently, they provided support in Ukraine and Uvalde, Texas, where Meghan visited last month.

It was such a privilege to celebrate the 1st birthday of Lilibet with my family and hers! Joy and face painting all around  pic.twitter.com/bg3RY6MOEu  Misan Harriman (@misanharriman) June 6, 2022

Harry and Meghan were in London celebrating Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee.

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In a statement to NBC News, a spokesperson for the couple said that the family was spending their daughters birthday privately while in England.

During the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the pair were all smiles as they attended the National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Pauls Cathedral. They were also at the annual Trooping the Color event. However, since Harry and Meghan are no longer working members of the royal family after they stepped down in 2020, they did not join the queen on the balcony.

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A 21-year-old man allegedly killed his uncle in a public daytime shooting in Segundo Barrio after being kicked out of the family home, a prosecutor said.

Angel Hinojos was arrested within hours of the Sunday afternoon shooting May 29 outside the Jalisco Cafe on East Seventh Avenue at Hills Street.

"This is just a straight up pre-meditated murder," Assistant District Attorney John Briggs said Friday in an online teleconference bond hearing for Hinojos.

Hinojos is accused of killing his uncle, Jesus Lopez, 51, and wounding his aunt, Maria de Jesus Lopez, 66, in a shooting in the middle of a residential street, officials said.

Angel Hinojos

Hinojos, who faces charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, works in service industry jobs after dropping out of Bowie High School in the ninth grade, lawyers said at the bond hearing.

Gun violence: Five teens wounded in shooting at high school graduation party in Socorro

Hinojos lived with his uncle, aunt, mother and siblings in a family home on Virginia Street that used to belong to his grandparents, Briggs said.

Detectives learned that Hinojos was kicked out of the family home because of ongoing problems and fights between him and his uncle, Briggs said.

The day of the shooting, Hinojos packed his belongings into garbage bags before allegedly going to look for his uncle with a gun, Briggs said.

"I went to look for him because I was pissed," Hinojos would later tell detectives, said Briggs, citing a criminal complaint affidavits filed by investigators.

Hinojos' aunt and uncle had gone grocery shopping when Hinojos caught up with them outside the Jalisco Cafe.

Briggs said that Hinojos allegedly walked up to his uncle, told him something akin to "you know what this is about" and shot him several times with a .380-caliber handgun.

"The gun only had five rounds and he emptied the gun," Briggs said.

Jesus Lopez was hit with four gunshots  one in the head, one on each shoulder and one in the leg. The aunt received a grazing wound to the forehead, Briggs said.

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Hinojos allegedly fled as residents began coming outside after the gunfire and commotion.

Homicides: Two El Paso County teens arrested on murder charges in fatal shooting at car gathering

After the shooting, Hinojos was contacted by police and he voluntarily went to the Central Regional Command Center to talk to detectives with the Crimes Against Persons Unit. He allegedly confessed to the shooting in a video-recorded interview, the prosecutor said.

During the bond hearing, public defense lawyer Frank Chelly suggested there could be other issues between uncle and nephew but declined to say more. Jail records list no previous arrests for Hinojos.

More: El Paso drive-by shooting wounds teen, shots fired at first-aid providers

Chelly had requested Hinojos' bond amount be lowered to $100,000 but Magistrate Judge Linda Estrada refused to lower the bond, citing the nature of the crime.

On Monday, Hinojos remained held at the El Paso County Jail Downtown under a total bond of $700,000.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 915-546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Prosecutor: Deadly Segundo Barrio shooting followed family problems
Chicagos venerable Studebaker Theatre officially rejoined the distinguished club of historic Chicago theaters Sunday night as the grand old venue  now beautifully restored to its 1917 glory and an ideal size for plays and smaller musicals  hosted the world premiere of a new commercial show dedicated to the nostalgia of the teen-friendly roller rinks that once ringed downtown Chicago.

I wish I could report that Skates a New Musical, a courageous enterprise that survived both the pandemic closure and the loss of its former venue, the Royal George Theatre, was a smash hit likely to draw swarming crowds to the Studebaker.

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More accurately, its a modestly entertaining (at best) new show that relies for its appeal on the talent of its cast (led by the former American Idol vocalists Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young) and its heart being firmly in the right place. Penned by the married couple of Christine Rea (book and lyrics) and Rick Briskin (music and lyrics), Skates is the kind of show that once would have thrived somewhere like the old Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in suburban Summit, a venue that specialized in shows (Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? and the like), wherein ordinary people came together to remember their youth. Alas, time has moved on.

The mother lode of this Chicago genre is, of course, Grease, which rolls on seemingly forever. But Skates, alas, lacks comparable veracity, wit and skills of characterization.

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The cast of "Skates a New Musical" in Chicago at the Studebaker Theatre. (Liz Lauren / HANDOUT)

Part of the problem, I think, is that the show, directed by Brenda Didier, is of a weird scale: the ambitions of the book require a much larger cast than the 10 hardworking performers in the show. Theres no ensemble as such, and insufficient performers to really do what you keep wanting more than anything: a Xanadu-like recreation of a swirlingly romantic night at a roller rink like the fictional Windy City Skates in the show. The show is, after all, called Skates, the cast are wearing skate boots and theres a talented choreographer, Christopher Chase Carter, on deck. But due also to a weak design, it never really happens in a way that captures what it was like to be a teenager in the late 1970s, lapping around and showing off or trying to avoid catastrophe, depending on your level of cool. (Or total lack thereof.)

Reas story, based in part, she has said, on personal memory, begins in 1994. Our 29-year-old hero Jacqueline Miller, a successful rock star played by DeGarmo, is in a malaise over unreliable men (especially Blake, played by Ace Young) and a mismanaged tour. So she visits her younger 1970s self (Emma Lord) in the simpler roller-rink days, fighting off a boy-crazy frenemy (Kelly Felthous), sparring with the edgy denizens of the rink like Tonya (Adia Bell), dealing with her loving brother (Zach Sorrow) and parents (Cory Goodrich and Jason Richards) and mostly ignoring the affections of a good local guy, Scotty (Adam Fane). As we anticipate from the get-go, she rediscovers herself through coming to terms with her own past. Alas, all the plot reveals in this show occur first in the viewers own head.

Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo in "Skates a New Musical" in Chicago at the Studebaker Theatre. (Liz Lauren / HANDOUT)

The issue with the weak book, and even the direction, is that you have a lot of adults playing very exaggerated versions of teenagers, who shout and wildly emote and, frankly, spend a lot of time doing the opposite of what teenagers actually do. In order to work  consider the Grease playbook  the show needs truthful depictions, allowing us all of recognize ourselves. The show certainly has fun stuff  watching the funny Kelvin Rolston Jr., wobble and skate around is a great time  but in Act 1, that crucial sense of truth is mostly elusive.

Act 2 works better. The best songs in the mixed bag of a score, a sweet ballad called Crushin On You and a potent dance number called Forward Motion, come to the fore, and the capabilities of very decent performers like Goodrich, Richards, Fane, Lord and DeGarmo herself get more air. The production, which is unspeakably frenetic at first, calms down a little and you start to see the bones of a show that might appeal to high schools and summer theaters in the future.

Nostalgia is a powerful force in the theater and often highly successful since it tends to be valued more by audiences than artists. But its a kind of sense memory, a sensual gauze and, when harvested to the best effect, a revelation of how you used to feel when young; the impossibility of the return makes us crave it all the more. You can see all this in Jersey Boys, Hairspray and the like, including a show headed to Broadway later this year, Kimberly Akimbo.

Skates needs first and foremost to relax, to swirl a little in its own past, to dial back all the grating, Wikipedia-like references to this era, to nix the stereotypes and find some genuine Chicago-style specificity and wit. The truth and the way forward lie in summoning all these details  emotional, musical and kinetic.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

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Review: Skates the Musical (2 stars)

When: Open run

Where: Studebaker Theatre in the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Tickets: $46-$99 at 312-753-3210 and www.skatesthemusical.com
A prosecutor in Beijing has reportedly approved the arrest of a director of a Shanghai-listed Chinese big data company on suspicion of misappropriating the firms funds to mine Bitcoin, exchange filings showed.

See related article: Beijing banned crypto mining, so China miners went underground

Fast facts

Li Qunnan, a director of the board of Zhongchang Big Data, was accused of embezzling 53.55 million yuan (US$8 million) in companys funds to buy Bitcoin mining rigs and pay for hosting services in 2021, the company said in multiple filings to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Li, however, is not in China at the moment, according to local media reports.

Zhongchang Big Data booked a net loss of 472.1 million yuan (US$71 million) in 2021, down from a net profit of 9.5 million yuan in 2020 (US$1.4 million), according to its 2021 annual report.

We cant obtain sufficient, adequate audit evidence to base our audit on, the firms auditor said in comments translated from Mandarin Chinese on Zhongchangs 2021 report.

In May, the exchange slapped the firm with a delisting risk warning, requiring it to place a *ST tag on its stock code to warn investors of its financial distress and legal trouble.

China started a series of intensive crackdowns on crypto mining in May 2021 and introduced a blanket ban in September.

However, underground mining operations persist, with companies finding means to stay off the governments radar.

See related article: Hydropower plant in Chinas Hubei province fined for powering crypto mining
LONDON (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday ordering the payment of 5 million roubles ($81,500) to the families of members of Russia's National Guard who died in Ukraine and Syria.

The decree amounted to official recognition that members of the guard, known as Rosgvardia, are among the casualties of the war in Ukraine that Russia describes as a special military operation.

The force, which answers directly to Putin, was created in 2016 to fight terrorism and organised crime, and has been used domestically to crack down on peaceful anti-government protests.

Western analysts have interpreted its deployment from the early stages of the war in Ukraine as a sign of misplaced confidence that Russia would quickly seize major cities, including the capital Kyiv, where Rosgvardia could then be used to maintain order.

In fact, Russian forces were beaten back from both Kyiv and Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv, and are now focused on heavy fighting in the eastern Donbas region.

Putin had already announced compensation schemes for the families of dead and wounded soldiers. Russia has not updated its casualty figures since March 25, when it said 1,351 servicemen had been killed and 3,825 wounded. Ukraine and Western governments say its toll by now is many times higher. ($1 = 61.35 roubles)

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
In both Ramsey and Dakota counties, races for county positions have finally solidified.

The last day to file an affidavit of candidacy was May 31, but candidates had until Thursday, June 2 to withdraw their names from the running, and some last-minute filers were not immediately listed on the Minnesota Secretary of States offices website. They are now.

For elected county offices with more than two candidates, the primary will be Aug. 9.

In Ramsey County, County Commissioner Trista MatasCastillo  who was elected in 2018  has picked up a challenger. David A. Singleton, who is currently a reserve officer for the Minnesota State Fair, describes himself as the chairman of the Minnesota Police Reserve Officers Association, which he is attempting to revive.

The associations most recent Internal Revenue Service 990 tax form, available from Guidestar.org, appeared to be from 2012 and listed $11,000 in assets.

Singleton ran for Minnesota Secretary of State in 2014 as an independent, losing in the political primary. He ran for Maplewood City Council in 2020.

Singleton has sometimes butted heads with law enforcement after dressing up in attire that closely resembles that of police officers, right down to the badge.

All organizations have the right to display what their name is, said Singleton on Monday, noting that in 2017 he represented a nonprofit public safety agency of his founding, the Minnesota Community Policing Services Foundation, Inc. Ive got a good track record of working with law enforcement. Public safety is No. 1. Without that, were not going to move forward.

With Ramsey County Commissioner Jim McDonough choosing not to run for re-election after 21 years in office, seven candidates have filed for what will be an open seat on the November ballot. The latest is Nick Muhammad, founder of the Black Civic Network, a nonprofit dedicated in part to reducing out-of-home placements for Black children. Previously-announced candidates include former County Commissioner Dino Guerin, Mai Chong Xiong, Ying Vang-Pao, Greg Copeland, Clara O. Ware and Foua-Choua Khang.

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Four candidates have filed to run for the seat currently held by Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter, who has chosen not to seek re-election after 17 years in office. They are state Rep. Rena Moran, DFL-St. Paul, George H. Jackson, Darryl Spence and Barbara Bolar.

Longstanding County Commissioner Rafael Ortega faces two perennial candidates  Bill Hosko and Charles Barklind. County Sheriff Bob Fletcher and County Attorney John Choi are running for re-election unopposed.

In Dakota County, what had been a five-way race for the open county board seat in District 4 has tightened as Inver Grove Heights City Council Member John K. Murphy has withdrawn his name from the running. The new line-up is Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste, Robert Heidenreich, Dr. Seema Maddali and Logan OGrady.

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EXCLUSIVE: The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, introduced a measure that would withdraw the United States from the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO), claiming the bodies have been soft on China.

Rogers, R-Ala., told Fox News that the U.N. has "repeatedly proven itself to be an utterly useless organization."

The introduction of the bill comes after the U.N.'s human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, landed in China to begin an inquiry into abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang last month, but Chinese authorities severely limited the trip with COVID-19 measures.

Prior to her arrival, Bachelet said the trip was not an "investigation," and agreed to visit just two locations within the Xinjiang region where China's human rights abuses against Uyghurs have been widely documented.

"The Charter of the United Nations states the U.N.s mission to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small," Rogers said. "However, Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, has proven herself to be nothing more than a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party  aiding the CCP in playing down the very real and horrifying genocide being carried out against Uyghurs."

Rogers added that it is "unconscionable that China continues to sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council even as it carries out this disturbing genocide on top of its numerous and daily violations of basic human rights."

"Its clear the U.N. has abandoned the ideals set in its founding charter and thats why, among many other reasons, Ive reintroduced legislation to withdraw the United States from the U.N.," Rogers said.

Rogers re-introduced the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2022, which would withdraw the U.S. from the U.N., and "the corrupt World Health Organization."

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Rogers first introduced similar legislation in 2015. Aides in Rogers' office told Fox News the bill, at the time, was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, but "unfortunately never made it to the floor."

"We believe that the jarring and public capitulations to the CCP by the U.N. and the WHO in the past two years will bring a renewed interest in Rep. Rogers' bill," the aide said.

The new legislation would block funds from being authorized to be appropriated to the United Nations or any agency and commission associated with it.

China has been accused of wrongfully imprisoning up to three million Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region, as well as carrying out forced sterilizations and abortions. Chinese authorities claim camps in the region are "re-education" facilities combating Islamic extremism.

There is overwhelming evidence to suggest China is in fact carrying out a cultural genocide against Uyghurs, and the Biden administration has condemned China for such abuses.

Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in December, a bipartisan piece of legislation that prevents the importation of goods made via forced labor in the Xinjiang region.

Rogers told Fox News that the WHO "lost all credibility when they chose to put public health second to the Chinese Communist Party by helping the CCP cover up the origins of COVID-19."

Meanwhile, activists and others had called on Bachelet to condemn what the U.S. and others have called the genocide of Uyghur Muslims in the region. China has claimed it is engaged in anti-radicalization and counterterrorism, but activists and governments have pointed instead to evidence of mass detention, forced sterilizations, bans on religious and cultural practices, and torture.

Bachelet touted China's "tremendous achievements" in poverty alleviation and universal health care, as well as Chinas "valued" support on the U.N.s 2030 multilateral Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

On the regimes human rights abuses, she said she had "raised questions and concerns" about Xinjiang as she also appeared to accept Chinese claims that the policies were designed to tackle terrorism and radicalization.

"I encouraged the government to undertake a review of all counterterrorism and deradicalization policies to ensure they fully comply with international human rights standards, and in particular that they are not applied in an arbitrary and discriminatory way," she said.

Even the Biden administration, which rejoined the Human Rights Council this year, expressed concern about Bachelets visit  noting the many restrictions placed on the visit by Beijing.

"While we continue to raise our concerns about Chinas human rights abuses directly with Beijing and support others who do so, we are concerned the conditions Beijing authorities imposed on the visit did not enable a complete and independent assessment of the human rights environment in the PRC, including in Xinjiang, where genocide and crimes against humanity are ongoing," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) visited her native Ukraine over the weekend for at least the fourth time since Russias invasion began more than 100 days ago.

Spartz spent two days in Chernihiv, a city in northern Ukraine that has been bombed heavily by Russian forces, according to a Telegram post from Vyacheslav Chaus, an official of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration. He said she studied the possibilities of rebuilding our city and region.

We have good prospects to implement them. I will tell details later, the post added of Spartzs visit.

Amid her trips back to the country, Spartz has pushed for Congressional oversight of all U.S. aid to Ukraine. In a statement during her third trip in May, she said Congress must ensure taxpayer resources are reaching those in need and being used efficiently

Spartz has long condemned Russias attacks and its president, Vladimir Putin.

This is not a war, Spartz said at the start of the invasion. This is genocide of the Ukrainian people by a crazy man.

We have a president that talks  and doesnt do things, Spartz also said of President Biden, who has resisted calls to send fighter jets to Ukraine or impose a no-fly zone over the country.

What is he going to do, wait until millions die? Then hes going to do more? I mean, we have not just a moral duty, we are the leaders of the free world, the representative said about a week into the war.

This week, the Biden administration is set to unveil a $700 million weapons package for Ukraine including long-range rocket systems.

However, Biden previously told reporters that the U.S. was not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia, as there are concerns about escalating the war into a larger conflict.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator John Cornyn, the leading Republican in talks aimed at ironing out bipartisan legislation to address a plague of U.S. mass shootings, urged the top Senate Democrat on Monday to give negotiators sufficient time to either reach a deal or fail.

Cornyn and other lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans, were due to meet on Monday and hope to reach an agreement on gun legislation by the end of the week, after a wave of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The negotiations have the approval of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell. But Republicans are concerned that Schumer could soon make good on his pledge to begin voting on Democratic gun legislation if the talks appear to be fruitless.

"I hope the Democratic leader will allow bipartisan discussions to continue and then conclude before he pulls the plug and schedules show votes on something he knows can't pass," Cornyn said in a floor speech.

"Good consensus legislation takes time," the Texas Republican added. "The only way we can get a bill that can pass both chambers and earn the president's signature is by taking the time and reaching that consensus."

Schumer's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The negotiations have raised hopes of a rare bipartisan agreement on gun-related issues in Congress, which is characteristically paralyzed by partisan rancor on the issue.

With the 100-seat Senate split 50-50, gun legislation would need 10 Republican votes to meet the chamber's 60-vote threshold for passing most bills.

But Republicans, who as a party staunchly defend the U.S. constitutional right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, have rejected initiatives such as bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines used in many U.S. mass shootings.

While the White House and Congress struggle to agree on a response to the wave of shootings, the U.S. Supreme Court this month is expected to rule on a New York case that could bring a sweeping expansion of gun rights.

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The leading Democrat in the negotiations, Senator Chris Murphy, also said that getting substantial legislation in place would take time.

"I hear the skepticism about how big this package can be. But I'm not going to support anything that doesn't save lives," Murphy, a leading advocate for gun restrictions, told NBC News. "I'm not going to support something that just checks a box."

Both Murphy and Cornyn said talks were focusing on a handful of issues that include legislation to encourage states to adopt red flag laws to deny firearms to people with mental health issues, upgrade school security, strengthen mental health services and keep guns from people legally prohibited from having them.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on legislation limiting gun purchases. Cornyn predicted the legislation would never gain the Republican support needed to succeed in the Senate, calling it a "doomed partisan bill."

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Iskander-M operational-tactical missile systems

Read also: Britain greenlights delivery of M270 missile systems to Ukraine

In the Siverskyi area, the enemy is continuing to build up its forces on the Ukrainian-Russian border in Bryansk and Kursk oblasts.

Read also: US wont supply Ukraine with missile systems that could reach Russian territory, Biden says

In order to demonstrate their presence in the border areas, some enemy units are shelling civilian infrastructure of the settlements of Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts of Ukraine.

Help NV continue its work reporting on the Russian invasion
Russian President Vladimir Putin's government has been holding up so far as oil prices have risen about 50% this year. Alexei Nikolsky/Reuters

Russia said it expects "significantly" more profits from its energy exports this year.

The country has been hit with sweeping international sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia had alternative markets for its oil products.

Russia says it is expecting a jump in profits from energy exports this year amid a surge in prices.

"Considering the price level that has been established as a result of the West's policies, we have suffered no budgetary losses," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a Bosnian Serb TV station Saturday, according to an official transcript.

"On the contrary, this year we will significantly increase the profits from the export of our energy resources," Lavrov continued, per a Reuters translation.

Russia has been hit with intensifying sanctions since it invaded Ukraine  but Moscow could still rake in $800 million a day from oil and gas revenue this year amid soaring energy prices, according to a Bloomberg Economics report last week. The gains in energy prices could bring sales of Russian oil and gas to $285 billion this year, Bloomberg forecasts. That's 20% higher than the country's $235.6 billion takings from oil and gas in 2021.

President Vladimir Putin's government has been holding up so far as oil prices have risen about 50% this year and are trading at 13-year highs amid tight supplies that predated the war, with a strong recovery in demand as the coronavirus pandemic eased. The war in Ukraine adds to supply concerns as heavily sanctioned Russia is a major energy producer.

On May 30, the European Union agreed to slash 90% of its imports of Russian oil by the end of this year  but some countries in the group, including Germany, Europe's largest economy, continue to be heavily dependent on Russian gas.

Countries like China and India are also buying discounted Russian oil, further undermining international sanctions.

"Oil, generally speaking, is not subject to politics, there is a demand for it ... we have alternative sales markets, where we are already increasing sales," Lavrov said, per Reuters.

Read the original article on Business Insider
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Serbia and Russia on Monday formally confirmed that a planned visit by Russia's foreign minister to the Balkan country will not take place, with Moscow accusing the West of preventing the trip.

The announcement followed reports that Serbia's neighbors  Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro  had refused to allow Sergey Lavrov's plane to fly through their airspace to reach Serbia.

An unthinkable thing has happened, Lavrov said during an online news conference Monday. A sovereign state has been deprived of its right to conduct foreign policies. The international activities of Serbia on the Russian track have been blocked.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier Monday met with Russia's ambassador to Serbia who informed him that Lavrov could not come because the Russian government plane was denied necessary flyover permissions, a statement issued after the meeting said.

Vucic expressed dissatisfaction over the circumstances that prevented the visit and added that "despite all, Serbia will preserve independence and autonomy in political decision-making."

While formally still seeking European Union membership, Serbia has maintained friendly ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, refusing to join Western sanctions against Moscow. Many in Serbia view the fellow-Slavic nation as a close ally and Moscow has backed Serbia in its effort to retain its claim on Kosovo.

Lavrov blamed NATO countries for engineering the flight ban  Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia are all members of NATO  noting that the action showed again that the main purpose of the alliance expansion is to try to isolate Russia.

Lavrov is set to travel to Turkey on Wednesday, where he can fly directly over the Black Sea. Turkey has sought to harbor good relations with both Russia and Ukraine while also trying to help international mediation efforts in the crisis.

The Russian foreign minister said the West has trampled on the principle of a free choice of foreign policy partners.

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From the Western viewpoint, Serbia mustnt have any choice, any freedom in choosing its partners, he said. The West clearly shows that it would use any base means to apply pressure."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov deplored what what he described as hostile actions," but said this "wont significantly hamper the continuation of our countrys contacts with friendly countries like Serbia.

In Belgrade, Serbia's pro-Russian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin expressed deep regret that a great and proven friend of Serbia could not come. Vulin added that Serbia is proud that it is not part of anti-Russian hysteria, and the countries that are (part of it) will have time to be ashamed.

Serbia, meanwhile, also is almost fully dependent on Russian gas. Vucic recently talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to arrange a new deal on gas supplies for the next three years.

Analyst Slobodan Stupar described Lavrov's attempted visit to Belgrade as a show that would have been used by Moscow to further vilify the West.

I believe the Russians invited themselves to Serbia, Stupar told The Associated Press. They are terribly isolated. ... They can now say that Europe and the world are not democratic and won't allow a simple flyover.

Stupar said Vucic has placed himself in between Russia and the West.

That is the worst possible position one can imagine, Stupar said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in the region later this week.
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  MONDAY, 6 JUNE 2022, 18:26

The Security Service of Ukraine has obtained information that Russian occupiers were given permission to open fire on civilians they deem suspicious at checkpoints in Kherson Oblast.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine Press Centre, citing an intercepted conversation between two militants from the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic.

Details: According to the Security Service of Ukraine, the aforementioned militants patrol two neighbouring Russian-controlled checkpoints in Kherson Oblast.

A militant with the call sign "grey-haired" said: "I was told: if someone seems suspicious, no questions, just f***ing incinerate themI have an order from the major: if you see a car or a truck, carrying apples or whatever, you look at it, you ask: What are you carrying? If the person is suspicious, f****ing shoot them immediately, no questions."

His interlocutor clarified: "Yeah, from your side youll incinerate them first, but if you dont manage, then we will?"
HOUSTON  When President Joe Biden meets Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, he will be following in the footsteps of presidents such as Jimmy Carter, who flew to Tehran in 1977 to exchange toasts with the Shah of Iran on New Years Eve.

Like the crown prince, the shah was an unelected monarch with a tarnished human rights record. But Carter was obliged to celebrate with him for a cause that was of great concern to people back home: cheaper gasoline and secure oil supplies.

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As Carter and other presidents learned, Biden has precious few tools to bring down costs at the pump, especially when Russia, one of the worlds largest energy producers, has started an unprovoked war against a smaller neighbor. In Carters time, oil supplies that Western countries needed were threatened by revolutions in the Middle East.

During the 2020 campaign, Biden pledged to turn Saudi Arabia into a pariah for the assassination of a prominent dissident, Jamal Khashoggi. But officials said last week that he planned to visit the kingdom this summer. It was just the latest sign that oil has again regained its centrality in geopolitics.

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Just a few years ago, many lawmakers in Washington and oil and gas executives in Texas were patting themselves on the back for an energy boom that had turned the United States into a net exporter of oil and petroleum products and made it more energy independent. With prices rising, that achievement now looks illusory.

The United States is the worlds biggest oil and natural gas producer, but it accounts for only about 12% of the global petroleum supply. The price of oil  the principal cost in gasoline  can still shoot up or tumble depending on events halfway around the world. And no president, no matter how powerful or competent, can do much to control it.

Those facts are cold comfort to Americans who are finding that a stop at the gas station can easily cost a hundred dollars, much more than just a year earlier. When fuel prices rise, consumers demand action and can turn against presidents who seem unwilling or unable to bring them back down.

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 11, 2022. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Always looking ahead to the next election when their jobs or their partys hold on power is at stake, presidents can find it impossible not to try to cajole or plead with foreign and domestic oil producers to drill and pump more oil, faster.

A president has to try, said Bill Richardson, an energy secretary in the Clinton administration. Unfortunately, there are only bad options. And any alternative options are probably worse than asking the Saudis to increase production.

Two other oil-producing countries that could increase production  Iran and Venezuela  are U.S. adversaries that Western sanctions have largely cut out of the global market. Striking any deal with their leaders without securing major concessions on issues such as nuclear enrichment and democratic reforms would be politically perilous for Biden.

Energy experts said even Saudi Arabia, widely considered to have the most spare production capacity ready to be put to use, could not bring down prices quickly on its own. Thats because Russian output is sliding and could fall much further as European countries reduce their purchases from the country.

Presidents may be the most powerful figure in the American government, but they cannot control the price of oil at the pump, said Chase Untermeyer, U.S. ambassador to Qatar in the George W. Bush administration. Even if prices do go down for reasons out of his control, President Biden probably wont get much credit for it, either.

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Some Republican lawmakers and oil executives have argued that Biden could do more to increase domestic oil and gas production by opening up more federal lands and waters to oil drilling in places such as Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. He could also ease regulations on pipeline construction so Canadian producers could send more oil south.

But even those initiatives  which environmentalists and many Democrats oppose because they would retard efforts to combat climate change  would have little immediate impact because it takes months for new oil wells to start producing and pipelines can take years to build.

Were the administration to accede to every aspect of the industrys wish list, that would have a modest impact on todays prices because it would mostly be about production in the future, said Jason Bordoff, who is director of Columbia Universitys Center for Global Energy Policy and was an adviser to President Barack Obama. And it would come with substantial downsides politically, socially and environmentally.

Biden and his aides have been jawboning U.S. oil executives to pump more oil with little success. Most oil companies are reluctant to expand production because they fear that drilling more now will lead to a glut that will send prices tumbling. They remember when oil prices fell below zero at the start of the pandemic. Big companies such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP and Shell have largely stuck to the investment budgets they set last year before Russia invaded Ukraine.

An oil terminal at the seaport of Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 11, 2018. (Christophe Viseux/The New York Times)

Energy traders have become so convinced that the supply will remain limited that the prices of the U.S. and global oil benchmarks climbed after news broke that Biden was planning to travel to Saudi Arabia. Oil prices rose to about $120 a barrel Friday, and the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.85 on Sunday, according to AAA, more than 20 cents higher than a week earlier and $1.80 above a year ago.

Another Biden administration effort that has appeared to fall flat is a decision to release 1 million barrels of oil daily from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Analysts said it was hard to discern any impact from those releases.

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The Biden team has also been in talks with Venezuela and Iran, but progress has been halting.

The administration recently renewed a license that partly exempts Chevron from U.S. sanctions aimed at crippling the oil industry in Venezuela. In March, three administration officials traveled to Caracas to draw President Nicolas Maduro into negotiations with the political opposition.

In another softening of sanctions, Repsol of Spain and Eni of Italy could begin shipping small amounts of oil from Venezuela to Europe in a few weeks, Reuters reported Sunday.

Venezuela, once a major exporter to the United States, has the worlds largest petroleum reserves. But its oil industry has been so crippled that it could take months or even years for the country to substantially increase exports.

With Iran, Biden is seeking to revive a 2015 nuclear accord that President Donald Trump pulled out of. A deal could free Iran to export more than 500,000 barrels of oil a day, easing the global supply crunch and making up for some of the barrels that Russia is not selling. Iran also has roughly 100 million barrels in storage, which could potentially be released quickly.

But the nuclear talks appear to be mired in disagreements and are not expected to bear fruit soon.

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Of course, any deals with either Venezuela or Iran could themselves become political liabilities for Biden because most Republicans and even some Democrats oppose compromises with the leaders of those countries.

No president wants to remove the Revolutionary Guards of Iran from the terrorist list, Ben Cahill, an energy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said about one of the sticking points in the talks with Iran. Presidents are wary of any moves that look like they are making political sacrifices and handing a win to Americas adversaries.

Foreign-policy experts say that although energy crises during war are inevitable, they always seem to surprise administrations, which are generally unprepared for the next crisis. Bordoff, the Obama adviser, suggested that the country invest more in electric cars and trucks and encourage more efficiency and conservation to lower energy demand.

The history of oil crises shows that when there is a crisis, politicians run around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to figure out what they can do to provide immediate relief to consumers, Bordoff said. U.S. leaders, he added, need to better prepare the country for the next time there is an inevitable oil crisis.

c.2022 The New York Times Company
The Russians are destroying houses in the settlements of Luhansk region

Read also: Russia deploys, missiles, warplanes in Belarus close to Ukraine, shells Ukraines Sumy, Chernihiv oblasts

The regional governor says there is street fighting in Severodonetsk, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding the line.

The enemy launched an airstrike on the civilian infrastructure in neighboring Lysychansk. The occupiers also fired at a bakery in the city, which until the last moment had been baking bread for local residents.

Read also: Over 14 million Ukrainian left homes due to war, says UN report

In addition to the bakery, several government buildings and two high-rise buildings were damaged, Hayday said.

During enemy shelling of Pryvillya, a local resident was injured. The police took her to the hospital. There is more serious destruction in the Hirske community. That is 16 houses in Zolote, three in Hirske. Also, six houses were destroyed in Vrubivka.

Read also: Ukraine might have to enter Russia when recapturing Donbas, says advisor to interior minister

After enemy shelling, civilian infrastructure near Metelkino, Borovske, Ustynivka and Toshkivka was also damaged. Mortars, artillery and rockets were used to fire at Zolote, Horikhove, Hirske, and Vrubivka.

The invaders conducted assault operations near the settlements of Bilohorivka and Mykolayivka. The enemy suffered significant losses in manpower and equipment, Hayday said.

Read also: Over 60 people, including children, evacuated from Lysychansk, says Luhansk governor

Earlier, Hayday stated that the Ukrainian military had cleared half of Severodonetsk of Russian troops and assumed control of it. But he said that in the near future, the invaders may throw all of their the equipment and reserves into the battle to capture the city, which they have been ordered to achieve by June 10.

About 15,000 local residents remain in the city, but evacuation is impossible due to constant fighting.

Read also: Ukrainian patrol officer shares story of evacuation of 42,000 people from Luhansk Oblast

According to the Office of the President, Severodonetsk is one of the cities in Donbas that was completely destroyed by the Russian invaders.

Help NV continue its work reporting on the Russian invasion
By Praveen Menon

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Russian aluminium producer Rusal has filed a lawsuit against global miner Rio Tinto, seeking to win back access to its 20% share of the alumina produced at a jointly owned refiner in Queensland.

The lawsuit challenges Australia's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which included wide-ranging sanctions against Russian firms and oligarchs who had links with President Vladimir Putin.

Rio stepped in to take sole control of Queensland Alumina Ltd (QAL) in April, sidelining Rusal and cutting its access to the refinery's output of alumina, a compound from which aluminium is derived. Rio owns 80% of the refinery, while Rusal owns the remaining 20%.

Rusal's Australian unit Alumina and Bauxite Company (ABC) said in a Australian Federal Court filing that the circumstances required for Rio to step-in to take control did not exist and amounted to a breach of obligations, according to the court documents reviewed by Reuters.

Rio's move at QAL came shortly after the world's biggest iron ore miner severed all ties with Russian businesses over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine "a special operation".

Australia banned the export of alumina and aluminium ores, including bauxite, to Russia in March.

In the filings reviewed by Reuters, Rusal's subsidiary asks the federal court to restore its rights at QAL, and declare there would be no sanctions breach if its business continues there.

Rio declined to comment. Rusal, the world's second largest aluminium producer, could not be immediately reached for comment outside usual business hours.

Rusal was not directly targeted by Australian sanctions, but Rio's actions were triggered by sanctions on oligarchs Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg, who own stakes worth 25.6% and 8% respectively in Rusal.

In 2018 Rusal was covered by U.S. sanctions against Russian businessmen and companies.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon and Renju Jose; Editing by Diane Craft and Kenneth Maxwell)
By Padraic Halpin and Siyabonga Sishi

DUBLIN/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Ryanair is requiring South African passengers to prove their nationality before travelling by completing a test in Afrikaans, a language used by just 12% of the population that has long been identified with apartheid and the white minority.

Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, which does not operate flights to and from South Africa, said it required any UK-bound passengers from the country to fill in the "simple questionnaire" due to what it described as a high prevalence of fraudulent South African passports.

"If they are unable to complete this questionnaire, they will be refused travel and issued with a full refund," a spokesman for the Irish airline said.

South Africa's Home Affairs department, which has warned of syndicates selling fake passports, said it would issue a statement on the Ryanair test.

The UK High Commission in South Africa said on Twitter that the Ryanair test was not a British government requirement to enter the United Kingdom. The Irish High Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The low cost carrier said the test would apply to any South African passport holder flying to Britain from another part of Europe on the carrier. The airline did not immediately respond to a query about why it would apply to those routes, given Britain says it is not a requirement.

Zinhle Novazi, a South African attorney, faced the test when travelling by Ryanair from Ibiza, Spain, to London on May 29.

Some of the questions include naming the highest mountain in South Africa, its largest city and one national holiday.

"I was able to answer the questions," said Novazi, who learnt Afrikaans in school but is not a native speaker of the language. She was then allowed to board the plane.

Novazi wrote to South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation on June 1 but has not received a response.

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The department did not respond to a request for comment.

The test triggered a backlash from South Africans in Johannesburg.

"It's very discriminatory to a whole host of South Africans who don't speak Afrikaans," Siphiwe Gwala told Reuters.

"They're using this (test) in a manner that is utterly absurd," Conrad Steenkamp, the chief executive officer of the Afrikaans Language Council, said.

Afrikaans is the third most spoken of 11 official languages in South Africa, used by 12% of the 58 million people in the country. It has long been identified with the ideology of apartheid and was considered the official language until the end of apartheid in 1994.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin in Dublin, Promit Mukherjee and Nqobile Dludla in Johannesburg; Editing by Alison Williams and James Macharia Chege)
(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, raised July crude oil prices for Asian buyers to higher-than-expected levels amid concerns about tight supply and expectations of strong demand in summer.

The official selling price (OSP) for July-loading Arab Light to Asia was hiked by $2.1 a barrel from June to $6.5 a barrel over Oman/Dubai quotes, just off an all-time-high recorded in May.

That was much higher than most market forecasts for an increase around $1.5. Only one respondent of six in a Reuters poll had predicted a jump of $2.

"The price jump is unexpected, especially the Arab Light. We are puzzled by the decision," said an Asian oil trader.

Graphic: Saudi oil prices to Asia - https://graphics.reuters.com/SAUDI-OIL/PRICES/lbpgndxywvq/chart.png

The hike by state oil producer Saudi Aramco came despite an agreement by OPEC+ states to boost output by 648,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July and a similar amount in August in an effort to offset Russian supply losses. That compares with an initial plan to add 432,000 bpd a month over three months until September.

But the increases have been divided across member countries including Russia and states such as Angola and Nigeria which struggle to meet their targets, leading to fears that the actual boost to supply may fall short of official plans.

Countries in the northern hemisphere, such as the United States, typically kick off their driving seasons in July sending demand for gasoline surging. China, the world's No.1 oil importer, is also re-opening some cities such as Shanghai after lengthy COVID-19 lockdowns.

"Demand is also very strong in this cycle and Saudi can afford to hike OSPs," said another Asian oil trader.

Some demand for Saudi oil could be countered by persistent flows of Russian oil to China and India, which have refused to condemn Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine and have been ramping up purchases of Russian cargos at bargain prices.

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Moscow says it is carrying out a "special military operation" to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Ukraine and Western countries dismiss Russia's claims as a pretext to invade.

Saudi Aramco on Sunday night also raised its OSP for European and Mediterranean buyers, but kept U.S. differentials unchanged.

Saudi term crude supplies to Asia are priced as a

differential to the Oman/Dubai average:

July June CHANGE

SUPER LIGHT 8.50 5.75 2.75

EXTRA LIGHT 7.15 4.65 2.50

LIGHT 6.50 4.40 2.10

MEDIUM 6.15 4.35 1.80

HEAVY 4.80 3.00 1.80

Prices at Ras Tanura destined for United States

are set against ASCI:

July June CHANGE

EXTRA LIGHT 7.00 7.00 0.00

LIGHT 5.65 5.65 0.00

MEDIUM 4.95 4.95 0.00

HEAVY 4.50 4.50 0.00

Prices at Ras Tanura destined for Northwest Europe

are set against ICE Brent:

July June CHANGE

EXTRA LIGHT 6.80 5.60 1.20

LIGHT 4.30 2.10 2.20

MEDIUM 1.30 -0.10 1.40

HEAVY -2.60 -4.10 1.50

Prices at Ras Tanura for Saudi oil destined for

the Mediterranean are set against ICE Brent:

July June CHANGE

EXTRA LIGHT 6.80 5.60 1.20

LIGHT 3.90 1.90 2.00

MEDIUM 1.40 0.20 1.20

HEAVY -2.80 -3.00 0.20

(Reporting by Moataz Mohammed and Yasmin Hussein, Muyu Xu in Singapore; Editing by Catherine Evans and Edwina Gibbs)
Scream Paramount Pictures / Spyglass Media Group

Goodbye, Sidney.

Neve Campbell won't return as Sidney Prescott in the upcoming sixth Scream film, making this the horror series' first sequel without the iconic character.

"As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream," Campbell told Deadline. "I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise." She added it was a "very difficult decision to move on."

Since 1996, the hit slasher franchise has revolved largely around Campbell's Sidney Prescott, the series' "final girl," though she had a smaller role in the most recent sequel as a new cast took center stage. When rumors previously suggested Campbell wouldn't be back, fans were disappointed, though some supported the idea of giving her character a rest. After all, Sidney's story seemed somewhat wrapped up in 2022's Scream, which established she settled down with a husband and kids.

But after Campbell revealed that her absence won't be a creative decision but has to do with a salary dispute, fans quickly voiced frustration with the studio. "Scream belongs to Neve Campbell," Slashfilm critic Chris Evangelista tweeted.

At least one of the franchise's longtime leads will be back, though, as Courteney Cox confirmed Monday she'll return as Gale Weathers.

The sixth Scream, which sees new stars Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown return from the hit 2022 film, debuts in March 2023.

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Strawberry Moon in New York City

Gary Hershorn/Getty Images A Strawberry Moon above the New York City skyline in 2021.

Even though May's lunar eclipse brought stargazers out in force, June's action-packed roster of celestial events promises to keep those eyes on the sky.

This month's nighttime spectacles run the gamut from a dazzling supermoon, when the month's at its brightest, and visibility of not one but five planets at once.

Ready to get stargazing? As always, you'll enjoy the best nightscapes in an area with limited light pollution, such as a certified Dark Sky Place or one of our favorite national parks for stargazing.

Bookmark these five celestial events for a month of cosmic sightseeing.

June 14: Strawberry Moon

It's supermoon season in the Northern Hemisphere, and what better way to celebrate than a full strawberry moon on June 14? Now, the term strawberry moon has nothing to do with the actual look or hue of the moon. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, indigenous communities used this name for the June moon because it coincided with strawberry harvests in parts of North America.

The fact that it's a supermoon, when the full moon appears slightly larger than its annual mean size, does mean it will look more vibrant  particularly when the moon reaches its peak size around 7:50 a.m. ET, according to astrophotography app Photo Pills. At that time, the moon will be at its closest point to Earth: a quick 222,664 miles away (that's roughly nine times around Earth via the equator).

June 16: Mercury's Greatest Western Elongation

See the planet Mercury in a new light as it nears its point of greatest western elongation (the largest point of separation from the sun) on June 16. For much of the year, Mercury orbits closer to the sun than Earth, according to Photo Pills. The sun overpowers this small planet, making it faded and tough to see. By June 10, Mercury will appear brighter; it reaches the brightness climax  the point of greatest western elongation  on June 16.

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June 21: Summer Solstice

While the summer solstice isn't necessarily a cosmic event, it is the longest day of the year, marking the first astronomical day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere (and the shortest in the Southern Hemisphere), according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Cultural and celestial solstice celebrations abound. Some of the best places to enjoy the solstice include Anchorage, Alaska, home of the Summer Solstice Festival; Ottawa, Canada, which hosts the annual Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival; and England's Stonehenge, where the sun rises behind the heel stone in near-perfect alignment.

June 24: Alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn

June's planetary lineup promises an out-of-this-world sight: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be aligned and visible around dawn all month, according to an NPR interview with Sky & Telescope's observing editor, Diana Hannikainen. Earthlings won't enjoy this action-packed view again until 2040, Hannikainen said.

By June 24, Mercury will become easier to spot above the horizon. A waning crescent moon that same night will be the cherry on top of the interstellar event. Grab those binoculars and get to your vantage point at least 30 minutes before the sun rises, Hannikainen told NPR. You'll need a clear view of the horizon out to the east to fully enjoy this show.

June 27: June Bootids Meteor Shower

Some summers, the June Bootids meteor shower fills the sky with hundreds of eye-popping meteors per hour. Most years it generates a weak handful of meteors per hour. If you're willing to test your luck, mark your calendar for June 27, when it tends to be the most active, according to space news outlet Spaceweather. To monitor for it, find the Bootes constellation, located left of the Little Dipper, either before dawn or after dusk.
Senate negotiators working to come to an agreement on gun violence legislation are asking the White House to stay out of the talks.

Some have said that President Bidens involvement wouldnt be helpful after he called on Congress to pass gun control measures, some of which arent even supported by all 50 Democrats.

The White House spent much of last week going back and forth about how much involvement, if any, the administration would have in the talks, eventually settling on messaging that the president would give Congress space to negotiate.

Then an about-face came on Thursday when Biden gave a prime-time speech calling on Congress to pass a host of measures that lawmakers say are not part of the negotiations, resulting in some head-scratching over the direction the White House was heading on the matter.

Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.), the lead Democratic negotiator on gun violence talks, indicated that although he has been in communication with the White House about the negotiations, even Democrats on Capitol Hill think discussions have a better chance of bearing fruit without the involvement of the president or his team.

I think the Senate needs to do this ourselves, Murphy said on CNN on Sunday. I have talked to the White House every single day since these negotiations began. But right now, the Senate needs to handle these negotiations.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Democrats and Republicans directly involved in the talks, have expressed some optimism  and caution  about whether any deal could be reached on gun violence legislation following the killing of 19 children at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y) has given lead negotiators a deadline of this week to reach an agreement, which Murphy emphasized needs to happen within that time frame. The Senate is in for the next three weeks before it takes off for the July 4 recess.

Stewart Verdery, who helped negotiate crime and gun legislation when he was a Senate leadership and Judiciary Committee counsel, argued that pressure from the president on Capitol Hill could be counterproductive.

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The Senate may not work as intended as much as it used to, but it still works best in cases where there is not a statutory deadline for action when a bipartisan group can find compromise without public badgering by a president, said Verdery, the founder of Monument Advocacy.

In 2022, a president pushing the other party to a deal creates a counter-reaction that is extremely counter-productive, he added.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), meanwhile, on Monday appeared to pump the brakes on comments he made on television the day before in which he suggested that the Senate was closer to acting on gun control legislation than at any other time hes served in the upper chamber.

Cautiously, cautiously, Toomey told Fox News in response to a question about whether he was optimistic about negotiators producing an agreement. This is  this is a big challenge.

On Sunday, Toomey also took a jab at Biden, saying the president was not being very helpful after the chief executive delivered a rare prime-time address calling for Congress to ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines or to raise the purchasing age for those guns from from 18 to 21.

Biden also called for Congress to expand background checks, pass red flag laws and safe storage requirements, and repeal the liability shield for gun manufacturers and dealers.

This is going to come down to whether we can reach a consensus in the United States Senate, Toomey said.

The White House on Monday said Biden was encouraged by the discussions on Capitol Hill and that legislative affairs teams have been in close contact with Senate negotiators.

We would respectfully disagree with Sen. Toomey, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday when asked to respond to the idea that Biden hasnt been helpful.

He cant do it all alone, right? He has taken some actions, some executive actions, she said. And he believes that Congress should continue to act, and we are going to see how the negotiations go. Were going to give it the space it needs.

A renewal of the 1994 assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004, is highly unlikely to pass the Senate and overcome the 60-vote threshold. A key moderate Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), said on Monday that he backs raising the age to 21 to buy semi-automatic rifles, but Republicans are still at odds with legislation that would in any way restrict gun purchases.

Toomey essentially called Bidens speech ineffective because he advocated policies that he knows for sure have no chance of passing the Senate  probably couldnt even get 50 votes and hold the Democrats, much less get the 60 we would need.

John LaBombard, former communications director to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), argued that aspirational statements from Biden that dont reflect reality wont help to get legislation done.

When legislating, we need to start by recognizing the reality of vote margins, and some of President Bidens proposed solutions have no chance of earning the necessary support in a 50-50 split Senate, said LaBombard, now a senior vice president at ROKK.

The senators engaged in these negotiations know better than anyone else whats realistically possible  and they have much more credibility than the White House does with the Republican Senators well need if a deal is reached, LaBombard added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Chen Lin

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday named finance minister and chosen successor Lawrence Wong as his new deputy effective next week, paving the way for him to become the city state's next leader.

Wong, 49, was picked in April as leader of the People's Action Party's (PAP) so-called fourth generation team but the timeframe for a change in power in the ruling party remains unclear.

Lee, 70, has previously said Wong would succeed him either before or after the next general election, which is due in 2025.

"The next generation leadership is taking shape. I ask everyone to give your full support to this important transition, to steer Singapore safely out of the pandemic and into a brighter future," Lee said in a Facebook post on Monday.

Wong said in a Facebook post he was taking on "possibly (the) biggest responsibility" of his life.

"I seek your support, as I take on my latest appointment...to steer Singapore through the many challenges we are facing today," he said.

Monday's announcement included the moving of several other political office-holders to different ministries.

Wong, who headed Singapore's COVID-19 taskeforce, will continue in his current role of finance minister while serving as deputy prime minister, according to an official statement. He would stand in for Lee as the leader in the event of his absence.

Singapore has been governed by the PAP since its 1965 independence and leadership succession is usually a carefully planned affair.

Felix Tan, a political analyst at Nanyang Technological University, said Wong's appointment would ensure a smoother transition to the top job, which is unlikely to be imminent.

"This will give him some leeway to familarise himself in the role, give him the chance to form a new cabinet or at least be involved in the decision-making process of forming a new cabinet," he said.

"I don't necessarily think PM Lee is going to step down anytime soon. Perhaps we would see a timeframe of a year or two, which will bring us closer to the next general election."

(Reporting by Chen Lin; Editing by Martin Petty)
Officers on the scene after human remains were found inside a dumpster (Eyewitness News)

A 25-year-old man has been arrested for murder after his mothers dismembered body was found in a dumpster at a California apartment complex.

David Hoetzlein was taken into custody on Friday night, hours after police found body parts belonging to his 62-year-old mother Tomoko Hoetzlein in the grounds of the Las Positas Apartments complex in Ventura County.

Mr Hoetzlein is accused of killing his mother and dismembering her body before trying to dispose of her remains in a bin next to the apartment that they shared.

Ventura County Sheriffs Office said that Camarillo police officers made the grim discovery at around 6.50am on Friday morning, when they responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at the apartment block.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they discovered the human remains stuffed inside the dumpster.

The investigation soon honed in on the victims son and officials obtained a warrant to search the apartment where they lived.

Mr Hoetzlein was inside the apartment alone at the time of the warrant being executed, the sheriffs office said.

The search of the home uncovered evidence which connected David to the murder of his mother, according to officials.

He was arrested for his mothers murder at around 8.27pm.

Officials said the gruesome killing was an isolated incident and insisted that there is no threat to the public.

No motive has been revealed and it is not clear how Ms Hoetzlein was killed.

Mr Hoetzlein is being held on $3m bond at the Ventura County jail.

He will be arraigned in Ventura County Superior Court on Tuesday.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  A South African court has convicted a pastor of plotting to overthrow the government and to kill thousands of Black people in the country.

Harry Johannes Knoesen, 61, a leader of the National Christian Resistance Movement, was on Monday found guilty of high treason, incitement to carry out violent attacks, and recruiting people to commit attacks.

Knoesens group explored the possibility of using a biological weapon to infect and kill Black people, including the poisoning of water reservoirs supplying Black communities, according to the prosecution.

Knoesen was also found guilty of unlawful possession of firearms by the Middelburg High Court. Weapons and ammunition were found when he was arrested in Middelburg, a small town in the eastern Mpumalanga province.

The plot by the pastors group was foiled in 2019 by South Africa's police and intelligence services, who have since dismantled the organizations cells across various parts of the country and arrested some of its leaders.

Knoesen was convicted on evidence from witnesses including members of his group who are already serving jail sentences after they were convicted of similar crimes.

The state alleged that Knoesens plot was motivated by his highly racial views and that he sought to justify his beliefs on religious grounds, claiming that he was ordained to reclaim South Africa for white people.

To further this end, he planned to attack government institutions and more specifically police and military institutions, Monica Nyuswa, a spokeswoman for the National Prosecuting Authority, told The Associated Press.

He also identified townships and informal settlements occupied by Black South Africans as targets for attack, she said.

Knoesen allegedly used social media platform Facebook to incite violence against Black people and to recruit former members of South Africa's military to join his movement and to carry out the planned attacks. These were foiled when he was arrested in November 2019 and the cells in various parts of the country were dismantled.

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In his testimony, Knoesen admitted to sharing recipes to manufacture explosives with his followers on Facebook, according to the Middelburg Observer newspaper.

This is not the first racist, treasonous plot to be uncovered in South Africa.

In 2013, 20 members of the right-wing white supremacy group known as the Boeremag were sentenced to prison for plotting to kill South Africas first Black president Nelson Mandela, overthrow the government and kill thousands of Black people.

They were handed sentences ranging from five to 35 years following a 10-year treason trial, one of the longest in the countrys history.

That group, like Knoesens, was opposed to South Africas democracy which brought an end to apartheid, the country's regime of white minority rule that ended with the first democratic elections in 1994 which elected Mandela president.

Knoesen is expected back in court on June 10 for the beginning of sentencing proceedings.
A gunman suspected of fatally shooting a retired county judge at a Wisconsin home had a list that included Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Whitmers office and a law enforcement source said Saturday.

Douglas K. Uhde, 56, who has not been charged, is suspected of killing retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer at Roemers house in New Lisbon on Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said in a news release Saturday.

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Uhde was found in the basement of the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, following attempts by police to negotiate with him. Uhde is hospitalized in critical condition, DOJ officials said.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul on Friday said the shooting appeared to be a targeted act and that the gunman had selected people who were part of the judicial system.

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But investigators believe the gunman also may have planned to target other government officials and found a list in his vehicle that contained the names of several other prominent elected leaders, a law enforcement official said. The other targets on the list, which mentioned Roemer, included Evers, McConnell and Whitmer, the official said.

Roemer was found zip-tied to a chair in his home and had been fatally shot, the official said. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Uhde has an extensive criminal and prison record dating back at least two decades, including a case when he was sentenced by Roemer to six years in prison on weapons charges. He was released from his last prison stint in April 2020.

Juneau County Circuit Judge John Roemer is seen in this 2007 photo, in Wisconsin. Roemer was found killed in his home in New Lisbon, Wis., on Friday, June 3, 2022. (Tom Loucks/Wisconsin Rapids Tribune/Tom Loucks/Wisconsin Rapids Tribune)

Zach Pohl, Whitmers deputy chief of staff, said her office was notified that her name appeared on the Wisconsin gunmans list.

Governor Whitmer has demonstrated repeatedly that she is tough, and she will not be bullied or intimidated from doing her job and working across the aisle to get things done for the people of Michigan, Pohl said.

Whitmer became the object of protests and criticism after she blamed former President Donald Trump for stoking anger over COVID-19 restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists.

A trial held earlier this year in which four men accused in an alleged kidnapping plot of the Michigan Democrat resulted in the acquittal of two of the men. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict for the other two.

Roemer, 68, was a very loving, very encouraging man with a wonderful sense of humor who will be dearly missed by the community, said Chip Wilke, pastor at St. Pauls Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mauston, where Roemer was president of the congregation and evangelism chairman. He was in my office several mornings a week.

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Wilke said after he was notified of Roemers death Friday the pastors thought was Im glad we have Jesus and we know where hes at.

Roemer retired from the bench in 2017. He was first elected in 2004 and was reelected in 2010 and 2016. He previously had served as an assistant district attorney for Juneau County and an assistant state public defender. He also worked in private practice and served as a lieutenant colonel for the U.S. Army Reserves.

Investigators said there is no immediate danger to the public.

The information thats been gathered indicated that it was a targeted act and that the targeting was based on some sort of court case or court cases, Kaul said.

The Juneau County Sheriffs Office received a call that two shots were fired at a home in New Lisbon at 6:30 a.m. Friday, according to the Division of Criminal Investigation. The caller had fled the home and made the call from another nearby house.

Donna Voss, a neighbor, told The Associated Press she heard law enforcement on a loudspeaker telling the man to surrender and leave the home.

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For Voss, the shooting came as a shock in a usually quiet neighborhood where houses sit alongside farmland and wooded lots, about 80 miles northwest of Madison.

Its unbelievable and really freaky, she said.

New Lisbon, which has a population of about 2,500 people, is in Juneau County in central Wisconsin.

Kolpack reported from Fargo, North Dakota. Balsamo reported from Washington, D.C.
On May 23, the Air Force put out a memorandum establishing Space Force Dress and Appearance Standards, which included a graphic about its nail polish and lipstick policies.

The image, which shows a diverse array of skin tones sporting various shades of nail polish and lipsticks, left service members questioning how the policy would be enforced. Users on the popular Facebook group Air Force amn/nco/snco took to the comment section on the image to voice their concerns.

Are we really still segregating colors based on skin color or vice versa? asked user Michael Campbell.

However, it seems the graphic is more or less a guide for commands to use. All the colors worn by the models are available to Guardians with any skin tone.

The uniform and policy updates reflect the nations sixth service identity and culture, Lt. Col. Brooke Davis, Space Force press desk officer, told Military Times. The intent of the increased color options for nail and lipstick colors is to allow maximum variations for all female skin tones. The approved color palettes provide a wide array of color options.

The new policy establishes that a majority of colors shown, close to or within reason, can be worn by female Guardians.

According to the memo, the policy is quite close to the Air Force policy, AF Dress and Appearance regulation, DAFI 36-2903. However, for any deviations, Guardians should defer specifically to the Space Force guidance, which is as follows:

4.7. Fingernails. Males are not authorized to wear nail polish. If worn by females, nail polish will be a single color that does not detract from the uniform. All fingernails on both hands will match each other. Female Guardians may wear any shade of nail polish except extreme colors that include, but are not limited to gold, blue, black, and fluorescent colors. Do not apply designs to nails or apply two-tone or multi-tone colors; however, white-tip French manicures, American Manicures, and Natural Ombre styles are authorized. Figure 4.2. shows examples (not all-inclusive) of authorized fingernail hues. Fingernails will complement the uniform. Fingernail length remains consistent with DAFI 36-2903, para 3.2.

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4.8. Lipstick. Male Guardians are not authorized to wear lipstick. Female Guardians may wear any shade of lipstick except extreme colors that include, but not limited to gold, blue, black, and fluorescent colors. Figure 4.2. shows examples (not all-inclusive) of lipstick hues. Lipstick will complement the uniform.

Commanders are given leeway to interpret this policy and enforce it as they see fit. Those who are uncertain about it are advised to seek counsel from higher ups.

The policy memo is representative only and should not be viewed as all-inclusive of approved colors, Davis said. We encourage any commanders who have questions regarding this policy to seek clarity through the appropriate personnel or leadership channels.
The Marguerite Casey Foundation, a far-left grant-making organization that counts Stacey Abrams as a board member, increased its anti-police funding shortly after she joined the group and with her approval, despite her campaign saying she disagrees with the foundation on such issues.

Abrams' campaign previously told Fox News Digital that the second-time Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate does not hold the same views as the Marguerite Casey Foundation, which she joined in May 2021. The group has voiced support for defunding and abolishing the police on several occasions.

Abrams, who has tried to distance herself from the hardline rhetoric of the "defund the police" movement in the past, has received at least $52,500 in income from the foundation, according to her financial disclosures.

And while Abrams has remained tight-lipped on the defunding issue on the campaign trail, a press release from the foundation issued weeks after she became one of its governors shows that she supported its expanded anti-police efforts.

Stacey Abrams, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Georgia, speaks during a news conference in Atlanta on May 24, 2022. Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images

STACEY ABRAMS SERVES AS BOARD MEMBER, GOVERNOR OF FOUNDATION THAT SUPPORTS #ABOLISHTHEPOLICE

The Marguerite Casey Foundation launched the "Answer the Uprising" initiative in late May 2021, which includes increased financial support to liberal groups working on law enforcement issues. It also established a coalition with other high-dollar grant-making organizations that provide backing to defund the police groups.

The foundation began the campaign on the first anniversary of the "racial justice uprisings," which the group says challenged "white supremacy and the systems that maintain it as one of the most dominant forces in our lives."

It received unanimous backing from its board, including Abrams.

"This latest initiative is fully supported by Marguerite Casey Foundation's Board of Directors, which recently named seven new changemakers to the Board, including Stacey Abrams and Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change," its press release said.

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Stacey Abrams speaks during a campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 14, 2022. Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The "Answer the Uprising" initiative involved $1.6 million more in pledged cash from the Marguerite Casey Foundation to "fund programs and organizations that directly address racial injustice in policing and the justice system."

"What people were marching and crying out about was policing," the Answer the Uprising page says. "Tens of millions of everyday people took extraordinary risks to say what they wanted in the clearest terms possible  transform, defund, abolish."

"They wanted an end to police violence and all forms of racist violence and injustice that are endemic within the criminal justice system," the page says.

STACEY ABRAMS ON BOARD OF FOUNDATION AWARDING MILLIONS TO WOKE PROFESSORS PUSHING PRISON ABOLITION, CRT

The Marguerite Casey Foundation recruited other left-wing organizations for the initiative, including Borealis Philanthropy, which has partnered with Black Lives Matter. Borealis Philanthropy acts as an intermediary for donors and provides large sums to numerous liberal activist groups, including those who want to strip police of their budget.

The Marguerite Casey Foundation has also given grants to left-wing groups that want to defund the police, according to a review of their tax forms.

In 2020, the foundation awarded $250,000 to the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 50 groups, including Black Lives Matter, that wants to "divest from excessive, brutal, discriminatory policing and invest in a vision of community safety that works for everyone, not just an elite few," according to its website.

GEORGE SOROS THROWS $1M BEHIND STACEY ABRAMS' SECOND GUBERNATORIAL RUN

Stacey Abrams during the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala on Dec. 9, 2021, in New York City. Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

The Movement for Black Lives also sent a text message last summer calling on its supporters to sign clemency petitions for Mutulu Shakur and Sundiata Acoli, a former Black Liberation Army leader who was the mastermind behind several armed robberies in Connecticut and New York. In 1981, the Brinks robbery in New York resulted in the slayings of an armed guard and two police officers. Acoli was convicted of murdering New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster during a 1973 traffic stop.

In 2020, the Marguerite Casey Foundation also gave $200,000 to the Black Organizing Project, which is part of a 13-group committee pushing to defund the Oakland police. That same year, the foundation sent $200,000 to the Louisville Community Bail Fund, which bailed out a Black Lives Matter activist who attempted to assassinate Jewish Democratic mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg in February.

The Marguerite Casey Foundation's board also includes one of the most outspoken defund the police activists in the country. Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, the "nation's largest online racial justice organization," joined its board at the same time as Abrams.

Robinson has tweeted his support of defunding the police numerous times, and his group backed a Minneapolis ballot initiative to disband its police department. The unsuccessful effort received $500,000 in backing from a George Soros nonprofit.

The Marguerite Casey Foundation, likewise, has repeatedly voiced support for defunding and abolishing the police, as Fox News Digital previously reported. The group also awarded millions to professors and scholars who advocate anti-capitalist and prison abolitionist views.

Abrams' campaign and the Marguerite Casey Foundation did not respond to Fox News Digital's inquiries.

Fox News' Jessica Chasmar and Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report.
Mark Hamill issued a funny warning to Kate Middleton after a video of Prince Louis circulated online.

On Sunday (5 June), a clip of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges youngest child putting his hand over Middletons mouth at the jubilee celebrations was shared on social media.

In the clip, the bored four-year-old can be seen thumbing his nose and sticking his tongue out at his mother during the Queens platinum jubilee pageant.

Star Wars actor Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the franchise, shared the clip on Twitter, writing: I think she should start dreading the teenage years... NOW.

The clip came on the fourth day of celebrations in honour of Queen Elizabeth IIs 70 years on the throne.

On Saturday (4 June), a concert, titled Platinum Party at the Place, took place outside Buckingham Palace.

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Louis at the jubilee celebrations (Getty Images)

The ceremony was kicked off in heartwarming fashion as the Queen showed off her acting skills for a cute skit opposite the CGI version of Paddington Bear voiced by Ben Whishaw.

Meanwhile, comedian Lee Mack ad-libbed a joke about the Partygate scandal  in front of Boris Johnson himself  while Stephen Fry made a comment about prime ministers that drew gasps from the crowd.

Read The Independents verdict on the event here.
An actor best known for his work on Disney's "Andi Mack" was sentenced to two years in prison following an arrest on a child sex charge in 2018, officials said Monday.

Stoney Westmoreland, 52, pleaded guilty to use of interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor and must surrender to prison no later than July 18, according to court records.

Westmoreland had been indicted on one count of alleged coercion and enticement to engage in sexual activity with a minor.

He had faced a minimum 10 years in prison on the more serious offense before he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, defense lawyer Wendy Lewis said.

Westmoreland communicated with an undercover law enforcement agent pretending to be a teenager on the dating app Grindr in 2018, Lewis and prosecutors said.

He later said the online connection, which turned into a real-life meeting, was role-playing that went too far. When Westmoreland showed up to meet the agent, whom he believed to be a 13-year-old, he asked the ride-share "driver to wait for him because he might not be staying," Lewis said.

"Had it been a minor, he was planning on leaving," Lewis said. "The risk of 10 years or more, though, particularly with a Utah jury and homosexuality, led to the decision of taking the plea."

After he serves his sentence, Westmoreland will be under conditions of supervised release for 10 more years and will have to register as a sex offender for 25 years, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Choate said.

He will be limited to "possessing only one personal computer and/or internet-capable device," and all "devices are subject to random inspection" once he's out of prison, according to court records.

Westmoreland was fired from the cast of "Andi Mack," which films in Utah, shortly after his arrest. He had played the role of Henry Ham Mack, grandfather to the show's protagonist.
A high school student was arrested in Riverside County on Sunday after he allegedly sent social media messages about shooting "up a school" and "kids," authorities said.

The threats did not mention a specific school, according to the Menifee Police Department, but the 17-year-old suspect is a senior at Heritage High School.

The suspect had allegedly been harassing students and was in possession of a firearm, police said.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the suspect and his residence, and found him as he was returning home. He was arrested without incident.

Police said a search of the suspect "revealed he was in possession of a firearm commonly referred to as a 'ghost gun' and a pair of brass knuckles."

He was booked into custody at Riverside County Juvenile Hall "on several charges including criminal threats, possession of brass knuckles and possession of an unregistered firearm," Menifee police said.

A ghost gun is created by assembling pieces, sold together in a kit or separately, to create a fully functioning firearm, authorities said.

The guns are typically made from polymer parts created with 3-D printers, and they are untraceable because they arent registered and lack serial numbers. They can be assembled at home and are often inexpensive, with kits selling online for about $350 to $500, according to county officials.

In a statement, Heritage High School said that there was no specific threat to the school, but that they wanted to ensure the school's community was aware of the incident.

"Parents and guardians, please take the time to talk with your students about the appropriate use of social media," the school said on Facebook. "All threats of violence are taken seriously and we will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to pursue any person of interest."

The investigation is ongoing.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Springfield police say a man is behind bars at the Clark County Jail following a lengthy standoff.

The standoff started at a home on South Lowry Avenue early Monday morning and lasted nearly 15 hours.

A Springfield police Lieutenant told News Center 7 it started as a domestic incident and turned into a standoff after police responded.

>> Springfield receives over $300K state crime reduction grant to buy new surveillance cameras

Police say it took them all day to negotiate with the man, whose identity has not been released yet.

Around 5:45 p.m., SWAT members and police were able to convince the man decided to come out and he surrendered without incident.

The man had a towel over his face to hide his identity as police hauled him off to jail after hours of negotiation.

A Springfield police sergeant told News Center 7 a man, woman and child were involved in the standoff, but would not specify how they knew each other.

Police say the woman was able to escape, but the man held the child hostage for several more hours, eventually letting him go unharmed.

When the man was the only one left in the house, police say he refused to come out for a few more hours, creating commotion in what some neighbors say is a quiet area.

Its peaceful, but like all neighborhoods, you have your bad apples, one neighbor told News Center 7.

Springfield police say no one was hurt in the standoff.

We are working to learn what kind of charges the man could possibly be facing.




(Bloomberg) -- For decades, American steelmakers have enjoyed a reliable shield against foreign competitors: US trade policy. Now they say that very protection is under threat from the solar industry.

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Solar developers have pushed a novel argument in their quest to scrap a probe into whether Chinese panel makers are evading tariffs. The Biden administration, they say, should consider how the investigation is undermining the fight against climate change.

That reasoning strikes fear into American steel. The country, after all, has long set duties to combat unfair trade based on a narrow set of criteria centered around competition, subsidies and pricing. Any new criteria risk making it harder for US industrials to win new duties in future disputes.

It would tell US manufacturers that even if you have a valid case and youre losing jobs because of unfair competition, you might be denied relief, said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a group that represents steelmakers and workers. If you weaken that, youre going to weaken overall support for more trade.

As solar-installation advocates pitch a different approach to trade policy, several US senators have made direct appeals to President Joe Biden, encouraging him to factor climate into the inquiry, according to people familiar with the discussions who werent authorized to speak publicly.

You have an administration that said they were going to do a climate test on everything, said George Hershman, chief executive officer of SOLV Energy, a solar developer pushing to end the probe. Is that a stretch for appropriateness? Probably not.

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On Monday, Biden attempted a slightly different strategy to resolve the crisis. He invoked the Defense Production Act to support US-made solar and other domestic clean-energy manufacturing and used emergency authorities to impose a two-year freeze on new tariffs for panels. But his moves were quickly rebuked by domestic manufacturers.

In order to avoid this alleged national emergency, we are going to allow ourselves to become even more dependent on Chinese-owned solar companies in Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, Tim Brightbill, a trade lawyer at Wiley Rein, said in an email. This is wrong on multiple levels.

The trade casesought by a small California panel manufactureris existential for much of US solar. For months, Commerce has been investigating whether Chinese solar manufacturers are circumventing decade-old duties by assembling equipment in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, prompting shipments from those countries to fall. The threat of retroactive tariffs has paralyzed parts of the US solar sector, risking installation jobs and slowing the deployment of panelsa critical piece of Bidens push to slash emissions from the countrys power grids. (Preliminary findings in the case are expected by late August).

The Solar Energy Industries Association is lobbying lawmakers to include language in a domestic manufacturing bill that would force Commerce to determine whether any new duties are in the public interest. Others contend Commerce already has authority under existing law to determine that its simply not appropriate to expand existing duties, based on climate and economic concerns.

Steel producers and workers, meanwhile, have pressed leaders in Washington to resist the push by the solar developers. Now isnt the time to radically change trade laws and how they work, theyve said.

The trade case has caused friction between solar and steel, two industries that frequently collaborate on clean-power projects. Were still trying to figure out what the long-range plan of this is, Leon Topalian, the chief executive officer of steel giant Nucor Corp., said in an interview. Were going to be a big supplier in the renewable space.

At issue are so-called antidumping and countervailing duties, which are intended to level the playing field for domestic manufacturers against imported goods that are subsidized or sold below the cost to produce them. Federal laws and regulations governing this type of duties dates back more than a century.

Antidumping and countervailing duties are distinct from other, more subjective tariffs under US lawincluding those former President Donald Trump wielded on steel and aluminum in the name of national security. (Biden has already chipped away at steels robust trade protections introduced by his predecessor).

If you stick to the antidumping and subsidy script, theres a clear set of rules, said William Reinsch, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. You have to prove a specific bad thing has happenedeither dumping or subsidizationand you have to prove you have been injured because of that, and not some other reason. And only if you prove those two things do you win.

Adding climate considerations or other public-interest tests would create a slippery slope, he said. Even the Trump administration, known for digging up little-known laws to launch its trade policy, left Commerces antidumping and countervailing duty laws largely untouched.

If other elements such as climate impact are also taken into account, it opens the door to a thousand other requests, Reinsch said. There will inevitably be no shortage of other people arguing that their cause is also important.

(Updates with lawyer comment in eighth paragraph.)

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Three Tempe, Arizona police officers have been placed on administrative leave following an incident in which a 34-year-old homeless man drowned in a lake, with one officer telling him "I'm not jumping in after you," reports say.

Sean Bickings, 34, died early Saturday near the Elmore Pedestrian Bridge "after voluntarily entering the water and soon becoming unable to continue swimming," the city of Tempe said in a statement.

In bodycam footage released by police, Bickings is seen climbing over a railing and telling the officers "Im going to go for a swim, Im free to go right?"

"You cant swim in the lake, man," one of the officers responds.

ARIZONA OFFICER SHOT, KILLED DURING TRAFFIC STOP

Bickings is then seen swimming away into the water.

In a transcript of the moments that follow that police say they released for transparency, Bickings told the officers "Im going to drown, Im going to drown," according to Fox10 Phoenix.

"Come back over to the pylon," one of the officers tells Bickings.

"I cant, I cant," he responds.

"Okay, Im not jumping in after you," another one of the officers then says, according to the transcript.

A responding officer is also documented in the transcript as telling a witness "if you dont calm down, Im going to put you in my car."

One officer later told the individual "okay the officer is going to get the boat right now."

POLICE SHOOT MAN IN MAINE, OFFICER WHO DISCHARGED WEAPON PUT ON LEAVE

The city of Tempe said before entering the lake, Bickings "had been conversing, unhandcuffed, with the officers, who had responded to a call about an alleged fight between Bickings and his companion."

"When officers arrived, they spoke to Bickings and his companion, who cooperated fully and denied that any physical argument had taken place. Neither were being detained for any offense," the citys statement read. "Officers told the couple they were running their names through a database used to check whether people have outstanding arrest warrants; this is a standard procedure.

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"That check had not yet been completed when Bickings decided to slowly climb over a 4-foot metal fence and enter the water. Officers informed him swimming is not allowed in the lake," the statement continued. "He swam about 30-40 yards before repeatedly indicating he was in distress. He soon went under and did not resurface."

Tempe City Manager Andrew Ching and Police Chief Jeff Glover believe Bickings death is a "tragedy," the city also said.

"The three Tempe police officers who responded to the call and witnessed the drowning have been placed on non-disciplinary paid administrative leave pending the investigations, as is customary in critical incidents," it added.
Police say a shooting near a Tennessee nightclub led to three deaths and 14 people suffering gunshot wounds and other injuries. Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy said during a press conference that 14 people were hit by gunfire early Sunday and three were hit by vehicles while trying to flee the scene. Murphy says two people died from gunshot wounds and one person died after being hit by a vehicle. She says 16 victims were adults and one was a juvenile and several remained in critical condition. Murphy said there were multiple shooters, but authorities think it was an isolated event and dont believe theres an ongoing public safety threat.
More than 250 Republican donors and self-described gun rights supporters penned an open letter this weekend calling for Congress to move on limited gun reform after an elementary school shooting in Uvalde left 19 children and two teachers dead.

Most law enforcement experts believe these measures would make a difference, said the letter, according to The Texas Tribune. And recent polls of fellow conservatives suggest that there is strong support for such gun-safety measures.

The letter, which ran as a full-page advertisement in The Dallas Morning News on Sunday, also expressed support for the work of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who was selected by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to lead the GOP in bipartisan gun reform efforts in Congress.

Hes the right man to lead this bipartisan effort, as he has demonstrated throughout his career, the letter said.

The bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Cornyn and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is focusing on a proposal to encourage states to implement red flag laws, which would prohibit individuals considered dangerous to themselves or others from possessing firearms.

It is also considering expanded background checks for gun purchases and other measures to expand mental health care and make schools more secure.

Cornyn said on Friday that it would be embarrassing if Congress failed to act in response to the Uvalde shooting.

The letter was paid for by Todd Maclin, a former J.P. Morgan Chase senior executive, the Tribune reported.

Maclin, who now runs Maclin Management in Dallas, describes himself as a conservative gun owner. He said he was inspired to act after the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

These events have really motivated me and really gotten under my skin and encouraged me to support the effort thats underway, Maclin told the Tribune. I just felt like I needed to do something, and I also believe that there are reasonable things that can be done.

An Economist/YouGov poll taken late last month found that 67 percent of Republican voters said stricter gun laws would not have prevented recent mass shootings.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
It might be surprising to think about browsing for therapists and ordering up mental health care the way you can peruse a menu on Grubhub or summon a car on Lyft.

But over the last decade, digital access to therapy has become increasingly common, in some cases replacing the traditional model of in-person weekly sessions between a therapist and client.

Apps for mental health and wellness range from mood trackers, meditation tools and journals to therapy apps that match users to a licensed professional. My teams research focuses on therapy apps that work by matching clients to a licensed professional.

As a social work researcher, I am interested in understanding how these apps affect clients and practitioners. My research team has studied the care that app users receive. We have talked to therapists who use apps to reach new clients. Weve also analyzed app contracts that mental health professionals sign, as well as the agreements clients accept by using the apps.

Real questions persist about how apps are regulated, how to ensure user privacy and care quality and how remote therapy can be reimbursed by insurance. While those debates continue, people are regularly using apps to connect to therapists for help with emotional and mental struggles. And through these apps, therapists are interacting with people who may never have considered therapy before.

A ready-made market

In the first year of the pandemic, rates of depression and anxiety increased by 25% worldwide. In a June 2020 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition, compared to only 19% in 2018.

The old model of therapy, in which therapists and patients sat face to face, was already out of reach for many. In fact, mental health apps are a response to the demand from clients seeking more accessible therapy services.

The COVID-19 pandemic turbocharged both trends  the growing need for mental health care and using technology to access it. For existing mental health clients, stay-at-home orders closed clinics and therapists offices to in-person visits, resulting in an unprecedented shift to online access to therapy.

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How matching apps work

Consumer mental health platforms like Better Help, Alma and TalkSpace match clients to licensed therapy providers. With advertising on television, across social media channels and on highway billboards, the apps promote flexibility, convenience and the potential to receive support with slogans like You deserve to be happy or Feeling better starts with a single call.

When app users enter a platforms online space, its proprietary software offers a digital dashboard and communication tools. These platforms also promise instant access to a professional therapist, immediate responsiveness from them as well as anonymity.

App users choose a therapist by reviewing a list of providers accompanied by thumbnail photos, resume-like bios and consumer reviews. Users also choose how theyll connect with therapists  phone or video calls, email, text or some combination. The apps also let clients change therapists at any time.

As the client and their chosen therapist connect and communicate, behind the scenes the app collects and maintains records, later calculating the chosen therapists payment and billing the app user.

Apps and their risks

Curiously, while mental health app platforms promote themselves as providers of mental health services, they actually dont take responsibility for the counseling services they are providing. The apps consider therapists to be independent contractors, with the platform acting as a matching service. And the apps can help users find a more suitable fit if they request it.

But no law or precedent protects consumers or clarifies app users rights. This differs from face-to-face therapy, in which practitioners work under the oversight of state licensing boards and federal law. Some of the major therapy apps have been accused of mining client data and being at risk for data breaches.

Like other virtual spaces, online mental health service domains operate under ever-evolving and localized regulations.

Who benefits from these apps?

The social workers our team interviewed talked a lot about who can benefit from this kind of app-based therapy and  importantly  who cant. For example, the platforms are not set up to treat people with serious mental illness or mental disorders that substantially interfere with a persons life, activities and ability to function independently.

Similarly, app-based psychotherapy is not suitable for those having suicidal thoughts. The platforms screen users for risk of self-harm when they sign up. If a client ever poses harm to themselves or someone else, user anonymity on the apps makes it almost impossible for a therapist to send a crisis response team. App-based practitioners told our research team that they sometimes end up monitoring their clients for signs of crisis by contacting them through the app more frequently. Its one reason app therapists, who also screen users, sometimes reject potential clients who may need a higher level of care.

For those without severe mental illness, app-based therapy may be helpful in matching clients with a professional familiar with a range of problems and stressors. This makes apps attractive to those with anxiety and mild to moderate depression. They also appeal to people who wouldnt ordinarily seek out office-based therapy, but who want help with life issues such as marital problems and work-related stress.

The apps could also be practical and convenient for those who cant or wont get formal therapy, even remotely, from a mental health clinic or office. For instance, the anonymity of apps might appeal to people suffering from conditions like social anxiety or agoraphobia, or for those individuals who cant or wont appear on a video call.

Therapy apps have helped to normalize the idea that its OK to pursue mental health treatment through nontraditional routes. And with high-profile people such as Michael Phelps and Ariana Grande partnering with these apps, they might even be on their way to making mental health treatment cool.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Lauri Goldkind, Fordham University.

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Lauri Goldkind does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Delaware residents who enjoy consuming marijuana dont have to look hard to find it. The illegal market offers plenty of weed dealers, and for those who prefer a more legitimate option, New Jersey dispensaries are just a short trip across the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Despite its illegal status, marijuana is already available in our communities. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 1 in 5 American adults claimed to have used marijuana in the past year.

If the goal of continuing these archaic policies is to restrict access to marijuana, it is not working. Even worse, these policies exacerbate racial inequities in our criminal justice system and in our economy. Prohibition is a public policy failure. Its time to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol.

Delaware decriminalized small amounts of marijuana in 2015, but Delawareans, and disproportionately Black Delawareans, continue to be arrested for marijuana possession. According to an ACLU report of arrest data from 2018, Black Delawareans were more than four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white Delawareans even though marijuana usage rates are roughly the same among these two groups.

A better way forward requires that we treat drug abuse with public health solutions rather than criminal justice penalties. That's why over the past five years, we have expanded New Castle County's Hero Help program, which provides drug and alcohol addiction treatment as an alternative to arrest. Marijuana legalization could help free up public safety resources and provide much-needed revenue, enabling police departments to focus on addiction and mental health interventions through programs like Hero Help, which curb drug use far more effectively than arrests and criminalization.

As legalization advocates like to remind us, marijuana is the only industry that is begging to be taxed. Last year, legal marijuana sales generated more than $3.7 billion in tax revenue for 11 states. The proceeds were used to fund schools in Colorado, health insurance for low-income families in Washington, mental health and drug treatment in Oregon, reentry programs for the formerly incarcerated in Alaska, public transportation and local governments in Massachusetts, conservation efforts in Montana and many more worthy programs. Every year that we fail to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana is another year that we deprive Delawareans of additional funding for these types of valuable programs.

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And while there certainly are health risks associated with marijuana use, the hyperbolic, reefer madness claims about marijuana have been proven false. Visit any legal state and you will find that their societies have not devolved into anarchy, as some alarmists warn.

However, we must be honest about the effects of marijuana. As with alcohol and tobacco, marijuana is not without potential consequences. Chronic marijuana use can stunt brain development in younger users, which is why it is important that we dissuade teenagers from using it. Our current policies, which have created an illegal market, are not an effective strategy. Dispensaries check IDs. Drug dealers don't. We should make it a priority to reduce teenage drug and alcohol abuse and adopt practices from the successful campaign to reduce cigarette usage among teenagers over the past two decades.

Workplace safety is another area that deserves our attention. Individuals should not operate heavy machinery under the influence of any drug and employers have legitimate interests in maintaining an alcohol and drug-free workplace. While any employer can still use drug tests to ensure a drug-free workplace, it likely will take additional technology and policymaking for marijuana to be treated as alcohol is on the job, prohibiting work for anyone actively impaired but permitting work for anyone who comes to work sober.

Opponents have raised questions about the economic impacts of recreational use. Those concerns pale in comparison to economic harms caused by prohibition. Young people who are arrested for marijuana have seen educational and career opportunities slip away because of their criminal records. Parents arrested for marijuana lose their jobs and cant support their families. Violent drug distributors and dealers are provided with an enormous revenue source that helps them terrorize neighborhoods and destroy the quality of life in our states poorest communities. Ending prohibition enables us to undo some of the damage done by these harmful policies.

Rep. Ed Osienski and Sen. Trey Paradee deserve praise for including social equity licenses in House Bill 372, which would enable those who have been most negatively impacted by the war on drugs to benefit as business owners in Delaware's new marijuana industry. Their legislation also creates the Justice Reinvestment Fund, which would fund restorative justice programs, address underlying causes of crime, reduce the prison population and expunge criminal records. Social Equity Licenses and the Justice Reinvestment Fund would drastically improve the economic futures of hundreds of Delawareans and their families.

I join the more than 60% of Delawareans who support marijuana legalization, regulation and taxation. I encourage legislators to overturn the veto on HB 371, to legalize marijuana, and pass HB 372, to regulate and tax it. If they do, we will finally end marijuana prohibition and take important steps to repair our communities from the disastrous war on drugs.

Matt Meyer, New Castle County executive

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: It's time for Delaware to legalize and tax marijuana
Blue Origins fifth group of space tourists successfully took off and landed on Saturday with arguably the most diverse crew that has gone into space. The New Shepard vehicle lifted off from Launch Site One, Blue Origins facility in west Texas, at 9:25 EDT, and then touched down about 10 minutes later. The capsule reached a peak of 347,538 feet, or 106 kilometers, above ground level, before parachuting into the nearby desert. The Karman Line, which scientists generally agree is the dividing line between Earths atmosphere and space, is about 100 kilometers above the planet.

The six-person crew included Katya Echazarreta, 26, an engineer and science communicator originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, who was the youngest person on the mission and the first Mexican-born woman to travel to space.

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Looking down and seeing how everyone is down there, all of our past, all of our mistakes, all of our obstacles, everythingeverything is there, she told CNN Business. And the only thing I could think of when I came back down was that I need people to see this. I need Latinas to see this. And I think that it just completely reinforced my mission to continue getting primarily women and people of color up to space and doing whatever it is they want to do.

Back to Earth. The crew celebrate touchdown after a 10-minute voyage beyond the Karman Line. - Credit: Courtesy Blue Origin

Courtesy Blue Origin

While the others on the flight paid for their seats, Echazarreta was chosen by a nonprofit called Space for Humanity to fill an empty seat. Echazarreta, now working on a masters degree in engineering at Johns Hopkins University, previously worked at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory and hosts a science-focused YouTube series. She is also a presenter on the CBS weekend show Mission Unstoppable.

Echazarreta said she has been motivated to excel in engineering since her time at NASA. There are so many people in this world who dream about the same things that I was dreaming about. And yet Im not seeing them here. So whats happening? she said. It was not enough for me to have made it and to be there. I needed to also help bring others with me.

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Victor Vescovo, 56, the oldest member of the crew, had another motivation: exploration. Vescovo has explored the deepest parts of the oceans with his submersible DSSV Limiting Factor and mothership Pressure Drop.

Jaison Robinson and Victor Vescovo experiencing weightlessness. - Credit: Courtesy Blue Origin

Courtesy Blue Origin

Its fun to be an aquanaut, mountain climber and astronaut, Viscovo, 56, told Robb Report. Its a juxtaposition of extremes that actually share a great deal of rhyme in their extremes.

Like Echazarreta, Viscovo said the view was more than memorable. The complete curvature of the Earth, and seeing the thin fragile, atmosphere and this beautiful blue-and-brown planet that we have, and then the blackness of space, he said. To have that right in front of you was a transformational experience. Vescovo was also struck by the complete contrast of black space and blazing sun.

The newly minted astronaut was surprised by the comfort of the flight, especially since his body was subjected to over 5-G force. He has flown fighter jets before, but since he was lying down in the capsule, it didnt have the same sensory impact. It was really a pleasant experience, he says. The 10-minute flight also didnt include a kind of time warp where time stood still for such dramatic speeds and sitting for a few minutes on the edge of space. Oh, it seemed like just ten minutes, but it was the best ten minutes of my life.

The reusable rocket touching down at Blue Origins launchpad in Texas. - Credit: Courtesy Blue Origin

Courtesy Blue Origin

Another crew member who had gone to space, Evan Dick, advised his fellow crew members to forego the usual somersaults when they reached the Karman Line, and instead look out the windows. He told us to look, really look and internalize the beauty of the Earth, says Vescovo. You do see how there are no dividing lines and how we are one species. Its what they call the Overview Effect, and it was very clear to me.

The flight was so exceptional that Vescovo would like to do anothermaybe even orbit the Earth. It really intensified my love of space, but also of explorationincluding continued exploration of the oceans, he says. One of my fellow crew joked that I dont like to be at sea level. Theres some truth to that.

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Within minutes Sunday evening, Baltimore Police launched two separate homicide investigations after one man was found in a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds on Belair Road and another was shot to death in Southwest Baltimore.

Police discovered the first victim when Northeast District officers responded to reports of a crash with injury at the intersection of Belair Road at Sinclair Lane, near the southeast corner of Clifton Park, around 8:15 p.m. Officers found 31-year-old Denard Hunt with gunshot wounds, officials said.

He was taken to the hospital but later pronounced dead.

Then around 8:30 p.m., officers responded to a reported shooting in the 200 block of South Loudon Avenue in Irvington and found 37-year-old Tyrone Walker with gunshot wounds. He also later died at the hospital.

The crime scenes were located several miles apart.

Homicide detectives are asking anyone with relevant information about either killing to contact them at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.

Around 10:35 p.m., a 25-year-old man arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound that is not life-threatening. Police do not know where the shooting occurred.

Also on Sunday, at approximately 6:55 p.m., Northern District patrol officers responded to a crash involving a motorcycle and a 2007 Mercedes, police said in a news release.

Once there, officers located the driver of the motorcycle, a man, unresponsive. The driver of the Mercedes remained on the scene. Medics arrived and transported the driver of the motorcycle to an area hospital where he later died, police said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the motorcycle was traveling east on Northern Parkway when he struck the passenger side of the Mercedes who was traveling west on Northern and turning left onto Clearspring Road in the Chinquapin Park neighborhood.

Crash Team detectives are investigating this incident.
Resolution Foundation said a meaningful levelling up agenda cannot be limited to new tech hubs. Photo: Yuriko Nakao/Reuters

The UK governments levelling up agenda should focus on improving town centres and the quality of low-skilled jobs, a think tank has suggested.

Research by Resolution Foundation revealed that as well as accessing jobs, the quality of work was a major concern, with participants saying that low-skilled work often meant casual employment, low pay and a lack of training or progression.

The prevalence of low-quality work in smaller towns  30% of jobs in Scarborough are elementary or care roles, compared to 17% in Leeds  helps to explain why over a third of 18-year-olds from small towns or villages leave their home area. This is more than twice the rate of those living in large cities.

Lindsay Judge, research director at the Resolution Foundation, said: There is as much support for levelling up across Britain as there is confusion about what it actually means.

Crucially, closing economic gaps between places means different things to different areas  from making it affordable to live in major cities, practical to commute into them from nearby towns, and possible to enjoy decent, well-paid work irrespective of where you live.

Read more: Sunak reiterates taxing electricity generators for energy bills levy

Successfully closing economic gaps between places is the right thing to, but it will involve tough trade-offs over where to prioritise investment, and where decisions are ultimately made.

The good news is that people understand these trade-offs far more than politicians give them credit for, so there is no excuse not to face up to these challenges and give place far more prominence in a new economic strategy for Britain.

The research found that for people living outside major cities good connectivity was crucial to maximise the spill-over economic gains they might experience from additional investment in places like Manchester and Leeds.

This view that UKs major cities outside London are poorly served by public transport, and that the car is still king when it comes to commuting, particularly in smaller towns, was widely shared.

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The research also showed that rather than expect their local area to become a new economic hub, participants said that large-scale economic development  and the diverse range of jobs and higher pay that it leads to  would naturally cluster around large cities.

Read more: Four-day week: Which companies are taking part in the trial scheme?

For people living in Leeds, the desire for more investment to bring new opportunities was mixed with concern that it could also drive greater inequality and higher housing costs. Participants noted that rents were already surging, and that new builds in the city did not seem to match local need.

Alex Beer, welfare programme head at the Nuffield Foundation said: People's pride in and connection with their local area is evident from this research. However, it is also clear that peoples hopes for the future of their areas will not be met without meaningful investment to improve town centres, better transport links and more, quality low-skilled jobs.

Efforts to reduce geographical disparities should also be supported by action to address other persistent inequalities in the UK, including those related to age, gender and ethnicity. People everywhere should have a fair opportunity for a healthy life and good access to education, public services and employment opportunities.

Levelling up is based on the idea that left-behind communities across the UK should get a chance to catch up.

The government recently set out its 12 "missions" for the policy  ranging from improving education to faster broadband capability to local transport  with a deadline for delivery in 2030.

Read more: Platinum Jubilee: 10 most expensive royal streets to buy a home

For the first round of the so-called Levelling Up Fund, 1.7bn has been allocated to towns and cities across the UK.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government was renamed the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in 2021.

Watch: What is a recession and how do we spot one?
(Reuters) - Britain's defence ministry said that early on Sunday Russian air-launched cruise missiles struck rail infrastructure in Ukraine capital Kyiv.

Heavy fighting continues in the city of Sievierodonetsk and Russian forces are pushing towards Sloviansk, Britain's Ministry of Defence said in a Twitter update.

President Vladimir Putin has warned he would strike new targets in Ukraine if western nations supplied the country with longer-range missiles.

In Sievierodonetsk, the main battlefield in the east, where Russia has concentrated its forces recently, Ukraine officials said a counterattack had retaken half of the city.

(Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Ukrainian military

He was answering a question about whether the death of Russian Major General Roman Kutuzov in fighting in Ukraine would mean any changes in enemy tactics.

"It will not change anything, the Russian army acts in a barbaric way, regardless of who is in charge of it," Motuzianyk said.

"We know about the new commanders, who fights in what way. The Russian army fights (in a manner) that is quite clear for us: they have almost no chance in direct clashes with Ukrainian servicemen."

Read also: Renowned PMC Wagner Group member Vakha killed

According to the official, the Russians have trained special forces, but the Russian infantry has mostly no chance in battles with Ukraines motivated, experienced, professional servicemen.

"That's why the Russian side destroys everything with artillery, and then the infantry 'heroically' enters there," Motuzianyk said.

"Therefore, it makes no difference to the Ukrainian army who leads in whateverarea."

The Armed Forces of Ukraine on June 5 eliminated another high-ranking Russian military commander, Major General Roman Kutuzov, in Luhansk Oblast.

Read also: Kremlin orders army commander Dvornikov to take Severodonetsk by June 10  regional governor

This is the fourth military leader whose death in the war in Ukraine has been officially confirmed by Russia.


KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukraines president says Russian troops intend to capture Zaporizhzhia, a large city in the country's southeast, which would allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a news conference on Monday that peace talks with Russia stood at level zero, and in the meantime the most threatening situation has developed in the Zaporizhzhia region, parts of which have already been taken by Russia.

The enemy wants to ... occupy the city of Zaporizhzhia," Zelenskyy said.

In the south of Ukraine, Russia has already seized the large Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Mariupol. The Zaporizhzhia region, with the population of 1.6 million, is one of the biggest industrial hubs of Ukraines southeast. The city itself has 722,000 people.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian troops are still fighting in the eastern part of the country known as the Donbas. In the Luhansk region, which is part of the Donbas, the Ukrainian resistance continues in Sievierodonetsk, one of the two key cities in the region still not in Russias hands, he said.

There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

In the northern Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian army step by step de-occupies our lands from Russian invaders, Zelenskyy said.

In the meantime, Kyiv is hoping to create secure corridors that would allow its ships to export grain that has been blocked inside the countries by the fighting. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is in talks with countries like Turkey and the U.K. about security guaranties for Ukrainian ships carrying much needed grain for export. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has disrupted food supplies for many nations in the world, causing prices to soar.

It is important for us that there is a security corridor ... that the fleet of this or that country ensures the shipping of the grain, Zelenskyy said. If now we have 22-25 million tons blocked there, in the fall we might have 75 (million tons).

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"What are we going to do? he asked. Thats why we cant do without the ports.

His government has previously accused Russia of stealing tons of grain from territory it has occupied in Ukraine.

The issue of blocked grain will be on the agenda Wednesday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs visit to Turkey. Ankara is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for shipping Ukrainian grain out amid an escalating global food crisis.

Zelensky said Kyiv has not been invited to the talks, possibly because Turkey wants to get security guarantees for its ships from Russia first.

He explained that Ukraine cant export large shipments of grain via railways because of long delivery times, even though Kyiv has been in talks with Poland and the Baltic nations. Exporting grain through the neighboring territory of Russias ally Belarus is also not an option, he said.

___

Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The U.S. and South Korean militaries launched eight ballistic missiles into the sea Monday in a show of force matching a North Korean missile display a day earlier that extended a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations.

The allies live-fire exercise involved eight Army Tactical Missile System missiles  one American and seven South Korean  that were fired into South Koreas eastern waters across 10 minutes following notifications for air and maritime safety, according to South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Forces Korea.

The tit-for-tat missile launches were aimed at demonstrating the ability to respond swiftly and accurately to North Korean attacks, the South Korean military said.

The Souths military on Sunday detected North Korea firing eight short-range missiles over 35 minutes from at least four different locations, including from western and eastern coastal areas and two inland areas north of and near the capital, Pyongyang, in what appeared to be a single-day record for the countrys ballistic launches.

It was North Koreas 18th round of missile tests in 2022 alone  a streak that included the countrys first launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles in nearly five years. South Korean and U.S. officials also say North Korea is preparing to conduct its first nuclear test since September 2017 as leader Kim Jong Un pushes a brinkmanship aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

U.S. and South Korean forces conducted a similar live-fire exercise following North Koreas previous ballistic launches on May 25, which South Koreas military said involved an ICBM flown on medium-range trajectory and two short-range weapons. Those tests came as Biden wrapped up his trip to South Korea and Japan, where he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend both allies.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a speech marking the countrys Memorial Day on Monday said his government would pursue fundamental and practical security capabilities to counter North Koreas growing nuclear weapons and missile threat.

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North Koreas nuclear weapons and missile programs have grown to a point where they are not only a threat to the Korean Peninsula, but to Northeast Asia and world peace, Yoon said at the National Cemetery in Seoul, saying his government would sternly respond to any kind of North Korean provocation.

Yoon, a conservative who took office in May, has vowed to strengthen the Souths defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States. His goals include enhancing missile strike and interception capabilities and resuming large-scale military exercises with the United States, which were suspended or downsized in recent years to create space for diplomacy with Pyongyang or because of COVID-19.

Yoons dovish predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who had staked his five-year term on inter-Korean engagement, refrained from missile counter-drills after North Korea resumed ballistic missile tests in 2019 as its diplomacy with the United States fizzled.

North Korean state media have yet to comment on Sundays launches. They came after the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan concluded a three-day naval drill with South Korea in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, apparently their first joint drill involving a carrier since November 2017, as the countries move to upgrade their defense exercises in the face of North Korean threats.

North Korea has long condemned the allies combined military exercises as invasion rehearsals and often countered with its own missile drills, including short-range launches in 2016 and 2017 that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean ports and U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Hours after the North Korean launches, Japan and the United States conducted a joint ballistic missile exercise aimed at showing their rapid response capability and strong determination to counter threats, Japans Defense Ministry said.

The United States has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, but the prospects for meaningful new punitive measures are dim with the U.N. Security Councils permanent members divided.

Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over its latest ballistic tests on May 25, insisting that Washington should instead focus on reviving negotiations with Pyongyang.

Addressing the brewing animosity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called for related nations to "maintain calm and exercise restraint, and avoid any actions that may aggravate tensions.

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions for the Norths disarmament steps.

Despite facing harsh challenges at home, including a decaying economy and a COVID-19 outbreak, Kim has shown no willingness to fully surrender an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offers for open-ended talks and is clearly intent on converting the dormant denuclearization negotiations into a mutual arms-reduction process, experts say.

___

AP video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to the report.
According to media reports, the United States will not lift sanctions against Russia in exchange for grain

Read also: Russias war on global food security

Politico said the United Nations is trying to broker a deal with Russia to allow Ukraine to restart grain exports.

Biden administration officials and lawmakers, however, are highly skeptical that Russia is operating in good faith.

Their primary reason for pessimism: recent comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian officials suggesting they would ease the blockade on Ukraine's ports if, in exchange, the West lifts its economic sanctions on Moscow.

Read also: List of Russian ships exporting Ukrainian grain given to Turkey, Dzhemilev says

That proposal is "complicating" the "fragile" negotiations, a U.N. official told Politico shortly before the U.N.'s top humanitarian official wrapped up two days of talks on the blockade in Moscow on June 3.

One U.S. official described Moscow's pitch as "extortion diplomacy," and said the United States wouldn't agree to a deal that lifted any economic pressure on the Kremlin.

Read also: Russia delivered 100,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian grain to Syria

On June 3, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that there is no problem with the export of grain from Ukraine: It could be exported in five different ways, he said.

Putin also said that Russia was ready to ensure the safe export of grain through the Russian-controlled Ukrainian ports.

When Western countries said that Russia was preventing the export of grain from Ukraine, Putin called this a "bluff."

In fact, Russia is deliberately blocking Ukrainian ports and sea routes in the Black Sea for the export of grain from Ukraine, as well as preventing the export by rail by launching missile attacks on elevators and railway infrastructure.

The Kremlin appears to be seeking to provoke famine in African countries, which will lead to a wave of migration to Europe, hoping in this way to put pressure on the European Union. Kremlin officials demanded the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the war in Ukraine in exchange for unblocking Ukrainian ports.
(Bloomberg) -- The US and South Korea fired eight missiles Monday after North Korea launched a similar number the day before, setting an annual record under Kim Jong Un as he ramps up provocations to some of the highest levels of his leadership.

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The two allies test-fired ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System rockets into waters off the east coast of South Korea, the countrys Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The US Army fired one missile and South Koreas military fired seven, US Forces Korea said. The missiles have a maximum range of 300 kilometers (185 miles), according to maker Lockheed Martin.

Our government will respond to any North Korean provocation firmly and sternly, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a Memorial Day ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery. He added Pyongyangs provocations were intensifying and his administration would make sure there isnt a single crack in protecting lives and property.

This is the second time in about two weeks the US and South Korea have responded to North Korean tests with launches. The moves come after US President Joe Biden went to Seoul in late May to meet his new counterpart Yoon, where they agreed to look at stepping up joint drills and taking a harder line against Pyongyangs provocations.

On Sunday, North Korea fired eight short-range missiles from four locations within about 35 minutes, South Koreas military said. The test appeared to be a demonstration of the states ability to quickly deploy and fire off missiles from various sites, which could make it difficult for US-operated interceptors in the region to shoot them down.

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The single-day ballistic barrage is likely the biggest since Kim took power a decade ago, with launches for this year already beating the previous annual record of 24 in 2017 and 2019. North Korea has fired off 31 ballistic missiles in 2022, including at least two failed attempts.

Japans defense-related shares were up in early trading in Tokyo on Monday.

Kim also appears to be near conducting his first nuclear test since 2017, the USs top envoy for North Korea, Sung Kim, said as he met his counterparts from South Korea and the US over the past few days.

We know its coming, so its a matter of when, not if, said Soo Kim, a policy analyst with the Rand Corp. who previously worked at the Central Intelligence Agency. The number of missiles fired is still sufficient in telling the world hes serious, and that there will be more coming down the pike, she said.

Biden and US allies might not have much leverage in trying to slow down the tests or ratchet up global sanctions to punish Pyongyang for its provocations. The US push to isolate Russia over President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, coupled with increasing animosity toward China, has allowed Kim to strengthen his nuclear deterrent without fear of facing more sanctions at the UN Security Council.

China and Russia in late May vetoed a UN Security Council resolution drafted by the US to tighten sanctions on North Korea for its ballistic missile tests this year.

South Korea and the US staged a joint naval drill in international waters off Japans island prefecture of Okinawa this month, which likely raised Pyongyangs ire. North Korea for years has called joint drills a prelude to an invasion and nuclear war, and threatened retaliation.

Kim Jong Un has long sought to draw out the possibility of disarmament talks as a way to scale back the joint US-South Korea drills, something that former President Donald Trump controversially agreed to during his summits with the North Korean leader -- which resulted in no concrete steps to wind down Pyongyangs atomic arsenal.

During their talks in Seoul last month, Biden affirmed the USs commitment to help defend South Korea using the full range of US defense capabilities, including nuclear, conventional, and missile defense capabilities, the leaders said. Biden has said the door is open for Kim to return to discussions, which have been stalled for about three years.

North Korea fired three missiles on May 25, including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the US with a nuclear warhead, hours after Biden finished his first trip as president to South Korea and Japan. That barrage was one of the biggest provocations from Pyongyang to coincide with a US presidents visit to the region.

The US and South Korea conducted combined missile launches shortly after, marking the first time the two have had a tit-for-tat launch since 2017, Yonhap News Agency said.

North Koreas official media was silent Monday morning about its latest missile launches. Over the past few weeks, it has not made mention of its weapons tests as the state battles a Covid outbreak that threatens to overwhelm its antiquated medical system.

Ankit Panda, a senior fellow in the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the reason for the silence could be mundane.

The Academy of National Defense Science is seeking to keep to its developmental testing schedules for the year and state media simply has been directed not to cover this testing, lest it indicate a distracted national leadership to the North Korean people, he wrote in a recent piece for specialist service NK News.

(Updates with comment from South Korean president, US military)

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Defense lawmakers will be focused on the fiscal 2023 defense authorization bill for the next three weeks as both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees sort through thousands of proposals to include in the sweeping military policy measure.

This week, the House committee will announce parts of its legislative plan during six separate subcommittee markups on Wednesday and Thursday.

But big-ticket issues  such as the bills total planned military spending  wont be unveiled until the full committee mark-up, scheduled for June 22.

In between, the Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to finalize its draft of the legislation. Leaders in both chambers hope to pass their respective versions by mid-summer, with an eye toward negotiating a final compromise before the November elections.

Tuesday, June 7



Senate Appropriations  10 a.m.  192 Dirksen

National Guard/Reserve budget

Service officials will testify on the budget request for fiscal 2023.



House Veterans' Affairs  10 a.m.  Visitors Center H210

VA cybersecurity

Department officials will testify on cybersecurity and risk management at VA.



Senate Foreign Relations  3 p.m.  419 Dirksen

Nominations

The committee will consider several pending nominations.



Wednesday, June 8



House Armed Services  10 a.m.  2118 Rayburn

NDAA markup

The subcommittee on cyber will mark up its section of the annual defense authorization bill.



House Small Business  10 a.m.  2360 Rayburn

Veteran entrepreneurship

Outside experts will testify on entrepreneurship opportunities for veterans.



House Veterans' Affairs  10 a.m.  Visitors Center H210

Pending legislation

The health subcommittee will consider several pending bills.



Senate Foreign Relations  10 a.m.  419 Dirksen

Syria

State Department officials will testify on U.S. relations with Syria.



House Armed Services  12 p.m.  2118 Rayburn

NDAA markup

The subcommittee on strategic forces will mark up its section of the annual defense authorization bill.



House Armed Services  2 p.m.  2118 Rayburn

NDAA markup

The subcommittee on seapower will mark up its section of the annual defense authorization bill.



House Armed Services  3:30 p.m.  2118 Rayburn

NDAA markup

The subcommittee on personnel will mark up its section of the annual defense authorization bill.



Thursday, June 9



House Armed Services  8:30 a.m.  2118 Rayburn

NDAA markup

The subcommittee on tactical air and land forces will mark up its section of the annual defense authorization bill.



Senate Foreign Relations  9:30 a.m.  Capitol S116

Nominations

The committee will consider several pending nominations.



House Armed Services  9:30 a.m.  2118 Rayburn

NDAA markup

The subcommittee on intelligence will mark up its section of the annual defense authorization bill.



House Armed Services  10:30 a.m.  2118 Rayburn

NDAA markup

The subcommittee on readiness will mark up its section of the annual defense authorization bill.


When it comes to finding innovative ways to connect with fans, The Weeknd continues to be on top of it.

According to a press release, the musician has teamed up with Binance  a cryptocurrency exchange company  for the first global concert tour to integrate Web 3.0 technology for an enhanced fan experience.

The After Hours Til Dawn Tour

The Weeknd fans can expect new NFTs once the world tour commences. Binance is set to work with HXOUSE  a Toronto-based creative incubator  for an exclusive NFT collection and co-branded merchandise. In addition to the drop, attendees virtual ticket stubs will provide access to commemorative NFTs for unique experiences for fans, per the press release.

Fighting For A Good Cause

The partnership between The Weeknd and Binance isnt stopping at just the concert experience. The tours official sponsor will also donate $2 million to the XO Humanitarian Fund, as well as five percent of the sales from the duos collaborative NFT collection will go directly to it.

In March, The Weeknd partnered with The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to launch the XO Humanitarian Fund, to which he donated $500,000 and committed $1 from each concert ticket sold in North America. Additionally, The World Food Programme donated $1 million to the fund.

The goal with this fund is to provide immediate life-saving support to people who are on the brink of starvation. Im so thankful to have WFP as a partner and to further expand our reach to those who need it most, he shared in a statement.

The After Hours Til Dawn Tour officially kicks off on July 8.

Autograph NFT Collection

Before his upcoming NFTs, The Weeknd collaborated with Autograph to commemorate his chart-topping hit Blinding Lights. As previously reported by AfroTech, the Grammy-winning artist and Billboard released a limited edition NFT collection.

This collaboration highlights a momentous achievement and a very special moment in time for one of the most influential artists today, said Julian Holguin, President of Billboard, in a press release provided to AfroTech. Were thrilled to celebrate that moment and translate the most quoted rankings in music to innovative, new formats. The digital trading cards and NFTs launched in partnership with Autograph will truly capture the excitement that Blinding Lights inspires and allow fans to own a defining moment in music history.
Tourists on the beach at a hotel in Varadero, Cuba, on Sept. 29, 2021. The Biden administration announced Monday that it will expand flights to Cuba and lift restrictions on remittances. (Ramon Espinosa / Associated Press)

The Biden administration announced Monday that it will expand flights to Cuba, take steps to loosen restrictions on U.S. travelers to the island, and lift Trump-era restrictions on remittances that immigrants can send to people on the island.

The State Department said in a statement that it will remove the current $1,000-per-quarter limit on family remittances and will allow nonfamily remittance, which will support independent Cuban entrepreneurs. The U.S. will also allow scheduled and charter flights to locations beyond Havana, according to the State Department.

The administration said it will also move to reinstate the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program, which has a backlog of more than 20,000 applications, and increase consular services and visa processing.

With these actions, we aim to support Cubans aspirations for freedom and for greater economic opportunities so that they can lead successful lives at home, State Department spokesman Ned Price said. We continue to call on the Cuban government to immediately release political prisoners, to respect the Cuban peoples fundamental freedoms and to allow the Cuban people to determine their own futures.

The policy changes come after a review that began soon after a series of widespread protests on the island last July.

Former President Trump had increased sanctions against Cuba, including the cancellation of permits to send remittances and the punishment of oil tankers bound for the island.

These measures and the pandemic contributed to an economic crisis in Cuba, where people suffer from shortages of basic products, power outages and rationing.

The economic situation led thousands of people to the streets across Cuba on July 11, 2021  the largest such protests in decades on the island. Many people were frustrated with shortages and low salaries, as well with the socialist government. Nongovernmental organizations have reported more than 1,400 arrests and 500 people sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for vandalism or sedition.

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In recent weeks, both the U.S. and the Cuban governments have started some conversations, amid a surge of Cubans trying to emigrate illegally to the U.S.

The first week of April, the U.S. Embassy in Havana resumed processing visas for Cubans, though on a limited basis, more than four years after stopping consular services on the island amid a hardening of relations.

Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the moves send the wrong message to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel's government. Menendez was particularly critical of the administration decision to reinstate travel by groups for educational and cultural exchanges as well as some travel for professional meetings and professional research on the island.

I am dismayed to learn the Biden administration will begin authorizing group travel to Cuba through visits akin to tourism, Menendez said. To be clear, those who still believe that increasing travel will breed democracy in Cuba are simply in a state of denial.

White House officials, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, noted that the Treasury Department has the authority to audit groups that are organizing travel and will ensure that travel is purposeful and in accordance with U.S. law.

One official defending the move noted that the president has underscored his belief that Americans are the best ambassadors for democratic values.

Biden said as a presidential candidate that he would revert to Obama-era policies that loosened decades of embargo restrictions on Havana. Meanwhile, Republicans accused him of not being supportive enough of Cuban dissidents.

President Obama's rapprochement was reversed by Trump, who sharply curtailed remittances that Cuban Americans were allowed to send to relatives on the island, barred financial and commercial transactions with most Cuban companies affiliated with the government or military and, in his final days in office, redesignated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism, in part for its support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said he would put a hold on all relevant Biden nominees requiring Senate confirmation until the decision is reversed.

Biden can frame this however he wants, but this is the truth: this is nothing but an idiotic attempt to return to Obamas failed appeasement policies and clear sign of support for the evil regime, Scott said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Few people werent dreaming of travel in August 2020, arguably the most stir-crazy moment of the COVID-19 quarantine, with tensions boiling over after a divisive election and widespread protests, all while wildfires threatened the West Coast.

Mike White, for one, funneled the escapist fantasy into the ugly reality of the beautiful people, translating the moments tensions and the zeitgeist into The White Lotus, a dark comedy about affluent Americans on holiday at a luxurious Hawaiian resort and the staff who cater to them. Moving as fast as the flames raging around Southern California at the time, White wrote the pilot for the six-episode HBO limited series near the end of the summer before heading to Hawaii to begin prepping production.

Shot in fall and early winter of that same year, The White Lotus follows three sets of guests, almost all of whom are white and would self-identify as progressive. Theyre pampered by a diverse staff whose mission is to give their rich patrons a pleasant experience while disappearing under an overall impression of vagueness, as resort manager Armond (Murray Bartlett) instructs his staff.

White Lotus is kind of a wild ride, says Bartlett, who has racked up awards for his increasingly unhinged performance. Its a very dark, funny look at that kind of social construct where you have those very privileged, often obnoxious people at the top of the pyramid and how that affects all the people in the lower tiers, and vice versa.

Speaking of the privileged, Jennifer Coolidge plays Tanya McQuoid, a needy heiress carting her mothers ashes around. With seemingly good intentions, she dangles a business opportunity that entices spa manager Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) to set aside professional boundaries and serve as her companion during her stay. Mike White is such a good observer of the plight of people that are very rich, and that is that the very rich can delay having to look at their demons, Coolidge says. But [Tanya] does have to face herself, and she actually does get this incredible moment where shes brave enough to face everything she probably feared her entire life.

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One of the resorts other well-to-do guests is hard-working journalist Rachel (Alexandra Daddario), who is in Hawaii on her honeymoon with her privileged husband Shane (Jake Lacy). After a whirlwind romance, her vacation gives her the respite she needed to realize shes a trophy wife, plunging her into an identity crisis of her own. Daddario notes that many of the scenarios that take place on the show loosely connect back to Whites own experiences  for example, the scene in which Rachel seeks career advice from  and then is reproached by  fellow guest Nicole Mossbacher (Connie Britton), a hard-charging CEO she once profiled for an assignment.

White offers the experience from both perspectives, including through the eyes of the journalist, taken aback that her fluff piece was perceived as a hatchet job.

[White] has a fascination with who these people really are, says Daddario. Who is the journalist who writes things about him he does not like, and marries the rich guy and acts like she loves his work now? He finds stuff like that funny  the hypocrisy of life.

Similarly, Rachels husband Shane cant let it go when the suite he booked was given to another couple. As it becomes evident that Armond is lying to him about double-booking the room  and then going to great lengths to sabotage his stay  its understandable to feel for the character, whos petulant but not exactly wrong.

Mike did an amazing job of finding this healthy dose of humanity in all of these characters. It makes everybody hold the mirror up to themselves and see how they relate or how theyre repulsed by these characters, says Brittany OGrady, who plays Paula, a BIPOC college friend of Nicole Mossbachers supercilious daughter Olivia whos brought along on this family vacation. Paula quickly becomes the heart of the show, a wannabe hero who sees herself as ethically superior to the ridiculous white elitists shes surrounded by. During a luau, the beating of the drums drives emotions into action by all the characters at a crossroads  particularly Paula, who impels Native Hawaiian hotel worker Kai (Kekoa Scott Kekumano) to steal the Mossbachers jewelry as reparations for colonialism.

When her plot fails and it seems likely Kai will wind up in jail, Paula finds that she, too, is unwilling to cede her power. What would be gained by her confession? It becomes evident the viewer is the luau pig being roasted, rotating to see experiences from all viewpoints.

With 10 fully realized characters sprinting across a tonal tightrope, their messiness could easily throw off the balance of the entire show. However, while depictions are extreme, they retain authenticity, leading the audience to accept moments perhaps never before seen in a television show.

These scenes worked because each moment is grounded and human; Mike never went for shock value, says executive producer David Bernad. You believe that these characters would really be in these situations and make those decisions.

During their stay at the White Lotus, Paula and the other guests find out who they really are versus who they had believed themselves to be. Each eventually makes a self-aware choice to accept their place of privilege, perhaps losing a piece of their soul to enjoy the comfortable life to which theyve become accustomed.

Social media blazed after the finale, aghast at a resolution that defies the expectation that the characters personal growth is supposed to end in positive change.

Peoples reactions show why it was exceptional, says Daddario. It made people think; it astounded people with its dark humor and its ability to make you feel. People describe being unsettled, unsure, but also completely hooked. That is a tremendous feat  to make people come back week after week to something that threw them off-kilter, made them laugh and made their jaws drop.

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Tokyo  As the U.S. gun control debate intensifies, some Americans are looking overseas for ideas on how to prevent mass shootings. Japan has one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the world. There were more than four firearm homicides in the U.S. per 100,000 people during 2019, compared to almost zero in Japan.

As CBS News senior foreign correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports, Japan's strict laws on private gun ownership have surprising origins in the United States. She met Raphael, a well-known Japanese YouTuber who decided to take skeet shooting lessons. Despite being ex-military, he had to jump through all the same hoops that any Japanese civilian must clear to get a gun license.

There's mandatory training. You have to pass a written exam, plus a physical and mental health evaluation. Even then, the police will go and ask your family and friends whether you have any violent tendencies.

All said and done, Raphael told CBS News it took him a year to get his license, during which time the police even interviewed his wife.

Japanese YouTuber Raphael takes aim during skeet shooting practice. / Credit: CBS News

Japanese police do carry handguns, but they're the only ones who can have them, and they're rarely drawn.

The Ozawa gun shop in Tokyo only opens on afternoons. Giving Palmer a tour, owner Katsumi Fukuda showed off a photo that he's particularly proud of. It shows the buck he shot in northern Japan with a rifle - one of only three types of guns that a civilian can own in Japan.

Air guns are also allowed, Fukuda said, and shotguns. And that's it.

Fukuda told Palmer there are also very strict controls on the ammunition civilians can buy. When a gun owner runs out of rounds, they need explicit police authorization to buy more. So does the gun shop owner and hunter think his nation's laws go too far?

Not a bit. Like most Japanese people, Fukuda supports the regulations as the price for living in a country with almost zero gun violence.

In a striking bit of irony, Japan owes its strict gun laws largely to the United States.

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When the U.S. occupied Japan after World War II, it disarmed the country. Americans shaped the legislation that took firearms out of the hands of Japanese civilians. To this day, that means getting hurt or killed by a gun in Japan is an extremely long shot.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces no-confidence vote

Actor and writer Ryan O'Connell on new novel and representation of people with disabilities

Surveillance video shows moment mass shooting starts in Philadelphia
NextShark

A viral video of a 12-year-old girl kneeling and being repeatedly slapped in the face incited a citywide police search for her five assailants in Hong Kong. The 12-year-old victim kneeled as a group of teenagers, aged 12 to 19, took turns slapping her across the face on the rooftop of a five-story building on Luen Yan Street in Tsuen Wan shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Half the Hong Kong people hate [the victim], one attacker can be heard saying.
Kim Phuc Phan Thi, the woman from the famous Vietnam War Napalm Girl photo, said in an opinion piece published Monday that Americans should not shy away from images showing the effects of gun violence to help them understand the horror of domestic war.

The thought of sharing the images of the carnage, especially of children, may seem unbearable  but we should confront them, Phan Thi wrote in The New York Times. It is easier to hide from the realities of war if we dont see the consequences.

Phan Thi was captured at the center of a photo that became iconic of the Vietnam War after her village was bombed in 1972, when she was 9 years old. She was captured naked with a scream of terror and pain on her face after experiencing severe burns that still scar Phan Thi 50 years later.

I know what it is like to have your village bombed, your home devastated, to see family members die and bodies of innocent civilians lying in the street. These are the horrors of war from Vietnam memorialized in countless photographs and newsreels, she wrote.

Phan Thi added: Sadly, they are also the images of wars everywhere, of precious human lives being damaged and destroyed today in Ukraine.

Along with comparing Vietnam with Ukraine, a country that has been under siege from Russia for more than three months, Phan Thi drew a parallel between the carnage of wars abroad and that caused by school shooters domestically.

We may not see the bodies, as we do with foreign wars, but these attacks are the domestic equivalent of war, she said.

She specifically addressed last months violence in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman massacred 19 children and their two fourth grade teachers at Robb Elementary School.

Phan Thi said: I cannot speak for the families in Uvalde, Texas, but I think that showing the world what the aftermath of a gun rampage truly looks like can deliver the awful reality. We must face this violence head-on, and the first step is to look at it.

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Phan Thi also discussed her own evolution from detesting the Napalm Girl photo as a child to being grateful for the opportunity to play a part in educating the world about the ravages of war.

It was only in adulthood, after defecting to Canada that I began to find peace and realize my mission in life, with the help of my faith, husband and friends. I helped establish a foundation and began traveling to war-torn countries to provide medical and psychological assistance to children victimized by war, offering, I hope, a sense of possibilities, she explained.

Phan Thi shared in an interview with PBS NewsHour in 2020 that she was full of hatred, bitterness, and anger before discovering purpose through her Christian faith and service to others.

In 1982, I wanted to take my life, because I thought, after I die, no more suffer, no more pain. Eventually, I found the New Testament in the library in Saigon. In Christmas, 1982, I became a Christian. That faith, it helped me a lot, she recalled.

Phan Thi said that forgiveness set my heart free and that she loves her enemies, adding: I forgive everyone who caused my suffering, even the pilot, commander, people controlling me.

My work with the children who has trauma like me, I know how they have pain, and not only the pain with physical, but nightmare and traumatized.  Now Im working, not because of my duty, not because of my mission, but because of my love, she shared at the time.

Phan Thi knows the unspeakable evil of which humanity is capable, she wrote in the Times.

Still, I believe that peace, love, hope and forgiveness will always be more powerful than any kind of weapon, she wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The boy made his threat aboard a school bus.

In late March, a 16-year-old in Suffolk County, New York, 60 miles east of New York City, told fellow students that he wanted to shoot their heads off, according to court records. He told police that he wanted to hurt himself with a shotgun at his house.

What followed happens more often in Suffolk County than any other county in the state: A judge issued a red flag order that would allow authorities to take weapons from the home. Police filed an application to remove the boys access to guns. The judge acted after finding that he posed a danger. Two shotguns were taken. The judge later wrote that the boy admitted that not having the shotguns in the home is helpful to him.

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In the wake of horrific mass shootings at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket, a Texas school and an Oklahoma hospital, many policymakers are grasping for ways to keep guns out of hands of people in crisis.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden implored Congress to pass a federal red flag law, although such measures face stiff resistance from Republicans who contend the red flag process can be abused to take away an innocent persons fundamental right to own guns. There are also negotiations in Washington on offering incentives for more states to pass red flag laws  New York is one of 19 that has one, along with the District of Columbia.

An examination by The New York Times of more than 100 red flag cases filed in Suffolk County since the law took effect in August 2019 shows how New Yorks law has defused dozens of dangerous situations in the sprawl of Long Islands suburbs and beach towns, according to current and former officials.

The red flag law is hardly a panacea. It does not mandate treatment for the troubling behavior that led to the order, and its effect on gun-death statistics is difficult to discern. But those who have put it into action said it is a crucial tool.

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This is something that we can use in that gray area where we dont have anything and were just walking away from a situation that we know is making the hair on the back of our neck stand up, said Geraldine Hart, a former county police commissioner who helped direct the laws rollout.

Initiated by police officers, school officials and panicked family members, the Suffolk County cases sounded a drumbeat of domestic mayhem and potential disaster. They led to the removal of more than 160 guns, including at least five military-style rifles. They involve at least 22 people under age 25, including 11 minors.

The youngest subject of a red flag was 14; the oldest was 88. All but two were male.

A state courts spokesperson, Lucian Chalfen, said that by law, red flag records must be sealed after they expire. But the Suffolk cases, many of which involved expired orders, were nonetheless found in a commercial legal database and, in some cases, open court records.

The filings are filled with people threatening to shoot up courthouses or schoolhouses, amped-up men in cars with weapons and ammunition, people behaving erratically at a gun shop or military-base checkpoint or firing randomly into a neighbors yard. People despondent over the loss of a job or girlfriend, a spouses failing health, a parents death. People who text friends and loved ones Goodbye forever or I have a gun next to my bed bro or post, When I kill everyone know its my dads fault.

The cases point to a basic fact of American life: the dangerous overlap between the set of people with access to guns and the set of people in severe mental distress. About every eight days, judges in Suffolk County direct authorities to take firearms and bar a person from obtaining guns. The orders, handled in civil court, typically do not lead to criminal charges.

Known formally as extreme risk protection orders, red flags have been used sparingly in most of New York. About 620 final orders  good for up to a year  have been imposed across the state.

Judges in Suffolk County, which has about 1.5 million residents, have granted at least 117 final orders, the highest rate of any of the most populous counties. (The nations leading issuer of red flag orders is Florida, where judges have signed more than 8,000 under a 2018 law passed after the high school shooting in Parkland.)

Hart said Suffolk had been forward-leaning in educating police and school officials about the law, and discussing it at community meetings. Its one thing to pass a law and just announce it, she said, but its another to give the training and the outreach and the support.

Suffolk County Attorney Dennis Cohen added: From very early on, we just as a policy decided to take an aggressive approach.

That attitude may be spreading. After the Buffalo slaughter, Gov. Kathy Hochul made it mandatory for the state police to seek red flag orders when they believe someone poses a danger.

Her directive was prompted by the fact that the 18-year-old charged with the shooting, Payton Gendron, had not been put through the red flag process when he wrote in a school assignment that he wanted someday to commit a murder-suicide. Gendron was taken for a mental health evaluation, but he wrote that he was seen for only 15 minutes and that he lied that the remark was a joke. That is the reason I believe I am still able to purchase guns, he wrote.

The process for red flag orders is straightforward: A judge at the county level can issue a temporary order, and after a hearing, a final order based on evidence that someone is likely to cause serious harm. Orders can be renewed.

Research on the laws efficacy is mixed. A study in Connecticut found that 1 suicide was averted for every 10-20 gun seizures. One in San Diego County found that the red flag did not significantly reduce firearm violence.

In Suffolk County, the heavier use of red flag orders does not appear to have produced significant changes in gun death rates compared with those in the rest of the state. But Hart, the former police commissioner, said the county saw several positive effects, including forcing parents to confront their childrens psychological problems.

Laura Sarowitz, a lawyer in the county attorneys office, said the orders also have helped families with members who wanted to harm themselves by making it harder to obtain guns. It does create extra barriers, she said.

Suffolk County deputy sheriffs typically serve the order and remove the weapons, walking into situations about which they know little.

It can be very high risk, said Chief Deputy Sheriff Christopher Brockmeyer. We try to do our due diligence and vet the respondents as much as we can.

Some lawyers believe the county has overreached. Peter Tilem, whose firm has represented clients in red flag cases, said some are based merely on a statement written or texted to a friend.

What is it like for a college student who has never committed a crime to have the police break down his door and seize his gun? Tilem said. Whats it like to have to get examined by psychiatrists and psychologists to essentially prove that hes not a danger to himself or others?

In Suffolk, orders are issued for a wide range of reasons.

There are people accused of threatening a girlfriend, a housemate or an aunt; people who said they were planning a suicide by cop and those in the throes of delusion: a man screaming that he was the messiah and that he needed to cut his grandmother out of the side of his body; another with a shotgun under his bed who ranted that UFOs, aliens and the government wanted to shoot him with lasers.

At least 11 red flag orders involved school threats, including a pair issued Thursday and Friday to two 15-year-olds, one of whom walked into a classroom and shouted, Im gonna shoot up the school. The other boy posted on Instagram that he hoped he got locked up so that he and the other boy could BEAT THE CASE SO THEN BOTH US CAN BOOM THE SCHOOL.

There are people who owned no guns but were red-flagged to keep them from buying one, and people who had entire arsenals confiscated. One man who was already under a red flag order was hit with a second one for having a friend buy a gun for him. And sometimes, the civil actions and resulting searches end up leading to criminal charges for illegal weapons or drugs.

After a judge granted an order this year against Robert Ludwig, 26, who had talked about killing himself, deputy sheriffs said they found three illegal ghost guns assembled from kits, 4,000 rounds of ammunition and a pharmacopoeia that included fentanyl, amphetamine, LSD and Xanax. He was charged with weapon and drug possession and has pleaded not guilty, said his lawyer, Michael Brown.

Brown said there were extenuating circumstances in Ludwigs case and no indication whatsoever that he would have used any weapons against himself or anybody else.

By far, the most common reason for an order was to deter suicide.

In January, for instance, a 37-year-old wrote on Facebook that he wanted to shoot himself and posted a photo of guns at a Dicks Sporting Goods in Patchogue. Employees told police he had just bought a shotgun and ammunition. They found the man in his car a few miles away with the gun in the back seat.

Although Suffolk County judges grant most requests for orders, there are plenty of exceptions.

In August, a man texted a friend that he had tried to shoot himself but the gun jammed, and added, I dont want to be here anymore. At a hearing on a final order, both men testified that the texts were jokes, and the judge found that police had not offered clear and convincing evidence that the man posed a danger.

Robert Schechter, his lawyer, said that his client has been doing well and that three rifles were returned to the home.

In a 2021 case, a man in a North Shore town confronted parents waiting in their cars to pick up their children at an elementary school, complaining that they were blocking his driveway and using it to turn around. One motorist said he got into a chest-bumping confrontation in which the man threatened to blow his head off. After a temporary red flag order, police took a pump-action shotgun, three rifles and a handgun.

But at the hearing, the man admitted only to saying someone should shoot the motorist. The judge wrote that although the man had behaved in a manner that was inappropriate, crude and unwarranted, there was insufficient evidence that he intended to harm anyone.

Sometimes, authorities appear to have a compelling case, only to have an order denied for want of a witness.

When Cynthia Carro reported that her husband choked her in a drug-fueled rage in 2019, police obtained a temporary red flag and seized about 20 rifles and other firearms, according to court filings and an interview with her.

But when police asked Carro to testify at the hearing, she said she feared the financial consequences for their family.

They would call me and I just wouldnt go, because I just didnt want him to lose his job, she said.

Without her testimony, the judge declined to issue a final order.

All I want is for him to get better so that my children can have their dad, Carro said of her husband, from whom she is separated. The husband did not respond to a call seeking comment.

Once a final order is issued, judges are reluctant to reverse themselves.

In 2019, a judge red-flagged a college student who showed signs of mania after he lost his grandmother and broke up with a girlfriend, was involved in a road rage incident and purchased an AK-47 he called his baby. A friend said he was worried that he was on a downward spiral.

When the order still had almost three months to go, Schechter and Tilem, the mans lawyers, moved to end it, arguing that his distress was temporary, that he had been cleared by three medical experts and that he underwent therapy.

He was sad, and people are happy sometimes and sad other times, wrote Schechter, but to take away rights from people is not something the court should do lightly.

The judge was unmoved; the order ran its course.

The student has done extremely well since this has been over, Tilem said.

 2022 The New York Times Company
New York's governor raised the age for buying a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21 Monday as she tightened gun laws following the racist massacre at a supermarket in Buffalo.

Kathy Hochul approved a package of gun reform laws that had been passed by the state senate in the wake of last month's shooting that killed 10 Black people.

The measures come amid a spate of mass killings in the United States that have sparked renewed calls for greater gun control laws.

Payton Gendron, 18, is accused of gunning down the shoppers at Tops Friendly Market using a an AR-15 assault rifle that he had bought legally.

As well as being at least 21 years old, buyers of semiautomatic rifles will now also have to obtain a permit, meaning undergoing a background check.

Democratic New York already has some of the strongest gun laws in America.

The new laws also ban most civilians from purchasing body armor, such as bullet-proof vests.

Gendron, a white supremacist, was wearing heavy body armor during his alleged attack on May 14.

Hochul also agreed to expand the state's "red flag" laws, which allow courts to take away guns from people deemed a risk to themselves and others.

Ten days after the Buffalo shooting, a teenaged gunman shot dead 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

US President Joe Biden has called for new gun-control legislation, including a ban on assault weapons.

At a minimum, Biden has said lawmakers should raise the age at which assault weapons can be purchased from 18 to 21.

But gun regulation faces deep resistance in the United States, from most Republicans and some rural-state Democrats.

US gun violence has killed more than 18,000 people so far in 2022, including nearly 10,300 suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

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"If you damage a white truffle, you can't sleep for five nights. A half-kilo piece is worth 1,000 euros," says Luka Raspolic.

Raspolic is one of the truffle hunting team at Karlic Tartufi, Croatias biggest exporter of the sought-after fungi. He's taking me out hunting with him, alongside Lila, the Labrador.

Most people would assume that the tasty Alba white truffles are an archetypally northwest Italian fare  but, in fact, the best place in Europe to consume and hunt for rare fungi is the Croatian region of Istria.

Like many foodie tourists, just eating the delicacy in Istria wasn't enough to satisfy my curiosity. I wanted to see the woodlands where the truffles grow and find out just how the region became a serious contender in the truffle world.

There are four different truffle species commonly found in Croatias Northwestern most state, Istria: Three black truffle types and the fabled, rare Alba white truffles, tuber magnatum.

Truffles have long been big business, but thanks to Netflix's "The Truffle Hunters," truffle hunting is having a big cultural moment.

24 HOURS, 5 RESTAURANTS: What I learned about San Diego's food scene after a day in the city

The white truffle was made famous in the '30s when Italian inn-keeper Giacomo Morra served newspaper journalists a plate of the dish from his kitchen in Alba, Piedmont. The rarity grows in Italy, as well as Croatia and Slovenia, where the climate is optimally warm while the soil is drenched for much of the year.

"There (are fewer) truffles in Italy these days as Croatia keeps their own," explains Ivana Karlic Ban, Raspolic's cousin and one of the managers at family operation, Karlic Tartufi. "Twenty years ago or so, when tourism began in earnest in Croatia, the tides changed."

Karlic Tartufi is one of a number of truffle companies in Northern Istria that now take eager tourists out on a hunt  where you can opt to join a group or select a private tour.

Story continues

The forests of Motovun and Buzet are the region's thriving hub, with the largest white truffle on record found just over the valley in Livade, weighing 1kg 31g.

Story continues below.

Luka's driven us to the piece of woodland owned by Karlic and Lila is hard at work, sniffing around tree stumps in search of the treasure she's been so well trained to find. I'm kitted out in walking boots and a hunting jacket, my dad's old Parkour. Full-length trousers and covered arms are necessary to avoid branches and bugs.

"I like to compare this job with fishing. It's all about timing," says Raspolic. "The truffle is a very mystic mushroom; they don't smell all the time. We could be standing on truffles but not know it. You'll never find everything; it's not possible.

Truffles close up on the white

We are in black truffle season, the tasty but less rare tuber aestivum. Lila claws at the earth when she's found one, and Luka uses his trowel to carefully extract the loot from under the ground, being careful not to break it. We cover the hole with soil, ready for the next batch, as the spores stay in the hole to grow for next season  and Lila gets a treat on discovering one.

"Truffle hunting is a very secretive job. If you find a large truffle, you can't tell your neighbor. So it was good back when Istrian truffles were a secret, but it's better for the truffle hunting business and the gastronomy business now."

Story continues below.

After the hunt, we go back to the dining room at Karlic to feast on our finds. Ivana's team have prepared scrambled eggs with truffles, truffles and cheese on bruschetta and a board of truffle-infused cheeses, hams and white truffle spreads.

My truffle day ends in Croatias first museum dedicated exclusively to truffles, on Karlic Tartufis farm.

"My brother and I promised my Grandpa, Ivan Raspolic, we'd make a truffle museum one day and here it is," explains Karlic Ban, the third generation of truffle hunters in her family.

The farmhouse-based galleries are full of vintage equipment and photos and some interactive displays designed to help the visitor recognize different truffles' scents. It's a delightful homage to her family heritage  and the paterfamilias of the most successful truffle outfits the country's ever seen.

Truffle hunting tours at Karlic Tartufi start from $85 during black truffle season and $115 during white truffle season.

Lucie Grace is a British freelance travel writer, currently based in Croatia.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Truffle hunting in Croatia: What you need to know
A Japanese court on Monday sentenced a 30-year-old man to a prison term of 18 years in a retrial over a 2017 road rage incident that resulted in the deaths of a couple and injuries to their two daughters.

The Yokohama District Court convicted Kazuho Ishibashi of dangerous driving after he overtook the car of Yoshihisa Hagiyama, 45, and his family on the Tomei Expressway in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, on June 5, 2017, and forced it to stop in the passing lane where it was rear-ended by a truck.

The court recognized that Ishibashi's actions constituted dangerous driving, which was the main focus of the trial, and described them as "relentless criminal acts based on a strong intent."

The prison term was handed down by Presiding Judge Kiyoshi Aonuma as sought by prosecutors, who argued Ishibashi was liable for dangerous driving for repeatedly slowing down in front of the family's car. His defense had said there was no causal link between his driving and the accident.

But Aonuma, in handing down the ruling, rejected the argument, saying, "There was a causal relationship."

The judge said the defendant had advanced directly in front of Hagiyama's car four times and repeatedly engaged in obstructive driving by slowing down and approaching the vehicle. Ishibashi's dangerous driving led Hagiyama to take the risky action of stopping the car on a highway.

According to the ruling, Ishibashi was enraged after being warned by Hagiyama about the way he had parked his car in an expressway parking area just before the incident. Ishibashi pursued Hagiyama, who was traveling with his 39-year-old wife Yuka and their two daughters.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb.  Members of the 557th Weather Wing held a change of command ceremony May 24, 2022, at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

During the tradition filled ceremony, Col. Patrick Williams relinquished command to Col. Bradley Stebbins.

[Col. Stebbins] has the right set of experience, said Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) commander, who presided over the ceremony. He has served at every echelon in deployed and joint environments and within this community so that he will now be able to take us to the next step.

Stebbins takes charge of the wing after relinquishing command of the 1st Weather Group May 20, 2022.

To the Airmen, along with the civilians, of the 557th WWwherever you may be, spread out across 19 time zones  you are the reason we are here today, Stebbins said. To our squadrons who expertly execute global weather operations for the Air Force, Army and our many partners, we thank you all for maintaining vigilance through the wings world-wide network of operating centers.

Upon leaving the wing, Williams will soon be deploying.

To the Airmen and civilians of the 557th WW  the Air Forces weather wing  you are truly, truly amazing, Williams said. No matter what challenge was put in front of you, you found a way to innovate a better solution.

You are absolutely the lifeblood of this wing, he added. Thank you for contributing, thank you for participating, thank you for making a difference and thank you for giving it your best every single time.

The 557th WW provides around-the-clock authoritative terrestrial and space-environmental data, analyses, forecasts, threat-warning and threat-mitigation products and services for the Department of Defense, the National Intelligence Community, allied and coalition partners around the world and across multiple security enclaves.
While the barrage of onlookers who annually line O Street to watch cars cruise Lincoln's main drag is a spectacle unique to Memorial Day weekend, area residents say the perilous driving behavior that accompanies it rolls on all summer.

The unsanctioned cruise night May 29 resulted in tragedy for the second time in two decades, when an 18-year-old Omaha man in a Ford Taurus struck a Toyota Corolla turning in front of him at the 52nd Street intersection, killing both of the Toyota's occupants and sending both cars into a crowd of people gathered along the sidewalk, 20 of whom required treatment at local hospitals.

A day later, the city's police chief said the crash "would have happened whether" onlookers were there or not, acknowledging the persistence of dangerous driving on O Street.

"We need to curb that, through education, and also enforcement," Chief Teresa Ewins said during a Memorial Day news conference. "So we have been doing that. We've taken the complaints from the O Street corridor, which many of you know about, and have been very active in trying to stop this behavior."

Area residents, though, say those efforts haven't worked  and the scope of the behavior is not limited to Memorial Day, weekend evenings or even the summer months.

"Every single night, there's something," said Jordyn Vavak, who moved into her house a block away from the crash site a year ago and expected the behavior  racing, cruising, the sounds of tires screeching and engines backfiring  to die down as summer gave way to fall.

Instead, she said, "it's an every night occurrence," one that peaks during Memorial Day weekend but never seems to completely cease.

She's only called the police once, she said, when the humming bass of a blaring car stereo kept her and her children up past midnight. She doesn't like to complain. And she knew O Street was the city's main cruising spot when she moved to the area from near 52nd and Adams streets, she said.

But Vavak didn't know how bad it was until she lived on N Street.

"I was hopeful that Labor Day would be the end," she said. "I've heard that (Memorial Day) starts it off and by Labor Day it's supposed to die down, but it doesn't."

Most residents on Vavak's street don't bother calling in noise complaints, said Ron Zimmer, who has lived across from Vavak's house for 12 years and, most years, is among the onlookers who line O Street every Memorial Day weekend.

"We get noise 24/7," he said, chalking the inconvenience up to life along O Street.

"Whoever does it is gone by the time the police would get here," Zimmer said.

Authorities have spent decades combating the behavior plaguing O Street, which former Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady said dates back as far as he can remember, estimating the corridor became a cruising hotspot as early as the 1940s.

"It's hard for a lot of people, particularly people my age, to realize that there will be a traffic jam  an honest-to-goodness traffic jam  at 33rd and O in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 2:25 a.m. on a Wednesday," he said.

Casady, who served as police chief from 1994 to 2011 and was the city's public safety director until 2019, said the department has poured immeasurable resources into policing O Street, and late in his tenure as chief began deploying the Nebraska State Patrol's helicopter on holiday weekends to monitor the antics.

He described the annual and nightly enforcement efforts on O Street as a longstanding game of cat and mouse between officers and street racers, tire burners and bad actors. The mice, most often, win.

"Here's the problem: There's only so much you can do with law enforcement," Casady told the Journal Star. "For every person you catch and give a ticket to, there are 35 others who get away with it. Probably more than 35."

The weekend following the deadly crash, O Street was seemingly devoid of street racing Friday night. A significant police presence was in place, with officers patrolling popular meeting spots for cruisers such as the Kohls parking lot at 84th Street or the Barnes & Noble near where last week's fatal crash occurred.

The police department and State Patrol in recent years have sought grant funding to cover overtime costs on summer holiday weekends, increasing patrol efforts along O Street, focusing on the stretch from 17th to 84th. The enforcement detail was in place for Memorial Day weekend, but no officers witnessed the crash at 52nd and O, police said.

Emily Siebenhor, 20, and her passenger, Edith Hermosillo, 22, died in the crash while attempting to complete a turn. In the crash report, police said Kyvell Stark was speeding above the 40 mph limit when he went through a yellow light headed west.

No citations associated with the Memorial Day weekend crash have been reported.

In 2020, the last year in which full data is available, LPD issued 750 citations for speeding, or reckless or careless driving on O Street.

And last summer, in a three-month O Street enforcement campaign that began Memorial Day weekend, the department's officers and State Patrol troopers made contact with 362 drivers, issuing 88 speeding tickets and tracking two criminal violations.

Despite those efforts, there were more crashes on O Street between 17th and 84th last year than any of the previous four years, according to a Journal Star analysis of department data. Police responded to 326 collisions on that section of O Street in 2021, up from 287 the year before, 288 in 2019 and even fewer in 2018 and 2017.

"I've just got to say that, for the most part, those efforts to enhance enforcement, in my estimation, have not solved the problem," Casady said. "Because the risk of getting caught is too small, and the cost of getting caught is still too low."

For the residents of Trailridge Court, a cul-de-sac of duplex-style townhomes adjacent to the Kohl's near 84th and O streets, police enforcement efforts have been futile, as the store's parking lot has often become an arena of sorts for burnouts and "cookies."

Unlike those living near 52nd and N, though, the tight-knit block of mostly retirees in east Lincoln do call the police when drivers burn rubber 20 yards or so from some of their backyards, filling the air with smoke and the nearby street with angry residents.

Diane and Ellis Willadsen have lived next to Kohl's since the winter of 2014, and more often than not, they've had their lives interrupted by the screeching tires across Russwood Boulevard, they said. When they first moved in, the couple naturally slept in their house's master bedroom but soon moved their sleeping quarters downstairs.

In the years since, Diane Willadsen has written letters to the mayor, the former police chief, City Council members and executives at Kohl's and Burger King, she said. She never heard back from the city officials or company executives, she said, and she hasn't stopped hearing the burnouts.

"We don't mind if they gather there," she said, standing in her former master suite that's now a spare bedroom. "We just wish they were quiet."

Seven residents on the block all said that groups as large as 20 to 50 people gather in the parking lot some nights, forming makeshift arenas for burnouts and other stunts, sometimes performed with passengers sitting in the car windows with half their bodies hanging out.

When police do come  often in response to more than one neighbor calling per night  the Willadsens said the cars in the lot scatter in different directions, most of them heading back toward O Street.

Dan and Bonnie Forst, who have lived across the street from the Willadsens' home for nine years, said they've watched other neighbors on the block sell their townhomes "solely because of Kohl's" and the noise problem they said has gotten worse over time.

They built a deck they can't always use at night because of the constant screech of tires. Dan Forst wears earplugs to bed. But they don't call the police as often as they used to, they said, decreasing calls from about twice a week to twice a month.

"It's gonna be just like this thing on O Street," Bonnie Forst said of the chaos outside Kohl's. "Until somebody dies over there, nothing's gonna happen."

Jenna Ebbers contributed to this report. Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley
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A friend of mine recently told me that, although hes not usually a fan of science fiction and he doesnt typically like scary stories, he is somehow fascinated by the Netflix series Stranger Things. We started talking about why this was and, as we discussed it, the characters from the sho
Al Watad, a democratic party in Tunisia, announced Sunday the sacking of its leader Mongi Rahoui for having taken part in the first meeting of the much-criticized national dialogue proposed by President Kais Saied.

Al Watad said in a statement Rahoui went against the partys decision not to take part in the dialogue.

Rahoui attended Saturday the first meeting of the Consultative Committee. The committee is one of the few established by Saied to ponder over the drafting of a new constitution that will be submitted to a referendum next month.

The dialogue has been criticized at home and abroad as it has sidelined political parties and critics of the President.

Saied has drawn the wrath of several parties and civil society organizations in the North African country after he seized major power on July 25 last year in what he defined exceptional measures to restore the country.

The move also angered Tunisias traditional partners including the U.S. and the European Union. UGTT, Tunisias powerful labor union, has refused to be part of the process in its current format which excludes political parties. Also, Tunisias top legal experts have turned down Saieds offer to participate in the process.
The Spanish government expressed, Monday, its satisfaction with the positive results of the new roadmap drawn with Morocco, during the visit the President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, paid to the North African Kingdom last April at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

We can congratulate ourselves because this new step is very positive, said the spokeswoman for the Spanish government, Isabel Rodriguez who was guest of a program on Spanish TVE.

We have already seen in recent weeks the positive results of this new roadmap established by the two countries and which has allowed to advance on several bilateral issues of common interest, Isabel Rodriguez said.

The spokeswoman for the Spanish executive expressed the willingness of her country to move forward in strengthening relations with Morocco and consolidating a mutually beneficial partnership.

We continue to move forward on this roadmap established with Morocco to improve this relationship of neighborhood, and especially to move forward in important issues for our country such as immigration, economy and security, she stressed.

To achieve this goal, Rodriguez noted that several Spanish ministerial departments are working on decisive agreements that relate to relations with Morocco.

Several other Spanish officials had voiced their countrys satisfaction with the pace of implementation of the roadmap drawn with Morocco.

These include Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Barroso who had pointed out early May that the implementation of the roadmap was advancing at a steady pace and in full normality.

Actually, sea and air links between the two countries have been completely restored and the Marhaba operation welcoming Moroccan expatriates returning home from Europe for the summer holidays officially kicked off Sunday.

The reinforcement of migratory cooperation also yielded tangible results, mainly on the Atlantic coast, where arrivals of illegal migrants to the Canary Islands have decreased by 45%, by mid May.
The European Union Law Enforcement Agency has announced lately the dismantling of the FluBot spyware, a much more dangerous snooping software than Pegasus, but European and American press organizations kept total silence over this scandal.

According to Europol, FluBot, one of the fastest-spreading mobile malware to date, has been disrupted thanks to an international law enforcement operation launched jointly by the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Australia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

FluBot is an Android malware which has been spreading aggressively through SMS, stealing passwords, online banking details and other sensitive information from infected smartphones across the world.

First spotted in December 2020, FluBot has gained traction in 2021 and compromised a huge number of devices worldwide, including significant incidents in Spain and Finland, says the EU law enforcement agency.

The malware was installed via text messages which asked Android users to click a link and install an application to track a package delivery or listen to a fake voice mail message. Once installed, the malicious application would ask for accessibility permissions. The hackers would then use this access to steal banking app credentials or cryptocurrency account details and disable built-in security mechanisms.

The malware was able to access an infected smartphones contacts. Messages containing links to the FluBot malware were then sent to these numbers, helping spread the malware ever further.

Europol investigators are still trying to identify those behind FluBot. However, in the Pegasus case, the names of the presumed perpetrators were disclosed quickly without evidence amid an orchestrated frenzy media campaign.

The identity of the victims of Flubot spyware and the country which hosts its infrastructures have not been disclosed by the international investigation, while the European-U.S. media continue to turn a blind eye to this malware which has infected a huge number of devices worldwide.
High Commissioner for Planning Ahmed Lahlimi Alami on Monday held talks with visiting Libyan Planning Council Chairman Meftah Abdelwahed on prospects for promoting cooperation in the field of strategic planning.

The meeting, attended by Libyan Ambassador to Morocco Ibrahim Ataweel, discussed the importance of planning in economic development.

Speaking on this occasion, Lahlimi said that cooperation and coordination with the Libyan Council of Planning will allow for expertise exchange, stressing that it is necessary today, more than ever before, to unify efforts in the field of planning and statistical studies, especially in view of the current challenges, including climate change and the geopolitical situation.

Lahlimi underlined that Morocco is committed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that the New Development Model (NMD) places capital emphasis on sustainable development.

For his part, the Libyan Planning Council Chairman stressed that choosing Morocco as an economic partner is not fortuitous, as the Kingdom boasts great experience in planning and scored significant achievements in sustainable development.

He said in this connection that Moroccos HCP is a prestigious organization with extensive experience in statistical studies, and that this meeting will allow his Council to rebuild Libyas development path. This is the beginning of a fruitful cooperation.
Schuyler High School, located in a primarily Hispanic community, has shown enough progress to be removed from the Nebraska Department of Education's list of schools needing intervention.

The Nebraska Board of Education voted Friday to remove its designation of the high school as a "priority school," selected from among the lowest-performing schools in the state's classification system.

Schuyler High School landed on the list in 2018 because of a number of factors, including its dropping graduation rate, chronic absenteeism and the number of English language learners not proficient on state assessments.

State law requires the Department of Education designate priority schools for intervention. Schools identified for help work with the state to draft an intervention plan to identify goals and areas for improvement.

After three years, the board can vote to extend or amend the progress plan or remove the priority school label. The 2019-20 school year was not taken into account because of the pandemic.

"It's not easy to name a priority school from our standpoint," said state education Commissioner Matthew Blomstedt.

Schuyler set out seven measurable goals  in addition to strategies for staff  to demonstrate improvement, which the state used to quantify the school's progress.

School officials pointed to a number of tangible changes, including raising the graduation rate from 82.7% in 2016 to 86% in 2022 and reducing the chronic absenteeism rate from 16% to 11%.

A nearby meatpacking plant owned by Cargill has drastically changed Schuyler's demographics over the past two decades. Schuyler High School serves just less than 600 students, 93% of whom are Hispanic.

This year alone, the school welcomed 39 students from Central America and Africa, 27 of whom had no prior educational experience.

When Schuyler first landed on the list, 25% of its students were English language learners but none were proficient on standardized assessments. This past school year, 9% reached proficiency.

The number of ELL students classified as emerging  the lowest classification on English language proficiency assessments  dropped from 86% five years ago to 38% today.

Schuyler instituted a number of strategies over the past four years, including devoting professional development time to supporting ELL students across all content areas.

The mood was one of celebration at Friday's board meeting in Lincoln. Board member Maureen Nickels recalled when Schuyler landed on the list initially.

"That was a tough, solemn day," Nickels said. "And so to sit here on my last year on the board and to know we made the right decision and you all took the bull by the horn ... this is what we want. This is what education is about."

Schuyler Superintendent Dan Hoesing said the process is an expensive one for schools that take it seriously. The district received $2 million from the state for support, Hoesing said, and the district also passed a bond to build a new gym, cafeteria and fine arts center.

"While this process started out being uncomfortable, it doesn't have to be, but there is a certain amount of uncomfortableness that will push you to change," Hoesing said. "What we want is to change your belief in who we are, remove a label because the label is not who we are."

The state is required to have no fewer than three schools on its priority school list. Santee Community Schools' elementary, middle and high schools on the Santee Sioux Nation Reservation in Knox County are the only remaining ones on the list.

Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @HammackLJS
Aurora IP

Aurora IP

HANOI, Vietnam, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vietnam is witnessing a strong recovery of foreign direct investment after Covid-19. FDI has been a key driver of Vietnams economic growth. Companies with FDI account for around 70% of the Southeast Asian countrys exports.



According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam received $4.42 billion in FDI in 1st quarter of 2022, up 7.8% from a year earlier. After the manufacturing and processing industry, real estate is currently the second largest FDI recipient in the past 10 years in Vietnam.

Aurora IP

JLL's industrial real estate market report for 1st quarter of 2022 shows that industrial land prices have maintained a strong growth momentum (up 8.5%) thanks to the new wave of FDI pouring into Vietnam after the restoration of flights and the opening of international borders. The average rental for industrial land is $120 a square meter.

Many big companies from Japan, Korea, US and Euro are looking for opportunities to enter the Vietnamese market carrying out in-depth research and analysis to select the right location.

Rising to become the bright spot of industrial park in Vietnam, Aurora IP, developed by local prominent real estate developer Cat Tuong Group, provides a total phase 1 area of 519.6 hectares, aims to build one of top leading textile-dyeing specialized industrial park with green  clean - sustainable development orientation.

Aurora IP is implementing land leveling for the whole area of 519.6 hectares, aiming to immediately hand-over clean land to the tenants upon the signing of the land leasing agreement to minimize any waiting time caused to the secondary investors. In 2021, approximately 160 hectares of commercial land in Aurora IP have been prepared as leveling is completed. Currently, there are a number of foreign investors from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, investingin the Aurora IP.

Transport expenses account for 45-70% of supply chain costs, which means that warehouses located near major traffic hubs will be in huge demand. Aurora IP is located in a convenient position, within the planning of Ninh Co Economic Zone which covers 14,000 hectares with comprehensive infrastructure such as airport, seaport and power supply facilities. In terms of manpower, Aurora IP is supplied from 3 sources including local supply of 10,000 workers with high school graduates or basic training for the IP while 130,000 people aged 21-35 are available in surrounding districts.

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With the humane  sustainable development strategy and customer-centric orietation, we are confident that Aurora IP is the smart choice for manufacturers who are seeking a specialized, sustainable development industrial park for the textile and garment industry and other supporting industries in Vietnam. We stay focused on attracting tenants being large FDI enterprises from all over the world with privilege priority for dyeing textile utilizing high technology; simultaneously promoting joint venture/ cooperation with Vietnamese enterprises, said Mr. Tran Quoc Viet - Chairman & CEO of Cat Tuong Group.

info@auroraip.vn




KELA Q1 Ransomware Report

KELA Q1 Ransomware Report

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the kick-off of RSA 2022, KELA, the leading provider of cybercrime threat intelligence, has released its threat intelligence report: Ransomware Victims and Network Access Sales in Q1 2022.

In Q1 2022, ransomware gangs continued to be a major threat, collaborating with various cybercriminals, such as initial access brokers (IABs), and aiming to conduct attacks against corporations worldwide.

"IAB offers continued to be in demand in Q1 2022 with some of the sold access listings exploited by ransomware gangs for their attacks," said David Carmiel, CEO of KELA. "It is crucial to monitor such activities and stay one step ahead of cybercriminals to prevent a potential ransomware attack."

Key findings from the company's monitoring of activity of ransomware gangs and initial access brokers in Q1:

KELA identified around 700 victims in our sources, showing a decrease of 40% compared to the end of 2021. Nevertheless, there was an increase in attacks per month from January 2022 (152 attacks) to March 2022 (320 attacks). On average, the company observed 227 ransomware attacks in each month of Q1 2022.

LockBit replaced Conti as the most active gang since the beginning of the year. The number of attacks launched by the Conti gang fell in January 2022 and increased following a leak of Conti's internal data.

In Q1, 41 healthcare organizations still were compromised by ransomware gangs ; 34% of the attacks were associated with Conti and Karakurt gangs.

The finance sector made it to the top five targeted sectors , with LockBit carrying out the largest number of attacks against financial companies.

Ransomware gangs were seen using a relatively new intimidating method which includes publishing a victim without its name.

The number of network access listings on sale decreased compared to Q4 2021 . KELA traced over 520 offers for sale, with the cumulative price requested for all accesses surpassing $1.1 million.

The average time it takes for access to be sold is 1.75 days.

KELA was able to identify more than 150 of the network access victims, which allowed it to link some ransomware attacks carried out by BlackByte, Quantum and Alphv to network access put on sale and then most likely bought by a ransomware affiliate.

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To read the full report, please visit https://ke-la.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KELA-RESEARCH-RANSOMWARE-VICTIMS-AND-NETWORK-ACCESS-SALES-IN-Q1-2022.pdf

About KELA

An award-winning cybercrime threat intelligence firm, KELA's mission is to provide 100% actionable intelligence on threats emerging from the cybercrime underground. Our success is based on a unique integration of our proprietary automated technologies and qualified intelligence experts. Trusted worldwide, our cybercrime threat intelligence and external attack surface management technology automatically penetrates the hardest-to-reach corners of the internet to provide you with unique, contextualized, and actionable insights. Our solutions infiltrate underground places your team can't reach and thoroughly learn your unique requirements to uncover direct threats to your organization. KELA's tailored threat visibility, combined with external attack surface management, arms you with highly contextualized intelligence, as seen from the eyes of attackers, thus enabling proactive network defense. For more information, visit www.ke-la.com.

Media Contact

Holly Hitchcock

Holly@gofrontlines.com

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Thanks to a newly unveiled museum exhibit, visitors to Auburn University can travel back in time 82 million years.

Millions of years ago, a fragile dinosaur egg approximately 2 inches long washed out to sea and was protected in layers of sediment for an incredible journey. In the 1970s, the fossilized egg was discovered by a group of teens near Selma, Alabama. One of those teens, Prescott Atkinson, would later conduct a CT scan on the egg after completing medical school.

The dinosaur egg, which includes an intact embryo that is the most complete dinosaur specimen in the eastern United States, was unveiled June 1 in a public display in the Rouse Life Sciences Building, part of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, or AUMNH, collections.

Its very unique, and theres not another one like it, said Jonathan Armbruster, director of AUMNH. It holds great scientific value.

Inside the Rouse Life Sciences building around the rotunda on the first floor, a wall display includes the dinosaur egg alongside an interactive tablet. Visitors can learn about the area where it was found and characteristics of the egg, and people also can view images from the CT scan and see the actual bones inside the egg.

The egg can teach us a lot of things, Armbruster said.

Scant information exists about dinosaurs that inhabited the eastern coast of the United States, mainly because the area is covered in vegetation that is unlike the western U.S.

The egg was dated to 82 million years through radiometric methods that determine particular isotypes and date layers of sediments, Armbruster said.

The once delicate egg now has a dense structure.

Over time, the egg has become lithified or transformed into stone, he added. It had a complete shell, and no one actually knew what was inside.

James Lamb from the Black Belt Museum at the University of West Alabama studied the specimen on loan from Auburn while working on his doctoral degree. He removed part of the shell that exposed the embryonic bones and continued the journey of this egg.

Atkinson, who originally found the egg as a teen and later became a physician, took CT scans, but medical scanners could not separate the bones from the rock.

This egg shows why museums are important, Atkinson said. It is now preserved for people to see it and lets us teach people more about the fascinating role of science.

The egg traveled to Grenoble, France, to undergo more detailed X-rays at the European Synchrotron, where the digital images could be extracted to identify the bones and confirm this specimen as an actual dinosaur egg.

The fact that Atkinson was at the right spot 82 million years after the egg was deposited in sediments is absolutely amazing, said Armbruster.

Toni Bruner, AUMNH, and Ray Wilhite, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, also have made contributions to this project.

This specimen is preserved for all time, and now anyone can learn more about it, Armbruster said.
That's a cute story. Fashion should be fun so more power to her.

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I dont really get it but I love that for her

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idgi either but it's provocative and weird so i am happy for her

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You know how grandpas pull their pants all the way up? She made it fashion 

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I loved it. Why should fun, risky fashion be limited to women in their twenties?

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the Bewitched star explained



Who wrote that People copy lol, thats the work they reference from an Oscar and Emmy award winner 



Why was it controversial, was it an ageism thing? She looks good.

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sounds like something we'd do here to be disrespectful

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i think the average People Mag reader is a white conservitive middle/lower-middle class 'merican and their familiarity with Kidman lines up more with lighthearted remakes rather than 'The Hours' or 'Birth'. Lainey calls the audience 'The MiniVan Majority' for good reason

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You'd think they'd go with being the Ricardos then

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i don't get it bc i think it's ugly. but let her wear what she wants

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i think that skirt in general is fugly as shit on anyone but good on nicole for doing what makes her happy

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I don't get the issue. Is it because she's a "dinosaur" for the industry age standard?



She looks great and if she wants to wear an ugly outfit go her I guess

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Her age was absolutely why

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I think her age is part of it, but the outfit doesnt match her persona. Its something you wouldnt expect her to wear.

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Ageism plus the insane photoshop job they did on her because women arent allowed to age past 30.

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I think most people assumed that they'd basically stuck her head on another woman's body, or that she was so photoshopped she was practically a cartoon. She very obviously has a gorgeous body, but I think the frustration is with the fact that it perpetuates this idea that women need to stay looking like they're 23 in order to be relevant.



But at the same time, the way it came across was as shaming Nicole for wanting to dress how she wants to dress.



So, as always, it was messy and confusing.

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I guess viral because she's older but I just hate that whole collection so that was what I was focused on

that and how hot she looked (other than the outfit)

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Good for her.

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Edited at 2022-06-06 01:17 am (UTC)

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i don't get what's so ugly about the skirt in this scene (or Nicole's skirt for that matter) but what do I know about fashion

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Theres nothing wrong with the skirt, lol. Thats the point, haha.

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I would wear the shit out that that ugly skirt.

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cut up mens slacks? Help me, ontd, i dont know fashion! 

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she looks so good



all I got

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I get fashion, but there's cuter shit out there

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i'm gonna burn down the warehouse where they store these hideous ass skirts.

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she should have been more concerned w/ the hideous top piece tbh but w/e. there was a weird ageist quality to the talk around it i dont think ppl were that bothered when zendaya wore it

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General Hospital

Days of Our Lives

The Young and the Restless

Is Victoria making the right decision? #YR is new this week on @CBS. Watch the latest episodes on @paramountplus! pic.twitter.com/tHy8VQsQXg  Young and Restless (@YandR_CBS) June 5, 2022

The Bold and the Beautiful

Will Donna and Eric's affair end?  Tune in to find out! #BoldandBeautiful is new this week on @CBS. Watch the latest episodes on @paramountplus! pic.twitter.com/KA1ulY74M5  Bold & The Beautiful (@BandB_CBS) June 5, 2022

This Week in Soaps history...

June 2nd-6th, 2014

This week on the US Daytime Soaps...Ridge crashed Brooke and Bill's wedding and exposed Bill's fling with Quinn. Ridge dragged Brooke down the beach and unwittingly boarded a helicopter piloted by Justin. At Bill's command, Justin banked the helicopter, and Ridge plunged into the Persian Gulf. The Forrester clan was rocked by the news of Ridge's disappearance, and Katie and Eric flew to Abu Dhabi to join the rescue mission. Arguments between Quinn and Liam over her hand in Ridge's plight turned violent when Wyatt punched Liam. With Ridge's life or death uncertain, Hope saw clearly what she needed in her life, and she chose to be with Liam over Wyatt.Gabi confessed to Nick's murder. Gabi realized that her life and the lives of her loved ones would be changed forever. Gabi told Marlena the truth about why Nick had had a hold over her. Sami suspected that Gabi had told Marlena the truth about what had happened in the woods with Nick.Eric was enraged at Nicole when he learned that she had betrayed him. Nicole begged Eric to forgive her, but he walked out on her.Jennifer wondered if her decision to tell Eric the truth was the right thing to do.Sami and Jordan had harsh words for each other.John and Brady went at it again over Brady's drug use and friendship with Theresa. Theresa looked on as John and Brady's fistfight spun out of control. Hope warned John and Brady to clean up their act.Ben panicked when Paige remembered that she had met him before in Miami. Aiden was there for Hope when she needed him.Patrick and Sabrina's son, Gabriel, suffered a heartbreaking setback and died. Elizabeth helped a grief-stricken Patrick, while Felix watched over a devastated Sabrina.After declaring their love for each other, Sam and Silas were shocked when Nina Clay crashed Danny's birthday party. Nina appeared unaware of Silas' relationship with Sam as Nina happily greeted her husband. Nina assumed that she and Silas could pick up where they had left off because he had never filed for divorce, so Sam encouraged Silas to take Nina home to talk things out. Sam feared that Silas would choose Nina over her. After a run-in with the law, Rafe stole money from Sam to score drugs. Sonny decided to take Ava for a blood test to confirm that Ava was really pregnant. Morgan and Carly were stunned when Ava revealed that she was pregnant with either Sonny or Morgan's baby. Sonny made it clear that the baby had only bought Ava a nine-month reprieve from retribution for murdering Connie and then insisted that Ava move in with him, so he could keep an eye on her.Molly was certain that Julian had framed Ric, but she was unable to talk to her father because the FBI had picked Ric up for questioning. Elizabeth leaned on Nikolas when the overwhelming evidence against Ric convinced her that Ric had lied to her.Nathan was at Maxie's side when she went to court to request a new hearing for visitation with Georgie. Judge Walters was reluctant to grant the request until Nathan stepped forward to take full responsibility for Maxie missing the previous week's hearing. Levi questioned if something was going on between Maxie and Nathan. Carly decided that Franco should move in with her and then focus on building a new life for himself.Jill accused Colin of stealing her necklace after it had gone missing, but she felt ashamed for blaming him when they discovered that Matty had pocketed it.Kevin received an email from Chloe, telling him that they had to go on without one another.Nikki and Victor kissed, but she said that she wasn't ready to forgive him for hurting Nick.Sharon went to Portland and got the charges against Mariah dismissed, but Nick was displeased when Sharon returned to town with Mariah. Mariah promised to stay out of Abby and Tyler's lives, but Abby refused to take back Tyler's ring. Nick suggested that Mariah work at the Underground.Dylan traveled to Idaho to pay Willa for incriminating information about Ian, but he discovered that she had disappeared.Summer asked Austin to make love to her, but he gently rebuffed her advances. Austin was revealed to be "4MJ," and he made increasingly threatening online posts. Dylan was upset to learn that Avery had filed a police report without telling him. Austin lured Avery to his studio under the pretense of conducting a photo shoot.Devon overheard Hilary tell Neil that she was ready for a commitment.Victoria ordered Chelsea to stay away from Billy. Victoria showed her baby's first ultrasound photo to Stitch. Chelsea suggested that Billy find out Stitch's secret by contacting Jenna, and Billy invited Chelsea to go to Australia with him.THE WEEK OF JUNE 7th-13th, 2004At the hospital, Sam attacked Miguel for spearing Kay with a metal rod, but Charity explained it was an accident. Kay made it through surgery, but Tabitha played on Charity's feelings of guilt to get the girl to stay away from Miguel.Theresa made a confession to a stunned Fox, and the two broke up.After remembering her tragic past life with Luis, Sheridan alerted Antonio and Hank to the cave, in hopes of saving Luis' life. Even after being arrested, nothing would deter Luis from believing he and Sheridan would be together again.Martin and Katherine's lives were thrown into turmoil when it became clear that Alistair knew where they were and wanted them dead. Source 3 and Source 4
My last flight was mid-March 2020 when we were scrambling to get home from a family vacation and tbh Im okay never flying again. That day was a lot lol

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I loved this show! They need to bring it back





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Yes was just about to comment about this show lol. I watched all the time and have been binging it this past week when I learned the episodes are on YouTube, Im so happy lol. They absolutely could never but I would love if there was a revival of this show.



Colleen was honestly was one the HBICs of reality TV tbh and Yolanda is sooooo sweet and lovely

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omg I love this show and I would LOVE for them to bring it back but they never will lbr

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I was addicted to this show. You can watch some episodes on YouTube.

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my bf makes fun of me for watching this on youtube all the time but I love it so much

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ok ive never heard of this show but now im hooked lol

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This show is so addictive, it's like a time capsule. I love it when someone loses their ticket and it's the end of the world.



I love the UK version with Jane Boulton and Leo Jones. Jane doesn't give a fuck.

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My last flight was October 2019, and besides an old woman somehow getting onto my flight which delayed us for 6 hours across two layovers, I had fun. I still had fun tbh I love layovers. You see multiple cities on one plane ticket!





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This is such a cute, positive comment

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I need more details on the old woman on your flight. Did she get on the wrong flight? If so, how did that happen lmao

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Apparently she got through security without a ticket and somehow ended up sitting on my plane and wouldn't leave. I was fine, I went to a tapas bar and looked around the shops.



I posted a link to an article about it when it happened, I wonder if I can find it again.

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That's a big delay for one woman, glad it was fun though. Exploring airports can be fun too

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Yikes. Being trapped on a plane with an erratic and aggressive dude sounds terrifying for any woman, famous or not. I hope this doesn't get dismissed as just 'first world problems' or another celeb complaining about nonsense, because it sounds pretty serious.

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mte. I wouldn't want to be stuck anywhere near some aggressive man bringing people to tears, wtf

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Exactly! That sounds scary.

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Legit. Thats definitely a nightmare. Like. damn

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Yeah, especially when women are expected not to show even the slightlest bit of emotion/vulnerability in the workplace yet still get called emotional, while men get to be fucking deranged and make environments toxics and dangerous for everyone around them without so much as a warning.

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same. that's one of my big fears flying: being seated to someone aggressive/being in a plane with someone aggressive

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Exactly. I couldn't care less about her chair or wifi. But that? THAT warrants a formal complaint

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I had it happen and both me and the other woman in his row were sobbing by the time wed finished the ascent. Its terrfying.

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I had a flight a few weeks ago with AA that was also awful. They delayed it until 11:30pm and then just after the previous flight unboarded, they cancelled it. They lied and said it was due to weather so didn't give us hotel vouchers (it def wasn't, clearly they had no staff for the delayed flight that late). Then my rebooked flight the next day kept getting delayed, also because they were short staffed. It was always JUST as we were about to board that they'd delay it. When we finally got on the plane, we sat on the runway for two hours. I was in the airport for a full day.



Edited at 2022-06-06 03:07 pm (UTC)

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This happened on my flight last year with AA. Idk what they're doing to their staff but clearly it's going badly.

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omg pretty much this exact same thing happened to me with United last month! I lost basically two vacation days to sitting around in airports

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This happened to me in Mexico City last year, I ran into one of those member lounges having a panic attack and the 6th one allowed me to sit for 2 hours. I've never had a more stressful airport situation before!

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Ontd's hatred of reclining seats will never not be absurdly funny and ridiculous to me.

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I've been here since 2008 and that's one of my fav wank/fights that erupted in the comments, lol.

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I genuinely didn't even know people considered reclining seats something rude before this place lol

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legit, they go back all of 2 cm lol. especially on an overnight flight you need to be able to recline

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I wonder if its because in some places flying is relative cheap so these people think is no big deal.



For me, travelling by plane is an expensive luxury, so FOR SURE I'll be reclining my seat.

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MTE, like I am not about to sit upright for 6+ hours, sorry

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Edited at 2022-06-06 09:38 pm (UTC) We hate them for good reason! Our concerns are valid!!!1!!

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International flights from Australia are no joke lmao. I'm not sitting upright for 20+hrs.

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I usually fly Delta and they're pretty good.

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Delta is usually reliable

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I flew Delta on my move to Germany. I was so happy to just be relaxed. It wasn't a full flight, either. So some folks moved around and I got my own row and window seat. I grew up on Delta. I've yet to like AA and I've used them a couple times in the past 20 years.

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Same, Delta is one of the few consistently good options if you're flying out of the Midwest.

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delta is the best US airline and its not even particularly close imo

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hard agree.

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Yeah I've had the best experiences with Delta. They lost my luggage once (on a return flight thankfully) but it was at my door two days later



Also i know everyone rags on Spirit lol but I've used them for a couple short flights and I cant complain

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I flew three times in the last couple of weeks. They were fine. First one was bumpy and I got panicky because I am afraid of flying but the other two were good. The flight back to Toronto was super smooth and I had the window seat which was great. Even my Ryanair flight was good! I dont know if its because my expectations were so low given how much people complain about them but for a one-hour flight, it worked out.

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Flying has gotten so much worse post-pandemic. Too many stories of delays and cancellations.



I dont have many horror stories myself though. I was stuck in another city for 3 hours due to bad weather but I KNEW it was gonna happen so I bumped myself to first class so I could have my space and some food.

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Too many stories of delays and cancellations.



This is, I'm fairly sure, largely due to "getting back to normal" aka regularly exposing flight crews to covid, so they get sick and can't fly, causing delays/cancellations 

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Yep! Also the horrible people causing confrontations. I dont blame them.

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Spirit once delayed our flight by four hours, got everyone on, then had us sit there for an hour before making everyone get off because there was a "mechanical issue." They said another delay would be for three hours, then changed their mind...?...and got everyone back on like an hour later (so either there was no mechanical issue, or they just didn't bother to fix it). We then sat there for another hour, until finally the plan began to very, veeerrryy slowly coast down the runway, where it then stopped and idled for 20 minutes. The pilots were trying to time out their shift lmao. They did so, turned the plane around, dumped us at a terminal, and didn't tell us anything for hours. Spirit refused to outright cancel the flight until almost midnight, which meant that no one could get another flight out that night and nor could anyone request a refund until the flight was officially cancelled. We spent 13 hours at the airport and never even got to take our vacation because we couldn't find another flight that would have gotten us there with enough time to even enjoy the destination. We had to fight to get our money back, then Spirit gave us vouchers for a discounted flight in the future, and when we tried to use them the vouchers didn't work lmao.



We lost over 1k on the AirBnbs we were supposed to stay at, but my rather clever husband managed to get that back, though it took him weeks of fighting with them about it.



So yeah. Never again with Spirit airlines.

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Right!! It's always a "mechanical problem" so they're not held accountable and won't give out compensation or vouchers for food or hotels.



I flew AA and our pilot was buzzed... we got canceled at the last minute due to "mechanical problems" and everyone was pissed! We were able to get refunded, but no one who got a different flight got any vouchers or anything because it was a mechanical problem. LUCKILY, Dallas is only 4 hours away from where I live. So I rode home with this really hot guy and we hooked up like twice!



Edited at 2022-06-06 03:20 pm (UTC)

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How do you know the pilot was buzzed...?

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Spirit Airlines is a fucking nightmare

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I have read too many Spirit horror stories to ever even consider booking with them in my life. Sorry girl, that sounds so fucking awful.

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I will never ever fly spirit airlines. Not risking it.

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yeah sounds about right with Spirit. The cheap prices arent even worth it

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and honestly, spirit is often not *that* much cheaper to make the hassle worth it. maybe for a couple of spring break-y destinations they are, but every time Ive looked at them in the past few years they were usually only $40-50 cheaper than delta (even just the sticker price before paying extra to bring a regular-sized carry-on)

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Oooh chi Ill do Southwest before Ill do Spirit/Frontier

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the first and last flight i was ever on was in 1999 when i had a full panic attack shortly after boarding and started screaming that the plane was going to blow up and the flight attendants made me get off because the plane, and i quote, "can't take off with a hysterical passenger on board".

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oh wow it's good they got you off the plane before taking off, that would have been a nightmare for all involved if you had to endure the whole flight



has it affected you much or do you not really mind not being able to fly? a full on panic attack on a plane sounds so awful since there's nowhere to go

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yeah i don't mind much. i live in an area of the us with a lot of places within driving distance and independent of that i'm not really big on travelling anyway tbh. i genuinely just like relaxing at home!

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Thats rough :/ my mom has to take a Xanax to fly but shes still so terrified that she had a nightmare/bad feeling about our flight and pushed our flight back a month the day we were suppose to fly to England.



Also, good thing you found that out about yourself pre-9/11 .

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yeah this would be me if i ever got on a plane.

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I just had my first round trip flight of the pandemic, it wasn't that bad although it was weird how in my first class section there were sixteen of us and only three wore masks (including me)



Even if we eventually get to a true post covid I think I would still wear a mask on plane just to avoid getting sick at all lol.



My flight attendant yesterday was so nice and cheerful and she was an older woman too, I don't know she manages to keep that up for decades with all the cranky people on flights lol, I was impressed by her

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So glad our favorite tucker is still masking

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Id mask with you all day

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I don't understand, like what was he doing? o.O Was he hitting on them or what?

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I once did a red eye with a baby whose parents did nothing to try and calm her. I can understand trying and failing.but they didnt even try!!



That sucked.

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cute icon!

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Thanks :)



At some point I will need to get myself a Crystal Methyd icon.one day



Edited at 2022-06-06 03:19 pm (UTC)

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Yeah, I can deal with loud kids as long as you can tell the parents are making an effort, but entitled ass folks who act like the kid doesn't even exist while the rest of the world needs to deal with the consequences of their choice drives me fucking crazy.

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I forgot this was happening. The phone sex scenes in the original movie were really hot

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y'all remember that reality show they had called gigolos? i wish they'd bring that back.

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Who asked for this in the first place?



I saw the film a couple months ago for the first time and it is TRASH. The barely there peen doesn't save it.



I like Jon Berthnal and I'm here for seeing him as eye candy but there is no need to tie him to worthless IP.

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jon bernthal's attached to this? now hold up, sis, let's not get crazy now. if there's potential to see him full frontal, then i say we let this happen! if there's not even one crumb of dick, then we can cancel it!

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probs gonna be a fake one like all the rest on tv

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Now you know these cowards won't show anything worthwhile.



I'd rather they remake a full frontal version of Hung with Jon. Keep it light, fun, and porny for the girls 

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The original worked in it's time. Which is why it was a hit. I'm not saying you should like it, just that you understand it worked in it's day. Which is exactly why it shouldn't be remade. It only worked then because of 70s realities that simply no longer exist on multiple different levels in the present day.

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tbf one reason you do a remake is to improve on the original which this might do

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i can assure you it will suck. they were originally working on it with jared leto, its seen a few different takes now theyre literally making it bc at this point why not.

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Ah, the Giorgio Moroder golden age. I saw this movie on TCM or something like 20 years ago and remember nothing.

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Well, it's nice to read a public statement from him that doesn't make me cringe myself to death.

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ikr

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oh, that's what I thought! At last some dude who sounds intelligent enough to verbalize why something would not work these days, even if it worked back then.

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series lead Jon Bernthal



woof, instant no thanks

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He'll roleplay cops while playing gigolo!

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Bless Jon Bernthal for working non-stop, this guy is in a million things and he never misses.

Can't wait for this:



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Honestly the Hallelujah chorus started playing in my head the minute I read "series lead Jon Bernthal." Will I watch? Wild horses couldn't drag me away.

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This is what he looks like? I mean, would people pay for that?

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Jon Bernthal's love of the cops and military has made me not want to check out whatever project he's in for good. His inner straight/macho really killed the hots that I've had for him forever.

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Dude just did a series about corrupt cops. If you listen to his podcast you'd know he doesn't have a black and white stance. Yes he has cop and military friends, but he also calls out racism in policing and how much he hates bad cops and the abuse of power. The other day I was listening to one of the episodes and he acknowledged his white privilege, saying that a teen/young adult he got away with shit because he was white and had a lawyer dad while he saw his black friends get kicked out of school/locked up for similar things.

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ACAB

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It's going to be a piece of shit, I hope it fails utterly,and is completely forgotten.



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i mean i will be checking it out just to you know, see how bernthal does

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he's entitled to that opinion but also jon bernthal will be playing a male hooker which for me means we will be watching

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Jon Bernthal... Hrmmm. I'd like to see him come back as Punisher, though. :(

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Oil from Kazakhstan is not subject to any sanctions, but Reuters quoted traders as saying that Kazakh shipments have been repeatedly mistaken for Russian barrels.

The country is now looking to rebrand its oil export blend to avoid confusion and fallout from sanctions.

Kazakhstan has renamed the oil it exports through Russian ports in a bid to avoid contagion from Russias new pariah status.

The rebranding came after the European Union pledged last week to block all Russian oil from arriving by sea by the end of this year.

Oil pumped in Kazakhstan has been rechristened KEBCO  Kazakhstan Export Blend Crude Oil  Reuters reported on June 3, citing CNPC-Aktobemunaigaz, a Kazakh oil producer that ships its product through Russian ports.

Kazakh oil has hitherto been exported along with Russian oil under the brand REBCO, Russian Export Blend Crude Oil, which the world knows better simply as Urals crude.

That blend is taking a big hit from sanctions and is currently trading at about a third less than the Brent standard.

Urals crude normally trades below the price of Brent. But the Russian grades discount to Brent has widened as traditional buyers of the crude retreat due to a mixture of official restrictions and self-sanctioning, Bloomberg reported on May 31.

With all this in mind, it was no doubt that Aktobemunaigaz put the rebranding of Kazakh oil down to recent significant geopolitical changes.

This is intended to avoid negative effect of the changes on Kazakh oil exports via Russian ports, the company said.

Kazakh oil company sources involved in the trade through Russian ports told Reuters that the new name would be used in official documentation from June 6.

Its a necessary measure, so that our oil is not sanctioned, while its name clearly shows the country of origin in the documents, the agency quoted one unnamed trader as saying. Otherwise we have problems opening letters of credit.

Related: Oil Prices Rise As EU Leaders Agree On Partial Russian Crude Ban

Oil from Kazakhstan is not subject to any sanctions. But Reuters quoted traders as saying that Kazakh shipments have been repeatedly mistaken for Russian barrels.

Since around 96 percent of exports reached the world through Russia last year, that creates an image problem for Kazakhstans oil.

Some international traders have reportedly shunned Kazakh supplies due to fears of sanctions contagion, although both the U.S. and the EU have specified that Kazakh oil is not targeted by measures adopted to punish Russia for waging war in Ukraine.

But as traders play safe, a rebrand may be just what Kazakh oil needs to keep the exports flowing.

By Eurasianet.org

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The Guyana-Suriname Basin has emerged as the worlds hottest offshore oil play and with the changes occurring to the global energy mix after Russias invasion of Ukraine, the Caribbean is becoming an important player in world oil markets. In the space of a mere 7 years, the deeply impoverished micro-state of Guyana has emerged as a leading global drilling destination after ExxonMobil made 32 discoveries in the offshore Stabroek Block. While the U.S. Geological Survey predicted in a May 2001 fact sheet that the Guyana-Suriname Basin held somewhere between 2.8 billion and 32.6 billion barrels of undiscovered oil resources, there are signs the volume is far greater.

Exxons discoveries in the Stabroek Block alone are estimated to be nearly 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil resources. Then there are TotalEnergies and Apaches five major hydrocarbon discoveries in offshore Surname Block 58 which is estimated to hold up to 6.5 billion barrels of recoverable oil resources. Additional petroleum discoveries have been made in offshore Suriname. In December 2020 Malaysias national oil company Petronas, with partner Exxon, made their first promising oil discovery in offshore Suriname Block 52. Suriname is seeking to replicate the epic oil boom being enjoyed by neighboring Guyana which has significantly boosted the deeply impoverished former British colonys economy. In 2020 Guyanas gross domestic product expanded by a whopping 43.5%, despite the pandemic, and by another impressive 20% in 2021.

To garner further international investment and promote exploration in offshore Suriname the national government in Paramaribo through the national oil company and industry regulator Staatsolie completed a shallow water auction in 2021. That saw Surinames petroleum industry regulator award three blocks toward the end of that year. TotalEnergies, which will be the operator, and partner Qatar Petroleum are inking contracts for shallow water Blocks 6 and 8 with a 49% and 20% interest respectively, while the remaining 40% is held by Staatsolie. U.S. energy supermajor Chevron, which also participated in the auction, was awarded a 60% holding in shallow water Block 5 with 40% remaining in the hands of Surinames national oil company. In December 2021 Chevron sold a 20% interest in Block 5 to Royal Dutch Shell. Then in April 2022, Staatsolie signed a production sharing agreement with Chevron for shallow water Block 7 awarding 80% to the U.S. energy supermajor while retaining a 20% interest. Chevron also holds a 33.3% interest in deep water Block 42 which is adjacent to Block 58 and the Canje Block in neighboring offshore Guyana. Those shallow water blocks have not been explored and are thought to possess considerable oil potential with analysts speculating that they sit on the same oil fairway that runs through Block 58.

To attract further investment and bolster exploration in offshore Suriname Staatsolie announced in May 2022 that it intends to auction further deep-water blocks at the end of the year and then conduct another shallow water bid round in 2023. While Surinames oil auctions have failed to garner considerable interest in the past that is likely to change because of the success enjoyed by TotalEnergies and 50% partner Apache in offshore Block 58. Earlier this year TotalEnergies, which is the operator, announced a fifth significant oil discovery in the block at the Krabdagu-1 well. While the energy companies have yet to make a final investment decision TotalEnergies believes there are sufficient recoverable hydrocarbon resources in Block 58 to justify further development and make production worthwhile. It is anticipated that TotalEnergies and Apache will make a final investment decision regarding Block 58 before the end of 2022, with first oil expected before the end of 2025.

Related: Could Iraq Dethrone Saudi Arabia As Largest Oil Producer?

Low projected breakeven prices and discoveries of light to medium sulfur content crude oil in Suriname make the impoverished former Dutch colony, like neighboring Guyana, a compelling jurisdiction for foreign energy companies. Various industry analysts estimate that offshore Suriname will have an average breakeven price of $40 per barrel, which is only slightly higher than Guyanas which is pegged at an average of around $35 a barrel. Importantly, the oil discovered to date has had an API gravity ranging between 34 degrees and 43 degrees as well as low sulfur content. The crude oil being pumped by Exxon from the Liza field in neighboring offshore Guyanas Stabroek Block has an API gravity of 32 degrees with total sulfur of 0.58% and 23.5 parts per million of vanadium. It is anticipated that offshore Suriname holds crude oil with similar characteristics making it light and sweet, which means it is cheaper and easier to refine than the crude oil produced by nearby South American countries.

Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador typically pump heavier crude oil varieties that have high sulfur contents as well as elevated levels of metals and other pollutants. Venezuelas flagship Merey blend has an API gravity of 16 degrees, 2.45% sulfur, and 262 parts per million of vanadium, demonstrating that is heavy and especially sour. Colombias primary crude oil variety Castilla has an API gravity of 18.8 degrees, 1.97% sulfur, and vanadium content of 319.95 ppm, indicating that is it heavy and sour. Ecuadors key petroleum grade Oriente, which accounts for around two-thirds of the Andean countrys oil exports, has an API gravity of 23 degrees, sulfur content of 1.4%, and vanadium of 65 ppm. Those characteristics make those crude oil grades more difficult and costly to refine into low sulfur content high-grade fuels. It also means they are more carbon intensive to produce and refine compared to the lighter sweeter crude oil grades that exist in the Guyana Suriname Basin.

Those characteristics make those petroleum varieties less popular in a global economy that is being decarbonized and where oil companies are under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprints. It was for those reasons that oil supermajors TotalEnergies and Equinor chose to exit their non-operated minority stakes of 30% and 10% respectively in Venezuelas Petrocedeno heavy oil project in the Orinoco belt. That saw Venezuelas national oil company PDVSA become the sole owner of the asset which is a highly carbon intensive operation where the bitumen like extra-heavy crude produced must be upgraded before being exported. Those factors are also weighing on investment in Colombia and Ecuadors economically crucial oil industries, which are struggling to recover to pre-pandemic operations.

As a result, a massive offshore oil boom is building in Guyana and Suriname with the two impoverished South American microstates garnering considerable attention from global energy supermajors. This is enhanced by both former colonies proving themselves to be relatively stable jurisdictions, especially when compared to many members of the OPEC cartel, like Venezuela. Those developments have triggered a geopolitical transition in South America with Guyana and Suriname becoming increasingly important jurisdictions for global energy companies and countries seeking high-quality low carbon intensity crude oil imports. Foreign investment in Surinames nascent is growing at a steady clip. The former Dutch colony, which is currently pumping around 16,500 barrels daily from the Tambaredjo field, is expected to be producing 650,000 barrels per day from Blocks 58 and 52 by 2030. That will give Surinames struggling economy a healthy boost and see the country potentially become South Americas fourth largest oil producer.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

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Indias demand for cheap Russian crude is insatiable as some of the largest Indian refiners are looking to negotiate six-month supply deals with Russias oil giant Rosneft at a time when Western buyers avoid dealing with Moscows crude, sources with knowledge of the Indian firms plans told Bloomberg on Monday.

State-owned refiners Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum, and Bharat Petroleum, and private firms including conglomerate Reliance Industries, as well as partly-Rosneft-owned Nayara Energy, are among those seeking additional supply from Rosneft, Bloombergs sources say. The terms of the deals are still being negotiated, but it is expected that Rosneft would handle the insurance and shipping coverage.

The additional purchases, if agreed, would add to the other deals under which India buys Russian crude, according to Bloombergs sources.

Indian imports of Russia oil are not illegal per se, but India has drawn the attention of the Western allies that seek to cripple Russian oil revenues.

With Russian crude selling at a record discount relative to Dated Brent, the cheap Russian oil is attracting Indias 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.

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.

India, the worlds third-largest crude importer which relies on imports for more than 80 percent of its oil consumption, has seen a surge in its imports of Russian crude since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February.

In May alone, India imported over 24 million barrels of Russian crude, compared to 7.2 million barrels in April, which was the previous record high, according to data from Refinitiv Eikon cited by Reuters last week.

Indian imports of Russian crude are set to further jump in June, to around 28 million barrels, per Refinitiv Eikon oil flows data.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The head of Kazakhstans national gas company sounded the alarm bells Monday over a looming energy crisis, suggesting that the country may be forced to halt gas exports in 2023.

Citing expectations of a gas shortage in 2023-2024, QazaqGaz CEO Sanzhar Zharkeshov told the Kazakh parliament on Monday that the country would not be able to meet soaring demand.

"We expect a shortage of gas starting from 2024. The domestic demand is anticipated to be 1.7 billion cubic meters higher than the existing gas resources. If no urgent measures are taken, the exports of gas will need to be stopped in 2023," Russian Interfax quoted Zharkeshov as saying.

The QazaqGaz head cited mounting requests for gas supply from large customers ranging from coal-to-gas power plant conversion projects to new gas and chemical complexes and other large commercial customers.

Citing the need for urgent measures, Zharkeshov is calling for an increase in Kazakhstans commercial gas reserve base from 2022 to 2030, with a shifting of available reserves to the domestic market this year.

At the same time, Kazakh Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov told parliament that domestic gas consumption growth is rising 7% annually. The Energy Minister predicted that the country would suffer from domestic gas shortages and be forced into dependency on imports by 2025, Kazinform reported.

Gas consumption in Kazakhstan grew by 4.8 billion cubic meters between 2017 and 2021, the Minister said.

In an effort to boost gas production and stave off a domestic gas crisis, the Kazakh Energy Ministry has proposed a package of measures to reduce the tax burden on new gas projects. Those measures would include fiscal preferences for gas projects with exemption from tax. More specifically, they would include exemption from corporate income tax for 10 years from the start of production, as well as exemption from export customs duties for the same period.

Russias war on Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions have significant implications for Kazakhstan, where oil and gas accounts for some 75% of exports, primarily routed through Russia, while oil and gas revenues account for around 35% of GDP, according to The Diplomat.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Kurdistan and the federal government of Iraq continue their feud over who will oversee oil production in the semi-autonomous Iraqi region, with Kurdistan rejecting this weekend a ruling from Iraq's federal supreme court to hand over control over oil production.

In February, the Supreme Court of the Federal Government of Iraq ruled that sales of oil and gas by Kurdistan, independent of the central government in Baghdad, are unconstitutional and that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) must hand over all oil production to the Federal Government of Iraq. The court also ruled that the Ministry of Oil has the right to: "Follow up on the invalidity of oil contracts concluded by the Kurdistan Regional Government with foreign parties, countries and companies regarding oil exploration, extraction, export and sale."

Kurdistan's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani assured the international oil companies in March that "we remain committed to the contracts that have been signed with my government. The contracts are in line with our oil and gas law and the Iraqi Constitution and they are a bedrock of our shared future."

In a statement this weekend carried by Reuters, KRG said that its oil law is not unconstitutional as the federal Iraqi Supreme Court ruled earlier this year.

"The actions of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in relation to oil and gas operations are in accordance with the Iraqi constitution of 2005. The provisions of the oil and gas law issued by the parliament of the Kurdistan region in 2007 do not violate those of the Iraqi Constitution," Kurdistan's judicial council said.

This week, Iraq and Kurdistan were set to resume talks on the oil law dispute, Middle East business intelligence MEED reported.

The oil dispute comes just when Iraqone of the few OPEC+ members believed to have some spare capacityis set to boost its oil production as of July.

Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer, said last week that following the OPEC+ meeting, Iraqi oil production will reach 4.580 million barrels per day (bpd) in July, which is the country's target output for next month.

"Production increase will be at a rate of 70,000 bpd," oil ministry spokesman Aasem Jehad said on Friday.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The U.S. may relax its sanction pressure on Tehran to allow more Iranian oil barrels to enter the global market, the head of Asian operations at Vitol, Mike Muller, told Bloomberg over the weekend.

Uncle Sam might just allow a little bit more of that oil to flow, Muller said. If the midterms are dominated by the need to get gas prices lower in America, turning a somewhat greater blind eye to the sanctioned barrels flowing out is probably something you might expect to see. US intervention in these flows has always been pretty sparse.

The Bloomberg report came out on the same day as a Reuters report citing unnamed sources as saying that the U.S. was also relaxing sanctions on Venezuela, allowing two European companies to ship Venezuelan crude to troubled Europe.

Mullers comments come as the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on a new nuclear deal appear to have reached an impasse. The Iranian side wants the U. S. to remove its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps from its list of terrorist organizations, and the U.S. appears unwilling to make that concession.

Meanwhile, the oil price situation globally remains quite tense, with Brent crude trading above $120 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate at over $119 per barrel at the time of writing, even after OPEC+ agreed to increase its monthly production boost target by more than 200,000 bpd.

Despite the diplomatic impasse, Iran has been preparing to rejoin global oil markets. The country has boosted production and exports to its main market, China. If a new deal is reached with the U.S., the flow of Iranian oil abroad could increase by between 500,000 bpd and 1 million bpd, according to analysts.

With the U.S. midterms looming large for Democrats, the current administration has a major incentive to strike a deal with Tehran, which could help push down retail fuel prices as it would also push down crude oil prices.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Natural gas futures have hit an 13-year high on higher temperatures to come in the next week combined with lower production levels.

On Monday, Henry Hub natural gas futures were up nearly 10% at a 13-year high.

At 5:00pm EST, Henry Hub prices for July contracts sat at $9.368, up 9.91%. August contracts were at $9.350, up 9.87%.

A key reason for the sudden surge is heat, with temperatures expected to rise significantly in the middle part of this month, with production declining and demand threatening to exceed supply.

Natural Gas Intelligence (NGI) quoted EBW analyst Eli Rubin as saying in a note to clients that a blistering hot summer is first and foremost among fears. Rubin said the increasing demand for natural gas for cooling in the coming weeks could ignite another substantial rally in Nymex futures into mid-summer.

Texas, in particular, is expected to see demand for natural gas soar to a historical record this weekeven before the hottest part of summer sets in.

Also driving natural gas futures upward is rising demand, declining production, and soaring exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. Gulf coast, diverting domestic supplies.

In its 2022 outlook released in late May, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) projected that U.S. demand for natural gas would outpace supply this summer. As reported by NGI, FERC sees U.S. dry natural gas production increase by 3.4% over the summer months, compared to a projected 4.8% increase in consumption during that same period.

Over the winter period from November 2021 through March 2022, 2,264 billion cubic feet of natural gas was withdrawn from U.S. storage, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). That withdrawal is 10% higher than the previous five-year average. Already this winter, U.S. demand for natural gas exceeded supply by 14.9 billion cubic feet per day.

By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com

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Nation takes huge green strides in past 50 years

China Daily) 09:02, June 06, 2022

SONG CHEN/CHINA DAILY

Qu Geping, 92, the first director of China's Environmental Protection Agency, has been looking back to the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm, the Swedish capital.

Staged from June 5 to 16 and also known as the Stockholm Conference, the event was the first global gathering of its kind to make the environment a major issue.

"Not many people in China had any idea of modern environmental concepts before the 1970s," Qu said.

In the past 50 years, huge progress has been made on environmental issues.

In a written address to a recent high-level online policy dialogue, one of the events held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference, Qu said, "In the course of human environmental protection, China has transformed from a passive, then active participant, to a major player."

Qu said the conference was one of the most important international gatherings joined by China immediately after its return to the UN in 1971.

"It offered us an opportunity to go out of the country to see the world, and made us begin to wake up to existing environmental problems. It started a great new journey for Chinese people on environmental awakening," Qu added.

A set of principles for sound management of the environment, including the Stockholm Declaration and Action Plan for the Human Environment, was adopted at the 1972 conference.

The Declaration marked the start of a dialogue between industrialized and developing countries on the relationship between economic growth, pollution and the well-being of people worldwide. The creation of the UN Environment Programme was one of the conference's key outcomes.

After the Stockholm Conference, the Chinese government held the first national environmental protection meeting in 1973, led by Premier Zhou Enlai, Qu said. The meeting marked the start of environmental protection work in China.

"Following nearly five decades of endeavors, China has witnessed remarkable achievements in environmental pollution control and natural ecosystem conservation," Qu said.

For example, when the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the nation's forest coverage rate stood at 8 percent. As of last year, the rate had risen to about 23 percent, official figures show.

China accounted for 25 percent of the global net increase in leaf area from 2000 to 2017, according to data from NASA satellites.

Qu said that despite the environmental challenges posed by high-speed industrialization and urbanization after the reform and opening-up policy was introduced in the late 1970s, China has taken solid steps in establishing and improving legal, policy and governance systems for environmental protection.

These systems "have laid good foundations for the country to further forge ahead with sustainable development, promote the construction of ecological civilization and green, low-carbon and circular development", he said.

Ecological civilization is a concept promoted by President Xi Jinping for balanced and sustainable development featuring harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Due to remarkable environmental improvements made since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, Qu is confident that the country will realize its Beautiful China initiative.

Since Xi and the Party's central leadership placed ecological civilization top of the agenda, huge environmental changes have taken place.

"I believe that as long as the country unswervingly upholds and implements Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and implements the Party leadership's strategic plan on the Thought, we will surely make Beautiful China a reality," Qu said.

Dimitri de Boer, chief representative in China for ClientEarth, an environmental law organization from Europe, has been in the country for two decades. He and his family have witnessed the rapid environmental improvements referred to by Qu.

In 2014, due to poor air quality in Beijing, de Boer said his wife wanted to leave China. "She said we should really move to another country  with good air quality," he recalled.

However, de Boer said air quality has significantly improved in recent years.

The annual average density of PM 2.5 particulate matter in Beijing fell from 89.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013, the first year that the air pollutant (PM 2.5) was monitored in the city, to 33 mcg per cu m last year. Generally, air quality nationwide has also greatly improved.

"The air quality experience is the most striking example of how China really woke up to this problem," de Boer said. "And it wasn't just the government. The whole population started to become very concerned about air quality around 2014."

Rapid progress

De Boer has found that Chinese people are increasingly concerned about climate change and biodiversity conservation as two major global issues.

"Climate action is especially popular now," he said, adding that he has found a strong interest among his friends at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in topics concerning greenhouse gas emissions.

Martin Lees, former UN assistant secretary general, lauded China for the rapid progress it has made in tackling climate change.

"When China realized that it was vulnerable to climate changewhen it became an issue for China itselfthey moved pretty rapidly and very intelligently to tackle the problem," he said.

Lees is also a former member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, a high-level central government think tank.

He said an integrated strategy to address climate change was developed throughout the government, with a leading group of ministers established to implement the strategy.

"This was considered very high level and very important," Lees said, adding that China adopted an all-of-government approach, unlike other countries, who placed this issue in the hands of their environment minister.

He added that he looks forward to seeing more action from China as global efforts are made to guarantee the survival of humankind from the climate crisis.

Wang Jinnan, head of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, said the nation's development has been increasingly green and low-carbon.

From 2013 to last year, China's GDP rose by 94 percent, while the number of cars nationwide grew by 150 percent, he said.

Wang, also an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that during this time, energy consumption and carbon emissions per unit of GDP fell by 16 percent and 22 percent respectively.

Siddharth Chatterjee, UN resident coordinator in China, said that due to the nation's size and population, it is the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide.

However, China is also at the cutting edge of pivotal technologies for a green transition, such as renewables and energy grid infrastructure.

In this respect, China has great potential to fast-track and accelerate domestic and international processes for such a transition, while meeting and beating its climate targets, he said.

To date, the installed capacity of non-fossil energy in China exceeds 1.1 billion kilowatts, equivalent to the capacity of 50 Three Gorges Dams, the world's largest-capacity hydropower station.

Global contributions

While forging ahead with domestic environmental progress, as a firm upholder of multilateralism, China has contributed to global climate governance.

Since the Stockholm Conferencethe first multilateral meeting of the international community to tackle climate changethe nation has promoted the building of a fair and rational global climate governance system for win-win results, according to Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate change affairs.

Xie, 72, is a former minister at the State Environmental Protection Administration, which was upgraded from the Environmental Protection Agency in 1998.

Since the Stockholm Conference, China has also taken part in a series of landmark events on global climate progress. These events include the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988, and the signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, in 1992 and 2015 respectively.

Xie added that China, led by President Xi, made historical and fundamental contributions to the Paris treaty being reached, signed and implemented.

He said that in 2014, Xi and United States President Barack Obama jointly announced the two nations' post-2020 climate targets, prompting more than 180 countries to detail their targets before the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris the following year.

Xi and Obama jointly handed the legal instruments for joining the Paris Agreement to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2016, adding powerful momentum to the drive for the agreement to take effect less than a year after it was signed, Xie added.

When US President Donald Trump delivered a hammer blow to the global battle against climate change by announcing the withdrawal of the US from the accord in June 2017, Xi reiterated China's commitment to multilateralism.

As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi has injected strong impetus to global climate actions with a series of new pledges, Xie said.

In 2020, for example, the president announced that China aimed to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and realize carbon neutrality before 2060.Last year, he vowed that the nation would stop building coal-fired power plants overseas.

Xie said that despite being a developing country itself, China has made persistent efforts to help poor nations in their climate actions. Since 2011, for example, China has allocated 1.2 billion yuan ($176.8 million) for South-South cooperation on climate change.

To date, China has signed 41 collaboration agreements on climate change with 36 developing countries. It has also provided training programs for some 2,000 officials and technicians in climate-related posts from 120 nations.

Xie said, "Five decades after the Stockholm Conference, no matter what happens internationally, no matter what challenges confront nations around the world, China will stick to its steadfast resolve to tackle climate change and be an important participant, contributor and torchbearer in global endeavors for an ecological civilization."

Last year, 3.2 million electric vehicles, half the number sold globally, were bought on the Chinese mainland.

Huang Runqiu, head of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the biggest national environmental authority, which was established in a State Council reshuffle in 2018, stressed China's determination to continue contributing to global environmental governance.

"Currently, the planet is confronted with three major crisesclimate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution. Joint and concerted efforts are needed from different nations to safeguard the Earth," he said.

"China will persevere in jointly charting the course for global ecological civilization with other nations. It will make intensified efforts to promote the building of a green Belt and Road Initiative and strive to make greater contributions to global environmental governance."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
You are here: Business

China's Ministry of Finance will issue renminbi treasury bonds worth 23 billion yuan (about 3.43 billion U.S. dollars) in Hong Kong this year, according to a statement on the ministry's website Monday.

The treasury bonds will be issued in four batches, with the first batch worth 7.5 billion yuan going on sale on June 15, it said.

The first batch will include two-year bonds worth 2.5 billion yuan, three-year bonds worth 2.5 billion yuan, and five-year bonds worth 2.5 billion yuan.

The second, third, and fourth batches will be 5 billion yuan, 5.5 billion yuan, and 5 billion yuan, respectively, the statement said.


The Russian Foreign Ministry has placed sanctions on U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm along with 60 other U.S. citizens and top officials, Interfax news agency reports.

On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry updated its blacklist to include 61 high-ranking Americans, including Granholm, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, White House economic adviser Brian Deese and Senior presidential advisor Mike Donilon.

The sanctions are in retaliation for constantly expanding U.S. sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic business, Reuters cited the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.

The new sanctions, which have little if any attention in Washington or in the Western media, come after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was prevented by NATO countries from visiting Serbia and crossing the airspace of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Responding to the closure of airspace by these NATO countries, Lavrov said the unthinkable has happened.

The international activities of Serbia have been blocked, at least for now, in the Russian direction, RT quoted Lavrov as saying.

We wont mince words here, its yet another vivid and didactic demonstration of how far NATO and the EU can go in employing the lowest means to pressure those who arent guided by their national interest and arent ready to sacrifice their principles and dignity for the sake of the rules that the West is imposing as a substitute for international law, Lavrov added.

In May, Granholm publicly stated that secondary sanctions on Russian oil purchases were still being considered based on increasing demand from China and India for heavily discounted Urals crude. Such sanctions would be designed to keep Russia from rerouting its crude originally bound for Europe to other markets.

For now, the White House is divided over whether secondary sanctions would cause more harm than good and could serve to create more divisions among allies.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Ukraine's harvested crops risk rotting in silos or ships after Russia's February invasion, triggering fears of worsening global hunger.

Before the war, Ukraine exported more than 5 million metric tons of grain every month, most of it via its ports on the Black Sea.

But now Russian warships block those ports, making such shipments impossible, and dealing a blow to global food supplies, not to mention Ukraine's agricultural sector.

Ukraine, its neighbors, and the EU, are now scrambling to find other routes to get Ukrainian grain to market, with rail emerging as a viable option despite a legion of logistical challenges.

Ukraine contributes 42 percent of the sunflower oil traded on the global market, 16 percent of the corn, and 9 percent of the wheat -- and entire countries, especially in the Middle East and Africa, are dependent on Ukrainian imports of those products.

World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley has warned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine risks turning "the breadbasket of the world to breadlines" for millions of people.

Russia has said it will lift the blockade if Western sanctions are lifted, a demand Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has characterized as an attempt at "blackmail."

Ukraine also accuses Russia of looting its grain and trying to sell it to other countries, and the UN says there is anecdotal evidence backing that charge.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has proposed creating a naval mission involving a "coalition of the willing" to escort Ukrainian ships across the Black Sea. So far, that idea remains just that, amid fears of an escalation of the conflict.

While the amount of grain being shipped out -- some 760,000 metric tons in early May by rail -- experts caution that new plans to use trains to transport the grain are only a stopgap solution.

"If you look at those figures, I mean, it's good. But to put it in perspective, there are more than 20 million tons of grain in Ukraine that need to go to the outside world," said Harry Nedelcu, director of policy and business development at Rasmussen Global, a think tank founded by former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

"Ukraine actually still controls 80 percent of its territory. So, 80 percent of that farmland has been worked and the grains are there. It's just that 90 percent of Ukraine's exports go through Odesa mostly. And those [ports] are not available. It's very difficult to replace that by rail," Nedelcu told RFE/RL, predicting the crop conundrum could become even more of a challenge once the summer crop is harvested.

Ghost Ships

Andriy Stavnitser, co-owner of the TIS grain terminal near Odesa, says shortly after Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the country's Black Sea ports halted operations, blocked by Russian mines and warships.

"There are about 80 ships stranded in Ukrainian ports. Some of them are empty. Some have cargo. Their crews are dispersed all over the world. They are essentially ghost ships that cannot leave Ukraine," Stavnitser told Current Time in mid-May.

Ukraine is losing about $15 billion by not getting grain to market, Stavnitser estimates. "It's a colossal blow to the Ukrainian economy and to Ukrainian farmers," he told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.

In Brussels, European Transport Commissioner Adina Valean called the challenge of circumventing the Russian naval blockade "gigantesque," and said on May 12 that the European Commission will work with EU governments to put in place effective new transport routes for Ukrainian grain.

The European Commission announced it was establishing what it coined "solidarity lanes" to ensure Ukraine can export grain, promising billions of euros in investment in infrastructure.

As of now, Ukrainian agricultural goods are only being taken out of Ukraine over land or on barges via the Danube River, with rail being the preferred mode of transport. But bottlenecks have arisen due to the different rail gauge used in Ukraine, dating back to the Soviet era. That means shipments are being transferred to new wagons at the border.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov has targeted the upgrading of rail infrastructure in western Ukraine as a priority the EU should focus on. "Rail transport can partially undertake all the transportation of agricultural products, particularly grain," he said. "However, transporting goods is difficult due to western Ukraine's low border-crossing capacity, which is not designed for transshipping such volumes."

Despite the logistical logjam and the ever-present threat of Russian military strikes, more and more Ukrainian agricultural goods are getting shipped on railroad tracks.

Some 768,300 metric tons of Ukrainian grain was exported by rail between May 1 and May 16, which compares with 642,500 metric tons in April and 415,900 metric tons in March, according to the country's state-owned railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, cited by the Argus blog, which covers commodity markets.

Those numbers are expected to continue rising in the coming months amid deepening cooperation between Ukraine and its neighbors and partners.

Lithuania received its first rail delivery of grain from Ukraine for onward shipment from its Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda, state-owned railway company LTG said on May 24. "We expect to scale up to receiving a train per day from Ukraine, each with up to 1,500 metric tons of grain and other agricultural produce, for export via Klaipeda port," LTG spokesman Mantas Dubauskas said.

And in Austria, a train carrying 2,000 metric tons of Ukrainian corn arrived on May 6.

Standing in front of a rail car adorned with the Austrian and Ukrainian flags, Austrian Agriculture, Sustainability, and Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger said the shipment marked the establishment of a "green corridor" for important cargo shipments between the two countries. "Grain and animal feed exports can't leave Ukraine via the sea route. That's why we are creating green corridors," she said.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria Vasyl Khymynets called the new land route an important symbol of Ukraine's cooperation with its partners. "We are looking for routes to supply the world with food," he said. Khymynets added that 600,000 metric tons of Ukrainian grain could potentially be exported every month via various land routes.

Other countries have also started setting up their own "green corridor" routes, Koestinger said. Such land routes have been used during the war to help civilians trying to flee the fighting.

Austrian Railways has already been carrying Ukrainian cargo three times a week to northern Germany via Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland on trains that can carry up to 2,000 metric tons.

In what was described as a first, Czech Railroads recently transported 1,800 metric tons of Ukrainian corn to the EU. The corn cargo was due to be shipped to Egypt from the German port of Brake.

Romanian Help?

Bordering Ukraine and also with Black Sea access, Romania -- and specifically its port at Constanta -- has also played an integral part in Ukrainian efforts to circumvent Russia's naval blockade.

Trains, trucks, and barges are being used to transport Ukrainian agricultural produce from small Danube ports such as Reni and Izmayil in southwest Ukraine.

But it's time consuming and infrastructure is lacking, notes policy director Nedelcu. "There are some challenges because you have to transport by rail and you have to put it on the European railway network because it's not the same size. Then you have to go down through Romania, down to Constanta. Or you go by barge across the Danube and then you go down to Constanta."

Waiting times of up to 30 days at the customs border crossing at Sirets have been reported, according to RFE/RL's Romanian Service, and 28 days at the crossing at Halmeu.

Bulgaria says it is willing to help export Ukrainian stocks from its port in Varna and is currently upgrading its infrastructure.

The conundrum may well grow trickier in the coming months, when Ukraine's summer crops of wheat, barley, and corn are due to be harvested in July and August, also putting pressure on domestic storage capacity, UN officials have said.

And it won't only be Ukraine harvesting its crops, Nedelcu points out, highlighting another potential problem. "We have to keep in mind that it's not just Constanta, it's a few ports in Poland and elsewhere, but these countries are going to get their own grain. They have to ship their grain as well. Romania also has its own grain it has to ship," Nedelcu noted.

"Once the summer months hit, then you're basically going to have this challenge of getting...the grain from Ukraine rerouted, but also having the grain from these countries going through. So, you know, that's a challenge."

By RFE/RL

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Italys Eni and Spains Repsol will get the green light to start shipping Venezuelan crude to Europe from next month, Reuters has reported, citing five unnamed sources in the know.

The sources cited a letter written by the U.S. State Department to Eni and Repsol, signaling that Washingtons firm stance on Venezuelan sanctions may not be so firm after all now that its strategic partners in Europe are facing a shortage of crude because of sanctions against Russia.

Yet the Reuters sources said the volumes that Eni and Repsol will be allowed to ship from Venezuela to Europe will not be significant and will only likely have a minor effect on global prices. It will also be exclusively shipped to Europe and cannot be resold elsewhere, according to them.

The U.S. began signaling a readiness to ease Venezuelan sanctions as early as March when Washington first said it would ban all Russian oil and fuel imports and then sent a delegation to Caracas to discuss oil exports.

The visit did not produce results, but two months later, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. would lift restrictions on Chevrons business in Venezuela, allowing the supermajor to negotiate directly with the Venezuelan government and PDVSA on future production.

Venezuela is home to the largest proven oil reserves in the world but has been unable to make much of them over the last few years since the Trump administration stepped up sanction pressure on the South American country. A relaxing of sanctions could unleash another 400,000 bpd per day at a time when global crude oil consumers are scrambling for less expensive crude.

The volumes to be allowed to go to Europe wont be all that great, apparently, and they will not result in any more cash for the Maduro government. According to the Reuters sources, payment for the shipments would take the form of debt repayment and dividends. The shipments could start in July.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is going public with its findings. Lawmakers hope to show the American public how democracy came to the brink of disaster. The series of hearings that will take place over the next several weeks began with a prime-time opener Thursday night. The second hearing is scheduled for Monday. More than 1,000 people have been interviewed by the panel, and only snippets of that testimony have been revealed to the public, mostly through court filings.
Cornhusker Bank Promotes Chaffee and Koziol

Cornhusker Bank is pleased to announce the promotions of Allen Chaffee to Director Market Development and Joan Koziol to Training and Development Officer. Barry Lockard, Bank President/CEO, reported, "These two individuals have a wealth of talent and expertise in their given areas and exemplify the values which drive the bank's operation model."

Allen Chaffee has been with the bank since 2018 and in his new role will be responsible for business development and lead generation, fostering strategic partnerships, managing bank advisory boards, and participating in community events in both the Omaha and Lincoln. Allen will maintain an office in both Omaha and Lincoln. He will be working closely with Cornhusker Bank's corporate banking, mortgage, depository services and wealth management teams fostering enterprise ideas and synergies consistent with bank strategies. Allen will continue the outstanding work he has done leading growth in Omaha throughout Cornhusker Bank's entire market, leveraging the entire team's abilities.

Joan Koziol has been with Cornhusker Bank since 2014. Joan is an integral part of the Human Resources/Training and Development Division, and has made an impact on the division since first joining the team. Among other duties, Joan will be responsible for analyzing, designing, and facilitating training/development programs, working with all bank departments to identify their training needs. Joan maintains extensive knowledge of regulatory compliance, systems, processes and procedures utilized by bank personnel to provide ongoing support to them.

Cornhusker Bank remains the area's oldest locally owned bank, demonstrating Nebraska values, stability, soundness, and a commitment to its customers, associates and community. For more information, visit www.CornhuskerBank.com.
The three-alarm fire at Nox-Crete a week ago took thousands of gallons of water, at least 50 firefighters and a full night of tireless work to get under control.

But fire crews had additional help from a high-tech gadget: a remote-control nozzle attached to the top of a 105-foot aerial ladder.

Five firetrucks in the Omaha Fire Department fleet are equipped with this technology, which allows firefighters to operate the ladder and hose from the ground. This serves the dual purpose of keeping firefighters safe and allowing them to get the best vantage point.

It helps so that we can actually walk around the truck and look at where the optimal place would be for the nozzle to hit, Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick said.

From the hand-held controller, firefighters can extend and retract the ladder, control the direction of the nozzle, turn the water flow on and off and even adjust the waters spray pattern without stepping foot on the rig.

In a fire like the one at Nox-Crete, a tool like this can be particularly helpful. Firefighters typically need to reach the tip of the ladder to get a good view of a fire, as the view from above often reveals the location of hot spots.

Last weeks fire was not typical.

This fire was a little different, because you can see everything from the ground, Fitzpatrick said.

The chemical storage warehouse owned by manufacturing company Nox-Crete went up in flames on the evening of Memorial Day, sending a plume of black smoke across the city and leading officials to recommend evacuations of nearby neighborhoods.

Although it wasnt the largest fire in recent years  that designation belongs to a four-alarm fire at an under-construction retirement home in April  Fitzpatrick said it was certainly the most jarring to witness. Neighbors reported a series of explosions as flames crept into the sky at various points.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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Edwards ousts North Carolina Rep. Cawthorn in GOP primary

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  First-term U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn has lost to North Carolina state Sen. Chuck Edwards in the Republican congressional primary. Luke Ball, a spokesperson for Cawthorns campaign, told The Associated Press late Tuesday that Cawthorn had conceded the race before the AP called it for Edwards. A fast-food franchise owner, Edwards' victory advances him to the November election against Democrat Jasmine Beach-Ferrara. Several GOP leaders had turned away from the 26-year-old, pro-Donald Trump congressman, with some citing a series of unforced errors.

Election 2022: Trump-backed Mastriano wins in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  State Sen. Doug Mastriano  who secured a late endorsement from Donald Trump and has trumpeted the former presidents lies about nonexistent, widespread fraud costing him the 2020 election  has won the Republican nomination for Pennsylvanias open governors office. Mastrianos victory Tuesday boosts Trumps winning record in major Republican primaries around the country. But it raises immediate questions about whether Mastriano can attract enough swing voters to prevail in November. The states closely watched GOP Senate primary is essentially a tie between the Trump-backed Mehmet Oz and David McCormick. Trump scored an easier victory earlier when U.S. Rep. Ted Budd clinched the GOP nomination for Senate in North Carolina.

Midterm updates | Kotek wins Dem primary for Oregon governor

Former Oregon state House Speaker Tina Kotek has won the states Democratic gubernatorial primary, beating state Treasurer Tobias Read in a victory for the partys progressive wing. Current Gov. Kate Brown, a progressive Democrat, cannot run for the position again because of term limits. The Portland-based Kotek has collected endorsements from a third of Oregon lawmakers, nationally elected leaders, unions and organizations. Koteks biggest challenger was Read, who was a state representative in Oregon for 10 years before being elected as treasurer. The state hasnt had a GOP governor in 35 years.

Buffalo shooter's previous threat raises red-flag questions

A warning about possible violence last year involving the 18-year-old now being held in the Buffalo, New York, supermarket shooting is turning attention to New York's red flag law. Such laws are designed to keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others. Payton Gendron was still able to legally buy an AR-15-style rifle even though police had investigated a report of concerning behavior. State police say no request was made to remove any firearms. In many cases, family members or law enforcement must petition the court for an order. In New York, educators can also start the process.

Fall of Mariupol appears at hand; fighters leave steel plant

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The fall of Mariupol appears at hand as Ukraine is moving to abandon a sprawling steel plant where its soldiers had held out under relentless bombardment for months, which would make it the biggest city to fall into Russian hands. Much of it, though, has been reduced to rubble. Ukraine estimates some 20,000 civilians have been killed in the Russian assault on Mariupol, a city on the Azov Sea that stands between the Russian mainland and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014. Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters have left the Azovstal steel plant and turned themselves over to Russian hands. Ukraine officials say efforts continue to get the remaining troops in the plant out safely.

Watchdog: US troop pullout was key factor in Afghan collapse

WASHINGTON (AP)  A new report says decisions by Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan were the key factors in the collapse of that nations military, leading to the Taliban takeover last year. The report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction mirrors assertions made by senior Pentagon and military leaders. Those contentions came in the aftermath of the U.S. troop withdrawal that ended last August in the chaotic evacuation of Americans and other civilians from the embattled country. Military leaders have said they recommended leaving about 2,500 U.S. troops in the country, but that plan was not approved.

US sues casino mogul Steve Wynn over relationship with China

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Justice Department is suing longtime Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn to compel him to register as a foreign agent because of lobbying work he performed at the behest of the Chinese government during the Trump administration. The department said it had advised Wynn repeatedly over the last four years to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and is suing now because Wynn refused to do so. His attorneys said Tuesday that he had no obligation to register as a foreign agent and that they would challenge the suit.

N. Korea's Kim faces 'huge dilemma' on aid as virus surges

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made self-reliance his governing lynchpin during his decade in power and shunned international help for his people. But a massive outbreak of suspected COVID-19 has left Kim at a critical crossroads. Does he swallow his pride and accept help or does he go it alone even though a huge number of fatalities could undermine his leadership? The outbreak is likely several times worse than the North's official media says, since COVID-19 tests and medicine are in short supply. Some analysts say North Korea would not accept help from rival South Korea or the U.S. They say it would more likely accept quiet, unofficial shipments from its ally China.

Dusty demise for NASA Mars lander in July; power dwindling

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)  A NASA spacecraft on Mars is losing power and is headed for a dusty demise. The InSight lander has just a couple more months of science work before succumbing to the Martian dust on its solar panels. NASA said Tuesday it will keep using the spacecraft's seismometer to detect marsquakes until the power peters out. Officials expect operations to cease in July, almost four years after InSight's arrival at Mars. InSight is one of three NASA spacecraft operating on the Martian surface. Rovers Curiosity and Perseverance are still going strong, thanks to nuclear power.

S. Korea Blue House opens to public for 1st time in 74 years

SEOUL (AP)  For many South Koreans, the former presidential palace in Seoul was a little-visited, heavily secured mountainside landmark. Thats now changed as thousands have been allowed a look inside for the first time in 74 years. The Blue House, whose name in Korean means building with blue roof tiles, opened its gates to the public earlier this month to mark the new South Korean presidents official inauguration. Officials are allowing a maximum of 39,000 people a day to visit. The opening is part of new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeols pledge to abandon the palace and establish his offices at the Defense Ministry compound in the Yongsan district, about 3 miles away.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
MIAMI (AP)  State Sen. Annette Taddeo announced Monday that she's leaving the Democratic primary for Florida governor to run for a U.S. House seat in South Florida.

Taddeo said she will run for Floridas 27th congressional district, which includes all or part of Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and Kendall in Miami-Dade County.

The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who took office after winning her 2020 election. Taddeo faces Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and community organizer Angel Montalvo in the Aug. 23 Democratic primary.

Families in Miami need a representative in Congress who will stand up for them, hold Washington politicians accountable and make sure we finally tackle issues like the cost of living, gun violence, and defending a womans right to choose," Taddeo said in a statement. "Im a small business owner and a mother with a daughter in Miami-Dade Public Schools so I live with these issues every single day.

Taddeo, 55, is the founder and CEO of LanguageSpeak, which offers translation services in more than 240 languages. She was born in Colombia to an American father and Colombian mother and spent the first 17 years of her life in the South American country.

Taddeo first ran for office in 2008, losing to then-incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen. She ran for Congress again in 2016, losing a close primary to former Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia. She won her state Senate seat in a 2017 special election for a district a Republican won by 10 percentage points the previous election.

With Taddeo leaving the gubernatorial race, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who previously served as Florida governor as a Republican, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried remain the strongest candidates in the Democratic primary.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus will lodge a complaint with the United Nations over Turkeys new financial assistance deal with breakaway Turkish Cypriots that demonstrates Ankaras complete control over them, the president of the ethnically divided island nation said Monday.

President Nicos Anastasiades, a Greek Cypriot, told state broadcaster CyBC that he would also include in the protest letter Turkeys move to designate the Turkish Cypriots unrecognized, main airport as a domestic flight route, effectively turning it into a Turkish one.

Many liberal Turkish Cypriots fear that both the financial deal and the airport designation are the clearest signals yet that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to eventually annex breakaway northern Cyprus.

I will proceed with the complaint again with the United Nations relative to the airport which ... in essence is being integrated and considered a Turkish airport, Anastasiades said. Secondly, (financial) protocol clearly demonstrates Ankaras complete control of the Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish officials reportedly said the designation aims to make flights to and from northern Cyprus cheaper.

Turkish Cypriots declared independence in the island nations northern third nearly a decade after Turkey invaded in 1974 following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Cypriots' independence. Numerous rounds of U.N.-facilitated talks over nearly a half century to reunify Cyprus as a federation composed of Greek and Turkish speaking sectors have led nowhere.

Turkish Cypriots fault a Greek Cypriot denial to equitably share power in a federated Cyprus. Greek Cypriots fear a Turkish Cypriot insistence for Turkish military intervention rights, a permanent Turkish troop presence and veto power for the minority Turkish Cypriots.

Citing the failed peace talks, Ankara and hardline Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar say the only feasible way now to break the deadlock is an accord based on two sovereign states  something that Greek Cypriots reject as formalizing permanent partition of the Mediterranean island.

Many Turkish Cypriots are up in arms over the financial agreement, about 240 million euros worth of grants and loans this year, or about a third of annual revenues.

Although the north has always been dependent on Turkish economic aid, the peace group United Cyprus Now says this deal compels Turkish Cypriots to introduce measures curbing freedom of speech, making it easier for Turkish citizens to buy up property and cedes more power to religious authorities.

These measures constitute a direct threat to the will, identity, culture, way of life and heritage of Turkish Cypriots, the group said.

The leader of the leftist opposition Republican Turkish Party Tufan Erhurman called the deal a protocol for the abandonment of the will of Turkish Cypriots to govern themselves.

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

The Chinese mainland continues to see the number of daily locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and asymptomatic carriers remain below 100, a health official said Sunday.

However, 16 provincial regions have reported local infections over the past week, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said at a press conference held by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19.

Mi called for unrelenting efforts to continue routine COVID-19 prevention and control measures, along with prompt and targeted measures to cut off virus transmission.
Kentucky state Rep. Savannah Maddox entered the 2023 Republican primary for governor on Monday evening, portraying herself as an authentic conservative" who resisted COVID-19 restrictions from the beginning in an effort to outflank her GOP rivals.

Her entry into the race ensures that Kentucky Republicans will have choices between a traditional brand of conservativism and candidates like Maddox from the party's far right.

Maddox criticized Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and moderate Republicans alike as she announced her candidacy in a spirited speech to supporters in northern Kentucky  her home territory and a key battleground in any GOP primary. She didn't specifically mention her GOP rivals, but her combative comments ran counter to pleas from others within her party to avoid criticizing fellow Republicans amid fears that the crowded primary could turn into a slugfest.

We are going to give the citizens of Kentucky a real choice in this primary," Maddox said. "We can maintain the status quo of being disappointed by moderate Republicans who straddle the fence. Or we can choose an authentic conservative who has a proven track record of fighting every day for our freedoms.

Maddox said that from the beginning she staked out her opposition to restrictions that the governor imposed to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus. She condemned the temporary closing of businesses and schools and mask-wearing mandates  steps she denounced as COVID tyranny.

Our constitutional rights never go out the window just because theres a virus going around, or under any circumstances, Maddox said Monday evening.

Beshear, who is seeking a second term next year, maintains that his aggressive approach saved lives. His restrictions were in place mostly when COVID-19 vaccines were not available or not yet widely distributed  though the GOP-led legislature later severely limited his ability to respond when virus cases surged again. Beshear says his actions reflected guidance from the White House coronavirus task force when Republican Donald Trump was president.

This year, Maddox unsuccessfully pushed for legislation that initially would have barred employers, including in the private sector, from requiring their employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

State Democratic Chair Colmon Elridge responded Monday that Maddox declared war on the health, safety and wellbeing of Kentuckians in an attempt to score political points.

Her entrance into the race ensures the year-long Republican primary will be even nastier, more extreme and more expensive, he added in a statement.

Other Republicans running for governor have denounced Beshear's handling of the pandemic.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, now among the gubernatorial hopefuls, led the legal fight against Beshears pandemic restrictions. Cameron won the case in the Kentucky Supreme Court, clearing the way for new laws enacted by the GOP legislature to limit the governors emergency powers.

In announcing her candidacy, Maddox touted her staunch opposition to abortion and support for gun-ownership rights. In 2019, she successfully championed legislation to allow legal gun owners in Kentucky to carry a concealed handgun without a separate permit or training.

Maddox also set out libertarian-leaning themes in her speech.

I believe that Kentuckians, by and large, are God-fearing people, who just want to live a peaceable, prosperous life in which they are free from undue interference from their government, she said.

Maddox framed herself as a staunch defender of the constitution and stressed her alignment with Trump, saying the former president "brought strength to the Oval Office.

Protecting your constitutional rights and liberties trumps all other interests and institutions, she said.

Her devotion to Trump comes as members of the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection are promising to lay out how Trump and his allies worked to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, spreading lies about widespread voter fraud that fueled the assault on the nation's Capitol.

The governors race on the GOP side includes three statewide officials  Attorney General Daniel Cameron, state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles and state Auditor Mike Harmon. Others in the race include retired attorney Eric Deters. Several other prominent Republicans are considering bids for governor.

Recent polling shows Beshear remains popular in GOP-trending Kentucky. The governor has touted his stewardship of Kentuckys economy, pointing to the states record-setting economic development pace for job creation and business investments. He has landed the states two largest economic development projects ever  both battery plants.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  Primary voters will decide Tuesday whether to add a provision to South Dakota's constitution making it more difficult to pass ballot measures that raise taxes or significantly expand government funds, a showdown over direct democracy in the state that pioneered voter-initiated laws.

The proposed constitutional amendment, which will appear as Amendment C on ballots, would place a 60% vote threshold on citizen-initiated ballot measures that raise taxes or spend more than $10 million within five years of enactment.

As Republicans have come to dominate politics in the state where the initiative and referendum processes were first enacted in 1898, the Legislature has tussled in recent years with voter-initiated measures. Supporters say they are necessary to pass popular law proposals that lawmakers are unwilling to take up. But lawmakers who proposed the constitutional amendment say it would protect from new citizen-proposed taxes by instituting a similar vote threshold the Legislature faces to levy a new tax.

Taxes are kind of like constitutional amendments, they last a long, long time, said Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, an organization supporting the campaign for Amendment C. They are such a big deal they should command a super-majority.

The Amendment C proposal was sparked by a separate citizen-proposed constitutional amendment to expand federal Medicaid eligibility, which will appear on ballots in November's general election. Republican lawmakers, anticipating the Medicaid expansion fight, pushed Amendment C to the primary ballot, even though fewer voters will almost certainly decide on it than if it had also been placed on the general election ballot.

During the 2020 election cycle, for example, the number of primary ballots cast was roughly one-third of the general election. Turnout also skewed Republican, with GOP-registered voters casting 63% of primary ballots despite making up 48% of registered voters.

Changing the constitution shouldnt be taken lightly, said Amy Scott-Stolz, the former president of the League of Women Voters, which joined the opposition campaign under her leadership. Letting the people decide on the issues is a South Dakota tradition and should be kept the way it is.

The vote on the constitutional amendment has drawn some of the state's most powerful political groups, with the state Republican party actively campaigning for it and the Democratic party hosting phone bank events to try to dissuade people from approving it.

The National Education Association and hospital systems  which are among the state's largest employers  have funded a $1.5 million opposition campaign called South Dakotans for Fair Elections; while Americans for Prosperity, a fiscally conservative organization, has spearheaded a $500,000 campaign called South Dakotans Against Higher Taxes.

It will take a simple majority of Tuesday's vote to enshrine the requirement in the state constitution.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Serbia and Russia confirmed Monday that a planned visit by Russia's foreign minister to the Balkan country will not take place, with Moscow accusing the West of preventing the trip by blocking the envoy's plane flight.

The announcement followed reports that Serbia's neighbors  Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro  had refused to allow Sergey Lavrov's plane to fly through their airspace to reach Serbia.

An unthinkable thing has happened, Lavrov said during an online news conference Monday. A sovereign state has been deprived of its right to conduct foreign policies. The international activities of Serbia on the Russian track have been blocked.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier Monday met with Russia's ambassador to Serbia who informed him that Lavrov could not come because the Russian government plane was denied necessary flyover permissions, a statement issued after the meeting said.

Vucic expressed dissatisfaction over the circumstances that prevented the visit and added that "despite all, Serbia will preserve independence and autonomy in political decision-making."

Later Monday, Vucic told state RTS broadcaster that the cancelation of the visit was not too much of a surprise and that arrangements faced problems from the start.

Russia is a traditional friend of Serbia, Vucic said, describing Serbia's policies toward Russia as a rational, sensible and soothing way within Europe, where it is not easy to hear a voice of reason and dialogue."

While formally still seeking European Union membership, Serbia has maintained friendly ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, refusing to join Western sanctions against Moscow. Many in Serbia view the fellow-Slavic nation as a close ally and Moscow has backed Serbia in its effort to retain its claim on Kosovo.

Lavrov blamed NATO countries for engineering the flight ban  Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia are all members of NATO  noting that the action showed again that the main purpose of the alliance expansion is to try to isolate Russia.

Lavrov still plans to travel for talks Wednesday in Turkey, where he can fly directly over the Black Sea. Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both Russia and Ukraine while also trying to help international mediation efforts in the war.

The Russian foreign minister said the West has trampled on the principle of a free choice of foreign policy partners.

From the Western viewpoint, Serbia mustnt have any choice, any freedom in choosing its partners, he said. The West clearly shows that it would use any base means to apply pressure."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov deplored what what he described as hostile actions," but said this "wont significantly hamper the continuation of our countrys contacts with friendly countries like Serbia.

In Belgrade, Serbia's pro-Russian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin expressed deep regret that a great and proven friend of Serbia could not come. Vulin added that Serbia is proud that it is not part of anti-Russian hysteria, and the countries that are (part of it) will have time to be ashamed.

Serbia, meanwhile, also is almost fully dependent on Russian gas. Vucic recently talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to arrange a new deal on gas supplies for the next three years.

Analyst Slobodan Stupar described Lavrov's attempted visit to Belgrade as a show that would have been used by Moscow to further vilify the West.

I believe the Russians invited themselves to Serbia, Stupar told The Associated Press. They are terribly isolated. ... They can now say that Europe and the world are not democratic and won't allow a simple flyover.

Stupar said Vucic has placed himself in between Russia and the West.

That is the worst possible position one can imagine, Stupar said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in the region later this week.

Suzan Fraser contributed to this report from Ankara, Turkey.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
LINCOLN  In the past week, the Nebraska Secretary of States Office has received at least five new complaints against a voter identification petition, this time alleging that petition circulators are being misleading about the petitions intent.

But unlike a previous complaint, which alleged a signature gatherer falsely claimed to be a state employee, the more recent claims have not been forwarded to the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office for further investigation. Thats because Secretary of State Bob Evnen said his office does not consider them to be criminal in nature.

Meanwhile, State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar, the initiatives sponsor, said the allegations are part of a Democrat-led hit job meant to undermine the initiative.

Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, a Democrat running for governor, submitted one of the more recent complaints, as well as the initial complaint. She said she hears from people daily about questionable encounters they have had with signature gatherers for the ballot initiative.

Last week, Blood shared a tweet that included a video of a signature gatherer who claimed the ballot initiative would give registered voters the option of using their ID before casting their vote, and later claimed the petition would allow there to be a debate about the issue. Blood said she has heard from at least one other person who said a petitioner claimed the ballot initiative doesnt do anything, it just allows a debate.

According to the ballot petitions object statement, the initiative  if approved by Nebraska voters  would amend the Nebraska Constitution to require registered voters to present a valid photo ID before casting a ballot.

Citizens for Voter ID is leading the effort to put the initiative on the November ballot. The group needs valid signatures from 10% of registered voters, or about 124,000 people, by July 7 to qualify.

State law requires petition circulators to read the object statement of the ballot initiative before collecting an individuals signature.

Slama, a conservative lawmaker in the Legislature, said this is part of the training petitioners receive for the voter ID initiative. She said she has not seen any evidence that the petition circulators have been lying about the initiatives intent, and she dismissed the allegations as a purposeful effort by Blood and other Democrats to prevent the initiative from getting on the ballot.

Blood said she has nothing against giving voters a choice on the issue, but she wants the petition effort to be conducted the right way.

Theyre basing this ballot initiative on unproven fraud by being actually fraudulent, Blood said.

The latest complaints follow allegations last month from Blood and others who said they had been approached by signature gatherers claiming to be state employees. State employees are not allowed to circulate petitions or otherwise engage in political activities while on the clock.

Evnen said his office sent the previous complaint  lodged by Blood  to the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office because they considered the allegations to be criminal in nature.

However, Evnen said he didnt consider the new complaints to be at the same level, so his office followed its normal process of forwarding complaints to the initiatives sponsor.

Slama said she has not been contacted by the Secretary of States Office regarding the recent complaints.

Though he does not consider the new allegations to be criminal, Evnen said there have been court cases filed in the past regarding misrepresentation of ballot initiatives.

That occurred in 2008 when opponents filed a lawsuit seeking to keep a proposed constitutional amendment off the ballot. The opponents alleged, among other claims, that petition circulators failed to fully explain the initiative, which sought to put a ban on affirmative action into the Nebraska Constitution. The ban ultimately stayed on the ballot, and voters overwhelmingly approved it. A judge later ruled in the bans favor, upholding the legality of the petition drive that put it on the ballot.

Blood said she expects the voter ID petition will be challenged in court. She said the company hired by Citizens for Voter ID to manage the signature-gathering effort, Vanguard Field Strategies, raises a red flag.

Vanguard, a GOP firm based in Austin, Texas, managed signature gathering for a leading candidate in Michigan who, according to reporting by the Detroit Free Press, likely will not appear on the Republican ballot for governor after the states election bureau found that thousands of his petition signatures were fraudulent.

Joe Williams, president of Vanguard Field Strategies, did not respond to an email Friday seeking comment.

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100 years ago

June 6, 1922: Walter L. Halford, 17, died of what was believed to be consumption of alcohol. The New Holland teen had traveled with four companions to Lincoln, and according to them, he produced a bottle of "white mule" on the way home. He became unconscious after drinking most of it. The companions said they did not drink any alcohol and did not know where he got it.

75 years ago

June 6, 1947: The Rev. Alfred E. Cole, former pastor of the Park Methodist church, will start work June 15 a field representative for the Normal Baby Fold. This is the first time the Baby Fold has had a full-time field representative. His first project will be the $250,000 financial goal that will be used as a building fund for the institution.

50 years ago

June 6, 1972: Work on Normal's $492,716 underpass to link Vernon Avenue and Beaufort Street at the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad should be under way within three weeks. The city council awarded a contract for the underpass to West Construction Co., Bloomington. Action followed word that the Illinois State University board favored an agreement to reduce ISU land needed for the widening of Beaufort.

25 years ago

June 6, 1997: A car crashed into the Driver's License Examination Station in Bloomington. The 22-year-old driver had just picked up an Illinois identification card and was attempting to leave when she mistook forward for reverse. The driver was not physically injured but "suffered a major case of embarrassment" and declined to speak to the newspaper.

Compiled by Pantagraph staff
Editor's note: The following editorial appeared in The Pantagraph on June 6, 1944, under the headline "The Liberation of Europe Begins." Nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the United States, Canada and other nations landed in Normandy on that date, an invasion widely known as D-Day.

"According to plan."

The words had an ominous ring once, for they were used many times in the early days of the war by the German high command.

They have a different ring to our ears today, particularly coming from Prime Minister Churchill to describe United Nations landings on the coast of France.

"According to plan."

Certainly no endeavor has ever been more carefully planned, more publicized in advance, or more anxiously awaited than the invasion which now has been launched. To describe it as the greatest single military feat in history is to be entirely accurate.

When Hitler began his attack on France May 10, 1940, he told his armies that the fate of Germany for 1,000 years depended on the battle. He was wrong if he meant that victory would assure Germany's security for 1,000 years. But it can truly be said that the fate of Germany for many years will be decided in the battle which was joined in the early hours of today.

What that fate will be is a foregone conclusion in American minds. No matter what anxious hours lie ahead  and there will be many anxious ones  we know victory is certain in the end. There have been failures at Cassino, anxious hours of doubt at Anzio, heavy losses at Dieppe. An undertaking as gigantic as this new invasion cannot be conducted without such setbacks as these, and perhaps much greater ones. But the American homefront is wiser about war than it was a year ago. It is just as confident of victory but it knows the path is not a smooth one.

Every American heart goes out today to our fighting men stationed in England. For the soldiers and sailors and airmen, it is the hour toward which their training has pointed. To those who love them here at home, it is the hour of mixed apprehension and relief. These latter, the mothers, the fathers, the wives and sweethearts, should be included in the prayers which will go up today and in following days from American homes and churches.

Their trial will be a terrible one. They will not think of the invasion in terms of glory, or of military strategy, or historical significance, but in terms as simple as, "I wonder whether Jim is safe."

Confident of victory, as we are, awed in the presence of a historical event, and relieved that the necessary fighting has finally begun, let us nevertheless remember the anxious which lie ahead and show by our consideration that we understand the deep personal nature of the news to those with relatives in the fighting.

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Q: I am a 74-year-old veteran with a 60% VA service-connected disability compensation rating. Due to my disability, I am having a very difficult time finding life insurance. Does the VA have a life insurance benefit?

A: While on active duty in the federal military you can enroll for SGLI (Servicemembers Group Life Insurance) which has a guaranteed option to convert the insurance coverage after you leave military service. A new VA life insurance policy for veterans of any level of disability rating is just six months away from launching. The VA will begin offering Veterans Affairs Life Insurance, or VALife, on Jan. 1, 2023, in line with a law passed last year, with applications opening that day. VALife will be open to all veterans 80 years old or younger who have a disability rating of 0 to 100%. Older veterans will also be eligible if they applied for VA disability compensation before age 81 but did not receive the disability rating until after turning 81, and if they apply for the life insurance within two years of getting the rating. VALife is what is known as guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance. No medical exams or health questions are required to be approved, with the VA saying the new plan will have fully automated online enrollment with instant approvals. VALife will offer beneficiaries payouts of up to $40,000, with lesser coverage available in increments of $10,000. Visit www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/ for more information.

DID YOU KNOW?

The McBarnes Building at 201 E. Grove St. in Bloomington celebrated its 100th birthday on Memorial Day. It is one of the most historic and architecturally stunning buildings in McLean County. It was built through the generosity of area farmer John McBarnes, who donated $150,000 to build the structure for grand opening in 1922. The McBarnes Building was dedicated as a tribute and in memory of those from McLean County who perished in the Great War (World War I). There is a huge, strikingly beautiful bronze sculpture/plaque inside the lobby area. The names of those from McLean County who died in WWI are eternally etched on the plaque and in the hearts of our community. One interesting fact is that the McBarnes Building was dedicated on the same Day in 1922 as the magnificent Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.

WOMEN VETERANS STAND DOWN

A stand down for women veterans will be held Saturday, June 11, hosted by National Louis University and the University of Chicago. The event will be held at 4231 Progress Blvd., Unit 4 in Peru. Learn more about services and resources for women veterans at this stand down. The keynote speaker will be 39-year veteran of the Navy Dr. Martha Herb, EdD, LPC. She is a well-known speaker, counselor and consultant for various military and veterans organizations. Workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Focus will be on the needs of women veterans, including education, employment, health care, housing and legal services. Attendees may choose to attend both sessions. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Veterans who cannot attend in person can attend virtually online at www.Lasallecountyvac.comand. Click on the link to register for in-person or online-only, or call 815-433-1761 for more information.

Jerry Vogler is superintendent of the McLean County Veterans Assistance Commission.

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Spurred by rising violence with firearms, the nation began work to write into law "the strongest gun control measures in over 40 years."

Alas for Americans, that nation is Canada.

Here in the United States, we've had three massacres in under three weeks  in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. And those are just the worst of 37 mass shootings in that short time.

Yet our national shame has roused a small, bipartisan band of senators to only discuss new gun-safety policies. Their ideas are modest, they concede, so we should lower our expectations.

Why would we have any expectations at all after a quarter-century in which "policymakers" have been hostage to the increasingly militant gun lobby and the gun fetishists that make up the Republican Party base?

Virtually nothing has been done to limit the weapons of war on our streets, even as private arsenals grow along with the number of dead and wounded.

Americans are grieving this week, and not only for the victims. They're also mourning our broken nation, which can't even coalesce around policies that have bipartisan support, such as universal background checks and age limits for gun buyers.

Though the accused killers in the carnage in both Buffalo and Uvalde were 18-year-old males with assault weapons, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-NRA) told reporters that a national ban on selling rifles to people under 21 isn't even "on the table." With politicians so cowed by gun fanatics, and a Senate where rural red states hold disproportionate sway, the easy bet is always on inaction.

After each massacre, Republicans like to say of just about any one proposal, "It wouldn't have prevented the killings in [fill-in-the-blank]." Well, then, let's have a comprehensive package of provisions reflecting the lessons of decades of shootings, starting with banning high-capacity magazines, restricting ghost guns and increasing penalties for straw purchases.

Democrats in the House are acting on such a package. Yet it's likely to join other such House-passed bills, buried by Republicans in the Senate graveyard.

Take Sen. Ted "Cancun" Cruz. Unlike Texas' other Republican senator, John Cornyn, Cruz is not among those trying to negotiate something after the murders of 19 fourth-graders and two teachers in their state. When a man aspires to run (again) for the presidency, he's not inclined to vex gun-loving Republican voters who brook no compromise.

After each massacre, Republicans denounce gun-control advocates for "politicizing" the tragedy by calling for policy action. That included Cruz, of course, after Uvalde: "I get tired of all the politicking," he told CBS. "It happens every time there is a mass shooting."

Nothing says "inured to gun violence" like casually adding "every time there is a mass shooting."

Consider another lawmaker, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who will chair the committee with jurisdiction over gun legislation if Republicans win control of the House in November. He told Fox News that Democrats' bills attack "2nd Amendment liberties," adding, "The answer is to make sure you have school facilities secured and you have security officers who are trained and well-equipped to protect kids and teachers."

Now if Uvalde and Buffalo didn't puncture that nauseating National Rifle Assn. nostrum  "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun"  what would? In Buffalo, the store security guard fired multiple rounds but failed to pierce the shooter's body armor; he was killed. We all know about the police officers' tragic failure in Uvalde; it's spawned a meme on social media: "Nothing says ban assault rifles like cops being scared of the shooter who has one."

Even if Congress takes meaningful action, there are still the federal courts, many stocked with Republican-appointed judges hostile to gun controls. Like the Trump judges who struck down California's age minimum for semiautomatic sales.

Soon the Supreme Court will rule in a case involving a New York law limiting the carrying of guns outside the home. The conservative majority is expected to decide against the state, and potentially expand gun rights. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, for one, has been eager to do so. He had strong NRA support for his confirmation. As a federal appeals court judge, he dissented in a major gun-control case and objected to describing a semiautomatic rifle as an "assault weapon."

Even so, one has to wonder whether the bloodletting of the last three weeks has affected deliberations about gun rights inside the justices' well-guarded chambers. One can hope. Because the only thing worse than legislative inaction would be judicial action that stokes our epidemic of gun violence.

Jackie Calmes is an opinion columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

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Why is it that whenever we dig into the details of a mass shooting we wind up finding nothing but screw ups?

Police, schools, mental health officials, parents  theyve all messed up in ways to make mass shootings possible or deadlier.

At the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, we learned that police responded within minutes but then stood around for almost an hour in the hallway while the shooter was barricaded in a classroom and still killing children. We learned that there was no armed security guard stationed at the Robb school that day and that a door to the outside  which the shooter used to enter the building  did not lock automatically as it should have.

We also learned that the 18-year-old killer, as is so often the case, was known by his family, the authorities and his schoolmates to be a mentally unstable and scary gun nut, yet no one red-flagged him as a potential threat to himself or others.

And how many times have we heard stories about how the parents of future mass murderers continued to let them have access to guns even after it had become obvious to them that their children were dangerously disturbed?

What weve seen over and over again in these mass shootings is that everyones waiting for someone else to do the right things, but then no one does the right things. Its not that hard to protect a school from being invaded by a mass murderer  if we have the will.

Just as we do at airports, rock concerts and Super Bowls, we can use high fences, gates and automatically locking doors (that work).

We can also hire full-time security guards who are well armed, well trained and not afraid to shoot anyone dead who shows up at a school and tries to kill people.

A school guard without a gun is just a spectator at a slaughter  or another victim. But Democrats and the liberal media are so mindlessly in favor of stricter and stricter gun control that theyll never understand that the best way to prevent a tragedy like the one in Uvalde is more guns  guns in the right hands.

Following the massacre in Texas, the anti-gun nuts again instantly proved how little they know about the weapons of war they desperately want to take away from us law-abiding citizens.

I dont think three Democrats in Congress could define what an assault weapon actually is, much less explain the difference between a semi-automatic AR-15, a high-powered deer rifle and an Uzi.

And we heard President Biden babbling on about the difference in stopping power between a 9mm handgun  the most commonly produced pistol in the U.S.  and a .22 pistol.

Biden said he wants to ban high-caliber 9mm handguns like Glocks, which are used by most police forces and the security guards who protect him 24/7, because he thinks no one needs a gun for protection that is so powerful it can blow the lung out of a body.

Just to let him know, it was a .22 that almost killed my dad. Many assassins use a .22 because when the smaller bullet enters your body it bounces off your bones like a ping pong ball and causes greater internal damage.

No one expects Biden to know what hes talking about when he talks about guns, and the dishonest major media are too much on the gun-control team to discuss other sensible, doable ways of preventing future school shootings.

Putting well-armed security guards in our schools is extremely important, obviously, but it is parents who are the first line of defense. If you realize your kid is out of control and truly dangerous, take their guns away. Give them to a neighbor. Lock them in a safe. And please dont wait for the government, the school principal or anyone else to red flag your child as a threat to themselves or others.

Do the right thing. Throw the red flag yourself.

Michael Reagan is a columnist, for Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.

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College students returning home for summer vacation will either monitor their health conditions at home for the first week or undergo free centralized quarantine, authorities said on Sunday.

As this year's summer holiday has begun amid a waning COVID-19 epidemic, a number of university students have complained about having difficulties returning to their hometowns, such as being required to go through lengthy isolation and cover expenses themselves.

To address their concerns, the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism clarified in a circular released on Sunday that local governments should roll out targeted isolation policies and provide support for these students.

According to the circular, returning students who leave from cities that have recently reported new COVID-19 cases will be exempted from centralized isolation at their destinations if their universities are located in low-risk areas and they can present negative nucleic acid test results taken within 48 hours prior to departure. Their home trip must also have been made in a closed loop, directly from campus to home via dedicated buses or trains.

They still need to monitor their health conditions for seven days upon arriving home and report any abnormalities to local authorities.

For students who have to undergo centralized isolation to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, local governments should waive quarantine fees and satisfy their demands for accommodation and healthcare, it added.

Liu Peijun, an official at the Ministry of Education's department of physical education, health and the arts, said colleges and local governments should join efforts to log and exchange information on students planning to travel during the holiday.

For students who decide to stay put, he said college authorities are required to satisfy their need for internships, to conduct experiments or prepare for their theses and exams.

"Measures concerning dining, shopping and delivery services on campus should be upgraded, and public facilities for study, exercising and scientific research should be open based on requests," he said. "We should strive to make these students feel at home."

In the meantime, Liu stressed that disease control measures, such as regular nucleic acid testing and sanitization should be implemented strictly during the holiday period.

As the majority of college students take the train to and from home, Zhu Wenzhong, deputy director of the passenger transport department at China State Railway Group, said the railway operator has reserved some tickets specifically for students, allocating special waiting areas for them at stations and arranging designated carriages or trains.

"Nearly 30 special trains have been arranged for student passengers, including some departing from Shanghai," he said.

The railway operator has also launched two online systems dedicated to cataloging the needs of students as a reference for its train arrangements. As of Sunday morning, it has received over 50,000 pieces of information, according to Zhu.

Lei Zhenglong, deputy director of the National Health Commission's bureau of disease prevention and control, said that the number of daily local cases has been below 100 for six straight days, but new clusters have emerged in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
My husband and I were privileged earlier this year to see and hear Darren Bailey speak in the Bloomington-Normal area. We found him to speak with a great deal of honesty, humility, clarity and passion. Ever since we heard Mr. Bailey speak and have thought deeply about what he spoke, we have been fans of his.

An extensive list could be made as to why I am supporting Darren Bailey. I prefer to do that rather than attempt to run down candidates running against him. It would have been great if all the pamphlets we had received had made that same choice.

Here is a partial list containing the most important things I am considering in our voting choice.

Darren is pro-life. That is so refreshing in todays world.

According to Mr. Bailey, the government should not continue to fund Planned Parenthood. With the economic situation our country is in, that seems to speak of economic sense.

The answer Yes by Mr. Bailey to this question certainly met with our approval: Should a photo ID be required to vote?

And he gave a Yes answer with Should the government offer students a voucher that they can use to attend private schools?

One more yes from him  Should welfare recipients be tested for drugs?

One question, Should critical race theory be taught in K-12 education?, that answer by Darren with a No brings a cheer from me; I spent many years in public classrooms.

I could list so many more, because, as stated, he has such a common-sense approach to government. Something must be done soon to keep Illinois from bankruptcy.

My husband and I will be voting for Darren Bailey for governor of Illinois on June 28.

Ruth E. Reinhart, Normal

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Primary voting allows us to have a say on who will best represent our views in a general election as well as win that election. I have been closely following two Democratic Party candidates who are running for seats to represent us, one in Springfield and one in Washington.

For the Illinois House in the 91st District, I am voting for Karla Bailey-Smith. She is a skilled tradesperson, a painting contractor who specializes interior work. She knows first-hand the issues which face independent businesses with insurance and taxes. She supports the freedom for women to control their own bodies. Karla supports the struggles of the LGBQT community in securing equal access to education, medical care, and safety from bullying in schools. Karla has been endorsed by Moms Demand Action, the gun control group and the National Organization of Women.

For U.S. Representative in the Illinois 17th District, I am voting for Litesa Wallace. Litesa is working to preserve a womans choice in reproduction. She understands the threat of that loss of those rights to families across the district. She will champion access to childcare for working families who are struggling to better themselves through seeking education and better jobs, a track that she herself followed. She has a fine record as a two-term legislator in the Illinois House. She is endorsed by SEIU the fastest growing union in the country.

Early voting has started. Vote for Karla Bailey-Smith and for Litesa Wallace

Greg Koos, Bloomington

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Republic Bank has received two prestigious international awards at the just ended International Banker Awards 2022.



The Bank was honoured as the Best Innovation in Retail Banking Ghana and Best Private Bank in Ghana.



The awards which were published on May 30, 2022 are in recognition of the outstanding performances and exceptional commitment Republic Bank has exhibited in ensuring best practice and innovation within the Ghanaian banking and financial industry. Republic Bank (Ghana) PLC is the first amongst the Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) territories to have received this award.



Commenting on the announcement of the awards, Mr. Farid Antar, Managing Director of Republic Bank (Ghana) PLC, said the Bank was pleased to be recognized with such a prestigious International award. He dedicated the awards to the Board, Management, Staff and Customers of the Bank, thanking them for their commitment and support towards the progress as well as achievements the Bank has chalked in the last three years.



He further explained that, these awards come with great pride especially at the apex of his over 42 years of service to Republic Bank, out of which three years have been dedicated to the growth and development of key strategic pillars in Ghana.



The Bank has over the years been developing flexible mortgage payment options, customer-centric digital service solutions and banking innovations to improve the customers service experience through the introduction of its suite of digital services, seasonal campaign loans and recently the launch of four fantastic Republic VISA Credit Cards on the Ghanaian market. These innovations make the banking experience seamless, less stressful and value-adding for both our existing and potential customers. To us, serving retail and business clients means engaging in conversations and creating solutions that meet their needs through a simple, yet effective, product and services suite, Mr. Antar said.



Republic Bank has adopted a customer-focused approach to ensure service quality and modern banking experience in an evolving digital environment. The Bank is committed to doing business responsibly and advancing the Banks transition towards a sustainable digital and innovative future. It therefore comes as no surprise that in a matter of weeks, the Bank has won a number of prestigious awards such as the Fastest Growing Bank of the Year Award and CEO of the Year by Corporate Ghana Awards 2021 and a second CEO of the Year from the Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards 2022. The Bank is indeed wired to win more.



The International Banker Awards program recognizes top-ranking individuals and organizations across the global Banking Industry. Nominations are dependent on its global network of readers and winners are chosen based on entries as well as independent research. The criteria for evaluation includes financial performance, technological driven innovations, product offerings, customer experiences, brand and sales capabilities and measurable achievements within the banking sector.







Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Sir Sam Jonah, Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, UCC, has stressed the challenges that women particularly face in the world of work.



According to him, despite there being setbacks for all genders in a very cynical world out there, there are more pronounced challenges for ladies.



In a speech he delivered over the week at the 2022 Graduation Ceremony of Ashesi University, he underlined the importance of knowledge and ethical leadership, tasking graduands to do all it takes to impact their various societies positively in different fields.



Trust me, the most potent weapons against prejudice are knowledge and competence. These harsh realities will be faced by all of you, but even to a greater extent by the ladies amongst you.



Unfortunately, the world out there has not fully appreciated the tremendous role our women play in society and therefore the women among you might face even more challenges Mr Jonah said.



He observed that globally, female leaders have proven gamechangers in many respects, citing among others Golda Meir of Israel; Winnie Mandela of South Africa; Indira Ghandi of India; Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom; and more recntly, Angela Merkel of Germany.



He proceeded to list eight Ghanaian women leaders who he described as "extraordinarily talented" having worked with them in one capacity or the other.



Find Sir Sam Jonah's list below:



Mansa Nettey of Standard Chartered Bank



Abena Osei-Poku of ABSA Ghana



Afua Kyei, the young CFO of Bank of England



Beatrice Agyemang of Media General



Mimi Darko of Food and Drugs Authority



Patricia Obo-Nai of Vodafone Ghana



Patience Akyianu of Hollard Insurance



Lucy Quist formerly of Airtel Ghana and now Managing Director of Morgan Stanley in London, which is one of the biggest investment banks in the world



The Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, added two women to the list, his wife and daughter, praising their strides in business and entrepreneurship.



And there is also my own wife who is here with me today, a uniquely talented and inspiring woman who conceived and built Africas first 5- star Marriott Hotel from scratch; not forgetting my daughter Tamara Jonah who after school chose the entrepreneurial route and set up what has become arguably Ghanas biggest events management company.



These are just a few of the women who have shown that prejudice cannot stop a person who is determined to succeed; and these are women who against all odds, have broken the glass ceiling for your generation to emulate and perhaps even surpass, he stressed.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Project Director for the NUGS Private Institutions Integration Scheme (PIIS), Prince A. A. Sadat swept the Wisconsin International University SRC Excellence Awards held on Friday, 27 th May, 2022 at the well organised SRC Handing-Over and Excellence Awards ceremony.



In all, the Youth Leader and Law Student won the Student Politician of the Year and Male Student Role Model of the Year. As Wisconsin TESCON President, he led Wisconsin TESCON to win Campus Group of the Year. His virtual hall of residence (DAVID DARTEY Hall), also won the Best Hall of the Year through his valuable contribution.



Prince Sadat, as he is affectionately called also received a citation of honour from the SRC for his prized contribution to youth and student development.



Portions of the citation reads, In recognition of your leadership and tireless contributions towards bringing back the SRC of Wisconsin International University College, Ghana. And as SRC Chief Justice, your outstanding contribution towards the development and progress of WISCONSIN SRC, Youth Development and Tertiary Education in Ghana cannot be overemphasized. It is with great reverence that we honour and propel you to keep having salutary impacts on the youth, particularly, students in Ghana and across the globe. You are a perfectionist who never hesitates to lend a helping hand, you strives for continuous improvement while keeping the big picture in mind. For the many students you have nurtured and those you supported financially with education grants and scholarships, we say Ayekoo



The Senior Research & Data Analyst at the Campaign Fund Raising Office of H. E. the President (Number 16) and GUPS Chief Justice in receiving the awards said that he was indeed mortified and esteemed to receive those awards. He used the occasion to dedicate the awards to all the people in his life for their continuous support and prayers. He also thanked the SRC, TESCON and his Hall for their support.



Prior to the awards ceremony was the swearing-in and handing over of power from the outgoing executives led by H.E. Paul Adu Gyamfi to the incoming executives led by H. E. Batiah Semi-Ulah Santi (President).



The other executives that took their oaths of office which was administered by the Chief Justice, Prince A. A. Sadat includes, H. E. Michael Hudo (Vice President), Melvine Gogan (General Secretary), H. E. Dora Goodhead (External Affairs President), Josita Gnonlonfoun (Financial Controller), Salamatu Fuseini (Womens; Commissioner), Olaide Badmus (External Affairs Secretary). Rt. Hon. Hakeem Enyan Steve was also sworn-in as the SRC Speaker of Parliament and His Lordship Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadasi as SRC Chief Justice. The SRC Excellence Awards was created to honour the most outstanding student.



H. E. Paul Adu Gyamfi (former SRC President), Rt. Hon. Hamza Sisse (former Speaker of Parliament) and His Lordship, Prince A. A. Sadat (Former Chief Justice) received citations of honour for their various contributions to student development.



The full list of awardees include; Hall of the Year (David Dartey Hall), Campus Group of the Year (Wisconsin TESCON), Student Politician of the Year (Prince A. A. Sadat), Alumni of the Year (Oscar Jonas Tei-Mensah), Lecturer of the Year (Kwame Asa), SRC Executive of the Year (Charlotte Acquah), Best Law Students (Mohamed Kallon), Best Nursing & Midwifery Students (Eva Fusser), Best I.T Students (Reagan Ghartey-Mould), Male Students Role Model (Prince A. A. Sadat), Female Students Role Model (Eva Fusser), Most Popluar Students of the Year (Samuel Appiah Kyei), Course Rep of the Year (Evelyn Entsil), Creative Art Students of the Year (Turkson Nathaniel), Students Personality of the Year (Eva Fusser Okworu), Student Entrepreneur of the Year (Linda Elsie Amoah), Best Administrative Staff (Edwin Agbah), Service Award (Norbu Ebenaita), Committee Head of the Year (Jessica Dede Pertey),



Other SRC Honorary Awards were received by Mr. Peter Osei, Florence Akpene, Ophelia Akosua Mensah, Claudia Asantewaa Boateng, Magdalene Kobbinah Prince Amadu Anuwar-Sadat is a student of the Law Faculty of the Wisconsin International University College Ghana offering a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree. He is currently a Senior Research and Data Analyst at the Campaign Fund Raising Office of H. E. the President (Number 16) and also a Special Assistant to ALHAJI SHORT (former Member of the Council of State).



Prince Sadat is also the TESCON President for Wisconsin University and the Chief Justice for the Ghana Union of Professional Students as well as the Wisconsin International University College (former).



He has previously worked for corporate giants like Vodafone Ghana, Fidelity Bank Limited, Glico Life Insurance Company Limited; and has over ten (10) years of work experience in corporate Ghana.



He has also worked as Personal Assistant to some of the finest politicians in the country. And his contributions towards the 2016 and 2020 victory of the NPP and H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cannot be underestimated.



He is a prolific writer with over 100 publications on social and political issues of national interest to his name; and has received several awards both in the corporate space, student leadership and in politics as well both locally and internationally.



Prince Sadat has also represented the youth of Ghana on global platforms like the World Petroleum Council congress in Houston, Texas, USA; the United Nations (UN) Climate Change



Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, UK and was also trained in PPP Solutions in Infrastructural construction in China.

















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The delay in the supply of textbooks is finally over as the Ministry of Education has disclosed that five local printers in Ghana have commenced the printing.



The printing of the textbooks for basic schools under the new curriculum is being done by G-PAK Ltd, a subsidiary of the Graphic Communications Group Limited; the Buck Press, Appointed Time Printing Ltd, Jay Kay Industries Ltd and Sec-print Ltd.



Deputy Minister of Education, John Ntim Fordjour speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' said the companies have three months to complete the work and a month to deliver the books to the schools.



Background



In June last year, the government announced ceding 100 per cent of the printing of textbooks for pupils in basic schools to local printers.



For a start, the textbooks to be printed will cover kindergarten to primary six.



However, any publisher without an agreement with a local printer will not be considered.



Consequently, all publishers who were already pre-qualified were asked to present signed agreements with local printers.



The Minister of Education, who had announced the governments decision, said: Any publisher without an agreement with a local printer will not be considered in the offer.



Previously, the printing of textbooks was mostly done outside the country, with local printers complaining that it was a disincentive to local businesses.



In some cases, a minimal percentage was given to local printers, while the bulk of the printing was done outside the country.



In 2016, however, the then government decided that the printing of textbooks for schools would be done by local printers, and by 2017 when the printing actually began, more than 40,000 people were employed in the sector.



Aside from employment opportunities, the contract also afforded local printers the opportunity to build their capacity and expand their operations.

Source: Peacefmonline.com; additional files from graphic.com.gh









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Appointing Professor Seidu Al-Hassan as the new Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has attracted worldwide backing.



The revered Overlord of Dagbon Kingdom, Yaa-Naa Abubakari Mahama in a statement signed by the Gbewaa Palace Secretary extended his heartiest congratulations to Professor Seidu Al-Hassan.



The statement acknowledged that the incoming UDS Vice Chancellor rightly deserved his new position and emphasized that it was in recognition of efforts and commitment to encouraging and strengthening excellence in higher education in Ghana.





Below is the full statement:



In a similar fashion, Paramount Chief of the Saboba Traditional Area, the Uchabobor congratulated Professor Seidu Al-Hassan on his amazing achievement.



For Immediate Release

UCHABOBOR (PARAMOUNT CHIEF OF SABOBA TRADTIONAL AREA





CONGRATULATES THE NEWLY APPOINTED VC OF THE UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPEMNT STUDIES

I write to congratulate you on your appointment to enviable office of the vice chancellor of the premier university of the north, University for Development Studies (UDS). Tamale.



Your appointment has confirmed to the generality of the Ghanaian populace of your sterling dedication to duty in the university over the years. The enormous experience you acquired when you previously served as the Head of Department. the Vice Dean and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university has made you best fit for the position of a Vice Chancellor.

You are best known for your humility to the core, impartiality, and dedication to work, and I urge you to bring this to on your new role as Vice Chancellor Of this great institution.



Your appointment has come at a time of the need to expand the university to cover all parts of the northern region to bring higher learning to the doorsteps of our people. The university needs to expand and with you at the helm of affairs, we can be rest assured that this great task would be accomplished.



Once again, I want to on behalf of the Chiefs and people of the Saboba Traditional Area, congratulate you on your appointment and pray that the Almighty God will grant you the wisdom and strength for your new role as talk Vice Chancellor for the University for Development Studies.







(THE UCHABOBOR)



A letter dated June 1, 2022, signed by the Chairman of the UDS Governing Council, Professor Wayo Seini confirmed Professor Seidu Al-Hassans appointment.



The former UDS Pro Vice Chancellor is expected to take over from Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye who retires from active service in September 2022.



Professor Wayo Seini brings a lot of innovation, resourcefulness, and tact to his professional engagements, and is proficient in change management.



His vision is to provide effective leadership and a collegial environment that will further develop the University into a practically oriented institution that is internationally recognized for academic excellence and community service.

He has guaranteed improved teaching, learning, and research, improved capacity of faculty and administrative staff, robust financial stability for the University, increased reputation of the UDS, and an enhanced unity and gender-inclusive University community.



He served in various capacities such as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the UDS between 2015 and 2019, Director of the Institute of Continuing Education and Interdisciplinary Research and Head of the Department of Food Security and Climate Change.





Profile

Professor Seidu Alhassan holds a Ph.D. degree in Agricultural Economics, University of Ghana (2004), M.Phil. Economics, University of Ghana (1996), B. A. Economics, University of Cape Coast (1993), and a Diploma in Education. University of Cape Coast (1993).



He is an accomplished academic and university administrator, with over a decade experience in the higher education sector.



Aside from his teaching responsibilities, he provides technical assistance to governmental and non-governmental agencies in the areas of community development, micro-finance, and development and management of small-scale business enterprises.



He is a network member of the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC). His research interests are poverty, policy management, community development, applied microeconomic theory, literacy, and peace education.

He has written several intellectual articles and authored books beneficial to academia and Civil Society Organizations.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A delegation of key actors within the countrys security architecture led by Honourable Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for National Security, on 2nd June 2022, embarked on a tour of the Upper East Region to conduct security assessments towards enhancing counter-terrorism operations to respond adequately to the growing threats of terrorism from the Sahel region.



Accompanying the Minister were Edward Asomani, Deputy National Security Coordinator; Major General Thomas Oppong Peprah, Chief of Army Staff; Air Vice-Marshal Frank Hanson, Chief of Air Staff; and Brig Gen Moses Mohammed Aryee, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Northern Command.



Areas visited included Pulimakom, Mognori and Bawku. At Pulimakom, the delegation inspected the survey and boundary pillars between Ghana and Togo, and urged the Ghana Boundary Commission to expedite action to improve the visibility of existing boundary pillars and replace the destroyed boundary pillars to ensure that operations conducted in border communities did not threaten the territorial integrity of neighbouring Togo. The delegation bemoaned the active encroachment of both Ghanaians and Togolese on buffer zones between the two countries and urged the Border Security (BORSEC) to bolster efforts to protect the buffer zones from further encroachment while putting a stop to all construction works within the zone.



Subsequently, the delegation met with the members of the Upper East Regional Security Council, led by Hon Stephen Yakubu, Regional Minister, to discuss key issues of security concern in the region. The Minister of National Security in his address to the members of REGSEC highlighted the need to enhance collaboration and intelligence sharing while sustaining ongoing public awareness campaigns at the regional level to enhance ongoing efforts aimed at addressing the growing threat of terrorism.



The delegation further visited the barracks and some Forward Operating Bases of the XI Mechanised Battalion where the Minister interacted with Security personnel in the area and expressed appreciation for their efforts in protecting the country from the infiltration of terrorists and violent extremists.



Reiterating the commitment of the Ministry of National Security to supporting ongoing counter-terrorism operations, particularly along the northern land frontiers of the country, the Minister for National Security encouraged the security personnel to keep up their good work and promised that the needed logistics and funds would be provided to support ongoing operations.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Saturday shelved for a month its decision on post-coup sanctions against the military authorities in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.



At an Extraordinary Meeting of the 15-member bloc in Accra, the West African leaders who could not agree on actions against the Junta in the three countries, said they hoped to take a firmer stance on the sanctions at its next summit on July 3, 2022.



The Accra meeting was called to discuss challenges confronting the three nations in the light of developments within the regional and global context, after the raft of sanctions placed on them following the overthrow of their constitutionally elected governments.



The military Junta in the three countries, who have been suspended from the regional bloc, with Mali under the severest sanctions, including financial squeeze, travel bans, and border blockade, have suggested terms of between 24 and 36 months to relinquish power to civilian authorities.



But experts say the sanctions, coupled with jihadist insurgency and Russias invasion of Ukraine, is contributing to worsening living conditions for the people in those three nations.



The Accra meeting demanded that the three junta-led countries finalize an acceptable transition timetable and establish an appropriate framework for dialogue with political and civil society stakeholders in order to ease the socio-political tension and ensure a peaceful transition.



The leaders also urged the authorities in the three countries to take steps to enhance security in their respective countries and respect the human rights of all citizens and desist from arbitrary acts that undermine the rule of law.



On Burkina Faso, the meeting took note of the efforts made by the transition authorities on the security front and encouraged the Junta to sustain the momentum towards further enhancing security in the country.



The leaders expressed grave concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in that country and called on the International Community to strengthen its humanitarian support to Burkina Faso.



On Mali, the bloc urged a quick return to constitutional order in accordance with the ECOWAS and African Union protocols and decisions.



It upheld the sanctions imposed on January 9, 2022, and said those retaliatory measures would examine on July 3, 2022, and be lifted gradually when benchmarks of the transition are met.



On Guinea, ECOWAS expressed serious concern over the deteriorating socio-political situation and urged the transition authorities to create a suitable framework for all stakeholders to dialogue in order to ensure a peaceful transition process.

Source: GNA









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Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam Nartey George has admitted that his relationship with his former boss, Enoch Teye Mensah has been frosty over the years.



He is however happy with a recent incident where E.T. Mensah responded to his greeting when they met at a public function in Accra.



Sam George, who dethroned his former boss to become the National Democratic Congress, NDCs Parliamentary candidate in the lead up to the 2016 polls, said however that he was no longer bothered about their tense relationship.



At a point in time I was affected but I have grown out of it, it doesnt bother me anymore. I dont think I am a traitor of a sort, besides, if you talk to the ordinary members of the NDC, they will tell you that I am one of the most loyal members ever, he said in an interview with Deloris Frimpong Manso on The Delay Show.



With respect to the recent incident when they met, he recounted: I met him recently, two weeks ago, at Asamoah Gyans book launch.



When I saw him, I walked up to him and greeted him because he has been my boss before and thankfully, he responded to me unlike before. As far as I am concerned, I have never wronged him, he stressed.



Sam George defeated the long-serving MP for Ningo-Prampram, in the race for the NDC parliamentary primaries on November 22, 2015.



The certified results by the Electoral Commission showed that he polled 4,910 votes representing 63.4 per cent of valid votes cast as against ET Mensah's 2,831 votes representing 36.5 per cent of valid votes cast.



ET Mensah had been in Parliament since 1997 at the time he lost the primary. Sam George won the 2016 polls and was reelected in 2020, he also spoke about his interest to continue beyond 2024.











Source: ghanaweb.com









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Services resumed on a high-speed rail line in Southwest China's Guizhou province on Sunday, a day after a train derailment killed the train driver and injured eight others. The railway operator has vowed to immediately investigate the cause of the accident.



Two of the D2809 train's carriages came off the tracks at a point that had been hit by mud and rockslides just before arriving at Rongjiang station at around 10:30 am on Saturday, according to China State Railway Group, the national railway operator.

The train departed from Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, and was heading for Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong province.

The injured included a train attendant and seven passengers. They have been receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.

A total of 136 other passengers were evacuated and transferred to safety, the railway group said, adding it had carried out inspections after the accident to ensure the network's safety.

An analysis of the train's data shows that the driver engaged the emergency brakes when he detected an abnormality on the track while the train was in a tunnel approaching Rongjiang station. The train then slid for more than 900 meters.

The anti-collision wall and the overall protection of the railway track structure prevented the train from falling off the track, other than the two carriages.

The Ministry of Emergency Management called for all-out rescue efforts after the accident.

While guiding the rescue and emergency response, the ministry called for an investigation into the cause of the accident, and for potential safety hazards along railway lines to be eliminated to ensure the safe operation of trains.

The ministry sent personnel to the scene to assist in the aftermath, and the local fire rescue team dispatched 52 emergency rescue workers.

The 857-kilometer line linking Guiyang with Guangzhou began operation in December 2014. Its trains travel at speeds of up to 250 km per hour, passing through Guizhou, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Guangdong.

More than 80 percent of the line consists of bridges and tunnels.
Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen has slammed the late Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission for amassing too many properties within the short period he was an appointee.



Nana Obiri Boahen believes that if the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, could amass such wealth, then it is obvious that those still living could do more than that.



If within a period of about three years he was able to amass this wealth, what about those who still hold positions? Properties within a matter of three years are too much, so it should be a source of concern, Nana Obiri Boahen lamented in an interview with Kumasi-based Sompa FM monitored by MyNewsGH.com.



Im not in support of it; else, people would hurl insults at me and tag me as a bad person. They will also say I support crime. He is dead now, but there are others who are still living who are CEOs, among others; have we dealt about that too? he quizzed.



Properties acquired by the late Sir John during his term of office as the CEO of the Forestry Commission from March 2017 until his demise on July 1, 2020, include:



House on plot number GA54480 located in Ogbojo, East Legon, and acquired on February 12, 2018



House on plot number GA 55329 located at Oyarifa No. 2, acquired on May 11, 2018



House plot number GA 55475 located at Oyarifa No.1, was acquired on September 27, 2017



House on plot number GA 5881 located at Adjiringanor, Accra, (white House), was acquired on August 7, 2019.

A 4-bedroom house on plot number GA56838 located in East Legon and acquired on October 25, 2018



Two plots of land with registration number GA56921 are located in Oyarifa, which were acquired on November 6, 2018.



One plot of land with certificate number GA60802, located at Mempeheusem, East Legon, was acquired on December 13, 2019.













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A senior political science lecturer at the University of Ghana (UG), Prof Ransford Gyampo has called on clergy at the forefront of raising funds for the construction of the National Cathedral to channel their efforts into raising funds for the betterment of the operations of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in the Greater Accra Region (GAR).



According to him, it will be important for the reverend ministers to channel their efforts into making the hospital better for the people of Ghana rather than raising funds for the construction of a church building.



There is the urgent need for these pastors at the forefront of raising funds for the construction of the church house to channel these efforts at making some of the governments social intervention programs such as Free Senior High School and School Feeding Programme among others in the country better, he said.



He argued that Free SHS is one major programme that needs the intervention of the clergy as the construction of the cathedral in his view is a misplaced priority.



He stressed that developing infrastructure over the development of the people is not the way to go.



Prof. Gyampo made this call in reaction to the governments decision to finance the construction of the National Cathedral with an amount of GHS25million.



Speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Monday, June 6, 2022, in an interview with the sit-in host, Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman, Prof Gyampo noted that using public funds for the construction of a National Cathedral is not the way to go at this time of economic hardships in the country.



Quoting the Bible to back his point, Prof Gyampo said when David wanted to build a temple for God, the Lord Almighty asked him to put it on hold so in the same way, if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo wants to build a church to fulfill his covenant with God, it should be put on hold because Ghanaians are suffering.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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As part of efforts to assess the security situation towards enhancing counter-terrorism operations, the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has toured the Upper East Region.



He was accompanied by a delegation of key actors within the countrys security architecture, on June 2, 2022.



Accompanying the Minister were; Edward Asomani, Deputy National Security Coordinator; Major General Thomas Oppong Peprah, Chief of Army Staff; Air Vice-Marshal Frank Hanson, Chief of Air Staff; and Brig Gen Moses Mohammed Aryee, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Northern Command.



The tour would also enable them to respond adequately to the growing threats of terrorism from the Sahel region.



Areas visited included; Pulimakom, Mognori, and Bawku. At Pulimakom, the delegation inspected the survey and boundary pillars between Ghana and Togo.



The team also urged the Ghana Boundary Commission to expedite action to improve the visibility of existing boundary pillars and replace the destroyed boundary pillars to ensure that operations conducted in border communities did not threaten the territorial integrity of neighboring Togo.



The delegation bemoaned the active encroachment by both Ghanaians and Togolese on buffer zones between the two countries and urged Border Security (BORSEC) to bolster efforts to protect the buffer zones from further encroachment.



The Minister speaking during the tour admonished members of REGSEC to enhance collaboration and intelligence sharing while sustaining ongoing public awareness campaigns at the regional level to enhance ongoing efforts aimed at addressing the growing threat of terrorism.



The delegation further visited the barracks and some Forward Operating Bases of the XI Mechanised Battalion where the Minister interacted with Security personnel in the area and expressed appreciation for their efforts in protecting the country from the infiltration of terrorists and violent extremists.



The Minister reiterated the commitment of the Ministry of National Security to supporting ongoing counter-terrorism operations, particularly along the northern land frontiers of the country.



He further asked security personnel to keep up their good work and promised that the government will provide them with the needed logistics and funds to support ongoing operations.





Source: rainbow radio









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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged members of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale miners to desist from activities that will destroy water bodies in the region.



He commended the leadership of the Association for uniting members under one united front.



In his view, it will enable them to take a supervising role in supporting the governments efforts in protecting water bodies against illegal activities in the mining sector.



The Asantehene said this when the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale miners, in collaboration with the management of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), paid a courtesy call on him at Manhyia Palace.



The traditional ruler stated that he was extremely happy the Association and the University had collaborated to ensure that illegal mining would become a thing of the past.



He said the issue of galamsey was a threat to the development of Ghana, and the Associations collabo0ration with the miners was commendable.



He added that illegal mining activities affected registered small-scale miners work, but the efforts deployed would make the fight successful.



"I would encourage the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to support the Association and the University to help the fight against galamsey be successful. I am also hopeful those engaging in illegal mining would be exposed for their illegal practices, he said.



He stressed, "if we dont end illegal mining, our water bodies would be destroyed and the general public would be affected due to the selfishness and greed of a few people, he concluded.





Source: rainbow radio









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The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church Ghana, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso, has urged the clergy to live up to their role as the voice of conscience of the nation by speaking out on issues of national interest without fear, favor, or bias.



He said God has raised the clergy to speak truth to power to demand social justice and equity and become the voice for the voiceless whilst at the same time being partners of development.



Because they are afraid of what people will say, oh he is NDC, he is NPP, and you will get these Politicians speaking against us, when we speak they will say the pastors are speaking too much, when we dont speak they will say the pastors are not speaking. To me God has raised ministers of the gospel as the conscience of the nation, we are to speak for the voiceless



So when a government in power does something which is right, we should talk about it and tell them the good deeds that they have done, if the government in power does that which is wrong, we shouldnt be quiet, we should tell them the world what is wrong. In doing so, if people will tag us or gives us names, it is their own business but when God calls a leader he gives him the opportunity and the boldness to speak not only to religious issues but to Social and national issues, we will work together with the government to propel the nation so that the citizenry will have a better life he said.



Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso urged the church in Ghana to be law-abiding and agents of discipline.



Speaking on recent waves of coups in the sub-region, he said military interventions have not been helpful, hence Ghana's need to guard the 1992 constitution and democracy being practiced.



He, therefore, admonished the government to treat coup threats with contempt.



I cannot speak for the church but as an individual, I am worried because coup destroys every nation, we have seen it right from the 60s until 1992, the instability, the sudden changes, killings, anarchy, and lives lost. Firing people couldnt change lives, it couldnt bring progress, it couldnt bring development, thats why we went back to democracy since 1992 or 1993 January 7th, we havent got there but gradually we will get there thats why we change governments, we change MPs and we change leaders.



So to me the ballot is stronger than the bullet so Ghanaians should not encourage, should not promote or we should not even bring coup detat in our national conversation because coups are abomination, they are detestable and we should treat any coup issues with contempt that they deserve he stressed.



Rev.Prof. Paul Frimpong Boateng said this in an interview with the media in Koforidua during induction service for Rev. Dr. Albert Anane as Superintendent for Eastern Region A of the Assemblies of God.



The newly inducted Eastern Regional A Superintendent Rev. Dr. Albert Anane said the church exists to serve the needs of the society therefore as a leader he intends to engage the church in development which will have a positive impact on the citizenry and the community at large.



We want to build a new hospital for the region to take care of the health needs not only of our members but the community at large, we also want to build one of the best schools in the region and we also wish to embark on rural support missions about pastors and members in the rural communities and help touch lives of the vulnerable in societies as well winning souls for Christ Rev. Dr. Albert Anane currently the Pastor in charge of Central Assembly of the Assemblies of God Church in Koforidua said.













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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has commissioned one hundred (100) mercury-free gold processing equipment, commonly referred to as Gold Katcha, for use by small-scale miners across the country.



Commissioning the equipment at the Independence Square on Monday, 6th June 2022, President Akufo-Addo described the acquisition of the gold processing equipment as another important milestone in small scale mining and environmental sustainability.



The one hundred (100) Gold Katcha equipment, as the name suggests, extracts gold from the ore without the use of mercury, which has been the practice for several decades.



According to the President, the equipment has the capacity to recover over ninety percent (90%) of gold from the ore, and, therefore, give small scale miners much more gold than they would have obtained from the traditional method of using mercury.



In addition to Ghanas commitments under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which is to reduce, and, where feasible, eliminate the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale mining, he added that we owe it as a duty to protect and safeguard our environment by reducing and, eventually, eliminating the use of such harmful chemicals.



President Akufo-Addo indicated that some of the equipment he commissioned have already been handed over to some Community Mining Schemes and the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, and was confident that they will go a long way to facilitate clean mining in the small-scale sector.



It is our intention to procure some three hundred (300) more of these equipment, under the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme, for use in the various communities where the Programme is being implemented. Our goal is to eliminate gradually, but as soon as possible, the use of mercury in small-scale mining, and help realise the objectives of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, he added.



Reiterating the full support of his government for responsible small-scale mining activities, especially as they provide avenues for Ghanaians to participate in the mining industry, and contribute substantially to the development of our gold sector, President Akufo-Addo stated, however, that what my government is against is any form of mining that pays no heed to the preservation of the environment, and which threatens our very survival and the legacy we seek to bequeath future generations.



Government, he assured, will continue to pursue policies and programmes that will promote responsible and sustainable mining practices that contribute to national development.



It is my hope, and, indeed, that of most Ghanaians, that beneficiaries of these equipment will put them to good use for their own benefit and for the benefit of the country, he added.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Ms. Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Deputy Attorney-General & Deputy Minister for Justice attended and spoke at the 6th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration, held in Lagos, Nigeria from 1st to 3rd June 2022.



Speaking on the topic Guerrilla Tactics in Arbitration: Keeping Proceedings on Track. Amongst others, Ms. Dapaah highlighted the negative effects of such Guerrilla tactics on Arbitral proceedings.



According to Ms. Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Guerrilla tactics in arbitration tend to make a mockery of the touted advantages of arbitration.



She further highlighted that these tactics erode the gains of International Arbitration.



As part of her presentation, she proposed major reforms in the International arbitration space intended to make arbitration more effective and worthwhile, including an efficacious disciplinary regime that regulates professionals who act as arbitration counsel and arbitrators.



The 6th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration on the theme "African Arbitration: Consolidation and Transformation" took place in Lagos, Nigeria on the 1st - 3rd, of June 2022.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Politician and Social Activist, Mr. Charles Owusu has been ordained as a man of God.



At a colourful ceremony in the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, the Founder and Leader of the church, praised Charles Owusu and the two other pastors who were ordained with him for their exemplary leadership qualities and stated that they would be assets to the work of God.



Anointing them with oil, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah empowered them with the word of God and hoped that their ministries would be blessed with fruit of souls.



Mr. Charles Owusu, now Pastor Charles Owusu, was until his elevation to the priesthood a staff of the Forestry Commission of Ghana.



The renowned political activist and commentator, Charles Owusu previously served in executive positions in Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduoms Progressive Peoples Party (PPP).



With a wide background in political activism, Owusus emergence into the field of religious work promises to set him off on a new career.



Several notable personalities were present at the ceremony including his family and friends.



























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Parliament has constituted a six-member bi-partisan committee to probe the death of Augustina Awortwe, who died in an ambulance when being transported from the Holy Child Catholic Hospital at Fijai in the Western Region to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.



The Committee has up to five weeks to conduct investigations into the incident and submit its report to the House.



The six-member committee include Dr Nana Afriyie-Ayew, Member of Parliament (MP) for Affiduase-Asokore, Madam Patricia Appiagyei, MP for Asokwa, Mr Patrick Boamah, MP, Okaikoi Central, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, MP, Juaboso, Dr Sebastian Sandare, MP, Daffiama-Bussie-Issa, and Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, MP, Techiman North.



Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Ranking Member on the Health Committee, who moved the Private Members Motion, called for investigations into circumstances that led to the death of Madam Awortwe when she attended the Holy Child Hospital in January 4, 2022.



He said after undergoing a caesarean section, she developed some complications and was referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital even though the Effia Nkwanta Hospital and the Central Regional Hospital were close by.



Mr Speaker, we have to know why that happened, if it is the case that these two hospitals did not have the capacity to handle that situation as a House, we need to find an antidote to such problems to prevent their re-occurrence, he added.



Mr Akandoh said before the ambulance started the journey the crew called the husband of the woman to demand GH600 for fuel but the  husband struggled to give them only GH50, which led to delays and eventually her death in the ambulance on the way to Cape Coast.



The Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, seconding the motion, called on the House to take issues of such nature seriously and be responsive to the needs of the people, particularly concerning the protection of women and children.



He said the investigation of the incident would strengthen the oversight of the House and help to check public officers who were careless in the performance of their duties.



Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko, the Western Regional Minister, said the situation under consideration was a case of incapacity of the hospitals in the region, hence the need to transport the patient to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.



He said the report he received from the ambulance officer in Takoradi indicated that the fuel allocation for the ambulance was meant for the region and anytime they had to transport patients outside the jurisdiction they requested fuel support from the families.



Mr Speaker, I believe it is the policy gap in that area that needs to be looked at and fixed, he said.





Source: GNA









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The Speaker of Ghana's Parliament, Rt.Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin is leading a Ghanaian delegation to the 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) African Region Conference taking place in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 03 to 09 June, 2022.



The delegation will represent Ghana's interests, inclusive of Parliament in the Conference and related meetings under the theme, The role of African Parliaments in building an inclusive society to counter growing insecurity in Africa, with a view to explore and share ideas and perspectives on how to strengthen democracy in Africa.



Mr Bagbin, a seasoned legislator who recently retired from his MPship slot, only to be elected Speaker, is expected to address the session on ways to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Ghana and the African sub-region.



Having garnered more than two decades experience as an MP representing the people of Nadowli-Kaleo, Mr Bagbin was elected on the eve of January 7, 2021 as Speaker of Ghana's Parliament.



During his tenure as Speaker, he has been able to enhance the image of Parliament and has restored the lost hope of Ghanaians in the legislature.



Since the return of the country to multi-party democracy in 1993, previous Parliament's have been described as a rubber stamp of the executive being the first opposition member to be elected to serve as a Speaker in a government other than his party, and his nationalism has endeared him to the hearts of the general populace.



The African Region of the CPA comprises of 63 national and subnational legislatures with a mission to promote and protect the interests and perspectives of African Parliaments and countries, into the Commonwealth and beyond, and to promote gender equality, emancipation of women, and respect for human rights, freedoms, democracy and good governance.



The conference is hosted by the Parliament of Sierra Leone in collaboration with the CPA Africa Region Secretariat, and brings together 400 delegates, observers and other participants from CPA Africa Region Member States (Branches) including; Ghana, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Eswatini, Cameroon, Namibia, Malawi and Tanzania, as well as sixteen Sub Branches; Nine from South Africa and Seven from Nigeria.



The Conference will be opened officially on Monday, 06 June 2022, at the Freetown International Conference Center, at the Bintumani Hotel, in Aberdeen, Freetown.



The Ghanain delegation will participate in the plenary and side meetings of various committees including; Executive Committee, Commonwealth Womens Parliament Steering Sub Committee, Constitutional Amendment Ad hoc Sub Committee, Regional Representatives Sub Committee, and Programme Planning and Finance Sub Committee.



The high-level delegation led by Rt Hon Bagbin includes the leaders from both sides of the house, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and the Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu.



In accordance with rule 15 (1) and (2) of the Regional Conference Preparation Guidelines, CPA's approved party representation formula for Parliamentary representatives for Ghana's Parliamentary delegation from are:



. Mr Cyril Nsiah: Clerk to Ghana's Parliament



. Mr Richard Acheampong: Head of Speakers Secreteriat



. Mr Camillo Pwamang: Member of the CPA Secretariat



. Ms Sheba Osei: Head, Parliamentary Relations



. Ms Akua Osei-Somuah: Senior Asstant Clerk and one more member from speakers office.



. Hon Mahama Shaibu: Speakers Office.



The Ghanaian delegation is expected to deliberate on the following topics:



 Strengthening Parliamentary Visibility: Parliamentary Efforts in Resource Allocation for Purposes of Executing its Constitutional Mandate,

 Evolving and Adapting New Strategies for Increased Women Participation in Politics,

 The Role of African Parliaments in Accelerating Intra-Africa Trade,

 Mobilizing Regional, International Coordination and Cooperation to Respond to COVID-19 and Future Pandemics,

 Drawing Lessons from Covid-19 to Build Foundations for Future Pandemics



The CPA was founded in 1911 at a meeting of Heads of Government in Westminster Hall as the then-Empire Parliamentary Association and its affairs were administered by the UK Branch. The original members were Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam Nartey George has revealed how hard work ensured that he was retained as a National Service personnel at the office of former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.



The lawmaker narrated that despite completing his first degree in Agric Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, in 2005, it wasnt until 2007 that he applied to do his service.



Speaking in an interview with Deloris Frimpong Manso on the Delay Show, he chronicled his academic history which started in Nigeria where his father was working at the time.



I did all my nursery, primary, secondary (education) in Nigeria. It was when I was going to university that my father decided that I should return to Ghana citing rise in cultism and strikes in Nigerian universities.



When I completed KNUST, I didnt do my National Service immediately, I completed in 2005 but I did my service in 2007, he said explaining that he had returned to Nigeria hoping to find a job and start post-varsity life there but he was unsuccessful.



(In 2007) I applied for the National Service and I was posted to Office of the President. When we got there, we were 10 and were split  five to President Kufuors office and the other to Vice President Aliu Mahamas office.



They asked for political affiliation and all that and I stated clearly that I was NDC but I was good at my job, everybody wants a good person, he stressed.



Aliu Mahama served as Ghanas Vice President between January 2001 to January 2009 under the John Agyekum Kufuor administration.











Source: ghanaweb.com









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Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has advised party members to register for the Ghana Card as it may be the ultimate identification card for the 2024 general election.



Speaking at a ceremony at Bowiri-Kwamikrom in the Biakoye Constituency of the Oti Region, he appealed to the people to secure the Ghana card and vote for the NDC in 2024.



The NDC National Chairman said the New Patriotic Party-led Government had mishandled the economy and made most Ghanaians poorer hence the need to change it in 2024 and bring back the NDC.



The NPP has become a liability on the neck of Ghanaians and the only way to regain our economic freedom is to vote against them come 2024, he said.



He criticised the Government for the economic hardship it had plunged the country into and the high cost of fuel and goods and services in general.



Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the 2020 Running Mate to the Flagbearer of the NDC, said Ghanaians had acknowledged the infrastructural achievements of the NDC and its contributions to the health sector, some of which facilitated the treatment of COVID-19 patients during the pandemic.



She said it was time for Ghanaians to make a choice for a productive change.



This is the time to get a good leader to rule the country and it was time we looked at facts and not follow anybody's propaganda, she said.













Source: GNA









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Prof. Joshua Alabi, has observed that the June 4 Revolution of 1979, led by former President Rawlings of blessed memory was an inevitable product of bad governance, oppression and exploitation of the people, mismanagement of the economy, arrogance of leadership and lack of hope among others.



He was speaking on behalf of former President John Mahama in marking the 43rd anniversary of the June 4 Revolution in Accra, under the theme: Recounting our history through politics and governance.



John Mahama, according to Prof. Alabi, said June 4 should remind all Ghanaians to ensure good governance, probity and accountability in national affairs especially; and never again allow leaders of this country to create conditions that led to the June 4 uprising.



He noted that before the revolution, was the era of 'kalabule', a situation where prices of goods and services changed at a sky rocketing rate on daily basis. It was an era where the Ghanaian people suffered humiliation both at home and abroad.



He insisted that every Ghanaian today has a duty to ensure that state institutions work in the spirit of good governance and accountability as well as protect the current constitution of Ghana.



In Mahama's view, according to Prof. Alabi, most Ghanaians currently do not trust the political class because they renege on promises they make to the people when they win political power.



Former President Mahama, reiterated that the Ghanaian people today are yearning for good governance and their only hope is in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party founded by the revered former President J J Rawlings.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The National Chairman hopeful of the New Patriotic Party, Stephen Ayesu Ntim, has assured delegates of the party all internal disputes arising out of the various elections held would be resolved when he is given the mantle of leadership as National Chairman.



Speaking to the delegates in the Western North, Western and Central Regions as part of his Time Aso to Break the 8 Campaign, Stephen Ntim emphasized that he is not oblivious to the rancorous and acrimonious exchanges and events which characterized the elections held at the constituency and regional levels and would take steps to deal with them.



"I will make sure all internal disputes in some constituencies are resolved in the first hundred days in office as National Chairman, he said.



For us to be able to break the 8, we need to present a united front going into the 2024 elections. A house divided against itself cannot stand, so it is imperative that we iron out all our differences he indicated when he met delegates in the Western Region.



Mr. Stephen Ayesu Ntim has kickstarted his nationwide campaign to sell his message of hope to the delegates of the party.



His tipped to win the Chairmanship position with a bigger margin since party members across the country seem to believe that it is his time to lead the NPP.



From the Western North, Western and Central Mr. Stephen will continue to other regions to meet with the delegates with his message of hope.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Veteran Nigerian politician and former Lagos state governor Bola Tinubu has said it is his turn to lead Africa's most populous nation after his backing helped propel President Muhammadu Buhari to power seven years ago.



Nigeria will go to the polls to choose a new president next February. Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will pick its presidential candidate at a three-day convention starting on Monday.



Buhari has not named a potential successor for when he steps down after the eight years in office he is allowed under the constitution, but has asked APC state governors to support his choice.



Tinubu, a powerful political figure from Lagos, merged his party with Buhari's in 2013 to form the APC, which finally delivered victory to Buhari, who had lost in three previous presidential elections.



In a speech broadcast on local TV on Friday, the 70-year-old Tinubu told a party meeting in Ogun state that he had supported Buhari on the understanding that he would contest the 2023 presidential election.



"It is my time, I'm educated, I'm experienced. I have been serving you (Buhari) for a long time, bring me (the) presidency, it is my turn," said Tinubu.



"If not for me that stood behind Buhari he wouldn't have become the president."



A presidential spokesman was not immediately available to comment.



Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are seen as frontrunners in the presidential primary, which will be contested by 23 candidates in total.

Source: REUTERS









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The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says the Nana Addo-led government's unbribled desire to build a National Cathedral as part of his political promises for the country will certainly not please God.



Backing his assertions with Biblical references, the outspoken NDC MP said Jesus Christ will be much happy if we take care of the poor.



Mathew 25:34 stated clearly the urgency to support the poor. Failure to that you wont make it to heaven, he stated in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Monte.



Mr Ablakwa was discussing the release of GH25 million for the construction of the National Cathedral by the Nana Addo-led government.



According to him, the release of the funds for the cathedral project shows how insensitive the government is to Ghanaians who are suffering due to the current economic challenges the country is facing.



He suggested that the money released by the president for the construction of the cathedral could be used to boost the economy to make living a better one for Ghanaians.



The God we are serving is a compassionate God, he expects us to do what is right first. You [President Nana Addo] cannot ignore the hungry people and build a church for God. It is not right. As Christian leaders, we should do the right thing. We serve a compassionate God. he bemoaned.



But president Akufo-Addo has previously stated that the National Cathedral project is as important as any development project in Ghana.



Speaking at the Museum of the Bibles inaugural Africa lecture held in the US on Thursday, May 5, 2022, the president said that the cathedral is essential to finding the missing link in Ghanas development.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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Some NPP youth in the Akyem Swedru constituency has called on the Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning Bosompem to focus on his core duty and stop eyeing the constituency seat as a retirement package.



According to them, over the last few months, Mr Kwaning Bosompem has been meddling in politics at the local level while in active service as a public official.



Among others, the youth group claims the Controller General has been seen at party functionaries enticing delegates with monetary inducements.



The last straw that broke the camels back, is when he was spotted at the constituencys party delegates conference.

This among many others they believe is meant to sway their mind towards him when the party opens its nomination for the MPship slot.



Ahead of that, the NPP youth in the Akyem Swedru constituency has sent a caution notice to stay far away from the constituency and ditch any plans of contesting the Akim Swedru seat.



A whole controller should not be meddling in politics. During the delegate's congress, we caught him meeting with the delegates and gave out GHC 200 to induce them. He intends to contest as MP but we want to tell him parliament is not a retirement package for him so he should go home and enjoy his retirement package, the statement read.



Below is the statement



We, the Concerned Youth of NPP in the Akyem Swedru constituency, have noted with dismay, plans by the Controller General, Kwasi Kwaning Bosompem, to contest the Akyem Swedru seat.



More shocking is the fact that Mr Bosompem is in active service as a public official.



Over time, he has taken advantage of the States largesse at his disposal and used it for his selfish parochial interest.

We want to send a strong warning to him, that we wont allow our conscience to be bought by the monetary inducements he has been offering some of us, delegates.



A whole Controller should not be meddling in politics. During the recent delegates Congress, we caught him meeting with the delegates and gave out 200 cedis to inducement them. He intends to contest as MP but we want to tell him parliament is not a retirement package for him so he should go home and enjoy his retirement.



By 2024, hell be 64 years and we, the youth of the Akyem Swedru constituency feel he will not be able to articulate our issues and better represent us in Parliament in his old age.



We reiterate our resolve not to allow Mr Bosompem to buy our conscience with money.



We wish to appeal to our hardworking President Akufo-Addo and the father of our great NPP, to call his appointee, the Controller and Accountant General, to order and leave the Akyem Swedru seat alone.



As we prepare to break the eight, we also implore our National Executives to stand firm and ensure the Controller focuses on his core duty and stop eyeing the Akyem Swedru seat.



Signed



Frank Nuamah Debrah

Leader, Concerned NPP Youth of Akyem Swedru

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Ghanaian actor Prince David Osei has criticised governments decision to still go ahead with the construction of the National Cathedral despite the economic challenges confronting the country.



The actor described the decision to still go ahead with the construction of the cathedral, as being insensitive towards the plight of the citizenry.



In a tweet on Friday, 3 June 2022, the actor said: Misplaced priorities, self glory, greed and insensitivity towards the plight of the citizenry.



He added: We cant pay government workers, staffs, working tirelessly 24/7 yet we have 25,000,000 for a cathedral in this perilous time of our economy.



So help us God! I am sorry.

Source: instagram









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The Best Japanese Restaurants in Phuket

Both local and international visitors to Thailand love Japanese cuisine. There are a huge number of Japanese restaurants throughout Thailand, from large cities like Bangkok to smaller communities in the countryside. Phuket is no exception, boasting a large number of Japanese restaurants with a variety of interesting cuisine options from the Land of the Rising Sun.

If you are visiting Phuket, you may not be familiar with all the exciting Japanese cruising options on the island. This article will help you decide where to eat by telling you about the top Japanese restaurants in Phuket.

Tengoku

With dishes inspired by Osakas culinary masters, Tengoku is truly an exciting gastronomical adventure. This restaurant is a unique example of Phukets Japanese cuisine options, focusing on teppanyaki, an entire dining experience. Skilled chefs prepare tantalizing dishes before your eyes using refined preparation techniques and the highest-quality ingredients. In addition to incredible food, Tengoku also offers an impressive selection of sake to pair with your meal.

Little Edo

This cozy Japanese restaurant is located in Phuket Town and provides an authentic atmosphere reminiscent of small-town Japan. This quaint establishments light-colored wood and white cloth curtains create a perfect ambiance to compliment Little Edos creative collection of menu offerings. They specialize in fresh sushi and sashimi but also include a wide range of other Japanese favorites. This authentic spot is a must-visit location for any sushi enthusiasts visiting Phuket.

Tai Omakase by Red Snapper

This high-end restaurant is run by a renowned Japanese chef living in Phuket. Their authentic dishes are served up amid chic, elegant decor that includes modern furnishings and an impressive ceiling art installation. Their varied menu includes many well-loved Japanese dishes that are prepared with the utmost care to satisfy every guest. One of their most popular menu options is the Grand Wagyu Sushi, which is definitely worth a try during your visit.

Nozomi Sushi and Izakaya

If youd like a restaurant where you can enjoy excellent Japanese dishes overlooking the beautiful Phuket Boat Lagoon, then Nozomi Sushi and Izakaya is the place for you. This stylish restaurant creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere and impresses visitors with stunningly plated creations. They offer a wide range of delectable Japanese dishes as well as an impressive list of cocktails and sake. This modern restaurant is a great place to enjoy Japanese cuisine with friends or family.

The Best Japanese Restaurant in Phuket

All of these Phuket Japanese restaurants are top picks with their own unique personalities and artistic culinary flair. With authentic dishes, incredible ambiance, great service, beautiful beach views, and great drink selections, there is something for every Japanese food lover in Phuket. Try some of our restaurant suggestions to see which is your favorite and which might be able to take the title of Best Japanese Restaurant in Phuket.

Photos and Web Content by Primal Co., Ltd.
A new major meta-analysis has found that Bt corn does not damage nontarget organisms. Credit: Preston Keres

The largest, highest quality analysis of data ever conducted reveals that genetically modified Bt corn has little impact on nontarget insects and other organisms, especially compared to growing conventional corn. This study was published today in Environmental Evidence by a USDA Agricultural Research Service scientist and his Swiss colleagues.

Bt corn is corn that has been genetically modified so that it produces proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis to control corn borers, corn rootworms and other major pests of corn. The first Bt corn was approved in 1996 and critics have been suggesting that it also can destroy beneficial insects or other non-targeted organisms.

One of the issues with assessments of possible nontarget organism damage by Bt corn has been that each study was limited in scope, environment or size. The paper's three authors have made up for these shortfalls by systematically pulling together data from studies in 12 bibliographic databases, 17 specialized webpages, and the reference sections of 78 review articles that all met the highest standards for research quality.

"We gathered together hundreds of individual studies published between 1997 to 2020 that have looked at whether growing Bt corn changed the environmental abundance of non-target animals such as arthropods, earthworms and nematodes, especially as compared to growing non-genetically modified corn accompanied by the pesticide necessary to control major pests," explained ARS entomologist Steve Naranjo, director of the Arid-Lands Agricultural Research Center in Maricopa, Arizona and one of authors of the study.

Naranjo and entomologists Joerg Romeis and Michael Meissle with Agroscope, ARS' Swiss counterpart, found that this massive aggregation of data showed Bt corn had no negative effects on most invertebrate groups including ladybeetles, flower bugs, and lacewings. Populations of Braconidae insects, which are parasitoid wasps that prey on corn borers, were reduced with Bt corn.

The researchers even examined if authorship or financial support by biotechnology companies affected the outcome of individual studies.

"It might be a bit surprising but according to the analysis, when any negative effects by Bt corn on nontarget organisms were found in the data, they were attributed more often in studies with private sector support than when no backing by biotech companies was declared," Meissle added.

"But after all the number crunching was done, what we found was that, overall, Bt corn just does not have negative impacts on nontarget organisms," said Naranjo.

The quality standards for which studies would be included in the meta-analysis and which would be cut were outlined and vetted by stakeholders, scientists not involved in the meta-analysis project and even members of the journal's review board, none of whom knew if any study's data showed a negative impact on non-target organisms or not.

The result is the largest pool of high-quality data anyone has ever analyzed for this purpose consisting of 7,279 individual invertebrate records from 233 experiments in 120 articles, 75 percent of which were from peer-reviewed journals. The entire data set also has been published in BMC Research Notes.

In summary, this major meta-analysis largely proved out previous individual studies. Bt corn represents a highly selective pest control technology with relatively few negative consequences for non-target invertebrates, especially when compared with the use of broad-spectrum insecticides for managing Bt-targeted pests, according to the scientists.

Explore further Research uncovers reason for growing pest damage in genetically protected corn crops

More information: Michael Meissle et al, Does the growing of Bt maize change abundance or ecological function of non-target animals compared to the growing of non-GM maize? A systematic review, Environmental Evidence (2022). Michael Meissle et al, Does the growing of Bt maize change abundance or ecological function of non-target animals compared to the growing of non-GM maize? A systematic review,(2022). DOI: 10.1186/s13750-022-00272-0 Michael Meissle et al, Database of non-target invertebrates recorded in field experiments of genetically engineered Bt maize and corresponding non-Bt maize, BMC Research Notes (2022). DOI: 10.1186/s13104-022-06021-3
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Dr. Michael Rodriguez is tired of "thoughts and prayers."

He is overwhelmed. Weary. Frustrated with inaction. Yet another staggering string of gunfire massacres across the nation has left dozens dead and more reeling.

Ten killed at a Buffalo, New York grocery store. Two teachers and 19 elementary school children dead in Uvalde, Texas. Four dead at a medical center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In Ames, Iowa, two women killed outside a church.

A father, physician and professor at University of California, Los Angeles, Rodriguez is co-director of the university's Firearm Violence Prevention Center, and has studied gun violence as a public health issue for almost three decades.

The danger hit home when a student at his daughter's school was arrested Wednesday, accused of recruiting others in a mass shooting and bombing plot. Assault rifles were found at the student's house.

"The danger of guns on the lives and welfare of children, adults, families, communities, is escalating with time," Rodriguez said. "Thoughts and prayers have not done one single thing to prevent it."

It's long past time policymakers stop "refusing" to accept the nation's worsening gun violence as a public health crisis, say experts like Rodriguezand finally treat it as one.

"The public health approach allows us to take a look at things and use the science we have that inform our actions," he said. "We have mechanisms to look at the products the consumers' purchase, and look at them in ways to reduce the danger that they present to the public."

On Thursday night, President Joe Biden implored Congress to ban assault weapons and "finally do something."

"How much more carnage are we willing to accept?" he said.

A 'right' to a life of good health

People of color suffer a disproportionate burden of gun violence. Black people are at the highest risk of dying by gunfire, nearly half of all homicides of Indigenous people are by gunfire, and gun homicides have been found to be highly concentrated in Black and Hispanic or Latino neighborhoods.

After last month's racially motivated shooting in Buffalo, the National Medical Association, the largest group of Black physicians in the nation, released a statement calling for "comprehensive common sense gun reform." It declared the violence "a public health crisis that deserves a treatment plan."

Dr. Preston Phillips, the orthopedic surgeon killed in the Tulsa shooting, was a member of the group. "The grief we feel over his loss is overwhelming," President Dr. Rachel Villanueva wrote in a statement.

Experts have long pointed to successful public health approaches that made cars safer and reduced car crash deaths, as well as measures that reduced smoking-related deaths. Similar, evidence-based regulations have been shown to reduce shootings, including rigorous firearm purchaser licensing laws, gun removal laws, bans on high-capacity magazines for semiautomatic weapons and possession penalties.

Even community-level approaches like "cleaning and greening" vacant lots, which are associated with increased violence, have shown effective in reducing neighborhood violence.

"Reducing access to guns will not take away the violence, but it will dramatically reduce the killings, the critical injuries," Rodriguez said.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, is dismayed by lax gun purchasing and licensing laws in states that he said venerate gun ownership over people's lives.

"They just keep complaining about these individual rights things. People also have the right to live to good health. And I would argue that life is far superior than any other right you can think of," said Benjamin, an emergency room physician. "The Constitution is there to enable us to have a safe, prosperous society."

So far in 2022, there have been more than 200 mass shootings, defined as at least four people killed, excluding the shooter. Compounding high-profile mass shootings are daily gunfire deaths that plague the nation, including suicides, domestic violence homicides and unintentional injuries and deaths.

Overall this year, there have been more than 18,300 firearm deaths; more than half were suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

In the pandemic's first year, gun deaths reached a historic high in the U.S., with more than 100 deaths a day in 2020, according to a recent Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Violence Solutions analysis of CDC data. Overall, more than 45,000 people died by gun violence, and gun homicides rose by 35%.

The researchers called gun violence a "concurrent public health crisis" with COVID-19 that only intensified. Firearms were the leading cause of death among children and teens in 2020.

Disparities are stark

Sakita Aikens, a Tallahassee, Florida mom, feared her 12-year-old son Demarcus would be among those homicides that year. In June 2020, the boy was struck in the jaw by a stray bullet outside the family's home in a housing project while taking the trash out.

The family was celebrating his mom and cousin's birthdays, and Demarcus had gone outside at dusk to throw away empty cake boxes. He ran back into the house covered in blood and collapsed.

Hospitalized for a month, he now has screws and plates in his jaw, has trouble speaking and is deaf in his left ear from the bullet, his mom said. Ever since the shooting, he doesn't like to play outside and has trouble sleeping.

"They took that away from my child being a kid," said Aikens. "It hurts. And there's nothing I can do about it. I cry."

Experts say social inequities like poverty are a huge contributing factor. Counties with the highest poverty levels had firearm homicides almost five times the rate of wealthier counties, according to the CDC.

Comprehensive community-based strategies must address structural inequities, said Daniel Webster at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, part of the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health.

"There's a reason certain neighborhoods have much higher rates of gun violence. It has to do with disinvestment, the conditions within those neighborhoods, the lack of opportunities in those neighborhoods," he said. "How do you create conditions that create more opportunities and less stressors?"

Disparities also widened in 2020. The largest increase in firearm homicides39%was among Black people. One in every 1,000 Black males age 15 to 34 were shot and killed, according to the report. Black women suffered a 47% increase in firearm homicides, and were show to be five times more likely to die by firearm than white women.

Gun suicides also rose to the second highest peak in three decades. While overrepresented among white men, firearm suicides saw an alarming 42% increase among American Indian and Alaska Native people, who had the highest rate of any racial group. They also died of gunfire more than three times the rate of white people; Hispanic and Latino people were twice as likely.

Socioeconomic distress, historic lack of investment and disenfranchisement fuel such disparities, say experts like Dr. Marie Crandall, division chief of acute care surgery at the University of Florida and author of the book, "Why We are Losing the War on Gun Violence in the United States," an extensive collection of data and perspectives exploring the public health crisis.

"We ... need to address the things in society that increase social distress: social inequities, higher gap between the rich and the poor, racial and ethnic discrimination, the erosion of voter rights, the over-policing of Black communities," she said. "Things that contribute to dissent and strife in society."

Hindering a comprehensive public health strategy is a multi-billion-dollar gun lobby and industry, Crandall said. But lucrative, too, were the cigarette and automobile industries ahead of multi-disciplinary public health approaches that proved successful in mitigating their dangers, she added.

Now is the time for action, Crandall said.

"How can we not have the impetus to create change when children are dying?"

Explore further US gun deaths soared in 2020 amid pandemic: CDC

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A patch of sky imaged by 3D-DASH, showing the brightest and rarest objects of the universe like monster galaxies. Credit: Gabe Brammer

An international team of scientists today released the largest near-infrared image ever taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, enabling astronomers to map the star-forming regions of the universe and learn how the earliest, most distant galaxies originated. Named 3D-DASH, this high-resolution survey will allow researchers to find rare objects and targets for follow-up observations with the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) during its decades-long mission.

A preprint of the paper to be published in The Astrophysical Journal is available on arXiv.

"Since its launch more than 30 years ago, the Hubble Space Telescope has led a renaissance in the study of how galaxies have changed in the last 10-billion years of the universe," says Lamiya Mowla, Dunlap Fellow at the Faculty of Arts & Science's Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study. "The 3D-DASH program extends Hubble's legacy in wide-area imaging so we can begin to unravel the mysteries of the galaxies beyond our own."

For the first time, 3D-DASH provides researchers with a complete near-infrared survey of the entire COSMOS field, one of the richest data fields for extragalactic studies beyond the Milky Way. As the longest and reddest wavelength observed with Hubblejust past what is visible to the human eyenear-infrared means astronomers are better able to see the earliest galaxies that are the farthest away.

Astronomers also need to search a vast area of the sky to find rare objects in the universe. Until now, such a large image was only available from the ground and suffered from poor resolution, which limited what could be observed. 3D-DASH will help to identify unique phenomena like the universe's most massive galaxies, highly active black holes, and galaxies on the brink of colliding and merging into one.

The Hubble Space Telescope captured the entire COSMOS field by stitching together multiple images into one master image, a process called mosaicing. Credit: Ivelina Momcheva

"I am curious about monster galaxies, which are the most massive ones in the universe formed by the mergers of other galaxies. How did their structures grow, and what drove the changes in their form?" says Mowla, who began work on the project in 2015 while a grad student at Yale University. "It was difficult to study these extremely rare events using existing images, which is what motivated the design of this large survey."

To image such an expansive patch of sky, the researchers employed a new technique with Hubble known as Drift And SHift (DASH). DASH creates an image that is eight times larger than Hubble's standard field of view by capturing multiple shots that are then stitched together into one master mosaic, similar to taking a panoramic picture on a smartphone.

DASH also takes images faster than the typical technique, snapping eight pictures per Hubble's orbit instead of one picture, achieving in 250 hours what would previously have taken 2,000 hours.

Galaxies from the last 10 billion years witnessed in the 3D-DASH program, created using 3D-DASH/F160W and ACS-COSMOS/F814W imaging. Credit: Lamiya Mowla

"3D-DASH adds a new layer of unique observations in the COSMOS field and is also a steppingstone to the space surveys of the next decade," says Ivelina Momcheva, head of data science at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and principal investigator of the study. "It gives us a sneak peek of future scientific discoveries and allows us to develop new techniques to analyze these large datasets."

3D-DASH covers a total area almost six times the size of the moon in the sky as seen from Earth. This record is likely to remain unbroken by Hubble's successor JWST, which is instead built for sensitive, close-up images to capture fine detail of a small area. It is the largest near-infrared image of the sky available to astronomers until the next generation of telescopes launch in the next decade, such as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and Euclid.

Until then, professional astronomers and amateur stargazers alike can explore the skies using an interactive, online version of the 3D-DASH image created by Gabriel Brammer, professor at the Cosmic Dawn Center in the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen.

Zoomed-in panels on the 3D-DASH depth map reveal the wealth of bright objects that can be studied. Credit: Mowla et al. 2022

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and European Space Agency (ESA). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C.

The full image is available at the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes.

Explore further Hubble captures a peculiar pair of spiral galaxies

More information: 3D-DASH: The Widest Near-Infrared Hubble Space Telescope Survey, arXiv:2206.01156 [astro-ph.GA] Journal information: Astrophysical Journal 3D-DASH: The Widest Near-Infrared Hubble Space Telescope Survey, arXiv:2206.01156 [astro-ph.GA] arxiv.org/abs/2206.01156
Student performing on rigging at the University of Stockholms Department of Circus, which explores different disciplines through circus arts. Credit: Joakim Bjorklund

A group of education specialists are urging researchers to challenge the "structures and regulations" which define academic scholarship, arguing that different approaches are needed in an age of climate change, COVID-19 and rising populism.

The appeal is the starting point for a new book which questions prevailing orthodoxies in academia. Its editors, who are four academics based in Britain and Australia, invite university staff to "rise up and rebel" against these conventions. They attack the assumption that the main output of research should be papers for scholarly journals, describing this as the "boring stuff" of their profession, which often undermines its quality and public value.

Instead, the book calls for more university researchers to "depart radically" from traditional modes of academic production and combine forces with organizations beyond the "academy," "to do the radical kind of work that the world needs right now, in a time of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising nationalism and populism."

It examines, in particular, how this could be achieved through the arts. In a wide-ranging survey, different contributors cite examples of how academics have used creative writing, poetry, podcasts, musicand less obvious media including circus arts and magicboth to communicate their work, and as research tools.

The book, "Doing Rebellious Research in and beyond the Academy," has been co-written by social scientists, critical theorists and performing artists. It argues that although universities often claim to be interdisciplinary, many academics still work in silosrarely collaborating with colleagues, let alone beyond their institutions.

It adds that this is often a consequence of convention and not intention, and that rather than being inherently remote and "stuffy," as cliche might have it, many academics are under constant pressure to publish in specialist journals. The volume itself is an anthology of "creative essays" exemplifying alternative ways to present research: as creative writing, poetry and art.

Pamela Burnard, one of the co-editors and a Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, said: "Universities are meant to exist for everyone's benefit. It's bizarre that their main research output is complex, esoteric writing that only a few other academics read or understand."

"Nobody is claiming that academic writing is pointless, but why is it the norm? If we want research to address the biggest challenges facing society, we need academics to have the confidencein a sense the permissionto depart radically from it. We need to be braver and take more risks with what we do."

In the book's prologue, the editors quote a similar point made by the anthropologist, Mary Pratt, in 1988: "How could such interesting people, doing such interesting things, produce such dull books?"

They argue the arts provide alternative modes of expression that give non-academics better opportunities to connect meaningfully with academic ideas. They also suggest that when used as part of the research process, the arts give academics a means to "live" and "experience" their research as something creative and engaging. This often enables them to see the work differently and innovate further. The book provides numerous examples of how this has been done by researchers around the world, using forms such as dance, the visual arts, poetry, hip-hop and podcasting.

One example is the "Departing Radically in Academic Writing' program in Australia, which trains postgraduate students not just to turn their research into creative writing, but to use it as a research method. Its methods include 'thesis drabbling," in which students summarize their thesis as 100 words of stream-of-consciousness prose. Students say this has helped them to make their work "more human," focus on its real purpose, and reconnect emotionally with why they wanted to do research in the first place.

Elsewhere, the book presents the recent case of a University of Cambridge student who used podcasting to collect data from students and staff for a study about how COVID-19 affected university life. It explains how the project stemmed partly from a dance workshop and ended with her releasing an electronica and spoken word album featuring performed fragments of the interviews on Spotify, to convey the fears and anxieties experienced on campuses during lockdown.

In a separate chapter a psychologist discusses how she used slam poetry and spoken word art to get marginalized young people to open up about their experiences of social injustice. She concludes that poetry can be used to challenge established "notions of what research and knowledge look like."

This book also touches on even more offbeat artforms. One chapter, for example, reports on the Stockholm University of the Arts "Department of Circus." This trains circus performers but has also used the unexpected realm of circus arts, and their capacity to test the extremes of human ability and self-control, to undertake studies into issues such as teamwork and collaboration in high-risk environments.

In a similar vein, a chapter co-authored by a medic, an award-winning biomechanics researcher, and an illusionist and escapologist, write about how the Academy of Magic & Science has created "magic shows" that introduce audiences to transdisciplinary practices and ideas connecting diverse fields such as engineering, chemistry, electronics, physiology, psychology and performance cultures. The co-authors argue that the careful structuring of magic acts, to provoke curiosity and surprise, could be applied more widely in scientific writing. They suggest that presenting research as an illusionist might do could engage wider audiences far more than the "cold lists of data and conclusions" in many scientific papers.

Burnard said she fully expects the book, which features plenty of other, different examples of rebellious scholarly writing, to be "written off" by some scholars. "Our ideas and intentions are challengingbut that's something that academics are meant to be," she added. "The emergence of unimagined possibilities should be celebrated."

"Doing Rebellious Research in and beyond the Academy" is published by Brill-i-Sense. It will be widely available following a launch event in Cambridge on Monday 6 June.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Driving home from work, Kristin Herman was gripping her steering wheel hard. It was mid-April, and one of the region's heaviest rainstorms since Hurricane Ida was hurtling through Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

With the rain coming down, Herman, 37, couldn't help but think about the harrowing drive she'd made from her family's Downingtown home months earlier to escape Ida's flooding. With her husband, Ross, at work and unable to get home on the highway, she had fled with their two young daughters to a friend's house.

"By far the worst drive of my life. I never want to drive in rain now ever again," said Herman, who described herself as "white-knuckled" that April day. "Driving in rain now is awful."

The memory of that night was lasting. These days, when she can, Herman works from home to avoid traveling in bad weather. Ross has become more afraid to leave his family when he works evening shifts.

That type of anxiety is just one way Herman and her family still feel the effects of Hurricane Ida, whose remnants destroyed much of their split-level home when it devastated the region in September. It took a long-term hotel stay, months of work, and about $85,000 to repair their home.

They're not alone in feeling some fear. As climate change supercharges severe weather events, seasonal anxiety is becoming more widespread. From Californians who dread the high winds that can spread wildfires to Texans now nervous about potential winter freezes, an ever-growing number of Americans are touched by weather-related trauma and anxiety, including in the Philadelphia region.

Here, it means grappling with post-traumatic stress after Ida and other recent storms. With the Atlantic hurricane season startingit began WednesdayIda's landfall nine months ago remains fresh in the minds of those worst affected.

"We're all still reeling from it," said Nikki Milholin, whose street in Mont Clare, Montgomery County, was devastated by Ida's flooding. "The kids who went through this still, of course, have trauma and anxiety... from being rescued by a boat and watching your neighborhood pretty much wash away."

Starting this month, more rain is comingthe annual threat heightened by the effects of climate change, which can strengthen hurricanes and increase the likelihood of flooding.

This year's hurricane season is expected to be as severe as or worse than last year, with above-normal numbers of tropical storms possible in this region again.

And both temperatures and precipitation in the Philadelphia region have a probability of being higher than normal for June, July, and August, the National Weather Service forecast last week.

After a weather disaster, people can experience a wide range of post-traumatic stress reactions, including sadness, depression, and anxiety that the disaster could recur. Anniversaries of the event or the start of the next season can trigger stress, said Karla Vermeulen, deputy director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at State University of New York New Paltz.

Post-traumatic stress reactions are not the same as post-traumatic stress disorder, a clinical condition, but can still cause suffering, Vermeulen said.

Pennsylvania has seen other destructive hurricanes, but many of the region's residents described Ida's flooding and tornadoes as a worst-in-their-memory storm. And many say the same thing: It's going to happen again.

"The term that people are starting to use for it is ecoanxiety," Vermeulen said. "It's just that sense of dread, that sense of being out of control, being helpless."

Whenever Kimberly Capparella and her husband drive between Norristown and King of Prussia, they cross the bridge over the Schuylkill and remember how high the river came last fall. They suffered about $50,000 in damage to their Norristown home, which has been in Capparella's family for generations.

"When we go over through King of Prussia and I see the water, we just look at each other," said Capparella, 51. "And I'm just like, oh my gosh. It's always in the back of your head, but you try not to think about it."

Still, the effects linger. Capparella's 13-year-old daughter has suffered from anxiety. Milholin said her children used to tremble when it rains, and her son still asks if it's going to flood every time there's rainfall. The flood has shown up in the Hermans' daughters' school artwork, and whenever something gets misplaced at home, the girls, 5 and 8, think it was lost in the flood.

At Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Sara Planthaber has worked with dozens of clients who survived Ida. She's seen trauma in the community.

"People are like, 'I didn't sleep last night; we had a thunderstorm," said Planthaber, a staff attorney who has worked on about 50 Ida cases. "Every single time it rains, people get anxious and nervous."

The fear of a repeat event also affects those who provide services to disaster victims. Legal Aid staff are already discussing the inevitability of future storms.

"We all know this is going to happen again," Planthaber said. "I'm most nervous about places that got hit really hard and are very likely to get hit hard again."

About 46% of Americans said they had personally experienced the effects of climate change in a 2021 Yale Program on Climate Change Communication survey, and 65% said they worried about global warming.

As people in some areas feel the threat of severe storms or fires more frequently, Vermeulen and her colleagues have begun discussing how climate change may be hindering the natural recovery cycle.

"There isn't a chance to regroup and feel safe again, feel like you can let down your vigilance again, and that's exhausting," she said.

For Milholin and her husband, this was the second time they'd been through a major flood: They lost their home to one in 2006. They rebuilt the house, elevated, but it still took on about eight feet of water in September.

"Having done this twice now," said Milholin, 42, of experiencing floods, "it's hard to work through a trauma. I would just personally like to see mental health be part of a disaster emergency response."

Part of the ongoing anxiety, many said, is grappling with the unpredictability of storms and humans' lack of control over what happensa sense that you need to prepare for something you may not actually be able to prepare for.

The Hermans described a "constant desire" to protect their house and their familythey spent a lot of time thinking about mitigation measures for their property. But it's accompanied by a sense of not quite knowing what to do.

"When it rains, you just have to live with that fear until that passes," Herman said. "To actually have that huge devastation and to realize that every contractor who came through said, 'Get ready. This is only going to happen more often.'"

Vermeulen recommended that people do as much as possible to preparehave an evacuation plan, a go bag, and a deadline for deciding whether to evacuate or shelter in placeand then recognize that it's impossible to control what else happens.

"Do everything you can to prepare and then give yourself the credit for that," she said. "Then, [don't] just be focused entirely on the risk. But it is not easy by a long shot."

The night of Ida, Milholin used what she calls her tools to estimate the threatwater gauges along the creek, the National Weather Service, the NOAA websitebut even those didn't help this time. Suddenly, the creek level was higher than predicted and just kept rising, she recalled.

"I'm a knowledge-is-power kind of person, so I try to stay on top of it, but I still couldn't prepare last time," Milholin said. "I'm fully aware that it's not [that it] may happen, it's going to happen again."

2022 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Damber Bista

The much-loved red panda is renowned for its tree-climbing ability and adorable nature, but new research shows the endangered mammal is being driven closer to extinction.

University of Queensland Ph.D. candidate Damber Bista, who tracked red pandas in Nepal over a 12-month period from Queensland using GPS telemetry, has found that human impact is causing the mammal to restrict its movements which is further fragmenting their habitat.

Mr. Bista said it was a worrying sign.

"Our research findings show that current patterns of habitat fragmentation and forest exploitation, from infrastructure projects such as new roads, are placing the red panda under increased threat," Mr. Bista said.

"Because of this, red pandas are changing their activity to minimize their interactions with disturbances, such as humans, dogs, or livestock, and this is drastically interfering with natural interactions between the animals, resulting in population isolation."

Mr. Bista has been studying red pandas for several years and in late 2019 he traveled to Nepal, where he tagged red pandas with collars which allow him to track their movements by satellite.

He returned to Australia in January 2020, with the intention of returning to Nepal within a few months to continue monitoring the animals and install cameras in the field, but COVID-19 hit.

"The satellite tracking allowed me to monitor the red pandas remotely here in Brisbane, while I relied on my friends and colleagues in Nepal to install cameras and conduct the field surveys," he said.

"It was a surreal experience, I would spend many hours a day during COVID lockdowns in my home, watching the movement of red pandas in Nepal on my computer."

There was one red panda which he kept a close eye on.

An adult male "Chintapu," named after the location he was found, was known for its roaming nature and in one 24 hour period the mammal traveled 5 km which is unheard of for a typical red panda.

So, what was it afterfresh bamboo, or perhaps a wild blossom delicacy? "It was during breeding season," Mr. Bista explained.

Other red pandas that Mr. Bista followed closely for 12-months included a female "Paaruhaang," named after a local deity, a female "Mechaachaa" meaning daughter, and "Ninaammaa" which means Queen of the Sky in local dialect.

There was also "Brian," named after the founder of the Red Panda Network.

Mr. Bista's research was the fifth known global study conducted on wild red pandas, and only the second in Nepal.

"It's difficult to know how many red pandas are left in the world, but it is estimated that 10,000 are left in the wild, and between 500 to 1,000 are in Nepal," he said.

"With the findings from this study showing fragmentation of their habitat, together with a previous study on the impacts of poaching, I am concerned about the future of this species.

"While red pandas can adapt to habitat impacts to some extent, they may be susceptible to local extinction under these conditions, placing the wider population of the species at risk."

Mr. Bista said the dwindling amount of wild forest forces the red panda into situations where it must decide on whether to live closer to predators or adapt to co-exist with humans.

"As you'd expect, it's in an animal's best interest to avoid its predators, but as we continue to build more roads and infrastructure, that drastically reduces the capacity for red pandas to do this," he said.

"As the availability of suitable forests shrink, it's up to the red panda to weigh up its options on how to best survive.

"This trade-off can lead to an increased risk of mortality and population decline in the long run."

He said this underpinned the need to minimize human-induced disturbances, which is one of the recommendations made in the study.

"Our recommendation is for human activities to be strictly regulated during most if not all biologically crucial times such as mating, dispersal and birthing seasons," Mr. Bista said.

"As for conservation programs, we recommend they focus on identifying ecologically sensitive areas, maintaining habitat continuity, and minimizing projects that will disturb habitats, such as building roads and herding livestock.

"If road construction can't be avoided, we suggest avoiding core areas and restrictions on speed limits and noise, and for an increase in wildlife crossings in high-risk areas."

The research is published in Landscape Ecology.

Explore further Conservation study: Fostering wanderlust benefits pandas

More information: Damber Bista et al, Effect of disturbances and habitat fragmentation on an arboreal habitat specialist mammal using GPS telemetry: a case of the red panda, Landscape Ecology (2022). Damber Bista et al, Effect of disturbances and habitat fragmentation on an arboreal habitat specialist mammal using GPS telemetry: a case of the red panda,(2022). DOI: 10.1007/s10980-021-01357-w
A scientific visualization of the electromagnetic currents around Mars. Credit: NASA/Goddard/MAVEN/CU Boulder/SVS/Cindy Starr

The planet Mars is calling to us. At least, that is the impression one gets when examining all the planned and proposed missions to the red planet in the coming decade. With so many space agencies currently sending missions there to characterize its environment, atmosphere, and geological history, it seems likely that crewed missions are right around the corner. In fact, both NASA and China have made it clear that they intend to send missions to Mars by the early 2030s that will culminate in the creation of surface habitats.

To ensure astronaut health and safety, both in transit and on the surface of Mars, scientists are investigating several means of radiation protection. In a recent study, a team from the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science (BMSIS) studied how various materials could be used to fashion radiation-protective structures. This included materials brought from Earth and those that can be harvested directly from the Martian environment. This is in keeping with the in-situ-resource-utilization (ISRU) process, where local resources are leveraged to meet the needs of the astronaut crews and the mission.

The research was led by Dionysios Gakis, a visiting scholar at BMSIS and a physics graduate of the University of Patras, Greece. He was joined by Dr. Dimitra Atri, a senior research investigator at BMISIS, a physics professor with the Center for Space Science at New York University Abu Dhabi, and Gakis' academic advisor. The paper that describes their findings ("Modeling the effectiveness of radiation shielding materials for astronaut protection on Mars") is being considered for publication by Acta Astronautica.

The Martian radiation environment is significantly more dangerous than Earth's due to its thin atmosphere and lack of a planetary magnetic field. On Earth, people in developed nations are exposed to an average of 0.62 rads (6.2 mSv) per year, whereas the surface of Mars receives about 24.45 rads (244.5 mSv) per yearand even more when solar events (aka. solar flares) occur.

As Dr. Atri told Universe Today via email, this radiation comes in several forms: "Galactic cosmic rays consist of charged particles which are a billion (or more) times more energetic than visible light. They can penetrate through shielding and cause irreparable damage to the human body. Additionally, solar storms can sometimes accelerate charged particles to very high energies (solar energetic particles), which can cause comparable damage. The amount of radiation coming from cosmic rays is highly predictable whereas solar storms are very hard to predict."

For their study, Gakis and Dr. Atri investigated the properties of various shielding materials that could be transported to Mars or harvested in situ. These consisted of materials common in the aerospace industrylike aluminum, polyethylene, cyclohexane, polymethyl methacrylate, Mylar, and Kevlarand water, carbon fiber liquid hydrogen, and Martian regolith. As Gakis explained, they assessed each of these materials using the GEANT4 numerical modela software suite that simulates the passage of particles through matter using statistical Monte Carlo methods.

The Mars Ice Home concept. Credit: NASA Langley/Clouds Architecture Office/SEARch+

"We built a computational model of Mars and measured the cosmic energy deposition inside a hypothetical human phantom, representing an astronaut," he said. "A shield of material was set to absorb some part of the radiation before reaching the astronaut. The most effective materials, in terms of radiation protection, were the ones which let the least energy passing in the astronaut's body."

Their results indicated that hydrogen-rich materials (i.e., water ice) have a predictable response to GCRs and are therefore the best defense against cosmic rays. They further found that regolith has an intermediate response and could therefore be used for additional shieldingespecially when combined with aluminum.

Said Gakis: "For example, although aluminum was not found to be as effective as other materials, it can still be helpful in reducing radiation doses, and we advocate combining it with other materials. Martian regolith has similar behavior and the advantage of being an in-situ material, not requiring us to carry it from Earth."

NASA and other space agencies are assessing several designs, materials, and technologies that will allow for the creation of habitats on the moon, Mars, and beyond. In particular, NASA and the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) are planning for crewed missions to Mars in the next decade, which will launch every 26 months (starting in 2033) and culminate in the creation of habitats on the surface. According to Gakis and Dr. Atri's analysis, these habitats will likely consist of an interior structure fashioned using lightweight materials transported at low cost from Earth.

The Marsha concept is a proposal for a habitat on the surface of Mars built autonomously using local and mission-generated materials. Credit: NASA/AI. SpaceFactory

In the case of aluminum and carbon fiber, they could be produced in-situ using aluminum mined from Martian rock and carbon harvested from its atmosphere. These could then be shielded using locally-harvested water ice and regolith, which robots will 3D print to create a protective superstructure. Such habitats will enable long-duration missions far beyond Earth and could even be a stepping stone to permanent human settlements in space.

"Radiation is one of the many issues humankind must address in order to successfully accomplish the human [exploration of] the red planet," Gakis summarized. "We believe that our research is another step in understanding the devastating effects of cosmic rays in the Martian environment and planning effective mitigating strategies for future crewed missions to Mars."

Explore further Which parts of Mars are the safest from cosmic radiation?

More information: Dionysios Gakis, Dimitra Atri, Modeling the effectiveness of radiation shielding materials for astronaut protection on Mars. arXiv:2205.13786v1 [astro-ph.EP], Journal information: Acta Astronautica Dionysios Gakis, Dimitra Atri, Modeling the effectiveness of radiation shielding materials for astronaut protection on Mars. arXiv:2205.13786v1 [astro-ph.EP], arxiv.org/abs/2205.13786
A mother polar bear and her 2-year-old cubs in northwestern Greenland. Credit: ystein Wiig

A new study is providing an enhanced look at the intertwined evolutionary histories of polar bears and brown bears.

Becoming separate species did not completely stop these animals from mating with each other. Scientists have known this for some time, but the new research draws on an expanded datasetincluding DNA from an ancient polar bear toothto tease out more detail.

The story that emerges reveals complexities similar to those that complicate human evolutionary history.

"The formation and maintenance of species can be a messy process," says Charlotte Lindqvist, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, and an expert on bear genetics. "What's happened with polar bears and brown bears is a neat analog to what we're learning about human evolution: that the splitting of species can be incomplete. As more and more ancient genomes have been recovered from ancient human populations, including Neanderthals and Denisovans, we're seeing that there was multidirectional genetic mixing going on as different groups of archaic humans mated with ancestors of modern humans. Polar bears and brown bears are another system where you see this happening."

"We find evidence for interbreeding between polar bears and brown bears that predates an ancient polar bear we studied," she says. "And, moreover, our results demonstrate a complicated, intertwined evolutionary history among brown and polar bears, with the main direction of gene flow going into polar bears from brown bears. This inverts a hypothesis suggested by other researchers that gene flow has been unidirectional and going into brown bears around the peak of the last ice age."

An adult male polar bear in northwestern Greenland. Credit: ystein Wiig

The study will be published the week of June 6 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It was led by Lindqvist at UB in the U.S.; Luis Herrera-Estrella at the National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (LANGEBIO) in Mexico and Texas Tech University in the U.S.; and Kalle Leppala at the University of Oulu in Finland. Tianying Lan, Ph.D., a former UB postdoctoral researcher now at Daicel Arbor Biosciences, was co-first author with Leppala.

The concept of Arctic-adapted polar bears capturing genetic material from brown bears, which are adapted to life in lower latitudes, is one of several findings of possible interest for scientists concerned with climate change impacts on threatened species.

As the world warms and Arctic sea ice declines, polar bears and brown bears may run into each other more frequently in places where their ranges overlap. This makes their shared evolutionary history a particularly intriguing subject of study, Lindqvist says.

Splitting of species can be a messy process

As Lindqvist explains, scientists once thought modern humans and Neanderthals simply split into separate species after evolving from a common ancestor. Then, researchers found Neanderthal DNA in modern Eurasian people, implying that modern human populations received an influx of genes from Neanderthals at some point in their shared evolutionary history, she says.

The subfossil jawbone of a polar bear that lived 115,000 to 130,000 years ago in Norways Svalbard archipelago. A genomic study includes an analysis of DNA extracted from a tooth attached to this jawbone, which is now housed at the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo. Credit: Karsten Sund, Natural History Museum (NHM), University of Oslo

Only later did scientists realize that this genetic intermingling also supplemented Neanderthal populations with modern human genes, Lindqvist adds. In other words, interbreeding can be complex, not necessarily a one-way street, she says.

The new study on bears reveals a remarkably similar story: The analysis finds evidence of hybridization in both polar bear and brown bear genomes, with polar bears in particular carrying a strong signature of an influx of DNA from brown bears, researchers say. Earlier research proposed the inverse pattern only, Lindqvist says.

"It's exciting how DNA can help reveal ancient life history. Gene flow direction is harder to determine than merely its presence, but these patterns are vital to understanding how past adaptations have transferred among species to give modern animals their current features," says Leppala, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher in the research unit of mathematical sciences at the University of Oulu.

"Population genomics is an increasingly powerful toolbox to study plant and animal evolution and the effects of human activity and climate change on endangered species," says Herrera-Estrella, Ph.D., President's Distinguished Professor of Plant Genomics and director of the Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance in the Texas Tech Department of Plant and Soil Science. He is also a professor emeritus at LANGEBIO. "Bears don't provide simple speciation stories any more than human evolution has. This new genomic research suggests that mammalian species groups can hide complicated evolutionary histories."

The subfossil jawbone of a polar bear that lived 115,000 to 130,000 years ago in Norways Svalbard archipelago. A genomic study includes an analysis of DNA extracted from a tooth attached to this jawbone, which is now housed at the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo. Credit: Karsten Sund, Natural History Museum (NHM), University of Oslo

Evidence from modern bear genomesand DNA from an ancient tooth

The study analyzed the genomes of 64 modern polar and brown bears, including several new genomes from Alaska, a state where both species are found.

The team also produced a new, more complete genome for a polar bear that lived 115,000 to 130,000 years ago in Norway's Svalbard archipelago. DNA for the ancient polar bear was extracted from a tooth attached to a subfossil jawbone, which is now housed at the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo.

Using this dataset, researchers estimate that polar bears and brown bears started to become distinct species about 1.3 to 1.6 million years ago, updating prior assessments made by some of the same scientists. The age of the split has been and remains a topic of scientific debate, with past interbreeding and limited fossil evidence for ancient polar bears among factors that make the timing hard to pinpoint, Lindqvist says.

Genomes analyzed in a new study on bears include that of this bear, pictured here in 1995 on Alaska's North Slope. Scientists had wondered if this bear might be a brown bear-polar bear hybrid, but the new research finds that, This bear is not a hybrid, but simply a light-colored brown bear, says University at Buffalo biologist Charlotte Lindqvist. Credit: Richard Shideler, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

In any case: After becoming their own species, polar bears endured dramatic population decline and a prolonged genetic bottleneck, leaving these bears with much less genetic diversity than brown bears, the new study concludes. The findings confirm past research pointing to the same trends, and add evidence in support of this hypothesis.

Together with the analysis of gene flow, these findings are providing new insights into the messy, intertwined evolutionary history of polar bears and brown bears.

The international research team included scientists from UB, LANGEBIO, Texas Tech, the University of Oulu, the Far Northwestern Institute of Art and Science, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo, Nanyang Technological University, University of Helsinki, and Aarhus University.

Explore further Ancient extinct cave bear DNA found in modern bears
Globular cluster NGC 5053. Credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

Using the AstroSat spacecraft, Indian astronomers have inspected a galactic globular cluster known as NGC 5053. Results of the study, presented in a paper published May 27 on the arXiv pre-print repository, provide important insights into the stellar population of this cluster.

Globular clusters (GCs) are collections of tightly bound stars orbiting galaxies. Astronomers perceive them as natural laboratories enabling studies on the evolution of stars and galaxies. In particular, globular clusters could help researchers to better understand the formation history and evolution of early-type galaxies as the origin of GCs seems to be closely linked to periods of intense star formation.

At a distance of about 57,000 light years away from the Earth, NGC 5053 is one of the most metal-poor galactic GCs. Although NGC 5053 was discovered in 1784, and almost 150 years later it was confirmed as a globular cluster. This was mainly due to the cluster's high latitude, richness in faint stars and presence of variable stars.

Now, in order to shed more light on the stellar content of NGC 5053, a group of astronomers led by Kolencheri Jithendran Nikitha of the Indian Institute of Space science and Technology in Kerala, India, decided to observe this cluster with the Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) onboard AstroSat. The study was complemented by data from ESA's Gaia satellite.

"In this paper, we present the photometric analysis of the globular cluster NGC 5053 using the FUV [far-ultraviolet] and NUV [near-ultraviolet] lters of UVIT, in combination with Gaia observations," the researchers wrote.

The team managed to construct a catalog of 1884 ultraviolet stars of NGC 5053 and carried out their photometry. By analyzing the proper motion of these stars from Gaia data, they were able to identify members of this cluster.

According to the study, NGC 5053 has a signicant population of blue horizontal branch (HB) stars, which is typical for metal-poor GCs. Furthermore, the astronomers located candidates of stellar populations that were not identied by previous observations, including 14 blue straggler star (BSS) candidates and one extreme horizontal branch (EHB) star. The observations also allowed the researchers to identify the known populations of BSSs, as well as blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars, RR-Lyrae stars, SX Phoenicis (SX-Phe) stars.

The researchers noted that radial distribution and spectral energy distribution (SED) of the BSS population of NGC 5053 seem to suggest that they have a collisional origin. This scenario is consistent with the previous speculations indicating a possibility of collisional origin for BSSs in low-density clusters similar to NGC 5053.

In addition, the study found that NGC 5053 has a metallicity at a level of -1.9 and its age was estimated to be about 12.5 billion years.

More information: K. J. Nikitha et al, Stellar populations of the globular cluster NGC 5053 investigated using AstroSat-Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope. arXiv:2205.13839v1 [astro-ph.GA], K. J. Nikitha et al, Stellar populations of the globular cluster NGC 5053 investigated using AstroSat-Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope. arXiv:2205.13839v1 [astro-ph.GA], arxiv.org/abs/2205.13839

 2022 Science X Network
Dr. Leonidas Bleris (front) and Dr. Yiorgos Makris, preparing samples in the lab, use a laminar flow tissue culture hood, an enclosed cabinet designed to prevent contamination, to work with mammalian cell lines. Bleris and Makris introduced a technology to safeguard customized cell lines from misidentification, cross-contamination and illegal replication. Credit: University of Texas at Dallas

Advances in synthetic biology and genome editing have led to a growing industry to develop customized cell lines for medical research. These engineered cell lines, however, can be vulnerable to misidentification, cross-contamination and illegal replication.

A team of University of Texas at Dallas researchers has developed a first-of-its-kind method to create a unique identifier for each copy of a cell line to allow users to verify its authenticity and protect the manufacturer's intellectual property (IP). The engineers demonstrated the method in a study published online May 4 and in the May 6 print edition of Science Advances.

The patent-pending technology is the result of an interdisciplinary collaboration between UT Dallas faculty members. The study's co-corresponding authors are Dr. Leonidas Bleris, a professor of bioengineering who specializes in genetic engineering, and Dr. Yiorgos Makris, a professor of electrical and computer engineering who is an expert on electronics hardware security.

Custom cell lines are used in the development of vaccines and targeted therapies for a range of diseases. The global cell-culture market is projected to reach $41.3 billion by 2026, an increase from $22.8 billion in 2021, according to a forecast by market research company MarketsandMarkets.

The UT Dallas engineers' research to develop unique identifiers for genetically engineered cells was inspired by what are called physically unclonable functions (PUFs) in the electronics industry. A PUF is a physical characteristic that can serve as a unique "fingerprint" for a semiconductor device such as a microprocessor. In semiconductors, PUFs are based on natural variations that occur during the manufacturing process and must meet three requirements: They must have a unique fingerprint, produce the same fingerprint each time they are measured and be virtually impossible to replicate.

To apply that concept to engineered cells, the researchers developed a two-step process that takes advantage of a cell's ability to repair damaged DNA, which is made up of sequences of small molecules called nucleotides.

First, they embedded a five-nucleotide bar-code library into a part of the cell's genome called a safe harbor, where the modification will not harm the cell. The bar codes alone, however, do not satisfy the three properties of PUFs. In the second step, researchers used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to cut the DNA in the proximity of the bar code. That action forces the cell to repair its DNA using random nucleotides, a process called nonhomologous error repair. During this repair process, the cell naturally inserts new nucleotides into the DNA and/or deletes otherscollectively, these are called indels (insertions/deletions). These random fixes, in combination with the bar codes, create a unique pattern of nucleotides that can help distinguish the cell line from any other.

"The combination of bar-coding with the inherently stochastic cellular error repair process results in a unique and irreproducible fingerprint," said Bleris, who is also the Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science.

This first generation of CRISPR-engineered PUFs provides the means for researchers to confirm that the cells were produced by a given company or lab, a process called provenance attestation. With further research, the engineers aim to develop a method for tracking the age of a specific copy of a cell line.

"Companies developing cell lines are making a huge investment," Bleris said. "We need a way to differentiate between 1,000 copies of the same product. Even though the products are identical, each of them has a unique identifier, which cannot be replicated."

Makris said that the business of developing engineered cells is so new that companies are focused on monetizing their investments rather than on security and provenance attestation. He said the semiconductor industry was the same way at first until counterfeiting and tampering incidents highlighted the need for security measures.

"We think that this time maybe we can be ahead of the curve and have that capability developed by the time the industry realizes they need it," Makris said. "It will be too late when they realize they got hacked and someone monetized their IP."

Other authors of the study include Dr. Yi Li, bioengineering research scientist; Mohammad Mahdi Bidmeshki Ph.D., a former postdoctoral researcher in Makris' lab; Taek Kang, a biomedical engineering doctoral student and Eugene McDermott Graduate Fellow; and Chance M. Nowak, a bioengineering graduate student.

Explore further Highly secure physically unclonable cryptographic primitives based on interfacial magnetic anisotropy

More information: Yi Li et al, Genetic physical unclonable functions in human cells, Science Advances (2022). Journal information: Science Advances Yi Li et al, Genetic physical unclonable functions in human cells,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm4106
Trees supply many benefits, and many nations have committed to reforesting large swaths of land as part of their efforts to address climate change. As an example, this is a teak plantation in Costa Rica. However, new research from UMBC finds that some trees planted in the tropics may do more harm than good. The authors found that 92 percent of new tree plantations planted in the tropics between 2000 and 2012 were in biodiversity hotspots. Fourteen percent were in arid biomes, where trees are unlikely to thrive and likely to damage existing ecosystems like grasslands, which are heroes of carbon sequestration in their own right. Tree plantations had also encroached into 9 percent of accessible protected areas in the humid tropics, such as national parks. We need to be cognizant that not all tree planting is beneficial for the ecosystem involved, says Matthew Fagan, the lead author on the new study. The right tree in the right place is the right answer. Credit: Matthew Fagan

Trees store carbon, filter the air, create habitat, and supply a host of other benefits for animals and people. Planting the right trees, in the right places, in consultation with local communities, can support goals like addressing climate change and improving lives. However, new research led by Matthew Fagan, assistant professor of geography and environmental systems at UMBC, finds that some trees planted in the tropics may be doing more harm than good.

The study, published in Nature Sustainability, examined the increase in tree cover across the global tropics between 2000 and 2012. Fagan and colleagues found that, surprisingly, tree cover gains during that period were equally attributable to natural forest regrowth and the creation of tree plantations. The most common tree plantation species were rubber, eucalyptus, and oil palm.

Tree plantations are not always harmful to the environment, and even much-maligned oil palm can be farmed sustainably, Fagan explains. However, the study found that 92 percent of new tree plantations were in biodiversity hotspots, threatening a range of plant and animal species. Also, 14 percent of plantations were in arid biomes, where trees are unlikely to thrive and likely to damage existing ecosystems. And tree plantations had encroached into 9 percent of accessible protected areas in the humid tropics, such as national parks.

"Ecologists have been sounding the alarm on this for over a decade," Fagan says. "But no one's had a hard number about how much this is actually happening."

When tree planting is lose-lose

In recent years, dozens of nations have committed to restoring large areas of forest. Tree plantations make up 45 percent of commitments to the Bonn Challenge, an international initiative to restore degraded and deforested landscapes. But Fagan is concerned that these plantations may have unintended consequences.

For example, China has undertaken a massive tree-planting effort at the edge of the Gobi desert, and many African countries have committed to planting trees at the transition between the Sahara desert and Sahel grassland. The goal is to prevent desert expansion, but the plantings can cause harm. Disturbing the soil releases carbon, and trees are water hogs. They end up "killing off the grassland that was there, and then they often die of drought," Fagan says. In these situations, tree planting is lose-lose.

Similarly, in Brazil, soy farmers moved out of the Amazon and into the Cerrado, one of the world's largest savannas. Pine and eucalyptus tree farms followed. The Cerrado supports a wealth of biodiversity, and the carbon it stores underground rivals rainforest carbon sequestration, Fagan explains. Tree crops in the Cerrado may count toward Brazil's reforestation commitment, but could actually be a step backward in mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss.

"In the U.S., we have a huge area of relatively wet woods, and we tend to idolize planting trees as sort of the ultimate environmental act," Fagan says. "But there's a lot of value in grasslands and savannas that we don't necessarily see. And when you plant trees, you essentially destroy that ecosystem."

In response to his team's new research, "I would really like to see governments around the world reassess their restoration plans," Fagan says, "or at least be more transparent when their plans involve tree planting, especially in areas that may not be appropriate for planting trees."

Park or plantation?

Fagan's new paper also revealed the extent to which tree plantations are invading protected areas. The problem was so bad that he had to overhaul the algorithm his team used to differentiate between data representing natural forest regrowth and tree plantations.

Initially, the algorithm used park boundaries as a proxy for natural forest regrowth areas. But it wasn't working. To figure out what was wrong, Fagan spot-checked 20 parks, and found that three had multiple plantations inside them. That got him curious.

Six weeks later, he had manually checked for plantations in every park in the tropics. When he found plantations, he either redrew the park's boundaries or, if the park was too compromised, removed it from the data completely. Using the resulting new maps, the algorithm could detect natural forest regrowth versus tree plantations with more than 90 percent accuracy.

"It was very disturbing to see there were just so many parks that were compromised," Fagan says.

The new maps allowed the team to find many more regrowth areas and plantations than expected from government estimates. Several UMBC undergraduates are authors on the paper because of their contributions to this data analysis. Each student manually checked at least 1,000 patches, some as many as 3,000.

"In the end, the tropics is a much more modified place than we were expecting," Fagan says. "There's a whole host of reasons that we see these encroachments, but they're definitely happening all over the world. We see a steady erosion of these parks by plantations, and the industry is just getting started."

Reason for hope

When setting out on this research, the team had a simple question: How many planted trees are there in the world? "It seemed like a strange thing not to know," Fagan says. As the work progressed, they asked whether trees were being planted where they shouldn't be and whether plantations were expanding into parks. They've found the results concerning, but they also have reason for hope.

Trees can do a lot of good, and planting more of them can be a significant factor in addressing the impacts of climate change. But it has to be done right. "This paper shows it's possible to monitor natural forest versus plantation at a global scale," Fagan says, "so we can encourage the results we want and discourage results we don't want."

He also hopes the results will inspire everyone to be more conscious of where their productsfrom paper to food to shampoo to tirescome from, and to demand that companies producing those products in tree plantations adopt more sustainable practices.

"If we make our choices en masse, it does shift the direction that these companies go in," Fagan says. And despite our love for trees in the U.S., he notes, forests are not the only ecosystems that can help mitigate the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. Savannas and prairies also have an important role to play.

"We need to be cognizant that not all tree planting is beneficial for the ecosystem involved," Fagan says. "The right tree in the right place is the right answer."

Explore further Promoting diversity in reforestation shown to increase productivity

More information: Matthew Fagan, The expansion of tree plantations across tropical biomes, Nature Sustainability (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00904-w Journal information: Nature Sustainability Matthew Fagan, The expansion of tree plantations across tropical biomes,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-00904-w
A natural forest landscape in Hirasawa. Credit: Ecosystems and People (2022). DOI: 10.1080/26395916.2022.2065359

For many people, cherry blossoms and Japanese culture go hand in hand. Now, researchers from Japan have discovered that the blossoms aren't just nice to look at, they could also be key to gaining public support for conservation efforts.

In a study published this month in Ecosystems and People, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have revealed that wild cherry blossoms could be used as symbols for conservation and community-based management of the traditional forest landscapes in Satoyama ecosystems.

Symbolic species can have cultural significance in many settings. These species are often used to represent environmental issues, as they can enrich people's cultural relationships with the natural world. However, different social groups vary considerably in how they perceive the values of these species, depending on where individuals are from, their socio-economic background, and their experiences with and knowledge of nature.

"Understanding how people perceive the value of symbolic species' ecosystem services is crucial because these perceptions often affect how land is managed," says corresponding author of the study, Professor Ikuyo Saeki. "These perspectives are also key to sustaining links between people and nature, and must be examined if we are to successfully transition to more sustainable societies."

To investigate these perspectives, the researchers surveyed people's perceptions of wild cherry trees and the social values of the ecosystem services provided by this species. In Japan, wild cherry trees are especially significant to sustaining connections between people and nature. The study focused on three groups: local residents, tourists, and high school students.

The results revealed notable differences among the groups. The value "aesthetic in spring" was ranked highest by residents and tourists, while multiple values were ranked equally by the high school students. Additionally, wild cherry trees were confused with a popular cultivar by the majority of students, suggesting that a more limited knowledge may have influenced the students' perceived values. The sites renowned for their wild cherry scenery were highly valued by local residents and tourists, but not by students, who placed more value on urbanized areas.

"While symbolic species enhance the way people value nature, filling gaps in knowledge and ensuring that a variety of values are shared within local communities is key to the promotion of community-based management of wild cherry landscapes," says Professor Saeki.

This study shows how symbolic species could be used for conservation and community-based management of traditional forest landscapes. Because wild cherry blossoms exemplify cultural and ecological relationships between people and nature in Japan, the conservation of this symbolic species could be integrated into future promotion of sustainable development as a species that provides ecosystem services.

Explore further Japan sees earliest cherry blossoms on record as climate warms

More information: Kakeru Katsuda et al, Local perception of ecosystem services provided by symbolic wild cherry blossoms: toward community-based management of traditional forest landscapes in Japan, Ecosystems and People (2022). Kakeru Katsuda et al, Local perception of ecosystem services provided by symbolic wild cherry blossoms: toward community-based management of traditional forest landscapes in Japan,(2022). DOI: 10.1080/26395916.2022.2065359
CStone presents updated results of anti-PD-1 antibody nofazinlimab in combination with lenvatinib as first-line treatment in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at ASCO 2022

Details Category: Antibodies Published on Monday, 06 June 2022 09:21 Hits: 824

Nofazinlimab in combination with lenvatinib as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma demonstrated an objective response rate of 45.0%. The median duration of response was not yet reached as of the data cutoff date (4.2 to 18.7+ months). The median progression free survival was 10.4 months.Nofazinlimab was well tolerated, with a manageable safety profile

The U.S. FDA has granted nofazinlimab Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

SUZHOU, China I June 5, 2022 I CStone Pharmaceuticals (CStone, HKEX: 2616), a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development, and commercialization of innovative immuno-oncology therapies and precision medicines, today announced that the company has published updated results from the phase 1b study of anti-PD-1 antibody nofazinlimab (CS1003) in combination with lenvatinib as first-line treatment in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

Dr. Jason Yang, Chief Medical Officer of CStone, said, Preliminary results from this phase 1b study showed that nofazinlimab in combination with lenvatinib demonstrated promising and durable efficacy in Chinese patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and a well-tolerated safety profile. The Phase 3 international multi-regional registrational study of nofazinlimab plus lenvatinib for the first-line treatment of advanced HCC has already achieved the prespecified target on patient enrollment. We expect this combination therapy to provide a new treatment option for HCC patients worldwide.

CS1003-102[1] is a phase Ia/Ib, open-label, multi-center, dose-escalation and expansion study conducted in China. The primary objectives of Arm 5 of phase Ib was to evaluate the preliminary anti-tumor activity of nofazinlimab in combination with lenvatinib in first-line treatment of uHCC in China. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST V1.1 by investigators.

A total of 20 patients with uHCC in Arm 5 of phase Ib study for CS1003-102 received nofazinlimab 200 mg, intravenously once every three weeks in combination with lenvatinib orally once daily (body weight  60 kg: 12 mg; < 60 kg: 8 mg) as 1L treatment. The baseline characteristics of the 20 patients were Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B or C, Child-Pugh class A, and ECOG PS  1.

As of August 13, 2021:

Efficacy:

The confirmed ORR was 45.0%, and 9 patients achieved partial response (PR).

The median duration of response (mDOR) was not reached as of the data cutoff date (4.2 to 18.7+ months).

The disease control rate (DCR) was 90.0%, and 9 patients had stable disease (SD) as best overall response.

The median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 10.4 months (95% CI: 6.2, not estimable). The 6-month and 12-month progression free survival (PFS) rates were 85.0% and 48.2%, respectively.

The median overall survival (mOS) had not been reached.

Safety:

All adverse events (AEs) were Grade 1-3.

Grade 3 AEs attributed to nofazinlimab and/or lenvatinib occurred in 9 (45.0%) patients with the most common being gamma-glutamyltransferase increased (2/20, 10.0%). Six (6) patients experienced grade 3 nofazinlimab-related AEs, among whom, 4 patients also experienced grade 3 AEs related to lenvatinib.

Only 2 patients discontinued treatment due to AEs.

No deaths due to AEs, and no new safety signals were identified.

About hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

Liver cancer is a common malignant tumor of digestive system worldwide. According to GLOBOCAN 2020 (Global Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence) data of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized agency of the World Health Organization, global new cases of liver cancer is more than 900,000, and death cases are more than 830,000 per year. The number of death cases is close to the number of new cases. Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer- related death and its incidence is increasing globally[2]. HCC is the most common form of liver cancer and accounts for ~90% of cases[3]. Systemic antitumor therapy plays an important role in the treatment of advanced HCC. Despite the expanding implementation of surgical and locoregional therapies worldwide, estimates suggest that ~5060% of patients with HCC will ultimately be treated with systemic therapies2. A median survival for symptomatic advanced-stage HCC cases treated with systemic therapies is ~11.5 years2. Poor prognosis of HCC is attributed primarily to tumor presentation at an advanced stage when there is no effective treatment to achieve the long-term survival of patients[4].

About nofazinlimab (CS1003

Nofazinlimab is a humanized recombinant IgG4 monoclonal antibody targeting human programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) being developed in solid tumors. Nofazinlimab shows comparable high binding affinities to the PD-1 of humans, cynomolgus monkey, and mouse, and can block the interaction of PD-1 with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2.

The U.S. FDA has granted nofazinlimab Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) in July 2020 for the treatment of patients with HCC.

CStone formed a strategic collaboration agreement with EQRx, under which EQRx licensed the exclusive rights to two immuno-oncology assets, sugemalimab and nofazinlimab, for development and commercialization outside of Greater China. CStone retains rights to nofazinlimab in Greater China, where it can continue to pursue development as a monotherapy or as part of its combination strategy for this drug.

About the CS1003-305 study

CS1003-305 is an international, multi-center, double-blind, randomized, phase 3 registrational clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nofazilimab in combination with lenvatinib compared with placebo in combination with lenvatinib in subjects with no prior systemic treatment and with unresectable advanced HCC. The trial is conducted in 74 study sites globally including China, US, Spain, Italy, and Poland. The primary endpoints are overall survival (OS) and PFS. Dr. Jia Fan, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and president of Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, is the global principal investigator for this trial. In March 2022, this study successfully reached its prespecified enrollment target.

About CStone

CStone (HKEX: 2616) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on researching, developing, and commercializing innovative immuno-oncology and precision medicines to address the unmet medical needs of cancer patients in China and worldwide. Established in 2015, CStone has assembled a world-class management team with extensive experience in innovative drug development, clinical research, and commercialization. The company has built an oncology-focused pipeline of 15 drug candidates with a strategic emphasis on immuno-oncology combination therapies. Currently, CStone has received eight NDA approvals for four drugs. Multiple late-stage drug candidates are now under pivotal clinical trials or registration. CStone's vision is to become globally recognized as a world-renowned biopharmaceutical company by bringing innovative oncology therapies to cancer patients worldwide.

For more information about CStone, please visit www.cstonepharma.com.

1. Shen L et al, ESMO Congress 2020, Abstract 987P, A Phase 1b study of the PD-1 antagonist CS1003 plus lenvatinib (LEN) in Chinese patients (pts) with the first-line (1L) unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). 

2. Llovet JM et al, Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2022 Mar;19(3):151-172. Immunotherapies for hepatocellular carcinoma 

3. Llovet JM et al, Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021 Jan 21;7(1):6. Hepatocellular carcinoma. 

4. Ahn JC et al, Hepatology. 2021 Jan;73(1):422-436. Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells and Their Implications as a Biomarker for Diagnosis, Prognostication, and Therapeutic Monitoring in Hepatocellular Carcinoma 

SOURCE: CStone Pharmaceuticals
LAKE GEORGE  Sundays Prospect Mountain POW/MIA ceremony in Lake George was awash in a sea of patriotic flags with nearly 65 people in attendance.

This year was a sight to behold, considering the last couple of years of setbacks.

The annual ceremony took a hit in attendance numbers when the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown happened in 2020.

More tragedy befell the organizers and those closest to the event when founder and veteran Thelma Waterston died last year.

Paul Sears, commander of North Creek American Legion Post 629, is determined to see her spirit and dedication live on in the yearly event.

She was a Marine and served in Korea, Sears said.

Sears himself served in the Army for nearly 30 years  he was stationed in Kuwait in 2003 and Iraq in 2009.

The numbers (of attendees) are growing again. Its equal to the numbers that Terry (Thelma) had a few years ago, said Sears, who now carries the torch of organizing the annual event.

Compared to other memorial ceremonies in the area, this one was not as elaborate in its program, but no less poignant in its symbolic gesture.

Music was performed by the Johnsburg Central School marching band, and there was the traditional rendition of taps.

The flag says it all. Most ceremonies may get a guest speaker and the event will last for a couple of hours. Our ceremony is only about 15-30 minutes. It doesnt matter how long a ceremony is. Were here to take a moment to remember those who died, the prisoners of war, and those whose remains were never found, Sears said.

There were numerous moments of silence throughout the short ceremony. The silence was amplified by the sheer vastness of the surrounding area on top of Prospect Mountain.

There are some whose remains have not been recovered, Sears said.

Waterstons granddaughter, Mackenzie Waterston, and her group have worked with organizations overseas to recover the lost remains of fallen soldiers.

Mackenzie Waterston went to the Pacific island of Saipan in the summer of 2015 and was able to recover skeletal remains.

Sears said the recent discovery of the remains of 19-year-old Army Sgt. Howard Belden of Hague, who fought during the Korean War, was a triumph and is connected to the work that the Warren County American Legion post does.

Sears, a member of the American Legion Riders, a motorcyclists club, wore a leather jacket with a patch of the clubs symbol.

There were a number of different clubs in attendance, all who make the scenic trip up to Prospect Mountain each year with their motorcycles.

Its that time of year. Americade is around the corner, Sears said, referring to the Lake George-based motorcycle rally that begins this week.

American Legion Riders was not the only motorcycle club present on Sunday. Also in attendance were the Christian Motorcycle Club and the Patriot Guard Riders.

When the remains are identified and returned home to the United States, clubs such as the Patriot Guard Riders will escort the remains from the airport to the burial ceremonies and funerals, Sears said.

The Patriot Guard Riders originally formed in 2005, when they began shielding and protecting family members of deceased veterans from protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church.

We are volunteers who serve our veterans, Patriot Guard Rider member Shirley Gawlak said.

John Mercier, PGR Ride Captain of Region 4, said the group ensures that the dignity and safety is upheld at ceremonies and funerals.

Drew Wardle is a reporter for The Post-Star. You can contact him at 518-681-7343 or email him at dwardle@poststar.com.

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New York state data reported nine new COVID cases out of a total of 291 administered tests in Warren County as of Sunday.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate in Warren County is 5.4%, according to state data.

Currently, there are four high school students with COVID in Warren County, according to state data. There are currently two teachers in the county with COVID.

Washington County

As of Sunday, there were 11 new COVID cases out of 252 administered tests in Washington County, according to state data.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate for the county is 6.5%.

A total of 67.8% of Washington Countys population has received the first vaccination dose.

Saratoga County

There have been 429 COVID cases in the last seven days in Saratoga County, according to county data.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate in the county is 9.4%, according to the county Department of Public Health Services.

There have been a total of 344 deaths from COVID ever recorded in Saratoga County.

There are currently 222 active COVID cases in the county.

There are currently 23 county residents who are hospitalized from COVID.

Out of a total of 51,926 COVID cases ever recorded in the county, 51,360 have recovered.

The percentage of county residents who have been fully vaccinated, including a booster shot, is 47.4%.

Elsewhere

There are currently 253 new COVID cases out of 4,260 administered tests in the Capital Region.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate in the region is 8.3%, according to state data. That rate, statewide, is 6.2%.

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ABSECON  City Council has endorsed the citys second recreational marijuana applicant.

Council and the mayor have determined that Public Absecon Inc. would maintain a lawful site in its designated zone, according to a resolution the governing body adopted Thursday.

The applicant is eyeing a location in the Absecon Center strip mall off the White Horse Pike, which is also home to a Sack O Subs sandwich shop. Its the second license application Absecon has supported, city Chief Financial Officer Jessica Thompson said during the meeting.

Several potential applicants have expressed interest in operating in the city, Thompson said.

Despite objections, Absecon City Council OKs last call ordinance ABSECON  After months of deliberation and criticism from city business owners and residents

Following Gov. Phil Murphy signing the New Jersey Cannabis, Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act, Absecon passed an ordinance allowing three Class 5 marijuana retail licenses to operate within city limits.

Class 5 licenses permit recreational cannabis use from licensed cultivators, manufacturers or wholesalers and can sell those items to consumers in a storefront, according to the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

Absecon has a committee that has met four potential recreational-cannabis business owners, including the two that have already received councils support, Thompson said.

Those applicants still must seek approvals with the state cannabis commission.

A spokesperson for the commission did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin

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With summer unofficially underway, New Jersey residents are taking advantage of lifted pandemic restrictions  but in health care settings, steps to prevent coronavirus spread remain crucial.

New Jersey lifted its mask mandates in most settings almost three months ago. While most area businesses and many schools have jettisoned their masking requirements, New Jersey hospitals still have their own set of policies in place.

Several area hospitals contacted by The Press of Atlantic City  including AtlantiCare, Cape Regional Health System, Shore Medical Center and Inspira Health Medical Group  described their masking policies and discussed how they believed they were needed to keep patients and health care workers safe.

They all said they required everybody in a health care setting to wear masks in line with current state and federal requirements.

Dr. Evelyn Balogun, chief medical officer of patients at Inspira, said masking has been one of the principal, non-pharmaceutical interventions taken to prevent coronavirus infection over the past two years. She said their continued use in medical settings was important, irrespective of how masking requirements have changed elsewhere.

Inspira, she said, complements those efforts with coronavirus screening for people who enter health care settings as well as holding public information sessions about COVID-19 and vaccinations.

COVID-19 transmission remains high for most South Jersey counties Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties still have high rates of COVID-19 transmission heading

There have been some policy changes with respect to where we need to wear a mask and weve had some mandates that have come and gone and then I feel that recently theyve come back again, Balogun said. The one constant is in the health care setting, and theres a reason for that.

Balogun said a confluence of conditions make preventing coronavirus infection especially important in health care settings  namely the presence of immunocompromised patients who could be particularly vulnerable to COVID. She said creating a safe environment was critical for ensuring that vulnerable people feel comfortable coming into a health care setting, rather than delay treatment out of fear of catching the coronavirus.

It is so important then, in this setting, probably uniquely more so than any other setting, that we continue to practice these safe behaviors, Balogun said.

Shore Infection Prevention Manager Taylor Breder said masks were a sign that people should be careful around those who may be sick or especially vulnerable to COVID in a health care setting.

Its to remind the public that people in here are sick, Breder said. I think its very important to keep the vulnerable population in mind when it comes to masking and hand hygiene.

In addition to its mask mandate, Shore has been tightening its visitation policy due to COVID-19. Since May 6, Shore has been allowing only two visitors at a time for patients in inpatient units or in the emergency department. Visitors must be at least 14 years old with rare exceptions and undergo temperature checks. There are also restrictions in place for maternity-ward visitors and visiting hours.

Gemma Downham, corporate director and epidemiologist of Infection Prevention at AtlantiCare, said masking can help prevent coronavirus infection as well as the spread of other viruses that cause respiratory diseases, such as influenza. She said case rates of both COVID-19 and flu were high in the region, so it was important to take the necessary precautions.

Patients in the hospital have immunocompromising conditions such as cancer, Downham said. A case of flu or COVID could be absolutely devastating for them.

Although infections had been increasing in the state over the past few weeks, they have recently started to ebb. The rate of transmission in the state was 0.88 on Sunday. A transmission rate of less than 1 implies coronavirus spread is decelerating.

Downham cautioned that current cases may be underreported now that people are relying more on at-home testing. She said people may go untested if they believe their symptoms to be result of springtime allergies instead of the coronavirus, or if they discount the possibility of reinfection.

The Centers for Disease Control Prevention evaluates coronavirus risk in every county in the United States, as dictated by a formula centered on COVID-19 hospitalizations and hospital capacity. Every county in New Jersey is designated as medium or high risk, and every county in South Jersey, except Cumberland County, is at high risk.

The CDC advises that those in high-risk counties wear masks in public, indoor settings regardless of vaccination status or individual risk of contracting COVID. It generally recommends the use of N95 or KN95 respirator masks over other kinds, saying they can offer the best protection against coronavirus infection.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also reimposed mask mandates and social-distancing protocols at its medical facilities in light of coronavirus risks. In May, it was announced that masks would be required at VA facilities in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties, and all patients would be screened before entry. Visitors are being asked to stay home unless they are assisting a patient.

With most businesses no longer requiring masks, the continuation of mask mandates at hospitals might be jarring to people visiting them. Masks have been politically polarizing, with some conservative activists decrying mandates as a violation of bodily autonomy.

Downham said she understood there may be fatigue with masking, but that most people are receptive to the explanation of why it is important.

Balogun, similarly, said the majority of people have responded well to the continuation of mask mandates in hospitals.

For the most part I think were able to really dialogue and present a case for why, and in most cases the members of the public that Im referring to tend to understand, she said.

Balogun said the pandemic has helped to underscore individuals obligation to help people especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. She urged people coming to hospitals to be cognizant of whether they have symptoms of COVID-19, whether they have come in contact with someone who has it and to communicate that with health care providers.

Much of our pandemic response has also been driven and supported by a sense of community, Balogun said. As we leave our homes and go into the public, that sense of community is something that we should really, truly live as a foundational principle.

Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com

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ATLANTIC CITY  Atlantic City held a ceremony Monday to name a municipal court courtroom for the late Bruce F. Weekes, who in 1985 became the first Black Chief Municipal Judge in New Jersey.

Weekes was also the first Black lawyer to become an assistant city solicitor, and in 1976, he became the first full-time municipal public defender in state history, according to his family. He died in 2016.

His son, also Bruce Weekes, was sworn in to his first term as City Councilman in January.

Councilman Bruce Weekes said Monday about 20 family members, mostly from out of town, attended the ceremony to dedicate Courtroom No. 2 to his dad.

They were already in New York for a graduation, Weekes said of his family, including one of his fathers sisters, Sala Damali, who lives in Ghana, Africa. Thats why we did it now. It was the only date she could make it work.

City Council had decided to dedicate a courtroom to his father years ago, Weekes said, but there had been no ceremony because of COVID restrictions.

The elder Bruce Weekes father, George Weekes, was also a history maker. He was the first African American to own a business on Atlantic Avenue. He owned Mutual Taxi and a gas station and mechanic shop, and died in 1991, according to the family.

City Council designated the corner of Connecticut and Atlantic avenues, where he had a business, George N. Weekes corner in 2020.

Atlantic City Municipal Court is in the Public Safety Building at 2715 Atlantic Ave.

REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com

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State Police are looking for suspects in a pair of dirt bike thefts.

Last week, State Police began investigating a pair of incidents in Cumberland and Cape May counties. A surveillance video of at least one of the incidents was posted to the State Police Facebook page.

The first happened about 3 a.m. May 30 in Maurice River Township. A duo broke into a locked shed and stole two dirt bikes from inside.

The suspects are believed to be two men, one with a medium build, a short, dark beard and mustache, and who was last seen wearing a light-colored hoodie. The other was wearing a light-colored hoodie and black mask, State Police said.

About 4:30 a.m. Friday, a pair of suspects entered a garage in Dennis Township and again stole two dirt bikes. Both suspects in that case are described as men with medium builds, wearing light-colored hooded sweatshirts, light-colored T-shirts and black masks, State Police said.

One man has an identifiable tattoo on his right wrist, State Police said.

State Police did not say whether the stolen bikes have been located or returned to their owners.

Anyone with information about the thefts can call the State Police Port Norris Station Criminal Investigation Office at 856-785-0036 or State Police Woodbine Station Criminal Investigation Office at 609-861-5698. Tips can be anonymous.

Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin

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 Flash

China has achieved inspiring and remarkable outcomes in fighting climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, on Sunday.

Mrema made the remarks at China's national event to mark the 2022 World Environment Day, which she addressed via video link. Themed "work together to build a clean and beautiful world," the event was held in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Mrema noted that China has actively and persistently contributed to global efforts to address environmental issues, promoting sustainable development and building a community for all life on earth.

She also commended China's measures on mainstreaming biodiversity, including establishing national parks and drawing up ecological redlines.

The national event on World Environment Day aims to encourage the whole of society to improve its awareness of environmental protection, participate in the construction of ecological civilization, and build a beautiful China, demonstrating China's role as an important participant, contributor and leader in constructing global ecological civilization, according to the event organizer.

China's Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said at the event that China will further step up international cooperation on climate change, marine pollution control and biodiversity conservation, working together with the international community to fulfill the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Mike Durant, the Black Hawk Down pilot who finished third in Alabama's Republican Senate primary, said he will not make an endorsement in the upcoming runoff.

Durant said he will not endorse either of the remaining candidates for the GOP nomination for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby. The June 21 runoff pits Katie Britt, Shelbys former chief of staff and former leader of a state business group, against U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who resurrected his campaign after losing former President Donald Trumps backing.

Durant said the choices are a candidate that has been in the public office for 40 years and another he called really not qualified and accused of running an ethically challenged campaign that distorted his views.

Thats what people have to decide. Unfortunately, its not a great option, Durant said.

Durant is the owner of an aerospace company but best known as the helicopter pilot who was held captive in Somalia during the 1993 battle chronicled in Black Hawk Down." With his military background, Durant entered the race with a splash but ultimately ended in third place.

He said his first foray into politics was a disenchanting one and will also be his last. He blamed his campaign's demise on a bombardment of negative ads he called blatant" mistruths.

If people say, well, thats just politics. Well, then dont complain about what we have in Washington. Thats not politics. Wrong is wrong, he said.

Super PACS spent more than $20 million to influence the Alabama primary, with ads being run against all three candidates.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Ahead of his 2019 push for tax increases from a Legislature controlled by fellow Democrats, Gov. Phil Murphy attacked foes within his party in South Jersey over tax breaks to help reinvigorate Camden.

All tax breaks in New Jersey raise questions of favoritism and even corruption, and all are justified only because officials have made the state the business tax and regulatory pariah of the nation. But Murphy and his task force ignored many equally questionable Economic Development Authority projects in North Jersey. He attacked only those connected to Democratic power broker and businessman George E. Norcross III.

The task force and the EDA stopped the payment of previously awarded incentives to several entities involving Norcross, all of which had contributed to improving Camden, New Jerseys most depressed city.

Now, three years later, all those tax incentives Murphy used to vilify his foes are being paid out, quietly except in one case where the recipient successfully sued to force payment.

Insurance brokerage Conner Strong & Buckelew, whose executive chairman is Norcross, and its two business partners in a $245 million Camden office tower received their first installment of tax breaks in February. Notice of the released disbursement was buried in an Excel spreadsheet on the EDA website.

Holtec International, a global leader in nuclear industry innovation, had qualified for up to $260 million in tax breaks over 10 years for relocating its headquarters to Camden.

Thats the corporation chosen to close and remediate the Oyster Creek nuclear generating station in Lacey Township; awarded $116 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to design and build a small, modular nuclear reactor incapable of overheating; and selected to decommission the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert, Michigan.

Holtec sued when the state withheld tax credits it had earned, and on Dec. 30 a N.J. Superior Court judge ordered the EDA to pay the $26 million annual installment.

Even one of the states leading hospitals, Cooper Health System, had its tax credits suspended during Murphys political war against South Jersey Democrats because Norcross is chairman of its board. The EDA quietly took another look and started disbursing tax credits to it again last year.

Murphy got whatever leverage he could to increase taxes on New Jersey businesses and residents. And once he was reelected, he was safe from criticism by progressive foes of tax credits.

Theres a degree of financial and image harm to the victims of Murphys punishment of political foes. The effort also sends a message to businesses everywhere that, even if they collaborate with New Jersey politicians, they might be capsized when the political winds shift.

The biggest loser, though, seems to be the Democratic Party of New Jersey, which gave Wall Street financier Murphy the gubernatorial nomination after he showered money on its party bosses in the north.

In Novembers election, a Republican wave of victories mainly in South Jersey struck a blow against continued one-party rule by Democrats. The GOP gains continued those made in 2019 in the 1st Legislative District, which likewise were aided by Murphys attacks on rivals in his party.

Murphys term in office will end, but the damage to his partys fortunes might continue.
Two Republicans will be on the ballot to vie for the newly drawn Iowa House District 81, which covers northwest Davenport and lacks an incumbent.

Davenport real estate agent Sean Hanley is running against Luana Stoltenberg, an author and speaker who has been endorsed by social conservative groups such as the Family Leader.

Hanley unsuccessfully ran for the Iowa House in 2020 against Democratic incumbent state Rep. Monica Kurth of Davenport and no-party candidate Jonathan Vance.

With the decennial redistricting, Kurth is running in a different House district. Former Genesis spokesperson Craig Cooper is running for District 81 as a Democrat.

Hanley was unavailable for an interview because of a recent and ongoing family medical emergency.

In a statement announcing his candidacy in December, Hanley said he'd focus on education, public safety and economic growth if elected, and he has he would work in a bipartisan manner.

"This starts with my support of funding increases for our K-12 schools with open financial transparency," Hanley said in the statement. "I will continue to support funding advancements in state infrastructure and ways to streamline our spending, working to continue building a more competitive tax climate. This will put more money back in Iowan's pockets providing much-needed relief. I will continue my support for our men and women who protect and serve in a way that is effective and sustainable. I will keep fighting for homeownership and property rights for hardworking Iowans through policies geared to getting more Iowans into homes."

Stoltenberg has made abortion and conservative social issues central tenants of her campaign in social media posts and comments at Republican events.

Stoltenberg was endorsed by the Iowa Family Leader, a religious and socially conservative advocacy group. Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Family Leader, said in a press release Stoltenberg's "commitment to protecting unborn children is deeply rooted, and her compassionate advocacy on behalf of women wounded by abortion is a shining example of the voices most needed in the current debate."

Stoltenberg said she's on leadership of and involved with several pro-life groups, including a pregnancy resource center and is a board member of the Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders, she said.

In May, Stoltenberg told attendees at a candidate event sponsored by Scott County Republican Women that abortion was a personal issue for her. She told attendees she had three abortions as a young woman, which she later deeply regretted, and later adopted a son because she was no longer able to bear children.

"I thought because it was legal, it was OK. But it destroyed a lot of my life," Stoltenberg told attendees.

Stoltenberg said she wants to see a constitutional amendment put to the voters that would make explicit Iowa's constitution didn't protect the right to an abortion. State lawmakers already passed such an amendment, House Joint Resolution 5. It must be passed again by the legislature and then would go to voters for ratification, which would require a simple majority.

Beyond abortion, Stoltenberg opposes vaccine requirements, supports taxpayer funded savings accounts to help with families switching to private schools, and said she supported eliminating protected classes from the Iowa Civil Rights Act altogether.

In a survey by the Constitutional Action Network posted online by far-right conservative news site the Iowa Standard, Stoltenberg described her opposition to vaccine requirements and said she'd support stripping gender identity and sexual orientation from the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

"Gender identity and sexual orientation are not a protected class, it is a choice," Stoltenberg wrote on the survey.

The 1965 Iowa Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations. Different treatment is illegal under the act if it's based on race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, or disability.

A group of nine Republican Iowa lawmakers tried to introduce a bill in 2020 to remove gender identity from the civil rights act, a move that opponents said would eliminate ant-discrimination protections for transgender Iowans. The Iowa Legislature added gender identity and sexual orientation as protected classes in 2007.

"I feel like there shouldn't be special protections for people because we can go on all day," Stoltenberg said in a phone call on Thursday night. "...The more things we just put into law, to me, it greys the line. I think we should all be respectful of one another. And who we are whether it be you know, whatever gender, whatever race, whatever. We're all people we're all the human race. And so no one should be more protected than another. We should all love each other."

She also indicated on the survey that she supports taxpayer-funded savings accounts for students switching to private schools, as well as limit the governor's power in declaring an emergency proclamation, requiring the Legislature take a vote on a state of emergency lasting longer than 15 days.

Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds pushed for the private schools measure, which would've diverted per-pupil funding into savings accounts for 10,000 students to offset costs of switching to a private school.

"I do believe that that tax payers' money that sends that child to school, I think that they should be able to take that money and put it into a savings account and say 'that money follows that child,'" Stoltenberg said.

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An open seat and the handling of a key public safety decision have spurred an unusually crowded primary field for three seats on Scott County Board of Supervisors this election cycle.

Voters will winnow the field of five Democrats and four Republicans to three of each party in the June 7 primary election. Early voting is already underway.

Two incumbent supervisors  Brison Kinzer, an electrician and construction trainer from Blue Grass, and Republican John Maxwell, a dairy farm owner from Donahue  are running for reelection.

Democratic Supervisor Ken Croken is running for an Iowa House seat and not seeking re-election.

The four Democratic newcomers running for the supervisor seats are:

Karl Drapeaux, a business representative for Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Blue Grass resident

Joseph Miller, a St. Ambrose business professor from Davenport who previously served as an appointed Davenport City Council member

Jazmin Newton, a Davenport attorney and Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce board member

Dawson Shea VanWinkle, 22, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in May with a criminal justice degree

The three Republican newcomers are:

Jean Dickson, a Bettendorf civil service commission member and a former Pleasant Valley school board member.

Jennifer McAndrew Lane, a probation and parole officer for the U.S. District Court serving Scott County and wife of Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane

Ross Paustian, a farmer and retiring state lawmaker from Walcott

County supervisors have faced mounting criticism, both from residents and national criminal justice organizations, over plans to use millions in federal COVID-19 relief dollars to build a new and expanded juvenile detention facility. Construction of which is expected to begin in October.

Critics argue the planned 40-bed facility is over-sized and unneeded, and that it will deepen racial disparities within the juvenile court system. Advocates for the new Youth Justice & Rehabilitation Center say the larger facility is needed to address overcrowding and long-term capacity needs.

Kinzer, who is running for a third term, says Scott County should continue on its current public safety path  supporting the new YJRC and advocating for ample staff for the Sheriff's Office.

"We have an antiquated facility right now," Kinzer said of the juvenile detention center. "That's not conducive to the kids or to the staff. And we have an opportunity to build a 21st-century holistic facility that will keep our kids here if they are deemed to go there. If they're deemed to go there, then we owe it to them and to staff to keep them here, not in Eldora, not in Illinois."

Newton, an attorney and nonprofit advocate who lost narrowly to Scott County Board Chairman Ken Beck in 2020, said if elected said she'd support more attention on crime-prevention efforts.

"Unfortunately, too much of the discussion comes around either detention or rehabilitation, which I am 110% for rehabilitation," Newton said. "But from my perspective, we need to be doing more we need to be working on prevention."

She said she "strongly supports" the Coordinated Assessment Program and pointed to the Davenport's Group Violence Intervention strategy, which aims to interrupt cycles of violence. She also said she has supported a new and slightly larger juvenile detention center, but wants to focus more on prevention.

Miller, the St. Ambrose business professor, said his top priority would be to bolster efforts to communicate the board's decision-making process to the public, pointing specifically to the juvenile detention center decision as one example.

"If we were to fund essential workers or other things like that, that would have been a lot better to fund money for, but by the time they made the decision on the detention center for juveniles, the train had already left the station, so to speak," Miller said. "I think that that would have been a lot better if they were able to communicate that to people a lot earlier."

VanWinkle, who completed an internship with Scott County in June 2021 where he shadowed county staff, said the existing juvenile detention center is too small to meet the county's needs.

"I think that there needs to be improvements to the JDC," VanWinkle said. "It's too small to keep the kids of Scott County close to their family and to their lawyers."

He said he'd like to see more career training programming in the new Juvenile Detention Center, like welding, carpentry, and mechanic classes.

Drapeaux, a Marine Corps veteran and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 union representative who grew up in west Davenport, said he supported a new juvenile detention center. He said he supported outreach programming for young people, but added that solutions would need to come from all levels of government, and fair wages for working parents could be an indirect solution.

He said his top priority is supporting infrastructure projects in the county in order to attract people to the area.

"I want to see a lot more go into our infrastructure being utilized, to upgrade our county roads, our parks," Drapeaux said.

Republicans

Each Republican running for Scott County board said their top priorities include supporting the Sheriff's Office's staffing levels and the county officials' decision to build a new and expanded juvenile detention center.

"There's lots of things that are going on on the board that I want to continue with and be a part of," Maxwell said. "I think I'm giving continuity to the board as well having served on it for three and a half years."

As an attorney, Dickson said she's represented municipalities, counties and school districts, and would bring that experience to the supervisors.

"I'm not coming in to shake up the Board of Supervisors," Dickson said. "I think for the most part the Board of Supervisors is effective, solid and strong. So I'm here to kind of make a good thing better."

One candidate in particular says she's running primarily because of her experience in public safety. Lane, who's worked for 25 years as a probation and parole officer, said her top priorities are improving road access for emergency personnel and bolstering public safety in the county. She said she'd support exploring deploying incentives to retain county jailers.

"It's important to keep and maintain people because it's very expensive to retrain people when you have such a high turnover," Lane said.

She also said she'd like to see supervisors and the county law enforcement do more community outreach, and pointed out that she was the only Republican candidate to attend a forum sponsored by Quad Cities Interfaith.

Lane is wife to Sheriff Tim Lane, a position which the Iowa Secretary of State's legal counsel warned the Scott County Attorney's Office could advise her to recuse herself from some votes the board takes on items related to the Sheriff's Office.

McAndrew Lane, however, said: "If I would make any decisions on any of that, that would be for the good of the residents of Scott County."

Paustian said his top priorities would be keeping the county's roads and bridges up to date, and ensuring the Scott County Sheriff's Office has enough staff and resources to keep the county safe.

"We need to make sure that he has enough staff to have enough patrols out there," Paustian said of the Sheriff's Office.

With budgeting experience in the state legislature, too, he said he wants to keep property taxes low.

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A Davenport man was sentenced last week to 16 months in a federal prison for escaping custody.

Marcus Lamar Avant, 27, will serve the sentence after he finishes a 60-month sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Illinois.

According to a news release from United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa, Avant was previously sent to prison for a prior federal escape conviction. After the term, he was ordered to served three years of supervised release and pay $100 to the Crime Victims fund.

In September 2020, Avant escaped from the Davenport Residential Reentry Center (RRC) and was not located for four months. When he was arrested in February 2021, Avant was found with a firearm in Rock Island.

Avant pleaded guilty to the escape offense on Jan. 10, 2022, following his conviction for the firearm offense in the Central District of Illinois.

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An Eldridge woman charged with multiple counts of child endangerment and accused of selling marijuana out of her garage made her first appearance Monday in the Scott County Courthouse.

Teisha Marie Jacobi's preliminary hearing will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21. She also requested to be represented by a public defender.

Eldridge Police conducting an on-going drug investigation arrested Jacobi early Saturday for allegedly peddling marijuana out of her garage.

Jacobi, 40, is charged with four counts of child endangerment as well as one count each of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, conspiracy to sell marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of Iowas drug tax stamp law.

According to a news release from Eldridge Police Chief Joe Sisler, at 6 a.m. Saturday officers served a search warrant at a home in the 200 block of West Central Drive.

Officers found four children under the age of 18 in the home.

In the common garage officers seized 424 grams of marijuana as well as numerous items of drug paraphernalia.

According to the arrest affidavit, in a post-Miranda interview Jacobi admitted to holding and selling the drugs from her home with another person.

Jacobi was released Saturday from the Scott County Jail after posting bond through a bonding company.

Reporter Tom Loewy contributed to this story.

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Eight candidates are running for the Congressional seat soon to be vacated by outgoing U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, who announced last April she would not seek a sixth term.

The primary election on June 28 will determine which Democrat and Republican candidates will be on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election.

May 19 was the first day to send in vote-by-mail ballots or vote in person at the Rock Island County clerk's office, 1504 3rd Ave., Rock Island.

The crowded field of six Democratic candidates who will face off in the primary are Rock Island County board member Angie Normoyle, former WQAD meteorologist Eric Sorensen, Rockford resident and former Illinois state Rep. Litesa Wallace, Rockford Alderman Jonathan Logemann, Marsha Williams of Channahon and cannabis lobbyist Jacqueline McGowan.

Rockford Alderwoman Linda McNeely was removed from the ballot in early May after the Illinois State Board of Elections ruled some of the signatures on her nominating petitions were invalid, leaving her short of the required 400 signatures.

The Republican primary will see a match-up between attorney Esther Joy King and insurance broker Charlie Helmick, both of East Moline.

Democrats

Jonathan Logemann

Jonathan Logemann, 35, is a two-term 2nd Ward Rockford alderman and a business and economics teacher at Auburn High School. He also is an Illinois National Guard captain who served a nine-month tour in Afghanistan.

Logemann grew up in Lancaster, Wis., and graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies education.

Logemann said he was inspired to run for Congress because he felt a call to serve.

"My country is very important to me, and my community is very important to me," Logemann said in October. "As a teacher, and with my service in the Illinois National Guard and as an alderman ... none of these are glamorous jobs at all, but service to community is something that's very important to me."

Jacqueline McGowan

Born and raised in California, Jacqueline McGowan moved to Chicago after high school and now resides in Palos Hills.

McGowan, 47, worked as a stockbroker for 18 years  nine in New York and nine in Illinois  before leaving to become a cannabis policy expert and lobbyist. She ran unsuccessfully for California governor last year before moving back to Illinois.

"I am running for United States House of Representatives in District 17 because I can not sit idly by and allow this seat to be turned over to a Trump Republican," McGowan said. "I am a former stock broker and cannabis lobbyist and feel I am the most qualified to handle the enormous responsibilities that comes with being a lawmaker.

"I look forward to continuing on the esteemed work of Congresswoman Cheri Bustos in order to honor her legacy. My soul has always been satisfied the most when I am of service to others and I look forward to being the tough Democrat that this District is yearning for."

Angie Normoyle

Angie Normoyle was elected to the Rock Island County board in 2019 representing District 14.

Normoyle, 55, is a native of Roscoe, near Rockford. She graduated from Augustana College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and went on to earn master's and doctorate degrees in communications from Northwestern University.

Normoyle has worked part-time as an assistant professor at Augustana College teaching communications for 19 years. She also has been active as a volunteer in the community, having served on the Moline school board from 2007 to 2011, volunteering for The Junior League and for St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport.

"I want to serve in Congress to help more people fulfill the dream my great-grandmother had: that with hard work, you will have the opportunity to earn a good living, raise a family and retire with dignity  and youll be able to do it right here in Northwest Illinois," Normoyle wrote on her website, NormoyleforCongress.com.

Eric Sorensen

After 22 years as a meteorologist and broadcast journalist, Sorensen left his job with WQAD, Channel 8, in July.

Born and raised in Rockford, Sorensen, 46, graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications and a minor in meteorology.

Sorensen is an advocate for the LGBTQ community, serving on the boards of Clock, Inc. and The Project of the Quad Cities.

As a weatherman, Sorensen said he earned the trust of the communities he served. He said in November that his science and meteorology background made him uniquely qualified to tackle the climate change crisis.

"Climate change policy gets made at the federal level," he said. "Local and state governments are still really important, but we need someone with a science background speaking in Washington."

Litesa Wallace

Litesa Wallace, 44, was born and raised in Chicago but moved to Rockford nearly 17 years ago.

Wallace earned a bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University, a master's degree in marriage and family counseling from Northern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in educational psychology.

She served as chief of staff to former State Rep. Charles E. Jefferson from 2011 to 2014 before being elected herself as state Representative for the 67th District from 2014 to 2019. During her time in the state legislature, Wallace said she "strengthened the child care assistance program, fought against food insecurity, advocated for affordable housing and fought for a $15 minimum wage."

She co-founded the Rockford Anti-Racism Network and serves as a fellow for the Diversifying Faculty in Higher Education Board.

"As a single mom, social worker and former state representative, I know the challenge of finding affordable child care and the impacts of the rising cost of food and rent on our families," Wallace said in November. "And that's why Im running for Congress  to continue the fight for working families in (District) 17. I've always said that families are the bedrock of our communities."

Marsha Williams

Marsha Williams was born in Joliet and is now a resident of Channahon. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in legal studies from Purdue Global University and works as an admissions adviser at the 160 Driving Academy in Bensenville.

As a community organizer and activist, Williams became active in the abortion rights movement in 2002 when she volunteered as an abortion escort for women and organized events to protect Planned Parenthood. She later would need a late-term abortion when her unborn son died at 38 weeks of pregnancy.

She also has volunteered as the Minooka Community High School alumni board chair from 2013 to 2016, served on the planning committee for the Bold Urban Renaissance Network from 2014 to 2017 and volunteered for the Chiditarod Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at alleviating hunger through direct action, from 2015 to 2017.

Williams said she considered herself one of the more progressive candidates in the race, supporting the Green New Deal and universal health care.

"Illinois (District) 17 deserves a representative who will truly stand up for and be accountable to the people, not corporate donors and lobbyists," she said in November. "Corporate PACs are going to be gunning for this open seat, but Im not taking any of their money."

Republicans

Esther Joy King

Esther Joy King, 35, is an attorney from East Moline and small-business owner of her own marketing firm.

King is taking a second shot at the 17th Congressional District. As the Republican nominee in 2020, she came within 4 percentage points of defeating Bustos, losing 52% to 48%.

As the daughter of Christian missionaries, King lived with her family in a converted school bus during her childhood, later moving to the U.S.-Mexico border.

She earned her law degree and a master's of law in taxation from Northwestern University in Chicago, beginning her legal career as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago. She was named to Crain's Chicago Business Magazine's annual "20 in their 20s" feature in May 2016, while she was a partner with Summerset Group Communications.

After graduating from college, King moved to Kabul, Afghanistan, where she served as an aid worker. She then joined the U.S. Army Reserves as a member of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, leading to her relocation to the Rock Island Arsenal a few years ago.

"We need a battle-ready leader. We need a fighter who wont back down, someone who knows that the residents of the 17th District matter more than Washington, D.C., special interests," King said when she announced her candidacy in April 2021.

Charlie Helmick

Charlie Helmick, 58, lives in East Moline with his wife, Shirley, and together the couple co-owns two Country Financial Insurance franchises.

Helmick retired from FedEx after 29 years as a route manager and worked one year for the TSA within the Department of Homeland Security.

Helmick said he espoused conservative Republican values through lower taxes, smaller government, strong borders and the support of law enforcement and stiffer jail sentences.

"I've always wanted to serve in some capacity," Helmick said in April 2021 when he announced his candidacy. "I wanted to get involved and see if I couldn't make a difference and get some representation in our area for a change that I felt I wasn't getting before. I look forward to the race."

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Two Democrats are on the ballot for Senate District 41, which covers northwestern Scott County, part of Muscatine County, and all of Cedar County, with different philosophies on how Democrats should operate as the minority party.

Nikole Tutton, a Mechanicsville Democrat and human resources consultant in diversity and inclusion, said the Iowa Democratic Party hadn't been forceful enough in outlining harms in Republican policies.

"If I'm in the minority, so be it, but I'm gonna shake some bushes," Tutton said. " I'm gonna stick an amendment into every bill I can and just be a thorn in the side of these Republicans who want to be mean and nasty."

Deb VanderGaast, a Tipton Democrat, registered nurse, and child care center director, pitched herself as a pragmatic lawmaker, pushing for legislation she's helped craft that would address rising child care expenses.

"I already have a plan to address my biggest issue," VanderGaast said. "And I've already been collaborating with other current senators to make it happen. So I'm gonna get results."

Because of decennial legislative redistricting, no incumbent is running for the district. Sen. Jim Lykam and Sen. Roby Smith have both opted not to run. The winner will face one of two new faces, Kerry Gruenhagen or Alan Weets, who are running for the Republican nomination. The Iowa Senate is currently split 32 Republicans to 18 Democrats.

For VanderGaast, child care is a core reason she's running. She's closing her child care center for children with special needs, Tipton Adaptive Daycare, she said, because of a lack of workers and increasingly unsustainable costs  she said she's been operating at loss between $5,000 and $7,000 each month for roughly a year.

She said she had legislation drawn up that would implement a payroll tax on employers to make more families eligible for the federal Child Care and Development Block grant, which pays child care centers to offset costs for eligible families.

"Employers are the No. 1 beneficiary of child care," VanderGaast said. " So they will make back what way probably eight-fold what they pay in a tax when we get our economy working again, we solve our worker shortage and our supply-chain issues because families can finally afford to go to work."

Tutton has a personal motivation for running, too. She said she moved with her son, who has Asperger's syndrome, to Mechanicsville, where she said there were not autism-specific resources for him.

"I work with families through the Iowa Autism Society just fighting for IEP, individual education programs, for their kid," Tutton said. "The first thing to get cuts are special ed programs."

She said she wanted to work to increase funding for K-12 schools at a faster clip, block taxpayer funded scholarships for private schools and pledged to push to bring Medicaid back under state control.

In 2016, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad shifted Iowa's state-run system to private insurers. In a state audit, Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, found illegal denials of coverage, cases where a judge restored benefits to a complainant, had increased 891%. Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has continued to support the privatization, as has the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Both said they supported raising Iowa's minimum wage, VanderGaast to at least $10 an hour and Tutton said she supports an eventual $15 an hour minimum wage.

"I am passionate about the issues," Tutton said. "I may not be the most polished politician, or the most well spoken, but I tell you what, it comes from the heart. And no one is more passionate about equality, democracy and justice. than I am."

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Polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, for primary voters to cast their ballots in several statewide and local races in Scott County.

The primary is the first statewide election since lawmakers in Des Moines passed major changes to election laws in 2021 that shortened windows to absentee vote and closed polls an hour earlier. Proponents say the changes add more security to the voting system, but critics say the new laws unnecessarily disenfranchise voters.

Early voting ended on Monday  the Scott County Auditor's Office is open for in-person early voting until 4:30 p.m.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

You can find your polling location online with Scott County's precinct finder, at www.scottcountyiowa.gov/auditor/precinct-finder.

Because of the decennial redistricting process, precincts and voting locations may have changed. The Auditor's Office sent out updated polling location information to Scott County voters.

The general election will be Nov. 8.

As of Monday morning, 2,068 absentee ballots have been returned, according to Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins. That number includes votes cast in-person at the Auditor's Office, by mail and via satellite voting locations.

The 2021 voting law moved up the deadline for when voters could request absentee ballots from 10 days before the election to 15 days ahead the election.

Tompkins said 161 ballot requests were rejected that would have arrived on time before the 2021 changes. In total, 173 absentee request forms came in after the deadline.

Those voters still have opportunities to vote, Tompkins emphasized, but not via mail absentee. Each voter receives a letter with other options, Tompkins said.

Another change in Iowa's election law states that mail-in absentee ballots postmarked before June 7, but received by the Auditor's Office after June 7, can't be counted.

So, voters who still have an absentee ballot can hand-deliver it to the Auditor's Office, not the polling location, until polls close at 8 p.m. on June 7.

Voters can also surrender their absentee ballot at their polling location and cast their vote in-person.

If voters don't have their absentee ballot, they can still vote with a provisional ballot, which is counted once the Auditor's Office confirms it hasn't received the requested absentee ballot, too.

Who's running in local races?

In Scott County, three local legislative seats feature competitive primaries, and one of those has a competitive race for both parties. County Board of Supervisors  for both Democrats and Republicans  are the only competitive county races.

County supervisors

For county supervisors, voters will winnow a field of four Republicans and five Democrats to three of each party to appear on the November general election ballot.

A departing supervisor leaving an open seat and a key decision on American Rescue Plan funds to go toward an expanded juvenile detention center has spurred a competitive race for the board.

For Democrats, voters will choose three among:

Karl Drapeaux, a business representative for Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Blue Grass resident.

Brinson Kinzer, an electrician, trainer, and union member from Blue Grass. Kinzer, an incumbent, is running for his third term as a supervisor and previously was mayor of Blue Grass.

Joseph Miller, a St. Ambrose University business professor from Davenport who previously served as an appointed Davenport City Council member.

Jazmin Newton, a Davenport attorney, Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce board member and LULAC leader.

Dawson Shea VanWinkle, a 22-year-old criminal-justice graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

Republican voters will choose among:

Jean Dickson, an attorney, Bettendorf civil service commission member, and former Pleasant Valley school board member.

Jennifer McAndrew Lane, a probation and parole officer for the U.S. District Court serving Scott County and wife of Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane.

John Maxwell, a dairy farm owner from Donahue who is running for reelection to his second term to the board and is also a North Scott School Board member.

Ross Paustian, a farmer and retiring state lawmaker from Walcott.

Republican primary for Senate District 47

In local legislative races, Republican voters in eastern Scott County will decide between two city council members to face Bettendorf doctor Mary Kathleen Figaro, a Democrat, to be elected to represent Senate District 47.

The seat includes Eldridge, Bettendorf, Riverdale, Panorama Park and parts of LeClaire and Davenport.

Barry Long, a LeClaire City Council member and Republican union member who was inspired to run for City Council 13 years ago by Sarah Palin, said he's with Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds' agenda "100%".

Scott Webster, a home-builder and business owner who has experience in recommending state policy as part of associations and advisory groups, said he supported many of the causes Iowa Republicans and Reynolds had championed over the past year similar to Long  lower taxes, taxpayer-funded scholarships for private school expenses and abortion restrictions  but differed on how far he'd go.

On taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts, a sticking point in the recent legislative session, Webster said he was concerned about a proposal to send leftover per-pupil aid to rural schools instead of staying in the district. Long said he'd support the proposal whether or not that provision was included.

Republican primary in House District 81

Two Republicans are running for the nomination of a northwest Davenport Iowa House seat, District 81. The winner will face former Genesis spokesperson Craig Cooper, a Democrat.

Davenport Realtor Sean Hanley, who ran unsuccessfully for Iowa House in 2020, said upon announcing his candidacy he would focus on education, public safety and economic growth if elected, and he would work in a bipartisan manner.

Davenport author and speaker Luana Stoltenberg has made abortion and social conservative issues central tenants of her campaign. Endorsed by the Iowa Family Leader, a religious and socially conservative advocacy group, Stoltenberg volunteers for several anti-abortion nonprofits and is a board member of the Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders.

Two primaries in Senate District 41, covering northwest Scott County

Two Democrats are vying for the party nomination in Senate District 41, which covers all of Cedar County, parts of Muscatine County, and northwestern Scott County, including part of Davenport.

Nikole Tutton, of Mechanicsville, is a human resources consultant in diversity and inclusion. Deb VanderGaast, of Tipton, is a registered nurse and child care center director.

The two have different philosophies on how the Democrats should operate if they continue to be the minority party.

Tutton said she thought the Democratic Party could do a better job emphasizing harms of Republican policies, and if elected, she said she was going to "shake some bushes" and "stick an amendment into every bill I can and just be a thorn in the side of these Republicans who want to be mean and nasty."

VanderGaast pitched herself as a pragmatic lawmaker if elected. She's advocated for changes to Iowa's child care system to keep child care centers afloat and said she already has legislation she can work with lawmakers to enact a payroll tax on employers to expand eligibility for a child care grant.

Two Republicans are also competing for their party nomination in the district: Kerry Gruenhagen, a Walcott farmer, and Alan Weets, a Mechanicsville farmer.

Gruenhagen said his top priorities included supporting law enforcement, "giving more power to parents in education," anti-abortion restrictions and further tax reductions.

Weets said his top priorities included preventing Iowa teachers from "indoctrinating" students, implementing a different tax bracket for out-of-state property owners to incentivize in-state owners and supporting policies that curb drug addiction and crime.

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In a stop Monday at the Rock Island Arsenal, the secretary of the Army said Quad-Citians should not be worried about a potential base closure or realignment at the area's top employer.

U.S. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, who became the 25th Army secretary following the U.S. Senate's confirmation in May 2021 as well as the first woman to hold the position, toured the Arsenal's Center of Excellence for Additive and Advanced Manufacturing at the Arsenal's Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, which included a tour of large-scale 3D printers. The secretary of the Army is the senior civilian official within the Department of Defense responsible for U.S. Army matters.

Local concerns over a national Base Realignment and Closure round, in which the Army assesses bases for efficiencies and unused space, rose anew after a lawmaker in Congress voiced support for another round. In the most recent round, in 2005, the Quad-Cities lost a 1,200-person unit, which was moved to Michigan.

But Wormuth said Quad Citians shouldn't worry.

"Quad City residents should not be worried about a BRAC," Wormuth told reporters. "There are no plans for any kind of a base closure here. You know, if anything, I would say Rock Island Arsenal is as important as ever."

Wormuth said the Arsenal's variety of manufacturing capabilities made it unique. Headquarters at the Arsenal include the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, which is host to large-scale 3D printing and other manufacturing capabilities, and the Joint Munitions Command, which manages the nation's ammunition plants. Soon, the JMTC will be home to the largest 3D metal printer in the world, which will be able to print large parts for military ground vehicles in one piece.

The Army Sustainment Command, which handles global logistics for the Army and is also headquartered at the Arsenal, she said, has organized the logistics of moving the U.S.'s lethal aid to Europe to aid NATO forces deployed in Europe as Ukraine faces a Russian invasion.

"They (Army Sustainment Command) have really been at the center of making sure that we've been able to move all of the different types of equipment that we're providing to the Ukrainians," Wormuth said. "So, for example, the M777 howitzers, but also just making sure that all of the different types of assistance and equipment that we're providing are getting to the right ports, the right places, so that they can get to Europe as quickly as possible."

"It, I think, underscores how important it is to have a healthy defense industrial base, and Rock Island Arsenal is core to that. So there's really nothing to worry about," Wormuth said of the possibility of a BRAC.

When asked about the possibility of bringing more contracts to the Rock Island Arsenal, Wormuth said the Army can talk with its sister services to identify if they have any needs that could be met at the Arsenal.

In Washington, D.C., the chair of a budget-writing defense subcommittee, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., recently voiced her support for evaluating bases and unneeded space to save the military money, formally known as BRAC.

The threat of BRAC comes with the possibility, however slight, of closures at 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, according to the Bi-State Commission.

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 Arsenal but kept a separate department that had been recommended for closure and gained another.

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.

Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., and member of the House Appropriations Committee and subcommittee on defense, last week pointed to an additional $70 million in federal funding dedicated to the Arsenal this year 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.

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 Flash

Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Sunday warned that any drilling activities by Israel in the territorial disputed area with Lebanon "constitute a provocation and a hostile act."

In a statement released by Lebanon's Presidency, Aoun said that Lebanon has already sent a letter to the UN Security Council, warning that any drilling activities by Israel in disputed areas may pose threat to international peace and security.

Aoun added that talks to demarcate maritime borders between the two countries had not been completed yet.

Aoun's remarks came after an Energean Power ship entered the Karish oil field, a disputed area between Lebanon and Israel, to start oil and gas exploration.

Israel had initially claimed the Karish North field as its own property, but later Lebanon expanded its claim in territorial waters, which would include at least part of the oil field.

This has resulted in the halting of indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries.
A CNN reporter correctly confronted the Uvalde, Texas, school district chief of police on Wednesday, refusing to take no for an answer when Chief Pedro Arredondo repeatedly tried to sidestep the reporter and avoid answering crucial questions about last weeks school massacre. Arredondo escaped through a door, after which the school district announced that it would arrest any reporter found on school district property.

These arent the actions of administrators and officers interested in an honest assessment of what went wrong in a school shooting that left 19 children and two educators dead. These are the actions of officials doing their best to evade accountability for the apparent hand-wringing cowardice of a commander who restrained law enforcers from taking action to save precious lives.

The threat to arrest reporters applies not just to Robb Elementary, the scene of the massacre, but any school district property where reporters wait to speak with officials. A video posted on Twitter Wednesday showed four school district officers informing reporters that they were regarded as trespassers and subject to arrest.

The pathetic story of Arredondos inaction, which may have cost the lives of wounded children, seems to get more pathetic by the day. At first, Uvalde law enforcers looked like heroes when stories circulated of alleged heroism in the first minutes of the school attack. But on closer inspection, it became clear that Arredondo behaved like a bumbling, indecisive coward.

U.S. Border Patrol officers, a police SWAT team and others waited anxiously for the order to go in as the shooter continued his rampage. Parents pleaded with officers to stop standing around and take action. One mother broke through a cordon to rescue her child. They handcuffed her. In the shooters presence, children were texting their parents, pleading for help.

But for 80 minutes, Arredondo  the incident commander in charge  held back. Some parents have good reason to believe that their wounded children might have bled out during that waiting period. Its unclear whether additional victims were shot while Arredondo was holding back. Uvaldes mayor, expressing outrage, asked the Justice Department to investigate.

CNN reporter Shimon Prokupecz confronted Arredondo directly at his office  not on school grounds  to ask why Texas Department of Public Safety officials are saying Arredondo wasnt cooperating with their investigation. Arredondo claimed his office was in contact with them, then fell back on the excuse that families are burying their loved ones and, out of respect, he would wait for them to finish grieving before answering questions.

Those families will never stop grieving. They deserve answers. Its too bad that they, like the families whose children were slaughtered in the 2019 Parkland, Florida, school massacre, had to put their trust in a law enforcer who seemed to have lost his nerve when the ability to summon courage might have saved lives.

This editorial originally appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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Despite party affiliation, everyone registered to vote in the area will have items on their ballots during Tuesday's primary election.

Constitutional Amendment C is the sole statewide ballot measure during the June primary. If approved, the amendment would add a provision to the state constitution that could make it more difficult to pass ballot measures that raise taxes or expand government funds. It would place a 60% vote threshold on citizen-initiated ballot measures that raise taxes or spend more than $10 million within the first five fiscal years of enactment.

Nonpartisan races in Rapid City include one seat each in Areas 3 and 6 for the Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education. Area 3 candidates include incumbent board member Gabe Doney and Michael Birkeland.

Area 6 has an open seat left by Amy Policky, who decided not to run for another term. The candidates include Jamie Clapham and Janyce Hockenbary.

Rapid City Council has seats open in Wards 2 and 5. Incumbent Council member Bill Evans is on the ballot against challenger Lindsey Seachris in Ward 2.

Ward 5 residents will be able to choose between Patrick Roseland and J.J. Carrell to fill Council member Darla Drews seat. Drew is not running for re-election but rather for South Dakota House District 34.

Republicans during the primary will be able to vote in the United States senator, representative and South Dakota governor races.

For one of the senator seats, GOP voters can choose between incumbent U.S. Sen. John Thune, Bruce Whalen or Mark Mowry. For U.S. Representative, theres incumbent U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and South Dakota Rep. Taffy Howard. For governor, voters can choose between Steven Haugaard and incumbent Gov. Kristi Noem.

The following state candidates and races can be voted on depending on someones district.

In District 30 for the senate seat, theres incumbent Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller and Rep. Timothy R. Goodwin. For the representative seat, voters can choose two candidates including Patrick J. Baumann, Dennis Krull, Lisa Gennaro, Gerold F. Herrick and incumbent Trish Ladner.

In District 33, for the senate seat theres incumbent Sen. David Johnson or Janet Jensen. In the representative race, voters can vote for up to two people including incumbent Rep. Phil Jensen, Curt Massie, Janette McIntyre and Dean Aurand.

For state representative District 32, voters can choose up to two candidates including incumbent Rep. Becky Drury, Jamie Giedd and Steve Duffy.

Up to two candidates can be selected for District 34 House, including incumbent Reps. Mike Derby and Jess Olson, and Jodie Frye.

For District 35 state representative, two candidates can be selected including incumbent Reps. Tony Randolph and Tina Mulally, Elizabeth Regalado and Box Elder Mayor Larry Larson.

In the Pennington County Sheriff race, voters can choose between Chief Deputy Sheriff Brian Mueller or Ryan Mechaley.

For the Pennington County Board of Commissioners District 1 seat, voters can choose between incumbent Commissioner Ron Rossknecht or Mike Mueller.

Voting polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Residents can check the South Dakota Secretary of States voter portal to find their polling location.

 Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com 

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Henrico County police have released the name of the victim in Saturdays shooting in the 300 block of Buffalo Road.

Officers responded to the call at about 8 p.m. and were flagged down by the victims friend, who led them to the person, said Lt. Matt Pecka. A man who had been struck by gunfire was found with wounds determined to be life-threatening.

JaShaun Jermaine ONeil, 29, of Henrico died later at a hospital, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (804) 501-5581. Community members also can call Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or go to p3Tips.com to submit tips. Both methods are anonymous.
An immense weeklong effort to find two local women who were swept away on the James River after their paddleboards plunged over Boshers Dam appeared to have ended Monday with the recovery of a body that authorities said they presume to be that of Sarah E. Erway, 28, of Chesterfield County.

A citizen who spotted a body in the middle of the river about 200 yards downstream from the Huguenot Bridge was the break that Richmond fire crews needed to bring closure to the Memorial Day tragedy. They put a boat into the water 12 minutes after receiving the 7:48 a.m. call and found the body at 8:50 a.m.

While noting the state medical examiners office must confirm the identity of the remains, police said Mondays discovery concludes a week-long, multi-agency search for Erway and Henrico County resident Lauren E. Winstead, 23, who was also lost in the river. Winsteads remains were found in the water Wednesday just west of the Powhite Parkway bridge.

Henrico police added in a statement: Per the family and friends, they ask for privacy during this difficult time.

Erway and Winstead went missing about 3:15 p.m. on May 30 after plunging over Boshers Dam on paddleboards. They were among a group of 12 people on a float trip that started out about 1 p.m. at Watkins Landing in Powhatan County.

Their 10 companions, riding paddleboards or inflatable rafts, also plunged over the dam but were rescued or got to safety on their own.

The group apparently had planned to exit the river at Robious Landing in Chesterfield, but the current was too strong and they were swept downstream, authorities said.

On May 31, the first full day of the search, first responders had no luck finding the two women in an effort that was based at Huguenot Flatwater at 8600 Southampton Road, part of the James River Park System. Drones, helicopters, planes and a variety of boats were used during the 12-hour search.

The search resumed the next day led by the Richmond Fire Department. Seven boats launched from Tredegar and Browns Island with search-and-rescue personnel from half a dozen area localities. They focused their efforts downstream in the areas near Belle Isle and the Interstate 95 bridge.

After nothing was found, the search was moved back upstream to Boshers Dam. There, crews found Winsteads body west of the Powhite Parkway Bridge at about 1:30 p.m.

The water levels and strength of the current, which followed heavy rains, proved to be too much for the group of 12 after they started their float trip.

The National Weather Service on Memorial Day recorded the water levels on the James River at over 9 feet by 3 p.m. Thats 3 feet higher than is deemed safe for average paddlers to navigate.

Police said they dont believe the group initially had any plans to float downstream into Richmond.

According to James River Park rules within the city limits, only high-water permit holders can be on the James when the river is at 9 feet and above at Westham Gauge. Life jackets must be worn on the river when the water level reaches or is above 5 feet at Westham Gauge.

After breaching Boshers Dam, the float trip participants became ensnared in the strong turbulence and recirculating currents of churning water that can trap and push victims underwater and then pull them back to the face of the dam in a repeating cycle. Such low-head dams are sometimes referred to as drowning machines because they can be deceivingly dangerous.

A number of questions about the float trip remain unanswered, and authorities thus far have not addressed those, as they focused their efforts on finding the two women.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch submitted a list of more than a dozen questions on Friday in an effort to learn, for example, whether the participants were wearing life jackets and carrying cellphones they could use in an emergency. It remains unknown whether any of them had prior river experience and whether someone from the group had determined the rivers water level before proceeding.

On Monday, authorities said the enormous effort in locating the two women brought together search groups from surrounding jurisdictions as well as out-of-state agencies.

They included Henrico police and fire; Richmond police and fire; Virginia State Police; the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; Chesterfield, Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan counties; Henricos Marine Unit; Metro Richmond Aviation; Metro Richmond Flying Squad; the James River Park System; the U.S. Coast Guard; Henrico Emergency Management; and Richmond Emergency Management.

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A panel of three federal judges on Monday rejected an attempt to hold Virginia House of Delegates elections this year, finding that the Democratic activist who brought a lawsuit did not have standing.

Paul Goldman of Richmond sued state election officials in June 2021, arguing that Virginias 100 House of Delegates seats should be up for election this fall. (The 100 House seats and 40 state Senate seats are up for election in 2023.)

Delegates in the House are elected every two years, and the election for the House was held in fall 2021. But Goldman challenged the constitutionality of the 2021 House elections.

District lines are drawn every 10 years based on federal census data, but the 2020 data was released late in 2021, and a new state redistricting commission could not agree on new lines in time for the 2021 election. Goldman argued the election was held under lines that were outdated and was unconstitutional.

The Virginia attorney generals office represented the state elections officials in the case and argued that Goldmans suit should be dismissed.

The 2021 Virginia elections were legal and constitutional, Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a statement Monday in response to the courts opinion. Record numbers of Virginians went to the polls to vote and had their voices heard.

And he said the ruling ends uncertainty for voters and legislators about when the next state House election will be held.

The courts opinion was written by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie D. Thacker and Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson joined the opinion.

The opinion examined whether Goldman had standing as a voter and potential candidate to bring the lawsuit. The court ruled he had not shown that he suffered individualized disadvantage due to living in an underrepresented House of Delegates district.

The court found the House district Goldman lives in had fewer people than the ideal in the 2021 election, meaning he actually benefited from over-representation.

Plaintiffs claim to voter standing fails, because his theory of standing rests on the population variances between districts other than his own, the opinion said.

The judges wrote that the case languished for far too long because of piecemeal filings by the state and unorthodox and improper filings by Goldman.

While I have great respect for the Judiciary, the ruling today in effect slashes the right to equal representation in the state legislature as required by the one-person, one-vote principle far worse than any case issued in the last 58 years, Goldman said.

The Virginia State Conference NAACP, ACLU, League of Women Voters and Arlington County Democratic Committee were among the organizations backing Goldman.

Democrats lost control of the House of Delegates in 2021 to Republicans, who have a 52-48 edge while Democrats retain control of the Senate, 21-19.
A $58 million federal grant will put high-speed rail on a fast track between Richmond and Raleigh, N.C., but Virginia is fishing for bigger funding opportunities to carry out a $3.7 billion passenger rail plan that depends on construction of a second two-track bridge over the Potomac River to Washington, D.C.

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is seeking a $300 million grant to help begin construction of the new rail span next to Long Bridge across the Potomac between Alexandria and Washington, allowing two tracks each for passenger and freight trains that now share the 118-year-old bridge.

The $2 billion project is projected to be complete by 2030, enabling almost hourly passenger train service between Washington and Richmond  both at Staples Mill Station in Henrico County and Main Street Station downtown.

The transformation of the old Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad corridor also is connected to expanding passenger service to Southwest Virginia and to Raleigh as part of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor.

Virginia is really the connector in these larger rail networks, said Gerica Goodman, spokeswoman for the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. Long Bridge is where they start.

The authority applied for the grant for Richmond-to-Raleigh project last November to begin designing a new passenger rail system on the old S-Line on 162 miles of right of way, including 75 miles that Virginia purchased from CSX last year between the Ettrick Station near Petersburg and Ridgeway, N.C.

North Carolina is poised to purchase the remaining portion of the line between Ridgeway and Raleigh, using another $47.5 million grant it received two years ago, according to the News & Observer newspaper in Raleigh.

The grant, announced in North Carolina last week by the Federal Rail Administration, will allow the two states to work on the project design, which will determine its ultimate cost and the timeline for completing a rail network to carry passenger trains at speeds up to 110 mph.

We dont know exactly what the timeline looks like, Goodman said at the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. North Carolina is ready and raring to go.

The grant will help unlock a critical link in the development of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor, which would connect in Richmond to passenger rail service  at lower train speeds  to Washington and the heavily used Northeast rail corridor.

Its a huge shot in the arm, said Joe McAndrew, vice president of government affairs and infrastructure at the Greater Washington Partnership, a corporate-led organization advocating for transportation and other public policy in a region stretching from Richmond to Baltimore.

But the bigger prize remains construction of a new railroad span at Long Bridge, which is the centerpiece of the $3.7 billion passenger rail plan that then-Gov. Ralph Northam first proposed in late 2019 with CSX and Amtrak Corp.

Virginia applied to the Federal Transit Administration last August to designate $3.2 billion in projects in Northern Virginia as a core capacity project for future federal funding to help build the new bridge and 11 other projects between Richmond and the Potomac.

Those projects including building a third track between Franconia and Lorton in Fairfax County; a fourth track between Alexandria and Union Station in Washington; a Franconia-Springfield bypass to allow passenger trains to cross the Potomac upriver of the existing bridge; and a third track siding in Hanover County. Under the plan, Virginia would build 37 miles of new track in the corridor.

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority said it expects the project to begin engineering in November and receive a full funding agreement by 2025 to complete the work by 2030.

The work is separate from three other projects that are part of passenger rail agreement that Northam completed last year with CSX and Amtrak.

Those projects include the construction of track for high-speed rail to North Carolina on the old S-Line, as well as allowing passenger train traffic on the CSX A-Line for 30 miles between Richmond and Ettrick Station. The state also purchased 173 miles of right of way and 186 miles of track from CSX on the old Buckingham Branch Line between Doswell, in Hanover, and Clifton Forge in western Virginia.

They are all interconnected, Goodman said at the authority. It all goes back to Long Bridge.
Officials are advising beachgoers to be cautious Monday as high surf conditions in Virginia Beach and North Carolina cause high risk of rip currents.

Virginia Beach cautioned that red flags indicating dangerous water conditions are flying at the Resort and Sandbridge, according to a Monday Twitter post from the city. Swimmers should take extreme caution if going into the water and make sure to swim in front of a lifeguard.

Red flags are also up along the Outer Banks due to high rip current risk. Beachgoers in North Carolina can stay up-to-date with weather conditions by signing up for OBXAlerts text messages.

A high rip current risk means life threatening rip currents are likely and beachgoers should stay out of the water, according to the National Weather Service.

The risk comes as Tropical Storm Alex moves northeast through the Atlantic Ocean and away from the East Coast, according to a Monday morning briefing from the National Weather Service in Wakefield.

Swimmers caught in a rip current should not waste energy trying to swim directly to shore, according to the National Weather Service. Instead, swimmers should swim parallel to the shoreline until escaping the current. Then, swim toward shore at an angle, away from the current, the NWS says.

If you cant reach the shore, stay calm and call out or wave for help from a lifeguard.
The grand, four-story hub of student activity at the University of Mary Washington has a new name: the Cedric Rucker University Center.

Which is simply amazing to ... Cedric Rucker, who spent part of his childhood in Richmonds Creighton Court and cried on his first night on the campus of what was then Mary Washington College after seeing no one who looked like him all day, which is not surprising since in 1977 he was the colleges first Black residential male.

Its humbling, it truly is, Rucker said of the name change that was made official in a ceremony on Sunday.

The building that bears Ruckers name is on Ball Circle, the focal point of community life, where incoming students gather in a special program when they first arrive and then again for commencement when they graduate.

Its not just my name, Rucker went on, its my familys name. My family from Richmond, Virginia  inner-city, Creighton Court, John Marshall High School  will be forever tied to this community.

Thats unbelievable.

Rucker, 62, is retiring later this month as the universitys associate vice president for student affairs and dean of student life. Counting his four years as a student, Rucker has spent almost 40 years at the university, and as President Troy D. Paino put it, No one person has had more impact on the Mary Washington community over the last four decades than Dean Rucker. It is hard to imagine Mary Washington without his booming laugh, extensive knowledge, and deep empathy for the student experience.

While Rucker is leaving Fredericksburg, hes not leaving education, as his next step is joining the Peace Corps. Yes, thats correct: the Peace Corps. He will be assigned later this year to a country in the Asian region, though details are still being worked out, he said.

Ive had the desire to do the Peace Corps for a very, very long time, said Rucker, noting his inspiration was a faculty member he knew as a student who went into the Peace Corps in retirement. My life is pretty settled, I dont have demands pulling me back home and, with the ability to serve, I want to serve.

A stellar academic career, a building named in his honor, an upcoming 2-year stint in the Peace Corps in his 60s.

This is all well and good, but how did Rucker even get to this point?

***

Rucker grew up long after the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education decision, but in a place that was slow to comply. His first taste of integrated education did not arrive until he was bused from where he lived in the East End to predominantly white Westover Hills Middle School. (He recalled the time he missed the bus going home and had to walk; the only way he knew was the not-so-direct route the bus took, through neighborhoods he did not know. It was a long walk. It took a while, he said with a laugh.)

Rucker said his mother worked hard to give her children an opportunity to succeed, and instilled in them the importance of education. He remembered her buying the World Book Encyclopedia, one volume at a time. Rucker said he would sit at the kitchen table reading, dreaming of visiting the far-away places in the pages of the encyclopedia. Hes certain that was the inspiration for his love of travel; hes visited 115 countries and counting.

His mother also moved her family out of public housing into a home on North Side, which is how he wound up attending John Marshall, where he met many like-minded students with high aspirations.

Also resonating through his life have been the sage words of his grandmother.

She used to say to me, You have to be ready for doors to open, he said.

***

He walked through one of those open doors at Mary Washington in 1977, and then very nearly closed it on himself.

He and his family arrived early on the day freshmen were supposed to show up. He remembers being led to his room in Madison Hall and noting that as he watched the other freshmen arrive, no one who looked like me moved into the building.

It really hit me, he said. That night, I cried.

He had come from an educational environment  John Marshall  that was predominantly Black to one where the difference was so striking, he said.

Oh my goodness, he thought, what have I gotten myself into?

In those first weeks, he thought about transferring, but a conversation with his mother changed everything.

She said, What did you do at John Marshall that made you successful? he recalled. I said that I was active, I was involved. She said, Do the same thing!

Rucker gave it a try, most notably running for office for a position on the class council. He lost the election, but said it was one of the best things he ever did because as part of the campaign, he had to knock on the doors of classmates to introduce himself. He met everybody, he said, and came away with the feeling this was my university, too and he fell in love with the place.

He joined student government, became a disc jockey at the campus radio station, and created something called Ruckers Truckers, a group that dressed in pajamas and fuzzy slippers and read bedtime stories to other students.

One thing he did not do was pursue his anticipated field of study: the law.

I had grown up with Perry Mason, he said with a laugh of the 1950s and 60s TV courtroom drama. Perry Mason solved cases in 45 minutes. You remember those episodes?

I do.

The reality is after doing a couple of externships, the law is not like that, Rucker said with a laugh, noting a number of legal elements that Perry Mason hadnt mentioned. I had no interest in doing those things, so I had to find my academic passion.

He found it in sociology, which helped him understand race, class and gender and, maybe more significantly, the world that he was a part of.

Im a child of segregation, he said. Im a kid who lived in the projects ... and Im not throwing stones at that experience. That experience was foundational.

He graduated in 1981, the first Black male student to graduate after living all four years on campus. (Another Black male student had graduated after transferring from another school.)

Mentors at UMW and later at the University of Virginia, where he attended graduate school, shepherded him along the way. In Charlottesville, he became deeply involved in student affairs, and came to have a better understanding of how universities work and how student success can be sustained beyond the classroom. He worked in the admissions department at UVA before Mary Washington came calling, asking if he might want to return to Fredericksburg.

He did, going back in 1989 to take a job as associate dean of student activities, a position he held for nearly a decade before moving into the role of associate vice president and dean of student life.

***

Along the way, he determined that being a support to students [was] critical to my being, as he became a larger-than-life figure on campus with his bow ties and over-the-shoulder sweaters, and his relentless efforts to improve students lives. He taught sociology to hundreds of undergraduates over the years and was, in general, a constant presence, even making sure their graduation attire was just so at commencement exercises.

One of Ruckers colleagues was Anna Billingsley, who for years was a favorite colleague of mine at The News Leader and The Times-Dispatch. Shes known Rucker since she went to work at UMW in 2004, so I asked her to tell me about him.

I wouldnt even know where to begin describing Cedric, and the void he will leave at his alma mater, Billingsley said. He has been a caring, concerned, diplomatic, wise, collegial, funny, committed and a conscientious confidante. We both have been on call 24/7 and on zillions of committees together.

Billingsley said she always told Rucker she wouldnt be able to work at UMW without him, and she wont have to; she recently retired as associate vice president for university relations.

She added, The board of visitors couldnt have made a better decision than to name the University Center after him  it is at the heart of campus, and Cedric has been the heart of UMW.

In 2016, Rucker was honored as a Living Legacy by Richmond Public Schools. Three years later, Gov. Ralph Northam appointed him to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. He earlier served on the state Board of Medicine. There have been other honors.

There also have been shattering moments, such as the murder of a close friend in the 1990s that resulted in a personal reassessment of his approach to life and to work. Instead of, What is the next goal? he began to think in terms of What is most important?

He explained: How are you helping others? How are you making a difference not just in your personal life but in the lives of other people? Not delaying those things that you have thoughts or dreams about.

He is grateful for those who have helped him along the way, not only for what they did for him but for showing him the importance of serving others. It all fits together with his grandmothers advice about doors.

Not just to be ready for doors to open, he said, but to be there to open the doors for others.
Evolving from a grassroots group formed in 1987, the American Battlefield Trust has became the leading national land preservation group for sites connected to the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Over the years, an estimated 200,000 ABT members have contributed funds which, in addition to state and federal grants, have preserved some 53,000 acres in 24 states, including Virginia.

David Duncan, who grew up in Salem and was the ABTs longtime chief fundraiser, was named president in 2020. In this Q&A interview with The Roanoke Times, he speaks of his roots and growth into guiding a non-profit organization whose mission is preservation, education and advocacy.

What were the enduring influences of family life and growing up in Salem, a city with a strong sense of place and civic pride?

While my ancestral roots are deep in Southwest Virginia (Roanoke, Botetourt, Montgomery, Floyd, Henry, and Pittsylvania counties), its a fortuitous coincidence that I was able to grow up in Salem. Both sets of grandparents lived in Southeast Roanoke, and my parents moved to a new neighborhood at Salems eastern edge when I was two years old, probably because it was the newest house they could afford on a schoolteachers salary. (My father taught middle school history, civics, and Social Studies at Northside for 38 years, and passed away in that same house 47 years after he purchased it, as I stood at his bedside.) Weekend visits to my grandmothers also included, without fail, a stop at the Roanoke Public Library. My parents would emerge with armloads of books, and would encourage me to do the same. From early on, I gravitated toward history, once telling my mom that it was my goal to check out every book on the Civil War in the childrens section, as I wanted to know more about that subject than any of my classmates.

Its a cliche, but Salem means more to me now than it ever did when I lived there. I took it all for granted; the educational opportunities and exceptional teachers, the basic safety and livability of it, the sense of civic pride, and the natural beauty (I truly miss the daily visual embrace and sense of security the mountains provide). We could not afford much  our big vacation each year was a few days in Virginia Beach, if dad was not teaching summer school  but I never missed a meal, and I never lacked something to read. It was a very sheltered life for my first 18 years, but in a good way.

How did educational opportunities shape and guide your future?

Both of my parents stressed the importance of education. I was a good but not-excellent student, and they let me know if I ever failed to live up to their expectations with a good-natured but firm you can do better. The teachers who most influenced me did not teach history or business, but music. At East Salem Elementary, Becky Hendricks must have needed boys to sing in her choir; I dont remember ever auditioning, but there I was on the risers singing patriotic songs and Christmas carols.

Later, in another instance of taking something amazing for granted, in junior high school at Andrew Lewis, the choir practiced before school started. As we were a one-car family, I had no way to get to rehearsals, so Mrs. Hendricks would literally drive out of her way to come pick me up and get me there. (I dont recall ever paying her gas money, so its a good time for her to collect!) Thanks to her, I was railroaded into auditioning for the Salem High School Chorale. Being in that group, under William G. Snyder, literally changed the trajectory of my life. Working in a demanding environment where excellence if not perfection were the only acceptable standards, with a group of similarly committed classmates who were also expected to be exceptional students, and who were frequently admonished to Be a professional! and Dont talk about it, just do it! was just what I needed at that time in my life. Uncle Bill, as we called him, is to this very day one of my best friends, and one of the greatest positive influences on me as a person.

I attended college at James Madison University but did not major in history because I knew dad did not want me to follow in his footsteps to be a middle school Social Studies teacher. So, being a strong writer (I was editor of The Oracle student newspaper at Salem), I majored in communications, and minored in music, thinking I might get a job in the radio or TV business after graduation. However, the greatest impact on my future happened outside the classroom at JMU, when I took a job at the dining hall, which in those years was primarily managed and run by the students. It was there, eventually rising to the level of Student Manager, where I first learned to manage people, solve problems, be a good colleague, and effectively lead a team to achieve goals.

Has your career path followed a straight line or a winding road?

Looking back on it now at a distance, it looks petty straight. But in the moment, you never knew what to expect around the next curve. Upon graduation from JMU, I took a $15,000 per year copywriting position with a direct-mail fundraising agency in Northern Virginia. Aside from Chorale candle-and-wrapping-paper sales in high school, I had no experience in fundraising whatsoever, fully expecting this first job out of college to be temporary. Well, I turned out to be pretty good at it, helping to raise funds for many of the leading political candidates and causes of the late 80s through the 90s, rising eventually to the position of Creative Director of the agency. In my mid-30s, however, I was reaching the point where, while I was successful enough that my wife could stay home and raise our two daughters, I was terribly unfulfilled.

When the Ken Burns Civil War series first aired on PBS, something awakened inside of me. That childhood passion for history, which had been supplanted by the early-career demands of establishing myself, became, as my wife said, The Obsession. During long Northern Virginia commutes, I would listen to books on tape about the great campaigns, battles, biographies and memoirs of that era of our history. Living closer to the battlefields, I spent time on weekends visiting, for the first time in my life, places like Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Manassas, and Antietam. My dad gave me a copy of Michael Shaaras The Killer Angels; I read it in one weekend, then made my first of probably 25 trips to Gettysburg.

What attracted you to the philanthropic side of the business world?

One day, while I was still working full-time raising money for politicians, I received a piece of fundraising mail from a group called The Civil War Trust, looking to save an endangered piece of battlefield land, and the light bulb switched on: What if I could combine my professional experience with my passion? So I tried, unsuccessfully, for more than a year, to sign on with the Civil War Trust as well as a competing nonprofit called the Association for the Preservation of Civil War sites, but neither group could figure out what to do with me. In late 1999, I became aware that the two groups were going to merge, and I decided to try one last time. I wrote the newly appointed president, a Maryland political figure named Jim Lighthizer, a certified letter, telling him that after spending fourteen years putting money into politicians war chests, now I wanted to help him save battlefields. Within a week, he and I met, and after several weeks of negotiations (including a five-figure pay cut), I joined the newly minted Civil War Preservation Trust as its Director of Membership. It was the best professional decision I ever made. I led the fundraising effort for the Trust for twenty years under Jims leadership, rising to Chief Development Officer, and the board elevated me to President upon his retirement in October 2020.

There are tremendous psychic benefits to working in a cause for which you have great passion. I tell people all the time that I have worked for the Trust for more than 22 years, but there havent been more than 22 days where it actually felt like work. Im know how remarkably lucky I am to be able to say that. It is challenging, always working to bring in the next dollar, living on the knifes edge of cashflow, dealing with all the same things that every business has to deal with, but at the end of the day, I get to go home knowing that my work will provide something of lasting importance to this country I love so much, and to future generations. That adds a tremendous amount of emotional satisfaction to the paycheck. I get to spend my days travelling the country, meeting successful, amazing and generous people, and talk about preserving our countrys exceptional history. Im one of the luckiest people alive on the planet.

That said, I also tell people that at the Trust, we may have a nonprofit heart, but we have a for-profit head. I think the word nonprofit is actually a misnomer, because if you do not run your enterprise with a relentless focus on the bottom line, and make a profit, you will ultimately fail and will not be able to achieve your mission. The only difference is that our profit does not go to private owners or shareholders; it all gets plowed back into the mission. We speak of our donors as customers, and that it is our job to provide them with compelling product  land preservation opportunities and educational programs  that they will want to buy with their generosity. We cant make anyone support us; we have to earn their trust and loyalty just like a for-profit company, and we take that very seriously.

How has the American Battlefield Trust evolved from its modest, grassroots origins to become a major player in historic land acquisition and management?

We have very intentionally focused on several key Tenets of Success, starting with creating an organizational culture that focuses on the relentless pursuit of excellence in everything we do, from our historic land acquisition efforts, to our website (www.battlefields.org) and use of cutting-edge technology in our education mission, even with our events and publications. We will never be the biggest nonprofit, but we seek to be the best in the world at what we do. That leads to the next Tenet, which notes that you can only create a dynamic, excellent organization if you are made up of dynamic, excellent people; the right people in the right roles  from board members to staff  are they key. I unapologetically look for what we call A Players  people who are willing to work hard, are passionate about what we do, have a stellar work ethic, play well with others on a team, and again, are the best in the world at what they do. We also constantly assess our performance to squeeze out every improvement possible, and embrace calculated risk taking. If youre not at least a little scared every now and then, you probably are not pushing hard enough.

Our 40,000+ donors and major partners like the National Park Service, state parks and legislatures, other major national preservation partner organizations such as the National Park Foundation all recognize that we are incredibly efficient, they see that we achieve tangible and measurable results, earn consistently high ratings from the various charity watchdogs, and that we stay laser focused on our mission. We are regularly beseeched by well-meaning individuals and groups to get involved in peripheral activities such as saving prison camps, cemeteries, historic homes, etc. By clearly defining your mission  what you are in business to do  as well as by clearly defining what you wont do, you are able to keep focus, minimize mission creep, and steward your resources effectively.

What are the challenges of managing your professional staff along with maintaining strong relationships with ABT members and donors?

The pandemic has changed just about everything, but hopefully in ways more positive than negative. Two years ago, like many businesses, we had a strong bias toward everyone being in the same office all the time. Now, WFH or WFA are a fact of life that are not going away anytime soon. But this goes back to finding those A Players. When you have smart, dedicated, and talented people working in your enterprise, the machine should still run. At the Trust, we did not see even the slightest drop in productivity in 2020 or 2021; in fact, in some key areas, including fundraising, we saw increases! We are all learning how to long-distance-manage employees, but I truly believe that it is here to stay in some form, and will even be key to future retention efforts.

And while I am only now beginning to return to a robust travel schedule to visit donors face to face, we had developed strong enough relationships prior to March 2020 that Zoom, while imperfect, did allow us to keep in touch with many of our key constituents. In fact, some of our Zoom webinars have proven so successful that donors have asked us to continue doing them even after the pandemic subsides.

What was behind the decision by your organization to revise its mission by adding American Revolutionary land preservation to its agenda?

Our primary partner  the National Park Service  asked if we would consider expanding our mission, because we were the recognized leader of private-sector battlefield preservation efforts in the nation, and there were (and are) still thousands of acres of those battlefields that are endangered. We studied the opportunity in depth for quite some time, and in the end decided it was a natural extension of what we were already doing, and doing very successfully. If we had not expanded our scope, another group almost certainly would have emerged to fill that vacuum, and suddenly, were back to where we were in the 1990s, with competing battlefield preservation organizations going after limited funds, even if our subject matters were slightly different. We had, over nearly two decades, developed the knowledge and expertise to save historic land effectively and efficiently, so it was fairly easy to transfer those skills to a slightly different category of real estate. A lot of us had to quickly bone up on our Revolutionary War and War of 1812 history, but for history geeks like us, thats a benefit not a chore. It has proven to be a tremendous boost to our efforts, creating new partnerships, increasing our visibility in other parts of the nation as well as with funders in Congress, and positions us to make a tremendous contribution to the upcoming Semiquincentennial. Just a few weeks ago, standing at the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts, I announced our goal of saving 2,500 acres of Revolutionary War battlefield land during the course of our countrys 250th birthday celebration.

American Civil War history is being widely reinterpreted in the post-George Floyd era. How is the ABT positioning itself for the future, and to answer the questions of a rising, more diverse demographic?

If ever asked to say what we do in less than ten words, we say We build parks, and we tell stories. We also seek to be the authoritative source for information about our countrys first 100 years, especially as it is told by the actions that occurred on the battlefields. We are absolutely putting additional emphasis on telling those stories that may have been neglected over the year, such as the fourteen Medals of Honor that were awarded to African American Union troops at New Market Heights outside of Richmond.

I believe we must use history to gain insight and guidance on how we should live and govern our lives today as free people. Notice that I did not say we should use history to denigrate anyone, either alive today or who may have lived in a very different time and under very different circumstances from us. We should use history to uplift and inspire, and light a way forward, not beat down and discourage, and cause us to lose our way.

The American Battlefield Trust will always seek to use these hallowed grounds to hold constructive conversations, not engage in destructive confrontations. We will actively walk the land to gain greater understanding, not sow more confusion. As these places are still the final resting places of countless souls, we will fervently pray for more reconciliation, not less. We will use state-of-the-art education and technology to actively promote more interpretation, not less. Ultimately, we seek more preservation of Americas history, not less; every tragic and glorious moment of it, so that future generations can learn from it. To do otherwise is to steal crucial knowledge from our descendants, possibly condemning them to make the same costly mistakes that we and others have made.

Many years ago, I had a colleague whose area of special interest was European history. He belittled my fascination with American history with the comment of there hasnt been enough of it yet to truly make it worthy of study. I respectfully disagree: Americas history is huge, and there is more than enough room for everyone to participate in telling its amazing, inspiring, sometimes-heartbreaking story. It is part of my job to urge us all to pay attention to those better angels of our nature, continue to preserve, educate, and inspire, and pass along to our children and grandchildren a nation better, stronger and freer than the one which was entrusted to us.

In the end, we are in the forever business. It is our charge to accept those treasures which were transmitted to us from previous generations of Americans, to protect and defend them to the best of our ability in our own time, adding to them whenever possible but never subtracting from them, and then pass those treasures on, intact and whole, to the next generation. If we do this, we have been good and faithful stewards of the lands and legacies which were entrusted to us, and we have done our duty.
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Many people were feared dead in a bomb attack on a church in Nigeria's southwest state of Ondu on Sunday, according to a local media report.

The attack took place in Owo, a town in Ondo state, as hundreds of worshippers gathered at the church, the Channels TV reported.

Ondu state governor Arakunrin Akeredolu confirmed the attack but provided no details on the casualties or the identities of the attackers.

In a statement, the governor said he is "deeply saddened by the unprovoked attack and killing of innocent people of Owo, worshipping at the St. Francis Catholic Church, today."

Akeredolu urged the locals to "remain calm and vigilant" as security forces are deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to the town.
A Roanoke County man now faces a first-degree murder charge after the death of a woman who was found May 28 in the yard of a burning residence.

Caleb Firebaugh, 25, previously was charged with aggravated malicious wounding by Roanoke County police. The incident occurred on Brookridge Road in a rural area of the county.

Authorities identified a suspect getaway vehicle, which was located after being involved in a crash near Boones Mill.

Police said the suspect  Firebaugh  fled from the crash and was taken into custody by the Franklin County Sheriffs Office and the Virginia State Police.

Initially, police said the unidentified person found near the house had been assaulted and was critically injured. On Monday, it was announced that person was a female and had died, although police still have not publicly disclosed her name.
A Petersburg man was sentenced Thursday to serve two years in prison for breaking into an Ettrick business in the first conviction of its kind in Virginia based in part on the use of a liquid nanotechnology known as SmartWater CSI.

The odorless and invisible substance can be used by residents and merchants to mark property that could be stolen.

After a hearing in Chesterfield County Circuit Court, Judge Jayne Pemberton sentenced Christopher S. Gaines, 53, to 10 years in prison with eight years suspended for his earlier guilty plea to burglary in the April 11, 2021, break-in at the Ettrick Deli at 3608 E. River Road.

The punishment was in the mid-range of discretionary state sentencing guidelines, which called for an active term of incarceration of between one year and nine months and four years and four months.

Gaines, who has an extensive record of theft, burglary, forgery and other property-related crimes, became a suspect in the Ettrick burglary after police, using a special ultraviolet light, observed that his clothing was covered with yellowish-green smears of SmartWater  a special traceable liquid coded with a unique signature for each user.

Gaines was sprayed with the fluid when he entered the business. A spraying device had been installed weeks earlier after two previous break-ins at the deli.

The Chesterfield Police Department is so far the only law enforcement agency in Virginia to use the technology, but SmartWater is widely used in dozens of localities in the Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach areas in Florida, where it was first introduced into the U.S. in 2013 from England.

Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey Katz essentially imported the idea from Boynton Beach, Fla., where he served as police chief before being hired by Chesterfield in January 2018. SmartWater is used in more than 70 localities in Boynton Beach, a company official said.

In a pilot program, Chesterfield police selected three neighborhoods that crime data indicated could benefit from the SmartWater program based on problems with break-ins and thefts.

Police met with residents to introduce the program and provided free SmartWater kits to those interested that allowed them to mark some of their property. Signs were posted that the technology was being used.

Residential burglaries went from 39 break-ins to 16 in the Broyhill Pointe subdivision during a time frame that compared a 37-month period before SmartWater was introduced with a 37-month period after it was implemented. Break-ins dropped 69%, from 49 to 15, in Mason Woods subdivision during a similar time frame, county police said.

Burglaries dropped 9% in the Bensley community, from 22 to 20, during a time frame that compared a 24-month period before SmartWater was introduced with a 24-month period after.

When applied, the liquid provides information to police about an individual items place of origin. Law enforcement can then use this provenance in court when an arrest is made.

Every person arrested in Chesterfield is now scanned for traces of SmartWater on their person, clothing and belongings, as the county  through the police and sheriffs departments  has expanded use of the technology.

The Sheriffs Office, which operates the Chesterfield jail, installed a SmartWater detection camera in a small vestibule where all new prisoners pass through before they are booked on charges.

In the Gaines case, officers responded to the Ettrick Deli at 11 p.m. in response to an alarm triggered at a window in the delis shed. The shed, which is used as the delis office, has a locked door and is completely enclosed by a locked gate and fence, according to prosecutor Jennifer Nesbitts summary of evidence.

Upon arrival, officers observed a person inside the shed and ordered him to come out. The man exited but then climbed onto the roof, ignoring commands to come down. He eventually led officers on a foot pursuit before they apprehended him at gunpoint, Nesbitt said in her summary.

Police recovered $162.67 on the man, along with a flashlight. The man was wearing a mask pulled up over his nose and ears as well as a fishing cap down over his eyes. The man told officers that he was looking for food because he was homeless, but did not explain why he didnt take any food that was inside the shed.

The officers then scanned Gaines with the UV light, and the invisible SmartWater luminesced on his body, clothing, personal items and the money he had stolen, Nesbitt said.

This defendants problem is that he has a very serious addiction, and to date has not taken it seriously  and he acknowledges that addiction, Nesbitt told the court, noting that Gaines extensive criminal record is a reflection of his abuse of cocaine, alcohol and marijuana. He has continued to be his own worst enemy. Hes 53 years old and hes spent over a decade of his life in jail or incarcerated as a result of his behavior.

The judge ordered that Gaines undergo substance abuse counseling while serving his sentence.
The walk invites a journey into a history thats both lost and urgently present.

Striding across the commemorative walkway in the middle of the Roanoke Higher Education Center campus doesnt take long, but the story told beneath ones feet spans almost two centuries, relaying the miraculous and sad history of the Gainsboro neighborhood.

After a simple beginning that introduces the evolution of the name through the years, from Gainesborough to Gainsboro, the story starts proper in 1835, with the chartering of the tiny town of Gainesborough, the first community in the region once known as Big Lick.

The words etched in granite tell how Gainsboro as we understand it today came to be, as the city renamed Roanoke spread from the railroad junction founded in the 1880s and houses were built for rail employees along whats now Gilmer Avenue.

With segregation in full force in Roanoke in the early 1900s, Gilmer Avenue, Gainsboro Road and Henry Street became the hub of Black commerce and culture, with a hospital, a library, schools, churches and more than 300 businesses.

In the second half of the 20th century, too many of these landmarks were seized by eminent domain and bulldozed in a process referred to by the twisted euphemism urban renewal. Ostensibly intended to revitalize aging and supposedly blighted neighborhoods, urban renewal in practice involved leveling Black communities and replacing them with commercial development.

The walkway panels make note of the first schools for Black students in Roanoke, including Harrison School  which after it closed became the Harrison Museum of African American Culture that eventually relocated to Center in the Square downtown.

Important histories underfoot

The walkways timeline ends with a nod to Roanokes relatively peaceful integration guided by a committee with Black and white members during a time when massive resistance roiled the state.

Its an important tale succinctly told. The Roanoke Higher Education Center deserves commendation for making this history of what came before a prominent and explicit part of the new campus plaza. Kudos to Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, for securing state funding to help the monument come into being.

A small quibble, that applies more broadly to historical displays in Roanoke  we wish there was more to call attention to the panels before theyre right under ones feet. The plaza shares with perhaps too many other important Roanoke monuments and markers (take your pick: the Sister City sculptures in Century Plaza, the monument to the late Virginia Gov. Linwood Holton in Holton Plaza on Franklin Road, the Gainsboro historical panels in an alcove along north Wells Avenue, on and on) the quality of being so unobtrusive that to glean what they offer one practically has to know about their existence and location beforehand and make plans to actively engage.

We can easily imagine students rushing over those panels without noticing theyre there  though with fortuitousness, the occasional curious stare will result in further research.

Continue the journey online

For those who might quickly read through the text by their feet and wish there was more detail, in fact, there is, and you can get to it by typing gainsborohistoryproject.org into an internet browser on your computer or phone. Youll find your time well spent on the virtual tour.

Created by the higher education center in collaboration with the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation, Roanoke Public Libraries and Friends of Old Lick Cemetery, the Gainsboro History Project puts a wealth of information at visitors fingertips, with maps of historically significant sites, full blown chapters that elaborate in great depth on each subject touched on in the walkway panels, and biographies of major Black historical figures with Roanoke ties, including the likes of filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, civil rights attorney Oliver Hill, educator Lucy Addison, Dr. Edward Dudley, the citys first Black dentist, and many more besides.

Aside from being an exciting resource in its own right, the Gainsboro History Project whets the appetite for the online Roanoke Hidden Histories project, which is being developed under the auspices of the Richmond-based company Hidden in Plain Site as a result of a so-far successful private fundraising drive. That too will provide a virtual tour of places in Roanoke important to Black history and acknowledge the pain associated with segregation and urban renewal.

That fundraiser also aims to put a sculpture honoring the memory of Henrietta Lacks in a plaza beside the Roanoke municipal building. Perhaps that monument could be the visually arresting beacon that signals to the casual passer-by that theres more history to explore in the Star Citys public spaces.

Roanoke Vice Mayor Trish White-Boyd, who has led the campaign for the Lacks statue and the Hidden Histories project, has said that acknowledging the wounds from the past creates the path to healing. The Roanoke Higher Education Centers walkway places paving stones along that path.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Bhagavan Mahamayavi Antle a/k/a Doc Antle, 62, and Andrew Jon Sawyer a/k/a Omar Sawyer, 52, both of Myrtle Beach, have been charged in a federal complaint with money laundering crimes involving more than $500,000.

Antle is featured prominently in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a 2020 Netflix documentary series that focused on tiger breeders and private zoo operators in the United States. The series focused heavily on Oklahoma zoo operator Joe Exotic, who was targeted for animal mistreatment and convicted in a plot to kill, Carole Baskin.

According to the complaint, which was unsealed Monday in a federal courtroom in Florence, Antle is the owner and operator of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S), also known as the Myrtle Beach Safari.

The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve in Myrtle Beach. Sawyer is Antles employee and business associate. The complaint alleges that over the last four months, Antle and Sawyer laundered $505,000 in cash they believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States.

Specifically, according to the complaint, Antle and Sawyer would launder the cash by providing checks from a business controlled by Antle and a business controlled by Sawyer. Those checks falsely claimed they were remitted for construction work being performed at the Myrtle Beach Safari, when in reality the checks were simply a means to allow the recipients to appear to have legitimate income. In exchange, Antle and Sawyer received a 15% fee of any amount laundered.

The complaint alleges that Antle discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at the Myrtle Beach Safari, and that in the past he had used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks.

Antle and Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the charges in the complaint, and they are currently detained. \The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek A. Shoemake and Amy Bower are prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
 Reviewing big criminal cases lingering as SCOTUS seeks to wrap up a remarkable Term | Main | "'How Much Time Am I Looking At?': Plea Bargains, Harsh Punishments, and Low Trial Rates in Southwest Border Districts" 

This new AP article, headlined "In historic shift, far fewer teens face adult US courts," highlights a modern criminal procedure trend that is fundamentally a sentencing story. Here are some details:

David Harrington spent a tense eight months in a Philadelphia jail when he was a teenager  the result of a robbery charge in 2014 that automatically sent his case to the adult court system under state law. Only 16 at the time, he said he got into fights and spent time in isolation. He missed his sophomore year in high school and the birth of his child. He was facing five to 10 years in prison. He was on a path, he said, toward more trouble with the law.

I think if I would have stayed in the adult system, I would have came home probably a little worse, said Harrington, now 24, who works as an advocate for young offenders. I would have came home (after) listening to the ways on how to get better at ... certain illegal things, and I would have came home and been doing nonsense. Instead, he was able to convince a judge to send his case down to juvenile court. He spent a month in a juvenile detention center before a judge found he did take part in the robbery and sent him home under house arrest, probation and a $3,000 restitution order. He was allowed to see his family and friends and finish high school.

Harringtons case from 2015 is indicative of a significant shift away from the get tough philosophy of the 1980s and 90s for youth offenders, which has resulted in far fewer children being prosecuted in U.S. adult courts. That has meant second chances for untold thousands of youths. Data reported to the FBI each year by thousands of police departments across the country shows the percentage of youths taken into custody who were referred to adult courts dropped from 8% in 2010 to 2% in 2019. The percentage dropped to 1% in 2020, although that years data is considered unusual because of the coronavirus pandemic, which closed many courts.

Instead, more teenagers are being sent to juvenile courts or community programs that steer them to counseling, peer mediation and other services aimed at keeping them out of trouble. The shift has been mostly supported by law enforcement officials around the country. But some worry that leniency has emboldened a small number of young criminals, including in Connecticut, where state lawmakers passed legislation to clamp down on youth crime.

States around the country have been raising the age of adult criminal responsibility to 18 for most crimes. Only three states  Georgia, Texas and Wisconsin  continue to prosecute every 17-year-old in adult courts, according to The Sentencing Project, a Washington-based group that advocates for minimal imprisonment of youth and adults. The raise the age movement has been spurred by research showing teens brains havent yet fully developed key decision-making functions. Other studies show locking young people up in adult systems can be harmful  physically and psychologically  in addition to putting them at more risk to commit more crimes....

In a country where an estimated 250,000 minors were charged as adults each year in the early 2000s, the number dropped in 2019 to about 53,000, according to the nonprofit National Center for Juvenile Justice in Pittsburgh. That corresponds with a general decrease in crime across the country, including a 58% drop in youth arrests between 2010 and 2019, according to Justice Department estimates. In 2019, an estimated 696,620 youths were arrested....

Harrington works for the Youth Art & Self-Empowerment Project, a Philadelphia group that provides art, music and other programs in jail for teenagers charged as adults and advocates against prosecuting them in adult court. He is involved in efforts to repeal the law that automatically sent him to adult jail. Youd rather be at a juvenile facility getting the proper care and treatment there, he said. The juvenile system ... its better because youre able to go home and be with your family.

Some officials, however, including lawmakers and police chiefs, argue aspects of the reform have gone too far. In Connecticut, the death of a pedestrian who was struck and killed in New Britain last year by a stolen car driven by a repeat teenage offender sparked calls by police officials and Republican state lawmakers to pass tougher youth crime laws  including more detention for repeat offenders.
A farmer prepares to unload oil palm bunches from a tractor trolley in a mill at Dwaraka Tirumala

By Rajendra Jadhav and Aftab Ahmed

MUMBAI (Reuters) -India's palm oil exports in May were its highest in seven months and up 15% on April as the country overcame curbs on Indonesian exports by sourcing more of the commodity from Malaysia, Thailand and Papua New Guinea, five industry officials said.

Higher purchases by India, the world's biggest importer of vegetable oil, could support Malaysian palm oil prices, which are trading near a record high.

India imported 660,000 tonnes of palm oil in May, up from 572,508 tonnes in April, according to the average estimate from five dealers.

Indian imports from Indonesia fell in May, but refiners managed to buy more from Malaysia, Thailand and Papua New Guinea, said Sandeep Bajoria, chief executive of Sunvin Group, a vegetable oil brokerage and consultancy.

Indonesia, the world's biggest producer and exporter of palm oil, on April 28 halted exports of the product to control soaring prices at home. Jakarta allowed exports to resume from May 23 but put in place policies to safeguard domestic supplies.

The Solvent Extractors' Association of India, a trade body based in Mumbai, is likely to publish May's import figure in mid-June.

India's soyoil imports in May rose to 352,614 tonnes from 315,853 tonnes in April, said a senior government official, who declined to be named.

The country's soyoil imports could rise sharply in coming months, because New Delhi has allowed duty free imports of 2 million tonnes of the commodity, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm.

Sunflower oil imports jumped to 123,970 tonnes in May from 67,788 tonnes a month earlier, the government official said.

India buys soyoil mainly from Argentina and Brazil and sunflower oil from Ukraine and Russia.

"As sunoil shipments from Ukraine have stopped, India is trying to import more from Russia," the dealer said.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav and Aftab Ahmed; Editing by Bradley Perrett)
AFP News

Russia said Tuesday it would establish a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians from a chemical plant in Severodonetsk, as the two sides battled for control of the key city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Russian forces have stepped up efforts to cut off the Ukrainian troops still in the industrial hub, blowing up three bridges which connect it to Lysychansk on the other side of a river. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile once again appealed for heavy weapons from the West, criticising the "restrained behaviour" of some European leaders. Moscow has for week targeted the twin cities as the last areas in the Lugansk region of the Donbas still under Ukrainian control. Severodonetsk was not isolated, the head of the city's administration, Oleksandr Stryuk, told Ukrainian television, but communication was "complicated" with the situation on the ground changing every hour. Around 500 civilians were taking shelter under "heavy fire" in the Azot chemical plant in Severodonetsk, Stryuk said. The Russian army said it would establish a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians from the plant to the separatist-controlled Lugansk region on Wednesday. "Remaining civilians in Severodonetsk are almost entirely cut off from aid supplies after the destruction of the last bridge into the city," Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council said in a statement. It was impossible to "overstate the seriousness of the current situation for civilians trapped in Severodonetsk", he said, calling on "all parties... to allow safe passage for civilians". - 'Surrender or die' - Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said Monday Ukraine's forces had been pushed back from Severodonetsk's centre with the Russians controlling 70 to 80 percent of the city in their attempt to "encircle it". With Russia turning the screw on the city, Ukrainian forces have two choices: "to surrender or die", said Eduard Basurin, a representative for pro-Russian separatists. Capturing Severodonetsk would open the road to Sloviansk and another major city, Kramatorsk, in Moscow's push to conquer Donbas, a mainly Russian-speaking region partly held by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014. Zelenksy, in comments to Danish journalists Tuesday, insisted that the war could only end once Ukrainians were the only ones left on its territory. How long that took depended "very much" on international support, and "the personalities of the leaders of European states". He regretted what he called, "the restrained behaviour of some leaders" which, he said, had "slowed down arms supplies very much". Zelensky has repeatedly urged the west to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine as quickly as possible. - 'Tear off their arms' - From an elevated position in Lysychansk, an AFP team saw black smoke rising from the Azot factory in Severodonetsk and another area in the city. Lysychansk itself has massive damage after months of shelling, with no water, electricity or phone signal. The Ukrainian military is using high ground in the city to exchange fire with Russian forces fighting for control of Severodonetsk, just across the water. Lysychansk resident Maksym Katerin buried his mother and stepfather in his garden on Monday after a shell ripped through his yard, killing them instantly. "I don't know who did this, but if I knew, I would tear off their arms," he said. Katerin's mother was lying on the ground, "her stomach was ripped and her guts were falling out. She was a very good, kind and helpful woman. Why did they do this to her?" Panicheva said. "They bomb and they bomb, and we don't know what to do." In the eastern town of Novodruzhesk Tuesday, there was still a smell of burning and smoke from a group of houses destroyed by shelling. "It's not safe anywhere," said a soldier standing at the local fire station. "There are tons of people (still) here." - 'Positive signal' - The European Union needs to "give a positive signal" to Ukraine and be "open" to granting it candidate status, France's Europe minister, Clement Beaune, said Tuesday. Ukraine has applied to become a member of the bloc, with the European Commission due to give its recommendation in the coming days. But some member states are sceptical about potentially fast-tracking Ukraine's accession. The process would "take time", Beaune said, adding that the first priority was to "stop the war". Russian energy giant Gazprom said Tuesday it would reduce gas deliveries to the EU via the Nord Stream pipeline by 40 percent, due to the delayed return of compressor units from German company Siemens. A number of European countries, including Germany, where the underwater pipeline makes land, are highly reliant on supplies of Russian gas for their energy needs. "The Kremlin has used our dependency on Russian fossil fuels to blackmail us," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on a visit to Israel, where the EU hopes to strengthen its energy ties. The Kremlin meanwhile said it had not received a request from London to intervene in the case of two Britons sentenced to death by pro-Moscow separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine. Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, along with Moroccan Saaudun Brahim, were convicted of acting as mercenaries for Ukraine by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. "Everything will depend on the appeal from London, and I am sure that the Russian side will be ready to consider it," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Russia also announced it was blacklisting 49 UK citizens, including defence officials and prominent journalists from the BBC, The Financial Times and The Guardian. burs-sea/jj
French cuisine is known to be rich in history and culture. Watching films like Ratatouille and The Hundred-Foot Journey remind me of my chef days when I had to master the five mother sauces and prepare traditional French classics such as Buf bourguignon and Potatoes au Gratin.

LAngelus was established in 1998 and is Singapores oldest single-location traditional French restaurant. They have recently launched a total of 11 new dishes ranging from delectable Entrees to coveted Poissons Et Crustaces, as well as hearty Plats, Entrecote and A Partager.

Credit  LAngelus

LAngelus exudes a Parisian charm, and is decorated with various French artefacts and vintage posters from ancient times. The restaurant is cosy and romantic, making it an ideal spot for date night.

Chope Reservations

Credit  LAngelus

Let us now take a look at some of the new offerings that LAngelus has to offer.

Ventreche en Tartare (S$34) a classic French dish that has been tweaked by using Japanese bluefin Chutoro (tuna belly) tartare decadently combined with seaweed, home-made seaweed mayo and shallots, and served with bread chips oven-baked with extra virgin olive oil.

Credit  LAngelus

Poitrine Dagneau (S$44) a delectable rack of confit lamb ribs marinated overnight with traditional Moroccan spice mix Ras el Hanout; then sous-vide for 12 hours at 80 degrees celsius and oven-roasted.

Credit  LAngelus

Calamars Farcis ($42) features approximately 300g of locally wild-caught squid, stuffed with couscous infused with preserved lemon, ham and zucchini. The stuffed squid is then pan-roasted with butter and topped with a vibrant Italian-style Romesco sauce and premium ikura.

With so many different exciting new dishes ranging from fresh seafood to quality meats, dont you want to try them out together with your date?

Be sure to also check out LAngeluss 3-course Lunch Set (S$32++) Mon to Fri, excluding PH eve, PH and Special Occasions and 3-course all-day set menu (S$72++) daily, excluding PH eve, PH and Special Occasions.

Story continues

You can make your reservations here.

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Hyping PLAs dangerous intercept, who is Australia performing to again?

By Global Times editorial (Global Times) 09:57, June 06, 2022

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Australian Department of Defense made a statement on Sunday, saying that "on 26 May 2022, an RAAF [Royal Australian Air Force] P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance activity in international airspace in the South China Sea region." It continues that "The intercept [by the Chinese fighter aircraft] resulted in a dangerous maneuver which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew." Australian Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense Richard Marles said the Chinese aircraft flew very close in front of the Australian jet and released a "bundle of chaff" containing small pieces of aluminum that were ingested into the Australian aircraft's engine. He noted, "Quite obviously this is very dangerous."

Obviously, some pivotal details have been deliberately concealed by Australia. For example, where exactly in the South China Sea is the area in which the incident occurred? How far is it from the Chinese islands and reefs in the region? What is their purpose here? Furthermore, what did the Australian military aircraft do before the intercept? How far was the Australian jet from the Chinese aircraft at that time? Why didn't Australia take the initiative to announce it? The Australian military has repeatedly groundlessly accused the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) of conducting "unsafe and unprofessional" operations, but why does it always come as loud and urgent but with little evidence?

Of course, they will not say these crucial details, nor can they. This is reminiscent of the Australian military's accusation in February that a Chinese navy vessel fired a laser at one of its aircraft which was in flight over Australia's northern approaches, putting the crew in danger. In response, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense directly released evidence showing the Australian aircraft was very close to the Chinese vessels, and cited photos showing the malicious provocation of the Australian jet dropping sonobuoys. After that, Australia immediately fell silent. It has to be said that the Australian military has obviously become a "professional for blackmail" habitually.

This time, Marles also pretended to be "the weak" and said in front of a reporter's microphone that Australia will not be deterred by China's intimidation. This is obviously a tone favored by American and Western journalists, and Australian politicians are well versed in it and pick what they want to hear.

However, data has shown that from February 24 to March 11, Australian military aircraft have visited the East China Sea north of the island of Taiwan six times this year to conduct close-in reconnaissance activities. Australian politicians also frequently talk wildly on the Taiwan question, and former defense minister Peter Dutton even once clamored to follow the US to "send troops to the Taiwan Straits." With all this considered, it is difficult to imagine Canberra as the one that is "being coerced." It seems more like a little bully in the region that always coerces others.

Australia used to be relatively restrained in the South China Sea disputes, which shows that it was well aware of the issue's sensitivity. But in the past few years, the former Morrison administration became increasingly close to Washington. In many areas, it has provoked China on Washington's behalf, and the most aggressive provocations occur in the military field. Canberra wants to become Washington's "right-hand man" and regards itself as the "deputy sheriff" of the Asia-Pacific region. And even if Australia has limited capabilities, it is still nice for it to pretend to be an "auxiliary police officer." In the end, in addition to putting on a show for conservative forces at home, Canberra's provocations against China with all efforts look more like a "performance report" to Washington.

Canberra's approach is inappropriate and unwise as China has never posed a threat to Australia. As Canberra's largest trading partner for more than ten years, Beijing helped Australia successfully survive the global financial crisis. Judging from the two recent incidents involving the ship and the aircraft, we need to remind Canberra that Sinophobia does Australia more harm than good. It has been proven time and again that the more "conscientiously" Canberra acts in front of Washington, the more easily the former will become a stepping stone.

Since the Albanese administration took office, many voices in Australia have been looking forward to improving trade relations with China. Recently, several Australian scholars wrote an open letter to call for less "public aggression" and more "international engagement" when the new administration deals with China. We also believe that there is no "auto-pilot" mode for improving China-Australia relations. Instead, the key is that Canberra needs to take actual actions. At least one thing is clear: No one can act as Washington's "goon" while making a fortune from China. It just doesn't work that way.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  High school students working to earn free college tuition through Louisiana's TOPS state scholarship program could take computer coding instead of a foreign language under a bill passed Monday amid complaints efforts to revive the French language could be undermined.

The measure passed in the final hours of the 2022 session in Baton Rouge. It goes next to Gov. John Bel Edwards. The Senate passed the final version of the bill 34-0 on Monday but in the House, where 53 votes are needed to pass a bill, the measure squeaked by on a 54-41 vote.

Rep. Mike Huval opened his argument against the change by greeting House members in French.

Huval, a Republican from Breaux Bridge, said Cajun French was once suppressed in Louisiana schools. He extolled efforts to revive the language in the past few decades that have met with some success.

What we cant do is lose the advances that weve made for the language that was brought back, he said.

Proponents won out with arguments that computer coding skills are badly needed in the state. Coding is a workforce issue in our state, argued Rep. Jason Hughes, a New Orleans Democrat. Another New Orleans Democrat, Rep. Aimee Freeman, said coding is a good language alternative for dyslexic students.

TOPS, formally called the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, covers college tuition costs for Louisiana high school students who complete a certain curriculum, reach a minimum grade point average and earn at least a 20 on the ACT college entrance test.

Louisiana was founded as a colony of France. And southwest Louisiana became home in the 1700s to descendants of French settlers who were exiled by the British from the area now known as Nova Scotia, Canada.

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

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NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Oris Buckner III, a Black former police detective and whistleblower who spoke out about police brutality in the aftermath of a white officer's 1980 shooting death in New Orleans, has died. He was 70.

Buckner participated in but then reported on the interrogations of Black people questioned after a young white officer was killed in 1980 near a predominantly African American housing project in Algiers, the city's west bank.

The ex-officer died unexpectedly last Wednesday in Houston last, his wife, Stephanie Buckner, told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate on Friday. Family members told the newspaper Buckner had died from a sepsis infection while battling leukemia and diabetes.

Buckner was the New Orleans department's second Black homicide detective and his whistleblower testimony that year cost him dearly. He spoke out about the treatment of Blacks questioned in the days after the still unsolved shooting death of Officer Gregory Neupert.

He was vilified by his fellow officers for violating the blue code. He and his family were subject to physical threats, said Morris Reed, then a federal prosecutor who worked on the case. He was stigmatized. They ostracized him. I think it worked on his psyche.

At the time, New Orleans police killed four Black men in raids. Nobody was charged with the killings, but seven officers were indicted on federal brutality charges alleging that they beat others.

The indictment alleged that officers detained people, sometimes in cells, for up to 16 hours.

Some of these individuals were handcuffed or tied to a chair during their questioning," the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in a summary of other allegations. "Several were hit with fists or books or both. Johnny Brownlee and Robert Davis were also bagged, a process whereby the officers placed a bag over the victims head and temporarily sealed the bottom to cut off the air supply. Both Davis and Brownlee also accused officers of taking them separately to secluded or wooded areas and beating them, the ruling said.

Four of the officer were acquitted. Three against whom Buckner testified were convicted in the beating and bagging of Davis. They also were found guilty of conspiring to resort to illegal means to solve Neuperts murder, the 5th Circuit wrote in upholding their convictions.

Buckner, who testified under a grant of immunity, admitted that he had participated in the beating, the opinion said.

It said he didn't testify about another of Davis' allegations  that three officers drove him from police headquarters to a secluded area in Algiers where he was beaten and threatened with a gun by several policemen.

After hearing all the evidence, the jury was faced with a basic conflict: Davis and Buckner testified that Davis had been beaten and defendants maintained that he had been treated properly," the 5th Circuit opinion said. "The weighing of conflicting evidence and inferences and the determination of the relative credibility of witnesses is a function of the jury.

Civil rights attorney Mary Howell, who represented people abused in the days after Neupert's killing, said Buckner ended up being assigned to the city's Taxicab Bureau checking taxicab medallions" after his testimony.

The truth was out there in the community because people knew these things were going on. There were too many stories. But knowing it and proving it were two different things, said Howell. Its because of Oris testimony that it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Buckners sister, film actor Carol Sutton, died in 2020.

Buckner, an ordained minister who earned a degree at Loyola University while on the force, moved to Houston after Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans in 2005. He taught criminal justice at Lee College, a community college in suburban Baytown, Texas.

I think my father was more of a prophet of God than a crime-stopper, Oris Buckner IV, one of his six children, told the newspaper. His work is tied up to his faith, and thats who he was. His life was walking with God and using what God had blessed him with to protect other people and try to do the right thing.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate.

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NEW DELHI (AP)  India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modi's party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting Indias Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modi's regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for everything from their food and clothing style to inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks could escalate. They have also accused Modis governing party of looking the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise 14% of Indias 1.4 billion people but are still numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.

Modi's party denies the accusations, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their faith have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week after the two spokespeople, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Islams Prophet Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modis party took no action against them until Sunday, when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities," a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait.

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also lodged complaints with India, and the Jeddha-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the remarks came in a context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims.

Indias Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the comments by the OIC as unwarranted and narrow-minded. On Sunday, Indias embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by fringe elements. The statement said that strong action had already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks.

The criticism from Muslim countries, however, was severe, indicating that insulting Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatars Foreign Ministry said it expected a public apology from the Indian government, and Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see an increase of extremism and hatred." The Grand Mufti of Oman described the obscene rudeness of Modis party toward Islam as a form of war. Riyadh said the comments were insulting and called for respect for beliefs and religions. And Egypts Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni worlds foremost institution of religious learning, described the remarks as real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars.

The remarks made by Sharma during a TV program in India and Jindal in a tweet risk damaging Indias ties with Arab nations.

India maintains strong relations with Gulf countries, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and elsewhere in South Asia to serve their tiny local populations and drive the machinery of daily life. India also depends on oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to power its energy-thirsty economy.

The remarks also led to anger in India's archrival and neighbor, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Pakistans Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and conveyed Islamabads strong condemnation," a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the comments were hurtful and India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. Indias Foreign Ministry responded by calling Pakistan a serial violator of minority rights and said it should not engage in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.

India accords the highest respect to all religions," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Criticism also came from Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not allow such fanatics to insult ... Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims.

Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists posted comments on social media saying the government was buckling under international pressure.

Anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have risen across India under Modi. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India was seeing rising attacks on people and places of worship, eliciting a response from New Delhi, which called the comments ill-informed.

More recently, religious tensions have escalated after some Hindu groups went to a local court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple. Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian television anchors during raucous debates.

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Munir Ahmad and Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

Follow more AP coverage of India at https://apnews.com/hub/india

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

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A 34-year-old man who jumped in Tempe Town Lake to evade police drowned as three officers watched but failed to help, an Arizona police transcript shows.

Im not jumping in after you, an officer tells the man in a partial police transcript provided to Arizonas Family and other news outlets, advising him to swim to a nearby pylon.

Please help me, the man begs, according to the transcript. Please please please.

Sean Bickings drowned in the incident on Saturday, May 28, a Tempe city news release reported.

The three police officers involved are on non-disciplinary suspension as an investigation continues, the release said.

Police responded to reports of a fight between Bickings and his wife at 5 a.m. local time, the release said. The couple cooperated and denied any altercation had taken place.

Officers told the couple they were going to search police records for any warrants, and Bickings climbed over a 4-foot railing into the lake, the release said.

Police told him he was not allowed to swim in the lake, but Bickings swam 30 to 40 yards before beginning to struggle, according to the release.

An officer asks him, So whats your plan right now? and Bickings replies, Im going to drown. Im going to drown, the police transcript said.

The officer tells him hes not drowning and suggests he swim to a pylon. Bickings says he cant and pleads for help as the officers discuss calling for a boat.

His wife asks them to save Bickings and officers advise her to encourage him to swim to shore. An officer tells her that if she doesnt calm down, hell put her in his patrol car.

Im just distraught because hes drowning right in front of you and you wont help, she says. The officers continued arguing with her after Bickings went under, the transcript shows.

One officer told his wife: The officer is going to get the boat right now, according to the transcript.

Bickings did not resurface, Tempe officials said in the release. His body was later recovered from the lake.

City Manager Andrew Ching and Police Chief Jeff Glover called his death a tragedy and Glover met with the mans mother, the release said.

The state Department of Public Safety and Scottsdale Police Department are investigating.

Tempe is a city of 180,000 people southeast of Phoenix.

2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Louisiana's Democratic governor said Monday he will call the Republican-dominated Legislature into special session soon to draw up new congressional district boundaries, now that a federal judge has blocked use of maps that have only one majority-Black district.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his plan at a news conference at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. He spoke to reporters minutes after the 2022 regular legislative session ended, and a few hours after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, also in Baton Rouge, blocked the use of the new maps. Her ruling included an order that the Legislature draw up with a remedial plan by June 20.

Edwards, whose veto of the maps was overridden by lawmakers earlier this year, said there should have been a second majority-Black district among the six districts that were approved, noting that the states population is almost one-third Black.

Edwards said redrawing the district lines is required by the court order, the Voting Rights Act and by basic fairness and basic math.

But, lawyers for Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, the state's top elected official, swiftly filed a notice of appeal of Dick's order.

Dick's June 20 deadline for drawing new district lines is one month before the signup period for the Nov. 8 congressional election.

If the Legislature is unable to pass a remedial plan by that date, the Court will issue additional orders to enact a remedial plan compliant with the laws and Constitution of the United States, the judge wrote.

The district map was drawn up in a special session earlier this year during a legislative special session called to redraw government district lines to account for population shifts show in the 2020 census. Edwards vetoed the maps but his veto was overridden. That led to a lawsuit by voting rights advocates.

Ardoin filed a notice of appeal with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Ultimately, the case could wind up before the Supreme Court, which earlier this year put on hold a lower court ruling that Alabama must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power.

Ardoin's office declined comment on the litigation.

In blocking the use of the map pending further elections, Dick said those filing the lawsuit were likely to prevail with their argument that the new districts violate the federal Voting Rights Act. She blocked Ardoin from conducting any elections using the new map.

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

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MOSCOW  Russias Foreign Ministry announced Monday that is levying sanctions on 61 U.S. nationals,.

It said the move was being taken in response to the ever-expanding U.S. sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic business.

The list includes U.S. officials and former and current top managers of large American companies, such as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 AP Exclusive: Ukraine recovers bodies from steel-plant siege

 Ukraine's leader says Russia is trying to capture a key southeastern city

 US general says US, allies will keep sending significant aid to Ukraine

 NATO nations block Russian envoy from visit to Serbia

 UN: Climate shocks and Ukraine war fuel multiple global food crises

 In eastern Ukraine, keeping the lights on is a dangerous job

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

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

UNITED NATIONS -- European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia of using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries and blamed the Kremlin for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscows U.N. ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Michel addressed Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at a council meeting Monday, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odessa a few weeks ago because of Russian warships in the Black Sea. He said Moscows attacks on Ukraines transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, airstrikes and mines are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting.

This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty and destabilizing entire regions, Michel said. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.

Michel accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas in Ukraine that it has occupied while shifting the blame of others, calling this cowardly and propaganda, pure and simple.

Nebenzia walked out, giving Russias seat to another diplomat. Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky tweeted later on Telegrams Russian channel that Michels comments were so rude that the Russian ambassador left the Security Council chamber.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France  The United States and its allies will keep providing significant support to Ukraine out of respect for the legacy of D-Day soldiers, whose victory over the Nazis helped lead to a new world order and a better peace, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday.

In an interview with The Associated Press overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, Milley said Russias war on Ukraine undermines the rules established by Allied countries after the end of World War II. He spoke on the 78th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Allied troops onto the beaches of France, which led to the overthrow of Nazi Germanys occupation.

One fundamental rule of theglobal rules-based order is that countries cannot attack other countries with their military forces in acts of aggression unless its an act of pure self-defense, he stressed. But thats not whats happened here in Ukraine. Whats happened here is an open, unambiguous act of aggression.

I think that the United States and the allied countries are providing a significant amount of support to Ukraine, and that will continue, he said.

KYIV, Ukraine  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

NEW YORK  U.S. authorities moved Monday to seize two luxury jets  a $60 million Gulfstream and a $350 million aircraft believed to be one of the worlds most expensive private airplanes  after linking both to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

A federal magistrate judge signed a warrant authorizing the seizure of the Gulfstream and a Boeing jet that authorities said was worth less than $100 million before a lavish customization.

The action takes place just days after the United States announced new sanctions and penalties on Russian oligarchs and elites, Kremlin officials, businessmen linked to President Vladimir Putin and their yachts, aircraft and firms that manage them.

President Joe Biden promised after Russias February invasion of Ukraine to pursue Russian elites ill-gotten gains.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Monday that his office was using every legal tool available to respond to Russians illegal war in Ukraine.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines president is asking for a secure corridor for Ukrainian vessels to be able to ship out grain and prevent food shortages in Africa and Asia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a news conference on Monday that Kyiv is in talks with countries like Turkey and the U.K. about security guaranties for Ukrainian ships.

It is important for us that there is a security corridor ... that the fleet of this or that country ensures the shipping of the grain, Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy adds that if now we have 22-25 million tons blocked there, in the fall we might have 75 (million tons).

What are we going to do? he asked. Thats why we cant do without the ports.

The issue of blocked grain will be on the agenda on Wednesday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs visit to Turkey. Ankara is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for the shipment of Ukrainian grain amid an escalating food crisis.

Zelenskyy says Kyiv hasnt been invited, possibly because Turkey wants to get security guarantees from Russia for its own ships first.

He explains that Ukraine cant export large shipments of grain via railways because of long delivery times, even though Kyiv has been in talks with Poland and the Baltic nations. A transport through the territory of Russias ally Belarus isnt an option, he said.

UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. envoy on sexual violence in conflict says sexual violence in Ukraine especially against women and girls remains prevalent and underreported, and the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country is turning into a human trafficking crisis.

Pramila Patten told the U.N. Security Council Monday that there is a gap between its resolutions aimed at preventing rape and other sexual attacks during conflicts and the reality on the ground for the most vulnerable  women and children.

As of June 3, she said, the U.N. human rights office had received 124 allegations of conflict-related sexual violence  97 against women and girls, 19 against men, 7 against boys and 1 gender unknown. Verification of these cases is on-going, she said.

Patten said Ukraines prosecutor general informed her during a visit in May that a national hot line reported the following forms of conflict-related sexual violence between Feb. 24, when Russian troops invaded the country, and April 12: rape, gang rape, pregnancy following rape, attempted rape, threats of rape, coercion to watch an act of sexual violence committed against a partner or a child, and forced nudity.

KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines president says the Russian forces intend to capture the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on Monday. He added that part of the region already has been taken and Russia wants to take the city next.

In the south of Ukraine, Russia has already seized large cities of Kherson and Mariupol. The Zaporizhzhia region, with the population of 1.6 million people, is one of the biggest industrial hubs of Ukraines southeast. The city itself has 722,000 people.

Zelenskyy also said that the Ukrainian troops continue to fight in the eastern part of the country known as the Donbas. In the Luhansk region, the Ukrainian resistance continues in Sievierodonetsk, one of two cities still not in Russias hands, he said.

There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on there, Zelenskyy said.

In the northern Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian army step by step de-occupies our lands, Zelenskyy said.

MOSCOW  President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine.

The National Guard is Russias internal military forces, but has taken part in military operations in Ukraine including the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

The lump sum is equivalent to roughly six years of Russias average salary.

MOSCOW  The president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic says the regions supreme court is opening the trial of three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukrainian forces.

If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could face the death penalty.

Separatist president Denis Pushilin on Monday said the crimes they committed were monstrous, according to separatist news agency DAN. They are also charged with committing crimes against groups of people.

Two of the men, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, were members of regular Ukrainian military units in Mariupol. The affiliation of Andrew Hill, who was captured in the Mykolaiv area, is unclear.

ROME  Russias ambassador in Rome has been summoned to the Italian foreign ministry, following anti-Italy remarks by Russian government officials.

The foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday that Ambassador Sergey Razov was summoned on instructions on Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and in concert with the office of Italian Premier Mario Draghi.

Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov derided Di Maios peace plan, which had been relayed to the United Nations. Lavrov described the plan, which called for incremental cease-fires as well as humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, as not serious.

Lavrov also insinuated that Di Maio was out for self-promotion to gain votes.

The foreign ministry statement said Secretary General Ettore Francesco Sequi firmly rejects accusations of amorality aimed at some heads of Italian institutions and media.

Sequi also rejected insinuations relative to the alleged involvement of the media of our country in an anti-Russia campaign. In the same statement, Sequi reiterated Italys condemnation of Russias unjustified aggression against Ukraine.

MOSCOW  The Russian foreign minister has warned the West that if it provides Ukraine with long-range rockets, Moscow will respond by taking over larger areas of Ukraine.

Speaking during an online news conference Monday, Sergey Lavrov said that the longer the range of weapons you supply, the farther away the line from where neo-Nazis could threaten the Russian Federation will be pushed.

The U.S. and Britain have announced they will provide Ukraine with multiple rocket-launchers capable of striking targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. The systems are capable of firing longer range rockets that can hit areas of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) away, but U.S. said it wouldnt supply the rockets.

Asked how Moscow would respond if the U.S. and its allies change their mind and provide Ukraine with long-range rockets, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in televised comments Sunday that Moscow will draw appropriate conclusions and use our strike means, which we have plenty of, in order to hit the facilities that we havent struck yet.

SOFIA, Bulgaria  Bulgarias foreign ministry said Monday that Ukraines ambassador to Sofia has requested Bulgarian arms deliveries for his embattled country.

Ambassador Vitaly Moskalenko confirmed in a TV interview that his country needs Soviet-era weapons including heavy artillery.

We need weapons, we are talking about howitzers and missile systems  Soviet, old weapons that we can handle, he said.

In the wake of Russias stepped-up military efforts in eastern Ukraine, he added: Imagine the firepower concentrated now against Ukraine in Donbas.

On May 4, Bulgarias Parliament approved military technical assistance to Ukraine, which provides only for the repair of Ukrainian weapons and equipment, not the provision of combat systems and small arms.

Parliament would need to revise its previous decision, which seems uncertain because of the divisions between the political parties on this issue.

KYIV, Ukraine  A regional governor in Ukraine says that the situation in a key eastern town has worsened.

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Monday that fierce fighting was continuing in the city of Sievierodonetsk in the epicenter of the Russian offensive. He described the combat situation as quite dynamic.

Our defenders managed to conduct counteroffensive and free nearly half of the city, but the situation has worsened again now, Haidai told the AP. Our guys are defending the positions in the industrial zone on the outskirts of the city.

The shelling of Sievierodonetsk has intensified, (the Russians) are destroying everything in line with their scorched earth tactics, he alleged.

Haidai said that the Russians have continued intensive bombardment also of nearby Lysychansk.

The Russians have an enormous amount of equipment and personnel, they have pulled up a lot of reserves, he said. He added that they had shelled a humanitarian center in Lysychansk and destroyed a bakery, and that 98 people had left the town over the past 24 hours.

Haidai said that a key highway between Bakhmut and Lysychansk has been under constant shelling even though it remains in Ukrainian hands.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France  Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had strong words about the war in Ukraine at a ceremony Monday commemorating the 78th anniversary of D-Day.

Speaking in the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, Milley said that "Kyiv may be 2,000 kilometers away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II.

He spoke in the presence of more than 20 World War II veterans and several thousand people who came to pay tribute to those who fell that day.

The world has come together in support of the defense of Ukraine against a determined invader. The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, he said.

Its about maintaining the so called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery.

Gen. Milley recalled the principle underlined in that order that strong countries cannot just invade small countries. Each country is sovereign and each country has the right to territorial integrity.

MOSCOW  The Russian military says it has struck a Ukrainian factory that was being used to repair armor.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday that Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was fixing armored vehicles.

Konashenkov said that the Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while the Russian artillery struck 431 military targets. His claims couldnt be independently verified.

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

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) 

A 2-year old boy fatally shot his father in an accident after finding a gun, and the boy's mother is now facing criminal charges, authorities in Florida said Monday.

Reggie Mabry, 26, was fatally shot late last month while he was playing a video game. The gun was fired by his 2-year-old son in the home Mabry, his wife Marie Ayala, and their three young children shared in metro Orlando, according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office report.

The gun was not properly stored," Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference. In fact, it was easily accessible, even to a 2-year-old, and the result is a tragedy that no one in this community can really comprehend."

Ayala, 28, was charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and violation of probation, Mina said.

Both Ayala and Mabry had been on probation for child neglect and narcotics possession.

Ayala remained in jail on no bond Monday, according to an online jail record. Online court records showed she was being represented by the public defender's office but no further details were provided.

Ayala told detectives that her 5-year-old son told her that his 2-year-old brother had fired the gun, but the older brother couldn't explain how his younger brother had gotten hold of the weapon, the arrest report said.

The children weren't harmed and have been placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

The tragedy could have been prevented if the gun had been properly stored, the sheriff said.

Now these young children have effectively lost both of their parents, Mina said. And a young child has to live his life knowing he shot his father."

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

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Jill Biden on Monday praised Nancy Reagan as a first lady who made such a difference, as the current first lady hosted the unveiling of a new U.S. postage stamp honoring a woman who held the role 40 years before Biden stepped into it.

The issuance by the U.S. Postal Service of a forever first-class stamp bearing Nancy Reagan's image is part of a yearlong commemoration of the former first lady's centennial by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

At a White House ceremony, Biden talked about the incredible platform first ladies gain to serve the people after we're just sort of thrust into the national spotlight in a way that I know none of us could have anticipated.

First lady Nancy Reagan served the American people with grace," Biden said. "She understood that the role of first lady came with inherent pitfalls and scrutiny, yet she found the humanity in it all. She knew the potential of this role.

Next month would have been her 101st birthday, Biden continued. And with this stamp we are affirming that she made such a difference.

Nancy Reagan was born on July 6, 1921.

Fred Ryan, a White House aide to President Ronald Reagan, said the former first lady advocated for foster grandparents, championed the arts, and restored and remodeled parts of the White House. She is also remembered for her Just Say No anti-drug campaign, for undergoing a mastectomy after her breast cancer diagnosis during the Reagan presidency and a fierce devotion to her husband.

But the White House announcement last week of Monday's event sparked angry commentary on social media by people who noted the Reagans' indifference toward gays and lesbians and to the AIDS crisis that exploded during their time as president and first lady.

Other commentators expressed indignation that the White House under a Democratic president hosted the event at all, let alone during Pride Month, which celebrates LGBTQ people.

Jill Biden's office did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Last week, President Joe Biden issued a Pride Month proclamation in which he said the rights of LGBTQI people currently are under relentless attack and sought to reassure them that my administration sees you for who you are, deserving of dignity, respect and support.

In her remarks, Jill Biden spoke of needing everyone's help to bring our communities together.

We have to learn from those we dont understand, to reach across the divide and find common ground, because thats where the foundation of our future must be laid, she said.

Also participating in the unveiling were U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Anne Peterson, Nancy Reagan's niece. Ryan also is chairman of the board of trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

Nancy Reagan is the sixth first lady to appear on a U.S. postage stamp after Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lady Bird Johnson, DeJoy said.

The stamp is set to officially be issued on July 6 during a dedication at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, he said.

Nancy Reagan died in March 2016 at the age of 94.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Serbia and Russia confirmed Monday that a planned visit by Russia's foreign minister to the Balkan country will not take place, with Moscow accusing the West of preventing the trip by blocking the envoy's plane flight.

The announcement followed reports that Serbia's neighbors  Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro  had refused to allow Sergey Lavrov's plane to fly through their airspace to reach Serbia.

An unthinkable thing has happened, Lavrov said during an online news conference Monday. A sovereign state has been deprived of its right to conduct foreign policies. The international activities of Serbia on the Russian track have been blocked.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier Monday met with Russia's ambassador to Serbia who informed him that Lavrov could not come because the Russian government plane was denied necessary flyover permissions, a statement issued after the meeting said.

Vucic expressed dissatisfaction over the circumstances that prevented the visit and added that "despite all, Serbia will preserve independence and autonomy in political decision-making."

Later Monday, Vucic told state RTS broadcaster that the cancelation of the visit was not too much of a surprise and that arrangements faced problems from the start.

Russia is a traditional friend of Serbia, Vucic said, describing Serbia's policies toward Russia as a rational, sensible and soothing way within Europe, where it is not easy to hear a voice of reason and dialogue."

While formally still seeking European Union membership, Serbia has maintained friendly ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, refusing to join Western sanctions against Moscow. Many in Serbia view the fellow-Slavic nation as a close ally and Moscow has backed Serbia in its effort to retain its claim on Kosovo.

Lavrov blamed NATO countries for engineering the flight ban  Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia are all members of NATO  noting that the action showed again that the main purpose of the alliance expansion is to try to isolate Russia.

Lavrov still plans to travel for talks Wednesday in Turkey, where he can fly directly over the Black Sea. Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both Russia and Ukraine while also trying to help international mediation efforts in the war.

The Russian foreign minister said the West has trampled on the principle of a free choice of foreign policy partners.

From the Western viewpoint, Serbia mustnt have any choice, any freedom in choosing its partners, he said. The West clearly shows that it would use any base means to apply pressure."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov deplored what what he described as hostile actions," but said this "wont significantly hamper the continuation of our countrys contacts with friendly countries like Serbia.

In Belgrade, Serbia's pro-Russian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin expressed deep regret that a great and proven friend of Serbia could not come. Vulin added that Serbia is proud that it is not part of anti-Russian hysteria, and the countries that are (part of it) will have time to be ashamed.

Serbia, meanwhile, also is almost fully dependent on Russian gas. Vucic recently talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to arrange a new deal on gas supplies for the next three years.

Analyst Slobodan Stupar described Lavrov's attempted visit to Belgrade as a show that would have been used by Moscow to further vilify the West.

I believe the Russians invited themselves to Serbia, Stupar told The Associated Press. They are terribly isolated. ... They can now say that Europe and the world are not democratic and won't allow a simple flyover.

Stupar said Vucic has placed himself in between Russia and the West.

That is the worst possible position one can imagine, Stupar said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in the region later this week.

Suzan Fraser contributed to this report from Ankara, Turkey.

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

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Eleven of the counts represented each person who was unknowingly recorded using the toilet. The 12th count stemmed from a minor who was recorded last fall in various states of undress in the bathroom at the man's house.
Pete Ricketts and David Axelrod engaged in a revealing and wide-ranging discussion while the governor was in Chicago a week ago for an appearance at the University of Chicago and you can listen in on their conversation on the latest Axe Files podcast online.

Axelrod, a guiding figure in President Barack Obama's historic 2008 election as the first Black president, his successful reelection bid in 2012 and as senior advisor to the Democratic president for eight years, and Ricketts, Nebraska's two-term conservative Republican governor.

They talked about topics ranging from the Ricketts family, the family-owned Chicago Cubs, the governor's unsuccessful bid for a 2006 Senate seat, his sister's same-sex marriage, his pro-life views opposing abortion.

And the governor's support of the death penalty as a Catholic despite Pope Francis' encyclical calling upon all Catholics to advocate for the abolition of capital punishment.

And his 2nd Amendment defense of gun rights in the wake of the latest massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Texas.

"You can't buy a bazooka or a cannon," Axelrod said. "Why semi-automatic guns?"

All those tough and sometimes uncomfortable questions were raised by Axelrod during their lively interchange.

Lots of interesting Ricketts family history emerged too along with the fact that it was former Sen. Chuck Hagel who suggested that he pursue the Senate seat held by Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson in 2006.

Ricketts did and lost big-time, hated losing, but said he "loved the experience."

The discussion with Axelrod was friendly and respectful and often punctuated by the governor's explosive laughter.

When Axelrod raised concerns about the dangerous divisions that led to the insurrection at the nation's Capitol a year and a half ago and the lingering "terror of our politics," the governor said "we'll get though it."

"Use your formidable voice," Axelrod urged Ricketts.

*****

Sen. Ben Sasse called for creation of "a NATO for the Pacific" during his address at the Reagan Library in southern California last week.

And he suggested that the United States should "arm the Taiwanese military to the teeth" in the face of a growing threat by China to reclaim its former island territory.

It's time to "sound the alarm for Taiwan," secure and protect an ally and friend as the United States does in Europe, Sasse said, and assure "free navigation of the seas" in the Pacific Ocean.

"I want us to be America again," Sasse said.

****

Finishing up:

* House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy closed his luncheon appearance in Lincoln in support of GOP congressional nominee Mike Flood to coverage by the news media. Afterwards, guests whom I asked said McCarthy said nothing that would have been damaging or uncomfortable in print.

* McCarthy wouldn't do a newspaper interview while he was in Lincoln, only a brief Lincoln TV appearance and a friendly interview with Omaha talk radio.

* Reminder: Flood and Democratic congressional nominee Patty Pansing Brooks will meet for a one-hour, live televised debate next Sunday on KETV, beginning at 6 p.m.

* Ugly reminder of what might lie ahead in Ukraine: When Russian troops invaded Afghanistan in late 1979 and encountered stubborn resistance that kept the war going on and on, Russia did not leave until early 1989, almost a decade later.

* Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon has signaled his intention to attempt to end selection of committee chairpersons in the non-partisan Legislature by secret ballot when the 2023 Legislature convenes, requiring each senator to make his or her choice public.

* Impossible to accurately predict what a new Legislature will be like, but signs point to a more conservative -- and perhaps more partisan -- edition next year with a huge turnover and the departure of a number of moderate, independent and essentially non-partisan Republicans, most of whom were legislative leaders.

* Nebraska's new motor vehicle license plate design is artistic and attractive, but the Capitol mosaic artwork that adorns the new plates appears to be barely perceptible, at least in the modeling unveiled at a gubernatorial news conference.

* "And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days." -- James Russell Lowell.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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Lincoln Journal-Star. May 31, 2022.

Editorial: A win and a warning for prison system

Late last month, Gov. Pete Ricketts and a host of Nebraska Department of Correctional Services officials celebrated the unveiling of the reimagined Reception and Treatment Center, just weeks after Ricketts and conservative Republican senators thwarted an initiative that would have brought true prison reform to Nebraska.

Built on the parking lot that separated the Lincoln Correctional Center and Diagnostic Evaluation Center on West Van Dorn Street, the Reception and Treatment Center effectively turned the two facilities into one, updating, remodeling and rehabbing the old facilities into what Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes called a modern, highly functional prison.

The crown jewel of the $125 million project, according to Frakes, is a 384-bed maximum security wing that will begin to house incarcerated men later this summer. That wing, Frakes said, could get the nations most overcrowded prison system back down to operational level, operational capacity.

But given that Nebraska also has the fastest-growing prison population in the country, the luster will go off that jewel in, at most, months after it is opened.

In fact, the Reception and Treatment Center project vividly shows why Nebraska will not be able to build its way out of the corrections crisis. That project was a half decade in planning and took months of construction.

That would hold true for the new prison that Ricketts and the Corrections Department have proposed and the Legislature authorized, but didnt fund. Given the time it would take to build and staff a new prison, it would likely be nearly full on the day it begins operation.

But Ricketts, who initially supported the prison reform initiative, and the Legislatures conservatives, while celebrating the needed increase in beds and modernized center, scuttled the real reform.

That, notably, is directly opposite of the approach of the more than three dozen states that have implemented prison reform, most often a coupling of reductions in criminal penalties with treatment and enhanced supervision intended to help people succeed after release.

Those reforms have sent U.S. inmate numbers tumbling, including in Texas and other conservative states, where prison reform was embraced by Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, as the criminal justice vision for the 21st century.

But the backwards looking legislators and Ricketts opposed the reforms, arguing that the treatment and enhanced supervision should come first, but doing nothing to implement them and then attacking opponents and labeling sentencing reductions as soft on crime.

As long as that recalcitrant view of the reforms that other states have shown to work is dominant, Nebraskas prisons will remain in crisis, overcrowded with insufficient staffing and programming.

We can only hope that the new governor, who will be elected in November, and the Legislature that will see a number of new senators in 2023, will change that view and adopt reforms that have worked in the majority of states.

Omaha World-Herald. June 5, 2022.

Editorial: Finding and honoring graves of Genoa students would help Nebraska heal

The latest news out of Genoa, Nebraska  the former home of one of the nations largest federal Native American boarding schools  is both sad and uplifting.

Sad that the recent search for an unmarked burial site near the town is a stark reminder of the shameful past government policy of removing Native American children from their parents.

Sad that some of those children died away from their families while at schools like the Genoa Indian Industrial School, established in a misguided attempt at cultural indoctrination and vocational instruction. Genoa, the fourth such school in the U.S., operated from 1884 to 1934.

And sad that those children were treated so disrespectfully in death.

A federal investigation has so far identified more than 500 deaths at 19 schools, although its believed that the number could climb to thousands or even tens of thousands. At least 86 children are thought to have died at Genoa.

So wheres the uplifting part? Well, as World-Herald staff writer Jessica Wade reported last week, a serious effort is underway to find Genoas lost school cemetery, which holds out hope that the schools dead will finally be properly honored.

A 1920 plat map suggests the possible location of the cemetery site, although efforts to use ground-penetrating radar produced inconclusive results last fall.

Last month, however, specially trained dogs were able to narrow the search zone. The dogs can detect the odor of gases that remain underground long after a body has started to decompose.

The next step will be additional searches in the area identified by the dogs, including more ground-penetrating radar and metal detecting. If graves are found, tribal leaders ultimately will decide whether to excavate.

Whatever the final outcome, the efforts to find the cemetery are bringing hope to people like Judi gaiashkibos, executive director of the Nebraska Indian Affairs Commission. Its so important, said gaiashkibos, whose mother attended the school.

As we said last year, paying attention to the schools history isnt a matter of living in the past. Instead, it offers a chance for all Nebraskans to try to understand and acknowledge the mistakes of the past, which sets the stage for moving forward.

Its helpful for us all to consider the impact of those schools on the Native children who were forced to attend them and were forbidden to embrace their own culture. Finding the Genoa school cemetery and properly honoring the lives of the children who died there would aid the process of reconciliation.

END

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

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On Tuesday, voters in San Francisco recalled District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a progressive prosecutor whom critics accused of allowing crime to flourish. Meanwhile, voters in Los Angeles sent Rick Caruso to a November runoff for mayor; the luxury-mall magnate ran on a promise to rid the city of crime and disorder. Earlier this week, Henry Grabar wrote about why crime is dogging progressive politicians, and why their failure on homelessness is in part to blame.

If the polls are onto something, Californians will veer right on Tuesday. San Francisco will likely recall the progressive prosecutor it elected district attorney in 2019, and Los Angeles will send a billionaire shopping-mall magnate promising to clean up L.A. into a November runoff election for mayor.

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Chesa Boudin, the San Francisco D.A., is facing near-certain defeat in an up-or-down recall vote. Mall man Rick Carusoa former Republican who became a Democrat for this campaignhas spent $34 million blanketing Angelenos phones, computers, and televisions with his face, and is polling at 32 percent in a wide field.

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If these results play out, the voting will be seen as part of the same backlash against progressive urban policyand in particular, the Defund the Police sloganthat began with last years election of the ex-cop Eric Adams in New York City. Fair enough. In all three cities, the race was run on a single issue, urban disorder, its two components so closely linked in the public imagination they are often part of the same breath: crime and homelessness.

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Can you imagine running a small business and youre worried about crime, and you also have an encampment in front of your business? Caruso said in an interview with the Associated Press.

How do we fix this crime and homeless problem? a Wall Street Journal opinion column asks of San Francisco, beneath an image of a homeless man on a bench. (The answer, according to the columnist: Replacing the district attorney.)

Crime and homelessness are not, in fact, the same issue at all. They are not meaningfully correlated; they do not share causes; they do not share solutions. But in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, Democrats inability to address the homelessness crisis is going to cost them generational progress on criminal justice, as the forces for reforming the police go into retreat.

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Its tough to watch. Reformers like Boudin (and the left wing of the Democratic Party generally) are right on principle and in practice to dismantle the system of unaccountable police, cash bail, and long prison terms for petty offenses. But theyre going to lose their chance to make it happen, because Democratic leaders have proved themselves so inept in confronting an issue that can easily be conflated with crime.

The elision between crime and homelessness is a clever trick for pro-cop politicians, but progressives brought the confusion upon themselves. Mayors like Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles and Bill de Blasio in New York used their power to make big but toothless proclamations on national progressive issues, while throwing their hands up at thorny local problems well within their means to solve, like building more shelter beds and getting homeless residents to use them.

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Boudin has tried to distinguish one issue from the other in several interviews: Its not wrong or unfair for people to feel [unsafe around homeless people], he told the New York Times Magazine, but the connection with me is an explicitly political one driven by the recall. And to New York Magazine: Homelessness is another issue of frustration There are lots of city departments, some overseen by the mayor, some by the Board of Supervisors, that deal with housing and housing policy. My office is not one of them.

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As the San Francisco supervisor Hillary Ronen told the San Francisco Chronicle recently, Chesa Boudin is the scapegoat in The City for anything that happens that isnt positive.

To put it more bluntly: Boudin prosecutes criminals. But homelessness, which is not a crime, is the most serious concern for San Francisco voters, according to a recent San Francisco Examiner poll. His critics have done their best to muddy the distinction. Writing about Boudin, the conservative New York Times columnist Bret Stephens used a typical sleight of hand to blame the state of the city on the prosecutor. Click this link and take a brief stroll through a local train station to see how these sorts of policies work out, he wrote, in 2021. The link is to a video from 2018, before Boudin had even run for office. Of course, many of Boudins opponents arent confused about homelessness and crime at all: They want a DA who will use prosecutorial powers to cull the homeless population by imprisoning people for the misdemeanors associated with living on the street.

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The United States is in the midst of a gun-violence epidemic that has put policing at the top of the Democratic agenda. But contrary to popular perception, rising crime rates are not the exclusive purview of cities run by Democrats. Jacksonville, Florida, the largest GOP-run city in the country, has a murder rate three times higher than New York; GOP-run Oklahoma City has a murder rate twice as high as Los Angeles. Jacksonville, by the way, spends a third of its budget on policing, and yet the murder rate has risen in nine of the last 11 years.

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In some of Americas biggest cities, moreover, crime isnt the issue its been made out to be.

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In San Francisco, violent crime is lower than at any point since 1985, according to the Chronicle. Property crime is elevated, though Boudin says that is more the polices problem than his: Just 2 percent of reported thefts in San Francisco result in arrest.

Nor can the apocalyptic political rhetoric in New York and Los Angeles be justified by crime rates. In L.A., Caruso has been favorably compared to the citys last GOP mayor, Richard Riordan, who was elected after the L.A. riotshardly an analog to storefronts smashed last year at the Grove, Carusos flagship town-center mall. L.A. had more than twice as many murders in 1992 as it does now, despite growing by 10 percent since then. In New York, Mayor Adams said last month, I have never in my professional career, have never witnessed crime at this level. Short memory: at the time Adams served on the force, the city counted five times as many murders each year as it does today, despite the arrival of more than a million additional New Yorkers in the interim.

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Crime is a phenomenon that most voters experience through the media, rather than firsthand, which is one reason theres a huge spread between the share of Americans who say crime is a national issue and those who say its an issue for them personally. The emerging tough-on-crime urban Democratic coalition is multiethnic, and some of those voters obviously have felt the impact of the surge in shootings or a wave of hate crimes. For the rest, big-city homelessness bridges that gap, operating as a visible, personal manifestation of all that danger you hear about on the nightly news.

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In New York, centrist Democrats like Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo have often talked about homelessness and crime in the same breath. Theyve managed to use homelessness as an excuse to ratchet up police spending, though the police do not build houses, as other city services suffer cuts. Of more than 9,200 residents removed from the subway during a recent 12-month period, fewer than one in 10 were to be found in shelters afterward.

Reducing crime is always a worthy goal, but its a complicated one. How much emphasis should be put on root causes like bad schools, poor access to jobs, and untreated mental health? How can police departments be reformed to boost their clearance rates from a 50-year low? What kind of policing strategy can prevent crime and build trust in minority communities? How do you balance harsh punishments for illegal gun possession with the drive to end mass incarceration?

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Homelessness, by contrast, is simple: Its incidence has little to do with poverty, mental health services, or illegal drug use. Its a product of high housing costs, which is why the cities with the most people living on the street are also the countrys most expensive: New York, Washington, San Francisco, and Boston. The cities with higher crime rates, meanwhile, typically do not have serious affordability and homelessness problemsCook County, which includes Chicago, has about 80 percent fewer homeless people per capita than King County, which includes Seattle. Crime and homelessness do not have the same causes.

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They definitely dont have the same solutions. Compared to their 20th century predecessors who fought vicious battles over public housing, todays big-city mayors have it easy. In fact, you could argue that one reason cities have become such Democratic monocultures is that Democrats with local power have given up on ambitious social ideas that divide their electorate.

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Homelessness, unfortunately, is an issue that demands a bit of political courage. It is associated with disturbing misdemeanor offenses like public urination and open drug use that are natural consequences of living on the street, but it is not primarily a policing problem. Housing the homeless may require clearing encampments in vital public spaces like parks or subways, risking the ire of progressive activists. It may require forced medical treatment for gravely disabled residents who wont accept help, a concept that civil libertarians reject outright. Most of all, it requires standing up to angry neighbors in order to build places for people to sleep, and fast. No city has been up to the task. New York spends a fortune to guarantee a court-ordered right to shelter, placing families in hotels and crowding existing facilities. But leaders seem incapable of establishing new ones.

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In Los Angeles, the situation is no less depressing: Voters have opted twice in recent years to allocate billions of dollars to housing their homeless neighbors. But the results have been meagerafter five years, just 1,000 of a promised 10,000 units had materialized. Audits slammed the program for being too slow and too expensive. Council members resisted construction in their own districts. Under a wishy-washy settlement, the city pledged this spring to house 60 percent of its homeless population within five yearsbut with a freeway-sized loophole omitting residents with serious mental illness, substance abuse disorder, or physical disability.

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Obviously, that inaction is primarily a problem for homeless people themselves. But it is also dogging the campaign of Rep. Karen Bass, the establishment Dem candidate to Carusos left. Bass understands why voters are frustrated on the homelessness issue and has put it at the center of her campaign. Its an exasperation with leadership, Bass told the Washington Post last week. People tax themselves and have seen nothing in return. She is counting on her long record in the city and connections in Washington, and promises to house 15,000 homeless Angelenos in her first year in office.

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Bass is running neck-and-neck with Caruso, who says he will build 30,000 beds in his first 300 days, perhaps on Skid Row, the citys homeless ghetto south of downtown, and force the homeless to accept temporary housing or face arrest. You have to do temporary housing, he told ABC7 recently. So, youre going to offer the bed once. Youre going to offer the bed, maybe twice. The third time, youre going to say, Im sorry, youve now broken the law.

Carusos impossible ambition to build the beds is attractive, even if the details are sketchy and the reality might not be different from Basss commitment or the citys aforementioned settlement promise. What is new with him is his approach to the police: Caruso says hell hire 1,500 new officers, step up the prosecution of misdemeanor offenses, and roll out a no-tolerance, broken-windows strategy that emphasizes small, quality-of-life issues.

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If thats the policing revolution Los Angeles gets two years after George Floyd, it will be because leaders spent so much time dithering on housing the homeless.

Elsewhere in the state, politicians are hashing out compromises out to stave off radical ballot initiatives, where Californians have a habit of circumventing their legislators with extreme solutions. In Sacramento, for example, mayor Darrell Steinberg has agreed to a right to housingand, if housing is available, an obligation to accept it. As long as the city has available shelter beds, camped-out residents will be forced to sleep in them.

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We are over a barrel here, Steinberg said in April. The ballot issue would have required the city devote 15 percent of its budget to building shelter beds, and permit 6,400 beds in 60 daysa virtual impossibility, the city says, which would just result in them being sued for failure to comply.

But those are the sorts of choices you face if you do nothing for long enough. You end up with an ex-cop mayor, a recalled progressive prosecutor, and a mayoral frontrunner like Rick Caruso. And whatever long-awaited police reforms were expected two years ago look further and further away.
May was a bad month for former President Donald Trump. And there are darkening clouds on his horizon. On June 9, the Jan. 6 House select committee will hold public hearings as part of its ongoing investigation into the storming of the Capitol last year. In short order, the set of six scheduled televised sessions this month are likely to build momentum toward making the case that the president was directly involved in attempts to undermine the peaceful transition of power. And as the steady dropping of shocking findings from the committee over the course of the past months suggests, the sessions will likely have many viewers on the edge of their seats.

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Junes hearings follow a series of escalations in Trumps ongoing legal battles stemming from his attempts to undermine the 2020 election. Mays legal developments and the looming hearings suggest increasing pressures and prospects that Trump will face criminal charges.

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Why was May so bad for Trump? Its not just a matter of investigators closing in. Georgias primary on May 24 delivered a blow to Trump. Three men the former president loves to hateGov. Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carrall defeated Trumps candidates in the Republican primary. Trump is already trying to cast doubt on their election results, raising questions about Kemps 50-point win over David Perdue. Georgia voters, however, signaled they are ready to move on from the Big Lie.

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Meanwhile, two parallel criminal investigations are heating upone from the Justice Department and another from District Attorney Fani Willis in Atlanta. Willis is independently investigating Trumps phone call with Raffensperger in which he shamelessly asked Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes, one more than needed to reverse Joe Bidens Georgia victory. She is also looking into Trumps preJan. 6 conduct for violation of the states criminal prohibition on soliciting election fraud. Last week, we learned that she has subpoenaed 50 witnesses, including Raffensperger, who testified on June 2 for five hours before a grand jury. She has also subpoenaed Chris Carr for June 21.

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As for the Justice Department, it is reportedly ramping up its inquiry into Trumps circle and the fake elector scheme that Rudy Giuliani allegedly led for the Trump campaign. On May 31, the Guardian reported that DOJs May 26 subpoena to former Trump aide Peter Navarro specifically refers to Trump and seeks communications with him, hinting at tightening scrutiny for the former president. (On June 2, the DOJ indicted Navarro on two counts of contempt for defying the committees subpoena to testify and provide documents.)

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Theres more. In the weeks leading up to the hearings, the House committee dropped several bombshells. While the final details are still being sorted, the upcoming hearings have two apparent goals. First, committee members intend to address Trumps election meddling. And second, they intend to elucidate the circumstances around the hours of inaction before Capitol police received backup from the National Guard during which Trump had to repeatedly reshoot a video telling his followers inside the Capitol to leave because he refused to say the right thing. If the details coming out of the investigation are any indication, the committee is hard at work building its case. Consider this eye-popping detail: On May 25, we learned that the committee reportedly has evidence that Trump cheered Jan. 6 Capitol invaders chanting Hang Mike Pence. Moments before the chanting and cheering, Trump incited his followers by tweeting, Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been done.

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Trumps actions supporting violence that day and his inaction for three hours permitting the insurrection to continue demonstrate the lengths to which he would go to advance the alleged criminal conspiracys monthslong goal: to intimidate Pence and Congress into rejecting or delaying certification of Joe Bidens election victory.

We came perilously close to that result.

Whether the committee has enough evidence for the Justice Department ultimately to hold Trump criminally liable remains to be seen. Some legal observers argue the Justice Department faces an uphill battle in determining criminal intent because Trump could claim that he actually believed his own Big Lie about massive voter fraud. Even if his attorney general and others told him directly that the claim was false, was Trumps outside lawyer, John Eastman, whispering contrary messages into Trumps ear?

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On that front, the committee just released new evidence showing that Eastman, too, knew the claim lacked factual foundation.

In a May 26 court filing, the committee disclosed that it had an email exchange between Eastman and Cleta Mitchell, who was Eastmans legal collaborator. On Jan. 2, 2021, Mitchell asked Eastman whether there was evidence of voter fraud in states other than Georgia, where three audits confirmed Bidens win. Eastmans response: No idea.

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New reports also revealed that the committee has testimony that Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows burned documents in his White House office fireplace. Substantial evidence in the public record already pointed to his central role in the plot.

Do innocent people burn documents in the White House?

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The good news is that Meadows didnt burn his phone with its text messages, and that he gave 2,319 of those messages to the committee in response to its subpoena before reversing course and not cooperating. Among the texts were those from Trumps Republican allies in and out of Congress, including Fox News hosts. Even his son texted, Hes got to condemn this shit more than two hours before Trump did.

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Earlier in May, we learned that Eastman has two personal notes from Trump that Eastmans trying to keep from being disclosed. The notes offer suggestions about how to advance the effort to stop or delay Bidens being certified the elections winner. Trump is famously careful about not using email to create evidence against himself. But suddenly here is evidence that may show his personal participation in the plot against democracythis time, in his own handwriting.

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For the past month, the committee has been releasing these alarming findings from its 10-month-long investigation in tantalizing bits. Thursdays hearings will be the start of telling a cohesive narrative. And it sounds like the committee has quite the story to tell. During an interview on Anderson Cooper 360 on June 1, Denver Riggleman, the former Virginia Republican congressman with years of National Security Agency experience who is assisting the committees data gathering, called the evidence absolutely stunning. He also said that some of it reads like a fantasy novel.

The next day, we learned that the committees leadoff witnesses will be three courageous Republicans working for Vice President Mike Pence, who supported his resistance to the multistep conspiracy that Trump appears to have led and aimed at ending the lawful transfer of power: Pences staff attorney, Greg Jacob; Pences outside attorney, Michael Luttig, the eminent former federal Court of Appeals judge; and Pences chief of staff, Marc Short.

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Altogether, these events have the feeling of thunder rolling into Mar-a-lago.

Forty-nine years ago, a select committee on the Senate side began its hearings into Watergate. Before they began, no one knew that testimony from White House insiders like John Dean and Alexander Butterfieldwho revealed that Nixon had tape-recorded all his conversationswould eventually bring about an administrations demise.

If Mays news was any indication, this select committees hearings will tell an even more chilling storybeginning, middle, and endabout how a criminal conspiracy nearly ended our democracy. Full awareness of what happened is critical because the former president and his Republican allies are currently working overtime to subvert future elections so they can determine electoral results even if they lose the vote in 2024. A story like the one the committee is hopefully set to tell can help create the vision for, and a broad commitment to, our future as a republic.
Latrice Saxon wanted her day in court, and Southwest Airlines wanted to make sure she never got it. Saxon is a ramp supervisor for the company, which requires her to load and unload cargo from its planes. Southwest allegedly required her to work much longer than the 40 hours a week for which she was compensatedbut it never provided the overtime pay mandated by federal law. When she sued on behalf of herself and other alleged victims, the airline asked the court to toss out her case. It turns out Southwest imposes mandatory arbitration on non-union employees like Saxon, compelling them to make their case individually before a private (and often biased) arbitrator instead of a judge and jury. And so, the company argued, she forfeited her right to sue by agreeing to work there.

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On Monday, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected Southwests argument, siding with the tens of thousands of people who handle baggage, airmail, and other cargo for U.S airlines. The decision marks the second time in two weeks that the court has shot down a corporations efforts to escape the courthouse by forcing an employee into arbitration. It does not augur a shift in SCOTUS pro-business bent, or even a reconsideration of its atrocious arbitration precedents. Rather, these two victories primarily demonstrate that public interest lawyers have become incredibly skilled at litigating arbitration cases, developing shrewd, savvy strategies to overcome the conservative majoritys arbitration mania.

Mondays decision in Southwest Airlines v. Saxon is a sequel to the courts 2019 decision in New Prime v. Oliveira, which lit the path to an expansion of labor rights across the transportation industry. Both cases involve the Federal Arbitration Act of 1925. At the time, some companies seeking a cheaper, quicker alternative for litigation agreed to arbitrate their claims in private, but federal courts were hesitant to enforce these contracts; Congress intended the FAA to overcome that judicial hostility. The Act remained relatively obscure until the 1980s, when corporate law firms pushed the judiciary to expand its scope by orders of magnitude. At the behest of the business bar, the Supreme Court used the FAA to authorize mandatory arbitration for millions of workers and consumers, overriding state laws that deemed such provisions unenforceable. Corporations began slipping arbitration requirements into the fine print of every contract, eviscerating both class actions and individual lawsuits.

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Arbitration is now the industry norm. Every time you buy a product or take a new job, there is a good chance that you are signing away your right to sue, and agreeing to arbitrate instead. Your arbiter will probably be chosen by, and biased toward, the party you are trying to sue. You are much less likely to win, and if you do win, you will collect far less money. This process is not a legitimate alternative to litigation.

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With its arbitration decisions, the Supreme Court grossly erred in interpreting the FAA, as one expert put it. The conservative majority mangled the statutes text and history to reach business-friendly results, shunting plaintiffs into a system that is designed to prevent them from collecting a cent. There is, however, one substantial exception to the FAA: Its first section exempts contracts of employment of seamen, railroad employees, or any other class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce. In other words, those engaged in commerce between states or countries can escape the FAAs grasp.

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Who, exactly, falls into this exemption? Seamen and railroad employees, obviously; theyre mentioned in the law itself. What about truckers? Absolutely, the Supreme Court held in 2019s New Primeeven if theyre not employees but independent contractors, since those agreements are contracts of employment under the FAA. And what about people who load and unload cargo for airlines? The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said no, insisting that workers are not exempt unless they participate in the actual movement of goods across state lines. The 7th U.S. Court of Appeals said yes, creating a circuit split that obligated the Supreme Court to resolve the dispute. And now SCOTUS has sided with the workers in an 80 decision by Justice Clarence Thomas. (Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused because of her involvement with the case while sitting on the 7th Circuit.)

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Thomas reasoning is straightforward. Airline employees who physically load and unload cargo on and off planes traveling in interstate commerce, he wrote, are, as a practical matter, part of the interstate transportation of goods. They play a necessary role in the free flow of goods across state lines and are, themselves, intimately involved in the cross-border transportation of cargo. As a result, they are engaged in interstate commerce, even if they do not personally carry goods between states, and fall under the FAAs exemption.

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This result is so obviously just and logical that it might seem inevitable. It wasnt. Southwests lawyers devised a meretricious historical argument: They asserted that airline cargo handlers are the modern equivalent of the stevedores who loaded and unloaded cargo from ships and trains. But the FAA doesnt mention stevedores, only seamen. It stands to reason, Southwest claimed, that stevedores were not seamen, and were not exempt from the FAAmeaning todays airline cargo handlers should not be, either.

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This assertion appeared to appeal to the conservative justices; Justice Neil Gorsuch called it Southwests strongest argument. And this is where good lawyering can make the difference. Jennifer Bennett, who represented Saxon, deployed her seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of interstate labor in 1920s America to shred each layer of Southwests reasoning. Stevedores were, in fact, deemed a kind of seamen by the Supreme Court itself. More importantly, both Congress and SCOTUS saw stevedores as engaging in commerce, even though they were not part of the crew that actually crossed a border. They were, Bennett argued, a perfect example of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce who are not subject to mandatory arbitration. And so their 21st century equivalent must be, as well.

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Bennett backed up this argument with so many legal and historical sources that the Supreme Court apparently had no choice but to agree. In that respect, this case echoes last months Morgan v. Sundance, in which Public Justices Karla Gilbride pressed the justices into a corner with forceful, unassailable advocacy. Corporate lawyers have gotten used to winning arbitration cases in their sleep, and just assumed that they could wield the FAA to crush every lawsuit, no matter how tenuous their legal theories might be. It turns out, though, that there is some limit to the courts tolerance of atextual, ahistorical arguments for mandatory arbitration. Progressive attorneys have mastered the art of testing those limits.

The resulting victories for labor may not topple the broader pro-arbitration regime. But they are the best that anyone can reasonably hope for at this Supreme Court.
Slovak-US photographer mapping the war in Ukraine, a tragic car accident, and an opinion about the flawed Slovak education system and diligent students.

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Good evening. The Monday, June 6 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Save the date for upcoming elections

Foreigners with permanent residence can vote and be elected in Slovakia's municipal and regional elections. (Source: SME)

Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollar has officially announced that municipal and regional elections will be held on October 29, which is a Saturday. For the first time in history, these elections will take place on the same day.

However, the two elections will be held ahead of All Souls' Day, November 2, which falls on Wednesday in 2022. Many people will be heading to cemeteries the weekend before the holiday.

Apart from Slovaks, foreigners with permanent residence in Slovakia can also vote or be elected.

Podcast: Listen to the Spectator College podcast that features Briton and Slovak councillor Addy Akram.

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Related: How many foreigners vote in the Slovak municipal and regional elections is a mystery to Slovakia.

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.

Out of parliament, but growing

Progressive Slovakia's party leader and MEP Michal Simecka. (Source: TASR)

Progressive Slovakia (PS), a non-parliamentary party, has recorded the biggest jump in harvesting people's political support in the latest published survey of political preferences.

In just over a month the party grew by almost two percentage points, according to a poll conducted by the Focus agency for TV Markiza's talk show Na Telo. The agency carried out the poll between May 25 and 31 approaching 1,008 respondents.

With 9.1 percent in the May survey, this makes the party the fourth strongest. Their current gain is the largest since the election in 2020.

For a deeper insight into current affairs, check out our Last Week in Slovakia piece published earlier today. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website:

FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY

Slovak-American photographer in Ukraine: In life and war, "hope dies last"

Slovak-US photographer Nadezda Tavodova Tezgor with a Ukrainian deputy commander in eastern Ukraine. (Source: Nadezda Tavodova Tezgor)

In her early days, NYC-based Slovak-US photographer Nadezda Tavodova Tezgor, 43, might have become a ballet dancer had a ballet teacher not told her that she should not dance due to scoliosis.

Instead, she pursued photography  another passion of hers, working her way up to become a war photographer and correspondent. Ukraine is the first country at war that Tavodova Tezgor has visited.

IN OTHER NEWS:

On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day , the third annual Presidential Blood Drop will take place on Tuesday, June 14. Voluntary blood donors will be able to donate blood again on the premises of the Presidential Palace.

, the third annual Presidential Blood Drop will take place on Tuesday, June 14. Voluntary blood donors will be able to donate blood again on the premises of the Presidential Palace. EU Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Miroslav Lajcak, called the current lengthy process of admitting the Western Balkans to the European Union a "joke" at the Globsec 2022 security conference in Bratislava on June 3. According to him, the Union is losing credibility in this region.

called the current lengthy process of admitting the Western Balkans to the European Union a "joke" at the Globsec 2022 security conference in Bratislava on June 3. According to him, the Union is losing credibility in this region. IBM is going to recruit about 550 people for shared services centres in Slovakia. "One of the largest branches in Europe will be established here," IBM Director Fridrich Matejik told Dennik E in an interview.

for shared services centres in Slovakia. "One of the largest branches in Europe will be established here," IBM Director Fridrich Matejik told Dennik E in an interview. Prosecutor General Maros Zilinka has lodged a protest against a generally binding regulation issued by the town of Varin, Zilina Region. In his initiative from May 30, he proposes to remove the name of Dr. Jozef Tiso, a Nazi collaborator and the Slovak State president during WWII, from a street name sign, arguing that the name goes against the law.

Traffic accident of a lorry and cars on the bypass of the city of Trnava on June 6, 2022. Two people died, three got injured. (Source: TASR)

The Foreign Ministry has warned against trips to selected areas of Egypt and Tunisia.

has warned against trips to selected areas of Egypt and Tunisia. Mehmet from Austria , who was trying to drug two women with liquid ecstasy at a party in the centre of Bratislava on June 4, is facing ten years in prison.

, who was trying to drug two women with liquid ecstasy at a party in the centre of Bratislava on June 4, is facing ten years in prison. The management of the Secop firm officially presented its new research and development centre in Spisska Nova Ves, eastern Slovakia. After Embraco, a company belonging to the Nidec corporation, it is the second major player on the compressor market to have its office in the town.

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
The draw for MGM Northfield Park's most storied race, the $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie, is just days away, and the 2022 edition is shaping up as a clash of harness racing's best veteran pacers on Saturday night, June 11.

Northfield's Director of Racing Operations, Dave Bianconi, has received a "yes" to the By-Invitation-Only event from the connections of nine of the sport's fastest horses.

Canadian superstar Jimmy Freight will make his first start south of the border since 2019 in Saturday's Battle. Retired initially to stud after his four-year-old campaign, the now seven-year-old stallion has returned to the racetrack with a vengeance. He is currently riding a six-race winning streak, including a track record victory in the $150,000 Camluck Classic at The Raceway at Western Fair District in his most recent outing. The $1.7 million career earner is pulling double duty as a stud and top Free-For-All pacer for Ontario owner Adriano Sorella. Northfield-based conditioner Cory Kreiser will handle Jimmy Freight's training duties in the race.

Also invading from Canada will be $1.3 million earner Tattoo Artist. The Dr. Ian Moore trainee was second to Jimmy Freight in the Camluck Classic in May and rolled to a seasonal best 1:48.3 victory at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday night.

Representing the Buckeye State in the Battle will be 2021 Breeders Crown champion Ocean Rock. On Saturday evening, the Ohio-sired speedster notched a 1:49.2 score in just his second start of the 2022 campaign at Scioto Downs.

Nicholas Beach, the fastest horse in the sport this season, by virtue of a 1:47 triumph at The Meadowlands on May 21, will make his first visit to Northfield for the Battle. The sister/brother - trainer/driver team of Jenn and Joe Bongiorno campaigns and co-owns Nicholas Beach.

Other Battle invitees include another stallion pulling double duty in the stud barn and the racetrack, 2021 Dan Patch Pace champion Catch The Fire.

Adding more international flair to the event are Australian-sired Leonidas A, the top Open pacer at MGM Empire City (Yonkers Raceway), and New Zealand-sired Funatthebeach N, winner of the richest race in harness racing thus far in 2022, the $549,000 Borgata Pacing Series final at Yonkers in April.

Ohio-sired and owned Sectionline Bigry, a 10-time winner in 2022, will also make his Battle of Lake Erie debut on Saturday.

The final spot in the field will go to a member of the deep pacing arsenal of harness racing's leading trainer Ron Burke, quite possibly 2021 Battle of Lake Erie champion This Is The Plan, or Workin Ona Mystery, winner of the $100,000 Commodore Barry at Harrah's Philadelphia in his last outing.

The Battle will be Northfield's 11th race at approximately 10:20 p.m. (Eastern). The Battle wagering menu will feature a pair of guaranteed pools as part of the U.S. Trotting Association Strategic Wagering program. A $15,000 Guaranteed $1 Pick-4 that kicks off with the Battle and a $15,000 guaranteed 20-cent Super High-Five pool added specifically to Race 11 on Saturday night for the main event.

The loaded Battle undercard will include the second leg of the rich Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old male pacers and the inaugural $35,000 MGM Buckeye Distaff, an invitational for veteran Ohio-sired pacing mares.

First race post time is 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 11 for the 2022 Battle of Lake Erie program.

(With files from Northfield Park)
The rivalry between Winning Shadow and Smoking Jet in the $18,000 Open Trot at MGM Northfield Park wrote another chapter on Sunday (June 5).

Last week, Smoking Jet (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) defeated local favourite Winning Shadow (Chris Lems) by a 1-3/4 lengths in a world-record tying 1:52.3 for an older trotting gelding on a half-mile track. This week, Winning Shadow would upend the Ron Burke trainee, also equalling Stormy Kromer's 1:52.3 record performance at Yonkers Raceway in 2020.

Lems wasted no time this week sending Winning Shadow to the lead, with Big Bad Caviar (Billy Davis Jr.) in tow at the quarter in :27.2. Lems got the breather he wanted, able to back the pace down to a :29 half, still leading by 1-1/4 lengths.

Heading to the three-quarter pole in 1:24.2, Wrenn began to attack with Smoking Jet. The two Open trotters battled through the stretch, with Winning Shadow winning by a half-length.

Winning Shadow now has 49 career victories in 129 starts and has amassed $709,401 in earnings. He is owned by Racing To Win Stable of Chittenango, New York and trained by Jordan Hope.

Racing at MGM Northfield Park resumes on Monday (June 6) with the first post of 6 p.m. The night features a pair of low 14 per cent takeout guaranteed pools, including the $10,000 Late Pick-4 (Race 11) and $10,000 Super Hi-5 (Race 13).

Harmon Wins GLADA Trot

For the third time this season, Lauren Harmon beat the boys in the GLADA trotting series at Northfield Park when she guided Emerald Chip to a 1:57.2 victory over seven others on Sunday night.

When the starter turned the field loose, four horses went for the lead, but it was Steve Oldford who took command with Sumbodygetdisfool and he led his competition by the quarter in :28.2. There were four in and four out as they proceeded forward. At this point, Emerald Chip was second-over and moving forward with the flow.

With Oldford's charge solid on the lead, the trailers scrambled for position as they trotted by the half in :57.4. Up the backside, Harmon moved Emerald Chip three-deep and they trotted around Fultons Fury and toward Sumbodygetdisfool, who was still in command at three-quarters in 1:28.1.

Around the final turn, Emerald Chip had a length lead and in the lane he was the strong horse and went on to a 1-1/2 length win in 1:57.2. Odds-on favourite Tootie, who was stuck in traffic, shook free but couldn't catch the leader and finished second. Sumbodygetdisfool hung on for the show dough.

Emerald Chip, a nine-year-old Chip Chip Hooray gelding, is owned and trained by Harmon. He paid $11.60 for the win.

(With files from Northfield Park and GLADA)
Garrett Rooney was very photogenic on Sunday (June 5) at Dresden Raceway as he made six trips to the winner's circle.

Fans were treated to a Rooney daily double as he scored with Northern Belle in the first race in 1:59.2 and then coming right back to win the second dash with The Loan Ranger in 1:56.4.

Races six through nine all belonged to Dresden's leading teamster as he guided Brother Aidan (1:58.3), Littleannieoakley (2:01), All The Cheddar (2:00.3) and Insincerity (1:59.3) to victory.

Rooney is the leading dash driver at Dresden Raceway with 10 victories so far this year.

The Mark Austin Pacing Series got interesting on Sunday as two new winners threw their hats into the ring for next week's final.

All The Cheddar made his first start count as he out stepped Doc Houston to the wire in the first division of young pacers. The three-year-old Betterthancheddar colt stepped off a :29.3 last quarter for a 1-1/2-length win for Rooney in 2:00.3. All The Cheddar is owned and trained by Kathryn Cochrane while Steve Besterd is a co-owner.

Egremont Ollie took top prize in the second Austin Pacing Series division as he took advantage of Guy Smiley's early miscue and placing. As they were heading into the first turn, Guy Smiley jumped after coming close to a pylon and caused interference and was placed seventh after winning the race. Egremont Ollie finished second but was place first.

The four-year-old Thinking Out Loud horse is owned by Brad Wilson and trained by Ian Hyatt.

The Austin Pacing Series final is slated for next week with $12,500 added.

Sunday's handle was $42,095.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Dresden Raceway.

(Dresden Raceway)
RANVILLE, France  More than 20 British World War II veterans gathered Sunday near Pegasus Bridge in northwestern France, one of the first sites liberated by Allied forces from Nazi Germany, for commemorations honoring the nearly 160,000 troops from the U.S., Britain, Canada and other nations who landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Veterans, their families and French and international visitors braved the rainy weather to take part in series of events this weekend and on Monday for the 78th anniversary of D-Day.

This years D-Day anniversary comes after two successive years of the COVID-19 pandemic restricted or deterred visitors. Many felt the celebrations paying tribute to those who brought peace and freedom on the continent held special meaning this year as war is raging again in Europe since Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Dozens of U.S. veterans also were attending events in the region, ahead of todays ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, home to the graves of 9,386 who died fighting on D-Day and in the operations that followed.

Peter Smoothy, 97, served in the British Royal Navy and landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

The first thing I remember are the poor lads who didnt come back, ... Its a long time ago now, nearly 80 years, ... And here we are still living, he told The Associated Press. Were thinking about all these poor lads who didnt get off the beach that day, their last day, but theyre always in our minds.

Welcomed to the sound of bagpipes at the Pegasus Memorial in Ranville, British veterans attended a ceremony commemorating a key operation in the first minutes of the Allied invasion of Normandy, when troops had to take control a strategically crucial bridge.

Britons battles

Bill Gladden, 98, took part to the D-Day British airborne operation and was later shot while defending the bridge.

I landed on D-Day and was injured on the 18th of June. ... So I was three years at the hospital, he said.

Meanwhile, on the British side of the Channel, then 17-year-old Mary Scott was working at the communications center in Portsmouth, listening to the coded messages coming from the front line and passing them on as part of the operations on the five invasion beaches, code-named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

The war was in my ears, she recalled, describing the radio machine she operated via levers.

When they (communication officers) had to respond to my messages and they lifted their lever, you heard all the sounds of the men on the beaches: bombs, machine guns, men shouting, screaming.

Scott, who will soon turn 96, said she got very emotional when arriving to Normandy on Saturday on a trip organized by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. She was in tears when seeing the D-Day beaches.

Suddenly I thought maybe some of those young men I spoke to ... that they had died, she said.

The symbol is even stronger as across the Channel, Queen Elizabeth II, who served in World War II as an army driver and mechanic, is celebrating her 70 years on the throne.

Women were involved, Scott said. I mean, Im enormously proud to have been a minute part of Operation Overlord.

Modern lesson

Scotts face turned to sadness when she mentioned the war in Ukraine.

Why cant we learn from past experiences? Why cant we do that? Whats wrong with us? she asked. War should teach us something but it never penetrates for very long.

Many visitors this year came to see the monuments marking the key moments of the fight and show their gratitude to the soldiers. World War II history enthusiasts dressed in wartime uniforms were seen in jeeps and military vehicles on the small roads of Normandy.

Greg Jensen, 51, came with his 20-year-old daughter from Dallas. On Saturday, they visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, overlooking Omaha Beach.

I took a moment to just hold the sand and you think, Gosh, the blood that was spilled to give me that moment and the freedom to hold that sand, he said. That was emotional for me.

I hope a lot of this younger generation is watching because we cant forget what happened 78 years ago, Jensen said, especially thinking of the fighting in Ukraine.

Andy Hamilton, 57, a retired police officer, came on holiday with his family, including his two 8-year-old grandsons, from Shropshire in England.

Were now showing our respects of the sites here and to give the grandchildren a sense of what World War II was like ... and the amount of people that have given their lives to sacrifice for the freedom of everyone, he said.

On D-Day, Allied troops were ferried to shore by 7,000 boats. On that single day, 4,414 Allied soldiers died, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.
A 14-year-old was thrown from a boat before he disappeared in North Carolina, officials said.

Now, crews report finding the body of the teen who had gone missing near Wilson, roughly 50 miles east of Raleigh.

Officials said the teenager vanished while on a boat ride on Buckhorn Reservoir, which offers boating, fishing and other water activities, according to the Wilson Parks & Recreation department.

The 14-year-old was reported missing at about 10 a.m. but still hadnt been found that evening, when city officials shared that the reservoir would be closed until further notice due to the ongoing search.

On Monday, June 6, police said the teen was found dead, and the reservoir had reopened. The circumstances of the deadly incident are still under investigation, and the boy wasnt identified in a news release.

The thoughts and prayers from all emergency personnel are with the victims family in this difficult time, the department wrote on its Facebook page.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 252-399-2323 or Crime Stoppers at 252-243-2255.
A 190-feet wide asteroid will soon be approaching the Earth, says NASA. Should you be concerned about an asteroid strike? Find out.

After a brief spell of peace, large asteroids have begun swarming around Earth again. Earlier today, a 160-feet wide asteroid flew past the Earth and now, according to NASA, a larger 190-feet wide asteroid is going to approach Earth soon. The asteroid, which is larger than the Colosseum (157 feet) situated in Rome, will make its closest approach on June 8, 2022. While asteroids moving past the Earth is a regular occurrence, an asteroid this large is a matter of concern. That is why NASA has labeled the asteroid as a near-Earth object or (NEO), which is a classification of all asteroids constantly monitored by the American space agency as they pose a threat to the Earth. So, is there any risk of an asteroid strike? Read on to find out. Also read: Hubble telescope captures giant star 32x larger than the Sun, but it will die first! Check breathtaking NASA photo

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA has revealed that the asteroid which is soon to approach the Earth is named 2022 KV1. The year 2022 suggests that this asteroid was first discovered in 2022 itself and there is no previous data suggesting that this asteroid has ever been observed close to the Earth. The asteroids closest approach to the Earth will be at a distance of 2,660,000 miles/hour. Fortunately, at the moment, it is expected that the asteroid will make a safe passage and is not likely to impact.

Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read:

NASA: 190-feet wide asteroid is set to approach the Earth

As this is the first time that the asteroid will come this close to the Earth, its movement pattern cannot be predicted easily. While no strange movements have been observed since its discovery, the American space agency is cautiously observing the space rock. The asteroid has an unusual orbit where at perihelion, it moves between the orbits of Earth and Venus and at its aphelion, it goes as far as Jupiter. Also read: NASAs mission to Venus will carry this coin-sized gadget!

The Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) of NASA is a special department tasked with observing various asteroids near Earth and to come up with solutions to defend the planet in case of a potential asteroid strike. The PDCO is constantly monitoring the asteroid at the moment. It should be noted that while no risks are expected at the moment, even a slight deviation at any given point can cause a huge threat for the Earth. An asteroid of this size striking the planet will cause much bigger damage than the Chelyabinsk incident that took place in 2013 and caused damage to multiple cities.
This photo provided by Axon Enterprise depicts a conceptual design through a computer-generated rendering of a taser drone. Taser developer Axon says it is working to build drones armed with the electric stunning weapons that could fly in schools and help prevent the next Uvalde, Sandy Hook, or Columbine. But its own technology advisers quickly panned the idea as a dangerous fantasy. Credit: Axon Enterprise, Inc. via AP

Axon, the company best known for developing the Taser, said Monday it was halting plans to develop a Taser-equipped drone after a majority of its ethics board resigned over the controversial project.

Axon's founder and CEO Rick Smith said the company's announcement last weekwhich drew a rebuke from its artificial intelligence ethics boardwas intended to "initiate a conversation on this as a potential solution." Smith said the ensuing discussion "provided us with a deeper appreciation of the complex and important considerations" around the issue.

As a result, "we are pausing work on this project and refocusing to further engage with key constituencies to fully explore the best path forward," he said. The development was first reported by Reuters.

The board had voted 8-4 a few weeks ago to recommend Axon not proceed with a pilot of the Taser drone and had concerns about introducing weaponizing drones in over-policed communities of color.

But after the mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas elementary school, the company announced it was beginning development of the drone. Smith told The Associated Press last week he made the idea public in part because he was "catastrophically disappointed" in the response by police who didn't move in to kill the suspect for more than an hour.

The board issued a rare public rebuke of the project, saying it was a dangerous idea that went far beyond the initial proposal the board had reviewed for a Taser-equipped police drone. It said it had "pleaded with the company to pull back" before the announcement and that many of them believed it was "trading on the tragedy of the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings."

Smith had rejected that idea in an interview with the AP last week and said he was pressing ahead because he believed the Taser drone could be a viable solution to save lives. He contended the idea needed to be shared as part of the public conversation about school safety and effective ways for police to safely confront attackers.

On Monday, nine members of the ethics board, a group of well-respected experts in technology, policing and privacy, announced resignations, saying they had "lost faith in Axon's ability to be a responsible partner."

"We wish it had not come to this," the statement said. "Each of us joined this Board in the belief that we could influence the direction of the company in ways that would help to mitigate the harms that policing technology can sow and better capture any benefits."

"We tried from the start to get Axon to understand that its customer has to be the community that a policing agency serves, not the policing agency itself," one of the board's members, Barry Friedman, a New York University law professor, said in an interview. "It has been a painful struggle to try to change the calculus there."

Friedman said a major concern was Smith's decision to move forward with the plan and announce it publicly without adequately hearing the concerns of the board members.

"What's the emergency? School shootings are a crisis. I agree," Friedman said. "But Axon, on its own best timeline, isn't going to come up with anything for a couple of years. Why was it necessary to jump ahead like this?"

"What Rick is suggesting is a necessary public dialogue was really just jumping over the head of the board," Friedman said.

In his statement, Smith said it was "unfortunate that some members of Axon's ethics advisory panel have chosen to withdraw from directly engaging on these issues before we heard or had a chance to address their technical questions."

"We respect their choice and will continue to seek diverse perspectives to challenge our thinking and help guide other technology options," Smith said.

Explore further Firm proposes Taser-armed drones to stop school shootings

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The days of fake whiskey could be numbered, thanks to a team of biomedical engineers from Purdue University and South Korea. The team, led by Young Kim, associate head for research and an associate professor in Purdue's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, has developed an QR code on an edible silk tag that manufacturers can place in bottles of whiskey. Consumers can use a smartphone app to confirm the whiskey's authenticity. Credit: Purdue University/John Underwood

In the future, when you order a shot of whiskey, you might ask the bartender to hold an edible fluorescent silk tag that could be found floating insideeven though it is safe to consume.

This little silk tag with a QR code is a security measure that could reveal if the whiskey you're wanting to buy is fake. Simply using a smartphone to scan the tag, which was developed by biomedical engineers from Purdue University and the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences in South Korea, could confirm the drink's authenticity.

There are, of course, no tags currently placed in bottles of whiskey. But this new anticounterfeiting technology, published in the journal ACS Central Science, could be a step toward not only finding a solution for the alcohol industry but also addressing fake medications.

"Some liquid medicines contain alcohol. We wanted to test this first in whiskey because of whiskey's higher alcohol content," said Young Kim, associate head for research and an associate professor in Purdue's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. "Researchers apply alcohol to silk proteins to make them more durable. Because they tolerate alcohol, the shape of the tag can be maintained for a long time."

Kim has worked on anticounterfeit measures ranging from cyberphysical watermarks to tags made of fluorescent silk proteins. The tags have a code that a consumer or patient can activate with a smartphone to confirm authenticity of a product.

The code on the fluorescent silk tag is the equivalent of a barcode or QR code and is not visible to the naked eye. The tags are also edible, causing no issues if a person swallowed it while downing a shot of whiskey. The tags have not affected the taste of the whiskey.

Kim and Jungwoo Leem, a postdoctoral research associate, said making the tags involves processing fluorescent silk cocoons from specialized silkworms to create a biopolymer, which can be formed into a variety of patterns to encode the information. You can watch a video demonstration of the tag by Kim and Leem.

"Alcohol spirts are vulnerable to counterfeiting. There are a lot of fake whiskeys being sold," said Leem, referencing other studies mentioned in the journal article about the economic cost and loss of purchasing fake alcoholic spirits, including how 18% of adults in the United Kingdom experienced purchasing counterfeit alcoholic spirits.

"Counterfeit items, such as medicines and alcohol, are big issues around the world. There are numerous examples of large amounts of fake medications sold throughout the world, which, in some instances, kill people," said Kim.

"Online pharmacies sell controlled substances to teens. People can buy counterfeit opioids easily. This work is extremely important for patients and buyers in addressing this issue," Kim said. "If you have this technology on or in your medicines, you can use your smartphone to authenticate. We want to empower patients to be aware of this issue. We want to work with pharmaceutical companies and alcohol producers to help them address this issue."

Kim and Leem placed tags in various brands and price points of whiskey (80 proof, 40% alcohol per volume) over a 10-month period and were able to continually activate the tags and codes with a smartphone app.

One of the ways of bringing this issue to light is to literally shine a light on the tags. The team developed ways and methods for the tags to be activated by smartphones in a variety of light settings.

Kim said the tags are an additional authentication mechanism for marked safety seals on bottles or pills and could help by being placed in high-dollar bottles of alcohol or on expensive medications individually.

Explore further Edible, fluorescent silk tags can suss out fake medications

More information: Jung Woo Leem et al, Edible Matrix Code with Photogenic Silk Proteins, ACS Central Science (2022). Journal information: ACS Central Science Jung Woo Leem et al, Edible Matrix Code with Photogenic Silk Proteins,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c01233
Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020, in Washington. Elon Musk is threatening to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts. Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday, June 6, 2022 that the social platform included in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File

Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday that the company disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The lawyers wrote that Musk has repeatedly asked for the information since May 9, about a month after his offer to buy the company, so he could evaluate how many of the company's 229 million accounts are fake.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said that Twitter has consistently estimated that fewer than 5% of its accounts are spam. But Musk has disputed that, contending in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.

Shares of Twitter Inc. slid 1.5% Monday, likely incensing Twitter shareholders who filed a suit against Musk late last month for deflating the price of the stock. Shares of Twitter are down more than 20% in the last month.

Twitter said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk "in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement" and noted that the deal is in "the best interest of all shareholders."

"We intend to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms," it added.

Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share back in April. A number of Musk's actions since, including a public spat with Twitter's CEO about the fake accountson Twitterhas led some experts to question whether the billionaire wants to use his loud complaints to negotiate a lower deal price or even walk away entirely.

Musk's lawyers wrote in the letter that Twitter has offered only to provide details about the company's testing methods. But they contend that's "tantamount to refusing Mr. Musk's data requests," and constitutes a "material breach" of the merger agreement that gives Musk the right to scrap the deal if he chooses.

"This is a clear material breach of Twitter's obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement," the letter says.

Musk wants underlying data to do his own verification of what he says are Twitter's lax methodologies.

The Twitter sale agreement allows Musk to get out of the deal if there is a "material adverse effect" caused by the company. It defines that as a change that negatively affects Twitter's business or financial conditions. Twitter has said all along that it's proceeding with the deal, although it hasn't scheduled a shareholder vote on it.

Last month Musk said that he unilaterally placed the deal on hold, which experts said he can't do. If he walks away, he could be on the hook for a $1 billion breakup fee.

Musk's latest maneuver shows how he is "looking for a way out of the deal or something that will get leverage for a renegotiation of the price," said Brian Quinn, a law professor at Boston College. But Quinn said it's unlikely to hold up in court since he already waived his ability to ask for more due diligence.

"I doubt he would be allowed to walk away," Quinn said. "At some point, the board of Twitter will tire of this and file a suit" asking a judge to force Musk to stick to the deal.

Twitter has disclosed its bot estimates to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.

"If Twitter is confident in its publicized spam estimates, Mr. Musk does not understand the company's reluctance to allow Mr. Musk to independently evaluate those estimates," the Musk letter says, adding that he agrees not to disclose or keep the data.

The bot problem is a longtime fixation for Musk, who has more than 96 million Twitter followers and whose name and likeness are often mimicked by fake accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams. Musk appears to think such bots are also a problem for most other Twitter users, as well as advertisers who take out ads on the platform based on how many real people they expect to reach.

Musk's lawyers are arguing that he is entitled to data about the core of Twitter's business model so he can prepare the transition to his ownership. Citing a June 1 letter from Twitter in which the company said it only has to give information related to closing the sale, Musk's team says the company is obligated to provide data for any reasonable business purpose needed to complete the deal.

Musk's bot count skepticism was also taken up Monday by the chief legal officer of Texas, where Tesla is headquartered. Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said he's launching an investigation because he has a "duty to protect Texans if Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue."

Explore further Musk: Doubt about spam accounts could scuttle Twitter deal

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Pot stills, which are usually formed from copper, are used to distil spirits such as whisky. Credit: Slyrs / Julia Schmidt

Blending whiskies from different casks is an art in itself. Whisky blenders are luminaries of their guild. Just as painters mix colors to capture mood on canvas, the experts in distilleries combine flavors to create "liquid gold." They follow their intuition, which is based on experience and a keen sense of taste and smell.

Although numerous scents and flavors can be measured, the technical capture of a diverse tastelike that of whiskyis not possible today. The start-up "Harmonize," which is based at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, aims to close this gap and bring a new technology for the beverage and food industry to application maturity. "The goal here is not to replace human performance, but to provide industry with a tool to optimize taste, ensure quality or develop novel products," says Christoph Wichmann, physicist and managing director of the young team.

Taste is individual

The taste of whisky is determined by many factors: on the one hand, there is the barley and the water used, the basic products of the Scottish national drink. But the type of malting, the distillation process and the casks used also play a decisive role in determining whether a whisky tastes good or not. While some people prefer a peaty aroma, others appreciate a fruity note, for example.

The number and combination of molecules that dock onto the chemoreceptors in the mouth and nose and thus influence the sensation of taste are not exactly known; it is estimated to be several hundred thousand. To make them measurable, the "Harmonize" team, consisting of three scientists and a product manager, uses technologies they are familiar with from their research: mass spectrometry and artificial intelligence.

The mass spectrum helps them to determine the mass of molecules with a known charge. "It doesn't matter what the molecules are specifically, but rather the unique signature of the whisky," says Hamid Hamzeiy, who is responsible for data processing and analysis. A new software tool that uses artificial intelligence methods will help to quantify the molecules.

A whisky that keeps its promise

Bioinformatician Hamid Hamzeiy had the idea of using whisky as a proof-of-principle at a symposium in Scotland. Together with Daniil Pokrovsky, he had bought an expensive bottle of whisky. "Despite the high price, we were disappointed with the taste," says Pokrovsky. "An expensive product should also deliver what it promises."

To get closer to this goal, the "Harmonize" team works closely with the largest German whisky producer, who provides them with the samples for their measurements. "All these samples, which are matured in different barrels, have about 55 to 60 percent alcohol content," says Hans Kemenater, the managing director of the Slyrs Distillery. With 3,500 barrels, all of which have their own characteristics, he hopes to get ideas about which whiskies can be blended to ensure consistent quality.

Christoph Wichmann, Hamid Hamzeiy, Daniil Pokrovsky and Paulyna Mendoza Quintero want to use whisky to prove that their technology works. In the medium term, they plan to expand the business to other beverages and foodstuffs. "We are convinced that there is very great potential for this," says marketing expert Mendoza Quintero.

The team is aware that it is also taking a risk. But they know what they are getting into. "The freedom to break new ground appeals to me," says Christoph Wichmann. Daniil Pokrovsky also sees it that way. After his postdoc, he had good offers from academia and industry. However, he decided to take the self-employed route. But yes, "I am damn scared," says the young scientist. The team, however, gives him security, he says.

"A good network of supporters is an important guarantee for success," says Christoph Wichmann. For example, "Harmonize" is advised by Max Planck Innovation and the Max Planck Foundation. Jurgen Cox from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry is a scientific mentor, and experts from the whisky industry are helping with market entry. Since September 2021, the "Harmonize" team has been funded via the Exist research transfer, a welcome success that gives them planning security for the first time.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a computational model that can be used to determine the optimal places for locating electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities, as well as how powerful the charging stations can be without placing an undue burden on the local power grid.

"Ultimately, we feel the model can be used to inform the development of EV charging infrastructure at multiple levels, from projects aimed at supporting local commuters to charging facilities that serve interstate highway travel," says Leila Hajibabai, corresponding author of a paper on the work and an assistant professor in NC State's Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Identifying the best sites for charging facilities is a complicated process, since it has to account for travel flow and user demand, as well as the needs of the regional power infrastructure. In other words, where will people use it? And can it be supported by the power grid?

"We have developed a model that allows planners to optimize these decisions, serving the greatest number of people without taxing the power system," Hajibabai says.

While a lot of work has been done on how to deploy EV charging facilities, the researchers found that most previous efforts focused on siting these facilities based on what would work best for the power system, or what would work best from a transportation standpoint.

"Very little work has been done that addresses both," Hajibabai says. "And those cases that looked at both power and transportation systems did not take into account the decisions that users make. Where do they want to charge their vehicles? What are their travel plans?"

"The best location for a charging facility from the power system's standpoint is often not the best location from a transportation systems standpoint. And the best location from a user's standpoint is often a third option. Our model looks at power systems, transportation systems and user decision-making in order to find the best compromise."

The power system component of the model accounts for the limitations of the power distribution networkits power flow, voltage, current and so on. The transportation component of the overarching model accounts for the number of travelers, the routes that they take when traveling, and how far their vehicles can go before they need to be recharged. To account for user decision-making, the model tries to identify locations that will minimize travel time for users.

"People often don't want to go out of their way to charge their vehicles, so our model takes that into account," Hajibabai says.

The researchers are currently in discussions with state and local government officials, as well as power utilities, to use the model to inform the development of EV charging infrastructure in North Carolina.

The paper is published open access in the journal Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering.

Explore further Deciding where and when to locate electric vehicle charging stations along interstate highways

More information: Leila Hajibabai et al, Joint power distribution and charging network design for electrified mobility with user equilibrium decisions, Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (2022). Leila Hajibabai et al, Joint power distribution and charging network design for electrified mobility with user equilibrium decisions,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/mice.12854
Kyle Rittenhouse announced on Twitter Monday afternoon that he plans to attend Blinn College this coming school year and hopes to transfer to Texas A&M University in 2023.

A Blinn College spokesperson said Monday afternoon that Rittenhouse had applied to the college, but has not enrolled at Blinn for any classes. Blinn has an open enrollment policy. The colleges website states that most students will be accepted and eligible to register for classes once they submit all required admissions documents.

Rittenhouses announcement comes after he said on The Charlie Kirk Show last Friday that he would be attending A&M this fall. According to multiple reports, an A&M spokesperson said that Rittenhouse had not been admitted to the university for the summer or fall 2022, though.

Unfortunately, the end of my high school career was robbed from me. I didnt have the time other students get to properly prepare for the future. I look forward to attending Blinn College District this year, a feeder school for Texas A&M. Im excited to join Texas A&M in 2023! Rittenhouse wrote in a tweet.

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Rittenhouse, 19, rose into the national spotlight in August 2020 when he fatally shot two men and injured another with an AR-15-style rifle during social injustice protests in Wisconsin. He was 17 at the time of the shooting. Rittenhouse was acquitted on all charges against him last November after a jury found he acted in self-defense.

The second amendment saved me, Rittenhouse said during his appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show before announcing his plans to attend A&M. If I didnt have that rifle to defend myself against those attackers, I would be dead.

While on The Charlie Kirk Show, Rittenhouse announced his plans to attend A&M by putting on a hat with the universitys logo.

Im going to be going there. Its going to be awesome, Rittenhouse said on the show. Beautiful campus, amazing people, amazing food.
Opinion writing is an exercise in restrained bias. But personal experience, along with observation and facts, necessarily informs a good column.

Writers without some deep life experiences to guide their judgment and form insights dont usually have much to say.

Thus, my recent suggestion that willing teachers be trained and armed as a deterrence to mass murderers stems in part from a bias formed during my long-ago childhood. My father was both a lawyer and a gun collector, and he made certain through regular tutelage and practice that everyone in our household knew how to properly handle a firearm, how to shoot and, most important, how to keep the safety mechanism locked in place.

Never point a gun at anyone unless you intend to shoot him, he often told me. And never shoot anyone unless you intend to kill him.

Those were startling words for a girl more inclined toward Barbie dolls, palomino ponies (the plastic kind) and poodle skirts, but I studiously followed directions and learned to shoot as well as anyone in our family.

Of course, my brother and I thought Pops was insane, and maybe he was. But as a child of the Great Depression and a World War II pilot, he feared that our generation would be too spoiled and soft to navigate the world he foresaw. Lets just say, his child-rearing methods  manual labor, harsh discipline and book-reading  ensured the opposite.

I dont subscribe to everything he said or did, of course. But Im not inclined to hide under a desk waiting for the Soviets to launch a nuke, as schoolchildren were made to do in the 60s  or today, hoping the bullets from an AR-15 wont find my quivering hide. Id rather take my chances defending myself  and any children in my care  than die watching my babies being mowed down by a homicidal maniac.

So, theres my bias. Now lets talk about yours.

The pros and cons of arming teachers have been bounced around since the Columbine shooting in 1999, and both resurface with each new school massacre.

A Rand Corp. report in April 2020 found that as of Jan. 1, 2020, 28 states allowed schools to arm teachers or staff in at least some cases or as part of a specific program.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law in 2019 following the Parkland slaughter that allows teachers to volunteer as school guardians, if they meet requirements and are trained by the county sheriff.

In the wake of Uvalde, where police didnt enter the school for an hour after the shooting began, Ohio has passed a similar bill.

Opponents worry that guns in schools will make children less safe and point to the possibility that law enforcement could mistake an armed teacher for the shooter. (Hint: Listen for the AR-15.) Even trained law enforcement officers miss their target roughly 70% of the time.

In war, soldiers often die from friendly fire. How do we expect teachers to do better?

I dont know. Everything depends on smarts, strict adherence to protocols and training comparable to what security officers or police receive.

I do understand the oppositions point of view, which I shared until recently. Even though there are more guns than people in this country, most urban dwellers (other than criminals) have little or no experience with guns. To them, the idea of an armed teacher is obscene.

I dont disagree. It is obscene.

But when a Twitter follower wrote to me recently saying that arming teachers would be the end of civilization, I replied, Were already there, my friend. What could be less civilized than a society that tolerates regular massacres of its citizens, especially of its children?

There comes a time when practicality trumps philosophy.

In real life, my kind and gentle husband has had to kill a couple of coyotes in our yard before they got to our pets or even, perhaps, our grandchildren. We both hated it because we love all animals, including coyotes, foxes, bobcats and bears. But they dont get to eat my family.

And militarized psychos dont get to kill my children.

Im not a teacher, but if I were, Id want to have ready access to a gun. Some teachers, God bless them, arent up to such a challenge and shouldnt be asked to be.

Others are willing and able. In the absence of anyone else, why not allow them to defend our children?

None of these policies should be necessary, but, clearly, were not doing enough. Until we can figure out broad, societal remedies short of cloning my father  a dicey proposition, Ill admit  Id feel better knowing my grandchildren were in a school where someone knows how to stop a killer.

Kathleen Parkers email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.
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Pippa Middleton has sparked speculation she is expecting her third child.

The 38-year-old author - who is the younger sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge - was among the guests at the Platinum Party at the Palace celebratory concert and she arrived for Saturday (04.06.22) night's event at Buckingham Palace in London wearing a green dress with a v-neck that appeared to show off a growing baby bump.

Pippa - who was pictured with her hands linked together above her tummy, accentuating her shape - already has son Arthur, three, and daughter Grace, 14 months, with husband James Matthews.

She was in attendance at the concert with her sister, brother-in-law Prince William and her neice and nephew, Prince George, eight, and seven-year-old Princess Charlotte.

A source told the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column that the couple are "so happy" together and Pippa is a "natural mama".

While the brunette beauty confirmed her first pregnancy at the time, she never officially announced the happy news when she was expecting her second child, though Grace's birth was confirmed.

Meanwhile, Pippa - who got married in 2017 - previously praised her "local baby gym" as a "saving grace" whilst raising her son.

Speaking in September 2019, she said: "Now that Arthur is 11 months old and more mobile, I have been trying to come up with different activities to do with him. I needed to find something more than just park walks in the pram. Our local baby gym has been a saving grace. It's a big space full of fun, soft objects, play mats, stairs, balls, swings, mini trampolines and more to stimulate and physically engage babies and toddlers ... Arthur burns lots of energy in this safe environment and learns many physical skills. I have also noticed him building his confidence with each visit."
A suspected state-aligned threat actor has been attributed to a new set of attacks exploiting the Microsoft Office "Follina" vulnerability to target government entities in Europe and the U.S.

Enterprise security firm Proofpoint said it blocked attempts at exploiting the remote code execution flaw, which is being tracked as CVE-2022-30190 (CVSS score: 7.8). No less than 1,000 phishing messages containing a lure document were sent to the targets.

"This campaign masqueraded as a salary increase and utilized an RTF with the exploit payload downloaded from 45.76.53[.]253," the company said in a series of tweets.

The payload, which manifests in the form of a PowerShell script, is Base64-encoded and functions as a downloader to retrieve a second PowerShell script from a remote server named "seller-notification[.]live."

"This script checks for virtualization, steals information from local browsers, mail clients and file services, conducts machine recon and then zips it for exfil[tration] to 45.77.156[.]179," the company added.

The phishing campaign has not been linked to a previously known group, but said it was mounted by a nation-state actor based on the specificity of the targeting and the PowerShell payload's wide-ranging reconnaissance capabilities.

The development follows active exploitation attempts by a Chinese threat actor tracked as TA413 to deliver weaponized ZIP archives with malware-rigged Microsoft Word documents.

The Follina vulnerability, which leverages the "ms-msdt:" protocol URI scheme to remotely take control of target devices, remains unpatched, with Microsoft urging customers to disable the protocol to prevent the attack vector.

In the absence of a security update, 0patch has released an unofficial fix to block ongoing attacks against Windows systems that target the Microsoft Windows Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) vulnerability.

"It doesn't matter which version of Office you have installed, or if you have Office installed at all: the vulnerability could also be exploited through other attack vectors," 0patch's Mitja Kolsek said.

"Proofpoint continues to see targeted attacks leveraging CVE-2022-30190," Sherrod DeGrippo, vice president of threat research, said in a statement shared with The Hacker News.

"The extensive reconnaissance conducted by the second PowerShell script demonstrates an actor interested in a large variety of software on a target's computer. This, coupled with the tight targeting of European government and local U.S. governments, led us to suspect this campaign has a state aligned nexus."
MCCOOK  MNB Financial Services, Inc., the parent company of MNB Bank, headquartered in McCook, announced its application to acquire Doniphan Bancshares, Inc. has been approved and the purchase transaction will be completed Tuesday, June 7.

The acquisition agreement will bring Bank of Doniphan locations in Hastings, Grand Island and Doniphan, together with MNB Banks locations in Nebraska and Colorado.

The combined organization will use the name MNB Bank.

This merger allows us to build upon our commitment to providing unmatched banking experiences with new capabilities while expanding opportunities for our customers, said Bank of Doniphan President and CEO Steve Anderson said.

From Bank of Doniphans rich history to its commitment to helping people and businesses thrive, the organization complements the foundational beliefs of MNB Bank, added MNB Bank President and CEO Brian Esch.

MNB is a locally owned, full-service community bank chartered in 1907. It has served customers in southwest Nebraska, northeast Colorado and the surrounding area for 115 years.

Following the acquisition, MNB will be managing more than $560 million in total assets with six branch locations. Both banks are equal housing lenders and members of the FDIC. To learn more, visit mnb.bank.
Railside Business Improvement District and Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership have had their community development block grant requests approved.

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.

Two of four applications received this year were approved by the CDBG stakeholders group at their June 2 meeting, held at City Hall.

RBID requested $25,000 for small business rental assistance.

The funds are intended to offset the first six months of rent or foster expansion.

It has to be a new business or the business has to expand. It cant be one thats just been there for a decade and just needs money, said Amos Anson, representing RBIDs economic vitality committee. You have to actively expand.

Funds have been awarded to RBID for the last several years and the program has been very successful.

Its helped a number of different entrepreneurs start their business or expand their business in Railside, Anson told CDBG stakeholders.

In 2021, RBID requested $100,000 for business assistance.

Anson said RBID does have some funds remaining from previous years, as the program was stalled some by the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020.

Roughly 15 businesses, though, have been helped to expand over those years.

It slowed a lot of stuff down, but it also gave people an opportunity to start their own business, he said. Weve had several expand in the district recently.

Its not an easy process, emphasized Anson.

Weve had several people not apply because its so rigorous, he said. We require a whole bunch of stuff, more even than the bank requires.

He added, Our hope is more people will apply and wed be more than happy to facilitate all of that.

CNCAP requested $20,000 for emergency payments.

The requested CDBG funds would be used for rental assistance for 20 households and utilities assistance for 16 households, said CNCAP Executive Director Cheryl Holcomb.

The nonprofit covers 21 counties, serving homeless and near-homeless families.

The agency received COVID relief funds from city of Grand Island in 2021, as was able to assist 61 households with rent and 39 households with utilities, said Holcomb.

Unmet needs are also tracked.

Within that, 763 households applied for rent or deposits in the amount of $517,923. Utilities, 197 households in the amount of $29,227, she said. Those were individuals we were not able to serve either because they didnt qualify for services or whatever the case was.

Two more applications are still being considered by the CDBG stakeholders group.

KDL Child Care is requesting $128,217 for facility upgrades, including a new fence, a new fire sprinkler system, and a kitchen hood system.

Stakeholders voiced concerns about providing funds to a private entity, as any other business would be required to meet those expenses as part of its operations, particularly in meeting city fire codes.

Hope Harbor is planning to acquire property adjacent to its West First Street and Division Street locations.

The nonprofit is requesting $195,000 in CDBG funds to help with the effort.

Hope Harbor would demolish the structures on the site and hold the land to develop later to better meet housing needs for the communitys homeless individuals and families.

Stakeholders voiced concerns that the current property owner is taking competitive offers for the site.

The project would use previous capital campaign funds and seek other contributions, but CDBG funds are a significant part of the agencys negotiations with the property owner, said Executive Director Liz Mayfield at Thursdays meeting.

Stakeholders shared concerns that the community wouldnt see the benefits of the project for several years and the uncertainty of negotiations with the property owner.

City Community Development Administrator Amber Alvidrez explained that recommendations for allocations are brought to City Council as part of a Community Action Plan for approval, with a 30-day period for public comments.

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Civic Nebraska will honor five Nebraskans who create a more modern and robust democracy June 9.

The Strengthening Democracy Awards will be at 5:30 p.m. at the DelRay 817. Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason and Zedeka Poindexter will perform at the celebration along with an Omaha slam poetry champion and poet-in-residence at the UNION for Contemporary Art. Drinks and heavy appetizers will be provided.

A strong democracy does not build itself. It requires dedicated Americans putting community, learning, innovation, empowerment, and optimism together and making them work for the common good, Civic Nebraskas executive director Adam Morfeld said in a press release. Our 2022 honorees have lifted up these values every day by word and deed, and we are proud to honor them.

Civic Nebraska's 2022 Strengthening Democracy honorees:

Community Builder: Valeria Rodriguez, Gering, for increasing access to opportunities for all residents of the Nebraska Panhandle. In 2017, Valeria co-founded Empowering Families, a nonprofit that builds a stronger and more welcoming community through education, civic participation, and individual empowerment. She has helped organize DACA and naturalization clinics, registered residents to vote, worked to ensure a complete 2020 census count, and hosts a yearly Multicultural Youth Leadership Conference for 200 area students.

Civic Catalyst: Erin Feichtinger, Omaha, for fighting for housing justice through education and advocacy. Erin leads calls to action and guides Nebraskans in working together to tackle the states housing affordability challenges. In the most recent session of the Legislature, Erin was instrumental in organizing, educating, and activating hundreds of Nebraskans to fight for rental assistance and other issues of fundamental housing fairness at the state and local levels.

Champion of Learning: Ebony McKiver, Lincoln, for promoting quality civic education across the state. The Nebraska Department of Educations social studies specialist, Ebony leads the states work in grounding social studies education in facts and history. She guides the states efforts to implement the Nebraska Legislatures revisions to civics graduation requirements and centers those who have been historically marginalized.

Young Civic Leader: Brooklyn Terrill, Lincoln, for conceiving, co-writing, and lobbying for meaningful legislation. Brooklyn, a recent graduate from Nebraska U., was a key force behind LB519, an immunity policy for certain drug and alcohol charges that would be potentially prohibitive to a survivor or witness of sexual assault reporting the crime. The Legislature passed LB519 and Gov. Ricketts signed it into law this year. Brooklyn also volunteers at a local sexual assault crisis line and serves on the Government Liaison Committee for Nebraska U.s student government.

Guardian of Voting Rights: Jennifer Yi-We Hernandez, Omaha, for her innovation to ensure accessibility to voting for community members. Amid the onset of COVID-19, Jennifer recognized that some voters needed help getting their mail-in ballots turned in on time, so she created Ballot Buddies, a volunteer initiative to assist stuck-at-home voters with getting their signed, sealed ballots turned into the Douglas County Election Commission. Jennifer recruits and vets volunteers, promotes the importance of voting, and provides nonpartisan education about the election process and local deadlines.

Register to attend by clicking here or by visiting CivicNebraska.org/sda-2022.
President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war?

You voted:
MARION  Last year, Tim Kee planned a run from Marion to Carbondale to help unite the LGBTQIA+ communities in Williamson and Jackson counties.

He wanted to have a running group of three people. They crossed the finish line in Carbondale with five runners.

Kee will once again run from Marion to Carbondale on Saturday in the Second Annual Pride Run with only one small goal.

My goal this year is to have 10 people running, Kee said. "The weather looks like it will be beautiful."

Interested runners can meet Kee after 7 a.m. Saturday at the pavilion behind Heartland Regional Medical Center. A short program will begin at 7:30 a.m. or 7:45 a.m. with a prayer by Rev. John Holst of Zion United Church of Christ and a few words from Marion Mayor Mike Absher. Runners will leave the hospital at 8 a.m.

Rest stops are planned as follows along the route:

The first stop will be at the intersection of Illinois 148 and 13 at 8:15 a.m. where Kee hopes to see the mayor of Herrin. The second stop at the crossroads of Carterville will be about 8:45 a.m. The third rest stop will be at The Haven on Crab Orchard Lake at 9:30 or 9:45.

Kee said the times for the rest stops are estimates. The runners may be a little earlier or later at these stops.

Runners can run the 10-mile route or join the group at any stop along the way. Kee's friend and running partner Stephanie Horn will join him again for the second run in honor of Pride Month.

Kee said his husband, Rick Wade, will drive a truck along with the runners. If anyone needs to stop, Wade can take them back to their car.

Kee wants to have everybody stay together. Last year, some people ran and then walked. Those who were faster stopped and waited on them.

We celebrated, had fun and got to know each other, Kee said. Its turned into something really nice. Im really proud of it.

Kee started the run with the idea of creating a way to unite the LGBTQIA+ communities of Williamson and Jackson counties. Kee said Williamson County has lagged a little behind Jackson County in showing acceptance.

Work still needs done, he said.

When Kee, who is now 57, was growing up, there werent many role models for young men who were gay. He could only name a couple celebrities.

Its a shame. Thats what part of it is  to show support. There are people out there who care, Kee said.

He stressed that the run is not a political event or a fundraiser. Its just an opportunity to support local LGBTQ community and to come together. Those who are not runners are welcome to show support along the route and at rest stops.

After the run, the group Golden Rainbow of Illinois South is holding a reception for all participants at 11 a.m. at the Hickory Lodge, located at 1115 W. Sycamore Street, in Carbondale. GRIS (Golden Rainbows of Illinois South) is a non-profit organization meant to benefit the lives of LGBTQ adults over 50 and those aging with HIV.

For more information, email Kee at msturkee@aol.com.

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Southern Illinois University Carbondale continues to grow its Saluki Step Ahead program. Most recently, signing an agreement with Southeastern Illinois College Thursday to expand access to baccalaureate programs for community colleges students.

With the SIU-SIC pact, 19 community colleges have formally entered agreements to offer the program to their students. Following receipt of an associates degree at a participating community college, students can obtain bachelors degrees at SIU online and at a lower cost. The Saluki Step Ahead offering includes degree programs in accounting, business administration, criminology and criminal justice, health care management, psychology and radiologic sciences.

This partnership will allow SIC students to transfer to SIU with automatic admission to multiple, high-demand online bachelor degrees at a reduced cost. Students can get their degrees right from their homes after they finish their associates at SIC, explained Southeastern Illinois College President Jonah Rice. SIC is proud to partner with SIU Carbondale on this agreement. Students have more opportunities for access to quality and affordable education because of the SIC-SIU connection.

Students in the program pay the community college rate for their first two years. In the third and fourth years, they receive an annual $4,000 scholarship. The goal is to allow them to earn their degree for $25,000 or less.

Saluki Step Ahead provides a unique opportunity for students, especially for those who are place-bound or perhaps those with a family or a nine-to-five job, to do an online program over two years, finishing their bachelors degree while not disrupting their lives, Josi Rawls, assistant director of undergraduate admissions at SIU told The Southern at an earlier signing ceremony.

SIU Chancellor Austin A. Lane said the program fits nicely with the universitys long-term goals.

This agreement fits well with our strategic plan and its pillars that address partnerships and student success, he said. We are pleased to collaborate with Southeastern Illinois College to provide another option for place-bound students in this region, Lane said. If these students cannot come to Carbondale to complete their education, we will bring the experience and resources of a doctoral research university to them.

In the region, John A. Logan College, Kaskaskia College, Rend Lake College and Shawnee Community College join SIC as participating institutions.

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After two years of Covid restrictions, this summer's Schueberfouer will return in its traditional form in August, along with a host of other events to celebrate in style.

The city's famous fun fair - which dates back to 1340, and is the largest in the great region - will return in its full glory this year, after being cancelled in 2020 and the "mini-fouer" in 2021, with rides and food stalls dotted around the city. It's an event that attracts visitors in the tens of thousands from Luxembourg and across the border, and provides an infusion of life into the city over a few weeks.

Luxembourg City mayor Lydie Polfer held the traditional City Breakfast on Wednesday morning to present news and activities taking place this summer in Luxembourg City. Besides the Schueberfouer in its pre-pandemic form on Glacis, the attractions on Kinnekswiss in the municipal park will also be maintained, based on their success in recent years.

Polfer said the last two years, although marked by the pandemic and subsequent restrictions, had inspired the municipal council to develop different attractions to suit a post-coronavirus world, such as the traditional Kiermes fair which is due to open on the Kinnekswiss field this Friday.

The National Day celebrations in June will also return in their old format, with fireworks, a parade and plenty of other festivities around the capital.

Further announcements include the reopening of the Casemates in early July, and the pirate ship playground in late June. The Place de France in Merl will be transformed into a "meeting space" in August, where the current building site will be replaced by a comfortable area and a kiosk for people to while away the summer evenings.

A drinks stand will be added to the Villa Vauban park from June, to be daubed "John's Cottage" in honour of the John Constable exhibition, opening 1 July, which will feature the British painter's work on loan from the Tate.
In 1994, the fortification walls and old-town quarters of Luxembourg City were granted the status of UNESCO world heritage sites, which means they are internationally protected.

All summer long, people can participate in guided tours and see how the protected sites are kept in shape, explained site manager and historian Robert Philippart: "Visitors not only receive information on the cultural heritage, but also on how these sites have been managed since 1994."

Philippart elaborated on the many different buildings and locations that have been restored over the past couple of years, including Neumunster Abbey, Mudam museum, and the fortification walls. At the moment, authorities are working on the famous Casemates.

2.5% of Luxembourg City's territory is classified as heritage sites, which means that special regulations are in place. Philippart conveyed that, for instance, it is no longer allowed to have neon lights in those neighbourhoods.

Philippart concluded that it was the right decision to accept the UNESCO invitation: "It helped achieve the main goal of having a place to be proud of and with which people can identify."

Video report in Luxembourgish
Our colleagues from RTL spoke to Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister about the ongoing threats in the war-torn country, as well as the potential for peace talks with Russia.

During the last conversation between Luxembourg's Prime Minister and Ukraine's President, Bettel encouraged Zelensky to personally meet with Russian President Putin to begin peace talks.

However, Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Emine Dzhaparova, who recently travelled to Luxembourg, believes that it only makes sense to begin negotiations once Russia has been weakened: "The only way to get Russia to join us in negotiations is to weaken it. Every other attempt will be seen as weakness on our behalf."

Still, the politician ensured that Ukrainian authorities will not miss a single opportunity to advocate for peace. Minister Dzhaparova also underlined that Ukraine's territorial integrity cannot be doubted: "If you question our territorial integrity, then you can question that of every European country, which Putin will surely do."

The Ukrainian politician stressed that there are no intentions of expanding the country's territory, only to fight for the regions that were stolen in "barbaric manner".

Read also: Ukrainian deputy foreign minister thanks PM Bettel for Luxembourg's support

Read also: Russian invasion 'yet another tragedy', says Emine Dzhaparova

Asked about whether the Donbas region and Crimean peninsula warrant the continued loss of human life and destruction, Minister Dzhaparova responded: "82% of Ukrainians do not want to give up. We have thousands of men queuing up and waiting to join the territorial defence forces of our army. This shows that people are not willing to give up."
The Grand Ducal Police were called into action on several occasions on Sunday evening, having to deal with two drunk agitators and further responding to 20 noise complaints.

On Sunday evening, police were called to a Luxembourg City bar where a strongly intoxicated man harassed other guests and started to also endanger himself. Officers thus took the man to an arrest cell, where he had to spend the night.

A similarly drunk agitator further forced a police intervention in Esch-sur-Alzette, as the man tried blocking off a road and even stopped a car. As a consequence, the man also spent his night in an arrest cell.

Overnight, police were also called to 20 different locations due to noise complaints.
On Sunday, an economic delegation including Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot left the Grand Duchy for a four-day visit to Niger and Rwanda.

The first day of the government delegation trip to the African continent marked the arrival of Ministers Bettel and Fayot in Niamey.

After a celebratory welcoming at the airport, the 38-people delegation travelled straight to an artisanal market, which was funded by the Luxembourgish development aid at the beginning of the 1990s.

PM Bettel expressed his admiration for local craftspeople and even bought a chair from a carpenter. Nevertheless, Ali Rabiou, secretary general of the market, drew attention to the fact that one famous client will not help save the market, which has severely suffered under the Covid pandemic.

According to Minister Fayot, there are also other factors contributing to the struggles of the market: "It was believed that enough tourists would find their way to the market and purchase goods, but that did not happen. I think that establishing a way of exporting the goods would help, a project that I will take home from this trip."

Luxembourg will continue providing development aid to Niger until 2026, with 145 million planned for the remainder of the period. No other country benefits more from Luxembourg's development and cooperation funds.

President Mohamed Bazouma invited PM Bettel and personally thanked him for his support. The state leader even joked that despite warning of the elevated temperatures, Luxembourg's PM decided to visit Niger in June, which is a true testimony of his honest commitment.

PM Bettel thus braved temperatures of 43C in order to underline that Niger deserves Luxembourg's support: "I was here 20 years ago as a young MP. Back then, we tried to help strengthen women's rights and the country has since implemented many projects. Mohamed Bazoum also spoke to me about Marie-Josee Jacobs, who already came here 30 years ago, another indicator for our longstanding cooperation."

Seven NGOs are active in Niger, and the Luxembourgish delegation further met with Aliou Oumarou, spokesperson of Niger's scouts. He expressed gratitude for the financial aid coming from the Grand Duchy: "With the help of Luxembourgish scouts, we make dreams come true. We are currently working on a project against extremism and radicalisation, which costs $900,000. Young people and women participate in this project."

Luxembourg's development aid is thus designed to not only strengthen Niger's defence, but also to create preventive measures. One of the ongoing issues is that young men tend to join Islamist groups for a lack of perspective, a problem which also affects Niger's neighbouring countries.
Australia's new prime minister and Indonesia's president rode bamboo bicycles together on Monday as they held talks to boost ties, as Canberra embarks on a diplomatic charm offensive aimed at countering China's growing assertiveness in the region.

Anthony Albanese hailed relations with Indonesia and vowed to strengthen them on his first bilateral trip since being elected last month, heading to Southeast Asia's biggest economy in what has become a traditional tour for new Australian premiers.

After a guard of honour, Indonesian President Joko Widodo presented Albanese with a bicycle at the presidential palace in Bogor -- a city south of capital Jakarta -- where the pair removed their jackets, donned helmets and rode around the grounds.

"Australia's relationship with Indonesia is one of our most important. We are linked not just by geography, we are linked by choice," Albanese said in a joint press conference held after talks.

"Our relationship is ever-deepened by the strategic and economic interests we share," he added, saying Indonesia was on course to become one of the five biggest economies in the world.

Widodo said good relations between the two would contribute to "the peace and prosperity of the region".

About the bike ride, Albanese later tweeted, "it was a privilege to have such a personal and enjoyable tour of the magnificent grounds".

Widodo tweeted the bikes were "designed for use on the highway" and made from bamboo by Singgih Susilo Kartono, an East Javan designer known for his woodcraft.

Albanese confirmed he would attend the G20 summit, which Indonesia will host in November, despite reservations from predecessor Scott Morrison about sitting around the table with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine.

"I said before I travelled to Indonesia... that Vladimir Putin attended previous meetings in Australia hosted by (former PM) Tony Abbott," he told reporters.

"That didn't mean we agree with his stance, indeed we find President Putin's behaviour to be abhorrent, to be illegal," he added.

The Labor Party leader discussed advancing opportunities on trade, climate change and regional security with Widodo, who last visited Australia in early 2020.

He also offered Australian technical expertise to Indonesia for its capital move from Jakarta to a new site, Borneo's Nusantara -- scheduled for 2024 -- and said he hoped to advance a Aus$200 million ($144 million) climate and infrastructure fund for the country.

- Southeast Asia focus -

Indonesia favours a non-aligned position on the Pacific rivalry between Beijing and Western powers.

It is one of several Asian countries to have expressed concerns about the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- widely seen as an effort to counter China.

On Albanese's three-day trip, he was accompanied by a business delegation and several cabinet ministers including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who met Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on Sunday.

Malaysian-born Wong has previously called for Canberra to place greater emphasis on Australia's billion-dollar trade relationship with Jakarta -- as well as its trade with Southeast Asia as a whole.

"Deepening engagement with Southeast Asia is a priority for my government," Albanese said, announcing a new envoy and office for the region.

After meeting Widodo, Albanese will travel to South Sulawesi's Makassar, where Australia has a diplomatic presence.

He was also set to meet Lim Jock Hoi, the secretary-general of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- as Canberra pivots to focus on strengthening its alliances in the region.

His first stop after entering office was Japan where he travelled for talks with members of the Quad, an alliance created in the face of China's push for dominance across the region.
Gunmen using explosives killed at least 21 people, including children, in an attack on a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria, local officials said, in violence that drew widespread international condemnation.

The bloodshed at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo town during a Sunday service was a rare assault in Nigeria's usually safer southwest and shocked a country grown used to jihadist attacks and mass kidnappings in the north.

Blood still stained the church floor and debris lay scattered around a day after the attack that Ondo State governor's office said killed at least 21 people.

Gunmen hid among the worshippers inside the church and also opened fire on the congregation through the windows from outside.

"Investigations revealed that some of the gunmen disguised as congregants, while other armed men who had positioned themselves around the church premises from different directions, fired into the church," the police statement said.

Fragments of explosives and three unexploded improvised devices were found at the scene.

Richard Olatunde, spokesman for the Ondo State governor's office, told AFP 21 people died after gunmen detonated dynamite inside the church before opening fire.

National Emergency Management Agency local representative Olanrewaju Kadiri said 22 people were killed, including several children, with another 40 people wounded.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack and the motives were not immediately clear.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo arrived on Monday to visit some of the wounded in Owo where he said perpetrators "will pay for this heinous" attack.

Survivors described panic as worshippers fled a sudden outburst of gunshots.

Father Andrew Abayomi, who conducted the service, told AFP some worshippers managed to close the church door and he escaped with others, including children, into the vestry to hide for about 20 minutes before emerging to the carnage.

"Even before leaving the church premises, I have seen some lifeless: I saw a woman shot beside the bus," he said.

Another survivor, Bade Salawu, recalled disbelief at hearing gunshots inside the church.

"They didn't come to steal anything, they didn't come to kidnap anybody... their aim was to just kill and destroy."

Another witness told AFP he saw at least five gunmen on the church premises.

The state government declared a seven-day mourning period for the victims, and ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast in Ondo.

- Jihadists, gangs -

Pope Francis was "deeply saddened" by the "horrible attack", his number two, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin wrote in a telegram to the bishop of Ondo.

The pope assures "all those who are affected by this unspeakable act of violence of his spiritual closeness", he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the "heinous killing of worshippers", while the UN special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, spoke of a "barbaric terrorist attack".

Nigeria /  AFP

Nigeria's military is fighting a 12-year-long jihadist insurgency in the northeast and heavily armed criminal gangs often carry out looting raids and mass kidnappings in the northwest and north-central parts.

But large-scale attacks in Nigeria's southwest are relatively rare, although kidnappings for ransom have become increasingly common.

Boko Haram jihadists in the northeast have targeted churches in the past. Nigeria's jihadist conflict has killed 40,000 and displaced two million more in the northeast.

The attack came a day before the ruling APC party started primaries for its candidate in the 2023 election to replace Buhari, a former army commander who steps down after two terms in office.

Security will be a major challenge for whoever wins the race to govern Africa's most populous country and the continent's largest economy.

As well as jihadists and criminal gangs known locally as bandits, Nigeria's security forces are also dealing with separatist agitation in the southeast.
Yellowstone closed all entrances Monday due to severe flooding. Here's a look at the damage and at the lines of cars stuck waiting at the gates.
A bullet connected to last weeks police shooting in Casper appeared to exit the apartment and into the hallway of a building where officers found and shot a man while serving a warrant on him.

The bullet appeared to leave exit and entry holes in the walls of a first-floor apartment building in the Missouri Avenue area late on May 30. No injuries from the stray bullet were reported.

The subject of the warrant, 24-year-old Gage Thomas Cordova, was booked into the Natrona County Detention Center early the following morning on charges including criminal trespass, aggravated assault and stalking. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the shooting, according to police, and was treated at a hospital before being taken to jail.

A resident of the building said she had been sleeping at the time, and heard a thumping noise that did not sound like a gunshot.

Some time later, she said, police knocked on her apartment door and told her to get our stuff and get out. The rest of the building was also evacuated around 11:30 that night, she said.

The resident reentered the building at around 1:30 in the morning, after waiting outside, and saw the bullet hole. The bullet itself was gone, she said.

The apparent exit hole is just above the ground in the wall of the apartment where Cordova was found, the resident said. Across the hall, there is an apparent entry mark slightly higher on the wall, though the resident said the bullet did not go all the way through.

An affidavit in Cordovas case says only that an officer involved shooting soon occurred after police found him in a bedroom closet in the apartment. Officers were serving an arrest warrant following days of reported stalking, threatening calls and messages to his wife, who is in the process of divorcing him.

Police spokesperson Rebekah Ladd said Monday that the department cannot comment further on the shooting since it is under investigation by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. One officer used their gun during the incident, she said.

Ladd could not say whether Cordova shot at officers, though the affidavit says he had a gun on him when police took him into custody. A DCI agent could not be reached for comment Monday.

CPD, meanwhile, is investigating Cordovas case and the events that led up to the shooting. This case, Ladd said, is unusual for a police shooting since typically the suspect is deceased.

The suspect is alive, and so we are still investigating the criminal side, Ladd said.

The affidavit alleges Cordova used a gun to threaten his wife while showing up at her home. It also accuses him of using a Ring doorbell camera to monitor her activities and conversations with police. He told officers, according to the affidavit, that he suffered from mental illness and heard voices telling him to shoot himself, and that he couldnt afford necessary medication.

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Having recently cleared key legal and permitting hurdles, developers are slated to begin construction of two major high-voltage transmission lines connecting Wyoming to several states in the West. When completed, the Gateway South and TransWest Express transmission lines will open the door to a major expansion of wind energy development in the Cowboy State, industry officials say.

The TransWest Express project opens the ability for Wyoming wholesale electricity supplies to reach new markets, like southern California, Arizona and Nevada, that the state is not directly serving today, Power Company of Wyoming Communications Director Kara Choquette said.

The $3 billion, 732-mile long TransWest Express transmission line will transport electricity from Power Company of Wyomings Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project in south-central Wyoming, as well as other potential new wind energy facilities. Situated in Carbon County, the projects 900 wind turbines with a total capacity of 3,000 megawatts will be the largest onshore wind energy facility in the United States.

After years of negotiations, TransWest Express LLC recently secured a right-of-way agreement with a large private landowner in western Colorado. Construction of the TransWest Express transmission line could begin as early as 2023, according to company officials. TransWest Express LLC and Power Company of Wyoming are both subsidiaries of Anschutz Corp.

Meantime, Berkshire Hathaway-owned PacifiCorp received certificates of public convenience and necessity from the Wyoming Public Service Commission on May 10 for its Gateway South and a segment of its Gateway West lines. Both are part of PacifiCorps larger Energy Gateway transmission expansion project to add more than 2,000 miles of high-voltage power lines connecting Wyoming wind energy to five other western states in PacifiCorps service territory.

Construction will begin this summer, according to PacifiCorp. Both Gateway South and Gateway West Segment D.1 are slated to be operational in late 2024.

The added transmission capacity and increased number of on-ramps and off-ramps that the transmission lines would provide to Wyoming and the western grid set the stage for a major buildout of wind turbines in the state. When completed, that extra capacity and interconnectivity would also provide PacifiCorp  and possibly others  the ability to retire coal-fired power units in the state by meeting several new state-level power delivery and reliability requirements, according to University of Wyoming energy economist Rob Godby.

When you have a more flexible system, its just less likely that you need coal, Godby said. You can rely on a more flexible set of generation alternatives, and that old fossil fuel backbone [coal-fired power] is less relevant.

Adding interstate transmission capacity  and therefore boosting the ability to move power in and out of Wyoming as needed  is integral to PacifiCorps plans to meet the states reliability standards, according to PacifiCorp spokesperson David Eskelsen.

The Gateway South and Segment D.1 transmission projects were modeled in the 2021 [integrated resource plan] as key to system reliability as the energy transition is expected to continue, Eskelsen told WyoFile.

PacifiCorp says it will retire 14 of its coal-fired power units across several states, including several in Wyoming by 2030, and a total of 19 by 2040. The regulated utility plans to add more than 3,700 megawatts of new wind power by 2040 throughout its six-state region, including in Wyoming.

Wyoming has some of the best wind resources in the Continental U.S., according to Jonathan Naughton, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Wind Energy Research Center at the University of Wyoming. Several regions of the state  mostly in the southeast  have wind capacity factors of more than 50% compared to 35% in other interior states.

It means that the turbines that they put up are running at full capacity more often, Naughton said.

Wyoming wind also tends to be more consistent during winter months and during evening hours throughout the year, providing a balance to power demands in other western states. When solar power generation drops off in the evenings in California, for example, Wyoming wind can backfill the power supply. The same dynamic applies between eastern Wyoming and the Colorado Front Range.

Theres some attractive things about combining solar and wind from Wyoming, Naughton said. And if you build out a really robust transmission system, its easy to move power around, and it solves a lot of these issues with variability.

Wyoming exports about three-fifths of the electricity generated in the state, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A supermajority of Wyomings total power generation comes from coal-fired power plants.

But the states electrical generation profile is rapidly changing.

Coal accounted for 97% of the states power generation in 2003, according to EIA. There was a lull in wind energy development in the 2010s, but since 2019 the state has more than doubled its wind energy generation capacity. Now at more than 3,000 megawatts, wind accounts for nearly a third of the states total electrical generation capacity.

Much more wind power is on the way. Wyoming could see an additional 6,000 megawatts of new wind power capacity by 2030, according to those close to the industry. Although not every wind power proposal will come to fruition, the inevitability of major interstate transmission projects connecting Wyoming wind resources to western states will help shift the state from a majority coal power exporter to a majority wind power exporter, UWs Godby said.

The reality is that [more electrical transmission] creates both the capacity to develop more renewable energy, and in different places, Godby said.

Meantime, PacifiCorp has dialed back electrical generation output from some coal-burning units, including at Jim Bridger, making more room for Wyoming-originating wind energy on existing interstate electrical transmission lines.

WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.

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Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert said yesterday that he did not know whether US law enforcement authorities had launched an investigation into Attorney General Reginald Armour.

During an animated Prime Ministers Question Time in Parliament, Imbert also said he could not say whether the Attorney General had disclosed his conflict of interest to the Cabinet or the Prime Minister.
BEFORE the Council of the Law Association makes any statement on the controversy surrounding Attorney General Reginald Armour SC and his dismissal by a Miami-Dade judge in the Piarco International Airport corruption case, it first has to ascertain all the facts.

The decision was made yesterday afternoon by the Council during its monthly statutory meeting.
The recent and disturbing incident involving the substantial gashing of one schoolchilds face by another can make every parents stomach churn.

Theres no point in our saying Thank God it was just a knife, because thats a slippery slope down the path to saying Thank God it was just an ordinary handgun and not a submachine gun.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  A judge declared a second mistrial Monday for a man charged in the 2015 killing of a pastors wife after jurors learned details about the Indianapolis case's long history in the court system.

Larry Jo Taylor Jr.'s trial was scheduled to begin Monday, but Marion Superior Judge Grant Hawkins declared a mistrial after a juror told other jurors about the case's history, including that a mistrial had been declared during Taylor's first trial in December, The Indianapolis Star reported.

Taylor's trial has now been rescheduled to August. Taylor is one of three men police say were involved in a string of November 2015 home invasions on Indianapolis' north side that ended when Amanda Blackburn, 28, was fatally shot in her home while 12 weeks pregnant with her second child.

She was slain two years after she and her husband, pastor Davey Blackburn, moved to Indianapolis from South Carolina to found Resonate Church, which was shuttered in 2019.

Hawkins had declared a mistrial in Taylor's first trial after learning some jurors knew Blackburn had been pregnant  a fact defense attorneys successfully moved to keep from the jury.

Taylor, 25, faces 13 charges, including murder, burglary and criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon.

Taylor's two co-defendants accepted plea deals on the condition they would cooperate in his prosecution. Jalen E. Watson pleaded guilty in 2017 to robbery and burglary charges. He was sentenced in March 2021 to 29 years for the robbery charge and 20 combined years for the burglary charges, and ordered to serve the sentences concurrently.

Diano Cortez Gordon pleaded guilty in 2018 to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and burglary charges. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Indianapolis Star.

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An Iraqi court on Monday sentenced a British citizen to 15 years in prison on charges of smuggling artifacts out of the country.

The verdict handed down to retired geologist Jim Fitton shocked the court in Baghdad, including his defense attorney.

A German national tried with Fitton was found not to have criminal intent in the case and will be released.

I thought the worst case scenario would be one year, with suspension, Fittons lawyer Thair Soud, visibly shocked, told The Associated Press.

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Interview: BRI considers needs of mankind, facilitates communication, says British business leader

Xinhua) 11:13, June 06, 2022

LONDON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Having proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China is thinking how to facilitate global development for all mankind, and through these years, the BRI has brought people closer as well as boosted international trade, a British business leader has said.

Noting that traffic between Asia, Europe and Africa has been sea-bound, Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, said during a recent interview with Xinhua the BRI "has transformed the movement of goods and people across the land and that's opened up a whole new set of ways of getting goods from Asia to Europe and Europe to Asia."

Meanwhile, he added, it has changed the price and the time. "The price is better. The time is much faster. And when it goes to high speed, it'll be even faster still. So the transformation and trade are significant," he told Xinhua.

In addition, with the BRI, many countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka "have been helped to build new types of infrastructure, new types of resources, intensive plants, and equipment. With railroads, with highways. And the same is true of Southeast Asia, new transportation links," Perry said.

"All of this helps trade, but it also helps the movement of people and people get to know each other and each other's cultures and ways, which is very enjoyable for people," he added.

In some places once under colonial rule in Africa and South America, for example, transportation has been enabled from the coast into the areas where resources are and back, and it does not go through the continent, Perry said.

China, however, "has been doing a great deal to help both these continents open up internal transportation, and that will make a big difference to those countries' productivity," he noted.

Recent statistics have shown the strong vitality of the BRI. In the first four months of this year, China's import from and export to BRI countries have increased by 15.4 percent from a year earlier, with 12.9 percent for export and 18.6 percent for import, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

During the interview, the business leader told Xinhua that the concept of the BRI is to develop the world effectively for mankind.

"It's transnational," he said. "It's not thinking of the single country of China. It's thinking of the whole area of the world, maybe more focused at the moment on Asia and Africa and Latin America, but it's a world project."

As green development has been a focus for BRI projects, Perry said there is room for closer Britain-China cooperation.

He continued that the transition to renewables like solar and wind power will take time, but it is at least everybody's focus now. "I think the green finance is a very good support to that operation. And it's taken very seriously by the British. And the Chinese, of course," he said.

Speaking of the future cooperation between China and Western countries, Perry added that the West has a great deal to contribute to the China-proposed initiative.

"We've got very good universities and institutes for study, and we'll be able to play a remarkably good part in the financing of this changing world," he said. "But it may take time for everybody to see the opportunity."

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
TRONA, Calif. (AP)  The Navy has made public the identity of a pilot killed in the crash of a fighter jet in the Southern California desert last week.

Lt. Richard Bullock was killed Friday afternoon when his F/A-18E Super Hornet went down in the vicinity of the small Mojave Desert community of Trona, Naval Air Forces said in a statement Sunday night. Nobody on the ground was hurt.

Bullock was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 113 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. His home of record was listed only as Montana, according to a biographical data sheet. He was commissioned in 2016.

The Navy said Bullock was flying a routine training mission.

The incident is currently under investigation and the scene of the crash is secured by Navy and local authorities while recovery efforts are ongoing, the statement said. The Navy mourns this tragic loss alongside the family, friends and shipmates of Lt. Bullock.

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

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Tiger King star Bhagavan Doc Antle has been charged with laundering more than half a million dollars, money federal prosecutors said Monday that he believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle people across the Mexican border into the United States.

Charges against Antle and Andrew Jon Sawyer, one of Antle's employees at Myrtle Beach Safari, were revealed during a federal court hearing in Florence, South Carolina.

According to federal prosecutors, Antle and Sawyer laundered $505,000 over a four-month period by doling out checks from businesses they controlled, receiving a 15% fee of the money that passed through their hands.

The checks, prosecutors allege, falsely purported to be payment for construction work at Myrtle Beach Safari but were in reality intended to serve as evidence that the recipients had legitimate income.

According to the complaint unsealed in court Monday, Antle discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at his 50-acre (20-hectare) wildlife tropical preserve. Prosecutors also said he had previously used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks.

Records for the Horry County jail show Antle and Sawyer were both arrested Friday. Attorneys for both men did not immediately comment on the charges when reached via email.

According to authorities, Antle and Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Antle is featured prominently in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a 2020 Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders and private zoo operators in the U.S. The series focused heavily on Oklahoma zoo operator Joe Exotic, who also was targeted for animal mistreatment and was convicted in a plot to kill a rival, Carole Baskin.

Animal rights advocates have accused Antle of mistreating lions and other wildlife. He was indicted in Virginia in 2020 on animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking charges.

In May, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked the IRS to probe Antles Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit raising money for wildlife conservation. PETA alleges he uses some of the funds money to subsidize his safari site in Socastee outside Myrtle Beach.

Its fitting that Doc' Antle is behind bars after years of locking up the endangered animals he uses in tawdry photo ops. His legal woes are mounting, as PETA recently blew the whistle on his apparent charity scam, and the end to his reign of terrorizing tiger cubs cant come soon enough, said Debbie Metzler, associate director of PETAs Captive Animal Law Enforcement division, in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, Antle is facing two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to wildlife trafficking charges, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges tied to trafficking lion cubs. Those charges are scheduled to go to trial next month.

Antle has a history of recorded violations, going as far back as 1989, when he was fined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for abandoning deer and peacocks at his zoo in Virginia. Over the years, he has more than 35 USDA violations for mistreating animals.

Meg Kinnard can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.

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

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PHOENIX  An attorney for an Arizona death-row prisoner has urged an appeals court to call off the execution scheduled for Wednesday of his client who was convicted in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl, arguing the condemned mans spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to a gurney before he is lethally injected.

At a hearing Monday before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, a lawyer for Frank Atwood also questioned whether the state has met a requirement that the lethal injection drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

And even though he did not choose lethal gas as his execution method, Atwood also is challenging Arizonas protocol for gas chamber executions. His lawyers say Atwood has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and said the state should switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths.

Prosecutors say Atwood is trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers.

They say Atwoods challenge to the states cyanide gas execution procedures is moot, because the execution will be carried out by lethal injection.

Last month, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Atwood, who is scheduled to be executed at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 8-year-old Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, lost on all those arguments in a lower-court ruling issued over the weekend and appealed those decisions to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped Hoskinson, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent.

Atwoods lawyers have argued the states death penalty procedures would subject their client, who has a degenerative spinal condition that has left him in a wheelchair, to excruciating suffering if he were strapped to a gurney while lying on his back during his lethal injection.

Prosecutors say Atwood can alleviate pain caused by lying on his back by propping himself up with a pillow and using the tilt function on the execution table. Atwoods legal team rejected a proposal from the state to also let one of the condemned mans legs remain free during the execution as another way of easing his pain.

The state here is not trying to subject Mr. Atwood to any to unnecessary pain, said Jeffrey Sparks, an attorney representing the state. Its trying to accommodate the claims he is raising, while also still carrying out a lawful execution.

Atwoods attorneys have questioned whether the compounded pentobarbital to be used in the execution meets pharmaceutical standards. The testing (of the compounded drug) cannot be relied on, said Joseph Perkovich, one of Atwoods attorneys.

Even though he did not choose the gas chamber, Atwood challenged the states lethal gas protocol that calls for the use of hydrogen cyanide gas, which was used in some past U.S. executions and by Nazis to kill 865,000 Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp alone. His lawyers say hydrogen cyanide gas is unconstitutional and produces agonizing levels of pain in executions.

His lawyers argue he has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and said the state should switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths. Arizona prosecutors say nitrogen executions are untried and untested.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state with a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.

Until last month, Arizona went almost eight years without carrying out an execution.

The hiatus has been attributed to the difficulty of securing lethal injection drugs as manufacturers refuse to supply them and to problems encountered during the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over nearly two hours. Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped before he died. His attorney said the execution had been botched.

The hiatus ended on May 11 when the state executed prisoner Clarence Dixon for his murder conviction in the 1978 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old Arizona State University student.

Of the 112 inmates on Arizonas death row, only two have been there longer than Atwood.

Photos: The search for Vicki Lynne Hoskinson in 1984-85 Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson Vicki Lynne Hoskinson

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the city amid fierce fighting in the streets as Russia tries to deploy more forces.

But it is the 103rd day, and the Ukrainian Donbas stands. It stands firmly, he said in his nightly address to the nation.

Zelenskyy also said Moscow's forces intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.

The defenders' fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelenskyy said more than than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release.

The recovery of their remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government, and Russian officials have not commented. But relatives of soldiers killed at the plant discussed the process with The Associated Press.

Ukraine on Saturday announced the first officially confirmed swap of its military dead since the war began. It said the two sides exchanged 320 bodies in all, each getting back 160 sets of remains. The swap took place Thursday on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Anna Holovko, a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment, said all 160 of the Ukrainian bodies turned over by the Russians were from the Azovstal ruins. She said that at least 52 of those bodies are thought to be the remains of Azov Regiment soldiers.

Maksym Zhorin, a former Azov Regiment leader now co-commanding a Kyiv-based military unit, confirmed that bodies from the steel plant were among those exchanged.

The brother of an Azov fighter missing and feared dead in the steelworks told the AP that at least two trucks of bodies from Azovstal were transferred to a military hospital in Kyiv for identification.

Viacheslav Drofa said the remains of his elder brother, Dmitry Lisen, did not appear to be among those recovered so far. He added that some of the dead were severely burned.

The mother of a soldier killed in an airstrike on the plant said the Azov Regiment telephoned her and said her sons body might be among those transferred to Kyiv. The mother did not want her or her son to be identified by name, saying she feared that discussing the recovery process might disrupt it.

She tearfully referred to her son as a hero. Its important for me to bury him in our Ukrainian land," she said.

In other developments Monday, Ukraine's efforts to fight off Russia's invasion loomed large over D-Day commemorations in France, where the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion was marked.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.

He added: Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery."

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day. Asked about the war raging on the European continent, Shay said, "It is a very sad situation.

In 1944 I landed on these beaches, and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added.

Meanwhile, the president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic said that the pro-Moscow region is putting on trial three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukraine. If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could get the death penalty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine. Guard members have taken part in such operations as the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The lump sum is roughly six times the average annual Russian salary.

On the battlefield, Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian forces put up resistance in Sievierodonetsk and other areas.

"There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian artillery fire could be heard outside the city of Bakhmut, southwest of Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian tanks moved back and forth from the front line, carefully hiding under trees after firing at Russian positions. One of the tanks was a T-80 captured from Russian forces. Its crew hacked bushes with hatchets and covered the vehicle and its main gun with branches.

Associated Press writers David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine; Andrea Rosa in Bakhmut, Ukraine; and Sylvie Corbet in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, contributed to this story.

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

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Southwest Airlines and Tulsa International Airport on Sunday marked new nonstop service from Tulsa (TUL) to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW).

Passengers on the inaugural flight were welcomed to their gate with celebratory treats and giveaways, and a few passengers helped with the ceremonial ribbon cutting prior to boarding.

Were thrilled to see Southwest continue to grow here in Tulsa with new nonstop service to Chicago Midway, said Andrew Pierini, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Tulsa International Airport. Southwests convenient, twice daily service provides Tulsans two more nonstop options when traveling to the Windy City.

The flights will be twice daily Sunday-Friday, and once daily on Saturdays.

The timing of the launch for this new route is perfect since Chicago hosts several major summer festivals in late June and July, such as Lollapalooza, Pride in the Park, Chicago Blues Festival and more, TIA said in a news release.

Other top attractions include the historic Navy Pier, river tour cruises through downtown, and exploring Chicagos vast collection of public art and its diverse food scene.

Midway International Airport has about 172 daily direct flights to 73 U.S. cities and about eight daily direct flights to 11 international destinations, making this a great airport for Tulsans to connect to other destinations as well, TIA said.

Chicago is Southwests eighth nonstop destination served from Tulsa, along with Austin, Dallas-Love Field, Denver, Houston-Hobby, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and St. Louis.

Southwest Airlines is one of the six carriers to operate at Tulsa International Airport. Tulsa-area travelers now have service to 26 destinations.

Southwest operates at 121 airports across 11 countries. It marked its 50th anniversary in 2021.

New York City now among nonstop flight destinations from Tulsa International Airport

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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.

We really dont know what works and what doesnt to keep schools safe from events like (Uvalde, Texas), said Charles Branas, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University and one of the lead investigators in the study. School districts across the country are formulating policies in a vacuum without any evidence to hang their hat on.

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 Rep. 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.

We were on opposite sides of the heated battle 16 years ago, but we are in strong agreement now that scientific research should be conducted into preventing firearm injuries, they wrote. Ways to prevent firearm deaths can be found without encroaching on the rights of legitimate gun owners.

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.

Its really unclear if arming teachers is a solution. Teachers already have a major job in a classroom, he told me. We havent even begun to scratch the surface of the implications of running kids through lockdown drills.

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.

Science is not the set of perfect answers, Rosenberg told me. Its a tool for reaching the answers.

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.

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.
An ancient Greek philosopher asserted that no one can step into the same river twice because both the river and the person are constantly changing.

The same thing could be said of a walk in the woods, it would seem.

But for Carla Wilhite, each time she revisits a particular walk in a certain forest, its always about 6 a.m., with the sky exhibiting that same steely blue-gray 6 a.m. color.

The air always has that same heavy, humid feel that follows an Oklahoma summer rain.

The scent on the breeze is always of the same sweet, woody sycamore trees.

And the walk always ends with the discovery of three young, dead Girl Scouts.

The walk is always the same.

And in that moment, so is Wilhite  an 18-year-old waking early on her first morning as a camp counselor, filled with excitement and anticipation for creating the same life-altering experience for these young girls that camp had always meant for her.

But since that moment, nothing has ever been the same.

Changed irrevocably

It was June 13, 1977, and a group of Tulsa-area Girl Scouts had just spent their first night of a weeklong stay at Camp Scott near Locust Grove.

With Wilhites discovery of the murder scene, all camp plans ceased. Most of the girls were quickly returned to Tulsa by bus.

The families of three girls  Lori Lee Farmer, 8, Michele Guse, 9, and Doris Denise Milner, 10  were given the devastating news of their childrens deaths. Two of the girls had been beaten to death, the third strangled.

And law enforcement authorities began a murder investigation that, in some circles, continues to this day.

Ultimately, an area man, Gene Leroy Hart, was arrested after an intense manhunt and charged with the crimes, but following a sensational trial, he was acquitted in March 1979.

Three months later  two years after the murders  Hart collapsed in prison and died. He was serving more than 100 years on unrelated burglary, rape and kidnapping charges.

Enough paper to account for a forest has been filled with theories, claims and hypotheses about what happened that night at Camp Scott and then what happened in the judicial system to the case that resulted from the killings.

But Wilhite doesnt need to read those pages. She was there. She lived it. And it changed her irrevocably.

Such a heinous crime victimizes many more people than casual observers realize.

Much is written about how the families of the dead go on with their lives. But what of the others?

When recurring thoughts of a walk in the woods conjure memories of a real nightmare more horrific than any fiction could ever produce, how does life go on?

'Just like any teenager'

Today, Wilhite, a native of Sand Springs, is an occupational therapist by profession and the program director of a graduate occupational therapy program at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.

After her 1977 graduation from Charles Page High School and the discovery of the Camp Scott murders, she went to college in Missouri for a while and then landed a little closer to home  at Oklahoma State University.

I grew up in Sand Springs. It's my hometown, she said. My parents both graduated from the old high school. My grandparents lived next door to us on Roosevelt Avenue.

Home or not, Wilhite nevertheless ended up in Farmington, New Mexico, where she worked for about 8 years as a police officer and a detective, and then she went back to school.

At the University of New Mexico, she finished a bachelors degree in fine arts and then a second bachelors degree in occupational therapy.

Not yet done with school, she got a masters degree in nonprofit management from Regis University in Denver and then finished her doctorate in occupational therapy through Creighton University.

Since the fall she has been an assistant professor at Colorado Mesa, where her practice expertise is bringing general occupational therapy skills to bear on the problems and concerns of agricultural producers, family members of farmers and ranchers, and farm workers.

I never dreamed of being a police officer. I never dreamed of being an occupational therapist, Wilhite said. I was just like any teenager  I wanted to be a rock 'n' roll star or a famous artist.

But unlike most teenagers, who gradually let go of their dreams of fame and stardom, for Wilhite, all of that disappeared in that moment at Camp Scott.

After that, I needed to help somebody, she said.

It would be awhile before she got the chance, though.

'It damaged me'

In the immediate hours and days after the three young girls were found slain, authorities didnt know that two of them had also been raped and that they were looking for exclusively male suspects.

Therefore Wilhite, as the person who found the bodies, was treated not as a traumatized witness but as a murder suspect.

Any adult counselors at camp were looked at as suspects, she said. They interrogated several young women until they found the sperm.

The treatment by law enforcement officers absolutely affected my ability to move on with my life, she said. I know it wasnt intentional on their part. They were doing their job. I understand that part.

But I also think there was no consideration  at least early in the investigation  that we were just barely adults, and to be interrogated and fingerprinted and give samples of your hair and saliva and your blood and even your pubic hair and asked to take a polygraph and have your Miranda rights read to you  it flipped my brain.

Wilhite said the interrogation techniques were eerily similar to those detailed in the John Grisham book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, a nonfiction account of a 1982 Ada murder investigation in which law enforcement questioning techniques of two suspects came under scrutiny.

They asked me questions like, Did you dream that you did it? Have you ever fantasized about doing this? Wilhite said.

I really wanted to help the investigation. I wanted justice to be done, she said. I never expected to be in that position. I was not emotionally, mentally (or) spiritually prepared for that.

I understand that it was a different time and a different type of interrogation procedure. But I was still just an 18-year-old kid, and I know it damaged me.

Although Wilhite said she has no animus toward law enforcement, her experience with the investigation definitely influenced my decision to go into police work.

And despite Harts acquittal, she remains convinced of his guilt.

Having been in law enforcement, I feel like they had a really satisfactory case against him with all of the circumstantial evidence, she said. I never had any doubt that he was the perpetrator.

'Not how guilt works'

Wilhite is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts. As a young girl, she joined the Brownies and stayed in Girl Scouts until she had achieved the rank of Senior Scout and earned her First Class Award, now called the Gold Award, which is the equivalent of the Boy Scouts Eagle Scout rank.

She had attended Camp Scott since 1971 and was a counselor-in-training for two summers prior to 1977.

We were so well-trained for accidents, snake bites, wounds  the whole nine yards of what to do in an emergency, she said.

One year a tornado knocked a tree down that landed on a tent. None of the girls were hurt, but we handled that emergency.

But there was no training for what do in case of violence.

That kind of stuff just didnt happen then  until then, Wilhite said. It was unprecedented. It truly was a different world.

But Gene Leroy Hart changed all of that.

So in a world where such horror was so unprecedented that student leaders had been given no preparation for what to do if it were to happen, one would have to hope that those student leaders understood how this couldnt have been their fault.

Thats not how guilt works, Wilhite said.

In the grasp of guilt, she said, she has told herself that the parents never would have sued the Girl Scouts if they thought I had done right and had been brave and had done my job.

All evidence points to the contrary.

They have been compassionate and sent messages to me, and that has helped a lot, Wilhite said. Im just fearful to meet them.

She said she has communicated via Facebook with Betty Milner, Denises mother, and she has been nothing but a sacred human being  just so compassionate.

But Wilhite said she cant face meeting the parents because it reminds her that she didnt wake up. I didnt discover what was happening  back to that I should have.

I think that for most survivors of violence or proximity to violence (the reaction) is not Thank God Im alive but more It should have been me. I should have done something.

Ive had to learn to unguilt and let go of guilt and be more pragmatic.

'Life changed  forever'

June is always the month, Wilhite said.

Every June is not hard, but no June has ever passed without an acknowledgment that my life changed in June 1977  forever.

But trauma isnt something a survivor deals with one month out of a year.

I havent had a good nights sleep  the sleep of the innocent  you know, the deep, restful sleep  since 1977, she said.

For a long time I couldnt sleep in a sleeping bag. I can do it now, but I kind of have to will myself to do it.

Wilhite does still go camping, an activity she loves  has always loved. She still enjoys hiking and sitting around a campfire.

I still do all of those things. I just might not zip up my sleeping bag, no matter how cold I am.

"And like with post-traumatic stress disorder, Im hypervigilant, she said. Im always aware of what or who is around me, whats going on.

Progress might be slow, but it comes.

I dont have as many disruptive memories as I used to where I might see something that triggers the memory of seeing the dead body that I first saw of the little Milner girl as I was walking to go take my shower, she said.

Wilhite used to be bothered by the smell of sycamore trees or wet leaves or certain times of the morning.

For a long time, I couldnt get up at 6 a.m. and look outside, she said. It was too much like that moment. But over the years I can do all of those things without getting I guess what you would say triggered.

That association with your environment and those things that trigger you lessens over time.

'He was a human being'

Perhaps surprisingly, Wilhite is even able to point to some good that has come out of the horror that changed her life so dramatically.

Im definitely more compassionate, she said. I think Im less judgmental of other people and definitely more compassionate, and I think thats made me a better occupational therapist and a better teacher.

I will say I dont think that made me a better police officer.

Some of that compassion Wilhite even reserves for the man who took so much from her and others  Hart himself.

Was he redeemable?

I suspect that if thats the kind of person that he was, redemption would have been kind of elusive, she said. We dont know what his psychological makeup was, but we do know that he was capable of great cruelty and inflicting enormous pain.

But he wasnt a monster. He was a man who did monstrous things, she said. If we say hes a monster, we say hes different from us  that he wasnt a human being.

But he was a human being. And I dont think well ever understand why he did what he did."

'Bad things happen to all of us'

Forty-five years after the murders, Wilhite doesnt spend many of her waking hours dwelling on the whys and hows anymore.

I think I live a pretty normal life. I go home, and Im a couch potato, she said. I go to movies. I read books.

I think overall Ive had a very ordinary life. I love my career; I love teaching and occupational therapy.

I am functioning. I have accomplished a lot. I have driven myself to live a good life despite what happened.

She insists that time  and a good bit of therapy  does help.

The biggest part is the more life experience you have in managing your post-traumatic stress  self-managing your depression with the help of your doctor and your therapists over the years  you get better.

And I do kind of believe in that mantra that recovery happens, she said. I really believe that. I still believe that I can recover from what happened.

"Bad things happen to all of us. All of us have had to bear trauma, letdowns or worse  violence, Wilhite said.

The right question isnt Why did this happen to me. The question for everybody else is Why didnt it happen to me.

Were all going to have a disability. Were all just temporarily able.

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Over 100 students graduated from Oklahoma Connections Academy, a tuition-free online school  and Hailey Gumble, from Wagoner, is one of them.

The commencement ceremony was at the Admiral Twin Drive-in on Saturday, May 28.

Oklahoma Connections Academy deems itself as one of Oklahomas most experienced tuition-free, online public schools for students in grades K-12. The celebration allowed for students to celebrate with their peers, school administrators, teachers and family members.

Oklahoma Connections Academys Class of 2022 consisted of 144 graduates from many cities and towns across Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Bartlesville and more who experienced a high-quality education unhindered by interruptions despite the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past few years. Among the graduating class, 65% plan to attend two- or four-year colleges or universities, 33% plan to enter the workforce and 3% are joining the military.

The Class of 2022 has faced numerous obstacles over the past few years, but theyve handled each change with inspiring strength, said Melissa Gregory, principal at Oklahoma Connections Academy. We know these graduates will go on to achieve great things in life and we look forward to following their journeys.

At Oklahoma Connections Academy, students have access to advanced courses, extracurricular activities and flexible scheduling that facilitates ownership of their individual and unique educational journey.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the city amid fierce fighting in the streets as Russia tries to deploy more forces.

But it is the 103rd day, and the Ukrainian Donbas stands. It stands firmly, he said in his nightly address to the nation.

Zelenskyy also said Moscow's forces intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.

The defenders' fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelenskyy said more than than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release.

The recovery of their remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government, and Russian officials have not commented. But relatives of soldiers killed at the plant discussed the process with The Associated Press.

Ukraine on Saturday announced the first officially confirmed swap of its military dead since the war began. It said the two sides exchanged 320 bodies in all, each getting back 160 sets of remains. The swap took place Thursday on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Anna Holovko, a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment, said all 160 of the Ukrainian bodies turned over by the Russians were from the Azovstal ruins. She said that at least 52 of those bodies are thought to be the remains of Azov Regiment soldiers.

Maksym Zhorin, a former Azov Regiment leader now co-commanding a Kyiv-based military unit, confirmed that bodies from the steel plant were among those exchanged.

The brother of an Azov fighter missing and feared dead in the steelworks told the AP that at least two trucks of bodies from Azovstal were transferred to a military hospital in Kyiv for identification.

Viacheslav Drofa said the remains of his elder brother, Dmitry Lisen, did not appear to be among those recovered so far. He added that some of the dead were severely burned.

The mother of a soldier killed in an airstrike on the plant said the Azov Regiment telephoned her and said her sons body might be among those transferred to Kyiv. The mother did not want her or her son to be identified by name, saying she feared that discussing the recovery process might disrupt it.

She tearfully referred to her son as a hero. Its important for me to bury him in our Ukrainian land," she said.

In other developments Monday, Ukraine's efforts to fight off Russia's invasion loomed large over D-Day commemorations in France, where the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion was marked.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.

He added: Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery."

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day. Asked about the war raging on the European continent, Shay said, "It is a very sad situation.

In 1944 I landed on these beaches, and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added.

Meanwhile, the president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic said that the pro-Moscow region is putting on trial three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukraine. If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could get the death penalty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine. Guard members have taken part in such operations as the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The lump sum is roughly six times the average annual Russian salary.

On the battlefield, Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian forces put up resistance in Sievierodonetsk and other areas.

"There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian artillery fire could be heard outside the city of Bakhmut, southwest of Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian tanks moved back and forth from the front line, carefully hiding under trees after firing at Russian positions. One of the tanks was a T-80 captured from Russian forces. Its crew hacked bushes with hatchets and covered the vehicle and its main gun with branches.

Associated Press writers David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine; Andrea Rosa in Bakhmut, Ukraine; and Sylvie Corbet in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, contributed to this story.

Follow APs 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.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday looked to move beyond regional issues that have been a key part of his trips abroad by promoting the importance of building stronger economic ties with neighboring Indonesia.

The visit was only Albanese's second overseas trip since his inauguration two weeks ago and underscores the importance that Australia places on its sometimes fractious relationship with Indonesia, its closest major neighbor.

Albanese talked about the importance of expanding the two countries' trade and investment relationship, highlighting their ambition to better utilize the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. They also discussed Australias proposed $200 million climate and infrastructure fund with Indonesia.

After meeting with Widodo, Albanese said in a joint news conference that Indonesia is on track to be one of the world's five largest economies.

Realizing our investment relationship is a priority for my government," Albanese said, and its why we plan to work with Indonesia to realize the potential of the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

He also offered Australian assistance to help with the design and construction of Indonesias capital  which is being relocated from Jakarta to the island of Borneo  and pledged to deliver an additional $470 million within four years to support bilateral and regional development assistance programs in Southeast Asia.

But he did not bring up the thorny issue in which his Indonesian counterpart President Joko Widodo at a virtual meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last October expressed concern after Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced a trilateral security agreement, dubbed AUKUS, under which Australia would acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Widodo said the deal could spark an arms race.

Some ASEAN nations fear the pact could escalate tensions in hot spots such as the South China Sea. The U.S. nuclear submarine deal with Australia and the U.K. has also angered China, which claims most of the disputed South China Sea and warned the pact would threaten regional stability.

Quad group countries Australia, Japan, the U.S., and India said in March that they opposed any unilateral use of force to change the status quo in their region as Russias invasion of Ukraine brought renewed concerns over Chinas assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

Asked if AUKUS would be discussed during Albaneses visit, Santo Darmosumarto, director of East Asia and Pacific Affairs for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, said the country is aiming to diversify its relationship with Australia by focusing on different topics than those raised previously.

Previously focused on defense and security, Darmosumarto said in a briefing ahead of the visit that his government recognizes the range of its partnership with Australia, including economic cooperation and people-to-people relations, which appear to dominate cooperation between the two countries.

IA-CEPA, which came into force in 2020, had not been implemented effectively due to the COVID-19 pandemic despite trade between the countries increasing by around 70% last year, Darmosumarto said.

Albanese arrived in Jakarta on Sunday and is accompanied on the three-day trip by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell, Industry Minister Ed Husic and several business leaders.

Indonesia is the chair of the Group of 20 biggest economies this year and ASEAN next year. Albanese said he will attend the G-20 summit in November in Bali. People questioned whether he would after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he will be in attendance.

I did so because the work of G-20 is critical at this time of global economic uncertainty, Albanese said. I will work closely with President Widodo to help deliver a successful summit.

During the visit, Albanese is scheduled to meet with ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi on Monday to discuss Australias commitment to Southeast Asia and ASEAN centrality. Before returning to Canberra on Tuesday, Albanese plans to visit Makassar, the capital city of Indonesia's South Sulawesi province.

Although Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation of 270 million people, is often presented as one of Australias most important neighbors and strategic allies, the relationship has undergone various ups and downs. Recent disagreements around key issues include allegations of wiretapping by Australian Signals Directorate to monitor the private phone calls of then-Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and other senior officials, Indonesia's use of capital punishment on Australian drug smugglers, and cases of people smuggling.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Tulsa police are seeking three men who are charged with murder in the mid-May shooting death of a 17-year-old.

Dominique Jordan, Darius McGee and Deontre Reed are each charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction in a shootout that killed Corlin Jones on May 15. Warrants were issued for their arrests more than a week ago.

Jones was shot in his head in a parking lot behind several businesses on Lewis Avenue near Admiral Boulevard about 2:35 a.m. He died at a hospital.

The three allegedly are associated with criminal street gangs that rival Jones gang, charging affidavits in the case state.

Surveillance footage from a business on the strip shows Jones park his pickup next to another vehicle in the parking lot off Gillette Avenue before he and two other occupants get out and begin talking with an occupant who gets out of the other vehicle, the affidavits state.

At some point, the four appear to be having words with a group of people to the west in the parking lot.

Three of the four, including Jones, then exchange gunfire with the group, and Jones collapses by his pickup.

The other group of shooters fled, and a gang investigator identified them as Reed, Jordan and McGee, the affidavit states.

The person identified as McGee fired an AK-47 pistol in the shooting, while Reed and Jordan used handguns, the affidavit alleges.

Police reported finding more than 140 cartridge casings of various calibers in the parking lot and west down First Street.

Anyone with information on a suspects whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS (2677), bit.ly/TCStips or through the Tulsa Tips app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play or iTunes stores.

Tipsters may remain anonymous, and cash rewards are paid for information leading to arrests.

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Authorities on Sunday said no device was found following a bomb threat Saint Francis Hospital in Muskogee.

Muskogee police were assisting the Oklahoma Highway Patrols bomb squad in searching the area of the hospital after the anonymous threat was made about 1:30 p.m., Muskogee police said in a news release.

Late Sunday afternoon, the scene was cleared after no device was found, police said.

The bomb threat was at least the second in Muskogee in the last few days. On Wednesday, a bomb threat was made at the residence of Michael Louis, 45, who authorities said was the gunman who killed four people at a Saint Francis Hospital building in Tulsa before taking his own life.

It took authorities about three hours to issue the all clear following Wednesdays bomb threat in a Muskogee neighborhood. The nature of that threat remains under investigation, authorities said last week.
The sand on that beach is not red anymore. Far from it.

Its had almost 80 years of wind, rain and surf  the latter coming in and going out endlessly  to wash it clean.

But this Monday, when Bill Parker again walks across it, his memory will fill in the red as warranted.

He will be thinking of every drop of blood that sand once soaked up.

For the first time since D-Day, June 6, 1944, when at 19 he became possibly the first Allied invader to set foot on Frances Omaha Beach, the Tulsan is returning to the scene.

Parker, 97, who flew out of Tulsa last week, will be in Normandy, France, on Monday to take part in the 78th anniversary commemoration of D-Day.

I had the joy of meeting Parker a few years ago, when he told his story to the Tulsa World as part of our WWII Veterans Remember series.

He had no idea then that his WWII experience was not quite over  that, courtesy of a trip back, a fitting final chapter remained to be written.

You can check out updates from the trip on Facebook, where one of the planners is posting daily at facebook.com/peter.plank.75.

A soft-spoken cowboy of Choctaw heritage, Parker has become emblematic to me of every reluctant hero type, and especially those who following WWII came home to lead quiet, unassuming lives.

It would be hard to find one more unassuming than Parkers.

More comfortable in boots and jeans, the only thing about him that might qualify as flashy is his big cowboy-style belt buckle.

When I first met Parker, he was not anxious for publicity. But he felt called to  what else  cowboy up. His fellow D-Day veterans deserved someone to represent them, he felt.

And if not him, then who?

Since we first shared his story, Parker has become one of the most visible figures among local veterans, helping his fellow Tulsans feel a personal connection to Omaha Beach that previously many knew only through Saving Private Ryan.

Parker is making the trip to France courtesy of Liberty Jump Team, a Texas-based nonprofit commemorative group.

Liberty, which stages World War II-era parachute jumps like those that were vital to the success of D-Day, has a program that escorts veterans to revisit overseas battlefields.

Parkers trip will include several sites related to the invasion and his combat experience.

I hope to catch up with him when he returns to talk about what it all was like. I can only imagine the emotions it will stir for him, what images will come rushing back.

The first time Parker was at Omaha Beach  scrambling, ducking and somehow surviving amid a hail of shells and bullets  it wasnt his choice.

This time, almost 80 years later, it will be.

I hope that fact is empowering to Parker, and that in experiencing the gratitude of the French in person the weight of the memories he carries will be made at least a little lighter.

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OWASSO  Owasso residents and commuters can expect travel delays along U.S. 169 and 76th Street North beginning Monday amid the start of a major road construction project.

Potential traffic headaches in the area will last a year and a half.

The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved a $13.6 million contract with Becco Contractors in February to expand the U.S. 169 northbound and southbound bridges at the high-traffic area.

The upgrades to the overpass, tentatively scheduled for completion in the fall of 2023, come as part of the Oklahoma Department of Transportations eight-year Construction Work Plan, which contains $6 billion in projects on bridges and highways across the state.

ODOT is pleased to begin addressing the critical needs of the Owasso community with this project, ODOT spokesman T.J. Gerlach said in a previous story.

The replacement of these bridges lays the foundation for the future widening of U.S. 169  that will help relieve congestion at a busy interchange and improve safety for the traveling public, both on the highway and on the city street below.

ODOT plans to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction of U.S. 169 throughout the scope of the estimated 18-month project, although some overnight closures could reduce each side to one lane. Additionally, parts of 76th Street North under the bridge could also see various closures.

Gerlach said the current structure of both two-lane bridges above 76th cannot be easily expanded due to their design. As such, the overhaul will create a single bridge wide enough to accommodate the future expansion to six lanes along the busy freeway, which sees around 50,000 vehicles per day.

The widening project comes about five years after ODOT put the final touches on its $44 million expansion of U.S. 169 at Bird Creek, in which crews demolished the large bridge just south of Owasso to make room for six lanes  a project that laid the groundwork for a collaborative partnership with the city of Owasso.

Owasso values the relationship and communication we have with ODOT, City Manager Warren Lehr said previously. We appreciate the funding for these projects to continue to improve the quality of life for our community.

The long-term proposal for U.S. 169 in Owasso  totaling more than $50 million  includes widening and resurfacing work spanning more than 6 miles between 66th and 116th Streets North, with 76th slated as the first phase. Work at 66th-86th Streets North is set to start in Aug. 2024, with the others following at different times and locations from 2025 through 2029.

In addition to carrying out ongoing developments along U.S. 169, ODOT plans to invest $12.8 million more in Owasso to improve about five miles of U.S. 75 between 96th Street North and north of 156th Street North. An additional $1.4 million will go toward intersection upgrades along Oklahoma 20 at 145th East Place.

These highway improvements accompany about $130 million in new commercial and expansion projects that have broken ground across Owasso over the last three months.

Related

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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A lawsuit claiming that New Mexico county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin engaged in viewpoint" discrimination could be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court in a test-case for free speech rights on social media platforms.

Chaplain and local Democratic Party leader Jeff Swanson lost a federal appeals court ruling in February in a lawsuit claiming he was blocked by Griffin from social media discussions about public county business on Griffin's Facebook page.

Swanson, a Marine veteran, says he was blocked in a discriminatory fashion after criticizing Griffin about the upkeep of a courthouse and urging Griffin to not mix politics and religion. Swansons attorney on Monday confirmed the petition to the Supreme Court, which has not said if it will take the case.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver in February sided with Griffin in the dispute over his social media account and whether it functioned as a public forum concerning county affairs, with implied guarantees to public access and free speech.

The appeals court in the dispute found no clearly established right to First Amendment free speech protections for public discussions on social media platforms.

Advocacy groups including the ACLU assert that First Amendment rights should apply to social media accounts when a public officials use accounts as an extensions of their office.

Griffin has said that he used his Facebook page to express personal opinions as just one member of a three-member county commission.

The dispute emerged in 2019  long before Griffin, an elected commissioner in southern New Mexicos Otero County  was suspended indefinitely from social media accounts, including Facebook, following his arrest in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

Griffin was convicted of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds, where he appeared on an outdoor terrace and tried to lead the crowd in prayer without entering the building.

He was acquitted of engaging in disorderly conduct during the riot that disrupted Congress from certifying Joe Bidens presidential election victory.

Griffin is not running for reelection in November.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment has proposed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh approve a VND2.4 trillion (US$103.4 million) fund for the construction of Terminal 2 at Cat Bi International Airport in the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) will take charge of the funding, according to the planning ministrys proposal.

Terminal 2 would have a designed capacity of five million passengers per year and a duration of 50 years.

The construction of the project, which also includes some other auxiliary works, is expected to last 18 months from the completion of site clearance that the planning ministry has assigned to the Peoples Committee of Hai Phong.

Once put into operation, Terminal 2 will be dedicated to domestic passengers while the existing 15,630-square-meter Terminal 1, which is serving both domestic and international services with a capacity of 1,000 passengers per hour and two million people a year, will service international passengers only.

Terminal 1 was also invested by ACV with a total cost of VND1.4 trillion ($60.3 million) and put into service on May 12, 2016.

Located in Thanh To Ward, Hai An District, Hai Phong, Cat Bi International Airport is currently an aerodrome with the reference code 4E, which can accommodate aircraft with a reference field length of 1,800 meters and above and a wingspan up to 65 meters, based on the classification of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The airport has a runway of 3,050 meters long and 45 meters wide, a taxiway and an apron capable of providing ten parking positions for Airbus A320, A321 planes.

It can receive large aircraft such as Boeing 777, Boeing 787, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, with night flight service.

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The fourth Vietnam Economic Forum (VEF) was launched in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday with a focus on the topic of building an independent and self-reliant economy with extensive integration in the new context.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the plenary session of the VEF.

Speaking at the event, PM Chinh told high-ranking delegates that the effective implementation of the governments policy on Doi Moi (Renovation) has contributed to producing Vietnams historical achievements.

He added that in the current situation, the building of an independent, self-reliant economy in combination with proactive and active international integration, which the PM has mentioned in his speeches at recent multiple forums, is an objective inevitability.

During the opening of the plenary session, head of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh said the Vietnamese economy has faced unprecedented difficulties over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The economy grew at under three percent, the lowest rate for the past 30 years, millions of workers lost their jobs, thousands of enterprises had to stop operation, the capital and real estate markets saw abnormal fluctuations, and there is a risk of rising bad debts in the banking system, Anh added.

Tran Tuan Anh, chief of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission, speaks at the fourth Vietnam Economic Forum in Ho Chi Minh City, June 5, 2022. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

He said the country managed to control the pandemic, quickly restored production and business activities, and supported people and businesses affected by the health crisis.

However, its adverse impact and the new developments in the international situation, particularly the Russia-Ukraine conflict, require Vietnam to act more quickly to build an independent, self-reliant economy in combination with extensive and effective integration, he said.

After the plenary session, three workshops were held the same day on the development of stable labor supply chains after the COVID-19 pandemic, the capital and real estate markets, technology, digital transformation, and diversification of supply chains.

The first Vietnam Economic Forum was held in 2017 and its next editions took place in 2019 and 2021.

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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched last week a US$36 million project to help promote the use of clean energy in Vietnam.

U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper joined Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An and USAID Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock to launch the flagship clean energy project at a conference in Hanoi on Friday, the USAID said in a press release.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris first announced the project during her visit to Vietnam in August 2021.

Named Vietnam Low Emission Energy Program II (V-LEEP II), the $36 million project builds on the success of V-LEEP I, which ran from 2015 to 2020.

V-LEEP II will continue its work with Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade to increase clean energy deployment, through mobilization of private sector investment, project design support for developers, and technical assistance for lenders.

The new project aims to support 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy commissioned between 2020 and 2025 through private sector engagement.

The USAID and Vietnamese government will also continue collaboration to improve energy planning and operation practices to enhance energy sector performance.

The U.S. government is proud to be a partner to Vietnam in its clean energy transition journey, Ambassador Knapper said at the event. This USAID V-LEEP II program will be a cornerstone of U.S. support to Vietnam in achieving your climate change commitments.

Through V-LEEP II, USAID will continue to support Vietnams transition to a clean, secure, and market-based energy sector, said USAID Mission Director Yastishock.

Through V-LEEP I and continuing with V-LEEP II, USAID supports Vietnam in designing and implementing a strategic plan as the country moves away from a coal-based power system to a greener, cleaner system based on renewable energy and natural gas.

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Gunmen attacked a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria during mass on Sunday, killing at least 50 people including women and children, according to a hospital doctor and media reports.

The gunmen shot at people outside and inside the church building, killing and injuring worshippers, said Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, police spokesperson for Ondo state.

She did not say how many people were killed or injured at St Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo but added police were investigating the cause of the attack.

Ondo state Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who visited the scene of the attack and injured persons in hospital, described Sunday's incident as "a great massacre" that should not be allowed to happen again.

Victims of the bomb attack during a Catholic mass at St. Francis Catholic church receive treatment at St. Louis Catholic Hospital, in Owo, Nigeria, June 5, 2022. Photo: Reuters

The identity and motive of the attackers was not immediately clear.

"It is so sad that while the Holy Mass was going on, unknown gunmen attacked St Francis Catholic Church...leaving many feared dead and many others injured and the Church violated," said Catholic Church spokesman in Nigeria, Reverend Augustine Ikwu.

Ikwu said the bishop and priests from the parish had survived the attack unharmed.

A doctor at a hospital in Owo told Reuters that at least 50 bodies had been brought into two hospitals in the town from the attack. The doctor, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the press, also said there was a need for blood donations to treat the injured.

Security men guard Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu as he visits the victims of a bomb attack at St. Francis Catholic church, in Owo, Nigeria, June 5, 2022. Photo: Reuters

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, calling it "heinous", and the Vatican said Pope Francis was praying for the victims who had been "painfully stricken in a moment of celebration".

Nigeria is battling an Islamist insurgency in the northeast and armed gangs who carry out attacks and kidnappings for ransom, mostly in the northwest.

In the southwest, attacks such as this are rare.
A bus driver was fined and had his driving license suspended for blowing through a red light in busy traffic in Ho Chi Minh City on the weekend after images of his offense were spread on social media.

The traffic police of Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday asked L. A. L., 51, to come to their office to pay a VND5 million (US$215) fine for his violation of traffic laws.

L. also had his drivers license revoked for two months for his infringement, police said.

The penalties were imposed after a video clip surfaced on social media of a bus driven by L. running the lights at the crowded junction of Pham Van Dong Boulevard and Road 20 in Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, Thu Duc, at 6:00 pm on Saturday.

At that time, as many as 35 seconds were left before the traffic lights would turn green, police reported.

This photo, extracted from a video clip on social media, shows a bus that blew the red light at a crowded junction in Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City on June 4, 2022.

L.s traffic violation was recorded by a dash-mounted camera from the car of a man who posted the video clip on social media.

Through the images in the clip, police identified the bus as belonging to the city-based Quyet Thang Transport Bus Cooperative and determined its driver to be L..

This case was among many post-violation penalties applied by traffic police in the city and Vietnam in general over the past several years.

The sanctioning will be determined and issued based on images of traffic infringements recorded by polices traffic surveillance cameras installed on streets or by photos or video clips provided by the public.

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Residents in Tay Ho District, Hanoi, have had to travel around by boat over the past 10 days after a heavy downpour lashed the city, a situation that locals said has persisted for about 11 years.

The neighborhood has been flooded for 10 days but the water has not receded, said Do Thi Phuong, who lives in Tu Lien Ward, Tay Ho District.

Similar flooding has repeatedly occurred since 2011, Phuong continued, adding that the problem has not been solved even though it was reported multiple times to local authorities.

After the flood recedes, there are often a lot of flies and mosquitoes, Do Van Yen, a 64-year-old resident stated, attributing the problem to the Tu Lien lake bed having not been renovated for years, which makes water unable to drain properly.

A man travels on a boat in a flooded neighborhood in Tu Lien Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi, June 5, 2022. Photo: Quang The / Tuoi Tre

Our lives are turned upside down whenever a heavy rain results in prolonged flooding, Dinh Thi Lien, 65, complained.

The inundation affects more than 100 households, said Ngo Sy Hung, a resident in Tu Lien Ward.

Children and the elderly face the most challenges as they need assistance from family members whenever they need to go outside, Hung elaborated.

A man uses a boat to take his daughter to school in Tu Lien Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Quang The / Tuoi Tre

As of Sunday morning, multiple locations in Tu Lien Ward were still submerged in knee-high floodwaters, according to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters.

The water was black and full of moss, and emitted a foul smell.

Many people had to travel around by boat and build makeshift bridges to cope with the situation.

A man travels on a boat in a flooded neighborhood in Tu Lien Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi, June 5, 2022. Photo: Quang The / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Dinh Khien, chairman of the Peoples Committee in Tay Ho District, confirmed that the serious inundation has persisted for a very long time.

Local authorities approved a plan to dredge the bed of Tu Lien Lake a few years ago, but the company in charge never carried out the process, Khien elaborated.

The Tay Ho administration has recently been authorized to spend the district budget on dealing with flooding in the locale, the official stated, adding that the dredging of Tu Lien Lake will be implemented within the third quarter of this year.

A woman pours floodwaters into multiple barrels at her house in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Quang The / Tuoi Tre

A sewer will also be built in the future so that part of the water in Tu Lien Lake will flow into West Lake instead.

As for short-term solutions, local authorities have installed high-capacity pumps at Tu Lien Lake.

After the water recedes, the health sector will take certain measures to ensure the living environment for local residents, chairman Khien said.

A resident walks on a makeshift bridge in a flooded alley in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

A house is submerged in dark floodwaters in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

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The risk of a malaria outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City is very low, the citys Center for Disease Control (HCDC) assessed following the recent detection of two imported infections in the southern metropolis.

A representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases confirmed last weekend that the infirmary was treating two severe malaria patients who arrived from Africa.

The first patient, a 24-year-old Vietnamese woman who returned from Cameroon, was in a coma when she was admitted to the hospital.

She also suffered anemia and her urine had turned reddish brown.

The second patient, a 63-year-old Chinese man who arrived in Vietnam from Ivory Coast, was diagnosed with kidney failure, liver damage, and lactic acidosis.

Both of the malaria patients had a high parasite density.

In 2021, Vietnam documented a total of 465 malaria cases, down 67 percent compared to 2020, the HCDC said on Sunday.

Among them, only 43 cases were detected in southern localities, a 76-percent drop from 2020.

By 2021, 36 provinces and cities across Vietnam had been recognized as malaria-free localities, the HCDC stated, adding that the country aims to achieve malaria elimination by 2030.

Ho Chi Minh City has not recorded any intrinsic malaria cases since 2011 and was recognized as a malaria-free locality in 2020.

The metropolis still logs a number of malaria infections every year, all imported or transferred from other areas in the country.

The HCDC presently maintains regular activities to closely monitor the disease under the guidance of the Ministry of Health.

Ho Chi Minh City is at a very low risk of malaria transmission as the results of insect monitoring showed that no malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, or Anopheles mosquitoes, were found in the metropolis.

The health sector recommends that residents take measures to prevent dengue fever, an infectious disease that is currently circulating in the city, as well as other mosquito-borne diseases.

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with a dengue virus.

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In 1916 French filmmaker Louis Feuillade created a silent classic, Les Vampires, comprised of 10 serial instalments.

In 1996 director Olivier Assayas based his feature film Irma Vep on a fictional remake of Les Vampires, with Maggie Cheung in the lead role.

Now in 2022 Assayas has an 8 part HBO miniseries Irma Vep also on a remake of Les Vampires as a serial with Alicia Vikander as American actress Mira front and centre.

Mira lands in Paris with her assistane Revina (Devon Ross) in tow and is swept into the vortex of the production team and publicity machinations that come with being an A-list star.

Theres an endless array of appearances, scheduling, exchanges with reporters, photographers, fans and selfies all within a day of landing. Everybody wants a piece of you, when all you really want is your hotel suite, and possibly a moment to focus on the role youre about to tackle.

But Mira hadnt counted on her ex, Laurie (Adria Arjona), also being in town and taking up a hetersexual relationship with Herman (Byron Bowers), one of Miras recent directors.

Her first meeting with gifted Les Vampires director Rene (Vincent Macaigne) is oddly obtuse, generous, coy, an exchange of ideas as two artists seek to meet in the middle.

But Rene has his own challenges, including his medication for anger issues proving a sticking point for the films insurers -his producer fears the film will be shut down altogether.

Insert into the middle of it all, actual 1916 footage of Feuillades silent classic and this is a striking collision of ideas and concepts, half of which is subtitled.

At the centre is an alluring, hypnotic performance by Alicia Vikander, slinking through scenes and bordering on mumblecore but with great effect. Theres a memorable scene where she is empowered by a catsuit for her character, lurking from a wardrobe fitting to pilfering from an upstairs office handbag -research, I guess? But Mira is also under the spell of her sexy ex, Laurie. It doesnt mtter how A-list you are, you can still have vulnerabilities.

Vincent Macaigne is also captivating as the eccentric, visionary, Euro-director who detests mixing with people (go figure) and insists he isnt making a TV series but an 8 part film.

So what to make of it all? Heres where things are open to wide interpretation. vanity, power, cultural clashes, art & life theres a lot going on.

But Assayas is in control of his canvas and draws us in with an authentic essay on the messy, sprawling cacophony of filmmaking, with enthralling characters driven by their own agendas.

While that may result in a compromised Les Vampires miniseries, its a triumph for Irma Vep.

Irma Vep airs Tuesday on Binge / 8:30pm Wednesday on FOX Showcase.
Kenyan water trader Bernard Irungu speaks about how donkeys have been cructal in his water business on the outskirts of Naivasha town, northwest of Nairobi. They have helped him pay rent, school fees, and buy food. All that changed when his donkeys started disappearing three years ago.

"One morning two donkeys I used to work with went missing. A month later I bought two more donkeys and after a year, they also disappeared, says Irungu.

He bought more donkeys from his savings in order to be able to continue his business.

"These ones disappeared completely. I even didnt find their remains, he says. He was so worried about his remaining donkeys, his family slept outside to protect them.

Another Kenyan water trader, Joseph Thendu, speaks about his love for his donkeys. They have also been instrumental in his water business in nearby Mirera village, outside of Naivasha town. His donkeys started disappearing three years ago, too.

After losing eight donkeys in three years, hes at a loss, and cannot restart his business without them.

In the past, when donkeys were stolen, if you went around various places, you could find them loitering around streets and villages, he says.

Both water traders say the rise of donkey abattoirs in Kenya has changed their lives.

Donkey abattoirs

The Kenya Meat Act of 1999 lists donkeys as one of the animals that can be processed for meat, giving abattoir owners a legal environment in which to operate.

Before the introduction of abattoirs, donkeys were a regular feature in towns, many walking around free. Reared to be used for work in poor rural communities, donkeys were a mainstay of the population.

A number of Chinese businesspeople opened abattoirs in Kenya because donkey-skin-based products are in high demand in the Chinese market, according to Raphael Ngome, supervisor at the Kenya Society for the Protection of Animals in Naivasha sub county.

After the introduction of abattoirs, the number of donkeys went down and also theft among donkey owners and users in these towns escalated, Ngome tells Africa Calling.

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He said that donkeys had been stolen because their hides are used to make beauty potions.

The main product we have heard is the donkey skin which is used to make cosmetics  and theres also another Chinese product called Ejao, he says.

Residents told Africa Calling that Chinese abattoir owners originally told them that they would take only injured and old donkeys for processing, but when there were none to be found, they started buying healthy, younger donkeys.

Water vendor Thendu says that donkeys started disappearing when the local abattoir opened.

"Personally, I have lost eight donkeys in total, I remember losing six of them in one day and that brought me down completely," he adds.

"When my neighbours donkeys were stolen I followed up and found them at the slaughterhouse. That means they were stolen and sold at the abattoir," adds Thendu.

Within four years, Kenya had lost an estimated 700,000 donkeys, according to the most recent figures.

Communities are grappling with increased incidents of donkey theft and high prices when trying to replace stolen donkeys, says Dr Raphael Kinoti, a director at Brooke East Africa, an organisation which deals with donkey and zebra welfare.

When the abattoirs came and started taking in donkeys for slaughter, within three months there was a strain in terms of numbers of donkeys because then the source was already depleted, says Kinoti.

Donkeys ferry water from one place to another, and they are valuable for their owners, but the rise in abattoirs was fueling theft and illegal slaughter of these beasts of burden, says Kinoti.

A future with donkeys?

When Kenyan donkey owners refused to sell their animals to the abattoirs, Kinoti says donkey rustlers stole donkeys in neighbouring countries and brought them to Kenya.

In 2020, the Kenyan agricultural ministry shut down the abattoirs after an outcry from communities and animal welfare organisations. The four slaughterhouses operated in Baringo, Machakos, Nakuru, and Turkana counties, killing up to 1,260 donkeys per day.

Africa Calling approached a number of abattoir operators, who declined to be interviewed.

Thats where we are for now, though the Chinese traders are also really pushing to reopen the slaughterhouses and continue the slaughter of donkeys, says Kinoti.

This story was originally a report for the podcast Africa Calling.
'Danger zone' activated as volcano in the Philippines spews out 1km-long ash cloud

A unpredictable volcano in the central Philippines spewed out a column of ash at least 1 km long into the sky on Sunday.

Authorities were forced to raise the alert at Mount Bulusan by one notch and remind residents not to enter the danger zone.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised its alert on Bulusan to level 1, or low level of volcanic unrest, from 0 on a five-level scale, which means it is currently in an "abnormal condition."

In the 24 hours before the eruption, 77 volcanic earthquakes were recorded, the institute said in a statement.

Renato Solidum, the head of the institute, described Bulusan's eruption as "phreatic", or steam-driven, which is typical of Bulusan Volcano.

"The precaution is the same, no entry in the 4 km radius permanent danger zone, and of course, one has to be protected form ashfall if there will be ashfall in the area, like wearing of masks or staying indoors," Solidum told Reuters.

Volcanos can create acid rain which is harmful to the environment.

Volcanos can create acid rain which is harmful to the environment. Toxic gases emitted from volcanos, in particular SO2, HCl, and HF, mix with water vapour to form the acid rain, which then damages crops on the ground.

Earthquakes are common in the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'

The huge cloud of ash from Bulusan turned the skies grey, as seen in a video shared on Facebook by a resident of Casiguran town on Bulusan's northern slopes.

Bulusan, among the Philippines' 24 active volcanoes, last erupted in June 2017, the institute said.

The Philippines is in the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

Mount Pinatubo, on Luzon island in the northern Philippines, erupted in 1991 after lying dormant for 600 years. That eruption buried dozens of villages under tonnes of mud. More than 800 people died, mostly from diseases in crowded evacuation camps.
BEIRUT (AP)  The Lebanese government invited on Monday a U.S. envoy mediating between Lebanon and Israel over their disputed maritime border to return to Beirut as soon as possible to work out an agreement amid rising tensions along the border.

The invitation for Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser for energy security at the U.S. State Department, came a day after Israel set up a gas rig at its designated location at the Karish field, which Israel says is part of its U.N.-recognized exclusive economic zone. Lebanon insists it is in a disputed area.

The U.S.-mediated indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel have been stalled for months amid disagreement within Lebanon over how big the disputed area is.

Lebanon is home to the heavily armed militant Hezbollah group, which is backed by Iran and has fought several wars with Israel. Hezbollah has also warned it would use its weapons to protect Lebanons economic rights.

On Sunday, Lebanon warned Israel not to start drilling in the Karish field and President Michel Aoun said maritime border negotiations have not ended, adding that any move by Israel will be considered a provocation and hostile act.

Aouns office said Lebanon formally notified the United Nations in February that Karish is part of the disputed area and that the U.N. Security Council should prevent Israel from drilling there in order to avoid steps that could form a threat to international peace and security.

The Israeli energy ministry confirmed that the oil rig arrived Sunday, after a five-week sail from Singapore. The ministry said that the Karish field is projected to provide half of Israels demand for natural gas and will allow greater exports to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.

Israels Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said in an interview on Monday with Army Radio that the field was entirely in undisputed territory and called on Lebanon to return to indirect negotiations.

Its not even (above) the southern line that Lebanon submitted to the United Nations. Even according to the United Nations, its not in Lebanon, she said. Elharrar added that the Israeli defense ministry is taking the necessary steps to protect the rig, without elaborating further.

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Elharrar also told the 103FM radio station that the Lebanese allegations were very far from reality and that all the relevant forces are involved, and I recommend not trying to surprise Israel." But she said the likelihood of conflict was small.

Satellite images on Sunday from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Marshall Islands-flagged Energean Power floating production storage and offloading vessel in the Karish field area of the Mediterranean Sea. Nearby was the Bahamas-flagged platform Arendal Spirit. Ship tracking data from the two vessels analyzed by the AP also confirmed the vessels presence in the area.

On Monday, the office of Lebanons caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that he has agreed with Aoun to invite Hochstein to return to Beirut for talks on the border dispute and to work on concluding them as soon as possible in order to prevent any escalation that will not serve the stability that the region is currently witnessing.

Israel and Lebanon, which have been officially at war since Israels creation in 1948, both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to unleash offshore oil and gas production as it grapples with an economic crisis.

Last year, the Lebanese delegation  a mix of army generals and professionals  offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles).

An official at the office of Israels Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Karish is a natural gas reservoir within Israels U.N.-recognized exclusive economic zone. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said that the Lebanese themselves had recognized it as Israeli waters in the past.

A Lebanese legal expert said if Israel begins exploration work in Karish, the risk of conflict between the neighboring countries will increase, adding that Hezbollahs precision-guided missiles can easily hit the oil rig.

Their missiles are long-range and they are more precise in hitting these targets that are not mobile like ships and fighter jets, said Paul Morcos, founder and owner of Justicia Consulting Law firm in Beirut.

The Israeli military and ministry of defense declined to comment on whether they were taking any specific measures to protect Karish.

___

Associated Press writer Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed reporting.
2022 WSOP Featured Females: Katie Kopp Becomes Bally's First-Ever Bracelet Winner

June 06 2022 Jon Sofen

This past week, Katie Kopp, a traveling poker dealer, won the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em for $65,168. In doing so, she became the answer to what will surely become an interesting trivia question.

The first bracelet winner of 2022 is also the first bracelet winner at Bally's, the brand new home of the World Series of Poker. Every year the question is asked how many female players will capture a bracelet, so many were thrilled to see it happen right off the bat.

100% of the WSOP bracelets won in Paris/Ballys have been won by a woman. # Congratulations, Katie Kopp! #WSOP  Rachel Kay (@_RKMusic_)

Kopp, a mother of two, spoke with PokerNews following her life-changing win.

"I was also the first one to get knocked out of a tournament here at Bally's," Kopp said with a laugh, referring to busting the Casino Employees event right off the bat on her first bullet. "I got knocked out the third hand and then I rebought."

Rebuying turned out to be a smart play for the poker dealer as she spun that stack up into the first of 88 gold bracelets to be won at Bally's this summer.

Poker Dealer from Cleveland

Kopp, who travels to play poker and deal with her mother, also reached the final table in this same event back in 2018. She finished in third place for $26,250 that year. This time around, she performed even stronger, although she had to overcome a short stack at the final table, making her victory even more impressive.

"I started off 10 years ago, I used to deal in Cleveland, Ohio back when it was Horseshoe Cleveland when they first opened up, and then I quit a few years after that," Kopp said of her poker dealing experience.

The bracelet winner decided to quit her job in Cleveland as a dealer so she could play poker more often, but she still continues to travel to deal cards, working various tournament series. She spent five years living in Tampa, Florida but has recently moved back up north to Cleveland.

"Me and my mom travel, and we mostly deal at Hard Rock Hollywood (in South Florida) four times a year," Kopp explained.

Kopp has dealt the WSOP in the past but had no plans to do so this year "because I just wanted to come out here (to Las Vegas) and play a few events."

She isn't staying in Las Vegas the entire summer but will come back out in a few weeks to chase another bracelet. Kopp entered Event #5: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em less than 12 hours after she shipped her bracelet. The luck wasn't on her side in that tournament and she made a quick exit.

Mother-Daughter Relationship

Kopp's supportive mother was in attendance to cheer for and celebrate with her at the final table of the Casino Employees event. Both women are avid poker enthusiasts. But who is the better poker player?

"She's got the bracelet," Kopp's mom answered with a smile.

That settles it then. Kopp is a first in many ways. As mentioned, she is the first to win a bracelet this year and at Bally's. She's also the first woman to win a bracelet in 2022 and the first woman to win the Casino Employees event.

Kopp now has over $108,000 in lifetime live tournament cashes recorded by Hendon Mob. More importantly, she's now a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, something that can never be taken away.

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Facebook posts circulating in Thailand claim the World Health Organization approved a dietary supplement to prevent long Covid. However, the WHO said it made no such announcement as of May 30, 2022, while health experts warned the only way to prevent long Covid was to avoid catching the virus in the first place.

"The World Health Organization has approved protein, resveratrol and probiotics to prevent long Covid-19 symptoms #RenatarHasEverything," reads a Thai-language Facebook post from May 19.

Renatar is a Thai dietary supplement brand.

The brand's website says its products contain protein, while resveratrol and probiotics are listed as ingredients in its Fiber X digestive detox drink.

A spokesperson for Renatar told AFP that the company did not claim its products helped prevent long Covid, while there was no trace of such a claim on its website.

Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on May 31, 2022

Long Covid -- also known as post-Covid conditions -- refers to a wide range of chronic health problems, including fatigue, fever, and a cough, that some people experience after coronavirus infection.

Scientists are still working to understand more about the condition.

The claim also circulated on Facebook here, here, and here.

Misleading advice on preventing and treating Covid-19 has flooded social media, prompting health experts to warn against purported cures that are useless or even harmful.

In Thailand, baseless tips to ward off the virus, from consuming onions and antibiotics to using throat spray, have flourished online as the pandemic battered the Southeast Asian nation's tourism-reliant economy.

'No long Covid prevention'

The WHO said it had not approved Renatar products to ward off long Covid.

"The WHO has not recommended any treatments to prevent post-Covid-19 conditions other than preventing Covid-19 itself," a representative for the global agency told AFP on May 30, 2022.

Keyword searches on the WHO's official channels did not find any reports that it had approved Renatar or any of the ingredients mentioned to prevent long Covid.

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Dr Thira Woratanarat, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University said the posts shared false advice.

"There is no evidence that the substances mentioned in the claim have any properties in preventing post-Covid-19 conditions. The best way is to prevent [long Covid is to avoid] catching Covid-19," he told AFP on May 31.

Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, an infectious diseases expert from the same university, told AFP on May 27: "There are currently no drugs or medications that prevent post-Covid-19 conditions."
A closed Starbucks cafe is seen at Dubai International Airport amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Dubai

By Hadeel Al Sayegh and Saeed Azhar

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has been shortlisted to buy a stake in the Middle East, North Africa and central Asia Starbucks franchise held by Alshaya Group, two sources told Reuters.

Kuwait-based Alshaya Group, the region's leading brand franchise owner, last year hired JPMorgan to sell a significant minority stake in the business. The sources said it could sell up to 30%, generating $4 billion-$5 billion.

The PIF, which manages over $600 billion of assets, Alshaya, and JPMorgan all declined to comment.

The Starbucks franchise in the region has several hundred outlets in 14 countries across the Middle East, Russia, and central Asia. Its stores in Russia are closed in line with Starbucks' decision to suspend activity in the country after its invasion of Ukraine.

The PIF is among the bidders that have made it to the next round as the sale process nears its final stages, the source said.

Several private equity bidders were also in the race, including CVC Capital Partners and Brookfield, but it was not immediately clear if they had been shortlisted.

Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Co and Abu Dhabi state holding fund ADQ are no longer in the race, the two sources said. Mubadala declined to comment, while ADQ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The deal would widen the investor base of a business privately held by the Alshaya family since 1999, one of the sources said.

Some of the Middle East's biggest privately-owned companies are warming to the idea of bringing in outside investors through listings or strategic stake sales.

Saudi Arabia has seen a spate of listings in recent years as the kingdom encourages more family-owned companies to float in a bid to deepen its capital markets under reforms aimed at reducing reliance on oil revenues.

The second source said funds raised could be used towards other businesses Alshaya owns, and that the valuation of the company is attractive, making the sale of a stake compelling.

The privately held Alshaya Group says it is the oldest company in Kuwait, first registered in 1890. It runs franchises including H&M, Mothercare, Debenhams, American Eagle Outfitters and Victorias Secret.

(Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh and Saeed Azhar; Editing by Jan Harvey)
Seven University of North Georgia (UNG) students were selected this spring for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Paired with the recipients announced in December, this gives UNG 19 awardees for the 2021-22 cycle.

Providing up to $8,000, the nationally competitive scholarship enables Pell grant eligible U.S. undergraduate students to study or intern abroad and gain skills critical to national security and economic competitiveness.

"The Gilman Scholarship will help provide each student with a life-changing experience studying or interning abroad, and we are excited for each student who has been selected," Dr. Kathryn Quinto, fellowships advisor for the Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) office, said. "We are also grateful for the opportunity to continue our collaboration with the Center for Global Engagement as we all work to support UNG students' success."

Vianca Murillo, a junior from Ellijay, Georgia, pursuing a degree in modern languages with a concentration in Spanish language and literature, will study in Spain. She is the first UNG student to win a Gilman Scholarship while enrolled on the Blue Ridge Campus.
CENTERVILLE  The three-week manhunt of escaped prisoner Gonzalo Lopez took center stage in Centerville as law enforcement from multiple agencies remained in the 905-person Leon County seat.

The ongoing search ended Thursday night with Lopez, a convicted murderer, killed south of San Antonio. It was not before the murder of a grandfather and four of his grandchildren from the Houston area at the familys ranch on Texas 7, about a mile west of Interstate 45 in Centerville on Thursday afternoon. Investigators said Lopez is the suspect.

Richard Beham, who lives a few miles north of Centerville, said that while hes glad the manhunt is over, it ended with devastation and unanswered questions.

I think theres going to be a sense of relief, but I think theyre going to actually ask why and was he here the whole time because I think thats what a lot of people are asking, Beham said. Was he actually under our nose this entire time?

Preliminary law enforcement findings indicate Lopez was the person who killed the five people at the ranch, the Leon County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. On Friday afternoon, Crime Stoppers Houston identified the five people as Mark Collins, 66, who was the grandfather; brothers 18-year-old Waylon Collins, 16-year-old Carson Collins and 11-year-old Hudson Collins; and their cousin, 11-year-old Bryson Collins. The four boys were all students in Tomball. Waylon Collins had just graduated and was planning to attend Texas A&M this fall, according to the website for his pressure washing business, established to help him raise money for college.

We are devastated by the loss of our dear family members at the family ranch in Centerville, the Collins family said in a statement shared at a Friday news conference. These precious people we loved and were loved by so many will never be forgotten. The impact on their family and friends cannot be overstated.

Leon County Sheriffs Officials said that a welfare check was conducted around 6 p.m. Thursday and that five dead bodies were found once they entered the home. Sheriffs officials said investigators believe Lopez entered the home sometime on Thursday and gained access to multiple guns on the property before he killed the five members of the Collins family.

Law enforcement vehicles were parked outside of the Collins residence Friday afternoon. Yellow caution tape hung from the ranchs gate. A makeshift memorial of balloons and flowers laid against a fence. Behind the rod-iron fence was a house framed by a wooded tree line and a large pond.

I dont know how many acres he has, but you can tell why his grandchildren would want to come out and fish and get out on the lake, Beham said.

Investigators said after the murders, Lopez took Collins truck and left. He was spotted by the Atascosa County Sheriffs Office in Jourdanton, about 40 miles south of San Antonio. Gunfire was exchanged between Lopez and law enforcement and he was killed at around 10:30 p.m.

Once I found out about this and that the truck was missing, I was like hes headed to San Antonio. Hes heading for the border, Beham said. And sure enough, thats where he was.

According to authorities, Lopez initially escaped from a prison bus May 12 near Centerville while being transported from Gatesville to Huntsville. Lopez freed himself from hand and leg restraints in a caged area. He attacked the driver of the bus and then drove it for a short distance before crashing it and fleeing into the woods. He wasnt caught until Thursday night.

Doris Panzar lives on Texas 7 about 7 miles west of Centerville and works at Woodys Smokehouse, a well-known gas station on I-45. She recalled being stopped by law enforcement officials who had shut down the highway while she came home from Bryan after a grocery run on the day Lopez escaped.

It took almost 45 minutes until somebody said, OK, you can go, Panzar said. And then there was one constable who was standing at the street and I told him, Im a little bit scared. He came with me to my house, he looked at the house, in every room, he went in the shed, so he was very nice. He said, No, maam. Nobodys here. You can go to bed quietly, but it was every time I went home, OK, where is he? Is he still here?

Texas 7 was closed for over a week during the initial search for Lopez that centered in Leon County. Law enforcement officials reopened the highway May 20 when they expanded the search for Lopez beyond Leon County. Panzar said every time she went home during the highway closure, her car was searched by law enforcement. She was asked to show her drivers license so they could verify she lived in the blocked-off zone.

It was always a worry to see the DPS people that are sitting on both sides of the street and were looking in the woods, Panzar said. If youre driving up the street, you can see the [tall] grass. Everything is high, so I was always wondering what are they seeing?

Law enforcement officials often came and ate at Woodys, which has its own barbecue restaurant inside, before they went back out for work, Panzar said. She added that she occasionally asked some officers about the search, but said nobody in town seemed to know many details.

Its really, Where was he the whole time? said Panzar, who said she has lived in Centerville since 2016 and is originally from Germany. They went with dogs, they went on horseback, and they didnt see him. They never found him.

Lopez was convicted of murder in 2006 and was serving a life sentence. Authorities said he was a former member of the Mexican mafia. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice offered a reward for information leading to Lopezs capture, which was raised to as high as $50,000.

TDCJ officials said Thursday night they believed Lopez stayed in the woods during the search and broke into residences to get food and water. TDCJ officials added that the Collins ranch home had been cleared multiple times during the search for Lopez and that he had been in the residence recently.

The towns of Buffalo, Centerville and Jewett form an area called The Triangle in Leon County, which is mainly comprised of large ranches and farms in the rural central Texas county, Beham said. He said he talked with a friend on Friday and the two wondered why law enforcement officials did not utilize intelligence of locals who knew the lay of the land.

This area is so unique because theres thousands and thousands of acres and theres ranches that are just intertwined in this, Beham said. When this first started happening, I told these people, Do you realize that there are shanties, there are abandoned houses, there are deer stands that wont be touched until October, that theres food, water, shelter, weapons that wont be seen until October? He doesnt have to leave anywhere. They said, Yeah, were realizing that now.

This remains an ongoing investigation and assistance from the Texas Rangers was requested, according to the Leon County Sheriffs Office. No additional information has been made available.

Its kind of a close-knit community, Beham said. Everybody knows what everyones doing and its kind of shocking that this has happened. And everyone has an opinion on what they shouldve done.
According to American diplomats, Russian ships laden with stolen Ukrainian grain may be heading for 14 countries whose food supplies are in jeopardy.

Wheat and corn, two of Ukraine's primary agricultural exports, account for 12 and 17 percent of the world's total supply. Ukraine is a large exporter of these commodities. The fighting has reduced the production and export of the grains, with blocked shipping routes proving to be a major hurdle. As a result, the prices of the commodities experienced a significant upward trend after Russia's invasion.

As a direct consequence of Russia's bombing, blockading, and pillaging of grain production facilities in Ukraine, which is responsible for one-tenth of the world's wheat exports, dire predictions have been made regarding an increase in the number of people going hungry and an increase in the cost of food everywhere.

Now, the United States of America has issued a warning that the Kremlin is attempting to benefit from that pillage by selling stolen wheat to drought-stricken countries in Africa, some of which are facing the possibility of starvation.

Midway through May, the United States notified 14 countries, the most of which are located in Africa, that Russian cargo vessels were departing ports close to Ukraine loaded with "stolen Ukrainian grain," as detailed in a cable issued by the State Department. The cable named three Russian cargo vessels that it said were suspected of delivering the information.

The warning that the United States has issued regarding the grain has only made the predicament more difficult for African nations; many already feel trapped between East and West. These nations may be forced to make a difficult choice between, on the one hand, profiting from potential war crimes and upsetting a powerful Western ally and, on the other hand, declining to accept inexpensive food at a time when wheat prices are skyrocketing, and hundreds of thousands of people are starving.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of stealing up to 500,000 tons of wheat, worth a total of $100 million. The warning that Washington issued lent credence to these allegations. According to Ukrainian government officials, a significant portion of it was transported by truck to ports in Russian-controlled Crimea. It was subsequently transferred to ships, including those subject to Western sanctions.

On Friday, President Macky Sall of Senegal, who presides over the African Union, met with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to secure grain supplies from that country. The meeting took place in Russia.

During which Mr. Sall spoke to his "dear buddy Vladimir," the trip was criticized for playing right into Mr. Putin's hands since it provided him with another instrument to leverage divisions in the international response to his ruthless assault on Ukraine according to these critics.

However, many African countries already have mixed feelings about the brutal Western campaign of sanctions that have been implemented against Russia. These mixed feelings are due to various factors, including their dependence on Russian arms sales, lingering sympathies from the Cold War era, and perceptions of Western double standards.

In addition to this, the continent is currently in a terrible state.

According to the United Nations, wheat prices in Africa have increased by 23 percent over the previous year, while Russia and Ukraine generally supply approximately 40 percent of the continent's wheat requirements. According to the United Nations, a debilitating drought has caused 17 million people in the Horn of Africa region to suffer from hunger, most of whom live in some areas of Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. There are currently over 200,000 people in Somalia who are on the verge of starvation.

According to Hassan Khannenje, director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, a research organization based in Kenya, when confronted with such an urgent requirement, many African countries are unlikely to hesitate before purchasing grain supplied by Russia regardless of where the grain originates.

Mr. Khannenje stated that "this is not a conundrum." Africans could care less where their food comes from. If someone tries to moralize about where Africans obtain their food, they are making a mistake.

He went on to say that because the demand for food was so great, there was no need for them to discuss the matter.

Officials from Ukraine have stated that the solution to Africa's food dilemma is not the purchase of plundered grain but rather increased international pressure to halt the war. According to Taras Vysotsky, the deputy minister of agriculture of Ukraine, there is a "clear answer" to this question: "Put an end to this brawling."

Mr. Vysotsky and other Ukrainian ministers have been accusing Russia of stealing food from the territory it holds in the southern breadbasket of the country for some months now. One of these accusations was termed "outright thievery" by one of the ministers. They say that a significant portion was taken from storage elevators located in occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.

In a recent interview, Mr. Vysotsky said, "There is nothing left to steal."

Around the middle of March, stories of grain theft first began to surface. Since then, commentators on Russian official TV stations have boasted openly about the seizures, suggesting that Russia expects to continue with them in the future.

According to Mr. Vysotsky's statements, the Russians also took farm machinery valued at an estimated $15 million to $20 million.

According to Ukrainian officials, a significant portion of the stolen grain is delivered to ports on the Crimean peninsula, such as Sevastopol, which Russia has occupied since 2014.

A video emerged at the end of April showing columns of covered trucks driving what Ukrainian officials have described as stolen grain. The video demonstrates the convoy traveling southwest on the main road in the direction of Crimea. The New York Times investigated the footage and established that it was filmed in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol.

According to the Ukrainians who are monitoring shipments on the SeaKrime project maintained by the open-source investigation website Myrotvorets, at least ten boats have transported stolen grain, most of which was wheat, through the port of Sevastopol since the end of February.

Marine tracking websites and experts who monitor the vessels have reported that the ships, some of which have been subject to sanctions imposed by the United States since April, frequently turn off their transponders until they are already at sea. This is likely done to conceal their point of origin. However, they are still visible in satellite pictures and can be captured on camera by spotters operating on the ground.

The Matros Koshka, Matros Pozynich, and Mikhail Nenashev are the three Russian vessels that have been identified in a cable from the State Department as possible transporters of stolen grain from Ukraine. During the past month, these three vessels traveled between the Strait of Kerch, which separates Crimea and Russia, and a number of ports in the eastern Mediterranean.

According to websites that follow marine traffic, they sometimes moored in Turkey or Syria; other times, they shut off their transponders while crossing the Mediterranean. This was presumably done so that they could conceal where they were ultimately headed.

The contents of the cable, which was delivered on May 16 to 14 nations, the majority of which are located in northern and eastern Africa and Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Turkey, were confirmed by two officials from the United States.

One official from the United States of America stated that it is not easy to determine the origin of a shipment of grain. Still, one signal might be used if Russia were selling the grain at a significant discount.

A spokesman for the State Department sent out an email in which he declined to comment on the cable's contents. Still, he did point to the Ukrainian reports of wholesale grain theft and "numerous testimonies from Ukrainian farmers and documentary evidence showing Russia's theft of Ukrainian grain."

According to the statement made by the spokesman, "The United States of America is cooperating with other countries to prevent the sale of grain that has most certainly been stolen from Ukraine."

Several officials from other nations have reported that the United States of America has urged them to ensure that their country does not buy stolen food from Ukraine. This request is believed to have been made in the spirit of cooperation rather than compulsion. According to a senior source in Pakistan's foreign office, the United States emphasized Pakistan's sovereignty when the country sought assistance. Pakistan is currently considering the purchase of two million tons of wheat from Russia.

Because Russian vessels departing Crimea typically travel through Turkish waters, Turkey has become the primary target of efforts to track down grain that was taken from Ukraine. On Friday, the Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey asked the Turkish authorities to investigate the origin of the grain that Russia carried.

A spokesperson for the ministry did not answer a request for comment from the Foreign Ministry of Turkey.

A spokesman for the National Security Council in Washington stated that the United States had evidence that Russian forces had frequently been damaging facilities in eastern Ukraine that were used to store grain. The spokesman provided this information.

On top of that, a naval blockade imposed by Russia has stopped Ukraine from shipping any of the wheat that it still possesses. According to officials from Ukraine, the port of Odesa, which is currently under Ukrainian control, has approximately 20 million tons of grain ready for export.

A declassified map was released by the National Security Council that depicted groups of Russian warships in the Black Sea south of Odessa, which were blocking Ukrainian cargo ships from leaving the port.

The catastrophic famine that struck Ukraine in 1932-1933, when it was still a part of the Soviet Union and Ukrainian peasants had their grain confiscated, comes to mind for many people in Ukraine when they hear about the theft of the food and the illegal export of it. The starvation that became known as the Holodomor was responsible for the deaths of four million people.

During the entirety of the situation in Ukraine, many African nations have had the impression that they have been treated as an afterthought, stuck between two superpowers engaged in a new round of rivalry reminiscent of the cold war. A few individuals declined to talk about the American warning over the stolen grain from Ukraine throughout the weekend.

Macharia Kamau, the principal secretary at the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied that Kenya had received any message. He said that Kenya had not received any message. He asked his friend by text, "Why would they need to warn us in the first place?" "Why would someone buy anything that has been looted? It sounds like an attempt to spread propaganda.

A spokesperson for Tanzania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs named Mindi Kasiga stated that her country's position "has always been neutral."

According to Mr. Khannenje, an analyst, any pressure from the West over grain supplied by Russia is likely to backfire throughout a large portion of Africa. This is the case unless the West can give a way to bridge the wheat gap.

"If the West can supply alternatives, countries will listen to that," he added. "If the West can provide alternatives, countries will listen." "However, showing any kind of hysteria about it will only serve to drive them even deeper into the arms of Russia."

Satellite images appear to show Russia stealing Ukraine's grain
CEDAR FALLS  Journeys, a teen specialty chain retail store, has opened its first Iowa location outside of a traditional shopping mall.

On April 30, it became the newest tenant of the East Viking Plaza. It took over a 1,229 square-foot space once home to an Oshkosh Bgosh, a childrens apparel store.

Previously, eight Journeys stores and one Journeys Kidz store have opened inside traditional Iowa malls, said a news release. One is at the Crossroads Mall in Waterloo.

The retailer, which has more than 860 stores, says it has an emphasis on trendy and affordable branded footwear, apparel, and accessories. It offers brands like Converse, Vans, Crocs, Hey Dude, Birkenstock, Adidas and UGG.

The new store, between Platos Closet and Buckle, is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Journeys has remained successful for 36 years by continuing to evolve how we serve our customer to best fit their needs and busy lifestyles, said Mario Gallione, president of Journeys, in the news release. Expanding into off-mall locations takes Journeys stores closer to where our customers live, work and go to school, making it as easy as possible to access our locations.

Mimi Vaughn, president and chief executive officer of Genesco, the parent company of Journeys, noted in a recent conference call with investors that Journeys research indicates that a third of its target consumers visit local non-mall shopping centers two to three times per month and enjoy the convenience of shopping closer to home combined with enhanced omnichannel services like easier curbside pickup.

Weve piloted a number of these off-mall sites which are larger than our mall stores and can carry a full assortment of adult and kids product, Vaughn said.

Due to positive results, Vaugh said the company signed agreements for more than 25 of these locations that will open this year and early next.

Target and Scheels are the anchor stores in the East Viking Plaza. Other stores have recently opened there, including Buff City Soap and Platos Closet.

But now the shopping plaza is fully leased, said Kyle Nageleisen, director of leasing at Midland Atlantic Properties, which owns it.

A store where soap is fun, plant-based has arrived in Cedar Falls Chris Meyers owns a cluster of Sun Tan City stores in Des Moines, but now is expanding his portfolio and opening up Buff City Soap franchise stores across Iowa.

One goal is to be the one-stop for carefully curated selections from brands like Converse, Vans, Crocs, Birkenstock, Adidas, UGG, and more, Gallione said in response to emailed questions.

The Journeys shopping experience goes beyond the average retail environment, its an extension of the teen lifestyle, he added. Every store is designed to welcome, inspire, and include each shopper. Self-expression isnt just accepted, its encouraged through shelves of unique merchandise, exclusive digital content, and a friendly staff that reflects the companys values.

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CEDAR FALLS  The University of Northern Iowa senior Olivia Clark is the recipient of the 2022 LCS Foundation University Scholarship.

She was selected by the UNI school of applied human services scholarship committee and is the first recipient of this annual scholarship at the university. The LCS Foundation has established a strong partnership with UNI to support the continued education of students pursuing degrees in the senior living industry.

Clark is a senior pursuing a degree in gerontology with a focus on senior housing and care administration. Her goal is to become an administrator at a senior care community.

This scholarship means a lot to me, Clark said in a news release. After watching a family member live with an Alzheimers diagnosis, I decided I want to make a difference in the culture and quality of senior care.

She is a volunteer at the Dementia Simulation House in Cedar Falls and will complete an internship there this summer.

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DENVER  When Bill Rector, 91, recently screened the documentary Shrapnel Down: My Korean War Story, he was immediately transported back to his days as a young gunners mate aboard the USS Los Angeles. During the blockade of North Koreas Wonsan Harbor, Rector watched and filmed the dramatic rescue of two downed American pilots.

It brought back a lot of memories, especially the guys who got shot down, who were saved out there, kissed the deck. It was just like I was there again. Thats a good memory to have. It still makes me weep, said Rector.

His never-before-seen footage has been made into a 27-minute documentary by Mark St. George of WSIU public television and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The film is being distributed by American Public Television.

The Grout Museum District will screen the documentary in the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum theater from 4 to 6 p.m. June 14 on loop. Rector will attend. The screening is free, but free-will donations will be accepted to help support the museum district.

In addition, the documentary will be shown as part of Wednesdays free veterans coffee from 10 a.m. to noon. The coffee is open to U.S. military veterans. Rector also will be present.

They did a nice job on it, Rector said of the documentary. They picked out the good stuff. Its nice. In fact, Ive got this big picture they gave me  a poster of the movie thats like 3 feet high and 2  feet wide, and my neighbor mounted it for me in a picture frame. Thats sitting in my living room.

Waterloo native and Vietnam veteran Jim Hamlyn, a neighbor of Rector, made the connection between the Korean War veteran, St. George and the Grout Museum. St. George had made some of Hamlyns Vietnam footage into a documentary, A Bad Deal: My Vietnam Story in 2019.

Its been about two years since we started all of this. I shared a lot of my memorabilia with them, Rector recalled. St. George interviewed and filmed Rector at the Grout Museum and at his rural century farm near Denver.

Rector served in the U.S. Navy from April 1952 to December 1955. During those years aboard the USS Los Angeles, the ship had three deployments to North Korea. On one of those deployments, he had a birds eye view from his 3-inch 50 caliber gun turret as an American plane was shot down by enemy fire. The pilots parachuted out and landed on the Wonsan Harbor beach as the plane crashed into the sea.

Gun batteries aboard the Los Angeles laid down withering cover fire for the Americans as they sprinted down the beach, pursued by the enemy. The ship launched a helicopter off its fantail to rescue both airmen.

And Rector captured it all on 8 mm film.

Hes looking forward to watching the documentary surrounded by other veterans. I dont know exactly what I will think. When youre 91 years old, its not like a young persons thoughts, he said.

Born on Nov. 21, 1930, Rector grew up on a farm near Denver and graduated from Denver High School. When he shipped out of the Navy in 1955, he returned home to begin farming and married his wife, Deena, in 1956. They raised four children.

He still actively farms and raises award-winning llamas, which he has been breeding for half a century. I have my llamas, my swans and my ponds. Im still getting around  better than I did 10 years ago. Ive had two knees replaced and some other minor things fixed up on me, but Im good to go.

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Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry

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

High-precision long-range air-based missiles of the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed industrial buildings of the smithy-mechanical plant on the outskirts of Lozovaya (Kharkov Region), where the AFU armoured vehicles were being rebuilt and repaired.

High-precision air-based missiles have hit 4 AFU command posts as well as 15 areas of Ukrainian manpower and military equipment concentration.

Operational-tactical and army aviation have hit 73 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration.

The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 150 nationalists, 3 missile-artillery depots and 1 fuel depot near Kodem (Donetsk Peoples Republic), 8 tanks and armoured vehicles, 1 Grad multiple rocket launcher, 1 field artillery battery, 10 special vehicles, and 1 US-made counter-battery radar station (AN/TPQ-50) near Seversk (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Russian air defence means have shot down 1 Su-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force near Slavyansk (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Also, 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down near Yasinovataya, Stavka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Volcheyarovka, Borovenka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Balakleya, Glubokoe, Verbovka, Liptsy, Mikhailovka (Kharkov Region) and Tokmak (Zaporozhye Region).

Missile troops and artillery have hit 431 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, and 34 firing positions of artillery and mortar units.

The attacks have resulted in the elimination of more than 300 nationalists, 10 tanks, 2 Grad multiple rocket launchers, 17 special vehicles, 17 field artillery mounts and mortars, as well as 3 AFU misille-artillery weponas depots near Gorlovka.

In total, 190 Ukrainian aircraft and 129 helicopters, 1,127 unmanned aerial vehicles, 330 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,424 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 473 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,795 field artillery and mortars, as well as 3,446 units of special military vehicles were destroyed during the operation.

The Russian Armed Forces are completing the liberation of Svyatogorsk in Donetsk Peoples Republic and its surrounding territory.

In order to prevent Ukrainian troops from retreating from Svyatogorsk, Ukrainian nationalist formations acting as barrier troops today have blown up a bridge over the Seversky Donets River.

Under the onslaught of Russian units, the remnants of the battalions of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade and the 81st Separate Airmobile Brigade of the AFU, cut off from the main forces and supplies by blowing up the bridge, abandoned their military equipment along with their weapons and dispersed along the coast.

Up to 80 Ukrainian soldiers swam across the river. They were not specifically targeted by Russian servicemen.

We consider the refusal of Ukrainian soldiers to defend the useless Kiev regime led by nationalists to be the only right thing to do, not cowardice. In doing so, they all saved their lives.

We urge all soldiers and members of Ukraines territorial defence units to follow this example and stop mindlessly resisting in order to save their lives.

The Russian Armed Forces, in return, guarantee all Ukrainian servicemen and members of territorial defence units who have voluntarily laid down their arms to be treated with dignity and returned to their families.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Major General Igor Konashenkov

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine

@mod_russia_en #Briefing

@mod_russia_enjoy

WtR
Weather Alert

...Warm and Windy Week with a Cool Weekend... Temperatures: Plan on a couple of hot days this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Heat Risk levels near Moderate levels with an increased risk of heat health impacts for those without effective cooling or hydration options. Western Nevada valleys will be in the mid 90s, and near 100 for central Nevada locations by Thursday afternoon. Winds: Strong, gusty winds will develop later this week as another system approaches the West. Widespread wind gusts 35 to 50 mph will be possible Thursday into Saturday. Spots along Highway 395 through Mono County and along Highway 95 near Walker Lake may see gusts 60+ mph. Plan on plenty of travel and recreation impacts from Thursday into Saturday, including but not limited to aviation turbulence, high profile vehicle restrictions, choppy lake conditions and areas of blowing dust. The windy and dry conditions may also produce localized critical fire weather conditions, particularly in the eastern Sierra. Be fire safe and smart and avoid activities that may spark a fire. We always want to avoid sparking a fire, but especially so on these during these windy days. Precipitation Chances: Saturday will be quite breezy, but cooler than midweek. The system pushing into the region brings the winds, the cooler temperatures, and chances for precipitation. If you have outdoor recreation plans, be sure to account for the possibility of some showers and possibly a thunderstorm or two. For now, the best chances for showers will be from the Tahoe basin northward into northeastern California and for areas along the Nevada-Oregon border. For areas south of Highway 50, the precipitation potential is looking scarce for now.
Some 15 years ago. Brian Sheehy "caught the collecting bug" while scouring antique fairs and flea markets for authentic Prohibition-era artifacts to fill Bourbon & Branch, the San Francisco speakeasy that would come to redefine cocktailing in the city.

As he and his team at Future Bars continued opening new drinking establishments, the hunt for interesting decor continued, with one theme that kept popping up: decorative whiskey decanters emblematic of midcentury Americana. He bought them and stuck them in storage without a second thought. Then, serendipity walked into opening night of Sheehy's subterranean downtown bar Local Edition: A woman who had worked in the same Hearst building for 50 years came into the bar to celebrate her retirement and she offered up her late husband's collection of bottles, a stash of 100 of those same collectible decanters, whiskey still intact.

"At the end of the night, we opened one and tasted it and it was phenomenal. It blew us away, and we knew we were onto something. So we put them in storage and said if we ever got enough of these decanters, we would open a bar," Sheehy remembers.

Then, fate came knocking in 2020 when Izzy's Steakhouse restaurateur Sam DuVall passed away. His daughter called and offered up her dad's collection of hundreds of decanters. This year, all these forgotten pieces of American history took their place on the top shelfwell, every shelfat Future Bars latest venture, Bottle Club Pub.

The story of these decanters dates back to Prohibition when everyone was drinking whiskey. But all that changed after WWII, when the troops returned with a taste for flavors and beverages from around the world. Interest ticked up for wine, beer, rum, and vodka, and America's whiskey distilleries were left with way too much product and no one to drink it. Desperate to offload the excess, Jim Beam created specialty bottles, commemorating the brand's home state of Kentucky, to be given as gifts. Commemorative decanters caught on and folks began collecting. The very first "bottle club" was born in Berkeley in 1952, followed shortly after by a second in San Francisco. The bottles enjoyed a heyday until the 1980s.

It is estimated that around 3,000 unique whiskey decanters exist today; Bottle Club Pub, which is decorated with Mad Men vibes and vintage advertising, can boast a collection of some 1,600 decanters which act both as display and as vessels for cocktails and large batch punch bowls.

Check out a few of the most notable decanters from Bottle Club Pub's collection.

(Courtesy of Bottle Club Pub)

Jim Beam Kentucky State Decanter, 1967

Though Jim Beam made its first Kentucky decanter in the 1950s, Sheehy explains that 1967 was a peak year when decanters really came into their own. He views this bottle as a significant for its glimpse at how the brand defined the priorities of the Bluegrass State at timeamong them tobacco and coal. "The question is, if you were going to re-do this decanter in 2022, what would Jim Beam and Kentucky put on it now?"

(Courtesy of Bottle Club Pub)

Jim Beam Bottle + Specialties Club Foxes

In 1958, the first Bottle Club Association held a convention. There were about 200 people in attendance, but as it gained popularity and they reached 1,000 attendees, the group decided to make it own decanters. Though Sheehy hasn't been able to identify which year this foxy decanter duo was made, he notes the propsthe lady fox holds a rolling pin behind her back while the male fox holds a caneas a hint at their era of origin.

(Courtesy of Bottle Club Pub)

America's Cup 100th Anniversary, 1970

This decanter was made to mark the the 100th anniversary of the America's Cup, which took place in Newport, Rhode Island. The victors from each race over the years are listed on the back of the bottle. Sheehy was especially excited by this bottle because it contains the very sought after Pappy Van Winkle whiskey, made by Stitzel-Weller Distillery. If someone found this bottle completely sealed today, they'd have "struck gold," he says The bottom of the decanter says "Old Fitzgerald," which Sheehy explained is the name of the distillery where Stitzel-Weller moved to in the 1980s, a tidbit of history for true whiskey enthusiasts.

(Courtesy of Bottle Club Pub)

RNC, 1962 / DNC, 1976

Even the Republican and Democratic National Conventions got in on the decanter action, giving specialty bottles shaped like elephants and donkeys to candidates and party members. The 1962 elephant decanter is also a great example of how the distilleries would try to pass off old whiskey (which people did not want at the time) as younger than it actually was. They aged it by month, with "100 months" being more ambiguous than eight years. At the 1976 DNC, there were two versions of the democratic donkey.

(Courtesy of Bottle Club Pub)

Kentucky Derby, 1969

More 100-month-old Jim Beam whiskey, this time for the 95th Kentucky Derby in 1969. The back of the decanter calls out Aristides, the very first winner in 1875.

Foremost Liquor, 1969

This one speaks to the times. Sheehy explains that as decanters became popular, businesses such as, in this case, the Chicago-area liquor store Foremost Liquors, began approaching the distilleries to commission designs of their own. These would often be gifted to the top sales person at the store.

// Bottle Club Pub is open 4:30pm to 2am Tuesday through Saturday, 555 Geary St. (Union Square), bottleclubpub.com.
For the first time in more than two years, Joelle Broughton has a packed calendar.  

Broughton, 56, purchased concert tickets, made plans to attend wedding and graduation celebrations, booked flights to Toronto, and invited out-of-town guests to visit her in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina.

As Ive gotten vaccinated and boosted, the world is starting to feel safer again and Ive started to feel more confident about making plans and getting back out doing things, Broughton says.

Last summer, there was talk of a hot vax summer, with a Roaring 20s-like atmosphere as newly vaccinated Americans emerged from a long period of social isolation ready to party and, in some cases, do more dating and pairing up. Unfortunately, the arrival of the omicron variant and a surge in COVID cases forced another round of lockdowns and canceled plans. 

But this year, even with the highly contagious strain circulating, some people have had enough and are ready for a new normal and an enhanced summer of socializing. With vaccination rates at 95 percent for those over age 65 and many pandemic restrictions loosened or lifted, masks are down, travel bookings are up  with 85 percent of Americans planning trips this summer  and a full roster of concerts, festivals and other live events is back on the schedule.

There is a feeling of freedom and possibility in the air, says Laura Whitney Sniderman, the founder of Kinnd, a friendship app aimed at reducing loneliness. The desire to let loose is arising from the deficit of connection caused by the pandemic. We were starved for connection and now were filling ourselves back up.

Summer plans ready for takeoff 

People are learning to balance their concerns about COVID prevention with a yearning to get on with their lives. Last summer Bruce Brothers enjoyed a few short domestic trips, but with international travel restricted by many countries shutting their borders, he had no choice but to stay close to his home in Marco Island, Florida.


Pfc. James Martin described the awe and terror of parachuting into France in the face of German fire:



The night was beautiful. There were a few stratus clouds drifting about here and there. The moon silhouetted the planes around us, and danced on the whitecaps in the channel below us. The fiery exhaust of our engines reminded me strangely of a blast furnace. The many dark forms scattered in the choppy waters of the channel were, I realized, part of the world's greatest armada of ships waiting to belch forth thousands of troops into Hitler's impregnable wall, and I suddenly realized that they were waiting and depending on us.... Then I stepped out to meet a ladder of [enemy] flak and tracers. Thank God I missed all the rungs on the way down.... The loneliest feeling in the world was when I hit the ground with not another soul around me. Love, Jimmie

Capt. George Montgomery, with the 82nd Airborne, wrote about his D-Day experiences to his fiancee Arline:

Arline, my dearest  Today is our 20th day in action, yet it seems like years. What has happened to me and my battalion would be scoffed at, even in a 10 novel, as being impossible. Why the few of us left alive  are alive  is something to figure out in church. I've seen as many of my very best friends killed beside me. I just can't believe it is all really happening.

I never in my wildest dreams knew such terror could grip your very soul. The business of landing deep in enemy territory & trying to hold a position assaulted and shelled from 4 sides until friendly troops break through  is something I hope they never ask me to do again. The night we jumped, D-Day  6 hours, was the payoff night. The Jerries knew our plans down to the last detail and were waiting for us with everything they had.

My chute was on fire from tracer bullets when I landed  right in front of a machine gun emplacement. I cut out of my harness & crawled for a couple of hours with bullets whistling past my ears, coming from seemingly every direction.... We have had mail brought to us twice and have been permitted to write twice. Both mail calls brought me letters from you Arline  & I could have wept with joy & relief to hear from you & that you were still of a mind to be Mrs. G. Montgomery one of these days.

Montgomery returned home to Iowa after the war and married Arline in 1946.

Shortly before D-Day, 2nd Lt. Jack Lundberg wrote his family a sobering note:

Now that I am actually here, I see that the chances of my returning to all of you are quite slim, therefore I want to write this letter now while I am yet able.

I want you to know how much I love each of you. You mean everything to me, and it is the realization of your love that gives me the courage to continue.... I have requested that this letter be forwarded only in the event I do not return.

You have had many times more than your share of illness and deaths in the family  still you have continued to exemplify what true parents should. I am sorry to add to your grief  but at all times, realize that my thoughts are of you constantly and that I feel that in some small way I am helping to bring this wasteful war to a conclusion. We of the United States have something to fight for  never more fully have I realized that. There just is no other country with comparable wealth, advancement, or standard of living. The U.S.A. is worth a sacrifice! Remember always that I love you each most fervently and I am proud of you. Consider Mary, my wife, as having taken my place in the family circle and watch over each other.

Love to my family, Jack

Two and a half weeks after D-Day, Lundberg was the lead navigator on a B-17 flying over Abbeville, France, that was hit by German anti-aircraft fire, burst into flames and crashed. Lundberg was killed.

P-47 pilot Capt. George Rarey found out before D-Day that he was a father, and wrote this letter:

Junie!... Got back from a mission at 4 o'clock this afternoon & ... what did I see? The Deacon waving at me as I walked up the road to the shack. A small yellow envelope  I thought it was a little early, but I quit breathing completely until the wonderful news unfolded  A Son! Darling, Junie! ... I'm so proud of you, I'm beside myself....

Junie, if this letter makes no sense forget it  I'm sort of delirious. This iron hut looks like a castle  I'm a father. I have a son!

Rarey's P-47 was shot down a couple weeks after D-Day while supporting ground troops. He died without seeing his son.


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Exploration Update

Brisbane, June 6, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Copper producer Austral Resources Australia Ltd ( ASX:AR1 ) is pleased to provide an exploration and development update following commencement of Anthill ore processing at its Mt Kelly heap leach SXEW plant. Austral expects to be producing 10,000tpa of copper cathode from mid-2022, enabling self-funding of exploration and development activities.The focus is on discovering additional oxide copper ore to augment Anthill oxide feed, increase the current sulphide resource base and to explore for large scale copper and base metal mineralisation within the large 2,100km2 of exploration tenure. Austral intends to fund exploration through a $10m per annum exploration budget over the next four years and by selective joint venturing of portions of its tenure holdings to enhance discovery potential.Austral's key objectives are to:1. Extend Austral's mine life beyond the current four years at Anthill by discovering additional oxide ore2. Increase the current JORC Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 420,000t of contained copper3. Commercialise Austral's sulphide resources (210,000t of contained copper)The company has commenced activities on all three key objectives.Austral's copper resource inventoryAustral has a total JORC compliant Mineral Resource Estimate of 60Mt @ 0.7%Cu, hosting 420,000t of contained copper. Mineralisation by type is approximately 50% sulphide, 25% transitional and 25% oxide. The majority of sulphide mineralisation is located within the Mt Kelly ML.This resource inventory is being reviewed for its potential to be expanded and commercialised:1. Oxide mineralisation exploration to augment Anthill feed to the Mt Kelly plant2. Sulphide mineralisation is being evaluated for:a. Potential to be mined and sold to a concentratorb. Potential for processing through a conventional concentrator onsite, should sufficient sulphide mineralisation be defined to justify the capital investmentc. Potential to be hydrometallurgically processed on site using existing heap/SXEW infrastructure. This is under investigation3. Transitional ore is being evaluated for suitability to augment sulphide ore feedSteve Tambanis, Austral's Chief Executive Officer commented:"Austral listed late last year with a large JORC Mineral Resource Estimate of 420,000t of contained copper, a new mine development (Anthill) and an operating oxide processing plant. The first 40,000t of copper cathode are being mined and processed from our new Anthill Mine. This provides strong cashflows over the next four years and is effectively the springboard and financial support for our intensive exploration and development activities.So, what are we doing to commercialise the next 40,000t of copper?We have commenced our first drilling programmes to discover additional oxide ore feed for our plant. Lady Colleen, Dividend and Lady Annie are amongst our first prospects for evaluation with more to come as the drill rig completes each first pass programme.Our sulphide prospects have excellent short-term upside. Lady Colleen's 5.6Mt @0.89%Cu sulphide Mineral Resource Estimate is being re-assessed to determine its potential for a lower tonnage, higher grade resource that could be open pit mined and trucked to a nearby sulphide concentrator.We are also commencing metallurgical test work to see if sulphide mineralisation is amenable to processing on our heap leach by utilising a new processing technology. In addition, we are drilling to increase the Lady Colleen resource where we have identified the potential for extensions to mineralisation. Our SXEW plant has considerable spare capacity. We will conduct similar evaluations for Flying Horse, Lady Annie and Mt Clarke.Austral's intention was never to operate a mine for 4 years and then shut down. Our ambition is to extend mine life through discoveries, commercialise our current resources and significantly build upon our current resource inventories. We have a pathway to do so with funding and a large strategic landholding in the Mt Isa Inlier with demonstrated copper fertility.It's great to be one of a few copper producers in Australia. It's even better to have a strongly increasing production profile in the current high copper price environment. We look forward to providing regular updates as we rapidly build copper production from Anthill and scale-up exploration and development activities to extend mine life."*To view the full update, please visit:About Austral Resources Australia Ltd

Austral Resources Australia Ltd (ASX:AR1) is a copper cathode producer operating in the Mt Isa region, Queensland, Australia. Its Mt Kelly copper oxide heap leach and solvent extraction/electrowinning (SXEW) plant has a nameplate capacity of 30,000tpa of copper cathode. Austral is developing its Anthill oxide copper mine which has an Ore Reserve of 5.06Mt at 0.94% Cu. The Company expects to produce 40,000t of copper cathode over a four-year period from mid-2022.

Austral owns a significant copper inventory with a JORC compliant Mineral Resource Estimate of 60Mt at 0.7% Cu and 1,940km2 of highly prospective exploration tenure in the heart of the Mt Isa district, a world class copper and base metals province. The Company is implementing an intensive exploration and development programme designed to extend the life of mine and increase then review options to commercialise its copper resources.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Mars, the Wet Planet?

OK, scientists probably are not going to hang that handle on the fourth rock from the sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System now. But if they had been around 3.5 billion years ago, they might have considered it.

Information collected by the NASA Mars rover Curiosity shows that the planet was once a much wetter place than it is now. Analysis of the Glen Torridon region in the Gale crater, created by a meteor impact on Mars 3.7 billion years ago, indicate that bedrock there was altered by groundwater.

There is a block of evidence that when the crater was formed, Earth and Mars were similar in water and atmosphere, said Patrick Gasda of Los Alamos National Laboratorys Space and Remote Sensing Group. Mars underwent a climate change. All signs point to a warm, wet Mars in the past. Now Mars is cold and dry. What made Mars divert from Earth? If we could figure that out, maybe we could prevent that here.

Crater lakes, hot rocks

Curiositys assignment was to discover if Mars ever had the right environmental conditions to support small life forms called microbes. The rover acquires rock, soil and air samples for onboard analysis. It looks for rocks that formed in water and/or show signs of organics.

Gasda, 37, is the lead author of a study, published recently in a special issue of Journal of Geophysical Research Planets, that describes what Curiosity found in the most chemically varied part of Gale crater, which is 96 miles wide and contains a 3-mile-high mountain of layered sediments named Mount Sharp.

Gale crater had a lake approximately 3.5 billion years ago, Gasda said. There could have been a deep lake there, or maybe just a few small or shallow lakes with small rivers in between. It would have been a friendly place for life  like bacterial life. But we havent found any evidence of life yet.

He said the craters Glen Torridon region likely represents the last stages of a wet Mars.

And we want to understand the lake sediments in order to give us a baseline for what happened right before Mars climate changed, Gasda said.

Scientists believe the lake in Gale crater was formed by groundwater seeping in and rivers, fed by rain and melting snow, flowing in. Gravel, sand and silt came in with the river water.

Over millions of years these sediments continued to build up in the crater. Even after Mars started drying out and rivers ceased to flow, wind blew sand and dust into the crater, possibly filling it to the brim. But then the winds begin to claw away at the bowl of sediment, until what remains today is Mount Sharp.

Erosion by wind could have taken about a billion years, Gasda said. The base (of Mount Sharp) takes up between a third and two-thirds of the crater. Its big. Its been compared to (Tanzanias) Mount Kilimanjaro.

Each layer of sediment locked into the rock records a chapter that reveals the environment that created it. Curiosity, using its ChemCam instrument, which was developed at Los Alamos and a French space laboratory, reads those chapters and reports back to Earth.

ChemCam registers chemistry and imagery from Curiositys four cameras to look for physical and chemical changes to rocks.

We see rounded nodules that have different color  darker toned  than the surrounding material, Gasda said. Water in a crater will react with rocks if there for a long time. It is the darker material that gets concentrations of water. Thats how we know this stuff formed in water.

Curiosity also discovered large veins with peculiar chemistry, including high iron and manganese dark veins and fluorine-rich lighter veins.

We did not expect to find veins with chemistry like this in Glen Torridon, Gasda said. Our hypothesis for the way these things formed is that the initial (meteor) impact heated rocks near the crater, groundwater flowed through those rocks and this hot water likely extracted elements such as fluorine from these rocks.

Heated water, or hydrothermal, systems would bring elements such as iron, nickel, sulfur and manganese to the surface of Mars, and microbes use these elements as a source of energy.

We think now things like this happened all over Mars, Gasda said. Any time a large impact occurs, you would have hot water circulating. It is possible all craters on Mars had similar circumstances. Mars could have been friendly to life planet wide.

Whats life?

Gasda has a bachelors degree in chemistry from Ursinus College in Pennsylvania and a doctorate in geology from the University of Hawaii.

Ive been interested in all things related to space and rocks since I was a kid, but I went to college to do chemistry, he said. I worked in industry for a while but didnt like it. Eventually I came back to what I really wanted to do, which was geology and planetary science, in graduate school.

A kid-like enthusiasm is still evident when he talks about exploring Mars. He thinks it is crazy exciting that we are landing rovers on a planet that is farther away from Earth than Earth is from the sun.

Curiosity was launched in November 2011 and landed on Mars in August 2012.

Curiosity had its own camera and took pictures on the way down, Gasda said. It looked for places that were flat so it would have a good place to land.

Initially, Curiositys mission was set at two years. But two years came and passed nearly eight years ago and the rover keeps on trucking.

The rovers goal was to discover the role of water on Mars and whether or not the planet could have supported life. So far, so good.

Water was there and it would have been nice if there was life, Gasda said. We just dont have a way of measuring that.

He said that perhaps the rover Perseverance, which landed on Mars in February 2021, might find a fossil that would prove life once existed on the planet.

Hes not talking about something like Brontosaurus bones.

The most realistic would be fossils of bacteria, tiny little specks, he said. You could look for concentrations of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, which are required for life as we know it.

But what if theres life as we dont know it.

As far as we know, only Earth has life on it, Gasda said. But we dont know enough about life to be sure. We have only one example of a biosphere. If we could find another example of life, we could understand life more broadly.

If we are the only ones here, we should do a better job of protecting this life.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

In the years leading up to her 16-year-old daughters death  believed to be from a lack of medical care and malnourishment  Doraelia Espinoza was investigated seven times by the states Children, Youth and Families Department, according to recently released reports.

Three cases dating back to 2016  involving allegations of inadequate hygiene and clothing, educational neglect and inadequate shelter  were substantiated.

However, the agency was not investigating Espinoza at the time of the teenagers death and the most recent allegations of inadequate clothing and medical neglect in June 2020 were not substantiated, according to incident reports from the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office. It is unclear if the allegations are regarding the 16-year-old  identified in court documents as ME  or Espinozas other four children, since the names of juveniles are redacted from the reports.

There were no allegations of physical abuse.

The incident reports released to the Journal in response to an Inspection of Public Records Act request shed more light on the circumstances the family was living in and their history with state investigators.

Following MEs death, detectives reported visiting the familys South Valley home, which they said was littered with trash, feces and food. The detectivess interviews with Espinoza suggest she had stopped caring for her severely disabled oldest daughter and instead tasked the girls younger sister with her care.

Espinoza, 32, was arrested and charged with reckless child abuse resulting in death after she brought ME, unresponsive, to the University of New Mexico Hospital on May 3.

The girl, who was blind and nonverbal, was in full cardiac arrest, according to detectives. The detectives say ME appeared to be very small for her age, was very skinny and had no fat or muscle. She also had maggots in her body that investigators said had been there for at least four days, suggesting she had been dead for some time.

Prosecutors have asked for Espinoza to be held pending trial and a hearing on that motion is set for July.

Her attorney, Raymond Maestas, said CYFD has a duty to help protect families in need and it is becoming more and more clear that the agency failed his client and her family.

This is not an evil, cruel mother, Maestas wrote in an email. Doraelia has a fifth grade education and was a young teen mom. Doraelia and more importantly her young disabled, high needs daughter deserved better from CYFD.

A CYFD spokesman would not answer any questions about the previous cases, citing a state law that mandates confidentiality.

However, he did provide a Child Fatality Notification that stated the department is investigating MEs death and can provide summary information once that process is complete.

Cardiac arrest

On the morning of May 3, a nurse called deputies after Espinoza brought ME to the emergency room. The nurse reported that Espinoza had arrived carrying her daughter in her arms and said she had not been acting right.

The girl was in a full cardiac arrest when she arrived at the hospital and although Espinoza said her daughter was alive that morning, investigators believed she had been dead for a while. Espinoza and her boyfriend  who had driven them to UNMH  left the hospital before deputies got there. Homicide detectives headed to the familys apartment near Atrisco, south of Central. Espinozas other four children were then put into the custody of CYFD and taken in for forensic interviews.

According to the reports, the home was littered with spilled food, feces and trash. The fridge and freezer smelled of rotten food and the deputies described their shoes sticking to the floor and fighting the urge to vomit. The bed where ME had slept was comparable to a toddler bed and appeared to have feces, black hair, urine and blood on the blanket.

CYFD closed case

Meanwhile, Espinoza and her boyfriend were taken to BCSO headquarters where detectives interviewed them in Spanish.

Espinoza told detectives she had given birth to ME when she was about 16 and the girl had cognitive and physical disabilities from the start, according to the reports. She said when MEs father learned of her impairments he wanted nothing to do with her. Espinoza said as the girl got older she didnt develop normally, was small for her age, would communicate through screaming and hand gestures and would walk with a cane and wear a diaper.

Doraelia further explained that (redacted) had attended a school in Alamogordo New Mexico, where they attempted to teach and show her how to use the restroom but were unsuccessful, the detective wrote in a report. Doraelia said (redacted) was sent home prior to the Covid-19 pandemic due to being too difficult to care for. (Redacted) remained at her residence and never returned to Alamogordo.

Espinoza said her daughter was attending school online during the pandemic so she wouldnt get sick.

The detectives contacted Albuquerque Public Schools police and was told that ME was registered at West Mesa High School, although she had more than 40 absences for the 2021-2022 school year. In a school photograph from 2017 she appeared happy and significantly healthier.

The familys history with CYFD dates back to 2015, although an allegation that Espinoza wasnt supervising her children was not substantiated that year.

In 2016 and 2017, CYFD investigators found that Espinozas children had inadequate hygiene and clothing and their education was neglected, according to the BCSO report. In 2019 they found the children had inadequate shelter.

In October 2019, a CYFD investigator had a face-to-face meeting with ME and said she was wearing appropriate clothing and appeared clean although she had missed appointments, according to the report. Espinoza blamed her then-husband for missing the appointments and after the meeting she complied with the investigators request to follow up on medical care and the case was closed.

Later that month, Espinoza was charged with petty misdemeanor battery and fired from her job at a La Quinta Inn & Suites after police say she punched another employee for making a statement about the child shed brought with her to work. Its unclear if the child who was involved was ME. That case is pending.

Conflicting statements

During her interview with detectives following her daughters death, Espinoza initially said she cared for ME and would change her diapers six times a day. She said the girl had eaten sopa (soup) the day before her death and she would stay laying in her bed and liked listening to music.

She said she had heard her daughter moaning that morning and tried to help her take a shower before she got worried and took her to the hospital.

After Espinoza began to cry and said she wasnt in the right state of mind, the interview was paused so she could take a break. Then deputies said she recanted her statements and said she hadnt changed ME or seen, cared for or fed her in a week.

When he was interviewed, Espinozas boyfriend of about four months told detectives he had a good relationship with her other children, but had only seen ME twice and knew that she was malita (sickly) and a nina mala (sick child). Espinozas ex-husband  and the father of her 3-year-old  said he would pick up his son every other weekend but never go inside the home, so he didnt know of its conditions.

Although the Office of the Medical Investigator had not yet determined MEs cause of death at the time the reports were written, a detective said that based on the girls physical condition it was apparent that lack of medical care, inadequate supervision and care, a filthy living environment, and maltreatment were contributing factors.

Doraelia failed to ensure (redacted) was safe and left her in the care of her juvenile sister, the detective wrote in the report. She also admitted that (redacted) was her responsibility, nobody elses. Doraelia admitted that (redacted) had lost weight since the last time she had checked or seen her. Doraelia also gave conflicting statements about her activity throughout the week, but admitted to being at the residence every day and never checking on her.
CLOVIS  Eastern New Mexico University has a new event facility thanks to a donation from an alumna.

Casa del Sol, an adobe-style home on Portales West 17th St. was built in 1948, designed by Santa Fe architect John Gaw Meem and bought by Gay Su Pinnell in 2017. The ENMU alumna grew up in Portales and became a world-renowned early childhood literacy education expert.

According to a news release from John Houser, assistant vice president of marketing and communications at ENMU, Pinnell fell in love with the house.

I had fond memories of attending many dinners and receptions at Casa del Sol in the beautiful backyard, said Pinnell, who oversaw the renovation and modernization of the home into an ENMU event space that includes two guest apartments.

Pinnell described Casa del Sol as a very traditional New Mexican design, including the kiva fireplace as the center of the home.

Historically, a kiva is a place for friends to conversate. I thought, Wouldnt it be great if I could help ENMU by purchasing and renovating it to be a place for people to stay, be comfortable, and create a dedicated cozy environment for gatherings?' Pinnell said.

Sisters Megan Hamilton and Cassidy Self of Portales, both ENMU graduates, were the contractor and interior designer, respectively, on the project.

According to Houser, Casa del Sol will be used by ENMU to host seminars, small gatherings, receptions, poetry readings and many other education-related events.

Lance Pyle, president of the ENMU Board of Regents, officially accepted the property on behalf of the university.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico  Bermuda shuttered its schools, businesses and government agencies as Tropical Storm Alex brushed past the British overseas territory on Monday after killing three people in Cuba and deluging parts of Florida.

The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season had grown to near hurricane force late Sunday, reaching 70 mph (110 kph), but weakened Monday as it raced past north of Bermuda.

In Florida it flooded streets and left drivers stranded in some cities over the weekend while in Cuba, it killed three people, damaged dozens of homes and knocked out electricity in some areas, authorities reported. .

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Alex maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and further weakening was expected by Tuesday. It was centered about 220 miles (355 kilometers) northeast of Bermuda by Monday afternoon and was moving to the east-northeast at a brisk 29 mph (46 kph).

Forecasters said it could drop 1 to 2 inches (25 to 50 mm) of rain and generate waves of up to 20 feet (6 meters). More than 800 customers already were without power, and at least three American Airlines flights were cancelled, authorities said.

Bermudas government Twitter account said crews were clearing downed trees from roads.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said the storm had tested a system drainage pumps the city recently installed as climate change has increasingly made flooding an issue in the low-lying area.

We moved the water off pretty quickly, but in some areas, obviously, it was really challenging, Gelber said.

Alex partially emerged from the remnants of Hurricane Agatha, which made landfall on on Mexicos southern Pacific Coast last week, killing at least nine people and leaving five missing as it moved over land.

The storms appearance was unusually early for t he Atlantic hurricane season, which officially began last Tuesday, but it is not unprecedented for Florida.
OWO, Nigeria  The gunmen who killed at least 50 people at a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria opened fire on worshippers both inside and outside the building in a coordinated attack before escaping the scene, authorities and witnesses said Monday.

Although Nigerian security forces have not yet identified who carried out Sundays attack on St. Francis Church in the town of Owo in relatively peaceful Ondo state, analysts suggested they came from elsewhere in the West African nation, which is plagued by violence from various armed groups, kidnappers and extremists.

No one has claimed responsibility for the church killings, in which children were among the dead and the gunmen detonated some kind of explosive, according to witnesses. A state lawmaker from the region said the death toll was at least 50, and scores of people were wounded, although an exact number was not released by overwhelmed hospital workers.

The attack is undoubtedly terrorist in nature, and the scale and brutality suggests it was carefully planned rather than impulsive, said Eric Humphery-Smith, senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft risk intelligence company, in an interview with The Associated Press.

State Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran said security forces, including the military, pursued the attackers, but unfortunately, we could not catch up with them.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other government officials visited the church Monday. A day earlier, he pledged that we will keep standing against evil, and Nigeria will win.

Nigeria, which is Africas most populous country with 206 million people, has grappled for over a decade with an insurgency in the northeast by Islamic extremist rebels of Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province. The extremists, who have killed more than 35,000 people by a U.N. count, are fighting to establish Shariah law and to stop Western education.

Ondo, however, has long been considered one of the safer states in the country.

Sunday Adewale, who works in the palace of the local chief, said the gunmen used the element of surprise to their advantage.

Everybody felt relaxed and had gone to church, he said. Within 30 minutes, they did what they wanted and went away.

The attack came as worshippers were celebrating the feast of Pentecost, an important Catholic post-Easter holiday. Bishop Jude Arogundade said some gunmen entered the church while others stayed outside to shoot anyone who fled.

The priest celebrating the Mass was giving the blessing to end the service when the attackers came in and opened fire, said John Nwovo, 35, who added that he narrowly escaped with his five children by running and hiding in the churchs sacristy, along with more than 30 people.

We had to pack ourselves inside that place to take refuge from the storm, he told AP.

After emerging from hiding, Nwovo said they saw so many bodies lying in their own blood.

Florence Obi said her sister, Stella Nzelu, fled the church after the shooting and the explosion, only to run into one of the outside gunmen, who shot her in the stomach at close range. Obi said her sister underwent surgery to remove the bullet and she is feeling better now.

Steven Omotayo, who lives nearby, heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene.

I saw a lot of dead bodies  both young and old, even children, he said. The people came in and started shooting from the gate.

He said the church has three entrances and the main entrance was said to have been locked, making it difficult for many to escape.

They were just shooting. If they see anyone trying to escape or stand up, they will just shoot the person, he said. Everybody standing was bombarded with bullets.

The Rev. Vincent Anadi, who was away from his church at the time, said the gunmen also set off some kind of explosive or grenade.

He said he was making his way back to the church when he saw people running away chaotically, including two altar servers that he knew.

They stopped me and said, Father, father, father, stop, stop! Dont go to the parish. They are killing people in the parish! Anadi recounted.

Many Nigerians expressed shock and anger over the attack in Owo, a small town of traders and government workers located 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Ondo state capital of Akure. The central location of the church raised questions as to how the gunmen got there unnoticed.

Rahaman Yusuf said many people tried to find out the fate of their relatives after the attack. Some came only to realize they are dead, he said, adding that they also went to hospitals to see if their loved ones were among the wounded.

Olalekan Agboola was in Lagos when he learned his 70-year-old mother, Caroline, was killed, and he rushed to Ondo. In a telephone interview from the town, he grew emotional as he recalled talking to her by phone on Saturday and how she used to call us and pray for us.

Workers at the Federal Medical Center in Owo struggled to treat scores of wounded from the attack. The Nigeria Medical Association directed all available doctors in the region to help.

Some of the wounded were in a very bad state and needed surgery, according to a doctor there who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists.

I have attended to a good number of casualties, but what I saw yesterday was far beyond whatever I have seen before in my life, the doctor said. This calamity befell all age grades, from toddlers to the old ones.

Blood supplies at the hospital ran out, and a plea for more has gone out, the doctor added.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif, head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, said he hopes the perpetrators of this horrific terrorist act against a church will be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.

Pope Francis decried this act of unspeakable violence in a condolence telegram sent by the Vaticans secretary of state on his behalf to the Ondo bishop.

His Holiness prays for the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence so that they will choose instead the path of peace and righteousness, it said.

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Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Frances DEmilio in Rome contributed.
DETROIT  Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday that the company disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The lawyers wrote that Musk has repeatedly asked for the information since May 9, about a month after his offer to buy the company, so he could evaluate how many of the companys 229 million accounts are fake.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said that Twitter has consistently estimated that fewer than 5% of its accounts are spam. But Musk has disputed that, contending in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.

Shares of Twitter Inc. slid 1.5% Monday, likely incensing Twitter shareholders who filed a suit against Musk late last month for deflating the price of the stock. Shares of Twitter are down more than 20% in the last month.

Twitter said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement and noted that the deal is in the best interest of all shareholders.

We intend to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms, it added.

Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share back in April. A number of Musks actions since, including a public spat with Twitters CEO about the fake accounts  on Twitter  has led some experts to question whether the billionaire wants to use his loud complaints to negotiate a lower deal price or even walk away entirely.

Musks lawyers wrote in the letter that Twitter has offered only to provide details about the companys testing methods. But they contend thats tantamount to refusing Mr. Musks data requests, and constitutes a material breach of the merger agreement that gives Musk the right to scrap the deal if he chooses.

This is a clear material breach of Twitters obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement, the letter says.

Musk wants underlying data to do his own verification of what he says are Twitters lax methodologies.

The Twitter sale agreement allows Musk to get out of the deal if there is a material adverse effect caused by the company. It defines that as a change that negatively affects Twitters business or financial conditions. Twitter has said all along that its proceeding with the deal, although it hasnt scheduled a shareholder vote on it.

Last month Musk said that he unilaterally placed the deal on hold, which experts said he cant do. If he walks away, he could be on the hook for a $1 billion breakup fee.

Musks latest maneuver shows how he is looking for a way out of the deal or something that will get leverage for a renegotiation of the price, said Brian Quinn, a law professor at Boston College. But Quinn said its unlikely to hold up in court since he already waived his ability to ask for more due diligence.

I doubt he would be allowed to walk away, Quinn said. At some point, the board of Twitter will tire of this and file a suit asking a judge to force Musk to stick to the deal.

Twitter has disclosed its bot estimates to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.

If Twitter is confident in its publicized spam estimates, Mr. Musk does not understand the companys reluctance to allow Mr. Musk to independently evaluate those estimates, the Musk letter says, adding that he agrees not to disclose or keep the data.

The bot problem is a longtime fixation for Musk, who has more than 96 million Twitter followers and whose name and likeness are often mimicked by fake accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams. Musk appears to think such bots are also a problem for most other Twitter users, as well as advertisers who take out ads on the platform based on how many real people they expect to reach.

Musks lawyers are arguing that he is entitled to data about the core of Twitters business model so he can prepare the transition to his ownership. Citing a June 1 letter from Twitter in which the company said it only has to give information related to closing the sale, Musks team says the company is obligated to provide data for any reasonable business purpose needed to complete the deal.

Musks bot count skepticism was also taken up Monday by the chief legal officer of Texas, where Tesla is headquartered. Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said hes launching an investigation because he has a duty to protect Texans if Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue.



Matt OBrien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France  The United States and its allies will keep providing significant support to Ukraine out of respect for the legacy of D-Day soldiers, whose victory over the Nazis helped lead to a new world order and a better peace, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday.

In an interview with The Associated Press overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, Milley said Russias war on Ukraine undermines the rules established by Allied countries after the end of World War II. He spoke on the 78th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Allied troops onto the beaches of France, which led to the overthrow of Nazi Germanys occupation.

One fundamental rule of theglobal rules-based order is that countries cannot attack other countries with their military forces in acts of aggression unless its an act of pure self-defense, he stressed. But thats not whats happened here in Ukraine. Whats happened here is an open, unambiguous act of aggression.

It is widely considered to undermine the rules that these dead  here at Omaha Beach and at the cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer  have died for. They died for something. They died for that order to be put in place so that we would have a better peace, Milley said, speaking at the American Cemetery overlooking the shore in the northwestern French village at Colleville-sur-Mer.

Thats why the nations of Europe, the nations of NATO, are supporting Ukraine with lethal and nonlethal support in order to make sure that that rule set is underwritten and supported, Milley explained.

Dozens of veterans  now all in their 90s, from the U.S., Britain, Canada and elsewhere  were taking part in poignant D-Day ceremonies Monday.

On June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on French beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. On that single day, 4,414 Allied soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded. The massive invasion helped lead to Hitlers defeat and the end of World War II.

Asked about whether Ukraine gets enough support, Milley noted theres a very, very significant battle going on in the Donbas, in reference to Ukraines heavily contested eastern industrial region bordering Russia. But Kyiv (the capital) was protected and successfully defended against. The Russians had to shift their forces to the south in the Donbas. And well see how this plays out.

I think that the United States and the allied countries are providing a significant amount of support to Ukraine, and that will continue, he said. He didnt elaborate.

Milley also had strong words about Ukraine at the ceremony at the American Cemetery, attended by over 20 World War II veterans and several thousand spectators.

Kiev may be 2,000 kilometers away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II at the hands of the Nazi invader, Milley said in his speech. Lets not those only here be the last witnesses to a time when our Allies come together to defeat tyranny.

Milleys parents served during World War II and his uncle was in the Navy off Normandys coast on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord.

That generation of soldiers fought and sacrificed for all of us And I have a very, very special bond with them. And Im very respectful of what theyve done. And I think we all  all of us today  need to carry on the legacy that they fought and died for, Milley said.

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Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
ROME  Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring.

The glum assessment came in a report by two Rome-based food agencies: the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

WFP Executive Director David Beasley said besides hurting the poorest of the poor the global food crises threaten to overwhelm millions of families who are just getting by.

Conditions now are much worse than during the Arab Spring in 2011 and 2007-2008 food price crisis, when 48 countries were rocked by political unrest, riots and protests, Beasley said in a statement. He cited as just the tip of the iceberg food crises now in Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru and Sri Lanka.

The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to help hunger hotspots where acute hunger is expected to worsen over the next few months.

The U.N. agencies are also warning that war in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February, has exacerbated already steadily rising food and energy prices worldwide.

The effects are expected to be particularly acute where economic instability and spiraling prices combine with drops in food production due to climate shocks such as recurrent droughts or flooding, the joint statement from the U.N. agencies said.

Among critical areas cited is East Africa, where the United Nations said an unprecedented drought is afflicting Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. South Sudan, meanwhile, faces a fourth straight year of large-scale flooding.

The report cited other sobering climate impacts: above-average rain and a risk of localized flooding in the Sahel, a vast swath of Africa stretching south of the Sahara Desert.

It also cited a more intense hurricane season in the Caribbean and below-average rainfall in Afghanistan. That Asian country is already suffering through multiple seasons of drought, violence and political upheaval, including after the return of Taliban rule last summer.

The report tagged six nations as highest alert hot spots facing catastrophic conditions: Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia. It said as many as 750,000 people are facing starvation and death in those countries. Of those, 400,000 are in Ethiopias embattled Tigray region  the highest number on record in any one country since the 2011 famine in Somalia, the U.N. agencies said.

In April, according to a study by regional health officials that was seen by The Associated Press, at least 1,900 children under 5 died from malnutrition in the Tigray region. Western Tigray, which is under the control of forces from the neighboring Amhara region, was not included in that survey.

The U.N. food agencies report Monday said Congo, Haiti, the Sahel region, Sudan and Syria remain of very high concern and noted that Kenya was a new entry to that list.

Joining the list of hot spot countries were Sri Lanka, Benin, Cape Verde, Guinea, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, while areas that faced continuing food scarcities included Angola, Lebanon, Madagascar and Mozambique.

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Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.

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Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
ATLANTA  Some Republican activists are calling for abolishing Georgias open primary system, complaining that too many Democrats crossed over to vote in the states GOP primary against candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

That call to close primaries comes after 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 crossed over to cast ballots in the May 24 Republican primary. The five statewide GOP incumbents whom Trump had targeted for defeat  including Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger  ended up winning their primary elections.

The proposal is likely to face heavy opposition, with top Republicans and Democrats signaling Monday that they see no reason to change Georgias open primary system. Like 14 other states, Georgia does not register voters by party. Voters can choose which primary to take part in as they walk up to the polls and switch back-and-forth in subsequent elections without changing their registration.

David Clark, a Republican state House member, and Colton Moore, a Republican state Senate candidate, said they would introduce bills in next years legislative session seeking to hold back crossover voting. They appeared at a news conference with Republican Vernon Jones, a Trump-backed congressional candidate facing a June 21 runoff against a challenger who Jones contends solicited Democrats to vote for him.

Moore, who faces no Democratic opposition in November for a state Senate seat in the northwest Georgia suburbs of Chattanooga, Tennessee, said parties should not be forced to associate with people who dont share their views.

So all were asking is that the parties have the freedom to associate with their base, with their voters who are interested in their morals and their principles, Moore said. Were trying to make the primary pure, and thats election integrity.

A spokesperson for House Speaker David Ralston, who controls the flow of legislation in the House, rejected the idea.

There is no need to change the current primary system, Ralston spokesperson Kaleb McMinchen said.

Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor, also signaled zero interest.

She supports open primaries because they allow for more participation, said Seth Bringman, an Abrams spokesperson.

The calls for change are coming from party activists after crossover voters may have provided the margin of victory for Raffensperger, who refused to heed Trumps calls to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the state.

Raffensperger cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff election against U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, his Trump-backed challenger, 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 will be even higher.

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.

Raffenspergers campaign has pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats, suggesting that a number of crossover voters were actually Republicans who voted Democratic in recent years to protest Trump.

Moore and Jones said they werent sure whether crossover voters got Raffensperger or anyone else nominated. A spokesperson for Raffenspergers office said he was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Crossover voting, also known as strategic voting, is not exclusive to Georgia. Voters across the political spectrum this primary season have sought to thwart Trump-backed candidates who support his lies that the 2020 election was stolen.

While Trump railed against the practice last month, there is nothing inherently wrong with crossover voting. Besides Georgia and 14 other states with totally open primaries, a number of other states allow unaffiliated voters to vote in the primary of their choice, or allow people to change parties on election day to vote in a different primary.

John Opdycke, president of the group Open Primaries, disagreed with claims that its illegitimate for voters to switch between party primaries. He said that a system of party registration can leave fast-growing independents as second-class citizens unable to influence who wins office in areas controlled by one party

Georgia doesnt have Democrats and Republicans, it has voters, Opdycke said. Voters are free by law to vote in any primary they see fit.

Its not clear how often crossover voting is effective. Trumps opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Republican primary last week in Georgia. The congresswoman, who has embraced election lies and spoken at an event organized by a white nationalist, won by more than 50 percentage points.
WASHINGTON  The former top leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and other members were charged with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory.

The latest indictment against Henry Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, and four others linked to the group comes as the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot prepares to begin public hearings this week to lay out its findings.

The indictment Monday alleges that the Proud Boys conspired to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power. Tarrio and the others  Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola  were previously charged with different conspiracy counts.

They are scheduled to stand trial in August in Washington, D.C.s federal court.

The seditious conspiracy charges are among the most serious filed so far, but arent the first of their kind. Eleven members or associates of the anti-government Oath Keepers militia group, including its founder and leader Stewart Rhodes, were indicted in January on seditious conspiracy charges in a serious escalation in the largest investigation in the Justice Departments history.

Three Oath Keepers have already pleaded guilty to the rarely used Civil War-era charge that calls for up to 20 years in prison. The indictment alleges that the Oath Keepers and their associates prepared in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6 as if they were going to war, discussing things like weapons and training.

Tarrio, the groups top leader, wasnt in Washington, D.C., when the riot erupted on Jan. 6, 2021, but authorities say he helped put into motion the violence that day.

Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. Tarrio was released from jail on Jan. 14 after serving his five-month sentence for that case.

An attorney for Tarrio said his client is going to have his day in court.

And we intend to vigorously represent him through that process, said Nayib Hassan.

Defense attorney Carmen Hernendez, who represents Rehl, said her client is as innocent of these charges as the ones that had already been pending against him.

Seditious conspiracy requires the use of force, and he never used any force nor thought about using any force, Hernandez said.

More than three dozen people charged in the Capitol siege have been identified by federal authorities as leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys, whose members describe it as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists.

They have brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.

The indictment alleges that the Proud Boys held meetings and communicated over encrypted messages to plan for the attack in the days leading up to Jan. 6. On the day of the riot, authorities say Proud Boys dismantled metal barricades set up to protect the Capitol and mobilized, directed and led members of the crowd into the building.

Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

Shortly before the riot, authorities say Tarrio posted on social media that the group planned to turn out in record numbers on Jan. 6, but would be incognito instead of donning their traditional clothing colors of black and yellow.

Around the same time, an unnamed person sent Tarrio a document that laid out plans for occupying a few crucial buildings in Washington on Jan. 6, including House and Senate office buildings around the Capitol, the indictment says. The nine-page document was entitled 1776 Returns and called for having as many people as possible to show our politicians We the People are in charge, according to the indictment.

Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and a member of the groups national Elders Council. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Pezzola is a Proud Boy member from Rochester, New York.

A New York man pleaded guilty in December to storming the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys members. Matthew Greene was the first Proud Boys member to publicly plead guilty to conspiring with other members to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote. Greene agreed to cooperate with authorities investigating the attack.

Another Proud Boy, Charles Donohoe, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy and assault charges and also agreed to cooperate in the Justice Departments cases against other members of the extremist group.

In December, a federal judge refused to dismiss an earlier indictment charging alleged leaders of the Proud Boys with conspiring to block the certification of Bidens electoral college win. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected defense attorneys arguments that the men were charged with conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.
WENN Celebrity

The 76-year-old Hollywood star is grandma to her daughter Kate Hudsons three children, as well as son Oliver Hudson's three and Wyatt Russell's new baby boy.

Jun 6, 2022

AceShowbiz - Goldie Hawn loves being a grandmother and says spending time with her grandkids brings her "incredible joy." The Hollywood actress, who is a grandma to her daughter Kate Hudsons three children, son Oliver Hudson's three kids as well as Wyatt Russell's new baby boy, says her family is her top priority.

When sitting down with Australian Women's Weekly, the 76-year-old explained, "A good family is the answer to happiness. I look at our kids and grandchildren and there's nothing in the world that could make me as proud as I am of all of them." She added, "Being a grandmother is amazing, I love it. It brings incredible joy. Family is so important."

Goldie is grandmother to Kates kids Ryder, Bingham and Rani, as well as Olivers brood Wilder, Bohdi and Rio, and Wyatts son Buddy, who was born in 2021. Wyatt recently revealed the kids all have sweet nicknames for Goldie and her partner Kurt Russell.

"Starting with my brother's or my sister's first child, they're Gogo and Gogi," the "Lodge 49" star said. "My dad, his wine that he makes it's called Gogi because his nickname in life was Gogi, and my mom's nickname in life was Gogo. So those are what the kids call 'em."

Kate and Oliver are Goldies children from her previous marriage to Bill Hudson. Goldie and Kurt got together following her divorce from Bill and they have been together since 1983.

The actress has previously insisted they have never felt the need to tie the knot as she was divorced twice before she met him and Kurt also had a failed marriage in his past. "Marriage didn't work for either one of us. Im not saying that it wouldn't work again, but I didn't think that we really needed to get married."
Instagram Celebrity

The 'Wipe Me Down' rapper, whose real name is Torrence Ivy Hatch Jr., urges a teenage girl named Ramya to share proof if she was ever pregnant after she claims to be the mother of his son's child.

Jun 6, 2022

AceShowbiz - Boosie Badazz (Lil Boosie) continued to call out a girl named Ramya on social media for allegedly lying about having a baby with his son, Tootie Raw. Having accused the teenager of fabricating the story, the Baton Rouge native challenged her to share the receipts.

"Still waitin on your pregnant pics boo boo with that baby n your stomach? R u n the hospital having the baby ? What was the delivery doctor name ?" the 39-year-old emcee wrote on Twitter on Saturday, June 4. "What hospital u gave at birth at ? When u lie once u gotta keep lying baby ,your moma shoulda told u that n where the other twin?"

Hours prior to that, Boosie expressed his relief upon learning that he is not being a grandfather. "Just found out that ain't my son baby, haha! I'm not a grandpa. Oh Lord, They done kidnapped somebody baby and brought it down there like it was my grandchild. Oh! You going down baby," he said in an Instagram video.

The "Wipe Me Down" spitter described the whole event as "a conspiracy of the ages." He continued, "The things these women do these days is CRAZY my son has had the most stressful year of his life because of this situation ok yall wanna do this too my son bet n the moma of the daughter the worst."

Ramya herself has responded to Boosie's rant, accusing him of paying the woman claiming to be the mother of the child and that the DNA test was done in the presence of both parents. "We did the dna test TOGETHER! Proving he's the father!!! Keep in mind you paying that girl to say that's her child knowing she said it out her mouth! He's mine your so sad!" she said in an Instagram post.
HBO/Columbia Pictures TV

The HBO series bags four nods, including Best Show, the Tom Holland-starring Marvel superhero movie earns two trophies, while 'Selling Sunset' is the top winner in unscripted categories.

Jun 6, 2022

AceShowbiz - The cast and fans of "Euphoria" have a reason to be overjoyed following the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The hit HBO series has won big at the award show, which took place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California on Sunday, June 5.

The teen drama series created by Sam Levinson, who scored the most nominations with seven, came home with four trophies. They included the coveted Best Show Award and Best Performance in a Show for Zendaya Coleman. Additionally, the show won Best Fight for a Cassie vs. Maddy moment and Here for the Hookup Award.

"Loki" was another scripted series which won multiple awards that night. Despite losing the Best Show title, the MCU series, which streams on Disney+, snatched Best Team for its stars Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino and Owen Wilson as well as Breakthrough Performance for Sophia Di Martino, who stars as Sylvie, a variant of Loki.

Still coming from the same realm, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was the top winner in movie categories. The third solo Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland was voted as the Best Movie, in addition to scoring Best Performance in a Movie Award for its lead actor.

Scarlett Johansson was named Best Hero for her performance in "Black Widow". Daniel Radcliffe earned Best Villain for his role in "The Lost City". A "Jackass Forever" stunt featuring Poopies and a snake was hailed as the Best Kiss, while Ryan Reynolds was honored with Best Comedic Performance for his portrayal of Guy in "Free Guy".

The live ceremony, which was hosted by Vanessa Hudgens, was followed immediately by the Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED, with Tayshia Adams carrying out the second half of the show. "Selling Sunset" and "RuPaul's Drag Race" dominated these categories with two wins each.

The Netflix series won Best Docu-Reality Series and helped its star Chrishell Stause earn the Golden Popcorn as Best Reality Star. Meanwhile, the VH1 series was named Best Competition Series and won Best Fight for a Bosco vs. Lady Camden moment.

Selena Gomez's cooking show "Selena + Chef" was hailed as Best Lifestyle Show. Kelly Clarkson won Best Host for her stint on her eponymous talk show "The Kelly Clarkson Show", while "Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u" was picked as Best Music Documentary.

The show also honored Jennifer Lopez with Generation Award, Jack Black with Comedic Genius Award, and Bethenny Frankel with Reality Royalty Lifetime Achievement Award.

Winners of the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards

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INSTAR IMAGES/Hoo-me.com/Media Punch Celebrity

The 24-year-old beauty is seen walking alone to an eatery spot in West Hollywood after the 'Gold Digger' hitmaker was caught watching the Tom Cruise-starring film with another woman.

Jun 6, 2022

AceShowbiz - Kanye West's girlfriend Chaney Jones is spending some time alone. The 24-year-old beauty was spotted having a solo dinner after the "Donda" artist was caught watching "Top Gun: Maverick" with a mystery woman.

On Saturday night, June 4, the First State Behavioral Health COO was seen heading alone to an eatery spot in West Hollywood. For the outing, she opted to wear a silver ruched Alexander Wang bicycle shorts onesie.

Chaney was seen wearing a pair of black square-heeled Balenciaga sandals and held a pale pink Hermes Birkin bag. While out and about on Saturday, Chaney also showed off the "Ye" tattoo on her left wrist, which she first debuted last month.

Chaney's sighting came a few days after Ye was spotted attending a screening of "Top Gun: Maverick". While enjoying the long-awaited Tom Cruise-starring film, the former husband of Kim Kardashian was seated next to a pretty female companion.

Ye hasn't been pictured with Chaney since their trip to Tokyo in early May. They visited Japan after just six weeks of dating. The trip also came amid a period of silence from the 44-year-old hip-hop star after he was embroiled in a relatively one-sided feud with his former spouse's boyfriend Pete Davidson.

In April, Ye reportedly introduced Chaney to his family. In a video shared by the Atlanta native's cousin, the "Gold Digger" rapper and his girlfriend were waiting in line as they took turns with other family members to personally greet his cousin's grandmother, who was celebrating her birthday at the time. Once Chaney stood in the front of the line, she flashed a big smile and shared a warm embrace with the elderly lady.

Ye, who stood behind Chaney, also hugged his cousin's grandmother and kissed her on the cheek before the video ended. "This what 85!!!! Looks like," the person who posted the video wrote in the caption. "My family including my cousin Kanye surprised my grandma for her 85 th bday.. Been to long since I been was a great day.."
Instagram Celebrity

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge takes to their official social media account to thank everyone who's involved in the star-studded concert to honor Queen Elizabeth II.

Jun 6, 2022

AceShowbiz - Prince William and Kate Middleton have hailed the Platinum Jubilee concert as a "fabulous and fitting tribute" to Queen Elizabeth II. On Saturday, June 4, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to social media to thank everyone who was involved in making the star-studded concert such a memorable occasion.

The 39-year-old prince and the 40-year-old duchess, who have been married since 2011, wrote on Twitter, "Tonight's #PlatinumJubilee Party at the Palace was a fitting and fabulous tribute to Her Majesty. Well done to everyone involved! (sic)"

The spectacular event featured performances from the likes of Diana Ross, George Ezra, Queen and Elbow.

Prince William also delivered a speech outside Buckingham Palace, where thousands of people gathered to enjoy the occasion. He joked, "Good evening everyone. It's so wonderful to be here with you on this incredible night. And great to see Buckingham Palace turned into an IMAX screen!"

The prince also used the platform to speak about his environmental concerns. He said, "While no one's grandmother thanks them for talking about their age, my own grandmother has been alive for nearly a century. In that time, mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological developments and scientific breakthroughs."

"And although those breakthroughs have increased our awareness of the impact humans have on our world, our planet has become more fragile," he continued. "Today, in 2022, as the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent. But like her, I am an optimist."

Meanwhile, the duke and duchess' children, 8-year-old Prince George, 7-year-old Princess Charlotte and 4-year-old Prince Louis, baked cakes in Cardiff ahead of a Platinum Jubilee street party on Sunday, May 5.

The royal couple posted a video of their kids and captioned the clip, "Baking cakes for the local community in Cardiff to enjoy at a Platinum Jubilee street party taking place today! [celebration emoji] We hope you like them! [cake emoji] (sic)"
Instagram/Warner Bros. Pictures Movie

The granddaughter of Elvis Presle raves about the upcoming movie from Baz Luhrmann which is set to feature Austin Butler's 'mesmerizing performance' as music icon.

Jun 6, 2022

AceShowbiz - Riley Keough introduced a sneak peak of Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" at the MTV Movie and TV Awards. The "Daisy Jones & The Six" star, who is also the granddaughter of the film's protagonist Elvis Presley, took to the stage at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Sunday, June 5, to remember the late King of Rock and Roll before sharing the clip.

"In 1954, a young man from Mississippi walked into Sun Records and change music forever. That man was my grandfather," the 33-year-old actor told the audience. "And though I never got the chance to meet him, I grew up in a world that had been profoundly shaped by his existence."

Riley went on to praise the "visual genius" of the movie's creator, Luhrmann, and lead star Austin Butler's "mesmerising performance" as the "Suspicious Minds" hitmaker. "To capture an iconic figure like Elvis, but thankfully, the visual genius Baz Luhrmann was up to the task," she gushed.

"Seeing my family history brought to life through Austin Butler's mesmerizing performance was an incredibly emotional experience and I feel honored to have this story in his hands," she added.

Meanwhile, Riley's mom, Lisa Marie Presley, whose mother Priscilla was married to Elvis between 1967 and 1973, called the biopic "nothing short of spectacular." The 54-year-old actress, who also has 13-year-old twins Harper and Finley, said, "However, that being said, I do want to take a moment to let you know that I have seen Baz Luhrmann's movie Elvis twice now, and let me tell you that it is nothing short of spectacular. Absolutely exquisite."

Praising Austin, she shared, "Austin Butler channelled and embodied my father's heart and soul beautifully. In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully. (If he doesn't get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha.)"

"You can feel and witness Baz's pure love, care, and respect for my father throughout this beautiful film, and it is finally something that myself and my children and their children can be proud of forever," she continued. "What moved me to tears as well was watching Riley and Harper, and Finley afterwards, all 3 visibly overwhelmed in the best way possible way, and so filled with pride about their grandfather and his legacy in a way that I have not previously experienced."
Celebrity

Following her brief appearance on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for the final act of her Platinum Jubilee, the 96-year-old monarch sent a thank-you message to the public.

Jun 6, 2022

AceShowbiz - Queen Elizabeth II was "humbled and deeply touched" by the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. After making a brief appearance on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for the final act of her Platinum Jubilee, the 96-year-old monarch subsequently sent a thank-you message to the public.

In her statement, she revealed that she'd been inspired by the "kindness, joy and kinship" that she's witnessed over recent days. The Queen, who has been unable to attend all the Jubilee events because of her mobility issues, said, "When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my platinum jubilee."

"While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family," the monarch said. "I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come."

"I thank you all most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations," she concluded.

Meanwhile, Prince Charles hopes "bickering" doesn't return to Britain after the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Alongside his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the 73-year-old royal attended a Big Jubilee Lunch in London on Sunday, June 5, and Charles called on Brits to stay united.

He told guests at the lunch, "When it comes to Monday, are we going to go back to all the bickering again? Let's hope we don't do that."
INSTAR IMAGES/Janet Mayer Celebrity

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew into the U.K. last week with their children, Archie (3) and 12-month-old Lilibet, for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Jun 7, 2022

AceShowbiz - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to California. According to a new report, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who flew into the U.K. last week with their children, Archie (3) and 12-month-old Lilibet, for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, boarded a plane out of Farnborough Airport at 1.30 P.M. on Sunday, June 5 afternoon, an hour before the spectacular Platinum Pageant started in central London.

The family were seen arriving back in California at around 6 P.M., with equipment including a high chair being offloaded from the plane. Harry was then photographed in the passenger seat of a black Range Rover being driven back to their Montecito home. "There was no fanfare, they just went," a source told DailyMail. "They didn't stick around for the Platinum Jubilee pageant which is a celebration of Britain and all of its quirks and eccentricities over the Queen's 70 year reign."

After stepping down as senior royals two years ago, Harry and Meghan attended the Thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral on Friday and on Thursday. They were spotted through a window at the Major General's Office during Trooping the Colour. Unlike the offspring of the prince's brother, Prince William, and his cousins including Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall, Harry's children were not seen at all during their brief visit.

During the visit, it was said that they invited some family to their Frogmore Cottage base in Windsor on Saturday for a "relaxed" party to mark their daughter's first birthday. Later in the day, the couple reportedly joined Queen Elizabeth to watch the Platinum Party at the Palace concert on television.

While Harry and Meghan had left the U.K. before the pageant, a number of senior royals were in attendance for the star-studded show, including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen also made an appearance from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, where she was seen smiling and waving to the crowds.

Also joining the 96-year-old monarch on the balcony werePrince Charles and Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children - Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four. The Queen, who only made a relatively brief appearance in front of the crowds, was unable to appear at events on Friday and Saturday after experiencing mobility problems over recent months.
CEAT Tyres, one of Indias leading tyre manufacturer, celebrated World Environment Day 2022 with the Seed Ball Making activity to raise awareness about the importance of conserving nature. The activity of Seed Ball making conducted across all CEAT Plants saw an active participation of more than 1000 employees from Nashik, Bhandup, Nagpur, Ambernath, Halol and Chennai plants.

CEAT has always prioritised the preservation and efficient management of natural resources and this year's seed ball activity is one such initiative that supports the World Environment Day theme ` Only One Earth.

As environmental concerns continue to rise, it is imperative that we strike a balance between natural and artificial resources. CEAT has aimed to make 15,000 to 20,000 seed balls and disperse them in and around the plant locations to bring down carbon footprint and increase the green cover.

Arnab Banerjee, COO - CEAT states, With the ever-increasing concerns of the environment, its time we strike a balance with nature to reduce adversities for the future generation. At CEAT, our immediate goal is to reduce 50% of carbon emissions by 2030. We are working towards different mechanisms to increase the environmental footprint of the production and usage of our products.

CEAT continues its commitment to sustainability ethos through various initiatives. It is increasing the green cover through tree plantation, awareness campaigns on Green Energy, management of E-Waste in residences among others. The event was mentored by Mr. Umesh Shinde of Vidya Sahyog Society. The company's commitment to safeguarding nature is inspiring all of its stakeholders to help preserve the environment and live more sustainably.
The Ayurveda Company (T.A.C) has roped in Rahul Kaushik as Vice President-commerce. Rahul Kaushik comes with rich experience of 15 years in the FMCG industry. He had over a decade-long association with ITC Ltd., and Marico Ltd., where he led multiple roles in traditional and modern retail channels. In his last assignment, he worked with Lotus Herbals, leading E-commerce & Modern Trade divisions.

Hailing from Delhi, Rahul did his graduation from Delhi University, and PGDBA, Marketing from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune. Talking about the recent addition, Founder Param Bhargava added, Rahuls extensive experience with large format FMCG companies will help us bring structure to the brand at this stage. His ability to manage P&L & perform strategic planning will certainly take T.A.C to new heights. Surely, the team will learn a lot from the versatile skillset & knowledge that Rahul is bringing to the table.

Embarking on his new career journey, Rahul Kaushik said, T.A.C began its journey just a year back and became the buzz of the town. The vision of Param and Shreedha to bring Ayurveda to every home in India and beyond international borders struck me during our conversation. I'm ecstatic to be joining at a time when technology is revolutionizing how people interact and purchase products. I'm excited to be a part of this young, energetic team and a high-performance culture.

T.A.C has recently expanded its business module with the launch of its all-new baby care products. The ayurvedic products assure safe nourishment for the little ones and are made out of 100 per cent natural ingredients which are scientifically blended to keep a babys skin healthy and protected right from the beginning. The core ingredient of the products is Dashapushpadi  a group of herbs known for their pure, gentle and soothing properties.

The Ayurveda Company, also referred to as the T.A.C, is one of the fastest growing brands in the beauty and wellness sector. T.A.C embarked on the journey to popularize the Ayurvedic value in households across the globe in 2021, with an ambitious vision by exemplary duo Shreedha Singh and Param Bhargava.
This weekend saw a huge furore on social media over the latest ads by deo brand Layerr Shot, which a majority said promoted rape culture. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) took swift action against the offending ad and ordered it to be taken down Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites. The ad has been made by the brand's in-house team.

Swati Maliwal, Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women, had tweeted: The company owners must be held accountable. She also said that a notice had been issued to Delhi Police and the I&B Minister seeking FIR ad strong action.

Fuming at cringe worthy ads of the perfume Shot. They show toxic masculinity in its worst form and clearly promote gang rape culture!The company owners must be held accountable. Have issued notice to Delhi Police and written letter to I&B Minister seeking FIR and strong action. pic.twitter.com/k8n06TB1mQ  Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) June 4, 2022

In a statement issued, ASCI said, On the morning of the 3rd of June 2022, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) was alerted to an advertisement of a deodorant product, which was potentially in serious violation of Chapter II of the ASCI Code against offensive advertising. After seeing the ad, ASCI immediately invoked a special process called Suspended Pending Investigation (SPI).

ASCI further said that in most cases, the advertising body provided an opportunity for the advertiser to put forth their arguments before a recommendation is provided on the ad. However, in exceptional circumstances, when it appears prima facie that an advertisement is in serious breach of the ASCI Code and its continued transmission can cause public harm or its continuation is against public interest, then ASCI would, pending investigation direct the advertiser/ the advertising agency/ the media buying agency and the media concerned to suspend the advertisement.

The Consumer Complaints Council shall adjudicate whether or not the advertisement is in breach of the Code and pass appropriate order accordingly, after giving a reasonable opportunity of hearing to the advertiser, whose advertisement has been suspended.

The said ad is in potential violation of ASCIs Chapter II, which states that advertisements should contain nothing indecent, vulgar, especially in the depiction of women, or nothing repulsive which is likely, in the light of generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, to cause grave and widespread offence, the ASCI statement said.

In this specific case, ASCI wrote to the advertiser on June 3, 2022, informing them of the decision to suspend the advertising, and invited the advertisers response, which would be tabled before the Consumer Complaints Council in the coming days.

ASCI has received confirmation that the channel that originally aired the ad has already pulled it down. ASCI also notes that the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has intervened to ensure that the ad is also pulled down from social media channels.
Authored by Shibnath Sen, Senior Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson Kolkata.

Ignited we shine.

Youve got to be a lifeaholic to be in advertising. Art to apps, books to bots, gizmos to graffiti, cryptocurrency to Kareena, Zen to Zoomba  there are no boundaries. That includes the goss at the water cooler. And the passing conversation that you hear in the Metro or the lift. Which means, dont have your earphones plugged when you are moving. The more open you are to life, the more your chances to find insights.

A great insight is the first step to create stimulating creatives. Bald men wear wigs to hide hair loss. This is a lazy insight and leads to nowhere. Here is a different one: Bald men in wigs change wigs like women change their hairdo. Its an insight that fires the juices of creative guys.

An insightful insight never articulates the obvious, but unearths the truth that lies hidden. Remember the Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola series? There was one TVC in which Aamir Khan, a villager, draws from a well, not water, but Coke bottles, tied at the end of the rope, which quenches the thirst of a bunch of city girls who had stopped their car in a village, looking for a chilled drink. The cool insight came from an age-old rural concept of cooling tender coconuts by dunking them in wells or in stone water cisterns of village homes. One must mine deep into the values, attitudes, and lifestyles of consumers to discover such truths.

Whether it is a print ad, a Facebook post, an Instagram piece, a WhatsApp pic, or a TV commercial, any communication to consumers is always one to one. Even in a large gathering, a speaker who knows the ropes makes eye contact with individual listeners. No one addresses a faceless crowd. And a good presenter reaches out to each listener as if she or he is the only one present. So, any communication to grab attention ought to be fired by a brief. Not a lifeless one, but one which should be an inspiration and a powerful stimulus to create a campaign that connects one to one.

And that must start with finding a consumer insight. The more you search, the more you find. And with Google search engine, that is not all that difficult. No wonder, search itself became the story of that heart-warming, lump-in-the throat Google TVC featuring two old men, one in Delhi and another in Lahore, separated by the Partition when they were kids and reunited decades later in Delhi, by the initiative of the granddaughter of one of them, through the Google search engine. The insight behind the creative was old is gold and people when they age, long to relive their youth.

My all-time favourite is the British Airways campaign that I saw years ago. BA, in those days, took pride in being the worlds largest airline. But they also realised that flyers dont favour an airline because it is the largest. It had to stand for something larger than its size. BA chose to project itself as large and warm enough to understand the emotions of people the world over. The insight that triggered a campaign came from a simple truth: the oddities in human nature are the same everywhere. One TVC showed an old grandmother, somewhere in Africa, receiving a birthday card. Tears of joy trickled down her wrinkled face. The voice over said, People the world over cry when they are happy. Another TVC showed, squealing, giggling schoolchildren rushing out of school, running through a village lane somewhere in Europe. The voice over said, Children the world over, walk to school and run back home. The sign-off line for both TVCs: The world is smaller than you think. And the BA logo followed.

As advertising doyen Jeremy Bullmore said, Good insight is like a refrigerator. Because the moment you look into it, a light comes on.

Look for the light and ignite your creatives.
Interview: Global Security Initiative offers long-needed global mindset to bring peace to world -- expert

Xinhua) 13:01, June 06, 2022

ISTANBUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by China offers a long-needed global mindset that will bring peace to the world, a Turkish international relations academic said.

The world needs such kind of global ideas in which no states and people would be excluded, Suha Atature, head of the International Relations Department at Istanbul Gedik University, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"If we have this responsibility (as proposed by the GSI), the world will be a much more peaceful place in the future. Otherwise, we will never get rid of wars," Atature pointed out.

The idea has learned lessons from history and deems that the Cold War mentality should be abandoned and unilateral sanctions be avoided, Atature said. "That is what the Global Security Initiative defends" and it is against any kind of hegemony.

According to Atature, the world needs to embrace this global governance philosophy that emphasizes extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, promotes the common values of humanities and advocates exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.

The expert said that the GSI and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), both based on a win-win concept for all the participating countries, would bring the world to a better future, making it a more secure place for all the people.

For Atature, both the GSI and BRI will bring huge benefits for world nations as they are concerned about the development of every country and their economies, including the improvement of their infrastructure, as well as their cultural and social growth in a peaceful environment.

"The GSI and BRI are two very important projects," and the world needs such "global ideas, global mentalities, and global mindset projects" that bring peace more than ever, he said.

To better understand China's initiatives, Gedik University has recently introduced three years of Chinese language training for its international relations students.

The university has also signed several protocols with some universities in China, hoping to strengthen ties with them through much more effective activities.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Workers are busy in a workshop of Harbin Turbine Company Ltd. of Harbin Electric Corporation in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, May 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have unveiled a package of detailed policy measures to further stabilize the economy and better coordinate epidemic control and economic development.

The package, which was announced at a State Council executive meeting in May, includes 33 measures covering fiscal and financial policies, as well as policies on investment, consumption, food and energy security, industrial and supply chains and people's livelihoods. The following are some highlights of the policy package.

-- In finance, China will further enhance value-added tax credit refund policies and quicken its fiscal spending schedule. Local government special bonds issuance and utilization will be accelerated with a service extension. Government financing guarantee policies will be activated and social security premiums deferral and employment support policies will be enhanced.

-- In terms of monetary and financial policies, China encourages delayed repayment of capital and interests on loans for small and medium-sized enterprises, self-employed individuals, truck drivers, and personal housing and consumption loans affected by COVID-19. Inclusive loans to micro and small businesses will be expanded. Real lending rates will be stable with a slight decline, and improvements will be made to the financing efficiency of capital markets.

-- In stabilizing investment and promoting consumption, China will accelerate some approved water conservancy projects and speed up investment on transportation infrastructure, continue to build urban underground pipelines, stabilize and expand private investment, promote the healthy and standardized development of the platform economy, and stimulate purchases of cars and home appliances.

-- Regarding food and energy security, policies on grains profit guarantee for farmers will be intensified. Quality coal will be produced while ensuring safety, environment-friendliness and efficient utilization. In addition, some major energy projects will be launched.

-- To stabilize industrial and supply chains, China will reduce utility costs for market entities, gradually reduce and exempt their rent, and help ease the burden on sectors and companies severely affected by the pandemic. Enterprises' work resumption, and smooth transportation and logistics policies will be optimized. More support will be provided to logistics hubs and enterprises. Major foreign-funded projects will be prioritized to attract foreign investment.

-- As for policies concerning people's livelihoods, China will implement support policies for housing provident funds, bolster the employment and entrepreneurship of rural migrant population and rural labor, and enhance social security guarantee measures. 
Today in history, on June 6, Louis IX of France  better known to posterity as Saint Louis  scored a dramatic victory over Islam.

It was late May 1249, and the Seventh Crusade had begun. Louis and his army, which consisted of some twenty-five thousand Crusaders, set sail from Cyprus. Their destination, based on the by now standard Crusader logic that Egypt must be neutralized before Jerusalem could be secured, was the Egyptian port of Damietta.

Considering that Damietta was also the focus of the Fifth Crusade (12171221), none of this came as a surprise to Egyptian sultan al-Salih Ayyub. He sent men under Emir Fahreddin to refortify Damietta's garrison and hold the coast against any Crusader landing. He next sent a message warning Louis to forfend: "no one has ever attacked us without feeling our superiority," the sultan boasted. "Recollect the conquests we have made from the Christians; we have driven them from the lands they possessed; their strongest towns have fallen under our blows."

The heart of the Muslim world, the Middle East and North Africa  from Iraq in the east to Morocco in the west  later Turkey, and for centuries Spain and the Balkans, was originally inhabited by and conquered from Christians. Muslims, such as Sultan al-Salih Ayyub, were well aware of this fact and enjoyed throwing it in Christians' faces.

By June 4, the Christian fleet had anchored on the west bank of the Nile, across from Damietta. Between it and the city, legions of Muslims lined the shore and riverbank, where they "made a loud and terrible noise with horns and cymbals." A council was held in the king's ship. Although some said to wait for the other ships that had been delayed by a storm, Louis was set on taking the shore now. "Our men," wrote Gui, one of the knights present, "seeing the lord King's steadfastness and unwavering resolve, at his bidding made ready ... to occupy the shore by force and go on land." When his counselors urged him not to join in the initial landing, due to the danger it posed to his person, Louis responded, "I am only one individual whose life, when God wills it, will be snuffed out like any other man's."

And so, on June 6, to a loud battle cry, the Crusaders furiously paddled to the shore in smaller boats, and "in accordance with the lord King's strict and most urgent command, hastily leaped into the sea up to their loins." Clad in heavy iron and slowly plodding toward the coast, they were met by and fended off a hail of arrows. "Of all the ships, the lord King's put in first," continues Gui. "Louis leapt into the water up to his armpits and waded ashore, shield round neck, helm on head, and sword in hand." Jean de Joinville (12241317), a close friend of Louis who participated in the Crusade, continues: "So soon as they [Muslims] saw us land, they came toward us, hotly spurring. We, when we saw them coming, fixed the points of our shields into the sand and the handles of our lances in the sand with the points set towards them."

Confronted by this massive spike-studded shield wall, and seeing "the lances about to enter into their bellies," the Muslims "turned about and fled"  all except one, who, thinking his comrades were charging behind him, was instantly "cut down." Thereafter, the Crusaders "fell manfully upon the enemies of the Cross like strong athletes of the Lord," writes Gui: "the armed Saracens, stationed mounted on the shore, disputed the land with us ... maintaining a dense fire of javelins and arrows against our men. And yet our men ... pushed on and set foot on the land despite the Saracens." The more the Muslims gave way, the more the Christians advanced onto dry ground. Before long, horses had been ferried over and mounted, leading to heavy, splashy cavalry charges, all under the cover of missile fire from the Christian fleet. Terrified by such daring, the Muslims tucked tail and ran.

Rather than falling back on and holding Damietta, Emir Fahreddin entirely fled the scene. On seeing this ignominious retreat, and not wanting to face, in the words of Muslim chroniclers, "the fury of the Christians," the garrison in Damietta, followed by its entire citizenry, fled the city under the cover of night in great disorder and panic  "barefoot and unclad, hungry and thirsty, in poverty and disarray, women and children"  though not before cutting the throats or "dashing out the brains" of most of their Christian prisoners, many of whom had been captured during the Fifth Crusade.

A few escaped captives and slaves intercepted the Crusaders on their march to Damietta, which they were astonished to find deserted. On the morning following this spectacular start to his Crusade, Louis and his men went to Damietta's chief mosque. "Here, three days earlier," a shocked Gui wrote, "the prisoners categorically assured us, the most filthy Mahomet had been glorified with abominable sacrifices, cries from on high, and the blast of trumpets." But because the mosque was formerly a church  "where [Coptic] Christians long ago had been in the habit of celebrating Mass and ringing their bells"  the king had the mosque purified with holy water and, "once it had been utterly purged of the pagans' filth," had Mass celebrated there. In this manner, and as Louis's mother, Blanche, wrote to Henry III, "the site of the mosque, which some time ago  when the city was previously captured [by Muslims in the seventh century]  was the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was reconciled and thanks were given there to God Most High."

As these accounts make clear, thirteenth-century Europeans were not oblivious to the fact that all of the Near East and North Africa  not just Jerusalem  was originally part of Christendom. This comes out especially in the Crusaders' talk concerning Egypt. For example, the foundation charter for the re-consecration of this church-turned-mosque-turned-church again, dated November 1249, makes the following assertions: "after this country [Egypt] is liberated from the hands of the infidels" and "when this land is liberated." Similarly, Guillaume de Sonnac, the grand master of the Templars, wrote about how "the Lord King plans ... to return the entire country [of Egypt] to Christian worship."

At any rate, it was an amazing start to the Seventh Crusade.

This article was abstracted from Raymond Ibrahim's new book, Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood against Islam (which includes a chapter on Louis IX, or Saint Louis). Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.

Image: Ayman Muhammad Elshahat via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The initial reaction to the mass murder of children in Uvalde, Texas was horror and bewilderment. Not again. How could this happen? Perhaps you, like me, imagined that the killer shot his way into the school and wrought havoc fast, before police could respond. We were wrong. Law enforcement knew he was on his way, armed and dangerous. The door was unlocked. A good-sized contingent of police failed to act for an hour. Finally, members of an elite Border Patrol unit engaged the murderer, taking fire, and prevailed.

That demons prowl among us, plotting harm to schoolchildren, is well known. The list of schools assaulted with weapons is long, their names evocative: Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland. We've had plenty of time to address that somber fact. What's been said and done in the few days since the murders? That tells the tale.

The radical left has called for disarming the innocent, entirely or piecemeal, by various extreme means. This is the leftists' default response. The volume varies with the value of the opportunity. This one was not to be wasted. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canada, a nation woefully lacking a Bill of Rights, chose the occasion to call for a "pause" to all handgun sales.

What else was said and done?

The California Legislature ended a standing legal requirement that school employees report threats of violence. Read that again: not added, but ended. The legislature's rationale is that such reports affect "people of color" disproportionately. If they do, it's surely not intentional. I have no doubt that employees of the California schools would do anything to avoid the living hell unleashed upon them after such a report. The obvious effect of eliminating the requirement will be fewer warnings of threatened violence. Threats often lead to actual violence  e.g., shootings in schools. We should know that well after the Parkland murders. (For the complete story, read the heartbreaking Why Meadow Died by Andrew Pollock, father of one of the victims. The short version: Everyone knew that the killer would strike some day. His many criminal acts went unreported so the school district would look better. Disaster was the result.)

The Officeholder Formerly Known as Joe Biden told us through his hapless press secretary that he does not support "hardening" schools  that is, making it more difficult for killers to enter. "Hardening" would presumably include such measures as locking doors. That is "not something he believes in." Instead, he believes in "giving teachers the resources to be able to do their job," a non sequitur of grand proportions. An online video shows teachers how to use a metal chair to wedge a door closed. Why should every classroom not have a simple handle adjacent to the door that does the same?

If you're keeping score, that's two responses leading to more murders in schools.

The Uvalde Police Department and the school district's police force have stopped cooperating with an investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety. That's understandable, from a human point of view. They look very bad now, and will no doubt look even worse after an investigation. No one wants to face that. No one wants to face an armed man, either, but the imminent slaughter of children demands it. An honest investigation will prevent murders if we listen to its conclusions and act on them. Stonewalling by the police will lead to more murders in schools.

I'm seeing a pattern. Nothing said or done so far will prevent more school shootings  least of all bans on firearms or certain types of firearms. We've been there before, many times. Focusing on the weapon in use is truly looking through the wrong end of the binoculars.

What, then, is the goal? Democrat representative Mondaire Jones of New York expressed it clearly: the radical left will use the murders as a pretext to take permanent control of the United States government, ending the republic as we know it. Jones minced no words: "you will not stop us from advancing the Protecting Our Kids Act today. You will not stop us from passing it in the House next week. And you will not stop us there. If the filibuster obstructs us, we will abolish it. If the Supreme Court objects, we will expand it. And we will not rest until we have taken weapons of war out of circulation out of our communities."

And that, comrades, will settle that. No representation in any branch of government and no weapons. Permanent majority? Check. Backed by the courts? Check. Means of self-defense eliminated? Check. Then the police can be defunded, the prisons abolished, the borders erased, and the carnage unleashed.

Here is the terrifying truth: the radical left wants mass murders in schools. They are useful for gaining power. I can no longer blame friends who imagine that the killers are some sort of Manchurian candidates, released to further a narrative and serve the purposes of the left. I don't believe that, but the idea follows logically from the same conclusion I've drawn about school shootings: the left likes them. The left is powerful. There will be more. We could prevent them. We won't.

Image via Max Pixel.
Sadly, the tragically ironic saying about the Department of Veterans' Affairs' operations is once again appropriate: "deny, delay, death."

Denis McDonough, a non-veteran, was sworn in to be the secretary of Veterans' Affairs. He is a capable bureaucrat, having served previously as President Obama's chief of staff. So he truly owns the Department of Veterans' Affairs and represents President Biden, another non-veteran, as the advocate for all American veterans. This is his nonpartisan sacred trust.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals recently issued a ruling by an administrative veterans' law judge, assisted by his career legal counsel, which has become binding legal guidance to the disability and compensation bureaucrats in the Veteran Benefits Administration. These men and women are tasked with adjudicating combat disability claims nationwide. Before benefit case managers can address the service compensation for a veteran's combat injuries, they have to collect the Medical CVs of all doctors involved.

The official case law issued by an administrative veteran judge reads:

Obtain and associate with the file (combat veteran) CVs for all VA clinicians who have conducted VA medical conducted, VA examinations, or provided medical opinions.

In my professional judgment as the former first assistant for congressional and public affairs, the lawyers in the Board of Veterans' Appeals have crossed a huge and unforgivable legal line. Imagine if lawyers had to undergo a review of their legal credentials by DOJ bureaucrats before initiating a malpractice lawsuit!

What this DVA judge and his legal backup have done is called into question the professionalism of doctors while also imposing a huge waste of time before helping American combat veterans.

In one specific case for a disabled Vietnam combat veteran after the "collect all CVs" legal requirement, it has taken over a year to just begin case development. The legal requirement by Title 38, the basic congressional law establishing the Department of Veterans' Affairs, is thirty days for disability case development.

One can only imagine the chilling effect on capable, experienced doctors being notified that mid-level veteran bureaucrats can pass judgment on their medical credentials.

There may be hope for my fellow veterans, in that the Biden administration is anticipating a huge Republican "Red Wave" victory in the 2022 midterms. Hopefully, with many Republican combat veteran candidates winning congressional seats  like fellow decorated Naval Academy Grad Hung Cao in my Virginia 10th District  there is hope for the future. Make no mistake: such honorable combat veterans understand in their very core what it means to be a DVA oversight advocate.

In anticipation, the Biden administration has selected the general counsel of the Department of Veterans' Affairs to be a White House legal counsel to address the coming "red wave" of combat veterans elected in 2022.

WASHINGTON  President Biden's legal team is laying the groundwork to defend against an expected onslaught of oversight investigations by congressional Republicans, should they take one or both chambers in the midterm elections  including preparing for the possibility of impeachment as payback for the two impeachments of President Donald J. Trump. As part of those preparations, Mr. Biden and his White House counsel, Dana Remus, have hired Richard A. Sauber, a longtime white-collar defense lawyer who is now the top lawyer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, to oversee responses to subpoenas and other oversight efforts, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. The secretary of veterans affairs, Denis McDonough, praised Mr. Sauber's work at the department. "He has a deep understanding of government," Mr. McDonough said in a statement, noting that he would be a welcome addition to the White House. Mr. Richard A. Sauber was sworn in as the General Counsel May 3, 2021. As the Chief Legal Officer of the Department and Legal Advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, he oversees and coordinates the work of the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) Central Office Law Groups, OGC's District Chief Counsel Offices, and OGC's National Practice Groups, which provide legal services in areas encompassing all of VA's Veterans' programs, personnel, torts, and general law subject matters.

Of course, our combat veterans should not need to wait until November 2022. It is simple: right now, Secretary McDonough and his general counsel could fix it by withdrawing the flawed legal ruling imposing needless delay on the processing of veterans' claims.
June 6 was always a special day in our household. It was a special day because my father, Frank F. Sempa, took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, as a sergeant in the 29th Division. Like most members of that "greatest generation," my father rarely talked about his wartime experiences, but he did memorialize some of them by writing an article in the Scranton Tribune (where he worked as a reporter and later city editor) 25 years after D-Day.

The headline read: "First Area Newsman to be Drafted Recalls Horror of Omaha Beach." My father in that article returned in his mind's eye to the scenes on the beach when he landed there on June 7, 1944, one day after the initial waves of U.S. troops suffered enormous casualties as a result of German machine gun fire and artillery. His regiment  the 175th infantry  was held in reserve on D-Day with the mission to exploit whatever beachhead was gained by the initial assaults. That beachhead, as it turned out, was small and fragile. He wrote: "Death was everywhere on Omaha Beach. In seconds you realized that war is hell."

The 29th Division departed for England from Camp Kilmer, New Jersey aboard the Queen Elizabeth. The men of the division actually landed in Scotland at Firth of Clyde on October 11, 1942. After extensive training in the moors of England and Scotland, he wrote, "the call came to get ready for the greatest battle of our lives."

June 7 was just the beginning. My father's division fought in the bocage of the Normandy countryside, where every field was divided by wheat hedgerows, "high earthen walls, topped with brush, trees and briar." General Omar Bradley later called it "the Damndest country I've seen." The War Department's history of the 29th Division noted that the soldiers who fought the battle of the hedgerows paid "a demoralizing price for every foot of ground they gained." I visited that countryside in 2013, and the hedgerows are still there, and I thought: "It's amazing that anyone made it out of there alive."

After helping seize the important French town of St. Lo, my father's division moved west to lay siege to the port of Brest, home to German submarine pens. Brest was taken by the middle of September. Then it was off to pierce the Siegfried Line. After participating in Operation Grenade that crossed the Roer River in February, my father's division crossed the Rhine. As the war in Europe wound down, my father wrote, "[o]ur regiment was assigned to clear pockets of resistance and take defensive positions along the west bank of the Elbe River." That's where he was when V-E Day was declared on May 8, 1945. A few days before V-E Day, an entire German V-2 rocket division surrendered to the 29th division.

Like all the surviving American soldiers, he was anxious to get home. Soldiers were sent home according to a point system. You needed 84 points to be sent home  he had 110. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Arrowhead for the assault on Omaha Beach, five overseas stripes, four major engagement stars, and the Good Conduct Ribbon.

A few years after my father died (at the age of 72 in 1988), my sister discovered hundreds of his wartime letters in a shoebox in the basement of her home in northeastern Pennsylvania. Our grandmother had saved all of them. I later used those letters to write a book about my father's service  Somewhere in France, Somewhere in Germany: A Combat Soldier's Journey through the Second World War (Hamilton Books, 2011).

In his article in the Tribune reminiscing about D-Day and the war, my father wrote: "As long as one lives he cannot forget the scenes ... on Omaha Beach, the tough and brutal fighting ... the cunning and sheer guts of our infantrymen." He paid tribute to those who didn't make it back home  who made the "supreme sacrifice" for our country. And then he wrote: "Those of us who came back unscarred have lived down through the years with memories of the terrible things they saw happen." What my father most remembered were "deeds of valor, the courage and devotion to duty, the hidden fears of men in combat."

Something we should all reflect on every June 6.

Image: Pixabay.
Bipartisan investigations are a rarity in Washington, D.C. The constituencies likely to be affected or to suffer collateral damage are usually enough to derail them from gaining momentum. Affix the term "disinformation" to the claim in need of investigation, and the chances of a genuine inquiry plummet from hardly ever to "forget about it." Such is the current trajectory of the need to explore the origin of COVID-19.

We now know that intelligence officials and top diplomats studied the issue in the spring of 2020 and concluded that the virus "most likely" came from a lab. In keeping with their history of suppressing any news that could be damaging to the regime, the Chinese have stridently opposed entertaining the question. We also know from public records that many of the world's top scientists, including those from our nation's own health agencies, went to extremes to prevent the question from being asked early on in the pandemic, with help from media and tech firms. These damning revelations took nearly two years to emerge, and the same forces that suppressed the information early on have responded by ignoring them.

Conflict-free academic analysis has similarly been a slow-moving process. Those knowledgeable enough about the science and willing to face the ire of officials who control the government funding levers have been few and far between. This is what makes a recent article by economist Jeffrey Sachs and professor of molecular pharmacology and therapeutics Dr. Neil Harrison an important development. The good news: "[T]here are troves of untapped evidence potentially available right here in the United States that have not yet been investigated." If true, this would overcome one of the biggest hurdles to date: the Chinese government's resistance to participating in any review.

There is already enough evidence to show that the lab leak is a credible theory. For example, Sachs's and Harrison's article points out a number of coincidences that seem too strange to explain away under the zoonosis theory. SARS-CoV-2 has a sequence of eight amino acids on its spike protein that are exactly identical to an amino acid sequence vital for human lung function. The closest bats in the wild that carry similar coronaviruses are at least 1,000 miles away from Wuhan, where the first outbreak of the pandemic occurred. Meanwhile, in 2014, Baric, EHA, and WIV received a grant from NIAID to enhance the infectiousness of bat-based coronaviruses. This needs to be investigated, and Baric, EHA, and NIAID need to be forced to testify.

This is not all the evidence that leans toward a lab leak as the source of COVID-19. There was also a report in the Wall Street Journal that found that three workers at the WIV were hospitalized for COVID-like symptoms in Nov. 2019, approximately one month before the first reported case in the region. Further, geospatial analysis shows that around this same time, a large number of people went to hospitals close to the WIV. And there is the fact that accidental infections in labs have caused several previous virus outbreaks in China and elsewhere, including a 2004 SARS outbreak in Beijing that infected nine people, killing one.

The additional evidence that Sachs and Harrison believe exists can be found in more than a half-dozen institutions in the United States, if only these institutions would make it public. The list is a collection of what were once the most trusted public health institutions in the country and a handful of their biggest university partners. Of course, records from EcoHealth Alliance, led by Peter Daszak, would also be essential to any thorough investigation.

Daszak was a leader in the Lancet letter that called the lab leak theory a conspiracy theory, despite the fact that he had a tremendous conflict of interest, having given a sub-grant of $600,000 to the WIV to work on coronavirus research. Indeed, Daszak's participation in both the World Health Organization and the Lancet's separate investigations into COVID's origins embody the type of conflicts of interest that have proven so hard for independent inquiries to escape thus far.

What is abundantly clear is that this issue deserves the attention of the media and policymakers of both parties. My organization, the Center to Advance Security in America, has filed several FOIA requests seeking information that would assist in putting this puzzle together. But fully accessing this trove of information inside our federal agencies will likely require a bipartisan act of Congress.

Adam Turner is the director of the Center to Advance Security in America.

Image: Ureem 2805.
Many centuries ago, bridges served many purposes. Aside from getting you over water, it was common for medieval bridges to have chapels and shops built over them, and many were fortified with towers and ramparts because bridges served important entry points to the cities. The Ponte Vecchio or the Old Bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy, is a medieval stone bridge noted for still having shops built along it.

The first bridge over the Arno River was probably built by the Romans in stone and wood and is mentioned in a document that dates from 996. The bridge was swept away in a flood in 1117 and was rebuilt in stone only to be destroyed again by another flood in 1333, save for its two central piers. Consequently, the bridge was rebuilt again, twelve years later, designed by the Italian painter and architect Giottos most talented pupil Taddeo Gaddi, who was a painter and architect in his own right.

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Today, the Arno River is spanned by six bridges all of which can be crossed on foot or by cars, except Ponte Vecchio, which doesnt allow vehicular traffic. Thats because this iconic medieval bridge is always crowded with shoppers.

The Ponte Vecchio has been home to shops across its span since the 13th century. Merchants would sell their goods on tables after receiving approval to do so from the proper authorities. When a merchant couldnt pay his debts, the table on which he sold his wares (the "banco") was physically broken ("rotto") by soldiers, effectively shutting down their business. This practice was called "bancorotto" and is believed that the economic concept of bankruptcy originated here.

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The shops belonged to the Commune and were rented out, originally to butchers, fishmongers, and tanners. But these merchants produced so much garbage and foul stench, that Duke Ferdinando de Medici threw them out and replaced them with goldsmiths. The problem was that the Vasari Corridor that connects Florence's town hall with the palace of the ruling family, passes over the Ponte Vecchio and had to bear the foul smell. So the duke decided that the new occupants of the bridge should be goldsmiths. Jewelers still make up a majority of the Ponte Vecchio shops today. In fact, some of Florences best jewelers sell their creations on this medieval bridge. There are also some art studios and souvenir shops.

Towards the 15th century, the shops that were originally on rent were sold to private owners and they began to alter the superstructure adding external terraces and rooms that extended towards the river supporting on wooden props. By the 17th century the bridge had taken on a chaotic appearance that we see today.

During the Second World War, when the Germans withdrew from Italy back to Germany, they destroyed many fine bridges in Italy to thwart the advances of the Allies. All the bridges in Florence were blown up, but Ponte Vecchio was spared. Instead they blocked access by demolishing the medieval buildings on each side. Even Adolf Hitler recognized that destroying Ponte Vecchio would be a crime too many.

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The three central arched windows was added in 1938 by Mussolini for the benefit of Adolf Hitler, so that the Fuhrer could enjoy a good view of Florence, when he was invited for a state visit. Photo credit

Jewelry shops line on both sides over Ponte Vecchio. Photo credit

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Sources: Wikipedia / Italy Guides / Venere Travel / Holiday Velvet
Even if you think you know who Victor Lustig is, you dont. Beyond the charming salutations, the livid scar on his left cheekbone and the made up story about being born in the Czech town of Hostinne in 1890, theres little knowledge of his identity. In fact this description might just bring another name to your mindmaybe Robert V. Miller, or one of the 47 aliases he rolled with during his conning days. There is one thing that sets him apart from all other swindlers in the world of con art thoughit was Victor Lustic who sold the Eiffel Tower, twice.

Photo: Carlos Perez/Flickr

Count Victor Lustig was a man of many charms. His manner was eye-catching and his talk sparked interest in things unheard of before. By 1925 he was sitting down with the likes of white collared men smoking cigars and wooing women while pocketing thousands of dollars by trickery. In what became one of his most famous con acts over time, he would talk about a secret money box that printed only $100 bills. He would fuss and shrink back when someone showed interest in the invention, but would eventually relent to selling it. The price would range anywhere between $10,000 and $30,000, for naturally, the possession was dear to Victor. To show the authenticity of the printing machine, he would stack the box with a few bills beforehand. Once the product was sold to the most eager buyer, Victor would flee within moments, leaving behind nothing but a trail of dust while the duped was left with no new bills and a dent in the pocket. With many more schemes and tricks, the artist had garnered over 40 arrests by police across state and country lines.

Victor Lustig

But that year, bigger things came Victors way. While he was in Paris, the government released an announcement about the need for repairs of the great Eiffel Tower of Paris. Public opinion immediately divided on the matter, with some supporting the repairs while others voting against it. A newspaper at the time also noted that it would be cheaper to simply tear the whole thing down.

Enter Deputy Director General of the Ministere de Postes et Telegraphesan official of the government looking to connect with scrap dealers in Paris. The man sent a letter to five dealers in the city, asking them to meet him at the Hotel de Crillon to discuss a lucrative offer that required their utmost discretion. In the room of one of Pariss poshest hotels, the deputy revealed to the men that the government had decided to tear down the Eiffel Tower after all, and that the 7,000 tonnes of scrap from the monument would be up for sale to the highest bidder. In his opinion, the move was justified, considering how Alexander Dumas too had called it a loathsome construction and the tower, built as an arch for the 1889 World Fair, was never meant to stay up for this long.

Even as he watched all five of the dealers get caught in his whirlpool of lies, the opportunist already knew who his mark would be. It was Andre Poisson, a newbie in the city, whom Lustig later got in a personal conversation with. He related to Poisson how a government job barely paid enough to make ends meet, let alone lavish him with the luxe attire he needed to meet with potential clients. This subtlety Poisson instantly got, and bribed the seeming bureaucrat $70,000 to ensure that he got the winning bid in the race for scraps.

He must have soon realised that no one was tearing the Eiffel Tower down, but by then Victor was on his way across the border, ready to live a lavish life at the expense of his victim and his next mark. Victor kept track of the papers but no news of the con popped up. He thought he was safe enough to pull off the same gamble another time, and he did. Only this time his victim went to the police, narrating how he had been duped with the promise of being sold the Eiffel Tower scraps. The news made the headlines, and Victor got to read it from his comfortable spot miles away in the United States.

After going into the records for this feat, Victor went back to his money-making machine. He continued to con civilians and officers, high ranking officials and eager businessmen. In the process he also duped Al Caponeone of Chicagos biggest mobsters at the timewith such finesse that the man did not even realise he was duped. He then partnered with a chemist named Tom Shaw to multiply his counterfeit business. Soon, the duo was circulating $100,000 per month and the money began turning up in different locations across the country, worrying the forces sick.

This Lustig money became the trail on which the authorities finally caught him. It was during its high-roll in 1935 that his girlfriend revealed his location to the federal agents on an anonymous call. Victor was caught, and she got revenge on him for cheating on her.

He pleaded guilty to his charges and was shipped off to Alcatraz for a 20-year sentence. On August 31, 1949, the man who had once made headlines for threatening the US economy died without so much as a squeak, while the world lay resting, better for the loss.

References

# Smithsonian Magazine

# Smithsonian Magazine

# Mental Floss

# Business Today
The European Union is reportedly ready to implement a charging port homogenization bill for smartphones sold in the union, Reuters reports.

The European Union has been trying for many years to make the USB-C a common charging port for the smartphones sold in the union. Of course, forcing companies to do so is not an easy job, and the EU officials have been in talks with the manufacturers for years. But the talks are seemingly over, and soon all smartphones sold in the EU must have a USB-C port. The EU also recently pushed the Digital Markets Act.

According to the source, the EU member countries and EU lawmakers will gather on June 7 to discuss the proposal and finalize it.

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Of course, this is not a new bill and was introduced by the European Commission more than a decade ago. At the time, as smartphone sales expanded, customers complained that they had to use different charging ports for Android phones and iPhones.

Soon all phones sold in the EU will have to use USB-C, even iPhones

Most Android phones sold in the EU use USB-C ports for charging, and the Android smartphone manufacturers would find it much easier to comply with the bill. However, Apple iPhones are using the Lightning port, and the company should migrate to using USB-C if it wants to continue selling in the EU.

Thats why Apple is one of the biggest critics of the bill. Apple claims the bill could lead to more electronic waste as users should buy new USB-C accessories and abandon their Lightning stuff. This results in millions of wasted Lightning accessories. Of course, Some reports suggest that Apple plans to replace Lightning with USB-C in its future products.

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On Tuesday, EU officials are holding a meeting to turn the bill into law. Forcing smartphones to have a USB-C port is definite. But EU officials want to see if laptops need to be included in the bill. The bill may also affect some Samsung devices.

The EU is also trying to harmonize wireless charging systems by 2025. Of course, this might take much longer due to technical reasons.
Wang Yang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, meets via video link with Tan Chuan-Jin, speaker of the parliament of Singapore, in Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang and Tan Chuan-Jin, speaker of the parliament of Singapore, on Monday held a virtual meeting to discuss bilateral ties.

Wang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, said that the China-Singapore ties feature geographical proximity, shared benefits, close cultural links and people-to-people affinity.

Wang said that major consensuses reached by the two countries' leaders on the development of bilateral relations should be a guide for both countries to seek greater synergy in their development strategies, and deepen practical cooperation in such areas as digital economy and green economy.

He also called for joint efforts to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and to promote the China-Singapore all-round cooperative partnership to a new level.

The CPPCC National Committee is ready to strengthen communication with the Singaporean Parliament to help achieve new progress in bilateral relations, Wang added.

Tan said that Singapore is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields, better develop the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and foster new fields of cooperation.

The Singaporean Parliament is ready to increase friendly exchanges with the CPPCC National Committee and push forward bilateral relations, he said. 

Wang Yang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, meets via video link with Tan Chuan-Jin, speaker of the parliament of Singapore, in Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

Wang Yang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, meets via video link with Tan Chuan-Jin, speaker of the parliament of Singapore, in Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)
Samsung is reportedly expanding the use of batteries manufactured by LG Energy Solution in its smartphones. The company plans to equip both budget and premium Galaxy smartphones with power units from its compatriot, the Korean media reports.

Despite competing with each other in several industries, Samsung and LG have collaborated on multiple occasions over the years. So this news doesnt come as a surprise. The former has been using the latters batteries in its smartphones since 2019, simultaneously with solutions from its sister firm Samsung SDI as well as other third-party suppliers.

The Galaxy S10 series was reportedly the first Samsung smartphone to feature LG batteries. Subsequent Galaxy S models as well as the now-discontinued Galaxy Note series also used the Korean firms power units. Samsung may also expand that to the foldable lineup this year, starting with the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

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However, all this while, Samsungs low-cost Galaxy A and Galaxy M series smartphones always featured batteries from Samsung SDI or third-party suppliers such as Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), BYD, and Navitasis. Samsung is now looking to add LG to the list to further diversify the supply chain and increase price competitiveness.

According to the Korean publication The Elec, this decision may also have something to do with COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns in China. Major Chinese cities have remained closed in recent months as the worlds most populous country fights the deadly pandemic. This has halted production and disrupted several major supply chains in the tech industry. Samsung doesnt want to be caught up in this and is looking to diversify its sources as much as it can.

LG to supply batteries for low-cost Samsung smartphones

The new report says LG will manufacture batteries for Samsung smartphones at its Nanjing plant in China. The power units will then be transferred to Vietnam, where ITM Semiconductor will assemble protection circuits and pack them. ITM Semiconductor is responsible for packaging batteries for Samsungs Galaxy A and Galaxy M series smartphones. Once the batteries are ready, they will reach a Samsung smartphone plant for final assembly, probably in Vietnam too. This is where the company makes the vast majority of its smartphones.

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This is the latest in a string of developments where we have seen Samsungs smartphone division sourcing components from third-party suppliers instead of its sister firms. The company is also using increasingly more chipsets from other brands rather than its in-house Exynos solutions. All this is to reduce prices. The Korean behemoth needs to rework its pricing structures so its different business divisions can work more closely.
Posted on: June 6, 2022 1:56 PM

Ten theological educators from Anglican churches across Central and South America gathered in Guatemala City last month for what has been described as a ground-breaking consultation on the migration crisis and how churches and their seminaries and training programmes can respond.

Hosted by the Theological Education department at the Anglican Communion Office (TEAC), the consultation was joined online by around 50 other participants for the first session, a webinar that heard from Loida Sardinas from Colombia and Gabriela Merayo from Argentina to discuss the global issue.

There are now more than 280 million migrants in the world, with 20 per cent of this total moving within Latin America and up to the US border. Many become victims of exploitation, xenophobia and racism. More than 100,000 people have disappeared in Mexico and Central America.

The consultation heard how migration is at the core of the Bible, from Abraham and the Exodus through the defining episode of the Exile for the people of Israel.

Elizabeth Cook from Costa Rica pointed out that the Bible had been written by migrants for migrants, and they were therefore brothers and sisters in need of respect, dignity and support.

Neli Miranda from Guatemala reminded the consultation that missionary activity is the mother of theology and therefore theological education needs to located within the realities of the crisis.

Papers from the consultation and video clips will be published online by TEAC shortly.
Posted on: June 6, 2022 12:37 PM

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has written to the Primates of Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda to tell them that his invitation to bishops from their provinces to attend the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops remains open. In a joint letter with the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, Archbishop Justin said: God calls us to unity and not to conflict so that the world may know he came from the Father. That is the very purpose of the church globally.

Boycotts do not proclaim Christ, the two Anglican leaders said. Those who stay away cannot be heard, they will lose influence and the chance of shaping the future. All of us will be the poorer spiritually as a result of your absence.

His letter was in response to a joint statement issued by the three Primates  Archbishop Henry Ndukuba of Nigeria, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda, and Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba of Uganda  in response to the Communique from the Primates Meeting at Lambeth Palace, London, in March, which they did not attend.

In his letter, Archbishop Justin asks the three primates to cease making inaccurate statements about the position of the Church of England, telling them that the Church of England, has not in any way changed its teaching on marriage or the place of sexual relations.

They also criticise the three Primates rejection of some of the topics to be discussed at the Lambeth Conference, saying: we are distressed to read that you consider matters of the environment, poverty and economic disadvantage to be peripheral. These are matters of life and death for large parts of the Communion. They are the result of human sin of despoiling and ruining Gods creation and it is anticipated that the world will see devastating wars and the displacement of up to one billion people as a direct result of climate change.

Not to care for Gods creation and for the poor and destitute is in direct contravention of the teaching of scripture and the words of Jesus Christ.

The Communique from the Primates Meeting made reference to the Primates of Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda, saying: We continue to lament the absence from our meetings of three primates who choose to stay away. Our reflections, deliberations and fellowship are diminished by their absence. We miss them and their prayerful wisdom, and we long for the time when we will all meet together.

In their letter, Archbishops Justin and Josiah said: We stand by the statements in that communique, not least that which laments the absence of Your Graces from that meeting and of your churches from other instruments of the Communions life.

On the question of disagreements within the Anglican Communion, Archbishops Justin and Josiah said: The Bible is at the heart of Christian life. Anglicans hold to Scripture as the ultimate authority in matters of faith, as the Church has down the centuries.

There have always been disagreements on matters that affect the faith and life of the church and, from the Council of Jerusalem (see Acts 15) onwards the way that the Church has dealt with disagreement has been by prayerful discussion and listening to the views of those who differ.

Questions of human identity and sexuality will undoubtedly be discussed at the Lambeth Conference but bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda have indicated that they will not be there. Therefore they will have neither voice nor the opportunity to listen.
Posted on: June 6, 2022 4:00 PM

Governments in the Global North are being urged to fulfil their commitments on climate change  that is one of the calls made in a submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Anglican Communion. It comes in a written statement ahead of the 50th session of the Human Rights Council, which gets underway next week (13 June to 8 July).

The statement has been submitted ahead of a panel discussion, on 28 June, on the adverse effects of climate change on human rights of people in vulnerable situations.

The Anglican Communions submission identifies three particular groups of vulnerable people whose lives are affected by climate change: indigenous communities, young people, and women.

Evidence from across the Anglican Communion establishes the significance and necessity of lifting up Indigenous communities, whose way of life and very survival are threatened by the climate emergency; young people, facing the fallout of decisions made by past generations; and women, who are disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change across all population groups, the submission said.

Indigenous Communities

It says that indigenous communities are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Their deep-rooted connection to land and natural resources means that climate change threatens their very culture and way of life.

It says that indigenous perspectives on the climate emergency and stewardship of natural resources offer both practical and spiritual responses. Indigenous peoples are holders of local knowledge on the sustainable management of lands, forests, and earths abundance and emphasise connection and relationship with the natural world.

While indigenous voices are increasingly being recognised in climate discussions, their ability to participate meaningfully in and influence decision-making remains limited.

Young People

The Anglican Communions submission says that the impact of climate change on young people is not confined to the physical impacts of a changing climate on the world. Research suggests that climate anxiety and climate grief experienced among young people require specific mental health support, the statement says.

Young people are seeing the effects of inaction on a daily basis; therefore, if genuine solutions to the climate crisis are to be achieved, the voices, experiences and ambitions of young people must be at the heart of the climate decision-making process.

Women

The statement highlights the grim reality that deaths from climate change-related disasters are higher for women. It continues: In countries heavily impacted by climate-related weather changes, and where agriculture is a common source of income, thousands of women are pushed below the poverty line each year, leading them to resort to other means of subsistence which are less stable and may further compromise their safety.

The Anglican Communion makes eight recommendations to United Nations member states, UN agencies and civil society.

These include a demand that Promises must be fulfilled.

Recommendations

The Anglican Communion says: Governments, especially those in the Global North, must fulfil their financial commitments on climate finance, scale up development assistance to support mitigation and adaptation initiatives, go beyond dialogue to action on Loss & Damage financing, encourage financial institutions to provide grants, rather than loans, and consider broad-based debt relief for financially overburdened countries.

And they also stress the important role that faith groups can play: Faith actors are important partners for peoples living in vulnerable situations. Governments, multilateral organisations, financial institutions and private sector business should recognise the strategic importance of faith actors and include them as key partners in local, regional and global planning in disaster preparedness, response, other adaptation and mitigation activities, and disbursing funds to the most vulnerable.

The Anglican Communion has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations through the Anglican Consultative Council. It is represented by a permanent representative, Jack Palmer White, who works with the Instruments of Communion of the Anglican Communion  the Council, the Lambeth Conference, the Primates Meeting, and the Archbishop of Canterbury  to represent the concerns of the Anglican Communions member churches through the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations.

As a global body with a shared identity that transcends national borders, the Anglican Communion has a distinctive perspective on this issue, the statement says. Member churches of the Anglican Communion are involved in every part of the story of the climate crisis.

Anglicans face devastation in disaster-stricken communities but are also the polluters in wealthy countries. We are living in poverty and on the margins, including Indigenous peoples, but also wield power and political influence.

We are investors with financial capital, first responders to disasters and those who accompany communities on the journey of recovery. Anglicans contribute to the problem and to the solution. As a global community, Anglicans connect with one another, share experiences and can leverage their networks and shared identity to mobilise for action.

Jack Palmer-White said: by submitting this report to the Human Rights Council, the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations (ACOUN) is ensuring that the experiences and expertise of the global Anglican Communion are part of the discussion on how to address these issues and recognise best practices in our responses.

We are advocating for evidence-based policy changes to better protect the human rights of groups vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change  specifically indigenous peoples, young people and women; and communicating a distinctive Anglican perspective on these issues into the United Nations, and making sure that the wider Anglican Communion is aware of how Anglican expertise can shape approaches at the United Nations
(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - Foreign Minister Secretary-General Ambassador Ettore Francesco Sequi, acting ion the instructions of Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, and in agreement with the premier's office, on Monday morning summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Razov and firmly rejected allegations of amorality on the part of Italian institutions and media levelled in recent statements by the Russian foreign ministry, ministry sources said.

The secretary-general also rejected insinuations regarding the alleged involvement of Italy's media in an anti-Russian campaign, the sources said. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - Centre-left Democratic Party (PD) leader Enrico Letta told an ANSA Forum on Monday that it is important for Premier Mario Draghi's administration to stay in office until the end of the current parliamentary term next year amid talk of a possible crisis of government.

"This government must hold up until the last day," said Letta.

Draghi's executive is a sort of national unity government backed by all the major parties except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group.

It came to power early in 2021 with the task of implementing the post-COVID National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and the related reforms promised to the EU in exchange for almost 200 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans after ex-premier Giuseppe Conte's second government collapsed.

There are major differences within the ruling coalition on many issues, including the policy of giving military aid to Ukraine, with League leader Matteo Salvini and Conte's 5-Star Movement (M5S) saying Italy should send no more weapons to Kyiv.

There has been talk of a possible crisis of government after Draghi addresses parliament on June 21.

"The problem is not the PD, but the ruling majority as a whole," Letta said.

"We have kept a position that is agreed on with the rest of the EU and I believe that, whatever the position of parliament is, it must be in line with continuity with the European alliance.

"That debate in parliament (following Draghi's address) cannot fail to be of continuity, unless something happens on June 21 that changes everything". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Monday that he feared international grain shortages following Russia's blockage of Ukraine's ports could trigger new wars in other parts of the world.

"There are devastating effects (of the Ukraine war), such as the grain (shortage), such as the food emergency," Di Maio said during a visit to Naples.

"Here we have the risk of new wars breaking out thousands of kilometres away from Ukraine because Russia is blocking the export of grain from Ukrainian ports with its Navy ships".

He said Italy was taking action to counter the threat of a food crisis.

"We are working with initiatives involving all the countries of the Mediterranean, our partners and the United Nations agencies," he said.

"This week we will host an important dialogue event with all the countries of the Mediterranean to find solutions to prevent a food crisis causing greater migrant flows to Italy". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - Italian police are investigating a street fight at Lake Garda in northern Italy by gangs of second-generation immigrant youths on the Republic Day holiday Thursday as well as a reported sexual assault on up to 10 girls by 30 of the suspects on the train back to Milan later that day.

The incidents have been widely condemned.

League leader Matteo Salvini said the age of criminal responsibility should be lowered so that "a 15-year-old of second, third or fourth generation cannot get off lightly".

He said a League-proposed law cracking down on teen gangs had been "stuck in parliament for three years".

Democratic Party MP Laura Boldrini, chair of the Lower House panel on human rights in the world, said "the gangs have once more unleashed their worst instincts by abusing women's bodies, it is unacceptable.

"I hope the probe quickly finds names and surnames".

Teen gangs, many of them formed by immigrant youths, have been active in Italy for years with the affluent northern regions of Lombardy and Piedmont particularly affected.

There are also many teen gangs in the south of Italy, where they tend to be all-Italian. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - Italy is called on to ensure peace in Ukraine as soon as possible, President Sergio Mattarella said Monday.

"The war unleashed by the Russian federation against Ukraine is undermining the foundations for co-existence in the world," Mattarella said at a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the Carabinieri.

"It is a great commitment, the one which we are call to, to ensure peace, security and progress.

"I'm sure that the (Carabinieri) Corps will be able to constantly confirm its work and be a significant part of the ongoing national effort." (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - A 52-year-old Italian university lecturer in the UK was killed last Wednesday by her Turkish-Syrian husband, police said at the weekend.

Antonella Castelvedere, from Bagnolo Mella near Brescia in northern Italy, had a daughter in primary school.

Her husband, who has a British passport, allegedly stabbed her to death because he was jealous of her academic success in becoming a senior lecturer at the University of Suffolk, police said.

The alleged murder took place in the family home at Colchester, east of London.

The husband, who was taken to hospital with slight injuries, has been arrested.

"We are not seeking anyone else," said police. (ANSA).


ANKARA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish police on Monday detained at least 15 suspects in three separate operations over their alleged links to a network accused of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016.

An operation in southern Hatay Province targeted eight former military school students for allegedly being part of the "military private structure" of the Gulen movement, three of whom were detained, while the other five are being chased, according to a Turkish Interior Ministry statement.

The Turkish government accuses the Gulen Movement of infiltrating into the state bureaucracy and then attempting a coup on July 15, 2016.

In another operation against the group, the police in western Kutahya Province detained five suspects, including two civil servants, one teacher, and two private-sector employees.

The suspects were linked to the military establishment of the group, said the ministry.

The prosecutors in central Konya Province issued an arrest warrant for nine suspects within the scope of the investigation against the Gulen Movement's structure in the Turkish Armed Forces. Seven people were detained in police raids across five provinces, and operations are underway to apprehend the two others.

The Gulen movement, which mainly runs schools around the world, is a community of people named after Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen. He is regarded by followers as a spiritual leader.

Ankara accuses U.S.-based Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the attempted coup, in which at least 250 people were killed.

Turkey requests the extradition of Gulen, but Washington is reluctant to extradite the self-exiled Islamic cleric, saying that Ankara has not presented sufficient evidence against him.

The Turkish government has launched a massive crackdown on suspects with links to the network in the aftermath of the coup attempt. 
(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - Foreign Minister Secretary-General Ambassador Ettore Francesco Sequi, acting ion the instructions of Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, and in agreement with the premier's office, on Monday morning summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Razov and firmly rejected allegations of amorality on the part of Italian institutions and media levelled in recent statements by the Russian foreign ministry, a Farnesina statement said.

The secretary-general also rejected insinuations regarding the alleged involvement of Italy's media in an anti-Russian campaign, the statement said.

Sequi reiterated to Ambassador Razov Italy's condemnation of the unjustified aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation and reaffirmed the Italian government's hope that a negotiated solution to the conflict may soon be reached on fair foundations which respect Ukrainian sovereignty and the principles of international law.

Finally, he underscored the importance of swiftly defining an agreement to unblock grain exports from Ukrainian ports in order to avert grave consequences for global food security, the statement said. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - United States President Joe Biden's administration backs the efforts of its allies and partners to end the war in Ukraine, including Italy's, a White House spokesperson has told ANSA.

The spokesperson was responding to a question about the US administration's view of the Italian four-stage peace plan for Ukraine.

The plan would feature a ceasefire, talks on Ukraine's 'international status', i.e. whether it is neutral, a bilateral agreement between Kyiv and Moscow on the contested areas of Crimea and Donbass, and a multilateral agreement on peace and security in Europe.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the plan as "not serious". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 6 - Foreign Minister Secretary-General Ambassador Ettore Francesco Sequi, acting ion the instructions of Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, and in agreement with the premier's office, on Monday morning summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Razov and firmly rejected allegations of amorality on the part of Italian institutions and media levelled in recent statements by the Russian foreign ministry, a Farnesina statement said.

The secretary-general also rejected insinuations regarding the alleged involvement of Italy's media in an anti-Russian campaign, the statement said.

Sequi reiterated to Ambassador Razov Italy's condemnation of the unjustified aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation and reaffirmed the Italian government's hope that a negotiated solution to the conflict may soon be reached on fair foundations which respect Ukrainian sovereignty and the principles of international law.

Finally, he underscored the importance of swiftly defining an agreement to unblock grain exports from Ukrainian ports in order to avert grave consequences for global food security, the statement said.

The Russian embassy said Lavrov "dwelt on the sometimes unacceptable remarks of high Italian functionaries towards Russia and its leadership.

"He underlined that the propaganda line that is dominating in the Italian media can hardly be described as other than hostile.

(ANSA).


Air Serbia commenced seasonal flights to Bari Route will be operated in the period from June 5 to October 27

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 6 - Air Serbia commenced direct flights on a new seasonal route between Belgrade and Bari, the Serbian company announced. Flights on the Belgrade-Bari route will be operated in the period from June 5 to October 27, three times a week - on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. Bari is Air Serbia's fifth destination in Italy, after Rome, Milan, Venice and Trieste.



""We are glad that with this latest network expansion, we are further strengthening our position in Italy, only three days after we launched flights to Trieste," said Bosko Rupic, General Manager Commercial and Strategy of Air Serbia. (ANSA).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
ATHENS - Greece insists that Turkey is not longer in a position to instrumentalize the migration issue due to the government's measures and policies that have been put in place, which have strengthened border security significantly.



In the wake of a recent incident in the Aegean last month when Greece's coast guard thwarted the biggest "mass migration" attempt in over two years when it prevented approximately 600 people from entering the country by sea from Turkey, there have been calls against from Turkey that Greece is executing illegal migrant pushbacks.



Tension has also increased with Turkey also calling for Greece to "demilitarize" some of its Aegean islands.



Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis has responded, however, saying that Greece will stick to its policies.



"The fact that Turkey can not use immigration as a bargaining chip against the European Union any longer is crucial for Greece," he said in a television interview with national channel Open TV.



He added: "Our country, now, with a comprehensive policy - with the protection of the maritime borders, the closed and controlled structures, the tightening of legislation, and all that we have done - has managed to result in reducing the incoming flow of people to very low levels; for example, in Kos three years ago there were around 4,000 people, while now only 79 are living there now." "Unfortunately, there are some voices in Europe, mainly from the European Left, and not from countries opposed to border protection. On immigration, the division is not between states, but between ideologies. We must finally break away from ideological lines," said Mitarakis.



When asked about the growing Turkish provocation, Mitarakis countered that "the Treaty of Lausanne does not provide for the demilitarization of our islands, on the contrary, it forbids the neighboring country to fly over", something which Turkey have been guilty of for decades, as pointed out by Mitarakis.



"Turkey is the one that violates the Treaty of Lausanne and the issues of the Greek community that existed in its territory a decade ago, and they have received multiple punishments, but also in terms of the application of international law. Greece is clearly neither threatening anyone nor is threatened. Greece neither disputes something, nor is it disputed." Mitarakis concluded: "We do not expect further tension on the immigration front, but we are preparing so that if there is an event which is beyond expectations, it will not affect us, just as it did not affect us in March 2020 [when Turkey allowed thousands of migrants to try and get across the Northern land border]. Greece has strong allies and acts with sobriety and determination."

In related developments, Greek authorities have confirmed that they are planning a major extension of a border wall along the country's border with Turkey, and they are seeking European Union financial support to cover the cost of the additional construction.



Mitarakis 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. As yet there are no details on the projected cost of the project.



In 2021, 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.




BELGRADE - Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic on Monday morning met with Russian ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharcenko, who informed him of the reasons that prevented Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov from arriving in Belgrade.



"Ambassador of the Russian Federation Botsan-Kharcenko informed me of the reasons that prevented the arrival of Minister Lavrov to Belgrade and brought me documents confirming them," Vucic wrote on his Instagram profile, as media reported.



Vucic added that he would be discussing the issue in the evening on the new service of the Serbian public broadcaster RTS.



Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Montenegro (all NATO nations, with Bulgaria also part of the EU) did not granted the use of their airspace for Lavrov, who had planned a visit to Belgrade for Monday and Tuesday.



The three Balkan countries were abiding by Western sanctions placed on Russia due to its armed intervention in Ukraine.



Serbia, instead, despite condemning the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, refuses to impose sanctions against Moscow, citing its own national interests.



Konstantin Kosaciov, vice president of the high chamber of the Russian parliament, was cited Monday by Interfax as urging a severe reaction by Moscow against the three countries that refused to allow Lavrov to use their airspace.



He said that the decision was aimed "against Russia as a state and against Serbia as a state", and that the reaction should not be limited simply to a diplomatic protest.

Serbian president disappointed Lavrov could not come

BELGRADE - Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic on Monday expressed disappointment over an overflight ban that prevented a visit to Belgrade by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. In meeting with Russian ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharcenko, who informed him on the details of the decision made by Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia to refuse access to their airspace for Lavrov's flight, Vucic said - according to a statement issued by the president's office - that, despite everything, Serbia will maintain its independence and autonomy in political decisions while continuing in its path towards EU accession, maintaining its longstanding friendship and partnership ties with countries from all continents while maintaining its military neutrality.

In the meeting, the statement by the president's office said, there was also discussion on an upcoming meeting between Lavrov and Serbian foreign minister Nikola Selakovic. Vucic expressed the hope that peace and collaboration would soon return, with dialogue and negotiations the only mode of communication in the contemporary world.
Lebanon accuses Israel of 'hostile act' for gas exploration Energy standoff continues in eastern Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, JUNE 6 - The highest offices of Lebanese institutions on Sunday decried the arrival of a new gas rig off the Israeli coast to commence natural gas drilling in an eastern part of the Mediterranean that Lebanon lays claim to as well.



Lebanese president Michel Aoun's office said the president had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, calling the arrival of the rig a "provocation" and a "hostile act" .



The rig is operated by Greek energy firm Energean and had been expected to arrive for months in the Karish natural gas field, which both Lebanon and Israel claims parts to.



In 2020, the US mediated an agreement for the sharing of natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean.



Lebanon and Israel have officially been at war since their creation as independent states over 70 years ago.



Lebanon, dominated by the armed Shia movement Hezbollah, continues to claim a wider area of the sea than the agreement proposed.(ANSAmed). (ANSA).




Serbian president disappointed Lavrov could not come To 'move forward on EU path maintaining neutrality and ties'

(ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, JUNE 6 - Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic on Monday expressed disappointment over an overflight ban that prevented a visit to Belgrade by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.



In meeting with Russian ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharcenko, who informed him on the details of the decision made by Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia to refuse access to their airspace for Lavrov's flight, Vucic said - according to a statement issued by the president's office - that, despite everything, Serbia will maintain its independence and autonomy in political decisions while continuing in its path towards EU accession, maintaining its longstanding friendship and partnership ties with countries from all continents while maintaining its military neutrality.



In the meeting, the statement by the president's office said, there was also discussion on an upcoming meeting between Lavrov and Serbian foreign minister Nikola Selakovic.



Vucic expressed the hope that peace and collaboration would soon return, with dialogue and negotiations the only mode of communication in the contemporary world.(ANSAmed).




BEIRUT, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese authorities on Monday decided to invite U.S. Energy Envoy Amos Hochstein to resume its indirect border demarcation talks with Israel in a bid "to prevent any escalation that would not serve the stability in the region," the National News Agency reported.

The decision came after a meeting between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati following that Israel sent an Energean Power ship to enter the Karish oil field, a disputed area between Lebanon and Israel, to start oil and gas exploration.

The two officials also agreed to carry out a series of diplomatic contacts with the major countries and the United Nations to explain Lebanon's position and affirm the country's adherence to its maritime rights and wealth.

They also considered that any exploration, drilling or extraction activities carried out by Israel in the disputed areas constitute a provocation and an act of aggression that threatens international peace and security, and obstructs negotiations.

Israel had initially claimed the Karish North field as its own property, but later Lebanon expanded its claim in territorial waters, which would include at least part of the oil field.

This has resulted in the halting of indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries. 
TUNIS - The leader of Tunisia's Islamist party Ennahdha, who was also the speaker of the now-dissolved parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, has announced that his party will be boycotting both the July 25 referendum and the December 17 parliamentary elections.



In speaking to journalist at the beginning of an event held in Sfax, Ghannouchi added that "efforts continue with Ennahdha's partners to work against the coup d'etat and annul the decrees resulting from it", in line with the will of the people.



"The main mission today is to get Tunisia out of the situation of a coup d'etat and restore the constitution, the rule of law, and the institutions", the leader of the Islamist party said.



A number of citizens present protested against him in front of the building hosting the event.



Ghannouchi said that the recent accusations against the judiciary by the head of state was a violation of the rule of law aiming to lay the groundwork for a dictatorship.



"Undermining the independence of the judiciary aims to sabotage Ennahdha, excluding it from the political arena and classifying it in the category of terrorism and corruption, after being unable to defeat it politically," he said.
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have praised the Queen for her heart-warming sketch with Paddington Bear which aired during the weekends Platinum Party at the Palace.

The monarch and the beloved bear delighted viewers with a surprise sketch during which they bonded over marmalade sandwiches and then tapped out the beat of We Will Rock You on china teacups with silver spoons to kick off the star-studded concert.

Their novel duet, played at the start of the televised BBC event, was followed by opening act Queen + Adam Lambert, who joined in on the main stage with the famous song.

What a coincidence, it's marmalade sandwiches and tea all round.  Have you seen Her Majesty and Paddington's tea party? pic.twitter.com/YyglE2Amnz  This Morning (@thismorning) June 6, 2022

The This Morning presenting duo also tapped out the famous beat on teacups as the ITV show started, with Willoughby saying: Im never going to be able to have a cup of tea without doing that ever again!

She added that the Paddington sketch was unbelievably brilliant. I could watch it a thousand times.

For the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, the Queen paired up actor Daniel Craig for a James Bond-themed skit.

But Schofield said on Monday morning: I think it was better than James Bond.

On Sunday, Willoughby was among the celebrities who formed part of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant to celebrate the monarchs 70-year reign.

A host of famous faces, including models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, appeared as part of the street parade in decorated, open-top, double-decker buses each themed to a decade.

Willoughby, who was on a bus alongside Rylan Clark, Nicole Scherzinger and Coronation Streets Antony Cotton, said: The bus was amazing.

Holly Willoughby, Rylan Clark, Nicole Scherzinger and Rosie Jones during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in front of Buckingham Palace, London, on day four of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations (Yui Mok/PA)

It was like you couldnt believe what you were seeing, just so many people, so much love and affection, it was just magical, and every corner, every bend, there was people there and then the Royal family being there and then Ed Sheeran performing on stage.

Dame Joan Collins and Dame Arlene Phillips featured in the Dame section of the parade in an open car procession, alongside Twiggy, real name Dame Lesley Lawson, and Dame Prue Leith.

Great British Bake Off star Dame Prue experienced car trouble during the parade and needed a push by four men in fluorescent jackets.

But Willoughby said of the moment the Queen appeared on the balcony: Nobody knew, obviously you dont know, you hope, you think maybe you might get to see something.

And then suddenly you heard this roar and we turned around and there was the family on the balcony. And it was, you just felt like you were part of, you were seeing a piece of history amazing.

Im overwhelmed, I still cant quite believe it.

Looking at footage of herself alongside Rylan Clark in the crowd from the day, Willoughby quipped to Schofield that it felt like competition winners, it was amazing.

The duo also took out marmalade sandwiches on This Morning as a nod to the pre-recorded comedy sketch with Paddington Bear.

At the end of the four days of royal festivities, all in tribute to the Queen and her 70-year reign, the monarch shared a message of thanks, writing: I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.

I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations.
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp left a large tip after booking out a Birmingham curry house as he continues a series of surprise appearances alongside Jeff Beck.

The 58-year-old dined out at Varanasi in the citys Broad Street but he has also been seen in Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield in recent weeks.

The appearances follow the Pirates of the Caribbean actors defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard which came to a close in the United States last week.

Johnny Depp with a member of staff at the Varanasi restaurant in Birmingham (Mo Hussain/Varanasi)

A jury found Ms Heards 2018 article in the Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse to be defamatory and awarded $10.35million (8.2 million) in damages to Mr Depp.

Ms Heard won on one count of her counter-suit, successfully arguing Depps press agent defamed her by claiming her allegations were an abuse hoax aimed at capitalising on the #MeToo movement.

The jury awarded her $2 million (1.5 million) in damages.

The actor was not in court for the jury findings on Wednesday, and has instead been touring with musician Jeff Beck appearing at a host of UK dates.

Mo Hussain, operations director at Varanasi, told the PA news agency Depps security team had called to ask if they could take a look around the venue on Sunday afternoon, before booking the entire 300-cover restaurant out that evening.

Mr Depp and Mr Beck then arrived with about two dozen members of their tour crew, from 7.30pm, enjoying a three-course dinner of chicken tikka shashlik, vegetable samosas and a king prawn starter.

Mr Hussain said once Mr Depp had finished he spent time hugging, kissing and having photos taken with members of staff, and friends and family members of the restaurant bosses.

He was very humble, and he stayed to talk and greet everyone, added Mr Hussain.

He met my three daughters and they made him give them a few one-liners from his movies.

Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp. (Mo Hussain/Varanasi)

He did youre weird from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Mr Hussain added: He was really good with the children, but there was about 60 of us there and he didnt leave one person without hugging or kissing them, or shaking their hands.

Its a once-in-a-lifetime moment, really.

Some of the staff were asking about the recent court case, but he was just smiling  it was a smile of relief.

Mr Hussain said: They spent a lot of money, its a big venue to hire out, but they never even looked at the bill.

He gave a large tip.
Thousands of holidaymakers are stuck overseas after the cancellation of flights to the UK.

Passengers booked with easyJet, British Airways, Tui Airways and Wizz Air are among those who have seen their plans to return from half-term or bank holiday breaks disrupted.

The aviation industry is struggling to cope with the rise in demand for travel amid a severe staffing shortage.

Matt Wheeler, 37, a train driver from Nottingham, said he and his partner had to make emergency childcare arrangements after finding out their easyJet flight home from Amsterdam had been cancelled on Monday morning.

Its a farce didnt know about the cancellation until we arrived at the airport at 3.30am, no easyJet staff or any staff that could help us, Mr Wheeler told the PA news agency.

We now have to try and arrange family members to pick our kids up from school/childminders this afternoon and then have them overnight and take them to school tomorrow.

Theyll have to take time off work (and) we will now miss a days work tomorrow as we wont be home.

@easyJet 7am flight from Amsterdam- Birmingham cancelled have a 1 & 5 year old at home, and work now cant get back until tomorrow , thats if that goes ahead  what a farce #easyjet  matt wheeler (@mattwheelerdj) June 6, 2022

Mr Wheeler said they have been put in a hotel and booked onto a Tuesday morning flight, but added its the lack of communication and no one at the airport to speak to thats annoying  and the fact this could happen again tomorrow.

After cancelling dozens of flights over the weekend, easyJet scrapped a further 37 on Monday, with Gatwick the worst affected.

These included flights from destinations such as Bilbao, Madrid and Seville in Spain, Milan and Palermo in Italy, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, and Malta.

An easyJet spokeswoman said: EasyJet is operating over 1,700 flights today carrying almost 300,000 customers.

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing challenging operating environment around 37 flights have been cancelled today ahead of customers arriving at the airport.

We are very sorry and fully understand the disruption this will have caused for our customers.

British Airways axed more than 100 short-haul flights at Heathrow on Monday, although the airline stressed that passengers affected were given advance notice.

Tui Airways is cancelling six daily flights at Manchester.

Some 225 departures from UK airports were cancelled between Monday and Friday last week, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

That compares with 24 during the corresponding half-term week last year.

Travel consultancy The PC Agency estimated that at least 15,000 passengers were affected by last-minute changes to flights on Sunday.

Chief executive Paul Charles said this caused major knock-on effects and it will take three days to clear the backlog.

Nothing to celebrate this weekend for thousands affected by cancelled flights. We calculate at least 15,000 passengers affected today by last-minute changes; little hope of getting back tonight and major knock-on effects. It will take three days to clear the backlog. @ThePCAgency  Paul Charles (@PPaulCharles) June 5, 2022

He told the PA news agency: Were now seeing the impact of the weekends cancellations with knock-on effects for tens of thousands of travellers.

So many flights were never rescheduled after the pandemic, so there often isnt the frequency of flights to get passengers back quickly if they are affected.

Were going to see a large number of compensation claims from those stuck abroad.

Sadly it can take three days to get flights back to normal and get people back.

UK airline passengers have been hit by disruption for several months due to a lack of staff after letting thousands of people go during the coronavirus pandemic.

Airlines, airports and ground handling companies repeatedly called for sector-specific financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government travel restrictions suppressed demand.

They are now struggling to recruit new staff and have their security checks processed.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has rejected calls to open the door to more cheap overseas workers in a bid to relieve the pressure on the aviation sector.

Asked whether he would temporarily allow more foreign workers into the industry to alleviate staffing pressures, told the BBCs Sunday Morning programme: The answer cant always be to reach for the lever marked More immigration.

There is not some pull that is going to relieve this.
Actress Natalie Anderson says she staged a surprise ceremony to renew her wedding vows that was so secret even her husband James Shepherd did not know what was happening.

The Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star, 40, said the occasion, which took place days before their wedding anniversary, was all I dreamt it would be.

She told Hello! magazine she had hatched the plan with her nine-year-old son Freddie, who had delivered his father a special letter, like a scene from a romantic film.

The Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star, 40, said the occasion was all I dreamt it would be (Ian West/PA)

The letter invited Shepherd, 50, to join Anderson at the ceremony to re-promise themselves to each other, and read: I love you and if youd like to do the same, please meet me at the beach

How James didnt know is beyond me, Anderson told Hello!.

It was so magical and so intimate with it just being the three of us.

It was absolutely perfect and all I dreamt it would be.

The ceremony took place on May 28, just days before the couples anniversary on June 6.

The actress wore a gown by Dutch bridal designer Modeca.

The actress will soon make her cinema debut with Liam Neeson (Hello!/PA)

I knew I wanted something that was simple, that I could wear without shoes, that was beachy with a lovely silhouette and just different to my wedding dress, she said.

She revealed she still has the Pronovias silk and Swarovski-beaded and lace dress with 8ft cathedral train that she wore 14 years ago for their wedding in North Yorkshire.

As well as parts on the long-running soaps, Anderson is due to make her big-screen debut alongside Liam Neeson in action-thriller Memory.

The full interview can be read in the next issue of the magazine.
Dozens of Conservative MPs and ministers issued public declarations of support for Boris Johnson ahead of a vote on the future of his leadership.

In what appeared to be a co-ordinated show of support, Cabinet ministers  including potential leadership contenders Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Ben Wallace  declared their backing for Mr Johnson on social media.

The Prime Minister has my 100% backing in today's vote and I strongly encourage colleagues to support him. He has delivered on covid recovery and supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. He has apologised for mistakes made. We must now focus on economic growth.  Liz Truss (@trussliz) June 6, 2022

Backbench Tories also joined in, with some tweeting a document drawn up by the Prime Ministers allies showing his achievements and setting out reasons to keep him in place.

Along with the social media comments, a concerted operation was launched to ensure allies of the Prime Minister were in front of broadcast cameras.

By mid-morning the public declarations of support had eclipsed the 54 MPs required to trigger the confidence vote.

In 2019 Boris won with a majority of 80. He has delivered victories in seats we have never held before. On Covid, on Ukraine he has helped deliver a world leading response. He has my full confidence.  Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) June 6, 2022

Foreign Secretary Ms Truss said: The Prime Minister has my 100% backing in todays vote and I strongly encourage colleagues to support him.

Mr Sunak, the Chancellor, said: From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.

Defence Secretary Mr Wallace said: In 2019 Boris won with a majority of 80. He has delivered victories in seats we have never held before.

On Covid, on Ukraine he has helped deliver a world leading response. He has my full confidence.

Some of the many reasons why I will continue to back our Prime Minister @BorisJohnson and why divided parties dont benefit anybody. pic.twitter.com/EfPkJbdS9q  Brendan Clarke-Smith MP (@Bren4Bassetlaw) June 6, 2022

Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has sought to downplay the significance of a confidence vote in Boris Johnson in an interview with Sky News, calling it the routine of politics.

Referring to the threshold of Tory MPs who have submitted a letter of no confidence, he said: I dont think getting to the 15% bar is particularly damaging, or indeed particularly surprising. I think its a relatively low bar and fairly easy to get to.

After suggestions he had been rolled out in front of cameras to voice his support of Mr Johnson, he said: Nobody has forced me to come out to support an exceptional, good, forward-looking Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab also told the broadcaster: The choice is weve got a prime minister whos got their big calls right  on the vaccine rollout, on getting the economy fired up, the leadership hes shown on Ukraine.

He said a leadership competition would be seen by the public as a conversation amongst ourselves, adding: I think that will feel, to many people, as self-indulgent at this important crossroads.

So I think its important people get behind the Prime Minister and Im confident they will.

MPs Brendon Clarke-Smith and Michael Fabricant both tweeted a briefing document listing the Prime Ministers achievements and reasons to keep him in post.

It said that backing Mr Johnson would allow the party to move on from distractions and hailed his unmatched electoral record.

Although as the ballot is secret, there is no guarantee that all those who publicly backed the Prime Minister would do so when the time comes to cast their vote.

In the hours following Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Bradys announcement that the vote would take place on Monday evening there were some conspicuous absences from the list of those tweeting support.

Trade minister Penny Mordaunt, who is rumoured to have leadership ambitions, said she was attending a D-Day memorial event in Portsmouth.

But she later told Portsmouths The News: I didnt choose this prime minister, I didnt support him in the leadership contest but he has always had my loyalty because I think thats what you do when you have a democratic process  you select a leader and then you owe that person your loyalty.

Thats always been my approach, whatever differences Ive had with people and that remains. Im one of his ministers and I have continued to support him.

And because we are no longer trusted by the electorate, who know this too, we are set to lose the next general election.  Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) June 6, 2022

Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who stood against Mr Johnson for the leadership in 2019, said he would not support him, warning that keeping the Prime Minister in post would wreck the partys electoral chances.

Having been trusted with power, Conservative MPs know in our hearts we are not giving the British people the leadership they deserve, he said.

We are not offering the integrity, competence and vision necessary to unleash the enormous potential of our country.

And because we are no longer trusted by the electorate, who know this too, we are set to lose the next general election.
The UK is to send its first long-range missiles to Ukraine after Russia struck the outskirts of Kyiv for the first time since April.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Britain will send an unspecified number of M270 launchers, which can fire precision-guided rockets up to 50 miles  a longer range than any missile technology currently in use in the war.

The UK stands with Ukraine in this fight and is taking a leading role in supplying its heroic troops with the vital weapons they need to defend their country from unprovoked invasion, Mr Wallace said in a statement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Ben Wallace said Ukraines allies support must continue to evolve (Peter Nicholls/PA)

If the international community continues its support, I believe Ukraine can win.

As Russias tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine. These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which (Vladimir) Putins forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities.

Ukrainian troops will be trained in the UK to use the equipment, he added.

Boris Johnson said the systems will help Ukraine effectively repel the continuing Russian onslaught.

We cannot stand by while Russian long-range artillery flattens cities and kills innocent civilians, the Prime Minister said.

We cannot stand by while Russian long-range artillery flattens cities and kills innocent civilians. The UK will gift the Ukrainian Armed Forces multiple-launch rocket systems so they can effectively repel the continuing Russian onslaught. https://t.co/kuwrwUUPWo  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 6, 2022

The MoD said the decision to provide the launchers was closely co-ordinated with the US government, which said it will supply High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to Ukraine.

When the US announced it will be sending the missiles, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to hit new targets.

If they are delivered, we will draw appropriate conclusions from this and use our weapons, which we have enough of, to strike at those objects that we have not yet hit, he said in an interview with state TV channel Russia-1, which was filmed on Friday.

Kyivs residents awoke on Sunday to the first Russian strikes on the capital since April 28, while Moscows forces have also maintained steady pressure via artillery and air strikes in the eastern Donbas region.

Meanwhile, the UK announced that a specialist legal and police team will be offered to assist the chief prosecutor investigating alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Dominic Raab will unveil additional legal support for Ukraine (James Manning/PA)

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday will present a second package of support for the independent investigation, on top of the 1 million funding provided by the UK Government earlier this year.

The offer will include a dedicated Metropolitan Police officer stationed in The Hague, providing the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its prosecutor, Karim Khan, with swift access to further British police and military expertise.

It comes after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Friday reaffirmed Britains support for Ukraine, warning that Russias unjustified and illegal invasion threatens world peace and economic stability.

In a statement marking the 100th day of the war, Ms Truss said the UK remains determined that Mr Putins offensive should not succeed.

He expected the invasion to be over in days, but significantly under-estimated the resolve of brave Ukrainians, who have valiantly defended their country, she said.

Putins invasion has brought death and destruction on a scale not seen in Europe since World War II. This war has huge ramifications for global peace, prosperity and food security. It matters to us all.

Today is a moment to pay our respects to the thousands of innocent civilians murdered since the invasion, and reaffirm our steadfast support for Ukraines heroic defence, to ensure they succeed and Putin fails.
The end of Season 7 of Fear the Walking Dead not only marked a new beginning for Kim Dickens late Madison, it teed up a meet-anything-but-cute for Alicias mother and Morgan.

As Gone got underway, Morgan, having drifted with Mo all the way to Louisiana, was apprehended by a group of hooded men who, believing him to be a child thief, wanted to bury him up to his neck on the beach so as to drown him when the tide came in. He was saved (swell) but by Madison, who turned out to be the sought-after baby thief (considerably less swell).

Via flashbacks, we learned that after the ballpark blaze that we thought had killed the series original protagonist (refresh your memory with TVLines recap), she was taken in by the shadowy P.A.D.R.E. organization, afforded enough oxygen to keep her huffing like she was doing an impression of Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet and tasked with napping as many kids as she could get her hands on. Lil Mo was just the collectors latest acquisition.

Alas, when Morgan caught up with Madison, she had already left the egg in the nest to be picked up by her colleagues. During a subsequent scuffle, he noticed Madisons Nick and Alicia tattoos and realized, Oh, dear God, she was their mother. Desperate to get Mo back, Morgan took away Madisons oxygen. In turn, she said that the only way to be reunited with his daughter was to give P.A.D.R.E. another child. So he led her to a pregnant woman named Ava, who it turned out wasnt expecting at all. Shed been trying to lure Madison, whod taken her little girl a year ago.

fear the walking dead

One thing (the posse caught up with Madison) led to another (Morgan revealed that Nick and, to the best of his knowledge, Alicia were dead), and by the time the smoke cleared, Morgan had saved Madison from becoming walker surf-n-turf, and shed saved him from being bitten by a zombified Ava. (Because Fear TWD only introduces guest characters that last one episode anymore.) Suddenly, Madison was into helping Morgan reunite with Mo, so she had him trade intel on his seafaring friends for a trip to P.A.D.R.E.

Where was it? She had no idea. She, as well as Morgan, were blindfolded en route. And that was it for Season 7. What did you think? Were you satisfied with Madisons comeback? Did it leave you eager for Season 8? Grade the finale and the season below, then hit the comments.

Launch Gallery: 40+ Shows That Have Ended in 2022 (So Far)  Which Will You Miss Most?
Finally! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released the first photo of their daughter, Lili, to mark the tots first birthday.

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The Duke of Sussex, 37, and the Suits alum, 40, shared the sweet snap on Monday, June 6, days after celebrating the milestone. According to a spokesperson, the couple hosted a casual picnic for their youngest child at Frogmore Cottage over the weekend amid celebrations for Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee.

Misan Harriman/Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

The rep noted that Misan Harriman, who went to the party, took the photo of Lili at the event, which was attended by close friends and family of the Sussexes, who are also parents to son Archie, 3. The soiree also included a special birthday cake baked by Claire Ptak, who created Harry and Meghans wedding cake in 2018.

The photograph marks the first time that Lilis face has been shown since her birth in June 2021. Lilibet, whose full name honors the queen and the late Princess Diana, met her great-grandmother, 96, for the first time this weekend. The BetterUp CIO and the Bench author returned to the U.K. for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, attending Trooping the Colour on Thursday, June 3, and the Thanksgiving service for the queen on Friday, June 4.

Read article

Harry and Meghans appearance at the celebration of the monarchs 70 years on the throne comes two months after they made their first joint trip back to the U.K. since stepping back from their senior royal duties. During their visit to the Netherlands to commemorate the Invictus Games, the pair stopped by Windsor Castle to meet with the queen for the first time since their move to the U.S.

Both Meghan and I had tea with her. It was really nice to catch up with her, Harry said during an interview with Todays Hoda Kotb in April, noting that his grandmother was in great form when they reunited.

The Invictus Games founder also discussed getting to return to the U.K. after moving to the U.S. with his wife. Home for me now is, for the time being, is in the States and it feels that way, as well, Harry added at the time. Weve been welcomed with open arms and have such a great community in Santa Barbara, [California].

In 2020, Harry and Meghan made headlines when they announced their plans to step away from their roles in the royal family. One year later, they confirmed that the decision was made permanent and moved to the California ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read article

After their exit, Harry addressed his worries about bringing his little ones to England. During a preliminary hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice earlier this year, the dukes attorney Shaheed Fatima said his client does not feel safe traveling to his home country after losing taxpayer-funded police protection.

This claim is about the fact that the claimant does not feel safe when he is in the U.K. given the security arrangements that were applied to him in June 2021 and will continue to be applied to him if he decides to come back, Fatima stated at the hearing in February. And, of course, it should go without saying that he wants to come back: to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart. Most of all, this is, and always will be, his home.
Suha Atature, head of the International Relations Department at Istanbul Gedik University, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Istanbul, Turkey, May 13, 2022.

The Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by China offers a long-needed global mindset that will bring peace to the world, a Turkish international relations academic said. (Xinhua/Shadati)

ISTANBUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by China offers a long-needed global mindset that will bring peace to the world, a Turkish international relations academic said.

The world needs such kind of global ideas in which no states and people would be excluded, Suha Atature, head of the International Relations Department at Istanbul Gedik University, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"If we have this responsibility (as proposed by the GSI), the world will be a much more peaceful place in the future. Otherwise, we will never get rid of wars," Atature pointed out.

The idea has learned lessons from history and deems that the Cold War mentality should be abandoned and unilateral sanctions be avoided, Atature said. "That is what the Global Security Initiative defends" and it is against any kind of hegemony.

According to Atature, the world needs to embrace this global governance philosophy that emphasizes extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, promotes the common values of humanities and advocates exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.

The expert said that the GSI and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), both based on a win-win concept for all the participating countries, would bring the world to a better future, making it a more secure place for all the people.

For Atature, both the GSI and BRI will bring huge benefits for world nations as they are concerned about the development of every country and their economies, including the improvement of their infrastructure, as well as their cultural and social growth in a peaceful environment.

"The GSI and BRI are two very important projects," and the world needs such "global ideas, global mentalities, and global mindset projects" that bring peace more than ever, he said.

To better understand China's initiatives, Gedik University has recently introduced three years of Chinese language training for its international relations students.

The university has also signed several protocols with some universities in China, hoping to strengthen ties with them through much more effective activities. 

Suha Atature, head of the International Relations Department at Istanbul Gedik University, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Istanbul, Turkey, May 13, 2022.

The Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by China offers a long-needed global mindset that will bring peace to the world, a Turkish international relations academic said. (Xinhua/Shadati)

Suha Atature, head of the International Relations Department at Istanbul Gedik University, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Istanbul, Turkey, May 13, 2022.

The Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by China offers a long-needed global mindset that will bring peace to the world, a Turkish international relations academic said. (Xinhua/Shadati)

Suha Atature, head of the International Relations Department at Istanbul Gedik University, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Istanbul, Turkey, May 13, 2022.

The Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by China offers a long-needed global mindset that will bring peace to the world, a Turkish international relations academic said. (Xinhua/Shadati)
FILE - Penelope Cruz arrives at the Oscars March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz won one of Spains top film awards for her outsized contribution to Spanish cinema, the countrys ministry of culture said Monday, June 6, 2022. The jury of the 2022 National Cinema award were unanimous in their decision to honor the Madrid-born star. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) (John Locher/Invision/AP)

MADRID (AP)  Penelope Cruz has won one of Spains top film awards for her contribution to Spanish cinema, the countrys ministry of culture said Monday.

The jury of the 2022 National Cinema award was unanimous in its decision to honor the Madrid-born star, describing the 48-year-old Oscar winner in a statement as an iconic actress whose brilliant legacy enriches Spains cultural heritage.

Committed to her craft, she seeks excellence in her work, allowing her to create some of the most unforgettable characters in the history of our cinema, the jury added.

The recognition is the latest addition to Cruzs long list of accolades, from an Academy Award for best supporting actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, to top awards at the Cannes and Venice Film Festival for her performances in Volver and Parallel Mothers.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez congratulated Cruz soon after the award was announced.

She is the embodiment of cinema, both Spanish and international, Sanchez tweeted, citing her immense talent and exceptional performances.

Past winners of the award include actor Antonio Banderas and director Isabel Coixet.
CrackerClips / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Social Security is an essential safety net for many Americans. Even if you haven't saved enough for retirement, you can still count on Social Security benefits in retirement.

Read: 14 Key Signs You Will Run Out of Money in Retirement

Learn: Best and Worst States for Pensions

However, with an average monthly benefit of just over $1,400, America's most expensive cities are far out of reach without another source of income. If you do have to rely on your Social Security benefits alone -- and still want to make the most of your golden years -- you'll need to live somewhere affordable that won't compromise your quality of life.

That's why GOBankingRates compiled a list of the 20 best cities to live off of just Social Security. The study factored in the cost of living, livability and median rent and -- after comparing the 143 largest cities in the U.S. -- combined the scores to determine where you really can get by on just your Social Security benefit.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

20. Lubbock, Texas

Cost of Living Score: 79.9

Livability Score: 68

Average Rent: $719

Lubbock is one of five Texas cities identified in the study as a good place to live just on Social Security. Its relatively low livability score and rent of more than $700 per month prevented it from moving up on the list.

Ron_Thomas / iStock.com

19. Toledo, Ohio

Cost of Living Score: 72.7

Livability Score: 62

Average Rent: $651

Toledo's cost of living indicates that you can expect to spend more than 25% less on your basic expenses than you would in the rest of the country, on average. What's more, Toledo is one of the cities where your money stretches the furthest, according to a separate GOBankingRates study.

Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto

18. Cleveland, Ohio

Cost of Living Score: 72.6

Livability Score: 60

Average Rent: $612

If you're younger and looking to avoid living off your Social Security check alone when you reach retirement, one of the best ways is to start saving early. However, even if it's too late to build the sort of nest egg you would like, a city like Cleveland -- which combines modest rent with a low cost of living -- should help you make the most of your Social Security benefits.

RoschetzkyIstockPhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

17. Magnolia, Texas

Cost of Living Score: 104

Livability Score: 80

Average Rent: $773

Magnolia is about 45 miles northwest of Houston in fast-growing Montgomery County. Its popularity probably has led to the high rental rate in the city - eighth-highest on the list. It also has the second-highest cost of living in the study.

Art Wager / Getty Images/iStockphoto

16. Richmond, Texas

Cost of Living Score: 108.2

Livability Score: 82

Average Rent: $780

Also located in the Houston metropolitan area is Richmond, and it has the highest cost-of-living index in the study. It's livability score is among the biggest, too.

WilliamSherman / Getty Images/iStockphoto

15. Roanoke, Virginia

Cost of Living Score: 84.1

Livability Score: 75

Average Rent: $792

The average rent cost in Roanoke is the fourth-highest on the list, but its lower cost of living and high livability rates make it desirable for retirees. If you wanted supplement your Social Security earnings, Roanoke is a good place to do it. Another GOBankingRates study showed it's one of the top 20 cities for remote workers.

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14. Lincoln, Nebraska

Cost of Living Score: 89.8

Livability Score: 78

Average Rent: $806

The average rent in Lincoln of $806 is second-highest on the list, but overall, living in this college town still is 10% cheaper to live in than the rest of the United States.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

13. Grand Forks, North Dakota

Cost of Living Score: 88.2

Livability Score: 74

Average Rent: $733

Grand Forks is the northernmost city on the list, and one of two in North Dakota. At $733, rent in Grand Forks is at the midpoint, but it's still 11% less expensive to live here than elsewhere.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

12. Odessa, Texas

Cost of Living Score: 88

Livability Score: 63

Average Rent: $504

The primary appeal of Odessa to retirees is the low cost of rent. At $504 per month, it's the cheapest in the study - and by a wide margin. But the livability score of 63 also is among the lowest, knocking Odessa to No. 12 on the list.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

11. Fargo, North Dakota

Cost of Living Score: 91.9

Livability Score: 77

Average Rent: $740

Fargo is one of the best cities to live in on a fixed income, another GOBankingRates study revealed. That should appeal to those relying on Social Security.

Shutterstock.com

10. Davenport, Iowa

Cost of Living Score: 81.7

Livability Score: 69

Average Rent: $644

It costs about 19% less to live in Davenport than the average American city, fueled by its average rent of $644 per month. Dragging it down is its livability score of just 69.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

9. Abilene, Texas

Cost of Living Score: 78.1

Livability Score: 75

Average Rent: $780

The last of the five Texas cities on the list, Abilene has a cost of living that is about 22% below the national average - one of the lowest in the study. That makes the comparatively high apartment cost of $780 easier to bear.

Gau Meo / Shutterstock.com

8. Norman, Oklahoma

Cost of Living Score: 89.4

Livability Score: 76

Average Rent: $715

Norman is the home of the University of Oklahoma, and living surrounded by all of those college students will keep a retiree young. The average rent of $715 is the seventh-lowest among cities on the list.

Shutterstock.com

7. Lake Charles, Louisiana

Cost of Living Score: 83.4

Livability Score: 70

Average Rent: $622

For retirees interested in living near the water, with all of the recreational opportunities that brings - think fishing! - there's good news: Lake Charles has the third-lowest rent cost of the cities considered in this study.

benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto

6. Des Moines, Iowa

Cost of Living Score: 81.2

Livability Score: 75

Average Rent: $729

Des Moines scored high in two categories, livability and cost of living, which led to its No. 6 ranking on this list.

IMG_191 / Shutterstock.com

5. Rochester, Minnesota

Cost of Living Score: 94.1

Livability Score: 84

Average Rent: $800

About 3 million people visit Rochester annually, many of them to visit with doctors at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, which opened in the city in 1889. While rents are the third-highest in the study, its livability score is high, too, making it desirable for retirees.

ChrisBoswell / Getty Images/iStockphoto

4. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Cost of Living Score: 78.9

Livability Score: 75

Average Rent: $718

Fort Wayne is a little pricier than many of the other cities on this list, but it still is among one of the best cities in the nation to retire on $1,500 a month, found a separate GOBankingRates study.

Wikimedia Commons

3. St. Charles, Missouri

Cost of Living Score: 92.2

Livability Score: 86

Average Rent: $831

St. Charles has the highest rental cost in the study at $831 but it also has the highest livability score at 86. There's a lot for retirees to do there, from exploring historic Main Street to touring the local wine country.

Shutterstock.com

2. Lynchburg, Virginia

Cost of Living Score: 82.9

Livability Score: 81

Average Rent: $786

Lynchburg's relatively high livability score is the primary factor in pushing the city to No. 2 on this list, but its retiree-friendly cost of living is another major factor. The cost of living is about 17% below the U.S. average.

Shutterstock.com

1. Rock Springs, Wyoming

Cost of Living Score: 96.2

Livability Score: 83

Average Rent: $692

Outlaw Butch Cassidy once called Rock Springs, an outpost of the Old West, home. Today, it's a city welcoming to retirees, with a low average rent of $692 and a high livability score. An old mining town located in the high desert, Rock Springs is near the Killpecker Sand Dunes, which are the largest sand dunes in North America.

More From GOBankingRates

Joel Anderson contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best places to live on only a Social Security check based on the (1) average monthly benefit for retired workers, $1,518.97, sourced from Social Security Administration; (2) the overall cost of living in each city, sourced from Sperling's Best Places; (3) average 2021 rent for a one-bedroom apartment as sourced from ApartmentList,; and (4) Livability scores sourced from areavibes. Factors (2) through (4) were scored and combined with the lowest score being best. Factor (4) was weighted double in final calculations. All data was collected and is up to date as of Dec. 14, 2021.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Best Places To Live on Only a Social Security Check
The Prime Minister did not greet his Estonian counterpart outside the door of Number 10, seemingly to avoid journalists ahead of the confidence motion on Monday night.

Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas was visiting Downing Street to speak to Boris Johnson about strengthening the Nato alliance against Russian aggression, and she did not receive a handshake outside in a marked break from protocol.

Ms Kallas instead waved to cameras on her entrance and spoke briefly with the press after their meeting, which lasted around 20 minutes and was mostly in private.

The two leaders met at Downing Street on Monday afternoon (Alberto Pezzali/PA)

The Estonian leader tentatively told the media that Mr Johnson was in good spirits.

When asked by the PA news agency how Mr Johnson appeared to be feeling, Ms Kallas paused for a moment before saying: The mood was good.

While inside, Ms Kallas thanked Mr Johnson for his great leadership on the world stage against Vladimir Putins aggression in Ukraine.

She said: We have been great allies in Nato and we are very grateful for the British troops in Estonia, and also that you have doubled them while the war took place.

Boris Johnson speaking with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas inside Number 10 after avoiding greeting her at the door (Alberto Pezzali/PA)

I also thank you for the great leadership in fighting with Ukraine and giving them all the help they need.

I think the UK has been a very leading voice on the world stage so that the moral compass would be correct in this regard, so thank you for that.

Mr Johnson said it was a great pleasure to welcome Ms Kallas and praised her on the outstanding job she is doing standing up to Mr Putin.

He added: Were very proud of the friendship that we have with you in Estonia and weve got a lot to talk about, a lot more to do.

The leaders previously met at a Nato military base in Tapa, Estonia, on March 1, and Monday marked their fourth meeting of the year.

Thank you PM @BorisJohnson for a great welcome. We share the same vision on bolstering NATOs Eastern flank. Estonia and the UK will work together in NATO to strengthen the forces & command structures committed to the defence of Estonia. Joint statement: https://t.co/zqdupgHIf8 pic.twitter.com/LzoWDruZux  Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) June 6, 2022

Number 10 said the UK has sent an additional battlegroup to Estonia, which shares a 182-mile border with Russia, to ensure its security and stability.

A spokeswoman for Downing Street added: Discussing the importance of the Nato leaders summit later this month, both leaders denounced Putins abhorrent invasion of Ukraine, and the Prime Minister said the Russian president was the author of his own embarrassment.

The prime ministers said there could be no backsliding in Allies support for Ukraine.

They were also clear that Nato needed to agree a strengthened position in the face of continued Russian aggression.

The leaders agreed to stay in close contact in the coming weeks.

During her visit to London, Ms Kallas was also presented with the Grotius Prize, named after a philosopher regarded as having founded some core principles of international law, by Policy Exchange, a Conservative think tank.
Tory MPs are voting on Boris Johnsons future, after he warned that pointless internal warfare could see them turfed out of office.

The Prime Minister promised future tax cuts and highlighted his own record of electoral success as he sought to win over wavering MPs before voting began at 6pm.

MPs have until 8pm to cast their ballots, with the result of the vote on Mr Johnsons position announced at 9pm.

The ballot was triggered after at least 54 MPs  15% of the partys representatives in the Commons  said they had no confidence in the Prime Minister.

Mr Johnson wrote to Tory MPs and addressed them at a private meeting in Westminster before voting began.

He told them that under my leadership the party had won its biggest electoral victory in 40 years, and pledged future tax cuts, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak expected to say more in the coming weeks.

He warned them that Tory splits risked the utter disaster of Sir Keir Starmers Labour entering Downing Street, propped up by the SNP.

The only way we will let that happen is if we were so foolish as to descend into some pointless fratricidal debate about the future of our party, he said.

(PA Graphics)

He told MPs I understand the anxieties of people who have triggered this vote but I humbly submit to you that this is not the moment for a leisurely and entirely unforced domestic political drama and months and months of vacillation from the UK.

In an attempt to win round Tories concerned about his economic plans, Mr Johnson said: Everyone understands the fiscal impact of Covid, the cost of clearing the backlogs, but the way out now is to drive supply side reform on Conservative principles and to cut taxes.

The Prime Minister took five questions during the meeting, two of which were hostile and three of which were not, a senior party source said.

Tory former chief whip Mark Harper said that if the PM stayed in post he would be asking MPs to defend the indefensible.

Giving an account of questions asked of the Prime Minister in a meeting of the 1922 Committee, the source said Mr Johnson rejected this very, very aggressively.

Emerging from the meeting, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said Mr Johnsons address had been light on jokes, with the Prime Minister in serious mode.

He said he expected the Prime Minister to win, as the alternative was a protracted period of introspection.

The Prime Minister was informed on Sunday that he would face the vote.

Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, confirmed he had received the letters from Conservative MPs needed to trigger the vote on Sunday, with a clear indication that there would be more to come following the conclusion of the Platinum Jubilee festivities.

A steady stream of Tory MPs called publicly for the Prime Minister to stand down in the wake of Sue Grays report into breaches of the Covid regulations in No 10 and Whitehall.

PM won 80 seat majority, delivered Brexit, drove testing/vaccine delivery prog, introduced furlough, removed all COVID restrictions opening our economy, first leader to assist Ukraine + has delivered lowest unemployment since 1974. Every big decision bang on. He  has my vote.  Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) June 6, 2022

But Tory concerns go far wider, covering the Prime Ministers policies, which have seen the tax burden reach the highest in 70 years, and concerns about his approach to ethics and cultural issues.

In order to oust the Prime Minister, however, the rebels will need 180 MPs, and allies of Mr Johnson made clear he is determined to fight to stay on.

A succession of Cabinet ministers appeared on TV to voice support for the Prime Minister, while Government colleagues and backbenchers also went on social media as part of a co-ordinated operation to bolster Mr Johnsons position.

Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said victory by a single vote would secure Mr Johnsons job.

One is enough, its no good saying that the rules of the party say something and then behind it unofficially there is some other rule that nobody knows and is invented for the purpose, he told Sky News.

(PA Graphics)

I obviously want the Prime Minister to get as big a majority as possible, I think that would be helpful and it would close this matter down between now and the next general election, which would be good for the country, good for the Conservative Party, but one is enough.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said winning the vote is victory even if by a single vote.

We live in a democracy and its absolutely right that a democratic decision is what we respect, he said.

Attorney General Suella Braverman said technically, yes a single vote win would be enough for Mr Johnson to continue, but Im sure that he will win with a larger margin than that.

But in reality a major revolt would leave him damaged, perhaps fatally so, particularly with two by-elections on June 23 which could see further blows delivered to his leadership.

A letter written by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Tory MPs (10 Downing Street/PA)

Mr Johnson has already received the resignation of his anti-corruption tsar, John Penrose, who said the Prime Minister had breached the ministerial code over the partygate scandal and should quit.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said he would be voting against Mr Johnson, having heard loud and clear the anger at the breaking of Covid rules and even more so at the statements to Parliament from the Prime Minister on this topic.

In a further indication of the anger felt on the Tory benches, former minister Jesse Norman, who had been a long-standing supporter of Mr Johnson, published a scathing letter to the Prime Minister withdrawing his support.

Mr Norman said the Gray report showed Mr Johnson presided over a culture of casual law-breaking at 10 Downing Street and to describe yourself as vindicated by the report is grotesque.

And because we are no longer trusted by the electorate, who know this too, we are set to lose the next general election.  Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) June 6, 2022

But his criticism of Mr Johnson was far broader, including the ugly policy of sending migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda, the unnecessary and provocative privatisation of Channel 4, the ban on noisy protests which no genuinely Conservative government should have introduced, and the lack of a sense of mission in his administration.

Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who stood against Mr Johnson for the leadership in 2019, warned that the Tories would lose the next general election if the Prime Minister is allowed to remain in post.

Having been trusted with power, Conservative MPs know in our hearts we are not giving the British people the leadership they deserve, he said.

But Cabinet ministers rallied round Mr Johnson  including those who could seek to replace him if he is forced out.

Having listened closely to people in Moray who re-elected me and people across Scotland, tonight I will support the motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/YXE0rEyvsn  Douglas Ross MP MSP (@Douglas4Moray) June 6, 2022

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: The Prime Minister has my 100% backing in todays vote and I strongly encourage colleagues to support him.

Mr Sunak said the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.

Mr Johnson spoke to Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday as aides said he was carrying on with the job without being distracted by Tory infighting.

However, in a break from the usual protocol, Mr Johnson did not appear in Downing Street, where he would have faced a barrage of press questions, for the visit of his Estonian counterpart Kaja Kallas.
Biden should not visit Saudi, meet crown prince, Democratic Rep. Schiff says FILE PHOTO: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a session of the Shura Council in Riyadh

By Arshad Mohammed

(Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden should not visit Saudi Arabia or meet its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who approved an operation to capture or kill murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to U.S. intelligence, a leading Democratic lawmaker said on Sunday.

Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post critical of the princes policies, was killed and dismembered in 2018 by operatives linked to the prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.

Asked if Biden, who on Friday acknowledged the possibility he may visit Saudi Arabia soon, should go to the oil exporter and meet the crown prince, its de facto ruler, Representative Adam Schiff said: "In my view, no.

"I wouldn't go. I wouldn't shake his hand. This is someone who butchered an American resident, cut him up into pieces and in the most terrible and premeditated way," Schiff, who chairs the House of Representatives intelligence committee, told CBS's "Face the Nation" program.

Saudi Arabia has denied any involvement by the crown prince in the killing and rejected a February 2021 U.S. intelligence report that assessed that he "approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill" Khashoggi.

"Until Saudi Arabia makes a radical change in terms of (its) human rights, I wouldn't want anything to do with him," Schiff said of the crown prince, often called MBS.

He also rejected arguments that Biden should visit Saudi Arabia to try to get it to increase oil production and lower U.S. gasoline prices, a problem for Biden and his fellow Democrats ahead of the November midterm congressional elections.

While saying he understood Saudi influence over oil prices, Schiff said he viewed that as "a compelling argument" for the United States to wean itself off oil "so we don't have despots and murderers calling the shots."

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Saint Paul, Minnesota; Editing by Scott Malone and Lisa Shumaker)
Residents recover belongings from their damaged homes after a missile strike in Druzhkivka, in eastern Ukraine. (Bernat Armangue / Associated Press)

The British government said Monday that the multiple-launch rocket systems it is offering to Ukraine will bring a significant boost in capability for the country's efforts to resist Russia's invasion.

If the international community continues its support, I believe Ukraine can win its war against Russia, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement.

The statement came after comments Sunday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned the West against sending longer-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

The British government described the M270 weapon system as a cutting edge military asset that can strike targets up to 50 miles away with pinpoint accuracy. Britain pledged last week to send the weapons but gave no details about delivery dates.

The U.S. last week announced plans to deliver $700 million in security assistance for Ukraine, including four precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, as well as helicopters, Javelin antitank systems, radars, tactical vehicles and more.

Washington and London hope that the deliveries will help Ukraine turn the tide of the war in its eastern Donbas region, which Russia appears intent on capturing entirely.

They are unlikely to have an immediate effect, however. The Pentagon said last week that it would take at least three weeks to get the U.S. weapons onto the battlefield. Russia-backed separatists have fought the Ukrainian government since 2014 in the Donbas.

The U.S. has stopped short of offering Ukraine longer-range weapons that could fire deep into Russia and inflame Washington's tensions with Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West that, if it provided Ukraine with long-range rockets, Moscow would respond by taking over larger areas of Ukraine.

Speaking during an online news conference Monday, Lavrov said that the longer the range of weapons you supply, the farther away the line from where neo-Nazis could threaten the Russian Federation will be pushed. Moscow says it's fighting against neo-Nazis in Ukraine  a false claim derided by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, center, looks at a flag belonging to a military unit close to the front line in eastern UKraine. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office)

Ukraines struggle was at the forefront of comments by U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley and was in the minds of World War II veterans of D-Day who gathered in Normandy in northern France on Monday.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Milley said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach.

Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery, he said.

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach in Normandy to mark the 78th anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings that ultimately resulted in the liberation of Europe from Nazi domination.

Asked about his feelings regarding a new war being waged on the Continent, Shay called it a very sad situation.

In 1944, I landed on these beaches and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added with regret.

Lavrov attacked the refusal to let his plane fly into Serbia on Sunday as cynical and unthinkable. Reports said that Serbias neighbors, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro, had refused to allow Lavrov's plane to fly through their airspace to reach Serbia.

A sovereign state has been deprived of its right to conduct foreign policies, he said.

He blamed NATO allies  with whom Moscow is at loggerheads  for engineering the flight ban, saying it revealed that the main purpose of the alliance's expansion is to try to isolate Russia.

Russias own use of missiles in Ukraine, meanwhile, continued to pummel targets, with the Russian military claiming Monday that it had struck a Ukrainian factory involved in repairing armored vehicles.

Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy the plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while the Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims couldnt be independently verified.

Putin vowed to strike deeper into the heart of Ukraine if the West sends Kyiv longer-range missile systems. In a show of force, Russian missiles struck Ukraines capital, Kyiv, on Sunday.

Ukraines General Staff said Russian forces fired five X-22 cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea toward Kyiv, and one was destroyed by air defenses. Four other missiles hit infrastructure facilities, but Ukraine said there were no casualties.

Before Sundays early-morning attack, Kyiv hadn't faced any such Russian airstrikes since the April 28 visit of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Zelensky on Sunday visited command posts and the front line positions of Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which make up the Donbas.

A Ukrainian regional governor said Monday that the situation in a key eastern town has worsened for defending troops.

People hold a banner Monday that says in Serbian, "In The Hague, not in Belgrade," during a protest against a scheduled visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the Serbian capital. (Darko Vojinovic / Associated Press)

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Monday that fierce fighting was continuing in the city of Severodonetsk, which is at the epicenter of the Russian offensive.

He described the combat situation as quite dynamic, adding that Ukrainian forces had lost some of the gains they made over the weekend but were holding their positions in the citys industrial zone.

Our defenders managed to conduct a counteroffensive and free nearly half of the city, but the situation has worsened again now," Haidai told the Associated Press.

The shelling of Severodonetsk has intensified  [the Russians] are destroying everything in line with their scorched-earth tactics," he said.

The Russians have an enormous amount of equipment and personnel. They have pulled up a lot of reserves," he added.

Russian forces have been focusing on the capture of the two cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk along the banks of the strategic Seversky Donets River.

West of those cities, in the towns of Slovyansk and Bakhmut, cars and military vehicles have been speeding into town from the direction of the front line. Dozens of military doctors and paramedic ambulances worked Sunday to evacuate civilians and Ukrainian servicemen, many of whom had been hurt by artillery shelling.

Western military intelligence reports say Ukrainian counterattacks in Severodonetsk are probably halting the operational momentum Russian forces previously gained by concentrating their combat units and firepower in the area.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
FILE PHOTO: Summer Shield 2022 military exercise in Adazi military base

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80 km (50 miles) away, it said on Monday, in a move that was coordinated with the United States in response to Russia's invasion.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Britain's support for Ukraine would change as Russia's tactics evolved, explaining the gift of the M270 multiple-launch systems.

"These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities," Wallace said in a statement.

U.S. President Joe Biden last week said Washington would supply Ukraine with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, after he received assurances from Kyiv that it would not be used to hit targets inside Russian territory.

Putin said the arms shipments were "nothing new" but warned that there would be a response if the United States supplied longer-range munitions for the HIMARS systems.

The U.S. Department of Defense said it was supplying Ukraine four M142 HIMARS systems along with the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System that it said had a range of over 40 miles (64 km).

Britain said Ukrainian troops would be trained on how to use the new launchers in Britain, after it previously announced that it would train Ukrainian personnel to use armoured vehicles.

(Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
The Summit of the Americas is expected to slow traffic and close roads in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Drivers in Los Angeles can expect increased traffic and several road closures this week as President Biden and leaders from the Western Hemisphere gather in the city for the ninth Summit of the Americas, officials said.

The United States is hosting the gathering for the second time since 1994, drawing world leaders from North, Central and South America from June 6 to 10, officials said.

Traffic is expected to slow in downtown L.A. and near Los Angeles International Airport from 10 p.m. Monday to noon Saturday, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti's office.

The mayor's office suggested that drivers avoid the areas between the 10 and 101 freeways and west of the 110 Freeway.

Were thrilled to host the ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles and to welcome leaders from across the Western Hemisphere here to focus on our shared goal to secure a sustainable, resilient and equitable future for all our peoples, Garcetti said in a statement.

On Thursday, one southbound traffic lane on Pacific Coast Highway  from Coastline Drive to the Santa Monica tunnel  will be dedicated to emergency vehicles from noon to 10 p.m.

From 10 p.m. Monday to noon Saturday, commuters should avoid:

Connector ramps from the east and westbound 10 Freeway to the 110 Freeway North.

The 110 Freeway northbound exits into downtown L.A., to include Pico Boulevard, 9th Street, 6th Street, 4th Street and 3rd Street.

The 110 Freeway southbound exits for 6th Street and Wilshire Boulevard.

Figueroa Street, north and southbound traffic, between Washington Boulevard and 3rd Street.

Pico Boulevard, east and westbound traffic, between Union Avenue and Grand Avenue.

7th Street, east and westbound traffic, between Bixel Street and Flower Street.

Wilshire Boulevard, east and westbound traffic, between Bixel Street and Flower Street.

Several other downtown L.A. roads will be intermittently closed to traffic as the summit progresses.

Drivers can access the downtown area via the following freeway exits:

Traveling westbound on the 10 Freeway, exit 16A Santa Fe Avenue,15B Alameda Street, 15A Central Ave, 14B San Pedro Street, 14A Convention Center.

Traveling eastbound on the 10 Freeway, exit Convention Center/Grand Avenue/Olive Street, 14A Maple Avenue, 14B San Pedro Street, 15A Central Avenue, 15B Alameda Street, 16A Santa Fe Avenue.

Traveling northbound on the 110 Freeway, exit 20B 37th Street and Exposition Boulevard, 20C Adams Boulevard, or transition onto either the 10 or 101 freeways east or westbound.

Businesses on those streets will stay open and foot traffic will be allowed.

On public transit, detours are likely for Dash routes A, B, E and F, as well as Commuter Express lines 409, 419, 422, 423, 431, 437, 438, 439, 448, 534, and the Union Station/Bunker Hill shuttle and some stops will temporarily close.

Angelenos can find traffic updates from Caltrans District 7 on Twitter at @CaltransDist7 and @CaltransHQ .

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Vice President Kamala Harris' biggest assignment is addressing the root causes of migration from Latin America. But some question how seriously she is engaging on the issue ahead of a big summit this week in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Vice President Kamala Harris has spent just three days in Latin America since President Biden assigned her 15 months ago to tackle migration issues in Central America  half as long as First Lady Jill Biden devoted during a single trip to the region last month.

The lack of travel is a reminder of what some observers see as ambivalence from Harris toward a high-profile issue that is politically fraught at home and challenging abroad as she embarks Monday on a week of diplomacy at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. The issue of migration is certain to take center stage at the conference, a meeting of nations across the Western Hemisphere intended to showcase U.S. leadership in the region as the Biden administration seeks to tackle such complex challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Harris and other top U.S. officials have been scrambling in recent weeks to shore up attendance at the summit, which some countries have threatened to boycott over the Biden administration's decision to exclude leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

"I dont know if Central America is still a priority in the U.S. agenda ... in this electoral year," said Alvaro Montenegro Muralles, one of the founders of a group called Justice Now in Guatemala, who met with Harris last year. That lack of consistent focus, which predates Harris, has been one of America's problems in sustaining a long-term strategy, he said.

Specialists say Harris lack of engagement in the region  partly the result of unreliable governments she has to deal with there  has stymied her ability to cajole its leaders on a raft of policy challenges. Harris has also not been a key player in the intensive effort to persuade Mexico's president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, to drop his summit boycott threat, nor has she been deployed to Latin America like Jill Biden, who recently spent six days in Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica promoting the summit.

She is not perceived as a credible person on Latin America," said Michael Shifter, past president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. "She has not established herself with the Latin Americans."

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei greets Vice President Kamala Harris as she arrives at the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura in 2021. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Biden asked Harris last year to address the so-called root causes of migration from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador as people in those countries, including children and families, fled in record numbers. Migration from the region has spiked due to a web of factors, including poverty, corruption, racism, disease, natural disasters and gang violence.

Its a daunting task, one that Biden himself took on in 2014 when he was vice president under President Obama. Despite Biden's vast experience as a leading foreign policy player in the Senate, he also failed to stem migration from the region or contribute appreciably to improving conditions there.

Though the issues are tougher today than a decade ago, many veterans of Latin American policy saw the opportunity for Harris to expand the assignment and position herself as a key player throughout the hemisphere, just as Biden had done, even before he was officially asked to work on Central America. The then-vice president traveled to Latin America 16 times over eight years.

"He was doing some tough diplomacy. ... It wasnt go and show the flag and eat the local cuisine, said Eric Farnsworth, who leads the Washington office of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society, a think tank focusing on the region. That type of role is what many of us anticipated that the current vice president would be doing."

Farnsworth credits Harris with bringing high-level attention to some really difficult issues in the three countries she was tasked with improving. But he also noted there hasn't been much progress.

Have we seen dramatic change in Central America? he added. The answer is no.

A White House official who declined to be named said Harris has dug into the job, at least as it has been defined by Biden. The vice president has helped direct $1.2 billion in private investment to the three countries, announced an anti-corruption task force established by the Justice Department and a federal human trafficking task force, along with strategies aimed at better spending U.S. development dollars. The official said she has also played a key role in urging Caribbean countries to participate in the summit, where she plans to introduce climate and energy programs intended to help them.

Air Force Two, which carries the vice president, arrives at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City last year. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

The official said Harris will meet with business and civic leaders and expects to announce more private investments in the region at the conference. The official pointed out that the vice president has spent a day each in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, noting that it's rare for an official at her level to visit the same place twice in a short period.

Harris' travel has been limited in part by the pandemic and a series of unreliable partners. She made her biggest bet in Guatemala, spending a day there in June last year to meet with President Alejandro Giammattei. She pressed him publicly to support anti-corruption prosecutions, but the lead anti-corruption prosecutor, Juan Francisco Sandoval, was fired just six weeks after Harris and Giammattei exchanged smiles and handshakes.

The dismissal infuriated and embarrassed American officials who had put stock in Giammatteis assurances that he wanted to combat corruption as much as Harris did.

It also deeply frustrated human rights and anti-corruption activists who met with Harris in Guatemala.

The government is like the central piece of the corruption now, said Montenegro of Justice Now. Theyre the ones that are attacking judges. Theyre the ones making business with Russian guys.

The trip quickly turned into a domestic political headache too. Harris was blasted by liberals and activists for telling would-be migrants to "not come" north because they would be "turned back" at the U.S. border. Republicans, meanwhile, sharply criticized her for not visiting the border when she traveled to Mexico after Guatemala. (She went weeks later.)

Harris has since pivoted to Honduras, making a brief trip to attend the inauguration in January of President Xiomara Castro in hopes that she will offer a more stable partnership. But that countrys problems also run deep. Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez was extradited to the U.S. in April to face a slew of federal weapons and drug charges, a sign of how deeply embedded the drug trade is in the government.

Even if Castro proves to be on the same page with Harris in fighting that corruption, Harris engagement appears to have limits. A day after the vice president spoke with Castro by phone last month to discuss cooperation on economic and migration issues, Castro tweeted that she would not attend the summit unless everyone was invited.

Vice President Kamala Harris holds a virtual bilateral meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei in April 2021. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

It is not clear whether Giammattei and Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, will attend. If they join the boycott, Harris' reputation in the area is likely to suffer.

Human rights and anti-corruption activists in Central America have wondered why Harris was given such a difficult assignment. Some have speculated it was to undermine her political prospects. Others worry the political situation in the U.S. and in their countries has tempered her enthusiasm to wade into the region's intractable challenges. Either way, such talk has eroded the faith of some reformers that Harris has the sway, or time, to create lasting change.

Manfredo Marroquin, a Guatemala-based human rights advocate, said he believes Harris has pulled back since her early trip to Guatemala because she doesnt want to expose herself to the potential embarrassment of having her attempts at reform undermined by the region's anti-democratic leaders.

She knows the risk of having a setback, he said.

Carmen Rosa de Leon, a human rights activist who is now living in Spain because she fears being jailed by the Giammattei government, said she likes some of the changes she has seen under Harris, including a greater focus on working with local groups to distribute humanitarian aid. Such programs can take years to develop.

The countries' leaders, meanwhile, "are expecting that the Republicans are going to win in the 2024 presidential election, Rosa de Leon said. Theyre expecting that they just have to wait" for a change in administrations.

Times staff writers Courtney Subramanian and Tracy Wilkinson and staff researcher Cary Schneider contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Gunmen with explosives stormed a Catholic church and opened fire in southwest Nigeria on June 5, killing many worshippers and wounding others, the government and police said. (Photo Illustration: Yahoo News; Photos: Sunday Alamba/AP (2))

Nigerian authorities are searching for several gunmen involved in a killing spree Sunday at a Catholic church in the town of Owo that left at least 50 people dead. Witnesses said that the suspects opened fire inside and outside the building in what officials and analysts called a carefully planned attack.

The attack is undoubtedly terrorist in nature, and the scale and brutality suggests it was carefully planned rather than impulsive, Eric Humphery-Smith, a senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft risk intelligence consultancy, told the Associated Press.

Nigerian security forces said that explosives were used in the violent assault at St. Francis Church, but the assailants were able to escape. Local residents told Amnesty International that the attack lasted about 15 minutes before security forces responded to the scene.

Authorities said that at least 50 worshippers were killed in the attack on the church in the town of Owo, and that the perpetrators were able to escape. (AFP via Getty Images)

A number of worshippers were also injured in the incident, though an exact figure is unknown as local hospitals were overcome with victims.

"Immediately they entered and started firing everywhere, so many people," Alex Michael, a churchgoer who was shot in the leg, told Reuters. He had been protecting his children by hiding them under chairs during the deadly ordeal.

Church attendees were celebrating the feast of Pentecost, an important holiday in the Catholic church, when the gunfire erupted. The assault stunned the usually peaceful town of Owo, which is located in the southwestern region of Nigeria in the Ondo state and had not been affected by the violence carried out by armed groups elsewhere in the country.

On Monday, streaks of blood still marked the churchs walls, loose articles of clothing and one-off sneakers were spread throughout the sanctuary amongst piles of broken glass. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Islamic extremist group Boko Haram's decadelong campaign of violence has killed 35,000 people and displaced about 2 million in Nigeria. (Audu Marte/AFP via Getty Images)

With 206 million residents, Nigeria is Africas most populous nation. Over the past two decades, violence has become more commonplace as Islamic extremist Boko Haram rebels have sought to establish Sharia, or Islamic law, in the country. The militants have killed upwards of 35,000 people, according to the U.N.

Ondos state Gov. Arakunrin Akeredolu called Sundays assault a vile & satanic attack.

It is a black Sunday in Owo, he said. Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people.

One woman lost both of her parents in the attack, telling CNN that they never missed Sunday service.

"My dad was a knight and the chairman of the Catholic Men Organization, Laide Ajanaku told the news site. He was very religious and doctrinal. There was no doubt in my mind that they had witnessed the attack at the very least, but I didnt know that they would be so affected.

Outrage, sadness and frustration has poured in on social media from Nigerian celebrities, calling for justice for the lives lost.

Jesus take control, Afrobeats artist David Adeleke tweeted. Pray for Nigeria Rip to all the lost souls.

AFP via Getty Images

Actress Toyin Abraham wrote on Instagram, May the souls of the departed rest in peace and may God give their loved ones the strength to carry on at this very sad [time]. My heart is broken.

Nothing is sacred anymore!? rapper Burna Boy tweeted, noting that mothers, fathers, children and babies were killed in the attack. My heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost family or friends from terrorists [sic] strikes across our country these past few months. I stand with you.

Pope Francis also shared his condolences in a tweet, calling for healing and the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence.

As the search for the perpetrators continued, leaders from Amnesty International called on authorities to get to the bottom of the ordeal.

What happened in Owo reveals the impunity enjoyed by gunmen on the rampage across Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, Amnesty Internationals Nigeria director said. This tragic event should offer a wake-up call for the authorities, who must now do everything they can to ensure the perpetrators of this appalling crime face justice.

_____

Cover thumbnail photo illustration: Yahoo News; Photos: Sunday Alamba/AP Photo (2)
People visit a booth for food during the China Homelife Egypt held in Cairo, Egypt, on June 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, June 6 (Xinhua) -- As many as 160 Chinese companies are showcasing their products at a trade fair held in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, hoping to meet potential clients and seek business opportunities.

The fair, China Homelife Egypt, kicked off on Sunday and will be open until June 7 at the Cairo International Convention Center, featuring Chinese products in nine segments, including agriculture and food, building materials, consumer electronics, furniture, household appliances, textiles and clothing, household products, gifts, and lamps.

In this year's session, the exhibition saw for the first time the Chinese exhibitors joining the fair via the internet to conduct business discussions with interested buyers.

"We believe that Egypt is a good market for our products," said Mohammed al-Wardany, an agent for a Chinese company manufacturing spare parts for water lifter pumps.

"Many people visited our pavilion and inquired about our products," he added.

Meanwhile, Egyptian buyers are also looking for cooperation opportunities at the ongoing exhibition, where thousands of products are presented.

Emile Reda, marketing manager with an Egyptian company selling materials for printers and faxes, said that he has found many companies covering the printing field at the fair, and his company plans to sign some deals.

"It's very helpful and I really admire the Chinese products being showcased here... they always surprise us with the up-to-date technologies," he added.

The event organizers said that the exhibition aims to transfer Chinese technology to Egypt and conclude contracts between manufacturers and traders in the two countries.

"The Chinese government helps Egypt become a logistical center for exporting Chinese products to other countries in Africa and the Middle East," said Adham al-Fiki of the organizing team, adding that the Middle East region, including Egypt, is an important market for Chinese manufacturers.

The bilateral trade between Egypt and China hit 19.97 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, up by 37.3 percent year on year, according to figures released by the General Administration of Customs of China in January.

Exports from China to Egypt totaled 18.27 billion dollars, up 34 percent year on year, while China's imports from Egypt reached 1.7 billion dollars, up 84.8 percent, the report said. 

A visitor inquires at a booth during the China Homelife Egypt held in Cairo, Egypt, on June 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A visitor inquires at a booth during the China Homelife Egypt held in Cairo, Egypt, on June 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Photo shows a booth of mechanical seal during the China Homelife Egypt held in Cairo, Egypt, on June 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

People visit a booth for digital products during the China Homelife Egypt held in Cairo, Egypt, on June 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
LONDON  It has been 102 days since Russia began its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Despite tensions rising, NATO began naval exercises in the Baltic Sea along with aspiring members Finland and Sweden. Spain and the U.K. promised Kyiv weaponry, and Russian President Vladimir Putin retaliated with a warning that Moscow would hit new targets if it continued.

NATOs war games

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge of the U.S. Navy in a harbor in Stockholm, Sweden, on Friday. (Reinaldo Ubilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

On Sunday, NATO kicked off a two-week naval exercise in the Baltic Sea that includes more than 7,000 marines, airmen and sailors from 16 countries including Finland and Sweden  who officially applied to the international alliance last month.

Over 45 ships and more than 75 aircraft are also taking part in the Baltic operations coined BALTOPS 22. The U.S.-led games, which began in 1972, are reportedly not in response to any specific threat.

In past iterations of BALTOPS weve talked about meeting the challenges of tomorrow, Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander of the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO and U.S. 6th Fleet, said. Those challenges are upon us  in the here and now.

He added: BALTOPS 22 highlights our past investments and shows our collective partnership and capabilities as we recognize the importance of freedom of the seas and the vital role the Baltic plays in European prosperity.

Putins warning

Vladimir Putin delivers an address to the participants of the Bolshaya Peremena All-Russian contest for school students through a video link on June 1. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/AFP/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin issued a stark warning on Sunday that the military would strike new targets if the West continued to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. Speaking on Russian-state TV, Rossiya-1, the Kremlin leader said: We will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting. However, Putin did not specify what those targets were.

Military assistance

The Ukrainian military is expected to receive more weapons from both Spain and Britain. On Sunday, the Madrid-based newspaper El Pais reported that government sources in Spain said that Leopard battle tanks and antiaircraft missiles would be sent to Ukraine in a bid to step up Spains military support to the country. Meanwhile, the U.K. is expected to donate several M270 multiple launch rocket systems  which can strike targets up to 50 miles away.

Despite Putins warning, the U.K.s defense secretary, Ben Wallace, argued that the assistance is justified. As Russias tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine, he said. If the international community continues its support, I believe Ukraine can win.

Zelensky visits frontline

Working trip of the President of Ukraine to the Zaporizhzhia region and Donbas on Sunday. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited soldiers on the frontlines in the east of Ukraine on Sunday. He met troops in the Donbas region and met with fighters in Lysychansk, which is situated across from Severodonetsk  where Ukrainians are fighting back against Russian forces.

I want to thank you for your great work, for your service, for protecting all of us, our state, Zelensky told soldiers. I am grateful to everyone. Take care of yourselves!
Major Gen. Roman Kutuzov, acting commander of the 5th Army of Russia's Far East Military District, seen during Indra 2017, a joint Russian-Indian military exercise, at the Sergeyevsky range Primorye, Russia. (Yuri Smityuk/TASS via ZUMA Press)

LONDON  A Russian general was killed during a battle in Ukraines eastern Donbas region, a Russian state journalist reported.

According to a translation by the BBC of the journalists account, posted on the social media site Telegram, Major Gen. Roman Kutuzov was killed when heading an assault on a Ukrainian residential area. The journalist, Alexander Sladkov, of the state-owned Russia 1, showered praise on Kutuzovs bravery but did not elaborate on when, where or how the general was killed.

The general had led soldiers into attack as if there are not enough colonels, Sladkov said in a statement to Telegram. On the other hand, Roman was the same commander as everyone else, albeit a higher rank.

Kutuzov had been reportedly commanding soldiers around the village of Mykolaivka when Ukrainian artillery battered the Russian positions, according to the Moscow Times. Hours later, Sladkov posted about the generals death, the outlet reported.

Russias defense ministry has not confirmed the death.

According to Sladkov, Kutuzov was the fourth Russian general killed since Russia invaded its smaller neighbor, on Feb. 24. But the Ukrainian military has previously claimed to have killed at least 12 top Russian military leaders with snipers, bombings and other weapons.

According to reports assessing Western military intelligence, the Russian militarys centralized command structure has led to more senior officers serving closer to the frontlines to direct their offensives. The Kremlin initially sputtered in its goal of toppling the regime in Kyiv but has redeployed its forces to focus on Ukraines eastern regions, where it has been slowly gaining territory amid deadly artillery battles.

The New York Times reported last month that U.S. intelligence had aided Ukraine in targeting Russian military officials.
If Boris Johnson loses the confidence vote by Tory MPs, the Conservative Party will face a fresh leadership election.

These are the likely contenders.

 Liz Truss

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

The Foreign Secretary has made little secret of her leadership ambitions, with a series of high-profile interventions and photo opportunities in which she appeared to be channelling Margaret Thatcher.

Her hard line on Ukraine, insisting Russian forces must be driven from the country, and threats to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU play well with sections of the party.

Popular with grassroots party members, she has been cultivating support among MPs, reportedly hosting potential backers for fizz with Liz in her Commons office earlier this year.

 Jeremy Hunt

Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Untainted by office during the past three years, the former foreign secretary and ex-health secretary is widely expected to make a fresh bid for the leadership if there is a contest, having been runner-up to Mr Johnson in 2019.

While he has suggested this is not the time for another leadership election, he will know that he may never get another opportunity if he does not run.

As chairman of the Commons Health Committee, he has used his position to make a number of critical interventions on the Governments handling of the pandemic, although his strong support for lockdown measures will not have pleased all Tory MPs.

 Rishi Sunak

Chancellor Rishi Sunak (Daniel Leal/PA)

For a long time, the Chancellor seemed the likely favourite in any leadership contest after he turned on the spending taps to protect jobs through the furlough scheme when the pandemic struck.

However his stock has taken a tumble more recently following disclosures that his wife had non-dom status for tax purposes and he held on to his US green card while serving in Government.

He has also come under fire both for high levels of taxation and for being slow to respond to the cost-of-living crisis, although supporters will hope his latest 21 billion support package will finally put to bed criticism on the second point.

 Penny Mordaunt

Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (David Mirzoeff/PA)

The trade minister has emerged as a surprise potential contender with allies touting her as a unity candidate who could heal the partys divisions.

Having played a prominent role in the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum, she was viewed as paying the price for backing Mr Hunt in the 2019 leadership contest when one of Mr Johnsons first acts on entering No 10 was to sack her as defence secretary.

She reportedly has the backing of Dame Andrea Leadsom, another committed Brexiteer, whose intervention last week strongly criticising the Prime Minister is thought to have helped tip some MPs into submitting letters.

 Ben Wallace

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The Defence Secretary has won admirers in Westminster for his straight-talking and straightforward approach, particularly among Tory MPs who pressed for the UK to increase its defence spending. although cuts to the size of the Army remain a cause for concern.

Mr Wallace, who served in the Scots Guards, remains a key voice in the UKs response to Russias renewed invasion of Ukraine and this increased exposure could assist any leadership bid.

 Tom Tugendhat

Tom Tugendhat (House of Commons/PA)

The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee became the first to announce his intention to stand for leader should Mr Johnson be turfed out  with his declaration having been made in January.

A Remainer in 2016, the former soldier has been a trenchant critic of Mr Johnson  a stance that would appear to have cost him any chance of ministerial preferment under the current leadership.

He recently sought to distance himself from a call by his fellow Remainer, Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood, for the UK to rejoin the EU single market.

 Nadhim Zahawi

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The Education Secretary is seen by some as a safe pair of hands if other candidates such as Ms Truss prove too divisive.

A successful businessman, he came to wider prominence as vaccines minister during the pandemic and was credited with playing a key part in the successful rollout of the jab.

Born in Iraq to a Kurdish family, he came to the UK as a nine-year-old when his parents fled the regime of Saddam Hussein.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan will host the session of the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on June 17, led by Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Chairman of the CSTO Committee of Security Council Secretaries Armen Grigoryan, his office said.

During the narrow and extended-format sessions the situation in the CSTO responsibility zone, the measures aimed at eliminating the security challenges and threats facing the CSTO member states, as well as other issues will be discussed.

At the end of the session the Chairman of the CSTO Committee of Security Council Secretaries and the CSTO Secretary General will make a statement.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. During last years OSCE ministerial conference in Stockholm, majority of the OSCE participating states, as well as high-ranking representatives of several international organizations have clearly emphasized the necessity of settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict through negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan said at the joint session of parliamentary standing committees, presenting the Foreign Ministrys 2021 activity.

In 2021 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked on fulfilling Armenias foreign policy guidelines and the governments action plan, promoting the agenda of reforms and development, strengthening the partnership with international partners, aimed at protecting the state interests of Armenia, strengthening sovereignty and restoring territorial integrity, politically settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, ensuring the rights and security of the people of Artsakh and overcoming the humanitarian problems caused by the 44-day war. Of course, ensuring the security of Armenia and Artsakh, the political settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and under its mandate remains the key priorities of Armenias foreign policy, the FM said, assuring that this has directly affected the daily activity of the Foreign Ministry, including also the content and course of all the meetings of the Foreign Minister and other officials without exception.

He stated that in terms of the format of the discussions the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format had a special importance for the Armenian side. After a 1-year pause, the meetings of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers at the mediation and participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs were held in New York in September 2021 and in Paris in November thanks to the position of the concerned states and the consistent work of the Armenian side. During those meetings the Armenian side highlighted its position on fully restoring the NK conflicts peaceful settlement process in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. The necessity for de-escalation in the border and the solution of humanitarian problems, as well as the impermissibility of provocations and anti-Armenian rhetoric were emphasized.

Before the Paris meeting, the Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs also met in Minsk in October at the mediation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The next meeting was scheduled in December in Stockholm, on the sidelines of the OSCE ministerial conference, but several hours before the meeting the Azerbaijani side cancelled it.

Before this meeting, the Co-Chairs presented to the sides a clear negotiating agenda during the separate meetings. Its worth nothing that days before that, during the session of the OSCE permanent council in Vienna, the Co-Chairs have once again clearly mentioned their mandate. And in our opinion, these factors, in line with Azerbaijans overall attitude to the format and mandate of the Co-Chairmanship, were the main reasons of the cancellation of the Stockholm meeting. Nevertheless, during the annual OSCE ministerial conference in Stockholm, majority of the OSCE participating states, as well as the high-ranking representatives of a number of international organizations have clearly emphasized the necessity of settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict through negotiations in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, the FM said.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan says that there is a common perception in the context of unblocking of regional communications according to which all transportation infrastructure and roads to be unblocked must operate under the sovereignty and legislation of those countries through which they pass.

While presenting the Foreign Ministrys 2021 activity at the joint session of parliamentary standing committees, the FM assured that one of the key foreign policy directions has been the unblocking of transportation communications and economic ties in the region.

He reminded that the trilateral working group dealing with the unblocking of regional communications is chaired by the deputy prime ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan. This group held 8 meetings in 2021.

As an outcome of the meetings of leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan held in Sochi on November 26, 2021 and the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the President of the European Council held in Brussels on December 15, an agreement over re-launching the railway communication has been reached. Works on this direction continue. There is a common perception that all transportation infrastructure, roads and railways to be unblocked should operate under the sovereignty and legislation of the countries through which they pass, the FM said.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan delivered speech at the session of the Council of CSTO Parliamentary Assembly in Yerevan on June 6.

Armenpress presents the text of the speech:

Dear colleagues, I am glad to welcome you.

Colleagues, last year Armenia assumed the chairmanship of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). I would like to inform you, in general, about the procedure of the implementation of priorities of the chairmanship of the Republic of Armenia to the CSTO during 2021-2022.

Assuming the chairmanship of the Organization as a priority a problem was laid down to modernize the crisis response, monitoring, the forecast of crisis situations and the prevention mechanisms. I would like to mention with satisfaction that appropriate steps have been undertaken in these priority directions. I mean the crisis response mechanisms.

As you know, at the beginning of this year, taking into consideration the bid by the President of Kazakhstan Mr Tokayev, Armenia as chairing country to the CSTO, urgently initiated consultations with the heads of the countries of the organization, as a result of which Prime Minister Pashinyan announced about his decision of sending the CSTO peacekeeping corps. The results of the peacekeeping action assured the readiness of the Organization on taking measures on time in counteracting the security challenges and threats of the member states and showed the role of the CSTO in preserving the regional stability. We always considered that the CSTO crisis response mechanisms should work in a right way. Meanwhile, Armenia was in a situation, when we were waiting for the mechanisms to work, but unfortunately they didnt work.

Armenia pays special attention to the deepening of the external political coordination and the mutual support for the elaboration of the agreed approaches over the international and regional issues, which touch upon the interests of the CSTO member states. I am fully convinced that such unity should be displayed towards any ally state of the organization.

This year considerable efforts are made to the improvement of the response system to the crisis situations in the regions of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the modernization of the mechanism of the adoption of the appropriate decisions, first of all, the normative-legal base development, as well as the establishment of cooperation within the framework of the crisis response centre.

The nest priority of the Republic of Armenia is the further development of the CSTO troops (collective forces), the preservation of their readiness for the fulfillment of the targeted tasks, taking into consideration the forecast of the dynamics and change of the military-political situations in the regions being in the immediate vicinity of the CSTO responsibility zone.

I would like to separately emphasize the role of the parliamentary measurement of the Organization on which our priorities are the rapprochement and harmonization of the national legislation of the CSTO member states in ensuring the security, taking into account the challenges and threats, including the digital, economic, financial and environmental spheres.

We also make efforts for the institutional continuous development and activation of the Parliamentary Assembly. In this context I consider important on time the proposal for the improvement of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly structure.

I shall note that the chairmanship of the Republic of Armenia passes in the hard transformation period of the security architecture of the world.

We witness that in the CSTO responsibility zone the situation is tense, and the member states of the Organization continue clashing with the new challenges and threats. The conflict potential continues growing along the perimeter of the allied states borders. The situation is hard and grave on the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. We hope that the problems existing between the conflicting countries will be resolved through diplomatic means. The situation also remains tense in Nagorno Karabakh. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan continues pursuing rather aggressive policy against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The invasion of the Azerbaijani sub-divisions into the Russian peacekeepers responsibility zone in Nagorno Karabakh causes concern. We hope that the representatives of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, which have a key role in ensuring security of the Armenian population of the Nagorno Karabakh, will restore the status-quo of November 9, 2020 trilateral statement.

The Republic of Armenia is faithful to the implementation of all agreements and the next trilateral statements of the heads of the states. In the context of the created humanitarian problems because of 44-day war, the priority is the unreservedly and urgent return of Armenian prisoners of war and other civilians held in Azerbaijan, as well as the preservation of the Armenian religious and cultural heritage in the territories passed under the Azerbaijani control.

Dear colleagues, I would like to once again underscore that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not a territorial dispute, but the issue of the right of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh to live safe in their homeland. We believe that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship should play a key role in the advancement of the peaceful process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. At the same time, we call on the leadership of Azerbaijan not to violate the steps aimed at ensuring the stability and peace in the South Caucasus with their bellicose and expansionist rhetoric.

Armenia is committed to the establishment of peace and welfare in the region and repeatedly recorded the willingness of beginning negotiations on the settlement of the relations with Azerbaijan. We filled in the agenda for reaching the comprehensive peace with our proposals and handed them over to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Concluding my speech, I would like to mention that no matter how up-to-date the priorities of the development of the Organization sounded by Armenia, we can reach results only due to the joint efforts directed to the further strengthening of the security system, constructive and effective cooperation and the dynamic development of the allied relations between the member states of the Organization.

Thank you for your attention".
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. Spanish company SATLANTIS issued a statement over the recent launch of the first ever Armenian satellite into the Earths orbit.

SATLANTIS is proud to announce its agreement with Armenia for Urdaneta. After the successful launch of Urdaneta from Cape Canaveral, the company announces an agreement to provide a full Earth Observation system to Geocosmos, the Armenian company subsidiary of the Armenian Ministry of High-Tech Industry. Urdaneta, now renamed to the working title ARMSAT_1, will be the first satellite in space for the country, and Armenia is de facto a member of the selected club of Space countries, according to the prime minister declaration, the company said.

We are proud to transfer our satellite Urdaneta as Armsat_1 the first satellite of the Armenian strategy. We will accompany the government decisions creating jobs, talent and products, states Jean-Jacques Dordain, president of the Spanish company.

Furthermore, there are a number of larger countries that still do not have a 2m resolution satellite like ARMSAT_1. This is only the beginning of a long-term perspective, called the Armenian New Space Strategy, that will develop the industry national capacities and the young engineers talent, replicating the model proposed by SATLANTIS. In an incredibly fast process of 8 months, Armenia is flying a satellite thanks to this agreement.

After the successful launch, the first Armenian Satellite, ARMSAT_1 is in good health and ready to accomplish the public service by delivering actionable data for at least the next 4 years. At 12.31 CEST time on Thursday May, 26th ARMSAT_1 has made its first communication with Earth and it has shown the nominal status of its subsystems, according to a report submitted by SATLANTIS, the Spanish partner of this mission, the company said, adding that the details and first results of this space project will be presented to the public in the Starmus Festival in Yerevan.
ISLAMABAD, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan is fully committed to taking ambitious actions to address climate change and environmental hazards, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on Sunday in marking the World Environment Day.

The occasion is significant this time because "it marks fifty years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment which was the first international meeting on environment and led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)," the ministry said in a statement.

As one of top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries, Pakistan highly values the global efforts to combat climate change, halt and reverse biodiversity loss, reduce pollution, and restore ecosystems, the statement said.

The South Asian country is already in the midst of one of the world's most ambitious efforts to expand and restore its forests, according to the foreign ministry.

It is imperative for the international community to take ambitious actions and translate political commitments into combating climate change and environmental degradation into tangible steps on the ground, said the statement.

"We reaffirm our resolve in taking action on combating climate change, protecting biological diversity, and reversing ecosystem degradation," said the foreign ministry. 
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. It is impossible to reach a settlement without taking into account the opinion of the Armenians of Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar said in a conversation with RFE/RL's Armenian Service, answering the question whether the President of the European Council Charles Michel meant the participation of Armenians living in Nagorno Karabakh when he stated after the trilateral meeting in Brussels that for a lasting and fair peace there should be a discussion on all the key issues with the participation of all stakeholders.

"I think, after all, the Armenians of Karabakh are, of course, a party that must participate in the solution, no matter in what format. And it is very clear that the people of Karabakh have a fundamental interest in achieving a comprehensive settlement. I personally do not see how we can reach such a settlement without taking into account the opinion and point of view of those people," he said.

However, after Nikol Pashinyan - Ilham Aliyev meeting, Charles Michel spoke only about the rights of ethnic Armenians in Karabakh, without mentioning anything about their future status, which has caused concern in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

"I think, in the end, the issue is that this should be a comprehensive settlement. And we all know how the conflict started, it must be finally closed. President Michel did not mention much in his statement. This was not a statement that covered all the issues that need to be addressed. But the fact is that we have always stressed that a comprehensive settlement of the conflict is necessary, we are working in that direction."

In Yerevan, Toivo Klaar met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan, and Vice president of the National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan. The high-ranking European official is also scheduled to visit Baku in the near future.

Toivo Klaar receives generally positive messages from both capitals.

"The message I received is that the leaders' meeting in Brussels a few weeks ago has yielded some concrete results. We had the first meeting of the border commissions. Then in Moscow a meeting was held between the Deputy Prime Ministers to discuss the opening of communication channels, which the leaders had discussed in Brussels. We are very excited. The response from Baku is that the assessment of both the Brussels meeting and its further course is positive. So, there is quite a positive momentum. And I think it can be developed.

On the uncertain status of Nagorno-Karabakh, Toivo Klaar says the most important thing now is to try to move the process forward, responding to the observation that while Yerevan is talking about the Minsk Group, Baku insists that the Karabakh issue is closed and the Co-chairs format can be dissolved.

"The European Union does not claim to have copyright on anything. We are interested in seeing progress and supporting it, I think that is what President Michel was able to achieve through his three meetings with the leaders, as well as through his meeting with Presidents Macron, Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan. And that is what we want to do," said the diplomat, reminding of other existing platforms, particularly the trilateral meetings at the highest level in Moscow and the Commission on unblocking infrastructures chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers has restored its sessions.

"It's great, it's great if it takes us in the right direction. Thus, the sole interest of the European Union is to help the process and to achieve a lasting, comprehensive settlement."
Ms Sharma's remarks against Prophet Muhammad, during a television debate had created controversy

New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, and expelled its Delhi media head, Naveen Kumar Jindal, after their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad, as it sought to defuse a raging row over the issue. Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, which have also caused a stir abroad, especially in Arab countries, the BJP issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces insults of any religious personality. However, the BJPs action against Ms Sharma drew sharp criticism on the social media by many BJP supporters, who questioned why the party leadership did not take any action against fundamentalists denigrating Hindu gods and goddesses, especially after the Kashis Gyanvapi case.

Ms Sharma's remarks during a television debate had created controversy. Her remarks reportedly incited violence in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur and she was provided security after she received death threats for her comments. Mr Jindal views on social media, according to the Delhi BJP unit, are in violation of the party's fundamental beliefs as they vitiate communal harmony.

Ms Sharma's comments, made nearly 10 days back and Mr Jindal's now-deleted tweets, sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries in the Gulf region.

In a major embarrassment to India during Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidus ongoing visit to Gulf nation Qatar, both Qatar and Kuwait summoned India's ambassadors and handed over official notes protesting the derogatory comments of two BJP spokespersons.

Handing over an official note, Qatar demanded an apology and condemnation from India. In a statement, the Qatar foreign ministry said that it summoned the Indian ambassador, Deepak Mittal, and handed him an official note on its "total rejection and condemnation of the remarks of an official in the ruling party in India against Prophet Mohammed."

The government, in a swift response, clarified that the controversial views were not those of the Indian government but of "fringe" elements and that "strong action" has already been taken against those who made the comments.

In a major damage-control move, monitored at top levels, India said it accords the highest respect to all religions. New Delhi told Qatar that vested interests were trying to use the offensive comments by inciting people and trying to damage ties between the two nations.

The Indian embassy in Qatars capital Doha stated, "The ambassador had a meeting in the foreign office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality. The ambassador conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements. In line with our civilisational heritage and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity,

Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions. Strong action has already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks."

A similar response will be extended to Kuwait as well.

Notwithstanding the incident, Mr Naidu met the top leadership of Qatar and was received warmly, an indication that the two nations do not want their close ties to be endangered.

In a late-evening development, Iran became the third country to summon the Indian ambassador and protest against the offensive comments of the now-suspended BJP spokesperson, but was told by New Delhi that the comments are not the views of the Indian government and that the concerned (BJP) party functionaries have been sacked. This comes ahead of the reported forthcoming visit of the Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, to New Delhi next week.

Meanwhile, back in India, in the statement issued, the BJP claimed that it is "strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion" and that it "does not promote such people or philosophy Indias constitution gives the right to every citizen to practice any religion of his/her choice and to honour and respect every religion."

The letter issued to Ms Sharma regarding her suspension by member - secretary of BJP's central disciplinary committee, Om Pathak read, "You have expressed views contrary to the partys position on various matters, which is in clear violation of Rule 10 (a) of the constitution of the BJP. I have been directed to convey to you that, pending further inquiry, you are suspended from the party and from your responsibilities/assignments, if any, with immediate effect."

The letter expelling Mr Jindal from the BJP was issued by its Delhi unit chief Adesh Gupta.

Later in the day, Ms Sharma issued an apology and tweeted: "I take back my words if they hurt anyone's religious sentiments."

Talking to reporters after being expelled, Mr Jindal said he was "a dedicated worker of the party" and that the partys decision is of the "utmost importance" to him.
The Swiss-born bishop is preparing to entrust the mandate to his successor Msgr. Martinelli. In his last pastoral letter, he expressed his "gratitude" for a reality that has matured in 18 years of missionary work. With ups and downs, from the pope's visit to the killing of the four Missionary Sisters of Charity in Aden.

Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews) - "Gratitude" for a Church that has grown over the past 18 years in terms of priests, religious, faithful and structures - including parishes and schools - and, at the same time, sorrow for some tragic events: one above all, the death of four Missionary Sisters of Charity in Aden, Yemen, writes outgoing Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia (United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen) Monsignor Paul Hinder in his last pastoral letter to the faithful, published over the weekend on the vicariate's website.

In the message he gives thanks to Christ for his years of service, the experiences he has lived "in guiding" a flock which he describes as "diverse and multicultural". "I look back over the past 18 years," the prelate emphasised, "with gratitude" for having spent "this time with you as a bishop and as a companion on the journey of faith".

In his last pastoral letter, Bishop Hinder looks back over the years at the helm of a particular and extremely varied ecclesiastical reality, in its positive aspects and critical elements, "in its ups and downs". Among the most significant moments, he points to "the visit of Pope Francis to Abu Dhabi" with the historic signing of the document on brotherhood with the Imam of al-Azhar or "the consecration of new churches and the inauguration of new schools".

Not only lights, but also dark shadows such as "the killing of four Missionaries of Charity and eight of their collaborators in March 2016 in Aden" writes the prelate, with "the kidnapping of Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil on the same day" freed in September of the following year. Bishop Hinder also does not hide the critical internal elements, among which he emphasises "selfish struggles within the various parishes". "However, looking back," he says, "I can say that I enjoyed this journey together with all of you."

"I remember with gratitude," the Swiss-born bishop continues in his letter, "all the priests, religious sisters and brothers, who came here as missionaries to serve the pastoral needs of a migrant Church. When I arrived in January 2004, we had just over 40 priests in six countries of the Vicariate of Arabia. Now, even after reorganising the two Gulf Vicariates [North including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain; South with Emirates, Oman and Yemen], we have 70 priests in the Vicariate of South Arabia alone'.

Mgr Hinder turns his thoughts to his own order, the Capuchins, who have taken care of the Church in the Gulf together with the diocesan priests and the other congregations present over the years.

"I thank God," he adds, "for the thousands of men and women who, in their different capacities and sensitivities, have helped the Church to pursue its mission". He recalls three elements included in the episcopal motto and outlining the future of the region and its Church: justice, peace and joy for a 'migrant' reality. There is then a reminder of those who are in the habit of attacking or criticising others for "different traditions, cultures, languages and nationalities". "However, as the apostle [Paul] says, these factors should not represent a boundary that limits socialisation with others", but "we should rather seek justice, peace and joy for all.

In closing his last pastoral letter, Msgr. Hinder addresses a greeting to his successor Msgr. Paolo Martinelli, also a "good Capuchin friar and a great professor", who is to be "supported in his mission". "In the last eighteen years I have witnessed much joy in our Church. Almost all of us are migrants, with no great rights and no security to stay. Yet,' he concludes, 'despite the struggles, we have the joy of our faith and peace in this multicultural and multilingual Church... this is the gift to thank God for and to work for unity'.
by Sumon Corraya

A fire caused the tragedy. Nine firefighters were also among the victims. The company that owns the warehouse did not state whether chemicals were also stored.

Chittagong (AsiaNews) - At least 49 dead and over 200 injured: this is the death toll after an explosion at a container depot in Sitakunda, near the city of Chittagong, in southeastern Bangladesh, on 4 June. Villages within a radius of a few kilometres were affected: window panes shattered and children and elderly people suffered from smoke and chemicals released into the air.

It was a fire that caused the tragedy: the managers of the depot, BM Container Depot, allegedly did not immediately call the fire brigade, which only intervened after receiving calls from residents at around 9 p.m. (local time). Thinking that the containers contained only clothes, the fire brigade tried to extinguish the fire, but - according to initial investigations - dangerous chemicals, such as oxygen peroxide, were probably also stored in the depot, which would have caused the deflagration. At least nine firefighters died and three are missing; 14 others are hospitalised with burns.

Brigadier General Main Uddin said that it had never happened that so many members of the fire brigade died in a single incident. The victims of the explosion, some in critical condition, are admitted to various hospitals in Chattogram and Dhaka.

When Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mominur Rahman visited the Chittagong Medical College Hospital in the evening, he confirmed the number of the dead, adding that the district administration will provide financial assistance of 50 thousand taka (520) to the families of the dead and 25 thousand taka (260) to the injured. He went on to say that the Ministry of Labour and Employment will provide 200 thousand taka (EUR 2,083) to the families of the victims, while the Ministry of Calamities and Relief has allocated 10 million taka in cash.

The president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce, Mahbubul Alam, said it was 'unfortunate that the warehouse was not up to standard. As traders who export, we pay the consequences'. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association claims that USD 100 million worth of garments were lost in the incident.

Mujibur Rahman, managing director of Smart Group, owner of BM Container Depot, is the treasurer of the ruling Awami League in the southern district of Chittagong. According to locals, he had sought election in the last parliamentary elections.

The managing director of Smart Group, Shamsul Haider Siddiqui, announced the incident in a press release yesterday. The note states that if the family members of employees killed in the explosion had children, they will receive a salary until they reach the age of majority, while those seeking employment will be eligible for employment. BM Container did not specify whether hazardous chemicals were also present in the warehouse.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

There are now only a few thousand people. The definition of territories and the integration of peoples continues to Russias' priority. Moscow would like to reduce all its ethnic groups - Ukrainians included - to the tame folklore of the Khanty and Mansi.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Specialist Arkadij Baulo, deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has illustrated the current conditions of two minor peoples of the Russian Federation: the Khanty and the Mansi on Sibir.Realii. There are now just a few thousand of these people living in the Khanty-Mansijskaja Autonomous Province, half a million square kilometres in the centre of Siberia where one and a half million people live, 80% of them Russians and Tatars.

These are two distinct ethnic groups, but with a common destiny, whose names are even linked in the title of the main city of Khanty-Mansijsk. Until 1940, the city was called Ostjako-Vogulsk, because the first Russian colonisers called the Khanty 'ostjaki', and the Mansi 'voguly'. In reality, the life of these peoples was linked more to the rivers and the taiga than to the city: each family stock of the Khanty received a river as usufruct from which they drew their wealth without affecting the natural resources, protected by the gods of the forests and rivers. The wooden images of these deities were kept in the family in a sacred place in the granary called the 'ambar'.

One had to enter the ambar 'without evil thoughts', which would otherwise cause black streaks to appear on the trunks of the trees. Even today, travellers marvel at the extraordinary whiteness of the birch trees in the Khanty Valley on the Ob River, which at 3,560 kilometres competes with the Volga and the Enisej for the palm of the longest in Russia.

Earlier this year, an exhibition of khanty and mansi cult objects was inaugurated in Akademgorodok, the university citadel of the Siberian capital of Novosibirsk, which aroused great interest and is one of the flagships of the state's policy of recovering local cultures. As Baulo explains, 'the khanty are divided into two parts: in the Jamal area live the northerners, in the Tomsk region the southerners. The Mansi, on the other hand, live in the Berezovsk (birch) province, where Peter the Great's favourite, Aleksandr Mensikov, died in confinement; a small part of them live in the Sverdlovsk region in the Urals.

The origin of the two groups is rather complex: the Khanty are a people originating from the Arctic zone, while the Mansi are Finno-Ugric, related to the Hungarians, Estonians and Finns, coming from the southern steppes, as evidenced by one of their main gods, the knight Mir-Susne-Kum. In the taiga, no one before the Mansi used horses. The town of Khanty-Mansijsk is remembered as the site of the clash between the armies of Prince Samara and the Cossack Ermak in 1582, one of the decisive episodes in the Russian conquest of Siberia.

The issue of borders has always dogged the Russians and is starkly evidenced by the conflict in Ukraine. Invading Siberia in the 16th century, they deported all the Mansi who were west of the Urals, concentrating them on the Asian side. There they integrated, not without difficulty, with the Khanty, who in turn had to get rid of the cannibalistic Nenezi, who were driven out to the more northern spaces. Some argue that the Mansi are rather of Iranian origin, and came largely from south-central Asia.

Today, Khanty and Mansi are in fact one people, although within them linguistic differences and certain genetic characteristics that distinguish the Turanians from Europeans are preserved. They are groups of hard-working people, who have always lived by hunting and fishing, but are also skilled in construction and caring for the environment. The Khanty have preserved the hunting art of reindeer hunting, which attracts people from all over the world, as it is practically the only area where it is allowed.

The colonisation of Siberia took place gradually, first with military expansion, then with Christian Orthodox evangelisation and finally with the establishment of a vast administrative network, which was based on the lager system, called in Soviet times the 'Gulag archipelago' recounted by Aleksandr Solzenitsyn. The definition of territories and the integration of peoples continues to be the priority of the Russians, who would like to reduce all ethnic groups, including Ukrainians, to the tame folklore of the khanty and mansi.
Chinese trade with the region is three times that of Japan. The Japanese retain the lead in net foreign investment. Poll: For 77% of respondents, China is the most influential economic power in the region. Japan appreciated for promoting peace and international security.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - China has surpassed Japan as the trading partner of Southeast Asian countries, according to data from the Asean Secretariat, the economic association that brings together 10 countries in the region. In 2021 trade with the Chinese was three times that with the Japanese.

As Nikkei Asia notes, Beijing's overtookTokyo in trade in South-East Asia in 2009: previously the Japanese competed with the US for first place. Last year, trade between China and Asean nations reached USD 878 billion a year, according to Chinese government figures.

China also surpasses Japan in the number of visitors. In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than four million Chinese travelled to Southeast Asia, compared to just over one million Japanese.

Despite a decline in recent years - from .9bn in 2012 to .5bn in 2020 - Japan continues to outpace China in accumulated net foreign investment. This is explained by Beijing's requests to use Chinese materials, personnel and equipment to carry out the projects to be financed, requests that Tokyo does not forward.

For 77% of the experts and opinion leaders interviewed in the Asean countries by the Singapore-based Iseas Yusof Ishak Institute, China is now the most influential economic power in the area. It is followed by the United States with about 10 per cent and Japan with 2.6 per cent - in 2019 the figure for Tokyo was 6.2 per cent.

However, the Iseas survey reveals that 54% of the sample appreciate Japan's efforts to promote peace, security and prosperity in the world. Only 27% singled out China on this point, an opinion influenced by Beijing's increasing military activism in the South China Sea and other parts of Asia.
The beach at Barr Lake on May 31, near Brighton, where agencies are working to remove toxic algae.
Displaced people are seen in Kibumba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 31, 2022. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua)

KINSHASA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- For the very first time, Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), broke the silence and publicly accused Rwandan's support of rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23) on Sunday, amid the complicated diplomatic tug of war between the two countries.

From trading verbal blows to shutting down flights, the relations between Kinshasa and Kigali, which have seen signs of thawing under the current administrations, are now undergoing a diplomatic battle, provoked and fueled by the deemed M23 "terrorists".

But besides all the tiffs and tit-for-tat, the two countries have also counted on regional mediation and possibly a tete-a-tete between the two presidents, attempting to bury the hatches and restore the fragile peace in eastern DRC, a conundrum haunting countries in the region far beyond Kinshasa and Kigali.

DIPLOMATIC TUG OF WAR

On Sunday, on the sideline of his visit to the neighboring Republic of the Congo, Tshisekedi claimed in front of the press that there was "no doubt" that Rwanda was backing a rebellion on the Congolese territory, breaking his silence in his first public remarks on the growing crisis between the two countries.

"I hope that Rwanda has learned this lesson, because, today, it's clear, there is no doubt, Rwanda has supported the M23 to come and attack the DRC," he said.

Tensions between the two neighboring countries intensified in May after DRC accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in DRC's northeastern North Kivu province, bordering Rwanda, in renewed fighting that has displaced more than 117,000 people in DRC's Rutshuru and Nyiragongo territories inside the province.

Mostly made up of former rebels of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), the M23 briefly seized Goma, capital of the North Kivu, in late 2012 before being "defeated" the following year, according to Kinshasa. Since late 2021, M23 has resumed fighting with the army in the region.

It is already an open secret that Kinshasa has been upset about Kigali's alleged support of M23, but Tshisekedi has been cautious not to mention Rwanda by name.

But the diplomatic tug of war has officially broken out, ever since DRC's Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula publicly accused Rwanda of being behind M23 rebel attacks against DRC on May 25, at the meeting of the African Union (AU) Executive Council held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

"I say clearly, that the M23 supported by Rwanda has attacked MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC) international troops. We cannot remain indifferent. We cannot remain without saying anything," said Lutundula at the AU meeting.

Later on May 27, other than classifying the M23 as a terrorist group, Kinshasa announced the suspension of all flights of RwandAir, the flag carrier airline of Rwanda, to the DRC soil after a national security meeting chaired by Tshisekedi, based on evidence that the M23 is supported by the Rwandan army.

Kigali, while denying all allegations of backing M23, also accused the Congolese army of supporting remnants of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), responsible for the 1994 genocide. Since the tragedy in 1994, the relations between the two countries have been strained, as Rwandan Hutus accused of slaughtering Tutsis during the 1994 Rwanda genocide arrived in eastern DRC.

However, the complicated relations have been on the mend after Tshisekedi took office in 2019, who signed three agreements on bilateral cooperation with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Goma, once occupied by the M23 rebels in 2012.

REGIONAL MEDIATION

But besides all the tiffs, the two countries have also counted on regional mediation and possibly an in-person tete-a-tete between the two Presidents, attempting to end the feud and restore the fragile peace in eastern DRC, a conundrum haunting beyond Kinshasa and Kigali.

Senegalese President Macky Sall, who chairs the African Union, called on May 29 for dialogue between the countries and urged Angolan President Joao Lourenco, also the chairperson of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), to head peace talks between DRC and Rwanda.

Soon on June 1, Tshisekedi made a blitz visit to Luanda for a meeting with Lourenco, during which the two "discussed various aspects that may contribute to the peaceful resolution of their dispute", reads a statement by the Angolan presidency.

The meeting bore fruit as Tshisekedi, "at the request of his Angolan counterpart", agreed to release two Rwandan soldiers captured recently in DRC.

Following the meeting with the DRC leader, Lourenco also held a virtual "conversation" with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, according to the Angolan president, adding that the Congolese and Rwandan leaders have agreed on a summit that will take place in Luanda, on a date to be announced shortly.

Though Tshisekedi suddenly raised his voice on Sunday, he said he was still seeking peaceful relations with Kigali. "I have always maintained that you have to build bridges rather than walls," said Tshisekedi.

On the same occasion, Denis Sassou Nguesso, president of the Republic of the Congo, said that he was "confident" about the resolution of this crisis. "I think we will quickly overcome these difficulties and bring peace through dialogue," he said.

REGIONAL CONUNDRUM

According to a study conducted by the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), M23 is one of more than 120 armed groups that roam eastern DRC, an agitated region with fragile peace bordering Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, all with complicated background stories.

The recent escalation between M23 and the DRC could lead to another crisis that would have immeasurable humanitarian and political consequences for the region, warned Xia Huang, the UN secretary-general's special envoy for the Great Lakes region.

In his recent remarks in front of the Security Council, Xia said the situation today was reminiscent of the M23's operations nearly a decade ago, when the group seized the city of Goma, urging ambassadors to do everything to avert escalation and another crisis which would have immeasurable humanitarian and political consequences for the region.

Xia said eradication of armed groups in the eastern DRC requires a comprehensive approach, particularly in the context of the M23 resurgence and persistent insecurity, noting that the "military option" alone will not be enough.

"The region doesn't need a new crisis; let's keep the channels of dialogue open at all levels, including at the community level; and help preserve the progress achieved in recent years thanks to the various cooperation mechanisms," said Xia, who is now on a mission in both Rwanda and the DRC to mediate the diplomatic tensions. 

Displaced people are seen in Kibumba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 31, 2022. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua)

Displaced people are seen in Kibumba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), May 31, 2022. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua)
This is the curious case of a NASA initiative referred to as Advanced Gemini. The little-known project that would have turned the pre-Apollo Gemini program into something very similar to what the Apollo Program eventually became. For those among you whose job isn't to know the ins and outs of the 1960s American space program, Project Gemini was the second in the line of NASA's manned space exploration initiatives active from the late '50s through the early '70s.Gemini rolled out following the Mercury program (1958-1963) and before the iconic Apollo (1961-1972), with considerable overlap between all three at various points in time. The Gemini spacecraft itself that did see service in our timeline was largely overshadowed in most regards by Apollo.Even so, it was still a technological marvel. Built by Mcdonnell-Douglas, today a part of Boeing, the Gemini spacecraft was capable of all the vital functions no modern space vehicle can do without. We're talking EVA capability, in-orbit rendezvous and docking via the Agena Target Vehicle, long-duration orbital sustainability, and the capacity to seat at least two crew members.In truth, Gemini was more like an up-scaled variant of the previous one-manned Mercury spacecraft than its own bespoke spaceship. Even so, it was a substantial enough improvement over Mercury that NASA scientists began to wonder just when the Gemini Spacecraft's talent ceiling would be reached. And so, the Advanced Gemini Proposal was born.Unlike the Altair Lunar Lander project we showcased a short time ago, a limited amount of legitimate flight hardware was constructed expressly for the purpose of Advanced Gemini. Let's take a look at some of what was on offer. Firstly, it must be noted that not only NASA but the U.S. Military were supremely interested in Advanced Gemini for their own respective purposes.The U.S. Air Force especially saw great potential in Gemini as a shuttle vehicle of sorts to transport astronauts to and from a series of proposed military space stations, the Manned Orbital Development System, and later the Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL).There was even a special boilerplate variant of the Gemini B spacecraft launched atop a Titan IIIC 3C-9 booster rocket for just such a project. In the end, these projects were scrapped in favor of unmanned satellites. As many as three different Gemini Spacecraft, dubbed Gemini Ferrys, were proposed for such a space station mission.An uncrewed cargo variant, a manned personnel transport, and a hybrid spacecraft with elements of the previous two. These spacecraft would have been capable of launching from either a Titan rocket or an early variant of the Saturn I or IB. Elsewhere, in 1963, NASA put forward a proposal for a greatly enlarged variant of Gemini lovingly named Big Gemini, or Big G.Had it come to pass, Big Gemini would have been capable of carrying an unprecedented 12 astronauts into low-earth orbit, potentially for transit to the moon for a circumlunar mission the likes of which we wouldn't see until the Apollo 8 mission five years late.There were even whisperings such a spacecraft could have brought along a lightweight, open-cockpit, single-seater lunar lander vehicle that could be used to make that one small step for man and a giant leap for mankind several years ahead of schedule. Another variant of this design proposal consisted of an enclosed-glass-cockpit, single-seater lunar lander.This could have been used in the event an Apollo Lunar Excursion Module, LEM, malfunctioned to the point it couldn't leave the Lunar Surface. Alternatively, such a spacecraft could have landed on the moon well ahead of time, allowing stricken astronauts to camp out with extra food, fuel, and supplies while awaiting rescue.But of all these proposed and ultimately canceled Gemini Projects, only one ever had genuine hardware built for it. The Gemini Paraglider. That's right, under this scheme, an Advanced Gemini spacecraft would have been able to re-enter Earth's atmosphere as normal, then proceed to deploy a large paraglider type device to wind-sail back to the surface using skids derived from the X-15 Program Today, the only prototype from this initiative is on display at the Steven Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, if you'd like to marvel at it for yourself.
Weve been covering the weekly photographic releases of the USAF for close to two years now, and up until recently we noticed the Talon was not even marginally featured. Now that its getting ready to part ways with it though, the military branch seems to have become a bit nostalgic, and much more frequently than before throws us a Talon treat.And were not one bit sorry, given this aircrafts unique lines, impressive silhouette and, why not, non-combat capabilities.The Talon was born in the late 1950s in the hangars of Northrop as a twin-engine two-seater machine. It was specifically designed for pilot training as part of the Air Education and Training Command, Air Combat Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and even NASA.The plane is powered by two General Electric turbojet engines with afterburners that spit out 2,900 pounds of thrust, enough to get the planes to speeds of up to Mach 1.08 (829 mph/1,334 kph).As said, the USAF seems to have become quite proud of these planes, and keeps showing them. The latest release centered on the Talons shows three of them, deployed with the 2nd Fighter Training Squadron, as they fly over Georgia during the Sentry Savannah 22-1 exercise at the beginning of last month.This particular squadron is described by the USAF as an adversary one, meaning it provides threat replication, primarily for the F-22 Raptor formal training unit, the 43rd Fighter Squadron."With these pointy machines before us (so pointy that they kind of look like dart arrows in the sky), the scenery below the planes, showing the wild landscapes of the state, almost go unnoticed.
The Mission:Zero environmental program launched in 2019, is Audi' s promise to become a car manufacturer that provides carbon-neutral premium mobility. As part of its ecological transformation, Audi has decided to change the way it supplies components for the production of batteries by adopting an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method. This represents a sustainable logistics concept meant to change the German carmakers entire production network.The whole process revolves around the idea of efficiency. This means that instead of using trucks, Audi will supply battery modules and cells from Hungary to its Brussels plant via rail transport, reducing carbon emissions by around 2,600 tons every year. This game-changing process started in May and it is expected to be complete by the beginning of 2023.DB Cargo is the company with which Audi has been running CO2-free by rail within Germany since 2017. Currently, the car manufacturer uses for the legs of the route in Austria and Germany the DB Cargos service called DBeco plus - whose operating resources are wind, water or solar energy. In Hungary and Belgium, Audi uses DBeco neutral - a product powered by climate certificates, reducing carbon emissions elsewhere.As Hungary does not have its own rail siding, DB Cargo recently set up a logistics center (LC) at the Gyor site. The battery modules are first picked up from the manufacturer by truck and transported from the Gyor LC more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) by rail to Brussels.After this inauguration in Brussels, other plants are waiting in line for the new carbon-free transport strategy, until Audi turns completely into a carbon neutral brand. The carmaker has set its target that by 2025, battery modules and cells will be transported exclusively by train, optimizing the entire delivery process.Today, around 68 percent of Audi vehicles in Europe already leave the plants by rail. Toyota and Mercedes-Benz are two other global automotive manufacturers using rail freight services.
SUV

AWD

The compact, later mid-size sport utility vehicle from Japans Toyota behemoth may not be as legendary as the companys Land Cruiser series. But it remains an icon of thesector, given its almost four decades of presence on the worldwide market. Almost, since production only kicked off in October of 1983 for the 1984 model year onward.However, that did not stop the Japanese carmaker from welcoming the 2023 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition well in advance. Perhaps it was all in a bid to rekindle interest when everyone is running amuck trying to secure a reinvented, sixth-generation Bronco or giving up on the extended waiting times and just snatching a Wrangler off the lot. Interestingly, this led to a few virtual surprises.For example, an automotive pixel master immediately took notice of the 40th anniversary and decided that a Street edition would do well to digitally defeat thepurpose. Now, perhaps also triggered by the OEMs hurried special series, Czech Republic-based virtual artist Rostislav Prokop, better known as rostislav_prokop on social media, has seemingly decided to take a break from a certain digital partnership (with HotCars ).Instead, the CGI expert focused on Toyotas cool SUV and turned it into an even more outrageous urban dweller. This time around, the slammed attitude is blatantly obvious, there is also a Japanese car culture-influenced widebody aerodynamic kit, and the whole thing rides like a digital charm on humongous, turbine-style aftermarket wheels.The only mystery that remains to be solved is perhaps also the least important one: is this a 40th anniversary 4Runner or not? Frankly, we cannot be sure since the virtual project features a  monochromatic  design or two!
First and foremost, some context.Just like on Android and iPhone, the Android Auto version of Google Maps comes with multiple display options, including a satellite mode. Thanks to this view, users can navigate with satellite imagery on the screen, therefore making it a little bit easier to figure out which way to go.The satellite view is not enabled by default, so users need to activate it manually the first time they launch Google Maps on Android Auto.However, after a recent update, the satellite mode has mysteriously disappeared. Enabling it is no longer possible, and users must stick with the default view in Google Maps.Many believed this was because of a bug that was discovered earlier on Android Auto and which caused Google Maps to freeze when the satellite mode was enabled. At some level, this made sense, as Google Maps could no longer be used at all, so Google temporarily removing this feature was a way to buy more time until a full fix was developed.But as it turns out, the search giant didnt actually pull the satellite mode on purpose. A member of the Android Auto team and Community Specialist on Googles forums is now asking for additional information on the whole thing, including the Google Maps and the Android Auto app versions, the phone make and model, and the car where the satellite mode is no longer available.For the time being, however, a patch is still nowhere to be seen, and given Google didnt remove this feature on purpose, theres obviously no ETA as to when it could be released. Sticking with the default mode in Google Maps appears to be the only option for now.
AWD

SUV

For those excited about the T.50 and the T.33, that must sound disappointing. However, GMA already disclosed that the T.33 will be the last vehicle built by the brand (even if it is only the second one) to have a combustion engine without any electric assistance. Hybrids will arrive to pave the companys way toward electric cars. The SUVs will be a way to get there quicker.According to Autocar, Murray will design a front-wheel-drive four-seater and anfive-seater. The former will receive the GMA badge, while the latter is being developed for another brand. Both should be manufactured with Murrays iStream manufacturing method and will target affordability.The issue is that GMA is and was set to be an exclusive car brand. Making a high-volume electricdoes not seem to fit that proposition for more than one reason. It is possible that Gordon Murray will develop a new brand to sell the SUV. He is also planning to have a van derivative based on this SUV, meaning it will probably only have the front doors and panels instead of glasses in the rear.Murray told Autocar that this vehicle will surprise people concerned with range anxiety and driving dynamics. That suggests that these two SUVs will be extremely light, something the designer and car builder has always tried to reinforce.If this vehicle achieves these goals, Colin Chapman would either be proud of him or envious that Lotus did not manage to do the same with the Eletre . Unfortunately, there is no deadline for these SUVs to be presented. Considering a new car project takes around three years to be completed, expect something around 2025, luckily a bit earlier than that.
CVT

MPGe

End of an era is how the South Korean automaker describes the discontinuation of the award-winning liftback that paved the road for the Ioniq 5. The sub-brand will soldier on with the aforementioned nameplate, followed by the Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 7. All three of them - and their batteries - will be produced in Bryan County, Georgia , for the United States market.Turning our attention back to the Ioniq that doesnt feature a numerical suffix, the fuel-sipping original made plenty of sense when it launched for the 2017 model year at $23,035, including the $835 destination charge. Not only did it undercut the Prius, but as opposed to its biggest rival, the Ioniq is rocking a dual-clutch automatic that feels much better than an e-Another strong point of the Ioniq is fuel efficiency. The 2022 model is rated 59 miles per gallon by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is 3.99 liters per 100 kilometers if you prefer the metric system. By comparison, the Prius doesnt exceed 56 mpg (4.2 l/100 km) on the combined cycle.The Prius Prime, which is the plug-in hybrids name stateside, levels up to 133 miles per gallon equivalent compared to 119for the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid. On the other hand, the South Korean challenger offers 29 miles (nearly 47 kilometers) of electric range compared to Toyotas 25 (40).Something the Prius doesnt have is an electric-only powertrain, which brings us to the Ioniq Electric that was discontinued last year from the U.S. lineup. Capable of 170 miles (approximately 274 kilometers) between charging stops, the zero-emission variant carried a sticker price of $33,245.The worlds first production car with three levels of electrification sold 135,692 units in the European market between 2016 and December 2021. Over in the U.S., the Ioniq moved 79,302 units through December 2021.
The open-top Jaguar was inspired by the D-Type racing car, and it came with a supercharged V8 motor that provides 575 horsepower and 680 Nm of torque. Even if math was not your favorite subject in school, you can see that it was several times more powerful than a Miata.The British marque built this limited edition model to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the D-Type, which the company managed to score seven wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race back in the day.Since Jaguar only decided to build a limited number of these retro-inspired vehicles, every unit sold is now worth significantly more than what was paid for it many years ago. Back when it was first unveiled, the F-Type Project 7 had a price tag of GBP 135,000 in the United Kingdom.As you can see, that was also many times more than a Miata. Back in the day, it was almost as expensive as a Porsche 911 Turbo S in the UK, just to give you a more accurate reference.When compared to a base F-Type Coupe in the U.S., the Project 7 would start at $100,000 more than it, while it would also be $73,000 more expensive than an F-Type V8 S Convertible, which is its closest relative when regular production models are concerned.Each unit was built by Jaguar Land Rover's SVO division, which stands for Special Vehicle Operations, and you can immediately see what is special about this model. If you consider all those aspects, this Jaguar is not slow by any means, as it managed to complete a full lap of the world's most demanding racetrack in less than 7 minutes and 39 seconds.With all that in mind, Jay Emm was offered to review a Jaguar F-Type Project 7 with less than 4,000 miles (ca. 6,437 km) on the odometer. It is the ultimate example of the F-Type, and he got to drive it in both city conditions, as well as in a sportier setting.As you can see, the F-Type Project 7 has aged well, and it is also surprisingly tame in urban conditions. The latter might be because visibility is good, despite a low-slung hood, and by using an eight-speed automatic transmission. The latter means that you do not have to mess with a heavy clutch pedal, among other things.The suspension also has multiple settings that allow adjustments to make it more comfortable (within reasonable limits), as does the rest of the vehicle. On top of safety, this is another example of why modern cars are significantly better than the performance-oriented vehicles of yesteryear.You can drive one of these every sunny day if you like, as well as use it for mundane tasks without struggling. At the same time, without any modification, the vehicle can pull a sub-eight-minute Nurburgring time as long as it is in the right hands.
TRIPOLI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday that 675 illegal migrants were returned to Libya after being rescued off the coast last week.

From May 29 May to June 4, "675 migrants have been disembarked back on Libyan shores," IOM said in a statement.

So far in 2022, a total of 7,742 illegal migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya, including 557 women and 300 minors, IOM added.

Meanwhile, 143 illegal migrants died and 547 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route, it said.

In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, IOM revealed.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. 
ATV

The brainchild of Fanny Jonsson in collaboration with the Swedish bike manufacturer, CAKE Kibb is just a design for now, but an inspiring and feasible one. The envisionedis meant to have as little an impact as possible on the environment. Its appearance resembles Cakes electric bikes, which have a simple, almost minimalistic look to them, but also exude ruggedness and trust that theyll be able to successfully carry out whatever job they have to undertake.Jonsson designed the Kibb to be strong but also gentle so that the vehicle can achieve the goal of both providing the user with the needed power and capability as well as moving in a soft and careful way, so as to respect the ground and its surroundings. Kibb means ox in a Swedish dialect and according to its designer, it represents the strength of the vehicle and the gentleness an animal has on nature regardless of its size.One of the most important features of the electric ATV is its modularity, with this futuristic wheeler capable of tackling a variety of ranch or farm-related tasks. It is designed as an autonomous vehicle that can move around with or without a human driver and its parts can be easily replaced so that the product remains constantly updated. This also means an increased lifetime for the Kibb.In terms of materials, the Cake Kibb boasts a holistic approach, using what can already be found in the countryside. The tires of the ATV are made from dandelions, which are all-so-common throughout Scandinavia. The plastic components of the vehicle are made from linseed plants, which are also grown in Sweden. As for the frame of the Kibb, it would be made from aluminum, which is light and sustainable as well, being easily recyclable.Designed as a non-polluting mobility solution, Kibb is equipped with an electric drivetrain, which also means it is noiseless, as to not disturb the animals on the farm.
EV

@elonmusk - should have went with a #Tesla - my 2022 RX450H Fsport Hybrid with 2000 miles on it. A fire started in the trunk where the lithium battery lives. To date no help whatsoever from Lexus corporate or Lexus dealership. #LexusRX #lexus #toyota pic.twitter.com/OzAxpmQ09v  Milo Avidane (@AvidaneMc) June 3, 2022

First, the location: everything happened in Long Beach, New York.I was on Edwards Boulevard, E Park Avenue; then I pulled over on Riverside Boulevard. Thats where the car caught fire. I pulled out of my house and smelled smoke. I thought it was possibly the heat as it was a cold morning. The smell, however, never went away. In fact, it got worse. Then I noticed smoke coming out of the trunk area. Thats when I pulled over. I quickly exited the car and called the police. Right after the police phone call is when I started the video.Avidane believes the fire started in the high-voltage battery pack because he believes it is there. However, the trunk area has another battery: the 12V unit. The nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) pack is located under the rear seat, close enough to the trunk to give the impression that the fire started there, with the smoke finding its way out in that compartment. At this point, all we know is that the smoke came from the trunk.We asked the RX450h owner if he had made any changes to the car. This is probably the very first thing Lexus wants to rule out in its investigation. Heres his response.I purchased the car straight from Prestige Lexus in Ramsey, New Jersey, which came directly from the factory. I did not make any changes or modifications to the vehicle, and nothing was installed that could have caused this fire.The RX450h for North America is manufactured in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Its fourth generation is codenamed AL20. There is no single recall for this vehicle on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website in any of its model years (2017 until 2022). Avidane contacted Lexus to ask for help.They said it will take them two months or more to conduct an investigation and were not able to offer me any loaner car or anything until after the investigation is complete.As the pictures show, the insurance company wrote off the car: theres no way to repair it.My insurance company, Travelers, is doing an independent investigation. Originally, they offered me $50 per day for 30 days of a rental car. Now, since they deemed the car a total loss, they are offering me only six days at $50 a day for a rental car. So until the investigation is complete, I will be stuck with the rental car bill for anything over six days.Unless Lexus provides him with a loaner or Travelers is quick to pay Avidane the necessary compensation, he will be in a pretty dire situation.What's even worse is that I am financing the vehicle. PNC Bank holds the note. They indicated to me that I must continue making payments on the vehicle until it's paid off, or it will affect my credit rating. At a rental car cost of $540 per week, that's $2,160 per month. At that cost, I could be driving a Bentley! Now it seems to me that if I have to wait for this investigation to be complete, it will be way more costly than buying a new car, putting me in a bad position. Not sure what to do.Both Lexus and Traveler seem to want to ensure Avidane is not responsible in any way for the fire. If they find he is, they will deny him any pay-out. That must seem incredibly unfair for someone who states he made no changes to the vehicle. After all, Avidane is the one having to pay for a brand new car that turned into a write-off after mysteriously catching fire. He may even have to rent a vehicle with his own money while the investigations take place.It is no surprise he thinks he should have bought a Tesla instead: at least themaker had loaner cars or Uber credits to offer when a vehicle is at the Tesla Service Center. However, in a situation similar to this one Avidane is facing, we are not sure a loaner would apply, even if that should be the case.After autoevolution published this article, Avidane was contacted by all companies. Here's what happened, in his own words:"Both Lexus and Travelers stepped up to the plate. Travelers called; they finished their investigation, deemed it a complete loss, and will now move into the loss department. After all the paperwork is together, they claim they will reimburse me for the full amount of the vehicle. Furthermore, Travelers offered to extend my rental car for another week. I also got two calls from Lexus. First, from the Prestige Ramsey dealership, offering a loan a car, and then from Lexus Corporate, following up if there was anything else I needed. All parties were completely professional, understanding, and helpful. Therefore, I think it's important to note this in your article. both companies stepped up, and, as of this moment, I am very satisfied with their response."
SUV

And we do not need to go far too long back in time. It would suffice to jump to 2008, when the South Korean automaker was premiering the premium-oriented Mohave  or Borrego , as it came to be known in North America, thanks to the regions Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California. However, this model had a noticeably short stay on the U.S. continent, and after failing to make an impact on the market, it was quickly replaced by the 2011 Sorento.Alas, that does not mean it could not make a hypothetical return to the United States, now that it has become even more fixated on a premium-oriented lifestyle, with the advent of the way cooler-looking second generation in 2019. Russia-based virtual artist Nikita Chuicko, better known as kelsonik on social media, has recently decided to play with a couple of niche SUVs, one of them being the Kia Mohave/Borrego.The pixel master gifted thewith a custom  Shadow Line  treatment, lowered suspension setup, and bespoke aftermarket wheels. Alas, since the CGI expert also dabbled with a Volkswagen Atlas (also known as Teramont outside of North America) just before the digital Mohave makeover, we could not help but draw a parallel.That is especially valid since both SUVs could easily duke it out against each other to win American hearts, and showcasing possible custom evolutions is always easy to lift the desirability level. However, there is one important thing to note: this duel is probably only possible across the virtual realm, as the real world has the setting ripe for an Atlas versus Telluride war, based on their eerily-close starting MSRPs.
Hydrogen-fueled trucks are slowly but steadily taking over highways in different parts of the world. With five Hyundai XCIENT trucks gearing up to start commercial operations, followed by 20 Hyzon trucks, New Zealand is becoming one of the early adopters of fuel cell technology for cargo transportation.

6 photos
EV

In the letter published by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Rivians boss is assuring investors that short-term market sentiment is not impacting the advantages the company has and its strategic position as an all-electric premium truck maker. According to the document, there is still almost $17 billion in cash available for the plans set in place for the next two years and beyond.Investors are informed that the entire auto industry is still finding itself at the beginning of a major shift. The good thing, according to Scaringe, is that peoples mindsets have been modified. A lot more believe now in the zero-emission solution, and Rivian can bet on this to make itself one of the key players in this space.The executive recognizes that some problems persist, and the geopolitical landscape will impact how car companies are doing business. He touches on the fact that parts sourcing remains a challenge, while energy supply is making things more complicated. Still, Scaringe is convinced theres a bright light at the end of the tunnel.Besides being hopeful, Rivian s CEO also says the company will continue to expand its products and services. FleetOS, for example, will be a software-as-a-service platform thatll help other companies reduce their shipping and fleet management costs. It has not been made available to the public yet, but theres work being done in this department.However, Rivians not giving up on its ambition to become one of the largest companies in the world. This might help some shareholders with their anxiety since the stock price is continuing a downturn. Sitting at almost $29 per share at the time of writing, thetruck maker lost $100 for each of the 135,000,000 shares that were part of the last years initial public offering (IPO).Rivian continues to believe in the direct selling process, even if some states are trying to quash auto companies from doing so. The American truck maker is also ready to go all-in on the charging infrastructure with the development of the Rivian Adventure Network thatll have fast chargers.Even though there are plans to spend the cash wisely, Rivian is also telling shareholders and prospective investors that the future of the zero-emission vehicles might be unexpectedly tied to battery production capacity. Theres no mention of how the sourcing of the right metals for the chemistry currently in use will be done, but Scaringe says they are focused on building partnerships with cell providers and upstream pre-cursor material suppliers. These new and incoming partners are not named, but Rivian will enjoy their help in addition to what theyre doing internally.At the end of the day, Rivian still wants to ramp up production and satisfy customers that have pre-orders in place since 2018 or 2019. Theres also an eye set on going global, even though the first R1Ts outside the U.S. have been seen in Kenya. The pickups have also been recently joined by an R1S.Now investors must look at this letter and believe that Rivian will strive to achieve what theyve set as goals in a market thats currently trying to squeeze every dollar possible from any department thats ready to cut costs or even workforce.
EV

The technology world has been patiently waiting for a breakthrough solid-state battery. These batteries have zero liquid or gel electrolytes and promise immense benefits for electric vehicles compared to Li-ion batteries. Solid-state batteries are cost-effective, offer more range, charge quicker, and have a significantly lower risk of catching fires.Through a press release, Solid Power announced that it had completed the installation of its pilot production line, the cell pilot line, thatll be dedicated to producing EV-scale solid-state cells.Doug Campbell, Solid Power chief executive, and co-founder, said the BMW and Ford Motor backed company has set a pilot production line that will produce validation samples for automakers as its sources for a manufacturing partner to begin producing its cells as early as 2026.Derek Johnson, Chief operating officer at Solid Power, said their next big challenge is beginning production at scale and building cells that meet the requirements necessary to enter into automotive qualification by the end of the year.Solid Power isnt the only company looking to produce solid-state batteries for the EV market. Close rivals like QuantumScape and Toyota are also looking into the battery technology.The start-up EV cell point line is designed to produce large-format sulfide-based cells that work like existing traditional lithium-ion production processes. At full capacity, the EV cell pilot line is expected to make about 15,000 cells in a year, with a chunk of the units produced planned for automotive qualification testing.Campbell also said Solid Power has sufficient production capacity to provide prototype batteries to other vehicle manufacturers but declined to mention names.
John Redmond and Steve Wheeler rode their bikes 100 miles from East Tennessee to North Carolina, raising $5,000 for Ukraine, WJHL reported. While $5,000 might seem like a drop in the ocean in solving the Russia-Ukraine war, the duo insists the people of Ukraine are suffering and need all the help they can get The Munsey Memorial United Methodist church members say the funds raised will help Czech pastors house refugees from Ukraine and transport supplies to victims of the war.While the conflict hasnt directly affected the bicycle market, its dented the automotive industry. Over the last 100 days, gas prices have sky-rocketed to astronomical levels , and vital raw materials needed for auto assembly have become scarce thanks to a senseless invasion.Things are not getting any better for the new cars market, and if you were planning to get a new vehicle in 2022, you might be forced to hold onto your old model due to production cuts and supply chain issues.The Johnson City bicyclists arent the only two-wheeler owners making sacrifices for Ukraine. In April, a biker from Shepton Beauchamp in England selflessly donated his classic Kawasaki KZ100 to an online competition site raising 12,000 ($14,991).We finished this, but the giving doesnt have to stop, so wed be glad to have you do more, Redmond said after completing his 100-mile bike ride. As long as Ukraine is under attack by Russia, the people of Ukraine are suffering. We need to continue to support them, Wheeler added.
. @stephenfry, thought youd appreciate this backstory. The idea for this indicator icon was recommended by a @Ford engineer named Jim Moylan in 1986. Heres his original letter pitching the idea. It was such a useful idea it eventually spread to other manufacturers. https://t.co/KMmw9XwIHq pic.twitter.com/TGPhGE4dcM  Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) June 4, 2022

There are a lot of things that go into our cars. Metal, plastic, software, hardware, rubber, glass, magnets, and the list could continue to go on until we reach even more fascinating stories about components that make our vehicles run properly and take us from one point to another or on interesting, memorable journeys.But nothing is ever perfect. Innovation and determination are the contributing factors that nurture the continuous struggle to make cars, trucks, vans, and even semis become better, more efficient, cleaner, more reliable, and even increasingly connected to our daily lives and habits. Its this idea that we must keep going forward that makes all kinds of vehicles so interesting. From motorized carriages to huge, powerful engines and insanely fast electric motors, we witnessed how the need for personal and commercial transportation has changed societies and improved lives.But from time to time, among the breakthroughs and the amazing developments, we find a couple of small ideas that had a huge impact on how we relate to operating our beloved machines. One of these is the filler cap indicator. Its just a small icon. Its use, however, is very important. Upon looking at it, you will immediately know on which side you should park in a gas station to fill up without needing further maneuvers. After all, we know how embarrassing it feels to have other traffic participants waiting for you to figure things out. It happened to everyone at some point.The story behind its appearance on dashboards across the industry starts in the United States, and more specifically with Ford. The companys current CEO explained how it all began in a short tweet that was accompanied by a scan of a letter sent to the American automaker. In the document dated April 17, 1986, we find the words of James N. Moylan.Moylan was an engineer from Ford s Plastics, Paint, and Vinyl Division. He made the appearance of this little indicator possible, even if over the years the icon has been simplified. It has been reduced to a triangle-like arrow, but it still does the trick. Originally, he proposed showing a drawing of a car with the filler cap open next to the side petrol pump icon.I would like to propose a small addition to future I/P cluster graphics in all passenger car and truck lines.The indicator or symbol I have in mind would be located near the fuel gauge and simply describe to the driver on which side of the vehicle the fuel fill door is located.Based on personal experience, when approaching the fuel pump island in Company pool cars, I feel that this little indicator would remove the guesswork of which side I want to park, wrote Moylan to P. M. Ross.The man argued even further and said he believes a minor investment would turn into a worthwhile convenience not only for two-car families but also pool car users and especially car rental customers.The Michigan-based auto manufacturer listened. The first car with this icon was the 1989 Ford Escort . It proved to be a wise decision. Afterward, the idea spread to other automakers as well.Surprisingly enough, this talk about the filler cap indicator started after Stephen Fry himself admitted on Twitter he didnt know what that little arrow next to the petrol pump icon was until recently. He decoded the meaning of it after 64 years on the planet shrouded in ignorance, said the British actor and comedian. Looking at the cars dashboard, he shared with his followers that this discovery changed his life forever.It might seem like a trivial thing to many drivers out there but finding out something new about an existing feature in almost all cars for over 30 years might prove to be an exciting discovery.It is such an obvious, simple solution to a possible problem that drivers might meet when renting or buying a new car. And it began with an idea from someone that thought about it and acted. Thank you, Mr. James N. Moylan! Thank you for listening to engineers, Ford!
Klaars comments contrasted with what another EU official late last week. The official, who asked not to identified, said that the EU has replaced Russia as the lead player in international efforts to broker peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He claimed that both Yerevan and Baku are now very scared of Moscow because of the war in Ukraine.

The European Union is not engaged in any kind of competition, Klaar told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. We are solely interested in trying to help the process along.

If there are other actors, who are able to help things along, then we are very happy, he said. We know that the Russian Federation has invested quite a bit in different [Armenian-Azerbaijani] meetings and most recently in the deputy prime ministers meeting.

So from our perspective there is most definitely no competition, there is no interest in any competition. We are simply interested in a peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus.

The president of the EUs decision-making European Council, Charles Michel, has hosted three trilateral meetings with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the last five months.

Russia has denounced the EUs mediation efforts, saying that they are part of the Wests attempts to hijack Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks and use the Karabakh conflict in its standoff with Moscow over Ukraine. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman warned Brussels last week against playing geopolitical games in the conflict zone.

The EUs peace efforts also prompted criticism from Karabakhs leaders. They were angered by Michels comments made after the latest Armenian-Azerbaijani summit held on May 22. They claimed that he signaled support for Azerbaijani control over the disputed territory.

A spokesman for Michel insisted afterwards that the EUs top official did not advocate any predetermined outcome of discussions on Karabakhs future.

Klaar, who met with Pashinian in Yerevan on Friday, stressed in this regard that Karabakhs predominantly Armenian population should be a party to an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal.

It is clear that there are many people living in Karabakh who have a fundamental interest in how ... a comprehensive settlement is shaped, said the diplomat. I personally cannot see how we can arrive at such a settlement without a process in which these peoples opinions and views are taken into account.
The clashes broke out late on Friday after riot police did not allow thousands of opposition supporters to approach the parliament building in Yerevan on the 34th day of nonstop anti-government protests.

The police fired stun grenades as some of the protesters tried to break through a police cordon in chaotic scenes that left at least 60 people injured. One of them, a protester, suffered a severe head injury and underwent surgery.

According to law-enforcement authorities, 40 police officers received medical assistance in hospitals after being pelted with bottles, stones and other objects and assaulted by demonstrators.

The Investigative Committee launched a criminal inquiry into mass disturbances which it said were provoked by unnamed opposition leaders. It did not say whether it will prosecute any of those leaders.

The committee brought instead criminal charges against most of at least 13 protesters arrested during or after the clashes. It said that they did not obey police orders and resorted to violence.

Armenian courts freed several detainees, including opposition activist Vahe Harutiunian, over the weekend and on Monday, citing a lack of incriminating evidence.

Vahe Yeprikian, a lawyer representing Harutiunian and two other protesters, who remained under arrest, said investigators did not present any video evidence corroborating the accusations leveled against his clients.

Opposition leaders condemned the use of force as excessive and unjustified. They singled out the use of stun grenades, saying that policemen mishandled them and wounded their own colleagues.

Those who fired [the stun grenades] and their commanders should be tried or beaten up by other policemen for the fact that they are so unprofessional that they didnt learn how to use those special means, said Gegham Manukian of the main opposition Hayastan alliance.

The police insisted that only two officers were injured by stun grenades and that other dozens of others were attacked by angry protesters. They also released on Monday a fresh video of the clashes meant to justify the crackdown.

The police did not comment on other videos posted on social media which showed several policemen punching protesters as the latter were dragged away and arrested by other officers. None of those policemen was placed under investigation as of Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Armenias Office of the Prosecutor-General said it has ordered an inquiry into the use of stun grenades and other instances of police brutality alleged by the opposition.

Opposition leaders demanded such an inquiry as they again rallied thousands of supporters in the center of Yerevan. One of them, Ishkhan Saghatelian, said the protests will continue in the days ahead. He said their organizers are now discussing tactical changes designed to give us new impetus and expand our movement.
HANOI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam recorded 802 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, up by 117 from Sunday, according to its Ministry of Health.

Among the new infections, four were imported cases and the rest were domestically transmitted cases reported in 45 provinces and cities.

The Vietnamese capital Hanoi was the pandemic hotspot with 204 new cases recorded on Monday, followed by the northern Bac Ninh province with 76 and the northern Yen Bai province with 64.

The newly recorded infections brought the total tally to 10,726,045 with 43,081 deaths. Nationwide, as many as 9,513,981 COVID-19 patients, or nearly 89 percent of the total infections, have so far recovered.

Nearly 222.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the Southeast Asian country, including roughly 199.8 million shots on people aged 18 and above, according to the ministry.

Vietnam has by far gone through four coronavirus waves of increasing scale, complication, and infectivity. As of Monday, it has registered more than 10.7 million locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since the start of the current wave of infections in April 2021, said the health ministry. 
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Interview: U.S.-China academic exchange has brought benefits to both sides, says American scholar

Xinhua) 13:01, June 06, 2022

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Academic exchange between the United States and China has brought benefits to both sides and needs to continue in the future, an American scholar has said.

"That's an incredibly important ballast in the U.S.-China relationship that helps to have both sides better understand where the other side is coming from," said Neysun A. Mahboubi, a research scholar of the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at the University of Pennsylvania, during a virtual interview with Xinhua.

"There are lots of different pathways in which that kind of exchange can generate that knowledge that gets percolated both within the Chinese side or within the U.S. side," he stressed. "I actually can say with some degree of sincerity that there is a strong win-win component to academic exchange."

"Unless you are actually talking to people and understanding how things look from their perspective, you're gonna have a much more limited understanding," he pointed out. "For me, what drives me is I wanna better understand things, and to better understand things, you have to have exchange."

A fraught relationship between the United States and China -- along with the stubborn COVID-19 pandemic -- has posed challenges to academic exchange and cooperation between the two sides over the past few years.

With the U.S. side increasingly fixated on the competition with China, there is emerging concern in academia that the decades-old practice could be further impacted.

"I am very keen that we continue to find ways to have the robust and productive academic dialogues that we have had and enjoyed for much of the last 40 years," he added. "I am very hopeful that we can get back to the kinds of robust, ongoing, systematic exchange between the two sides. That, as a scholar I think, has intrinsic scholarly value. But beyond that, I think it's incredibly important in a large instrumental way for the stability and health of the U.S.-China relationship."

Mahboubi, who has long contributed to the exchange between American and Chinese scholars, also shed light on the negativity of dwindling academic interaction.

"Some of the ways in which we've seen disagreements materialize over the last couple of years and sharpen the last couple of years are directly a function of the ways in which the two sides don't understand each other as well because we don't have those kinds of exchanges," the scholar said.

Besides, Mahboubi told Xinhua that the notion of "great power competition" between the United States and China is in general "not the kind of language that I comfortably use," saying that he prefers to analyze the bilateral relationship by using the framework that "these are the two largest economies, both with substantial interests around the world, both with shared interests in stability of global institutions -- including both economic and security."

"We are all very clear about all the differences but I think it's important to underscore the areas of commonality as well, both in terms of the things that we often talk about, in terms of climate and health and those kinds of issues, but even more broadly, just in stability of global institutions, these are both countries that are doing well under the rules of the current game of the global order," he observed.

"I think neither country particularly interested in the global order changing in some dramatic way," he added.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities have upgraded a 75-bed civil hospital to a 150-bed health facility in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, the Ministry of Public Health said in a statement on Monday.

With the development of the health facility, the ministry hopes to provide better health services to the people of the province, the statement said.

Afghanistan's health sector has been affected after many donors and aid agencies have stopped supporting hospitals in the war-torn country.

The ministry has called upon the international community to continue helping the Afghans in the health sector. 
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BANGKOK (AP)  The number of methamphetamine tablets seized in East and Southeast Asia exceeded a billion last year for the first time, highlighting the scale of illegal drug production and trafficking in the region and the challenges of fighting it, the U.N. said Monday.

The 1.008 billion tablets  which would weigh about 91 tons altogether  were part of a regionwide haul of almost 172 tons of methamphetamine in all forms, and was seven times higher than the amount seized 10 years earlier, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime said in a report.

I think the region is literally swimming in methamphetamine, said Jeremy Douglas, Southeast Asia regional representative for the U.N. agency, at a news conference in the Thai capital Bangkok unveiling the report on Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia.

So theres going to have to be a radical policy shift by East Asia to address this problem or its just going to continue to grow, Douglas said.

The drugs are largely consumed in Southeast Asia but also exported to New Zealand and Australia, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan in East Asia, and increasingly to South Asia.

Production and trafficking of methamphetamine jumped yet again as supply became super concentrated in the Mekong (River region) and in particular Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, Douglas told The Associated Press in an email.

The increased production makes the drug cheaper and more accessible, creating greater risk to people and their communities, the report said. According to Douglas, when he first worked in the region in 2002-2007, a meth tablet cost five to six times what it costs now.

Methamphetamine is easy to make and has supplanted opium and its derivative heroin to become the dominant illegal drug in Southeast Asia for both use and export.

The Golden Triangle area, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, was historically a major production area for opium and hosted many of the labs that converted it to heroin. Decades of political instability have made Myanmars frontier regions largely lawless, to be exploited by drug producers and traffickers.

Douglas said at Monday's news conference that there is a fundamental need to refocus law enforcement efforts against the drug trade.

Theres lots and lots of seizures being made and no impact being made on the business itself. Organized crime just keep cranking out the volume, replacing seizures with more product, Douglas said.

The chemical situation is highly complex and theres no essential chemicals being seized and they just continue to flow unabated, primarily through Laos into (Myanmar's) Shan State," Douglas added. "We also have huge money laundering operations at play in the region. We have no attempt fundamentally at the end of the day to address demand which is seemingly growing and can continue to grow because of the price point of the drug is so cheap.

Given the problem of limited governance and low attention to the issue, the UN. agency said organized crime syndicates have the means to continue to produce more meth and to sell it to a growing population of young people with increased spending power.

The political landscape has also served to ramp up production.

In Myanmar, the military seized power from an elected government last year and is now engaged in an armed struggle against foes of military rule.

Drug production in Myanmar is often associated with armed ethnic minority groups that sometimes battle the government and each other.

Every group denies involvement in drug production and trafficking and point at other groups as responsible, but the drug economy is arguably the largest part of the economy in most or many parts of Shan and border areas of Myanmar and there is plenty of intel connecting groups to labs and shipments," Douglas said.

The report also called Laos one of the countries most impacted by methamphetamine trafficked out of Myanmar. One of Asia's biggest-ever drug busts was made in Laos last October, with police there seizing more than 55.6 million methamphetamine pills in a single raid. They also seized about 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine, state media reported.

The U.N. agency said it was concerned that criminal enterprises were targeting Cambodia as a drug production site. One covert laboratory dismantled there last year was an industrial-scale facility set up to produce ketamine and potentially other drugs, the report said.

Ketamine is used legitimately as an anesthetic, but its non-medical use and clandestine manufacture was concerning to the U.N. agency.

Many nations tried to halt meth production by choking supplies of precursors, usually ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, best known for being used in decongestant medicines. But the U.N. agency said some methamphetamine producers have clearly learned to make these precursors from non-controlled substances that can be freely and legally traded.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  A federal judge in Oklahoma on Monday ruled the states three-drug lethal injection method is constitutional, paving the way for the state to request execution dates for more than two dozen death row inmates who were plaintiffs in the case.

Judge Stephen Friot's ruling followed a six-day federal trial earlier this year in which attorneys for 28 death row inmates argued the first of the three drugs, the sedative midazolam, is not adequate to render an inmate unable to feel pain and creates a risk of severe pain and suffering that violates the U.S. Constitutions Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

The prerequisites of a successful lethal injection challenge under the Eighth Amendment have been made clear by the Supreme Court, Friot wrote, citing three earlier rulings on the death penalty.

He continued: The plaintiff inmates have fallen well short of clearing the bar set by the Supreme Court.

Jennifer Moreno, one of the attorneys for the death row inmates, said they are still assessing their options for an appeal to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.

The district courts decision ignores the overwhelming evidence presented at trial that Oklahomas execution protocol, both as written and as implemented, creates an unacceptable risk that prisoners will experience severe pain and suffering, Moreno said in a statement.

Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor said in a statement that the state effectively proved that both the lethal injection drugs and the state's execution protocols are constitutional.

The Courts ruling is definitive: The plaintiffs in this case have fallen well short of making their case, and midazolam, as the State has repeatedly shown, can be relied upon  to render the inmate insensate to pain," O'Connor said. My team is reviewing the U.S. District Courts order further and will make a decision regarding when to request execution dates from the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

During the trial, each side presented experts in anesthesiology and pharmacology who offered differing opinions on the effectiveness of midazolam in rendering an inmate unable to feel pain.

James Stronski, an attorney for the inmates, told Friot that if inmates arent properly anesthetized, they would be paralyzed and unable to move or speak after the second drug is administered and then feel excruciating pain as the final drug, potassium chloride is injected to stop the heart.

If this is allowed to continue ... this is a 21st century burning at the stake, Stronski told the judge.

Attorneys for the state rejected that argument and maintained that a 500-milligram dose of the sedative was more than enough to ensure that inmates are unable to feel pain.

The state has carried out four lethal injections since October that Oklahoma's former Solicitor General Mithun Mansinghani said during closing arguments are definitive proof that the protocol works as intended."

Oklahoma resumed lethal injections in October with the execution of John Grant, who convulsed on the gurney and vomited before being declared dead. Since then, three more executions were carried out without noticeable complications.

Oklahoma had one of the nations busiest death chambers until problems in 2014 and 2015 led to a de facto moratorium. Richard Glossip was just hours away from being executed in September 2015 when prison officials realized they received the wrong lethal drug. It was later learned the same wrong drug had been used to execute an inmate in January 2015.

The drug mix-ups followed a botched execution in April 2014 in which inmate Clayton Lockett struggled on a gurney before dying 43 minutes into his lethal injection  and after the states prisons chief ordered executioners to stop.
The first storm of the 2022 hurricane season, Tropical Storm Alex, has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Bermuda, which means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the area, with maximum wind speeds of 65 mph, according to an advisory from the NHC.

As the hurricane season in the Atlantic kicks off, here are five things to know.

1. Alex poses no threat to Texas

The first storm of the 2022 season poses no threat to Southeastern Texas, according to an alert from the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The storm is moving Northeast through the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to be weakened and absorbed by tomorrow, the NHC said Monday.

The storm is expected to bring heavy winds and one to two inches of rain to Bermuda through this afternoon, according to the NHC.

2. The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be above average

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season will be above average. It could potentially be the seventh-consecutive above-average season, according to a report from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center.

The prediction shows a 65% chance of an above-average season between June 1 and the end of November, with a likely range of between 14 and 21 named storms. According to the prediction, six to 10 of these storms could become hurricanes, including three to six major hurricanes.

3. Texas escaped major hurricanes in 2021

Even though 2021 was an above-average hurricane season, the Lone Star State did not experience any hurricane landfalls. The 2021 season had 21 named storms, four of which became major hurricanes. Hurricane Ida, a category 4 hurricane, avoided Southeast Texas but made landfall in neighboring Louisiana in late August, and became the second-most damaging hurricane to hit the Pelican State.

The last major storm to make landfall in Texas was Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

4. Stay prepared by making a plan, packing a to-go kit

Entergy Texas' Senior Communications Specialist Allie Payne and Beaumont Emergency Management Specialist Jeff Phillips recommend staying prepared for hurricane season by packing a to-go kit and making emergency plans. They recommended having an emergency kit filled with first-aid supplies, flashlights and batteries.

They also said to prepare ones car with gas and stock up on water and non-perishable food in the event of an evacuation. Preparing an emergency plan is also important, especially making a plan for if a family gets separated, Payne and Phillips said.

5. There are plenty of things to avoid after a hurricane

While there are many ways to prepare for a hurricane, there are also steps to take after the storm has passed. This includes intentionally avoiding certain things that may cause additional harm or damage.

Some things to avoid include floodwaters, spoiled and expired food, downed power lines, damaged buildings and using a generator indoors. To stay safe after a hurricane has passed, do not drive, walk or swim in flood waters, throw out refrigerated food if there has been a power outage and use power generators outside and away from windows and doors.
Jefferson County residents this week have an opportunity to weigh in on which voting machines officials should move forward with.

The $3.2 million purchase will be funded by the Texas Secretary of State.

There are only two certified vendors in the state of Texas, said County Clerk Laurie Leister. And so both of them will be coming.

At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, representatives from ES&S and Hart InterCivic will be giving presentations to the public, hosting a Q&A session and facilitating demonstrations on the voting machines.

The event is expected to take roughly two hours. At the end, members of the public can fill out a survey about the machines. The county specifically has asked local leaders of major political parties to invite people with disabilities to learn about the machines and give their feedback.

There's election equipment that's handicap accessible, Leister said. We just want to make sure that everybody's comfortable with this.

According to Leister, both companies offer very similar services, with minor idiosyncrasies. The machines are part of Texas push for all paper-based voting by the year 2026, put in motion by Senate Bill 1.

Within that framework, Jefferson County aims to to provide two ballot-casting options. A vote could be cast electronically with a paper printout to follow and be place in a locked box or a constituent can mark a paper ballot, which will then be scanned.

The survey questions to be filled out by members of the public will include questions about preference, durability, storage, the on-screen display, the clarity of the paper ballot and ease of technological function.

After the decision is made, the county intends to move quickly on getting the machines purchased. In order to receive the state grant funding, the machines have to be in the county by the November 8 election.

We want to have them all in place as quickly as possible, Leister said. We're shooting for August for sure."

The demonstrations will take place in the jury impaneling room, which is on the ground floor in the new courthouse near the security station. The following week, at 1:30 p.m. June 15, Jefferson County Commissioners will receive further details from representatives from each company.

There are a lot of factors that we as staff are looking into with these machines, said Leister. It's not just what you see. It's also our annual costs. Ease of use to the voters is very, very important, but it's also ease of use for the poll worker, and these other factors.
After the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, many area residents undoubtedly wonder if something like that could happen here, even as they grieved for the losses in that city west of San Antonio. Although an incident that tragic has not occurred in Southeast Texas, no one can rule it out. In too many communities across America, unthinkable tragedies like this have happened without warning, in places that seemed to be safe.

In fact, last week alone brought not one but two warnings that we are not immune from this threat.

On Wednesday, the day after the Uvalde shooting, a pellet gun was taken from a student at Blanchette Elementary in the Beaumont ISD. It wasnt a firearm, and it wasnt discharged, but the bottom line is that a student brough a weapon onto campus, and that is never acceptable.

The same day, Jefferson County judge John B. Stevens Jr. significantly increased the bond for a local teen accused of bringing a gun to school late last year, adding conditions for home confinement and the requirement to wear a GPS tracking device.

"You don't think it is serious apparently but everyone else on the planet does," Stevens said. "You're going to have to get your mind straight. This game you are playing with firearms is irresponsible behavior. Do you understand what I am saying?"

In both cases, area residents are left to wonder what might have been, how close we came to the kind of nightmare that other schools have experienced.

By now the need for security on local school campuses should be clear in Southeast Texas, and every place. Many schools have armed police officers or sheriffs deputies patrolling them or even the presence of a district police force. School buildings that were wide open a generation ago have been changed considerably, with only one entrance for visitors, one that may be locked and protected with a metal detector.

But any set of safeguards could be improved. Over the summer, every school board in Southeast Texas should review its security plans and ask the simple question: Are we doing enough now?

It would be nice if state officials would do more to prevent these tragedies, but Republicans in the Texas Legislature have been reluctant to do almost anything in that regard. Last year, they even dropped the requirement for people to have a concealed carry permit, which comes with training and a background check, to bring a handgun with them in public.

Yet in equally conservative Florida, Republicans there were so horrified by the school shooting in Parkland in 2018 that they passed a red flag law which can alert authorities to someone making specific threats so that their fitness for possessing firearms can be evaluated. Yet efforts to pass a red-flag law in the Texas Legislature have never gained traction.

Area school officials cant wait for something like that to happen in Austin. They have to do everything they can in their districts, on every campus, right now.

Yes, it will cost money, but the alternative is paying an even higher price that cannot be calculated. When the new school year begins in August, local school officials must be able to tell parents, teachers and students that they have done as much as possible to keep them safe  and then hope that these safeguards are never tested.
When a man on trial for sexual assault shot his daughter (who was a witness against him) and killed a bystander outside the Beaumont courthouse in 2012, the police response was immediate. Officers from multiple jurisdictions quickly went to the scene as soon as the first reports hit the radio. Many of them worked downtown and were on the scene within minutes.

There was zero hesitation from law enforcement. Even though the shooter eventually made his way to a nearby business and took some hostages, the urgency continued. Fortunately, employees of that business somehow managed to take the shooters gun and open the company doors for law enforcement, who flooded in and put the handcuffs on within seconds.

That is the way police should respond to an active shooter. Get to the scene as quickly possible, and try to arrest or kill the shooter as quickly as possible. And unfortunately, as details emerge over the killing of the Uvalde shooter, that is not what happened.

The facts still arent completely sorted out, but it appears that police waited outside the school for at least 45 minutes before a Border Patrol tactical team was permitted to storm the classroom where the shooter was barricaded, and end the slaughter. The carnage ended a full 90 minutes after the shooter first crashed his truck near the school and headed toward it.

While the agonizing wait dragged on, parents outside the school were frantically begging the officers to go in and rescue their children. At least one parent was even placed in handcuffs to prevent him from entering the school himself.

Local police commanders have tried to defend the response, saying they were trying to secure the perimeter and evacuate people from other parts of the building. Even if some of that was justified, the focus should have been on ending the shooting as quickly as possible, not secondary tasks.

Those things are important, but not as important as stopping the ongoing murder of children. And as soon as that ultimate goal is taken care of, the busywork away from the epicenter of the situation doesnt matter.

No one questions the courage of the officers on the scene, and some confusion was understandable. But at some point  very quickly  the decision must be made to attack the shooter. Its dangerous, of course, but thats what every cop signs up for. Law enforcement has assault weapons too, along with stun grenades and smoke- or tear gas bombs. One shooter did not have them at a disadvantage here.

Gov. Greg Abbott should order an immediate investigation of the timeline of this tragedy to determine exactly what happened and when. And even if police had acted sooner, some students and teachers would have already been killed. But right now, it appears that more could have been saved with a faster response, and that makes this nightmare even worse.

Thomas Taschinger, TTaschinger@BeamontEnterprise.com, is the editorial page editor of The Beaumont Enterprise. Follow him on Twitter at @PoliticalTom
by Zhang Yongxing

SUVA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China's Juncao project has been benefitting Fiji since 2014 when it was introduced in the Pacific island country, Fijian officials and farmers said.

The Juncao technology, literally meaning fungi and grass, was invented in the 1980s by Lin Zhanxi, a professor at China's Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, who is also the chief scientist for the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Cooperation Project launched in 2014 after the Chinese and Fijian governments signed an agreement to start agricultural cooperation.

In Fiji, Juncao has become popular as "the happy grass from China" after the two phases of the project have witnessed a sound success. Now the third phase of the project will be implemented as scheduled.

Lin Zhansen, head of the Chinese experts team based in Nadi, the third largest city of Fiji, told Xinhua that Juncao has been warmly welcomed in Fiji, as it not only helps develop a low-cost mushroom cultivation industry, but also produces cattle feed and minimizes soil erosion in the island nation.

"The Juncao project is a low cost one with quick rewards and it has benefited many ordinary Fijians," he said.

According to Lin, the Chinese experts have so far trained 1,704 Fijians, including female farmers, disabled persons and even tour managers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, they have sent 45 officials of Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture and technicians to be trained at China's Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University.

The country currently has more than 600 mushroom farmers and Lin's team has helped establish two model villages of mushroom cultivation in Fiji.

Mushroom cultivation is a new concept in Pacific countries like Fiji and not many people know how to grow or use them before the introduction of the Juncao technology to Fiji. The technology enables farmers to grow several types of nutritious mushrooms from dried, chopped grasses, instead of trees or woods, giving them a stable source of income thereby helping boost their livelihoods.

Fiji imports more than 120 tons of mushroom annually. There is an existing demand for the commodity, and increasing popularity is seen in local markets, namely supermarkets and restaurants.

"I believe that Fiji has a great potential of mushroom growers in the years to come," Lin said.

Tagiyaco Vakaloloma, 28, is a senior technical assistant for mushroom research and development from Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture. she hailed the Juncao project and expressed gratitude to China.

"It has benefited our people in their living and produces cattle feed," Vakaloloma said.

Seruwaia Kabukabu, 44, is a famous female entrepreneur in Serea village of Fiji's Naitasiri province. Owning a dairy farm with 50 cattle, she has improved her family's livelihood through profit from mushroom cultivation since 2019, after being trained at the Juncao demonstration center in Nadi.

"Mushroom is easy to grow, highly nutritious, with a high market value. The mushroom farming is more suitable for women as it entails less intensive labor and could provide a consistent source of income to support our families," she said, adding, "I have used the money to buy refrigerator, blender, straw mats and etc. I also have built a new toilet and bathroom for our family."

The woman encouraged her fellow villagers to follow suit.

With her help, 68-year-old Marika Uluinacera, a disabled man and 15-year-old Vilimaina Nokonokosere, a school student, had also planted mushroom. The latter bought herself a new pair of school uniform, bag and new pair of sandals with the money she gained from selling mushroom. Local press reported the girl's story of planting mushrooms for her school needs.

Describing it as "a very good project," Kabukabu said that she wanted to thank the Chinese government and the Chinese people for the project which enables Fijian women to have a better life.

Kabukabu said that she, along with her fellow villagers, will do more mushroom cultivation in the years to come.

Sunita Vikashni Lata, 39, is a Fijian farmer who lives in the Lomawai village, about 45 km from Nadi. she really appreciated the chances for being trained twice in China's Fujian province and working for the Juncao demonstration center for five years. She also cultivated mushroom in her spare time.

She told Xinhua that the income from the salary and mushroom cultivation has helped her pay electricity and water bills, and buy TV, freezer and kids needs.

Chaya Kumar and Vinit Lal, a couple, have recently launched their Bula Mushroom company in the Nadi-based Vocational School of Agriculture, Votualevu College. This made the school the first in the nation to include technical teaching in mushroom cultivation.

The couple told Xinhua that they have produced around 200 kg of fresh mushrooms that have been sold to supermarkets and restaurants.

"We have good market demand here for mushroom, we are doing well and hope to expand our business, even export our mushroom in the near future," they said, adding "We want to thank China for the Juncao project and the Chinese experts team's training for us."

Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo told media that China's assistance to the Pacific island countries like Fiji is to "meet their urgent needs, to teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime, and to promote their capacity building."

"There is no doubt that the Juncao project is a great success as it has provided a new way with ecological and economic benefits for environmental protection, employment improvement and poverty alleviation," he said. 
Smoke rises from the spot after a massive fire broke out in an inland container depot at Sitakunda, near the port city Chittagong, Bangladesh, June 5, 2022.

An operator of a shipping container yard failed to notify firefighters about a stockpile of chemicals that exploded in a series of deadly blasts as they responded to a fire near Chittagongs port over the weekend, Bangladeshi authorities said Monday.

A cargo of hydrogen peroxide destined for export was stored in some containers at the B.M. Container Depot in the Sitakunda sub-district, according to officials who lowered the death toll to 41 in the disaster that injured around 200 people. Still, many people have not been accounted for since the blasts ripped through the depot on Saturday evening.

It was the latest industrial disaster in Bangladesh, which has a poor record for workplace safety.

We were not provided the information that there were chemicals inside the depot. If we knew about the chemicals, our rescue operation module would be different, Mohammad Kamruzzaman, a fire department official in Sitakunda, told BenarNews.

What seemed to us is there was a fire incident which caused the explosion. We are not sure how many explosions took place, he said.

On Monday, army explosives experts reported finding other containers filled with chemicals at the depot.

A man walks among debris scattered at the B.M. Container Depot in the Sitakunda sub-district of Chittagong, Bangladesh, two days after an explosion and fire claimed dozens of lives, June 6, 2022. [BenarNews]

We have detected four containers of chemicals at the yard. These have been relocated to a safer place, Lt. Col. Ariful Islam, chief of the Bangladesh Army rescue team, told reporters at the site.

We are not sure what type of chemicals were in the containers as workers died, were injured or are missing, he said, adding the containers were marked but did not have specific details about the chemicals inside.

Along with the four sealed containers, another 20 unsealed ones were found at the scene, according to authorities who said the explosives team went to the site to control possible contamination from the chemicals.

A spokesman for the depot told BenarNews that no information was kept from the authorities about the containers filled with chemicals.

The containers the army experts team detected are full of hydrogen peroxide. Actually there was no chemical other than hydrogen peroxide in the yard, said Shamsul Siddiqui, a spokesman for the depot operator.

We have a video clip that shows one of our workers, Ahmedur Rahman, calling 999 immediately after the fire and informing police that there was chemical stock.

Drone footage shows smoke rising from the spot after a massive fire broke out in an inland container depot at Sitakunda, near the port city Chittagong, Bangladesh, June 5, 2022 in this still image obtained from a handout video. Al Mahmud BS/Handout via REUTERS. The Google Earth satellite photo was taken on Jan 31, 2021.

Meanwhile, officials explained why they downgraded the number of deaths.

We earlier [said that] 49 people died, but some bodies have been counted at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital and the Chittagong General Hospital. The number of actual deaths is 41, Mominur Rahman, the chief of Chittagong district administration, told BenarNews.

At least nine firefighters were among those killed.

Never in the history of the fire department have so many firefighters died, said Purnachandra Mutsuddi, who led the firefighting effort at the depot, according to Agence France-Presse.

Men react to the news that a relative died at the B.M. Container Depot, the site of a massive fire, June 5, 2022. [Reuters]

Jahangir Alam, an additional superintendent of the police Criminal Investigation Department, said that 20 of the 41 victims had been handed over to family members. Thirty-seven DNA samples were taken from survivors in an effort to identify the other 21 who cannot be identified otherwise, he told BenarNews.

Elias Chowdhury, the chief of the Chittagong district health department, said that more than 200 people were injured in the fire, including 100 critically.

Reshmi Begum, 19, carried her 3-month-old baby as she visited hospitals in Chittagong searching for her husband, Md. Shahjahan, a B.M. truck driver who was in the depot Saturday night.

I cant find him anywhere  I dont know what happened to him, she told BenarNews.

Abu Taher Mondol said he was looking for his nephew, Mohammad Mainuddin.

The bodies here have been turned into charcoal. There is no way to identify them. ... Now we are simply suffering. There is no lack of pain, he told BenarNews.

No one tells us where we should go or what we should do.

Members of the Sommilito Sangskritik Jote organization hold a candlelight vigil in Dhaka for victims of the fire near the Chittagong port, June 6, 2022. [Reuters]

Fire still burning

As of Monday evening, firefighters had yet to fully extinguish the fire, which broke out two days earlier. Officials said they were hampered by a lack of hydrants in the depot.

What the fire service officials told me is that the fire flared up and has continued in a limited scale due to the burning of the huge quality of chemicals at the yard, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told BenarNews.

The fire has yet to stop as the firefighters have been working hard to douse the chemical flames, he said, adding the fires intensity has diminished.

On Sunday, Chittagong district authorities announced the formation of a seven-member team while the fire service and civil defense have formed their own seven-member team to determine the cause of the blast.

Please be patient: two government departments have been conducting investigations about the fire. We will come to know what happened there after they finish their investigation, Khan said.

On Monday, a chemistry instructor questioned reports that hydrogen peroxide was responsible for the blast.

Hydrogen peroxide is not a flammable chemical and it should not be blamed for the explosion, said S.M. Mizanur Rahman, a chemistry professor at Dhaka University.

Hydrogen peroxide alone can hardly cause any explosion. But if it comes in the contact of fire or flame it will aggravate the fire, he told BenarNews, adding, It is very hard to know whether there were any flammable chemicals in the container yard beside the hydrogen peroxide.

Bangladesh has seen devastating incidents in the workplace over the years, including a chemical warehouse explosion in old Dhaka that killed 117 people in June 2010.

More recently, at least 52 died after a fire ripped through a juice factory southeast of Dhaka in July 2021 and at least seven died when a gas pipeline exploded in November 2019 in Chittagong.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo ride bicycles partly made of bamboo on the grounds of the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, June 6, 2022.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged Monday to help host country Indonesia make this years G20 summit a success, including by attending the gathering, which controversially has both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on the guest list.

Australias new PM made the pledge during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, after he and Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo held talks and rode around the palatial grounds on bamboo bicycles, in a nod to their humble origins.

Albanese, who took office two weeks ago, was on his maiden visit as prime minister to the giant neighbor next-door.

[D]eepening engagement with Southeast Asia is a priority for my Government, he stressed in a statement read out to reporters.

I will work closely with President Widodo to help deliver a successful summit, Albanese said, adding that international cooperation was needed to tackle the many challenges we face in navigating the post-COVID global economic recovery.

Indonesia holds the 2022 presidency of the grouping of the worlds top 20 economies. The United States has urged Indonesia not to invite member-state Russia to the G20 summit, scheduled for November in Bali, because of Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

Jakarta so far has refused to disinvite Russia from the summit but has invited Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, which is not a G20 member, as a guest. In March, U.S. President Joe Biden said Ukraine should be able to participate in the G20 summit, if the grouping did not expel Russia.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (left) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese interact with journalists at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, June 6, 2022. [Handout photo/Indonesian Presidential Palace]

Mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation

Albanese also pledged closer cooperation with Indonesia on trade, security and climate change.

Indonesia is on track to be one of the worlds five largest economies, Albanese said.

Revitalizing our trade and investment relationship is a priority for my government, he said.

Albanese added that the two countries were working to realize the potential of the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a free trade agreement which came into effect two years ago.

Albanese came to Indonesia with a delegation that included chief executives of major Australian companies, as well as Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrel.

Jokowi, for his part, said that the strategic partnership agreement and the free trade deal with Australia provided a strong foundation for bilateral relations.

These two foundations are very important for the two countries to continue to strengthen mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, Jokowi said.

Jokowi stressed the importance of expanding access to exports for Indonesian products to Australia, including cars.

The first shipment of completely built-up cars made in Indonesia to Australia was made in February and I hope that export access like this will continue to expand, he said.

Jokowi said he told Albanese that good bilateral relations could contribute to regional peace and prosperity.

International principles and laws must be consistently obeyed, strategic competition in the region needs to be managed properly to avoid open conflict, a culture of peace and strategic trust needs to be strengthened, he said.

Albanese also promised increased cooperation in the fields of defense, as well as maritime security and safety, amid Chinas growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea.

Indonesia has on several occasions expressed concerns about a new trilateral security pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, known as AUKUS, which allows Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

In their respective statements, however, the two leaders made no references to AUKUS.

Albanese stressed that his government would work closely with Australian Super Funds, one of the countrys largest investors, to explore investment opportunities in Indonesia.

Ninasapti Triaswati, an economist at the University of Indonesia, said the visit provided an opportunity for Indonesia to strike business deals with Australian companies.

But it requires technical readiness on the part of the Indonesian side to be able to make cooperation contracts that benefit the Indonesian people, Ninasapti told BenarNews.

Ninasapti said she believed the presence of Putin at the upcoming G20 summit would not affect economic ties with Australia.

If Putin comes, the Australian government may leave the room, but CEOs of Australian private companies will still be interested in investing in Indonesia, she said.

Strengthen partnerships in the Pacific

Albanese also said his government was committed to deepening economic ties with Southeast Asian countries.

And we will deliver a comprehensive ASEAN Economic Strategy to 2040, to map current and future export and investment opportunities across key ASEAN markets, he said.

Albanese said Australia would give A$470 million (U.S. $338.55 million) to Southeast Asia over four years under Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) programs, on top of A$200 million for its climate and infrastructure partnership with Indonesia.

We also agreed to strengthen partnerships in the Pacific, especially in the fields of climate, fisheries and agriculture, he said.

True to my governments ambitious climate targets, I want better access to affordable, reliable and secure clean energy right across our region, as we transition to a net zero world together.
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Robert Frost wrote the 16-line poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," in which the narrator pauses to gaze upon a snowy woodland scene before continuing on a winter nights journey  and quite possibly reflects on his own mortality in the bargain  appeared in Frosts 1923 volume New Hampshire.
The Massachusetts Society of Enrolled Agents will hold two meetings this week, including the organization's 2022 annual meeting on Thursday.
UPDATE: A retrial date has been set in Joseph Thompson's vehicular homicide case following juror bus crash

PITTSFIELD  A bus that was carrying jurors to visit the scene of a fatal 2018 collision was involved in a crash Monday, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial in the case against former Mass MoCA Director Joseph Thompson. Two people suffered injuries that police said were not life threatening.

Thompson, the former longtime director of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, faces a charge of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation in the July 20, 2018, crash in which motorcyclist Steven Fortier was killed.

The trial had been slated to begin in January, but was delayed because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The jurors had been seated to hear the case Monday morning in Central Berkshire District Court, and were loaded into a bus to transport them to the area of Church and Ashland streets in North Adams for an official view of the crash site.

Also on board were assistant district attorneys Melissa Brooks and Stuart Weissman, defense lawyers Timothy Shugrue and Ahmed Ismail, Judge Jennifer Tyne, court officers and a court clerk.

The bus was heading north on First Street shortly after 1 p.m. when it was struck head-on by a Toyota Tacoma that was driving south, according to Pittsfield police. The court clerk and the driver of the truck were transported to Berkshire Medical Center.

The yellow school bus had initially been scheduled to leave the courthouse for the view at 2 p.m., but it left about an hour earlier with the agreement of all parties, because jury selection had wrapped up earlier than expected.

The eight jurors who had been seated included five women and three men  enough for a panel of six jurors and two alternates.

Shugrue told The Eagle the trial bus took First Street to avoid construction that was happening on a more direct route.

The attorneys and court personnel were seated at the front of the bus and jurors were seated in the rear when the crash happened.

He hit us straight on, Shugrue said, noting that the impact knocked him out of his seat and onto the floor of the bus, and all the passengers were jostled around by the impact.

Were banged up, he said.

He said about six police cruisers arrived at the scene near the Cumberland Farms in the area of First and Adam streets.

No charges or citations had been issued against the driver of the truck as of Monday afternoon, according to Pittsfield police.

Shugrue said it was the first time in his career anything like that has happened.

Its an automobile accident, and were dealing with [a trial involving] an automobile accident, said Shugrue, who is challenging Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington in her bid for reelection this year.

Its not fair to use these jurors, he said, they just were in a head-on collision.

Thompsons trial was moved to the Pittsfield courthouse from Northern Berkshire District Court in North Adams because Mass MoCA owns the building that houses the court in North Adams.

Thompson, 61, was director of Mass MoCA for more than three decades before he stepped down from that post in October 2020. He is a member of The Eagles Advisory Board.

Tyne declared a mistrial after the crash. A spokesman for the DAs office said a new trial date is expected to be set on Tuesday, but the clerks office said the timeline for picking the new date still wasnt clear.

Jurors had heard opening arguments in the case before the crash occurred, derailing the trial.

ADA Weissman told jurors they were due to hear North Adams Police Officer David Sherman testify about the horrific crash scene. The crash occurred in the area of the bend where Ashland Street merges with Church Street in North Adams.

Weissman said that Fortier suffered massive trauma in the collision and was found bleeding, his breathing labored and his limbs positioned in an unnatural position.

We suggest that when you hear all the evidence, you will come to the conclusion, we suggest you will come to the conclusion that the defendant was in the wrong lane when this crash occurred, Weissman said. And that the defendant should be found guilty of motor vehicle negligent homicide, because he was driving in the wrong lane when this all occurs.

In the defenses opening statement, Shugrue argued that Thompson did everything he could to avoid colliding with the motorcycle driven by Fortier, who he said had a blood-alcohol content of 0.27, more than three times the legal limit, at the time. Shugrue said Fortier had visited three North Adams establishments  the Hot Dog Ranch, the Key West Lounge and, finally, the Mohawk Tavern  before the incident.

Shugrue told jurors Thompson had consumed no alcohol, was not using his phone and had the radio turned down. He said Fortier was traveling south on Ashland Street then overshot the intersection where the roadway merges with Church Street, and crossed into Thompsons lane.

Thompson, his lawyer said, saw the headlight of Fortiers motorcycle coming directly at him.

Shugrue said Thompson could not swerve to the right because there were trees and houses on that side, so he swerved his SUV left into the opposing lane to try to avoid a crash.

Meantime, Fortier realized he was in the wrong lane, Shugrue argued, and started to maneuver back toward the southbound lane at a 45-degree angle, and in so doing struck the right front passenger-side tire of Thompsons SUV.

He said Thompson acted as any normal person would when confronted with a sudden emergency and was aiming to avoid a collision.

He almost avoided it, but he didnt, because Mr. Fortier turned back into his vehicle, and then hit it. Thats what caused the accident, not Mr. Thompson, Shugrue said.
ISLAMABAD, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday expressed grief and sorrow over the tragic fire incident at a container depot in Bangladesh.

"Sad to hear about the loss of precious lives in the fire incident," the prime minister said on social media.

"My heartfelt condolences and most sincere sympathies are with the government and people of Bangladesh," Sharif said.

At least 45 people were killed and hundreds of others injured after a private container depot caught fire on Saturday night in Bangladesh's Chattogram district. 
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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.
NORTH ADAMS  For the second time this year, the city is losing its clerk.

Marcus Lyon is resigning from the position later this month, Mayor Jennifer Macksey said on Monday. Reached via email by The Eagle, Lyon declined to comment.

Lyon, a Berkshire native, took the job after his predecessor, Cathleen King, resigned in January. King was clerk for about year before she left for a job at 1Berkshire in marketing. Recently, the council confirmed Joshua Vallieres, a recent Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts graduate, as assistant city clerk.

In North Adams, the city council  not the mayor  hires the city clerk. Council Vice President Peter Oleskiewicz said that he anticipated they will soon post the job opening. But often, they struggle to attract candidates because of the pay, he said.

Compared with other cities, he said, were really on the low end of the spectrum.

The job pays $55,153, according to the 2022 fiscal year budget. The same year, the city clerk in Pittsfield pay was budgeted at $75,825, according to the citys budget.

Council President Lisa Blackmer said earlier this year that salary has been a challenge in hiring for the job in the past. All councilors at a meeting in February voted to confirm Lyon as clerk, but Councilors Jennifer Barbeau and Marie Harpin said they had issues with the process.

The clerk is a crucial position, councilors say.

A lot of important stuff goes through that office, Councilor Keith Bona said. With Lyons resignation and a new assistant clerk, he worried about lacking election expertise in the office.

There is an election coming up in the fall, Oleskiewicz pointed out. Its just state election, but at the end of the day theres still an election November.

The council needs to find candidates for the job, Bona said, but now they are going to question, why are we losing city clerks?
The makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School, where 19 students and two teachers were killed in a June 1 mass shooting, in Uvalde, Texas. "To fully understand a problem like terrorism, you need to accept complexity, a sprawl of general factors  personal, historical, cultural  converging in a specific movement or a single actor," writes New York Times columnist Ross Douthat.
After listening and taking notes while survivors of sexual and domestic violence recounted some of the worst days of their lives and explained the trauma that they deal with to this day because of their experiences with the court system, Gov. Charlie Baker apologized.

I cant tell you how sorry I am that state government let you down, he said. Theres no other way to put it. State government let you down because we didnt have the vision or the knowledge to understand what was actually going on day to day to day.

The roundtable with victims and survivors at UMass Law School in Dartmouth was the fifth that the governor has held as he prioritizes passage of his bill that would make it easier for police and the courts to detain defendants deemed a risk to the community in his final year in office, having seen it sunk in the Legislature in previous sessions.

But by giving a megaphone to survivors and highlighting their stories, Baker has been putting pressure on lawmakers to either address the issue or choose inaction in the face of emotional calls from victims. While Beacon Hill may have been blind to the problems before, the governor said Monday that nobody can make that claim anymore.

Its all out there for everybody to see as pure as day that unless we do something about this, people will have stories and experiences that can only be described as horrific and tragic here in a state that claims to be so progressive and so interested in protecting those who need the help most, Baker said.

The governors bill would allow judges to consider a defendants criminal history and not just the specific charges before them when making a decision on pre-trial release and expand the list of offenses that can be used to hold a defendant as a dangerous person to include crimes like child rape, child sexual assault, child pornography and human trafficking.

At UMass Law School on Monday, Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito heard from a woman named Kelsey who is the survivor of childhood rape and exploitation at the hands of someone she said was a trusted caretaker of her. She wanted to highlight how abusers do not need to be violent to be dangerous.

When I was really young, I remember my abuser telling me not to say anything or wed both get in trouble. To a 5-year-old, that could be all it takes. Thats all it took in my situation. No child wants to get in trouble, she said. A pedophile could completely destroy a childs entire life without ever being violent and those type of people are still a danger.

Kelsey said she remembers thinking that her abuser would go to jail right away, but he did not. She said that while her abuser was given a slap on the wrist ... I feel I was given a life sentence of battling depression.

His sentence did not feel like justice at all, especially because he was released early for good behavior, she said. I spent more time in locked mental health facilities than he did [in prison].

The governors legislation would also permit prosecutors to seek a dangerousness hearing at any point in a criminal proceeding, not just at the outset, and ask that a defendant be held until the conclusion of a trial, rather than the 120 days allowed in District Court or 180 days in Superior Court.

The governor and lieutenant governor also heard from Danielle, a domestic violence survivor who was attacked by her husband of 20 years. He was initially deemed dangerous but Danielle said she had to testify at three different dangerousness hearings while the charges were pending.

Let me tell you, testifying in a dangerousness hearing in front of the person who tried to kill you and a defense attorney who is trying to break you down is no easy task. It was necessary to save my life and my childrens lives, she said. This is a traumatizing experience and I felt like having to do it again and again was like fighting for my life, just like I did the day I was attacked. Each time, I was filled with anxiety and fear of what the outcome would be.

Bakers so-called dangerousness bill has drawn skepticism from some lawmakers and remains bottled up on Beacon Hill. With its latest extension, the Judiciary Committee has given itself until June 30 to decide whether the governors proposal should advance.

Baker filed similar bills in 2018 and 2019 but they did not advance from committee amid criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and others.

At one point, it appeared as if there had been a breakthrough on at least one aspect of Bakers bill. Then-House Speaker Robert DeLeo told reporters in June 2019 that the House planned to take up part of Bakers dangerousness bill that month, but the bill never moved out of the Judiciary Committee by the time the last session ended.

As they make their final push for the bill, the governor and lieutenant governor have hosted several roundtable events allowing survivors to recount their personal stories and discuss how they would have been affected by the administrations legislation.

In late May, taking advantage of the Senates budget week to catch lawmakers in person at the State House, some survivors took to Beacon Hill to visit with senators to discuss the governors bill. Minority Leader Bruce Tarr offered an amendment to the budget that included many of the same ideas as Bakers bill, but that was summarily rejected.
KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- A six-day book fair with support of Afghanistan's Ministry of Information and Culture is being held at Kabul University in the capital to boost book reading among people.

On display were thousands of pieces of books at the event, which opened on Sunday and will conclude on Friday, said Abdul Haleem Muftizada, an official with the ministry.

"We have tried to put on display at the book fair new books published by publishing companies," Muftizada told Xinhua.

Representatives from some 45 book publishing houses and around 400 students visited the book fair on the first day of the event, the official added. 
A paper trail followed me into the kitchen and magnets dropped to the ground as our refrigerator reached its maximum capacity. I love being a mom. I love hanging every little drawing and achievement, photo and memory that will fit on the side of our refrigerator. Community is a compilation of whats stuck on everyones fridge.

A fridge full of stuff is one of my favorite parts of parenthood, but every once in a while it needs to be cleared off. There are few things that have made it past all of the clean fridge sweeps, but one piece of paper has remained. Its a take-home paper from the kids ministry program my daughters participate in as elementary kiddos. Its a picture of a knight, wearing full armor, each piece labeled with one of the pieces of the armor of God. Our kids, our families and our communities need to put on the full armor of God each day  both individually and together as the family of God. Paul wrote the Ephesians,

The full armor of God protects us from the ways our enemy seeks to distract and derail us. These are things we cannot see, but can know are assuredly out there in the spiritual realm, ready to attack. No matter what age, stage, or season of life, the full armor of God covers our lives and protects our steps. The Lord fights for us! His army of angles is loosed on our behalf at the command of the Lord. God loves us, not with the fleeting love of the world, but with a sacrificial, unexplainable love.

Life within the love of Christ is a rich and satisfying life, but just because life is full of purpose doesnt mean its easy. According to the Bible, life is not a picnic but a battle, an armed struggle against a powerful adversary, Ian Duguid wrote for Desiring God. To engage in that battle properly, we need a spiritual makeover in which our flimsy, inadequate natural attire is replaced by suitable armor and weaponry. Walking out Gods purpose for our lives requires us to submit them to Him completely. But our lives are in good care in Gods hands.

1. Belt of Truth

Integrity and genuineness. Authenticity. The world is accustomed to a bait and switch, not just in the world of advertising, but the highlight reels of social media. Truth is real, it takes bravery, vulnerability, and it stands out in the world. When we put on the belt of truth as a community, we commit ourselves to being real with each other. Not a license to be rude, but an effort to be authentic, genuine, and have integrity.

2. Breastplate of Righteousness

This is our character and moral compass. The Lord gives us the ability to walk in righteousness because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. We put on the breastplate righteousness as a community when we rally together for what is right, not by the ways of the world, but measured by the love of God.

3. Gospel of Peace

We are called to be Peacekeepers, and we cannot do it alone. The Gospel of Peace gives us a sound mind to settle dust and clear up misunderstandings. As Christ followers, we must refuse to be offended, and obediently forgive. The miracle of reconciliation is the work of God. We are called to love Him, and love others, straining to see the good in everyone. The pursuit of peace yields a healthy community.

4. Shield of Faith

Soldiers didnt just lift their shields to protect themselves, but the entire army behind them, as well. The NIV Study Bible explains It was large enough to protect a soldiers entire body. This shield represents faith or a believers confidence and trust in God, a faith which allows them to repel the attacks of the devil. We were made to do life together, in community, and that includes the battle we have to fight sometimes!





Photo credit: Getty Images

5. Helmet of Salvation

Helmets protect us. Our salvation protects us. The NIV Study Bible notes helmets were also a sign of victory. We have already won in Christ. When we put on our salvation as a community  a church body  we are protecting ourselves from attack. Where there are many souls to be reached for Jesus, the attack will be the strongest.

6. Sword of the Spirit

The word of God is powerful, and we seek Him in it daily we will find what we need, when we need it. The sword was a short sward (or dagger) use for close combat, the NIV Bible explains. Here it is linked with the Holy Spirit, who is the source of the sword, making it powerful and effective. Gods Word must be delivered in love, because He is love, and everything He does is rooted in who He is. Even tough love needs to be delivered with a compassion for our mission to go make disciples to seek and save the lost, as Jesus came to do. As a community we must be committed to the Word of God.

There is power in numbers. When we pray individually, its powerful. God says, when two or more gather in His name, He is THERE. The presence of God is directive, and clarifying. His heart is never to confuse us, or for us to suffer needlessly or wander aimlessly. Countless times He assures us He will never leave us or forsake us. Paul wrote:

Praying for each other, together, is powerful. Putting on the armor of God daily, both individually and as a community, is powerful. The Bible is not only for individual instruction, for we were meant to live in community with each other. God said it was not good for man to be alone. We need each other to help put on pieces of armor some days, and link arms with one another when the fight and the suffering is too much for one soul to bear alone.

When we picture the armor of God, like the picture of the soldier still hanging on my refrigerator, lets aim to be diligent in wearing every piece of it. Remember it also as we make disciples, teaching others how to put on the armor of God daily before walking out into the world.

Sources

NIV Grace and Truth Study Bible. Copyright  2021 by Zondervan.

NIV Study Bible. Copyright  1985, 1995, 2002, 2008, 2011 by Zondervan

More from this author

Seek to Find the Good in Everyone

Fighting the Everyday Fears We Face

The Benefits of Listening, Not Just Hearing



Photo credit: Getty Images/Katarzyna Bialasiewicz
5 Major Differences between Catholics and Protestants

1. Peter

Both Catholics and Protestants agree that Peter played a significant role in the ministry of Jesus and the early church. Protestants believe he was a key part of starting the early church, pointing to passages in the Bible where he preached, and the two epistles of his that were canonized into the Bible.

Historians agree that Peter played an important role in creating and maintaining the church in Jerusalem, and that he was martyred - probably by crucifixion - under Emperor Nero.

Catholics teach that Peter was the first Pope, given the keys of the Church by Christ, and that all popes afterwards are his spiritual successors.

2. 66 or 73 Books in the Bible

Catholics and Protestants use a different Bible. All of them agree on 66 of these books, but the Catholic Bible has 73 total. These seven books under dispute are Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1 Macabees, and 2 Macabees. Protestants consider these texts to be part of the Apocrypha, while Catholics call them the Deuterocanonical books.

Catholics argue that all 73 books were in use for centuries based on two different canons of the Old Testament, but that Protestant rejected them because their doctrine was incompatible with the teachings of these texts. Protestants argue that while there were two different canons, the more accurate one rejected those seven books, and that including the other seven books was including books that were not divinely inspired, or God-Breathed. The seven were officially adopted into the Bible by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in 1546. Some Protestant denominations such as the Anglican Church and the Lutheran Church have had them in their lexicon as part of the Apocrypha in their Bible.

Traditionally, Jewish thought has not considered all of the 7 to be canon, only a few, including Tobit. But many argue they are more akin to cultural folk stories than actual Scripture. During the time that Jesus was alive, the Scripture was considered to be: the Torah (first five books), the Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, the Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and The Writings (the poets, the five scrolls, and other histories).

Photo credit: Getty Images/ByEveLivesey
CENTRAL MICHIGAN  Community Mental Health for Central Michigan has appointed a new director, effective June 25.

During its monthly meeting in May, the board appointed Bryan Krogman to the position of executive director.

Krogman has served as deputy director for administration for the past seven years and has been with the agency for over 28 years. He has a masters degree in business administration from Central Michigan University.




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
PUNE-BASED ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTER (VENTURE CENTER) GAINS No 1 POSITION IN BIOSPECTRUM BIOINCUBATOR SURVEY 2020-21

BioSpectrum India, a leading B2B media platform in Lifesciences space since 2003 has re-launched its ranking special edition in June 2019 after gap of 2 years. In this survey we looked at BioIncubators (both private and public) spread across India based on their achievements in the past financial year  2020-21. A detailed questionnaire (survey form) was sent to over 40 BioIncubators to capture the needed information for the year 2020-21 for the analysis. This was done during April  May 2022. BioIncubators shared information with us to the extent it was possible by them. # For all the ranking purposes we have taken four parameters - No. of incubatees joined, Funds raised, Space available for incubation at the centre, MoUs signed by the BioIncubator with other agencies to attract enterprises/ entrepreneurs during 2020-21. We have considered the names of the BioIncubators who have participated in the survey, as we didnt received the filled in forms from some of other BioIncubators.
PHNOM PENH, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen won a landslide victory in the fifth commune elections on Sunday, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Committee (NEC) on Monday.

Seventeen political parties contested in the polls for the 11,622 positions of commune chiefs and councilors for 1,652 communes in the southeast Asian nation for the next five years.

As almost all of the votes counted, the NEC said the ruling CPP had won 9,339 seats or 80.3 percent of the 11,622 commune councilor positions, while the opposition Candlelight Party gained 2,192 seats, or 18.8 percent.

It added that the Funcinpec party earned 19 seats, the Khmer National United Party got 13, the Grassroots Democratic Party won six, the Cambodian Nation Love Party gained five, the Cambodian Youth Party took three, and the Kampucheaniyum Party and the Beehive Social Democratic Party got one each.

NEC's chairman Prach Chan said the voter turnout was 7.17 million, or 77.91 percent of the 9.2 million registered voters and that this percentage was relatively high compared to some other countries in the world.

The ruling CPP got more than 5.3 million votes, while the opposition Candlelight Party earned some 1.6 million votes.

"It was a successful election with a peaceful atmosphere," Chan said in a press conference.

"Security, safety and public order were well maintained, and no incidents or acts of violence were reported," he said.

The final results will be released on June 26.

Held once every five years, the commune elections in Cambodia are seen as a bellwether of party's support ahead of the general election, with the next one to take place in 2023. 
Autodesk is providing engineering graduates with a leg up into the working world of manufacturing through the launch of its First Step in Your Career initiative. Initially launched in Turkey in 2021, this skills training programme is now available in South Africa.

Murat Tuzum, Autodesk's head of manufacturing industry EMEA emerging

What is the First Step in Your Career programme - who is it aimed at, what does it offer, and how do graduates sign up?

Why is such an initiative so necessary for engineering graduates?

What kind of soft skills are required in the manufacturing sector?

Manufacturing and engineering are largely considered male-dominated industries. How can women engineers leverage the First Step in Your Career programme to make themselves stand out in the job market?

The First Step in Your Career programme is volunteer-based - what kind of volunteers are you looking for and how can they go about getting involved?

Having originally launched in Turkey, what has the response been like to the programme so far?

Where can we expect the First Step in Your Career programme to go next?

We chatted to Autodesk's head of manufacturing industry EMEA emerging, Murat Tuzum about the programme and what it means for South Africa's engineering and manufacturing sector.This programme includes soft skill training such as CV preparation and interview techniques as well as hands-on software training. There are also webinars with industry experts (such as Cindy Norcott and Richard Hansen), advice on dos and donts during the job search process, and 1:1 mentorship. The programme is aimed at recent engineering graduates who have not found a job yet. Programme details and eligibility criteria as well as application details can be found at www.autodesk.co.za/first-step-in-your-career-program Registration for the programme opened last week and will close on 24 June 2022.Youth unemployment is a chronic problem in emerging countries, and yet companies are saying theyre not finding the relevant skills for their open positions. Millions are looking for work, millions are looking for employees but theres a gap between the two. This initiative will help young graduates upskill themselves for what employers are wanting.Communication, collaborative working and adaptive skills.The world is changing rapidly and the manufacturing industry is too. Technology is playing a large role in this industry and as such, female engineers are just as suited to mastering the software as their male counterparts. During our programme, graduates will be exposed to Autodesks next generation CAD, CAM platform, Fusion 360.There are eligibility criteria for the programme. We are looking for engineering graduates who graduated anytime from 2019 to 2022 and have an interest in innovative technology and are ready to close the gap between their skills and their dream job. A design software background is essential for the technical training aspect.We first launched in 2021 in Turkey and 100+ engineering graduates completed the programme. Feedback from participants, project partners and candidates was very encouraging. Some graduates have already been placed in permanent positions. Overall, the graduates felt more confident in tackling their next job interview and Ive no doubt theyre one step closer to landing their dream job.Under Autodesks future of manufacturing vision, we are helping manufacturing companies embrace digital technologies to make better products and generate greater value. Technology has a critical role to play but needs people to ensure success. Todays graduate engineers are crucial for the future of engineering and investing in them is investing in the future. We are working to expand this programme in other emerging countries.
Veteran broadcaster, John Berks, has died aged 80, reportedly following a long illness.

The legendary 702 broadcaster passed away on Saturday at the age of 80 after a long illness. https://t.co/oKBwE3EW93  702 (@Radio702) June 6, 2022

Paying tribute

John Berks has passed. A legend in radio. His gift was humour and irreverence in an age when, even that, was seen to be rebellious. A friend and a mentor and a legend. Manda has been a heroine caring from him. Love to his friends and family.  John Robbie (@John_C_Robbie) June 4, 2022

A radio giant has fallen! A pioneer of talk radio in SA. He created the most authentic theatre of the mind experiences for his listeners. A sense of humour like no other. He had such a massive influence on my radio career. John Berks you were one of a kind! #RIPBerksie pic.twitter.com/b3FGZvBfj0

 Aki Anastasiou (@AkiAnastasiou) June 4, 2022

Radio Hall of Fame

Berks, known by listeners as Long John Berks (LJB), is credited with revolutionising morning radio in South Africa, in particular as the morning talk show host at 702, where his pranks and quick wit made him a household name.In a statement carried on EWN, Primedia group CEO Jonathan Procter paid homage to the legendary broadcaster."Primedia is sad to hear of the passing of John Berks, one of 702s most legendary morning talk show hosts, loved and respected in '702-land' and across the nation."John was regarded by many as the pioneer of talk radio in South Africa. His passion for and dedication to South Africa was celebrated when in 2010 he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award."On behalf of the Primedia Group I would like to extend our condolences to his family and friends," says Proctor.Berks' career began at LM Radio in Mozambique in the 1960s.LM Radio paid tribute to him: The Team at LM Radio is sad to learn about the passing of the legendary John Berks. May his soul Rest In Peace. John was one of the greatest broadcast professionals in the country! He once famously stated, without radio, you have lost a friend We are richer for having had LJB in our lives."He is being remembered as one of the most listened-to broadcasters in the country's history with tributes coming from colleagues and listeners.To a legendary radio broadcaster and man, who inspired and entertained many South Africans over the yearsRest In Peace John Berks."This country has lost its finest broadcaster ever with the passing of John Berks. He gave me my first break in morning radio and taught me all I know about radio comedy. It was a privilege and honour to serve under you, sir. Wishing your family long life. Also well wishes from Frikkie Geyser.In his career, Berks worked for Swazi Music Radio, Springbok Radio, Capital Radio 604 Transkei and Radio 5. His prank show segmentson the radio were among the countrys most popular shows.In 2020 Berks was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award.Berks was born in Krugersdorp on 24 September 1941.
Recently appointed head of People Operations at VMLY&R, Sibonginkosi Zuma joined the company last year as talent engagement manager. She brings nine years' experience across a range of industries as well as a love of the industry.

Supplied. Songinkosi Zuma was recently appointed head of People Operations at VMLY&R

Your role as head People Operations head means you will oversee developing people strategy and updating the companys HR systems. Tell us more about how you will go about achieving this?

Your new role is also about helping the business achieve its wider goals, which includes driving transformation at all levels. What does this entail?

You said, The advertising industry is transforming and its important to me to be a role model to young African females in South Africa  especially within the advertising industry  showing that hard work does pay off and diversity and inclusion does not just end on paper. Take us through your journey.

Why is it important that the industry has young African females, such as yourself, in leadership positions?

Do you have any mentors? Why are they your mentors?

Excited about her new role, she says, Media is in my DNA and my happy place  so to have the opportunity to grow in an industry that I love is very exciting for me.Ive started working on strategies to attract and retain the right talent that will fit into our culture. Currently, Im investigating partnerships with the best training service providers to assist in upskilling our talent.I will also be updating HR systems to ensure that employees get the best employee lifecycle experience when onboarding and offboarding VMLY&R.I am in charge of setting employment equity targets and holding ourselves accountable for reaching those targets.I will also be using my new influence to help create a diverse and inclusive environment for all, while actively encouraging skills transfer in positions where people of colour have scarce skills  for example, it is very difficult to find people of colour for senior creative positions.When I was in my third year at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) I started attending career fairs, but I never came across any advertising agencies, nor did I know that they existed.The little knowledge of advertising that I had came from watching the soapieSABC 1  New Horizons Ad Agency.As a graduate, I was in pursuit of finding employment that would upskill me. When I joined the advertising industry in 2013, most of the mid to senior positions were occupied predominantly by white people.Since then I have witnessed transformation happening, and now we have people of colour in executive positions. Black females now have a seat at the table; a huge achievement for all those who occupy these seats.It is important to have representation and feel like the person who is making the decisions has walked in your shoes  this is how I want young African females to feel when they look up to me.Seeing people like myself in leadership positions reassures the young African female that success is attainable when you put in the work.By occupying these positions, we are better able to encourage diversity and inclusion initiatives across the industry. We can groom the next generation of leaders by developing mentor and mentee programmes and attract talent from third-year tertiary level to the advertising industry.I took a decision in my career to find a developmental and career mentor that can help me shape my career in the direction I had envisioned. Finding a mentor is like finding a partner  you need to have chemistry.My mentor is the former Viacom International Media Networks Africa (now known as Paramount) HR director Londeka Nxumalo.I selected her as my mentor because she had relevant experience in vast industries, and she too has an HR generalist background  therefore it was easy to transition to a mentor/mentee relationship.
JAKARTA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Health leaders from Group of Twenty (G20) countries will talk about mobilizing financial resources for future pandemic prevention, preparedness and response as an effort to build a strong and resilient global health system from the threat of future health disasters.

The discussion will be made during the two-day second Health Working Group (HWG) meeting on June 6-7 in Lombok, Indonesia's West Nusa Tenggara province.

"We will focus on the aspects coordination, ability and rapid response to the changing situation of diseases, as well as mitigation plan to face other possible pandemics in the future," spokesperson of Indonesia's Health Ministry Siti Nadia Tarmizi said on Monday in a press statement.

Tarmizi said that currently there had been several financing frameworks initiated by the World Bank and WHO, namely joint finance and health taskforce, as well as the Financial Intermediary Fund.

"We hope that the HWG meeting can conclude a global collective action needed to increase investment and support from various parties to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to prevent, prepare, and respond to the next possible pandemic," she said. 
Sanitation workers clean the site of a bicycle bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 6, 2022. Several people were wounded following a bicycle bomb explosion in the central part of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday, the capital police confirmed. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Several people were wounded following a bicycle bomb explosion in the central part of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday, the capital police confirmed.

The incident occurred roughly at 6:00 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) in Police District 4 of the city, Khlid Zadran, spokesman of Kabul police, said on social media.

The Taliban security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures. An investigation was underway, the spokesman added.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet. 

Policemen direct traffic near the site of a bicycle bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 6, 2022. Several people were wounded following a bicycle bomb explosion in the central part of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday, the capital police confirmed. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Policemen stand guard near the site of a bicycle bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 6, 2022. Several people were wounded following a bicycle bomb explosion in the central part of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Monday, the capital police confirmed. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The police have arrested as many as 2,000 people over involvement in criminal activities in the past one month in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul, the state-run Bakhtar news agency reported Monday.

Quoting Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takar, the report said that 859 cases ranging from kidnapping, theft, drug smuggling to car snatching were registered over the past one month, with about 2,000 people arrested.

The official also said that policemen would have police uniform in the near future, saying "the issue of police uniform has been finalized" and the process of distribution will first begin in Kabul and the Kandahar province.

Around 35,000 security personnel had been trained in the past six months in the country, the official added. 
Two men are facing various charges after they attempted to steal an ATM from a local business early Monday morning by tying it to the back of a truck and ripping it out of the store.

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Two men are facing various charges after they attempted to steal an ATM from a local business early Monday morning by tying it to the back of a truck and ripping it out of the store.

Around 4:14 a.m., local police responded to an alarm that was triggered at Little Chiefs Place convenience store, which is located on Lyndale Drive south of the Brandon Municipal Cemetery.

Once they arrived on scene, police observed a truck had backed into the front of the store, knocking out the buildings doors and glass windows in the process.

A Brandon Police Service member snaps some photos of Little Chief's Place early Monday morning after two adult men attempted to steal an ATM from inside the building by tying the machine to the back of their truck. (Submitted)

As soon as the suspects noticed the police presence, they sped away in the truck, dragging the ATM along with them.

"However, [the ATM] fell off almost immediately when the vehicle turned south," Const. Myran Hamm told the Sun later that day.

Following a short, high-speed chase, the suspects ran into a ditch after they tried to make a right turn at Ferguson Road and became stuck in a creek bank.

While the 27-year-old suspect was arrested at the site, the second suspect, who is 34 years old, fled on foot. However, he was eventually picked up by police in the area just before 8 a.m.

A Brandon Police Service member snaps some photos of Little Chief's Place early Monday morning after two adult men attempted to steal an ATM from inside the building by tying the machine to the back of their truck. (Submitted)

When the Sun visited Little Chiefs Place around noon Monday, members of Brandon Maintenance Services were still cleaning up the mess.

Not only had the suspects allegedly punched a big hole through the front of the convenience store, but the interior of the business was also in disarray, with inventory scattered all over the floor.

Police said the suspects had also recently stolen the truck involved in the ATM heist from a business located on the 4800 block of Victoria Avenue East.

The pair are facing many charges, including breaking and entering, theft of an ATM and theft of a motor vehicle.

Members of Brandon Maintenance Services clean up the aftermath of an ATM heist that took place at Little Chief's Place on Monday morning, where two adult men tied the machine to the back of their truck and ripped it out of the convenience store. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun)

Hamm told the Sun the suspects could be hit with additional charges, since investigators believe they are responsible for committing numerous other crimes throughout southwestern Manitoba.

Investigators suspect the string of crimes includes an attempted robbery that took place at a local Boston Pizza, located north of the Trans-Canada Highway, in mid-April.

Similar to the incident that occurred at Little Chiefs Place Monday morning, the suspects allegedly tried to steal an ATM by reversing a truck through the front window of the restaurant and tying a rope around the machine.

While they failed to drive away with Boston Pizzas ATM, the suspects managed to evade the police that time.

But now that the suspects are in custody, Brandon Police Services Major Crimes Unit will be working alongside other law enforcement agencies to determine the full extent of their illegal activities.

The suspects appeared in Brandon court Monday afternoon and were remanded into custody for a Thursday court date.

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @KyleDarbyson
Despite only arriving in Brandon seven months ago, Emmanuel Bach has already carved out a nice space for himself in the local music scene, forming a new band that is booked to perform at the upcoming Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.

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Despite only arriving in Brandon seven months ago, Emmanuel Bach has already carved out a nice space for himself in the local music scene, forming a new band that is booked to perform at the upcoming Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.

And for someone who has lived in southern Brazil for most of his life, Bach told the Sun last week that his new Canadian home is providing a widening spectrum of opportunities to hone his craft and showcase his unique sound to a completely different audience.

"I never expected when I moved to a place as small as Brandon to have such high-level musicians here," he said on Thursday. "The band that Im playing with now, theyre really wonderful."

Of course, Bach isnt a rookie when it comes to the art of composing and recording music, since he has been a professional player in the industry for two decades now.

Growing up in the city of Curitiba, the 36-year-old said that he originally got into music through attending church with his family, which inspired him to start taking lessons on his own time.

"I switched over to guitar and started playing in nightclubs," he said. "I was in an event band, then I started playing in a jazz band, got a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music and went to the States for a while. And then I came back to Brazil and I never stopped making music."

While living in his home country, Bachs reputation for fusing jazz with traditional Brazilian rhythms gradually grew over time, especially after he began releasing his own albums as a bandleader and working alongside world-renowned Latin musicians such as Airto Moreira, Oscar Stagnaro and Filo Machado.

But late last year, Bach decided to uproot his wife and two daughters by immigrating to Canada, eventually settling on Brandon, since he thought it looked like a good place to raise a family.

"I also got a scholarship from Brandon University," he said. "So Im studying in their music program because I want to teach at university in the future."

Even though this inter-continental move did result in some culture shock for the family, like having to endure their first Canadian winter, it didnt take long for Bach to start making some connections through BU.

After meeting and jamming with bassist Matt Kozicki, Bach also recruited drummer Graydon Cramer and saxophone player Paul Balcain to join his group, which is now known as the Emmanuel Bach Quartet.

Outside of getting an opportunity to perform live again, Bach said this new group is also granting him the chance to record and fine tune some material that hes been sitting on for a while, since hes finding that Canadian audiences are way more receptive to his preferred genre of music.

"In Brazil, theres not much space for instrumental jazz," he said.

"In Canada, people tend to respect jazz as an art form and listen to that music and not treat it as background music. In Brazil, there are also people who consume and listen to music like that, but the proportion is much less."

Having worked as a music educator for 18 years, Bach was also pleasantly surprised to discover how plentiful arts programming is for local high school students here in Brandon.

"One thing that blew my mind was how every high school here has a band," he said.

"Thats something very different from Brazil. If you want to learn jazz, theres no way youre going to learn that in high school. Youre on your own. Youre going to have to go after someone to teach you that."

Now that in-person performances are back on the table due to loosened COVID-19 restrictions, Bach feels like his band has a lot of momentum heading into their June 17 performance at the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.

And looking beyond this summer, Bach is also excited for whats to come in 2023, since hes hoping to release a new album and complete his BU program within that period of time.

But more than anything else, Bach is just looking to meet and connect with as many musicians as possible within the Westman region, since this community has already made his transition into a new life a pleasent experience.

"You find a lot of support here, both from the Brazilian community and from Brandon in general," he said. "So this has been really good. People are helping me a lot."

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @KyleDarbyson
It is possible that the Saudis and, perhaps, the United Arab Emirates, might be able to make up for some of the likely reduction in Russian supply, which explains why Joe Biden (who had threatened to turn Saudi Arabia into an international pariah for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi) is scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the kingdom later this month. It is also why the US is making overtures to Venezuela, whose oil output has been decimated by US sanctions and its own incompetence, to try to restart its production and why there have been rumours that the US is signalling Iran that it will turn a blind eye to any increase in its (also sanctioned) output. Oil will on top of the agenda when Joe Biden meets Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later this month. Credit:AP The Biden administration has been trying to encourage its own oil and gas companies to lift production but the volatility in energy prices and in the economic environment appear to be limiting the response, as it has been doing elsewhere. The US producers are milking their existing investments for cash and shareholder returns rather than investing in expanding their output. So far the effects of the sanctions on Russias exports have been limited. It has been able to offset the loss of about 800,000 barrels a day with the higher prices it has received, even though it has been selling its oil to China and India at discounts of around $US35 a barrel.

The loss of European customers and the impact of the insurance bans on its ability to redirect its oil by sea elsewhere ought, however, to have a far more marked impact on its production and therefore on the supply side of the global market. The impact of the invasion of the market for gas is proving even more profound and structural, even though it is logistically far more difficult for the EU to reduce its dependence on gas piped from Russia, which has supplied up to 40 per cent of the EUs needs. Loading Europe doesnt have the infrastructure to easily shift to importing gas, although it is scrambling to buy floating LNG storage and regasification terminals and build and re-open its own LNG receiving infrastructure and the pipelines needed to distribute the gas. That is already causing a global shortage of those floating terminals (and causing headaches for plans for several east coast terminals to receive west coast gas in Australia).

The abrupt entry of Europe into the global LNG market is also reshaping that market. Traditionally the LNG market was primarily an Asia-Pacific market. Almost overnight a new and very large market has emerged, with the Europeans prepared to pay astronomical prices for the gas to secure supplies and build reserves ahead of their winter. The LNG market was tight even before the invasion and current production simply isnt sufficient to absorb the level of EU demand that would come if Europe is able to eventually wean itself off Russian gas. There are a number of large new LNG export projects in the pipeline in Qatar, the US and Australia but those will enter the market from about 2025 onwards. While thats not out of kilter with the timetable for the EUs transition away from Russian gas, there is either going to have to a lot more gas produced and LNG export and import infrastructure built or the world will have to reduce its demand for gas if that European demand is to be absorbed. Last Friday OPEC, under pressure from the US and Europe, increased the rate of the monthly supply hikes to 648,000 barrels a day for July and August but that barely dented sky-high oil prices. Credit:AP That suggests that not only will the geography of the LNG sector and the price of its production change, structurally, but there will be an incentive to put a ceiling on the worlds gas consumption and that ceiling has been brought forward quite significantly by Russias decision to invade Ukraine and by the EU and the rest of the Wests response.
Its been a bit of a week for Labors Matt Thistlethwaite, announced as Labors Assistant Minister for the Republic just as Buckingham Palace was gearing up to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee with festivities that included a hologram of her majesty being paraded through London in an ornate gold carriage.

Thistlethwaite told ABC RN Breakfast last week that he was keen to avoid the bare-knuckled combat that marked the lead-up to the 1999 republican referendum and pledged to start talking to monarchist groups already disgruntled at his portfolios very existence.

But Australian Monarchist League chair Philip Benwell is a little miffed that the new assistant minister still hasnt reached across the aisle.

Thistlethwaite is momentarily sidelined, to be fair, as the latest MP struck down with COVID-19.
It started the moment the Albanese government was elected. The government of China started making overtures. Premier Li Keqiang sent the new Australian prime minister a note of congratulations.

It was the first direct communication between the senior leadership of the two countries in 2 years. The Chinese side is ready to work with the Australian side, he said, to uphold the principle of mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Illustration: Andrew Dyson Credit:The Age

Next, Beijings ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, said that with this new government in power we are looking forward to a possible opportunity  so that we can put this relationship back on the right track. The political relationship was the source of the problem, he said, and the onus was on the Australian side to make a concession.

On the same day, Chinas Foreign Affairs Minister, Wang Yi, said the crux of the problem lies in the fact that some political forces in Australia insist on treating China as an adversary rather than a partner and it was time to seek common ground while shelving differences.
Gold Coast woman fined for drink driving after blowing seven times legal limit

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Heres some trivia for Paddington Bear aficionados who enjoyed the Queens Platinum tea party, proffers Maureen Casey of Breakfast Point. Apparently, Michael Bond created Paddington Bear (a refugee) to represent Jewish children arriving in the UK escaping Nazism. Additionally, President Volodymyr Zelensky is the Ukrainian voice for Paddington Bear. So effectively, the Queen just had tea with refugees and the Ukrainian president.

Id be OK if we could have Paddington Bear as our head of state, adds John Swanton of Coogee.

When Peter Burge of Croydon Park was backpacking around the USA in 1980 and flying from Dallas-Fort Worth to Mexico City, I lined up at the airport terminal behind a couple of cowgirls and asked, Is this the line for the Mexico City flight? They looked puzzled and one said: We love your accent (C8). You are definitely from the south, but not from Texas. To which I replied: Yeah, a long way south of here. They had not heard of Australia so, to avoid confusion, I reassured them I wasnt British and enjoyed the flight in their company.

Lynette Silver of Wahroonga says: While in a restaurant at the Grand Canyon, our waitress remarked that we spoke American real good and asked where we came from. On being told, she clapped her hands and said: Australia! Ive always wanted to go there! I just love the Vienna Boys Choir.

And in defence of our American friends, Denis Sullivan of Greystanes writes: Some years ago, a nephew, David, and his neighbour Geoff were holidaying in Los Angeles. On seeking directions one particular day, Geoff sought assistance from a police officer. After explaining where they wanted to go, the officer said, Youre from Adelaide, arent you? Geoff was gobsmacked. He originated from the town of Keith, about 225 kilometres south-east of Adelaide.
LONDON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Having proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China is thinking how to facilitate global development for all mankind, and through these years, the BRI has brought people closer as well as boosted international trade, a British business leader has said.

Noting that traffic between Asia, Europe and Africa has been sea-bound, Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, said during a recent interview with Xinhua the BRI "has transformed the movement of goods and people across the land and that's opened up a whole new set of ways of getting goods from Asia to Europe and Europe to Asia."

Meanwhile, he added, it has changed the price and the time. "The price is better. The time is much faster. And when it goes to high speed, it'll be even faster still. So the transformation and trade are significant," he told Xinhua.

In addition, with the BRI, many countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka "have been helped to build new types of infrastructure, new types of resources, intensive plants, and equipment. With railroads, with highways. And the same is true of Southeast Asia, new transportation links," Perry said.

"All of this helps trade, but it also helps the movement of people and people get to know each other and each other's cultures and ways, which is very enjoyable for people," he added.

In some places once under colonial rule in Africa and South America, for example, transportation has been enabled from the coast into the areas where resources are and back, and it does not go through the continent, Perry said.

China, however, "has been doing a great deal to help both these continents open up internal transportation, and that will make a big difference to those countries' productivity," he noted.

Recent statistics have shown the strong vitality of the BRI. In the first four months of this year, China's import from and export to BRI countries have increased by 15.4 percent from a year earlier, with 12.9 percent for export and 18.6 percent for import, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

During the interview, the business leader told Xinhua that the concept of the BRI is to develop the world effectively for mankind.

"It's transnational," he said. "It's not thinking of the single country of China. It's thinking of the whole area of the world, maybe more focused at the moment on Asia and Africa and Latin America, but it's a world project."

As green development has been a focus for BRI projects, Perry said there is room for closer Britain-China cooperation.

He continued that the transition to renewables like solar and wind power will take time, but it is at least everybody's focus now. "I think the green finance is a very good support to that operation. And it's taken very seriously by the British. And the Chinese, of course," he said.

Speaking of the future cooperation between China and Western countries, Perry added that the West has a great deal to contribute to the China-proposed initiative.

"We've got very good universities and institutes for study, and we'll be able to play a remarkably good part in the financing of this changing world," he said. "But it may take time for everybody to see the opportunity." 
Queensland students will have access to free feminine sanitary products in every state school.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a trial with charity Share the Dignity earlier this year would be expanded, with vending machines with free tampons and pads to be installed at every state school.

The announcement follows the southern states, which had already implemented the initiative.

Earlier this year, the Queensland government announced students across 62 schools would have access to free period products, as the first of 120 schools that would be provided with a dignity vending machine as part of the governments $2.5 million partnership with Share the Dignity.
A commission of inquiry is a very big step, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Monday, as she announced such an inquiry into the states forensic laboratory.

We dont have a lot of them and they have to be just.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced three commissions of inquiry this year. Credit:Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

On recent history, though, that statement is certainly dependent on the definition of a lot. They are not exactly rare, especially of late.

In fact, Palaszczuks latest announcement means there will soon be three simultaneous commissions of inquiry in the state.
Loading Consistently spruiking City of Perth funding for a safe night space for women in the city and advocating for extended outreach and drop-in hours, while simultaneously making decisions which block existing homelessness services simply does not cut it, he said. If the councils decision is not challenged in the State Administrative Tribunal, it could cast a cloud over similar service providers looking to move or get started within the citys boundaries. Uniting WA runs the only other drop-in day centre in the CBD, off Aberdeen Street in East Perth, and its co-chief executive Michael Chester said services existed where they were needed. The [Ruah] decision by the City of Perth has consequences. It puts at risk one of two centres that people have access to in the CBD, he said.

The decision will put additional pressure on Unitings Tranby Engagement Hub to meet greater demand for essential services and support for people with complex needs. Homelessness is a community issue, one that requires leadership at all levels. At the very least, the City of Perth should work to resolve this matter by bringing relevant stakeholders together and finding a pathway forward. Zempilas, who came into power promising to investigate using the citys carparks as overnight shelters, says the local government pulls its weight on homelessness given its funding of a night shelter for women sleeping rough. The shelter is running as part of a two-year trial but its future at the end of this period is uncertain. The City of Perth funded a mens shelter briefly but stopped when the state government opened a facility for all genders called Boorloo Bidee Mia. The local government also coordinated an area where accredited homeless service providers could provide outreach at Moore Street.

The council initially supported Ruah building a new centre for women fleeing family violence on its current drop-in centre site  necessitating the existing centre moving  but the two Perth councillor representatives on a five-person planning panel in April voted against it, citing height concerns, though they were overruled by the other members of the panel. Loading Zempilas said the council still supported the womens facility but the relocation of the drop-in centre was akin to having an additional service when ratepayers thought the city already did enough. It would be hypocritical for me one week to advocate for the decentralisation of these day centres and then the next week approval another facility in the City of Perth, he said. Opposition housing spokesman Steve Martin suggested the City of Perth may bear a larger burden than other areas but every effort to add to the availability of crisis care and social housing in the state should be seriously considered.

It would be great to see a solution as the facility and the service exist now and would be a great shame to discontinue, he said. Council nearly rounds out its homelessness plan Homelessness was highly politicised in the most recent local and state government elections. In the City of Perth mayoral and council race, candidates ran on platforms of finding solutions at a time there were very few options for people sleeping rough. Prior to the local government elections, independent commissioners running the City of Perth forged closer relationships with the state to try to address the issue.

This included establishing night shelters to fill the gap while the state government constructed more purpose-built facilities, like its 112-apartment facility known as Common Ground in East Perth due to be completed in 2024. At last weeks council meeting there was an item to close out its one-year homelessness action strategy, but continue the Moore Street outreach site and finish the two-year womens shelter trial, with a position statement to be developed instead on its continued advocacy for services or support for better collaboration. Deputy mayor Di Bain narrowly moved an amendment 5-4 to continue targeting tangible actions to help deliver the citys homeless agenda through to 2023-24. When I was elected to this council 18 months ago, my platform and the platform of some of my colleagues here was to position the City to act on homelessness, she said. This rough sleeper action plan, which is expiring, was designed to deliver results for the community and it has.
New deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley has promised to be a strong voice for women within the opposition. Shes headed out on a listening tour to work out how the party wins back womens trust. We know that we didnt receive the support of all women at the last election, and my message to the women of Australia is we hear you, she said on Monday, in her first press conference as deputy leader. Loading Were listening. Were talking. And we are determined to earn back your trust and your faith. The next day, Ley told Radio National that former prime minister Scott Morrison had changed the culture within parliament and perhaps women didnt hear much of what we were saying or didnt believe the Coalition was focusing enough on them in their lives.

Former minister Karen Andrews said it was clear there was a group of disaffected female voters who didnt think the Liberal Party represented their views and didnt want anything to do with the brand. But Katie Allen  one of the moderate Liberals who lost their seats  says she thought it was less to do with women and more that the party was losing young professionals. These werent necessarily the inner-city elites derided by some, but young, aspirational people who worked in CBD offices and wanted to live nearby, and who were used to corporate environments with an increasing focus on social and governance issues. Theyre modern, theyre open, theyre tolerant, theyre diverse, and they want to see that reflected in parliament, Allen says. She spotted this trend soon after being elected to represent Higgins in Melbournes inner suburbs and met with Morrisons office in October 2019 to discuss how the party could better talk to these young professionals. Where Scott had his priorities was on delivering for COVID, delivering for the economy, delivering for Defence. And I think that he and the government did a remarkable job on those, Allen says.

But at the end of the day, what caught him up was articulation of the social issues. Privately, numerous women within the Liberal Party concede Morrison was a drag on their vote. They heard from female voters heading into polling booths that they just didnt like him. Allen and Martin were among a group of moderate Liberals who agitated for change in a range of policy areas affecting women over the past term. They also pushed to clean up the parliamentary workplace after federal politics was shocked by former staffer Brittany Higgins allegation that she was raped in a ministerial office (the matter is going to trial in the ACT Supreme Court later this month). Liberal MPs Trent Zimmerman, Fiona Martin, Katie Allen and Bridget Archer in parliament. They were among a group of moderates who pushed for key reforms. Only Archer held her seat at the election. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The pair and fellow moderates Dave Sharma, Trent Zimmerman and Bridget Archer crossed the floor to amend religious freedom legislation in February, adding protections for transgender school students into the bill, after which Morrison decided to shelve the legislation to avoid a further rebellion in the Senate. Only Archer remains in parliament; the other four all lost their seats.

Morrison didnt speak to Martin again after that night, not even to phone with commiserations after she lost the inner western Sydney seat of Reid to Labors Sally Sitou. Martin notes she was part of a small club within Liberal ranks of professional women who were also mothers. She thinks the Liberals have serious work to do to rebuild the party and restore trust with women. At this point its really important that we do have women that are like me in the parliament. I think direct representation is not necessary. But you need to have some of those people in there  [to get] a mixture of voices, she says. It helps to have more women running in safe seats. But I just dont know whats safe anymore. Mary-Lou Jarvis, president of the NSW Liberal Womens Council, also says the party must make sure it chooses female candidates in winnable or traditional Liberal seats, not just marginal ones.

If were in the business of winning elections and representing the community, we need to reflect what the community or what the voters want. And the voters resoundingly indicated they wanted more women in parliament, she says. Loading All the male-held, blue-ribbon seats the Liberals lost were won by female independents. If were serious, if we set fair and reasonable targets [for female representation], we can achieve them, Jarvis says. An analysis of candidates in the election found both major parties were more likely to put women than men in marginal or unwinnable contests. But again, the Coalition was worse than Labor.
The number of homes available to rent in Australias capital cities tightened by a further 5.4 per cent last month to hit a new historic national low  its an astonishing 54 per cent slump since May 2020.

Vacancy rates around the country now sit uniformly at crisis levels, the latest Domain Rental Vacancy Rate Report shows, ranging from a critical 0.3 per cent in Adelaide to 0.4 per cent in Hobart, 0.6 per cent in Brisbane and the still-perilous 1.4 per cent in Sydney and 1.6 per cent in Melbourne.

Its a landlords market out there. Credit:Peter Rae

Behind those figures, people in the industry say, are thousands of stories of misery and desperation from people trying to find a rental home and others forced to stay in appalling conditions or endure huge rent rises simply because they dont have alternatives.

That rock-bottom vacancy rate is making it an incredible struggle for so many people at the moment, said Ben Pretty, co-founder of RentRabbit, which acts as a kind of TripAdvisor for rentals. Were constantly receiving terrible stories.
Although Russias invasion of Ukraine has overshadowed the fighting in Myanmar, clashes between the Tatmadaw and resistance forces take place daily. The National Unity Government says it now controls half the countrys territory, although most of that is in the hands of armed ethnic groups that have long battled the military in remote borderlands. The unity government claims that at least 14,890 regime soldiers have died in the fighting, while it has lost just 1000 fighters. The regime refuses to discuss casualty figures. But earlier this year, the junta acknowledged that military-appointed ward administrators were being killed at a rate of more than one a day. Nearly as many have been wounded. Many were shot in their homes or offices; one resistance group claimed responsibility for gunning down a ward administrator while he was flying a kite. Anti-coup protesters carry an injured man following clashes with government forces in Yangon, Myanmar in March, 2021. Credit:AP We are witnessing the peoples revolution in which everyone takes part, collectively making history, Duwa Lashi La, the unity governments acting president, said last month. Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, said the Peoples Defence Force has done surprisingly well on the battlefield and has upgraded its arsenal by capturing weapons.

As the war in Ukraine continues to drain Moscows resources, he said, the Tatmadaw will find it harder to get weapons, ammunition and replacement parts from Russia, a major supplier. Unable to contain the rebel forces, the Tatmadaw has mounted continuing attacks on the civilian population, Abuza said, including torching villages and waging a relentless bombing campaign. The reliance on arson, indiscriminate artillery fire and air attacks is indicative of a loss of control on the ground, he said. The Tatmadaw is experiencing an unprecedented degree of casualties and defections. They are now having to fight and defend supply lines in places that were previously secure. Demonstrators flash a three-fingered symbol of resistance against the military coup and shout slogans calling for the release of detained Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest in Mandalay, Myanmar in February 2021. Credit:AP He added, I think we are looking at a long stalemate. Local resistance units are not the only ones carrying out assassinations. In recent weeks, armed groups tied to the regime have stepped up their own campaign of targeted killings. According to the National League for Democracy, which shared power with the military before the coup, at least 18 of its members and supporters have been killed by regime-sponsored groups since late April.

Family members said the victims were taken from their homes and driven away in military and police vehicles. Their bodies were found the next day, dumped by roadsides. The military began replacing thousands of locally elected ward administrators with regime supporters soon after the coup on February 1, 2021. Many of its appointees were quickly accused of being informers, known as dalan, who handed suspected rebels over to security forces to be imprisoned and tortured. In this March 17, 2018, photo, a Kachin Independence Army fighter walks on a jungle path in an area controlled by the Kachin rebels in northern Kachin state, Myanmar. Credit:AP One such ward administrator was U Tun Naing Oo, from a district near Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar. He was shot dead in the street in January by a local resistance group calling itself the Zarmani Guerrilla Force. The group claimed responsibility for the assassination on Facebook in slang meant to circumvent censors, saying he was taken to the dogs path, meaning killed, by four lipsticks, or bullets. A neighbour, Ko Than Soe, said the targeted official had been the local leader of a pro-Tatmadaw militia and had informed on resistance fighters. He more than deserves to be dead, said Than Soe. Even though he is dead, I would say he is lucky because his family is still safe.

No one has been arrested or charged in the killings of ward administrators. Loading Perhaps the resistance groups most prominent target is the deputy governor of the Central Bank, Daw Than Than Swe, who was shot and wounded by a gunman in April at her Yangon home. A local resistance force claimed responsibility. But such guerrilla warfare tactics, with the risk of mistaken killings, can sometimes backfire, alienating people previously sympathetic to the rebel cause. In February, attackers from the rebel group Zero Guerrilla Force in central Myanmar shot and killed a retired government employee, saying he was dalan and a militia leader supporting the Tatmadaw.
London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a vote on the future of his leadership on Monday (Tuesday AEST), amid growing backlash from his colleagues over the so-called partygate scandal, a cost-of-living crisis and a controversial immigration policy.

A secret ballot to determine the fate of Johnsons premiership will be held between 6pm and 8pm (Tuesday morning AEST) and result counted immediately afterwards.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson holding a press conference last month in response to the publication of the Sue Gray report Into Partygate. Credit:Getty

Despite more than 54 Conservative MPs submitting letters saying they no longer had confidence in the prime minister, it is not clear whether the rebels will gain the 180 votes needed in the ballot to oust him.

Johnson hit the phones to colleagues after confirmation there would be a ballot, while promising to cut taxes, as he desperately tried to persuade Tory MPs to support him at the vote of confidence.
Owner-occupiers can unlock newfound equity in their own home to purchase an investment property, says a Melbourne-based mortgage broker.

Australian Property Home Loans director Adele Andrews (pictured) said there was still heat in property markets across the country with lots of opportunity to purchase an investment property.

It makes sense for people to take advantage of the equity built up in their own homes if they want to build their property portfolio, Andrews said.

There is lots of demand from tenants, so now is a great time to arrange a valuation of your owner-occupied home. The equity is the difference between the valuation price of your property minus the debt owed.

Andrews said it was a no brainer for owner-occupiers to use their recent equity rather than spend their hard-earned savings on a deposit for an investment property.

I strongly recommend partnering with a broker who has access to multiple lenders on their panel. It is so important to align yourself with a good broker who can help you unlock equity to make this happen, she said.

Read more: Suncorp extends SME loan terms to 30 years

Andrews said now was a good time to consider purchasing an investment property as rental vacancies across Australia were very low.

It comes down to your clients goals and objectives at the end of the day, she said.

I do a deep dive with each new client to find out what they want to achieve  it is important to understand the undercurrent as to why. Rental vacancies are sitting below 2% nationally and less than 0.3% in Adelaide, so chances of your investment property sitting vacant for long is at an all-time minimum.

Andrews said brokers need to sit down with clients who want to purchase an investment property to work out their goals and objectives.

As brokers, we need to explain to our clients how we are using the equity in their own homes to make this happen. We need a good understanding of their tax position, explain the difference between positive and negative gearing and how this can build their investment property wealth, she said.

By understanding the clients overarching objective and educating them around investment properties, it will help them to achieve that goal.

Read more: Stamford Capital launches fintech offering

Andrews advice to brokers working with clients in this position was to be clear on their overall financial position.

Investment properties are a calculated business decision, she said.

As brokers, we need to make sure we understand every facet of our clients financial situation, so we are in the best position to help make this happen for them.
GFA World Invites Young Generation to Join 'Greatest Adventure'

Set Apart 2022 asks Gen Z, Millennials to go 'all in' for Christ, experience God like never before

Young people need to experience God in a way that's worth "giving their life to" if they're to stop leaving America's churches in droves, a group of global mission leaders says. Set Apart 2022  a weeklong retreat, June 20-26, in Wills Point, Texas  aims to help those ages 18-30 discover that "following Jesus is the greatest adventure." Go to www.gfa.org/setapart/ for more.

NEWS PROVIDED BY

GFA World

June 6, 2022

WILLS POINT, Texas, June 6, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Young people need to experience God in a way that's worth "giving their life toC if they're to stop leaving America's churches in droves, a group of global mission leaders says.

Nearly two-thirds of 1829-year-olds in the U.S. who grew up going to church have dropped out, saying they're bored and God "seems missing," according to faith-based research group Barna.

Now mission leaders K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), George Verwer and Francis Chan are leading a joint effort at Set Apart 2022 this month to help Millennials and Gen Z  those in the 18-30 age group  discover that "following Jesus is the greatest adventure."

Giving Their Lives - For What?

"It's just not enough to entertain them, and say 'look, I'm living a pretty clean life, we don't swear and our family's happy'," said Chan, author of Crazy Love and a speaker at the weeklong retreat in Wills Point, Texas, June 20-26. "No, they want to see the purpose, like 'what did you give your life for?' They really are searching."

Young people are desperate to see lives that inspire them to do something big, Chan said. "This generation has heard a bunch of messages, but have they seen lives in this country that are actually worth following, where they (say), 'well, that's intriguing, that's not boring, they gave their life to this?'"

God wants people to have a "oneness with Him and with each other, not just attending a service together," Chan said. "A lot of young people realize 'we were born during this time for a reason and God has a work for us to do.'"

Focusing On Purpose, 'Things That Matter'

At Set Apart, young adults will learn to "enjoy God's presence by engaging in the hours of prayer, time of solitude and silence, and other practical, impactful spiritual habits," organizers say, with the goal of "helping them focus their lives on things that matter and be equipped to live purposely for Christ."

"This is absolutely a God-ordained gathering where many young lives will be transformed," said Yohannan, founder of global mission agency GFA World (www.gfa.org) that's hosting the event. "My deepest longing is that they will see Christ and say 'I want to be like Him, and forsake all for His sake'."

Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization (OM), said God wants to help young people "release their potential" at the retreat.

"Many young people have never realized that following Jesus is the greatest adventure," he said. "People who go to this event are going to come away with a global passion. A revolution of love is going to explode in (their) hearts."

Anyone 18-30 can go to www.gfa.org/setapart/ for more information and to sign up.

GFA World (www.gfa.org) is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Asia and Africa, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and teaching that provides hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.

SOURCE GFA World

CONTACT: Gregg Wooding, 972-567-7660, gwooding@inchristcommunications.com
on Monday said it has bagged an order for supply of 10,000 XPRES-T EV units from BluSmart .

The deployment of 10,000 units makes this the biggest ever EV fleet order in India, the auto major said in a statement.

With deliveries starting soon, these vehicles are an addition to the 3,500 XPRES-T EV order, which was signed by both the companies in October last year, and will be used across the country for commuters, in turn helping minimise the carbon footprint.

" is taking active steps towards the rapid electrification of mobility, and it is heartening to see renowned fleet aggregators joining the green mobility wave with us," Passenger Vehicles Managing Director Shailesh Chandra noted.

The company is delighted to continue its association with BluSmart as 10,000 XPRES-T EVs (electric vehicles) will be deployed across the country, he added.

"With our $50 million in Series A fund raise, we are supercharged to rapidly expand across Delhi NCR and the metro cities. We are thankful to Tata Motors for charging up our journey to scale up at a fast pace," BluSmart Co-Founder Anmol Singh Jaggi said.

The company has covered 50 million clean kilometres and delivered over 1.6 million zero-emission rides with an elevated customer experience on its platform, he added.

"We are building a large-scale integrated EV mobility ecosystem in India - from the country's largest fully-electric ride hailing service to the largest network of EV charging super hubs," Jaggi stated.

In July 2021, Tata Motors launched the XPRES brand, exclusively for fleet customers and XPRES-T EV is the first vehicle under this brand. The XPRES-T electric sedan comes with two range options 213 km and 165 km (ARAI certified range under test conditions).

It packs a high energy density battery of 21.5 kWh and 16.5 kWh and can be charged from 0- 80 per cent in 90 minutes and 110 minutes, respectively, using fast charging or can also be normally charged from any 15 A plug point.

It comes with zero tail-pipe emission, single speed automatic transmission, dual airbags, ABS with EBD as standard across variants.

(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.)
company ACME Cleantech has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to invest Rs 52,000 crore in setting up a hydrogen and ammonia plant with associated solar power unit in Mangaluru, the company said in a statement on Monday.

The Gurugram-based firm signed the MoU in presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The state government will provide all support and cooperation for speedy implementation of the project, he said.

The MoU was signed by E V Ramana Reddy, additional chief secretary in the commerce and industries department, and Sandeep Kashyap, chief operating officer of ACME Cleantech Solutions.

Bommai was quoted as saying in the meeting, It has been proved again that Karnataka is the most ideal destination for investments. Karnataka has been successful in drawing highest foreign direct investments among the states in the country. The FDI inflow during the last three quarters is testimony to this achievement.

ACME Group has established a hydrogen-ammonia solar plant in Bikaner, Rajasthan, which produces 5 megawatts-peak of green hydrogen scalable to 10 MWp. The plant will help save about 4,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum.

The firm has built a solar portfolio of over 6 gigawatts-peak and operates over 1.5 GWp of capacity with another 10 GWp under construction. These are spread across 13 states in India and Oman.
With uncertainty looming over extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Treaty, is gradually cutting down its garment capacity in .

During the year we completed a restructuring of some of our facilities across India and also started to gradually bring down capacity in . We had shared that the AGOA Treaty has been kind of cancelled for now and hence duty-free exports from to the US have been halted. As such, the traffic for that location has come down, so we have started kind of reducing the footprint there. So, our installed capacity has come down to about 50 million pieces or so, Samir Agrawal, chief strategy officer at Arvind, told analysts in a post-earnings call recently.

Enacted in 2000, the treaty, which offers duty-free access to the US from sub-Saharan African countries, was renewed till 2025 in 2015 but faces uncertainty over its further renewal.

However, for Arvind, the move to shash garmenting capacity in the African country is set to be compensated by fresh capital expenditure plans in India. According to Agrawal, during FY23, the company set aside Rs 200 crore towards capacity augmentation in its advanced material division and garmenting businesses, as well as certain cost optimisation projects for fabric business.
Bank of India, which has moved an insolvency petition against under Section 7 of the (IBC), is contesting the maintainability of US based e-commerce giant Amazons intervention application, saying it was a stalling tactic adopted by the e-commerce giant to delay the admission of the petition.

The Mumbai bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) will first decide on the maintainability of Amazons intervention application and then proceed with the larger matter of admitting the Section 7 petition against .

The matter has been adjourned to June 10. The dedicated bankruptcy tribunal has asked to file a reply to the intervention application moved by Amazon in the meantime, to which the lender has said it will file a reply without any prejudice. The bench was presided over by Justice Pradeep Narhari Deshmukh and Kapal Kumar Vohra.

Ravi Kadam, appearing on behalf of Bank of India, said Amazons intervention application has nothing to do with Section 7 of IBC and they are just trying to delay the admission of the insolvency petition against .

Generally, only parties involved in the litigations are heard by the courts or tribunal and only in exceptional circumstances a third party is allowed to intervene. In this case, only the applicant creditor and the debtor are the relevant parties, hence they will be heard. The issue of intervention by third parties has been considered on several occasions by both NCLT and NCLAT, and they have held that at the time of admission, only parties involved in proceedings are to be heard in insolvency pleas, said Ashish Pyasi, Associate Partner, Dhir and Dhir Associates. As a shareholder, you dont have much of a say after the petition is admitted in these kinds of proceedings, he said.

Amazon moved an intervention application under Section 65 of the IBC in the matter, alleging that lenders have colluded with the corporate debtor, Future Retail, to deny them their rights in the case. Hence the insolvency petition under Section 7 of IBC should not be admitted. The e-commerce giant has also written to the Reserve (RBI) alleging collusion by Future Retail and banks. In the letter it has said Future Retail should not be allowed to go into bankruptcy proceedings as that would impact its rights further.

In the last hearing, Future Retail was given more time to file its reply to the insolvency petition moved by against the company, even as the bank was seeking an admission of the insolvency petition and consequently appointment of an interim resolution profession. Future Retail has now filed its reply in the matter, it informed the bench on Monday.

Future owes over Rs 15,000 crore to its 26 lenders. Future Group, in 2020, had decided to engage in a slump sale of its unlisted and listed to Reliance Retail for a consideration of about Rs 25,000 crore to address its ballooning debt. However, Amazon, which had acquired 49 per cent in Future Coupons in 2019 that owns 10 per cent in Future Retail, accused Future Retail of breach of contract for its agreement with Reliance Retail. Recently, in a regulatory filing, Reliance Industries had informed that the deal with Future Retail will not fructify as the companys secured creditors had voted against the scheme.
With the number of COVID cases witnessing a sudden spike in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, the health officials in the city have cautioned the people to wear masks and follow COVID guidelines.

The city has reported 36 cases in the last three days.

According to the bulletin that was released, 11 persons tested positive on Saturday while 13 tested positive on Friday and 12 on Thursday.

Nearly 6 per cent of the total number of COVID samples being tested daily are found to be positive.

The active cases in the city stand at 58.

Speaking to ANI on the issue on Sunday, Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr BS Setiya raised concerns over the spike in cases.

"This is a matter of concern. We need to be alert. The people should follow the COVID guidelines. It was advised in Maharashtra to wear mask as the number of cases are increasing there also. There are some patients with comorbidities who are admitted to the hospital. Most of the patients are in the home isolation," he said.

Meanwhile, The COVID-19 cases in India have crossed the 4,000-mark for the second time in the past four days on Sunday, as the country logged 4,270 fresh infections in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.

On Friday, after nearly three months, the daily tally of COVID-19 cases in India had crossed the 4,000-mark with the country recording 4,041 fresh infections. However, the country reported a marginal dip yesterday with 3,962 new COVID cases.

With this, India's active COVID caseload stands at 24,052, constituting 1.03 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

The daily positivity rate of 1.03 per cent was observed in the last 24 hours, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded to be 0.84 per cent, the health ministry informed today.

(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 on Monday conducted raids at the residence of health minister Satyendar Jain as part of a money-laundering investigation being conducted against him, officials said.

The raids, including that at the residential premises of Jain in and certain other locations, are being conducted as part of a "follow up" in the case, the officials said.

Jain, 57, was arrested on May 30 under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and he is under custody till June 9.

Special Judge Geetanjli Goel on May 31 issued the remand order after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, sought Jain's custodial interrogation for 14 days.

Mehta, seeking Jain's custody, told the court that there was a chequered layer of money. He further informed that the agency was trying to find out whether the accused was laundering somebody else's money or if 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, Mehta said, adding that the likelihood of tampering with evidence could not be ruled out till the agency ascertained the real trail.

Mehta further told the court, 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."

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.
Chief Minister has directed the state police to launch a crackdown against illegal massage parlours, after some tourists were allegedly attacked at a salon near here last month.

Sawant on Sunday visited the Calangute police station and the Calangute beach, located near the state capital Panaji, and held a meeting with some police officers.

I have directed the police to start a crackdown on illegal massage parlours immediately across the state, the chief minister told reporters.

Henceforth, police inspectors will be held responsible for any illegal parlours operating in their areas of jurisdiction, he said.

Action will be taken against the officers who fail to shut down such illegal establishments, Sawant said.

The CM also said the state police personnel will soon start patrolling in civil clothes near the beaches.

Last month, the police had arrested three men and as many women employees of a beauty parlour in Mapusa town for allegedly assaulting and robbing tourists from Kolhapur in neighbouring Maharashtra.

The arrested women, originally from Nepal, had threatened to make nude photographs of these tourists viral, a senior police official earlier 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.)
Joining Qatar, Iran and Kuwait, on Monday condemned the controversial remarks made by one leader against Prophet Mohammed and called for "respect for beliefs and religions."

Earlier on Sunday, the Gulf nations had summoned Indian Ambassadors and expressed their strong protest against the controversial remarks made by spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, the head of its Delhi unit's media department.

The Indian Ambassador in Qatar said in a tweet that the controversial tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the government of India. "These are the views of fringe elements," the Indian Embassy quoting him said.

Amid demonstrations by Muslim groups, the issued a statement asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces insult of any religious personality, and suspended Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal.

The foreign ministries of the two welcomed the statement issued by the party in which it announced the suspension. Incidentally, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is currently on an official visit to Qatar.



ALSO READ - Nupur Sharma withdraws controversial statement after suspension from BJP

Several cases have been filed against Sharma in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune, accusing her of hurting religious sentiments.

Apologising for her remarks, Sharma said "If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement. It was never my intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings."





In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the statements as well and reiterated its "permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion."

It also rejected anything that give rise to prejudice against "all religious figures and symbols."

While welcoming the measures taken by the BJP to suspend her, the ministry reaffirmed the "Kingdom's position calling for respect for beliefs and religions".

Sharma's comments, made in a TV debate nearly 10 days ago, and Jindal's now-deleted tweets, sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries.

Sharma, who was a BJP national spokesperson, claimed that her comments were a reaction to "continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadev"' (Lord Shiva) as she could not tolerate it.

On Monday, India slammed the General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)'s comments over Sharma's remarks and said, "The Government of India categorically rejects OIC Secretariat's unwarranted and narrow-minded comments."

Hitting back. the external affair ministry in a statement said, "It is regrettable that OIC Secretariat has yet again chosen to make motivated, misleading and mischievous comments. This only exposes its divisive agenda being pursued at the behest of vested interests."




Both the owner and the operator of the factory in Hapur where an explosion claimed 13 lives were arrested on Sunday, police said.

Wasim, the operator of the unit, had fled after the explosion. He sustained burn injuries on his hands and there were stitches on his head as well, a senior police official said, adding that he received first-aid after the incident and took off.

"He was arrested on Sunday afternoon from the Hapur-Meerut bypass," Superintendent of Police (SP) Deepak Bhuker told PTI. "We are providing medical treatment to him," he said.

"Police have also arrested Dilshad, the owner of the factory," the SP said.

An FIR has been registered against both of them, the police said.

The explosion took place on Saturday at Ruhi Industries in the Dhaulana area.

"So far, 13 people have been killed, while 20 are injured. The injured are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut," Bhuker said.

He added that 11 out of the 13 deceased have been identified, and they are from Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Bihar.

Soon after news of the explosion got out, Shahjahanpur district's Bhanderi village, located 280 km from Hapur, drowned in grief.

Superintendent of Police of Shahjahanpur S Anand told PTI they have information that 10 of the deceased were from the village.

"We are in touch with the police administration in Hapur to get details about others who were killed or injured in the accident," he said.

In a statement, the Shahjahanpur Police identified the deceased as Sarvesh, Anil, Bhure, Ramu, Anoop, Prempal, Irfan, Chaviram, Noor Hasan and Raghvendra.

Dharmendra Singh Kushwaha, the representative of the village head, said around 40 people from the village were employed in the factory.

"At least 10 people from our village have been killed in the accident. Around eight others are hospitalised," he said.

"Around 20 of the workers had recently come to their homes for Eid celebrations. Some of them are among those killed or injured in the blast," he added.

Some villagers claimed that the family members of the victims, who reached Hapur after hearing about the incident, were not being allowed to see them.

A resident, Akhtar Ali, said that the workers were living in shanties in Hapur. "The family members of those killed or injured in the accident who have gone to Hapur are facing a lot of trouble in getting information about their loved ones," said Ali.

Another villager Rakesh said that his son also works at the same factory in Hapur. Rakesh said he fears the worst as he has not heard from his son after the incident.

Inspector General of Police, Meerut Range, Praveen Kumar said the factory was licensed to manufacture only electronic goods, and an investigation is underway to ascertain how explosives reached there.

The police said they suspect crackers were being manufactured in the factory. Bhuker said Dilshad and Wasim have been booked under IPC sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 304 (culpable homicide), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (act endangering human lives) and 338 (causing grievous hurt).

The victims' bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, the SP said.

District Magistrate Medha Roopam said an investigation is underway. "Factories in the area are being checked, and soon, the reality of the incident will come to the fore and strict action will be taken against the accused," she said.

At the time of the incident, there were around 30 people at the factory in the UPSIDC Industrial Area in Dholana, around 80 km from the national capital, officials said.

The impact of the explosion was so intense that the roofs of some of the factories located in the vicinity were damaged. It took three hours for fire tenders to douse the blaze.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a virtual address for Rotary's 113th annual international convention in Houston on Sunday, Prime Minister discussed the importance of sustainable development and underlined the ethos of staying in harmony with nature. The event is being held from June 4 to 8.

India is among the largest and fastest-growing startup ecosystems in the world...we in India remain open to learning from global best practices and sharing ours with others, PM Modi said.

India's commitment on net zero by 2070 was appreciated by the world community, he said. "I'm glad that Rotary Int'l is actively working on providing clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene," he said in a statement, adding that 1.4 billion Indians are taking every possible step to make the Earth cleaner and greener during his address at Rotary International Convention 2022.

During his speech, he also laid emphasis on the Atmanirbhar Bharat movement and how it is taking shape in India.

The coveted international event is returning to Houston for the third time, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1972 international convention.

More than 20,000 service-minded people from around the world will gather in Houston for the convention this year as Rotary's previous two conventions were held virtually due to the global pandemic.

Prime Minister Modi stressed on making India self-reliant and urged the Indian community to contribute to global prosperity.

India is marking 75 years since freedom from colonial rule. A new collective movement has taken shape to save water. The movement is inspired by our age-old practices of water conservation combined with modern solutions, PM said at Rotary International Convention 2022 in a concluding statement.

Several big wigs like philanthropist Bill Gates, actor and philanthropist Ashton Kutcher, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, actor, producer, host, entrepreneur, WWE Superstar and Rotary polio ambassador, John Cena have spoken at previous congregations.

Rotary International Convention brings together the global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges as it connects 1.2 million members of more than 36,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas and its work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.

(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.)
Xi calls for efforts to pursue harmony between humanity and nature on Environment Day 2022

Xinhua) 13:07, June 06, 2022

SHENYANG, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The National Event on the Environment Day 2022 was held on Sunday, June 5 in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent a congratulatory letter to extend his warm congratulations.

In the letter, Xi said that natural environment is the basis of human survival and development, and to preserve a sound ecological environment is the shared aspiration of the peoples of all countries. Since the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012, we have made ecological conservation an initiative vital for sustaining the Chinese nation's development. Embracing the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, we have launched a host of creative, forward-looking, and fundamentally important initiatives and taken major steps toward building a beautiful China. As a result, our ecological and environmental protection efforts have seen sweeping, historic, and transformative changes.

Xi stressed that on the new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects, the whole Party and the entire nation must maintain strategic focus on strengthening ecological conservation, endeavor to effect a green transformation in all aspects of social and economic development, coordinate efforts to address pollution, protect ecosystems, and respond to climate change, and work hard to build a beautiful China where humanity and nature exist in harmony, so as to make further contributions to building a clean and beautiful world. He also expressed the hopes that all of society can take the initiative to act as role models in disseminating and practicing the ideas of ecological civilization and through solid and hard work, create a beautiful homeland with blue skies, green lands, and clean waters for generations to come.

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, read out Xi's congratulatory letter and delivered a speech. He said General Secretary Xi sending the letter fully demonstrates that the CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to the national event on the Environment Day.

Han said earth is the only home mankind has, and it is the common responsibility of all humans to build a clean and beautiful world featuring harmony between humanity and nature. Since the Party's 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has placed ecological progress in a prominent position in the overall agenda of its work and contributed to historic, watershed changes in China's efforts to promote ecological and environmental protection. On the new journey toward a modern socialist country in all respects, we must take Xi Jinping's thinking on promoting ecological progress as our guide, fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy, and work even faster to build a beautiful China, Han said.

Han stressed that we should uphold the notion of a shared future for humanity and nature, continue the holistic approach to the conservation and restoration of mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems, establish and strictly enforce red lines for ecological conservation, and strive to pursue modernization that is characterized by harmony between humanity and nature. We should stay problem-oriented, step up the efforts to prevent and control pollution, and persistently address prominent ecological and environmental problems that directly affect the people. We should raise public awareness of ecological conservation and translate the idea of building a beautiful China into conscious actions of every individual. We should promote high-quality economic development through high-standard environmental protection, advance a complete transformation toward greener economic and social development, and thus achieve coordinated progress in both environmental protection and economic growth. We should steadily and orderly work for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we should ensure energy and food security and maintain secure industrial and supply chains, so that people's everyday lives are not seriously affected. We should continue to rally strength for global ecological progress and actively promote sustainable development across the world so that the ideas and practice of ecological civilization will benefit people worldwide.

Before the event, Han visited an exhibition themed "Work Together to Build a Clean and Beautiful World."

Since 2017, China has held national events on the Environment Day annually. This year's event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the office of the Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress, and the Liaoning Provincial People's Government, with the theme of "Work Together to Build a Clean and Beautiful World."

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
India on Monday faced more diplomatic heat with the strong reaction of Islamic countries to the controversial comments by two BJP functionaries against Prophet Mohammad even as it slammed the 57-nation OIC for its "motivated" and "mischievous" comments on the matter.

A day after Kuwait, Qatar and Iran summoned Indian ambassadors over the remarks by Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, several Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Bahrain, Maldives and Oman also denounced the comments while some of them welcomed BJP's punitive action against the duo.

Even as it continued to assuage outrage in the Islamic world, the (MEA) categorically rejected criticism of India by the 57-member (OIC) and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the issue.

In a strong reaction to the OIC's sharp comments, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India accords the "highest respect" to all religions and described the statement by the grouping as "motivated, misleading and mischievous" and that it exposed its "divisive agenda" which is being pursued at the behest of "vested interests."



"The Government of India categorically rejects OIC Secretariat's unwarranted and narrow-minded comments. The Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions," Bagchi said.

"The offensive tweets and comments denigrating a religious personality were made by certain individuals. They do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India," he said.

Referring to Sharif's condemnation of the remarks by Sharma and Jindal, and the Pakistan Foreign Ministry's criticism, Bagchi said the "absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone."



Bagchi said the government "accords the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour".

In a tweet, Sharif condemned the controversial comments and alleged that India is "trampling religious freedoms and persecuting Muslims." The Pakistan foreign ministry also criticised New Delhi over the remarks.

The OIC slammed India for the remarks and even urged the UN to take necessary measures to ensure that the rights of Muslims are protected in India.

The BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson Sharma and the party's Delhi unit media head Jindal for allegedly making derogatory comments against Prophet Mohammad.

In its statement, Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the decision of the BJP to suspend the party's spokeswoman and stressed the need to "denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, as a provocation to Muslims' feelings and incitement to religious hatred."



"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of respecting all religious beliefs, symbols, and personalities, and the concerted efforts of the international community to spread the values of moderation, tolerance, and dialogue between religions and civilizations," it said.

The UAE foreign ministry condemned the comments of the BJP spokesperson.

In a statement, it "affirmed the UAE's firm rejection of all practices and behaviours that contradict moral and human values and principles."



The Ministry also "underscored the need to respect religious symbols and not violate them, as well as confront hate speech and violence."



The Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia condemned the remarks, describing them as "insulting" and called for "respect for beliefs and religions".

It also welcomed BJP's decision to suspend the spokeswoman from work.

An official of the Omani foreign ministry held a meeting with Indian Ambassador Amit Narang and raised the issue.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry in a tweet said: "Indonesia strongly condemns unacceptable derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad PBUH by two Indian politicians. This message has been conveyed to the Indian Ambassador in Jakarta."



The Maldives also condemned the comments by Sharma and Jindal. "The Government of Maldives unreservedly condemns all and any action that purports to pervert the true nature and teachings of and attempts to demean the holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)," the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said.

"In this regard the Government of Maldives is deeply concerned by the derogatory remarks made by some officials of BJP, India, insulting the holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the religion of Islam," it said.

It welcomed the "denouncement by the Government of India of the derogatory remarks by the concerned officials and the prompt action taken by BJP against those officials."



Though the MEA slammed the OIC and Pakistan PM for their reactions on the issue, it did not comment on criticism by other Islamic countries.

The Indian embassies in Kuwait and Qatar issued separate but identical statements on Sunday after the Indian ambassadors were summoned.

The embassies said the "offensive tweets" by individuals in India "do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the government of India",



Sharma's comments, made in a TV debate nearly 10 days back, and Jindal's now-deleted tweets sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some Arab countries.

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Live news updates: At least 169 British lawmakers from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party had publicly indicated support for him ahead of the result a confidence vote over his leadership on Monday, a Reuters tally showed.

A total of 180 votes would be enough to ensure he survives the leadership challenge. The ballot will be secret and there is no guarantee lawmakers will vote in line with their public statements.

Johnson, who scored a sweeping election victory in 2019, has been under increasing pressure after he and staff held alcohol-fuelled parties in his Downing Street office and residence when Britain was under strict lockdowns due to Covid-19.
Militants are attacking innocent civilians in desperation to provoke security forces, Lieutenant Governor said on Sunday, as he appealed to the people of the Union territory to isolate terror elements to promote peace.

Addressing the 'One Earth, Shared Future' programme organised by the forest department on the World Environment Day here, Sinha said is witnessing another kind of pollution -- -- "exported by our neighbouring country and it is threatening our social harmony".

Our neighbour is polluting J-K by spilling the blood of innocents... Terrorists are targeting innocent men, women and even children. Society must speak up now. Communities must come together as one entity to fight this menace, the Lt Governor said.

He said the militants were attacking innocent civilians in desperation.

They are resorting to such killings to provoke security forces so that they will do something similar in desperation, he said.

However, he assured the people of that the administration will not take action against any innocent person.

It has been the policy of J-K administration that our security forces will not take action against any innocent person... But, the way is used as a weapon for killing the innocent civilians, the administration and the security forces will do their jobs with promptness. I appeal to the people to condemn such elements. It is your duty and only then will the peace be established in J-K, he said.

has no place in society, he said, adding, I call upon every citizen to isolate terror elements, expose their brutality. It is the fundamental duty of every citizen towards the nation to protect and promote peace.

Sinha said the police and security forces are fighting the menace of terrorism with restraint and fairness and saving innocent lives.

"Our forces will keep responding effectively and firmly resolved to finish destructive threat of terrorism, he added.

In his address, the Lt Governor highlighted the need for coordinated action and collective partnership, besides making changes in people's behaviour and lifestyle, to tackle the impact of climate change and reducing the carbon footprint for protecting the environment and conserving biodiversity.

"We are blessed with nature's rich resources but also confronted with multiple challenges of a fragile ecosystem which requires collective action to create a fine balance between man and nature," he said.

"Climate change is a reality. We are experiencing it in the form of climate extremes, like the unprecedented heat wave and untimely heavy rainfall which are challenging and endangering the existing ecosystem," Sinha said.

This year's theme of World Environment Day -- 'Only One Earth' -- is a reminder to the entire world that environmental protection or sustainable lifestyle is not the job of a select few, but a collective responsibility of each one of us, he said.

Highlighting the Jammu and Kashmir government's consistent efforts towards environment protection, Sinha said the protected area network is around 12 per cent of the geographical area which is more than double the average of five per cent.

"Our focus is the industrial environment through nature- based solutions," he added.

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Amid growing criticism by the Islamic countries over controversial remarks made by now-suspended and expelled (BJP) leaders against Prophet Mohammad, India on Monday slammed the comments by the (OIC) as "narrow-minded" and "motivated, misleading and mischievous".

New Delhi also hit back at Pakistan after its Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reacted sharply on Twitter to condemn remarks by Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, saying the "absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights" commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone.

Reacting strongly to remarks by the OIC, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India accords "highest respect" to all religions and that the statement by the 57-member grouping exposed its "divisive agenda" which is being pursued at the behest of "vested interests." The OIC also urged the UN to take necessary measures to ensure that the rights of Muslims are protected in India.

"We have seen the statement on India from the General Secretariat of the OIC.

The government of India categorically rejects the OIC Secretariat's unwarranted and narrow-minded comments. The government of India accords the highest respect to all religions," Bagchi said.

"The offensive tweets and comments denigrating a religious personality were made by certain individuals. They do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the government of India," he said.

Bagchi said strong action has already been taken against these individuals by relevant bodies.

"It is regrettable that the OIC Secretariat has yet again chosen to make motivated, misleading and mischievous comments. This only exposes its divisive agenda being pursued at the behest of vested interests," he said.

"We would urge the OIC Secretariat to stop pursuing its communal approach and show due respect to all faiths and religions," he said.

Referring to criticism by Sharif and the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, Bagchi said the "absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone." "The world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan," he said.

Bagchi said the government "accords the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogised and monuments built in their honour." In a tweet on Sunday, Sharif condemned the controversial comments and alleged that India is "trampling religious freedoms and persecuting Muslims." The Pakistan foreign ministry also criticised New Delhi over the remarks.

Also on Monday, Pakistan said it has summoned the Indian charge d'affaires to convey its categorical rejection and that the remarks are totally unacceptable and have not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan but of Muslims across the world.

The comments by Sharma and Jindal triggered widespread anger in the Arab world as Qatar, Kuwait, and Iran on Sunday summoned the Indian ambassadors. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, Indonesia, and Afghanistan also joined these nations on Monday to condemn the controversial remarks, stressing the importance of respecting all religious beliefs.

In a statement, Saudi Arabia's foreign affairs ministry expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the BJP spokesperson, saying it insulted Prophet Mohammed.

The ministry reiterated its "permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion."

It also rejected anything that gives rise to prejudice against "all religious figures and symbols."

While welcoming the measures taken by the BJP against the leaders, the ministry reaffirmed the "Kingdom's position calling for respect for beliefs and religions. Bahrain's foreign affairs ministry also welcomed the BJP action.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
said on Monday that it has summoned the Indian charg d'affaires to convey its categorical rejection and condemnation of the controversial remarks by two leaders against Prophet Mohammed.

The Indian diplomat was told that these remarks are totally unacceptable and have not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of but of Muslims across the world, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

The FO conveyed the Government of Pakistan's categorical rejection and strong condemnation of the highly derogatory remarks made by two senior officials of India's ruling party .

The Indian diplomat was further told that deplores the belated and perfunctory disciplinary actions taken by the government against the said officials, which cannot assuage the pain caused to the Muslims," the FO said.

In New Delhi, the BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against the Prophet.

Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the party also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.

The FO said Pakistan was deeply concerned over the alarming rise in communal violence and hatred against the Muslims in India.

The growing mainstreaming of the reprehensible anti-Muslim sentiment and the increasing attempts at depriving the Muslims of their centuries-old places of worship citing frivolous historical claims, are nothing but the obvious outcomes of the deep-seated Islamophobia in the Indian society, the FO said.

Pakistan strongly urged the BJP leadership and the government of India to unequivocally condemn the sacrilegious comments of the BJP officials and ensure that they were held accountable through decisive and demonstrable action against them for attacking the dignity of the Prophet.

The government of India is also reminded of its obligations under international law to take immediate steps to protect its minorities from human rights violations, ensure their safety, security and well-being and allow them to profess and practice their faiths in peace, the FO said.

Pakistan also asked the international community to take cognizance of and stop the dangerously rising Hindutva' inspired Islamophobia in India and prevail upon the Indian authorities to prevent the human rights violations against minorities, according to the FO.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday condemned the "hurtful" remarks against the prophet of Islam.

The controversial remarks by BJP leaders sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Kuwait have also condemned the controversial remarks.

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Prime Minister on Sunday said that India is the land of Buddha and who showed in action what living for others is all about.

The Prime Minister made the remark while virtually addressing the Rotary International World Convention.

Calling the Rotarians a true mix of "success and service", he said, "Every Rotary gathering of this scale is like mini-global assembly. There is diversity and vibrancy."

Noting the two Mottos of Rotary "Service Above Self" and "One Profits Most Who Serves Best", the Prime Minister said that these are important principles for the welfare of the entire humankind and resonate with the "teachings of our saints and sages".

Quoting Swami Vivekananda, Prime Minister Modi said, "We all exist in an interdependent, interrelated and interconnected world. That is why it is important that individuals, organisations and governments work together to make our planet more prosperous and sustainable."

He praised Rotary International for working "hard" on several causes that have a positive impact on the earth. "India is leading in efforts for environmental protection. Sustainable development is the need of the hour. Inspired by our centuries old ethos of staying in harmony with nature, the 1.4 billion Indians are making every possible effort to make our earth cleaner and greener."

He also listed India's initiatives like International Solar Alliance, "One Sun, One World, One Grid", and LIFE - Lifestyle for Environment. He also said that India's commitments on Net Zero by 2070 were also appreciated by the world community.

The Prime Minister said that as India is home to one seventh of humanity, at such a scale, any achievement of India will have a positive impact on the world. He cited Covid-19 vaccine story and efforts to achieve elimination of tuberculosis by 2025, five years before the global target of 2030, as examples.

Prime Minister Modi invited the Rotary family to support these efforts at the grassroots and also asked them to observe Yoga Day all over the world in large numbers.

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Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation Shila Mandir, a in honour of Sant Tukaram, the 17th century saint at his birthplace Dehu, about 30 km from Pune, on June 14.

Modi will interact with warkaris, devotees of Sant Tukaram who undertake the biannual pilgrimage on foot to Vithoba at Pandharpur in Maharashtra.

The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation the Shila of Sant Tukaram on June 14, Nitin More, the President of the Jagadguru Shree Sant Tukaram Maharaj Sansthan told PTI.

The Shila Mandir is a temple dedicated to a slab of stone (shila) on which Sant Tukaram had meditated for 13 days. A new idol of Sant Tukaram has been installed in the temple near the shila', a temple official said.

Legend has it that Sant Tukaram was made to drown the books of his verses in the river Indrayani by scholar Rameshwar Bhat. Sant Tukaram's pleas that the verses, elucidating the essence of Vedas in Prakrit, were not his writing, but the words of God who was speaking through him, found no favour with Bhat.

According to the legend, Bhat asked Sant Tukaram to drown the books of the verses in the river and declared that if it was indeed God's doing, he would return them unscathed.

Sant Tukaram sat on a slab of stone on the banks of the river in meditation for 13 days, after which books were found floating in the river unaffected by the water, it said.

Devotees of Tukaram, the warkaris, offer prayers at the Shila Temple before starting their pilgrimage to Pandharpur in the Hindu months of Ashad and Kartik.

In November last year, Modi had laid the foundation stone of four-laning of key sections of the Sant Dyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi Marg (NH-965) and Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi Marg (NH-965G).

Dedicated walkways are being constructed alongside the highways to ease the movement of warkaris undertaking the pilgrimage to Pandharpur.

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Former chief minister has said that being in the as a junior partner of the BJP and the JD(U) was causing him "ghutan" (suffocation), as he regretted having stepped down in 2015, less than a year after being sworn in to the highest seat of power in the state.

Manjhi, whose Hindustani Awam Morcha has four MLAs in the 243-strong assembly, was also of the view that with proper "samanjasya" (coordination), "we can make our presence felt in the upcoming legislative council polls when our support will be solicited by our bigger partners".

Manjhi, whose son Santosh Kumar Suman is a minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet and has also been anointed as the HAM president, was addressing the party's executive on Sunday.

leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, sneered at "yet another tantrum" thrown by the septuagenarian and pointed towards his past vacillations to assert that his averments, though objectionable, were of little significance for the ruling coalition.

Active in politics since the 1980s, Manjhi has served as a minister under many chief ministers although his moment of glory came in May, 2014 when Nitish Kumar, owning moral responsibility for the JD(U)'s debacle in Lok Sabha polls, gave up the chief minister's post.

After JD(U) rank and file failed to reach a consensus on the replacement for its de facto leader, Kumar intervened and backed Manjhi, who was seen as a loyalist and could also serve the purpose of sending across the message that the leader promoted a Dalit upon stepping down.

However, the months that followed bore witness to a huge political churning in and Kumar forged an alliance with arch-rival Lalu Prasad. Manjhi had, by that time, come to be seen as unsteady and accused by many of having become too chummy with the BJP.

After Manjhi was commanded by the party to step down and make way for the return of his mentor, he tried to put up a semblance of revolt, but later resigned realising that numbers were not on his side.

He also quit the JD(U) along with some dissidents who had grown averse to Nitish Kumar and the breakaway group came to be known as HAM which the BJP-led NDA, then shorn of a strong alliance in Bihar, gladly accommodated.

The Grand Alliance that came into being as a result of the Lalu-Nitish alliance, however, inflicted a crushing defeat on the in the 2015 assembly polls.

Manjhi, who was in a state of limbo, feared further marginalisation when Kumar returned to the NDA in 2017. The HAM founder quit the NDA, joined the RJD-Congress alliance and was quickly rewarded with a legislative council berth for his son by Lalu Prasad's party which had sufficient numbers in the assembly.

However, he soon grew impatient with the RJD and its heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav and broke away ahead of the 2020 assembly polls. His return to the NDA had led to speculations of HAM's merger with the JD(U) which did not take place though Manjhi himself never ruled out such a possibility.

Known for speaking his mind on matters like liquor consumption and religion, much to the discomfiture of his more hard-nosed allies, Manjhi has often rued that he was never "taken seriously".

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have alerted the government after they tracked satellite phone calls made to foreign locations from state's coastal and Malnad regions, sources said on Monday.

Three calls were detected from the thick forests in these regions between May 23-29, according to the sources.

Two calls were tracked in places near Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district, Chikkamagalur and Uttara Kannada jungles by the Central .

The sleuths of State Internal Security Division (ISD) visited the spot and have launched a probe.

Preliminary findings have suggested that the satellite phone calls were made from four locations in 10 days. The agencies are tracking down the persons who used the banned satellite phones.

Sources explained that this is the third time that satellite phones were being used in this year in the coastal and Malnad regions.

The Central agencies have been alerting the state police department on these developments.

This time satellite phone signals originated from the forest that falls between Yallapur and Sirsi towns in Uttara Kannada; Natekal, Kulai regions in the outskirts of Mangaluru city; and the jungles between Kadur-Birur towns in Chikkamaglur, the sources said

Earlier, the phone calls were tracked to Mudibidre, Mudipu regions in Dakshina Kannada; in dense forest regions of Uttara Kannada; and another two locations from Chikkamagalur.

Since terror activities targeting civilians were being reported from Jammu and Kashmir, Central agencies have told their counterparts and authorities in to be vigilant about the developments.

Central agencies have gathered information about suspected anti-national activities taking place in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi; and Chikkamaglur and Shivamogga districts in the Malnad region.

The issue of the use banned satellite phones was raised in the state Assembly session last year and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had given detailed statements that the government is handling the situation in coordination with Central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

suspect and track whether the anti-national forces are activating sleeper cells in the state.

The phone calls are being made despite intelligence agencies being on alert in the state.

Jnanendra had stated on the floor of the House that there were 256 instances of satellite phone usage in 2020 and 220 in 2021, which were tracked to foreign locations.

After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, using satellite phones was banned by the Directorate General of Shipping.

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Saudi Arabia, and on Monday joined several Muslim nations to condemn the controversial remarks of a leader against Prophet Mohammad, stressing the importance of respecting all religious beliefs.

In a statement, Saudi Arabia's foreign affairs ministry expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokesperson, saying it insulted Prophet Mohammad.

The ministry reiterated its "permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion." It also rejected anything that gives rise to prejudice against "all religious figures and symbols." While welcoming the measures taken by the to suspend the spokeswoman, the ministry reaffirmed the "Kingdom's position calling for respect for beliefs and religions".

In a separate statement, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina on Monday condemned the "insulting statements" made by the spokesperson of the BJP against the Prophet.

In New Delhi, the BJP on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against the Prophet.

Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the party also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.

Bahrain's foreign affairs ministry welcomed the decision of the BJP to suspend the party's spokeswoman, stressing "the need to denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, as a provocation to Muslims' feelings and incitement to religious hatred." The ministry in a statement stressed "the importance of respecting all religious beliefs, symbols, and personalities, and the concerted efforts of the international community to spread the values of moderation, tolerance, and dialogue between religions and civilizations, and to confront extremist ideas that feed sedition and religious, sectarian, or racial hatred." The interim Afghan government, led by the Taliban, strongly condemned the derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, Pajhwok News, Afghanistan's largest independent news agency, said.

"The Islamic Emirate of strongly condemns the use of derogatory words against the Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) by an official of the ruling party in India," the agency quoted government Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid as saying in a tweet.

"We urge the Indian government not to allow such fanatics to insult the holy religion of Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims," he said.

The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Nayef Falah M Al Hajraf, also condemned, rejected and denounced the statements made by the spokesperson of the BJP against the Prophet.



The Secretary-General affirmed his categorical rejection of prejudicing all the prophets and apostles as well as personalities and religious symbols, stressing the position that rejects provocation, targeting or underestimating beliefs and religions, the Council said in a brief statement.

The GCC is a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union that consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Millions of Indians work in GCC countries.

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation strongly condemned and denounced the recent denigration of the Prophet by the BJP leader. It also urged the UN to take necessary measures to ensure that the rights of Muslims are protected in India.

Qatar, Iran and Kuwait on Sunday summoned India's Ambassadors and the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of a BJP leader against Prophet Mohammad.

Pakistan said on Monday that it has summoned the Indian charge d'affaires to convey its categorical rejection and condemnation of the controversial remarks.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday also condemned the "hurtful" remarks against the prophet of Islam.

"Pakistan Armed Forces strongly condemn blasphemous remarks by Indian officials.The outrageous act is deeply hurtful and clearly indicates extreme level of hate against Muslims and other religions in India," the Spokesperson Pakistan Armed Forces tweeted.

Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of the Indian Embassy in Qatar and Kuwait said on Sunday that the Ambassadors "conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements." The controversial remarks also sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.

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Expressing concern over rise in Christianity and drug abuse in Punjab, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, during his customary address on Monday to the Sikh community from the Akal Takht's podium to mark the 38th anniversary of 'Operation Bluestar', said every Sikh should learn the use of modern weapon.

Expressing concern over the massive build-up of security in the city ahead of the anniversary of Operation Bluestar, the Akal Takht Jathedar said the don't need security.

"We should focus on setting up shooting ranges to get training in weapons. The others are getting training in weapons illegally," said the Jathedar, amidst pro-Khalistan slogans, adding, "It is also high time for the Sikh organisations to propagate Sikhism."

He said villages along the (Indo-Pakistan) border areas have been seeing a rise in conversion to Christianity and mushrooming of churches.

Thousands of devotees early in the morning thronged the Akal Takht -- the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion -- to attend the 'bhog' ceremony of religious prayers that began on June 4.

The prayers were to mark the anniversary of 'Operation Bluestar' that was carried out in June 1984 by the Army to flush out heavily armed terrorists from inside the Golden Temple complex.

The Akal Takht Jathedar and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officials honoured the families of those who were killed during 'Operation Bluestar'.

There was heavy barricading by police around all entry points to the Golden Temple.

During the event, posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Khalistani flags were seen inside the Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib).

A large number of people had carried banners and placards saying "Khalistan Zindabad" and raised pro-Khalistan slogans during the event.

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Union Minister hit out at Delhi Chief Minister for "ducking" her set of questions regarding Minister Satyendar Jain who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, while citing the order of the High Court that stayed a special court's order allowing Jain to have counsel during the interrogation.

Irani also added one more question to the list of 10 questions that she had put forward to Kejriwal in a press conference earlier this month.

Irani, earlier this week, had posed a set of 10 questions to the Aam Aadmi Party supremo hitting out over the arrest of Satyendar Jain after the latter was remanded to the ED custody till June 9.

Taking to Twitter, the Union Minister called the AAP leaders defending the Delhi Minister a "saga of lies".

"Saga of AAP's lies continues! Delhi HC has accepted ED's argument that who is accused of money laundering under PMLA must be denied his lawyer's presence during custodial interrogation. As Kejriwal Ji continues to duck 10 pointed questions, here's 1 more question," she tweeted.

"Would Kejriwal Ji answer if it is true that ED has started its investigation under PML Act as a sequel to 24 August 2017 CBI FIR & 03.12.18 charge sheet filed by the CBI which has found evidence of disproportionate assets against under Prevention of Corruption Act?" the Minister added in her tweet.

Irani further sought clarification from the Delhi CM if ED has arrested on the basis of the IO's position that the Delhi Minister is guilty of the offence of money laundering which has been approved by the Special court while remanding him?

"Response is awaited, Kejriwal Ji!" she tweeted.

Earlier on Wednesday, addressing a press conference here today, Irani said, " presumed the role of a judge and gave him a clean chit. I want to ask a few questions. My first question is, can Kejriwal deny that Satyendar Jain laundered Rs 16.39 crore using 56 shell companies with the support of hawala operators in Kolkata from 2010-11 to 2015-16?"

The Union Minister further asked if Satyendar Jain declared that money laundered representing the undisclosed income under the income disclosure scheme 2016 in the name of his close associates Ankush Jain, and Vaibhav Jain is a self-declaration by him in 2016.

"Is it true that the principal commissioner of income tax has held that the unaccounted income of Rs 16.39 crore was not of Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain, but that Satyendar Jain was the real owner of the income," she asked in her series of questions to the Delhi CM.

Citing an order of the Delhi High Court delivered on August 21, 2019, Irani said that the Court bench has confirmed the very findings of the principal commissioner of income tax that "Satyendar Jain indeed himself is the real owner of the money laundered".

"Is it true that Satyendar Jain is the beneficial owner of the shell companies namely Prayas InfoSolutions Pvt Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd and he controls them through shareholding along with his wife?" she asked.

"Is it true that through this black money, Satyendar Jain took the ownership of 200 bighas of land in many areas of Delhi to his advantage?" Irani added.

She further asked if providing a huge return on the investment on the land in the vicinity of unauthorised colonies by Satyendar Jain was the "real reason why the Aam Aadmi Party regularised the unauthorised colonies".

"Does Arvind Kejriwal knowingly now give patronage to those who have deceived the people? How long will 'Desh ka gaddar' continue to receive your support?" asked Irani.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal came out in the open to defend the arrested Minister, claiming that the case registered against him is fake and politically motivated.

"Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has been arrested by Enforcement Directorate. I have personally read all the papers and case filed against Satyendra Jain by ED and it is completely false. We have a very strict and honest government. We are hard-core patriots; we can get beheaded but can never betray the country. His arrest is politically motivated," Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference on Tuesday.

(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's palm oil exports in May were its highest in seven months and up 15% on April as the country overcame curbs on Indonesian exports by sourcing more of the commodity from Malaysia, Thailand and Papua New Guinea, five industry officials said.

Higher purchases by India, the world's biggest importer of vegetable oil, could support Malaysian palm oil prices, which are trading near a record high.

India imported 660,000 tonnes of palm oil in May, up from 572,508 tonnes in April, according to the average estimate from five dealers.

Indian imports from fell in May, but refiners managed to buy more from Malaysia, Thailand and Papua New Guinea, said Sandeep Bajoria, chief executive of Sunvin Group, a vegetable oil brokerage and consultancy.

Indonesia, the world's biggest producer and exporter of palm oil, on April 28 halted exports of the product to control soaring prices at home. Jakarta allowed exports to resume from May 23 but put in place policies to safeguard domestic supplies.

The Solvent Extractors' Association of India, a trade body based in Mumbai, is likely to publish May's import figure in mid-June.

India's soyoil imports in May rose to 352,614 tonnes from 315,853 tonnes in April, said a senior government official, who declined to be named.

The country's soyoil imports could rise sharply in coming months, because New Delhi has allowed duty free imports of 2 million tonnes of the commodity, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm.

Sunflower oil imports jumped to 123,970 tonnes in May from 67,788 tonnes a month earlier, the government official said.

India buys soyoil mainly from Argentina and Brazil and sunflower oil from Ukraine and Russia.

"As sunoil shipments from Ukraine have stopped, India is trying to import more from Russia," the dealer said.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav and Aftab Ahmed; Editing by Bradley Perrett)

(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's surprise ban on wheat exports has prompted rice traders to increase purchases and place unusual orders for longer-dated deliveries, fearing the world's top rice exporter may restrict those shipments as well, four exporters told Reuters.

In the last two weeks, traders have signed contracts to export 1 million tonnes of rice for shipments from June through September and are opening letters of credit (LCs) quickly after signing deals to ensure the contracted quantity will be sent even if India restricts exports, the people said.

Those forward purchases come on top of roughly 9.6 million tonnes of rice already shipped out of India this year - in line with record 2021 shipments - and may reduce the amount of grain available for other buyers during the coming months as loading schedules fill.

"International traders pre-booked for the next three to four months and everybody opened LCs to ensure business continuity," said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, India's biggest rice exporter.

Normally traders sign deals for the current and next month.

Aggressive purchases from India could also reduce demand for rice from Vietnam and Thailand, the world's second and third-biggest exporters respectively, which are struggling to compete on price.

WHEAT BAN

India last month banned wheat exports in a surprise move, days after saying it was targeting record shipments this year.

It also put a cap on sugar exports.

India is not a top global wheat exporter, but it is the world's second-biggest sugar exporter behind Brazil.

Those export curbs led to speculation that India could also cap rice shipments, though government officials said India does not plan to because it has sufficient rice stocks and local prices are lower than state-set support prices.

India's wheat ban trapped a large quantity of the grain at ports because New Delhi only allowed contracts backed by LCs to depart.

"Normally people open LCs while they nominate a vessel. This time they opened LCs for all rice contracts that were pending, so in case there is a ban on exports, at least the contracted quantity is shipped out," Agarwal said.

India accounts for more than 40% of global rice trade.

PRICE ADVANTAGE

Overseas buyers are looking for Indian rice because it is far cheaper than rivals, said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.

Indian 5% broken white rice is offered between $330 to $340 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, significantly lower than Thailand's $455 to $460 a tonne and Vietnam's $420 to $425, dealers said.

Thailand and Vietnam are not able to compete with India and they are trying to explore ways to support prices, Thailand's government has said.

If India restricts exports, global prices could jump sharply, said a New-Delhi-based dealer with a global trading house.

"Indian rice is more than 30% cheaper than other destinations. Poor buyers in Asia and Africa would be forced to pay very high prices if India restricts exports. That's why there is a rush to buy Indian rice," the dealer said.

Bangladesh, China, Benin, Cameroon, Nepal, Senegal and Togo are key buyers of India's non-basmati rice, while Iran and Saudi Arabia are key buyers of premium basmati rice.

India exported a record 21.5 million tonnes of rice in 2021, compared with combined exports of 12.4 million tonnes by Vietnam and Thailand.

Panic buying by importing countries was expected after the rumours of the ban began circulating because no other country can replace Indian shipments, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Additional reporting by Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Gavin Maguire and Jamie Freed)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The (DAC), the defence ministrys apex procurement body chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday green-lighted armed forces capital acquisition proposals for the military amounting to Rs 76,390 crore.

The ministry has announced that the clearance is under the high-priority categories of Buy (Indian), Buy & Make (Indian) and Buy (Indian - Indian Designed, Developed, and Manufactured), or Buy Indian (IDDM). This will provide a substantial boost to the Indian defence industry and reduce foreign spending significantly, stated the ministry.

While that is true, it is noteworthy that the ministry has only accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the purchases, which is just the first stage of a long-winded acquisition process. It can take anything from five-to-fifteen years for an AoN to translate into a contract and for the actual delivery of military equipment and platforms.

For the Indian Navy, the accorded AoNs for procurement of seven next-generation corvettes (NGC), at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 36,000 crore. These NGCs will be versatile platforms for a variety of roles, viz. surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, surface action group (SAG) operations, search and attack, and coastal defence, stated the ministry.





ALSO READ: India, Israel adopt 'vision statement' to boost defence cooperation

Corvettes are the smallest vessels in the category of capital warships. They are traditionally between 500-to-2,000 tonnes, while a frigate, the size class above a corvette, is roughly between 2,000-to-5,000 tonnes. In modern usage, the types of ships below corvettes are coastal patrol craft, missile boats and fast attack craft.

The Navy has specified that the corvettes must have a range that exceeds 4,000 nautical miles and must be capable of sailing at 27 knots. The 120-meter-long, single-hull corvette must have low radar, acoustic, magnetic, visual, and infra-red signatures. It wants active towed array sonar and two light-weight torpedo launchers fitted to the corvettes.

These NGCs would be constructed based on the new in-house design of the Navy, using the latest technology of ship building and would contribute to furthering the governments initiative of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region), said the MoD.

For the Army, the accorded fresh AoNs for procurement of rough terrain forklift trucks, bridge laying tanks, wheeled armoured fighting vehicles with anti-tank-guided missiles and weapon locating radars through domestic sources with emphasis on indigenous design and development, said the ministry.

For the Indian Air Force, the accorded AoNs for manufacture by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) of Dornier-228 reconnaissance aircraft, and Sukhoi-30 MKI aero-engines.

The focus (will be) on enhancing indigenisation, particularly on indigenising aero-engine material, said the DAC.

In pursuance of the governments vision for digital transformation in defence, the DAC approved the Digital Coast Guard project under the Buy (Indian) acquisition category. Under this project, a secure, pan-Indian network will be established for digitising various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance, and human resource processes in the Coast Guard.
Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran on Monday said that developed countries need to convince their public about the urgency to adopt mitigation policies and observed that there is far less support for climate policies, including tax on fossil fuels, in rich nations.

Referring to the issue of funding by developed nations to poor countries to deal with climate change, Nageswaran said it was unrealistic because they have far bigger challenges to face at home.

In high income countries, there is far less support for climate policies, including tax on fossil fuels, he said at an event here. While noting that when developed countries tell developing countries and emerging economies what they should be doing going forward, Nageswaran said there is an even urgent and more important task in their hands.

"That is to convince their own public of the importance of mitigation policies.

"... they have far bigger problems to make climate policies work in their countries without hurting themselves fiscally," he said.

Citing a report, Nageswaran pointed out that while overall support for green policy is lowest in Denmark, France, Germany followed by Australia, countries particularly opposed to carbon taxes are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the UK and the US.

"Therefore, when we look for funding support from developed countries, it is unrealistic because they have far bigger challenges to face at home," he said.

Emphasising that finance is of key essence, and there is a need to mobilise finance through public, private and multilateral sources, Nageswaran said, "we should not jeopardise fiscal health of both developed and developing countries."

He pointed out that post 2008 and post 2020, both developed and developing countries are facing huge debt burdens and therefore, debt servicing will become onerous as interest rates rise.

The CEA also pitched for greater investments in metals and minerals for renewable energy technologies, which are highly metal-intensive.

Governments of developed countries have a far bigger challenge convincing their public to accept mitigation policies and change their own personal behaviour to make those mitigation policies work: Chief Economic Adviser Dr V Anantha Nageswaran pic.twitter.com/Qh5RjnOl75  ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2022

"Even if investment is made, we have to have an international regulator to be able to ensure that they are available to all countries if we want all countries to progress to net-zero emissions by 2050 or 2070 at the same time...imagine the quantum of these metals and minerals required," he noted.

He said infrastructure development is critical for the Indian and asset monetisation is about economic efficiency of assets.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a bold pledge that India will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 and asserted that it is the only country that is delivering in "letter and spirit" the commitments on tackling climate change under the Paris Agreement.

Modi had also said that India is putting climate change at centre of its policies and stressed on the need to include climate adaptation policies in school syllabus to make the next generation aware of the issues.

(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 Commerce and Industry Minister on Monday said the negotiation to reach a free trade agreement (FTA) with the will begin from June 17 at Brussels in Belgium.

Addressing the media, Goyal said negotiations were progressing for such agreements with the United Kingdom and Canada and the effort was undertaken to provide market access and opportunities for exporters in the country.

"We are also entering into free trade agreements with several countries. We have finalised with the UAE and Australia, while negotiations are progressing for such agreements with the UK and Canada. Our formal negotiations with the to reach an FTA will begin on June 17 at Brussels. The effort is to provide market access and new opportunities for our exporters and consequently give fishermen a better future," Goyal said.

Earlier in May, Goyal had said that India will be able to conclude an FTA with the by next year.

Goyal met the media after inaugurating various infrastructure projects at the Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) here including a 13-storey office space for budding entrepreneurs and an effluent treatment plant.

Speaking to reporters, the Union minister said the treatment plant, based on Zero Liquid Discharge concept, which is beneficial to major water consuming units and the general public will be a solution to the complaints with regard to effluents.

After the inauguration, Goyal visited the plant and interacted with the staff.

"I am very happy that the effluent treatment plant has finally come up in Kochi SEZ so that the local complaints of effluents will now go away. It can treat one million litres per day. The pollution issues associated with water discharge can be solved. We literally saw black water turning into drinking standards," he said.

The minister also ruled out the possibility of shifting the office of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) from Kochi.

Rejecting the reports, Goyal said the statutory body under the Union Commerce and Industries Ministry will continue to operate from the southern coastal city.

"There is absolutely no plan to shift MPEDA from this beautiful city of Cochin and we have a very large setup here and it will continue to grow from strength to strength," the minister told reporters reacting to a query after holding separate stakeholder consultations with leaders of fishers and marine exporters here.

Recently, MPs from Kerala, Hibi Eden and T N Prathapan had met Goyal in New Delhi to impress upon him the requirement for maintaining the MPEDA headquarters in Kochi.

Goyal also interacted with the unit holders of Cochin SEZ.

"I loved their enthusiasm. I am grateful to them for the ideas received from them. I am going back with a lot of homework. There is a huge potential for development in the city of Kochi," he said.

Goyal, who visited the MPEDA, said the aim of the country was to double exports of marine products from more than Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore within the next five years.

He also held discussions with fishermen from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karnataka.

The minister had an interaction with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) at MPEDA and had an extensive discussion on various issues, challenges and solutions facing the 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.)
The Secondary and Higher Secondary Board (GSHSEB) declared the results of GSEB SSC or class 10 exams on Monday on its official website. Students can check their result on the official website of GSHSEB at gseb.org.

The GSEB SSC exams were held from March 28 to April 9 at various exam centres across . A total of 772,771 appeared in the class 10th exam as the overall pass percentage is 65.18 per cent. In total, 503,726 passed the examinations, with 59.92 per cent of boys clearing the exam, and 71.66 per cent of girls passing the GSEB SSC exams.

The overall pass percentage is 65.18 percent, with 59.92 percent of boys passing the examination and 71.66 per cent of girls passing the GSEB SSC exams.

A total of 7,521 students who appeared for the GSEB SSC exams received more than 99 percentile while 77,876 secured above 90 per cent.



Here's how you can check your GSEB SSC results:

Step 1: Go to the official website of board, i.e., gseb.org.

Step 2: Click on GSEB Board SSC result 2022 link at the homepage

Step 3: Give details of your school's index number and password in the required fields and submit

Step 4: Your GSEB SSC Result 2022 will appear on the screen, you can save and download for future references.

To qualify in a subject and pass the Gujarat SSC exams, a student at least needs to obtain Grade 'D'. Those who have got E1' or 'E2' grade in any subject will need to appear for compartment exams.
How does one think out of the box? In a first, the (IIT) Madras has announced a course on Out of the Box Thinking through mathematics.

Aiming to encourage innovative thinking and targeted at one million schoolchildren and college students, besides working professionals and researchers, the three-month course will be available in online mode, free of cost, to people in India and abroad.

The out of the box thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic. In this unique course, such thinking is emphasised through rediscovering the known and unknown facts of mathematics logically with an interesting, broader perception of the manner of doing it, said Director V Kamakoti.

First of a kind Registrations for the three-month course till June 24

First batch begins on July 1; final exam will be held at centres in select cities in India

The four graded independent levels of the course will be accessible to students, professionals and researchers

To be taught by Sadagopan Rajesh, mathematics educator and founder-director of Aryabhatta Institute of Mathematical Sciences, it will present multiple approaches to problem solving

The four graded independent levels of the course will be accessible to students, professionals and researchers. To be taught by mathematics educator and founder-director of Aryabhatta Institute of Mathematical Sciences Sadagopan Rajesh, the course will present multiple approaches to problem solving, debunking a myth that it is only possible for a select bunch. It will introduce new techniques in an easy-to-understand fashion, preparing users to face real-life projects with confidence and ease.

From solving a fun Sudoku puzzle to completing an important scheduled project, the logic of working is much more important than the arithmetic involved in it. This requires creative thinking and a broader perception that is often known as out of the box thinking. If we approach mathematics with discipline and passion, not necessarily in a formal way but realise the subject with more logical and analytical reasoning, we can broaden our thinking, said Rajesh.

This course is a first-of-its-kind in India and will make a major impact. We will see its benefits in the next few years. The course is being offered free of cost. It will greatly benefit school and college students, especially those in rural India, said Kamakoti.

The course will be offered through Pravartak Technologies Foundation, a Section 8 company of IIT Madras, which will also issue the grade certification for students who take the examinations at a nominal fee. The final examination will be a proctored one conducted at centres in select cities across India.

The first batch of the course is scheduled to commence on July 1 after registrations close on June 24.
on Monday clarified that it is not considering changes to the existing currency and banknotes by replacing the face of with that of .

"There are reports in certain sections of the media that the is considering changes to the existing currency and banknotes by replacing the face of with that of . It may be noted that there is no such proposal in the Reserve Bank," said in a statement.

There were reports that (RBI) might be considering using the images of Rabindranath Tagore and A P J Abdul Kalam, alongside Mahatma Gandhi, on the new series of currency notes.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, the central bank and the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL) had sent two sample sets of Gandhi, Tagore, and Kalam to IIT-Delhi Emeritus Professor Dilip T Shahani, who is responsible for selecting and submitting watermarks to the government for final approval.
The (RBI) on Monday said that non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in the upper regulatory layer will have to maintain provisions for standard advances based on category of assets like SME, real estate, and loans, including those given at teaser rates. This is seen as a step to prescribe bank-like regulatory norms for companies.

The individual loans and loans to small and micro enterprises (SMEs) will attract provision of 0.25 per cent. will have to maintain 2 per cent provision for loans extended at a teaser rate. This provision will decrease to 0.40 per cent one year from the date on which the rates were raised.

would have to keep a 0.75 per cent provision for advances to commercial  residential housing (CRE - RH). Other loans would carry slightly higher provisions of 1 per cent.

The loans to medium-size enterprises and advances not included in any of other the categories would attract a 0.40 per cent provision.

'NBFC - Upper Layer' consists of firms that are specifically identified by the as warranting enhanced regulatory requirements. The top ten eligible in terms of their asset size shall always reside in the upper layer, irrespective of any other factor.

The central bank said that current credit exposures due to permitted derivative transactions shall also attract provisioning requirements as applicable to the loan assets in the 'standard' category.

The said NBFCs with net worth of Rs 250 crore and above would be required to comply with Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) to prepare financial statements. They shall continue to hold impairment allowances as required under Ind AS. These provisions will be included in the computation of the prudential floor. However, they shall not be considered for calculating net non-performing assets (NPAs), the added.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said they are confident of achieving the target of running the country's first bullet train between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat in 2026 as good progress has been made in this direction.

Vaishnaw was in Surat to inspect the progress of the government's ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

There has been good progress in the construction of infrastructure for the bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, and the work is being done at a high speed.

"We are keeping the target of running the first bullet train between Surat and Bilimora in 2026. The progress is very good, and we are confident of running the train by that time," he told reporters.

Bilimora is a town in Navsari district of south Gujarat.

The project is aimed at running the bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai on a high speed rail (HSR) corridor at a speed of 320 kmph, covering a distance of 508 km and 12 stations. The train is expected to reduce the travel time between the two cities to about three hours from the current six hours.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 81 per cent of project cost which is estimated at Rs 1.1 lakh crore.

Vaishnaw said pillars for the bullet train project have been put up on 61 km of the route and work is underway on around 150 km of the stretch.

"It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to provide ultra modern and best services, such as redevelopment of railway stations, new Vande Bharat trains, Kavach (automatic train protection system), ...We are working to fulfil the aspirations of 130 crore Indians," he said.

Vaishnav inspected the operation of a segmental casting yard of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor near Vaktana village in Choryasi taluka of Surat, and also visited the under-construction Antroli railway station under the project.

Later, he also visited the project site at Nasilpore in Navsari along with Minister of State for Darshana Jardosh Jardosh.

Asked about the progress of the bullet train project in neighbouring Maharashtra, Vaishnaw said it was slow due to land acquisition issues. He said Maharashtra should work with the spirit of cooperation and collaboration on the project.

"This is a national project and there should not be any politics over it," he said.

"I believe we would set an example of working together on this project...The progress (in Maharashtra section) is slow. We hope there will be more progress," he said.

But, at the same time, the 352 km section in Gujarat is also sufficiently long, he said, adding that the focus will remain on Gujarat until the work of land acquisition in Maharashtra is completed.

Earlier, addressing the bullet train project workers at a site in Surat, Vaishnaw informed them about the Centre's 'One Nation, One Ration' scheme, whereby they can get food grains in any part of the country where they are working.

The central government is working with the spirit of service and development of all under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, 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.)
Three people died and 14 were injured following a shooting outside a nightclub in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Two people died from gunshot wounds and a third lost life after being hit by a vehicle on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy.

Investigators believe there were multiple shooters. Murphy said the shooting was an "isolated incident" with no ongoing threat to public safety.

Last weekend, six teenagers were shot in downtown Chattanooga during a confrontation.

The latest shooting in Chattanooga was reported only hours after gunmen opened fire at a crowd in a popular nightlife area in Philadelphia, killing three people while injuring 11 .

Mass shootings -- defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot -- were also reported in Michigan, Texas, and Arizona this weekend.

In Phoenix, a teenage girl was shot and killed and eight were injured after a shooting broke out at a strip mall on Saturday.

A rash of mass shootings has rocked the United States over the past few weeks and renewed cries for stricter gun laws in the nation.

Last month, an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

The US has seen at least 240 mass shootings across the nation over the past five months or so, with more than 18,500 lives lost to gun violence, according to an online database.

--IANS

int/shs

(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 massive and a series of explosions at a private chemical container depot in southeastern killed at least 49 people, including nine firefighters, and injured more than 450 others, officials said on Sunday, as authorities were still struggling to extinguish the blaze.

According to doctors, the toll could rise further as many of the injured people were being treated with severe burns. The firefighters backed by army troops were yet to enter deep down the blast site to douse the nearly 23 hours after the broke out on Saturday.

"The fire was caused by chemicals including hydrogen peroxide, making the situation difficult, fire service chief Brigadier General Mohammad Mainuddin told reporters at the scene where the firefighters were trying to extinguish the blaze amid intermittent explosions since Saturday evening.

The official expected the firefighters to put out the blaze and halt the explosions by tonight.

The disaster prompted authorities to call out army sappers to prevent the spread of chemicals in nearby canals and the coastlines of the Bay of Bengal.

Fire service officials said nine of their colleagues were killed in explosions as they rushed to the scene immediately after the blaze was reported at the BM Container Depot in Sitakunda at the outskirts of the port city of Chattogram.

This was the first time in known history when so many firefighters were killed in the line of duty in a single such disaster.

"So far 49 bodies arrived at the (Chattogram Medical College Hospital or CMCH) morgue, police sub-inspector at the facility Mohammad Alauddin told reporters.

Doctors at the state-run CMCH, which accommodated most of the wounded people, said the fate of over a dozen of the burn-injured patients was uncertain due to their critical wounds.

Dozens more including firefighters are being treated at the Chattogram Combined Military Hospital (CMH) while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered military helicopters to bring the critically wounded patients to Dhaka for better treatment.

Hospitals in the area are overwhelmed, with crowds of people waiting in hallways for treatment.

Pictures of the aftermath showed the twisted remains of metal shipping containers and the collapsed roof of a warehouse.

Chattogram Divisional Commissioner (DC) Ashraf Uddin said that families of the deceased would be given USD 560 (Taka 50,000) by the DC office, and USD 224 (Taka 20,000) would be given to the families of the injured, the Daily Star newspaper reported.

Bangladesh's parliament, which met on its maiden budget session on Sunday, adopted a condolence motion over the tragedy.

Officials and witnesses speculated that the firefighters were initially unaware that the depot stored chemicals to cause blasts while video footage which went viral showed a teenage boy doing Facebook live and moments later virtually vanishing alongside the firemen.

"The deafening explosions turned the sky a blazing orange throughout the night, a resident in the neighbourhood told a TV channel adding that the explosions threw several people metres away from where they were standing.

The residents said the explosions rocked the neighbourhood within a nearly four-kilometre radius around the inland container depot which has been operating since May 2011.

A pungent odour in the air forced rescuers to cover their noses in masks while they also complained of itching eyes apparently due to chemicals.

Officials said the depot -- a site with 21 acres of land -- stored around 4,000 containers, many filled with garments destined for Western retailers.

In a statement, Mujibur Rahman, director of the BM Container Depot, said it was not clear what caused the fire. "But I think the fire started from the container".

"Arrangements are being made to ensure that the injured get the best treatment. We will bear the entire cost of the treatment. Those who were injured in the accident will be given the maximum compensation," Rahman was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper.

"In addition, we will take responsibility for all the families of all the victims," he added.

has a history of industrial disasters. Past industrial tragedies have often been attributed to safety lapses.

Last year, a fire engulfed a food and drink factory in Bangladesh, killing at least 52 people.

In February 2019, a blaze ripped through a 400-year-old area cramped with apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part of Dhaka and killed at least 67 people.

In 2012, about 117 workers died when they were trapped behind locked exits in a garment factory in Dhaka. The country's worst industrial disaster occurred the following year, when the Rana Plaza garment factory outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

Another fire in Old Dhaka in a house illegally storing chemicals killed at least 123 people in 2010.

(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.)
Vladimir Putins propaganda machine has built up the image of a powerful nation with an indomitable leader and a disciplined army, encircled by enemies and fighting for the future of the motherland. Never mind that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine, that there has been plentiful evidence of Russian soldiers looting and raping, or that what was supposed to be a bloodless blitzkrieg has turned into a costly war of attrition. Roadside billboards with portraits of fallen soldiers carry the tagline hero of victory, though theres no actual triumph. A popular slogan roughly translates as we leave none of our people behind, though the armed forces routinely do just that, abandoning bodies in the mud or in makeshift Ukrainian morgues.



The Kremlin sustains its official narrative with a tight grip. But as the war drags on, campaign aims shifting, theres one inconvenient truth that even President will increasingly struggle to muffle: the men who fail to come home. No constituency is as hard for him to dismiss as the mothers, wives and daughters of soldiers, especially if tempers rise along with widespread economic hardship. Their anger and grief has helped to galvanize public opinion in the past, tarnishing the image of the military and the state. It can do so again.

Russias losses in have already been staggering, even if the pace has slowed since the disastrous early days. Its hard to be precise because official Defense Ministry figures have not been released since March 25, and even then inevitably undercounted, with 1,351 Russian service members reported to have been killed. calculates around 30,000 Russian deaths, an overestimate. But even half that, as Britains defense secretary reckoned in April, would not be far off the number the Soviet Union officially lost in its decade-long conflict in Afghanistan. And the number is rising.

Weve seen the power of mothers before. During the 1980s bodies were returned from Afghanistan in sealed zinc coffins and headstones carved only with killed fulfilling his internationalist duty. Aided by the freedoms of glasnost, angry mothers began to demand information on deaths and injuries. They campaigned actively against dedovshchina, the brutal hazing of young conscripts, and forced the Soviet military to provide answers for the first time.

The Committee of Soldiers Mothers remained front and center during the first Chechen war, when they marched to the capital Grozny, negotiated to bring their sons home and gathered evidence on the killed and wounded. Mothers fury put Putin on the spot over his desultory response to the sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk in 2000, with 118 on board. They earn $50 a month and now theyre stuck in that tin can! What did I raise him for? Do you have children? one pained mother shouted at Kremlin officials. She was silenced  television footage showed her being injected with a substance and collapsing, though she later denied being tranquilized  but public anger was harder to soothe.

It will play out differently in 2022.

The ability to press the military for transparency in the late 1980s, mothers influence during the Chechen war in the 1990s, and even the outbursts over Kursk, were possible in a context of relative media and political freedom, thanks to perestroikas reforms and the chaos that followed. Its no accident the mothers had far less success during the second Chechen campaign, as Putins time in office got underway. Today, theres wall-to-wall propaganda glorifying the fallen, control of the media and little tolerance for protest of any kind.

As Gulnaz Sharafutdinova of Kings College London pointed out to me, theres also the fact that unlike in either Afghanistan or the first war in Chechnya, when society was more equal and families of all kinds were affected, those involved in this conflict are by and large not conscripts but contracted soldiers, young men seeking a way out of poverty, coming from ethnic minorities and distant regions  with little political clout.

Its telling that a list of nearly 1,100 fatalities analyzed by the BBC Russian Service in early April did not include a single man from Moscow, a city of roughly 13 million. There were only five from the wider region and one from St Petersburg. Buryatia, a republic with fewer than a million people, had 52 fallen servicemen. Dagestan, in the Caucasus and with some three million inhabitants, had 93.

And theres the simple reality that a death is easier for families to handle if it is heroic, making them more likely to accept the official line, even when it flies in the face of their experience. When Nobel Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich wrote her polyphonic book on the soldiers of the Soviet war in Afghanistan and their families  Boys in Zinc, after their coffins  she was threatened, and eventually sued by several of her subjects for libel and defamation. Mothers of sons who had died in Afghanistan came to the trial with portraits of their children, with their medals and insignia, she later wrote. And, to me, the mothers said, We do not need your truth, we have our own truth.

But with every casualty, the fiction is harder to sustain, and the questions more pressing. Its a risk that grows with every sunk cruiser or badly hit parachute regiment. Especially when the wars goals remain murky.

has spotted the opportunity. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appealed directly to Russian mothers. The government in Kyiv set up a hotline and runs a Telegram channel and website with pictures of those captured, for families searching for loved ones  to spread the word.

Its a danger Putin recognizes and has struggled with since his plans for a three-day war went wrong in late February. He has repeatedly said there are no conscripts on the front in Ukraine  the use of conscripts in battle remains a highly sensitive issue  and has resisted mass mobilization. But his Defense Ministry has had to acknowledge that some conscripts have been deployed, and some captured. And facing heavy losses of troops and equipment, Putin has just removed the upper age limit for contract soldiers. As the fight drags on, he will have to pull in reserves, or more of those doing their compulsory military service. (Though most likely not women, who make up a tiny portion of the armed forces and are not generally permitted in frontline roles.)

As Ben Noble, who studies Russian domestic at University College London, points out, casualties, like economic hardship, will test the limits of the regimes propaganda and repression because both are directly experienced by ordinary Russians, whatever television talk shows say. And there will be a tipping point for both.

Three factors make matters worse for Putin. One is that even by the standards of autocrats, he struggles with empathy that might help navigate a public crisis. He only found time to visit injured servicemen three months after the invasion of Ukraine, and the Kremlins idea of presidential compassion was footage of wooden handshakes distributed in a spotless hospital where no one actually appeared to be particularly ill. As Noble put it to me, its a personalist regime without a human face.

Then, theres the fact that unlike around the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the patriotic surge in Russian opinion shown in surveys after the fighting began also shows significant anxiety. Asked in March what they felt about the war, most did first mention pride in Russia  but then it was fear, anxiety and horror. For younger respondents, fear, anxiety and horror came first. There are already disgruntled relatives speaking up and attacks on draft offices.

Finally, theres Putins emphasis on women as mothers, as he grapples with Russias dismal demographics and leans on traditionalist views to rein in society. He has, for example, sought to restore the Soviet title of Heroine Mother for women with large families. Its hard to glorify, then silence.

Moms and wives cant topple Putin or end the fight, just as their distress didnt force troops out of Afghanistan or end the Soviet Union. But their grief and growing numbers of casualties  which state media cannot airbrush away with laudatory coverage alone  tarnishes the military and the state with unpredictable consequences.

We got so used to living on two levels, one according to what we read in books and the press, and the other  totally different  according to our own experience, one woman told Alexievich, after extracts from her book were published.

Everything you wrote was true, except that reality was even more terrible.
on Sunday said a Chinese fighter jet carried out dangerous maneuvers threatening the safety of one of its maritime surveillance planes over the Sea.

The May 26 incident in airspace saw a Chinese Air Force J-16 intercept a P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft on routine patrol, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on its website.

The intercept resulted in a dangerous maneuver that "posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew," the ministry said. The Australian government has raised its concerns about the incident with the Chinese government, it added.

There was no official response Sunday from Beijing over the reported incident.

Such incidents are not unprecedented. A collision between a U.S. EP-3 surveillance plane and a Chinese naval air force jet in April 2001 resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the 10-day detention of the U.S. air crew by .

Relations between and have been poor for years after Beijing imposed trade barriers and refused high-level exchanges in response to Canberra enacting rules targeting foreign interference in its domestic politics.

and have also sought to block Chinese inroads into the South Pacific, including Beijing's signing of a security agreement with the Solomon Islands that could result in it stationing troops and ships in the archipelago, which lies less than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from the Australian coast.

Last month's incident comes amid increasingly aggressive behavior by the Chinese military in border areas and at sea targeting planes, ships and land forces from India, Canada, the United States and the Philippines.

Already in February, Australia said a Chinese navy ship fired a laser at one of its P-8A Poseidons, illuminating the aircraft while in flight over Australia's northern approaches and endangering the safety of the crew.

China claims the virtually in its entirety and has been steadily ratcheting up pressure against other countries with claims to parts of the strategic waterway. That has included construction of military facilities on human-made islands and the harassment of foreign fishing vessels and military missions in the air and sea.

Earlier this year, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Adm. John C. Aquilino said China has fully militarized at least three of its island holdings, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and military aircraft.

The U.S. and its allies have consistently challenged the Chinese claims by staging patrols and military exercises in the area, provoking angry responses from Beijing despite agreements aimed at reducing tensions.

Australia has for decades undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace, the ministry said.

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Bangladeshi firefighters were on Monday struggling to douse the devastating container depot fire that killed over 40 people and injured nearly 300 even as an initial probe found that the private facility in the port city of Chittagong stored hazardous chemicals close to the export-bound garment products.

A massive fire broke out at the chemical container depot, a Bangladesh-Dutch joint venture, near the country's main Chittagong Seaport on Saturday night.

The number of fatalities is likely to go up as some of the injured are in critical condition.

Our firefighters are still working to extinguish the fire and prevent the blaze, which visibly originated from chemical containers, from spreading further, fire brigade spokesman Anisur Rahman told journalists near the scene.

TV footage showed smoke billowing out of the BM Container Depot in Sitakunda, on the outskirts of the port city.

Official investigations were underway with the authorities constituting separate committees to probe the tragedy but the fire brigade said that its initial observations found that the depot had minimal safety equipment like hydrants.

Fire officials alleged that the management of the container facility did not inform rescuers about the presence of chemicals, which could have saved many lives, including those of firefighters.

"It (depot) actually had no fire safety plan," a fire official said, adding that containers with hazardous chemicals were kept with those full of export-bound garment products while it was an utmost necessity to maintain distance and take extra caution for chemical containers.

A journalist who is covering the salvage operations told PTI by phone that the entire depot site on 21 acres of land now looks like a war devastated area.

Some containers were still emitting smoke over 41 hours after the eruption of fire along with a series of subsequent explosions shattering the windows of buildings in the neighbourhood.

earlier called out military sappers to join the firefighters while an Army officer said that they detected four unexploded containers of dangerous chemicals like hydrogen peroxide, forcing rescuers to proceed with extreme caution.

The presence of chemicals made it difficult for us... it was too risky to work close by, the officer told the private Ekattur TV channel.

Police and media reports on Sunday suggested that the fire and explosions killed 49 people, including nine firefighters, but authorities were revising the figure, saying their latest tally found the toll to be 41.

The salvage campaign is underway and we are yet to enter deep down the spot... so we are yet to be certain about the casualty figures, an Army official at the scene told reporters.

He, however, said that they did not find any other body on Monday even as searches were underway. The firefighters were able to stop the intermittent explosions which were rocking the area until late Sunday.

Nearly 300 people were wounded in the fire with doctors saying many of them were critically injured as the fire burnt their breathing systems or vital body parts up to 70 per cent.

Chittagong Medical College Hospital accommodated most of the wounded people followed by a Combined Military Hospital in the port city.

Sixteen of the injured people were brought to Dhaka, with several of them in Army helicopters for better treatment.

Bangladesh's leading burn wound specialist Dr Samaqnta Lal, who is now in the port city, said: we have decided to send three more patients to Sheikh Hasina Burn Institute in Dhaka.

Chittagong district administration officials, meanwhile, said that 22 bodies were handed over to their relatives but several appeared unrecognisable.

It will take some time to perform the DNA testing to know their identity... ''We expect the process to be completed in the next one month, said an official of the police's CID branch.

The CID was entrusted with the task of collecting samples to be tested in their lab while relatives of the missing people started giving their DNA samples.

A forensic team led by Chittagong's Criminal Investigation Department Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jahangir Alam set up a booth in front of the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Monday to cross-match DNA samples of unidentified victims of the fire, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

Alam said that samples were being collected from parents, siblings, or any two of the children of the unidentified victims.

Long queues of relatives of the victims formed in front of the booth to identify their loved ones in the early morning.

Bangladesh's fire service and civil defence department suffered the worst disaster itself, losing their nine firefighters in the line of duty.

Nothing can be more painful than this... it was so difficult for me to carry them (firefighters) on my shoulders, those that I have seen like my own sons, worked with them," said an elderly fire official at the scene.

The BM Container Depot, which began its operation in 2012, is a joint venture of Bangladeshi and Dutch businessmen.

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Oil futures gained on Monday, with Brent rising above $120 a barrel after raised prices for its crude sales in July, signalling tight supply even after OPEC+ producers agreed to accelerate output increases over the next two months.

firmed 68 cents, or 0.6%, to $120.40 a barrel at 0640 GMT after touching an intraday high of $121.95, extending a 1.8% gain from Friday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 61 cents, or 0.5%, at $119.48 a barrel after earlier hitting a three-month high of $120.99. It gained 1.7% on Friday.

raised the July official selling price (OSP) for its flagship Arab light crude to Asia by $2.10 from June to $6.50 premium versus the average of the Oman and Dubai benchmarks, state oil producer Aramco said on Sunday.

The July OSP is the highest since May, when prices hit all-time highs due to worries of disruption in supplies from Russia because of sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.

The price increase came despite a decision last week by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, together called OPEC+, to increase output in July and August by 648,000 barrels per day, or 50% more than planned.

Iraq said on Friday it aimed to raise output to 4.58 million bpd in July.

Oil producers are "making hay while the sun shines", Avtar Sandu, manager of commodities at Phillip Futures in Singapore said, adding that U.S. summer driving demand and easing of COVID-19 lockdowns in China were expected to keep prices high.

The OPEC+ decision to bring forward output increases is widely seen as unlikely to meet demand as the increased allocation is spread across all members, including Russia, which is facing sanctions.

"While that increase is sorely needed, it falls short of demand growth expectations, especially with the EU's partial ban on Russian oil imports also factored in," Commonwealth Bank analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note.

On Monday, Citibank and Barclays raised their price forecasts for 2022 and 2023 on tighter Russian supplies and the delayed return of Iranian oil.

Citi analysts said reconfigured flows to Asia could mean Russian production and exports would not ultimately fall so much, but more in the range of 1 million to 1.5 million bpd.

"Of 1.9 million bpd of European seaborne exports of crude oil, around 900,000 bpd could divert to other such as China/India or could stay in some European with limited access to non-Russian oil."

Barclays expect Russian oil output to fall by 1.5 million bpd by end-2022.

Separately, Italy's Eni and Spain's Repsol could begin shipping Venezuelan oil to Europe as soon as next month to make up for Russian crude, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters, resuming oil-for-debt swaps halted two years ago when Washington stepped up sanctions on Venezuela.

However, the volume that the companies will receive is not expected to be large, the people said.

(Reporting by Florence Tan in Singapore and Sonali Paul in Melbourne; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Robert Birsel)

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UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak, one of the senior-most Cabinet ministers and seen as a contender for the top job, on Monday came out fighting in favour of his boss as it was announced that British Prime Minister will face a vote of confidence over the partygate scandal.

The Indian-origin finance minister has joined the bulk of the Cabinet to very publicly back Johnson in the vote of Conservative Party MPs later on Monday, which could trigger a leadership contest if as many as 180 Tory members of Parliament vote against the Prime Minister.

The frontrunner in the rebellion has emerged as former UK Foreign and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has called on the party to vote for change in the secret ballot but it is expected that Johnson may just survive Monday's vote.

From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs, Sunak said in a tweet, effectively ruling himself out of a leadership challenge, at least for the moment.

I am backing him today and will continue to back him as we focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living and clearing the Covid backlogs, he said.

Sunak's intervention came soon after UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, also seen as a contender for party leader and UK PM, took to Twitter to say that Johnson had her 100 per cent backing in today's vote and strongly urged colleagues to support him.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, another senior Indian-origin Cabinet member, has previously similarly called on rebels to back Johnson to focus on other pressing issues, including the cost-of-living crisis and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

But the momentum of discontent has been gradually building up in the background, which saw Johnson's anti-corruption tsar, Tory MP John Penrose, resigning over Johnson's response to the Sue Gray report of serious leadership failures over the COVID law-breaking parties at Downing Street.

"I'm sorry to have to resign as the PM's anti-corruption tsar but, after his reply last week about the ministerial code, it's pretty clear he has broken it, he tweeted on Monday.

"That's a resigning matter for me, and it should be for the PM too," he said.

The resignation piled further pressure from the rebels, which are seen to be led by Jeremy Hunt who contested the last leadership battle in 2019 and lost to Johnson.

The Conservative Party must now decide if it wishes to change its leader. Because of the situation in Ukraine this was not a debate I wanted to have now but under our rules we must do that, said Hunt.

Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer and more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to who do not share those values. Today's decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change, he said.

believed to be lining up for a leadership race include Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt and Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chair Tom Tugendhat. UK Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi is seen as a kind of compromise candidate should it come to a vote, but has not indicated his intention to contest openly.

While backbench anger has grown since Gray published her official report into lockdown parties within government offices last month, the Cabinet has rallied to the PM's side. Ahead of the vote, Johnson has written to his backbenchers to drum up their support and is also expected to address them privately ahead of the vote in the evening.

The no-confidence vote was announced by Sir Graham Brady, who chairs the powerful 1922 Committee of backbench MPs that organises the contest. He confirmed that was informed on Sunday that the required threshold to trigger the vote 15 per cent of the party or 54 MPs had been met.

If Johnson wins Monday's vote, under current Tory party rules he will be safe from a backbench challenge for at least 12 months. It had prompted speculation over the weekend that those keen to replace him as party leader would prefer a no-confidence vote to take place later this month, after two important by-elections on June 23.

However, even if he wins the vote this time, a large number of backbenchers voting against could set the clock ticking on his leadership as it did with his predecessor Theresa May.

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British PM faces a confidence vote after more than 15% of elected Conservative lawmakers withdrew their support for the British leader following the "partygate" scandal. The results of the vote are expected in the wee hours of Tuesday (in India). So what lies ahead?

What will happen during the confidence vote?

All 359 Conservative MPs can vote. So if Johnson gets 180 votes, it will secure the majority he needs to survive.

If Johnson wins, he remains in office and cannot be challenged again for 12 months (according to the Conservative Party's rules). If he loses, he must resign and is barred from standing in the leadership election that follows.

What happens if Johnson wins the confidence vote?

Even if Johnson is protected from a new vote of confidence, a significant mutiny could make his leadership untenable.

What would happen if Johnson loses?

If Johnson loses, there will be a leadership contest and his replacement would become prime minister. If several candidates come forward, a secret vote is held among Conservative MPs to whittle down the field.

Next in line?

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss have long been the front-runners in any potential leadership contest, though Sunaks chances have been hurt by revelations about his tax affairs.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid is another who might run while from outside the government, Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Jeremy Hunt, a former foreign secretary, could be contenders.

Still, the lack of any clear successor who could connect with voters ahead of the next election has been one factor holding back potential rebels.
Qatar, and on Sunday summoned India's Ambassadors and the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of a leader against Prophet Mohammed.

Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of the Indian Embassy in and said that the Ambassadors "conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements."



The spokesperson said that Indian Ambassador to Deepak Mittal had a meeting in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is currently visiting and on Sunday he met Qatar's Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani here.

Earlier, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, handed the note to the Ambassador of the Republic of India, the ministry said in a statement.

It welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party's leader and said Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Government of India.

"Strong action has already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks, the spokesperson of the Indian Embassy here said.

"In line with our civilisational heritage and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity, Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions, the official added.

Noting that vested interests that are against India-Qatar relations have been inciting the people using these derogatory comments, the embassy spokesperson said that the two sides should work together against such mischievous elements who aim to undercut the strength of their bilateral ties.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry said that the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Sibi George was on Sunday summoned and handed over an official protest note by the Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Affairs expressing Kuwait's "categorical rejection and condemnation" of the statements issued by an official of the ruling party against the Prophet.

The ministry welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India, in which it announced the suspension of the leader.

In Tehran, Indian Ambassador to Dhamu Gaddam was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Director General of South Asia on Sunday evening where a strong protest was registered by the Islamic Republic of over the controversial remarks by the ruling party leader on against the Prophet, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

The Indian ambassador expressed regret and called any insult to the Prophet of Islam unacceptable, it added.

The development comes ahead of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian's planned maiden visit to India since taking charge last year.

In New Delhi, the suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against the Prophet, as it sought to defuse a row over the issue.

Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the party also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.

The controversial remarks also sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.

Qatar Foreign Ministry in its statement said that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment, constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate.

The note indicated that more than two billion Muslims across the world follow the guidance of Prophet Mohammed, whose message came as a message of peace, understanding and tolerance, and a beacon of light that Muslims all over the world follow.

Qatar reaffirmed its full support for the values of tolerance, coexistence and respect for all religions and nationalities, where such values distinguish Qatar's global friendships and its relentless work to contribute to the establishment of peace and security, the statement added.

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At least 50 people including women and children were killed and injured after gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Nigeria's Ondo state during mass on Sunday, according to media reports.

Daily Sabah reported that the attack took place in Owo, a town in Ondo state, as many worshippers gathered at the church during the morning mass on Sunday.

According to the agency, the gunmen first detonated explosives near the church altar before firing at the worshippers and killing scores of them on the spot.

The official said it is difficult to put a number to the casualties, as security operatives rushed to the scene to rescue worshippers. He said injured victims were rushed to a government-run hospital in Owo town, Xinhua News Agency.

Ondu state governor Arakunrin Akeredolu confirmed the attack in the statement.

The governor said he is "deeply saddened by the attack and killing of innocent people of Owo, worshipping at the St. Francis Catholic Church, today."

Akeredolu urged the locals to "remain calm and vigilant" as security forces are deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to the town.

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack as a "dastardly act."

As of Sunday night, there had been no claim of responsibility and the motive for the massacre was unclear. Officials were still assessing the toll of the attack on Sunday, The New York Times reported.

Police said in a statement on Sunday evening said that the mass was taking place around 11:30 am, when the gunmen shot at worshipers from outside the church while other gunmen targeted people inside the building.

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has issued around 302,000 tonnes of export permits since the country restarted exports, senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan said on Sunday, while reassuring farmers and exporters that authorities would speed up the permit process.

Indonesia, the world's biggest producer, on April 28 halted exports of the oil, which it uses for cooking, in efforts to control soaring prices at home.

The government allowed exports to resume from May 23, but put in place policies to safeguard domestic supply, including the so-called Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) under which producers must first sell a portion of their products at home.

The policy changes had resulted in red tape and slow issuance of export permits, industry groups and traders said, which helped keep global prices high amid weak output from rival Malaysia. [POI/]

An Palm Oil Association official said on Friday a number of palm oil mills have stopped buying palm fruits from farmers due to a lack of exports, while farmers complained that the price of fruit was yet to recover to levels seen before the ban after falling by about 75%.

"Acceleration measures will be taken if we feel that prices of palm oil fruits at the farmer level are still too low," Luhut said, reiterating that the government is setting aside 1 million tonnes of export quota.

typically exports around 2.5 million tonnes of palm oil products per month.

Luhut said the government would require palm oil companies to sell an equivalent of 300,000 tonnes of cooking oil per month under the DMO during a transition period following the resumption of exports.

Indonesia's economic ministry official Musdhalifah Machmud at the same briefing said the government had made an adjustment regarding the export levy and a regulation spelling out the changes would be issued soon. She declined to give further details.

Indonesia currently imposes a maximum $375 per tonne levy for crude palm oil exports on top of a maximum $200 per tonne export tax. The levy ceiling was raised in March in efforts to encourage more onshore sales.

Meanwhile, Luhut also said that the government would conduct an audit on the palm sector to make sure that such problems would not recur in the future.

Since November, authorities have rolled out a bewildering array of measures including subsidies, export permit requirements and a palm oil levy as well as export bans to try to contain cooking oil prices with little success.

(Reporting by Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Catherine Evans and Kirsten Donovan)

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Prime Minister faced a confidence vote on Monday, after a growing number of lawmakers in the governing Conservative Party questioned the British leader's authority following a "partygate" scandal.

Johnson, who won a sweeping election victory in 2019, has been under growing pressure after he and staff held alcohol-fuelled parties at the heart of power when Britain was under strict lockdowns to tackle COVID-19.

Appearing at events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth in recent days, he was met with a chorus of jeers, boos and some muted cheers by the public.

On Monday, the once seemingly unassailable Johnson was also attacked by one-time ally Jesse Norman, a former junior minister who said the prime minister staying in power insulted both the electorate and the party.

"You have presided over a culture of casual law-breaking at 10 Downing Street in relation to COVID," he said, adding that the government had "a large majority, but no long-term plan".

Norman is one of more than 25 Conservative lawmakers who say Johnson, 57, has lost his authority to govern Britain, which is facing the risk of recession, rising prices and, on Monday, strike-inflicted travel chaos in the capital London.

"The threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded," Graham Brady, chairman of the party's 1922 Committee that represents rank-and-file Conservative lawmakers, wrote in a note.

Brady said a vote would be held between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. (1700-1900 GMT) on Monday.

"The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised," Brady said.

A spokesperson for Johnson's Downing Street office said the vote was "a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people's priorities".

"The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs (members of parliament) and will remind them that when they're united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force."

MOUNTING ANGER

A majority of Conservative lawmakers - or 180 - would have to vote against Johnson for him to be removed - a level some Conservatives say might be difficult to reach. If passed, there would then be a leadership contest to decide his replacement, which could take several weeks.

Several ministers in his cabinet team were swift to put out messages of support for the prime minister, with finance minister Rishi Sunak, like other possible successors, saying Johnson had shown "strong leadership".

"I am backing him today and will continue to back him as we focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living and clearing the COVID backlogs," he said on Twitter in what appeared to be a choreographed expression of support.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes put former health minister Jeremy Hunt as its favourite to replace Johnson if he was ousted, followed by foreign minister Liz Truss, who also tweeted her "100% backing" of the prime minister in Monday's vote.

Since the release of a damning report into the so-called "partygate" scandal, which listed fights and alcohol-induced vomiting at lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, Johnson and his government had urged lawmakers to move on.

But after parliament took a break last week sending many lawmakers back to their constituencies, or voting regions, several were met by a chorus of complaints over Johnson.

Steve Barclay, who was appointed Downing Street chief of staff after reports of the parties, urged lawmakers not to "waste the remaining half of the parliament on distractions over leadership".

"If we continually divert our direction as a Conservative Party - and by extension the government and the country - into a protracted leadership debate, we will be sending out the opposite message," he wrote on the Conservative Home website.

The biting criticism from Norman, who served as a junior minister in the finance ministry between 2019 and 2021, was perhaps the biggest sign that criticism of Johnson had spread beyond a vocal group of so-called rebels.

"People are crying out for good government ... neither the Conservative Party nor this country can afford to squander the next two years adrift and distracted by endless debate about you and your leadership," he wrote in a letter published on Twitter.

"For you to prolong this charade by remaining in office not only insults the electorate, and the tens of thousands of people who support, volunteer, represent and campaign for our party; it makes a decisive change of government at the next election much more likely. That is potentially catastrophic for this country."

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A Kuwaiti supermarket pulled Indian products from its shelves as a row grew over a BJP leader's remarks about the Prophet Mohammed, news agency AFP reported.

Workers at the Al-Ardiya Co-Operative Society store piled Indian tea and other products into trolleys in a protest against comments denounced as Islamophobic.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other countries in the region, as well as the influential Al-Azhar University in Cairo, have condemned the remarks by a spokeswoman for the BJP, who has since been suspended.

At the supermarket just outside City, sacks of rice and shelves of spices and chilies were covered with plastic sheets. Printed signs in Arabic read: "We have removed Indian products". "We, as a Kuwaiti Muslim people, do not accept insulting the Prophet," Nasser Al-Mutairi, CEO of the store, told AFP.
NATO kicked off nearly a two-week US-led naval exercise on the Baltic Sea on Sunday with more than 7,000 sailors, airmen and marines from 16 nations, including two aspiring to join the military alliance, and .

The annual BALTOPS naval exercise, initiated in 1972, is not held in response to any specific threat. But the military alliance said that with both and participating, NATO is seizing the chance in an unpredictable world to enhance its joint force resilience and strength together with two Nordic aspirant nations.

and both have a long history of military non-alignment before their governments decided to apply to join NATO in May, a direct result of Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Over the past years, Moscow has repeatedly warned Helsinki and Stockholm against joining the Western military alliance and warned of retaliatory measures if they did.

Ahead of the naval drill, which involved 45 vessels and 75 aircraft, the top US military official said in Sweden the host of the BALTOPS 22 exercise that it was particularly important for NATO to show support to the governments in Helsinki and Stockholm.

It is important for us, the United States, and the other NATO countries to show solidarity with both Finland and Sweden in this exercise, US Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Saturday during a news conference aboard the large amphibious warship USS Kearsarge, which was moored in central Stockholm.

Milley, speaking with the Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, stressed that the Baltic Sea is a strategically important body of water one of the great seaways of the world.

He said from Moscow's perspective, Finland and Sweden joining NATO will be very problematic and leave Russia in a difficult military position as the Baltic Sea's coastline would be almost completely encircled by NATO members, except for Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad and the Russian city of St. Petersburg and its surrounding areas.

Turkey, a NATO member that has had good relations with Russia, has objected to Finland and Sweden joining the military alliance, citing their alleged support for a Kurdish group that Turkey labels as terrorist. NATO's chief has been trying to resolve the dispute.

The United States has never before moved such a large warship as the 843-foot USS Kearsarge in the Swedish capital, where it sailed through narrow passages in the Stockholm archipelago, Milley said.

As NATO's close partners, Finland and Sweden have participated in the naval drill since the mid-1990s.

BALTOPS 22 is scheduled to end in the German port of Kiel on June 17.
rose more than $2 in early trade on Monday after raised prices sharply for its crude sales in July, an indicator of how tight supply is even after OPEC+ agreed to accelerate its output increases over the next two months.

Brent crude futures were up $1.80, or 1.5%, at $121.52 a barrel at 2319 GMT after touching an intraday high of $121.95, extending a 1.8% gain from Friday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up $1.63, or 1.4%, at $120.50 a barrel after hitting a three-month high of $120.99. The contract gained 1.7% on Friday.

raised the official selling price (OSP) for its flagship Arab light crude to Asia to a $6.50 premium versus the average of the Oman and Dubai benchmarks, up from a premium of $4.40 in June, state oil produce Aramco said on Sunday.

The move came despite a decision last week by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, together called OPEC+, to increase output in July and August by 648,000 barrels per day, or 50% more than previously planned.

"Mere days after opening the spigots a bit wider, wasted little time hiking its official selling price for Asia, its primary market...seeing knock-on effects at the futures open across the oil market spectrum," SPI Asset Management managing partner Stephen Innes said in a note.

Saudi Arabia also increased the Arab Light OSP to northwest Europe to $4.30 above ICE Brent for July, up from a premium of $2.10 in June. However, it held the premium steady for barrels going to the United States at $5.65 above the Argus Sour Crude Index (ASCI).

The OPEC+ move to bring forward output hikes is widely seen as unlikely to meet demand as several member countries, including Russia, are unable to boost output, while demand is soaring in the United States amid peak driving season and China is easing COVID lockdowns.

"While that increase is sorely needed, it falls short of demand growth expectations, especially with the EU's partial ban on Russian oil imports also factored in," Commonwealth Bank analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne; Editing by Sam Holmes)

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Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has claimed that a troika of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and her friend Farah Gogi made "billions" under the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government.

"It started in 2019, when gave a relief worth Pakistani rupees 320 million to Ahsan Jamil Gujjar - Farah's husband - under an amnesty scheme," PML-N leader Atta Ullah Tarar said during a press conference.

The Express Tribune quoting Tarar reported that the former Prime Minister gave the relief due to his personal relations and friendship between Bushra and Farah.

Regarding this, he also played an audio tape -- purportedly a conversation between a business tycoon and his daughter, revealing how Farah 'demanded a gift' for the ex-first lady.

During the conversation, the woman said to her father that Farah Gogi allegedly demanded a precious diamond as a gift for the ex-first lady in return for "removing locks" on a project site and withdrawing a report against her father, The Express Tribune reported.

It was revealed during that discussion that Farah Gogi earlier had rejected a three-carat diamond sent by the daughter of a business tycoon as unworthy and unsuitable for the first lady, who she allegedly said routinely wore such things, and asked for a five-carat diamond.

The lady could be heard telling her father how Farah taunted her for sending "only a five-carat diamond ring". She also promised that the former premier would overturn measures against the projects of the business tycoon if a "more valuable gift was offered."

While property tycoon Malik Riaz on Sunday termed an audio clip attributed to him on social media as "fake". He also threatened to take legal action against those behind the 'conspiracy".

"With latest technologies as Deep Fake, fabricating an audio conversation shouldn't be a surprise," Riaz said in his statement cited by The Express Tribune.

He said that the audio tape associated to him on social media is a product of Deep Fake. "I don't wish to [be] involve[d] in political campaigns of any party, but the most appalling fact is that my voice and reference is being misused to settle personal and political scores," he added.

He said that Farah Gogi left Pakistan as soon as she realised that she was about to get into trouble and helped her in fleeing the country.

Uzma Bukhari, another PML-N leader, said that her party knew about the misconduct of the PTI government, adding that now 'proofs' are being surfaced for everyone to see.

"The audio reveals just one case [of bribery] but it is not the entire story... it is only a trailer of a film," she added.

Uzma said that had kept two "front women" to hide his . "There is a saying that there is a woman behind the success of every man but in Imran Khan's case there were two women," she added.

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A top Ukrainian official said that Russian troops have destroyed 43 religious building in Donetsk, most of which belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, since the war began on February 24.

In a social media statement on Sunday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, said: "Yesterday the All-Holy Skete (hermitage) of the Sviatohirsk Lavra (monastery) burned down as a result of the shelling of Sviatohirsk, but this is not the first religious building that the Russians have destroyed," Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

He went on to say that in Sviatohirsk itself, which contains three heritage monuments, the "Russians have damaged the historical and architectural museum and destroyed the church, two hermitages and two cell buildings in the Sviatohirsk Lavra, killing four monks".

"In total, the Russians have already destroyed or damaged at least 43 religious buildings in the region, the majority of which belonged to the Moscow Patriarchate," Kyrylenko added.

On Saturday, a huge fire engulfed the All-Holy Skete of the Sviatohirsk Lavra of the Holy Dormition in Donetsk.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate stated that this happened "as a result of military operations", reports Ukrayinska Pravda.

Since launched its ongoing invasion, cultural centres such as the Mariupol Museum and the Makarivska Public Library in Kiev that contain unique art and literature have been destroyed.

Historic buildings and monuments dedicating Ukraine's fight against Nazism in World War II, including the Drobitsky Yar Holocaust Memorial, have also been damaged.

There are seven Unesco World Heritage sites in Ukraine, including St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Lviv's entire historic city district and the Struve Geodetic Arc.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the UN and UNESCO to expel as a terrorist state for destroying historical monuments and social infrastructure in .

--IANS

ksk/

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Russian aluminium producer Rusal has filed a lawsuit against global miner , seeking to win back access to its 20% share of the alumina produced at a jointly owned refiner in Queensland.

The lawsuit challenges Australia's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which included wide-ranging sanctions against Russian firms and oligarchs who had links with President Vladimir Putin.



Rio stepped in to take sole control of Queensland Alumina Ltd (QAL) in April, sidelining Rusal and cutting its access to the refinery's output of alumina, a compound from which aluminium is derived. Rio owns 80% of the refinery, while Rusal owns the remaining 20%.



Rusal's Australian unit Alumina and Bauxite Company (ABC) said in a Australian Federal Court filing that the circumstances required for Rio to step-in to take control did not exist and amounted to a breach of obligations, according to the court documents reviewed by Reuters.



Rio's move at QAL came shortly after the world's biggest iron ore miner severed all ties with Russian businesses over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. calls its actions in Ukraine "a special operation".



Australia banned the export of alumina and aluminium ores, including bauxite, to in March.



In the filings reviewed by Reuters, Rusal's subsidiary asks the federal court to restore its rights at QAL, and declare there would be no sanctions breach if its business continues there.



Rio declined to comment. Rusal, the world's second largest aluminium producer, could not be immediately reached for comment outside usual business hours.



Rusal was not directly targeted by Australian sanctions, but Rio's actions were triggered by sanctions on oligarchs Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg, who own stakes worth 25.6% and 8% respectively in Rusal.



In 2018 Rusal was covered by U.S. sanctions against Russian businessmen and .

(Reporting by Praveen Menon and Renju Jose; Editing by Diane Craft and Kenneth Maxwell)

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's scheduled trip to Serbia this week has been cancelled due to a flight ban imposed by three of Belgrade's neighbouring nations in the wake of Moscow's continued invasion of Kiev, the media reported on Monday.

The trip was to take place on Monday and Tuesday.

The flight ban has been imposed by Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro, the BBC reported.

In a statement to the media late Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that the three countries have closed their airspace to Lavrov's aircraft, reports TASS News Agency.

"The countries bordering Serbia have closed the only air route to the aircraft of who was to depart for Serbia. The Russian delegation was scheduled to hold talks in Belgrade, while the EU and NATO member-countries have closed their airspace," she was quoted as saying.

Despite the raging war, Serbia has not imposed any sanctions on yet.

Serbia also heavily relies on Russian gas, the BBC report said.

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Sri Lanka's Cabinet is set to discuss on Monday the 21st Amendment to the Constitution to empower Parliament over the executive president.

The 21st Amendment is expected to annul the 20A to the Constitution which gives unfettered powers to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th Amendment.

The draft of the proposed amendment will be presented at Monday's Cabinet meeting, constitutional affairs minister Wijedasa Rajapaksha told reporters.

It will be discussed today (on Monday) and if approved could be sent to the legal draftsman within 2-3 days for finalisation," he said.

He said most of the changes suggested by political parties in the draft during a meeting held on Friday have been included.

The government announced on Friday that most of the concerns raised by parties had been addressed and agreed upon.

However, the main Opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), expressed disagreement, saying the government needed to wait until the Supreme Court's determination on their draft document on the amendment.

The SJB has accused the government of watering down the amendment to allow president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to continue enjoying full powers.

The SJB is pressing for the abolition of the presidential system.

The powerful Rajapaksa family tightened their grip on power after their massive victory in the general elections in August 2020, which allowed them to amend the Constitution to restore presidential powers and install close family members in key positions.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last week batted for the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, saying it will curb the president's unlimited powers while enhancing the role of Parliament in governing the debt-ridden country which is also facing an unprecedented political turmoil.

His proposal to introduce the 21st Amendment met with stiff resistance from some members of the ruling Podujana Peramuna party.

They charged that Wickremesinghe was looking to garner more power for himself while weakening President Rajapaksa who appointed him.

Wickremesinghe was the main sponsor of the 19th Amendment in 2015 which empowered Parliament over the executive president.

The constitutional reform was a major plank of the agreement between Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe when he took over the job of prime minister on May 12.

has been grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.

Sri Lanka's has created political unrest with protesters demanding the President's resignation.

Under the 21A, the President will be held accountable to the Parliament.

The Cabinet of Ministers is also accountable to Parliament. The National Council is also accountable to Parliament. Fifteen Committees and Oversight Committees are accountable to Parliament.

in mid-April declared that it was unable to meet its foreign debt payments and the Monetary Fund (IMF) classified Sri Lanka's debt as unsustainable. Therefore debt restructuring was key for an IMF programme.

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Boardroom tensions at Japans erupted into a public row on Monday as two of its external directors traded criticism over governance and the nomination of hedge fund executives to the conglomerate's board.

The rift is the latest in a long-running crisis that has seen management and shareholders locked in a dispute over the future of the company, once one of Inc's prized assets. It could undermine investor confidence in the board, just ahead of an annual general meeting.

External director Mariko Watahiki on Monday took aim at her colleague Raymond Zage saying he raised concerns about governance at when he broke with the board's stance in March and came out in favour of a shareholder proposal that the company solicit buyout offers from private equity.

Watahiki's comments were initially made in an annual business report released on Monday, and echoed by another external director, Katsunori Hashimoto.

Zage's move "damaged shareholder confidence in the board and caused concerns about corporate governance", they were quoted as saying in the report.

Zage defended his actions in a statement to Reuters, saying the criticisms were misleading and that his actions had received a positive shareholder response.

Separate company documents also confirmed that Watahiki, a former high court judge, had objected to two director nominations supported by the board. That came after Reuters on Friday reported she had objected and that the company, in a rare move, would make her objections public.

Zage said in the statement to Reuters: (It is) inaccurate, incomplete and misleading representing a failure on the part of the authors to consider the substantial positive shareholder feedback as well as the content of substantial discussions at the board on this matter both before and after the public statement.

declined to comment on the matter.

Zage also chairs the nomination panel, which proposed the two board candidates  from US activist hedge funds Elliott Management and Farallon Capital Management  formally opposed by Watahiki.

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The British government said Monday that the multiple-launch rocket systems it is offering to will bring a significant boost in capability for the country's efforts to resist Russia's invasion.

If the community continues its support, I believe can win its war against Russia, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement.

The statement came after comments Sunday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned the West against sending longer-range rocket systems to .

The British government described the M270 weapon system as a cutting edge military asset which can strike targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away with pinpoint accuracy. The United Kingdom pledged last week to send the weapons. It gave no details about delivery dates.

The U.S. last week announced plans to deliver USD 700 million of security assistance for Ukraine, including four precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, as well as helicopters, Javelin anti-tank systems, radars, tactical vehicles and more.

Washington and London hope the deliveries will help Ukraine turn the tide of the war in its eastern Donbas region which Russia appears minded to capture entirely.

They are unlikely to have an immediate impact, however. The Pentagon said last week that it will take at least three weeks to get the U.S. weapons onto the battlefield. Russia-backed separatists have fought the Ukrainian government since 2014 in the Donbas.

The U.S. has stopped short of offering Ukraine longer-range weapons that could fire deep into Russia and could inflame tensions with Moscow.

Russia's own use of missiles in Ukraine, meanwhile, continued to pummel targets, with the Russian military claiming Monday it had struck a Ukrainian factory that was repairing armor.

Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while the Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims couldn't be independently verified.

Putin vowed to strike deeper into the heart of Ukraine if the West sends Kyiv longer-range missile systems. In a show of force, Russian missiles struck Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, on Sunday.

Ukraine's General Staff said Russian forces fired five X-22 cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea toward Kyiv, and one was destroyed by air defenses. Four other missiles hit infrastructure facilities, but Ukraine said there were no casualties.

Before Sunday's early morning attack, Kyiv hadn't faced any such Russian airstrikes since the April 28 visit of U.N. Secretary-General Antnio Guterres.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday visited command posts and the frontline positions of Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which make up the Donbas.

Ukraine's struggle on the 103rd day of war was heartfelt for veterans of D-Day who gathered in northern France on Monday.

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach in Normandy morning to mark the 78th anniversary of June 6, 1944 landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day.

Asked about his feelings regarding the war being waged on the European continent, Shay told The Associated Press it is a very sad situation.

In 1944 I landed on these beaches and we thought we'd bring peace to the world. But it's not possible, he added with regret.

A Ukrainian regional governor said Monday that the situation in a key eastern town has worsened for defending troops.

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Monday that fierce fighting was continuing in the city of Sievierodonetsk, which is at the epicenter of the Russian offensive.

He described the combat situation as quite dynamic, adding that the Ukrainian forces had lost some of the gains they made over the weekend but are holding their positions in the city's industrial zone.

The Russians have continued intensive bombardment of Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk, Haidai said.

Russian forces have been focusing in the capture of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.

West of those cities, in the towns of Sloviansk and Bakhmut, cars and military vehicles have been speeding into town from the direction of the front line. Dozens of military doctors and paramedic ambulances worked Sunday to evacuate civilians and Ukrainian servicemen, many of whom had been hurt by artillery shelling.

Western military intelligence reports say Ukrainian counterattacks in Sieverodonetsk are probably halting the operational momentum Russian forces previously gained by concentrating their combat units and firepower in the area.

On Monday, Serbia confirmed that a planned visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the Balkan country won't take place after reports that Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro refused to allow his plane to fly over its airspace to reach Serbia.

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British Prime Minister survived a confidence vote on Monday but a rebellion by 148 of his 359 Conservative Party lawmakers dealt a serious blow to his authority.



A majority of the Conservatives' lawmakers - at least 180 - would have had to vote against Johnson for him to be removed. The result means Johnson secured the backing of 59% of his lawmakers, lower than the support given to his predecessor Theresa May in a confidence vote she faced in 2018.

Having scored a sweeping election victory in 2019, the prime minister has been under mounting pressure after he and staff held alcohol-fuelled parties in his Downing Street office and residence when Britain was under strict Covid-19 lockdowns. Such is the anger that the party triggered a challenge, forcing an anonymous vote of confidence in a leader who had once seemed unassailable.

The move led to lawmakers from different wings of the party revealing that they had turned against their leader. One former ally accused the prime minister of insulting both the electorate and the party by staying in power.



"You have presided over a culture of casual law-breaking at 10 Downing Street in relation to Covid," Jesse Norman, a former junior minister, said before the vote.



Johnson's anti-corruption chief John Penrose also quit.



Dozens of Conservative lawmakers have voiced concern that Johnson, 57, could be losing his authority to govern Britain, which is facing the risk of recession, rising fuel and food prices and strike-inflicted travel chaos in the capital London.



But his cabinet of leading ministers rallied around him and highlighted what they said were the successes of the government: a quick rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations and Britain's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



In the hours before the ballot, Johnson told his party's lawmakers he would shore up the economy and return to traditional Conservative policies such as cutting taxes.

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British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the will send its first long-range missiles to despite a threat by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the West against the delivery of these weapons to Kiev.

In a statement late Sunday, Wallace said: "As Russia's tactics change, so must our support to . These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putin's forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities."

He said that the is supplying "vital weapons they (Ukrainians) need to defend their country from unprovoked invasion", the BBC reported.

The UK's multiple launch rocket system can fire 12 surface-to-surface missiles within a minute and can strike targets within 80 km with pinpoint accuracy.

It is similar to the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) which the US is sending to "following receipt of guarantees they would be used for defensive purposes only and not to strike targets inside Russia", the BBC report said.

Wallace's announcement came hours after Putin threatened to expand the list of targets Russia will attack in Ukraine if Western countries send long-range weapons to Kiev.

In an interview to Russia 1 on Sunday, the President said: "In general, all this fuss about additional arms supplies, in my opinion, has only one goal - to drag out the armed conflict as long as possible.

"If they are supplied, we will draw appropriate conclusions from this and use our weapons, of which we have enough, to strike at those targets that we are not striking yet."

Putin also noted that the shipment of US-made multiple-launch rocket systems is unlikely to bring anything new to Kiev's forces.

The Ukrainian military already has Soviet- and Russian-designed Grad, Smerch, and Uragan systems of the same kind, he added.

The Russian President's warning came as explosions shook parts of Kiev on Sunday in the first assault on the capital city for weeks, while fierce fighting for control of key towns and cities in the eastern Donbas region continues, reports the BBC.

Russia refocused its military efforts on the Donbas at the end of March after pulling back from the Kiev region.

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U.S. President will issue a proclamation on Monday that will allow solar panels to be imported to the from Thailand, Malaysia, and without risk of tariffs for a 24-month period, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.



The action comes amid concern about the impact of the U.S. Commerce Department's months-long investigation into whether imports of solar panels from the four Southeast Asian nations are circumventing tariffs on goods made in China.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Kim Coghill)

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Adani Transmission (ATL) rose 2.06% to Rs 1993.25 after the company said that it has signed definitive agreements with Essar Power for acquiring 673 ckt kms operational inter-state transmission project owned and operated by Essar Power Transmission.

The enterprise value for the transaction is Rs 1,913 crore. The target asset is an operational 400 kV inter-state transmission line linking Mahan in Madhya Pradesh to Sipat pooling substation in Chhattisgarh with line length of 673 circuit kilometre (ckt kms). The project operates under the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) regulated return framework and was commissioned on 22 September 2018.

The proposed transaction will be executed through transaction steps which shall be subject to necessary regulatory approvals and other consents, the company stated.

Anil Sardana, MD & CEO of Adani Transmission said: "The acquisition of Essar's transmission asset will consolidate ATL's presence in central India. With this acquisition, ATL is well on path to achieve its 20,000 ckt kms target before time. We continue to remain at the forefront of grid stability and provide sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy solutions while creating long term sustainable value for our stakeholders."

ATL said that the acquisition is in line with its value added growth strategy through organic as well as inorganic growth opportunities. With this acquisition, the cumulative network of ATL will reach 19,468 ckt kms, out of which 14,952 ckt kms is operational and 4,516 ckt kms is under various stages of execution. Further, with this scale of operations, ATL will derive synergies in terms of operation and maintenance (O&M) cost optimization and shared resources. It will also fortify its position of being the largest private sector transmission and distribution company in the country, the company said.

ATL is the transmission and distribution business arm of the Adani Group. It has a cumulative transmission network of approximately 18,795 ckm, out of which approximately 14,279 ckm is operational and approximately 4,436 ckm is at various stages of construction.

The company reported 7.6% fall in consolidated net profit to Rs 237 crore on a 13.5% increase in net sales to Rs 2,582 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

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Cyient said that it had signed definitive agreements to acquire Celfinet, an international wireless engineering services company, for 41 million euro.

Portugal-based Celfinet is focused on providing end-to-end network planning and performance optimization services.

The reach and performance of ongoing 5G deployment and early steps towards 6G are developing to a point where they provide flawless infrastructure for pervasive and unified connectivity. With this acquisition, Cyient strengthens its Wireless engineering practice to support communication service providers (CSPs) and enterprises in deploying their pervasive connectivity networks at scale.

The addition will further strengthen Cyient's presence in Europe, where Celfinet has a strong footprint, and help scale Cyient's business across North America and Australia.

Krishna Bodanapu, managing director and CEO, Cyient, said, "Cyient is helping CSPs engineer the networks of tomorrow by delivering solutions across intelligent infrastructure, smart operations, and enterprise network transformation.

Celfinet's deep expertise and long-standing customer relationships will further add to our capabilities as we strengthen our technology play in wireless networks for 5G rollouts. In addition, Portugal has a highly skilled engineering workforce, making it a strategic innovation hub for expanding our global delivery footprint."

Cyient is a consulting-led, industry-centric, global technology solutions company. It currently operates through eight strategic business units: aerospace & defence; transportation; industrial, energy and natural resources; semiconductor, internet of things and analytics; medical and healthcare; utilities & geospatial; communications and design led manufacturing (Cyient DLM).

The company's consolidated net profit rose 17% to Rs 154.20 crore while revenue declined 0.19% to Rs 1,181.20 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q3 FY22.

The scrip advanced 0.13% to currently trade at Rs 798.05 on the BSE.

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Ducon Infratechnologies rose 2.69% to Rs 22.90 after the company announced that it has set up a new business division, "Hydrofule", to focus on reducing the production cost of Green Hydrogen.

Ducon Infratechnologies has set up a new business division, Hydrofule, in its wholly owned USA based subsidiary to carry out research & development work on building a large scale economical Green Hydrogen Electrolyzer that will work with solar energy to achieve a conversion efficiency of at least 70%.

The zero-carbon fuel, Green Hydrogen, is made using renewable power from wind or solar sources to split water into hydrogen and oxygen through an electrolyzer. Currently, regular electricity to hydrogen electrolyzers provide over 70% efficiency but they do not generate Green Hydrogen because they use electricity from fossil fuels. On the other hand, existing efficiencies of Solar to Hydrogen Electrolyzers, which produce green hydrogen are about 20% due to which Green Hydrogen business has not been commercially viable, the company said in a statement.

Hydrofule's research will focus on reducing the production cost of Green Hydrogen by improving the Photovoltaic-Electrolysis system efficiency through minimizing the water splitting voltage and deploying high efficiency electrocatalysts in the electrolyzer. Hydrofule plans to develop a prototype with hybridization of semiconductor oxide photoelectrodes, with noble metals and their nanocomposites that can provide enhanced electron mobility and photostability for better electrochemical performance and a solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency greater than 70%.

Arun Govil, chairman of Ducon said: this new business will be housed in our wholly owned USA subsidiary of the Company and will file for patents as and when possible. As the Indian government has laid out ambitious plans for India to become a leader in Green Hydrogen production, we will be making significant investment in research& development during the coming yearsto leveragethis transformational Clean Technologies opportunity by developing the most cost-effective solar hydrogen electrolyzer. The global capacity for water electrolysis technologies is expected to reach approximately 104.6 GW by 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 62.6 percent and the global Green Hydrogen market which was $0.3 billion in 2020, is expected to reach $9.8 billion by 2028. Green hydrogen will be an essential part of our future as it will be a crucial enabler of global transition to sustainable energy and net zero emissions provided it can be produced more economically than the current cost," added Govil.

On a consolidated basis, net profit of Ducon Infratechnologies surged 383.1% to Rs 1.67 crore on 3.9% decline in net sales to Rs 96.18 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

Ducon Infratechnologies is a fossil fuel/clean coal technology company. It provides complete Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) systems with turnkey responsibility, all across India and in neighboring regions for coal, heavy fuel oil (HFO) and pet coke fired power boilers.

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The case for complacency over Covid-19 is clearly narrowing with India recording over 25,000 cases in the week ended Sunday, the highest weekly jump in three months. Though the bulk of the cases are concentrated in Kerala and Maharashtra and the death rate is low, the trajectory of the disease over the past two years suggests that the Centre and the state governments would do well to take preventive action earlier rather than later. The experience of China and Hong Kong points to the dangers of reacting late to the continuing threat of the virus, no matter how relatively non-lethal it has become. Instead of Beijings extreme zero-Covid strategy, the more sensible approach would be to treat the disease as endemic and mutative and respond accordingly. The good news is that India now has before it a template, admittedly put in place by much trial and error, to contain the spread of the disease. The easiest and lowest-cost solution, of course, lies in declaring and enforcing mask mandates in public places. Maharashtra has done so already but, as always, serious enforcement remains the issue. The need for constant public education and advocacy for mask wearing remains a vital but neglected element of the Covid-19 intervention programme.
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People of Gujarat want a political change and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the only "medicine" to "cure" the BJP, convener said here on Monday as he raised the pitch for the trying to pose a challenge to the ruling party in the elections due later this year.

Addressing AAP's "Tiranga Yatra" cum roadshow in Mehsana city atop an open vehicle, Kejriwal said the BJP is scared only of his party because it is "honest and patriotic".

He alleged that BJP resorted to hooliganism when people speak against the ruling party.

Kejriwal said thousands of people have told leaders during the "parivartan yatra" -- a three-week statewide mass outreach campaign that covered all the 182 Assembly constituencies-- that they wanted a change in Gujarat.

"Gujarat is looking for a change. Gujarat is fed up with the BJP and its sister Congress. Wherever we went (during the 'parivartan yatra'), everyone knew about the good works done by the AAP government in Delhi," said Kejriwal, flanked by AAP leaders from Gujarat and Mahesh Vasava of ally Bharatiya Tribal Party.

He demanded that the BJP government in Gujarat pay Rs 1 crore to the kin of martyred soldiers hailing from the state along the lines of the AAP government in Delhi.

"During the 'Parivartan Yatra', people told AAP leaders that BJP resorted to hooliganism for speaking against the party. There is no need to be scared. Gujarat is going to bring a change. There is only one medicine to cure the BJP--and that is AAP. The BJP is scared only of AAP and none else," he said.

Kejriwal alleged that Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil is "the real chief minister" who is running the government while Bhupendra Patel is the CM only in name.

In his recent address, Paatil had termed Kejriwal a "maha thug" (cheat) without taking his name.

Referring to it, Kejriwal dared Paatil to address him by his name.

"Why are you shy and scared of taking my name?" he asked Paatil.

"Is Kejriwal a 'maha thug' because he constructed schools and hospitals, and provided free and 24-hour electricity? Isn't CR Paatil a 'maha thug?" he questioned, adding that the BJP is scared of AAP because the latter is a patriotic and honest party.

Kejriwal claimed that people across Gujarat are joining AAP in large numbers as the party's organisation is getting stronger at village, city and booth levels.

Referring to a protest organised on Monday by ex-servicemen at state capital Gandhinagar for a slew of demands, Kejriwal demanded that the Gujarat government fulfil their demands and also ensure that kin of martyred soldiers are paid Rs 1 crore as being done by the Delhi government.

"On the behalf of ex-servicemen, I appeal to the Gujarat government to accept their demands," he added.

This was Kejriwal's fourth visit to Gujarat, where elections are due in December this year, in the last three months.

The AAP is trying to project itself as an alternative to the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the saffron bastion, for the December polls.

(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 alleged on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's patronage to "hate politics" has brought disgrace to the country and that raids were conducted by the ED against Delhi minister Satyendar Jain only to divert people's attention from it.

It also slammed the BJP-led Centre over targeted killings by terrorists in Kashmir and alleged that the valley has been witnessing scenes similar to those of the 1990s because of the Modi government.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) targeted the prime minister after the (OIC) slammed India for comments by two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries against Prophet Mohammad and urged the United Nations (UN) to take necessary measures to ensure that the rights of Muslims in India are protected.

While Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Kuwait expressed their condemnation of the controversial remarks against the Prophet and called for "respect for beliefs and religions", Pakistan summoned the Indian charg d'affaires to convey its categorical rejection and condemnation of the controversial remarks by the BJP leaders.

"Due to the of hate of the BJP and Narendra Modi, Indian envoys and ambassadors are being summoned, insulted and asked to apologise across the world. The BJP and its people make mistakes and India has to apologise. They get their training from Modi," Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Sanjay Singh told a press conference here.

BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal had recently made certain controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad.

Sharma's comments, made during a television debate around 10 days ago, and Jindal's now-deleted tweets sparked a Twitter trend, calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries, while Qatar and Kuwait summoned the Indian ambassadors and handed over protest notes to them on what the Gulf countries called a categorical "rejection and condemnation" of the controversial remarks of the BJP leaders against the Prophet.

The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal on Sunday as the row over their remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated with protests from some Muslim countries.

Singh termed the summoning of the Indian envoys abroad an "insult" to the 130 crore people of the country.

"India's head is hanging in shame today because of and his BJP's hate politics," he said, adding, "In the last 75 years of independence, none of the prime ministers brought so much shame to India as Modi has."



The leader also hit out at the Centre over the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raids against Jain on Monday and alleged that the Delhi health minister and his family members are being "harassed and tortured", even though he is "an honest man" and has made "huge contributions" in providing better healthcare services to the people of the capital.

"Satyendar Jain was interrogated for five days but nothing was found against him. In the high court, they (ED) said there was no FIR or complaint against him. Then they raided his residence on Monday to insult his wife and family members," Singh said.

He accused Modi of deploying the ED to conduct raids against Jain to divert people's attention from the insult that the country had to suffer due to the BJP's "hate politics".

"The entire Jain community is sad and angry over the harassment and torture that Satyendar Jain and his family members have been put through," Singh said.

He asked the prime minister to work on the education and health sectors, and take the country on the path of progress, instead of indulging in the of "grudge and malice".

"Put all of us into jail if you have so much malice," the AAP leader said.

The ED conducted raids against Jain on Monday as part of a money-laundering probe linked to a case of "hawala" dealings against him.

The raids, including that at Jain's residential premises in Delhi and other locations, are being conducted as a "follow-up" exercise in the case, officials said.

Jain (57) was arrested by the ED on May 30 under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He will be in the agency's custody till June 9.

Replying to questions on targeted killings by terrorists in Kashmir, Singh alleged that the valley has been witnessing scenes similar to those of the 1990s because of the Modi government.

"Kashmir is witnessing another exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. They (Centre) had talked about the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits but the valley today is witnessing scenes similar to those seen in the 1990s," the AAP leader 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.)
American technology giant is set to kick off its annual worldwide developers conference (WWDC) on Monday at 10:30 pm (IST). Officially called the WWDC22, the event will start with a keynote event. Historically, the company announces new upgrades related to its software and services at the WWDC keynote session. However, in the last couple of years, the company has unveiled products while making announcements related to iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, MacOS, and other software. That said, is expected to announce developments related to its software and operating system for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, Apple TV, and more.

Like last year, the Apple WWDC22 keynote event is an online-only event.

However, this year, a select number of developers have been invited to the Apple Park campus in the US for a viewing event. To watch the event, Apple recommends that developers download the Apple Developer app, available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Besides event livestream, the app get the daily updates and notifications around the WWDC22.

ALSO READ: Apple WWDC 2022 to kick off with keynote event on June 6: Details here

Apple WWDC22: Watch keynote event livestream

The Apple WWDC22 will kick off with a keynote event on June 6, which will start at 10:30 pm (IST). The keynote address will stream directly from Apple Park via apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube, and will also be available for on-demand playback after the conclusion of the stream. To watch the keynote event live, download the Apple Developer app, available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Alternatively, you can watch the event livestream through the video embedded below:
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI/SRV): Symbiosis Law School, Nagpur, one of the most prestigious law schools in the country, is a proud wing of the globally renowned Symbiosis group of institutes. Symbiosis Law School Nagpur, popularly known as SLS Nagpur, is one of the finest centres for imparting legal education in central India.

The pioneering institution is yet again calling out all the aspiring candidates to apply for BA LLB/ BBA LLB admission 2022. The admissions are conducted online through the official website of the institute. The SLAT and SLS Nagpur online registration start on January 25, 2022. The last date of SLAT registration payment is June 15, 2022, and the SLS Nagpur registration ends on July 7, 2022.

The SLAT exam is conducted for admission into the five-year integrated SLS law programs. The examination will take place on July 3, 2022, from 9 am to 10 am. It is an online admission test. The structure of SLAT consists of 60 questions, each question holds 1 mark which covers logical reasoning, legal reasoning, analytical reasoning, reading comprehension and general knowledge. The total duration of the test is 60 minutes.

The program offers two integrated UG programmes in law viz. BA LLB and BBA LLB. Admission to both programmes is based on the SLAT scores. Candidates, who have completed or are appearing for XII grade final examination (ISC/CBSE/STATE), in any stream, can apply for these programmes. The final selection of students will be based on the scores obtained on the SLAT. The performance in Personal Interview (PI) and Written Ability Test (WAT).

Furthermore, under LLM various specializations are offered. Candidates, who have done graduation in law can apply for the same. However, the final selection of students will be based on the marks obtained in AIAT and the performance in PI.

The foundation holds a prominent place in India's top universities and has associations with prominent foreign universities to offer numerous exchange programmes. The staff is devoted and committed to imparting high-quality education to students. They are highly qualified and have extensive experience. The course curriculum provides an informative, dynamic and holistic view of the subjects.

The University offers various scholarships on a merit basis. Some of the scholarships offered by the institute are the Government of India SC/ ST Scholarship, Symbiosis Foundation Scholarship and LLM Scholarship. The placement cell at SLS Nagpur resiliently goes beyond in offering final placements and internship programmes by engaging with top advocates, lawyers, law firms and corporates. internship drives for students and placement assistance for the students of all the programmes are the programmes curated by the Institution.

SLS Nagpur is situated at Mouza, Nagpur, Maharashtra. The campus that fosters a positive environment for students to experience, is spread over 75 acres of land in the city of Nagpur. The institute has proved its efficiency as a law school and its excellence in supplying lawyers and legal experts to the industry as well as the society a lot of times. The institute is continuing to display its elegance in accomplishing new and innovative milestones with such promising and highly rewarding initiatives.

By being a part of the Symbiosis group of institutes from 1971, SLS Nagpur has been playing a pivotal role in carrying the legacy of the former in providing legal education. By providing the students with all the necessary inputs they will ever need to become an efficient lawyer, SLS Nagpur is never known for making a compromise in the quality of its curriculum and practices.

To know more visit (https://www.slsnagpur.edu.in/?utm_source=SRV+PR+ & utm_medium=Press+Release+ & utm_campaign=SLS+Nagpur+)

This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar-based OTA startup, bookbyrooms is one of the first online travel agencies that was inaugurated by the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Tarkishore Prasad. The inauguration was held on May 23, 2022. Munni Devi-Former Legislator, Mukteshwar Ojha-BJP leader Sanjay Pandey-AVP SIS Security, the company's CMD-Sunil Kumar, CEO- Gautam Kumar, CTO-Bhaskar Ojha, Director-Vikas Kumar, Raj Sahu-CEO (SYSOTEL) and many dignitaries were present on this occasion.

On May 23, 2022, Monday, the Patna-based start-up (https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms commenced its operations with the goal of making travel more comfortable for passengers. The main objective of the company is to provide a great support system round the clock. (https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms is currently initiating with Hotels and Rooms and will soon start the service of booking passenger convenience like Rail, Flight etc. in the upcoming plan.

This company is the first OTA startup in Bihar which is registered in Bihar, and is ready to reach every city in the country and the world. The platform's app is available on the play store, customers can use it to book cheap and luxury rooms through their mobiles as well as take advantage of many attractive coupon offers given by the company.

"The (https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms platform is Bihar's first OTA startup, which has taken its good step in promoting Bihar tourism for the people," said Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister in his speech.

(https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms has made a mindful contribution to social welfare by donating Rs 1/- on every booking to CARE India, working on the development of children. This contribution is made on every individual booking. This activity by the corporation fosters client trust along with the satisfaction of contributing to society.

Bhaskar Ojha, CTO of (https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms says, "Let us inform you that in the hectic life of running, everyone wants a nice, affordable hotel that is budget-friendly for relaxation, Keeping this in mind, we have created the first-ever OTA business from Bihar, which would make premium hotel travel more convenient and inexpensive."

(https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms does not believe in just selling anything; instead, they create the finest choice of property and the best deal for their consumers while maintaining transparency. (https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms make it simple to book facilities by allowing customers to filter properties and pick where to book. The unmatched pricing supplied to the customer during the booking, provides them with a distinct selling advantage.

When it comes to premium stays on a budget, (https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms is the most attractive portal for booking hotels around the country. Customers benefit from the brand's hassle-free payment options and online accessibility.

Customers may download the (https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms application for easier access since the business believes in giving the greatest support system around the clock with excellent discounts ranging from 2 to 100 per cent on every booking. The firm also provides coupons to make bookings for luxury hotels more affordable. Both iOS and Android users can download the application. The brand is a trusted source of booking travel as it has partnered with more than 35,000 hotels in over 38,000 cities in more than 25 states.

Raj Sahu, CEO of SYSOTEL says that SYSOTEL is a dedicated software and technological solution provider, to the hospitality sector is technology partner of "(https://bookbyrooms.com) bookbyrooms".

The firm is all set to expand across new cities and collaborate with more hotels to provide greater deals and choices to its clients. The company also intends to extend its business by making passenger booking services such as train and airline travel available on its website and application.

To know more visit: (https://bookbyrooms.com)

For android play store link: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bookbyrooms)

This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI/NewsVoir): Exicom Technologies (India) LLP has been conferred with an award for "Fastest Growing Indian Company Excellence Award" under Outstanding Contribution to National Development by the Indian Economic Development and Research Association (IERDA) at a function held in New Delhi on May 28th. One of the most trusted names in wireless communication services, Exicom's solutions are renowned for extending reliable communications to Armed Forces, and entities to the remotest of locations and in the harshest of terrain and climate conditions. The impetus was given by the Indian Government and the policy of "Make in India" has motivated the company to continue to focus on R & D.

Exicom showcased its revolutionary mesh airborne communications capabilities at the Drone Festival of India 2022 held at Pragati Maidan. Exicom Technologies has focussed to understand and address the communication challenges faced by our Armed Forces and Security Services while operating as a networked force in remote areas and inhospitable terrains. The main challenges were logistics and cost of ab-initio setting up a communication infrastructure in underdeveloped areas, inadequacy of wireless bandwidth to support ISR and data applications achieving line of sight, commonality in network that supports wide range of applications/entities on ground or aerial bound.

The requirement was for an infrastructure-less, high-capacity, mesh network that rolls out as the entities move. Considering all aspects high-capacity MANET that is host-less, can roll out at ground speeds of around 80 Kmph and aerial sub-sonic speeds, has excellent LPI/LPD and NLOS was found to be a time-tested solution. Exicom is providing high-capacity, Multi-Channel, Mesh MANET to meet the Indian requirements. The versatility of the solution is that it was suitable for multiple applications like Mechanised Forces, Special Forces, Covert Operations CI/CT, UAVs, robotics, RPVs, EW applications, Infantry Field LAN, IP services in field, Video Conferencing, Attack Hepters Drone Swarms, Sniper operations live feed for go - no go commands, drones in covert role and more.

To enhance its ranges, considerable R & D has been carried out by Exicom and a novel light weight roller tube mast system with height to weight ration of under 2 Kg per meter height and payload capacity of 10 to 15 Kgs at wind speeds of 60 Kmph, has been developed. This capability is unmatched. R & D on circular polarized antenna, NLOS, COFDM and Multichannel with MIMO extends the ranges many folds.

The system has a simple network algorithm that gives in routing features in otherwise a flat LAN Mesh. Features like Interference Avoidance System, AES 256 FIPS certified encryption ensures survivability and security in hostile environments. Yet it provides plug and play features to all authorised entities of the mesh.

OFF Grid High-capacity MANET is a unique communication system with BW of 80 Mbps, 120+ nodes and power output ranging from 100 mW to 20W and weight from 100g to 10 Kgs. Exicom Technologies (India) LLP has brought about a revolution in MANET under Make II category of MoD.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The release of a draft proposal -- seeking public comments on some amendments to Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021-- and its hasty withdrawal has offered some glimpse into the government plans vis-a-vis platforms.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology or MeitY had come out with the new IT rules last year which came into effect from 26th May, 2021. The rules put in place a framework for content regulation by online publishers of news and current affairs content, and curated audio-visual content. The aim of the 2021 rules was to make and internet companies -- having more than five million users-- more accountable for the content on their platforms.

The 2021 rules had mandated that intermediaries publish rules to curb posting and sharing of content which is inflammatory, objectionable, hateful, racially and ethnically objectionable etc. The online intermediaries were also told to appoint a nodal officer in India who is available round-the-clock to help law enforcement agencies. Through the rules, the government had prescribed a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism.

But, so far, if any user was not satisfied with any social media platforms grievance redressal system, he had only one option, and that was to approach court.

On June 1, the draft that MeitY had put on its website proposed setting up of government panels to address such grievances. The draft was taken back the next day for some changes.

So, before the government amends the proposed amendments to the IT rules and comes out with a new version, let us see what all it had proposed.

One of the key proposals of the draft was that the government would establish one or more Grievance Appellate Committees, which would be made up of a chairperson and other members appointed by the government. Under this amendment, a user would be able to appeal a grievance officers order in front of the committee within 30 days of receiving it from the former.

For its part, the committee would have to endeavour to resolve the appeal within 30 days of receiving it. And, the concerned intermediary would have to comply with every order passed by the Grievance Appellate Committee. The 2021 rules did not have a provision for such a Grievance Appellate Committee.

Pavan Duggal, Cyberlaw Authority and Advocate, Supreme Court of India says Grievance Appellate Committee proposal is a step in the right direction. It adds another level that will reduce the quantum of social media litigation, he says adding that any additional compliance will be seen as onerous. But, we need to strike a golden balance between the rights of users and intermediaries, says Dugga.

The draft said that an intermediary would have to acknowledge a user complaint received by its grievance officer within 24 hours. This would specifically apply when the complaint in question is about user or account suspension, removal, and blocking.

Also, if the complaint is for the removal of information or links that infringe copyrights, are pornographic, or are defamatory, among other things. The concerned intermediary would have to respond to requests for removal within 72 hours. However, the draft also said that the platforms were allowed to set up safeguards against the misuse of such provisions.

Under the 2021 Rules, an intermediary has to acknowledge a complaint sent to the grievance officer within 24 hours and dispose of it within a period of 15 days from the date of receipt.

Duggal continues, proposed reduced timelines for grievance redressal need to be even shorter. Moreover, shorter timelines justified as intermediaries earning from data of Indians in absence of data protection law, he says. SC has held that intermediaries cannot be judges.

Under the 2021 rules, big social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, were also mandated to enable the identification of the 'first originator' of any information that undermines the sovereignty of India, security of the state, or public order.

It is clear that some changes to the countrys technology and social media regulations are in the offing, even if we don't know their exact contours at the moment. This will have a significant impact on social media giants, for whom India is a key market, which has not saturated yet and has upside potential left to it. According to statista, more than 50 per cent of India's population was accessing social networks in 2020. By 2025, it is estimated that social network penetration would be 67 per cent of the country's population.

As of February 2021, affordable data and mobile phones, along with the governments Digital India initiative, have resulted in India's digital population reaching approximately 624 million active users. According to statista, India is the worlds second-largest internet market at this stage.

However, even with the overhang of possibly onerous regulations, India is a market social media and tech giants cannot afford to ignore, and that's not just because of its size, but also because of the revenue it generates.

As domestic media companies have lost ground and revenue, Google and Facebook have emerged as the main beneficiaries of India's booming internet advertising market. According to a media report, recently, the combined ad revenues of Google and Facebook came out to be higher than the combined ad revenues of the top 10 listed traditional media companies.

However, one major concern, which is whether or not the now-withdrawn draft proposals, or the ones that will come out soon, will lead to enhanced government censorship needs to be addressed.
In 2017, a team of senior officials from rural Bianma county on the southwestern edge of Sichuan province traveled 2,000 kilometers to Shaoxing city in eastern Chinas heavily populated Zhejiang province.

Their mission was to negotiate a deal that would enable the Shaoxing authorities to sell developers the right to build on land that would otherwise be reserved for farmland preservation. The talks opened two days after Chinas central government issued rules enabling certain poor, rural regions to transfer building-rights quotas to richer urban areas in a pilot program.
Continuous downpours across the region have killed 30 people and forced many more to relocate since late May. On Tuesday, the rain triggered a landslide in Jiangxi and caused the collapse of a building in Fujian, killing at least three. Neighborhoods were submerged as rivers, including the Pearl River, broke their banks. More rain is expected in the southern and eastern parts of China until late next week

Jun 15, 2022 03:32 PM
If Hyundai wants to make a big splash here in the Philippines, they should consider this: the first-ever Creta N Line. Confirmed to be a glo...
Photo: The Canadian Press Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard arrives alongside his wife Rebekah Asselstine, for his sex assault trial at the Toronto courthouse on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Jacob Hoggard, the frontman for the Canadian band Hedley, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting an Ottawa woman but acquitted of the same charge against a teenage fan.

Hoggard, 37, has also been found not guilty of sexual interference, a charge that relates to the sexual touching of someone under 16, in an incident involving the same fan when she was 15.

Prosecutors alleged Hoggard groped the teen backstage after a Hedley show in Toronto in April 2016, then violently raped her in a Toronto-area hotel room later that year, after she turned 16.

They alleged he violently raped an Ottawa woman in a Toronto hotel in November 2016. Both complainants testified they were left bleeding and bruised.

Hoggard testified during trial that he had consensual, passionate sex with the complainants, and that he didnt touch the teen sexually until after she turned 16.

Defence lawyers alleged the complainants made up the allegations after Hoggard rejected them.
Photo: Twitter

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed Monday that he will not attend the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week, dealing a blow to the event hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Lopez Obrador said it was concerns over the guest list that led him to skip. He wanted Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to be invited, but Washington did not want to include autocratic governments.

There cannot be a summit if all countries are not invited, he said. Or there can be one but that is to continue with all politics of interventionism.

Lopez Obrador said his foreign affairs secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, will lead the Mexican delegation in his absence. Instead of going to Los Angeles, Lopez Obrador said he would visit communities that were damaged by a recent hurricane later this week.

The Summit of the Americas, which brings together countries from across the hemisphere, is held every few years. It begins Monday, and Biden is slated to arrive on Thursday.

The real question is why the Biden administration didnt do its homework, said Jorge Castaneda, a former Mexican foreign minister who now teaches at New York University.

While the Biden administration insists the president in Los Angeles will outline his vision for a "sustainable, resilient, and equitable future for the hemisphere, Castaneda said it's clear from the last-minute wrangling over the guest list that Latin America is not a priority for the U.S. president.

This ambitious agenda, no one knows exactly what it is, other than a series of bromides," he said.

The U.S. is hosting the summit for the first time since its launch in 1994, in Miami, as part of an effort to galvanize support for a free trade agreement stretching from Alaska to Patagonia.

But that goal was abandoned more than 15 years ago amid a rise in leftist politics in the region. With China's influence expanding, most nations have come to expect  and need  less from Washington.

As a result, the premier forum for regional cooperation has languished, at times turning into a stage for airing historical grievances, like when the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez at the 2009 summit in Trinidad & Tobago gave President Barack Obama a copy of Eduardo Galeano's classic tract, The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent.

The U.S. opening to former Cold War adversary Cuba, which was sealed with Obama's handshake with Raul Castro at the 2015 summit in Panama, lowered some of the ideological tensions.

Its a huge missed opportunity, Ben Rhodes, who led the Cuba thaw as deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration, said recently in his Pod Save the World podcast. We are isolating ourselves by taking that step, because youve got Mexico, youve got Caribbean countries saying theyre not going to come  which is only going to make Cuba look stronger than us.

To bolster turnout and avert a flop, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris worked the phones in recent days, speaking with the leaders of Argentina and Honduras, both of whom initially expressed support for Mexico's proposed boycott. Former Sen. Christopher Dodd crisscrossed the region as a special adviser for the summit, in the process persuading far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and hasn't once spoken to Biden, to belatedly confirm his attendance.

Ironically, the decision to exclude Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela wasn't the whim of the U.S. alone. The region's governments in 2001, in Quebec City, declared that any break with democratic order is an insurmountable obstacle to future participation in the summit process.

The governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela arent even active members of the Washington-based Organization of the American States, which organizes the summit.

This shouldve been a talking point from the beginning, said Tom Shannon, a former undersecretary of state for political affairs who in a long diplomatic career attended several summits. Its not a U.S. imposition. It was consensual. If leaders want to change that, then we should have a conversation first.

After the last summit in Peru, in 2018, which Trump didn't even bother to attend, many predicted there was no future for the regional gathering.

In response to Trump's pullout, only 17 of the region's 35 heads of state attended. Few saw value in bringing together for a photo op leaders from such dissimilar places as aid-dependent Haiti, industrial powerhouses Mexico and Brazil and violence-plagued Central America  each with their own unique challenges and bilateral agenda with Washington.

As long as we dont speak with a single voice, no one is going to listen to us," said former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, who also faults Mexico and Brazil  the region's two economic powers  for the current drift in hemispheric relations. "With a cacophony of voices, it is much more difficult to find our place in the world."
Photo: The Canadian Press A Ukrainian serviceman rests before returning to the frontline in the Donetsk oblast region, Sunday.

Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of fighters bodies recovered from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, said Maksym Zhorin, a military commander and former leader of the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the factory for nearly three months before surrendering.

It isnt clear how many bodies might still remain at the plant, which was relentlessly pounded by surrounding Russian forces from the air and sea.

The fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city. The defenders were hailed as heroes by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The last Azovstal holdouts, more than 2,400 fighters in all, finally relinquished the plant in May, marching out without weapons and carrying their wounded. The survivors fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty.

The recovery of the fighters remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government. But relatives of soldiers killed at the plant discussed the process with The Associated Press.

The Ukrainian governments Ministry for Reintegration of Occupied Territories on Saturday announced the first officially confirmed swap of troops bodies since the war began. It said the two sides exchanged 320 bodies in total, each getting back 160 sets of remains.

The exchange took place Thursday on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine. Parts of that region are under Russian control, as is Mariupol, farther to the east on the Sea of Azov.

But ministrys the three-paragraph statement gave no details about where the bodies were recovered from and didnt mention Azovstal. Contacted Monday for further comment, the Ukrainian ministry provided no other immediate details. Russian officials havent commented on the swap.

The Avoz Regiment is a National Guard unit that grew out of a group called the Azov Battalion, formed in 2014 as one of many volunteer brigades that arose to fight Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The Azov Battalion drew initial fighters from far-right circles.

Zhorin, the former Azov Regiment leader now co-commanding a Kyiv-based military unit, confirmed that remains recovered from Azovstal were among those exchanged in the swap.

The brother of an Azov fighter missing and feared dead in the steelworks told the AP that at least two trucks of bodies from Azovstal have been transferred to a military hospital in Kyiv for identification. Viacheslav Drofa said the remains of his elder brother, Dmitry Lisen, did not appear to be among those recovered so far.

Bodies were recovered last week from the mill and some were severely burned, he said.

The mother of a soldier killed in a Russian airstrike on the plant said the Azov Regiment telephoned her and said that her sons body might be among those that have been transferred to Kyiv. The mother did not want her or her son to be identified by name, saying she feared that discussing the recovery process might disrupt it.

She tearfully referred to her son as a hero and said she wants to be able to lay his remains to rest.

Im just waiting for the body of my son, she said. Its important for me to bury him in our Ukrainian land.

In other developments Monday, Ukraine's efforts to resist Russia's invasion loomed large over D-Day commemorations in France, where the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion was marked.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.

He added: Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery."

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day. Asked about the war raging on the European continent, Shay said, "It is a very sad situation.

In 1944 I landed on these beaches, and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added.

Russia, meanwhile, continued to pummel targets in Ukraine.

Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while the Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims couldnt be independently verified.

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said fierce fighting continued in the city of Sievierodonetsk, which is at the epicenter of the Russian offensive in the east.

He described the combat situation as quite dynamic, adding that the Ukrainian forces had lost some of the gains they made over the weekend but were holding their positions in the citys industrial zone.

Our defenders managed to conduct a counteroffensive and free nearly half of the city, but the situation has worsened again now," Haidai said.

The shelling of Sievierodonetsk has intensified, (the Russians) are destroying everything in line with their scorched-earth tactics," he said.
An angel in white: Chinese nurse recounts life amid COVID-19 pandemic

13:26, June 06, 2022 By kou Jie ( People's Daily Online

Photo shows two of Chinas angels in white. Indoor sample collection and outdoor nucleic acid tests have been crucial parts of Wang's daily work as a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by People's Daily Online)

In a little district south of the Temple of Heaven, folding tables were set up every few blocks near large roads, and a dozen volunteers assisted to direct residents and take down their names. Wang Lihua, a nurse at the Beijing Fangzhuang Community Health Service Centre, performed swift oral swabs while wearing protective clothes drenched in sweat.

It was May 3, the final day of the International Workers' Day holidays, but the festival atmosphere in Beijing was sullied by a new outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

I met Wang in 2020 when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Her hometown in Hubei Province,was the center of Chinas first COVID-19 outbreak. At that time, she was concerned about her father, who had suffered a stroke, as well as her mother, who was dealing with respiratory issues, but her obligations in Beijing prevented her from returning home. On the day we met, she had just finished an 8-hour night shift. She bowed her head and when she lifted it, she was crying. I asked her what was troubling her. My family, my patients, and the pandemic, she replied.

Two years later, when COVID-19 struck Beijing once again, I called Wang to inquire abouther and her family's safety. She told me she still couldn't go home, but that her family was there for her and supportive of her work, relaying that saving lives should be her top priority.

"I swore to protect people's lives, and I intend to keep that pledge. During the pandemic, nothing is more valuable than life," she remarked.

Living during a worldwide pandemic

Photo shows Wang with a fellow colleague at their duty station in Beijing. The outbreak of the Omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus in Beijing has increased Wang's workload by as much as three times during the month of May. (Photo provided by Wang Lihua)

After working as a nurse for over 19 years, tackling the COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the most difficult tasks that Wang has ever faced in her career. From February to July 2020, Wang volunteered to work inside a centralised quarantine center in Beijing, gathering first-hand experience in dealing with the virus.

Indoor sample collection and outdoor nucleic acid tests have been crucial parts of Wang's daily work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her regular office hours begin at 6:00 a.m., but she must arrive an hour early to double-check patient information and set up equipment.

The job of collecting COVID-19 test samples is quite complicated. We need to verify and register the residents personal information, communicate with them and their family, as well as collect samples and send samples to the labs. We must be very careful, careless actions may result in severe consequences, said Wang.

The Omicron outbreakin Beijing has increased Wang's workload by three times in May. She was once assigned an urgent mission that required her to gather hundreds of samples from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. She must abstain from drinking before completing her work, as the heavy workload and the inconvenience of taking on and off the protective gear means she cannot go to the toilet.

In addition to the heavy workload, some local residents misunderstandings and even hostility arealso problems that Wang needs to deal with.

Due to their lack of professional knowledge, some of them may misunderstand or even get angry with us. Some hear rumours from the Internet and refuse to cooperate, so its also our job to make them feel assured and comfortable, said Wang.

Thanks to such efforts, the COVID-19 situation in Wangs district is now under control. On May 23, Wang and her colleagues completed over 2.2 million tests, which was a new daily record.

Beijing is now racing against time to contain the latest resurgence of COVID-19 infections, and it is my job to keep residents in my district safe,Wang added.

The foremost basic human right

Wang shares her experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with her colleagues, helping young medical professionals to gain a better understanding of how to tackle the virus. (Photo provided by Wang Lihua)

Elderly persons with preexisting medical conditions make up the majority of the residents in Wang's area, rendering them particularly vulnerable to the virus. Every day, Wang devotes hours to monitoring their health and encouraging them to get all three recommended vaccine shots.

Many people are tired of mass tests and strict control measures, but for the time being, they are the best way to protect vulnerable groups. My elderly patients have expressed their fears about COVID-19, who consider the right to live to be the most fundamental of all human rights. There is nothing more enjoyable than being healthy, she added.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the global COVID-19 death toll has reached 6.28 million as of May 292022. As a developing country with a population of 1.4 billion, China has managed to keep its COVID-19 infection and mortality rates at among the lowest levels in the world.

As a medical professional, I believe protecting human life and health during the pandemic is an excellent barometer for measuring a government's progress in human rights. China has not abandoned anyone, and I am honoured to be a part of it,"said Wang.

"Like two years ago, I'm still concerned about my family, my patients, and the pandemic, but this time I'm better prepared and more confident," Wang said with a shining smile.

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(Web editor: Kou Jie, Hongyu)
Photo: Pacific Coastal Airlines

A Pacific Coastal Airlines flight dropped a nose wheel on departure from Lloydminster, Alta., on May 28.

The Saab 340B, registration C-GOIA, was en route to Calgary with 22 passengers and three crew on board, aeroinside.com reports.

As it departed the runway, the crew felt unusual vibrations from the nose gear.

After becoming airborne, the gear retracted normally, no abnormal indications occurred and the crew decided to continue to Calgary, aeroinside reports.

En route, the crew was informed that a nose wheel assembly had been found at Lloydminster.

The pilot declared an emergency and performed a flyby at Calgary. The landing gear was observed extended  the right hand nose wheel was missing, however.

The aircraft landed safely.

The Transportation Safety Board reported that the "right nose wheel outer bearing failed due to lack of lubrication, allowing the nose wheel assembly to depart the aircraft."

Aeroinside's report contains information from the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report System.

Transport Canada endeavours to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the data contained within CADORS, however, the information within should be treated as preliminary, unsubstantiated and subject to change.
Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during Question Period, Wednesday, June 1, 2022 in Ottawa. Trudeau has called the actions of Chinese pilots towards Canadian planes taking part in a UN mission "irresponsible and provocative." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the actions of Chinese pilots towards Canadian planes taking part in a United Nations mission "irresponsible and provocative."

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Trudeau condemned the actions of China toward Canadian planes that were taking part in a multilateral UN mission over the Pacific Ocean to enforce sanctions against North Korea.

"China's actions are irresponsible and provocative and we will continue to register strongly that they are putting people at risk while at the same time not respecting decisions by the UN," the prime minister.

Last week, the Canadian military accused Chinese planes of not following international safety norms on several occasions and putting a Canadian crew at risk. A statement said the Chinese planes tried to divert a Canadian long-range patrol aircraft from its path, and that the crew had to change direction quickly to avoid a potential collision.

Such interactions  are of concern and of increasing frequency,'' the statement said.

The Canadian plane was deployed from April 26 to May 26 to join other countries in watching for fuel transfers between ships at sea that could be helping North Korea evade U.N. sanctions over its missile and nuclear tests. Chinese ships are suspected of taking part in the transfers. The U.S. and Japan have also participated in the surveillance.

China defended its military pilots on Monday, saying they acted properly and were protecting its sovereignty, following recent complaints by Canada and Australia that Chinese planes engaged in risky manoeuvres with their aircraft over the Pacific.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said China swiftly took reasonable, forceful and professional measures in response to Canada's provocative acts and unfriendly and unprofessional operations.''

Wu said in a statement that Canada has stepped up close reconnaissance of China under the pretext of implementing UN sanctions. He said Canada would bear responsibility for any serious consequences from what he called its risky and provocative acts.

A 2001 collision between a U.S. surveillance plane and a Chinese air force jet resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the 10-day detention of the U.S. aircrew by China.

In a separate incident, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on a visit to Indonesia on Monday, called the May 26 actions of a Chinese fighter jet a dangerous act of aggression against an Australian air force plane conducting aerial surveillance in the South China Sea.

The Chinese J-16 accelerated and cut in front of the Australian plane, releasing chaff with small bits of aluminum that was sucked into the latter's engine, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Sunday.

China's Defense Ministry has not commented on the incident.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the Chinese military always conducts operations based on international law and practice and in a safe and professional manner.

We urge Australia to respect China's national security interests and major concerns, and to be cautious with its words and deeds so as to avoid a miscalculation that could cause serious consequences,'' he said.

China claims numerous small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and says the area around these outcroppings are its territorial waters and airspace. The waters are an important shipping lane for all countries in the region, including Australia, which along with the United States says it wants to ensure freedom of navigation through them.

Zhao said China would not allow any country to violate its sovereignty in the name of freedom of navigation.

He also accused Canada of spreading disinformation and said it should adopt a moderate and pragmatic policy toward China and take concrete steps to improve relations between the two.
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys and smokes a cigarette at a rally in Delta Park on Sept. 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Tarrio, the former top leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group, and other members were indicted Monday, June 6, 2022, on seditious conspiracy charges for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.(AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)

The former top leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and other members have been charged with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory, authorities said Monday.

Henry Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, and four others linked to the group are charged in the latest indictment against them. All five were previously charged with different conspiracy counts.

Tarrio, the groups top leader, wasnt in Washington, D.C., when the riot erupted on Jan. 6, 2021. Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. Tarrio was released from jail on Jan. 14 after serving his five-month sentence for that case.

The new riot-related indictments against Proud Boys members are among the most serious filed so far, but they aren't the first of their kind.

Eleven members or associates of the anti-government Oath Keepers militia group, including its founder and leader Stewart Rhodes, were indicted in January on seditious conspiracy charges in the Capitol attack.

More than three dozen people charged in the Capitol siege have been identified by federal authorities as Proud Boys leaders, members or associates.

A New York man pleaded guilty in December to storming the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys members. Matthew Greene was the first Proud Boys member to publicly plead guilty to conspiring with other members to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote. Greene agreed to cooperate with authorities.

On the morning of Jan. 6, Proud Boys members met at the Washington Monument and marched to the Capitol before then-President Donald Trump finished speaking to thousands of supporters near the White House.

Just before Congress convened a joint session to certify the election results, a group of Proud Boys followed a crowd of people who breached barriers at a pedestrian entrance to the Capitol grounds, an indictment says. Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol building itself after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors.

Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

In December, a federal judge refused to dismiss an earlier indictment charging four alleged leaders of the far-right Proud Boys with conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected defense attorneys arguments that the four men  Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Charles Donohoe  were charged with conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and a member of the groups national Elders Council. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Donohoe, of Kernersville, North Carolina, also served as president of his local chapter, according to the indictment.

Proud Boys members describe the group as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists. Its members frequently have brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.
Another weekend, more shootings and death. Last weekend on Cherry Street, six shot with two in critical condition. This weekend three shot on Carter Street; 14 shot and three killed on McCallie Avenue.

How do we get control of this ongoing situation? Chattanooga has long had a gang problem, and the gangs continue to grow. I am a responsible gun owner, but the guns being used in these shootings arent purchased legally. Unfortunately, weapons are easy to acquire and often stolen from vehicles left unlocked. On any given day, the Police Blotter gives reports of citizens having their firearm stolen from their unlocked vehicle. Not to mention cash, debit/credit cards, jewelry, laptops, etc. Why would you leave your vehicle unlocked if it contains these items? Elementary and middle school students are caught with guns in their backpacks. Where are the parents?

Many of the individuals committing these crimes come from households where poverty, neglect and abuse are prevalent. They have zero parental supervision because this behavior is generational and its all they know. The parent(s) of these individuals simply dont care. Thats no excuse. Local police reports are rampant with details of suspects walking into businesses, loading up items they want, bypassing store clerks or security and calmly walking to a waiting car, or their own car, without paying for anything. Rarely are they ever caught. Most have arrest records and they know that if caught, they get a slap on the wrist and theyre right back out. This is in no way comparable to the shootings, but it confirms the mindset these individuals have. They feel entitled and will do whatever they please. They dont care.

The shooters and victims in last weeks shooting were all minors, ages 13-15. By all accounts, most likely gang related. Dropped off downtown by a parent or someone that has a vehicle, left to roam freely and get into trouble. I strongly feel that the people dropping these kids off with no supervision or rules should be arrested and charged. The 15-year-old shooter now has six counts of attempted murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a dangerous felony, unlawful possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. Thats outrageous. The parent or guardian responsible for this kid should be held responsible as well. A solution must be found to enforce a curfew. You turn your minor children loose with illegal guns and drugs and you dont care what they do, as long as they dont bother you? They have no regard for human life. They dont care. Youve taught them this, so neither do you.

Yes, background checks are necessary, but AR-15s, assault rifles and magazines should not be available for purchase by citizens. For any reason whatsoever. Unfortunately, even if these measures were put into place, it wouldnt stop the mass shootings such as the one in Uvalde, Tx. If someone wants to kill badly enough, theyll find a way.

I dont have the answers for how we as a city stop this madness, but the gun violence has to stop.

Cheri Taylor

* * *

Ben Franklin said it best: "Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

When you allow your freedoms to be chipped away little by littlefreedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, in exchange for the perception of a marginally more secure environment, you squander the currency of liberty and tighten a national choke-hold on our freedoms.

More citizens are killed by hammers than modern rifles. And the logistics of confiscating over 20 million ARs and AKs is unimaginable. No, the vast majority of Americans will not casually turn in what they consider to be legal protection. The problem isnt the modern rifle.

Perhaps in your zeal, Ms. Taylor, to promote a safer environment you have failed to identify the root cause of teen violence and gang participation. Perhaps you failed to look at a broken parental system. When no societal structure mandates fathers be present in a home with children, there is no pattern of responsibility ingrained within offspring. Without guidance, chaos reigns. Urban mores have been relaxed to excuse absent fathers.

The ban on modern rifles from last century illustrated how ineffective the act was by virtue of having no measurable effect on violent crime. Once again, well-meaning but ignorant knee-jerk reactions to gun violence takes hold after each and every mass shooting. The gun doesnt shoot. The type of ammo doesnt kill. Only a warped individual initiates all of this. Gun violence is a mental health issue. The sooner gun grabbers realize this the better for all concerned

Dave Fihn

* * *

From reports of the McCallie Avenue shooting, I learned a victim was once again a juvenile and now officials want you to call when seeing juveniles out after curfew. So what happens then? Will parents be held accountable, Ms. Wamp, Mr. Pinkston or Mr. Brooks?

A news team set up to film a gun protest across the street from the crime scene yesterday. I saw this for myself as it happened. The news team had as many people present as there were gun protesters posing for pictures. So how did the news know to be there at that particular time?

There were no solutions offered to correct problems with gangs or with juveniles around bars at 2:30 a.m. offered by the justice crowd protesters. Thats because they dont have any and its so much easier to get end gun violence professionally printed on little signs and pose for pics.

A car apparently was the cause of one fatality and perhaps more of the injuries in this case. By the same reasoning shouldnt we expect the justice crowd to want to ban cars?

Ralph Miller



* * *

Dave, Ralph,

Theres way more people in the middle in the U.S. than the far left you fear. Its like the right to own a gun is totally more relevant than the right to live without being shot by a misused one. I guess your cure is sell backpacks with Kevlar and clothes of the same. Liberty you fear losing you have already lost because the responsibility that goes with it has ceded to self will run riot. When we who responsibly own guns will stand and say nothing about people who misuse guns we abdicate our responsibility.

It reminds me of a bar that burned near where I grew up, the owner was fearful of being robbed or assaulted so he had guns hidden in the walls behind the counters. A lady who moved in after he was forced out found eight of those rifles and shotguns scattered around. His problem was he had no regard for any laws so he lost the business and the property. His place was closed and padlocked by the county district attorney. Its now kudzu, weeds and brush sold for back taxes.

Common sense will rule at some point in this issue, it wont take your guns away but you will have to take responsibility of ownership more than you do now. Freedom comes at an expense, right now the expense leans more into anarchy than responsibility. It would be good to hear the chain of custody the weapons used Sunday had to that point. It is something a person can lay out a logical path forward as did the first writer here.

The center in this country is lost when gun rights eclipse human rights. I know a guy who could be a gunsmith with his knowledge. He moved south from New England because of restrictive gun laws. What is curious is he also left behind far less gun violence. They are part of this United States.

Prentice Hicks

* * *

I feel obliged to correct Prentice Hicks. In his letter to the editor he says, "Its like the right to own a gun is totally more relevant than the right to live without being shot by a misused one." He seems to believe he doesn't have "the right to live without being shot." Rest assured, Mr. Hicks, you do have the legal right not to be shot with a misused gun. That's why the police will try to hunt down and arrest anyone who violates that right, and the district attorney will prosecute them (except perhaps in a few select cities in California and up north).

Of course, the right to be safe in your life, liberty, and property doesn't magically prevent you from being shot, kidnapped, or robbed - anymore than laws against firearms or their criminal misuse magically keep people from misusing firearms. Laws give government the power to prosecute lawbreakers, they don't prevent lawbreaking. Only moral character can do that, and sadly, we seem to be in short supply.

Andy Walker






Police responded to a residence on Walker Avenue on reports of a stolen city trash can. Police were provided with can #0011829 and checked the area, but were unable to locate the can. A man there told police that he is unaware of where the can is, but believes it was stolen and taken to a tent city.

* * *

An anonymous caller reported a black male and a black female were in the middle of the roadway arguing at 7646 Lee Hwy. Police spoke with the couple and they said they were in a verbal argument over money. Both left the area, going their separate ways.



* * *

Police spoke with a driver at 480 Interstate 75 NB who said that he was avoiding another vehicle that was merging into his lane. He said he swerved and ran off the road, damaging his own vehicle. He said that he did not want a report and that he was going to drive his vehicle from the scene.

* * *

A verbal disorder was reported at a residence on Montview Drive. A woman told police she was arguing with a man and she wanted him to leave. Before police arrived, the man decided to take his property out of the duplex so he would not get into a further disorder. He moved all of his belongings out of the woman's residence and called a friend of his to help him transport his items.

* * *

The plate on a suspicious vehicle, a blue Honda Pilot, came back in the system as possibly stolen. The vehicle was unoccupied and parked half in the road and half in the grass along the 4900 block of 13th Avenue. Police had NCIC verify that the plate was stolen and then verified that the vehicle was not stolen. NCIC removed the plate from the system as stolen. The plate was confiscated and turned into Property.

* * *

A man reported his truck was stolen from his work at Brock LLC, 2011 W Polymer Dr. He said a co-worker said he saw his silver Ford F150 leave the parking lot in a hurry, but did not see who was inside. The co-worker then saw the vehicle owner was still on scene with the vehicle gone, so he told him about seeing the truck leave. The truck owner said his vehicle sits directly in front of his office where he can see it, and he did not notice it was gone. He does have the keys on him and doesn't understand how it was started. He said the truck is lifted, with wide tires and tinted windows. There was also a Ruger LCP .380 in the truck. Both truck and firearm were entered into NCIC.

* * *

An officer was traveling south on Dupont Parkway when he was flagged down by a man who was stuck on the side of the road. The man said that his vehicle (TN tag, white Volvo) had run out of gas. Per his request, police gave him a ride to the Raceway at 3459 Amnicola Hwy.

* * *

A woman on Tennessee Avenue told police that an old acquaintance who lives in California had texted her harassing messages. She said she has blocked his number, and wanted police to be aware of the situation. She gave police that man's name, but said she has no other identifying information. She said he lives in California and she has not had any contact with him for several years.

* * *

Police located a vehicle that had been reported stolen from W. Shepherd Road at the Chateau Royal Apartments, 25 S. Germantown Road. Police were able to pull numerous finger prints off of the exterior and interior of the vehicle. The prints were turned into the AFIS unit for processing. Police notified the owner and he came to recover the vehicle. The vehicle was taken out of NCIC as stolen.

* * *

A man told me that someone had stolen his truck. He said that he was at work at Gestamp, 4120 Jersey Pike, and when he came out, his truck was gone. He said he went back inside and looked at the camera footage. He said that a vehicle pulled into the parking lot and one black male got out, got into his truck and left. He said the keys were inside the truck, and it was unlocked. The vehicle was entered into NCIC.

* * *

Police were sent to check the area of the 2000 block of Morgan Avenue for a stolen GMC Sierra from a residence on Jersey Pike. Police observed the stolen truck traveling north on Morgan Avenue at a high rate of speed. The vehicle took a right onto E. 28th Street from Morgan Avenue and was not seen again. Dispatch was notified by On Star the vehicle was parked in the 2900 block of 12th Avenue. Officers checked the area, but did not locate the vehicle. Then On Star notified Dispatch the vehicle had been disabled and was parked behind 2905 15th Avenue. When police arrived there, the stolen truck was located, unoccupied. The vehicle was processed for fingerprints. The apartments the vehicle was behind did have video cameras, but no contact was

made with the owner of the buildings. The owner of the vehicle was notified his vehicle had been recovered. He arrived on scene and police had him look inside the vehicle to see if anything did not belong to him. The man said a Bud Light beer can sitting in the driver's door did not belong to him. The beer can was also processed for prints. The man called a personal tow for his vehicle, due to the keys not being left with the abandoned vehicle. Fingerprints were turned in for processing for suspect information, along with the beer can from the driver's side door. The vehicle was removed from NCIC.

* * *

A woman on Lupton Drive told police that someone broke the passenger front window of her vehicle. She said nothing was taken that she knows of. She said this occurred between 5:30-8 p.m.

* * *



A man at an apartment on Standifer Gap Road told police he was having a verbal argument with his ex-girlfriend inside his apartment. He said she got upset and slammed the front door on her

way out of the apartment causing a 43'' flat-screen TV to fall off the TV stand and damage the screen.

* * *

A man on S. Willow Street who had reported his vehicle stolen told police that the vehicle had been tracked by the dealership to an address on 5th Street. The vehicle was recovered and released to the owner. The vehicle was removed from NCIC.

* * *

While patrolling the area, police observed a dark-colored Mazda SUV backed up to the brush line, behind the Rocky Top Granite warehouse, 3000 Broad St. Police approached the vehicle, but discovered no occupants and no people in the vicinity. Due to the escalating number of copper theft in the area, police found this vehicle suspicious.

* * *

A disorder was reported at an apartment on Shallowford Road. Police found a man who was

intoxicated and arguing with the complainant's son. Police gave the man a ride to the Hamilton Inn at Rossville Boulevard at 27th Street.

* * *

While patrolling the area, police performed a perimeter check at 2335 Chestnut St. This construction site/business has been burglarized in the past, as it is unable to be completely secured. Police observed that the drive-in gate was open and had not been secured.

Police and Dispatch attempted to contact a responsible party, but were unable to reach them.

Police performed a sweep of the interior of the fence and assorted structures, but located no people. It is unknown if the fence was accidentally left open or if property was stolen.

* * *

While patrolling the area at Holmes Street//St Elmo Avenue, police observed a white minivan, parked in the far corner of a parking lot, far from any businesses. The van (TN tag) was unoccupied and no one was around it. Police checked the surrounding areas for potential suspects attempting to steal scrap metal or copper, but located no one.

* * *

A woman on E. 50th Street called police to assist her with a disorder prevention. She told police that she needed to grab a car seat from inside a residence there. The woman entered the residence, grabbed the car seat and then exited the residence and got into her vehicle and left.

* * *

Police responded to a suspicious vehicle, a green and black Mazda, at 3817 Cummings Road. Police spoke with a man who had parked the car on the side of the roadway and was fishing. He told police that he had just split up with his girlfriend and he was just trying to clear his mind by fishing. The man was told that he was not allowed to be fishing at this location without a proper fishing license. He had no active warrants in NCIC and was told he needed to leave the area.
Ive always dreamed of opening a restaurant. A cozy one with white tablecloths, fresh flowers on the tables and candlelight. I know thats not happening for all kinds of reasons, one being how tough the restaurant business is. However, Proof, a bar and incubator in Chattanooga, offers amazing support for entrepreneurs who are ready to take the next step without committing to a space.

Located on MLK, Neutral Ground is Kenyatta Ashfords baby. No stranger to the restaurant business, he came about it in a roundabout way. He thought teaching made sense for him at one point, but after four years of that profession, he realized the kitchen was calling. He turned in his notice and headed to NYC and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. It came quite easy to the New Orleans native who has worked at the Read House, Blackberry Farm, Easy Bistro and St. Johns, as well as with the legendary Chef John Besh in his hometown.

A graduate of Lee University, he always had a soft spot for Chattanooga. He always wanted to open a restaurant of his own as well, and the opportunity presented itself during the pandemic, of all things. When plenty of restaurants folded, Ashford seized the opportunity, putting a positive spin on a potentially not-so-positive experience.

I was furloughed during the pandemic, but realized it was a great opportunity to be an entrepreneur, he said, taking full advantage of the resources and support Proof offered. Offering consulting and programming services, Proof offers a low-barrier opportunity at its restaurant residency, so chefs have a chance to test out their concepts before launching any permanent venture. And the bar is amazing!

Obviously, Ashford had me at New Orleans cuisine, which is some of the best in the entire world. Enthused about the expanding food scene in Chattanooga, Ashford isnt content to solely ride that train, although it would certainly be easy with his amazing shrimp and grits and Gulf oyster po-boy and Louisiana seafood gumbo. His vision is bigger. Way bigger.

He recently received a Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant by the James Beard Foundation that he used to study cuisines of the African American diaspora and West Africa. And, yes, he is personally expanding the food scene in the Scenic City. The menu changes regularly and everything in the kitchen is homemade and local. (That thick bacon  oh my gosh!)

Chef Ashford recently co-founded a new dinner series called Four Courses and Supper Club, which highlights chefs of color as it brings people of different backgrounds together to enjoy a meal and share various topics that affect the African-American community. Opening on Juneteenth, the event sells out each time it is offered, with over $9,000 donated to local high school culinary arts programs.

Neutral Ground is a fitting name for his restaurant. And over foods bursting with all manner of flavors, we can find common ground as we are fed. Something we all need more than ever.

* * *

Ferris Robinson is the author of three childrens books, The Queen Who Banished Bugs, The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds, and Call Me Arthropod in her pollinator series. Making Arrangements is her first novel. Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity is a collection of true tales about mans best friend. Her website is ferrisrobinson.com and you can download a free pollinator poster there. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror.


The story is told that in the era of the gladiators, a monk noticed a huge throng making its way to the coliseum. His interest piqued, the holy man asked why the excitement and the excited crowd replied you must come with us. At the first there were prancing horses and chariot races, much to the monks delight, but then came the gladiators, heavily armored and muscled, who began to slaughter one another.

The monk jumped to his feet, shouting Stop! stop in the name of God, stop! Those nearby laughed at such audacity, but the monk was undeterred, fighting his way down toward the coliseum floor. Stop, stop in the name of God, stop he continued to cry, now to the glee of those who could hear his pleas.

Stop! stop in the name of God, stop! He clamored over the short wall onto the floor of the coliseum itself and now the entire coliseum was focused on the red-faced interloper.Stop! stop in the name of God, stop!

One gladiator, assuming this was some type of comedy, meanly confronted the monk, raising his big sword high, to which the monk fell on his knees, his words now audible in the hushed area. Stop, stop in the name of God, stop before the ruthless gladiator killed the holy man, expecting to hear the crowds roar of approval.

But no, in complete silence, one, then two, then a group of five walked their way out of the coliseum. Until the hushed and cursed venue was empty. And that is how the gladiators died.

Mankind had seen enough. Stop, stop in the name of God, stop.

How in the name of God are we going to plead with Chattanoogas black citizens to stop after our second mass shootings in as many weeks? Yes, it is black-on-black. Saturday a week ago it was 15-year-old kids for Gods sake when six were shot, the youngest 13 years old - the others age 15 - and out on the streets after 11 oclock at night.

This weekend we are headlining the national news once again. Three dead, 14 others injured in a 2 a.m. rampage next to Parkridge Hospital. Are you kidding me? There were 14 people shot in the vicinity of Marys Bar on McCallie Avenue and three others struck by automobiles trying to escape the crime scene, one fatally. Inexcusable. Stop. In the name of God, stop!

Chattanooga was hardly alone in mass shootings over the weekend. In Philadelphia on popular South Street three were killed and 11 injured, while in Clarendon County, S.C. (think Manning, halfway between Columbia and Charleston) there was one killed and seven injured. Of the injured, six were age 17 or younger. Stop!

* * *

In another Chattanooga shooting this weekend, details are hazy but according to reports, three people were injured when a shooter opened fire on Fort Street, near the Chattanooga Convention Center and Finley Stadium, around 11 p.m. Saturday. The nature of their injuries remains unknown at this time.

* * *

According to the authoritative Gun Violence Archives, after 156 days into 2022, the United States has now experienced 240 mass shootings. This weekends toll had six people dead from gun shots and almost three dozen injured in a trend that doesnt appear to be slowing down. In Chicago, the weeks toll was 106 shot with 17 homicides. We must stop!

* * *

In Chattanooga efforts to step up curfews are accelerating. There is now a 10 p.m. curfew for all children 16 and younger within the Chattanooga city limits and an 11 oclock curfew for any persons under the age of 18. Members of the Chattanooga Police Dept. will be actively enforcing the curfew, according to Mayor Tim Kelly.

* * *

Stop. Stop in the name of God. Stop.
Governor Bill Lee will sign an executive order on Monday directing accountability measures for school safety and an evaluation of training for Tennessee law enforcement. The order also establishes additional resources to support parents, teachers and law enforcement in improving school security practices.



Parents need to have full confidence that their children are safe at school, and thankfully, Tennessee has built a firm foundation with our practical approach to securing schools, recognizing crisis and providing confidential reporting of any suspicious activity, said Governor Lee.

This order strengthens accountability and transparency around existing school safety planning and assures Tennessee parents that our efforts to protect students and teachers will continue.Governor Lee will sign Executive Order 97 to enhance school safety across Tennessee and promote engagement with parents, schools and law enforcement.Creates a School Safety Resources and Engagement Guide to provide parents with information regarding how to effectively engage and advocate for safe conditions at their childs school, including how to report suspicious or concerning activity through the SafeTN App, access mental health resources for their child and inquire about building security and compliance at their childs school.Encourages parents, families and the local community to engage in school safety and partner with law enforcement to promote the habits and practices that help ensure school building security against unauthorized intruders. By implementing simple practices, such as ensuring a single point of entry and multiple points of exit, securing vestibules and other access points, and reporting suspicious activity, communities have the ability to vastly increase the security of their local school.Directs Tennessee state agencies to provide additional guidance to help local school districts (LEAs) implement existing school safety law, which requires that each public school conduct an annual school security assessment and submit a school safety plan to the Tennessee school safety center. This guidance will include:

An increase in periodic audits of Tennessee local school security assessments and school safety plans, including but not limited to random in-person verification by state officials of a schools implementation of the approved assessment;



A set of best practices for school leaders to enhance building security and safety against an unauthorized intruder; and



Information for district and local government leadership regarding financial resources for school safety available through state programs and the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA).



Updates the state School Safety Plan Template for LEAs to be published no later than July 1, 2022 and include greater detail on:



A description of deficiencies identified by the LEA when conducting the school security assessment;



A description of district spending on building security and other school safety initiatives and how such expenditures mitigate the identified deficiencies; and



Designation of the districts single point of contact for school safety matters.



Ensures LEAs receive guidance from the State Fire Marshals Office and other state agencies regarding how to appropriately improve school building security, while maintaining emergency egress and safeguarding of life and property from the hazards of fire and explosion.



Directs the Department of Education to request permission from the federal government for districts to use existing federal ESSER funds to conduct a fulsome, independent safety assessment, including the identification of necessary facility upgrades. The Department will report to the Governor on which districts utilize that flexibility, if approved.



Directs the Department of Education to identify regional staff to support school safety in LEAs through repurposing existing staff to focus on safety, mental health, and family and community engagement.



Develops additional training and educational materials regarding school safety for educators, school leaders and staff, no later than August 1, 2022.



For Law Enforcement

Directs the Department of Commerce & Insurance, through TLETA, to evaluate and assess law enforcement training standards and recommend expansions, improvements, or enhancements to existing training for active-shooter scenarios, and provide a report to the Governor, no later than July 1, 2022, with recommendations to expand its availability to local law enforcement agencies and related education stakeholders.



Directs the Department of Commerce & Insurance to review the use of armed security guards in non-public schools and, with the Department of Safety & Homeland Security, report to the Governor regarding the need for active-shooter training for armed guards.



Calls for new strategies to expand local and state law enforcement agencies by increasing the number of Tennesseans exploring and pursuing careers in law enforcement.



Previous actions to strengthen school safety:

For more than three years, the Lee administration has prioritized school safety, with efforts focused on mental health resources, confidential reporting and securing school buildings.



In 2019, the Governor established a School Resource Officer (SRO) Grant program placing 213 new SROs in Tennessee public schools.



Efforts also doubled the state's annual investment in school safety funding to support improvements in building security measures and violence intervention programming.



School safety investments remain a top priority under the new TISA funding formula.



The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security developed a free app called SafeTN which is an anonymous reporting system for students, faculty, parents and the public to easily and confidentially report their concerns or tips to law enforcement.



Mental health resources have been expanded through the Mental Health Trust Fund and The Tennessee Mental Health Crisis Hotline, which is available 24/7, 365 days a year: 855 274-7471.

"We appreciate and welcome Governor Lees continued commitment to school safety," said JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee. "This is one of his most comprehensive plans to address safety concerns the administration has put forth. Local school security assessments and school safety plans should be conducted by skilled men and women in law enforcement, with more experience in this area. The use of existing federal ESSER funds is appropriate and must include ongoing state monies in the future.

"Our major concern is that the development of additional training and educational materials regarding school safety for educators, school leaders, and staff should be earlier, preferably mid-July at the latest. when most schools resume for the 2022-2023 school year, not in August."
The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurances Division of Regulatory Boards announces that newly enacted legislation will bring additional flexibility for the licensure of engineering and architectural professionals starting July 1.



The state Board of Examiners for Architects and Engineers will be accepting applications for licensure from engineering and architectural professionals possessing broader educational backgrounds than previously allowed, while balancing the importance of protecting the health, safety and welfare of Tennesseans.



The Board of Examiners for Architects and Engineers sets the standards and qualifications for the education, experience and performance for architects, engineers, landscape architects and interior designers. Tennessee has more than 20,000 design professionals across these four professions.



As Tennessees vibrant economy continues expanding at a rapid pace, licensed engineers and architects are more crucial now than ever to helping design and construct the buildings, homes and infrastructure that are needed to help us keep pace, said TDCI Assistant Commissioner Alex Martin. I want to thank Senator Lundberg and Representative Crawford for their work on behalf of hard-working Tennessee engineering and architectural professionals who can now apply for their licenses and, if approved, get to work helping Tennessee continue our economic path forward.



Presently, the law provides two pathways by which a person may obtain registration through the Board as an engineer.



1. Graduation from an approved engineering curriculum, minimum four years experience, passage of an examination on the fundamentals of engineering and passage of an examination on the principles and practice of engineering; or



2. Graduation from an approved engineering curriculum, minimum 12 years' experience and passage of an examination on the principles and practice of engineering.



Under the new law, current licensing requirements will continue while broadening the requirements to allow the registration of engineers, engineer interns and landscape architects. A full list of new requirements can be found here.



The legislation was sponsored by state Senator Lundberg and Rep. Crawford.



State Senator Lundburg said, There is a significant need for talented engineers in our state. I was very pleased to sponsor this legislation that will remove barriers for skilled engineers to obtain licensure. There is more than one way to become a trained engineer, and I am glad the industry will now be able to recognize additional pathways to licensure. This bill not only increases opportunities for many engineers, but it also benefits the engineering industry in our state by enabling more licensed engineers to work in Tennessee.



State Rep. Crawford said, I was proud to support this legislation to give more flexibility for competent engineering and landscape architects to be licensed in Tennessee. This new law will help fill an important need we have for engineers across our state, while also ensuring that protection of the health, safety and welfare of the public is still maintained.



Licensees can learn more about the Board of Examiners for Architects and Engineers at the website or by contacting the Board by phone at 615-741-3221 or 800-256-5758, or via email at ce.aeboard@tn.gov.
Anti-gun-violence advocates and gun violence survivors will come together at the steps of Miller Park on Saturday to advocate for better common sense gun laws and to challenge Congress to save lives.

Chattanooga was thrust into the national spotlight after a wave of mass shootings across the United States included the shooting on May 28 that injured six teens in the citys downtown district.

"Gun violence has touched every part of our nation, from suicides to domestic violence, from mass shootings to disputes on our streets; the deaths and casualties increase every day," said Shiloh Mcculley, an organizer for the event. "Lobbyists, including the NRA, are pushing for more access to guns through legislation that endangers the lives of everyone in our communities. The evidence is clear: Loosening restrictions on access to guns is not the solution."

Speakers will include: Rep. Yusef Hakeem, Tennessee House of Representatives; Meg Gorman, Democratic candidate for TN 3rd Congressional District; Alison Gorman, Democratic candidate for TN House District 26; Sid Gross, Chattanooga Youth Activists; Dr. Mary Lambert, director of Chattanoogas Office of Community Health, Demetrus Coonrod - District 9 Chattanooga City Council; Raquetta Dotley, vice chair of the Chattanooga City Council, District 7; and other city and county officials.
Humane Educational Society is teaming up with national nonprofit Petco Love and Skechers with its BOBS from Skechers philanthropic footwear collection, to put the focus on the fun in fostering pets. Pet fostering is lifesaving and critical for animal shelters, particularly during the busy summer season, said officials.

Ending preventable euthanasia of shelter pets is possible today, said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. Data tells us that if we could encourage 2 percent more of the 85-million pet-owning households to foster just one pet a year, we can save the lives of the 800,000 shelter animals at risk in the U.S. annually.

Throughout June, Petco Love will work with its network of partners nationwide to share the fun aspects of fostering while helping pet parents groove through their foster pet goodbyes. In fact, saying goodbye to foster pets  and the fear they struggle with giving the pet to a new family  is among the most-cited reasons why pet parents dont foster, said officials.

Petco Love is taking a humorous approach to saying goodbye to foster pets by holding a #MyFosterBreakUp story contest featuring Foster Breakup Kits giveaways and a curated playlist to help foster pet parents through their goodbyes.

Kits include breakup essentials: cozy, festive socks from BOBS from Skechers, a pint of Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream, Kleenex, the official Petco Love Foster Breakup Spotify Playlist, and a foster tee that reminds you that Foster Pets are Here for A Fun Time, Not a Long Time. Foster parents can enter to win by sharing their breakup letter from their foster pet on Instagram using the hashtag #MyFosterBreakUp from June 1-30 and even win $10,000 in lifesaving funds for the organization they foster from.

The Humane Educational Society will also join shelters nationwide for the National Foster Pet Open House event by inviting the public to visit the shelter located at 4155 Randolph Cir. on Saturday, June 25, from 12-4 p.m. for an interactive foster meet-and-greet party for two-and four-legged friends.

Current foster parents and the foster team will be available to chat and talk about their experience with fostering with those wanting to learn more. There will also be informational handouts and guest appearances by some foster pets.

Fostering is such a rewarding way to give back to the community," said Emilee Johnson, foster coordinator for the Humane Educational Society. "Every foster parent who signs up to help is literally saving lives. Through our partnership with Petco Love, were super excited to be part of National Foster a Pet Month and build on this events positive momentum to help save more lives all seasons.

Establishing June as National Foster a Pet Month to increase participation in fostering is just one of the lifesaving actions led by Petco Love in their 23-year history of helping pets, with $330 million invested in lifesaving efforts and 6.5 million pets adopted  and counting. Skechers has contributed more than $8 million to help over 1.5 million shelter pets, including saving 1.1 million rescued pets in the United States and Canada.

The nonprofit also recently launched a new national database, Petco Love Lost, which uses pet facial recognition technology to help reunite missing pets with their families.

To learn more about The Humane Educational Society and their upcoming event, please visit heschatt.org/



To learn about Petco Love and to view foster resources, visit petcolove.org/foster and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #PetcoLoveFoster.

For more on BOBS from Skechers, visit BOBSfromSkechers.com.




Sharyl Sieh, a retired missionary, is home and walking again thanks to rehabilitation.

Mrs. Sieh had been taking care of her husband, Dennis, at home, when she began having her own health issues in April 2021. She had to have bypass surgery and then developed COVID-19. She was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome and came to Life Care Center of Cleveland in December. She had a lot of pain in both of her feet and was totally dependent on her caregivers for mobility and daily tasks like bathing, dressing and grooming.

When I came, I couldnt sit up, couldnt even push a button, Mrs. Sieh remembered.

Physical and occupational therapists evaluated Mrs. Sieh and asked her what her goals were.

I am going to walk out of here, Mrs. Sieh answered.

Mrs. Sieh had her work cut out for her to regain her strength and independence, but the supportive rehab team was determined to do all they could to get her there. They worked with her on retraining in self-care, as well as strengthening exercises, balance and gait.

Its been a difficult journey, but she has been a hard worker, said Anya White, assistant director of rehabilitation. She would work through the pain when other people would give up.

I really enjoyed being in therapy and working with Anya and Jonathan (Wash, occupational therapy assistant) and getting myself stronger, said Mrs. Sieh. I am a person of faith, and I know that faith without works is dead, so I did my part. I would like to thank all the therapists here. I really appreciate their professionalism, their love for people and the care they give.

Mrs. Sieh returned home on May 27, able to stand by herself, take care of most of her self-care skills and walk with a walker. Mr. Sieh has started outpatient therapy at Life Care Center of Cleveland to improve his own independence, and Mrs. Sieh will be starting outpatient therapy as well to continue her progress in regaining more independence.

Mrs. Sieh has a lot of help surrounding her, from her nephew who built her a wheelchair ramp, to praying members of her church, to the fiance of Lydia Clement, an occupational therapist at Life Care. Her fiance, Hayden Henry, is a tech at Toyota of Cleveland and helped Mrs. Sieh out with putting a wheelchair lift on her car.

Perhaps this is fitting for Mrs. Sieh and her husband, who worked in the villages of Burkina Faso helping in schools and hospitals.

She took care of the world, and now the world is taking care of her, said Ms. White.

Mrs. Sieh looks forward to getting back to church.

For more information about rehab at Life Care Center of Cleveland, call 476-3254.


U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, along with Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Reps. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), John Rose (R-Tenn.), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration quickly approve Governor Bill Lees request for a major disaster declaration in response to the storm damage and wildfire in Sevier County that occurred from March 30- April 6.

Here is the letter:

The Honorable Joseph R. Biden

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:



We write to urge expedient approval of Governor Bill Lees request to declare a major disaster pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act as a result of storm damage and severe wildfires in Sevier County that occurred from March 30, 2022, to April 6, 2022.



On March 30, 2022, heavy winds and dry conditions knocked down powerlines and ignited several wildfires in Sevier County, Tennessee. The fire threatened homes, roadways, and communications infrastructure and caused widespread power outages. Overall, approximately 11,000 homes were evacuated and at least 100 residences were damaged or destroyed. Governor Lee is specifically requesting Individual Assistance for Sevier County and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide.



Governor Lees request is attached, and on behalf of the State of Tennessee, we urge you to approve it as soon as possible.

Our offices can provide you with any additional information you need
The Chattanooga Area Historical Association will meet Monday, June 13, at 6 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 554 McCallie Ave.

David Cooper will discuss the six churches in Chattanooga during the Civil War. Mr. Cooper is an elder at First Presbyterian Church and for many years was a writer with the Chattanooga Free Press (now the Chattanooga Times Free Press). This program is a repeat for those who missed the March meeting. Several people were disappointed in missing Mr. Cooper's presentation and he has kindly agreed to make his presentation again, said officials.

CAHA is now meeting in the chapel which is easy to access (no steps). Parking is easier and free. The Medical Arts Building and its parking lot are now part of the church. For those who are not familiar with the area, the sanctuary is on the corner of McCallie and Douglas; next to the church is a tall building and between it and the larger building which is now owned by UTC is a small driveway. If you cannot find it, call 595-4468 and organizers will will get you to the meeting.

All meetings are free of charge and open to the public.
Actor Tassos Karahalios plays the surreal Ear Man in David Cronenbergs Crimes of the Future. A whole lot of preparation went into the part, but it was worth it for this performer. However, he also got to take home some ear prosthetics from the horror movie set as souvenirs. Karahalios stored them in the more bizarre of places.

Ear Man Tassos Karahalios initially hung up on the Crimes of the Future casting phone call

Tassos Karahalios as Ear Man | Neon

GQ interviewed Karahalios and talked about his role as the Ear Man in Crimes of the Future. The character performs in an underground show with his entire body covered in ears. His eyes and mouth are totally sewn shut as he dances with additional ears all over his body that he cant even hear from. However, Karahalios initially thought his casting call was a bit too good to be true.

Somebody called me and they told me, David Cronenberg is coming to Greece to shoot a movie. And he chose you for a role, Karahalios recalled. So I said, OK, who is making fun of me? Tell me who it is. And then I hung up. And then they called me back and they said to me, Dont hang up, please. We are not lying. Its true. David Cronenberg saw some videos of yours and he chose you for this role.

The actor is a longtime fan of Cronenberg and wasnt going to turn down the opportunity to play the Ear Man in Crimes of the Future. Hes one of a kind, Karahalios said about the filmmaker. He does something deeply personal and deeply unique. I mean, in Greece, hes a myth.

Ear Man actor Tassos Karahalios took 30 ear prosthetics home in the most bizarre way

GQ spoke with Karahalios about how designers Alexandra Anger and Monica Pavez took a mold of the actors ear. They had to create around 40 replicas total to pull off the Ear Man in Crimes of the Future. Karahalios recalled how surreal the entire experience was.

The feeling is exactly the same as when you touch your ear, the same hardness, the same softness, the shape, Karahalios said. It was very weird.

The makeup application process took roughly four hours to complete, and the actor couldnt move during this time. His eyes and mouth were closed shut, so he couldnt eat or see throughout the day of filming.

I was really suffering, Karahalios recalled. But I was also feeling very happy because David Cronenberg was coming every five minutes and telling me, Im so happy. You are doing it very good.

Nevertheless, Karahalios got to keep some of the Crimes of the Future ear prosthetics. Cronenberg and the makeup artists took a few of them, but the actor got to keep all of the rest. He brought them home in the most bizarre way.

Karahalios continued: I kept the original one, plus almost 30 ears in a box of pizza. Whoever sees it, theyre like, Oh my God.

The actor had a lot of preparation for the role

At the Cannes premiere of Crimes of the Future, Ear Man got a 7 minute standing ovation  Jesse Hawken (@jessehawken) May 23, 2022

Karahalios had a lot of preparation for the role of the Ear Man in Crimes of the Future. Cronenberg asked the actor if he would shave his head for the movie. They had e-mail exchanges back and forth to truly establish the character and the essential body transformation that would take place.

However, Karahalios had to find a way to work through the more difficult moments on the set as a result of the prosthetics. He used meditation to get through it.

And something happened and I didnt care, Karahalios said. I forgot I have needs. I didnt want to see anything. I was not hungry. I was a bit thirsty after a while, but I said, Okay, it doesnt matter.

RELATED: Kristen Stewart Had No Idea What Crimes of the Future Was About
Talk show host and actor James Corden is one of pop cultures most ebullient personalities  a man who is unabashed about his love of music and the performing arts. Corden has acted in everything from television to stage productions, but many fans still know and love him best for his role as the host of The Late Late Show with James Corden.

James Corden | Terence Patrick/CBS via Getty Images

Since 2015, Corden has been dishing out bits of hilarity on the show. Recently, however, Corden got serious, revealing in an episode of the show that he only washes his hair once every two months.

What did James Corden say about washing his hair once every two months?

In a recent episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden, the host opened up about the Los Angeles water shortage. The shortage, which prompted officials to ask California residents to reduce their time in the shower, has been causing a lot of stress among those living in the Los Angeles area.

Corden, however, decided to make light of the situation, according to BuzzFeed, with the host joking that cutting his shower time to under four minutes is no problem.

How long are people spending in the shower? Oh my god, Corden said. Im in and out in three or four minutes. I use soap but I dont wash my hair. I wash it about every two months. True story. While one of Cordens on-set producers agreed with Cordens routine, another producer called him out for being dirty, saying that his super-short shower is insane.

How often is it recommended to wash your hair?

While Cordens remark that he only washes his hair once every two months shocked a few viewers, there are a wide variety of factors that influence how long someone should go in between hair washing sessions. According to the Cleveland Clinic, theres not a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to how often hair should be washed. While many people choose to wash their hair every day or every other day, age, ethnic background, hair type, and activity level.

Generally, it is recommended for people to wash their hair as often as two or three times per week up to twice a month. Washing your hair too much can lead to dry, brittle ends, an irritated scalp, or hair breakage. Therefore, while Corden is on the right track by not washing his hair too often, hes definitely taken things to the extreme end of the spectrum.

Some celebrities have admitted that they only bathe occasionally

Dear Time magazine,

I already lose every argument I have with my wife. You just had to do this didnt you? https://t.co/cfJBANkNV9  ashton kutcher (@aplusk) May 23, 2022

Corden is far from the only celebrity to have made waves with his bathing admission. According to Life & Style Magazine, several high-profile stars have admitted to not bathing very often. Brad Pitt is one such star, with Pitts friend Eli Roth revealing in 2009 that Pitt would often clean himself with just a few baby wipes. According to Roth, Pitt said, I got six kids. All youve got to do is just take (baby wipes), a couple quick wipes under the pits. Im getting [peed] on all day. I dont have time to take a shower.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have also gone on the record to say that they eschew regular showers for both their children and themselves. Kutcher claimed I wash my armpits and my crotch daily and nothing else ever. I got a bar of Lever 2000 that delivers every time. Nothing else. Other celebrities who have made waves for not showering daily include Coco Austin, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jason Momoa.

RELATED: Dwayne The Rock Johnson Is Not in the Camp of Celebs Who Dont Shower
Pretty Woman star Julia Roberts is still a draw. She continues to be the headlining name in film and, lately, prestige TV. Part of her appeal  a small part, given her Academy Award-winning acting skills  is her big, bright smile. Its a smile that cost Julia Roberts dentist a lot of money.

Julia Roberts continues to be an acting powerhouse

Julia Roberts at Cannes 2022 | Stephane Cardinale  Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Roberts became an acting heavy-hitter relatively quickly. Her 1987 debut in the TV series Crime Story drew instant interest from Hollywood casting directors. A small but impactful 1988 release, Mystic Pizza, proved Roberts was ready for more demanding film roles, Insider reports.

1988s Steel Magnolias was her mainstream breakout. By the time she starred in Pretty Woman in 1990, she was arguably one of the most famous faces in the world. When a major drama needed a female lead, Roberts became one of the top names on any directors list.

She made history in more ways than one with the 2000 nonfiction legal thriller Erin Brockovich. When she was offered the part, she insisted on $20 million to get on board. She was the first female actor to make that much from a single role. The investment paid off  the film was a hit, and it earned Roberts an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Julia Roberts dentist put his money where his mouth was

For the Erin Brockovich star, a win at the Oscars was massive. She had everything to gain from that moment on; she had attained a level of prestige that would put a high floor on her earnings. But for Julia Roberts dentist, her win was expensive.

According to the Associated Press, Dr. Ted Aspes had to order 10,000 tubes of Crest toothpaste. It came from a longstanding promise the dentist made 26 years earlier. He had said that if any of his patients won a world-class award  such as a Rhodes Scholarship or Academy Award  hed give a tube of toothpaste to every kid in town.

Dr. Aspes made good on his word. After seeing Erin Brockovich, he was convinced his former patient would win the most prestigious award in her field. In fact, he put in his biggest order for toothpaste a full week before the Academy Awards aired.

I usually order a few hundred, Aspes explained. My distributor called and said, Hey, doc, are you sure there isnt a comma in the wrong place?'

The actors iconic smile might explain why her dentist had to fulfill his promise

Parents began lining up for their free toothpaste the morning after the actors big win. Julia Roberts dentist didnt have trouble giving away much of his cache of Crest. Word of his longtime promise to his patients had clearly gotten around. For a little while, at least, the children of Smyrna, Georgia, would have no excuse not to take care of their teeth.

But part of what might have made Dr. Aspes promotion stick out is the brilliance of Roberts iconic grin. Her gleaming, toothy smile is a significant part of her allure. And she knows it  the actor insured her most prominent feature for a cool $30 million.

Who wouldnt want a free tube of toothpaste? Everybody loves a deal, no matter how small. But for Dr. Aspes, his most famous client happened to be the perfect proof-of-concept of his work. If you want to be successful, beautiful, and talented as Roberts, it helps to have a perfect smile. And Dr. Aspes helped maintain the most famous smile there is.

RELATED: Julia Roberts Explains Why She Doesnt Do Romantic ComediesNothing Is Good Enough
On May 31, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook of BTS visited the White House for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month (AANHPI Heritage Month). During the Korean septets visit, the members spoke at an official White House press briefing, met Vice President Kamala Harris, and met with President Joe Biden.

Following the bands White House visit, Biden has shared some of his conversation with Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook on social media. One of the videos Biden shared shows the president praising BTS great talent.

President Joe Biden and the members of BTS | Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

President Joe Biden thinks the BTS members have great talent

Days after BTS visited the White House, Biden shared an extended video of BTS appearance on his official social media accounts. In the new video, fans of the band can see more of BTS meeting with Biden.

I got involved in public life because of civil rights, Biden told BTS in the video. Even back then, famous artists helped move people. What youre doing makes a big difference. Talking about how we have to eliminate hate is important.

The president continued, I know you know what youre doing, but dont underestimate it. Not just your great talent. Its the message youre communicating. It matters. This is one president who appreciates you.

At this, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook smiled, and RM said, Wow. I have to tell my mom.

It was great to meet with you this week at the White House, @bts_bighit. The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes requires all of us to stand up, speak out, and give hate no safe harbor. Thanks for all youre doing. It matters. pic.twitter.com/R1YpKnO9zA  President Biden (@POTUS) June 4, 2022

RELATED: 5 K-Dramas Recommended by BTS for Fans to Watch

The band also met with Vice President Kamala Harris

The new video Biden shared on social media also shows part of BTS meeting with Harris and behind-the-scenes of BTS tour of the White House.

When we see hate and prejudice, its meant to make people afraid and its meant to make people feel alone, Harris told BTS in the video. And therefore without power. When you all speak about it, you speak to people in a way that reminds them theyre not alone.

To this, RM replied, We just want to give back all the love that we got and use our voice like you told us. Thats all we wanted. So, today is a really, really historical and big day for us.

Thanks for stopping by the White House, @bts_bighit. pic.twitter.com/JRE3Firnbc  President Biden (@POTUS) June 1, 2022

RELATED: BTS 2022 Grammy Awards Performance Is Now Available to Watch Online

The members of BTS spoke at a White House press briefing

Before their meeting with Biden, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook spoke at a White House press briefing. The briefing was streamed online and had dozens of reporters in attendance.

Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook spoke in Korean, and RM concluded BTS statement in English.

We were devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes including anti-Asian hate crimes. To put a stop on this and support the cause, wed like to take this opportunity to voice ourselves once again, Jimin said in the press briefing.

Jungkook shared, We still feel surprised that music created by South Korean artists reaches many people worldwide, transcending barriers across the board including language and culture. We believe music is always a wonderful unifier of all things.

BTS: Jungkook Thinks the Bands Grammy Awards Rehearsal Was Better Than Their Performance
Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook of BTS visited the White House on May 31 as part of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month (AANHPI Heritage Month). As part of the Korean septets visit, the band members briefly appeared at an official press briefing at the White House, met with Vice President Kamala Harris, and met with President Joe Biden.

Following the visit, Biden has shared multiple videos of his meeting with BTS on social media. In a new video, Biden told BTS he appreciates them, prompting RM to say, I have to tell my mom.

President Joe Biden and the members of BTS | Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

President Joe Biden said he appreciates BTS

On June 4, Biden shared a video of BTS visit to the White House on his official social media accounts. The new video gives behind-the-scenes details of the bands appearance and shows parts of the press briefing, BTS meeting with Harris, and the septets conversation with Biden.

We want to say thank you, sincerely, for your decision such as signing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law. So we just want to be a little help and we truly appreciate the White House and governments trying to find solutions, RM told Biden on behalf of BTS.

I know you know what youre doing, but dont underestimate it. Not just your great talent. Its the message youre communicating. It matters. This is one president who appreciates you, Biden told the band.

The BTS members smiled at Bidens praise, and RM said, Wow. I have to tell my mom.

It was great to meet with you this week at the White House, @bts_bighit. The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes requires all of us to stand up, speak out, and give hate no safe harbor. Thanks for all youre doing. It matters. pic.twitter.com/R1YpKnO9zA  President Biden (@POTUS) June 4, 2022

BTS: Jungkook Thinks the Bands Grammy Awards Rehearsal Was Better Than Their Performance

BTS met with Vice President Kamala Harris

In addition to having a conversation with Biden, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook also met with Harris for AANHPI Heritage Month.

When we see hate and prejudice, its meant to make people afraid and its meant to make people feel alone, Harris told BTS in the video Biden shared. And therefore without power. When you all speak about it, you speak to people in a way that reminds them theyre not alone.

We just want to give back all the love that we got and use our voice like you told us. Thats all we wanted. So, today is a really, really historical and big day for us, RM told Harris on behalf of BTS.

Thanks for stopping by the White House, @bts_bighit. pic.twitter.com/JRE3Firnbc  President Biden (@POTUS) June 1, 2022

RELATED: 5 K-Dramas Recommended by BTS for Fans to Watch

The members of BTS spoke at a White House press briefing

Before their meeting with Biden, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook appeared at a White House press briefing.

The briefing was streamed online, and while BTS did not take questions from the press, each member spoke at the briefing and gave insight about why they were appearing at the White House.

Following BTS visit to the White House, the band is expected to have a busy month, as BTS will be releasing an anthology album titled Proof on June 10.

RELATED: BTS 2022 Grammy Awards Performance Is Now Available to Watch Online
When the Connecticut State Assembly announced its recent budget for the upcoming fiscal year, there was some good news to share when it came to Cheshire.

On May 10, during a business meeting of the Town Council, Cheshire Town Manager Sean Kimball announced that the state would be sending additional funding to the community, to be used in a variety of areas.

According to Kimball, the Town will received $250,000 in additional funding to help with costs associated with the Bartlem Park South project, $200,000 in extra aid that will be used towards renovations at Veterans Memorial Plaza and other monuments across town, and $150,000 to be used for added parking, specifically in the area of West Main Street.

We are thrilled, said Kimball, during a discussion with The Herald.

The Bartlem Park South project was approved by voters at referendum last year  more than $7 million in funding that will cover the first phase of construction on the parcel of land, formerly known as the Chapman property, next to the current Bartlem Park. Phase one will include the construction of a new synthetic turf field, a great lawn that will serve as a multi-use area for residents, and more.

Kimball explained that the project is still in the design phase  the design firm of Weston & Sampson Inc. of Rocky Hill was hired back in February to serve as architects for the plan  and that the Town hopes to have some plans before the Planning and Zoning Commission in the coming months.

The plan is to have (the project) out to bid by next spring, said Kimball.

Some of the $250,000 will be used for the current design phase, Kimball explained, and then the rest will be used to offset costs associated with the project. We planned to use about $2 million in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds (towards the project), but now we will be able to use less of that, Kimball explained.

As for the renovations to Veterans Memorial Plaza in front of Town Hall, Economic Development Coordinator Andrew Martelli has already embarked on a project to collect the names of those Cheshire veterans who may be missing from the monument, so as to adequately recognize all those who served their country. The money will help the Town move forward to not only add names to the monument, but also to potentially reimagine some aspects of the plaza itself.

Cheshire has a long tradition of honoring veterans, so we were very happy to see (this money) included in the State budget, said Kimball.

Names on the monument are currently listed based on the conflict or time period in which they served, making it somewhat difficult to add names, Kimball stated. The $200,000 will help to possibly update the way in which all names are featured.

In addition, Kimball said money from the state could be used at other monuments across the community, as well as for a future one that could be erected at Bartlem Park South.

The $150,000 for parking is slated to help the Town install more spaces on West Main Street, near the Farmington Canal Linear Trail. As the trail has become more popular, it has increased demand, said Kimball. He also pointed out that the Town is preparing for a possible increase in car and pedestrian traffic in the area, as new businesses emerge and the Ball & Socket Arts facility begins to open to the public.

As far as Ball & Socket is concerned, Kimball also announced that the state had included approximately $600,000 in aid to that project.

You can feel the momentum, said Kimball, of the BSA project, and I think you can see that in the form of additional state aid.  Its incredibly exciting.
I have a Bible from my youth, one I purchased for myself when I was in middle school. I underlined a number of verses during those formative years of adolescence. Flipping through the pages now, I see a common thread in the passages I singled out. They are predominantly calls to action, the instructional sections that mapped out an identifiable way for me to feel I was doing enough to satisfy God.

One of my greatest recurring anxieties is the possibility that I might in some way not be taking my sin seriously enough. That sounds ultraspiritual, but it is more fear-driven than pious. I review not just my actions but every internal agenda, and I come to the same conclusion as Jeremiah: The heart is a convoluted mess (Jer. 17:9). I scrape my mind for any residue of wrong that might need to be confessed and eradicated, only to discover new twisted layers underneath. Pulling the lid off of my soul felt like staring into a bottomless cauldron of horrors.

It never occurs to me in the midst of all the soul-scrubbing that perhaps part of what God desires for me is freedom from the self-loathing and cruel harshness that tries to pass itself off as making me more like him. The very self-admonishment I equate with holiness is in fact distorting my perception of God.

Pursuing the path of taking full responsibility for my sin only pushes me toward despair, because I find that the problem is deeper and more pervasive in me than I can begin to address (Although I want to do good, evil is right there with meRomans 7:21). I am unable to discern my true motivations with certainty. The more I dissect my confessions, the less adequate they seem, pulling me further down the rabbit hole of introspection.

My attempts to fully own my sin end up competing with my ability to accept what Christ did on my behalf. He went to the cross precisely because we are all incapable of taking full responsibility for our own sin.

Martin Luther addressed the fallacy of such thinking: This attitude springs from a false conception of sin, the conception that sin is a small matter, easily taken care of by good works; that we must present ourselves unto God with a good conscience; that we must feel no sin before we may feel that Christ was given for our sins.

The alternative to being responsible is not being irresponsibleit is trusting God with the responsibility, the way a child trusts a parent with their care.

In his book exploring OCD and faith, Ian Osborn shares the story of Therese of Lisieux. Therese was born in the late 19th century. She was about as thoroughly religious as someone can be. She received her education in a Benedictine school, then went on to become a Carmelite nun. Carmelites maintain a very strict lifestyle, praying for long hours every day, enduring very ascetic conditions, and observing complete silence for extended periods. If anybody exemplified diligently working to put on their own armor, it was Therese.

Despite her devotion, uncontrollable doubts and fears haunted her. She tried performing severe acts of self-punishment to counter what was happening in her mind, but the effort provided no comfort to her conscience.

Unable to find any method of alleviating her mental distress, Therese concluded she needed a fundamentally different approach to God. After much prayer and reflection on Scripture, she developed what she came to call the Little Way.

It was a radical departure from the rigid moralism of her time. She focused on all the verses that portray God caring for the small and humblelike Matthew 18:3: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

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Therese concluded that Gods primary request of her was to remember her own smallness. Rather than cultivate self-sufficiency, she sought to adopt the attitude of a young child relying on a parent for everything.

Image: Illustration by Mallory Rentsch / Source Images: WikiMedia Commons

Initially, the Little Way sounds as if it goes against everything young Christians are taught about healthy discipleship. Scripture admonishes us to grow up in every way and to not be infants, tossed back and forth (Eph. 4:1415). Where does maturity come into play if we are staying small?

Thereses point was not to encourage us to stay stuck in some kind of stunted development, but to remain in a state of total dependence. Rather than working hard to move past the need for more grace, we embrace our perpetual reliance on it.

What does staying small look like? Author Pia Mellody identified five essential characteristics that describe the natural state of a child:

Valuable: Every child has inherent worth.

Vulnerable: Children need care and protection.

Imperfect: Learning and making mistakes are part of growing up.

Dependent: Children should not need to fend for themselves.

Immature: Expectations need to be age appropriate.

All these characteristics translate equally well to describe what it looks like to live as Gods children. Do we believe we are of great value to him? Can we acknowledge and accept our vulnerability? Could we allow our imperfection? What about choosing to count on God instead of feverishly attempting to measure up? And are we able to show grace to ourselves, knowing our faith is still developing and we do not yet see what we will become?

It was C. S. Lewis who said, When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.

Spiritual maturity never means independence. And God does not call us to count on our own self-protection. Instead, he offers us something completely different. Isaiah tells us this:

The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head. (Isa. 59:1517)

Here, the armor of God is worn by none other than God himself. He puts it on to bring the salvation nobody else could make happen. It is rescue. It is powerful. It is swift and sure. The armor represents Gods action on our behalf.

This way of looking at it changes everything. It means when we take up (or sink into) the armor of God, we are not simply grabbing a resource he has put at our disposal to grow our own righteousness. We are letting God outfit us with what hes done for us. We are choosing to stay small and rely solely on his efforts for our defense.

I have multiple options I go to regularly when I am in self-preservation mode. I call it the Armor of Me, which includes the Belt of Denial, the Breastplate of Humor, Feet Ready with a Plan of Escape, the Shield of Perfectionism, the Helmet of Avoidance, and the Sword of Blame. My armor has many additional elements Gods doesnt offer, such as the shoulder pads of delusion, the face mask of people-pleasing, and the shin guards of distraction.

Psychologists would refer to these components as feelings defensesways of shielding ourselves from the pain of difficult emotions. And in times of trauma, they prove incredibly valuable. Feelings defenses are a God-given measure of safety and relief when the world is unbearable.

We pick them up when we are very young, and they become so ingrained in our responses that they are almost instinctual. A threat appears, and immediately our defenses are right there to meet it.

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But over time, they outstay their usefulness. We begin to live in them permanently. They start to shape our choices regardless of the situation. Thats when they become armor, a second skin we never shed. The humor that served well to break tension during a quarrel now stands in the way when anyone tries to get close. The happy place in your mind that got you through a crisis soon occupies all your thoughts and makes real life look even more miserable. The perfectionism that rewarded you with a job well done turns into an unrelenting, daily taskmaster.

If Im going to wear the armor of God, I first need to remove the Armor of Me. I cant hold the shield of perfectionism and the shield of faith at the same time. The belt of truth wont fit if Im wrapped in denial.

I have been trying to wear both, to supplement Gods armor with a secondary layer of protection. I thought it was helping, and instead it is just in the way. That means unlearning patterns that have become second nature.

To return to the Little Way of Therese, staying small means there is a moment of trust required as we let go of the defense systems weve adopted to feel safe and avoid overwhelming feelings. We hand responsibility for our well-being back to God, our good and loving Father.

Once I became aware of all these defenses I was using, I started after them with a vengeance. Removing the Armor of Me became my all-consuming mission. This quickly took me to a place of self-loathing, because I discovered just how tightly I had wrapped my armor around me and how difficult it was to step out of it. I became highly frustrated and ashamed over my lack of progress. The anxiety over attempting to change intensified. I felt this huge responsibility to fix myself, and I couldnt do it.

But maybe instead of shutting down, I could invite God to help me ask questions. What was generating my fears? What was sending my very being into so much panic? If I could identify and care for those places, my self-protection mechanisms might begin dissolving on their own. My mind and body would no longer need to be on constant high alert because the perceived threat would no longer feel as threatening.

It all needs time. A friend of mine who struggles with alcoholism once described the journey to recovery as 10 miles in, 10 miles out. We cannot rush through what is a lifelong process.

And our need for help changing becomes one more opportunity to stay small. We can entrust the work of being transformed to God, letting Jesus replace our backwards, inside-out armor with his garments of praise.

J. D. Peabody is a writer and lead pastor of New Day Church in Federal Way, Washington. This essay is adapted from Perfectly Suited: The Armor of God for the Anxious Mind by J. D. Peabody.  Aspire Press, a division of Tyndale Publishing House (2022).
Update (June 8): As a county judge in California deemed pastor Naason Joaquin Garcia a sexual predator and sentenced him to nearly 17 years in prison on Wednesday, members of his congregation in Mexico gathered to pray and stand with their apostle, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The pastor of the Guadalajara-based megachurch La Luz del Mundo admitted last week to three charges of sexual offenses toward children. His followers believe he entered the plea deal to avoid an unjust trial. They have dismissed the allegations that he groomed underage girls in the congregation for sex abuse.

A statement from La Luz del Mundo, Mexicos largest evangelical congregation, said Garcia will continue ministering to the church. This is a path that God has placed in front of him for a reason, as he did for Apostle Paul.

Three victims anonymously shared statements at Garcias sentencing, with one describing how she functioned as a sex slave for the pastor and had been taught not to refuse his desires.

According to the Associated Press:

The victims spoke of how their delight at being invited into a secret inner circle with Garcia quickly spun into an out-of-control nightmare of rape and other sexual abuse that they described at times in graphic detail.

They said they were called angels and told they were Garcias property and that his wishes were godly commands and they should serve the Lord without question. Bible verses were twisted to make them comply.

But they were also told they would damned if they spoke outand so would anybody they told.

All were disappointed that prosecutors were unable to take the case to trial so Garcia could face the additional charges, which included rape, trafficking, and producing child abuse material.

Garcia was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

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Update (June 6, 2022): The head of the Mexico-based megachurch La Luz del Mundo admitted to sexually assaulting at least three minor girls who belonged to his congregation.

Naason Joaquin Garcia pleaded guilty Friday and was convicted following Californias four-year investigation into the pastor and his associates. The guity plea came just days before the case was scheduled to go to trial.

As the leader of La Luz del Mundo, Naason Joaquin Garcia used his power to take advantage of children. He relied on those around him to groom congregants for the purposes of sexual assault, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Todays conviction can never undo the harm, but it will help protect future generations.

The pastor ended up convicted of three counts of sex offenses and lewd acts involving minor children. Garcias former assistant, Susana Medina Oaxaca, also pleaded guilty and was convicted of assault likely to cause great bodily injury.

Some victims say Garcias plea deal allows the self-proclaimed apostle to evade the full weight of his crimes. He pleaded guilty for three counts but had been charged with over a dozen more, including rape, trafficking, and extortion. He now no longer has to stand trial.

How can they make a deal with a child rapist and human trafficker? whistleblower Sochil Martin said in the Spanish-language newspaper El Pais. Give us peace, not an agreement.

According to the California Department of Justice, Over the course of the investigation and prosecution, prosecutors demonstrated that Garcias criminal conduct was enabled by the individuals surrounding him and that Garcia used his position of trust and authority as the leader of La Luz del Mundo to sexually abuse children.  CT editors

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July 31, 2020: California has once again charged the leader of a Mexican megachurch with child rape and human trafficking, months after a court dismissed the previous allegations because of prosecution errors.

Naason Joaquin Garcia, the self-proclaimed apostle of La Luz del Mundo, was charged on Wednesday with three dozen felony counts.

Also charged were Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo.

Prosecutors contend the three committed sex crimes and also produced child pornography involving five women and girls who were church group members. The crimes took place between 2015 and 2018 in Los Angeles County, authorities said.

Garcia is the spiritual leader of La Luz del Mundo, which is Spanish for The Light Of The World, an evangelical congregation based in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Garcia and Ocampo already were being held in custody in Los Angeles County while prosecutors decided whether to refile charges. He was rebooked on $50 million bail and Ocampo was booked on $25 million bail, while Oaxaca remained free on bail, according to the California attorney generals office.

Messages to their attorneys seeking comment werent immediately returned but Garcia has previously denied wrongdoing.

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April 9, 2020, from the Associated Press: A California appeals court ordered the dismissal of a criminal case Tuesday against a Mexican megachurch leader on charges of child rape and human trafficking on procedural grounds.

Naason Joaquin Garcia, the self-proclaimed apostle of La Luz del Mundo, has been in custody since June following his arrest on accusations involving three girls and one woman between 2015 and 2018 in Los Angeles County. Additional allegations of the possession of child pornography in 2019 were later added. He has denied wrongdoing.

While being held without bail in Los Angeles, Garcia has remained the spiritual leader of La Luz del Mundo, which is Spanish for The Light of The World. The Guadalajara, Mexico-based church was founded by his grandfather and claims 5 million followers worldwide.

It was not clear when he would be released.

The attorney generals office said it was reviewing the courts ruling and did not answer additional questions.

Garcias attorney, Alan Jackson, said he and his client are thrilled by the decision.

In their zeal to secure a conviction at any cost, the Attorney General has sought to strip Mr. Garcia of his freedom without due process by locking him up without bail on the basis of unsubstantiated accusations by unnamed accusers and by denying him his day in court, Jackson said in a statement.

Image: Damian Dovarganes / AP

La Luz del Mundo officials in a statement urged their followers to remain respectful and pray for authorities.

(W)e are not to point fingers or accuse anyone, we must practice the Christian values that identify us, such as patience, prudence, respect, and love of God, they said.

The appeals court ruling states that the Los Angeles County Superior Court must dismiss the 29 counts of felony charges that range from human trafficking and production of child pornography to forcible rape of a minor.

The appeals court ruled that because Garcias preliminary hearing was not held in a timely manner and he did not waive his right to one, the complaint filed against him must be dismissed.

In June, Garcia was arraigned on 26 counts and waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearinga common move. The following month, he was arraigned on an amended complaint that included three additional charges of possession of child pornography. That time, he did not waive the time limits for a preliminary hearing.

His hearing was postponed several timesin some instances, because prosecutors had not turned over evidence to the defenseas he remained held without bail, prompting his attorneys to file an appeal.

The appeals court ruled that a preliminary hearing on an amended complaint for an in-custody defendant must be held within 10 days of the second arraignmentunless the defendant waives the 10-day time period or there is good cause for the delay.

The appeal only mentioned the dismissal of Garcias case and not those of his co-defendants, Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo. A fourth defendant, Azalea Rangel Melendez, remains at large.

It was not immediately clear if the co-defendants cases would also be tossed.

In February, a Southern California woman filed a federal lawsuit against the church and Garcia. In it, she said Garcia, 50, and his father sexually abused her for 18 years starting when she was 12, manipulating Bible passages to convince her the mistreatment actually was a gift from God.

The lawsuit will continue despite the dismissal, the womans lawyers said Tuesday in a statement.

The dismissal is the latest in a series of blunders on this high-profile case for the attorney generals office.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra himself pleaded with additional victims to come forwarda move defense attorneys said could taint a jury pool.

It would be hard to believe that, based on the information that were collecting, that its only these four individuals, Becerra said in June, repeatedly calling Garcia sick and demented.

Prosecutors Amanda Plisner and Diana Callaghan also said multiple times in court that they expected to file additional charges based on more victims as the case continued to be investigated. But ultimately they only added three counts of possession of child pornography to the original complaint.

Plisner and Callaghan were additionally sanctioned by a Superior Court judge in September, who said they had violated a court order in failing to give defense lawyers evidence. The judge later rescinded the sanctions and overturned $10,000 in fines she had levied.
ABUJA, Nigeria  Terrorists launched a gun and bomb attack at the end of a Catholic Mass in southwest Nigeria on Sunday, killing an estimated 70 worshipers according to residents and church leaders.

The terrorists attacked St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo state, at about 9 a.m., church leaders and residents told Morning Star News (MSN) through text messages.

The carnage could have been greater. The church, one of the largest in the area, can hold up to 1,200 people and was full at the time of the attack.

A priest at the church, Andrew Abayomi, told MSN that as the worship service was coming to an end, the terrorists threw explosive devices and shot at worshipers.

We were in worship Mass when the terrorists attacked us. They shot at the congregation while breaking into the church by throwing improvised explosive devices at the church building, Abayomi said. Some of us hid inside the church as they shot randomly at us. This lasted for about 20 minutes before they retreated.

He said it was difficult to give details about the number killed and injured, as leaders were focusing on transferring the wounded to hospitals. Circulated videos showed bloody images of men, women, and children strewed among the pews.

Among other Owo residents, Loye Owolemi said about 70 worshipers were shot dead and others abducted when terrorists attacked the church service.

The Associated Press reported that one kidnapping victim was the presiding priest. Pope Francis was aware, stated the Vatican, and is praying.

Nigeria, ranked No. 7 on Open Doors 2022 World Watch List (WWL), led the world in Christians killed for their faith last year at 4,650 (from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021), up from 3,530 the previous reporting period. The West African nations 470 attacks on churches trailed only Chinas tally.

The Ondo governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, said it was a black Sunday in Owo.

Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people, said Akeredolu in a press statement. This is a personal loss, an attack on our dear state.  I am shocked to say the least.

Nevertheless, we shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay, said the governor. We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolve to rid our state of criminals.

While no one immediately took responsibility for the assault, predominantly Muslim Fulani herdsmen were suspected, said Adeyemi Olayemi, a lawmaker in Ondo. Such kidnappings and killings are usually associated with northern Nigeria, but a recent local uptick in otherwise peaceful Ondo prompted the state government to implement restrictions on grazing last August.

The bill also established a framework for the construction of ranches.

We have enjoyed improved security since herdsmen were driven away from our forests by this administration, Olayemi reportedly said. This is a reprisal attack to send a diabolical message to the governor.

Akeredolu is from Owo.

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerias president, condemned the atrocity.

No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light, Buhari said. Nigeria will eventually win.

Anselm Ologunwa, the Ondo state chairman for the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said nowhere is safe in Nigeria. He linked the Owo massacre to the April attack on a northward train from Abuja, the national capital, that killed nine and kidnapped dozens. He also cited last months abduction of a Methodist prelate.

After its leader was seized in the southeastern state of Abia, the Methodist church paid $240,000 for the release of Samuel Kanu-Uche and two fellow pastors.

And two days before the Catholic church massacre, CAN stated that armed assailants had attacked the residence of Yusuf Ashafa, a Baptist pastor in Kachia in the northern state of Kaduna. The kidnappers are demanding $96,000 to release the pastors five children and an elderly man.

The Nigerian Senate recently passed legislation to criminalize ransom payments, with 15 years imprisonment. Buhari has not yet indicated if he will sign it into law.

Open Doors WWL ranks Nigeria first on its list of Christians kidnapped, with more than 2,500 tallied last year. And since 2020, UNICEF counts at least 1,500 students abducted in the northern regions.

This is raw persecution, said Israel Akanji, president of the Nigerian Baptist Association, on the Owo killings. These people are possessed, demonic, and are not working for the good of the country. May God descend and fight [them] from their roots.

John Hayab, president of Kadunas CAN chapter, questioned to CT the paying of ransomssaying most churches would be unable to do so. And he faulted the government for its rhetorical response without offering concrete action to change the security realities.

Testimony Onifade, senior special assistant to CANs president, was livid. Ransom money is better used to arm the community, he told CT. And ordinary believers, he believes, are outraged enough to agree.

How long shall we wait, watching them kill our people, and then give them our money to buy more guns? he asked. Christianity does not mean stupidity.

Gideon Para-Mallam, head of an eponymous peace foundation, said church leaders must immediately visit the area to provide spiritual and humanitarian support. Uniting in prayer, such early intervention will calm the situation and prevent retaliatory violence.

But ransom payments, he said, are inevitable.

The government is like the ostrich with its head in the ground, leaving citizens defenseless, said the former Jos-based Africa ambassador for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Nigerians have been left to the mercies of kidnappers and terrorists, and it is only an academic exercise to suggest criminalization will make a difference.

The president of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria called similarly for the youth to not take the law into their own hands. But in calling on the authorities to stop national violence, he warned that their failure pushes in the direction of Onifades view.

I want to categorically state here again that as believers in Christ Jesus, we are called to be peace-loving people and to preach it with both words and actions, said Henry Yunkwap. But that does not mean we shouldnt be sensitive to happenings around us and take action when necessary.

As Christians, they have had enough.

Any government who cannot provide security for her people, he continued, is indirectly telling them to defend themselves, by whatever means they can.

These animals in human form, stated the Catholic press statement, are suspected to be bandits. Yunkwap differentiated them from the religious extremists who killed Deborah Samuel, the college student attacked by a mob for her alleged blasphemy.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, the predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views. But some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a recent report.

They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam, as desertification has made it difficult to sustain their herds.

But as the nation struggles now for a just solution, the president of CAN eyed the future eschatological peace.

What happened today was a carnage and irreparable disaster, said Samson Ayokunle. The end of the age has come, and the devil is on the prowl. As the Lord lives and reigns, the devil will not go farbut be disgraced in the end.

First published at Morning Star News. Additional reporting by Jayson Casper.
Nigeriaand a few other nationsare on alert.

The US Department of State released its 2021 annual report on international religious freedom (IRF) last week, describing conditions in nearly 200 nations. Delivering remarks from the Benjamin Franklin roomwhere US ambassadors are sworn into serviceSecretary of State Antony Blinken presented a litany of well-known offenders.

China, he said, continues its genocide against Uighur Muslims.

Saudi Arabia makes illegal the practice of any faith besides Islam.

Pakistan sentences people to death for blasphemy.

And Eritrea demands renunciation of faith to release the arrested members of religious minorities.

Respect for religious freedom isnt only one of the deepest held values and a fundamental right, Blinken stated. Its also, from my perspective, a vital foreign policy priority.

Last November, these four nations were among the 10 Blinken designated as countries of particular concern (CPC). A separate special watch list (SWL) listed four more: Algeria, Comoros, Cuba, and Nicaragua.

But three days after the IRF report release, a terrorist attack in Nigeria highlighted its omission. Dozens of Christians were gunned down in a Catholic church on Pentecost Sunday. And one month earlier, a Christian college student was murdered by a mob over her alleged blasphemy against Islam.

Back in April, the independent US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its own list of nonbinding CPC recommendations, reminding Blinken it was appalled at the omission of Nigeria.

After listing Africas most populous nation as a CPC for the first time in 2020, the State Department removed Nigerias stigma entirely in 2021, not even downgrading the nation to SWL status.

Recently appointed USCIRF commissioner David Curry expressed his disappointment.

The Nigerian government is clearly in violation of international law in that they have grievously allowed the entire northern region of their country to be a no-go zone for Christians, said the CEO of Open Doors USA, urging President Joe Biden to take action.

Governments need to know that they wont have business as usual with the United States as long as theyre perpetrating or allowing the brutal persecution of Christians and other people of faith.

Nigeria is ranked No. 7 on Open Doors annual World Watch List (WWL) of nations where it is hardest to be a Christian.

During the June 2 release, Blinken did call out one of USCIRFs five CPC recommendations among the above pariahs. In Afghanistan, religious freedom conditions have deteriorated rapidly under the Taliban, he said, while the local ISIS branch increasingly targets religious minorities, especially the Shiite Hazara.

Perhaps conscious of USCIRFs other CPC recommendations, he cited three more nations where religious freedom is under threat:

India witnesses rising attacks on houses of worship.

Vietnam harasses unregistered religious communities.

Nigeria has several state governments where blasphemy laws are used to punish people for expressing their beliefs.

Blinken offered no comments on Syria, USCIRFs remaining recommendation.

Rashad Hussain, the first Muslim to serve as US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, specified Christians as those under threat in Nigeria.

He also cited North Korea and Saudi Arabia for abuse, with Nicaragua guilty of oppressing Catholics. Appointed last December, Hussain identified additional religious groups facing persecution: Jews in Europe, Bahais in Iran, and Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia.

Russia was added as a CPC last year; USCIRF had recommended it since 2017.

Hussain lauded the 2,000-page IRF report as consistent with Americas founding as a nation by individuals fleeing religious persecution. It gives voice to those today who are killed, beaten, threatened, harassed, or jailed simply for exercising their beliefs according to conscience.

The United States will continue to stand for those who are oppressed all over the world, he promised. Religion can be such a powerful force for good, and it should never be used to harm people.

Hussain identified three themes in this years IRF report. First, too many governments abuse their own people, he said. Second, social intoleranceoften fueled by social mediais resulting in increased antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and xenophobia.

Yet third, there are powerful signs of collaboration on religious freedombetween governments, civil society, and religious leaders. He mentioned his own work with the 2016 Marrakesh Declaration, affirming the rights of Christians in Muslim-majority nations and the 2011 Istanbul Process, which rejects the criminalization of blasphemy.

We have more partners in this effort now than ever before, Hussain said.

In 1998, the US Congress was the first nation to mandate issuance of an annual religious freedom report, Blinken said. Today he counts 35 government and multilateral organizations dedicated to the same goal.

He also highlighted success stories:

Morocco now includes Jewish history in its school curriculum.

Taiwan facilitates accountability when day of worship requests are refused.

Timor-Lestes new president pledged to defend religious minority rights.

Iraq took strides to welcome Pope Francis in the first ever papal visit to the country, where he conducted Christian and interfaith ceremonies.

Might Nigeria and Afghanistan be lauded next yearor listed as CPCs by years end?

The United States will continue to stand up for religious freedom around the world, said Blinken. At its core, our work is about ensuring that all people have the freedom to pursue the spiritual tradition that most adds meaning to their time on Earth.
This article offers a preview of whats found in CTs He Gets Us bundle. Interested in more material? Download your free kit today.

The last few years have highlighted how much we all need safe relationships, how much we each long to find belonging. Unfortunately, our charged societal climate rejects the gentle, relational way of Jesus that fosters safety and security, and cultural, racial, and religious divides can keep those who are curious about Christianity from bringing forward their questions.

So what can we do, as believers, to channel the Jesus who welcomed questions and doubt? We must choose Christlike love over judgment and fear, or else we close the door to conversation before the dialogue even begins.

There is a better approach to conversations with the faith-curiousand it starts before a single word is spoken.

1. Face Your Fears

Fear is one of the greatest barriers to a productive conversation between people who disagree with one another. For believers, fear can look like worry that the right answers will elude them in conversations with unsaved neighbors and friends. And for those neighbors and friends, fear of judgment can stem from past interactions that were less than loving or kind.

Psychiatrists have found that when the human emotional brain experiences fear, it looks to the thinking brain for answers. If the thinking brain concludes that real danger is at hand, it will signal to the emotional brain that it is time to run. However, if the thinking brain perceives that there is no true threat, that safety provides context for the emotional brain, prompting feelings like excitement or surprise instead.

We should acknowledge that fear, but it cant drive our decision-making. Most people are bringing their own hesitations, doubts, and insecurities into conversations and relationships, and in sharing those together, we can find safety and acceptance. After all, perfect love casts out fear.

2. Do Your Homework

No one has all of the answers about Christianitybut some of the best conversations can happen when Christians can admit this and hold space for doubt. Research has shown that those who are unwilling to acknowledge, and therefore address, gaps in their own expertise are less likely to deal well with the questions of others.

Have you seen our free Bible study? Download it now

When difficult questions inevitably arise, Christians have an opportunity to admit they do not have the answer, and they can commit to exploring the topic with their conversation partner. This can be done through reading a book together or independently researching and then meeting later to discuss.

Most people with genuine questions and doubts are not looking for a human encyclopedia of faith. If anything, saying I dont know, but Ill find out with you communicates humility and honesty that may earn more trust than the answer itself.

3. Listen like You Mean It

Passive listening, which refers to hearing someone but not processing or responding to what they are saying, can be tempting when someone asks a question that seems to be hostile or to undercut Christianity. But passive listening cannot lead to engaging dialogue.

Active listening demands love and intentionality as it facilitates productive conversation and meaningful relationships.

Active listening is rooted in empathy. Rather than entering into a conversation intent on making a point, the active listener attempts to understand the other persons perspective and position.

While active listening is about the posture of ones heart, it can be communicated through physical posture as well. Eye contact, facial expressions, and other nonverbal cues communicate someones willingness to truly listen and understand.

Honing this skill is especially important in conversations about faith because there are often deeper questions behind the initial one. For example, when someone asks how they can possibly believe in a God who lets bad things happen to good people, this is likely rooted in a personal, painful experience. The passive hearer may attempt to answer the question on a theological level without ever seeing an opportunity for a deeper connection. The active listener, though, will contextualize their theology in terms that acknowledge the impact of suffering. As they do so, they honor the humanity and pain behind the question, showing that their desire is not a victorious argument, but a kind and mutually beneficial conversation.

Welcoming Questionsand Those Who Ask Them

While these reminders can help us engage questions about faith with empathy and humility, they are not a magic potion or a simple step-by-step process that will inevitably lead to conversions.

Instead, think of these tools as a compass designed to orient Christians toward caring for those in their lives with questions or doubtsand let them see it as an honor that they can provide a safe place to seek the truth. With this framework in mind, the goal is not winning or convincing someone to believe just as we do. Instead, we engage with love in each word and gesture.

He Gets Us is built on this foundation. The campaign exists to make connections between people exploring faith and those who can help find the answers. Learn more about how you can welcome people who are skeptical about faith into meaningful conversations through this free bundle of resources created by CT Creative Studio.
A pastor learns that a married man is having an affair with a married woman in the same small group Bible study. The fallout is only just beginning. According to Scripture, how should the pastor address this?

Or imagine this: A copastor of a church plant has been increasingly erratic. Hes showing signs of classic narcissism, leaving a wake of damaged people whove run afoul of his overbearing leadership. How should his co-pastor handle this?

Or bring it down a level: Two high schoolers in the youth group began showing romantic interest in each other. The boys parents were anxious about the situation, so they worked hard to shut it down. As a result, the girls parents were hurt and upset. Now theres escalating tension between the parents, and accusations of wrongdoing are flying from both sides. The pastor is brought in to negotiate. What steps should the pastor take?

Those whove been in ministry any length of time dont have to use much imagination to recognize these scenarios; most pastors have experienced some version of these circumstances. The varieties of sin are infinite but also predictable. Its not only the poor we will always have with us, as Jesus reminds us, but its also humans doing bad stuffincluding Christian humans.

A matter of discipline?

Over the past 25 years, Ive been privileged to serve as both a pastor and a professorand currently as both at once. In my experience, its much more difficult to be a pastor than a professor, largely because of the complexity of interpersonal relationships in the church.

Though conflicts come and go in a congregation, they never go away forever. In just the past year, I can recall multiple instances of hurt feelings, misunderstandings, explosive anxiety, and conflict between Christians in our churchincluding within the staff. Ive been brought in to help with some situations, Ive been aware of others, and Ive been personally involved in and affected by some.

I shouldnt be surprised. We shouldnt be surprised. This is real, regular life together in Christs church. Our lives together are conflicted because were limited and broken humans but we still must live in community.

Throughout history, the church has used a number of approaches to address these sorts of situations, spanning from excommunication to restoration processes to destructive cover-ups. In many American churches today, great emphasis is put on the need for church discipline to deal with sin and its effects. To protect the purity of the church, disciplinary procedures are established to address egregious or ongoing sin.

Central to most teachings on church discipline is one key passage: Matthew 18:1520. These few verses have become the church discipline text. Theyre used as the North Star and map, guiding pastors in the steps necessary to handle moral failure. This is understandable and not completely misguided.

But a careful reading of Matthew 18 gives us a different vision for what Jesus is teaching in these few verses. Rather than viewing this passage strictly in terms of discipline, we can see it as one part of Jesus practical and constructive instructions for our normal, conflicted life together in the Christian community. Matthew 18 is about creating flourishing communities far more than it is about handling church problems.

The great book of discipleship

Context is king, but Jesus is Lord my son likes to quip, somewhat snarkily quoting one of his professors. The old chestnut of the necessity of literary context is true when it comes to understanding Matthew 18. This famous chapter does not stand alone. It is but one part of what many scholars consider to be the most highly structured book in the entire Bible: the Gospel according to Matthew.

One of the many reasons Matthew has long stood at the head of the New Testament canon is because it provides such a clear and powerful program for shaping people into followers of Jesus. Matthew is the great book of discipleship. This is accomplished through a sophisticated literary structure thats clearly designed for its disciple-making goal.

In the ancient world, people wrote biographies of great teachers and philosophers to commend their teachings and the models of their lives. This is in essence what our Gospels are: narratives peppered with teaching discourses, inviting people to become disciples of Jesus.

To accomplish his disciple-making goal, Matthew groups the bulk of Jesus teaching into five major blocks of instruction (chapters 57, 10, 13, 18, and 2325). Each of these famous discourses is organized around a theme, providing disciple-shaping lessons that are easily memorizable. Jesus goal through his teachings is to retrain the sensibilities, loves, habits, behaviors, and thoughts of his followers in accord with Gods coming kingdom as revealed through himself. This is what it means to be a disciple, taking Jesus yoke of wisdom on ourselves and learning his very different way of inhabiting the world (11:2530).

When we recognize that Matthew 18 is but one part of the Gospels disciple-making instructions and that the overarching goal of the book is disciple formation, we can read Jesus sayings in chapter 18 with greater clarity. Though disciplining erring church members can be an application of Jesus instructions, this reading is narrow at best and potentially wrong-headed. The most important thing to understand about Matthew 18:1520 is that it is not primarily an instruction manual for church discipline but rather a small part of a larger, constructive program meant to shape how Christian disciples live in community.

A household code

My learned and very avuncular uncle always joked that a day is never wasted when you can use a German word. Heres a good one, from the mind of Martin Luther himself, that aptly describes Matthews purpose in chapters 1820: haustafel, or household table or code. A household code gives instructions for how the various members of a larger family unit should relate to each other and what attitudes should be valued and practiced. Other biblical examples of a household code include Ephesians 5:226:9 and Colossians 3:184:1.

Matthew 1820 serves the same purpose for the household or family of the churchfor newly formed people of God in Jesus Christ. It explores a variety of interpersonal situations to instruct Christs people on who and what they should hold in honor. In this section, we see the value of children and the vulnerable (18:114; 19:1315), the importance of Christian brothers and sisters forgiving each other (18:1535), Gods high regard for marriage (19:112), and the exaltation of those who follow in Christs way of suffering over those who are wealthy and externally righteous (19:1630).

Taken together, these chapters provide a vision for a new way of inhabiting the world together, explained through descriptions of what our relationships should look like. This is the integrated context of Matthew 18:1520, and we miss it when we view these few verses alone. Jesus teaching here is but one example of the unique tenor of relationships within Christs church.

The primary mark

This supposed church discipline text is really part of the great theme of forgiveness as the primary mark of the Christian community. The central ethical exhortation in Matthew is the call to be merciful. Through modeling merciful action (such as the mercy shown to Mary by Joseph in 1:19) and through Jesus direct teachings, Matthew emphasizes Jesus calls for his disciples to be people of mercy.

Showing mercy is a two-sided virtue: merciful compassion toward those in need (6:24; 9:1213; 12:7) and merciful forgiveness toward those who have wronged us (5:7, 9; 6:1415; 18:2135). And its this sense of mercy as forgiving others thats the primary marker indicating who the followers of Christ are and who are not. In fact, lack of forgiveness is one reason why some might be removed from the church via the outlined steps of 18:1520because they are unwilling to be reconciled to another believer, despite the church bodys exhortation to do so.

This theme of mercy as forgiveness is doubly emphasized by the lengthy parable Jesus tells immediately after 18:1520. The parable of the unforgiving servant (in vv. 2135) is one of Jesus most heart-convicting and strongly worded teachings. It illustrates and drives home his point: Christians must forgive one another.

Its not that Matthew 18:1520 doesnt address practical ways to deal with sin in Christian communityit does. But when we broaden our reading to take in the full context, we see that discipline is not the driving focus; growing as a community characterized by Christs mercy and grace is.

The long game

Throughout Matthew 1820, we also see the persistent and unavoidable reality of conflict within the Christian community. This passage creates appropriate expectations for our conflicted life together. Jesus instructions are necessary because of humans acting badly: disregarding children, causing harm to the vulnerable, divorcing without cause, fighting over who is the greatest, andmost centrallysinning against each other and failing to forgive each other.

Its important to note that Jesus does not indicate shock or surprise at these situations. Nor does he expect them not to happen. Rather, Jesus knows this is the normal human experience and, therefore, the normal Christian experience in community.

A flourishing community is not one free of conflict but one where Christians value and practice Jesus very different way of being in the world. And this is the main purpose and disciple-making goal of Matthew 18:1520.

Church health does not mean lack of conflict. Church health looks like Christians corporately handling conflict as a serious and communal matter with the goal of reconciliation. This is Christs way.

Thus, pastors can learn to take conflict as given and inevitable. As we all know well, sooner or later, situations needing the wisdom of Matthew 1820 will occur. The function of these texts is to normalize such experiences within a church community and to give practical steps for living together in the way of love. This driving principle applies to the adulterous affair, the narcissistic pastor, and the fighting parents.

As pastors, were called to play the long game of teaching Christs people what he values from Matthew 1820. When conflicts and moral failures of all sorts occurand they willwe need not be surprised. Instead, we can see these situations as an opportunity to teach Christs way.

A pastor can utilize Jesus community-oriented steps to seek reconciled relationships. By doing so, we help our people grow as a beautiful alternative community. We model his way of being in the world, serving as the light that shines in the darkness.

Jonathan T. Pennington is professor of New Testament at Southern Seminary and pastor of spiritual formation at Sojourn East Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of several books, including Jesus the Great Philosopher.

This article is part of our spring CT Pastors issue exploring church health. You can find the full issue here.
70 Georgia churches leave United Methodist Church over homosexuality debate

Seventy congregations in Georgia have decided to leave The United Methodist Church due in part to the mainline Protestant denominations ongoing debate over homosexuality.

The UMC North Georgia Conference announced last Thursday that 70 congregations representing 9% of its churches and 3% of its members have chosen disaffiliation.

The official date of disaffiliation for the churches will be June 30.

It is expected that many if not all of these departing congregations will join the newly created Global Methodist Church, which was launched as a conservative alternative to the UMC.

Bless these congregations as they depart, prayed North Georgia Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, as quoted by the announcement. I pray that we will be partners in ministry and you will do your mighty work of healing division and overcoming rifts.

The 70 churches leaving the North Georgia Conference comes as many other congregations in the United States are leaving the UMC over the ongoing debate on LGBT issues.

The UMC Book of Discipline presently labels homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching and prohibits the blessing of same-sex unions or the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals.

However, many in the UMC adamantly oppose the Book of Discipline's biblically-based stance and some prominent leaders in the denomination have refused to enforce the rules.

In January 2020, a theologically diverse group of UMC leaders agreed to advance a proposal at the next General Conference that would create a new Methodist denomination for those who oppose changing the Book of Discipline.

Theological conservatives later created the Global Methodist Church, which was going to serve as the new denomination once the separation proposal was passed at General Conference.

Although General Conference had been scheduled for later in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led the UMC to postpone the churchwide legislative gathering multiple times.

After the UMC decided to again delay General Conference to 2024, the GMC announced that it would launch on May 1, rather than wait for any separation proposals to be approved.

It is anticipated that some theologically conservative local churches will find annual conferences willing to negotiate fair and just exit provisions, while others will, unfortunately, face obstacles placed in their paths, the GMC said in a statement released in March.

The Transitional Leadership Council decided it was time to launch the Global Methodist Church, so those who can leave early will have a place to land, to begin building and growing, and making room for others to join later.

In addition to the 70 churches in North Georgia leaving the UMC, 35 congregations in Arkansas and over 100 congregations in Florida are undergoing a discernment process to consider possibly leaving the UMC.
Bureaucrats vs. babies: how government caused the baby formula shortage

Jesus singled out children as subjects of special care and protection. He rebuked His disciples for not letting children come to Him and threatened millstones to those who cause littles ones to stumble. And of course He said And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

If giving water to a little one carried a special reward, what judgment lies in store for those who prevent others from giving bottles to thirsty babies? Given the tragic, unjust and unnecessary government edicts which have led to the recent shortage in baby formula, thats a question our government should be asking itself.

The shortage of baby formula first appeared last fall and was due to supply chain bottlenecks resulting from the pandemic. Then in February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shut down the Abbott Labs plant that produces around 23% of all formula in the country. U.S. manufacturers produce 98% of all formula sold here. Just four companies produce 90%. This raises a lot of questions.

When FDA bureaucrats shut down a plant that makes a quarter of the formula for babies, why didn't anyone consider that this may cause a critical shortage? The supply before the shutdown was already short about 20% and parents were screaming for relief. Is no one at the FDA smart enough to see that shutting down the Abbott plant would severely worsen the shortage, and so plan to alleviate it? Or were they too busy with LBGQT+ training to bother?

A full four months later, the federal government grudgingly decided to allow imports from Europe. That, along with re-opening the Abbott plant, should begin to help. But why did it take four months? And why havent we been importing European baby formula before this? After all, their standards are higher than those of the U.S. in some cases, and basic economics informs us that competition reduces prices while boosting quality.

The American Institute for Economic Research reported, U.S. Customs recently seized nearly 600 cases of formula from Germany and the Netherlands over labeling requirements. The agencys self-congratulatory press release reads as though it had made a major drug bust, lauding its and the FDAs collective efforts to help keep our citizens safe.

And the Wall Street Journal wrote, Parents who tried to purchase directly from Europe had hundreds of dollars of formula seized by U.S. customs agents. One parent reported that she had nearly $700 of formula destroyed at the borderin the middle of a national formula shortage.

Why do only four companies control 90% of the supply? The answer lies in the desire of the majority of voters to have the federal government regulate industry. Americans believe in a fictional entity that is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, always good, and watching over their welfare night and day. They call it Government. This fictional entity battles like a valiant knight against an evil, corporate dragon that would burn down every city and devour the helpless inhabitants if the Government knight didnt defend them.

Mental magic keeps people from seeing that the Government they idolize is not what they imagine but is made up of nothing more than humans like them: politicians and bureaucrats have a strong tendency to selfishness, greed, envy, and all the other evils individuals are subject to. Or they imagine magic happens to the humans who become bureaucrats and politicians which transforms them into angels.

Mainstream economists have perpetuated this fairy tale for a century: they see market failure everywhere, so much failure that its a wonder the market works at all! Then they proclaim that the fictional character known as Government can fix these failures. But their definition of market failure comes from another fairy tale they authored, that of perfect competition, taught in every intro to econ text. The real world doesnt and cant match their fairy tale, but instead of admitting they are devoted to a fairy tale, they declare the real world market has failed.

The economist James Buchanan won a Nobel Prize for telling people that politicians and bureaucrats arent angels. He informed us that those politicians and bureaucrats are real flesh and blood humans. They go into government work for selfish reasons, not to magnanimously shepherd every detail of your life. They are no less or more selfish, greedy, envious, dishonest, or power hungry than the executives of corporations. Most Americans would be horrified to know that their knights and dragons are best buds.

Each talks smack about the other in public, but in private they often share beers. Thats because politicians lust for power, and need money to get it to win their next election. Corporations give them the money. But like any good businessman, CEOs want something in return. Usually, they want politicians to put their corporate people on the regulatory agencies that oversee their industries. The process is known as regulatory capture.

Once on the staff of regulatory agencies, the corporate bureaucrats write regulations that favor the largest corporations. Of course, their motives are pure as snow. They only want to promote the health and safety of the American people. But few of the regulations they write have anything to do with health and safety and everything to do with blocking competition. After all, we have known for decades that Canada and Europe produce high quality baby formulas that the FDA refuses to allow Americans to buy.

For a detailed explanation of the process, read Bootleggers and Baptists: How Economic Forces and Moral Persuasion Interact to Shape Regulatory Politics. In short, bootleggers and Baptists had the same goal: to end legal sales of booze on Sunday. They had different reasons for wanting that. Baptists thought they were saving society; bootleggers wanted to have the Sunday market to themselves by eliminating competition from established liquor stores. But they cooperated to get the regulations or legislation passed.

In the formula fiasco, the FDA plays the role of Baptists: they only want to protect the health of babies. Corporate baby formula makers are the bootleggers: they want to limit competition from smaller businesses and foreigners. The result for babies has been higher prices for their food, or no formula at all.

Economists, mostly on the Austrian side, have been informing people about this racket for decades, but most have pressed their hands to their ears. For change to happen, adults must quit believing in fairy tale characters like Government and open their ears and eyes to reality.
Police in Pakistan refuse to rescue Christian girl from Muslim kidnapper

The parents of a 15-year-old Roman Catholic girl in Pakistans Punjab province say their daughter was abducted two months ago by a Muslim man who has now forced her to marry him and convert to Islam, but police remain uncooperative despite the accused being identified.

Nadeem Masih, a sanitation worker at a textile factory, said her daughter, Saba Masih, was abducted on May 20 from the Madina Town area of Faisalabad city when she was going to work with her older sister, according to Morning Star News.

Masih said their 45-year-old Muslim neighbor, identified as Muhammad Yasir, forcibly took Saba away in a rickshaw. Yasir has already been married thrice but does not have children from either of his wives, he added.

The Christian girls family promptly called police but there has been no progress in the case.

The police are not cooperating with us, he was quoted as saying. The investigating officer keeps telling us that Saba has converted to Islam and contracted marriage with Yasir, but he has not shown us any document as yet. We are pleading with police to at least recover the girl and arrange our meeting with her so that we can ascertain the facts ourselves, but he doesnt listen to us.

The accused claims he had an affair with the girl. Yasirs family has tarnished our reputation in the area with claims that Saba had an affair with their son, and that shes the one who coaxed him into eloping from their homes. We have no one to turn to in this difficult time.

Masih said that his wife, a domestic worker, recently suffered a knee injury and that is why their two oldest daughters were working in her place.

I was forced to take my children, four daughters and two sons, out of school due to poverty, and my wife and elder daughters are working as household helps to supplement our family income, he said. We are already suffering from poverty, and now our daughter has also gone missing.

A local group called Human Rights Focus Pakistan helped Masih to file a complaint with the city District and Session Court, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said, adding that two hearings have been held and despite all the evidence available, the police have made no progress, failing to rescue the girl or arrest her captor.

The kidnapper has been clearly identified, two eyewitnesses have made statements in court, and the owner of the factory has admitted the kidnapping by the co-worker: Why hasnt the police taken action yet? the president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan was quoted as saying.

Saba is one of the at least three Christian girls who remain missing in Faisalabad city.

A 2014 report by The Movement for Solidarity and Peace Pakistan estimated that hundreds of women and girls from Pakistan's Hindu and Christian communities are abducted, forcibly married and converted to Islam every year.

Religion is often injected into cases of sexual assault to place religious minority victims at a disadvantage, ICC previously reported, adding that perpetrators play upon religious biases to cover up and justify their crimes by introducing an element of religion.
Youth pastor killed by Muslim extremists who set church on fire in Uganda

A 32-year-old youth pastor in Uganda has reportedly died due to injuries he sustained during an attack on his church by alleged Muslim extremists carrying swords, axes and sticks, according to a nonprofit persecution monitoring organization.

Sources told Morning Star News that Emmanuel Mugabi from the Bukomero area in Kiboga district near the national capital city of Kampala was beaten during a May 20 attack and succumbed to a blood clot about a week later.

Bishop Sserugga John Assaph of Bukomero Miracle Center Church said Mugabi lost consciousness during the attack, which occurred around 5 p.m. Assaph claimed that the attack occured after the church had distributed Bibles and organized an evangelistic outreach.

The mob that killed the pastor was allegedly led by Sheikh Musa Lwanga, a resident of the village where the victim had distributed Bibles. During the attack, the extremists shouted the slogan, Allah akbar [God is greater].

They pulled down the building while shouting Allah akbar and thereafter set it on fire with petrol and rubber on timber, burning iron sheets, chairs, Bibles and other church property, Assaph was quoted as saying.

Assaph said that he called the police after the building was set on fire.

The rescue team found a man in a pool of blood, Assaph told the nonprofit. The police called me to identify the victim, and I found that he was my youth pastor.

The pastor stated that the congregation had spent a "huge amount of money" to build the church and purchase equipment.

We are requesting well-wishers to extend a love offering for the rebuilding of our church structure so that our members may have a shelter to worship," Assaph stated.

Local police chief Lydia Ashaba told Morning Star News that a case has been opened against the assailants.

Before his death, Mugabi identified Musa Serunjoji as the first person who hit him on the head with an axe. Others then struck him on the leg, chest and back.

A church elder who lives near the church identified Serunjoji and Ahmad Tulyagumanawe as part of the mob.

Assaph, his son and Associate Pastor Ivan Serunjoji were also attacked by the extremists when they were on a bridge over the Kiyanja River while returning from the burial of Mugabis body on May 29. They sustained injuries.

Assaph said the second attack occured after a man on the bridge stopped them.

We thought that maybe he needed assistance from us, Assaph said. As we stopped, we saw other men entering the road from the bush and started shouting, mentioning my name, Bishop Sserugga! Bishop Sserugga! Kill him, kill him. They had long sticks and iron bars, and they started beating us.

While most people in Uganda are Christian, some regions in the country have higher concentrations of Muslims. Armed attacks and murders of converts are not uncommon in those regions.

Bukomero is a predominantly Muslim area that is home to four large mosques.

The Muslims are very hostile to any new religion that comes into the community, Assaph was quoted as saying.

The Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project estimates that about 11.5% of Ugandas population is Muslim, mostly Sunni, while 86.7% is Christian.

Earlier this year, Muslim extremists reportedly beat Christian apologist Charles Kamya unconscious in the Bwaise area of Kampala.

The 43-year-old told Morning Star News that he was driving on Jan. 29 when he was stopped by two men. After stopping the car, he claims to have been ambushed by six men in Islamic attire.

'You have been terrorizing our religion. Today Allah has called you, and you are going to meet him,'" Kamya recalled his attackers saying. "Some beat me badly while others cut me with some objects, and I lost a lot of blood as they pulled me out of my car and threw me out."

He said he was struck with an iron bar and left in a pool of his blood for two hours until a passerby called the police.

The attack occured a couple days after Kamya debated Muslims at a mosque. Local churches organized another debate scheduled for the same day of the attack.

On Easter Sunday, a 26-year-old Ugandan mother was stabbed by her Muslim husband because she converted to Christianity earlier in April. The attack occured after she returned from Easter worship service on April 17.

Another honor attack occured on April 2 when a Muslim woman in the Nawanjofu village of Butaleja district added poison to her husbands food after he converted to Christianity days earlier.
Court blocks Vermont from barring religious school students from tuition program

A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of Catholic high school students who sued Vermont over a policy barring students who attend religious high schools from accessing a high school tuition program.

The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency injunction pending resolution before a three-judge panel, barring the state from preventing students who attend religious high schools from accessing the states Town Tuitioning Program.

The program provides students living in towns that dont have access to public high schools with tuition funds to use at a private school of their choice.

But the state has prevented the use of those funds to pay for students to attend faith-based institutions.

The 2nd Circuit ruled last Friday that the appellants have established a substantial likelihood that they will prevail on the merits of their Free Exercise claims against the School Defendants.

School Defendants denied tuition reimbursement payments to RMHS solely because of its religious affiliation, the order authored by Court Clerk Catherine OHagan Wolfe states.

The case, A.H. v. French, was brought on by four Catholic high school students, their parents and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington.

They are represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a prominent national legal nonprofit that focuses on religious liberty and free speech cases.

ADF Legal Counsel Paul Schmitt argues that people of faith deserve their equal share of generally available public benefits.

Because Vermont decided to provide funds for private education when public schools arent readily available, it cannot refuse to allow families to use those funds at some schools just because they are religious, Schmitt said in a statement.

The government cant discriminate against religious students and their families by refusing to give them the same benefit that their neighbors receive.

Schmitt contended that the order is consistent with the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in the 2017 case of Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer. The Supreme Court ruled by a vote of 7-2 that Missouri could not prevent a church daycare from accessing a secular aid program to help make playgrounds safer for children because it is a religious organization.

[This] helps ensure that Vermont families who choose a faith-based education can enjoy the same publicly available opportunities as other families while this lawsuit moves forward, Schmitt said.

Last June, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue that religious schools can qualify for a state tax credit program even when the state constitution prevents tax dollars from going to religious institutions.

A State need not subsidize private education. But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion.

Vermonts tuition program is the oldest publicly funded school choice system and dates back to the early 1800s.

Last October, the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Maine parents who sued the state over a policy that excludes religious schools from its state tuition program despite the Supreme Courts earlier ruling that year striking down similar restrictions in Montana. Maines tuition program is the second-oldest in the country.

[T]he Supreme Court of the United States has decided two cases that the plaintiffs contend require us now to reverse course. Even accounting for that fresh precedent. However, we see no reason to do so, the panels ruling, authored by Judge David Barron, an Obama appointee, reads.

In December, another lawsuit was filed against Vermont, the states secretary of education, the state board of education and four of Vermonts public school districts by parents represented by the Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center. The nonprofit focuses on legal cases related to school choice.

The lawsuit argues that the program is unfair because it allows children residing in certain school districts to attend the schools of their choosing, while it denies this same right to students in other school districts.

Vermonts Town Tuitioning system works well for the favored few who happen to live in a location where it is available, Brian Kelsey, senior attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, said in a statement. Unfortunately, only 17 percent of Vermont school children are afforded some form of choice under the present system. Those who are ineligible are at a distinct, and unconstitutional, disadvantage.
Church rents movie theater marquee in response to LGBT pride event: 'Then cometh shame' LGBT group calls sign 'damaging and toxic,' cites 'religious trauma'

A Michigan church is stirring up strong reactions from the community after renting out a popular movie theater sign and quoting Bible verses on it ahead of a nearby LGBT pride event.

The Old Theater in Lowell, which has a population of about 3,800 and is located approximately 15 miles east of Grand Rapids, posted the messaging on its marquee, which it regularly rents out for advertising and other uses.

Pastor Josh Langdon of Lowell's Bible Believers Church told The Christian Post that the church rented out the space to stand up to what he calls an extreme LGBT agenda that we believe is unbiblical and damaging to our culture.

Its an intense battle that we believe as a church that Christians need to stand against, he said.

Langdon said the church decided to rent the sign when they heard the event was returning to Lowell after 2021, which was the first time the city held an LGBT pride event.

Last June, Langdon says the church went to the event with Scripture signs and Gospel tracts to stand against the movement.

With this year's Lowell pride event being held this past Saturday, the congregation rented the Old Theater marquee and put the words of Acts 16:31 on one half and Proverbs 11:2 on the other in the King James Version. Proverbs 11:2 reads: When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom."

The signage drew heavy criticism from supporters of the pride event. Many of them took to The Old Theaters Facebook and Google pages to voice their disapproval, including writing what Langdon said were intentionally smearing reviews on Google.

Langdon said it wasn't the church's intention to cause controversy for the theater.

I guess I knew that there would be people in the pride movement that would be upset by it, anticipated that they wouldnt be happy about the verses, but I feel bad that this business is being intentionally [smeared], he said. Its sad to see in our culture this quickness to cancel people that you dont see eye to eye with, and its what it looks like is going on in this case.

Nicole Lintemuth, board president of Lowell Pride, told CP in an email interview that the groups mission is to celebrate the diversity of LGBTQIA+ culture and create a community that is safe and inclusive.

But after hearing about the theater signage, Lintemuth said she was disappointed but not surprised.

West Michigan is a pretty conservative area. For a lot of us, we grew up hearing hate the sin, not the sinner was the least cruel statement from people of faith, she said. For many of us, we heard over and over that we're evil, an abomination, something that needs to be destroyed."

That language is damaging and toxic, and religious trauma is real for many in our community," she added.

Lintemuth claims members of Langdons church were harassing our guests at last years event.

[Supporters] stood in front of them with flags and signs of love, stepping in for each other when one person's arms got tired, covering hate with love, she added. It gives me goosebumps still thinking about it.

The 2022 event featured over 70 vendors, a kids activity area and a lineup of events that included a Q&A panel where experts and community members answer questions submitted by the public.

It's a great opportunity for all of us [to] learn together and grow, Lintemuth said.

She claims Proverbs 11:2  the verse referenced on the marquee  has been misinterpreted to bash the LGBTQIA community.

The pride referenced is the pride in thinking we as humans could know more than God, or speak for Him," Lintemuth said. That they left off the second half of the verse, about how humility brings wisdom, is telling to me."

Pride for the LGBTQIA community is about breaking free from shame, hate and fear. It is not a lack of humility, or trying to change anyone, she added.

Lintemuth believes that while the Old Theater owners can do business as they see fit, shes calling on the theater to remove the phrase LGBTQ Welcoming from their Google page.

You can not be an ally and also be ignorant to the hate and discrimination we face on a daily basis, she said.

But for Langdon, he believes the church is facing cultural headwinds in America that can no longer be ignored.

While our culture wants to keep Christianity quiet, I believe its our duty to stand, even when its uncomfortable, and in this case it is, he said. Itd be much easier to not put up the sign in our small community.  People see it as stirring the pot and causing distress to others. That is not our goal."

We love homosexuals. We want to see them come to Christ for salvation, but how will they know without a preacher?'" he asked. "If Christians arent willing to oppose the error of their ways in truth and love, then they wont hear it.
Over 50 killed in 'vile and satanic' attack at Nigerian church on Pentecost Sunday

Gunmen suspected to be Islamic Fulani herdsmen barged into a Catholic Church in southwestern Nigeria, opened fire and detonated explosives while the congregation was celebrating Mass on Pentecost Sunday, killing at least 50 worshipers, including women and children. It's feared that some Christians were also abducted after the attack.

After the gunmen stopped shooting and the aftermath of the explosions was visible at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, it was a gory sight as dead bodies, both old and young, mostly women and children littered the church, the Nigerian daily The Guardian reported. Some bodies were dismembered with internal organs splashed on the temple ground.

The Rev. Andrew Abayomi, who led the Mass, was quoted as saying, We asked the people to seek refuge inside the church and we locked the doors. Some people still tried to escape; the attack was on for about 20 minutes.

A doctor told reporters that at least 50 bodies had been moved to the main government hospital in Owo and to St. Louis Catholic Hospital.

I was moved to tears when I saw a little boy that I used to hold his hands to school every morning lying down dead, among many others," one witness recalled. "What have we done wrong? Is it a crime to go to church to serve our God?

The witness said the gunmen, who are believed to be radical Fulani herders, got into the church from different angles, shot indiscriminately at the congregants and detonated what appeared to be dynamite.

Another witness was quoted as saying that some church members were abducted and their whereabouts is unknown.

Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu wrote on Twitter: This vile and satanic attack is a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed relative peace over the years.  I appeal to our people to maintain calm and let the security agencies take charge  the perpetrators will never escape. We are after them. And I can assure you we will get them.

Pope Francis offered his condolences to the victims and their family members.

The pope has learned of the attack on the church in Ondo, Nigeria, and the deaths of dozens of worshipers, many children, during the celebration of Pentecost, the pope said in a statement. While the details are being clarified, Pope Francis prays for the victims and the country, painfully affected at a time of celebration, and entrusts them both to the Lord so that he may send his Spirit to console them.

In southwestern Nigeria, such attacks are not common. Violence related to Islamic insurgency is frequent in the northeast, and bandits often attack and abduct people for ransom in the northwest.

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.
Parents, teachers sue to stop Virginia school district's trans pronoun policy

A group of parents and teachers have sued a Virginia school district over a policy requiring teachers to use the preferred pronouns of trans-identified students.

The plaintiffs, whose names have been redacted, filed a lawsuit last week in the Circuit Court of Rockingham County against the leadership of Harrisonburg City Public Schools.

At issue is the school boards decision to add gender identity to the school districts nondiscrimination policy. The policy forces teachers to use students' preferred pronouns and withhold information about students' gender identity from their parents if the student requests they do so.

The lawsuit claims the policy compels teachers to violate their religious convictions about gender and honesty and violates parents rights by interfering with their ability to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

Plaintiffs  are HCPS teachers and parents who object to HCPSs policy on free-speech, religious-freedom, and parental-rights grounds, the complaint reads.

"Plaintiffs deeply care about their students and children. They see the growing number of children struggling with gender dysphoria and want those children to experience love and support. But like many, Plaintiffs recognize that a policy of immediate social transition and unquestioning affirmation without parental involvement for every case of gender dysphoria in minors is harmful, not to mention contrary to science."

The plaintiffs are represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal nonprofit that has filed similar litigation against other school districts.

"Public schools should never hide information from or lie to parents about a

child's mental health," the complaint reads. "And schools should never compel teachers to perpetrate such a deception."

ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Bangert said in a statement that he believes parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, care, and education of their children.

Teachers and staff cannot willfully hide kids mental health information from their parents, especially as some of the decisions children are making at school have potentially life-altering ramifications, Bangert stated.

As the clients we represent believe, a teachers role is to support, not supplant, the role of the parent.

HCPS posted a statement on its website stating that the school board maintains a strong commitment to its inclusivity statement.

In specific student situations, the focus is always to foster a team approach that includes and supports the unique needs of the student and family on a case-by-case basis, stated HCPS.

We are dismayed that this complaint is coming to us in the form of a lawsuit in lieu of the collaborative approach we invite and take to address specific needs or concerns, an approach that we believe best serves the interests of our students, staff, and families.

HCPS adopted the policy after the Virginia Department of Education mandated school divisions adopt similar policies to a model policy that it supported during the 2021-2022 school year. Other school districts adopted similar policies.

In addition to the HCPS lawsuit, ADF oversees litigation against Loudon County Public Schools in Virginia over a similar measure known as Policy 8040.

According to the Loudon County policy enacted last year, school faculty and staff must use the chosen name and pronouns of a student who identifies as gender-expansive or transgender.

School staff shall, at the request of a student or parent/legal guardian, when using a name or pronoun to address the student, use the name and pronoun that correspond to their consistently asserted gender identity, read the policy.

The use of gender-neutral pronouns is appropriate. Inadvertent slips in the use of names or pronouns may occur; however, staff or students who intentionally and persistently refuse to respect a students gender identity by using the wrong name and gender pronoun are in violation of this policy.

Last year, the Loudoun County Schools suspended teacher Tanner Cross after he voiced objection to what at the time was a proposed Policy 8040 during a school board hearing. He said the policy would "damage children" and "defile the holy image of God." He argued that affirming students' preferred pronouns is "lying to a child."

After a judge ordered the school district to reinstate Cross, the school district argued that it had received complaints from students and parents who "expressed fear, hurt and disappointment about coming to school" in light of Cross' comments. Loudoun County Schools said addressing those concerns was "paramount to the school divisions goal to provide a safe, welcoming and affirming learning environment for all students."

The Virginia Supreme Court rejected the school district's appeal of the court's order to reinstate Cross.
Supreme Court rejects appeal to hear religious liberty concerns in Catholic school busing case

The United States Supreme Court has denied an appeal in a case regarding whether a Catholic school in Wisconsin was discriminated against when a school district prohibited it from participating in a transportation program.

In an order released Monday morning, the high court denied a petition to review (writ of certiorari) the case of St. Augustine School et al. v. Underly, Jill, et al., adding that Justice Amy Coney Barrett took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.

Although the court's refusal to hear the appeal leaves in place a decision that was in favor of the Catholic school, some believe that additional religious liberty issues have been left unresolved.

In 2016, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a lawsuit against Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers (who is now the governor of Wisconsin) and Friess Lake School District on behalf of St. Augustine and a group of parents.

State officials argued that students at St. Augustine were ineligible for public transportation access because another Catholic school was located in its attendance area, a term for the geographic region where a schools students live.

WILLs lawsuit argued that the officials wrongfully banned St. Augustine from the program because, while Catholic, the school was independent of the local archdiocese, whereas the other school in the attendance area was not.

St. Augustine School is an independent religious school that aligns its teachings to the Catholic faith. It is operated by its independent board of directors and according to its own articles of incorporation and by-laws, WILL explained in a 2016 press release. Despite the Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese confirming in writing that St. Augustine is not affiliated with the Archdiocese, Friess Lake and Superintendent Tony Evers disagree.

Although initially the lawsuit was defeated at the district court level in 2017 and again at the appeals court level in 2018, the Supreme Court vacated the ruling in 2020 due to the high court ruling in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue.

In Espinoza, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that religious schools can qualify for a state tax credit program even when the state constitution explicitly bans public aid to religious entities.

Last December, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that the lower court was wrong to side with the state, overturning a lower court decision and remanding the case for further proceedings.

Seventh Circuit Judge Diane Wood authored the panel opinion, concluding that we can find no reason why the state was entitled to accept St. Augustine's self-characterization as Catholic, while at the same time to reject its vociferous insistence that its understanding of what it means to be Catholic is significantly different from that of the diocesan schools.

With the benefit of the guidance we received from the Wisconsin Supreme Court, we conclude that it was error to rule for the state, added Wood.

In March, WILL filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, arguing that the Seventh Circuit panel opinion did not resolve the core constitutional questions of religious liberty at stake in the case.
Supreme Court says Catholic schools can dismiss teachers for religious reasons

The Supreme Court has ruled that two Catholic schools were within their rights to dismiss two teachers on the basis of classifying them as ministers rather than secular professionals.

In a decision released Wednesday morning, the high court ruled 7-2 that two California-based Catholic schools can classify their teachers as ministers and not be held by the standards of state antidiscrimination laws.

Justice Samuel Alito delivered the opinion of the court, being joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh.

Alito cited the 2012 Supreme Court decision Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, in which the court ruled unanimously that antidiscrimination laws do not apply to religious employment decisions.

The religious education and formation of students is the very reason for the existence of most private religious schools, and therefore the selection and supervision of the teachers upon whom the schools rely to do this work lie at the core of their mission, wrote Alito.

Judicial review of the way in which religious schools discharge those responsibilities would undermine the independence of religious institutions in a way that the First Amendment does not tolerate.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored a dissenting opinion, being joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in which she argued that the decision strips thousands of schoolteachers of their legal protections.

 the Courts apparent deference here threatens to make nearly anyone whom the schools might hire ministers unprotected from discrimination in the hiring process, wrote Sotomayor.

Agnes Deirdre Morrissey-Berru sued Our Lady of Guadalupe School of Hermosa Beach under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, claiming age discrimination.

Our Lady of Guadalupe argued that Morrissey-Berru was let go due to poor performance and because of a new rating system implemented that featured the teachers becoming catechists.

Although a district court ruled in favor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a three judge panel of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned the ruling in April of last year.

The panel concluded that as a teacher, Morrissey-Berru held a position that was too secular to warrant a ministerial exemption and thus her claim of age discrimination remained valid.

Aside from taking a single course on the history of the Catholic church, Morrissey-Berru did not have any religious credential, training, or ministerial background. Morrissey-Berru also did not hold herself out to the public as a religious leader or minister, concluded the Ninth Circuit panel.

Morrissey-Berru did have significant religious responsibilities as a teacher at the School  However, an employees duties alone are not dispositive under Hosanna-Tabors framework.

In the other case, Kristen Biel sued St. James School of Torrance over not renewing her contract, allegedly because she had cancer, which violated the Americans With Disabilities Act.

St. James School responded Biel was released because of poor performance and that the decision was made before Biel disclosed her cancer diagnosis to the school.

In December 2018, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit ruled 2-1 that Biel was not a minister according to the standards set out by Hosanna-Tabor and thus could sue the school.

There was no religious component to her liberal studies degree or teaching credential. St. James had no religious requirements for her position, concluded the panel majority.

Nor did St. James hold Biel out as a minister by suggesting to its community that she had special expertise in Church doctrine, values, or pedagogy beyond that of any practicing Catholic.

The two cases were consolidated and argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in May, with the religious liberty law firm Becket representing the Christian schools.

Our view was the court really seemed quite broadly in agreement that the schools should win their case and that the 9th Circuit was wrong, Becket Senior Counsel Daniel Blomberg, a member of the legal team representing the schools, told The Christian Post at the time.

I think the thing that the justices were probing was less about this particular case but more about how to draw the line doctrinally in future cases. I think thats one of the things that came through really clear was that the line being drawn by opposing counsel wasnt the right one.
Supreme Court abortion case sparks debate over how ruling may impact IVF, fertility industry

If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling by upholding Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban, some have speculated that the ruling could criminalize certain aspects of the fertility industry, particularly In Vitro Fertilization.

IVF consists of manually combining sperm and egg in a laboratory dish before transferring the embryo into a woman's uterus. Pro-life organizations such as Illinois Right to Life have warned that IVF results in the killing of unborn children in multiple ways, citing research that shows embryos often die when they're discarded or fail to survive being frozen or thawed.

Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity for the socially conservative nonprofit Family Research Council, told The Christian Post that the IVF industry "reveals the truth that human life begins when the sperm fertilizes the egg."

"At that moment, the new human life is sacred and must be treated as such," Szoch said in an emailed response to CP. "Every human embryo should be protected regardless of where it is located because every human embryo is a human person. Destroying embryos rejects this fact."

The Center for Bioethics & Culture Network President Jennifer Lahl doesn't see a reversal of Roe as having any direct impact on the fertility industry. Lahl is also the director and producer of the 2010 "Eggsploitation" documentary, which examined abusive practices associated with the industry.

"Big Fertility is most concerned with assisting in making babies. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, I could imagine the legislative debate will happen at the individual state level, and whether states decide to include the fertility industry in their abortion laws is yet to be seen."

Earlier this month, however, Dr. Marcelle Cedars, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, released a statement saying he's "very concerned" about the leaked draft opinion released in May that suggests a majority of the justices would vote to overturn Roe.

Cedar believes returning the abortion issue to the states and allowing state lawmakers to enact laws recognizing embryos as human beings could result in the banning of reproductive technologies, including IVF.

Dr. Natalie Crawford of FORA Fertility in Austin, Texas, expressed similar concerns when discussing a bill in Louisiana that would criminalize abortion and recognize that the unborn have rights at the moment of fertilization. Other states, such as Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky, have also enacted trigger laws that would ban abortion if Roe is overturned.

"A bill like the one that's proposed in Louisiana would prohibit IVF in that state, and that's something we're extremely worried about," Crawford told CNN last month. "We don't think people understand the repercussions from some of these proposed bills."

Elizabeth Kirk, director of the Center for Law and the Human Person at the Columbus School of Law, contends that the issue at stake in Dobbs is state-level pre-viability abortion bans, not IVF.

"If the court were to overturn the current regime of Roe and Casey, it would mean that states would have latitude to pass laws that restrict abortion  or not. It would not be a mandate to ban abortion, or contraception, or IVF, or any other practice," she told CP in an emailed statement.

"Moreover, the issue of the personhood of the preborn is not before the court, and therefore it is extremely unlikely to render a holding that requires states to protect children in utero (or ex utero)," she continued.

Kirk also noted that no laws in the existing legal regime under Roe prevent states from regulating reproductive technologies such as IVF, as the technologies "do not implicate the same concerns that pregnancy does."

"Nevertheless, most states have not chosen to do so; such technologies are notoriously unregulated," she added. "Very rarely have states passed laws protecting extra-uterine embryos and when so doing have focused on their vulnerability to intentional destruction or exploitation through research."

The Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act, which passed in 1992, requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect and publish data about IVF, but not all clinics report their data to the CDC. The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) provide some regulation of fertility clinics and doctors, although, it's reportedly minimal.

As Business Insider reported in 2015, practice committees for ASRM and SART write reports about applying new procedures and treatments for reproductive technologies. Practice committees might also provide recommendations about how many embryos should be transferred per cycle depending on the age of the woman undergoing IVF.

Doctors are not required to follow these recommendations, and fertility clinics do not have to obtain approval before performing new procedures. The lack of oversight means the industry mostly regulates itself, as Business Insider reported.

Kirk stated that some states, such as Kansas, exclude ex utero embryos from protection in its fetal homicide laws to avoid having the laws apply to IVF.

"Legislators crafting proposed personhood laws will have to grapple with the complexities raised by reproductive technologies, but generally, there seems to be very little political appetite for laws restricting technologies like IVF, and this is unlikely to change if the Supreme Court declares abortion is not a fundamental right."
Religious freedom advocates say State Dept. pushing a 'political narrative' on Nigerian violence

The U.S. State Department says it has raised concerns about religious freedom conditions in Nigeria even though advocates accuse the Biden administration of pushing a "political narrative" as the West African country faces increasing extremist and communal violence.

The State Department released its annual international religious freedom report Thursday, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken described as a "thorough, fact-based review of the state of religious freedom in nearly 200 countries and territories around the world."

The report featured a 25-page section on the state of religious freedom in Nigeria, which was previously included on the State Department's "Countries of Particular Concern" list of governments that engage in or tolerate egregious violations of religious freedom.

Blinken removed Nigeria from the list last November, just under a year after then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added the West African nation to the list in December 2020. According to advocates, Nigeria was the first secular democracy to be added to the CPC list, which carries the possibility of sanctions.

The new State Department report cited testimony from "civil society organizations and media," who "stated that insecurity was pervasive throughout the country and increased nationwide, particularly in the North West region." As noted in the report, "Islam is the dominant religion in the North West region."

"There was pervasive violence involving predominantly Muslim herders and mostly Christian, but also Muslim, farmers, particularly in the North Central, but also in the North West (where most farmers were Muslim) and South West regions," the report added. "According to the Nigeria security tracker maintained by the Council on Foreign Relations, there were an estimated 10,399 deaths from violent conflict during the year, compared with 9,694 in 2020."

The Council on Foreign Relations estimated that 1,112 deaths "resulted from violence among ethnic groups, herdsmen, and farmers, some of which had implications for religion and religious freedom, according to multiple observers or, in the words of the council, 'sometimes acquires religious overtones.'"

In the heavily Christian southwest portion of Nigeria, local media and officials determined that criminal attacks initially attributed to members of the predominantly Muslim Fulani ethnic group were instead perpetrated by "armed criminal groups of various ethnicities."

Previous Christian Post articles on the killings of Christians were cited in the report, including a June 2 article about the death of a Nigerian Christian pastor and his 3-year-old son at the hands of Fulani radicals and a May 24 article about the arson of a church building by "bandits" who also shot eight Christians to death.

Last November, the same month that the State Department announced Nigeria's removal from the CPC list, Blinken met with high-ranking government officials in Nigeria.

According to the report, Blinken "raised religious freedom issues with government officials in a visit in November, as did embassy and consulate general officials throughout the year."

"Issues included the resolution of widely publicized blasphemy cases and the role of religious leaders in peacebuilding and social trust, and societal abuses affecting religion," the report reads.



Among other officials, Blinken and U.S. diplomats met with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

"U.S. officials also addressed religious tensions and efforts to bring religious groups together with several state governors  including the governors of Kaduna, Kano, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Borno, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Abia States  and other government officials throughout the country," the report reads. "They discussed government and government-supported grassroots efforts to reduce violence, combat insecurity, and promote religious freedom and interreligious tolerance."

Stephen Enada, president and founder of the International Committee on Nigeria, told The Christian Post in an email that "Blinken has not provided the needed leadership that can stabilize Nigeria's religious fault lines by removing Nigeria from the CPC designation."

Enada, a Nigerian Christian who fled to the U.S. several years ago after his cousin was killed, warned that violence occurring across multiple regions in the country, including the rise of terrorist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in the northeast, is impacting millions.

He said, "religiously motivated killings are ongoing and millions of people are displaced, and teenage girls are sold as sex slaves by the religious extremists."

"The issue of terrorism and other militant activities that have engulfed Nigeria in the past 10 years is as a result of state failure and lack of accountability," he argues.

While Enada suggests that the Nigerian government could do more to protect religious freedom, he praised the Nigerian Constitution for "the absence of a state religion" and it's granting of the right to practice a chosen "religion or faith without any force or coercion."

Nina Shea, the director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, told CP in an email that "the State Department has missed the big picture of vulnerable Christian minorities of northern Nigeria being repeatedly attacked and driven from their villages by Muslim extremists and their agents who act with complete impunity."

"Authorities fail to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of these large-scale atrocities, and moreover prosecute and threaten local journalists who report on them," she stated.

"There's an incomprehensible gap between the State Department's reporting and what desperate Christians on the ground are reporting to religious freedom advocates here. This gap reflects State's overreliance on sources that it and [United States Agency for International Development] funds, which in turn push a political narrative favored by State. That narrative says that northern violence is driven by a conflict over a scarcity of resources as a result of climate change."

Sam Brownback, who served as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom in the Trump administration and is the former governor of Kansas, was one of the first religious freedom advocates who condemned Nigeria's removal from the CPC list last fall.

"The sudden removal of Nigeria from the CPC list is a serious blow to religious freedom in both Nigeria and across the region," he said. "Just when we should be doing everything possible to stop the relentless violence that's targeting Christians and others, we do the opposite."

"This rewards the Nigerian government for tolerating severe religious freedom violations and sends a message to extremists that their actions will continue to go unpunished," he added. "People of faith in Nigeria will bear the fallout of this decision, and that's unacceptable."

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan panel tasked with advising the State Department and Congress about religious freedom matters, was critical of Nigeria's removal from the CPC list.

"USCIRF is especially displeased with the removal of Nigeria from its CPC designation, where it was rightfully placed [in 2020]," USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza said at the time.

The State Department's report offered praise to the Nigerian government for its response to the religious violence in the country.

"President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo regularly condemned attacks on places of worship and those attempting to exploit religious differences," the report reads. "Buhari regularly consulted with key Muslim and Christian leaders and celebrated both official Christian and Muslim holidays."

The report pointed to a Feb. 15 statement from Buhari asking religious leaders and government officials to "join hands with the Federal Government to ensure that communities in their domain are not splintered along ethnic and other primordial lines" as evidence of the government's support for religious freedom. Additionally, Buhari vowed that his "government will protect all  religious groups, whether majority or minority, in line with its responsibility under the constitution."

The report also commented on Nigeria's removal from the CPC list, saying that Blinken "determined that Nigeria did not meet the criteria" to remain on the list or be even added to the State Department's second-tier "Special Watch List."

Open Doors USA, an organization that monitors persecution in over 60 countries, ranks Nigeria as the seventh worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution. The religious freedom advocacy group Release International included Nigeria on a list of countries where Christian persecution was expected to worsen in 2022.
Pro-life group 'appalled' Illinois allowing underage girls to get abortions without parents knowledge

As both sides of the abortion debate await a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade and return the issue to the states, Illinois lawmakers have moved forward with expanding abortion access for underage girls without parental notification or consent.

A repeal of Illinois' Parental Notice of Abortion Act went into effect on Wednesday, meaning an underage pregnant girl can now undergo an abortion without her parent or guardians' knowledge.

The original 1995 law did not go into effect until 2013, after years of litigation. It required girls to notify their parents before having an abortion. However, the notification requirement could be waived if teenagers met privately with a judge and obtained a judicial bypass.

The state House and Senate voted to enact the Youth Health and Safety Act in October, which repealed the parental notification law. In December, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the new act into law, calling it "dangerous" to require girls to inform their parents about their pregnancy, claiming they could face homelessness or abuse.

Amy Gehrke, executive director of Illinois Right to Life, a Chicago-based organization that advocates against abortion, told The Christian Post they are "appalled" by the law's repeal.

"Gov. Pritzker has told the parents of Illinois that they don't matter and has completely trampled on their rights to be involved in the health decisions of their minor daughters," she said in an interview with CP. "We know that human traffickers and other sexual predators often cover their crimes with abortion. And our Legislature, along with Gov. Pritzker, has given these abusers carte blanche to continue abusing our girls."

Gehrke also noted that the original parental notification law already had safeguards to protect abuse victims. If a girl declared in writing that she was the victim of physical or sexual abuse, the law required abortionists to certify in the girl's medical record they received the notification of abuse.

The judicial bypass option under the original law to override the parental notification requirement served as a potential safeguard for abuse victims, she added. By having a confidential meeting with a judge, girls had the opportunity to tell someone about their situation and seek help.

The executive director of the Chicago-based pro-life group said the decision to repeal the law is proof that Pritzker and Illinois legislators care more about "placating the abortion industry than the will of their constituents."

A March 2021 poll commissioned by the Illinois Family Institute alongside several other groups and conducted by The Tarrance Group polling firm assessed the views of 600 registered Illinois voters. In a poll where 37% of participants identified as pro-life, 72% of respondents said they were in favor of the Parental Notification of Abortion Law.

"This is actually an issue that transcends abortion, and it goes to the heart of parents' rights and protecting young girls from those who would seek to do them harm by covering their crimes with abortion," Gehrke said.

In October, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois released a statement supporting the repeal of Illinois' parental notification law. The advocacy group asserted there is "no evidence" parental notice laws protect minors who are victims of trafficking, citing a letter released by anti-human trafficking organizations making similar claims.

"This specious argument is being advanced by those who have long promoted parental notice and other limitations on access to abortion care in the state of Illinois," Emily Werth, a lawyer with the ACLU of Illinois, said in the group's statement. "To use the lives of young people who have experienced trafficking in a desperate attempt to maintain dangerous anti-abortion policies in the state of Illinois is the height of hypocrisy."

A 2014 study published by Annals of Health Law found that 55% of sex trafficking victims were forced to undergo abortions, with 30% being forced to have more than one. One survivor told the study authors her trafficker took her to Planned Parenthood for one of her six abortions "because they didn't ask any questions."

Brook Bello, founder and CEO of More Too Life, an organization that assists former human trafficking victims, argued in favor of the law during a March 15 press conference organized by Parents for the Protection of Girls, a coalition of organizations that supported the parental notice law in Illinois.

The CEO was raped when she was 11 years old and trafficked from the age of 13.

"Our traffickers made us get abortions," Bello said. "Had our parents been notified, my mother would have known what city I was in, what street I was on."

In addition to potentially rescuing minors from trafficking, Bello said parental notification laws ensure parents are aware of medical complications that could result from their child undergoing an abortion.

The multiple abortions Bello's traffickers forced her to have irreversibly damaged her fertility. She believes this outcome could have been prevented if her parents had been notified about her abortions.

The repeal of Illinois' parental notice law comes as the Supreme Court considers whether to uphold Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban, which could give states the ability to enact pre-viability abortion restrictions, undermining Roe. The court is expected to issue a ruling sometime this month.

According to a May 2 Politico report, a leaked draft opinion shows that a majority of the justices might be leaning toward reversing Roe. A statement the following day by the court verified the authenticity of the draft opinion but also said the draft does not reflect the final ruling.

Illinois is among 16 states that have over the years enshrined abortion access in case Roe is overturned. According to Illinois.gov, over 46,000 abortions took place in Illinois in 2020, and over 1,000 were done on girls ages 15 to 17.
2 college students murdered outside Iowa church; gunman shot himself

A gunman shot dead two Iowa State University students as they were going to a church in Ames to attend a college ministry event. One of the victims and the shooter served in the Iowa Army National Guard and were part of the same unit, according to the latest details shared by the Story County Sheriffs Office.

The victims of the shooting that occurred Thursday night at the parking lot of Cornerstone Church have been identified as 22-year-old Eden Mariah Montang and 21-year-old Vivian Renee Flore, KWWL reported.

The shooter, 33-year-old Jonathan Lee Whitlatch, of Boone, Iowa, and who was carrying a 9mm pistol, died from a self-sustained gunshot wound to the head, it said, adding that about 80 other students were at the church when the shooting occurred.

Whitlatch fired several rounds at Flores and Montang and another woman who was with them and managed to find a position of safety, We Are Iowa reported, adding that Montang and Flores were fatally injured.

Citing a Friday press conference by the sheriff's office, the news portal said Whitlatch and Montang were previously in a relationship.

The Iowa National Guard said Montang and Whitlatch both served in the Iowa Army National Guard but were not in active duty status during the shooting, according to KIMT3 News.

Montang joined the Guard in August 2019 and served as a mortuary affairs specialist with Detachment 1, Headquarters Support Company, 248th Aviation Support Battalion in Boone. And Whitlatch joined the Guard in September 2015 and served with the same detachment.

Maj. Gen. Ben Corell, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, was quoted as saying: We are devastated by this tragic news. Our hearts are with all who are impacted, including the victims' families, Ames, Iowa State and Cornerstone Church communities, friends, and fellow service members. While working to support those affected, we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the investigation continues.

Whitlatch was scheduled to appear in a court hearing next week on a charge of harassing Montang. Whitlatch called a business in Ames several times identifying himself as a police officer to report Montang.

As per a criminal complaint filed last November, Whitlatch was also charged with Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse in Cedar Falls, and jailed, KWWL said.

On its Facebook page, the church said, We are more than saddened by the events that transpired. Our hearts break for all involved, and we are praying for everyone affected, especially the family of the victims.

It also quoted Psalm 34:18, which says, The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.

Right now, we are brokenhearted, the church said, and we need God to draw near to us.
Christian grad sues after university took action for sharing her beliefs with classmates

A conservative Christian student filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against officials at an Illinois university, alleging her civil rights were violated after the school issued three of her former classmates no-contact orders against her because of her religious and political beliefs.

Maggie DeJong, a former graduate school student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, claims fellow students reported her to school officials after publicly expressing her Christian faith and conservative political views on her social media accounts and with classmates and peers in and out of the classrooms.

DeJong, 26, was enrolled in SIUE's Art Therapy program and graduated last month.

DeJong often shared her opinions on political and religious topics on her social media pages, in private messages with other students and while participating in-class discussions, according to the civil complaint.

The political topics included critical race theory, Black Lives Matter, the criminal justice system, COVID-19 regulations, Marxism and censorship.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, claims that DeJong's conservative and Christian stances on the topics differed from those held by the program's faculty and students.

"Under the Art Therapy Program's 'anti-oppressive framework' and calls for 'social justice,' Ms. DeJong's speech was often seen as 'harmful,'" the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit lists former Chancellor Randall G. Pembrook, the school's Director for Equal Opportunity, Access Jamie Ball and Art Therapy Counseling Graduate Program Director Megan Robb as defendants in their individual capacities.

Robb allegedly told DeJong that she can express her viewpoints so long as they did not "harm" others," the legal filing notes. The lawsuit accuses Robb of directing and encouraging fellow art therapy students "to report Ms. DeJong's purportedly 'harmful,' and fully protected, speech to University officials."

DeJong is represented by attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom, a prominent conservative Christian legal advocacy group that has won religious freedom cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Rather than accept and embrace diverse ideological perspectives, SIUE officials are determined to force their graduate students to think and speak exactly the same  or stay silent  and they will punish anyone who steps out of line," ADF Senior Counsel Gregg Walters wrote in a statement.

"Maggie has always respectfully shared her religious or political views, which every student is entitled to do under the First Amendment. It is a sad day for civil dialogue and freedom of speech when universities can issue gag orders like those issued against Maggie for nothing more than expressing her beliefs  beliefs held by millions of Americans."

The university issued the no-contact orders on Feb. 10, which were rescinded two weeks later. With the three no-contact orders, DeJong was prohibited from having "any contact" or even "indirect communication" contact with the three fellow art therapy graduate students who requested them.

The lawsuit contends school officials didn't provide DeJong with any opportunity to defend herself and she wasn't told what the allegations against her entailed until a month later.

University officials further "threatened" to take "disciplinary consequences" if DeJong violated the no-contact orders.

"There is a famous expression used to describe the free-speech protection guaranteed by the First Amendment: 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,'" the lawsuit reads. "But our nation's public universities don't uphold that principle today. Instead, their message is often the opposite: 'I not only disapprove of what you say, but I will keep you from saying it.'"

ADF contends that Robb violated the university's policy of disclosure, which required all officials to "take all reasonable steps to ensure confidentiality during an investigation of a student for alleged misconduct."

The lawsuit accuses Robb of sending an email to over 30 students that confirmed DeJong was under investigation, accusing the student of "misconduct" and "oppressive acts."

"Ms. DeJong has suffered sleeplessness, anxiety, chest pains, feelings of sadness, loss of appetite, weight loss, lack of concentration, harm to her reputation, and future loss of employment and wages," the lawsuit claims.

School officials rescinded the no-contact orders days after receiving a demand letter from DeJong's attorneys.

It wasn't until a month after the no-contact orders were issued that officials revealed to DeJong the specific "materials underlying the orders and related investigation."

The Christian Post reached out to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for comment on the lawsuit. A response was not received by press time.

"Rather than, for example, advise Student T.P. and the other complainants to ignore Ms. DeJong's speech they disagreed with, or respond respectfully to it, University officials sacrificed Ms. DeJong's civil rights to appease the art therapy mob," the lawsuit reads.

"And University officials then sat on their hands as Defendant Robb, her student followers, and even alumni dragged Ms. DeJong's reputation through the mud simply because she holds views on an array of topics that differ from those espoused in the echo chamber that is the SIUE Art Therapy Program."

DeJong seeks "compensatory, nominal, punitive damages and attorney fees and costs compensation."

The three students who requested no-contact orders are identified in the lawsuit by abbreviated pseudonyms of "Student A.S.," "Student T.P.," and "Student S.W."

DeJong is described in the suit as a devout Christian whose faith "motivates her to love God above anyone else, love her neighbor as herself, and tell others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

In November 2021, the court filing says DeJong reportedly posted a meme to her social media account that read: "Don't be deceived" by "[n]ew age practices" and referenced New and Old Testament scriptures from the Bible.

After the post, DeJong received a private message from Student S.W., who said: "Don't you think it's not okay to say a person's belief system is wrong?"

In a private message sent to S.W., DeJong responded by claiming the remark was a "good question."

"In a relativist society, that can be viewed that way. But my personal held beliefs are grounded in objective truth by the gospel of Jesus Christ," wrote DeJong in her response to S.W. "My belief compels me to call out evil that holds people in spiritual bondage. You can totally disagree with me, and that is your right:) But it is out of love that I call this out."

A few months after the discussion, DeJong discovered that her statement about how her "personal held beliefs are grounded in objective truth by the gospel of Jesus Christ" was used in an art project of another student from the art therapy program.

The project title was: "The Crushing Weight of Microaggressions."

The lawsuit further claims that although DeJong was reported for expressing her conservative Christian stances, other students were given the opportunity to openly express their beliefs, even supernatural ones.

Student S.W., who identifies as a self-proclaimed witch, shared in class that "she wanted to learn how to cast spells."

And another student, who also identified as a self-proclaimed witch, brought Wicca materials to class.

The complaint accuses multiple professors of devoting time in class to holding discussions with students about tarot cards, and some students used tarot cards in the class sessions.

DeJong and Student S.W. reportedly sent messages to one another "between March 24 and 27, 2021, in which they expressed their respective viewpoints on several topics, including Second Amendment rights, gun laws, and 'privilege and power.'"

On another occasion, Student S.W. allegedly claimed that there was a text message from DeJong that was allegedly "perceived as threatening."

The message from DeJong reads: "[Student S.W.], I see where there are different forms of power, but I refuse to succumb to critical race theory. I think it is divisive and racist in its essence. So maybe I don't approach it your way, but I would be careful with your bold statements about me."

The text is one of over 40 messages sent between DeJong and Student S.W.
Does the Bible contain contradicting genealogies of Jesus?

Several times the New Testament declares Jesus to be the heir of King David and, thus, the descendant of Abraham (e.g., John 7:42; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 5:5). But only twice do we get a lengthy genealogy tracing the steps down to Jesus: Matthew 1:117 and Luke 3:2338.

Without ancestry.com and 23andme.com, it is not surprising that these two genealogies differ. Some differences are mere spelling variations. But sometimes they involve whole sections of names. It may be surprising to learn that the genealogies in Matthew and Luke align for only approximately seventeen names out of one hundred. But do such differences mean that the genealogies contradict each other? Are there errors, or can the genealogies be reconciled?

Skeptics have attacked Scripture on this point since the AD 200s (e.g., Porphyry and Julian the Apostate), and theologians have responded with various solutions (e.g., Clement of Alexandria, Julius Africanus, Ambrose, and Augustine). No comprehensive solution has won the day, but that does not mean there is none. It just means we must keep working at it. To that end, keep in mind four things when navigating the genealogies.

Intention of the authors

A genealogy is a compact narrative. The names bring with them the stories. If so, then both Matthew and Luke have authorial freedom in how to tell the genealogical story:

Matthew uses descending order ending with Jesus (A begat B), while Luke uses ascending order starting from Jesus (B son of A).

Matthew selects Abraham as the starting point, while Luke starts back at Adam.

Matthew places his genealogy at the beginning (Matt. 1), while Luke places it after Jesus baptism (Luke 3).

Matthew organizes the names in a 14/14/14 scheme (Matt. 1:17), while Luke may be adopting a subtle 11x7 scheme.

These choices are not contradictions. They simply reflect how the two evangelists have different goals. Matthew, for instance, stresses the AbrahamDavidJesus linkage (Matt. 1:1), while Luke stresses Jesus as son of God via Adam (Luke 3:38).

Lineal principle: Royal or blood line

A major choice when compiling a genealogy in antiquity is whether to offer the legal/royal lineage or the actual birth/blood lineage. The two are not the same: the legal heir may not reflect physical birth order (illustrated by Julius Caesars notoriously complex genealogy).

The most common theory is that Matthew on the whole offers the royal lineage, while Luke may largely trace actual birth descent. A telltale sign is this:

Matthew 1:612 David  Solomon  . . . Shealtiel

Luke 3:2731 David  Nathan  . . . Shealtiel

Nathan was the third son of David (2 Sam. 5:14) and older brother of Solomon, but the throne passed to the latter. Jesus, then, would have blood ties to David via Nathan and legal ties via Solomon. Adding further complexity, birth descent could be traced through the father or mother, though the former was more common.

Adoption practices

Extending the prior point, it was not uncommon, [even among Jews], for a father to adopt someone who was not his birth son to be legal heir. Such fusing of lineages via adoption may help explain other complexities:

Matthew 1:12 Jeconiah  Shealtiel  Zerubbabel

Luke 3:27 Neri  Shealtiel  Zerubbabel

Gods curse of Jeconiah involved Jeconiahs offspring not receiving the throne (Jer. 22:30). Perhaps Neri was the biological father of Shealtiel, who was then  via adoption  grafted into the royal line of Jeconiah.

Compression

Lastly, the compiler of a genealogy may choose to skip generations, just as one could summarize, Prince William is heir of Elizabeth I, omitting several steps in between.

Matthew 1:8 compresses the genealogy from Joram to Uzziah (skipping Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah). Compression may also help explain why the genealogy of Matthew 1:1216 from Zerubbabel to Jesus is so much shorter (nine names) than Luke 3:2327 (nineteen names).

Putting it together

Lets apply some of these principles to a final difference in the genealogies:

Matthew 1:1516 Matthan  Jacob  Joseph  Jesus

Luke 3:2324 Matthat  Heli  Joseph  Jesus

From a human perspective, who was Jesus grandfather?

One option is that Matthan/t (if the same person) had two sons, Jacob and Heli. One of them had Joseph as a son, but the other adopted him upon his birth fathers death.

Another option is that Jacob was Josephs father, but Heli was Marys father (implying that Matthan and Matthat are not the same person). Heli is listed by Luke as the closest physical male ancestor of Jesus and/or the adoptive father of Joseph (if, say, Heli had no male offspring).

There are other options, but these two illustrate the possibilities.

So what?

It can be intimidating to try to wrap our heads around the genealogies of Matthew and Luke. We should not ignore the differences. But we also should avoid the trap of automatically assuming that such differences are unsolvable contradictions or errors. With various tools or principles in place, plausible explanations are out there.

But amid the effort of reconciling the genealogies, let us not lose sight of what they both teach: Jesus Christ is the miraculously conceived son of a virgin yet is also  through Israels winding history  heir of the kingdom of David and the promises of Abraham.

This article was first published in Tabletalk, the Bible study magazine of Ligonier Ministries. Find out more at TabletalkMagazine.com or subscribe today at GetTabletalk.com.
Does the blood of Jesus burn demons?

A mission leader in India I have known for many years described what happened one time while casting demons out of a possessed individual. Pastor Vijay said the demons desperately cried out: The blood of Jesus is burning us!

Were those demons telling the truth? Demons, after all, are habitual liars, just like their master, Satan. And yet it seems highly unlikely that demons would mention the blood of Jesus, unless of course it was actually burning them as they claimed.

We know for a fact that demons are terrified of Jesus. Matthew recorded the following incident, which is as remarkable as it is revealing.

When Jesus arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 'What do you want with us, Son of God? they shouted. Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time? (Matthew 8:29) Jesus proceeded to cast the demons out of the men and into a herd of pigs.

I doubt that "Beelzebub (Satan), the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24), wanted that information to get out. Demons are petrified of the punishment that awaits them throughout eternity. Since the very presence of Jesus strikes so much fear into demons, I can only imagine what the blood of Jesus must do to them.

It was of course the blood of Christ shed on the cross that secured our eternal redemption. The devil and his legions of fallen angels hold no power or authority over believers.

In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace (Ephesians 1:7).

Demons are powerless against the blood of Jesus. It is the nuclear weapon of the spiritual world. Whether the blood of Jesus burns demons or not, Satan will most certainly burn forever in the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10).

The excruciating agony will never end for Lucifer, who first rebelled in Heaven (Ezekiel 28:12-18), and then deceived Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-7), and today prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

How does Satan devour people? By smothering their soul when they step onto his turf. That is, when people pursue sin rather than the Savior. Deliberate sin exposes a person to demonic oppression. The deadliest sin, of course, is rejecting Christ as Savior. Unbelief leaves your soul wide open to satanic aggression.

Thankfully, Christians are protected from the devil. And yet danger still lurks for believers. When a Christian persists in deliberate sin, it opens a door in the spiritual realm through which demons then oppress the child of God.

The Apostle Paul warned believers: In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:26-27). Christians invite demonic oppression by choosing to hold a grudge, or engaging in some other form of premeditated sin.

In order to close any demonic doors you have opened, confess your sins to God as you repent and pray: Wash me Jesus with your precious blood."

Satan tempts those of us who are born again to go against our conscience and compromise our biblical convictions by giving into sin. Satan wants to disrupt our peace in Christ and our work for the Lord. When we choose to disobey God, we permit the devil to hold some measure of influence over our life of discipleship.

It is important to stand firm on Gods Word and quote Scripture when we are being tempted, just as Jesus did when he was tempted by the devil in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). Do you remember what happened next? The devil left him... (v. 11).

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Pray often. Meditate upon Gods Word. And offer this prayer to God in faith whenever you feel oppressed by the enemy:

Lord Jesus, please drive away any sinful thoughts, as well as any demons, that are coming against my peace of mind and against your will for my life. Guard my thoughts and my mind dear Lord with the blood you shed on the cross for my salvation.

When you face temptation, remember that God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes (Ephesians 6:10). Paul carried out his work as an apostle with discernment from the Holy Spirit in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Demons hate Christ and his followers, and demons are terrified of the blood of Jesus. They realize that Christs blood and sacrifice on the cross defeated the devil. They also realize that their punishment will last forever in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

If the blood of Jesus does in fact burn demons during exorcisms in India, then I suspect the same thing happens today in America and around the world. In any event, demons are filled with dread and anguish because Jesus made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15).

Therefore, fix your thoughts on Jesus" (Hebrews 3:1); resist the devil, and remember that the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
I understand why some call us hateful

More than 15 years ago, God called me to reach out and resist, meaning, reach out to the gay community with compassion and resist the gay agenda with courage. From that moment on, I knew that I would be branded a hater. But I do understand why.

For some, of course, its a matter of using a tried-and-true strategy. Demonize your opponents. Dont deal with the actual issues but attack the people. Brand them Nazis and haters and homophobes and bigots. Dont allow them to be taken seriously.

But for others, this is not a matter of strategy. They genuinely feel that we hate them or, worse still, that our God hates them.

After all, the vast majority of gays and lesbians would say that they no more asked to be homosexual than we asked to be heterosexual. They would say that their romantic attractions and sexual desires are as natural for them as our attractions and desires are for us.

Who are we to call their desires unnatural? Isnt that hateful and judgmental?

And what about their loving relationships? Why are our relationships valid but theirs are not? Why is our love legitimate but theirs is not? Why is our commitment to our children beautiful but theirs is not in the best interest of their kids? Is this not hateful?

As for using the Bible, why is our citation of scripture so selective, ignoring (or reinterpreting) the passages that seem to challenge our own lifestyles while emphasizing the passages that condemn homosexual practice? Isnt this just another example of religious hypocrisy and spiritual bigotry?

Why are we fine with no-fault divorce in the church, even though they tear up marriages and damage the children, but we will not accept a married same-sex couple with their adopted children? Isnt the very fact that we put gay marriage in quotes a manifestation of our hatred?

More than 10 years ago, while flying to Rome, I had an extended conversation with an out and proud gay flight attendant. He was off duty for a few days and was using his flying privileges to visit his partner in Italy, and during our 8-hour flight, we talked openly and candidly.

His parents had rejected him because of their Christian faith, at one point, reaching out to him with the help of their pastor, who sent him a very gracious, even compassionate letter. At least, thats the way the letter sounded to me when this man repeated its contents.

I thought to myself, This pastor did a really good job. He was biblical, but so full of love, and he hit the right notes with the right tone.

The man then said to me (after recounting the contents of the letter), It was so full of hate!

What I perceived as a gentle, loving outreach was perceived by this gay man as hate.

This was not some rhetorical strategy or an attempt to win a point with me. The letter stung this man until that very day, many years after the fact.

Recently, I wrote an article rebuking the Church of Scotland for giving their clergy the right to perform same-sex marriages. I also urged the faithful clergy to issue one last word of warning and then to leave en masse, forming a new denomination.

But as my tweet linking to the article started to circulate, it drew some animated responses from gays and lesbians and their allies. They were celebrating the Churchs decision and proclaiming that once again, love won. And they were asking me pointedly, Why do you have a problem with the Church accepting people?

After all, marriage is the ultimate expression of a couples desire to make a lifelong, loving commitment. Shouldnt I be celebrating that, especially for two Christians? And isnt it good that these gays and lesbians want to marry in the Church?

Isnt it also true that, in the past, many Christians used the Bible to sanction slavery, segregation, and the suppression of women? Isnt that exactly what Christians are doing with the Bible today when it comes to homosexuality?

From that point of view, of course we are viewed as bigots and haters and homophobes. Why else would we treat other human beings like second-class citizens?

When I first began to focus on LGBT issues in 2004, it was because of the gay agenda. I immediately saw that this was the principal threat to freedom of religion, conscience, and speech in our nation. I also saw that this was an issue that all of us would have to address someday. We would not get to sit this one out.

At the same time, I understood that we were dealing with both people and issues. And if I was to be in harmony with the Lord, I needed to have His heart of love and compassion for the people.

I understood that the rejection so many of them had experienced (at the hands of family and religion) had deeply wounded them. Consequently, what I perceived as loving and tactful would be perceived by them to be hateful and harsh.

Thats why I sat with local gay activists and asked them to tell me their stories face to face. Thats why I immersed myself in their literature, wanting to understand the world through their perspective. Thats why I even bought their theology and commentary books, reading every argument they brought in support of same-sex relationships.

Thats also why I would sometimes pray for them in tears, saying, God, I dont want to hurt people. I just want to help them.

And thats why I understand why I and others like me are perceived as being hateful.

At the same time, I am absolutely convinced that Gods design for marriage and family is heterosexual. That two mommies or two daddies can never equal a mommy and a daddy. And that the LGBTQ+ agenda must be resisted in the best interests of our society.

That being said, I will do whatever I can to remove any stumbling block from my message, not engaging in name-calling, not speaking in derogatory terms, and not repaying hatred with hatred.

In the end, love does win  Gods unconditional, supernatural, transformational love. And that love calls us to reach out and resist.

When we are called haters and bigots, lets extend an open hand, saying, Lets sit down and talk together. Then lets show our new friends the love of God, face to face.

Thats what happened on that long flight to Rome.

As we were getting off the plane, I asked this man (after exchanging email addresses), If you met someone who held to my convictions, would you consider that person a homophobe?

He answered, Absolutely.

I then asked him, Do you consider me to be a homophobe, he said, Absolutely not. I heard your heart.

Let your heart be heard, too.
Boris Johnson reads from Philippians at Platinum Jubilee honoring Queen Elizabeth's reign

Facing calls to resign over a national COVID-19 lockdown scandal, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson read from the Bible at a royal event Friday with former British leaders in attendance.

Johnson was booed as he and his wife, Carrie, arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral for the service of thanksgiving for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, one of several events being held in London marking the Queen's 70-year reign.

While Johnson did not visibly react to the booing, the BBC and other media outlets noted the chilly reception.

Labour MP Karl Turner shared video footage of Johnson's arrival on social media.

"Our Prime Minister of our great country. The greatest country on earth being booed at the platinum jubilee of Her [Majesty] the Queen," Turner tweeted. "What a great shame he's brought to the great office of Prime Minister."

Once inside the cathedral, Johnson read from Philippians 4:8, which states: "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable  think about these things."

More than 400 people attended the service, including former prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair, the Times UK reported.

Queen Elizabeth, 96, skipped the service due to health issues after reportedly experiencing "some discomfort" after attending events on Thursday.

Johnson has faced calls to resign following multiple reports that he and other members of the ruling Tory party held several parties at 10 Downing Street during the nation's strict COVID-19 lockdown.

The crowd's reception could signal some tough sledding for Johnson ahead of a potential confidence vote over the scandal as early as next week.

In a Times interview last July, Johnson hailed Christianity as "a superb ethical system" but added that he would count himself "as a kind of very, very bad Christian."

When asked to respond to reports that a friend described the prime minister as holding to a "pre-Christian morality system with a multitude of gods and no clear set of rules," Johnson replied: "Christianity is a superb ethical system and I would count myself as a kind of very, very bad Christian.

"No disrespect to any other religions, but Christianity makes a lot of sense to me."

When he was asked at last year's G7 summit whether he was a practicing Catholic, Johnson initially balked at a response.

But after being told that Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said the prime minister did not believe in God, Johnson promptly quoted Psalm 14:1, which says, "The fool has said there is no God."

Johnson  who was baptized a Catholic but was twice married as an Anglican before his third marriage to Carrie Symonds  also took part in a Bible reading project for the King James Bible Trust in 2011.

The prime minister read from Isaiah 11. He called the King James version the "single most beautiful and influential work of English literature."
India jails 30 Christians on charges of forced conversion as persecution mounts

As many as 30 Christians were jailed last month on charges of forced conversion in just one state alone, including 20 in one week, according to a U.S.-based persecution watchdog, which says churches now fear they may be implicated in a case if they conduct even small group prayers.

The latest incident that led to an arrest of a Christian worker took place on May 31 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh when a mob of extremist Hindu nationalists broke into the home of a local pastor who was praying with his family, beat him, dragged him from his home and assaulted him before handing him over to police, International Christian Concern reports.

The police then arrested and imprisoned the pastor, charging him with deliberate and malicious acts against another religion while failing to investigate the assault against him.

We have arrived at a critical juncture, where practicing faith of our choice is equated as crime and punished accordingly, a local Christian leader from Uttar Pradesh was quoted as saying. We need to be alert and prepared to face the challenge; almost every pastor and leader is targeted in UP. These are the testing times.

In a separate incident in the same state on May 29, about 10 young Hindu nationalists interrupted a Sunday service where 40 Christians were praying and worshiping, stole the pastors Bible and shoved him to the ground.

The police arrested the churchs pastor and filed a formal complaint against him and refused to book the assailants.

We are scared to even conduct small group prayers even that can be framed as forcible conversions, a house church pastor was quoted as saying. Our lives are in danger, as Christian identity could put us behind the bars, we dont see any way out, only God should intervene.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the 11 Indian states which have adopted an anti-conversion law, which presume that Christians pressure Hindus to convert to Christianity.

Indias anti-conversion laws are not a means to protect religious freedom, but rather a mechanism for the government to oppress and punish religious minorities,

ICC President Jeff King said. Our Indian brothers and sisters are facing increased levels of persecution since the adoption of these laws in 11 states. India claims to be the worlds largest democracy, yet shamelessly violates human rights. We pray for the continued resilience of the Indian Church and for the injustice to come to an end.

While Christians make up only 2.3% of Indias population and Hindus comprise about 80%, the countrys anti-conversion laws presume that Christians force or give money to Hindus to persuade them to convert to Christianity.

Some of these laws have been in place for decades in some states. Radical Hindu nationalist groups frequently use the laws to make false charges against Christians and launch attacks on them under the pretext of an alleged forced conversion.

For Indias Christians, 2021 was the most violent year in the countrys history, according to a report by the United Christian Forum, which recorded at least 486 violent incidents of Christian persecution in the year.

The UCF attributed the high incidence of Christian persecution to impunity, due to which such mobs criminally threaten, physically assault people in prayer, before handing them over to the police on allegations of forcible conversions.

Police registered formal complaints in only 34 of the 486 cases, according to the UCF.

Often communal sloganeering is witnessed outside police stations, where the police stand as mute spectators, the UCF report states.

Hindu extremists believe that all Indians should be Hindus and that the country should be rid of Christianity and Islam, an Open Doors fact sheet explains. They use extensive violence to achieve this goal, particularly targeting Christians from a Hindu background. Christians are accused of following a foreign faith and blamed for bad luck in their communities.

The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America documented at least 761 incidents of violence against Christians in 2021.

The year 2021 has proven to be the most violent year for Christians in India, said John Prabhudoss, the chairman of FIACONA, at an earlier press conference in Washington, D.C.

Prabhudoss said FIACONA documented and analyzed all 761 incidents, adding that the number of anti-Christian attacks is likely to be much higher because most of the incidents are not reported.

The groups report said common citizens of India, especially the religious minorities, observe and feel that the state government, which is led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, including the Uttar Pradesh state government, were implementing the majoritarian ideology, namely Hindutva.

The national government, also led by the BJP, it continued, is subservient to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an umbrella Hindu nationalist group, and its multiple associates specializing in radical and violent means to exclude and demean the Christians.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden ordered emergency measures Monday to boost crucial supplies to U.S. solar manufacturers and declared a two-year tariff exemption on solar panels from Southeast Asia as he attempted to jumpstart progress toward his climate change-fighting goals.

His invoking of the Defense Production Act and his other executive actions come amid complaints by industry groups that the solar sector is being slowed by supply chain problems due to a Commerce Department inquiry into possible trade violations involving Chinese products. Word of the White House's actions caused solar energy companies to gain ground on Wall Street.

The Commerce Department announced in March that it was scrutinizing imports of solar panels from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, concerned that products from those countries are skirting U.S. anti-dumping rules that limit imports from China.

Asked at the White House if Biden's pause in tariffs was not a gift to China, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said he was invoking the Defense Production Act, to make sure that hes delivering for the American people.

He is putting the full force of the federal government behind supporting American clean energy producers, Jean-Pierre said.

White House officials said Biden's actions aim to increase domestic production of solar panel parts, building installation materials, high-efficiency heat pumps and other components including cells used for clean-energy generated fuels. They called the tariff suspension affecting imports from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia a bridge measure while other efforts increase domestic solar power production  even as the administration remains supportive of U.S. trade laws and the Commerce Department investigation.

Commerce Department Secretary Gina Raimondo told a Senate panel in May that the solar inquiry is following a process set by law that doesnt allow consideration of climate change, supply chains or other factors. She said Monday that she remains committed to upholding our trade laws and ensuring American workers have a chance to compete on a level playing field.

The presidents emergency declaration ensures Americas families have access to reliable and clean electricity while also ensuring we have the ability to hold our trading partners accountable to their commitments, Raimondo said in a statement.

Clean energy leaders have long warned that the investigation  which could result in retroactive tariffs of up to 240%  would severely hinder the U.S. solar industry, leading to thousands of layoffs and imperiling up to 80% of planned solar projects around the country.

The department counters that rates exceeding 200% for solar products would not apply to the vast majority of imports. They instead typically apply to uncooperative companies that cannot differentiate themselves from China's government or Communist Party.

Still, any possible punishment might have jeopardized one of Bidens top clean energy goals and run counter to his administrations push for renewable energy such as wind and solar power, advocates argue.

The presidents announcement will rejuvenate the construction and domestic manufacturing of solar power by restoring predictability and business certainty that the Department of Commerces flawed inquiry has disrupted, Heather Zichal, CEO of the American Clean Power Association and a former Obama administration official, said in a statement Monday.

Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, cheered Bidens thoughtful approach to addressing the current crisis of the paralyzed solar supply chain.

Todays actions protect existing solar jobs, will lead to increased employment in the solar industry and foster a robust solar manufacturing base here at home, Ross Hopper said in a statement.

But not everyone in the industry was supportive.

First Solar Inc., a major solar panel manufacturer, said that freezing tariffs would grant unfettered access to Chinas state-subsidized solar companies for the next two years and that using the Defense Production Act is an ineffective use of taxpayer dollars and falls well short of a durable solar industrial policy.

The administration cannot stick a Band-Aid on the issue and hope that it goes away, Samantha Sloan, the companys vice president of policy, said in a statement.

The use of executive action comes as the Biden administration's clean energy tax cuts, and other major proposals meant to encourage domestic green energy production, have stalled in Congress.

The Defense Production Act lets the federal government direct manufacturing production for national defense and has become a tool used more commonly by presidents in recent years. The Trump administration used it to produce medical equipment and supplies during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden invoked its authority in April to boost production of lithium and other minerals used to power electric vehicles. Last month, he used it again to prioritize boosting the nation's supplies of baby formula amid a domestic shortage caused by the safety-related closure of the countrys largest formula factory.

Jean Su, director of the Center for Biological Diversitys energy justice program, said in a statement that Biden's announcement can give critical momentum to the needed transition to solar energy.

We hope this use of the Defense Production Act is a turning point for the president, who must use all his executive powers to confront the climate emergency head on," Su said.
VATICAN CITY (AP)  One of the principal figures in the Vaticans bungled London real estate venture testified Monday that the Holy See would have turned a profit on its valuable investment if it hadnt pulled its money out of a fund prematurely.

Raffaele Mincione, a London-based fund manager, said it was an irrational decision by a client that should have known better.

Mincione broke two years of silence in testifying before the Vaticans criminal court, where he and nine other people are accused of a host of financial crimes related to the Vaticans 350 million euro project to develop a former Harrods warehouse into luxury apartments.

Prosecutors have accused brokers and Vatican officials of swindling the Holy See out of tens of millions of euros in commissions and then extorting the Vatican for 15 million euros to get control of the London property. Mincione and the others deny wrongdoing.

Mincione had never agreed to be questioned before by Vatican prosecutors, fearing the same fate of another London-based broker who showed up during the investigative phase to be questioned and ended up jailed in the Vatican barracks for 10 days without charge.

Minciones testimony therefore was new to prosecutors and the court and amounted to a practical lesson in high finance: the commissions, fees and risks that are normal in complicated financial instruments, as well as the multi-layered regulatory checks and internal and external controls that are designed to make sure deals are legit.

He told the court that after the Vatican scandal erupted in 2020 with prosecutors claims of a vast fraud that he allegedly initiated, his firm hired PriceWaterhouseCooper to conduct an extensive forensic audit of the deal.

There was not a single cent that was unaccounted for, Mincione said. There was not a single action that was not confirmed. There was not a single expert report that was judged incongruous.

Mincione said he got involved in the deal when Credit Suisse, where the Vatican had some 200 million euros invested, asked him to evaluate a potential deal in an Angolan offshore oil venture. Mincione had worked on deals involving Russias Gazprom and Brazils Petrobras, among others, and was sought out because of his expertise in the field.

After lengthy due diligence, Minciones team advised against the Angola deal. But he said Credit Suisse and the Vatican secretariat of state then asked him to manage the money that had been set aside for the project. While he was under no obligation to inform the Vatican of his decisions as fund manager, he said he devised a fund that would invest half in real estate  the Harrod's warehouse  knowing that the Vatican was already comfortable investing in expensive London property.

By 2016, with Brexit, the Athena fund took a hit and lost money. But Mincione showed a graph in court Monday showing that if the Vatican hadnt pulled out in 2018, before the normal block obligation of five years, it would have turned a 20 million euro profit.

I was perplexed when they asked to leave, he told the court. If the Vatican had remained in the fund, he said, There would have been no loss.

He said that based on the Credit Suisse profile, the Vatican was considered a professional investor: a sovereign state that, unlike an individual investor, knows what theyre doing and that they might lose money  but has the structure to confront any kind of situation.

But he said that in his dealings with the Vatican everything was the contrary of everything else. It was irrational.

Eventually the Vatican paid Mincione 40 million euros to get control of the property, only to entrust it to another broker who is accused of then extorting the Vatican for 15 million to get the property back.

I didn't want to sell the palazzo. I wanted to keep it and develop it, Mincione said, saying the opportunity it presented to investors was golden.

The defendants are facing possible jail time and monetary damages if convicted. As it is, the Vatican successfully persuaded Switzerland to preventively seize a reported 50 million euros in Mincione's assets.
Newspaper readership has been drastically declining since the late 1990s and early 2000s. The US Inquirer, a regional newspaper in the midwestern United States, had a peak weekly print circulation of over 17,000 in 2008, but by the time 2020 arrived, the publication had met the same fate as many other newspapers, hitting all-time lows with a weekly print circulation below 500. The publication announced in a tweet that they would be discontinuing their print edition after July 4 and focusing on their much more successful digital edition.

According to a research study by Pew Research, circulation of newspapers peaked in the late 1990s at over 62 million with an advertising revenue of nearly $50 billion. Fast forward to 2020  circulation is barely reaching 24 million, and advertising revenue has declined to just over $9 billion. That's a readership drop of over 60% and a revenue drop of over 80%! Only a handful of print newspapers have managed to hold on to their customers, including publications such as the The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The Washington Post.

Why has this happened? What trends are causing these drastic readership drops?

Why is print newspaper circulation dropping so much?

With emerging technology, everything is going digital. It's simply much easier and cost effective to have countless books, newspapers and magazines at your fingertips than it is waiting for physical copies to arrive.

Digital media is more interactive and immersive, users are able to switch between articles, share them and interact with media elements embedded within the articles  all things that are either more difficult or impossible to do with a physical print copy of a newspaper. Want to have a video embedded in your article? Can't do that on a printed paper.

Not only is it simple and more cost effective for the reader, but it's easier for publishers to distribute electronic copies of print media to readers. With digital editions, publishers do not have to buy paper, ink or maintain their printing presses. Also, advertisers are increasingly moving to digital platforms, and newspapers are wanting to get in on the action. Publishing companies are often including free digital subscriptions to print subscribers in order to ease them off print newspapers with the goal of eventually going fully digital.

Related: Is Your Biz Black and White and Read All Over?

How are newspapers combating lower print readership?

Print newspapers such as The US Inquirer are increasingly relying on digital readership and interactive elements, shifting their focus to monetization strategies that put much more emphasis on digital subscriptions and advertising to drive their revenue models. Publishers are putting more effort into multimedia content for social media than they were before Covid.

Here are some ways publications are monetizing content in the digital age:

Digital subscriptions: Newspapers are offering digital subscriptions, allowing users full access to the digital version of the publication.

Advertisements: Digital classified ads, Google ads and pre-roll video ads are among the most popular ad types.

Hosting events: Newspapers often host conventions and other in-person events, charging entry and vendor fees.

Social media: Newspapers are increasingly turning to digital content for social media, often monetizing this content.

Interactive apps and games: Some publishers are using games and interactive online elements to make money.

Here are a few examples:

USA Today led the pack into mobile apps. They entered the mobile app arena at just the right time to secure a massive audience, making them one of the most successful news app publishers in the world. They don't just do news, though. They have crosswords, videos, polls and other interactive elements in their mobile apps.

The New York Times purchased the massively successful online word game "Wordle" for an undisclosed amount that was "seven figures," according to the Times, all in a bid to increase the ways that users interact with the news publisher.

The National Newspaper Association holds a convention and trade show in Milwaukee every year.

Related: The Future of Content Lies in Transparent and Digital Publishing

Will print newspapers completely disappear?

Print newspapers have been increasingly cutting print days. Some are cutting so much they are becoming weekly publications, and others, such as The US Inquirer, are completely cutting all print editions. Gannett Co., the nation's largest newspaper publisher, cut print days at 136 of their publications, soon to be followed by 50 more. The company announced that digital editions would be available for all days that were cut, saying they were "embracing [their] digital future with this evolved experience."

Print newspapers still are a major source of revenue for publishers, even if it is not as much as it used to be. Digital earnings for Gannett Co. only account for 32% of its revenue, making print still a very valuable newspaper medium. It's not looking like most printed newspapers will be completely disappearing anytime soon, but expect digital editions to become more and more prevalent as time goes on.

Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The war in Ukraine has obviously affected many business processes, financial markets, employee management and service outsourcing. However, all this sounds like lifeless statistics until we hear the first-hand experience.

In this article, I am sharing a few insights on how the war in Ukraine affected digital business from my own experience as a refugee and head of a marketing management team with employees from around the world, including Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

Leaving the fear behind

The start of the war in Ukraine shocked everyone  people who were staying in the country, as well as those who were stuck abroad, learning that they might never see their families or come back home again, which is what happened to me. Many lost everything: their property, finances and even loved ones. But humans are amazingly adaptive creatures. It's sad to say this, but we were already used to the war and instability in almost every aspect of our lives. Just like any other huge stress, it forced us to rethink life values, relationships and goals.

I know people who invested their entire capital in the property in Kyiv, which is now fully destroyed. Some of my friends were betrayed and robbed by their own families, business partners and colleagues in the war times. My friend, a woman with two kids, was trying to find a shelter in the Ukrainian Carpathians and was robbed and kicked out of the village by locals driven by hate toward the wealthier people fleeing from Kyiv.

The war has revealed its awful face, allowing us to see the truth we would never learn in different conditions  which is good and heartbreaking at the same time. It also taught us to be more flexible and strong enough to start rebuilding life even amidst the sea of madness.

Related: I Run Two Businesses in Ukraine. Here's How We're Resilient Enough to Continue Operating During War

Teamwork on-the-go, while fleeing to other countries

Worried about what to do next with my own life, I've been also feeling responsible for the safety and emotional state of my team members from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus  all working side by side. My main goal at that moment was to maintain a healthy atmosphere amongst my team, sustainable workflow and all marketing processes through all these challenges, often managing everything on the go and being stressed daily by news from Ukraine.

I've been very concerned about how our employees from the three confronting countries feel while working together on the same project. They were shocked and afraid. None were supporting this war. Everyone was trying to support each other, regardless of the nation in which they were born or the passport they hold. Some of our employees were working online on-the-go just like me while fleeing to other countries. Some of them (with people from Russia among them!) were coming back to work just a few hours after Russian combat missiles exploited over roofs of their homes in Kyiv.

Disruption of outsourced services

Ukraine is a key global delivery location for IT and software engineering services, so the war creates widespread uncertainty and significant concerns for companies with service operations in the region. At some point, we stopped receiving updates and emails from our partner companies and outsource service providers based in Ukraine, too. The reason was obvious. Weeks after, some of them contacted us with apologies, saying they weren't available for work due to having to relocate entire teams abroad. Many processes were disrupted, and it really took time to learn to continue working during the war.

Related: Why the Ukraine Crisis Should Make You Rethink How You Lead

Support for humanitarian aid

Many tech companies donated to civilians in Ukraine and also helped them with relocation, transportation and logistics.

"Now our goal is to break the chain of war and scatter its links far away from each other. So that they could never meet again. Our main fundraising tool is NFT. You can buy any of the artworks below or make a simple donation. Important! We don't raise money for weapons. We raise money for medicine, evacuation and repair needs, food, and clothes. Our priority is to help civilians."  Unchain, a charity project created by blockchain activists.

"No nation deserves to be a part of the heart-breaking circumstances we all are now witnessing in Ukraine. Nobody should stay alone and unprotected in this situation. This is why we made a decision to donate a significant amount of money to civilians in hopes it will be used for humanitarian purposes and protection of human lives,"  commented Sergey Krasotin, co-founder of Humbleteam.

"I was born and raised in Kyiv, the capital of one of the biggest European countries. It's heartbreaking to see what is happening. Many Ukrainians might have to relocate to protect their lives. Among them are top blockchain developers, project managers, designers, scientists, young and ambitious people with families as well as elderly people."  commented Constantin Kogan, BullPerks and GamesPad co-founder.

Related: What I've Learned From Running a Ukrainian Startup During Wartime

Massive hires of Ukrainians

As a manager looking for new employees for an international online team, I was thinking that hiring Ukrainians was a two-sided coin in the current situation. In conditions of high stress caused by the war, it might be challenging for them to focus on work. On the other hand, an online job could be the only means of survival for those who stayed in Ukraine  the country with a fully destroyed economy and unclear future  as well as for those who were seeking refuge in other countries.

However, I faced the opposite of what was expected. I am now observing many Ukrainians working hard online like cyborgs, trying to rebuild their lives and putting all their efforts into the company's success at the same time.

So, whether to support hiring from Ukraine or not in the current situation, is a choice. But as a Ukrainian who is still working on-the-go and managing marketing for two brands, I think you might guess what would be my hiring decision.

Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Remote work has completely changed the way we work and communicate, its given new thought to how teams and companies can remain in contact without having to be physically present in an office.

An annual survey by remote and flexible job search marketplace, FlexJobs found that 58% of respondents were looking to remain remote full-time even after the pandemic. Some companies have in due time come to adopt different models of work, with around 39% of them seeking to adopt a hybrid model that combines both work and office balance.

Today the concept of remote work or work from anywhere for some employees has become almost commonplace, as more and more employees transition into working from their homes, and companies looking to shift into a digital office space.

But while the home office now gives employees more flexibility, freedom in the schedules, and the ability to adjust their routines to fit around their work-life  were seeing more remote employees working longer, and harder.

Surprisingly enough, remote employees will on the average clock in an additional four hours per 40-hour work week, thats almost 10% more than their in-office peers.

During the earlier months of the pandemic, some employees stated they were working more than they were before the pandemic, with an alarming 75% claiming they tend to work over weekends.

Excessive work, and oftentimes, overworking are causing more employees to feel burnt out, even when theyre able to work from their home. Longer hours in front of the computer, having to deal with endless work emails, and constantly being online to make sure the work gets done are pushing some adults to the brink  and its starting to get serious.

Better yet, overworking and toxic company culture are seeing an increase of employees, around 35%, sharing their employers company culture is now starting to deteriorate, and its becoming a bigger issue for those employees who work remotely.

While government legislation exists to curtail these occurrences, this mainly accounts for employees who are present within an office each week. More so, some companies will have a written policy that states working hours and conditions, which in some cases is not the most attractive.

For those who enjoy the freedom of working from home, or from basically anywhere, as long as they have a stable internet connection  such laws and policies are still something were only now starting to see come to life.

And while digital and virtual work has already been around for quite some time, long before the pandemic was even known, assistance from federal law can help create a progressive agenda that could see new laws come into play, ensuring that remote employees can log off, disconnect and take the rest they need.

The Right To Disconnect

Governments around the world have been working on new legislation and policies that would ensure employees have the right to disconnect. This would mean, that employees can:

Not perform work or work-related activities after or outside of normal working hours.

Workers do not have to attend work-related activities and matters that are outside of their regular hours of work.

Employers should respect their workers right to disconnect.

A formal in-house policy should be enacted and shared among employees.

In special cases, workers are entitled to receive compensation over time.

The right to disconnect is a structure that allows employees to completely turn off from work, even if their office is only a few doors down from their bedroom.

The combination of personal and professional has made these things more difficult, as its now easier, and more convenient for employees and colleagues having to quickly check up on work after hours.

To help mitigate these activities, countries around the world have been working on legislation that would make it easier for employees to disconnect once the working day has ended.

Back in 2016, France, Italy, and Spain were among the very first few countries to have introduced such legislation. These countries were able to create a forward-thinking plan, which ensured employers are not allowed to contact employees outside of working hours if its work-related, and employees are prohibited from being penalized if they refuse.

In the executive wing of the European Union, the EU Commission, politicians, and policymakers are now building new insight and information regarding the future of work, and how the digital or virtual workplace will be shaped in the future.

These actions allow politicians to draw up legislation that would see more employees having the right to conduct work-related activities if it falls outside of their core working hours.

Portugal is perhaps even taking it a step further, as the country was perhaps the first to introduce a law that makes it entirely illegal for an employer to contact their employees after hours.

Of course, the case is different if its seen as an emergency, but to go as far as to make it illegal, shows how politicians and business leaders are changing tides when it comes to remote working protocols.

Portugals labor laws enacted back in November 2021m have helped other countries see the value in creating progressive labor practices that look to improve the working conditions and well-being of employees.

In Canada, Bill 27: Working for Workers Act, 2021 recently came into effect, after the Ontario government was able to pass it in late December 2021. The new bill requires employers with 25 or more staff members to establish a policy that should indicate how they will ensure employees log off from their workstations and disconnect.

Starting in March 2023, the same Bill 27, would now require employers with 25 employees or more to have a written policy that outlines the rules and regulations of employees to disconnect from the workplace.

The practices not only make it easier for employers to have better control and monitor employees activity, but it also ensures that those who are struggling to disconnect entirely or are being pounded by work and colleagues after hours have at least some form of an arsenal.

All-in-all, the progress has been somewhat slow, but considering how many nations have already, and are busy working on some legislation to help their employees disconnect shows just how far weve come in a short time.

Our remote work lifestyles should be balanced, and we should still value our work, and what we do, but this time, during the hours were on the clock.

The post Its Time We Talk More About The Right To Disconnect appeared first on Calendar.

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the city amid fierce fighting in the streets as Russia tries to deploy more forces.

But it is the 103rd day, and the Ukrainian Donbas stands. It stands firmly, he said in his nightly address to the nation.

Zelenskyy also said Moscow's forces intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.

The defenders' fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelenskyy said more than than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release.

The recovery of their remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government, and Russian officials have not commented. But relatives of soldiers killed at the plant discussed the process with The Associated Press.

Ukraine on Saturday announced the first officially confirmed swap of its military dead since the war began. It said the two sides exchanged 320 bodies in all, each getting back 160 sets of remains. The swap took place Thursday on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Anna Holovko, a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment, said all 160 of the Ukrainian bodies turned over by the Russians were from the Azovstal ruins. She said that at least 52 of those bodies are thought to be the remains of Azov Regiment soldiers.

Maksym Zhorin, a former Azov Regiment leader now co-commanding a Kyiv-based military unit, confirmed that bodies from the steel plant were among those exchanged.

The brother of an Azov fighter missing and feared dead in the steelworks told the AP that at least two trucks of bodies from Azovstal were transferred to a military hospital in Kyiv for identification.

Viacheslav Drofa said the remains of his elder brother, Dmitry Lisen, did not appear to be among those recovered so far. He added that some of the dead were severely burned.

The mother of a soldier killed in an airstrike on the plant said the Azov Regiment telephoned her and said her sons body might be among those transferred to Kyiv. The mother did not want her or her son to be identified by name, saying she feared that discussing the recovery process might disrupt it.

She tearfully referred to her son as a hero. Its important for me to bury him in our Ukrainian land," she said.

In other developments Monday, Ukraine's efforts to fight off Russia's invasion loomed large over D-Day commemorations in France, where the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion was marked.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.

He added: Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery."

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day. Asked about the war raging on the European continent, Shay said, "It is a very sad situation.

In 1944 I landed on these beaches, and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added.

Meanwhile, the president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic said that the pro-Moscow region is putting on trial three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukraine. If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could get the death penalty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine. Guard members have taken part in such operations as the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The lump sum is roughly six times the average annual Russian salary.

On the battlefield, Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian forces put up resistance in Sievierodonetsk and other areas.

"There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian artillery fire could be heard outside the city of Bakhmut, southwest of Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian tanks moved back and forth from the front line, carefully hiding under trees after firing at Russian positions. One of the tanks was a T-80 captured from Russian forces. Its crew hacked bushes with hatchets and covered the vehicle and its main gun with branches.

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Associated Press writers David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine; Andrea Rosa in Bakhmut, Ukraine; and Sylvie Corbet in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, contributed to this story.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Tiger King star Bhagavan Doc Antle has been charged with laundering more than half a million dollars, money federal prosecutors said Monday that he believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle people across the Mexican border into the United States.

Charges against Antle and Andrew Jon Sawyer, one of Antle's employees at Myrtle Beach Safari, were revealed during a federal court hearing in Florence, South Carolina.

According to federal prosecutors, Antle and Sawyer laundered $505,000 over a four-month period by doling out checks from businesses they controlled, receiving a 15% fee of the money that passed through their hands.

The checks, prosecutors allege, falsely purported to be payment for construction work at Myrtle Beach Safari but were in reality intended to serve as evidence that the recipients had legitimate income.

According to the complaint unsealed in court Monday, Antle discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at his 50-acre (20-hectare) wildlife tropical preserve. Prosecutors also said he had previously used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks.

Records for the Horry County jail show Antle and Sawyer were both arrested Friday. Attorneys for both men did not immediately comment on the charges when reached via email.

According to authorities, Antle and Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Antle is featured prominently in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a 2020 Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders and private zoo operators in the U.S. The series focused heavily on Oklahoma zoo operator Joe Exotic, who also was targeted for animal mistreatment and was convicted in a plot to kill a rival, Carole Baskin.

Animal rights advocates have accused Antle of mistreating lions and other wildlife. He was indicted in Virginia in 2020 on animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking charges.

In May, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked the IRS to probe Antles Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit raising money for wildlife conservation. PETA alleges he uses some of the funds money to subsidize his safari site in Socastee outside Myrtle Beach.

Its fitting that Doc' Antle is behind bars after years of locking up the endangered animals he uses in tawdry photo ops. His legal woes are mounting, as PETA recently blew the whistle on his apparent charity scam, and the end to his reign of terrorizing tiger cubs cant come soon enough, said Debbie Metzler, associate director of PETAs Captive Animal Law Enforcement division, in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, Antle is facing two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to wildlife trafficking charges, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges tied to trafficking lion cubs. Those charges are scheduled to go to trial next month.

Antle has a history of recorded violations, going as far back as 1989, when he was fined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for abandoning deer and peacocks at his zoo in Virginia. Over the years, he has more than 35 USDA violations for mistreating animals.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
Construction at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport is starting to take its toll on travelers after traffic once again backed up for hours this past weekend.

The airport's Terminal E, which is dedicated to international travel, is undergoing renovations to expand and future-proof its capacity. Construction has been ongoing since early 2022, and backed-up traffic hasn't been far behind. Just this past weekend, travelers lamented on social media about the conditions, with one Twitter user showing that travelers resorted to walking along the airport's congested roadways to reach the terminal.

Twitter user James Ness later said it took him close to three hours to get from the airport's entrance to the terminal.

It does not appear to be the first time that passengers have resorted to walking.

When asked for a statement, Houston Airport System (HAS) spokesperson Augusto Bernal pointed to a travel alert posted on the system's website. The alert asks travelers to arrive at the airport an hour early, especially if your flight is scheduled between 5 and 8 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. It also urges anyone planning to park at the airport to reserve a spot ahead of time. Anyone picking up travelers is urged to wait in the cell phone lot.

Despite those warnings, traffic is still building up each weekend.

Later this month, an additional lane will open up at the terminal, allowing for some traffic to ease. But the congestion is far from over, with the terminal's reconstruction slated to last until 2024.

On Monday, the city released this video detailing the work done so far and what's in store. More details on the work can be found here.

The expansion will feature additional international gates, a modernized ticket booths and new arrival halls. HAS says this will help the airport with growth anticipated in the future.
BREMERTON, Wash. (AP)  Three people have been arrested in connection with the quadruple murder five years ago of a prominent family that owned a restaurant in Bremerton, Washington, authorities said Monday.

The Kitsap County Sheriffs office said a 43-year-old man and a 49-year-old man, both from Bremerton, and a 50-year-old Gig Harbor man face felony charges, ranging from first-degree aggravated murder, first-degree murder, first-degree arson and first-degree burglary.
Abbott's handwritten notes on Uvalde police response released ABC 13 published pages of notes penned by the governor detailing the inaccurate timeline.

Aggies, Longhorns on collision course at College World Series Texas and Texas A&M are on the same side of the bracket in Omaha.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Louisiana's Democratic governor said Monday he will call the Republican-dominated Legislature into special session soon to draw up new congressional district boundaries, now that a federal judge has blocked use of maps that have only one majority-Black district.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his plan at a news conference at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. He spoke to reporters minutes after the 2022 regular legislative session ended, and a few hours after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, also in Baton Rouge, blocked the use of the new maps. Her ruling included an order that the Legislature draw up with a remedial plan by June 20.

Edwards, whose veto of the maps was overridden by lawmakers earlier this year, said there should have been a second majority-Black district among the six districts that were approved, noting that the states population is almost one-third Black.

Edwards said redrawing the district lines is required by the court order, the Voting Rights Act and by basic fairness and basic math.

But, lawyers for Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, the state's top elected official, swiftly filed a notice of appeal of Dick's order.

Dick's June 20 deadline for drawing new district lines is one month before the signup period for the Nov. 8 congressional election.

If the Legislature is unable to pass a remedial plan by that date, the Court will issue additional orders to enact a remedial plan compliant with the laws and Constitution of the United States, the judge wrote.

The district map was drawn up in a special session earlier this year during a legislative special session called to redraw government district lines to account for population shifts show in the 2020 census. Edwards vetoed the maps but his veto was overridden. That led to a lawsuit by voting rights advocates.

Ardoin filed a notice of appeal with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Ultimately, the case could wind up before the Supreme Court, which earlier this year put on hold a lower court ruling that Alabama must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power.

Ardoin's office declined comment on the litigation.

In blocking the use of the map pending further elections, Dick said those filing the lawsuit were likely to prevail with their argument that the new districts violate the federal Voting Rights Act. She blocked Ardoin from conducting any elections using the new map.
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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  A British journalist and an Indigenous affairs expert are missing in a remote part of Brazil's Amazon region, a local Indigenous association said Monday. The area has been marked by violent conflicts between fishermen, poachers and government agents.

Dom Phillips, who has been a regular contributor to the Guardian newspaper, and Bruno Araujo Pereira were last seen at 7 a.m. Sunday in the Sao Rafael community, according to the Univaja association of Indigenous people in the Vale do Javari, for which Pereira has been an adviser. They were returning by boat from the Vale do Javari and bound for the city of Atalaia do Norte, about an hour away, but never showed up.

Pereira is currently on leave from his post with Brazils Indigenous affairs agency, and is one of its most experienced employees operating within the Vale do Javari area. He oversaw the agency's regional office and the coordination of isolated Indigenous groups before taking leave. He has received a steady stream of threats from illegal fishermen and poachers, and usually carries a gun.

Univaja said the two had been threatened during their current reporting trip.

They disappeared while returning from a two-day trip to the Jaburu Lake region, where Phillips interviewed local Indigenous people, according to Univaja. Only the two were on the boat, according to the association.

Phillips is writing a book about preservation of the Amazon with support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation, which awarded him a yearlong fellowship for environmental reporting than ran through January.

The place where they disappeared is the primary access route to and from the Vale do Javari, where several thousand Indigenous people live in dozens of villages. People in the area say that it is highly unlikely they would have gotten lost in that sector.

He is a cautious journalist, with impressive knowledge of the complexities of the Brazilian environmental crisis," Margaret Engel, the Alicia Patterson Foundation's executive director, wrote in an email. "And he is a beautiful writer and a lovely person. The best of our business.

Brazils federal public prosecutors said in a statement they have opened an investigation and mobilized the Federal Police, Amazonas states civil police, the national guard and navy. The latter will coordinate search efforts, according to the statement. In a statement, the navy said it was dispatching a search and rescue team.

The army's footprint and manpower is far greater than the navy's in the region. It didn't respond to an Associated Press email seeking comment about progress as of Monday afternoon.

The Guardian quoted a spokesperson as saying it "is very concerned and is urgently seeking information about Mr. Phillips whereabouts and condition. We are in contact with the British embassy in Brazil and local and national authorities to try to establish the facts as soon as possible.

Phillips, who currently resides in Salvador, Bahia, also has contributed to the Washington Post and New York Times.

I hope they are found soon, that they are fine and safe, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posted on Twitter, while recalling Phillips interviewing him in 2017.

The Vale do Javari region has experienced repeated shootouts between hunters, fishermen and official security agents, who have a permanent base in the area, known for having the world's largest population of uncontacted Indigenous people. It is also a major route for cocaine produced on the Peruvian side of the border, then smuggled into Brazil to supply local cities or to be shipped to Europe.

In September 2019, an employee of the Indigenous affairs agency was shot dead in Tabatinga, the largest city in the region. The crime was never solved.

It is extremely important that Brazilian authorities dedicate all available and necessary resources to the immediate realization of searches, in order to guarantee, as soon as possible, the safety of the two men, Maria Laura Canineau, the director of Human Rights Watch in Brazil, said in a statement on Monday.

Journalists working for regional media outlets in the Amazon have been murdered in recent years, though there have been no such cases among journalists from national media nor foreign media. However, there have been several reports of threats, and the press has limited access to several areas dominated by criminal activity including illegal mining, landgrabbing and drug trafficking.
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LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote on Monday, securing enough support from his Conservative Party to remain in office despite a substantial rebellion that leaves him a weakened leader with an uncertain future.

Known for his ability to shrug off scandals, the charismatic leader has struggled to turn the page on revelations that he and his staff repeatedly held boozy parties that flouted the COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on others. Support among his fellow Conservative lawmakers has weakened as some see a leader renowned for his ability to connect with voters increasingly as a liability rather than an asset in elections.

Johnson won the backing of 211 out of 359 Conservative lawmakers in a secret ballot, more than the simple majority needed to remain in power, but still a significant rebellion of 148 MPs.

Johnson called it a convincing win and said the party should now come together.

What it means is that as a government we can move on and focus on stuff that I think really matters to people, he said.

With no clear front-runner to succeed him, most political observers had predicted Johnson would defeat the challenge. But the rebellion could still be a watershed moment for him  and is a sign of deep Conservative divisions, less than three years after he led the party to its biggest election victory in decades.

Johnsons winning margin is less than that secured by his predecessor Theresa May in a similar vote in December 2018. She was forced to resign six months later.

Since replacing May as prime minister in 2019, Johnson has led Britain out of the European Union and through a pandemic, both of which have shaken the U.K. socially and economically. The vote comes as Johnsons government is under intense pressure to ease the pain of skyrocketing energy and food bills.

But the main blow to his leadership has been revelations that he and his staff repeatedly held illegal parties during lockdowns. That caused anger in the country, and unease among many Conservatives.

Discontent that has been building for months erupted after a 10-day parliamentary break that included a long weekend of celebrations of Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee. For many, the four-day holiday was a chance to relax  but there was no respite for Johnson, who was booed by some onlookers as he arrived for a service in the queens honor at St. Pauls Cathedral on Friday.

Conservative Party official Graham Brady announced Monday that he had received letters calling for a no-confidence vote from at least 54 Tory legislators, enough to trigger the measure under party rules. Hours later, party lawmakers lined up by the dozen in a corridor at Parliament to cast their ballots in a wood-paneled room, handing over their phones as they entered to ensure secrecy.

Johnson addressed dozens of Conservative lawmakers in a House of Commons room before the vote as he tried to shore up support, vowing: I will lead you to victory again.

Johnsons allies had insisted he would stay in office if he won by even a single vote.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said Johnson had won the vote handsomely, and urged the party to draw a line under this now.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, one of the favorites to succeed Johnson if he is ousted, tweeted: "Pleased that colleagues have backed the Prime Minister. I support him 100%. Nows the time to get on with the job.

But previous prime ministers who survived no-confidence votes emerged severely weakened.

Johnson became prime minister in July 2019, capping a rollercoaster journey to the top. He had held major offices, including London mayor and U.K. foreign secretary, but also spent periods on the political sidelines after self-inflicted gaffes. He kept bouncing back, showing an uncommon ability to shrug off scandal and connect with voters that, for many Conservatives, overshadowed doubts about his ethics or judgment.

But concerns came to a head after an investigators report late last month that slammed a culture of rule-breaking inside the prime ministers office in a scandal known as partygate.

Civil service investigator Sue Gray described alcohol-fueled bashes held by Downing Street staff members in 2020 and 2021, when pandemic restrictions prevented U.K. residents from socializing or even visiting dying relatives.

Gray said Johnson and senior officials must bear responsibility for failures of leadership and judgment.

Johnson also was fined 50 pounds ($63) by police for attending one party, making him the first prime minister sanctioned for breaking the law while in office.

The prime minister said he was humbled and took full responsibility  but insisted he would not resign.

But a growing number of Conservatives feel that Johnson is now a liability who will doom them to defeat at the next election, which must be held by 2024.

Todays decision is change or lose, said Jeremy Hunt, who ran against Johnson for the Conservative leadership in 2019 but has largely refrained from criticizing him since. I will be voting for change.

Lawmaker Jesse Norman, a longtime Johnson supporter, said the prime minister had presided over a culture of casual law-breaking and had left the government adrift and distracted.

Despite his victory, Johnson is likely to face more pressure. The war in Ukraine, a simmering post-Brexit feud with the EU and soaring inflation are all weighing on the government.

Polls give the left-of-center opposition Labour Party a lead nationally, and the Conservatives could lose special elections later this month for two parliamentary districts, called when incumbent Tory lawmakers were forced out by sex scandals.

Johnson tried to focus on broader issues, promising colleagues he would cut taxes  a policy popular with Tories  and noting that he spoke Monday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He has been a vocal supporter of Ukraines cause, a stance shared by his possible successors.

Cabinet minister Steve Barclay, a Johnson ally, said toppling the leader now would be indefensible.

But Steve Baker, a strong Brexit supporter whose opposition to May helped Johnson take power, said he was voting for Johnson to go because the prime minister had broken the law.

He predicted before the vote that Johnson would likely formally win but said that would not settle the matter.

What that means over the months ahead, I dont know, Baker said.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  A federal appeals court on Monday upheld an eight-year prison sentence for an environmental activist who tried to sabotage the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Jessica Reznicek pleaded guilty in June 2021 to a charge of conspiracy to damage an energy facility for vandalizing construction sites on the 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) pipeline in 2016 and 2017.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  The public defenders representing Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz tried to withdraw from his death penalty trial Monday after the judge ordered them to move forward with jury selection even though one member of their five-member team is sick with COVID-19.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer rejected the withdrawal motion by Cruz's lead attorney, Melisa McNeill. The defense then filed a motion asking Scherer to remove herself from the case, accusing her of being biased against Cruz. Scherer dismissed the request.

The defense also filed a motion to delay Cruz's trial indefinitely, saying the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead has reawakened emotions in Broward County over Cruz's murder of 17 at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High on Feb. 14, 2018. They said that shooting makes it impossible for him to get a fair trial currently. Scherer did not rule on that motion.

Judge Scherer and McNeill heatedly argued Monday over the judge's insistence that jury selection move forward without the presence of Casey Secor, a South Carolina death penalty defense specialist who is assisting McNeill. Scherer said Secor could watch the proceedings on a video link and communicate with McNeill by phone or text message.

Scherer accused McNeill of trying to intentionally provide ineffectual counsel to Cruz by saying her team would not participate without Secor. At one point, Scherer recessed the hearing, telling McNeill to consult the Florida Bar over what sanctions she might face if she and her team refused to participate. She said four attorneys present for Cruz in the courtroom was enough.

We are moving forward, Scherer said.

But McNeill told the judge she was the one creating grounds for a successful appeal of ineffectual defense counsel by insisting that jury selection move forward without Secor, who McNeill said has special expertise in that area. McNeill said that more than half of successful death penalty appeals are over issues that arise during jury selection. If Cruz is sentenced to death, a successful appeal would result in a retrial several years from now.

These (victims') families do not need to be coming back to this courtroom, McNeill said. She also said Scherer's threat to sanction her created a conflict between her obligation to provide Cruz with the best defense possible and her obligation to her career and family not to endanger her law license.

Prosecutors found themselves in the middle. They originally agreed with the defense to delay the jury selection until Secor returned, but then told the judge she would be on solid legal ground if she decided to move forward without Secor. Scherer then adjourned court until later Monday afternoon.

With the legal wrangling taking up most of the day, the defense got what it and the prosecution agreed to at the beginning of the day  two groups totaling 36 potential jurors were only asked if any new hardships such as job or family commitments had arisen since they were last in court two months ago. The 20 who said they could still serve will be brought back Tuesday and Wednesday for further questioning.

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder. The court for two months has been trying to pick 12 jurors and eight alternates for a four-month trial that will decide whether he is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

Jury selection, which originally had been scheduled to be concluded by mid-May, has slogged along, including a two-week delay when McNeill was sick with COVID-19.

An original pool of about 1,800 potential jurors has been whittled down to about 300 with the process in Phase 2 of 3. After being simply asked during Phase 1 whether their jobs and lives would allow them to serve for four months, the potential jurors are now being asked in Phase 2 their opinions on the death penalty and whether they can be fair to Cruz.

Phase 3, whenever that begins, would involve individualized questioning. Scherer is hoping to have 150 potential jurors for that phase, but right now only 35 have advanced out of Phase 2 while about 95 have been rejected.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)  The Dominican Republics minister of the environment and natural resources  the son of a former president  was shot to death in his office by a close friend Monday, the office of the president said in a statement.

Authorities said Orlando Jorge Mera was shot by Fausto Miguel de Jesus Cruz de la Mota, who was later arrested at a church dozens of blocks away after telling a priest he committed a crime and handed over a gun to him.

Officials gave no motive for the shooting, and it wasn't immediately clear if Cruz, 56, had an attorney.

We express our deepest condolences, the office of President Luis Abinader said.

As shots rang out late Monday morning, people on the street yelled and took cover as those fleeing the buidling climbed over a tall fence after first throwing over purses, backpacks and even a pair of shoes because the buildings main gates were locked.

Authorities said that in a phone conversation with Cruz while he was at the church, he promised to turn himself in if they guaranteed he wouldnt be killed.

Heavily armed police officers took him into custody at the church, which is about a 15-minute drive from the office where Jorge was shot.

When he was brought out, Cruz was wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest and kept his head mostly down as the glasses he wore slid slightly down his nose. One bystander yelled: You killed a good man! Murderer!

The victim came from a powerful political family. Jorge was the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco and his sister is a vice minister in Abinader's administration. Jorge's son is a lawmaker for the Modern Revolutionary Party, of which Jorge was a founding member.

The family issued a statement saying that Cruz had been Jorge's friend since childhood and that Jorge was shot multiple times.

Our family forgives the person who did this. One of Orlando's greatest legacies was to not hold grudges," it said.

Police and emergency officials swarmed the office of Environment and Natural Resources Ministry in the capital of Santo Domingo and barred entry as mourners gathered nearby. Jorge's office was on the fourth floor of a building that also houses the Ministry of Tourism.

We are troubled by the situation, Jorges ministry said in a brief statement.

Bartolome Pujals, executive director of the governments Cabinet of Innovation, wrote that he lamented the killing.

His death is a tragedy, Pujals said. We Dominicans have to come together to achieve a pact for peace and peaceful coexistence. No more violence.

Jorge, a lawyer, was appointed minister of the environment and natural resources in August 2020.

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Associated Press writer Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Oris Buckner III, a Black former police detective and whistleblower who spoke out about police brutality in the aftermath of a white officer's 1980 shooting death in New Orleans, has died. He was 70.

Buckner participated in but then reported on the interrogations of Black people questioned after a young white officer was killed in 1980 near a predominantly African American housing project in Algiers, the city's west bank.

The ex-officer died unexpectedly last Wednesday in Houston last, his wife, Stephanie Buckner, told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate on Friday. Family members told the newspaper Buckner had died from a sepsis infection while battling leukemia and diabetes.

Buckner was the New Orleans department's second Black homicide detective and his whistleblower testimony that year cost him dearly. He spoke out about the treatment of Blacks questioned in the days after the still unsolved shooting death of Officer Gregory Neupert.

He was vilified by his fellow officers for violating the blue code. He and his family were subject to physical threats, said Morris Reed, then a federal prosecutor who worked on the case. He was stigmatized. They ostracized him. I think it worked on his psyche.

At the time, New Orleans police killed four Black men in raids. Nobody was charged with the killings, but seven officers were indicted on federal brutality charges alleging that they beat others.

The indictment alleged that officers detained people, sometimes in cells, for up to 16 hours.

Some of these individuals were handcuffed or tied to a chair during their questioning," the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in a summary of other allegations. "Several were hit with fists or books or both. Johnny Brownlee and Robert Davis were also bagged, a process whereby the officers placed a bag over the victims head and temporarily sealed the bottom to cut off the air supply. Both Davis and Brownlee also accused officers of taking them separately to secluded or wooded areas and beating them, the ruling said.

Four of the officer were acquitted. Three against whom Buckner testified were convicted in the beating and bagging of Davis. They also were found guilty of conspiring to resort to illegal means to solve Neuperts murder, the 5th Circuit wrote in upholding their convictions.

Buckner, who testified under a grant of immunity, admitted that he had participated in the beating, the opinion said.

It said he didn't testify about another of Davis' allegations  that three officers drove him from police headquarters to a secluded area in Algiers where he was beaten and threatened with a gun by several policemen.

After hearing all the evidence, the jury was faced with a basic conflict: Davis and Buckner testified that Davis had been beaten and defendants maintained that he had been treated properly," the 5th Circuit opinion said. "The weighing of conflicting evidence and inferences and the determination of the relative credibility of witnesses is a function of the jury.

Civil rights attorney Mary Howell, who represented people abused in the days after Neupert's killing, said Buckner ended up being assigned to the city's Taxicab Bureau checking taxicab medallions" after his testimony.

The truth was out there in the community because people knew these things were going on. There were too many stories. But knowing it and proving it were two different things, said Howell. Its because of Oris testimony that it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Buckners sister, film actor Carol Sutton, died in 2020.

Buckner, an ordained minister who earned a degree at Loyola University while on the force, moved to Houston after Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans in 2005. He taught criminal justice at Lee College, a community college in suburban Baytown, Texas.

I think my father was more of a prophet of God than a crime-stopper, Oris Buckner IV, one of his six children, told the newspaper. His work is tied up to his faith, and thats who he was. His life was walking with God and using what God had blessed him with to protect other people and try to do the right thing.
LONDON (AP)  Conservative lawmakers in Britain will vote Monday evening on whether to oust their leader, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been tarnished by revelations that he and his staff held parties that broke the COVID-19 lockdown rules they imposed on the country.

Heres how the Conservative Party goes about challenging and changing leaders.

THE NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE

A no-confidence vote is triggered if 15% of Conservative lawmakers  currently 54  write a letter to Graham Brady, head of a powerful group of Conservative legislators known as the 1922 Committee. It is called that because it was founded by lawmakers first elected that year. These days it consists of Conservative lawmakers who do not hold official positions in the government.

Brady announced Monday that the threshold had been met and said the vote will be held in Parliament in the evening, with the result announced soon after.

All 359 Tory legislators can cast secret ballots; Johnson needs 180 votes to win. If he survives, there cannot be another challenge for a year unless the rules are changed.

If Johnson loses, he would resign and a party leadership contest would be held in which he would be barred from running. He would remain party leader and prime minister until a replacement is chosen.

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THE LEADERSHIP CONTEST

Conservative leadership contests have two stages. In the first stage, Conservative lawmakers hold an initial vote on all the candidates. The candidate with lowest number of votes drops out, and voting continues until there are two contenders left.

When there are only two candidates left, they are put to a vote of the full party membership across the country.

In the last leadership contest in 2019, a field of 10 candidates was whittled down to Johnson and former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Johnson won handily with about two-thirds of votes cast by party members.

The winner of the vote becomes Conservative Party leader and prime minister, without the need for a national election.

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THE CONTENDERS

Any Conservative legislator is eligible to run to replace Johnson as party leader. The two names most often mentioned are Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, both senior ministers with strong followings in the party.

Other possible contenders include: Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who ran against Johnson last time; Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi; a key figure in the U.K.'s successful COVID-19 vaccine program; Penny Mordaunt, the international trade minister seen as a rising star; Leveling Up Secretary Michael Gove, one of the most powerful members of Johnsons government; Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who has led the countrys coronavirus response; and Hunt, who has said he hasnt abandoned hope of becoming prime minister one day.
PHOENIX (AP)  Majority Republicans in the Arizona House are working to finalize a deal that would substantially boost funding for K-12 public schools and enact a major expansion of the state's private school voucher system.

Republicans who hold the majority in the House do not yet have a deal but it is close enough that they made a procedural move Monday that would allow the late introduction of bills. The Rules Committee approved allowing up to two school finance bills to be introduced and one on Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, the formal name for the state program giving parents cash to pay private school tuition.

Two Democrats on the panel opposed the move.

Republican Majority Leader Ben Toma said that act gives the needed flexibility to make whatever moves are needed. Toma is a major proponent of school choice" and wants a voucher expansion.

The Legislature has been stalled for more than two months as Republicans who control the House and Senate work to break an impasse over the state budget. With only one-vote majorities, any GOP member can block any bill if all Democrats are opposed.

GOP Sen. Paul Boyer has been pushing for a Grand Bargain that would include much of the $900 million in voter-approved funding that Proposition 208 would have provided if the Arizona Supreme Court had not declared it unconstitutional. He also has been pushing since last year for a major expansion of the voucher program.

But some Senate Republicans have publicly opposed any additional school funding.

Republican Senate leaders have not included Boyer in their budget talks, but he has spoken with House leaders. But he said over the weekend that he had no idea what the House was trying to do.

Republican Rep. Michelle Udall of Mesa, who chairs her chamber's education committee and earlier this year introduced a major school funding overhaul bill, has been heavily involved in the talks with Toma and other GOP House leaders.

She said Monday that they're trying to reach a compromise that would address concerns she has about the lack of accountability on school vouchers, and ensure they only go to families that can't afford private school tuition.

Weve been in discussions over both accountability and means testing and thats still part of the ongoing discussion, Udall said.

She also said she wants to see a very large new investment in K-12 schools, a pretty big chunk, of the $900 million Boyer wants.

The state is flush with cash, sitting on an unprecedented surplus of more than $5.3 billion. That's even accounting for $1.7 billion in income tax cuts enacted by the Legislature over unified Democratic opposition last year.

The actual tax cuts had been on hold because opponents collected enough signatures to block them until voters can approve or reject them in November. But the Arizona Supreme Court in April ruled voters can't block them, although the court has not explained its reasoning, and they are now in effect.

The current budget is $12.8 billion, and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey had proposed increases for the fiscal year that starts July 1 bringing spending to $14.3 billion.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected a universal school voucher plan approved by GOP lawmakers and Ducey in 2018. That has not stopped efforts to expand the system.
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NEW YORK (AP)  A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said in a written ruling that the allegations that actor Anthony Rapp brought against Spacey established an issue of material fact as to whether Rapp sufficiently alleges that Spacey acted to gratify sexual desire during an encounter at a Manhattan party in 1986 when Rapp was 14.

The judge noted that Rapp has alleged that Spacey placed a clothed Rapp on a bed and briefly put his own clothed body partially beside and partially across Rapp's before Rapp wriggled out, got up, and left the premises.

In his lawsuit, Rapp seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleges was assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Rapp testified at a deposition that there was no kissing, no undressing, no reaching under clothes and no sexualized statements or innuendo during an encounter that lasted no more than two minutes, the judge said.

Spacey denies the allegations.

Kaplan did dismiss a common law assault allegation, saying the claim was not included in those revived by a Child Victims Act in New York state that in 2019 temporarily allowed individuals to make claims in instances in which the statute of limitations would normally have barred them.

The ruling comes two weeks after British prosecutors said they had authorized police to charge Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The alleged incidents occurred in London between 2005 and 2013.

Peter Saghir, a lawyer for Rapp, declined comment. A lawyer for Spacey did not return a message seeking comment.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. In just over a hundred days, close to 7 million Ukrainians have fled across their nation's borders, with the vast majority finding sanctuary within the European Union. Ukraine counts four E.U. member states as its neighbors, all of whom opened their borders for what was a mass exodus.

In an unprecedented move following the Russian attack, the European Union as a bloc invoked an emergency power not used since it was conceived two decades ago and granted Ukrainians a kind of blanket protection. The "temporary protection directive," as it's known, gives those who receive it an extended right to move freely within the European Union, as well as permissions to work and access to health care, education and housing.

It is "a very generous offer, far beyond the classical asylum protections," Margaritis Schinas, vice president of the European Commission, told me last week during a visit to Washington. "I would say it's Europe at its best."

Schinas, whose portfolio includes coordinating the European Union's continental approach to asylum and migration policy, thinks that many of these refugees may in the long run not return to their homeland. "I anticipate that this offer is so generous that regardless of the evolution of the war, at least 2.5 million to 3 million people will stay," he said.

That's a figure multiple times larger than the number of Syrian and Afghan war refugees given asylum by the E.U. in recent years. For Schinas, it's a positive development. He described many of the Ukrainian refugees as "highly educated and skilled people" who "can immediately incorporate into our systems," especially when the continent as a whole faces demographic decline and a significant skills gap in certain critical sectors.

Many of the refugees have tapped into networks of the Ukrainian diaspora and found housing and accommodation, while tens of thousands of citizens across the European Union, Britain and the United States, among other countries, have registered to host or sponsor Ukrainian refugees. Ukrainian schoolchildren are able to access their curriculums digitally. And though coronavirus vaccination rates in Ukraine were relatively low, the surplus stock of vaccines in the European Union means there's plenty to go around.

All of this, Schinas observed, has led to the continent's traditional opponents to immigration on the far right being relatively muted about this major Ukrainian influx, which, for now, appears to have caused minimal strains in host nations.

But onlookers elsewhere are less impressed. The reception for Ukrainians stands in stark contrast to how Europe on the whole has viewed asylum seekers from other parts of the world. The slow-burning crisis provoked by the war in Syria in 2015 left deep political scars on the continent: E.U. member states clashed over how to shoulder the burden of the influx, while the arrivals of hundreds of thousands of non-White, non-Christian migrants inflamed the nationalist far right across Europe.

Even last year after the fall of the Afghan government in Kabul to Taliban militants, a statement from E.U. interior ministers prioritized thwarting "illegal migration from the region" and "[reinforcing] border management capacity" over protections for the Afghan people, who bore witness to two decades of a failed Western military adventure in their country.

"The Russian-Ukrainian war revealed the ugly face of Europe. It showed their racism against Arab and African immigrants despite all the human rights slogans," wrote Marwa El-Shinawy in a column for Daily News Egypt, adding that European governments "seem to believe that the protection of refugees is a right for Europeans only and that the rest of the races are not human beings."

Perhaps one pointed illustration of this can be seen in Poland, whose right-wing nationalist government had fumed over the prospect of resettling a handful of Syrian refugees but has opened its doors for millions of Ukrainians from next door. In 2015, "the refugees were dark-skinned Muslims, and Warsaw slammed its borders shut," wrote Andreas Kluth, former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global, a publication based in Germany. "Now they're fellow Christians and Slavs, and Poland has warmly welcomed more than half of the 6.7 million Ukrainians who've fled abroad."

Schinas is aware of the criticism but rejects accusations of racism. To those who "somehow imply that skin color is a factor in European migration policy, let me be crystal clear," he said. "It is not."

The Brussels official argued that the war in Ukraine - on the E.U.'s immediate doorstep - is a unique circumstance that triggered a different legal mechanism than the earlier waves of migrants. "We give protection to people who flee from war," he said. "This does not translate to an automatic right of admission for everyone who comes to the European Union."

But Schinas added that the 2015 migration crisis was a "catalyst," which "galvanized the European Union into some sort of belief that migration was a common issue." Compared to seven years ago, the bloc has far greater funding and capacity to absorb migrant influxes and monitor borders.

But no matter the consensus around welcoming Ukrainians, the E.U. still lacks political unity for setting a policy on asylum seekers. Schinas thinks one will emerge soon, which will require unanimity among the bloc's 27 member states.

"It is mind blowing that Europe has the biggest single market in the world, we account for 20% of the world's GDP," said Schinas, and can pursue major policy goals, including issuing shared debt and instituting the world's most aggressive climate goals.

Yet, Schinas lamented, "this Europe still does not have a migration policy. It's sad, in a way."
ROANOKE, Va. (AP)  A company building a natural gas pipeline in Virginia and West Virginia is seeking a new panel of judges to hear the next round in its legal battle with environmentalists.

Mountain Valley Pipeline filed a motion last month requesting the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to assign a new panel at random, The Roanoke Times reported.

The 303-mile (487-kilometer) pipeline, which is mostly finished, would transport natural gas drilled from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations through West Virginia and Virginia. Legal battles have delayed completion by nearly four years and doubled the pipeline's cost, now estimated at $6.6 billion.

The company argues that the three-judge panel that has presided over 12 challenges of government approvals for it and the now-defunct Atlantic Coast Pipeline has vacated or stayed all but two of the permits. It argues that effectively killed the Atlantic Coast project and threatening to do the same for Mountain Valley.

The perception created by this Courts deliberate formation of a special pipeline panel  actually a Mountain Valley panel  threatens public confidence in the Courts legitimacy, the motion states.

Three-member panels are randomly assigned for incoming cases, but rules sometimes allow for the same judges to remain with a case when it comes up again. However, the company asserts that the Fourth Circuit didnt follow its internal operating procedures.

The rule states, in part: Every effort is made to assign cases for oral argument to judges who have had previous involvement with the case to preside over a motion made before oral arguments or a prior appeal in the matter. Mountain Valley contends that the current cases involve neither a pre-argument motion nor a prior appeal and asks that the court to correct this departure from its own procedures.

The Sierra Club and other environmental groups, which are contesting the latest permits for water crossings, urged the court not to grant the request. Mountain Valleys calculations that it won only two of the 12 cases decided by the panel omits most of some half-dozen cases that involved eminent domain, distorting the panels record, a motion from the Sierra Club states.
GREENWICH  Supporters and friends of Greenwich Hospital gathered at Greenwich Country Club for the hospitals annual benefit, raising funds for key areas of growth in oncology, behavioral health, heart and vascular, childrens and neuroscience.

The Benefit for Greenwich Hospital, which was held May 20, honored former Board of Trustees Chair Arthur C. Martinez; his wife, Elizabeth Martinez; and their family; as well as Dr. James A. Brunetti.

Former Today show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford, a longtime Riverside resident, was the events emcee. A live auction was led by the renowned auctioneer Lydia Fenet of Christies Auction House.

Our sole purpose is to help those in the community who depend on us to provide quality health care, no matter what. In everything we do, it is the talented people  our staff, clinical partners and volunteers  who are the bedrock upon which our work flourishes. That is what tonights philanthropy is all about, Greenwich Hospital President Diane P. Kelly told the guests.

We are thrilled to honor this team and our treasured friends for all they have contributed to this hospitals continued growth and to this community, she said.

Board Chair W. Robert Berkley Jr. reflected on the significance of gathering together during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a moment that is especially worthy of celebration. And in light of what the hospital has done for its communities over these past two years and its extraordinary trajectory forward in various clinical areas, it is a moment that should give us pride and gratitude, he said.

One of the evenings most poignant moments took place when a poem was read from a book created by Greenwich Hospitals Emergency Department staff about their experiences during the pandemic. Throughout the reading, images of Greenwich Hospitals employees during the height of COVID-19 illuminated the stage.

Upon completion of the reading, members of the Greenwich Hospital front line took to the stage to be met with a standing ovation. The backdrop was a reproduction of the mural created by artist Rick Garcia, commissioned by C. Parker Gallery, signed by the community at the Reindeer Festival and presented as a gift to Greenwich Hospital in recognition of the hospitals work over the past two years.

The power of investment made possible by all who supported this years benefit directly impacts the continued growth of Greenwich Hospitals centers of excellence within clinical areas important to our community: oncology, behavioral health, heart and vascular, childrens and neuroscience  truly making the evening, Our Benefit, For Your Benefit, said Noel Appel, Greenwich Hospital senior vice president and chief development officer.

Greenwich Hospital, a 206-bed community hospital that opened in 1903, is a member of Yale New Haven Health and an academic affiliate of Yale School of Medicine. For more information, visit greenwichhospital.org.

To support Greenwich Hospitals growth initiatives, contact Noel Appel at 203-863-3861 or at noel.appel@greenwichhospital.org.

Local student named to UVM Deans List

John Wailgum, a business administration major from Greenwich, has been named to the Deans List for the spring 2022 semester at the University of Vermont in Burlington. Wailgum is in the Grossman School of Business.

To be named to the Deans List, students must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20 percent of their class in their respective college or school.

Local student graduates from Scranton

Alvaro Jaramillo of Greenwich is among the University of Scrantons undergraduate Class of 2022, earning a bachelor of science degree in counseling and human services.

More than 850 students earned bachelors degrees and were honored at the commencement ceremony on May 21 at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Degrees were conferred to graduates who had completed their academic degree requirements in August and December 2021, as well as January and May 2022.

University of New Hampshire announces local grads

Three local students  Angelica Dziurzynski and Phoebe Myers of Greenwich and Harley Guerrieri of Old Greenwich  graduated from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., in May.
TOKYO (AP)  Japan's northern city of Sapporo on Monday rejected holding a referendum to give voters a choice over bidding for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

The city's assembly, controlled by Japan's Liberal Democratic Party  which is also in charge of the national government  turned down having a public vote. Its meeting was streamed online.

Sapporo is known to be one of at least three candidates interested in holding the 2030 Winter Games. The others are Salt Lake City and Vancouver. Spain has also expressed interest.

Salt Lake and Vancouver are not requiring referendums. One of the complications of a Spanish bid is a push to hold a public vote.

When voters in other cities have been given a choice, they have consistently rejected holding the Olympic Games, often citing costs and disruptions.

Sapporo officials have said there is no need for a referendum since its polling shows 52% to be in favor of an Olympic bid.

Hitoshi Murakami, a member of the Japanese Communist Party that proposed the referendum, said the poll results were skewed since the survey was held shortly after the end of last year's delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo Games costs have been placed at $13.6 billion, the majority of which was public money. Several government audits have shown the official cost to be much higher.

The International Olympic Committee is expected to award the 2030 Olympics in meetings next May in the western Indian metropolis of Mumbai. It could also award the 2034 Winter Olympics.

Sapporo has placed the cost of staging the Winter Olympics at $2.6 billion, although accurately estimating costs almost eight years in advance is impossible. In addition, Olympics routinely run over budget.

Sawako Ishikawa, an assembly member who spoke in favor of the referendum, said people should be allowed to express their views on an event that's crucial for the citys spending and image.

Hideki Maruyama, a legislator opposed to the referendum, said the bid process was already moving forward. He said public opinion surveys, various research and discussions involving business leaders had already taken place.

Paris is host for the 2024 Summer Olympics, with Los Angeles taking 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, set for 2032. The 2026 Winter Olympics are in Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo.

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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Two people accused in a fatal Las Vegas home robbery are back in Nevada to face charges that include murder, kidnapping and robbery, public records show.

Christine Schultz, 22, and Michael Overton, 31 were booked into the Clark County Detention Center over the weekend, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The two had turned themselves in to the FBI in Florida last month.
The prospect that the Supreme Court could soon overturn Roe v. Wade has some abortion rights supporters wishing liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had heeded pleas from Democrats to retire while the party controlled the White House. President Donald Trump's replacement of Ginsburg with Amy Coney Barrett cemented a powerful conservative majority on the court, probably altering abortion rights for a generation.

But three decades ago, two liberal justices made an even more surprising decision: They retired under a Republican president. And many observers were convinced they that doomed Roe to be overturned.

When Thurgood Marshall, the first Black justice, retired in June 1991, President George H.W. Bush replaced him with Clarence Thomas. The change gave the court not just another conservative vote, but also a beacon for a hard-right worldview, whose opposition to abortion has now taken firm root on the court. Justice Samuel Alito Jr.'s leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe cites half a dozen of Thomas's previous opinions.

Marshall's retirement caught everyone off guard. Marshall, nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967, had always called his job a "lifetime term" from which he would never retire.

"Marshall never talked about retiring, even vaguely," said Susan Low Bloch, a Georgetown Law professor and former clerk for Marshall. "I remember being very surprised when he announced it. It came out of the blue."

Had Marshall stayed on the court for another 1 1/2 years, a Democratic president, Bill Clinton, would have chosen his successor. (As it turned out, Marshall died four days after Clinton's inauguration.)

Marshall's surprise retirement came a year after his good friend and fellow liberal Justice William Brennan stepped down, allowing Bush to appoint David Souter, whom White House chief of staff John Sununu called a "home run for conservatives." The twin departures left the court with just one justice who had been nominated by a Democratic president: Byron White, who was conservative on many issues and had voted against Roe in 1973.

It was a shocking transformation for a court that, when it unanimously struck down public school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, had only one GOP-nominated justice. (Marshall successfully argued that case on behalf of the NAACP.)

And it seemed to put Roe in grave danger.

So why had Marshall decided to step down such a short time before the end of Bush's term?

He gave a simple reason: At 83, he was getting old. "The strenuous demands of Court work and its related duties required or expected of a Justice appear at this time to be incompatible with my advancing age and medical condition," he wrote, employing the exact language Brennan had used in his resignation letter.

Or as Marshall later put it: "What's wrong with me? I'm old! I'm getting old and coming apart."

But there was a political factor, too. In the middle of 1991, few strategists thought a Democrat could win the next year's presidential election. Republicans had occupied the White House for all but four years since 1968. And Bush was popular, fresh off the U.S. victory over Iraq in the Persian Gulf War.

"Calculations that President Bush is a prohibitive favorite to win reelection in 1992 have not changed, but Democratic strategists increasingly are viewing 1992 as the platform for 1996 - when most expect the Democrats' presidential prospects to be much brighter," Ronald Brownstein wrote in the Los Angeles Times in May 1991.

"Bush looked pretty invincible," recalled Bloch, who served as a pallbearer at Marshall's funeral. If Marshall thought Democrats had a good chance to win back the White House, she said, she is "100% certain" he would have stayed on the court.

After Bush named Thomas to the seat, the Senate confirmed him 52-48, following accusations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill.

Just as now, Democrats fretted about the court's conservative direction and the threat to Roe. Rep. Les AuCoin, D-Ore., said when Marshall announced his retirement, "Sadly, I believe it's also the final chapter in the high court's protection of reproductive rights in particular and the right to privacy in general."

So far, Souter seemed likely to vote against Roe. After one year on the bench, the New York Times wrote that Souter "has proven to be among the more conservative members of the Court on decisions like the recent one allowing the Bush Administration to prohibit family planning clinics that receive Federal funds from advising women about the availability of abortions."

But Souter wound up saving Roe, almost exactly one year after Marshall announced his retirement. In a June 1992 case concerning a Pennsylvania abortion law, the court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey affirmed Roe's "central holding," while allowing states to impose some new restrictions on abortion. Souter co-wrote the opinion with Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy - both nominated by Ronald Reagan, a staunch abortion foe.

Overturning Roe, the three justices wrote, would come "at the cost of both profound and unnecessary damage to the Court's legitimacy and to the Nation's commitment to the rule of law."

Thomas joined three other conservative justices in calling for Roe to be ruled unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the court's remaining liberal justices - Roe author Harry Blackmun and John Paul Stevens - joined the court's opinion in part, providing the margin for the 5-4 ruling. Each wrote an opinion arguing the court should have struck down the Pennsylvania restrictions.

Blackmun and Stevens had been nominated in the 1970s by Republican Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald Ford, respectively, a sign of how much less politicized - and scrutinized - Supreme Court nominees had been in that decade. Blackmun acknowledged the changing times in his opinion.

"I am 83 years old," he wrote. "I cannot remain on this court forever, and when I do step down, the confirmation process for my successor may well focus on the issues before us today."

In the last 30 years, four liberal justices have retired, and each timed his departure so that a Democrat could name his replacement. Blackmun retired in 1994, paving the way for Clinton to nominate Stephen Breyer. This year, the 83-year-old Breyer retired, allowing President Joe Biden to choose his successor, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

As for Souter, who became a reliable liberal vote, The Washington Post reported during the 2008 campaign that he told a friend, "If Obama wins, I'll be the first one to retire." He did just that, allowing President Barack Obama to replace him with Sonia Sotomayor in 2009. The next year, Stevens retired, and Obama named Elena Kagan to his seat.

The decisions by Marshall and Brennan to retire under a Republican president are clearly from another era.

"It wasn't lost on either Brennan or Marshall that there was a Republican president who would nominate someone that they might not want to see sitting in their seat," Bloch said. "But it was a different time - they were not as focused as much as they are now on who would replace them. It wasn't as strategic and planned as it looks now."
MOSCOW (AP)  Russia's foreign ministry called U.S. news media to a meeting on Monday to warn that their accreditations and visas could be withdrawn if the United States does not rescind measures limiting Russian journalists there.

The warning from ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova comes amid high tensions with the West over what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine, where Russian forces have taken substantial territory.

The Kremlin-funded TV channel RT was dropped by U.S. cable and satellite operators, state-run TV stations have been targeted by U.S. sanctions and YouTube has blocked many official Russian channels, including feeds of Zakharova's weekly briefings.

Zakharova also said Russian journalists have been denied U.S. visas or extensions of them and that some have been detained for lengthy interrogations at airports.

Why on earth would we have to endure all this? If they want to destroy our media space, then we will destroy it together, she said. You see, its like cutting a dogs tail piece by piece. Lets cut it off right away and not suffer.

If our journalists are not restored in their rights, and our Russian media are not restored their rights, these same measures will affect you, Zakharova said.

When you do not receive visas, when you do not have accreditation ... please, please dont say we didnt talk about it, she told representatives of The Associated Press and other U.S. media outlets.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Monday that Moscow is making a false equivalency.

The Russian government fundamentally and willfully disregards what it means to have a free press as evidenced by them blocking or banning nearly every independent Russian outlet seeking to report inside their country, Price said.

He added that the U.S. "continues to issue visas to qualified Russian journalists and we have not revoked the foreign press center credentials of any Russian journalists working in the United States.

Many foreign news organizations suspended or curtailed their operations in Russia following the passage in March of a law calling for up to 15 years in prison for reports seen as discrediting the Russian military.

Zakharova did not state a timeframe for when Russia could take action. But journalist visa and accreditation renewals are being issued only for three-month periods.

She dismissed concern about the short-term extensions, saying this is our greatest patience."

Last month, the foreign ministry ordered the closure of the state-funded Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Moscow bureau in response to Canada's ban on RT. In February, as Russia built up troops along Ukraine's border, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle was ordered to close in Moscow after Germany banned the broadcast of RT's German-language programs.

Russia last year refused to renew the visa of Sarah Rainsford, a longtime reporter for the BBC in Moscow.

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Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
MOSCOW (AP)  Voters in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan have given overwhelming approval to proposed constitutional changes widely seen as an attempt to repudiate the legacy of former strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev, who led the ex-Soviet republic for three decades.

Kazakhstans Central Election Commission said Monday that 77% of voters supported the constitutional amendments in Sunday's referendum, according to preliminary results, while just under 19% voted against them and about 2.6% of ballots were found invalid. The turnout was 68%.
UPDATE: 3:18 PM CT

Kyle Rittenhouse has amended previous statements made regarding his enrollment at Texas A&M, clarifying that he will be attending Blinn College at Brenham Campus, a nearby junior college, in the hopes of transferring to Texas A&M next year.

Rittenhouse made this clarification on Monday, taking to Twitter to announce his plans to enroll at what he called the "feeder school" for Texas A&M. The 19-year-old said his final years of high school had been "robbed" from him due to the Kenosha shooting and his subsequent homicide trial, and he plans to move to Texas "at the end of month" and attend Texas A&M in 2023.

Reached for comment by KRHD 25's Joe Leal and Paige Ellenberger, a Blinn College official stated Rittenhouse had applied for enrollment at the school but has yet to be admitted as a student.

"Kyle Rittenhouse has applied but not yet enrolled for any classes," an official told KRHD 25. Blinn College has a 100 percent acceptance rate, according to Niche.com.

--- End of Update ---

Kyle Rittenhouse will not be attending classes at College Station this summer or fall, despite apparent claims to the contrary made by the 19-year-old during a recent podcast appearance.

Rittenhouse was a guest last week on conservative activist Charlie Kirk's eponymous show and at one point placed a Texas A&M ball cap on his head while claiming he would be attending the university after visiting the campus earlier in the year.

"Right here on 'The Charlie Kirk Show,' Kyle Rittenhouse is announcing he's an Aggie," said host Charlie Kirk as Rittenhouse swapped his hat for one branded with the Texas A&M logo.

"So I'm gonna be going there, and it's going to be awesome," Rittenhouse said. "Beautiful campus, amazing people, amazing food."

Texas A&M disputed this claim, however, according to The Dallas Morning News' Michael Williams, who wrote that a university official on Sunday denied Rittenhouse's enrollment in summer or fall 2022 courses.

"[Rittenhouse] has not been admitted as a student this summer or fall," Texas A&M spokeswoman Kelly Brown told Williams in an email. This is the second occasion when a university Rittenhouse has affiliated himself with has taken steps to distance itself from the teenager who shot and killed two people in 2020 at demonstrations against police violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

In November 2021, Rittenhouse testified that he was enrolled in online courses at Arizona State University, prompting the university to issue a statement clarifying that Rittenhouse had taken two courses in a non-degree-seeking capacity with the school but was "no longer enrolled" at ASU. The teenager had previously told FOX News and FOX Nation he had opted for "compassionate withdrawals" from two online programs at the school ahead of his trial.

Since his involvement in the deadly Kenosha shooting, Rittenhouse has become a celebrity of sorts among certain conservative circles and proponents of Second Amendment rights in America. Charged with five crimes including first-degree intentional homicide, Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges in November 2021 after testifying he had acted in self-defense in the shootings of demonstrators Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum.
Pool/Getty Images

Over the weekend, Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted from multiple charges in connection to killing two men and wounding another during street protests in Wisconsin in 2020, said he's going to Texas A&M University. However, the college says otherwise.

The university told the Dallas Morning News that Rittenhouse isn't attending, writing in a statement, "He has not been admitted as a student this summer or fall." Rittenhouse said he visited College Station in May, calling it a "beautiful campus" with "amazing people, amazing food" during an appearance on "The Charlie Kirk Show," a conservative podcast.
Southeast Texas will be well-represented in the upcoming state study ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott on guns and school safety. House Speaker Dade Phelan of Beaumont along with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have been charged with naming several members of each chamber to a special committee. And Patrick has already named state Sen. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville to chair the Senate effort. Nichols, in District 3, along with fellow Republican Brandon Creighton in District 4, is one of two state senators representing Southeast Texas in the Legislature.

So whatever happens  or fails to happen  on guns and schools in Texas, at least area residents will know that their representatives had a hand in it. But the key phrase in that previous sentence is fails to happen.

Democrats are already complaining that Abbott called for this committee instead of a special 30-day session of the Legislature to review the issue. Yet state Republican leaders dont want a special session and all the attention that would bring. They just dont want to do all of the things that Democrats want  and maybe none at all.

Some Democrats at the national level want a complete ban on the guns commonly referred to as assault weapons, and that bird simply will not fly in Texas. Ditto for bans on high-capacity magazines, usually defined as anything holding more than 10 bullets.

But before anyone starts despairing that nothing will be done after the tragedy in Uvalde, it is important to focus on two key reforms which are possible even in gun-friendly Texas  a red flag law and prohibiting anyone under 21 from buying a semi-automatic rifle, a ban that includes assault weapons. Presumably, those age 18 to 21 could still buy bolt-action or lever-action rifles, or pump-action shotguns.

Many gun owners could live with these two requirements, even though hardline Republicans are reluctant to approve either one. Opponents to these proposals and others note that the Uvalde shooter passed a background check for the two assault rifles he bought. And the state of New York has a tough red-flag law, but it did not stop the white supremacists who attacked Black grocery shoppers in Buffalo.

Those points are valid, but these two laws can still help stop some shooters some times. Conservative Republicans in Florida passed a red flag law after the Parkland school shooting in 2018, so its not out of the question for Texas. And those under 21 cannot buy alcohol or tobacco in any state, so adding one more provision to that list is not that extreme.

The special committees conclusion should be available in a month or so. But the Legislature doesnt meet until January, and next year is when any new laws would be passed  if they are passed.

Frankly, the odds lean against either a red-flag law or an under-21 semi-auto rifle ban in Texas. But the horror in Uvalde has seared this state, and many Texans want lawmakers to do something in response.

Well all find out soon what that something is, or is not. But a lot of the credit or blame for whatever happens will rest on Speaker Phelan and Sen. Nichols. If you have thoughts on guns and school safety, this would be a good time to send a letter or email to one of those officials -- or both of them.

Thomas Taschinger, TTaschinger@BeaumontEnterprise.com, is the editorial page editor of The Beaumont Enterprise. Follow him on Twitter at @Political Tom
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing a tsunami of online derision Monday following an announcement the his office would be launching an investigation into Twitter's "potentially false reporting over its fake bot accounts in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act."

The state attorney general said in a press release that his office will be investigating the number of bot accountsoften coded to create automatic posts and responses or controlled by AIon the social media platform because "Texans rely on Twitter's public statements that nearly all its users are real people." He further claimed he has a "duty to protect Texans" from any fake accounts that may be driving up the company's revenue.
WFO SPOKANE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, June 5, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Latah County in the Panhandle of Idaho...

Northwestern Nez Perce County in north central Idaho...

Southeastern Whitman County in eastern Washington...

* Until 430 PM PDT.

* At 341 PM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles northwest

of Clarkston, moving northeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Pullman, Moscow, Genesee, Colton, Uniontown and Joel.

This includes U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho between mile markers 319 and

326, and between mile markers 329 and 352.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SPOKANE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, June 5, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

The Chuweah Burn Scar in...

Southeastern Okanogan County in north central Washington...

Southwestern Ferry County in northeastern Washington...

* Until 700 PM PDT.

* At 352 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain over the Chuweah Burn Scar. Between 0.1 and 0.4 inches

of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 1 inch

in 1 hour. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding in and around the Chuweah

Burn Scar.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of areas in and around

the Chuweah Burn Scar.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Nespelem Community, Elmer City and Nespelem.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

The affected areas are in and below the Chuweah burn scar east of

Nespelem, including Cache Creek Road, Joe Moss Road and Chuweah

Road. Some drainage basins impacted include Nespelem River, Joe

Moses Creek, and Chuweah Creek. High intensity rainfall on the

burned area may cause flash flooding, mud slides and rock slides.

Hikers, residents, and motorists in and below the Chuweah burned

area should take immediate precautions to protect life and property.

This is a life threatening situation. Heavy rainfall will cause

extensive and severe flash flooding of creeks...streams...and

ditches in the Chuweah Burn Scar. Severe debris flows can also be

anticipated across roads. Roads and driveways may be washed away in

places. If you encounter flood waters...climb to safety.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Country singer Dallas Smith returned to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Thursday night, for a night of high energy entertainment. The Canadian performer had a banner year in 2021 winning the Country Music Awards entertainer of the year, as well as the single of the year. The band is cu
Canada is pledging $1.5 million to remove barriers on immigrants who want to work in health care.

Canada to support internationally educated health professionals Canada is pledging $1.5 million to remove barriers on immigrants who want to work in health care.

Canada to support internationally educated health professionals Canada is pledging $1.5 million to remove barriers on immigrants who want to work in health care.

Canada to support internationally educated health professionals Canada is pledging $1.5 million to remove barriers on immigrants who want to work in health care. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

Sans Font Size A

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The parliamentary secretary to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced nearly $1.5 million in funding to help newcomers work in the Canadian health sector faster.

The funds are intended to promote collaboration and information sharing in the health sector. Specifically, to help internationally educated health care professionals get their credentials recognized faster.

The project builds on the success of the National Newcomer Navigation Network (N4), an online platform for foreign health care professionals who wish to work in Canada. N4 was launched in 2019 by the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontarios (CHEO).

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

CHEO has a proven track record of ensuring health and social service sector professionals have the knowledge and tools they need to provide equitable care and services to newcomers, said Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the immigration minister. We are pleased to continue working with the National Newcomer Navigation Network to support health care professionals educated abroad in securing jobs in Canadas health care sector. These services will help more newcomers succeed, while also helping to build a better future for all Canadians.

In addition to helping internationally educated health care professionals work in Canada, the funds will enable N4 to serve as a platform where newcomers can find information on foreign qualification and credential recognition in all provinces and territories outside Quebec.

Newcomers are an integral part of our communities, said Alex Munter, CEO and President of CHEO. Their full inclusion in our health-care workforce will help us address staffing shortages, while also incorporating richly diverse voices of lived experience and better supporting other newcomers.

This funding comes from a dedicated stream within Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canadas Settlement Program, which invests in projects that support future settlement programming. IRCC has allocated a total of nearly $1.02 billion in settlement services in 2022-2023, an increase of about 11% from 2021-2022, according to public records obtained by CIC News.

Canada is facing a tight labour market, especially in the health sector. Statistic Canada recently reported record levels of job vacancies in health care and social assistance. In March, out of more than 1 million job vacancies, health care and social assistance employers were seeking to fill 154,500 vacancies.

Express Entry programs for health care professionals

Health care professionals may be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). These two federal immigration programs are managed by the Express Entry system.

Express Entry is an online system that manages immigration applications for the federal government. It uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank eligible candidates on their skilled work experience, age, education, and official language ability, among other factors. The highest-scoring candidates get invited to apply for permanent residence in bi-weekly Express Entry draws.

Although draws for CEC and FSWP candidates have been paused during the pandemic, Minister Fraser previously announced that these draws would resume in early July. The minister also said the processing standard for new Express Entry applicants would return to six months.

PNP for health care professionals

Although IRCC gets the final say on who can immigrate to Canada, the provinces can nominate eligible candidates through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Some PNPs are dedicated specifically for health care professionals, while others have more general work experience requirements but may hold immigration nomination draws targeting candidates in the sector.

Multiple provinces have more than one program that welcomes health care professionals. Sometimes PNPs draw candidates from the Express Entry system and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination. If these candidates are nominated, they get 600 CRS points added to their Express Entry score. This award is more than enough to allow the candidate to be invited to apply for permanent residence.

Here are some of the PNP pathways for health care professionals:

To find more, CanadaVisa offers a PNP finder to help people match with the best PNP for their Canadian immigration journey.

Quebec

Quebec operates its own immigration system. Certain programs like the PNP and Express Entry are not available in Quebec.

Quebec offers its Regular Skilled Worker Program and the Quebec Experience Program. Health care professionals may be eligible for either of these programs. Both of these programs require candidates to have a working knowledge of the French language.

Caregiver pilot programs

Caregivers may be able to apply for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot if they have a job offer to work in one of the two eligible occupations, and meet the other eligibility criteria. Work experience must fall under National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes 4411 or 4412.

Through these pilots, candidates can get an open work permit to come to Canada and work temporarily.

To become eligible for permanent residence, candidates need at least 24 months of full-time work experience in the 36 months before applying. They also need language test results showing a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 or more, and one year of post-secondary education. As with all permanent residency applicants, they will also need to pass admissibility checks.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
As organisations pivot to hybrid working models, cloud collaboration tools have proved they are scalable, secure, and resilient  finally dispelling any lingering concerns that the technology is not yet enterprise ready. In fact, one of the key messages from the recent CIO Cloud Transformation Summit was that this technology has dramatically transformed the business of work and its upward trajectory is set to continue.

Panellists at the CIO summit discussed how cloud has liberated remote workers from isolated, linear working practices, delivering full collaboration within productive, cloud-enabled hybrid teams.

Before cloud collaboration, teams would work in a very singular manner, creating, editing and sharing documents in isolation, said summit panellist Martin Russell, Director of Customer Success at Google Cloud Partner Netpremacy. Now however, we use solutions such as real-time chat instead of email and team members collaborate on a centrally stored document in real time. Its a significant jump.

The office is not obsolete yet, however. Michelle Kearns, Head of IT at Boots Ireland, made the point that many employees still prefer working all or some of their time in a shared space, where they can collaborate face-to-face. The panellists agreed that the office needs to be reimagined to ensure it delivers real value.

Remote working, powered by cloud collaboration tools such as Google Workspace, is also helping to address a global skills shortage, by extending the available pool of talent beyond conventional geographic limitations. John Bamber, Chief Engineer at property company Places for People, told the panel: Geography is no longer a recruitment factor for my company, and I know quite a few other organisations that are in the same position. Russell agreed, saying: Weve had our eyes opened at Netpremacy to the ability to tap into wider talent pools and we now hire employees from anywhere.

Organisations also need to address an IT-specific skills shortage. Employee retention, which requires inspiring, engaging and transitioning IT specialists from on-premises to cloud technology, is a significant part of the solution. Bamber says: The key fundamentals of most IT roles are massively transferable. If you hire great employees, they dont stop being great if the role changes slightly. Training and education are key.

Russell Harte, DFSs Chief Operations Officer, who participated in a fireside chat, explained that the furniture retailer transitioned to cloud before the pandemic, and was able to create a data-driven growth engine. Weve brought together internal and external data sources to understand how were performing in store catchment areas from both an online and offline perspective along with external data sources. We used this to build powerful applications that drive efficiency and aid decision making.

Having proven cloud scalability, security, and resilience, the panel agreed that IT teams must now double down on cloud-related carbon emissions. Kearns argued that cloud data centres may be out of sight but should never be out of mind.

Companies need more systems capability, more functionality and more data storage. The smart choice may be the cloud, but it must be done in a sustainable way. Cloud data centres should use efficient and sustainable energy sources and they should be built in the right places. We have to get that conversation going.

Organisations have achieved so much during the pandemic. Russell makes the point that they must now resist the urge to revert to tried-and-tested pre-pandemic working models. Instead, organisations should:

Review and redesign internal process workflows to maximise the effectiveness of cloud collaboration tools.

Re-evaluate the role of the office and ensure employee experience is seamless.

Leverage remote working to increase the pool of available talent.

Focus on employee retraining and retention to overcome the IT-sector talent gap.

Double down on third-party data centre sustainability. Work with cloud hyperscalers to introduce green SLAs.

Following these steps will enable organisations to continue the upward trajectory achieved during the pandemic, increasing levels of collaboration, productivity and innovation.

About Netpremacy

Netpremacy helps global companies transform and energise their business to gain a competitive edge with Google products. As well as being trusted by trailblazers like Monzo, Just Eat and Morrisons, theyre a double award-winning Google Cloud Premier Partner. They deliver next-level customer care and build true partnerships with clients to add value to their organisations. Learn more
This story was originally published on the AWS Partner Network (APN) Blog.

The human population is predicted to reach around 10 billion by 2050. To sustain the exponential needs of this growth in terms of food and nutrition, our existing farming methods will be stressed to increase yields within the limited supply of available land.

Current methods to increase farming yields include the application of chemical fertilizers and the widespread use of pesticides. These methods have the advantage of increasing the quantity, but at the cost of adverse effects on the overall environmentdestruction of biodiversity and contaminating ground water, soil and its fertility, and even the air.

Capgemini is an AWS Premier Consulting Partner and Managed Service Provider (MSP) with a multicultural team of 220,000 people in 40+ countries. Capgeminis solution, outlined in this post, proposes an alternative method by using technology to manage moisture for optimum plant growth.

Capgemini believes in sustainable IT solutions, which refers to the application of IT practices and technologies for the benefit of customers and other stakeholders that ensure long-term well-being in economic, social, and environmental sustainability pillars.

Capgeminis solution is called Smart Hub Cropping and checks precipitation in the farming fields, combines weather data from the government, and analyzes agricultural data to provide farmers with actionable insights and automation of the irrigation process. All of this is aligned to the most needed farmer experience of higher crop yield.

To achieve this outcome, Capgemini cloud technologies from Amazon Web Services (AWS) in areas like the Internet of Things (IoT), monitoring, insights, integration, and machine learning (ML).

Solution overview

Capgeminis Smart Hub Crop solution provides an interface for farmers that provides data and insights about the moisture levels in the fields within their farms. This is combined with weather data focusing on forecasted precipitation levels, and data provided by the Government of Indias Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, which details the levels and types of crops harvested for the nation.

This combined dataset helps farmers understand which crop type to plant and in which area of the farm to do so. It also helps them maintain their crops to ensure productive growth.

Farmers register and authenticate through a mobile application to get access to their dataset, view data about their fields, weather forecast data for the forthcoming week, and see a graphical representation of moisture levels for their farmland.

Smart Hub Crop encompasses the following:

Moisture sensor and GPS-enabled (IoT) device deployed to farmland.

Central monitoring and analysis platform on AWS.

Mobile application for insights and interactions on AWS.

Figure 1  High-level solution diagram. Capgemini

The solution uses a moisture sensor which is connected to an Arduino electronics device. This provides the capability for sending moisture level data to the Smart Hub Crop core via a connected GPS interface.

The IoT device is set to periodically send data into the Smart Hub Crop service to be processed together with the soil type of the farmers fields by the moisture algorithms. This happens before being stored in the Smart Hub Crop database, along with the third-party environmental data received.

This information is made available to the farmer via the mobile application via web browser or mobile phone.

Figure 2  High-level architecture diagram. Capgemini

The AWS toolbox

Capgemini developed the Smart Hub Crop solution using React Native, an open-source mobile application framework together with the AWS SDK for JavaScript. React primitives render the user interface (UI) and the application, via the AWS SDK, and uses the same native platform APIs to interact with AWS services.

The end user (farmers, in this case) use a mobile application interface as part of the solution. Users authenticate through the React application interface via Amazon Cognito and receives a JWT token. This token is used to authorize API calls from the application to AWS AppSync.

Once authenticated, the user retrieves the information from the Amazon DynamoDB table that holds the data thats been provided by the IoT devices situated in the farmers fields.

Smart Hub Crop uses the following AWS services:

AWS AppSync is a managed service that uses GraphQL to make it easy for applications to get exactly the data they need by letting you create a flexible API to securely access, manipulate, and combine data from one or more data sources.

is a managed service that uses GraphQL to make it easy for applications to get exactly the data they need by letting you create a flexible API to securely access, manipulate, and combine data from one or more data sources. AWS Amplify Framework allows developers to create, configure, interact, and implement scalable mobile and web apps powered by AWS. Amplify seamlessly provisions and manages your mobile backend, and provides a simple framework to easily integrate your backend with iOS, Android, web, and React Native frontends. Amplify also automates the application release process of both your frontend and backend, allowing you to deliver.

AWS Amplify CLI is a unified toolchain to create, integrate, and manage the AWS services for your app.

Amazon Cognito is a user management service with rich support for users authentication and authorization. You can manage those users within Cognito or from other federated third-party identity providers (IdPs).

Amazon DynamoDB is a key-value and document database that delivers single-digit millisecond performance at any scale.

AWS IoT Core provides the cloud services that connect your IoT devices to other devices and AWS services.

Building the solution

To implement the Smart Hub Crop solution, complete the following steps.

Step 1: Initialize the project and set up AWS Amplify

To begin, you need to have installed and configured the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), Amplify CLI, and NPM.

To create the React project, run the following command:

npx create-react-app farmhub-demo

This command creates a folder called farmhub-demo containing an empty React application.

Follow the instructions below to initialize an Amplify project within the React application:

Switch to the project directory by typing cd farmhub-demo .

. Initialize an Amplify project by running the following command and answers to the prompts:

amplify init

Enter a name for the project: farmhubdemo

Enter a name for the environment: dev

Choose your default editor: Visual Studio Code (or your choice of editor)

Choose the type of app youre building: JavaScript

What JavaScript framework are you using: React

Source directory path: src

Distribution directory path: build

Build command: npm run-script build

Start command: npm run-script start

Select the authentication method you want to use: AWS profile/AWS Keys

The amplify init command initialized a new project inside of the React site and deploys resources in the cloud with AWS CloudFormation stacks.

Youll see a new folder called Amplify in the root of the project and a file called aws-exports.js in the src directory. This folder and files hold the Amplify project configuration.

Step 2: Configure authentication for the Amplify project

To add authentication to the application, use the following command:

amplify add auth

Do you want to use default authentication and security configuration? Default configuration

How do you want users to be able to sign in when using your Cognito User Pool? Username

Do you want to configure advanced settings? No, I am done

Step 3: Configure the API in the Amplify project

To add a GraphQL API to the application, use the following command:

amplify add api

Select from one of the above mentioned services: GraphQL

Provide API name: farmhubdemo

Choose an authorization type for the API: Amazon Cognito User Pool

Do you want to configure advanced settings for the GraphQL API? No, Im done

Do you have an annotated GraphQL schema? No

Choose a schema template (use arrow keys): Single object with fields (e.g. Todo with ID, name, description)

Do you want to edit the schema now? Yes

When prompted from your chosen code editor, replace any default text with the schema below:

type Farm @model {

id : ID!

user_id : String !

field_name : String !

soil_type : String !

location : String !

moisture_level : String !

timestamp : Int !

}

This completes the configuration required for the Amplify project. To deploy the application, use the following command:

amplify push

Are you sure you want to continue? Yes

Do you want to generate code for your newly created GraphQL API? Yes

Choose the code generation language target: JavaScript

Enter the file name pattern of GraphQL queries, mutations and subscriptions: src/graphql/**/*.js

Do you want to generate/update all possible GraphQL operations  queries, mutations and subscriptions? Yes

Enter maximum statement depth: 2

Step 4: Configuring the frontend React application

The first thing to do is add the Amplify library to the project. This provide modules that simplify the code required to integrate with the AWS services.

Run the following command in the root of your project:

npm install -S aws-amplify && npm install -S aws-amplify-react

To configure the React application to be aware of the new AWS Amplify project, reference the auto-generated aws-exports.js file in the src folder, within the src/index.js file.

Open src/index.js and add the following code below the last import:

import Amplify from 'aws-amplify'

import config from './aws-exports'

Amplify.configure(config)

Now, add the code to the website that will be used to interact with the API. Open src/app.js and add the following code, replacing the default contents:

import React from 'react';

// imports from Amplify library

import { API, graphqlOperation , Auth } from 'aws-amplify'

// import query definition

import { listFarms } from './graphql/queries'

// import the new Amplify authentication component

import { withAuthenticator } from 'aws-amplify-react'

class App extends React.Component {

// define state to hold the data returned from the API

state = {

farms : []

}

// executes the query when the page is rendered in the browser, retrieving data from the API

async componentDidMount() {

const user = await Auth .currentAuthenticatedUser()

console .log('user:', user )

console .log('user info:', user . signInUserSession . idToken . payload )

try {

const farmData = await API.graphql(graphqlOperation( listFarms ))

console .log('farmData:', farmData )

this.setState({

farms : farmData . data . listFarms . items

})

} catch ( err ) {

console .log('error fetching farms...', err )

}

}

render() {

return (

<>

{

this. state . farms .map((farm, index) => (

< div key ={ index }>

< p >{ farm . user_id }</ p >

< p >{ farm . field_name }</ p >

< p >{ farm . soil_type }</ p >

< p >{ farm . location }</ p >

< p >{ farm . moisture_Level }</ p >

< p >{ farm . timestamp }</ p >

</ div >

))

}

</>

)

}

}

export default withAuthenticator( App , { includeGreetings : true })

Feel free to add styling to this site if you wish. Use the following command to start the site on your local system:

yarn start

This command compiles the React site locally. Youll be able to view and interact with the site on http://localhost:3000

Step 5: Testing the frontend and API

Browse to the React site on your local system and follow the instructions to create and validate a new account. Youll need to use a valid email address to receive the confirmation code.

Once you have registered an account and signed in, youll see a page with a hello message and a sign out button. Next, sign in to the AWS Management Console to test the API and add some data using a GraphQL mutation.

Open the AWS AppSync console and go into the farmhubdemo-dev API. On the left-hand side of the console, navigate to Queries.

The first thing to do is authenticate to Amazon Cognito. To do this, click Login with User Pools and enter the account information your used in the previous step, and then select Login.

Figure 3  Login screen for access to AppSync API via Amazon Cognito User Pool. Capgemini

To add some data to the application, execute the following mutation and create a new moisture recording entry:

mutation createFarm {

createFarm( input : {

user_id : "farmer@farmmail.com",

field_name : "Corn field 1 ",

soil_type : "Loam Soil",

location : "London",

moisture_level : "1.2",

timestamp : 687247

} ) {

user_id

field_name

soil_type

location

moisture_level

timestamp

id

}

}

If successful, the right-hand side of the console will display the JSON record thats been written to storage. To validate this, open the Amazon DynamoDB console and then the table that has the prefix of Farm- and select the Items tab. You should see one record:

Figure 4  Items in the Amazon DynamoDB table. Capgemini

Make a note of the complete table name, as this will be used in the next section.

Lastly, refresh the React webpage to see the data displayed.

Setting Up the AWS IoT core components

AWS IoT enables internet-connected devices to connect to the AWS Cloud, allowing applications to interact with the physical devices, or to collect and process data from these devices.

This next section walks you through creating the logical IoT device in the IoT Core console, an IoT Rule used to take the data sent in by the IoT device, and add it to the DynamoDB table for our application.

Step 1: Create a Thing in AWS IoT Core

Open the AWS IoT console and expand Manage, and then select Things.

Choose Create (or Register a thing if you dont have any things yet) and then Create a single thing. Specify moisture_thing as the name of your thing and select Next.

Note that you can apply a type to this thing, which simplifies management and provides consistent registry data for things that share a type. You can also add this thing to a group, which allows you to manage several things at once. For this walkthrough, well not configure either of these.

Click Next, and then select the option to Create certificate. This will generate the X.509 certificates used to protect communication between your device and AWS IoT Core.

Figure 5  Successful creation of IoT device certificate. Capgemini

Download the certificates, and then choose Activate to activate the X.509 certificate. Finally, choose Attach a policy.

For testing, select the Default policy. Policies are used to provide your device authorization to perform AWS IoT operations, such as subscribing or publishing to a topic.

Next, select Register Thing.

Step 2: Set Up an IoT rule for moving data to your storage

The next thing to do is configure a rule that takes the data sent to the thing and writes it to the DynamoDB table the API will interact with.

From the AWS IoT console, expand Act and then select Rules.

Choose Create a rule. Give the rule a name, moisture_rule, and a description. In the Rule query statement section, add the following IoT SQL statement:

SELECT state . reported . field_data . id as id ,

state . reported . field_data . user_id as user_id ,

state . reported . field_data . field_id as field_id ,

state . reported . field_data . field_name as field_name ,

state . reported . field_data . soil_type as soil_type ,

state . reported . field_data . location as location ,

state . reported . field_data . moisture_level as moisture_level ,

state . reported . field_data . timestamp as timestamp ,

state . reported . field_data . createdAt as createdAt ,

state . reported . field_data . updatedAt as updatedAt

FROM 'farmhubcropping/moisture_thing'

This rule query statement listens to the topic farmhubcropping/moisture_thing defined using the FROM condition. This means every device that sends data to this topic will trigger the rule.

When the rule triggers the SELECT clause, it extracts the information from the message.

Next, in the Set one or more actions section, choose Add action.

On the Select an action page, select Split message into multiple columns of a DynamoDB table (DynamoDBv2), and then choose Configure action.

Choose Create a resource and select the DynamoDB table that was created following the test mutation, starting with farm-

Then, choose Create Role to grant the rule the required access to the table. Finally, specify the name farmhub_dynamodb_rule_role and choose Create role.

Figure 6  IoT Configure Action screen with Table and Role configured. Capgemini

Choose Add action to add this action to the rule, and then select Create a rule.

Step 3: Test the system

To test the system, create a simulated thing using a Node.js script.

Open a terminal window and use the following command to create a new folder named iot_thing:

mkdir iot_thing

Inside the iot_thing folder, create a folder called certs to store the certificates downloaded previously, and the Node.js script that will be used to simulate our moisture IoT device:

cd iot_thing

mkdir certs

touch index.js

Copy the certificate files you downloaded previously to the iot_thing/cert directory. To make it simpler, rename the files as follows:

File that ends with certificate.pem.crt to moisture_thing_crt.pem

to File that ends with private.pem.key to moisture_thing_key.pem

In the terminal, within the iot_thing directory, run the following command to download the Amazon root certificate authority (CA):

wget -O certs/rootCA.pem https://www.amazontrust.com/repository/AmazonRootCA1.pem

You should now have the following folders and files:

Iot_thing # root folder

| ___certs # folder with certificate files

| _____moisture_thing_crt . pem # certificate

| _____moisture_thing_key . pem # private key

| _____rootCA . pem # Amazon Root CA

In the iot_thing, add the AWS IoT SDK using the following command:

npm i save aws-iot-device-sdk

Copy the following code in to the index.js file in the iot_thing folder:

// Declare the AWS IoT Device SDK for JavaScript and Node library

const awsiot = require('aws-iot-device-sdk')

// Declare the thingName and the topic

const thingName = 'moisture_thing'

const topic = `farmhubcropping/${thingName}`

//Declare the aws IoT endpoint

const endpoint = YOUR AWS IOT ENDPOINT ' // xxxxxxxxxxxxx-ats.iot.AWS_REGION.amazonaws.com

const device = awsiot .device({

keyPath : `./certs/${thingName}_key.pem`,

certPath : `./certs/${thingName}_crt.pem`,

caPath : `./certs/rootCA.pem`,

clientId : thingName ,

host : endpoint

})

let field_data = {

id : Math .random().toString(36).substr(2, 12),

user_id : "farmer@farmmail.com",

field_name : "Corn Field",

soil_type : "Loam Soil",

location : "London",

moisture_level : "1",

timestamp :  12345678  ,

createdAt : "2021-04-01T15:54:59.713Z",

updatedAt : "2021-04-01T15:54:59.713Z"

}

device .on('connect', () => {

console .log(`${thingName} is connected to ${endpoint}`)

device .publish( topic , JSON.stringify({ state :{

reported : {

field_data

} }}))

})

Within the index.js file, replace the variable YOUR AWS IOT ENDPOINT with your own IoT endpoint. This is your custom endpoint that allows you to connect to AWS IoT. Each of your things has a REST API available at this endpoint.

From the AWS IoT console, in the left navigation pane, choose Settings. Your endpoint will be listed in the Device data endpoint section at the top.

From the AWS IoT console, choose Test.

For Subscription topic, enter # and then choose Subscribe to topic. We are subscribing to all topics to check if your device is publishing.

In the iot_thing folder on your local system, launch the script index.js with the command:

node index.js

Back in the AWS IoT console, youll see the data being sent to the topic:

Figure 7  Image showing the IoT console capturing incoming data. Capgemini

As we have set up an IoT Rule, the data has also been added to the DynamoDB table. So, refreshing the website running on your localhost, you will now see a second entry.

Conclusion

With the Smart Hub Cropping IoT solution by Capgemini, farmers can get real-time status of agriculture fields, such as soil type and moisture levels, and monitor and execute operations from anywhere.

You can make it easy for farmers to securely share the status of their fields. This enables farmers to maintain their crops to ensure productive growth.

We look forward to seeing how you use this example to start building the future of Smart Hub Cropping with AWS IoT.

Visit us to learn more about AWS and Capgemini, and get in touch with one of our experts.
A few years ago, Philadelphia Healthcare realized it needed a digital transformation  the Amersfoort-based non-profit was faced with organizing a massive amount of data from about 9,000 clients, 7,000 employees, an extended network of 6,500 volunteers, and about 16,000 client family members.

What it required was a solution that embraced data management and big-data trends to better streamline personalised management and client service for disabled adults needing residential, occupational, recreational, and other services such as community building and helping clients find meaningful employment.

Fortunately, a group of technology enthusiasts at Philadelphia  including Manager of Data Delivery and Analytics Jasper Drenth  had already begun to explore the concept of Business Intelligence (BI) as the potential answer.

One of our mission statements is to give clients as normal a life as possible, Drenth says. BI  which leverages software and services to transform data into actionable insights that inform an organizations strategic and tactical business decisions  promised to provide Philadelphia with the right tools to deliver better care.

Jasper Drenth

The non-profit now has an advanced BI dashboard that aggregates access to data from more than 500 facilities and a dedicated BI technology team planning an intelligent-automation strategy that includes personalised digital assistants for every employee.

A new outlook

The transformation began in 2018, when a so-called hobby club of data-focused technology enthusiasts at Philadelphia and among the organisations board of directors came to the conclusion that BI could be the ideal way forward.

At that time, not much was done with data and business intelligence and analytics were unexplored territory, Drenth says.

Data in the organisation was managed on a facility-based level, often via individual Excel spreadsheets that only collected data at the department, employee, or client level, providing minimal overall visibility for decision-makers.

For example, to make a decision on whether a facility had enough money to buy a new table, or even organise a barbecue, it was necessary to find and view financial data from numerous sources, and even analyse department-specific spreadsheets and data stores  a time-consuming task for what should be a fairly simple decision.

But since the companys implementation of the Pyramid Analytics Decision Intelligence Platform, managers and employees can call up the data they need to make decisions within seconds on personalised and intuitive dashboards.

Now they dont have to spend time on collecting the data, just read the results in the dashboard and define the actions they want to take, says Drenth.

Building a team and implementing the solution

Philadelphia Healthcares digital transformation has been an ongoing journey since the company asked Drenth  one of the group that did early research on the potential of data analytics  to manage the implementation of BI.

He agreed, but only if he could put together his own dedicated team that would carry on a long-term strategy. Within a short time frame, his team vetted BI platforms and decided on Pyramid Analytics for its front end for data analysis and visualisation. Within six months, the front-end dashboard was up and running through collaboration with a reseller of Pyramid that worked with Philadelphia Healthcare through the first year of the project.

At the same time, Drenth was laying the groundwork for a long-term relationship with BI within the company by building a BI competence center and team to implement a complete data-optimisation strategy in-house.

Its a very important thing to understand that BI is not a one-off project, he said. The need for information is always changing and we made sure we are prepared for this and embedded this culture within the organisation.

Introduction to BI

The initial dashboard gave Philadelphia Healthcares managers  about 300 in all  access to a BI front end that aggregated data from a new back-end data warehouse that simultaneously pulled data from all facilities. The managers gained access to and analysis of data from a number of metrics for employees, the company, and its clients, such as employee absenteeism and productivity related to client care; company financial performance and other data; and client satisfaction.

This unprecedented real-time access to data also allowed the organisation to improve its own efficiency and productivity and thus better serve clients, Drenth says.

For example, labour is one of the companys main costs, which is why being able to access data about employee absenteeism across the entire organisation was an important aspect of the dashboard. Previously, an HR professional at a facility would collect the data each month in a spreadsheet, making only the previous months data accessible to managers to analyse how their staff was performing.

Now they have a dashboard, so they can see the absenteeism across Philadelphia as a whole, with specific information on a location level, Drenth says. Due to the high cost of labour, having access to this data can directly affect financial performance and the level of client service.

We have to keep track of those costs and which locations are performing well  or not  to make changes as necessary.

Cultural implications

Implementing such a game-changing solution is always tricky across an organisation when employees have been used to doing things the same way for many years, Drenth says.

While managers embraced the dashboard once it was up and running, there was a learning curve for the companys BI team in terms of discovering what specific types of data and analysis were most important for managers to access.

The BI team went on a roadshow to company facilities across the Netherlands to introduce the dashboard to managers before its rollout. In the beginning, it was difficult for managers to tell the team what they needed from the solution without first seeing how it would work.

To garner better feedback, the team adopted an agile programming style and built a minimal viable product to showcase how the dashboard would work. This allowed managers to see and experience the data, which led to a better understanding of how it could be useful to them, Drenth says. The early prototyping also encouraged broad adoption of the solution once it was officially rolled out.

Due to the way we handled this project, we saw managers adopting the discipline of business intelligence.

Expanding the BI Vision

Once all managers had access to the Pyramid BI solution, the team expanded the platform to all 7,000 employees across all facilities. Each care professional was given access to their own customised dashboard through a single sign-on solution based on their individual role and level of security for accessing sensitive data.

This phase of the project accelerated the rollout of a new organisational management style at the company to focus on self-organised employee teams rather than a top-down management approach.

Previously, employee teams would wait for managers to distribute the information they needed to carry out specific tasks. This would cause delays in achieving care and service objectives because managers had such daunting task loads, with some having responsibility for five to 10 facilities, he said.

Now that every employee has real-time access to the data he or she needs to do their jobs, they can make  and are in fact encouraged to make  decisions that affect their clients far more quickly, which ultimately results in overall better care and service, Drenth says. Everyone is using his or her time more wisely.

Philadelphia Healthcares future goals for its ongoing BI strategy are to implement predictive data analysis as well as a combination of robotic process automation and AI to drive quicker and better decision making.

The latter solution will create AI across the companys business and technology applications so they can interact with data in real time, providing each employee at the company with his or her own virtual assistant. This assistant will act as its own digital care professional, ultimately working alongside the employee to help maintain productivity and provide optimal care.
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Humans of China: People living a happy life the biggest human right

13:40, June 06, 2022 By Kou Jie ( People's Daily Online

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Editors' notes:

What do we mean when we talk about human rights? A concise and universally recognised answer would be a hazy abstract from the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."

However, living a happy life is the primary human right. Everyone has the right to define human rights for themselves in light of their own unique circumstances. This is why Peoples Daily Online has launched a series of feature stories on Humans of China, with select individuals sharing their thoughts on human rights and stories about how they've been able to reap the benefits of such privileges for themselves.

To begin, we've invited five Chinese women to join us to share their experiences and thoughts.

Wang Lihua, a nurse fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, believes that the right to health and life is the most basic of human rights.

Liu Yan, an Italian-Chinese business owner and mother of two, believes that human rights include the right to live in a non-discriminatory environment and have a happy family.

Zhang Huamei, who became Chinas first owner of a private company in 1979, asserts that access to resources and success, regardless of gender, are fundamental human rights.

Otgonhuar, a tree planter living in the Kubuqi Desert of northwest Chinas Inner Mongolia, says that for her, the right to breathe clean air and live in a green environment is the essence of human dignity and equality.

Su Min, a retired woman who now travels around China in her camper RV, feels that a fundamental human right is the freedom to reject being defined by others and to accept one's genuine self.

Humans of China, rights of humans. We believe their stories will help you to see human rights from a new perspective.

(Web editor: Kou Jie, Hongyu)
Termeni de Referinta pentru selectarea unui/unei expert/e in vederea facilitarii unui training despre ecologizarea organizatiei si elaborarea Politicii organizationale cu privire la protectia mediului a CIDDC
Dozens of charity leaders were among those who received awards in the Queens Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours list.

Arts Council England chief executive Darren Henley was awarded an OBE while former head of the Association of Medical Research Charities Aisling Burnand received an MBE.

Some 1,134 people were included on the list, which was published last Wednesday and recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions across a range of sectors.

CBE

Avnish Goyal was awarded CBE for his work during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is the chair of Care England, Hallmark Care Homes and Championing Social Care.

Over the last seven years, Goyal has led several initiatives to support the sector including campaigning for better funding for social care and appointing a commissioner for the elderly.

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: Avnishs contribution to society goes far beyond his work in care, and through his philanthropy, in the UK and internationally, through his work with the Hemraj Goyal Foundation he has transformed the lives of thousands of people.

Jane Hanson, chair of Reclaim Fund Ltd (RFL) and the Dormant Assets Expansion board, received a CBE. She joined the board in 2011 as chair of the audit and risk committee and became chair in 2014.

Hanson is also a trustee and honorary treasurer of the Disasters Emergency Committee and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Her other roles include chair of the audit committee and non-executive director of Welsh Water plc and audit committee chair at the Civil Aviation Authority.

Adrian Smith, chief executive of RFL, said: She has played an instrumental role in the success of the Dormant Assets Scheme since it was launched in 2011, resulting in 800m of new funding to tackle social challenges such as homelessness, youth unemployment and financial exclusion.

OBE

Mike Edwards, who is an ambassador and trustee for Erskine, a Scottish charity that support veterans, received an OBE.

After working as a reporter for STV News for 25 years, Edwards became a full-time carer for his mother who suffered from dementia. When she passed away in 2019, he devoted himself to charity work.

Edwards also sits on the board of the Royal Highland Fusiliers Trust, Highlanders Regimental Museum, Loch Lomond Rescue Boat and Glasgow Humane Society.

Commenting on his award, he said: I am deeply humbled and totally shocked and surprised to receive this award. I cant believe I have been awarded this honour. Its all the more special because its the Queens Platinum Jubilee.

Jane Byam Shaw, trustee of the Felix Project, also received an OBE.

The food redistribution charity delivered 70% more food than in 2020 and is on track to deliver 40 million meals this year for people in need.

Charlotte Hill, chief executive of the Felix Project, said: We are proud to see Jane recognised with this award; Jane is the heart and soul of our project.

Joyce Fraser, founder of Black Heroes Foundation, was also awarded an OBE.

She said: This honour is not just for me, but also for the whole black community. It is a great way to honour the legacy of my late husband, Flip Fraser, who was in the process of setting up the Black Heroes Foundation when he became ill and sadly passed away in 2014.

MBE

Di Vernom, the founder and chief executive of EmployabilityUK, received an MBE for her work supporting disadvantaged young people.

She said: I am shocked and delighted to have been listed in this years Queens Honours list. I feel extremely privileged to do the work that I do and to be able to make such a positive difference to young peoples lives.

I am also hugely appreciative of the continued support of all of our amazing volunteers working with us at EmployabilityUK, as without them, I would simply not have been able to achieve this.

Safia Jama, founder and chief executive officer of Womens Inclusive Team (WIT), a charity that aims to improve the lives of Black and ethnic minority women and their families, was also awarded an MBE.

To tackle the pandemic, Jama and WIT gathered over 500 volunteers to support vulnerable people in Tower Hamlet by creating a food bank and community kitchen.

They also worked with charity Barnardos to ensure Black children had fair and equal access to education and support services.

WIT also became a vaccine centre and set up a mental health support to residents who were isolating.

Jama said: Im truly humbled to have been given such a title and being recognised on such a level will go down as one of the greatest highlights of my career. It shows that the work we do is necessary and seen. But, I know that our work is not done. I will continue to highlight the lives of Black Muslim Somali women and their families who experience extreme inequality and racism.

Five volunteers and staff at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) were recognised for helping the charity saves lives at sea.

 Lynn Spillett was awarded an MBE for her fundraising efforts. She joined the Brixham Lifeboat Guild, now known as Torbay Lifeboat, in 2006.

 Guy Addington received an MBE for his efforts saving lives at sea, his role as water safety lead for the South East and his year-long fundraiser. He joined the lifeboat crew at Margate in 1994.

 Angus Watson received an MBE. He retired as a former engineering and supply director last October after 30 years of service.

 John J MacLennan also received an MBE. He has been with RNLI for more than 50 years where he has worked as sea-going crew and deputy launching authority. He is currently chair of the Lifeboat Management Group at Stornoway.

 Patricia Browner was awarded a British Empire Medal for her 42 years of service to the RNLI. She was chair of the Portaferry Fundraising Branch for 27 years.

Mark Dowie, chief executive of RNLI said: In this Platinum Jubilee year, it is especially pleasing to see both RNLI volunteers and staff from across four of our lifesaving regions recognised in the Queens Birthday Honours list.

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The United States remains the largest peak peril risk area in the global re/insurance market and accounts for the bulk of the reinsurance thats traded. Over the past few years, though, weve seen more risk transfer transactions that account for cross-border catastrophe events, focusing on the United States and Canada. Nearly 20 percent of all PCS Canada catastrophe events are cross-border events with PCS U.S. events. While PCS has seen several such events occur, none has been large in both countries. The potential for large catastrophe events on both sides of the border exists, and most re/insurers have begun to manage their risk and capital to account for it. The broadening perspective shows progress, but it also highlights a missed opportunity

Catastrophes along the southern border of the United States could pose a greater threat to re/insurer capital than those along the north. The past few years have shown how susceptible Mexico is to catastrophe activity. PCS Mexico data shows four new events since our launch in 2019, not to mention at least another 20 going back to 2010. The country has tropical storm exposure on both coasts and is impacted regularly. This year alone, PCS designated three events in Mexico in 2021, with another one in 2020.

North American Cross-Border Hurricanes Since 2010

Event Year Border U.S. % MX % CA % Irene 2011 U.S./CA 97% 0% 3% Dorian 2019 U.S./CA 72% 0% 28% Delta 2020 U.S./MX 97% 3% 0% Sandy 2012 U.S./CA 99% 0% 1%

Source: PCS, a Verisk solution (including PCS Canada and PCS Mexico)

For smaller events, such as Hurricane Dorian, the loss between the United States and a neighbor country can be more balanced, as we saw with 28 percent of the aggregate two-country loss coming from Canada. For larger catastrophes, though, the portion going to the United States tends to be far larger. In 2020, more than 3 percent of the Hurricane Delta loss went to Mexico. In 2012, only 1 percent of the Hurricane Sandy loss went to Canada. If you go back a little further, though, youll find some instances of cross-border catastrophe events that show more balance. Hurricane Wilma, for example, was a multibillion-dollar event on both sides of the border. Fourteen percent of the aggregate two-country loss went to Mexico (using data for Mexico gathered on an ad hoc basis). And with three tropical events designated as PCS Mexico catastrophe events in 2020 and 2021, the risk of another such two-country loss persists.

The main reason why we have yet to see a U.S./Mexico catastrophe bond is the belief that there isnt enough exposure in Mexico, according to client conversations. That said, it seems likely that the global re/insurance market will begin to take closer looks at the risks they face around the world, given the surprises that have arisen over the past decade. Since 2016, when we took over the leadership of PCS, weve seen several catastrophe events and trends that were virtually without precedent:

Wildfire (2016, 2020): In 2016, the Fort McMurray event in Canada became the largest industrywide insured loss event from wildfire in PCS history for both Canada and the United States. An outlier at the time, the increase in wildfires since then has pushed what was once the largest such event out of the top five. Further illustrating how much has changed, 2020s 17 wildfire events made it the most active wildfire year in PCSs 72-year history. Four states  California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado  sustained more than US$12 billion in industry-wide insured losses.

Istanbul hail (2017): When we launched PCS Turkey, we were told by many reinsurers that the only risk they worried about was earthquake, although theyd concede that flood could be problematic. After designating our first new event since launching in 2016 (which was related to political violence), we designated two hailstorms in 2017 as our first natural catastrophe events since inception. The larger of the two is the second largest industrywide insured losses we have for Turkey since 1999.

Multibillion dollar U.S. hail (ongoing): Large severe convective events were considered a rarity until an uptick in the frequency arose around 2016. During the first half decade between 2011 and 2021 (2011  2015) there were 25 wind and thunderstorm events exceeding US$1 billion. During the second half of that decade (2016-2021) there were 35 wind and thunderstorm events above that threshold, representing a 29 percent increase from the first five-year period to the second.

Significant meteorological events during uncommon months (2020): Historically, December tends to have fewer, and lower severity catastrophe events than most other months. However, in December 2020, the insurance industry experienced two major, multi-billion-dollar wind and thunderstorm events, along with a Midwest derecho and a tornado outbreak in the quad-states area, producing uncharacteristic levels of losses in a month not typically known for major cat events.

Multibillion dollar political violence (ongoing): The Los Angeles riot of 1992 was the largest industrywide insured loss for riot and civil disorder on record with PCS until 2019. In fact, it was significantly larger than all prior riot and civil disorder losses combined. That changed with the Chilean riot of 2019, which became the first multibillion dollar riot and civil disorder event on which PCS reported. The second and third came in the United States (2020) and South Africa (2021, with informal PCS reporting only). PCS projected ultimate losses for several specialty classes of business show that the conflict in Ukraine has made 2022 the fourth consecutive year with aggregate industry-wide insured losses from political violence over US$2 billion, with the potential to go much higher.

There are more examples, as well. Many. The notion of the unprecedented or surprise catastrophe event means less and less every time we see one. And thats what brings us back to Mexico. Weve heard enough client discussions about the region since launching PCS Mexico in 2019 to know that industry concerns are growing. Hurricane Wilma showed us that multibillion-dollar losses in Mexico are indeed possible. With this in mind, it seems the age of the cross-border U.S./Mexico catastrophe bond or industry loss warranty may be upon us.
Sheep herders in the U.S. West have banded together to sue their employers, accusing them of operating an illegal cartel that artificially suppresses their wages, according to court documents filed Wednesday in Nevada.

The case could have implications for how antitrust laws are applied to labor markets, according to legal experts, as the Biden administration pushes for greater competition in every sector of the economy.

The suit alleges that ranches coordinate through the Western Range Association (WRA), a ranching trade group, to suppress sheepherder wages and avoid competing for labor.

Herders apply to jobs through the WRA which then assigns them to ranches, leaving no room for the herders to negotiate or shop around among ranches, the complaint said.

The arrangement violates the Sherman Act, a 130-year-old antitrust law that prohibits wage-fixing agreements among employers, the suit alleged.

Even workers who make some of the lowest wages in our economy should be able to benefit from the fair competition that our antitrust laws ensure, said David Seligman, executive director of Towards Justice, which brought the suit.

Ellen Jean Winograd, WRAs general counsel, said the suits allegations appear to lack merit, but that the group could not comment in more detail.

Sheepherders are typically men from rural Peru who come to the United States on agricultural H-2A visas and live in isolated areas, according to the complaint. Their wages have stagnated even as pay for other agricultural labor has risen in recent years, the complaint said.

An earlier version of the suit was dismissed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in 2017 because the court said the herders had not sufficiently proven collusion. Several antitrust experts have argued the case was wrongly decided.

There are around 100,000 sheep farms in the United States that sell about $750 million of sheep, lambs, and wool annually, according to Department of Agriculture data
Heavy rains are threatening to topple a century-old record in Miami even if the storm that brought them doesnt have a name.

The system, dubbed a potential tropical cyclone by the National Hurricane Center, swept in from the Gulf of Mexico and is wringing itself out across south Florida on its way toward the Atlantic later Saturday. Forecasters had thought it would become Tropical Storm Alex, but larger weather patterns have torn at its structure, the center said.

In other words, the system has gone the wrong way in becoming a tropical cyclone, Robbie Berg, a senior hurricane specialist with the agency, wrote in a forecast.

The rains have left Miami streets awash as upward of 11 inches of rain have fallen in some areas since Friday, with the prospect of more through the day, said Ana Torres-Vazquez, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Although most of south Florida has been battered with rainfalls, the highest totals have accrued in Miami-Dade County. Tallies are still being collated, but its more than likely Saturdays storm total will break the record for June, which stands at 8.25 inches from 1901.

The City of Miami Fire Rescue agency urged residents early Saturday morning to avoid driving, indicating on Twitter that they were already responding to people trapped in vehicles.

Several drivers had to be rescued from flooded cars, according to the Miami Fire Rescues Facebook feed. On Twitter, the City of Miami-Fire Rescue agency urged residents early Saturday morning to avoid driving entirely. Some city streets are completely inundated. About one-third of the 515 flights canceled across the US in the last 24 hours were from Florida airports including Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, said FlightAware, an airline tracking company.

Its possible some areas of southern Florida could get as much as 15 inches of rain by the time the storm leaves, said Bob Oravec, a senior branch forecaster with the US Weather Prediction Center.

After the system crosses Florida, theres still a chance it could become the Atlantics first named storm of the six-month hurricane season, which began June 1. Its forecast to drift east across the Atlantic passing just north of Bermuda by Monday.

About the photo: A vehicle is prepared to be towed after it died while being driven through a flooded street caused by a deluge of rain from a tropical rain storm passing through the area on June 04, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)  A recent pipe rupture that spilled around 8 million gallons of water and closed a major Phoenix-area highway put Tempes water infrastructure back in the news.

Checking water main lines is now a priority for Tempe officials since the incident, but Tempe residents should be turning their attention to a different type of water infrastructure: sewage pipes.

Thousands of the Tempe homes could have critically-deteriorated sewage pipes underneath them, according to a map provided by the city. An expert said the problem could affect as many as nine out of 10 homes in the area.

The pipes could cause massive sewage backups, repair bills and headaches for homeowners if they arent signed up for a program looking to minimize the pain on residents wallets and correct past mistakes, 12 News reported.

The pipes, called Orangeburg Pipe, are made out of paper with an inner coating of tar. They were used to connect homes to the citys public sewer between 1940 and 1970.

The average lifespan for Orangeburg Pipe is around 50 years, but theyre known to fail in as little as 10 years. The vast majority of the pipes should be critically deteriorated today even by the most relaxed of estimates.

You have two different things that can happen, said Samuel Ariaratnam, professor and construction engineering program chair at ASUs School of Sustainable Engineering & the Built Environment.

You could have a crack, where you have sewage leaking out on your property, or you could have a collapsed pipe, where you would see (sewage) backups.

Tempe has no idea where the piping is because previous city officials didnt keep records of where the pipes were installed, the citys website said.

Plumbing professionals have seen how widespread the pipe problem is firsthand.

The city of Tempe is plagued with Orangeburgits almost like the whole city was built with it, said Mason Cruz, master drain cleaner and sewer line repair specialist at Roto-Rooter.

Nine out of 10 homes that we go to in the city of Tempe have Orangeburg Pipe under themI cant count how many times weve had blown out sections or ovaled-out pipes from that Orangeburg.

Cruz said while Tempes program has help for homeowners change the Orangeburg pipe out, hes seen the pipe throughout the Valley.

Phoenix, Sun City  Youll find it in like older areas of Chandler, Gilbert, things like that, Cruz said.

12 News contacted various municipalities throughout the Valley to see if officials were aware if Orangeburg pipe is in their city.

Glendales Building Official, Djordje Pavlovic said the pipe was used in the city until 1982 and isnt allowed to be used in construction now.

Municipalities like Scottsdale and Goodyear said theres very limited use in their cities.

Avondale officials told 12 News that crews have come across it during the replacement of the sewer service in the older, historical part of their city. Adding it appears it was used in a similar manner to in Tempe, to connect a home to the main sewer line.

Crews in Phoenix have also come across some sections of Orangeburg pipe in the areas the city takes care of and have replaced it when they come across it as well.

Spokespersons for both the City of Mesa and City of Peoria said they dont appear to have the pipe in their lines.

Typically, residents have to pay for their own pipe repairs, regardless of whether the repairs are based on a systemic lack of long-term infrastructure planning or not.

Ariaratnam says this is the wrong approach when it comes to Orangeburg.

The best approach would be for the neighborhood or city to help coordinate this with a replacement program, Ariaratnam said. Thats the best approach if you want to get rid of as much Orangeburg as you can.

The good news is that Tempe officials are doing just that.

A recently created SLWA program, ran in partnership with Tempe and Service Line Warranties of America, covers residential repairs up to $8,500 for service line repairs, including Orangeburg pipe.

The program is open to Tempe homeowners and costs $9.88 a month for the first year and $10.98 a month after the first year, according to the citys webpage.

SLWA plan holders have access to a repair hotline that is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and repairs are performed by local, licensed and insured contractors that SLWA has identified in the area, the webpage said.

Tempeans can learn more about these optional plans by visiting RepairsTempe.com or calling toll-free 1-844-257-8795.

The SLWA program started on Feb. 1, 2022 and was an update to Tempes previous program called SLiPP.

Cruz, whos been contracted through the city numerous times, said residents shouldnt be afraid in taking advantage of the program since its a massive step in the right direction to fixing the pipe problem.

Its a really great program for the homeowners of Tempe, for sure, Cruz said. Some people take advantage of it, some dont think its real, buttheyre trying to undo the things they did wrong many years ago.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Actors are donning a new hat! They are turning screen writers and doing a good job at that.

Sesh Adivi, Yash and Siddhu Jonnalagadda are a few who have written the screenplay for their respective films  Major, KGF Chapter 2 and DJ Tillu  thereby scripting their careers biggest hits.

While these actors continue to shoulder films, they say writing was something they always enjoyed. Sesh Adivi-starrer Major is a big hit and the actor is the screenwriter for the patriotic drama. In fact, ever since the suave actor turned writer, all his films  Kshanam, Goodachari, Evaru and now Major  have turned out to be blockbusters.

Is turning a writer his route to success? Not definitely, Sesh smiles. When you turn a writer, you get the hang of the character and can get to experience it firsthand. And when you start writing, the process brings out the best traits in the role you will play. Thats a huge advantage. You know your limitations as an actor, but writing makes you push those limits, discover and bring out your hidden side, says Sesh, stating that writing has been one of the decisive factors in his career.

One of the reasons Sesh turned writer was to understand and map his personality to suit the roles. He says that writing gave him a better insight into the characters he played.

When I listen to scripts sometimes my instincts quickly tell me whether I can connect to the character and pull it off. But when I start writing characters, subconsciously I own them and then start building them. So half the job is done  I am already in love with and living the character, shares the actor, adding that writing has always given him an edge when it comes to imagining and writing scripts.

Adding to the repertoire

As much as actors are passionate about their work, they also want to excel in another department too. Yash has been one of the biggest stars in the south  thanks to his KGF franchise. Apparently, Yash had turned screenwriter for the second instalment. He had written most of his dialogues in KGF 2 which went on to become one of the biggest hits in Indian cinema!

Ask Yash what made him turn a writer, he replied, Right from the beginning I have been involved in the script sessions and processes. In fact, I like any dimension of cinema  be it writing or any other aspect. Hence, I have been part of script sessions as well, though it doesnt mean that they give credit to me, he answers modestly.

Yash says writing is another dimension of him as an actor. As actors, they are part of a directors vision and writing is also one of the facets they contribute to in the process.

The actor says that what is written should transform (execute) onscreen. And he believes that can happen effectively if the writer in the actor constantly evokes the characters. Especially when playing larger than life characters you need to live and own it. That can happen during the pre-production stage. I believe if an actor is also a writer thats where he can better his acting  apply and surrender himself to the character, says Yash.

Writing gives an actor the edge

Actor Siddu Jonnalagadda

Actor Siddu Jonnalagadda turned all heads when he turned writer with Guntur Talkies. The film garnered rave reviews for his writing. However, Siddu was given a shout out for pulling off the titular role, DJ Tillu, with great swag and elan. He is the writer for the film, apart from the protagonist.

I am 51 per cent actor; 49 per cent writer, says the actor, who feels that writing also brings out the best in an actor and makes him think differently. Writing also gives an actor the edge and brings out a different dimension. We can choose from whatever character we want to play and tweak it according to our personality, says the actor, adding, I like writing and I constantly keep doing it as I enjoy the process. I enjoy living in the universe of my characters. Writing helps me support and enrich the actor in me.
DYFI activists are hauled away by the police for protesting near the DGP office in Hyderabad on Sunday, demanding action against the accused in minor girl rape case. (Deepak Deshpande/DC)

Hyderabad: The escape route for a city MLA's son, who was allegedly involved in the gangrape of a minor girl in Jubilee Hills, appears to be closing despite his claims that he was not among those accused in the case.

On Sunday, the police arrested another minor, the third one so far, involved in the gangrape on Sunday apart from Sadudin Malik. Multiple police teams are on the lookout for the fifth accused, Omair Khan. The Jubilee Hills police will be taking a statement from the 17-year-old victim in the expectation that she would reveal more details including additional names.

Asked if there were chances of another accused being named, a police official said, "We cannot pre-emptively say that. If the victim names someone else, we will surely take action." The police are planning to have the victim's statement recorded by a magistrate through videoconference.

Meanwhile, the police found that the vehicle in which the minor was violated was cleaned by the accused. "The vehicle was seized from a farmhouse on the city outskirts," sources said.

Deccan Chronicle has reliably learnt that the video evidence  a clip shown at a press conference by BJP MLA M. Raghunandan Rao  has forced the authorities to take a fresh look at the involvement of the city legislator's son.

Deccan Chronicle can now reveal, based on highly reliable information, that even the act of kissing or petting a minor girl  as was seen in the video clip shown at a press meet by Raghunandan Rao on Saturday  constitutes a violation under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Even if the perpetrator in such an incident, as seen in the video clip, is a minor, it still constitutes a violation of the POCSO Act, and such a person will need to be punished as per the Act's provision, sources in the police told this newspaper on Sunday.

It is also learnt the investigating officials initially had a chat with the MLA's son. His age was not verified officially but it will not make any difference when it comes to taking action against him. Though the police officials had initially said the MLA's son had claimed he was not in the Innova in which the girl was assaulted, his presence in the Mercedes Benz car in which a video was shot has left no room for doubt over his presence in the events of May 28.

Sources told Deccan Chronicle that the young man was questioned and let off after he claimed innocence and that he was not in the Innova. Amidst rumours that he was packed off abroad by his family, police sources said that to the best of their knowledge he was still in the city.

Meanwhile, police sources said a fresh statement from the victim would be recorded in light of the new evidence. So far, four persons have been arrested in the case and further action will follow as investigations progress, police sources said.

The sources also said that in matters involving the rape of a minor, there could be no pressure from anyone, and the POCSO Act was very clear about the actions that needed to be taken against perpetrators of a sexual assault on a minor girl.

It may be recalled that Raghunandan Rao had claimed on Saturday at a press conference where he displayed a clip from the video purportedly shot in the car, that the son of an AIMIM MLA could be clearly seen and questioned why the police were not taking any action to question him.
The police did not confirm the arrest, but said they had specific information on his whereabouts. (Representational Image/ DC)

Hyderabad: Omair Khan, the fifth accused in the May 28 Jubilee Hills minor girls gangrape case, who was absconding, was allegedly caught from Bidar, Karnataka, on Monday. The police did not confirm the arrest, but said they had specific information on his whereabouts.

Other four accused in the case, Sadudin Malik and three juveniles have already been arrested.

Meanwhile, according to sources, some details purportedly from the remand report said that the suspects in the gangrape case misbehaved with another girl in the pub on the same day. That victim left the pub in a cab for home after being harassed. The police are said to be trying to identify and speak to the girl, who also appeared to be a minor, said our sources.

The police sources said the statement of the 17-year-old victim was recorded in front of a magistrate on Monday, as provided by law. An abstract of the statement will be shared with the police on Tuesday, following which the case will be taken forward, officials said.

Clues teams officials are awaiting forensic reports of semen-like substance found from under the rear seat of the Innova car in which the minor was raped.
Thousands of couples who got married in Arya Samaj are in a confused state following the Supreme Courts refusal to accept a marriage certificate issued by the Arya Samaj. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Thousands of couples who got married in Arya Samaj are in a confused state following the Supreme Courts refusal on Friday to accept a marriage certificate issued by the Arya Samaj, while considering the bail application of an accused.

Deepika Malothra (name changed), a textile wholesaler, who was married at Arya Samaj in 1999 and has two grown-up children, wondered, Is my marriage not legal? Mine was an arranged marriage and our parents were present at the wedding. Marriages have been happening there since ages.

Sachin Jaiswal and Neha Shinde got married at Arya Samaj in Sultan Bazaar on May 12. Our parents did not agree to our marriage. As majors who wished to live as life partners, we thought that Arya Samaj was the best and safest option, they said.

High Court advocate R. Jagadish said, The apex court verdict was on one particular case, where an accused had produced a marriage certificate in a case related to a minor girls kidnap and rape. The Arya Samaj does not have the authority to issue the age status of the couple.

Contrary to perceptions, Arya Samaj, which has a branch at Sultan Bazaar since 1891, has also been preferred by thousands of families who have performed marriages of their children in a traditional way while also saving on time and money.

Ramchander Raju, in-charge of Arya Samaj, said, after receiving applications, we seek birth certificates and also certificates of mental and physical fitness of the two and a separate consent of the girl. A traditional Hindu wedding is performed and a certificate is provided to the couple.

While throwing light on the legalities of getting marriage certificates, S.M. Hussaini, a sub-registrar, said, according to the Hindu Marriage Act, certificates can be issued after marriage is registered in a sub-registrar office in whose jurisdiction either the groom or bride should be residing.
Microsoft has promised to engage with employee unions at the company and wont seek to stop them forming.

Recent unionization campaigns across the country  including in the tech sector  have led us to conclude that inevitably these issues will touch on more businesses, potentially including our own, said Microsoft president Brad Smith, in a blog post last week. This has encouraged us to think proactively about the best approach for our employees, shareholders, customers, and other stakeholders.

Smith pointed to Microsofts existing relationships with work councils and unions across Europe, but stated that the company still has a lot to learn when it comes to engaging with labor organizers in the US on workplace issues. The company has met with prominent labor, business, and academic leaders in recent months to discuss its strategy, he said.

A new direction for US tech

Thomas A. Kochan, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, described Microsofts statement as a bold and welcome commitment.

It represents a break from the knee-jerk reaction of most American employers to resist all forms of worker organizing, he said. Todays workforce expects to be heard, and it wants to work constructively with management in building better labor/management relations. Lets hope Microsoft is the first but not the last mover to take this sensible approach.

By recognizing the right for staff to organize, Microsofts stance differs from others in the technology industry that have faced a union push, notably Apple and Amazon. Apple has reportedly hired anti-union lawyers to help deter moves by staff to unionize at several stores across the US. Amazon has faced allegations of union-busting as warehouse staff have organized in recent months, where workers achieved a notable election victory at its JFK8 facility earlier this year.

Smith indicated that Microsoft wont stand in the way of efforts to organize within the company going forward. We recognize that employees have a legal right to choose whether to form or join a union, he said. We respect this right and do not believe that our employees or the companys other stakeholders benefit by resisting lawful employee efforts to participate in protected activities, including forming or joining a union.

However, in an interview with Axios on Thursday, Smith said that Microsoft would not encourage staff to join unions. Our employees will always have direct access to this companys senior leaders, he said. They dont need to form a union to be heard.

Activision acquisition

The announcement comes as Microsoft is in the process of acquiring video game maker Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion deal, where a small number of quality assurance workers recently voted to establish the first union at a major US game studio. Questions had been raised as to how Microsoft would respond to a union within its organization.

The acquisition may be one of the reasons for Microsofts willingness to engage with unions more broadly.

It may just be recognizing that power is shifting toward workers, and it is time to adapt to this new reality, said Kochan. It also may be that [Microsoft] does not want to risk having the federal government see union opposition as an abuse of power of a monopolistic firm as it seeks approval to buy this new business [Activision Blizzard].

Labor advocates weigh in

The Communications Workers of America (CWA), a union that represents a range of workers including those in the technology and game industry, welcomed Microsofts statement, though it noted that the companys words must now be put into action.

Across the tech and games industry, workers are showing their commitment to their colleagues and their companies by organizing to improve their workplaces, said CWA secretary-treasurer, Sara Steffens.

Microsofts public statement of respect for its employees freedom to form a union is encouraging and unique among the major tech companies. In order to truly give workers a legally protected voice in decisions that affect them and their families, these principles must be put into action and incorporated into Microsofts day-to-day operations and its expectations for its contractors, she said.

Collaborative models of industrial relations are common in Europe and are associated with high societal well-being and labor productivity, said Denise M. Rousseau, H.J. Heinz II University Professor of Organizational Behavior and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

For Microsoft and other US-founded firms to be more collaborative, they need to skate carefully around US labor law, which is based on a separation of interests and adversarial relations  but I believe it is doable, she said. My personal opinion is that firms get the labor relations they deserve based on their treatment and respect shown for workers.
Kejriwal gets invite to display Delhi Model at Singapore summit

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been invited to present the 'Delhi Model' at the World Cities Summit in Singapore.

Kejriwal and Wong also discussed avenues for collaboration and cooperation. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@SGinIndia

The summit will take place on August 2-3. High Commissioner of Singapore Simon Wong called on Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat with the invitation, according to an official statement.

Kejriwal informed Wong about Delhi's streetscaping and road redevelopment project and said his government would be open to inviting companies from Singapore to develop pilot stretches under the project, the Business Standard reported.

The high commissioner said he would love to explore the collaboration on the project. The leaders also held an in-depth discussion about Delhi's efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent vaccination programme.

Wong invited Kejriwal to attend the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2022.

Accepting the invitation, the chief minister said he looks forward to attending the summit and discussing urban solutions with other leaders.

"High Commissioner of Singapore H.E. Mr. Simon Wong called on CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat today. The Singapore Government has invited the CM to the coveted World Cities Summit. The CM has duly accepted the invitation," the chief minister's office said in a tweet.

Kejriwal and Wong also discussed avenues for collaboration and cooperation in the sectors of water, waste management and public housing. Wong said Delhi and Singapore are two distinctive urban centres that share a common set of problems.

WCS 2022 will also feature the WCS Smart Cities Workshop, an exclusive in-person networking event to advance smart city projects through one-on-one consultation clinics with suitable partners and funders.

Read more India News and Singapore News here
06/06/2022

Photo (c) mrs - Getty Images A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan explored the long-term risks associated with parents spanking their children. According to their findings, children who are spanked may be more likely to become victims of physical abuse.

Nearly one-third of children under five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experience spanking, the researchers wrote. Studies from North America suggest that spanking is associated with heightened risk of physical abuse.

Understanding the risks of spanking

For the study, the researchers analyzed over 156,000 responses to the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. All of the children involved in the study were between the ages of 1 and 4, and they came from 56 LMICs around the world.

The biggest takeaway from the study was that spanking children was linked with a higher risk of physical abuse. The risk of physical abuse for children who werent spanked was under 10%, whereas the risk of physical abuse was 22% for children who were spanked.

The team created a hypothetical model of 100 children to better understand the impact that spanking can have on their physical well-being. Based on their findings, approximately 32 of the 100 hypothetical children were spanked; physical abuse would then be prevalent in seven of those 32 children.

The team noted that physical abuse would affect four fewer children in the hypothetical model if spanking was eliminated. In the national population, eliminating spanking would lower the risk of physical abuse by over 30%.

Child welfare advocates should discourage caregivers from using spanking, in order to prevent physical abuse, the researchers wrote.
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This CoolSocial report was updated on 2022-06-06, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
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This CoolSocial report was updated on 2020-11-22, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
BJP national president JP Nadda greets party workers at Siddhartha Pharmaceutical grounds in Vijayawada on Monday, BJP state president Somu Veerraju, former MP CM Ramesh, former minister Kanna Lakshminarayana and D Purandeswari are also seen. (C. Narayana Rao/DC)

Vijayawada: BJP national president JP Nadda called upon its leaders and activists to strengthen the party in AP to make it triumphant in the 2024 assembly polls.

On a visit of Andhra Pradesh on Monday, he addressed the Shakti Kendra Pramukhs and underlined the importance of the party reaching out to the people booth-wise.He noted that AP was having 46,000 polling booths. Out of the 10,000 Shakti Kendras for the BJP in AP, nearly 2,500 were not having local committees and felt the need to set them up.

While addressing the intellectuals, he dwelt at length on the achievements of the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last eight years. The extent of the poor in the country has come down to 10 per cent from 22 in these eight years, he said.

Nadda said the Indian GDP registered a growth of 8.7 as per latest reckoning, against the US GDP of 4.6 per cent. Indias per capita income has gone up to 1.5 lakh while the GDP growth doubled and exports witnessed a record growth. He said that Indias economy has, by now, crossed the three trillion dollar mark.

AP BJP president Somu Veerraju said. We shall set up Shakti Kendras in every polling booth area as part of the efforts to make the BJP an alternative power-centre in AP politics. We will fight against anti-people policies and family rule, up to the polling booth level.

He said Prime Minister Modi has been developing AP since 2014. After the bircuation, there was no capital city despite the state having plenty of natural resources. Modi had ensured development for Gujarat and UP through the state BJP governments.

BJP national secretary Purandeswari said the BJP was having a unique character compared with other political parties as it worked on the basis of an ideology and a plan of action.
On 31 May 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his new Cabinet; one change included having cybersecurity as a standalone portfolio once again. The PM appointed Clare ONeil as minister of cybersecurity and also as minister of home affairs. As the country waits to know what changes the new minister may bring, experts shared with CSO Australia what they know and expect to happen.

Clare ONeil MP Clare ONeil, Australias minister for cybersecurity and for home affairs appointed in June 2022.

For some, this Cabinet change means that Australia is taking cybersecurity seriously when it comes to policy making, standards development, and resource allocation, says James Nunn-Price, growth markets security lead at Accenture. The new appointment indicates that we will likely see an increase in the pace for several planned national regulatory and legislative measures that lost momentum before the elections. Internationally, having a minister represent the countrys desire to become a cybersecurity leader sends a clear message, he says.

Who is Clare ONeil

According to her official page, ONeil studied law at Monash University. It was during her studies that she was elected to the City of Greater Dandenong Council and a year later she became mayor of the City of Greater Dandenong. She later study public policy at Harvard University and worked in the New York Stock Exchange.

ONeil, whose interests are in economics, Indigenous Australia, and the welfare of children, was appointed shadow minister for justice in 2016 and was also appointed shadow minister for financial services in 2018. In July 2019, ONeil was appointed the shadow minister for innovation, technology, and the future of work, and since February 2021 ONeil had been the shadow minister for senior Australians and aged care services.

The benefits of a dedicated cybersecurity minister

It has been four years since there was a dedicated cybersecurity minister, following the resignation of Angus Taylor in 2018 which eventually led to the cybersecurity function being rolled into home affairs. Karen Andrews was the former minister most recently in charge of cybersecurity while serving as minister for home affairs.

Despite not having cybersecurity as a standalone portfolio, the Australian federal, state, and territory governments have had a strong focus on cybersecurity. And, although ONeil has two portfolios, Gartner analyst Richard Addiscott says the move shows the elected government is prepared to place an elevated priority on protecting and enhancing Australias cybersecurity posture.

Other benefits of ONeils appointment are to have a critical policy focus, Michelle Price, EY partner for Oceania for cybersecurity, privacy, and trusted technology practice, tells CSO Australia. It provides leadership at the whole of government leveland thats not just for federal government, its for the states and territories and local governments as well. It also provides a focal point for business and what good looks like for business from a policy point of view as well, she says.

Another component, says Price, is that it provides a focus for how Australia engages with the rest of the world, especially when it comes to digital borders. She says there are additional pressures on the evolving threat landscape with the economy now recovering from COVID-19 but with geopolitical events adding to the headwinds.

Having a dedicated cybersecurity minister is a very important piece of the Australian governments architecture, says Price.She also points to the fact that having a woman representing the sector at the government level demonstrates a diversity of leadership that is needed in cybersecurity.

With cybersecurity not being an issue restricted to home affairs only, Gartners Addiscott says that the ministers ability to work across the other portfoliosdefence, the attorney-generals department, foreign affairs and trade, and othersto deliver a joined-up national approach to cybersecurity will be a key determinant of whether the new appointment delivers any value.

He also says that seeking to develop a more harmonised approach to cybersecurity across the state governments would be beneficial. Most states currently have specific whole-of-government cybersecurity policies and frameworks delivered by teams usually placed within the departments of premier and the cabinets. However, beyond references to the ASD Essential Eight in several state cybersecurity frameworks, there is a mix of differing standards, such as ISO27001 and the NIST CSF, and operating models being adopted, he says.

What Australian businesses can expect from the cybersecurity minister

By having cybersecurity as a discrete ministry responsibility, there will be teams within the home affairs portfolio supporting the minister in her role as minister for cybersecurity, Price says, which means that there is the opportunity for there to be expertise put into government around what it means to manage cybersecurity risk.

There is also the opportunity to have a much stronger narrative around what the opportunity is for small business to take cybersecurity seriously not only for their domestic focuses but also how they start to engage in international supply chains, she says. With so many areas across the global economy experiencing shortagesacross technology people and process as well as, of course, those physical goods and services that we rely on so muchtheres actually so much opportunity for Australia in this space to have that well coordinated across government and for government to be working in partnership with business both at the big end and small end of town.

But Gartners Addiscott warns that it is early to have any clues as to what having a standalone minister for cybersecurity means: Only time will tell whether the appointment is actually a material expansion on the previous ministers role that delivers meaningful outcomes, or whether the appointment is in name only and, in reality, its business as usual.
Last year, before the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, nearly 75% of cryptocurrency payouts for ransomware went to Russia, according to a study conducted by Chainanalysis. Let that sink in a moment. Then consider the legal ramifications of paying those ransoms now that Russia is a sanctioned country.

To Kurtis Minder, CEO of digital risk protection firm, GroupSense, these new sanctions mean hell be forced to turn down more ransomware victims seeking response and negotiation services or else risk running afoul of a growing list of sanctions issued by the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

As opposed to the specific OFAC sanctions list, Russian sanctions are wide and ambiguous, making them difficult to abide by without proper intelligence and context, says Minder, whos negotiated hundreds of ransomware payouts over the past two years. The U.S. government is sanctioning entities within Russia at an increasing rate. So even with the OFAC list, we still need to use our companys external intelligence and risk datain addition to the sanctions liststo understand if the victim is paying directly to a sanctioned entity or through an affiliate program that is loosely tied to a sanctioned group or region, he explains.

Most of these sanctions are an extension of a Whitehouse initiative to combat ransomware by disrupting ransomware gangs, bolstering resilience, making laundering through cryptocurrency more difficult, and addressing safe harbors like those in Russia. Its important to note that Russia isnt the only sanctioned country. In 2019, OFAC sanctioned North Korea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been trying to get companies associated with China added to the list since 2012 with limited success, says Darren Mott, who managed FBI cyber and counterintelligence squads for 20 years before retiring in 2019.

Politics tighten sanctions on ransomware payments

Since Russia launched its war against Ukraine, paying ransoms to Russian entities has become a political hot button, with Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen lamenting how ransomware criminals operate in Russia with impunity. The Treasury Departments release also declares that paying ransomware payouts to an entity in a sanctions nexus is a threat to U.S. national security.

Fourteen years ago, back in 2008, FBI agents in Russia recognized that Putin was the crime boss behind most of these types of cyberattacks coming from his country. And now, because the issue is political, we punish the victims? Thats absurd. Paying ransoms should not be a political issue because by the time it gets to the stage of negotiating the ransoms, the victim company is already behind the eight ball with no other way out, argues Scott Augenbaum, who recently retired after 29 years leading cybercrime investigations in the FBI.

In a recent blog post, Luke Schaetzel, associate in the Benesch law firms data protection group, describes how willfully violating these sanctions when paying ransoms can lead to fines up to $1 million dollars and/or up to 20 years in prison per violation. Aggravating factors determining the civil penalties include willful or reckless violation of law, concealment of the payments, management involvement, awareness of conduct, cooperation with OFAC, and prior notice.

While no businesses have yet been charged for paying ransoms under these sanctions, those that violate them can be slapped with civil and criminal penalties even if the victim doesnt know theyre in violation, Schaetzel tells CSO.

OFACs list of sanctioned groups is more specific and includes ransomware names, related URLs and dark web addresses, individuals, server IP addresses, and email addresses. Sanctions against countries, particularly during times of war, are farther reaching and make paying ransoms that much more complicated, Schaetzel says.

These wartime sanctions can apply to a swath of officials, banks, and state-owned entities in Russia. Paying ransoms to or through any of these groups funded by the Russian banks or other officials could be in violation of sanctions laws, he explains. So, if you have any inkling of suspicion that a Russian entity subject to sanctions is involved or could be involved, dont pay the ransom.

Sanctions list out of date

Take, for example one of the top Russian ransomware groups, Conti, which at the start of the war threatened to strike the critical infrastructure of anyone attempting to hack Russian assets. Conti emerged from affiliate organizations that may not be directly on the sanctions list but are still sanctioned because of the affiliations, Schaetzel points out. Conti is an outgrowth of the Ryuk ransomware, created by a Russian criminal group known as Wizard Spider, which is also sanctioned and behind the TrickBot botnet. Thus, paying to or through any of these entities would be in violation of sanctions.

Thats a problem. Many of the Russian agencies listed on the OFAC list (last updated in November 2021) have shut down and moved on, meaning the list itself is obsolete. Because of this, and because attackers dont care about them, the sanctions lack teeth and hurt the victim more than the criminal, Mott contends.

OFAC doesnt have the manpower to track all bitcoin transactions to see if theyre being paid to a sanctioned entity or country. And I would argue that those bitcoin addresses on the sanctioned list are obsolete by now, Mott says. The ransomware operators can shut down and reopen under a new name overnight, but it takes about a year for an entity to make it onto the OFAC sanctions list.

An example is REvil, which supposedly shuttered operations in January after extraditions and arrests by the FBI. Now REvil seems to have reemerged under a Russian dark web marketplace called RuTOR. Another example is Conti, which changed names and diversified into multiple spinoffs since its operators threatened to defend Russia with counterattacks.

Be ready before a ransomware attack

Knowing who to report to by establishing pre-relationships with your local FBI cyber field office is critical when dealing with a ransomware infection, Mott says.

While in his latest assignment as head of the FBIs counterintelligence squad in 2019, Mott recalls how one of his offices special agents (SAs) called a CIO at a local company and informed the CIO that un-activated Russian-based ransomware was on the CIOs network. To verify, the CIO called Mott, who personally confirmed that, yes, their SA was who he said he was and that a ransomware gang was putting files on the system that hadnt yet activated. Mott then reiterated the remediation measures the CIO needed to take.

The CIO still didnt believe them. When the CIO didnt respond in the next two days, the cyber squad supervisor shared with the CIO the file names on their system, where to find them, and how to remove them. Then the CIO sent email to the special agent in charge of the field office to get additional verification, and the ransomware operator saw that email and immediately encrypted the companys data, which illustrates how important it is to know your FBI agencies before you need them, he adds.

Relationships with authorities will also reduce liability in the case the victim unknowingly pays ransom to or through sanctioned entities and affiliates. If, under the weight of ransomware attack, the victim organization has reached out to the FBI, it demonstrates cooperation with law enforcement, says Bob Seeman, managing partner at CyberCurb, who focuses on cryptocurrency payments, board sophistication and cyber insurers.

Have a provable compliance program in place ahead of time. For assistance, you can turn to cyber insurance companies that will help you hire the right risk mitigation people, ransomware negotiators, law firms, and forensic investigators. A qualified team would check the sanctions list and look for indicators that this cyber attacker is affiliated with a sanctioned entity, he advises. And be sure to notify law enforcement immediately of any ransomware attackparticularly the FBI, which is the top agency dealing with ransomware.

To this end, victims and law enforcement need to work together and share intelligence. For example, Mott suggests sharing the tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) and memory capture of impacted devices with the FBI who uses this information to build profiles. If a ransom is paid, sharing the digital key to unlock the ransomware is also critical intelligence to share with the FBI.

When preparing to report, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agencys (CISA's) Stop Ransomware program site instructs victims to take care when preserving evidence that is highly volatile in nature or limited in retention to prevent loss or tampering (such as in system memory, Windows security logs, or data in firewall log buffers). The FBI also instructs victims to check if the bureau has a decryption key, which may be available for a specific ransomware strain.

This intelligence is shared back to the IT community through the Stop Ransomware program that has consolidated advisories and instructions for prevention, detection, and response (including links to the OFAC sanctions list).

The FBI, with our partners in government and industry, will continue to work together to prevent, identify, and disrupt this type of malicious activity, says an FBI spokesperson in written response to questions about this article. We strongly encourage companies network defenders to review several recent Cybersecurity Advisories (CSA) weve published. These CSAs are one of the ways the FBI and our partners quickly share new, important tactical information from our investigations, such as specific Russian malware signatures, indicators of compromise, and changes in their tactics.

Focus on ransomware prevention

With legal liability tied to paying ransoms to Russian and other sanctioned entities, prevention becomes even more critical for enterprise CISOs. Start with the basics, Augenbaum suggests. For example, weak RDP credentials, which are not complicated to secure, are a main infection vector in the cases hes examined. Start with the top three vulnerabilities that he consistently uncovered during his investigations: over-permissive/shared admin rights, lack of application whitelisting, and lack of visibility into systems and networks.

No one expects to be a victim, which is the biggest mistake organizations make when it comes to preparedness, Augenbaum adds. The other mistake is expecting the FBI to ride to the rescue with the encryption keys and solutions to unlock the data. All that an organization can control is their own vulnerabilities and utilize tools and best practices to prevent Ransomware infections.
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FAIRFIELD  Two local women have departed on a more than 4,000-mile journey from Fairfield, Conn. to Fairfield, Calif. to prove the effectiveness of electric vehicles.

Daphne Dixon and Alyssa Murphy, of Norwalk-based Live Green Connecticut, got into a Mustang Mach E electric vehicle Monday with the goal of driving to 27 cities over the next month as a way to reduce range anxiety.

Dixon said range anxiety, or the fear that electric vehicles cannot go the same distance as gas-powered vehicles, has proven to be a leading barrier preventing people from making the switch.

We are going to 16 different states and traversing the country  hoping to reduce range anxiety one state at at time, said Dixon, executive director of the Live Green Connecticut nonprofit.

At the starting line in Fairfield, which included people waiving racing flags, local partners involved in the electric vehicle space spoke about the importance of Dixon and Murphys mission.

Jim Motavalli, a freelance automobile writer and author with two books about electric vehicles, said there have been amazing leaps and bounds in battery technology which have raised the standard range of EVs to 300 miles. At the same time, he said, prices have come down dramatically.

Especially considering federal tax credits, you can get down around $30,000 and get a really nice car, he said. I always said the EVs would triumph when they are better in every way than the gas cars they are going to replace, and that is actually whats happening now.

The road trip will be an important way to raise awareness to people who have big questions about electric vehicles, Motavalli said, whether they be about range or access public charging networks.

The road trip proves you can drive all the way across the country, he said. Thats the whole point. They are not restricted to local travel. They go anywhere.

Dixon said people, especially women, want to feel safe they wont be left stranded and in need of a charge. She said her trip is one way to demonstrate that security.

Theres more and more charging infrastructure every day, she said. This road trip is helping to show what people arent really seeing yet... and that there is a way to get from point A to point B. there is a way to get from Fairfield, Connecticut to Fairfield, California in an EV.

This is Dixons first cross-country road trip, and she does not own her own electric vehicle, she said.

I am curious what its like to do a long trip like this and see how it goes, she said. We have a 2021 Mustang Mach E on loan from today until June 28.

Along the way, Dixon said they will be meeting with area partners working in environmental issues to speak with people about electric vehicles.

Marriott Dowden, the program manager of electric vehicle products and services at Avangrid, which owns United Illuminating, said the trip serves as education to the public about electric vehicles. He said Connecticut just launched an aggressive incentive program encouraging people and businesses to install infrastructure for EVs.

As we all know, range anxiety is a significant barrier to purchasing an EV, as well as a lack of understanding and a lack of education, he said. These programs provide incentives to businesses, homeowners and pretty much anyone who is interested in installing chargers wherever they might. Theres a lot of money available.

Dowden said EVs are an exciting technology both because of the way they reduce the use of fossil fuels but also because of their performance.

Build it and they will come. Drive it and they will never go back, he said. Thats what we need to do. We need to get folks behind wheels to experiene the performance of these cars.

Dixon said Live Green Connecticut was founded in 2010 and does environmental work around the state, as well as running the Connecticut Southwestern Area Clean Cities Coalition, a program run by the U.S. Department of Energys Vehicle Technologies Office.

When were not driving across the country, were doing technical assistance with fleets, helping school districts implement electric school bus programs, (helping facilitate) electric police vehicles in municipalities and (working on) zoning regulations for them, she said. We have a wide range of programs that we do.

Dixon said she became interested in environmental issues when she was a child growing up in Sacramento, Calif. When her family would drive out of the city to a place to ride horses, she said, she would see smog clouding the city on the way back.

I thought, Well surely people much smarter than me, adults, are taking care of this, because this is a problem and if somebody doesnt do something its going to get worse, she said. Ive had this feeling of wanting to try and be a part of something to clean up our air for decades. Its a deep seed.

Sometimes people can chose to do things that might be outside of their comfort zone for the greater good, Dixon said.

Getting an EV might feel a little uncomfortable, but once you get behind the wheel and you start driving it, I really think people will be very pleased with their choice, she said. Just start considering it. Test drive an EV. You dont have to jump in and buy one right now. Dip your toe in the water.

joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
NEW MILFORD  Deborah Rose says shes been writing since she could pick up a crayon.

Beginning around age 7 or 8 I would write cute songs that rhymed, she said. Eventually, that grew into more sophisticated forms of poetry.

Rose has been named New Milfords new poet laureate, a position that requires her to promote and support poetry and other literary activities in town.

I'm honored to have been considered, selected and appointed for this role, said Rose, who is the former editor of the New Milford Spectrum, where she worked from 1998 through the end of 2020. I have always had a passion for writing, and poetry has been the medium I explored the most.

Mayor Pete Bass said he is thrilled that Rose accepted the position.

Her community roots combined with being the former editor of the Spectrum, plus her love for poetry, makes her a great choice for the position, he said.

Roses two-year position is subject to reappointment. In a general sense, she expects to promote the appreciation of poetry among town residents. More specifically, she will work closely with the towns Commission on the Arts, the library, arts centers, schools, and other organizations to offer poetry readings, workshops, and other literary-arts activities.

Rose facilitates the New Milford Public Library's poetry workshop. James Scrimgeour, professor emeritus at Western Connecticut State University, led that venue until recently stepping down as the towns poet laureate earlier this year. He was named the towns first poet laureate in 2016.

Rose credits Scrimgeour, who was her professor at Western Connecticut State University where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in English, in helping her to refine her own work.

Mr. Scrimgeour has witnessed my evolution as a poet, so it's a real honor to follow him as the town's poet laureate," she says.

In an era of nonstop video streaming and online gaming, some might be surprised to learn that poetry is enjoying a renaissance. The Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Census Bureau, found that 11.7 percent of the U.S. adult population in 2017  or about 28 million people  had read poetry in the last year. That compares to about 7 percent in 2012.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic created an upswing in poetry reading. From March 2020 to March 2021, the website Poets.org saw its traffic increase by 25 percent.

Rose is especially enthusiastic about the role poetry plays in the educational world. She wants to encourage students of all ages to be interested in poetry in expressing themselves. Poetry provides a powerful way for kids to think, and to process how they perceive the world, she notes.

Besides being an art form, poetry can serve a therapeutic role. An individual may be undergoing grief or psychological pain and be unable to express that in a conventional way - such as by talking or even crying. While psychologists often encourage people to write journal entries during such trying times, poetry can also perform the same type of healing, Rose explains.

At such times, what they write may come out as more of a poem than a journaling exercise, or maybe their journaling becomes a poem of sorts, she said. Conversely, poetry can help the individual express joy as well.

At the New Milford Public Library's Poetry Workshop, aspiring poets have a forum to read and review their work once each month. Such feedback is vital, notes Rose, who credits advice she received from Scrimgeour and other writers when he led the workshop as helping her to refine her craft.

Sometimes, a particular word or phrase strikes a different chord with the reader than the poet intended, Rose noted. It's always constructive to give, and receive, feedback.

State Sen. Bill Buckbee, R-New Milford, is a lifelong friend of Roses, and said she has the right combination of creative talent and community ties to serve the town well as poet laureate. This is an outstanding thing for the town, and Im very excited for Deborah as well, Buckbee said.

Buckbee added that Rose has a keen appreciation for New Englands beauty, which is borne out in both her words and her photographs. Ive lived in other parts of the U.S., and theres no place quite like New England, he said. New Milford especially is made up of very diverse, very different people who embrace one another as a community and look out for each other. Deborahs got that.

Theo Jannetty, a former classmate of Roses and longtime friend who lives in Westchester County, N.Y., said a passion for writing first drew the two undergrads together. Deborah always has her journal with her, and she always dates her work, said Jannetty, who studied literature at WestConn. And she always shares her poetry - revising it later if she is inclined to. She sees poetry as a gift to others: Instead of hoarding her work and publishing it only when she has perfected it, for Deb its something to be shared.

Rose had several poems in published in anthologies many moons ago. She is now looking to compile a book of her writing. Her main communication tool now is social media page on which she posts photos of her observations, along with poetry.

I love how words fit together, said Rose, who is also an accomplished photographer. I tend to go for more free verse: With poetry I begin with a moment or feeling, and I've always found that free verse lets me express that more openly than if I attempted to fit it into a particular format or rhyming scheme.

Rose began posting her poetry on social media in earnest on New Years Day in 2021 and has done so daily since. Asked what her topics are, she replied, Whatever moves me.

Its a great way to stay disciplined with my writing and my photography, and its also quite a bit of fun, Rose said.

The New Milford High School graduate said individuals frequently respond to her posts publicly and in private messages. Thats really all you can ask for as a writer and poet, said Rose. Knowing that youre reaching another human being is such an awesome gift, and very rewarding as well.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Axon, the company best known for developing the Taser, said Monday it was halting plans to develop a Taser-equipped drone after a majority of its ethics board resigned over the controversial project.

Axons founder and CEO Rick Smith said the companys announcement last week  which drew a rebuke from its artificial intelligence ethics board  was intended to initiate a conversation on this as a potential solution." Smith said the ensuing discussion provided us with a deeper appreciation of the complex and important considerations around the issue.

As a result, we are pausing work on this project and refocusing to further engage with key constituencies to fully explore the best path forward," he said. The development was first reported by Reuters.

The board had voted 8-4 a few weeks ago to recommend Axon not proceed with a pilot of the Taser drone and had concerns about introducing weaponizing drones in over-policed communities of color.

But after the mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas elementary school, the company announced it was beginning development of the drone. Smith told The Associated Press last week he made the idea public in part because he was catastrophically disappointed in the response by police who didnt move in to kill the suspect for more than an hour.

The board issued a rare public rebuke of the project, saying it was a dangerous idea that went far beyond the initial proposal the board had reviewed for a Taser-equipped police drone. It said it had pleaded with the company to pull back before the announcement and that many of them believed it was trading on the tragedy of the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings.

Smith had rejected that idea in an interview with the AP last week and said he was pressing ahead because he believed the Taser drone could be a viable solution to save lives. He contended the idea needed to be shared as part of the public conversation about school safety and effective ways for police to safely confront attackers.

On Monday, nine members of the ethics board, a group of well-respected experts in technology, policing and privacy, announced resignations, saying they had lost faith in Axons ability to be a responsible partner.

We wish it had not come to this, the statement said. Each of us joined this Board in the belief that we could influence the direction of the company in ways that would help to mitigate the harms that policing technology can sow and better capture any benefits.

We tried from the start to get Axon to understand that its customer has to be the community that a policing agency serves, not the policing agency itself, one of the boards members, Barry Friedman, a New York University law professor, said in an interview. It has been a painful struggle to try to change the calculus there.

Friedman said a major concern was Smiths decision to move forward with the plan and announce it publicly without adequately hearing the concerns of the board members.

Whats the emergency? School shootings are a crisis. I agree, Friedman said. But Axon, on its own best timeline, isnt going to come up with anything for a couple of years. Why was it necessary to jump ahead like this?

What Rick is suggesting is a necessary public dialogue was really just jumping over the head of the board, Friedman said.

In his statement, Smith said it was unfortunate that some members of Axons ethics advisory panel have chosen to withdraw from directly engaging on these issues before we heard or had a chance to address their technical questions.

We respect their choice and will continue to seek diverse perspectives to challenge our thinking and help guide other technology options, Smith said.
TRUMBULL  A state agency has contacted the SeaQuest interactive aquarium at the Westfield Trumbull mall about its compliance with state regulations.

Will Healey, director of communications for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, confirmed in an email that DEEP has notified SeaQuest of issues relating to their compliance with state regulations. This is an ongoing issue and we cannot provide additional comments at the present time.

He didnt elaborate on the alleged issues or which state regulations they concerned. Kelly Bistriceanu, SeaQuests national marketing director, also only addressed the issue broadly.

We cooperate with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection regularly to assess potential issues as they arise and ensure SeaQuests compliance with state regulations, she said.

Other SeaQuests nationwide have also been under scrutiny over the years, including the one in Littleton, Colo., which had its license suspended by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in 2019. However, it is still operating and received a new license through the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act, which administered by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Earlier this year, the United States Department of Agriculture cited Trumbull SeaQuest, alleging multiple violations. The report mentions, among other problems, an incident in which a child was allegedly scratched by a kinkajou during an encounter at the facility.

When reached Friday, Bistriceanu said the incident resulted in a very mild scratch that the staff promptly treated.

SeaQuest does hundreds of exotic animal encounters like this with our guests every week, she said. Although incidents like this do happen, they are extremely rare.

In addition to the incident with the kinkajou, the USDA report mentioned that the wooden door frame in the African crested porcupine enclosure was damaged and in need of repair and that the kinkajou enclosure was not properly cleaned.

The Trumbull SeaQuest has been cited before. Last year, a routine USDA inspection unearthed four violations that had occurred over the past year, including a child bitten by an animal and an employee hitting an otter with a metal bowl.

The town also sued Seaquest last year, claiming the company owed $167,158 in back taxes, interest and fees. The company filed suit against the town, claiming the $4.2 million assessment was excessive.

The two sides settled their dueling lawsuits earlier this year, with Judge Dale Radcliffe writing that the Town acknowledges that receipt of payments shows full satisfaction of the Grandlist of October 1, 2019 and the Grandlist of October 1, 2020.

Based in Idaho, SeaQuest operates 10 locations across the country, including one that opened late last year in Georgia. Attractions include animal feeding, walk-in aviaries, snorkeling with marine animals and hands-on encounters with sloths, otters, stingrays and others.
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UVALDE, Texas (AP)  Eliahna Garcia loved the Disney movie Encanto, and the studio's costume makers sent her parents a custom-made gown and other keepsakes to help them remember the 9-year-old after her burial.

Family was holding a funeral Monday for Eliahna, also known as Ellie, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde, two days after what would have been her 10th birthday. She was among 19 students at Robb Elementary School killed in a mass shooting, along with two teachers.
On July 7, 2004, the 91st Amendment to the Constitution of India took effect. This meant from that day onwards, the size of the councils of ministers at the Centre and in the states cannot exceed 15 per cent of the numbers in the Lok Sabha or the state Assemblies. The logic underlying this amendment is quite obvious. Cost was not the issue, for in relation to the overall cost of government, expenditure on ministers is miniscule. The real problem is that with unlimited ministerships on offer, the destabilisation of governments was made easier. Unfortunately, there seems to be little realisation that too many cooks spoil the broth.

Even the National Committee to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC), which had recommended that the number of ministers be fixed at the maximum of 10 per cent of the total strength of the popular House of the Legislature, does not seem to have thought this matter through. But even its recommendation was tweaked a bit to fix the ceiling at 15 per cent, as we seem to have too many politicians overly keen to be of greater service to the public by becoming ministers.

Whatever be the reasons for the ceiling, good governance considerations or management principles seem to have little to do with it. We have 548 MPs in the Lok Sabha, which means that we can have up to 81 ministers in New Delhi. With 787 MPs in all, that means almost one in nine MPs can expect to be made a minister. The states have in all 4,020 MLAs; opening up possibilities for about 600 ministerial berths for 4,487 MLAs and MLCs. Uttar Pradesh has the biggest Legislative Assembly, with 403 MLAs, while Sikkim at the other end of the spectrum has to make do with just 32 MLAs, or five ministers.

Quite clearly, the persons who have applied their minds to this amendment have not seen government as a responsibility that has to be sensibly shared, and not as a basket of fruits to be distributed. No organisation that is meant to function can be designed on such a basis. Analogies are seldom entirely appropriate, but you will see what one has in mind when you consider the absurdity of limiting the number of functional responsibilities in a company to a function of the number of workers or shareholders.

Management structures and hierarchies are constructed on assignment of responsibilities based on a division of work according to the technical and managerial specialisation of tasks. Thus, a large corporation might have heads for the Production, Marketing, Finance, HRD, Legal and Secretarial and Research functions. In small companies, just one or two persons may perform all these functions, while in a large professionally managed corporation there would be separate or even more heads of functional areas. The important thing is that management structures apportion tasks and responsibilities.

Obviously, the management of government is much more complex, with an infinitely larger set of tasks than the biggest corporation, however professionally managed it may be. But to divide the management of the State into 39 functional responsibilities, as is the case now, is to exaggerate that magnitude and complexity. It is as if in an automobile company which is making and selling cars, the person responsible for making gearboxes is at the same level as the persons looking after the paint shop or procuring accessories. As if this was not bad enough, all these would then be at the same level as the head of Production or Marketing or Finance. Yet this is how the Cabinet is organised. There is a minister for rural development and a minister for panchayati raj as there are ministers for irrigation and fertilisers, sitting on the same table as the minister for agriculture.

We know that all agriculture is rural and everything in the rural world revolves around agriculture, and so the case for separating the two goes straight away.

Besides agriculture is about water, fertiliser, food distribution, food processing, agro and rural industries, etc. Therefore, instead of having one person responsible for improving the lot of our farmers and rural folk, we have nine departments headed by nine ministers. They often work at cross-purposes. Even if the ministers are willing, it will be almost impossible to make the bureaucratic structures march to the same beat. And so, if the rural sector continues to languish, no one is responsible.

In Jawaharlal Nehrus first Cabinet, there was only one minister for food and agriculture. The only agriculture-related function that was not with this minister was irrigation. Gulzarilal Nanda held the portfolio of planning, irrigation and power. But in those days additional power was intended primarily from hydel projects and it thus possibly made sense to have irrigation outside the food and agriculture ministry.

Likewise, transport and railways was one ministry while it has been broken up into five areas now. Some of them quite ridiculously small. Take the ministry for civil aviation. Apart from the near defunct Air India (which is anyway now in private hands), a diminished Airports Authority of India and the DGCA, there is little to it. The first two are companies with full-time managers supposedly managing them. Since the ministry has little policy to make, it busies itself micromanaging the companies. And what is the need for a ministry of information and broadcasting when that means little more than Akashvani and Doordarshan?

By now, it should be quite apparent that the 91st Amendment is not good enough as it just does not address the issue of making government effective. We now need a 92nd Amendment that will marginally change Article 74(1) of the Constitution to read: There will be a Council of Ministers consisting of the Ministers for Home Affairs, Defence, Foreign Relations, Agriculture, etc, clearly specifying tasks and responsibilities. With Article 75(1) that makes it incumbent for the President to appoint ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister, remaining as it is, we might want to look at Article 75(5) afresh and consider the merit of eliminating the stipulation of getting elected to either of the two Houses of Parliament or state legislatures. We could encourage Prime Ministers and chief ministers to induct professionals and experienced persons rather than be limited only to professional politicians.
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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  Long-serving Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party easily topped the field as expected in local elections, an initial tabulation from the National Election Committee showed Monday.

Official final returns from Sunday's polls are due to be released on June 26. However, a statement released Monday by the committee said Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party won 9,338 out of the 11,622 commune council seats that were contested.

In the aggregated popular vote, Hun Sens party received 5.3 million votes, the Candlelight Party 1.6 million votes and the royalist Funcinpec Party 900,000 votes, with the remainder scattered among much smaller groups, reported Bayon Radio, which is controlled by Hun Sens daughter.

Hun Sen, an authoritarian ruler in a nominally democratic state, has held power for 37 years. He has said he intends to stay in office until 2028 and has endorsed one of his sons to succeed him.

Sundays turnout was 80.19% of the countrys 9.2 million registered voters, slightly higher than the initially reported 77%, election committee spokesperson Dim Sovanarum said Monday.

The commune elections, held a year ahead of the general election, are regarded as a test of the contending parties strengths.

The Cambodia Peoples Party has held an iron grip on power for decades, and has the huge advantage of controlling almost every level of local as well as national government. Its opponents were less organized, with fewer resources and fearful of intimidation.

The ruling partys only serious competition and political rival, the Candlelight Party, won 2,119 council seats.

It is the unofficial successor to the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which made a much stronger second place challenge to the ruling party in the last communal elections in 2017.

In the elections' aftermath, the Cambodian National Rescue Party was dissolved by the Supreme Court ahead of the 2018 general election on the thinly supported ground that it was involved in treasonous activity.

The court ruling forced all Cambodian National Rescue Party members from their local and national elected positions, and kept it off the ballot in the 2018 election, paving the way for a clean sweep of all the seats in the National Assembly by Hun Sens party.

The royalist Funcinpec Party won 19 seats on Sunday, with the handful of remaining seats shared among six relatively unknown parties.

The Candlelight Party issued a statement Monday charging that the polls were neither free nor fair.

It said it had been intimidated by the authorities, starting with when the lists of its candidates and election observers were being prepared.

It also said the National Election Committee did not act on its complaints of vote-buying and threats, and that some of its observers, as well as those from independent poll watching groups, had been blocked from monitoring the vote counting.

The party charged that the election committee was biased in favor of the Cambodian Peoples Party, whose members, it said, filled its ranks at every level.
In Killingworth, environmentalists and public officials are trying to stop the Boy Scouts of America from selling its wooded 252-acre Deer Lake Scout Reservation to a developer.

To date, the Scouts Connecticut Yankee Council has rejected two offers from nonprofit groups interested in preserving the land for open space or passive recreation, and it is entertaining an offer of $4.6 million from a New York developer.

A lawsuit has been filed to preserve the bird sanctuary on the property. The Killingworth Board of Selectmen passed a resolution strongly supporting preservation of the property.

The Deer Lake situation, on which the Council declined to comment, is another example of the whack-a-mole approach conservationists are often forced to take to save some of the states dwindling supply of open land. As with similar predicaments, it raises the question of how and where should the state grow and what lands should be protected.

Advocates say theres no time to waste.

Wild places still exist in Connecticut, but they wont if we dont do something to protect them. Parks and conservation are components of thriving communities, said Walker Holmes, Connecticut state director of the Trust for Public Land.

State of sprawl

For much of the 20th century, especially in the go-go years after World War II, residents left Connecticuts cities in droves for new homes in the suburbs. For example, Hartford had nearly 180,000 people in 1950 but 122,500 in 2020.

Formerly sleepy rural towns hummed with lawnmowers and weed wackers. The split-level ranch with a lawn and patio fulfilled the American Dream for countless residents.

However, much of the new development was low-density, hastily planned and dependent on cars  a pattern known as sprawl. And, as officials belatedly learned, sprawl had a downside.

Sprawl is the most serious environmental problem facing Connecticut, Karl Wagener, then-executive director of the states Council on Environmental Quality, told The Hartford Courant in 2005.

He and others in and out of government pushed for limits on sprawl. Some measures were enacted. A 2008 law created a responsible growth cabinet, and Gov. M. Jodi Rell created an Office of Responsible Growth. The states Plan of Conservation and Development was refocused on growth management principles.

These measures were, at best, partially successful.

Sprawl continues, said Nathan Frohling of The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, one of several nonprofits that work to preserve open space.

Connecticut has done a terrible job of reining in sprawl, said Sara Bronin, Cornell University law professor and founder of Desegregate Connecticut, a housing and land-use reform coalition.

Though Bronin and some others think sprawl is still the states major environmental challenge, it has somewhat fallen off the radar screen. Theres now more attention being paid to climate change mitigation. But they may be two sides of the same coin.

So many of the things weve been trying to do for conservation and the environment related to sprawl have a direct connection either to climate mitigation or adaptation, Frohling said.

A 30-member study group, the Commission on Connecticuts Development and Future, formed by the General Assembly a year ago to evaluate policies related to land use, conservation, housing affordability and infrastructure, could offer solutions when it reports its findings next year, though it appears more focused on process than substance.

The new variant

The nature of sprawl has changed somewhat in recent years. For one thing, residential subdivisions tend not to be as big as they were a few decades ago, said Eric A. Santini, a builder and president of the Home Builders & Remodelers of Connecticut.

He said developments now trend toward 20 or 30 units, rather than 80, 90 or more years ago. For example, a developer announced plans in April to build 34 three-bedroom houses on former farmland in Canton.

The bigger change may be the surge in multifamily construction, with major apartment complexes going up in suburban towns across the state.

Towns are starting to realize they need a variety of housing, not just single-family homes on 1-acre lots, Santini said.

He said apartments give young adults or downsizing Baby Boomers the option to stay in town. He said multi-family housing helps both the tax base and local businesses. All well and good, said state Rep. Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, chair of the Commission on Connecticuts Development and Future, depending on where it is built. He said the surge in apartments is a two-edged sword  we need the housing, but if it is built in the wrong place, we get sprawl and its negative effects.

What would those be?

The downside

The effects of sprawl have been extensively studied over the past 25 years (see here, here and here). Most agree that sprawl:

Causes the loss of forests, farmland and other open space. Connecticut has lost thousands of acres of forest and farms over the past half century. A major study by the University of Connecticuts Center for Land Use Education and Research, using satellite imagery, found that from 1985 to 2015, the state lost 115,200 acres of forested land and 39,680 acres of agricultural fields to development and related land covers, what the study calls urban footprint. The state now has more land in grass and turf (8 percent) than farms (7 percent).

Induces more driving, which translates to more congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution, energy use and lost time. Spread-out development discourages both use of transit and walking, leading to issues with obesity and related illnesses.

Necessitates the construction and expense of more infrastructure and increases the cost of services.

Threatens the quality of streams and rivers, because the loss of vegetation and increase in paved surfaces causes more runoff.

Abets segregation by race and class, isolating the poor in core cities and, sometimes, the elderly in the suburbs.

Limits housing production, a situation belatedly being addressed in some communities with multifamily construction. Instead of big houses on large lots, more compact construction could have yielded more dwelling units at lower cost.

Smart growth

The antidote to sprawl is called smart growth, or responsible growth. The idea, in broad terms, is to draw development to town centers and transit corridors, where infrastructure and services already exist, and by doing so lessen the pressure to develop farmland and forest tracts.

State officials have taken steps consistent with smart growth in recent years, such as major investments in housing in downtown Hartford and other cities. The states brownfield remediation programs have put urban land back in use. Two new transit systems have been developed, the Hartford Line rail service from New Haven to Springfield and CTFastrak, the bus rapid transit line from Hartford to New Britain.

The surest way to protect open space from sprawl is to own it or own the development rights to it. The states open space and farmland acquisition programs continue, albeit slowly, toward their preservation goals.

In 1997, the General Assembly passed a law requiring that 21 percent of Connecticuts land area  a total of 673,210 acres  be preserved as open space. The deadline to complete the work is 2023.

It wont be met.

After the first several years, funding trailed off. At present, 513,310 acres, or 76.2 percent of the goal, have been preserved, according to Department of Energy and Environmental Protection figures. The plan is that the state would own 10 percent of the protected land, and its partner organizations, such as land trusts, towns or water companies, would own 11 percent. The state is at 71 percent of its 10 percent portion of the goal, and if the pace of acquisition  an average of 879 acres a year over the past 10 years  doesnt pick up, it will take more than 60 years to reach it, according to the Council of Environmental Qualitys 2021 annual report.

But officials are buoyed by a grant of $15 million from the legislature this year for open space.

We will be taking a very ambitious approach over the next few years to get to that goal, said Andrew Hoskins, DEEPs chief of staff, who oversees the land acquisition program. It is guided by the Comprehensive Open Space Acquisition Strategy, or Green Plan, which targets the highest value conservation and recreation lands.

Over at the state Department of Agriculture, its farmland preservation program is even farther away from its goal. In the late 1970s, the state set a goal of preserving 130,000 acres of farmland, a number thought necessary for the state to be able to feed itself. More than four decades later, 401 farms and 47,510 acres have been permanently protected through the program.

State Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said the process in the first decades of the program was cumbersome and expensive. The department had to get individual bond approval for each farm and did not work with federal or private partners to leverage state funds. He said that has now changed and the process is moving more expeditiously.

He said it took the department 35 years to preserve 300 farms but only eight years to protect the next 100 farms. He noted that agriculture is a $4 billion industry in the state that provides 22,000 jobs, growing everything from tobacco to tulips.

Zoning and taxes

Open space acquisition has never been able to keep pace with the demand for development, so it cannot be the sole means of controlling sprawl. Two other measures that would encourage smart growth, advocates say, are zoning reform and less reliance on local property taxes.

Bronin said zoning is a major factor driving sprawl in the state. Desegregate CT compiled a zoning atlas of all the states zoning districts and learned that through zoning, the vast majority of towns make it easiest to build single-family homes on large lots and difficult to build any other kind of housing. Nine towns allow nothing but single-family housing.

As a result, we build ourselves into the sprawl we see all around us, with the destruction of farmlands and forests  zoning dictates these results, she said.

Sprawl means you have to build roads, water and sewer facilities and streetlights, and the burden of paying for and maintaining them falls on the towns. Why wouldnt you want to offer an alternative? We need a complete rethinking of the way we approach land development in Connecticut, she said.

Desegregate CT successfully pushed for a bill in 2021 that made some zoning-related changes, such as allowing accessory apartments on single-family lots, and it created the Commission on Connecticuts Development and Future. The coalition continues to push for changes that would allow mixed-use, mixed-income, multi-family development in town centers and transit corridors.

Another nonprofit working on zoning reform, The Open Communities Alliance, is promoting the concept of fair share zoning, in which towns would agree to build their share of the states affordable housing need. Towns would get to choose where to build the housing; Alliance director Erin Boggs thinks they would likely decide to construct multifamily housing in or near town centers, not sprawl in the countryside.

The Commission on Connecticuts Development and Future is looking to develop model design guidelines for both buildings and streets that municipalities may adopt as part of their zoning regulations and which could help produce more mixed-use density in town centers.

Free-for-all

Another driver of sprawl is the states heavy reliance on property taxes. The group 1000 Friends of Connecticut has focused on the property tax issue and released a report in December titled Connecticut Property Taxes: Opportunity for Change.

Connecticut, the report says, relies on the property tax to fund government services to a far higher degree than most other states. The study cited data on the distribution of tax burden, called tax incidence, that showed nearly 42 percent of the state and local taxes paid in the state were property taxes, and that, on average, municipalities realize an average 73.4 percent of their revenues from the local property tax.

The system taxes equivalent properties differently depending on which town they are in. It impedes economic development. It also drives sprawl.

The over-reliance on property taxes fosters fragmentation  forcing Connecticuts 169 cities and towns to compete with one another  land-use boards make decisions based on what members believe (often incorrectly) will increase property tax revenues such as attempting to attract high valuation properties at the expense of preserving farmland and open space, the report states.

Gov. Ned Lamonts 2022 budget contained some modifications to the property tax but did not change its fundamental structure.

Elisabeth Moore, executive director of the Connecticut Farmland Trust, said heavy reliance on property taxes, coupled with a lack of strong regional or state planning, creates a free-for-all, 169 towns driven by the need for tax revenue. Everybody wants a Walmart even if there is one in the next town.

Good plan, no teeth

The state plan that directly addresses sprawl, at least theoretically, is the Plan of Conservation & Development. The plan, prepared every five years by the state Office of Policy and Management, is an overarching statement of state policy in matters pertaining to land and water resource conservation and development, as stated in a February report on the implementation of the plan.

Implementation is not a strong point. The plan is mostly advisory  it is supposed to guide the land use activities of state agencies. It apparently doesnt do that very well.

Agencies are supposed to request an advisory opinion from OPM on all but minor projects. However, agencies make their own determination of a projects consistency with the State C&D Plan and only rarely seek input from OPM, according to the February report.

Its a good plan, it checks all the boxes, but wheres the implementation? Where are the metrics to determine if it is working? asked Stewart Chip Beckett, of Glastonbury, a member of the Commission on Connecticuts Development and Future, which among other things is looking at the planning processes for conservation and housing.

Its not clear that the Plan of Conservation and Development is a high priority with the legislature. The 2018-2023 plan was only adopted this year, four years late.

Lack of a strong implementation mechanism in the plan can create a disconnect between policy and practice. For example, one of the plans growth management principles is to concentrate development around transportation nodes and along major transportation corridors.

If compliance were made a condition of state investment, it might have resulted in the creation of an overlay zone along transit lines, to allow multifamily, multi-use development near the stations. As is typical in Connecticut, some towns have done this on their own, but most have not.

Desegregate CT proposed a bill this year that would have required towns to zone some of the land within a half-mile of transit stations for more diverse housing. The transit-oriented community bill was similar to one that was adopted in Massachusetts last year, but it did not pass in Connecticut.

Without more impactful state or regional planning, conservationists are often forced into the whack-a-mole mode, as in Killingworth, where they find out about land going on the market and try to save it before it is sold for development.

Sometimes we have to act quickly, said Amy Blaymore Paterson, executive director of the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, which represents the states 130 nonprofit land trusts, increasingly important players in land conservation.

The hit-or-miss approach to land conservation by definition includes some hits. A spectacular example was the protection of a nearly 1,000 acre coastal forest in the lower Connecticut River Valley called The Preserve in 2015 after many years of conservation efforts.

On the other hand, in nearby East Lyme, conservationists have been fighting for more than a decade, in and out of court, to stop development of a 236-acre portion of the Oswegatchie Hills, a heretofore undeveloped coastal forest along the scenic Niantic River. Coastal lands are among the Green Plan preservation priorities.

Climate

Though the battles continue, the war against sprawl seems to have taken a back seat to concerns about climate change. Thats not necessarily bad, said Frohling, of the Nature Conservancy. The issues, he said, are not incompatible.

Climate change mitigation is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which threaten to toast the planet. In Connecticut, according to a 2016 legislative study, the largest source of greenhouse gases is the transportation sector, at 38 percent. Residential and commercial buildings together add another 25 percent.

That would argue for transit-oriented development, to reduce driving and encourage more compact housing. Author David Owen reported in his 2009 book Green Metropolis  What the City Can Teach the Country About True Sustainability that for fossil fuel use per capita, the greenest city in the country is New York City, because most residents live in buildings with shared walls, which are more energy efficient than free-standing homes, and most walk, bike or use transit.

Another environmental daily double, a precept of both smart growth and climate mitigation, is preserving core forests. Frohling said preserving forests and preventing their fragmentation is vitally important for several reasons: carbon sequestration, water quality protection, plant and animal habitat and absorption of storm surges from the increasingly erratic weather patterns.

Lamont has taken some steps to address the climate issue. In December, he signed an executive order addressing greenhouse gas reduction on many fronts and involving many state agencies. He recently signed two bills, one calling for a carbon-free electric grid by 2040 and another promoting smaller renewable energy projects.

Reining in sprawl would help the cause. To do that, said David Anderson, of Save The Sound, We need to tackle it on both ends, by allowing high density in transit nodes and town centers served by water and sewer, and at the other end by protecting environmental assets that are inappropriate for development and more suited to conservation.

The latter would appear to describe the Deer Lake property in Killingworth. As to its fate, First Selectman Nancy Gorski said in an email Friday there was no news.
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Once considered a relaxed role connecting with a communitys youth, Connecticut school resource officers are now counted on as the first line of defense in the event of a mass shooting.

Brian Foley, an aide to the commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said most Connecticut law enforcement agencies review their active shooter response strategy after a mass shooting occurs somewhere around the country.

After a school resource officer in Parkland, Fla., was accused of hiding in 2018 as 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, departments reexamined their protocol, Foley said.

School resource officers, once considered officer-friendly types in low-risk jobs, are now trained to confront a shooter without hesitation, Foley said.

So there was a shift, he said. Eliminate the threat or die trying.

A former Hartford deputy police chief, Foley went through mass shooter training in 2013 after Sandy Hook and learned how to approach a gunman with a team of four instead of waiting for a SWAT team.

In the wake of the mass shooting last month in Uvalde, Texas, police presence has been increased at schools across Connecticut. In Norwalk, officers are being paid overtime to be stationed at each of the citys nearly 20 schools. In New Milford, the town was already in the process of hiring more armed security guards to provide further protection in addition to the school resource officers.

Texas law enforcement officials have been criticized for waiting more than an hour before entering a classroom where the gunman killed 19 students and two teachers last month.

Since the Columbine mass shooting in 1999, Connecticut law enforcement has been trained to immediately enter a building when there is an active shooter and people inside.

I think its very fair to say that it is a universal practice in Connecticut, Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox said. In the pre-Columbine era, it was at least a passable alternative to set up a perimeter and wait for the SWAT team to arrive.

At Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., two gunmen killed 12 fellow students and a teacher, while wounding 21 others before taking their own lives. During that incident, police remained outside for hours while some victims bled to death.

The thought now of waiting on the perimeter seems barbaric, Fox said.

Connecticut requires instruction on how to search a building where a crime is in progress as part of its basic training for recruits, according to Karen Boisvert, a police academy administrator. However, the state does not require follow-up active shooter training.

Fox said most departments he knows conduct their own active shooter training. Fox, a former colonel with the Connecticut State Police, said his department regularly conducts drills on how to handle an active shooter.

Enfield prepares its officers to run toward a shooting scene. They have first aid kits and combat gauze, Fox said, and those who are qualified also have rifles in their patrol vehicles.

South Windsor Sgt. Mark Cleverdon said his department conducts mass shooting training every few years. Officers run through drills in a vacant school, practicing how to enter classrooms and declare them cleared once they are deemed safe.

They use paintball-style ammunition in their handguns for a realistic effect, Cleverdon said.

It simulates a real-life situation when we would be engaging a threat, he said. And if you get hit with one, it hurts.

Cleverdon said it is standard practice for Connecticut officers to immediately enter a building if an active shooter is firing at people.

The standing rule is: If there is an active shooter, or threat of an active shooter, officers should be entering the building upon their arrival, he said.

Even at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where a gunman fatally shot 20 first-graders and six educators in 2012, I think, tactically, the standard was still the same, Cleverdon said.

The first officer arrived at the Newtown school within four minutes of the first 911 call, and within one minute of the officers arrival, the shooter killed himself, according to the States Attorneys report.

However, some investigators questioned the response of the first officer who reportedly parked nearly a quarter-mile away to wait for other officers to arrive.

Retired Manchester Sgt. Howard Beeler was one of the first officers to enter Hartford Distributors the morning of the Connecticut mass shooting in 2010.

The suspect, Omar Thornton, looked out the front windows of the Manchester warehouse and took three steps back. Cops were arriving at the company where Thornton had just fatally shot eight co-workers.

Thornton locked himself in an office, where he called 911 and told a state trooper he wished he could have shot more people. After police carefully made their way into the sprawling building, Thornton took his own life.

Surveillance video captured Thornton in the lobby, apparently looking for more victims. He had shot eight people, starting with managers who had confronted him with video evidence that he had apparently stole beer.

He paused near the glass doors at the buildings entrance as the first police cars were pulling up, backed up and fired his way through an interior door that locked behind him. He locked himself in an office, called his mother and then dialed 911, saying, I wish I could have got more of the people, according to the transcript obtained by the Associated Press. He also said he wasnt going to kill anyone else.

Beeler and his team  the first to go into the building  were in the warehouse in another part of the sprawling complex when Thornton died by suicide. They didnt hear the gunshot, he said. The team had been going through the building checking open offices for the shooter and marking them as safe, with an X. Offices that were locked were marked with an L, according to police radio transmissions.

Although Beeler was the highest-ranking officer in the group, he depended heavily on the expertise of Officer Stephen Bresciano, a member of the regional SWAT team.

Bresciano, who died in 2020, told him, We need to go in right away, Beeler recalled. I said, OK. He was instrumental that day.

We did what we did because it was the right thing to do, he said. Im told that because of our quick response, we saved lives.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The former top leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and other members were charged with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory.

The latest indictment against Henry Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, and four others linked to the group comes as the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot prepares to begin public hearings this week to lay out its findings.

The indictment Monday alleges that the Proud Boys conspired to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power. Tarrio and the others  Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola  were previously charged with different conspiracy counts.

They are scheduled to stand trial in August in Washington, D.C.'s federal court.

The seditious conspiracy charges are among the most serious filed so far, but aren't the first of their kind. Eleven members or associates of the anti-government Oath Keepers militia group, including its founder and leader Stewart Rhodes, were indicted in January on seditious conspiracy charges in a serious escalation in the largest investigation in the Justice Departments history.

Three Oath Keepers have already pleaded guilty to the rarely used Civil War-era charge that calls for up to 20 years in prison. The indictment alleges that the Oath Keepers and their associates prepared in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6 as if they were going to war, discussing things like weapons and training.

Tarrio, the groups top leader, wasnt in Washington, D.C., when the riot erupted on Jan. 6, 2021, but authorities say he helped put into motion the violence that day.

Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. Tarrio was released from jail on Jan. 14 after serving his five-month sentence for that case.

An attorney for Tarrio said his client is going to have his day in court.

And we intend to vigorously represent him through that process, said Nayib Hassan.

Defense attorney Carmen Hernendez, who represents Rehl, said her client is as innocent of these charges as the ones that had already been pending against him.

Seditious conspiracy requires the use of force, and he never used any force nor thought about using any force, Hernandez said.

More than three dozen people charged in the Capitol siege have been identified by federal authorities as leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys, whose members describe it as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists.

They have brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.

The indictment alleges that the Proud Boys held meetings and communicated over encrypted messages to plan for the attack in the days leading up to Jan. 6. On the day of the riot, authorities say Proud Boys dismantled metal barricades set up to protect the Capitol and mobilized, directed and led members of the crowd into the building.

Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

Shortly before the riot, authorities say Tarrio posted on social media that the group planned to turn out in record numbers on Jan. 6, but would be incognito instead of donning their traditional clothing colors of black and yellow.

Around the same time, an unnamed person sent Tarrio a document that laid out plans for occupying a few crucial buildings in Washington on Jan. 6, including House and Senate office buildings around the Capitol, the indictment says. The nine-page document was entitled 1776 Returns and called for having as many people as possible to show our politicians We the People are in charge, according to the indictment.

Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and a member of the groups national Elders Council. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Pezzola is a Proud Boy member from Rochester, New York.

A New York man pleaded guilty in December to storming the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys members. Matthew Greene was the first Proud Boys member to publicly plead guilty to conspiring with other members to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote. Greene agreed to cooperate with authorities investigating the attack.

Another Proud Boy, Charles Donohoe, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy and assault charges and also agreed to cooperate in the Justice Departments cases against other members of the extremist group.

In December, a federal judge refused to dismiss an earlier indictment charging alleged leaders of the Proud Boys with conspiring to block the certification of Biden's electoral college win. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected defense attorneys arguments that the men were charged with conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.
SUMMERTON, S.C. (AP)  A drive-by shooting at a South Carolina high school graduation party killed a woman and wounded seven other people.

About 150 people were at a party near the town of Summerton when the shooting started at around 11 p.m. Saturday, Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley told news outlets.

He said the shooting may have been gang related, but didn't know if any of the victims had been specifically targeted.

Audrionna Kind, 32, of Summerton, died Sunday, Coroner Jacqueline Blackwell said.

The majority of the wounded were teenagers, ages 13, 14, 17 and two age 15. The other two victims were 12 and 36.
Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

NORWALK  For the second time in two days, emergency crews rescued people from a sinking boat in the Long Island Sound, officials said.

The Norwalk Police Department Marine Unit pulled three people from the water after a canoe sank off the shore of Calf Pasture Beach, according to a post on the departments Twitter account.
BRIDGEPORT  One person was killed and another was seriously hurt after a stabbing outside a club on Madison Avenue early Sunday.

Police have not released the name of either victim.

Police were called to the 900 block of Madison Avenue for a report of a stabbing around 1:55 a.m., Bridgeport police said.

At the scene, a 27-year-old city man was found outside the club with what police described as a deep laceration to his torso.

The 27-year-old victim was quickly transported to an area hospital where he is listed in critical condition, police said in a news release Monday.

Around the same time, authorities were notified of a second victim who had taken to the hospital in a private vehicle. The second victim, a 25-year-old man, also from Bridgeport, had life-threatening stab wounds to the torso, head and extremities, police said.

The 25-year-old man died from his injuries late Sunday night, according to police. Authorities said his next-of-kin have been notified.

Both assaults appear to be related and both appear to have taken place outside the establishment on Federal Street, police said.

Police said the crime scene along Federal Street and Madison Avenue was processed Sunday morning.

Anyone with information about this crime can call Homicide Detective Keith Hanson at 203-581-5243 or utilize the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS.
CT State Police / Contributed /

WATERBURY  A city man was charged Friday with damaging railroad tracks, which could have derailed a train, according to Connecticut State Police.

Detectives from the Western Districts Major Crime Squad were called May 23 to investigate recurring damage to Waterbury railroad tracks, which are owned by the state Department of Transportation. Police said a person was reported to have deliberately tampered with the tracks on numerous occasions.
Shootings on Saturday and Sunday left 10 people dead in Philadelphia; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Michigan; and South Carolina, continuing a spate of deadly gun attacks as Congress prepares to take up gun-control legislation.

On Saturday shortly before midnight, police officers on patrol in a popular nightlife area in Philadelphia heard gunfire and saw "several active shooters" firing into a crowd, Inspector D.F. Pace of the Philadelphia Police Department said at a news conference early Sunday.

Three fatalities have been confirmed, two related to gunshot wounds and one related to injuries suffered when a person was struck by a vehicle. Several victims remain in critical condition after what police described as a chaotic and harrowing situation, as hundreds of people were out on a pleasant summer night.

An officer fired several shots at one of the gunmen as he was shooting, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. The man dropped his weapon and fled when he was fired upon, the commissioner added.

About three hours later, at 2:42 a.m. Sunday, police in Chattanooga responded to reports of shots fired near a nightclub. They found 14 gunshot victims and three people who had been hit by vehicles that "were attempting to flee the scene," Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy said in a briefing Sunday.

Murphy said three people were killed, two who were shot and one who was struck by a vehicle. She said the investigation was ongoing. "Multiple shooters" were involved, she said, but police did not have anyone in custody.

In Philadelphia, police were on the hunt for the shooters, Pace said.

Two officers heard gunfire at 11:31 p.m., Outlaw said. When they arrived at the scene, they saw several people with gunshot wounds and began administering first aid.

Police believe there was some sort of physical altercation between two men who started shooting at each other. Both were hit and one was killed, Outlaw said. In all, five guns were fired, police said, not including the one discharged by the police officer on the scene.

Outlaw said the two other people who were killed and several of the wounded were "uninvolved in the initial altercation and were innocent bystanders."

Of the 14 people who were injured and brought to hospitals, three - two men, ages 22 and 34, and a woman, 27 - were pronounced dead on arrival, police told reporters. The 11 wounded ranged in age from 17 to 69, Outlaw said, and their conditions ranged from stable to critical.

"We're absolutely devastated, devastated by this incident," she said.

On Sunday evening, police released the identifications of two of the victims: Gregory Jackson, 34, and Alexis Quinn, 27. The third victim's identity was withheld pending notification of family members.

About 35 to 40 minutes before the shooting on South Street in Philadelphia, police responded to another report of shots fired nearby. No one was injured in that shooting, and police said it was unclear if the two shootings were related.

Police will look at video surveillance footage from the bustling area, Pace said.

"There were hundreds of individuals just enjoying South Street, as they do every single weekend, when this shooting broke out," he added. "This investigation is fluid."

Of the five weapons used in the shooting, two, both semiautomatic handguns, were recovered, police said. One of them had an extended magazine. "Multiple casings" of ammunition were strewn about the South Street area, Pace added.

Local news outlet 6ABC showed video of glass debris on the street and police tape cordoning off a busy shopping area.

The shootings come amid fresh outrage across the country from police chiefs and elected officials over gun violence. President Joe Biden has renewed a push for Congress to act on gun restrictions.

The Philadelphia shooting follows another one nearby early on Tuesday, according to a report from WPHL-TV. Surveillance video showed a woman firing multiple shots at the intersection of Fourth and South streets. One man was shot in the shoulder. He was treated at a hospital, police told the station. It was not clear whether the shootings were related.

In a statement Sunday morning, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, D, called the latest shooting "beyond devastating" and "yet another horrendous, brazen and despicable act of gun violence" that "has shaken many people in our community."

He also decried the rise in gun violence.

"We've spent these years grappling with this rising epidemic and doing everything in our power not only to stop it but to try to understand why the violence continues - it's senseless, needless and deeply troubling," Kenney said.

Chattanooga's nonpartisan mayor, Tim Kelly, also called for stronger gun laws during a news conference Sunday afternoon. "There are families whose lives have been shattered forever because once again, we have people deciding to resolve their issues with firearms," he said. "I'm tired of standing in front of you talking about guns and bodies. Chattanooga will not tolerate this in our community."

The Associated Press reported Sunday that an early-morning shooting in Michigan left three people dead. MLive.com reported that police responded to a report of multiple gunshots about 2:30 a.m. Sunday in Saginaw.

Two men were pronounced dead at the scene, and a woman died at a hospital. Two other men also were shot, according to a news release from the Saginaw Police Department. A message left with detectives Sunday afternoon seeking more information wasn't immediately returned, the AP reported.

In another mass shooting, police in South Carolina said eight people were shot, one fatally, at a Saturday night graduation party, the State newspaper in Columbia reported.

A 32-year-old woman was killed. The wounded were ages 12, 13, 14, 17 and 36, along with two 15-year-olds, Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley said.

At about 11 p.m., deputies responded to calls about a shooting at a graduation party in the St. Paul area, according to Baxley. The sheriff said at least one vehicle, but probably two, pulled up to the party, and shots were fired before the vehicles sped off, the State reported.

The shootings come as Congress is expected to take up gun-control legislation this week. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he was "more confident than ever" that Congress would act. "But I'm also more anxious about failure this time around."

He called the legislation "frankly a test of democracy. It's a test of the federal government as to whether we can deliver at a moment of just fierce anxiety amongst the American public. So we're closer than ever before. Let's see if we land it."

Quinton Lucas, the nonpartisan mayor of Kansas City, Mo., said that his city has filed lawsuits against gun manufacturers and "fortified" many of its schools, but that action from Congress is needed.

"More than anything, we need stronger and tougher laws that protect our children, protect our grocery stores, protect our police officers," Lucas said on CBS News's "Face the Nation."

"Red-flag laws permitting background checks are very clear solutions," he added. "And I think the United States Congress has an opportunity to act and make us all safer so we're not reading about a new mass shooting every few days, which has been the story of the past month in the United States."

- - -

The Washington Post's Amy B Wang contributed to this report.
LONDON (AP)  British health officials reported 77 more monkeypox cases on Monday, raising the total to more than 300 across the country. To date, the U.K. has the biggest identified outbreak of the disease beyond Africa, with the vast majority of infections in gay and bisexual men.

Health officials warn that anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, is potentially at risk of catching monkeypox if they are in close contact with a patient, their clothing or their bed sheets.

On Sunday, the World Health Organization said more than two dozen countries that havent previously identified monkeypox cases reported 780 cases, a more than 200% jump in cases since late May. No monkeypox deaths outside of Africa have yet been identified.

The U.N. health agency said most cases in Europe and elsewhere have been spotted in sexual health clinics and have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men.

So far this year, there have been more than 1,400 monkeypox cases and 63 deaths in four countries where the disease is endemic  Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo and Nigeria  according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genetic sequencing of the virus hasn't yet shown any direct link to the outbreak outside Africa.

WHO said the sudden and unexpected detection of monkeypox in numerous countries suggests that there might have been undetected transmission for some unknown duration of time followed by recent amplifier events." Last month, a leading adviser to WHO said the outbreak in Europe and beyond was likely spread by sex at two recent raves in Spain and Belgium.

WHO estimated the risk posed by monkeypox to global health was moderate, saying this was the first time that so many cases and clusters were reported across the world. Until last month, the disease had not been known to cause large epidemics beyond central and west Africa, where it has mostly affected people in rural areas who come into close contact with infected wild animals.

The ongoing outbreak of monkeypox in Europe and elsewhere, including Canada, Australia, Israel and the U.S., marks the first time the disease has been known to spread among people who have no previous travel links to Africa.

U.S. health officials said genetic analysis of recent monkeypox cases suggests there are two distinct strains in the country, raising the possibility that the virus has been circulating undetected for some time. Many of the U.S. cases were caused by the same strain as recent cases in Europe, but a few samples show a different strain, federal health officials said.

Britain's Health Security Agency said last week most cases have been in gay or bisexual men ranging in age from 20 to 49 and that investigations to date have identified links to gay bars, saunas, and the use of dating apps in the U.K. and abroad.

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

Last week, WHO's top expert on monkeypox, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, said she doubted the disease would trigger a pandemic, but said actions should be taken quickly to curb its spread so it doesn't become entrenched in new areas.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the number of new cases is 77, not 73.
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The U.S. and South Korean militaries launched eight ballistic missiles into the sea Monday in a show of force matching a North Korean missile display a day earlier that extended a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations.

The allies live-fire exercise involved eight Army Tactical Missile System missiles  one American and seven South Korean  that were fired into South Koreas eastern waters across 10 minutes following notifications for air and maritime safety, according to South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Forces Korea.

The tit-for-tat missile launches were aimed at demonstrating the ability to respond swiftly and accurately to North Korean attacks, the South Korean military said.

The Souths military on Sunday detected North Korea firing eight short-range missiles over 35 minutes from at least four different locations, including from western and eastern coastal areas and two inland areas north of and near the capital, Pyongyang, in what appeared to be a single-day record for the countrys ballistic launches.

It was North Koreas 18th round of missile tests in 2022 alone  a streak that included the countrys first launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles in nearly five years. South Korean and U.S. officials also say North Korea is preparing to conduct its first nuclear test since September 2017 as leader Kim Jong Un pushes a brinkmanship aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

U.S. and South Korean forces conducted a similar live-fire exercise following North Koreas previous ballistic launches on May 25, which South Koreas military said involved an ICBM flown on medium-range trajectory and two short-range weapons. Those tests came as Biden wrapped up his trip to South Korea and Japan, where he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend both allies.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a speech marking the countrys Memorial Day on Monday said his government would pursue fundamental and practical security capabilities to counter North Koreas growing nuclear weapons and missile threat.

North Koreas nuclear weapons and missile programs have grown to a point where they are not only a threat to the Korean Peninsula, but to Northeast Asia and world peace, Yoon said at the National Cemetery in Seoul, saying his government would sternly respond to any kind of North Korean provocation.

Yoon, a conservative who took office in May, has vowed to strengthen the Souths defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States. His goals include enhancing missile strike and interception capabilities and resuming large-scale military exercises with the United States, which were suspended or downsized in recent years to create space for diplomacy with Pyongyang or because of COVID-19.

Yoons dovish predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who had staked his five-year term on inter-Korean engagement, refrained from missile counter-drills after North Korea resumed ballistic missile tests in 2019 as its diplomacy with the United States fizzled.

North Korean state media have yet to comment on Sundays launches. They came after the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan concluded a three-day naval drill with South Korea in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, apparently their first joint drill involving a carrier since November 2017, as the countries move to upgrade their defense exercises in the face of North Korean threats.

North Korea has long condemned the allies combined military exercises as invasion rehearsals and often countered with its own missile drills, including short-range launches in 2016 and 2017 that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean ports and U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Hours after the North Korean launches, Japan and the United States conducted a joint ballistic missile exercise aimed at showing their rapid response capability and strong determination to counter threats, Japans Defense Ministry said.

The United States has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, but the prospects for meaningful new punitive measures are dim with the U.N. Security Councils permanent members divided.

Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over its latest ballistic tests on May 25, insisting that Washington should instead focus on reviving negotiations with Pyongyang.

Addressing the brewing animosity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called for related nations to "maintain calm and exercise restraint, and avoid any actions that may aggravate tensions.

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions for the Norths disarmament steps.

Despite facing harsh challenges at home, including a decaying economy and a COVID-19 outbreak, Kim has shown no willingness to fully surrender an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offers for open-ended talks and is clearly intent on converting the dormant denuclearization negotiations into a mutual arms-reduction process, experts say.

___

AP video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to the report.
Amid a crowded field of hopefuls to be the next Tory leader, business minister Penny Mordaunt is one of the favourites. A Brexiteer who backed arch-Remainer Jeremy Hunt in the last leadership contest, Mordaunt is best known for appearing on a reality show called Splash! in her swimsuit in 2014, alongside B-list celebrities such as Gemma Collins from The Only Way Is Essex. She was roundly ridiculed for it.

The previous year, Mordaunt delivered an innuendo-laden Commons speech on animal welfare. It emerged she had done so after losing a bet during her training as a Naval Reservist. The Labour MP Kate Hoey said Mordaunt had trivialised Parliament.

Mordaunts ambition was on show when last month she became the first minister to attack Boris over the Sue Gray report. She said: Rule-breaking and abuse of security staff exposed by a report into the Partygate scandal is shameful.

She regretted not running last time, but is now fourth favourite with the bookmakers. It is an astonishing turn of events.

Not least because last year, Mordaunt appalled Tory MPs when she tried to enshrine in legislation the expression pregnant people rather than pregnant women as she introduced the Maternity Bill into the Commons. Only after a lengthy debate in the House of Lords was the legislation amended to replace pregnant people with expectant mothers.

Penny Mordaunt, pictured, has become the first minister to attack Boris over the Sue Gray report

As one senior Tory source asked: How on earth can a person with these views be seen as a favourite to take over the Party?

The situation speaks volumes about the lack of talent among potential replacements  and yet there could be as many as 12 candidates in the first round of a leadership contest.

These malcontents are playing into Labours hands. At a Platinum Jubilee reception at Lancaster House on Saturday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was asked whether it wasnt time to move on from Partygate. He replied: There is nothing the Labour Party have to do, we can just stand back now. The Conservative Party is about to destroy itself.

In the last week Boris has hit the telephone to MPs and will see many more of them face to face over the next 48 hours. David Canzini, the new deputy chief of staff and an ally of Australian election strategist Sir Lynton Crosby, is running Operation Big Dog to try to bolster support.

Tough action is needed. In January Tom Tugendhat became the first to declare his intention to run for the leadership if Boris is deposed. The Kent MP said: Serving as Prime Minister would be a privilege. The likes of Tobias Ellwood, sacked as a junior minister by Boris, tour TV studios to attack the PM at every opportunity. Remainer Ellwood showed his true colours last week when he called for Britain to rejoin the EU single market.

There was a sharp attack on Boris last week from former business secretary Andrea Leadsom who criticised his failure of leadership over partygate. Leadsom, who has run twice for the leadership, has told colleagues shell run again  even though she secured 11 votes last time.

One Tory loyalist said: People like Leadsom know they havent a prayer, but they hope if they get a decent vote they might be given a ministerial job. At the weekend it was reported that Jeremy Hunt, the bookmakers favourite, asked one of Boriss closest friends to tell the PM: The time is not right for a change of leader. Hunts supporters clearly didnt get the memo. They have been fanning across the Commons for weeks extolling his virtues. They dont dwell on his time as health secretary, which will be ruthlessly targeted by Labour if he becomes PM.

Tom Tugendhat in January declared his intention to run for the leadership if Boris is deposed

In the Cabinet Boris loyalists such as Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove are trying to steady support for Boris. Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, makes the right noises in public. But in private shes been holding dinners with backbench MPs projecting herself as a tax cutting Thatcherite.

Will Chancellor Rishi Sunak run after his poll ratings collapsed following his response to the cost of living crisis and the revelation his wife Akshata was a non-dom for tax purposes? The betting is he will.

Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, will run if there is a vacancy. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has told friends he will not. His denials are not convincing.

The atmosphere at Westminster is worryingly febrile. A leadership contest with 12 candidates could take five to six weeks. Voters may not forgive such a divided and self-indulgent party.
There he goes again. Over the weekend Emmanuel Macron once more declared how unwise it would be to 'humiliate Russia', and that he was convinced France could be a 'mediating power' over the war in Ukraine 'so we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means'.

It did not take long for the Ukrainian government to respond, tersely. Its Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, tweeted: 'Calls to avoid humiliation of Russia can only humiliate France.'

Indeed, the French President was immediately humiliated for his pains . . . on Russian state TV. Rossiya 1's presenter Vladimir Solovyov told his viewers: 'Let's not delude ourselves about Macron's statements. He has no influence on anything, no influence whatever.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron in Moscow in February

What may even more infuriate Macron, given his apparent contempt for Boris Johnson, is that another presenter on the same show a few weeks ago exclaimed: 'Today the British really are the masters of Ukraine. Right there in their pocket they've got [President] Zelensky. It's bitter for me to recognise it.'

We are not, of course. But Boris Johnson's early and forceful warnings about Russia's plans  and our 'lethal aid' that accompanied this  changed the terms of diplomatic and military trade in a way that has more powerfully affected events than the entire sum of the French President's futile phone calls with Vladimir Putin.

Humiliation

We, alongside the Americans (and based on publication of our own intelligence reports), warned Ukraine that Russian invasion was imminent. This was rubbished by Germany and France: that was an early humiliation for Macron, who as a result sacked his intelligence chief.

The British Army had for the past seven years been training the Ukrainian military  this was Operation Orbital. And a month before the invasion, the UK supplied thousands of our NLAW anti-tank weapons, which were essential to the ability of the Ukrainians to repel the gigantic Russian tank convoy from the outskirts of Kyiv. No wonder the Ukrainians would often shout 'God Save the Queen' before firing them.

And it was also before the invasion that the PM, at the Munich Security Conference, went further than any other of the Western leaders, even including President Biden, in declaring that, if Putin did what we feared in Ukraine, Russia 'must fail and be seen to fail'.

According to Macron  and indeed the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz  one should never say such a thing (even now, after the most horrifying evidence of war crimes and the murder of civilians on a grotesque scale), as it would 'humiliate Russia'.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on April 9

There are several things infuriating about this  quite apart from the moral squalor of speaking in such a way after what we have seen of the Russian army's depravity in Bucha.

First, Macron never explains what he thinks it is that would 'humiliate' Russia, and which should be avoided at all costs. Leaving the sovereign independent country it has invaded, without annexing further territory? How would that count as a failure for what is called the 'law-based international order', of which France and Germany are supposed to be leading and principled advocates?

Second, this is based on a complete incomprehension of the way Putin handles political and media life in Russia  and through them, the population. Few have explained this better than Timothy Snyder, a leading historian of the region, notably in his book Bloodlands.

Professor Snyder observed last week: 'Russian politics takes place within a closed information environment which Putin himself created and which Putin himself runs. He does not need our help in the real world to craft reassuring fiction for Russians.

'What matters is not Putin's feelings nor battlefield realities but the ability of the Putin regime to change the story for Russian media consumers. What happens if Putin decides he is losing in Ukraine? He will act to protect himself by declaring victory and changing the subject. He does not need an off-ramp in the real world.'

One can see this in the way that the Russian state media had been frenetically parroting the Kremlin line that there was no plan to invade Ukraine, that this was all lies by the CIA and British intelligence. But when it duly happened, the same broadcasters and newspapers effortlessly promoted the new 'truth': that this was not a war at all, just a 'special operation'.

Malice

There is a third and most fundamental point, rooted in history, long predating Putin's reign and influence: there is nothing we can do to stop Russia feeling 'humiliated', vis-a-vis the West, as that is its presiding state of mind.

This can be seen with characteristic intensity in the words of one of the country's greatest writers from the 19th century: Fyodor Dostoevsky. The author of Crime And Punishment had spent years in a Siberian prison camp as a critic of the Tsarist system, and had enjoyed support and freedom in Europe. Even so, he wrote in his Diary Of A Writer: 'Everyone in Europe has long been secretly nursing malice against us.' He went on: 'In Europe we were hangers-on and slaves, while in Asia we shall be the masters.'

Alas for that dream, it is China now placed to achieve that ambition, a country with which Putin has formed an alliance out of weakness, not strength.

The Russian sense of being humiliated by the West, in other words, was deeply instilled long before the collapse of the Soviet system, for which the U.S. was blamed, even though the economic failures which caused its demise were entirely Russia's own doing.

Russia is the world's largest country, with unmatched natural resources and a cultural inheritance second to none. Yet its economy is no larger than Italy's, and smaller than the British: Russians look at our 'little archipelago' (as they call it) and puzzle how we can be so much better off than they are. It must somehow be the fault of 'sabotage by British and American intelligence', rather than that they did all this harm to themselves, without any assistance from outside.

Superiority

Someone who understands this from a unique personal perspective is Nina Khrushcheva, the great-granddaughter of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (who in 1956 sensationally denounced Stalin's cult of personality in a secret session of the Communist party congress). Khrushcheva was born in Moscow, but is now based in New York as a professor of international affairs.

In an interview last month with the New Yorker magazine, she observed: 'When Putin became President, early on, I said: he is horrible for Russia, and he's perfect for Russia. He's perfect for Russia in a sense that he channels the Russian inferiority complex with regard to the West, but he also channels a superiority complex because at the same time Russia is a giant piece of land.' And, as has now become clear, Ukraine is deemed by Putin, as well as many millions of Russians, to be rightfully 'his' land.

The point is, there is nothing tolerable or reasonable that we could offer, or do, in respect of Ukraine, which would remove Putin's sense of not being respected

A characteristic of such an inferiority complex is that the sufferer  if one can call it that  is desperate for respect. Yet as Khrushchev's great-granddaughter explained to American readers, 'in the Russian language there is a saying that 'somebody's afraid of me; that means he respects me'. In this sense Putin is typical, though obviously it took a long road, 22 years, to get to where we are today. I didn't know it would end this badly.'

The point is, there is nothing tolerable or reasonable that we could offer, or do, in respect of Ukraine, which would remove Putin's sense of not being respected, of being humiliated. And leave aside the fact that Putin's own word cannot be trusted, not only would an offer of this sort fail to increase such scant respect as Moscow has for us, it would probably be seen as part of some American plot.

The truth is that the British line  of giving the military aid sought by Kyiv, and leaving it to Putin to decide what's in his own best interests  is the least likely to lead to the West's own humiliation.
Another political milestone was passed last month when Nicola Sturgeon became the longest-serving First Minister.

Elected for the first time in November 2014, she was also the first woman First Minister. But is she becoming drunk on power?

I ask only because she is refusing to publish the findings of an inquiry into bullying allegations about one of her ministers  even though it was she who set up the inquiry.

Two years ago, Fergus Ewing, the former rural economy secretary and a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, was accused of bullying three officials  a charge he vehemently denies.

Sturgeon's inquiry into his conduct has concluded but, citing data protection issues, her government has not released the findings.

This is the same Sturgeon whose SNP, in 2020, demanded the publication of a report into the allegations Home Secretary Priti Patel had bullied her staff. The Scottish government said it would be 'a step towards clamping down on a wider pattern' of behaviour.

One rule for the SNP etc

Nicola Sturgeon became the longest-serving First Minister as well as the first woman First Minister

Gyles's Jubilee ode

Royal biographer Gyles Brandreth (right), who sported a splendid corgi jumper at yesterday's Big Jubilee Lunch at The Oval in London, writes a Jubilee ode:

'The Queen I'm told was heard to say/Why are my subjects now at play?/If they believe my reign is up/They need less wine & beer to sup./I haven't held this throne for naught/My plan's to stay, just hold that thought./U think it's time for Chas & Cam?/They're not in charge just yet  I am!'

Little noticed in the Honours list was the Damehood for the Tory MP Maria Miller (pictured). This is the Mrs Miller who resigned from the Cabinet in 2014 and apologised to Parliament after being ordered to repay 5,800 in over-claimed parliamentary expenses for her mortgage. The independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards had recommended she repay 45,000. But the lower sum was approved by a committee of MPs, which sparked a huge backlash from the public.

A Damehood was awarded to Tory MP Maria Miller who resigned from the Cabinet in 2014 and apologised to Parliament after being ordered to repay 5,800 in over-claimed parliamentary expenses for her mortgage

Given that Sir Keir Starmer said it was our 'patriotic duty' to celebrate the Jubilee, it's worth remembering what he said in 2005: 'I got made a Queen's Counsel, which is odd since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy.'

Lord Barwell, who was chief of staff to Theresa May, says Boris Johnson supporters never showed loyalty to May when she was fighting to keep her job. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries highlights a crucial difference: 'In 2017 Theresa almost lost us our majority. Huge mistake that she carried on and didn't stand down with dignity at the time. In 2019, Boris won us an 83-seat majority.'

Mad to chop boris, says sir bernard

The 'greased piglet' PM may think his bacon has been saved, but he is still heading for the chop, says Sir Bernard Ingham, who was Mrs Thatcher's press secretary.

'I have no doubt they will get him in the end. After all, they eventually got Margaret Thatcher who was a model of propriety and application compared with Boris Johnson.' But he says that, given the PM's achievements in routing Jeremy Corbyn, on Brexit and by showing world leadership over Ukraine, the Tories would forfeit any respect for political acumen if they dispensed with Boris 'while pure evil resides in the Kremlin'.

He adds: 'It is not as though there is a PM-in-waiting in either the Tory or Labour parties.'
The sense of disappointment within Londons grand Guildhall was palpable.

One of the rooms hosting dignitaries and other invited guests had been left without a member of the Royal Family present to mingle and chat as promised.

The mood turned frosty when the upset attendees, who had expected to be hosted by a minor royal as they were served English sparkling wine and a buffet of traditional dishes like coronation chicken and smoked duck, were told by organisers it was because the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had turned down an invitation to attend.

But it wasnt just the public who were stunned at Harry and Meghans notable snub following an awkward appearance at St Pauls Cathedral for the Service of Thanksgiving.

That carefully choreographed event had been derailed by the boos received by Harry and Meghan from onlookers as they entered and then departed the church where Princess Diana famously married Prince Charles  the worst nightmare for courtiers who have long feared normally polite monarchists might vocally turn on the couple after their unrelenting attacks on the institution since Megxit.

Ive learned some members of the Royal Family and many senior courtiers were horrified at the detached and cold appearance by the exiled couple, who had also made the decision to fly out of the country before the Queen had even made her historic Buckingham Palace balcony appearance, alongside Charles, Camilla and the Cambridges, on Sunday evening.

Harry and Meghan pictured at the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday

Prince Charles, the Queen, Prince George, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Kate and Prince Louis on the balcony during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday

Prince Harry looks out the window after arriving back in the US prior to the end of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Any hopes the glorious Platinum Jubilee would provide an opportunity for public healing were dashed.

In fact, the weekends events show the gulf between Harry and Meghan and the Royal Family remains bigger than ever.

There was not one public sign of rapprochement.

And while Harry and Meghan cannot be accused of attempting to steal the limelight  even though Meghan did tellingly seem to wind down her car window in the presence of photographers  the couples actions appeared designed to make it clear to the world that they continue to disapprove of, not only their blood relatives, but the institution they represent.

Meanwhile, the lack of trust between the warring camps is now off the scale.

It might sound like a ridiculous concept, but sources close to senior royals have warned them to consider that Harry and Meghan could secretly record their conversations.

I must be clear that there is no suggestion the couple would ever do that, but even the concern they would is illustrative of just how toxic relationships have become.

There is also an ongoing fear the couple will continue to leak intimate family moments to favoured American TV broadcasters.

Im told Prince Charles and Prince William have made it known that they simply will no longer countenance even the smallest detail of their complex family relationships being used as fodder for US stars, after revelations by both Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King on US network CBS about private conversations between the senior royals caused fury.

Somewhat astonishingly, Harry and Meghan are now considered bigger pariahs than Prince Andrew internally within the royal institution, even though all three were banished by the Queen from the post-Trooping the Colour Buckingham Palace balcony appearance.

A royal source explains: Prince Andrew is less of a pariah than Harry and Meghan as far as the family are concerned. The public might be surprised, but within the family it is seen as if he didnt do anything wrong. They have to believe that.

As it turned out, a conveniently timed case of Covid-19 avoided the PR disaster of Andrew appearing at the Service of Thanksgiving, a prospect that had horrified courtiers.

And despite the sense of dread over the presence of Harry and Meghan, coupled with ongoing fears about the Queens health, the Platinum Jubilee is already considered an overwhelming success.

It wasnt just the public who were stunned at Harry and Meghans notable snub following an awkward appearance at St Pauls Cathedral for the Service of Thanksgiving.

The Queen rightly remained at the heart of proceedings, putting her health on the line to appear three times on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Courtiers are also particularly delighted with the impromptu humanising moment yesterday afternoon where Prince Charles took a boisterous Prince Louis on his knee, to give his mum Kate a reprieve so she could take in the Pageant  an image that doesn't march with Harry's portrayal of his dad as cold.

But crucially Prince Charless vision of the future of the monarchy was presented, with Camilla and the Cambridges taking centre stage.

Yesterdays balcony appearance where the Queen appeared alongside Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, George, Charlotte and Louis will be seen as the enduring historic image from all the weekends festivities.

Of course, in Charless original blueprint Prince Harry and Meghan, probably with their children, would have appeared on the balcony, too.

That wasnt to be and the monarchy has weathered the past two and a half years of acrimony and potentially even come out stronger, in the UK at least, where the attacks on the Royal Family by the Sussexes have been seen as deeply disloyal.

But the irony is that, just as the Royal Family has moved on, it seems like the Harry and Meghan could want more involvement in the future.

For commercial reasons at least, Hollywood bosses believe the Sussexes need to keep a closer proximity to their British relatives in the months and years to come to keep their brand relevant.

Speaking to a number of senior US media executives, the crude reality is that the likes of Netflix and Spotify like their big money signing to be connected to the institution they have been so desperate from which to distance themselves.

Courtiers are now watching closely to see if Harry and Meghan release any pictures of their weekend in the UK, especially their meeting with the Queen, in the coming weeks or months.

But with the Platinum Jubilee over, the future of the royal relationships now hinges on Harrys seemingly delayed autobiography, which remains without a publication date despite being due for release this year.

Harry and Meghan pictured leaving St Paul's Cathedral following the Thanksgiving service on Sunday

If, as expected, the Duke of Sussex attacks his father, stepmother and brother in the book, courtiers believe it will be almost impossible for relations to recover in the future.

All of which would provide our enduring Queen, who has vowed to continue her incomparable service, even more unnecessary stress in her twilight years.

If Harry and Meghan respect the Queen as much as they often insist, for once they should put her feelings before their desire to settle scores.

But what this wonderful weekend celebrating Her Majesty showed me is that sniping from the sideline by the Duke and Duchess of Woke is becoming increasingly irrelevant  and that is a very good thing.
Jeremy Hunt had been preparing for last night's vote for more than a year  convinced that he can avenge his defeat by Boris Johnson in the 2019 leadership contest.

Mr Hunt claimed yesterday that the confidence motion 'was not a debate I wanted to have now', before plunging the knife into the Prime Minister by saying that the party was 'not offering the integrity, competence and vision necessary to unleash the enormous potential of our country'.

Given the scale and duration of Mr Hunt's shadow leadership operation, his remarks struck many Tory MPs as duplicitous in the extreme.

Mr Hunt has refused to relinquish his ambitions since losing to Mr Johnson by nearly two votes to one in 2019, assiduously courting Boris-sceptics in the party and placing two of his former government special advisers on his payroll as far back as March 2021.

Jeremy Hunt had been preparing for last night's vote for more than a year  convinced that he can avenge his defeat by Boris Johnson in the 2019 leadership contest

Mr Hunt has refused to relinquish his ambitions since losing to Mr Johnson by nearly two votes to one in 2019, assiduously courting Boris-sceptics in the party and placing two of his former government special advisers on his payroll as far back as March 2021. Pictured: Jeremy Hunt congratulates Boris Johnson as he was announced as the new Conservative party leader on July 23, 2019

Rebels such as former Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell and Ludlow MP Philip Dunne  who was last month pictured deep in conversation with anti-Boris Tory MPs at a Chelsea pub  have been talking up Mr Hunt as 'a serious player for serious times', a description mocked by the Prime Minister's allies. 'Theresa May in trousers  without the charisma' was the verdict of one, while another warned that Hunt's 'impenetrable blandness' would lead to electoral disaster.

The May jibe highlighted the yawning political gulf between the buccaneering Brexiteerism of the Johnsonites, and the technocratic pro-Remain approach of Mr Hunt and his managerial tribe.

Mr Hunt's team stepped up their operations earlier this year when Rishi Sunak's leadership hopes appeared to have crashed in the wake of revelations about his wife's tax status. Mr Hunt's team love-bombed the Chancellor's supporters in the One Nation group of Tory MPs.

In the immediate aftermath of the last leadership contest, Mr Hunt admitted that his Remain vote was 'a hurdle we couldn't overcome'. But he has convinced himself that his views on Brexit are no longer as politically toxic as they were.

His team have focused their canvassing in particular on the 107 new Tory MPs elected in 2019  many of whom won their seats on a wave of pro-Brexit sentiment in the Red Wall seats in the Midlands and North  offering them 'a chat with Jeremy' to discuss the 'new priorities' in the party.

One eurosceptic Tory MP told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Hunt was 'going round seeing everyone to test the waters. He says he is pro-Brexit now, that he is not going to reverse it. He's a nice bloke, but I don't know what the question is if 'Jeremy Hunt' is the answer.' Former Tory peer Lord (Andrew) Cooper commented that Mr Hunt's apparent conversion to Brexit made him an 'unprincipled windsock'.

Senior Boris allies have poured scorn on the notion that the party's centrist bloc could produce a Hunt premiership. They warn that if Mr Hunt were to run for the top job again, MPs on the right of the party would simply unite around an ABH  Anyone But Hunt  candidate such as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

One Boris loyalist said: 'That One Nation wing of the party never produces a Prime Minister, they don't have the numbers. We would just find a candidate who can beat him'. Another highlighted the failures of Hunt's 2019 campaign, saying that 'the more people saw of him'  meaning first MPs, then the party members who decide the victor  'the less they wanted him'.

Boris Johnson loyalists accused supporters of Jeremy Hunt of hosting a dinner in west London to plot against the PM

Mr Hunt, who is head of the Commons health select committee, is expected to offer inducements to the Remain-dominated roster of other committee chairmen to bolster his bid if a leadership contest goes ahead.These are likely to include Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the Commons defence committee who last week provoked incredulity by calling for the UK to rejoin the single market.

Tom Tugendhat, the pro-Remain chairman of the foreign affairs committee, is, according to colleagues, 'running to place'  in other words, using the contest in order to win a Cabinet job under Hunt  while Huw Merriman, the anti-Brexit chairman of the transport committee, is also hopeful of a prominent position.

Other potential members of a Hunt Cabinet include Mrs May's former first secretary of state, Damian Green, and, as a token Brexiteer, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, who was decidedly cagey about her own leadership ambitions throughout yesterday's drama. Some even predict that Mrs May herself could return in a senior role such as Chancellor.

Theresa May arrives for the Lord Mayor's reception for the National Service of Thanksgiving at The Guildhall on June 3

Rebels such as former Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell (pictured today) and Ludlow MP Philip Dunne have been talking up Mr Hunt as 'a serious player for serious times'

Lurking in the background of Team Hunt is the spectral figure of George Osborne, suspected by Boris allies of being the secret Godfather of the Hunt campaign. The former chancellor flatly denies this, claiming to be too busy with his new investment banking job to be interested in a change of Prime Minister.

But Queen of the Huntites is undoubtedly Mrs May, who has been quietly seething about Mr Johnson since he succeeded her as Prime Minister in 2019 after helping to foment the Commons rebellions over her withdrawal deal with the EU. While she has made increasingly outspoken criticisms over issues such as Brexit, Covid restrictions and Partygate, her loyalist MPs have toured the Commons to lobby for a change of leadership.

After months of scheming, 'Theresa in Trousers' is hoping to exact revenge on her behalf.

Hunt 'is a pound-shop Machiavelli'

BY JOHN STEVENS, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Jeremy Hunt was branded a 'pound-shop Machiavelli' last night after he wielded the knife against Boris Johnson.

The Prime Minister's allies accused his former leadership rival of 'duplicity' and seeking to destabilise the country to serve his own ambitions for the top job.

Nadine Dorries publicly savaged Mr Hunt, who was the longest-serving health secretary in history, for his record in office and his political manoeuvring.

'Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate,' the Culture Secretary wrote in a blistering thread of messages on Twitter. 'Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so.'

Jeremy Hunt was branded a 'pound-shop Machiavelli' last night after he wielded the knife against Boris Johnson

Jeremy, a know-it-all who always gets it all wrong... On Social Care... Jeremy Hunt spent almost six years in charge of the Department of Health, and even got the job title changed to Health and Social Care Secretary. Yet last month he admitted that one of his regrets was that during his record-breaking tenure he 'failed' at fixing social care. Asked what he would do differently now, he told LBC: 'It's a long list.' He said that he 'wish[ed]' he had secured a long-term 'plan to transform the social care system'. On Pandemic Planning... Mr Hunt has admitted he was partly to blame for the Government's failure to adequately plan for a pandemic. He said last October: 'There was a groupthink that the way you tackle a pandemic should be similar to a flu pandemic, I was part of that groupthink too when I was health secretary. 'In fact, you know, during that period, an American university said we were the second-best-prepared country in the world. We know that clearly wasn't the case.' On Shortage Of Doctors... In his first speech after the 2015 general election, Mr Hunt pledged to recruit 5,000 GPs by 2020. 'When I left office three years later, we'd only got an extra 300. And in fact, since then, we've gone backwards, you know, 1,500 fewer GPs,' he told an event in April this year. 'I hold myself completely responsible for the failure to deliver that... I did try very hard to address some of the big issues in general practice, and I wasn't anything like as successful as I wanted to be.' On Brexit... HE backed the Remain campaign ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum. In a stark warning to voters, he argued that economic forecasts showed leaving the EU 'could cost the UK more than 5 per cent of the size of our economy'. In July 2019, he blamed his pro-EU stance for his crushing defeat to Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership contest. He described his support for the Remain campaign as 'a hurdle we were never able to overcome'. Advertisement

Mr Hunt had broken cover to call for Mr Johnson to be removed yesterday  just three weeks after he had warned now was not the right time for a leadership contest. In an interview on May 15, the former foreign secretary had argued: 'The only person who would rejoice if we had a hiatus of several months in the leadership in Britain would be Vladimir Putin.'

Yet yesterday morning saw him warning that the Tories would be defeated at the next election unless the party removed Mr Johnson. '[The] decision is change or lose,' he tweeted. 'I will be voting for change.'

Mr Hunt stood against the Prime Minister in the 2019 contest, but was trounced by Mr Johnson who received almost double the number of votes from party members.

Mrs Dorries, a former health minister, said in her attack that Mr Hunt had told her he expected the Government to collapse on the back of Brexit 'and you [Mr Hunt] would swoop in'. She added: 'If you had been leader you'd have handed the keys of No 10 to [Jeremy] Corbyn.

'You've been wrong about almost everything, you are wrong again now.'

She said that Mr Hunt, whose wife is Chinese, had recommended following Beijing's example in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, with cases 'removed from their homes and placed into isolation hotels for two weeks'.

Later, in an interview with Sky News, Mrs Dorries accused Mr Hunt of failing to disguise his motivations. She added: 'You can't say repeatedly that you're not going to challenge the Prime Minister when there's a war in Ukraine, and on the day Russia fires rockets into Kyiv decide that it is time for change of leader  I'm afraid that's just not acceptable.'

Allies of Mr Johnson last night echoed her sentiments. One Cabinet source warned of Mr Hunt, who campaigned for Remain ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum: 'We would still be in the EU if Jeremy had been PM.'

In the 2019 leadership contest, Mr Johnson won 66 per cent support from Conservative members, ahead of Mr Hunt on 34 per cent.

Tories last night dismissed his chances of winning a second time round. Mark Jenkinson, MP for Workington, said: 'The membership have spoken on Jeremy Hunt. And they'll do it again.'

A Cabinet source added: 'You only get one shot  and he missed.' Michael Fabricant, the MP for Lichfield, said it was an 'understatement' to describe Mr Hunt's intervention yesterday as 'the least subtle leadership bid of modern times'.

Chris Clarkson, MP for Heywood and Middleton, added: 'The whole thing has had an air of 'pound-shop Machiavelli' about it from the get-go.'

In his series of posts on Twitter, Mr Hunt had written: 'The Conservative Party must now decide if it wishes to change its leader.

'Because of the situation in Ukraine this was not a debate I wanted to have now, but under our rules we must do that. Having been trusted with power, Conservative MPs know in our hearts we are not giving the British people the leadership they deserve. We are not offering the integrity, competence and vision necessary to unleash the enormous potential of our country.

'And because we are no longer trusted by the electorate we are set to lose the next general election.' Mr Hunt added: 'Today's decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.'

He had argued against a change in leader on the BBC's Sunday Morning programme on May 15. 'I don't think now is the right moment,' he said.

'Britain has been the most robust member of the Western alliance in the face of the first major war in Europe in our lifetimes and the only person who would rejoice if we had a hiatus of several months in the leadership in Britain would be Vladimir Putin.'
Many people dream about their weddings from childhood, excited for the glamour and marrying the person of their dreams.

But planning a ceremony can be stressful and often pushes people to their limits as they try and finetune the details, including finding the perfect dress.

And now people from around the world have taken to anonymous sharing app Whisper to reveal the scandalous reasons why things went very wrong and they cancelled their nuptials.

One person said their marriage was cancelled because their fiance wanted a stag party... and she told him no and called off the wedding.

Another shared that she was in love with someone else so simply could not say 'I do.'

Here, FEMAIL shares some of the wildest confessions....

Bit harsh! Bridezillas from around the world have taken to anonymous sharing app Whisper to reveal the outrageous reasons why they cancelled their nuptials. This jealous American bride-to-be called off the whole wedding after discovering that her fiance wanted a bachelor party

Oh no! Another woman, from an unknown location, revealed how simply telling her partner she had 'cold feet' while in bed lead him to admit he was having doubts about their marriage

Sad truth: This bride-to-be from Pennsylvania, decided not to marry her fiance because she had realised how unhappy their relationship actually was

Dark secrets! Another user from California, confessed that they decided not to say 'I do' because they did not trust their fiance and thought they would cheat

Drastic: A bride, from California, took the huge decision of calling off their nuptials because they could not have children

Karma? A different person opted not to marry their fiance because she fell in love with someone else. But after her huge life decision, they unfortunately stayed with their girlfriend

Not her true love! This bride-to-be called off her big day after realising she had feelings for someone else

Marrying their family! A separate Whisper commenter confessed that they chose to end things with their fiance because they disliked the in-law drama

One bride said she left her partner because he was 'verbally, emotionally and physically abusive' - revealing she hasn't looked back since

Money worries! Another woman revealed she cancelled her wedding because she had concerns about the way her partner handled their finances

Another person, from Hualapai, was bold enough to admit they were calling off their wedding because they didn't fancy their partner

Another woman, from Virginia, confessed she decided to cancel her wedding because their friend did not like their fiance - but said the two aren't even close anymore

Accepting herself! Another bride revealed she called off her wedding because she realised she was tired of 'lying to herself about her sexual orientation'
The Celestine Prophecy

By James Redfield

Grand Central Publishing

PB, 288 pgs. US$22

ISBN: 1-5387-3026-X Old Socialism for the New Age By Thomas M. Sipos

web posted June 6, 2022 Some bestsellers are valuable despite being ridiculously stupid because they offer psychological insight into the book's fan base. Older progressive women made The Celestine Prophecy a runaway bestseller in the 1990s. Along with its sequels, it continues to sell to this day. If you ever wanted to understand the mindset of Hillary Clinton's supporters, this is a good place to start. I first learned of James Redfield's New Age novel in 1994 when a producer recommended it to me. I next heard it praised by a casting agent on her voice mail recording. The Hollywood Reporter reported that former That's Incredible TV hostess Cathy Lee Crosby was trying to option the film rights. (It was released as a movie in 2006, though not by Crosby.) When I finally got around to reading it on the New York City set of The Money Train (I did a lot of extra work in the 1990s), six different women -- count 'em, six! -- approached me to admire my taste. Actually, I've only heard this book praised by women. Men could only comment that they heard good things about it -- from wives and girlfriends. Whatever its faults, the book is a chick magnet. The Celestine Prophecy claims to be "an adventure" about the coming spiritual revolution in world consciousness, yet its meandering story is merely a pretext to link a series of didactic dialogs and feel-good predictions for the near future. Its plot is paint-by-number utopian potboiler. An Outsider enters a Utopian Society in which he learns New Things about human interrelations. Sharing, caring, and a clean environment are healthful for children and other living things. Greed, competition, and Western patriarchy are sickening the planet. The Outsider is Skeptical at first, but the Utopia is filled with Beautiful and Compassionate People who explain their world to him with Tolerance and Understanding. Left free to decide for himself, the Outsider's Mind comes to realize what his wiser Feelings have all along intuited: That this New Society is the inevitable Wave of History. He has seen The Future, and knows that it is a Good Thing. In The Celestine Prophecy, the Outsider is a yuppie who is vaguely dissatisfied with his successful life. Something is missing. He coincidentally meets an old flame, a beautiful, liberated, thirtysomething yuppette, who tells him of an ancient manuscript of Nine Insights found in the rain forests of Peru. (Well, where else would you find true wisdom, untainted by capitalist patriarchy?) She only knows the First Insight, and it concerns coincidences. Coincidences are spiritual harbingers. The First Insight is that many people throughout the world will one day notice that they're having an awful lot of coincidences, and that it must all mean something. This mass awareness and yearning for something more (at least, among the enlightened) will spark a New Age in spirituality, science, politics, and psychology. Flaky readers seeking personal validation will interpret their buying this book as just such a coincidence, proving both its thesis and their own spiritual advancement. Redfield knows how to stroke a crowd's ego. He makes it clear that such silly happenstances are indeed what he means by spiritually significant coincidences. So if you bought the book, you're hot stuff. (Skeptics might want to read John Allen Paulos's Innumeracy, in which he demonstrates through probability formulas that coincidences are inevitable in day-to-day life.) The Celestine Prophecy was initially self-published to much word-of-mouth success on the New Age circuit, and for whatever reason, Warner Books made no effort to correct its typos, redundancies, inaccuracies, and missing colons and comas. Maybe Warner, stumped by the book's success, thought it safest to publish as is. Or maybe after proving publishers wrong, Redfield refused to let anyone tinker with his masterpiece. Typos aside, consider the general sloppiness. A priest is described as sandy-haired. Two pages later, he is brown-haired. Another character refers to the "sixth decade of the twentieth century," obviously (from the context) meaning the 1960s -- which is actually the seventh decade. Consider Redfield's style. His book abounds with three imprecise adjectives: beautiful, incredible, amazing. He uses these three abstract words to describe people, places, ideas, everything. He also lacks a sense of voice. Every character sounds like every other character -- American or Peruvian, urban or rural, educated or not. And everyone keeps looking at the yuppie, at each other, at everyone and everything, "with regard." The Insights are not original. The Third Insight states that the universe is energy and can be mentally controlled, an old New Age chestnut going back to The Kyballion (1912), which, like Redfield, offers quantum physics for scientific support. Fantasists have long toyed with quantum theory, but Redfield's quantum fantasizing is more egregious because, though Warner is selling The Celestine Prophecy as fiction, readers are expected to buy it as truth. The book (at least my 1994 eidtion) includes a subscription form for Redfield's newsletter on his continuing spiritual Insights. The Insights' politics explain the book's appeal. Deep in the pristine Peruvian rain forests, the yuppie discovers that these ancient manuscripts, which were recorded by indigenous Third World peoples, confirm every prejudice of aging liberal Boomers -- and offer comfort for their waning youth! Characters range in age from 30s-50s. (Boomer demographics, when the book was released.) Couples usually comprise older women, younger men. Nothing wrong with that, except that its consistency appears calculated. Everything about The Celestine Prophecy appears calculated to please Boomers -- especially Boomer women. Our yuppie meets no conventional Cosmo beauties, yet every woman in the book is unfailingly attractive. These older women remain beautiful because of their spiritual glow. Literally. According to Redfield's story, everything emits an aura, which can be seen by staring hard enough. But only progressive, creative, personally fulfilled people glow nicely, not those repressed or mean-spirited. Luckily for these ladies, they are all smart, self-actualized, career gals. You just know that none ever did anything so self-effacing as bake cookies or vote Republican. The book paints a future in which physical beauty is determined by one's opinions and lifestyles. An aura's brightness and colors are directly proportional to one's politics and behavior. The more progressive your thoughts, and the more you recycle for a cleaner environment, the more attractive your glow. What a solace to aging liberal women, to know that they shall one day outshine their younger, more conservative sisters. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/deK69N7yvcI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> (Above scene from the 2006 film adaptation.) Remember how the universe is all energy? Well, the Insights also teach that children need energy growing up, for that healthy glow. So people shouldn't have more children than they can energize, which is achieved by looking at children "with regard." One-to-zero child per couple is ideal. Good for the child, and good for the planet. Typical of Redfield's loopily unrealistic characters: a fortysomething Peruvian peasant with only one child, which she bore in her late 30s, by a younger husband. Finally, an indigenous Third World peasant that American feminists can identify with! More good news from these "ancient" Insights. It's unimportant that a child be raised by his own parent(s), only that he be raised by at least one caregiver committed to focusing all of his or her energy (literally) onto that child. Welcome news to single parents who deposit their kids at daycare. Food is an important source of spiritual energy. Vegetables contain more and purer energy than does meat. Just compare their glows. (Naturally, vegans glow more attractively than meat-eaters.) The book's "scientific explanation" is that plant energy is depleted when consumed by cows. Thus does Redfield mix religion, pseudoscience, and squishy-Left politics in typical New Age fashion. But the highest concentrations of energy reside in pristine rain forests, so it's important to leave them uncut, and to reduce the human population to 100 million, to create room for new forests. This gels neatly with the optimum one-to-zero child per caregiver. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AegM3h0UBCk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> (Above scene from the 2006 film adaptation.) Money and greed are bad energy. (And make you glow ugly.) In the future there will be no money. People will take what they need and give back what they can. Sounds like Marxism? Yes, but Communism only failed, the yuppie learns, not for economic reasons, but because the Soviets were atheistic and materialistic, rather than spiritual. But in the coming New Age, people will be spiritual, so they won't want unnecessary material goods which rape the planet, and which corporations convince us we want, but don't really. And because everyone will be Really Nice, nobody will feel pressured to horde more food than they need for their own use, because they won't be afraid that it won't be there if they need it, because, it will. So there'll be plenty for everyone. Especially since there'll only be 100 million people on the planet (at most, but hopefully less), which is really all that a healthy Earth can sustain and still have room left for all those new rain forests. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lN7FdI-ejeQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> (Above scene from the 2006 film adaptation.) Barter will be the new currency. (Hey, everything old is new again.) And those without skills or goods to barter can still trade energy for food, in the form of spiritual insights. Everyone's got those! But here Redfield (with his usual sloppiness) contradicts himself. He'd previously stated that minor personal insights (as opposed to the Big Nine Insights) are exchanged whenever two people meet, even if they are unaware of it. So really, neither party owes anything to the other. The poor man earns no food for his insight, having already been paid with the rich man's insight, even if the rich man was unaware of providing one. (It all has something to do with the coincidences in every encounter.) These internal contradictions typify The Celestine Prophecy's overall sloppiness. Apart from its crude pseudoscience, its lazy caricatures of machine-gun toting Latin American troops, and its indistinguishable characters mouthing wooden dialog and kindergarten economics while observing each other "with regard," Redfield's book implodes under the slipshod presentation of his self-contradictory message. Then there's the matter of the form in the back of the book (at least in my 1994 edition). For $20 you get his newsletter. For $50 Redfield will personally record an audio tape -- just for you! -- analyzing your unique astrological aspects within the context of his Insights. Redfield accepts check or credit card -- but makes no provisions for paying him with your own energy or insights. What gives? I read the book. My energy can't be all that bad. I glow nice. Since the book's success, Redfield has squeezed every penny from the sequel gravy train. Warner has released a Tenth Insight, Eleventh Insight, and Twelfth Insight, and some other books expanding on Redfield's Insights. There's even a Pocket Guide to the Nine Insights for readers who find his dummied-down first book too intellectually taxing. It's been a rough ride since 9/11. The future has not turned out as Redfield predicted in the optimistic 1990s. But that hasn't dampened The Celestine Prophecy's popularity. One Amazon reviewer (yes, a woman) wrote in 2021, "Still a great story 25 years on." Well, of course. The book's appeal is not based on significant or original insights, but on making its core fan base feel good. It tells its readers exactly what they want to hear about themselves and their future. Pity those who read the Celestine series for true spiritual insights. Thomas M. Sipos writes satirical novels and film criticism. His website is CommunistVampires.com . Home
Husbands have shared photographs of the moments their wives left them crying out in frustration.

Social media users around the world shared snaps of the 'what were they thinking?' moments, including one woman who stuck her foot through drywall.

One husband showed off his horrific sunburn after his wife applied sunscreen in the most haphazard fashion. Another found his wife's missing sewing needle... when he trod on it on the living room floor and ended up in hospital.

The most hilarious snaps were rounded up in a Bored Panda gallery.

Here, FEMAIL shares some of the best examples...

Ouch! That's got to hurt: This man trusted his wife to put on his sunscreen... but soon realised she hadn't got the coverage he had hoped when he was left with a burnt back

Putting her foot in it! This American woman was met with ridicule from her husband when she put her foot through the drywall of their home

Pasta disaster! This woman was ready to simply give up after her pan of tomato sauce spilled all over the floor - but their cat looked delighted

So that's where it was! Imagine this husband's surprise when he found his wife's lost sewing needle a few days later when he stepped on it and ended up in hospital

This is beyond creepy: In St Louis, Missouri, this husband is questioning not only his wife's packing skills but also where he can take his daughter for therapy when she sees her dolls

Crash landing: Elsewhere in America, this wife was pleased with her new potted plant purchase and gave it the prized space on a shelf above the toilet - but it wasn't to last

How did she manage that? One husband shared how his wife at literally cut the cable whilst trying to open her new USB cable

No need to take it so literally! This woman seemed to be slightly confused about the purpose of freezer bags

You missed a spot: In San Diego this man may never ask his girlfriend to shave his head again... unless that was the look he was going for

Caught red handed: This husband suspected his wife's Scrabble scores were too good to be true and a quick look at her search history revealed that to be the case

Absolute horror: In the US a husband woke up to this terrifying sight, to learn that his wife had moved the coat stand
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Mike Tindall showed he is the royal family's secret weapon during Platinum Jubilee celebrations this weekend with fans branding him the 'cool, fun uncle' after he posted a a series of hilarious snaps.

The former England rugby player, 43, who is married to Zara Tindall, entertained an unruly Prince Louis, poked fun at Princess Eugenie's fashion sense, and chatted with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during the royal celebrations in London.

Mike, who is father to Mia, eight, Lena, three, and Lucas, one, dutifully accompanied Zara to five different events over the course of the four-day weekend: Trooping the Colour, the Service of Thanksgiving, Epsom Derby, the Platinum Party and the Platinum Pageant.

And at all times Mike appeared in typically jovial spirits and was on hand to help out with all the royal children.

At times during the pageant on Sunday, Louis was seen clenching his fists, sticking out his tongue, waving his arms in the air, putting his hands over his mother's mouth and standing in his seat for a better view of the spectacle.

Luckily, Mike was on hand to make funny faces at Louis to keep him entertained, and was seen pointing to his eyes, in an 'I'm watching you' gesture as Louis' mother Kate Middleton, 40, looked on and laughed.

Mike Tindall (pictured, left) showed off his fun side during the four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations, sharing images of himself swapping hats with his wife Zara Tindall (pictured, right)

During yesterday's Platinum Pageant, Mike Tindall sat behind four-year-old Prince Louis in the Royal Box, and Behind the little prince sat Mike Tindall who entertained the boy with funny faces to keep him amused.

Following Friday's thanksgiving service at St Paul's, Mike Tindall was seen chatting with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, who had flown over from California to mark the Queen's milestone

While Mike and Zara have no official duties, they are regulars at royal family events, such as church services and important milestones such as the Jubilee. They live at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, Princess Anne's royal estate.

Among some of the funniest snaps that Mike during the four-day Jubilee bank holidays were photos he shared of himself on Instagram, wearing Zara's hats.

These included the father-of-three wearing his wife's fuchsia headgear after they attended Trooping the Colour on Thursday, as well as donning her bright red floral head after Friday's thanksgiving service at St Paul's.

Then, on Saturday, the former athlete traded his top hat with Zara's blue one as the pair attended Epsom Race Course ahead of that evening's concert.

Captions accompanying the images referred to which days of the celebrations they corresponded to, suggesting the royal was ticking each day off a to-do list.

During the Platinum Pageant, father-of-three Mike was also snapped enjoying a tender moment with his eight-year-old daughter Mia Tindall

The former rugby ace shared a number of snaps posing in his wife's fascinator throughout the Jubilee celebrations, showing off his fun side via Instagram posts

Mike kicked-off his series of Instagram snaps, in which he wore Zara's fascinators, with these photos which he shared on Thursday, when the pair attended Trooping the Colour

On Thursday, he wrote: 'Personal fave of mine! I definitely need to wear more hats.'

Then on Friday, he captioned his pictures: 'Hats day 2! Fave so far! What colour do you think tomorrow will be?'

Saturday's caption read: 'Day 3 part one completed! First time out @epsomdownsracecourse. Loved it!! Now to put the [dancing] on!!! #platinumjubilee.'

Mike didn't stop at just posting his own ensembles on Instagram though: he also posted an image of his wife Zara posing with her cousin Princess Eugenie following Friday's thanksgiving service.

He gently poked fun at the pair's brightly coloured outfits, as Zara donned a fuchsia Laura green dress, and added an extra splash of colour by teaming it with a Juliette Botterill hat in lilac, trimmed with flowers. Meanwhile, Eugenie opted for a bright orange Eugenia Wickstead dress.

Sharing a picture of the pair on social media, to which he added images of brightly coloured sweets, he wrote: 'When you combine your favourite Starbursts!! 2 world class ladies!! #starburst #platinumjubilee.'

Mike Tindall shared a glimpse into his Jubilee celebrations as he playfully compared Zara and Princess Eugenie's vibrant outfits from Friday's thanksgiving service for to 'his favourite' Starburst sweets

Images from Friday's thanksgiving service at St Paul's show Mike with Princess Eugenie (pictured, right, with her husband Jack Brooksbank, left). He later poked fun at her vibrant orange outfit

The Queens granddaughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall attend the thanksgiving service at St Paul's on Friday

Other photos from the weekend showed Mike chatting with Prince Harry, 37, and his wife Meghan Markle, 40, who flew over from their home in Montecito, California, to join in with the Platinum Celebrations, marking the couple's first joint royal engagement in two years.

The Sussexes were seated away from senior royals, and were kept apart from Prince William, Kate, Prince Charles and Camilla after royal aides ensured they sat on the other side of the aisle - and they later left separately, not attending a reception straight after at the nearby Guildhall.

Kate and William chatted to Prince Charles and Camilla inside the cathedral, but there was no sign of the same rapport with Harry and Meghan who sat in between Lady Sarah Chatto and Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank, and were under strict instructions to keep a low profile during the event.

Harry and William have had a long-standing feud, while Harry has accused his father Charles of cutting him off financially and Meghan claimed an unnamed royal made a comment about Archie's skin tone before he was born  with the Sussexes having a war of words with the Palace following last year's bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at St Paul's Cathedral (left) and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Guildhall (right)

Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex attend the Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen's reign at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave St Paul's Cathedral after the Service of Thanksgiving for the Platinum Jubilee on Friday

Prince Charles and Camilla speak with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after arriving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday - though the senior royals did not speak to Harry and Meghan during the proceedings

Ahead of the four-day festivities, Mike had revealed that although he had no official role to play, he was looking forward to the events.

Speaking about her Majesty on Good Morning Britain last month, the father-of-three said: 'I think the Queen is an unbelievable lady...I think people think she's invincible sometimes, but you have to remember she's a 96-year-old at the end of the day.

'She's incredible at what she's done over her lifetime and I can't wait to celebrate that.'

Last year, speaking on Channel 5's, Zara and Mike: No Nonsense Royals royal expert Brenda Emmanus said that the sportsman was an 'asset to the Firm' as he was a 'connection to normal people'.

Mike Tindall has been an asset to the royal family in that he's a connection to normal people,' Brenda said.

'He has a great sense of humour and he's made them a very modern family

'They live their own lives and make their own decisions, the public doesn't pay for them. They're practical and accessible, the most normal and delightful couple.

'They're keen to do their own thing and pay their own way. Sponsorship is carefully crafted to enhance brand Tindall, and they're making the most to be seen as the embodiment of country life,' she added.
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The exact moment Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children watched the Queen pull a sandwich from her bag to eat with Paddington Bear has been revealed.

Her Majesty, 96, delighted audiences at the televised BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace after kicking off the festivities with an appearance alongside the fictional character - in which they both enjoyed a chaotic cream tea at 'Buckingham Palace'.

The monarch and the famous bear tapped out the beat of the We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons to get the celebrations under way, while the Queen also revealed she shares Paddington's love of marmalade sandwiches and keeps an emergency stash in her trademark handbag.

And now a snap shared by royal photographer Chris Jackson has revealed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's reaction to the hilarious moment.

In the photograph, which Chris posted on his Instagram last night, Prince William and Kate Middleton can be seen laughing with joy, while Prince George and Princess Charlotte also appear utterly delighted to see their great grandmother in the comedy skit.

The exact moment Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children Prince George watched the Queen pull a sandwich from her bag to eat with Paddington Bear has been revealed

The monarch and the famous bear tapped out the beat of the We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons to get the celebrations under way, while the Queen also revealed she shares Paddington's love of marmalade sandwiches and keeps an emergency stash in her trademark handbag

Filmed at Windsor Castle, the Queen spent around half a day filming the secretly-pre-recorded humorous two-and-a-half-minute sequence, according to The Telegraph, and the comic sketch was a surprise even to some of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren watching the scenes.

The publication said palace aides refused to 'ruin the magic' by explaining how the monarch was able to talk with the fictional bear - however the character, voiced by Ben Whishaw, who played Q in the recent James Bond films, has previously been filmed as just a mechanical head before visual effects are added digitally.

Anna Marsh, who was involved in the film as chief executive of StudioCanal, said: 'Filming with Her Majesty and Paddington Bear at The Palace is a memory we will all cherish. Her Majesty's warmth and generosity was a joy to behold.

'And who better to thank Her Majesty than Paddington, over a pot of tea, a marmalade sandwich, and with a touch of chaos. Aunt Lucy would be proud.'

It's been hailed by social media users as better than her Olympic opening show cameo with James Bond - and it's no wonder the Queen's sketch with Paddington bear has been labelled a roaring success, after she spent half a day filming it and even kept it under wraps from some of her family members

Filmed at Windsor Castle, the Queen spent around half a day filming the secretly-pre-recorded humorous two-and-a-half-minute sequence, according to The Telegraph, and the comic sketch was a surprise even to some of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren watching the scenes (pictured)

The publication said palace aides refused to 'ruin the magic' by explaining how the monarch was able to talk with the fictional bear - however the character, voiced by Ben Whishaw (right), who played Q in the recent James Bond films, has previously been filmed as just a mechanical head (left) before visual effects are added digitally

Anna joined StudioCanal in 2008 as VP International Sales. In March 2019, she was appointed Managing Director of StudioCanal UK.

As well as a mechanical head, Paddington's interactions during filming have also previously been achieved by crew members moving objects for the fictional character and even small actors standing in before the digital bear is added in to the scenes.

The Queen's secret sketch was the result of months of planning, and saw the duffle-coat wearing bear show the monarch how he ensured he always had his favourite treat on him just in case, lifting up his red hat to reveal his snack.

Her Majesty responded by revealing 'So do I' before opening her bag and declaring 'I keep mine in here' to show her very own ready-made supply of the bread and orange preserve staple.

Accident-prone Paddington was shown causing mayhem by accidentally depriving the understanding sovereign of another cup of tea and spraying cream from a chocolate eclair over a Palace Footman.

As well as a mechanical head, Paddington's interactions during filming have also previously been achieved by crew members (pictured) moving objects for the fictional character and even small actors standing in before the digital bear is added in to the scenes

Actors in the previous two Paddington films have also had to perform to thin air - with the fictional character added in digitally at a later date. It's unclear which setup was used when the production team was filming with the Queen

Tens of thousands of people flocked to Buckingham Palace to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee on Saturday and watch a pop concert that started with the 96-year-old monarch having tea with Paddington Bear

The bear from deepest darkest Peru congratulated the Queen on her reign of 70 years, saying: 'Happy Jubilee Ma'am. And thank you. For everything.' The modest Queen replied: 'That's very kind.'

It brought back memories of the Queen's James Bond skit for the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, when the monarch met 007, played by Daniel Craig, and then appeared to parachute into the stadium, with the help of a body double.

Paddington and the Queen were pictured sat opposite each other in ornate chair at a table, laid for afternoon tea, covered with a white linen cloth in an opulent room.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen felt the opportunity to invite Paddington to tea was 'too fun to miss'.

The Palace said: 'Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight's sketch. There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss.

'While The Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she was very keen that people understood how much it meant to her and that all those watching had a great time.'

The film was kept under wraps for several months by Buckingham Palace, BBC Studios and Heyday Films/StudioCanal. Actor Ben Whishaw voiced Paddington, just as he did in the hit movies of the children's story.

Those involved in the film praised the Queen's wit and warmth during the process, saying she shone and put them all at ease.

Social media went wild for the Queen's short clip, with one writing on Twitter: 'The Queen acts her socks off with Paddington Bear: perfect comic timing'

Mark Sidaway, executive producer for the BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace said: 'We were thrilled and honoured when we learned Her Majesty had agreed to run with this touching yet joyful idea the team had come up with - although it was slightly nerve-wracking ensuring it all blended seamlessly with the live performance from Queen + Adam Lambert.'

Actor who played the disapproving footman in the Queens hilarious Paddington sketch is TV comedy veteran Simon Farnaby By Nick Craven for MailOnline The uncredited actor who played the disapproving footman in the Queens hilarious Paddington sketch was TV comedy veteran Simon Farnaby. The 49-year-old comedian and writer is a long-standing member of the Horrible Histories troupe, but is already well acquainted with the bear from darkest Peru, having appeared in Paddington 2 in 2017. Farnaby, originally from Darlington, is also well known to TV fans of Detectorists and more recently Ghosts, where he played a disgraced MP. He is married to actress Claire Keelan and wrote the screenplay to this years Phantom of the Open, starring Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft, the amateur golfer who blagged his way into the 1976 Open Golf Championship. Last year, Farnaby told the Big Issue how he was coping with the pandemic and the lockdown. A very wise person once said, tragedy plus time equals comedy, he said. If youre in a tragedy, its very hard to laugh about it. This situations hard because you cant go: Lets wait three years until we start laughing again. Youre in it every day. Humour is part of life. Its quite hard to keep it at bay. Humour is such a great refuge. Its a tough time and people have lost loved ones. But even then, you cant keep humour at bay. Ive had more laughs at funerals than you can imagine. Someone will always crack a joke. And you cant help but laugh because theres nothing else to do sometimes. Advertisement

Rosie Alison of Heyday Films said: 'Filming Her Majesty's tea party with Paddington Bear was such an emotional day for the entire crew.

'All of us were in awe of the Queen's wit, warmth and radiant aura as she patiently engaged with a polite, clumsy but very well-intentioned bear.

'Of course, she shone, and put Paddington (and all of us) at ease. Capturing this lovely encounter was an absolute joy and unique privilege for the whole team.'

Rosie read English at Keble College, Oxford, and spent over ten years working in television, as a producer-director of arts documentaries.

She is currently Head of Development at Heyday Films in the UK  the production company of the Harry Potter film series.

Paddington, created by late British author Michael Bond, and the Queen share something in common - they both have two birthdays.

When Paddington was adopted by the Brown family, they agreed that bears, 'just like the Queen', have two birthdays every year.

The Queen's actual birthday is on April 21, but she has an official one each year in June. Paddington's birthday are - on June 25 and December 25.

Social media went wild for the Queen's short clip, with one writing on Twitter: 'The Queen acts her socks off with Paddington Bear: perfect comic timing.

'I've heard that she was once nicknamed "One Take Windsor". A great start to the Party at the Palace and the "other Queen" are storming it!'

One person wrote: 'I've not remotely got into the whole Jubilee thing but I can't deny that this little Paddington Bear segment with the Queen was so lovely and cute.

'Then going straight into Adam Lambert and Queen. Seeing so many people come together is lovely, more of this please.

Another person said: 'The Queen and Paddington Bear was utterly brilliant only eclipsed by her tapping along, on her bone china tea cup to Queen.'

Michelle O said: 'Watching Queen's Jubilee concert. The sketch she did with Paddington Bear and pulling a marmalade sandwich out of her handbag. Priceless.

'Plus tapping her teaspoon on her cup, the intro to 'We Will Rock You', I bloody love our Queen.'

Julie Marriot added: 'Omg I absolutely am in awe at our Queen's participation with Paddington Bear and marmalade sandwiches in her bag and tapping her teaspoon to the intro of we will rock you! Amazing. It's going to be a fantastic evening for all.'

User @st_ua_rt wrote: 'The Queen performing We Will Rock You on the spoons with Paddington Bear. Cancel the rest of the concert. Tonight has already peaked.'

Kate Middleton sung along to one of the performances as the concert got underway at Buckingham Palace on Saturday

Sir Rod Stewart performed Sweet Caroline at the Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace on Saturday night

Seven-year-old Princess Charlotte looked delighted and pulled faces as she took her seat next to her big brother George

The Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte waved their flags as they sung along to some of the performers

Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and their husbands joined members of the Royal Family at the star-studded concert

Last night, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge on the balcony

The Queen stands beside her son Prince Charles as she waves at adoring crowds on The Mall, June 5, 2022

The Cambridges wave at the crowd of thousands on The Mall as the Queen smiles at Kate Middleton, June 5, 2022

The crowd watch Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, at the end of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant

The crowd gathered in front of Buckingham Palace cheer for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II waving from the balcony of the Palace at the end of the Platinum Pageant in London on June 5, 2022

Residents of Teapot Lane in Aylesford, Kent, judge their Jubilee Bake-Off cake making competition during a street party on day four of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Crown Princess Victoria was joined by her children Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, in traditional dress as they lead celebrations for National Day in Stockholm today.

Dressed in a yellow and blue folk costume an adorable Princess Estelle, 10, walked hand-in-hand with her father Prince Daniel in Stockholm as the royal family marked the start of the celebrations.

She was accompanied by her mother Crown Princess Victoria, 44, who looked equally festive in the traditional ensemble, her father Prince Daniel, and her brother Prince Oscar, six, who both wore suave blue suits.

Swedes celebrate their National Day on 6 June in honour of two historical events: on 6 June 1523, Gustav Vasa was elected king and, on the same date in 1809, the country adopted a new constitution. It became a public holiday in 2005.

Crown Princess Victoria, 44, was elegant wearing a traditional Swedish outfit as she gave a speech on National Day

The royal was joined by her husband Prince Daniel and their children Princess Estelle, 10, and Prince Oscar

Mother and daughter were matching in the blues and yellows of the 'Sverigedrakten' folk dress costume, consisting of a white shirt or blouse, blue skirt or dress and a yellow overskirt, in the colours of the Swedish flag.

But the 44-year-old wore a white headscarf with her outfit, which symbolises that she is married, unlike her young daughter.

She kept her makeup minimal and completed her look with silver earrings, and grinning as she smiled and waved at the public along with her family.

Meanwhile, her husband and son were also wearing similar outfits, opting for blue suits and ties.

The young family held hands and smiled as they attended the special ceremony opening the palace to the public on Sweden's National Day

Every year the King and Queen take part in a ceremony at Skansen, Stockholms open-air museum, where the yellow and blue Swedish flag is run up the mast, and children in traditional peasant costume present the royal couple with bouquets of summer flowers.

National Day also now recognises new Swedish citizens, welcoming them with special ceremonies held around the country.

Other festivities which usually take place on the National Day of Sweden, also known as Svenska Flaggans Day (Swedish Flag Day) include a ceremony at Skansen which is Stockholm's open-air museum.

The Swedish flag is raised and children present the King and Queen of Sweden with bouquets of summer flowers.

The Swedish parliament voted to make the day a public holiday in 2004 and it was finally implemented in 2005.

Crown Princess Victoria held her young son's hand during the ceremony on Sweden's National Day, which was made a public holiday in 2005

The 44-year-old spoke animatedly as her husband and children watched on proudly during today's ceremony

Crown Princess Victoria's appearance for the National Day of Sweden with her family comes after she attended the Polar Music Prize ceremony at the end of last month with her husband.

They were also joined by her father King Carl XVI Gustaf, 76, and his wife Queen Silvia, 78, and Prince Carl Philip.

Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden looked chic in a black bardot off the shoulder jumpsuit for the occasion.

The royal family attended the award, which is often described as the Nobel Prize of music.

It celebrates two laureates, one contemporary and one classical, for significant achievements in the music industry.

This year saw the American musician James Newell Osterberg Jr, otherwise known as Iggy Pop, 75, honoured alongside Ensemble intercontemporain, a leading contemporary music ensemble based in Paris.

The 2022 laureates were presented with their prizes by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at the gala prize ceremony.
Dame Deborah James has hit back at critics after she joked she 'wouldn't die over the Jubilee weekend' because she 'didn't want Meghan Markle to steal her thunder.'

The former deputy head teacher turned cancer campaigner, 40, from London, has been living with stage four bowel cancer since she was diagnosed in December 2016, and was told early on that she might not live beyond five years - a milestone that passed in the autumn of 2021.

At the start of the year, the mother-of-two, who shares her children Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12, with her husband Sebastien, announced she had 'nearly died' in hospital, calling it the 'hardest' part of her 5-year cancer battle, and was admitted as an in-patient earlier this month.

She is now receiving end of life care bowel cancer at her parents' home in Woking and has raised over 6 million in the weeks since she announced the news.

On Saturday, she wrote in The Sun that she was 'determined not to die over the Jubilee weekend', adding: 'I don't want Meghan stealing my thunder.'

However last night she was forced to hit back at critics over the comment, posting on Twitter: 'Meghan comment is a joke, apparently you can still find a send off fun in your day!'

Dame Deborah James has hit back at critics after she joked she 'wouldn't die over the Jubilee weekend' because she 'didn't want Meghan Markle to steal her thunder'

Writing in a column on Saturday, the cancer campaigner said she was 'determined not to die over the Jubilee weekend'

However last night she was forced to hit back at critics over the comment, posting on Twitter that the comment 'was a joke'

She also added: 'The rest is not. Is dying the last taboo of them all?

'I thought poo talk was hard, but navigating end-of-life care makes checking your poo easy by comparison of DNR chat and respect documents!'

Her comments come after she celebrated the news her brother had gotten engaged to his long term girlfriend over the weekend.

The mother-of-two revealed some joyful news on Instagram, writing: 'Ashley Hall and Benjamin James have finally 'put a ring on it'. I cried and cried...Even Prince William asked my brother why he hadn't done it yet.'

Dame Deborah James has revealed some happy news for her family amid her battle with terminal cancer - as she shared her brother has got engaged to his girlfriend of 11 years

Meanwhile she revealed how a visit from Prince William, who met with the family at home in Woking last month, had prompted the proposal

Posting a gallery of snaps online, the mother-of-two wrote: 'He finally put a ring on it! Congratulations to @benjaminrjames and @ashleyclairehall for finally getting engaged after 11 years!

'If you ever followed my podcasts, brother banter features highly, and even Prince William joined in on the action recently!

'The question to my brother has always been why haven't you proposed! As a family everyone knew they both wanted to, it wasn't like the it's been off the cards it's just always been apparently about 'the right time'.'

She continued: 'So they finally did it and then face timed me from Cornwall and then friends all afterwards - my mouth was still opened for the rest of the day!

The mother-of-two posted a number of pictures with her brother and her sister-in-law to be on her Instagram page

The family met the Duke of Cambridge last month in Woking, when Prince William apparently asked why Benjamin hadn't proposed to his girlfreiend yet

HOW DEPUTY HEAD TURNED SOCIAL MEDIA STAR HAS TRANSFORMED BOWEL CANCER AWARENESS In December 2016, the West London mother-of-two, a deputy head, was diagnosed 'late' with incurable bowel cancer After sharing her experiences on living with the disease on social media, Deborah became known as the 'Bowel Babe' In 2018, she became one of three presenters on Radio 5 Live's You, Me and the Big C, which was conceived by her late co-host Rachael Bland On September 5th 2018, Welsh journalist and presenter Bland, diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, died at the age of 40 Deborah and her co-host Lauren Mahon continue to present the show, with Steve Bland, Rachael's husband, joining the duo On social media and in her column for the Sun newspaper, Deborah has documented the many chemo, radiotherapy sessions and surgery she's had since During her treatment, Deborah told followers on Instagram 'By my general lack of being on here (dancing!), that Things have moved (in the wrong direction) very quickly cancer wise.' In 2019, she had a procedure known as CyberKnife, a highly targeted form of radiotherapy to attack an inoperable lymph node close to her liver The pandemic's impact on cancer services saw her campaign for care to continue as normal and, earlier this year, she launched the ITV's Lorraine's 'No Butts' campaign, raising awareness on bowel cancer symptoms Since last year, she has been taking new experimental drugs as part of a trial after her oncology team gave her the green light to do so August, Deborah revealed that scans she's had in recent days have revealed her cancer has gone in the 'wrong direction very quickly' She told followers she would be taking a break on social media over the weekend to 'snuggle' with her family ahead of more scans The mother-of-two said a new 'rapidly-growing' tumour near her liver had wrapped itself around her bowel On October 1, Deborah celebrates her 40th birthday By October 18, the mother-of-two told her followers her chemotherapy is working Days later, she was rushed to A&E with 'spiking 40 degree temperatures' In November, she reveals she is unable to walk for more than 20 minutes and remains 'very weak' By December, Deborah said she was 'not sure what her options were' after her liver stent 'stopped working' In January, she had five operations in 10 days after nearly dying in an acute medical emergency January 25, Deborah returns home from hospital after three weeks March 14, the mother-of-two is back in hospital as an in-patient after suffering from septic infection In April, she concerned fans with snaps after suffering 'a rough few days' April 14, the mother-of-two tells fans she has been discharged from hospital but calls the situation 'very tough' April 27, she tells Lorraine that she has spent '80 per cent' of the year in hospital May 9 - Deborah announces she has moved to hospice care Advertisement

'I couldn't be prouder to be able to finally say that @ashleyclairehall will be my sister in law - I adore her. And she makes @benjaminrjames happy which is all that matters and vice versa.'

Deborah added: 'Of course I'm sad I won't see the weddding but it gave me an excuse to throw my last impromptu party (and I even sat at the table for a bit of it!!).'

The family went on to celebrate with a stunning meal outside to mark the occasion, with Deborah writing: 'With the help of my sister and niece - it was days of @cricut , kids baked a cake and exploded a mess, and I tracked down all the last minute silver fairy lights, I could find!

'I love curating table scapes and parties and whilst that was the last one in me, Eloise has truly now outdone me so I feel chuffed I can pass on the party train trait! A memory made without us even trying to make it a memory! Win!

'Luckily the rain just held off and my body kept awake for a few hours! Ashley welcome officially to a slightly mad family, but we couldn't be happier you are here.'

The post came hours after Deborah shared her anger amid her incurable bowel cancer battle and admitted that she finds the pressure of 'making memories' difficult to deal with.

She told The Sun: 'Dying is really hard, I've been consumed by anger this week, in all honesty, I've been a real b***h.'

Deborah, who shares her children Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12, with her husband Sebastien, admitted she keeps shouting at her loved ones and pushing them away due to her anger at her disease.

The campaigner candidly spoke about the trials of her terminal illness, saying she struggles to deal with the pressure to make memories because she isn't always able to when she is 'exhausted, sick and in pain'.

'Making memories is really, really hard when you don't have the physical capacity,' she explained.

Deborah and her family are instead focusing on the small moments, including hosting an impromptu sleepover party last week.

The mother-of-two, who recently made the difficult decision to only spend time with her family and not see her friends, admitted she spent a lot of the slumber party in tears but described it as 'so special'.

The radio host said she doesn't think she will ever come to terms with her incurable diagnosis, saying she finds it heartbreaking to see her body change as she battles the illness.

She said she also finds it difficult that people don't speak openly about death, saying she hopes she can give others comfort by talking about her own experiences.

Deborah, who was awarded a damehood by Prince William last month, has been busy campaigning and has raised more than 6.6million for Cancer Research UK through her BowelBabe fund.

Addressing why she has decided to fundraise, including selling her Rebellious Hope T-shirts, Deborah candidly said it has given her purpose during her end of life care.

Former deputy head teacher Deborah also penned her second book How To Live When You Could Be Dead, which was released in April and details her life after getting an incurable bowel cancer diagnosis.

As she receives support at her parents' home, Deborah said she finds it important to get dressed and put make-up on everyday so she can feel more like herself.

Detailing how she is spending her days, she said she sits in the conservatory in her wheelchair as she puts on her make-up, does crafts and cooks for her family, which she said she enjoys despite not having much of an appetite herself.

Speaking about how her loved ones have supported her, Deborah tearfully admitted that she has become much closer with her siblings over the past few weeks and described her parents as 'amazing'.

Cancer: Speaking about her cancer battle, Deborah said she has been 'consumed by anger' over the last week as she is supported by her husband Sebastien and kids Hugo and Eloise

Quality time: She said she struggles to deal with the pressure to make memories, so instead focuses on the small moments, including having a sleepover party with her family (pictured)

Deborah said her husband Sebastien has also been a huge support for her, and said she has enjoyed spending time with her children, though she admitted she finds it difficult for them to see her unwell.

Her comments come after she took to Instagram to share sweet photos from a 'girls night in' sleepover with her mother, sister and daughter Eloise.

She said her family managed to 'put a smile on her face' after spending 'most of yesterday in tears' with the impromptu party.

Adorable photos showed Deborah with her family in matching pink satin pyjamas and face masks, on futons covered with pink sheets and dozens of teepees.

Writing on Instagram alongside a collage of sweet family photos she wrote: 'Making memories can be hard why you are dying! Oh the pressure!!.

'I'm now only getting some very grabbed hours between the sleeping and side effects, but this girly sleepover managed to put such a smile to my face having spent most of yesterday in tears!

'I'm getting less and less able to leave the house, or bed really now, so was feeling pretty down about it. Or do anything for that matter!

'But my sister suggested a party sleepover! She managed to call a very local Woking company (Teepee Vibe Tribe), that morning, who said, yes we'll come and help and make the whole thing so easy and enjoyable all within 3 hours notice.

'I was feeling awful after a bad day, so didn't watch the set up of anything.

'Actually I just cried over my leaking drains next door! But with the help of my sister and bro, managed to calm down and then they wheeled me into the room last night and yes I cried over the fairy lights! Good tears! It was just perfect!

'I went from staying in my wheelchair to ending up everyone helping to get me into an actually Tee pee to watch Cinderella with the gang and sit their like a 5 year old with a huge Cheshire Cat smile on my face next to my daughter and sister!

Fun times: Her comments come after she took to Instagram to share sweet photos from a 'girls night in' sleepover with her mother, sister and daughter Eloise

'We booked the experience as regular customer but they refused payment so have donated it to Bowel Babe Fund instead.

'But I wanted to give a big shout out to Teepee Vibe Tribe because they were local, just so good and made something that meant a a lot to me just so effortless. Today I sleep! But with another memory and a smile.'

Deborah was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in December 2016, and was told early on that she might not live beyond five years - a milestone that passed in the autumn of 2021.

She shared an Instagram post earlier this month revealing that 'nobody knows how long she has left'.

She wrote: 'The message I never wanted to write. We have tried everything, but my body simply isn't playing ball.

Illness: She is receiving hospice care at her parents' home in Woking, to spare her children the difficult memories of her spending her final days at the family home in London

'My active care has stopped and I am now moved to hospice at home care, with my incredible family all around me and the focus is on making sure I'm not in pain and spending time with them.'

She is receiving hospice care at her parents' home in Woking, to spare her children the difficult memories of her spending her final days at the family home in London.

The news comes days after she told The Sun that she was 'scared to fall asleep' because she does not know how long she has got left.

She added she had felt a 'deep love' from her family, saying: 'I think my family are knackered, they have all been incredible - going above and beyond to look after me and nurse me.'

And speaking of her end of life care recently, she added: 'I feel very strongly that I don't want my kids to see me agitated and distressed. I want to make sure they see me when I'm having a good days.'
The glam squad behind Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's Platinum Jubilee looks have been revealed.

Celebrity artist Hannah Martin, who has worked with the royals before, was in charge of creating the make-up looks they wore for the London events.

Meanwhile, stylist Ben Cooke prepped the royal sisters' locks for the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

Both shared images from the weekend on their Instagram accounts, revealing they had enjoyed getting Beatrice, 33, and Eugenie, 32 ready for their appearances.

Among the events attended by the princesses, who are grandchildren of the Queen, were Trooping the Colour on Thursday, a thanksgiving service at St Paul's on Friday, the Buckingham Palace concert on Saturday, and yesterday's Platinum pageant.

Princesses Beatrice (pictured, left) and Eugenie (pictured, right) enlisted the help of top hair stylist Ben Cooke (centre) to create their looks during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Celebrity make-up artist Hannah Martin (right) was also on hand to create the royal sisters' glam make-up looks

Pictures shared by Ben and Hannah showed the sisters showing off their looks from Friday's service.

Beatrice wore a blue Beulah with pearl buttons for the event. She finished off her look with an elegant make-up look created by Hannah Martin.

Her natural base was paired with a glossy pink lip, peach blush, and a light smoky eye.

Meanwhile, her hair was pulled into a low ponytail, which sat neatly underneath her blue hat.

According to Ben Cooke and Hannah Martin, prepping the pair for the big event was 'an honour'

Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi shared this image on Instagram, praising his wife and sister-in-law for their glamorous looks

Eugenie, who opted for a vibrant orange frock by Emilia Wickstead, also looked glamorous, pairing a dewy makeup based with smokey eyes and pink blush.

Her hair was styled into a half-up do, which matched perfectly with her small black hat.

Posting on Instagram about creating the looks, stylist Ben Cooke wrote: 'Still buzzing after that unique Platinum Jubilee Weekend. So proud to have had a tiny role in it, albeit just fabulous hair on these two fabulous women.'

Hannah Martin added: 'What a fantastic weekend celebrating the Queens Platinum Jubilee.

Princess Beatrice still in her blue Saloni dress arrives with Eugenie and their husbands at the the Platinum Jubilee Pageant outside Buckingham Palace on Sunday afternoon, on the last of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee

Princess Eugenie's son August and Princess Beatrice's stepson Wolfie (pictured with Beatrice and Edo) have made their first official appearances at a royal family event when joining their parents at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant today

Princess Beatrice playing on the bowling alley during the Big Jubilee Lunch on day four of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie trying their hand at plate spinning during the Big Jubilee Lunch organised by Westminster Council for local volunteer and community groups who helped during the Covid-19 pandemic, at Paddington Recreation Ground

'From picnics in the park that turned into parties to impromptu drinks on The Mall, I could easily have forgotten I was working!

'An honour, as always, to be on glam for Their Royal Highnesses Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.'

The experts were not the only people to post about the princesses' glamorous looks online.

Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi also took to social media to discuss how good the royal sisters looked.

Edo gushed over his wife, writing: 'My wonderful sister-in-law and phenomenal wife looking so stunning,' alongside a photo of Eugenie and Beatrice at Friday's engagement.

One-year-old August stood on his mother's lap as he waved at the procession outside Buckingham Palace

One-year-old August Brooksbank was sat on Eugenie's lap as the Queen's grandchildren watched the Platinum Pageant
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This is the adorable moment unruly Prince Louis asked to sit on his grandfather's knee during the Jubilee celebrations in London.

The royal, four, stole the show several times during the Jubilee weekend, including at the Pageant last night where he showcased several amusing expressions as he sat next to his mother in the Royal Box.

He was seen clenching his fists, sticking out his tongue, waving his arms in the air, putting his hands over his mother's mouth and standing on his seat for a better view of the spectacle.

But later he appeared more calm, as he sat on his grandfather Prince Charles' lap to enjoy the pageantry.

Speaking to FEMAIL, expert lipreader Juliet Sullivan revealed Louis asked Kate Middleton for 'pa' indicating he wants to see his grandfather.

Footage shows William then leaning across Camilla to ask Charles, 'Grandpa, can Louis sit on your knee?'

To which Prince Charles replies 'of course 'and William says 'thank you'.

This is the adorable moment unruly Prince Louis asked to sit on his grandfather's knee during the Jubilee celebrations in London. From left, Louis, Prince George, Prince William, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles

The royal, four, stole the show several times during the Jubilee weekend, including at the Pageant last night where he showcased several amusing expressions as he sat next to his mother in the Royal Box. But later he appeared more calm, as he sat on his grandfather Prince Charles' lap to enjoy the pageantry.

Kate stroked Louis's shoulder before he got out of his seat and walked to his left towards his grandatgher.

The four-year-old prince then sat on Charles's lap, who rocked him from side to side. He latter was then seen back with his mother.

Louis, the youngest child of William and Kate, stole the show at a number of royal events over the weekend.

After wowing fans on the Royal balcony, he showed off his star power again while watching the fourth day of Platinum Jubilee celebrations last night.

Sitting next to Louis' grandfather was the Duchess of Cambridge, with the Princess Royal sat on the other

Speaking to FEMAIL, expert lipreader Juliet Sullivan revealed Louis asked Kate Middleton for 'pa' indicating he wants to see his grandfather

Lots to see! The children sat through the long procession showcasing Britain's national treasures while celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Prince Louis placed his hands over his eyes at one point while watching the pageant on the fourth day of celebrations

He stole the limelight on Thursday after delighting crowds as he stood chatting to the Queen - and Prince Louis showed off his star power again on Sunday while watching the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London

Behind the little prince - who arrived alongside his sister Princess Charlotte, seven, brother Prince George, eight, and father Prince William, 39 - sat Mike Tindall who at one point, entertained the boy with funny faces to keep him amused.

The former England rugby player, sitting in the row behind, gestured and pointed to his eyes that he was keeping watch over him, as Kate chuckled at their interaction.

The prince had delighted royal fans by stealing the show on the balcony on Thursday after Trooping the Colour.

He let out a howl and covered his ears during the flypast, and his 'Gan Gan' the Queen sweetly interacted with her great-grandson, leaning down to chat to him and point out the planes.

Others in the royal box included Princess Eugenie, who bounced her baby son August on her lap. The one-year-old was wearing a jumper with a Union flag on the front.

Immediately to his left, the prince's two elder siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte sat near their father and cut stately figures as they watched the proceedings.

As Prince George stood for part of the parade, he mirrored his father William, both adjusting the front of their jackets at the same time.

It comes as Prince William and Kate Middleton have shared a glimpse inside their Jubilee celebration as they posted snaps offering a behind-the-scenes look at their 'fantastic' weekend online.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to their official Instagram page today to share a number of photographs from events across the weekend, including images taken at royal events.

In one snap, Kate can be seen waiting with George, Charlotte and Louis on steps of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour.

Sitting in the Royal Box at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London, Louis got into the party spirit of the celebration

The prince pulled more than a few faces as he watched the pageant from the Royal box with his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge

Queen Elizabeth II points as she stands next to Prince Louis on the balcony at Buckingham Palace in London this afternoon

The Queen smiles as Prince Louis covers his ears during the flypast over Buckingham Palace in London this afternoon

In another, Kate and William can be seen attending a street party in Kensington, just a short walk from her London residency of Kensington Palace, as they chatted with local attendees.

Meanwhile the caption hinted at the fun they'd had as a family over the weekend, reading: 'We all had an incredible time, especially Louis'.

The caption read: 'What a fantastic weekend of celebrations.

Prince of cheeky! Louis of Cambridge watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant from the Royal Box during the Platinum Jubilee

Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant from the Royal Box during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant

'Seeing people across the nation coming together with family, friends and loved ones has been extremely special.

'Thank you to everyone who turned out to show their gratitude to The Queen and her inspiring 70 years of leadership.

'From the crowds on the Mall to communities hosting street parties up and down the country, we hope you had a weekend to remember.

In snaps posted by the couple today, the family could be seen gathering backstage at official royal events, including Trooping the Colour.

One black and white photograph shows the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, apparently before or after the event, speaking with fellow attendees inside the palace while their youngest son watched on.

Another image showed Prince William walking out on stage to offer a speech in honour of his grandmother.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prince Louis of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Adorable! Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant from the Royal Box

A third was a short clip featuring the Duke and his oldest son Prince George walking from behind towards Buckingham Palace.

A number of other photographs showed the couple at a Kensington street party. The Duchess was dressed in a blue dress with white polka dots, which she later changed out of when she appeared at the Royal Box in pink on the fourth day of the Jubilee weekend.

One attendee, Sandra Duggan, said it was a 'lovely surprise' to see William and Kate at St Helen's Church Jubilee Big Lunch in north Kensington.

Another said it was 'the perfect Royal ending to the Platinum Jubilee Weekend', adding he felt 'incredibly honoured' to meet the Cambridges.

'As a new British Citizen they spent such lovely and welcoming words and we will treasure this moment forever,' he added.

Prince Louis of Cambridge watches the Platinum Jubilee Pageant from the Royal Box during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant

The new snaps were revealed as a royal expert said The Queen was 'sending a clear message about the future of the monarchy' by making a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace alongside Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George last night

The 96-year-old monarch was absent for much of the extended Bank Holiday weekend, after finding the first day enjoyable but tiring, and in a message of thanks acknowledged this but said her 'heart' had been with well-wishers.

The Duchess of Cornwall, patron of the Big Lunch, estimated that up to 18 million people could have taken part in Jubilee street parties, and the Queen expressed her hope this 'renewed sense of togetherness' would be felt for years to come.

After the outpouring of public affection during her balcony appearance, the Queen said she was 'humbled and deeply touched' so many people had taken part in celebrations marking her 70-year reign.

Surrounded by her family, including Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, George, Charlotte and Louis, she was cheered by thousands of well-wishers after stepping on to the balcony following the Platinum Pageant, which told the story of her life, and the nation, with an eccentric, fun and imaginative carnival-like display.

Royal expert Phil Dampier revealed the appearance of the children was 'very significant'.

He explained it showed 'an image of a loving extended family', telling FEMAIL: 'The fact that the three children were standing on the balcony at the end with the Queen sent out a clear message that they are the future and that there are three kings in waiting.'

Meanwhile he revealed: 'The appearances of George Charlotte and Louis were clearly very significant and marked their debut on the public stage.

'George and Charlotte had their first royal walkabout in Cardiff and it will be the first of many!

'Prince Charles once said that the day he realised he would one day be king and that his destiny was mapped out for him was a tremendous shock, and I often wonder whether it's dawned on George yet.

'He seems quite shy but hes going to have to get used to it so introducing them at a national event where the focus isnt just on them was a good idea to slowly introduce them to royal duties.'

He continued: 'All the other children were very much family members enjoying a special occasion.

'It was wonderful to see them and the children of both Peter and Zara Phillips are tremendous characters. They were clearly enjoying every moment of it and why not?'

'The Queen is their great grandmother as well as their monarch and they were supporting her celebrations.'

He added that the appearances 'certainly help to promote an image of an extended loving family, and the Queen dotes on them all.'

Phil continued: 'Her grandchildren and great grandchildren span an age range of more than 40 years which is incredible.

'And at last she was able to meet Harry and Meghans daughter Lilibet, who was named after her.

'As usual the Californian couple didnt want the public to see their children and scuttled off on a private jet.

'But they were a sideshow and most importantly the Queen was able to enjoy the four days and the royal kids played a massive role in the proceedings.'
A 99-year-old World War II veteran who became a viral TikTok star while opening up about his wartime experiences has made an emotional return to Normandy in order to honor the thousands of his fellow soldiers who died on D-Day.

Jake Larson joined the National Guard when he was only 15 years old - more than 80 years ago - and participated on the June 6, 1944, battle on Normandy beach in France which saw the 'land, air, and sea forces' come together for the 'largest invasion in human history' according to EisenhowerLibrary.gov - also known as D-Day.

Now, the vet has become an internet sensation after sharing his experiences of fighting in the war in a series of videos, which were posted to TikTok under the username @StoryTimeWithPapaJake by his granddaughter, McKaela.

She started the account in 2020, and she has since gained more than 479,000 followers and has raked in more than six million likes across the videos.

According to McKaela, who is from California, her grandfather lied about his age when he was a teen so he could join the U.S. Army at age 15.

A 99-year-old WWII veteran has become a viral TikTok star for sharing his wartime stories - as he returned to Normandy Beach to honor thousands of his fellow soldiers who died on D-Day

Jake Larson joined the National Guard when he was only 15 years old - more than 80 years ago - and participated on the June 6, 1944, battle on Normandy beach in France, known as D-Day

Now, the vet has become an internet sensation after he opened up about his experiences from fighting in the war in a series of TikTok videos

He stormed Omaha Beach - one of the five areas of German-occupied France which was invaded by American, Canadian, and British troops on D-day - and he even helped with the 'top-secret planning of the invasion,' she explained.

According to Jake - who is now the only surviving member of his unit - they arrived to the beach by ship but instantly faced trouble, since there were so many people and not enough room for them all.

They were posted to TikTok under the username @StoryTimeWithPapaJake by his granddaughter, McKaela. Jake and McKaela are pictured together in 2020

'We had to come down on these rope ladders carrying our 75-pound rifle. Dropping onto these landing crafts, I was the first one down there,' he recalled in one video.

'I thought we were gonna go in and land on Omaha beach. Instead, they were having trouble with the amount of people they already had, there wasn't enough room and they couldn't get over the cliff to capture anything or make room for us.

'So we went around in circles waiting for the word to come in. They were ready to call off the invasion because the fire power was too great.'

And things didn't get easier for them when they did finally get to land. Jake said there were supposed to be holes dug out for them to hide and take shelter in, but the Air Force had 'totally missed Omaha Beach' so there was 'no protection' for them.

'I got behind a little burrow which was six inches high with two machine guns shooting at me from two sides,' he explained.

She started the account in 2020, and she has since gained more than 479,000 followers and has racked in more than six million likes across the videos

According to McKaela, who is from California, her grandfather lied about his age when he was a teen so he could join the U.S. Army at age 15. He is pictured in the Army

He helped storm Omaha Beach - one of the five areas of German-occupied France which was invaded by American, Canadian, and British troops - on D-day

According to Jake, they arrived to the beach by ship but instantly faced trouble, since there were so many people and not enough room for them all

'We had water up to my chin coming in. I turned around and not two-feet behind me, there was another soldier.

And things didn't get easier for them when they did finally get to land. Jake said there were supposed to be holes dug out for them to hide and take shelter in, but the Air Force had 'totally missed Omaha Beach' so there was 'no protection' for them

'I said, "Hey have you got a match, buddy?" I got no answer. I had just glanced at him but the next time I looked there was no head under the helmet.

'I thank that soldier's soul for getting me to run when I did because the [enemy] soldiers' machine guns had stopped to reload and I started [running].

'I [was thinking], "What in the world are you doing here, Jake?" You can't shoot at anybody, you can't see them but they can see you. What a predicament. But I made it, I made it to the cliff without a scratch.'

In a follow-up video, Jake explained that when nightfall came after the invasion, he was told he was going to have to keep watch all night long.

'At 12 o'clock that night, German planes came in and dropped little flares and lit up the beach like daylight and took pictures,' he said. 'Our aircrafts started shooting up at them but after a while everything quieted down.'

Jake revealed that the bed he was supposed to sleep in that night had been hit by a piece of metal from the aircraft, so if he hadn't been tasked with keeping watch he might have been killed.

In the end, Jake made it out 'without a scratch on him,' and now calls himself the 'luckiest man alive'

'I was the luckiest man in the world,' he said. 'There must have been some intervention from above that kept me being lucky all the way through. I came out without a scratch'

Other videos featured him showing off items he still had from the time that he served, including magazines (left) and the score book he used during his rifle training (right)

Another TikTok showed him breaking down in tears after McKaela gave him a moving image of his late wife, Lola, from when she was young. The couple is pictured when they were young

'I thought I was the luckiest man in the world,' he recalled. 'There must have been some intervention from above that kept me being lucky all the way through. I came out without a scratch.'

In honor of the 78-year anniversary of D-Day, Jake flew all the way across the world to visit Omaha Beach in France, and the emotional moment was captured by the Today show.

'Holy smokes,' he said as he became overwhelmed with emotion over the gift. 'I can't believe it - it's her. This past November, we would have been married for 75 years, and I still love her'

During his appearance on the Today show, Jake reflected back on the moment that he stormed the beaches of Normandy as a young soldier, describing his return to the location as 'very eerie'.

He also joked that he credits his petite frame with his survival during the brutal battle, recalling how he thought to himself: 'Thank God the Germans aren't good at shooting toothpicks.'

'I said, "God, what am I doing here? What the hell, I can't see anybody to shoot at,"' Jake recounted of the moment that he made his way up onto the beach, having waded through water that was up to his chin.

'But I ran. I weighed 120lbs and I was 5'7", and I said, "Thank God the Germans aren't good at shooting toothpicks." Honestly I was thinking that.'

Speaking to host Kerry Sanders, he continued: 'I feel [the soldiers who died here's] presence right now.'

Kerry clutched onto Jake's arm as he slowly made his way onto the spot where he fought 78 years earlier.

Jake has stolen many people on the internet's hearts, and he now often receives letters and gifts in the mail from his supporters

He also wrote a book about his experiences, entitled The Luckiest Man in the World, which came out last year and is available on Amazon

Some people have branded him a 'legend' and an 'hero' for his 'bravery' and 'strength'

He continued: 'Their souls are right here witnessing this. They're telling me, "Thank you Jake. Thank you for coming and telling the world that this is where we were killed." I'm not the hero, I'm here to tell you that the heroes are buried over here.'

'Protect our freedom. Honor these heroes that have given their life at a young age. Honor these people.'

On TikTok, other viral videos featured him looking at old photos of himself in the war and telling the stories behind them, and showing off the items that he still had from the time that he served, including magazines that were given out to the soldiers, the bible he carried with him, the score book he used during his rifle training, and a menu from a restaurant he often visited.

Another viral video, which was seen more than 19 million times, showed him breaking down in tears after McKaela gifted him with a moving image of his late wife, Lola, from when she was young.

'Holy smokes,' he said upon seeing the sweet gift, as he became overwhelmed with emotion.

'She's alive! Look at that smile. I can't believe it - it's her. This past November, we would have been married for 75 years, and I still love her.'

In honor of the 78-year anniversary of D-Day, Jake flew all the way across the world to visit Omaha Beach in France, and the emotional moment was captured by the Today show

'It's eerie. I've very eerie to be here,' he told host Kerry Sanders. 'I feel [the soldiers who died here's] presence right now. Their souls are right here witnessing this'

Parades and ceremonies are being held in Normandy, France to honor the veterans who fought on D-Day 78 years ago. @KerryNBC is live from Normandy with more. pic.twitter.com/gWG3bQ1onL  TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 6, 2022

Jake, who also wrote a book about his experiences, entitled The Luckiest Man in the World, has stolen many people on the internet's hearts, with some branding him a 'legend' and an 'hero' for his 'bravery' and 'strength.'

'We must protect him at all [costs],' wrote one person.

Another added, 'This world is a better place because of your service.'

'Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are why we are free! My heart smiles for you,' gushed someone else.

'Strong and brave, this generation were heroes,' said a different user.

A fifth comment read, 'True American hero,' while a fifth said, 'We salute you.'

'Thanks for your service and I hope you go on and live a healthy and good rest of your life,' wrote another viewer.

'God bless you, sir,' added one supporter.
The Queen made sure to include her late husband in her Jubilee celebrations by adding a black mourning pin to her colourful outfit during her final balcony appearance of the weekend.

Her Majesty, 96, appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside Prince Charles and other members of the Firm during a celebration to mark her 70 years on the throne.

During most of her reign she was supported by Prince Philip, who died aged 99 last year.

In a sweet tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh, the royal added a black mourning pin to her green hat, which she wore front and centre of her vibrant green outfit.

Mourning pins are traditionally worn by members of the royal family following a death.

The Queen made sure to include her late husband in her Jubilee celebrations by adding a black mourning pin to her colourful outfit during her final balcony appearance of the weekend.

Her Majesty, 96, appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside Prince Charles and other members of the Firm during a celebration to mark her 70 years on the throne.

Kate Middleton also paid a subtle but sweet tribute to her husband's late grandfather this weekend, wearing a pair of the Queen's earrings she previously wore to his funeral.

Elsewhere, The Queen was joined by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, on the balcony at Buckingham Palace in the first appearance since the death of Prince Philip.

Her Majesty's first cousin, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, 86, stepped up to support her during the Trooping of the Colour.

Previously, she was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh during the occasion.

During most of her reign she was supported by Prince Philip, who died aged 99 last year.

It comes as Her Majesty delighted audiences at the televised BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace after kicking off the festivities with an appearance alongside Paddington Bear in which they both enjoyed a chaotic cream tea at 'Buckingham Palace'.

It comes as Her Majesty delighted audiences at the televised BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace after kicking off the festivities with an appearance alongside Paddington Bear in which they both enjoyed a chaotic cream tea at 'Buckingham Palace'.

It comes as Prince William and Kate Middleton have shared a glimpse inside their Jubilee celebration as they posted snaps offering a behind-the-scenes look at their 'fantastic' weekend online.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to their official Instagram page today to share a number of photographs from events across the weekend, including images taken at royal events.

In one snap, Kate can be seen waiting with George, Charlotte and Louis on steps of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour.

Queen Elizabeth II stands on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London

The Queen was 'sending a clear message about the future of the monarchy' by making a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace alongside Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George last night

In another, Kate and William can be seen attending a street party in Kensington, just a short walk from her London residency of Kensington Palace, as they chatted with local attendees.

Meanwhile the caption hinted at the fun they'd had as a family over the weekend, reading: 'We all had an incredible time, especially Louis'.

The caption read: 'What a fantastic weekend of celebrations.

'Seeing people across the nation coming together with family, friends and loved ones has been extremely special.

'Thank you to everyone who turned out to show their gratitude to The Queen and her inspiring 70 years of leadership.

'From the crowds on the Mall to communities hosting street parties up and down the country, we hope you had a weekend to remember.

In snaps posted by the couple today, the family could be seen gathering backstage at official royal events, including Trooping the Colour.

One black and white photograph shows the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, apparently before or after the event, speaking with fellow attendees inside the palace while their youngest son watched on.

Another image showed Prince William walking out on stage to offer a speech in honour of his grandmother.

The new snaps were revealed as a royal expert said The Queen was 'sending a clear message about the future of the monarchy' by making a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace alongside Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George last night

The 96-year-old monarch was absent for much of the extended Bank Holiday weekend, after finding the first day enjoyable but tiring, and in a message of thanks acknowledged this but said her 'heart' had been with well-wishers.

The Duchess of Cornwall, patron of the Big Lunch, estimated that up to 18 million people could have taken part in Jubilee street parties, and the Queen expressed her hope this 'renewed sense of togetherness' would be felt for years to come.

After the outpouring of public affection during her balcony appearance, the Queen said she was 'humbled and deeply touched' so many people had taken part in celebrations marking her 70-year reign. From left: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge

After the outpouring of public affection during her balcony appearance, the Queen said she was 'humbled and deeply touched' so many people had taken part in celebrations marking her 70-year reign.

Surrounded by her family, including Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, George, Charlotte and Louis, she was cheered by thousands of well-wishers after stepping on to the balcony following the Platinum Pageant, which told the story of her life, and the nation, with an eccentric, fun and imaginative carnival-like display.

Royal expert Phil Dampier revealed the appearance of the children was 'very significant'.

He explained it showed 'an image of a loving extended family', telling FEMAIL: 'The fact that the three children were standing on the balcony at the end with the Queen sent out a clear message that they are the future and that there are three kings in waiting.'

Meanwhile he revealed: 'The appearances of George Charlotte and Louis were clearly very significant and marked their debut on the public stage.

'George and Charlotte had their first royal walkabout in Cardiff and it will be the first of many!

'Prince Charles once said that the day he realised he would one day be king and that his destiny was mapped out for him was a tremendous shock, and I often wonder whether it's dawned on George yet.

'He seems quite shy but hes going to have to get used to it so introducing them at a national event where the focus isnt just on them was a good idea to slowly introduce them to royal duties.'

He continued: 'All the other children were very much family members enjoying a special occasion.

'It was wonderful to see them and the children of both Peter and Zara Phillips are tremendous characters. They were clearly enjoying every moment of it and why not?'

'The Queen is their great grandmother as well as their monarch and they were supporting her celebrations.'

He added that the appearances 'certainly help to promote an image of an extended loving family, and the Queen dotes on them all.'

Phil continued: 'Her grandchildren and great grandchildren span an age range of more than 40 years which is incredible.

'And at last she was able to meet Harry and Meghans daughter Lilibet, who was named after her.

'As usual the Californian couple didnt want the public to see their children and scuttled off on a private jet.

'But they were a sideshow and most importantly the Queen was able to enjoy the four days and the royal kids played a massive role in the proceedings.'
Prince Albert has said he was 'hurt by the vicious rumours' peddled about his marriage following his wife's 10-month long absence from Monaco and said that it's the 'most beautiful thing' to have Princess Charlene back with him.

Charlene, 44, recently to the to the Mediterranean Principality after spending time in a treatment faculty for exhaustion. Last week she was pictured with Albert in public for the first time since French media claimed she is receiving 10million a year to appear by her husband's side at public engagements.

Now the royal, 62, has said the time apart was 'a test for his wife' but they 'spoke often, despite the distance.

Prince Albert has said he was 'hurt by the vicious rumours' peddled about his marriage following his wife's 10-month long absence from Monaco and said that it's the 'most beautiful thing' to have Princess Charlene back with him

Charlene, 44, recently to the to the Mediterranean Principality after spending time in a treatment faculty for exhaustion. Last week she was pictured with Albert in public for the first time since French media claimed she is receiving 10million a year to appear by her husband's side at public engagements.

Speaking to French Sunday paper Journal de Dimanche, Albert said the last year was 'a test for my wife especially, who suffered greatly and lived through difficult times, far from her family. A test also for our children and for myself.

'We missed the princess a lot. And we were obviously hurt by the malicious rumours that were peddled,'

'But we were able to stay united despite the distance, we spoke to each other often.'

He added: 'Today, Charlene is back with us and this is the most beautiful thing which could have happened. She's better, we can finally spend time together. It is a relief and a joy for all of us'.

The interview took place prior to Saturday afternoon's announcement that Charlene had tested positive for Covid.

Despite her health worries, palace sources said her diagnosis is 'not worrying' and she is self-isolating.

Speaking to French Sunday paper Journal de Dimanche , Albert said the last year was 'a test for my wife especially, who suffered greatly and lived through difficult times, far from her family. A test also for our children and for myself. Charlene is pictured with her daughter last week

The interview took place prior to Saturday afternoon's announcement that Charlene had tested positive for Covid. Prince Albert of Monaco Princess Charlene of Monaco and Patrick Dempsey pose for a photo outside the Red Bull Racing garage

During appearances at Monaco Fashion Week last month, Charlene told local media her health was 'fragile' and the road to recovery was 'long, difficult and so painful'.

Charlene has rarely been seen with Albert since she spent some 10 months in South Africa last year. She contracted a serious sinus infection on a charity trip, which left her hospitalised and delayed her return to Monaco.

She returned home in November, but left almost immediately for Switzerland to receive treatment for 'exhaustion'.

It comes as French media claimed she is receiving 10million a year to appear by her husband's side at public engagements.

Charlene recently returned to Monaco and was seen last month with her children and husband for the first since November after spending time in treatment facility for 'exhaustion'. The couple are pictured with Sebastian Vettel

While she use to be a regular at racing events, Charlene, pictured today, last attended the Grand Prix in 2019 - where she received a kiss on the cheek from Lewis Hamilton.

Leading French media reported the ruler of the tax haven Mediterranean principality was doing everything possible to keep Charlene 'at his side at public events'.

Major French outlets that specialise in celebrity news said Charlene's sudden re-appearance was welcomed by all Royal watchers.

'But the Princess did not return at any price,' magazine Voici reported. 'She would have had her husband sign an ultra-confidential contract.'

Timeline: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene's year apart January 27 - Charlene is pictured with Albert for the Sainte Devote Ceremony in Monaco. March 18 - Charlene is pictured at the memorial for the late Zulu monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini at the KwaKhethomthandayo Royal Palace in Nongoma, South Africa April 2 - Charlene posts an Instagram picture of herself, Albert and their twins Jacques and Gabriella for Easter. It is unknown where the image was taken. May 8 - Albert, Jacques and Gabriella attend a Grand Prix event in Monaco without Charlene May 10 - Albert attends Monaco Gala Awards in Monaco without Charlene May 18 - Charlene shares her first picture from her conservation trip in South Africa June 1 - Prince Albert II, Jacques and Gabriella attend event at Oceanic Museum in Monaco June 3 - New photos emerge of Charlene on her conservation trip June 5- Charlene puts on a united front as she shares a photo with her family to mark her niece's fifth birthday with her brother's family and Albert and the twins in South Africa June 7 - Albert and the twins attend the World Rugby Sevens without Charlene June 17 - Prince Albert attends Red Cross Summer concert in Monte Carlo with his sister Princess Caroline of Hanover June 18 - Prince Albert appears alone Monte Carlo TV Festival June 24 - Charlene's foundation releases a statement saying the royal is unable to travel and is undergoing procedures for an ear, nose and throat infection July 2 - Charlene and Albert mark their 10th anniversary separately. 'This year will be the first time that I'm not with my husband on our anniversary in July, which is difficult, and it saddens me,' Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene said in a statement. July 3 - Albert appears with glamorous niece Charlotte Casiraghi at the 15th international Monte-Carlo Jumping event, which is part of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Monaco, July 27 - Prince Albert attends Olympics alone in Tokyo August 13 - Charlene undergoes a four-hour operation. The reason is not announced August 25 - Charlene shares photos of Prince Albert, Gabriella and Jacques visiting her in South Africa September 1 - Charlene is admitted under an alias to the Netcare Alberlito Hospital after suddenly 'collapsing' September 2 - She is discharged, with a statement from the Palais Princier reading: 'Her Highness is closely monitored by Her medical team who said that Her condition was not worrying' September 23 - Prince Albert attends the 2021 Monte Carlo Gala for Planetary Health September 29 - Prince Albert is joined on the red carpet by actress Sharon Stone for a first look at the eagerly anticipated James Bond release September 30 - Charlene releases a stylish video promoting her anti-poaching campaign from her South African bolthole October 3 - Princess Charlene shares a photograph of herself smiling in front of a bible in her first snap since being discharged from hospital following her health scare October 5 - Prince Albert attends Sportel Awards Ceremony in Monte Carlo with nephew Louis Ducruet October 6 - Albert tells RMC radio Charlene is 'ready to come home' October 8 - Princess undergoes surgery in South Africa November 8 - Charlene arrives back in Monaco. Prince Albert said within hours it became clear she was 'unwell' November 13 - Prince Albert attends Expo 2020 in Dubai without Princess Charlene Following his return from the trip, Prince Albert holds an intervention with Charlene's brothers and a sister-in-law in which Charlene 'confirmed' she would seek 'real medically framed treatment' outside of Monaco November 16 - Royal household confirms Princess Charlene will not attend National Day celebrations on November 19 - Prince Albert attends a Monaco Red Cross event without Princess Charlene November 17 - Prince Albert reveals Princess Charlene has left Monaco and is recovering in a secret location November 19 - Prince Albert reveals Charlene is in a treatment facility 'elsewhere in Europe' after a family intervention January 25 - Charlene celebrates her birthday alone outside of Monaco January 26 - Prince Albert is joined by his children and sister without Charlene at St Devote's Day February 27 - Prince Albert and his two children attend AS Monaco football match without Princess Charlene March 14 - The royal palace announced Charlene had returned to Monaco. April 17 - Palace released Easter Sunday family portrait of couple with their seven-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques April 30 - Princess Charlene makes first public appearance at Monaco E-Prix May 7 - Charlene joins Albert at Sainte Devote Rugby Tournament May 18 - Prince Albert takes twins to Disneyland without Charlene May 25- Charlene appears with Gabriella at fashion show while Albert attends football game with Jacques May 28 - Charlene and Albert appear together at Monaco F1 Advertisement

Conditions include Albert paying Charlene '12 million euros [10.2m] per year', the outlet claims.

The revelations were followed up by rival publication Paris Match Belgium, which writes: 'Prince Albert would himself pay a tidy sum to the princess so that she appears at his side at public events.'

Events that Charlene could now be contractually obliged to attend include the F1 Grand Prix and the Rose charity ball which has been rescheduled from March 19 to July 8.

The Royal Palace in Monte Carlo refuses to discuss specific financial arrangements, but the principality pays out some 40m a year to cover the institution's running costs.

Royals are not salaried officials, however, meaning that Charlene would be reliant on Albert  a billionaire in his own right  for her own spending money.

A Royal insider based in Monte Carlo told Mail Online: 'Of course the Princess enjoys huge perks, but ready cash is not guaranteed.

'She's been through a very difficult time, so it would make sense for Charlene to try and secure her own guaranteed income.'

Charlene first had a 10-month absence in her native South Africa, where she contracted and was hospitalised for a serious sinus infection that delayed her return to Monaco.

After her return to the principality in November, Charlene left almost immediately to receive treatment for 'exhaustion' at a Swiss clinic.

The Monaco palace has consistently denied media reports of a rift between Charlene and the principality's ruler Prince Albert, who were wed in 2011, following the princess' long absence.

Zimbabwean-born Princess Charlene was hospitalised after collapsing in September in South Africa, where she had been living for several months.

She underwent surgery in October for an ear, nose and throat infection after checking in under a pseudonym in a Durban hospital, a palace source said at the time.

Friends previously told Page Six that the mother-of-two 'almost died' while she was in her home country, while her husband spoke out to say she is suffering from 'exhaustion, both emotional and physical'.

A palace statement released on December 23 revealed Albert and the couple's children were planning to visit Charlene during the Christmas holidays, as well as asking for the family's privacy to be respected.

It added that the princess 'is recuperating in a satisfactory and reassuring manner, although it may take a few more months before her health has reached a full recovery.'

Princess Charlene met Prince Albert in 2000 during a swimming competition in Monaco and the pair married in 2011, before welcoming twins Gabriella and Jacques in 2014.

Charlene returned to her husband and twins Jacques and Gabriella in November following almost a year in South Africa.

While on a solo charity trip to the country, she contracted a severe sinus infection which prevented her from travelling. She subsequently needed surgery to treat the medical condition, which again delayed her return to Monaco.

In the weeks after her arrival, Charlene remained absent from public duties.

Albert later revealed the family reunion had gone 'pretty well' in the first few hours, but it then became 'pretty evident' that Charlene was 'unwell.'

He said the former Olympian 'realised she needed help', adding: 'She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general or even family life.'

Albert explained: 'I'm probably going to say this several times, but this has nothing to do with our relationship. I want to make that very clear. These are not problems within our relationship; not with the relationship between a husband and wife. It's of a different nature.'

He went on to tell a magazine her current state was a result of 'several factors which are private'.

Albert continued: 'She hadn't slept well in a number of days and she wasn't eating at all well. She has lost a lot of weight, which made her vulnerable to other potential ailments. A cold or the flu or God help us, COVID.'

He said it is 'not cancer-related or personal relationship issue' and later said she is suffering from 'exhaustion, both emotional and physical'.

He later confirmed Charlene has been admitted to a treatment facility for undisclosed medical issues, as she works through a period of ill health. The location of the facility was not confirmed, though several sources claim it is in Switzerland.

However friends of the princess spoke out to suggest the issues were more physical than Albert appeared to suggest.

Speaking to Page Six, a source described as the royal's friend said: 'It is unfair that she is being portrayed as having some kind of mental or emotional issue.

'We don't know why the palace is downplaying that she almost died in South Africa.'

The source explained the royal had a severe ear, nose and throat infection, which resulted in 'severe sinus and swallowing issues stemming from an earlier surgery'.

Elsewhere friends of Princess Charlene gave Tatler a rare insight into what the royal is really like, insisting that the former swimmer is a force to be reckoned with.

One source rubbished any public perception that Charlene is 'naive' and trapped in an unhappy marriage with Albert, saying: 'I don't for one second think she did not know what she was doing when she married him.'

But one warned the mother of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, seven, is not the type to be blindly controlled by the Monaco royal household.

'Charlene is no Princess Di.' one said. 'She may come across as being extremely naive, but nothing could be further from the truth. She is very good at keeping her smarts under wraps.'

Doubts about the central relationship of Monaco's royal family are not new.

Several residents living in the narrow medieval alleys of Monaco Ville confirmed to MailOnline that before she left for South Africa Charlene was spending most of her time outside the Palace, living in a modest two-bedroom apartment above an old chocolate factory about 300m away, rather than in the 12th Century Palace itself.

'We often saw her outside the Palace and she would usually be alone or with a bodyguard,' said one source, 'but she was never with Albert - it was obvious she chose to spend most of her time in the apartment rather than the palace.'

Princess Charlene of Monaco and her daughter Princess Gabriella of Monaco attend the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco

Princess Charlene met Prince Albert in 2000 during a swimming competition in Monaco and the pair married in 2011, before welcoming twins Gabriella and Jacques in 2014.

Born in Rhodesia- a previously unrecognised state in Southern Africa colonised by the British, she relocated to South Africa aged 11.

She had a successful swimming career and went on to win three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1999 All Africa Games in Johannesburg, as well as representing South Africa at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games and winning a silver medal in the 4  100 m medley relay in the latter competition.

However the pair's marriage has made numerous headlines over the years, with a third paternity suit emerging in December 2020.

Soon afterwards Charlene famously shaved half her head in the style of a punk rocker. Months later she left for South Africa.

The allegations in December 2020 claimed that Albert had fathered a love-child (which would be his third, if proven) with an unnamed Brazilian woman during the time when he and Charlene were already in a relationship.

He has also fathered two other children outside of wedlock. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, who is now 29 and the result of Albert's affair with an American estate agent, and Alexandre Coste, 18, whose mother is a former Togolese air hostess.

Both children were struck off Monaco's line of succession in return for vast financial settlements.
South Africa: Masondo leads SA delegation to Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference

Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Amos Masondo, is leading a high-level delegation of Members of Parliament to represent the country at the 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region Conference taking place in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 3 to 9 June 2022.

The African Region of the CPA comprises 63 national and subnational legislatures, with a mission to promote and protect the interests and perspectives of African Parliaments and countries, into the Commonwealth and beyond, and to promote gender equality, emancipation of women, and respect for human rights, freedoms, democracy and good governance.

The conference is hosted by the Parliament of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the CPA Africa Region Secretariat, and brings together 400 delegates, observers and other participants from CPA Africa Region Member States including South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, Nigeria, Ghana, Eswatini, Cameroon, Namibia, Malawi and Tanzania, as well as 16 sub-branches (nine from South Africa and seven from Nigeria).

The 52nd CPA  Africa Region Conference is held under the theme, The role of African Parliaments in building an inclusive society to counter growing insecurity in Africa, with a view to explore and share ideas and perspectives on how to strengthen democracy in Africa.

The conference officially opened on 6 June 2022 at the Freetown International Conference Center in Bintumani Hotel, Aberdeen.

Parliamentary spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo said the South African delegation will participate in the plenary and side meetings of various committees, including Executive Committee, Commonwealth Womens Parliament Steering Sub Committee, Constitutional Amendment Ad hoc Sub Committee, Regional Representatives Sub Committee, and Programme Planning and Finance Sub Committee.

The high-level delegation includes the National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Lechesa Tsenoli, in his capacity as a Member of the CPA Executive Committee, usually referred to as a Regional Representative, as well as Speakers and observers from the provincial legislatures, Mothapo said.

The South African delegation is expected to deliberate on the following topics, among others:

 Strengthening parliamentary visibility: Parliamentary efforts in resource allocation for purposes of executing its Constitutional mandate,

 Evolving and adapting new strategies for increased women participation in politics,

 The role of African parliaments in accelerating Intra-Africa Trade,

 Mobilising regional, international coordination and cooperation to respond to COVID-19 and future pandemics, and

 Drawing lessons from COVID-19 to build foundations for future pandemics.

Mothapo said in accordance with rule 15 (1) and (2) of the Regional Conference Preparation Guidelines, the entitlement for the South African Parliaments CPA Africa Branch is four delegates.

The CPAs approved party representation formula for Parliamentary representatives for four delegates are Chairperson of the NCOP, Amos Masondo, who will lead the delegation; Commonwealth Womens Parliament representative, Winnie Ngwenya and one member from the African National Congress, Nomgqibelo Nkosi, and one more member from Democratic Alliance, Darren Bergman.

As a branch of the CPA Africa Region, Mothapo said the South African Parliament utilises the CPA workshops, seminars and conferences of this nature to address challenges and issues of common concern for the continent.

The CPA was founded in 1911 at a meeting of Heads of Government in Westminster Hall as the then-Empire Parliamentary Association, and its affairs were administered by the United Kingdom Branch.

The original members were Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-06-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Dialogue with Generation Z of China and South Africa successfully held online

17:25, June 06, 2022 By Madiketso Motaung ( People's Daily Online

In the lead up to National Youth Day in South Africa, which will fall on June 16, Longyuan South Africa Renewables, a subsidiary of China Longyuan Power Group Corp & China Energy Investment Corp, conducted a discussion centred on Generation Z, also known as Gen Z, focusing on South Africa and China, on May 31, 2022.

According to relevant institutes' research, Gen Z comprises 46 percent of South Africa's population, with 27.5 million young people. South Africas Gen Z has emerged as the new driving force behind the countrys economic progress. How is this demographic benefiting from the good relations between South Africa and China in terms of their bilateral economic and cultural exchanges? Longyuan South Africa Renewables convened and conducted a helpful debate with Gen Z participants from both China and South Africa with these themes in mind.

Lai Chaoran, Director of the Youth Reading Club of the Consulate-General of China in Johannesburg gives an opening speech.

In his opening speech, Lai Chaoran, Director of the Youth Reading Club of the Consulate-General of China in Johannesburg, remarked that Generation Z enjoys many benefits not only from the bilateral economic cooperation, but also from educational and cultural exchanges. At present, more than 10 Chinese universities have established cooperative relations with South African universities. Hunan University of China, Stellenbosch University of South Africa, Northeast Normal University of China and the University of Pretoria of South Africa have been selected as partners for the 20+20 Cooperation Plan among Chinese and African universities within the framework of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum.

Spirited discussions took place, with many Gen Z participants discussing their concerns and preferences with regards to navigating the new world of employment.

When Lesego Masemola, a 17-year-old high school student, was asked to describe her ideal working environment, she replied: I would say that, a closed space, I dont know about you, but it cultivates the feeling of being limited and it sort of creates like a mental block, it feels like youre in sort of a prison and I feel that it is important that you are able to be creative and your able to like explore different possibilities and not feel that sort of confinement.

The Dialogue with the Generation Z in China and South Africa is successfully held online.

Sharing her take on the major differences between Gen Z in South Africa and Gen Z in China, Maxine Werth, an assistant project manager at the Chinese Culture and International Education Exchange Centre, said that Our generation and Generation Z in China have more in common than any other generation before and I think it is because of globalization.

More than 30 representatives from the Confucius Classroom of the Chinese Culture and International Education Exchange Centre, Bank of China Johannesburg Branch, Aberdare Cables, People's Daily Online South Africa, and the Confucius Institute of the University of Johannesburg, along with other organizations, attended the event.

The Dialogue was an overall success with many viewpoints having been shared via the forum. Longyuan South Africa Renewables hopes to host many more such events to encourage ongoing conversations between China and South Africa in the future.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Double Indemnity: Part One By Michael Moriarty

web posted June 6, 2022 The master of dialogue: Billy Wilder! Well, he and Raymond Chandler, for the screenplay of Double Indemnity. Two male minds, fantasizing about a woman and double indemnity! Two gifted artists matching bad boy, Fred Mac Murray, with ruthless, bomb-shell, bad girl, Barbara Stanwyck! With lines like: I dont know. I bought it in Ensinada. Whos going to leave that kind of killer-nonchalance? Her eyes! The call of a great actress! Instinctively born with the killer-glances, both amorous and homicidal. Walter, our bad guy, knows everything shes plotting, even while shes plotting it: Lets give him life insurance without his knowing it. We in the audience? We already know we are in the hands of this films very nasty couple. We stay to see them fail?! Or do we just like the ride with Bonnie and Clyde? Billy Wilder knew the thrill of riding with an evil couple, long before Bonny and Clyde even showed up in their car. Yaw wanna, says Walter, knock him off, dontcha?! Walters just getting a few things straight before she jumps into bed with him. Shes trying to play the hard-to-get mask of innocence. He, however, reads her like he would a comic book yet, why does he lust for her? She might be as wildly abandoned in bed as she is in greed and possible murder? And that is all in her eyes! All the fires of deceit that our anti-hero would ever want to play with. She knows exactly the price hes demanding her to pay for the very pricey risks of helping her murder her husband. These clearly stated realities beneath all of her eye magic?! Thats why our eyes are glued to the screen. We, as their audience, can taste criminality, without ever having committed a crime. Were not even an accomplice since were not even in the movie! But would the movie have been made without us? You neednt answer that question. Walter leaves this long scene with her, holding, as he says, a red-hot poker, which he cant let go of. Then, of course, she shows up at his apartment! When she takes off her coat, we see the outline of her breasts. It will now be very hard, almost impossible, for our anti-hero to say any kind of no to her about any kind of thing, for as long as he has not seen her breasts naked. Shes taking a gamble, of course, on his utter lack of morality when she surrenders to him. However, those eyes! Barbara Stanwicks eyes?! She knows who shes dealing with as profoundly as he does. Its he who grabs her, and she knew he would do it!! They are now, as the very French describe it, ego a deux. Both prepared to murder someone as easily as it has been to commit adultery. He says, Im crazy about you, baby! She says the same thing, but not as convincingly. I doubt if hes even surprised at that. However, her lack of similar enthusiasm makes him the narrator of the whole nightmare. Clark Gable, or any, irresistible super-star like that, would have been miscast. The nice but unimpressive Fred Mac-Murray was perfect in the role. An excellent actor without much charisma. Thats exactly why the character gets himself into a trap which he cant possibly pull himself out of! Bourbon is fine, Walter. That line by Ms. Stanwyck seals the murder contract. Before they toast their new adventure, however, Walter fills his new love and lust in on some past failures in the homicide-for-insurance-money business. That wife got 3-to-10 years, he says. Our anti-heroines reply to that: Perhaps it was worth it to her. Would simply getting laid prove to be as similarly worth it for him? While having her bourbon with water, she describes why the end of her husband might be worth her risking time in jail. He, on the other hand, reminds her of how difficult and dangerous false insurance claims can become. This prepares us, of course, for the entrance of Keyes, played by Edward G. Robinson. Walters warnings to his soon-to-be-partner-in-death come purely from the depth of the passion he feels for her. Were hearing a narration, however, from this man who has already woken up to the depth of his stupidity. She started, he tells us painfully, crying softly, like the rain on the window. With writing like that during a romantic-murder plot, Ive gotta see this love story to the end! What a pair! With souls like theirs, you almost dont wonder why they dream up their failing plot. Their nightmare was fated to happen. With lives like those of Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, however?! Hollywood heaven! We can dream up movies and make them!! Theres nothing tragic about these dreamers of double indemnity heaven. Nothing Shakespeare would want to deal with. Why? Theres no nobility about them! Theyre certainly neither Lord nor Lady, let alone King and Queen. They are, however, fated to meet, circle each other, conive and then become lovers in order to not only commit murder but make a possible fifty to one hundred thousand dollars together doing the murder. Yes! And dream about leaving their drab lives! The plotting begins. Walter knows he needs his victims signature on an insurance application; but the victim hates even the idea of insurance, except, of course, the one he purchased for his previous and now-dead-wife. Our victim of this murder?! Not a nice guy. At least, thats how he sounds. Oh, Fred Mac Murrays performance is brilliant, particularly in his long phone confession to Edward G. Robinson. Hes in the hell of a complete loser who has made the wrong gamble! However, when we meet the victim?! Yeah! Hes very much not a nice guy. Meanwhile our killers are meeting at a grocery store and trying, quite unsuccessfully to behave as if they dont know each other. Here we learn, the victim has just broken his leg and wont be getting on the train that Walter had planned for him. A change of plans?! Not one that Walter would like. No change of plans. Not yet. Walter even hopes that the murder never happens. Thats how the creators of this movie get the normal, everyday but unimaginably huge audience that they hope to. Walter, as best as his creators can, is Mr. Average American Male. I had, however, forgotten that Edward G. Robinson or Keyes, as his character is known, wants to offer Walter a better job! Id forgotten that Walter, to keep his job, had taken a cut in pay. Another reason for his bitterness. This is where the genius of the plot and its creators comes in. We dont care much for either the victim or the wife who wants to murder him. We do, however, begin to live inside the world of our anti-hero, Walter. We almost, at times, sympathize with him. A murderer?!?! If he didnt already know what a bad guy hes become, we wouldnt watch the whole film. His recorded confession to what is clearly a friend?! Robinsons first scene with Mac Murrary?! Flawlessly BRILLIANT! The eternally, inner-urgency-of-great-acting. If a genius at acting such as Edward G. Robinson can tell an entire story in less time?! He will!! Meanwhile, to make this scene even more riveting, Ms. Barbara Stanwyck phones our anti-hero while Keyes is still in the room and wow! Acting on top of acting on top of acting! All performed impeccably by everyone involved! Walter learns from his accomplice that the victim, her husband, despite his injured leg, is, indeed, getting on the very train they had planned to kill him on. Keyes/Robinsons exit line, after his job offer is rejected by Walter  who is now dreaming of double indemnity  Keyes says, Yer not smarter, Walter, yer just a little taller. The writing magic between Wilder and Chandler makes me wish theyd written hundreds of screenplays together. With so few collaborations between them, it is heartbreaking. So! Our ego-a-deux, with us glued to their every next move, are off to the first and only murder of their lives. Or so we think. We see how meticulously Walter has thought. this through. Wow, again! We learn that not only is our anti-heroine going to drive her husband to the train, her accomplice in murder, Walter, will be hidden in the back seat! The kill will be on the way to the train. And yes it happens! They murder her husband in the car. And the film is only half-over. Ms. Stanwycks eyes! The glint of victory and, yes, Job done! Impressively victorious villainy!! That job done?! Its time for Walter to play the dead husband, making sure that the last time we saw our victim? It was on the train. Last minute instructions, insistently stated by Walter during their walk to the train, and acknowledged by a now, disturbingly calm fellow-killer. With a perfect score by Miklos Rozsa behind them, the movie rolls on to their seeming victory. They seemed to havent missed a bet. Even a last-minute witness to her husbands presence on the train spoke with him and actually went back, for our killers imitation of our victim, to get him a cigar. What more, if you were planning to murder someone, could you ask for?! Now Walter jumps from the back of the train at the planned meeting-spot! Shes there and, it would seem, they are off to freedom and possibly 100,000 dollars. Part Two of this will carry you even further into this unstoppably hypnotic nightmare. Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@shaw.ca . He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty Home
An ex McDonald's employee has shared her favourite secret menu item from the fast food franchise which satisfies her sweet tooth.

Marketing manager Queenie Tan, who lives in Sydney, first learned about ordering a mini sundae with a topping of your choice when she worked at Maccas as a teenager.

'You can get a soft serve in a lid with chocolate or caramel sauce. It's just like a mini sundae but it only costs $1.30. Did you know about this?' She said in a recent TikTok video.

Marketing manager Queenie Tan, who lives in Sydney, first learned about ordering a mini sundae with a topping of your choice when she worked at Maccas as a teenager

'You can get a soft serve in a lid with chocolate or caramel sauce. It's just like a mini sundae but it only costs $1.30. Did you know about this?' She said in a recent TikTok video

The 26-year-old often doesn't want to spend $3 on a small sundae or $4 for a large so this is her ingenious way of saving money - and calories - when she visits the drive-through.

Customers can also make a mini McFlurry ordering in the same way with crushed Oreos or M&Ms on top.

In February Queenie shared another little-known hack that can save you money when ordering a McDonald's meal.

Customers can also make a mini McFlurry ordering in the same way with crushed Oreos or M&Ms on top

While working there Queenie noticed the kids' McNuggets Happy Meal and small McNuggets adult meal contain the same menu items.

But the kids Happy Meal is $2 cheaper and priced at $8.30, while the adult version costs $10.30.

'I used to work at Maccas and something I learnt is that you can buy nuggets or a cheeseburger Happy Meal, which is the same thing but $2 cheaper!' Queenie wrote on Instagram.

Customers receive small fries, Big Mac special sauce and a small drink with both options, but the Happy Meal is slightly cheaper and comes with a toy or book.

Queenie said you can ask the employee to keep the book or toy if desired.

Customers receive small fries, Big Mac special sauce and a small drink with both meals, but the Happy Meal is slightly cheaper and comes with a toy or book

To compare, the Happy Meal is priced at $8.30. Queenie noticed the price difference when working at McDonald's as a teenager

Queenie told 7News the Happy Meal option is a better value for money, but customers are limited to a few choices.

'You can only get a Cheeseburger, Hamburger, three or six pieces of chicken nuggets or a snack wrap and you can only get a small drink and fries with it - or apples if you don't want fries,' she said.

'Unfortunately you can't order it with a Big Mac or a McChicken burger.'
An Australian shopper has ignited a heated debate online after snapping up seven marked down roast chickens from Woolworths.

The Sydney mum flaunted her bargain haul in which she nabbed the chooks for just $4.40 down from $11 in a post to popular Facebook group Markdown Addicts Australia.

'No I didn't buy them all. Yes I left some for others. Yes we eat a lot of chicken. No it won't go to waste,' she wrote in the post referencing previous arguments in the group where people have accused shoppers of being 'rude' for 'hogging' discounted food.

A Sydney mum sparked a debate after flaunting her bargain haul in which she nabbed seven roast chooks for just $4.40 down from $11

The bargain hunter's post drew in hundreds of likes and dozens of comments from fellow shoppers saying she shouldn't have to justify her haul.

'Who cares if you did buy them all! You're entitled to buy whatever you want. I would have bought a few, good score,' one mum wrote.

'When I come across meat cheap I usually buy the lot. I don't care what people think. I'm thinking ahead for my family, if they aren't sold they get thrown out so great score no need to justify it to anyone as your money is as good as anyone else's,' a second commented.

Another shopper shared her experience of getting into an argument with a woman who disagreed with her taking more than one marked down chicken.

'I nearly got into a chicken fight with a lady over getting two chickens on sale ($3.34 each) I brought one for my elderly neighbour who had a flu,' she recalled.

Poll Is it greedy or rude to empty a supermarket shelf of discounted products? Yes No Is it greedy or rude to empty a supermarket shelf of discounted products? Yes 184 votes

No 239 votes Now share your opinion





'She told me it's rude to take more than one and that I was now making her kids starve for tea. When I told her to back the f*** up she demanded the manager take the chicken away from me - he didn't.'

The chicken-lover's post comes just weeks after another group member was dubbed 'selfish' and 'greedy' for her huge markdown haul of heavily discounted fish.

The woman bought 'every single packet' of premium salmon and trout that had been marked down from $11 to just $1.10.

She posted an image of her trolley filled with the fish packets to the group and attracted a slew comments with many jumping to her defense.

'Imagine being that selfish, how embarrassing,' one woman commented while another wrote: 'Certainly some greedy people around these days'.

'Yes good price, but wouldn't it be nice to leave some for someone else,' a third said.

The chicken-lover's post comes weeks after another group member was dubbed 'selfish' and 'greedy' for her markdown haul of heavily discounted fish (pictured, the haul in her trolley)

'Couldn't agree more. Greed seems to take over. Putting a few packets back could've fed another family for the night but no one thinks of others these days,' another responded.

Other shoppers applauded the money-saving mum for her impressive haul with some warning to check the quality before cooking and questioning whether the fish can even be frozen.

'Love a shelf clearer as you saved that department from having to put it down as dumped when no one else's buys it. Love your work,' one shopper said.

'Excellent score, better eaten than in landfill. Freeze that and eat happy for days,' a second replied.

'I only ever bought salmon once when it was marked down and when I opened it, it was rotten. Too close to use by date for my liking, especially fish,' another explained.

'Be careful it may not be able to be frozen, need to read the packaging,' one shopper suggested.
A young woman has issued a warning after she 'impulsively' decided to get her teeth done while on holiday and was left with a 'Lego' smile.

Aida Azizii, from London, was on holiday in Iran with her family when she booked to get veneers done with disastrous results, she explained in a series of videos posted to TikTok.

The 26-year-old paid just $965AU for 19 teeth and spent more than nine hours in the dentist chair during her first session which she said gave her 'piano key' teeth.

Scroll down for video

Aida Azizii, from London, was on holiday in Iran with her family when she booked to get veneers done but was left with 'piano key' teeth

Aida said she noticed many people including all her cousins in Iran had their teeth done and she wanted to have a set of pearly white for herself so got a recommendation for a dentist from a relative.

'I didn't check their Instagram page, nothing. I trusted them, so I called this doctor and he's like 'you can come today at 7pm',' she explained.

When she arrived, the doctor was with another patient so his assistant got started on Aida's teeth and convinced her to go with the whitest white available.

Aida said the dental assistant eventually had to go home, so the doctor took over.

By this stage, Aida has seen her uneven teeth but said she 'still had hope' as the doctor kept assuring her they'll 'look better once they've been shaved down'.

'He finished my teeth at like 4am and he hands me mirror and I am literally in shock,' she said.

'I wanted to cry but I was so tired because it was like 4am I just wanted to go home at that point,' she continued.

'They look ridiculous - like Tic Tacs, piano keys and the colour is ridiculous. I look like a horse.'

The next morning, she calls the clinic to arrange a follow-up appointment so they can fix her teeth however she is seen by the dental assistant again who tries to shave the veneers down more.

'I reluctantly let her work on my teeth again. I was just in so much pain,' Aida explained.

Her teeth were so painful she was unable to eat, sleep or close her mouth all the way making her lips dry out and even her voice change.

Aida eventually did her research and found a reputable doctor who was willing to fix her teeth and was 'shocked' at the previous dentist's botched job.

'I was told that because they were so big, and the all pressure was on my front teeth, if I had left them untreated, my natural teeth would have eventually fallen out,' she said.

Aida is now happy with her teeth, despite thinking they're still a bit too white, and said the traumatic experience left her with a valuable lessons to always do your research.

'I found the doctor's Instagram and in his bio it wrote 'university student' so he's not even a doctor and now that I think about it I didn't see any certificates in his office,' she said.

'Don't be stupid like me - think before you do things. Don't just randomly get your teeth done - do your research and check their Instagram page.'
Australian scientist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki has addressed an age-old myth about the daddy long legs spider that thousands deem to be true.

Many believe the arachnids are the 'most venomous' spiders in the world and their fangs are too short to cause any damage - but Dr Karl said this isn't the case.

In a short TikTok video, the 73-year-old boffin said the fangs can sometimes penetrate into the skin, but the venom is 'incredibly mild' and 'won't kill you'.

'I guess we've all been spun a web of lies,' Dr Karl said in the now-viral clip.

Scroll down for video

Beloved boffin Dr Karl Kruszelnicki said the fangs of daddy long legs spiders can sometimes be long enough to penetrate into the skin, but the venom is 'incredibly mild' and 'won't kill you'

Poll Did you believe the daddy long legs myth? Yes, until now! No, I've always known the truth Did you believe the daddy long legs myth? Yes, until now! 211 votes

No, I've always known the truth 223 votes Now share your opinion





'We've all heard the story that the daddy long legs spider is the most poisonous spider on earth, but it can't kill you because the fangs are too short,' he said.

Dr Karl added how the fangs are 'sometimes long enough' to bite into the skin, but this is unlikely.

'The toxin is there but it's incredibly, incredibly, incredibly mild - it won't kill you,' he said.

The myth that daddy long legs spiders has been circling for decades, but there's no scientific evidence to support it.

In the video Dr Karl also highlighted other facts about these spiders, saying many are 'opilionids' with only two eyes instead of eight.

He also mentioned spiders can be 'venomous' not 'poisonous', as the venom isn't ingested through the mouth.

Within 24 hours the video went viral exceeding more than 360,000 views.

'I am today years old at 38 and only JUST being properly educated on daddy long legs. My childhood was a lie,' one person wrote in the comments.

Another added: 'But who started it?!?'

'Thanks Dr Karl for this for this information, I'll impress my friends with this next week,' a third said.

The truth about daddy long legs: Myth busted These arachnids make their living by eating decomposing vegetative and animal matter although are opportunist predators if they can get away with it. They do not have venom glands, fangs or any other mechanism for chemically subduing their food. Therefore, they do not have injectable toxins. Some have defensive secretions that might be toxic to small animals if ingested. So, the tale is clearly false. What about their fangs being too short to penetrate human skin? They do indeed have short fangs, which in arachnological terms is called "uncate" because they have a secondary tooth which meets the fang like the way the two grabbing parts of a pair of tongs come together. Brown recluse spiders similarly have uncate fang structure and they obviously are able to bite humans. There may be a difference in the musculature that houses the fang such that recluses have stronger muscles for penetration because they are hunting spiders needing to subdue wandering prey whereas pholcid spiders are able to wrap their prey and don't need as strong a musculature. So, again, the myth states as fact something about which there is no scientific basis. For true daddy-long-legs, the opilionids, the myth is certainly false, and for the daddy-long-legs spiders it is certainly not based on known facts. Source: Spider research Advertisement

In another video, Dr Karl revealed cracking your knuckles won't lead to arthritis but may hinder your ability to open jars later on in life.

He cited two studies that debunked the myth that cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis

'When you pull your finger to crack the joint, you make the joint space - the space between the bones - bigger and this sucks the ligaments in and it makes a gas bubble pop into existence,' Dr Karl explained in the now-viral clip.

'However the energy released is only about seven per cent of what you need to damage the cartilage.'

In another video, Dr Karl revealed cracking your knuckles won't lead to arthritis but may hinder your ability to open jars later on in life

The doctor brought up one study involving a doctor who cracked the knuckles on only his left hand for 50 years.

'At the end, no difference in arthritis between this hand and that hand but one person is not an adequate sample size,' he said.

Another study Dr Karl highlighted had a much bigger sample size of 300 people who cracked the joints on their both of their hands for 35 years.

'They had no extra cases of arthritis but they had slightly swollen joints, which of itself is no big deal, and their grip strength is about about one quarter of what it should be,' he said.

'So there's no strong evidence that cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis however it could make it difficult to unscrew a jar of Vegemite.'
Taking the Pill may not leave women prone to suffering mental health problems, a major study suggests.

Finnish researchers found women on hormonal contraceptives were actually a third less likely to attempt suicide.

The 'striking' results, based on nearly 600,000 women, dispel widespread concerns about the Pill's effect on mental health.

Thousands of women have shunned the contraceptives over fears they could trigger unpleasant changes in mood, anxiety and depression.

Dr Elena Toffol, who led the University of Helsinki project, said: 'We set out to verify previous data, so this is not what we expected'.

She described it as 'good news for contraceptive users'.

As well as the Pill, hormonal contraceptives include the implant, intrauterine system (IUS) and the patch.

Researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland studied nearly 600,000 women, half of whom were taking hormonal contraceptives and half who were not. Results showed that those not taking the methods of birth control were a third more likely to attempt suicide in comparison to users

WHAT METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE? Contraception aims to prevent pregnancy. A woman can get pregnant if a man's sperm reaches one of her eggs. Contraception tries to stop this happening by keeping the egg and sperm apart, by stopping egg production or by stopping the combined sperm and egg attaching to the lining of the womb. Contraception is free for most people in the UK. The options available include: caps or diaphragms

combined pill

condoms

contraceptive implant

contraceptive injection

contraceptive patch

female condoms

IUD (intrauterine device or coil)

IUS (intrauterine system or hormonal coil)

natural family planning (fertility awareness)

progestogen-only pill

vaginal ring Advertisement

Around one in six women aged 15 to 49 in the UK and the US take the Pill  the most popular method of hormonal contraception.

It releases oestrogen and progesterone which disrupts ovulation, the point in the menstrual cycle when a woman is most likely to get pregnant.

The contraceptive patch (stuck to the skin) and the vaginal ring (placed inside the vagina) both also release these hormones and work in the same way.

Other methods of hormonal contraception work by releasing progestogen into the blood stream, preventing ovulation.

These include the progestogen-only pill, an injection, the implant  a plastic rod placed under the skin of the arm  and the IUS, a T-shaped plastic coil that's put into the womb.

But some women have complained of suffering from poor mental health after using these methods of contraception.

And studies have linked increased rates of mood changes, depression and suicide with the pill and other hormonal methods of birth control.

Scientists have suggested changing levels of these sex hormones, particularly progesterone, impacts areas of the brain that control cognitive functioning and the processing of emotions.

Half of the women in the Finnish study had used hormonal contraceptives for at least six months, while the others had not.

The study, to be presented this week at the virtual European Congress of Psychiatry, only looked at suicide rates between 2017-19.

Analysis revealed non-users, which included women on other forms of contraception, were 37 per cent more likely to attempt suicide.

There were 344 attempted suicides among women using hormonal contraceptives. For comparison, 474 tried to commit suicide who did not take hormonal birth control.

Rates were the same among 15 to 19-year-olds  regardless of whether or not they used hormonal contraception or not.

But suicide rates were lower among hormonal contraceptive users in the 20-24 and 25-29 age brackets, in comparison.

Dr Toffol said: 'Women, especially younger women, have higher rates of depression and attempted suicide than men of similar ages.

'Many women using hormonal contraceptives, especially contraceptive pills, report mood changes as a side effect.

'Initial reports from 2018 and 2020 had indicated use of hormonal contraceptives was associated with a higher number/risk of suicides and suicide attempts. We set out to confirm this data'.

However, she said they found that women using hormonal contraceptives 'had a significantly reduced risk of attempting suicide than women not using any hormonal contraception'.

The researchers noted their data is based on women who redeemed prescriptions for hormonal contraceptives and some may have not gone on to use the drugs.

They plan to study the same cohorts' health records to determine if hormonal contraception is linked with depression.

Professor Andrea Fiorillo, a psychiatry expert at the University of Campania in Naples, who was not involved in the study, said the findings 'disconfirms' earlier research.

He said: 'Of course, this striking finding deserves a careful evaluation and needs to be replicated in different cohorts of women and controlled for the impact of several psychosocial stressors, such as economic upheavals, social insecurity and uncertainty due to the Covid pandemic.

'The clinical implications of the study are obvious and may help to destigmatize the use of hormonal contraceptives.'
A great-grandfather who was struck down by a hit-and-run driver died after waiting three hours for an ambulance, his family has said.

George Stevenson, 86, suffered internal bleeding after being hit by a red Citroen C2 in Wrexham, Wales, on the night of March 2.

The retired undertaker was hit at around 7.30pm but was left lying on the 'cold, wet road' until 10.38pm when paramedics arrived, his granddaughter has said.

Mr Stevenson's condition became critical and he died at Wrexham Maelor Hospital from a suspected cardiac arrest just after midnight.

His death is still being investigated by a coroner to determine whether it could have been avoided.

Police who arrived on the scene first called an ambulance after Mr Stevenson began suffering chest pains  which would have made him a Category 2 emergency. These callouts are supposed to be seen within 20 minutes.

It comes as NHS ambulance services are currently facing a crisis across Britain, with paramedics continually unable to meet emergency response time targets.

The system is struggling amid staffing shortages, unprecedented demand and a lack of hospital beds blamed on problems in social care.

George Stevenson, 86, was struck down by a red Citroen in Wrexham, Wales, on March 2 and police called an ambulance after he started feeling chest pains

Ambulance figures for April show waits for paramedics fell compared to March but were higher than nearly all other months since records began. Ambulances took an average of 51 minutes and 22 seconds to respond to category two calls, such as burns, epilepsy and strokes. This is nine minutes and 41 seconds quicker than one month earlier

The number of safety incidents logged by ambulance trusts in England has skyrocketed 77 per cent in the last year compared to before the pandemic, official figures show. The reports  which paramedics log with the NHS when an incident risks long-term harm or death to a patient  jumped from 312 in the year to March 2020 to 551 in the 12 months to March 2022. The figures, which mainly reflect harm due to 'access, admission or transfer' problems, include 201 unintended deaths, more than double the 78 logged two years ago

Ex-paramedic's wife dies after waiting 90 minutes for an ambulance A former paramedic who campaigned for better rural ambulance cover has shared his heartbreak after his wife died in his arms during a 90-minute wait. Nigel Mitchell, of County Durham, had been married to Gill for more than four decades when she suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in October last year. A paramedic of 32 years, Mr Mitchell knew his wife was classified as a category one call, the most serious type of medical emergency, where help is needed in minutes. But a 999 call handler told him he faced a wait of an hour-and-a-half for his old employer, North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), to arrive. He believes the emergency services operator didnt consider it so urgent because he could hear her speak in the background. Refusing to wait, Mr Mitchell drove his wife to the nearest community defibrillator two miles away. Mr Mitchell said a paramedic arrived after about 45 minutes and in the end a total of four ambulance service vehicles and a helicopter turned up. Although Mrs Mitchell was flown to hospital she was declared dead on arrival. Advertisement

Mr Stevenson's granddaughter Ellie Williams has set up a petition for more funding to ambulance services in Wales.

The campaign has received more than 100,000 signatures and is set to be put before the Welsh Parliament.

Reflecting on the moments before Mr Stevenson's death, she said: 'He was left laying on the cold, wet road.

'He had no previous heart conditions and was doing okay but unfortunately, by the time the ambulance eventually arrived and they attempted to move him he went into cardiac arrest.

'We fear that he may have had an internal bleed, which left for over four and a half hours has proved critical and ended with my Grandad passing away.

'The wait on ambulances is becoming a matter of life or death and something drastically needs to change, it's happening all too often.'

Mr Stevenson's provisional cause of death has been listed as severe chest injuries due to a road traffic collision.

The injuries can cause internal bleeding, which is deadly when untreated because of the combination of blood loss and the strain it puts on other organs.

Patients may need surgery to stop the blood loss and clean out any pooled fluids if the bleeding is severe enough.

Operations are not always possible if a person is too old or the damage is too severe.

Ms Williams said paramedics are 'being prevented' from doing their jobs because there are no ambulance available or beds to drop patients off at hospital.

She said: 'We are in 2022, there are people dying due to the waiting times of ambulances and the lack of beds.

'We need to do something about this together.'

Following Mr Stevenson's death, the Welsh Ambulance Service and local health board released a joint statement, saying it is facing 'significant challenges'.

It said: 'In common with NHS providers across the UK, we are facing significant challenges across the whole health and social care system.

'We are acutely aware of the impact that these challenges have on patients, particularly when we are unable to transfer them from ambulances into our Emergency Departments, and release ambulance crews as swiftly as we would like.

'We understand people's concern and frustration about delayed ambulance responses and long waits outside Emergency Departments, and we are deeply sorry for the added distress these cause our patients and their families.

'It falls well below the level of service we strive to provide.'

Mr Stevenson's inquest has been adjourned with no fixed date.

North Wales Police arrested the 40-year-old driver of the Citroen on suspicion of dangerous diving offences in March.

The driver was released under investigation while inquiries continue.
A private cancer clinic has gone bust after an offer to help the NHS clear pandemic backlogs fell on deaf ears.

Rutherford Health Group, which runs five cancer clinics in England and Wales, has announced it has filed for liquidation.

Bosses have blamed a double blow of cancer cases being missed due to the Covid pandemic leading to fewer patients, combined with a lack of interest from the NHS in using the private sector to tackle cancer care waiting lists.

Rutherford's founder Professor Karol Sikora wrote to NHS and Government officials in December offering extra cancer checks and treatment to patients in England and Wales.

The not-for-profit offer was made in response to growing fears that cancer cases are being missed and a failure to meet treatment timeframes in the NHS.

Speaking today, Sean Sullivan, interim chief executive, said: 'We made several offers to the NHS.

'And whilst we secured some contracts they were insufficient and we have not been able to secure mechanisms to expedite process.

'This added to severe financial pressures on the business and we had no option other than to place the Group into liquidation.'

Charities said the news signalled a 'worrying' time for patients whose care had been disrupted and called for them to be swiftly transferred.

Professor Karol Sikora, founder of Rutherford Health, sent letters in December to the Department of Health and NHS England offering cancer checks and treatment to patients in England and Wales. Pictured: Rutherford Health cancer centre in Newport, South Wales. The company also has centres in Reading, Liverpool, Newcastle and Taunton

Earlier this year Professor Sikora told MailOnline he was 'very disappointed' UK's health bosses have not taken up his offer to provide cancer checks and treatments on a not-for-profit basis

About 50 private patients are still on Rutherford's books after the company began to slow down operations over the past few months in anticipation of shutting down.

Some 280 Rutherford Health staff have also been told they will lose their jobs.

The NHS has hit back at Rutherford's claims, saying the cancer clinics did not provide the services it needed to tackle backlogs.

Mr Sullivan said another factor behind the liquidation was that fewer cancer patients were diagnosed as a result of the pandemic.

'Covid has been particularly damaging for us as fewer patients were presenting with side effects during the lockdowns, and as a result cancer diagnosis has been delayed and sadly, in many cases, missed,' he said.

'This has meant fewer cancer patients have been presenting to our centres.'

Earlier this year ,Professor Sikora revealed Rutherford had offered to help the NHS on a not-for-profit basis by taking on more cancer patients.

NHS cancer diagnosis and treatment targets have reached record lows in the vast majority of metrics since the pandemic and with one exception, which has no target, all are below the health service's operation standard

England's Covid backlog in cancer care is set to last another five years without urgent action, a leading cancer charity has warned. Graph shows: The number of patients fewer than expected to receive first cancer treatment since the start of the pandemic (red line) and how long it will take to reduce to zero if treatments continue at the current pace (dotted red line), increase 5 per cent on pre-pandemic levels (dotted green line) or increase 10 per cent on pre-pandemic levels (dotted blue line)

Dr Liz Bishop, who sits on NHS England's cancer board, said she 'does not think' 85 per cent of cancer patients will start their treatment within two months by next spring. The health service's own guidelines set out that at least 17 in 20 of those who receive an urgent GP referral for cancer should start treatment within 62 days. But the target  which was introduced in 2009  hasn't been met since 2015 and fell to a record low of 61.8 per cent in January

While it already had some deals with local NHS trusts to take on some patients, the group said it wanted to expand this to help with the 'national backlog in cancer diagnostics and treatment'.

At the time it said it would offer cancer diagnosis and treatment services to any patients referred to it by NHS doctors. But the offer was not taken up.

NHS will NOT hit its target to return treatment waits for cancer to pre-Covid levels by next March, health chief warns The NHS will likely still be missing crucial cancer targets next year, a senior health official has warned. Dr Liz Bishop, who sits on NHS England's national cancer board, admitted that she 'does not think' it will be 'business as usual' by March. This is despite the Government promising performance to return to pre-pandemic levels by spring 2023. It comes in wake of the 1.25 per cent national insurance hike, which is set to raise billions to help the NHS recover from the pandemic and reform social care over the next three years. Experts called Dr Bishop's comments a 'frightening admission of defeat', with the cancer crisis set to cost 'thousands of lives'. Conservative thinktanks claimed the NHS has to 'get to grips' with the backlog and provide 'world-leading care' to Britons, who are funneling more cash into the health service 'than ever'. Advertisement

The group said its clinics offered a range of cancer treatments including high energy proton beam therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, diagnostic imaging and supportive care services.

Its clinics are in South Wales, Northumberland, Liverpool and Thames Valley, with a community diagnostics centre in Somerset.

The group spent 240million to build and develop is the cancer centres.

Rutherford Health said it is currently informing patients about its plans and a small number of NHS patients it was caring for are now being handed back over to local trusts to finish their treatment.

A NHS spokesperson told MailOnline Rutherford had not been in a position to help the health service, despite the group's clams.

'The Rutherford does not provide surgery services which is what the NHS currently most needs to help tackle waiting lists,' they said.

'The NHS will do all it can to ensure cancer care continues as normal for patients and anyone affected will be contacted shortly.'

Minesh Patel, head of policy at charity Macmillan Cancer Support said this would be 'worrying' time for patients whose care had been disrupted, adding that they must be adequately supported at this time.

'Its vital that these patients receive the support and care they urgently need and deserve, by getting swiftly referred elsewhere to start or continue their treatment as soon as possible,' he said.

'The more seamlessly this happens, the better the chances for their treatment outcomes.'

Cancer charities estimate 32,000 fewer patients than expected have started their first treatment in the two years since the start of the pandemic.

This has been due to a combination of hospitals prioritising Covid over regular care and diagnostics, poor access to GPs during lockdown and patients being reluctant to come forward over dear of the virus.

It has been estimated that at current treatment rates, it could be five years before the NHS catches up with cancer cases missed in the pandemic.

Delays in cancer care raise the risk of the disease spreading to other parts of the body, which slashes survival rates and reduces patients' treatment options.

NHS England data shows only 67.4 per cent of cancer patients had their first treatment within two months of an urgent referral from their GP in March.

The NHS target is that 85 per cent of patients should be treated within this timeframe.

Last month, Dr Liz Bishop, who sits on NHS England's national cancer board, admitted it was likely the health service would still be missing crucial cancer targets next year.

When asked at a cancer care event last month on if cancer care would return to normal by next spring, she said the prospect was unlikely.

'If you mean hitting the 62-day numbers, and the 104-day numbers, by next March, then no. If I am honest, I don't think we will,' she said.

The admission came in the wake of the 1.25 per cent national insurance hike, which is set to raise billions to help the NHS recover from the pandemic and reform social care over the next three years.

Another key cancer benchmark, that 93 per cent of patients should only wait two weeks from an urgent referral to their first consultant appointment, has also been missed, with only 80.6 per cent of patients meeting this deadline as of March.

Breast cancer targets are particularly bad, with only 59.5 per cent of patients with suspected breast cancer seen within two weeks. NHS guidelines say 93 per cent of these patients should be seen within this timeframe.

The figures come despite Health Secretary Sajid Javid declaring a 'war on cancer', pledging to release a Ten Year Cancer Plan to make Britain the best place in the world to receive care.

In its 2022/23 mandate to NHS England, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the 62-day backlog must be returned to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023.
Monkeypox may have been spreading around the world undetected for 'a couple of years', a World Health Organization expert has claimed.

Dr Rosamund Lewis, the agency's technical lead for the tropical disease, told a briefing work was ongoing to pinpoint how long it had been transmitting in people.

But she suggested the tropical disease could have been in the population for several years after jumping from animals to humans.

Monkeypox has likely been spreading silently in social and sexual networks for some time, experts say, before super-spreader events at two raves in Europe sparked the current outbreak.

It is not clear how long the virus has been circulating undetected in America, but top advisers suggest it was 'possibly' in the country before the first case was detected in Massachusetts last month  although not to 'any great degree'.

At least 26 monkeypox cases have been spotted in the U.S. in less than three weeks  with Hawaii becoming the twelfth state to spot the virus this weekend.

Most infections are linked to international travel to 'areas experiencing an outbreak', but at least one U.S. case is in a patient with no links to travel or another patient.

Globally, the virus  which is native to West Africa  has cropped up in more than two dozen countries which are mostly in Europe.

Monkeypox has now been detected in 12 U.S. states with Hawaii becoming the latest to spot the infection this weekend

Monkeypox may have been spreading silently for FOUR YEARS in UK, ex-WHO chief says Monkeypox may have been spreading under the radar for four years, an ex-World Health Organization (WHO) official has claimed. Professor David Heymann, a former former director-general for health security and environment at the WHO, said last month the current global outbreak may date back to a handful of isolated cases in the UK in 2018. Two Britons were diagnosed with the tropical disease in September 2018 after returning from Nigeria. A third case was found in an NHS worker who treated one of the patients. In December 2019, a fourth person unrelated to the previous three tested positive for the virus after returning from Nigeria. Three further cases with similar travel history arrived in 2021. Professor Heymann suggested the virus may have been seeded in around this time and spread unchecked. All of the cases are believed to have had the milder western African clade of the virus  the same one that is spreading now. Advertisement

'There may have been undetected transmission for a while,' Lewis said last week.

'What we don't know is how long that may have been. We don't know if it's weeks, months or possibly a couple of years.

'So, we dont really know whether it is too late to contain.'

Two strains of monkeypox have been spotted in the U.S. so far, which experts say suggests the virus jumped from animals to humans at least twice.

Dr Amesh Adalja, an epidemiologist at John Hopkins Center for Health Security, told NBC: 'What's likely happened is an endemic infectious disease from Africa found its way into a social and sexual network and then was greatly aided by major amplification events like raves in Belgium to disseminate around the world.

'And then because it is being transmitted through sexual encounters many of the lesions are getting mistaken for other sexually transmitted infections, which may be delaying diagnosis.'

It was not clear how long the virus has been spreading in the U.S. alone.

But asked this last week, Dr Jennifer McQuiston who is leading the Centers for Disease Control and Development's (CDC) response told a briefing it may have been for some time.

'It is certainly possible there could have been monkeypox cases that went under the radar before the first was spotted in Massachusetts,' she said.

'But this was likely not to any great degree.

'I don't think monkeypox has been circulating widely in the United States [for some time].'

The latest global outbreak caught the world off-guard, with hundreds of cases now detected in more than two dozen countries outside West Africa.

Epidemiologists suggest the current wave was driven by unsafe sex at two raves in Spain and Belgium  although the virus had likely spilled over into the population sometime earlier.

This weekend Hawaii became the latest U.S. state to detect a suspected case of the virus saying it was in an individual on Oahu  the archipelago's third biggest island  who had recently traveled to an area 'experiencing an outbreak'.

They have been hospitalized with symptoms, and are being cared for by nurses.

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

Chicago also reported its second presumed case of monkeypox this weekend in an individual who was a 'close contact' of the first case.

Washington D.C. officials said over the weekend that the city had detected a suspected case in an individual who had recently returned from Europe.

All the cases will be confirmed by testing at the CDC, although it is overwhelmingly likely they will be monkeypox patients.

Last month the WHO's former director-general for health security and environment said the current outbreak may date back to a handful of UK cases spotted in 2018.

Professor David Heymann said two Britons were diagnosed with the tropical disease in September that year after returning from Nigeria. A third case was found in an NHS worker who treated one of the patients.

In December 2019, a fourth person unrelated to the previous three tested positive for the virus after returning from Nigeria. Three further cases with similar travel history arrived in 2021.

Heymann suggested the virus may have been seeded in around this time and then spread unchecked. All of the cases are believed to have been the milder western African clade of the virus  the same one that is now spreading.

He told the Guardian: 'It could hypothetically be that the virus transmission amplified from this low level of transmission when by chance it entered the population that is at present amplifying transmission.'

But he added that this was just one of several theories that needed to be investigated before coming to any conclusions.
Two years ago, it seemed that thousands of British women afflicted with crippling pain, ruined sex lives, shattered relationships and wrecked careers would finally get justice and practical redress.

A government-commissioned report, following a campaign backed by Good Health, recognised that the plastic mesh tape surgeons had used to treat their incontinence and prolapse had caused some women catastrophic harm.

The net-like polypropylene mesh is inserted into the vaginal wall to act as a scaffold to support organs such as the bladder.

However, within months of the mesh  known as transvaginal tape (TVT)  being introduced, some patients started to complain of crippling pain, sexual dysfunction and injury, the material becoming brittle and shearing into the tissue. They found their plight ignored, their agonies dismissed as imaginary.

How many womens lives have been ruined by this mesh is unknown, but Baroness Cumberlege, who led the official review, estimated it to be tens of thousands.

Even at the height of publicity about the potential risks  and just before the pause on the operation was imposed  Kelly Cook, 37, a counsellor from Brigg in Lincolnshire, was advised to have the procedure

But polypropylene mesh is not just used for incontinence and prolapse in women.

The same type of mesh is also used for hernia operations and to support abdominal areas where women have had tissue removed to reconstruct their breasts after mastectomies.

The use of the mesh for stress urinary incontinence was paused in July 2018 as recommended by the inquirys preliminary report  then the concluding report, in July 2020, said that this pause should continue until strict requirements on safety and recompense are met.

These include the establishment of specialist centres to remove mesh from afflicted women, and financial compensation from government and mesh manufacturers for women affected, as well as the setting up of a database of victims to ascertain the numbers involved and their injuries.

The final report also urged that the watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which had approved the use of mesh tape in the 1990s, should be reformed to improve its vigilance on such problems.

Matt Hancock, then Health Secretary, apologised for the womens pain. We are going to look carefully at the recommendations, he told reporters in July 2020. We need to take action.

But words can be cheap: a Good Health investigation has found none of the recommendations has been implemented properly and the use of mesh in women is continuing.

A government-commissioned report, following a campaign backed by Good Health, recognised that the plastic mesh tape surgeons had used to treat their incontinence and prolapse had caused some women catastrophic harm. A file photo is used above

Even at the height of publicity about the potential risks  and just before the pause on the operation was imposed  Kelly Cook, 37, a counsellor from Brigg in Lincolnshire, was advised to have the procedure.

After the birth of her third child eight years ago, Kelly began suffering with urinary incontinence.

At its worst I couldnt even go out as I would leak, she says.

In March 2018, Kelly, then aged 34, underwent TVT surgery for a prolapse. The only thing they offered was to insert a mesh sling to support my bladder, says Kelly.

Straight after the op things didnt feel right, she says. I could feel the mesh inside me and it was causing pain.

She adds: I have a cutting sensation, like my urethra [the tube urine passes through] is sitting on a cheesewire  even now, four years later.

When I told the surgeon about my pains some weeks after the op, he said everything was OK.

Not long after that, in July 2018, Kelly saw news reports about the newly commissioned Cumberlege inquiry. These prompted her to seek support from campaign group Sling The Mesh and to go back to her doctors.

In March 2018, Kelly, then aged 34, underwent TVT surgery for a prolapse. The only thing they offered was to insert a mesh sling to support my bladder, says Kelly

After three years of serially complaining, Kelly was finally referred for investigations, only to be told that the surgeon wouldnt take the mesh out because he cant.

The pain is putting an impossible burden on Kelly. She and her partner have six children between them and she is also taking a degree in counselling.

It has changed my whole life, she says. My nerve problems make my hips feel as though they arent straight. I am still incontinent and the pain means I cant stand or sit for long.

Kelly is now being referred to a specialist in Sheffield, with this consultation hopefully preparatory to having the mesh removed at a specialist clinic.

But Im told it could be two years before Im actually seen at Sheffield, the waiting list is that long, she says.

In 2020, the Cumberlege review recommended that mesh should not be used again until specialist centres were properly established to deal with complications and its removal. There are now eight in England and one in Scotland.

However, Alec Shelbrooke, MP, co-chair of the Surgical Mesh All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), told MPs in a debate in February that specialist centres for these women are not working and warned: Many patients are denied access and are offered physio and pain management instead.

The APPG co-chair, Emma Hardy, MP, told Good Health that when women do get a specialist removal-centre consultation, they are sent to centres that have the same surgeons who put their mesh in.

This is causing extreme upset, not least because the women often feel their complaints were rejected by these very surgeons in the first place, she says.

It is assumed these surgeons are working on mesh removal because there is a shortage of qualified people in this area.

The removal procedure is extremely difficult because the mesh is designed to have the patients tissues grow in, through and around it. The procedure has been described as like trying to remove hair from chewing gum.

As a result, women often dont get the mesh removed fully, she adds. We have heard from women whove been told the mesh has been completely removed, only to discover there are substantial amounts left. I dont think its possible to take it all out, but we need a definition of what proper removal should actually mean.

Meanwhile, clinical trial work using gynaecological mesh on women for stress incontinence has continued because the current NICE guidelines say vaginally inserted mesh may still be used for prolapse in research studies.

Thus in March, a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine was published claiming positive results for a trial of two different methods of inserting the mesh at 21 UK hospitals on more than 500 women. The trial compared a standard mesh-insertion method which had been put on hold by the Cumberlege inquiry, with a new, less invasive method.

In an accompanying editorial, the journal concluded: This trial provides evidence that mesh surgeries for stress urinary incontinence are safe and effective  data that is important both for restoring confidence in such surgeries and potentially for increasing their availability.

Kath Sansom, who leads Sling The Mesh and was herself injured by TVT (inserted for incontinence in 2014), is alarmed by the new paper. Any busy doctor just skimming the researchs reported outcomes would miss the studys data on pain, she told Good Health.

The results actually show that more than 14 per cent of the patients were suffering from groin or thigh pain after three years, regardless of which type of mesh op they had. But the research report and accompanying editorial both ignored this blight on one in six womens lives.

The studys corresponding author, Mohamed Abdel-Fattah, a professor of gynaecology at Aberdeen University, told Good Health that his study should help women make informed decisions on their treatment, clinicians to provide evidence-based counselling for women requiring this type of surgery, and policymakers to make evidence-based decisions on the type of procedures to be offered.

Swati Jha, a consultant urogynaecologist and spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, told Good Health the pause on vaginal mesh tape should be lifted.

There are some women in whom mesh would be the only viable option, yet they are left incontinent as mesh is still not being offered, she says. Currently, the UK is the only country where TVT is not available as a routine option.

The MHRA told Good Health that despite the pause, some NHS non-research operations have also still gone ahead.

A spokeswoman said: Certain exceptions were needed within the pause, as in some cases this type of mesh may be the only treatment option that is right for a woman.

Meanwhile, polypropylene mesh is still on the march beyond incontinence surgery. After Linda Williams, 54, a mother of two from Redcar in Cleveland, was diagnosed with aggressive cancer in her right breast in 2015, she had a mastectomy, followed by six months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for a year.

Linda took two years to recover, and then accepted the offer of breast reconstruction as she wanted to go back to being able to sit on the beach with confidence.

She underwent a transverse rectus abdominus muscle flap, where muscle, fat and skin are taken from the stomach area to create a new breast. After removing the muscle, the surgeon may put in mesh to strengthen the stomach wall.

Immediately afterwards I started to have issues, she says. I had a stabbing pressure in my left leg, perhaps from nerve damage. I couldnt walk properly or put any significant pressure on the leg. My GP sent me for a scan and it showed the mesh inside my body.

Thats the first time I knew Id even been given mesh. I was then told by the surgeons that there was nothing wrong with the mesh, that I was the only person who had ever complained.

When Linda subsequently saw a Panorama investigation into vaginal mesh injuries in 2017, she says: I didnt feel so crazy.

In 2018, she developed cancer in her left breast and had a second mastectomy and didnt have the strength to keep fighting about the mesh. Surgeons now tell me they cannot remove it because if they did it would leave me at serious risk of hernias, she says. Ive beaten cancer twice but mesh has ruined my life.

How many women are injured by non-vaginal mesh use is a complete unknown because no one is studying it, says Kath Samson. Theres no awareness, so surgeons can get away with claiming that theres no problem.

Meanwhile, the Cumberlege inquirys recommendations remain unmet in crucial areas, including financial redress. Emma Hardy says the Government is blocking progress: Weve repeatedly written about this to the Health Secretary, the last time on March 23, but so far we have received no reply. Were not giving up or going away.
Were forgetting fathers when it comes to solving abortion and school shootings By Rachel Alexander

web posted June 6, 2022 Fathers Day is coming up as well as Juneteenth, a reminder about the sad situation of many fathers, especially black fathers, who are not involved in their childrens lives. Two issues in the news lately directly related to this are the Supreme Courts forthcoming opinion reversing Roe v. Wade and an epidemic of mass shootings, particularly school shootings. People are rushing to propose solutions, but most of them fail to mention the glaring elephant in the room  absence of fathers. Hardly anyone ever talks about fathers rights to their babies when abortion is brought up, and hardly anyone ever observes the common denominator when it comes to school shootings; the lack of fathers in the troubled teenage boys lives. One man has been tirelessly talking and educating people about this crucial aspect for years, Dr. Warren Farrell. Farrell is author of The Boy Crisis , which he briefed the White House on under President Donald Trump, and which led to legislation on the Fatherhood Crisis being signed into law in Florida by Gov. Ron De Santis. Farrell studied school shootings and determined the factor that should be looked at  instead of blaming access to guns, Great Replacement-style hatred, mental illness, or violence in the movies and video games  is whether the boys had their fathers in their lives. We know the backgrounds of six of the seven school shooters in the 21st century who killed 10 or more people, and all six of those boys were deprived of their biological fathers. Uvalde shooter Salvador Ramoss father was rarely present in his life. The teen suffered from a speech impediment that he was bullied over, and barely failed to graduate from high school. He got into a dispute with his grandmother over not graduating, which led to him shooting and killing her before he went on his shooting spree at the school. The guns were his way of saying, I have a type of power, Warren said, theyre compensations for his powerlessness. All 63 of the largest developed nations are suffering this boy crisis. Guns merely serve to magnify the problem. Now look at teenage girls, Farrell advises. Our daughters live in the same families, with the same family values, and have the same access to the same guns, and the same video games, and the same media, and they suffer similar mental illnesses. So why arent there teenage girl shooters? Boys whose pain is ignored will communicate their pain as loudly as they can, with guns as large as they can get, Farrell believes. In school, boys often learn about toxic masculinity, male privilege, the oppressive patriarchy and that the future is female. This does not inspire a boy for their future. In all 63 developed nations, boys fall behind girls in almost every academic subject, especially reading and writing, which are the biggest predictors of success or failure. Conservatives say toxic masculinity is a myth, whereas liberals talk about male privilege. But Warren says there is such a thing as toxic masculinity, it just doesn't come from male privilege. It comes from training our men to be disposable in war, where you have to disconnect from your feelings. Its a social bribe to devalue yourself. For example, he explains, If a sergeant in the army makes a racist comment about your background, and you object, you are laughed at and punished. Farrell said several months ago a young man contacted him and thanked him for his book, told him it stopped him from going on a mass shooting spree. He said hed even written a manifesto in preparation. Through Farrell understanding what was going on in his head, it took away his energy of needing to be heard. Farrell, who specializes in couples counseling which he provides at Esalen, said about 80% of relationship issues can be solved by just hearing the other person out. In regards to abortion, no one is considering the fathers rights, Farrell says. Its a false dichotomy to make the choice only between the right to life vs. a womans body and the right to choose. We leave out the third right. Thats the right of the dad to allow the fetus to live, which should trump the right of the mom to kill the fetus. He describes it as the ABCs of abortion: Abortion, Birth and Caring. Caring is the dads right to be informed immediately that the mom is considering abortion, so he has a timely choice to legally decide whether he will legally affirm that he will care for the infant both emotionally and financially from birth to age 18. Its not right that mothers get an exclusive right to decide whether to abort a child or put it up for adoption. Mothers only have to deal with the nine months of pregnancy, they can drop the baby off at a fire station and will not be required to pay child support. As for the B, Dads should have birth control responsibilities, but sadly pharmaceutical companies have shown no interest in marketing a birth control pill for men, despite the technology finally becoming available. Unfortunately, when Farrell goes into court to testify about fatherlessness, many mothers attorneys shut him down, they try to stop him before he even starts talking. They do everything they can to distract the judge and interrupt him. The reality is, the court of law is the last place where we should be addressing this, he says. Farrell said the 1965 Moynihan report is still true today, which found that the breakdown of marriage in black communities was responsible for poverty and related problems. The left is hurting black families the worst by not acknowledging the need for fathers; while 19% of white children live in a single-mother household, over 50% of black children do. Those familiar with Farrells work cant decide whether hes stating the obvious or something revolutionary. I think its both  something thats just gone under the radar, since for various, unfair reasons society has not encouraged this type of thinking. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative . She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home
Shares in Serica Energy soared after it announced plans to offset a large element of the new windfall tax on North Sea explorers.

Serica, one of the UKs biggest gas producers, said it will spend around 60million on two projects in 2022, enabling it to reduce its bill.

The update came after the industry was dealt a blow last month when Rishi Sunak hiked the tax rate on oil and gas producers from 40 per cent to 65 per cent to raise cash and ease the pressure on households facing soaring energy bills.

Serica Energy, one of the UKs biggest gas producers, said it will spend around 60m on two projects in 2022, enabling it to reduce its windfall tax bill

But the Chancellor also said companies like Serica could reduce their tax bill by 91.25p for every 1 they invest in the UK.

Serica is spending the 60million on exploring a new well and boosting production at an existing well, which it expects will be eligible for the tax saving. It said: This will offset a large element of the energy profits levy that would be payable on Sericas profits this year.

Shares, which fell a fifth in the days after Sunak announced the tax, rose 5 per cent, or 12.5p, to 264p.

Chief executive Mitch Flegg warned the instability caused by the tax was unwelcome.

He said: Our industry operates within unusually long investment horizons against a backdrop of highly volatile commodity markets and business cycles.

We encourage policy makers to consider the importance of fiscal stability. Energy giants Shell and BP have both said they will review their North Sea investments in the light of the windfall tax.

Serica, which produces 5 per cent of the UKs gas annually, has been a major beneficiary of the soaring gas prices since last summer, making profits of 135.1million during 2021 compared to 12.5million during 2020.

UK gas prices remain at historically high levels, averaging 186p per therm, while oil hovered around $120 a barrel.

Stock Watch - ADVFN Shares in financial data site ADVFN tanked after it warned of a slump in sales and scrapped its dividend. In a bleak update, it said sales since the start of 2022 have been disappointing and significantly less than in the same period a year earlier. In particular, advertising sales have been disappointing reflecting among other things a softer market for financial media, the firm said, adding it now faces significant losses. Shares fell 27.2 per cent, or 20.5p, to 55p.

But energy firm Enquest slid 7.1 per cent, or 2.05p, to 27p after a stock downgrade from analysts at Barclays estimated the windfall tax will reduce its three-year cash flow by $450million (358million).

The FTSE 100 was up 1 per cent, or 75.27 points, to 7608,22 while the FTSE 250 climbed 1.2 per cent, or 233.90 points, to 20,506.80.

Susannah Streeter, markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: After the diversions of the Jubilee celebrations, a fresh round of belt tightening is likely, given the ongoing cost of living crisis, so more domestically focused consumer stocks, which dont benefit from big brand pulling power, are facing uncertain times ahead.

Insurance giant Prudential, which does much of its business in Asia, rose 4.5 per cent, or 45.5p, to 1063.5p while engine maker Rolls-Royce was up 4.7 per cent, or 4.19p, to 92.92p on hopes of a recovery in the aerospace sector.

Airlines remained under pressure, however, amid a spate of flight cancellations.

Easyjet slid 2.1 per cent, or 10.5p, to 496.9p while Wizz Air fell 2.7 per cent, or 76p, to 2778p.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca fell 3.5 per cent, or 370p, to 10,072p despite producing ground-breaking data along with Daiichi Sankyo on a breast cancer drug  enhertu.

The drug at some point could be used to treat around half of all breast cancers.

Shares in the discount retailer B&M fell 0.2 per cent, or 0.8p, to 382.9p on the back of Deutsche upgrading the stock to hold.

On the rise was Barratt Developments, up 2.1 per cent, or 10.4p, to 510.4p, after the housebuilder began the search to replace its chairman John Allan, who will step down next year.

Shares in Clontarf Energy nosedived after the firm drilled but failed to find anything in the Western Australian exploration well.

Clontarf said the well will be permanently abandoned.

The shares plummeted 72 per cent, or 0.27p, to 0.11p.
Sainsbury's gave chief exec Simon Roberts (pictured) 2.8m in bonuses and incentives, and an 875,000 salary

Sainsburys came under fire after boss Simon Roberts pay hit 3.8million.

As shoppers struggle, the UKs second-biggest grocer gave its chief executive 2.8million in bonuses and incentives, and an 875,000 salary for the year to March 5. With benefits and pension contributions it took his package to 3.8million, up from 1.3million.

Finance chief Kevin OByrnes pay jumped to 3.2million, from 2.3million. Despite waiving his 1million bonus last year, Roberts, 51, did not do so this year, saying his focus was what we are doing for customers and for our colleagues.

He was paid 183 times more than the average Sainsburys employee.

Andrew Speke from the High Pay Centre thinktank said: claim to be standing by his customers, while accepting such a big pay rise seems hypocritical and out of touch. It should be prioritising keeping food prices low and wages high for its shop floor workers.

Sainsburys said it was investing 500million to lower prices and 100million in raising staff pay. It said: Management pay is strictly aligned with the progress we are making for customers, colleagues and shareholders.
US hedge fund Inclusive Capital Partners is attempting a hostile 1.5bn takeover of Countryside Partnerships

A US hedge fund has stepped up its campaign to take over British housebuilder Countryside Partnerships.

Inclusive Capital Partners is attempting a hostile 1.5billion takeover after being rejected twice by the board. It owns 9.2 per cent of Countryside, and has taken its 295p-per-share offer directly to investors.

It believes Countryside would be better off in private hands, which would facilitate a turnaround. The biggest shareholder, Browning West, which owns 15.3 per cent, has now written to the board asking it to kick off a sale process.

Yesterday, In-Cap, which manages billions of dollars worth of assets, said it supported such a move.

Its founders say their passion is the 'pursuit of a healthy planet and the health of its inhabitants'.

Countryside stock is up since In-Cap's interest began, and rose 2.3 per cent, or 6.6p, to 289.4p but is down 42 per cent in the past year.
Nationwide has extended its pledge to protect branches in cities and towns until 2024.

The promise to keep its doors open for an extra year  first revealed by the Mail on Sunday  comes as other high street lenders cut opening hours and axe branches by the hundreds.

But as customers grapple with the cost-of-living crisis, it said it would maintain its 625 branches to provide struggling members with face-to-face advice.

Open doors: Nationwide, led by chief exec Debbie Crosbie (pictured) said it would maintain its 625 branches to provide struggling members with face-to-face advice

Nationwide, whose status as a building society means it is owned by its customers rather than profit-hungry investors, yesterday saw Debbie Crosbie take over as the first female chief executive in its 175-year history.

Customers were wondering whether she would maintain its pledge to keep the branch network open beyond next January, when the current promise is due to expire.

In her former job as boss of TSB, Crosbie closed hundreds of bank branches. But yesterday, Nationwide said it would extend its pledge until at least 2024, allaying fears of its 16.3million members that its name may start to disappear from the high street.

Through its promise, Nationwide states that it will not leave any town or city in which it is based without a branch.

It admits that there are some circumstances in which it may be impossible to keep a branch open if there is more than one in the same town or city.

But Crosbie said: Supporting members through the cost-of-living crisis is my immediate priority.

Thats why Ive decided to extend our promise to keep branches on the high street.

As a mutual, all profit we generate is reinvested for the benefit of our members.

This gives us choices about how we best meet their needs. By extending the branch promise, members who face financial difficulties can discuss the practical support we offer in person with specially trained colleagues.

Banks are expected to close around another 500 branches this year, to cut costs and boost returns to investors.

Since January 2015, more than 4,976 locations have shut according to consumer champion Which?. Barclays has axed the most, at 841.

Lenders have blamed declining branch use as customers move online. But critics worry that by cutting physical locations, banks leave the vulnerable or those who prefer to talk to an adviser face-to-face with no port of call.

Under Crosbies leadership, TSB, which is owned by Spanish bank Sabadell, closed 244 branches during the pandemic.

Another 70 are on the block this year, meaning more than 300 will have shut in three years.

But Crosbies commitment for another year is likely to put her in members good books as she starts her role.

She said: This is the first in a number of initiatives that Nationwide will launch for members in the months ahead.
Incoming Greens MP Stephen Bates feels he 'owes it' to his boss of five-years at his retail job to finish up the week before starting in federal parliament as the member for Brisbane.

The 29-year-old new member for Brisbane was in his element as he helped customers during one of his final shifts at Apple's Chermside store on Thursday.

Mr Bates will quadruple his current income in his new role as a federal politician - which comes with a base salary of $211,000.

He's been with the store since he finished university at 24 as a bright-eyed graduate with big dreams of changing Australia's future.

He's been a valued member of staff, and even received a plaque from his manager thanking him for five years' of service.

That's why he was back on the tools for a final three shifts this week before heading off to Canberra.

'I didn't want to leave them in the lurch by not completing my shifts,' he said. 'I owe it to everyone here to come back, finish up properly and say goodbye.

'They've given me so much and I'll be really sad to leave... I'll miss the people I work with and going to work five days a week and being with them all.'

The 29-year-old newly minted member for Brisbane was in his element as he helped customers during one of his final shifts at his job in Chermside on Thursday

Just a few weeks ago, he received a plaque from his manager thanking him for five years of service

Who is Stephen Bates? A 29-year-old Brisbane local born in the United Kingdom

Apple technician with a degree in Bachelor of Social Science with a Major in Social and Public Policy

Greens MP who was recently elected into parliament

Core political beliefs include climate change and getting corporate money out of politics Advertisement

Management have supported him through all the highs and lows of campaigning and he was working full time at the store right up until March, when he realised he needed to dedicate more time to speaking with local constituents.

It's a skill he says he honed on the job.

'You learn to talk to people from all walks of life because you're doing it all the time... For me, I think that's really what set me apart. I found it really easy to build rapport.

'My job has been talking to people and connecting to people and I think that's what politics is - or what it should be.'

Plenty of his retail colleagues volunteered for him through the six-week election campaign.

Whether it's because they're diehard Greens supporters or if they simply believed in him personally, he's not sure.

Mr Bates credits some of his success at the polling booths to his innovative campaigning techniques - which included several risque ads on queer dating app, Grindr.

Some of his attention-grabbing slogans included 'put Stephen Bates on top this election', 'the best parliaments are hung' and 'spice up Canberra with a third'.

'As weird as it will sound to any gay person [hearing] this, it is a big place of community where a lot of people do come together,' he said of the campaign.

Mr Bates has big plans for the next three years. He's listened to the concerns of locals and has clear goals for his time in parliament.

Stephen Bates (pictured left) used a series of cheeky ads on a gay dating app to win support for his election campaign

He's worked the retail job since he was 24 and a bright-eyed university student with dreams of changing the future for all Australians

Mr Bates has big plans for the next three years. He's listened to his constituents concerns and has clear goals for the mark he can make in parliament

'They felt like the government didn't listen to them, like politicians were all the same - not doing enough on climate or the cost of living,' he said.

The 29-year-old believes this is a problem neither major party can fix alone. He says corporate donors and allegiances come into play which can muddy the waters.

The Greens don't accept corporate donations, which Mr Bates says makes the party more amenable to change.

'I want to show people the status quo doesn't have to remain the way it is. I want the money out of politics and I hope to focus on housing, climate and expanding our healthcare system to include dental and mental health.'

While he's always backed his policies and the work the Greens were doing on a micro level in Brisbane, Mr Bates said he was stunned to see how well his party polled on election day.

Management have supported him through all the highs and lows of campaigning and he was working full time at the store right up until March, when he realised he needed to dedicate more time to speaking with local constituents

While he's always backed his policies and the work the Greens were doing on a micro level in Brisbane, Mr Bates said he was stunned to see how well his party polled on election day

'We cleaned up,' he said with a laugh. 'It's unbelievable. A lot of people were telling us they were voting Green for the first time, but I still didn't really think it would happen. We had no expectations.'

When the votes started rolling in and tallies put him in the lead on election night, that was when the penny finally dropped.

'I thought to myself, ''I should have expected this'', because that's what people were telling us the whole campaign,' he said.

In addition to the lifestyle adjustment that will come with the new role, Mr Bates will be quadrupling his current salary.

The base salary of a federal MP is just over $211,000. Mr Bates said he's always lived on the median wage - as have most of the people he's ever known.

But in the weeks since his election, Mr Bates has been working 'to earn enough money to get by'.

'[$50,000], you know, is pretty much like the median wage of the country, so that's what most people are on,' he said earlier this week.

'I actually know what it's like to struggle to pay rent, because I do sometimes. It gives me that perspective of what it's actually like out there, and not just inside the Canberra bubble.'

The base salary of a federal MP is just over $211,000. Mr Bates said he's always lived on the median wage - as have most of the people he's ever known

He's made no secret of the fact he believes politicians earn too much money and expressed concerns that career politicians are 'out of touch' with the realities of everyday Australians.

Mr Bates is itching to get to Canberra and start delivering on the promises he made his community.

But he's also trying to savour every last moment of normalcy.

'It's bittersweet,' he said. 'Leaving these people behind but knowing I have this super unique opportunity to take humanity out into the community and show people that politics doesn't have to be the way it is.

'I'm a stubborn optimist.'
The family of a top advisor to Bill Clinton who admitted Jeffrey Epstein to the White House multiple times during his presidency is pulling out all the stops to keep details of his mysterious death becoming public.

They have petitioned a judge to prevent pictures of Mark Middleton's death scene being released under the Freedom of Information Act.

And now the local Arkansas sheriff is interpreting that to mean he can't talk or release any details of Middleton's May 7 suicide.

'The investigation is still open. I can't say anything more,' Perry County Sheriff Scott Montgomery told DailyMail.com.

Middleton, who served as special assistant to President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, died at the age of 59, his family announced last month.

Mark Middleton, the former special assistant to President Bill Clinton, died by suicide at the age of 59 on May 7, the Perry County Sheriff's Office in Arkansas confirmed

Middleton was the authorizing figure who admitted Jeffrey Epstein to the White House on seven of the at least 17 times the late pedophile visited. Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Clinton are seen in 1993 at the White House

His death adds to the number of close associates of the former president and first lady who have died unexpectedly, many in small plane crashes. The phenomenon has led to a conspiracy theory called Clinton Body Count which even has its own Wikipedia page.

Middleton's family did not disclose the cause of death at the time but authorities later confirmed the former White House official took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot at an urban farm in Perryville, Arkansas.

In a lawsuit filed on May 23, the family admits Middleton committed suicide, and says they have 'a privacy interest' in preventing any 'photographs, videos, sketches (or) other illustrative content' from the death scene being released.

They claim it would lead to 'outlandish, hurtful, unsupported and offensive articles' being published online.

They argued that keeping the footage and files sealed would halt a proliferation of 'unsubstantiated conspiracy theories'.

A judge is due to hear the case on June 14.

After the petition was filed, Perry County Sheriff Scott Montgomery denied DailyMail.com's FOIA request for any of his paperwork on the case, which would include the police report and written files, even though they do not contain any graphic images.

Late last year, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed Middleton was among the Clinton advisors and aides who had let Epstein into the White House during the former president's first few years in office.

The late pedophile made at least 17 trips to the White House between 1993 and 1995, seven of which were authorized by Middleton.

The Clinton aide was also one of the many passengers to fly on Epstein's jet, known as the 'Lolita Express'.

Middleton's family last month confirmed he passed away on May 7 in a statement which did not reveal the cause of death.

It has since been confirmed that the former advisor, who lived in Little Rock, Arkansas, took his own life at the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, owned by an anti-poverty nonprofit called Heifer International, 30 miles away from his home.

DailyMail.com can reveal Middleton's father Larry and his widow Rhea (pictured with Mark and their two daughters) are fighting to keep photos and 'other illustrative content' of his death sealed

The married father-of-two, who lived in Little Rock, Arkansas, shot himself at the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, 30 miles away from his home

Perry County Sheriff Scott Montgomery said Middleton was discovered on the property hanging from a tree with a shotgun blast to his chest. It is unclear what connection he had to the ranch. Pictured: General view of Heifer Ranch

The Middleton family did not disclose his cause of death at the time of the announcement. The only potential hint at a possible cause of death was a request in Middleton's obituary that, instead of flowers, well wishers donate to a service that specializes in counseling and therapy linked to the New Life Church

Chris Cox Heifer, a spokesman for Heifer International, said that ranch workers found Middleton's car in the parking lot and notified the sheriff.

The body was found shortly afterwards.

Heifer told DailyMail.com: 'He wasn't invited to the property and staff became aware that he was there without authorization.

'We have not found any connection to Heifer.

'The ranch is well known in the area and it's possible that he could have attended something here but we couldn't' find any major links.

'The ranch hosts school groups for things like lambing so he could have attended one of those. It's a very unfortunate incident.'

In an interview with RadarOnline  before he decided to clam up  Sheriff Montgomery said Middleton was discovered hanging from a tree with a shotgun blast to his chest.

He reportedly used an extension cord as a noose and created makeshift gallows underneath the tree which appeared to be there as a failsafe in case the shotgun blast didn't kill him.

The married father-of-two, who ran an air conditioning business, did not leave a note, though he told his family he was 'depressed', Montgomery said.

'I don't know the man, and I don't why he picked our county or picked that location to commit suicide. To our knowledge, he had never been there before, and we have no record of him being there before.

'He died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the chest. He found a tree and he pulled a table over there, and he got on that table, and he took an extension cord and put it around a limb, put it around his neck and he shot himself in the chest with a shotgun.

'It was very evident that the shotgun worked because there was not a lot of blood or anything on the scene. You can tell the shotgun blast was on his chest, you can tell that because there is a hole in the chest and pellets came out the back of his back. It was definitely self-inflicted in our opinion'.

The married father-of-two, who ran an air conditioning business, did not leave a note, though he told his family he was 'depressed'

Documents from Middleton's probate file show that he had $200,000 in assets, including $100,000 worth of property

Middleton had for decades run an air conditioning business in Little Rock but in the 1990s he was a special advisor to Clinton and finance director on his Presidential campaign

The injunction was filed two weeks after Middleton's death at the circuit court of Perry County by Rhea Middleton and Larry Middleton, Middleton's widow and father.

It states that they have a 'privacy interest in photographs, videos, sketches and other illustrative content depicting Mark Middleton's body or scene of Mr. Middleton's death' in the possession of the Perry County Sheriff and the county coroner.

The lawsuit states: 'Since Mr. Middleton's death, Mr. Middleton's family has been harassed by outlandish, hurtful, unsupported and offensive online articles regarding Mr. Middleton, his death and his family. These articles are scurrilous, baseless and malicious'.

Publishing images of Middleton's body would cause the family 'irreparable harm', they claim.

'This lawsuit seeks a declaration that any Media Content depicting Mr. Middleton's body or scene of Mr. Middleton's death should not be disclosed under the FOIA,' the documents state.

In an affidavit, Larry Middleton states that the reports about his son's death have been 'unsubstantiated conspiracy theories' which have caused 'unimaginable pain to myself and my family'.

He claims to have 'extreme fear and anxiety' at the prospect of further details being made public.

Larry Middleton writes: 'Once disclosed, my family will face inconceivable amounts of harassment, threats and pain from the inquiry and use of such content'.

The Middletons did not respond to DailyMail.com requests for comment.

Documents from Middleton's probate file show that he had $200,000 in assets, including $100,000 worth of property.

The lawsuit confirms that Middleton died by suicide, something that was not mentioned in the announcement of his death in a Facebook post  now deleted  for the family's air conditioning company, Middleton Heat & Air.

The family filed a petition for an injunction on May 23 seeking a declaration that any 'media content depicting Middleton's body' or the scene of his death should not be disclosed under the FOIA

The statement described him as an 'inspiring and dedicated leader, as well as a son, brother, husband, and father'.

The only potential hint at the cause of death was a request in Middleton's obituary asking for well wishers donate to a service that specializes in counseling and therapy linked to the New Life Church in Arkansas, in lieu of flowers.

Middleton's life in recent years was a world away from the political circles he ran in during the 1990s.

White House visitor logs previously reported by DailyMail.com showed that he appears as the authorizing official on seven of Epstein's White House visits, most of which were to the West Wing.

In addition to being a special assistant to the president, Middleton was also assistant to the chief of staff, Thomas F. 'Mack' McLarty.

Middleton left the White House in February 1995 and was accused of setting himself up as an international deal-maker, exactly the kind of person that would appeal to Epstein.

In 1996 an investigation by the White House found that Middleton had abused his access to impress business clients and he was barred from the executive mansion without senior approval.

Middleton denied the claims.

Middleton also flew on Epstein's plane and appears to have acted as a conduit between the two men. Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell are seen on the plane

DailyMail.com previously revealed Epstein visited the White House on 14 separate days and stopped by twice in one day on three occasions during Bill Clinton's first term. Middleton admitted him at least seven times

In addition to being a special assistant to the president, Middleton was also assistant to the chief of staff, Thomas 'Mack' McLarty. Clinton and McLarty are pictured in the White House in 1993

Several Clinton's former associates have died over the years in unexpected circumstances, including deputy White House counsel Vince Foster.

His 1993 death was ruled a suicide but sparked a slew of conspiracy theories about the involvement of the Clintons.

After Epstein hanged himself while awaiting trial in 2019 Donald Trump retweeted conspiracy theories that Clinton was involved.

Many others with links to Bill and Hillary Clinton have died in mysterious circumstances over the years. Wikipedia even has a page called Clinton Body Count which lists those people. Others whose deaths have been linked to the Clintons without foundation have been Seth Rich, the Democratic National Committee staffer who was murdered in 2016 with no culprit having been found.
'The Secret Service would act at the drop of a dime if someone threatened any of the other Biden kids  but it's like Navy Joan doesn't matter'

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Callous Joe Biden is refusing to provide protection for his son Hunter's lovechild despite the little girl and her mom becoming entangled in a terrifying harassment case.

Lunden Roberts, 31, claims her cage fighter ex-fiance Princeton Foster bombarded her with threats and made frightening comments about three-year-old Navy Joan, the daughter she shares with the First Son.

The single mom called cops last month alleging that Foster, 27, punched a dent in her car and slashed the wires to her security cameras after turning up at her Arkansas home in the middle of the night.

She also filed for a protection order, claiming the amateur fighter told her he was 'going to heaven' with Navy Joan, referring to the angelic, blond-haired youngster as his daughter despite having no biological link to her.

DailyMail.com understands that President Biden has been 'made aware' of Roberts' ordeal and the alleged threat to his granddaughter  who bears a striking resemblance to a young Hunter.

But so far the world's most powerful man has declined to intervene or even reach out to see if the little girl is OK, according to a close friend of Roberts, who put on a brave face Thursday as she and Navy Joan were spotted playing tee ball in their local park.

A close friend of Hunter Biden's baby mama Lunden Roberts tells DailyMail.com that Joe Biden refuses to provide protection for Hunter's lovechild Navy Joan. Last month Roberts, 31, called the cops claiming her cage fighter ex-fiance bombarded her with threats

Roberts claims her ex punched a dent in her car, slashed the wires to her security cameras and made frightening comments about three-year-old Navy

There's no denying Navy is Hunter's daughter. Lunden's precious daughter looks remarkably like Hunter as a toddler (left)

DailyMail.com understands that President Biden has been 'made aware' of Roberts' ordeal and the alleged threat to his granddaughter. Biden is seen kissing Hunter's son Beau on stage in 2020

'The President frequently talks about his love and pride for his grandchildren. But if he really cared for every member of his family he would have done something by now,' the pal told DailyMail.com.

'The Secret Service would act at the drop of a dime if someone threatened any of the other Biden kids  but it's like Navy Joan doesn't matter.'

Roberts won a reported $2.5million settlement from former flame Hunter after taking him to court in 2019 and forcing him to take a DNA test that proved Navy Joan was his.

Foster is facing a string of misdemeanor charges including terroristic threats and harassing communications over the incident. He was booked into jail Friday but released on $2,870 bond, according to Independence County records

However the recovering addict has never met Navy Joan and would not be able to pick her out of a photo lineup, according to filings in their child custody suit.

His dad Joe also has not recognized the child as part of his family - nor has he provided her with the same round-the-clock Secret Service protection offered to other Bidens.

Roberts instead asked authorities in rural Independence County to step in to keep them both safe from Foster, whom she started dating in 2018, about six months after her fling with Hunter ended.

'I need this order because I am scared of what Princeton might do to me and my daughter  I am also aware he carries a firearm daily,' Roberts stated in her application for a protection order.

Foster 'claimed he was one of God's prophets and him and my daughter are going to heaven,' she added in a harrowing 10-page affidavit obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

The couple got engaged in April 2019 and moved in together but Roberts called it quits in August 2020, allegedly because of Foster's drinking and substance abuse.

The mom claimed she was subjected to months of harassing calls and texts which culminated in Foster storming up to her in a restaurant on May 13 and shouting 'Where is my daughter?  I will f**k you up!' over and over,' according to her statement.

'He was also continually calling and we were recording the audios of him screaming (like the Joker) saying he was on his way with his MMA friend to fight whatever guy I was with, using racial slurs and in one recorded audio you can hear him scream 'I'm on my way  I'm going to scalp your f**king head,' Roberts wrote.

Roberts said she and her female friend were at home later that night when someone banged on the door 'so loud it shook the walls, doors and furniture.'

Roberts put on a brave face Thursday as she and Navy Joan were spotted playing tee ball in their local park

Roberts and 52-year-old Hunter conceived Navy Joan  the fourth of his five children - around December 2017 while he was still in a relationship with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie

'The Secret Service would act at the drop of a dime if someone threatened any of the other Biden kids  but it's like Navy Joan doesn't matter,' Roberts' friend said

'I yelled to 'get down' where we hid behind furniture in fear he would open fire since I'm aware he carries a weapon  I've never been this scared in my life. I grabbed my gun prepared to defend us if he were in the house,' she wrote. 'We could also hear him screaming, shouting profanity while jiggling door handles. We knew he was outside but it just stopped. The police showed up within seconds. He got away. We told them everything.

'One cop found the tire tracks where Princeton had driven up in my front yard and shined his lights through my house trying to see us since I had turned all the lights off.' Roberts claimed the next morning she found a dent 'punched' into her car and part of a door handle ripped off.

The wiring for her outdoor security cameras had been cut and a tire on her friend's vehicle had been slit with a knife, she alleged.

Roberts filed for a protection order against ex-fiance Princeton Foster, claiming he has been terrorizing her and her daughter Navy since she broke off their engagement

'Although this isn't the first crazy incident in the last couple months, it was the first time in my life I thought I was going to have to shoot someone or I was going to be killed,' Roberts wrote. 'After seeing me sitting with a guy he was enraged and I truly believe he came to my home to be violent  with intentions of hurting me or someone else.

'I have several voicemails from March  April and now May from 'no caller ID' where he is seemingly unhinged, scary and unpredictable.'

Foster is facing a string of misdemeanor charges including terroristic threats and harassing communications over the incident. He was booked into jail Friday but released on $2,870 bond, according to Independence County records.

He and Roberts were due in court Thursday to determine whether a permanent order of protection should be granted but the case was adjourned until July.

Foster, who runs his own roofing business and has won two of his three MMA bouts, one by choking an opponent into submission, has declined to comment on the allegations and his attorney did not return calls.

Navy Joan was staying with relatives when the incident happened and was never put in any direct danger, according to Roberts' friend.

Roberts's petition for an order of protection was obtained by DailyMail.com after she filed in Independence County, Arkansas on Thursday May 19

Roberts alleges that ripped amateur MMA fighter Princeton Foster (pictured) confronted her inside Backwoods Steakhouse in Southside, Arkansas last month, screaming: 'I will f**k you up'

'Lunden would never let that happen. She is doing everything she needs to do to keep her daughter safe  without or without the Bidens' help', the pal added.

Despite reports suggesting Hunter Biden met Roberts while she was working as a stripper, DailyMail.com has previously revealed that the pair hooked up while she was employed at his DC-based investment firm, Rosemont Seneca.

She and 52-year-old Hunter conceived Navy Joan  the fourth of his five children - around December 2017 while he was still in a relationship with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie. Even after DNA proved he was the father, Hunter claimed he did not have enough money to pay child support despite living in a $12,000-per-month Hollywood rental and driving a Porsche.

He was accused several times of treating the proceedings with contempt by failing to show up for hearings before it was announced in March 2020 that the two sides had 'reached a global, final settlement of all issues' without the need for a trial.

In February Roberts gave evidence to a Delaware grand jury investigating Hunter for alleged tax crimes, joining a growing list of former business partners and associates who have been drawn into the Department of Justice's secretive three-year probe into his overseas' dealings.

Federal prosecutors were particularly interested in what she learned about the First Son's finances, according to her attorney.

Roberts has declined to comment on her relationship with Hunter.
A police dog and his officer handler with the federal U.S. Marshall's service both received a salute from members of the Chicago Police Department as the K-9 was led out of a veterinary hospital on Sunday afternoon.

The officer with the U.S. Marshals Service's fugitive apprehension team and his federal police dog were both shot while serving an arrest warrant on Thursday.

Following the shooting, the federal marshal rushed the dog to a veterinary clinic, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

The marshal then realized he had been shot in his hand and an ambulance was called but the officer declined to be taken to a hospital, Langford said to the Chicago Sun Times.

A federal police dog was saluted in a police lineup after leaving a veterinary hospital on Sunday afternoon

The dog, called Rin, had to spend three days in intensive care after being shot

Dog was shot alongside his U.S. Marshal handler, pictured here, on Thursday. The Marshal was shot in the hand

Tarrion Johnson, 19, faces charges of attempted murder, attempted robbery with a firearm, aggravated cruelty to animals and injury to a police animal

On Friday, the U.S. Marshals Service said the police dog was in intensive care but was well enough by Sunday to be released. It is not clear if he will be returning to service.

A Chicago man was charged in the shootings on Saturday.

Tarrion Johnson, 19, faces charges of attempted murder, attempted robbery with a firearm, aggravated cruelty to animals and injury to a police animal, the Chicago Police Department said.

Johnson was denied bail during a bond court appearance over the weekend the department said.

Police said Johnson was arrested Thursday shortly after the shootings.

The pair were attempting to serve an arrest warrant at a home on Chicago's Northwest Side

Johnson allegedly opened fire as the marshal was serving a warrant. Pictured the scene at Belmont and Laramie in Chicago where the shooting took place

Authorities at the time said two gunmen were arrested, but Chicago police did not say anything about the second person in announcing the charges against Johnson on Saturday

Police said a Chicago officer returned fire during the shooting but did not strike anyone.

Chicago police said their officers and U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force were serving a Chicago PD arrest warrant for Johnson for an attempted murder.

When the officers announced themselves, police said Johnson allegedly opened fire on them.
A North Carolina murderer who tortured and raped his teenage daughter before slitting her throat has been sentenced to death.

Joshua Lee Burgess, 35, killed Zaria, 15, in 2019, after 'psychologically and sexually torturing her for 22 hours'.

The killer from Monroe was given the sentence after three hours of jury deliberations at the end of a three-week trial, the Union County District Attorney's Office said.

Joshua Lee Burgess (left) who tortured and raped his teenage daughter Zaria (right) has been sentenced to death

The 15-year-old had come to visit her father for the weekend before he raped and killed her in August 2019

At the time of the horrific slaying, Zaria lived with her biological mother but was visiting Burgess for the weekend.

Afterwards, he walked into a sheriff's office and confessed to the killing.

He gave his address to investigators where they found the teenager's body.

The attorney's office said: 'This was truly an especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel killing of an innocent child.

'This case was emotionally taxing for everyone involved. We continue to grieve with and pray for Zaria's mother.'

Crime scene tape is seen wrapped around the perimeter of Burgess's home on Hampton Meadows Road near Monroe, North Carolina

At the time of the horrific slaying, Zaria lived with her biological mother but was visiting Burgess for the weekend

In addition to one count of first-degree murder, Burgess was convicted of one count of statutory rape, three counts of statutory sex offense, and one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

He received an additional minimum of nearly 76 years in prison for those offenses, according to the news release.

Union County Sheriff Tony Underwood said: 'It's just evil. I mean murder is murder, but to kill your own flesh and blood like this there's just no way to explain it other than it's just an evil crime.'

TV station WSOC previously reported Burgess's defense attorneys asked for his admission to be scrubbed from the record.

The killer from Monroe was given the sentence after three hours of jury deliberations at the end of a three-week trial

It was not immediately clear who represented Burgess at trial or whether he would seek an appeal.

At the time of her death, Zaria was a high school sophomore on the dance team and in the marching band at Monroe High School.

Band director Alan Sturdivant had previously described her as full of energy.

Burgess will be housed at Central Prison in Raleigh until his death, alongside other death row inmates.

He will be executed by a lethal injection of pentobarbital according to state protocol, which must take place between 15 and 120 days after sentencing.
The battle of the exes Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie has taken a dark new turn.

Pitt, 58, has accused the Maleficent actress of trying to damage him by secretly selling her stake in his French vineyard to 'a Russian oligarch' with 'poisonous intentions' - which allegedly include a plan to take complete control of the multi-million dollar business - according to legal documents exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.

Jolie, 47, sold half of the thriving Chateau Miraval winery to a company run by Yuri Shefler, the owner of the company that makes the flagship Russian vodka Stolichnaya - renamed Stoli.

Having made 'desperate attempts to disassociate himself from the Putin regime, the Stoli brand is now a massive international liability,' the papers allege, citing Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

'Stolichnaya has been the object of boycotts throughout the world.

'The US Treasury Department designated Shefler as an "oligarch in the Russian Federation" in an unclassified report to Congress made pursuant to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017,' according to the documents filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on June 3.

The South of France chateau, where the couple wed in 2014, became Pitt's 'passion' and under his guidance has become one of the world's most highly-regarded producers of rose wine, according to the court papers.

But in October 2021, Jolie 'purported to sell her interest to Tenute del Mondo, a hostile third-party competitor bent on taking control of Miraval', the papers filed by Pitt's attorneys claim.

Jolie's motivation for the sale was to 'inflict harm on Pitt,' the papers allege.

And sources point out that the timing of the sale was linked to a judge's decision to issue a tentative ruling giving Pitt 50/50 custody in the couple's bitter custody battle over their five minor children at the time.

'Jolie was livid,' one source told DailyMail.com, 'and vindictive.'

A new complaint filed by Brad Pitt's lawyers Friday alleges Angelina Jolie's motivation for the sale of Miraval to was to 'inflict harm on Pitt,' including a plan to take complete control of Pitt's beloved multi-million dollar winery

This is the Miraval Chateau and the 1,000-acre estate - now valued at $164M - where the couple tied the knot in 2008

Pitt contends the sale violates an agreement the couple made at the outset of their partnership in the 1,000-acre Chateau Miraval estate, which they bought in 2008

The company is a subsidiary of Stoli Group, meaning it is 'indirectly owned' by Shefler, who is based in the United Kingdom.

'Jolie pursued and then consummated the purported sale in secret, purposely keeping Pitt in the dark, and knowingly violating Pitt's contractual rights,' the star's attorneys continue.

'By doing so, Jolie sought to seize profits she had not earned and returns on an investment she did not make. Also through the purported sale, Jolie sought to inflict harm on Pitt.

'Jolie knew and intended that Shefler and his affiliates would try to control the business Pitt had built and to undermine Pitt's investment in Miraval.'

The Fight Club star's attorneys say those fears were immediately realized.

'And just as Jolie envisioned, that is exactly what Shefler has done,' they outline in their first amended complaint document.

The company is 'indirectly owned' by Yuri Shefler, who is based in the United Kingdom. According to the legal filing, he is designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as an 'oligarch in the Russian Federation'

'Since claiming to acquire Jolie's interest in Miraval, Shefler has launched a hostile takeover of the wine business, destabilizing Miraval's operations and seeking access to Miraval's confidential and proprietary information for the benefit of his competing enterprise.

'At the same time, Miraval's association with Sheflerwho has gained notoriety through cutthroat business tactics and dubious professional associationsjeopardizes the reputation of the brand Pitt so carefully built,' the documents state.

'All of this is the direct result of Jolie's unlawful and tortious conduct. In violation of the parties' agreement, Jolie has sought to force Pitt into partnership with a stranger, and worse yet, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions.'

The filing also claims the sale violates an agreement the couple made at the outset of their partnership in the 1,000-acre Chateau Miraval estate, which they bought in 2008 and is in Correns, near Aix-en-Provence.

It gave Pitt first refusal to buy her stake if she wanted to sell, the judge has been told.

And this latest legal battle between the warring exes is further complicated by a dispute over the size of Jolie's stake.

Miraval is owned by Quimicum, a company in which Pitt originally held a 60 per cent share through his entity Mondo Bongo while Jolie held 40 per cent through her company Nouvel.

Three years before he and Jolie split in 2016, Pitt transferred ten per cent of Mondo Bongo's shares to Nouvel, making them 50/50 stakeholders in Quimicum.

But according to the lawsuit, the ten per cent transfer is void as the shares were 'sold' for only 1 Euro and not a 'serious' amount as required by Luxembourg law.

Pitt has also hit out at the timing of Jolie's sale of Nouvel, linking it with a judge's decision to issue a tentative ruling giving him 50/50 custody in the couple's bitter custody battle over their five minor children at the time.

His attorneys say that originally, buyout negotiations for Miraval, worth $164million, had begun between the stars and were proceeding in April 2021.

'The negotiations progressed to a very advanced stage, and the parties even reached an agreement on price,' they write.

'In May 2021, however, the judge appointed to preside over the couple's custody proceedings issued a detailed tentative rulingfollowing a weeks-long trialfinding that Jolie was not credible and that the existing custody order required modification, at Pitt's request, in the best interests of Pitt and Jolie's children.'

They add that 'in the wake of that ruling, and notwithstanding that the parties were on the cusp of striking a deal on a buyout of Jolie's stake, Jolie's representatives abruptly informed Pitt' a month later that talks were at an end.

The reps also 'disingenuously accused Pitt of having no intent of finalizing an agreement'.

'As one of Jolie's letters summed it up', write the lawyers, 'we consider ourselves free from any negotiations with you,' and 'free to pursue any other transactions that we would deem appropriate to undertake'.'

The famous couple, dubbed Brangelina, bought the chateau as a home to share with their six children as well as a vineyard to run as a family business, the papers say.

However, the estate was in dire straits and leaking money due to its previous owner.

Pitt then formed an association with renowned winemaker Marc Perrin to reinvent it into a world-class enterprise.

'The vineyard became Pitt's passionand a profitable one, as Miraval, under Pitt's stewardship, has grown into a multimillion-dollar global business and one of the world's most highly regarded producers of rose wine,' say the papers.

Jolie, on the other hand, was a bystander, claim the lawyers.

The Maleficent star 'meanwhile contributed nothing to Miraval's success,' they write.

'Instead, she allowed Pitt to pour money and sweat equity into the business in reliance on the consent right she owed him and a right of first refusal her business entity owed his.'

The first wine by the joint venture, Miraval Rose 2012, 'was an instant success'. Its first 6,000 bottles sold out online within five hours. Wine Spectator awarded it a coveted spot on its Top 100 of 2013 listthe first rose to ever appear on the list

The first wine by the joint venture, Miraval Rose 2012, 'was an instant success'. Its first 6,000 bottles sold out online within five hours. Expert publication Wine Spectator awarded it a coveted spot on its Top 100 of 2013 listthe first rose to ever appear on the list, said the paperwork.

Miraval's sales rocketed and merchants resorted to being on waiting lists for its latest wines.

Though she benefitted from Miraval's success, Jolie had no involvement in these efforts,' say Pitt's lawyers.

'As she herself stated in court documents, 'I regarded the house as my home, and I used it for meetings related to my international work.' She did not contribute to the growth of the business.'

By 2019, three years after the couple split, Miraval wines were being sold in 65 countries and success has continued, say Pitt's lawyers.

'Pittthrough significant financial investment and years of sweat equityhas built a highly successful family-owned business,' the legal papers state. 'Miraval has correspondingly grown massively in value since 2008 and is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

'Meanwhile, Jolie has not returned to Miraval since filing for divorce in 2016. She did nothing to drive the growth of its business. Instead, she allowed Pitt to make these investments and devote himself to the business in reliance on the consent right she owed him

'Miraval's success and associated rise in value offered Jolie an opportunity to capitalize on Pitt's success and cash out, without contributing anything at all to the enterprise. Pitt was prepared to buy Jolie out, either in whole or in part, on reasonable terms.

Shefler, Soviet-born and with British and Israeli citizenship, was watching that success from afar.

And the owner of the SPI Group, which sells alcohol in 160 countries, seized on the Brangelina divorce news in 2016 to make a 60 million euro bid for Miraval, the papers say. He also offered a 'bizarre sweetener' for Pitt of a 50 million euro private jet on 'very attractive terms'.

The offer was rebuffed, but in early 2021 Shefler's associates came back and had a meeting with Pitt. However, the star confirmed he had no interest in a deal.

'Jolie had thus sold Nouvel not just to a stranger but to the very stranger with whom Pitt and Miraval had refused to deal,' write the attorneys.

'No one affiliated with Stoli or Tenute del Mondo ever contacted Pitt before the announcement of the purported sale. Nor did Jolie seek Pitt's consent to the transaction or even offer to sell Nouvel to Pitt on the same terms as she purportedly sold to Tenute del Mondo.

'To the contrary, Jolie and Shefler hid the discussions and declined to disclose the terms of the contemplated deal to Pitt at all. Pitt still does not know what those terms are.'

Three years before their split, Pitt's company transferred 10% of his shares to Jolie, to make them 50/50 stakeholders in the company

Brad and Angelina split in 2016, with Jolie requesting primary custody of their six children (pictured).

Pitt's attorneys have also linked Shefler in their document to Putin, whose February invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands of innocent civilians.

'Shefler also maintains personal and professional relationships with individuals in Vladimir Putin's inner circle,' they allege in court documents.

But the vodka the tycoon publicly criticized the Putin regime following the invasion of Ukraine  and said he was exiled from his homeland.

He was changing the name of his vodka from Stolichnaya to Stoli in direct response to Moscow's war, he said in a media release.

'While I have been exiled from Russia since 2000 due to my opposition to Putin, I have remained proud of the Stolichnaya brand,' he said.

Pitt accuses Jolie, Shefler, Oliynik, SPI Group and Tenute del Mundo in the law suit of two counts of breach of contract, breaching good faith, and tortious interference with contractual relations. He is demanding a jury trial.

The once feted showbiz couple have six children  Maddox, 20, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16 and twins Knox and Vivienne, 13.

Despite Pitt's 50/50 custody victory just before Jolie decided to sell her stake in Marival, he was later stripped of having joint parental control. And in October 2021, a judge denied his petition to review that ruling.
Iran is developing preemptive-strike capabilities with drones and cruise missiles By Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael Segall

web posted June 6, 2022 Iran is continuing to develop and expand its capabilities to deploy and produce drones. At the same time, it is producing air-launched precision weapons, launch platforms, and intelligence-gathering systems carried by drones. All this is part of its asymmetric-warfare doctrine against its enemies by air, land, and sea (in the latter case, using explosive suicide speedboats, midget-submarines, naval mines, and rocket-carrying speedboats). Iran also emphasizes that some of the drone models have already been launched at Israel over the past year and are intended for a preemptive strike against its Israeli enemy. Iran boasts that it is developing this capability with the help of lessons drawn from warfare in different world arenas. Meanwhile, Iran continues to export drones to members of the resistance camp in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq and is using Yemen as its main testing ground for drones, missiles, cruise missiles, and explosive boats, particularly against Saudi Arabia and some of the other Gulf States. Iran also inaugurated a drone factory in Tajikistan to manufacture Ababil-2 drones, a product of the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). A Wide Variety of Drones As part of Irans force projection in the region, and to soften the impact of recent injurious security incidents (including assassinations and mysterious explosions), Iranian TV broadcast report on a top-secret drone base located hundreds of meters underground. The base is in the Kermanshah province, bordering Iraq in western Iran. Drones can be launched against Israel from that location. Blindfolded, an Iranian TV reporter was taken to Strategic Drone Base 313. After his blindfold was removed, photographers from Irans broadcasting authority were not allowed to accompany him. Army photographers took pictures of the base for the report. The video emphasized that the base contains more than 100 drones, including attack, patrol, and suicide drones. The reporter said the smaller UAVs are equipped with missile and bomb systems developed in Iran and electronic-warfare systems. The Fars NewsAgency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, showcased the kinds of drones at the base: Kaman-22, Kaman-12, Ababil-5 (equipped with Qaem-9 missiles, the Iranian version of the American Hellfire), Quds Mohajer 6 (an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance drone capable of carrying four precision-guided munitions), Fotros, and the Karrar, which carries different kinds of ammunition including bombs, anti-ballistic missiles, and surface-to-air missiles. A Preemptive Strike Requires a Modern Capability Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, Irans chief of staff, and Abdolrahim Musavi, commander of its standing army, were at the base and were interviewed for the report. However, the reporter stressed that none of the other forces, including operators of the drones, were allowed to be interviewed. Baqeri said that achieving preemptive-strike capabilities against the enemy necessitates a transition from old to modern weaponry and new combat methods, such as drones, and that this was proven in the fighting in Ukraine, Iraq, and Syria. The drones I saw today [at the base] can play an important role in that context. He added that Iran is not taking any threats lightly. We dont think the enemy is sleeping, our eyes are wide open, and we are always ready and resolved. The chief of staff stated further, Today is an extraordinary day of great value for me, and said the countrys achievements in this important domain are rapidly growing. Abdolrahim Musavi, for his part, said that Irans drone capability is the largest in the region and that the momentum of their development and upgrade are unstoppable. Mahmoud Mousavi, the operations deputy of Irans army, said that there are bases similar to 313 in different parts of Iran that have been operational for a long time. He added that the special missions assigned to these secret bases are mainly abroad and aimed at inflicting severe blows on the enemy.

Heydar-1 During the chief of staffs visit, Irans official IRNA news agency revealed the Heydar-1 cruise missile that can be launched from a drone at a range of 200 kilometers with a strike speed of 1,000 km per hour. The missile was introduced by Irans standing army (Artesh). The Tasnim News Agency, also affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, stressed that this is the first cruise missile of its kind that can be launched from Fotros or Kaman-22 drones. Baqeri said that Iran had developed a Heydar-2 cruise drone that could be launched from a helicopter. Secret Base Mistakenly Disclosed? Following the broadcast, social-media activists alleged that Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) had breached security rules and mistakenly disclosed the exact location of the secret base. They claimed that metadata can be extracted from the footage taken at the base, and flight time and route of the helicopter can be calculated. Some activists concluded the secret base is in Dalahu County, in western Kermanshah province. Was the Drone Unveiling a Reaction to a Sabotage Attack? The segment broadcast from Strategic Base 313 came a day after a New York Times report of an attack on the Parchin military complex based on three Iranian sources and one American source. The Times said that the incident on May 25 at the Iranian Defense Ministry research facility in the vicinity of the Parchin military complex, about 60 kilometers from southeastern Tehran, was actually an attack on the building by suicide drones of the quadcopter genre . Quadcopters have a relatively short range. Analysts believe, therefore, that the drone was launched from within Irans territory. The Defense Ministry acknowledged an explosion at the site but said it was an industrial foul-up that claimed the life of the young engineer, Ehsan Qadbeygi, and wounded another worker at the facility. The ministry did not say whether this was a facility for developing drones. According to Persian-language social media, the target of the attack was Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards. After a blast in the same area in June 2020, Iran claimed it was an explosion at a gas-storage facility in the Parchin area that was not connected to the military site. In the early 2000s, Iran conducted several experiments in the Parchin area related to the military components of its nuclear program. Iran will continue to develop and transfer to terrorist organizations and its allies in the regionthe so-called resistance camplethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), both aerial and maritime. At the same time, Iran will continue to develop its asymmetric-warfare doctrine and extensively integrate these autonomous systems into it, alongside its manned weapons systems such as speedboats. Iran will also use mannedaerial, maritime, and groundweapons systems as launching platforms for its autonomous weapons systems. IDF Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael (Mickey) Segall, an expert on strategic issues with a focus on Iran, terrorism, and the Middle East, is a senior analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and at Acumen Risk Advisors. Home
A 911 dispatcher has been fired after allegedly hanging up on an supermarket employee hiding during last month's shooting rampage in Buffalo, New York.

Sheila E. Ayers lost her job after Latisha Rogers, assistant office manager at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, claims she called 911 as 18-year-old gunman Payton Gendron opened fire on May 14, killing 10 black people and injuring three others.

'I called 911, I go through the whole operator and everything, the dispatcher comes on and I'm whispering to her,' she told WGRZ. 'I said ''Miss, please send help to 1275 Jefferson there is a shooter in the store.'''

People gather outside a supermarket where 10 people were killed in a shooting on May 14, in Buffalo, New York. Officials said a witness called a 911 dispatcher to report the massacre before the call taker hung up, as the gunman opened fire after entering the supermarket

Latisha Rogers, assistant office manager at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo (pictured), claims the dispatcher responded in a 'nasty tone' and questioned why she was whispering, before hanging up on her

Rogers claims Ayers answered her in a 'nasty tone' and questioned why she was whispering, before hanging up on her.

'She says ''I can't hear you, why are you whispering? You don't have to whisper, they can't hear you,''' the Tops employee recalled.

'So, I continued to whisper and I said ''ma'am he's still in the store, he's still shooting! I'm scared for my life, please send help.'' Out of nervousness, my phone fell out of my hand, she said something I couldn't make out, and then the phone hung up.'

Authorities had been reviewing the 911 call since the shooting on May 14 and placed the operator on paid administrative leave two days later until the investigation into the call was complete, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told WGRZ.

Ayers had been working as a 911 dispatcher in the area for eight years, according to the Washington Post.

In a press conference on May 18, Poloncarz told reporters the county intended to terminate the 911 call taker, who acted 'totally inappropriately and did not follow protocol.'

Buffalo residents showed up in droves to mourn the victims of the supermarket shooting that killed 10 a day after the shooting, on May 15

After last month's deadly incident, Ayers told Buffalo News that she was sorry about her interaction on the phone with Rogers during the shooting. However, she further said that the account that Rogers had given to local authorities about what exactly transpired was changed 'multiple times.'

'I'm being attacked for one side of the story,' Ayers told the local news outlet.

The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 815, which represented Ayers throughout the hearing, said it will file a complaint regarding Ayers' firing.

Erie County's emergency call center regularly receives 911 calls from both landlines and mobile phones. Poloncarz said that dispatchers at the local center are usually trained to recognize that if someone is whispering in a 911 call then it likely means that the caller is in danger.

He added that he would release the transcript and recording of the 911 call in the aftermath of the shooting.

Gendron was arrested just after the shooting for allegedly killing 10 black people and injuring three others. Police say the massacre was motivated by the 18 year-old's hatred for black people

Mourners react while attending a vigil for victims of the shooting at a TOPS supermarket in Buffalo, New York on May 15

All 10 of the victims (pictured) have been named by family members a day after the May 14 shooting

However, First Assistant Erie County Attorney Jeremy Toh denied Poloncarz's claims to the Buffalo News, despite the Committee on Open Government, which is under New York state's governance, expressing the opinion that '911 tapes can be viewed as records compiled in the ordinary course of business and as such, should generally be subject to disclosure,' according to the Reporters Committee For Freedom of the Press.

Under Section 308.4 of New York county law, 911 calls 'shall not be made available' to the public.

Meanwhile, the supermarket's shooter, 18-year-old Payton Gendron was indicted by a grand jury on domestic terrorism motivated by hate, which would carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison, and 10 counts of first-degree murder.

The horrific nature of the shooting and the number of victims was likely to already guarantee a life sentence if Gendron is convicted. New York has no death penalty. However, adding a state terrorism charge could carry additional emotional resonance and help authorities send a message about violent extremism.

The domestic terrorism charge  Domestic Acts of Terrorism Motivated by Hate in the First Degree  accuses Gendron of killing 'because of the perceived race and/or color' of his victims.

'This man was motivated by hate against people he never met for no reason other than the color of their skin,' said Buffalo lawyer John Elmore, who represents the families of victims Katherine 'Kat' Massey, 72, and Andre Mackniel, 53. Elmore said he hoped for a conviction on every count.

Gendron (pictured) wears all orange as he's brought into the courtroom on May 19 and indicted on 10 counts of first-degree murder and domestic terrorism after the Tops Friendly Market massacre

Gendron, 18, spent months agonizing over the details of his plan to carry out a mass shooting. He is seen wearing military gear and a GoPro in a photo posted online. The gunman livestreamed the shooting on May 14 with a GoPro

Gendron also posted an image of the gun he used in the attack. He wrote vulgar words, including the names of other white supremacists on it

A photo posted to Gendron's online diary shows supplies he gathered prior to shooting

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed the domestic terrorism hate crime law in August 2019, in the wake of a mass shooting targeting Mexicans at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. The measure, dubbed the 'Josef Neumann Hate Crimes Domestic Terrorism Act' after an attack at a rabbi's home in Munsey, New York, was signed into law on April 3, 2020, and took effect November 1, 2020.

The law expanded on a previous domestic terrorism statute passed after the 9/11 terrorist attack that was largely envisioned as a way to go after international extremism.

Prosecutors said Gendron drove about three hours to Buffalo from his home in Conklin, New York, intending to kill as many black people as possible. Shortly before the attack he posted documents that outlined his white supremacist views and revealed he had been planning the attack for months.

The gunman, carrying an AR-15-style rifle he had recently purchased, opened fire on Saturday afternoon shoppers at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo.

Murder charges were filed for each of the victims, who ranged in age from 32 to 86 and included eight customers, the store security guard and a church deacon who drove shoppers to and from the store with their groceries.

The shooting, followed 10 days later by a mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers inside a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school, has renewed a national debate about gun control.
Australia's Governor-General David Hurley has been blasted for 'disrespectful' comments at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The backlash comes after reporters asked Australia's representative of the monarch about the possibility of our nation becoming a republic while he was in England for the celebrations.

While the Governor General said the Queen had lots of 'emotional support' from Australians, he believes that could change under the reign of a new monarch.

'I think at the moment people centre on the Queen, and then when she goes, when she passes, then the succession comes in, there's a new discussion in Australia,' Mr Hurley replied.

Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed the Platinum Jubilee Pageant with great grandson George on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Sunday

Poll Was the Governor General's comments about the Queen out of line? Yes No Neutral Was the Governor General's comments about the Queen out of line? Yes 1502 votes

No 297 votes

Neutral 64 votes Now share your opinion





The Governor General's comments have sparked a furious backlash back home, led by 2GB broadcaster Ben Fordham.

'When she goes? It's her big celebration,' Fordham fumed on Monday morning.

'Imagine going to someone's anniversary or birthday party and saying 'now listen, when she's gone.'

'We don't talk about that now.'

'You're over there representing Australia and it hasn't gone down well I can tell you.'

Fordham read out several comments from listeners slamming Governor General Hurley's 'disrespectful' remarks.

'While he may be correct, it was a bizarre comment to be making during this very important celebration,' he continued.

'We shouldn't be talking about the Queen passing away when she's well and truly alive.

Both Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite (left) and Australian Governor-General David Hurley (right) have come under heavy fire for comments about the Queen as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee

The conversation about Australia ditching the Queen and becoming a republic has reignited after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week appointed Matt Thistlethwaite as the 'Assistant Minister for the Republic'.

Last week, Mr Thistlethwaite said the 'twilight years' of Queen Elizabeth's reign are an appropriate time to reignite debate.

'I'd like to congratulate the Queen on her jubilee and her reign I think she's been a fantastic monarch and leader of the commonwealth,' he told Sky News Australia.

'But as she comes to the twilight of her reign I think Australians are naturally beginning to ask themselves what comes next for Australia.

'Do we want King Charles or are we mature enough or independent enough to look to appoint one of our own as our head of state?'

Mr Thistlethwaite told ABC radio: 'As the Queen comes to the twilight of her reign, we should pay respect for her for the wonderful job she's done, but I think Australians are beginning to think about what comes next for our nation.'

'It's time we start the serious conversation once again...and looking to have one of our own as our head of state, to recognise that independence and maturity going forward.'

However Fordham said the timing of his comments was inappropriate,

'This is a time for celebration. Focus on the good things, the party, her achievements and record,' he said.

'The timing is appalling.'

Queen Elizabeth II is pictured being greeted by adoring subjects while visiting Australia in 1981

Fordham said he had no problem with the renewed discussion about Australia's future in the Commonwealth.

'Let's have the debate, at the appropriate time,' he said.

'I think anyone with any degree of decency would appreciate this isn't an appropriate time.'

The Prime Minister has previously spoken of Australia becoming a republic and has said the change was 'inevitable', but he did not mention his thoughts on the issue during his six-week election campaign.

His government plans to hold a new referendum on becoming a republic if the party wins a second term in office in 2025.

Mr Albanese presided over the renaming of Canberra's Aspen Island to honour the Queen's Platinum Jubilee on Saturday.

Ben Fordham agreed the republic debate needs to be renewed but The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations wasn't the appropriate time

A flypast and aerial display by Air Force aircraft marked the renaming of Aspen Island to Queen Elizabeth II Island as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Canberra,

The artificial landmark is situated on the southeastern side of Lake Burley Griffin within a ceremonial precinct known as Parliamentary Triangle.

Who is David Hurley? Governor General David Hurley, 68, is Australia's 27th representative of the monarch. He is a Australian former senior officer in the Australian Army who served 42 years in the military before retiring in 2014. He was previously the 38th governor of NSW and served from 2014 to 2019. July 1 will mark three years in the role as the Australian Governor General. Advertisement

Now formally known as Queen Elizabeth II Island, the location is home to the 57-bell Australian National Carillon built in 1970 and opened by the monarch as a gift from Great Britain.

'The Carillon was an act of imagination, a touchstone of both tradition and progress,' Mr Albanese said.

'Her majesty said at the time, the bells' harmony will be a reminder of the enduring ties of kinship between Britain and Australia and, indeed, they have been.'

He noted the bells chime every quarter of an hour as 'an echo of Big Ben' at London's Houses of Parliament.

Mr Albanese, whose newly installed government has informally pledged a referendum on a republic in its next term if it wins a second election, said the Queen had stood with Australia as a 'true and steadfast friend, through the good times and also the hard times'.

Landmarks across the country, including Parliament House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, have this week been lit in royal purple to mark the Jubilee.
An Atlanta-based rapper who was referred to us 'a true voice for his city and inspiration to the community he proudly served' was shot dead after a night of partying.

Mariel Semonte Orr, who went by the monikers Trouble and Skoob, was 34 years old when he was shot dead.

According to the Rockdale County Sheriff's Department, Trouble was shot dead at an apartment complex in Conyers, 25 miles outside of Atlanta, at 3.20am on Sunday.

When officers arrived at the scene, Trouble was found lying on the ground outside of the apartment building with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to Jedidia Canty, the public information officer with the Rockdale County Sheriff's Department.

Trouble is seen dancing while sitting in the bed of a pickup truck in a video posted from the night he died

In a series of videos posted to Instagram, Trouble can be seen smoking with friends

Canty said that Trouble was shot inside the apartment building.

No arrests have been made in the fatal shooting. The sheriff's office have issued an arrest warrant for Jamichael Jones, 33, of Atlanta. Jones is accused of felony murder, home invasion and aggravated assault.

Canty said that Trouble was visiting a female friend at the apartment complex when Jones breached the home.

She said that the suspect knew the female and referred to the shooting as a 'domestic situation.'

Canty said the situation was 'not a love triangle' and that the suspect and the victim did not know each other.

Trouble was pronounced dead at the scene.

A screenshot from the final video posted to Trouble's Instagram Story showing him ordering drinks at a bar

In another video, Trouble could be seen laughing and joking with friends while coughing and smoking

Rapper Trouble, pictured here on May 24, was referred to as a 'a true voice for his city and inspiration to the community he proudly served'

The sheriff's office have issued an arrest warrant for Jamichael Jones, 33, of Atlanta

In the hours before his death, Trouble posted videos to his Instagram story showing him ordering drinks at a party and laughing with a bartender.

Less than a month before his death, Trouble posted about life being too short. He tweeted: 'Life short af dawg smh Neva know when yo numBa gon be called!'

He added: 'Be grateful. Forgive - Don't forget.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Trouble's management and the Rockdale County Sheriff for more information on the incident.

In 2020, Trouble was accused of hurting a woman after the pair left a New Year's Eve party together.

Trouble was found shot here at the Lake St. James Apartment Complex

Less than a month before his death, Trouble posted about life being too short

The rapper debuted in 2011 with a mix tape titled 'December 17' featuring the song 'Bussin'' that achieved nearly 3 million views on YouTube

The woman told police that the rapper pulled her out of his car, pushed her to the ground and pulled her wig, reports 11Alive.

She suffered bruised knuckles and a chipped tooth as a result of the interaction. It's unclear if charges were brought against the rapper.

Previously, in 2017, Trouble spent 55 days in prison on a drug possession charge.

The rapper was the source of a viral clip in 2019 when he joined with 500 others at a non-violence event which resulted in a group of police officers getting soaked with water pistols.

Trouble told 11Alive about the event, named 'Guns Down Water Guns Up,' saying: 'I expected people to pull up, but not as massive as it was. And for it to be nothing but pure fun and energy. Its relative to different cities and different states because people are having problems everywhereIt was a successful event.'

A statement from his label Def Jam said in a statement: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the children, loved ones, and fans of Trouble. A true voice for his city and an inspiration to the community he proudly represented'

He added: 'Somebody brought it to my attention yesterday like man you went from making the news for problems as far as what youre going against right now to being on the news on a positive note.'

A statement from his label Def Jam said in a statement: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the children, loved ones, and fans of Trouble. A true voice for his city and an inspiration to the community he proudly represented.'

During his career, Trouble collaborated with The Weeknd, Drake, Young Thug, 2 Chainz, Migos and Jeezy.

The rapper debuted in 2011 with a mix tape titled 'December 17' featuring the song 'Bussin'' that achieved nearly 3 million views on YouTube. Trouble released two albums, 'Edgewood' in 2018 and his follow-up 'Thug Luv' in 2020.

Trouble told XXL Magazine in an interview that he started rapping at 14. When asked which rapper he would like to emulate, he replied: 'No one. I'm the first and only Trouble.' In 2013, Trouble was included on the magazine's list of 'Atlanta Rappers You Should Know.'

Atlanta rapper T.I. was among the first to post a tribute to Trouble

In 2015, Trouble collaborated with Gucci Mane on the song 'Everyday'

Meek Mill retweeted his own message about not knowing what tomorrow brings in paying tribute to Trouble

Lil Duval and Trouble collaborated together on the 2015 song 'Give Me My B**** Back'

Atlanta rapper has long been advocate against gun violence in his home city

Trouble was previously in a relationship with 'Love & Hip-Hop' icon Alexis Sky

Members of Atlanta's hip-hop community such as Killer Mike paid tribute to Trouble. Killer Mike said: 'God Bless the Dead. He was a good man. Gone too soon.'

T.I. and Gucci Mane simply wrote: 'R.I.P. Trouble' in separate Twitter posts.

Meek Mill retweeted his own message from last night prior to Trouble's death which read: 'Aint no telling what tomars news is.. stay humble and ready for it!' Mill wrote this morning: 'And I woke up to rip trouble. Everybody texting be careful! Smh rip fam!!!!'

Lil Duval tweeted: 'Damn trouble was somebody i use to really preach to and help spiritually. And he was learning how to be happy and live life. This one kinda hurt me i aint gon front.'

While 'Love & Hip-Hop' personality Alexis Sky tweeted a photo with the rapper and wrote: 'I'm so sorry this happen to you Skoob you didn't deserve this I'm praying for your kids and family.

Sky and Trouble were previously in a relationship together.

Trouble told The Fader in a 2018 interview that his first child was about to be born in May of that year.
Norman Swan has hit back at claims he is the 'Covid bogeyman' after the ABC doctor said Australia was dealing with a 'jet crash' amount of deaths each week.

Dr Swan has been accused by the public and media of scaremongering over the virus, constantly pointing to case numbers despite leaders pushing to normalise living with Covid.

Speaking to The Australian, Dr Swan doubled down on his comments, saying he didn't care what his reputation may be among the community.

'Im quite happy to be called a panic merchant on that dimension. Im not calling for a lockdown or anything. All that Im saying is that Im worried about how many deaths are preventable,' he said.

'I couldnt care less what people call me: I just care about lives being saved.'

Norman Swan has hit back at claims he is the 'Covid bogeyman' after the ABC doctor described 2022 as 'the worst year of the pandemic' with potentially 13,000 deaths

Dr Swan came under fire over recent comments he made on ABC News Breakfast, where he told host Lisa Millar the nation was looking at a death toll of 13,000 for 2022.

'This is the worst year of the pandemic  and nobodys talking about it,' he said.

The ABC doctor said Australia should be prepared to lose thousands of Aussies if we continued to take a relaxed attitude to the virus.

'We're benefiting from a high vaccination rate, that's why we're getting a low rate of deaths, but the absolute numbers are high,' he said.

'These are jet crashes (worth of deaths) every week If these were children there'd be riots in the street.'

Dr Swan said Australia was on track to lose more than 10,000 people than it did in 2021 - with the numbers trending towards 13,000 deaths this year, significantly higher than the 2226 recorded in 2021.

'With these new subvariants coming out we're increasing our vulnerability, lots of people are getting infected,' he said.

'A lot of people are dying. More than 5000 this year, could end up being 13,000 in a year. A bad flu season is 1500.'

The introduction of Omicron sub-variants BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 into the country has seen rising cases, but while they appear to be more transmissible, there is no evidence to say they are more severe.

The ABC doctor said Australia was seeing the equivalent of a plane crash in deaths from Covid every week - with high vaccination rates the country's only saving grace

Dr Swan lamented people not seeking anti-viral medication to help with more intense Covid infections, and blamed the government for not being more transparent with figures.

'People who could be getting them aren't,' he said.

'This is a system issue, trying to get health care out to people.

'We have got no idea who's dying, whether they've had antivirals or not, we don't see systemic studies of these deaths to find out how we could actually prevent them.'

2GB Radio host Ben Fordham however accused Dr Swan of waning relevance and wanting to take Australia back to the 'bad old days' with lockdowns and restrictions.

'I think he must be bored, because we've learnt to live with the coronavirus so he's not as relevant as he used to be,' Fordham said.

'We're trying to get on with our lives after losing two years of our lives. So Dr Swan has come in off the long run-up and he's bowled another frightening fear campaign about Covid.'

2GB Radio host Ben Fordham however accused Dr Swan of waning relevance and labelled him Australia's 'resident Covid bogeyman'

The radio host said the vast majority of active cases were mild and asked where Dr Swan wanted Australia to 'follow China's lead' and 'cage people inside their homes'.

'Norman Swan won't let go of the fear campaign,' Fordham said last week.

'We know it's dangerous, we know it's contagious, but we've lived through plagues, pandemics, recessions, depressions, world wars and terrorism, and Australia has overwhelmingly decided to keep calm and carry on.

'Mind you he did get one thing right on his appearance on the ABC yesterday. Dr Swan said, 'I think people are just fed up.' Yes they are, not only with coronavirus but also with alarmists like you.'
Single rooms are being rented out for the same price it cost to live in an entire house three years ago in Queensland.

Renters are being forced to pay more than $300 a week so they can live in shabby 'micro apartments', single rooms in shared houses or cramped studios.

PropTrack, which provides insights into the property market, released data showing that tenants were once paying the same price to live in a house on their own.

Fussy landlords are choosing tenants based on their 'vibe', asking them for more money if they want to use extra amenities like the garage and demanding they hand over work payslips to prove they can afford to pay the rent.

Single rooms are being rented out for the same price it cost to live in an entire house three years ago in Queensland

One landlord advertised their 'micro apartment' for $300 a week in Stafford, Brisbane

One landlord advertised their 'micro apartment' for $300 a week in Stafford, Brisbane.

The premises squeezes together the living room area with the kitchen and bedroom with the landlord setting up the mattress right next to the fridge and dining table.

Another homeowner is asking for $600 a week for a single room in a shared apartment in West End, while another is requesting $340 for one in Greenslopes - they have demanded extra money if the tenant wants to store their car in the garage.

Rental prices are just as dire outside of the city with a private room in a Gold Coast apartment going for $410, one in Townsville for $310 and another one in Cairns for $320.

Some landlords have even given tenants a list of demands to meet their approval.

One homeowner is asking for $350 a week in rent for an Edge Hill studio and asking prospective tenants to provide six payslips, to prove they are employed, and asking for an upfront payment of $1,400 for bond and rent.

Daniel Crossley is asking for is asking for $280 a week for a room in his Yorkeys Knob home and says he choosing candidates based on their 'vibe'.

'It's been listed at $280 since before Covid and it includes bills,' he told realestate.com.au.

One homeowner is asking for $350 a week in rent for an Edge Hill studio and asking prospective tenants to provide six payslips, to prove they are employed, and asking for an upfront payment of $1,400 for bond and rent

'It's a very serene and nice property with king-size rooms in a peaceful area. The property has a secluded swimming pool and is regularly cleaned and maintained.'

Flatmates.com.au community manager Claudia Conley said demand had outpaced supply for single rooms with 7.7 people per room - up from 2.3 in April 2020.

'Along with this lack of supply, we're seeing a large increase in weekly rental prices for rooms in share houses,' she said.

Vacancy rates have dwindled across the state meaning renters are having a harder time finding places to live.

The vacancy rate in Brisbane is at 1.1 per cent, Greater Brisbane area at 0.7 per cent and Moreton Bay region has 0.5 per cent.

The Southern Downs and the Tablelands have the lowest figure at 0.1 per cent while Goondiwindi, Gympie and South Burnett sit at 0.2 per cent.
An outbreak of shootings has led to three NSW task forces tackling gang crime

Strike Force Hawk conducted the raids over seven days in Sydney's southwest

Fifteen arrested as police raid a 'who's who' of Sydney organised crime figures

NSW police have raided a 'who's who' of bikies and organised crime gangs leading to 15 arrests as gang-related violence plagues Sydney.

In a week-long operation, Strike Force Hawk officers paid unwelcome visits to homes across Sydney seizing weapons, stolen cars, drugs, and cash and discovering an alleged drug laboratory.

Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said it was a comprehensive sweep of underground figures as 52 firearm prohibition order searches took place.

NSW police say they have raided a 'who's who' of organised crime figure in southwest Sydney, which has led to 15 arrests as three taskforces attempt to stem the violence of gang warfare

'Last week, we targeted the who's who of criminality in Sydney's southwest: Rebels, Finks, and Lone Wolves (bikie gangs) - you'd be hard-pressed to find someone in that world who didn't get a home visit,' he said.

Police seized around $150,000 in cash, 1.5kg of marijuana, 150g of meth, numerous prohibited weapons, and three stolen cars.

Seven men were arrested over the discovery of the alleged drug lab.

Strike Force Hawk was established in October after Brothers 4 Life gang figures Toufik Hamze and his son Salim were gunned down and killed on the street.

This was part of a wave of gang violence in southwest Sydney where 13 people were shot dead in underworld violence in the past 19 months.

Police said that during a week-long operation they paid unwelcome visits to members of the Rebels, Finks and Lone Wolves bikie gangs plus other organised crime figures

Police seized around cash, 1.5kg of cannabis, 150 grams of methylamphetamine, numerous prohibited weapons, three stolen cars and discovered a drug lab

Police seized around $150K in cash during the raids with sale of prohibited drugs in NSW estimated to be worth at least $3.7billion a year at the street level

A chilling warning posted on the Facebook page of slain Comanchero bikie Omar Zahead, 39, threatened further carnage.

Omar was gunned down as he left the Bodyfit Gym in Auburn, western Sydney, on May 10 and his brother Tarek, 41 was seriously injured and expected to lose sight in one eye.

Police warned Tarek there was a contract on him as he was believed to be poised to take leadership of the Comancheros, although his brother was involved with the gang as well.

The Facebook message posted on Omar's page asks Allah to curse, expose and humiliate all those connected with the shooting and calls them 'weak dogs, cowards and scum of the Earth'.

Comanchero bikie Omar Zahead (right) was gunned down on May 10 and his brother Tarek (left), who is highly placed in the gang, seriously injured in the latest of a spate of gang shootings

After his death this post appeared on Omar Zahead's Facebook page calling for Allah to exact vengeance on his killers as police mobilise to prevent more gang-related carnage

Strike Force Hawke partners with other NSW gang-crime units Raptor Squad, Taskforce Erebus and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to share intelligence and conduct operations.

'This allows us to target and disrupt organised crime at the street, mid and upper-levels simultaneously within a specific organised crime network or more broadly to prevent violent crime,' Assistant Commissioner Smith said.

More than 80 firearms and 3,300 rounds of ammunition, $2.9 million in cash, and prohibited drugs worth more than $9 million were seized by Strike Force Hawke.

It also recently expanded operations state-wide leading to the arrest of 105 people and more than 300 charges.

NSW Police believe about 40 per cent of Australia's national organised crime figures are based in Sydney but often operate outside the city to avoid detection.

Police estimate the sale of prohibited drugs in NSW is worth at least $3.7 billion a year at street level.

Meanwhile, the NSW Labor opposition has accused the state government of failing to honour its promise to introduce laws on 'unexplained wealth' targeting gang associates and crime bosses.

The laws would allow the NSW Crimes Commission to seize the assets of suspected criminals unable to explain where their 'Maseratis, Ferraris, waterside homes and Rolex wristwatches' came from.
Time is ticking away for the ACT to abolish 'appalling' Covid-19 mask mandates before the territory's furious airport boss launches legal action.

Canberra Airport has given the territory's chief health officer Kerryn Coleman a deadline of 5pm Monday to revoke the mandate or explain why the strict rules must stay.

Mask wearing has already been scrapped in pubs, nightclubs, strip clubs and brothels.

Airport chief executive Stephen Byron said the mandate was unjustified and discriminatory when compared to other businesses in the ACT.

The mask mandate is enforced Australia-wide on all aircraft and in all airports.

On Monday morning, Mr Byron said he was still waiting for answers from the ACT government after the airport's lawyers issued a letter last week threatening legal action.

Canberra Airport is calling for mask mandates to be scrapped inside the terminal

'There is no evidence the airport terminal is any more infectious than going to any nightclub or shopping centre in Canberra,' Mr Byron told Daily Mail Australia.

'The mandate is appalling, unnecessary, completely discriminatory and not based on any scientific evidence.'

Mr Byron stressed he was not asking for masks to be scrapped on aircraft, just within airport buildings.

He has also reached out to Australia's chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly to get his support.

Anyone caught not wearing a mask when required in the ACT faces an on the spot fine of $1000 or up to $8000 for more serious incidents.

The ACT has relaxed mask rules in most settings, including nightclubs, shopping centres and strip clubs. Pictured, people in Canberra

The ACT began enforcing mask-wearing at Canberra Airport in January 2021, before Covid vaccinations were available for Australians.

Poll Should the mask mandate be scrapped at Australian airports? Yes No Undecided Should the mask mandate be scrapped at Australian airports? Yes 365 votes

No 43 votes

Undecided 4 votes Now share your opinion





'Canberra's vaccination rate over the age five is now 97.2 per cent,' Mr Byron said.

'Our industry was hardest hit by the pandemic when the borders closed.

'We should have been one of the first when restrictions eased.'

The airport has argued the mask mandate in the terminal is a breach of human rights.

Solicitor Andrew Corkhill, of Quinn Emanuel lawyers, is acting for Canberra Airport.

'The mandate creates a tangible stigma around attending Canberra Airport, sending the false message to would-be travellers that visiting the airport carries a greater risk than visiting other ACT premises that are not subject to mask mandates including pubs, nightclubs, strip clubs and brothels,' Mr Corkhill wrote in the letter to the health department.

'If you refuse to revoke the face mask mandate or otherwise provide a sufficient explanation for it, adversely affected airport workers and travellers may be compelled to commence legal proceedings against you in the ACT Supreme Court under the Human Rights Act.'

Canberra Airport chief executive Stephen Byron (pictured) described mask mandates inside the airport terminal as appalling and completely discriminatory

Mr Byron said an ACT government solicitor had promised a response would be provided 'shortly' but said the 5pm Monday deadline remains.

The government says the mask mandate in place for Canberra Airport and on domestic flights into and out of the ACT, is in line with a nationally consistent approach agreed to by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and the Australian aviation industry.

'While it is up to each jurisdictional government to implement the legislation to enforce these rules, they are currently consistent for passengers on all flights and in all airports across the country,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

'ACT Health will continue to assess the need for mandates in different settings in line with the most up-to-date information and advice.

The government confirmed Dr Coleman received correspondence from Capital Airport Group.

'This has been handled by the ACT Government Solicitors Office. As this is a legal matter, we have no further comment at this time,' the spokesperson added.

Mask mandates remain in place in the nation's capital on public transport and in high-risk settings such as hospitals, aged care homes and jails.

Mr Byron acknowledged ACT would become the first state or territory to overhaul mask wearing rules at airports if his demand was met.

'I don't think any airport terminals in Australia should have mask mandates,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

The Australian Airport Association is also fighting for mask rules to be eased, saying it was not only confusing for passengers but an impediment for airport tenants trying to rebuild post-Covid.
Steaming through the deep waters off Cornwalls Lizard Peninsula on September 29, 1918  six weeks before the end of World War I  the crew of merchant navy vessel the Libourne were on high alert.

They may have been just ten miles off the coast, but the threat from German U-boats did not diminish in home waters. If anything, it increased.

Within months of the declaration of war, Germany had announced an exclusion zone around Britain, within which merchant ships were sunk without warning. By 1917, an average of 15 British vessels were being sunk every day as U-boat captains hunted their prey remorselessly through the coastal waters, most notably the English Channel.

The explorers decided to hunt for wrecks off the British coast because, unlike many marine jurisdictions, the UK permits treasure hunting

The Admiralty responded by escorting merchant convoys and so, when the Libourne set out from Bordeaux that morning, she was one of a group of five steamships. They were on the return leg of a mission to deliver coal to Britains French allies.

And when the Libourne departed Bordeaux for Liverpool, via Penzance, its hold was full of wine, champagne, brandy and Benedictine  a liquor favoured by monks  along with 425 worth of gherkins.

But whoever was eagerly awaiting the delivery of this valuable cargo  very wealthy individuals, no doubt  would be sorely disappointed.

The wine is the subject of a heated battle between a group of marine explorers who discovered the wreck and its cargo, and bureaucrats from Historic England and DCMS

For this liquid treasure never reached its destination. And now it is the subject of a heated battle between a group of marine explorers who discovered the wreck and its cargo, and bureaucrats from Historic England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).

The treasure-hunters include Daniel Jayson, an expert in underwater operations, naval historian Ian Hudson and Belgian sea captain and salvage expert Luc Heymans, who in 2004 discovered the wreck of a 10th-century treasure ship off Indonesia, laden with gold, crystals and pearls.

They decided to hunt for wrecks off the British coast because, unlike many marine jurisdictions, the UK permits treasure hunting.

While it is illegal to disturb war graves  wrecks which contain dead bodies  Britain has not signed the 2001 Unesco treaty that forbids the exploitation of underwater wrecks for commercial gain.

After scouring shipping archives, the treasure-hunters shortlisted 50 potential wrecks for exploration, among them the Libourne.

While it was not marked on any charts, they succeeded in locating it and, in 2015, sent in specialists who could dive down 100m to search it.

The ships manifest mentioned the gherkins, and champagne and brandy  1900, but the explorers were in for a pleasant surprise.

Photographs and video footage taken by the divers revealed that lying within the rotting remnants of the Libourne, and scattered on the seabed beside it, were far more than the 1,900 bottles mentioned in the manifest.

There were tens of thousands  if not hundreds of thousands  of bottles, and not only brandy and champagne. Writing on the corks revealed that they included red and white wine, too, as well as Benedictine.

The treasure-hunters duly applied for permission to salvage the bottles, an expensive and difficult operation involving highly specialised divers who would live underwater in a pressurised capsule for 18 days while they carried out the recovery operation.

But the mission was sunk before it could even be launched. The Government refused to grant them permission to mount a salvage operation, despite the fact that the group pledged to donate some of the profits to the Lizard Lifeboat Station, which is in sore need of funds, and a maritime history research non-profit called the 1421 Foundation.

As Daniel Jayson ruefully remarks: I thought this government was meant to be in favour of business.

We have invested a lot of money and went ahead with the exploratory dive knowing that the law allowed it. But we were subsequently told that the Government, despite not signing the Unesco treaty, applies its policy.

They have told us that we can bring up a few bottles to evaluate them  but thats financially impossible, you cant get investment for just a few bottles.

Meanwhile, the wreck is being damaged by trawlers, which drag their weighted nets and anchors along the seabed, scattering the bottles far and wide as they do so.

As time goes on, more will be lost, and some may degrade if their corks become damaged.

There is no common sense, says Jayson. Weve tried to have grown-up conversations with Historic England, but we have got nowhere. If they dont let us salvage it, the cargo will simply be lost. Its bureaucratic nonsense.

But is the cargo likely to be valuable after 100 years at the bottom of the sea? Wine experts believe it is. Similar vintages of fine wines found in Swedish waters recently fetched up to 9,000 apiece, and wine connoisseurs are, says Jayson, falling over themselves to get their hands on it.

Ian Hudson adds: The deep ocean is the perfect cellar; its dark and the temperature is cool and constant. Many wine houses are storing wine underwater now. Ive spoken to experts who sampled wines previously salvaged from wrecks and the flavour is amazing. It can sell for 25,000 euros a bottle.

Whats more, he says, its an important scientific project: There has never been anything of this age or quantity found off the coast in UK waters. We could learn how wine is affected at depth, whether corks are pushed in from the pressure, or get bacteria in them. We know that the corks on the brandy have lead sheathing over the top so they will be in pristine condition.

The corks on the champagne remain firmly in place as the wire cages  or muselets  are intact, so it is thought the drink will still be fizzy.

The team can only guess at the quality of the wine because no details of their vintages were mentioned in the manifest. But as the consignment was sent from Bordeaux, possibly to keep it out of German hands  and only the rich drank wine in England in those days  it is likely that it was highly valuable.

After all, who would bother to ship cheap plonk during a war?

A vintage painting dated 1916 of German submarine or U Boat on the surface after sinking an armed English fishing steamer

Neglecting to mention the vast quantities of wine and Benedictine on the ships inventory might have been a measure to avoid tax.

But if the captain, John Richard Green, was aware of this omission, being caught smuggling was about to become the least of his worries.

For as the Libourne steamed towards Penzance in heavy weather, a German U-boat, the U-54, lay in wait off Lands End.

Worse, the U-54 was commanded by one of the most ruthless and ambitious submarine captains in the Kriegsmarine, 28-year-old Hellmuth von Ruckteschell.

He had been lurking off the coast, but the convoys had so far evaded him. Then, at last, as he gleefully reported, a steamer comes into view, offering the first attack opportunity after 11 days.

It was 4pm and in rough seas, so none of the ships in the convoy spotted the U-boat before it dived below the surface. After stalking the convoy for an hour, at 4.55pm, von Ruckteschell surfaced and gave the order to fire a torpedo at its lead ship, the Libourne. It struck her port side with such force that she nearly split in two. She immediately began sinking.

Von Ruckteschell fired at a second ship before diving again and slipping away, climbing briefly to periscope depth to survey the devastation, before submerging once more.

Other ships in the convoy hurried to help the crew. Miraculously, 30 men survived the explosion, taking to lifeboats and leaping into the raging waves before being hauled aboard a trawler.

In less than half an hour, the Libourne had disappeared. Three men lost their lives that day, John William Cleater, 19, Alexander John Thomson, 22, and Bartholomew Morgan, 30. Their bodies were never found, like many of the 15,000 merchant seamen who perished in World War I.

Von Ruckteschell went on to command U-boats in World War II and became so infamous for his ruthlessness that he was put on trial for war crimes by a British military court in 1946. He was accused of at least one clear case of mass murder and several equally clear cases of the sinking of vessels whose crew were on the vessels when they were fired on, and were not picked up subsequently when on boats, rafts and in the water.

He was found guilty on three charges, sentenced to ten years and died in prison in 1948.

Meanwhile the Libourne remained on the seabed.

Mention of a consignment of hard liquor aboard a sunken ship inevitably invites parallels with Compton Mackenzies novel Whisky Galore. It was based on the true story of the SS Politician, which sank off Eriskay, in the Outer Hebrides, in bad weather, containing 250,000 bottles of whisky.

On that occasion the ship was pillaged by islanders, but the Libournes alcoholic cargo remains untouched.

No one is more frustrated by this state of affairs than Ian Hudson, for he is the grandson of Audrey Warren Pearl, who  when she died in 2011 at the age of 95  was the last remaining survivor of the Lusitania, an ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland three years before the Libourne went down.

It was torpedoed as it neared the end of its journey from New York to Liverpool, with the loss of 1,198 civilians out of 1,959 on board, including 128 Americans.

Audrey, who was a six-month-old baby at the time, was rescued along with her American parents, who lost two of their children that day and their nanny.

The incident provoked such outrage that Germany abandoned unrestricted submarine warfare for a time. Audreys remarkable story inspired Hudson to became a maritime historian.

There would be a certain satisfying symmetry if he and his colleagues could succeed in profiting from the cargo of the Libourne, another U-boat victim.

His grandmother, who went on to become a glamorous debutante and marry an Englishman, would certainly approve.

But it depends on whether the Government can be persuaded to reverse its decision and let the salvage go ahead.

Until then, these buccaneering treasure-hunters can only hope that more trawlers do not smash through the wreck, and that vintage wine galore is not lost for ever to the ocean.
A former Republican Congressman said he has left the party after working for the committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol saying, 'what I've seen behind the scenes has pushed me further away.'

Denver Riggleman, 52, appeared on CNN's 'State of the Union' Sunday where he spoke about how some of the evidence he saw while advising the committee influenced his decision.

Riggleman worked as a technical adviser for the House select committee that is investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

'What I've seen behind the scenes has pushed me further away. That the party has moved away from conservative principles to this cult of personality that Liz Cheney is talking about. She's absolutely correct,' Riggleman told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday.

Former Virginia Rep. Denver Riggleman, 52, who worked as an adviser for the committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, announced he is no longer a Republican

Riggleman was referring to the Wyoming Republican congresswoman who is also the vice chair of the committee and has been outspoken about her criticism of former President Donald Trump for his role in the January 6 attack.

The former Virginia representative told Tapper that he no longer considers himself a Republican, adding: 'I think the party left me some time ago.'

Riggleman later confirmed to CNN that he has left the Republican party and that he will never run again as a Republican. He now considers himself an independent.

Riggleman told CNN that he 'made the decision privately a month or two ago' but it was formally announced Sunday.

Riggleman worked as a technical adviser for the House select committee that is investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol

Riggleman, former Virginia representative, told Tapper that he no longer considers himself a Republican, adding: 'I think the party left me some time ago'

Riggleman, who has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump, told Tapper that the Republican Party has 'moved away from conservative principles,' and on to a 'cult of personality' surrounding Trump.

The remarks were made when he was asked on the show about comments made by Cheney who said in an interview released Friday that there is 'absolutely a cult of personality around Donald Trump' within her party.

'When you see it behind the door, when you see the data, when you see the investigation, when you see those smart people and what they come up with, Jake, it's absolutely stunning that cult of personality and also the belief systems. I don't think any real conservative could follow at any point,' Riggleman said.

'It's absolutely insane what people have sort of put their arms around. If you look at 'Stop the Steal,' if you look at, you know, some of the Covid issues with the vaccination conspiracy theories, when you look at all the things in total, the fact is that a lot of that has been pushed by people around the President.'

Riggleman was selected last year to serve as an adviser to the House select committee, but said he was leaving the committee in April to work with a nonprofit organization in Ukraine.

His split from the committee was 'amicable,' sources told CNN.

The January 6 committee is slated to begin public hearings on June 9. At that time, the committee will present its evidence and findings regarding the Jan 6 attack on the US Capitol

The January 6 committee is slated to begin public hearings on June 9. At that time, the committee will present its evidence and findings.

The seven Democrats and two Republicans will seek to prove their case that last year's deadly Capitol riot was just one phase in a 'multi-tentacled plot' led by Trump to seize hold of the American electoral system, the Post reported.

Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a member of the committee, promised in April that the hearings would 'blow the roof off of the House.'

Thursday's hearing is expected to contextualize the riot in its wider role in Trump's alleged attempts to rig the election in his favor.

Witnesses have not yet been announced.

A later session will reportedly dive into legal theories hatched by the ex-president's allies that claimed elected officials had the right to reject a state's Electoral College votes and force them to select a new one.
Britain will join the US in sending long-range missile systems to Ukraine to help fend off the Russian invasion, defying warnings from Vladimir Putin against supplying Kyiv with the advanced weapons.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Britain will send M270 launchers, which can fire precision-guided rockets up to 50 miles - more than double the range of current artillery. It is thought the UK will initially send three of the vehicles.

It comes after Joe Biden signed over four M142 HIMARS launchers to Kyiv's forces, which are based on the design of the M270 but are lighter and easier to manoeuvre.

Putin warned on Sunday that he views the move as an escalation, saying Russian forces will 'strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting' if the weapons arrive in Ukraine - without specifying which targets he was talking about.

Shortly after Putin spoke, Russia bombed targets in Kyiv - the first time in weeks the capital has been struck - claiming to have destroyed a shipment of Soviet T-72 tanks sent by other Eastern European countries in what appeared to be a warning shot.

The M270 launchers (pictured), which can strike targets up to 50 miles away with precision-guided rockets, will 'offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces'

M270: The Soviet-killer system the UK will supply to Ukraine M270 MLRS - which stands for 'multiple launch rocket system' - is an American-made weapon designed in the 1980s specifically to counter Soviet artillery. The system consists of two pods containing six missiles each fitted to the back of an armoured vehicle that drives on tank tracks. It can unload all 12 missiles in under a minute, blanketing an area up to 50 miles away with explosions. The M270 can fire many different kinds of rockets which change what the system is capable of, but it is thought the Ukrainians will mostly use it for 'counter-battery fire' - or destroying rival Russian rocket artillery. It is particularly well-suited for such missions because it out-ranges most Russian vehicles and has better targeting systems. The M270 can also be equipped with rockets designed to spread landmines or small 'bomblets' over an area, making it useful to interrupt enemy supply lines or destroy reinforcements before they reach the front. In theory, the M270 can also be equipped with very long range missiles that can fire up to 300 miles and strike individual targets - similar to ballistic missiles Russia has used against Ukrainian cities. However, the US has ruled out sending such systems to Ukraine, fearing they will be used to hit cities in Russian which could provoke Putin into escalating the fighting. Advertisement

Ben Wallace said: 'The UK stands with Ukraine in this fight and is taking a leading role in supplying its heroic troops with the vital weapons they need to defend their country from unprovoked invasion.

'If the international community continues its support, I believe Ukraine can win. As Russia's tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine.

'These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putin's forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities.'

Ukrainian troops will be trained in the UK to use the equipment, he added.

The MoD said the decision to provide the launchers was closely co-ordinated with the US government, which said that it would supply High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to Ukraine.

When the US announced it would be sending the missiles, Russian president Vladimir Putin vowed to hit new targets.

'If they are delivered, we will draw appropriate conclusions from this and use our weapons, which we have enough of, to strike at those objects that we have not yet hit,' he said in an interview with state TV channel Russia-1, which was filmed on Friday.

Kyiv's residents awoke on Sunday to the first Russian strikes on the capital since April 28, while Moscow's forces have also maintained steady pressure via artillery and air strikes in the eastern Donbas region.

Meanwhile, the UK announced a specialist legal and police team will be offered to assist the chief prosecutor investigating alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday will present a second package of support for the independent investigation, on top of the 1 million funding provided by the UK Government earlier this year.

The offer will include a dedicated Metropolitan Police officer stationed in The Hague, providing the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its prosecutor Karim Khan with swift access to further British police and military expertise.

It comes after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Friday reaffirmed Britain's support for Ukraine, warning Russia's 'unjustified and illegal' invasion threatened world peace and economic stability.

A view of damaged Wagon Repair Factory after shelling amid Russian attacks in Darnyts'kyi district of Kyiv, Ukraine

Putin warned that Moscow will strike new unspecified 'targets' if the West supplies the missiles to Ukraine and said new arms deliveries to Kyiv were aimed at 'prolonging the conflict'

In a statement marking the 100th day of the war, Ms Truss said the UK remained determined that Mr Putin's offensive should not succeed.

'He expected the invasion to be over in days, but significantly underestimated the resolve of brave Ukrainians, who have valiantly defended their country,' she said.

'Putin's invasion has brought death and destruction on a scale not seen in Europe since World War II. This war has huge ramifications for global peace, prosperity and food security. It matters to us all.

'Today is a moment to pay our respects to the thousands of innocent civilians murdered since the invasion, and reaffirm our steadfast support for Ukraine's heroic defence, to ensure they succeed and Putin fails.'

Biden officially announced a new $700 million security package for the Ukraine on Wednesday amid Russian warnings he was 'adding fuel to the fire' by including medium-range rocket systems.

'This new package will arm them with new capabilities and advanced weaponry, including HIMARS with battlefield munitions, to defend their territory from Russian advances,' Biden said in a statement.

The lateset round of military aid comes as the Pentagon snapped back at the flak from the Kremlin, saying Russia didn't get to vote on U.S. assistance and describing Moscow's invasion as 'off plan.'

Besides the missile system, the assistance also includes helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles, and more. Ukraine has promised the United States it will not fire the weapons into Russian territory.

Biden officially announced a new $700 million security package for the Ukraine on Wednesday

The United States is sending four HIMARS missile systems to Ukraine in the latest round of military aid

But the Kremlin fired back, accusing Washington of provocative behavior.

'We believe that the United States is purposefully and diligently adding fuel to the fire,' spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

When asked how Russia would respond if Ukraine used U.S.-supplied rockets to strike Russian territory, Peskov replied: 'Let's not talk about worst-case scenarios.'

He said Moscow didn't trust Ukrainian reassurance the weapons would not reach Russian soil.

It comes as Putin was hit by the death of Russias 11th general in his bloody war with Ukraine.

Major-General Roman Kutuzov was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army, according to reports.

His vehicle was ambushed by Ukrainians and he died in a fight in Donbas, say sources.

His death is the 11th general, but the first such high ranking army officer in more than a month.

In addition, at least 49 colonels have been killed in the war with Ukraine.

The latest was Lt-Col Zaur Dimayev, deputy commander of the 4th battalion of the Akhmat Kadyrov special forces regiment.

Major-General Roman Kutuzov (pictured) was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army, according to reports

Ukraine today issued a picture claiming to be Major-General Roman Kutuzov but there was no immediate confirmation

He was a close associate of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

In 2020, Kutuzov was head of the headquarters of the combined arms formation of Russias sprawling Eastern Military District.

The previous general to be killed was Kanamat Flop Gun Botashev, 63.

He was a 'pensioner pilot' who was hit in his Su-25 after coming out of retirement to fly in Putins forces.

He was reportedly shot down by a Ukrainian Stinger missile.

There have been unconfirmed claims that Western countries are assisting Ukraine to target high-ranking Russian officers.

Russian sources say Kutuzov was killed in the area of Nikolaevka settlement, in the Popasnyansky district of the Luhansk Peoples Republic, close to the frontline.
An Uvalde attack timeline and deterrence reality check

By Mark Alexander

web posted June 6, 2022

Last Monday we observed Memorial Day by honoring those who died in the uniformed service of our nation. My association with the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center includes the blessing of personal relationships with those who have received our nation's highest military award for valor  for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of their lives "above and beyond the call of duty."

With that as a backdrop, let's consider questions about the controversial law enforcement officer (LEO) response to the assault in Uvalde, Texas.

Having profiled the evil lurking on the fringe of our society  in this case, resulting in the murder of 21 people, including 19 third and fourth grade children  before the blood had dried, legitimate questions were raised about the inaction of Uvalde LEOs.

It was almost 80 minutes after the sociopathic assailant entered through an unlocked door at the rear of the school (the first line of defense) and started his murderous assault  despite parents pleading with local police to enter the building and stop the attack, and 911 calls from children in the room where the assailant had barricaded himself  that the assailant was finally killed.

He was shot by a Border Patrol tactical unit officer who was working nearby when the call for help came. Several BP agents defied orders from the local police chief not to enter the classroom in a timeline that raises many questions about the failure to engage the assailant  failures at many levels before the assailant stepped on school grounds. The officer who shot the assailant was wounded but is in stable condition.

To be clear, the protocol for active shooter incidents in any setting is for LEOs to engage the assailant and shoot until he is dead. In this case, seven officers arrived on the scene within minutes of the assailant entering the building but retreated when fired upon.

Distinct from an active shooter scenario, the LEO protocol for a barricaded hostage situation, where hostages are not at imminent threat of being killed, is generally to secure the area, hold position, and wait for special tactical units. In this case, it is not understood why the Uvalde police commander believed this was a barricaded suspect rather than active shooter incident.

But Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw was unequivocal in his condemnation of that decision: "From the benefit of hindsight, where I'm sitting now, of course it was not the right decision, it was the wrong decision. Period. There was no excuse for that."

Among our readers are thousands of combat veterans and those from law enforcement and other professions, whose lives have been, at some point, subject to imminent lethal threat. And among them are Medal of Honor recipients whose valorous acts I know well. They can fully appreciate the words of former Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis : "There is nothing better than getting shot at and missed. It's really great."

I weigh their opinions about this case, and especially those of my career LEO colleagues, with the gravitas due. I know from my own years as a uniformed officer, and from the countless anecdotes of others, that it can be difficult to press forward in the face of danger. The "fight or flight" instincts are always at play, but for those who are well-trained, both in terms of their physical offensive capabilities and their mental sense of moral obligation to protect the innocent, retreat is not an option.

On the other hand, the flood of armchair punditry about the LEO actions in Uvalde carries no weight. At this point, there is still much that is NOT known about what justified the change in protocols, and in the coming days that will be fully investigated .

There can be a lot of "fog" under fire, and this was a deadly close-quarters fire scenario. On top of that, over the last three years, given the vilification of police by leftist politicians , that fog has gotten even thicker.

For context, LEOs risk their lives (and careers) countless times every day with every traffic stop and every response to a 911 call. They save countless lives every day, but there are few headlines acknowledging that.

Beyond the timeline questions, the critical question is deterrence  how do we stop future mass assaults?

Within hours of the Uvalde assault, predictably, leftist politicos, with Joe Biden leading the charge, paused their advocacy for the killing of the most innocent among us, roughly 2,200 children before birth every day, and did what they always do  used the blood of innocents as political fodder in their relentless assault on the Second Amendment , which assures the First Civil Right required to defend all others.

In his initial remarks on the assault, Biden complained , "When in God's name will we do what we all know in our gut needs to be done?"

Answer: When Democrats focus on the actual problem, cultural entropy, rather than reflexively regurgitating political talking points about "gun control." They no longer invoke "God's name" otBiden went to Uvalde last Monday, where he and his " do something " chorus promoted their political agenda . They reflexively insisted this assault was the result of " gun violence " while avoiding any suggestion that, first and foremost, violence is a cultural problem .

But the harsh reality is that this violence, and that which claimed the lives of more than 21,000 other Americans last year , is primarily the result of generationally failed Democrat Party policies, resulting in cultural disintegration since the 1960s.

We see this most acutely on Democrat-controlled urban poverty plantations  but it spills over in small towns like Uvalde.

So, what additional regulatory solutions might help to stop mass attacks?

Beyond the boilerplate anti-2A rhetoric, first up on the "do something" list would be promoting so-called " red flag " laws, which might slightly increase the possibility of identifying sociopaths before the exceedingly rare attacks on schools.

These attacks are exceedingly rare now, but before the Demos' " Great Society " institutionalization of poverty and the cultural devolution that followed, they were virtually nonexistent .

But concerns about government abuse of such "interpretive regulations" is the primary obstacle, and that concern is wholly justified.

Consider the fact that Hillary Clinton's lawyer was just acquitted for lying to the FBI about the connection between the fabricated Trump/Russia dossier and Clinton. Everyone knows that Clinton conspired with the highest level cadres in the FBI and CIA to take down a president. And yet there is no justice.

So, you ask, what does that have to do with "red flag" and other laws ostensibly designed to prohibit crimes committed with firearms?

Answer: If there is no accountability for the now-thoroughly documented collusion between Clinton and key FBI/CIA brass to take down Trump, I can assure you there will be no accountability for expanding or diverting a bureaucratic regulation designed to accomplish the political objectives of the Democrat Party.

Thus, Biden and his leftist ilk will use whatever means to incrementally reach their goal of deconstruction and repeal of the Second Amendment .

Indeed, using the Texas assault as fodder, Biden's buddy, Canadian PM Justin " Blackface " Trudeau, just took a giant leap toward outlawing weapons . (No word if Trudeau will be asking his private protection detail to give up their firearms.)

Additionally, regarding red flag laws now on the books in 19 states, those laws allow the firearms of an individual to be confiscated, without due process, but do nothing further to prevent the individual from acquiring other methods for harming others. Recall that the most violent attack on a school occurred in 1927 when a Bath, Michigan, school board member murdered 45 people, including 38 elementary students  with a bomb.

Regarding such laws, political analyst David French notes , "In every one of the deadliest school shootings, the shooter exhibited behavior before the shooting that could have triggered a well-drafted red flag law." He noted further that "well-drafted" means, "The law should contain abundant procedural safeguards, including imposing a burden of proof on the petitioner, hearing requirements, and a default expiration date unless the order is renewed through a clear showing of continued need."

That's nice in theory, but he completely discounts the systemic Beltway corruption that defies any accountability, as noted above.

And on the subject of the politicization of red flag laws, in California, the state Senate just voted to end mandatory reporting on students who threaten schools because it is racially insensitive. This, in effect, empowers school assailants .

However, I do think there are regulatory measures that should be implemented. Let me toss in this grenade: The sociopath in Uvalde purchased his rifle the day after he turned 18. There have been objections to increasing the legal age for the purchase of such rifles to 21  the same age requirement for a handgun or a six-pack of beer. I do not object to this age increase  not that it would have stopped anyone from illegally obtaining a firearm, particularly in Texas, where deadly weapons regularly flow across the southern border. But it would have been a considerable speed bump in this case.

That being said, passing more laws, when existing laws are not enforced (despite the fact that criminals and sociopaths don't obey laws), is much more convenient and politically expedient than formulating meaningful social solutions. Real solutions will address the core cultural issues that produce violent offenders  no amount of firearm regulation will prevent violence.

Allow me to offer a few more things to consider in the coming heated debates over "gun control"...

her than for rhetorical effect.

More people are bludgeoned to death with hammers annually than killed with AR-15 "assault rifles," those semiautomatic sporting rifles that Demos and their Leftmedia talkingheads and scribes refer to as "weapons of war."

Consider that 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year, and a lot of those drugs, and the criminal thugs muling and selling them, crossed Biden's open border . The U.S. murder rate is almost 80% less than the overdose rate.

In addition, there are more than 10,000 drunk-driver deaths annually , but that rate is at its lowest since 1982 because DUI laws are actually enforced  as Nancy Pelosi's husband found out last weekend.

And here's a reality check on both the violent assailants who use firearms and their victims: As I have documented previously, if you don't have a violent criminal record, and/or are not associated with the violent sociopathic thug, drug, or gang subcultures that commit the vast majority of crimes in America, your chances of being shot or killed by an assailant with a gun are extraordinarily low  almost as low as murder rates in Western Europe, where most handgun ownership is outlawed.

Thus, if you're a law-abiding citizen, your statistical probability of being killed by a drunk driver is exponentially higher than being murdered by an assailant with a firearm. (Oddly, no one is organizing marches to ban automobiles or ask for a federal background check before purchasing a beer.)

Oh, and regarding the NRA annual meeting in Houston last week: Guns are allowed at those massive gatherings, yet no shootings ever occur. And outside those venues, for years, police agencies have reported a drop in crime when thousands of concealed-carry permit holders are in town. Further, no NRA member has ever been arrested for a mass shooting .

Finally, I'll leave you with this observation from Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears of Virginia, a Republican woman who is also black, which is to say she terrorizes the Demo status quo: "America is in a battle for her children. We weep for the breakdown of the family. We weep for fatherless homes. We weep for the lack of respect for fellow men. We weep over the countless Black men murdering each other. We weep at the onslaught against the liberty of thought and expression. Indeed we have left goodness, gentleness, and kindness behind, only to be left loathing, crudeness, greed, and sloth."

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
The European Union's 'purism' is endangering the peace process in Northern Ireland, the UK's former chief Brexit negotiator will warn today.

Lord Frost blames Brussels and Dublin for creating problems by pushing a 'fiction' that there is an integrated economy across all Ireland.

His comments come as the Government prepares to publish a law to override the Northern Ireland Protocol despite the EU threatening a trade war. The protocol imposes stringent checks on goods arriving in the province by sea from Britain to avoid a hard border with Ireland.

In a report by think-tank Policy Exchange, Lord Frost says the Good Friday Agreement is now in peril because of EU 'purism'  rather than pragmatism  over the protocol.

Lord Frost blames Brussels and Dublin for creating problems by pushing a 'fiction' that there is an integrated economy across all Ireland

He says the concept of the 'all-island economy' has 'bedevilled the negotiations' over Brexit  but is a 'fiction' that was created because it 'suited the political needs of the EU and Ireland'.

He writes: 'From their perspective, the logic was obvious. If they could get it accepted that, following the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, the newly open border had created significant economic integration, and that this was now potentially disrupted by Brexit, it would be easier to keep Northern Ireland within the EU regulatory framework.'

Lord Frost argues that just 6 per cent of goods and services produced in Northern Ireland go to the Republic, with only 2 per cent going the other way.

He points out that the two countries have different currencies, tax regimes and economies, with Northern Ireland overwhelmingly linked to mainland Britain.

'And that is what creates the problem  or one of the many problems  with the current Northern Ireland Protocol or indeed its predecessor,' he adds.

'Shaped as the Protocol is by relative UK weakness and EU predominance in the Withdrawal Agreement negotiations, it enshrines a concept, the all-island economy, which suits the EU, Ireland, and their allies politically but which does not exist in real life. Hence the grinding tensions, the economic frictions, and the political turbulence caused by the Protocol.'

Lord Frost says the Protocol could only have worked if the EU had been pragmatic and minimised checks on goods arriving at ports in Northern Ireland from England.

'As it was, the EU's purism and its casually destructive handling undermined East / West links from the start and are now bringing the Belfast Agreement itself into great peril,' he says.
Former deputy chief health officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has taken a swipe at those continuing to demand more Covid rules - and says tough restrictions did more harm than good for many Aussies.

'We locked down our society, stopped children attending school, closed playgrounds, fined the least fortunate, separated families, created mental illness, all in the name of protecting our most vulnerable, yet for some it will never be enough. When will the moralising stop?' the infectious disease physician wrote.

His remarks come as much of the country faces crippling staff shortages in vital industries including healthcare, education and transport.

Despite the shortfall, unvaccinated workers are still banned in many instances - further exacerbating the problem.

The face of Australia's national Covid vaccination rollout (Dr Nick Coatsworth, pictured) has slammed the overzealous use of lockdowns and other pandemic measures during the crisis

Former deputy chief health officer Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured) took to social media in an extraordinary tweet aimed at those continuing to 'moralise' the virus by lecturing others

In a lengthy interview with Daily Mail Australia earlier this year, Dr Coatswroth described what has worked best in the nation's response to the virus, what could have been done better and where we are heading.

He also slammed the 'loud voices' he says are still scaring Australians who should by now be learning to live with Covid.

Coatsworth maintains restrictions should be removed as soon as they are not demonstrably necessary and will continue speaking out when an issue such as forcing children to wear masks at schools bothers him.

'My preference was always to look at the benefits and consequences of whatever restriction was brought in,' he says.

'I've thought in general that we were too slow to realise the negative consequences of most of the restrictions.'

At heart, unlike some of the fearmongers he has railed against, the Sydney-born, Perth-raised doctor and father-of-three is an optimist.

'I think we're in a good spot in the pandemic compared to other nations,' he says.

'It's difficult for people to see that because the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants have actually caused a lot of disruption, but we've got short memories, I think.'

Unlike some of the fearmongers he has railed against, the Sydney-born, Perth-raised father-of-three is an optimist. 'I think we're in a good spot in the pandemic compared to other nations,' Coatsworth says

Some restrictions including curfews, particularly those enforced in Victoria, served no useful purpose. 'Taping up the playgrounds was just bizarre,' Coatsworth says. A playground is pictured taped-off at Flagstaff in Melbourne

Case numbers might be high but the fact intensive care units were coping was more significant.

'At the really pointy end, which I think is what we always have to bring it back to with the pandemic, is how much actual morbidity and mortality is this disease causing?' he says.

'It's really quite small compared to the number of cases that there are in the community.'

Coatsworth notes almost 95 per cent of the population are now double-vaccinated and an 'extraordinary number' of people have infection-induced immunity.

'I think that happening all at the same time will probably actually lead to a really big drop off in the cases,' he says. 'That's the most likely thing.

'You'll get these little spikes of cases but the trend over time will be downwards towards eventually just low levels of circulating cases in the community.'

Coatsworth was appointed one of three new deputy chief medical officers under Dr Brendan Murphy in March 2020 during the early days of the pandemic.

The consultant physician in infectious disease and respiratory medicine was seconded from Canberra Hospital where he was clinical director of medical services.

'People often wonder where I got the job from and it was partly being in Canberra - I knew all the players around the table,' he says.

Coatsworth says the best thing Australia has done in its fight against Covid is getting the vaccination rate to 95 per cent. 'That's an extraordinary number,' he says. Wearing masks was important, 'when we didn't know much about the virus'

Coatsworth had previously volunteered with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) in Congo-Brazzaville, Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan.

He had also served as executive director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre in Darwin and led an Australian Medical Assistance Team to The Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

Just as significantly, Coatsworth had recent experience as a frontline clinical physician.

It also helped that he knew Professor Paul Kelly, who later replaced Murphy as chief medical officer, through the Trauma Response Centre.

Coatsworth studied medicine at the University of Western Australia where he met his future wife Rebecca Pearson, now a lung transplant physician, while dissecting foetal frogs. 'It's not the most romantic,' he says.

Coatsworth is sure the number of Covid cases has been understated and the only way to get an accurate figure would be to take blood from a sample of the population. Sydneysiders are pictured exercising at Bondi as restrictions were eased in September last year

The young doctor did his internship at Royal Perth Hospital then returned to Sydney where he worked at Royal North Shore Hospital before heading to Darwin.

Coatsworth and Pearson got together about seven years after they met and moved to Canberra when their two daughters and one son were aged one, five and three respectively. [They are turning seven, nine and 11 this year].

The first major government response to Covid was to shut international borders, which Coatsworth says bought valuable time to plan for the coming pandemic.

'I was confident that we were doing our best but I certainly wasn't confident about what would happen,' he says.

Early priorities were securing personal protective equipment, ensuring intensive care bed capacity, and procuring and making ventilators.

'It was all pretty united in the first six months,' Coatsworth says. 'I think national cabinet was working, the states and territories were doing things in a broadly consistent way.

'And then when it started to fracture and different states started doing different things it started getting quite confusing.'

Dr Coatsworth has long called for Covid restrictions to be removed when they stop working

Coatsworth's initial contract was for three months, later extended to six months, but he stayed on as a part-time adviser for another year.

He became a familiar face to most Australians from press conferences, television interviews and advertising campaigns but still thinks there was a lack of communication about where Covid was headed.

Coatsworth says it should have been made clearer that cases would eventually rise and there would be significant numbers of deaths but the health system could deliver care to those who needed it.

'That was the message that we needed to shift to in early 2021, to kind of prepare people,' he says.

'But unfortunately there was always a very loud group that thought Covid should be eliminated at all costs and I think that did hold us back a bit.'

The 'inevitable' happened when the Delta strain hit.

Coatsworth is scathing of those who discouraged the take up of the AstraZeneca vaccine when it was linked to a tiny proportion of complications.

'When the Delta wave came through it had the biggest impact on the people who had been eligible for AstraZeneca but had chosen not to get it,' he says.

'There were lives lost because of that anti AstraZeneca message. No question about it.'

Coatsworth says once the Pfizer vaccine became available residents of New South Wales and Victoria began getting the jab at an extraordinary rate.

'I still think that's the case that no other jurisdiction in the world did it as quickly.'

Coatsworth's philosophy is that no policy was necessarily wrong at the start and that most measures were worth trying.

'Most of us were pretty convinced that we needed the restrictions at the start,' he says. 'All the measures that we took were reasonable.

'But because they represented an infringement on human rights they needed almost a weekly reconsideration.'

Coatsworth says the 'default position' was to bring in restrictions first and worry later about civil liberties, when the reverse should have happened.

Some restrictions including curfews, particularly those enforced in Victoria, served no useful purpose. 'Taping up the playgrounds was just bizarre,' Coatsworth says.

'The idea that being outdoors was ever any risk to anybody was an example of how we went too far with our restrictions.'

Coatsworth says vaccine mandates were 'very important early on' to drive uptake but have passed their usefulness.

'There's very few people who are likely to change their minds now because of the mandates,' he says.

Wearing masks was also important, 'when we didn't know much about the virus and may still be important if we have a more lethal variant.'

Lockdowns, because of their mental health consequences, 'probably caused more harm than good', Coatsworth says.

He also believes working from home now serves no purpose from a public health perspective.

'I think there's stuff to be said about work-life balance, giving people the opportunity to have days at home,' he says.

'But I think for the people who are concerned about coming back to work we just need to reassure them.'

Internal border closures should have had an exemption process that allowed people with good reasons to travel the opportunity to do so.

'It's not enough to stand in front of a press conference and say "these decisions are heartbreaking" when you're stopping someone from seeing a loved pass away,' Coatsworth says.

Coatsworth's views are at odds with some more risk-averse commentators such as the ABC's Dr Norman Swan (above) and former Australian Medical Association president Kerryn Phelps who favour restrictions

'I find it hard to describe those decisions in polite terms. I mean, we're bloody Australians.'

Closing the nation's borders was the right thing to do at the time but caused the same unnecessary hardships as shutting off states.

'As an Australian citizen overseas, what on earth does citizenship mean if you can't get home?' Coatsworth says. 'I think the right decision at the start but it set us off on a path that left us closed for far too long.'

Coatsworth agrees with vaccinating children aged five to 12 but does not think there will be much difference in disease severity in a vaccinated person and an unvaccinated child.

'I have no problem that our child vaccination rates are sitting between 55 and 60 per cent,' he says. 'I don't think that's a major public health issue.'

Coatsworth reckons a fourth dose of vaccine is right for those with compromised immunity, and is probably worthwhile for those over 65.

'For people under 65 unless they've got some pretty severe condition I reckon three doses is fine,' he says.

Coatsworth became a familiar face to most Australians from press conferences, television interviews and advertising campaigns but still thinks there was a lack of communication about where Covid was headed

Coatsworth's views are at odds with some more risk-averse commentators such as the ABC's Dr Norman Swan and former Australian Medical Association president Kerryn Phelps who favour restrictions.

'The problem is that group is loud and it's influential,' he says. 'It's a bit exhausting really.

'I thought it'd be all done and dusted by now - not the pandemic - but this bloody argument.

'It's bad for the punters as well. No one wants to see duelling experts, but then you have a choice. Do you shut up and let them run the narrative?'

The emergence of an unexpected Covid variant which was highly transmissible and lethal across age groups would be the worst future scenario but was 'very unlikely', Coatsworth says.

He does not like to use the terms winning or losing when it comes to Covid-19.

'Whilst I wouldn't say winning or losing I would say we've put ourselves in a better position that most other nations,' he says. 'That's how you've got to see it.

'It's a pandemic. We were never going to get through this with no deaths, no work force shortages, no supply chain disruptions. That's just magical thinking.'

Coatsworth says Australians should '100 per cent' be proud of how they have managed Covid-19.

'It was a joint effort between government, health care workers and the community. What it actually proves is Australia is not as polarised as everybody thinks it is.'

After his secondment to the Department of Health ended Coatsworth went back to Canberra Hospital as the executive director of clinical services.

Closing the nation's borders was the right thing to do at the time but caused the same unnecessary hardships as shutting off states. Returning international travellers are pictured at Perth Airport in March this year

He is now completing a PhD on health in foreign policy at Australian National University where he also lectures, and offering the occasional Covid commentary.

'I'm trying to do it less and less,' he says. 'I'm more and more conscious that I should be doing less and less. I'm not in government. I don't hold an official position.'

But it is hard to say nothing when someone with a loud voice says something with which he strongly disagrees.

'I suppose the best thing is to ignore them and just try to run a middle narrative, that's probably the best thing to do,' Coatsworth says.

'Sometimes my personality gets in the way. I get a bit fed up and have a crack.

'The one thing I just can't sort of let go of is the kids in masks thing. That's probably the only thing I'm going to stay very vocal about. I'm so convinced that that's the wrong policy.'
The first positive case of orthopox, a family of viruses that includes monkeypox, has been reported in a DC resident who recently traveled to Europe, according to health officials in the nation's capital.

The DC Public Health Lab said in a press release that samples have been collected from the infected person and sent to the CDC for further analysis. The CDC will confirm if the person has contracted monkeypox.

In the statement, officials said that the infected person is isolating and that close contacts are being notified. No additional cases have been reported in the DC area. Officials said that there is no threat to the public from this person.

Symptoms of the disease include muscle aches, fever and headache that are followed by a rash or lesions.

Monkeypox has been detected in 11 states.

Anybody who is experiencing symptoms is asked to contact their healthcare provider and to seek medical attention.

Potential cases of the virus have also been confirmed in Atlanta and San Francisco among people who have recently traveled to areas where the virus is prevalent.

On June 3, the CDC confirmed 25 cases of monkeypox in the United States. The first positive case in the US came on May 18 when it was detected in a person who recently returned from Canada.

Two different strains have been found in the U.S., with a vast majority of cases matching the same strain that has been found across Europe in recent weeks.

Both strains are of the less-severe Western African variant. Two different strains implies that there were multiple animal-to-human transfers of the virus that eventually led to U.S. cases, though.

Symptoms of the disease include muscle aches, fever and headache that are followed by a rash or lesions

The DC resident who tested positive for orthopox recently recently returned to the US from Europe

Samples have been taken from the person are being assessed by the CDC

Raj Panjabi, senior director for the White House's global health security and biodefense division, said on June 4 that 1,200 vaccines and 100 treatment courses had been delivered to US states, where they were offered to close contacts of those infected.

There are currently two authorized vaccines: ACAM2000 and JYNNEOS, which were originally developed against smallpox.

Though smallpox has been eliminated, the United States retains the vaccines in a strategic national reserve in case it is deployed as a biological weapon.

JYNNEOS is the more modern of the two vaccines, with fewer side effects.

The World Health Organization has reported 780 worldwide cases of monkeypox as of June 5, reports the BBC.

That's close to triple the 257 cases the agency reported a week ago.

That number does not include Central and West Africa, where the disease is commonly found.

The majority of the new cases are in North America and Europe with the UK leading the way with 207 cases following by Spain with 156

The World Health Organization has reported 780 worldwide cases of monkeypox as of June 5

WHO said in its report: 'It is highly likely that other countries will identify cases and there will be further spread of the virus.'

The majority of the new cases are in North America and Europe with the UK leading the way with 207 cases following by Spain with 156.

Earlier this week, a WHO official said in a press conference that it's possible that monkeypox has been circulating outside of Central and West Africa unreported for years.

The organization's technical lead for monkeypox, Rosamund Lewis, said: 'There may have been undetected transmission for a while. What we dont know is how long that may have been. We dont know if its weeks, months or possibly a couple of years.'

While University of Leuven in Belgium, virology professor Marc Van Ranst told NBC News: 'How long have these viruses been circulation, under the radar? I think nobody believes this jumped out of Africa a couple of weeks ago.'

The closest monkeypox has come to DC previously is Northern Virginia where a woman tested positive for the disease on May 26.

That woman had recently traveled to 'an African country where the disease is known to occur,' the Virginia Department of Health said in a statement.

Monkeypox is generally transmitted through person to person contact with a body fluid or through liaisons created by the disease.

In rare instances, the virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets and face-to-face contact and also from contaminated materials such as bedding or clothes.
A new cancer drug is a 'pivotal moment in the history of breast cancer' according to doctors after research finds it stops the disease from spreading and dramatically boosts overall survival rates.

Enhertu, a drug produced by AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, has been found to extend survival by more than six months in patients with a form of advanced breast cancer compared to standard chemotherapy, according to data released on Sunday (June 5).

The drug works by binding to a protein on the surface of the cancer tumour called HER2, before a dose of chemotherapy is released directly into the cancerous cells, destroying them from the inside out.

An ongoing phase III trial involves over 550 patients whose disease had spread and who had undergone at least one round of chemotherapy.

Production of Enhertu, which is given to patients intravenously, is ongoing for a limited number of UK patients already

The drug is a product of AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo research, and is currently being trialed in breast cancer patients

The interim study results showed Enhertu prolonged survival by an additional 6.4 months in patients with hormone-sensitive tumours.

Patients in the group lived for a median of 23.9 months versus 17.5 months for chemotherapy alone.

In the small group of patients with hormone-insensitive tumours patients on Enhertu lived 6.3 months longer.

The classifications of hormone sensitive or insensitive refer to whether or not cancer tumours have large amounts of the HER2 protein.

That the benefit in overall survival was apparent even at the point of interim analysis was surprising, David Fredrickson, executive vice president of AstraZeneca's oncology unit, told Reuters.

'That really puts a lot of confidence that the benefit that we're seeing here is absolutely real.'

Dr Susan Galbraith, head of oncology research at AstraZeneca, said: 'This is a pivotal moment in the history of breast cancer treatment... We can extend the time until cancer comes back and extend survival.'

It is notable the drug improved survival time for both forms of cancer, giving hope to thousands of UK patients.

The drug was approved for use on the NHS for a tiny portion of breast cancer patients last year - but this new research suggests it could help more than 17,000 cancer patients - significantly more than the current 400.

Currently only patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer can receive the treatment.

The NHS will now assess widening the criteria for patients to be treated using the drug, a process which could take up to 12 weeks.

More than half of women whose breast cancer has spread to other organs and express little or no HER2 - referred to as HER2-low status. It is these patients the drug could help.

AstraZeneca is in discussions with regulators globally for approval in the HER2-low population

Hormone-sensitive patients who received Enhertu also went an average of 10.1 months before their disease began to worsen - a measure known as progression free survival (PFS) - compared with 5.4 months for chemotherapy, which was statistically significant.

AstraZeneca is in discussions with regulators globally for approval in the HER2-low population.

Jefferies analysts last month forecast $2.5 billion in annual global peak Enhertu sales for these patients, and about $6.6 billion across all indications.

However the drug is not without safety concerns.

It has been linked to a type of lung scarring called interstitial lung disease (ILD). Forty-five Enhertu patients in the trial had varying degrees of ILD versus one in the chemotherapy group.

Last month, it gained approval as a second-line treatment option after a study showed it reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 72% compared to Roche's Kadcyla, which has been the standard treatment.

Enhertu is being evaluated for use in earlier stages of breast cancer, as well as lung and colorectal cancers, among others.

It has secured approval in HER2-driven gastric cancer.

'As far as breast cancer goes, I'd say at least in the next few years, I'm pretty sure in Enhertu is going to kind of finish revolutionising the treatment paradigm,' Tara Hansen, a consultant at Informa Pharma Custom Intelligence, told Reuters.

Enhertu had sales of $214 million in 2021. AstraZeneca secured partial rights to the Daiichi Sankyo compound three years ago in a deal worth up to $6.9 billion.

In the UK around 56,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and tragically around 11,500 people die as a result.
Unimpressed visitors have vented their disappointment with Vivid lashing out at the large crowds, freezing weather and underwhelming light displays.

Some spectators were frustrated by the event, which returned for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

One woman uploaded a video to TikTok claiming the highlight of the event was visiting a vendor to buy a tacky headpiece that lights up.

Unimpressed visitors have shared their disappointment with Vivid lashing out at the large crowds, freezing weather and underwhelming light displays

In 2019, the light show drew in the largest crowds ever with 2.4million locals and international tourists visiting the 23-day spectacle

'Vivid was so pointless lmao the only thing I got out of tonight was this sparkly headband and probably covid,' the caption read.

Another TikToker uploaded a video showing his friends riding the train home, slouched in their seats and visibly displeased.

'Bro Vivid was so s**t holy waste of time,' he wrote.

Other social media users took issue with the crowds venting their frustration they spent most of the night navigating through the large throngs of people.

'Went on Saturday night, way too many people, couldn't even walk,' one person wrote.

HOTEL BOOM FROM VIVID FESTIVAL Tourism Accommodation Australia says Vivid has given Sydney hotels their best occupancy figures since before the pandemic. Michael Johnson said hotel bookings have jumped to above 80% for the first time since the pandemic in 2019 as visitors come from Australia for Vivid. 'The economic flow-on effects to pubs, restaurants and other small businesses in the CBD will be in the millions over the three-week event.' Accommodation Association CEO Richard Munro said the run-away success of Vivid has once again highlighted the chronic hospitality labour shortage. 'It's ironic many hotels have to turn travellers away because they don't have enough staff, after two years of having staff but no travellers,' said Mr Munro. 'Capped visitor numbers mean some venues can't take full advantage of Vivid's popularity.' Occupancy peaked at 82.8% on Saturday, May 28 and could have been higher if labour shortages and hotels capping did not have to occur, he said. Advertisement

Another added: 'It was so boring me and my boyfriend left earlier than we thought we would.'

Cold weather also forced spectators to rug up and brave 10C temperatures and wild winds on some nights.

'Omg it was too cold', 'everything is overrated' and 'hang on is that why I'm sick' were among the comments left on social media.

The criticism appears to be coming from a minority with tens of thousands of spectators visiting the city each night since the event launched on May 27.

In 2019, the light show drew in the largest crowds ever with 2.4 million locals and international tourists visiting the 23-day spectacle.

Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres acknowledged the crowds had been a problem in the past and urged visitors to plan ahead and try to visit during the quieter weekdays.

'The weekends are going to be huge, the long weekend will be massive,' he said.

'I think we still see very big numbers, so it's very important people plan their trip come in on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday if you want slightly smaller crowds.

'I'm quietly confident Sydneysiders and people right around the country really want to get out and about and see Vivid.'

Another TikToker uploaded a video showing his friends riding the train home, slouched in their seats and visibly displeased
A 'brilliant' Australian human rights lawyer has revealed the vile threats she still receives two years after successfully defending American actress Amber Heard.

Jennifer Robinson, who is best-known for her decade-long defence of Julian Assange, represented Heard in Johnny Depp's 2020 libel case against The Sun.

But despite it being years since she was involved in the celebrity case, Ms Robinson is again being hit by vile threats and targeted by trolls with hundreds of Johnny Depp fans flooding her social media with cruel comments.

In a separate trial between the celebrity couple last week, a US jury found Heard was guilty of defaming Depp when she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse in an article published in the Washington Post in 2018.

Depp was awarded a total of $U15million ($A20.9million) in damages, out of a potential $US50million ($A69million), after he won on all three counts of his defamation trial.

Heard was awarded $US2million ($A2.8million) after the jury found a statement made by one of Depp's lawyers calling her accusations a 'hoax' to a British tabloid was defamatory.

Acclaimed human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson (right) has exposed the vile threats she still receives two years after she successfully defended actress Amber Heard (left)

Jennifer Robinson, who is best-known for her decade-long defence of Julian Assange, represented Ms Heard during Johnny Depp's defamation case in 2020

Immediately after the verdict was given, at a court in the US state of Virginia, things worsened for Ms Robinson.

In the comments of her latest Instagram post, a photo of London's cityscape, users expressed their disgust at her continued support for Heard.

'Jen, tell Amber Heard that me and all my female friends love Johnny Depp more than ever,' one user commented.

'Imagine supporting a liar! Get yourself enlightened,' a second wrote.

'Anyone who supports Amber Turd deserves to rot in prison,' a third said.

'It's sad how an educated lovely woman supports an awful woman who lies and abuses human beings,' a fourth commented.

One particularly vile comment suggested Ms Robinson take her own life.

Dozens of comments with '#JusticeForJohnny' also dominated her post.

In an interview with MailOnline in 2020, Ms Robinson (pictured) detailed the misogynistic abuse and death threats she and her A-list client had received during the libel trial

Ms Robinson, who grew up in the small town of Berry, 140km south of Sydney, continues to name and shame the internet trolls on her Instagram Stories

Amongst the slew of hateful comments were a few messages of support.

'Wow Johnny Depp fans are so vile,' one user commented.

Prominent Australian defamation lawyer Rebekah Giles also stood up for her friend.

'Jen Robinson is an accomplished and brilliant lawyer. She is being unfairly subjected to gendered abuse for simply doing her job,' Ms Giles told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Ms Robinson, who grew up in the small town of Berry, 140km south of Sydney, regularly names and shames the internet trolls on her Instagram Stories.

On Monday she shared a heartfelt post from Whitney Heard, who said she was proud of her sister for standing up for herself in both Virginia and the UK.

'We knew that this was going to be an uphill battle and that the cards were stacked against us. But you stood up and spoke out regardless,' Whitney wrote on Instagram.

In an interview with MailOnline in 2020, Ms Robinson detailed the misogynistic abuse and death threats she and her A-list client had received during the libel trial.

Ms Robinson has defended Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for over a decade. She is pictured speaking to the press in London in November, 2016

'I found it to be a sad reflection on our society that although Amber was a witness and not on trial herself, we had to have security,' she recalled.

'Some days we had police protection. People were throwing things at our car, shouting abuse  we even passed a huge billboard saying 'Ditch the witch', with her face on it.'

Amber Heard isn't the only famous face Ms Robinson has represented.

The Aussie lawyer met Julian Assange in 2010, who told her he was planning to publish top-secret diplomatic cables revealing embassies' backroom deals.

'I remember sitting with this Australian with a backpack, who said, "Jen, I've got a quarter of a million diplomatic cables and I'm about to publish them. The US will chase me to the ends of the earth and make my life hell",' she recalled.

'Once he published, Julian was the most wanted man in the world. They were freezing his bank accounts and I was getting death threats  though the abuse I've had from working with Amber is worse.'

The Australian lawyer recently lifted the lid on the gender bias she has fought throughout her entire legal career, including the 'downright straightforward' suggestion she had 'slept her way to the top'.

In 2010, Ms Robinson (left) was introduced to Julian Assange (right) who had revealed he was planning to publish top-secret diplomatic cables revealing embassies' backroom deals

'Turning up at a prestigious clerkship in Sydney, my first job at a big fancy law firm, I was shocked by how many people seemed to infer that the only reason I could be there was because of the way that I looked,' she told an International Women's Day lunch in Perth in May.

Ms Robinson is regarded as the go-to lawyer among Hollywood's A-Listers and calls Amal Clooney a close friend after they worked together on the Assange case.

She was pictured being ferried to Ms Clooney's wedding on a boat alongside Bill Murray back in 2014, a far cry from her humble beginnings in regional NSW.

She graduated with a double degree in law and Asian studies from the Australian National University, and is fluent in Indonesian.

She later became a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, attending Balliol College and graduating with a Bachelor of Civil Law with Distinction and a Master of Philosophy in International Public Law.

In 2019, she was named international pro bono barrister of the year and prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, was pictured at events with Prince Charles and Cherie Blair.

Ms Robinson was pictured being ferried to Ms Clooney's wedding on a boat alongside Bill Murray back in 2014, a far cry from her humble beginnings in regional NSW

She previously worked at London law firm Finers Stephens Innocent LLP and has since become one of the UK's most recognised human rights and media lawyers.

Her current firm was founded by another Australian-born ex-Rhodes Scholar Geoffrey Robertson QC, with whom she has worked with for more than six years.

Ms Robinson advises clients in international law, appeared in the International Court of Justice and has given expert evidence at the UN and in Parliament.

She has a particular focus on 'free speech and civil liberties, advising media organisations, journalists and whistle-blowers on all aspects of media law'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Robinson for comment.
Most Australians want a nuclear power industry to reduce emissions by scrapping coal-fired plants, but it's unlikely to happen because politicians don't agree.

A poll found 53 per cent in Australians support 'building nuclear power plants to supply electricity and reduce emissions' and only 23 pre cent opposed.

Even Greens voters, whose party is fundamentally opposed to it, are warming to the idea with 44 per cent in favour compared to 30 per cent opposed.

Australians want to explore the option of nuclear power plants to help reduce the soaring cost of energy, according to a new survey, that found even Greens voters were backing the idea

The nuclear option also gathered 70 per cent approval from Coalition voters, with 13 per cent opposed, and 52 per cent from Labor supporters while 27 per cent opposed.

Daniel Wild, director of research at right-wing think-tank the Institute of Public Affairs, which commissioned the study, said politicians should unite on the issue.

'Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton should come together and show leadership to repeal the ban on nuclear power in Australia, which can provide low-cost and reliable base-load power,' he said.

Although there are growing signs that the Coalition will look into nuclear options to provide clean energy, there has been no sign of a policy change from Labor and definitely not from the Greens, who hold the balance of power in the Senate.

Greens leader Adam Bandt (left), seen here with his wife Claudia Perkins, is unlikely to get onboard any push for nuclear with him labelling nuclear submarines 'floating Chernobyls'

In their policy statements, the Greens declare they want a world free of nuclear power and the cessation of Australian uranium mining and exports.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said last year that the Morrison Government's decision to buy nuclear submarines put 'floating Chernobyls' in the heart of major cities.

The Greens control 10 seats in the Senate after increasing their numbers at the election, giving them the balance of power and ability to block legislation unless both major parties agree to it.

However, in Finland the Green Party voted to endorse nuclear power as a low-emissions energy source.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud has argued high energy prices are a result of the climate change net zero emissions by 2050 target.

Nationals leader David Littleproud, here seen with his partner Amelia Dobson, has emerged as one of the strongest voices calling for Australia to consider bringing nuclear into its power mix

He said Australia needed to have a conversation about nuclear power, arguing the fear associated with the power source was irrational and actually fed by a cartoon.

'We did extensive polling and understood that it wasn't as popular because  people were getting their information from what they saw on Chernobyl, Fukushima, and also The Simpsons,' Mr Littepround told Sky News.

'There's this perception that's been put around nuclear etched into folklore from cartoons.'

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also indicated on Monday the Coalition would look at overturning Australia's ban on nuclear power.

'I'm not afraid to have a discussion on nuclear if we want to have legitimate emissions reductions, if we want to lower electricity prices, then that is exactly the path that [French] President [Emmanuel] Macron has embarked on, and [British] Prime Minister [Boris] Johnson is talking about in the UK,' he told the ABC.

Mr Littleproud argues that the negative ideas Australians have about nuclear power stem don't just stem from the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters but also The Simpsons cartoon sit-com

Australian households are being pushed to breaking point by skyrocketing power prices due to outages at coal-fired power stations, the cold weather, and a shortage of gas.

Federal climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen is having an emergency with meeting state counterparts to address the soaring price of gas.

Mr Johnson just announced the UK would build eight new nuclear plants, aiming to finish one a year to reduce their reliance on gas.

The IPA's poll was conducted in April and surveyed more than 1,000 Australians on their attitudes to nuclear power.
A teenager who was fatally stabbed at a party knew the boy accused of attacking him before falling out over a girl.

The 16-year-old died from a single stab wound to the chest in the early hours of Saturday morning after telling his alleged attacker 'your girlfriend is trying to hit on me'.

The girl at the centre of the altercation reportedly invited her boyfriend and some mates to the home in Ropes Crossing in Sydney's west for an intimate party.

Detectives believe a combination of alcohol, hormones and bravado saw the situation rapidly deteriorate when the accused felt he needed to 'defend his girlfriend'.

Less than a dozen teenagers were present when the alleged altercation took place.

Emergency services rushed to the home in Ropes Crossing near Blacktown on Saturday, but he was unable to be revived

It's understood the victim - a 'good kid' who was just days away from starting an air conditioning apprenticeship - told the acquaintance during the party that his girlfriend was making a pass at him.

As tensions rose, the alleged assailant suggested they 'sort it outside' and led the way from the backyard where the party was taking place to the front of the house.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tickner said: 'Somebody thought they had to defend the rights of their girlfriend... Young boys probably with some hormones running through their system'.

The alleged attacker was reportedly joined by two other males out the front of the house.

'It got messy,' a source told Daily Mail Australia. 'Family rushed out of the house because they thought they heard a fight and there's a teenager dying on the floor.'

Police allege the offender was angry about comments the victim made about his girlfriend

The victim and the girl's boyfriend walked onto the road, where the alleged offender was joined by two other male friends

Three teenage boys fled the scene. Investigations are ongoing and charges have not been laid.

Western Sydney has seen a spike in knife-related violence and friends of the victim are calling on youths to 'put down their weapons'.

'He [the victim] didn't have a knife on him... He would've thought he was going out for a tussle and then next thing someone's got a knife. It's weak,' one friend said.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics and police who arrived on the scene, the 16-year-old victim could not be revived.

The boy's father said his son was 'a good kid with a lot of potential'.

'He was going to start an apprenticeship, air conditioning, in a few days. He is going to be missed.'

Mt Druitt Police are speaking with party guests who witnessed the fatal stabbing. At this stage, authorities don't believe the stabbing was gang-related.
The lookalike eldest daughter of Allison Baden-Clay is following in her murdered mothers dance footsteps as she celebrates her university graduation - 10 years after her fathers heinous crime.

Hannah Baden-Clay has honoured Allison's cherished years as an aspiring ballerina by completing a course in dance performance at the Queensland University of Technology.

The graceful 20-year-old posed in her graduation cap and gown with her sisters, Sarah, 18 and Ella, 15, who were left without a mother when their dad Gerard Baden-Clay took her life in April 2012.

The three girls, brought up by their maternal grandparents Geoff and Priscilla Dickie, marked the tenth anniversary last month of the murder of their 'beautiful, loving, strong and courageous' mother.

The girls' father, who has been in custody in a Queensland prison since his arrest eight weeks after Allison's death, could walk from jail in 2027 after serving just 15 years of his 'life' sentence.

Hannah, Sarah and Ella were aged just 10, 8 and five when they went to live at the Dickies' Ipswich home while their father faced trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court.

The three Baden-Clay sisters, Ella, 15, Hannah, 20, and Sarah, 18, celebrate Hannah's graduation from QUT with a dance performance degree, following in their late mother's footsteps

Ella, Sarah and Hannah Baden-Clay attend their mother's funeral in May, 2012, with their father Gerard who a month later would be charged with Allison's murder and put behind bars

In April the Haden-Clay girls' grandparents, Priscilla and Geoff Dickie, marked the tenth anniversary since the murder of Allison by husband Gerard Baden-Clay (above the couple together)

The five-week 2016 trial heard how Gerard had plotted killing his wife to cash in on a life insurance policy and cement the relationship with his mistress Toni McHugh, who worked at his ailing real estate agency at Brookfield in western Brisbane.

A descendant of scouting movement founder Lord Robert-Baden-Powell, Gerard's father Nigel was plain old Mr Clay in his native Zimbabwe but with wife Elaine and nine-year-old Gerard came to Australia as the Baden-Clays.

The parents worked with Gerard at his property business, started after a string of his job failures, and on the brink of going into receivership by late 2011.

On the morning of Friday, April 19, 2012, Gerard Baden-Clay called police to report his wife missing, claiming he'd last seen her watching TV about 10pm the night before.

He explained away deep curved gouges on his face as 'shaving cuts', which police later photographed along with red marks on his torso he blamed on a caterpillar attack.

Gerard did not join in the extensive police and community search for the missing mother-of-three, but phoned his mistress and told her 'we need to not communicate and lay low'.

'Beautiful and strong' : Hannah (left) is the image of her mother, former ballerina Allison (right) in whose the 20-year-old has followed with a dance performance degree from QUT

Sarah, Hannah and Ella Baden-Clay with their aunt Vanessa Fowler and grandparents, Priscilla and Geoff Dickie on Strive To Be Kind Day, a creation of the Allison Baden-Clay Foundation

Family members have described Allison' (above) three daughters as 'resilient and confident ... like their mother' and said if she could see them today she would be 'beaming with pride'

Toni McHugh would later testify that Gerard had told her before Allison vanished that he no longer loved his wife, they had a sexless relationship and although he was worried about Allison's mental health, he would be out of the marriage by July 1, 2012.

At 11am on Monday, April 30, a canoeist found a woman's body under the Kholo Creek bridge at Anstead, about 30km west of the Baden-Clays home.

After the body was identified as Allison, Nigel Baden-Clay filled out life insurance forms for his son to sign.

Detectives began seeking information of the movements of the Baden-Clays' white Toyota Prado and silver Holden Captiva between 8pm and 5am the next day on the night Allison disappeared.

On May 11, Hannah, Sarah and Ella Baden-Clay attended their mother's funeral with their father, who a month later on June 13, was charged with murdering his wife and improperly interfering with her body.

Gerard Baden-Clay was remanded in custody, taken from Brisbane Watchhouse to Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

The Baden-Clay family home in Brookfield in western Brisbane where Gerard reported wife Allison missing in April, 2012, only to be arrested for her murder eight weeks later

Gerard and Allison Baden-Clay's marriage had disintegrated as he had an affair and then plotted to murder her and collect of life insurance to prop up his failed real estate business

Gerard Baden-Clay told police the curved gouges on his right cheek were shaving cuts but as a prosecutor said during his murder trial , Allison had 'lashed out and left her marks upon you' as he attacked in their family home

He entered pleas of not guilty to the charges, and briefed lawyers to argue that a depressed Allison had left the home of her own accord and taken her own life.

At the trial in mid-2014, Queensland government botanist, Dr Gordon Guymer, identified the species of plants forensic officers had found in Allison's hair.

Dr Guymer said that while eucalyptus and Chinese elm were found at both Kholo Creek and the Baden-Clay house, crepe myrtle, cats claw creeper and fishbone fern were only at the latter location.

In a powerful cross-examination of Baden-Clay before the jury, Crown prosecutor Todd Fuller described the marks on the accused's face after Allison disappeared and said three witnesses had found it implausible they were caused by a razor blade.

'You attacked her and the only way that she could respond was to lash out and claw at your face and leave marks upon it?' Mr Fuller said in a flurry of questions which the accused denied.

'Probably you smothered her and took her life from her.

Toni McHugh became Gerard Baden-Clay's mistress when the pair worked together at his failing real estate agency, with him promising he would leave Alison for her before murdered his wife

'Perhaps her jumper came up as she tried to fight you off. Up around her hands and up around her neck. Or did that happen later as you moved her body ... and dumped her in the creek.

'You transported her to Kholo Creek and dumped her underneath the bridge unceremoniously ... anxious to get back to your children.

'That was all done by 1.48am perhaps which is when you put your phone back on its charger.

'You started covering your tracks then ... the toys in the back of the car. Shaving, cutting yourself just at the bottom edges to help disguise, give some legitimacy to the claim they were in fact shaving cuts.

''And you were happy for police to search your house? Because you knew there was nothing to be found.'

In distressing scenes played out in the court videoed police interviews of Hannah, 10, and Sarah, 8, sat in their school uniforms sobbing as police officers asked them questions about their parents.

Queensland government botanist, Dr Gordon Guymer, identified the species of plants in Allison's hair and said crepe myrtle, cats claw creeper and fishbone fern could only be found at the Baden-Clay house (above)

Forensic police retrieved five plant species from Allison's hair which proved vital in establishing that she had been murdered at home rather than left voluntarily and then taken her own life

Police seized two cars at the Baden-Clay family home and found a 'dripping blood' stain in the boot of Allison's silver Holden Captiva

Sarah had burst into tears when a policewoman asked her why she was being interviewed, replying: 'Because of my mum. She's missing.'

Talking about bedtime, the sobbing little girl said of her mum: 'She sings a song to me ... Away In a Manger.'

At one point when a detective asked Sarah about whether her parents were 'good friends', and when asked why, she broke down, sobbing, 'cause they're never sad'.

The jury found Gerard Baden-Clay guilty of murdering Allison and he was sentenced to life, which in Queensland has a minimum term of 15 years,

In 2015, the Queensland Court of Criminal Appeal controversially downgraded his murder conviction to manslaughter, but after a public outcry from Allison's family and supporters that was itself appealed.

In 2016, the High Court of Australia overturned the decision and the murder conviction was reinstated.

Priscilla and Geoff Dickie, (above with daughter Vanessa) after the High Court sough to reinstate Gerard Baden-Clay's murder conviction, brought up Allison's three daughters after the tragedy

Geoff Dickie with granddaughter Sarah Baden-Clay who has now graduated from Ipswich Girls Grammar and is attending university

In the years since, Gerard Baden-Clay - once described as 'a model inmate' - has been confined to cells for touching the buttocks of a male prison guard.

Staff at Wolston Correctional Centre said Baden-Clay had gone from model prisoner to one who was over-familiar with staff and 'forgets his place'.

The three Baden-Clay sisters attended Ipswich Girls Grammar where the youngest is still a student in her mid-teens.

Sarah left school last year to attend university and according to their family, they have grown up to be 'resilient and confident ... like their mother'.

The Dickies and Allison's sister Vanessa Fowler set up the Allison Baden-Clay Foundation to raise awareness about domestic violence and the need for respectful relationships, and holds an annual Strive To Be Kind Day.

The family with the Queensland Government began a $5000 Allison Baden-Clay senior program scholarship to help young women become professional ballerinas.

In 2018, Hannah and Sarah Baden-Clay made their first public appearance to see Brisbane dance student Taji Hennessy receive the inaugural award.

In April, around the time of Hannah's QUT dance performance graduation, the Dickies released a statement , saying 'Allison has been in our thoughts every day' .

'Ten years have passed since you were taken from us. Today, tomorrow and always, we lovingly remember you,' they wrote.

'We remember the wonderful person that she was and for the joy she brought to us all in her everyday life.

'Regardless of her own struggles and hurdles, she remained strong and courageous.

'Allison touched the lives of many. Dearest Allison, you remain forever in our hearts.'

Vanessa Fowler told Woman's Day that could Allison see the girls today 'their mum would be beaming with pride'.
A woman in Indiana allegedly tracked down her boyfriend at a bar with an Apple AirTag and killed him by ramming him over three times with her car after she saw him with another woman.

Gaylyn Morris, 26, allegedly hit her boyfriend Andre Smith, also 26, with her vehicle around 12:30 a.m. on June 3 in the parking lot of an Indianapolis pub called Tilly's.

'Officers arrived and located Mr. Smith laying on the ground underneath a vehicle,' Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release. 'It appeared he was struck by the vehicle. Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) Engine Company 6 responded and unfortunately pronounced the Mr. Smith deceased at the scene.'

A witness said Morris had told her about how she tracked down Smith with an AirTag, according to a probable cause affidavit for Morris' arrest.

She also allegedly said she was in a relationship with victim and thought he was cheating on her with another woman, the Indianapolis Star reported.

Andre Smith (pictured), 26, was struck by his girlfriend's car three times in Indianapolis after she allegedly tracked him down using an Apple AirTag on Thursday night. Gaylyn Morris, also 26 and the victim's girlfriend, was arrested later in the same night

Police took Morris into custody after she allegedly ran her boyfriend over in the parking lot of Tilly's Pub (pictured)

After arriving at Tilly's, Morris allegedly grabbed an empty wine bottle and swung it at the other woman. The bottle did not hit her because Smith intervened and caught it.

Moments later, the three of them were asked to leave by staff.

A witness later shared with police that she was at a bar when she saw Morris pulling forward and clipping Smith with her car in the parking lot.

'And he went down, at which time... [Morris] then backed over him and then pulled forward and hit him for the third time,' the probable cause affidavit states.

Morris then allegedly attempted to run after the woman after exiting her vehicle but police intervened and placed her under arrest. The woman that had initially been at the pub with Smith was not harmed in the incident.

As of Sunday night, Morris is being held behind bars in the Marion County Jail and was preliminarily charged with murder, according to online jail records.

The Marion County Prosecutors Office will assess the charges and whether any additional ones are to be filed, local authorities said.

The suspect is scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday, according to Law and Crime.

Staff at Tilly's had asked Smith, Morris and the other woman to exit the pub after Morris swung a bottle of wine

Morris used an AirTag to track her boyfriend down after she was suspicious of him cheating on her

Apple AirTags are coin-sized devices that can be attached to keys, backpacks, purses and other items to help people track them down via iPhone if theyre misplaced.

The $30 device is also being used by stalkers to track people. At the time of its release in April 2021, Apple told consumers not to worry as AirTags were designed to prohibit 'unwarranted tracking' by alerting a nearby iPhone when an AirTag has been separated from its user. For example, if someone was to place an AirTag on a car but not get in the car, then the driver of the vehicle should be alerted that there is an AirTag nearby or moving with them.

The AirTag should then begin to play a sound to let people nearby know its location. In contrast, some users reported that the alert and sound can take hours or even days to be sent out and are even able to be turned off.

The location of the AirTag is also sent to the user's iCloud - where it can be seen on a map, according to Apple's website. Using the 'Find My' app, the system provides its owner with step-by-step directions to locate the tag before finally collecting it.
Visiting Torun, birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, in 2004 By Mark Wegierski

web posted June 6, 2022 Mark Wegierski recalls a happier time in East-Central Europe, eighteen years ago. The venerable city of Torun is located within easy driving distance of Ciechocinek, the spa and resort town at which I was mostly staying, in the summer of 2004. Torun is known especially for its very well-preserved medieval Old Town, which includes the historic medieval walls of the city. One of the citys tourist slogans is Gotyk na dotyk which can be loosely translated as  where the Gothic comes alive. Staying mostly at Ciechocinek, I was frequently driven in to Torun when my female relative travelled there. The Main Square of the Old Town is especially lovely, with its magnificent Gothic City Hall, in front of which stands the statue of Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikolaj Kopernik) the famous Polish astronomer who was born in the town in 1473. The house in which he was born still stands, and is now a museum. There is a frequently cited verse in Polish about Nicolaus Copernicus, which, in approximate translation, says: He stopped the Sun, he moved the Earth, the Polish nation gave him birth. Copernicus challenged the received ideas of his day (which claimed that the Sun revolved around the Earth), and advanced a carefully elaborated and documented thesis that the Earth moves around the Sun. The Copernican theory is the grounding of all subsequent astronomical science. Its possible to argue that the atmosphere of reflective tolerance and liberty that existed in Renaissance Poland under the humane Jagiellonian Kings  in marked contrast to most other European countries of that time -- contributed to his willingness to enunciate those views. It takes tremendous intellect, courage and fortitude to be among the very first to arrive at and advance highly unconventional views, especially those that could result in severe censure and punishment (as seen in the later Trial of Galileo). Torun also has the very well-regarded Nicolaus Copernicus University (Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika) (UMK). Among the universitys more prominent scholars is Miroslaw Supruniuk, the head of the extensive Polish Emigration Archive (Archiwum Emigracji). The Polish Emigration Archive has, indeed, received a Turzanski Foundation award, for its contributions to documentation of the Polish-Canadian community. The awards of the Turzanski Foundation were the only major literary and cultural prizes of the Polish-Canadian community. They had been instituted as a result of a helpful individual initiative  but are no longer awarded. There are also some very exclusive shops in the Main Square of Torun and the surrounding cobblestone streets, including an especially elegant boutique mall that has been built into one of the Old Towns oldest burgher-houses. Also to be recommended is the very finely stocked eMPiK (a magazine, book, and music store) in the Old Town area. In my searching for different Polish popular periodicals, I was guided by the general principle that if a certain publication could not be found in a popular outlet like the eMPiK, then its profile in the country was very low, indeed. Nevertheless, I was able to find in that eMPiK a number of periodicals I had never seen or heard of before, such as the Wroclaw-based Opcja na Prawo (The Option on the Right). The Old Town area also has a mini-multiplex cinema, as well as a fairly good planetarium. There are some prominent antique shops that are full of items that are usually far more interesting than anything to be found in Canada. There are also a number of elegant jewelry stores, and fashion and perfume boutiques, on the streets around the Main Square. Most of those streets are now reserved for pedestrians only, so a highly pleasant and unhurried feeling is created. As far as dining in the Old Town area of Torun, I could recommend the restaurant of the Gromada hotel (a smaller hotel). I had some very tasty meals there in the Old Polish cuisine style, such as clear beet-soup with meat-filled pastry on the side (barszcz z pasztecikiem), as well as pork cutlets with spicy roasted potatoes and salad on the side. The town of Nieszawa, which is about 10 kilometers to the south-east of Ciechocinek, is known especially for its church, which dates back to the fifteenth century, and has a unique set of frescoes. At most times of the year, it is a brief, pleasant drive to Nieszawa along a two-lane, properly-paved road surrounded by the green countryside, usually with very little traffic. I still recall a private reception at the Mayors ranch-style house in Nieszawa, where I drank champagne and nibbled on canapes, while looking at the Vistula below, and the verdant forests across the river, in the sun of the late afternoon. I had been invited to celebrate the imminent appearance of an article of mine in a smaller U.S. cultural and political affairs magazine in which I had tried to appear for at least fifteen years. I had written the article right on the trip on a laptop computer, and submitted it through the Internet. That article about my trip to Poland and Nieszawa had been the breakthrough piece for me with that magazine. (An earlier version of this article has appeared in Polonez: Canadian-Polish News (16-30 September 2007), p. 13.) Mark Wegierski is a Toronto-based writer and historical researcher. He was born in Toronto of Polish immigrant parents. Home
A mother-of-five was shot dead and seven others were wounded during a drive-by shooting in South Carolina at around 11 p.m. Saturday night.

The Clarendon County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that around 150 people were attending a party in the backyard of a home when two cars approached and sprayed the crowd with bullets.

The shooting occurred in the town of Summerton, 60 miles southeast of Columbia. '

According to her family, 32-year-old Audrionna 'Tutu' Kind was shot dead in the attack. She is survived by her five children, the youngest of whom is just three months old.

32-year-old Audrionna 'Tutu' Kind is survived by the five children, the youngest of whom is three months old

According to officials, two cars rolled up on a graduation party and sprayed the guests with bullets

Officials said that the shooting may be gang-related and retaliation for a previous drive-by shooting

The youngest victims of the attack were between the ages of 12 and 17

She succumbed to her injuries at Prisma Richland Hospital in Columbia after being airlifted there, reports WLTX.

The victims were aged 12, 13, and 14, two were 15, another 17, and a 36-year-old woman was also injured.

Authorities did not say if the shooting was targeted at specific people but did say that it was gang-related and connected to other drive-by shootings.

Kind's cousin, Adrienne, told WMBF: 'We need justice. We need justice, and we need it because we need our kids to be safe in the community. We shouldnt have to walk around having to watch our backs.'

Mindy Kind, Audrionna Kind's mother, was inside the home resting when the gunfire broke out. She said that she had a dream that her daughter had been shot

Kind's cousin referred to her as a 'giver to all'

Audrionna Kind's mother, Mindy Kind, told WACH that she was resting inside of the home while the party took place on the lawn.

She said that while she was resting, she had a dream that her daughter got shot.

After waking Mindy Kind said that she went outside: 'As soon as I got outside, I started hearing gunshots.

'From the porch fence, I could see a little opening in my porch. Then I could see, I dont know what color the vehicle was but what I know is that fire was coming from it.'

She added: 'I saw her laying on the ground. I could not go over there. I could not force myself to go over there where she was laying on that ground.'

According to the crowdfunding page, the money raised will be put toward a celebration of life for Kind

Mindy Kind also said that her 12-year-old grandson was shot in the leg with the bullet entering and exiting his thigh.

On her Facebook page, Audrionna Kind said that she was originally from Summerton and graduated from Scott Branch High in the town in 2007.

On a GoFundMe page that was set up for Audrionna's family, her cousin Alonso Felder wrote: 'Im going to miss everything about her, everything.'

Felder wrote that her cousin 'enjoyed partying, having fun and spending time with family and friends.' He said Audrionna was 'a giver to all.'

He added: 'It didnt matter what anyone had to say about her she walked around with her head high. She put a lot of people before herself and made sure they were good sometimes before she made sure she was good. She was gonna figure out a way to make it happen.'

The page named her five children as sons, Kazon, King, Kanye and Kyrie as well as daughter Honesti. Her eldest child was 12 while her youngest was three months old.

Some of her children are students in Clarendon County District Four. The school's superintendent told WLTX: 'We just had such a wonderful graduation ceremony of our two high schools.'

Bain added: 'I'm just so sad for the family - and for our school family - to end the year on something like this. I just pray that we can get back to some civility.'

According to the crowdfunding page, the money raised will be put toward a celebration of life for Audrionna.

In total, 60 to 70 rounds were fired during the attack, although sheriff's deputies are investigating the possibility that some at the party returned fire on the two cars.

At the time of writing, no arrests have been made in the shooting.

Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley said in a statement: 'These acts of violence cannot continue. Innocent children and adults are suffering the consequences of these acts.'

The sheriff added: 'Senseless acts won't be tolerated. There's absolutely no reasoning whatsoever for things like this to be happening. This was a school graduation party and you've got all these innocent children that were there that were hit by gunfire.'
An Australian explosives expert who previously served in Afghanistan is about to put his life on the life once again to assist with the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.

Former ADF serviceman Nathan Rompa will head to the war-torn country next week, where he will spend at least three months volunteering for a not-for-profit group of ex-military engineers as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth month.

The 29-year-old from Hobart will use his expertise to disarm and dispose of explosive threats and safely remove unmarked mines and booby traps.

He will fund his trip, gear, accommodation and other expenses from his own pocket.

Mr Rompa has wanted to help long before Ukraine was first invaded by Russia in February.

'Since that happened I've wanted to help in some way but I was busy with work and becoming a pilot,' he told The Mercury.

'Things have slowed up through winter, so I thought it was a great time to get over there and do something.'

Former ADF serviceman Nathan Rompa (pictured) will volunteer his expertise in the Ukraine

Mr Rompa served in the defence force for four years, including a stint serving in Afghanistan, and is now a disability support worker.

'To me it doesn't matter what people this is affecting, it's a crime against humanity,' he said.

'I've got the experience in the military and the skills to do this, so I want to help.'

He will arrive in Ukraine just three weeks after an Australian humanitarian worker was killed on the frontline.

Fellow Tasmanian Michael O'Neill, 47, was working as a truck driver helping wounded and injured Ukrainians on the frontline when he was killed a fortnight ago.

The former serviceman is now a disability support worker and is currently completing his Diploma of Aviation to obtain a commercial pilot licence

Mr Rompa admitted his family were initially 'nervous and apprehensive' but they have since set up an online fundraiser to help fund his trip and the group's efforts in Ukraine.

While they're proud of his mission, the family are heartbroken his life will be at risk once again.

'It is heartbreaking watching Nathan go off and sacrifice his own life and time away from his family and friends to help keep the people of Ukraine safe but we want to be able to support him just the same,' Mr Rompa's sister Kate wrote.

'Without people like this team of engineers finding these devices, these could go off any time, even years from now & will affect families in Ukraine for years to come.'

The fundraiser has already raised more than $2700.

Nathan Rompa has wanted to help with humanitarian efforts long before Ukraine was first invaded by Russia in February. Pictured is the early days of devastation in war-torn Kyiv

Ms Rompa said the family started the GoFundMe to help Nathan be as prepared as possible.

'We are so proud that Nathan is willing and able to assist, as not only this war but every war that is going on is heartbreaking,' Ms Rompa said.

'We want to help in any way we can so that these guys have the best equipment, safety gear etc.

'As more and more lives being lost everyday, we need all the support we can get to help this group to be able to stay as long as they can to remove as many dangerous explosive devices as they can, but also making sure they are safe.'
A dangerous ant species that is native to west Africa and Asia is on the march in Australia and is considered 'a high risk' of spreading nationally, potentially triggering an 'economic disaster'.

Yellow crazy ants, which are a serious threat to native wildlife, have been found on the Gold Coast for the first time, a memo from the city's council said.

The ants do not bite, instead they spray acid to blind and kill their prey, according to the Invasive Species Council (ISC).

'Although they're tiny, they can swarm in great numbers, killing much larger animals like lizards, frogs, small mammals, turtle hatchlings and bird chicks and reshaping entire ecosystems,' the ISC said.

If not stopped, they 'could threaten Queensland with economic and ecological disaster, putting the state's sugar cane and tourism industries at risk,' the council added.

Yellow crazy ants (pictured), which are a serious threat to native wildlife, have been found on the Gold Coast for the first time

Yellow crazy ants were found on a private property at Yatala in the Gold Coast. Pictured is Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast

The ants were found on a private property at Yatala, 30 minutes south of Brisbane's CBD, and there are great fears they could spread further before being stopped.

In a memo, obtained by News Corp, Gold Coast City Council warned 'this is the only known infestation in the city and the site poses a high risk of (spreading) nationally'.

'This invasive ant poses a significant risk to the city,' the council added.

The council is taking the lead in a plan to eliminate the risk of yellow crazy ants to the community as it can access a type of bait not available to pest control companies or land owners.

Hermann Vorster, the council's lifestyle and community committee chairman, said the arrival of the crazy ants followed the widespread infestation of red fire ants, which are already a significant cost to ratepayers and the environment.

'It is a small mercy that we are only aware of the one incident so far and are reasonably sure that we can eradicate it but this does not mean that we will be safe,' Mr Vorster said.

Red fire ants and yellow crazy ants have both been found in the north of the Gold Coast, just south of Brisbane.

Queensland's sugar cane industry could be at risk from the invasive yellow crazy ant species. Pictured is a Queensland sugar cane farm

Yellow crazy ants are on the list of the world's 100 worst invasive species.

'They are a highly aggressive species, and have made their way into Australia through our ports,' the ISC said.

They first arrived on Christmas Island sometime before 1934, and have since been recorded in Queensland, the Northern Territory and NSW.

The ants threaten areas such as Queensland's Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, the world's oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforests.

In the Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (map pictured), yellow crazy ants killed and deformed large numbers of chicks in seabird colonies by spraying them with acid

Overseas, in places such as the Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, yellow crazy ants have killed and deformed large numbers of chicks in seabird colonies by constantly spraying them with acid.

If yellow crazy ants are not stopped in their tracks, they could threaten Queensland with economic and ecological disaster, putting the state's sugar cane and tourism industries at risk.
The body of Alex Murdaugh's housekeeper is to be exhumed, four years after her death.

Authorities in South Carolina say they plan to reexamine the body of family housekeeper Gloria Satterfield in order to dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding her death.

Satterfield died in 2018 after she allegedly tripped and fell at the home of the Murdaugh's where she had worked for 20 years.

The Murdaugh family told the sons their mother tripped over the family dog and died three weeks later from her lingering injuries.

The death was never reported to the Hampton County coroner, who asked state police to investigate why she was not called to review what she would consider 'an accidental death.'

Gloria Satterfield, is said to have died after falling at the Murdaugh home in 2018. She was the family's housekeeper and nanny for 25 years. Her body will shortly be exhumed

Alex Murdaugh, 53, is currently in jail facing a total of 51 charges related to money laundering and forgery

But something is still concerning the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and it has announced that it is now opening a criminal investigation into Satterfield's death.

In particular, Hampton County would like further investigations to occur after the coroner revealed there were inconsistencies in what was deemed to be Satterfield's cause of death and information that was provided to them - together with Alex Murdaugh's own acts.

The Satterfield family has now given law enforcement officials permission to proceed with the exhumation.

'The decedent's death was not reported to the Coroner at the time, nor was an autopsy performed,' the request by the coroner to SLED stated.

'On the death certificate, the manner of death was ruled 'Natural,' which is inconsistent with injuries sustained in a trip and fall accident.'

Murdaugh told Satterfield's sons at her February 2018 funeral that he would get insurance settlements for her death and take care of them, according to the lawsuit filed by the sons.

To this day, Satterfield's two sons say they still don't know how the fall caused her such horrific injuries that she died from them.

Court documents state how Alex Murdaugh, a former attorney himself, told Satterfield's sons he was personally responsible for the fall and said he would 'sue himself' so that their family would be taken care of financially.

But four years on from her death, the family have not received any funds from Murdaugh leading to the son's to file a wrongful death lawsuit against him.

In October 2021 he was charged with stealing insurance settlements meant for the Satterfield's sons that a lawsuit said totalled more than $4 million.

Murdaugh managed to secure $4.3 million from his insurers, but he only told the sons about a $500,000 settlement and then never sent them a dime, the lawsuit claims.

Murdaugh took the settlement money by creating a fraudulent bank account with a name similar to a legal consulting firm that handles settlements, the lawsuit said.

He is currently in jail and faces 51 charges relating to money laundering and forgery.

Murdaugh has adamantly denied having anything to do with the killings of his wife and son

Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh (from left). Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and son Paul were found shot dead at the family's hunting lodge in a horrific double murder in June 2021

Murdaugh initially made headlines after his wife and son were shot and killed in June 2021.

Their deaths remain unsolved. Murdaugh said he found Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and their son Paul, 22, shot to death after he returned home from visiting his father in the hospital, according to authorities.

In September 2021, he was back in the news once again having been shot in the head while changing a tire on a rural road in Hampton County, South Carolina.

Days later, he admitted to authorities he had planned the whole thing and conspired with another man to kill himself.

A day before the shooting occurred, Murdaugh was forced out of his law firm after it was discovered there was 'millions in missing funds.'

He was then arrested later in September in connection with an insurance fraud scheme.

Alex Murdaugh, 53, is being investigated by the FBI and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for numerous alleged financial crimes

Court documents suggest that he had arranged to have himself killed in order that his surviving son, Buster, might collect a $10million life insurance payout.

There are now six state police investigations into Murdaugh, including the deaths of his wife and son, millions of dollars missing from the huge law firm founded a century ago by his great-grandfather and trying to arrange his own death.

Murdaugh is facing charges of insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and filing a false police report.

Before his arrest, he admitted to to making mistakes in his life.

He said: 'The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret.

'I am immensely sorry to everyone I've hurt, including my family, friends, and colleagues. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships.'
A young woman was brazenly filmed by a 'creepy' man on a train, who only stopped after she began recording him back.

Shinae, 21, from the Waikato region on New Zealand's North Island, was travelling to visit a friend when she noticed a man sitting in the seats across from her.

He pulled out his phone and started filming her, an act that went on for 20 minutes, despite Shinae being visibly uncomfortable.

The two repeatedly made eye contact while he continued to film her, finally leaving after she decided to pull out her phone and start videoing him back.

An aspiring model was brazenly filmed by a 'creepy' man on a train in New Zealand - who only stopped after she began recording him

'I was really uncomfortable! It's not nice knowing you aren't safe in the day time on public transport. It's really disappointing this still happens,' Shinae told Daily Mail Australia.

'You never know if he could be filming and telling someone what station you are getting off at. Or what they can be doing with the video.'

Shinae said the man never made any attempt to speak to her, but was more than comfortable filming and even staring at her.

She got on the train at a quiet station in the Waikato, with the man also boarding at the same platform.

There were no other people in their carriage, with Shinae saying he started filming her almost immediately.

'I was just scrolling on my phone when I noticed there was a man staring at me. I didn't pay attention but when I looked up again because I notice he looked away,' she said.

'I saw his phone pointed right and me with him sometimes looking my way. This went on for about 20 minutes, and he saw me look in his direction but he continued to film.'

Shinae, a 21-year-old from the Waikato region in NZ's North Island, was travelling to visit a friend last week when she noticed a man sitting in the seats adjacent

Shinae said at first she thought she was 'overreacting', but being the only people on the carriage had her spooked.

'I was alone and it was an empty train so I was a bit anxious already,' she said.

'I didn't know how he would react if I told him to stop or even delete what he could possibly be recording. So I decided just to do the same to him. I figured if I do the same and he doesn't react then I might just be over reacting.'

As soon as she pulled out her phone and started filming the man back, he casually stood up and left the train, getting out at the next stop.

Shinae said when she got to her destination she immediately called her friend to tell them where she was in fear he may still be around.

Shinae said the man never made any attempt to speak to her, but was more than comfortable brazenly filming and even staring at her - an interaction that lasted 20 minutes

She initially posted the video to her TikTok page, but had to delete it after receiving a series of disgusting comments from men.

'It's so disappointing how scared and unsafe women can feel just in public, living day to day,' she said.

'If we keep ignoring this and letting it happen it's just going to get worse. It's sad that as women we have to be conditioned to put up with such degrading things.

'As soon as this happens I think the best solution is to vocalise it and make it aware that we are not ok with this and it's not ok. The more we ignore it, the more it happens.'

Shinae sent the video to the train station where the man got on, in the hope he may be identified by local staff.
Taxpayers who paid for a Covid-19 test for work-related purposes or bought their own PPE could be able to claim it as a deduction, the Australian Tax Office says.

With the end of the financial year looming, the ATO expects Covid-19 will continue to impact tax returns.

'We know that many have faced significant challenges,' Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh said.

Taxpayers who paid for a Covid-19 test for work-related purposes or bought their own PPE could be able to claim it as a deduction (pictured, bartenders in Sydney in October, 2021)

While taxpayers embraced working from home with gusto during the pandemic, many are now trying to determine what they can claim as a legitimate work expense on their annual returns.

From July 1, people forced to buy tests to determine if they can attend or remain at work can claim the cost as a tax deduction.

They must have a record proving they paid for the test but the ATO will accept a bank or credit card statement alongside documentation from employers as evidence.

The ATO says employees cannot claim for tests supplied by employers or where the cost was reimbursed.

Only tests required for work-related purposes are deductible.

'If you purchased a Covid-19 test for a trip with your mates, you can't claim a deduction,' Mr Loh said.

Taxpayers will also be able to claim deductions for the cost of protective items that protect against illness or injury while at work.

From July 1, people forced to buy Covid-19 tests to determine if they can attend or remain at work can claim the cost as a tax deduction (pictured, rapid antigen tests)

'If you're spending your working day in close proximity to customers and at risk of contracting Covid-19, you may be able to claim a deduction for protective items such as gloves, face masks, or sanitiser.'

The federal Covid-19 disaster payment will not be taxed and does not need to be included in returns.

JobSeeker and Pandemic Leave Disaster payments are taxable and do need to be included.

Australia reported more than 23,000 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, along with 30 virus-related deaths.

There are currently more than 244,000 active cases across the country, with around 2700 patients in hospitals.

ATO assistant commissioner Tim Loh ([pictured) said toilet paper, tea, coffee and Tim Tams are examples of personal expenses that are not related to earning an income but have been claimed before

It comes as the ATO begins scrutinising claims with returns being lodged from July 7 and expects to start paying refunds from July 16.

Aussies have a long history of dubious deductions sought at tax time and the ATO is likely to be dusting off its index of illegal and frankly bizarre claims.

Some of the weirder claims Aussies have tried to get money back from the ATO include dog food, dental work, gambling losses, toilet paper, cigarettes, vapes and holidays that were not only unrelated to work, they were entirely faked.

Mr Loh said toilet paper, tea, coffee and Tim Tams are examples of personal expenses that are not related to the earning of income but have been claimed before.

The assistant commissioner added that people need to avoid 'copying and pasting' deductions from previous years.

Aussies have a long history of dubious deductions sought at tax time and the ATO is likely to be dusting off its index of illegal and frankly bizarre claims. Tim Tams are one such strange claim

What was valid one year may not be true of the past 12 months - because, for instance, your employer may have reimbursed you.

The average return for Australians is $2,600 according to blog taxback.com.

The deadline for lodging your tax return for the fiscal year July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 is 31 October, 2022.

Most people won't receive their annual Pay As You Go payment summary from their employer until July 14.

The ATO said in 2022 it aims to finalise returns within 12 days of receiving them.
Michael Bloomberg says America's public school system is failing and blames teacher's union leaders for resisting return to in-classroom instruction 'long after it was clear that classrooms were safe.'

The former New York City mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate described the public education system as 'failing' in an op-ed titled, 'A Wake Up Call for Public Education' that was published on Thursday, after an analysis revealed that a reported 1.3 million students have left public schools since the pandemic began.

Bloomberg said the message to educators and elected officials could hardly be clearer: 'Too many public schools are failing, parents are voting with their feet, and urgent and bold action is needed.'

'Until now, however, the only governmental response has been to spend more money  too much of which has gone to everyone but our children,' he continued.

Bloomberg also criticized teacher's union leaders because they 'resisted a return to in-classroom instruction long after it was clear that classrooms were safe.'

In the op-ed, Bloomberg cited a recent national analysis that 'contained a deeply disturbing finding that has generated little public discussion when it should be causing an outcry.'

Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg described the public education system as 'failing' in an op-ed titled 'A Wake Up Call for Public Education' that was published on Thursday

Pulaski International School of Chicago closed for a period of time in January 2022 after the teachers' union voted in favor of a return to remote learning

'A recent national analysis contained a deeply disturbing finding that has generated little public discussion when it should be causing an outcry: Nearly 1.3 million students have left public schools since the pandemic began,' Bloomberg wrote.

'Most states have seen enrollment declines for two straight years. In New York City, K-12 enrollment has dropped by an astounding 9%,' he continued.

Bloomberg called remote instruction a 'disaster' and said that by one analysis, the 'first year of the pandemic left students an average of five months behind in math and four months behind in reading, with much larger gaps for low-income schools.'

He noted that now students have 'fled public schools in record numbers, states are paying more to educate fewer children.'

'That might have been acceptable if students were showing great improvement. Instead, we are paying more for failure,' he added.

'A recent national analysis contained a deeply disturbing finding that has generated little public discussion when it should be causing an outcry: Nearly 1.3 million students have left public schools since the pandemic began,' Bloomberg wrote

The former mayor's solution is the public charter school system, which he wrote has been moving in the opposite direction, 'thanks to their success, even as their federal funding has not risen in the last four years.'

He pointed out that from 2020 to 2021, nearly 240,000 new students enrolled in charter schools, a 7% increase year over year.

'Many charter schools around the country have long waitlists, and no wonder,' he wrote. 'In states and cities with strong accountability laws, charters have a proven academic track record of outperforming district schools.'

'One recent nationwide analysis found that districts with a higher share of charters yield higher reading and math scores as well as higher graduation rates on average,' he continued. 'Other research has found that the benefits are especially pronounced for Black, Latino and low-income students.'

However, charter schools remain underfunded, he wrote, leaving students to fill up public schools, which he argued will continue to fail students and future generations unless there is reform.

'The idea that we would allow public charter-school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to be deprived of great teachers so that we can staff schools with declining enrollments as though they were full makes no sense whatsoever  until factoring in politics,' Bloomberg wrote. 'And then it makes perfect sense, because so many elected officials are beholden to union leaders who oppose charters.'
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Downing Street has condemned the 'deeply disappointing' 24-hour Tube strike in London today, which has caused misery for millions of commuters as they try to return to their desks following the four-day Platinum Jubilee weekend.

London Tube strikes: What is the walkout over? When does it end? What are the unions demanding? Around 4,000 Tube workers have gone on strike today, bringing London to a standstill. They are being led by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), following two 24-hour strikes in early March over the same issues. It is just one in what threatens to be a series of strikes over the coming months, in what some are already branding a potential 'summer of discontent' - with a national rail strike and mass civil servant walkouts also on the cards. What is today's Tube walkout over? RMT fears that cash-strapped Transport for London (TfL) is planning to cut jobs and alter its workers' current pension scheme. It comes after an independent review ordered by London Mayor Sadiq Khan before the Covid pandemic found that making changes to the pension plan could save 100million per year. TfL also announced that it would not be filling up to 600 station jobs that become vacant due to retirement or staff leaving. The walkout is not over pay. London Underground workers received an 8.4 per cent salary increase in April as part of a four-year deal. How long will it last? The current strike is from Monday until Tuesday at 8am. However the effects of the strike action could last into Wednesday as services try to recover. Further action could be taken this month or in the coming weeks if an agreement is not reached. However Sadiq Khan's office did offer RMT a meeting at the weekend, but the union refused to meet until after the strike action had taken place. What does RMT want? RMT is demanding a face to face meeting with Mayor Khan to 'sort this mess out'. It also wants a guarantee of no more job cuts or alterations to the pension plan. A spokesperson for the mayor's office today insisted that 'no changes to pensions are yet proposed', and that 'no station staff will be losing their jobs.' Which Tube services are affected? Victoria, Waterloo & City and Circle lines are closed entirely, while majority of others have very limited services. There is a good service on Metropolitan and Elizabeth lines, the DLR and Tram. Advertisement

Police were pictured dealing with furious workers as they were forced to battle to get on buses, struggle through busier roads or pay a fortune for an Uber in order to make it to the office, with strike action set continue until Tuesday at 8am.

And scenes of chaos across the capital were made worse after the Transport for London (TfL) website and app wrongly suggested some services were still operating only for passengers to later discover they were in fact suspended.

Stone-faced Londoners were seen forming snaking queues at bus stops under grey skies and rain, while traffic began to build on the city's road networks, with congestion levels 41 per cent higher during rush hour compared to the same time last week, according to TomTom.

Meanwhile, those forced to take an Uber to work compared it to the 'Hunger Games', with some reporting waiting up to one-and-a-half hours for a driver. Others complained of a surge in prices and 'shambolic' traffic.

The chaos has been caused by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), who are taking industrial action in a dispute over jobs and pensions. They believe up to 600 jobs and their pension scheme are under threat from a cash-strapped TfL, which a union leader today claimed is 'bankrupt' and in need of 500m by March next year.

RMT leader Mick Lynch 'congratulated' its members today and warned that they 'will not rest' until a 'just' agreement is reached.

And today's action could just be the start of a feared 'summer of discontent', after unions recently threatened a national rail strike, which would see Network Rail forced to operate on a skeleton timetable to reserve tracks for the movement of goods - with passengers only having access to key services.

Civil servants have also threatened national strike action that could bring disruption to key infrastructure such as ports, courts and airports, after being offered a 2 per cent pay rise, which they deemed as insufficient amid the ongoing cost of living crisis that is currently causing inflation levels of 9 per cent.

'This sort of action is deeply disappointing and not what the public want to see, not what we want to see for businesses still trying to recover post-pandemic, people's lives being disrupted in London,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

'Obviously industrial relations at TfL (Transport for London) are a matter for TfL and the mayor but it's clear that under the current funding settlement TfL must take all reasonable steps to avoid industrial action.'

Transport for London (TfL) warned on Monday that some train services will run but many stations, especially those in central and south London, will be closed, while others may only open for limited periods.

Other TfL services, including DLR, London Overground and Trams, are not affected by the industrial action and will be running but will be busier.

The Elizabeth Line is reported to be running as normal with TfL reporting a 'good service'. However some rail users said it was not stopping at Liverpool Street station. They also claimed other TfL updates were incorrect.

One fed-up commuter tweeted: 'If you assumed Finsbury Park tube stop was open because the TfL website said so... it's not', while another said: 'The TfL app and website stating the Elizabeth Line is running as normal, when in fact it isn't stopping at Liverpool Street, seems like and important detail to miss when there's a tube strike on.'

Meanwhile the TfL Go app has been suggesting commuters use routes that are clearly not operating. Passengers could only see that their desired route was suspended if they clicked on a grey tab labelled 'disruption reported'.

Responding to dismayed commuters on Twitter, TfL admitted: 'At this stage we don't know which stations or lines may be affected by the strike... Journey planner normally reflects stations that are closed.

'It might take a while to update today as we don't have a heads up on what stations will be closed throughout the day. It will depend on staffing.'

Police officers advise commuters as they get caught out by Tube station closures caused by strike action on Monday morning

Chaotic scenes at Liverpool Street station on Monday morning amid the RMT backed strike action

Commuters were pictured being advised by Metropolitan police officers as they struggled to get to work this morning at London Victoria Station

The TfL Go app suggests this route from Earl's Court to Whitechapel, despite it not being possible amid the 24-hour strike

Long queues formed outside bus stops across the capital on Monday morning as most Tube stations remained closed

Pictured: Traffic builds up on the Blackwall Tunnel Road as commuters face no choice but to find alternative means of transport to the Tube network

Tube stations across London will be closed until Tuesday at 8am after the RMT union staged at 24-hour walkout in a dispute over pensions and job cuts. Pictured: Commuters are barred from entering Tottenham Court Road Station

Commuters queue to board packed buses at Victoria Station as a tube strike impacts the Monday morning rush hour on June 6, 2022

Commuters struggling to get to work this morning at London Victoria Station as they queue for buses and taxis

The Tube lines affected by RMT union's strike action today Closed: Victoria, Waterloo & City, Circle Part suspended: London Overground Special service: Bakerloo (operating between Queen's Park and Harrow & Wealdstone only), Central (operating between White City and West Ruislip/Ealing Broadway and between Liverpool Street and Epping / Hainault via Newbury Park) District (operating between Whitechapel and Upminster, Edgware Road and Wimbledon and between High St Kensington and Ealing Broadway/Richmond) Hammersmith & City (operating between Hammersmith and Whitechapel) Jubilee (operating between Finchley Road and Stanmore, and between Stratford and Canning Tow) Northern Line (operating between Edgware and Golders Green, between East Finchley and High Barnet and between Finchley Central and Mill Hill East, and Morden and Kennington) Picadilly (operating between Earl's Court and Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and between Acton Town and Raynes Lane) Good service: DLR, Elizabeth Line, Tram, Metropolitan Advertisement

Some commuters took to social media to blast the strikes, with one declaring: 'We are in hell', while others said they had simply 'had enough' of being 'held to ransom' by militant unions.

In response to RMT's complaints, TfL said no proposals have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and vowed that nobody will lose their jobs because of the proposals it has set out.

It emerged today that TfL and RMT met at conciliation service Acas last week, and that Mayor Sadiq Khan's office had offered to meet with the union over the weekend - one of their main demands.

However a spokesperson for the Mayor's office said RMT did not want to meet until after the strike, adding: 'No changes to pensions are yet proposed, no station staff will be losing their jobs, let alone the 'hundreds of thousands' of jobs.

'Under current cost saving plans required by the government financial deal conditions there will be a reduction in 600 roles once staff leave or retire.'

As part of previous funding agreements, the Government has required TfL to work towards achieving financial sustainability on its operations by April 2023.

TfL has proposed not recruiting into around 500 to 600 posts as they become vacant.

Today's strike comes after London Underground workers receiving an 8.4 per cent pay rise in April.

While inflation is currently at 9 per cent, a four-year deal with unions guarantees 15,000 Tube workers an annual pay increase of RPI+0.2%, costing TfL 100m, reports the BBC.

Meanwhile NHS workers and teachers are seeing their spending power at lows not seen for 20 years, as pay struggles to keep up with the soaring cost of living.

The annual wage of a full time Tube driver was 56,496 in the year up to March 2020, the Sun previously reported.

This is on top of other perks the drivers enjoy such as free travel around the capital for them and a partner.

They can also retire on a reduced pension at the age of 50 or a full pension at 60.

Commuter Sally Johnson, who works in Waterloo said today: 'I'm just totally confused and haven't got a clue as to what's going on. Mind you, neither has anybody else and that includes the Government.

'We've been told that some lines are completely closed, and others are running a restricted service, but the bottom line is, my normal one-hour commute is now going to take much longer.'

She added: 'I'm going to get a bus into Central London, which will take ages and then will probably hire a bike or might even walk. I can't face getting onto a packed bus.'

Cleaner Maria Dos Santos, who was travelling into the City from her home in Northolt said: 'I've managed to get the Tube for part of the way, now I'm waiting for a bus and then I don't know what I'll be doing. I haven't worked it out yet.

People pile onto a bus in Paddington in London, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are taking industrial action in a dispute over jobs and pensions

Commuters queue for buses as the tubes go on a post Jubilee weekend strike

Commuters complain of severe delays trying to get a taxi or Uber, while claiming they are being given misleading travel advice, as TfL admits: 'We don't know which stations or lines may be affected'

'This is not a good start to the week after we all had a great few days off.'

Toby Grant, who works in clothes shop in the West End said: 'I normally get the Piccadilly Line but now I'm going to have to get buses all the way to work. The traffic is already horrendous, and I don't know how long it will take me.

'It's been a nightmare start to the week. The buses are packed, it's hard to get onto one and the weather is not helping.'

Raj Sahota, who was trying to get to Green Park for a meeting said: 'I think it's going to take me at least two to three hours and will involve getting a mixture of buses and overland trains, so I've set off extra early.

He added: 'The airports are a disaster and now the Tube has just added to the travel chaos. Everyone is in a very bad mood and stressed. It's not fair that people are being treated this way because we just want to get on with our lives.'

Traffic expert at TomTom also criticised today's strikes for having 'grim repercussions' on London's air quality as hoards of would-be rail users opted for cars.

He said: 'This morning's tube strike has caused severe disruption for commuters across the Capital, as our data shows many have turned to the car as the alternative method of transportation.

'This brings to light issues of air quality. It raises an important question of when a situation like this arises again, how can we ensure people can continue to move about freely, in a way that doesn't impact public health or the environment?'

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said in a statement today: 'I congratulate our station grade and revenue control staff members on London Underground for taking strike action in defence of their pensions and jobs.

'The effectiveness and industrial power of these members cannot be underestimated.

'TfL, London Underground Limited (LUL) and the Mayor of London have had ample opportunity to negotiate with the union properly to avert this strike action today.

'Their intransigence and stubbornness have left RMT members no choice but to act decisively.

'We will not rest until we have a just settlement to this dispute and we urge the Mayor to stand up to the Tory government who are cutting funding to TfL rather than try to pick a fight with tube workers.'

Andy Lord, TfL's chief operating officer, said: 'I'd like to apologise to London for the impact this strike will have on journeys.

'We know it's going to be damaging to London and the economy, at a time when public transport is playing a crucial role in the capital's recovery.

Londoners queue for buses in the rain at Baker Street station amid travel chaos caused by Tube strikes

Confused and irate commuters seek advice at Euston underground station on Monday morning

Commuters wait at a bus stop outside Victoria train station in London on June 6, 2022, during a 24-hour strike

Commuters erect umbrellas and don face masks as they wait at a bus stop outside Victoria train station in London on Monday morning

'We are in hell': Fuming commuters react to Tube strikes in central London this morning

Summer of Discontent: Fears mount over a repeat of the infamous winter of 1978 as slew of strikes set for coming months Fears are mounting of a repeat of the 1978 'Winter of Discontent' in which a slew of strikes by waste workers, gravediggers and lorry drivers resulted in squalid conditions for Brits under Labour PM Jim Callaghan. It comes as unions have threatened a national rail strike which could see Network Rail forced to operate on a skeleton timetable to reserve tracks for the movement of goods - with passengers only having access to key services. Civil servants have also threatened national strike action that could bring disruption to key infrastructure such as ports, courts and airports, after being offered a 2 per cent pay rise, which they deemed as insufficient amid the ongoing cost of living crisis that is currently causing inflation levels of 9 per cent. The head of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, Manuel Cortes, threatened the biggest disruption since the General Strike of 1926. Fears are mounting of a repeat of the 1978 'Winter of Discontent' in which a slew of strikes led to squalid living conditions across Britain But it is not only the railways that are set to be massively disrupted by strikes in the coming months. Holidaymakers travelling through Heathrow this summer will have to prepare for delays and slower service, as the GMB Union is balloting for strikes to take place at the airport. A number of British Airways ground staff and check-in desk workers have voted in favour of a strike that could cause chaos for travellers. The workers are demanding that a ten per cent cut  imposed during the pandemic  is reinstated in their pay packets. Meanwhile, Unite union has said pay strikes at Exxon's Fawley refinery, near Southampton, will escalate in June - risking petrol supply disruption at a sixth of the UK's petrol stations. Around 100 workers, equivalent to a third of the refinery's contractors, took three days of strike action in April and May over a 2.5 per cent pay offer and a lack of sick pay. Strikes were also scheduled across five dates in June. Elsewhere, taxi drivers in Corby are threatening to strike over plans by North Northamptonshire Council to increase the maximum two-mile fair to 6.10, which the taxi drivers say will 'erode trust' among its client base. Advertisement

'While our focus is always on helping everyone travel around London whenever they want, the expected impact of the RMT's action means we have to advise people to only travel if necessary, as many stations may be closed.

'Alternatives to the Tube, including the bus and rail networks, are likely to be much busier than usual and we expect the severe disruption caused by this strike to continue into the morning of Tuesday June 7.

'No changes have been proposed to pensions and nobody has or will lose their job as a result of the proposals we have set out.

'Working with us to find a resolution is the best course of action, avoiding the disruption this strike will cause to Londoners and the economy.'

The RMT said that, under current proposals, 600 jobs will be lost, working agreements will be torn up and the looming threat to pensions remains in place.

General secretary Mick Lynch said: 'We are demanding a direct face to face meeting with mayor Sadiq Khan to sort this mess out.

'There's no point in our union continuing to sit opposite management representatives who have neither the inclination nor the authority to negotiate a settlement, when the power lies with the mayor.'

Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce said: 'We are extremely disappointed that the RMT has called for a mass walkout by TfL workers in such close proximity to the Queen's Jubilee Weekend when London will be full of visitors.

'The last two years hit London disproportionately hard and the capital is desperately trying to claw back some sense of normality after a tumultuous two years.

'This strike now puts TfL in a position of having to recommend that Londoners work from home.

'Ultimately, this will only harm London's economy and it is time for TfL to sort out their dispute with the RMT so we can get back to building prosperity and showing the world that London is open business.'

RMT members on the Tube are also taking action short of a strike, meaning station staff might not work overtime, until Sunday July 10, which may result in short notice station closures.

John Leach from the RMT Union described the situation this morning as 'pretty dire', accusing TfL of being bankrupt and 'living from one bailout to another with the government', claiming that 'they run out of money on June 24.'

Speaking to Vanessa Feltz on the BBC London Breakfast show, he said: 'During the negotiations with the government, the mayor of London and his finance team are putting on the table the pension scheme, hundreds and hundreds of jobs, people's terms of conditions of employment.

'If you're a station worker at Victoria which is where I am at the moment, they are facing a potential reduction of just under 50 per cent of all the staff. The rosters, the shift work that they do here, would catastrophically become worse.

'It's bad enough anyway when you're a shift worker, their pensions are also being put in jeopardy. At the moment they're at a standard final salary pension scheme, that's all being put off to be reviewed but TfL are frontloading that review by saying they have to save 400m a year off the scheme.'

He added: 'The 600 station jobs they want to get rid of right now saves 25m a year, they've got to save 500m by next March  these figures are astronomical. We're not making them up, they are figures they've given us themselves.'

He called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to do a 'proper deal' with the government 'stand up for your staff.'

It comes after the RMT last month threatened to extend a wave of rail strikes this summer into next year - as British Airways staff, hospital cleaners, refuse collectors and lorry drivers are also set to walk out in the coming months.

Commuters wait to board a bus at Victoria Station in central London where strike action by 4,000 station staff has closed most stations

The disruption will last until 8am on Tuesday with commuters facing chaos on the return to work after the four-day Platinum Jubilee weekend

Warwick Avenue station pictured closed on Monday morning due to strike action

Traffic builds up on the A102 Blackwall Tunnel road approach during rush hour in Greenwich south east London

Queues form at a bus stop at Victoria Station in central London amid commuter chaos due to Tube strikes

Rain falls on fed-up commuters as they board a bus in central London on Monday

The usually packed Victoria station was boarded up on Monday morning due to the RMT strike

The RMT said that, under current proposals, 600 jobs will be lost, working agreements will be torn up and the looming threat to pensions remains in place

Workers browse on their phones as they wait in line to board buses outside Victoria station on Monday morning

A packed out bus pulls into Victoria station as long forms queue amid the RMT-led strike action on the Tube networks

Long snaking queues seen at a taxi rank outside Victoria station amid the commuter chaos on Monday morning

Commuters at Waterloo Station in London on Monday, as Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are taking industrial action in a dispute over jobs and pensions

Fed up passengers wait for buses in wet and grey conditions outside Victoria station on Monday morning

Why are the tube drivers striking and what do they want? The union fears that spending cuts will lead to hundreds of job losses and reductions in pensions and working conditions. However, TfL insists it hasn't proposed any changes to pensions or terms and conditions, and described the action as 'completely unnecessary'. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: 'Sadiq Khan should be standing up to Tory ministers who want to needlessly attack jobs, pensions and conditions of key transport workers. 'It is this political failure that has left Tube workers with no choice but to strike this week. 'Our members have been left paying the price for a turf war between City Hall and the government and they are not having it, as can be seen right across London today.' Drivers can earn 24,000 while on a 12-16 week training course, which can then rise to 30,000 after completing assessments. The salary for a newly qualified driver is around 49,000 but those with five years experience can pocket an extra 11,000 on top. In the financial year from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020, the annual wage of a full time driver was 56,496, the Sun reports. This is on top of other perks the drivers enjoy such as free travel around the capital for them and a partner. They can retire on a reduced pension at the age of 50 or a full pension at 60. Advertisement

It comes as Britons already having to contend with a cost-of-living crisis that has seen spiralling inflation soar to its highest level for 40 years, along with rising petrol prices and household bills.

But RMT leader Mick Lynch warned that the mass disruption could extend into into 2023 if the dispute over pay and proposed job losses is not resolved.

Asked if the walkouts could go ahead into the winter, he previously told TalkTV: 'If there's no settlement, then it will. All disputes have to end in a settlement and we are ready to negotiate that with those employers.

'The government's hand is behind this. The companies are delivering government policy and like every public sector worker they want to clamp down on pay.

'The reason they want do that is they want to restore profit, they want to boost dividends for the private operators and that is true right across the economy in my view.'

He added: 'We haven't got a prescribed timetable. What we will do is put some action on, if that is what is needed, and we'd invite the companies to negotiate with us.

'We don't want to go on strike and we don't want to disrupt the summer. What we want is a negotiated settlement.'

It comes amid fears of power blackouts, petrol shortages and empty shelves if strike action goes ahead.

At least four in five services could be cancelled after RMT voted overwhelmingly in support for summer walkouts on May 24.

Freight trains supplying critical power plants could be severely disrupted, hitting electricity feeds to millions of homes.

The TSSA union is also involved in the dispute. Its boss, Manuel Cortes, warned in late May of a 'summer of discontent' that could be the biggest walkout since the 1926 General Strike.

But it is not only the railways that are set to be massively disrupted by strikes in the coming months.

Holidaymakers travelling through Heathrow this summer will have to prepare for delays and slower service, as the GMB Union is balloting for strikes to take place at the airport.

A number of British Airways ground staff and check-in desk workers have voted in favour of a strike that could cause chaos for travellers.

The workers are demanding that a ten per cent cut  imposed during the pandemic  is reinstated in their pay packets.

Pictured, a sign at Paddington Station in London during a RMT union strike in March this year

Dates for the strike action are yet to be confirmed, but the GMB union has confirmed that it will 'take place during the summer holiday period'.

Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, previously said: 'These workers are claiming back what they had robbed from them due to BA's callous fire and rehire during the pandemic.

'BA forced our members into pay cuts during the pandemic, when they had little workplace power to fight back.

'Now our members are back at work and staff shortages are hammering the company - it is their time to claim back what is theirs.'

Meanwhile, Unite union has said pay strikes at Exxon's Fawley refinery, near Southampton, will escalate in June - risking petrol supply disruption at a sixth of the UK's petrol stations.

Around 100 workers, equivalent to a third of the refinery's contractors, took three days of strike action in April and May over a 2.5 per cent pay offer and a lack of sick pay.

But new strikes have now been scheduled for across five dates in June.

The same union has also confirmed that HGV drivers it represents are set to stop delivering goods to almost 500 Co-ops across the country in a bid to secure better pay.

Around 330 workers employed by GXO, the logistics giant, vowed to take 40 days of strike action between May and August - meaning in-store shortages are almost certain.

Refuse collectors represented by GMB also threatened strike action that could cause major issues for the Isle of Wight Festival this month.

The ballot saw members vote for action, which they said could begin on the island as early as June 13, with the festival scheduled to take place over the following weekend.

The workers are in dispute with their employer Amey over pay.

It comes after Inflation has already soared to its highest level for 40 years, at 9 per cent in April, due to eye-watering increases in energy tariffs, and is forecast to reach double-figures by the end of the year before falling back.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said government borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, stood at 18.6billion in April  lower than forecast and down by 5.6billion from a year ago.

Interest payments are also expected to soar, due to rocketing levels of the Retail Prices Index measure of inflation used on Government debt payments, with June data set to show the full scale of the recent jump in inflation.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak previously insisted that 'countries around the world are dealing with rising inflation', and that he 'stands ready' to offer further support to Britons - while stressing that he cannot 'protect people completely' from pain.

Disruption to the freight supply chain could lead to empty shelves in supermarkets in the UK

But experts warned that 'this is what Stagflation looks like', as the UK economy stalls and teeters towards recession after the pandemic and Ukraine war caused chaos.

Grant Shapps has previously said that the Government may bring in new laws to make strikes illegal unless a certain number of staff remain working to keep the UK's railways running and London's Underground network operational.

Mr Shapps said that Britain's railways are already on 'financial life support' after two years of lockdowns and an ongoing battle to get people back into the office.

He said that militant union leaders must 'wake up and smell the coffee'.

Bu Mr Lynch responded: 'TfL is trying to bulldoze through 600 job losses on London Underground and our members are not prepared to accept that.

'Station staff play a crucial role in serving the travelling public and were heroes during the 7/7 terrorist attacks.

'Instead of seeking to cut jobs, TfL and Mayor Sadiq Khan need to put further pressure on the government to secure increased funding for the network so we can have a properly staffed modern 21st century tube.'

'Fat cat' union bosses grinding London to a halt: RMT chiefs pocketing six-figure pay and benefits packages are behind 24-Tube strike causing misery for commuters

The militant RMT union barons causing chaos for London commuters with a 24-hour strike include a Putin apologist and a Marxist who previously echoed Kremlin propaganda by describing Ukraine as being 'held to ransom by neo-Nazis'.

Completing the 'Lynch mob' is union leader Mick Lynch, who once sighed 'All I want from life is a bit of socialism' - and now collects a salary of 84,174.

Lynch - who claims up to 600 jobs up and the pension scheme are under threat from a cash-strapped Transport for London - today 'congratulated' union members and warned that they 'will not rest' until a 'just' agreement is reached.

General Secretary Mick Lynch - who once sighed 'All I want from life is a bit of socialism' - collects a 84,174 salary

In March, Lynch organised the worst Tube strikes in five years - with two days of walkouts against changes to jobs, pensions and working conditions.

Lynch was once considered a centrist compared with former general secretary Bob Crow  but, after taking charge, he said: 'The unions have got to make a militant stand - and use the strike weapon wherever it's appropriate'.

He left school at 16 and trained as an electrician but was blacklisted due to union activity, so joined the railways.

Another high-ranking member of the RMT union is its senior assistant general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, a Putin apologist. He is on a package worth 108,549, consisting of a 78,282 gross salary, Employers' NI contributions of 9,978 and pension contributions of 20,289.

Dempsey shared glowing praise for Luhansk rebel Aleksey Mozgovoy in an obituary following his death in 2015, and even visited the Donbas region of Ukraine seven years ago, where he posed for a picture with the pro-Russian separatist commander.

Writing in far-right Russia Insider, Dempsey lavished praise on the 'charismatic' Mozgovoy, described the violent Luhansk separatists as communist 'volunteers', and brandished the West's efforts to broker peace in the region as a 'US-orchestrated coup'.

Labour MP Chris Bryant urged Dempsey to apologise after his links with Mozgovoy emerged earlier this year.

RMT official Eddie Dempsey visiting Alexander Mozgovoy, a nationalist, misogynistic paramilitary leader in the pro-Russian militias during the war in eastern Ukraine

Dempsey addresses members of the United Voices of the World trade union outside the High Court in February

Dempsey was also among the signatories of a Stop the War coalition statement last week that criticised NATO's 'disdain for Russian concerns'.

The statement caused a huge split within the Labour Party after 11 of its MPs backed it, before withdrawing their support after an intervention from Sir Keir Starmer.

Left-wing parliamentarians who backed the statement were reportedly threatened with losing the whip, with one Labour frontbencher slamming the Stop the War Coalition as 'Putin apologists', the Telegraph reported.

Another RMT fat cat who has been criticised for his comments over Ukraine is its president, Alex Gordon, a longstanding Marxist who has previously echoed the Kremlin's propaganda by branding the country 'a failed state held to ransom by neo-Nazis'.

His pay and benefits package is not known.

Following Moscow's invasion of Crimea, the militant former train driver protested outside Ukraine's embassy in London in 2015 while wearing the black and orange Ribbon of St George, a symbol of Russian military valour.

Gordon presides over the RMT's ruling national executive committee. But he is also a major figure in the Communist Party of Britain, sitting on both its executive and political committees.

Another RMT fat cat who has been criticised for his comments over Ukraine include its president, Alex Gordon, a longstanding Marxist who has previously echoed the Kremlin's propaganda by branding the country 'a failed state held to ransom by neo-Nazis'

The 55-year-old is also chairman of the Marx Memorial Library in North London, where Communist dictator Vladimir Lenin worked during his exile from Russia.

The RMT has previously said: 'The union has a clear policy of opposing the war in Ukraine and has called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.'

On the issue of bosses' pay, the RMT said: 'The pay and benefits of RMT officials are decided on through our democratic structures and are ratified at the union's Annual General Meeting in a wholly open and transparent process that every member has a right to comment on.

'The employers National Insurance contributions should not be confused with earnings and the pension contributions are defined by the union's pension scheme which all staff members belong to.'
Many Australians whose holidays abroad had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic are still desperately trying to get refunds years later.

Bookings made through Helloworld Plenty Valley, a franchisee of a large travel chain, have not been refunded after it collapsed on June 30, 2021.

A liquidator's report into the franchises owner, ShayenGlobal Pty Ltd, found it may have been trading while insolvent since June 30, 2019, before the pandemic.

It went out of business with $1.2 million debt, including $635,468 in refunds owed to customers.

Vicky Bouronikos booked a six-week trip for four people to Greece - $24,082 worth of flights and accommodation - through Helloworld Plenty Valley in suburban Melbourne.

Vicky Bouronikos booked a six-week trip for four people to Greece - $24,082 worth of flights and accommodation - but had to cancel it due to the Covid pandemic

The travel ban preventing Australians going abroad meant the trip was cancelled and the agency said it would get refunds from the airline and hotels booked in Greece.

But she still has not been paid.

Ms Bouronikos said her ex-husband, who booked and paid for their daughter's flight directly with an airline, did get a refund.

Email correspondence from the hotels in Greece said they either were not paid in the first place, or refunded the travel agent long before Ms Bouronikos asked about it, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

'I'm annoyed because I normally do it myself and [this time] I didn't and this happened,' she said.

Ms Bouronikos said because Helloworld was a big company, she trusted it.

Sydney man Hamish Bowman booked $37,250 worth of flights through Member Benefits Australia not realising the booking was held by a Helloworld franchise in Melbourne.

He said he would not have booked it if he had known that was the case.

Mr Bowman booked a trip to France with his elderly father and other relatives, which had to be cancelled due to Covid restrictions.

Helloworld Plenty Valley went out of business with $1.2million debt, including $635,468 in refunds owed to customers

His dad is now 86 and not able to get around easily, so the trip as previously planned can't happen.

He said Qantas told him it never got the money from Helloworld Plenty Valley.

When he realised there was a serious problem with the refund and tried to cancel the credit card payment, it was too late.

Mr Bowman's travel insurance only covered the insolvency of a travel provider such as an airline, not a travel agent.

Helloworld Plenty Valley, based in suburban Melbourne, was a franchisee of Helloworld before going out of business

A lawyer for Member Benefits Australia (MBA) contacted him after questions were asked by Nine newspapers.

Mr Bowman was offered a full refund so long as the family signed an agreement not to disparage or criticise the company, or to mention MBA in the Nine article.

He said he wanted the story to run despite the offer.

'I think there are many organisations that don't respect consumers and only respond when they see risk for themselves,' Mr Bowman said.

Australian Federation of Travel Agents chief executive Dean Long said the impact of the Covid international travel ban meant about a third of the country's travel agencies considered closing, and most did so in an appropriate way.
It's the buzzword of the month as fuel bills soar - but is the government pulling the fabled 'gas trigger' the key to keeping prices in check?

Unfortunately not, because, in spite of sounding like an instant call to action, in practice it's a slow motion response to an immediate crisis - and will probably kick in too late to help hard-up consumers facing fuel bills doubling in price next month.

The gas trigger's official name is the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism - and the name is almost as long and drawn out as the process itself.

At best, pulling the trigger now won't actually release more gas into the network before January 1, 2023.

'The ADGSM is useless for dealing with this situation,' Australian Institute gas expert Mike Ogge admitted.

The gas trigger's official name is the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism - and the name is almost as long and drawn out as the process itself

In reality, it means starting a long series of consultations between government officials and the gas industry to determine the direction of the gas market.

Both sides have to be convinced there would be a shortfall of gas for consumers across the country during the course of a full calendar year.

And only after a series of bureaucratic hoops and jumps would more gas be released into the system under the mechanism - and the valves won't open until 2023.

The mechanism was brought in by the Coalition government in 2017 and was intended to safeguard Australia's supplies.

The immediate crisis created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine combined with other factors has exposed the shortfalls of the so-called trigger.

But Mr Ogge said the process undermined its effectiveness and it could be derailed by token gestures from gas providers.

'It's incapable of dealing with this crisis,' he said. 'It needs to be changed.'

Even if Anthony Albanese pulls the trigger now, it won't actually release more gas into the network before January 1, 2023

Nationals leader David Littleproud also admitted the trigger would not help in the short term.

'I dont think its going to have any impact if it cant come into effect until January 1 - thats a long way off,' he said.

'Thats a long winter for many people in eastern Australia who will shiver.'

He blamed the newly-elected Labor government for 'not lifting the phone' to gas companies to secure extra supplies in the meantime, which was denied by newly appointed resources minister Madeleine King.

But the fuel industry insists gas is saving the nation at the moment and should not be blamed for the price increases.

'Gas price rises are not being driven by gas exports or shortfalls,' Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association acting chief executive Damian Dwyer said.

'Coal prices have skyrocketed and there have been outages at a number of coal-fired power stations  increasing electricity prices and increasing demand for gas to fuel gas-fired power generators that were suddenly called into operation.

'Gas is keeping the lights on through international shocks, lower renewables power generation and higher coal prices.

'Domestic supply is secure and at near record levels. There is enough gas for domestic customers.'

But Mr Ogge insisted: 'That is just completely untrue. No-one but the gas industry would claim the gas exports are not putting the price up.

The fuel industry insists gas is saving the nation at the moment and should not be blamed for the price increases

'We've tripled the amount of gas we produce, but we're exporting it so if you're wanting to buy more gas for consumers on Australia's east coast, you're effectively competing against the export price.

"Because Ukraine has sent the price of gas soaring internationally, producers can say to domestic users, "I could sell it to you at a fair price - or I can sell it to Japan at the current market price."'

Anthony Albanese's government said on Monday it was open to subsidising rising fuel bills with big cash payments to cover costs which could double next month.

But Mr Ogge said the government should take two courses of action and re-write the complex Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism to make it swifter and more effective.

But he also recommended a windfall tax on the gas giants reaping huge unexpected profits from the global crisis.

'We can raise billions of dollars and we can distribute it amongst people who who have been impacted by the price rises,' he said.

'It's it's the only fair way to do it, because it won't increase the budget deficit this way - whereas a government grant to consumers will.

'Instead of it being put on your gas bill, you're just going to be paying it through your tax.

'Whereas it should be the companies who are causing this and making windfall profits out of it which should be compensating people.'
Intel Finally Showed Off An Arc GPU In The Flesh (Or Silicon, Rather)

It's easy to understand why some people might as well have given up on seeing an Intel Arc GPU, because Team Blue has been teasing for so long with basically nothing to show for. That is, until today.

After what seemed to be forever, an actual, official Intel Arc graphics card has finally been seen in the wild - albeit as a static display - shown off at the chipmaking giant's Intel Extreme Masters 2022 ESports tournament in Dallas. According to a report by PCGamer, a Twitter user by the name of @theBryceIsRt snapped some photos of the card and shared it online.

Here is the tweet containing the images:

Intel @ @IEM

Look at what made an appearance! 

Come by the ARC booth and check it out in action pic.twitter.com/vrscP08rHG  Bryce_GfxDriverGuru (@theBryceIsRt) June 3, 2022

Another Twitter user, @RepsUp100, posted a video of the static display GPU:

What you can see there is what looks to be Intel's own version of a reference GPU design, much like NVIDIA's Founder's Edition GeForce cards. The Arc graphics card itself features a very subdued design that's uncharacteristic of AMD's or NVIDIA's recent releases, which may indicate what Intel wants to do aesthetics -wise. A card with this kind of design will basically fit into almost any themed build.

It's a bit weird how it's displayed, though. The card was propped up on its I/O, which means you couldn't see what kind of ports it has. So we're not sure whether it has the right modern standards like an HDMI 2.1 port, or a series of DisplayPort 1.4a ports. But what looks clear is that the card has an obvious 8+6 pin power config, which could mean that it draws around 300W of power, writes WCCFTech.

With a TDP of 300W, this puts what looks to be the flagship Intel Arc GPU in the same tier as the NVIDIA RTX 3070 and the AMD RX 6800 non-XT. It could be safe to say that one can expect 3070/6800-like levels of performance from the Alchemist card, but that won't be confirmed until the desktop lineup finally launches.

Read also: Graphics Card Specs 101: The Most Important Ones EXPLAINED

What Gaming Tech Will The Desktop Intel Arc GPU Line Bring?

There's really not a lot of information other than what's been revealed back in March (Team Blue's Arc mobile launch). But here are the gaming technologies that Intel revealed with that line of laptop GPUs, which could very well be included in the desktop lineup as well.

One of these technologies is Deep Link, which promises to improve performance "while gaming and creating" with Dynamic Power Share. According to Intel, this technology "provides automatic and dynamic redistribution of power between the CPU and GPU to boost performance depending on usage."

Here's a presentation detailing Deep Link, wherein Team Blue also mentioned Stream Assist tech to help make streaming far better on Arc graphics cards:

Aside from those two, Intel also promises to bring their own NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR competitor: XeSS. The company's supersampling tech was demonstrated in the upcoming action RPG Dolmen, and the results look quite promising with a native 1080p image upscaled to 4K using XeSS:

Looks like NVIDIA and AMD will have to step their games up.

Related: Intel CPU Names Explained: What Is i5, i7, Xeon, ETC...

Story posted on GameNGuide

Written by RJ Pierce
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EasyJet passengers could be stranded abroad for up to a week due to the lack of seats left on flights back to the UK - or they face forking out hundreds of pounds for tickets with different airlines.

There are just six seats left on easyJet flights from Faro in Portugal to Gatwick over the next five days, according to a search of the airline's website at just after midday today. There are none to Luton, two to Southend, and five to Manchester.

Meanwhile, the next direct flight from Faro to London is tomorrow with British Airways and costs 621, according to Skyscanner.

British tourist Charlotte Amers, who had her flight from Faro to Manchester cancelled, tweeted: 'No one to speak to, being cut off on the phone. How are we and the rest of the passengers getting home?? No flights to the UK available this week.'

With 2,864 departures from the UK today and the same number of inbound flights following the four-day bank holiday weekend and half-term holidays, it will be the busiest day for air travel since before the pandemic.

And further queues were seen this morning at airports including Stansted, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh after 15,000 people were hit yesterday by last-minute changes. Experts say it will take three days to clear the backlog.

Teachers are among those set to miss the return to work after airlines cancelled hundreds of flights.

Those stranded abroad were having to come up with ingenious ways to get home - with one couple driving 850 miles from Berlin to Staffordshire after their easyJet flight to Luton was cancelled, and two teachers travelling for 12 hours on three buses to Split in Croatia after their easyJet plane from Montenegro to Gatwick was axed.

Live data from FlightRadar24 today showed there had been 24 cancellations at Gatwick including ten departures and 14 arrivals; a further 14 at Luton including eight departures and six arrivals; and a total of four at Heathrow. When split by airline, there had been 20 easyJet cancellations, 12 Wizz Air and five on British Airways.

BA said three of today's cancellations listed at Gatwick and one at Heathrow had been announced previously, and its only cancellation today was a departure to Miami which was due to a technical issue. A total of more than 100 BA flights were axed from Heathrow today, but these cancellations were all made a few months ago.

Today, Downing Street said ministers and officials had been meeting with aviation industry leaders and Border Force to increase 'resilience for the sector throughout the summer' to avert further travel chaos.

But the Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was ultimately down to the aviation industry to address staff shortages.

'We fully understand that the aviation industry - like many others - has faced significant challenges during the pandemic,' the spokesman said. 'But ultimately they are responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.'

Meanwhile Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has refused to help short-staffed airlines by relaxing visa rules to ease the travel chaos, and also ruled out sending in the Army to ease queues at Britain's struggling airports.

BRISTOL AIRPORT: Holidaymakers and commuters flying from Bristol once again endure lengthy queues this morning

STANSTED AIRPORT: A passenger waiting at London Stansted this morning said the flight queues there are 'like no other'

NAPLES AIRPORT: A queue for Tui and Jet2 flights at Naples Airport in Italy today, made up mostly of UK and Irish passengers

Thousands of families returning from half-term getaways and bank holiday breaks have been left stranded abroad while others were hit by further delays, with more flights cancelled today by airlines such as easyJet and Wizz Air.

Planes heading for Luton were diverted hundreds of miles away because of a power cut yesterday, and there was also trouble on the trains - with Eurostar passengers left waiting up to eight hours for their trains because of power failure on the line near Paris; while London's Euston station had to be evacuated after a fire alarm went off.

Meanwhile, some passengers have been left stranded and supplied with helpline numbers they say do not work when Wizz Air cancelled a flight to Sicily from Gatwick Airport this morning.

Rosie, 28, who wanted to be known by just her first name, had travelled to Gatwick from Bognor Regis with her husband and two young children, who are two and 18 months old, and were booked on a Wizz Air flight to Catania, where her husband's family live.

She said: 'His family haven't met our two children yet - because of Covid we haven't been able to get out there, and I've been pregnant so haven't been able to go. We wanted them to go and meet his family.

'The whole time we were told our flight was running on time, we then got told our flight was delayed by an hour. We then came to the gate, we all got ushered into the gate group to be told the flight was cancelled and that we need to come here and we'd be supplied with a hotel room and a substitute flight.

'There has been no communication, we're only getting told now by Wizz Air that our flight's been cancelled, and it was already meant to be up in the air.'

The couple have tried on previous occasions to travel to Sicily with other airlines, including easyJet, and had those flights cancelled too.

Couple whose easyJet flight from Berlin to Luton was cancelled drove through the night after borrowing relative's car A couple whose easyJet flight from Berlin to London Luton last night was cancelled decided to borrow a relative's German car and drive 850 miles through the night to get to work by lunchtime today. Clare, 49, and Christian Engelke, 56, were told in a text message yesterday lunchtime that their 10.55pm flight had been cancelled, and there were no alternative flights available until Wednesday. Clare and Christian Engelke, pictured on holiday in Berlin The couple, who are from the Staffordshire village of Codsall, spent the next few hours unsuccessful trying to find alternative flights or train journeys. They gave up at 4pm and their friends said they could drive them three hours from Berlin to Saltzgitter, where they picked up another car from relatives. The Engelkes then drove through the night across the continent to the Eurotunnel in Calais so they could get back home for work today. They said they had to spend 180 on fuel and 178 on the Eurotunnel, and also then had to pick up their car at Luton today after paying 10 to extend the parking. In addition, the couple now have a German car in England that they will have to take back. Mrs Engelke told MailOnline today: 'The staggering thing we learnt was how few flights are available between the capital city of Germany and the UK. 'We are lucky we have mobile phones and used our initiative to call on lovely friends who we met in Berlin - seeing them for the first time in three years due to the pandemic - and family in Germany who have lent us a car to get us home. We now have a German car in England that we have to take back eventually.' She added at 9am that they were 'making good progress now on the M1 so hope to be sitting at our desks by lunchtime'. Advertisement

She added: 'There's zero communication, we've got small children and there's people here who don't speak English, there's no help.'

Security rushed over to the group of stranded passengers who had gathered near the Wizz Air check-in area after one man became agitated and started yelling at staff in Italian, asking for someone to help.

Emma and Kevin Wood, both 51 from Hampshire, had also planned to fly to Sicily with the airline on Monday morning.

Mr Wood said that there had been 'no help at all' from the airline, with Mrs Wood adding: 'They just said basically said try and rebook it online or on their website.'

Mr Wood said: 'They've been saying there's been issues (with flights) but we were hoping since the holiday weekend was finished that things perhaps have calmed down a bit, but clearly not.'

The couple were given a number to call for further support, which they said 'didn't seem to work'.

Today's chaos capped off a nightmare week for British holidaymakers that saw understaffed airlines cancel hundreds of flights at the last minute, leading to police having to deal with the angry scenes in overcrowded departure lounges.

But the Government is resisting calls to step in and help the aviation industry, which has been accused of laying off too many staff during the pandemic then selling too many seats when Covid travel restrictions were lifted.

Among those stranded abroad are 'Kelly' from Lincoln and her husband, who are both teachers. They are at Dubrovnik bus station, having travelled there from Montenegro after their easyJet flight to Gatwick was cancelled.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'We've obviously had lots of disruption, but today we're on our way to the bus station for our third bus journey. We're off to Split to hopefully catch our plane tomorrow.

'We've just been very disappointed in easyJet because they took eight hours to find our accommodation for us, so we were sat in a bus station last night for four hours and left at 8.30pm, so just feel that they've not really helped us to find our onward journey. We've had to do it all ourselves.

'We found out (that the flight had been cancelled yesterday) at 8am. I just looked on the app and it said 'cancelled'. So I just started phoning at 8am and they told us that we could have a flight on Thursday, but obviously we're teachers so we're very keen to get back to school so there's less disruption for the children and the teachers that are going to have to cover us.'

She said they would have taken a total of three bus journeys lasting 12 hours and were having to travel to Bristol Airport instead of Gatwick, so would then have to travel onto Gatwick before heading home to Lincoln.

Meanwhile Matt Wheeler, 37, a train driver from Nottingham, said he and his partner had to make emergency childcare arrangements after finding out their easyJet flight home from Amsterdam had been cancelled this morning.

'It's a farce... didn't know about the cancellation until we arrived at the airport at 3.30am, no easyJet staff or any staff that could help us,' Mr Wheeler said.

'We now have to try and arrange family members to pick our kids up from school/childminders this afternoon and then have them overnight and take them to school tomorrow.

'They'll have to take time off work (and) we will now miss a day's work tomorrow as we won't be home.'

Mr Shapps was asked yesterday if he would temporarily relax post-Brexit rules to allow more foreign workers in to the country, as happened last year when a shortage of lorry drivers left supermarket shelves and petrol pumps empty.

He told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme yesterday: 'The answer can't always be to reach for the lever marked 'more immigration'. There is not some pull that is going to relieve this.'

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Air passengers continue to face long queues at Manchester Airport today amid the disruption

EDINBURGH AIRPORT: Passengers wait outside Edinburgh Airport this morning as the airport disruption continues

BRISTOL AIRPORT: Long waits at check-in desks at Bristol Airport again this morning as the disruption continues

Lots of British travellers are complaining of difficulties returning from Portugal. Pictured is a beach in the Algarve

The Transport Secretary said the 2016 Brexit referendum result meant and end to hiring 'cheap labour from somewhere else'.

'I didn't vote for Brexit but the country did and we've made our choice - we want a high-wage, high-skilled economy,' he said. 'That means the aviation sector, like all other sectors, and as the HGV, the lorry driving sector has now done, needs to change.'

Mr Shapps also rejected calls for the Army to be drafted in. 'The Army is not a snap solution to every problem. Secondly they are being deployed in increasing numbers to eastern Europe, to the Baltics, in what is a war situation and that's what the Army are principally there for,' he said.

'The airports and airlines will need to sort out this problem. The Government will give them every support, but I don't anticipate that will include calling in the Army.'

Couple in 80s have two flights cancelled at different airports in consecutive days leaving 4,000 holiday in ruins An elderly couple have given up going on their 4,000 diamond wedding anniversary holiday after two flights were cancelled at different airports in consecutive days. Mike and Gill Garlick, who are both 81, were originally due to fly with easyJet from Bristol Airport to Olbia in Sardinia on Saturday on an 10.35am service. The couple told MailOnline they got a taxi from their home in Malvern, Worcestershire, at 4.30am costing 130 ad were called to the departure gate at 11.30am, before being told at 12.45am that the flight was axed. Mike and Gill Garlick, who are both 81, and from Worcestershire Mr Garlick said they had 'absolutely no help from easyJet' and it was 'useless trying to contact them as they were obviously inundated with disgruntled passengers'. The couple rearranged via their travel company Citalia for the next available flight, which was the following day from London Gatwick at 7.05am. They caught a bus from the airport to No advice from anyone, so caught a bus from airport to Bristol Temple Meads railway station, then a train to London Paddington. While on the train they booked a Premier Inn hotel at Crawley, and arrived at Paddington with 30kg of luggage at 6.40pm and 'were just too exhausted to continue with yet more rail travel', which would have been two more rail journeys plus a taxi. They therefore spent 150 on a taxi to the hotel in Crawley. The couple then got a taxi on Sunday at 4.15am to Gatwick, and queued for 45 minutes at bag drop. But when they presented their boarding card to the machine it said their flight had been cancelled. They then decided they had no choice but to head home by train. Advertisement

He said he would work with the industry to prevent summer holidays from being ruined, and also to ensure that air passengers who do lose out are given automatic compensation as rail travellers are.

'It can't be acceptable that it is so complicated sometimes to get a flight rearranged or to get your money back,' Mr Shapps said.

'I want it to be more like Delay Repay works on trains, where it is an automated process.'

Among those calling for visa rules to be relaxed was London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

He told the BBC: 'What you can do very easily is make sure those who were in those jobs before, who have gone back to their country of origin, from the EU, are encouraged to come back.

'Because what we don't want is a spring misery turned into a summer misery.

'Many families who have saved, who have paid for a holiday and are looking forward to a holiday are going to be let down.'

Commenting on the disruption to flights, an easyJet spokesman said today: 'EasyJet is operating over 1,700 flights today carrying almost 300,000 customers.

'Unfortunately, due to the ongoing challenging operating environment around 37 flights have been cancelled today ahead of customers arriving at the airport.

'We are very sorry and fully understand the disruption this will have caused for our customers.

'Customers are being provided with options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required, along with information on how to arrange this quickly online or via the app.

'Our customer service hours and hotel accommodation sourcing have been extended to support impacted customers and help get them to their destination as soon as possible.

'Once again, we are very sorry to customers impacted by the cancellations today.'

A British Airways spokesman told MailOnline today: 'It's been a challenging period for the entire industry and at British Airways we're completely focused on three priorities: our customers, supporting the biggest recruitment drive in our history and increasing our operational resilience.

'We took action to reduce our schedule to help provide certainty for our customers and are giving them maximum flexibility to either rebook with us or another airline as close to their original departure time as possible, or to receive a full refund.'

And a statement from Wizz Air said:

'We are so sorry that too many of our passengers are being subjected to current delays and, in some cases, cancellations. Across the travel industry Wizz Air and every airline is doing as much as we all can to help as many passengers as possible reach their destinations in time and with minimal delay. However, amongst other issues causing operational instability throughout the travel industry, there is a widespread shortage in staff, in particular within air traffic control, ground operations and baggage handling, security and across airports.

Wizz Air has increased direct communications with all our customers through text, email and phone calls to ensure - as much as possible  that they are best informed of any changes in our services. Booking directly on wizzair.com or the Wizz app - as opposed to other online booking platforms - remains the best way to ensure we reach our customers more quickly.

'Our sincere apologies to those customers whose travel plans have been affected as we do understand how disappointed they are, particularly when so many people want and deserve to travel the world again.

'We are trying everything we can to offer them a range of options so that they can travel including alternative flights with Wizz Air, a full refund or 120 per cent in airline credit - both of which we aim to process within a week.'

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Air passengers continue to face long queues at Manchester Airport today amid the disruption

BRISTOL AIRPORT: People sleep on chairs at Bristol Airport again this morning as the airline disruption continues

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Passengers wait in line at Manchester Airport this morning as the airport disruption continues

It came after easyJet said it had cancelled 80 flights yesterday 'due to the ongoing challenging operating environment'.

Holiday to Sicily is off after easyJet flight is cancelled with no more available for three days A couple's week-long holiday to Sicily was cancelled after they were their easyJet flight was cancelled and there were no more available for the next three days. Ceri Jones, 64, and his wife Caroline, 58, had a 7.10am flight from Gatwick to Fontanarossa yesterday, and left home at 3am before arriving at the airport at 4am. They joined the queue to drop their bags, when they got an email from easyJet to say the flight had been cancelled. Ceri Jones and his wife Caroline's holiday to Sicily was ruined Mr Jones, who is from Reading, told MailOnline today: 'We joined queue to talk to the easyJet service desk only to be told service desk is not manned anymore since Covid and everything must be done via phone. 'In our cancellation email we had a link the manage our flight, tried to get on that and failed - too much traffic I guess. Eventually did get on the site and given option to swap flights but no alternative flights available to Scilly for three days. With a seven-day holiday, it is no use at all. With no one to deal with our issues we had no choice but to leave airport for home.' The couple booked the holiday with Tui and were unable to get through to them on the phone. They eventually learned from the Tui app that they should get an email with information on what to do next, but this has not arrived 24 hours later. Mr Jones said: 'Appalling service, bad communications and no justification for not informing us prior to leaving for the airport about the cancellation. 'We are lucky we had no young children, extremely excited about their first foreign holiday to be told they were not going. There were plenty of parents facing this challenge at the airport.' Advertisement

Gatwick was badly hit with more than 40 incoming flights cancelled from BA and Wizz Air as well as easyJet.

And thousands of passengers due to head home to Luton were left stranded overseas or diverted after a power cut early in the morning.

A spokesman for Luton Airport said: 'Following a power failure in the area this morning, a temporary loss of navigational aids at the airport resulted in some disruption to flights.'

A similar problem with the overhead power supply near Paris halted Eurostar services for much of the day, with the cross-Channel rail operator 'strongly urging' passengers to postpone their journeys as early trains were delayed and later ones cancelled.

On social media, travellers stuck in France told how they had been left waiting at the Gare du Nord in Paris for as long as eight hours.

While some were eventually allowed to board delayed trains, others whose trains were cancelled were told they may not be able to get replacement services until tomorrow.

Some 225 departures from UK airports were cancelled between Monday and Friday last week, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

That compares with 24 during the corresponding half-term week last year.

Travel consultancy The PC Agency estimated that at least 15,000 passengers were affected by 'last-minute changes' to flights on Sunday.

Chief executive Paul Charles said this caused 'major knock-on effects' and 'it will take three days to clear the backlog'.

UK airline passengers have been hit by disruption for several months due to a lack of staff after letting thousands of people go during the coronavirus pandemic.

Airlines, airports and ground handling companies repeatedly called for sector-specific financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government travel restrictions suppressed demand.

They are now struggling to recruit new staff and have their security checks processed.

Lisa Webb, a law expert at consumer rights group Which?, said airlines needed to 'follow the rules when flights are disrupted' following a 'hellish week' for travellers.

'The shameful scenes at UK airports this half-term are the result of an industry in which some airlines feel they can get away with ignoring consumer rights and acting with near impunity,' she said.

'It is clear that passenger rights need to be strengthened, so the Government must drop plans to cut compensation for delayed and cancelled flights and the Civil Aviation Authority must be given the power to issue direct fines so it can hold airlines to account when they flout the law.'

Meanwhile commuters in London faced 'chaos' this morning as an Underground strike caused major disruption.

BRISTOL AIRPORT: A passengers sleeps on a bench at Bristol Airport this morning as the airline disruption continues

There was severe disruption across the network on the first working day after the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period as 4,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union who work at Tube stations conducted a 24-hour walkout.

The strike is part of a dispute over jobs and pensions. A reduced timetable was operating on some London Underground sections, with services suspended elsewhere.

Many stations, especially those in central and south London, were closed, causing long queues for buses. London Underground advised people not to travel.

Transport for London said no plans have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody will lose their jobs because of the proposals it has set out.

As part of previous funding agreements, the Government has required TfL to work towards achieving financial sustainability on its operations by April 2023.

TfL has proposed not recruiting into around 500 to 600 posts as they become vacant.

The RMT said that, under current proposals, working agreements will be torn up and the looming threat to pensions remains in place.

RMT members on the Tube are also taking action short of a strike, meaning station staff might not work overtime, until Sunday July 10, which may result in short notice station closures.

** Are you stuck abroad or struggling to fly out of Britain? Please email: tips@dailymail.com**
ANZ has announced that it will provide six weeks of paid gender affirmation leave for transgender and gender-diverse employees.

The major bank's gender affirmation leave has been introduced to support workers as they undergo 'any aspect' of gender affirmation, whether it's social, medical or legal.

Besides the six weeks of paid leave, it will also encompass twelve weeks of unpaid leave and will be added on to the normal leave entitlements granted to workers.

ANZ is the latest Australian company and the second of the four major banks to allocate paid gender affirmation leave for staff after Westpac introduced four weeks of paid leave for trans and gender-diverse employees back in 2019.

ANZ has announced that it will provide six weeks of paid gender affirmation leave for transgender and gender-diverse employees. (Pictured: ANZ headquarters)

The major bank's gender affirmation leave has been introduced to support workers as they undergo 'any aspect' of gender affirmation whether it's social, medical or legal

The news of ANZ's gender affirmation leave was announced on Monday in a media statement from the major bank.

ANZ's Diversity and Inclusion Lead, Fiona MacDonald, said: 'This is another example of ANZ's ongoing commitment to the LGBTIQ+ community and creating an inclusive culture where our people feel a sense of belonging and comfortable to be their authentic selves.'

'The six weeks of paid leave means people who are affirming their gender do not need to exhaust their annual or sick leave entitlements, while also easing some of the financial pressures.

'This is especially important as research shows that trans and gender diverse people are more likely to experience lower incomes and employment rates,' she added.

The bank then broke down the different ways an individual can 'affirm their gender' through either social, legal or medical means.

They described social affirmation as changing pronouns, changing your name or 'adopting the dress and style of presentation that better aligns with their gender identity and expression'.

Medical affirmation includes gender transition surgery, hormone therapy, recovery from procedures or medical appointments to discuss surgery or therapy.

Finally, legal affirmation involves legally changing your name or altering your name and gender on your ID and personal documents.

The gender affirmation leave from ANZ provides six weeks of paid leave, twelve weeks of unpaid leave and will be added on to the normal leave entitlements granted to workers

ANZ is the second of the four major banks to allocate gender affirmation leave for staff after Westpac introduced four weeks of paid leave for trans and gender-diverse workers in 2019

The move has been welcomed by trans rights groups. Others were not so pleased, believing it gives special treatment to trans and gender-diverse workers over others

The move has been welcomed by trans rights groups, with LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Australia, telling The Daily Telegraph that ANZ should be 'commended'.

Others were not so pleased, believing the leave entitlement gives special treatment to trans and gender-diverse workers over others.

Stassja Frei, a spokesperson for the Coalition for Biological Reality, told the publication that ANZ's gender affirmation leave is 'incredibly irresponsible' and 'not equality'.

ANZ is the latest firm to provide gender affirmation leave after both Allianz and Coles implemented some form of the leave earlier this year.

Coles has provided up to 10 days of paid gender affirmation leave for trans and gender-diverse staff.

The supermarket chain announced the move last month, the day after International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia.

'We know that we have at least 900 team members who identify as transgender or gender diverse,' Coles Chief Legal and Safety Officer and chair of the company's Pride Steering Committee David Brewster said in a statement.'

Trans and gender-diverse staff of supermarket chain Coles will be entitled to up to 10 days of paid gender affirmation leave

'We need to have proper policy and education in this area so there is clear guidance around taking leave for this important transition in their life.'

A Coles spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail Australia gender affirmation 'can be any process that a team member undergoes to affirm/confirm their gender identity'.

'This may be in the forms of social affirmation, medical affirmation or legal affirmation.

'This may include attending medical or specialist appointments, legal appointments, attending counselling services, attending services supporting their mental health and wellbeing, under-taking hormone therapy or medical surgical processes.'

The paid leave will be for part-time and full-time workers while casual team members can access unpaid gender affirmation leave.
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Boris Johnson has been warned that the Tory revolt against him will not end unless he can deliver a crushing victory in a crunch confidence vote tonight.

The PM has sent a letter to MPs pleading for them to 'draw a line' under furious infighting, after he suffered a series of huge blows - including his own anti-corruption tsar quitting and rival Jeremy Hunt joining the coup bid.

Backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed this morning that at least 54 MPs have asked for a full ballot, which will now happen between 6pm and 8pm. Mr Johnson is addressing the parliamentary party now and the results will be declared at 9pm.

How will the latest day of drama at Westminster play out? 8am: 1922 committee chair Graham Brady announced that a confidence vote will be held 1.45pm: Rishi Sunak appearing before Treasury Select Committee 4pm: Boris Johnson addresses Tory MPs pleading for them to support him 6pm-8pm: Voting in the confidence ballot 8.15pm-8.30pm: Results are announced Advertisement

The development raises the possibility that Mr Johnson's tenure could come to a crashing end less than three years after he won a stunning 80-strong Commons majority.

However, if half of the 359 eligible MPs back him in the secret vote in theory he is safe for a year - with some insurgents fearing they have moved too early ahead of key by-elections later this month.

Cabinet ministers have been insisting that a single vote is enough, but there are fears he will be doomed if he cannot get backing from two-thirds of the parliamentary party.

Tory enforcers are already gearing up to threaten and cajole the rank-and-file, with chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris sending out a round-robin message to MPs offering to do proxy votes on their behalf. Politicians have also been warned by Sir Graham that their ballots will be void if they take photographs of papers - in an effort to prevent pressure tactics.

John Penrose, a usually-loyal MP who served as the premier's anti-corruption champion, said he had 'no option' but to resign as Mr Johnson had broken the ministerial code. 'I think it's over,' he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Hunt - who lost the last leadership contest to Mr Johnson - tweeted saying that he will vote against the PM.

'Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Today's decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change,' he wrote.

There is speculation that more senior figures might be about to quit to join the insurrection, with trade minister Penny Mordaunt seen as on 'resignation watch'. She tweeted today that she is in her Portsmouth constituency for a D-Day anniversary commemoration - but pointedly did not offer full-throated backing for the premier.

Mr Johnson attempted to show he is getting on with the job with pictures of him on the phone to Ukraine's President Zelensky. And in letters to MPs - which he is said to have spent an hour signing by hand - he insisted: 'With your support, I believe that tonight we have a great prize within our grasp... We can get on with the job without the noises off.'

PM put a brave face on at Jubilee bash after learning about confidence vote Boris Johnson put a brave face on at a Jubilee bash yesterday after learning about the looming confidence vote. The PM was notified of the challenge by Sir Graham Brady early yesterday afternoon, and they discussed the timetable for the vote. He then attended the pageant with wife Carrie, seemingly without a care in the world. However, Mr Johnson is believed to have gathered close aides and election guru Lynton Crosby in No10 last night to consider his plan of attack. They decided to send personalised letters to all MPs, and play up the idea that he personally was the one who secured 14million votes at the 2019 election. Advertisement

The premier received a limited boost from a snap poll by Opinium showing that although voters overall want Tories to oust him, Conservative supports would rather keep him on by a margin of 53 per cent to 34 per cent.

A YouGov poll of Tory members found they would prefer him to stay on by 53 per cent to 42 per cent.

Cabinet ministers immediately rallied round, with Rishi Sunak pledging his support, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss saying he has her '100 per cent backing'. Deputy PM Dominic Raab and Michael Gove also stood by him, while Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: 'If he got a majority of one, that's enough to move on.'

In a vicious riposte to Mr Hunt on social media, Ms Dorries said: 'Your handling of the pandemic would have been a disaster.

'Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate. Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so...

'If you had been leader you'd have handed the keys of No10 to Corbyn. You've been wrong about almost everything, you are wrong again now.'

Ex-Cabinet minister David Davis cautioned that Mr Johnson's problems 'won't go away' if there is 'anything less than a two thirds majority', although he will 'hang on'.

'You may remember after Theresa May won her first vote actually... moderately comfortably, she accepted that her time was was limited.

'Her days were numbered, and she would deliver various things before she then stood down. I don't think that will happen with Boris. He'll hang on.'

Another senior MP who has been generally supportive of Mr Johnson told MailOnline that anything more than 100 MPs voting against him would be 'very bad', arguing that the 150-plus MPs on the payroll are already priced in.

'He will win, but how much he wins by is the most important thing. Fewer than 100 would be good, anything more very bad. The payroll vote has to back him, so people will look at whether he's got a majority on the back benches,' they said.

The MP also grimly recalled that other leaders, such as Mrs May, had not survived for long even after winning a confidence vote. 'These things never end well. The genie is out of the bottle,' they said.

Mr Johnson's former communications director Will Walden said he would be taken 'kicking and screaming' out of No10. But he cautioned that history shows if a PM does not record a 'convincing' win then 'ultimately you bleed to death'.

'Boris will be taken kicking and screaming out of the front door of Number 10. There is no way that the thing that he has wanted all his life he is going to give up easily on,' he told the BBC.

'The idea that Boris Johnson is going to go is for the birds, and it will take several people with revolvers in the room to convince him to go.'

On another breathless day of chaos at Westminster:

The Cabinet launched an extraordinary media blitz designed to prop up the premier, insisting he had been right on the 'big decisions';

More than a dozen Tory donors have lined up behind Mr Johnson saying a leadership contest would 'waste precious time;

Blue-on-blue tensions flared into open abuse with Nadine Dorries lashing out at Jeremy Hunt over his leadership ambitions;

An unnamed Tory MP accused of rape will be able to vote because they have not been suspended from the whip;

Labour and the Lib Dems gleefully seized on the shambles as they hope to win by-elections in Tiverton and Wakefield from the Conservatives.

Boris Johnson (pictured speaking to Ukraine's president Zelensky today) has sent a letter to MPs pleading for them to 'draw a line' under the infighting, after backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed this morning that at least 54 MPs have asked for a full ballot

Former minister Jesse Norman (right) accused the PM of 'grotesque' behaviour over Partygate in an excoriating letter to Conservative backbench chief Graham Brady. Jeremy Hunt (left) - who lost the last leadership contest to Mr Johnson - tweeted saying that he will vote against the PM.

John Penrose, an MP who served as the premier's anti-corruption champion and husband of ex NHS Test and Trace chief Dido Harding, said he had 'no option' but to resign as Mr Johnson had broken the ministerial code. 'I think it's over,' he said

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 wins? In theory securing 50 per cent of the vote means that the premier cannot be challenged again for 12 months. But Theresa May won, and was later threatened with a rule change to enable her to face another vote - forcing her to resign. 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

Sir Graham, who waited for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations to end before notifying No10 last night and agreeing the timetable, said in a statement: 'The threshold of 15 per cent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.

'In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 1800 and 2000 today, Monday 6th June  details to be confirmed.

'The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised. Arrangements for the announcement will be released later today.'

Sir Graham said he hoped there would be a 'clear result'. Two Tories - Rob Roberts and David Warburton and are currently suspended from the whip - but another unnamed MP accused of rape will be able to vote.

In a letter to Conservatives, Mr Johnson wrote: 'I know that over recent months I have come under a great deal of fire, and I know that experience has been painful for the whole party.

'Some of that criticism has perhaps been fair, some less so. Where there have been valid points, I have listened and learned and made significant changes.

'And I will of course continue to listen and learn from colleagues about the improvements you wish to see.

'But I cannot stress too much that we have a golden chance to put this behind us now.

'With your support, I believe that tonight we have a great prize within our grasp. We can put an end to the media's favourite obsession. We can get on with the job without the noises off.

'And I am absolutely confident that if we can unite in the days ahead then in due course we will win again, repay the trust of the 14million who voted for us, and continue to serve the country we love.'

A Downing Street spokesman made clear the PM is going to fight. 'Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people's priorities,' the spokesman said.

'The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they're united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.'

Mr Johnson is believed to have gathered close aides and election guru Lynton Crosby in No10 last night to consider his plan of attack after being notified of the confidence vote.

The announcement came after former minister Jesse Norman - a long-term supporter of the PM - accused him of 'grotesque' behaviour over Partygate in an excoriating letter.

Mr Norman warned that any breach of the Northern Irish Protocol would be 'economically very damaging, politically foolhardy and almost certainly illegal'.

'You are the leader of the Conservative and Unionist party, yet you are putting the Union itself gravely at risk,' he told Mr Johnson.

He said the Government's Rwanda policy was 'ugly, likely to be counterproductive and of doubtful legality' and that plans to privatise Channel 4 were 'unnecessary and provocative'.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries launched a vicious retort at Mr Hunt after he joined the rebellion against the PM

The premier received a limited boost from a snap poll by Opinium showing that although voters overall want Tories to oust him, Conservative supports would rather keep him on by a margin of 53 per cent to 34 per cent

Cabinet ministers rallied round Mr Johnson after it emerged a confidence vote will be held tonight

Backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed this morning that at least 54 MPs have asked for a full ballot, and one will be held between 6pm and 8pm

While other ministers spend this morning tweeting their support of the Prime Minister, she pointedly tweeted ... about attending a D-Day ceremony in Portsmouth, where she is an MP.

Rebels v loyalists: What MPs are saying Jeremy Hunt: 'Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Today's decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.' John Penrose: 'The only fair conclusion to draw from the Sue Gray report is that you have breached a fundamental principle of the Ministerial Code  a clear resigning matter.' Jesse Norman: 'You are the leader of the Conservative and Unionist party, yet you are putting the Union itself gravely at risk.' Angela Richardson: 'From the very beginning of the issues surrounding the Prime Minister's conduct during the lockdown period and his subsequent answers to parliamentary questions, I have been consistent in my views about the standards people expect of those in high office.' Rishi Sunak: 'From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.' Michael Gove: 'I'll be voting for Boris this evening. The PM got the big decisions right on Brexit and Covid.' Advertisement

Another ex-minister, Andrew Mitchell, said he will be voting against Mr Johnson even though he had not submitted a letter.

'I very much fear if he does win tonight it will be a Pyrrhic victory,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

'He needs to look himself in the mirror and ask himself what is in the best interests of our country and of our party.'

Mr Mitchell said that after a visit he made to a beacon-lighting event in his Sutton Coldfield constituency to mark the Platinum Jubilee, it was clear the public had turned against Mr Johnson.

'As I walked through the crowd it was very clear that the Prime Minister has not only lost the dressing room he has also lost quite a lot of people in the stands,' he said.

Rebels have been circulating a dossier branding Mr Johnson the 'Conservative Corbyn' and raising alarm about a looming electoral hammering from both Labour and the Lib Dems.

Keir Starmer gleefully seized on the news, saying that it showed even Tories did not trust Mr Johnson.

However, Mr Johnson's allies have been warning of a damaging civil war and even an early election.

The rebels would need 180 votes to remove the Prime Minister  and he has an in-built advantage as around 170 Tory MPs are on the so-called 'payroll vote' because they have jobs as ministers, trade envoys, ministerial 'bag carriers' or party vice-chairmen.

It is a secret ballot though, so members of the government could oppose with premier without it becoming public.

One major problem for the rebels is the lack of an obvious replacement for Mr Johnson.

Rishi Sunak, previously regarded as the favourite, was also fined over Partygate and there is no other front runner.

Former Cabinet minister Mr Hunt has been touted as a contender, while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is riding high with party grass roots. Tom Tugendhat is the only MP to have openly declared he wants to be PM.

The reception for Mr Johnson at a Jubilee event at St Paul's on Friday, which included booing mixed with cheering, seems to have swayed some MPs into joining the revolt.

Boris Johnson put a brave face on the situation at Jubilee celebrations with wife Carrie yesterday - despite having been informed by Sir Graham Brady shortly beforehand that he faces a no-confidence vote

Tory runners and riders if Boris pays the price for Partygate Tory MPs have been licking their lips at the thought of entering No10 as PM for months as Boris Johnson's backing within the party collapsed as a result of Partygate and other scandals. Possible candidates to succeed him come from all wings of the party, from the libertarian right to the One Nation Tory centre. Among the front-runners are Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and one of her predecessors in the post, Jeremy Hunt, both of whom have made little secret of their desire to take the top job. Other candidates expected to join a leadership race include Defence Secretary Ben Wallace - who like Truss is very popular with grassroots Tories due to his tough position over the Ukraine war. And outsiders could include people like Tom Tugendhat, the former British Army officer and chairman of the foreign affairs committee, and Mark Harper, the former chief whip turned critic of the PM's handling of the Covid pandemic. Advertisement

In a letter to the PM, Mr Penrose accused him of breaching the code on the grounds that he had failed to provide adequate leadership over Partygate.

Mr Penrose said: 'The only fair conclusion to draw from the Sue Gray report is that you have breached a fundamental principle of the Ministerial Code  a clear resigning matter.

'But your letter to your independent adviser on the Ministerial Code ignores this absolutely central, non-negotiable issue completely. And, if it had addressed it, it is hard to see how it could have reached any other conclusion than that you had broken the code.'

He added: 'As a result, I'm afraid it wouldn't be honourable or right for me to remain as your anti-corruption champion after reaching this conclusion, nor for you to remain as Prime Minister either.

'I hope you will stand aside so we can look to the future and choose your successor.'

The PM's official spokesman said Mr Johnson did not accept that he violated the code.

'The Prime Minister addressed this last week. He set out his rationale on the code. Part of that involved correcting the parliamentary record at the earliest possible opportunity,' the spokesman said.

'The PM has set out his view in relation to the code and the fixed penalty notice that he received, both in terms of is overall response to Sue Gray but also addressing some of the points that were raised by Lord Geidt (the adviser on the code), last week.'

In what amounted to throwing his hat into the ring, Mr Hunt said: 'Having been trusted with power, Conservative MPs know in our hearts we are not giving the British people the leadership they deserve.

'We are not offering the integrity, competence and vision necessary to unleash the enormous potential of our country.

'And because we are no longer trusted by the electorate, who know this too, we are set to lose the next general election.'

Who is Graham Brady? Known as the 'shop steward' of Tory MPs or the 'mouthpiece' of backbenchers, Sir Graham Brady is the chair of the powerful 1922 Committee. The Committee's role is to oversee the election of Conservative leaders, or confidence votes in a current leader. It has historically been referred to as the 'men in grey suits' - due to its influence over a Tory leader's fortunes. Sir Graham became 1922 Committee chair shortly after David Cameron's Coalition government came to power in May 2010. The Altrincham and Sale West MP, who was first elected to Parliament in 1997, had previously been a shadow minister but quit the role in 2007 due to Mr Cameron's opposition to grammar schools. The 55-year-old voted against same-sex marriage in 2013 and was a supporter of Brexit ahead of the EU referendum in 2016. He was a critic of Theresa May's Brexit deal, although he eventually voted in favour of it at the third time of asking. Sir Graham was also a frequent opponent of Covid lockdown restrictions imposed by Boris Johnson during the pandemic. In his role as 1922 Committee chair, Sir Graham oversaw the confidence vote in Mrs May in December 2018, which the former PM won by 200 votes to 117. However, he did not oversee the election of Mr Johnson as Mrs May's successor. Sir Graham resigned as 1922 Committee chair in May 2019 in order to 'consider' making a leadership bid himself. He never actually put himself forward as a leadership candidate and returned as 1922 Committee chair in September 2019. Sir Graham was re-elected as chair in July last year after surviving a bid by allies of Mr Johnson to oust him from the powerful post. His role in Mrs May's eventual downfall as PM saw him revealed to have been the last person to meet with her before she spoke outside Number 10 to confirm her resignation in May 2019. He was said to have gone into the meeting with an envelope of votes from the 1922 executive on whether to change the rules of the party to allow a second challenge to her leadership within 12 months. Sir Graham is now poised to become the first ever 1922 chair to oversee two confidence votes in Tory leaders. Advertisement

Guildford MP Angela Richardson said she would vote against Mr Johnson.

'From the very beginning of the issues surrounding the Prime Minister's conduct during the lockdown period and his subsequent answers to parliamentary questions, I have been consistent in my views about the standards people expect of those in high office,' she said.

'Last week, I made a statement following the publication of the full Sue Gray report that questioned whether those standards had been upheld.

'The deep disappointment I expressed in a previous statement in January has not abated.

'Given that, I will be voting no confidence in Boris Johnson this evening.'

As ministers toured broadcast studios, Mr Zahawi said it would be a 'disaster' if Mr Johnson was ousted  but refused to rule himself out as a candidate to replace him if it happened.

Mr Zahawi told BBC Radio 4's The World At One programme: 'It would be a disaster for us to now rid ourselves of a leader who has made the tough calls when it really mattered to this nation.

'To change a prime minister is to destabilise this Government when there is war in Europe. To destabilise the Government is a recipe for failure and for loss and I am not in the business of doing that.'

Pressed to say whether he could be a candidate in a leadership election if Mr Johnson was defeated, Mr Zahawi said: 'I am not going to do that because Boris will be our Prime Minister.'

In a round of interviews this morning, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said if Mr Johnson secures support from more than 50 per cent of MPs that will 'draw a line' under the revolt.

Sir Graham told journalists in Westminster: 'I notified the Prime Minister yesterday that the threshold had been reached.

'We agreed the timetable for the confidence vote to take place and he shared my view  which is also in line with the rules that we have in place  that that vote should happen as soon as could reasonably take place and that would be today.'

He refused to confirm how many letters had been received or when the threshold had been passed but said 'it is slightly complicated because some colleagues had asked specifically that it should not be until the end of the Jubilee celebrations'.

In a letter to the PM posted on social media, Mr Norman, the MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, said Mr Johnson had presided over 'a culture of casual law-breaking' in No 10 and that his claim to be vindicated by the Sue Gray report was 'grotesque'.

Some rebels are anxious that the timing could backfire as Mr Johnson is likely to win 50 per cent of the vote and survive.

He would theoretically be immune from another challenge for a year, even though the party looks set for more punishment in two crucial by-elections later this month.

But Sir Graham acknowledged that those procedures could be changed.

'Technically it's possible for rules to be changed but the rule at present is there would be a period of grace,' he told reporters.

Theresa May emerged victorious from a confidence vote, but was later forced to announce her resignation under threat that procedures would be redrawn to grant another ballot.

The pound rallied against the US dollar and the euro after it was announced that the vote of confidence will go ahead.

Sterling rose 0.6 per cent to 1.26 US dollars and 0.4 per cent to 1.17 euros.

Victoria Scholar, head of investment at interactive investor, said: 'The pound will be closely watched this evening, with above average volatility expected around tonight's decision.

Boris follows in footsteps of Thatcher and Heath with leadership vote Boris Johnson will follow in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher as he faces only the seventh confidence vote in a serving Tory leader in modern history tonight. Five previous leaders have faced the wrath of their backbenchers, with two, Ted Heath in 1975 and Sir Iain Duncan Smith in 2003, losing the vote and having to immediately resign. But the Iron Lady was forced to quit in 1990 despite winning, because the margin of victory was so narrow she was convinced that she could not continue. Here are the times when Tory MPs went over the top and publicly tried to force their leader from office: MARGARET THATCHER DATE: December 5 1989 WHY IT HAPPENED: Challenge by backbencher Sir Anthony Meyer RESULT: Margaret Thatcher: 314 (90.5pc) Sir Anthony Meyer: 33 (9.5pc) WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: Mrs Thatcher comfortably won the vote against the stalking horse candidate  but the fact that so many voted against her indicated she could face problems in the future. MARGARET THATCHER DATE: November 20 1990 WHY IT HAPPENED: Challenge by former defence secretary Michael Heseltine RESULT: Margaret Thatcher: 204 (54.8pc) Michael Heseltine: 152 (40.9pc) Abstentions: 16 (4.3pc) WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: Mrs Thatcher was badly wounded by Heseltine's high level of support in the first ballot, which occurred when she was attending a summit in Paris. Although she received more votes, the rules at the time stated she needed to garner 15 per cent more than her rival to avoid a second ballot. The day after she declared: 'I fight on, I fight to win', but her support was ebbing away and she announced her intention to resign on 22 November. JOHN MAJOR DATE: July 4 1995 WHY IT HAPPENED: Challenge by Welsh secretary John Redwood RESULT: John Major: 218 (66.3pc) John Redwood: 89 (27.1pc) Abstentions / spoilt: 22 (6.6pc) WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: Major had tried to flush out his rivals by demanding they 'Put up or shut up'. Privately he said he would resign if he received fewer than 215 votes. In the event, he received only three more votes  and he limped on for two years before his defeat by Tony Blair. IAIN DUNCAN SMITH DATE: October 29 2003 WHY IT HAPPENED: 25 letters of no confidence received RESULT: 90 voted against (45.5pc) 75 voted for (55.5pc) WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: Mr Duncan Smith resigned that night, and Tory MPs coalesced around Michael Howard who was elected unopposed. THERESA MAY DATE: December 12 2018 WHY IT HAPPENED: 48 letters of no confidence received RESULT: 200 voted for (63.1pc) 117 voted against (36.9pc) WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: To get the backing of her MPs, Mrs May had to promise to step down after getting a Brexit deal through Parliament. But that never happened, and she was gone in seven months. Advertisement

'If Johnson loses, sterling, which in part signals international investor confidence in the UK, could get a boost and reverse some of the recent negativity.'

A poll over the weekend found the Tories were trailing by 20 points in the Red Wall seat of Wakefield, which they seized as part of Mr Johnson's landslide in 2019.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Javid said: 'If he wins then that draws a line under this.'

Pressed on whether it will bring closure and unite the Conservative Party, Mr Javid said: 'If he wins, then that's a win  and by the way I do think he will win, but that's obviously a decision for all my colleagues.

'But at that point we draw a line under this because that's, I think, more than anything, that is what the country wants to see.'

'Is it right to have a vote? As I say, that's a decision for my colleagues, I have full respect for them,' he added.

'We have this vote but, as a democratic party, you follow the rules and a win is a win and then we unite behind our leader and keep on delivering  that's what this is about.'

Mr Javid said: 'I'm supporting the Prime Minister and I hope more of my colleagues do tonight.

'The Prime Minister will speak to my colleagues at the 1922 meeting tonight and then they will of course make up their own mind.

'And, as I say that, let me be clear, I love my party. I think there's a lot that we can be proud of. It's a very proud democratic party.

'No leader that I've known of my party has got 100 per cent support from every single colleague but we make decisions through due process openly and transparently, and tonight is an opportunity to put all this behind us and get on with the job.'

As Cabinet circled the wagons around Mr Johnson, Mr Sunak tweeted: 'From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.

'I am backing him today and will continue to back him as we focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living and clearing the Covid backlogs.'

Communities Secretary Michael Gove posted: 'I'll be voting for Boris this evening. The PM got the big decisions right on Brexit and Covid.

'We need to focus now on defending Ukraine, driving levelling-up and generating growth. We need to move past this moment and unite behind Boris to meet these challenges.'

Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden tweeted: 'I will be voting for Boris Johnson in the confidence vote tonight.

'He's demonstrated real leadership in getting the big calls right as PM  Brexit, vaccines, reopening and Ukraine.

'I hope after this vote we can come together and focus on the future. Let's face the big challenges united and focused on delivery.'

Foreign Office minister James Cleverley tweeted: 'I'm not going to go flaky on him now.'

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the Prime Minister has his 'full backing', adding: 'He got the key big decisions right he has apologised for mistakes made, and we owe it to our constituents to focus on delivering to make lives better.'

Many Conservative backbenchers have also voiced their support for Mr Johnson, with Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey describing Monday's vote as 'a self-indulgent distraction the only effect of which will be to embolden a pitiful opposition'.

Others including Rachel Maclean, Mark Jenkinson, Stuart Anderson, Simon Clarke and Will Quince also said they will be backing the Prime Minister.

But Ms Mordaunt seemed to leave herself some wriggle room when describing her attitude towards Mr Johnson.

'I didn't choose this prime minister, I didn't support him in the leadership contest but he has always had my loyalty because I think that's what you do when you have a democratic process  you select a leader and then you owe that person your loyalty,' she told her local newspaper in Portsmouth.

'That's always been my approach, whatever differences I've had with people and that remains.

'I'm one of his ministers and I have continued to support him.'

Last week, divisions among the rebels emerged when Tobias Ellwood, an opponent of the PM, suggested the UK could rejoin the single market if Mr Johnson is replaced.

This prompted the Eurosceptic rebel Andrew Bridgen to say: 'Let me be clear. If we get the opportunity to move on from the leadership of Boris Johnson, the next Prime Minister will have to be an active Brexiteer.'

Sir Keir Starmer said the public mood has changed with a 'general sense that this man doesn't really tell the truth'.

Speaking to LBC about the upcoming confidence vote in Boris Johnson by Tory MPs, Sir Keir said: 'I think the mood has changed.

'I think the public have made their mind up about this man. They don't think he's really telling the truth about many, many things  not just partygate  but just the general sense that this man doesn't really tell the truth, (he) can't be trusted.

No10 has been circulating a briefing note to MPs explaining why they should continue to back the PM

Pictured left, Andrew Bridgen, one of the Tory rebels. Picture right, Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted Mr Johnson can survive

Pound rallies after confidence vote news The pound rallied against the US dollar and the euro after it was announced that the vote of confidence in Boris Johnson would go ahead. Sterling rose 0.6 per cent to 1.26 US dollars and 0.4 per cent to 1.17 euros. Victoria Scholar, head of investment at interactive investor, said: 'The pound will be closely watched this evening, with above average volatility expected around tonight's decision. 'If Johnson loses, sterling, which in part signals international investor confidence in the UK, could get a boost and reverse some of the recent negativity.' Advertisement

The Labour leader also said: 'We've got a prime minister trying to cling on to his job and most people would say 'your job is to help me through the cost-of-living crisis and you're not doing it because you're distracted'.'

Sir Keir said that even if Mr Johnson wins, 'I think history tells us that this is the beginning of the end.

'If you look at the previous examples of no confidence votes, even when Conservative Prime Ministers survived those, he might survive it tonight, the damage is already done and usually they fall reasonably swiftly afterwards.'

Sir Keir said he is 'different' from the Prime Minister, as he reiterated his pledge to step down from his role if he receives a fixed penalty notice from Durham Police.

Asked on LBC radio about the incident where the Labour leader was pictured drinking a beer with colleagues during a meal break while campaigning during lockdown, Sir Keir said: 'I am absolutely clear that there was no breach of the rules.

'In my case, we were on the road with a team. We stopped for something to eat. There was no breach of the rules and I've made that clear over and over again.

But he added that if the police issue him with a fixed penalty notice, 'I will do the right thing and I will step down because it's very important, I think, for everybody to hear and to know that not all politicians are the same.

'I think the Prime Minister has made a big mistake by trying to cling on in relation to the law-breaking that we know went on in Downing Street.

'I'm different  and if that fixed penalty notice is issued then I will step down from my posts because I do believe that democracy relies on integrity and honesty, and I hold others to high standards so I'm going to hold myself to those high standards.'

Ministers Ben Wallace, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak tipped to join former high-fliers Jeremy Hunt and Penny Mordaunt in any run to succeed PM if he loses confidence vote

Tory MPs have been licking their lips at the thought of entering No10 as Prime Minister for months as Boris Johnson's backing within the party collapsed as a result of Partygate and other scandals.

Possible candidates to succeed him come from all wings of the party, from the libertarian right to the One Nation Tory centre.

Among the front-runners are Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and one of her predecessors in the post, Jeremy Hunt, both of whom have made little secret of their desire to take the top job.

Other candidates expected to join a leadership race include Defence Secretary Ben Wallace - who like Truss is very popular with grassroots Tories due to his tough position over the Ukraine war.

And outsiders could include people like Tom Tugendhat, the former British Army officer and chairman of the foreign affairs committee, and Mark Harper, the former chief whip turned critic of the PM's handling of the Covid pandemic.

But that could be part of the problem facing Conservative MPs who will cast their ballots in the no confidence vote tonight - who is the alternative to Boris Johnson who can unite the party?

The PM sounded defiance after backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed this morning that at least 54 MPs have asked for a full ballot, and one will be held between 6pm and 8pm.

With the results declared shortly afterwards, it raises the possibility that Mr Johnson's tenure could come to a crashing end less than three years after he won a stunning 80-strong Commons majority.

However, if 50 per cent of MPs back him in theory he is safe for a year - with some insurgents fearing they have moved too early ahead of key by-elections later this month.

Cabinet ministers immediately rallied round, with Ms Truss, Mr Wallace and Chancellor Rishi Sunak all giving him their backing.

Boris Johnson is the only member of the Cabinet in negative territory in the latest ConservativeHome grassroots poll

But there is speculation that some might be about to quit to join the insurrection, with trade minister Penny Mordaunt seen as on 'resignation watch'.

However, as tonight's ballot is confidential, there is no need for ministers to resign to vote against him, other than as a signal of intent.

Here we look at the potential runners and riders in the unlikely event

Liz Truss

46-year-old Foreign Secretary and South West Suffolk MP

Has persistently been linked with a leadership challenge

Has used role to recreate some classic images of ex-PM Margaret Thatcher

Has faced a tough time with comments on the Ukraine conflict

The 46-year-old Foreign Secretary has been regularly linked with a tilt at No10. The former international trade secretary was promoted last year to succeed Dominic Raab.

The South West Norfolk MP has held a string of Cabinet posts under successive party leaders and is popular with the party grassroots.

But while she has been hawkish over the war in Ukraine, the conflict has hit her prospects after several stumbles.

Prior to the February 24 invasion she visited Russia for talks with her Kremlin counterpart Sergei Lavrov, in which she overtly channeled the style of Margaret Thatcher on a similar trip 35 years previously.

Her use of Instagram to share images of her looking tough and commanding has also drawn comment.

The Foreign Secretary posed for pictures in Red Square in a fur coat and hat, 35 years after the former Tory premier did the same on a visit to the then Soviet Union.

But she received a bit of a mauling from Putin's attack dog, who said their talks had been like 'the deaf talking to the blind'.

She was also criticised early in the conflict for urging Britons to go to fight for Russia even if they have no military experience, advice later contradicted by senior military figures.

But the Remain voter from 2016 has become a born-again Brexiteer in the years since, something that will aid her in any vote.

As Foreign Secretary she has taken on responsibility for negotiating changes to the Brexit agreement with the EU to sort out the political impasse in Northern Ireland. A deadlock-breaking agreement is unlikely but unilateral action by the UK is being mooted, which could help boost her credentials.

Jeremy Hunt

46-year-old Foreign Secretary and South West Suffolk MP

Has persistently been linked with a leadership challenge

Has used role to recreate some classic images of ex-PM Margaret Thatcher

Has faced a tough time with comments on the Ukraine conflict

Jeremy Hunt lost heavily to Boris Johnson in the 2019 leadership election that followed the resignation of Theresa May.

But he is showing no signs of letting the mauling at the hands of Tory members dissuade him three years later.

The former minister turned Health Committee chairman has made a series of increasingly high profile public interventions on health policy in recent weeks.

And he has consistently refused to rule out running to replace Boris Johnson if he quits.

The former minister turned Health Committee chairman has made a series of increasingly high profile public interventions on health policy in recent weeks.

Last month he refused to say whether Boris Johnson was 'honest' as he warned the Prime Minister has a 'big mountain to climb' in winning back Tory voters.

The South West Surrey MP cast doubt on the PM's ability to once again prove a Tory vote winner as he insisted it would be a 'mistake' to dismiss the party's local election losses as 'mid-term blues'.

But the former Cabinet minister insisted now was not the time for renewed efforts to topple Mr Johnson and said he 'hoped' the PM would lead the Tories into the next general election.

The comments were seen as a warning shot to the PM - and a clear message to Tory MPs - that he is waiting in the wings should Mr Johnson continue to stumble.

Like Truss he is a former Remain voter who has become a convert to the Brexit cause. He also has his own fair share of gaffs in his locker, including describing his Chinese wife Lucia - with whom he has two children - as 'Japanese' in an interview.

Ben Wallace

52-year-old former British Army officer is Defence Secretary

He is currently the most popular minister with the Tory grassroots

Sandhurst-educated father of three has led efforts to arm Ukraine to fight off the Russian invasion

Was targeted by Russian pranksters who managed to speak to him on a video call in March

Currently the most popular minister with Tory grassroots, according to the Conservative Home website.

The Defence Secretary's low profile has risen into full view as he emerged as one of the foremost Cabinet hawks on the Ukraine War.

The 52-year-old former Scots Guards officer has been at the forefront of efforts to supply Kyiv with weapons and expertise to fight off the Russian invasion, which has boosted his support base and name recognition.

The Sandhurst-educated father of three has overcome a Russian attempt to humiliate him after a Kremlin-backed prankster managed to get through to him on a video call, parts of which were later broadcast on YouTube.

He was asked if he supported Ukraine's 'nuclear aims' by a man claiming to be the PM of Ukraine.

He has also avoided being implicated in the worst failures of the UK's retreat from Afghanistan last summer, with blame being generally laid at the door of the Foreign Office.

The Defence Secretary's low profile has risen into full view as he emerged as one of the foremost Cabinet hawks on the Ukraine War.

Last week he confirmed Britain is to arm Ukraine with precision-guided M270 rockets that have a range of up to 50 miles to help match Russia's artillery arsenal.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded heavier weapons to counter Russia's artillery. Germany and the US have also pledged long-range weapon systems.

Today he tweeted: 'In 2019 Boris won with a majority of 80. He has delivered victories in seats we have never held before.

'On Covid, on Ukraine he has helped deliver a world leading response. He has my full confidence.'

Rishi Sunak

Chancellor was top-rated minister at the end of 2021 after Covid largesse

But profile has gone into freefall after a series of controversies in 2022

Wife revealed to be a non-dom taxpayer living in Downing Street

Sunak himself also faced questions over US Green Card possession

At the end of 2021 the Chancellor was the number one candidate to succeed Boris Johnson.

His largesse with taxpayers' cash during the Covid crisis - furlough payments and other measures - and slick social media campaigns made him widely popular within the party and with the wider electorate.

It was a rapid rise to the top for a minister who only became Chancellor weeks before lockdown kicked in early in 2020.

But the popularity of 'Brand Rishi' has taken a tumble in 2022 amid a series of controversies and rows with No10.

In the spring it was revealed his multi-millionaire heiress wife Akshata Murty was revealed to be living in Downing Street while having non-dom tax status.

At the end of 2021 the Chancellor was the number one candidate to succeed Boris Johnson.

Rishi Sunak was hit by a political backlash over the news that his heiress wife Akshata Murty was domiciled in India for tax purposes

She has legally avoided paying a huge UK tax bill by paying 30,000 a year to register as based in India.

He insisted she hasn't 'done anything wrong' while accusing his critics of 'smearing her to get at him'. She later agreed to pay full UK tax.

Later it emerged Mr Sunak, a father of two and former international banker, himself held a US Green Card for a year into his term leading the Treasury.

While the status would not save him any money on his tax bill, it carries a responsibility to make the United States 'your permanent home'.

There were also a series of rows with No 10 after recovery spending and his involvement with Partygate: he received a 50 fine for attending Boris Johnson's surprise - and rule-breaking - birthday party in No10 in June 2020, even though he claimed he was just passing through on his way to a meeting.

His supporters blamed No10 for embroiling him in the controversy, souring an already acidic relationship within Downing Street.

Today he tweeted: 'From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.

'I am backing him today and will continue to back him as we focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living and clearing the Covid backlogs.'

Penny Mordaunt

Trade minister and Royal Navy reservist who backed Jeremy Hunt in 2019

Ignored other ministers tweeting support for PM to instead write about D-Day

She was the first woman to serve as defence secretary and was also international trade secretary

Appeared on reality TV show in 2014 wearing just a swimsuit

Penny Mordaunt has already emerged as possibly one of the least subtle potential candidates to run.

While other ministers spend this morning tweeting their support of the Prime Minister, she pointedly tweeted ... about attending a D-Day ceremony in Portsmouth, where she is an MP.

'Today I will be attending Portsmouth's commemoration service to remember the efforts and sacrifice of #DDay,' she wrote.

The Brexiteer, 49, a naval reservist who once appeared on reality TV in a swimsuit, is popular with party members.

She was the first woman to serve as defence secretary and was also international trade secretary and is currently a trade minister.

Supporters have pushed her credentials as the potential unity candidate any leadership race appears to lack - she is a Brexit voter who backed Jeremy Hunt in 2019.

She was the first woman to serve as defence secretary and was also international trade secretary and is currently a trade minister.

The Brexiteer, 49, a naval reservist who once appeared on reality TV in a swimsuit, is popular with party members.

Ms Mordaunt hs already been on resignation watch once this year. In January she spoke out against a proposed 1.2 billion underwater electricity cable project backed by a Russian oligarch and major Tory donor.

She opposed plans by Aquind, co-owned by Alexander Temerko, to construct the interconnector under the Channel between Normandy and Portsmouth.

Temerko, who previously ran a firm producing weapons for Russia's military, and Aquind have given more than 1 million to the Tories and the oligarch has regularly featured in photos at fundraisers with Prime Ministers and their Cabinets.

Government sources said Mordaunt was ready to quit if the cable was approved. The project was later rejected.

Tom Tugendhat: Iraq and Afghanistan veteran turned China and foreign affairs hawk

An Army reservist who served in Iraq and Afghanistan

The son of a high court judge and the nephew of a Tory peer.

Father of two said in 2017 that it would be 'great to be PM'.

Another Tory MP with military experience. Tugendhat, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is a confirmed Boris critic who has taken aim at the government over its attitude to China and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Some MPs believe the 48-year-old, an Army reservist who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, would be well-suited to the role and represents the 'best chance for a fresh start'.

However, some are concerned about his lack of political experience and voting for a second posh PM in a row. He is the son of a high court judge and the nephew of a Tory peer.

Mr Tugendhat, who is married with two children, has previously made clear that he would fancy a tilt at the top job, saying in 2017 that it would be 'great to be PM'.

Some MPs believe the 48-year-old, an Army reservist who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, would be well-suited to the role and represents the 'best chance for a fresh start'.

He was a member of the Territorial Army when the Iraq War broke out in 2003 and he was mobilised as an Arabic-speaking intelligence officer to serve with the Royal Marines. He went into Iraq as part of Operation TELIC - the initial invasion.

After the war he returned to a job in the City of London but then went back to Iraq to help with the economic reconstruction of the country.

In 2006 the Foreign Office then asked Mr Tugendhat to go to Afghanistan to help grow its national security council. The Tory MP can speak Arabic, Dari and French.

The Tory MP was applauded in the House of Commons during a debate on the UK's exit from Afghanistan in August 2021 as he detailed his experience in the country.

He told a silent chamber: 'Like many veterans, this last week has seen me struggle through anger, grief and ragethrough the feeling of abandonment of not just a country, but the sacrifice that my friends made.

'I have been to funerals from Poole to Dunblane. I have watched good men go into the earth, taking with them a part of me and a part of all of us. This week has torn open some of those wounds, has left them raw and left us all hurting.'

Nadhim Zahawi: Minister who came to the UK as a child refugee and made a fortune

Kurdish Iraqi arrived in the Uk as a refugee from Saddam Hussein's regime

One of the wealthiest members of Parliament, he set up polling company YouGov

He is said to have a property empire worth around 100million.

Mr Zahawi is seen by some as an outside choice to replace the PM. He has a strong personal back story that culminated in him becoming the first Kurdish Iraqi MP.

The Education Secretary fled Saddam Hussein's Iraq with his family when he was a child. Privately-educated at King's College School in West London and University College London where he studied chemical engineering.

One of the wealthiest members of Parliament, he went on to be named 'entrepreneur of the year' by Ernst & Young and set up successful polling company YouGov.

He is said to have a property empire worth around 100million.

The Education Secretary fled Saddam Hussein's Iraq with his family when he was a child. Privately-educated at King's College School in West London and University College London where he studied chemical engineering.

The father-of-three was elected MP in 2010 - the first Kurdish Iraqi to be elected to Parliament.

The Brexit-supporting minister is trusted by Number 10 and is a regular feature on the morning media round.

Despite initially backing Dominic Raab for Conservative party leader in 2019, he has been loyal to Mr Johnson ever since.

He was previously children's minister from January 2018 to July 2019, during which time he attended the controversial Presidents Club Ball.

He was said to have been given a dressing down by the chief whip after complaints of sexism and harassment at the all-male gathering for the business elite.

During the MPs expenses scandal, he was forced to apologise for claiming taxpayers' money to heat his stables on his Warwickshire estate.

How does the confidence vote work? Who could replace Boris? What happens if he loses... and could he resign anyway if he only wins by a narrow margin?

Boris Johnson is facing a dramatic vote of no confidence today as rebel Tory MPs seek to kill off his leadership.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, confirmed this morning that he has now received the 54 letters from party colleagues needed to trigger a vote.

The secret ballot, which will take place at Westminster at between 6pm and 8pm, raises the possibility that Mr Johnson's tenure could come to a crashing end less than three years after he won a stunning 80-strong Commons majority.

It comes after a steady stream of Tory MPs called publicly for the Prime Minister to stand down in the wake of Sue Gray's report into illegal Covid parties in No 10 and Whitehall.

In order to oust the Prime Minister however the rebels will need 180 MPs, and allies of Mr Johnson - including members of the Cabinet - have made clear he is determined to fight to stay on.

Here are the key questions about the upcoming vote.

What is the mechanism for removing the Tory leader?

Conservative Party rules allow MPs to force a vote of no confidence in their leader, with much of the responsibility resting in the hands of the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady.

A total of 54 letters of no confidence from Tory MPs, representing 15 per cent of the 359-strong parliamentary party, are needed to trigger a vote.

Sir Graham has received a steady stream of letters in recent days as Tories spent time in their constituencies consulting local parties about their position.

He announced this morning that the threshold had been reached - after waiting for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations to conclude.

At least 50 per cent of Tory MPs must vote 'no confidence' for the Prime Minister to lose.



How many Tory MPs have sent letters so far?

Letters are confidential unless the MP sending it makes it public.

That means only Sir Graham knows how many letters there are at any one time - and he is famously secretive about the numbers.

Almost every day last week Tory MPs declared they had submitted letters of no confidence in their leader.

More than 30 Tory MPs have publicly urged the PM to resign amid the fallout from Partygate, but they have not all confirmed whether they have submitted letters.

Jesse Norman - a long-term supporter of Mr Johnson - today became the latest Tory MP to announce that he had submitted a letter to Sir Graham.

In a letter to the PM posted on social media, Mr Norman, the MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, said Mr Johnson had presided over 'a culture of casual law-breaking' in No 10 and that his claim to be vindicated by the Sue Gray report was 'grotesque'.

Why now?

Earlier this year Mr Johnson became the first serving UK Prime Minister found to have broken the law.

He refused to stand down after receiving a single fine for attending a lockdown-breaching event in Downing Street in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

But support for him among Conservatives has ebbed away in recent weeks following the publication of an internal inquiry which found he presided over a culture of such parties that ran late into the night and even featured a drunken fight among staff.

A host of Tory MPs have come forward to say they do not believe the party can win the next general election under Mr Johnson's leadership.

Opinion polls have shown deep public disapproval over the scandal, with large majorities of people saying he knowingly lied about 'Partygate' and that he should resign.

The Tories have suffered several electoral setbacks during his tenure, including losing traditionally safe seats to the Liberal Democrats in by-elections and hundreds of councillors in local elections in early May.

The party is also predicted to lose two more by-elections later this month, in southwest and northern England.

What happens between now and the vote this evening?

Between now and the vote between 6pm and 8pm this evening, Tory MPs will be subjected to a frantic wave of lobbying by the Prime Minister and his allies.

MPs will also be collared for their voting intentions in order to target lobbying efforts at potential rebels.

Cabinet ministers have immediately rallied round Mr Johnson, so will - outwardly at least - be joining attempts to push the vote in his favour.

Opponents of the PM are likely to be similarly active.

How with the physical voting process work?

A ballot box that is kept in the office of one of the 1922 Committee's executive members will be used for the vote.

It is likely the box will be placed in the same room where MPs gather for meetings of the committee each week, at the centre of a long corridor on the first floor of the Palace of Westminster, overlooking the Thames.

Tory MPs will vote between 6pm and 8pm by secret ballot and, just like at a general election, photography will be banned.

This is intended to prevent the PM's allies from demanding photographic evidence that an MP has voted in his favour.

The idea is for MPs to be allowed to vote according to their conscience. Any MP who is away from Westminster can nominate a proxy to vote on their behalf.

Sir Graham Brady oversees the process as chair of the backbench 1922 Committee

When will the result be announced?

The process is a simple yes-or-no vote is held, with the leader technically only needing to win support from a simple majority of MPs.

Sir Graham said arrangements for when the announcement would take place will be released 'later today'.

Given results will be counted straight away and there are not a particularly large number of ballot papers to go through, it is likely to take place very quickly.

It is likely Sir Graham will do as he did in 2018, and assemble MPs and journalists in the same committee room where voting took place earlier in the day.

He will then announce that the parliamentary party does or does not have confidence in Mr Johnson, before revealing the number of votes cast on each side.

Sir Graham said he hoped there would be a 'clear result'.

What happens if he 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.

In a leadership contest MPs whittle down the field of contenders to two before party members have the final say.

How does a Tory leadership contest work?

If Mr Johnson is voted out or forced to resign, a leadership contest to replace him as the head of the Tory Party would take place - although he is likely to remain in post as Prime Minister until a successor is in place.

The contest takes place in two stages.

In the first stage, Conservative MPs put themselves forward as candidates.

All Tory MPs then vote in a series of rounds to reduce the number of candidates until only two remain.

The second stage of the contest sees the two remaining candidates put to a vote of Conservative Party members.

Mr Johnson won the leadership contest in 2019 against Jeremy Hunt, following Theresa May's resignation.

And if he survives?

If Mr Johnson survives, under Conservative Party rules no further confidence vote can be held by the 1922 Committee for another year.

However, Sir Graham today acknowledged that Mr Johnson will not necessarily be safe even if he survives tonight's vote.

Although the Conservative committee's rules say there could not be another confidence vote for 12 months, Sir Graham said those procedures could be changed.

Theresa May - pictured with her husband Philip at the Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving service at St Paul's - also faced a no confidence vote

'Technically it's possible for rules to be changed but the rule at present is there would be a period of grace,' he told reporters.

But even if Mr Johnson survives the vote this evening, his leadership could be fatally undermined if a significant number of MPs vote against him.

Could he resign anyway if he only wins by a narrow margin?

Technically yes, but the signals coming out of Number 10 suggest he is determined to fight on.

'Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people's priorities,' a Downing Street spokesman said.

'The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they're united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.'

His reputation as a political survivor who has resisted a raft of other calls to resign in the past also suggests he would have to be forced out.

Who could replace Mr Johnson?

One major problem for the rebels is the lack of an obvious replacement for Mr Johnson.

Rishi Sunak, previously regarded as the favourite, was also fined over Partygate and there is no other front runner.

Former Cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt has been touted as a contender, while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is riding high with party grass roots. Tom Tugendhat is the only MP to have openly declared he wants to be PM.

When was the mechanism to replace the leader last used?

The last confidence vote was held in December 2018 when, after months of speculation, enough MPs decided they no longer had faith in Theresa May's leadership.

She won the contest 200 votes to 117 - making her immune to another challenge for a year.

But she was forced to announce her resignation the following spring amid another insurrection over Brexit, paving the way for Mr Johnson to take the helm.

Fury over rebels' dossier of doom

Tory rebels came under fire last night after they spent the Jubilee weekend sharing a document that argues the only way to win the next election is to 'remove Boris Johnson as Prime Minister'.

The paper, entitled Party Leadership, has been sent to a number of MPs who are considering submitting a letter of no confidence in the PM.

It says the only way to 'end this misery' is to remove Mr Johnson, who it claims is 'no longer an electoral asset'.

The document adds that public anger over Partygate is not going to go away, with the prospect of anti-Tory tactical voting leading to a 'landslide' for Labour.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith criticised the rebels, saying: 'It is sad that during the course of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, some MPs took it upon themselves to drag internecine Conservative politics into the mix.

'It showed no respect for this great moment of celebration.' It is not known who has circulated the briefing document, but key rebel leaders are understood to include former chief whip Mark Harper and Aaron Bell, an MP who was only elected in 2019.

Key rebel leaders are understood to include former chief whip Mark Harper

While Mr Harper is said to be concentrating on converting older MPs to the anti-Johnson cause, Mr Bell is working on the more recent Tory intake.

Mr Harper is chairman of the Covid Recovery Group, which called for looser restrictions during the pandemic. His opposition to lockdown explains his anger at the revelations of a party culture in No 10 while there were curbs for the public.

Mr Bell was denounced as a 'turncoat' by one Cabinet minister at the weekend. The minister said he only won his Newcastle-under-Lyme seat  the first Tory to do so for more than 100 years  because of Mr Johnson's popularity. Andrew Bridgen, another prominent rebel, revealed the existence of the briefing in a blog yesterday. He said: 'Unfortunately it is hard for me to disagree with its content. It would be a huge mistake to ignore the mood of the nation.'

Last night Tory MP Brendan Clark-Smith said: 'This is not a week for politicians to be talking about themselves.'

And fellow Tory MP Mark Jenkinson added: 'I don't know what drives a tiny minority of my colleagues to do the Labour Party's bidding, but I do know that we have the Prime Minister and his Cabinet behind us in our mission to deliver on our 2019 promises. Every single seat of our historic majority was won with Boris Johnson at the helm.'

The document, which covers one side of A4, states: 'Boris Johnson is no longer an electoral asset and, if left in post, will lead the party to a substantial defeat in 2024. He will lose Red Wall seats (with majorities under 10,000) to Labour, and Blue Wall seats (majorities up to 20,000) to the Liberal Democrats. At least 160 MPs are at risk.' It adds: 'The only way to end this misery, earn a hearing from the British public, and restore Conservative fortunes to a point where we can win the next general election, is to remove Boris Johnson.'
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Nearly 80 years after they landed on France's shore in the largest amphibious assault in history, surviving American World War II veterans remembered that fateful day.

On Monday, American veterans gathered at Omaha Beach on the Normandy coast amid another war ravaging Europe.

'Ukraine is a very sad situation,' D-Day veteran Charles Shay said. 'I feel so sorry for the people there, and I don't know why this war had to come, but I think the human beings like to, I think they like to fight.

'In 1944, I landed on these beaches, and we thought we'd bring peace to the world,' he continued. 'But it's not possible.'

Shay was one of nearly 20 surviving veterans who gathered in the French town of Colleville-sur-Mer to mark the D-Day anniversary .

On June 6, 1944, some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily-fortified Normandy coast after deceiving German forces about their intended target.

It is widely considered to have been the beginning of the end of the Second World War, and just two months later, all of northern France had been liberated from Nazi rule.

By the following spring, the Allied Forces had declared victory over its enemies.

Nearly 37,000 people died on both sides of the war that day, including 2,501 Americans.

WWII veteran Charles Shay, 97 pays tribute to soldiers during a D-Day commemoration ceremony of the 78th anniversary in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy on Monday. Shay, who now lives in Normandy, was a 19-year-old Army medic when he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944

Shay handed over the remembrance task to another Native American, from the Crow tribe, Julia Kelly, right, a Gulf War veteran, who performed the sage ritual at this year's ceremony

Shay took in the scents as he remembered those who did not survive the fateful attack - which historians consider to be the beginning of the Second World War

'I have never forgotten them and I know that their spirits are here,' Shay, who was a 19-year-old US Army medic when he landed on Omaha Beach all those years ago, told the Associated Press on Monday.

The 98-year-old Penobscot Native American, from Indian Island, Maine, took part in a sage-burning ceremony near the beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer ahead of a ceremony featuring Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

But this year, Shay handed over the remembrance task to another Native American, from the Crow tribe, Julia Kelly, a Gulf War veteran, who performed the sage ritual.

'Never forget, never forget,' she said. 'In this time, in any time, war is not good.'

United States Air Force crafts are also scheduled to fly over the American Cemetery where 9,386 soldiers, who died in D-Day and the operations that followed, are buried.

World War II reenactors gather on Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy to re-enact the fateful day 78 years ago

World War II 101st Airborne Paratrooper Vincent Speranza smoked as he watched the commemorations on Monday

Second Lt. Betty L. Huffman Rosevear, of the Army Norse Corps, right, shook hands with infantry Regiment's Tec6 Raymond E. Dawkians, left, next to Cpl. Robert L Chouinard at the ceremony on Monday

Private Shay, born on June 27, 1924 in Bristol, Connecticut, was part of the assault battalion of the first wave on June 6, 1944

Shay is pictured arriving at the Deauville-Normandie Airport in Saint-Gatien-des-Bois ahead of the ceremony

On D-Day, Allied troops landed on the beaches codenamed Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats

On that day 78 years ago, 4,414 Allied soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded

Monday's ceremony marked the first time in two years that D-Day ceremonies could be held in person, after they were paused during the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite rain, spectators cheered WWII veterans in wheelchairs who joined military re-enactors in tanks and uniforms as they rolled through the streets of Sainte-Mere-Eglise.

Several thousand people were expected to attend the ceremony later at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in the French town of Colleville-sur-Mer, including Ray Wallace, 97, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.

He said he remembers the events of the day vividly.

'It looked like 4th of July when we were going in there [on D-Day] because all of the searchlights and anti-aircraft guns going off and of course, we could hear the flak [anti-aircraft fire] hitting the plane,' he recalled, according to FOX 13. 'I remember some good friends that are lost there. It's a little emotional then.'

On D-Day, Wallace said, his plane was hit and caught fire, forcing him to jump earlier than expected.

He landed 20 miles away from the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first French village to be liberated from Nazi occupation.

'We all got a little scared then. And then whenever the guy dropped us out, we were away from where the rest of the group was. That was scary,' Wallace told the Associated Press.

Less than a month later, he was taken prisoner by the Germans. He was liberated after 10 months and returned to the US. Still, Wallace thinks he was lucky.

'I remember the good friends that I lost there. So it's a little emotional,' he said, with sadness in his voice. 'I guess you can say I'm proud of what I did but I didn't do that much.'

On Monday, Wallace was asked about the secret to his longevity. 'Calvados!' he joked, in reference to Normandy's local alcohol.

US WWII veteran Ray Wallace, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division was one of the dozens of veterans to attend the ceremony in France on Monday

Wallace landed 20 miles away from the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first French village to be liberated from Nazi occupation, on D-Day after he was forced to jump early. He is seen here giving a thumbs-up at the memorial on Monday

A parade was held ahead of the ceremony as onlookers cheered those who helped liberate France 78 years ago

A US Airborne soldier speaks with 101-year-old Betty Huffman-Rosevear on the sidelines of the celebrations

Wallace, who is using a wheelchair, was among about 20 Second World War veterans who opened Saturday's parade of military vehicles in Sainte-Mere-Eglise to great applause from thousands of people, in a joyful atmosphere.

He did not hide his pleasure, happily waving to the crowd as parents explained the achievements of Second World War heroes to their children.

Many history buffs, wearing military and civilian clothes from the period, also came to stage a re-enactment of the events.

And on Monday, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, gave a speech to the veterans - saying that Ukrainians fighting against Russian rule are 'honoring' their legacy, as the world comes together 'against a determined invader.'

'The world has come together in support of the defense of Ukraine against a determined invader,' he said during his speech, adding: 'The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II.

'Kyiv may be 2,000 kilometers away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II.'

He also said that the war in Ukraine is about 'maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead, who are buried here at this cemetery,' according to FOX News.

Milley recalled the principle in the order that 'strong countries cannot just invade smaller countries.

'Each country is sovereign, and each country has the right to territorial integrity,' he said.

Meanwhile, in Washington DC the Friends of the National World War II Memorial commemorated the historic day with a special event at the D.C. memorial.

As part of the ceremony, veterans and other dignitaries placed wreaths at the Atlantic Arch of the World War II Memorial.

U.S. soldiers hold French and U.S. flags during the 78th anniversary of D-Day ceremony in tribute to those who lost their lives and fought to restore freedom to Europe

Wreaths of flowers are displayed as French and international visitors attend the 78th anniversary of D-Day ceremony, in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, Monday

Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, spoke at the ceremony on Monday, telling the veterans that Ukrainians fighting against Russian rule are 'honoring' their legacy

On D-Day, Allied troops landed on the beaches codenamed Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats.

On that single day, 4,414 Allied soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded.

On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

The battle for Normandy lasted nearly three months, and by late August, Paris was liberated.

This year, Greg Jensen, 51, decided to visit the beach with his 20-year-old daughter from Dallas.

On Saturday, they visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.

'I took a moment to just hold the sand, and think, gosh, the blood that was spilled to give me that moment of freedom to hold that sand,' he told Euro News. 'That was emotional for me.'

And for 82-year-old Dale Thompson, visiting the site over the weekend was a first.

Thompson, who travelled from Florida with his wife, served in the 101st Airborne Division of the US military in the early 1960s.

He was stateside and saw no combat.

Walking amid the thousands of marble headstones, Thompson wondered how he would have reacted if he landed at D-Day.

'I try to put myself in their place,' he said. 'Could I be as heroic as these people?'
Russian President Vladimir Putin lost two of his most senior commanders in a single day in a devastating bridge ambush in eastern Ukraine, a group of independent journalists working on both sides of the war have claimed.

Russia confirmed the death of Major-General Roman Kutuzov on Sunday, but new reports on Monday said Lieutenant-General Roman Berdnikov was killed on the same day in an attack carried out by Kyiv's forces.

It has been suggested that the unusual speed with which Kutuzov's death was confirmed by Moscow was an attempt to cover up the loss of Berdnikov, 47.

Less than a month ago, Berdnikov was commander of the Russian armed forces task force in Syria, and he was moved to take charge of Putin's forces and those of the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR] in Donbas.

If his death is confirmed he will be the 12th general to have been killed in the war.

Reports on Sunday said that Lieutenant-General Roman Berdnikov (pictured) was killed in Ukraine, the second Russian general to have been reported killed on the same day

Russia confirmed the death of Major-General Roman Kutuzov (pictured) on Sunday

It would mean the two of the most senior Russian commanders in Donetsk were wiped out in one strike in a stunning and embarrassing setback to Putin.

The claims that both Berdnikov and Kutuzov died came from the Volya Telegram channel which has independent war journalists working on both sides of the conflict.

'On the morning of June 5, Lt-Gen Roman Berdnikov, who led the Russian troops and units of the DPR from Donetsk, left with the headquarters on a working trip,' said the post. 'On the way, presumably on a bridge, the vehicles of the headquarters were attacked by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group.'

Part of the convoy was 'destroyed or immobilised' but some vehicles, 'having received serious damage and firing back, were able to escape from the ambush and leave,' the post said.

'After that, our sources reported that Roman Berdnikov died in this battle,' the report continued. 'A little later, two more sources confirmed this, specifying that other senior officers could have died during the battle.'

Later reports emerged that Berdnikov second-in-command Kutuzov had died.

Volya stated that it trusted its sources that both generals were killed, Kutuzov by a bridge in Donetsk region, and not at the location in Luhansk Region specified in early Russian reports.

'It is logical that they both rode in the same convoy and both were ambushed,' said the report. 'Part of the convoy was able to escape. We assume that Berdnikov was in one of the surviving cars, but died during the shelling.

'Those who escaped from the fire could not know the fate of those who remained on the bridge. They reported the attack and death of Berdnikov to the headquarters and that part of the convoy remained cut off and was under fire.

'It quickly became clear that Major General Kutuzov was among those remaining on the bridge. And as soon as the Russian military arrived at the battlefield, his body was also found.'

Berdnikov, a former Russian commander in Syria, was 'killed in Donbas' on June 5, according to Volya Telegram channel. Pictured: Roman Berdnikov at the Victory Day military parade at Khmeimim Air Base on May 9, 2022

The report stated: 'What Russian commanders had in their hands [was] two dead generals, one of whom led an entire army grouping in Syria [until May], and then played an important role in commanding the entire grouping in eastern Ukraine.

'The Russian Armed Forces had not yet lost two generals in a day in Ukraine.

'It is clear that the Ukrainian 'saboteurs' will not be silent and will tell about the successful attack.

'They do not know that they also managed to kill Berdnikov, because they saw the body of only Major General Kutuzov.'

The channel surmised that Russia 'loudly and publicly' announced the death of Kutuzov, in an attempt to mask the loss of 'the much more famous and important Berdnikov'.

Bernikov, who previously served in Siberia, is seen on video less than a month ago taking the salute at the 9 May Victory Day parade at Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Syria.

He was quoted as saying: 'Soldiers and officers of the Russian Armed Forces have been honourably defending Russia's interests in the fight against international terrorism in the Syrian Arab Republic and during the special military operation in Ukraine, worthily continuing the victorious traditions of frontline heroes.

'We are worthy successors of battle-front veterans, the memories of whom were passed down through the generations.'

Russia has been losing generals at an alarming rate, with unconfirmed reports suggesting Western intelligence - particularly that of the United States - has been helping Ukraine target Putin's most senior military figures in Ukraine.

Losing even two generals in a war would be considered extreme in most conflicts since the Second World War. If Berdnikov's death is confirmed, Putin will have seen a dozen of his generals killed.

In addition, at least 49 colonels have been killed so far in the war with Ukraine.

Reports of the death of the two generals came after Russia struck Kyiv with missiles for the first time in more than a month on Sunday.

This photograph taken on June 5, 2022 shows smoke after several explosions hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early morning. Several explosions rocked the Darnytsky and Dniprovsky districts

Smoke rises after missile strikes, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, June 5

One person was reported hospitalised. Dark smoke could be seen from many miles away after the attack on two outlying districts.

Ukraine said the strike hit a rail car repair works, while Moscow said it had destroyed tanks sent by Eastern European countries to Ukraine.

Ukraine said Russia had carried out the Kyiv strike using long-range air-launched missiles fired from heavy bombers as far away as the Caspian Sea.

Russia says the strikes are part of a campaign to degrade Ukraine's military infrastructure and block Western arms shipments.

President Vladimir Putin warned the United States on Sunday that Russia would strike new targets if the West supplied longer-range missiles to Ukraine for use in high-precision mobile rocket systems.

Britain said on Monday it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80 km (50 miles) away, a move that was coordinated with the United States in response to Russia's invasion.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk and Russian forces are pushing towards Sloviansk, which lies about 53 miles to the west, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Monday.

Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in Sievierodonetsk.

In Lysychansk, Russian forces fired on a bakery and several administrative and residential buildings, Gaidai said on Monday, adding one civilian had been wounded.

Evacuations resumed from the Ukrainian-held part of Luhansk province on Sunday, and 98 people had escaped, Gaidai said.

The governor of Russia's western Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said the border village of Tyotkino had come under fire from Ukraine on Monday morning that targeted a bridge and some businesses.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Ukraine's military reported that its forces repelled seven attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Sunday, destroying four tanks and shooting down a combat helicopter. It was not immediately possible to verify the battlefield reports.
Boris Johnson is facing a dramatic vote of no confidence today as rebel Tory MPs seek to kill off his leadership.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, confirmed this morning that he has now received the 54 letters from party colleagues needed to trigger a vote.

The secret ballot, which will take place at Westminster at between 6pm and 8pm, raises the possibility that Mr Johnson's tenure could come to a crashing end less than three years after he won a stunning 80-strong Commons majority.

It comes after a steady stream of Tory MPs called publicly for the Prime Minister to stand down in the wake of Sue Gray's report into illegal Covid parties in No 10 and Whitehall.

In order to oust the Prime Minister however the rebels will need 180 MPs, and allies of Mr Johnson - including members of the Cabinet - have made clear he is determined to fight to stay on.

Here are the key questions about the upcoming vote.

What is the mechanism for removing the Tory leader?

Conservative Party rules allow MPs to force a vote of no confidence in their leader, with much of the responsibility resting in the hands of the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady.

A total of 54 letters of no confidence from Tory MPs, representing 15 per cent of the 360-strong parliamentary party, are needed to trigger a vote.

Sir Graham has received a steady stream of letters in recent days as Tories spent time in their constituencies consulting local parties about their position.

He announced this morning that the threshold had been reached - after waiting for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations to conclude.

At least 50 per cent of Tory MPs must vote 'no confidence' for the Prime Minister to lose.



Most predictions suggest Boris Johnson is likely to win today's no confidence vote, but he could still emerge wounded

How many Tory MPs have sent letters so far?

We know more than 54 letters must have gone in to trigger the no confidence vote, but the exact number is confidential unless the MP sending it makes it public.

That means only Sir Graham knows precisely how many letters there are at any one time - and he is famously secretive about the numbers.

Almost every day last week Tory MPs declared they had submitted letters of no confidence in their leader.

More than 30 Tory MPs have publicly urged the PM to resign amid the fallout from Partygate, but they have not all confirmed whether they have submitted letters.

Jesse Norman - a long-term supporter of Mr Johnson - today became the latest Tory MP to announce that he had submitted a letter to Sir Graham.

In a letter to the PM posted on social media, Mr Norman, the MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, said Mr Johnson had presided over 'a culture of casual law-breaking' in No 10 and that his claim to be vindicated by the Sue Gray report was 'grotesque'.

Why now?

Earlier this year Mr Johnson became the first serving UK Prime Minister found to have broken the law.

He refused to stand down after receiving a single fine for attending a lockdown-breaching event in Downing Street in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

But support for him among Conservatives has ebbed away in recent weeks following the publication of an internal inquiry which found he presided over a culture of such parties that ran late into the night and even featured a drunken fight among staff.

A host of Tory MPs have come forward to say they do not believe the party can win the next general election under Mr Johnson's leadership.

Opinion polls have shown deep public disapproval over the scandal, with large majorities of people saying he knowingly lied about 'Partygate' and that he should resign.

The Tories have suffered several electoral setbacks during his tenure, including losing traditionally safe seats to the Liberal Democrats in by-elections and hundreds of councillors in local elections in early May.

The party is also predicted to lose two more by-elections later this month, in southwest and northern England.

What happens between now and the vote this evening?

Between now and the vote between 6pm and 8pm this evening, Tory MPs will be subjected to a frantic wave of lobbying by the Prime Minister and his allies.

MPs will also be collared for their voting intentions in order to target lobbying efforts at potential rebels.

Cabinet ministers have immediately rallied round Mr Johnson, so will - outwardly at least - be joining attempts to push the vote in his favour.

Opponents of the PM are likely to be similarly active.

How with the physical voting process work?

A ballot box that is kept in the office of one of the 1922 Committee's executive members will be used for the vote.

It is likely the box will be placed in the same room where MPs gather for meetings of the committee each week, at the centre of a long corridor on the first floor of the Palace of Westminster, overlooking the Thames.

Tory MPs will vote between 6pm and 8pm by secret ballot and, just like at a general election, photography will be banned.

This is intended to prevent the PM's allies from demanding photographic evidence that an MP has voted in his favour.

The idea is for MPs to be allowed to vote according to their conscience. Any MP who is away from Westminster can nominate a proxy to vote on their behalf.

Sir Graham Brady oversees the process as chair of the backbench 1922 Committee

When will the result be announced?

The results will be announced on TV at 9pm.

The process is a simple yes-or-no vote, with the leader technically only needing to win support from a simple majority of MPs.

It is likely Sir Graham will do as he did in 2018, and assemble MPs and journalists in the same committee room where voting took place earlier in the day.

He will then announce that the parliamentary party does or does not have confidence in Mr Johnson, before revealing the number of votes cast on each side.

Sir Graham said he hoped there would be a 'clear result'.

What happens if he 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.

In a leadership contest MPs whittle down the field of contenders to two before party members have the final say.

How does a Tory leadership contest work?

If Mr Johnson is voted out or forced to resign, a leadership contest to replace him as the head of the Tory Party would take place - although he is likely to remain in post as Prime Minister until a successor is in place.

The contest takes place in two stages.

In the first stage, Conservative MPs put themselves forward as candidates.

All Tory MPs then vote in a series of rounds to reduce the number of candidates until only two remain.

The second stage of the contest sees the two remaining candidates put to a vote of Conservative Party members.

Mr Johnson won the leadership contest in 2019 against Jeremy Hunt, following Theresa May's resignation.

And if he survives?

If Mr Johnson survives, under Conservative Party rules no further confidence vote can be held by the 1922 Committee for another year.

However, Sir Graham today acknowledged that Mr Johnson will not necessarily be safe even if he survives tonight's vote.

Although the Conservative committee's rules say there could not be another confidence vote for 12 months, Sir Graham said those procedures could be changed.

Theresa May - pictured with her husband Philip at the Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving service at St Paul's - also faced a no confidence vote

'Technically it's possible for rules to be changed but the rule at present is there would be a period of grace,' he told reporters.

But even if Mr Johnson survives the vote this evening, his leadership could be fatally undermined if a significant number of MPs vote against him.

Could he resign anyway if he only wins by a narrow margin?

Technically yes, but the signals coming out of Number 10 suggest he is determined to fight on.

'Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people's priorities,' a Downing Street spokesman said.

'The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they're united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.'

His reputation as a political survivor who has resisted a raft of other calls to resign in the past also suggests he would have to be forced out.

What if he decided to quit immediately?

The cabinet would agree on a temporary successor while a leadership contest took place.

This is likely to be Mr Johnson's deputy, Dominic Raab.

Who could replace Mr Johnson?

One major problem for the rebels is the lack of an obvious replacement for Mr Johnson.

Rishi Sunak, previously regarded as the favourite, was also fined over Partygate and there is no other front runner.

Former Cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt has been touted as a contender, while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is riding high with party grass roots. Tom Tugendhat is the only MP to have openly declared he wants to be PM.

When was the mechanism to replace the leader last used?

The last confidence vote was held in December 2018 when, after months of speculation, enough MPs decided they no longer had faith in Theresa May's leadership.

She won the contest 200 votes to 117 - making her immune to another challenge for a year.

But she was forced to announce her resignation the following spring amid another insurrection over Brexit, paving the way for Mr Johnson to take the helm.
Tory MPs have been licking their lips at the thought of entering No10 as Prime Minister for months as Boris Johnson's backing within the party collapsed as a result of Partygate and other scandals.

Possible candidates to succeed him come from all wings of the party, from the libertarian right to the One Nation Tory centre.

Among the front-runners are Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and one of her predecessors in the post, Jeremy Hunt, both of whom have made little secret of their desire to take the top job.

Other candidates expected to join a leadership race include Defence Secretary Ben Wallace - who like Truss is very popular with grassroots Tories due to his tough position over the Ukraine war.

And outsiders could include people like Tom Tugendhat, the former British Army officer and chairman of the foreign affairs committee, and Mark Harper, the former chief whip turned critic of the PM's handling of the Covid pandemic.

But that could be part of the problem facing Conservative MPs who will cast their ballots in the no confidence vote tonight - who is the alternative to Boris Johnson who can unite the party?

The PM sounded defiance after backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed this morning that at least 54 MPs have asked for a full ballot, and one will be held between 6pm and 8pm.

With the results declared shortly afterwards, it raises the possibility that Mr Johnson's tenure could come to a crashing end less than three years after he won a stunning 80-strong Commons majority.

However, if 50 per cent of MPs back him in theory he is safe for a year - with some insurgents fearing they have moved too early ahead of key by-elections later this month.

Cabinet ministers immediately rallied round, with Ms Truss, Mr Wallace and Chancellor Rishi Sunak all giving him their backing.

The PM (pictured in No10 today) sounded defiant after backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed this morning that at least 54 MPs have asked for a full ballot

Boris Johnson is the only member of the Cabinet in negative territory in the latest ConservativeHome grassroots poll

But there is speculation that some might be about to quit to join the insurrection, with trade minister Penny Mordaunt seen as on 'resignation watch'.

However, as tonight's ballot is confidential, there is no need for ministers to resign to vote against him, other than as a signal of intent.

Here we look at the potential runners and riders in the unlikely event

Liz Truss: Instagram-friendly Foreign Secretary who loves a Maggie-themed photo

46-year-old Foreign Secretary and South West Suffolk MP

Has persistently been linked with a leadership challenge

Has used role to recreate some classic images of ex-PM Margaret Thatcher

Has faced a tough time with comments on the Ukraine conflict

Ms Truss has been regularly linked with a tilt at No10. The former international trade secretary was promoted last year to succeed Dominic Raab.

The South West Norfolk MP has held a string of Cabinet posts under successive party leaders and is popular with the party grassroots.

But while she has been hawkish over the war in Ukraine, the conflict has hit her prospects after several stumbles.

Prior to the February 24 invasion she visited Russia for talks with her Kremlin counterpart Sergei Lavrov, in which she overtly channeled the style of Margaret Thatcher on a similar trip 35 years previously.

Her use of Instagram to share images of her looking tough and commanding has also drawn comment.

The South West Norfolk MP has held a string of Cabinet posts under successive party leaders and is popular with the party grassroots.

Liz Truss posed on a tank during a visit to British troops on deployment to Estonia last November, which drew comparisons with Margaret Thatcher (below)

The Foreign Secretary posed for pictures in Red Square in a fur coat and hat, 35 years after the former Tory premier did the same on a visit to the then Soviet Union.

But she received a bit of a mauling from Putin's attack dog, who said their talks had been like 'the deaf talking to the blind'.

She was also criticised early in the conflict for urging Britons to go to fight for Russia even if they have no military experience, advice later contradicted by senior military figures.

But the Remain voter from 2016 has become a born-again Brexiteer in the years since, something that will aid her in any vote.

As Foreign Secretary she has taken on responsibility for negotiating changes to the Brexit agreement with the EU to sort out the political impasse in Northern Ireland. A deadlock-breaking agreement is unlikely but unilateral action by the UK is being mooted, which could help boost her credentials.

Jeremy Hunt: Former Cabinet minister who wants another go after losing to Boris in 2019

Former foreign secretary and longest-serving health secretary in history

53-year-old lost heavily to Mr Johnson in 2019 leadership vote final

Former Remainer who has become a convert to the Brexit cause

Has made no secret of desire to run again with increasingly high profile

Jeremy Hunt lost heavily to Boris Johnson in the 2019 leadership election that followed the resignation of Theresa May.

But he is showing no signs of letting the mauling at the hands of Tory members dissuade him three years later.

The former minister turned Health Committee chairman has made a series of increasingly high profile public interventions on health policy in recent weeks.

And he has consistently refused to rule out running to replace Boris Johnson if he quits. This morning he tweeted: 'Todays decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.'

The former minister turned Health Committee chairman has made a series of increasingly high profile public interventions on health policy in recent weeks.

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

Last month he refused to say whether Boris Johnson was 'honest' as he warned the Prime Minister has a 'big mountain to climb' in winning back Tory voters.

The South West Surrey MP cast doubt on the PM's ability to once again prove a Tory vote winner as he insisted it would be a 'mistake' to dismiss the party's local election losses as 'mid-term blues'.

But the former Cabinet minister insisted now was not the time for renewed efforts to topple Mr Johnson and said he 'hoped' the PM would lead the Tories into the next general election.

The comments were seen as a warning shot to the PM - and a clear message to Tory MPs - that he is waiting in the wings should Mr Johnson continue to stumble.

Like Truss he is a former Remain voter who has become a convert to the Brexit cause. He also has his own fair share of gaffs in his locker, including describing his Chinese wife Lucia - with whom he has three children - as 'Japanese' in an interview.

Ben Wallace: Hawkish Defence Secretary who has talked tough about 'tonto' Putin

52-year-old former British Army officer is Defence Secretary

He is currently the most popular minister with the Tory grassroots

Sandhurst-educated father of three has led efforts to arm Ukraine to fight off the Russian invasion

Was targeted by Russian pranksters who managed to speak to him on a video call in March

Currently the most popular minister with Tory grassroots, according to the Conservative Home website.

The Defence Secretary's low profile has risen into full view as he emerged as one of the foremost Cabinet hawks on the Ukraine War.

The 52-year-old former Scots Guards officer has been at the forefront of efforts to supply Kyiv with weapons and expertise to fight off the Russian invasion, which has boosted his support base and name recognition.

The Sandhurst-educated father of three has overcome a Russian attempt to humiliate him after a Kremlin-backed prankster managed to get through to him on a video call, parts of which were later broadcast on YouTube.

He was asked if he supported Ukraine's 'nuclear aims' by a man claiming to be the PM of Ukraine.

He has also avoided being implicated in the worst failures of the UK's retreat from Afghanistan last summer, with blame being generally laid at the door of the Foreign Office.

The Defence Secretary's low profile has risen into full view as he emerged as one of the foremost Cabinet hawks on the Ukraine War.

Last week he confirmed Britain is to arm Ukraine with precision-guided M270 rockets that have a range of up to 50 miles to help match Russia's artillery arsenal.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded heavier weapons to counter Russia's artillery. Germany and the US have also pledged long-range weapon systems.

Today he tweeted: 'In 2019 Boris won with a majority of 80. He has delivered victories in seats we have never held before.

'On Covid, on Ukraine he has helped deliver a world leading response. He has my full confidence.'

Rishi Sunak: Once high-flying Chancellor who was hit by controversies over tax

Chancellor was top-rated minister at the end of 2021 after Covid largesse

But profile has gone into freefall after a series of controversies in 2022

Wife revealed to be a non-dom taxpayer living in Downing Street

Sunak himself also faced questions over US Green Card possession

At the end of 2021 the Chancellor was the number one candidate to succeed Boris Johnson.

His largesse with taxpayers' cash during the Covid crisis - furlough payments and other measures - and slick social media campaigns made him widely popular within the party and with the wider electorate.

It was a rapid rise to the top for a minister who only became Chancellor weeks before lockdown kicked in early in 2020.

But the popularity of 'Brand Rishi' has taken a tumble in 2022 amid a series of controversies and rows with No10.

In the spring it was revealed his multi-millionaire heiress wife Akshata Murty was revealed to be living in Downing Street while having non-dom tax status.

At the end of 2021 the Chancellor was the number one candidate to succeed Boris Johnson.

Rishi Sunak was hit by a political backlash over the news that his heiress wife Akshata Murty was domiciled in India for tax purposes

She has legally avoided paying a huge UK tax bill by paying 30,000 a year to register as based in India.

He insisted she hasn't 'done anything wrong' while accusing his critics of 'smearing her to get at him'. She later agreed to pay full UK tax.

Later it emerged Mr Sunak, a father of two and former international banker, himself held a US Green Card for a year into his term leading the Treasury.

While the status would not save him any money on his tax bill, it carries a responsibility to make the United States 'your permanent home'.

There were also a series of rows with No 10 after recovery spending and his involvement with Partygate: he received a 50 fine for attending Boris Johnson's surprise - and rule-breaking - birthday party in No10 in June 2020, even though he claimed he was just passing through on his way to a meeting.

His supporters blamed No10 for embroiling him in the controversy, souring an already acidic relationship within Downing Street.

Today he tweeted: 'From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.

'I am backing him today and will continue to back him as we focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living and clearing the Covid backlogs.'

Penny Mordaunt: popular Brexiteer trade minister who pointedly refused to back Boris today

Trade minister and Royal Navy reservist who backed Jeremy Hunt in 2019

Ignored other ministers tweeting support for PM to instead write about D-Day

She was the first woman to serve as defence secretary and was also international trade secretary

Appeared on reality TV show in 2014 wearing just a swimsuit

Penny Mordaunt has already emerged as possibly one of the least subtle potential candidates to run.

While other ministers spend this morning tweeting their support of the Prime Minister, she pointedly tweeted ... about attending a D-Day ceremony in Portsmouth, where she is an MP.

'Today I will be attending Portsmouth's commemoration service to remember the efforts and sacrifice of #DDay,' she wrote.

The Brexiteer, 49, a naval reservist who once appeared on reality TV in a swimsuit, is popular with party members.

She was the first woman to serve as defence secretary and was also international trade secretary and is currently a trade minister.

Supporters have pushed her credentials as the potential unity candidate any leadership race appears to lack - she is a Brexit voter who backed Jeremy Hunt in 2019.

She was the first woman to serve as defence secretary and was also international trade secretary and is currently a trade minister.

While other ministers spend this morning tweeting their support of the Prime Minister, she pointedly tweeted ... about attending a D-Day ceremony in Portsmouth, where she is an MP.

The Brexiteer, 49, a naval reservist who once appeared on reality TV in a swimsuit, is popular with party members.

Ms Mordaunt has already been on resignation watch once this year. In January she spoke out against a proposed 1.2 billion underwater electricity cable project backed by a Russian oligarch and major Tory donor.

She opposed plans by Aquind, co-owned by Alexander Temerko, to construct the interconnector under the Channel between Normandy and Portsmouth.

Temerko, who previously ran a firm producing weapons for Russias military, and Aquind have given more than 1 million to the Tories and the oligarch has regularly featured in photos at fundraisers with Prime Ministers and their Cabinets.

Government sources said Mordaunt was ready to quit if the cable was approved. The project was later rejected.

Tom Tugendhat: Iraq and Afghanistan veteran turned China and foreign affairs hawk

An Army reservist who served in Iraq and Afghanistan

The son of a high court judge and the nephew of a Tory peer.

Father of two said in 2017 that it would be 'great to be PM'.

Another Tory MP with military experience. Tugendhat, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is a confirmed Boris critic who has taken aim at the government over its attitude to China and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Some MPs believe the 48-year-old, an Army reservist who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, would be well-suited to the role and represents the 'best chance for a fresh start'.

However, some are concerned about his lack of political experience and voting for a second posh PM in a row. He is the son of a high court judge and the nephew of a Tory peer.

Mr Tugendhat, who is married with two children, has previously made clear that he would fancy a tilt at the top job, saying in 2017 that it would be 'great to be PM'.

Some MPs believe the 48-year-old, an Army reservist who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, would be well-suited to the role and represents the 'best chance for a fresh start'.

He was a member of the Territorial Army when the Iraq War broke out in 2003 and he was mobilised as an Arabic-speaking intelligence officer to serve with the Royal Marines. He went into Iraq as part of Operation TELIC - the initial invasion.

After the war he returned to a job in the City of London but then went back to Iraq to help with the economic reconstruction of the country.

In 2006 the Foreign Office then asked Mr Tugendhat to go to Afghanistan to help grow its national security council. The Tory MP can speak Arabic, Dari and French.

The Tory MP was applauded in the House of Commons during a debate on the UK's exit from Afghanistan in August 2021 as he detailed his experience in the country.

He told a silent chamber: 'Like many veterans, this last week has seen me struggle through anger, grief and ragethrough the feeling of abandonment of not just a country, but the sacrifice that my friends made.

'I have been to funerals from Poole to Dunblane. I have watched good men go into the earth, taking with them a part of me and a part of all of us. This week has torn open some of those wounds, has left them raw and left us all hurting.'

Nadhim Zahawi: Minister who came to the UK as a child refugee and made a fortune

Kurdish Iraqi arrived in the Uk as a refugee from Saddam Hussein's regime

One of the wealthiest members of Parliament, he set up polling company YouGov

He is said to have a property empire worth around 100million.

Mr Zahawi is seen by some as an outside choice to replace the PM. He has a strong personal back story that culminated in him becoming the first Kurdish Iraqi MP.

The Education Secretary fled Saddam Hussein's Iraq with his family when he was a child. Privately-educated at King's College School in West London and University College London where he studied chemical engineering.

One of the wealthiest members of Parliament, he went on to be named 'entrepreneur of the year' by Ernst & Young and set up successful polling company YouGov.

He is said to have a property empire worth around 100million.

The Education Secretary fled Saddam Hussein's Iraq with his family when he was a child. Privately-educated at King's College School in West London and University College London where he studied chemical engineering.

The father-of-three was elected MP in 2010 - the first Kurdish Iraqi to be elected to Parliament.

The Brexit-supporting minister is trusted by Number 10 and is a regular feature on the morning media round.

Despite initially backing Dominic Raab for Conservative party leader in 2019, he has been loyal to Mr Johnson ever since.

He was previously children's minister from January 2018 to July 2019, during which time he attended the controversial Presidents Club Ball.

He was said to have been given a dressing down by the chief whip after complaints of sexism and harassment at the all-male gathering for the business elite.

During the MPs expenses scandal, he was forced to apologise for claiming taxpayers' money to heat his stables on his Warwickshire estate.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has paid a visit to Ukrainian troops on the frontline in Donbas, putting himself within easy range of Russian artillery to hand out bravery medals amid a major counter-attack in the region.

Zelensky was filmed meeting with his men inside bunkers in Lysychansk and Bakhmut - just a few hundred yards from the frontline - on Sunday, shaking hands with soldiers and speaking about the situation with his commanders.

'I want to thank you for your great work, for your service, for protecting all of us, our state. I am grateful to everyone,' he told them. 'Take care of yourselves!'

It is not Zelensky's first visit to the front or his first outside of Kyiv - he visited Kharkiv last month while fighting was still ongoing north of the city - but the latest excursion does take him closer to the frontline than ever before.

And it comes amid major fighting along the front, with Ukrainian forces launching a surprise counter-attack in the city of Severodonetsk at the weekend and pushing back Russian troops which had appeared on the verge of seizing it.

President Zelensky is pictured holding up a Ukrainian flag alongside one of his soldiers fighting on the frontlines in Donbas in an unexpected visit to the front

Zelensky visited troops in Lysychansk and Bakhmut, according to the presidential office, in a trip that will have taken him just a few hundred yards from the front

The president used his visit to shake hands with troops and issue medals, as well as getting and in-person update from commanders

Zelensky's visit too him within just a few hundred yards of the frontlines in eastern Ukraine, as counter-attacks take place across the country

Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk province where Severodonetsk is located, said in a Sunday update that Ukraine is now in control of more than 50 per cent of the city - while analysts at the Institute for the Study of War put the figure at 70 per cent.

It marks a remarkable turnaround from the situation late last week, when Russia was in control of 80 per cent of the city and Haidai was saying he would be willing to order Ukraine's forces to retreat if the order came down from Kyiv.

It also raises fresh questions about whether Putin will be able to achieve even his most-modest of war aims - the capture of Donbas - after failing miserably in a bold early effort to take Kyiv, and what will happen to him if defeat becomes unavoidable.

Ukraine is now involved in counter-attacks on almost every front, seizing more territory to the north of Kharkiv at the weekend while also trading territory with Russia to the west of Kherson in a series of punches and counter-punches.

No side has yet emerged dominant, but time favours Ukraine as more reinforcements and Western weapons arrive at the front to bolster its forces while Russia's invasion force is whittled down as men and equipment are destroyed in combat.

Zelensky said he also travelled to Zaporizhzhia in the southeast to meet with residents of Mariupol who had managed to leave the port city before it fell to Russia.

'Each family has its own story. Most were without men,' he said.

'Someone's husband went to war, someone's is in captivity, someone's, unfortunately, died.

Zelensky also paid a visit to Zaporizhzhia - close to Mariupol where many of those who evacuated the city as it was bombed by Russia are now staying

Zelensky is pictured listening to an update from one of his commanders during a visit to Lysychansk, on the Donbas frontline, late Sunday

Zelensky is given an update from his commanders during a visit to Bakhmut, another key city in Donbas, on Sunday night

'A tragedy. No home, no loved one. But we must live for the children. True heroes - they are among us.'

Zelensky's trip to the battlefield gave him an important firsthand view of military operations and was a morale booster for his frontline troops, former Australian army general Mick Ryan said.

It also demonstrated 'he has total trust in his army' and served to heighten the contrast between his leadership style and that of his Russian opponent Vladimir Putin.

'An important characteristic demonstrated by Zelensky is his willingness to take personal risk to visit soldiers in the field, and get his own sense of how military operations are unfolding,' Ryan tweeted Monday.

'This is an important way that Zelensky differentiates himself from his adversary.

'I am pretty sure that Putin will not be accepting invitations to visit the poorly fed and led - but well armed - Russian troops in Ukraine at any point in the near future.'

Zelensky previously visited frontlines at the end of May, while there is no indication Putin has been anywhere near the battlefield since he launched his invasion.

Sunday also brought the first Russian missile strikes on Kyiv since April 28.

'High-precision, long-range missiles fired by the Russian Aerospace Forces on the outskirts of Kyiv destroyed T-72 tanks supplied by eastern European countries and other armoured vehicles that were in hangars,' a Russian defence ministry spokesman said.

A Ukrainian soldier is pictured near a defensive position in Bakhmut, close to the frontline with Russian in the eastern Donbas region

A Ukrainian soldier uses a grenade launcher to open fire on Russian attackers near the city of Bakmut, in the eastern Donbas region

A Ukrainian soldier equipped with a British NLAW anti-tank launcher on the lookout for Russian armoured vehicles near Bakhmut, Donbas

One person was wounded, and AFP reporters saw several buildings with blown-out windows near one of the sites that were targeted.

Ukraine has asked supporting countries for ever more powerful arms to fend off the Russian attack, and its deputy defence minister stressed Sunday this support was needed until Moscow was defeated.

The United States last week said it would supply Ukraine with advanced missile systems, the latest in a long list of weaponry sent or pledged to the pro-Western country.

But Putin said long-range missile supplies to Ukraine meant 'we will draw the appropriate conclusions and use our arms... to strike targets we haven't hit before'.

Unveiling the latest UK contribution, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace insisted Ukraine's Western allies must maintain their weapons deliveries to enable it to win.

The UK Ministry of Defence said London had coordinated closely with Washington over its gift of the multiple-launch rocket systems, known as MLRS.

The M270 launchers, which can strike targets up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) away with precision-guided rockets, will 'offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces', the ministry added.

Western powers have imposed increasingly stringent sanctions on Russia but divisions have emerged on how to act, particularly on whether to engage in dialogue with Russia.

Speaking from the apostolic palace in St Peter's Square, Pope Francis on Sunday renewed calls for 'real negotiations' to end what he called the 'increasingly dangerous escalation' of the war.

Russian troops now occupy a fifth of Ukraine's territory, according to Kyiv, and Moscow has imposed a blockade on its Black Sea ports, sparking fears of a global food crisis.

Ukraine and Russia are among the top wheat exporters in the world.

The United Nations said it was leading intense negotiations with Russia to allow Ukraine's grain harvest to leave the country.

An eldery woman walks in front of destroyed houses after a missile strike which killed one civilians in the city of Druzhkivka, in Donbas
Three Tempe, Arizona police officers have been put on 'non-disciplinary paid administrative leave' amid an investigation into the death of a homeless man, who drowned while pleading for their help.

Newly released bodycam footage and a transcript of the incident show Sean Bickings, 34, jumped into Tempe Town Lake in Arizona on May 28 after a reported disturbance with his wife.

Bickings is seen getting into the water after officers arrived on the scene at 5am following reports of a physical altercation, which the couple denied.

Sean Bickings, 34, jumped into Tempe Town Lake in Arizona on May 28 after a reported disturbance with his wife

The 34-year-old (pictured) drowned while three police officers allegedly watched as he plead for their help

While checking if the couple had any outstanding arrest warrants, Bickings climbed over a four-foot fence and jumped in the water.

He is heard saying: 'I'm going to go for a swim. I'm free to go, right?'

The cops told the 34-year-old he was not allowed to enter the lake while standing on the other side of the fence, as he leaped in.

He is seen swimming away from the shore while one officer is heard saying: 'How far do you think he is going to be able to swim?'

The edited bodycam footage shared by officers then ends before Bickings drowned, because they said it was too sensitive.

While checking if the couple had any outstanding arrest warrants, Bickings climbed over a four-foot fence and jumped in the water

He is seen swimming away from the shore while one officer is heard saying: 'How far do you think he is going to be able to swim?'

Instead they provided a transcript in which Bickings desperately appealing for help from the officers.

He said: 'I'm drowning.'

One officer then replied: 'Come back over to the pylon.'

Bickings said: 'I can't, I can't.'

The other officer then said: 'OK, I'm not jumping in after you.'

He begged: 'Please help me. Please, please, please. I can't touch. Oh God, Please help me. Help me.'

Bickings' wife who was still on the scene also pleaded with officers to intervene, saying: 'I'm just distraught because he's drowning right in front of you and you won't help.'

Officers had arrived at the scene at 5am after reports of the physical altercation, which the couple denied

The transcript claims one of the officers then threatened to put her in his police car unless she calmed down.

One officer reportedly tried to get a boat to rescue Bickings but it was too late and he dropped below the surface of the water.

His body was not recovered until 11.20am.

Andy Anderson, a former assistant chief with Phoenix Police, told 12News, 'This is not a lake patrol team that has the equipment to do a water rescue, these are street cops.'

City Manager Andrew Ching and Police Chief Jeff Glover said the death was a 'tragedy.'

The incident and the police response is being investigated by Scottsdale police and the department of public safety.

Officials said in a statement: 'The three Tempe police officers who responded to the call and witnessed the drowning have been placed on non-disciplinary paid administrative leave pending the investigations, as is customary in critical incidents.'
A Renaissance painting by an Italian master found hanging above a bed in a bungalow in Enfield has been sold for more than 250,000.

The depiction of the Madonna and Child by Filippino Lippi, a student of Boticelli, was painted in the 15th century.

It was discovered during a routine valuation of the contents of a house by Dawsons Auctioneers valuer Siobhan Tyrell, who has appeared on the Antiques Roadshow.

The painting's owner, who inherited the masterwork from her father more than 30 years ago, is a 90-year-old woman with dementia who has been living in a care home since last year.

Her family were selling her bungalow in Enfield, north London, to help pay for her care when the surprising discovery was made.

A 15th century depiction of the Madonna and Child by Filippino Lippi, a student of Boticelli, found hanging above a bed in a bungalow in Enfield has been sold for more than 250,000

They had no idea about the painting, its history or its value.

The oil on canvas painting, which measures 50cm x 43.5cm, fetched 255,000 when it went under the hammer at auction.

More than 20 people from all around the world put in bids but it was eventually sold to a British buyer.

Auctioneer Peter Mason said: 'We had over 20 active bidders on the day but it became a two-horse race when we reached 100,000.

'We knew it would do well but the final hammer price exceeded our expectations.'

Mrs Tyrell, head of valuations at the auctioneers said: 'There was nothing exceptional in the house until I walked into the bedroom and saw the painting hanging, off kilter, above a bed.

More than 20 people from around the world put in bids but it was eventually sold to a British buyer for 255,000. Pictured: An auctioneer from Dawsons Auctions stands next to the masterpiece

'Although I'm a general valuer and not a painting specialist, I recognised it was significant straight away.'

Aubrey Dawson, managing director at Dawsons, said: 'As an international auction house, we sell many items of much higher value but this was special and gave the team a real buzz.

'Most people watch programmes like Antiques Roadshow to see rare finds being discovered and we all secretly hope to find something lurking in our own attics.

'The discovery of this painting was one of those moments and the fact the owner and her family had no idea of its value made it all the more enjoyable for everyone concerned.'

Filippino Lippi is believed to have been born in Italy in 1457 and was a pupil of Botticelli.

His canon of work includes frescoes and altarpieces alongside paintings.

While his work is often eclipsed by that of his father, Fra Filippo Lippi, and younger artists Raphael and Michelangelo, it is still regarded as an important influence on High Renaissance artists.

Dawsons Auctioneers specialise in fine art, jewellery and antiques.
A Philadelphia mass shooting resulted in the death of three people and the injury of 11 others on Saturday night, with authorities saying there were "several active shooters" amid rising gun violence in the U.S. continues to soar in recent weeks.

Police officers were patrolling South Street, a lively area that had many restaurants and bars when they "observed several active shooters shooting into the crowd." The incident was announced by Inspector D.F. Pace of the Philadelphia Police Department at a news conference on Sunday.

Philadelphia Mass Shooting

One of the law enforcement personnel was said to have fired his gun at one of the shooters but it was unclear whether or not the suspect was hit. There were 14 victims who were taken to hospitals after the shooting, Pace said, adding that two men and a woman were pronounced dead upon arrival.

The fatalities were later identified to be Kristopher Minners, Alexis Quinn, and Gregory "Japan" Jackson, said State Sen. Vincent J. Hughes. Out of the 10 patients taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, three died, three were in stable condition, and the remaining four had been discharged, said Damien Woods, a spokesman for the hospital, as per the New York Times.

Pace noted that there were roughly hundreds of individuals simply enjoying their time in South Street, similar to what they do every single weekend when the shooting happened. The official said that the investigation was still ongoing and noted that the police were going to review surveillance footage in order to identify the gunmen.

Read Also: Wisconsin Cemetery Shooting Injures 5 People During Funeral of 37-Year-Old Man

Authorities recovered at least two guns from the scene, one with an extended magazine, with Pace adding that numerous shell casings littered the surrounding area. In a statement on Sunday, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and called for more firearm restrictions.

According to CNN, he said that the United States cannot accept continued violence as a way of life. He noted that until the country addresses the availability and ease of access to firearms, people will always be fighting an uphill battle.

A Surge of Gun Violence

Kenney said that authorities will continue to protect their communities and urge others to advocate for stronger laws that would keep guns out of the hands of violent individuals. On the other hand, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner called for boycotting National Rifle Association donations and lobbyists.

On Sunday, Krasner tweeted that after terrible crimes on South Street the night before, it was time for Pennsylvania legislators to make real action. He urged for the bringing of real common-sense gun regulation to Pennsylvania.

Surveillance footage of the area during the incident showed people on a crowded street running in panic. The situation comes as a shooting broke out in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as people were otherwise enjoying a simple Saturday night.

In another shooting in the early hours of Sunday in Saginaw, Michigan, three people were killed, said Saginaw police. In the Chattanooga shooting, three people were shot dead and 14 were injured. Authorities added that two people died from gunshot wounds and one person died from injuries after being struck by a vehicle while trying to flee the scene, Reuters reported.



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A pensioner has been found alive after being lost in the forest for six days.

Thai villager Inpan Wongkhamnuan, 70, went missing after venturing into the forest near his home in search of his favourite mangoes.

But instead of walking toward the orchard on May 26, he mistakenly followed a trail that led him deeper into the jungle in Lampang, northern Thailand.

Worried relatives sought help from authorities, who swiftly launched a search and rescue operation for the elderly man.

Village volunteers mobilised by Inpan's family numbered 100 - and spent six days searching

He prayed for someone to come and save him, while 100 people were on the lookout.

Inpan was finally found after nearly a week.

He was starving in a hut around 3 miles (5km) away from his home.

Relieved pensioner Inpan said: 'I do not have a mobile phone and I could not find the way back.

'So I just waited and prayed that people would find me.'

The old man's sister, Sawat Techa, 52, said: 'My brother told me that he was craving for mangoes so he went to pick them but he did not return that night.

Inpan, 70 (pictured barefoot, centre) was finally found praying in a hut by the band of rescuers

Inpan's family recruited a big group of search and rescue helpers to comb the Thai forest

'I asked our village chief for help.'

Local officer Bandit Charoen mobilised a rescue team the next morning.

Residents later mentioned a remote cave deep in the forest.

The team went to search around the area but the old man was not found in the cave.

However, he was found not far from it, in a hut.

Volunteers immediately completed medical checks and put Inpan on a stretcher before the team descended the mountain in a two-hour trek.

Inpan's handful of belongings (left) proved crucial as he spent six days with no food or water. Right: Inpan drinks water and appears relieved after being found lost without a mobile phone

They then transferred Inpan to a hospital. He was judged to be in stable condition.

Relieved relatives thanked the rescuers for their help.

Rescue leader Bandit Charoen said: 'There was no supplies of food or water in the jungle so the old man had to survive on what he could forage.

'A few more days and he would have not had enough energy to carry on.'
A mother-of-two nurse who faked her husband's death in an 'audacious' attempt to claim a 400,000 life insurance payout before she lied to get another job while suspended has been struck off.

Thulile Bhebhe, 52, told insurers Aviva that her partner Bekezela Bhebhe had suffered a pulmonary embolism while on holiday in Zimbabwe in August 2016.

She maintained the claim for more than a year before investigators found Bekezela, who was also a nurse, was still alive and had worked a day shift at Charing Cross Hospital in London on the day she claimed he had died.

Bhebhe was convicted of a single count of fraud by false representation at Central London Magistrates' Court in November 2018.

But just three weeks later, she lied about her criminal conviction on a McMillian Healthcare application.

She subsequently took a job with Bristol NHS Trust just a day after attending a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing in which she was made subject to an interim suspension order while the regulator probed her conviction.

Bhebhe, originally from South Africa completed 35 shifts over two months for the trust before internal checks found she was working illegally.

The nurse was sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years at Inner London Crown Court in March last year.

Thulile Bhebhe (pictured) pretended her husband was dead to claim 400,000 on his life insurance

Bekezela Bhebe was cleared of fraud at a trial after a judge ruled there was no evidence he had knowledge of his wife's activity

Her husband was cleared of the same offence at trial after a judge ruled there was no evidence that he had any knowledge of her fraudulent activity.

The court heard that Bhebhe, who had studied and worked in the UK for 14 years, was working for the NHS Direct phone services when she concocted the idea to forge her husband's death certificate.

In September 2016, she sent Aviva a medical consent form and a medical certificate from a hospital in Zimbabwe claiming her husband has passed away on August 9.

But when Aviva investigators probed the claim in January 2017, they rang her husband's workplace and found he had completed a shift on the very same day.

The couple were said to be in 'dire financial straits' owing tens of thousands of pounds in credit card debts, loans and tax.

Prosecutor Julian Pozimski said the case involved the provision of a life insurance policy worth a total of '397, 153'.

But passing sentence last year, Judge Nigel Seed QC described Bhebhe's life insurance claim as 'an audacious fraud, but "sophisticated" is hardly the word one could apply to it'.

And following a Nursing and Midwifery misconduct hearing on May 27, she has now been struck off the medical register.

Panel chair Suzy Ashworth found that, following her conviction, Bhebhe 'deliberately intended to conceal the existence' of her fraud conviction on the McMillian Healthcare application form.

Bhebhe pictured outside City of London Magistrates' Court in November 2018, where she admitted a single count of fraud by false representation

The panel concluded: 'Your actions were significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse and are fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register.

'The panel was of the view that the findings in this particular case demonstrate that your actions did raise fundamental questions about your professionalism and that to allow you to continue practising would undermine public confidence in the profession and in the NMC as a regulatory body.

'Balancing all of these factors and after taking into account all the evidence before it during this case, the panel determined that the appropriate and proportionate sanction is that of a striking-off order.

'Having regard to the effect of your actions in bringing the profession into disrepute by adversely affecting the publics view of how a registered nurse should conduct themselves, the panel has concluded that nothing short of this would be sufficient in this case.

'The panel considered that your removal from the NMC register is necessary to mark the importance of maintaining public confidence in the profession, and to send to the public and the profession a clear message about the standard of behaviour required of a registered nurse.'
Moscow's space chief issued wild threats overnight about launching Russia's 'Satan-2' hypersonic missile against NATO countries after Vladimir Putin's top diplomat was blocked from travelling to Serbia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was forced to cancel his visit after Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro - three NATO countries around Serbia - closed their airspace to his aircraft, infuriating the Kremlin.

The head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, hit back at the move saying that while Bulgaria, Romania and Montenegro could stop his plane, they would not halt a 208-ton, 15,880mph Sarmat missile - a.k.a the Satan-2.

He Tweeted: 'Do you know what is so good about Sarmat [ballistic missile]?

'It will not ask for a flying permit from Bulgarian cowards, vindictive Romanians and Montenegrins - who betrayed our joint history.'

The same would apply to the Swedes who are set on joining NATO, he said.

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had been to due to hold talks with top officials in Belgrade, one of Moscow's few remaining allies in Europe since the launch of its brutal invasion of Ukraine on February 24. His flight was blocked by three NATO countries

Rogozin's message brought a hail of abuse aimed at the outspoken space chief along with memes ridiculing him.

'Judging by your army performance, a missile aimed at Bulgaria will fall somewhere by Irkutsk [in Siberia]', said one response.

Another told him: 'Can you please stop typing in Cyrillic  Bulgarian cowards do not want trash like you using their letters. Glory to Ukraine.'

He was also told: 'Fed up with your mentions of the past. Why don't you speak about the future? Because there is no future for Russia with guys like you.

'You are at a dead end. You are not Russia. You are mafia, who illegally took power.'

Another critic said: 'You write about the beauty of Sarmat that kills people. Are you out of your mind?'

Officials in Moscow have boasted that the Satan-2, an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking targets at 15,880mph, will be deployed in autumn.

The Sarmat missile is said to be the world's longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of striking a target 11,200 miles away - meaning it could easily strike targets in the US and Europe from Russia.

Western military experts have said the Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys - easily enough to wipe out territories the size of Britain or France in a single strike.

The head of the Russian space agency Dmitry Rogozin hit back saying that while Bulgaria, Romania and Montenegro could stop his plane, they would not halt a 208-ton, 15,880mph Sarmat missile - a.k.a the Satan-2 (pictured during a test launch)

Rogozin was backed by Russian TV journalist Alexander Sladkov, who posted: 'All states that refused flight passage to our Sergei Lavrov should have their summer holidays season closed and put onto the stop-list of flights over Russia.'

These rogue states 'should be held responsible', he said. There were 'shameful mutts,' said pro-Kremlin journalist Yulia Vityazeva.

But independent journalist Tatyana Felgenhauer called it a 'beautiful' move to block Lavrov.

Russia's foreign minister had been to due to hold talks with top officials in Belgrade, one of Moscow's few remaining allies in Europe since the launch of its brutal invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The meetings were set for June 6-7.

Rogozin's comments brought a hail of abuse, along with memes ridiculing him. Pictured: The head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin

'An unthinkable thing has happened,' Lavrov said during an online news conference Monday. 'A sovereign state has been deprived of its right to conduct foreign policies. The international activities of Serbia on the Russian track have been blocked.'

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier Monday met with Russia's ambassador to Serbia who informed him that Lavrov could not come because the Russian government plane was denied necessary flyover permissions, a statement issued after the meeting said.

Vucic expressed 'dissatisfaction' over the 'circumstances' that prevented the visit and added that 'despite all, Serbia will preserve independence and autonomy in political decision-making.'

Lavrov blamed NATO countries for engineering the flight ban - Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia are all members of NATO - noting that the action showed again that the main purpose of the alliance expansion is to try to isolate Russia.

Lavrov is set to travel to Turkey on Wednesday, where he can fly directly over the Black Sea. Turkey has sought to harbor good relations with both Russia and Ukraine while also trying to help international mediation efforts in the crisis.

The Russian foreign minister said the West has trampled on the principle of a free choice of foreign policy partners.

'From the Western viewpoint, Serbia mustn't have any choice, any freedom in choosing its partners,' he said. 'The West clearly shows that it would use any base means to apply pressure.'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov deplored what what he described as 'hostile actions,' but said this 'won't significantly hamper the continuation of our country's contacts with friendly countries like Serbia.'

Pictured: One of the pictures posted by people mocking Rogozin's threats of using the Satan-2 missile. 'Judging by your army performance, a missile aimed at Bulgaria will fall somewhere by Irkutsk [in Siberia]', one person said on social media response to his comments

In Belgrade, Serbia's pro-Russian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin expressed 'deep regret' that a 'great and proven' friend of Serbia could not come. Vulin added that 'Serbia is proud that it is not part of anti-Russian hysteria, and the countries that are (part of it) will have time to be ashamed.'

Serbia, meanwhile, also is almost fully dependent on Russian gas. Vucic recently talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to arrange a new deal on gas supplies for the next three years.

Analyst Slobodan Stupar described Lavrov's attempted visit to Belgrade as a 'show' that would have been used by Moscow to further vilify the West.

'I believe the Russians invited themselves' to Serbia, Stupar told The Associated Press. 'They are terribly isolated. ... They can now say that Europe and the world are not democratic and won't allow a simple flyover.'

Stupar said Vucic has placed himself 'in between' Russia and the West.

'That is the worst possible position one can imagine,' Stupar said.

Russian news agencies quoted ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying: 'The countries around Serbia have closed the channel of communication by refusing to authorise the overflight of the plane of Sergei Lavrov who was headed to Serbia.

'The Russian delegation should have arrived in Belgrade for talks. But the EU and NATO member countries closed their airspace.'

'This is another closed channel of communication,' Ms Zakharova added.

Russian news agencies quoted foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying the airspace around Serbia had been closed to Lavrov's place

While Serbia has condemned Russia's military action in Ukraine, it has not joined the European Union in imposing sanctions in Moscow, despite its bid to join the EU. Serbia has also seen a number of pro-Russian rallies in its cities (pictured in March)

Serbian daily Vecernje Novosti reported that Bulgaria, Macedonia and Montenegro had refused access to their airspace.

A Russian diplomatic source told news agency Interfax there had been no choice but to cancel the visit.

'Russian diplomacy has not yet learned how to teleport,' the source said.

Lavrov had been due to meet President Aleksandar Vucic, his counterpart Nikola Selakovic and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije.

While Serbia has condemned Russia's military action in Ukraine, it has not joined the European Union in imposing sanctions in Moscow, despite its bid to join the EU.

The two countries enjoy longstanding close ties and Belgrade recently signed a new three-year contract to receive Russian natural gas - while other European countries have taken steps to reduce their reliance on it.

Serbia has also seen a number of pro-Russian rallies in its cities. In early March, thousands of Russia supporters marched through the Serbian capital, waving Russian flags and displaying the military and nationalist 'Z' symbol.

Lavrov's blocked diplomatic visit came after Russia struck Kyiv with missiles for the first time in more than a month on Sunday.

This photograph taken on June 5, 2022 shows smoke after several explosions hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early morning. Several explosions rocked the Darnytsky and Dniprovsky districts

Smoke rises after missile strikes, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, June 5

One person was reported hospitalised. Dark smoke could be seen from many miles away after the attack on two outlying districts.

Ukraine said the strike hit a rail car repair works, while Moscow said it had destroyed tanks sent by Eastern European countries to Ukraine.

Ukraine said Russia had carried out the Kyiv strike using long-range air-launched missiles fired from heavy bombers as far away as the Caspian Sea.

Russia says the strikes are part of a campaign to degrade Ukraine's military infrastructure and block Western arms shipments.

President Vladimir Putin warned the United States on Sunday that Russia would strike new targets if the West supplied longer-range missiles to Ukraine for use in high-precision mobile rocket systems.

Britain said on Monday it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 50 miles away, a move that was coordinated with the United States in response to Russia's invasion.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk and Russian forces are pushing towards Sloviansk, which lies about 53 miles to the west, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Monday.

Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in Sievierodonetsk.

In Lysychansk, Russian forces fired on a bakery and several administrative and residential buildings, Gaidai said on Monday, adding one civilian had been wounded.

Evacuations resumed from the Ukrainian-held part of Luhansk province on Sunday, and 98 people had escaped, Gaidai said.

The governor of Russia's western Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said the border village of Tyotkino had come under fire from Ukraine on Monday morning that targeted a bridge and some businesses.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Ukraine's military reported that its forces repelled seven attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Sunday, destroying four tanks and shooting down a combat helicopter. It was not immediately possible to verify the battlefield reports.


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Brits faced a stern jolt back to normality this Monday morning following a remarkable extended weekend celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Almost no signs of the jubilant celebrations can be seen along The Mall in London, which hosted tens of thousands of people every day over the weekend.

The long road leading to Buckingham Palace is still lined with Union Jack flags and some railings, but little evidence of yesterday's impressive parade remains.

And the relatively dry, sunny weather of the early long bank holiday weekend disappeared, with large areas of the UK set for drizzle and cloud today with chances of even poorer conditions later in the week.

As commuters in London returned to work facing the misery and chaos of a 24-hour tube strike, Brits took to social media to remark they'd rather have a bank holiday Monday instead of the bank holiday Thursday last week.

The Mall in London was tidied up quickly after yesterday's event, with workers out at 4:30am reinstalling the traffic lights to get the roads back to normal before the rush hour commute

The Mall hosted huge crowds throughout the weekend (pictured yesterday), as thousands watched the Platinum Jubilee events

With a tube strike taking place today, installing the traffic lights was a priority as increased traffic is expected

The road from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace barely shows signs of the grand parade that took place yesterday

People were out at 4.30am returning the area to normality after the extravagant jubilee weekend of events

The stage is still in place outside the palace, but there are few signs of litter and rubbish after tens of thousands of people visited the area over the weekend

The area appeared very tidy, with just railings, lights and the stage left up outside Buckingham Palace

The area had been swamped by thousands of people in the past few days but has quickly returned to almost normal

Fixtures like traffic lights had been removed as the road was transformed into the focal point of the weekend celebrations

Some areas still have large amounts of scaffolding which will take some time to dismantle

Thousands of people performed during the Platinum Pageant on The Mall yesterday

Commuters in London returned to work after the long weekend to poor weather and travel chaos as thousands of tube workers hold a day of action

Yesterday saw the Queen said she was 'humbled and deeply touched' by the reception she received when she appeared on Buckingham Palace balcony to thousands of people cheering.

Huge crowds gathered on The Mall to watch the eccentric, fun and imaginative carnival-like display celebrating Her Majesty's 70 year reign, which featured a great number of celebrities.

The event culminated in a performance by Ed Sheeran and then the national anthem was sung by a choir of including Sir David Jason, Harry Redknapp, Sir Cliff Richard, Sandie Shaw and Felicity Kendal.

Though all the pageantry has been swiftly tidied away, with crews hard at work as early as 4:30am this morning reinstalling traffic lights.

Across the UK people have reluctantly returned to their jobs from the extended four day weekend.

Prince Charles said yesterday that he hoped the UK would avoid returning to bickering after jubilee weekend.

Although, Londoners were immediately greeted by a tube strike after the RMT union called up to 4,000 station staff out on strike for 24 hours.

The strike is an escalation of the unions dispute with Transport for London over feared threats to staff pensions and concerns that losses of up to 600 station posts will lead to remaining staff having to work more unsociable hours or be left alone in stations at night.

A reduced timetable was operating on some London Underground sections, with services suspended elsewhere.

Many stations, especially those in central and south London, were closed, causing long queues for buses.

London Underground advised people not to travel.

Commuters queue to board packed buses at Victoria Station as a tube strike impacts the Monday morning rush hour

People were trying to cram themselves onto busses this morning as they faced travel chaos (pictured bus in Paddington)

The poor weather added to the misery of workers headed back to their jobs this morning

Brits shared their feeling about returning to work on a bleak Monday after the long 'Platty Jubes' weekend, with many calling for a bank holiday Monday.

Some took the decision to book off today to avoid any Monday blues, while some nearly forgot that they had to go to work today.

One user was particularly annoyed that the poor weather and tube strike both landed on the first day back from the extended time off.

Twitter users made their feeling clear about not wanting to go back to work today, with many suggesting a bank holiday Monday would have been preferred

The weather today is set to be largely cloudy and rainy across large areas of the UK, with conditions not set to improve much throughout the week

Commuters had their umbrellas out as they waited in the rain for busses as London Underground staff strikes created rush hour chaos this morning

While an RAF fly over yesterday had to be cancelled due to poor weather, and some struggled with holding their Big Jubilee Lunches due to rain, the majority of Jubilee events were largely unaffected by the conditions.

However today much of England and Wales will be dealing with cloud, outbreaks of rain and drizzle and some bright intervals.

According to the Met Office, there will be a reasonable amount of rain across patches of England in the coming days and later in the week there will be large amounts of rain and showers, with storms predicted.

Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesperson, said: 'After a largely fine and dry start to the week, with showers largely only clinging on to eastern and southern coasts on Monday and Tuesday, a change is on the way from late on Tuesday, with some more unsettled weather on the way.

The first of two low-pressure systems will arrive near UK shores late on Tuesday and into Wednesday. This will start with some showers to the southwest and Northern Ireland late on Tuesday and early Wednesday morning.

'This low-pressure will continue slowly towards the west on Wednesday and bring with it the risk of some slow-moving thundery downpours across northern areas of the UK, although precise positioning is still being determined.

'Theres a chance of some associated thunder and lightning with this and although theres still some uncertainty about rainfall amounts, some areas in the north could see in excess of 20mm of rain within a 3-hour period.

'That unsettled theme will continue on Thursday and Friday as the remnants of Ex-Tropical Storm Alex begins to influence the UK weather, although to a much lesser extent than was seen in America.

'The system will move to the northwest of the UK and will bring with it some high winds and rain, with gusts possible of around 45mph in the north, possibly in excess of 55mph on exposed northwestern islands and coastal areas.'
A former banker turned beautician and aspiring model has admitted to supplying cocaine in her Audi outside a popular night club.

Anastasija Radovic, 22, was arrested out the front of Northies club in Cronulla on July 11, 2020, after officers found 22 small bags of cocaine and 5.93grams of cannabis inside her car.

The Gregory Hills woman pleaded guilty to three offences related to having drugs in her vehicle in Sutherland Local Court on Monday, The Daily Telegraph reports.

However, other charges - including dealing with the proceeds of crime and supplying prohibited drugs - were withdrawn and dismissed.

The court heard Radovic, who was then working as a banker, pulled up near the hotel about 10.20pm in a black Audi A3 with a female passenger.

Anastasija Radovic, 22, (pictured) pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine in Sutherland Local Court on Monday

The vehicle was spotted by police patrolling the Cronulla area - a hotspot for drug-dealing activity on Friday and Saturday nights - for suppliers dropping off illicit substances to revellers.

Another woman, walking from the direction of the venue, pointed at the Audi then jumped in the back seat before it took off.

The vehicle drove for several blocks before parking on Mitchell Road, where the woman got out and started walking back towards the club.

Police approached the car and found Radovic behind the wheel and Bojana Mladenovic in the passenger seat before searching the women and Audi.

Officers found a medium-size coffee cup containing cannabis in the centre console holder and a bag with 22 small clear bags filled with a white powder, later tested and confirmed to total 13.5grams of cocaine.

A blister pack of sedative prescription drug Diazepam was also discovered inside a sunglasses inside the side door.

The court heard Radovic's car was searched after her black Audi pulled up near Northies club in Cronulla (pictured) on July 11, 2020

Radovic's case was adjourned to August 10, when she will face a sentencing hearing

Radovic was arrested and taken to Sutherland Police Station and charged with supplying between an indictable to commercial quantity, possessing prohibited drugs and possessing a prescribed restricted substance.

Mladenovic was also arrested and charged with supplying drugs.

Police had alleged in court Radovic knowingly took part in the supply of cocaine by allowing her car to be used by Mladenovic.

Mladenovic pleaded guilty and was sentenced to an intensive correction order to be served in the community for nine months from July 12, last year, as well as 100 hours of unpaid community service.

According to social media profiles, Radovic worked at Commonwealth Bank but now appears to be employed as a beauty therapist at Nova Bar Beauty in Gregory Hills.

On another site, she also claims to be a 'Sydney based model interested in all sorts of modelling work', while her StarNow profile bio says she was a 2017 finalist in the Australian supermodel of the year competition in Bali.

Radovic will be sentenced in court on August 10.
Russia's air force is now turning to crowdfunding to source basic equipment needed to continue its operations in Ukraine after just three months of conflict.

Images posted on Russian aviation Telegram channel Fighterbomber showed a series of radios, flashlights, binoculars and even pilot helmets, visors and oxygen masks that were funded or sourced by some of the channel's 125,000 subscribers.

In one image, a squadron of Russian pilots can be seen posing in front of what appears to be a worn Su-25 fighter jet with an assortment of crowdfunded equipment including their pilots' helmets.

One pilot is lacking a pair of military-issue boots and was forced to wear a pair of running shoes, showcasing the extent to which Russia's fighting forces have been deprived of proper kit.

Many of the messages on the pro-war channel displayed support for the crowdfunding efforts and offered encouragement to the Russian pilots and servicemen.

But other users openly condemned Russia's military leaders for allowing their forces to be so woefully under-prepared.

'I have no words for this... the generals and their plebeians have been sitting on the military budget for years - now ordinary people have to rally around their army and help it with supplies!' one channel subscribed commented.

There have been widespread reports of Russian soldiers being ordered into battle with ageing weapons, poor rations and little to no medical supplies, even in the early days of the war.

A squadron of Russian pilots pose in front of a worn Su-25 fighter jet, emblazoned with the infamous 'Z' symbol, holding an assortment of crowdfunded equipment including their pilots' helmets. One pilot is even lacking standard issue military boots and is stood in running shoes

Images posted on Russian aviation Telegram channel Fighterbomber showed a series of radios, flashlights, binoculars and even pilot helmets, visors and oxygen masks that were funded or sourced by some of the channel's 125,000 subscribers

A Russian soldier stands holding a new radio and binoculars donated by Russian civilians

A Russian soldier is pictured displaying the latest equipment afforded to him thanks to crowdfunding. He is holding a new pair of binoculars and also has a new phone and a small scout drone

The war in Ukraine is perhaps the first major armed conflict in which both sides have leveraged social media to crowdfund the war effort.

Ukraine's Armed Forces have benefited from international aid, receiving large consignments of small arms, anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, drones, military vehicles and even some long range missiles and heavy artillery from NATO countries.

But hundreds of crowdfunding initiatives - both government-backed and independent - have been set up and promoted on social media to drum up the maximum amount of funding possible in Ukraine and abroad.

Last week, a Lithuanian crowdfunding campaign launched by journalist Andrius Tapinas raised more than 5 million euros in just five days to purchase a Turkish Bayraktar TB-2 - an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which has proved to be invaluable to Ukraine's military for locating and destroying Russian tank units.

The drone's manufacturer, Baykar, was so impressed by the outpouring of support from the Lithuanian public that they decided to offer the drone free of charge, freeing up the funds to purchase more armaments as well as humanitarian aid projects.

A Ukrainian colonel told German media organisation DW that crowdfunding campaigns are 'of critical importance' to Ukraine's war effort, and said the funds are typically used to purchase and maintain high-end equipment like armoured vehicles, drones and surveillance systems.

Russia's crowdfunding efforts however appear to be focused on providing the bare necessities for troops.

There has been some evidence of Russian forces deploying crowdfunded UAVs and other high-end equipment, but the majority of reports suggest the bulk of the funding is dedicated to sourcing basic essentials such as field radios, medical supplies, binoculars and small arms.

The widespread condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine means the Russian public's crowdfunding efforts lack support from foreign citizens and thus can only drum up meagre sums.

One Russian citizen responsible for orchestrating a crowdfunding programme in Belgorod - a city close to Ukraine's border - told the Telegraph that two of the most popular requests from the frontlines are for thermal imaging equipment and shovels, suggesting many of Putin's troops are lacking even the most basic tools for fighting in Ukraine's forests, fields and wooded areas.

An assortment of basic equipment including binoculars and monoculars, radios and flight gear is seen after being donated to Russia's air force by Russian citizens

Pictured: Essential tools and supplies to help maintain military aircraft and equipment, crowdfunded as part of an aid package to Russia's airforce

Lithuanian Deputy Defence Minister Vilius Semeska poses with Selcuk Bayraktar, Chief Technology Officer of Turkish technology company Baykar, and Haluk Bayraktar, Chief Executive Officer of Baykar, next a Bayraktar TB2 advanced combat drone in Istanbul, Turkey June 2, 2022. A Lithuanian journalist raised more than 5 million euros in five days to purchase the highly effective drone for the Ukrainian military

It comes as conscripted forces from the Donbas region claimed they had been forced to fight for months on the frontlines without any medical support.

In footage posted on Telegram, the soldiers - who claimed to be from the 113th rifle regiment of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic - say they have been fighting for months in 'hunger and cold' without proper kit or medical care.

Their commander says men with chronic medical conditions, who should have escaped the draft, have instead been sent into the midst of the fighting alongside carers and those with young children.

'The higher command interpret our complaints as sabotage,' he says. 'But what is there to be gained from sending your soldiers to die?'

The video emerged amid bitter and bloody fighting between Ukraine and Russia in Donbas, of which Donetsk is a part, though the unit in the video is thought to have been stationed near Kherson - an occupied city hundreds of miles to the south west.

The commander can be heard saying: 'Our company, consisting of the 5th Infantry Battalion of the 113th Infantry Regiment, was on the frontlines in the Kherson region of Ukraine.

A company commander from the so-called Donetsk People's Republic army has complained that his men are being sent to the frontlines without food, kit or medicine

'For that time the personnel overcame cold and hunger and for a considerable period we did so without material support, medical supplies or food.

'The mobilisation of our unit took place without any medical examinations, and there are those among our unit who in accordance with the laws of the Donetsk People's Republic should not be mobilised.

'There are members of our personnel who suffer from chronic diseases and others who are guardians of people with mental illnesses.'

'For those who are fathers to children and taking into account the duration of our continues presence on the frontlines, many questions arise that are ignored by command.'

He then speaks separately to troops who voice their concerns, but say they are being ignored by their commanders.

Areas of Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk which were occupied by pro-Russian rebels before the start of the war - so-called 'People's Republics' - announced a general mobilisation in late February, just before the war broke it.

All men under the age of 55 were banned from leaving the territory, and put on notice that they might be called up to join the fighting.

Since then, Denis Pushilin - leader of the Donetsk People's Republic - has been forced to raise the age to 65, because so few men have been found to join the army.

Those in the occupied areas - many of whom consider Ukraine to be their home country - have described thousands of men going into hiding to avoid the draft.

Fighting-age men are said to be hiding in the basements and back-rooms of houses where no males are registered, since the draft is organised by address.

Russian soldiers with chronic medical conditions have been sent into the thick of the fighting and that any complaints are treated as 'sabotage'

Ukrainian forces are still locked in savage fighting with Russian troops in the industrial city of Severodonetsk according to Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk province.

'The fiercest fighting is in Severodonetsk. Fast-moving fighting is happening right now,' he said on national television this morning.

Severodonetsk is one of the final urban centres still under partial Ukrainian control in the Luhansk region, which together with neighbouring Donetsk constitutes the Donbas - the part of eastern Ukraine the Kremlin says it is on a mission to 'liberate'.

Moscow has focused most of its firepower on the Donbas after Ukraine pushed its troops back from Kyiv in March and out of Ukraine's second biggest city Kharkiv last month.

Russian forces were fortifying their positions in the Kharkiv region and 'conducting intensive artillery and mortar shelling of our positions' to keep hold of the territory they had occupied, Ukraine's military general staff said on Monday.

It said Russia was targeting civilian infrastructure in several towns in the region and the regional administration said three civilians were killed and 10 wounded in shelling.

It was not immediately possible to verify the toll. Moscow denies targeting civilians.
A British retired geologist will spend 15 years in an Iraqi jail after he was convicted of trying to smuggle antique pottery.

Jim Fitton, 66, was found guilty of intending to take the 200-year-old artefacts out of Baghdad in March.

Judge Jabir Abd Jabir found that, by picking up the items and intending to transport them out of the country, Fitton had criminal intent to smuggle them.

Mr Fitton's son-in-law, Sam Tasker, said this morning: 'We are absolutely shattered by this news.

'For a man of Jims age, 15 years in an Iraqi prison is tantamount to a death sentence.

Jim Fitton (left) was sentenced this morning of trying to smuggle antique pottery out of Iraq

Mr Fitton (centre) and Volker Waldman (right) appear in court outside Baghdad last month

'Particularly for such a trivial and dubious crime, a crime that Jim was not even aware of when he perpetrated it.

'We are completely heartbroken that our own best efforts, a strong legal defence and constant campaigning have led to this outcome. We are disappointed, indeed stunned, at our own governments total lack of action in this case to date.

'We are raising an appeal and will continue to fight for Jims freedom, and urge the government to support us in every way possible and to open lines of communication with us at a senior level.

Volker Waldman, a German national, was arrested alongside Mr Fitton in Baghdad on March 20.

Fitton's family grew worried when he did not arrive on a scheduled flight back to Kuala Lumpur, where he resides with his wife.

Mr Fitton (left) and Mr Waldman (right) are pictured from behind as they entered court today

He was cleared of criminal intent and will now be released.

The German said the two items found in his possession were not his and were given to him by Fitton to carry.

Father-of-two Fitton collected 12 stones and shards of broken pottery as souvenirs while visiting an ancient site in Eridu, southern Iraq, as part of an archaeology tour.

Mr Fitton's stunned lawyer expected the sentence to be a maximum of one year behind bars - and a suspended sentence.

Thair Soud, visibly shocked moments after the sentencing, told AP: 'I thought the worst case scenario would be one year, with suspension.'

The lawyer for Mr Fitton (second from right) thought a one-year term was worst-case scenario

Mr Soud said he intents to appeal the sentence immediately.

It is not clear if Fitton can serve out his sentence in his home country.

This would require a bilateral agreement between Iraq and the UK.

The case garnered attention when, frustrated by perceived inaction on the part of the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to intervene and assist in Fitton's case, his family started a petition that has garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

The family of the retired geologist expressed concerns about his wellbeing in an Iraq jail (Mr Fitton is pictured in a holiday selfie)

The British diplomatic mission in Baghdad has not commented on its involvement in the case.

An FCDO spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are providing consular assistance to a British national in Iraq, and continue to support his family. We are in contact with the local authorities.'

Brits have been warned against all travel to Iraq.

The British Ambassador is also reported to have raised the case with Iraqi authorities.

However, the UK government is said to be wary of interfering in Iraq's legal system.

Bath MP Wera Hobhouse said: 'This is clearly a devastating outcome for Jim and his family. There is now no other option but for the Foreign Secretary to intervene at a Ministerial level.

'The Foreign Secretary must make representations to the Iraqi Government.

'This is yet another example of the British Government presiding over a case of a British national in trouble abroad and they have failed to take action.'

The judge did not consider Mr Soud's arguments that laid out Fitton's ignorance of Iraqi laws and the value of the items he pitched up.

Mr Fitton and the German national, Volker Waldman, were arrested in Baghdad airport after security staff discovered the items in their luggage.

They had been part of a tourism expedition across the country's ancient sites.

Their case has received international attention at a time when Iraq hopes to boost its nascent tourism sector.

Waldman's defense team has said the German tourist had been carrying the pieces for Fitton but that he did not pick them up from the site.

Fitton (right) pictured with daughter Leila (left) and wife Sarijah (centre) on holiday in Asia

Under a 2002 antiquity law, Mr Fitton faced a maximum sentence of the death penalty.

But officials said that was only a remote possibility.

Last month Mr Fitton's son-in-law said the family are all 'struggling immensely' after the trial faced a series of postponements.

Sam Tasker, 27, said: 'Obviously we're just trying to get Jim home safe and sound as quickly as possible.

Fitton is pictured sitting in the backseat alongside family members in this undated photo

'Every setback we get cuts us all deeply, and another two-week delay to the verdict just leaves us all in limbo for longer.

'The family are all struggling immensely with the uncertainty and our constant fear for Jim's life.

'And two more weeks in a holding cell for Jim, bringing him to ten weeks in detention in total, is worrying given his age.'

Ms Hobhouse said in May: 'I am thinking of Jim again today and his family who have been through so much. Another two weeks in a holding cell is a cruel ordeal that should have been avoided.'

Mr Fitton lives in Malaysia with his wife Sarijah.

Fitton is pictured with Waldman and a court clerk outside the Baghdad courthouse last month

This morning the pair appeared in court, where Fitton was sentenced and Waldman cleared

His daughter Leila, 31, and her husband Sam Tasker are based in Bath.

Ms Hobhouse added: 'Jim and his family have shown incredible resolve and strength over this whole ordeal, and I hope that they receive the support they need over the next two weeks.

'This situation could have been avoided if the Foreign Office acted earlier. We've all accepted that the Foreign Office will be offering no further help to Jim and his family.

German national Volker Waldman (pictured on May 15) said the responsibility was Mr Fitton's

'The focus is now on the new date on June 6.

'In the meantime, I will keep exploring avenues and reaching out to the Foreign Office in the hope of finding some answers.'

The Foreign Office had said it cannot interfere with the judicial process of another country and made clear its opposition to the death penalty.
South Korea and the US have test-fired a volley of missiles as a show of strength to Kim Jong Un after the North tested eight of its own rockets on Saturday.

Seoul said one US missile and seven Korean missiles were fired from an unspecified base in the northeast of the country into the East Sea in a volley that lasted 10 minutes and began around 4.45am local time Sunday.

American commanders said the drill was designed to show the allies are ready to quickly respond to 'crisis events', and came just hours after North Korea tested eight of its own short-range missiles in one of its biggest launches in recent months.

Dictator Kim Jong Un is in the midst of a slew of attention-grabbing weapons launches that the US and South Korea believe could culminate in the country's first nuclear test since 2017.

It is thought the despot is trying to ramp up pressure in order to restart negotiations over his nuclear stockpile from a position of strength - hoping to get sanctions relief and security guarantees in return for commitments to give up his nukes.

An M270 rocket launcher fires and Army Tactical Missile from a base in the northeast of South Korea into the East Sea in a test on Sunday

South Korea and the US said one American missile and seven Korean were launched as part of drill to show they are ready to respond to 'crisis event'

Such talks had begun under President Donald Trump, but fizzled out after the pair failed to reach agreement at a summit in Hanoi in 2019 before Trump lost the subsequent election to Joe Biden.

America and South Korea launched Army Tactical Missile Systems from M270 rocket launchers during their test.

The missiles can range up to 200 miles and are designed to carry out precision strikes on high-value targets deep within enemy territory.

'Our military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations and sternly urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula,' the US Joint Chiefs of Staff added.

Monday's launches are the second such joint show of force by the allies under South Korea's hawkish new President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has vowed a tougher stance against Pyongyang.

'Our government will respond decisively and sternly to any provocations from North Korea,' Yoon said Monday during a speech on Memorial Day.

Last month, Seoul and Washington carried out combined launches after Pyongyang fired three ballistic missiles - including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile - in their first such joint move since 2017.

The US-Korean volley (pictured) was designed as a show of strength to Kim Jong Un, who had tested eight of his own rockets just hours earlier

South Korea fires an Army Tactical Missile from an M270 launcher into its East Sea in the early hours of Sunday morning

Pyongyang has doubled down on upgrading its weapons programme, despite facing crippling economic sanctions, with officials and analysts warning that the regime is preparing to carry out a fresh nuclear blast at its underground testing site.

On Sunday, North Korea fired a rapid volley of eight missiles over the space of 35 minutes from bases on its west and east coasts, along with two sites near the capital.

It was North Korea's 18th round of missile tests in 2022 alone. North Korean state media have yet to comment on Sunday's launches.

They came after the US aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan concluded a three-day naval drill with South Korea in the Philippine Sea on Saturday.

The exercise was the first since November 2017, as the countries move to upgrade their defences in the face of North Korean threats.

North Korea views joint drills between the US and South Korea as rehearsals for an invasion, and often responds with missile launches.

The US has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, but the prospects for meaningful new punitive measures are dim with the UN Security Council's permanent members divided.

Kim Jong Un (pictured in April this year) has been ramping up missile tests in an effort to pressure South Korea and the US into negotiations over its nuclear stockpile

Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over its latest ballistic tests on May 25, insisting that Washington should instead focus on reviving negotiations with Pyongyang.

Those talks have stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling US-led sanctions for the North's disarmament steps.

Despite facing harsh challenges at home, including a decaying economy and a Covid-19 outbreak, Mr Kim has shown no willingness to fully surrender an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administration's offers for open-ended talks and is clearly intent on converting the dormant denuclearisation negotiations into a mutual arms-reduction process, experts say.
A popular caravan park usually filled with tourists has turned into a temporary refuge for renters priced out of the property market amid Australia's worrying rental crisis.

Brisbane Holiday Village has become the home for those desperately seeking a rental, but the resort has a growing wait list of at least 300 applications.

As the country struggles through a widespread rental crisis, Queensland appears to be especially affected as renters in the state fork out $300 a week so they can live in shabby 'micro apartments', single rooms in shared houses or cramped studios.

Popular caravan park Brisbane Holiday Village has turned into a temporary refuge for renters priced out of the property market or the homeless amid Australia's worrying rental crisis

Many of the tenants residing at Brisbane Holiday Village have recounted stories to A Current Affair of moving from temporary home to temporary home, while others admitted they were previously living in tents.

'The crisis definitely started during COVID and it's gone to a whole new level now,' said owner of the caravan park, Geoff Illich.

Mr Illich revealed that the resort gets '20 to 40 families a day, every day ringing'.

One of the park's tenant, Kevin O'Donoghue, was previously living in a tent with his wife for four months before finding accomodation at the park.

'I'm really shocked. It's worse than I thought, and it's worse than what people think out there,' he said.

Mr O'Donoghue and his wife were constantly seeking rentals as they lived in a tent.

He conceded that they were both close to 'losing it' as they battled heavy rain and floods.

After being accepted into the resort, Mr O'Donoghue said it was 'like going to heaven...beautiful people, cabins, everything's clean and immaculate'.

A woman living at the park, who has chosen to remain anonymous, had found herself homeless after escaping a domestic violence relationship.

She was subsequently forced out of her rental with her five children.

The Queensland mother said she would be 'living in a tent' if she didn't happen to find Brisbane Holiday Village.

Her home only has two bedrooms however, meaning her three oldest children have had to move into accomodation with relatives.

Karen Scarf and her 18-year-old son also had to rely on the park after they were unable to find a rental in Brisbane and ultimately had 'nowhere to go'.

Many of the tenants residing at Brisbane Holiday Village have recounted stories to of moving from temporary home to temporary home, while others were previously living in tents

Karen Scarf (pictured) and her 18-year-old son also had to rely on the park after they were unable to find a rental in Brisbane

Brisbane Holiday Village currently houses 800 people, many of whom have either been priced out of the property market or struggled to find a rental.

But the resort will only be a temporary solution for renters, who will eventually need to find long-term residence elsewhere.

'I just can't believe it's gone on for this long,' Mr Illich added. 'We would never have factored in this demand for south-east Queensland.'

The tourist park owner admits that the situation to house so many people has been getting progressively worse.

'I don't want to give people false hope,' he told The Guardian last month.

'I think 60% of the people we're getting are from interstate now, but when they get here they can't find a place to rent, or they're waiting for their own homes to be built, so they're extending their stay.

'Some families are ready to stay in tents. It's getting scary,' he said.

It comes as single rooms are being rented out for the same price as it cost to live in an entire house three years ago in Queensland.

Queenslanders are being forced to pay more than $300 a week so they can live in tiny apartments and single rooms in shared houses.

PropTrack, which provides insights into the property market, released data showing that tenants were once paying the same price to live in a house on their own.

Fussy landlords are choosing tenants based on their 'vibe', asking them for more money if they want to use extra amenities like the garage and demanding they hand over work payslips to prove they can afford to pay the rent.

Single rooms are being rented out for the same price it cost to live in an entire house three years ago in Queensland

One landlord advertised their 'micro apartment' for $300 a week in Stafford, Brisbane

One landlord advertised their 'micro apartment' for $300 a week in Stafford, Brisbane.

The premises squeezes together the living room area with the kitchen and bedroom with the landlord setting up the mattress right next to the fridge and dining table.

Another homeowner is asking for $600 a week for a single room in a shared apartment in West End, while another is requesting $340 for one in Greenslopes - they have demanded extra money if the tenant wants to store their car in the garage.

Rental prices are just as dire outside of the city with a private room in a Gold Coast apartment going for $410, one in Townsville for $310 and another one in Cairns for $320.

Some landlords have even given tenants a list of demands to meet their approval.

One homeowner is asking for $350 a week in rent for an Edge Hill studio and asking prospective tenants to provide six payslips, to prove they are employed, and asking for an upfront payment of $1,400 for bond and rent.

Daniel Crossley is asking for is asking for $280 a week for a room in his Yorkeys Knob home and says he choosing candidates based on their 'vibe'.

'It's been listed at $280 since before Covid and it includes bills,' he told realestate.com.au.

One homeowner is asking for $350 a week in rent for an Edge Hill studio and asking prospective tenants to provide six payslips, to prove they are employed, and asking for an upfront payment of $1,400 for bond and rent

'It's a very serene and nice property with king-size rooms in a peaceful area. The property has a secluded swimming pool and is regularly cleaned and maintained.'

Flatmates.com.au community manager Claudia Conley said demand had outpaced supply for single rooms with 7.7 people per room - up from 2.3 in April 2020.

'Along with this lack of supply, we're seeing a large increase in weekly rental prices for rooms in share houses,' she said.

Vacancy rates have dwindled across the state meaning renters are having a harder time finding places to live.

The vacancy rate in Brisbane is at 1.1 per cent, Greater Brisbane area at 0.7 per cent and Moreton Bay region has 0.5 per cent.

The Southern Downs and the Tablelands have the lowest figure at 0.1 per cent while Goondiwindi, Gympie and South Burnett sit at 0.2 per cent.
More than 45,000 Americans have applied to sponsor Ukrainian refugees to live with them in the US's biggest programme for asylum seekers in decades.

Just over 6,500 displaced Ukrainians arrived in the US as of Wednesday 1 June under the Uniting for Ukraine programme which launched on April 25.

And now the Department of Homeland Security have revealed that another 27,000 Ukrainians have had their travel to America authorized by immigration officials.

The Biden administration announced on 24 March that they will accept 100,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, with more than 14 million people having fled their homes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the UN.

Another six million have left for neighbouring countries while eight million are displaced within Ukraine itself.

And according to data shared with CBS News, the programme could allow the US to receive over half of the 100,000 refugees from Ukraine which President Biden vowed to welcome within the next three months.

More than 45,000 Americans have applied to sponsor Ukrainian refugees (pictured at Tijuana Airport in Mexico) to live with them in the US's biggest programme for asylum seekers in decades

In addition to welcoming more of the displaced, the Biden administration also announced more than $1 billion in new funding toward humanitarian assistance.

The funding will provide food, shelter, clean water, medical supplies and other forms of assistance, according to the White House.

A state spokesperson told CBS that the Biden administration has reversed cuts to the traditional US refugee programme as a private sponsorship pilot program for all refugees is in the works to launch by the end of 2022.

The private program is different to that of most US Citizenship and Immigration Services programs which requires paper records and usually takes months, or even years, to process cases.

The Uniting for Ukraine scheme are being put through the system in just a matter of weeks or even days, with around 300 employees having been trained to adjudicate sponsorship cases.

The spokesperson added: 'This will build on lessons learned from the U.S. government's efforts over the past year to stand up tailored private sponsorship initiatives to enable Americans to play a leading role in welcoming newly arrived Afghans and Ukrainians.'

Around 15 per cent of Americans who have applied to sponsor Ukrainian refugees, which works out at about 7,500 people, are from the New York metropolitan area, statistics from the Department of Homeland Security revealed.

Other regions with the most registering for sponsorship are in Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, Sacramento, Portland and Cleveland.

The Biden administration announced on 24 March that they will accept 100,000 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, with more than 14 million people having fled their homes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the UN. President Biden pictured last week

The official said that the sponsorship procedure is electronic from 'end-to-end': 'We're not talking about mailing paperwork. We're not talking about mailing a file for someone to review. Everything is done electronically.'

Immigration policy analyst at centrist think tank Niskanen Center said: 'I think this is a great case study for what is possible when the United States government gives the option for individuals and community groups to step forward and directly resettle refugees.'

Early last month, First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine where she met her Ukrainian counterpart Olena Zelensky and expressed American support for the embattled nation.

'I wanted to come on Mother's Day. I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine,' she said.

Biden is the highest profile member of President Joe Biden's administration to visit the war torn country. She called the president from her car as her motorcade left the Ukraine to return to Slovenia, an East Wing official said.

The following day, Biden heard heartbreaking stories from Ukrainian refugees about fleeing their homeland during her visit to a Uruguay School in Bucharest, Romania, which is teaching the displaced Ukrainian children.

The 90-minute visit was filled with joy in addition to the sorrow. As well as hearing the anguishing stories, Biden also laughed with the kids during their art projects, handed out presidential M&Ms, and gave hugs.
At least 50 people were killed when gunmen opened fire into a Catholic church in the southwest area of the region during a mass on Sunday, with victims including women and children.

Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, a police spokesperson for Ondo State, said that the suspects fired their firearms at people outside and inside the church building, killing and injuring worshippers. She did not disclose how many people were killed or injured in the incident at St. Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo and added that police were investigating the shooting.

Nigeria Mass Shooting

In a statement, Ondo state Gov. Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who visited the crime scene and injured persons in hospitals, described the Sunday attack as a "great massacre" and a "vile and satanic attack" that should not be allowed to happen ever again.

Authorities were not immediately able to identify the identity and motive of the attackers in the tragic incident. Catholic Church spokesman in Nigeria, Reverend Augustine Ikwu, said that the shooting, which happened while the Holy Mass was going on, left many feared dead, many others injured, and the Church violated, as per Reuters.

A doctor who works at a hospital in Owo said that at least 50 bodies were brought into two hospitals in the town from the attack. The health professional, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press, added that there was a desperate need for blood donations to treat the injured.

Read Also: Iowa Church Shooting: Gunman Kills 2 People Then Shoots Himself

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, calling it "heinous," as the Vatican said that Pope Francis was praying for the victims who had been "painfully stricken in a moment of celebration."

According to the Associated Press, Buhari said that "only friends from the nether region could have conceived and carried out such dastardly act." He said the country would never give in to evil and wicked people, noting that darkness will never overcome the light.

Vile and Satanic Attack

Nigeria's Ondo is widely known as one of the country's most peaceful states but has been caught up in a rising violent conflict between farmers and herders. The nation's security forces did not immediately respond to questions regarding how the attack happened or if there were any leads regarding the identities of the suspects.

Video footage from the attack appeared to show a scene where church worshippers were lying in pools of blood while people around them wailed. Ikwu added that the horrifying attack left many in the community devastated. He said that they turned to God to console the families of the lives that were lost.

A volunteer at one of the town's hospitals, Sunday Ajibola, said that he saw "nothing less than 50 dead bodies" and several others with injuries from bullets and explosives being treated by medics. A lawmaker in Ondo, Adeyemi Olayemi, said that the attack is believed to have been conducted by ethnic Fulani terrorists, sometimes referred to as bandits. The group has staged relentless attacks predominantly in northern Nigeria but also other parts of the nation, The Guardian reported.

Related Article: Philadelphia Mass Shooting: 'Several Active Shooters' Kill 3, Injure 11 Others as US Gun Violence Soars

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Remains found tied up in the mangroves of Florida in 1974 have finally been identified as a teenage girl who went missing a year and a half earlier. Susan Poole (pictured right) was reported missing in 1972

The skeletal remains of a teenage girl found tied with wire to a Florida mangrove in 1974 have finally been identified as another victim of notorious cop serial killer Gerard Schaefer.

Susan Poole, 15, was a high school dropout whose family reported her missing just before Christmas in 1972.

Two years later, skeletal remains were found tied with wire to a tree but they were unidentified for 48 years.

Now, thanks to genetic genealogy testing, police believe they are Poole's, and that she was another of Schaefer's victims.

Schaefer died in prison in 1995 after being convicted of killing two girls.

He was suspected in as many as 26 girls deaths and was described by prosecutors as among the most brutal serial killers they had ever come across.

'[He was] the most sexually deviant person I had ever seen. He made Ted Bundy look like a Boy Scout,' Robert Stone, who prosecuted Schaefer, once said.

At the time of her disappearance, Poole had been living between the family's home in a trailer park near Fort Lauderdale and with a friend in a nearby apartment.

'Nobody knew where she went,' Palm Beach County Sheriff's Detective William Springer said of her disappearance, noting that her clothes and pocketbook were left at the friend's apartment.

Two years later, in June 1974, sheriff's deputies were called to a remote location in Palm Beach County where human remains were found.

'She was tied up in the mangroves with wire to a tree,' Springer said. 'She was skeletal remains, totally nothing left of her except bones.'

Gerard Schaefer was described by prosecutors as one of the most sexually deviant men they had ever seen. One said of him: 'He made Ted Bundy look like a boy scout'

Detectives have now closed the cold case and believe she may have been a victim of the notorious serial killer cop Gerard Schaefer (shown in court in the 1970s). He died in prison in 1995

Schaefer killed Georgia Jessup, left, and Susan Place, right, in 1972. He picked up hitchhikers, promising to take them to the beach, but then strangled or shot them and dumped their bodies

Back then, detectives didn't have the DNA technology that is now readily available, so the case quickly turned cold, he said.

Officers even shared a computer composite of Poole of how they thought she would look today, in the hope she might still be found alive.

In 2015, investigators submitted DNA to a national missing persons database, which turned up nothing.

A police composite of how Susan Poole would have looked. She died in 1972 aged 15

Then, in December, Othram, a Texas-based forensics lab that builds DNA profiles using genealogy, contacted the sheriff's office and said they may be able to help solve cold cases.

In March, the company provided the names of the victim's mother and siblings. Springer said they provided a DNA sample from Poole's mother, who was verified as a match.

Now Springer is looking for evidence that connects Poole to Gerard Schaefer, a serial killer who was fatally stabbed by a fellow inmate at the Florida State Prison in 1995.

Schaffer had been a police officer in Wilton Manors, a Fort Lauderdale suburb, and was a deputy with the Martin County Sheriff's Office at the time Poole disappeared, Springer said.

Schaefer was found guilty of murdering two other girls, ages 16 and 17, who lived near Fort Lauderdale.

Their mutilated and decapitated remains were found in April 1973 in Martin County.

Because of a US Supreme Court ruling, Florida did not have a death penalty in the early 1970s and Schaefer was sentenced to life in prison. He was stabbed to death by another inmate in prison in 1995.

Newspaper clippings from the time of the murders in the 1970s. Schaefer was convicted of two killings but was suspected of dozens more

Schaefer told court appointed psychiatrists that he started self-harming after sex when he was 12 and that he became obsessed with women's underwear

Schaefer didn't use his badge to lure victims - instead, he told most of them he was from a different state and he used a different name.

After his arrest, he told court appointed psychiatrists that he'd grown up in an abusive household with an alcoholic father.

He said he enjoyed tying himself to trees and masturbating then self-harming.

The victim's sister Patti said the family finally has closure

It was around the age of 12 that he became obsessed with women and sex, he told them.

Because of the similar way in which those teens were killed, Springer said he believes Schaefer could have been involved in Poole's death.

Authorities say Schaefer was implicated in up to 30 deaths.

Investigators are hoping to speak to several friends who lived near Poole when she disappeared and could possibly fill in some blanks about her activities during that time.

Springer wants to know if she frequently hitchhiked or whether she had ever confided in them about any kind of relationship with Schaeffer.

For Poole's mother, who is in her 90s, and siblings, the news has brought some closure, Springer said.

'The family was happy to know what happened,' he said. 'It's been a long time waiting to see what happened to their sister.'
Ukraine's foreign minister hit back at Emmanuel Macron over the weekend after the French President said it was important not to humiliate Russia, and that France would be a mediating power in the on-going war.

Amid anger from Kyiv and its allies at Macron's comments, Dmitro Kuleba rebuked the president's position saying it 'can only humiliate France'.

Macron has sought to maintain a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February.

His stance has been repeatedly criticised by some eastern and Baltic partners in Europe, as they see it as undermining efforts to push Putin to the negotiating table.

'We must not humiliate Russia so that the day when the fighting stops we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means,' Macron said in an interview with regional newspapers published on Saturday.

'I am convinced that it is France's role to be a mediating power.'

Kuleba responded on Twitter: 'Calls to avoid humiliation of Russia can only humiliate France and every other country that would call for it.

'Because it is Russia that humiliates itself. We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. This will bring peace and save lives.'

Ukraine's foreign minister Dmitro Kuleba hit back at Emmanuel Macron (left) over the weekend after the French President said it was important not to humiliate Russia, and that France would be a mediating power in the on-going war

Macron has spoken with Putin regularly since the invasion as part of efforts to achieve a ceasefire and begin a credible negotiation between Kyiv and Moscow, although he has had no tangible success to show for it.

'I think, and I told him (Putin), that he is making a historic and fundamental mistake for his people, for himself and for history,' Macron said.

Asked about the mediation offer on national television, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said there was 'no point in holding negotiations' with Russia until Ukraine had received new weapons from the West and pushed Russian forces back 'as far as possible to the borders of Ukraine'.

Russia now occupies about a fifth of Ukrainian territory. Kyiv is receiving more powerful weapons from the West.

'Our armed forces are ready to use (the new weapons)...and then I think we can initiate a new round of talks from a strengthened position,' David Arakhamia, Ukrainian lawmaker and a member of the negotiation team, said on Friday.

Among other things, the United States will give Ukraine precision HIMARS rocket systems allowing it to hit Russian positions from a longer range.

France has also supplied offensive weapons including Caesar howitzer canon taken from French army stocks. Macron said he had asked weapons manufacturers to accelerate production.

Western powers have imposed increasingly stringent sanctions on Russia but divisions have emerged on how to act, particularly on whether to engage in dialogue with Russia or not.

Macron remarks on Saturday underlined a difference in approach to the conflict between France on one hand and Ukraine, eastern European nations, and the United States and Britain on the other.

Ukraine and its closest allies in the fight against Russia's aggression see the war as a battle for the survival of Ukrainian statehood and democracy that will only be settled by Russian defeat.

Suspected Russian war crimes, from the murder of civilians to the targeting of housing and other non-military infrastructure, leave no desire for a face-saving compromise with Putin.

Some fear France and Germany are keen for Ukraine to cede territory to end the fighting - although no public statements from Paris or Berlin support this argument.

Amid anger from Kyiv and its allies at Macron's comments, Dmitro Kuleba rebuked the president's position saying it 'can only humiliate France'. Pictured: Kuleba (left) talks to his French counterpart Catherine Colonna (right) in the centre of Kyiv on May 30, 2022

Writing on twitter, Kuleba said: 'Calls to avoid humiliation of Russia can only humiliate France and every other country that would call for it. Because it is Russia that humiliates itself. We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. This will bring peace and save lives.'

'The French president is still looking for ways to save war criminal Putin from humiliation,' the head of the foreign affairs commission in the Estonian parliament, Marko Mihkelson, wrote on Facebook.

'What would Macron say to this girl in Ukraine?' he asked next to a photo of a girl with an amputated leg. 'And to the thousands of others whose lives have been destroyed forever as victims of the evil empire.'

The remark sparked incomprehension in the United States and Britain whose governments have set objectives of weakening Putin and expelling Russia from Ukraine.

'Putin will only negotiate when his army can't keep marching forward, humiliated or not. Macron should focus on creating that condition,' former US ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul, wrote on Sunday.

John Chipman, the head of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think-tank, said that 'saving face' was 'a weak diplomatic aim. Putin can take personal responsibility for his face.'

'Humiliation: a mild punishment for war crimes,' he wrote on Twitter.

Macron is keen for France to retain its historically close diplomatic relations with Russia and has repeatedly warned about the risk of a wider conflict involving the West.

A keen student of history, he is also wary of the desire among some allies to punish Moscow for its aggression, citing the Versailles treaty imposed on a defeated Germany at the end of World War I in 1919.

Its punitive conditions have been blamed by some historians for the rise of the Nazi party in the 1930s and the outbreak of hostilities again in Europe in 1939.

Speaking at the European parliament in Strasbourg on May 9, Macron warned for the first time about wanting to humiliate Russia.

'Tomorrow we'll have a peace to build, let's never forget that,' he told reporters. 'We will have to do this with Ukraine and Russia around the table.

'The terms of the discussion and negotiation will be set by Ukraine and Russia, but that will not be done through... the exclusion of one another, nor even in their humiliation.'

Since Putin launched his invasion on February 24, several world leaders have visited Kyiv and the surrounding areas in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

Pictured: A Ukrainian tank is seen rolling down a road in February during the invasion

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 last week, 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.'

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 last Monday (May 30), 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.

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'.

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.

This photograph taken on June 5, 2022 shows smoke after several explosions hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early morning. Several explosions rocked the Darnytsky and Dniprovsky districts

Smoke rises after missile strikes, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, June 5

Russia struck Kyiv with missiles for the first time in more than a month on Sunday.

One person was reported hospitalised. Dark smoke could be seen from many miles away after the attack on two outlying districts.

Ukraine said the strike hit a rail car repair works, while Moscow said it had destroyed tanks sent by Eastern European countries to Ukraine.

Ukraine said Russia had carried out the Kyiv strike using long-range air-launched missiles fired from heavy bombers as far away as the Caspian Sea.

Russia says the strikes are part of a campaign to degrade Ukraine's military infrastructure and block Western arms shipments.

Putin warned the United States on Sunday that Russia would strike new targets if the West supplied longer-range missiles to Ukraine for use in high-precision mobile rocket systems.

Britain said on Monday it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 50 miles away, a move that was coordinated with the United States in response to Russia's invasion.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk and Russian forces are pushing towards Sloviansk, which lies about 53 miles to the west, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Monday.

Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in Sievierodonetsk.

In Lysychansk, Russian forces fired on a bakery and several administrative and residential buildings, Gaidai said on Monday, adding one civilian had been wounded.

Evacuations resumed from the Ukrainian-held part of Luhansk province on Sunday, and 98 people had escaped, Gaidai said.

The governor of Russia's western Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said the border village of Tyotkino had come under fire from Ukraine on Monday morning that targeted a bridge and some businesses.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Ukraine's military reported that its forces repelled seven attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Sunday, destroying four tanks and shooting down a combat helicopter. It was not immediately possible to verify the battlefield reports.
A six-year-old British boy has died in hospital after a near-drowning at a hotel pool while on a family holiday in Majorca.

Corey Aughey from north Belfast was rushed to hospital in a 'critical' state from the three-star hotel in the resort of Sa Coma on Thursday after being revived at the poolside by emergency responders.

The boy, who was on the first day of his Spanish family holiday when he was found in the pool, lost his fight for life three days later on Sunday at Son Espases Hospital in the island capital Palma - around 40 miles away.

Unconfirmed local reports said the boy's parents had lost sight of him for several minutes before he was spotted in the water.

Emergency responders are understood to have revived him after performing CPR on him for nearly half an hour before he was rushed from the scene.

Sources confirmed the youngster had been in a hospital intensive care unit for three days until his death on Sunday.

Darci Aughey, Corey's older sister, posted on Facebook: 'You always were the most gorgeous person in the world and now you're the most gorgeous sunset and brightest star in the sky.'

Civil Guard officers rushed to the scene along with local police but another force - Spain's National Police - will now be asked to carry out an investigation into what happened.

Corey Aughey from north Belfast, was on the rushed to hospital in a 'critical' state from the four-star hotel in the resort of Sa Coma on Thursday after being revived at the poolside by emergency responders

A spokesman for the National Police in Palma said they were still awaiting more details and could not comment at this stage.

One hospital source said: 'He was admitted to intensive care on Thursday in a critical condition but sadly failed to pull through and died in hospital on Sunday.'

The hotel where Corey had been staying with his family was the three-star Globales Bouganvilla Aparthotel in Sa Coma.

It is a 15-minute walk from the beach and has more than 250 studios with 295 one-bed apartments and 66 two-bed apartments.

Travel sites state live shows take place every evening at the poolside bar. The hotel said today it was still gathering information on what had happened and was not yet in a position to make a formal comment.

The hotel is also around a 20-minute drive from the Love Island villa close to Sant Llorenc des Cardassar.

Corey Aughey (pictured) lost his fight for life on Sunday at Son Espases Hospital in the island capital Palma - three days after almost drowning and being rushed to hospital

The hotel where Corey had been staying with his family was the three-star Globales Bouganvilla Aparthotel in Sa Coma (pictured)

A family statement posted on Facebook said that 'king Corey has gained his wings' and thanked everyone from the bottom of their hearts for the support.

The statement added: 'Now we have to concentrate on getting him home. Please keep praying for the family to get the strength to get through the next couple of weeks.'

In another tribute to her younger brother, Darci wrote: 'You'll be the funniest and happiest angel, you'll be the prettiest sunset and brightest star in the sky can't thank you enough for the best 6 years of my life rest easy ya nut gbnf (gone but not forgotten)', while posting a series of pictures of Corey.

Well-wisher Gary Larkham wrote alongside a photo of Corey waiting to blow out the candle on a birthday cake: 'They say a picture tells a thousand words, this picture to me was Corey all over always loved a birthday party and couldn't wait to blow the candles out and patiently waited on his turn to blow them out too.

'Such a cruel world we live in. Thinking of my good friends Leanne Aughey Colin, Jay Darci and Joel at this devastating time.'

DUP councillor Dale Pankhurst, who knows the family, said on Facebook: 'Deeply saddened to hear that young Corey has passed away.

'A real wee character who was always full of life any time I saw him.'

The youngster drowned on Sunday afternoon in the pool at the unnamed hotel in the resort of Sa Coma (pictured,file photo). He was on holiday with his family at the hotel, around a 20-minute drive from the Love Island villa close to Sant Llorenc des Cardassar

The boy was a member of the 45th Belfast Scout Group, which meets in the Immanuel Church of Ireland in Ardoyne.

A statement on the church Facebook page said: 'This evening the leaders of the 45th Belfast Scout Group which meets in Immanuel received the heart breaking news that Corey, a much loved member of the Beaver Section passed away following a tragic accident.

'Please keep the Aughey family in your thoughts and prayers during this very sad and difficult time.'

The 45th Belfast Scout Group wrote: 'This is extremely sad news and the thoughts and prayers of everyone connected to the 45th are with his family at this heart breaking time.

'Corey will be fondly remembered by his Beaver Leaders as being fun loving, always smiling and full of enthusiasm.

'We will miss him so much. Beaver parents have already been informed. Pastoral support has kindly been offered by our district commissioner so if you feel a leader or young person would like to avail of this, please let me know.'

A relative confirmed the youngster was just hours into his holiday and said he had fallen into the pool.

Family friend Christine Heaney had posted an emotional message on Facebook hours before Corey's death yesterday/on Sunday when the Rangers fan was still fighting for life.

She wrote: 'Please Please pray for our Corey, he's only six years old and is currently in intensive care in Spain after drowning in pool.

'We need all the help and prayers we can get. He's the most fun loving boy in the world. Everyone who knows and loves him are devastated so please keep him in your prayers.

'To Leanne Aughey, Colin, Jay Aughey and Darci Aughey I love u all, and wish I could be with yous. Come on Corey fight ur hardest fight wee man, we all love u so much.'

By Monday, a fundraiser set up while Corey was in hospital had raised almost 12,000. 'Please keep praying for the family to get the strength to get through the next couple of weeks,' a post on the page said.

The UK Foreign Office told the BBC it was 'supporting the family of a British child who has died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities'.

'Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time,' a spokesman said.

The tragedy comes after a British toddler drowned last month in a swimming pool accident on the Costa Blanca.

Freddie Joseph Briggs died in the pool at his parents' home in the village of Aigues near Benidorm on May 25, leading the local council to declare three days of mourning.

The child's father Marc Briggs, known to friends as Briggsy and thought to be from Mansfield, Notts, and Belfast-born mother Jane Mohan had moved to the Costa Blanca shortly before the tragedy.

Tributes were paid to the 19-month-old boy at his funeral service, held at a church in Belfast where he was christened before he was buried at a nearby cemetery.

Father Thomas McGlynn told mourners at the service the youngster brought happiness to those around him and enjoyed his short life 'to the very full.'

It was reported at the time that a routine police investigation is ongoing.

The tragedy comes on the back of two others in the area involving British nationals.

Expat Ingrid Dale, 67, originally from Dereham in Norfolk, died after being stung by a wasp in a Costa Blanca restaurant on May 9.

She is said to have gone into anaphylactic shock in front of pals at the bar in the coastal town of Moraira half an hour north of Benidorm.

She died in an ambulance outside the Hill Top Sports Bar & Grill after going into cardiac arrest before she could be taken to hospital.

Friends and well-wishers spoke of their heartbreak over widowed Ingrid's freak death as it emerged she was at a lunch to help raise funds for Ukrainian families when the tragedy occurred.

Later the same day a British man drowned in a nearby river which had claimed the lives of three other people in the past month as he tried to save his dog.

Former Royal Navy sailor Paul Lebihan, originally from Gateshead, died after getting into difficulties in the river at a beauty spot a short drive from the Costa Blanca resort of Benidorm.

Friends and loved ones later paid tribute to the 24-year-old keen amateur boxer and set up a GoFundMe appeal which has already raised around half its 15,000 goal to help his family bring Paul's body home and assist with funeral costs.
A 32-year-old man is due to appear in court charged with the murder of Emeli Sande's rapper ex-boyfriend Hypo.

Laurie John-Phillip, from Enfield, north London, is accused of killing the performer, whose real name was Lamar Jackson, shortly after midnight on Friday.

Mr Jackson, 39, whose tracks included Flex On My X, First Night and No L's, was stabbed to death at a party in Woodford Green, east London.

John-Phillip was arrested on Saturday and will appear at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with murder and possession of a bladed article.

Twisted party goers are said to have filmed the fight, with at least one recording the moment medical workers attempted to resuscitate the rapper before callously sharing the clip online, sparking fury on social media.

Hypo, who recently got engaged, had reportedly got into a 'trivial row' at the party, being held in a large marquee, before being fatally stabbed.

Emeli and Hypo (pictured together) dated for around a year before splitting in 2017, but are said to have remained friends

The performer, who is only known by his stage name, had filmed himself rocking sunglasses and smoking while dancing inside the marquee with friends in the hours before his killing

Scottish songstress Emeli and Hypo (pictured together) dated for around a year before splitting in 2017, but are said to have remained friends

In the hours before his death, the leading figure of the Mashtown rappers collective, based in east London, filmed himself being driven in a Bentley on the way to the event in an Instagram story shared with his 23,000-plus followers.

The performer, who is only known by his stage name, later filmed himself rocking sunglasses and smoking while dancing inside the marquee with friends.

Scottish songstress Emeli and Hypo dated for around a year before splitting in 2017, but are said to have remained friends.

In March 2016 they enjoyed a trip to Jamaica together, with a source at the time claiming he had given the Aberdeen-born star a 'whole new wave of inspiration.'

Hypo, who grew up in Islington, north London, is said to have had a troubled past, but pals said he had 'mellowed out' in recent years as he focused on his music career.

Tributes have poured in from friends and fans online in the wake of the news of his death.

'Hypo was a pioneer in the industry,' one fan on Twitter wrote, 'Met him a couple times and he was a clean hearted guy. This world is crazy.'

Another said: 'RIP Big Hypes, very sad news to wake up to... we lost a real one.'

One described the death as a 'sad tragedy', adding: 'In his Instagram story he was just living his best life and having fun, later the same day his taken was taken from him.'

The leading figure of the Mashtown rappers collective, based in east London, had been filmed in a car on the way to the venue, smiling and dancing with friends

Hypo, who grew up in Islington, north London, is said to have had a troubled past, but pals said he had 'mellowed out' in recent years as he focused on his music career

'Watching his Insta story shows you how nothing is promised,' wrote another.

Others criticised the 'sick individuals' who filmed the fatal fight and its aftermath.

'Whoever is sending the video of Hypo around is a sick and twisted individual and whoever recorded it is going to hell,' one fan declared.

Detectives launched a murder investigation and a post-mortem is due to be held to determine the official cause of death.

Police said a large number of revellers were at the event in Chigwell Road when the fight broke out at around 12.10am.
Johari Jenkins, 23, from Tennessee has been arrested on multiple counts of attempted murder after shooting into a home on Breedlove Street in Memphis on 2 May

A 23-year-old woman from Tennessee has been arrested on multiple counts of attempted murder after shooting into a home with children inside.

Johari Jenkins has been charged with criminal attempt at first degree murder, aggravated assault and multiple other crimes after an incident at 1100 Breedlove Street, Memphis, on Thursday 2 May.

The Memphis Police Department were called to the block at around 5.30pm after reports from the victim and her three children, who were all inside the home, said a woman allegedly fired shots into the property.

An affidavit revealed that the children, who later identified Jenkins in a six-person photo line-up, shot once into the floor of their home and said: 'I hope I hit one of them little b******'.

Jenkins allegedly then walked into the roofed outdoor passage between the house and the garage and 'intentionally fired' four or five times into the living room window.

The following day, investigators spoke to a witness who was in an apartment nearby to the scene, who said she heard 'several shots'.

The witness also said she heard the shooter, allegedly 23-year-old Jenkins, say: 'Since I already got a charge on me, I might as well get another one today by killing you and your kids b****.'

Police say the witness also identified Jenkins in a six-person photo line-up.

It is not clear what the motive behind the gun attack was.

Another witness, who was inside her home nearby on the same night of the shooting, said she saw Jenkins with a firearm in her possession, and was shooting inside the second floor of her neighbor's home.

The Memphis Police Department were called to the 1100 Breedlove Street, Memphis (the area is pictured) on Thursday 2 May. At around 5.30pm, the victim called police reporting that she and her three children were all inside their home as a woman, allegedly Jenkins, fired shots into the property

This second witness, who also identified Jenkins in a photo line-up, heard Jenkins tell the victim: 'I hope I hit one of your kids and Im going to kill you next b****.'

They added that Jenkins threw a glass bottle at the victim's car, which shattered the windshield. Documents said that Jenkins allegedly kicked out the back window as well.

Court records say that Jenkins does not have bond information. The 23-year-old is due in court on June 6.
A mother has told of her mid-air terror after her teenage daughter blacked out and suffered an allergic reaction at 30,000 feet on a British Airways when a passenger opened a packet of peanuts on board.

Joanna Jones, 39, was flying to London from Antigua when her 14-year-old daughter Poppy needed oxygen and two EpiPen shots during the nightmare eight-hour flight after suffering a severe reaction to the nuts.

As Poppy's condition worsened, a quick-thinking nurse on board dashed to help - while the captain considered making an emergency landing.

Eventually the pilot landed the plane safely at Gatwick and Poppy was rushed to hospital.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Joanna said: It was a nightmare for all of us and I really thought she might die. It was really, really frightening and it was all down to a passenger who carried on eating nuts despite at least two announcements not to.

When we boarded the crew asked passengers not to eat peanuts as my daughter has an allergy but as we took off I saw a man around ten rows in front eating nuts.

Joanna Jones (right), 39, said she feared the worst when daughter Poppy (left), 14, suffered a severe allergic reaction during a transatlantic flight from London to Antigua

I was worried and asked if we could be moved but there was no availability and the crew asked him to stop eating the nuts but he ignored the requests and carried on.

While over the Atlantic and three hours short of Gatwick, Poppy suddenly went into anaphylaxis and was saved after Joanna gave her two shots from Epipens she had with her.

The pens contain epinephrine which is a life -saving medication administered when someone suffers a severe allergic reaction. 

Frantic cabin crew made an appeal for a doctor onboard and a nurse came forward who helped carry stabilise Poppy with an onboard oxygen mask in an emergency medical kit.

Doctors were also alerted via an emergency call centre in Arizona who relayed instructions back to the captain and crew.

Joanna, from Tooting, south London, said: 'It was so frightening. The pilot declared a medical emergency and at one point they were considering making an emergency landing but in the end he decided to carry on to Gatwick.

Poppy Jones, 14, needed oxygen and two shots of an epi-pen during a nightmare eight hour flight from London to Antigua

The nurse who was on board and responded to a call helped us and kept an eye on Poppys blood pressure with a monitor but even that wasnt working properly.

When we landed an ambulance met us and rushed us straight to hospital where we spent the rest of the day until Poppy was well enough to be discharged.

It was a horrible experience and it could have all been avoided if this man had listened to the announcements and not eaten nuts.

People seem to think this isnt a serious issue but it is and the airlines should do more they should make it illegal for people to eat nuts onboard a plane if someone is allergic to them.

All the crew could do was ask him to stop eating them but he wouldnt he carried on and just didnt seem to care that he was putting my daughters life at risk.

We had asked to change cabin section but the crew couldnt do that and when she went into anaphylaxis it was awful  shes had attacks before but never on a plane and thats what made it all the more frightening.

Joanna, a carer, who had been on holiday with her mother and two other children, added: 'It was our first real break after lockdown and the holiday was fine it was just the journey back that was a nightmare.

Poppy Jones, 14, with mother Joanna (right) with other family members, is now safe at home following the medical emergency in the plane

Airlines should do more to protect people who have nut allergies  they should ban nuts completely from all flights and if someone refuses to obey then action should e taken on them as well.

Surely someones life is worth more than eating a few nuts ? Its crazy that more isnt being done about this issue. All the cabin crew can do is ask someone not to eat nuts and thats it  its ridiculous.

I honestly thought she was going to die and its now put me off flying in the future because I just cant take the risk again.

Poppy and I feel that it is in others best interests that people know what can happen and we hope for a change in legislation to ban nuts completely onboard flights and for their to be consequences for those who ignore this.

A British Airways spokesman said: 'The safety and welfare of our customers is always our priority, and we take the issue of allergens very seriously.

Our crew cared for a customer who appeared to suffer an allergic reaction onboard, and they arranged for paramedics to meet the aircraft.

They added there was no issue with any of the onboard equipment and that crew had followed all procedures and had made announcements asking passengers not to eat nuts during the flight because of Poppys condition.

The incident comes after a British woman earlier this year claimed her severe allergy to nuts meant she was kicked off a flight after cabin crew members told her first class passengers had to be served the complimentary snacks.

Electrical engineer Sophie Draper, 26, had been flying to JFK Airport in New York from Heathrow in December - but alleges she was discriminated against and was not allowed to board the plane with her boyfriend.

Ms Draper claimed 'blunt' American Airlines staff told her they were 'contractually obliged' to serve mixed nuts in business class.

And in 2019, the mother of a 19-year-old with a severe peanut allergy tried to prevent a plane from taking off when staff refused to make an announcement about consuming peanuts on board.

Heidi Morris, 46, unbuckled her seat belt and stood up to protest on behalf of her daughter Grace, whose allergic reactions could be fatal.

Electrical engineer Sophie Draper, 26, had been flying to JFK Airport in New York from Heathrow in December - but alleged she was discriminated against because of her nut allergy and was not allowed to board the plane

Heidi Morris, 46, (left) unbuckled her seat belt on the Lauda flight and stood up to protest on behalf of her daughter Grace (right), when staff allegedly ignored her concerns over peanut dust circulating on a plane

This is the extraordinary image of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse on the BA flight shortly before she collapsed and died after eating a Pret baguette

Mrs Morris, a teacher, told cabin crew on the Lauda flight to Liverpool told cabin crew that she was concerned about peanut dust circulating around the cabin prior to the air conditioning being switched on.

But when the message was still not relayed, she stood up which forced staff to 'reluctantly' give a 'flippant' announcement.

Later during the flight, the family claimed they saw peanut M&M chocolates displayed on top of the refreshments trolley despite their pleas.

In 2016 student Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, from Fulham, south west London, died after an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger sandwich while flying to Nice on holiday.

She collapsed after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she had bought at Heathrow, which contained sesame which shew was allergic to and which was not marked on the ingredients.

Pret was later shamed by coroner Dr Sean Cummings who blasted their 'inadequate' packaging and said Natasha was falsely 'reassured' by wrappers and store signs at Heathrow Terminal 5.
Joe Biden will use his executive powers to kickstart the US solar power sector and waive tariffs from four Southeast Asian countries, sources revealed.

The president will declare a 24-month tariff exemption after an investigation froze imports from key foreign suppliers and stalled projects.

The moves come amid concern about the impact of the Commerce Department's months-long investigation into whether imports of solar panels from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are circumventing tariffs on goods made in China.

Joe Biden will use his executive powers to kickstart the US solar power sector and waive tariffs from four Southeast Asian countries

Biden's action would allay companies' concerns about having to hold billions of dollars in reserves to pay potential tariffs, one source familiar with the White House's plans told Reuters.

He also will invoke the Defense Production Act to drive US manufacturing of solar panels and other clean technologies in the future, with the support of loans and grants, the sources added.

'There is going to be this safe harbor timeout on the... collection of duties, and that's at the heart of what's going to save all of these solar projects and ensure that they are going forward,' the source said.

Biden also will invoke the Defense Production Act to drive US manufacturing of solar panels and other clean energy technologies in the future, with the support of loans and grants, the sources said.

State governors, lawmakers, industry officials and environmentalists have expressed concern over the investigation, which could have led to retroactive tariffs of up to 250 per cent.

The issue created a unique dilemma for the White House, which is eager to show US leadership on climate change, in part by encouraging use of renewable energy, while respecting and keeping its distance from the investigation proceedings.

The president will declare a 24-month tariff exemption after an investigation froze imports from key foreign suppliers and stalled projects (pictured: panels in California)

Using executive action and invoking the DPA, which gives presidents some authority over domestic industries, allows Biden to take advantage of the tools available to him without stepping on the Commerce Department inquiry.

A second source said Biden's proclamation, relying on authority from a 1930 trade law, would apply only to the four countries and run in parallel with the investigation.

Depending on its outcome, tariffs could be levied on panels imported after the 24-month period, but the threat of retroactive payments would be off the table, the source added.

'If you bring the stuff in during that 24-month period, regardless of the outcome of the investigation, there will not be those additional duties,' the second source said.

The investigation essentially halted the flow of solar panels that make up more than half of US supplies and 80 per cent of imports.

It had a chilling effect on the industry, according to clean energy groups, some of which asked Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to dismiss it. Raimondo has said she had no discretion to influence it.

'The president's action is a much-needed reprieve from this industry-crushing probe,' Abigail Ross Hopper, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement.

Biden's action would allay companies' concerns about having to hold billions of dollars in reserves to pay potential tariffs

'During the two-year tariff suspension window, the US solar industry can return to rapid deployment while the Defense Production Act helps grow American solar manufacturing.'

Announced at the end of March, the investigation could take 150 days or more to complete.

Biden has previously invoked the DPA to tackle a shortage of infant formula in the United States, ramp up domestic output of key minerals for electric vehicle batteries, and fight the COVID-19 pandemic through tests and vaccine production.

'It is a tool to do what we obviously desperately need to do, which is rapidly grow the domestic manufacturing capacity' of solar panels,' the second source familiar with the matter said.

The administration was 'very focused on making sure there's reliable and resilient supply chains at this critical moment for our energy sector, for our ability to support our consumers and to tackle the climate crisis,' he added.

Ramping up renewable energy such as solar is crucial to Biden's goal of cutting US greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent to 52 per cent by 2030, versus 2005 levels, as well as decarbonizing the US power grid by 2035.

The Commerce Department inquiry has prompted 19 state governors, 22 US senators, and dozens of members of the House of Representatives to express concern in letters to Biden.

'Initiation of this investigation is already causing massive disruption in the solar industry, and it will severely harm American solar businesses and workers and increase costs for American families as long as it continues,' said one letter signed by senators including Martin Heinrich, a Democrat from New Mexico, and Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina.
Boris Johnson will follow in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher as he faces only the seventh confidence vote in a serving Tory leader in modern history tonight.

Five previous leaders have faced the wrath of their backbenchers, with two, Ted Heath in 1975 and Sir Iain Duncan Smith in 2003, losing the vote and having to immediately resign.

But the Iron Lady was forced to quit in 1990 despite winning, because the margin of victory was so narrow she was convinced that she could not continue.

It is the second vote of no confidence (Vonc) in just four years, after Theresa May beat back her Brexiteer critics - temporarily - in late 2018.

The rules governing leadership challenges have changed over the years, so it is difficult to square past results with the current situation.

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.

Boris Johnson will follow in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher as he faces only the seventh confidence vote in a serving Tory leader in modern history tonight.

Letters are confidential unless the MP sending it makes it public. This means only Sir Graham knows how many letters there are.

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.

Here are the times when Tory MPs went over the top and publicly tried to force their leader from office:

Theresa May: December 12, 2018

May won by 200 votes to 117

Theresa May PM won the confidence vote by 200 to 117 votes in a contest which appeared to leave her bruised but not beaten.

Theresa May PM won the confidence vote by 200 to 117 votes in a contest which appeared to leave her bruised but not beaten.

But in reality it was a slow, gnawing wound that festered and resulted in her tearful resignation six months later.

The result, read out to applause in Committee Room 14 of the Houses of Parliament shortly, means she could not face a Tory leadership contest for another 12 months.

But Parliament remained in deadlock over Brexit and ultimately her inability to reconcile her backbench critics to her plans doomed her ministry.

The contest was triggered when 48 Tory MPs or more sent letters of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee - the body which represents Tory MPs.

Under the same rules that govern the Vonc against Boris Johnson, Sir Graham was obliged to call a vote if 15 per cent of Tory MPs write to him calling for one. At the time the Tories had fewer MPs - 315 - so the trigger point was lower.

The PM pleaded with her MPs to back her at an emotionally-charged meeting of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs beforehand.

She promised them that she would not stay on to lead the party into the General Election at that time planned for this year - sparking accusations that she has become a 'lame duck' PM.

And she also said she would head back out to Brussels and persuade EU leaders to make 'legally binding' changes to the Irish backstop to ensure it is temporary.

While as she desperately tried to shore up her support, she promised to build bridges with the DUP - the Northern Irish party which has threatened to pull the plug on their deal to prop the Tories up in No10 in fury at the Brexit talks.

But it was all for nothing, as her support continued to crumble. She resigned the following July and was replaced by Mr Johnson, who had served as foreign secretary under her.

Iain Duncan Smith - October 29, 2003

Duncan Smith lost by 90 votes to 75

The Chingford MP took over from William Hague in September 2001 after the Tories made only a minor dent in Tony Blair's massive Labour majority at the election that year.

Iain Duncan Smith was kicked out of the Tory leadership by MPs without even fighting an election.

The Chingford MP took over from William Hague in September 2001 after the Tories made only a minor dent in Tony Blair's massive Labour majority at the election that year.

He was endorsed by Mrs Thatcher and saw off Europhile candidate Ken Clarke. But Duncan Smith was dubbed 'the quiet man' as he himself made little impact as leader of the opposition.

He lost the leadership vote by 90 votes to 75 and was replaced by Michael Howard - who would go on to lose the 2007 election.

John Major - July 4 1995

Major won by 218 votes to 89

John Major called for a vote in his own leadership in 1995 to force his critics to put up or shut up in a row over Europe.

John Major called for a vote in his own leadership in 1995 to force his critics to put up or shut up.

Then, as now, Europe was a major bone of contention within Tory ranks, as he had signed up to a number of EU agreements that had left backbenchers furious, including the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.

He resigned, sparking a leadership election in which he stood against John Redwood, an arch anti-European and the only other candidate to run.

And it worked. Major won comfortably and would go on to lead the party into the 1997 election, when the Tories were thumped by Mr Blair and he resigned.

Margaret Thatcher - November 20, 1990

Won by 204 votes to 152

Margaret Thatcher remains the only serving PM to be ousted by a leadership challenge.

Former Trade Secretary Michael Heseltine emerged as a rival to run against her in a leadership vote.

Margaret Thatcher remains the only serving PM to be ousted by a leadership challenge.

After more than 11 years in power she was under pressure over Europe, with party 'wets' opposing her anti-federalist position.

Former Trade Secretary Michael Heseltine emerged as a rival to run against her in a leadership vote.

Under the rules, to win in the first round of voting she needed to win an absolute majority (more than half of all votes) and had to beat the runner up by more than 15 per cent of the electorate of 372 Tory MPs. It left her needing a majority of 56.

She won the first round by 204 votes to 152, just short of the votes needed for an outright victory.

Thatcher, who was in Paris when the vote happened, vowed to fight the second round, saying 'I fight on; I fight to win'. But amid Cabinet wavering she later stunned the nation by pulling out and tearfully leaving No10.

Heseltine was never to see power - supports of Thatcher rallied around Chancellor John Major and he went on to win in a second ballot. He won the election in 1992.

Margaret Thatcher - December 5, 1989

Thatcher won by 314 to 33

She faced a weak attempt to unseat her from backbencher Anthony Meyer, a critic of her Euroscepticism and the newly introduced poll tax.

Margaret Thatcher had already seen off a leadership challenge a year previously.

She faced a weak attempt to unseat her from backbencher Anthony Meyer, a critic of her Euroscepticism and the newly introduced poll tax.

Of the 374 votes available she won 314, versus 33 for her opponent. But in a warning sign for the following year, 24 votes were spoiled, meaning 60 MPs did not vote for her.

Edward Heath - February 4, 1975

Heath lost by 130 to 119

Ted Heath was convinced to hold a leadership election after unexpectedly losing the general election to Labour a year earlier.

Ted Heath was convinced to hold a leadership election after unexpectedly losing the general election to Labour a year earlier.

The party rules at the time did not allow for a leadership challenge unless the incumbent had stepped down, but they were changed to make it permissible.

Team Heath believed he had no realistic challengers after Keith Joseph, the health and social security secretary had been criticised for telling the poor to have fewer children.

But Margaret Thatcher, the education secretary, made a late decision to run and despite being seen as the underdog, won by 130 votes to 119.

Heath resigned, but remained in the Commons until 2005, and remained a critic of Margaret Thatcher to the end.




A Russian oligarch has pleaded with the EU to return a superyacht that was once in the middle of Britain's biggest-ever divorce settlement between him and his ex wife.

Farkhad Akhmedov, 66, has filed legal papers in Brussels asking for sanctions placed on him over the war in Ukraine to be lifted so he can get back 225million superyacht MV Luna, which is currently behind held by Germany.

It is not the first time the yacht - which measures 377ft and has two helipads, a swimming pool, and its own mini submarine - has been contested, with Akhmedov's ex-wife Tatiana trying to seize it in 2018 to pay off part of a huge divorce bill.

She had been awarded 453million by a judge at the High Court in 2016 - the UK's largest ever settlement at the time - and managed to get the yacht impounded in Dubai as part-payment, though the bid eventually failed.

Farkhad Akhmedov, 66 (left), has asked the EU to return a 225m yacht it has seized due to Ukraine sanctions and was once at the heart of his divorce from ex-wife Tatiana (right)

MV Luna is a 377ft superyacht that was originally built for Roman Abramovich before being bought by Mr Akhmedov in 2014

MV Luna is currently in Hamburg, with German authorities refusing to release it to Mr Akhmedov because of EU sanctions on him over his links to the Russian state.

The EU argues that Mr Akhmedov - who made his 1billion fortune via shares in a Siberian gas company - benefits from the Russian government, while also providing revenue for Putin to continue his war.

But legal papers filed on behalf of Mr Akhmedov on Friday last week, say he is 'no longer involved in the energy sector... and has not been for several years.'

They admit he is involved in local Russian politics, but add that he has never held a political position or been a member of a party 'in Russia or elsewhere'.

Akhmedovs legal team said he was 'not close to the Kremlin at all and has never been part of the circle surrounding President Vladimir Putin', according to copies of the filing seen by The Times.

Lawyers argue that Akhmedov is in fact involved in a legal dispute with Russia's biggest gas supplier, Gazprom, and has been for several years.

Mr Akhmedov got his start in business selling furs on the London Commodities Exchange before swapping to the energy industry - founding Tansley Trading which sold equipment to the gas industry in 1987.

Six years later, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mr Akhmedov was among a clutch of Russian businessmen to capitalise on the privatisation of Russia's former state assets by buying up shares in Siberian gas firm Nortgas.

The vessel features two helipads, a huge swimming pool, and its own mini submarine, along with nine decks and space for 52 crew

Tatiana had seized the vessel in 2018 in Dubai as part payment of a record 453million UK divorce settlement, but was ultimately ordered to release it

In 1998, two years before Putin took power, he bought out another major investor and became the majority shareholder - before offloading his assets in 2012 for just over 1billion.

Mr Akhmedov rose to prominence in the UK in 2016 when Tatiana filed for divorce in what-was then the UK's largest case of its kind - though has since been eclipsed by Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's split from his wife.

In 2017, a judge ordered him to hand over around 40 per cent of his wealth to his ex-wife - or a total sum of around 453million.

Mr Akhmedov refused to pay, saying the couple had already been divorced in Russia several years earlier and the UK courts had no jurisdiction.

Mr Akhmedov got his start in business selling furs before switching to energy, where he mad a fortune with shares in a gas giant

That sparked a five-year legal fight in which Tatiana assembled teams of specialists - including former members of the Royal Navy's Special Boat Service - to go after and seize assets she said should belong to her, including MV Luna.

At one point the vessel - which was originally built for Roman Abramovich before Mr Akhmedov bought it in 2014 - was seized at port in Dubai.

Assets separately seized had included the yacht's 5million Eurocopter and its 1.5million Torpedo speed boat, customised with a 1965 Ferrari GTO steering wheel.

A 40million global express jet had also been taken.

In May last year, Tatiana's representatives announced that a court in the British Marshall Islands, which are in the central Pacific Ocean, had issued an order giving them the right to seize the super yacht from Mr Akhmedov.

But just a week later, the same court ruled that it had no power to enforce the order because only a court in Dubai, where the Luna is currently docked, could enforce a change of ownership.

In a written ruling, the court stated: 'The Republic of the Marshall Island Maritime Administrator will not comply with the Order....the Court cannot compel the Administrator to comply with the Court's order to transfer title (of the Luna).'

Tatiana settled her divorce with Mr Akhmedov in July last year for a 100million cash payment and 50million in artwork - less then a third of what she was originally awarded

At the time a spokesman for Mr Akhmedov said: 'These judgements, although welcome, come as absolutely no surprise.

'The judge's admission that the Marshall Island Registrar cannot be compelled to transfer the ownership confirms what our lawyers have always argued: that the Luna falls totally under the jurisdiction of Dubai, not the home of its flag of convenience.

'This is in keeping with the international principles of maritime law.'

Then, in July, the couple announced they had settled the dispute with Tatiana agreeing to take a 100million cash payment and 50million in artwork - less than a third of what she was awarded by the court.

The actual payout was even less, because Ms Akhmedova also had to pay 74.5million to her financial backers, Burford Capital, over the failed asset hunt.

A spokesman for her ex-husband said at the time: 'The intervention in a case over which the English Court should have had no jurisdiction and the involvement of Burford ultimately achieved nothing for Tatiana.

'Burford and she spent years and millions of pounds on a costly global tour of various jurisdictions in their attempts to seize Luna. Every one of them failed and the yacht remains and will remain in the ownership of Farkhad and the family trusts.

'Tatiana has ended up with not a penny more than she was offered by her ex-husband six years ago. Farkhad has provided no payment to Burford.

'Those monies will have to be paid by Tatiana, thus reducing further to her the benefit of a settlement she could have had before the lawyers and financiers got involved.'
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A huge fire has destroyed a large house on a street dubbed Billionaire's Row in London - where houses cost a collective 350 million.

Around 40 firefighters rushed to the scene in The Bishops Avenue in Hampstead, which is widely seen as one of the wealthiest streets in the world

Former inhabitants and owners of homes in the area include the super-rich Sultan of Brunei and the Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber.

Emergency services arrived at the street at 3.45am and tackled a large house that was ablaze.

The London Fire Brigade says the roof, first floor, and ground floor of the detached house have all been destroyed.

The house is believed to be empty and disused, with graffiti daubed on its side. It is unclear who owns it.

The fire, which is under investigation, was brought under control by 6am but crews stayed at the scene for several hours.

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a house alight on The Bishops Avenue in East Finchley

The London Fire Brigade says the roof, first floor, and ground floor of the detached house have all been destroyed

Emergency services rushed to the wealthy street at 3.45am and tackled a large house that was ablaze

The London Fire Brigade says the roof, first floor, and ground floor of the detached house have all been destroyed

Firefighters tackle huge blaze at 'Billionaires' Row' in north London. It is unclear who the large property belongs to

It is unclear who owns the house that was destroyed by the fire. Station commander Rob Hazzard says the home is not thought to be in use at this time and there are no injuries.

Mr Hazzard said: 'The property is believed to be disused and empty at the time of the fire, so fortunately there were no reports of any injuries.

'Firefighters were faced with a significant fire on arrival which involved the whole of this large building.

'Crews worked hard to tackle the blaze and bring it under control.'

The 66-house street has been home to some of the world's most wealthy, including Saudi royals, Heather Mills and Sir Billy Butlin - founder of the holiday camps.

Billionaire Richard Desmond, former owner of Express Newspapers and founder of Northern & Shell which publishes Ok! magazine, also owned a mansion on the street.

However, many of the luxury homes on the street have been uninhabited since they were purchased in the 1980s.

A row of 10 houses, worth 73million, has stood empty ever since they were reportedly bought by the Saudi royal family.

In 2016 Justin Bieber was reported to be renting a 15-bedroom mansion on the street for 108,000 a month.

Station commander Rob Hazzard says the home is not thought to be in use at this time and there are no injuries

Derelict images from one of London's most expensive streets reveal how the once magnificent mansions have been left to crumble. According to the Financial Times, Barons Court has been owned by a Middle Eastern royal family since 1976. It is now on sale

Bishop's Avenue in north London, also known as Billionaires' Row, is a 66-house street which has been home to some of the world's most wealthy people. Pictured is Redcroft mansion, which has been boarded up and left to rot

The once gleaming pillars and facade have been left to decay and crack as moss and weeds start to grow. The inside of the mansion is apparently covered in damp patches and rat droppings

Warning signs on the front door say that the building is an 'unsafe structure' and that only authorised personnel are allowed to enter while wearing personal protective equipment

An investigation by the Guardian in 2014 found that the row of mansions is collectively worth roughly 350million. It will now be worth significantly more.

A resident told the paper: 'Ninety-five percent of the people who live here don't actually live here. It is a terrible place to live really.

'It is very boring and the road is very busy. I don't think many people want to live in such big houses anyway.'

Many of the homes were bought for around 1million in the late 80s but were never lived in and now a detached mansion on the street will go on sale for 15million.

Derelict images from the street reveal how the once magnificent mansions have been left to crumble.

The forgotten palaces: Eerie video gives glimpse of the luxury lifestyles once enjoyed in north London's billionaires' row... before mansions were left to ruin

Footage from 2019 shows the crumbling 350 million mansions left abandoned in north London's billionaires' row.

Bishops Avenue in Hampstead is one of the most exclusive roads in the country, but many of its 66 mansions lie vacant.

Eerie video captured by documentary makers Beyond The Point shows murky swimming pools and creepy abandoned gardens filled with pricey sculptures.

Bishops Avenue in Hampstead, north London, is one of the most exclusive roads in the country, but many of its 66 mansions lie vacant

Eerie images captured by documentary makers Beyond The Point earlier this month show creepy abandoned gardens filled with pricey sculptures

A pond in the gardens of a crumbling mansion, where weeds now sprout between the gaps in the paving stones and trees are left overgrown

Many of the houses were bought for around 1m in the late 80s but some were never lived in and allowed to rot while others were barely used

Further unseen footage show a perfectly kept living room left to ruin in one of these multi-million pound mega mansions.

Beautiful antiques furnish the house and magazines lay on the floor as if the house's millionaire owners would return at any moment.

Other clips reveal graffiti strewn windows which looked into a ballroom with a majestic grand gold staircase which has been overtaken by ferns and the ceiling collapsed.

An investigation by the Guardian in 2014 found that the row of mansions are collectively worth around 350million.

Currently many of the sites on the street have been converted in plush apartments and offices but a number of these crumbling mansions are boarded up and derelict

A sculpture in the back garden of one of the properties, which would have once been home to a wealthy family

Further unseen footage show a previously perfectly kept living room left to ruin in one of these multi-million pound mega mansions

One row of ten mansions worth at least 73m were never used after being reportedly purchased on behalf of the Saudi royal family between 1989 and 1993. Pictured is one of the many homes on the street

Many were bought for around 1m in the late 80s but some were never lived in and allowed to rot while others were barely used.

Currently many of the sites on the street have been converted in plush apartments and offices but a number of these crumbling mansions are boarded up and derelict.

The Guardian found that 16 of the mansions on the road have been abandoned while others are used for short periods.

It discovered a third of these once majestic mansions were empty with more than 120 bedrooms in the vacant houses.

Anvil Varma, a leading property developer, described it as 'one of the most expensive wastelands in the world'.

A large hot pool in the massive spa level of this mansion is empty and filled with nothing but dirt, while the walls have fallen prey to vandals

The exterior of the home, with red brick and white painted columns and window frames, looks grand but the garden is in a sorry state

The average house price in the UK is 230,776 which is 65 times less than the average 15million mansion on Bishop's Avenue

Many owners are thought to live abroad, while some residents of the non-abandoned houses only visit for short periods

One row of ten mansions worth at least 73m were never used after being reportedly purchased on behalf of the Saudi royal family between 1989 and 1993.

In 2016, it was reported that Justin Bieber was renting a historic 15-bedroom mansion on The Bishops Avenue for 108,000 a month.

And in 2008, the former President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev bought a home on the exclusive street for 50million, making it one of the most expensive houses in the UK.

The average house price in the UK is 230,776 which is 65 times less than the average 15million mansion on Bishop's Avenue.

Many owners are thought to live abroad, while some residents of the non-abandoned houses only visit for short periods.

This swimming pool is filled with a murky layer of water, most probably the result of rain water seeping through the roof of this home on Bishops Avenue in Hampstead, north London

Leaves densely cover the mansion's garden and a bush grows wildly around a conservatory of the home on Bishops Avenue, Hampstead, north London

An empty, mouldy swimming pool at one of the mansion's, with water marks covering the walls and wooden planks propped on the side

The golden-painted bars of the stairs are betrayed by the crumbling walls and plaster spilling down to the hallway, as well as a broken door hanging from its hinges
Former CIA director Gina Haspel was the head of a Thai black site where the alleged torture of a terrorist suspect was sanctioned.

Based on the New York Times report, she was there when one of the prisoners was subject to torture mentioned in court testimony.

Inhumane Treatment of Prisoners by the CIA

The ex-CIA official who ran the agency as director for the CIA base in Thailand during 2002, as revealed by the NYT last Friday, reported RT.

Claims that state she looked over interrogation sessions of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri connected with the bombing of USS Cole, who underwent waterboarding said the outlet. The testimony came from a psychologist taking part in the torture who identified the al-Nashiri.

In a Guantanamo Bay court hearing wherein James Mitchell said he saw how the prisoner was covered with a cloth and water poured over his face by another interrogator, cited Law Dragon.

Strapped to a gurney while getting tortured, the prisoner was changed from lying to standing up in between intervals in the waterboarding, said the psychologist. More details like Al-Nashiri covered with a hood on sometimes or stark naked, other times he was in a small box, slapping, head slammed into a burlap wall revealed the CIA psychologist.

Former CIA director familiar with torture methods was revealed and sent memos to Washington about the torture of the prisoner and what they learned from the CIA Thai black site. But the psychologist revealed what she did in the Thailand base.

Read Also: Kim Jong-Un Wife: Who Is Ri Sol Ju, the First Lady of North Korea?

Haspel knew torture methods and informed Washington of the information learned from Al-Nashiri's sessions. However, Mitchell's testimony offered a more detailed peek at her work in Thailand, noted Laos News.

What Did Al-Nashiri do?

Abd Al-Rahim Al-Nashiri is the alleged mastermind of the attack on the USS Cole with 17 US Navy casualties in 2000. The Times stated how the military judge for the criminal case against the prisoner allowed Mitchell's testimony due to destroyed evidence by the CIA who did the torture to Al-Nashiri and another prisoner in Thailand, mentioned Fars News.

The CIA director admitted to ruining 92 interrogation tapes showing Abu Zubaydah's torture; he is the first terror suspect targeted by the post 9/11 torture program. Served as chief of staff to CIA ops chief Jose Rodriguez Jr. and was the CIA Director in the Trump era from April 2018 to January 2021.

Haspel Confirmed as CIA Chief

Before Haspel was confirmed as CIA director, she said she was not in the destroyed video and answered no when asked whether part of Al-Nashiri's torture was the answer to Senator Dianne Feinstein's (D-California) question. The internal review of the CIA found her faultless in destroying the tapes.

Despite opposition by a bloc of senators criticizing her and the Central Intelligence Agency, she got the directorship in 2018 and was the first woman to head the agency.

Further probes reveal interrogators wanted to end the torture due to answered questions by Al- Nashiri, but the higher official said to continue and moved to another site. The torture of Al-Nashiri and Zubaydah was controversial and commented on by the ECHR in 2018.

Related Article: Biden Gives Undiplomatic Remark To Kim Jong Un When Asked What Message to Impart During South Korea Visit

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A man pictured wearing a Queen Elizabeth mask is wanted in connection with launching a violent pub attack ahead of the Jubilee celebrations.

Officers were called to The Anchor on Lincoln's High Street after violence erupted inside the boozer at 7pm last Wednesday - on the eve of the Platinum Jubilee.

Revellers had been enjoying a night out ahead of the extended Bank Holiday weekend when one man was punched in the face inside the bar.

The victim suffered a cut and bleeding nose as a result of the attack and detectives have now released CCTV of the main suspect in a bid to track him down.

Police are appealing for help to identify a man wearing a Queen Elizabeth mask following a report of an assault in a pub in Lincoln last week

The incident reportedly took place last Wednesday at The Anchor on Lincoln's High Street

He can be seen wearing a cardboard cut-out mask of Queen Elizabeth II on top of his head while clutching a pint of beer inside the pub.

A Lincolnshire Police are appealing for help to identify the man, a spokesperson said: 'At around 7pm on Wednesday 1st June, a male was reportedly punched in the face inside The Anchor on Lincoln High Street.

'The victim sustained a cut and bleeding nose as a result.

'The offender is described as a white male, approximately 5ft 10 ins tall and is believed to be of a medium to heavy build.

'He has tattoos on his arms and legs and was wearing dark shorts, a dark t-shirt, and a black gilet.

'He was also wearing a Queen Elizabeth mask on top of his head.

'We believe the man in the image may be able to help with our enquiries.'
A determined son is on a mission to track down a hit-and-run driver who almost killed his dad after mowing the cyclist down on the side of a Melbourne road.

Kevin Hall, 69, was riding his bike up St Kilda Street in Brighton about 6am on Saturday May 28 to meet friends when he was hit from behind by a dark SUV.

The driver fled the scene while the grandfather was left in the gutter suffering bleeding on the brain, a broken neck, two broken eye sockets, a broken shoulder, and two breaks to his back.

The 69-year-old was rushed to Alfred Hospital where he remains in a serious condition, recovering from his injuries.

Gavan Hall is on a mission to find the driver who almost killed his father (pictured together) in a hit-and-run in Melbourne's Bayside last month

Now, his devoted son Gavan is determined to help police find the person responsible and has been door-knocking from Sandringham all the way to St Kilda in search for CCTV, witnesses and leads.

'He doesn't have a great deal of what went down, other than the fact of, you know, he remembers leaving home and the next thing he remembers is waking up in hospital,' Gavan told A Current Affair.

'It makes my blood boil.'

Gavan has a team of people assisting in delivering pamphlets to mailboxes calling on members of the public with information to come forward.

He believes he is slowly closing in on the driver after his efforts, along with those of police, have generated lots of leads, including CCTV footage of the incident.

The grandfather remains in hospital recovering from a series of injuries, including several broken bones and a brain bleed

CCTV footage obtained as a result of Gavan and police efforts show Kevin riding moments before he was hit

Ex-detective Charlie Bezzina, formerly with the homicide squad, said people are often reluctant to come forward, but will respond if police knock on their door.

He commended Gavan's efforts and said his work could be vital in cracking the case open.

Gavan said he will not rest until the person responsible is found.

'We'll find you, I've got no doubt, we'll find you,' Gavan said.

'It's just a matter of time.'

If you have any information, please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Former Russian spy Dmitry Kovtun, one of two men accused of poisoning Putin critic and Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, died on Saturday.

The ex-FSB agent was pronounced dead in a Moscow hospital aged 56 after succumbing to complications arising from Covid, according to Russian state media.

A mountain of evidence implicated Kovtun and his friend Andrey Lugovoy in the assassination of Litvinenko, who died an agonising death in London three weeks after drinking a cup of tea spiked with poisonous radioactive isotope Polonium-210 in November 2006.

Kovtun was found guilty of killing Litvinenko by a UK court in 2016, which decided there was a 'strong possibility' Russian authorities ordered the spy and wannabe pornstar to kill his compatriot for betraying his country.

The European Court of Human Rights upheld the ruling last year, when it declared the Russian state responsible for Litvinenko's killing and found Kovtun and Lugovoy guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.

The ECHR's verdict came after Litvinenko's widow Marina brought a case demanding compensation from the Russian authorities for the death of her husband.

The court ordered Russia to pay her 100,000 euros in compensation, but the killers themselves were never brought to justice.

Now, Kovtun's passing has reignited debate over how he and Lugovoy were able to lace the former spy and British citizen's green tea with polonium on British soil and still escape punishment.

Russian businessman Dmitry Kovtun arrives for a news conference at Interfax headquarters in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Kovtun, a former FSB agent, is believed to be one of two men responsible for the death of Russian defector and Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006

Alexander Litvinenko is seen lying in his hospital bed in London in November 2006, shortly before succumbing to severe radiation sickness triggered by the ingestion of radioactive isotope Polonium-210

Dmitry Kovtun (L) and Andrey Lugovoy (R) attend a radio show to answer questions from foreign journalists over the death of Litvinenko at the Ekho Moskvy radio station in Moscow August 29, 2007

In this Friday, May 10, 2002 file photo, Alexander Litvinenko, former KGB spy and author of the book 'Blowing Up Russia: Terror From Within' is photographed at his home in London

Who was Litvinenko and how was he poisoned?

Alexander Litvinenko died aged 43 on November 23, 2006, three weeks after drinking green tea laced with radioactive isotope Polonium-210 at the plush Millennium Hotel in Mayfair.

Born in 1962, he rose through the ranks at the Soviet Union's Interior Ministry before being recruited by the KGB.

Litvinenko enjoyed a successful career with the KGB and its post-Soviet successor - the FSB - but by the late 90s had become disillusioned with corruption ubiquitous in Russian law enforcement and politics.

He marked himself an enemy of the Russian regime when he publicly spoke out about the extent of the corruption in 1998 and fled to London two years later, where he was granted asylum along with second wife Marina and their son Anatoly.

Having settled in England, the defector became a consultant for British intelligence and published several books shedding light on corruption and state-sponsored terrorism in Russia.

But in 2005 and 2006, after years of having his stay in Britain bankrolled by Russian oligarch and fellow Putin critic Boris Berezovsky, Litvinenko developed relationships with private security companies in an attempt to establish a new source of income.

The former FSB agent began working with British security firm Erimys in 2006 on the proviso that he could leverage his Russian security contacts to secure business relationships for the company in the Russian oil and gas sector.

But he began inadvertently planning his own murder in July 2006 when he set up a series of meetings with Lugovoy - an associate of Litvinenko's benefactor Borozevsky, and therefore one of the few Russians the defector still trusted.

Litvinenko and Lugovoy had worked together back in the 1990s, but Lugovoy had since been tasked with eliminating his former colleague as a traitor to Putin and the Russian regime.

On November 1, 2006, Litvinenko met with Lugovoy and FSB agent Kovtun in Mayfair's Millennium Hotel under false pretences. He believed he was there to discuss potential business deals over a pot of tea.

One sip of the warm liquid laced with lethal radioactive poison was all it took to seal his fate.

Undated handout file image issued by the Litvinenko Inquiry of the last photo taken of poisoned spy Alexander Litvinenko alive, in which he is seen lying gaunt in a hospital bed

Lugovoy was trusted by Litvinenko as the pair were both associates of Russian oligarch and Putin critic Boris Borozevsky (pictured centre)

The Millennium Hotel, Mayfair, London, where traces of polonium-210 were found after the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko

How did investigators prove Kovtun and Lugovoy were responsible for Litvinenko's death?

In the days before his death, Litvinenko personally stated he believed Vladimir Putin had personally ordered the FSB and Kovtun to carry out his poisoning.

A public inquest into his death cited a mountain of evidence naming Kovtun and Lugovoy as the killers, after investigators found traces of polonium-210 in every location the pair were known to have visited during their time in London.

The substance's radioactive signature was also detected on the aeroplane seat Kovtun occupied on his flight from London to Hamburg following the assassination, as well as his car and his ex-wife's flat where he stayed before returning to Russia.

The European Court of Human Rights in September 2021 upheld the UK court's ruling in response to a case brought by Litvinenko's widow Marina.

'Russia was responsible for the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in the UK,' a ruling issued by six of the seven-member Strasbourg court said - with the sole Russian judge dissenting.

The court also found that Russian authorities insufficiently investigated the killing, pointing out that no arrests were made on its soil in connection with the assassination despite numerous international arrest warrants and ample evidence implicating Kovtun and Lugovoy.

Marina Litvinenko, widow of former Russian intelligence agent Alexander Litvinenko, poses for a portrait during an interview with Reuters in London, Britain, March 14, 2018

Andrey Lugovoy, businessman and former Russian security service officer, is pictured in 2006 giving an interview on Litvinenko

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shot down the ECHR's ruling that the Russian state was responsible for Litvinenko's death, declaring in September last year that Russia was 'not prepared to accept such decisions' and described the verdict as 'wholly unfounded'

Why were the killers not brought to justice?

Russia has always denied any involvement in the death despite extensive evidence to the contrary, and refused to comply with arrest warrants issued for Kovtun and Lugovoy.

The Crown Prosecution Service requested that the pair be extradited to stand trial in the years following Litvinenko's death, but the requests were swiftly rejected.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov meanwhile shot down the ECHR's ruling, declaring in September last year that Russia was 'not prepared to accept such decisions' and described the verdict as 'wholly unfounded'.

Lugovoy himself also dismissed the verdict, calling it 'absolutely politically motivated'.

Russian media organisation TASS reported this weekend that lawmaker Lugovoy - who as a member of Russia's parliament now benefits from immunity - was mourning the death of a 'close and faithful friend' in Kovtun.

'Today we have the sad news that my close and loyal friend Dmitry Kovtun passed away suddenly as a result of a serious illness linked to a coronavirus infection,' Lugovoy was quoted as saying on Saturday.

'This is an irreplaceable and difficult loss for us.'

While Lugovoy went onto forge a successful political career, Kovtun receded into the shadows and little is known about his life following Litvinenko's death.

A former military serviceman, Kovtun deserted his post in East Germany when the Soviet Union fell in 1991 and claimed asylum in Hamburg with his then German wife, Inna Hohne.

Their marriage fell apart soon after due to Kovtun's drinking habit and desire to become 'a porn house star' on Hamburg's infamous Reeperbahn red light district, Hohne told German prosecutors amid investigations into her ex-husband's involvement in the Litvinenko case.

He later returned to Russia and was recruited by the FSB, which deployed him to assassinate their former agent.








A Kentucky county sheriff's deputy, who allowed a suspect to take a smoke break during an interrogation, was fatally shot when the gunman pulled out a hidden weapon and opened fire.

Veteran Kentucky State police officer and Calloway County Chief Deputy Jody Cash, 44, was gunned down by Gary Rowland, 30, on May 16 outside the Marshall County Sheriff's headquarters after the two stepped outside.

Calloway County Chief Deputy Jody Cash (above), 44, was killed by Gary Rowland, 30, after he let the man take a smoke break

Rowland, of Murray, Kentucky, had been arrested on outstanding warrants and was being interrogated in the Marshall County Sheriff's department by Deputy Donald Bowman and Cash an unrelated investigation, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

'While smoking, Mr. Rowland produced a handgun, which had been concealed on his person, firing it in the direction of and striking [Calloway County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Jody Cash],' the Kentucky State Police said on Friday.

Marshall County Sheriff's Deputy Donald Bowman returned fire, wounding Rowland, according to WTVQ news, who died a short time later at a local hospital.

Both officers are part of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration task force, according to the news channel.

The officer was killed about an hour after Rowland was arrested on a warrant for drug and gun related charges in Benton, KY, the TV station reported.

Gary Rowland (above) , 30, of Murray, Kentucky shot Deputy Cash after asking to take a cigarette break during an interrogation

Calloway County Chief Deputy Jody Cash (above), 44, was fatally shot while allowing a gun-charge suspect take a smoke break

Little, who has been on the force for four years, and Bowman, a 27-year veteran police officer, have been placed on administrative leave.

'This deputy has paid the ultimate sacrifice today while serving our commonwealth,' Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said after he was killed. 'Let us honor the life, bravery and service of this deputy.'

Rowland was being interrogated by deputies assigned to a Drug Enforcement Administration task force when he killed Deputy Cash

Rowland, 30, was being interrogated inside the Marshall County Sheriff's headquarters when he asked to take a smoke break

The slain deputy was a 22-year law officer, who spent eight years in the state police and served as assistant chief of the Murray State University Police Department before joining Calloway County police.

The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team will continue to investigate the killings.
A couple's magical moment at Disneyland Paris has been snatched away by an overzealous member of staff wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

Footage showed the pair in the shadow of the Cinderella castle when the worker leapt between them and took the ring out of the fiancee's hand.

The employee beckoned the pair off the platform they were standing on and the shocked duo followed him down during the bizarre exchange last week.

Some branded the Disney worker 'evil' and others said he made an effective snap decision to dissuade other guests from staging marriage proposals there.

A Disneyland Paris worker stole a couple's magic moment when he snatched their engagement ring mid-proposal

The man had hoped to propose to his girlfriend in front of the Cinderella Castle. He had only just got down on one knee when the man in Mickey Mouse ears struck

The video was posted on Reddit under the title 'POS destroyed my best friends moment. He asked for permission beforehand.'

In the film, onlookers can be heard applauding as the man drops to his knees and his girlfriend puts her hands to her face in shock.

After the staff member scurries into frame, nabs the engagement ring, and beckons the stunned couple down to another location, the crowd begins to boo while the staff member shakes his head and smiles.

The couple head down the stairs as fairytale music swirls in the air. When they reach the bottom the staff member hands back the ring and appears to say 'That's the rule.'

As he popped the question, a Disneyland Paris worker in Mickey Mouse ears ran up, grabbed the ring and ran away

He ushered the couple from the platform, ruining their magical moment in the theme park

He was pictured smiling after he took the ring, beckoning the couple down the stairs and saying 'That's the rule.'

The man holds out a hand and points off screen saying 'She said yes,' though it is unclear if he means his would-be betrothed or a staff member off-camera.

'Yes, that's great, but over here it's going to be even better,' the staff member in ears says, unmoved as he waves the woman down the stairs.

The camera then pulls back for a moment and shows that the platform the couple had just been escorted off of is behind a closed gate.

Reactions around the internet to the video have been mixed, with some people vilifying the staff member, and others leaping to his defense and saying that the couple clearly did not have permission to be where they were.

On Reddit, one user wrote, 'He looked really happy to have the chance to destroy a romantic moment. Really awful evil guy right there.'

'Those Mickey ears bestow great power,' another said.

As the staff member handed the ring back, the man said 'She said yes,' though it is unclear if he meant his betrothed or a staff member who had given him permission for the proposal location

Some have labeled the staff member as 'evil,' accusing him of gleefully ruining the couple's once in a lifetime moment

Other's have defended him, saying it was clear that the couple had gone somewhere they knew they weren't supposed to be, and that the staff member was doing his job

But some leapt to the staff member's defense, saying that they recognized him, and that he was always an extremely enthusiastic and effective presence at the park.

'If it's who I think it is, then he's been nothing less than stellar every time I've been to DLP,' a user wrote on a Disneyland Paris page on Reddit, 'This video lacks all context and I think anyone who knows the Park will know this specific area is prohibited and hopefully remember the CM [cast member].'

Users on that thread noted that the stage platform where the couple proposed is prohibited to guests as it often has potentially hazardous pyrotechnics set up for performances on them. As the gate at the foot of the stairs was closed in the video, they suspect it is likely the couple hopped the fence without permission.

A relative of the staff member corroborated this view of the events, telling Le Parisien that the staff member warned the couple not to ascend the platform before the proposal, but that they 'did not hear or did not want to hear.'

Le Parisien also noted that the couple were Americans.

Disney apologized to the couple, according to Newsweek.

'We regret how this was handled. We have apologized to the couple involved and offered to make it right,' the park said.

Disney has not returned DailyMail.com requests for comment.
One of Boris Johnson's uber-loyalist Cabinet ministers today savaged Jeremy Hunt after the ex-health secretary urged fellow Tory MPs to topple the Prime Minister.

In the hours before a confidence vote in Mr Johnson's leadership, Mr Hunt this morning declared he would be 'voting for change'.

He also warned fellow Conservative MPs the party is on course to lose the next general election if they keep Mr Johnson in power.

But Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries - one of Mr Johnson's staunchest supporters - swiftly launched a furious counter-attack on Mr Hunt.

She tore into his record as a Cabinet minister - including his 'inadequate' pandemic planning during his five-and-a-half year spell in charge of the Department of Health - and accused him of 'destabilising' the party for 'personal ambition'.

In an astonishing series of Twitter posts, Ms Dorries claimed Mr Hunt had been 'wrong about almost everything' from Brexit to Covid.

The strength of her outburst appeared to surprise even Ms Dorries' fellow Cabinet ministers, with one admitting they were 'sad and heartbroken' at the Tory civil war now taking place.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries - one of Boris Johnson's staunchest supporters - launched a furious counter-attack on Jeremy Hunt

Mr Hunt warned fellow Conservative MPs the party is on course to lose the next general election if they keep Mr Johnson in power

Mr Hunt, who also previously served as foreign secretary, was beaten by Mr Johnson to the Tory leadership in 2019 when party members elected a successor to Theresa May.

He has repeatedly failed to rule out another leadership challenge in a string of media appearances in recent weeks, as pressure grew on the PM over the Partygate scandal.

The South Surrey West MP characterised tonight's vote on Mr Johnson's leadership as a choice between 'change or lose' for Tory MPs.

'We are not offering the integrity, competence and vision necessary to unleash the enormous potential of our country,' he posted on Twitter this morning.

'And because we are no longer trusted by the electorate, who know this too, we are set to lose the next general election.'

But, within an hour, Mr Hunt's message to Tory MPs was met with a ferocious riposte from Ms Dorries.

In an astonishing series of Twitter posts, Ms Dorries claimed Mr Hunt had been 'wrong about almost everything' from Brexit to Covid

In a string of tweets she claimed, in July 2020 when she was a health minister, Mr Hunt had phoned her to say Britain should copy the example of China in dealing with Covid.

Ms Dorries claimed he had proposed the removal of Coronavirus-positive Britons into isolation hotels for two weeks.

In an attack on Mr Hunt's leadership ambitions, she added: 'Your handling of the pandemic would have been a disaster.

'Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate.

'Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so.'

In a further strike out at Mr Hunt, Ms Dorries also claimed he had previously predicted the Government would 'swiftly collapse' after Brexit and he would be able to 'swoop in' as PM.

She added, if Mr Hunt had been Tory leader at the last general election, he would have 'handed the keys of No10' to Labour's Jeremy Corbyn.

'You've been wrong about almost everything, you are wrong again now,' Ms Dorries concluded.

Chris Clarkson, MP for Heywood and Middleton, joined the condemnation of Mr Hunt, as he described the ex-Cabinet minister as a 'pound shop Machiavelli'.

He added: 'He's actively re-writing history. He's definitely changed a few minds today, but not in the way he thinks.'

Asked about the astonishing row between Mr Hunt and Ms Dorries, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi later expressed his sorrow at the current state of relations between warring Tory MPs.

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: 'I feel sad and heartbroken that colleagues are currently having to attack one another.

'I think that's wrong, I think we have to come together - we are strongest when we are united, when we are delivering for the nation.'

Ms Dorries later defended her attack on Mr Hunt, claiming her criticism of him was 'not personal'.

Asked if her comments had exacerbated the split between Conservative MPs, she told Sky News that Mr Hunt has 'come out today himself and said that he has time for change - I think what he means is it's time for him'.

She added: 'I don't want to talk about individual personalities but what I would say is that you can't say repeatedly that you're not going to challenge the Prime Minister when there's a war in Ukraine, and on the day Russia fires rockets into Kyiv decide that it is time for change of leader - I'm afraid that's just not acceptable.'
Flight disruptions, soaring ticket prices and long airport queues will continue throughout the summer as airlines struggle to hire enough workers to meet surging post-pandemic travel demand.

Delta Airlines has hired more than 15,000 workers in the last year but it is still not enough so the firm has cut its summertime service by about 100 flights per day.

Passengers booking tickets on America's most popular flight routes - to and from hub airports in Atlanta, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles - are paying more than double average prices for their roundtrip tickets.

Travelers first reported an influx of crowded airports, flight cancellations and extended delays in early spring after nearly all COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates on airplanes, were lifted.

Experts warn the stunted travel industry cannot support the skyrocketing demand and predict the situation is 'only going to get worse' as a record number of more than three million daily travelers embark on their summer holidays.

Flight disruptions, soaring ticket prices and long airport queues will continue throughout the summer as airlines struggle hire enough workers to meet the post-pandemic travel demand. Travelers are pictured at LAX Airport in Los Angeles on May 27

Delta Airlines has vowed to cut its service by about 100 flights per day from July 1 to August 7. Both JetBlue and Alaska Airlines have reduced their schedules by 10% and 2%, respectively

The cost of airfare in the US is up between 25 and 35 percent from last summer.

David Slotnick, Senior Airline Business Reporter for The Points Guy, described the price hike as a 'remarkable and massive increase.'

'While some of this is linked to inflation and the cost of fuel, the real driver here is the current high demand versus a comparatively limited supply,' he told DailyMail.com on Monday.

Slotnick said airlines are struggling to reach pre-pandemic staffing levels. They noted that some carriers also retired older planes in their fleet during the COVID crisis.

'That decision may have seemed like a good one at the time when everyone was in survival mode, but in hindsight, its meant that theyve been unable to meet the current demand and manage their operations the way they would have before 2020,' he explained.

Despite the surging airfare costs, Slotnick noted that most travel-hungry and pandemic-fatigued Americans are willing to pay the astronomical flight prices.

'While some people have responded to surveys saying that theyre reconsidering their travel plans due to price increases, the airlines really arent seeing any demand pullback in response to the high prices. Airfare is high, but people are booking flights anyway,' he said.

'The best advice right now is to book your travel as early as possible. Make your plans and lock them in; theres no sign of prices coming down anytime soon, and theres no reason to think they wont go up further.

'If youre still looking to book a holiday this summer and want to try and find the best flight deals, you can always check the airline websites for posted deals, but one good trick is to use the Google Flights Explore tab. Put your home airport, fill out the other fields as best you can, and see whats available.'

Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, also attributed the rising flight costs to the fact that airlines still haven't reinstated all of the routes that were scrapped during the pandemic.

'Flight capacity to the US is also lower than before the pandemic as airlines have not reinstated their pre-Covid schedules yet,' he told DailyMail.com. 'More restricted flight capacity also puts up the price of remaining seats.'

Americans are paying nearly double the average ticket cost for flights that while likely face major delays, if not cancellations

Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said the air carrier, which is one of America's largest, has been actively hiring new workers over the past year after more than 17,000 employees left the company in July 2020, at the height of the pandemic.

'We've been staffing and hired 15,000 people over the last 14 months to get ready for [the surge]. But there's a lot of training, there's a lot of experience, our pilots need to get staffed,' he told GMA on Monday, adding: 'It's a challenge.'

'We're only a little over 80 percent recovered as an airline yet the demand is already over 100 percent.'

Airlines cancel flights amid soaring demand for air travel. @giobenitez has more on the summer travel turbulence. https://t.co/kWY5S6eOU4 pic.twitter.com/FyAFio6JBB  Good Morning America (@GMA) June 6, 2022

The CEO's remarks echo a claim the company made nearly two weeks ago when it announced its plans to reduce service by about 100 daily departures, primarily in parts of the U.S. and Latin America, from July 1 to August 7.

A company spokesperson alleged COVID has continued to cause higher-than-average staff absences and noted airlines in general have struggled to rehire staff let go at the start of the pandemic.

JetBlue and Alaska Airlines have also reduced their schedules by 10 and two percents, respectively, in effort to curb the surge.

The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) says the staffing issues and traffic volumes are causing many of the nation's largest airports to experience ground stops and delays, limiting flight takeoffs and landings.

Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said the air carrier has hired more than 15,000 workers in the last year but still cannot meet the travel demands. 'We're only a little over 80 percent recovered as an airline yet the demand is already over 100 percent,' he explained

Citing pandemic-related staffing shortages, some of the nation's largest air carriers are slashing their summer schedules in an effort to 'minimize disruptions.' American Airlines passengers are seen sleeping in an airport on Sunday after their flight was cancelled

In addition to scrapping summer routes, airlines looking to cut back on training requirements in an effort to get more pilots in the skies as quickly as possible.

Republic Airways, which operates as United Express, American Eagle, and Delta Connection, has petitioned the FAA to allow the air carrier to hire pilots who have accumulated 750 hours of total flight time. The current requirement is 1,500 hours.

In its request, the air carrier noted how military pilots are already subject to a 750-hour exemption due to the rigor of military flight school.

However, Michael Santoro, Vice President of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) slammed the petition, saying it was a 'safety concern' and 'not a good idea.'

'We are definitely not in favor of any kind of reduction in the time that it takes to get your qualifications to become an airline pilot,' he told Fox & Friends First on Monday.

Santoro argued most large carriers wouldn't hire the type of pilots Republic is petitioning to add, but reiterated he still opposes the idea.

'Those are usually the smaller jets, regional airlines that are hiring those kind of pilots. Your major airlines don't have that issue yet,' he said.

'But we definitely are against lowering any type of qualifications. It is a safety concern for us. You know, that is obviously top of the list for us when it comes to piloting.'

Meanwhile, Americans are paying nearly double the average ticket cost for a flight that while likely face major delays, if not cancellations.

A roundtrip from New York's JFK airport to LAX in Los Angeles typically goes for around $300. Currently, rates are more than $770.

Similarly trends were reported for routes from LAX to San Francisco, LAX to Seattle and Atlanta to New York, with tickets currently selling for $279, $612 and $382.

On average, those same routes cost $134, $239 and $180, respectively.

Experts also allege ticket price hikes will be reflected on international routes.

'The US is likely to have a bumper summer period in terms of visitors from the UK  so many consumers want to holiday there as they havent been able to visit since before the pandemic in many cases,' Paul Charles told DailyMail.com.

'Flight prices have gone up between the UK and US, partly due to sheer demand but also because higher oil prices and higher inflation are costing the transatlantic airlines more, and so they are recouping those costs via higher seat prices.'

And, while consumers are paying top dollar for their airfare, they aren't necessarily receiving top tier treatment.

More than 5,000 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were nixed over Memorial Day weekend when three million Americans were expected to take to the skies.

As of Monday afternoon, the U.S. has already cancelled more than 230 flights and reported more than 1,500 delays, according to tracking service FlightAware.

As of Monday afternoon, the U.S. has already cancelled more than 230 flights and reported more than 1,500 delays, according to tracking service FlightAware

The large number of disruptions have left passengers frustrated and feeling helpless, with many reporting hours-long waits to speak with airline help desks.

Customer service queues at the airports are long and those who try calling their carrier's toll free number are met with messages like: 'Our service lines are very busy at the moment and waiting times are longer than normal.'

Brett Snyder, President of Cranky Flier, advised travelers to 'use every avenue you possibly can' when met with a flight cancellation.

'That means if you're at the airport, get in line, find an agent you can talk to,' he told GMA. 'At the same time, check the app on your phone because sometimes you'll be able to find alternatives that way.'

Santoro also noted that getting rebooked on a flight after a cancellation can be hard because most airlines have an operating model of selling every available seat on a route.

'We try to obviously not cancel flights, but it goes back to [how] Southwest kinda packed our schedule's pretty hard,' he said. 'When those delays happen, pilots can timeout and that's something we don't look forward to happening but it is a reality.'

'If there is a cancellation, work on a solution as fast as you can because there is very limited seats available on rebooking. That means, you are fighting for the [same] 147 seats as the other 147 passengers on your plane.'

In addition to scrapping summer routes, airlines looking to cut back on training requirements in an effort to get more pilots in the skies as quickly as possible. One air carrier has petitioned the FAA to allow them to hire pilots with 750 flight hours, as opposed to the required 1,500

Michael Santoro, Vice President of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association criticized the proposal, saying it was a 'safety concern' and 'not a good idea'

The airlines have claimed they 'weren't given enough warning' for the increased travel demand, however travel industry experts remain skeptical of that defense.

'The main thing [causing disruption] is the staffing,' Which? Travel magazine editor Rory Boland told CNN on Saturday. 'So then you go to, why were so many people let go during the pandemic?'

'The airlines' defense is that they weren't given enough warning about the restart of travel, and there's probably some fairness to that, but there are clearly some airlines and airports that were able to get their act together.'

Of those 'having a complete disaster,' Boland argued it would be impossible to reach adequate staffing levels as long as airports and airlines continue their 'relentless' cost-cutting practices.

He compared wages at various airports across the globe and alleged in some areas check-in staff were paid similar rates less than that of supermarket workers.

'Airport working conditions are difficult,' he stated. 'You're asked to work difficult hours, on-site parking is not usually free, and there's very little incentive when you're being paid less than a supermarket [would pay you.]'

Travelers queue up at the north security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Airport on May 26

A frustrated American Airlines passenger shared a picture of his flight cancellation notices to Twitter on Wednesday

Travel expert Christopher Elliott first addressed flight disruptions in April, alleging they were a 'sign of things to come.'

Now he's predicting the situation will only get worse.

'This is going pretty much like I thought it would... and I think it's going to get worse,' he said. 'I think this is just the opening act for what will be a crazy summer.

'We have high gas prices, we have record demand straining the entire system, we still have pilot shortages. Airlines haven't fully staffed up yet the way they needed to.'

Elliott advised travelers should postpone their dream vacations and instead take a road trip close to home. He suggested avoiding rental cars and utilizing your own vehicle for travel, if possible.

'If you don't have your own car, go somewhere using mass transit, and go somewhere that allows you to walk or has access to mass transit,' he told CNN. 'Save the bucket list vacation for September, October or November.'
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At least two dozen people were killed and nearly 100 more were injured across the US amid another wave of weekend gun violence, as the nation is still reeling from tragedies in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.

The first weekend of June saw a total of 10 mass shootings, killing at least 16 people and injuring 58, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an institute tracking shootings in the country.

The archive defines mass shootings as an incident where at least four people, not including the shooter or shooters, are shot and injured or killed.

In Philadelphia, three people were shot dead and 11 others were injured on a popular tourist thoroughfare. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, two people were shot dead, while 14 were injured outside a bar.

Other shootings broke out in South Carolina, Texas and Virginia as people were celebrating recent graduations.

In Chicago, seven were killed and at least 27, including a police officer, were injured.

New York City saw three people injured and one dead in several separate shootings over the weekend.

'When I was in Connecticut last week, I have never seen the look on parents' faces that I did,' Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) told host Jake Tapper on State of the Union.

This all comes as federal officials are now mulling new gun control legislation spurred on by the murder of 10 people in a Buffalo, New York supermarket and 19 elementary school students and two teachers in a Uvalde, Texas elementary school.

The effort is being led by Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, who told CNN over the weekend that he is confident something could be done about the gun violence, noting that parents are anxious about the safety of their children.

'When I was in Connecticut last week, I have never seen the look on parents' faces that I did,' he told host Jake Tapper on State of the Union.

'There's just a deep, deep fear for our children right now,' he said, as well as a, 'fear that the government's so fundamentally broken that it can't put politics aside to guarantee the one thing that matters most to adults in the country - the physical safety of their children.

'And so I think the possibility of success is better than ever before,' he said of the chances of passing gun control legislation, noting, 'There are more Republicans at the table talking about changing our gun laws, investing in mental health than any time since Sandy Hook.

'But I think the consequences of failure for our entire democracy are more significant than ever.'

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Police investigators examined the scene of a fatal shooting on South Street on Sunday

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Cops said at least 14 people were struck when multiple shooters opened fire into a large crowd of revelers. A pedestrian is seen here walking past bullet holes that pierced the window of a store front in the area

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Police were able to recover two weapons from the scene. Police Inspector D.F. Pace is seen here examining the evidence from the scene of the shooting Saturday night

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Three people were killed in the gunfire at the popular tourist hangout

Gunman in Philadelphia kills three, injures 11 after firing into crowd of bargoers

One of the bloodiest shootings of the weekend occurred on Philadelphia's popular South Street just before midnight on Saturday.

Cops said at least 14 people were struck when multiple shooters opened fire into a large crowd of revelers.

Two men, one aged 22, and a 25-year-old woman were killed in the barrage of gunfire before the suspects fled the scene.

One of the suspected gunman was shot by a police officer three times. Another suspected shooter was receiving treatment at a nearby hospital after being shot in the forearm.

Seven victims were later taken to nearby Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with injuries from the shooting, a hospital spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

One was reported dead on arrival and four others were in stable condition.

Five people were brought to Pennsylvania Hospital. Three other victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Their conditions are unknown.

No arrests have been made in the shooting as of yet, but two weapons, including one featuring an extended magazine, were recovered at the scene, Police Inspector D. F. Pace confirmed.

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE: Cops are seen walking the scene of a shooting that killed another three people and injured 14 outside a bar early Sunday morning

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE: A manhunt is underway for the shooters, but police cannot confirm how many gunmen they are searching for

Two people are shot dead and third is killed by 'a fleeing car' after 'multiple shooters' fire on 14 near a Tennessee bar

Just a few hours after the deadly shooting in Philadelphia, three people were killed when multiple gunmen fired shots outside a bar in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Police responded to Mary's Bar & Grill on McCallie Avenue after shots rang out around 2.45am Sunday, and report that at least 14 people were shot and three others were struck by cars as they fled for safety.

Two of the deceased were killed in the shooting. The other died after being hit by a car. Several victims were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Investigators are unsure what prompted the gunfire, but note at least 17 people, including one juvenile, were victims of the incident.

It is unclear if the juvenile is among the injured or deceased.

A manhunt is underway for the shooters, however, police cannot confirm exactly how many gunmen they are searching for, WTVC reported.

MESA, ARIZONA: Mesa police were able to arrest three people after a shooting outside of a nightclub early Sunday morning

MESA, ARIZONA: Authorities say two people died on the scene of the shooting, and another two were injured

MESA, TEXAS: A bullet pierced a nearby car in the shooting at around 2.20am on Sunday

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: A 14-year-old girl died in a shooting at a strip mall just after 1am on Saturday

Arizona shaken by two shootings in just two days that left five dead, 10 injured

Arizona saw two mass shootings over the weekend, killing three people and leaving eight injured.

The first shooting occurred just after 1am on Saturday at a Phoenix strip mall, where a 14-year-old girl died and eight others were injured.

Police now believe there was a fight that led up to the shooting at the mall, where about 100 people had congregated, according to Arizona's Family.

A 14-year-old girl died after being brought to the hospital and two other women were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Five men also had minor injuries from the shooting, and a teenage boy suffered from minor injuries but is expected to survive.

Then at around 2.20am in Mesa, police say, a shooting left two men dead and two others injured outside of the Lounge Soho nightclub.

Police said they saw someone speeding off from the nightclub by the time they arrived and chased the car for about six miles before they were able to stop the suspects and detain three people, according to Arizona's Family.

Two men were found lying outside of the nightclub's parking lot that morning, and were pronounced dead at the scene, while another two people - including a security guard - were taken to the hospital but are expected to survive.

Investigations into both shootings are ongoing.

Eight people are shot at South Carolina graduation party and one is killed in 'gang-related' drive-by shooting

In South Carolina, meanwhile, eight people were shot and one was killed in a drive-by shooting at a Saturday night graduation party.

The State reports that the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office first received calls about a shooting at a graduation party at around 11pm, and when they arrived on the scene, they found between 100 to 150 people at the party.

One of the gunshot victims, the sheriff's office reports, was a 32-year-old woman who succumbed to her injuries on Sunday morning.

Six of the seven other victims were children between the ages of 12 and 17. The final victim was a 36-year-old who was also shot.

Authorities say most of the victims' injuries were non-life threatening, but at least one person is in critical condition.

They now believe the shooting was gang-related, with investigators thinking a previous disagreement or drive-by shootings in other parts of the county led up to the violence on Saturday night.

Sheriff Tim Baxley said at least one vehicle - but likely two- pulled up to the party in the Midlands, and fired shots before fleeing south.

He said there were multiple people firing weapons, and officials have recovered between 60 to 70 bullet shells from the scene. It is possible someone in the crowd returned fire, Baxley added.

No arrests have been made in the shooting, and information about the shooters is not yet available.

SOCORRO, TEXAS: Five teenagers were shot and two are in critical condition following a 'targeted' shooting at a graduation party early Saturday morning

SOCORRO, TEXAS: A preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting began after two groups began fighting

Five teens shot and two are in critical condition following 'targeted' graduation party shooting in Texas

Another graduation party - this time on the west coast- was also targeted by gunfire early Saturday morning.

Socorro, Texas police say there were as many as 100 people at a graduation party at around 1am, when an unnamed gunman started firing into the crowd.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the shooting began after two groups began fighting, police said, and Chief of Police David Burton said in a news conference that it appeared to be a 'targeted attack.'

Five victims between the ages of 14 and 18 are now being treated at University Medical Center of El Paso, KVIA reports, and two are in critical condition.

Graduation party in Virginia leaves kills 20-year-old and leaves seven injured

A third graduation party - this time in Virginia - left a 20-year-old man killed and seven injured.

Police in Chester said they first received calls about shots fired at the party, where about 50 to 100 mainly underage teenagers gathered, at around 10.20pm.

When they arrived n the scene, WTVR reports, they found 20-year-old Taborri J Carter suffering from a gunshot wound. They tried to administer CPR they said, but he di3ed at the scene.

Five others had already checked themselves into a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police report, and two others were hurt when they were hit by a car as they ran from the scene.

Police said they had earlier received calls about a fight between two females at the party.

'So there is a fight between a couple of females,' Major Brad Badgerow said in a news conference. 'I'm told that was broken up.

'And then shortly after that, another fight started. And then very shortly after that is when the shorts fired call came in.'

Police are now continuing to investigate the shooting.

Smaller shootings reported in other cities throughout the US

Police in Michigan are also investigating a shooting that left three people dead Sunday morning.

Information about the shooting remains scarce, but police say they responded to the scene on South 11th Street at around 2.30am after receiving reports of a shooting, according to NBC 25 News.

Two men were pronounced dead at the scene, and another was transported to a local hospital where she died from her injuries.

Two other men were also brought to the hospital with gunshot wounds and are currently being treated.

In Macon, Georgia, meanwhile, a man is in critical condition after two men got into a fight in the parking lot of a gas station, according to 13WMAZ, and in Lexington, Kentucky, one man was shot dead after leaving a funeral service - marking the 22nd homicide for the city, according to LEX18.

New York City also saw two shootings leave three people injured and one dead, PIX 11 reports, and in Chicago, a whopping 33 people were shot - six of whom were killed, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

A judge was also killed in a targeted attack in Wisconsin, and in Omaha, Nebraska, WOWT reports, one person is dead and three others were injured in a shooting near an apartment complex Friday night.

One of the victims, identified as 31-year-old Pierre Hightower, died a the scene, and three other victims were taken to the hospital - two of whom have life-threatening injuries.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden addressed the gun violence epidemic in a speech from the White House, in which he said that the Second Amendment is 'not absolute'

The deadly weekend comes just days after President Joe Biden said he wants to completely stop the gun 'carnage' that is happening in the country.

In emotional remarks at the White House on Wednesday, he reminded people the Second Amendment is 'not absolute.'

'When in God's name will we do what needs to be done to, if not completely stop, fundamentally change the amount of the carnage that goes on in this country?,' Biden said.

And he snapped back at critics who are demanding their Second Amendment right to bear arms amid fresh calls for more stringent gun laws.

'The Second Amendment's not absolute,' the president said. 'When it was passed you couldn't own a cannon, you couldn't own certain weapons. There's always been limitations.'

Now, several federal officials are trying to push for further gun control laws, with Sen. Murphy telling CNN over the weekend he feels confident that officials could pass 'red flag' laws that could be used to confiscate weapons from people deemed a threat to themselves or others, as well as expanded background checks.

But in order for that to happen, Democrats will need 10 Republicans to overcome the country's filibuster requirement - and several Republicans have spoken out against gun control measures.

Rep. Steve Scalise, for example, accused Democrats of using the recent mass shootings as an excuse to infringe upon gun rights, and implied that such shootings almost always had a cause that could not simply be boiled down to a person owning a gun.

'It immediately becomes about Democrats wanting to take away guns,' he said on FOX News Sunday.

'Lets go search for the root of the problem. How can we do a better job of connecting the dots and stopping something before it happens? Like we did after September 11th, which has worked really well as it relates to stopping terrorist attacks,' he said.
A good Samaritan who was allegedly bashed by two thieves at a Perth retirement village heroically lured the men away from the facility to protect his elderly neighbours.

Christopher Hands, 65, was collecting money for the Salvation army from fellow residents of the Jindalee Retirement Community , in Hamilton Hill, on Sunday when he was allegedly set upon by two young men trying to steal the $100 in donations.

The grandfather led the men away from his frail neighbours but was allegedly brutally attacked, with the pair allegedly pushing him to the ground before punching and stomping on his head.

Christopher Hands, 65, (pictured) spent Sunday night in hospital after he was allegedly beaten by two men

Mr Hands was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries where he underwent surgery and received 27 stitches before he was released on Monday.

'I just couldn't believe what was taking place,' Mr Hands told 9News, recalling the alleged attack.

'I could see blood streaming down from my ear onto my jacket.

'I'm still in shock.'

Lorentz James Warren, 20, and Jacob Ramos, 19 have been charged with aggravated robbery and stealing a motor vehicle in relation to the incident, ABC News reports.

Police were called to the Erpington Road housing complex about 7.15pm after reports of a disturbance at one of the units and the sound of objects smashing.

Police will allege they arrived to find the men trying to flee in a stolen car.

Police were called to Jindalee Retirement Community in Hamilton Hill about 7.15pm on Sunday

A photo taken at the scene shows a broken window at a unit complex in the retirement village

Ramos was allegedly pulled from the car by officers while Warren allegedly took off on foot before he was arrested a short time later after being stopped by a police dog and its handler.

Warren faced court via an audio link on Monday from Royal Perth hospital, where he was being treated for a dog bite, while Ramos later fronted a hearing in person.

Both men did not apply for bail and are due to appear in Fremantle Magistrates Court next week.

Superintendent David Dench said alleged assault was a 'terrible crime'.

'It's definitely cowardly, it's a terrible, terrible crime against the victim who was simply minding his own business not far from where he lived,' he said.
A millionaire property developer accused of 'wanton vandalism' of a historic pub has been ordered to restore it to its former glory.

Charlie Southall, who also works as a photographer, bought the 150-year-old Montreal Arms in Brighton after it closed during lockdown.

After purchasing the property 'on a whim' he temporarily offered it to house Ukrainians, but backtracked after residents questioned his motives when he started a fundraiser for 85,000.

The 43-year-old then hired a team of builders who started hacking off the glazed green tiles from the front of the locally listed pub.

Residents and councillors were furious and branded the developer a 'vandal' and a 'spoilt child.'

The council issued an emergency stop order to prevent further damage to the heritage tiles as it is a locally listed building.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it means that Mr Southall has one year to reinstate all the glazed ceramic tiles that were damaged or removed.

Although they have confirmed that there has been an appeal lodged against the enforcement notice, they have not confirmed who was behind it.

Charlie Southall (pictured), 43, was branded a vandal by residents and ordered by the council to restore the Brighton pub he owns after he had historic green tiles hacked off (pictured handing out a leaflet while the tiles are being removed)

The Montreal Arms in Brighton had a third of its historic green tiles drilled of by the new property owner before the council was able to stop it

The building (pictured in 2020) had been a pub for 150 years, with the tiles dating back to the 1920s, until it closed during the pandemic

The pub was built during a boom period of Victorian construction in Brighton in the 1870s and was the centre of a bustling community.

The tiles date from around 1927 when work was carried out following the merger of the Portsmouth United brewery and Brighton's Rock brewery.

Green MP Caroline Lucas said: 'This is terrible. Utter vandalism of beautiful Montreal Arms in my Brighton constituency. This absolutely cannot go unchallenged.'

Resident Ruth Boyd said: 'The fact that he's chosen to attack the antique tiles, the most visible part of the building, feels like a petty and bitter attack on the community.'

James Elliott said: 'This is just wanton vandalism. He has attempted to destroy the history and value of the pub so that he can push through whatever plans he has for the building.'

Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas denounced the 'vandalism' of the pub

Mr Southall, who also runs Dragonfly Digital Video Services, bought the pub after it was put up for sale for 450,000 following its closure during the Covid lockdown.

Nine days after collecting the keys, he decided to offer it for use as a free co-living space for refugee women and children fleeing the war in Ukraine.

But when the property developer asked the local community to crowdfund a 85,000 renovation residents began to question his motives.

In a heated exchanged during a public meeting, residents accused him of offering the property as accommodation for refugees in order to push through a change of use with city planners.

Days later Mr Southall withdrew his offer saying in a video: 'Some were personal attacks. Some even tried to claim I was rotten at the core and, you know what, it worked.

He added: 'Im announcing today this project will not be going ahead. Its over. There wont be any women or children refugees in that old pub.

'I think some people need to take a step back and look at what theyve done.'

Soon after a team of builders arrived outside the pub with a drill and proceeded to remove the glazed tiles from the exterior.

Furious residents gathered in the street and tried to stop the builders removing any more tiles and, amid angry scenes, the police were called.

In just over six hours, the team drilled off around one third of the listed green tiles before the council ordered issued an emergency stop order.

The extensive damage could cost many thousands if Mr Southall is required to replace them

Now Mr Southall has been hit with an enforcement notice ordering him to reinstate all the tiles to the original condition.

Resident Harry Magee said: 'The tiles are called green faize tiles. They reflect different colours from different angles and are made of lead dyes.

'Each one will be handmade, some of the difficult corner ones will work out at a 1,000 each! This job is going to cost the minimum of 90,000.'

Resident, Martha Gunn, said: 'This depredation must be repaired properly and the original glorious detail restored. I am at a loss to understand how anyone could have committed this act of vandalism?'

James Elliott said: 'People were rightly concerned about the long-term plans for the building but when he was challenged he got very angry. 'Then he turned up with some guys armed with an almighty drill and proceeded to ruin a pub that has stood here for 150 years. He's an absolute disgrace and he's behaved like a spoilt child.'

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: 'The Montreal Arms is a locally listed building. This means that is has been identified as a heritage asset that it important to the local area and its people.

'The enforcement notice requires the reinstatement of glazed ceramic tiles to all elevations where they have been removed or damaged as a consequence of the unauthorised work. The timescale for compliance is one year.'

Now an appeal has been lodged against an enforcement notice requiring the replacement of the historic green tiles - which effectively puts that deadline on hold until a planning inspector has their say.

In a statement Mr Southall, of Brighton, blamed the previous owner for damaging the green tiles beyond repair. He said that as the pub was only 'locally' listed building he did not need to apply for listed building consent to change the property.

He added: 'The new property owner has exactly the same permitted development rights as any other property owner in the area, and it is entirely lawful for external features to be altered or removed. This is a privately owned property.'

He asked residents: 'Please respect the legal rights of the current property owner.'
Russia struck Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, with missiles on Sunday targeting Western military supplies, claiming that it destroyed tanks that were donated internationally, amid President Vladimir Putin's warning of the U.S. sending weapons to the European nation.

Putin's cryptic threat of military escalation did not specify what the new targets of his military would be. The remarks came days after United States officials announced plans to deliver $700 million in security assistance for Ukraine. The package includes four precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, as well as helicopters, Javelin anti-tank systems, radars, tactical vehicles, and more.

Russia's Missiles Strike Kyiv

Several military analysts said that Russia is hoping to overrun Ukraine's embattled eastern industrial Donbas region. The area is where Russia-backed separatists have fought the Ukrainian government since 2014, even before the arrival of any U.S. weapons that could turn the tide.

Last week, the Pentagon said that it would take at least three weeks to get more U.S. weapons onto the battlefield to support Ukraine. On the other hand, Kyiv officials said that the missiles aimed at the capital struck a train repair shop, as per the Associated Press.

In other regions of the country, Russian airstrikes in the eastern city of Druzhkivka laid waste to several buildings and left at least one person dead, said a Ukrainian official. Residents in the area described waking to the sound of missile strikes, with rubble and glass falling down around them.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Cancer, Assassination Attempt: US Intel Sources Claim Russian President's End Is Near After Several Life Battles

One resident, Svitlana Romashkina, said that the situation was like being inside a horror movie as the Russian Defense Ministry said that air-launched precision missiles were used to destroy workshops in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The struck regions include Druzhkivka, which was claimed to be repairing damaged Ukrainian military equipment.

According to CNN, Putin warned on Sunday that Moscow's forces will strike new targets if the U.S. supplied Ukraine with long-range missiles. The Russian state media TASS reported that the president said delivering new arms to Kyiv only aims to "drag out the armed conflict for as long as possible."

Ongoing War

Despite the warnings, supplying American MLRS to Ukraine essentially does not change anything in the war. This is because Kyiv already has similar weapons that are capable of hitting far targets, including similar range missiles. The weapon shipments merely make up for the lack of military equipment, Putin said.

On Tuesday, United States President Joe Biden said that the American government was providing Ukraine with "more advanced rocket systems and munitions." The situation comes as Russia is making forward movement in several areas north of the city of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine after they "completed regrouping of troops," said the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Sunday.

The Sloviansk city military administration said on Saturday that hundreds of people were fleeing the region every day, with evacuation numbers almost doubling this week. The official added that a missile strike on Tuesday killed three people.

In the nearby Lyman region, Russia was also "advancing in the direction of Sviatohirsk, trying to push our troops to the right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River," the Ukrainian military said. The river continues to serve as an obstacle to Russian troops' advance to Lysychansk which is located on the other side, the Washington Post reported.



Related Article: Ukraine Accuses Russia of Stealing Turkey's Grain Ahead of Lavrov's Visit to the Western Nation

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Another 77 people in the UK have been diagnosed with monkeypox, bringing the cumulative number of cases to 302.

Seventy-three of the new patients were in England, with two each in Scotland and Wales, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

No further details were given but gay and bisexual men 'remain disproportionately affected', officials said. London remains the epicentre of the outbreak.

Since the first case was detected on May 6, 287 people have been diagnosed with the tropical virus in England, ten in Scotland, three in Wales and two in Northern Ireland.

Britons who develop a new rash, lesions or blisters are being urged to phone ahead before visiting sexual health clinics to limit the virus' spread.

Men who have sex with men, or people returning from western or central Africa who develop symptoms are being told to stay extra vigilant.

It comes as scientific modellers today warned the smallpox-like virus could continue to circulate outside of Africa until next year.

There is also some concern among experts the virus will spill into animal populations and become endemic, as is the case in parts of Africa.

The UK has logged 302 infections, the most out of any other country, followed by Spain (190), Portugal (143), Canada (80) and Germany (66)

Officials are urging gay and bisexual men to be aware of new lesions, rashes or scabs and get in contact with a sexual health clinic

The infection often starts with small bumps that scab over and are contagious

Epidemiologists based in Washington DC simulated a monkeypox outbreak in a population of 50million people, mimicking that of a high-income European country.

They calculated how the virus would spread if three, 30 or 300 cases were originally brought into a country and no measures were taken to control its transmission.

The team estimated the initial cases would go onto infect 18, 118 and 402 more people, who would spread the virus further.

Their model estimated the outbreak would go on for 23 to 37 weeks, which would take the current outbreak to up to next January.

Tracing the close contacts of cases could drive down transmission by up to 72 per cent and vaccinating close contacts would reduce cases by up to 89 per cent.

Following both monkeypox curbs could reduce the duration of the outbreak by 60 to 76 per cent, the researchers found.

Both strategies are already being used in the UK.

Writing in a pre-print published online, the US experts said: 'Our model results align with prior research on monkeypox outbreaks  whether in endemic or nonendemic countries  that demonstrated the low human-to-human transmissibility of the virus and its comparatively low potential to result in large-scale, heavy-burden outbreaks.'

The researchers noted that a 'strong public health response' can 'substantially reduce' the number of cases and duration of the outbreak.

They agreed that the global public health risk is 'moderate' and the virus should be contained 'fairly rapidly'.

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.

Officials said they have linked the outbreak back to 'gay bars, saunas and the use of dating apps in the UK and abroad'.

MailOnline revealed last month that the world's biggest gay dating app Grindr had alerted to users of monkeypox symptoms.

Epidemiologists from research institute RTI International in Washington, DC, modelled the monkeypox outbreak in a simulated population of 50million people. They calculated how the virus would spread if three, 30 or 300 cases (orange, green and red dots) were originally brought into a country and no measures were taken to control its transmission (graph A and D). The team estimated that 18, 118 and 402 people, respectively, would go on to catch monkeypox. But contact tracing cases could drive down transmission by up to 72 per cent (graph B and E) and vaccinating close contacts (graph C and F) would reduce cases by up to 89 per cent

Both confirmed cases and close contacts in the UK 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.

The jab is thought to reduce a person's chance of catching monkeypox by up to 85 per cent.

Analysis by the UKHSA last week revealed that more than 60 per cent of domestic infections have been among gay and bisexual men.

Almost nine in 10 were based in the epicentre London and only two cases have been women.

Most of the UK's infections  87 per cent  were among people aged 20 to 49.

And the majority of UK patients caught the virus in the UK rather than abroad.

Monkeypox, which was first discovered in lab monkeys in the late 1950s, is usually mild but can cause severe illness in some cases.

It can kill up to 10 per cent of people it infects. But the milder strain causing the current outbreak kills one in 100  similar to when Covid first hit.

No monkeypox deaths linked with the ongoing outbreak have yet been reported.

The virus has an incubation period of anywhere up to 21 days, meaning it can take three weeks for symptoms to appear.

Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, which then spreads to other parts of the body  including the genitals. The rash can look like chickenpox or syphilis, and scabs can form which then fall off.

More than 900 cases have been reported worldwide. Britain has logged 302 infections, the most out of any other country, followed by Spain (190), Portugal (143), Canada (80) and Germany (66).

The UKHSA has told people to wear condoms during sex for eight weeks after clearing the virus.

They are also been ordered to abstain from sex or close contact with others 'until their lesions have healed and the scabs have dried off'.

Experts have warned that monkeypox could spread to pets and wildlife and become endemic in Europe.

In Africa, where monkeypox is well established, the virus is often in rodents including squirrels and hedgehogs.

The UKHSA is already quarantining pet guinea pigs, rats and mice of infected people for three weeks.

Other household pets like cats and dogs should be kept isolated at home but receive regular vet checks to ensure they are not infected.
Dylan Morris Roberts, 33, was remembered as a 'kind and gentle soul' by his friends

A British base jumper has been killed in an accident in the Italian Dolomites.

Dylan Morris Roberts, 33, was an expert sky diver who had carried out dozens of jumps and was also a former instructor with British Parachute schools.

He had combined his love for parachuting with the extreme sport of base jumping which has killed more than 400 people in the last twenty years.

The tragic news came one day after the death nearby of Australian Matthew Glen Munting, 35.

Munting died instantly after hitting a gully off Mount Cimone on Thursday morning.

Friends say the professional base jumper's parachute failed to open. It is also believed he may have miscalculated his trajectory.

Dylan was killed instantly after leaping from an 800m ledge known as Happy Birthday on the 1500m Monte Brento in the Trentino region of northern Italy.

Onlookers said he fell 200m and the appeared to hit the side of the mountain after take off and his body was recovered by mountain rescue teams.

He had been jumping with a group of five others when the incident happened last Friday morning but details have only just been confirmed now.

BASE jumping involves leaping from fixed objects and using a parachute to descend to the ground and its stands for buildings, antenna, spans (bridges) and earth (cliffs).

Some jumpers also use wingsuits but it thought Dylan was using a traditional parachute method to land and was aiming for a nearby field.

Brit Dylan was killed at Mount Brento, Friday after Aussie Matthew died at Cimone on Thursday

Rescue teams attended the scene of Roberts's fall, but were unable to save the 33-year-old

According to his Linkedin page Dylan had worked at the British Parachute school in Langar, Nottingham and was also associated with the Sky High diving club at Shotton Colliery in Durham.

He was close friends with another sky diver called Aiden Chaffe, who died in a jump at Langar in 2018, after performing a high risk manoeuvre while he himself had also been seriously injured on a previous jump.

According to online website Sky Derby which tracks base jumpers Dylan had jumped from the same spot last September reaching a ground speed of almost 100mph and taking 31.4 seconds to reach the bottom.

Recently he had also set up a video editing firm at his home in Sedgefield to record jumps at the Sky High club.

The online BASE forum BLINC posted a tribute to Dylan  who was nicknamed English  and reported how he had carried out more than 1,000 jumps since 2014 added the weather was calm at the time.

It read: English arrived in the Brento area three days ago. We made plans the evening before to head up to "Happy Birthday" on the morning of the 3rd. English had jumped Happy Birthday in previous years, but had not jumped there in a while. When we got to the exit he lasered the exit with the intention of giving the numbers to another jumper, and remarked that the exit was bigger than he had thought it was. The wind was calm on exit.

Matthew poses with an unidentified woman in an Instagram post dated April 3, 2022

English was second to exit on a load of five jumpers. English had a stable exit. I watched his flight, and from the exit, his flight appeared to be slower. English flew far right over the terrain, and I lost sight of him. I heard a loud noise which I initially thought was a canopy, but I couldnt spot him under canopy.

In my opinion, a line further to the right would be possible on a later jump when there are thermals present, but would be difficult in the early morning when there are no thermals. Were currently waiting on fly sight data and the video which would provide more insight into what happened.

It added: English was a kind and gentle soul who had experienced some trauma over recent years with the loss of a close friend and a serious tandem/skydiving related neck injury. He was determined to make this year a positive year and was always full of bright, bubbly energy. He will be missed very much by many people.

News of Roberts's tragic death came a day after Matthew Munting was killed not far away

Today an official at Langar would only say: We are aware of what happened but dont want to comment. Base jumping is different to sky diving, while Sky High declined to comment.

A police spokesperson in Brento said: We received a call from the mountain rescue services informing us of an accident and a crew was sent to the scene. The body of a British man was recovered and the consulate in Milan was informed.

The prosecutor has also been informed and a report will be compiled for the office at a later stage.

An FCDO spokesperson told MailOnline: We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Italy, and are in contact with local authorities.

Search and rescue teams were activated after Aussie Munting failed to return from his jump on Thursday.

He was one of the most experienced BASE jumpers in the world, having racked up 400 jumps with a wingsuit and 3,000 with a parachute.

He was reportedly working as a BASE jumping instructor and had been living with his wife Petra in Dubai for years.

His body was recovered by mountain rescue workers who were helicoptered into the area.

The body was found in an inaccessible gully between Mount Cimone and Jof di Goliz (another mountain) later that morning.

That incident occurred in Italy's north-eastern Friuli Venezia Giulia region, while the second incident took place in northern Italy's Trentino-Alto Adige/Suedtirol region.

It is not clear if the men's bodies have been repatriated.
Talking to a Cabinet Minister recently about the Tory rebels trying to oust him Boris Johnson adopted his trademark narrow eyed steely glare and hissed: 'Theyll need a flamethrower to get me out!

As the partygate crisis has grown the Prime Minister has not flinched in his conviction that he can douse the political flames, according to some of those who know him best.

His attitude is hunker down and it always blows over, said one. His view is that all great Tory leaders, including Thatcher and Churchill, were written off countless times by pigmy Conservative enemies but ploughed on and won great victories. He thinks he can do the same.

If you tell him something is impossible he will do it just to prove you wrong. He told me once they said it was no longer possible for London to elect a Tory mayor, I did it twice; they said Brexit was impossible, I did it.

Boris Johnson is said to have told cabinet members MPs will need a 'flamethrower' to get him out of No10.

As Johnsons Old Etonian and prime ministerial rival David Cameron once said of Boris: The greased piglet always escapes.

In one sense Johnson has less to fear than many other prime ministers facing the end.

Some never get over it and stoop to ever lower depths to make a living or maintain a profile based on former glories, assuming there were any.

That will not be the case for Johnson if he is forced out. His first love is not politics, but writing.

He would be able to earn millions from an autobiography and millions more from the after dinner lecture circuit with his famous wit.

Johnsons predecessor Theresa May, not a renowned crowd pleaser, is in big demand as a speaker at paid private functions.

If he loses the vote of no-confidence Boris Johnson could nd up having a shorter reign as Prime Minister than his predecessor Theresa May (pictured)

Johnson has a not so thinly disguised contempt for May as a politician.

But there is one fundamental aspect of her record that he is worried he may not match: the length of time she served as Prime Minister.

These things matter to prime ministers.

Tony Blair was determined to notch up a Thatcher style decade before handing over to Labour foe Gordon Brown.

He finally handed over the baton to Brown six weeks after passing the ten year landmark.

Johnsons friends say he is keenly aware that Theresa May served three years and 11 days in No 10 before she was ejected - by him - on July 24, 2018.

He is determined to beat her length of service as PM - but to do so he needs to survive until Aug 5.

If he has to resign as a result of tonights vote he will be doomed to remain behind Mrs May in the prime ministerial league table - at least in terms of length of term in office - if not with regard to the impact he made during it.

Win or lose he will not suffer the indignity of being behind Gordon Brown: Johnson beats Browns No 10 tenure of two years 318 days on Wednesday.

Two more days after that and Johnson will surpass the Duke Of Wellingtons two years and 320 days as Prime Minister.

We will not know until tonight whether the Tory assault on Johnson carries the fatal force of a flamethrower or just fizzles out.

Will Walden, Johnson's head of communications in his London Mayor days, said today Johnson would fight to the last to cling to power: 'Boris Johnson will (need to) be taken kicking and screaming out of Downing Street.

'There is no way he will give up easily on the thing he has wanted all his life. He does not have a reverse gear - his mantra is "plough on".

'Whatever the result he will say "it is done and dusted, on we go". The idea that he is going is for the birds. It will take several people with revolvers in the room to make him go.'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis beat out former President Trump in another straw poll asking conservatives who they'd like to see at the top of the ticket in 2024.

The poll was taken at the Western Conservative Summit over the weekend, where 1,114 attendees were asked to check off as many candidates as they'd like to see run in 2024 from a list of top potentials.

DeSantis was checked off by 71.0 percent of respondents, Trump by 67.8, and Sen. Ted Cruz in third by 28.7 percent. DeSantis also won the straw poll last year.

Dr. Ben Carson, Trump's Housing and Urban Development secretary, came in fourth with 24.1 percent, leading over Sarah Huckabee Sanders at 18.4 percent, Sen. Tim Scott at 17.4 percent, Mike Pompeo at 16.7 and Donald Trump Jr. 16.2. Trailing Trump Jr. were Nikki Haley at 15.5 and Mike Pence at 14.3.

Neither Trump nor DeSantis have announced a run for the presidency.

Meanwhile a recent poll of Wisconsin state GOP convention-goers found that more Republicans want DeSantis to be the nominee than Trump.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis beat out former President Trump in another straw poll asking conservatives who they'd like to see at the top of the ticket in 2024

Neither Trump nor DeSantis have formally committed to running for the presidency

Viewing a potential 2024 field, 38 percent of convention-goers wanted DeSantis, 32 percent favored Trump and 7 percent wanted former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Not wanting to commit to challenging a former president, potential 2024 contenders have so far been stuck in limbo waiting on Trump to publicly commit one way or another on whether he'll run. Trump has been testing his 'kingmaker' status within the party over a series of spring primary races that pit Trump-backed candidates against a number of his incumbent foes who refused to deny the results of the 2020 election.

Trump is still mulling over whether to throw his hat into the ring, but some of his advisers reportedly say that he could announce his candidacy as soon as this summer.

Last month a new political action committee led by Ed Rollins, Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign chair, launched to 'draft' DeSantis into running for president.

Asked if he has presidential ambitions, DeSantis has said he is focused on winning re-election in the Sunshine State this November.

The Florida governor has as of late garnered national headlines for his bill that bans classrooms from discussing gender and sexuality in grades kindergarten through 3rd and his war with the Walt Disney Company.

DeSantis played coy when the 2024 question was posed to him on 'The Truth with Lisa Booth': 'My goal would be, if we win the election really big, people like you who analyze these things are going to say: 'The days of Florida being a swing state are over. Florida is a red state.' And I think that's because of a lot of what we've done.'

Trump and DeSantis have not broken publicly, as has happened with a number of other one-time Trump acolytes who now have eyes on 2024, but the pair have come awfully close.

After DeSantis in a news conference refused to say whether he had gotten the booster shot in December, Trump on OAN slammed as 'gutless' politicians who won't say whether they've been boosted

Two days later, DeSantis said on the 'Ruthless' podcast he regretted not speaking out 'much louder' against the Trump administration lockdowns in the early days of Covid-19.
The militant RMT union barons causing chaos for London commuters with a 24-hour strike include a Putin apologist and a Marxist who previously echoed Kremlin propaganda by describing Ukraine as being 'held to ransom by neo-Nazis'.

Completing the 'Lynch mob' is union leader Mick Lynch, who once sighed 'All I want from life is a bit of socialism' - but now collects a salary of 84,174.

Lynch - who claims up to 600 jobs up and the pension scheme are under threat from a cash-strapped Transport for London - today 'congratulated' union members and warned that they 'will not rest' until a 'just' agreement is reached.

General Secretary Mick Lynch - who once sighed 'All I want from life is a bit of socialism' - collects a 84,174 salary

In March, Lynch organised the worst Tube strikes in five years - with two days of walkouts against changes to jobs, pensions and working conditions.

Lynch was once considered a centrist compared with former general secretary Bob Crow  but, after taking charge, he said: 'The unions have got to make a militant stand - and use the strike weapon wherever it's appropriate'.

He left school at 16 and trained as an electrician but was blacklisted due to union activity, so joined the railways.

Another high-ranking member of the RMT union is its senior assistant general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, a Putin apologist.

He is on a package worth 108,549, consisting of a 78,282 gross salary, Employers' NI contributions of 9,978 and pension contributions of 20,289.

Dempsey shared glowing praise for Luhansk rebel Aleksey Mozgovoy in an obituary following his death in 2015, and even visited the Donbas region of Ukraine seven years ago, where he posed for a picture with the pro-Russian separatist commander.

Writing in far-right Russia Insider, Dempsey lavished praise on the 'charismatic' Mozgovoy, described the violent Luhansk separatists as communist 'volunteers', and brandished the West's efforts to broker peace in the region as a 'US-orchestrated coup'.

Labour MP Chris Bryant urged Dempsey to apologise after his links with Mozgovoy emerged earlier this year.

RMT official Eddie Dempsey visiting Alexander Mozgovoy, a nationalist, misogynistic paramilitary leader in the pro-Russian militias during the war in eastern Ukraine

Dempsey addresses members of the United Voices of the World trade union outside the High Court in February

Dempsey was also among the signatories of a Stop the War coalition statement last week that criticised NATO's 'disdain for Russian concerns'.

The statement caused a huge split within the Labour Party after 11 of its MPs backed it, before withdrawing their support after an intervention from Sir Keir Starmer.

Left-wing parliamentarians who backed the statement were reportedly threatened with losing the whip, with one Labour frontbencher slamming the Stop the War Coalition as 'Putin apologists', the Telegraph reported.

Another RMT fat cat who has been criticised for his comments over Ukraine is its president, Alex Gordon, a longstanding Marxist who has previously echoed the Kremlin's propaganda by branding the country 'a failed state held to ransom by neo-Nazis'.

His pay and benefits package is not known.

Following Moscow's invasion of Crimea, the militant former train driver protested outside Ukraine's embassy in London in 2015 while wearing the black and orange Ribbon of St George, a symbol of Russian military valour.

Gordon presides over the RMT's ruling national executive committee. But he is also a major figure in the Communist Party of Britain, sitting on both its executive and political committees.

Another RMT fat cat who has been criticised for his comments over Ukraine include its president, Alex Gordon, a longstanding Marxist who has previously echoed the Kremlin's propaganda by branding the country 'a failed state held to ransom by neo-Nazis'

The 55-year-old is also chairman of the Marx Memorial Library in North London, where Communist dictator Vladimir Lenin worked during his exile from Russia.

The RMT has previously said: 'The union has a clear policy of opposing the war in Ukraine and has called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.'

On the issue of bosses' pay, the RMT said: 'The pay and benefits of RMT officials are decided on through our democratic structures and are ratified at the union's Annual General Meeting in a wholly open and transparent process that every member has a right to comment on.

'The employers National Insurance contributions should not be confused with earnings and the pension contributions are defined by the union's pension scheme which all staff members belong to.'
Boris Johnson may find himself in a sticky situation at home, but Ukrainians remain besotted by Britain's prime minister.

A posh Kyiv bakery has now honoured Mr Johnson with a cake named after him.

The 'Boris Johnson' is an apple and cinnamon cake with a frilly meringue topping to resemble the PM's famously floppy hair.

Zavertailo Cafe, just north of the capital's city centre, is selling the ingenious innovation for 97 hryvnia (2.60).

Waitress Daniella at Kyiv's upmarket Zavertailo Cafe stands proudly with two iced cakes today

The acclaimed bakery and patisserie has glowing Google reviews, with an average 4.5 stars from 729 users.

Ukrainians have been wowed by Mr Johnson's hard line against the Russian invasion of their country.

The UK has been one of the toughest advocates of severe sanctions on Russia - and has sent huge supplies of weapons to Kyiv, including Stinger rocket launchers.

The 'Boris Johnson' pastry has a meringue topping to resemble the PM's famously floppy hair

The PM was one of the first world leaders to visit Kyiv since Russia's invasion on February 24, making a surprise visit to the war-torn capital in mid-April.

Mr Johnson also reiterated Britain's support for an end to the costly Black Sea food blockade in a phone call with Zelensky today.

Boris Johnson, pictured during a meeting with the Estonian PM today, faces a key vote

Mr Zelesnky said he and Johnson were 'looking for ways to avoid the food crisis & unblock (Ukraine's) ports'.

The pair also confirmed a new package of military aid.

Yet voters in Ukraine won't be enough to save Mr Johnson's skin.

He faces a vote of no confidence by Conservative MPs later today, with results set to be announced by the party's 1922 Committee at 9pm.

The PM has sent a letter to MPs pleading for them to 'draw a line' under furious infighting, after he suffered a series of huge blows - including his own anti-corruption tsar quitting and rival Jeremy Hunt joining the coup bid.

Backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed this morning that at least 54 MPs have asked for a full ballot, which will now happen between 6pm and 8pm.

Mr Johnson is addressing the parliamentary party before that.

The PM received a limited boost from a snap poll by Opinium showing that although voters overall want Tories to oust him, Conservative supports would rather keep him on by a margin of 53 per cent to 34 per cent.

The pastries have just gone on sale, so it's not clear whether they'll be selling like hot cakes

A YouGov poll of Tory members found they would prefer him to stay on by 53 per cent to 42 per cent.

Cabinet ministers immediately rallied round, with Rishi Sunak pledging his support, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss saying he has her '100 per cent backing'. Deputy PM Dominic Raab and Michael Gove also stood by him, while Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: 'If he got a majority of one, that's enough to move on.'

In a vicious riposte to Mr Hunt on social media, Ms Dorries said: 'Your handling of the pandemic would have been a disaster.

Glamorous bakery owner Anna Zavertailo has not left Ukraine since the onset of the war

The PM won plaudits for his surprise visit to Kyiv in mid-April, where he met Pres. Zelensky

The pair walked through battle-worn Kyiv just days after Russia withdrew from the capital

'Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate. Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so...

'If you had been leader you'd have handed the keys of No10 to Corbyn. You've been wrong about almost everything, you are wrong again now.'

Ex-Cabinet minister David Davis cautioned that Mr Johnson's problems 'won't go away' if there is 'anything less than a two thirds majority', although he will 'hang on'.
President Joe Biden has postponed a long-discussed Middle East trip until July, according to reports, amid an internal White House debate over whether he should travel to Saudi Arabia and meet with its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

No trip was officially announced but for nearly a month the White House has had an internal debate about whether to visit Saudi Arabia as the U.S. experiences rising gas prices.

And Biden had angrily rejected meeting with MBS, arguing the presidency 'should stand for something,' two people with knowledge of his thinking told Politico.

However, he appears to have relented from the stance as he recognizes he needs more Saudi oil.

The trip has been postponed until July, NBC News reported, after there had been speculation he would visit both Saudi Arabi and Israel in late June, when he is in Europe for G7 and NATO meetings.

'We are working on a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia for a GCC+3 Summit,' a senior administration official told the network. 'We are working to confirm dates. When we have something to announce, we will.'

President Joe Biden (left) has postponed a long-discussed Middle East trip until July amid an internal White House debate over whether he should travel to Saudi Arabia and meet with its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (right)

The report of the postpone and the chaos around the decision is a part of a battery of reports the administration is combatting about a disorganized White House headed by a president that has trouble making a decision.

The White House has hit back hard at such talk.

'This depiction of the White House is simply divorced from reality,' White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates tweeted in response to one article.

But there has been mixed messages on whether or not Biden would visit the Kingdom. The White House announced earlier this year that Biden would visit Israel but has not given a date.

When asked on Friday about the rumored visit, Biden admitted it was a possibility, but was 'not sure whether I'm going.'

But he was panned by human rights activists who asked why he was entertaining a country ruled by a crown prince accused of brutality.

Biden said: 'I have been engaged in trying to work with how we can bring more stability and peace to the Middle East.

'And there is a possibility that I would be going to meet with both the Israelis and some Arab countries at the time, including, I expect, would be Saudi Arabia, would be included in that if I did go,' Biden said on Friday.

'But I have no direct plans at the moment. We're looking at it.'

Biden received immense backlash from Saudi dissidents, who called the trip a 'betrayal' if the president 'shakes hands' with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has called out for reportedly violating human rights.

'[Salman] killed our friend [journalist Jamal Khashoggi], arrested our loved ones and tortured them, banned many of our family members from travel in order to blackmail us, and harass us here in the US?!,' activisit Abdullah Alaoudh wrote on Twitter.

Biden has received immense backlash, where activists and family of victims of Saudi's human rights abuses are calling the president's trip a 'betrayal' if Biden only goes for order and doesn't mention the crown prince's allegedly human rights abuses, which he has denied

He received disapproval from a group of relatives who had family killed in 9/11 who told him he needed to bring up more than an oil deal.

They said if he were to travel to the country he would need to bring up 'accountability' issues between reported ties between 9/11 hijackers and Saudi.

Salman has received immense scrutiny after allegedly ordering Khashoggi's killing in 2018. The leader has, however, denied any involvement in the journalist's death.

Biden had previously claimed he would treat Salman as a 'pariah,' but since his administration has face heat to lower the rising cost of fuel - which has reached $10 in some parts of California - he seems to be reconsidering it.

When asked if he would still treat Salman as a 'pariah,' Biden told reporters: 'Look, I'm not gonna change my view on human rights, but as president of the United States, my job is to bring peace if I can.'

However, after Saudi Arabia has rebuked the US' request to increase oil production to offset the reparations on Russian oil, which may be causing him to try new outreach attempts, the Washington Post reported.

This week, the country did start taking steps to increase oil production.

On Thursday, The White House thanked Saudi and OPEC for its bigger-than-expected oil release.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decided to increase its output by more than 200,000 barrels a day, the WSJ reported.

At Thursday's meeting between OPEC and 10 non-OPEC producers, the group known as OPEC+ agreed to raise output by 648,000 barrels a day in July and in August. Previously the output was around 400,000 barrels a day.

Khashoggi was murdered in 2018 and was said to be killed after Salman ordered it. Activists are calling for Biden to demand accountability from the crown prince over his death

'The United States welcomes the important decision from OPEC+ today to increase supply by more than 200,000 barrels per day in July and August based on new market conditions,' said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement.

'This announcement accelerates the end of the current quota arrangement that has been in place since July of last year and brings forward the monthly production increase that was previously planned to take place in September.'

'We recognize the role of Saudi Arabia as the chair of OPEC+ and its largest producer in achieving this consensus amongst the group members. We also recognize efforts and positive contributions of UAE, Kuwait, and Iraq. The United States will continue to use all tools at our disposal to address energy prices pressures,' she said.

The US has been plagued with high gas prices after continuously hitting record highs. For the first time in history, all 50 states are above $4 a gallon.

Overnight Friday, gas prices hit a national average of $4.76, according to AAA - a 20 cent increase in a week.

Along the US West Coast, the pain at the pump is even worse, with Californians now seeing an also previously unseen average of $6.24 cents. The state saw gas costs surpass the $6 mark for the first time in history over the weekend.

The nation's current average gasoline price, $4.76-a-gallon, stands as nearly double the $2.41 average seen during former president Trump's last month in office. The uptick has seen the price of gas since top $4-a-gallon in each of the 50 states - a marker never before reached

Gas prices have climbed since Biden was elected in November 2020, before skyrocketing earlier this year after the invasion of Ukraine

Those filling up in states like California and have been particularly affected by the rising costs, with the state's national average having surged by more than $2 in the span of a year

The South is fairing the best, with averages at the lowest between $4.25 and $4.49. The Midwest is hanging on the higher end, while the Great Plains are in the middle.

In addition, the Middle Eastern giant has also been a close economy and military ally to the US, and Biden's administration has reported found it difficult to it, NBC reported. With tensions over the Iran Nuclear Deal and Israel-Palestinian tensions has kept Saudi close to the president's team.

But critics are saying it's more than just about gas prices, but will send a message that the crown prince is unstoppable as long as fuel costs go down.

'Regardless of who's in the White House, no one will care about your vices if you can lower gas prices,' Khalid Aljabri, whose father was a top intelligence officer, told the Washington Post. Aljabri has also accused the crown prince of targeting him for assassination and took his children hostage, he told the Post.

He also said it lets the prince 'get away with a lot of things,' even if Democratic administrations, who have been much more critical of Saudi than that of the former Republican White House.

'But look at them now. They're coming back,' he told the Post. 'The moment [Mohammed bin Salman] feels like he has unconditioned backing from the US, he goes rogue.'
To celebrate that she had reached 3 million followers on her Instagram account, top Mexican OnlyFans model Karely Ruiz chose to gift a free liposuction procedure to one of her social media fans on May 18.

What happened next went viral in a way that she likely never have expected.

'Since I have already reached 3 million followers on Instagram and they have already verified me, I am going to give away a lipo for all my precious, beautiful girls, so that you can look really hot,' Ruiz said on TikTok. 'I'll leave it here, comment if you have (not) already done so.'

The 21-year-old influencer, however, was moved by one of her followers on her TikTok account, who was more interested in seeking assistance for her son, Sebastian Herrera, who is battling Ewing's sarcoma, instead of enhancing her own physical appearance.

'Karely I don't want (a) lipo, I want you to give me a chemo for my son Sebas, he is 17 years old and I take him to (Monterrey) for his treatment, we are from Torreon,' Sebastian's mother wrote.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Ewing's sarcoma 'is a rare type of cancer that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue around the bones' and while a person can be diagnosed at any age, it is more common among children and teenagers.

Mexican influencer Karely Ruiz (right) celebrated last month reaching 3 million followers on her Instagram account and offered to pay for the liposuction of one of her fans. But she was moved when a concerned parent asked for help to cover the remaining four chemotherapy sessions for her 17-year-old son Sebastian Herrera (left)

Karely Ruiz is one of the top 5 OnlyFans earners in Mexico, averaging at least $36,000 a month

The woman caught Ruiz's attention and the following day when she hopped back on the model's TikTok account and wrote, 'It's an opportunity for Sebastian, he wants to live.'

Ruiz was touched by comment and replied, 'And we'll give it to him.'

On May 26, she visited with Herrera and his mother to cover the remaining four treatments, which cost almost $19,000.

She took him to a local mall where she treated him to a meal and gifted him a Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 to cheer him up.

"We are now more in contact with her and everything and she is looking after Sebastian," Herrera's mother said on her TikTok account. "Well I want to thank her for all the help and support she is giving Sebas and we are happy for her."

Sebastian Herrera suffers from Ewing's sarcoma. According to the Mayo Clinic, Ewing's sarcoma 'is a rare type of cancer that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue around the bones' and while a person can be diagnosed at any age, it is more common among children and teenagers

Karely Ruiz used her OnlyFans earnings to help cover a 17-year-old's cancer treatments in Mexico

Sebastian Herrera (left) and Mexican model Karely Ruiz (right) met two weeks ago after she was moved by the appeal the 17-year-old's mother made on Ruiz's TikTok, seeking help to cover his remaining four chemotherapy sessions after the influencer offered to gift a liposuction to one of her fans to celebrate having reached 3 million followers on Instagram

Data from the National Center for the Health of Children and Adolescents indicates that childhood cancer the second leading cause of death and the first cause of disease in children between the age of five to 14 in the country.

As many a 7,000 children under the age of 18 are diagnosed with cancer in Mexico every year. At least 10 percent will require a bone marrow transplant, but only 30 percent of them have a family member who is compatible, leaving the rest to hope that a donor is willing to help.

'If I support, it's not to win over people, believe me, it doesn't matter,' Ruiz commented on one of her social media platforms. 'I do it from the heart. So many things that I am achieving in a very short time, I think I should be thankful'.

Ruiz, whose Instagram account now has 4.8 million followers, is one of the top 5 OnlyFans money makers in Mexico.

She joined the platform two years ago and earns at least $36,000 a month.
Two of the estimated five people who were killed after a train derailed in the German Alps last week are thought to be Ukrainian refugees who were fleeing to Germany.

On Friday 3 June, a regional train holding around 140 passengers was heading north from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Alps, to Munich, which was to arrive at Munich Central Station at 1.26pm but never arrived.

At around 12.15pm, three of the five carriages rolled off the tracks at a curve in the journey and overturned at a railway embankment before crashing down into Burgrain, within the resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Currently, five people are reported to have died, according to German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, while another 44 people have been injured, 15 of which were serious.

Two of those killed were women from Ukraine who had fled to Germany with their children. A pastor of the Protestant Parish of Garmisch Parenkirchen told EPD News Agency: 'The women escape the war in Ukraine and die on a train here'.

The fatalities were three women, aged 32, 39 and 70, and a male victim, who was 51 years old. The fifth victim was found the following day, who is understood to have been a male teenager, police confirmed on Sunday.

'Many school-children' are said to have been on the train, according to local newspaper Bild, who were making a getaway for the Christian Pentecost holidays after final classes on Friday.

Two of the estimated five people who were killed after a train derailed in the German Alps last week are thought to be Ukrainian refugees who were fleeing to Germany. Pictured is part of a carriage which derailed, being lifted onto a truck on Monday

It is not yet clear exactly what caused the fatal crash to happen last week, but initial assumptions by police suggest that damage to the train track could have been the cause. There was no second train or other vehicle involved.

Six rescue helicopters scrambled to the scene in addition to dozens of ambulances, fire engines, cranes, and other rescue vehicles.

The line between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberau, north of the accident site, was closed while the rescue was carried out.

Currently, five people are reported to have died, according to German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung , while another 44 people have been injured, 15 of which were serious (pictured are firefighters preparing to lift one of the derailed carriages on Friday night)

It is not yet clear exactly what caused the fatal crash to happen last week, but initial assumptions by police suggest that damage to the train track could have been the cause. There was no second train or other vehicle involved

Pictures on social media showed carriages of a double-decker regional train stuck between tree branches and rolled down an embankment, as well as people being carried away on stretchers and standing around on the tracks.

A major emergency services operation was under way, police said, and the rail line was completely closed off.

Regional trains have seen higher passenger numbers since June 1, when a ticket allowing Germany-wide travel came into effect.

Popular mountain resort Garmisch-Partenkirchen and its surrounding regions are gearing up to host the G7 summit of world leaders later this month.

The accident happened just north of the resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the German Alps, on Friday

From June 26-28, the heads of state and government including US President Joe Biden are due to meet at Schloss Elmau - about 11 kilometres (seven miles) from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Police and soldiers who had been deployed to prepare and secure the site ahead of the summit were diverted to help in the rescue operation on Friday and over the weekend.

Three helicopters from Austria's Tyrol region were directed to the scene to provide first aid, according to media reports.

Pictures on social media showed carriages of a double-decker regional train stuck between tree branches and rolled down an embankment, as well as people being carried away on stretchers (pictured) and standing around on the tracks

Germany's deadliest rail accident happened in 1998 when a high-speed train operated by state-owned Deutsche Bahn derailed in Eschede in Lower Saxony, killing 101 people.

The most recent fatal crash took place on February 14, 2022, when one person was killed and 14 others injured in a collision between two local trains near Munich.

In 2017, a collision between a passenger train and a stationary freight train near the western city of Duesseldorf injured 41 people.

The fatalities were three women, aged 32, 39 and 70, and another victim, who was 51 years old. The fifth victim was found the following day, who is understood to have been a male teenager, police confirmed on Sunday
A woman paralysed from the neck down was stuck on a plane at Gatwick Airport for more than 90 minutes because no staff turned up to push her wheelchair .

Victoria Brignell, 45, was returning home following a holiday in Malta on Saturday when a wheelchair was readied for her upon arrival.

But staff from Gatwick contractors Wilson James did not turn up to assist her and she was instead left waiting for an hour and 35 minutes.

Airport staff have a responsibility to help people with disabilities on and off planes - and Gatwick has offered its sincere apologies and described the delay as 'unacceptable'.

Ms Brignell, from Shepherd's Bush, west London, said: 'Shortly after landing the BA airline staff came up to me and said theyre sorry but the people who are meant to help get me off the plane would not be there for 50 minutes.

'Time passed and I was then told it would be another half an hour on top of that. In the end I was waiting an hour and 35 minutes.

'I am paralysed from the neck down so I cant use my arms or legs. To get off a plane I need two people to lift me from the airplane seat into an aisle chair, which is a specially designed narrow wheelchair to push me along the aisle off the plane, and lift me into my wheelchair waiting outside.

Victoria Brignell, 45, had to wait more than 90 minutes to be assisted off a British Airways flight when Gatwick staff did not arrive

It comes amid scenes of 'absolute carnage' at the West Sussex airport in recent days due to staffing shortages and a surge in travel demand

'My wheelchair arrived promptly, but the people who were supposed to help me get off the plane didnt turn up - they were busy elsewhere.'

She had been unable to use the toilet during the three-hour flight and her three carers were unable to go off duty until she returned home more than 90 minutes later than planned.

Other passengers waiting to board the following flight were also delayed as they could not board the aircraft until Ms Brignell had been assisted off.

She added: 'I have been very nervous about travelling by plane because I had heard so many horror stories about peoples chairs going missing, but I went for the first time just before the pandemic so this was the second time Id gone abroad and my fourth flight.'

It was ultimately British Airways staff who were able to get her off the plane, despite it not being their responsibility.

She praised the staff, who provided her with drinks while she waited for Gatwick staff to arrive.

Ms Brignell said she has since received an apology from Gatwick via Twitter, where it asked her get in touch with them directly. She plans to submit an official complaint.

She continued: 'I just feel in 2022 people shouldnt be stuck on a plane for that long. UK airports need to get their act together and plan their staffing appropriately.

'I booked the help two months in advance - I didnt just turn up - and I reminded them two weeks before as well.'

A spokesperson for Gatwick said: 'The treatment received at Gatwick Airport was unacceptable and I would like to offer our sincere apologies to Victoria.

Customers queue at the Vueling and EasyJet check in desks at Gatwick Airport amid lots of cancellations last week

'This incident has been escalated and Gatwick and Wilson James, our assistance provider, are investigating how this happened as a matter of urgency.'

And a statement from Wilson James added: 'We are deeply disappointed to have delivered a poor service on this occasion.

'While the aviation sector in particular is struggling with well-documented pressures, Ms Brignells experience is unacceptable and falls far below our values and aims as a service provider; the Wilson James team extends our sincere apologies to her.

'We will be reaching out to her privately to offer our apologies, and Wilson James and the airport are investigating the incident as a matter of priority.'

It comes as passengers described scenes at Gatwick as 'absolute carnage' on Sunday.

Pictures emerged of holidaymakers sprawled across the airport's floor amid baggage reclaim 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.
llustration: Liu Rui/GT

Australian Department of Defense made a statement on Sunday, saying that "on 26 May 2022, an RAAF [Royal Australian Air Force] P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance activity in international airspace in the South China Sea region." It continues that "The intercept [by the Chinese fighter aircraft] resulted in a dangerous maneuver which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew." Australian Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense Richard Marles said the Chinese aircraft flew very close in front of the Australian jet and released a "bundle of chaff" containing small pieces of aluminum that were ingested into the Australian aircraft's engine. He noted, "Quite obviously this is very dangerous."

Obviously, some pivotal details have been deliberately concealed by Australia. For example, where exactly in the South China Sea is the area in which the incident occurred? How far is it from the Chinese islands and reefs in the region? What is their purpose here? Furthermore, what did the Australian military aircraft do before the intercept? How far was the Australian jet from the Chinese aircraft at that time? Why didn't Australia take the initiative to announce it? The Australian military has repeatedly groundlessly accused the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) of conducting "unsafe and unprofessional" operations, but why does it always come as loud and urgent but with little evidence?

Of course, they will not say these crucial details, nor can they. This is reminiscent of the Australian military's accusation in February that a Chinese navy vessel fired a laser at one of its aircraft which was in flight over Australia's northern approaches, putting the crew in danger. In response, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense directly released evidence showing the Australian aircraft was very close to the Chinese vessels, and cited photos showing the malicious provocation of the Australian jet dropping sonobuoys. After that, Australia immediately fell silent. It has to be said that the Australian military has obviously become a "professional for blackmail" habitually.

This time, Marles also pretended to be "the weak" and said in front of a reporter's microphone that Australia will not be deterred by China's intimidation. This is obviously a tone favored by American and Western journalists, and Australian politicians are well versed in it and pick what they want to hear.

However, data has shown that from February 24 to March 11, Australian military aircraft have visited the East China Sea north of the island of Taiwan six times this year to conduct close-in reconnaissance activities. Australian politicians also frequently talk wildly on the Taiwan question, and former defense minister Peter Dutton even once clamored to follow the US to "send troops to the Taiwan Straits." With all this considered, it is difficult to imagine Canberra as the one that is "being coerced." It seems more like a little bully in the region that always coerces others.

Australia used to be relatively restrained in the South China Sea disputes, which shows that it was well aware of the issue's sensitivity. But in the past few years, the former Morrison administration became increasingly close to Washington. In many areas, it has provoked China on Washington's behalf, and the most aggressive provocations occur in the military field. Canberra wants to become Washington's "right-hand man" and regards itself as the "deputy sheriff" of the Asia-Pacific region. And even if Australia has limited capabilities, it is still nice for it to pretend to be an "auxiliary police officer." In the end, in addition to putting on a show for conservative forces at home, Canberra's provocations against China with all efforts look more like a "performance report" to Washington.

Canberra's approach is inappropriate and unwise as China has never posed a threat to Australia. As Canberra's largest trading partner for more than ten years, Beijing helped Australia successfully survive the global financial crisis. Judging from the two recent incidents involving the ship and the aircraft, we need to remind Canberra that Sinophobia does Australia more harm than good. It has been proven time and again that the more "conscientiously" Canberra acts in front of Washington, the more easily the former will become a stepping stone.

Since the Albanese administration took office, many voices in Australia have been looking forward to improving trade relations with China. Recently, several Australian scholars wrote an open letter to call for less "public aggression" and more "international engagement" when the new administration deals with China. We also believe that there is no "auto-pilot" mode for improving China-Australia relations. Instead, the key is that Canberra needs to take actual actions. At least one thing is clear: No one can act as Washington's "goon" while making a fortune from China. It just doesn't work that way.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that western arms given to Ukraine are for extending the US proxy war that began in February this year. He said last Sunday that the west aims for prolonged conflict but omitted the destruction of Ukrainian weapons that need replacements.

Western Alliance To Prolong Proxy War

In an interview with Pavel Zarubin on a program in Moscow, Vladimir Putin said that more deliveries of western armaments are for the primary purpose of extending the conflict, reported TASS.

Last Sunday, the Russian leader was on the Vesti Nedeli, News of the Week, a program broadcasted by the Rossiya-1 TV Channel.

Putin remarked the US multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) mean nothing because the Russian army demolished the same weapons, with rockets having the same range that needs replacements.

He added that nothing is new and the former KGB agent assessed that all the bravado of Zelensky about these MLRS is similar to Russia-made Grad, Smerch, and Uragan rocket launchers, which makes little difference, cited Armedia.

He stressed that the rocket's range is important, not the system itself. These missiles can target a range of 45 to 70 km, which is the rocket used. These US-made MLRS are the same as the Russian systems, which are roughly equivalent, said the head of state.

As a result, these deliveries by the US and other countries can only be related to the specific intent of aiding Kyiv in replacing smashed hardware.

Putin doubts Washington's words that Ukraine will not train these weapons on Russia as part of the US proxy war. Trust is not the matter but what matters is the rockets will be given to Kyiv, from 515 rocket systems of the Ukrainian military, of which 380 are wrecked in combat, noted Sondakika.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin's 'Girlfriend': 5 Things To Know About Alina Kabaeva

Putin said that newly supplied arms are restored to 360 again. Also, the US and allies are rearming Kyiv, which has lost military hardware previously delivered.

Zelensky is desperate for more weapons due to the immense losses of his forces, who have abandoned positions and equipment, and the demolition of arms in battle.

Ukrainian Forces May Use Long-Range Rockets

The Kremlin said if long-range rockets were sent, then Russia would do what was needed due to this added provocation. The Russian leader gave this warning to the west, who is feeding the US proxy war, using Zelensky and his cabal.

Still, Putin made his opinion and policy of wiping out any US MLRS that will have rockets capable of attacking Russia will have disastrous consequences on the US and NATO allies.

Downplaying western propaganda of supplying Zelensky with modern rocket launchers does not faze him. All the furor over the new deliveries that are symmetrical to systems in use by the Ukrainian military with a 45-70 km range is moot.

On June 1, the US administration announced the new military aid package, including the delivery of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) weapons and ammunition, with its first batch, also included four rocket systems.

The range of a light HIMARS, a wheeled rocket launcher, is only 80 km, which the Biden administration said will not be used against Russia. But, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on June 2, called Kyiv deceitful enough to dishonor their benefactors' promise, they expect it might be broken.

Vladimir Putin called the US proxy war and prolonged the war via US MLRS and HIMARS as the neocons aim not peace but said everything would be done to lessen the threats against Russia.

Related Article: Moscow Says Zelensky Cannot Guarantee That MLRS Systems Will Not be Used To Attack Russia

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Terrifying footage shows gunfire ringing out near a college campus as bystanders desperately flee for safety.

The shots, which left a 15-year-old boy injured with a bullet wound to his leg, were fired opposite the University of Minnesota campus Friday night.

Minneapolis police officers were called at around 11.20pm to reports of a large crowd causing a disturbance and fights breaking out.

People desperately flee while one person lies on the ground as gunshots ring out in Minneapolis on Friday

When cops arrived, a number of gunshots were heard, with people then running in different directions amid the chaotic scenes.

Officers said they have had repeated problems with crime and gunfire coming from 1721 University Avenue for more than a year.

Footage taken by a witness shows multiple people running as shots ring out near the campus.

One person is then seen lying on the ground although it is not known if they were hiding or injured.

The shots, which left a 15-year-old boy injured with a bullet wound to his leg, were fired opposite the University of Minnesota campus

One person was seen darting across a yard while carrying something in his hand in the chaotic scenes

Moments later as sirens blare in the street, someone can be heard manically laughing throughout the gunfire.

Officers from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th Precincts attended the scene as well as the University of Minnesota Police and air support.

The teenager who was shot was taken to hospital by ambulance and a vehicle which is believed to have been used by a gun suspect was found and towed away.

No arrests have been made.

The weekend prior, shots were also fired on the same block, without any injuries reported.

Police have described 1721 University Avenue as a 'focal point of criminal behavior and large disturbances'.

One person is then seen lying on the ground although it is not known if they were hiding or injured

Police dispatch has been called 46 times to the address January and June this year.

The building is now boarded up and evictions proceedings are ongoing.

Ricky Kanak, a junior at the university, told CBS Minnesota: 'It's been three weekends in a row there's been gun shots.'

Michael Seokaran, a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon who live on the street, added: 'I heard gun shots, I heard people screaming. It's kind of unsettling knowing that you don't know what's going to happen on the weekend.'

The university say the building is independently owned by the Students' Co-Op, but no students or staff live there.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
A Minneapolis judge has delayed the trial of two former cops charged in George Floyd's May 2020 death to improve the chances they get a fair trial.

Tou Thao, 35, and J. Alexander Kueng, 28, had been set to face trial next week on charges of aiding and abetting, as well as second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death.

They are accused of helping to restrain Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who was handcuffed at the time of his death, as Kueng knelt on Floyds back and Thao kept bystanders from intervening during the 9 1/2-minute restraint.

But on Monday, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ordered that the trial be delayed until January 5, citing recent events like the May 18 guilty plea of their co-defendant, former Officer Thomas Lane, and the February conviction of the three officers on federal charges for violating Floyd's civil rights.

He said those two events and the publicity surrounding them are significant enough to make it difficult for jurors to presume that Thao and Kueng are innocent of the state charges against them, so he ordered the delay, just shy of seven months, to diminish the effects of that publicity.

Still, Cahill, denied a defense motion for a change of venue due to the extensive pretrial publicity surrounding the case as well as a motion by a group of media organizations to reconsider his decision to prohibit live coverage of the proceedings.

He said Monday he may reconsider that decision if the Minnesota state court system revises its rules on cameras in the courts by January 4.

Cahill has previously presided over the trial of former Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd's neck for 9 1/2 minutes as he cried, 'I can't breathe.'

Chauvin, 46, was convicted of second-degree murder in that trial, and was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison.

Floyd's death - which had been video taped and shared widely on social media - led to protests worldwide and a national reckoning on racial injustice.

A Minneapolis judge has decided to postpone the trial for former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, left, and Tou Thao, right, who are charged with aiding and abetting, as well as second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 2020 death of George Floyd

Floyd, 46, was murdered by Derek Chauvin after he was placed on arrest in Minneapolis on May 25 2020 on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill

On Monday, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill announced he would postpone Kueng and Thao's trial on charges of aiding and abetting, as well as second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death

Bob Paule, an attorney for Thao, said he thought the decision 'was a thoughtful and well-reasoned decision by Judge Cahill.'

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is prosecuting the case, said in a statement: 'It's unfortunate for the victims, the witnesses, and community that the opportunity to seek justice has been delayed. The State was ready for trial next week and will be ready next January.'

The new trial schedule says pretrial motions will be held January 5 and January 6, with jury selection beginning January 9.

Questionnaires will then be mailed to a new pool of 'several hundred' potential jurors around September 1, and opening statements are set for January 30.

In denying a change of venue, Cahill wrote that he is satisfied that a fair and impartial trial can be held in Hennepin County 'eventually,' noting that its the most populous and diverse county in the state.

He said attorneys will get to select jurors from a panel 'that will surely exceed 200' after the lengthy questionnaires designed to screen out bias are returned.

Former police Officer Derek Chauvin kneels on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed man who was pleading that he could not breathe

Body camera footage showed former Police Officer Derick Chauvin, second from left, and J. Alexander Kueng restraining Floyd in Minneapolis, on May 25, 2020

Tou Thao (left) kept bystanders at bay during the fatal arrest in 2020, while Thomas Lane (right) held Floyd's legs and arms

The three officers gathered around Floyd, who was laying on the street, as Chauvin put his knee on his neck

Cahill's ruling comes just weeks after Lane, 39, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death - during which he held Floyd's legs down.

In exchange for the plea deal, state prosecutors agreed to dismiss a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder.

His attorneys will now recommend a sentence of 36 months in prison, according to ABC News. If he had gone to trial, though, and was convicted on all charges, Lane could have faced a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

And in February, all three officers were convicted by a federal jury of violating Floyd's civil rights by failing to intervene or provide aid as their senior officer, Chauvin, kneeled on the back of Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.

But Alan Tuerkheimer, a Chicago-based jury consultant, said the reason for the postponement seems like 'strange rationale.' He said he doesnt see how a potential jurors bias would subside with the passage of time.

He also said with effective questioning, 'jurors with bias can be weeded out today or tomorrow or in early 2023,' and added that while other events that happen between now and January will consume jurors minds, 'feelings about these cops will not just vanish over time.

'As trial approaches in January it will all come back to those who followed this case,' he said. 'For those who havent, the passage of time doesnt matter.'

Mike Brandt, a Minneapolis defense attorney who has been following the case, meanwhile, said although Cahill's stated reason for the postponement is to dissipate the case's notoriety, the decision is also likely pragmatic.

He explained that pushing the trial back allows time for Thao and Kueng to be sentenced on their federal convictions first, increasing the likelihood of a plea deal with the state.

'They may not be on the radar, but in my opinion, this enhances the options for a settlement,' Brandt said, adding that once the federal sentences are known, the thinking could be: 'If were going to be doing this amount of time anyways, and the state agrees to this amount of time, why would we risk going to trial?'

Floyd's death sparked a worldwide protests against police brutality. A man is seen here in June 2020 holding a sign and white rose in one of the Black Lives Matter protests

Following Floyd's death, people marched near the Minnesota State Capitol

A memorial was also set up in Minneapolis, Minnesota following his death

Chauvin has been in prison since his state murder conviction, while Thao, Keung and Lane remain free on bail pending their sentences on federal civil rights convictions.

They each tried to shift the blame onto Chauvin - who had already pleaded guilty to a civil rights charge - during the trial, citing his 19 years of experience on the police force.

Lane claimed that Chauvin 'deflected' his suggestion to help Floyd, while Keung testified that Chauvin 'was my senior officer and I trusted his advice,' and Thao said: 'I would trust a 19-year veteran to figure it out.'

No federal sentencing dates have been set, but defense attorneys said in state court last week that they expect them to be in September.

Cahills order said he wont entertain any potential plea agreements from Thao or Kueng until 15 days after their federal sentencings. They rejected plea deals from prosecutors earlier.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that President Joe Biden didn't want 'dictators' at this week's Summit of the Americas, which was why the leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela were not asked to attend.

On Monday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed he wouldn't travel to Los Angeles this week for the summit after threatening for weeks to boycott the affair over the White House's planned snub of Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel, Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega.

'The president's principled position is that we do not believe dictators should be invited,' Jean-Pierre said at Monday's briefing. 'Which is the reason that the president has decided not to attend,' she added, referring to Lopez Obrador's position.

Jean-Pierre added that Biden wasn't blindsided by Lopez Obrador's announcement, made at a press conference earlier Monday.

'Well, let me just first say the president was aware, speaking to Obrador, that he wasn't going to attend,' she said. 'He was aware before the press conference ... so there was communcation there and he was made aware.'

NBC News reported that Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will attend the conference in Lopez Obrador's place.

Jean-Pierre said Biden would host Lopez Obrador and Mexico's first lady Beatriz Gutierrez Muller at the White House in July for a bilateral meeting.

A full list of heads of state attending the Summit of the Americas still wasn't released by the time of the mid-afternoon briefing.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced Saturday that she wouldn't be coming to the conference, sending Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina instead.

El Salvador was also not expected.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that President Joe Biden didn't want 'dictators' at this week's Summit of the Americas, which was why the leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela were not asked to attend

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed he won't travel to Los Angeles this week to attend the Summit of the Americas after President Joe Biden refused to invite the leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela

President Joe Biden (right) arrives back at the White House Sunday morning from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Biden will travel to Los Angeles for the Summit of the Americas on Wednesday

Lopez Obrador argued, 'There cannot be a summit if all countries are not invited.'

Biden is 'not respecting these countries' sovereignty, their independence,' the Mexican leader, known as AMLO, said.

At Monday's press conference, Jean-Pierre said Mexico remained a 'friend and a close ally' despite Lopez Obrador's boycott potentially derailing this week's conference.

Jean-Pierre had repeatedly declined to provide reporters with a final guest list in the run-up to the conference's start.

'I don't have anything to share or anything to confirm about anyone's attendance. We don't have a final list. Once we have a final list, we'll be sharing that,' she said Tuesday.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (left) and Cuba's President Miguel Diaz Canel (right) weren't invited to this week's Summit of the Americas being hosted by the United States and held in Los Angeles

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega also wasn't invited to attend this week's Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles

Vice President Kamala Harris is already on the ground in Los Angeles and will begin attending summit events Monday, while President Joe Biden will arrive Wednesday.

The U.S. is hosting the conference for the first time since its 1994 founding, when President Bill Clinton kicked it off in Miami.

The spectre of Obrador's high-profile defection has loomed large over the event.

Biden and Harris worked the phone in recent days and spoke to the leaders of Argentina and Honduras, the Associated Press reported.

Former Sen. Chris Dodd, a top Biden ally who's the special adviser for the summit, convinced the right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who still hasn't spoken to Biden after more than a year in office, to attend, the AP said.

Bolsonaro was a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump.

The governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela aren't members of the D.C.-based Organization of the American States, which organizes the summit.

'This should've been a talking point from the beginning,' former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon told the AP. 'It's not a U.S. imposition. It was consensual. If leaders want to change that, then we should have a conversation first.'

Jean-Pierre said each day of the conference would have a theme - with Wednesday dedicated to the economic agenda, Thursday to climate change and Friday to migration in the western hemisphere.

She said the U.S. would be offering deliverables in those areas every day.

'The U.S. remains the most powerful force in driving hermispheric actions to address core challenges facing the people of the Americas in equality, health, climate and food security,' Jean-Pierre offered when asked about the strength of the U.S.'s influence in the hemisphere with Mexico dropping out. 'The president continues to be a leader in the hemisphere.'
A Milwaukee drug den security guard murdered six people in the stash house that he was supposed to protect, then took a selfie wearing the glasses of one of the victims while others lay dead on the floor, authorities say.

Travis Birkley, 34, the 'house gun' at the home of Michelle and Donta Williams, was charged on Saturday with slaying six people during a 'robbery gone bad,' according to a criminal complaint.

The couple had taken Birkley into their home after he had lost his housing.

They allegedly hired him to stand lookout over the synthetic marijuana business run out of the house.

Synthetic marijuana is a highly-dangerous substance that contains man-made chemicals that act on the same cell receptors in the brain as THC does in natural marijuana.

But synthetic marijuana is known to have psychotic effects on some users, including extreme anxiety, confusion, paranoia and even hallucinations.

Travis Birkley, 34, and his cousin killed six people in a 'robbery gone bad' inside a Milwaukee drug house

A confidential witness told police that she had been to the home on January 19 where Donta Williams, 44, Michelle Williams, 49 and associates Donald Smith and Charles Hardy were all hanging out.

The witness said she saw Donta Williams broadcasting on Facebook Live as he counted out $16,000 in profit from selling 'K2', which is a street name for the synthetic drug they produced.

On January 20, 2022, Birkley and his cousin decided to rob Donta Williams, according to a cooperating witness statement to Milwaukee investigators.

But when they pulled their guns on the drug dealer his wife, Michelle Williams, came at them from their 'blind side,' according to the criminal complaint.

Donta and Michelle Williams, a married couple, were among those killed on January 20

Javoni Liddell, 31, (left) and Charles Hardy, 42, (right) were also killed. It's unclear which of the six victims were due to testify at the murder trial

Donald Smith, 43, (left) lived in the home where the bodies were found. His relatives say he 'took people in' who didn't have anywhere else to go. Caleb Jordan (shown right in a childhood photo), was also killed

They shot Michelle first and then Donta, the witness told police.

Another occupant of the house, Charles Hardy, 42, was shot and killed as he headed up the stairs from the basement with a gun to come to the aid of the drug dealing couple.

Birkley told the informant that 'everyone else in the basement had to be shot so that there would not be any witnesses,' according to court records.

Caleb Jordan, 23, and Javoni Liddell, 31, were murdered in the basement.

The Milwaukee home where the bodies were found on Sunday is shown. One of the victims' relatives asked police to perform a welfare check

Donald Smith, 43, Donta's brother, was found shot to death under a pile of clothes in a second floor bedroom.

'We were told that it was execution-style,' Tiffany Cole-Whittington, the cousin of Michelle Williams, told WISN soon after the shootings.

Investigators who pulled Birkley's cellphone records found that it had been in the general vicinity of the murders at the time they took place.

Michelle Williams, 49, pictured here, was killed in her kitchen while trying to protect her husband from a drug robbery

When they confiscated his phone after his arrest, they found a selfie which was taken about 10:25 a.m. after the murders.

The picture showed Birkley wearing Donta Williams' expensive glasses. Investigators said the image also placed that Birkley place him in the basement where Caleb Jordan, Javoni Liddell and Charles Hardy lay dead or dying.

Travis Birkley, 34, seen here during his arraignment for the murders of six people during a botched drug robbery

After the murders, Birkley was seen by the informant flashing a wad of cash and carrying what the cooperator recognized as Donta Williams' handgun, he told police.

WHAT IS SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA? Synthetic marijuana contains man-made chemicals that act on the same cell receptors in the brain as THC does in natural marijuana. Researchers have found instances in which chemicals in synthetic marijuana can bind much more strongly to cell receptors than THC does in marijuana that is grown This can produce stronger effects, such as an elevated mood or feeling of relaxation. But synthetic marijuana is also known to have psychotic effects on some users. These can include extreme anxiety, confusion, paranoia and even hallucinations. Source: National Institute of Drug Abuse Advertisement

Police also say there is also evidence that he tried to cover his own tracks.

Three days after the shootings, a sobbing woman called 911 to report that she had been shot in the head, giving an address three blocks from the crime scene.

The woman said that four other people had also been shot.

Police determined the address did not exist and later allegedly identified the caller as Birkley's girlfriend.

Authorities tracked her cellphone called and when they located her said reportedly told them at Birkley had told me to make the false 911 call.

On Jan. 23, 2022, three days after the murders, Milwaukee police officers were called to the drug den, where they discovered the victims.

Birkley has been arraigned on multiple counts of murder and armed robbery. He's being held on $1 million bail.

His defense lawyer Mary Garvin Guimont did not immediately return calls for comment.

'This arrest brings us one step closer to bringing justice for all the lives that were lost during this senseless tragedy,' Milwaukee police spokesman Sgt. Efrain Cornejo said. 'We continue to send our condolences to the family and friends of all the victims.'
In the latest violent attack on the New York City subway, a 43-year-old man was randomly attacked by a thug in a Supreme beanie who stabbed him in the head and torso then fled and remains on the run.

The attack happened last Sunday at 6.30pm on a southbound 3 train at Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn. The NYPD says the attacker produced a knife then stabbed his victim in the head and torso before fleeing.

The pair were not known to each other but they had some form of dispute on the train.

The victim was taken to the hospital in a stable condition despite being wounded in the head. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Now, police are hunting for the assailant who fled out of the subway station.

He is described as being light skinned, approximately 20-25 years old, 6ft tall and weighing around 200 lbs.

The attacker is shown walking out of the subway after the attack on Sunday May 29th. He remains at large

Police say the man randomly pulled out a knife and stabbed his victim in the head and torso. The victim is expected to survive

In surveillance footage from the subway station after the attack, he is seen calmly exiting the station wearing a grey zip-up hoodie and the beanie, the likes of which retail for around $100.

The attack is the latest in a string of violent incidents on the subway that are terrifying New Yorkers.

Last month, a Goldman Sachs worker was randomly shot in the head on his way to Sunday brunch at around noon.

The attacker had no motive and shot him in full view of other passengers before walking off the train at the next station.

He remained on the run for days before he was arrested - and he turned himself.

Both the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams have been slammed for its failure to get a grip on the subway crime

Both the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams have been slammed for its failure to get a grip on the subway crime.

On May 22, a man stabbed a woman in the shoulder as she entered a deli in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

Daniel Enriquez was shot in the head on May 22

The suspect in that attack - Osie Lewis - remains at large.

Daniel Enriquez died on May 22nd after being shot in the head at close range by Andrew Abdullah, a career criminal who then handed himself in to police with the help of a Brooklyn minister.

And in April, subway shooter Frank James was on the run for two days despite being the most wanted man in the city.

He eventually turned himself in to police after brazenly riding the subway again the day after he unleashed terror on the city.

Eric Adams vowed to crack down on crime when he was running for mayor but so far he has failed to ease New Yorkers' fears.
Bean, of Enfield, north London, has been jailed for three years and one month

When confronted, he said: 'I was probably on coke. I was being stupid and drunk'

He arranged to meet for sex, unaware he was snared by paedophile hunters

John Bean, 40, contacted what he thought was a 13-year-old girl on WhatsApp

A married father-of-two who claimed he was 'probably on coke' when he asked a 13-year-old girl to have sex with him has been jailed for three years.

John Bean, 40, was unaware he was in contact with a member of a group of paedophile hunters known as 'Broken Dreams' when he sent six explicit photos on WhatsApp last year.

Today at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Garry Rutter said: 'Broken Dreams performed what was essentially a citizen's arrest on the defendant. The group asked him questions such as what he had been doing and what he had engaged in.'

Bean, of Enfield, north London, was filmed telling the group: 'I ain't done nothing wrong. I was never going to do anything.

'I was probably on coke. I was just being stupid. I was drunk.'

The recording has now been viewed over 77,000 times on Facebook.

John Bean, 40, was unaware he was in contact with a group of paedophile hunters when he sent six explicit photos on WhatsApp to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl

When confronted, Mr Bean claimed he was innocent and said: 'I was probably on coke. I was just being stupid. I was drunk'

Broken Dreams live streamed their capture on Facebook and the 35-minute confrontation amassed 5,600 comments.

Avirup Chaudhuri, defending, told the court: 'His offending has very much been put on display by the public.

'He has been ostracised by friends and is rarely seen by anyone.'

Judge Nigel Lickley, QC, told Bean: 'Your actions were planned and sexually motivated, and there was grooming.

'The offences were limited to one occasion, however it was over a period of time towards the same person.

'Your offences are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is warranted.'

Bean admitted attempting to incite girl aged 13 to have sex with him, attempting to cause a child under the age of 14 to take photos of a sexual nature and attempting sexual communication with a girl aged 13.

The offences dated from between October 9 and November 12 last year.

Wearing a black jumper and dark jeans, Bean hung his head in shame as he was jailed for a total of three years and one month.
Vladimir Putin's state television propagandists have unleashed a new rant about launching nuclear weapons in response to Western weapons being sent to Ukraine.

Vladimir Solovyov, also known as 'Putin's voice', said Western deliveries of long-range weapons that could potentially strike into Russian territory means it is only a matter of time before nuclear war breaks out between Russia and the West.

'Everything is moving in that direction,' the host of the Russia1 sabre-rattling talk show 'Evening Vladimir Solovyov' told viewers and other pundits in the studio.

The escalating war in Ukraine - which began when Putin launched an invasion of the country on February 24 - meant 'we're descending into bloody pages of world history,' Solovyov said, in a clip shared and translated by Russian Media Monitor.

'I hope we'll live through this,' he said gravely on channel Russia1. 'If everything keeps progressing the way it is, only a couple of mutants in Lake Baikai will survive. The rest will be destroyed in a massive nuclear strike.

'Because if NATO decides they can place whatever they want on our borders, they'll be sending more and more of American weapons to Ukraine, Ukraine will fire and end up hitting one of our nuclear power plants, and here we go,' he continued, without referencing Russian forces attacking nuclear power stations in Ukraine.

'The process will quickly become uncontrollable. Everyone will get more than they asked for. Bang! And there's nothing left,' he claimed.

Vladimir Solovyov (pictured), also known as 'Putin's voice', compared the war to being 'like a comedy if people weren't dying'

The TV guests regularly take aim at NATO and said Western deliveries of long-range weapons that could potentially strike into Russian territory means it is only a matter of time before nuclear war breaks out between Russia and the West

Vitaly Tretyakov, a political analyst, said he was 'happy' about the prospect of nuclear war breaking out, suggesting Russia was destined for such a catastrophe

The United States has ruled out sending its own or NATO forces to Ukraine but Washington and Britain have agreed to supply precision missile systems which have significantly longer ranges than previous weapons they delivered.

Washington is supplying Ukraine with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and Britain will supply M270 multiple-launch systems.

The Russian president placed Moscow's nuclear forces on high alert shortly after his invasion of Ukraine began February 24, raising fears he could press the button as the war in Ukraine continues to go against him.

And amid increasing Western support to Ukraine, Putin has made thinly veiled threats hinting at a willingness to deploy Russia's tactical nuclear weapons, which Russian military doctrine holds can be used to force an adversary to retreat.

However, the Kremlin has maintained that Russia would only resort to using larger nuclear weapons if it faces an existential threat.

The Russia1 propagandists appeared to consider the delivery of western long-range weapons to be an example of such an existential threat that would justify their use, and seemed to accept the prospect of destruction in a nuclear war.

Vitaly Tretyakov, a political analyst, said he was 'happy' about the prospect of nuclear war breaking out, suggesting Russia was destined for such a catastrophe.

'Yes, we should be happy,' he said, 'except the young people may not share this definition of happiness. We've finally arrived. This is our last and decisive battle.'

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russia Today, replied: 'I don't see any cause for happiness, but I also don't see any other choice. If there will be deliveries of such weapons that could read into our territory, although they say they promised not to do it. Yeah, don't make me laugh.

'We've been living with them for years, we know better than you what will happen,' she said. 'We'll be forced to respond, because our people wouldn't understand if we didn't. Our boss, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is not the kind of person to put up with this. Frightening escalation awaits us.

'They're provoking us again, forgetting the lessons of history that we should not be provoked. You can poke a hibernating bear with a branch, you're poking him, poking him, poking him, then he wakes up and 'Whap!'' she said, clapping her hands.

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russia Today (pictured), said 'I don't see any other choice' when talking about Russia using nuclear weapons

Russia has increasingly resorted to nuclear sabre-rattling as the war in Ukraine has stumbled, with state media issuing almost daily threats.

The same show on Russia1 has previously warned that Russian nuclear weapons could wipe out the UK in a 'nuclear tidal wave', and has also brazenly simulated how Putin would launch a nuclear strike on three capital cities in Europe.

As Russian troops were building up on Ukraine's borders before the invasion began, Russia blamed NATO expansion for its increasingly aggressive activities.

And since the start of its invasion, which it calls a 'special military operation', Russia has repeatedly said it aims to clear Ukraine of 'Nazis'.

Kyiv and its Western backers say such claims are fiction and that Ukraine is fighting for its survival against an imperial-style land grab.

President Vladimir Putin warned the United States in an interview broadcast on Sunday that Russia would strike new targets if the West supplied longer-range missiles to Ukraine for use in high-precision mobile rocket systems.

Warning was made by Russia despite Russia's own missiles striking deep into Ukrainian territory. On Sunday, Russia hit targets in Kyiv using long-range missiles fired from the Caspian Sea region, over 850 miles away.

The range of the missile systems being sent to Ukraine to help Kyiv fight against the Russian invasion depends on the munitions used in them.

HIMARS systems have a maximum range of 185 miles or more but the missiles supplied by the United States have a range of just over 40 miles - double the range of the howitzers it supplied.

The M270 launchers (pictured), which can strike targets up to 50 miles away with precision-guided rockets, will 'offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces'

Pictured: Smoke rises over Kyiv on Sunday after Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Ukrainian forces are 'holding out' against Moscow's troops in the eastern city of Severodonetsk but are outnumbered by a 'stronger' Russian side.

'We're holding out' but 'there are more of them and they are stronger,' he told journalists in Kyiv, adding that Severodonetsk and neighbouring Lysychansk were both 'dead cities now'.

In the Sunday airstrikes on Kyiv, one person was reported hospitalised. Dark smoke could be seen from many miles away after the attack on two outlying districts.

Ukraine said the strike hit a rail car repair works, while Moscow said it had destroyed tanks sent by Eastern European countries to Ukraine.

Ukraine said Russia had carried out the Kyiv strike using long-range air-launched missiles fired from heavy bombers as far away as the Caspian Sea.

Russia says the strikes are part of a campaign to degrade Ukraine's military infrastructure and block Western arms shipments.

Putin warned the United States on Sunday that Russia would strike new targets if the West supplied longer-range missiles to Ukraine for use in high-precision mobile rocket systems.

Britain said on Monday it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 50 miles away, a move that was coordinated with the United States in response to Russia's invasion.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk and Russian forces are pushing towards Sloviansk, which lies about 53 miles to the west, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Monday.

Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in Sievierodonetsk.

In Lysychansk, Russian forces fired on a bakery and several administrative and residential buildings, Gaidai said on Monday, adding one civilian had been wounded.

Evacuations resumed from the Ukrainian-held part of Luhansk province on Sunday, and 98 people had escaped, Gaidai said.

The governor of Russia's western Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said the border village of Tyotkino had come under fire from Ukraine on Monday morning that targeted a bridge and some businesses.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Ukraine's military reported that its forces repelled seven attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Sunday, destroying four tanks and shooting down a combat helicopter. It was not immediately possible to verify the battlefield reports.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the case of a St. Louis couple who are fighting to keep their law licenses after being penalized for brandishing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters passing by their home in summer 2020.

It's one of multiple updates from the Supreme Court this morning, which also includes opinions on cases involving interstate commerce and Medicaid.

Notably absent were the high court's much-awaited decisions on abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health and another in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which could see the conservative-majority court drastically expand the right to conceal carry firearms. Those opinions are expected to come later this month.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey are personal injury attorneys who made headlines two years ago for waving their weapons at demonstrators who entered their gated community to protest outside of the mayor's home.

They claimed at the time to have been defending their home but later pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment, respectively. The couple was pardoned by Missouri's Republican Governor Mike Parson in August last year.

The state Supreme Court suspended their law licenses indefinitely earlier this year, agreeing with a petition from Missouris chief disciplinary council that they acted out of 'moral turpitude' and with an 'indifference for public safety.'

However the court also issued a stay and one-year probation on the suspensions.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey are Missouri-based personal injury attorneys who are at risk of losing their law licenses

It comes after they pled guilty to misdemeanors stemming from an infamous June 2020 incident in which they brandished weapons at peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters passing their home

In order to keep their law licenses, the McCloskeys were ordered to provide 100 hours of free legal service.

They're also required to provide the court with quarterly updates on any arrests or convictions, as well as civil lawsuits filed against them.

The McCloskeys fought the ruling by petitioning the US Supreme Court to hear their case late last month.

They argued that their handling of weapons that day in front of peaceful protesters was 'protected by the Second and Fourteenth Amendments' and therefore 'cannot and should not constitute conduct involving' moral turpitude, as the court ruled.

The couple said in court documents that they were 'exercising lawful rights to bear arms in defense of their person, family, and home.'

Mark McCloskey was pictured brandishing a rifle while his wife Patricia McCloskey held a handgun, both pointed in the direction of peaceful protesters.

It came amid nationwide demonstrations over the killing of black Minneapolis resident George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer.

The Supreme Court issued several updated today, though it still has not formally weighed in on highly-anticipated decisions about abortion and gun rights

They had initially claimed that protesters destroyed the barrier to their gated community for entry, though video evidence has shown activists marching through an in-tact iron gate.

The incident rocketed them to national prominence among conservatives.

The couple was invited to speak at the 2020 Republican National Convention and shared their story multiple times with Fox News.

Mark McCloskey even launched a bid for the US Senate this year, vying for the seat being vacated by outgoing GOP Senator Roy Blunt.

He cited the infamous run-in with demonstrators when discussing his decision to run for Congress on Tucker Carlson Tonight earlier this year.

'I've always been a Republican, but I have never been a politician,' Mark McCloskey said at the time.

'But you know, God came knocking on my door last summer disguised as an angry mob, and it really did wake me up.'
State police in Michigan have obtained warrants to seize voting equipment and election-related records in at least three towns and one county in the past six weeks, police records show, widening the largest known investigation into unauthorized attempts by allies of former President Donald Trump to access voting systems.

The previously unreported records include search warrants and investigators' memos obtained by Reuters through public records requests. The documents reveal a flurry of efforts by state authorities to secure voting machines, poll books, data-storage devices and phone records as evidence in a probe launched in mid-February.

The states investigation follows breaches of local election systems in Michigan by Republican officials and pro-Trump activists trying to prove his baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Carol Asher, clerk of Denton Township, shows the voting tabulators to which Michigan State Representative Daire Rendon sought access after the 2020 election, in Denton Township, Michigan, U.S. May 19, 2022. State police in Michigan have obtained warrants to seize voting equipment and election-related records in numerous Michigan towns

The police documents reveal, among other things, that the state is investigating a potential breach of voting equipment in Lake Township, a small, largely conservative community in northern Michigan's Missaukee County. The previously unreported case is one of at least 17 incidents nationwide, including 11 in Michigan, in which Trump supporters gained or attempted to gain unauthorized access to voting equipment.

Many of the breaches have been inspired in part by the false assertion that state-ordered voting-system upgrades or maintenance would erase evidence of alleged voting fraud in 2020. State election officials, including those in Michigan, say those processes have no impact on the preservation of data from past elections.

The search warrants also authorized state police to seize election equipment in Barry Countys Irving Township and have it examined. Local officials acknowledged publicly last month that state police raided the township office on April 29, a day after the warrant was issued.

The moves by Trump allies came as former President Donald Trump and allies were claiming fraud in the 2020 election

State Attorney General of Michigan Dana Nessel began a probe in February of unauthorized efforts to get access to voting equipment

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said the state is investigating whether the election-system breaches are coordinated

Former President Donald Trump is seen leaving Trump Tower on fifth Avenue, New York this morning after a surprise visit

Additionally, the records shed new light on election-equipment breaches in Roscommon County. One official in the countys Richfield Township told investigators that he gave two vote-counting tabulators to an unauthorized and unidentified 'third party,' who kept them for several weeks in early 2021. The county's clerk acknowledged that she, too, handed over her equipment to unauthorized people.

Taken together, these documents depict a statewide push by pro-Trump activists to access election machinery in search of evidence for debunked theories that equipment was rigged in a crucial swing state that voted for Trump in 2016 and for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told Reuters that the state is investigating whether the election-system breaches are coordinated.

'If there is coordination, whether it's among those in our state or reaching up to a national level, we can determine that and then we can seek accountability for all involved,' Benson, a Democrat, said in an interview.

On Feb. 10, Benson announced that she had asked Michigan's attorney general, Democrat Dana Nessel, to begin a criminal investigation, citing information that state authorities had received about unauthorized access to voting machines and data in Roscommon County. In separate inquiries, state or local law enforcement officials have investigated security breaches involving voting equipment in Cross Village Township in Emmet County and Adams Township in Hillsdale County last year.

Michigan GOP Rep. Daire Rendon approached Missaukee County clerks asking them to give people seeking fraud evidence access to voting equipment

Representatives of the state police and attorney general's office declined to comment on the investigations detailed in this story.

Trump won all of the counties where breaches or attempted breaches in Michigan have been alleged. The results in those jurisdictions were affirmed by multiple audits and an investigation by the Republican-controlled state senate, which found no evidence of widespread fraud. But some activists and officials pushing election-fraud conspiracy theories claim that Trumps margin should have been larger in these areas, and their efforts are roiling communities across the state.

In rural Barry County, Republican Sheriff Dar Leaf has teamed with proponents of the debunked claim that voting machines were rigged against Trump. Leaf is pursuing his own investigation, despite being urged last year by the Republican county prosecutor to suspend it for lack of evidence. Trump won the county by a 2-1 margin.

In recent weeks, Leafs office has sent expansive public records requests to the county's township and city clerks, seeking an array of election-related records. The requests were condemned by clerks and local officials in Reuters interviews and public statements as baseless and burdensome. An editorial in the local newspaper, The Hastings Banner, called Leafs probe 'a waste of time and an affront to our citizens.'

Leaf did not respond to requests for comment. In an interview with Reuters in February, he defended his investigation. He said he was 'concerned' by theories that voting machines nationwide were rigged to favor Biden, and 'we need to know if that happened in Barry County.'

`INAPPROPRIATE ACCESS

The records obtained by Reuters show that in Lake Township, a community of about 2,800 people in Missaukee County, state police obtained a warrant on April 22 to search the clerk's office for evidence of potential violations of election law.

Township Clerk Korrinda Winkelmann, an elected Republican who oversees local voting, declined to comment.

Missaukee County, where Trump won in 2020 with 76% of the vote, is home to Daire Rendon, a Republican state lawmaker who has embraced the bogus claim that widespread fraud robbed Trump of victory in 2020. Rendon approached multiple clerks in her district, which includes Missaukee, Roscommon and other counties, asking them to give people seeking fraud evidence access to their voting equipment, Reuters previously reported.

In December 2020, Rendon was one of two Republican members of Michigan's House of Representatives who joined an unsuccessful federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Bidens victory in five battleground states.

Rendon did not respond to requests for comment. In a May 25 interview with the Cadillac News, a local newspaper, she acknowledged contacting clerks but said she 'never touched a voting machine' and did nothing wrong.

State police are also stepping up an examination of alleged breaches in Roscommon County. In February, Secretary of State Benson said unauthorized people 'gained inappropriate access to tabulation machines and data drives' used in the county and in one of its townships, Richfield. Benson, however, didnt name any suspects or provide other details.

The state police records show that investigators are probing allegations that the Richfield Township supervisor allowed a 'third party' to take possession of the town's two ballot tabulators for several weeks in early 2021. The records identify the supervisor only by title, not by name, but the county only has one person in that position, Republican John Bawol.

The records detail an interview with a 'suspect.' The name and title is redacted but the suspect is described as an elected township official. The official told investigators he believed the tabulators were taken to 'the northern suburbs of Detroit' in early February by an unidentified group of people driving a small SUV. The tabulators were not returned until March, the official added. The official said at one point he checked in with a woman, whose name is redacted, about when the machines would be returned, and 'she advised they were almost done.'

State police found that both security seals on one machine indicated that it had been tampered with, the records show. The seals were intact on the other machine.

Greg Watt, the township clerk, whose job includes safeguarding election equipment, told investigators that he did not know the identity of the third party who accessed the voting machines, according to the records. Police documents identify Watt by name and call him a witness in the case.

Watt and Bawol did not respond to requests for comment.

The breaches are costing taxpayers money. The Richfield Township Board voted on May 25 to purchase two new vote tabulators and three memory devices at a cost of $8,763. The move was necessary to 'ensure election integrity,' Watt said at the board meeting, according to an audio recording reviewed by Reuters.

State police have also sought to question the Roscommon county clerk in connection with a separate alleged voting system breach, the police records reveal. The county clerk, whose name is redacted in the documents, is Michelle Stevenson, a Republican.

In February, the county clerk acknowledged to a state election official that she had provided a data storage drive containing election information 'for one or both' of Richfield Township's vote tabulators to an unidentified third party, according to an email from the official to police, in which the name of the clerk was also redacted. She also gave the person access to one of Roscommon Countys vote-tabulating machines, according to the email.

When state investigators attempted to interview the county clerk on Feb. 17, she indicated a willingness to speak with police but declined to discuss the matter at that time, the police records show.

Two weeks later, on March 2, investigators executed a search warrant on Stevenson's office, accompanied by representatives of Election Systems & Software LLC, the Nebraska-based manufacturer of voting machines used in Roscommon County, the records show.

Stevenson declined to comment. Election Systems & Software did not respond to requests for comment.
Matthew McConaughey has called for 'gun responsibility' but not 'control' in the aftermath of the school shooting in the town where he was born in Texas.

The actor called for changes in the way people can buy weapons across the US following the massacre in Uvalde last month.

He said the nation has a 'cultural obligation' to work towards 'slowing down the senseless killing of our children'.

He suggested a national red flag system, background checks, raising the age someone can buy an assault rifle to 21 and a waiting time before buying them.

But the 52-year-old, who weighed up running for Texas governor last year, warned any changes cannot threaten the 2nd Amendment rights of citizens.

It comes after 19 children and two teachers were gunned down by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos at Robb Elementary School in McConaughey's hometown.

It sparked renewed debate over whether gun laws should be tightened to stop youngsters getting their hands on certain weapons.

But since then there has been a spate of vicious shootings, including in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Pennsylvania over the weekend.

McConaughey speaking at a March For Our Lives rally in Dallas in 2018 after the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida

Students escape through a window of Robb Elementary School after the mass shooting on May 24

McConaughey published this op-ed in the Austin American Statesman on Monday, arguing that 'gun responsibility' was the best way to protect the 2nd Amendment

'I am a father, the son of a kindergarten teacher, and an American. I was also born in Uvalde, Texas,' McConaughey begins in the piece published in Austin American Statesman on Monday, 'That's why I'm writing this.'

'I believe that responsible, law-abiding Americans have a Second Amendment right, enshrined by our founders, to bear arms.'

'I also believe we have a cultural obligation to take steps toward slowing down the senseless killing of our children.'

McConaughey states that debates about 'gun control' have led nowhere but 'the status-quo,' and argues that the debate should be shifted towards 'gun responsibility.'

'There is a difference between control and responsibility,' he wrote, 'The first is a mandate that can infringe on our right; the second is a duty that will preserve it. There is no constitutional barrier to gun responsibility.

McConaughey as a boy in Texas. He was born in Uvalde, Texas, where the mass shooting took place

McConaughey visiting the Robb Elementary School on May 27 in the days after the mass shooting

McConaughey visiting Uvalde, Texas, on May 27, days after the mass shooting. He has set up a relief fund to help victims of the shooting

'Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people is not only the responsible thing to do, it is the best way to protect the Second Amendment. We can do both.'

McConaughey argued that background checks should be required for all gun sales, that the buying age should be increased to 21 years-old, and that there should be a national red flag system that would allow loved-ones and law enforcement to petition courts to bar individuals from buying guns for a certain period.

He also wrote that there should be a waiting period for purchasing assault rifles, arguing that those who commit atrocities with such weapons often buy them in 'fits of rage.'

'Individuals often purchase weapons in a fit of rage, harming themselves or others. Studies show that mandatory waiting periods reduced homicides by 17 percent, he wrote, 'A waiting period to purchase an assault rifle is an acceptable sacrifice for responsible gun owners when it can prevent a mass shooting crime of passion or suicide.'

McConaughey (second from right) holding hands with mourners during a visit to Robb Elementary School on June3

An officer outside the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. A memorial is spread across the sign to the school

Mourners paying respects and reflecting at memorial outside the Robb Elementary School on June 1

McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde, visited the school where the 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, murdered 19 children and two teachers with an assault rifle days after the May 24 shooting.

At the beginning of June, McConaughey and his wife, Camila, launched a Uvalde Relief fund as a part of their Just Keep Livin Foundation.

The op-ed about gun rights isn't the actor's first foray into politics, as last year he considered making a run for Texas governor before ultimately deciding against it.

'As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership,' McConaughey said last fall, 'It's a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I am choosing not to take at this moment.'
A small-scale study that included only 18 rectal cancer patients found that the experimental use of immunotherapy was 100% effective, resulting in the cancer vanishing from every individual and was no longer detected by physical exam, endoscopy, PET scans, or M.R.I. scans.

Dr. Luis A. Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the author of the paper published on Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The paper described the results, which were sponsored by the drug company GlaxoSmithKline. Diaz Jr. said that he knew of no other study in which a treatment completely obliterated cancer in every patient.

Complete Remission of Rectal Cancer

In a statement, the medical professional said that the small-scale study is the first time that the results have been observed in the history of cancer. A colorectal specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Alan P. Venook, who was not involved with the study, said that the results were groundbreaking.

He added that a complete remission in every single patient was "unheard-of" and comes after the patients faced grueling treatments. This includes chemotherapy, radiation, and, most likely, life-altering surgery that could result in bowel, urinary, and sexual dysfunctions. Some of the individuals are expected to require colostomy bags, as per the New York Times.

The patients entered the study thinking that when it was over, they would have to undergo those procedures because no one really expected their tumors to disappear completely. However, a fortunate surprise was that no further treatment was necessary.

Read Also: CDC Reports 21 Americans Infected With Monkeypox; Should You be Worried?

An oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Andrea Cercek, who is a co-author of the study, said that there were a lot of happy tears. The paper was presented on Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

According to MSKCC, one of the patients involved in the study and the first one to undergo the treatment, Sascha Roth, said that her latest tests showed no evidence of cancer, after undergoing six months of treatment involving immunotherapy. The process harnesses the body's own immune system as an ally against cancer.

Unprecedented Medical Results

Sascha said that a team of doctors examined her tests and found no signs of cancer, causing Cercek to say that there was no reason to make her endure radiation therapy. The same remarkable results were found in all of the patients without the need for the standard treatments of radiation, surgery, or chemotherapy.

Cercek said that the results of the study were "incredibly rewarding," noting the myriad of emails that he had received from patients who happily expressed their glee in keeping normal bodily functions.

Roth and the other patients all received the cancer drug Jemperli which made the cancer shrink until it was undetectable and is what doctors called a complete response. Immunotherapy drugs are believed to work against such cancer because all of the changes in DNA make it easier for the immune system to learn to recognize and attack a tumor.

The study's approach is also built on previous work by Diaz Jr. who pioneered the development of Keytruda, to treat patients with mismatch repair deficiency, StatNews reported.



Related Article: Health Officials Recommend COVID-19 Precautions Against Monkeypox Amid Continuous Spread in the US

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One of the largest migrant caravans of all time is making its way to the U.S.-Mexico border, just as President Biden heads to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.

The caravan now is 11,000 strong and on Monday departed Tapachula on the Mexico-Guatemala border and the group is expected to swell up to 15,000.

Many of the migrants come from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, three countries whose authoritarian rulers have been left out of this week's summit.

On Monday Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed that he would not attend the gathering in protest because leaders from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela had not been invited. An administration official cited 'lack of democratic space' and human rights situations' in the trio of nations as reasoning for leaving them out.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will attend the conference in Lopez Obrador's place.

Other migrants in the caravan hail from Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and even India, Bangladesh and some African countries.

One of the largest migrant caravans of all time is making its way to the U.S.-Mexico border, just as President Biden heads to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles

The caravan now is 11,000 strong and on Monday departed Tapachula on the Mexico-Guatemala border and the group is expected to swell up to 15,000

Migrants, part of what could become the largest caravan ever, trudge through the rain towards the northern border in Tapachula

Migrants hitch a ride on the back of a truck in Tapachula

Title 42: Where it stands The Biden administration had tried to end Title 42, the CDC's pandemic-era health order that allows border agents to immediately expel migrants, on May 22. But a group of two dozen conservative-led states filed suit, and on May 20 a Louisiana judge granted a preliminary injunction, blocking the Biden administration from lifting the policy. The Department of Justice quickly filed an appeal in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and has said it believes lifting Title 42 is legal. The states claimed the CDC violated the Administrative Procedures Act because they did not provide a notice-and-comment period for the plan to lift Title 42. The law also bars moves deemed 'arbitrary and capricious.' They also claimed that the Biden administration failed to account for the added cost to them of more migrants being allowed in. Advertisement

The caravan is making its way northward as the Biden administration is fighting in court to end Title 42, the pandemic-era Centers for Disease Control (CDC) restriction that allows border agents to quickly expel migrants.

Title 42 was supposed to end on May 23 but a federal judge in Louisiana granted an injunction on Friday that prevented the government from ending the policy.

Nearly 2 million migrants have been expelled under the policy since it was first implemented.

The Biden administration has stressed that the CDC has the authority to end Title 42 because it is a public health order, not an immigration order, but both Democrats and Republicans have called on the administration to rethink its ending of the policy.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have said they expect up to 18,000 migrants per day once Title 42 is lifted. Border resources are at capacity when 5,000 migrants attempt to cross per day.

U.S. authorities stopped migrants more than 234,000 times in April, one of the highest marks in decades as the Biden administration prepares to lift pandemic-era restrictions on claiming asylum.

The figure is a 22-year high and surpassed the previous high of Biden's presidency of 209,906 set in March, and the highest level since March 2000, when it reached 220,063.

World leaders attending the summit with Biden are expected to discuss 'regional solutions to regional problems,' namely, the immigration issue that has been a drag on Biden's popularity.

Meanwhile, Biden is preparing to finalize a first-of-its-kind deal with Spain to resettle refugees from the Western Hemisphere that continue to flood into the U.S., a Wednesday evening report revealed.

The pledge from Spain is coupled with Canada significantly expanding its refugee commitment in the region, according to an internal planning document reviewed by Axios  and could help the U.S. deal with the prevailing migrant crisis at the southern border.

Both deals appear to be linked and contingent on bringing in migrants for work in both Spain and Canada.

The commitments are expected to be announced at the summit this week.

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

Many of the migrants come from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, three countries whose authoritarian rulers have been left out of this week's summit

Several thousand migrants set out walking in the rain early Monday in southern Mexico, tired of waiting to normalize their status in a region with little work still far from their ultimate goal of reaching the United States.

A migrant carries a U.S. flag as he pulls luggage during a migrant caravan leaving the city of Tapachula in Chiapas state, Mexico, early Monday, June 6

Migrant children are pushed on a bicycle under a light rain as part of a migrant caravan leaving Tapachula
A British journalist has gone missing in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest days after he and his Indigenous travelling partner were subject to 'threats'.

Dom Phillips and Indigenous Brazilian campaigner Bruno Araujo Pereira were last seen in the early hours of Sunday morning.

They arrived in remote Amazon region Javari and were expected to make the two-hour boat trip to Atalaia do Norte, with their arrival planned for 8am on Sunday.

Guardian, Washington Post and New York Times journalist Dom Phillips is missing in Brazil

But the pair never arrived.

A search party was sent out at 9am, but has come up short for almost 48 hours.

Mr Phillips has courted occasional controversy among Brazilian officials for his fearsome, award-winning reporting on local environmental issues.

Mr Pereira has also made enemies among opponents of the Indigenous tribes he has worked on behalf of.

One hot-button issue involves the rights of loggers and miners to exploit Indigenous land.

Dom Phillips, a superb journalist, regular contributor to @guardian, and great friend, is missing in Javari Valley of Amazon after death threats to his indigenista companion, Bruno Pereira, who is also missing. Calling on Brazilian authorities to urgently launch search operation.  jonathanwatts (@jonathanwatts) June 6, 2022

Indigenous union Univaja said the pair had faced 'threats' from local antagonists.

But the nature of these threats, and whether violence may be involved, was not clear.

Pereira's near-unrivalled knowledge of the local area makes the theory they are lost relatively unlikely.

The purpose of their trip was to visit an Indigenous Surveillance team near Lago do Jaburu.

Mr Phillips hoped to interview some members of the local communities for a book about the environment.

Indigenous activist Bruno Pereira is an expert on the region, suggesting the pair are not lost

He has worked for the Guardian, the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Financial Times.

A spokesperson for The Guardian said: 'The Guardian is very concerned and is urgently seeking information about Mr Phillips whereabouts and condition.

'We are in contact with the British embassy in Brazil and local and national authorities to try to establish the facts as soon as possible.'

Brazil's Federal Police, the Army and the Federal Public Ministry are searching for the pair.

The Amazon rainforest is the world's largest nature reserve - and the site of intense rivalries

Univaja spokesperson Beto Marubo said: 'This week the team received threats in the field, in addition to others that were already being made to Univaja's technical team, in addition to other reports already made official to the Federal Police and the Federal Public Ministry in Tabatinga.'

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) did not immediately answer a MailOnline request for more information.

The British Embassy in Brazil is working to track down Mr Phillips and Mr Pereira's whereabouts as soon as possible.
Rick Smith, the CEO of Axon, on Monday announced his company was no longer pressing ahead with plans for Taser drones. But nine of 12 members of his ethics board had already decided to resign in protest

Nine members of the 12-person ethics board of a Taser maker have resigned in protest at the company's announcement that they would begin trialing taser drones - despite the company rapidly backpedalling amid a significant backlash.

Axon Enterprise, founded in Arizona in 1993, said on June 2 that they were working on 'a remotely operated, non-lethal drone system' for use in schools, to stop mass shootings.

Axon first approached its ethics board more than a year ago about Taser-equipped drones, and the panel last month voted eight to four against running a limited police pilot of the technology.

Rick Smith, the CEO, in May 2019 published a comic book entitled 'The End of Killing', which depicted drones at work in a school shooting in Arizona; stopping a terrorist in Syria; and preventing a 'suicide by cop' in Florida.

Smith, on the question of Taser drones, overruled the board's concerns.

'I am done waiting for others to solve the problem... So we're going to solve it!' he tweeted.

This photo provided by Axon Enterprise depicts a conceptual design through a computer-generated rendering of a taser drone. The project has now been put on hold

Smith in 2019 published a graphic novel, in which he demonstrated ways he thought the drone could be used

Smith said the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 children and two teachers, prompted Axon to announce the scheme, despite the board vote.

Police in Uvalde waited outside the school for over an hour while the gunman rampaged through the building - mistakenly believing he was barricaded inside and there was no longer an active threat.

Axon said it was working on a drone that first responders could operate remotely to fire a Taser at a target about 40 feet away.

The ACLU immediately condemned the idea.

'Drones armed with tasers will make it too easy for law enforcement to exert violence, including at protests and in communities already most harmed by policing,' they tweeted.

'Our communities deserve to feel safe. This device is not the answer.'

Axon, trying to reassure people, insisted they welcomed debate.

Axon, which also sells body-worn cameras and policing software, has said its clients include about 17,000 out of the roughly 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States.

'I understand and agree with the board's concerns; there are many questions we will need to answer to ensure these systems are designed for maximum safety & with equity in mind,' Smith tweeted.

'That's the exact reason why I decided to go public: to broaden the discussion with many stakeholders.

'I know one thing and believe it with every fiber of my being: we can design a system to stop active shooters that is far safer than today's technology, which is simply a person with a gun.'

One critics replied: 'You cannot do it in a way that would avoid also empowering random people to attack innocent civilians with a drone, as your advisory board so clearly pointed out.

'Your choice to ignore their recommendations says everything we really need to hear.'

Smith denied ignoring the board.

'I agree with you 100%. And not ignoring our board. I chose to take the conversation public to hear a wider array of voices,' he said.

'We haven't productized anything yet. I believe we have design choices that can directly address your concern.'

On Monday, Smith announced the project had been paused.

'Today Axon has announced we are pausing work on the TASER Drone project & will refocus to further engage with key constituencies to explore best path forward,' he said.

Yet the board members - many of them respected independent legal and ethics experts and academics - said they could not continue to work with Smith.

Barry Friedman, chair of the board, was one of nine to resign on Monday

The action by ethics board members marked a rare public rebuke for one of the watchdog groups some companies have set up to gather feedback on emerging technologies, such as drones and artificial intelligence (AI) software.

In a statement explaining their resignation, the nine said they had 'lost faith in Axon's ability to be a responsible partner.'

'We wish it had not come to this,' the statement said.

'Each of us joined this Board in the belief that we could influence the direction of the company in ways that would help to mitigate the harms that policing technology can sow and better capture any benefits.'

Barry Friedman, a New York University law professor and chair of the board, was among those to resign.

'We tried from the start to get Axon to understand that its customer has to be the community that a policing agency serves, not the policing agency itself,' Friedman told AP.

'It has been a painful struggle to try to change the calculus there.'

The drones would be able to Taser someone from a distance of 40 feet

Friedman said a major concern was Smith's decision to move forward with the plan and announce it publicly without adequately hearing the concerns of the board members.

'What's the emergency? School shootings are a crisis. I agree,' Friedman said.

'But Axon, on its own best timeline, isn't going to come up with anything for a couple of years. Why was it necessary to jump ahead like this?

'What Rick is suggesting is a necessary public dialogue was really just jumping over the head of the board,' Friedman said.

Ryan Calo, a University of Washington law professor, said he was dismayed at the company's direction.

'I'm not going to stay on an advisory board for a company that departs so far from expectation and protocol or, frankly, who believes ubiquitous surveillance coupled with remote non-lethal weapons is a viable response to school shootings,' he said.

Smith said it was 'unfortunate that some members of Axon's ethics advisory panel have chosen to withdraw from directly engaging on these issues before we heard or had a chance to address their technical questions.'

He added: 'We respect their choice and will continue to seek diverse perspectives to challenge our thinking and help guide other technology options.'

The headquarters of Axon are seen in Scottsdale, Arizona

Wael Abd-Almageed, an engineering research associate professor at University of Southern California, said the idea was too dangerous.

'What we have right now is just dangerous and irresponsible,' said Abd-Almageed,

The board likewise had not evaluated use of the drones by first responders outside police, it said.

And members questioned how a drone could navigate closed doors to stop a shooting.

The drone is 'distracting society from real solutions to a tragic problem,' resigning board members said in a Monday statement.

Smith has said drones could be stationed in hallways and move into rooms through special vents.

A drone system would cost a school about $1,000 annually, he said.

Formed in 2018, the ethics panel has guided Axon productively on sensitive technologies such as facial recognition in the past.

Giles Herdale, one of the remaining ethics board members, told Reuters he chose not to resign because he could have more influence 'if I am in the tent than outside it.'
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Even more EasyJet passengers will be hit by flight cancellations as the airline says it will continue to ground 30 flights a day as holidaymakers continue to face chaos at airports.

The airline said passengers will likely be told three days before if their flight is cancelled and blamed the issues on 'ongoing challenges' in the industry.

Heaped on this problem is the lack of seats left on EasyJet flights back to the UK - as those returning from the four-day bank holiday weekend and half-term holidays face forking out hundreds of pounds for tickets with different airlines or be left stranded abroad for up to a week.

There are just six seats left on easyJet flights from Faro in Portugal to Gatwick over the next five days, according to a search of the airline's website at just after midday today. There are none to Luton, two to Southend, and five to Manchester.

With 2,864 departures from the UK today and the same number of inbound flights, it will be the busiest day for air travel since before the pandemic.

And further queues were seen this morning at airports including Stansted, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh after 15,000 people were hit yesterday by last-minute changes. Experts say it will take three days to clear the backlog.

But the chaos is unlikely to end there with EasyJet believing it will see 'similar' cancellations 'to the levels in recent days' of around 30, mainly from its main airport of Gatwick.

A spokeswoman for EasyJet told the MailOnline: 'Due to the ongoing challenging operating environment, we expect to see similar levels of advance cancellations in the coming days of around 30 flights a day.

'We continue to monitor the situation closely and take action in advance where possible.'

It also told the Independent that pre-emptive cancellations will 'likely' be made three days before.

'For the latest updates to your flight, please monitor the flight tracker within three days of your flight,' a spokesperson for EasyJet

Today, Downing Street said ministers and officials had been meeting with aviation industry leaders and Border Force to increase 'resilience for the sector throughout the summer' to avert further travel chaos.

But the Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was ultimately down to the aviation industry to address staff shortages.

GATWICK AIRPORT: Customers can be seen queuing for EasyJet bag drop and flight check in Gatwick Airport

BRISTOL AIRPORT: A passengers sleeps on a bench at Bristol Airport this morning as the airline disruption continues

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Queues this morning at TUI bag drop and to check in to flights

BRISTOL AIRPORT: Holidaymakers and commuters flying from Bristol once again endure lengthy queues this morning

We fully understand that the aviation industry - like many others - has faced significant challenges during the pandemic,' the government's spokesman said. 'But ultimately they are responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.'

Meanwhile Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has refused to help short-staffed airlines by relaxing visa rules to ease the travel chaos, and also ruled out sending in the Army to ease queues at Britain's struggling airports.

Teachers are among those set to miss the return to work after airlines cancelled hundreds of flights.

Those stranded abroad were having to come up with ingenious ways to get home - with one couple driving 850 miles from Berlin to Staffordshire after their easyJet flight to Luton was cancelled, and two teachers travelling for 12 hours on three buses to Split in Croatia after their easyJet plane from Montenegro to Gatwick was axed.

Live data from FlightRadar24 today showed there had been 24 cancellations at Gatwick including ten departures and 14 arrivals; a further 14 at Luton including eight departures and six arrivals; and a total of four at Heathrow. When split by airline, there had been 20 easyJet cancellations, 12 Wizz Air and five on British Airways.

NAPLES AIRPORT: A queue for Tui and Jet2 flights at Naples Airport in Italy today, made up mostly of UK and Irish passengers

BA said three of today's cancellations listed at Gatwick and one at Heathrow had been announced previously, and its only cancellation today was a departure to Miami which was due to a technical issue. A total of more than 100 BA flights were axed from Heathrow today, but these cancellations were all made a few months ago.

Meanwhile, the next direct flight from Faro to London is tomorrow with British Airways and costs 621, according to Skyscanner.

British tourist Charlotte Amers, who had her flight from Faro to Manchester cancelled, tweeted: 'No one to speak to, being cut off on the phone. How are we and the rest of the passengers getting home?? No flights to the UK available this week.'

Thousands of families returning from half-term getaways and bank holiday breaks have been left stranded abroad while others were hit by further delays, with more flights cancelled today by airlines such as easyJet and Wizz Air.

Planes heading for Luton were diverted hundreds of miles away because of a power cut yesterday, and there was also trouble on the trains - with Eurostar passengers left waiting up to eight hours for their trains because of power failure on the line near Paris; while London's Euston station had to be evacuated after a fire alarm went off.

Meanwhile, some passengers have been left stranded and supplied with helpline numbers they say do not work when Wizz Air cancelled a flight to Sicily from Gatwick Airport this morning.

Rosie, 28, who wanted to be known by just her first name, had travelled to Gatwick from Bognor Regis with her husband and two young children, who are two and 18 months old, and were booked on a Wizz Air flight to Catania, where her husband's family live.

STANSTED AIRPORT: A passenger waiting at London Stansted this morning said the flight queues there are 'like no other'

She said: 'His family haven't met our two children yet - because of Covid we haven't been able to get out there, and I've been pregnant so haven't been able to go. We wanted them to go and meet his family.

'The whole time we were told our flight was running on time, we then got told our flight was delayed by an hour. We then came to the gate, we all got ushered into the gate group to be told the flight was cancelled and that we need to come here and we'd be supplied with a hotel room and a substitute flight.

'There has been no communication, we're only getting told now by Wizz Air that our flight's been cancelled, and it was already meant to be up in the air.'

The couple have tried on previous occasions to travel to Sicily with other airlines, including easyJet, and had those flights cancelled too.

Couple whose easyJet flight from Berlin to Luton was cancelled drove through the night after borrowing relative's car A couple whose easyJet flight from Berlin to London Luton last night was cancelled decided to borrow a relative's German car and drive 850 miles through the night to get to work by lunchtime today. Clare, 49, and Christian Engelke, 56, were told in a text message yesterday lunchtime that their 10.55pm flight had been cancelled, and there were no alternative flights available until Wednesday. Clare and Christian Engelke, pictured on holiday in Berlin The couple, who are from the Staffordshire village of Codsall, spent the next few hours unsuccessful trying to find alternative flights or train journeys. They gave up at 4pm and their friends said they could drive them three hours from Berlin to Saltzgitter, where they picked up another car from relatives. The Engelkes then drove through the night across the continent to the Eurotunnel in Calais so they could get back home for work today. They said they had to spend 180 on fuel and 178 on the Eurotunnel, and also then had to pick up their car at Luton today after paying 10 to extend the parking. In addition, the couple now have a German car in England that they will have to take back. Mrs Engelke told MailOnline today: 'The staggering thing we learnt was how few flights are available between the capital city of Germany and the UK. 'We are lucky we have mobile phones and used our initiative to call on lovely friends who we met in Berlin - seeing them for the first time in three years due to the pandemic - and family in Germany who have lent us a car to get us home. We now have a German car in England that we have to take back eventually.' She added at 9am that they were 'making good progress now on the M1 so hope to be sitting at our desks by lunchtime'. Advertisement

She added: 'There's zero communication, we've got small children and there's people here who don't speak English, there's no help.'

Security rushed over to the group of stranded passengers who had gathered near the Wizz Air check-in area after one man became agitated and started yelling at staff in Italian, asking for someone to help.

Emma and Kevin Wood, both 51 from Hampshire, had also planned to fly to Sicily with the airline on Monday morning.

Mr Wood said that there had been 'no help at all' from the airline, with Mrs Wood adding: 'They just said basically said try and rebook it online or on their website.'

Mr Wood said: 'They've been saying there's been issues (with flights) but we were hoping since the holiday weekend was finished that things perhaps have calmed down a bit, but clearly not.'

The couple were given a number to call for further support, which they said 'didn't seem to work'.

Today's chaos capped off a nightmare week for British holidaymakers that saw understaffed airlines cancel hundreds of flights at the last minute, leading to police having to deal with the angry scenes in overcrowded departure lounges.

But the Government is resisting calls to step in and help the aviation industry, which has been accused of laying off too many staff during the pandemic then selling too many seats when Covid travel restrictions were lifted.

Among those stranded abroad are 'Kelly' from Lincoln and her husband, who are both teachers. They are at Dubrovnik bus station, having travelled there from Montenegro after their easyJet flight to Gatwick was cancelled.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'We've obviously had lots of disruption, but today we're on our way to the bus station for our third bus journey. We're off to Split to hopefully catch our plane tomorrow.

'We've just been very disappointed in easyJet because they took eight hours to find our accommodation for us, so we were sat in a bus station last night for four hours and left at 8.30pm, so just feel that they've not really helped us to find our onward journey. We've had to do it all ourselves.

'We found out (that the flight had been cancelled yesterday) at 8am. I just looked on the app and it said 'cancelled'. So I just started phoning at 8am and they told us that we could have a flight on Thursday, but obviously we're teachers so we're very keen to get back to school so there's less disruption for the children and the teachers that are going to have to cover us.'

She said they would have taken a total of three bus journeys lasting 12 hours and were having to travel to Bristol Airport instead of Gatwick, so would then have to travel onto Gatwick before heading home to Lincoln.

Meanwhile Matt Wheeler, 37, a train driver from Nottingham, said he and his partner had to make emergency childcare arrangements after finding out their easyJet flight home from Amsterdam had been cancelled this morning.

'It's a farce... didn't know about the cancellation until we arrived at the airport at 3.30am, no easyJet staff or any staff that could help us,' Mr Wheeler said.

'We now have to try and arrange family members to pick our kids up from school/childminders this afternoon and then have them overnight and take them to school tomorrow.

'They'll have to take time off work (and) we will now miss a day's work tomorrow as we won't be home.'

Mr Shapps was asked yesterday if he would temporarily relax post-Brexit rules to allow more foreign workers in to the country, as happened last year when a shortage of lorry drivers left supermarket shelves and petrol pumps empty.

He told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme yesterday: 'The answer can't always be to reach for the lever marked 'more immigration'. There is not some pull that is going to relieve this.'

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Air passengers continue to face long queues at Manchester Airport today amid the disruption

EDINBURGH AIRPORT: Passengers wait outside Edinburgh Airport this morning as the airport disruption continues

BRISTOL AIRPORT: Long waits at check-in desks at Bristol Airport again this morning as the disruption continues

The Transport Secretary said the 2016 Brexit referendum result meant and end to hiring 'cheap labour from somewhere else'.

'I didn't vote for Brexit but the country did and we've made our choice - we want a high-wage, high-skilled economy,' he said. 'That means the aviation sector, like all other sectors, and as the HGV, the lorry driving sector has now done, needs to change.'

Mr Shapps also rejected calls for the Army to be drafted in. 'The Army is not a snap solution to every problem. Secondly they are being deployed in increasing numbers to eastern Europe, to the Baltics, in what is a war situation and that's what the Army are principally there for,' he said.

'The airports and airlines will need to sort out this problem. The Government will give them every support, but I don't anticipate that will include calling in the Army.'

Couple in 80s have two flights cancelled at different airports in consecutive days leaving 4,000 holiday in ruins An elderly couple have given up going on their 4,000 diamond wedding anniversary holiday after two flights were cancelled at different airports in consecutive days. Mike and Gill Garlick, who are both 81, were originally due to fly with easyJet from Bristol Airport to Olbia in Sardinia on Saturday on an 10.35am service. The couple told MailOnline they got a taxi from their home in Malvern, Worcestershire, at 4.30am costing 130 ad were called to the departure gate at 11.30am, before being told at 12.45am that the flight was axed. Mike and Gill Garlick, who are both 81, and from Worcestershire Mr Garlick said they had 'absolutely no help from easyJet' and it was 'useless trying to contact them as they were obviously inundated with disgruntled passengers'. The couple rearranged via their travel company Citalia for the next available flight, which was the following day from London Gatwick at 7.05am. They caught a bus from the airport to No advice from anyone, so caught a bus from airport to Bristol Temple Meads railway station, then a train to London Paddington. While on the train they booked a Premier Inn hotel at Crawley, and arrived at Paddington with 30kg of luggage at 6.40pm and 'were just too exhausted to continue with yet more rail travel', which would have been two more rail journeys plus a taxi. They therefore spent 150 on a taxi to the hotel in Crawley. The couple then got a taxi on Sunday at 4.15am to Gatwick, and queued for 45 minutes at bag drop. But when they presented their boarding card to the machine it said their flight had been cancelled. They then decided they had no choice but to head home by train. Advertisement

He said he would work with the industry to prevent summer holidays from being ruined, and also to ensure that air passengers who do lose out are given automatic compensation as rail travellers are.

'It can't be acceptable that it is so complicated sometimes to get a flight rearranged or to get your money back,' Mr Shapps said.

'I want it to be more like Delay Repay works on trains, where it is an automated process.'

Among those calling for visa rules to be relaxed was London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

He told the BBC: 'What you can do very easily is make sure those who were in those jobs before, who have gone back to their country of origin, from the EU, are encouraged to come back.

'Because what we don't want is a spring misery turned into a summer misery.

'Many families who have saved, who have paid for a holiday and are looking forward to a holiday are going to be let down.'

Commenting on the disruption to flights, an easyJet spokesman said today: 'EasyJet is operating over 1,700 flights today carrying almost 300,000 customers.

'Unfortunately, due to the ongoing challenging operating environment around 37 flights have been cancelled today ahead of customers arriving at the airport.

'We are very sorry and fully understand the disruption this will have caused for our customers.

'Customers are being provided with options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required, along with information on how to arrange this quickly online or via the app.

'Our customer service hours and hotel accommodation sourcing have been extended to support impacted customers and help get them to their destination as soon as possible.

'Once again, we are very sorry to customers impacted by the cancellations today.'

A British Airways spokesman told MailOnline today: 'It's been a challenging period for the entire industry and at British Airways we're completely focused on three priorities: our customers, supporting the biggest recruitment drive in our history and increasing our operational resilience.

'We took action to reduce our schedule to help provide certainty for our customers and are giving them maximum flexibility to either rebook with us or another airline as close to their original departure time as possible, or to receive a full refund.'

And a statement from Wizz Air said:

'We are so sorry that too many of our passengers are being subjected to current delays and, in some cases, cancellations. Across the travel industry Wizz Air and every airline is doing as much as we all can to help as many passengers as possible reach their destinations in time and with minimal delay. However, amongst other issues causing operational instability throughout the travel industry, there is a widespread shortage in staff, in particular within air traffic control, ground operations and baggage handling, security and across airports.

Wizz Air has increased direct communications with all our customers through text, email and phone calls to ensure - as much as possible  that they are best informed of any changes in our services. Booking directly on wizzair.com or the Wizz app - as opposed to other online booking platforms - remains the best way to ensure we reach our customers more quickly.

'Our sincere apologies to those customers whose travel plans have been affected as we do understand how disappointed they are, particularly when so many people want and deserve to travel the world again.

'We are trying everything we can to offer them a range of options so that they can travel including alternative flights with Wizz Air, a full refund or 120 per cent in airline credit - both of which we aim to process within a week.'

BRISTOL AIRPORT: People sleep on chairs at Bristol Airport again this morning as the airline disruption continues

MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Passengers wait in line at Manchester Airport this morning as the airport disruption continues

It came after easyJet said it had cancelled 80 flights yesterday 'due to the ongoing challenging operating environment'.

Holiday to Sicily is off after easyJet flight is cancelled with no more available for three days A couple's week-long holiday to Sicily was cancelled after they were their easyJet flight was cancelled and there were no more available for the next three days. Ceri Jones, 64, and his wife Caroline, 58, had a 7.10am flight from Gatwick to Fontanarossa yesterday, and left home at 3am before arriving at the airport at 4am. They joined the queue to drop their bags, when they got an email from easyJet to say the flight had been cancelled. Ceri Jones and his wife Caroline's holiday to Sicily was ruined Mr Jones, who is from Reading, told MailOnline today: 'We joined queue to talk to the easyJet service desk only to be told service desk is not manned anymore since Covid and everything must be done via phone. 'In our cancellation email we had a link the manage our flight, tried to get on that and failed - too much traffic I guess. Eventually did get on the site and given option to swap flights but no alternative flights available to Scilly for three days. With a seven-day holiday, it is no use at all. With no one to deal with our issues we had no choice but to leave airport for home.' The couple booked the holiday with Tui and were unable to get through to them on the phone. They eventually learned from the Tui app that they should get an email with information on what to do next, but this has not arrived 24 hours later. Mr Jones said: 'Appalling service, bad communications and no justification for not informing us prior to leaving for the airport about the cancellation. 'We are lucky we had no young children, extremely excited about their first foreign holiday to be told they were not going. There were plenty of parents facing this challenge at the airport.' Advertisement

Gatwick was badly hit with more than 40 incoming flights cancelled from BA and Wizz Air as well as easyJet.

And thousands of passengers due to head home to Luton were left stranded overseas or diverted after a power cut early in the morning.

A spokesman for Luton Airport said: 'Following a power failure in the area this morning, a temporary loss of navigational aids at the airport resulted in some disruption to flights.'

A similar problem with the overhead power supply near Paris halted Eurostar services for much of the day, with the cross-Channel rail operator 'strongly urging' passengers to postpone their journeys as early trains were delayed and later ones cancelled.

On social media, travellers stuck in France told how they had been left waiting at the Gare du Nord in Paris for as long as eight hours.

While some were eventually allowed to board delayed trains, others whose trains were cancelled were told they may not be able to get replacement services until tomorrow.

Some 225 departures from UK airports were cancelled between Monday and Friday last week, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

That compares with 24 during the corresponding half-term week last year.

Travel consultancy The PC Agency estimated that at least 15,000 passengers were affected by 'last-minute changes' to flights on Sunday.

Chief executive Paul Charles said this caused 'major knock-on effects' and 'it will take three days to clear the backlog'.

UK airline passengers have been hit by disruption for several months due to a lack of staff after letting thousands of people go during the coronavirus pandemic.

Airlines, airports and ground handling companies repeatedly called for sector-specific financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government travel restrictions suppressed demand.

They are now struggling to recruit new staff and have their security checks processed.

Lisa Webb, a law expert at consumer rights group Which?, said airlines needed to 'follow the rules when flights are disrupted' following a 'hellish week' for travellers.

'The shameful scenes at UK airports this half-term are the result of an industry in which some airlines feel they can get away with ignoring consumer rights and acting with near impunity,' she said.

'It is clear that passenger rights need to be strengthened, so the Government must drop plans to cut compensation for delayed and cancelled flights and the Civil Aviation Authority must be given the power to issue direct fines so it can hold airlines to account when they flout the law.'

Meanwhile commuters in London faced 'chaos' this morning as an Underground strike caused major disruption.

There was severe disruption across the network on the first working day after the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period as 4,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union who work at Tube stations conducted a 24-hour walkout.

The strike is part of a dispute over jobs and pensions. A reduced timetable was operating on some London Underground sections, with services suspended elsewhere.

Many stations, especially those in central and south London, were closed, causing long queues for buses. London Underground advised people not to travel.

Transport for London said no plans have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody will lose their jobs because of the proposals it has set out.

As part of previous funding agreements, the Government has required TfL to work towards achieving financial sustainability on its operations by April 2023.

TfL has proposed not recruiting into around 500 to 600 posts as they become vacant.

The RMT said that, under current proposals, working agreements will be torn up and the looming threat to pensions remains in place.

RMT members on the Tube are also taking action short of a strike, meaning station staff might not work overtime, until Sunday July 10, which may result in short notice station closures.
Surveillance footage captured the moment a top leader of a Latin American drug gang dressed as woman to escape a prison in Paraguay.

Cesar Ortiz, who is also known as 'Gordito Lindo' or 'Cute Chubby,' evaded the security protocol at the notorious Tacumbu National Penitentiary in the country's capital Asuncion on May 29.

The 36-year-old, identified as the second person in command of the Rotela Clan's operations, received a jail visit from a woman, who accompanied him to a private room, local media outlets reported.

Cesar Ortiz (right) was arrested hours after he escaped from a Paraguay, prison by dressing as a woman (right)

Cesar Ortiz (center) was sentenced in 2019 to eight years for the robbery of a gas station in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay

At some point during the visit, he swapped his prison garb for an olive blouse and blue skirt.

Ortiz painted his finger nails with white polish, added fake eyelashes, applied makeup to his face and threw on a wig.

Authorities said Ortiz went undetected as he walked through several checkpoints before a guard opened the jail exit gate.

Cops spotted Ortiz several blocks away from the prison and arrested three other people, who were allegedly part of the jail break plot as they were about to drive him away to a hideout in Paraguay's central region.

Ortiz was taken to the Emboscada National Penitentiary in municipality of Emboscada - 32 miles away from Asuncion.

Surveillance camera still image shows Cesar Ortiz's escape from the Tacumbu National Penitentiary in Asuncion, Paraguay, on May 29.

The outfit Cesar Ortiz wore, dressing as a woman to flee from a prison in Paraguay on May 29. He escape was short-lived as he was recaptured severals hours later near in the jail's vicinity as he was about to board a vehicle to be taken to a hideout in the country's central region

Jessica Salinas called on authorities to transfer her husband back to the Tacumbu National Penitentiary over concerns that jail guards could not guarantee his well-being at the Emboscada prison.

The Rotela Clan is in an ongoing battle for control of the drug trade in Paraguay's prison system with the First Capital Command  Brazil's most powerful prison gang and cocaine exporter.

The Justice Ministry ordered an investigation into at least 20 jail guards in connection to Ortiz's escape.

At least four people have been taken into custody, including Rolon Figueroa, who was reenlisted to the San Pedro police department in June 2021 after serving a six-year drug trafficking sentence.

One of the other jail escape accomplices was identified as Victor Paredes, Ortiz's brother-in-law.

He was wanted for the March 1 murder of a woman employed as a maid by the Insfran clan, a well-known family allegedly involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

Cesar Ortiz Ortiz had been jailed at the Tacumbu National Penitentiary since 2019, serving an eight-year sentence after he and three other suspects were arrested for robbing about $4,400 from a gas station in Asuncion, Paraguay

Ortiz had been jailed at the Tacumbu National Penitentiary since 2019, serving an eight-year sentence after he and three other suspects were arrested for robbing about $4,400 from a gas station in Asuncion, according to Paraguayan newspaper El Nacional.

In February 2021, Ortiz led a riot at the jail after officials discovered an underground tunnel that was under construction for a planned escape.

At least seven inmates were decapitated for allegedly revealing the plan.

Ortiz was charged with murder, hostage taking, organizing a prison riot and for being associated with a criminal organization.
Indian-born British chef Asma Khan talks to Tom Parker Bowles about cooking by instinct, Indias strong food culture and her revolutionary all-women kitchen.

My earliest food memory is eating with my sister in my family home in Calcutta and being fed from one plate. It would have been parathas and very soft rice. I dont ever remember eating alone.

My mother, Ammu, was very unusual as she was the only one in her family who cooked. It was because she was always trying to please people. Being one of five daughters  and not her parents favourite  she always felt like she had let them down. Cooking was her way of showing her worth.

It was very unusual for an Indian mother to treat three children equally. My sister was so beautiful compared to me  I was always, in the extended family, described as the dark-skinned, ugly child. And in India, the blessed child is always the boy. Especially an only boy. But my mother was remarkable, and understood how I felt, and was all about equality and gently shaking the patriarchy.

Back in the 70s, my parents would take our servants out to dinner with us. This doesnt even happen today! People would stare and I thought it was because they were impressed by us children eating with knives and forks. It was only when I was writing Ammu that I fully understood why  they werent impressed, they were appalled.

We werent allowed to go to the street vendors, but I did anyway. Street food was cheap and still is, but its not trendy or fashionable. Its the poor feeding the poor, the food of resilience. That street vendor has to sell his entire cart, which hes carrying on his head, as he walks each day from slum to city centre. He has to be innovative and clever too so you come back and dont go to his rival. And he needs to sell everything, so his family can eat. The food is fabulous, and theyre not celebrated enough.

All levels of society eat together at indias street-food stalls

India is divided by food. Street food is the only place where Indians eat next to each other, the great leveller  regardless of class and caste.

The food at home in India, and the food we eat out have always been different. No one is going to go out and spend money on food you could make at home for almost nothing. We would go out to eat tandoori chicken and naan because that was a real treat something you couldnt get at home as no one had a tandoor.

In India, weve got so disconnected from farmers and from the soil. Theres still a strong food culture, and at home people eat their own regional food, but thats a very private thing. In restaurants, there is a lot of trying to ape the West. No one is opening Indian restaurants. Its all young people, obsessed with trends. Restaurants open one day, close the next. Its really, really depressing.

When I arrived in Cambridge, 30 years back, I felt uprooted and bereft. My husband Mushtaq was simply not interested in food. He grew up in war zones, so for him, food is about just surviving. For me, though, food was my culture, part of my DNA. I couldnt change the person I married, I couldnt change Cambridge and going back wasnt an option because of the shame it would bring the family. But he is a good person, and weve been married for 30 years. So what if hes not interested in food? I can live with that. Its one less customer to worry about.

With Asha, one of theall-female kitchen staffat khans darjeeling express restaurant

I thought I didnt know how to cook, as I had never cooked. But I was immersed in the whole tradition from a very early age from being with my mother. And when I started to learn to cook in Cambridge, I could hear Ammus instructions. Aromas came back to me. I could hear the sounds. Because I was there, I learned it this immersive way. Which is the best way to learn.

We have an all-women kitchen at Darjeeling Express. I opened it in Carnaby Street in 2017 and it sprang from a supper club I ran at home. The greatest irony is that in every home you go to in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, a woman is cooking or shes in charge. But in every restaurant you go to, its a man. Boys were never in the kitchen growing up. They ate with the men first. Women ate last, and girls ate least. This is our culture.

None of the women at Darjeeling Express ate the food that theyre cooking now. All they did was watch Ammu when she was here, teaching them, then watch me cook and they learnt quickly. Cooking by instinct and intuition, by flavour and smell, when the mustard seeds pop and the curry leaves sizzle. You cook with all your senses.

Ive worked with a lot of refugees in Palestinian and Syrian camps and the first thing they talk about is the food they ate. There is nothing as powerful as food. It gives a sense of belonging.

Asma cooking with her mother when she was younger

I am the only female-founded, all-female Indian kitchen in the world. And I could only do this in London. Its the greatest city in the world. In India, no one would let us survive because the women come from different castes and religions. The lynch mob would have turned up. Seriously.

When it comes to traditional British food, I love shepherds pie with ketchup on the side. And trifle and scones with clotted cream.

The warmth and delight that greeted the news of my being the first British chef to be profiled on the Netflix series Chefs Table was very humbling. A recognition of the diversity of food available in this country.

My final meal would be Ammus biriyani. It is about forgiveness and unspoken love. And I think that for my final meal, I would need to know that I was loved.

Ammu by Asma Khan is published by Ebury Press, price 26. To order a copy for 22.10 until 19 June, go to mailshop.co.uk/books
A former senator's wife was paid $1million to write a book about the county where she lives - but has now been accused of plagiarizing entire passages from Wikipedia and local media.

Jean McCorquodale is married to former California State senator Dan McCorquodale, who also served as the supervisor of Santa Clara County in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 2009, Jean was hired by the county as its grant writer. She was given a five-year contract worth $740,000.

She was rehired in 2012 her annual salary shot up to $220,000 in 2016 and 2017, according to The Mercury News.

In 2018, she was given an additional $280,000 to also produce a history book about the county - bringing her earnings that year to $510,000.

Jean McCorquodale is married to former California State senator Dan McCorquodale, who also served as the supervisor of Santa Clara County in the 1970s and 1980s

One of the passages she plagiarized was from the Wikipedia page of Colonel John Stevens

In total, she has been paid $2.45million by the county over the last 13 years.

When she handed in the final draft in January this year, entire passages were found to have been ripped straight from Wikipedia and the newspaper.

Now, the county is launching an investigation.

Jean McCorquodale is married to former California State senator Dan McCorquodale, who also served as the supervisor of Santa Clara County in the 1970s and 1980s

According to The Mercury News, passages were also lifted from the History Channel's website.

In a response to the allegations, McCorquodale said the passages had all been removed and were never intended to make the final version.

'The paragraphs you cited were highlighted in my working copy, and all have long been removed or substantially rewritten, drawing from numerous sources and incorporated in the final bibliography.

'The paragraphs you refer to and others were utilized as placeholders and were never intended to be included in the final copy,' she told the newspaper.

It's unclear how The Mercury News obtained the manuscript but the newspaper ran it through Scribbr, an app that searches passages of text for other versions.

The newspaper says the manuscript also took passages lifted from The Los Angeles Times, Encyclopedia Britannica, S.F. Geneaology and the California Supreme Court Historical Society among others.

It is unclear now what will come of her book.

County Executive Jeff Smith said the newspaper's findings made him 'shocked and concerned'.
Virginia Democrat Rep. Don Beyer eyeing up a bill that would impose up to a 1,000% tax on assault-style weapons as a means of bypassing Republican obstruction to gun control.

Beyer, a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, told Insider on Sunday: 'We think that a 1,000% fee on assault weapons is just the kind of restrictive measure that creates enough fiscal impact to qualify for reconciliation.'

If Democrats were to pass a bill by reconciliation they would not need to court 10 Republican votes to break a filibuster with 60 votes in the split Senate. Reconciliation can only be used for tax and funding bills.

Democrats used reconciliation to pass both the American Rescue Plan and the Build Back Better bill in the House.

They would still need to get key moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on board. Manchin has expressed an openness to banning AR-15-style weapons. 'I never felt I needed something of that magnitude,' Manchin, a gun owner himself, told CNN.

The AR-15 is America's most popular semi-automatic weapon-- they account for one in five guns in the U.S. The weapon typically costs between $700 and $1,200. A 1,000% tax would mean they would cost anywhere from $7,000 to $12,000, putting the weapon out of price range for most people.

Virginia Democrat Rep. Don Beyer eyeing up a bill that would impose up to a 1,000% tax on assault-style weapons as a means of bypassing Republican obstruction to gun control

The AR-15 is America's most popular semi-automatic weapon-- they account for one in five guns in the U.S.

The weapon typically costs between $700 and $1,200. A 1,000% tax would mean they would cost anywhere from $7,000 to $12,000, putting the weapon out of price range for most people

Details of the bill aren't finalized, such as when it would take effect and where revenue raised would go. The legislation would also only apply to future sales and not the some 20 million AR-15s already in circulation.

Beyer's definition of 'assault weapon' is fashioned after language from a bill that Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., is pushing. It bans weapons with at least one military characteristic like a pistol grip or a forward grip.

The federal government currently imposes a 10% tax on the importation and sale of handguns, according to the Tax Policy Center. Other guns and ammunition are subject to an 11% tax.

Beyer said the 1,000% tax rate could be changed.

'There's nothing magical about that thousand-percent number,' he said. 'It's severe enough to actually inhibit and restrict sales. But also successful enough that it's not seen as an absolute ban.'

Democrats have tried to tax guns out of existence before with no success. In 2020 Rep. Hank Johnson and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, both Massachusetts Democrats, put forth plans that would have tripled the tax on handguns to 30% and quintupled the tax on shells and cartridges to 50%. Beyer's plan is likely to face steep hurdles as well.

Currently the House is set to vote on a series of gun control measures passed out of the Judiciary Committee in a party-line vote. The package includes measures that raise the age for buying semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21, ban high-capacity ammo magazines, prohibit the sales of 'ghost gun' kits with no serial numbers and requiring gun owners to safely store their weapons.

The House will also vote on red flag legislation that would incentivize more states to enact legislation that would allow law enforcement to take away weapons from people who a court has deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also promised to bring up a vote on an outright ban of assault weapons, though it's not clear if she has the votes to get it through.

All of this legislation is likely to fail in the split Senate, but Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, are drafting a more narrow plan that could include enhanced background checks, red flag laws, and mental health resources.

Lawmakers have been spurred into action by a recent spate of mass shootings, most notably one at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 dead and one at a Buffalo, N.Y., grocery store where 10 were killed.
Abbott Laboratories, the biggest baby formula supplier in the U.S., ceased production at its Michigan plant in February 2022 amid reports of fatal bacterial infections.

A timeline of events shows reveals the shut down was the plant had previously been under scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

September 2021: The FDA conducted a four-day inspection of the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan.

The inspection report revealed the plant 'did not maintain' clean and sanitary conditions in at least one building that manufactured, processed, packaged or held baby formula.

FDA officials also observed poor hand washing among Abbott plant staff who 'worked directly with infant formula.'

The FDA also noted an instance of improper equipment maintenance and temperature control.

October 2021: A whistleblower sends the FDA a 34-page document outlining potential concerns with the Sturgis plant.

The document, which was made public by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in April 2022, was written by a former plant employee.

The employee accused the plant of lax cleaning practices, falsifying records, releasing untested infant formula, and hiding information during an FDA audit in 2019, among other issues.

January - March 2022: The FDA conducted multiple inspections at the Sturgis plant over the course of three months in 2022. A ten-page inspection report revealed multiple violations at the facility.

The agency alleged the plant failed to ensure that all surfaces that contact infant formula were maintained to prevent cross-contamination.

The report states the facility 'did not establish a system of process controls' to ensure the baby formula 'does not become adulterated due to the presence of microorganisms in the formula or the processing environment.'

Officials also alleged the plant failed to disclose in an investigation report whether a health hazard existed at the facility.

Additionally, the report stated plant workers were did not wear the 'necessary protective material' when working directly with infant formula.

February 17: U.S. health officials urgently warn parents against using three popular baby formulas manufactured at the Abbott plant in Michigan. Investigators claim the products were recently linked to bacterial contamination after an infant died and three others fell ill.

Abbott voluntarily recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis plant.

The FDA also said it is investigating four reports of infants who were hospitalized after consuming the formula, including one who died.

February 28: Abbott Laboratories expanded its recall of Similac baby formulas after a second infant who was exposed to the powdered baby formula died.

April 15: Abbott releases a statement alleging it is working closely with the FDA to restart operations at the Sturgis plant.

Week of April 24: The nationwide share of out-of-stock baby formula hit 40 percent. Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, seemingly hardest hit by the shortages, reported out-of-stock rates of about 50 percent.

May 10: Abbott releases a statement to DailyMail.com claiming 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'.

Abbott claims they are 'working closely with the FDA to restart operations' at the plant, with the spokesperson noting: 'We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall'.

The FDA told DailyMail.com it was holding discussions with 'Abbott and other manufacturers to increase production of different specialty and metabolic products' but refused to say when the Sturgis plant could reopen.

Sen. Mitt Romney issued a letter to the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging leaders to address the formula shortage and work to prevent future threats to infant health.

May 11: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill announce plans to hold a hearing in two weeks on infant formula shortages.

Abbott announced it would take up to ten weeks for the company to get baby formula to retailers once the Sturgis plant reopens.

Abbott also said: 'After a thorough review of all available data, there is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses.'

May 12: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defends the government's closure of the Abbott plant.

President Joe Biden met with executives from infant formula manufactures and retailers to address the shortage.

May 13: Biden addresses the formula crisis during a press briefing, saying: 'We're going to be, in a matter of weeks or less, getting significantly more formula on shelves.'

The FDA announced it was working to streamline a process that will get more products to consumers - while also meeting safety, quality and labeling standards

May 16: Abbott and the FDA reach agreement to reopen baby formula facility in Michigan.

However, the FDA has yet to disclose a timeframe for allowing the plant to resume production.

The FDA also implemented new measures, in effect for 180 days, to increase imports of baby formula produced overseas.

May 18: Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to boost baby formula production and issued a directive for planes to bring in supplies from overseas, after growing pressure from Congress.

June 1

: In response to questions from reporters, Biden admits he wasn't told about the formula shortage until April.

June 3: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is grilled by reporters about who told the president about the shortage, when he was told and the process used to determine when information gets to the presidential level.

She dodged multiple questions on the topic and wouldn't give any specifics.

'Theres no specific person that I can call out to you. But its the regular way that we move forward through the regular channels. I dont have a specific person. But thats kind of how it goes on any issue, not just this one. It goes through regular channels, and senior White House staff usually brief him on different issues,' she said.

June 4: Abbott restarts production at its Michigan plant.

The plant is first prioritizing production of specialty and metabolic formulas, with consumers expected to see these products on store shelves around June 20.

Abbott will then resume production of all other formulas, with the plant having previously said it will take six to eight weeks before stocks are replenished at stores.
The Dominican Republic's minister of the environment and natural resources - the son of a former president - was shot and killed in his office on Monday by his childhood friend.

Orlando Jorge, 55, was shot by Miguel Cruz, who fled the scene and sought refuge at a church in the Santo Domingo neighborhood of Enriquillo.

A spokesperson for the Jesus Christ High and Eternal Priest Parish told Dominican newspaper Listin Diario that Cruz walked into the church and told the priest, 'I came here because I just killed a person.'

National District Mayor Carolina Mejia was inside the building and walking to Jorge's office for a scheduled meeting with the minister when her security detail heard shots. She was turned away from an elevator and escorted out.

Cruz's motive for the shooting Jorge was not immediately apparent to investigators.

'We express our deepest condolences,' the office of President Luis Abinader said.

Jorge comes from a powerful political family. He is the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco, who ruled the country from 1982 to 1986.

Orlando Jorge (left), the Dominican Republic minister of the environment and natural resources, with his killer and childhood friend, Miguel Cruz (right)

An ambulance leaves the Ministry of the Environment of the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo after the minister, Orlando Jorge, was shot dead by his childhood friend, Miguel Cruz

Police escort Miguel Cruz from the Jesus Christ High and Eternal Priest Parish where he sought refuge after killing Orlando Jorge (left), the Dominican Republic minister of the environment and natural resources

His sister, Dilia Jorge, is a vice minister in the Innovation, Transparency and Citizen Attention Ministry.

Orlando Jorge's son, Orlando Salvador Jorge, is a lawmaker for the Modern Revolutionary Party, of which he is a founding member.

The family issued a statement saying that Cruz had been Jorge's friend since childhood, and that Jorge was shot multiple times.

'Our family forgives the person who did this. One of Orlando's greatest legacies was to not hold grudges,' it said.

Police and emergency officials swarmed the office of Environment and Natural Resources Ministry in the capital of Santo Domingo and barred entry to it as mourners gathered nearby.

The Dominican Republic's minister of the environment and natural resources, Orlando Jorge (left), was shot dead in his office by his childhood friend Miguel Cruz (right) on Monday morning

Jorge's office is located on the fourth floor of a building that also houses the Ministry of Tourism.

'We are troubled by the situation,' Jorge's ministry said in a brief statement.

Bartolome Pujals, executive director of the government's Cabinet of Innovation, wrote that he lamented the killing.

'His death is a tragedy,' he said. 'We Dominicans have to come together to achieve a pact for peace and peaceful coexistence. No more violence.'

Jorge was an attorney who was appointed minister of the environment and natural resources in August 2020.

Just hours before he was shot, Jorge lamented the death of Sofia Sanchez, a former lawmaker under the Dominican Revolutionary Party who passed away Sunday.

'I have known Sofia Leonor Sanchez Baret for many years,' he tweeted. 'Political, honest, democratic and supportive. Rest in peace.'
A news release from the Suffolk County, New York, District Attorney's Office, a 30-year-old Queens man was indicted Friday for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl he met on Snapchat.

A guy from Queens is accused of raping a youngster he met on social media. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, Andrew Ramsaroop, 30, met the 13-year-old girl on Snapchat and started dating her.

Victim Reports Sexual Abuse to School Official

Ramsaroop has been charged with two charges of second-degree rape, one crime of inciting a sexual performance by a minor, and one offense of endangering the welfare of a child.

Legal Aid, which is representing Ramsaroop, did not reply to CNN's request for comment. Snapchat could not be reached for comment before the deadline. Ramsaroop reportedly developed a contact with the youngster over Snapchat in May, according to a news release from the Suffolk County Police Department, and the Suffolk County DA adds Ramsaroop allegedly participated in sexual activities with the kid on two different occasions.

On May 13, Ramsaroop reportedly met the adolescent in a mall, where he allegedly persuaded the victim and her companion to enter his car, as reported by a Suffolk County police statement, but they refused.

However, Ramsaroop reportedly met the 13-year-old in a playground in Suffolk County later that day when he was suspected of raping her, according to the statement. The victim reported the attack to a school supervisor, who then phoned the police.

In accordance with the DA's office, Ramsaroop was detained on May 20 and arraigned on Thursday. A Suffolk County Judge ordered him jailed on $300,000 cash, $600,000 bail, or a $2 million partly secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on June 27, CNN reported.

Read Also: US Baby Formula Shortage Expected To Ease in the Coming Days as Abbott's Michigan Plant Resumes Production

Recent Similar Crime in Queens

The attack came after a guy who viciously assaulted a lady on a New York City street before fleeing to Georgia was sentenced to ten years in prison. Rony Lopez Alvarez, 39, pulled the victim into a Queens alley in January 2020, then threatened to murder her before raping and robbing her.

He was apprehended in his homeland of Georgia and returned to New York City to face accusations. In April, Alvarez pled guilty to first-degree rape and was sentenced to ten years in prison with five years of post-release supervision in May.

Alvarez put a sharp item on the victim's back and threatened to break her neck if she made any noise. The lady attempted to fight back, but Alvarez punched her and stated, "I won't kill you if you do what I want," according to the New York Post.

He then stripped off her clothes and beat her before emptying her pockets and fleeing. After the assault, the woman was able to walk out of the alley, where she hailed down a bystander who dialed 9-1-1.

She was rushed to the hospital, where DNA from a rape kit was gathered and eventually traced to Alvarez. Alvarez was discovered hiding in Forest Park, Georgia, where he was apprehended by the NYPD Special Victims Unit and the Clayton County Police Department before being brought to New York City to face charges, as per Daily Mail.

Related Article: 'Melrose Place' Star Brad Johnson's Cause of Death, Revealed

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President Joe Biden's top spokeswoman on Monday slammed Louisiana's new law that would increase the criminal consequences on healthcare professionals who provide abortions.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the new law from the deep red state's legislature is part of a 'growing attack against the fundamental freedoms of Americans.'

'Louisiana's extreme bill will criminalize abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest and punish reproductive healthcare professionals with up to ten years in prison,' Jean-Pierre wrote in a Monday statement in response to the abortion law.

'The President is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of Americans afforded by Roe for nearly 50 years, and ensuring that women can make their own choices about their lives, bodies, and families,' she added. 'An overwhelming majority of the American people agree and reject these kinds of radical measures.'

Jean-Pierre is referencing recent polls that show more than half of Americans consider themselves pro-choice and around two-thirds are in favor of keeping Roe v. Wade in tact.

Louisiana's bill passed Thursday that would increase prison terms for abortion providers from a maximum of five years to 10 years and raises fines from a range of $5,000  $50,000 to between $10,000  $100,000.

These consequences would only go into effect if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, which it is expected to do later this month, according to a draft document that was leaked in May.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement Monday slamming a new Louisiana law that would increase criminal consequences for abortion providers if Roe v. Wade is overturned

'The Louisiana legislature has taken the latest step in a growing attack against the fundamental freedoms of Americans,' Jean-Pierre wrote

Louisiana is one of the 13 states that has so-called 'trigger laws', along with Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming,

These trigger laws would immediately ban all abortion once Roe v. Wade is overturned.

The Supreme Court is issuing its opinions for the term at the end of June  and anticipated as part of that is a full overturn of the 50-year-old landmark abortion ruling that constitutionally protected a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion was leaked last month showing an overturn to Roe v. Wade along with the support of three other conservative justices; Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.

Chief Justice John Roberts said that he would not support an entire overturn, although he does support the Mississippi case that brought the issue before the Supreme Court in the first place that would make abortion illegal after 15 weeks into a pregnancy.

With a 6-3 conservative majority on the bench, Roberts' defection doesn't make a difference in determining the opinion.

Roberts immediately launched an investigation into the leaked draft opinion  at the same time confirming the validity of the document that was published by Politico in early May. It appears that investigators believe the most likely source of the leak is a recent law school graduate law clerk, of which each justice usually has four.

The Louisiana bill, passed by the state's Senate but not yet signed by the governor, would increase prison maximums from five years to 10 and the fines from a range of $5,000  $50,000 to between $10,000  $100,000. Pictured: Pro-life demonstrators rally outside the Louisiana Capitol to support the bill on Thursday, May 12, 2022

Pro-abortion protesters cheer during nationwide demonstrations in support of Roe v. Wade in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 14, 2022

Louisiana's Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, has not yet said whether he will veto the bill that was passed by his state's Senate last week.

Edwards said he supports abortion exceptions in the case of rape and incest, but has previously said that he would still support the bill without any changes, even thought it does not include these exceptions.

'Vetoing the bill wouldn't accomplish what I would like to have, which is the exceptions for rape and incest,' Edwards said at a press conference on Thursday.

Louisiana State Senator Katrina Jackson, a Democrat, sponsored the bill. It was significantly amended on the House floor with 15 additional pages to the five-page bill.

The amendments included exceptions for cases where the mother's life is at risk or if the fetus has a condition that would not allow it to live outside the womb.

The bill does not criminalize women who get abortions  just the providers who perform the procedure.

Louisiana's criminal code defines a 'person' as 'a human being from the moment of fertilization and implantation.'

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the issue of abortion will be sent back to the states, meaning that Republicn states will likely have more strict laws to outright bans, while blue states could have abortion legal until the time of birth.

Democratic enclaves red states are vowing to serve as 'sanctuaries' for abortion rights.

In response to public outcry over the leaked draft opinion, blue cities situated in red states claim they will not enforce prosecution if abortion us outlawed at a state level.

A city council member in Austin, Texas, Jose 'Chito' Vela, proposed a resolution that would decriminalize abortion at a local level if the state fully bans it.

A WSJ poll shows 68%  more than two-thirds  of Americans want Roe v. Wade upheld by the Supreme Court in order to maintain federal-level protections for abortion rights

Texas already has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

Currently abortion is illegally at the point where a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around the six-week point in a pregnancy. Many women who seek abortions are unaware they are pregnant at this point in the first trimester.

Vela's spokesperson Jenna Hanes said his office has been in contact with lawmakers in several Texas cities, including Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, who are interested in advancing similar measures to protect abortion.

The idea of these 'sanctuary cities' is an echo of the term used for cities that refused to aid the federal government in enforcing immigration laws.

Prosecutors in New Orleans, Louisiana; Nashville, Tennessee; DeKalb County, Georgia, which is the eastern part of Atlanta; Fairfax County, Virginia; and Durham County, North Carolina have all said abortion-related cases will not be a high priority.

Some have directly said they won't enforce state bans.

New Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Roger Williams said he 'will not shift priority from tackling shootings, rapes and carjackings to investigating the choices women make with regard to their own bodies.'
The F/A-18E Super Hornet is similar to the aircraft actor Tom Cruise flies in the blockbuster film, Top Gun 2: Maverick

The Navy said they investigation Friday's incident

The Navy said they investigation Friday's incident

Since 2019, there have been three other crashes, and a fatality during training

Since 2019, there have been three other crashes, and a fatality during training

The identity of the US Navy pilot killed when his doomed jet went down in China Lake near Death Valley during a routine training mission has been revealed.

Lt. Richard Bullock was flying an F/A-18E Super Hornet when it crashed at approximately 2:30 pm on Friday afternoon in the vicinity of Trona, California, Navy officials said.

Bullock crashed in a remote, unpopulated area, near the Navy's test range at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., USNI News previously reported.

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Federal Firefighters and Naval Security Forces were on site as recovery efforts were underway.

'The Navy mourns this tragic loss alongside the family, friends and shipmates of Lt. Bullock,' the Navy said in a statement.

Lt. Richard Bullock, a native of Montana, had been assigned to 'the Stingers' of VFA-113 since April 2021. In 2016, he commissioned into the Navy via an officer candidate school in Newport, Rhode Island, according to his biography

The F/A-18E Super Hornet, the same jet actor Tom Cruise flies in the blockbuster film, Top Gun 2, is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California

The F/A-18E Super Hornet, the same jet actor Tom Cruise flies in the blockbuster film, Top Gun 2, is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.

The F/A-18E Super Hornet is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.

Lemoore is home to Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing and hosts 16 operational Strike Fighter squadrons, according to its website.

The Navy uses the isolated area in China Lake and nearby Death Valley for pilot training, the news outlet said.

A Navy spokesperson said there were no other aircraft involved in the crash and no civilians were harmed in the incident, USNI News reported.

Over the past three years, there have been three other crashes during training missions.

In October 2021, a F/A-18F a Navy Super Hornet from Naval Air Station crashed in Death Valley, resulting in pilot injuries.

In 2020, a pilot crashed a F/A-18E in China Lake.

In 2019, a Navy Super Hornet crashed in Death Valley National Park, also during a routine training mission.

The pilot was killed and seven park visitors were injured when they were hit by flying debris.

The Navy uses the isolated area in China Lake and nearby Death Valley for pilot training

In October, a F/A-18F crashed in Death Valley, resulting in pilot injuries. In 2020, a pilot crashed a F/A-18E (above, file) in China Lake. In 2019, a pilot died after an F/A-18E crashed in Death Valley during a training flight, a report said

Bullock, a native of Montana, had been assigned to 'the Stingers' of VFA-113 since April 2021.

In 2016, he commissioned into the Navy via an officer candidate school in Newport, Rhode Island, according to his biography.

Navy officials said 'the incident is currently under investigation.'

The aircraft is similar to the one actor Tom Cruise flies in the his latest blockbuster film, Top Gun 2: Maverick.

In the film, Cruise is seen flying the Super Hornet via cameras installed, as experienced Navy pilots are holding the stick.

Cruise underwent a full Aviation Survival Training Curriculum before going up in the US Navy F-18, as did his co-stars.

They worked up to the supersonic jets by going up in a succession of slower planes first over many months.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that Cruise had filed a request to be allowed to fly the plane, but was denied clearance by the Navy  presumably on the grounds that the $70 million plane was simply too expensive to be entrusted someone who is not actually a fighter pilot.
This is the man who died after being reportedly tasered by police on Chelsea Bridge and jumped into the river below.

Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore, 41, from Pimlico, was named by neighbours and is reported to have had a history of mental health issues.

He died in hospital yesterday following two Metropolitan Police officers confronting him on Saturday morning as the force was called to reports of a man 'armed with a screwdriver and shouting'.

The 41-year-old was described by a neighbour, who said they saw police searching his flat, as a 'really nice guy'.

The man was 'challenged' by officers on the Chelsea Bridge before a Taser was discharged, but this 'did not enable the officers to safely detain him', police said.

An eyewitness told MailOnline how Mr Omishore had been yelling incomprehensible' religious statements as he was walked towards the bridge in central London.

He was shouting at passers-by for five minutes before the police arrived and appeared to be clutching what Scotland Yard later said was a screwdriver.

The officers tried to subdue him by allegedly tasering him three times on the bridge but he vaulted the barrier before climbing over the bridge and dropping into the Thames.

The 41-year-old was tonight named by neighbours as Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore who is reported to have had a history of mental health issues.=

A woman who lives nearby told how he was struggling to breath in the water and was swept beyond Vauxhall Bridge by the tide before he was pulled out by the RNLI at Lambeth Pier.

She said: 'I heard someone shouting as they walked past my flat and I came out to see what the commotion was.

'There was a large man, who looked to be over 6ft tall, shouting at people in the street by the bridge.

'I couldn't make out what he was saying as it was all quite incomprehensible but one word I did hear was "God". He was making religious references but what it mean I couldn't tell.

'He was clearly in a distressed state and was brandishing something. The police later told me it was a screwdriver, but I have to say it didn't look like that to me. It looked like a small metal bar of some sort.

'When the two officers arrived he ran onto the bridge and because of his size they tried to subdue him with taser. I saw them use it at least twice but it didn't incapacitate him.

'Instead he managed to run off, leap a barrier and jumped into the river. It was awful to see.

'At some point I saw his head and shoulders come up above the water and he was bobbing around struggling to breath. The tide was strong and he wasn't able to swim.

'It took him out past Vauxhall Bridge, the next bridge along. He was pulled from the water just beyond there.'

Police were called to the scene in Chelsea Bridge Road, west London, at 9.03am after receiving reports that a man was armed with a screwdriver and shouting

The Met have referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who have now launched an investigation.

Officers were seen searching his fourth floor flat in Pimlico yesterday.

A neighbour said: 'The police were in and out of the property yesterday. I think they were looking to see where the screwdriver had come from.

'The man who lived in the flat was called Oladeji and he'd been living there about nine months. Maybe a year.

'He was a really nice guy but he suffered from serious mental health issues and when he hadn't taken his medication he could cause problems.

'He'd smashed the windows to the entrance to the block a few times and he'd also been seen hurling items out of his back window onto cars below.

'He would talk about religion at times and said he'd wanted to be "normal" but there was a "dark angel" following him.

'Before he came here, he'd been in supported accommodation but he'd been deemed fit enough to live by himself. A social worker would drop in on him now and again.

'It's tragic really, I wish he'd got the help he needed. Some of his family visited the flat yesterday to get some of his stuff. They are due to come back in the next few days to finish clearing it out.'

The man was in a confrontation with police officers from the Met on Chelsea Bridge on Saturday morning

The IOPC tonight appealed for witnesses to come forward as it investigates the incident.

In a statement, a spokesman said: 'Police approached the 41-year-old man on the bridge shortly after 9am on Saturday (4 June) while responding to reports of a disturbance. A Taser was deployed by one of the officers prior to the man entering the river.

'The man, who lived locally, was rescued from the water after the arrival of a Royal National Lifeboat Institution vessel and taken to Lambeth pier where first aid was given by ambulance staff. He was taken to hospital but sadly died there on Saturday evening.

'After we were notified by the MPS on Saturday we sent investigators to the scene and to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering information.

'Our investigators have carried out a CCTV trawl, and have secured some mobile footage filmed on the bridge as well as police body-worn video footage. Initial accounts have been provided by officers involved, and the Taser that was deployed has been gathered for analysis. IOPC investigators have also overseen forensic examination of the scene.

'HM Coroner has been informed and a post mortem examination will take place in due course.'

The Met Police offered their 'sincere condolences' to Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore's family

Commander Alexis Boon, of the Met's Frontline Policing, said: 'My thoughts are with the family of the man at this very difficult time. I offer my sincere condolences to them for their tragic loss.

'Officers go to work every day to keep the public safe, and so any incident in which a person comes to harm following contact with police is understandably concerning.

'Our officers face some of the most challenging and difficult situations daily, in doing so they are fully aware that their actions should rightly be subject to public scrutiny.

'The Mets Directorate of Professional Standards made an immediate referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following this sad incident, and we will co-operate fully with them as they work to understand the full circumstances.'

Footage of the incident appeared to show one of the officers fire a Taser, causing the man to fall to the floor.

Officers reportedly Tasered him twice more before he appeared to jump over railings into the River Thames below.

The Met Police said yesterday it had referred itself to the IOPC to investigate the circumstances leading up to the use of the Taser.

The Met's own professional standards department has also launched an investigation.

The 41-year-old (also pictured) was described by a neighbour, who said they saw police searching his flat, as a 'really nice guy'

IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem added: 'Our sympathies are with the family of the man who died and everyone else affected. We have already met with the mans family to explain our role and we will keep them regularly updated as our inquiries progress.

'We have an independent investigation under way, which is looking at the interaction between officers and the man on the bridge. While we have footage we would appeal to people to get in touch with us without delay if they saw or recorded any part of the incident, either on the bridge, after the man came to be in the water, or at Lambeth pier when the man was taken there.

'We would also urge anyone who was on a boat near the bridge at around that time on Saturday morning to contact us.'

Detective Chief Inspector Rory Wilkinson of the Mets Central West BCU said on Saturday: 'I understand that there are always concerns about incidents in which people come to harm having been in contact with police.

'All Met officers know that they are accountable for their actions, and a full investigation is under way to establish exactly what happened.'

Anyone with information can contact the IOPC on 0300 3035579 or email chelseabridge@policeconduct.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Alan Paul Steel left a mother dead when he moved down a family of three in 2006, with police tracking him down and the courts handing him a 15-year sentence. But the prisoner escaped from HMP Sudbury on Tuesday, with Derbyshire Constabulary issuing a public appeal to trace the 42-year-old inmate, captured on Tuesday

A prisoner on-the-run who was sentenced for ploughing into three family members, causing the death of a Sunderland mum while high on drugs, has been captured by police after escaping from HMP Sudbury.

Alan Paul Steel was 26 years old when he knocked down Paula Stead, 32, during the hit-and-run, running over two other members of the same family on the Ford Estate in Sunderland in September 2006.

Steel, a heroin user, left the family for dead by the side of the road and sped off in the vehicle.

Danica, 10 at the time, lost her leg following the collision at the junction of St Luke's Road and Front Street.

Steel also left Paula's daughter Bridie and Paula's cousin Danica Green seriously injured.

The incident trigger a major manhunt, with police tracking down Steel and arresting him.

Before the court, he admitted causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop or report an accident, and driving without insurance and driving while disqualified.

The judge handed Steel an indefinite sentence with a minimum of 13 years.

Steel escaped from HMP Sudbury (pictured) at around 1.15am on Tuesday, May 31

But at around 1.15am on Tuesday, May 31, Steel escaped from HMP Sudbury, an open prison in Derbyshire.

Derbyshire Constabulary issued a public appeal to trace the inmate, now 42-year-old.

Days passed by without word on his location, as the escaped prisoner remained at large.

On Tuesday, the force confirmed it has captured Steel, tracked down by officers at Nottinghamshire Police.

Derbyshire Constabulary said: 'A man convicted for causing death by dangerous driving, who we were trying to trace after he left HMP Sudbury earlier this week (31 May), has been found.

'Alan Paul Steel (42) has been located by officers from Nottinghamshire Police. Thank you to everyone who responded to our appeal to trace him.'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended use of the term 'Latinx' as more gender-inclusive language and telling her fellow Democrats who cringe at the term it's 'not about your re-election prospects.'

'In the spirit of pride, I wanted to have a note on gender inclusivity in the Spanish language,' Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a diatribe posted to her Instagram story. 'People sometimes like to make a lot of drama over the term 'Latinx.' But even before 'Latinx,' people were trying to do this, like, use an at [@ symbol] to have the 'A' and the 'O' [in 'Latino' and 'Latina'] together.'

'Gender is fluid, language is fluid,' she added. '[You] don't have to make drama over it.'

'There are some politicians  including Democratic politicians  that rail against the term 'Latinx.' And they're like, 'This is so bad. This is so bad for the party like, blah, blah blah.' And like, it's almost as though it has not struck some of these folks that another person's identity is not about your re-election prospects,' she said. 'Like, this is not about you.'

The term Latinx gained popularity in left-leaning academic circles to refer to Hispanics without using the gendered 'Latino' or 'Latina' terms.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended use of the term 'Latinx' as more gender-inclusive language and telling her fellow Democrats who cringe at the term it's 'not about your re-election prospects'

Last week New York Rep. Ritchie Torres called out the Yankees for using 'Latinx' in a tweet about gun violence

A recent Politico poll of Hispanic voters found that only 2 percent of those polled refer to themselves as 'Latinx,' 68 percent prefer 'Hispanic,' and 21 percent favored 'Latino' or 'Latina.'

At the same time 40 percent said Latinx bothers or offends them while 30 percent said that use of the term would make them less likely to vote for a candidate.

Ocasio-Cortez, whose mother is from Puerto Rico and father is from the Bronx, said that politicians who are bothered by the term need to rethink their priorities.

'You need to talk about health care more, you need to raise people's wages, you need to talk more about issues that also matter to people,' she said.

'That being said, if you don't want to use it, no one's forcing you to,' Ocasio-Cortez concluded. 'But for people who enjoy trying to figure out language and have it meet the modern age, that's kind of where it's at.'

Meanwhile Democratic Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is of Colombian and Mexican descent, announced that his office was not allowed to use Latinx in official communications after the Politico poll.

'To be clear, my office is not allowed to use "Latinx" in official communications,' wrote Gallego, who is of Columbian and Mexican descent.

'When Latino politicos use the term, it is largely to appease white rich progressives who think that is the term we use,' he continued. 'It is a vicious circle of confirmation bias.'

Last week New York Rep. Ritchie Torres called out the Yankees for using 'Latinx' in a tweet about gun violence.

'I represent the South Bronx, home to the Yankees. Never heard anyone locally use the term 'Latinx.' Does a majority of Hispanics actually use the term 'Latinx'? Torres asked in a tweet on Friday in response to the Yankees.

'If the answer is 'no', how did 'Latinx' come to be the term to use in government and Corporate America?

New York Rep. Ritchie Torres called out the New York Yankees for using the term 'Latinx' in a tweet about gun violence

Torres added that a community should have the right to label itself

Torres tweeted that 'if you are speaking to a particular person who prefers Latinx, then, by all means, use the term'

Torres pointed to recent polls that indicate show many Hispanics have never heard the term and some who don't use it or are offended by it

The young Democrat's tweet was in response to a New York Yankees tweet that claimed thousands of 'Latinx' people are killed or injured by gun violence every year.

'Latinx' is a term popularized by woke progressives that is intended to be gender neutral, and inclusive of people who are transgender or non-binary. But critics say it is difficult for Spanish-speakers to pronounce.

'Each year, more than 4,100 Latinx people die from gun violence in the U.S. and 13,300 are shot and wounded,' the New York Yankees tweeted on Friday.

Torres, 34, who is among the first openly gay, black members of Congress, and identifies as Afro-Latino, continued on about the issue in a series of tweets.

'If you are speaking to a particular person who prefers Latinx, then, by all means, use the term.'

A Gallup poll from 2021 found that fewer than 5 percent of Hispanics and Latinos in the U.S. use the term 'Latinx'

'But if you are referring to the Hispanic community in general, why not use the term that the majority itself predominantly uses?'

'Every community should have the right to label itself, rather than have a label imposed on them by others.'

Torres' district, New York's 15th, which is home to Yankees Stadium, is 66 percent Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census.

Torres pointed to recent polls that indicate show many Hispanics have never heard the term and some who don't use it.

'I never said there should be a ban on the term Latinx. Quite the opposite,' he continued to tweet.

'I mostly use the term Latino whereas Corporate America & government almost exclusively uses the term Latinx.

'I am simply wondering why in light of the following study.'

Another Gallup poll from 2021 found that fewer than 5 percent of Hispanics and Latinos in the U.S. use the term 'Latinx.'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday that he is launching an investigation into Twitter for potentially misleading Texans on the number of 'bot' users.

He made the announcement in a post on the social media site Monday afternoon, writing: 'I have a duty to protect Texans if Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue.'

So-called bots are automated accounts that send tweets, follow users and like and retweet others' posts, but are not associated with any single real-life user.

Twitter executives claimed in Securities and Exchange Commission filings that bots represent fewer than 5 percent of its accounts in the first quarter of 2022.

But several people, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, suspect that Twitter could be artificially inflating the value of the company, by undercounting the percentage of bots on the platform.

Paxton issued a Civil Investigative Demand to determine whether the social media giant's reporting on fake users is 'false, misleading or deceptive under Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.'

As part of the CID, Paxton is requesting documents 'describing and substantiating' the methodology it used to calculate that 'fewer than 5 percent' of 'false or spam accounts' are included in its 'monetizable daily activity users' metric as well as any documents contradicting those statements.

Twitter now has until June 27 to respond to the demand, Paxton said, as its shares continued to trend downward Monday after Tesla CEO Elon Musk threatened to walk away from an agreed-upon $44billion takeover of the company.

'Texans rely on Twitter's public statements that nearly all its users are real people,' he said in a statement. 'It matters not only for regular Twitter users, but also Texas businesses and advertisers who use Twitter for their livelihoods.

'If Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue, I have a duty to protect Texans,' he added.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he is launching an investigation into Twitter for potentially misleading Texans on the number of 'bot' users

Ironically, the Texas AG made the announcement in a tweet Monday afternoon

Paxton has launched a Civil Investigative Demand, requesting Twitter turn over all documents that substantiate Twitter's reporting that only 5 percent of its users are fake accounts - as well as any documents or public statements that contradict that report

Paxton's filing puts creates further pressure on the social media giant to be transparent about its number of fake accounts after Musk said he would walk away from his takeover of the company if it does not provide more information about them.

Musk claimed spam bots could make up at least half of Twitter's users, which is more than 10 times the company's official estimate.

In a letter to Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's Chief Legal Officer, dated Monday, Musk's attorney argued the terms of the billionaire's purchase agreement requires the platform to provide the requested data, which he has allegedly repeatedly asked for since May 9.

He also disputed the company's alleged claim that it is only required to provide information for the 'limited purpose' of closing the deal.

'Musk is entitled to seek, and Twitter is obligated to provide, information and data for, inter alia, 'any reasonable business purpose related to the consummation of the transaction,'' the letter stated.

'Musk believes Twitter is transparently refusing to comply with its obligations under the merger agreement, which is causing further suspicion that the company is withholding the requested data due to concern for what Musk's own analysis of that data will uncover.'

He stated that if Twitter is 'confident' in its published spam estimates, he 'does not understand' the company's reluctance to allow him to 'independently evaluate those estimates.'

'As Twitter's prospective owner, Musk is clearly entitled to the requested data to enable him to prepare for transitioning Twitter's business to his ownership and to facilitate his transaction financing. To do both, he must have a complete and accurate understanding of the very core of Twitter's business modelits active user base,' the letter stated.

'In any event, Musk is not required to explain his rationale for requesting the data, nor submit to the new conditions the company has attempted to impose on his contractual right to the requested data.'

The company quickly hit back at his letter, saying it plans to enforce the buyout at the 'agreed upon price and terms' and will provide the billionaire with the necessary information to secure the deal's success.

'We believe this agreement is in the best interest of all shareholders,' a company spokesperson said in a statement Monday.

'We intend to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed upon price and terms.'

Company executives later said they planned they planned to 'consummate the transaction' with the billionaire, and said they would 'cooperatively share information' about the number of bots on its site.

Paxton's announcement comes after Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent a letter to Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's Chief Legal Officer threatening to pull out of his agreed-upon $44million takeover of the social media giant if it is not transparent about the number of fake users it has

Musk's attorney argued the terms of the billionaire's purchase agreement requires the platform to provide the data, which he has allegedly repeatedly asked for since May 9

But Monday's filing is not the first time the billionaire has threatened to tank the deal over its reported use of fake accounts.

He tweeted last month he 'cannot move forward' with the purchase until he is provided the requested data.

Musk said at the time he wanted to pause on the purchase deal to verify false or spam accounts represented fewer than 5 percent of the company's 229 million users during the first quarter, as Twitter reported.

If Twitter's reporting was accurate, that would mean that there are fewer than 11.4 million fake accounts that are targeted for ads.

The billionaire said he and his team wanted to conduct their own audit of 100 Twitter followers to check how many are bots and spam accounts.

In fact, the bot problem appears to be a longtime fixation for Musk, one of Twitter's most active celebrity users, whose name and likeness are often mimicked by fake accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams.

The billionaire appears to think such bots are also a problem for most other Twitter users, as well as advertisers who take out ads on the platform based on how many real people they expect to reach.

However, some analysts speculate Musk is actually seeking the spam data in an effort to negotiate a lower price for the deal or pull out completely.

The Twitter sale agreement allows Musk to get out of the deal if there is a 'material adverse effect' caused by the company. It defines that as a change that negatively affects Twitter's business or financial conditions.

Financial experts claim Musk can't unilaterally place the deal on hold, although that hasn't stopped him from acting as though he can.

If he walks away from the merger agreement, Musk could be on the hook for a $1 billion breakup fee.

Though Twitter's board agreed to the purchase in April, it still has not been approved by shareholders, and is not expected to close for at least several months.

The bot problem has been a longtime fixation for Musk, one of Twitter's most active celebrity users, whose name and likeness are often mimicked by fake accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams

In fact, late last month, a proposed class-action suit was filed against Musk and Twitter over the Tesla CEO's acquisition of the platform. The suit alleges Musk violated multiple California corporate laws and engaged in stock market manipulation.

The suit claims Musk benefited financially by delaying to disclose his stake in the platform and by 'temporarily concealing' his initial plan to become a board member. Musk ultimately declined the offered board seat.

The complaint, which was obtained by CNBC, also states Musk bought Twitter shares while knowing insider information about the company based on private conversations with board members and executives.

Musk revealed his stake in Twitter on April 4 and 10 days later proposed his $44 billion buyout. He has sold a significant chunk of his Tesla shares in an effort to secure funding for the deal.

Since his acquisition bid, both Tesla and Twitter stock prices have been on the decline. In wake of Monday's letter, Twitter saw more than 4 percent drop, to $38.42 per share, during morning trading.
The Trojan horse app used by cops to infiltrate some of the world's most dangerous criminal gangs has led to police identifying more than 5000 members of the notorious Italian mafia, who are all living in Australia to conduct their illegal business.

The Australian Federal Police is investigating 51 Italian organised crime clans, including 14 from the infamous 'Ndrangheta mafia, a year after their secret app AN0M helped them launch one of the biggest and most significant crackdowns on organised crime in history.

The AFP now has an extensive file on mafia members living Down Under after last year's Operation Ironside, which was largely built on data taken from the encrypted app AN0M.

NSW is home to highest number of Italian crime clans with three found in Sydney and 14 allegedly conducting their business in regional NSW.

There are 14 in Victoria, nine in South Australia, five in the ACT, four in Western Australia and two in Queensland.

The clans operate nationwide and work closely with a wide range of organised crime groups including outlaw bikies, Middle Eastern gangs, Asian triads and South American cartels.

Police are now working with Colombian, US and Italian law enforcement authorities in a desperate bid to disrupt Italian organised crimes' global networks.

Up to 5000 members of the Italian mafia are operating across Australia, according to Australian Federal Police

The AFP has an extensive file on mafia members living Down Under as part of Operation Ironside (pictured, one of the raid during the operation)

'Our picture of the clans is continuing to grow, but intelligence suggests their overall membership could potentially be similar to that of patched members in Australian outlaw motorcycle gangs. That shows how subterranean and significant the 'Ndrangheta are in Australia,' AFP Assistant Commissioner crime command Nigel Ryan said in a statement.

Our intelligence, new powers under the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act 2021, our world-leading capabilities and our international networks are beginning to remove the cloak of secrecy that has allowed members of the 'Ndrangeta to operate in Australia with impunity for too many years.'

Mr Ryan told reporters on Tuesday many alleged members had managed to stay under the radar by living modest lives in modest homes and allegedly invested their illegitimate wealth into construction, agricultural and catering businesses.

The 'Ndrangheta mafia from Calabria in southern Italy is a particular focus for the AFP, which has been assessing the familial relationships, through blood and marriage, of the clan in Australia with the help of Italian authorities.

'The 'Ndrangheta are not just an Australian problem  they are a global problem and they are responsible for trafficking 70 per cent of the world's cocaine. In Australia, they are also responsible for cannabis and methamphetamine trafficking,' Mr Ryan said.

'During Operation Ironside, law enforcement charged a number of 'Ndrangheta members, some who were taking their orders from bosses in Calabria.

'The 'Ndrangheta are flooding Australia with illicit drugs and are pulling the strings of Australian outlaw motorcycle gangs, who are behind some of the most significant violence in our communities.

'They have become so powerful in Australia that they almost own some OMCG's, who will move drugs around for their 'Ndrangheta financiers, or carry out acts of violence on behalf of the 'Ndrangheta.'

Wednesday marks the first anniversary of Operation Ironside, Australia's biggest ever organised crime bust, which led to hundreds of arrests through AN0M, a Trojan horse app the underworld was tricked into using.

More than 300 AN0M handsets were uncovered in Italy during last year's raids with a number of them provided by Australians.

Data obtained from AN0M has given police an unprecedented insight into the mafia clans and how they operate.

Of the more than 1000 arrests worldwide, 383 were in Australia and ranged from alleged mafia bosses, senior bikies to airport workers and other insiders.

They were charged with 2340 offences in Australia while more than 6.3 tonnes of illicit drugs, 147 weapons and firearms and $55 million in cash were seized.

Of the arrests, 42 offenders charged under Operation Ironside have already pleaded guilty or have been sentenced.

Of four arrests in recent weeks, three were allegedly linked to the 'Ndrangheta and were accused of being involved in a plot to import 1.2 tonnes of cocaine from Ecuador.

AFP are investigating members of the Italian mafia allegedly responsible for smuggling tonnes of illicit drugs into Australia

Police have put the Italian organised crime clans and other international groups on notice

The AFP recently hosted law enforcement authorities from Italy, Colombia and the US to work together in identifying members of the Ndrangheta and take action against them.

Other international crime groups have also been put on notice.

'If you are a member of a cartel operating out of Mexico, a member of a triad operating out of Asia or a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang in Australia, and you are impacting on Australians because of your illegal activity, then you will be targeted by the AFP,' Mr Ryan warned.

'Multi-millions of dollars a day are being laundered in Australia on behalf of illicit drug syndicates. Money laundering poses a significant threat to Australia's national security as it subverts, exploits, and distorts legitimate markets and economic activity.'

The Assistant Commissioner later told reporters: 'If we don't cut off the head and tail of organised crime, we face living in a very different Australia.'

He admitted dismantling the 'Ndrangheta in Australia will be a long and challenging task due to years of living under the radar.

'They have been able to stay under the radar by living modest lives, in modest homes. They mix their illegitimate money with money from their legitimate construction, agricultural or catering businesses and all of this makes it more difficult to not only identify criminality but to prove it,' Mr Ryan said.

'It's become very apparent, through what we've seen on the platform Anom through Operation Ironside, that the Italians have been able to fly under the radar for many, many years.

'The Italians have established themselves since the early 1920s in Australia and the way that they've operated over the years has actually changed and they've been able to, in many ways, legitimise their business and their ill-gotten gains. So this is really a warning to Italian organised crime that they're on our radar.'

The AFP has seized $55 million in cash from crime groups as part of Operation Ironside

He believed the Italian crime clans have been operating in Australia for a century and are in regional areas such as Griffith in southern NSW.

'We've seen the familial blood lines and marriage into blood lines has been prolific over that time. We see the same names coming up all the time in relation to this country,' Assistant Commissioner Ryan said.

Certainly the Italians have established themselves in regional areas. Griffith has been one. Originally a lot of Italians established themselves in agricultural types of businesses and that has actually been quite a sort in terms of hiding some of their illegitimate wealth.

'I think what we're actually doing here is they've been able to operate in darkness for so long that we're shining a light on it.'
Russia last night threatened to push further into Ukraine after the UK and US pledged long-range rockets to help Kyiv.

Britain's sophisticated M270 launchers can fire precision-guided rockets up to 50 miles and take out Russian artillery that is indiscriminately pulverising eastern cities.

Despite its attempts to seize the eastern regions moving at a crawl, Moscow responded by vowing to push the front line even further into Ukraine.

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said: 'The longer the range of the systems that will be delivered, the further we will move back the Nazis from the line from which threats to Russian-speakers and the Russian Federation may come.'

Russia last night threatened to push further into Ukraine after the UK and US pledged long-range rockets to help Kyiv. Pictured: Putin announces the start of his war in Ukraine on February 24

Zelensky is pictured listening to an update from one of his commanders during a visit to Lysychansk, on the Donbas frontline, late Sunday

The M270 launchers (pictured), which can strike targets up to 50 miles away with precision-guided rockets, will 'offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces'

A Ukrainian soldier equipped with a British NLAW anti-tank launcher on the lookout for Russian armoured vehicles near Bakhmut, Donbas

A Ukrainian soldier uses a grenade launcher to open fire on Russian attackers near the city of Bakmut, in the eastern Donbas region

Zelensky's visit too him within just a few hundred yards of the frontlines in eastern Ukraine, as counter-attacks take place across the country

After the US announced it was sending M142 rocket systems, Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that Russia would strike 'new targets' if the West supplied longer-range missiles. The threat was dismissed by Boris Johnson, who said the British systems will help Ukraine 'effectively repel the continuing Russian onslaught'.

The Prime Minister said: 'We cannot stand by while Russian long-range artillery flattens cities and kills innocent civilians.'

Despite yesterday's leadership drama, Mr Johnson spoke to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the latest military aid from the UK.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: 'The UK stands with Ukraine in this fight and is taking a leading role in supplying its heroic troops with the vital weapons they need. If the international community continues its support, I believe Ukraine can win. As Russia's tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine. These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery.'

Ukrainian troops will be trained in the UK to use the equipment, he added. A land warfare expert said the pledges from the UK and US could make a difference, but warned it would not 'change things overnight'.

Dr Jack Watling, of the Royal United Services Institute think-tank, said the M270 rocket launchers were the 'crown jewels of the British Army's capability'.

Biden officially announced a new $700 million security package for the Ukraine on Wednesday

The United States is sending four HIMARS missile systems to Ukraine in the latest round of military aid

A Ukrainian soldier is pictured near a defensive position in Bakhmut, close to the frontline with Russian in the eastern Donbas region

But he told BBC Radio 4 it would take time for the Ukrainians to be trained to use them. The BBC said it understood the UK was supplying three of the M270 systems.

In a further blow to Putin, it was claimed that he lost two more senior commanders in a devastating bridge ambush in eastern Ukraine. A group of independent journalists working on both sides of the war said Major-General Roman Kutuzov and Lieutenant-General Roman Berdnikov were killed on the same day in an attack by Kyiv's forces.

Meanwhile, Russia's air force appears to be turning to crowdfunding to source basic equipment. Images posted on a Russian aviation channel showed radios, flashlights, binoculars and even pilot helmets and oxygen masks that were funded or sourced by the channel's 125,000 subscribers.

It came as Lavrov was forced to cancel a visit to Serbia after several European countries refused permission for him to fly through their airspace. The Kremlin denounced the 'hostile actions' of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro.
More than half of Britons admit they have been deceived by fake news online at least once, a study has revealed.

Newsworks, the newspaper industry marketing body, found 80 per cent of people regularly come across misinformation while browsing the internet.

However, less than half of respondents said they bothered to check whether it was true  and one in ten never did at all.

Jo Allan, Newsworks chief executive, said: With the rise in misinformation, trusted journalism matters more now than ever before. And as fake news has become less easy to control, we have seen a surge in people coming to news brands for information that they can rely on.

But this isnt enough and as an industry we need to be doing more to encourage advertisers to invest more heavily in quality environments like news brands.

The poll of 2,000 UK consumers found 52 per cent admitted being deceived by fake news online at least once.

Every minute 500 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube, 5,000 videos are viewed on TikTok and 695,000 stories are shared on Instagram

Only 45 per cent checked the reliability of what they were reading, while 12 per cent said they never did. Of those who did check the accuracy, a third said they looked at the name of the publisher to ensure its a reputable source.

Newswork said this highlighted the importance of the trust and heritage that news brands offer.

It follows a study by the organisation last year that found that more than two thirds of people rely on journalists to lead the fight against misinformation on climate change.

Separate analysis by Newsguard and media analysts Comscore last year suggested that UK advertisers unwittingly spend 112million a year advertising on misinformation sites. In March, a study by Ofcom found nearly a third of the UK internet users are unaware that what they see online might be false or biased.

And one in every 20 Britons believe everything they see online, the annual survey revealed.

Every minute 500 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube, 5,000 videos are viewed on TikTok and 695,000 stories are shared on Instagram.

Given the sheer volume of information, Ofcom said it had never been more important for users to be able to decipher between fact and fiction.
The Supreme Court added to its calendar on Monday an additional release of opinions scheduled for this week, including potentially the decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade.

With 30 opinions still not issued in the final weeks of the term, several will now drop on Wednesday, according to an update on the high court's website.

While June is always a hectic time at the Supreme Court, this year is different as the nine justices reshape social issues  like abortion  and scramble to salvage the federal Judicial branch's legitimacy after the leak last month.

Nationwide chaos ensued in early May after Politico published a leaked copy of a draft opinion showing the 6-3 conservative court overturning Roe v. Wade  the 1973 case that made abortion legal at the federal level.

The court released three opinions already on Monday morning.

Other than abortion, some other rulings that are expected revolve around the Second Amendment, religious liberties, immigration and climate change.

The entire landscape of the debate has shifted recently in the midst of the unprecedented leak and two mass shootings  including the massacre in Texas that left 19 fourth and fifth grade students dead last month.

As abortion becomes a center of debate following the breach, states have started implementing their own laws surrounding the healthcare issue.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday slammed Louisiana's new law that would increase the criminal consequences on healthcare professionals who provide abortions if the ruling is overturned.

The Supreme Court added to its calendar on Monday another day it will issue opinions on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 as it has 30 left to release in the final weeks of the term

June is usually hecticat the Supreme Court, but more so this year as the nine justices reshape social issues  like abortion and gun rights  and scramble to salvage the federal Judicial branch's legitimacy after the leak last month. Pictured: Police arrest a pro-abortion activist on Monday, June 6 after he chained his neck to the fence that went up around the Supreme Court last month

'The Louisiana legislature has taken the latest step in a growing attack against the fundamental freedoms of Americans,' President Joe Biden's top spokeswoman wrote in a statement on the bill. 'Louisiana's extreme bill will criminalize abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest and punish reproductive healthcare professionals with up to ten years in prison.'

'The President is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of Americans afforded by Roe for nearly 50 years, and ensuring that women can make their own choices about their lives, bodies, and families,' she added.

'An overwhelming majority of the American people agree and reject these kinds of radical measures.'

Jean-Pierre is referencing recent polls that show more than half of Americans consider themselves pro-choice and around two-thirds are in favor of keeping Roe v. Wade in tact.

Louisiana's bill passed Thursday that would increase prison terms for abortion providers from a maximum of five years to 10 years and raises fines from a range of $5,000  $50,000 to between $10,000  $100,000.

These consequences would only go into effect if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, which it is expected to do later this month, according to a draft document that was leaked in May.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement Monday slamming a new Louisiana law that would increase criminal consequences for abortion providers if Roe v. Wade is overturned

'The Louisiana legislature has taken the latest step in a growing attack against the fundamental freedoms of Americans,' Jean-Pierre wrote

Louisiana is one of the 13 states that has so-called 'trigger laws', along with Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming,

These trigger laws would immediately ban all abortion once Roe v. Wade is overturned.

The Supreme Court is issuing its opinions for the term at the end of June  and anticipated as part of that is a full overturn of the 50-year-old landmark abortion ruling that constitutionally protected a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion was leaked last month showing an overturn to Roe v. Wade along with the support of three other conservative justices; Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.

Chief Justice John Roberts said that he would not support an entire overturn, although he does support the Mississippi case that brought the issue before the Supreme Court in the first place that would make abortion illegal after 15 weeks into a pregnancy.

With a 6-3 conservative majority on the bench, Roberts' defection doesn't make a difference in determining the opinion.

Roberts immediately launched an investigation into the leaked draft opinion  at the same time confirming the validity of the document that was published by Politico in early May. It appears that investigators believe the most likely source of the leak is a recent law school graduate law clerk, of which each justice usually has four.

The Louisiana bill, passed by the state's Senate but not yet signed by the governor, would increase prison maximums from five years to 10 and the fines from a range of $5,000  $50,000 to between $10,000  $100,000. Pictured: Pro-life demonstrators rally outside the Louisiana Capitol to support the bill on Thursday, May 12, 2022

Pro-abortion protesters cheer during nationwide demonstrations in support of Roe v. Wade in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 14, 2022

Louisiana's Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, has not yet said whether he will veto the bill that was passed by his state's Senate last week.

Edwards said he supports abortion exceptions in the case of rape and incest, but has previously said that he would still support the bill without any changes, even thought it does not include these exceptions.

'Vetoing the bill wouldn't accomplish what I would like to have, which is the exceptions for rape and incest,' Edwards said at a press conference on Thursday.

Louisiana State Senator Katrina Jackson, a Democrat, sponsored the bill. It was significantly amended on the House floor with 15 additional pages to the five-page bill.

The amendments included exceptions for cases where the mother's life is at risk or if the fetus has a condition that would not allow it to live outside the womb.

The bill does not criminalize women who get abortions  just the providers who perform the procedure.

Louisiana's criminal code defines a 'person' as 'a human being from the moment of fertilization and implantation.'

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the issue of abortion will be sent back to the states, meaning that Republicn states will likely have more strict laws to outright bans, while blue states could have abortion legal until the time of birth.

Democratic enclaves red states are vowing to serve as 'sanctuaries' for abortion rights.

In response to public outcry over the leaked draft opinion, blue cities situated in red states claim they will not enforce prosecution if abortion us outlawed at a state level.

A city council member in Austin, Texas, Jose 'Chito' Vela, proposed a resolution that would decriminalize abortion at a local level if the state fully bans it.

A WSJ poll shows 68%  more than two-thirds  of Americans want Roe v. Wade upheld by the Supreme Court in order to maintain federal-level protections for abortion rights

Texas already has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

Currently abortion is illegally at the point where a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around the six-week point in a pregnancy. Many women who seek abortions are unaware they are pregnant at this point in the first trimester.

Vela's spokesperson Jenna Hanes said his office has been in contact with lawmakers in several Texas cities, including Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, who are interested in advancing similar measures to protect abortion.

The idea of these 'sanctuary cities' is an echo of the term used for cities that refused to aid the federal government in enforcing immigration laws.

Prosecutors in New Orleans, Louisiana; Nashville, Tennessee; DeKalb County, Georgia, which is the eastern part of Atlanta; Fairfax County, Virginia; and Durham County, North Carolina have all said abortion-related cases will not be a high priority.

Some have directly said they won't enforce state bans.

New Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Roger Williams said he 'will not shift priority from tackling shootings, rapes and carjackings to investigating the choices women make with regard to their own bodies.'
Vladimir Putin has vowed to hit additional targets if the US provides Ukraine with longer-range weapons.

On Sunday (June 5), Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a terrifying warning, saying the US should be wary of arming the beleaguered country for use in high-precision mobile missile systems. The US has ruled out sending its military to Ukraine; nonetheless, Washington and its European allies have given Kyiv armaments such as drones, Howitzer heavy artillery, and other equipment.

Putin's Warning Over Western Weapons Sent to Ukraine

President Joe Biden recently stated that the United States will equip Zelensky's country with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS after the capital promised them that they would not be used to harm Russia. Vladimir Putin said the arms supplies were nothing new, but he warned that if the US sent longer-range munitions with a maximum range of 300 km (185 miles) or more, there would be a reaction.

"If longer range missiles are supplied, we will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting," Putin told the Rossiya-1 state television channel in an interview. Putin stated that the range of the Lockheed Martin HIMARS systems was dependent on the ammunition given and that the range reported by the US was roughly the same as the range of Soviet-made missile systems that Ukraine already had, according to Daily Star.

The Russian president also addressed Kyiv's ostensible assurances to the West that these rocket systems would not be used against Russian territory. The US administration said on June 1 that it will deliver Ukraine a new military aid package, including HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) equipment and ammunition. The first batch would have four rocket systems.

The strike range of a light HIMARS mobile rocket launcher would not exceed 80 kilometers. Kyiv pledged that the US missile systems would not be used against targets on Russian territory, as desired by the US government. On June 2, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed Kiev's pledges that it would not employ US rockets against targets on Russian soil were meaningless and untrustworthy, as per LiveMint.

Read Also: Pope Francis Still Willing To Visit Ukraine Despite Health Condition as Russia Destroys 113 Churches

Russia's 11th General Dies in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin was dealt a blow today with the death of Russia's 11th general in his brutal conflict with Ukraine. According to accounts, Major-General Roman Kutuzov was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army. His car was attacked by Ukrainians and he perished in a skirmish in Donbas. His is the 11th general's death, but the first of such a high-ranking army official in more than a decade.

Lt-Col Zaur Dimayev, deputy commander of the 4th battalion of the Akhmat Kadyrov special forces unit, was the most recent. He has a strong relationship with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Kutuzov was the commander of Russia's vast Eastern Military District's combined weapons organization in 2020. Kanamat 'Flop Gun' Botashev, 63, was the previous general to be assassinated.

He was a 'pensioner pilot' who had come out of retirement to fly in Putin's military when he was struck in his Su-25. A Ukrainian Stinger missile is said to have shot him down. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Western countries are supporting Ukraine in its pursuit of high-ranking Russian officers. According to Russian authorities, Kutuzov was killed near the frontline in the Nikolaevka hamlet in the Popasnyansky sector of the Luhansk People's Republic, Daily Mail reported.

Related Article: Vladimir Putin Cancer, Assassination Attempt: US Intel Sources Claim Russian President's End Is Near After Several Life Battles

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Proud Boys leader, Enrique Tarrio, and four of his lieutenants have been charged with seditious conspiracy for a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory, authorities said Monday.

Tarrio, the Proud Boys chairman, and the four others were previously charged with different conspiracy counts.

These are the most serious charges leveled against Tarrio and the right-win group to date.

Tarrio did not take part in the January 6, 2021 riot on the Capitol, but allegedly orchestrated the activities from a 'command and control' structure within the fringe group.

Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020.

Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio pretended to hold a lighter to the US Capitol before reporting to a Washington DC jail in December 2020 to begin a five month sentence

Tarrio was also snapped giving a v-sign close to the Capitol on Monday night ahead of his sentence

Tarrio posed with his Proud Boy pal and a rooster ornament before beginning his sentence

He was ordered to leave D.C. but instead went to an underground parking garage where he met with a documentary film crew, other Proud Boys and Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, the founder of the Oath Keepers, another far right group that was represented in the riot.

Tarrio pleaded guilty in August to two misdemeanor charges for the BLM flag burning and was given five-month sentence.

The new riot-related indictments against Proud Boys members are among the most serious filed so far, but they aren't the first of their kind.

Eleven members or associates of the anti-government Oath Keepers militia group, including Rhodes, were indicted in January on seditious conspiracy charges in the Capitol attack.

Tarrio, pictured in Portland in September 2020, has been leader of the Proud Boys since 2018

Tarrio, pictured front in black with a megaphone, took to the streets of Portland to protest at far-left group Antifa's behavior in the Oregon city

'On January 6, Tarrios menthe leaders and members of the MOSDwere at the front of the crowd that unlawfully breached the Capitol grounds and overran police lines meant to protect the Capitol and its occupants,' according to federal prosecutors.

'Co-conspirator Dominic Pezzola was the first person to physically breach the Capitol when he used a stolen Capitol Police riot shield to break a window adjacent to the Senate Wing Door, which allowed the first members of the mob to breach the interior of the Capitol at 2:13 p.m.'

Tarrio's lawyer Sabino Jauregui did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

More than three dozen people charged in the Capitol siege have been identified by federal authorities as Proud Boys leaders, members or associates.

A New York man pleaded guilty in December to storming the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys members.

Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol building itself after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors

On the morning of January 6, Proud Boys members met at the Washington Monument and marched to the Capitol before then-President Donald Trump finished speaking to thousands of supporters near the White House

Matthew Greene was the first Proud Boys member to publicly plead guilty to conspiring with other members to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote.

Greene agreed to cooperate with authorities.

On the morning of January 6, Proud Boys members met at the Washington Monument and marched to the Capitol before then-President Donald Trump finished speaking to thousands of supporters near the White House.

Just before Congress convened a joint session to certify the election results, a group of Proud Boys followed a crowd of people who breached barriers at a pedestrian entrance to the Capitol grounds, an indictment says.

Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol building itself after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors.

WHO ARE THE PROUD BOYS? Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes started the all-male Proud Boys in 2016. McInnes and the Proud Boys have described the group as a politically incorrect men's club for 'Western chauvinists' and deny affiliations with far-right extremist groups that overtly espouse racist and anti-Semitic views. The Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center designated the Proud Boys as a hate group, saying that its members often spread 'outright bigotry' and 'anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric' over the internet, and have posted social media pictures of themselves with prominent Holocaust deniers, white nationalists and 'known neo-Nazis.' Current national leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, marched in the infamous Charlottesville Unite the Right rally in 2017. Proud Boys have been involved in a series of high-profile violent clashes at political events. In New York City in October 2018, police arrested several Proud Boys members who brawled with anti-fascist protesters following a speech by McInnes at a Manhattan Republican club. Proud Boys members also have frequently clashed with counterprotesters at rallies in California and Oregon. Most recently, the group took part in the siege on the Capitol on January 6, where some members were seen breaking into the building. In February, they were designated a terrorist group by Canada. Advertisement

Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Chinese-made radios.

The devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

In December, a federal judge refused to dismiss an earlier indictment charging four alleged leaders of the Proud Boys with conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected defense attorneys arguments that the four men  Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Charles Donohoe  were charged with conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and a member of the groups national Elders Council. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer.

Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Donohoe, of Kernersville, North Carolina, also served as president of his local chapter, according to the indictment.

Proud Boys members describe the group as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists. Its members frequently have brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests.

Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.
A missing 'hungry, thirsty and cold' little boy was found safe after two days on his own in the near-freezing temperatures of the Montana wilderness.

Ryker Webb, four, was reported missing Friday afternoon south of Troy, Montana after he was last seen playing with the family dog in his yard on the East side of Bull Lake.

Search efforts for the boy over the weekend were hampered by 'very poor weather conditions which consisted of rain, low visibility, and low ceiling,' the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said.

Temperatures fell into the low 40s in Missoula, Montana on Saturday, with a quarter inch of rain hitting the ground, the sheriff's wrote in a release.

But two days later, Ryker was located in good shape near Pine Ridge Road and South Fork Bull River Road in Sanders County, about 2.4 miles from where he went missing, the sheriff's office said.

The child 'was in good spirits and apparently healthy, although hungry, thirsty, and cold,' according to the sheriff's statement.

Ryker was taken to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center for evaluation.

Ryker Webb, 4, found safe after two days in the near-freezing temps of the Montana wilderness

Search efforts for the boy over the weekend were hampered by 'very poor weather conditions which consisted of rain, low visibility, and low ceiling,' the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said

Ryker was reported missing to the sheriff's office around 4:53 p.m. when a concerned neighbor called 911. The boy had already been missing for two hours.

An initial clothing description provided to searchers turned out to be inaccurate, the sheriff's office said. It was unknown what clothing or footwear the child was wearing.

Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short told KREM that the boy's family was very distraught during the search.

'He and his dad were in the yard, the father went inside the home for a moment and when he went back outside, the child was gone,' Short said on Saturday. 'We have a very distraught family and a lot of concern over him.'

Short said on Saturday evening there were no indications of foul play.

On Sunday, Ryker was located in good shape near Pine Ridge Road and South Fork Bull River Road in Sanders County, about 2.4 miles from where he went missing, the sheriff's office said

Search teams were deployed over the weekend along with several drones, dog teams and a boat unit to aid in the search for Ryker Webb

Search teams were deployed and ATV riders, along with several drones, dog teams and a boat unit were on the lake over the weekend to aid in the search.

Two Montana National Guard helicopters joined search efforts along with drones from Flathead County and the Spokane Police Department.

However, the sheriff's office said it was 'extremely difficult to get the additional air assets into the Bull Lake valley due to very poor weather conditions which consisted of rain, low visibility, and low ceiling.'

Search teams were able to resume searching the area on Sunday when they located the child at Pine Ridge Road off South Fork Bull River Road in Sanders County and determined that it was Ryker, who was in 'good spirits and apparently healthy, although hungry, thirsty, and cold.'

Ryker was transported to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center for evaluation.
Hed waited 75 years to see this project first take root. Thanks to the pandemic, he had been forced to wait another three before he could see the finished monument.

Yesterday  on the actual anniversary of D-Day  Normandy veteran Ken Hay finally clapped eyes on the new memorial to all 22,442 British servicemen and women killed in the brutal three-month Battle of Normandy between the D-Day landings in June 1944 and the liberation of Paris.

The sight of it left him struggling for words. Just wonderful he murmured. And then, in the list of names on one of the stone pillars, he found the one he was looking for  his old pal and mentor, Dennis; a man you could go to like a Dad. At which point Mr Hay ran out of words.

As the tears flowed, he pressed his hand against the column and took in the enormous scale of what has been achieved here: The first UK national memorial to the British liberators of Normandy in Normandy.

Hes there, Dad, said his son Chris softly, holding his arm. Hes there for ever.

Finally, Mr Hay, 96, from Upminster, took another deep breath as he stared at that name again, Private Dennis Circus of the 4th Dorsets, that much-missed father-figure killed at the grand old age of 22, on July 10, 1944. This has done him proud, he said finally. And all the rest of them, too.

On the actual anniversary of D-Day, Normandy veteran Ken Hay finally clapped eyes on the new memorial to all 22,442 British servicemen and women killed in Normandy. He pressed his hand against the column and took in the enormous scale of what has been achieved there

D-Day commemorations at the British Normandy Memorial ,at Juno Beach. A row of 70 further trees will be planted this autumn, a gift from President Macron of France in honour of the Queens platinum jubilee

Those were my own thoughts on seeing this memorial for the first time, too, shortly after dawn yesterday. Laid out in the pattern of the Union flag, with every name engraved on 160 pillars, it has been turfed and planted immaculately. A row of 70 further trees will be planted this autumn, a gift from President Macron of France in honour of the Queens platinum jubilee. Centred on David Williams-Elliss haunting statue of three soldiers charging ashore, the 52-acre site is in the perfect spot above Gold Beach, the central section of the entire Allied assault.

To the west, out to sea, lies the steel and concrete archipelago which is all that remains of Mulberry, the giant prefabricated port on which the entire invasion depended.

To the east, is Juno Beach  from where the gallant Canadians pulled off D-Days most successful assault  and Sword Beach, from where the British linked up with the airborne troops around Pegasus Bridge. Right in front of the memorial site is the boggy shore of Gold Beach where Company Sergeant Major Stan Hollis of the Green Howards waded ashore, en route to winning the only D-Day Victoria Cross as he stormed multiple enemy positions around Ver-sur-Mer.

We thought he was crackers, said his fellow-Green Howard Ken Cooke, surveying the shoreline where he himself landed a couple of hours after Stan Hollis.

Veteran Kenneth Cooke,96, from York, lays his wreath at the British Normandy Memorial. Cooke was badly wounded among the hedgerows all those years ago by an 88mm shell

For Mr Cooke, the real Battle of Normandy was not on the beaches but inland in the dreaded hedgerows or bocage. Thats where he himself was badly wounded weeks later by an 88mm shell which burst above his section as they prepared to advance near Tilly.

Some of those comrades are on this memorial. I just cant understand why it took so long to get this memorial built but it is a great thing, added Mr Cooke.

Another veteran inspecting all this for the first time was former Seaman Stan Ford, 97. He had come to salute the crewmates from HMS Fratton who were never seen again after the torpedo explosion which flung him over the side on August 18, 1944. Mr Ford was overjoyed to be here on this day of all days.

For yesterday was the first D-Day anniversary when the veterans and the families of the fallen could actually see this memorial with their own eyes. Though it was opened remotely by the Prince of Wales last summer, it was off-limits because of Covid.

Many of those here yesterday voiced their gratitude to readers of the Daily Mail who so generously supported this newspapers campaign to see Britain have a Normandy memorial of its own.

Many also came up to thank memorial trustee Nicholas Witchell, better known as the BBCs royal correspondent, who has spent years fighting to get this thing built.

Last night, Mr Witchell could finally savour the sight of a packed car park as crowds flocked to hear the Band of the Yorkshire Regiment and the Jedburgh Pipe Band perform the first D-Day sunset concert here.

I cant tell you what all this means, said Peter Carr, 84, who had come in memory of Raymond, his elder brother, shot down over the River Orne in the early hours of D-Day.

I worshipped him  and I was only six when he died.

D-Day commemorations at the British Normandy Memorial. Yesterday was the first D-Day anniversary when the veterans and the families of the fallen

Mr Carr had brought his 15-year-old granddaughter, Kacie, who is now hell-bent on a career in the military.

June 6, 2022, might not have been a major anniversary, like those huge VIP gatherings for the 50th, 60th or 70th. However, for veterans like Ken Hay, every June is equally important.

He had been invited by the Royal British Legion to tell his story at yesterdays international service at the main Commonwealth cemetery in Bayeux. Captured here in Normandy  in the same battle where his brother was wounded  Private Hay was sent to a prisoner of war camp in Poland where he was put to work in a coal mine.

Come winter, he was forced on a thousand-mile death march ahead of advancing Russian forces before liberation. He had decided it would be easier to tell his story in verse: Were Mum and Dad, tucked up in bed, completely unaware/That their two sons were facing death in Norman fields oer there?

These veterans are not done quite yet.

Having built this memorial, they now have grand plans for an education centre here. As they are the first to point out, they have done their bit. Future generations must be inspired to do theirs.

To support the memorial, visit normandymemorialtrust.org
Thousands of holidaymakers were scrambling to find alternative ways of getting home yesterday after hundreds of flight cancellations left them stranded in Europe.

Travellers crossed borders instead of waiting for later flights as they raced to return to work and school after half-term.

Many said they were forced to shell out hundreds of pounds for new flights or other modes of transport such as Eurostar trains.

Among them were teachers needing to get back to the classroom and A-level pupils who risk missing exams and even losing university places.

EasyJet has cancelled more than 300 flights across Europe in the past three days, with more than 2,000 delayed.

The budget airline said last night that it will continue to axe at least 30 flights a day with passengers set to typically receive just three days' notice. Dozens of the cancellations were made at the last minute and affected customers said they were not being offered alternative flights home for several days.

Jenny O'Hara and her family are stuck in Fuerteventura until Thursday Pictured: Harrison on the left, Rupert in the middle & Elyott on the right and Partner Tom Nowell (Harrison is his son, others are Jenny's)

This is despite them having the right to be booked on an alternative flight as close to their original departure time as possible  even if it is with a rival airline. They are also entitled to food and hotel expenses.

But easyJet customers said it was near impossible to contact customer services in search of answers.

Budget airline Wizz Air also made dozens of cancellations over the weekend. British Airways axed more than 100 short-haul flights at Heathrow yesterday, although it stressed that affected passengers were informed several weeks in advance.

Holiday firm Tui is cancelling six daily flights at Manchester until the end of the month.

The aviation industry is struggling to cope with the post-pandemic rise in demand for foreign travel at a time of severe staff shortages.

Kevin, 51 and Lisa Owen, 50. Easyjet customers were left 'crying' in 'complete chaos' after being left stranded on a Portuguese island

Some operators were accused of letting passengers make bookings that could not be fulfilled.

Father-of-four Joe Murray, from Milton Keynes, booked return flights to Tenerife which were due to land back in the UK on Wednesday in time for Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

But his family missed the four-day weekend after Wizz Air cancelled their return flight twice.

Mr Murray, who has four young daughters, said: 'The curriculum is packed and losing three days from school post-Covid isn't good. There isn't time to really catch up.

'Wizz Air have had since last Wednesday to get us home, have cancelled once while we had checked in and were waiting at the gate, and the other four hours before the flight. It's not good enough.'

Kelly, a teacher from Lincolnshire, and her husband, who is also a teacher, had their flight home from Montenegro with easyJet cancelled at the last minute on Saturday.

They were told Thursday was the earliest they could get back to the UK. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'They told us we could have a flight on Thursday.

'But obviously we're teachers so we're very keen to get back to school so there's less disruption for the children, which is why we're travelling to a different country [to try to get home sooner].

'We will have had three bus journeys of about 12 hours in total. Fingers crossed tomorrow easyJet won't cancel our flight for a second time and we'll manage to get home.

'But we're having to fly into Bristol rather than Gatwick, we've then got to get to Gatwick [to collect our car] and then back home to Lincoln.'

EasyJet has cancelled more than 300 flights across Europe in the past three days, with more than 2,000 delayed

A blame game broke out between ministers and the industry over the fiasco last week.

Aviation chiefs sought to point the finger at the Government for not giving enough notice when lifting all Covid travel restrictions in March.

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused carriers of 'poor planning and overbooking flights that they cannot service'.

There are fears of even worse chaos when the peak summer season begins in around six weeks' time.

Ministers are considering plans to force airlines to give automatic refunds for travel disruption.

Affected travellers, who must apply for compensation manually, have reported waiting several weeks to receive money back.

Some operators have claimed cancellations or delays are not their fault, meaning they are not liable.

Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said 'it will take three days to clear the backlog' of passengers needing new flights.

He added: 'We're going to see a large number of compensation claims from those stuck abroad.'

British Airways axed more than 100 short-haul flights at Heathrow yesterday, although it stressed that affected passengers were informed several weeks in advance

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the aviation industry had to address staff shortages.

He added: 'We fully understand that the aviation industry  like many others  has faced significant challenges during the pandemic.

'But ultimately they are responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.'

An easyJet spokesman said cancellations had been made due to 'the ongoing challenging operating environment'.

She added: 'We are very sorry and fully understand the disruption this will have caused for our customers.'
The call that Boris Johnson has been dreading for months finally came on Sunday afternoon. As the Prime Minister prepared to attend the Jubilee Pageant on The Mall, the Downing Street switchboard told him Sir Graham Brady was on the line.

Sir Graham, head of the 'men in suits' of the Tories' 1922 Committee, got straight to the point. For all the talk of a 'Jubilee truce', the number of letters from mutinous MPs calling for a vote of no-confidence in the PM had passed 54  the level needed to trigger a formal vote.

What is more, several other MPs had sent post-dated letters that would become active as soon as the four-day Jubilee celebrations were over. A contest was inevitable. The only question was, how quickly did the PM want to act? Mr Johnson did not hesitate, telling Sir Graham: 'Let's get this over with and move on.'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at Parliament today

After that, there was just time to summon a meeting of his inner circle for that evening, before heading off to the pageant, where he and his wife Carrie took their places behind the Duchess of Cambridge to watch the gloriously British display.

If he was concerned about the potentially career-ending vote he did not let it show. He could not afford to  not only were the world's cameras in attendance, but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was seated just a few places along.

On the PM's return to No 10, his allies gathered in his Downing Street flat to dust off a plan that has been in preparation since January, when the Partygate row was at its height. In the room were Mr Johnson's chief of staff Steve Barclay, chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris, long-time ally Nigel Adams, communications chief Guto Harri and Ross Kempsell, political director of the Conservative Research Department. Also in attendance was polling guru Sir Lynton Crosby, who has no formal role in government, but whose advice the PM has trusted for years.

'It was calm,' one source said. 'We've had a plan for a long time  it was just a matter of going over that, checking it, tweaking it and putting it in motion.

'It was also pretty clear the other lot didn't have a plan. They stumbled into this without any idea of what would come next.'

The meeting also discussed how the PM could stamp his authority on the party again after what looked certain to be a bruising, divisive experience.

Plans for a summer reshuffle could be fast-tracked to take place in the coming days. Mr Johnson was also advised to withdraw the whip from the 'serially disloyal'.

Carrie Johnson and Boris Johnson during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in front of Buckingham Palace yesterday

'The PM's weakness is he's too nice to people,' one source said. 'We need to start getting tough with some of these people and send a message that we're not going to put up with it any more.' The PM then worked on a personal letter to Tory MPs, which was sent to aides for approval at 10.30pm.

News of the impending contest was kept extremely tight  to the extent that even Health Secretary Sajid Javid was not told before he was sent out to defend the Government on a morning broadcast round. But the surprises were also still coming for No 10.

At 7.36am, the PM's old friend Jesse Norman plunged the knife in, releasing a scathing letter saying the Government 'lacks a sense of mission'. Mr Norman said neither the Tories nor the country could afford to 'squander the next two years adrift and distracted by endless debate about you and your leadership'.

One insider acknowledged that Mr Norman, an Eton contemporary of Mr Johnson who backed him for the leadership, was 'not on anyone's list' of likely rebels.

A couple of minutes after 8am, Sir Graham broke cover to tell the world that 'the threshold has been reached', triggering a formal vote of confidence later that evening. A few minutes later, a one-page summary of the case for the PM's defence dropped into Tory MPs' inboxes. At 9am, government whips were summoned to a meeting to war-game the day and identify the waverers who might respond positively to a call from Mr Johnson.

Boris Johnson speaking on the phone with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from his office in 10 Downing Street

The PM also spent an hour personalising his letters to MPs, with a handwritten note on each one  a use of time that raised eyebrows among some supporters.

How does Boris's result compare to previous Tory confidence votes? Boris Johnson - June 2022 211 votes in favour (59 per cent) 148 votes against (41 per cent) Majority: 63 Theresa May - December 2018 200 votes in favour (63 per cent) 117 votes against (37 per cent) Majority: 83 Iain Duncan Smith - October 2003 90 votes against (45.5 per cent) 75 votes for (55.5 per cent) Majority: 15 John Major - July 1995 218 votes for (66 per cent) 89 votes for challenger John Redwood (27 per cent) 22 abstentions (seven per cent) Majority: 129 Margaret Thatcher - November 1990 204 votes for (55 per cent) 152 votes for challenger Michael Heseltine (41 per cent) 16 abstentions (four per cent) Majority: 52 Margaret Thatcher - December 1989 314 votes for (90.5 per cent) 33 votes for challenger Sir Anthony Meyer (9.5 per cent) Majority: 281 Advertisement

No 10's confidence had previously been buoyed by the fact that there was no obvious challenger. As one old hand put it: 'You can't have a challenge without a challenger.' That changed shortly before 11am when Jeremy Hunt took to social media to savage the PM. The former foreign secretary, who was defeated by Mr Johnson in the 2019 leadership contest, has been 'on manoeuvres' at Westminster for months.

He did not mince his words, saying: 'Today's decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.'

Mr Hunt is widely seen as one of the leading agitators undermining the PM and the Government. The response from Mr Johnson's allies was immediate and brutal.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: 'Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate. Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so.' Her no-nonsense response underlined how difficult it could be to put the Tory Party together again after last night's vote.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said he was 'heartbroken' to see senior colleagues tearing lumps out of each other.

A No 10 insider acknowledged that Mrs Dorries' forthright response 'wasn't in the comms playbook', but said she 'speaks from the heart'. Privately, loyalists were delighted to see Mr Hunt flushed out, believing some of the PM's Brexiteer critics might pause for thought at the prospect of a Hunt takeover.

The business of government also had to continue. The PM pressed ahead with a planned phone call with Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky. He then hosted a meeting about Ukraine with Estonian PM Kaja Kallas.

In Portcullis House, the large office block in which coffee shops serve as Parliament's public square, Tory whips stationed spies to report on who the plotters were meeting.

Yet there was some unease at the effectiveness of the No 10 operation. Some wavering MPs said they had not been called.

And while loyalist ministers such as Jacob Rees-Mogg were all over the airwaves making the case that a win by one vote is 'enough' for the PM to continue, Cabinet big-hitters Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Priti Patel confined their enthusiasm to tweets or brief statements. None of Mr Johnson's predecessors as prime minister offered any words of support.

At 4pm, Mr Johnson came to make his own final appeal to MPs, setting out plans for the future 'if I am still here'. Speaking at a packed meeting of the 1922 Committee, he pleaded with MPs to break free from the 'media-driven focus' on his leadership and concentrate on delivering for the public  and taking the fight to Labour.

Mr Johnson (L) welcomes Estonia's prime minister Kaja Kallas during a bilateral meeting today

'This is not the moment for a leisurely and entirely unforced domestic political drama,' he said. 'This is the moment for us to lift our gaze from our navel.' He highlighted his own track record of winning elections, dangled a hint of future tax cuts and gently pointed out that the rebels have 'no alternative agenda'. To no one's surprise he faced hostile questions on Party-gate from long-time malcontents Mark Harper and John Baron.

Then the voting began. Veteran MP Sir Peter Bottomley headed a queue of 20 as the ballot opened in Parliament's committee room 10. Mr Hunt arrived ten minutes after polls opened, accompanied by supporters Philip Dunne and Dan Poulter. Theresa May looked dressed to celebrate, sweeping past reporters wearing a full-length ballgown and sequinned heels.

The PM continued to work the phones from his Commons office to try to twist a final few arms.

But eventually there was nothing more to do but wander up the corridor to cast his own vote. And wait for Sir Graham's verdict.
A woman accused of organising a bungled hit against her ex-lover sobbed to detectives while being grilled about a bloody map found in his pocket.

Biannca Edmunds, 35, claimed to have no memory of the day she allegedly ordered 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, a Supreme Court of Victoria jury was played Edmunds' record of interview with homicide squad detectives after her arrest some seven months after the shocking crime.

A bloody map found on Glen Cassidy after he shot dead his victim. It outlined where dogs and cameras might be located near his target's house. Police allege Biannca Edmunds made the map

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 month

Glen Cassidy's blood on the porch outside the house where he shot dead Mr Caposiena. He bled to death after attacking Silvana Silva

Dressed in a blue, sleeveless blouse, Edmunds broke down into tears while denying crafting the map of her ex-lovers home and a text message supposedly sent by Cassidy to her on the day he was killed.

Cassidy had bled to death after shooting Mr Caposiena dead inside his West Meadows home, north of Melbourne, in March 2016.

His bloody body was found outside the murder house next to a cap captioned 'Fear The Reaper'.

Edmunds told police she had met Cassidy, aged more than 20 years her senior, after hiring him as her personal trainer.

When asked what she knew of the attack, Edmunds claimed to know nothing other than what she had heard in the media.

'I just know there was a fight,' she said.

Edmunds, who police allege manipulated and demanded Cassidy carry out the murder, told detectives it was Cassidy who had been upset about her ex-lover's efforts to have access visits with their two-year old son.

'Glen was sick of how we were being treated,' she said.

Edmunds claimed Cassidy hated that Mr Caposiena asked to be called 'daddy' and wanted the child to carry his surname.

She told police Mr Caposiena had been stalking her leading up to his death and had snuck into her house and turned on the gas stove.

'I started to get scared,' she claimed.

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

Fear The Reaper: a cap found at the bloody crime scene

The knife used by Mr Caposiena to stab Glen Cassidy seconds before he was shot through the head

The jury saw Edmunds become agitated when asked about her previous relationship with Mr Caposiena.

Her demeanour changed when she recalled her relationship with Cassidy, whom she claimed had been depressed at the time after losing his job.

Edmunds told detectives Cassidy's three children had moved with him into her house, describing their mother as a 'psychopath'.

'They chose to live at my place,' she said.

Edmunds' smiles turned to tears again upon being asked about the day in which Cassidy died.

On Monday, the jury was shown CCTV footage of Cassidy casing out Mr Caposiena's home before launching his murderous attack.

They were also shown images of the battered face of Mr Caposiena's girlfriend Silvana Silva, who Cassidy bashed in the moments after shooting her partner dead.

He had tried to shoot her too, but had only loaded his revolver with one bullet.

Cassidy bled to death before he could kill Ms Silva, leaving his schnitzel dinner uneaten in his car.

A bloody map of his victim's home, allegedly crafted by Edmunds, was found in his pocket.

He had sent a well worded text message to Edmunds taking sole responsibility for what he was about to do.

Edmunds told police she had fought with Cassidy that morning over plans to hire a motorhome for a family trip.

'I don't remember the rest of the day,' she repeated.

Michael Caposiena died after he was shot in the head in March 2016

Glen Cassidy had left a chicken schnitzel dinner in his car on the night he killed his wife's ex-lover

The jury watched detectives grill Edmunds about Cassidy's grasp of the English language, of which he had little.

'I did not type that message,' Edmunds said.

When shown the map found on Cassidy, Edmunds again became agitated and broke down in tears.

She further denied buying the gun used in the murder or helping to plan the assassination of her ex.

'That's just absurd,' she sobbed.

Last week the jury heard claims Edmunds had spilled her guts about her role in the bungled hit to a man she had met on Tinder just weeks after her husband's death.

Todd Bookham - who did almost eight years jail time for cutting his former wife's throat and stabbing her step sister in front of her six-year old son - hooked-up with Edmunds, a mother of three, just weeks after the killings.

The jury heard Edmunds confessed to Bookham immediately after giving the December 2016 record of interview to police.

By then, Edmunds was certain police knew she had sent the text message from Cassidy's phone in which he supposedly accepted sole responsibility for his actions.

'They're trying to get me on a text message ... that I sent to Glen. I got Glen to send to and they're - and they're onto that,' Edmunds allegedly told Bookham on her return home.

'And they're going to get me anyway and they even know about the map and they know all this stuff and I'm just going to hand myself in.'

Biannca Edmunds (right) remains free on bail. She is pictured leaving the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday

Biannca Edmunds has pleaded not guilty to murder

The jury watched the uncomfortable moment Edmunds was shown the text message that came from Cassidy's phone.

She had responded to it 45 minutes after it was sent, police allege by her.

'Oh my god I can't even remember this now,' she told detectives. 'I've blocked that out.'

In the witness boz last week, Bookham told the jury Edmunds was hysterical when she grabbed a knife later that day and put it to her own throat.

'She just said she's had enough of all this, like police harassing her and stuff like that. And she wanted to go and hand herself in,' he told the jury.

Bookham claimed Edmunds admitted Cassidy had died because of her.

'She was going on about how Glen wasn't meant to die and it's all her fault ... she was telling me that they had drawn a map so that if he was to go there and, and kill um, sorry, what's his name?' Bookham 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.

The trial continues.
Apple is rumoured to be finally unveiling its first pair of smart glasses at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) tonight.

The product is rumoured to be a 'mixed reality' wearable device, which would enable users to see virtual items overlaid on the real world in front of them.

Mixed reality describes experiences that combine elements of both a physical and virtual environment, allowing real and digital elements to coexist and interact.

But such a product from Apple comes years after Google, Microsoft and Snap released their own versions, suggesting the iPhone maker is once again 'behind the curve' on innovation.

The Cupertino tech giant has lagged behind in a number of product areas, including smart speakers, music streaming and virtual reality, experts point out.

Is Apple behind the curve? The tech firm has lagged behind in a number of product areas, including smart speakers and smart glasses

Apple has long been rumoured to be developing its own pair of AR glasses. The tech giant filed a patent in 2019 (pictured above) that gives a glimpse into what it may be developing behind closed doors

WHAT IS MIXED REALITY? Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are both immersive technologies but they arent the same. Mixed reality is an extension of augmented reality that allows real and virtual elements to interact in an environment. Mixed reality maintains a connection to the real world, so it is not considered a fully immersive experience like virtual reality (VR) is. Source: bernardmarr.com Advertisement

According to tech analyst Paolo Pescatore at PP Foresight, one of the reasons Apple may have fallen behind on hardware is it's increased focus on services  such as music, TV and gaming  which provide a more steady source of revenue than hardware.

'Arguably, the company has placed strong focus on the iPhone as a gateway to the Apple universe,' Pescatore told MailOnline.

'This might suggest it is behind the curve on new hardware.

'All rivals have been seeking to differentiate with new product categories such as foldable devices, smart glasses, VR and more.

'However, a greater focus on services clearly suggests a desire to diversify its business model.

'The iPhone continues to deliver but it cannot solely rely on this smartphone forever given intense competition.'

Meanwhile, Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, suggested that waiting for other companies to unveil their products may even be to Apple's advantage.

'Apple will continue following its typical playbook of waiting until the relevant technology reaches a level of maturity and then it will enter the fray with a disruptive device that ignites the market,' he told MailOnline.

Even though Apple has undoubtedly proved to be a pioneer in many product areas  the iPhone, for example  it's possible the company's focus on innovation has faltered since the death of co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011.

Here's a look at some of the product areas where Apple has had to play catch-up over the last few years.

Apple is rumoured to be finally unveiling its first pair of augmented reality smart glasses at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) tonight

Apple has increasingly moved into augmented reality technology. In 2017, it launched AR Kit, an augmented reality platform for developers to create apps and other software using the tech

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AR AND VR? Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of an environment or situation It immerses the user by making them feel like they are in the simulated reality through images and sounds For example, in VR, you could feel like you're climbing a mountain while you're at home In contrast, augmented reality layers computer-generated images on top of an existing reality AR is developed into apps to bring digital components into the real world

For example, in the Pokemon Go app, the characters seem to appear in real world scenarios Advertisement

SMART GLASSES/HEADSET

According to MacRumours, Apple is currently working on two different AR/VR products  the first is a headset that would cover the eyes, similar to Meta's Oculus Quest, which could be released this year.

The second, a sleeker pair of augmented reality glasses possibly called Apple Glass, will come at an even later date, likely over a decade after the company's main rivals.

Google Glass, created in 2011 and first released to the public in 2014, displays information directly in the user's field of vision, letting users go 'smartphone-free'.

Meanwhile, Snap released its first generation of smart glasses back in 2016, and has recently created its first pair of AR smart glasses, although these are yet to become available to the public.

And Microsoft's HoloLens, first released in 2016, similarly blends digital information with the real world, or can simulate a virtual world.

Apple Glass could present a digital display on the lenses to complement surrounding environments, such as arrows to help consumers find their destination in cities.

Making Apple Glasses look more like normal glasses instead of a more chunky headset could make them more appealing to the consumer market.

Wood thinks that Apple may not even unveil a mixed reality hardware product at WWDC today, saying it is 'just too early'.

In 2021, Snap unveiled its next generation of Spectacles, which are its first to feature augmented reality (AR), although these are yet to become available to the public

Apple tipster Mark Gurman is also unsure if WWDC will include a debut of the 'powerful' mixed-reality headset, described the 'next big thing'.

PIONEERING APPLE INVENTIONS 2001-2003: Digital music - iPod, iTunes 1977: Apple II - ushered an era of user-friendly PCs 1998: iMac G3- a revolutionary computer design 2007: iPhone - Triggered the transition from feature phones to smartphones Advertisement

Writing in his latest 'Power On' newsletter on Sunday, Gurman said a future Apple AR/VR headset will hover over the show 'regardless of whether its there or not'.

'Excitement over the secretive new product continues to build among developers, consumers and Apple engineers, and the company may at least give a few hints during WWDC about whats eventually coming,' he said.

FOLDABLE PHONE

Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi, LG and Huawei are among the long list of companies that have a foldable phone  but not Apple.

Samsung is expected to announce its next foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, in summer 2022  three years after the original Galaxy Fold was released.

Motorola also took inspiration from its original RAZR flip design to create a pocket-sized flip phone that folds down a horizontal crease in the screen, released in February 2020.

Meanwhile, the more recently released Huawei Mate X2 features a dual-screen design very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.

But read any round-up of the 'best foldable phones to buy in 2022' and you'll find Apple notable by its absence.

Samsung's 1,700 Galaxy Z Fold3, released last year, folds vertically down the middle of the screen

Motorola's reinvented Razr flip mobile has a 6.2 inch foldable screen, which bends in half to shut in the same way as older 'clamshell' handsets. But it's far from cheap - it costs a whopping 1,200

The firm appears to have registered patents for a foldable phone, similar to a flip phone, with a horizontal hinge through the middle.

But these were filed years ago, and Apple's recent iPhone models have no design features to suggest it's going down the foldable route anytime soon.

However, Wood told MailOnline that there is 'really no need' for Apple to move in the foldable direction at present.

'You can be sure that it has had flexible display technology in its labs for the last decade,' he said.

'But at present there is no commercial imperative for Apple to take the risk of piling into a niche market when the iPhone is so unbelievably successful.'

HOMEPOD

Apple was also late to the smart speaker market; it announced HomePod five years ago at WWDC 2017 and released it to the public the following year, after a delay.

At the time, it joined a crowded smart speaker market that featured the likes of Amazon Echo, Google Home and Tmall Genie, from Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba.

Apple was also late to the smart speaker market; it announced HomePod (pictured) five years ago at WWDC 2017

However, HomePod was criticised for damaging wooden furniture and its high price compared to other smart speakers  it retailed for 319 when it was finally released to the UK in February 2018.

As a comparison, Google Home was retailing for as little as 50 the previous Christmas.

Apple discontinued the original HomePod last year, and even though it still offers a cheaper mini version, the smart speaker market is largely dominated by Amazon and Google.

According to Statista, Google and Amazon accounted for 26 per cent and 20 per cent respectively of global smart speaker shipments in the third quarter of 2021, while Apple only had 10 per cent.

'Amazon and Google are the market leaders for smart speakers,' tech analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight told MailOnline.

Amazon's own smart assistant powers the Echo speakers, including the spherical fourth generation Echo released in autumn 2020 (pictured)

'These giants have benefited from early mover advantage.

'This remains an ongoing challenge for Apple as it seeks to gain a presence in the connected home (and more importantly living room).'

In fairness, Samsung  one of Apple's main hardware rivals  hasn't properly released a smart speaker either, even though it announced one nearly four years ago.

Samsung Galaxy Home was officially revealed by the Korean firm in August 2018 but was never released.

A smaller version, Galaxy Home Mini, was only made available to Korean customers with purchases of the Galaxy S20 phone in 2020.

AIRTAG

Last year, Apple released the 29 AirTag, a small, circular device with an Apple logo at the centre that tracks missing items through the 'Find My' app.

AirTag can be attached to non-techy items like keys or wallets and provides notifications when users become separated from the item.

Last year, Apple released AirTag, a small, circular device with an Apple logo at the centre that tracks missing items

But the product was notably similar to technology offered by Tile, a company based in California that's been making Bluetooth item trackers for nearly 10 years.

Tile's CEO, CJ Prober, later described Apple as a 'runaway monopoly train' that had put his company at a disadvantage.

'We welcome competition from Apple,' Prober told Bloomberg. 'But we think it needs to be fair.'

APPLE MUSIC

It's hard to deny that Apple played a massive role in changing how we listened to music two decades ago.

The iPod, first released in 2001 and recently discontinued, was one of the most successful Apple products of all time.

Apple sold around 450 million of its various iPod models over the last 21 years, and entered a risky legal battle when it unveiled iTunes in September 2003, designed to sync music to a device.

Apple Music is the second-biggest music streaming service in the world, after Swedish firm Spotify (file photo)

But the rise and fall of downloading music happened relatively quickly, leaving Apple to play catch-up as music lovers embraced streaming.

Almost a decade after Spotify was formed, the Cupertino firm released Apple Music in 2015, and the two now go head-to-head for market share.

According to a report this year from Midia Research, Spotify is the largest music streaming service in the world, followed by Apple.

In the global music subscription market, Spotify has the highest market share (31 per cent), while Apple Music is 'a distant second' with 15 per cent market share, it said.


NASA is to launch a 'priority' mission to explore mysterious mounds on the moon that have baffled scientists.

The US space agency has unveiled plans for a rover to visit the Gruithuisen Domes, geological features which experts believe were formed by a sticky magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite.

On Earth, formations like these need oceans of liquid water and plate tectonics to form, but without such ingredients on the moon, experts are unsure how the domes formed and evolved over time.

The Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) investigation, slated for 2025, will consist of a suite of five instruments.

Two of these will be mounted on a stationary lander and three mounted on a mobile rover to be provided as a service by a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative vendor.

NASA is to launch a 'priority' mission to explore mysterious mounds on the moon that have baffled scientists. The US space agency has unveiled plans for a rover to visit the Gruithuisen Domes (pictured)

On Earth, formations like these need oceans of liquid water and plate tectonics to form, but without such ingredients on the moon, experts are unsure how the domes formed and evolved over time

WHAT ARE THE GRUITHUISEN DOMES AND WHEN WERE THEY DISCOVERED? The Gruithuisen Domes are a geologic enigma. NASA says that based on early telescopic and spacecraft observations, the domes are believed to have been formed by a magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite. Observations from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter confirmed that the Gruithuisen Domes are distinct from the surrounding terrain, which is covered by ancient hardened basaltic lava flows. These are runny and thin and flow sort of like motor oil  as opposed to silicic lavas, which are thick, and flow more like peanut butter, NASA said. The mystery is how silicic magmas could form on the moon. On Earth, silicic volcanoes typically form in the presence of two ingredients  water and plate tectonics. But these ingredients do not exist on the moon, leaving scientists baffled. Advertisement

Over the course of ten Earth days (one lunar day), Lunar-VISE will explore the summit of one of the Gruithuisen Domes.

By analysing the lunar regolith at the top of one of these domes, the data collected and returned by Lunar-VISE's instruments will help scientists answer fundamental questions regarding how these formations came to be.

The data also will help inform future robotic and human missions to the moon as part of the Artemis programme, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon later this decade.

'We've got a lunar mystery on our hands! The Gruithuisen Domes are a geologic enigma,' said NASA's Caroline Capone.

'Based on early telescopic and spacecraft observations, these domes have long been suspected to be formed by a magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite.

'The real mystery is how such silicic magmas could form on the moon.'

She added: 'In order to truly understand these puzzling features, we need to visit the domes, explore them from the ground, and analyse rock samples.

'Hopefully, in just a couple of years we will better understand this lunar mystery.'

Adding to the growing list of commercial deliveries slated to explore more of the moon than ever before under Artemis, NASA has also selected a second investigation: The Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) science suite is a small CubeSat-based device.

LEIA will provide biological research on the moon  which cannot be simulated or replicated with high fidelity on the Earth or International Space Station  by delivering the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the lunar surface and studying its response to radiation and lunar gravity.

'The two selected studies will address important scientific questions related to the moon,' said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

By analysing the lunar regolith at the top of one of these domes, the data collected and returned will help scientists answer fundamental questions regarding how these formations came to be

This picture shows a side view of the Gruithuisen Domes, as photographed during Apollo 15

The data will help inform future robotic and human missions to the moon as part of the Artemis programme, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon later this decade

'The first will study geologic processes of early planetary bodies that are preserved on the moon, by investigating a rare form of lunar volcanism.

'The second will study the effects of the moon's low gravity and radiation environment on yeast, a model organism used to understand DNA damage response and repair.'

NASA's original date for landing humans on the moon again was 2024, but last year it delayed the date, largely blamed on litigation from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' firm Blue Origin.

Also this year, NASA will be sending manikins to space as part of the Artemis I mission in August 2022.

Artemis I will pave the way for crewed flights  Artemis II, which will launch in May 2024 and fly by the moon without landing on it, and Artemis III, which will actually touch down on the lunar surface.

Artemis III, which will launch 'no earlier than 2025', will be the first to land humans on the moon in more than 50 years, since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Polar bears and brown bears were still mating with each other long after they had split into two distinct species, a new study has found.

The two species are known to have separated between 1.3 and 1.6 million years ago, yet new genomic evidence suggests they have inherited traits from each other much more recently.

Scientists from the USA, Mexico and Finland analysed the genomes of 64 modern polar and brown bears, as well as that of an ancient polar bear that lived up to 130,000 years ago.

While evidence of hybridisation was found in both brown and polar bear genomes, the latter carried a particularly strong signature of DNA from brown bears.

As global warming continued to melt Arctic sea ice, the two bear species may run into each other more frequently, their shared evolutionary history could become more significant.

It may influence the way that the Arctic-adapted polar bear adapts to life in a warmer climate, that their brown bear cousins are already more inclined to.

The subfossil jawbone of a polar bear that lived 115,000 to 130,000 years ago in Norways Svalbard archipelago. A genomic study includes an analysis of DNA extracted from a tooth attached to this jawbone, that showed evidence of hybridisation in polar and brown bears

Researchers estimate that polar bears and brown bears started to become distinct species between 1.3 and 1.6 million years ago. The interbreeding of polar and brown bears has previously made it difficult to pinpoint how long ago the two species split

HOW DO WE KNOW POLAR BEARS AND BROWN BEARS MATED WITH EACH OTHER? Researchers analysed the genomes of 64 modern polar and brown bears, including several new genomes from Alaska - a state where both species are found They produced a new, more complete genome for a polar bear that lived 115,000 to 130,000 years ago in Norways Svalbard archipelago from a tooth attached to a subfossil jawbone Using this dataset, researchers estimate that polar bears and brown bears started to become distinct species between 1.3 and 1.6 million years ago They also concluded that polar bears endured dramatic population decline after they became their own species This in turn reduced the variation of the gene pool, and left polar bears with much less genetic diversity than brown bears Polar bears ultimately were found to carry a more evidence of DNA from brown bears than the other way round, despite hybridisation from both species Advertisement

'We find evidence for interbreeding between polar bears and brown bears that predates an ancient polar bear we studied,' said Dr Charlotte Lindqvist, an associate professor of biological sciences in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences.

'Moreover, our results demonstrate a complicated, intertwined evolutionary history among brown and polar bears, with the main direction of gene flow going into polar bears from brown bears.

'This inverts a hypothesis suggested by other researchers that gene flow has been unidirectional and going into brown bears around the peak of the last ice age.'

This hybridisation of the two bear types mirrors complexities also seen in the evolutionary history of humans.

Scientists once thought modern humans and Neanderthals simply split into separate species after evolving from a common ancestor.

Then, researchers found Neanderthal DNA in modern Eurasian people, implying that at some point modern human populations received an influx of genes from Neanderthals.

They also discovered evidence of modern human DNA inside the Neanderthal genome, demonstrating that interbreeding can affect the genomes of both species.

Dr Lindqvist continues: 'The formation and maintenance of species can be a messy process,

'Whats happened with polar bears and brown bears is a neat analogue to what were learning about human evolution: that the splitting of species can be incomplete.

'As more and more ancient genomes have been recovered from ancient human populations, including Neanderthals and Denisovans, were seeing that there was multidirectional genetic mixing going on as different groups of archaic humans mated with ancestors of modern humans.

'Polar bears and brown bears are another system where you see this happening.'

Genomes analysed in a new study on bears include that of this bear, pictured here in 1995 on Alaska's North Slope. Scientists had wondered if this bear might be a brown bear-polar bear hybrid, but the new research finds that, 'This bear is not a hybrid, but simply a light-colored brown bear,' says University at Buffalo biologist Charlotte Lindqvist

The researchers analysed the genomes of 64 modern polar and brown bears, including several new genomes from Alaska, a state where both species are found, to get their results

The researchers from University at Buffalo in the US, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity in Mexico and University of Oulu in Finland analysed the genomes of 64 modern polar and brown bears, including several new genomes from Alaska, a state where both species are found.

They also produced a new, more complete genome for a polar bear that lived 115,000 to 130,000 years ago in Norways Svalbard archipelago.

DNA for the ancient polar bear was extracted from a tooth attached to a subfossil jawbone - the skeletal remains of a bear that is not ancient enough to be considered a true fossil.

Using this dataset, researchers estimate that polar bears and brown bears started to become distinct species between 1.3 and 1.6 million years ago.

The interbreeding of polar and brown bears, along with limited fossil evidence for polar bears, has previously made this age difficult to pinpoint.

The scientists also concluded that polar bears endured dramatic population decline after they became their own species.

This in turn reduced the variation of the gene pool, and left polar bears with much less genetic diversity than brown bears.

Polar bears ultimately were found to carry a more evidence of DNA from brown bears than the other way round, despite hybridisation from both species.

Earlier research suggested the opposite would be the case.

Kalle Leppala, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Oulu said: 'Its exciting how DNA can help reveal ancient life history.

'Gene flow direction is harder to determine than merely its presence, but these patterns are vital to understanding how past adaptations have transferred among species to give modern animals their current features.'

Dr Luis Herrera-Estrella at the Texas Tech Department of Plant and Soil Science added: 'Population genomics is an increasingly powerful toolbox to study plant and animal evolution and the effects of human activity and climate change on endangered species,

'Bears dont provide simple speciation stories any more than human evolution has. This new genomic research suggests that mammalian species groups can hide complicated evolutionary histories.'

The findings were published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Senegal international has a year remaining on his current deal at Anfield

Liverpool believe Mane is worth more but haven't set asking price for the forward

ffer included a further 4million in add-ons if Bayern win Champions League

Bayern have reportedly had an opening 21million bid rejected for Sadio Mane

Liverpool have reportedly rejected an opening 21million plus 4m in add-ons bid from Bayern Munich to sign Sadio Mane.

The Senegalese forward has been heavily linked with a departure from Anfield this summer and recently gave the clearest indication yet that his days at the club are numbered.

With just a year remaining on his current contract, Bundesliga champions Bayern have been tipped as Mane's next destination.

Bayern Munich have reportedly had an opening 21million bid for Sadio Mane rejected

The 30-year-old forward has one year remaining on his current deal with Jurgen Klopp's side

According to The Times, Liverpool have rejected an opening 21million bid from the German side for the forward.

The offer is said to have been received last week and it included a further 4m in add-ons providing Bayern win the Champions League in the future.

Liverpool didn't entertain the offer as they believe Mane, who has won every trophy possible with the Reds, is worth more but they haven't set a price on the player.

Julian Nagelsmann's (L) Bayern are trying to sign Mane after starring for Klopp's (R) Liverpool

Sadio Mane recently told reporters that he would 'do what the Senegalese people want him to do' when it comes to his future at Liverpool but went on to say he was 'joking'

The report also claims Jurgen Klopp's side hold an interest in Benfica striker Darwin Nunez but they will not pursue him at any cost.

In the build-up to Senegal's Africa Cup of Nation qualifier clash with Benin, Mane said: '60 to 70 per cent of Senegalese want me to leave Liverpool? I'll do what they want.'

The 30-year-old went on to score a hat-trick in a 3-1 win - becoming the country's all-time leading goalscorer - and clarified his previous statement, claiming he was 'joking'.

'I spoke yesterday while joking with a bit of humour and it was everywhere. I think we'll stop there,' Mane told Canal+.

Liverpool hold an interest in Benfica striker Darwin Nunez but will not pursue him at any cost

'Liverpool is a club I respect a lot. The fans adopted me since day one. Regarding the future, we'll see.'

Bayern want to play Mane alongside Robert Lewandowski - provided he doesn't leave for Barcelona after stating his desire to exit. Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping an eye on Mane's situation.

Mane has been one of the most influential figures in Liverpool's success in recent years, scoring 120 goals and providing 48 assists in 269 appearances since joining from Southampton for 34m in 2016.
North Korea launched eight ballistic missiles from several places at the same time, raising suspicions that Kim Jong-un is planning a new nuclear test.

The dictator has promised to expand his weapons program this year, boasting that he will scare the globe with more missile launches. South Korea said the latest salvo of missiles was launched from different places into the sea over 30 minutes on Sunday.

North Korea Fires 8 Ballistic Missiles

They flew at altitudes of up to 55 miles and traveled distances ranging from 68 to 416 miles. The simultaneous test firing from different places was uncommon, said Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.

Two missiles were fired from each facility, the most ballistic missiles North Korea has recently launched in a single day. Analysts say the missile launches, one of roughly 20 nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang this year, send a grim message to Seoul and Washington.

Analysts have cautioned Kim Jong Un that he may accelerate nuclear testing preparations to distract North Koreans from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the government has begun work on a long-dormant nuclear plant, according to fresh satellite images, as per The Sun.

Meanwhile, South Korea and the US launched eight ballistic missiles on Monday in retaliation to North Korean nuclear tests the day before, in consonance with Seoul's military. The allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile against targets in the East Sea, commonly known as the Sea of Japan, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The 10-minute volley comes a day after North Korea launched eight short-range ballistic missiles in response to a joint military exercise including a US aircraft carrier between South Korea and the United States. The launches on Monday are the partners' second such combined show of force under South Korea's hardline new President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has promised a harder stance against Pyongyang's provocations.

Seoul and Washington conducted coordinated launches last month after Pyongyang launched three ballistic missiles, including a potential intercontinental ballistic missile, in their first such cooperative operation since 2017, according to The Star.

Read Also: Health Officials Recommend COVID-19 Precautions Against Monkeypox Amid Continuous Spread in the US

What Does North Korea Want From US?

North Korea has retained its historically antagonistic strength-to-strength posture against the United States, and Kim appears to be operating under that premise about the Biden administration. Kim Jong Un wishes for his country to be acknowledged by the US and the world community as a legitimate nuclear-weapon state.

Kim Jong Un underlined the importance of nuclear power during his address at a military parade on April 25, demonstrating his determination to maintain upgrading his nuclear weapons in the face of additional economic restrictions imposed by the US and the UN as a countermeasure.

He also hinted at employing nuclear weapons as a preemptive strategy against his opponents, but experts doubt that Kim will launch missiles against the US mainland in a preemptive assault.

Observers believe the North's nuclear and ballistic missile tests are intended to up the ante at the negotiating table, allowing Kim to extract more bargaining chips from Biden in exchange for the removal of economic sanctions if the nuclear talks are restarted, Fox New via MSN reported.

Related Article: US Officials Pressures European Nations To Challenge China

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Actress Natalie Anderson has revealed she staged a surprise ceremony to renew her wedding vows that was so secret even her husband James Shepherd did not know what was happening.

The Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star, 40, said the ceremony in the Maldives, which took place days before their wedding anniversary, was 'all I dreamt it would be'.

Speaking to Hello! magazine admitted to hatching the plan with her nine-year-old son Freddie, who had delivered his father a special letter, like a scene from a romantic film.

'It's all I dreamt it would be': Natalie Anderson reveals she renewed her wedding vows with husband James after hatching a secret plan with son Freddie, 9 (pictured together in the Maldives)

The letter invited Shepherd, 50, to join Anderson at the ceremony to re-promise themselves to each other, and read: 'I love you and if you'd like to do the same, please meet me at the beach...'.

She told the publication: 'How James didn't know is beyond me, It was so magical and so intimate with it just being the three of us'.

Adding: 'It was absolutely perfect and all I dreamt it would be.'

Close knit: She told the publication: 'How James didn't know is beyond me, It was so magical and so intimate with it just being the three of us' (pictured together in 2021)

Soap star: Former Emmerdale actress Natalie (right) who played Alicia Metcalfe in the ITV soap between 2010 and 2015 (pictured with co-star Roxy Shahidi)

The ceremony took place on May 28, just days before the couple's anniversary on June 6.

Speaking about her gorgeous gown by Dutch bridal designer Modeca Natalie said: 'I knew I wanted something that was simple, that I could wear without shoes, that was beachy with a lovely silhouette and just different to my wedding dress,'

She revealed she still has the Pronovias silk and Swarovski-beaded and lace dress with 8ft cathedral train that she wore 14 years ago for their wedding in North Yorkshire.

Star turn: As well as parts on the long-running soaps, Anderson is due to make her big-screen debut alongside Liam Neeson and Monica Bellucci in action-thriller Memory.

As well as parts on the long-running soaps, Anderson is due to make her big-screen debut alongside Liam Neeson in action-thriller Memory.

The flick is directed by Casino Royale's Martin Campbell and stars Monica Bellucci, adapted from the novel De Zaak Alzheimer by Belgian writer Jef Geeraerts.

It tells the tale of an assassin-for-hire who finds that he's become a target after he refuses to complete a job for a dangerous criminal organization and is due to be released later this year.

Read the full interview in Hello! magazine, out now.
Carrie Bickmore's TV executive partner is officially off the hook after he was caught with his trousers down on a company Skype call last month.

Chris Walker, the executive producer of comedy show The Weekly, stripped naked in front of shocked ABC staff after he thought he'd left a video conference on May 17.

While the gaffe led to an avalanche of embarrassing headlines for the ABC, Walker is 'unlikely to face serious sanctions', according to The Australian.

Phew! Carrie Bickmore's (left) TV executive partner Chris Walker (right) is off the hook after he was caught with his trousers down on a company Skype call last month

The public broadcaster reportedly took the incident 'seriously' but managers say the steps already taken will 'probably' be the end of the matter.

An insider told the newspaper: 'It was a genuine mistake. Obviously, the ABC is taking it seriously if people were traumatised.

'But if serious action was taken against Chris Walker for an accidental flash, there'd also be an outcry.'

It comes a week after an anonymous ABC employee made bombshell claims about the now-infamous 'nude Zoom' incident.

The staffer accused senior ABC managers of initially brushing off the gaffe as 'hilarious' and dismissing employees' concerns.

Moving on: Walker, the executive producer of The Weekly, stripped naked in front of shocked ABC staff after he thought he'd left a video conference on May 17. While the gaffe led to an avalanche of embarrassing headlines for ABC, he is 'unlikely to face serious sanctions'

The ABC has since offered counselling to staffers who witnessed the incident, The Herald Sun reported.

The 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.

Chapter closed: The public broadcaster reportedly took the incident 'seriously' but managers say the steps already taken will 'probably' be the end of the matter, reports The Australian

'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.

Not a big deal? It comes a week after an anonymous staffer accused senior ABC managers of initially brushing off the gaffe as 'hilarious' and dismissing employees' concerns

Walker accidentally stripped naked in front of ABC staff when he thought he had left a company Skype call three 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.

Oh, dear: Walker accidentally stripped naked in front of ABC staff when he thought he had left a company Skype call three 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.
Tributes are pouring in after the death of Australian radio icon Peter Harvie.

Harvie was a media and advertising executive best known for being the long-time former chairman of Austereo, which later became Southern Cross Austereo.

During his five decades in the industry, he mentored several generations of radio talent, including Hamish Blake, Andy Lee, Eddie McGuire and Kyle Sandilands.

Vale: Tributes are pouring in after the death of Australian radio icon Peter Harvie (pictured in 2014). Harvie was a media and advertising executive best known for being the long-time former chairman of Austereo, which later became Southern Cross Austereo

Sandilands tweeted on Sunday: 'Just heard of the death of former @SCA Director Peter Harvie. Peter was a true boss in every sense of the word.

'He saved me more than once in my career and above all allowed creative people to shine. Peter will be missed, but his teachings and guidance will live on.'

Lee wrote on Instagram: 'Just heard of the passing of one of the great humans I have ever come to know. He protected Hamish and I as we made our way into the industry and was a great ear for all my questions along the ride.

'Good mentors are hard to find and I hope you knew how much I appreciated your tidbits of wisdom. Chairman Harvie, you'll be sorely missed. You've been on my wall for the last ten years and will stay there. Big love, Chairman Lee.'

Tribute: During his five decades in the industry, Harvie mentored several generations of radio talent, including the likes of Hamish Blake, Andy Lee, Eddie McGuire and Kyle Sandilands. Many stars who owe their career to Harvie paid tribute to him over the weekend

Comedian Tony Martin tweeted: 'Peter Harvie was Martin/Molloy's biggest fan, and it was his idea that I come back and do Get This. So if you like that show, you need to raise a glass to this rascally, clever, generous gent. A real one-off.'

Triple M host Eddie McGuire told Mediaweek he last spoke to Harvie two weeks ago.

'Many years after retirement age he was still an executive who could "read the play" of technology and was totally engaged in what was happening or about to happen rather than revel in past glories,' he said.

Grateful: 'He saved me more than once in my career and above all allowed creative people to shine. Peter will be missed, but his teachings and guidance will live on,' Sandilands tweeted

'I will miss our lunches at France-Soir, his support and advice. When it came to media, Peter Harvie "got it". We've lost one of the greatest.'

Harvie launched his career as a radio writer at Clemenger in 1966, before becoming the managing director of advertising agency Clemenger Harvie in 1974.

He became the Executive Chairman of Austereo Group Ltd in 2001, before leading the merger of Austereo with Southern Cross Broadcasting in 2011.

Harvie's career ended in 2017 when he retired from the SCA board. He was inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame in 2014.
Thor actor Chris Hemsworth has thrown his support behind an Australian tradesman's business idea to help sick children in hospital.

Jason Sotiris and his friend Yusuf Muklis recently launched Supertee, a superhero-inspired medical garment for children.

The cape encourages young kids to be brave, and is also designed to help hospital staff as it has side openings for medical tubes and wires.

Support: Chris Hemsworth (pictured) has thrown his support behind an Aussie tradie's genius idea to help sick kids in hospital

Jason said he was shocked when Chris and Brie Larson, who plays Captain Marvel, contacted him about making Marvel Edition Supertees.

'I had to pinch myself,' he told News.com.au.

'I really couldn't believe I was talking to the makers of the movies we love so much, and to now have our kids in hospital become Avengers themselves and for Chris Hemsworth and Brie Larson to show their support is a dream come true.'

Creation: Jason Sotiris and his friend Yusuf Muklis recently launched Supertee, a superhero-inspired medical garment for children. The cape encourages young kids to be brave, and is also designed to help hospital staff as it has side openings for medical tubes and wires

Chris and Brie also recorded a special video for children receiving their Supertee.

'Hello, kids. Now I have heard you're getting something very, very special,' Chris said. 'Do you know what that means?'

'It means you have officially achieved hero status,' Brie added.

'And you're the greatest and strongest... when I put on my costume in the Avengers it makes me feel like I can take on anything,' Chris said.

New deal: Jason said he was shocked when Chris and Brie Larson, who plays Captain Marvel, contacted him about making Marvel Edition Supertees

'So the Avengers are behind you every step of the way. We are here for you, we love you, so stay strong, stay brave, stay courageous. We will see you soon.'

Jason was inspired to create the Supertees after his daughter Angela was diagnosed with a rare disease called multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis at age one.

Despite having a 20 per cent survival rate, Angela beat the disease and recently celebrated her tenth birthday.
She's made her name as a businesswoman and a top TV reality star.

And on Sunday, Bethenny Frankel pulled out all the fashion stops for an appearance at the MTV Movie & TV Awards in Santa Monica, California.

The Real Housewives Of New York City alum flashed plenty of skin in a very revealing red minidress as she arrived at the star-studded event.

Leggy look: : Bethenny Frankel, 51, flashed plenty of skin in a revealing red minidress as she arrived at the MTV Movie & TV Awards in Santa Monica on Sunday

The Skinnygirl entrepreneur had company on the red carpet in the form of her 12-year-old daughter Bryn, from her brief marriage to Jason Hoppy which ended in an acrimonious divorce.

She was at the show as a nominee in the category Best Reality Return for her solo show The Big Shot With Bethenny.

Bethenny made quite a statement with her sleeveless floral number that had a low-cut bodice and a short bell-shaped skirt.

She stepped out in red sandal heels with matching pedicure and wore her long dark hair in a messy updo.

Bold: Bethenny made quite a statement with her sleeveless number that had a low-cut bodice and a short bell-shaped skirt, She stepped out in red sandal heels with matching pedicure

Proud mom: The Skinnygirl entrepreneur had company in the form of her daughter Bryn, 12, from her brief marriage to Jason Hoppy which ended in an acrimonious divorce

Little fashionista: Brynn also put on a colorful show in a strapless hot pink chiffon frock. She paired her dress with pink strappy sandals and a shiny pink clutch

Brynn, meanwhile, also put on a colorful show in a strapless hot pink chiffon frock.

She paired her dress with pink strappy sandals and a shiny pink clutch.

She wore her hair pulled back from her face and accessorized with small stud earrings.

Nominated: The RHONY alum was at the show as a nominee in the category Best Reality Return for her solo show The Big Shot With Bethenny

Bethenny got her first taste of reality television when she appeared on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, which was a spinoff of The Apprentice, in 2005.

She would end up making it all the way to the finals but had to settle for runner-up to the eventual winner, Dawna Stone.

The New York City native scored a spot on the original main cast of The Real Housewives Of New York City, beginning in 2008.

She served as a main castmember for the first three seasons, but then left for three years, only to return for seasons seven through 11.

TV personality: Bethenny got her first taste of reality television when she appeared on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, which was a spinoff of The Apprentice, in 2005

Bethenny stepped down from RHONY again in 2019, citing personal reasons for her departure.

'I left because it became not who I really was anymore, and you can't do something out of fear,' she told Paris Hilton, during an episode of her podcast This Is Paris, explaining that she 'was literally there because of the money.'

Bethanny has also been busy with her many entrepreneurial endeavors, including her Skinnygirl brand. She sold the cocktail line to Beam Global for an estimated $100 million in 2011, as reported by People.

Along with Frankel, the other nominees for Best Reality Return include Kylie Sonique Love for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Paris Hilton for Cooking With Paris and Paris In Love, Sher for Ex On The Beach and Tami Roman for The Real World Homecoming: Los Angeles.

All in the Bravo family: Bethenny and Bryn shared a moment with RHOBH's Kathy Hilton on the red carpet

Paris and Bethenny: Paris Hilton presented the Reality Royalty Award to her former nanny, Bethenny Frankel, who teased that they will have a new reality show where Paris changes her diapers

Leave a mark: 'Thank you to the audience who has invested in a flawed yet always transparent person. I have overshot the mark. All I ever wanted was to make a difference in some way. Leave a mark. I was a late bloomer,' she said

Not successful: 'I was not successful by any definition and was broke and bouncing checks well into my late 30s. Reality television gave me up platform to authentically be myself. Be honest about my flaws, my struggle broke up and alone and with no safety net. A place to mention it all!' she added

Thanks: She thanked Bravo, Andy Cohen, and that first crazy and amazing cast of New York housewives

Runway: 'You gave me a runway from which to soar. Success comes from working hard and solidifying relationships and a level of trust and the right people betting that you are the horse that can run the distance,' she added
Married At First Sight star Jackson Lonie is facing backlash after announcing on Saturday he had joined adult website OnlyFans.

Some have accused the 31-year-old former stripper of 'staging' his recent cheating scandal in order to promote his X-rated venture.

Season eight groom Liam Cooper questioned whether Jackson's boozy party pash behind his girlfriend Olivia Frazer's back was just a PR stunt.

PR stunt? Married At First Sight star Jackson Lonie (pictured) is facing backlash after announcing on Saturday he had joined adult website OnlyFans

'Now tell me the kiss wasn't a set-up for both their OnlyFans accounts and media around it?' Liam wrote, referencing Jackson's hook-up with 20-year-old traffic controller Han Hughes on May 27.

Clare Verrall, who appeared on season two of MAFS, seemed to take Jackson's OnlyFans announcement as a personal insult.

'I'm actually annoyed at myself for trying to give you and Olivia advice on dealing with the MAFS s**tstorm because I was honestly worried about both your mental health in the aftermath,' she wrote.

'I'm actually annoyed at myself': Clare Verrall (pictured), who appeared on season two of MAFS, seemed to take Jackson's OnlyFans announcement as a personal insult

Conspiracy theory: Season eight groom Liam Cooper (pictured) questioned whether Jackson's boozy party pash behind his girlfriend Olivia Frazer's back was just a PR stunt

'You obviously both went on to it for very different reasons to me,' she added.

Meanwhile, one disgruntled MAFS viewer wrote: 'The stunt last week all makes sense now.'

Olivia, who also recently joined OnlyFans, shared her support for her boyfriend by leaving a drooling emoji in the comments section.

'Link in bio': Jackson is selling racy content for $9.99 a month. (Pictured: Jackson's OnlyFans)

A 'highly inebriated' Jackson cheated on Olivia late last month when he was caught kissing another woman on a wild night out.

The cheating happened on Friday, May 27, when Olivia and Jackson - the last-couple-standing from this year's season of Married At First Sight - were on holiday in Melbourne and decided to hit the town.

After spending the earlier portion of the night together, Olivia went home and Jackson continued partying with friends - and eventually ended up in the arms of Han Hughes at the Lava Lounge bar.

That kiss: Jackson infamously cheated on Olivia late last month when he was caught kissing 20-year-old traffic controller Han Hughes on a wild night out in Melbourne (pictured)

Footage of the kiss spread across the internet like wildfire, and a devastated Olivia later told Daily Mail Australia she was 'speechless'.

Their once-rock-solid relationship was said to be hanging by a thread after Jackson's indiscretion, with a source saying Olivia was 'broken and torn about the whole thing'.

The couple had 'a serious discussion about their future' when Jackson sobered up on the Saturday, before Olivia offered him an ultimatum: ditch the partying or we're over.

Poor Liv! Their once-rock-solid relationship was said to be hanging by a thread after Jackson's indiscretion, with a source saying Olivia (right) was 'broken and torn about the whole thing'

Fans breathed a sigh of relief last Wednesday when the pair put out a joint video on Instagram confirming they were still together and working through their issues.

Olivia recently said she felt stifled by the 'wholesome' teaching profession and was leaving it behind to express her sexuality on OnlyFans.

'I love teaching and I was a fantastic teacher, but this wholesome persona that all teachers are required to have...' she said.

'Teachers are expected to be squeaky clean and to never have made a mistake in their life and, yeah, it's just a very unforgiving culture surrounding the profession.'

Change of path: Olivia is set to become an OnlyFans star after revealing the 'wholesome' teaching profession was stifling her sexuality

Olivia said being a teacher 'wasn't for me' any longer, adding that she didn't want to live out the rest of her life being dictated by that career.

When asked what kind of content she offers, she explained that so far she's been modelling her lingerie collection, and has even offered nudes at a premium rate.

She said Jackson has been supportive of her decision and they may even collaborate on X-rated content together in the future.
Scandal-prone Married At First Sight star Olivia Frazer is planning to flee Australia as soon as she recovers from Covid-19.

But the former teaching student, 28, fears she won't be safe if she visits the top destination on her travel bucket list: the UK.

Olivia, who is still reeling after her boyfriend Jackson Lonie cheated on her with another woman last month, told Yahoo Lifestyle she is worried about being stabbed in Britain, where MAFS has a loyal following.

'Please don't stab me': Married At First Sight's Olivia Frazer fears she'll be stabbed if she visits the UK - as she plans to flee Australia after her boyfriend Jackson Lonie's cheating scandal

'I hope I have more fans there than I do haters. Please don't stab me at Heathrow [Airport],' the franchise villain said.

'I've been getting a lot of messages from the UK. I'm a Stratford-upon-Avon girl to the core. I'm hoping to go back this year... I love the UK. It's a very special place.'

Olivia booked a one-way ticket to England just two days after Jackson's cheating scandal, but wasn't allowed on the plane after testing positive for Covid-19.

She still intends to travel to Britain, but must wait until she has fully recovered.

Concerned: Olivia, who is still reeling after her boyfriend Jackson Lonie (left) cheated on her with another woman last month, told Yahoo Lifestyle: 'Please don't stab me at Heathrow'

Olivia became public enemy No. 1 following her on-screen feud with rival bride Domenica Calarco this season.

Viewers took Domenica's side, and Olivia was subjected to widespread public backlash that left her suicidal at one point.

However, MAFS cast member Cody Bromley has since come out and said both brides were to blame in the feud.

'The edit could have gone either way with the whole Domenica and Olivia thing,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Star power: Olivia's arch rival Domenica Calarco (pictured last month) has become an in-demand influencer since MAFS, racking up almost 600,000 followers on Instagram

Olivia has now left her teaching career behind to launch an OnlyFans account.

Meanwhile, Domenica has been racking up endorsement deals left and right after gaining almost 600,000 Instagram followers in the wake of her 'hero edit' on MAFS.

She recently collaborated on her own clothing edit with Showpo, and is set to launch a podcast with co-star Ella Ding.

Olivia copped a massive blow last month when Jackson cheated on her by kissing another woman at a bar in Melbourne.

Escape: Olivia booked a one-way ticket to the UK just two days after Jackson's cheating scandal (pictured), but wasn't allowed onto the plane after testing positive to Covid-19

The cheating happened on Friday, May 27, when Olivia and Jackson - the last-couple-standing from this year's season of Married At First Sight - were on holiday in Melbourne and decided to hit the town.

After spending the earlier portion of the night together, Olivia went home and Jackson continued partying with friends - and eventually ended up in the arms of Han Hughes 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'.

Their once-rock-solid relationship was said to be hanging by a thread after Jackson's indiscretion, with a source saying Olivia was 'broken and torn about the whole thing'.

The couple had 'a serious discussion about their future' when Jackson sobered up on the Saturday, before Olivia offered him an ultimatum: ditch the partying or we're over.

Fans breathed a sigh of relief last Wednesday when the pair put out a joint video on Instagram confirming they were still together and working through their issues.

Jackson admitted he 'f**ked up' and was 'seeking help' for his drinking, which he said was his way of coping with the backlash he and Olivia had faced since MAFS.
Stranger Things stars Gaten Matarazzo, 19, Sadie Sink, 20, and Priah Ferguson, 15, arrived in Sydney to promote season four of the Netflix series last week.

And the trio made sure to mix business and pleasure as they enjoyed some sightseeing around Sydney on Saturday.

Just an hour after the actors did a fan Q&A at Sydney's Luna Park, they soaked up the Vivid light festival.

Tour: Stranger Things stars Gaten Matarazzo, 19, Sadie Sink, 20, (left), and Priah Ferguson, 15, soaked up the Vivid light festival over the weekend

Gaten, Sadie and Priah looked delighted as they sat on a boat in front of the famous Harbour Bridge, which was lit-up in red and blue.

Gaten looked stylish in a quirky cool patterned purple jumper teamed with jeans.

On the water: Gaten, Sadie and Priah looked delighted as they sat on a boat in front of the famous Harbour Bridge, which was lit-up in red and blue

Sadie opted for a T-shirt and a blazer while Priah opted for an eye-catching canary yellow jumper and yellow-stained jeans.

Stranger Things follows the residents of a fictional Indiana town in the 1980s where bizarre supernatural events begin to take place, causing a boy to vanish.

Season three ends with a fiery battle at the town's food court, and season four will see the characters attempt to pick up the pieces afterwards.

Promotion: Priah, Sadie and Gaten (all pictured) were in Sydney to promote season four of the hit series

Casual cool: The trio were all smiles at the fan event which featured a Q&A, as well as a quiz against 'superfans' of the show

Part one of season four dropped on Netflix on May 27, with part two to follow on July 1 and a fifth and final season afterwards.

The cast includes Winona Ryder, as well as David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, who were elevated to stardom by the series.

A spoiler for the upcoming season recently surfaced because of a Monopoly game tie-in that reveals its plot secrets.

A source told the Hollywood Reporter that Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer had a 'total meltdown' over the blunder.
Bellla Hadid put her legs and midriff on display during an afternoon stroll around her New York City neighborhood.

With the temperatures peaking near the mid-80s Fahrenheit, the catwalk queen stripped down into a pair of bicycle shorts and a multi-colored tracksuit jacket.

Seemingly trying to beat the heat, the Versace model got daring and unzipped her jacket all the way up to near her chest, leaving herself little room to avoid a disastrous wardrobe malfunction.

Sporty: Bella Hadid, 25, stepped out in a skimpy in a revealing ensemble for a stroll around her New York City neighborhood on Sunday

Hadid, 25, appeared to have nothing more than a bra underneath the tracksuit jacket.

With only a couple of inches pf the coat zipped, she risked flashing a passerby on accident.

The top model looked to be on an errand run as she briskly walked street after street in white running sneakers.

In keeping with her casual mode, Hadid wore a black band on her head to help keep her hair off of her face.

Daring: The top model got daring and unzipped her jacket all the way up to near her chest, leaving herself little room to avoid a disastrous wardrobe malfunction

Glowing: The covergirl flashed her infectious smile while on her brisk walk around town

To help stave off the glare from the sun, she also wore stylish dark sunglasses.

While making her way around one corner, she ended up bumping into artist Said Elatab, and the two proceeded to strike up a conversation.

The pair posed for a couple of photos with one of his paintings, which he ended up giving to Hadid as a gift.

With the small frame under her arm, the covergirl said her goodbyes and made off down the street, seemingly heading back to her Manhattan apartment.

Having started her modeling career at 16, Hadid has since gone on to walk for many of the top fashion houses in the world, and star in a number of campaigns.

Chatty: While making her way around one corner, she ended up bumping into artist Said Elatab, and the two proceeded to strike up a conversation
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said on Sunday that he was "more confident than ever" that lawmakers will be able to reach a bipartisan agreement on a gun law deal but warned that it would most likely not include many of President Joe Biden's agendas.

In a statement, Murphy said that he has never been part of negotiations as serious as the recent discussions about addressing gun violence. The Democrat also noted that there are more Republicans at the table talking about changing gun laws in the United States and investing in mental health than at any time since Sandy Hook.

Gun Law Deal

The lawmaker referenced the mass shooting that occurred in 2012 at an elementary school in Connecticut, noting that he has also been part of many failed negotiations in the past. This has led him to be sober-minded about the new deal's chances of passing.

Later, Murphy said that while he was more confident than ever that the deal would get somewhere, he was more anxious about failure this time around. There are ongoing gun legislation bipartisan talks in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, as per CNN.

If a bipartisan deal comes together, it is expected to fall well short of the parameters that President Biden laid out in a White House address on Thursday. The Democratic leader called for renewing the federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and significantly expanding federal background checks for gun buyers and removing the firearms industry's immunity from lawsuits.

Read Also: Philadelphia Mass Shooting: 'Several Active Shooters' Kill 3, Injure 11 Others as US Gun Violence Soars

However, a proposal that would encourage states to set up red-flag laws that would allow authorities to keep guns away from people thought to be a threat to their communities or themselves is also being negotiated. Similarly, authorities are discussing measures to tackle school security and mental health.

According to the Washington Post, another member of the small group of senators that are negotiating a potential deal, Sen. Patrick Toomey, said that the discussions, while "intensive," do not "guarantee any outcome." He noted that it felt like the nation was closer together since he has been in the Senate.

A Series of Mass Shootings

The negotiators, along with Democratic leaders, have seized on a growing sense of national outrage following the May 14 attack that resulted in the death of 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket and the May 24 mass shooting that resulted in the death of 19 school children and two teachers inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

In the wake of the two horrifying tragedies, other mass shootings occurred in several regions within the United States, including Tulsa, Ames, Iowa, Philadelphia, and Chattanooga. In an estimation, officials said there have already been more than 200 mass shootings this year alone.

On Sunday, Toomey also said that Biden has not been "helpful" amid congressional negotiations on gun reform. The senator said that the Democratic leader might have been a president who would "reach across the aisle to try to bring people together." However, Toomey noted that Biden has chosen to side with the far left of his party and has not really reached out to Republicans, The Hill reported.



Related Article: WATCH: Michigan Boy, 12, Robs Gas Station with His Grandfather's Gun, Hours After Making Threats at School

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Padma Lakshmi was seen out and about with her mini me daughter Krishna Lakshmi-Dell on Sunday.

The duo looked adorable as they took to the streets of New York City in sleeveless dresses.

Padma, 51, held her 12-year-old Krishna's hand as they made their way through the big city.

Out and about: Padma Lakshmi was seen out and about with her mini me daughter Krishna Lakshmi-Dell on Sunday

Padma wore her long, luscious brunette hair loose, letting it fall over her shoulders as it blew in the wind.

She showed off her incredible figure in a form-flattering and fitted yellow dress.

The summer-ready number cropped right below her knees, showing off a bit of her long legs.

The statuesque stunner teamed it with a pair of beige espadrille wedges with crisscross straps.

Matching! The duo looked adorable as they took to the streets of New York City in sleeveless dresses

Krishna mimicked her mother's look, but went with a black dress that cropped at her thighs.

She wore a pair of age-appropriate open-toe, tan, cork material shoes that had a slight wedge.

Like her mom, she also wore her hair loose, but hers was a lighter shade of brown and had natural curls.

Affectionate: Padma, 51, held her 12-year-old Krishna's hand as they made their way through the big city

The media personality complemented her simple and chic look with a pair of lightly-tinted aviator sunglasses.

She also adorned her neck with two layered gold necklaces as she enjoyed the day with her only child.

The pair laughed together as they took their dog for a walk.

Padma shares Krishna with her former partner, venture capitalist Adam Dell.

Gorgeous: Padma wore her long, luscious brunette hair loose, letting it fall over her shoulders as it blew in the wind

Before Sunday Lakshmi was last seen out and about in NYC on June 2. She put on a stylish display in a sleeveless denim jumper with a front zipper.

The one-piece featured flared legs and showed off her svelte physique. She smiled ad she strutted her stuff with her hair in a loose wave.

Padma wore a light face of flattering makeup and accessorized with medium size hoop earrings and a stack of necklaces.

Taking the Big Apple: Before Sunday Lakshmi was last seen out and about in NYC on June 2

Treating her followers to a blast from the past, Padma appeared on Twitter over the weekend to post a throwback photo.

She reminisced on the past as she tweeted, 'Deepest apologies to all of the many eyebrow hairs I tweezed. RIP.'

The photo showed a younger Padma with thin eyebrows and braless in a black t-shirt.

She added, 'I'm thankful for every single little hair I have today. (Also, what in the Y2K is this photo?)'
The BBC has apologised after Len Goodman told of how his grandmother used to refer to curry powder as 'foreign muck' on the BBC's live coverage of the Platinum Jubilee pageant.

The former Strictly Come Dancing judge, 78, appeared on the pre-pageant coverage alongside chef John Torode and host Kirsty Young.

The trio were discussing the food people will eat around the jubilee, with Kirsty asking Len if he has any skills in the kitchen.

Awkward: The BBC has apologised after Len Goodman told of how his grandmother used to refer to curry powder as 'foreign muck' on the BBC's coverage of the Platinum Jubilee pageant

Len replied: 'No. My wife did Coronation Chicken yesterday for our tea. I've never had it before. I've never had curry powder before, no.

He added: 'My nan used to call it all foreign muck. But I must say, it was delicious, so tasty.'

Later in the show, Clare Balding issued an apology for if 'anyone took offence' to remarks made earlier in the show.

A BBC spokesman told The Telegraph that her apology was 'related to remarks made during the section of the show' in which Len appeared.

Len said: 'My wife did Coronation Chicken yesterday for our tea. I've never had it before. I've never had curry powder before, no. My nan used to call it all foreign muck'

Apology: Later in the show, Clare Balding issued an apology for if 'anyone took offence' to remarks made earlier in the show

MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.

After Len raised eyebrows with his comments, shocked viewers quickly took to Twitter to react to the gaffe.

One user said: 'Len Goodman just called coronation chicken 'foreign muck' on BBC One so this time-filling before the Platinum Pageant is going well.'

Another user wrote: 'Len Goodman sends shockwaves through the BBC referring to curry as 'foreign muck'.'

Interview: The former Strictly Come Dancing judge, 78, appeared on the pre-pageant coverage alongside chef John Torode and host Kirsty Young

Live: The trio were discussing the food people will eat around the jubilee, with Kirsty asking Len if he has any skills in the kitchen

Another added: 'A bit in shock about Len Goodman calling curry powder foreign muck. Genuinely can't believe I just heard that on BBC1.'

A fourth penned: 'Did Len Goodman really just call Coronation Chicken 'foreign muck'?'

Meanwhile, the Queen's Platinum Party At The Palace concert was the clear winner in the TV ratings on Saturday night - watched by a staggering 13million viewers at its peak.

The BBC One concert in honour of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, saw Diana Ross impressing the crowds as she belted out soul classics while Sir Rod Stewart and Queen and Adam Lambert also put on sensational shows.

Reaction: Viewers quickly took to social media to react to the gaffe

The show saw a whopping 13.3million viewers tuning in at its peak, with the concert averaging an audience of 11.2million - garnering a 66.8 percent of the audience share.

The star-studded extravaganza beat England's clash with Hungary, which saw the national team lose 0-1 - with 4.5million viewers tuning it at its peak, and an average audience of just 2.7million.

The highlight of the three-hour concert was Diana Ross, who took to the stage in an incredible black and white tulle gown at Buckingham Palace to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee for her first UK performance in 15 years.
She's never been afraid to show off her incredible figure.

And Elizabeth Hurley put her sensational curves on display as she slipped into a white bikini to frolic on the beach in the Caribbean in a slew of sizzling snaps.

The British actress, 56, took to Instagram on Sunday to share the string of shots of her playing with a Union Jack balloon in an ode to the Queen.

Incredible: Elizabeth Hurley put her sensational curves on display as she slipped into a white bikini to frolic on the beach in the Caribbean in a slew of sizzling snaps

Ode to Her Majesty: Elizabeth penned: 'Bringing a bit of Blighty to the Caribbean on the momentous Platinum Jubilee. All hail HM Queen Elizabeth'

Her ample assets, toned abs and long lithe legs were all on full display in the skimpy two-piece as she played on the sand.

Her brunette locks were left down in damp waves while she hid her eyes behind a pair of aviator sunglasses.

Captioning the stunning photos, she wrote a tribute to Queen Elizabeth for the Platinum Jubilee.

Patriotic: The British actress, 56, took to Instagram on Sunday to share the string of shots of her playing with a Union Jack balloon in an ode to the Queen

Phenomenal: Her ample assets, toned abs and long lithe legs were all on full display in the skimpy two-piece as she played on the sand

Flawless: Her brunette locks were left down in damp waves while she hid her eyes behind a pair of aviator sunglasses

Elizabeth penned: 'Bringing a bit of Blighty to the Caribbean on the momentous Platinum Jubilee. All hail HM Queen Elizabeth.'

It comes after Elizabeth offered sultry content in abundance as she marked the emergence of her series The Royals on Netflix.

The actress starred in E!'s soap opera from 2015 until it was cancelled after four seasons in 2018.

Tribute: Captioning the stunning photos, she wrote a tribute to Queen Elizabeth for the Platinum Jubilee

Royal connection: It comes after Elizabeth offered sultry content in abundance as she marked the emergence of her series The Royals on Netflix

With the show now gracing streaming giant Netflix, Elizabeth delighted her mammoth Instagram fanbase with a string of alluring snaps from filming, which featured her in racy lingerie, a maid's outfit and mesh nightie.

The glamorous model was also pictured heavily made up in a white robe with what appeared to be a script in her hand.

It was not just solo shots of the beauty queen that were included in the album, as she also shared photographs with Dame Joan Collins, her lookalike son Damian, Alex Parks, Jake Maskall and Victoria Ekanoye.

'Such happy memories': With the show now gracing streaming giant Netflix, Elizabeth delighted her mammoth Instagram fanbase with a string of alluring snaps from filming, which featured her in racy lingerie, a maid's outfit and mesh nightie

Looking back: The actress starred in E!'s soap opera from 2015 until it was cancelled after four seasons in 2018

Elizabeth was the persona behind Queen Helena Henstridge in the series - a fictional contemporary queen consort of England - and gushed over the happy memories she had acquired from her time on the show.

'The Royals has dropped on @netflix All four seasons. Such happy memories of making such a fun, silly show about a fictitious British Royal Family ', she wrote.

The Royals was E!'s first scripted series and began as a loose adaptation of the 2011 Michelle Ray novel Falling for Hamlet.
The Bachelor's Locky Gilbert and Irena Srbinovska announced their engagement in a joint Instagram post on Saturday.

And Locky, 32, pulled out all the stops, presenting Irena, also 32, with a stunning 1.5 carat diamond ring from Larsen Jewellery, worth $30,000.

Involved in every step of the way, Locky settled on an oval brilliant-cut diamond ring on a platinum band setting, with a hidden Tanzanite round gemstone added inside.

Bachelor bling! A close-up look at the $30,000 diamond ring Locky Gilbert presented Irena Srbinovska with as they celebrate their engagement. Both pictured

Locky also presented Irena with a Larsen Jewellery ring on the finale episode of The Bachelor back in 2020.

In a statement provided to Daily Mail Australia from the brand, Locky knew he had his work cut out for him in designing a unique ring.

'Ever since I put that beautiful ring on Irena's finger at the end of our journey on The Bachelor, I knew I wanted to marry her,' he gushed.

Bespoke: Locky, 32, pulled out all the stops, presenting Irena, also 32, with this stunning 1.5 carat diamond ring from Larsen Jewellery, worth $30,000

Unique: Involved in every step of the way, Locky settled on an oval brilliant-cut diamond ring on a platinum band setting, with a hidden Tanzanite round gemstone added inside

'I also had in my mind, how am I going to be able to top her current ring? Everywhere she goes she gets stopped by people to look at it.'

Irena was blown away by the engagement sparkler, describing it as 'so unique and special'.

'Words cannot describe how happy I am right now and the ring is more than I could have ever imagined,' she said.

'Over the years I have grown so fond of my Bachelor finale ring from Larsen Jewellery, every time I look at it, I am reminded of how I met Locky and our journey together. It's so unique and special.'

Overjoyed: Irena was blown away by the engagement sparkler, saying in an official statement on Monday, 'Words cannot describe how happy I am right now and the ring is more than I could have ever imagined.' Pictured during The Bachelor finale back in 2020

Locky and Irena confirmed their engagement in a joint Instagram post on Saturday, with Irena captioning the post: 'Mrs Gilbert has a nice ring to it.'

The couple got engaged in front of Mackenzie Falls at Grampians National Park, and shared a kiss in front of the falls after Locky popped the question.

The pair were both rugged up in activewear and puffer jackets, indicating that they'd been out hiking in the area.

A number of reality stars posted well-wishes in the comments, including Love Island's Dom Thomas, The Bachelor's Anna Heinrich, Former Bachelorette Georgia Love and her husband Lee Elliott, and Survivor star David Genat.

Making it official! Locky and Irena confirmed their engagement in a joint Instagram post on Saturday, with Irena captioning the post: 'Mrs Gilbert has a nice ring to it'

Anna wrote: 'OMG CONGRATULATIONS. So happy for you both xx.'

Lee posted: 'Such incredible news!! Massive congratulations to you both!!'

Georgia added: 'AAAHHHHH!!!! Congratulations guys!!!'

Former Bachelor star Alisha Aitken-Radburn also commented: 'OMG YESSSS!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.'

Bling: Irena also proudly showed off her stunning diamond engagement ring

It comes after the couple purchased their first home together in Perth.

The couple took to Instagram last month to share the exciting news - telling fans they will soon commence renovations.

'We bought a house!! Let the celebrations sorry renovations begin,' wrote Locky and Irena.

Congratulations! A number of reality stars posted well-wishes in the comments, including Love Island's Dom Thomas, The Bachelor's Anna Heinrich, Former Bachelorette Georgia Love and her husband Lee Elliott, and Survivor star David Genat

'It's taken us a while to find our perfect (renovators dream) home in our favourite location but we got there and we are so excited to make this our home.'

The couple went on to say they are happy to finally set down some roots after their lengthy travels since falling in love on the show.

'We are super eager to see what the future has in store for us and it's good to finally set some roots after all our travels,' they wrote.

'Now let the renovations begin but first a quick celebratory drink or two.'

Renovator's delight: Locky and Irena purchased their first home together in Perth last month

The news comes just one month after the pair dampened talk of a split after they bizarrely unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Split rumours first emerged in January, after Irena announced that she had left Locky behind in Perth and returned to her home city of Melbourne.

Friends close to the couple previously told Daily Mail Australia that they wouldn't be surprised if they had split when she relocated back to Melbourne and decided to keep it low-key.

They also claimed that Irena had been 'a lot more stressed out than normal in the past few weeks'.

Let's celebrate: 'It's taken us a while to find our perfect home in our favourite location but we got there and we are so excited to make this our home,' Irena wrote

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in April, Locky refuted claims of a breakup.

'We haven't unfollowed each other at all,' he said, seemingly unaware that Irena had temporarily blocked him on Instagram.

Irena had relocated from Perth to Melbourne in January, after telling fans she'd been 'struggling being away' from her family in Victoria.

The couple met on season eight of The Bachelor back in 2020, with Locky choosing Irena over aspiring Instagram model Bella Varelis.
His character was famously presumed drowned in 1991, only to return with amnesia five years later.

But despite leaving and returning to Ramsay Street several more times over the years, Ian Smith is finally saying goodbye to Neighbours for good this week.

The veteran actor, who has played Harold Bishop on-and-off since 1987, was seen filming his final scenes on Monday with many of the show's original cast, including Guy Pearce.

One last time: Despite leaving and returning to Ramsay Street several more times over the years, Ian Smith (pictured left) is finally saying goodbye to Neighbours for good this week

Smith has played Harold onscreen for over twelve years, making him one of the longest-running characters in the show's history.

After four years on the show, he first left in 1991 after his character was swept out to sea and was presumed dead.

It was later revealed Harold was picked up by a trawler, before returning to Erinsborough with amnesia and calling himself 'Ted'.

Runs on the board: Smith has played Harold on screen for over twelve years, making him one of the longest-running characters in the show's history

Eventually his memory returned, however Ian moved on from Ramsay Street again in 2009, before returning two years later.

His most recent goodbye was in 2015.

Smith, 83, is also known for his roles on Prisoners and Blue Heelers.

Good friends: Also returning for the axed show's last hurrah is Paul Keane (right), who played Des Clarke from the long-running soap's first episodes

Meanwhile Guy Pearce also returned to Neighbours, 36 years after it set his impressive acting career in motion.

The 54-year-old was spotted on set as the TV series filmed its final scenes this week.

He played Mike Young on the iconic soap between 1986 and 1989.

He's back! Guy Pearce has returned to Neighbours, 36 years after it set his impressive acting career in motion

In photos from the show's Melbourne set, the Memento star could be seen slipping into a Triumph motorcycle jacket while standing next to his character's motorbike.

The future movie star was cast on the show as an 18-year-old after writing to Grundy producers while still a Year 12 student.

Also returning for the axed show's last hurrah is Paul Keane, who played Des Clarke from the long-running soap's first episodes.

Other original cast members spotted on set included Annie Jones, Stefan Dennis, Ian Smith, Geoff Paine and Lucinda Cowden.

Where it all began: The 54-year-old was spotted on set as the TV series filmed its final scenes this week

Biker chic: In photos from the show's Melbourne set, the Memento star could be seen slipping into a Triumph motorcycle jacket while standing next to his character's motorbike

Ambitions: The future movie star was cast on the show as an 18-year-old after writing to Grundy producers while still a Year 12 student

Not seen were Kylie Minogue, who is to reprise her role as Charlene Mitchell for the show's final episode, or Jason Donovan, who will return to play Scott Robinson.

Network 10 and Fremantle, the show's producer, confirmed the news that Neighbours was cancelled in March, with the final episode to be filmed in June.

In a statement issued to MailOnline, they confirmed at the time: 'It is with sadness that after nearly 37 years and almost 9000 episodes broadcast, we are confirming that Neighbours will cease production in the summer.

Down time: Pearce sips on a cup of coffee between scenes

Homecoming: Of his return, Pearce told metro.co.uk, 'It is very exciting and surreal at the same time being back on set again, however it feels like coming home'

Back together: Pearce was seen filming scenes with Paul Keane, who played Des Clarke

The gang's all here: Other original cast members spotted on set included Annie Jones, Stefan Dennis, Ian Smith, Geoff Paine and Lucinda Cowden (pictured left)

'Following the loss of a key broadcast partner in the UK, and despite a search for alternative funding, we currently have no option but to rest the show.

'Everyone at Neighbours has been overwhelmed by the love and support from the audience since the news came out. The show has brought a sunny slice of Australia into the homes of millions of viewers around the world launching the careers of dozens of household names along the way.

'But as this chapter of Ramsay Street comes to a close, we promise to do everything we can to give the show the send-off it deserves.'

Stars align: L-R are Cowden, Pearce, Stefan Dennis, Keane and Annie Jones

Getting into character: Pearce discusses his upcoming shot with crew members

Mounted: Pearce climbs atop his character's Triumph motorcycle

Safety first: Guy slips on bike gloves and prepares to put on his helmet before shooting begins

The show will be taken off-air indefinitely after an 'extensive search for alternative funding' ended in failure.

News of its abrupt departure from UK's Channel 5 sent the show into a tailspin, with network bosses in Australia scrambling to find a new international broadcasting deal to cover production costs or face the closure of Ramsay Street for good.

Network 10 addressed the end of the series in a statement to Australian media this month, admitting it had been a 'difficult decision'.

Feeling good: 'While I've caught up with many of the cast I worked with on the show over the years, there is nothing like being here all together again,' he added

Moving on up: Guy has gone on to star in movies like LA Confidential, Iron Man 3 and The King's Speech

History: Pearce made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 January 1986

'This difficult decision came after the search for an alternative UK broadcast partner proved unsuccessful.'

They added that the series would 'not air on 10 Peach beyond September 2022', marking the end of its decades-long run.

'A much-loved stalwart of our program schedule for over 35 years it has been a staple of Australian television drama, and Australian cultural exports,' they added.

Returning favourite: Keane, 64, last reprised his role of Des Clarke for the show's 30th anniversary in 2015

Adulation: Keane stops for a selfie between takes

Legend: Dennis played Paul Robinson on the show on and off from its first episode in March 1985 to the present day

That's a wrap: Dennis poses with a clapperboard before shooting one of his final ever scenes

Home again: After a break of 11 years between 1993 and 2004, Stefan stayed in Ramsay Street up until the show's ending in 2022

'Ramsay Street, Erinsborough, is a cul-de-sac recognised all over the world and has been home to Scott and Charlene, Des and Daphne, Dr Karl and Susan, Dee and Toadie, Aaron and David and many, many more neighbours.

'Network 10 thanks the cast, crew, all the production team and Fremantle for bringing the perfect blend of soap and sunshine to audiences in Australia and around the world.'

They also praised 'the Australian fans and audiences for their continued support of the series'.

Mainstay: Also there for the show's grand finale was actor Geoff Paine (left)

Medico: Paine played doctor Clive Gibbons on and off between 1986 and 2022

Good to be back: Cowden played Melanie Pearson in the soap opera from 1987 until 1991

Can't stay away: She most recently reprised the role in January 2021

Dapper: Stefan wore a navy suit for his scene, as well as carrying an iPad and a phone

'Their encouragement particularly in the past few weeks has been incredible. It shows that our audience still want Australian scripted drama,' continued the statement.

'We have listened to them and there are exciting new local projects in the pipeline, which is great for our audience and for the local industry.

'We are confident that the cast, crew and writers will bring their distinctive warmth, style and humour to the Neighbours set as they embark on filming the final episodes over the coming months.'

Meanwhile, British broadcaster Channel 5 confirmed the end of its 14-year deal with Neighbours in February, with a spokesperson telling MailOnline that the decision to axe the soap comes as the channel's 'current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama'.

'We recognise that there will be disappointment about this decision, however our current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers,' they said.

Chatterbox: Pearce exchanges a few words with the soap's crew
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Guy Pearce, Ian Smith, Lucinda Cowden and Paul Keane led the original stars of Neighbours returning to the iconic soap for the final week of filming in Melbourne on Monday.

It's the end of an era for the landmark Australian soap which is coming to an end after 38 years on the air, with the last episodes airing in August.

Guy, who played Mike Young between 1986 and 1989, was spotted on set as the TV series began to film its final scenes.

They're back! Guy Pearce (Mike Young), Ian Smith, (Harold Bishop) Lucinda Cowden (Melanie Pearson), all led the original stars of Neighbours returning to the iconic soap for the final week of filming in Melbourne on Monday

In photos from the show's Melbourne set, the Memento star could be seen slipping into a Triumph motorcycle jacket while standing next to his character's motorbike.

Lucinda Cowden, who played Melanie Pearson from 1987 to 1991, looked in good spirits as she arrived for filming.

The actress cut a glamorous figure for the day as she donned a bright red dress with a floral detail and daring leg split.

Wrapping up in a black blazer, the soap star added height to her frame with a matching pair of boots.

Original: Paul Keane (right) , who plays Des Clarke, was one of Neighbours 12 original characters and has been back on the soap as a regular since 2020

Legend: Paul appeared as Des in the very first episode of Neighbours which saw several characters attend his Stag Do

Neighbours announced that production would be ceasing on the long-running soap in a tweet back in March.

'We are so sorry to say that after nearly 37 years and almost 9,000 episodes broadcast we have to confirm that Neighbours will cease production in June,' the show wrote.

'Following the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK [Channel 5] and despite an extensive search for alternative funding, we simply have no option but to rest the show.

'To our amazing, loyal fans, we know this is a huge disappointment, as it is to all of us on the team. We thank you for all your messages and support and promise to end the show on an incredible high. From here on, we are celebrating Neighbours.'

Iconic: Guy, who played Mike Young between 1986 and 1989, was spotted on set as the TV series filmed its final scenes this week

After his stint on Neighbours as bad boy Mike Young (left) Guy Pearce has forged a successful career in Hollywood, starring in films such as Memento and The Hurt Locker. Pictured right, on set this week

Suave: Guy looked effortlessly cool as he sported a black leather jacket and matching skinny jeans while preparing to film a scene on a motorbike

Reunion: Guy appeared in good spirits as he chatted with Annie and other members of the crew between takes

Style: Lucinda cut a glamorous figure for the day as she donned a bright red dress with a floral detail

Show: Lucinda portrayed Melanie from 1987 to 1991 and made a cameo appearance for the 20th anniversary in 2005

End of an era: Stefan Dennis (left), who played Paul Robinson, and Geoff Paine (right), who starred as Clive Gibbons, both looked thrilled to be back on set

Mainstay: Stefan Dennis portrayed cold-hearted businessman Paul Robinson, appearing in the show's first episode back in 1985

Return: Geoff played the character of Dr Clive Gibbons for one year before returning to the role in 2017

Network 10 addressed the end of the series in a statement to Australian media in March, admitting it had been a 'difficult decision'.

'Today, Fremantle confirmed that Neighbours will cease production in June, after nearly 37 years and almost 9,000 episodes,' a network spokesperson announced.

'This difficult decision came after the search for an alternative UK broadcast partner proved unsuccessful.'

They added that the series would 'not air on 10 Peach beyond September 2022', marking the end of its decades-long run.

Final days: Annie, Guy, Stefan and Paul were all brought back for the soap's final days of filming alongside Annie Jones right) who starred as 'Plane Jane' Harris

Role: British-born Guy had a four-year stint as Mike in Neighbours before hitting the big time

Production: Neighbours announced that production would be ceasing on the long-running soap in a tweet back in March

'A much-loved stalwart of our program schedule for over 35 years it has been a staple of Australian television drama, and Australian cultural exports,' they added.

'Ramsay Street, Erinsborough, is a cul-de-sac recognised all over the world and has been home to Scott and Charlene, Des and Daphne, Dr Karl and Susan, Dee and Toadie, Aaron and David and many, many more neighbours.

'Network 10 thanks the cast, crew, all the production team and Fremantle for bringing the perfect blend of soap and sunshine to audiences in Australia and around the world.'

Channel 10 also praised 'the Australian fans and audiences for their continued support of the series'.

'Their encouragement particularly in the past few weeks has been incredible. It shows that our audience still want Australian scripted drama,' continued the statement.

Snap: Lucinda was seen taking a photo of Geoff as he held up the iconic Ramsay St road sign

Decision: Fremantle, the production company behind the soap, said it had been unable to come up with 'alternative funding' for the series which contributed to its ending

They said: 'It is with sadness that after nearly 37 years and almost 9,000 episodes broadcast, we are confirming that Neighbours will cease production in June'

Character: Ian made his Neighbours debut as Harold back in 1987 and stayed on the show until 1991 before returning in 1996

'We have listened to them and there are exciting new local projects in the pipeline, which is great for our audience and for the local industry.

'We are confident that the cast, crew and writers will bring their distinctive warmth, style and humour to the Neighbours set as they embark on filming the final episodes over the coming months.'

Fremantle, the production company behind the soap, said it had been unable to come up with 'alternative funding' for the series.

'It is with sadness that after nearly 37 years and almost 9,000 episodes broadcast, we are confirming that Neighbours will cease production in June,' Fremantle said.

'Following the loss of a key broadcast partner in the UK, and despite a search for alternative funding, we currently have no option but to rest the show.

Looking good: Lucinda sported a pair of eye-catching gold earrings while she wrapped up in a black coat

End of the road: Channel 5 confirmed the end of its 14-year deal with Neighbours in February

Star: Annie Jones portrayed 'Plane Jane' Harris on Neighbours from 1986 to 1989 and won the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress

'Everyone at Neighbours has been overwhelmed by the love and support from the audience since the news came out.

'The show has brought a sunny slice of Australia into the homes of millions of viewers around the world launching the careers of dozens of household names along the way.

'But as this chapter of Ramsay Street comes to a close, we promise to do everything we can to give the show the send-off it deserves.'

Channel 5 confirmed the end of its 14-year deal with Neighbours in February, with a spokesperson telling MailOnline that the decision to axe the soap comes as the channel's 'current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama'.

'We recognise that there will be disappointment about this decision, however our current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers,' they said.

Last act: Last month, Neighbours released its final cast photo, depicting the show's beloved characters enjoying a picnic in a park

What did the Neighbours cast do next? As Guy Pearce leads the stars returning to Ramsay Street to film its final scenes, FEMAIL reveals how the Australian soap became a springboard to VERY successful careers

It was officially axed this spring after 37 years on-air - and Guy Pearce has led the stars returning to Australia's long-running soap Neighbours to film some of its final scenes this week.

Guy, who played Mike Young between 1986 and 1989, was spotted on set on Monday for the final week of filming in Melbourne - alongside original cast members Ian Smith, Annie Jones and Paul Keane.

Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan are also set to feature in the grand finale of the soap, after Network 10 and Fremantle, the show's producer, revealed it would be axed.

Since Kylie made the leap from soap sweetheart to popstar, this long-running series has produced top singers, Hollywood hunks, TV stars and world-renowned beauties.

But while some have used the show as a springboard to worldwide fame, others have opted to fade from the limelight after leaving Ramsay Street.

Here, FEMAIL reveals those who have turned their soap star beginnings into super stardom and those who have chosen a more sedate path.

GUY PEARCE: MIKE YOUNG

After his stint on Neighbours as bad boy Mike Young (left) Guy Pearce has forged a successful career in Hollywood, starring in films such as Memento and The Hurt Locker. Pictured right, on set this week

Guy Pearce (left) as Mike Young and his best mate in Erinsborough Scott Robinson aka Jason Donovan

British-born Guy, another original cast member, had a four-year stint as Mike in Neighbours before hitting the big time.

The 54-year-old has appeared in hit films including L.A. Confidential, Memento and The Hurt Locker and has been nominated for Golden Globe Awards.

In 2015, he split from his wife, psychologist Kate Mestitz - his childhood sweetheart who he married in 1997. He later welcomed a son, called Monte, in 2016 with his partner Dutch actress Carice van Houten.

And while they keep details about their four-year-old's upbringing in Carice's home country of The Netherlands private, Guy has admitted that being a father in his 50s has its challenges.

He candidly told Who magazine in October: 'Having a young child at the ripe old age of 53 is a lot. But I am focused on spending all the time I can with him and being the best dad I can be.'

Meanwhile, the actor has described the experience of being back on the Neighbours set as 'coming home'.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Guy said: 'It is very exciting and surreal at the same time being back on set again, however it feels like coming home.

'It's where it all started for me professionally. I've been asked to come back on occasions over the years and wondered if it was the right thing to do, but once I knew the show was finishing, I knew I had to do it.'

PAUL KEANE: DES

Des (left) and Daphne played by Paul Keane and Elaine Smith were Neighbours original happiest couple. Pictured right, Paul Keane on set this week

Des and Daphne played by Paul Keane and Elaine Smith were Neighbours original happiest couple.

Daphne lent her name to the popular cafe for a time that was a regular haunt of the characters while Des was her lovable husband and they had a child together on the show.

But as this is soapland, their happy marriage was not to last as Daphne was killed off in a car crash in 1987 - the show's first big tear-jerking departure.

Elaine went on to have small roles on other shows before stepping back from her career to be a mother.

Paul stayed on the soap for a few years and left in 1990. He quit acting altogether and instead took a job in a pub, before struggling with addiction and anxiety for over a decade.

He reprised his role as Des for the 35th anniversary special in March 2020, making a brief return to Ramsay Street in a plotline involving Sheila Canning, played by Colette Mann.

Last year, Paul told Digital Spy why he was not returning to Neighbours full time.

'I live in Sydney, and Neighbours is filmed in Melbourne. Relocating is fine when you're young, but I'm getting on a bit! I like the idea of popping back every now and again for a visit though, that would be really cool,' he explained.

IAN SMITH: HAROLD BISHOP

Ian Smith, left, has been a Neighbours stalwart as Harold Bishop, left, after first appearing as Madge's (Anne Charleston) husband. He even came back from the dead when he was killed off in the Nineties

Ian, with co-star Tom Oliver as Lou Carpenter, have added comedy to the soap over the decades

As Harold Bishop, Ian Smith, 83, became one of the show's most legendary characters.

He was there from day one and his relationship with Madge Bishop was a focus of numerous plots while his friendship with Lou, who nicknamed him 'jelly belly', often added comedy to the show.

He was notoriously killed off in 1991 - or so we thought - as he then made a miraculous return to appear in the show on and off from the Nineties until 2015.

Speaking on Network 10's Studio 10 in 2018, the much-loved character admitted that he wished he would have quit the series sooner.

While trying to branch outside of his character into alternative acting roles, the star said he was turned down from various opportunities because of his long-standing association to Harold.

The famous face said that during an audition for an entirely dissimilar role, he was told: 'Oh you were Harold. You couldn't possibly be a murdering paedophile.'

Following a series of attempts, Ian decided that he had had enough and wanted to retire the role.

When asked about his dream role, Ian admitted to wanting to play one as far away from Harold as possible.

While he said he still loves Harold, he expressed the importance of venturing beyond those constricted territories for himself as an actor.

'I would like to go as far from Harold as I can, not to prove it to other people, but to prove it to myself,' he explained.

STEFAN DENNIS: PAUL ROBINSON

Neighbours icon Stefan Dennis has escaped the grim reaper as villain Paul Robinson (left) many times on the soap since the show's inception in 1985. Pictured, Stefan on the Neighbours set this week

Neighbours icon Stefan Dennis has escaped the grim reaper as villain Paul Robinson many times on the soap since the show's inception in 1985.

He was left for dead in a vicious attack in the summer of 2019, having been bludgeoned with a blunt object and his serial killer son Robert broke free from prison in December. He was also shot by girlfriend Terry back in 1986.

And Stefan told MailOnline: 'Paul has done everything now, been married six times, you can't kill him, they've tried many times.'

Stefan has no doubt seen it all since appearing alongside Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce in the glory years of the soap in the 80s.

Asked what his favourite memory from his time with those stars, he laughs and says: 'Seeing Cliff Richard s**tting himself.

'He was so nervous backstage at the London Palladium in 1988 when we all appeared on the Royal Variety Show.

'There was a list of huge showbiz names, people I was in total awe of and Cliff was standing across the hallway from me, waiting to go on stage.

'He was saying "Oh my god, I'm so nervous". But Smithy, Ian Smith, who played Harold Bishop couldn't believe it.

'He was saying, "That's Cliff Richard, he can't be nervous!" But it just goes to show that no matter how famous you get, you still get butterflies.'

ANNIE JONES: PLAIN JANE

Annie Jones played 'Plain Jane Superbrain' from 1986- 1989 and shed her nerdy image by ditching her glasses. Pictured right, Annie on the set of Neighbours this week

Despite her popularity, Annie never became as successful as her co-stars like Guy Pearce, pictured with her as Mike in 1986

Annie Jones, now 55, played 'Plain Jane Superbrain' from 1986 to 1989 and was love interest to Guy Pearce's Mike. She reprised her role in 2018 and has been a regular fixture on the show ever since.

She famously transformed from a nerd to a beauty by losing her glasses and letting her hair down and won the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress in 1989.

Despite her popularity then, Annie never went on to be as famous as her co-stars.

She had a few small roles including in The Flying Doctors after leaving Neighbours but work took a back seat so she could care for her ill mother.

In February 2022, she admitted she's 'in a bit of shock' at the prospect that the series might film its final scenes in June.

'I pray the show will be saved somehow,' the veteran actress told the Herald Sun. 'We need Neighbours to continue for the sake of our upcoming film and television makers.'

KYLIE MINOGUE: CHARLENE ROBINSON

The wedding of Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charleen (Kylie Minogue) is one of the best-loved moments from Neighbours history

Home sweet home: Kylie revealed last year that she was leaving London after 30 years to return to Melbourne after spending time there during the pandemic

The pint-sized songstress is arguably the show's most famous export after finding worldwide fame as a singer when she left the soap.

She initially won hearts with her on-screen romance with Scott Robinson, played by Jason Donovan.

The Kylie and Jason public obsession reached fever pitch when the couple got together in real life and they had a hit record together, Especially For You.

But superstardom beckoned for Kylie, as she enjoyed hit after hit on the music charts.

Kylie recently relocated to her home city of Melbourne, Australia, after living in the UK for more than three decades.

The formerly London-based singer is believed to have quietly arrived back in Australia at the end of January.

Kylie revealed she was leaving the British capital after 30 years to return to Melbourne after spending time there during the pandemic.

When asked in October about rumours she was returning to her home country permanently, Kylie confirmed it to BBC 2 radio.

Making a move: Her boyfriend, Paul Solomons (right), won't be joining her but they intend to continue a long-distance relationship

'It is true, I will be basing myself in Australia,' she said. 'I can't believe the reaction it's had. I've had friends call me.' I spent a lot of time with my family this year in Australia and it felt really good... I've been talking about that for a while.'

Kylie reassured Brits she 'won't be a stranger' and will still visit regularly. 'Of course I've lived here for 30 years. I'm always going to be back,' she said.

Kylie told friends she wanted to live closer to her family, including her parents Carol and Ron, siblings Brendan and Dannii and nephew Ethan.

Her boyfriend, magazine executive Paul Solomons, won't be joining her in Australia, but they intend to continue a long-distance relationship.

Kylie is one of the stars returning for the grand finale, alongside Jason Donovan.

JASON DONOVAN: SCOTT ROBINSON

Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, much-loved characters Charlene and Scott, were a couple in real life

The actor has a regular DJ gig on Heart FM (pictured in London on February 23, 2022)

Like his on-screen wife Kylie, Jason left the soap to pursue a pop career and while he may not have been quite so lucky, lucky, lucky with his recording career he too topped the charts in the Eighties.

He's starred in stage productions such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.

The actor hit a rough patch due to alcohol and drug abuse, suffering a cocaine-induced seizure at Kate Moss's 21 birthday party in 1995.

But he has since regained an image befitting of his alter Neighbour's ego Scott Robinson with a regular DJ gig on Heart FM.

And last year, he made his pantomime debut in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

A year ago, Jason revealed he wouldn't 'still be standing' today without his long-term wife Angela Malloch.

'She saved me': Jason previously revealed that he wouldn't 'still be standing' today without his wife Angela, who saved him from cocaine addiction (pictured in April 2018)

In a candid interview, the singer - who once dated his Neighbours co-star Kylie Minogue - gushed over his wife of over 13 years as he admitted that she 'saved' him from cocaine addiction.

He told The Mirror: 'Had it not been for her [Angela], I doubt I'd still be standing. She was my saving grace and set to become the real love of my life.'

Jason went on to explain that he believes Angela was sent to him 'for a reason', after the pair met in 1998 while Jason was starring in the Rocky Horror Show UK tour.

He continued: 'Ange gave me my life back, made me see what love really was and to the day I die I will be grateful to her for that.'

The smitten couple tied the knot in 2008 and share three children together - Jemma, 21, Zac, 20, and Molly, ten.

AND... WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE STARS?

RUSSELL CROWE : KENNY LARKIN

Russell Crowe on screen with Jason Donovan as Scott Robinson in 1985, left. Russell Crowe, pictured right in 2018, went on to win an Oscar for his role in Gladiator and his career shows no sign of slowing down

Another Neighbour to hit the big time is megastar Russell Crowe, 57, who won an Oscar for his role in Gladiator.

He is one of Hollywood's leading male stars but before he was rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ridley Scott, he played ex-con Kenny Larkin in four episodes in the Eighties.

His career shows no sign of slowing down and he's currently filming blockbuster thriller Poker Face, along with co-stars Liam Hemsworth and rapper RZA.

The big budget action flick was put on pause last year after a number of crew members tested positive to Covid.

Crowe is directing and starring in the high octane outing which is set inside the glamorous world of high-stakes poker and also features a cameo from Hemsworth's sister-in-law Elsa Pataky.

The film will be produced by Australian actor Addam Bramich and Gary Hamilton.

Shot both at Fox Studios and across a number of NSW landmarks, the film was originally due to wrap in September last year.

LIAM AND CHRIS HEMSWORTH: JOSH TAYLOR AND JAMIE KANE

Star of the Hunger Games, Liam Hemsworth (left) launched his career playing wheelchair-bound hunk Josh Taylor (right) on the street from 2007 to 2008

Chris Hemsworth, star of Thor, followed his brother Liam to Ramsay Street playing Jamie Kane in one episode (pictured right) before heading for Hollywood

Star of the Hunger Games, Liam Hemsworth launched his career playing wheelchair-bound hunk Josh Taylor on the street from 2007 to 2008.

He's since taken Hollywood by storm in his role as Gale Hawthorne and is currently filming for blockbuster thriller Poker Face.

Liam's brother Chris Hemsworth, star of Thor, also made a brief appearance in Neighbours as Jamie Kane before heading for Hollywood.

He shot to fame for his role as the superhero in the 2011 Marvel Studios film Thor and sequels, including The Avengers.

Chris also starred opposite Kristen Stewart in the film Snow White and the Huntsman as the Huntsman and in 2014, was named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

He began dating Spanish actress Elsa Pataky in early 2010 who he later married. They share three children: daughter India Rose and twin sons, Tristan and Sasha.

In 2015 they moved from their Los Angeles home to Byron Bay, where they now remain.

MARGOT ROBBIE: DONNA FREEMAN

Margot Robbie (pictured in Neighbours, right) has since hit the big time starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street and was one of the stars of the Oscars red carpet (left)

Margot Robbie, who started her on screen life in Neighbours in 2008, has since hit the big time starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street and Will Smith in Focus and Suicide Squad.

She married British film producer Tom Ackerley in 2016 after meeting on the set of Suite Francaise and is in major demands for film roles.

As well as having starred as Harley Quinn in a Suicide Squad spin-off, she also portrayed the figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya.

Margot's Birds Of Prey was the eighth instalment in the DC Extended Universe and servesd as a spin-off and sequel to Suicide Squad (2016).

It grossed $201 million worldwide and was mostly well-received, with critics praising Margot's performance as Harley.

In total, Margot has made four appearances in her critically acclaimed role: Suicide Squad (2016), Birds Of Prey (2020), Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) and The Suicide Squad, a standalone sequel to Suicide Squad (2021).

Margot Robbie played Donna Freedman in Neighbours in 2008 (centre) a student at Erinsborough High

NATALIE IMBRUGLIA: BETH BRENNAN

Natalie Imbruglia, 47, left her role as Beth Brennan (pictured right) and kissed goodbye to her onscreen surfer-dude husband Brad Willis to launch a singing career in 1997

Natalie Imbruglia, 47, left her role as Beth Brennan and kissed goodbye to her onscreen surfer-dude husband Brad Willis to launch a singing career in 1997.

The album Left In The Middle sold seven million copies and her single Torn became an instant hit. Other albums followed although they weren't as commercially successful as her first.

In 2015, she made a comeback with the album Male, featuring cover versions of songs made famous my male lead singers, which reached number 20 in the UK album charts.

She made her first film debut in the 2003 film Johnny English alongside Rowan Atkinson.

The singer has since appeared in films Closed for Winter, Underdogs and Among Ravens as well as continuing her music career.

She appeared on The X Factor Australia as a judge in 2010 but didn't return for the third season and in 2014 signed with Sony Masterworks for her first album in six years.

The London-based star divorced her Australian husband of five years, Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns in 2008 saying the distance between them was too much.

More recently, she was crowned the winner of The Masked Singer 2022 earlier this month after being revealed as Panda.

Beth Brennan played by Natalie with her onscreen surfer husband, Brad Willis at their 1993 TV wedding

The songstress beat Charlotte Church who was unmasked as Mushroom in second place and Westlife star Mark Feehily who was revealed to be Robobunny in third place.

Natalie impressed judges Rita Ora, Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross and Joss Stone on the night when she sang Taylor Swift's hit Blank Space, before performing a duet with comedian Jason Manford, who was Hedgehog in series one.

Elsewhere, Natalie revealed she is 'ready to play the fame game again' after winning The Masked Singer.

The star told The Sun she 'just doesn't care anymore' and added: 'It's good to be in a place where you can do a show like this and embrace the fun of it and not take yourself so seriously.'

DELTA GOODREM: NINA TUCKER

She hasn't aged a day! Delta Goodrem now and as Nina Tucker in Neighbours

Delta Goodrem, 37, rose to fame in 2002 as school girl and aspiring singer Nina Tucker on the soap.

Her song Born to Try premiered on the show, re-launching her music career and contributing to her 2003 Logie for Most Popular New Talent.

In 2003, at the age of 18, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and was forced to leave work for treatment, but after announcing her remission, soon began work on her second album.

In March 2005, Goodrem starred in Hating Alison Ashley, her first film role, however her acting career was short-lived.

In November 2011, Goodrem was announced as a judge on The Voice Australia alongside Keith Urban, Joel Madden, and Seal.

She spent eight seasons as a coach on the Channel Nine version of the singing competition before stepping back in 2021.

She's had nine number one singles and five number one albums in Australia and sold over nine million albums worldwide.

However, she's often hit the headlines for her love life thanks to relationships with a number of high profile men.

In 2004, she dated Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis and then had a long-term relationship with former Westlife singer Brian McFadden.

They got engaged but split up in 2011 after which Deltra than had a year-long relationship with singer Nick Jonas of boy band the Jonas Brothers.

She's since dated musician Matthew Copley, with the couple, who are famously private, confirming their relationship in January 2018.

HOLLY CANDY: FLICK SCULLY

Holly Valance (left) left her role as Felicity 'Flick' Scully in 2002 to pursue a music career and scored a hit with Kiss Kiss

Holly Valance left her role as Felicity 'Flick' Scully in 2002 to pursue a music career.

Her first album Footprints, in 2002, was a success, with her single Kiss Kiss peaking at number one and Naughty Girl at number three in Australia.

Her album State of Mind in 2003 didn't do as well and she returned to acting in 2004 in the US but has not yet managed to crack America like Margot Robbie.

Valance appeared in CSI: Miami, Entourage and CSI: NY, as well as guest-starring in Prison Break in 2006. In 2008, she had a role in Taken alongside Hollywood star Liam Neeson.

In 2012 Valance married billionaire property developer Nick Candy in Beverly Hills and in 2013 gave birth to their first child, Luka Candy, in London.

Holly, 38, and her husband Nick Candy, 48, were seen enjoying a low-key date night as they joined a slew of stars for the VIP re-opening of Winter Wonderland in November 2021 in London

JESSE SPENCER : BILLY KENNEDY

Jesse Spencer, 43, who become a teenage heart throb when he played Billy Kennedy (pictured right) in the soap from 1994 to 2000, left the show with high hopes to crack Hollywood

Jesse Spencer, 43, who become a teenage heart throb when he played Billy Kennedy in the soap from 1994 to 2000, left the show with high hopes to crack Hollywood.

He went on to star in hit US series House alongside Hugh Laurie and played a leading role in Chicago Fire as well as taking on film parts.

The star is also a keen musician and plays violin in the charity cover group Band From TV, with his former co-star Hugh Laurie.

CRAIG MCLACHLAN: HENRY RAMSAY

Another original cast member, Craig McLachlan, 56, who played Mike's curly-haired buddy Henry Ramsay from 1987-89, had a brief singing career

Another original cast member, Craig McLachlan, 51, who played Mike's curly-haired buddy Henry Ramsay from 1987-89, had a brief singing career.

He had a Number Two hit, Mona, and appeared in Grease on the West End stage.

But he went back to his first love of soap by playing school teacher Grant Mitchell on rival Oz show Home & Away and also stayed on TV screens down under in The Dr Blake Mysteries.

ALAN DALE: JIM ROBINSON

Alan Dale played Jim Robinson (pictured right) from when the first show aired till his departure in 1993 when his character famously suffered from a heart attack

Alan Dale played Jim Robinson from when the first show aired till his departure in 1993 when his character famously suffered from a heart attack.

He appeared in 869 episodes and was the head of one of the show's most popular families.

It took a few years for him to put Jim behind him and resurrect his acting career but in 2000 he found success in the US hit shows The OC and then Ugly Betty.

The 74-year-old also appeared in 24 and Lost and worked on Dominion and NCIS, as well as The West Wing, Entourage and Once Upon a Time.

His film roles include Detective Isaksson in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Councilman Rockwell in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Dale has been married to former Miss Australia Tracey Dale since 1990.

ANNE CHARLESTON: MADGE BISHOP

Anne Charleston, left, and as Madge in Neighbours back in the Eighties with Kylie, right

Anne Charleston is another Neighbours legend after playing Madge Bishop from 1985 to 1992.

Now 79, she has appeared in various other shows and stage productions since leaving the soap but thanks to her long-enduring appeal, she'll always be now known as Madge.

Though leaving in 1992 to re-locate to Ireland, she later accepted the offer to return to Neighbours reprising her role from 1996. Her character Madge died in 2001 of pancreatic cancer.

In 2013 Charleston played a role in the Prisoner remake, Wentworth, which saw her portray the mother-in-law of prisoner Lizzy Birdsworth.

In 2005, she had cosmetic surgery performed, live on British television for the show Cosmetic Surgery Live and late in 2014 she played the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Redditch Palace Theatre.

SIANOA SMIT-MCPHEE: BREE TIMMINS

Sianoa Smit-McPhee, 30, played the introverted, confused and briefly gothic character of Bree Timmins (pictured left) from 2005 - 2007

Sianoa Smit-McPhee, 30, played the introverted, confused and briefly gothic character of Bree Timmins from 2005 - 2007.

She later appeared in children's television series As the Bell Rings as DJ, which aired on the Disney Channel and in 2008, appeared as Desma in the short film Hugo alongside Tessa James and Georgia Flood.

From 2009 to 2011, she starred in the HBO series Hung as Darby Drecker and appeared in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2012.

These days, it appears as though Sianoa calls Los Angeles home, where she spends a lot of her time working on her music in the recording studio.

BRETT TUCKER: DANIEL FITZGERALD

Brett Tucker, 49, played the role of teacher Daniel Fitzgerald (pictured) from 19992000 - a role which he returned to in late 2007

Brett Tucker, 49, played the role of teacher Daniel Fitzgerald from 19992000 - a role which he returned to in late 2007.

In 2009 he left the show and moved to the US where he appeared in multiple high-profile shows including CSI: NY, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and NCIS.

In 2013, Tucker briefly appeared in Thor: The Dark World as an Einherjar Guard. He then appeared as Harry Davis in Mistresses where he starred alongside Alyssa Milano until 2016.

More recently, he joined the cast of Fox's dance dramedy The Big Leap in a recurring role.

He then appeared as Harry Davis in Mistresses where he starred alongside Alyssa Milano until 2016

DICHEN LACHMAN: KATYA KINSKI

Dichen Lachman, 40, played the role of Katya Kinski (pictured left) on the show from 2005 to 2007, before heading to Los Angeles to advance her career

Dichen Lachman, 40, played the role of Katya Kinski on the show from 2005 to 2007, before heading to Los Angeles to advance her career.

Since, she has played the role of Sierra in television series Dollhouse, appeared in NCIS: Los Angeles and took up the role of Suren in TV series Being Human.

She also played the role of Tani Tumrenjack in TV show Last Resort, Anya in The 100, Angela in Shameless and Jiaying in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Anya: Lachman starred on hit show The 100 in 2014

JANET ANDREWARTHA: LYNN SCULLY

Janet Andrewartha, 69, is best known for her role as Lynn Scully on Neighbours, where she maintained the role from 1999 to 2011

Janet Andrewartha, 69, is best known for her role as Lynn Scully on Neighbours, where she maintained the role from 1999 to 2011.

Though leaving the show in 2006 to pursue family life and other roles, she returned in 2008 for a brief stint and again in 2009, where she stayed until 2011.

During that time, Andrewartha worked in London on theatre projects and as an ensemble member in the play All My Sons at the Melbourne Theatre Company.

ANNE WILKINSON: PLAYED BY BROOKE SATCHWELL

Brooke Satchwell played the role of Anne Wilkinson (pictured left) from 1996 - 2000

Brooke Satchwell played the role of Anne Wilkinson from 1996 - 2000 and went on for a brief stint as Sophie Ferguson in Water Rats before working on White Collar Blue until 2003.

She was later cast as a lead role in the film Subdivision and in 2012, joined the cast of television series Packed to the Rafters as Frankie.

In 2013, she worked on the show Dirty Laundry Live as a panellist and later joined the cast of Wonderland as lawyer Grace Barnes.

ORIGINAL CAST MEMBERS WHO TURNED THEIR BACK ON FAME

Vivean Gray as Mrs Mangel

VIVEAN GRAY: MRS MANGEL

Vivean Gray was another Neighour's legend as gossipy old woman of Ramsay Street, Mrs Mangel.

She could always be trusted to ruin the young people's fun and lay down the moral high ground.

Before Neighbours, she had a long-running role in Australian soap The Sullivans but became much more famous thanks to her time in Erinsborough.

But the actress didn't seem comfortable with the worldwide fame and devoted fans Neighbours brought and left in 1988 when she retired from acting.

Sadly, she died in Australia in July 2016 at the age of 92.

MARISA SIKETA : SUMMER HOYLAND

Summer Hoyland: Marisa Siketa won the hearts of thousands in the role of Summer Hoyland from 2002 - 2007, left

Marisa Siketa joined Neighbours as Summer Hoyland from 2002 - 2007 after playing Melanie Atwood on The Saddle Club.

After departing the show, she appeared in various commercials before taking up DJ work at 95.5 K-ROCK radio station, where she remained until 2014.

She then became an ambassador at Geelong Animal Welfare Society.

CAITLIN STASEY: RACHEL KINSKI

Rachel Kinski: Caitlin Stasey (right in 2015) played Rachel (left) from 2005 - 2009 before becoming successful in the Australian film industry with Tomorrow, When the War Began

Caitlin Stasey was part of at neighbours as Rachel Kinski from 2005 - 2009 before starring in the hit Australian film Tomorrow, When the War Began, as Ellie Linton.

After appearing in American television series Reign, as Kenna, Stasey was also in comedy-horror film All Chearleaders Die as Maddy.

Recently, Stasey has made a name for herself in social activism after using social media to draw attention to the Free the Nipple movement.

Taking a stand: Stasey has made a name for herself in social activism after using social media to draw attention to the Free the Nipple movement

DAN PARIS: DREW KIRK

Known for his long 'hippy' hair, Drew began a relationship with established character Libby Kennedy, which eventually saw them marry and have a child together

Dan Paris bagged his first acting role as Neighbours hunk Drew Kirk in 1998.

Known for his long 'hippy' hair, Drew began a relationship with established character Libby Kennedy, which eventually saw them marry and have a child together.

However, in 2002, Dan decided to leave the show and pursue new challenges. His character was killed off but returned three years later in the dreams of Stephanie Scully.

Dan, 48, moved into television presenting, hosting various natural history and travel programmes. He then set up an award-winning photography business.
He joined Neighbours back in 1987, playing the iconic role of Harold Bishop.

And now, as the soap sets off to air it's final episodes, Ian Smith has returned to the role to see off it's 37 year run.

The actor, now 83, showed that he hasn't aged a day since appearing on the show back in it's heyday - as he braced the set this week.

He's back! Neighbours icon Ian Smith hasn't aged a day as he returns as Harold Bishop for the soap's finale - over 30 years after his first episode (pictured right this week, left circa 1990)

Appearing alongside the original cast such as Guy Pearce, Annie Jones and Paul Keane - Ian looked almost exactly the same as he did after departing the show in 2008.

He was back in action for the reappearance, on set in Melbourne as the crew prepared to wrap up the final week of filming.

Still sporting his signature look for the role, including round framed glasses and Harold's typical haircut, Ian was snapped strolling Ramsay Street.

Long-standing: The character of Harold was one of the longest serving in soap history, with Ian enduring a short departure form 1991 to 1996, before staying on until 2008 and briefly returning in 2015

Like he's never left? He was back in action for the reappearance, on set in Melbourne as the crew prepared to wrap up the final week of filming

The character of Harold was one of the longest serving in soap history, with Ian enduring a short departure from 1991 to 1996, before staying on until 2008 and briefly returning in 2015.

He took part in many dramatic storylines throughout his run, including amnesia, illness and grief.

One of his most memorable storylines saw him lost at sea, after which Harold was presumed dead until he eventually returning.

But despite his successful run, Ian previously revealed to Network 10 his reason for leaving, as he revealed being turned down from various opportunities because of his long-standing association to Harold.

Standout: He took part in many dramatic storylines throughout his run, including amnesia, illness and grief

The actor explained that during an audition for an entirely dissimilar role, he was told: 'Oh you were Harold. You couldn't possibly be a murdering paedophile.'

Following a series of too familiar incidents, Ian decided that it was time to throw the towel in on Harold.

But as he gets set to brace screens again, Neighbours icons Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan are also set to make their own comeback.

Iconic: Guy Pearce, who played Mike Young between 1986 and 1989, was also spotted on set as the TV series filmed its final scenes this week

Back again: But as he gets set to brace screens again, Neighbours icons Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan are also set to make their own comeback (pictured on Neighbours)

After 37 years, Neighbours announced that production would be ceasing on the long-running soap in a tweet back in March.

'We are so sorry to say that after nearly 37 years and almost 9,000 episodes broadcast we have to confirm that Neighbours will cease production in June,' the show wrote.

'Following the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK [Channel 5] and despite an extensive search for alternative funding, we simply have no option but to rest the show.

'To our amazing, loyal fans, we know this is a huge disappointment, as it is to all of us on the team. We thank you for all your messages and support and promise to end the show on an incredible high. From here on, we are celebrating Neighbours.'
The cast of TOWIE arrived at Heathrow Airport on Monday as they jet off to the Dominican Republic for filming the upcoming series.

James Locke and his ex flame Yazmin Oukhellou are set to make a big return to the show - which will air later this year - alongside co-star Amy Childs.

The 35-year old kept a low profile in a grey hoodie and matching joggers, while sporting black shades and wearing his hood up.

Trip: The cast of TOWIE arrived at Heathrow Airport on Monday as they jet off to the Dominican Republic for filming the upcoming series

Meanwhile Yazmin, 28, showcased her sensational figure in a black midi dress which she teamed with Louis Vuitton sliders.

The brunette beauty looked radiant as she opted for a bronzed makeup palette and styled her dark tresses poker straight.

Amy cut a casual figure in white joggers, a plunging bodysuit and a chic beige blazer as she pushed her suitcase along.

The 31-year-old looked effortlessly cool in a pair of oversized shades while her red locks fell loose to her shoulders.

Casual: The 35-year old kept a low profile in a grey hoodie and matching joggers, while sporting black shades and wearing his hood up

Comeback: James Locke and his ex flame Yazmin Oukhellou are set to make a big return to the show - which will air later this year - alongside co-star Amy Childs

Stunning: Yazmin, 28, showcased her sensational figure in a black midi dress which she teamed with Louis Vuitton sliders

Gorgeous: Amy cut a casual figure in white joggers, a plunging bodysuit and a chic beige blazer as she pushed her suitcase along

Amber Turner, Harry Derbidge and Saffron Lempriere also rocked up to the airport in stylish travel outfits.

It comes after Megan Barton-Hanson was reportedly left terrified after her hotel room door was 'kicked in' during a heated row with ex-boyfriend James.

According to The Sun, the reality star alerted the hotel staff who dialled 999, with police spotted arriving by onlookers at the hotel shortly after.

Beautiful: Amber Turner flashed her toned tummy in a black crop top and trouser co-ord while showing off her new long blonde locks

Looking good: Harry Derbidge and Saffron Lempriere also rocked up to the airport in stylish travel outfits

Lavish: Courtney Green cut a chic figure in a grey co-ord while wearing a Louis Vuitton cross-body bag and matching luggage bag

Beaming: Dani Imbert was all smiles in a bold fur coat which she wore over a pair of brown figure-hugging leggings and crop top

A show insider recently told The Sun: 'TOWIE bosses were made aware of what happened regarding this incident.

'It was decided he would remain part of the TOWIE family and was chosen as one of the stars to be flown out to the Caribbean.

'He will film over the coming days with some of the show's biggest names  and a whole host of new faces. James loves being a part of the show and can't wait to start filming again.'

Pals: Yazmin looked radiant as she opted for a bronzed makeup palette and styled her dark tresses poker straight

Happy: Amber Turner looked lovingly at her boyfriend Dan Edgar as they strolled through the airport

New: The show will return for it's 29th series later this year

It comes after James was recently spotted leaving Yazmin's Essex home after he spent the night with her and filmed now-deleted Instagram stories of him wearing just his boxer shorts from her kitchen.

Yazmin and James insisted their toxic relationship was over for good last February before the reality bad boy's fling with ITVBe co-star Chloe Brockett, 21, but have been spending time together again this month.

A source close to Yazmin expressed to MailOnline their fears regarding the couple's reconciliation, believing the reality star is better off without James in her life.

Shock: According to The Sun, Megan alerted the hotel staff who dialled 999, with police spotted arriving by onlookers at the hotel shortly after (pictured November 2021)

Back on: Earlier this month James filmed now-deleted Instagram stories of him wearing just his boxer shorts from Yazmin's kitchen after spending the night at her Essex apartment

They said: 'James and Yazmin getting back together is worrying  they seem to be addicted to each other, but it never ends well.

'They've had their good times but that has always been overshadowed by huge rows and public fallouts.

'Whenever James is single, he seems to make his way back to Yazmin and she welcomes him with open arms.'
This year's Love Island contestants have revealed their biggest turn ons and what they think is their best physical features in a promo video for the new series.

Gemma Owen reckons her best feature is her bum, Liam Llewellyn wasn't shy about admitting he likes to have his ears licked and Paige Thorne is on the hunt for an 'alpha' man.

Asked what her sexiest feature is, Michael Owen's daughter Gemma replied: 'Probably my bum,' and said her ideal date would be 'a nice meal'.

Racy: This year's Love Island contestants have revealed their biggest turn ons and what they think is their best physical features in a promo video for the new series (Gemma Owen pictured)

Indiyah Pollack cited her 'boobs' as her best feature while Tasha Ghouri reckons her legs will turn heads in the villa.

Asked about their turn ons, Liam admitted he likes to have his ears played with, saying: 'My biggest turn on has got to be anything to do with my ears. Licking, sucking my ears.'

Paige said she falls for a guy who is 'actually nice to me,' while adding that she wants to find an 'alpha' male in the house.

Discussing their biggest red flags in a dating partner, Amber Beckford said she doesn't like a guy who is 'too active on Instagram'.

Liam Llewellyn admitted: 'My biggest turn on has got to be anything to do with my ears. Licking, sucking my ears'

The islanders were also asked to cite their biggest celebrity crushes with Davide Sanclimenti choosing Margot Robbie and Tasha opting for Ryan Gosling.

On Monday, fans were given a sneak peek of the first episode ahead of its broadcast on Monday night.

In new photos, host Laura Whitmore looks sensational in a red two piece as she welcomes the latest batch of dating hopefuls to the Mallorca villa.

The Irish presenter, 37, wears a heart-shaped cut-out top with matching hot pants and towering wedge heels.

The images, released by ITV2, also show the Islanders on their first day in their new abode.

Blushing: Tasha Ghouri reckons her legs will turn heads in the villa

Confident: Indiyah Pollack cited her 'boobs' as her best feature

Romance: Paige Thorne said her biggest turn on is a guy 'that's actually nice to me'

The new Love Island villa is the biggest ever  boasting an infinity pool, huge bedrooms, and panoramic views of Mallorca.

Love Island producers confirmed to MailOnline that while food-eating challenges have been scrapped, sex is still on the menu, and they will assess each moment of pleasure between the Islanders on a case-by-case basis.

Asked by MailOnline if the 2022 series will show sex scenes unlike last year, executive producer Mike Spencer admitted there was no black out ban in place.

He said: 'We don't decide anything in advance. You just don't know until you see the footage, genuinely, we are so reactive we are cutting around the clock.

Honest: Discussing their biggest red flags in a dating partner, Amber Beckford said she doesn't like a guy who is 'too active on Instagram'

Crush: The islanders were also asked to cite their biggest celebrity crushes with Davide Sanclimenti choosing Margot Robbie

Picky: Asked to sum up his type in one wor,d Dami Hope replied: 'beautiful'

'If something happens, we are cutting it overnight so until you see something it is hard to make a judgment and you just have to go with what is right.

'The show does get it right, it's suggestive and funny, music is a massive thing, and we will continue to do that but until we see it it's difficult to tell and it depends on who it is.'

The new villa, which is Love Island's third, is located just 10 minutes from last year's base but bosses were keen to give the show a 'glow up' ahead of its eighth series.

And the emphasis is on size, with bigger bedrooms, and more outdoor space, giving the 12 hopefuls lots of opportunity for romance to blossom.

First look: Laura Whitmore rocks a chic red ensemble for the launch night episode as she welcomes the islanders to the new villa

It's back: With less than 24 hours to go until Love Island returns for its eighth series, fans have been given a sneak peek of the first episode ahead of its broadcast on Monday night

Inked: During the first episode of previous series, the girls have been asked to step forward if they find a boy attractive on their arrival (Luca Bish pictured)

Mike said: 'We decided we wanted to have a new summer. We have a new designer on board called Patrick Watson and we viewed quite a few villas and this one was by far the best.

'We want the viewers to tune in and know it's Love Island but with a glow up. We started construction two months' ago and the villa still isn't finished.'

Love Island starts at 9pm Monday 6 June on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark looked incredibly fit as she took part in the Royal Run in Kolding, Denmark on Monday.

The Australian-born Royal, 50, donned slim-fitting activewear as she ran one mile [1.6 kilometres] and mingled with the crowd.

Princess Mary added grey trainers and a coordinating cap to the look, and swept her brunette locks into an effortless ponytail.

Active: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (centre, right) looked incredibly fit as she ran one mile during the Royal Run in Kolding, Denmark on Monday

She also appeared to sport minimal makeup, drawing attention to a radiant visage.

On the event's official website, it states that you don't have to be a 'Crown Princess or a beginner' to take part in the community event, with all fitness levels welcome.

The sighting comes after Princess Mary attended the wedding of Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Carina Axelsson in a floral Zimmermann number, much to the delight of her Australian fans.

Social: The Australian-born Royal, 50, donned slim-fitting activewear as she and mingled with the crowd

Community event: On the event's official website, it states that you don't have to be a 'Crown Princess or a beginner' to take part in the community event, with all fitness levels welcome

The Royal stood alongside her husband Prince Frederik on June 4 at the nuptials alongside Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, Princess Benedikte, Princess Alexandra, Prince Hubertus and Princess Kelly.

Princess Mary opted for the Zimmermann floral eyelet dress paired with pale pink shoes for the occasion, her hair swept back into a charming topknot.

'Mary, I am in awe, she is by far the best dressed Royal ever, I want everything that she's wearing,' one fan wrote of the look.

Princess Mary - born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson - is one of the most respected women on the international scene.

Australian designer: The sighting comes after Princess Mary attended the wedding of Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Carina Axelsson in this floral Zimmermann number on June 4, much to the delight of her Australian fans

She famously met her husband Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark by chance at Sydney pub the Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics.

After their encounter, Frederik - who was in Australia to support Denmark's Olympic sailing team - asked Mary for her phone number and a romance blossomed.

'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.

Celebrations: The Danish royals are pictured attending a ballet gala honouring the Queen's 50th jubilee

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.

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.
South Korea and the United States fired eight more missiles into waters off the Korean peninsula's east coast Monday morning in response to North Korea's launch of eight missiles on Sunday.

According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), seven South Korean missiles were fired while the USA launched one. Officials said they "demonstrated" the capacity and preparedness of both countries to "immediately strike with precision" even if North Korea launched missiles from various locations, as per a CNN report.

JCS claimed North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into waters east of the Korean peninsula on Sunday, calling the activities a "serious provocation" that threatens the peace and stability of not only the peninsula but also the international community, Al Jazeera reported.

South Korea Changes Tone Over North Korean Aggression

The missile exchange comes as North Korea escalates its regional provocations, raising fears that Pyongyang is planning a nuclear test for the first time since 2017.

It also comes after the election of new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office on May 10, and a shift in Seoul's tone toward North Korean aggression. Yoon has emphasized his stronger position on North Korea and desires to boost South Korea's military, in contrast to his predecessor Moon Jae-in, who advocated for diplomacy and peaceful reconciliation.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Threatens New Missile Targets If US Continues Helping Ukraine with Military Weapons

During an address commemorating South Korea's Memorial Day on Monday, the president promised to reply "firmly and sternly" to North Korean provocations.

South Korean President Yoon said his administration would change its approach on South Korea-North Korea relations

and would pursue "fundamental and practical security capabilities" to fight North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threat during a speech commemorating the country's Memorial Day on Monday, per a report from AP.

He said at the National Cemetery in Seoul: "North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs have grown to a point where they are not only a threat to the Korean Peninsula but Northeast Asia and world peace."

Yoon added that his administration would "sternly respond" to any type of provocation North Korea would make.

The launch on Sunday was North Korea's third missile test since Yoon took office and the 17th this year.

Japan Blasts North Korea's Missile Launches

The latest North Korean launch was also "strongly protested" by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who told reporters Sunday that it was a gross violation of UN resolutions, while Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi described it as "unprecedented" and stated that at least six missiles fired by North Korea had landed outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

The US and South Korean troops performed a similar live-fire training following North Korea's earlier missile launches on May 25. Pyongyang launched an ICBM on a medium-range trajectory and two short-range weapons. These tests came as Biden was wrapping up a tour to South Korea and Japan, reiterating the United States' support for both allies.

Last week, the United States called for more UN sanctions against North Korea because of its record ballistic missile launches, but China and Russia vetoed the proposal, publicly dividing the UN Security Council on North Korea for the first time since it began penalizing the country in 2006 when it performed its first nuclear test.

Related Article: Kim Jong Un Feared To Gear Up with New Nuclear Test After Firing 8 Ballistic Missiles; Here's What Pyongyang Wants From US Administration

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Lincoln Younes and Callan Mulvey filmed another scene for their series Last King of the Cross on Monday.

The high-profile Australian TV stars were spotted on set in the Sydney suburb of Kings Cross during a night shoot.

At one point Younes, who plays Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim in the forthcoming drama series, peered pensively from the balcony of a nightclub.

Night moves: Lincoln Younes (left) and Callan Mulvey (right) filmed another scene for their series Last King of the Cross on Monday

Lincoln, 30, showed off his toned torso in a blue dress shirt.

The former Home and Away heartthrob has darkened his hair to appear more like the real life nightclub mogul Ibrahim.

Mulvey, meanwhile, plays Detective Sergeant Brian Crellan according to IMDb.

On location: The high-profile Australian TV stars were spotted on set in the Sydney suburb of Kings Cross during a night shoot

Deep thoughts: At one point Younes, who plays Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim in the forthcoming drama series, peered pensively from the balcony of a nightclub

Dressed up: Mulvey donned a shirt and tie for the scene, and stood several metres away from Younes

He donned a shirt and tie for the scene, and stood several metres away from Younes.

The series will tell the story of brothers John and Sam Ibrahim, who are prominent figures in the Kings Cross nightclub district.

Tim Roth, who scored an Oscar nomination for Rob Roy, in 1995, plays a fictional crime boss Ezra Shipman on the show.

Looking good: Lincoln, 30, showed off his toned torso in a blue dress shirt

Transformation: The former Home and Away heartthrob has darkened his hair to appear more like the real life nightclub mogul Ibrahim

Inspiration: The series will tell the story of brothers John and Sam Ibrahim, who are prominent figures in the Kings Cross nightclub district

He replaced Deadwood star Ian McShane who was originally cast in the role, but had to leave the production due to health reasons.

The cast also includes Damian Walshe-Howling (Underbelly), Tess Haubrich (Alien: Covenant) and Matt Nable (Arrow).

Award-winning writer-director Kieran Darcy-Smith will helm the crime-drama.

High drama: It is understood that the show may explore key events in John Ibrahim's life, including surviving a near fatal stabbing and other attempts on his life

Picky: Sources close to the production say that John - who was 'very particular' about the actor playing him - was impressed with Lincoln Younes' acting ability

Go-getter: The Lebanese-born entrepreneur migrated from Tripoli to Australia with his family as a young child before securing his first nightclub at age 19

It is understood that the show may explore key events in John Ibrahim's life, including surviving a near fatal stabbing and other attempts on his life.

Sources close to the production say that John - who was 'very particular' about the actor playing him - was impressed with Lincoln Younes' acting ability and his similarly dark complexion and light eyes.

The Lebanese-born entrepreneur migrated from Tripoli to Australia with his family as a young child before securing his first nightclub at age 19.
Johnny Depp celebrated his dramatic defamation case victory over ex-wife Amber Heard by enjoying a curry in Birmingham with friends - and running up a whopping 50,000 bill.

The actor, 58, was joined by his musician friend Jeff Beck, 77, and around 20 others in their entourage as they took over the chic Varanasi restaurant on Sunday night.

The group enjoyed a banquet of Indian food that had been specially prepared for them along with cocktails and Rose Champagne.

Lavish: Johnny Depp celebrated his dramatic defamation case victory over ex-wife Amber Heard by enjoying a curry in Birmingham with friends - and running up a whopping 50,000 bill

Depp has been in the UK to join Beck on his tour and previously made appearances during his friend's gigs at the Sage Gateshead in the north of England, Glasgow and Londons Royal Albert Hall.

The Hollywood legend was in Birmingham to accompany Beck on stage for his performance in the citys Symphony Hall.

He has been revelling in the public spotlight after successfully suing ex-wife Heard, 36, for $50million over a 2018 piece she had written that alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse.

He won the trial by jury in Virginia last week, meaning he is set to receive millions in compensation from Heard.

Celebrating: The actor, 58, was joined by his musician friend Jeff Beck, 77, (pictured left) and around 20 others in their entourage as they took over the chic Varanasi restaurant on Sunday night

Pals: Depp and his party arrived at the up-market Varanasi at around 7pm, where the actor posed for pictures with staff and their friends and family who had been sworn to secrecy about his visit

Outing: The group enjoyed a banquet of Indian food that had been specially prepared for them along with cocktails and Rose Champagne

Depp and his party arrived at the up-market Varanasi at around 7pm, where the actor posed for pictures with staff and their friends and family who had been sworn to secrecy about his visit.

The restaurant was closed to all other customers while Depp and his group were given the full run of the place, leaving at around midnight.

So how did Johnny run up a 50k bill? Venue Hire: 25-30k

Rose Champagne: 7,500 per bottle

Wine list: 1,200 per bottle

Cocktails: ranging from 100-500 each

Lamb Karahi: 35

King Prawn bunha: 24

Shish kebab starter: 14

Chicken tikka masala: 22 Advertisement

Mohammed Hussain, Operations Director of Varanasi, which is considered one of the UKs leading Indian restaurants told MailOnline: We had a call out of the blue on Sunday afternoon saying that Johnny Depp wanted to come to eat with a group of people.

I was shocked and at first, I thought it might have been a wind up. But then his security team arrived, checked out the restaurant and we let them have the whole place because we were concerned that he might be bothered by other diners.

Mr Hussain added: He was a very lovely, down to earth bloke who spent a lot of time speaking with the staff, our friends and family and was happy to pose for pictures with them. You would never have thought that he was such a big star. He had a lot of time for us all.

Mr Hussain revealed that cooks at the restaurant prepared a special banquet for Depp and his group that included starters of shish kebabs, chicken tikka and tandoori king prawns.

The main course comprised butter chicken, paneer tikka masala, lamb karahi and king prawn bhuna. All the food was accompanied by nans, rice and salad.

Opting not to go for traditional Indian desserts, Depp finished off his meal with panna cotta and cheesecake.

MailOnline understands that the bill for the whole evening came to around 50,000 which was paid for by Depp.

Tour: Depp has been in the UK to join Beck on his tour and previously made appearances during his friend's gigs at the Sage Gateshead in the north of England, Glasgow and Londons Royal Albert Hall

Mr Hussain: We had to promise that we would not reveal the final bill but lets just put it this way; money was no issue, and it was easily in five figures. We made more money from Depps visit than we did from our busiest night of the week, which is a Saturday when we have around 400 diners.

In addition to the food, there was champagne, wine and all kinds of drinks being downed. Depp and his group had a great time. They loved the food, the ambience of the restaurant and the service that we provided. It was a real honour to have him here.

Mr Hussain revealed that Depp was so impressed with the fare that he ordered a takeaway, which comprised a selection of the banquet.

He added: He clearly knows something about Indian food and enjoys it. We made sure not to make it too spicy so that Johnny Depp could enjoy the variety of flavours.

Happier times: Johnny won the defamation trial after he sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50million over a 2018 piece she had written that alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse (pictured in 2015)

Mr Hussain recalled the most surreal moment of the night was when Depp broke away from his party and sat with him for around 20 minutes in his office.

Mr Hussain said: He said he wanted a little break from everybody and sat in my office, where he watched the people in his group on CCTV and asked me a lot of questions about it.

I didnt ask him about Amber Herd or the court case. It was just a nice conversation with a very humble man. Im still pinching myself because I never dreamt that Johnny Depp would be in my office having a chat about how the CCTV in the restaurant works.
Elsa Pataky's latest film Interceptor has been largely slammed on social media by viewers.

The Netflix action film, starring Chris Hemsworth's wife and featuring a cameo by the Thor star himself, has attracted plenty of eyeballs since dropping on the streaming service last week.

But many were left unimpressed, with one armchair critic tweeting, 'If you haven't watched it yet. Don't. That's the review.'

Mixed bag: Elsa Pataky's (right) latest film Interceptor has been largely slammed on social media by viewers

Another wrote, 'If you have 1 hour 40 minutes of your life that you don't ever want back, watch #Interceptor on Netflix, it's pure turd.'

But despite accusations that the movie was 'disappointingly woke, and poorly executed,' not everyone hated it.

'#Interceptor was so bad it was good,' quipped a fan.

'DON'T': Many were left unimpressed, with one armchair critic tweeting, 'If you haven't watched it yet. Don't. That's the review'

Others damned the film with faint praise, with one tweeting, 'Just finished watching the much anticipated comedy #interceptor on @netflix it wasn't too bad, we actually did laugh...ALOT!'

However others still were unabashed fans of the movie, with one viewer gushing, '@chrishemsworth your beautiful & incredibly talented wife ELSA PATAKY is AMAZING!'

'The movie #Interceptor was phenomenal! A MUST SEE! Congratulations on an excellent movie & 2 be lucky & smart enough 2 have married such an incredible woman!!'

Warmer: However others still were unabashed fans of the movie, with one viewer gushing, '@chrishemsworth your beautiful & incredibly talented wife ELSA PATAKY is AMAZING!'

The decidedly mixed bag of review come after Pataky revealed that she put aside her acting career to be the best mother than she can be.

Speaking to Stellar Magazine last month, the Spanish actress, 45, says that family ultimately came first.

'I was really dedicated to my kids,' she told the publication.

All together: Elsa and her husband Chris, 38, have three children, daughter India , nine, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, both eight. All pictured

Family: 'I took a couple of jobs when they were little and I was feeling really guilty and not feeling good about myself, because personally, I didn't spend much time with my parents when I was little. So it was really important for me to be there for my kids,' she said

'I took a couple of jobs when they were little and I was feeling really guilty and not feeling good about myself, because personally, I didn't spend much time with my parents when I was little. So it was really important for me to be there for my kids'.

Elsa admits that it wasn't an easy decision - but it was the best choice for her young children.

'I knew what I was giving up and in that way it was a really difficult decision, but I thought at least my kids will be proud of me for the mother I am,' she said.

Elsa and her husband Chris, 38, have three children, daughter India, nine, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, both eight.

Elsa's role in the action film sees her playing no-nonsense army lieutenant JJ Collins, who must save the world when 16 nuclear missiles are launched in the United States.
Bradley Cooper and Matt Bomer were spotted sharing a tender kiss on the set of the upcoming biopic Maestro on Monday.

The 44-year-old White Collar alum held the 47-year-old America Sniper star's chin as they locked lips on a sidewalk next to a park in Manhattan.

Bradley is starring as famed composer Leonard Bernstein while Bomer is taking on the role of a clarinet player with whom Bernstein had a brief romance.

Getting into character: Bradley Cooper and Matt Bomer were spotted sharing a tender kiss on the set of the upcoming biopic Maestro on Monday

Bradley donned a beige trench coat over a white dress shirt with dark green polka dot bowtie and black slacks.

The two-time Grammy Award winner sported black dress shoes and carried a black leather briefcase.

The Hangover actor's wavy brunette hair parted to the side and gelled with a few loose strands curling over his forehead.

PDA: The 44-year-old White Collar alum held the 47-year-old America Sniper star's chin as they locked lips on a sidewalk next to a park in Manhattan

Matt was clad in white dress shirt with a dark blue and red tie under a gray wool coat with black trousers.

The Magic Mike XXL performer's dark hair was slicked back from his forehead with gel.

The Emmy Award winner had on brown leather dress shoes and a gold wedding band.

On-screen lovers: Bradley is starring as famed composer Leonard Bernstein while Bomer is taking on the role of a clarinet player with whom Bernstein had a brief romance

Giddy: In one scene, Cooper placed both hands on hands on Bomer's chest as the pair smiled broadly at each other

Bradley also wore a gold wedding band and was seen holding a cigarette. The two glanced to the side and beamed as they strolled across the sidewalk in one scene.

In another scene, Cooper placed both hands on hands on Bomer's chest as the pair smiled broadly at each other.

The actors were joined by Kate Eastman, who plays the wife of Bomer's character.

Lights, camera, action: The two glanced to the side and beamed as they strolled across the sidewalk in one scene

Props: Both actors wore wedding bands and Bradley held a cigarette

The Archive 91 star had on gray and black wool coat over an olive green tartan skirt with light brown leather pumps and black leather gloves. Kate donned a brunette wig and sported bright red lipstick.

She carried a camel-colored leather handbag and held a baby in her arms. The adorable infant was bundled up a bright blue one-side with a matching cap.

Kate looked on as Bradley and Matt kissed. Bradley then shared a kiss with Kate, who held the lapel of his coat.

Unfazed: The actors were joined by Kate Eastman, who plays the wife of Bomer's character. She held a baby and looked on as Matt and Bradley kissed

Friendly! Bradley then shared a kiss with Kate, who held the lapel of his coat

Three's company: Bomer and Eastman were seen beaming as they stood side by side and watched Cooper leave

Bomer and Eastman were seen beaming as they stood side by side and watched Cooper leave.

Bradley was then seen skipping ecstatically down the street as he flung his arms into the air. He beamed as he jumped for joy over the sidewalk.

An actor dressed in a tuxedo was seen standing next to a navy blue and beige baby stroller. He turned his head and looked to the side with a shocked expression.

Exuberant: Bradley was then seen skipping ecstatically down the street as he flung his arms into the air

Thrilled: He beamed as he jumped for joy over the sidewalk

Flabbergasted: An actor dressed in a tuxedo was seen standing next to a navy blue and beige baby stroller. He turned his head and looked to the side with a shocked expression

Last week, Netflix released the first look at the film including behind-the-scenes photos and production stills.

In the images, Bradley completely transformed himself through the artful use of prosthetics and movie makeup into the Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner.

He appeared as the spitting image of the Broadway artist who created iconic shows like West Side Story.

In addition to starring, The A Star Is Born actor is also directing the project which will also feature Carey Mulligan and Maya Hawke.

Incredible: In the images, Bradley completely transformed himself through the artful use of prosthetics and movie makeup into the Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner

It was nearly impossible to know that the tanned, white-haired and bespectacled man smoking a cigarette in new photos was really Oscar-nominee Cooper.

The leading man embodied the look and vibe of Broadway icon Leonard Bernstein in images from the biopic about his life.

Cooper's face was wrinkled and aged with the assistance of a crack team of hair and makeup artists.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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; seen with Carey Mulligan

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 (Mulligan), who stayed with him his whole life despite knowing he was gay

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 will began this May in New York with Cooper, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Fred Berner and Amy Durning all producing the movie.

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.

His life: 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 (Bernstein in 1974)

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.

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.'
Steve Harvey is breaking his silence over the breakup of his stepdaughter Lori Harvey and actor Michael B. Jordan, who called it quits last week after more than a year of dating.

During Monday's episode of The Steve Harvey Morning Show, the host confirmed that Lori, 25, and Michael, 35, had indeed split, declaring: 'I'm team Lori, 1,000 percent. She's my daughter. I love her, I support her.'

However, Steve couldn't resist making light of the situation, joking that at least it didn't end in a costly divorce - of which Steve himself has had three - and is glad that they both 'got out early.'

Hinting that it has been an amicable parting of ways, he said: 'Look, as long as everybody can walk away in peace, be friends...I ain't heard nobody say they busted no windows or nothing.'

'I'm team Lori, 1,000 percent': Steve Harvey confirms stepdaughter Lori Harvey's split with Michael B. Jordan... but says the actor is 'still a cool guy'

'As long as you don't put your hands on my daughter, I don't give a damn what you do. He's still a cool guy...from what I know. It's a breakup. I'm pretty sure they'll be fine. People break up all the time.'

Steve has been married himself three times, and laughed as he admitted that he wishes he could have learned from the young couple.

He said: 'I just wish I could have broke up without the cost factor! I got to start learning from my children, get out early! I waited way too late.'

'Im gonna have to start breaking up on IG 'cause this going to court is costly,' he added laughing.

People reported the news on Saturday with a source claiming they were 'completely heartbroken' about the split and they 'still love' each other.

The end: Lori Harvey and actor Michael B. Jordan have called it quits last week after more than a year of dating

'Michael matured a lot over the course of their relationship and was ready to commit for the long term,' the insider added.

'He let down his guard with her, opening up emotionally in a romantic relationship for the first time.'

'They had great times together and brought out the best in each other.'

Neither Michael nor Lori have publicly commented on their split.

The former couple made their red carpet debut when they attended the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in Beverly Hills on March 27.

The end: Michael B. Jordan, 35, and Lori Harvey, 25, have ended their relationship after a year and a half together, People reported on Saturday; seen March 27 in Beverly Hills

Michael was noticeably absent from the influencer's side when she walked the red carpet at the Met Gala on May 2.

However, the Black Panther actor shared photos of her red carpet appearance on his Instagram Stories. He gushed over one aerial image, writing, 'Probably my fav pic. The composition says so much.

'Birds eye view of a moment you've dreamed about for so long finally manifested & you didn't disappoint! Way to shine babygirl. I love you.'

The stepdaughter of Steve Harvey once again went solo when she attended a screening of the French zombie comedy Final Cut (Coupez!) at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17.
Abbey Clancy gave her fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her beauty regime on Monday as she shared a clip of herself getting her stomach skin tightened.

The model, 36, took to her Instagram page to share a video by skincare specialist Shane Cooper in which she could be seen laying out flat on a bed.

She said: 'So, I'm just with Shane, getting my skin tightening on my stomach, getting prepared for summer,' before undergoing the treatment on camera.

Beautification: Abbey Clancy, 36, gave her fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her beauty regime on Monday as she shared a clip of herself getting her stomach skin tightened

The non-invasive bespoke body treatment targets the skin on the stomach and makes it more taut.

In the clip, the clinician could be seen guiding a tool over the skin to target the bodys tissue and hitting the fat layer while tightening and contouring the skin.

Abbey's toned abs were seen flexing as the tool travelled across her stomach.

Toned and taut: The model took to her Instagram page to share a video by skincare specialist Shane Cooper in which she could be seen laying out flat on a bed

Undergoing treatment: She said: 'So, I'm just with Shane, getting my skin tightening on my stomach, getting prepared for summer,' before undergoing the treatment on camera

Looking good: The non-invasive bespoke body treatment targets the skin on the stomach and makes it more taut

It comes after Abbey and her husband Peter Crouch looked in high spirits as they took a visit to Disneyland Paris on Sunday.

The couple enjoyed a weekend away at the iconic theme park to celebrate its 30th anniversary, with Abbey describing the trip on her latest Instagram album as 'magical'.

Abbey and Peter, 41, got into the spirit of things as they both wore a pair of Minnie Mouse ears while they treated their four children to the trip of a lifetime.

Big kids: Abbey Clancy and her husband Peter Crouch were in high spirits as they took a visit to Disneyland Paris on Sunday

They were joined by Sophia, 11, Liberty, six, Jonny, four, and Jack, two, whose dreams came true as they got to see all their favourite Disney characters come to life.

The Britain's Next Top Model star, gave her 518,000 followers on the photo sharing platform an insight into the one-of-a-kind celebration.

The collage included a sweet snap of the proud mum looking stunning as she took her two daughters for a ride on one of the theme parks attractions.

Off we go! The collage included a sweet snap of the proud mum looking stunning as she took her two daughters for a ride on one of the theme parks attractions

Sophia and Liberty were all smiles as they beamed for the picture while proud mum Abbey looked stunning in a pair of oversized sunglasses.

The two girls also got to meet Cinderella as they enjoyed a meal at one of the resorts restaurants.

Later in the day, the TV star shared a clip of herself alone on a waltzer ride as she let her hair down in the kingdom of dreams.

Her other half Peter also looked in great form on the day as the podcast host featured in a black and white portrait wearing a pair of Minnie Mouse ears while expressing a peace sign.

Special: She captioned the album: 'We had the best time it was just magical @disneyparksuk #DisneylandParis #DisneylandParis30'

Fun: Later in the day, the TV star shared a clip of herself alone on a waltzer ride as she left her hair down for the fun day out

Cool dad: Peter also looked in great form on the day as the podcast host featured in a black and white portrait wearing a pair of Minnie Mouse ears and expressing a peace sign

Yum! The montage of images also showed her son Jonny savouring a stick of candy floss in front of the iconic castle

The montage of images also showed her son Jonny savouring a stick of candy floss in front of the iconic castle.

The family later watched the world-famous Disney stars on parade pass through the theme park after sharing a heroic moment with Spider-Man.

The clan of six could be seen admiring the iconic characters on their colourful floats against a backdrop of enchanting music.

Abbey later revealed their enjoyment of the trip, saying: 'We had the best time it was just magical @disneyparksuk #DisneylandParis #DisneylandParis30.'

Proud dad: Peter held his youngest son Jack on his shoulders as he watched the world-famous Disney stars on Parade pass through the theme park

Dream come true: The two girls also got to meet Cinderella as they enjoyed a meal at one of the resorts restaurants

What a moment: Abbey looked as she watched the incredible parade with stunning theatrics with her children

Magical: Sophia, Liberty, Jonny and Jack, two shared a heroic moment with Spider-Man
Luke Morgan tragically died after falling off a cliff in emotional scenes during Monday night's hour-long Hollyoaks special set in Mallorca.

In the heartbreaking first-look episode on E4, the character, whose condition has been rapidly deteriorating in recent months following his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis in December 2019, was seen sharing a toast with his fiancee Cindy Cunningham ahead of their wedding.

But the romantic moment at the scenic location soon turned to tragedy when Luke (played by Gary Lucy) became confused and dropped Cindy's ring, causing him to loose his footing at the cliff edge.

Goodbye Luke: Luke Morgan tragically died after falling off a cliff in emotional scenes during Monday night's hour-long Hollyoaks special set in Mallorca

The touching scenes show Luke's final moments as he falls over the edge, with his bride and loved ones rushing over before realising it's too late to save him.

With Luke gone, a series of flashbacks then revisits the character's time in Hollyoaks village over the years, with the Luke first appearing in the Channel 4 soap back in 1999.

Following the tear-jerking episode, actor Gary, 40, appeared in a brand new video filmed in Mallorca in which he recalls his best moments during his time on the show.

The interview sees the soap star recall his career highlights including attending his first British Soap Awards in 1999 in which he won Hollyoaks first ever award for Best Newcomer.

The end: In the heartbreaking first-look episode on E4, the character was seen sharing a toast with his fiancee Cindy Cunningham ahead of their wedding.

The award came amid much acclaim from Luke's male rape storyline, which made history as it was the first time the issue was tackled in a UK soap.

Gary's interview, which is shown on Hollyoaks' social media platforms, also saw the actor open up on his recent on-screen relationship with co-star Stephanie Waring, as well as the friendships he's made both on and off the screen.

A flashforward scene that aired in March, revealed that Luke will pass away from frontotemporal dementia, after being diagnosed two years ago.

Tragic: But the romantic moment at the scenic location soon turned to tragedy when Luke (played by Gary Lucy) became confused and dropped Cindy's ring, causing him to loose his footing at the cliff edge

Before the tragedy: Luke and wife-to-be Cindy gathered with their loved ones at a scenic clifftop setting ahead of their nuptials

Friends: Luke's best friend Darren, who recently married long-term love Nancy again, is seen toasting his pal ahead of the tragedy

The scenes also showed that Luke's funeral will take place in July, with characters including Darren and Nancy Osborne, Cindy, and Zara Morgan in attendance.

While Susie Amy also reprised her role as Luke's estranged wife Scarlett Morgan for the emotional scenes.

Luke actor Gary recently told how he was the one to suggest the dementia storyline when he rejoined the soap for his fourth stint.

Scenes: The touching scenes show Luke's final moments as he falls over the edge, with his bride and loved ones rushing over before realising it's too late to save him

A look back: With Luke gone, a series of flashbacks then revisits the character's time in Hollyoaks village over the years, with the Luke first appearing in the Channel 4 soap back in 1999 (pictured in 2000 with Mandy Richardson)

Praise: Actor Gary won much acclaim from Luke's male rape storyline, which made history as it was the first time the issue was tackled in a UK soap (pictured in 2000)

He told Digital Spy: 'I came back in under Brian Kirkwood, when he wanted to revive Luke and bring him back in to explore the effects of not having dealt with such a traumatic event with the male rape. So I came back in for a short period in between doing the Full Monty tour, and then afterwards he said, "I'd love to have you back again, would you consider it?"

'I said I'd absolutely love to and so we talked about it, and basically I suggested a young dementia story  frontotemporal dementia is the medical term for it.

'It had never been done before and that is what Hollyoaks is all about. It is leading the pack in regards to groundbreaking and heavy stories. Luke's male rape being another one obviously back in the day, which was huge and so important. This was a great opportunity to come back and to ultimately finish with another story that is a first basically  young dementia, especially.'

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look episodes on E4 at 7pm.
Emma Appleton has detailed how she found her own 'soulmate' in her partner Alex akin to her character in Everything I Know About Love.

The actress, who has landed the lead role as Maggie in the BBC adaptation of Dolly Alderton's memoir, posed for a stunning shoot for PORTER magazine alongside her co-star Bel Powley.

In an interview with the publication, Emma also discussed 'religiously studying' videos of the tragic punk icon Nancy Spungeon as she prepared to play her in the Disney+ Sex Pistols biopic Pistol.

Candid: Emma Appleton has detailed how she found her own 'soulmate' in her partner Alex akin to her character in Everything I Know About Love

Emma explained that in personal trainer Alex, with whom she lives in Essex, she's found a relationship on par with her character Maggie's bond with childhood friend Birdy (played by Powley).

She gushed: 'My partner is a big deal in my life, but so are my friends: Alex is my soul mate; the love of my life.'

Emma went onto discuss her character Maggie, who upon moving to London with Birdy, battles with insecurities after her best friend starts to fall in love with her first boyfriend.

Gorgeous: The actress, who has landed the lead role as Maggie in the BBC adaptation of Dolly Alderton's memoir, posed for PORTER magazine alongside her co-star Bel Powley (pictured)

Close: Emma explained that in personal trainer Alex she's found a relationship on par with her character Maggie's bond with childhood friend Birdy (pictured in the show)

Open: She gushed: 'My partner is a big deal in my life, but so are my friends: Alex is my soul mate; the love of my life'

Open: Emma went onto discuss her character Maggie, who upon moving to London with Birdy, battles with insecurities after her best friend starts to fall in love with her first boyfriend

She said: 'Maggie so wants to be liked and loved. I can relate to that. [I remember] being in my twenties and having so much life and personality around my friends, but making myself smaller, or duller, in romantic settings.'

Emma also detailed the show's hilarious 'Tinder montage' scene, where Maggie and her housemate Amara (played by Aliyah Odoffin) romp their way through a clutch of one-night stands.

She said: 'The beautiful thing about that scene is that the sex is joyous  and it's on their terms Why aren't women allowed to go out and have a good time and not feel bad about it?'

Dark: This year is proving to be Emma's breakout as she is also starring in the Disney+ drama Pistol as Sid Vicious' tragic girlfriend Nancy Spungen

In depth: 'I love her voice, her mannerisms, the ability she has to change herself into a different person. I studied videos of her religiously,' Emma said

RIP: Emma (left in Pistol) plays punk icon Nancy (right in 1978) who was found dead in a New York hotel room after years of battling drug addiction

Open: Meanwhile Bel admitted she was deeply moved by Dolly Alderton's focus on female friendship in her original memoir

Everything I Know About Love is set in a 2012 London house-share with flashbacks to suburban adolescence in the early noughties, and focuses on four friends navigating their new life after moving to London.

This year is proving to be Emma's breakout as she is also starring in the Disney+ drama Pistol as Sid Vicious' tragic girlfriend Nancy Spungen, with the series depicting the rise of iconic punk band The Sex Pistols.

Nancy, who battled drug addiction, was tragically found dead in her room, in NYC's notorious Chelsea Hotel aged just 21, with boyfriend Sid later charged with her murder. He died of a heroin overdose before the case came to court.

Important: Bel added that filming felt 'free and collaborative'

Progress: We've come to a point, post-#MeToo, where people are actually making shows about the female experience,' she added

Discussing taking on the role of Nancy, Emma said: 'It was an iconic time in history and Nancy was an amazing part to play. I love her voice, her mannerisms, the ability she has to change herself into a different person. I studied videos of her religiously.'

Meanwhile Bel admitted she was deeply moved by Alderton's focus on female friendship in her original memoir.

The actress explained she spent eight years living with her close friend before moving in with her now-fiance Douglas Booth.

Back to work: Bel is now set to travel to Vancouver to shoot Cold Copy  about a journalism student who becomes obsessed with a famous journalist

Views: Revealing she'll be joined by her husband-to-be Douglas on the trip, she said one of the benefits of dating a fellow actor is that you both understand the 'nomadic' nature of the job

She said: 'I lived with my best friend Lola for eight years. When I moved in with Douglas [in 2019], I brought Lola with me. She eventually moved out, but we still call that room, ''Lola's room''.'

Bel added that filming felt 'free and collaborative.'

To read PORTER on iPhone, iPad and Android, visit or download the NET-A-PORTER app from the App Store and Google Play

'Both of our directors, [China Moo-Young and Julie Ford] are women, as is our showrunner, Dolly. We've come to a point, post-#MeToo, where people are actually making shows about the female experience,' she added.

'I don't think this would have been made 10 years ago. There was Girls, and that's it. Certainly, for me, in my career, I have never read a script so honest and raw about what it's like to be a young woman.'

Bel is now set to travel to Vancouver to shoot Cold Copy  about a journalism student who becomes obsessed with a famous journalist, played by Tracee Ellis Ross.

Revealing she'll be joined by her husband-to-be Douglas on the trip, she said one of the benefits of dating a fellow actor is that you both understand the 'nomadic' nature of the job and 'align schedules, so that we go to places together'.

To read PORTER on iPhone, iPad and Android, visit or download the NET-A-PORTER app from the App Store and Google Play.

Everything I Know About Love will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer June 7.

Everything I Know About Love premieres June 8 only on Stan in Australia.
EastEnders will welcome a new family this summer when the estranged brother of Mitch (played by Roger Griffiths) turns up in Albert Square.

Musician and actor Omar Lye-Fook, MBE will be playing Avery Baker, the charming older sibling of Mitch, who will arrive on the scene with his two sons.

Almost always on the verge of causing trouble, Avery couldn't be more different to his little brother and his arrival will immediately cause heads to turn.

Arrivals: EastEnders will welcome a new family this summer when the estranged brother of Mitch (played by Roger Griffiths, centre) turns up in Albert Square

Avery will be joined by his children, Felix and Finlay, who will be played by Matthew Morrison (Felix) and Ashley Byam (Finlay).

The youngest of the two brothers, larger than life Felix will throw himself into life in Albert Square, but with his quick-wit and frank honesty he'll be sure to stir up some drama along the way.

Older half-brother Finlay has a different biological dad but was raised by Avery soon after birth.

Finlay has sailed through life using his cheeky charm but is set to face a wake-up call as he begins life in Walford.

Coming soon: Almost always on the verge of causing trouble, Avery (left) couldn't be more different to his little brother (right) and his arrival will immediately cause heads to turn

Despite being the complete opposite of each other, Felix and Finlay present a united front and always have each other's backs.

While Mitch dearly loves his nephews, it's fair to say he has a complicated relationship with his brother after not speaking to him for years and Avery's unexpected arrival is set to cause some issues for Mitch.

Realising there must be a reason for Avery suddenly coming back into his life, Mitch is determined to get to the bottom of what's going on and find out what secret Avery is hiding

Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer, EastEnders said: 'The Baker Family bring a fresh, fierce, fun and exciting energy to the Square.

Gang: Musician and actor Omar Lye-Fook, MBE will be playing Avery Baker, the charming older sibling of Mitch, who will arrive on the scene with his two sons

'Felix and Finlay are two very different firecrackers and, yes, these brothers fall out, take the mick and challenge each other, but none of that compares to their unswerving love and loyalty they have for one another.

'They may be charming young men, full of sass, swagger and strength but these brothers are Bakers and, like their father, Avery, have their own unique way of surviving.

'Omar, Matthew and Ashley all bring star quality to EastEnders and we're excited to see them bring Avery, Felix and Finlay to life. The Baker family are the just the start of some new faces landing in Walford later this year - so watch this space'

Spellbinding: While Mitch (stock picture) dearly loves his nephews, it's fair to say he has a complicated relationship with his brother after not speaking to him for years

On taking on the role as Avery, Omar said: 'I've been watching EastEnders since I was at school so it's such a surreal experience to now be part of the show.

'I'm having so much fun and it's an honour to be working alongside this incredible cast.'

Matthew Morrison, who will play Felix, added: 'It's an honour to be a part of such a legendary show that I grew up watching.

'It hasn't quite sunk in yet, and I don't think it ever will. I'm having a ball getting to grips with Felix and cannot wait for you all to meet him!'

Ashley Byam, who will play Finlay, said: 'I'm very excited to be joining the Square. Like many people I grew up with EastEnders; it was almost like an unspoken family tradition.

'My mum and I sat there together watching so many incredible and iconic storylines. So to now be joining this classic British TV drama is an honour, and I'm truly grateful. I can't wait for everyone to meet Finlay and see what lies ahead for him.'

The actors have begun filming and will be first seen on screen this summer.
Eamonn Holmes has temporarily stepped down from his role as the co-presenter of GB News while after receiving hospital treatment due to his painful back condition.

The broadcaster, 62, has suffered from long-term difficulties, previously telling of his battle with chronic back pain after a dislocated pelvis led to three slipped discs.

Former This Morning host Eamonn left GB News viewers wondering where he was this week when he wasn't on-screen, with the journalist taking to Twitter on Monday to clear things up, writing: 'Many of you have been asking why I haven't been presenting GB News for the past week.

Time out: Eamonn Holmes, 62, has temporarily stepped down from his role as the co-presenter of GB News while he takes time out to recover from his back condition

'Unfortunately, due to a reoccurrence of a long-term back condition, I've had to undergo some unexpected hospital treatment and am now following Doctor's orders by taking a short time off.

'However I'm looking forward to being back alongside Isabel, my Breakfast co-presenter and friend, next week.

'Even though I only joined GB News six months ago the whole team and our amazing audience have shown me immense support which has been greatly appreciated.

Taking a break: The broadcaster has suffered from long-term difficulties, previously telling of his battle with chronic back pain after a dislocated pelvis led to three slipped discs

Statement: Former This Morning host Eamonn left GB News viewers wondering where he was this week, with the journalist taking to Twitter on Monday to clear things up

'I now just need some time with my family to heal and recuperate.'

Eamonn sees a physiotherapist every day, does exercises and also visits a masseuse. In March, he was seen using a walking stick at an event at Bafta's headquarters in London.

He recently revealed that using swear words helps him to deal with the agony.

Stepping out: Eamonn has been seen using a cane while out and about at events in the past to help him walk

Writing in Best magazine, Holmes said: 'Swearing has got a bad reputation  which I personally think it doesn't deserve.

'I have to be honest, I like a swear or two or three... it makes me feel better. How can anyone deal with pain without swearing?'

He explained: 'I have had a lot of pain over the past five or six years, so my swear box runneth over. I'm not saying it's better than a couple of painkilling tablets, but it certainly has an initial short, sharp effect.'

He acknowledged: 'I accept listening to someone swear isn't always the most wonderful experience, especially when it is in front of children... but it doesn't half feel good when those curse words fly!'

Eamonn also pointed to scientific studies to back up his use of swearing and claimed it can help people cope with frustrating situations.

He added: 'Studies say swearing can have a truly liberating effect when we're feeling bottled up with frustration.

'Saying the F-word, or similar, can have an immediate calming impact. Pain is a good example.'
Authorities have identified the first possible case of monkeypox in a Washington, DC resident who traveled to Europe recently.

On Saturday, DC Health confirmed that the resident was positive for orthopox, the viral family including monkeypox.

Monkeypox has been confirmed after samples were collected and transmitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Close contacts are being identified and monitored, and the affected resident is being isolated. As of Sunday, no more instances had been detected by DC Health, and the public health risk remained low, as per a report from The Hill.

This is in line with the CDC's declared containment strategy for monkeypox. The present aim of the agency is to isolate individuals, identify close contacts, and make vaccines available to them.

According to the CDC, over 25 monkeypox cases have been identified in at least 11 states so far, with no reported deaths.

In the United States, the majority of cases have been found in men who have sex with men, while one case has been confirmed in a woman who has a heterosexual sex life. The D.C. patient's gender and sexual orientation were not disclosed.

While the virus has a low death rate, symptoms such as the rash that develops can be extremely painful, and lesions can leave lasting scars. Other flu-like symptoms of monkeypox include headaches, muscle aches, and fever.

Monkeypox Spreading Undetected

The World Health Organization believes monkeypox cases may have been spreading out of Africa undetected for years before the first case was verified on May 13, per Fox News.

Monkeypox is a well-known virus that poses no threat comparable to COVID-19. Monkeypox cases are usually exclusively discovered in people who have recently gone to Africa. However, the cases in May appeared almost simultaneously around the world in persons who had not recently visited Africa.

Read Also: Child Tax Credit Update: Survey Reveals Major Pain of Stopping CTC Payments

WHO stated: "The sudden and unexpected appearance of monkeypox simultaneously in several non-endemic countries suggests that there might have been undetected transmission for some unknown duration of time followed by recent amplifier events."

The disease may have gone undetected in Western countries under the guise of a sexually transmitted infection (STI), according to Dr. Amesh Adalja. There are several STIs that have similar symptoms to monkeypox.

In an NBC News report, Adalja remarked that the illness "found its way into a social and sexual network" and then was greatly aided by major amplification events, like raves in Belgium, to disseminate around the world."

Cases outside of Africa are currently focused around Europe and North America, as well as Australia.

What You Need To Know About Monkeypox

Monkeypox symptoms begin as relatively flu-like but soon expand to the swelling of lymph nodes and a rash across the body and face. Ultimately, painful lesions form on rash areas, leaving severe scarring.

The virus spreads mostly through the lesions that develop as a result of monkeypox. Transmission can occur through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, as well as contact with their clothing or bedsheets.

Hand washing and cleaning linens with regular laundry detergent can help to keep the sickness from spreading.

Monkeypox usually lasts two to four weeks, and once all of the lesions have scabbed over and healed, the person is no longer infectious.

Related Article: Small-Scale Study Finds That Rectal Cancer Disappears After Experimental Use of Immunotherapy

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Kaia Gerber was spotted with her tiny dog Milo as they went on a hike together on Monday morning.

The 20-year-old looked comfortable in a pair of black leggings that showed off her toned legs.

She opted to pair the look with a red logo sweatshirt to keep warm in the chilly early morning temperatures and added black Nike socks along with simple black and white sneakers.

Cute: Kaia Gerber took her dog, Milo, for a rejuvenating hike while wearing comfortable leggings and a sweatshirt.

Gerber's red crew neck sweater is from the brand Set Active, which sells a variety of clothing items such as activewear, lounge, and sweats.

The model's track star sweatshirt has the brand's logo on the front, including the words track and field-2009 printed in white.

The long-sleeved sweater is currently priced at $122, according to the brand's website.

Her brunette hair was parted in the middle and fell straight down past her shoulders, sticking to a simple, easy-going look.

Perfect way to start the week: The supermodel and her dog, Milo, started their week off right with a yummy drink in hand and a refreshing hike

Cindy Crawford's daughter made a quick stop to pick up a yummy drink and bag of goodies during her morning outing.

Gerber was recently spotted on the glamorous red carpet premiere of Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann.

The star-studded premiere was held in Cannes, and the model made an appearance to support her boyfriend, Austin Butler, who plays the king of rock himself.

The couple made big headlines when they shared a sweet kiss on the red carpet as the swirl of camera flashes snapped around them.

Biggest supporter: Gerber and boyfriend, Austin Butler, send an affectionate look at each other during the premiere of Elvis in Cannes

Lovely couple: Gerber and Butler look adorable together as they attended the 2022 MET Gala together in New York City

Butler, 30, and Gerber, 20, have recently started jumping into the red carpet spotlight a lot more together.

Previously, the actor was in an eight year relationship with actress Vanessa Hudgens.

The supermodel had been dating Euphoria star, Jacob Elordi, but the couple split last year in 2021.
Katherine Ryan looked nothing short of sensational on Monday as she attended the launch of her Prime Video comedy series.

The comedian, 38, wowed in a floaty off-the-shoulder cream gown as she posed for snaps at BAFTA Piccadilly, the Film & TV organisation's cafe, while celebrating the release of Backstage With Katherine Ryan.

Katherine was joined by partner Bobby Kootstra at the event, as well as a host of other famous faces.

Dressed to impress: Katherine Ryan looked nothing short of sensational on Monday as she attended the launch of her Prime Video comedy series

The Canadian star teamed her elegant dress with pointed nude heels, a selection of gold earrings and a striking pearlescent handbag.

She swept her blonde tresses into an elegant bun, while she highlighted her features with a dewy make-up palette.

8 out of 10 Cats star Katherine appeared in good spirits as she posed on the carpet with a portrait of co-star Jimmy Carr, while other attendees posed with images of themselves.

Flawless: The comedian, 38, wowed in a floaty off-the-shoulder cream gown as she posed for snaps at BAFTA Piccadilly, the Film & TV organisation's cafe, while celebrating the release of Backstage With Katherine Ryan

Among the celebrities attending the launch of the show, in which Katherine introduces stand-up comics and chats to them backstage, were Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson.

While Michelle De Swarte, Darren Harriott, Geoff Norcott and Seann Walsh were also in attendance.

It comes after Katherine spoke out after reporting her 'neighbours' for building a balcony overlooking her pool.

Couple: Katherine was joined by partner Bobby Kootstra at the event, as well as a host of other famous faces

Gorgeous: The Canadian star teamed her elegant dress with pointed nude heels, a selection of gold earrings and a striking pearlescent handbag

Hey there: 8 out of 10 Cats star Katherine appeared in good spirits as she posed on the carpet with a portrait of co-star Jimmy Carr

The comedian, who was in attendance at Sky's Up Next event last month, told MailOnline that even though the in-progress house next door is currently uninhabited, she will 'deal with it when someone lives there.'

Katherine lives with civil partner Bobby Kootstra, their eleven-month-old son Frederick, and her daughter Violet, 12, from a previous relationship.

Katherine explained: 'Oh, so that made the news like I was embroiled in this fight with my neighbours. I don't have any neighbours, they're building a house so that was my issue.

Hello: Among the celebrities attending the launch of the show, in which Katherine introduces stand-up comics and chats to them backstage, were Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson

Looking smart: The TV personality looked great in a colourful knitted cardigan which he teamed with black trousers and loafers

Arrivals: Seann Walsh (L) and Geoff Norcott turned up in support of Katherine

Outfit: Former Strictly star Seann donned a black shirt beneath a casual tan jacket

It's me: Seann posed alongside a portrait of himself at the bash

'No one actually lives there but they did have an illegal erection and a balcony that wasn't allowed. But when someone lives there, I'll deal with it.'

She added: 'Actually I don't think I'll have to deal with it, I think the planning commission will probably deal with it.'

Katherine, who studied city planning at university in Toronto, previously said: 'Due to my background in urban planning, I was able to report them. I'm not a snitch, but their prejudicing of my property actually devalues my property.'

She added: 'I have 12-year-old girls in the swimming pool and then a bunch of builders like leaning over that balcony smoking.

'I rang the council. I feel bad about it, but then I convinced myself not to. They have to take it down.'
Katie Price reportedly faces court again tomorrow over her 3.2million debt repayment.

The glamour model, 44, appears on the listing for the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday, according to The Sun.

She is currently facing a probe into how she funds her 'luxury lifestyle' despite being ordered to millions of pounds of debts accrued by her company Jordan Trading Ltd.

Drama: Katie Price reportedly faces court again tomorrow over her 3.2million debt repayment (pictured last month in court)

Earlier this year a source claimed Price, who was declared bankrupt in 2019 and ordered 12,000 a month to settle her debts, had 'not been engaging fully in paying creditors'.

It comes as she was warned last month that she faces jail after she pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order by calling ex-husband Kieran Hayler's fiancee a 'gutter s**g'.

It is not known if she will attend the hearing at 10.30am on Tuesday in person for her debt repayment hearing.

The probe comes as she is reportedly earning hundreds of thousands of pounds in brand deals and a reported 45,000 for her Mucky Mansion show on Channel 4.

Hearing: The glamour model, 44, appears on the listing for the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday, according to The Sun

A source previously told The Mirror trustees were 'casting the net far and wide to assess how much money is coming into Katie's coffers' and were preparing a dossier of deals Price had made ahead of her hearing.

Jordan Trading Ltd was set up by Price in 2003 to oversee the star's perfume and makeup lines, but in 2017 an application was put in to wind up the company as Price tried to sort out her finances.

The mother-of-five was declared bankrupt in 2019. She vowed to pay back 12,000 a month to creditors of the firm through an individual voluntary arrangement.

The bankruptcy meant Price, once worth a reported 45million, faced losing her 2million 11-bedroom mansion.

Debt: The reality star, who is currently facing a probe into how she funds her lifestyle, will review how she is paying debts at the High Court (pictured)

She took out a second mortgage on the property in 2015, but faced monthly payments of 12,300.

Price was hit with a repossession order on the property in November last year.

Sources told The Sun at the time that she has failed to repay a debt of more than 500,000 on the property.

Following years of incomplete renovations, the house was nicknamed the 'mucky mansion' with Price even showcasing the extent of the mess on her reality series My Crazy Life.

TV: The probe comes as she is reportedly earning hundreds of thousands of pounds in brand deals and a reported 45,000 for her Mucky Mansion show on Channel 4

This year Channel 4 confirmed the release of Price's new documentary 'Mucky Mansion' would go ahead as planned.

The new show follows Price as she tries to repair the house which has been in disarray after various mishaps, including fly tipping, floods and a fire.

Last year the former glamour model was also handed a 16-week suspended sentence and two-year driving ban for flipping her uninsured BMW X5 into a hedge while disqualified and under the influence on a country lane near her home in West Sussex on September 28.

Price was handed a suspended prison sentence because she complied with a requirement to attend the 6,800-a-week rehab centre.

It comes as she wait to hear if she will go to jail for breaching a restraining order.

The mother-of-five was arrested on January 21 on suspicion of breaking her restraining order against Michelle Penticost with a foul-mouthed text to her ex.

The message read: 'Tell your c****ng w**** piece of s*** girlfriend not to start on me.

'She has a restraining order so shouldn't try antagonise me as she is in breach and I'm sure she doesn't want people knowing that she was having an affair with you behind my back. That gutter s***.'

Katie, who was joined by current partner Carl Woods at Lewes Crown Court, was later charged with breaching a restraining order but pleaded not guilty on April 27 and requested a crown court trial.

Court: Last month Katie was warned she faces jail after she pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order by calling ex-husband Kieran Hayler's fiancee a 'gutter s**g'

However, she pleaded guilty and was told by Judge Stephen Mooney that she was 'at risk of receiving an immediate custodial sentence'.

It was previously suggested she could face five years in jail if she had been found to have breached the order.

Katie's lawyer Nicholas Hamblin said the star should avoid jail again because only the words 'tell your' were a breach of the restraining order.

He said: 'Were it not for those two words in the message this would not be a breach.'

Difficult: The mother-of-five was arrested on January 21 on suspicion of breaking her restraining order against Michelle Penticost with a foul-mouthed text to her ex Kieran

Katie, who was released on bail, will be sentenced for breaching the restraining on on June 24.

She was handed the five-year restraining order on June 3, 2019 banning her from contacting Penticost directly or indirectly.

The order came after Katie hurled a foul-mouthed 'tirade of abuse' at her during a row in a school playground.

Her lawyer added: 'It is very telling in this case that there is a great deal of background information which will need to be placed before the court.

'Much of it is in a therapist's report and the court would need to be updated about her current situation and indeed the matters which have taken up so much of her time and other people's time over quite a number of years.

'You will notice she has been subject to conditions of a suspended sentence. Part of my function will be to seek to persuade the court that in this case, because of the mitigation available it will be unjust to activate that suspended sentence.'

After allegedly sending foul-mouthed texts to ex Kieran, Katie was arrested at her home by officers at around 5.45pm on January 21 and taken to Worthing police station.

After a 12-hour interrogation she was released, though not before officers confiscated her phone, which they examined for evidence.

Flanked a female security guard, she stood in the dock of Court 1 and smiled as her fiancee sat behind her in court.

Asked how she pleaded to a single charge of breaching the order the former glamour model replied: 'Guilty.'

Nicholas Hamblin, defending, told the court the case against her rested on two words 'Tell your' which constituted an indirect message to Miss Penticost.

He said he would be placing a great deal of personal information about Price in front of the court as part of his mitigation.

Judge Stephen Mooney told Price: 'Clearly you have accepted for an offence and pleaded guilty and you are aware you committed the offence while on a suspended sentence and are at risk of going to prison.'

He said she would be released on bail until sentencing next month while reports were drawn up. But he warned her she would then be 'at risk of receiving an immediate custodial sentence'.
Glamorous racing pundit Francesca Cumani has welcomed her second child.

The British TV presenter, 39, gave birth last week to a son named Teddy George Johnson, her first child with boyfriend Max Johnson.

She is already mother to five-year-old son Harry from a previous marriage.

Congratulations! Glamorous racing pundit Francesca Cumani (pictured in London on November 23, 2021) has welcomed her second child

Francesca, a trackside commentator for ITV Racing in Britain and Australia's Channel 10, announced the news on Instagram on Monday.

She shared a photo of herself cradling her newborn in his nursery, and wrote: 'One week to the hour of you, Teddy George Johnson. Utterly delicious in every way.'

Francesca had announced she was expecting a child with Max, 38, a businessman and Ironman triathlete, back in December.

'Utterly delicious in every way': The British TV presenter, 39, gave birth last week to a son named Teddy George Johnson, her first child with boyfriend Max Johnson

Sweet: Francesca, a trackside commentator for ITV Racing in Britain and Australia's Channel 10, shared a photo on Instagram on Monday of herself cradling her newborn in his nursery

'We're thrilled,' she told The Mail on Sunday at the time.

The thoroughbred expert was previously married to Australian polo player Rob Archibald, the father of her son Harry, from 2014 to 2018.

During their marriage, the couple attempted to juggle their lives on either side of the planet - a challenge that intensified after Francesca was hired by Britain's ITV.

Case of the ex: The thoroughbred expert was previously married to Australian polo player Rob Archibald (left), the father of her son Harry, from 2014 to 2018. (Pictured in January 2018)

That meant her spending eight months in Britain during the racing season and four months in Australia, where she was a commentator for Channel Seven.

At the time of their split, a friend said that despite the break-up relations between Francesca and Rob were 'perfectly amicable'.

Following their separation, Francesca moved on with fellow ITV racing commentary team member Oli Bell.

However, the pair called it quits after two years of dating.

Splitsville: Following their separation, Francesca moved on with fellow ITV racing commentary team member Oli Bell (left). However, the pair called it quits after two years of dating

Her relationship with Max became public knowledge last September, and news of her pregnancy emerged just three months later.

Francesca, who is the daughter of Italian horse trainer and breeder Luca Cumani, signed a five-year deal worth $1 million with Channel 10 in 2019, after the network took over the Spring Carnival broadcast rights from Seven.

But there are rumours she may not make the trip to Flemington for this year's Melbourne Cup because she is finding her commitments in Australia too difficult to manage.
Prince Harry hid away Archie and Lilibet during his visit with Meghan, but his cousins were happy to show off their children for the first time.

Princess Eugenie, 32, and Jack Brooksbank, 36, took their 16-month-old son, August, to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant, where he sported a blue jumper embroidered with a Union flag.

Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice, 33, took her stepson, Christopher, known as Wolfie, who's six years old. He's the son of Bea's husband, property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 38, and his former fiancee, architect Dara Huang, 39.

Bea, who has an eight-month-old daughter called Sienna with Edo, is so close to Wolfie that she was seen wearing a necklace with his initial, 'W'. And he acted as best man at her 2020 wedding at the age of four. It made him the youngest person in history to have performed a role at a British royal wedding.

Princess Eugenie, 32, and Jack Brooksbank, 36 took their 16-month-old son, August, to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice, 33, took her stepson, Christopher, known as Wolfie, who's six years old

Guinness heir struck down at just 51 leaves 30m to family

When former Conservative Cabinet minister's son Henry Channon died last October at the age of just 51, it was the latest tragedy to befall his family. He has, however, ensured that his widow, Katie, is an extremely rich woman.

I can reveal that Channon (pictured), a member of the Guinness dynasty, left a fortune of more than 30 million.

After his debts were paid, he left 27.53 million, which goes on trust to Katie and his four children, according to probate documents.

Friends said Henry  whose older sister, Olivia Channon, died from a heroin overdose at Oxford University in 1986  had battled with an illness for several months before his death.

Former Cabinet minister's son Henry Channon died last October at the age of just 51, pictured here attending a dinner to launch the new Croix de Beaucaillou bottle. His death left widow Katie Channon, a member of the Guinness dynasty, a fortune of more than 30 million

The Guinness wealth came from US-born Sir Henry 'Chips' Channon, who had married Lady Honor Guinness and inherited her share of the family fortune

His father, Paul Channon, was a Cabinet minister in governments led by Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher before becoming Lord Kelvedon.

In his will, Henry asked to be buried alongside his parents and grandfather Sir Henry Channon, at Kelvedon Hall, near Brentwood, Essex.

The Guinness wealth came from his grandfather, U.S.-born Sir Henry 'Chips' Channon, who had married Lady Honor Guinness and inherited her share of the family fortune.

He had two sons, from his marriage to first wife Henrietta, and two children from his second marriage to Katie. He is also survived by his sister Georgia, 56. Channon's privileged upbringing was overshadowed by the shock death of his sister Olivia when he was just 16. The 22-year-old history student binged on alcohol and drugs at a party at Christ Church College and choked on her own vomit.

The Guinness family have been struck by a series of tragedies, prompting claims of a family 'curse'. Guinness heir Tara Browne died in 1966 when his car ran through red lights in Kensington, smashing into a van. Lady Henrietta Guinness jumped off a bridge in Umbria, Italy, in 1978. Four-year-old Peter Guinness died in a car crash in the same year.

In 2004, Robert Hesketh died in his sleep after taking drugs at a country house party and, in 2020, Guinness heiress Honor Uloth died in a freak swimming pool accident aged 19.

His father, Paul Channon, was a Cabinet minister in governments led by Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher before becoming Lord Kelvedon (pictured left)

They do! Pixie Lott finally ties the knot

It's taken more than five years for his pop star fiancee Pixie Lott to reach the altar, so model Oliver Cheshire could be forgiven for punching the air in delight when they left Ely Cathedral yesterday as man and wife.

Cheshire, 34, exchanged vows in Cambridgeshire in front of friends including actor Idris Elba's model wife, Sabrina, and the Marquess and Marchioness of Bath.

He had proposed on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral in London in November 2016.

Pixie, 31  a judge on ITV's The Voice Kids  has explained that they postponed the wedding due to the pandemic: 'I wanted to wait until we could have the big party.'

Bells have stopped chiming for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, but the tills are still ringing. Buckingham Palace's gift shop has informed customers that they may have to wait four weeks to receive their orders. 'We have seen unprecedented demand for product,' its website says.

'We are working hard to fulfil existing orders as quickly as possible but be advised that any new orders may take up to 28 days to process and deliver.'

Known as a cheerleader for Prince Harry and Meghan, royal biographer Omid Scobie has deleted a tweet that he posted about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's four-year-old son, Prince Louis. Sharing a photograph of Louis playfully sticking his tongue out at Catherine as they watched the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, Scobie commented: 'I did wonder why Prince Louis was taken out for a while. Kids will be kids, eh?' When asked why he later deleted the post, he said 'some insane trolls' had claimed his comment was 'inciting hate'.

Royal film star Paddington parties with catwalk queen

The Queen wasn't the only woman to have enjoyed a close encounter with Paddington Bear over the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

I hear that catwalk queen Kate Moss met the children's favourite from 'darkest Peru' at the Pageant.

The supermodel, 48, looked delighted as she greeted Paddington while wearing her patriotic Union Jack jacket. She joined her fellow mannequin Naomi Campbell, 52, on the open-top bus for the 1990s Times of Our Lives celebration.

While Paddington is never without his marmalade, Moss has been known to prefer harder substances.
A Tesla belonging to Owen Wilson was pictured on blocks in Santa Monica, California Monday, about a week after thieves made off with rims and tires stolen off the vehicle.

According to TMZ, Wilson, 53, was the victim of a grand theft auto robbery May 28 when the electric vehicle was parked outside of his Santa Monica, California mansion.

The Midnight In Paris actor only found out about the crime the following morning, according to the outlet. The total cost for the stolen car parts was estimated to have been around $4,000.

The latest: A Tesla belonging to Owen Wilson, 53, was pictured on blocks in Santa Monica, California Monday, about a week after the thieves made off with the rims and tires stolen off the vehicle

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.

Authorities were investigating the incident as grand theft, according to TMZ.

As of Tuesday, no arrests had been made in the case, and authorities were checking security cameras around the neighborhood.

The theft came as crime has spiked in Los Angeles in recent years: 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.

Wilson was snapped at the French Open in Paris on May 27, the day before the theft

The car: A stock image of a Tesla vehicle at Tesla's primary vehicle; the Tesla Model X costs over $100,000

Tough break: The media outlet reported that the 53-year-old performer had parked his Tesla outside of his Santa Monica home and found that its rims and tires had been stolen

Los Angeles DA George Gascon released a PSA in March offering residents 'tips' to avoid having their vehicles stolen - amid skyrocketing car thefts.

Gascon 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 last year.

'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.

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 attended the Atlanta Hawks vs Dallas Mavericks home opener game at State Farm Arena in October in Atlanta

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.

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.

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 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.

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.
Bindi Irwin celebrated her parents' enduring love story on Saturday by sharing a rarely seen photo from her family archive.

Steve and Terri Irwin would have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this month, but their marriage was cruelly cut short when Steve, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', was killed in a freak accident in 2006.

In the throwback snap posted on Instagram, Terri strikes a fun and sexy pose on a battered couch as a khaki-clad Steve makes a phone call.

Australia's favourite love story in one photo: Terri Irwin strikes a sexy pose as khaki-clad Steve takes care of business in a rare image from the family archive

Bindi, 23, captioned the picture: '30 years of a love story that has inspired the world.'

In February, Terri, 57, shared the same picture of the pair as she commemorated the anniversary of their engagement.

'It was 30 years ago today that Steve proposed,' she wrote.

Romance: Steve and Terri would have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this month

Tragic: 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 Los Angeles in November 2003)

'One word - Yes! - began our journey of love, adventure, travel, and filming in all the "glamorous" locations! Most of all, we had fun.'

Steve died in September 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a documentary on the Batt Reef in Queensland.

Earlier this week, Terri marked her 30th wedding anniversary with Steve by sharing a sweet picture of them together on Twitter.

Throwback: Earlier this week, Terri marked her 30th wedding anniversary with Steve by sharing a sweet picture of them together on Twitter

Remembering Steve: 'I married this incredible bloke 30 years ago today,' she wrote. 'What an adventure! Love and legacy live on'

'I married this incredible bloke 30 years ago today,' she wrote. 'What an adventure! Love and legacy live on.'

Steve and Terri tied the knot in 1992 in her home state of Oregon.

The American conservationist never remarried following the death of her husband.

The Irwin family - including the couple's children Bindi and Robert, 18, plus their son-in-law Chandler Powell - have carried on Steve's legacy at Australia Zoo.
Stealing intellectual property from a company is punishable by law since the involved organization/person is putting the firm at risk. When it comes to trade secrets, confidential information should be safely kept from potential thieves.

According to the new report, that's what happened to ASML, a Dutch manufacturer which is known for creating the high-end chips in the world. The suspect who allegedly stole the chip technology from the firm is reportedly staying now in China.

ASML Pressed Charges Against IP Theft

(Photo : EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)

An engineer who previously worked at ASML has reportedly stolen the chip technology from the company.

Amid the continuous semiconductor shortage, many tech companies have struggled in production because of the limited resources. Apart from that, some of them could not keep up with the surging demand for chips.

Per Bloomberg's report, ASML has pressed charges against a Chinese tech firm that allegedly stole its trade secrets. This particular company is believed to be one of the contributing companies for chip production in the country.

The article says that Dongfang Jingyuan Electron Ltd, a firm based in Beijing, is closely tied with Xtal Inc. ASML used the latter to steal its IP.

To bring light to the issue, it was found out that Dongfang and Xtal were just the same company under two different guises. The 2018 California trial said that Zongchang Yu, an engineer who previously worked at ASML, was the mastermind behind this merge.

In a similar report from Bloomberg, the goal of the culprit is to retrieve the technology from ASML. Later, the IP will be transferred to China.

ASML's attorney said that Yu is bringing the "secret" to the country to contribute to the development of the chip industry. As we know, the semiconductor business is heavily dominated by Western firms.

Based on the transcripts of the proceedings, the engineer was even involved in the two-million heist of source codes from ASML. The software was distributed to both Dongfang and Xtal employees based in China and the United States.

According to ASML's lead attorney Patrick Ryan, this scenario is not an accident. He said that this splot intentionally aims to steal the technology so the Chinese government would benefit.

Related Article: Apple Sues Rivos, a Chip Startup that Allegedly Stole Employees, Trade Secrets from the Big Tech

China is Not a 'Semiconductor' Country

While China excels in gaming, aerospace, and military technology, the country lags in producing advanced chips. Following President Joe Biden's decision to impose stricter regulations on SMIC, the shipment of the semiconductors just became much harder.

According to Tech Times, China has the potential to catch up with foreign chip makers. Unfortunately, it will still need some tools coming from its foreign competitors.

Elsewhere, Reuters previously reported that in Taiwan, 10 Chinese firms were reportedly caught red-handed following their unlawful operations. The involved companies were engaging in illegal poaching.

According to the authorities, the firms have been operating in Taiwan without approval.

Read Also: EVGA Graphics Card Shipments Are Reportedly Stolen in California | Here's the Bad News Behind This

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Rapper Master P and his family confirmed that Tytyana Miller has died. She was only 29.

Master P first delivered the shocking and saddening news on Instagram, saying they had lost his daughter.

"We respectfully request some privacy so that our family can grieve. We appreciate all of the prayers, love, and support. Mental illness & substance abuse is a real issue that we can't be afraid to talk about. With God, we will get through this," he said.

Meanwhile, his oldest son, Romeo, also shared a separate post to pay tribute to his sister. He expressed the family's gratitude to everyone who offered prayers, love, and support amid the family's trying times.

Although losing Miller put them in deep grief, Romeo chose to look at the brighter side and think that Miller is now in a better place.

They did not disclose how exactly Miller died. But it has since been noted that she previously discussed her battle with substance abuse and addiction during her appearance on WE tv's "Growing Up Hip-Hop."

Did Tytyana Miller Commit Suicide?

As her family did not provide further details about her cause of death, the public thinks it is related to her mental health.

For what it's worth, both Master P and Romeo urged her to seek help when she opened up about her struggles on the show.

"I really hope TyTy is serious about making a change. I'm a drill sergeant in my house because you need somebody to tame you and tell you 'I'm gonna fix this.' If you need to get help, we're here for you," Master P said in a 2016 episode of the series, per Billboard.

READ ALSO: Rapper Sidhu Moose Wala Tragically Shot, Killed at 28 [REPORT]

However, they ultimately lost her on Saturday. A news outlet said that the law enforcement team responded to an emergency call from a home in the San Francisco Valley at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The paramedics, unfortunately, pronounced Tytyana Miller dead on the scene.

As of press time, an official autopsy report for Miller has not been released. While waiting, Master P's fans and the late daughter's friends paid tribute to her online.

Sending our condolences to the Miller Family. Master P shared on Instagram that his daughter Tytyana has passed away pic.twitter.com/F1omWlvUeB  AuxGod (@AuxGod_) May 30, 2022

READ MORE: The Beatles Shocker: George Harrison Recalled Last Time He Saw John Lennon Alive

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NewsThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation overlooking Mumbai city has asked all major film studios as well as film stars not to organise and attend parties on a large scale till the fourth wave is nullified or recedes.

First it was Kartik Aaryan who tested covid positive, and within days we hear Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, Shah Rukh Khan and even his son AbRam have all tested positive.

Kartik posted on social media about being covid positive, stating that it had to happen during positive times in his career when his film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 has earned Rs 150 crore at the turnstiles when other biggies are crashing! Karthik had earlier tested positive in the second wave as well.

Sources inform that Aditya Roy Kapoor had mild symptoms hence the trailer launch event of his upcoming film Om: The Battle Within is now being re-scheduled.

Meanwhile... wicked whisper

There are rumours that many actors tested covid positive co-incidentally after attending Karan Johars 50th birthday bash! Kartik Aryan, who wasnt invited to the party, supposedly got it from his co-star who had attended the event.

However, the news has been denied and a clarification put out stating barring Aditya and Katrina who were present at the party, no other guest tested positive. But its likely that others who interacted with these two, may test positive too.

According to latest reports SRK has joined the party too along with son AbRam. More names will soon come out.

BMCs order

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation overlooking Mumbai city has asked all major film studios as well as film stars not to organise and attend parties on a large scale till the fourth wave is nullified or recedes.

 Sanskriti Media
Hyderabad: The BJP on Sunday continued to step up pressure on the state government in the Jubilee Hills gang-rape case in which there is an alleged involvement of children of politicians.

The partys Goshamahal legislator T. Raja Singh reiterated his partys demand for a CBI probe into the incident and said that the crime occurring in a government vehicle is alarming.

In a statement, Raja Singh said that such brazen crimes being committed in a government vehicle display the utter disregard for law on the part of leaders from TRS and its ally, the AIMIM.

Singh said that despite video evidence of the involvement of children of TRS and AIMIM leaders in the incident, no action has been taken against the suspects.

This exposes the lack of the state governments sincerity in ordering an impartial investigation into the case. He said that after the incident, an MIM legislators son has been sent abroad. The government allowing him to travel in the given circumstances is shocking, he said.

The BJP legislator alleged that home minister Md. Mahmood Alis grandson had hosted the party at the pub.

If the Chief Minister is sincere about punishing the culprits, then he must order a CBI probe into the incident, Singh said.
HYDERABAD: In yet another case of gangrape, an 11-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted by two men in a cab on May 31.

The Moghalpura police has arrested two persons, Shaik Kaleem Ali alias Kaleem, 36, cab driver from Kishanbagh, Bahadurpura, and Mohammed Luqman Ahmed Yazdani alias Luqman, 36, of Muslim Colony in Kondurg village, for the crime.

The duo had offered the victim a free ride home. Instead, they took her to Kondurg, located about two hours from her place, and gangraped her overnight before dropping her back in the city the next morning.

The case came to light on June 1 at around midnight when the family of the victim lodged a missing person complaint.

Her relatives said she had gone out to play around 6 pm and did not return home. They provided the police her details and identification marks. While the efforts were on to find the girl, a patrolling staff noticed her at Sultan Shahi on June 1 at around 5 am, and she was brought to the police station to meet the night duty officer, sub-inspector Tharani. The girl was sent to Bharosa centre along with a woman constable, where she revealed the assault, said the police.

The girl who was staying with her relatives in Sultan Shahi wanted to meet her parents in Pahadi Shareef, the police said. While she was out, Kaleem approached her and asked if she wanted a ride somewhere. She replied that she wanted to go home to meet her parents at Pahadi Shareef and that she did not have money. He asked her to get inside the car and picked up Luqman at around 10 pm before heading to Luqmans place in Kondurg, the police said.

A case was registered under Sections 366 (A), 376 (2) (n), 376 DB, and 376 AB r/w 34 and Sections 5 (g) (m) r/w 6 and 9 (m) of the POCSO Act. Following an investigation, the two men were arrested by the Moghalpura police and were sent to judicial custody.
HYDERABAD: Terming the allegations as politically motivated, Furqan Ahmed, the grandson of home minister Md Mahmood Ali, maintained that his name was being dragged in the Jubilee Hills rape case by rivals owing to his background. With just days left for his marriage, he said he was hopeful of bringing to book those who were tarnishing his familys name.

I was shocked to know that my name cropped up in the Jubilee Hills rape case. I returned from Mumbai on May 27 after shopping for my marriage to be held this month. I was attending to guests the next day. I dont have any connection with these people, who are mostly teenagers, the 25-year-old told Deccan Chronicle.

Furqan felt that when the police could not establish his presence at the pub on that day, it left no possibility of him being part of the celebrations. They are indirectly targeting my grandfather and damaging the image of the family. We shall be exploring all legal options besides complaining to the cybercrime police against those indulging in malicious campaigns, said Ahmed, who heads T Tv (an Urdu channel).

With some 1.37 lakh followers on Instagram, Ahmed said his pictures were downloaded by the rivals and being circulated. I am getting married in the next 10 days and hope that my name is cleared from this mess, he said.
On the health condition of the women, the collector said most of them had been recovered and 110 women were discharged from the NTR Hospital. (DC)

Visakhapatanam: The special committee appointed by the government to find the source of gas that leaked into Seeds Intimate India Ltd apparel manufacturing unit affecting as many as 270 female workers, began its investigation on Saturday.

Anakapalli district collector Ravi Patansetty told this newspaper that the committee, having three experts, began collecting samples from the seeds company and nearby units for analysis. The team members also collected blood samples of the women who were hospitalised.

It is a challenging task to identify the gas and the source through which it came, the collector said.

On the health condition of the women, the collector said most of them had been recovered and 110 women were discharged from the NTR Hospital, Anakapalli, after an expert team from Visakhapatnam cleared them in the morning. Two pregnant women are undergoing treatment in King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam.

The collector added that though the unit was non-hazardous, the management submitted its safety audit reports. He said the operations in the seeds unit had been suspended till the committee submitted its report.

Meanwhile, the Opposition TD and Left parties raised hue and cry over the incident blaming the management and the state government for the incident. Senior TD leaders including Telugu Mahila president and former MLA Vanagalapudi Anita condemned the government for its negligence of safety measures in manufacturing units.

State secretary of CPI (M) V. Srinivasa Rao demanded that the government file a criminal case against the management and arrest them. Talking to the media, Srinivasa Rao said the safety audit was not being done properly and this was the fourth incident after the styrene gas leak from LG Polymers.

It is strange that the complex employing more than 20,000 employees has no hospital. They had to search and wait for ambulances to take the patients to different hospitals, Srinivasa Rao said.
The recent visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to the ROK saw new strides in cooperation and is leading to a swift surge in bilateral relations. The U.S.-ROK alliance itself was formed during the Cold War, and is hence a vestige and legacy of that. In the post-Cold War era, the undertone of the alliance was once moderated as interactions grew. However, as strategic competition by major powers has intensified and the U.S. administration has pivoted to strengthening alliances as a key diplomatic strategy, the camp confrontation undertone of the U.S.-ROK alliance has come back with a vengeance.

The US-ROK summit mainly covered three areas:

The first was to strengthen supply chain and economic security cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, new-energy batteries, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and nuclear energy, as well as to step up foreign investment reviews and export controls on key technologies.

The second was to expand security cooperation. They announced that they would resume and expand joint military exercises on and around the Korean peninsula and restart the Extended Deterrence Strategy Consultation mechanism. The U.S. will deploy additional strategic assets on the peninsula if necessary.

The third was to strengthen global strategic cooperation based on shared values. The ROK has announced it would join the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework; work with the U.S. to address digital hegemony, maintain an open internet, promote democracy, human rights, the rule of law and a norm-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region; and play a greater role in the Democracy Summit and the Quad, among other things. Most of the above-mentioned areas are either explicitly or implicitly targeted at China.

The content of this U.S.-ROK summit was similar to that of last year's, except that the previous South Korean government's position on China-U.S. strategic competition was more measured and restrained. The new ROK government has developed more clear and actionable positions on core issues. It is fair to say that the U.S.-ROK alliance has made major headway with respect to areas of cooperation, creating a mechanism for synergy and target positioning. At the same time, ROK President Yun Seok-yeol is faced with the situation of a small government but a strong opposition. Nevertheless, partly with the support of the U.S., his administration gradually loosened the constraints of the opposition parties in personnel appointments, internal and external policies and local elections, and it has strengthened its ruling base.

Although it remains to be seen how the U.S.-ROK alliance will unfold, the signals it has already sent will have significant implications for the region. The U.S. and the ROK are attempting to cooperate on an exclusive basis in the high-tech and supply chain sectors, which is bound to have a major impact on the highly integrated economic relations between China and the ROK. Given that the ROK already has an extended deterrence guarantee from the U.S. and a clear advantage over the DPRK in conventional weapons, heightened U.S. military deployments on the peninsula will not only add to the DPRK's sense of insecurity and stoke hard-line countermeasures but will also pose potential threats to neighboring countries such as China and Russia, thus exacerbating the regional security dilemma.Meanwhile, the U.S. and the ROK are promoting a values-based alliance in the Indo-Pacific region, intensifying regional divisions. This runs counter to the post-Cold War era's regional cooperation process, which was not based on ideology.

Although the U.S.-ROK gesture to strengthen the alliance comes with a lot of force, its subsequent progress will be subject to more constraints.

First, the ROK's cooperation with the U.S. in the economic, scientific and technological fields is no substitute for economic relations with China. South Korea is trying to establish an industrial advantage  a semiconductor alliance with the U.S.  that would forestall China's ability to catch up.In fact, the ROK has benefited greatly from its trade with China, as its exports to the country account for more that 26 percent of its total. In 2021, a survey by the ROK International Trade Association found that, of the 12,586 types of goods imported (including raw materials and components), 1,850 of those imported from China had an 80 percent dependence on China. In November, China's restriction on industrial urea exports on environmental grounds, for example, nearly brought the ROK's freight industry to a halt. South Korea cannot get rid of its high dependence on China in the industrial chain in the short term.

Second, the ROK believes that joining the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is conducive to expanding its own economic space, but the framework lacks substantial benefits for other member countries in market access and tax breaks. Rather, it has more restrictions, so its future still hangs in the balance.

Third, on issues related to the Korean Peninsula and regional affairs, the new ROK government does not share the strategic ambiguity of the previous government. It believes that the more solid the U.S.-ROK alliance becomes, the more the ROK will rise in standing and value. In truth, if it fully follows U.S. policy, it may well end up exacerbating regional tensions and antagonism, blunt its own leverage in pursuing a middle course on the peninsula and on regional issues and run counter to its ambition to become a pivotal global state. A significant U.S. military presence would put the ROK at the forefront of a security confrontation between major powers, and the nuclear issue would heat up.

Recognizing these challenges, the ROK briefed China on the summit with the U.S. immediately after President Biden's visit, hoping to avoid misunderstandings on the Chinese side. The ROK stressed that the IPEF does not exclude China and that follow-up negotiations on the China-ROK FTA are still underway.Economic and political elites in the ROK have called for a balanced approach between the strategic partnership with China and relations with the United States. A new Cold War is not in the interest of most countries, nor is it in keeping with globalization. Hence it is necessary for regional countries to exercise restraint and prudence to avoid erring on the wrong side of history.
New MacBook Air 2022 shipments are likely going as high as a staggering 7 million units, well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo himself predicts.

Early reports expect Apple to showcase its newest take on its MacBook Air during its upcoming WWDC 2022 keynote event on Monday, June 6.

As per a news report by Apple Insider, the TF Securities analyst, Kuo, known for his reliable insights on anything about the iPhone maker, gave us MacBook Air shipment predictions for the second half of the year.

The latest comments of the well-known Cupertino tech giant analyst saw the light of day shortly before the WWDC 2022 debuts the all-new MacBook offering.

New MacBook Air 2022

The Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly unveiling a refreshed MacBook Air for the upcoming keynote event. As such, Apple fans could not help but wonder what the new iteration of the Air excitingly offers.

But thanks to earlier predictions from folks like Kuo and the Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, among other sources, we are getting a glimpse of what to expect from the 2022 MacBook Air.

Recently, or on June 3 to be more exact, Gurman of Bloomberg claims that the all-new Air is more likely flaunting conservative color options rather than sporting the same rainbow options as the iMac.

It dispels earlier rumors, saying that Apple plans to offer vibrant color options for the new MacBook Air, which Gurman dubs a mere "exaggeration." Instead, the Bloomberg journalist suggests it is getting a blue option -- similar to what the iMac lineup showcases.

Kuo echoes that the next-gen MacBook Air is potentially getting the same "three standard color options," such as gold, space gray, and silver - "plus one new color."

While the Apple analyst did not mention what the new additional color could likely be, he made this prediction in response to the tweet of Gurman, which attached a blue iMac image.

Read Also: Kuo: Apple Mixed Reality Headset Unlikely To Be Launched at WWDC 2022 - When Can We Expect It?

MacBook Air 2022 Shipments

Apart from the color prediction of Kuo, the analyst also provided a shipment forecast for the upcoming MacBook.

According to a recent report by 9to5Mac, Kuo was generous enough to give us a shipment forecast for the all-new Apple product.

The Apple analyst suggests that the shipments of the new MacBook Air could roughly be around 6 million to 7 million units in the second quarter of 2022.

Kuo adds that this shipment forecast could potentially be a reality only if the capacity of the Shanghai facility of Quanta goes back to its pre-lockdown performance as soon as possible.

(2/2)

2H22 shipment forecast of new MBA is 6-7mn units if Quanta's Shanghai capacity can be back to pre-lockdown level before 3Q22. Delivery for new MBA made by two EMS (Quanta the 1st & Foxconn the 2nd) should be better than existing 14"/16" MacBook Pro (shipped by Quanta only).   (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 5, 2022

Related Article: MacBook Air with iMac-Like Colors Reportedly NOT Launching in Apple WWDC - New Gold Shade Instead?
HYDERABAD: Former finance Minister and BJP legislator Etala Rajendar on Sunday accused the state government of fudging Budget figures. He said that accounts and plans presented for a total of Rs.70,000 crore in the 2022-23 budget were nothing but jugglery of numbers.

Rajendar told reporters that as a former finance minister, he was willing to prove how and where the Budget figures had been manipulated.

I am ready to prove this during a debate with either the Chief Minister or the finance minister, he said.

The budget, he said, was introduced only to display some numbers and impress people. If the state had the funds that it claims, then why are salaries not being paid to all government employees in one go? Why is the government evading RTI inquiries on funds it is supposed to have released to gram panchayats? he asked.

Palle Pragathi, and Pattana Pragati programmes are not finding any takers, he said, adding that even TRS leaders are unwilling to turn up fearing that they would be grilled by local public representatives, he said.
HYDERABAD: Home minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali is in the eye of a storm on two different counts  one, of increasing number of rape and gangrape cases in Hyderabad and Telangana, and other crimes including murders and land grab cases, with the TRS members being involved, and two, personally, with his own grandson being allegedly an accused in the recent Jubilee Hill pub gangrape case.

Speaking exclusively to Deccan Chronicle, Mahmood Ali defended both his government and his grandson, saying that Hyderabad continued to be one of the safest metros in India and that, a few initial hiccups notwithstanding, no one guilty in the case would be spared and the the police would conduct a thorough and professional investigation.

He was also scathing in condemning the allegations by BJP Dubbak MLA Raghunandan Rao Madhavaneni, who he said was stooping to record lows in dragging an innocent into a controversy for political gains and not being mindful of destroying his reputation, besides saying the time had come to curb the pub culture.

Excerpts.

Q. The country is watching the unfolding of the aftermath of the gangrape of a minor girl in a vehicle after a party at a pub in the city on May 28 evening. Your grandson, who is a major, has been accused of being one of the perpetrators. Is he guilty of the crime?

No, my grandson has nothing to do with the crime. Baseless allegations were made by a BJP MLA, who stooped to new record levels for political gain. My grandson is set to be married shortly. He was spending the day at home with family members and friends. We were all busy with the arrangements. The records are there, including the CCTV footage at my official residence. The police are thoroughly conducting the investigation and the truth will come out.

I know my grandson very well and have a good idea of who his friends are, what kind of social circle he hangs out with. He has been most unfairly dragged into the controversy.

Q. How do you respond to the allegations of the BJP MLA?

It is a shame if politicians play such games. We all have a collective role in ensuring public faith in their representatives. By making such an allegation, dragging an innocent and trying to tarnish the reputation of my entire family, he has done something shameful.

Q. What happened in this case, as per your information?

Some school students were conducting a party at a pub. It was non-alcoholic because they were minors but had permission for a party. This incident occurred after the party. The report given to police initially seems to be different. The police took some time registering the case because of the fact minors were involved, the report was not clear. Once it became clear, the action started. All accused are being arrested.

Q. There are allegations about the role of police too. Missing CCTV footage, delay in registering a case, a senior officer giving a clean chit to some of the allegedly accused?

I have spoken to the director-general of police (M. Mahendar Reddy). The police have been instructed to do a thorough investigation and spare no one. There will be no pressure on anyone and all guilty must be booked and acted upon as per law.

Q. Industries and IT minister K. T. Rama Rao has often said that Hyderabad is the safest city in the country, especially for women. The series of crimes against women is shaking such confidence. How do you defend your position as home minister over the deterioration of law and order situation and increasing number of serious crimes against women?

Hyderabad is still the safest city in the country, and women here are very safe. Each of these cases has had a peculiar set of socio-economic issues underlying. But show me a single case where anyone guilty of a crime has been spared, no matter who they are, and no matter how powerful they are. While we will increase and better our efforts to prevent such crimes, once something like this happens, which is very sad, I promise you our police department will not spare anyone. Every single guilty person in this case will be caught, tried and punished as per law.

But we must also introspect as a society to make a larger difference. Every stakeholders duties and role must also find a place in this discussion. We have to question the role played by the internet, social media and mobile phones. A larger contextual reform is needed.

Q. Are pubs becoming a problem for the city and our law and order situation?

As an IT destination and a metro with great tourist interest, we do have a liberal pub policy but we have to relook at it. They have pushed the limit beyond our ability to accept. Youth are our future and we cannot allow these things to get out of hand. I will personally speak to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao about the need for some changes. We wont allow such incidents to ever repeat.

Q. Will any action be taken against the pub?

Police are looking at all their records and their role and complicity. If found guilty, we will take the strongest action.

Q. Finally, do you reiterate justice will be delivered in this case?

Absolutely. 100 per cent. No one will be spared, no matter who they are.
June 25 has been fixed as the revised date for completion of the work. (Representational image: DC)

Hyderabad: Commuters using the Secunderabad-Begumpet stretch might have to wait longer for getting relief from the tension caused by the road diversion as the 45-day nala work schedule has been extended by 20 days beyond the Monday deadline. This follows a plea made during a meeting of officials from Mahankali traffic police, GHMC and other departments. Consequently, June 25 has been fixed as the revised date for completion of the work.

In fact, it could have been accomplished even before the original 45-day deadline had the planning and its execution been meticulous. It becomes so hard to travel to work on this road. The alternative Paradise-Tadbund-Bowenpally road towards Hitec via Kukatpally is ridden with its own traffic congestion problems, said Keethi Rao from Bhoiguda, who works for an MNC in Madhapur.

Arjun Yadav, a resident of Mettuguda, said that his shift starts in the afternoon and the summer sun makes it terrible to travel through Sindhi Colony.

It is so annoying. What normally takes me about 40 minutes to reach my office, is now taking more than an hour because of the seemingly never ending nala work. Due to the diversion, all vehicles get cluttered on the narrow Wesley College lane. Traffic comes to a standstill for up to 10 minutes during peak hours, he said.

Meanwhile, netizens have been recounting their woes on Twitter.

A user Tweeted on May 8 saying, I am trying to put this #AskKTR hashtag to ask KTR the progress on the famous Paradise to Begumpet Nala works. As per records, today is day 19th out of 45 days project and going by the look, not even 10% is completed. When will normal traffic resume on this important road? (sic)

Another user tagged traffic officials and the office of municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao with Due to Patny Nala works this part of minister road made one way, see wrong side driving by Two wheelers,pl post one constable at Rasoolpura to stop entry, make road SAFE @shoramgopalpet fine them. (sic)

Earlier on April 22, the Hyderabad traffic police had issued an advisory stating Heavy vehicles, including RTC buses, will not be permitted from CTO junction to Begumpet/Ameerpet. The nala work would continue on the Begumpet - CTO junction stretch at Rasoolpura and on Ministers Road for the next 45 days.

As colony roads cannot cater to huge volumes of traffic, we have also diverted RTC buses and heavy vehicles. They will not be permitted to ply from CTO junction to Begumpet/Ameerpet side, joint commissioner of police (traffic) A.V. Ranganath said.
New Delhi: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday cleared proposals worth Rs 76,390 crore, including next generation Corvettes (NGC) for Indian Navy.

DAC accorded Acce-ptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of next generation Corv-ettes (NGC) for Indian Navy at an estimated cost of Rs 36,000 crore. These NGCs will be versatile platforms for variety of roles including surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, Surface Action Group (SAG) operations, search and attack and coastal defence. These NGCs would be constructed based on new in-house design of Indian Navy using latest technology of ship building and would contribute to further the governments initiative of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region).

The proposals cleared on Monday are under Buy (Indian), Buy and Make (Indian) and Buy (Indian-IDDM) categories. This will provide substantial boost to the Indian defence industry and reduce foreign spending significantly.

For the Indian Army, the DAC accorded fresh AoNs for procurement of bridge laying tanks, wheeled armoured fighting vehicles with anti-tank guided missiles and weapon locating radars through domestic sources with emphasis on indigenous design and development.

The DAC also accorded AoNs for manufacture of Dornier Aircrafts and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by the Navratna CPSE Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with focus on enhancing indigenisation particularly in indigenising aero-engine material.

In pursuance of the governments vision for digital transformation in defence, Digital Coast Guard project under Buy (Indian) Category has been approved by the DAC. Under this project, a pan India secure network for digitising of var
A DYFI activist is hauled away by the police for protesting near the DGP office in Hyderabad on Sunday, demanding action against the accused in minor girl rape case. (Deepak Deshpande/DC)

Hyderabad: The city police accusing women of triggering sexual desire in men by wearing scanty outfits at pubs and public places seems to have stirred up a hornets nest as women activists and human right groups taking up a cudgel against the police for irresponsible statements.

It may be mentioned here that the police issued a statement recently that women were indulging in obscene acts by gesturing in an indecent manner and luring men by exposing their body for immoral acts.

Such arguments have always been made and women have always been misjudged for the clothes they wear, " said P.A. Devi, a women's activist in the city. What about rural areas? Do women there have such clothes or wear short skirts or torn jeans or sleeveless tops? They don't, but rapes and sexual assaults still take place there as well. What about 9-month-old babies being raped? What about senior citizens being raped? Do they also lure men by wearing short clothes?" questioned Devi.

The police come up with conservative, narrow and prejudiced explanations when it comes to women safety, which is highly unacceptable. They say it's her fault for being in a certain place or at a certain time. It's further victimisation of the victim. Do Hyderabad police want to give a dress code for women? Are we having Talibanism here too?" Devi asked.

If the Hyderabad police are going making such remarks about women in the city, they should prove their allegations by arresting these people under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and/or Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, said Trishna Pennama, 27, who works for an MNC.

Before pointing fingers at citizens who are legally enjoying a night out, the police should sensitise their own personnel. I have been recently molested in broad daylight, in a residential area by a policeman, who offered to drop me to my destination on his official vehicle, since I was unable to get public transport. I was not exposing my body. I was just trying to get to a friends house to study for an upcoming exam," she said.

However, Yamuna Pathak, a social and women activist said the mindset and the attitude of men had to change, not the clothing of women. "We all need to be cultured. Parents must teach their children about limitations. I believe clothing is about comfort but not to an extent that it becomes obscenity. It is not about clothes, it's about the attitude of men. What about those women who are dressed decently and are being raped? Girls and boys should be guided about limitations and their attitude towards everything at home itself," she said.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs board a bus and head to Jamdoli ahead of the Rajya Sabha Elections, in Jaipur, Monday, June 6, 2022. (PTI Photo)

Jaipur: The BJP on Monday was shifting its MLAs to a resort here for a training camp ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on June 10, days after a similar move by Rajasthans ruling Congress.

By the afternoon, the Opposition party MLAs had reached the BJP office from where they were to taken to the resort in two buses later.

A BJP spokesperson said the party is going to hold a training camp at the resort.

This is a training camp in which the MLAs will be given training on the Rajya Sabha elections, the leader said.

The Congress has already shifted many of the party and independent MLAs to a hotel in Udaipur, saying it fears horse-trading by the BJP.

The ruling Congress has fielded three candidates from the state for the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP has nominated one candidate and is backing a media baron Subhash Chandra as an independent candidate. The Congress with its 108 MLAs in the state Assembly is set to win two seats. After winning two seats, the Congress will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win a third seat.

The BJP has 71 MLAs in the state Assembly and is set to win one seat, after which it will be left with 30 surplus votes.

Congress leaders claim the support of 126 MLAs, including 108 of from the party itself. It needs 123 MLAs to win three seats.
My initial column writing for many years was for Pakistani newspapers. I have visited Pakistan many times, have spoken at its universities and its literature festivals often and know the place intimately for three decades.

What is striking is that while India has been moving consistently away from secularism and towards a Hindutva-style state, Pakistan is trying to move in the other direction, away from religion.

In 1947, Pakistan wanted to be constitutionally a religious state. The integration of religion into law and government would lend a positive impulse, felt M.A. Jinnahs successor Liaquat Ali Khan. Speaking only a few years after the atom bombs were dropped on Japan, Liaquat said mankinds material and scientific development had leapt ahead of the development of the individual. Man could thus produce inventions that could destroy the world. This happened only because man had chosen to ignore his spiritual side, and if he had retained more faith in God, this wouldnt have come up.

Religion tempered the dangers of science, Liaquat felt, and as Muslims, Pakistanis would adhere to Islams ideals. The States enabling Muslims to lead their lives in alignment with Islam didnt concern non-Muslims, so they shouldnt have a problem with that, he said.

This is what the Muslim League intended, but what happened was different. The focus shifted from Muslims to non-Muslims. Pakistan restricted its minorities from becoming President (in 1960s) or Prime Minister (from 1970s).

Meanwhile, the laws concerning Pakistans Muslims fell away in time. The law enforcing fasting in Ramzan (quite needless as most subcontinental Muslims observe the fast anyway) ran into opposition after Muslim restaurant owners and multiplex owners complained.

The law enforcing zakat by debiting 2.5 per cent from bank accounts of Pakistans Sunnis failed as people withdrew their money just before it was due to happen. Shia, who have a hierarchical clergy to whom they give money directly, had previously objected and were exempted.

Pakistan shares with India the penal code and Pakistanis are as familiar with the numbers 302, 420 and 144 as we are. Here they tried to change the laws. Early Islam existed at a time when there were no jails. Punishment for criminal offences was usually corporal instead of detention. In the 1980s Pakistan introduced amputation of limbs as punishment for theft and trained a set of terrified doctors to carry these out. But Pakistans judges, trained in common law like Indias, were reluctant to pass these sentences and so the laws remained frozen and unused. Pakistan introduced stoning as a punishment for adultery but nobody has been stoned to death.

A brief period of enthusiasm, also in 1980s, for lashing those accused of drinking alcohol ended. In 2009, Pakistan's Federal Shariat Court read down the punishment for drinking, with the judges saying it wasnt a serious crime. Under President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan returned the punishment for rape (which was conflated with fornication if the survivor couldnt produce witnesses) from the Shariah back to the penal code. A Sharia court order seeking a ban on interest in banking, which would finish the economy, has been ignored by successive governments.

The last major attempt to Islamise Pakistan was over two decades ago under Nawaz Sharif: the 15th Amendment, which was defeated in the Senate. Pakistan remains insufficiently Islamic and, with no hierarchical clergy like Irans, can never become theocratic. Unlikely Saudi Arabia, it never had a moral police as Pakistanis are culturally South Asians with local practices.

While Pakistan attempted to secularise, India has gone the other away. The one thing India can claim is that it doesnt prevent Muslims from holding high office.

India has had Muslim Presidents but unlike Pakistan, Indias Presidents are figureheads with no real authority. If they had the power to dismiss Parliament, such as Pakistans Presidents had, it would be interesting to see how many Muslims India would have elevated.

Today, there is no Muslim chief minister in India for the first time since 1947, no Muslim minister at all in 15 state Cabinets, and in 10 states there is only one Muslim minister, usually given minority affairs. Of the ruling partys 303 Lok Sabha MPs, none is Muslim. There was no Muslim among its previous 282 Lok Sabha majority either. When Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who hasnt been given a Rajya Sabha seat, loses his position as a minister, there will be no Muslim in the Union Cabinet for the first time. Whether the exclusion of minorities from power is through the law, as in Pakistan, or through practice as in India, the exclusion is real.

On the side of laws, of course, India has moved substantially away from pluralism. Starting 2015, BJP states began criminalising the possession of beef, triggering a series of lynchings. In 2019, Parliament criminalised the utterance of triple talaq in one sitting, punishing Muslim men for a non-event (as the Supreme Court had already invalidated triple talaq earlier). After 2018, seven BJP states criminalised inter-faith marriage by disallowing conversions and invalidating such marriages, including those which had children. Conversions to Hinduism, defined as ancestral religion, are exempt and not counted as conversions in BJP states like Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. Nobody has ever been convicted of forced conversion in India, but the intent is to harass.

In 2019, Gujarat tightened a law that keeps Muslims ghettoised by denying them access to purchase and lease properties from Hindus. In effect, foreigners can buy and rent properties in Gujarat that Gujarati Muslims cannot. We neednt get into the treatment of Kashmiris as the collective punishment imposed on them no longer arouses interest in us.

In effect, theres no real difference between India and Pakistan as they move towards each other. One began at the communal end but has edged towards secularism. The other began at the secular end, and has slipped into communalism.
From a lack of government funding for high-risk research projects to stringent laws tied to biodiversity and foreign exchange management, biotech entrepreneurs raised many concerns with the government at a recent startup conference - Indian Global Innovation Connect - convened by Smadja & Smadja Advisory in Bengaluru.

The biotech industry, which managed to win only $145 million out of the $73 billion raised by the entire startup sector in the last financial year, wants more help from the government on initiatives to nurture upcoming entrepreneurs.

Barring the setting up of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), there have been few initiatives by the government towards research in this space, said Anandi Iyer, Director, Fraunhofer Office India, a German-based research organisation.

There is not enough government funding in high-risk research. Only seed level funding is there, Iyer said.

Healthcare startup founder Jagadeesh Gopalan agreed, highlighting how there was no Y-combinator type of accelerator for Indian startups.

At least Rs 10,000 crore need to be spent on a good accelerator, said Gopalan, who is a senior professor at the Indian Institute of Science and co-founder of Ykrita Life Sciences.

There is also a need for people to change the way they looked at research and development.

Indian companies consider spending on R&D as a cost but not an investment. This needs to change, Iyer said.

Some others stressed the need for major reforms in regulations and laws.

The Indian Biodiversity Act does not allow any foreign company to tap into the Indian bio life to innovate and develop new solutions. As per the Act, any company where even a single share is held by a foreigner is considered to be a foreign company, said Shrikumar Suryanarayan, the co-founder of Sea6 Energy, a technology developer that taps the potential of oceans.

Suryanarayan added that acts like the one around biodiversity and FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) were too stringent in their nature, thus driving entrepreneurs to set up their bases outside India.

Due to the tight laws, you see many innovators give up on the cumbersome procedures and relocate to Singapore or Delaware, he said.

One such company which faced the funding winter in India was Bugworks, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm which researches and develops affordable and accessible antibiotics.

We raised about 95% of our funds from outside India, said Anand Anandkumar, the co-founder of Bugworks. He hoped big pharma companies sitting on a lot of cash could invest in the budding entrepreneurial initiatives to take the industry to the next stage.
A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party lawmaker loyal to former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday threatened to target the current rulers of the country with a suicide attack if his leader was harmed.

Attaullah, elected from Karachi in 2018 on the symbol of PTI, posted a video clip on Twitter to make clear his intention in case Khan was harmed.

"If a single hair on Imran Khan's head is harmed, then those running the country be warned: Neither you nor your children will remain. I will be the first to carry out a suicide attack on you, I will not let you go. In the same way, thousands of workers are ready," Attaullah said in the video message.

Attaullah is a lawyer by profession and an ardent supporter of Khan.

Khan, who was ousted from power in April through a no-trust vote, has been claiming that the no-trust motion against him was the result of a foreign conspiracy because his independent foreign policy and funds were being channelled from abroad to oust him from power. He has named the US as the country behind the conspiracy, a charge denied by Washington.

His supporters have warned of threat to his life and then-information minister Fawad Chaudhry in the beginning of April had disclosed that a plot to assassinate Khan had been reported by security agencies.

Khan on May 14 reiterated that there was threat to his life and told his supporters at a rally that he had recorded a video in which he had taken the names of all those who "conspired against me".

The government has enhanced his personal security as well as augmented the security cordon around his palatial residence in the Banigala suburbs of Islamabad.

But it is rare that a sitting lawmaker threatened a suicide attack.

After the video went viral, a journalist reminded the authorities to take action against Attaullah for terrorism.

"What was the law called under which such threats were taken into account? Oh yes, the Anti-Terrorism Act!" tweeted Syed Talat Hussain, who is a famous anchorman.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Afghanistan on Monday joined several Muslim nations to condemn the controversial remarks of a BJP leader against the Prophet Mohammad, stressing the importance of respecting all religious beliefs.

In a statement, Saudi Arabia's foreign affairs ministry expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the BJP spokesperson, saying it insulted Prophet Mohammad.

The ministry reiterated its "permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion."

Also Read | Congress says BJP doing 'damage control' amid international criticism over Prophet Mohammed row

It also rejected anything that gives rise to prejudice against "all religious figures and symbols."

While welcoming the measures taken by the BJP to suspend the spokeswoman, the ministry reaffirmed the "Kingdoms position calling for respect for beliefs and religions".

In a separate statement, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina on Monday condemned the "insulting statements" made by the spokesperson of the BJP against the Prophet.

In New Delhi, the BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against the Prophet.

Also Read | Qatar summons Indian envoy, slams 'anti-Islam' remarks by BJP official

Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the party also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.

Bahrain's foreign affairs ministry welcomed the decision of the BJP to suspend the partys spokeswoman, stressing "the need to denounce any reprehensible insults against the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, as a provocation to Muslims feelings and incitement to religious hatred."

The ministry in a statement stressed "the importance of respecting all religious beliefs, symbols, and personalities, and the concerted efforts of the international community to spread the values of moderation, tolerance, and dialogue between religions and civilizations, and to confront extremist ideas that feed sedition and religious, sectarian, or racial hatred."

The interim Afghan government, led by the Taliban, strongly condemned the derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, Pajhwok News, Afghanistan's largest independent news agency, said.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the use of derogatory words against the Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him) by an official of the ruling party in India," the agency quoted government Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid as saying in a tweet.

"We urge the Indian government not to allow such fanatics to insult the holy religion of Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims," he said.

The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Nayef Falah M Al Hajraf, also condemned, rejected and denounced the statements made by the spokesperson of the BJP against the Prophet.

The Secretary-General affirmed his categorical rejection of prejudicing all the prophets and apostles as well as personalities and religious symbols, stressing the position that rejects provocation, targeting or underestimating beliefs and religions, the Council said in a brief statement.

The GCC is a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union that consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Millions of Indians work in GCC countries.

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation strongly condemned and denounced the recent denigration of the Prophet by the BJP leader. It also urged the UN to take necessary measures to ensure that the rights of Muslims are protected in India.

On Sunday, Qatar, Iran and Kuwait summoned India's Ambassadors and the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of a BJP leader against Prophet Mohammad.

Pakistan said on Monday that it has summoned the Indian charge d'affaires to convey its categorical rejection and condemnation of the controversial remarks.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday also condemned the "hurtful" remarks against the prophet of Islam.

"Pakistan Armed Forces strongly condemn blasphemous remarks by Indian officials. The outrageous act is deeply hurtful and clearly indicates the extreme level of hate against Muslims and other religions in India," the Spokesperson Pakistan Armed Forces tweeted.

Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of the Indian Embassy in Qatar and Kuwait said on Sunday that the Ambassadors "conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements."

The controversial remarks also sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.
"I Am Groot" on Disney Plus now has its confirmed release date and first-ever poster. The animated series hits the giant streaming service slightly ahead of another upcoming Marvel Series, "She-Hulk."

Marvel Studios' next animated series, "I Am Groot" is a massive push for the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie, which hits the big screen several months from now.

Before we get to see the peculiar group of the Guardians of the Galaxy in theaters on July 8, 2022, for its Vol. 3, the Baby Groot is heading on its own to Disney Plus.

'I Am Groot' Animated Series on Disney Plus

As per a news story by IGN, Disney has officially confirmed that "I Am Groot" is debuting on its streaming service this August.

The formal reveal comes with the first-ever poster for the upcoming animated series of the titular hero, Baby Groot.

IGN notes that the upcoming show, "I Am Groot," looks to focus on the childhood of Baby Groot.

Marvel teases that original shorts on Disney Plus center on the "glory days growing up, and getting into trouble among the stars."

'I Am Groot' on Disney Plus Poster

Besides the description of the new animated series, Marvel Studios also gave us the first look at the poster of "I Am Groot."

The poster shows a younger version of Groot seemingly relaxing while listening to his favorite tunes on his headset. What's interesting was that his head was leaning on the Walkman of none other than Peter Quill.

It also gives us a summer vibe. Thanks to the palm tree air freshener. Not to mention that he is wearing blacked-out specs while chilling atop a sandy surface like his vacationing on a beach destination.

But instead of the bright sun rays during the summer heat, the mischievous Guardians character is basking under the warm light of a reading lamp. So, we now get an idea of his size during his youthful days.

I Am Groot, Marvel Studios Original shorts, coming August 10 to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/EODOFPLbt1  Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) June 5, 2022

Read Also: 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' to Release on Disney+ - When Will It Arrive?

'I Am Groot' on Disney Release Date

The poster of "I Am Groot" officially gives us its release date on Disney Plus as well.

According to the latest report by The Verge, the solo show of Baby Groot debuts on Disney Plus on Aug. 10.

The new Marvel animated series comes seven days ahead of the debut of "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," which hits Disney Plus on Aug. 17.

The Verge additionally highlights that the "I Am Groot" animated series on Disney Plus is the first-ever spinoff of the "Guardians of the Galaxy." It is scheduled to be followed by "Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" on Disney Plus before the year ends.

Related Article: Netflix Should Get Pointers From Disney Plus Which Just Added 8 Million New Subscribers
Ahead of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's scheduled visit to northern parts of the state on Tuesday, banned terror outfit Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) has warned of a "bloodbath" if their separate statehood movement is opposed.

In a purported video, the authenticity of which could not be independently verified by PTI, a masked man claiming to be KLO leader Jeevan Singha, flanked by armed bodyguards, warned Banerjee against visiting North Bengal.

"We appeal to everyone, including Mamata Banerjee, not to oppose our Kamtapur statehood demand. She mustn't visit North Bengal. We will intensify our movement in the days to come and seek cooperation from everyone.

Also Read: Bengal cabinet approves proposal to make Mamata chancellor of state-run universities

"If anyone tries to stop us, the result would be devastating. There will be a bloodbath. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for the cause," the masked insurgent said.

Although police has declined to comment on the video, it has beefed up security in the region as Banerjee will address a TMC workers' meeting in Alipurduar on Tuesday.

A movement demanding to carve out a separate state of Kamtapur comprising the northern districts of West Bengal and the adjoining western parts of Assam was launched in the early nineties, citing the underdevelopment of the region.

However, it took a turn to armed insurgency when KLO was formed in the mid-nineties.

Once a dreaded militant group, KLO is now not even a shadow of its former self as most of its top leaders are either behind the bars or have returned to the mainstream under the TMC regime.

Several splinter groups have cropped up that believe in the democratic process to achieve the statehood demand.

"It hardly matters if someone is threatening. But I haven't seen the video, so I can't comment on it," Nikhil Roy, president of Kamtapur Peoples' Party (United), said.

The North Bengal region, comprising eight districts including picturesque Darjeeling, is economically important for West Bengal as it has revenue-generating industries like tea, timber and tourism.

The region is of utmost strategic importance because of the narrow Siliguri Corridor, referred to as the 'chicken's neck', which connects the Northeast with the rest of India.

North Bengal shares international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh and has witnessed violent statehood movements, including the Gorkhaland stir, since the eighties.

The KLO's warning, however, triggered a war of words between the TMC and BJP, with the ruling party in West Bengal accusing the saffron party of fanning separatist movements in the state.

Also Read: BJP has informers in TMC, says Bengal party chief Sukanta Majumdar

"It is clear that BJP leaders have been fanning separatist movements in the state for their vested political interests. They have been demanding either a separate state or Union territory over the last one year," senior TMC leader Partha Pratim Ray said.

The BJP, however, dubbed the allegations baseless.

"Partition of West Bengal is not viable socially, economically and politically. We are not in favour of a separate state. But we feel there is a need for the development of North Bengal. The people of the region have been deprived for a long time," state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

Last month, BJP legislators from Matigara-Naxalbari constituency and Dabgram-Phulbari seat, Anandamay Barman and Shikha Chatterjee respectively, spoke in favour of Union territory of North Bengal.

Bishnu Prasad Sharma, the BJP MLA of Kurseong, had last year demanded the separation of Darjeeling Hills from West Bengal.

The saffron party's Alipurduar MP John Barla had stirred a hornet's nest last year by demanding a UT comprising the North Bengal districts.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday wrapped up his visit to Czech Republic during which he held wide-ranging talks with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky and discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, defence and security.

Both sides exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict. They also discussed cooperation at multilateral fora and agreed to work closely in this sphere, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Jaishankar was here on the last leg of his two-nation tour to Slovakia and the Czech Republic to impart further momentum in ties with the two central European countries. India and Czech Republic have historically enjoyed warm and friendly relations which have been strengthened in the last several years through high-level exchanges and enhanced cooperation across sectors.

During the delegation level talks, Jaishankar and Lipavsky discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, defence & security, S&T, cultural and people to people ties, the statement said.

Both sides appreciated that bilateral trade had crossed over $2 billion. Discussions were also held on India-EU relations, including the upcoming Czech Presidency of the EU and both sides agreed to work towards an early conclusion of the India-EU FTA, the statement said.

Jaishankar also interacted with Czech Members of the European Parliament and discussed Indias strong ties with EU, as well as the Czech Republic. They exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific, Food and Energy security, as well as digital cooperation.

In Prague, the external affairs minister paid floral tributes at the bust of Rabindranath Tagore and interacted with the members of the Indian community and appreciated their role in promoting India- Czech people to people ties.

Jaishankar had arrived in Prague on Saturday from the Slovakian capital Bratislava. Jaishankar's visit to Slovakia was the first ever visit at the level of EAM since its creation in 1993. India and Slovakia share close and friendly ties based on common values of democracy, rule of law, freedom and equality.

In Bratislava, Jaishankar participated in the GLOBSEC 2022 Forum and spoke on the topic Taking Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific Region. He also called Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger and had delegation level talks with Foreign Minister Korcok.

He thanked the Slovak side for their assistance in evacuation of 1115 Indian students from Ukraine. He also appreciated the mutual recognition of Vaccine certificates between India and Slovakia which has greatly facilitated travel between the two countries.

Both sides discussed the expanding cooperation in trade, investment and defence sectors.

He also invited Slovakia to join the International Solar Alliance. Both sides also exchanged views on regional as well as multilateral issues including Ukraine, EU and the Indo-Pacific.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met the Indian community members and shared with them developments at home and the state of the bilateral relationship.

Jaishankar is in Prague on the last leg of his two-nation tour to Slovakia and the Czech Republic to impart further momentum in ties with the two central European countries.

"Delighted to meet the Indian community in Prague. Good to see many of them doing so well. The expansion of the community has also been encouraging. Shared with them developments at home and the state of our bilateral relationship. Count on their continuing support," Jaishankar tweeted.

Delighted to meet the Indian community in Prague. Good to see many of them doing so well. The expansion of the community has also been encouraging. Shared with them developments at home and the state of our bilateral relationship. Count on their continuing support. pic.twitter.com/ORR7nDza5P  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 5, 2022

The external affairs minister arrived in Prague on Saturday from the Slovakian capital Bratislava.

On Sunday, Jaishanakar met Czech Finance Minister. The Czech Republic will take over EU Presidency from July 1.

Read: Jaishankar hits out at critics of India's import of Russian crude oil

Nearly, 5000 Indian nationals- mostly IT professionals, businesspersonnel and students are residing in Czech Republic. There are several informal associations of Indians/people of Indian origin, who organise community events in association with the Embassy, according to the official figures.

His visit comes at a time when Europe is grappling with the implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and persistent efforts by the European countries to convince India to take a tougher position on Moscow for its actions.

The Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement ahead of his departure that Jaishankars will discussions with his Czech counterpart will provide an opportunity for a comprehensive review of our bilateral cooperation".
A day after they received a note of a death threat, the Maharashtra government stepped up the security of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his father screenwriter Salim Khan.

A strict vigil is being maintained at the Galaxy Apartment in Bandra, the home of the Khan family.

The threat note was found by Salim Khan during the morning stroll at the Bandra sea face on Sunday.

The note in Hindi stated - Salim Khan Salman Khan bahut jald aapka Moosewala hoga - a reference to Sidhu Moosewala, a Punjabi rapper, who was shot dead last month. It also had two initials - GB and LB on it.

An FIR was registered under section 506-II (Criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Also Read | Threat letter to actor Salman Khan, father; Mumbai cops register FIR

During the day, officials from the Bandra police station, Crime Branch-CID and VIP Security visited the Bandra house of the celeb family.

According to the latest information, the statements of the father-son duo have been recorded separately.

While GB could mean Goldy Brar, the LB seems like a reference to Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in the custody of Delhi Police. Brar alias Satwinderjit Singh is based in Canada.

It may be recalled, Bishnoi had planned an attack on Salman Khan during the shooting of Ready in 2011 vis-a-vis the blackbuck poaching case.

Top officials of the Home department and Mumbai Police reviewed the security arrangements of the Khans and stepped up the arrangements.

"We have taken the threat letter seriously, we are probing all angles," Mumbai Police chief Sanjay Pandey said. "As the matter is serious, we have also taken this issue seriously. Our officials are actively investigating the case. No one has been detained till now. It's too early to say if the letter is fake, and also we can't say anything about the Lawrence Bishnoi gang,' he added.
Though it rushed to quell the outrage in West Asia over the comments made by the two BJP leaders on Prophet Mohammed, New Delhi on Monday hit back at Pakistan, which sought to take advantage of the uproar and raise the pitch of its routine tirade against India.

New Delhi reacted after its acting envoy to Islamabad was on Monday summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the Government of Pakistan, where senior diplomats of the neighbouring country conveyed to him that the belated and perfunctory disciplinary actions taken by the BJP against its two leaders for the unacceptable remarks against Prophet Mohammed could not assuage the pain caused to the Muslims.

After its envoys to Qatar, Kuwait and Iran were also summoned to the foreign ministries of the respective nations on Sunday, New Delhi sought to soothe the ruffled feathers, pointing it out that the comments made by the two BJP leaders  Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal  had reflected the views of the fringe elements and not of the Government of India. The BJP suspended both the leaders following a nudge from the Prime Minister's Office, which acted after receiving inputs from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about the growing outrage over the comments and the need to contain it fast, in view of safety and security of about 9 million Indian expatriates in West Asia and Indias high stake in its relations with the countries in the region, particularly in terms of energy and economic partnerships.

Also Read | Sharif accuses Modi govt of persecuting Muslims, condemns BJP leaders' comments about Prophet

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also issued statements condemning the comments made by the two BJP leaders. So did Oman and Jordan. The outrage also spread to South Asia and South-East Asia with Maldives and Indonesia condemning the comments by the two BJP leaders.

India, however, sought to turn the table on Pakistan on Monday. The absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the MEA, said in New Delhi. The world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan.

India also strongly reacted to a statement issued by the general secretariat Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The 57-nation-bloc stated that the remarks made by Sharma and Jindal on Prophet Mohammed were part of growing spate of hatred and defamation of Islam in India. The MEA in New Delhi dismissed the statement issued by the OIC, terming it as unwarranted, as well as motivated, misleading and mischievous.

The comments by Sharma and Jindal drew a personal attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his counterpart in Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, on Sunday. Sharif took to Twitter to accuse the Modi Government in New Delhi of trampling religious freedoms and persecuting the Muslims in India. The MoFA of the Government of Pakistan served a demarche to New Delhis acting envoy to Islamabad, alleging that the growing mainstreaming of the reprehensible anti-Muslim sentiment and the increasing attempts at depriving the Muslims of their centuries-old places of worship citing frivolous historical claims were nothing but the obvious outcomes of the deep-seated Islamophobia in India. The Pakistan Army also took to Twitter to condemn the blasphemous remark of the two leaders of the BJP in India.

New Delhi responded by claiming that the Government of India accorded the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour, the MEA spokesperson said, adding: We call on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities instead of engaging in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.
Released: June 6, 2022

Delaware County Councilwoman Christine Reuther was proud to recognize June 5 as Italian American Day in Delaware County at the 12th annual Italian American Heritage Festival in Rose Tree Park. The day was a celebration of Italian music, food, history, and heritage.

Councilwoman Reuther presented a resolution to the Coalition of Italian American Organizations of Delaware County in recognition of their passion and dedication towards promoting Italian American heritage and culture throughout the region, including supporting a variety of scholarships and memorial programs.

Delaware County is fortunate to have a diverse and vibrant community and Italian Americans have contributed to the rich heritage of the county. Thank you to the Coalition of Italian American Organizations of Delaware County and the businesses and performers who participated in the festival.
Foyle MP, Colum Eastwood, has written to the leaders of Stormont parties urging them to back emergency legislation that would empower Ministers to allocate hundreds of millions in unspent resource to address the cost of living crisis.

The Stormont cash cannot be spent as a result of the collapse of the Executive but SDLP sponsored legislation aims to amend the law to give a group of Ministers acting together the power to implement a new energy costs scheme to help struggling households.

SDLP leader, Eastwood, has also written to the British and Irish Governments outlining the route to implement the new legislation, which requires the nomination of a Stormont Speaker.

He said: Every month families across our communities are dealt another blow by energy companies announcing a new raft of price hikes and tariff increases that are squeezing people beyond their means.

We have passed breaking point for many households where parents have accepted that they will have to turn off the radiators to make sure they can put food on the table.

It is a damning indictment of our politics that while people sit cold, hungry and afraid of what the next set of price hikes will mean for their family, that Stormont is sitting on hundreds of millions in unspent resource that could help people. It cannot continue like this.

I have already said that the SDLP will form a constructive opposition to the next Stormont administration.

We will not stand on the sidelines as things go wrong. We will step up and step in to address the huge challenges families here are facing.

Thats why I have written to the leaders of Stormonts parties asking them to back our emergency legislation to give Ministers the power to get support to people who need it right now.

That will mean supporting the nomination of a Speaker at Stormont to get this legislation on the floor of the Assembly.

Uncomfortable as I accept that will be for the DUP Leader, its time to make a choice.

Jeffrey Donaldson can choose to continue with the politics of protest and boycott, focused on challenges over which we have no direct control, but we must all be clear that the price of that protest is cold homes, hungry children and parents at their wits end. It is a price we would never consent to.

SDLP MLAs will meet with Stormonts Bill Clerks this week to advance our proposal to get money into the pockets of families that desperately need it.

This is a challenge that is breaking people in our communities but the solution is very simple, it just needs political will.
The jury in the trial of three men charged with the murder of Karol Kelly in Derry on March 4, 2018 has been told by the prosecution council that all three defendants were "lying to you".

Liam McCollum QC added that if the version of events given by one of the defendants Sean Anderson was true it meant every other witness "is telling lies".

Brothers Gary Anderson (25) and Sean Anderson (23) both of Grafton Street and Dunlop are all charged with the murder of Karol Kelly.

Dunlop is further charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent on Mr Kelly and doing an act with intent to pervert the course of justice on the same date by attempting to conceal knives on the same date.

Liam McCollum QC for the prosecution was making his closing address to the jury of eight men and four women.

He told them that all three defendants were "lying to you" but he said he had "no doubt you will not be fooled by them".

The barrister said that the evidence of the witnesses in the case had shown "a higher level of trustworthiness and decency".

He said that certain allegations had been made against Karol Kelly but added that the deceased "is as much entitled to the protection of the law as anyone".

The jury were told that what happened when Karol Kelly went into the Anderson's house was "reprehensible".

But the barrister said that the wounds on the deceased meant that the accounts given by Sean Anderson of waving the knife about was "farcical" and the evidence pointed to a "fairly ferocious attack".

Mr McCollum said that the defendants Sean Anderson and Michael Dunlop had lied and told the jury they could "rely on those lies as evidence of their guilt".

As regards Gary Anderson he said he had lied to the police "for a considerable period of time".

The barrister said the most important issue for the jury was intent and said that all the evidence "overwhelmingly" points to intent or at least cause serious harm by all three.

The trial continues.
Theres been positive news on the sustainability front from operator MTN in Cameroon, which has announced a renewable energy initiative.

The operator has announced the signing, on 2 June in Yaounde, of a collaboration framework agreement with the countrys Rural Electrification Agency (AER) to supply its rural sites with solar energy.

The document was initialled by Moussa Ousmanou, General Manager of AER, and Stephen Blewett, CEO of MTN Cameroon, in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Water and Energy.

This agreement specifies the terms and conditions under which AER will provide MTN Cameroon with energy produced by its solar power plants. The energy is intended to power MTN Cameroons network infrastructure in rural areas, particularly the relay stations.

In fact the agreement is already underway. MTN reports that implementation of this agreement is ongoing at pilot sites in the West and Littoral regions.

This deployment will be extended to all 10 regions of the country in the coming months and will accelerate MTN Cameroons environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy, of which, it says, reducing carbon footprint is one of the main objectives.

In fact this deal aids the sustainability plans of both government and MTN. Ousmanou of AER pointed out that Cameroon as a whole plans to increase its renewable energy capacity to at least 25% of total production by 2030, while, as Blewett explained, under what it calls Project Zero, MTN seeks to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030.
Atlassian Confluence was attacked through a series of proof-of-concept exploits of the CVE-2022-26134 vulnerability.

Last week, the Australian-grown software company Altassian was detected to have a zero-day vulnerability tracked as CVE-2022-26134. The Atlassian products that are affected are the Confluence Server and Data Center, both of which are susceptible to an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability of critical severity.

Atlassian Confluence, CVE-2022-26134 Vulnerability

Confluence is a software collaborative documentation tool created by the company Atlassian.

The CVE-2022-26134 vulnerability was discovered by the cybersecurity company Volexity, which alerted Atlassian on May 31. Following the discovery by Volexity that the vulnerability had been used by various threat actors in assaults, malicious actors became aware of it.

Because there was no patch available at the time, Atlassian advised administrators to either take their servers offline or prevent them from being accessible via the internet.

If the vulnerability is exploited, it will allow unauthenticated, remote attackers to create new admin accounts, run commands, and eventually seize control of the system.

A proof-of-concept exploit for the Atlassian Confluence vulnerability was made publicly available on Friday of the previous week. The exploit quickly went viral online over the course of the weekend, with researchers posting examples of how easy it was to exploit on social media platforms like Twitter.

Exploits for Confluence that have been published online show how to construct reverse shells, make forced DNS requests, acquire information, and create new admin accounts.

Bleeping Computer reported that Andrew Morris, the chief executive officer of the cybersecurity company GreyNoise, tweeted on June 4, that the company had started to observe 23 different IP addresses exploiting the Atlassian vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, GreyNoise says that the total number of distinct IP addresses that are attempting to exploit this vulnerability has nearly multiplied by 10, reaching 211 different IP addresses in total as of June 5.

According to Atlassian, the vulnerability was confirmed in Confluence Server 7.18.0, and the company believes that Confluence Server and Data Center 7.4.0 and higher are also susceptible to the issue.

However, it is worth noting that organizations that are protected by Atlassian Cloud, which can be accessed through the atlassian.net website, are not vulnerable to this flaw.

Read Also: Apple Raises Employees Salary Amid the Delayed Return To Office

Patch for CVE-2022-26134

Atlassian has already released a patch and the company highly recommends its user-base update the security vulnerability to avoid exploits and breaches in their systems from malicious threat actors.

According to Confluence, the recently released patch will fix all the vulnerabilities found in their products, which the company noted are for versions "7.4.17, 7.13.7, 7.14.3, 7.15.2, 7.16.4, 7.17.4 and 7.18.1" that contain all the fixes.

The company recommends its users upgrade to the latest Long Term Support release. Users can download the latest version of the patch from the Atlassian download center, and a description of the latest version is available in the Confluence Server and Data Center Release Notes.

Atlassian has made mitigations available for Confluence versions 7.0.0 all the way up to 7.18.0 in the event that you are unable to promptly fix your servers due to some unforeseen circumstance.

Confluence servers are an appealing target for initial access to a company's network; therefore, devices should be upgraded soon, mitigating risks as much as possible, or taken offline entirely.

Again, users who will not take this precaution will eventually face more serious threats, such as the distribution of ransomware and the loss of data as they can be subjecting themselves to the wild for numerous exploits.

Related Article: Russian Cyber Criminal Forums Buy and Sell US College VPN Credentials Like It's Nothing - Sellers Even Ask for Donations
Minister Coveney to visit Finland and Sweden

Press release

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence Simon Coveney is visiting Helsinki and Stockholm tomorrow. During his visit, the Minister will meet with Finlands Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, with Finlands Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen and with Swedens Foreign Minister Ann Linde.

Minister Coveney will use this opportunity to discuss Russias War of Aggression against Ukraine, the Security situation in Europe, Irelands Presidency of the UN Security Council and Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The visit is also an opportunity to build on the strong framework provided by the Nordic Strategy through which Ireland aims to deepen its bilateral and multilateral engagement with the Nordic region including Finland and Sweden.

Speaking in advance of the visit, Minister Coveney said:

I am delighted to get an opportunity to visit with my counterparts in Helsinki and Stockholm. Russias invasion of Ukraine is having a widespread effect globally and is a key issue for EU Member States. It is important that we continue to foster and develop our bilateral relations in order to meet the ongoing challenges we face together.

The visit takes part in the year that Finland and Ireland celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations with Minister Coveney remarking that Now, more than ever, the absolute necessity for strong bilateral ties is evident and I look forward to the continuation of the strong alliances that Ireland enjoys with Finland and Sweden.

The Minister will also visit the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki and host a working dinner with representatives from a number of Swedish think tanks and academic institutions. In addition, a meeting with the Chairpersons of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees in Parliament (Riksdag) is planned while in Stockholm.

ENDS

Press Office

06 June 2022

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Barely five months after Facebook rebranded itself as Meta, its second-in-command top executive Sheryl Sandberg announced that shed be leaving the embattled firm.

In a sappy Facebook post that runs over 1500 words, Metas departing Chief Operating Officer (COO) described top boss Mark Zuckerberg as a true visionary and one of the best friends anyone could ever have.

Zuckerberg responded by dropping a mushy comment on the post, calling Sandberg a superstar, who taught him how to run a company.

The last bit is especially true.

In 2007, when Mark Zuckerberg met Sheryl Sandberg at a Christmas party, he was all but 23. The young nerd from Harvard had set up a website called The Facebook but barely knew how to turn his passion project into a viable business.

Sandberg, who was then 38, was already a rising star, Googles vice-president for global online sales and operations. After weeks of dinner table conversations, Zuckerberg pulled off a major coup: he stole Sandberg from Google and made her Facebooks COO.

With her experience and expertise, Sandberg cut a unique figure in the company. She was a worldwise adult in a firm of young, naive engineers who thought making a really cool site would be enough for profits to follow. Zuckerberg himself admitted to the New Yorker that he was grateful that Sandberg handled things he didnt want to. That included advertising strategy, hiring and firing, management, and dealing with political issues.

Zuckerbergs company, which was hitherto bleeding cash, became immensely profitable after Sandbergs arrival. Within three years of joining, Sandberg made the social network an efficient ad platform, providing targeted ads service using personal data, while its user base grew from seventy million users to nearly seven hundred million.

Currently, as she is stepping down from the role of COO, Sandberg will leave behind a company with more than 2 billion users around the world, whose turnover reached $118bn last year.

Digital-Ads guru

Sandbergs lasting legacy would be the advertising model she engineered at Facebook.

Using personal data of users that Facebook collects, Sandberg offered advertisers a way to advertise that was way more targeted and cheaper than traditional advertising. If a company is making sneakers for teenagers, Facebooks ad machine would only pop up its ad on the timelines of targeted teenagers.

The targeted ads, which fattened the company's bottom line, also drew a fair share of criticism for privacy concerns as well as discriminatory practices. In 2018, Facebook faced a lawsuit in New York City, for its advertising machine enabled landlords and real estate brokers to exclude people of colour, women, and people with disabilities from receiving housing aid.

In 2018, a New York Times report revealed that British firm Cambridge Analytica used Facebook data was used to target and swing voters in key states in the USA. There were reports that Zuckerberg blamed Sandberg for the scandal.

Fading influence

Sandbergs ad machine continued to make the company richer and richer, but the criticism wont budge. Things became worse after 2016 when it was alleged that Russians meddled in the US election using the services of Facebook.

Investigation after investigation, Facebooks reputation suffered, while Sandberg walked away with the lion's share of the blame, as it was public knowledge that she was responsible for advertising and policy decisions.

As a COO, she had free reign over non-engineering parts of the company in the initial years. But her influence in the Trumpian era started fading  she is a vocal democrat  and Zuckerberg got more involved with non-engineering departments of the company.

And gradually Sandberg, who was a regular at Davos, who defended the firm and its screw-ups rather aggressively, who wrote a book called Lean In that became a manifesto for women in corporate, went completely low-profile. In the company's transition into Meta, she was barely visible.

Recently, she hit the bottom of the barrel when Meta, the company that she turned into the behemoth that it is, reportedly started investigating her for using corporate resources to plan her wedding.

Facebook after Sandberg

Personal woes aside, Sandberg is stepping down at times that are especially tumultuous for the social media behemoth.

Apple last year introduced new privacy rules  users can opt-out of being tracked by apps  that

makes it difficult for companies like Facebook to target the ads.

The company recently said that its revenue would take a hit of $10 billion in 2022 as a result of Apples new privacy rules.

While revenues are set to take a hit, Metas boss Mark Zuckerberg is spending exorbitantly on what he thinks will be the Internets successor  virtual reality. As per the reports, the company has already spent $10 billion on new technologies that are presently far from mainstream adoption. It, anyway, plans to release four new headsets by 2024.

Meta is also facing intense scrutiny over fake news and misinformation running haywire on its social networking platforms.

In addition, the company is failing at retaining teenagers on its networks. Meta does have a youth-friendly Instagram, but it is facing stiff competition from the video-sharing app Tik Tok.

The exit of Mark Zuckerbergs adult supervisor at such times begs the question: has Facebook turned Meta staring at an uncertain future?

Sandberg, meanwhile, said in the Facebook post that it was time for her to write the next chapter of her life.

I am not entirely sure what the future will bring  I have learned no one ever is. But I know it will include focusing more on my foundation and philanthropic work, which is more important to me than ever given how critical this moment is for women, Sandberg noted.

A vocal advocate of womens rights, Sandberg can perhaps start by talking about the harmful effects Instagram has on young girls, which according to the Wall Street Journals investigation, she and Facebook were aware of and still chose nothing to do about.

Also Read: Meta joins forces with the CBSE to offer courses and train students on Augmented and Virtual reality
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SEATTLE  A commercial property at 13248 Aurora Ave. N. sold last week for $4.1 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Dahlgren Family LLC #1, which had owned the corner property for decades.





. . .
The parent company of Dodge and Jeep has pleaded to criminal conspiracy charges stemming from its efforts to hide the amount of pollution created by its diesel engines.

Stellantis Will Pay $300 Million To Settle Allegations of Diesel Emissions Fraud

To settle a probe into alleged cheating on emissions testing for some of its diesel-powered vehicles, the international automaker Stellantis has pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $300 million in fines.

According to the Justice Department, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), which merged with Peugeot parent company PSA to form Stellantis in 2021, placed illegal software meant to evade regulatory emissions testing.

Reuters also mentioned that the authorities said the total value of FCA US property subject to forfeiture is $203.6 million. As part of the deal, FCA US is expected to pay a $96 million criminal penalty.

Meanwhile, as per the report of Engadget, Stellantis has agreed to submit Clean Air Act compliance reports to the Justice Department as part of a three-year probation period, in addition to paying a fine. Three Stellantis employees are now facing criminal charges in connection with the case.

Read More: Ford CEO Jim Farley Wants ALL EV Sales To Be Online - But Why?

The impending guilty plea is believed to be the last significant action taken by US officials against FCA in the emissions fraud case.

Why Was FCA Fined?

More than 100,000 diesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Ram 1500 pickup trucks from the 2014 to 2016 model years are involved, according to a CNN report.

The Justice Department said FCA US pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., commit wire fraud, and violation of the Clean Air Act. FCA US stated in the plea agreement that it used software in its six-cylinder diesel engines to pass strict emissions tests even though the engines would not have met the emissions criteria in real-world operation. According to documents filed by the Justice Department, the company also attempted to conceal this fact from regulators and consumers.

Stellantis claimed in a statement that all consumer complaints about the alleged cheating have been resolved, and no further recalls are needed to fix the problems.

This Is Not the First Fine That Stellantis Paid

Separately, Reuters held that in January 2019, FCA agreed to a $800 million settlement with the Justice Department and the state of California in the diesel emissions investigation. The automaker made no admissions of guilt or wrongdoing as part of the deal. FCA agreed to pay $2,800 to each of the car owners as part of the arrangement.

Volkswagen Pleaded Guilty to Cheating Emissions Tests

Engadget and Reuters, on the other hand, noted that the plea bargain comes five years after Volkswagen AG pled guilty to criminal charges in a scandal known as "Dieselgate" to address its own emissions crisis impacting roughly 600,000 vehicles.

Volkswagen's deception prompted increased scrutiny, with regulators on both sides of the Atlantic cracking down on automakers accused of cheating government emissions testing with illegal software known as defeat devices.

Related Article: GM's Chevy Bolt EV Price Gets Significantly Cheaper - Is the Production Back?
Pressure needs to continue to be applied to ensure that Covid delays to the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan are minimised, Deputy Ruairi O Murchu has told Communications Minister Eamon Ryan.

The Dundalk TD asked Minister Ryan last week for an update on the National Broadband Plan and said: People really require delivery on Internet connectivity and the pressure is on us to ensure it is delivered.

Deputy O Murchu also said he wanted to see real co-ordination between Eir and NBI.

Minister Ryan said: I am advised by NBI that as of 20 May 2022, over 327,600 premises have now been surveyed, more than 298,600 premises are designed or in design process, and more than 175,300 premises are under construction or complete, demonstrating that the project is reaching scale.

Almost 67,700 premises are now available to order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 23 counties, with over 56,600 premises passed across 22 counties and available for immediate connection.

The Department has worked with NBI to agree an updated interim remedial plan, UIRP, which recalibrated the targets for 2022 to take account of the knock-on effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and other delays.

The revised target is 102,000 premises passed by the end of January next year. NBI is implementing a number of measures to help lessen the impact that delays have had on the roll-out.

The focus will continue to be on ensuring the National Broadband Ireland build programme is back on track and is gaining momentum month on month.

Minister Ryan also gave updated figures for Louth. He said: As of 29 April last, more than 7,800 premises had been surveyed in the county with over 4,000 premises under construction or complete, almost 3,200 premises available to order or pre-order, and almost 2,500 premises passed and available for immediate connection.

'I would agree with the Deputy's closing comment about the need for real co-ordination between Eir and NBI. It is critical to the success and acceleration of this project.

I had a meeting with the chief executive and chairman of Eir recently. We made the case, and they readily agreed, that the flexible fast operation between their contractors and National Broadband Ireland and the dovetailing between those two organisations to get poles up, to get ducts cleared and to get the process really moving fast will be key.

Deputy O Murchu said he had been in touch with NBI. He said they are looking for what it terms "a self-install product" which would give it a greater capacity in relation to delivering on part of the build.

He said: I am merely looking for an update on where that conversation is, on whether we can deliver the self-install product, on whether Eir will increase its capacity and on where we are on putting it on a contractual basis to ensure that we get delivery in six years.

Where people have been delivered fibre, it is absolutely brilliant. It is about all those who are not connected.

I also welcome the fact ComReg is working on offering people alternatives in their areas if they will be waiting another four or five years.
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China's Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Sunday that it successfully launched another manned mission to its new space station, sending three astronauts to continue construction work for six months, according to the news report of CNN.

The crew launched the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia's Gobi Desert.

Before returning to Earth in December, the team will spend six months living and working in the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong Space Station. Tiangong means "Heavenly Palace".

Chen Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe are among the crew members, and they are scheduled to dock with the space station approximately 6.5 hours after launch.

What Are the Objectives of the Shenzhou-14 Mission?

This is the third crewed mission of the space station's construction, which China hopes to have completely crewed and functioning by December this year, as per CNN.

The crew of Shenzhou-14 will assist with the docking, setup, and testing of the two laboratory modules, Wentian and Mengtian, which will launch in July and October, respectively. Engadget mentioned that Chinese astronauts will be able to undertake microgravity and life science research using the modules.

Engadget additionally reported that the Shenzhou-14 crew will execute repeated EVAs to prepare the station for expansion after the country accomplished its first-ever tandem spacewalk last year.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that two to three spacewalks will be performed by the astronauts. Another three astronauts will rotate and reside with the crew for five to ten days at the end of the Shenzhou-14 mission, bringing the total number of Chinese astronauts in space to a record six.

The overall t-shaped structure will be about a fifth of the size of the International Space Station when finished, providing long-term lodging for three astronauts.

China's Other Plans to the Tiangong Space Station

As previously reported, the Tiangong's expansion will keep China busy for the next year. Citing the Zero Hedge report, it was said that a total of six missions into space will be made in 2022.

In late 2022, three more astronauts will be deployed onboard the Shenzhou-15 human-crewed spacecraft for a six-month stay in orbit.

The Tiangong space station is intended to last for 15 years after it is built. CMSA said China wants to send two crewed missions and two cargo missions to the station per year.

Read More: China Embarks on an Asteroid-Deflecting Mission - What About NASA?

Space Race To Replace ISS

The U.S. has dominated space for decades, but there are indicators that this gap is beginning to shrink.

The race for space dominance appears to be shifting to a multi-polar arena, with the U.S. and its European allies competing against Russia and China.

Beijing invited international and commercial partners to the new station in April, while Russia is leaving the ISS.

Prior to the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, the Chinese National Space Administration and the Russian space agency Roscosmos signed a memorandum of understanding to work on the construction of an international lunar research station.



Related Article: Space Race Update: China's Tiangong Space Station Is Expanding - What About the ISS?
EBRD invests  15 million in Genesis Private Equity Fund IV

The  150 million fund will invest in SMEs, mainly in the Czech and Slovak Republics

Other limited partners in the fund are the EIF and private investors

The EBRD has invested in a new fund managed by Genesis Capital, a leading private equity manager based in the Czech Republic, for investments in central European SMEs.

Genesis Capital has set up its new fund, Genesis Private Equity Fund IV, to invest in 10-12 SMEs or mid-cap companies in the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and selectively in other countries in Central Europe.

In line with Genesis Capitals prior experience, the new fund will focus on companies that typically face generation changes, show potential to grow via add-on acquisitions, or are part of local spin-offs of multinational corporations. This investment is expected to support the economic recovery, contribute to further improving access of SMEs and mid-cap companies to equity finance and enhance the competitiveness of local economies.

Private equity investment in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic is still under-developed, with most SMEs accessing external financing by borrowing money from banks.

Anne Fossemalle, Director, Equity Funds at the EBRD said: We are excited to support SMEs and mid-cap companies in the Czech Republic in partnership with Genesis Capital, with whom we have a long-standing relationship. The investment strikes right at the heart of the EBRDs strategy for re-engaging in the Czech Republic in line with the strategic priority to support economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, by providing equity support for Czech companies and supporting development of alternative funding sources.

The EBRD resumed investment in the Czech Republic after the Banks Board of Directors approved a request by the Czech government to help with recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in 2021. The re-engagement is temporary, and will be limited in scope and focus on the private sector. Supporting local SMEs to access finance through the development of local capital markets is a key priority area of that re-engagement.
Despite recent news that overwintering monarch butterfly populations have increased 35% in the past year, these graceful creatures are still facing an unsteady future after years of ongoing decline.

Monarch butterflies are a migratory species. Eastern monarch butterflies, which make up the vast majority of monarch butterflies in North America, travel from southern Canada and the northern U.S. to central Mexico every year. Western monarchs fly from various sites across the western U.S. and overwinter all along the Pacific Coast, with some also traveling to central Mexico.

Their numbers have been continuously plummeting since around the late 1990s and early 2000s. All in all, eastern monarch butterflies have declined about 85% since the mid-1990s.

So why are monarch butterflies on the decline? There are a number of factors threatening monarch butterflies, from climate change to habitat loss. Because they travel such a far distance, these critters are impacted by many issues along their migratory path.

1. Habitat Loss

Monarch butterflies face habitat loss for both breeding and overwintering, and many of the threats to these butterflies are connected to one another, leading to even more trouble for the species.

Breeding

Cities, roads, and even agricultural fields have broken up or destroyed many butterfly habitats. Monarchs rely on milkweed plants for breeding, which used to be much more abundant in agricultural fields and along roadsides. Now, pesticides and roadside landscape maintenance has killed off the milkweeds, which monarchs lay their eggs on.

Disappearing Milkweeds

In addition to serving as a spot for the butterflies to lay eggs, milkweed is also important to the larva. Larva depends on the milkweed for food, and they cannot grow to become butterflies without this plant.

Milkweed has been removed for landscaping or urbanization, and in agricultural fields, farmers are using pesticides and modified crops to crowd out other plants, like milkweeds. This leaves less milkweed for monarchs to lay eggs and for their larva to feed on.

Overwintering

Just as you may decide to spend your winter vacation in a warmer location, butterflies migrate each winter. Eastern monarchs fly south to central Mexico to overwinter, meaning they become inactive, while western monarchs fly to the Pacific Coast, particularly in California, for overwintering.

The species cannot survive the freezing temperatures in cooler parts of North America, but they also cannot go somewhere too warm without food for energy. But deforestation is destroying the oyamel fir stands in forests where the butterflies spend winter. There are some bans on logging in these known butterfly habitats, but some projects are still greenlit and illegal logging also still occurs.

2. Pesticides

Pesticides, including neonicotinoids that also threaten bees and other chemicals designed to kill off insects and pests considered threats to crops, are a large contributor to monarch butterfly decline. Aside from killing off butterflies directly, these chemicals can prevent milkweed and other native plants from growing.

RoundUp and Other Herbicides

Major crops today, like corn and soybeans, are modified to be RoundUp-ready, so farmers can spray RoundUp to kill off weeds without also killing off their crops. But the extensive use of glyphosate, the active ingredient of RoundUp, completely kills off milkweed, which adult butterflies need to lay eggs and larva needs for food.

Insecticides

Neonicotinoids are used to kill insect pests of crops or landscape plants, but they are lethal to any insects that come into contact with them. These chemicals, which are similar to nicotine, can be applied to plants via spray or applied to soil. Plants fully absorb these insecticides, becoming toxic to insects that eat any parts of the plants.

Neonicotinoids have already been banned in the EU for their detrimental impact, but they are still prominent in the U.S. These chemicals frequently contaminate milkweed as well as other plants nectar, and recent studies show that exposure to such insecticides can decrease the chance of larval survival for monarchs.

3. Climate Change

Were all impacted by climate change, butterflies included. Warming temperatures changes environmental cues that trigger migration, but butterfly survival is also impacted by temperatures. Temperature shifts can also impact when butterflies reproduce and hibernate.

Monarchs may need to adapt to a new migratory path depending on temperatures and how the plants they rely on for food and breeding also are affected by climate change. For overwintering, the butterflies must go somewhere where temperatures are not too cold for survival but are also not too warm, which can cause the creatures to use up too much of their stored energy. Further, extreme weather events triggered by climate change also pose a threat to the species.

The biggest threats to monarch butterflies are all related to one another, and it will take a multifaceted approach to improve the species chance of survival.

Priorities for climate-informed monarch conservation should include restoring and increasing the extent of habitat with appropriate milkweed species and nectar sources, WWF recommends. The public at large can contribute to this effort by planting backyard habitat. Increased monitoring of populations is also important, and citizen science efforts can contribute to this. It is also essential to maintain and restore overwinter habitat, reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides, and address issues related to land-use change.
Could urbanization make it harder for some animals to adapt to the climate crisis?

A study published in the journal PLOS ONE last year found that the populations of Western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) that were the most cut off from others due to urbanization in and around Perth, Australia, had reduced genetic diversity, making them more at risk for inbreeding.

If tiger snake populations isolated by urbanisation are suffering from lower genetic diversity, they can lose their ability to adapt in order to survive ever-changing environments due to development, pollution and climate change, study lead author and Curtin University Ph.D. candidate Damian Lettoof said in a press release.

Snakes in the City

Long before the skyscrapers went up, the land that would become Perth, Australia, was dominated by wooded sand dunes and wetlands that would emerge with the spring rains and dry up in the summer. Tiger snakes would glide between these wetlands as the year progressed, chasing the water as the marshes dried.

However, beginning in 1850 humans began to develop the area for agriculture and city-building, and 70 percent of the wetlands vanished. The remaining tiger snakes found refuge around stable lakes and rivershores, but were therefore cut off from each other over time.

Despite all of these changes, tiger snakes are still hanging on. They are considered a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. However, they were once considered at risk for extinction, mostly because of wetland loss, and there are some reports that their numbers are declining in urban areas.

Despite persisting in these fragmented wetland habitats thus far, they are exposed to and bioaccumulate a suite of contaminants that likely contribute to poorer health and decreased survival of individuals, the study authors wrote. However, the degree to which small population sizes, geographic isolation and inbreeding effects contribute to population health in these urban and peri-urban populations has not yet been investigated.

The study authors wanted to answer some of these questions. They were also interested in the snakes because they are considered bioindicators whose health reflects the overall health of the ecosystems they inhabit. To this end, the researchers looked at 150 snakes from six populations of Western tiger snakes in Perths remaining wetlands and one population on Carnac Island, which they believed had been introduced around 90 years ago. This allowed them to compare the isolating impacts of urbanization with an actual island population.

What they found was that the most distinct population was the population that had been isolated by actual seawater on Carnac Island. However, they also found surprising results from the snakes at Herdsman Lake  the wetland most boxed in by city, Lettoof told EcoWatch in an interview.

Herdsman Lake was kind of sticking out as quite distinct for what we would expect in 150 years and quite a large population, he said.

North and South

The researchers also observed a difference in the genetic diversity of the snake populations on the north and south sides of the Swan/Canning River system that runs through Perth. The northern populations, which included the snakes of Herdsman Lake, were showing about 30 or 40 percent less genetic diversity than those on the south, Lettoof said.

This could be due to a combination of factors, including the fact that the snakes cant cross the river or navigate the encroaching city. However, the northern snakes also live in the northern edge of the Western tiger snakes range.

That northern side of the river is the edge of the whole Tiger snake species distribution on the north side, its basically like a little island in itself, Lettoof said.

While so far their relative genetic isolation isnt harming the northern snakes, it could make them incredibly vulnerable to the climate crisis since they are a species that prefers cooler temperatures.

As the climate warms and it gets hotter further south, if they dont persist, that can remove like a whole fraction of the species distribution, he warned. The guys on the north side already arent that genetically fit to survive changes.

The lack of genetic diversity in the more urban-enclosed populations isnt just a concern for the snakes themselves. It could also indicate that a similar thing is happening to other wetland animals that cant fly or swim to other locations and dont want to cross into the urban jungle, in Lettoofs words.

If this is happening to Tiger snakes, its probably happening to the lizards and maybe the frogs as well, he said.

However, the researchers also made a discovery that could help advise conservation measures going forward. The effective population size for the snakes at a given site was mostly determined by the size and quality of the habitat, and not the degree to which it was surrounded by city.

This suggests that ecosystem management and restoration may be the best method to buffer the further loss of genetic diversity in urban wetlands, the study authors wrote.
Managing Director of Belagavi-based start-up, Dr Lakshmi Khilari, has been invited to Japan so that she can undertake an in-depth study of the education system of the Sunrise country, known to have one of the best education systems in the world.



Dr Khilari will be leading a delegation of 25 educationists from South Asia for the Japan visit so that they can study the basic elements of Japanese schooling where students do not take any exams until they touch the age of ten, they only attempt small tests. The aim is that for the first three years of school, children are instilled with good manners and it is not about judging the child's knowledge or learning.



The primary goal of Dr Khilari will be to understand and implement the virtues of Japanese education in the Indian academic scenario. It is in July that she will be leaving for Japan and will be visiting the best schools in Japan accompanied by Japanese officials for a whole week.



The entrepreneur will also meet the officials of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan and seek their technical help to uplift the rural education system of India.



A native of Chikodi, Lakshmi is leading Education India as an MD and under her leadership, the company has reached new heights and operates more than 300 schools across India and Gulf countries.
D-Day, formally known in history as Operation Overlord or Operation Neptune in the Navy, is one of the most pivotal events during the second world war. The Allied forces, the US in particular, were close to failing on Omaha beach on June 6, 1944, due to preliminary air and naval bombardment failing to knock out the beach's strong defense points and its marines facing highly effective German troops who served on the Eastern Front against Russia, per IWM.

Today marks the 78th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings, and as such, it is only right to honor the people on those US Navy warships that supported the beach landers from the sea.

Here are the US Navy warships that assisted the landings on that fateful day:

USS Arkansas

The USS Arkansas was the flagship of the US Navy during the events of World War 2, per D-Day Overlord. It is a BB 33 Wyoming-class battleship that carried a variety of guns, which include 12 305 mm guns, 16 127 mm guns, two anti-aircraft guns, and six 533mm torpedo tubes.

Arkansas was launched in 1911 for military operations in The Great War, also known as World War 1. As such, despite being the flagship of the American naval forces, it was only confined to escort duty during Atlantic crossings. However, the ship saw active duty again in 1942, with Operation Torch in North Africa being its first taste of conflict during World War 2.

She also participated in the landings by bombarding the German artillery battery of Longues-Sur-Mer with its 12 305mm guns to support the landings.

After the war, it was used as a target during nuclear tests during Operation Crossroads and was sunk on July 25, 1946.

USS Augusta

The flagship of America's maritime forces, before being deployed to the Mediterranian Sea alongside Arkansas for Operation Torch, the Augusta is a Southampton-class heavy cruiser with nine 203mm guns, eight 12.7 machine guns, and six 533mm torpedo tubes, along with other armaments of its class.

According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, the Augusta was launched on February 1, 1930, and was active on the Pacific side of the world when World War 2 started in 1939. As such, she was one of the ships present during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. At the time, the ship was moored at buoy 7, Newport

Read More: Stellantis Pleads Guity to Diesel Emissions Fraud, Conspiracy

Although it isn't known if she was among the ships that got damaged during the attacks, her stay in port until January 11, 1942, suggests that she was.

Augusta was ordered to join the European theater of war in 1942, and from then on, she was an active participant in the war up until D-Day. During the landings, it fired 51 203mm shells at the coast to disable the German defense points.

During the latter years of the war, it ferried President Harry S. Truman and English king George VI in 1944.

Augusta was eventually scrapped as of November 9, 1959.

USS Doyle

The USS Doyle is a Gleaves-class destroyer that had 5 127 mm guns, six 20m Oerlikon guns, six 12.7mm Browning machine guns, and 10 533mm torpedo tubes.

She was launched on March 17, 1942 and entered active service on Jan. 27, 1943, with its first missions taking place in the Mediterrenean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean, where it carried out convoy escorts and anti-submarine operations.

Doyle was one of the ships that helped clear the English Channel of under-sea mines for the Allied Navy in preparation of Operation Overlord. It also participated in the landings, supporting the landing near Omaha Beach by firing as close as possible to the shore against the German Wn 60 strongpoint and in fromt of Port-en-Bessin.

She was also one of the few US Navy warships that experienced both World War 2 and the Korean War. She was placed in reserve and definitely retired from service on May 19, 1955.

She was eventually sold for scrap on Oct. 6 1972, per NavSource Online.

Related Article: Tiny Remnants of War Found in Omaha Beach Sand
Edinboro ROTC enrollment officer earns military lifetime legacy award

The Edinboro University community gathered Wednesday to celebrate the career of longtime ROTC enrollment coordinator SGT First Class (Ret) Tom Anderson, who reached the 30-year milestone of service to the U.S. Army.

During the ceremony in Reeder Hall on Edinboros campus, U.S. Army Colonel Kandice Daffin presented Anderson with his service award. Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, interim president of Edinboro, and Dr. Michael Hannan, vice president for Academic Planning, were on hand to offer remarks.

Military leadership is essential in planning and executing strategy at all levels. And Toms leadership over the past three decades proves his dedication to these efforts, said Lt. Col. Colby Krug, commander of the Edinboro ROTC battalion. Through his active duty service and his efforts in recruiting ROTC cadets, he has served his country admirably and will leave a legacy of success we can only hope to replicate in the future.

A native of Cambridge Springs, Pa., and 1985 graduate of Cambridge Springs High School, Anderson enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 1988 and attended basic training at Fort Benning, Ga.

His first duty assignment was as an infantry mortarman. In 1991, he entered active duty as a recruiter for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Andersons follow-on assignment included a tour as an anti-armor infantryman, a Unit Readiness Non-Commissioned Officer before reclassing to Human Resources.

He would then work his way up to become the Senior Human Resources Sergeant for the Battalion Headquarters of the 1st Battalion 112th Infantry ensuring soldiers were paid, received awards and accounted for properly.

On two separate occasions, Anderson deployed overseas  the first of which was to Kosovo from March of 2003 to March of 2004 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. While there, he served as the Brigade Personnel Sergeant for U.S. Forces assigned to Task Force Falcon on Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.

He then deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to relieve a unit of their duties from September of 2008 to September of 2009 and served as the Senior Personnel Sergeant for the 1st Battalion 112th Infantry, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team serving at Camp Taji, Iraq.

During his global service, Anderson earned the Bronze Star, two Meritorious Service Medals, six Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the NATO Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal.

In November 2011, Anderson retired from active duty and immediately began serving as a Department of the Army civilian for Edinboro Universitys Army ROTC program. His role is to put deserving young adults from the surrounding community and counties in front of US Army formations as platoon leaders.

The majority of these young adults that he has put into the ranks have already risen to the rank of Major and continue to be very successful as they lead the nations sons and daughters in an Army uniform, Hannan said.

Anderson currently lives in Cambridge Springs with his wife, Dulcie. The Andersons have a son, Jordan, who is graduate of Penn State Behrend college and currently employed as an Agricultural Intelligence Specialist in central New York.

Anderson is a proud cancer survivor and enjoys spending time like most people in Edinboro do  with his family in the outdoors, camping, hunting, fishing and trap shooting.




Singapore looks to Brazil, Thailand, and Australia for poultry after Malaysia's chicken export ban

Desmond Tan, Singapore's Minister of State for Home Affairs, and Sustainability and the Environment, said the country is expecting to receive supplies of chilled chicken from Thailand and Australia, and frozen chicken from the US and Brazil over the coming weeks, after Malaysia imposed a ban on chicken exports, South China Morning Post reported.

Malaysia's chicken export ban badly affects Singapore, which imports one-third of its poultry supply from its neighbour.

Malaysia follows other countries who are trying to ease domestic food prices due to rising input costs, driven by Russia's invasion into Ukraine. Indonesia recently imposed a temporary ban on palm oil exports, India restricted wheat and sugar exports, and Serbia and Kazakhstan imposed grain quotas on exports.

Tan said Singapore's chicken supply remains stable because of the response by supermarkets, distributors, and importers, all working with the Singapore Food Agency.

Norlizan Mohd Noor, director general of the Malaysia's veterinary department, said chicken supply is expected to stabilise in a month.

- South China Morning Post




Ukrainian ambassador says grain stolen by Russia sold in Turkey

Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, said Russia has sold stolen grain from Ukraine to Turkish buyers, adding that he has requested Turkey's assistance to identify and apprehend those responsible for the shipments, Reuters reported.

Russia and Ukraine produce nearly a third of the world's wheat, and Russia also exports a lot of fertiliser, while Ukraine exports corn and sunflower oil. However, since Russia invaded Ukraine, grain shipments from its Black Sea ports have been halted, with an estimated 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in the country.

Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar said Russia was transporting stolen grains out of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and that Kyiv was working with Turkey and Interpol to track down the perpetrators.

Bodnar said they have appealed to Turkey for assistance, and are launching criminal cases against those who are stealing and selling the grains, as suggested by the Turkey.

The Nadezhda, Finikia, Sormivskiy, Vera, and Mikhail Nenashev ships were involved in the stolen grain shipments, according to the Ukrainian Embassy in Ankara. Reuters was unable to independently verify the claims made by the embassy.

The Ukrainian embassy in Beirut told Reuters this week that Russia had sent 100,000 tonnes of stolen wheat to its Syria.

- Reuters




Exports of Australian live cattle to Indonesia slows due to foot-and-mouth disease

Tom Dawkins, the chief executive of Australia's Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association (NTLEA), said live cattle exports to Indonesia for the rest of June 2022 will slow to a near halt due to the foot-and-mouth disease situation in Indonesia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Dawkins said their Indonesian customers are cautious about making future purchases because of the foot-and-mouth disease situation.

He said they will take a "wait and see" approach for June and July before they see demand for live cattle resume.

Dawkins also said is important that Indonesia doesn't exacerbate the risks this disease might have in the cattle supply chain.

Live cattle prices have reached record highs in Australia, and Dawkins understands that customers would be concerned about paying nearly AUD 15 million for a shipment. He said the industry can absorb a period of slower trade in the coming months.

- Australian Broadcasting Corporation




Global feed market in tough spot following war in Ukraine, says FEFAC

The global animal feed market is in a difficult situation since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and especially with the Black Sea region, a major grain and oilseed exporting region, being cut off as a result of the war, said FEFAC president Asbjrn Brsting.

Brsting expressed his view during the 66th FEFAC Public Annual meeting on June 2, during the VICTAM/VIV Europe Expo in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

FEFAC members remain fully committed to delivering on its commitments to sustainable food systems as part of its Feed Sustainability Charter 2030, the organisation said.

During the event, Nevedi board member Bastiaan van Tilburg said: "The Dutch feed industry will continue to invest in new innovative, climate-smart animal nutrition solutions. This will allow our farmer customers in and outside the Netherlands to meet the new societal objectives for a more sustainable and animal welfare-friendly livestock and aquaculture sector."

DG AGRI director general Wolfgang Burtscher gave the keynote speech, presenting the range of crisis measures that the European Commission developed recently to help assure food and feed security in Ukraine, the European Union and at a global level.

He referred to the recent decision on Solidarity Lanes to facilitate grain exports from Ukraine and the possibility to grow crops in Ecological Focus Areas in 2022 and possibly also in 2023.

Burtscher thanked FEFAC for the engagement to help tackle the logistical challenges caused primarily by the inaccessibility of Ukrainian sea ports. He highlighted that the renewed discussions on food security will go hand in hand with the EU Green Deal agenda and Farm to Fork Strategy.

He pointed the need to tackle sustainability challenges for agriculture such as climate change and biodiversity. He stressed the EU's priority to secure an "open strategic autonomy", opposing any export restrictions.

In the first panel session, panellists Guido Landheer, Dutch Farm Ministry Deputy Director-General; Brsting; Nick Major, GFLI chair; Marije Klever, chair of the Dutch Young Farmers Association (NAJK); and Henk Flipsen, Nevedi director, discussed the impact on EU feed sector resilience and EU Green Deal targets for the livestock sector together with Burtscher.

In an effort to facilitate more sustainable food systems, they focused on boosting innovation in feed production, such as grass bio-refining and circular feed' options deemed safe but currently not authorised. They agreed on the need to provide sufficient resources and time to farmers, allowing them to invest in the green transition.

The second panel was introduced by a video statement from Rasmus Prehn, Denmarks Minister for Food, Agriculture & Fisheries, who highlighted his country's support for the introduction of due diligence and traceability requirements in the European Commission's proposal for deforestation-free supply chains.

Prehn stated the importance of industry initiatives such as the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines 2021 to guide companies in the sourcing of more responsible soy, while recommending the further strengthening of independent verification systems.

Panellists Heleen van den Hombergh, coordinator of the Collaborative Soy Initiative and Dutch Soy Platform; Guilherme do Couto Justo, IDH Soy programme manager; Jim Sutter, chief executive officer of the US Soybean Export Council; Wei Peng pf Soft Commodities Forum (LDC group); and Nicolas Coudry-Mesny, FEFAC vice-president; pointed to practical challenges and unintended consequences of the European Commission proposal for deforestation-free supply chains. They referred to the current proposal on strict farm plot based traceability which would translate into dedicated, segregated soy supply chains requiring huge investments in infrastructure with no benefit for halting deforestation, as "risky products" will be diverted to other markets.

The panellists also called for more practically feasible, effective and less costly supply chain solutions which, for example, rely on a form of mass traceability. Additionally, they highlighted limited European market share of annual soy usage (approximately 10% of global soy production).

- FEFAC




Philippines pork imports rise 20% in first four months of 2022

The Philippines imported a total of 186,220 tonnes of pork in the first four months of 2022.

The amount represents a 20% increase from the same period a year prior (154,464 tonnes). Pork cuts and offals were the main pork products imported during the period, accounting for 38% and 37% of the total, respectively.

Spain was the main supplier for the period, shipping 65,635 tonnes of pork to the Philippines, approximately half of which was offal.

Imports from Spain represent 35% of the total pork imports for the period, followed by imports from Canada and Brazil with 15% and 11%, respectively.

- Pig333
The National Pension Service (NPS) is one of the country's three major funds that want to reduce their investments in domestic stocks over lower-than-expected returns. Korea Times file





By Yi Whan-woo



The nation's three major pension funds are geared toward lowering their investments in domestic stocks, over lower-than-expected investment returns on the paths to rebalancing their management portfolios.



Financial sources said Monday that the National Pension Service (NPS) plans to reduce its domestic stocks holdings from 17.5 percent of its total holdings in 2021 to 15 percent by 2025.



During the same time period, Teachers' Pension (TP) is considering reallocating the rate of domestic stocks in its total assets from 19.1 percent to 14.5 percent, while the Government Employees Pension Service (GEPS) pushes to reduce the rate from 18.5 percent to 10 percent.




A police investigation is continuing after a man was seriously injured in Glen Vine yesterday.

Emergency services were called to the Peel Road near the Glen Lough Campsite at just before 2am.

The collision involved a car and male pedestrian, who police believe was walking home alone after a night out.

The pedestrians injuries are significant and the road was closed for a number of hours whilst services were dealing with the scene.

Two males are assisting police with enquiries.
Facebook isn't the only one compensating Illinois residents over alleged privacy violations. The Verge notes Google has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the company of violating Illinois' Biometric Information Protection Act (BIPA) through Photos' "Face Grouping" feature. The settlement will let you claim between $200 and $400 if you appeared in a picture on Photos between May 1st, 2015 and April 25th, 2022.

Google supposedly broke the law by collecting and analyzing faces without appropriate notice, asking for "informed" consent or sharing data retention policies with the public. Face Grouping is meant to help you find photos of given people by detecting faces and automatically organizing them into collections.

You have until September 24th to submit a claim, and can object to the settlement terms before August 10th. The final approval hearing is slated for September 28th.

We've asked Google for comment. In a statement to The Verge, the company defended Face Grouping by stressing that collections were only visible to you and can be disabled.

The settlement is relatively modest. In 2021, Facebook agreed to pay $650 million to settle a lawsuit over its defunct face-based Tag Suggestions feature. This might not be the last big payout in the near future, though. Snap is dealing with a class action suit over purportedly illegal collection of face and voice data for its augmented reality effects, and it might face a similar expense if the plaintiffs prevail.

Update 6/6 3:53PM ET: Google has provided its full statement to Engadget. You can read it below.

"Were pleased to resolve this matter relating to specific laws in Illinois, and we remain committed to building easy-to-use controls for our users. Google Photos can group similar faces to help you organize pictures of the same person so you can easily find old photos and memories. Of course, all this is only visible to you and you can easily turn off this functionality if you choose."
A North Korea flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, March 9, 2017. Reuters-Yonhap



North Korea's official news agency and other state media outlets remained silent Monday about a barrage of missile tests that the country carried out a day earlier in its third show of force since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office last month.



The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang's official mouthpiece, usually begins its morning news cycle with reports on major events that happened the previous day, such as leader Kim Jong-un's activities or major weapons testing.



On Monday, however, the KCNA made no mention of the eight short-range ballistic missile launches, which, according to South Korea's military, were carried out Sunday morning from areas around Sunan in Pyongyang and elsewhere.



The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, and other media outlets also remained silent on the launches.






Google's newest Pixel feature drop is meant as much for spur-of-the-moment creativity as it is everyday conveniences. The company is rolling out a June feature update that, with a separate download, offers a free music-making tool from Teenage Engineering. The Pocket Operator for Pixel app (shown at middle) turns your videos into music and video "cut-ups" with a mix of sounds, patterns and visual effects. You'll need a Pixel 5 or newer to get started, but It could be worth a try if you'd like to craft beats during your downtime.

The feature drop also lets you see imagery from your Nest Doorbell on your Pixel phone's lock screen (pictured at left). You'll know right away if it's worth answering the door. And if you need to show proof of your COVID-19 shots, you can now take a screenshot of your digital vaccine card and create a shortcut for your home screen (right). This will only be available in Australia, Canada and the US, but could be helpful if you still need to show proof of vaccination to hop on a flight or enter a venue.

Other upgrades include a previously beta-only Conversation mode in the Sound Amplifier app (to enhance chats for people with hearing loss), a reminder to turn off your flashlight and (soon) air quality alerts for Australia, India and the US. You'll also find a trio of new Pride-themed wallpapers from Yann Bastard, while skin tone-friendly image filters are now active in Google Photos.

The update starts rolling out today to Pixel 4 and later devices. You can also expect broader support for existing features, including Car Crash Detection in Canada as well as new languages in Messages' chat translation (Dutch, Korean, Thai, Traditional Chinese and Turkish).
Summer is just around the corner, which means that BroadwayCon is just around the corner! The popular New York City Broadway celebration has just announced their lineup for Summer 2022.

BroadwayCon is going to be held this year, from July 8th to July 10th at both the Manhattan Center and the New Yorker Hotel, where the brightest shows of this Broadway season are going to be featured.

It has been officially announced that A Strange Loop, POTUS, Chicago, Dear Evan Hansen, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Six: The Musical, and Beetlejuice have confirmed their attendance for the popular event.

In light of the pandemic, this is the first time that BroadwayCon has been able to set up shop again after a two year hiatus. The CEO of Mischief Management and organizer of the convention, Melissa Anelli, expressed her excitement, saying:

"After nearly two and a half years, we're so excited to come together again. The joy and creativity of this community is unlike anything else and we can't wait to welcome everyone back for another BroadwayCon."

Due to the live and interactive nature of stage performance, Broadway was certainly one of the areas hit the hardest by pandemic closures. It is therefore an optimistic - and thrilling - sign that this convention is back and life on stage seems to have returned to a state of relative normalcy.

This schedule announcement also comes right before the 2022 Tony Awards. A Strange Loop, which is being featured at the convention, has the most nominations overall, entering this Sunday night's awards with eleven nominations.

We will have to wait and see if the number of nominations winds up being indicative of the number of wins, but we are excited to do so!
Adobe has announced the appointment of Anindita Das Veluri as head of marketing for Adobe India. In this role, Anindita will lead Adobes marketing strategy across the Indian market, reporting to Adobe Asia Pacific (APAC) Marketing Vice President Duncan Egan.

In a career spanning over two decades, Anindita has held various leadership roles across sales and marketing. She joins Adobe from Deloitte, where she was responsible for building the Adobe alliance & scaling the companys business in India. Prior to that, as the India business leader for the Adobe practice at IBM, Anindita was instrumental in expanding Adobes footprint across client segments. She was also involved in incubating the marketing-as-a-service model for IBM Services and setting up the Digital Marketing services practice for solution selling across industries.

Were excited to welcome Anindita Veluri to drive Adobes marketing in India. With her strong track record and unique experience of having worked at the intersection of marketing, technology, business and creativity Anindita will be a great partner for our fast growing India business, said Duncan Egan, Vice President - Marketing, Adobe APAC. Given Adobes clear leadership in the exploding Customer Experience Management category, weve led the industry by creating best-in-class marketing practices that drive business success. We see Anindita playing a critical role in sharing Adobes marketing journey with brands in India, and enabling their digital transformation strategies.

In todays digital economy, businesses understand that building customer experiences is mission-critical to their growth, and Adobe is at the forefront of delivering next generation technology to power them. I am excited to join Adobes exceptional team to grow the companys strong and loyal base of customers as well as partners in India, said Anindita Das Veluri, Director - Marketing, Adobe India.

Anindita holds a Post Graduate Diploma in marketing management from Times School of Marketing in New Delhi, and is a Graduate in Commerce from Mount Carmel College in Bangalore.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
Pound Sterling has recovered ground in currency markets on Monday with the Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) posting net gains to 1.2570 from 1.2500 despite the announcement that Prime Minister will face a confidence vote of Conservative MPs on Monday.

The Pound to Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate has also posted net gains to 1.1700 from 1.1645.

Domestic and international confidence will be crucial in the short term.

There will be some hopes that the Johnson vote will end uncertainty and allow a greater focus on policy fundamentals and this has triggered a covering of short Sterling positions.

Favourable global risk conditions have also been an important element in underpinning the Pound in international markets.

PM Johnson Faces Confidence Vote

Despite the bank holiday Jubilee celebrations, speculation that enough Conservative MPs had submitted letters to trigger a confidence vote in Prime Minister Johnson built steadily during the weekend.

Just after the European open on Monday, Chairman of the 1922 committee Brady confirmed that the threshold of 54 letters had been reached and that there will be a confidence vote later on Monday.

This is a very tight timetable with Johnson looking for an early vote to prevent organised opposition to his leadership.

The result of the vote should be announced sharply after 20.00 UK time.

If Johnson loses the vote he will have to submit his resignation.

If he wins, the current rules prevent another challenge for 12 months, but a narrow victory would inevitably maintain expectations that the rules will be changed or that Johnson will face intense pressure to resign.

ING notes; The pound was notably unreactive to political noise back when the whole partygate scandal first exploded and Johnson appeared on the brink of resignation.

The bank added; While keeping in mind that the Prime Minister might survive a potential no-confidence vote, even the prospect of a change in leadership within the Conservative party may not have many implications policy-wise.

Stuart Cole, head macro economist for Equiti Capital added; "If Johnson does lose, it is not necessarily bad news for sterling as the market may view it as a line finally being drawn under the 'Partygate' fiasco and allowing the government, under a new leader, to finally focus on the wider issues of the day, such as the cost of living crisis.

Reservations over Sterling Fundamentals

MUFG notes; The pound is the 2nd worst performing G10 currency over the last five trading days and the renewed political uncertainty could see the underperformance extended further.

The bank pointed to other economic and political factors which are undermining Sterling support; Strike action today across the London tube network will add to a weak economic performance with further strike days scheduled going forward. Add to that the expected push by the UK to legislate for allowing unilateral changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol in the coming weeks and the near-term GBP outlook looks even worse.

MUFG added; We see GBP underperformance persisting with the short-term yield spread also working against GBP as mentioned above.

ING is also still notably cautious surrounding the Pound outlook even if there is short-term relef; That said, the pound remains vulnerable in the short term given worsening growth prospects and a potential re-pricing of BoE rate expectations. A break below 1.2500 in cable could see the pair extend losses to the 1.2300-1.2350 area this week.

Credit Agricole considers that the Pound is undervalued; Spot EUR/GBP has continued to move higher faster than its fair value and has become more than two standard deviations overvalued.

The banks FAST FX model has triggered a EUR/GBP sell recommendation with a target of 0.8444 (1.1843 for GBP/EUR).

UOB still considers that the GBP outlook is mixed; Looking ahead, GBP has to close below 1.2430 before a sustained decline is likely. It pegs resistance at 1.2610.

Global Risk Appetite Recovers

Pound moves remain correlated strongly with trends in global risk appetite.

Conditions were vulnerable on Friday as Wall Street declined amid fears over aggressive Fed tightening.

There has been a rebound on Monday with equity markets rallying amid hopes that the Chinese economy will start to recover as coronavirus restrictions are relaxed.

Wall Street futures have recovered and the FTSE 100 index posted a 1.3% gain to 7,630 in early trading.

The importance of global risk conditions was illustrated by gains in the Australian and New Zealand dollars on Monday.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Our World Needs Help

June 6, 2022

CONTACT: Patricia Noll, Founder and CEO



Good With Me Foundation



136 4th Street North #2015



St. Petersburg, FL 33701



727-424-1270 (Cell)



patricia@goodwithmefoundation.org

MASS SHOOTING #233 AND COUNTING

St. Petersburg, FL Thursday, June 3, 2022 -- Our world can only be as healthy as its people. While the world still grieves with the people of Uvalde, Texas, we have experienced 20 additional mass shootings. Dr. Patricia Noll, CEO of the "Good With Me" Foundation says, "We must direct our attention to the root of the reason why an individual makes the decision to purchase guns and use them to kill others and self. It is the undercurrent of a societal message that teaches "other-esteem"

After 30 years of working with over 10,000 people, Dr. Noll has discovered that "other-dependent esteem" is responsible for our society's widespread discontent, unhappiness, addictions, envy, anger, rage, violence, criminal behavior, suicide, bullying, and yesmass shootings.

Society is Teaching "Other-Dependent Esteem"

Society has been teaching that any esteem you have for yourself including the way you feel comes from external sources and that you are therefore dependent upon what others think about you, how they treat you, what they do to you, their approval of you, to satisfy your need to feel good about yourself and to have a sense that you fit in and belong.

People worldwide are being pulled under and drowning in the undercurrent of "other-dependent esteem" It is like the undercurrent in the ocean that forms within you and just like the undercurrent in the oceans, the emotional chaos of "other-dependent esteem" is hidden from view.

This teaching alone has created a hidden global crisis. Society has unknowingly been teaching "other-dependent esteem" instead of the critically important "self-dependent esteem" What most of society considers to be self-esteem is actually "other-esteem" which has nothing at all to do with self. According to current research, 85% % of society has low self-esteem which equates to "other-dependent esteem"

The Time is Now to Acknowledge "Other-Dependent Esteem!"

Society keeps looking for something (guns and mental health) or someone (lawmakers) external to themselves to blame for the increasing number of mass shootings. While there is work to do from all levels of society, there is something everyone can do while society continues to teach "other-dependent esteem" in a code that everyone understands. It is time for everyone to acknowledge that "other-dependent esteem" is real and learn how to recognize it when you see it.

It is time to stop wondering what the motive is for those who shoot as many people as possible as fast as they can before they are stopped and acknowledge the existence of "other-dependent esteem"

How does an 18-year-old descend the dark rabbit hole that leads to shooting up an elementary school? When you don't know what you are seeing, you don't know that you don't see it, and that makes prevention of the unpredictable, unpreventable.

It Has Become Normal to Normalize the Abnormal

Society doesn't know what to look for amidst the public unrest and disorder when it comes to the red flags that lead to a mass shooting because the red flags often appear to be normal. The abnormal is normalized by family and friends in many ways, i.e., "going through a phase, he's just being a kid, it's just a boy/girl thing, too much testosterone, the hormones are raging, he/she has always been quiet/a loner/a little wild, he just wanted to fit in and belong, etc.

For example, the system missed seeing it in a shooter in New Zealand in 2018 because those around him only saw "he was quiet and seemed like a normal teenager" They didn't see that he received his approval from those who supported his chaotic posts in his Social Media groups.

When Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

There can be no doubt that guns cause problems even though they are only a symptom of the problem and not the actual root of the problem which is "other-dependent esteem"

Guns can kill. They just don't kill all by themselves. While the #1 killer of children in 2020 was guns instead of car accidents, just like it takes someone to drive the car, it takes someone to point the gun and pull the trigger. Even though guns (just like automobiles) can cause horrific harm and problems, they are a symptom of the problem and not the rootthe societal message that teaches "other-dependent esteem"

Likewise, it has been determined that most of the mass shootings are by males 18-22 years. It has also been determined that the brain is not fully developed until age 29. Assuming both are accurate, it would then follow that it is completely irresponsible, negligent, and even reckless to allow guns of any kind to be in the hands of someone who's brain will NOT be fully developed for several years.

Mental Health, Mental Health, and Mental Health

Much of society has become so focused on mental health that it's impossible to see what is really going onthe critical importance of "Self-Dependent Esteem" in a world dominated by "Other-Dependent Esteem"

While there is a lot of good that has come from traditional psychology and mental health, it appears that it has not kept up with the changes that began at the end of World War II and have continued to grow. What began with "Keeping Up with the Joneses" touting that you are as good as your material possessions has expanded to include the importance of looking good based on not only physical appearance, it includes intelligence, skills, successes, and who likes you.

With as few as 10-15% of society enjoying "self-dependent esteem " it is evidence that very few have avoided the societal code that says you are only as good as what you have, what/who you know, and/or what you do. In simple words, you are only as good as your "stuff"

Mass Shootings Are an Extreme Display of Bullying

Dr. Noll has concluded, "Bullying is a common way that people act out the undercurrent of "other-dependent esteem" A mass shooting is an extreme display of bullying that originates from the emotional chaos of the undercurrent of "other-dependent esteem" and poses danger to the quality of life and even life itself.

Different people bully in different ways. For example, the display of domestic violence between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard (exaggerated by alcohol and drug use) is a different display of bullying acted out from the hidden crisis of "other-dependent esteem"

The crisis caused by this hidden undercurrent is often impossible to detect by mental health evaluations. These individuals become very skilled at hiding their undercurrent of "Other-Dependent Esteem" Do you really think they are going to tell the truth about being so angry that they want to hurt or kill someone because they don't like themselves and they think no one else likes them either? They might not even be in touch with the undercurrent of hurt and pain that leads them to carry out a mass shooting. In fact, it takes real "self-dependent esteem" to admit you don't have it. What kind of a catch-22 is that?

The warning signs of "Other-Dependent Esteem" and the behaviors that lead to mass shootings, suicides, domestic violence, bullying, drug overdoses, and more become predictable and preventable when they are recognized. It is time to teach and equip people around the world with the ability to detect the bizarre behaviors and poor choices of "other-dependent esteem" no matter how normal they appear to be.

When society is equipped to recognize "other-dependent esteem" and teaches "self-dependent esteem" instead, we don't need to depend upon lawmakers to do our part.

To learn more about how to change thoughts to save lives go to https://www.goodwithmefoundation.org.

###

About the "Good With Me" Foundation

The "Good With Me" program established in 2014 is the outgrowth from Dr. Noll's Focus One program started in 1989. It started as a book, then was proclaimed "Good With Me" Day, and a city co-sponsored annual festival followed.

The "Good With Me" Foundation was founded in 2019 to support the "Good With Me" mission to change thoughts and save lives. It became a global humanitarian movement. Filming of 5 segments of a documentary has begun and a trailer has been cut to showcase the highlights of the film. Go to https://www.goodwithmefoundation.org/documentary to view.

"Good With Me" community groups will be made available in 15-20 countries around the globe by certified "Good With Me" Community Leaders teaching participants who can't afford to participate as well as those who can. This is made available by funding through the "Good With Me" Foundation.

Learn more https://www.goodwithmefoundation.org

About Dr. Patricia Noll

Televised addictions and self-esteem specialist, Dr. Patricia Noll founded the Good With Me Foundation, of which she is the CEO and Executive Director, to educate people around the globe about the stunning importance and benefits of self-esteem in a world dominated by other-esteem. She is the author of Good With Me: A Simple Approach to Real Happiness from the Inside Out, an international seller. She founded Focus One, an Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Program, licensed by the state of Florida in 1989. Her Focus One program has been endorsed by internationally renowned Deepak Chopra, Dr. Larry Dossey, and others. She is an Acupuncture Physician, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and Certified Addiction Professional. https://www.goodwithmefoundation.org

Dr. Patricia Noll, is available for interviews about how to recognize the warning signs of a potential mass shooter situation and how to change thoughts to save lives.



patricia@goodwithmefoundation.org



727-424-1270 (Cell/Text

###

Disclaimer: The information in this news release has been verified for accuracy to the best of our abilities. Beyond that it contains what I and others have learned about the stunning importance of self-esteem in a world dominated by "other-esteem" It is not intended as a substitute for immediate professional help when a need exists. Neither I nor the Good With Me Foundation is responsible for the results you experience from the information presented here---either positive or negative. It is you who are responsible for you and your needs.

Click here for contact form https://goodwithmefoundation.org/contact-us/
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COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP)  Joy and sadness in acute doses poured out Monday on the beaches of Normandy.

As several dozen D-Day veterans  now all in their 90s  set foot on the sands that claimed so many colleagues, they are thankful for the gratitude and friendliness of the French toward those who landed here on June 6, 1944. The sadness comes as they think of their fallen comrades and of another battle now being waged in Europe: the war in Ukraine.

As a bright sun rose Monday over the wide band of sand at Omaha Beach, U.S. D-Day veteran Charles Shay expressed thoughts for his comrades who died here 78 years ago.

I have never forgotten them and I know that their spirits are here, he told The Associated Press.

The 98-year-old Penobscot Native American from Indian Island, Maine, took part in a sage-burning ceremony near the beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. Shay, who now lives in Normandy, was a 19-year-old U.S. Army medic when he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

He said he was especially sad to see war in Europe once again, so many years later.

Ukraine is a very sad situation. I feel sorry for the people there and I dont know why this war had to come, but I think the human beings like to, I think they like to fight. I dont know," he said. "In 1944, I landed on these beaches and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible.

This year, Shay handed over the remembrance task to another Native American, Julia Kelly, a Gulf War veteran from the Crow tribe, who performed the sage ritual. Never forget, never forget, she said. In this time, in any time, war is not good.

Shay's message to young generations would be to be ever vigilant.

Of course I have to say that they should protect their freedom that they have now, he said.

For the past two years, D-Day ceremonies were reduced to a minimum amid COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. But this year, crowds of French and international visitors  including veterans in their 90s  were back in Normandy to pay tribute to the nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the U.S., Canada and elsewhere who landed there to bring freedom.

Several thousand people attended a ceremony at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in the French town of Colleville-sur-Mer. They applauded more than 20 WWII veterans who were present at the commemoration.

Amid them was Ray Wallace, 97, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.

On D-Day, his plane was hit and caught fire, forcing him to jump earlier than expected. He landed 20 miles (32 kilometers) away from the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first French village to be liberated from Nazi occupation.

We all got a little scared then. And then whenever the guy dropped us out, we were away from where the rest of the group was. That was scary," Wallace told the AP.

Less than a month later, he was taken prisoner by the Germans. He was ultimately liberated after 10 months and returned to the U.S. Still, Wallace thinks he was lucky.

I remember the good friends that I lost there. So its a little emotional, he said, with sadness in his voice. I guess you can say Im proud of what I did but I didnt do that much."

He was asked about the secret to his longevity. Calvados! he joked, in reference to Normandys local alcohol.

On D-Day, Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. On that single day, 4,414 Allied soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded.

On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

Wallace, who is using a wheelchair, was among about 20 WWII veterans who opened Saturday's parade of military vehicles in Sainte-Mere-Eglise to great applause from thousands of people, in a joyful atmosphere. He did not hide his pleasure, happily waving to the crowd as parents explained the achievements of World War II heroes to their children.

Many history buffs, wearing military and civilian clothes from the period, also came to stage a reenactment of the events.

In Colleville-sur-Mer on Monday, U.S. Air Force aircraft flew over the American Cemetery during the commemoration ceremony, in the presence of Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The place is home to the gravesites of 9,386 people who died fighting on D-Day and in the operations that followed.

Milley had strong words about Ukraine at the American Cemetery ceremony, vowing that the U.S. and its allies would keep up their significant support to Ukraine.

Kiev may be 2,000 kilometers away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II at the hands of the Nazi invader, Milley said in a speech. Lets not those only here be the last witnesses to a time when our Allies come together to defeat tyranny.

For 82-year-old Dale Thompson, visiting the site over the weekend was a first.

Thompson, who traveled from Florida with his wife, served in the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. military in the early 1960s. He was stateside and saw no combat.

Walking amid the thousands of marble headstones, Thompson wondered how he would have reacted if he landed at D-Day.

I try to put myself in their place, he said. Could I be as heroic as these people?

____

AP Journalists Oleg Cetinic and Jeremias Gonzalez contributed to the story.
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DALLAS  In the days since an 18-year-old gunman barricaded himself inside an elementary school classroom in Uvalde and fatally shot 19 students and two teachers, the polices narrative of the events leading up to and during the massacre has shifted by the day.

As more shocking details are revealed about police action  and inaction  during the slaying, the Uvalde community has been desperate for answers.

Journalists and lawmakers have called for the release of 911 calls, body-camera footage and other evidence to determine what happened May 24, but Texas open-records laws may prevent the public from ever seeing important evidence.

Heres how what is referred to as the dead suspect loophole might affect what we know about Uvalde:

What is the dead suspect loophole?

Under the Texas Public Information Act, governmental bodies are required to make records about the affairs of government and the official acts of public officials and employees available to the public.

There are several exceptions to what is considered public information, however, including what has been referred to as the dead suspect loophole.

Under state law, law-enforcement records that deal with an investigation that doesnt result in a conviction dont have to be made public. That includes when a person dies during an interaction with law enforcement.

How might the loophole apply to Uvalde?

Salvador Ramos spent more than an hour inside Robb Elementary School before he was killed by law enforcement.

Initially, officials said Ramos was confronted by a school security officer, which ended up being untrue. It was then revealed that officers were waiting inside the school while children and teachers called 911 and pleaded for help.

Reports that Ramos walked into the building through a propped open door later turned out to be unfounded. On Friday, authorities said school district police Chief Pete Arredondo  who led the response that day  didnt have his radio with him.

While 911 tapes, communications between law-enforcement agencies and other evidence would likely be crucial in piecing together an accurate picture of what happened that day, its possible those records will not be made public because Ramos was killed by police.

The decision on whether or not to publicize the records around the massacre will be up to law enforcement.

Lawmakers call for action

State officials have tried to address the dead suspect loophole in past legislative sessions.

State Rep. Dade Phelan, a Republican representing District 21 in southeast Texas, is among lawmakers in recent days who have called for the Texas Legislature to address the loophole.

In a series of tweets, Phelan said it would be absolutely unconscionable to allow the loophole to affect the knowledge that victims families have of what happened during the shooting.

Families of those who die in custody never get closure or access to details of their loved ones death because of this loophole. This is an area in dire need of reform, he wrote.

Phelan, who is speaker of the Texas House, announced Friday that the House would be investigating the events at the elementary school. He said a committee will examine evidence from law enforcement and release findings as soon as possible to help inform the work of the House.



2022 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
All of South Central Texas, including San Antonio, will be under a heat advisory Monday as the region continues to experience dangerous high temperatures.

The National Weather Service issued the advisory, which will be in effect between 1 and 6 p.m. Monday. Another heat advisory is likely for Tuesday.

Monday's high is expected to reach 104 degrees in San Antonio with a heat index of up to 107. There will not be much relief the rest of the week. Tuesday and Wednesday will have highs of 103 and 101, respectively. As of Monday, the NWS was predicting a high of 99 on Thursday and 101 on Friday. Similar temps are expected Saturday and Sunday.

On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County deputy shot at while training K9 in Rosedale Park

If San Antonio reaches 104 on Monday, it will break the record of 101 set in 2018. Tuesday could match the 103-degree record set in 1989.

Meteorologists with the NWS said the region is experiencing this kind of heat much earlier than normal and may set a record for the earliest period on record for consecutive 100-degree days. Typically, San Antonio doesn't see this kind of heat until late June or early July.

Officials advise that residents should drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms and stay out of the sun. Anyone participating in outdoor activities also needs to take extra precautions and avoid strenuous activity during the day, officials said.

CPS Energy sent an email to customers during the past weekend warning them about the brutal heat and the subsequent demand for energy. The utility company encouraged customers to safely conserve when possible.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.net
UVALDE  Police officers from across Texas are out in force in Uvalde, providing a conspicuous law enforcement presence at funerals for the 19 children and two teachers killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary School.

Out-of-town officers began to converge on the city after the May 24 shooting. Although they say theyre here to support Uvalde police, the exact nature of their role is unclear.

UVALDE STRONG: Heartbreaking photos show growing memorials taking over Uvalde

Police departments with a visible presence in Uvalde include Fort Worth, Lubbock, Del Rio, Allen, Conroe, Pearland, Grand Prairie, College Station and Bedford. Many of those departments do not appear to be operating here under any formal agreement with the city of Uvalde.

The outside officers have been especially visible at funerals for victims of the massacre. Reporters have been barred from attending the services and have been limited to designated viewing areas. Although the number of journalists in town has dwindled, interactions with police have become tense.

Officers have threatened to arrest journalists for walking on public streets near funerals. Police also have been seen mingling with motorcycle club members, who have interfered with journalists efforts to observe and photograph funerals by physically surrounding them and obstructing their view, even in designated media areas.

TRAGEDY IN UVALDE: Remembering the lives lost in Uvalde

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Law enforcement officers from around the state talk outside during the funeral for Jacklyn Jalyen Cazares at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde. (Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News) Law enforcement officers from around the state talk outside during the funeral for Jacklyn Jalyen Cazares at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde. (Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News)

Outside Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery, where two of the slain children were interred on Friday, two police officers from Bedford, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, appeared to direct mourners away from two Hearst Newspapers reporters.

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The officers at one point urged mourners to walk faster so they could avoid the journalists, who were standing where police had directed them to wait.

Bedford police did not respond to a request for comment.

On Thursday, a uniformed Lubbock police officer watched as bikers from a group called Guardians of the Children surrounded a Hearst Newspapers reporter who was walking in a public street near a funeral. The confrontation was captured on a video posted to Twitter.

A spokesman for the Lubbock Police Department, Antonio Leal, said the officer was acting in his official capacity providing traffic direction for a funeral procession in Uvalde.

Our officers, including the one depicted in the video, are operating under the direction of the command center located in Uvalde and not in coordination with any other organizations, Leal said.

He added: The Lubbock Police Department believes strongly in the First Amendment protections provided to the media and citizen journalists alike to cover and share news from any incident, whether in our jurisdiction or not.

In Del Rio, Lt. Hubert Smith said his department has had a pair of two-officer teams in Uvalde since the shooting. The teams  a detective and a patrol officer  have been providing security and responding to calls for police assistance, among other assignments, he said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: A reconstruction of how the Uvalde massacre unfolded

Asked if controlling the media was part of their mission, Smith replied, I havent heard anything about the media, keeping the media away.

Told of the incident in which bikers surrounded the reporter, Smith said, That is something we will not tolerate.

Were trying to help out with what they need, but as far as my understanding, were not engaging as far as blacking out the press or anything like that. I hope not, Smith said.

Lt. Chris Daniels, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Police Department, said 12 of its officers volunteered to go to Uvalde, some 350 miles away, after the Texas Police Chiefs Association issued a statewide appeal for assistance for Uvalde.

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

The department has been rotating those officers in and out of Uvalde in groups of five to six. Fort Worth is paying their salaries and a per diem while theyre there.

The officers are working in Uvalde without a formal memorandum of understanding, Daniels said.

Our approach has been to ensure a supervisor is part of each team who is responsible for ensuring that any operation involving the FWPD is in compliance with our policy, he said. Among other duties, the officers provided support during President Joe Bidens visit to Uvalde on Sunday.

Daniels said that we have no agreement whatsoever with any biker group, nor have they been deputized.

It is not clear when the Fort Worth police officers will go back home. Daniels said the department is evaluating our position every few days. He added, Uvalde and the local agencies are encouraging all other agencies to stay as long as possible, since the funerals will be going on for some time.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Uvalde shooting leaves a father to grieve the loss of his 10-year-old child from inside a prison

Asked to describe the officers mission, Daniels said it was to provide public safety for the Uvalde community and security for the families of the victims for funeral services, as well as security for the local officials.

There is no directive to control the media, but only to ensure safety and privacy for the families as they grieve their losses, he said.

The Fort Worth officers and other visiting law enforcement personnel are staying at the Alto Frio Baptist Camp and Conference Center in Leakey, 40 miles north of Uvalde.

Alto Frio says it is hosting 150 to 200 Texas Rangers, county sheriffs deputies and other law enforcement officers. On its website, the center encourages donations to help cover the cost of caring for these officers and support staff.

Among the out-of-town officers are four from Lubbock, 375 miles away.

Leal, the police department spokesman, said the officers are expected to return home on Monday.

They receive assignments from a command center in Uvalde, but follow policies established by their department, Leal said. Lubbock is paying their salaries and a per diem. The city of Uvalde is footing the bill for food and lodging.

The Allen Police Department, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said on its Facebook page May 27 that it was sending six officers and two dispatchers to Uvalde to assist in any way they can.

ARREDONDO: Why was the head of a six-person force for Uvalde CISD in charge of the mass shooting response?

Marked patrol vehicles from the College Station Police Department have been observed fulfilling a very specific role: standing sentry outside the home of Pedro Pete Arredondo, chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District.

College Station police Lt. Rodney Sigler said the department sent four officers and a supervisor to Uvalde for several days after authorities there asked for help due to the magnitude of the incident. He said they were given assignments by local authorities.

Arredondo was the on-scene incident commander during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary, and he has been widely condemned for holding back the assembled police officers for more than an hour while 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos, armed with an assault-style rifle, was holed up in a pair of adjoining classrooms filled with children and two teachers.

Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

State officials say Arredondo decided that after Ramos fired an initial heavy fusillade, the crisis shifted from an active-shooter situation to a barricaded subject situation, that children were no longer in danger and that there was time to await the arrival of more officers with specialized equipment.

UVALDE RESPONSE: 5 things to know about embattled Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo

That was the wrong decision, period, Col. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said at a news briefing last week. Theres no excuse for that. From what we know, we believe there should have been an entry as soon as you can.

Ultimately, a Border Patrol tactical unit stormed the classroom and killed Ramos.

Arredondo has made no public comment on his handling of the incident.

julian.gill@chron.com
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After his mother was murdered when he was 14, Chris Tucker could not stop thinking about death. He wanted to die himself. Or he envisioned killing the perpetrator. He could hardly sleep and was struggling at school.

It was not until he met a social worker on campus in Schertz that Tucker began to see a path forward through the grief. They talked, and he later agreed to participate in a summer program where he opened up about his experience and formed a community.

Weve grown and reshaped ourselves to be the people that we really wanted to be, said Tucker, now 26 and an accountant in Philadelphia.

Tuckers was the kind of positive outcome state lawmakers pictured in 2019, when they worked to increase mental health resources for students after the mass shooting at Santa Fe High School that left eight students and two teachers dead.

Related: Dead suspect loophole may prevent what we find about Uvalde massacre

Access to those services again is at the forefront as Republican leaders respond to the May 24 massacre in Uvalde.

Mental health experts say the 2019 initiatives, including hundreds of millions of dollars more in funding, have only begun to address Texas mental health crisis, and that the state does little to track even their limited outcomes. Many school districts are left to fund their own interventions.

There is little evidence that mental illnesses cause mass shootings or that people diagnosed with them are more likely to commit violent crimes. Advocates also warn that scapegoating mental illness can stigmatize the wide spectrum of people living with psychological disorders.

Its absolutely something that should be addressed  but its not a panacea, said Greg Hansch, executive director for the Texas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Its more of a secondary or tertiary factor.

Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Republicans have pointed to the shortage of mental health resources, especially in rural Texas, as a key factor in the Uvalde shooting, while rejecting calls for stricter gun laws.

The 18-year-old gunman, who killed 19 children and two adults, legally purchased the assault-style weapon he used in the shooting spree and had no known mental health history, Abbott said.

Even with the 2019 reforms, mental health care remains vastly underfunded in Texas. That largely is because of budget cuts two decades ago and years of stagnant funding to community mental health services. Today, Texas provides less access to care than any other state, and nearly three quarters of children and teenagers with major depression do not get treated, the highest rate in the country, according to the nonprofit group Mental Health America.

Without a direct source of state funding for mental health care, school districts in Texas are forced to rely on a patchwork of state and federal programs, most of which do not guarantee that money will flow to mental health services for students or training for teachers. As a result, only a tiny fraction of Texas roughly 1,200 public school and open-enrollment charter districts have enough counselors, social workers and psychologists to meet professionally recommended student-to-provider ratios, according to a recent Houston Chronicle Hearst Newspapers analysis.

Lessons from Santa Fe

Central to lawmakers 2019 response was a new mental health consortium overseen by the University of Texas System, with a $99 million initial investment for programs focused on children and teens, including virtual visits between child psychologists and students referred by school staff. The Legislature also increased funding to Communities in Schools, which places staff directly on campuses and had employed Tuckers social workers.

In addition, lawmakers required school officials to form threat assessment teams to identify students who may pose a risk of violence, and put forth another $100 million to school districts every two years that can be used to hire security personnel, provide mental health services and buy physical upgrades, such as metal detectors and bullet-resistant glass.

In the first year, however, just 12 percent of Texas school districts reported using any of the funds for mental health support, while 8 percent said the money was used for behavioral health services, according to a survey by the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University.

A task force later found the Texas Education Agency was not collecting meaningful data on mental health programs in schools, including the number of students they serve or any standard outcomes they measure. The Legislature responded with a bill last year to bolster reporting, but the agency has yet to release any results.

Related: Bexar County judge urges Texas governor to call special session to deal with gun violence

Annalee Gulley, director of public policy and government affairs for Mental Health America of Greater Houston, said lawmakers have taken encouraging steps to support mental health but should have paired the funding with more direction for school officials on how to spend it.

A critical lesson learned in the years following the Santa Fe High School shooting is funding alone is not enough, Gulley said. Instead, the state must connect financial resources to guidance on the most effective strategies to support the safety and well-being of educators and students following such a catastrophic event.

Much of the focus since 2019 has been on the telehealth effort known as TCHATT, including more than $50 million in added pandemic funding last year. The program has been slow to expand, however, serving only about 6,000 students so far. By comparison, Communities in Schools serves 115,000 students annually on a $35 million budget. There are more than 5 million students in Texas.

Neither Communities in Schools nor TCHATT was present in Uvalde, though counselors and social workers have been pouring into the city since the shooting and plan to be there throughout the summer. Other consortium programs, including one that trains primary care doctors to treat mental health issues in young patients, have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Were on the right path, but weve still got a lot of work to do, said David Lakey, who heads the mental health consortium and is vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas System.

Lakey previously led the Texas Department of State Health Services and is a medical doctor. From a public health standpoint, he said, mental health is one of several issues that need attention after Uvalde, as well as school safety measures and gun control.

I understand people have differences of opinion, but I think a lot of people are re-looking at, call it gun safety or other things, Lakey said, speaking in his personal capacity.

Sarah Wakefield, who chairs the psychiatry department at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and created one of the early models for TCHATT, said the program is intended to assess students who are struggling and pair them with the appropriate long-term intervention, such as community mental health programs or with participating pediatricians.

The goal is to say, hey, weve done a really clear diagnostic assessment, we have figured out why youve been struggling, we know what youre responding to and whats going to be effective, Wakefield said.

Since Uvalde, Abbott and other state leaders have signaled plans to again ramp up spending on mental health care and other areas they believe will help prevent school shootings. At the governors request, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan last week assigned committees in each chamber of the Legislature to study existing school safety laws and recommend new policies related to mental health, social media, police training and firearm safety.

Hansch recommended lawmakers also consider directly funding mental health services in schools, perhaps by requiring districts to put a minimum amount of the school safety funds they now receive from the state toward mental health.

Competition for specialists

Some school districts have used the federal dollars made available for pandemic relief to expand counseling and mental health services, but hiring is difficult for positions requiring more specialized degrees and licensing.

San Antonio Independent School District, for example, has tried to add social service providers to every one of its nearly 100 campuses, including people who can provide clinical counseling and psychological services to backstop its 147 guidance counselors.

It has not finished that task, Deputy Superintendent Patti Salzmann said.

The more expertise and specialty we need, the harder those positions are to fill, Salzmann said.

SAISD partners with Communities in Schools of San Antonio to fill the majority of these roles, 84 out of 120, and is looking to hire 20 more social service providers through the nonprofit.

Related: Its time to die. You guys are mine, gunman said during 75 minutes of terror in Uvalde

Jessica Weaver, CEO of Communities in Schools of San Antonio, said growing demand for mental health professionals and services left it 10 hires short of its goal of placing 198 staff members in 160 campuses at several school districts, including site coordinators who can refer students to its mental health services.

Northside ISD used its partnership to add social work services and mental health support and increased its hiring in-house. It and other larger area districts expected to fill a relative handful of counselor vacancies without much problem.

School counselors in Texas are really the first line of mental health services at a public school campus, said Mary Libby, Northside ISDs director of guidance.

They can identify students who need the next level of service or a more specialized approach, and help connect them with the resources offered by Communities in Schools, resulting in quicker access and a wider range of services, she said.

Some smaller districts have had a more difficult time competing for counselors.

South San Antonio ISD still is trying to hire two at risk counselors for middle schoolers. Before 2020, it had just one counselor serving more than 450 middle school students. When the pandemic hit, it needed more, to help students struggling from isolation, grief and stress, said Charlie Gallardo, the director of guidance and counseling.

It is discouraging, Gallardo said. But I understand. You look around, there are counselor openings everywhere.

Somerset ISD has seen a record number of student referrals to counselors and social workers, said Susan Arciniega, the districts health and wellness coordinator and a licensed social worker.

We were expecting the numbers to be high (after the pandemic), but we were not expecting the numbers we saw, Arciniega said. Schools are different now. Kids arent just coming here to just do school.

Staff writers Danya Perez and Claire Bryan contributed to this report.

jeremy.blackman@chron.com

jasper.scherer@chron.com
People dance at an outdoor festival held on the banks of the Han River in Seoul, June 4. Yonhap





New COVID-19 cases fell sharply to around 5,000 for Sunday due to fewer tests over the weekend, and as the health authorities work to return to a pre-pandemic normalcy.







The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 5,022 infections, including 17 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,168,708.







The daily caseload was down from 9,835 a day earlier.







Daily infections have shown a downward trend after posting an all-time high of over 620,000 in mid-March.







The death toll rose to 21, Sunday, from 20 the previous day, for a fatality rate of t 0.13 percent; while the number of critically ill patients fell to 129 from 136, the KDCA said. (Yonhap)






Ken Branca

A suspect fired shots at a Bexar County Sheriffs Office deputy who was training his K-9 in Rosedale Park on Saturday, according to the San Antonio Police Department.

Around 11 p.m. the deputy was training his K-9 in the park when he heard shots fired and called for help.
The Justice Department filed notice Monday that it is appealing a San Antonio judge's $230 million verdict for relatives of the survivors and families of victims of the 2017 mass shooting in Sutherland Springs.

In February, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez ordered the U.S. government to pay more than $230 million in damages for the Air Forces failure to report the gunmans violent criminal history to the national firearms database. The judge also later ruled the government should pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the families court costs.

Rodriguez said adding disgraced former airman Devin Kelleys name to the database could have prevented him from buying his assault-style rifle.

On Nov. 5, 2017, Kelley opened fire inside First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs with an AR-556 rifle, killing 26 people and wounding more than 20 others. His wife attended the church, but Kelley had tied her up at their New Braunfels home before going on the rampage in Sutherland Springs, about 35 miles to the south.

Lawyers for the Justice Departments civil division didnt say in their filings Monday why they are appealing Rodriguezs decision to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The government is expected to sketch its case for an appeal in later filings.

Lawyers for survivors and families of the victims say the government is likely to make arguments similar to ones struck down at trial.

The government is appealing the finding that they should be held responsible for not following their own background check system,said Jamal Alsaffar, who was the lead lawyer for the families at trial. They are also appealing the finding that the federal background check systems actually work and prevent mass shootings like the one at Sutherland Springs and others.

The San Antonio federal judges verdict is the largest award in recent memory over a mass shooting in the United States. Plaintiffs lawyers said it would compensate the more than 80 family members of victims and survivors who filed suit.

System breakdown

Kelley was booted from the Air Force in 2014 because of his propensity for violence. Before his discharge, he was convicted of domestic violence for seriously injuring his infant stepson and was sent to jail for a year. He had been barred from Holloman AFB in New Mexico for threatening superiors and bringing firearms onto the base.

After a trial in spring 2021, Rodriguez ruled in July that the Air Force was 60 percent responsible for the shooting and Kelley was 40 percent responsible. Rodriguezs $230 million verdict came after a second trial on damages.

Testimony showed that for more than 30 years, the Air Force failed to report thousands of violent felons, including Kelley, into the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System. That system is designed to prevent convicted criminals from purchasing or possessing firearms. Without that flag, Kelley was able to buy guns from licensed dealers.

Government lawyers made several arguments, including that the gunman could have gotten his guns by means other than going to a licensed firearms dealer and subjecting himself to a background check.

The Biden Administration filing this appeal is just re-victimizing these victims, Alsaffar said. Theyve already gone through two trials, and now theyre re-victimizing them by them filing such a cynical appeal.

The Justice Department did not respond Monday to messages seeking comment.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
The Guadalupe River is feeling the impact of scorching hot, dry weather in south central Texas, but river officials are not overly concerned about it yet.

Stretching from Kerr County  northwest of San Antonio  to the Gulf of Mexico, the Guadalupe River is a popular destination for tubing, rafting, swimming and other recreational activities. It is also an important ecosystem for Texas wildlife and an essential element of the regions water system.

This year, the rivers flows are much lower than average and are expected worsen as the summer goes on. At Spring Branch, just upstream from Canyon Lake, the rivers flow rate is 11.6 cubic feet per second, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, well below the long-term median flow for that area of the river of 282 cubic feet per second.

And yet the massive reduction in flow is not a massive cause for alarm right now, said Nathan Pence, executive manager of environmental science at the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. The water flowing south of Canyon Lake, he said, is sufficient to sustain recreation and animal life, and the lakes level  about 2 feet low  is better off than that of other reservoirs in the state.

On ExpressNews.com: Three types of mussels in Guadalupe River may be added to endangered species list

In the popular Guadalupe swimming areas near New Braunfels and San Marcos, the water flows are at 164 and 133 cubic feet per second, respectively.

I think with the conditions that we have and the lack of rainfall that we have had, that it is not necessarily unusual, and its to be expected, Pence said. Folks who live in that area are used to seeing either flash floods or droughts, which is the nature of the Hill Country. So when there is no rain, we do experience low flows in the river. But this isnt any different than any other year with these sorts of conditions.

The last time the rivers flows were this low was during the drought from 2011 to 2014. Before that, the lowest flow rate at Spring Branch occurred during the 1956 drought, when the flow rate dropped to zero.

Whether conditions are wet or dry, the rivers flows generally increase on the way to the Gulf Coast, Pence said.

And although less water reaching the bay can affect the fragile ecosystem by the Gulf of Mexico, these Texas ecosystems have adapted to high- and low-water events. Significant problems only arise when extremely dry or wet conditions persist for excessively long periods. Last year was particularly wet, so one dry year isnt expected to crush a fishery or a specific species.

On ExpressNews.com: Man drowns in Guadalupe River near Gruene

Most species are pretty adaptable to natural changes in flows, and they can handle brief periods of drought, said Myron Hess, an environmental lawyer in Austin. But there is another concern: Rising water temperatures will cause fish to start dying.

When temperature goes up, dissolved oxygen levels tend to go down. And if the oxygen levels get low enough, aquatic species cant survive, Hess said. Some species can move to other areas of the river, but animals like mussels cant move very fast and get stranded above the water and die.

William Luther, Staff

Also, it will be difficult for species to bounce back from repeated droughts in south central Texas. The more frequent the severe weather, the harder it will be for the animals to survive it. That could become a major concern as climate change causes temperatures to rise and ecosystems to dry out.

If you have these droughts more often and closer together, you start losing more and more areas for species like mussels, Hess said. Eventually, they cant recover anymore.

On ExpressNews.com: Remember when Medina Lake was a puddle? Its getting there again.

This year, its hard to predict how the summer will turn out and, therefore, what the river flow will be by July or August. May is usually a wet month in San Antonio, but this May brought hardly any rain, which is concerning to Hess. Also, the weather phenomenon La Nina is predicted to persist, bringing more dry and hot weather.

But for now, while there will be parts with low flows, popular areas below Canyon Lake on the Guadalupe River for tubing and swimming remain active for Texans looking to escape the heat.

There is definitely water in the system as of now, Pence said. The river is open for recreation, and folks can still come out and enjoy themselves.

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
Watch as Miah Cerrillo addresses the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee Wednesday morning.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

A fourth-grade Robb Elementary School student who survived the shooting there by covering herself in her friends blood in order to appear dead, will testify before Congress on Wednesday, according to a news release.

Miah Cerrillo, 11, and other survivors of mass shootings in New York and Uvalde last month will appear before the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee to relay their experiences with gun violence.

Related: Its time to die. You guys are mine, gunman said during 75 minutes of terror in Uvalde

Felix and Kimberly Rubio, the parents of Lexi Rubio, a 10-year-old Robb Elementary School student gunned down in the Uvalde mass shooting, will also speak before lawmakers. Roy Guerrero, Uvaldes only pediatrician who helped treat victims, is also scheduled to speak.

John Normile, HODELETE60 / TNS

It is my hope that all my colleagues will listen with an open heart as gun violence survivors and loved ones recount one of the darkest days of their lives, U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, said in the news release. This hearing is ultimately about saving lives, and I hope it will galvanize my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass legislation to do just that.

Pete Luna /Uvalde Leader-News

The hearing starts at 9 a.m. and will be livestreamed.

On May 14, an 18-year-old gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle is accused of opening fire on shoppers and employees at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket. Authorities have said it was a racially motivated shooting that killed 10 and seriously injured three others.

Ten days later, another 18-year-old gunman stormed an elementary school in Uvalde and opened fire on the children and teachers in their classrooms. The gunman, who used two assault-style rifles, killed 19 children and two teachers.

Related: Eight Texas mass shootings may have been prevented by proposed gun control efforts, analysis shows

The House Judiciary Committee held an emergency meeting last week to mark up a legislative package that contains eight bills related to gun control. President Joe Biden also addressed the nation on Thursday and urged Congress to move forward on passing gun control legislation.

The hearing on Wednesday will examine the urgent need for Congress to pass common sense legislation, including a ban on assault weapons and bolstering background checks on gun purchases.

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

The hearing will be broken into two panels of witnesses. The first panel will include survivors and victims of gun violence, and the second panel will be made up of gun safety advocates, experts and law enforcement.

timothy.fanning@express-news.net
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UVALDE  Alithia Haven Ramirez, who dreamed of becoming an artist and studying in Paris, was buried in the scorching afternoon Sunday at Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery on the edge of town.

The cemetery now holds 13 fresh graves  all of them for victims of the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.

Alithia, 10, was one of the 19 students killed in the onslaught. Two fourth-grade teachers, Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles, also were gunned down.

Before the burial, Alithias family held a funeral at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church.

More than 50 cars, trucks and SUVs crowded the church lot. Family and friends wore jeans, button-down shirts and sundresses as the temperature climbed to 100 degrees.

Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer

The church was surrounded by Uvalde firetrucks and police vehicles from the cities of Uvalde, Allen, Bedford, Grand Prairie, Corpus Christi and Southlake. Signs posted around the church warned the news media that access to the private service was restricted.

As the funeral began, officers identifying themselves as Bexar County sheriffs deputies told reporters and photojournalists to walk farther from the church.

Meanwhile, mourners remembered the aspiring artist. Alithias obituary described her as a smart child who was very reliable, always wanted to take care of everyone, and was a role model to her siblings.

One of her cousins expressed her grief on Twitter the day after the massacre: Why  why hurt these little innocent kids. Finding out that my baby cousin gained her wings was just a heartbreaking moment. I hate seeing my family suffer. You will be missed Alithia Ramirez.

Paying respects

Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer

At noon, Lisa Fonseca approached the 21 white crosses at the memorial site in Uvaldes town square, the most prominent destination for grieving locals and visitors from across Texas and the United States. She added a rose to the bed of flowers before Alithias cross, which was decorated with rosary beads, candles, stuffed animals and Minnie Mouse and Pikachu dolls.

Like many here, Fonseca traveled to Uvalde from San Antonio to mourn victims she had never met.

I felt the need to pay my respect, said Fonseca, a 54-year-old receptionist at a physical therapy office. None of these children should have died the way they did.

She said her grandchildren will attend elementary school in San Antonio next fall.

Alithias parents, Ryan Ramirez and Jessica Hernandez, of Uvalde, have publicly expressed anger over local law enforcements response to the gunman.

I dont understand how police officers, who are sworn to protect, and they are outside the room and just hearing gunshots, kids screaming  go in there, save those kids! her father told KENS-TV on Wednesday.

Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer

ExpressNews.com: 'Its time to die. You guys are mine,' gunman said during 75 minutes of terror in Uvalde

Pedro Pete Arredondo, police chief for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, was the on-scene incident commander. He has been widely condemned for holding back officers for more than an hour during the rampage by gunman Salvador Ramos. The 18-year-old high school dropout had entered the school at 11:33 a.m. A Border Patrol unit stormed the classroom where Ramos was holed up and killed him at 12:50 p.m.

ExpressNews.com: President Biden meets with families of Uvalde shooting victims

A future artist lost

A week before Alithias funeral Sunday, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited Uvalde to offer their condolences.

They stopped at the memorial site outside Robb Elementary School, leaving bouquets of flowers in front of the 21 white crosses bearing the names of the children and teachers killed in the massacre.

Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer

Biden also met with survivors and victims families at an event center in this small town of more than 15,000 people, located 85 miles west of San Antonio.

Alithias parents talked with Biden, who reportedly asked if he could have one of her drawings to hang in the White House.

eric.killelea@express-news.nethe
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff on Saturday urged Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special legislative session before the start of the school year and pass laws he said would curb gun violence in the state.

In a letter to Abbott, Wolff said gun violence continues to escalate and gun deaths and mass shootings have increased exponentially in recent years. Wolff also referenced the massacres that took place nearby in Uvalde, where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School last month, and in Sutherland Springs, where 26 people were killed at a church in 2017.

A special session needs to be called now because we are only 3 months away from the start of the fall school semester, Wolff wrote.

On ExpressNews.com: Its time to die. You guys are mine, gunman said during 75 minutes of terror in Uvalde

He said state lawmakers should raise the age to purchase semi-automatic firearms to 21 from 18, and require a background check on all gun sales.

Wolff also said lawmakers should pass a law requiring training to obtain a firearm license. Last year, state lawmakers passed the so-called constitutional carry bill that allows anyone to carry a handgun without a license or training.

Wolff called for a red flag law so that a judge can issue an order allowing for the temporary seizure of firearms belonging to an individual who is a credible danger to themselves or others.

The state should also allocate funding for school security upgrades and trauma emergency planning, Wolff said.

On ExpressNews.com: We felt the hurt: Uvalde bids goodbye to another two children

The Texas Legislature last week began setting up special committees after Gov. Abbott asked state lawmakers to make policy recommendations in response to the mass shooting in Uvalde.

Hundreds of Republican donors and self-described gun enthusiasts ran an open letter as a full-page ad in the Dallas Morning News on Sunday, voicing support for red flag laws, expanded background checks and raising the age to purchase a gun to 21.

Wolff said the county will expand the scope of its program with the advocacy group Moms Demand Action to address gun violence.

Bexar County is dedicated to preventing gun violence, Wolff said. We cannot let these tragedies happen again.

diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net
In the wake of each mass shooting in the United States, which is an an unconscionable and growing number, familiar scenarios play out.

Gun safety advocates decry the easy availability of guns, especially semi-automatic weapons. Second Amendment defenders, such as the National Rifle Association, then accuse them of politicizing a tragedy, asserting now isnt the time to talk politics.

As if law-abiding citizens murdered while living their lives  attending church, dancing at nightclubs, celebrating music festivals, going to elementary school  is a political topic.

The time frame for this arbitrary window of refraining from talking politics is never given, and it never expires, because the next mass shooting brings admonitions to not discuss politics.

Related: Editorial: Amid funerals, we embrace those in pain

But perhaps the major barrier to any meaningful legislative action on gun reform is the accusation that reformers want to abolish or shred the Second Amendment and take away the guns of law-abiding Americans.

This false choice  along with the notion of an unfettered right of anyone to own any weapon they desire, amassing an arsenal as big as they want  is deceitful. There arent any major or credible voices for gun safety arguing for abolishing private gun ownership in the United States.

What they demand is what we demand: sensible policies that would help reduce gun violence. These could include universal background checks, red flag laws, cooling-off periods after purchases and enhanced licensing, along with raising the age for assault weapons purchases and training for assault weapons.

Theres no inherent contradiction between citizens having the right to own firearms and the government having the right and responsibility to enact laws regulating private gun ownership.

In fact, its stated clearly in the amendment that gun rights defenders argue shields them from any restrictions. If the Second Amendment began and ended with the words, The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed the National Rifle Associations fidelity to the spirit and word of the Constitution would be unquestionable.

But the entire Second Amendment states: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Its the well-regulated part of the Second Amendment that gun rights absolutists ignore.

And theres no doubt whom our Founding Fathers believed should do the well-regulating.

Related: Editorial: Want to carry weapons? Do it like the military

In No. 29 of the Federalist Papers, the series of newspaper essays published in 1787 and 1788 to explain the proposed Constitution, Alexander Hamilton wrote, If a well-regulated militia be the most natural defense of a free country, it ought certainly to be under the regulation and at the disposal of that body which is constituted the guardian of the national security.

That guardian, wrote Hamilton, was the federal government. To paraphrase one of Hamiltons Federalist Papers co-writers, James Madison, if all gun owners were angels there would be no need for regulation.

The 1934 National Firearms Act was the first federal gun control legislation, but throughout American history, going back to Colonial America, there have always been laws curtailing the use of guns and where they could be carried and discharged.

The guns owned by the men in the militias were registered by the Colonial governments so they could keep track of the weapons. And, of course, guns have changed since then. Its not like 18-year-olds are purchasing muskets.

Even the greatest Supreme Court victory for gun rights warned against absolutism. In the 2008 milestone decision, District of Columbia v. Heller, the court ruled for the first time that the Second Amendment protected an individuals right to bear arms.

But in writing the 5-4 decision, Justice Antonin Scalia made this point, Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited  the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.

American citizens have the right of gun ownership. But living in a nation leading the world in gun-related deaths, American citizens also have the right for that ownership to be well-regulated so we will be better protected.
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After his mother was murdered when he was 14, Chris Tucker could not stop thinking about death. He wanted to die himself. Or he envisioned killing the perpetrator. He could hardly sleep and was struggling at school.

It was not until he met a social worker on campus in Schertz, east of San Antonio, that Tucker began to see a path forward through the grief. They talked, and he later agreed to participate in a summer program where he opened up about his experience and formed a community.

"We've grown and reshaped ourselves to be the people that we really wanted to be," said Tucker, now 26 and an accountant in Philadelphia.

THE AFTERMATH: After Uvalde massacre, Texas GOP leaders double down on the same fixes they tried after Santa Fe

Tucker's was the kind of positive outcome state lawmakers pictured in 2019, when they worked to increase mental health resources for students after the mass shooting at Santa Fe High School that left eight students and two teachers dead.

Access to those services again is at the forefront as Republican leaders respond to last week's massacre in Uvalde.

Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Mental health experts say the 2019 initiatives, including hundreds of millions of dollars more in funding, have only begun to address Texas mental health crisis, and that the state does little to track even their limited outcomes. Many school districts are left to fund their own interventions.

There is little evidence that mental illnesses cause mass shootings or that people diagnosed with them are more likely to commit violent crimes. Advocates also warn that scapegoating mental illness can stigmatize the wide spectrum of people living with psychological disorders.

"It's absolutely something that should be addressed  but it's not a panacea, said Greg Hansch, executive director for the Texas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It's more of a secondary or tertiary factor."

Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Republicans have pointed to the shortage of mental health resources, especially in rural Texas, as a key factor in the Uvalde shooting, while rejecting calls for stricter gun laws.

William Luther, Staff

The 18-year-old gunman, who killed 19 children and two adults, legally purchased the assault-style weapon he used in the shooting spree and had no known mental health history, Abbott said.

Even with the 2019 reforms, mental health care remains vastly underfunded in Texas. That largely is because of budget cuts two decades ago and years of stagnant funding to community mental health services. Today, Texas provides less access to care than any other state, and nearly three quarters of children and teenagers with major depression do not get treated, the highest rate in the country, according to the nonprofit group Mental Health America.

Without a direct source of state funding for mental health care, school districts in Texas are forced to rely on a patchwork of state and federal programs, most of which do not guarantee that money will flow to mental health services for students or training for teachers. As a result, only a tiny fraction of Texas roughly 1,200 public school and open-enrollment charter districts have enough counselors, social workers and psychologists to meet professionally recommended student-to-provider ratios, according to a recent Houston Chronicle analysis.

Lessons from Santa Fe

Central to lawmakers 2019 response was a new mental health consortium overseen by the University of Texas System, with a $99 million initial investment for programs focused on children and teens, including virtual visits between child psychologists and students referred by school staff. The Legislature also increased funding to Communities in Schools, which places staff directly on campuses and had employed Tuckers social workers.

In addition, lawmakers required school officials to form threat assessment teams to identify students who may pose a risk of violence, and put forth another $100 million to school districts every two years that can be used to hire security personnel, provide mental health services and buy physical upgrades, such as metal detectors and bullet-resistant glass.

In the first year, however, just 12 percent of Texas school districts reported using any of the funds for mental health support, while 8 percent said the money was used for behavioral health services, according to a survey by the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University.

A task force later found the Texas Education Agency was not collecting meaningful data on mental health programs in schools, including the number of students they serve or any standard outcomes they measure. The Legislature responded with a bill last year to bolster reporting, but the agency has yet to release any results.

FORMER COP SHOT IN SANTA FE: Increase security or let parents, teachers protect themselves

Annalee Gulley, director of public policy and government affairs for Mental Health America of Greater Houston, said lawmakers have taken encouraging steps to support mental health but should have paired the funding with more direction for school officials on how to spend it.

A critical lesson learned in the years following the Santa Fe High School shooting is funding alone is not enough, Gulley said. Instead, the state must connect financial resources to guidance on the most effective strategies to support the safety and well-being of educators and students following such a catastrophic event.

Much of the focus since 2019 has been on the telehealth effort known as TCHATT, including more than $50 million in added pandemic funding last year. The program has been slow to expand, however, serving only about 6,000 students so far. By comparison, Communities in Schools serves 115,000 students annually on a $35 million budget. There are more than 5 million students in Texas.

Neither Communities in Schools or TCHATT was present in Uvalde, though counselors and social workers have been pouring into the city since last week and plan to be there throughout the summer. Other consortium programs, including one that trains primary care doctors to treat mental health issues in young patients, have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're on the right path, but we've still got a lot of work to do," said David Lakey, who heads the mental health consortium and is vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas System.

Lakey previously led the Texas Department of State Health Services and is a medical doctor. From a public health standpoint, he said, mental health is one of several issues that need attention after Uvalde, as well as school safety measures and gun control.

I understand people have differences of opinion, but I think a lot of people are re-looking at, call it gun safety or other things, Lakey said, speaking in his personal capacity.

Sarah Wakefield, who chairs the psychiatry department at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and created one of the early models for TCHATT, said the program is intended to assess students who are struggling and pair them with the appropriate long-term intervention, such as community mental health programs or with participating pediatricians.

The goal is to say, hey, we've done a really clear diagnostic assessment, we have figured out why you've been struggling, we know what you're responding to and what's going to be effective, Wakefield said.

Competition for specialists

Since Uvalde, Abbott and other state leaders have signaled plans to again ramp up spending on mental health care and other areas they believe will help prevent school shootings. At the governor's request, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan this week assigned committees in each chamber of the Legislature to study existing school safety laws and recommend new policies related to mental health, social media, police training and firearm safety.

Hansch recommended lawmakers also consider directly funding mental health services in schools, perhaps by requiring districts to put a minimum amount of the school safety funds they now receive from the state toward mental health.

Some school districts have used the federal dollars made available for pandemic relief to expand counseling and mental health services, but hiring is difficult for positions requiring more specialized degrees and licensing.

San Antonio ISD, for example, has tried to add social service providers to every one of its nearly 100 campuses, including people who can provide clinical counseling and psychological services to backstop its 147 guidance counselors.

Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News

SAISD partners with Communities in Schools of San Antonio to fill the majority of these roles, and is looking to hire 20 more social service providers through the nonprofit.

Northside ISD used its partnership to add social work services and mental health support and increased its hiring in-house. It and other larger area districts expected to fill a relative handful of counselor vacancies without much problem.

School counselors in Texas are really the first line of mental health services at a public school campus, said Mary Libby, Northside ISDs director of guidance.

Some smaller districts have had a more difficult time competing for counselors. South San Antonio ISD still is trying to hire two at risk counselors for middle schoolers. Before 2020 it had just one counselor serving more than 450 middle school students. When the pandemic hit, it needed more, to help students struggling from isolation, grief and stress, said Charlie Gallardo, the director of guidance and counseling.

It is discouraging, Gallardo said. But I understand. You look around, there are counselor openings everywhere.

Staff writers Danya Perez and Claire Bryan contributed to this report.

jeremy.blackman@chron.com

jasper.scherer@chron.com
A Nuffield Farming Scholar has received an OBE in the Queens Platinum Jubilee honours list for her contribution to agriculture.

Dr Jenna Ross, who is also a voluntary director of the Oxford Farming Conference, has dedicated her career to finding innovative solutions in agriculture.

Growing up in Tarland, Aberdeenshire, on her family farm, she has a PhD in Environmental Science, focused on developing biological control agents for molluscs.

Active both in the farming and scientific community, in 2017, Dr Ross was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship.

She spent 26 weeks travelling the world gathering data about slugs, and studying their economic risk, exploring monitoring systems, and investigating control options.

The findings of her study, sponsored by AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds and RHASS, were published in her report, Riding the Slime Wave: Gathering Global Data on Slug Control.

Since finishing her studies, she remains active in the Trust, serving as past Secretary for Nuffield Scotland and is now the current Chair of the Scotland Regional group, where she works to recruit new scholars.

Dr Ross is also passionate about inspiring the next generation through her roles as a STEM Ambassador and Lantra Scotland Industry Champion.

Commenting on the accolade, she said: I am hugely shocked and massively honoured to receive an OBE. Through my own career I have been fortunate enough to experience so many wonderful opportunities within agriculture and science, helping broaden my knowledge and network.

"I am very much looking forward to using my OBE to help positively champion our amazing industry and all it has to offer now, and in the future.

She added: "Its a privileged to get up every morning and do something that I truly love. Coming from generations of farmers on both sides of my family means that agriculture well and truly flows through my blood."

Aside from her current outreach activities within agriculture, Dr Ross is also proactive in her role on leading international development for UK agri-tech innovation centre, Crop Health and Protection (CHAP).

Here her work includes overseeing innovation projects such as SlugBot  an autonomous slug monitoring and bio-molluscicide treatment system.

Other highlights include driving two projects to improve agronomy and crop production in India and managing a UK-Kenya collaboration to help growers overcome potato cyst nematode.
The Scottish Dairy Hub is celebrating eight years of supporting the country's dairy producers by offering free, confidential information and advice to the sector.

The organisation was established in June 2014 as an initiative that stemmed from the Scottish Dairy Review Ambition 2025 report, commissioned by the Scottish government.

The Hub has gone on to handle thousands of enquiries from the dairy sector and continues to offer a one-stop information service to farmers and service providers.

By identifying the best sources of advice to improve dairy farm competitiveness, technical efficiency and sustainability, it acts as a signposting service connecting the sector throughout Scotland.

Scottish Dairy Hub manager, Stuart Martin said to this day the organisation still receives a number of enquiries on a daily basis.

"Just recently we have dealt with the topics of bedding, artificial insemination, training courses for staff, installation of cattle tracks, on farm processing, calf house design amongst many others, he explained.

In addition to the one to one helpline service, the Hub is happy to work in a proactive manner to look at projects on a longer-term basis, both for dairy farmers and relevant service providers."

Handling queries from dairy farms of all sizes, the initiative has helped farmers at all stages of their business lifespan, from students and new entrants to established farms.

The website has also proven to be popular, with the events and noticeboard pages updated daily, offering dairy farmers an accessible online snapshot of workshops and conferences that might be of interest.

Mr Martin continued: The model of the Hub is very simple. If you have a question on any topic affecting your farm simply get in touch and we will do the research work and sign post you to the answer.

For dairy farmers working at grassroots, not only does this free up time, as the Hub will do the research work for you, but it will connect you directly to the various public and private sector companies that could add value to your farm and business.

For all the service providers feeding into the dairy industry, we can remove the marketing scatter gun approach and pinpoint you to farm businesses that seek their specific services.

Dairy producers can place their question to the Scottish Dairy Hub via the website www.scottishdairyhub.org.uk or by email info@scottishdairyhub.org.uk.
President Yoon Suk-yeol gives a speech at a Memorial Day ceremony held at Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap



Ruling party leader's Ukraine visit raises concerns about Seoul's ties with Russia, China



By Nam Hyun-woo



The presidential office is reportedly reviewing President Yoon Suk-yeol's proposed attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit to be held on June 29 and 30 in Madrid, Spain.



If confirmed, it will be Yoon's first overseas trip as Korea's head of state.



An official said in a media interview that the presidential office is reviewing various issues related to Yoon's possible trip to Spain for the NATO summit. "A president's first foreign visit itself has a symbolic meaning, so we're looking into whether the NATO summit is suitable or not and whether his attendance there can benefit or hurt our national interest or not," the official said, noting that Yoon's participation in the summit has yet to be confirmed.



News about Yoon's possible participation in the NATO summit came amid ruling People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok's visit to Ukraine. Departing Korea on Friday, Lee and the ruling party delegation arrived in Ukraine, where they met with activists from a local NGO on Saturday. Kyiv Governor Oleksiy Kuleba uploaded a photo of the PPP's delegation to social media on Sunday.



During his weeklong trip to Ukraine, Lee is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.



The timing of the news about President Yoon's possible visit to Spain for the NATO summit and the ruling party leader's arrival in war-torn Ukraine have raised concerns from liberal politicians in Korea as those two events could stir up tensions with Russia and China.









"For Lee to go visit the battlefield in Ukraine and view the current situation there is equivalent to the ruling party and government doing the same thing, so that could give the wrong signal to the international community and Ukraine," Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said during a symposium co-hosted by Asan Institute for Policy Studies and the U.S. Embassy in Korea, Friday.



Kim continued that the government must also give prudent consideration to President Yoon Suk-yeol attending the NATO summit, saying that such a high-level visit could also send the wrong signal.





In this photo uploaded on the Facebook page of Governor Oleksiy Kuleba of Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok, second from right, and the governor, second from left, look at a bombed building at an unidentified location in Kyiv. Screenshot from Governor Kuleba's Facebook page
A farmer-led revolution in tree planting on farmland will propel Scotland as a world leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, the Soil Association has said.

The sustainable farming charity shared evidence to the Scottish parliament on how a transition to agroecology can help achieve the governments net zero and nature recovery targets.

The reception brought agroecological farmers and crofters together with policy makers at Holyrood, where they demonstrated how they are putting nature friendly farming into practice, such as integrating trees with livestock and crops, and improving soil health and biodiversity while producing food.

The Soil Association also unveiled a new study at the event, which highlights how a farmer-led tree revolution can help meet Scotland's tree planting targets.

The Scottish government has set a target to increase annual tree planting to 18,000 hectares per year by 2024 to mitigate climate change and achieve net zero.

The report finds that given that 80% of the total land mass in Scotland is under agricultural production, farmers have a crucial role to play in meeting these targets.

Today one third of Scotlands woodland is on farm, approximately 546,000 hectares, but the charity argues that agroforestry, or the integration of trees into arable land and livestock pastures, as well as increasing farm woodland, could see this grow by 342,000 hectares.

If the Scottish government maintained its 18,00ha per year tree planting target up to 2050, then this on-farm planting could account for 68% or more than two thirds of that projected total.

Furthermore, the environmental benefits of a shift to more integrated systems is likely to be greater than converting to woodland at a whole farm scale  without distorting the vital food and rural economies.

Soil Association head of policy, David McKay said that given the extent of the farmed landscape in Scotland, farmers will be key to achieving tree planting targets.

"This study provides recommendations for government and an economic model to demonstrate how agroforestry and integrated farm woodland offer a viable and cost-effective way to enhance tree planting without reducing agricultural production," he said.

Strategically increasing agroforestry and farm woodland in Scotland has the potential to enhance the performance of the agricultural economy and develop new income streams for farmers.

The report also finds that integrating more trees on farms has the potential to significantly increase incomes, support livestock, dairy and arable farming systems and enhance the performance of Scotland's food system.

The study argues that to achieve this will require the widespread adoption of these systems which will need public policy and investment to incentivise farmers to make these changes.
A support package worth 200,000 to help keep Northern Ireland's agricultural shows afloat following the pandemic has been extended for applications.

Under the bounce back support scheme, show representatives will be permitted to claim up to a maximum of 10,000 for new or increased costs in 2022.

Many businesses and sectors were adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and agricultural shows were not immune to these effects.

All shows were cancelled in 2020 and only a few were able to make a comeback last year.

This resulted in shows and events, which are often run by charities, losing the opportunity to raise vital funds that would help prepare for the 2022 season.

The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) had called for government intervention last year, as rural events were "so important to rural communities and farming families."

Now the Department of Agriculture (DAERA) Minister Edwin Poots has confirmed the deadline will be extended by four weeks, until 30 June.

"Shows are vital in supporting our rural communities as well as boosting tourism and the local economy, he said.

I am delighted that we have been able to extend the closing date for the 200,000 bounce back scheme.

"I would encourage organisers to submit their applications and relevant paperwork as soon as possible."

Mr Poots also confirmed the appointment of Aled Rhys Jones to lead a Resilience Review of NI Agricultural shows.

The independent review will map out the challenges and opportunities for the shows sector. It will also explore future support options.

Mr Poots confirmed it is underway and will be completed by the end of summer.
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Dibyendu Bhattacharya has racked up widespread acclamation due to his powerful portrayal on-screen. The long-serving actor brings with him a plethora of emotions every time he faces the camera. He ventured into the industry with his role in Mira Nairs Monsoon Wedding, which went on to become a global success. Ever since, the actor has shown his acting prowess by playing a wide range of characters.

Some of his highly acclaimed movies include Black Friday, Dev D, Chittagong, Lootera, Pari, and Looop Lapeta. Bhattacharya has recently earned recognition in the digital space as well. The OTT platforms have created a space that nurtures talent, where actors like Dibyendu can explore great opportunities. Some of his acclaimed work with OTT platforms includes Criminal Justice, Jamtara, and the latest series, Rocket Boys. In an interview with Filmfare, Dibyendu Bhattacharya throws light upon his two-decade-long journey in the industry, his characters, and much more.

How Would You Describe Your Experience Up To Now As An Actor Who Has Worked Across Mediums?

I wish to do good work. Platforms dont matter. Right now, I have returned from Azerbaijan. Never in my life did I think I'd go to Azerbaijan. I love traveling. I love trying the food, and culture and meeting new people from different places. It is an overwhelming experience.

You Have Been A Mentor To Many Actors, From Sidharth Malhotra To Arjun Kapoorhow Enriching Has That Experience Been?

I have graduated from the National School of Drama. I am a practicing actor, I know what problems actors go through. My process of teaching is my experience in art. Arjun Kapoor is from a film background; he has assisted in films since childhood. I enjoyed myself a lot with everyone, Arjun Kapoor, Siddharth Malhotra, Parineeti Chopra, Vaani Kapoor, and the entire gang of the movie Fukrey. When I hold my classes, I feel like I am also growing. I believe sometimes actors should do this, so they know what they have left and what they need to get reacquainted with.

Tell Us A Little About Theatre Life, How Has That Contributed To Shaping You As An Actor?

I think the stage is the mother of acting. I believe whatever I am today is because of my theatre career. I started doing theatre in 1988 in Kolkata before I joined the National School of Drama. I have acted in almost 55-60 plays and directed almost 20-23. All together, I have a relationship with almost 100 plays. In 2000, I left my job and came to Mumbai. Since then, I have been working here. Once you get into movies, doing theatre becomes a little harder because theatre acquires a different kind of commitment. When I did a play in 2015, I was very scared and worried about forgetting my lines or messing up. When I got on stage after 15 years to perform The School for Wives by Moliere for Chennai fund relief, those 15 years vanished in a second.

Ott Has Been Rewarding As Well, With The Most Recent Successes Being Looop Lapeta And Rocket Boys. How Did The Roles Come Your Way And What Was The Journey Like?

I came a long way from the theatre background to my acting career in Mumbai. It did not happen overnight, but it was a long way. I have wanted to work and to be seen. And why should I even work in a specific genre? Why should I always be a dark character, a comedian, or a lovelorn boy? I am an actor, a trained actor. I can be a professor, a stylized don, a confused cop, or a dangerous villain. And that is one thing I always tell my directors, that no one has ever typecast me. For Rocket Boys, I saw that the directors were good, and for me, all that matters is to do good work. The direction, the vision, everything was different, and that was a huge feat. I love working with different people and doing new and unique things.

You Have An Upcoming Bengali Film In The Pipeline Called Bonbibi. Tell Us A Little About Your Character In The Film.

I think Bonbibi is going to be a good film because the makers have made it with a lot of love and appreciation. Everybody worked hard, and the amalgamation of good actors and makers will work out well. What made it fun for me was the connection, Bonbibi is the folklore of Sundarban. We have heard this since our childhood. There are two daughters in it- Bonbibi and Dokkhin Rai. Both of them are saviours of the forest, but Bonbibi protects it while Dokkhin Rai is a personification of the royal Bengal tiger. So that was very fun because it was the first time I ever played a tiger. We are Bengalis from Kolkata and my mum, sister, and dad always wanted me to contribute to the Bengali industry. I haven't been able to do that much. At one time, I used to do theatre in Kolkata itself. I have done very few Bengali projects in my life. My family always wanted me to work in Bengal, so when I get the opportunity to work here, 99 per cent of the time I always say yes.

What About Other Bollywood Projects?



Jamtara 2 is eventually going to be released. The trailer for Khuda Haafiz 2 should be available in about a month. Rocket Boys 2 is also going to come. Of course, there's a lot of stuff that hasn't been announced yet.

Any Favourites From The Current Generation Of Bollywood Actors You Would Like To Collaborate With?

My all-time favourite, Irrfan Bhai, unfortunately passed away. I tried a lot to collaborate with him. Right now, I don't think there's someone with whom I want to collaborate specifically, I want to work with everyone. But I wanted to work with Irrfan Bhai. I would always want to collaborate with our gurus, Naseer Bhai, and Pankaj Kapur; I am always open to working with them.
Over the years, Bollywood has brought about significant changes in its portrayal of women in cinema. Through powerful stories, the film industry has highlighted the creative acumen of women in cinemas. We made a list of the movies that celebrated the true essence of womanhood with their powerful portrayals.

Some of these movies have changed the shape of Indian cinema, with stories that highlight male entitlement, female empowerment, and womens safety, among other societal issues. Some of these movies are Thappad, Queen, and Highway. There are also a plethora of movies that not only highlight womens issues but also show them in heroic roles. Some of the popular movies in this genre are Kahaani, Neerja, and Raazi. A movie like English Vinglish by Gauri Shinde turned a housewife into the protagonist of a comedy-drama.

Filmfare shares our picks of women-centric movies in Bollywood. Please note that this is not a definitive list.

Mardaani

Mardaani shows Rani Mukerjee playing the bold and powerful role of a police officer, Shivani Shivaji Roy. The filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar has portrayed an honest and fearless protagonist who puts her heart and mind into dealing with criminals. The action-packed crime thriller intensifies as Shivani stumbles into a child-trafficking ring. As she circles closer to finding the kingpin, the movie only gets more engaging. The movie is deemed to be one of the best on-screen performances by Rani Mukherjee. Her portrayal on screen is real and relatable, with some hard-hitting dialogues. She is a force to be reckoned with and lends the character power, strength, and dignity.

Queen

Kangana Ranaut plays the career-defining role of Rani Mehra, whose fiancee breaks off their relationship one day before their wedding. He cites the reason as Ranis conservative habits. This is when Rani decides to take their pre-booked honeymoon trip alone. Once in Europe, Rani learns the importance of having a good time. She also gains confidence and agency as she makes her own decisions. The movie won six awards at Filmfare, including Best Film and Best Actress. It is also listed as one of the ten greatest Indian films of the 21st century at the British Film Institute.

Kahaani

Vidya Balan stuns the audience with her role as Vidya Bagchi in this thriller movie. The movie, co-produced and directed by Sujoy Ghosh, explores themes of feminism and womanhood. The movie begins as Vidya Bagchi sets out on a journey to find her missing husband, but keeps escalating until we find out the hidden truth. With rave reviews, the movie was not only critically acclaimed but also a commercial success. The movie won five Filmfare awards, including Best Director and Best Actress, among others.





Gangubai Kathiawadi

Alia Bhatt in this movie plays the unapologetic role of Gangubai Kathiawadi, who is forced into prostitution and later emerges as a powerful political figure. Sanjay Leela Bhansali received critical acclaim for portraying a strong female lead. The gripping story shows a young Ganga adapting to her shocking new life as a prostitute. But her fearlessness and dignity helped her emerge as a leader when she won the Kamathipura Presidential elections. With her newly found power, Gangu is then seen advocating for girls' education and human rights for sex workers. Alia Bhatt embodies Gangubai with her immaculate acting. She received critical acclaim for her magnetic performance, and she carries the film on her own.

Thappad

Taapsee Pannu plays the role of a warm and loving wife, Amrita Sandhu in Thappad. The movie is directed by Anubhav Sinha, who brings to life the tale of a woman who values her self-respect and dignity above all else. The story progresses to an incident in which Amrita's husband, Vikram, slaps her in front of a guest invited to her house party. We then see the bold Amrita file for a divorce on the grounds that he could not hit him, not even once. The slap opened her eyes to the fact that respect and happiness are the basic offerings of marriage, and she was not getting either. Taapsee Pannu delivered an impactful performance in the movie, which stayed with the audience even after they left the theatre. She realistically portrays the gamut of emotions that the character undergoes. Her stupendous performance won her accolades and widespread recognition for the movie.

Highway

Alia Bhatt plays the role of Veera Tripathi in this unconventional drama. Imtiaz Ali brings to the screen the story of a young girl who ironically discovers freedom after getting kidnapped. The story subtly brings up how Veera would feel caged and emotionally drained at her home, which also accounted for her childhood drama. Once kidnapped, she starts craving the journey that was very new to her. Alia Bhatt proved her acting prowess with a powerful portrayal of an honest young girl in her search for freedom. Her acting range won the hearts of the audience as she slowly transformed from being timid to gathering the confidence to confront her molester.

English Vinglish

In English Vinglish, Sridevi plays the role of Shashi, a middle-aged small entrepreneur who has dedicated her life towards the welfare of her family. Gauri Shinde brings to life the beautiful story of Shashi who gets mocked by her family because of poor English-speaking skills. She travels to the USA where she takes English classes that bring about a major shift in her confidence levels. English Vinglish marked Sridevis comeback to movies after a long break. The actress brought a refreshing sincerity to the movie and her natural discomfort with the language won the audience.

Raazi

The movie brings together Meghna Gulzar as the director, Karan Johar as the producer to bring forward a patriotic story that highlights Alia Bhatts acting prowess.The movie revolves around the story of an Indian-spy Sehmat played by Alia Bhatt and is based on the novel Calling Sehmat by Harinder Sikka. The movie revolves around the true account of a RAW agent who gets married to a Pakistani Brigadiers son. Once she moves to Pakistan, she tries to extract information prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Raazi went on to become one of the highest-grossing films in India featuring a female protagonist.

Veere Di Wedding

Veere Di Wedding is a movie that brings together Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Swara Bhaskar, and Shikha Talsania to essay the roles of four young friends who celebrate togetherness despite facing problems in their personal lives. The movie captures the love and warmth between four school friends who are reuniting for a much-awaited wedding and the events that follow. Veere Di Wedding went on to become the fifth highest-grossing film of the year, and the highest-grossing film featuring female leads. It also received three nominations for a Filmfare award.





Neerja

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja plays the role of the bold and fearless Neerja Bhanot in the biographical thriller movie Neerja. Directed by Ram Madhvani, Neerja is based on true events: the attempted hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi by a Libyan-backed terrorist organization. Sonam Kapoor showcases her mettle by playing the air hostess who alerts the pilot and thus grounds the plane. Neerja won multiple accolades and widespread recognition. It won six awards at the 62nd Filmfare Award, including Best Film (Critics), Best Actress (Critics), and Best Supporting Actress.
Identifies New Copper and Molybdenum Mineralized Zone

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2021) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV: RYR) ("Royal Road" or the "Company") is pleased to announce further interim drilling results from its Caribe gold discovery in northeastern Nicaragua.

The Caribe project forms a part of the Company's Strategic-Alliance agreement (see press release; September 6, 2017) with Hemco Mineros Nicaragua ("Hemco" a subsidiary of Colombia's Grupo Mineros S.A. MINEROS: CB) and is located in the highly prospective "Golden Triangle" of northeastern Nicaragua. Royal Road Minerals is operator of the Strategic Alliance.

Royal Road's exploration team discovered the Caribe project during reconnaissance exploration in February of 2018. Outcrop at Caribe is concealed under soil and laterite cover and there is no previous record of mining or mineralization in the area. In 2019, Royal Road and Hemco completed an initial 4-hole, exploratory drilling program at Caribe which returned promising results for gold (see Press Release October 7, 2019). A follow-up diamond drilling program commenced at the project during August of last year and has returned encouraging initial results including CB-DDH-016, 100.45 meters at 1.0 gram per tonne; CB-DDH-017, 90 meters at 1.0 gram per tonne and CB-DDH-015, 63 meters at 1.0 gram per tonne gold (see Press Releases November 10, 2020, February 11, 2021, March 17, 2021 and Table 1). Results for a further 3 exploratory drill holes have now been returned. Significant results include:

CB-DDH-021 29 meters at 1.0 gram per tonne gold

CB-DDH-022 12 meters at 1.2 grams per tonne gold (within a broader halo of 44 meters at 0.7 grams per tonne gold)

CB-DDH-023 10.1 meters at 1.85% Copper equivalent1

(not true width and the company does not have sufficient information to make a determination of the true widths of the drill hole intersections)

The complete lack of outcrop, often significant depth of soil and laterite cover and the brecciated nature of the volcanic sequence at Caribe means a constant reinterpretation of geological models as drilling advances and the project slowly reveals itself. This interpretative process is currently frustrated by congestion and slow turnaround times at our contract geochemical laboratory. In some cases turnaround times can exceed 40-days from sample delivery to the receipt of final results.

____________________________________

1 See Table 1 for copper equivalent calculation.

Information from recent deep-drilling, the relogging of previous drill holes and the reprocessing and reinterpretation of geophysical data has defined what appears to be a broadly structurally controlled system represented primarily by a regional-scale northwest-southeast trending fault zone and subsidiary (possibly tensional) northeast oriented zones (corridors, see Figure 1) that are apparent in the magnetic data. Limited core orientation information implies that the northeast corridors host steeply-dipping gold-mineralized hydrothermal breccia bodies with a sulfide-rich matrix composed of pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite. Gold is also hosted in a broader, probably northeast dipping, stratabound (lower temperature) halo around these breccia bodies, see Figure 1.

Multi-element analyses of drillhole geochemical data and the copper mineralization intersected in drill hole CB-DDH-023 are interpreted to imply a concealed copper and molybdenum (possibly porphyry style) mineralized system located outside the limits of the lower temperature gold mineralized halo.

TABLE 1: CARIBE PRELIMINARY DRILL RESULTS TABLE (> 0.9 g/t GOLD) GOLD COMMENTS HOLE ID E N Z(m) DIP AZIM DEPTH FROM TO LENGTH (m)* GRADE (g/t) 2019 Program CB-DDH-001 793252 1530691 49 60 306 94.55 2.00 30.00 28 1.1 CB-DDH-002 793252 1530688 49 60 111 138.57 1.00 14.00 13 1.0 33.00 37.00 4 1.0 CB-DDH-003 793254 1530689 49 60 42 112.85 78.00 80.00 2 1.7 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 110.00 112.85 (EOH) 2.85 1.2 CB-DDH-004 793346 1530775 44 60 40 67.10 13.00 31.00 18 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 62.00 67.00 (EOH) 5 1.0 2020-2021 Program CB-DDH-005 793258 1530689 43 60 220 100.65 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-006 793350 1530772 36 60 40 160.12 28.00 102.00 74 0.9 129.00 143.00 14 1.0 CB-DDH-007 793349 1530769 36 60 220 123.52 22.00 28.00 6 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 61.00 63.00 2 1.0 65.00 77.00 12 1.0 83.00 89.00 6 1.0 CB-DDH-008 793395 1530824 35 60 40 79.30 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-009 793270 1530770 38 60 125 161.65 9.00 14.00 5 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 37.00 82.00 45 1.0 123.00 158.00 35 1.1 CB-DDH-010 793296 1530664 37 60 305 114.37 0.00 42.00 42 1.0 CB-DDH-011 793338 1530633 35 60 40 80.82 38.00 80.00 42 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-012 794646 1532046 37 60 360 184.52 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-013 794646 1532046 37 60 335 131.15 CB-DDH-014 793875 1532118 40 60 40 180 CB-DDH-015 793349 1530771 43 90 0 190.62 18.00 26.00 8 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 53.00 62.00 9 1.0 88.00 151.00 63 1.0 CB-DDH-016 793314 1530813 43 60 125 149.45 49.00 149.45 (EOH) 100.45 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-017 793295 1530744 43 60 90 244 51.00 141.00 90 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-018 793364 1530641 35 60 40 68.62 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-019 793296 1530664 35 50 40 102.17 0.00 35.00 35 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 56.00 66.00 10 1.0 79.00 82.00 3 2.1 CB-DDH-020 793604 1530412 37 60 40 67.1 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-021 793345 1530846 88.00 117.00 29 1.0 CB-DDH-022 793498 1530892 37 60 236 353.8 75.00 87.00 12 1.2 97.00 99.00 2 1.0 110.00 117.00 7 1.0 186.00 191.00 5 1.0 CB-DDH-023 793498 1530892 37 60 40 340.07 188.90 199.00 10.10 0.6 0.86 960 43 COPPER % MOLYBDENUM ppm SILVER ppm

*NOT TRUE WIDTH AND THE COMPANY DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO MAKE A DETERMINATION OF THE TRUE WIDTHS OF THE DRILL HOLE INTERSECTIONS

DOWN HOLE CUT-OFF 0.2 g/t gold

MAXIMUM INTERNAL DILUTION, 10 Meters

COPPER EQUIVALENT = COPPER % + (GOLD% X 5850) + (MOLYBDENUM% X 3) + (SILVER% X 83)









Figure 1



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4008/88185_Fig1.jpg

Exploratory drilling is continuing at Caribe. The Company also intends to complete IP geophysics at the project and is currently awaiting delivery of a portable Rotary Air Blast/Reverse Circulation (RAB/RC) drilling rig with capacity to sample beneath the soil and laterite cover across a wide area.

"We are very excited by both the immediate near-surface gold potential and the possibility of a deeper porphyry-style system at Caribe and pleased that the project seems to be finally giving up its secrets," said Dr Tim Coughlin, Royal Roads President and CEO. "Laboratory turnaround times have been very frustrating and we are working with our contractors to ensure that this situation is rectified."

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.

The information in this news release was compiled, reviewed and verified by Dr. Tim Coughlin, BSc (Geology), MSc (Exploration and Mining), PhD (Structural Geology), FAusIMM, President and CEO of Royal Road Minerals Ltd and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Royal Road Minerals employees are instructed to follow standard operating and quality assurance procedures intended to ensure that all sampling techniques and sample results meet international reporting standards. More information can be found on Royal Road Minerals web site at www.royalroadminerals.com.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:

Diamond drill core is cut in half over 1-meter downhole intervals using a core saw. Samples are prepared and assayed by independent and ISO accredited laboratories of Bureau Veritas Minerals (BVM) and their local subsidiaries. Bagged 1-meter samples are collected from site and delivered to BVM sample preparation laboratories in Managua. Samples are prepared using the BVM codes PRP70-250 plus PUL85, where samples are crushed to 70% less than two millimeters, a riffle split of 250 grams is collected and then pulverized to better than 85 per cent passing 75 microns. Prepared sample pulps are then sent for analysis to BVM labs in Vancouver, Canada. Gold is analyzed by fire assay with an atomic absorption finish and a measurement range of 0.005 to 10 ppm. Samples over 10-ppm gold are re-analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Multielement concentrations are analyzed by four-acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Samples over 10,000ppm Cu, Zn, Pb or Mn and 200 ppm W, are re-analyzed with four acid digestion and Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer (ICP-ES). Commercially prepared standards (gold-copper pulps), blanks (pulps and coarse chips) and field duplicates are inserted into the sample stream by Royal Road Minerals for a total of 15% QA/QC to ensure sample precision. In the case of duplicate analyses of a sample, the average of both analyses is used as the final reported value. Unless otherwise stated, gold grades are not capped for calculation of length-weighted averages.

Cautionary statement:

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") including statements relating to the Hemco-Mineros Alliance and those describing the Company's future plans and the expectations of its management that a stated result or condition will occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or developments in the Company's business or in the mineral resources industry, or with respect to the Hemco-Mineros Alliance, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on assumptions about, among other things, future economic conditions and courses of action, and assumptions related to government approvals, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The words "plans", "prospective", "expect", "intend", "intends to" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, those related to the Hemco-Mineros Alliance, Hemco-Mineros, and the Company's plans exploration plans.

The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. There is no guarantee that the anticipated benefits of the Hemco-Mineros Alliance and the Company's business plans or operations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: economic market conditions, anticipated costs and expenditures, government approvals, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators or other applicable regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements included herein are based on the current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions of the Company management and, in part, on information provided to the Company by Hemco-Mineros, and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change.

For further information please contact:

Dr. Timothy Coughlin

President and Chief Executive Officer

USA-Canada toll free 1800 6389205

+44 (0)1534 887166

info@royalroadminerals.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/88185
BEIJING, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news release from GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE:

The three-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)Youth Technology and Innovation Forum dropped its curtain in Shenzhen, south China'sGuangdong Province, on June 2. The Shenzhen Initiative on SCO Youth Technology and Innovation Forum was adopted during the forum.

Shen Yueyue, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and President of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, Abduhakimov Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan and leaders of SCO member states, Zhang Ming, Secretary-General of the SCO, and foreign representatives attended the opening ceremony of the forum.

Shen delivered a keynote speech via video link. She expressed that friendly exchanges and sci-tech innovation have always been the priority areas of the SCO's cooperation.

Young people from SCO member countries should bear people's well-being in mind, seize opportunities, uphold openness and inclusiveness, engage in the friendship cause, Shen pointed out.

Abduhakimov Aziz delivered a keynote speech via video link. He noted that his country encourages young people to participate in the implementation of top-level planning and reform plans, fully supports the SCO work on youth affairs, and will continue to make contributions to the progress of the SCO youth cause and the development of the SCO member countries.

Six parallel sessions of the forum were held, including the Parallel Session on Youth Innovation and Cooperation, the Parallel Session on People's Health, the Parallel Session on Digital Economy, the Parallel Session on Artificial Intelligence, the Parallel Session on Green Development , and the Parallel Session on Poverty Reduction Cooperation and Rural Development. Fruitful results were yielded during the parallel sessions.

During the forum, the young participants also visited the SCO Youth Campus, sci-tech and innovative companies, youth entrepreneurship bases and cultural landmarks in the city.

About 30 Gen-Zers, including participants to the forum, young representatives from all walks of life in the city and Chinese and foreign media influencers, gathered together for a bike riding activity, which was a warm-up for the forum.

Government officials and diplomatic envoys from the member states, observer states, and dialogue partners of the SCO, representatives of universities, institutions and enterprises, young scientists, young entrepreneurs, and representatives of youth organizations and media outlets from home and abroad attended the forum, which was held both online and offline.
BEIJING, June 6 -- On June 1, Kinshasa time, China's 25th peacekeeping medical contingent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) passed with high standards the equipment inspection for the second quarter of this year carried out by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO), with all equipment meeting the UN standards.

On the very day, a six-member inspection team from the MONUSCO Headquarters came to the Level-II Hospital run by the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to conduct inspections of main equipment, self-sustaining equipment and personal equipment. Altogether, the inspection team carefully examined over 1,000 pieces of equipment from 15 different categories, including medical treatment, vehicle, communications, defense, warehousing and logistics.

It is learned that since deployed to its mission area in September 2021, the 25th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to the DRC has received more than 420 patients, performed more than 40 surgical operations, and vaccinated over 150 UN personnel against COVID-19.

(Reporter Bai Jie, correspondent Li Xiaolong and Qiao Yan)
The U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan in central Seoul / Korea Times file





The government is in talks with U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) about having the site of Yongsan Garrison's Dragon Hill Lodge returned to Korea in exchange for an alternative plot of land, sources said Monday.







According to foreign and defense ministry officials, the two sides have been in negotiations to return a 105,000 square-meter site hosting the Dragon Hill Lodge, situated next to the presidential office in central Seoul, to the Korean government.







In return, Seoul will provide a plot of land at a different site.







The sources said the two sides are expected to reach an agreement in the near future.







Seoul and Washington had previously planned to retain a U.S. military base at the Dragon Hill Lodge site to host a liaison office for USFK and the United Nations Command as well as a front office for the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command in the wake of the U.S. forces' relocation to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.







The plan, however, is expected to be revised, the presidential official said. (Yonhap)






The partnership will expand GitHub's reach, enable developer collaboration, and secure cloud-ready code with GitHub Enterprise

BENGALURU, India, June 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iValue InfoSolutions today announced that it has been named as a GitHub Distributor. The partnership will expand the reach of GitHub Enterprise - a development platform with end-to-end security, the latest in automation, and tools to help developer teams do their best work - in India and Southeast Asia.

iValue InfoSolutions, with its rich experience and expertise in the Data, Network &, Application protection & management space, strives to build trusted customer advisor relationships by delivering customized and optimized "Best in Class" solutions & services, to effectively address business and IT challenges.

Using GitHub's Enterprise platform, iValue will enable organisations to increase developer velocity, secure software at every step, automate entire workflows, and redefine collaboration, all in one platform.

"DevSecOps is a key offering from iValue, as today's businesses rely heavily on speed. Our partnership with GitHub is intended to bring the best skills and tools to enable a faster, automated, and secure product lifecycle. For enterprises, a well-architected and planned digital transformation journey will have cybersecurity investments at its core and the iValue team believes this can be achieved with the help of GitHub's Enterprise Platform," says Amarjeet Singh Manchanda, VP - Data Centre and Cloud Business, iValue Infosolutions.

"As we expand the reach of GitHub across India and South-East Asia, it's important that we support this growth with strong partnerships," said Anand Natarajan, Channel Manager, GitHub India."As a GitHub Distributor, iValue will support organisations in the region by offering the tools and resources needed to boost developer velocity, empower teams, secure development and drive business transformation."

About iValue InfoSolutions:

A market leader and technology enabler who assists businesses in managing, optimizing, and protecting their digital assets. iValue is proud to have served for over 6000+ customers across industry verticals through 900+ Partners & direct alliances with 75+ "Best of Breed" Technology OEMs. iValue has a direct presence across 18+ locations covering South-East Asia & Africa continents with Consulting; Solutioning; Vertical & Horizontal focused teams, addressing Technology enablement, Pre-sales, Sales & Post-sales needs of Customer for Private, Public and Hybrid cloud needs. iValue ASEAN operates with HQ in Singapore, with local entities in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka apart from Nairobi (Kenya) office for Africa foray.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1832851/iValue_InfoSolutions_GitHub.jpg

Contact: Nagesh Belur | nagesh.b@ivalue.co.in
Results show two thirds of European citizens intend to use new EU-backed wallet for secure storage of ID cards, licences and documents on smartphones; while millions are still carrying unofficial scans and photos of physical ID cards and other documents on their handsets

A major new survey by Thales shows that two out of three Europeans citizens are looking forward to the arrival of an EU-backed Digital ID Wallet for storing their ID card, driving licence and other official documents and signed attestations on a smartphone. The results also reveal that while 27% currently use some form of official national Digital ID scheme, 45% are relying on insecure, unofficial, 'DIY' (do it yourself) scans and photos of their cards and documents to help prove their identity and entitlements.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220605005010/en/

Digitalisation is already improving user-experience and relieving identification headaches

Starting with a pilot phase in 2023, every member state must by 2024 offer citizens a Digital ID Wallet that can be used throughout the EU. The results of the survey certainly underline the need for this pioneering European initiative aiming at offering most convenient User Experience (UX) at highest level of security. Regarding UX, 34% of people surveyed currently find it difficult to prove their identity when renewing an ID document, 30% have problems when making a high value purchase, and 29% encounter troubles when applying for financial services. However, among the 40% who face such issues, the figure falls to just 5% or below when a digital format is used.

Successful wallets will need to match highest security standards

In all but one of the countries surveyed, government emerges as the preferred provider of the EDIW. However, despite widespread public support for the idea, the results demonstrate that wallet providers must address significant security and data privacy concerns among potential users. In particular, the research shows that 65% of Europeans rate security as the most important feature in any new wallet, followed by convenience and privacy.

Results highlight different national attitudes to the EDIW

The survey uncovers differences in national attitudes. The French and the Italians are the most positive about the EDIW, with 85% and 75% respectively claiming they will use it. Enthusiasm for the EDIW is also influenced by age, and citizens' experiences of digital wallets providers (such as Apple, Google, Samsung) and national Digital ID schemes including BankID in Sweden.

"By providing citizens with a secure and convenient means of proving their identity and entitlements via a smartphone, the EDIW will enable smooth and secure interactions between citizens, governments and private businesses. The results of our survey offer providers a better understanding of citizens' needs, helping them to maximise adoption and use of the new wallets that will be introduced throughout the EU over the next 18 months. Thales as a leader in digital security and trustful provider of digital identities remains fully committed to address those needs thanks to field-proven wallet solutions," said Youzec Kurp, VP Identity and Biometric Solutions at Thales.

Conducted by Thales, the survey took place in December 2021. In total, 1835 citizens from seven different EU countries provided detailed answers to an online questionnaire. The full results are now available in a new white paper: Understanding the European identity experience.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies, investing in digital and "deep tech" innovations connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum computing to build a confident future crucial for the development of our societies. The company provides solutions, services and products that help its customers businesses, organisations and states in the defence, aeronautics, space, transportation and digital identity and security markets to fulfil their critical missions, by placing humans at the heart of the decision-making process.

Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2021, the Group generated sales of 16.2 billion.

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Contacts:

PRESS

Thales, Media Relations

Digital Identity and Security

Vanessa Viala

+33 (0)6 07 34 00 34

vanessa.viala@thalesgroup.com
Series B co-led by Fast Track Initiative, DCI Partners, and 4BIO Capital

Proceeds to accelerate development of LUCA's novel Mitochondria Isolation Technology (MIT) platform, IND-enabling activities for its in-house pipeline and establish its manufacturing capability

LUCA Science, a global innovator in the development of a novel class of mitochondria biopharmaceutical agents, today announced the closing of a 3.86 billion (USD 30.3 million) oversubscribed Series B financing. The round was co-led by DCI Partners, 4BIO Capital and existing investor Fast Track Initiative and supported by an international syndicate of existing investors including Remiges Ventures and Nippon Venture Capital Co, and new investors including Nissay Capital, Asahi Kasei Pharma, QB Capital/NCB Venture Capital and SMBC Venture Capital.

LUCA Science is pioneering a new class of mitochondrial therapy to restore cellular bioenergetics in dysfunctional or damaged tissues and organs. The funds from this round will be used to accelerate the research and development of the company's proprietary pipeline toward IND submission. In addition, LUCA Science is rapidly advancing its existing pipeline with a view to target additional therapeutic areas in collaboration with leading academic and industry partners. Proceeds from the financing will also be used to establish a robust manufacturing system based on its proprietary Mitochondrial Isolation Technology (MIT) platform, a novel method for intact, shelf-stable and highly functional isolated mitochondria as a quality-controlled biopharmaceutical agent.

"We have assembled a world-class syndicate of investors both in Japan and internationally, who share our vision of creating a novel class of modality using mitochondria to address a range of unmet medical needs," said Dr. Rick C. Tsai, Chief Executive Officer of LUCA Science. "This significant financing round will enable further investment in our CMC capabilities and help us accelerate our research and development activities to bring the possibility of mitochondria closer to patients. This marks a key moment for the company and moves us one step closer to our goal of becoming the world leader in mitochondria therapy."

Following the closing of the financing, Philippe Fauchet of 4BIO Capital, Tai Harada of Fast Track Initiative, and Shuntaro Kodama of DCI Partners will join LUCA Science's Board of Directors.

Shuntaro Kodama, Managing Director at DCI Partners, said: "We have investigated a new approach to impact the regenerative system in dysfunctional cells which cause various diseases, and are convinced that Luca Science's mitochondria therapy is the one and fully fits our interest. We are really excited to co-lead this financing round and work with the talented team to unlock the potential of this innovative therapy."

Tai Harada, Vice President at Fast Track Initiatives, said: "LUCA Science is at the frontier of revolutionary medicine, untangling the complex biology of mitochondria while applying scientific rigor. Fast Track Initiative is proud to continually invest in LUCA Science, this time as a lead investor, and looks forward to ongoing support. We believe LUCA's mitochondria therapy has significant potential to bring strong benefits to many patients with limited treatment options."

Kieran Mudryy, Partner at 4BIO Capital, commented: "Representing our first investment in Japan, LUCA Science aligns with our ethos at 4BIO Capital to encourage novel treatment modalities that could become game changers in various indications of high unmet need. We are delighted that our Venture Partner Philippe Fauchet, OBE, will be joining the Board of LUCA Science. Japan continues to present a significant hub of scientific research and development from which cutting edge innovation continues to emerge and we continue to look at multiple opportunities in this exciting market."

Notes to Editors:

About LUCA Science Inc.

LUCA Science is a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a new class of mitochondrial therapy to restore cellular bioenergetics in dysfunctional or damaged tissues and organs. Mitochondria are the power plants in our cells that produce energy for our bodies. LUCA Science will use its platform technology to manufacture, store and deliver innovative mitochondrial drugs to research and development of therapeutics for unmet medical needs in a wide range of diseases for which there have been no effective treatments.

Name: LUCA Science Inc.

Headquarters: 3-8-3, Nihonbashi Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0023, Japan

CEO: Rick C. Tsai DMD, MD

Established: December 25th 2018

Employees: 20

URL: https://luca-science.com

Business: Research and development of mitochondrial biopharmaceuticals

About Fast Track Initiative

Fast Track Initiative (FTI) is a healthcare-focused venture capital firm that operates in Japan and the US. With its mission of "Capital for Life", FTI focuses on early-stage investments and new company creations exclusively in the healthcare sector. With the team of professionals in life science and investment and over 18 years of history, FTI serves as a committed value-add investor with deep healthcare knowledge that helps portfolio companies with business and R&D strategy, strategic partnership, investor syndication. FTI has invested and supported in 30+ life science startups across Japan and the US. Visit us at www.fti-jp.com/en/ to learn more.

About DCI Partners

DCI Partners is a leading venture capital firm focused on life sciences. The team has over 20 years' history of investing in biotech start-ups since the period of NIF Ventures. As of today, DCIP has over 26 billion under management across its 2 life science funds and has a strong footprint in Japan and Taiwan. DCIP aims at increasing the value of its portfolios by providing hands-on supports utilizing the team's industrial expertise and global network across academics, biotechs and pharmas. DCIP also plays a key role in acting as a platform to incubate seeds that have great potential and creating new start-ups. For more information, please visit https://www.daiwa-inv.co.jp/dcip/en/

About 4BIO Capital

4BIO Capital ("4BIO") is an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector. 4BIO's objective is to invest in, support, and grow early-stage companies developing treatments in areas of high unmet medical need, with the ultimate goal of ensuring access to these potentially curative therapies for all patients. Specifically, it looks for viable, high-quality opportunities in cell and gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies, and the microbiome. The 4BIO team comprises leading advanced therapy scientists and experienced life science investors who have collectively published over 250 scientific articles in prestigious academic journals including Nature, The Lancet, Cell, and the New England Journal of Medicine. 4BIO has both an unrivalled network within the advanced therapy sector and a unique understanding of the criteria that define a successful investment opportunity in this space. For more information, connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter and visit www.4biocapital.com.

Investors

Fast Track Initiative, Inc.

(Tokyo, Japan, CEO Managing Partner: Hiromichi Kimura)

DCI Partners Co., Ltd.

(Tokyo, Japan, President CEO: Hiroki Narita)

4BIO Capital

(London, United Kingdom, Managing Partner: Andrew Kozlov)

Nissay Capital Co., Ltd.

(Tokyo, Japan, President: Kosuke Ueda)

Remiges Ventures, Inc.

(Seattle, USA, Managing Partner: Taro Inaba)

Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation

(Tokyo, Japan, President: Yoshikazu Aoki)

Nippon Venture Capital Co., Ltd.

(Tokyo, Japan, President: Minoru Tagaya)

QB Capital, LLC NCB Venture Capital Co., Ltd.

(Fukuoka, Japan, Managing Partners: Tsuyoshi Sakamoto and Takashi Hondo)

(Fukuoka, Japan, Representative Director: Issei Inoue)

SMBC Venture Capital Co., Ltd.

(Tokyo, Japan, President: Akira Ochiai)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531006133/en/

Contacts:

For more information, please contact:

LUCA Science Inc.

Tomoaki Shinohara

Email: pr@luca-science.com
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SMG European Recovery SPAC SE, the first European vehicle focused on the strong fundamentals and ongoing post-Covid recovery opportunities in the European Leisure and Lodging sector, completes IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange

Trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange commenced June 1, 2022

FRANKFURT, Germany, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SMG European Recovery SPAC SE ("SMG SPAC" or the "Company"), a Luxembourg special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), completes its IPO and private placement announced on May 25, 2022. The Company placed 11,500,000 units (the "Units"), consisting each of one share (a "Public Share") and one half of a warrant (a "Public Warrant"), at a price of 10.00 per Unit for an aggregate of 115 million. The Units were solely offered to institutional investors.

The Company has applied for admission of the Public Shares (ISIN: LU2380749676) to trading on the regulated market (regulierter Markt) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (General Standard) and for introduction to trading of the Public Warrants (ISIN: LU2380751656) on the open market (Freiverkehr) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Borse Frankfurt Zertifikate AG).

Led by experienced private equity investors, Dr. Stefan Petrikovics as CEO of the Management Board, and Anand Tejani as Chairman of the Supervisory Board, SMG SPAC is backed by a sponsor team with decades of experience in identifying, investing in and building leading companies in both the public and private sectors.

Dr. Petrikovics benefits from significant experience as a principal investor at Morgan Stanley and at TPG Real Estate, where he was most recently responsible for sourcing and execution across Europe and served on various corporate boards. In 2019, Dr. Petrikovics founded SMG Holding, a private technology-enabled investment firm with offices in Amsterdam, Berlin and Luxembourg. Mr. Tejani most recently served as a Partner of TPG where he helped establish TPG's Real Estate business and also served on TPG's European Executive Committee.

The SMG SPAC management team brings significant real estate and hospitality experience and includes George Aase as CFO, Liam Doyle as COO, and Rene Geppert as a member of the Management Board. Mr. Aase previously served as CFO of P3 Logistics Parks, a Pan-European logistics owner and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of listed pan-European real estate group Nepi Rockcastle. Mr. Doyle previously served as COO of Selina, a fast-growing global leisure and hospitality brand, and a&o, a pan-European lodging group. Paul Johnson will serve as Operating Partner and member of the Supervisory Board. Mr. Johnson founded his own hotel group, Kew Green Hotels in 2001 and served as CEO until the successful sale of the business in 2015. He also served on the board of Madrid-listed NH Hotels from 2016 to 2019.

With its focus on the Leisure and Lodging sub-sectors of the real estate-related hospitality sector, SMG SPAC is targeting one of the largest and most attractive segments of the European economy, which is expected to continue to demonstrate consistent long-term growth. SMG SPAC is looking to partner with a high-quality business that will capitalise on these strong industry fundamentals which may participate in opportunities arising from post-Covid dislocations. The sponsor team believes that through a business combination, potential targets would benefit from the team's expertise in operations, building scale European platforms and capital markets as well from the funds provided by the combination to help accelerate their growth.

Barclays is acting as Sole Global Coordinator and ABN AMRO (in cooperation with Oddo BHF SCA) as Joint Bookrunner.

For further information, please visit: www.smg-spac.com
Scottish engineering talent supports development of world-leading video security and access control solutions

Motorola Solutions, a global leader in public safety and enterprise security, has opened an innovation hub in Edinburgh, Scotland, expanding its mobile video, video security and access control businesses while creating new employment and commercial opportunities for Scotland.

Motorola Solutions' Edinburgh R&D teams will focus on cloud-based evidence management software, video security solutions and body-worn cameras, highlighting the Scottish capital's global reputation for strong engineering talent and position as the U.K.'s top innovation city outside of London.

"The opening of Motorola Solutions' new Edinburgh facility is a real vote of confidence and again highlights the attractiveness of investing in Scotland," said Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. "Innovation is key to ensuring that Scotland is able to develop smart digital solutions to meet the needs of the future. The Motorola Solutions Innovation Hub will contribute to this work by creating video security and evidence management solutions for emergency services, not just in Scotland but internationally as well."

The company has invested significantly in video security capabilities over the past four years including the acquisitions of U.K. companies Edesix, IndigoVision, Ava Security and Calipsa. The acquired solutions are integrated into Motorola Solutions' technology ecosystem, which unites voice, video, software and AI to help public safety agencies and enterprises better detect and analyze events, seamlessly communicate and respond appropriately in any situation.

"Video security and access control are playing a more powerful role in helping our customers understand and respond to rapidly evolving safety and security challenges now more than ever," said Jack Molloy, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "This is the fastest growing part of our business, and our Edinburgh team will be instrumental in continuing to design advanced technologies that enhance safety, security and operational efficiency, reaffirming our leadership in this space."

Motorola Solutions' video security innovations from Scotland are trusted by thousands of organisations worldwide, including U.K.-based NHS England ambulance trusts, National Highways and the Co-op, as well as international organisations, such as the French Ministry of the Interior, Malta Police, MetroRio and Romanian Border Police.

"Edinburgh has a proven track record for some of the most exciting advancements in video innovation," said Richie McBride, senior director of international mobile video, Motorola Solutions. "Our growing local presence reinforces Motorola Solutions' commitment to investing in diverse talent to create next-generation, mission-critical technologies that are depended on by frontline workers all over the world."

The Edinburgh office supports employees across Scotland in both on-premise and hybrid working roles and is focused on recruiting the U.K.'s best software developers, engineers, sales and marketing talent. Further details of available roles can be found on Motorola Solutions' careers website.

The Edinburgh office is located at Caledonian Exchange, 1st Floor, 19a Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG.

About Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions is a global leader in public safety and enterprise security. Our solutions in land mobile radio communications, video security access control and command center software, bolstered by managed support services, create an integrated technology ecosystem to help make communities safer and businesses stay productive and secure. At Motorola Solutions, we're ushering in a new era in public safety and security. Learn more at www.motorolasolutions.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005187/en/

Contacts:

Elvan Lindberg

Motorola Solutions

Mobile:+46 (0) 707448893

elvan.lindberg@motorolasolutions.com
pv magazine spoke with Marcin Jedrachowicz, sales manager for Eastern Europe at JinkoSolar, about the challenges and prospects of the thriving Polish solar sector. According to him, photovoltaics has now reached full maturity in the country and its growth rate is comparable to that of Europe's largest PV markets.Mr. Jedrachowicz, JinkoSolar has been operating in the Polish solar energy market for several years. Do you think that this market has already reached full maturity? Certainly, the photovoltaic market in Poland is changing in the right direction. Investors are more and more educated, ...

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.
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks climbed on Monday as traders returned to their desks after an extended weekend. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a confidence vote later today after a growing number of lawmakers in the governing Conservative Party questioned the British leader's flagging authority over the 'partygate' scandal. The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 104 points, or 1.4 percent, at 7,637, with commodity-related stocks leading the surge. Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore all jumped over 3 percent as London copper prices scaled to their highest in more than one month on hopes that the United States would cut tariffs on Beijing. Oil & gas firm BP Plc rallied 2.8 percent and Royal Dutch Shell climbed 2.2 percent as crude oil prices neared $120 a barrel after Saudi Arabia raised prices for customers in Asia. Auto parts supplier Melrose Industries soared 4.3 percent after it agreed to sell its ergonomic business Ergotron to private-equity firm The Sterling Group for 520 million in cash. Clontarf Energy shares plunged 69 percent after its partner Western Gas said its Sasanof-1 exploration well off Western Australia found no hydrocarbons. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the market research report published by P&S Intelligence, in 2021, the revenue of thetangential flow filtration market was $1,237.6 million, which is likely to progress at a 12.8% CAGR from 2021 to 2030 and reach $3,667.2 million. The evolution in the biopharmaceutical sector, chiefly the progress of biologics manufacturing and biosimilars development; augmenting investment in R&D, and the advantages tangential flow filtration offers compared to other processes are responsible for the growth of the market.

The usage of this technology received a boost during the epidemic as this technology is widely utilized in the manufacturing of vaccines. Furthermore, corporations have been increasing their production volumes to cater to the rising vaccine demand during the pandemic, which brought about the snowballing requirement for this technology. For instance, in the beginning of this year, Ardena announced strategies to increase its production of vaccines for COVID-19, using added tangential flow filtration and chromatography.

Get the sample pages of this report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/tangential-flow-filtration-market/report-sample

Membrane filters have the largest tangential flow filtration market share, of approximately 40%, because of their extensive use in the manufacturing of biologics and in laboratories. Further, of all membrane filters, polyethersulfone variants had a more than 50% share of the revenue in 2021. This is ascribed to the wider use of polyethersulfone membrane filters for the production of vaccines and separation of proteins.

Though, the requirement for single-use systems will grow at a compound annual growth rate in excess of 13%, as these variants help decrease water usage by over 70% and reduce labor costs by 50%. Furthermore, they are up to 40% more efficient and 30% more cost-effective than reusable systems.

Regional Analysis of Tangential Flow Filtration Market

North America had an over 35% value share in the tangential flow filtration market in 2021, because of the increase in the acceptance of cutting-edge know-how by biomanufacturing businesses, existence of key biomanufacturing factories, and increase in new medicine development projects.

had an over 35% value share in the tangential flow filtration market in 2021, because of the increase in the acceptance of cutting-edge know-how by biomanufacturing businesses, existence of key biomanufacturing factories, and increase in new medicine development projects. The market share of the U.S. was the larger in the continent in the past. Furthermore, Canada is likely to witness momentous growth, in excess of 13.5%, in the years to come.

is likely to witness momentous growth, in excess of 13.5%, in the years to come. The tangential flow filtration market of APAC is projected to grow the fastest, at a 13.1% CAGR from 2021 to 2030. This is attributed to the emergence of the region as a pharmaceutical center, with corporations expanding their bioprocessing footprint in regional nations.

Browse detailed report on Global Tangential Flow Filtration Market Size, Growth and Development Forecast To 2030

Biotechnology businesses have been investing in R&D and gaining patents for the same. In the past two decades, worldwide R&D spending in the industry has augmented by over 12%. For example, in May 2019, Repligen Corporation filed a patent for tangential flow depth filtration (TFDF) systems exhibiting reduced fouling features, better filter fluxes and process capacities, and optionally using a tubular depth filter. Similarly, in November 2019, the corporation applied for a patent for tangential flow filtration systems using flexible bags for the collection of permeates.

Tangential Flow Filtration Market Segmentation Analysis

By Product Type

Single-Use Tangential Flow Filtration Systems

Reusable Tangential Flow Filtration Systems

Filtration Accessories

Membrane Filters

Polyethersulfone



Regenerated cellulose

By Technology

Ultrafiltration

Microfiltration

Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration

By End User

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Companies

Academic and Research Institutes

Contract Research Organizations

Regional Outlook

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

Germany



France



U.K.



Italy



Spain

Asia-Pacific

China



India



Japan



Australia



South Korea

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico



Argentina

Middle East and Africa

and South Africa

Browse Other Reports Published by P&S

Global Microfiltration Membrane Market Size, Trends, and Demand Analysis

Global Pharmaceutical Filtration Market Size, Trends, and Demand Analysis

Global Laboratory Filtration Market Size, Trends, and Demand Analysis

Global Pharmaceutical Membrane Technology Market Size, Trends, and Demand Analysis

Global Protein Extracts from Single Cell Protein Sources Market Size, Trends, and Demand Analysis

About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence provides market research and consulting services to a vast array of industries across the world. As an enterprising research and consulting company, P&S believes in providing thorough insights on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. P&S keeps the interest of its clients at heart, which is why the insights we provide are both honest and accurate. Our long list of satisfied clients includes entry-level firms as well as multi-million-dollar businesses and government agencies.

Contact:

Prajneesh Kumar

P&S Intelligence

Phone: +1-347-960-6455

Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.com

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TOKYO, June 6, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Today Lexus unveiled its exhibit at the 2022 edition of Milan Design Week, showcasing the brand's design philosophy and exemplifying Lexus' commitment to sustainability.This year's event, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, presents a trio of design explorations, all inspired by Lexus' human-centered, future-oriented approach to design. Compelling and engaging, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, includes an immersive installation by award-winning architect and designer Germane Barnes with lighting studio Aqua Creations, new prototypes from LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists, and work by students at London's Royal College of art envisioning a more sustainable future."We are excited to return to Milan Design Week with an incredible array of projects that highlight next generation design and our commitment at Lexus to forging a path towards a carbon-neutral future through technology, craftsmanship, and innovation," commented Brian Bolain, Lexus' global head of marketing. "We are especially thrilled to be able to present the work of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists and Royal College of Arts students in the context of Germane Barnes's ON/ installation, in its second iteration here with lighting design studio Aqua Creations. As Milan Design Week opens, we look forward to seeing how the public engages with the Lexus presentation, and makes our vision for the future their own."Developed in partnership with Lexus and Germane Barnes, the ON/ installation gives a vision for an electrified, carbon-neutral and human-centred future. The display showcases the Lexus RZ, the first Lexus dedicated battery-electric model. Rendered in a wire frame that is suspended just above the ground, the vehicle's interpretation embodies Lexus' vision of a more sustainable future coming into focus and embracing the ideas of electrification, technology, and bespoke design. The RZ is illuminated by Aqua Creations' Code 130 degrees silk collection of colorful pendant lights, which add a material quality to the immersive installation reflecting Lexus' vision for a carbon-neutral future becoming a reality. The installation will be accompanied by a lounge area featuring the new ToTeM lighting collection by Aqua Creations."It is thrilling to revisit the ON/ installation with Lexus and bring the display to Milan," said Germane Barnes, principal of Studio Barnes. "The original ON/ exhibit featured the LF-Z, a concept car that signaled a move toward carbon neutrality. Now, with the RZ, we explored the evolution from concept to reality, partnering with Aqua Creations to create an environment that is infused with heightened sense of materiality. Designing for a future that is collaborative, sustainable, equitable, and prioritizes the unique experiences of individuals is both a driving force of my practice and an exciting synergy with the designers showcased across Sparks of Tomorrow."Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the work of the six finalists of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022, promising talent. Finalists were chosen for their original solutions contributing to a better tomorrow, while articulating the Lexus brand's three core principles--Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate; while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all, by a panel of design luminaries. The finalists spent three months developing their original proposals and creating prototypes under the enthusiastic and highly skilled mentors. Mentoring by the world's leading creators was a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for these up-and-coming talents and it is recognized as a feature of this Award.Lexus' presentation will also include work by students presenting radical new luxury transport concepts in a creative programme commissioned by Lexus, "2040: The Soul of Future Premium" for the Royal College of Art in London, UK. The project challenged postgraduate students at the college's Intelligent Mobility Design Centre (IMDC) to explore new vehicle architectures to meet changes in European city life and society and to re-imagine the role Lexus might play as a luxury mobility brand. The six-month programme included mentoring and assessment sessions with Ian Cartabiano and Lance Scott, respectively President and Senior Manager at Lexus' European design studio, ED2, together with Prof Dale Harrow, Chair of the IMDC, and Dr Chris Thorpe, the RCA's Intelligent Mobility Head of Programme.Dates and opening hoursJune 6 - 12, 11 am to 9 pmVenueSuperstudio Piu (Art Point)Via Tortona, 27 20144 - Milano, ItalyExhibitsON/ installation created by Germane Barnes with Aqua CreationsDesigns by the six finalists in the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022Designs by students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in LondonAbout Germane BarnesGermane Barnes is the director of Studio Barnes, and Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Barnes' practice investigates the connection between architecture and identity, examining architecture's social and political agency through historical research and design speculation. Believing strongly in design as a communal process, he approaches each condition imposed on a project as an opportunity for transformation.He was a winner of the 2021 United States Artists Fellowship, 2021 Wheelwright Prize, 2021 Architectural League Prize for Young Architects and Designers, and is a 2021-2022 Rome Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Rome.Source: LEXUSCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Relocates Expanding London Office to 78 St. James Street

NEW YORK and LONDON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC ("Schonfeld") today announced that it has hired Niamh Taylor as Head of EMEA. Her appointment is part of the firm's ongoing global expansion efforts and better positions Schonfeld for further growth in the region.

In this role, Taylor will oversee Schonfeld's EMEA business operations and talent, acting as a culture and brand ambassador to the firm's global client base and sell-side partners. She will be based in London and report to Chief Strategy Officer, Danielle Pizzo. Taylor will also serve as a member of Schonfeld's Global Management Committee.

Schonfeld also announced the relocation of its London office to 78 St. James Street, effective this month. The new office space doubles its current footprint in London, accommodating a dynamic and flexible workplace, allowing for continued growth and greater access to local talent pools. Schonfeld currently has over 100 employees in the region.

"People are our greatest asset, and our unique culture has enabled us to enhance our capabilities, expand our global footprint and better serve our clients around the world," said Ryan Tolkin, CEO and CIO of Schonfeld. "We are delighted to welcome Niamh and benefit from her leadership at this important time in our firm's continued evolution."

"Niamh's hire is testament to our ability to attract, invest in, and retain exceptional talent globally by creating an environment that embraces flexibility and collaboration in the workplace," said Pizzo. "We are excited to welcome her to Schonfeld and are confident that her experience and connectivity will help us accelerate our expansion in the region, serve our global client base and continue to access the best talent. Niamh's hire is the latest milestone in our continued growth, and I look forward to partnering with her."

"I am thrilled to join the Schonfeld team and help champion its differentiated offerings and unique culture to clients and talent in the EMEA region," said Taylor. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to join a dynamic and growing business with a remarkable talent strategy, and I feel well prepared to represent Schonfeld's EMEA business and work with leadership on the firm's next stage of growth."

Taylor is an industry veteran, with 21 years of experience within the banking industry. Most recently, she served as a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan within the Prime & Alternative Sales teams in London for eight years. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Taylor worked within the Prime and Alternatives Administration businesses at Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. She began her career in the Private Bank at Morgan Stanley where she covered the Middle East. Taylor was educated in Ireland, holding a BA with honors in Economics and German from the University College Cork.

Schonfeld opened its London office in 2018. In 2019, the firm acquired the Asia operations of Folger Hill, establishing its presence in Singapore and Hong Kong. Schonfeld opened its Tokyo office in 2020 and its Dubai office in 2021, following the build out of its newest strategy, Discretionary Macro & Fixed Income. Over the past 12 months, Schonfeld has added over 200 employees, including 22 new investment teams across its strategies globally. The firm manages approximately $13 billion of third-party capital.

About Schonfeld Strategic Advisors

Schonfeld Strategic Advisors is a global multi-manager platform that invests its capital with Internal and Partner portfolio managers, primarily on an exclusive or semi-exclusive basis, across quantitative, fundamental equity, tactical trading and discretionary macro & fixed income strategies. The firm has created a unique structure to provide global portfolio managers with autonomy, flexibility and support to best enable them to maximize the value of their businesses. For almost 35 years, Schonfeld has successfully capitalized on inefficiencies and opportunities predominantly within the equity markets. The firm has developed and invested heavily in proprietary technology, infrastructure and risk analytics to provide its portfolio managers with "best in class" support. The portfolio exposure has expanded across the Americas, EMEA and APAC as well as multiple asset classes and products. Schonfeld seeks to align its own interests with those of its capital partners and investment professionals, highlighted by the opportunity for investment professionals to co-invest in funds and their individual strategies. For more visit https://www.schonfeld.com/.

For Further Information:

Investors:

Quita Ramirez

Global Head of Capital Development and Investor Relations

InvestorRelations@schonfeld.com

Media:

Steve Bruce / Taylor Ingraham / Keely Gispan

ASC Advisors

sbruce@ascadvisors.com / tingraham@ascadvisors.com / kgispan@ascadvisors.com

1-203-992-1230

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1832548/Schonfeld_Niamh_Taylor.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1516324/Schonfeld_Strategic_Advisors_Logo.jpg




U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman arrived in South Korea on Monday to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, according to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.







The embassy announced Sherman's arrival in South Korea via Twitter, saying she will meet with her South Korean and Japanese counterparts "to discuss current issues, including DPRK," referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.







Sherman, according to the embassy, also plans to meet with women entrepreneurs and leaders of the LGBTQ community in South Korea.







According to the Seoul foreign ministry, Sherman will meet her South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun-dong, on Tuesday, and they will be joined by Japan's Takeo Mori for a tripartite session Wednesday.







The three are expected to discuss ways to expand trilateral cooperation for stronger deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and other regional and global issues amid China's rising assertiveness and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.







The trilateral meeting at the vice-ministerial level was last held in Washington D.C. in November, and it will be the first under the new Yoon Suk-yeol administration that was launched last month.







Sherman's visit to Seoul follows U.S. President Joe Biden's trip there last month for a summit with Yoon, which was held less than two weeks after the new South Korean leader took office.







Her visit to Seoul is part of a four-nation trip that will also take her to the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos from June 5-14, according to the U.S. State Department. (Yonhap)


Continued positive results from infill drill program at the Serra Alta deposit including: FSA-206: 7.65 m at 15.37 g/t Au, from 79.10 m; FSA-199: 41.90 m at 3.94 g/t Au, from 301.24 m; and FSA-204: 34.35 m at 1.76 g/t Au, from 37.28 m.





Program on track for Q3 2022 Resource update

Drill program at Gogo da Onca providing encouraging results

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2022) - Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV: CERT) (OTCQX: CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce further assay results from its ongoing Infill drill program at the Serra Alta deposit at its Monte do Carmo Project located in Tocantins State, Brazil ("MDC"). The infill drill program commenced in Q4 2021 with the aim to upgrade existing Resources and to support the ongoing Feasibility study. The program is on track to deliver the updated Resources in Q3 2022 and the Feasibility study in 1Q 2023.

The Company is reporting assay results from 10 drill holes (see Tables 1 & 2) completed from February to April 2022. An additional 61 holes (including exploration holes) have been completed as of May 27th with assays pending. The infill results reported today show excellent grade and width reconciliation from the inferred blocks,

Drill Hole Highlights (All composites are reported as true thickness):

Serra Alta (Infill)

FSA-206

7.65 m at 15.37 g/t Au, from 79.10 m

FSA-199

41.90 m at 3.94 g/t Au, from 301.24 m Including 7.18 m at 12.92 g/t Au from 319.34 m



FSA-204

34.35m at 1.76 g/t Au, from 37.28 m Including 5.96 m at 7.0 g/t Au from 51.85 m



At Cerrado's newest target; Gogo da Onca ("Gogo"), the initial drill campaign is demonstrating numerous similarities to the Serra Alta deposit. Visual inspection and logging of the five holes drilled to date has identified visible gold in four of five holes. The Company is working towards an outline of mineralization continuity and conceptual estimates of possible tonnage with additional drilling.

Mark Brennan, CEO and Co-Chairman commented "As we near completion of the Infill drill program at Serra Alta, we continue to expect good conversion of our Inferred Resources to the Measured and Indicated categories to support the upcoming Feasibility study. Additionally, preliminary results of the exploration program at Gogo show potential to add additional near-pit resources and grow the resource base in the near term."

As of May 27th, the Company has received and is reporting results from 10 new drill holes totaling 2,352 metres out of a planned 23,000 metres infill/Geotech/condemnation campaign. As of May 27th, assays have been received and reported for 17 holes over 4,417 metres and a total of 66 holes and 14,189 metres have been completed. The Company currently has 7 drill rigs on site actively drilling, with six rigs focused on infill and geotechnical programs and a seventh actively drilling the first holes at Gogo North.

Serra Alta Infill Drilling

The 10 Infill holes reported today intercepted the high-grade gold domain in the Serra Alta block model used to constrain the grade estimation in the current resource (see Figure 1 for drill hole locations, and Figure 2 for relevant cross sections). These new intercepts confirm the general continuity of this domain both along strike and laterally.

Drill holes FSA-189, FSA-190, FSA-193 and FSA-199 were collared in the East Zone. The best results include FSA-199 with 41.90 m at 3.94 g/t Au, from 301.24 m, including 7.18 m at 12.92 g/t Au from 319.34 m; FSA-190 with 6.88 m at 2.08 g/t Au, from 132.76 m, including 1.68 m at 5.56 g/t Au from 139.06 m; FSA-189 with 12.38 m at 2.30 g/t Au, from 48.59 m, including 3.24 m at 7.05 g/t Au from 48.59 m.

Drill holes FSA-191, FSA-196 and FSA-204 were collared at the northern edge of Pit Sul. Drill holes FSA-191 & FSA-196 failed to reproduce the expected shape of the HG domain but the third, FSA-204 intercepted 34.35 m at 1.76 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au"), from 37.28 m.

Drill holes FSA-198, FSA-203 and FSA-206 were collared at Pit Norte at shallow angles confirming the general attitude the Granite / Quartzite contact zone that acts as a hard domain boundary. Notable results include FSA-206 with 7.65 m at 15.37 g/t Au, from 79.10 m; and FSA-198 with 12.79 m at 1.72 g/t Au, from 40.70 m.

Satellite Exploration: Gogo da Onca

As reported in April 2022, Cerrado has commenced drilling at its recently acquired claim at Gogo da Onca. Field work, drilling and characterization of Gogo has demonstrated similarities with the main mineralization controls at the Serra Alta deposit, including:

granite/Felsic Volcanic contact (presumed Cupola, as developed in the East Zone);

outcropping quartz veins with sulphide stains;

mid grain texture granite;

potassic alteration; and

presence of artisanal historic working (Garimpos).

To date, 5 drill holes have been completed at Gogo (FGO-001 to FGO-005) with assays pending. Four of the five holes have visible gold associated both with shear and extensional quartz veins. The Company believes that first outline of the mineralization continuity and possible conceptual estimates of tonnage could be achieved.





Figure 1. Reported and Ongoing Drill Hole Locations

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/126550_39fe134364685a47_002full.jpg





Figure 2. Cross Sections of highlighted Drill Holes*

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7487/126550_39fe134364685a47_003full.jpg

* Note sections are shown at different scale

Table 1. Drill Hole locations

Sector Hole UTM E UTM N Elevation Depth Azimuth Dip East

Zone FSA-189 8,810,300.30 820,600.12 579.08 229.28 121.00 - 31.44 FSA-190 8,810,582.74 820,574.92 664.52 239.55 91.85 - 56.10 FSA-193 8,810,394.96 820,700.88 672.75 500.20 110.83 - 46.88 FSA-199 8,810,436.97 820,779.13 665.21 490.33 91.15 - 57.37 Pit

Norte FSA-198 8,809,921.97 820,310.19 451.91 159.43 90.09 - 50.38 FSA-203 8,810,037.94 820,433.00 467.93 163.33 101.65 - 45.57 FSA-206 8,809,995.63 820,473.35 476.31 116.66 102.09 - 48.15 Pit

Sul FSA-191 8,809,731.20 820,403.83 551.69 140.50 127.16 - 43.57 FSA-196 8,809,650.27 820,201.59 417.93 154.10 99.64 - 38.15 FSA-204 8,809,653.49 820,371.13 494.22 159.17 122.00 - 19.88

*Collar coordinates by GNSS TP-20 UTM Coordinates, Datum: SAD69 / zone 22S.

*Azimuth Set by compass

*Dip and drill hole trajectory by DEVIFLEX Devico

Table 2. Drill Hole Composites - Infill Drilling

CERRADO GOLD DDH From To LENGTH (m) True Width (m) Au (g/t) East Zone FSA-189 36.10 45.10 9.00 9.00 0.40 FSA-189 and 48.59 60.97 12.38 12.38 2.30 FSA-189 Includes 48.59 51.83 3.24 3.24 7.05 FSA-189 and 65.30 70.85 5.55 5.55 1.70 FSA-189 Includes 65.30 67.68 2.38 2.38 3.67 FSA-189 and 75.00 80.15 5.15 5.15 1.20 FSA-189 and 96.48 97.51 1.03 1.03 2.72 FSA-189 and 104.22 105.32 1.10 1.10 0.56 FSA-189 and 113.95 150.09 36.14 36.14 1.44 FSA-189 Includes 116.37 128.41 12.04 12.04 3.01 FSA-189 and 167.35 177.41 10.06 10.06 0.60 FSA-190 132.76 141.09 8.33 6.88 2.08 FSA-190 Includes 139.06 141.09 2.03 1.68 5.56 FSA-190 and 154.00 171.37 17.37 14.34 1.03 FSA-190 Includes 160.33 162.85 2.52 2.08 2.07 FSA-190 and 179.60 182.69 3.09 2.55 0.86 FSA-190 and 212.73 213.73 1.00 0.83 0.72 FSA-193 301.37 302.39 1.02 0.95 0.68 FSA-193 and 393.00 394.04 1.04 0.97 1.33 FSA-199 and 260.96 270.25 9.29 8.88 1.33 FSA-199 includes 260.96 263.00 2.04 1.95 3.98 FSA-199 and 280.38 281.49 1.11 1.06 0.52 FSA-199 and 286.82 287.90 1.08 1.03 0.89 FSA-199 and 301.24 345.09 43.85 41.90 3.94 FSA-199 includes 319.34 326.85 7.51 7.18 12.92 FSA-199 and 353.35 354.40 1.05 1.00 9.38 FSA-199 and 425.23 426.06 0.83 0.79 0.56 Pit Norte FSA-198 16.05 21.02 4.97 4.97 0.28 FSA-198 and 34.69 35.91 1.22 1.22 0.34 FSA-198 and 40.70 53.49 12.79 12.79 1.72 FSA-198 includes 46.59 48.73 2.14 2.14 6.67 FSA-198 and 59.09 60.16 1.07 1.07 0.67 FSA-198 and 62.36 63.60 1.24 1.24 0.35 FSA-198 and 80.97 82.15 1.18 1.18 1.06 FSA-198 and 95.47 96.51 1.04 1.04 0.30 FSA-198 and 97.67 98.84 1.17 1.17 0.31 FSA-198 and 106.28 107.15 0.87 0.87 0.34 FSA-203 7.69 8.95 1.26 1.23 0.49 FSA-203 and 11.16 12.43 1.27 1.24 0.43 FSA-203 and 56.21 57.43 1.22 1.19 0.36 FSA-203 and 62.16 68.67 6.51 6.33 0.53 FSA-203 and 72.10 73.28 1.18 1.15 0.66 FSA-203 and 89.14 90.30 1.16 1.13 0.38 FSA-203 and 94.70 98.00 3.30 3.21 0.41 FSA-203 and 106.82 107.88 1.06 1.03 2.26 FSA-203 and 118.19 119.29 1.10 1.07 0.43 FSA-203 and 140.33 141.38 1.05 1.02 0.34 FSA-206 20.90 22.00 1.10 1.01 3.51 FSA-206 and 39.48 70.47 30.99 28.49 1.10 FSA-206 includes 49.27 51.43 2.16 1.99 2.80 FSA-206 includes 65.03 66.21 1.18 1.08 11.20 FSA-206 and 79.10 87.42 8.32 7.65 15.37 Pit Sul FSA-191 and 113.26 120.70 7.44 6.40 0.53 FSA-196 No significant values FSA-204 and 16.68 17.82 1.14 0.95 0.62 FSA-204 and 30.06 33.25 3.19 2.66 1.50 FSA-204 and 37.28 78.45 41.17 34.35 1.76 FSA-204 includes 51.85 59.00 7.15 5.96 7.00 FSA-204 includes 73.35 77.44 4.09 3.41 2.89 FSA-204 and 86.62 87.70 1.08 0.90 0.60 FSA-204 and 90.70 98.98 8.28 6.91 2.21 FSA-204 includes 97.98 98.98 1.00 0.83 14.65 FSA-204 and 105.40 106.64 1.24 1.03 1.25 FSA-204 and 116.60 117.66 1.06 0.88 6.08 FSA-204 and 144.00 148.02 4.02 3.35 0.77

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Analytical work was carried out by ALS international lab (ALS). MDC send half core samples for sample preparation to the lab. The facilities of the prep lab are located in Goiania, Brazil 835 km from the MDC project and alternatively in Belo Horizonte, Brazil 1,110 Km from the MDC project. MDC sends out samples to ALS international labs (ALS) with the prep lab located in Goiania or alternatively in Belo Horizonte. ALS lab sends the prepared aliquots for analytical assay to their lab in Lima, Peru where the prepared samples are systematically analyzed for gold (ppm) by fire assay (Au-AA24) or gold (ppm) by metallic screen (Au-SCR24). Randomly the ICP (Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) is done for trace elements in 4 acids (hydrofluoric, perchloric, nitric and hydrochloric) digestion (ME-MS-61). ALS has routine quality control procedures which ensure that every batch of samples includes three sample repeats and at least two commercial standards and two blanks. Cerrado uses standard QA/QC procedures, inserting reference standards and blanks, for the drilling program. The Reference material used are from CDN Resource Laboratories Ltd., ITAK (Instituto de Tecnologia August Kekule Ltda. and OREAS).

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Sergio Gelcich., Vice President, Exploration for Cerrado Gold Inc., who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

For further information please contact

Mark Brennan

CEO and Co Chairman

Tel: +1-647-796-0023

mbrennan@cerradogold.com



Nicholas Campbell, CFA

Director, Corporate Development

Tel.: +1-905-630-0148

ncampbell@cerradogold.com

About Cerrado Gold

Cerrado Gold is a private gold production and exploration company with gold production derived from its 100% owned Minera Don Nicolas mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. The company is also undertaking exploration and development activities at its 100% owned Monte Do Carmo project located in Tocantins, Brazil. For more information about Cerrado Gold please visit our website at www.cerradogold.com

Disclaimer

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 press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, all statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado Gold. In making the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado Gold has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to the Company's ability to increase the scale of the Monte Do Carmo resource base and the exploration potential of Gogo North. Although Cerrado Gold believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado Gold disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126550
SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) Board stated that its search continues to be on track to identify a successor ceo in the coming months. The Board has agreed with Schultz that he will remain as interim ceo through the first quarter of 2023. Driving toward an announcement this Fall, the handoff will take place in the first calendar quarter of 2023. Thereafter, Schultz will remain on the Board. The Board noted that this timeline provides the company the ideal runway for a seamless transition and continuity of leadership through the 2022 holiday season. 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.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT / ACCESSWIRE / June 6, 2022 / Motos America Inc., a publicly-traded motorcycle dealership group, added two new independent members to its Board of Directors.

Jennifer Danielson, JD and Brent L. Brown will be joining the Board, effective June 1, 2020. The addition of these two members brings the Board a new balance. Previous member Taylor Brody and the two new independent members will join Vance Harrison, Chief Executive officer, and Terina Liddiard, Secretary/Treasurer to form a five member board, with the majority of its members being independent from employment with the Company.

"We are proud to be adding these great members to our Board," said Vance Harrison, CEO of the Company. "Their addition aligns perfectly with our stated mission of implementing and maintaining solid corporate governance as we proceed with acquiring powersports dealerships selling European luxury motorcycle brands across the United States."

Jennifer Danielson, JD, age 50, Director

For over 20 years, Ms. Danielson has advised policy makers and political leaders on health competition and impacts, earning her the reputation as a national influencer in advancing policy.



As President of Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah, she radically changed the competitive trajectory for a $1B division of a $9B+ health care company (Cambia Health Solutions) by leveraging her comprehensive understanding of the market and ability to navigate complex challenges.

Jennifer served as a trusted advisor to the senior leadership and board while at Cambia. During her tenure, she also served as an executive leader for M&A activities and joint partnerships to expand the customer base, improve quality, and apply innovation for immediate and future competitive capability. She led the company's COVID-19 response in relation to regulators and elected officials, creating clear criteria and priorities for guiding rapid changes to serve the needs of customers and limit financial risk.

In recent years, Jennifer has served as an expert resource to equity and investment firms regarding health care financing, pay-for-performance trends, and collaboration opportunities. She now serves as Chief Growth Officer for Collective Health, responsible for scaling the company's vision of empowering individuals and employers, where she is primarily focused on partnership management and development.

Jennifer completed her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate at the University of Utah and Honors International Exchange Programme at Cambridge University.

With a stellar track record of success in catalyzing growth for complex organizations and advancing healthcare policy, Jennifer will provide the Board of Directors with a well-rounded background spanning P&L, Government/Regulatory, Legal, and M&A.

Brent L. Brown, age 62, Director

Mr. Brown has spent a lifetime in Automotive Dealerships. In 1999, Mr. Brown founded Brent Brown Toyota in 1999. Brent Brown Toyota was Utah's largest volume new car dealership in 2016, outselling every dealership of every brand. The dealership was also recognized in early 2017 for being the #1 Metro Toyota dealership in the United States in Customer Retention, Toyota's measure for loyal customers who purchase again and again from the same dealer. The dealership is also an eight-time winner of Toyota's prestigious President's Award, Toyota's highest recognition for a well-run, customer focused dealership and was voted "Utah County's Favorite New Car Dealer" in 2017 for the fourth year in a row by the readers of Utah Valley Magazine.

Brent was the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003. Brent was also selected to be the President of the Utah Auto Dealers Association and was chosen by Toyota to be one of 13 dealers in the United States to serve on Toyota's National Dealer Council and represent the more than 1250 Toyota dealers in the United States in dealing with the manufacturer in the USA and in Japan. Brent has also served in two Utah Governor appointed positions, serving on the Utah State Board of Regents, which oversees higher education in Utah, and on the Governor's Office of Economic Development Board (GOED). Mr. Brown will provide the Board of Directors a depth of experience in the operation of motor vehicle dealerships, in addition to his passion as a rider.

About Motos America

Motos America Inc. (OTC PINK:WECT) is a premium European motorcycle dealership consolidation company. In Nov. 2021, the company changed its name from "Weconnect Tech International, Inc." to "Motos America Inc." When it changed its name, the company adopted a new business model. Motos America purchases and operates powersports dealerships, with an emphasis on European luxury motorcycle brands, including BMW Motorcycles, Triumph Motorcycles and Ducati Motorcycles. The company believes the motorcycle dealership industry is primed for consolidation, similar to what has occurred in the automotive industry. Motos America believes that consolidation in this niche will bring about the same advantages of scale associated with automotive dealer group consolidations. Namely, better operating results driven by professional management, branding and marketing opportunities, and volume purchasing.

For more information, please contact:

Motos America Inc.

Jordan Darrow, Investor Relations

510 So. 200 West #110

Salt Lake City, UT 84101

jordan@motosamerica.com

(512) 551-9296

This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, statements regarding our business strategy, future revenues and anticipated costs and expenses. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, those statements including the words "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "believes" and similar language. Our actual results may differ significantly from those projected in the forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Motos America Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703913/Motos-America-Adds-Independent-Directors
Connection speeds up by 185%, but increase in smart devices during COVID-19 pandemic is causing significant access issues for Internet users

Based on analysis of live data from nearly 3,000 Internet Service Providers (ISP) around the world, RouteThis, a global leader in remote Wi-Fi network diagnostics and troubleshooting for ISPs and smart home brands, today revealed that Internet users in the UK and Ireland are facing significant connectivity issues despite increases in connection speeds. Upstream speeds have risen 185% and downstream speeds have risen 167%, but device upgrades and pandemic-related behavioural shifts have put greater demands on home Wi-Fi environments.

Jason Moore, CEO of RouteThis, says, "Every new device added to a home network comes with new requirements and increases the opportunity for a poor subscriber experience. Once a home network hosts more than six or seven devices, it's likely that at least one device will suffer from a bad connection. Today, that is a common number because people have so many smart devices ranging from doorbells to electric car charging stations in their homes."

Because up to half of support engagements for ISPs can be traced back to problems with the home Wi-Fi setup, rather than with the lines or equipment itself, ISPs can dramatically reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction by helping to prevent these problems, and by diagnosing and resolving them more efficiently. According to RouteThis data, about 25% of diagnostic scans reveal that there is a less congested Wi-Fi channel available and 30% indicate an underlying problem of signal strength, even if there are no issues with the home Internet connection.

"One of the biggest challenges that ISPs face is supporting their customers with these types of issues on top of the diverse set of CPEs," Moore says. "UK ISPs have by and large put fantastic CPEs into their customer homes, but challenges remain around educating customers on Wi-Fi, and this remains one of the biggest drivers of expensive support calls and unnecessary technician visits."

About RouteThis

RouteThis is a leading Wi-Fi in-home connectivity platform provider that is transforming the way Internet Service Providers (ISP) and smart home brands deploy, manage, and support the connected home. The company's platform is used by ISPs and smart home brands in Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Visit RouteThis.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005384/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Cameron Thomas

cameron@verbfactory.com

Canada +1 416 660 9801
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - AECOM (ACM) on Monday said it has been awarded a contract by Public Services and Procurement Canada for the Faro Mine Remediation Project. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. Faro Mine Remediation Project is one of the largest and most complex abandoned mine clean-up projects in Canada, AECOM said. The contract, on behalf of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, to perform remediation plan design and quality assurance support services for the project, will run through March 2024 with a chance of extension. 'Our team has been involved in the Faro Mine remediation for over fifteen years and we're enormously honored to expand our partnership with the Government of Canada to help deliver this critical work, protecting our environment and restoring traditional territory for the surrounding communities,' said Marc Devlin, chief executive of AECOM's Canada region. 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.
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2022) - Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. (TSXV: GMG) ("GMG" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update to the composition of the Company's leadership team and Technical Advisory Committee which will support the Company as it proceeds into its next phase of development.

Additionally, the Company announces that after nearly six years with GMG, Chris Ohlrich, CFO and Director has decided to leave the Company for personal reasons, since relocating to Melbourne with his family. The current Financial Controller for the Company, Deborah Appleton, will act as the interim CFO until the Company completes a comprehensive executive search for his replacement which is being carried out by executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates.

As the Company enters its next phase of development, GMG believes there are significant business opportunities related to GMG's targeted 'energy saving' and 'energy storage' solutions, which continue to provide strong encouragement for the Company to invest resources to drive sales from its energy saving business and support the continued maturation of its graphene-Aluminium Ion battery technology.

With this focus in mind, the Company is pleased to announce the establishment of a knowledgeable, internationally experienced, Technical Advisory Committee which will include the following members who will add deep insight, experience and connections to GMG:

Bob Galyen (USA) - Bob is a highly experienced executive in the battery energy storage world and science/engineering-based communities. Bob was previously the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Limited (CATL). CATL is widely known as the largest lithium ion battery manufacturer in the world - supplying electric vehicles and high efficiency storage systems. He serves on multiple Committees of Directors and Technical Advisory Boards.

Professor Dan Brett (UK) - Dan is Professor of Electrochemical Engineering at the University College London (UCL), a top ranked University, where he is a director of the Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL) and Advanced Propulsion Lab (APL). He is an academic founder of the Faraday Institution (a UK battery research programme with a consortium of over 20 UK universities and 50 businesses - including 450 researchers) and member of its Expert Panel.

Underpinning the Company's efforts to further strengthen its management team, GMG is excited to announce several recent new management team appointments, including:

Mark Chan Yan as Battery General Manager. Mark has significant international experience with global technology companies including Yokogawa and ABB having held General Management roles in Sales and Technical leadership, driving the commercialisation of prototypes or concepts into products and solutions at scale. Mark has a Bachelor of Science (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa. Mark will lead our Battery division going forward.

Mark Lock as Energy Saving Solutions General Manager, Mark has deep experience in industrial equipment sales and service solutions working in sales and technical leadership roles for companies including Komatsu, Brambles, Coates Hire, Onsite Rental Group and Aurizon. Most recently for Waco Australasia - a company servicing mining and heavy industry with specialist access, protective coatings and maintenance solutions. Mark will lead our Energy Savings Solutions business going forward.

Jeffrey Morris as Chief Technology and Projects Officer, Jeff has over 25 years of experience in engineering and project management. Jeff has worked in the oil and gas, mining, water treatment, and renewable energy industries including for such companies as Caltex, Origin Energy, BHP and Shell owned QGC. Jeff specialises in design, construction, commissioning, energy management, and business development. Jeff has completed studies of a Master's Degree in Executive Business at Queensland University of Technology, Diploma of Project Management at University of New England, and Bachelor of Chemical Engineering at University of Queensland. Jeff will lead our technology and projects team going forward.

Tim Scheiwe as Head of Marketing, Tim has near 20 years of experience in industrial B2B marketing, product management and sales experience in selling industrial chemicals such as hydrocarbons, ethanol, surfactants and heat transfer fluids for such companies as Orica and Recochem to a variety of industry and applications. Tim has completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Griffith University and a Master of Business Administration with a Dean's Academic Honour Board Recipient from the University of Queensland.

Anjana Reddy as General Manager Business Services, Anj has broad legal, commercial and HR experience, including senior Commercial roles for Coca-Cola Amatil, Queensland Government owned Electricity Generator Stanwell and Middle East construction JV Habtoor Leighton Group. Most recently with IOR Petroleum as Manager Commercial and Contracts. Anj has a Bachelor of Science and Law with First Class Honours from James Cook University, a Masters in Commercial and Contracts Law from University of Melbourne, a Masters of Business Administration from University of Queensland, Principles of International Law from Harvard Extension School and is a qualified General Practitioner.

Chris Ohlrich has been instrumental in the establishment of GMG. Under Chris' financial leadership GMG recently reported approximately AU$14 million in cash on its balance sheet, strong and effective shareholder relationships, a robust network within North American capital markets, and an effective finance and reporting team that has successfully lodged inaugural public Annual Financial Statements and ongoing quarterly disclosures. The Company understands and supports Chris' desire to be based with his family in Melbourne and thus resignation as CFO and Director as at 3rd June, 2022. The Board and Company thank him and wish him and his family every success in the future.

About GMG

GMG is a clean-technology company which seeks to offer energy saving and energy storage solutions, enabled by graphene, including that manufactured in-house via a proprietary production process.

GMG has developed a proprietary production process to decompose natural gas (i.e. methane) into its elements, carbon (as graphene), hydrogen and some residual hydrocarbon gases. This process produces high quality, low cost, scalable, 'tuneable' and low/no contaminant graphene suitable for use in clean-technology and other applications. The Company's present focus is to de-risk and develop commercial scale-up capabilities, and secure market applications.

In the energy savings segment, GMG has focused on graphene enhanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning ("HVAC-R") coating (or energy-saving paint), lubricants and fluids. In the energy storage segment, GMG and the University of Queensland are working collaboratively with financial support from the Australian Government to progress R&D and commercialization of graphene aluminium-ion batteries ("G+AI Batteries").

For further information, please contact:

- Craig Nicol, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Company at craig.nicol@graphenemg.com, +61 415 445 223

- Leo Karabelas at Focus Communications, info@fcir.ca , +1 647 689 6041

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 news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends", "expects" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or will "potentially" or "likely" occur. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements relation to the business opportunities that exist in relation to the Company's energy saving and energy storage offerings, and the affect of new appointments to the management team and advisory board on the development of the Company.

These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to uncertain demand for the Company's products, the effectiveness of Company's deployment of resources, and the failure of GMG to attract and retain skilled personnel.

In making the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, assumptions regarding the deployment of the Company's resources and personnel and the accuracy of the Company's expectations in the energy saving and storage space.

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. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126578
HYDERABAD, India, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyient, a leading consulting-led, industry-centric, global Technology Solutions company, today announced that it had signed definitive agreements to acquire Celfinet. An international Wireless Engineering Services company, Celfinet, is focused on providing end-to-end Network Planning and Performance Optimization services. Cyient will acquire the Portugal-based company for EURO 41 Million.

The reach and performance of ongoing 5G deployment and early steps towards 6G are developing to a point where they provide flawless infrastructure for pervasive and unified connectivity. With this acquisition, Cyient strengthens its Wireless Engineering practice to support Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Enterprises in deploying their pervasive connectivity networks at scale. This will also enable Enterprises to build networks to harness the power of 5G and drive their own Digital Transformation journey. The addition will further strengthen Cyient's presence in Europe, where Celfinet has a strong footprint, and help scale Cyient's business across North America and Australia.

Commenting on the acquisition, Krishna Bodanapu, Managing Director and CEO, Cyient, said, "Cyient is helping CSPs engineer the networks of tomorrow by delivering solutions across Intelligent Infrastructure, Smart Operations, and Enterprise Network Transformation. Celfinet's deep expertise and long-standing customer relationships will further add to our capabilities as we strengthen our technology play in wireless networks for 5G rollouts. In addition, Portugal has a highly skilled engineering workforce, making it a strategic innovation hub for expanding our global delivery footprint."

Nuno Ribeiro and Jose Mata, Founder and Co-CEOs, Celfinet, declared, "We are very excited about this new journey we are starting with Cyient. Despite many approaches over the years, it was critical to wait for the right fit in a company to take over the business and unleash our potential. Cyient presented not only shared values but also an ambitious and innovative vision for the future, with Celfinet acting as the cornerstone investment to drive Cyient's Wireless Engineering forward."

About Cyient

Cyient (Estd: 1991, NSE: CYIENT) is a leading consulting-led, industry-centric, global Technology Solutions company. We enable our customers to apply technology imaginatively across their value chain to solve problems that matter. We are committed to designing tomorrow together with our stakeholders and being a culturally inclusive, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable organization.

For more information, please visit www.cyient.com



Follow news about the company at @Cyient

About Celfinet

Headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, Celfinet has successfully built an international business combining outstanding wireless engineering expertise and best in class network management solutions portfolio to improve network quality and wiresless customer experience whilst at the same time reducing capex and opex.

For more information, please visit www.celfinet.com

Rishiraj Barik I Soumya P Cyient Press Office - Genesis BCW +91 9739196200I +91 8368543945 Rishiraj.Barik@genesis-bcw.com I soumya.p@genesis-bcw.com Kiran Rajani Cyient PR Team +91 9884139184 kiran.rajani@cyient.com

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Debuted at Gartner Supply Chain Symposium, the new solution combines the power of advanced algorithms and intuitive automation to streamline logistics complexities, improve customer experience, and turn Last-Mile into a profitable business function

SAN FRANCISCO and ORLANDO, Fla., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Locus , a leading-edge technology company solving Last-Mile logistics challenges, today announced the launch of its order-to-delivery dispatch management platform during the 2022 Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo in Orlando, Florida.

Locus' real-world dispatch management solution helps enterprises seamlessly manage all stages of Last-Mile fulfillment on a single, integrated platform and transform these operations into strategic growth centers for their business. Advanced optimization algorithms and intuitive workflow automation learn from previous outcomes to drive more efficient dispatch planning, scheduling, and routing, and increased visibility, capacity, and carrier management under an integrated API-ready solution help streamline logistics complexities, maximize operational efficiency, and improve end-user experiences. In turn, this helps strengthen brand reputation, sustain customer loyalty, and transform Last-Mile operations into strategic growth centers for business.

According to Gartner, "The increase in e-commerce operations required businesses to adapt to the pace of quickly changing customer demands to remain competitive. Many of the vendors have adjusted their applications to further support B2C and last-mile operations, providing customer engagement and other capabilities specific to last-mile operations like the use of external fleets."

Locus is recognized as a Representative Vendor in 2022 Gartner Market Guide for Vehicle Routing and Scheduling and Last-Mile Technologies1.

"In today's competitive landscape, quick and on-time deliveries are non-negotiable to customer satisfaction, retention, and growth," said Nishith Rastogi, Founder and CEO of Locus. "But while many companies might see Last-Mile logistics as simply a means to an end, they might not realize that optimizing these efforts can actually contribute to the bottom line. From order capture to post-fulfillment, brands that strategically tap the right technology and processes at all stages are able to better service their customers and keep them coming back for more. As we seek to grow and adapt our solutions alongside our customers, our global Last-Mile optimization platform will be especially critical in unlocking the potential for better business like never before."

If interested in connecting with Locus while at the Gartner Symposium, please visit Booth #236 or contact the company's media relations representative. To learn more, visit: https://locus.sh/

1 Gartner, Market Guide for Vehicle Routing and Scheduling and Last-Mile Technologies, Oscar Sanchez Duran, Bart De Muynck, Carly West, 13 December 2021.

Gartner Disclaimer

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Locus

Locus is a leading-edge technology company solving one of the most challenging global supply chain problems: Last-Mile logistics. Locus' order-to-delivery dispatch management platform helps enterprises transform their Last-Mile logistics operations into growth centers through advanced optimization algorithms and intuitive workflow automation that equip businesses with the tools needed to maximize efficiency while delighting customers.

Founded in 2015 and backed by GIC Singapore, Tiger Global, Qualcomm Ventures, and Falcon Edge, Locus has helped a wide range of customers globally across industries - including Unilever, Nestle, Bukalapak, The Tata Group, BlueDart, and more - execute 650 million deliveries across 30+ countries across North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, ANZ, and the Indian subcontinent. Its technology has also helped save $200 million in transit costs, offsetting 70 million kilograms in CO2 emissions while maintaining a 99.5% SLA adherence ratio.

Media Contacts

Karthika Anand

pr@locus.sh

Lauren Parrish

locus@gregoryfca.com

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NEW YORK, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, announced today that it has completed a $60 million Series D financing from a syndicate of global investors with expertise in investing in the biopharmaceutical and life sciences sectors.

New investors, including a large, diversified asset management firm on the US West Coast and BHR Partners joined the round, along with current investors, including lead investor of Series C financing round Warburg Pincus, B Capital Group, Qiming Venture Partners, BOLD Capital Partners and Pavilion Capital. Insilico's founder and CEO, Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, also invested in the Series D round.

Capital raised in the round will further bolster Insilico's financial position and fuel the growth of its advancing pipeline, including its lead program which is currently in a Phase I study, and continued development of its Pharma.AI platform. The proceeds will also fund ongoing global expansion and planned strategic initiatives, including a fully automated, AI-driven robotic drug discovery laboratory, and fully robotic biological data factory to complement Insilico's vast curated data assets.

"Despite unprecedented market conditions in the biotechnology sector, we raised this Series D round from several of the most reputable US-based and global investors," said Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, Founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine. "It is a testament to the strength of our end-to-end AI platform, which has been validated by many partners, and produced our first novel antifibrotic program discovered using AI and aging research, and designed using our generative AI chemistry engine. This unique program completed a first-in-human Phase 0 study in healthy volunteers and has entered Phase I clinical trials. We have also nominated seven preclinical candidates across a number of other disease indications since 2021. I am very excited about this progress and have decided to personally invest in this round."

"The application of artificial intelligence and machine learning for drug discovery has incredible potential to transform the way new therapies are developed," said Min Fang, Managing Director, Head of China Healthcare at Warburg Pincus. "For Insilico, 2022 is a year of incredible growth and progress. They have demonstrated the value of combining deep scientific expertise with cutting-edge technology capabilities to significantly accelerate drug discovery. We're delighted to continue to partner with the Insilico team and support a company that is at the forefront of this innovation."

Since the previous round of financing, Insilico has developed a growing portfolio in frontier areas empowered by its proprietary AI platform. Seven programs in its internal pipeline have progressed to the IND-enabling stage, including a novel 3CL protease inhibitor for COVID-19 treatment , and two synthetic lethality programs targeting MAT2A and USP1 for oncology. It also successfully completed a Phase 0 microdose study and entered a Phase I clinical trial with its first internally developed program targeting fibrosis.

"With the power of cutting-edge AI platforms developed fully in house and validated by many global pharmaceutical companies and our innovative, highly parallel, fully distributed drug discovery model, we nominated seven preclinical candidates since I joined the company in 2021," said Feng Ren, PhD, Insilico's Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Global Research and Development. "I have 15 years of experience working in large pharmaceutical companies and CROs and I am impressed by the speed and quality of our discovery programs. We plan to continue expanding the breadth of the pipeline and enhance our AI and robotics capabilities globally. Our rapidly growing team is composed of talented and experienced scientists in drug discovery with diverse backgrounds and relentless passion for novelty and innovation, and fully committed to developing novel drugs with a sense of urgency for the waiting patients."

Insilico has also expanded its collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry through co-development and software licensing deals with a number of major pharmaceutical companies. Since the launch of its PandaOmics and Chemistry42 in late 2020, nine out of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies have licensed Insilico's AI platforms. In 2022, Insilico signed a multi-asset partnership deal with Fosun Pharma in January, and a drug discovery co-development deal with EQRx in March. Notably, Insilico achieved its first major milestone and nominated a preclinical candidate for the QPCTL program for cancer immunotherapy in less than 40 days into the strategic collaboration with Fosun Pharma.

About Insilico Medicine

Insilico Medicine, a clinical stage end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, is connecting biology, chemistry, and clinical trials analysis using next-generation AI systems. The company has developed AI platforms that utilize deep generative models, reinforcement learning, transformers, and other modern machine learning techniques to discover novel targets and to design novel molecular structures with desired properties. Insilico Medicine is delivering breakthrough solutions to discover and develop innovative drugs for cancer, fibrosis, immunity, central nervous system diseases and aging-related diseases.

For media inquiries, please contact media@insilicomedicine.com.
In the face of further economic turmoil and supply chain disruptions, food banks once again played a pivotal role in providing emergency food assistance-at a level 128 percent higher than before the pandemic.

Chicago, IL, USA, June 06, 2022(GFN) announced that food banks in 44 countries served 39 million people in 2021, demonstrating that need for food assistance is continuing at high levels in the face of rising food prices and disrupted supply chains.

The data is part of GFN's annual Network survey, and this year's responses emphasize the importance of a strong network of food banks in times of crisis.

"Communities around the world are facing hunger at unprecedented rates," said Lisa Moon, president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. "Consistently, food banks are stepping up and using their unique expertise to connect millions of people to nutritious food."

The 39 million people who sought emergency food assistance is a 128 percent increase over 2019 pre-COVID levels of service. Additionally, about 54 percent of people were served regularly for more than three months during 2021 while 44 percent of people served visited food banks occasionally, temporarily, or for the first time due to a shift in economic circumstances.

More than three-fourths of people served by GFN member food banks live in emerging and developing market economies. Most of the people who visited GFN member food banks in 2021-about 24 million-live in Asia and Oceania. Another 8.8 million food bank visitors are from Latin America. Children ages 17 and under comprised more than a third of the total people served.

Food banks, on average, distributed 57 percent more food and grocery products than the previous year, despite sourcing challenges brought on by breakdowns in supply chains and other factors. The most commonly distributed products are fruits and vegetables-constituting 30 percent of what an average food bank provides.

While need for hunger relief has been unprecedented, so has the generosity and determination of people partnering within the Network. Nearly 317,000 people volunteered with GFN partner food banks, a 14 percent increase over 2020, providing more than 8 million hours of support.

2022 is already proving to be another challenging year for people facing hunger and food insecurity, with the Ukraine invasion compounding the continuing effects of the pandemic and leading to further rises in food prices. But food banks will continue to respond quickly and efficiently in the face of crises, leaning on the experiences of the past few years.

"Unfortunately, we are likely on the precipice of a global hunger crisis," said Moon. "Food banks will be central to the response. The lessons learned during the pandemic have strengthened the Network, better equipping us to provide ongoing services to children, individuals, and families in vulnerable situations."

###

About The Global FoodBanking Network:

The Global FoodBanking Network supports community-led solutions to alleviate hunger in more than 40 countries. While millions struggle to access enough safe and nutritious food, nearly a third of all food produced is lost or wasted. We're changing that. We believe food banks directed by local leaders are key to achieving Zero Hunger and building resilient food systems. For more information, visit foodbanking.org.
President Yoon Suk-yeol / Yonhap





President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed Monday to respond firmly and sternly to any North Korean provocation as South Korea and the United States fired missiles in response to the North's missile launches the previous day.







Yoon made the remarks during a Memorial Day ceremony held at Seoul National Cemetery, a day after North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea in its third show of force since he took office last month.







"Even at this moment, North Korea's nuclear weapon and missile threats are getting sophisticated," he said, referring to Sunday's tests. "North Korea's nuclear and missile (programs) are reaching the level of threatening not only peace on the Korean Peninsula but also in Northeast Asia and the world."






VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 6, 2022 / Camino Corp. (TSXV:COR) (OTC PINK:CAMZF) (WKN:A116E1) ("Camino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed the first phase of the Spring 2022 drilling campaign consisting of three drillholes at the Lourdes zone at its Los Chapitos copper exploration project in Peru ("Los Chapitos" or the "Project"). Mineralization has been visually observed in two of three drillholes. The drillholes have been logged and split and will arrive at the laboratory in Lima for assaying this week, with results expected in late June or early July 2022. The drilling rig has been mobilized to the next exploration target at the Condori zone and will then complete the drilling campaign at the Gallinazo zone (see Figure 1).

Chief Geologist Jose Bassan said, "We met our objective of identifying additional copper oxide and sulphide mineralization in the first drillholes at the Lourdes zone. The assay results will enable us to assess and determine a follow up strategy at Lourdes. We will now continue with our plan to test the copper zones at Condori and Gallinazo."

Picture 1. Rock containing oxidized copper uncovered during road construction at Lourdes Zone

"We are drilling in an entirely new permitted area comprised of three main zones identified with copper oxide outcrops at surface," said Jay Chmelauskas, CEO of Camino. "Our main objective is to test new areas to add additional shallow copper oxide tonnage to the known copper zones at Adriana (see Figure 2 and news release dated January 19, 2021)."

Figure 1. Plan map of drilling at Lourdes

Figure 2. Location of New Permitted Areas for Lourdes, Condori and Gallinazo

Figure 3. Location Map of the Los Chapitos Copper Project along the coastline of Peru

About Camino Minerals Corporation

Camino is a discovery and development stage copper exploration company. The Company is focused on advancing its high-grade Los Chapitos copper project located in Peru through to resource delineation and to add new discoveries. Camino is also permitting the Maria Cecilia copper porphyry project towards a planned exploration drilling program in 2022. In addition, the Company has increased its land position at its copper and silver Plata Dorada project. The Company seeks to acquire a portfolio of advanced copper assets that have the potential to deliver copper into an electrifying copper intensive global economy. For more information, please refer to Camino's website at www.caminocorp.com.

Jose Bassan MAusIMM (CP) 227922, MSc. Geologist, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this document. Mr. Bassan has reviewed and verified relevant data supporting the technical disclosure, including sampling and analytical test data.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD For further information, please contact: /S/ "Jay Chmelauskas" Camino Investor Relations President and CEO info@caminocorp.com Tel: (604) 493-2058

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain disclosures in this release constitute forward-looking information. In making the forward-looking disclosures in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information in the release includes the completion and results of the drill program at Los Chapitos, including the prospectivity of the oxidized copper exposed at the Lourdes-Condori Zones. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release is subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such risk factors include, among others, that actual results of the Company's exploration activities will be different than those expected by management, that the Company will be unable to obtain or will experience delays in obtaining any required approvals and the state of equity and commodity markets. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly 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 by law.

SOURCE: Camino Minerals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703934/Three-Drillholes-Completed-at-Caminos-Los-Chapitos-Copper-Project-in-Peru
- Collaboration unveiled at the RiminiWellness conference on June 3, 2022 -

MILAN, Italy, June 06, 2022, a global leader in genomics and precision medicine, partners with GetFIT Lifestyle, the first Italian fitness group, to offer Dante's Scientific Fitness Reports to the more than 30,000 GetFIT Lifestyle members. The goal of this partnership is to personalize an individual's physical exercise routine based on their genetic needs rather than the traditional approach based on superficial physical characteristics or taste, ushering in a new frontier of health where genetics meets the world of fitness.

Beginning July 1, 2022, GetFIT will offer Scientific Fitness Reports within its fitness clubs to the more than 30,000 active members and all interested parties exclusively in Italy and Europe. Genetic variants are differences in DNA between people. The Dante Genomics report explains how specific genetic variants in one's DNA can influence one's physical aptitude and metabolism, making this an extremely useful diagnostic tool now and in the future.

The information obtained from the analysis of the genes of an individual will for the first time the ability to formulate a plan with the support of the GetFIT certified instructors to optimize a training regimen in an effective and healthy way with the goal to live a longer, healthier and more energetic life.

"We are excited to partner with GetFIT on this progressive collaboration to bring valuable genomic information to the world of fitness," said Andrea Riposati, CEO of Dante Genomics. "At Dante, we often say 'personalized medicine needs personalized data,' and I am confident that our innovative genomic tests will mean a more personalized fitness regimen and training plan for all GetFIT customers uniquely tailored to their DNA."

"For almost 40 years, the GetFIT Group has been taking care of people's well-being. Present in Milan since 1984 with its fitness centers with swimming pools and thermarium and over 30,000 active members, our Mission is to inspire people to choose and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle and to feel good about themselves, through paths suitable for everyone and designed on the needs of each one," said Livio Leardi, GetFIT Founder. "Being able to participate as a partner of Dante in this innovative project will give our team the opportunity to create even more effective and personalized training programs, based on the characteristics of the individual person. This makes us proud to say that we have taken another step towards our goal: to highlight the importance of the symbiotic relationship between health and physical activity."

Both companies presented the project at a press conference held at RiminiWellness last week.

About GetFIT Lifestyle

GetFIT is the first Italian fitness group with clubs in the city of Milan, Italy with over 30,000 active members. Through multifunctional, spacious and bright spaces, fitness rooms and swimming pools that coexist with thermarium and relaxation areas, GetFIT clubs are the ideal place to find fun, energy and relaxation. We select and train with passion all our team that represents with great professionalism our care for the reception and health of the body. We offer cutting-edge activities and design personalized paths to accompany our members towards the achievement of their goals. We have always chosen leading partners in the sector to take care of the well-being of the Milanese.

About Dante Genomics

Dante Genomics is a global genomic information company building and commercializing a new class of transformative health and longevity applications based on whole genome sequencing and AI. The Company uses its platform to deliver better patient outcomes from diagnostics to therapeutics with assets including one of the largest private genome databases with research consent, proprietary software designed to unleash the power of genomic data at scale and proprietary processes which enable an industrial approach to genomic sequencing.
Volta FinanceLimited (VTA/VTAS)

Directorate Changes

NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION,

IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES

Guernsey, 6 June 2022

Appointment of new director

The Board of Volta Finance Limited ("the Board") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs Yedau Ogoundele as an independent non-executive director, with effect from 1 July 2022.

Ms Ogoundele has over 25 years' experience in financial markets, developing fixed income activities and leading financial services businesses. She was EMEA Head of Market Specialists at Bloomberg, then headed an enterprise sales department. Previously, she worked for over 17 years in investment banking at Credit Agricole CIB and Natixis in various roles including head of credit structuring where she specialised in CLO structuring, and secondary loan trading. Since 2021, she has worked as a senior advisor for financial institutions and advises investors, asset managers, and corporates on fundraising and risk management solutions. She is currently an independent director of a pan-African financial institution. Ms Ogoundele holds a Master's degree in Management & Finance from EM Lyon Business School.

Regulatory Disclosure

There is no information concerning Ms Ogoundele which is required to be disclosed pursuant to Listing Rule 9.6.13 R (1) to (6) inclusive.

Retirement of director

Additionally, the Board announces that Mr Paul Meader, a non-executive director and Company Chairman, has notified the Company of his intention to retire from the Board with effect from 31st July 2022. Mr Meader has been on the Board since 2014, and the Directors would like to express their gratitude for his valuable contribution and leadership during his tenure.

Upon the retirement of Mr Meader, Ms Dagmar Kershaw, a non-executive director and current Chairman of the Risk Committee, will assume the role of Chairman of the Company and Chairman of the Nomination Committee.

Dissolution of Risk Committee

The Board also announces that the Risk Committee, currently comprised of all the directors of the Company, will be dissolved effective 31st July 2022, the end of the Company's current financial year. After due discussion and consideration, it was agreed that the roles and responsibilities of the Risk Committee could be effectively handled by the Board at large, and that the dissolution of the Risk Committee was in the best interest of the Company.

CONTACTS

For the Investment Manager

AXA Investment Managers Paris

Serge Demay

serge.demay@axa-im.com



+33 (0) 1 44 45 84 47

Company Secretary and Administrator

BNP Paribas Securities Services S.C.A, Guernsey Branch

guernsey.bp2s.volta.cosec@bnpparibas.com

+44 (0) 1481 750 853

Corporate Broker

Cenkos Securities plc

Andrew Worne

Daniel Balabanoff

+44 (0) 20 7397 8900

*****

ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED

Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the London Stock Exchange's Main Market for listed securities. Volta's home member state for the purposes of the EU Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is subject to regulation and supervision by the AFM, being the regulator for financial markets in the Netherlands.

Volta's investment objectives are to preserve capital across the credit cycle and to provide a stable stream of income to its shareholders through dividends. Volta seeks to attain its investment objectives predominantly through diversified investments in structured finance assets. The assets that the Company may invest in either directly or indirectly include, but are not limited to: corporate credits; sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt; residential mortgage loans; and, automobile loans. The Company's approach to investment is through vehicles and arrangements that essentially provide leveraged exposure to portfolios of such underlying assets. The Company has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris an investment management company with a division specialised in structured credit, for the investment management of all its assets.

*****

ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS

AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-expert asset management company within the AXA Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with. 2,460 professionals and 887 billion in assets under management as of the end of December 2021.

*****

This press release is published by AXA Investment Managers Paris ("AXA IM"), in its capacity as alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of Directive 2011/61/EU, the "AIFM Directive") of Volta Finance Limited (the "Volta Finance") whose portfolio is managed by AXA IM.

This press release is for information only and does not constitute an invitation or inducement to acquire shares in Volta Finance. Its circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no recipient may circulate copies of this document in breach of such limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer for sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States or to persons who are "U.S. persons" for purposes of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or otherwise in circumstances where such offer would be restricted by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration from the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any portion of the offer of such securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of such securities in the United States.

*****

This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). The securities referred to herein are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance.

*****

This press release contains statements that are, or may deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "anticipated", "expects", "intends", "is/are expected", "may", "will" or "should". They include the statements regarding the level of the dividend, the current market context and its impact on the long-term return of Volta Finance's investments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Volta Finance's actual results, portfolio composition and performance may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements. AXA IM does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements.

Any target information is based on certain assumptions as to future events which may not prove to be realised. Due to the uncertainty surrounding these future events, the targets are not intended to be and should not be regarded as profits or earnings or any other type of forecasts. There can be no assurance that any of these targets will be achieved. In addition, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved.

The figures provided that relate to past months or years and past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance or construed as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended to illustrate some of the investment methodologies and philosophies of Volta Finance, as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success or AXA IM's belief in the future success, of any of these trades or strategies is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future results.

The valuation of financial assets can vary significantly from the prices that the AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on behalf of the Volta Finance due to market conditions and general economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness or similar opinion and should not be regarded as such.

Editor: AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of France, having its registered office located at Tour Majunga, 6, Place de la Pyramide - 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by the Autorite des Marches Financiers under registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive.

*****
DUBAI, UAE, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotel interior design is crucial when it comes to creating a positive experience for guests, staff, and visitors. An exceptionally designed hotel reflects a vision, highlights all amenities on offer, and targets intended audiences. But hotel interior design is more than just the sum of meticulous aesthetics and expensive furniture. So much work goes into translating the needs of a client while also surpassing their requirements to realise their ideas with expertise and excellence.

However, many hotel developers fail to look beyond the aesthetic aspect of interior design, missing another equally important facet: functionality. For example, when it came to designing a hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a city that gets incredibly congested around Hajj, one of the primary challenges the design needed to address was how to keep the flow of traffic and people going while also allowing access to the premises. As such, interior design transcends artistry to encapsulate topography, environment, sociology, and even the culture of its surrounding residents and visitors.

Why hotel interior design matters

Bland hotels struggle to connect with those seeking a step above in their choice of temporary residence. Research has shown that guests continuously choose properties that cater to their needs and expectations of what they deem the ideal hotel. A well-designed space can target the intended audience demographic, help position the hotel among its competition, and gain recognition from the community, among many other reasons.

Blending in

Hotels are increasingly being designed to blend in with their surroundings. This is a feature that can be accomplished by employing large windows, doors and balconies to fuse internal and external spaces and grant easy access to outdoor amenities. It can also be achieved by utilising natural features that reflect the landscape surrounding the hotel.

Marrying form and function

Beautiful hotel interior design should never be prioritised over function. Room features and hotel facilities, for example, should be accessible and easy to use for new guests. This may sound like a simple procedure, but it is surprisingly trickier than one may imagine. This also applies to public spaces where every detail is carefully considered: lobbies are designed the way they are to offer an open space for foot traffic and be accessible for guests with mobility issues, and the choice of colour plays a fundamental role in defining the experiences of both guests and staff.

Let there be light

An overlooked element that brings out the spirit of a hotel is its lighting. Satisfying both practical and aesthetic purposes, the right lighting will imbue a space with a relaxed and rejuvenating ambience. Conversely, using the wrong light shades or sources can tamper with guests' moods, making them feel subconsciously irritated.

Get interior design help from pros

When it comes to interior design, hoteliers must not wing it themselves or regard the craft as an afterthought. The design of a space is of utmost importance to get right, so employing the assistance of a great designer who has experience working in the hospitality sector and is capable of building familiarity with your brand and goals is critical and may be the difference between the success of a hotel and its failure.

So much goes into the interior design of a hotel, and working with the right people will help you translate and realise your vision and potentially surpass your expectations to deliver an aesthetic that equally serves customers, visitors and staff. The next time you walk into a hotel, stop to consider the countless hours that were invested in every little detail, from the choice of colour and material to the signage and navigation that impact your opinion of a location and space.

About Samer Khdeir

With more than 20 years of interior design experience across the MENA, including prominent projects in the UAE, the KSA, Qatar, and Jordan, Samer is a creative innovator who translates the world of shapes and colours around him into impeccable design solutions that perfectly blend function and style.

Since 1999, he has worked on a number of high-end commercial and residential projects, ranging from luxurious hotels, malls, and offices to palaces of UAE sheikhs, among many others. As the current design director at Dar Al Omran, Samer leads a team of architects, managing projects from conception to construction and completion to ensure optimal results that surpass projected expectations.

His efforts were validated in 2018 when Interior Design magazine awarded him Best Residential Project in the Middle East. This expanded his reach, granted him a prominent platform on the UAE's architecture and design stage, and further consolidated the innovation behind his design ethic.

Samer is a visionary with an aversion to the normal, continuously pushing the envelope of and redefining regional design standards with every project he leads.

Contact: Reem Masswadeh, M: +971 (05)0 583 9330, E: reem@tpra.me

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1833341/Radisson_Blu_Hotel_KSA.jpg
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2022) - Infinitum Copper (TSXV: INFI) invites you to visit them at Booth #2948 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 Infinitum Copper

Infinitum Copper is a publicly listed mining exploration company (TSXV: INFI) (OTCQB: INUMF), created as a premier copper explorer. Infinitum's flagship asset is the high prospective La Adelita copper project in Sonora State, Mexico. La Adelita hosts known high-grade copper mineralization in a skarn zone related to a porphyry copper-molybdenum system. La Adelita is adjacent to the ex-producing Alamo Dorado silver mine. La Adelita project provides an excellent opportunity with known high grade mineralization and multiple drill-ready targets on the 6,446-ha property with limited exploration work completed to date. Company's recent acquisition Hot Breccia property is adjacent to the Christmas Mine and 2 kilometres from Asarco's Hayden smelter complex, all within Arizona's Copper Belt. The 1,420 Ha property hosts significant potential for precious metal enriched porphyry copper and copper skarn mineralization.

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:

Infinitum Copper

Anna Okopnaya

525534417980

anna@infinitumcopper.com

https://infinitumcopper.com/
CEO, Tim Moore will share recent partnership and distribution news and a roadmap for the Company's plans for the next quarter

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2022) - Havn Life Sciences Inc. (CSE: HAVN) (OTC Pink: HAVLF) (FSE: 5NP) (the "Company" or "HAVN Life"), a biotechnology company pursuing standardized extraction of psychedelic compounds for the creation of APIs that support brain health and cognitive function, is announcing that CEO, Tim Moore will be presenting at the LD Micro Invitational XII, taking place June 7-9, 2022 at the Four Seasons Westlake Village in California, with more than 185 companies in attendance.

HAVN Life CEO, Tim Moore will give a presentation on Tuesday, June 7 at 9:30am (Pacific), sharing updates on the Company's growth and activities to an audience of investors and some of the most prominent companies in the small and micro-cap world. Mr. Moore will also host a Q & A session for investors following his presentation.

"I'm excited to be part of the 12th installment of the LD Micro gathering, and look forward to sharing our recent distribution and partnership successes, as well as upcoming plans with this illustrious group of investors and emerging companies," says Moore. "It's a great opportunity to connect with the investor community and share salient data on the market potential of the work we're doing," he adds.

WHO: Tim Moore, CEO of HAVN Life Sciences Inc.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 9:30am Pacific and 12:30pm Eastern

WHERE: The event is SOLD OUT but register HERE to attend virtually and watch the live stream

-##-

On Behalf of The Board of Directors

Tim Moore

Chief Executive Officer

About HAVN Life Sciences Inc.

HAVN Life Sciences is a biotechnology company pursuing standardized extraction of psychedelic compounds for the creation of APIs, the development of natural health products, and innovative therapies to support brain health and enhance the capabilities of the mind.

Through its research division, HAVN Labs, the company has developed an end-to-end supply chain of standardized, naturally derived psychedelic compounds for research that will define the future of modern medicine. With its new line of natural health products, HAVN Life offers a full range of high-quality mushroom and plant extracts that help boost immune function, reduce inflammation and support a healthy lifestyle.

Purchase our products and find out more at yourhavnlife.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the micro-cap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies transformed into several virtual and in-person events hosted annually and positioned LD Micro as a leader in small- and micro-cap conferences. With the recent SRAX acquisition, LD gained access to the largest active base of micro-cap investors in the world at over five million and counting. For more information on LD Micro, visit ldmicro.com.

Contact:



Investor Relations: ir@havnlife.com

Media: savi@emergence-creative.com

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to statements regarding Mr. Moore's attendance and presentation at the LD Micro event, the Company's business, products and future of the Company's business. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance and developments to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risk that Mr. Moore will not be able to attend and/or present at the LD Micro event as contemplated, or at all, risks that the Company's products and plan will vary from those stated in this news release and the Company may not be able to carry out its business plans as expected. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information in this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126630
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

6 June 2022

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 5,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 800.00p 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 3,314,223; 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 221,677,080.

The figure of 221,677,080 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
Company recognized for its employee-centric company culture and strong focus on employee wellness

AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 6, 2022 / Episode Six (E6) has been named as one of the 50 Best Places to Work in Financial Technology by American Banker . The company was recognized in part due to its commitment to fostering an environment that puts employees first. E6 firmly believes that empowered and valued employees are the primary reason behind the company's success.

In 2021, E6 tripled in size, ending the year with approximately 100 employees - with the same rate of growth continuing in 2022. This growth enables the company to further expand its global footprint. Today, nearly seven years after E6 was founded with a team of three in Austin, Texas, it operates globally across 25 countries. As the company continues to grow, its culture remains steadfast. In addition to E6's commitment to excellence and an inclusive and supportive work environment, it focuses on cultivating and promoting professional development.

"Being named one of the Best Places to Work in Financial Technology is especially meaningful to me because it represents direct, positive employee feedback," said John Mitchell, CEO and Co-Founder of Episode Six. "Maintaining a culture that motivates and values our employees is a top priority for the company, as we recognize our employees as the company's greatest asset."

American Banker's Best Places to Work in Financial Technology program was created in 2017 and is a project of Arizent and Best Companies Group. This annual survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in the financial technology industry. Companies recognized on this year's list operate in and serve companies and consumers in a wide range of financial services including banking and mortgages, insurance, payments and financial advisory. The 2022 list included 50 companies and was published by Arizent brands American Banker , National Mortgage News , PaymentsSource , Financial Planning and Digital Insurance .

"The fintech community continues to grow and provide job opportunities for data scientists, developers, managers and creative thinkers," said Penny Crosman, executive editor, technology at American Banker. "Best Places to Work in Financial Technology offers a look at FinTechs that lead the pack in areas like human resources policies, perks and culture, which can help people understand which companies might be a fit for them."

To be considered for participation, companies must provide technology products, services or solutions that enable the delivery of financial services. Companies must also have been in business for at least one full year and employ at least 15 people in the U.S.

Companies from across the United States entered a two-part survey process to determine Arizent's Best Places to Work in Financial Technology. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data and determined the final ranking.

For more information on Arizent's Best Places to Work in Financial Technology program, including full eligibility criteria, visit www.BestPlacestoWorkFinTech.com or write to penny.crosman@arizent.com . For more on Episode Six, visit www.EpisodeSix.com .

About Episode Six

Episode Six is a payments technology company that gives banks, fintechs and brands the freedom to design and bring leading digital payment propositions to market with unmatched speed. From issuer processing to digital wallet - across deposits, credit, savings, and loyalty rewards - and account management, we power clients' payments journeys with the most flexible and adaptable platform on the market today, providing highly configurable products with user-driven tools and technology to stay ahead of, and respond to, customer demand and market shifts. Episode Six's platform is purpose-built to transfer value of any kind - fiat currency, cryptocurrencies, brand value points, gold, and more. Episode Six operates globally across 25 countries with an expanding team located in the U.S., Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. Investors include HSBC, Mastercard, SBI Investment Co., Ltd. and Anthos Capital.

For more information, visit www.EpisodeSix.com or LinkedIn .

Media Contact

Aarzoo Jena

aarzoo@calibercorporateadvisers.com

SOURCE: Episode Six

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/703972/American-Banker-Recognizes-Episode-Six-as-One-of-the-Best-Places-to-Work-in-Financial-Technology
6 June 2022

KASEI HOLDINGS PLC

("Kasei" or the "Company")

Result of EGM

Kasei Holdings PLC (AQSE: KASH) is pleased to announce that all resolutions were duly passed at the Company's Extraordinary Meeting held earlier this afternoon, Monday 6 June 2022.

For further information please contact:

Jai Patel

Chief Investment Officer info@kaseiholdings.com First Sentinel

Corporate Adviser

Brian Stockbridge

Steve McGlennan

+44 7876 888 011

brian@first-sentinel.com

stephen.mcglennan@first-sentinel.com

About Kasei:

The Company is a technology specialist investor that focuses on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies.

The Company's goal is to provide investors with broad based exposure to the fast-growing ecosystem of digital assets, managed using traditional financial portfolio construction techniques. The Company also intends to invest in venture capital and private equity investments in the blockchain ecosystem.

The Company will leverage the Board's expertise, experience, and networks in the cryptocurrency sector and management of digital assets and decentralised finance, to drive value creation and to establish the business. The Board has a proven capability in portfolio management to achieve significant growth.

The Company's website is located at https://kaseiholdings.com


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter Inc. (TWTR) if the social media network fails to provide data on spam and fake accounts.



In a letter to Twitter's Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde, which was disclosed in an SEC filing, Musk's legal team Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, has claimed that Twitter was in a 'clear material breach' of its obligations and that Musk reserves all rights to terminate the merger agreement.



'Twitter has, in fact, refused to provide the information that Mr. Musk has repeatedly requested since May 9, 2022 to facilitate his evaluation of spam and fake accounts on the company's platform,' the letter reads.



'Mr. Musk has made it clear that he does not believe the company's lax testing methodologies are adequate so he must conduct his own analysis. The data he has requested is necessary to do so,' it added.



Twitter has previously claimed that only less than 5 percent of its daily active users are bots. However, Musk has asked Twitter to provide him with information about its testing methodologies to support its claims about bots and fake accounts. Musk has also called for doing his own independent assessment based on Twitter data. He has alleged that the actual number of spam accounts could be much more than 5%, even reaching as high as 90%.



'Based on Twitter's behavior to date, and the company's latest correspondence in particular, Mr. Musk believes the company is actively resisting and thwarting his information rights (and the company's corresponding obligations) under the merger agreement,' the letter continues.



'This is a clear material breach of Twitter's obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement.'



However, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal continues to stand by his company's longtime spam metric. In a statement, the company said: 'Twitter has and will continue to cooperatively share information with Mr. Musk to consummate the transaction in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement.'



The company also said it intends to 'close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms.'







Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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South Korea and the United States hold a combined live-fire exercise at an unspecified location, Monday. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff



Yoon vows firm response to Pyongyang's saber-rattling



By Kang Seung-woo



One day after North Korea's barrage of ballistic missile launches, South Korea and the United States responded, Monday, to the threats with another show of force by firing their own ballistic missiles, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).



It is the second time that Seoul and Washington have responded in kind to Pyongyang's increasing saber-rattling, following their counter-action in response to the Kim Jong-un regime's launch of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), May 25. This marks a dramatic shift of the South Korean government's North Korea policy to a hardline stance from a conciliatory approach, according to diplomatic observers.



Plus, President Yoon Suk-yeol said in his Memorial Day speech that his administration will respond firmly to further provocations from the North.



The JCS said the South Korean and U.S. militaries fired eight surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles  seven by South Korea and one by the U.S.  from northeastern South Korea into the East Sea at 4:45 a.m. in the space of around 10 minutes, assuming the scenario of delivering precision strikes against various targets.



"The launches demonstrate the capability and posture to deliver immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces," the JCS said in a statement.



"Our military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns."









Hours later, U.S. Forces Korea also confirmed the combined live-fire exercise in order to demonstrate the ability of the allies to respond quickly to crisis events.



On Sunday, North Korea fired an unprecedented eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) in succession over 35 minutes from four different sites in its 18th show of force this year alone and the third since Yoon's May 10 inauguration, and the allies' response seems to have matched the North's missile display.



The four types of SRBMs that North Korea fired traveled 110 kilometers to 670 kilometers at maximum altitudes of 25 kilometers to 90 kilometers, while the ATACMS can fly 300 kilometers and reach an apogee of 50 kilometers.



When the North Korean military test-fired three missiles last month, including one which was likely an ICBM, South Korea and the U.S. fired a Hyunmoo-II ballistic missile and an ATACMS missile into the East Sea, respectively, to highlight their rapid response strike capabilities. In addition, the South conducted a fighter jet exercise.



However, although the allies are strengthening deterrence with defense exercises in response to North Korea's recent missile launches, the South's missile defense is currently insufficient against the expanding North Korean threats, according to Leif-Eric Easley, an associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University.



"This calls not only for further investments in hardware, but also a more multilayered approach coordinated with Japan and diplomatic efforts with Beijing to reduce arms race dynamics with Pyongyang," Easley said.





President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a ceremony marking Memorial Day at Seoul National Cemetery, Monday. Yonhap
MURFREESBORO, TN / ACCESSWIRE / June 6, 2022 / National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI) today provided a business update regarding recent portfolio activity, share repurchase program, guidance and average occupancy for Senior Living Communities ("SLC"), Bickford Senior Living ("Bickford") and the senior housing operating portfolio ("SHOP") through May 2022.

Portfolio Activity

In May 2022, NHI completed the disposition of three assisted living communities located in Kansas and Illinois formerly operated by Bickford for approximately $26.4 million in gross proceeds. The Company also completed the disposition of four assisted living communities located in Michigan for gross proceeds of $40.0 million.

Since April 2021, NHI has completed dispositions totaling approximately $327.7 million including approximately $279.4 million for 30 underperforming senior living communities.

Share Repurchase

Through June 6, 2022, NHI has repurchased 751,803 shares at an average price of $57.71 totaling $43.4 million under its April 2022 Board-authorized $240 million stock repurchase plan.

Board Member Appointment

NHI announced in May 2022 that Tracy M.J. Colden will join the Board of Directors. Ms. Colden's term began on June 1, 2022 and increased the total number of directors from seven to eight.

Guidance

The Company's guidance issued in a press release dated April 18, 2022 remains unchanged. A summary of the guidance includes the following:

NAREIT FFO per diluted common share in a range of $4.32 - $4.42

Normalized FFO per diluted common share in a range of $4.38 - $4.48

Funds Available for Distribution in a range of $201.8 million - $206.4 million

Weighted average diluted common shares of 45.9 million

NHI expects to update the 2022 annual guidance with the release of its results for the second quarter of 2022.

Occupancy

The following table summarizes the average monthly portfolio occupancy for SLC, Bickford, and SHOP for the periods indicated, excluding development properties in operation less than 24 months, notes receivable, and properties disposed or transitioned to new operators.

Properties May-22 Apr-22 Mar-22 Feb-22 Jan-22 Dec-21 Nov-21 Oct-21 SLC 9 82.4% 82.3% 81.8% 81.7% 81.7% 81.7% 81.9% 81.5% Bickford 1 38 82.6% 82.0% 82.0% 81.8% 83.2% 83.3% 83.9% 83.2% SHOP 15 76.2% 77.2% 76.8% 77.6% 78.6% 79.5% 81.3% 81.2% Properties Sep-21 Aug-21 Jul-21 Jun-21 May-21 Apr-21 Mar-21 Feb-21 SLC 9 80.9% 80.4% 80.0% 79.1% 78.6% 77.9% 77.8% 78.1% Bickford 1 38 82.3% 82.1% 81.1% 79.9% 78.8% 77.9% 76.0% 76.1% SHOP 15 81.0% 79.3% 79.1% 78.3% 77.8% 76.9% 76.9% 76.8%

1 Prior periods restated to reflect the sale of three properties in May 2022.

About NHI

Incorporated in 1991, National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI) is a real estate investment trust specializing in sale-leaseback, joint-venture, mortgage and mezzanine financing of need-driven and discretionary senior housing and medical investments. NHI's portfolio consists of independent, assisted and memory care communities, entrance-fee retirement communities, skilled nursing facilities, medical office buildings and specialty hospitals. For more information, visit www.nhireit.com.

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding the Company's, tenants', operators', borrowers' or managers' expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, funds from operations, dividend and dividend plans, financing opportunities and plans, capital market transactions, business strategy, budgets, projected costs, operating metrics, capital expenditures, competitive positions, acquisitions, investment opportunities, dispositions, acquisition integration, growth opportunities, expected lease income, continued qualification as a real estate investment trust ("REIT"), plans and objectives of management for future operations, continued performance improvements, ability to service and refinance our debt obligations, ability to finance growth opportunities, and similar statements including, without limitation, those containing words such as "may", "will", "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "estimates", "plans", and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things; the impact of COVID-19 on our tenants, borrowers, economy and the Company; the operating success of our tenants and borrowers for collection of our lease and interest income; the success of property development and construction activities, which may fail to achieve the operating results we expect; the risk that our tenants and borrowers may become subject to bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings; risks related to the concentration of a significant percentage of our portfolio to a small number of tenants; risks related to governmental regulations and payors, principally Medicare and Medicaid, and the effect that lower reimbursement rates would have on our tenants' and borrowers' business; the risk that the cash flows of our tenants and borrowers would be adversely affected by increased liability claims and liability insurance costs; risks related to environmental laws and the costs associated with liabilities related to hazardous substances; the risk of damage from catastrophic weather and other natural or man-made disasters and the physical effects of climate change; the risk that we may not be fully indemnified by our lessees and borrowers against future litigation; the success of our future acquisitions and investments; our ability to reinvest cash in real estate investments in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; the potential need to incur more debt in the future, which may not be available on terms acceptable to us; our ability to meet covenants related to our indebtedness which impose certain operational limitations and a breach of those covenants could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations; the risk that the illiquidity of real estate investments could impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties; risks associated with our investments in unconsolidated entities, including our lack of sole decision-making authority and our reliance on the financial condition of other interests; operational risks with respect to our senior housing operating portfolio ("SHOP") structured communities; our dependence on revenues derived mainly from fixed rate investments in real estate assets, while a portion of our debt bears interest at variable rates; the risk that our assets may be subject to impairment charges; risks related to our ability to maintain the privacy and security of Company information; and our dependence on the ability to continue to qualify for taxation as a real estate investment trust. Many of these factors are beyond the control of the Company and its management. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of the foregoing or any other forward looking statements, except as required by law, and these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Investors are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by NHI in its periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors and other information disclosed in NHI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year. Copies of these filings are available at no cost on the SEC's web site at https://www.sec.gov or on NHI's web site at https://www.nhireit.com.

CONTACT:

Dana Hambly, Vice President, Investor Relations

Phone: (615) 890-9100

SOURCE: National Health Investors

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/704066/NHI-Provides-Business-Update
TORONTO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orvana Minerals Corp. (TSX: ORV) (the "Company" or "Orvana") is pleased to announce the recent completion of Phase I of its infill and resource-growth drilling campaign targeting the Oxides Horizon ("Oxides") of its 100%-owned Taguas Project in San Juan Province, Argentina. A five-month final Phase II is expected to start in November 2022.

Phase I consisted of 6,482.6 meters in 41 diamond drill holes (DDH's), with over 4,900 assay samples. The main goal of the program was to upgrade Cerros Taguas Oxides Sector to Measured & Indicated Resource categories, as those terms are defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") while moderately expanding the ore tonnage previously reported in the Company's NI 43-101 compliant Taguas preliminary economic assessment report dated December 29, 2021 and filed on SEDAR on February 11, 2022 (the "Taguas 2021 PEA"). The second goal was to incorporate satellite Cerro Campamento Sector into the Oxides scope, going forward.

"The DDH's average drilling results and key intercepts continue to support Orvana's Oxides development strategy for our Taguas multimillion-ounce Au-Ag Oxides-Sulfides Project. Also, the decision to incorporate the satellite higher-grade Cerro Campamento Sector will be key to improving project economics. We are excited, and eagerly awaiting, resource re-modeling by July 2022. Completion of Phase II will be the foundation of the 43-101 Pre-Feasibility Study for our Oxides Project in Taguas", said Orvana CEO Juan Gavidia.

Highlights:

Phase I infill and growth drilling program on Taguas Oxides completed (41 holes totaling 6,482.6 meters).

Mineralization encountered in all 41 holes.

Grades generally equaling-improving average previous resource grades included in the Taguas 2021 PEA.

Best drilling results included:

TADD244: 61.2 meters @ 0.82 g/t Au and 16.59 g/t Ag



TADD265: 72.8 meters @ 0.46 g/t Au and 6.04 g/t Ag



TADD274: 27.7 meters @ 2.51 g/t Au and 10.61 g/t Ag

Potential to reduce strip ratio in next open pit re-design.

Phase II infill and growth drilling program expected to start in November 2022 : additional 11,000 meters in Cerros Taguas Sector and 3,000 meters in Cerro Campamento Sector.

Drilling Program Overview:

Phase I was conducted between late-December 2021 and mid-May 2022. Out of the total 41 drill holes drilled in Phase I, assay results from the first 12 holes (TADD237 to TADD248) were outlined in Orvana's March 31, 2022 news release. The assay results for the subsequent 29 holes are summarized in Table 1 and Table 2 of this news release.

Phases I & II results to be used for Taguas Oxides prefeasibility studies purposes.

Cerros Taguas

34 core holes totaling 5,748.6 meters drilled.

Targets:

Oxides mineralization upgrade to Measured and Indicated categories.



Resource growth with oxides extensions to the northeast and northwest.



Resource growth in areas within the pit proposed in the Taguas 2021 PEA that were outside the block model due to lack of drilling (e.g., TADD246 and TADD249 in Figure 1).

Table 1, below, shows promising results, identifying thicker high-grade structures than previously modeled:

27.7 meters @ 2.51 g/t Au and 10.61 g/t Ag



14.0 meters @ 1.38 g/t Au and 10.42 g/t Ag



72.8 meters @ 0.46 g/t Au and 6.04 g/t Ag

Under-drilled area inside Taguas 2021 PEA open pit model is now preliminarily showing a high possibility to improve mining strip ratio.

High grade structures like the ones intercepted in TADD258 leave open the possibility of increasing resources towards the northeast.

Phase II (additional 11,000 meters) is expected to be completed by March 2023 .

Cerro Campamento

7 core holes totaling 734 meters drilled.

Focused on defining the shallower part of high gold grade oxides, which can potentially be mined by open pit.

First interpretations show the existence of a low-grade envelope around high-grade veins. Additional drilling is necessary to continue delineating shallower parts of high gold grade veins; with the aim for open pit mining modeling.

Best intercepts shown in Table 2. Highlights:

7.0 meters @ 3.07 g/t Au and 31.03 g/t Ag



23.5 meters @ 0.72 g/t Au and 31.51 g/t Ag



11.3 meters @ 0.59 g/t Au and 24.06 g/t Ag

Phase II (additional 3,000 meters) is expected to be completed by March 2023 .

Quality Assurance-Quality Control ("QA/QC")

Samples were prepared and analyzed by Alex Stewart International Argentina SA Laboratory in Mendoza. This laboratory is ISO 9001; ISO 17025, and ISO 14001 certified. Samples were prepared following the P-5 laboratory preparation code: the samples were dried, crushed to passing 10 mesh (>80%), riffle split of 1kg sample and pulverized to 106 microns (>95%). The assays included 50 g Au by fire assay (FA), AA finish and 39 element package with aqua regia dilution and ICP OES finish. Over limits for Au and Ag were run in 50 g sample by FA and gravimetric method finish. Coarse and pulp rejects were returned and are stored in the Piuquenes storage facilities.

The reported work has been completed using industry standard procedures, including a quality assurance/quality control ("QA/QC") program consisting of the insertion of quarter core field duplicates, coarse duplicates split after laboratory crushing, pulp duplicates split after laboratory pulverization, coarse analytical blank samples and 2 different CRMs inserted in batches of roughly 50 samples.

The exploration update was prepared under the supervision of Raul Alvarez Cifuentes, a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 and an employee of the company.

Table 1 - Intercepts from Cerros Taguas

The assay results from the first 12 holes (TADD237 to TADD248) were outlined in the news release dated March 31, 2022. The assay results for the subsequent 29 holes are summarized below:

DDH

FROM

TO

Downhole

length

True

width*

Au (g/t)

Ag (g/t)

Cu (%)

Ore Type TADD249

18.20

40.30

22.10

14.37

0.28

10.77

0.02

Oxide TADD249

111.50

114.20

2.70

1.76

0.25

22.15

0.03

Oxide

































TADD250

59.00

67.00

8.00

5.20

0.26

7.12

0.10

Oxide TADD250

157.00

163.00

6.00

3.90

1.61

122.43

0.44

Sulfide

































TADD251

8.00

10.00

2.00

1.30

0.25

2.30

<0.01

Oxide TADD251

21.00

34.20

13.20

8.58

0.23

2.27

0.01

Oxide TADD251

61.00

62.00

1.00

0.65

0.77

1.50

<0.01

Oxide TADD251

82.40

135.00

52.60

34.19

0.44

4.31

<0.01

Oxide TADD251

143.40

148.80

5.40

3.51

0.32

6.20

0.02

Oxide TADD251

158.10

160.30

2.20

1.43

0.27

1.20

0.01

Oxide

































TADD252

43.50

48.50

5.00

3.25

0.21

13.87

<0.01

Oxide TADD252

81.10

83.60

2.50

1.63

0.21

6.32

0.01

Oxide TADD252

103.60

107.15

3.55

2.31

0.31

6.94

<0.01

Oxide TADD252

111.50

113.70

2.20

1.43

0.27

6.46

<0.01

Oxide TADD252

132.55

135.10

2.55

1.66

0.61

12.26

<0.01

Oxide TADD252

138.90

144.00

5.10

3.32

1.54

26.52

0.11

Sulfide

































TADD253

18.00

20.00

2.00

1.30

0.24

7.10

<0.01

Oxide TADD253

24.95

57.90

32.95

21.42

0.56

5.11

<0.01

Oxide TADD253

81.45

101.20

19.75

12.84

0.23

6.89

0.03

Oxide

































TADD254

8.00

24.40

16.40

10.66

0.30

11.58

<0.01

Oxide TADD254

34.20

37.35

3.15

2.05

0.35

5.40

<0.01

Oxide TADD254

68.90

75.20

6.30

4.10

0.29

7.63

0.04

Oxide TADD254

92.20

128.00

35.80

23.27

0.39

3.51

<0.01

Oxide TADD254

132.60

134.45

1.85

1.20

0.68

12.50

<0.01

Oxide TADD254

146.40

149.00

2.60

1.69

0.67

29.58

0.66

Sulfide TADD254

162.45

185.00

22.55

14.66

0.49

15.03

0.19

Sulfide

































TADD256

2.00

6.00

4.00

2.60

0.25

10.05

<0.01

Oxide TADD256

42.80

44.50

1.70

1.11

1.00

71.10

0.01

Oxide

































TADD258

77.45

79.30

1.85

1.20

0.42

21.40

0.01

Oxide TADD258

121.80

124.80

3.00

1.95

24.99

29.20

0.02

Oxide

































TADD259

0.00

2.80

2.80

1.82

0.38

3.20

<0.01

Oxide TADD259

47.30

50.30

3.00

1.95

0.21

9.59

<0.01

Oxide TADD259

54.00

55.20

1.20

0.78

0.41

24.30

0.02

Oxide TADD259

61.20

64.60

3.40

2.21

0.40

11.74

<0.01

Oxide TADD259

106.00

107.80

1.80

1.17

0.77

47.80

0.01

Oxide

































TADD261

12.10

15.70

3.60

2.34

0.33

12.70

0.02

Oxide TADD261

51.10

53.10

2.00

1.30

0.41

18.55

0.01

Oxide TADD261

56.90

64.30

7.40

4.81

0.59

8.51

<0.01

Oxide

































TADD262

0.00

2.00

2.00

1.30

0.55

7.90

<0.01

Oxide TADD262

38.20

70.20

32.00

20.80

0.56

10.74

<0.01

Oxide including

40.20

44.20

4.00

2.60

2.82

39.90

0.01

Oxide TADD262

78.20

80.20

2.00

1.30

0.94

6.20

<0.01

Oxide TADD262

86.20

89.00

2.80

1.82

0.31

13.00

0.02

Oxide TADD262

98.00

100.00

2.00

1.30

0.30

11.50

<0.01

Oxide TADD262

125.60

127.60

2.00

1.30

0.34

14.00

<0.01

Oxide TADD262

183.20

184.70

1.50

0.98

2.49

35.00

0.04

Oxide TADD262

230.50

233.00

2.50

1.63

0.41

5.24

0.01

Oxide TADD262

244.00

251.10

7.10

4.62

0.22

6.31

0.01

Oxide TADD262

258.00

262.00

4.00

2.60

0.46

8.40

<0.01

Oxide

































TADD263

20.40

24.10

3.70

2.41

0.23

13.82

<0.01

Oxide TADD263

28.10

36.00

7.90

5.14

0.25

9.60

0.01

Oxide TADD263

55.10

78.90

23.80

15.47

0.32

5.12

0.06

Oxide TADD263

89.00

120.00

31.00

20.15

0.23

5.47

0.12

Sulfide TADD263

126.00

132.00

6.00

3.90

0.18

10.30

0.32

Sulfide

































TADD265

14.00

23.00

9.00

5.85

0.21

6.07

174.00

Oxide TADD265

41.00

153.00

112.00

72.80

0.46

6.04

<0.01

Oxide Including

149.80

151.80

2.00

1.30

11.75

70.30

0.04

Oxide

































TADD266

0.00

60.90

60.90

39.59

0.37

9.27

<0.01

Oxide TADD266

66.80

143.60

76.80

49.92

0.30

15.03

0.03

Oxide

































TADD267

141.00

145.00

4.00

2.60

0.32

5.50

0.01

Oxide TADD267

166.30

169.00

2.70

1.76

2.59

51.93

1.18

Sulfide

































TADD268

24.00

30.00

6.00

3.90

0.28

12.73

36.00

Oxide TADD268

37.40

43.00

5.60

3.64

0.39

3.81

<0.01

Oxide TADD268

53.00

55.00

2.00

1.30

0.26

10.10

<0.01

Oxide TADD268

59.40

60.20

0.80

0.52

5.03

57.30

<0.01

Oxide TADD268

64.00

66.60

2.60

1.69

0.28

14.17

<0.01

Oxide TADD268

99.60

101.00

1.40

0.91

0.26

5.40

0.02

Oxide

































TADD270

85.00

88.50

3.50

2.28

0.24

9.63

<0.01

Oxide TADD270

97.00

99.00

2.00

1.30

0.89

6.00

<0.01

Oxide TADD270

124.00

126.00

2.00

1.30

0.36

12.40

0.02

Oxide TADD270

136.00

143.50

7.50

4.88

0.39

13.43

<0.01

Oxide TADD270

182.50

188.20

5.70

3.71

0.80

27.58

0.24

Sulfide

































TADD272

22.00

36.00

14.00

9.10

0.24

1.90

<0.01

Oxide TADD272

50.30

58.90

8.60

5.59

0.30

3.15

<0.01

Oxide TADD272

60.90

62.90

2.00

1.30

0.17

2.00

<0.01

Oxide TADD272

66.90

75.50

8.60

5.59

0.39

2.93

<0.01

Oxide TADD272

82.00

84.50

2.50

1.63

0.44

10.50

0.03

Oxide

































TADD274

35.40

37.00

1.60

1.04

17.45

387.00

1.28

Sulfide TADD274

44.00

86.60

42.60

27.69

2.51

10.61

0.01

Oxide

































TADD275

9.00

21.00

12.00

7.80

0.39

5.84

0.01

Oxide TADD275

23.80

25.90

2.10

1.37

0.21

2.13

<0.01

Oxide TADD275

65.00

80.80

15.80

10.27

0.29

6.15

0.02

Oxide TADD275

123.00

131.00

8.00

5.20

0.77

19.73

<0.01

Oxide

































TADD276

40.00

42.00

2.00

1.30

0.68

15.70

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

49.80

71.40

21.60

14.04

1.38

10.42

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

79.15

81.30

2.15

1.40

0.16

8.75

0.01

Oxide TADD276

84.80

90.00

5.20

3.38

0.27

14.14

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

98.45

100.65

2.20

1.43

0.31

12.45

0.01

Oxide TADD276

146.60

148.60

2.00

1.30

0.42

1.90

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

178.35

181.40

3.05

1.98

0.52

29.39

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

268.65

269.65

1.00

0.65

2.00

6.80

0.02

Oxide

































TADD277

33.80

51.90

18.10

11.77

0.83

9.70

0.01

Oxide TADD277

84.70

87.40

2.70

1.76

0.31

4.40

<0.01

Oxide TADD277

90.90

95.70

4.80

3.12

0.34

5.74

0.01

Oxide

*True width is averaged to 65% of the down-hole intercept, although ranges from 60-70% subject to intersection with sub-vertical veins and drilling dip.



Table 2 - Intercepts from Cerro Campamento

The table shows the most significant results:

DDH

FROM

TO

Downhole

length

True

width*

Au (g/t)

Ag (g/t)

Cu (%)

Ore Type

































TADD255

44.00

61.30

17.30

5.76

0.79

8.46

0.02

Oxide including

55.85

61.30

5.45

1.81

1.74

21.61

0.04

Oxide TADD255

65.85

68.20

2.35

0.78

0.27

2.78

<0.01

Oxide

































TADD257

41.00

43.60

2.60

0.87

0.22

3.90

0.01

Oxide TADD257

61.70

71.00

9.30

3.10

0.98

6.73

0.07

Sulfide

































TADD260

0.00

3.00

3.00

1.67

0.32

11.15

<0.01

Oxide TADD260

19.00

21.00

2.00

1.11

0.24

4.80

<0.01

Oxide TADD260

44.60

48.00

3.40

1.89

0.37

2.15

<0.01

Oxide TADD260

110.00

119.80

9.80

5.44

0.68

20.34

0.02

Oxide TADD260

138.00

141.70

3.70

2.05

0.34

38.94

0.02

Oxide TADD260

169.00

181.50

12.50

6.94

0.54

12.69

0.03

Oxide

































TADD264

84.00

107.45

23.45

23.45

0.72

31.51

0.03

Oxide TADD264

131.25

147.35

16.10

16.10

0.76

9.68

0.03

Oxide TADD264

161.00

163.15

2.15

2.15

0.32

16.15

0.39

Sulfide

































TADD269

62.50

76.05

13.55

11.29

0.59

24.06

0.01

Oxide Including

66.30

66.90

0.60

0.50

8.96

389.00

0.09

Oxide

































TADD271

13.40

16.20

2.80

1.55

0.39

5.50

<0.01

Oxide TADD271

29.90

33.25

3.35

1.86

1.57

9.33

0.01

Oxide TADD271

57.00

59.70

2.70

1.50

0.36

18.28

0.05

Sulfide TADD271

71.60

73.60

2.00

1.11

0.37

7.90

0.11

Sulfide TADD271

79.00

83.50

4.50

2.50

0.33

37.31

0.22

Sulfide

































TADD273

0.00

2.70

2.70

1.35

0.53

4.87

<0.01

Oxide TADD273

13.60

27.60

14.00

7.00

3.07

31.03

0.01

Oxide Including

15.60

23.60

8.00

4.00

5.19

45.12

0.02

Oxide

*True width varies between 33 and 100% of the down-hole intercept, subject to intersection with sub-vertical veins and drilling dip.



Cautionary Notes to Investors - Mineral Reserves and Resources Estimates

Pursuant to Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves Definitions and Guidelines" (the "CIM Guidelines"), mineral resources have a higher degree of uncertainty than mineral reserves as to their existence as well as their economic and legal feasibility. Inferred mineral resources, when compared with measured or indicated mineral resources, have the least certainty as to their existence, and it cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will be upgraded to an indicated or measured mineral resource as a result of continued exploration. Pursuant to NI 43-101, inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of any economic analysis, including any feasibility study. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a mineral resource exists, will ever be converted into a mineral reserve, or is or will ever be economically or legally mineable or recovered.

ABOUT ORVANA - Orvana is a multi-mine gold-copper-silver company. Orvana's assets consist of the producing El Valle and Carles gold-copper-silver mines in northern Spain, the Don Mario gold-silver property in Bolivia, currently in care and maintenance, and the Taguas property located in Argentina. Additional information is available at Orvana's website (www.orvana.com).

Cautionary Statements - Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this presentation constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, potentials, future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "believes", "expects", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "are projected to" be taken or achieved) are not statements of historical fact, but are forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements herein relate to, among other things, Orvana's ability to achieve improvement in free cash flow; the ability to maintain expected mining rates and expected throughput rates at El Valle Plant; the potential to extend the mine life of El Valle and Don Mario beyond their current life-of-mine estimates including specifically, but not limited to, in the case of Don Mario, the processing of the mineral stockpiles and the reprocessing of the tailings material; Orvana's ability to optimize its assets to deliver shareholder value; the Company's ability to optimize productivity at Don Mario and El Valle; estimates of future production, operating costs and capital expenditures; mineral resource and reserve estimates; statements and information regarding future feasibility studies and their results; future transactions; future metal prices; the ability to achieve additional growth and geographic diversification; and future financial performance, including the ability to increase cash flow and profits; future financing requirements; mine development plans; and the possibility of the conversion of inferred mineral resources to mineral reserves.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, which includes, without limitation, as particularly set out in the notes accompanying the Company's most recently filed financial statements. The estimates and assumptions of the Company contained or incorporated by reference in this information, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to the various assumptions set forth herein and in Orvana's most recently filed Management's Discussion & Analysis and Annual Information Form in respect of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year (the "Company Disclosures") or as otherwise expressly incorporated herein by reference as well as: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, whether due to labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; permitting, development, operations, expansion and acquisitions at El Valle and Don Mario being consistent with the Company's current expectations; political developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations; certain price assumptions for gold, copper and silver; prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; production and cost of sales forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Orvana's current expectations; and the availability of necessary funds to execute the Company's plan. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this news release also contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including, without limitation, references to the results of the Taguas preliminary economic assessment (PEA), including but not limited to the mineral resource estimation, conceptual mine plan and operations, internal rate of return, sensitivities, taxes, net present value, potential recoveries, design parameters, operating costs, capital costs, production data and economic potential; the timing and costs for production decisions; permitting timelines and requirements; exploration and planned exploration programs; the potential for discovery of additional mineral resources; timing for completion of a feasibility study; timing for first gold production at Taguas; issuing an expanded resource PEA for Taguas in a timely manner; completion of the infill drilling program and prefeasibility timing at Taguas; making a decision on the oxides stockpile at Don Mario in a timely manner; identifying additional resources beyond the replenishment of annual depletion rates at El Valle for the extension of mine life; and the Company's general objectives and strategies.

A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include: the potential impact of the COVID-19 on the Company's business and operations, including: our ability to continue operations; our ability to manage challenges presented by COVID-19; the accounting treatment of COVID-19 related matters; Orvana's ability to prevent and/or mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases at or near our mines; the general economic, political and social impacts of the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, our ability to support the sustainability of our business including through the development of crisis management plans, increasing stock levels for key supplies, monitoring of guidance from the medical community, and engagement with local communities and authorities; fluctuations in the price of gold, silver and copper; the need to recalculate estimates of resources based on actual production experience; the failure to achieve production estimates; variations in the grade of ore mined; variations in the cost of operations; the availability of qualified personnel; the Company's ability to obtain and maintain all necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; the Company's ability to use cyanide in its mining operations; risks generally associated with mineral exploration and development, including the Company's ability to continue to operate the El Valle and/or ability to resume long-term operations at the Carles Mine; the Company's ability to successfully implement a sulphidization circuit and ancillary facilities to process the current oxides stockpiles at Don Mario; the Company's ability to successfully carry out development plans at Taguas; sufficient funding to carry out development plans at Taguas and to process the oxides stockpiles at Don Mario; the Company's ability to acquire and develop mineral properties and to successfully integrate such acquisitions; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy; the Company's ability to obtain financing when required on terms that are acceptable to the Company; challenges to the Company's interests in its property and mineral rights; current, pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments or changes in political, social or economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates; general economic conditions worldwide; the challenges presented by COVID-19; fluctuating operational costs such as, but not limited to, power supply costs; current and future environmental matters; and the risks identified in the Company's disclosures. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company's Disclosures for a description of additional risk factors.

Any forward-looking statements made herein with respect to the anticipated development and exploration of the Company's mineral projects are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this information are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future operating activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes.

For further information: Nuria Menendez, Chief Financial Officer, E: nmenendez@orvana.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1833819/Orvana_Minerals_Corp__ORVANA_ANNOUNCES_TAGUAS_PROJECT_PHASE_I_IN.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1833820/Orvana_Minerals_Corp__ORVANA_ANNOUNCES_TAGUAS_PROJECT_PHASE_I_IN.jpg
Aledade, a Bethesda, Md.  based physician enablement company, closed a $123m Series E funding.

The round was led by returning investor Omers Growth Equity with participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company and other current investors.

The company intends to use the funds to invest in value-based care for more seniors covered by Medicare Advantage (MA) and innovation that improves patient care and increases medical cost savings, including expanded offerings through its new health services subsidiary, Aledade Care Solutions (ACS).

Led by Farzad Mostashari, MD, CEO and co-founder, Aledade is a physician enablement company helping independent practices, health centers, and clinics deliver care to their patients through its proven, scalable model, which includes data analytics, user-friendly guided workflows, health care policy expertise, payer relationships, and integrated care solutions.

Aledade now partners with more than 1,000 independent primary care practices, including more than 140 federally-qualified health centers, comprising more than 11,000 physicians in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Its nearly 150 value-based care contracts, including 98 Medicare contracts, collectively cover more than 1.7 million patients and $17 billion in total health care spending. In Medicare Advantage contracts, specifically, the company increased the number of patients served by 85,000 in 2021, bringing the total to more than 200,000 patients covered by MA who receive care through an Aledade ACO.

FinSMEs

06/06/2022
What does work-life balance look like?

Work-life conciliation is a challenge that affects many across Europe. The ability to balance work responsibilities with time with friends is important to living an active and fulfilling life and certain countries seem more conscious in the process.

How do you balance work-family balance? What are the benefits of working/life balance? The term Work & Life Balance has various meanings like being able to grind hard at work and come home and enjoy US minimum deposit casinos. The majority of these conclusions are essentially similar, but emphasise other aspects. I will describe a work-life balance in a simple manner.

Work-life balance

People are happier in Italy when it comes to working, family, relationships. Probably the most crucial aspect of an effective work-life balance is the time spent (not) at work. The authors noted that those longer hours can impair health, compromise safety and cause stress. In fact, Italians have the most leisure time in the survey, but only three % of employees have very long hours in their jobs.

Why is work-life balance important?

Often a person will over-prioritize their personal and career work over their personal and professional lives. Getting the right balance can help improve the health of our minds and enhance the sense of happiness of our lives. Its a crucial aspect of working on your mental wellbeing. Those with the best work/life balance are aware of being human, some may require a break or just a time with family or friends. Life isnt confined to productivity or deadlines. Were not a machine that requires constant connections. You should also know of symptoms of fatigue and burnout caused by low balance, which could cause mental disturbance.

Finding the proper balance between work and everyday life can be a difficult task for everyone. Family is especially affected. A family is crucial for achieving an optimal balance between work, family commitment and personal life. Governments should be supporting flexible working practices to improve parental work-life balance and reduce costs to the children. Work-life balance is important for employees who work long hours. Evidence indicates long workweeks can affect peoples well-being, compromise their safety or cause increased stress levels.

Better policies for better lives

Flexible jobs are designed for workers working at different speeds or require a shorter amount of time. Under this arrangement employers pay employees in proportion to the effective work. In addition, depending on wages, the worker is entitled to a higher compensation package. Flex job Agreements can be awarded for up to four years and their eligibility will be assessed. Currently municipal authorities often grant employees older than 40 a permanent spot within Flex job. The Aalborg university hospital is using Flex Jobs contracts to reduce the workload of older staff.

Legislation affects work-life balance

Many states are aggressive with respect to establishing a work-life balance program. France recently approved laws allowing employers to not receive emails while working in their office. French people enjoy 25 federal holidays. The EC has passed the Work Hours Directive, which provides statutory minimum hours and overtime. Its clear that Europe is far more aggressive here than the United Kingdom. The result has been that workers take a majority of their time off. Approximately 73 per tenths of American workers do not have the opportunity to earn 73 per p.

How can I measure work-life balance?

The organisations work-life balance provides an example of this method of establishing the balance between work and life in a world that has 37 member states. OECD measures work-life balance by measuring leisure time and personal care, long hours unpaid, gender gaps in hours worked and happiness with time usage. Our online calculator calculates your job balance. You may get free tests on the web that will give you the correct answers based upon where you have spent the most time.

Key findings

The challenge of maintaining balance in life is a big challenge to any working person, particularly the worker parents. It is important that people manage their work, family life and their individual welfare. Governments are also able to address this challenge by fostering supportive and flexible working habits to improve the parental experience at home as well as work. A key aspect of working/living balance is how many hours a worker can spend working. Increasing working hours can affect peoples health, causing harm to their health.

Is work/life balance better in Europe?

In terms of annual hours worked, the United States ranked first, and fell behind other countries significantly in terms of effort in improving work-life balance. In the EU the employer cannot recruit a worker during a normal working week that lasts longer than 45 days or more.

3 countries with the best work-life balance

Do people dream about retirement all day long? Often people want days in which it is easy to relax and have free time without worrying about work. Why wait for 50 years? Perhaps you should start right away? Retirement is likely not the right option for most people. But maybe you cant take a moment to feel like youre exhausted. It may seem strange, but not always the case.

France

Theres no reason to surprise France with the fact France is in the top five on the list as France takes its own work-life balance very seriously. The average employee leisure hours were 16.4 hours, whereas 6.7 percent of employees worked long hours. The workers must have five-week paid vacations and the workweek must cover 35 days.

Denmark

Denmark has a population of 1.7 million people with a total of 1.3 billion people working long hours a day. The shortest working week guarantees many benefits for its residents for ensuring a balance between work & family; the state provides child care and provides 52 weeks paid maternity leave for young women.

Spain

Spanish residents have 150.9 hours of free time for self-care and personal care, although only 47% work long days. Spaniards have long and famous traditions of having a siesta at lunch. Dont expect to go shopping late at night as people are taking it seriously and will continue to work afterward for a day.
Fung, an Amsterdam,The Netherlands-based startup that provides a regulated Payments Platform unifying crypto and fiat rails, raised $2.7m in a pre-seed funding round.

The round was co-led by Global Founders Capital (GFC), Kingsway Capital, Kindred Capital, and Karatage.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach.

Fung provides a regulated payments platform unifying crypto and fiat payment rails to allow for access to digital assets and payment services, while also offering an immediate solution to compliance issues in digital assets and payment services. The company will enable merchants to take crypto and fiat payment rails in a compliant manner, where they can meet their own mandatory KYC/AML obligations. At their starting point, Fung will target SME e-commerce companies who want to accept fiat and crypto payments at checkout, as well as configurable payouts, but cannot get adequate support to do this. To facilitate payouts in fiat currencies, the company will provide merchants with IBANs to offer a one-stop shop solution.

The startup is on a path to become fully regulated by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) for both fiat and crypto, setting up to be MiCA (Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation) ready.

FinSMEs

06/06/2022
Veridooh, a Sidney, Australia-based adtech startup, raised $5M in Series A funding.

The round was led by EVP, with participation from Jelix Ventures, as well as Aconex cofounders Leigh Jasper and Rob Phillpotts funds Saniel and Gravel Road. In conjunction with the funding, EVP partner Dan Szekely will join Veridoohs board.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate growth and expand globally.

Co-founded by Mo Moubayed and Jeremy Yang, Veridooh provides SmartCreativeTM, a platform that independently tracks, measures, and verifies the performance of every second of every panel of digital out-of-home campaigns. Using the dashboard, clients have full visibility over their campaigns, with access to more than 300 metrics, such as location, plays, exposure time, ad length, and share of time, which they can use to analyse and optimise their campaigns. The technology doesnt require integration with media owners which means its able to be used anywhere in the world.

Veridooh serves more than 140 clients in Australia and New Zealand, including Google, Unilever, Amazon, and McDonalds. Media agencies including Omnicom Media Group, GroupM, and IPG Mediabrands have partnered with the company to use its technology to enable data-driven decision-making and optimisation.

They have over 20 staff.

FinSMEs

06/06/2022
Taking the First Steps on the Coastal Crossroads: Continuing Education Launches Series with the St. Augustine Historical Society

On May 13, 2022, Flagler Colleges Division of Continuing Education hosted the first of many events in partnership with the St. Augustine Historical Society. The reception was held during the St. Augustine History Festival in the Markland House on the Flagler College campus.

The reception occurred following the lecture of Dr. J. Michael Francis, Life and Death in Colonial St. Augustine: Tales from the Parish Archives, 1594-1763, which examines the diverse population that shaped St. Augustine from its founding. Dr. J. Michael Francis is the Hough Family Chair of Florida Studies and Professor of History at the University of South Florida. He specializes in colonial Latin America, Early Florida, Spanish Borderlands, the Pre-Columbian Americas, and Spanish Paleography.

Dr. Timothy J. Johnson (left) introduces Dr. J. Michael Francis (right).

The St. Augustine History Festival was created and conceived by UFHSA (University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc.) and the Lastinger Family Foundation to generate excitement about the history of Americas oldest city.

Educating the public and sharing our valuable historical resources is at the heart of our mission, says Magen Altice, Executive Director of the St. Augustine Historical Society. Through our partnership with the Division of Continuing Education [at Flagler College], we can continue to expand our reach and positively impact our community with quality educational programming. Together, we can strengthen our endeavors to make history accessible to the public.

This year has led Dr. Jeanette Vigliotti, the Director of Lifelong Learning & Contract Training, on a journey of connecting with the St. Augustine Historical Society to strengthen the bond between Flagler College and the community. The first step was partnering with them on the St. Augustine History Festival.

Left to right: Dr. J. Michael Francis, Dr. Wayne M. Riggs, Dr. Jeanette Vigliotti

Whats amazing about the History Festival is the foundational focus for the locals, says Dr. Vigliotti. While tourists enjoy it immensely, there are not as many events for the people who are the boots on the ground of this city. We wanted this reception to be for them: those who live and love St. Augustine.

Over the next year, Lifelong Learning and the St. Augustine Historical Society will co-host a lecture series titled Coastal Crossroads: The Ancient City Speaks. Dr. Vigliotti has also begun creating a Lifelong Learning curriculum centered on St. Augustine and aspires that active community members teach the courses, ones who unearth the past and create the future of this city.

A helmet from the 16th-century reenactors

You may contact Lifelong Learning at lifelonglearning@flagler.edu and be subscribed to their email list to receive updates.

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Members of civic groups hold a rally in front of Cheongwaedae, Seoul, Dec. 13, 2021, denouncing the excessive use of force against a detainee at an immigration center in Hwaseong, Gyeoggini Province. Newsis



By Lee Hyo-jin



Local civic groups have denounced a decision by the government to revise existing rules on the use of restraints at immigration detention centers, saying that the new regulations could serve as legal grounds to torture detainees.



The Ministry of Justice announced on May 25 revised regulations on restraints that are used on detainees at immigration detention centers, removing rope, and adding ankle guards, protective headgear and restraint chairs instead.



An immigration detention center is a facility operated by the justice ministry, where undocumented people of foreign nationality facing deportation are held.



"The revised rules are shocking," a coalition of migrant's rights groups said in a statement. "If implemented, they will allow the use of problematic equipment that have so far been used without legal grounds."



In particular, the civic groups voiced concerns over the planned use of the restraint chair, saying it had resulted in the death of a detainee who had been restrained in such a chair for 32 hours at a correctional facility in Busan in May 2020.



"It is hard to believe that the ministry has introduced these measures to prevent recurrences of human rights violations at immigration detention centers," they said, calling on the authorities to withdraw the revised rules.



According to the ministry, the new rules were introduced as follow-up measures to better protect the human rights of detainees, following its acknowledgement of human rights violations at an immigration detention center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province in November of last year.



A Moroccan man in his 30s was subject to inhumane treatment there, with video footage showing him writhing on the floor with his feet and hands tied together behind his back and his head covered with protective headgear.



Following public criticism, the ministry promised to improve the way it manages detainees at immigrant detention facilities.


On April 4, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with visiting Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes in Tunxi, Anhui Province.

Wang Yi said, China and Panama enjoy time-honored friendship, and share similar historical experiences and common struggles against colonization and hegemony. The two sides are both old acquaintances and new friends. Five years ago, China and Panama opened a new chapter in bilateral relations as the two sides formally established diplomatic relations on the basis of confirming the one-China principle. At present, China-Panama relations are developing smoothly with increasingly deepening mutual trust and steady progress in cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. This fully proves that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama conforms to the fundamental interests of both sides, and opens up broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. China is ready to work with Panama to build China-Panama relations into a model of mutual respect between large and small countries, solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, and exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.

Wang Yi said, China is ready to take the fifth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Panama as an opportunity to take stock of experience and make renewed efforts to realize the "four-wheel drive" of political mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and multilateral coordination between the two countries, so as to create more "propellers" for China-Panama friendship. The two sides should seek greater synergy between development strategies and formulate a plan for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Efforts should be made to give full play to Panama's unique geographical advantages and strengthen canal cooperation. The two sides should expand youth, subnational, medical and health cooperation to promote people-to-people ties. China is ready to share development opportunities with Panama, help Panama achieve diversified development, and welcome expanding exports of Panama's quality products to China.

Mouynes said, I'm very glad to be the first foreign minister of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to visit China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and China is also the first stop of my trip to Asia, which fully demonstrates the great importance Panama attaches to developing relations with China. The Panamanian people always remember the Chinese people's support for Panama's just cause of resuming the exercise of sovereignty over the Panama Canal, and always remember the Chinese people's contributions to Panama's railway and canal projects in the early years. She thanked China for its strong support for Panama in fighting the pandemic. The economies of Panama and China are highly complementary, with pragmatic cooperation yielding fruitful results. Panama welcomes Chinese investment and will provide a sound investment environment for Chinese enterprises.

Mouynes stressed, facts have proved that the establishment of diplomatic relations between Panama and China is a completely correct decision. Panama cherishes the mutual trust with China and will firmly adhere to the one-China principle. Wang Yi expressed appreciation for this, stressing that China is ready to jointly safeguard this cornerstone of bilateral relations and continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and national dignity.

Both sides believe that China-Panama relations enjoy broad prospects and great potential for cooperation, and are ready to deepen cooperation in various fields, release more positive information, and turn the right decision of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries into more concrete results. The two sides are willing to actively consider restarting negotiations on the free trade agreement and strive to reach a high-level and mutually beneficial agreement at an early date. Efforts should be made to deepen cooperation in the Colon Free Trade Zone, and enhance connectivity between the two countries. Efforts should be made to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and grain, so as to help Panama build a regional agricultural center.

The two sides exchanged views on China-LAC relations. Wang Yi said, China supports the building of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and supports LAC countries in independently exploring development paths in line with their own national conditions and formulating foreign policies according to their own needs. China is ready to implement the important outcomes of President Xi Jinping's five visits to LAC countries and jointly foster a China-LAC relationship for a new era characterized by equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness, and benefits for the people. Mouynes said, Panama firmly adheres to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and LAC countries are not the "backyards" of any country. Central American and Caribbean countries should transcend differences in ideology and work together for common development.

The two sides had in-depth communication on multilateral affairs. Wang Yi said, it's China's consistent position that all countries, big or small, are equal, and China stands ready to work with Panama to safeguard fairness and justice, as well as the basic norms governing international relations. Panama is welcome to participate in the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and accelerate the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Mouynes appreciated the fact that China has consistently acted on the principle of sovereign equality, and said that Panama attaches great importance to the important GDI put forward by President Xi Jinping and stands ready to promote the strengthening of the synergy between Central American and Caribbean countries and China in this regard.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue, among others. Mouynes said, the current geopolitical conflict further highlights the important value and strategic significance of the Panama Canal. Panama does not subscribe to imposing unilateral sanctions willfully in the international arena, stays committed to maintaining the permanent neutrality of the canal, and hopes to gain the support of China. Wang Yi stressed, China respects and recognizes the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal, and is ready to work with developing countries including Panama to act on true multilateralism, jointly resist unilateralism and oppose bullying practices.
A person grabs a bottle of soju, a popular Korean liquor, from a shelf at a supermarket in Seoul in this photo taken on Feb. 25. Newsis



By Lee Hae-rin



The number of minors who drink alcohol has gone down to 10 percent, while four out of every 10 of such underage drinkers are binge drinkers.



A recent government study finds that they drink about five to six times a week, and consume more than one bottle of soju at a time. Soju is a popular Korean liquor with about 15 to 20 percent alcohol content that comes in 360-milliliter green bottles.



According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's (KDCA) national health survey statistics summary on youth drinking, Monday, the number of underage drinkers has declined over the past 10 years.



The KDCA drafted the report based on the youth health survey of around 60,000 middle and high school students across the country, which the agency has conducted every year since 2005.



The report classified the male respondents who drink more than five shots of soju  with each shot being about 50 to 70 milliliters  as heavy drinkers, while three shots were the standard for female respondents. Overall, 42.5 percent of male and 49.8 percent of female underage drinker respondents were such cases.



Binge drinkers tend to drink more than a bottle of soju once they start drinking, the report said. The average alcohol consumption of male underage drinker respondents was 10.4 shots, or a bottle and a half of soju, and 7.4 shots, or one bottle of soju for female participants.



Also, underage binge drinkers have a high success rate of purchasing alcohol without presenting their IDs. The success rate of alcohol purchase attempts of both male and female underage respondents was above 85 percent.



The report finds that minors' overall access to alcohol has eased during the COVID-19 pandemic.



Minors' success rates for purchasing alcohol increased from 63.5 percent in 2020 to 71.3 percent in 2021. They responded that their homes and friends' homes are their main venues for drinking alcohol, while only 33 percent  lower than last year's 42 percent  of respondents have been through alcohol drinking prevention education programs this year.



Both male and female underage drinkers have experienced smoking, depression and missing breakfast more often than those in the non-drinking group.



According to the National Assembly Research Service, Korea's regulations on alcohol products are weaker compared to those of other OECD countries. The country only has restrictions on age and alcohol sales by mail, while other member countries hold more diverse access limitations, including on advertisements, venues, times and dates for alcohol sales.


People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok, right, speaks with PPP Rep. Chung Jin-suk, left, and party's floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, center, as they watch the counting process of June 1 local elections at the National Assembly in Seoul, June 1. Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



Ruling People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok and fellow party member, Rep. Chung Jin-suk, exchanged verbal shots as the latter criticized Lee's visit to Ukraine as "politics for his own sake" on Sunday.



Chung wrote on Facebook Monday, "If Lee's Ukraine visit were nothing more than a political activity for his own sake, it wouldn't usually be a problem." Lee departed for Ukraine on Friday with a plan of meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his stay.



Chung wrote that most of government officials in foreign policy and security and the presidential office disapproved Lee's Ukraine trip, but that Lee insisted on visiting the war-torn country, thus Seoul's foreign ministry accepted the invitation from Lee's counterpart in Ukraine.



Lee is visiting Ukraine as the head of Korea's ruling party, not as a special envoy of the government. Korea's presidential office has been showing a tepid response to Lee's visit, saying he will not be carrying President Yoon's message, apparently to avoid any possible friction in Korea's relations with Russia.






Mark Brownstein

By Mark Brownstein



Energy security was the hot topic as leadership from the world's oil and gas industry converged on Daegu for the World Gas Conference. The Ukraine crisis has upended global energy markets as Europe seeks new supplies of natural gas to end its dependence on Russia. And Korea, which imports 99 percent of its oil and gas, is feeling this market shock acutely.



Meanwhile, countries scrambling for new gas supplies are simultaneously laboring to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from burning fossil fuels, which is worsening the climate impacts on people and nature in every corner of the Earth.



Some people insist we must choose only one problem to solve: climate security or energy security, not both. In fact, we can't solve either without the other. But how? The bilateral statement by President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden highlights a crucial opportunity to address both these seemingly opposing goals at once  quickly and with minimal cost.



Reaffirming their climate commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement, the two leaders promised enhanced cooperation to reduce emissions of methane  a powerful greenhouse gas responsible for at least 25 percent of the current warming  in particular, through increased cooperation with Southeast Asia (an opportunity for Korea to play an essential role).



The International Energy Agency estimates oil and gas operators emit 75 million metric tons of methane each year. Besides damaging the climate, it's also a huge energy waste, because natural gas is mostly methane. For example, the methane escaping from the supply chain in Asia-Pacific's energy-producing nations alone could meet at least a third of Korea's residential and commercial gas demand.



Methane waste is especially important for Asia-Pacific countries. Korea, Japan, and China account for half the world's liquefied natural gas trade. By 2050, the region is expected to account for nearly 60 percent of global gas demand growth. Minimizing the methane emissions associated with Asia-Pacific gas supplies is vital to meeting their climate goals.



The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says cutting methane pollution is essential for meeting the Paris Agreement goals, calling for a 34 percent global reduction by 2030, and 50 percent by 2050.



Along with Korea, more than 100 countries have joined the Global Methane Pledge unveiled at last year's Glasgow climate talks to reduce human-caused methane emissions at least 30 percent by 2030. The pledge represents a critical foundation for regional initiatives.



There are other big methane sources. But the oil and gas sector offers the fastest, most cost-effective pathways to cut emissions  steps as simple as tightening valves and replacing obsolete equipment. The International Energy Agency estimates that Asia-Pacific oil and gas operators could cut emissions 70 percent by 2030, two-thirds of that at no net cost (because methane is also a valuable product).



To help Korea capitalize on this opportunity, Environmental Defense Fund signed an agreement with Seoul National University to help assess and prevent methane leaks from the gas delivery system in Seoul. We will also work with industry, government, and scientists to develop policies and practices to reduce emissions across Korea's gas system, including its important liquefied natural gas import facilities.



The climate benefit of cutting methane emissions is nearly immediate. For Korea and the Asia-Pacific countries to lead on methane, momentum must continue and expand. Collaboration is key to developing strategies that address the region's shared interests.



Reducing the oil and gas industry's needless waste of this asset will help ease the immediate energy crisis while protecting our planet for the long run. These rewards are right there, right now, ready for the taking.



The writer is the senior vice president of energy transition at Environmental Defense Fund, a non-profit organization working around the world to protect the climate.


RADNOR, Pa., June 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that the firm has filed a securities class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against AbbVie, Inc. (AbbVie) (NYSE: ABBV) on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired AbbVie securities between April 30, 2021, and August 31, 2021, inclusive (the Class Period).



CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR ABBVIE LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/abbvie-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=abbvie&mktm=r

CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERE

TO VIEW OUR COMPLAINT, PLEASE CLICK HERE

LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: JUNE 6, 2022

CLASS PERIOD: APRIL 30, 2021 through AUGUST 31, 2021

CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:

James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Email at info@ktmc.com

Kessler Topaz is one of the worlds foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.

ABBVIES ALLEGED MISCONDUCT

AbbVie is one of the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies. The companys revenues will come under significant pressure in the coming years when its best-selling drug, Humira, will lose patent protection in 2023. Accordingly, AbbVies future revenue and earnings depend in large part on its ability to develop new sources of revenue to offset Humiras lost sales. Rinvoqan anti-inflammatory drug manufactured by AbbVie and used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other diseases by inhibiting Janus kinase (JAK) enzymeswas touted as one such drug. Rinvoq was initially approved in the United States to treat only moderate to severe RA. However, AbbVie was actively pursuing additional treatment indications and, in 2020, asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve Rinvoq for the treatment of several other diseases.

As is relevant here, Rinvoq is similar to other JAK inhibitor drugs, including Xeljanz, manufactured by Pfizer Inc. When the FDA approved Xeljanz in 2012 for the treatment of RA, it required an additional safety trial to evaluate Xeljanzs risk of triggering certain serious side effects. Beginning in February 2019, the FDA repeatedly warned the public that the safety trial indicated that Xeljanzs use could lead to serious heart-related issue, cancer, and other adverse events. Notwithstanding the similarities between Rinvoq and Xeljanz, during the Class Period, Defendants assured investors that Rinvoq was far safer than Xeljanz and not subject to the same regulatory risks.

However, investors began to learn the truth about Rinvoqs significant risks on June 25, 2021, when AbbVie revealed that the FDA was delaying its review of expanded treatment applications for Rinvoq due to the safety concerns associated with Xeljanz. On this news, the price of AbbVie common stock declined $1.76 per share, or approximately 1.5%, from a close of $114.74 per share on June 24, 2021, to close at $112.98 per share on June 25, 2021.

Then, on September 1, 2021, the FDA announced that final results from the Xeljanz safety trial established an increased risk of serious adverse events, even with low doses of Xeljanz. As a result, the FDA determined that it would require new and updated warnings for Xeljanz and Rinvoq because Rinvoq share[s] similar mechanisms of action with Xeljanz and may have similar risks as seen in the Xeljanz safety trial. The FDA also indicated that it would further limit approved indications for Rinvoq as a result of these safety concerns. On this news, the price of AbbVie common stock declined $8.51 per share, or more than 7%, from a close of $120.78 per share on August 31, 2021, to close at $112.27 per share on September 1, 2021.

After the Class Period, on December 3, 2021, AbbVie announced that the FDA had updated Rinvoqs label to require additional safety warnings and limit marketing of Rinvoq to only its use after treatment with other drugs has failed. On January 11, 2022, Defendants admitted that these changes to Rinvoqs label would negatively impact sales, forcing the Company to reduce its long-term guidance for Rinvoqs sales in 2025.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, the Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, about the companys business and operations. Specifically, Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) safety concerns about Xeljanz extended to Rinvoq and other JAK inhibitors; (2) as a result, it was likely that the FDA would require additional safety warnings for Rinvoq and would delay the approval of additional treatment indications for Rinvoq; and (3) therefore, Defendants statements about the companys business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis, As a result of the Defendants wrongful acts and omissions, and the significant decline in the market value of AbbVies securities, AbbVie investors have suffered significant damages.

WHAT CAN I DO?

AbbVie investors may, no later than June 6, 2022 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages AbbVie investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE

WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?

A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

James Maro, Jr., Esq.

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

(484) 270-1453

info@ktmc.com

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/28cb9c8a-6b33-49cd-9e9b-80875b0b6367
BRISBANE, Australia, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allkem Limited (ASX|TSX: AKE, the Company) provides an update on product pricing and operations.



Lithium carbonate

Continued strong market conditions positively impacted the price received for lithium carbonate from the Olaroz Lithium Facility. The June quarter FY22 average price received for lithium carbonate is expected to be approximately 14% above prior guidance at US$40,000/t FOB1 on sales of approximately 3,500 tonnes. Customers continue to value security of supply which is reflected in a fully committed order book for the remainder of the calendar year.

Spodumene

Similarly strong conditions continue in the spodumene market with realised spodumene concentrate pricing in the June quarter of approximately US$5,000/t SC6% CIF. Shipped spodumene concentrate for the quarter is anticipated to be approximately 38,000 dry metric tonnes (dmt") at an average grade in line with customer requirements of 5.3% with a further 15,000 dmt to be shipped in early July 2022.

Current estimated annual spodumene production for FY22 is anticipated to fall marginally short of guidance by approximately 2-4%, at between 192,000 - 196,000 dmt, due to production delays resulting from the highly competitive Western Australian resources labour market and COVID-19 related requirements due to the delayed re-opening of the Western Australian border. Strategies have been implemented to mitigate these temporary impacts on production.

Argentine reference price

Argentinas Customs Agency has recently set a reference price for lithium carbonate of US$53,000/t. This reference price is used by regulatory authorities when reviewing export sales of lithium chemicals to prevent under-invoicing and improve pricing transparency. This price is not used for calculation of taxes, royalties or duties and Allkem does not expect it will have any material impact on product exports, realised prices or profitability.

This release was authorised by Mr Martin Perez de Solay, CEO and Managing Director of Allkem Limited.

Allkem Limited



ABN 31 112 589 910



Level 35, 71 Eagle St

Brisbane, QLD 4000 Investor Relations & Media Enquiries



Andrew Barber

M: +61 418 783 701 E: Andrew.Barber@allkem.co



Phoebe Lee

P: +61 7 3064 3600 E: Phoebe.Lee@allkem.co Connect



info@allkem.co

+61 7 3064 3600

www.allkem.co

IMPORTANT NOTICES

This investor ASX/TSX release (Release) contains general information about the Company as at the date of this Release. The information in this Release should not be considered to be comprehensive or to comprise all of the material which a shareholder or potential investor in the Company may require in order to determine whether to deal in Shares of Allkem. The information in this Release is of a general nature only and does not purport to be complete. It should be read in conjunction with the Companys periodic and continuous disclosure announcements which are available at allkem.co and with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) announcements, which are available at www.asx.com.au.

Forward Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs and, by their nature, are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performances and achievements to differ materially from any expected future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the risk of further changes in government regulations, policies or legislation; the risks associated with the continued implementation of the merger between the Company and Galaxy Resources Ltd, risks that further funding may be required, but unavailable, for the ongoing development of the Companys projects; fluctuations or decreases in commodity prices; uncertainty in the estimation, economic viability, recoverability and processing of mineral resources; risks associated with development of the Company Projects; unexpected capital or operating cost increases; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones at the Companys Projects; risks associated with investment in publicly listed companies, such as the Company; and risks associated with general economic conditions.

Subject to any continuing obligation under applicable law or relevant listing rules of the ASX, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this Release to reflect any change in expectations in relation to any forward-looking statements or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Nothing in this Release shall under any circumstances (including by reason of this Release remaining available and not being superseded or replaced by any other Release or publication with respect to the subject matter of this Release), create an implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company since the date of this Release.

Not for release or distribution in the United States

This announcement has been prepared for publication in Australia and may not be released to U.S. wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this announcement or anything attached to this announcement shall form the basis of any contract or commitment.

1 FOB (Free On Board) excludes insurance and freight charges included in CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) pricing. Therefore, the Companys reported prices are net of freight (shipping), insurance and sales commission. FOB prices are reported by the Company to provide clarity on the sales revenue that is recognised by SDJ, the joint venture company in Argentina
HANOI, Vietnam, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 4th June, 2022, the Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance - the world's leading Blockchain development technology corporation - officially announced their cooperation on the exchange of research/application of Blockchain Technology and Human Resource Training in Vietnam to promote the development of blockchain technology in Vietnam and build a bridge with other significant technology corporations around the world.



Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance officially enter

strategic cooperation

Vietnam is not only an exciting market for the application of Blockchain technology but also one of the leading countries in encouraging research and application of new technologies in reality. Mr. Ngo Duc Thang, Director of the Government Cipher Committee, affirmed that Blockchain is one of the digital technology fields on the list of priorities for research, development and application for the 4th Industrial Revolution, according to Decision No. 2117/QD-TTg signed on December 16, 2020, by the Prime Minister. Therefore, digital transactions through blockchain would be promoted in many fields such as banking services, industrial production, energy, agriculture, healthcare, retail and consumption... In particular, blockchain can be applied to the public sector. It can be said that this technology will affect many aspects of daily life and global business whether we realize it or not, and the investment opportunities coming from blockchain technology will be tremendous.

In the coming time, the Government will continue to facilitate, encourage and promote early businesses to proactively accelerate the digital transformation process in which blockchain technology is the mainstay. It is expected that by 2030, blockchain will create 40 million jobs, 10% - 20% of the global economic infrastructure will run on Blockchain technology systems," noted Mr. Ngo Duc Thang.

Mr. Ngo Duc Thang, Director of the Government Cipher Committee

According to Mr. Changpeng Zhao, Blockchain is a new technology for the digital economy. How countries adopt this technology today will profoundly impact the future of the local economy and the world at large. More and more countries are showing their determination to grasp and adequately apply blockchain technology to life. I think that clear and effective regulation is essential for blockchain to be applied in every corner of life, not just cryptocurrencies, DeFi or NFT, said the Founder and CEO of Binance.

He also mentioned that Binance is continuously licensed to operate in France, Italy, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Dubai.... is concrete evidence of the company's compliance with local regulations at all time. And today, along with the active activities of the Vietnam Blockchain Association, I pledge that Binance will always comply with Vietnamese laws and put users in focus. Therefore, Vietnamese users in particular and users worldwide believe that Binance's platform is one of the most secure and reliable in the world, stated CEO Changpeng Zhao.

Mr. Phan Duc Trung, Vice President of Vietnam Blockchain Association, hopes that the cooperation between Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance will bring value to the business community in Vietnam, creating a workforce mastering high technology and contributing policy advice to the State's management agencies. We believe that this is one of the proper steps, following the direction of the Vietnamese government towards a digital government, a digital economy, bringing sustainable growth values for a prosperous Vietnam.

Mr. Phan Duc Trung, Vice President of Vietnam Blockchain Association

Mr. Trung said: In its role, the Association connects and gathers the Blockchain community in the country and a bridge to bring Vietnamese products to the world and attract more international resources to Vietnam. The Association will also promote personnel training and attract international investment into Vietnam.

Vietnam NFT Summit 2022  The New Era Solution takes place on June 4 in Hanoi, Vietnam as a part of a series of exchange events for research/application of Blockchain Technology and Human Resource Training in Vietnam and worldwide between Binance and the Vietnam Blockchain Association. The program includes discussion panels, signing cooperation and exchange agreements, and various networking activities for the enterprises applying and growing Blockchain in Vietnam and discourse activities and signing exchange agreements.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/16b462c3-c92a-41d6-adb6-d14ebecde4fd

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/01555bf7-d4ab-4fe0-b0f8-e1aed8c90eb7

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e654a33a-5bf3-466d-9f0e-51e13f85c222
Austin, Texas USA, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ePac Flexible Packaging, the industry leader in quick turn, short and medium run-length flexible packaging, has announced it will be adding a third sales and manufacturing location in Canada. Adding to operations in Vancouver and Toronto, ePac Montreal will serve CPG brands of all sizes throughout Quebec province, and its combined 3 Canadian locations will serve all of Canada.

According to George Boustani, Managing Director of ePacs Canadian operations: Since opening ePac Vancouver in 2019 and Toronto in 2021, demand for our services has grown rapidly. To keep pace, weve decided to add a new sales and production facility - ePac Montreal. In fact we are now accepting orders in Quebec, and fulfilling them from our other Canadian operations until the Montreal site officially opens.

ePac is the first and largest flexible packaging company in the world based on breakthrough digital printing technology. Offering a full complement of printing, laminating, and pouch making services, ePac is a full-service provider focused on up-lifting the communities it serves by helping small and medium size brands grow and compete with large brands.

"We are pleased to support global leaders, such as ePac, who are setting up operations in our greater metropolitan area. This will allow them to continue their growth and develop new expertise while benefiting from our ecosystems and complete value chains. Based in Chicago, Quebec and around the world, our teams will continue to promote the advantages of investing in Quebec in order to develop a strong, competitive and sustainable economy", said Hubert Bolduc, President of Investissement Quebec International.

Added Stephane Paquet, President and CEO, Montreal International: Quebec boasts a high concentration of small and medium-sized businesses, and Greater Montreal is a strategic location for suppliers like ePac. We are proud to support such a project that meets the needs of local businesses by solidifying the supply chain with packaging services while caring for the environmental impact of its product.

About ePac Flexible Packaging

Founded in 2016 with a mission to help small and medium sized companies grow and compete with larger brands, ePac has 23 locations across the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, and the Asia Pacific region. ePac is 100% digital and built on the latest in digital printing and workflow technologies, providing fast time to market and low minimum orders. ePac offers a full complement of sustainable film options, while its print technology platform is carbon-neutral and inherently eco-friendly. Further, the company offers true order to demand capability, helping brands reduce inventory and obsolescence.

For more information, please visit epacflexibles.ca or epacflexibles.com

Attachment
New York, US, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 4D Printing Market Overview:

According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR),  4D Printing Market research report by Application, by Region- Forecast to 2030 valuation is poised to reach USD 510 million by 2030, registering an 43.1% CAGR throughout the forecast period (20212030).

4D Printing Market Report Scope:

4D printing, also called 4-dimensional printing, uses the methods of 3D printing with the computer programmed deposition of material in successive layers to produce 3-dimensional objects. The technology adds the dimension of transformation over time to the thing. It allows the constituent to turn into another shape when exposed to heat, humidity, or other environmental impulses.

Report Metric Details Market Size USD 510 Million CAGR 43.1% Base Year 2020 Forecast Period 2021-2030 Historical Data 2019 Forecast Units Value (USD Million) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Application and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Vendors Stratasys Ltd. (U.S), Hewlett Packard Corp. (U.S.), 3D Systems Corporation (U.S.), ExOne Co. (U.S.), Autodesk, Inc. (U.S.), Organovo Holdings, Inc. (U.S.), Materialise NV (Belgium), Dassault Systemes SA (France) Key Market Opportunities 4D printing technology gives authorization to its consumers to use the restricted materials for different purposes Key Market Drivers Rise in demand for resource management

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Market USP Covered

Market Drivers

The global market for 4D printing has registered an enormous rise in the growth rate in the last few years. The market's growth is mainly attributed to the increase in demand for resource management across the globe. The technology enables the end-users to print things that can self-assemble and reshape themselves with the passing time and is causing a surge in demand for the technology across robotics, construction of buildings, and furniture, which is likely to propel the growth of the market over the forecasted timeframe. Given the significant competition across industry players, the requirement to reduce the processing and manufacturing costs is likely to be a substantial aspect causing an upsurge in the market's growth. The technology is based on 3D printing that offers lesser marketing time, supplies, and the need for capital is anticipated to improve the business efficiency.

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In addition, the highly advanced features of 4D printing are likely to offer lucrative opportunities to the players across the global market.

Market Restraints

Although several aspects support the growth of the 4D printing market, certain elements may hamper the market's growth. The increase in the insecurity of the policymakers because of the advanced technology that is not being marketed is the primary aspect restricting the market's growth. Furthermore, the issues related to intellectual rights, rise in development costs, and rise in opportunities for the primary vital players may also have an adverse impact on the 4D printing market's growth over the assessment timeframe.

COVID-19 Impact

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the majority of the market sectors across the globe. Several governments worldwide implemented partial or complete lockdowns to curb the spread of the disease. The global health crisis had both economic and health impacts across most parts of the globe. Because of that, the healthcare sector needed innovative technology to satisfy the needs and production of various medical types of equipment and devices. As per the MRFR analysis reports, the Leitat Technology Center has built ventilators using 3D technology, merging them with other parts found in the market. The merger of these parts is very rapid, and almost 100 ventilators are expected to be produced in a day.

Ask To Expert:

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4D Printing Market Segments

Among all the material types, the programmable carbon fiber segment is projected to lead the global 4D printing market over the coming years. The growth of the segment is mainly credited to its high stiffness, tensile strength, and low weight making it useful for several industrial applications. The material can be turned by printing active material on flexible carbon fiber with heat. In addition, it needs no complex electronics, sensors, or actuators. It also reduces failure-prone mechanisms and lowers the final product's net weight because its espousal is likely to catalyze the segment's growth over the assessment timeframe.

Considering all the applications, the military & defense segment is anticipated to account for the highest revenue share across the global 4D printing market over the forecasted timeframe. The segment's growth is mainly credited to the various benefits offered by the technology, such as the ability to self-replicate and repair itself in response to external environmental conditions. Moreover, the U.S. Army Research Center is launching the latest technologies, such as a soldier's uniform, efficiently offering protection against toxic gases or changing its camouflage while traveling through different climates. On the other hand, the aerospace segment is projected to grow substantially over the coming years. the space memory technique used in 4D printing would assist in creating a self-deploying structure that is applicable across the aerospace segment, for example, to produce air ventilation. In addition, Airbus S.A.S. is producing a technology to cool its engines with an intelligent material that reacts to temperature.

4D Printing Market Regional Analysis

The global 4D printing market is studied across five major regions: Asia-Pacific, Latin America, North America, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa.

As per the Market Research Future (MRFR) analysis reports, the North American region will lead the global 4D printing market over the assessment timeframe. The regional market's growth is mainly credited to the advancement in technology in 3D printing across the region. Furthermore, the adoption of 3D printing in mass amounts is another crucial parameter boosting the growth of the regional 4D market over the review timeframe.

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The 4D printing market for the European region is likely to record substantial growth and secure the second position across the globe over the assessment timeframe. The development of the regional market is primarily credited to technological advancements in the field.

The Asia-Pacific regional 4D market will grow substantially over the assessment timeframe. The regional market's growth is mainly attributed to the growing investments by leading market players.

Dominant Key Players in 4D Printing Market Covered are:

Dassault Systemes SA (France)

Stratasys Ltd. (U.S)

Materialise NV (Belgium)

Hewlett Packard Corp. (U.S.)

Organovo Holdings, Inc. (U.S.)

3D Systems Corporation (U.S.)

Autodesk, Inc. (U.S.)

ExOne Co. (U.S.)

Related Reports:

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About Market Research Future:

Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis regarding diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.
Dublin, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Colombia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This report considers the present scenario of the Colombia data center market and its market dynamics for 2022-2027. It covers a detailed overview of several growth enablers, restraints, and trends in the market. The study includes the demand and supply aspects of the market.



KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

Some of the major colocation operators in Colombia include InterNexa, HostDime, ODATA, and Equinix. According to the Uptime Institute, around 17 data center facilities are certified as Tier III in Colombia.

Local businesses, BFSI institutions, and foreign firms are among the customers hosting their data in colocation data centers in Colombia. In terms of location, Bogota dominated the colocation services market.

Colombia is a growing gaming market in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico, with the gaming population expected to increase significantly over the forecast period. This will increase the data generated by this industry, which in turn will be driving data center demand.

The deployment of 5G networks will boost the digital economy of the region and will lead to higher demand for high-bandwidth networking infrastructure and edge data centers. For instance, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced AWS outposts in Colombia in May 2021.

In January 2022, the ICT Ministry and the administrative department of the public function (DAFP) announced a law for the digitalization and automation of government procedures.

In Colombia, renewable energy sources include hydropower, solar energy, biomass, geothermal, and wind energy. Colombia is working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by the 2030 from 2014 levels.

Colombia has over ten Free Trade Zones, including Rionegro (Medellin), Pacific (Cali), La Candelaria (Cartagena), Quindio, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Palmaseca (Cali) and Arauca, which expect to attract data center facilities in the coming years.

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH?

Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and the Colombia colocation market revenue.

An assessment of the data center investment in Colombia by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators.

Data center investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities.

A detailed study of the existing Colombia data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about the Colombia data center market size during the forecast period.

Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Colombia

Facilities Covered (Existing): 05

Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 03

Coverage:

Bogota

Other Cities

Existing vs Upcoming (Area)

Existing vs Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in Colombia

Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2027)

Retail Colocation Pricing

The Colombia data center landscape market investments are classified as IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecasting.

A comprehensive analysis of the Colombia data center market growth, latest trends, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry.

Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry.

A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspect of the market.

MARKET TRENDS

Growing Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Colombia

Increased Adoption of Growing Cloud Services

5G Deployment increasing Edge Data Center Investment

Procurement of Renewable Energy in Colombia

VENDOR ANALYSIS

Some of the key investors in the Colombia data center market in 2021 included HostDime, Scala Data Centers, GlobeNet, and Equinix.

In Colombia, GlobeNet and AngloGold Ashanti Colombia are some telecom operators working towards deploying commercial 5G services.

IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Lenovo

Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors

ACOM

Fluor Corporation

ZFB Group

Quark

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

ALFA LAVAL

Armstrong Ceiling Solutions

Assa Abloy

Caterpillar

Cummins

Delta Electronics

Daikin Applied (Daikin Industries)

Eaton

Flex

Generac Power Systems

Johnson Controls

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Piller Power Systems

Rittal

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Siemens

Vertiv

Data Center Investors

Equinix

GlobeNet

HostDime

IPXON Networks

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Existing & Upcoming Third-Party Data Centers in Columbia

20+ Unique Data Center Properties

Data Center It Load Capacity

Data Center White Floor Area Space

Existing Vs Upcoming Data Center Capacity by Cities

Cities Covered

Bogota

Other Cities

Chapter 2 Investment Opportunities in Columbia

Data Center Investments

Investment by Area

Investment by Power Capacity

Chapter 3 Data Center Colocation Market in Columbia

Colocation Services Market in Columbia

Retail Colocation

Colocation Pricing (Quarter Rack, Half Rack, Full Rack) & Add-Ons

Chapter 4 Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Market Trends

Market Restraints

Chapter 5 Market Segmentation

IT Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Electrical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Mechanical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

General Construction Services: Market Size & Forecast

Chapter 6 Tier Standard Investment

Tier I & II

Tier III

Tier IV

Chapter 7 Key Market Participants

It Infrastructure Providers

Construction Contractors

Support Infrastructure Providers

Data Center Investors

Chapter 8 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jh8k56
By Deauwand Myers





Margaret Atwood's dystopian nove, "The Handmaid's Tale," explores a near-future America (renamed after the biblical nation-state, Gilead) where women are sexually enslaved to be breeding machines (handmaids) for military and political elites.



In this Christo-fascist regime, sexual minorities, adherents of other religions and political dissidents are sent to toxic labor/concentration camps, tortured, maimed, and/or summarily executed. Women, even of the ruling military theocracy, don't have much autonomy or personal agency, if at all.



Women cannot be educated or even literate, and only a chosen few have some privileges their male counterparts enjoy, (mainly a subset of older women of Gilead, "aunts," who train, groom and brutally discipline the lowest castes, namely handmaids).



And at long last, American conservatives, mostly Christian, religious zealots, are getting ever-closer to this reality. The recently leaked draft opinion of the Roberts Court, if made official, will be only the second time in generations that a constitutional right has been brutally curtailed. The former being this same court's ruling to gut the Voting Rights Act.



That this Supreme Court is so hostile to voting, civil and economic rights of average American citizens is not surprising. Nor is it surprising how slavishly this court cossets the already comfortable: the wealthy and corporate business.



This is why elections matter. Had Secretary Clinton been elected as U.S. president rather than Trump, then these kinds of draconian and anti-democratic rulings wouldn't have occurred. Presidents nominate federal judges and Supreme Court justices with lifetime appointments. It's just that simple.



Fifty-three percent of white women voted for Trump twice. Twice. After his past philandering, mendacity, impeachments and rank corruption in his first term, white citizens voted in greater numbers for Trump than any incumbent president in American history. (President Biden received the most votes of any presidential candidate in American history).



The election year of 2020 saw white supremacy and greed supersede reason, and worse, as usual, many white people voted emphatically against their own self-interests. They voted in droves to place Trump, an incompetent and unabashedly anti-democratic plutocrat, back into office.



This Supreme Court draft presages evil. The biggest being that a woman's body, once impregnated, becomes property of the State: quasi-Gilead by any other name. From the taxi driver who drove her to the abortion clinic, to the doctor who performed the procedure, and most dastardly, the woman herself carrying the unwanted pregnancy, could all be jailed.



A fertilized human egg is human life, not a human being. Women who can have clean, safe access to reproductive health, including abortions, live longer, more productive and economically stable lives, partially because they can pace the time and place of having children if they so choose.



Mostly white men write these anti-abortion laws, which is why the aforementioned facts are cruelly ignored, where in some states, even the life of the mother or a pregnancy from rape or incest are considered illegitimate concerns.



The hypocrisy of white, Christian evangelicals and conservatives writ large on many issues, but particularly abortion, is breathtaking in its audacity. They are for the death penalty, wrongful convictions and racial bias notwithstanding.



Trump is the antithesis of morality and "Christian values," yet they overwhelmingly voted for him. Never on the question of abortion rights do we hear of any responsibilities, fines, fees, or imprisonment for men who impregnate women and abandon them afterward.



Theirs is a "pro-birth" movement. Life doesn't end at birth. Post-natal care and all the other social programs targeted at women most likely to end a pregnancy (young women of color and the poor) are mocked, defunded and scrutinized by these same conservatives. Pro-family policies like maternal and paternal leave, subsidized child care and universal healthcare are met with open hostility.



Mainly, but not exclusively, the American South has enacted (or will soon enact) the very strictest abortion laws in America. Black women, by percentage, have the most abortions of any demographic (and the highest rate of maternal birth mortality of any wealthy democracy). If the Supreme Court's draft opinion is finalized, this would mean vulnerable women would have to go hundreds or thousands of miles to get a procedure that, for half a century, had been a right, though limited in some places.



The draft opinion says something else very chilling. Abortion is not enumerated in the Constitution. Neither is birth control, contraception, gay marriage, or other matters, particularly dealing with sex, sexuality and modes of matrimony. What's to stop the Supreme Court from saying individual states can outlaw all contraception, or that companies can fire a lesbian executive, or a state can prevent her from marrying?



For decades, conservatives have plotted and planned to install judges and Supreme Court justices who are hyper-corporate, anti-union, anti-worker, pro-life zealots hostile to most pillars we consider constituents of a thriving democracy. As such, they found a useful idiot in Trump.





Deauwand Myers (deauwand@hotmail.com) holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory, and is an English professor outside of Seoul.




New York, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Microgrid Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284151/?utm_source=GNW





The global microgrid market is expected to grow from $9.63 billion in 2021 to $11.9 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.6%. The microgrid market is expected to grow to $25.04 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 20.4%.



The microgrid market consists of sales of microgrids by entities (organizations, sole proprietors, partnerships) that refer to a local energy grid with control capability, which means it can disconnect from the traditional grid and operate autonomously.A microgrid is a self-contained energy system that serves a specific geographic area, such as a college campus, hospital, business center, or neighborhood.



Microgrids can strengthen grid resilience and help mitigate grid disturbances by operating while the main grid is down, as well as serve as a grid resource for faster system response and recovery.



The main types of microgrids are AC microgrids, DC microgrids, and hybrid microgrids.Hybrid microgrids are made up of several parallel-connected distributed resources that are controlled electronically and can operate in both islanded and grid-connected modes.



The various component of a microgrid includes hardware, software, and services that are grid-connected and off-grid connected. Microgrids are used in different applications including remote systems, institutional buildings, and commercial utility, and are employed in several sectors such as commercial and industrial, institutes and campuses, and the military.



North America was the largest region in the microgrid market in 2021.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in the microgrid market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



The growing adoption of microgrids for rural electrification is expected to propel the growth of the microgrid market going forward.Rural electrification is progressing, with plans to provide energy 24 hours a day and connect rural communities, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) businesses.



For rural electrification, microgrids have several advantages over centralized infrastructure, including cost savings, environmental sustainability, and regional equity between urban and rural areas.For instance, in April 2021, the Indian governments e-governance services arm, launched a partnership with Tata Power to install solar-powered microgrids and water pumps in rural areas around the country.



To begin, Tata Power has proposed establishing 10,000 microgrids to assist rural clients via Common Service Centers (CSCs).This will aid the governments ongoing campaign to equip rural households and businesses in India with clean, sustainable energy.



Therefore, an increase in demand for microgrids in rural electrification will drive the microgrid market.



The development and adoption of green hydrogen microgrids is a key trend gaining popularity in the microgrid market.Green hydrogen is generated by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen in an electrolyzer using renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.



Companies developing microgrids are focused on developing eco-friendly products including green hydrogen microgrids to reduce the carbon footprints in the environment.For instance, in December 2021, NTPC Ltd, an India-based state-run company has awarded the countrys first green hydrogen microgrid project at its Simhadri plant in Andhra Pradesh.



To boost clean fuels, India is considering making green hydrogen microgrids mandatory for fertilizer factories and oil refineries to purchase green hydrogen. It would serve as a testbed for large-scale hydrogen energy storage projects, as well as a tool for researching and building several microgrids in off-grid and strategic locations across the country.



In October 2020, EDF, a French-based company pioneer in operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of natural gas and electricity to homes acquired Ecosun Innovations for an undisclosed amount.Through this acquisition, EDF will be able to increase its industrial and commercial presence, as well as the competitiveness of its products and geographic reach.



Ecosun Innovation is a French-based firm that specializes in the development and distribution of off-grid and plug n play mobile electrification solutions for distant places.



The countries covered in the microgrid market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, and USA.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284151/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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Dublin, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Electric Scooters Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product (Retro, Standing/Self-Balancing, Folding), by Battery (Sealed Lead Acid, NiMH, Li-ion), by Voltage, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global electric scooters market size is expected to reach USD 40.6 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 7.8%

The increasing adoption of electric scooters (e-scooters) among the young population, the rising purchasing power of the middle-class community in developing countries, and rapid urbanization are expected to significantly drive product demand across the globe.



Electric scooters offer affordable last-mile transportation as compared to on-demand transportation. Agility and ease of maneuver in densely populated areas with high traffic congestion are additional advantages these vehicles offer, which are expected to fuel E-scooters market growth.



Consumer satisfaction is another essential factor for vendors trying to retain existing customers or looking to expand their customer base. It can be measured using various parameters such as durability, maintenance expense, performance, comfort and safety, and operating cost. Vendors are trying to focus on two critical factors to attract customers: design/style and specifications.



In May 2019, Pure EV launched two electric scooters for the Indian market, EPLUTO and ETRANCE, with a long range of 120kms per charge. The ETRANCE scooter has a ground-to-handle height of about 3.5ft and weighs around 47kgs. These specifications were particularly designed for the women population in the country.



The 24V batteries have gained prominence over the past few years. The conventional electric scooters comprise 24V batteries that can travel for about 4 to 16 miles using a 250-Watt electric motor and a battery with electric charge ranging from 5Ah to 22Ah respectively.

With the advent of improvements in battery technology, electric scooters consist of two 12V systems to power the engine more efficiently. However, due to their large battery size, manufacturers have encouraged the adoption of a dual pair of 12V batteries, known as the trickle charge system. The need for large energy storage capacity has declined the demand for these types of voltage systems.



The Asia Pacific region dominated the global market in 2021 and is predicted to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The growth in the region is accredited to the presence of an increasing number of e-scooter manufacturers and rising vehicle charging infrastructural investments in countries such as China, India, and Taiwan.

Furthermore, governments of this region are seeking active participation in the promotion of electric scooters and vehicles. For instance, the government of India is actively promoting electric scooters and vehicles by providing fiscal incentives, capital, and interest subsidies.



North America is poised to grow considerably from 2022 to 2030. The growth in the region is owing to the faster adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. as an alternative to traditional fuel transportation.



Electric Scooters Market Report Highlights

by product, the retro segment is expected to dominate the market for e-scooters in the coming years. The increasing maintenance and fuel costs of conventional scooters are posing electric scooters as an attractive transportation alternative.

Based on voltage, the greater than the 48V segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 11.6% from 2022 to 2030. The deployment of additional voltage levels, i.e., scooters with voltage greater than 48V, offers several advantages. These systems facilitate reducing carbon dioxide emissions at acceptable cost levels.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to be the largest market during the forecast period, owing to significant investments in the vehicle charging infrastructure and government subsidies for battery-powered scooters. The majority of the players manufacturing electric scooters belong to China. These companies generate revenue by selling their products either through their distribution channel or the OEM channel .

Companies Mentioned

Allcell Technologies LLC

Bmw Motorrad International

Boxx Corp.

Gogoro, Inc.

Green Energy Motors Corp.

Greenwit Technologies Inc.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle Co. Ltd.

Ktm AG

Mahindra Genze

Peugeot Scooters

Suzuki Motor Corporation

Terra Motors Corporation

Vmoto Limited

Yadea Technology Group Co. Ltd.

Yamaha Motor Company Ltd.

Xiaomi

Ninebot Limited

Bird

Lime

Spin

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Methodology and Scope



Chapter 2. Executive Summary



Chapter 3. Electric Scooters Market Variables, Trends & Scope



Chapter 4. Electric Scooters Market Product Segment Analysis



Chapter 5. Electric Scooters Market Battery Segment Analysis



Chapter 6. Electric Scooters Market Voltage Segment Analysis



Chapter 7. Electric Scooters Market Regional Analysis



Chapter 8. Competitive Landscape



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ca3xc9

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NEW YORK, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hope for Haiti announced today the organization's first comprehensive NFT project, Hope Endures, following a pilot NFT auction held last year through the organization's multi-award-nominated virtual reality application, Inspiring Hope.

Hope Endures - which will be made available on June 29, 2022 - brings Haiti's past and future together through the minting of art pieces from six Haitian artists into NFTs, for an exclusive collection of 900 unique pieces. Proceeds from Hope Endures will support the rebuilding of two schools in southern Haiti that were severely damaged by last year's devastating earthquake. All six Haitian artists will also receive a portion of the proceeds from the initial sale as well as future royalties. Artists include: Pierre Jean-Baptiste, Stephane Desir, Louis Mario Barbier, Iris Genevieve Lahens, Steven Baboun, and the all-female NFT collective Since Eve.

"Hope for Haiti is thrilled to partner with talented Haitian artists and create NFTs for impact," said Hope for Haiti's Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships Sarah Porter. "We recognize the need for innovation and aim to build new avenues for the digital world to make a difference in the real world."

Hope for Haiti has partnered with web3 studio Snowcrash, founded by Jesse Dylan, Walter de Brouwer, and Jeff Rosen, to carry out the project where 150 versions of each artist's work will be minted and sold on the Snowcrash platform, which is built on the eco-friendly and carbon-neutral Solana Blockchain. "We are grateful to be working with Hope for Haiti and six amazing Haitian artists on this NFT collection," explains Jesse Dylan. "Not only does this project celebrate Haitian culture and art, but it also provides much-needed support to schools in Haiti. The whole team is honored to be a part of this collaboration, as we are all committed to maximizing the potential that NFTs provide to empower artists, raise funds for impact, and drive awareness for important issues."

Renowned artist Nicole Buffett also joined the project as a thought partner and with the contribution of a dedicated NFT from her Spirit Coin collection. "The Soul Revival Spirit Coin that I created for Hope for Haiti is inspired by humankind's collective will to heal, transform and work together towards a greater good," said Buffett. "My wish is that this Spirit Coin supports Hope For Haiti's amazing work creating better life conditions for Haitian people."

Hope Endures will drop to the public on June 29, 2022. To receive exclusive information about the drop and access to the pre-sale, register interest here.

Sarah Porter (Hope for Haiti) and Jesse Dylan (Snowcrash) will both be speaking at NFT.NYC. Porter and Dylan will also be joined by Nicole Buffett and Ben Pousty (Giving Block) for a panel discussion at NFT-VIP, a side event taking place the same week. Hope For Haiti, Snowcrash, The Giving Block and Civic are hosting a satellite event during NFT.NYC at the NFT art gallery SuperChief on June 22nd at 7:30 pm. Event will feature some of the Hope Endures' artists in attendance.

Media Contact:

Taylor Hebble

Director of Marketing & Communications

(239) 603-6769

taylor@hopeforhaiti.com

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Latin Metals Inc. (Latin Metals or the Company) - (TSXV: LMS, OTCQB: LMSQF) announces that it has entered into a binding option agreement (the Option Agreement) with AngloGold Argentina Exploraciones S.A. (AngloGold), a wholly owned subsidiary of AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (NYSE: AU, JSE: ANG, ASX: AGG) made as of May 27, 2022. Subsequently, AngloGold provided notice that all conditions precedent have been satisfied, and as a result the Option Agreements commencement date (the Commencement Date) has been established as June 2, 2022. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, Latin Metals granted to AngloGold the option to earn up to an 80% interest in the Companys Organullo, Ana Maria, and Trigal Gold projects (the Projects) located in Salta Province, northwestern Argentina (Figure 1).



We are delighted to welcome AngloGold as an option partner. AngloGold Ashanti is the fourth largest gold producer globally, with operations across four continents, said Keith Henderson, President and CEO of Latin Metals. AngloGolds investment of up to USD $12.575 million for a 75% ownership interest in the Projects is a significant investment and, if AngloGold were to exercise its top-up right for an aggregate 80% ownership, additional investments by AngloGold would include delivery of a Mineral Resource estimate and further cash payments commensurate with defined ounces to Latin Metals.

Mr. Henderson added, I am particularly pleased to have concluded this agreement so soon after completing a similar deal with Barrick Gold Corporation in February. Securing high-quality, technically excellent, and financially capable partners is a very important part of our prospect generator model and we hope to conclude additional deals as we continue to market our project portfolio.

Option Agreement Terms

Under the terms of the Option Agreement (Table 1), AngloGold has been granted the option to earn an initial 75% interest in the Projects (the Option) by making cash payments to Latin Metals in the aggregate amount of USD $2,575,000 and spending an aggregate amount of USD $10,000,000 on exploration expenditures related to the Projects within five years of the Commencement Date (the Option Period). During the Option Period, Latin Metals will receive exploration results and data from AngloGold on a quarterly basis.

Upon the fulfilment of the payment obligations and exploration expenditures set forth above, and the delivery by AngloGold to Latin Metals of a notice of exercise of the Option (the Option Exercise Date) and subject to the exercise of Top-Up Right (as defined below), AngloGold and Latin Metals will be deemed to have formed a joint venture (the Joint Venture) for the continued exploration, development and, if warranted, commercialization of the Projects, in respect of which the initial participating interests of the parties will be, AngloGold as to 75% and Latin Metals as to 25%.

Upon the exercise of the Option, AngloGold may give notice to Latin Metals of its intention to increase its interest in the Projects to 80% (the Top-Up Right). The Top-Up Right may be exercised within 150 days of the Option Exercise Date by AngloGold:

(i) preparing and delivering to Latin Metals an independent Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) on one or more deposits contained within the Projects; and

(ii) paying to Latin Metals an amount of USD $4.65 per gold equivalent ounce contained within the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource estimate.

Upon the exercise of the Top-Up Right, the parties interests in the Joint Venture will be adjusted such that the participating interests of the parties will be AngloGold as to 80% and Latin Metals as to 20%.

If and when the parties form the Joint Venture, the provisions of the agreement governing the Joint Venture will be negotiated and settled by the parties and will provide, among other things, that if the participating interest of either party falls below 10%, the interest of such party shall be converted to a 2% net smelter returns royalty, half of which (being 1%) can be purchased by the other party for USD $5,000,000 at any time until the date that is three (3) months after a production decision concerning one or more of the Projects has been made.

Table 1: Option Terms

Date Cash Payments

(USD) Expenditure

Commitments

(USD) On or before June 17, 2022 $275,000 - On or before June 2, 2023 $100,000 - On or before June 2, 2024 $150,000 $2,000,000 On or before June 2, 2025 $200,000 - On or before June 2, 2026 $850,000 $4,000,000 On or before June 2, 2027 $1,000,000 $4,000,000 Total $2,575,000 $10,000,000

About The Projects

The Projects are in Salta Province, in northwest Argentina (Figure 1). Latin Metals currently holds a 100% interest in each of the Projects. The Projects are located within the Argentine Puna region; the southern extension of the Altiplano of southern Peru.

Organullo Project

The Organullo project was historically explored and mined on a small scale at the Julio Verne Mine in the 1930s, producing copper, bismuth and gold. Subsequent explorers include Triton Mining Corporation, Northern Orion Exploration, Newmont Corporation, Cardero Resources Corp., Latin Metals and most recently Yamana Gold Inc. (2018 to 2020). Historical exploration includes 28 diamond drill holes (5,872m), 30 reverse circulation drill holes (5,107m), 3,158 rock samples, as well as extensive surface geochemistry and geophysical surveys. The project is well known as a gold-focused project with locally high-grade gold outcropping at surface, but exploration shows juxtaposed epithermal and porphyry mineralization, and evidence for multiple copper-gold endowed magmatic hydrothermal centers. The project has a large alteration and mineralization footprint with multiple untested epithermal gold and copper porphyry targets. The project is accessed via existing roads and is located just 20 km south of a regional center called San Antonio de Los Cobres.

Ana Maria Project

The Ana Maria project was acquired by Latin Metals through staking and consists of three mining claims partially contiguous with the more advanced Organullo Project. The project has not been subject to prior detailed exploration. The area is prospective for epithermal gold deposits and associated mineralization. The area was covered by a BLEG sampling program, which was undertaken in partnership with Newmont in 2008.

Trigal Project

The Trigal project is a gold and silver exploration project, which was first identified as having potential following a BLEG sampling program undertaken by the Company in partnership with Newmont Corporation. The project is contiguous with the El Quevar project owned by Golden Minerals Company, an advanced exploration-stage silver exploration project, with an indicated and inferred mineral resource. In April 2020, the El Quevar project was optioned by Barrick Gold Corporation.

Readers are cautioned that the mines and deposits described above are adjacent properties and Latin Metals has no interest in or right to acquire any interest in the properties outside of the Projects. Mineral deposits on adjacent properties and any production therefrom or economics with respect thereto, are not in any way indicative of mineral deposits on the Projects or the potential production from, or cost or economics of, any future mining on the Projects. The adjacent properties are described to highlight the potential of the belt and certain properties contained within it.

About Latin Metals

Latin Metals is a mineral exploration company acquiring a diversified portfolio of assets in South America. The Company operates with a Prospect Generator model focusing on the acquisition of prospective exploration properties at minimum cost, completing initial evaluation through cost-effective exploration to establish drill targets, and ultimately securing joint venture partners to fund drilling and advanced exploration. Shareholders gain exposure to the upside of a significant discovery without the dilution associated with funding the highest-risk drill-based exploration. Latin Metals has recently concluded deals to option out exploration properties to Barrick Gold Corporation, and Libero Copper and Gold.

Qualified Person

Keith J. Henderson P.Geo is the Companys qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved for disclosure the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Henderson is not independent of the Company, as he is an employee of the Company and holds securities of the Company.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

LATIN METALS INC.

Keith Henderson

President & CEO

For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's web site ( www.latin-metals.com ) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

For further information, please contact:

Keith Henderson

Suite 890

999 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC, V6C 2W2

Phone: 604-638-3456

E-mail: info@latin-metals.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the exercise of the Option and the Top-Up Right by AngloGold, the entering into of the Joint Venture, future exploration of the Projects, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that it will obtain TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, if applicable, and the required corporate approvals for the proposed transaction, that market fundamentals will result in sustained precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Companys Argentine projects in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of the Companys projects, and the Companys ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities at the Projects, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals and copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays or the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including of the TSX Venture Exchange, financing or other planned activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's latest Management Discussion and Analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/87de163f-df48-4f56-8cf9-0f4c32a2e68d
SEATTLE, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AGC Biologics, a leading global Biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), today announced the appointment of Tony Fraij, AGC Biologics Longmont General Manager, to the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) Board of Directors.

Thirty board members representing medical device and diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, ag bio and animal health, digital health, academic and research institutions, and service providers make up the CBSA board. Board members work in partnership with CBSA staff to support the growth of Colorados life sciences ecosystem of more than 720 companies.

Im honored to have been asked to join CBSAs Board of Directors, said Tony Fraij. I very much look forward to supporting the advancement of the life sciences in Colorado  especially the emerging cell and gene therapy community  in partnership with the other Board members, Elyse Blazevich, CBSA President & CEO, and the countless members of this talented community.

Colorado BioScience Association welcomes the incoming members of the CBSA Board of Directors, including Tony Fraij of AGC Biologics. AGC Biologics joined our ecosystem two years ago and quickly became an integral part of our community, said Elyse Blazevich, CBSA President & CEO. Tony and our other new board members, Phillip Ebner, Mike Freeman, Melissa Krebs, and Erik Velapoldi, represent the diversity of our member base, from startups to commercial companies, ecosystem partners, and service providers. Together, we will build on our ecosystems momentum to advance Colorados reputation as a leading global hub for life sciences.

In late March, AGC Biologics deepened its investment in CBSA and Colorado life sciences by becoming the organizations singular Sustaining Partner  the highest level of sponsorship. AGC Biologics, which operates a large-scale mammalian facility in Boulder and a cell therapy, viral vectors, and gene therapy facility in Longmont, has been a member of CBSA since acquiring its first facility in Colorado, two years ago this month.

About Colorado BioScience Association

Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) creates co-opportunity for the Colorado life sciences community. CBSA champions a collaborative life sciences ecosystem and advocates for a supportive business climate. From concept to commercialization, member companies and organizations drive global health innovations, products and services that improve and save lives. The association leads Capital and Growth, Education and Networking, Policy and Advocacy, and Workforce Cultivation to make its members stronger, together. Learn more: cobioscience.com

About AGC Biologics

AGC Biologics is a leading global biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a strong commitment to delivering the highest standard of service as we work side-by-side with our clients and partners, every step of the way. We provide world-class development and manufacture of mammalian and microbial-based therapeutic proteins, plasmid DNA (pDNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), viral vectors, and genetically engineered cells. Our global network spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder and Longmont, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy; and Chiba, Japan and we currently employ more than 2,000 employees worldwide. Our commitment to continuous innovation fosters the technical creativity to solve our clients most complex challenges, including specialization in fast-track projects and rare diseases. AGC Biologics is the partner of choice. To learn more, visit www.agcbio.com.

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TORONTO, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Discovery Silver Corp. (TSX-V: DSV, OTCQX: DSVSF) (Discovery or the Company) announces that Taj Singh, President and Chief Executive Officer, has stepped down from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer and has resigned from the Board of Directors for personal reasons. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Singh for his efforts during his five-year tenure with the Company and wishes him all the best in the future.



Tony Makuch, an independent director of the Company has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Makuch is a professional engineer with over 35 years of significant industry and leadership experience and is well positioned to advance the Companys strategy through this period of transition with the support of the Board of Directors and the Companys management team. Mr. Makuch was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd., a leading senior global gold company with operations in Ontario and Australia.

Murray John, Chairman, stated: We welcome Tony as Interim CEO. His well-recognized experience in operations, resource development and capital markets will be a great asset. Tony brings stability and leadership to an already strong executive management team at a particularly exciting time in Discoverys development.

Tony Makuch commented that; In taking this role, I am very excited about the prospects for the Company and the Cordero Project, and see significant opportunity in working with the Board and Management. Discovery Silvers Cordero Project is a world class deposit with industry leading scale, cost performance, manageable capex and financial results as demonstrated in the recently released Preliminary Economic Assessment. As the Company progresses through the next stages of both a Prefeasibility and Feasibility study, we expect to demonstrate with a high level of confidence the excellent economics of the Project and realize significant value for all stakeholders.

About Discovery

Discoverys flagship project is its 100%-owned Cordero project, one of the worlds largest silver deposits and one of the very few that offers the combination of margin, size and scaleability. Cordero is located close to infrastructure in a prolific mining belt in Chihuahua State, Mexico, and is supported by an industry leading balance sheet with approximately C$70 million available for aggressive exploration, resource expansion and future development. Discovery was a recipient of the 2020 TSX Venture 50 award and the 2021 OTCQX Best 50 award.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Murray John

Chairman of the Board

For further information contact:

Forbes Gemmell, CFA

VP Corporate Development

Phone: 416-613-9410

Email: forbes.gemmell@discoverysilver.com

Website: www.discoverysilver.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

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 is not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements including, but not limited to Discoverys future plans and objectives with respect to the Cordero project, estimates of future mineral reserves, mineral resources, mineral production, development potential and, future exploration activities planned, plans and objectives in the areas of sustainable development, health, safety, environment, community development, the Cordero, Puerto Rico, Minerva and Monclova projects, and the prospect of further discoveries there, all of which constitute forward looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Discovery 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 described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. 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. Discovery does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws.
HILLSIDE, Ill., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Experienced attorney and judicial candidate ShawnTe Raines-Welch today announced positive ratings from eleven bar associations representing the diversity of Cook County. All these bar associations went through a comprehensive process to evaluate Raines-Welch, including reviewing her extensive legal career and interviewing Judges, attorneys and other professionals in the field familiar with her work.



It is an honor to have been given positive evaluations by these bar associations which represent the wide diversity of our Countys legal community, Raines-Welch stated. Our campaign has worked hard to showcase my legal experience, background and perspective to voters and our message about the importance of electing good Judges is resonating.

The following bar associations rated ShawnTe Raines-Welch QUALIFIED or RECOMMENDED to serve as Cook County Judge:

Chicago Bar Association

Cook County Bar Association

Womens Bar Association

Black Women Lawyers

Lesbian and Gay Bar Association

Hispanic Lawyers Association

Chicago Council of Lawyers

Puerto Rican Bar Association

Hellenic Bar Association

Arab American Bar Association

Decalogue Society of Lawyers

The Chicago Bar Association noted Ms. Raines-Welch has litigation experience in both state and federal courts and is well regarded for her fine temperament and professionalism.

Raines-Welch has over 12 years of litigation experience in diverse areas of law including civil rights, disability rights and labor and employment law. Raines-Welch conducts training programs helping organizations, businesses and government entities ensure they comply with important federal laws protecting peoples rights. In addition to her service as a Commissioner of the Proviso Township Mental Health Board, she is a community volunteer for a variety of causes including autism awareness and support.

If elected, Raines-Welch would be the first woman of color ever elected Judge from the 4th subcircuit. The 4th Subcircuit (map) in Chicagos Western suburbs includes all of Lyons, Riverside and Stickney Townships, and portions of Leyden, Palos, Proviso, and Worth townships. Raines-Welchs campaign website is www.RainesWelchForJudge.com.

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New York, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Decorative Concrete Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284130/?utm_source=GNW





The global decorative concrete market is expected to grow from $15.09 billion in 2021 to $16.81 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3%. The decorative concrete market is expected to grow to $22.01 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 7.0%.



The decorative concrete market consists of sales of decorative concrete by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are used to provide attractive structure and good looks to the building surfaces.Decorative concrete is a form of concrete that is treated in various ways to enhance its aesthetic appeal.



Decorative concrete involves the treatment of concrete in various ways such as embossing, polishing, molding, texturing, etching, coloring, embedding items, applying cementitious toppings, or a combination of these.



The main types of decorative concrete are stamped concrete, stained concrete, concrete overlays, colored concrete, polished concrete, epoxy concrete, and others.The stamped concrete offers flooring and other solutions for home and business owners.



It replicates tiles, slate and flagstone, wood, and bricks due to its weather resistance and superior durability characteristics.Stamped concrete is used to beautify courtyards, pool decks, entries of the residential building, and others.



The various applications involved are walls, floors, pool decks, driveways and sidewalks, patios, and others and are used in various sectors such as residential and non-residential.



North America was the largest region in the decorative concrete market in 2021.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in the decorative concrete market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



Rapid urbanization is significantly contributing to the growth of the decorative concrete market.The term urbanization refers to the movement of people from rural to urban areas, as well as the increase in human population density in urban areas.



The need for residential and non-residential buildings is expanding as a result of urbanization, which will propel the decorative concrete industry forward. For instance, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, by 2050, 68% of the worlds population, or 2.5 billion people, will be living in cities. Therefore, rapid urbanization is expected to propel the growth of the decorative concrete market.



The 3D concrete printing technology is shaping the decorative concrete market.The 3D concrete printing technology also known as additive manufacturing technology, includes the creation of three-dimensional shapes through computer-controlled sequential layering.



It is primarily used for prototyping and manufacturing geometrically complex components.The use of 3D concrete printing technology is growing in the construction industry, as it reduces errors, increases design flexibility, reduces environmental impact, and requires fewer materials compared to traditional building techniques.



For instance, in July 2021, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), InnoTech, and Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company launched the 3D concrete printing facility using 3D concrete printing technology in Ghala. This technology provides a sustainable alternative to the traditional building by speeding up the construction process and reducing waste.



In July 2021, Renovation Brands, a US-based decor and commercial interior products company acquired Trueform Concrete and Blendhouse for an undisclosed amount.Through this acquisition, Renovation Brands aims to grow by combining new talented artisans from Trueform Concrete and Blendhouse.



Trueform Concrete is a US-based company that creates decorative concrete products for commercial and residential applications.



The countries covered in the decorative concrete market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, and USA.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284130/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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TORONTO, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VirgoCX - one of Canada's leading cryptocurrency trading platforms - raised CA $10 million in Series A funding. This investment was led by the international venture fund Draper Dragon with participation from Blockdream Ventures, Cobo Ventures, Molecular Group, Sora Ventures, and How Link Investment. The capital will help the firm accelerate its global expansion and allow for more innovative product and service offerings.

"Virgo Group of Companies has gathered a very effective global team of nearly 100 people through steady growth in the past few years. With the completion of the A Round Funding, Virgo will evolve faster, further improve products and expand operations globally," said Adam Cai, CEO of VirgoCX. "We have a unique business model and a highly motivated team, I believe the Virgo Group will have exponential growth in the next 1-2 years.

Founded in 2018, VirgoCX is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It provides safe, easy, and affordable access for users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. The company makes it its mission to accelerate crypto adoption and has been working diligently to achieve its goal. Since the beginning, VirgoCX has made numerous platform and product improvements thanks to the company's user-first approach. These efforts brought ground-breaking growth with the trading volume increasing by 1,700% year-on-year from 2020 to 2021 and racked up more than CAD $1 billion in trading volume.

The success achieved in Canada proved the management's ability to scale effectively. The funding raised will help the company realize its vision to become a trusted full-service solution for all things cryptocurrency to the world. It plans to grow rapidly by expanding its range of products and services, and into international markets such as Australia and the UK in 2022.

Virgo Group has laid out a company roadmap for providing more comprehensive products and services to solve many problems that currently exist in the crypto market. For instance, despite the transformational impact NFT had on the crypto industry last year, the NFT market still suffers from pressing issues such as low liquidity, substandard user experience, and high barriers to participation. Virgo Group aims to launch the NFT Web 3 Liquidity Aggregator to help users instantly complete the sale with competitive prices and a seamless experience. Apart from the urgently needed NFT instant liquidity service, the ever-evolving company is also planning to introduce more innovative services, including staking and DeFi yield farming in the near future to meet fast-growing customer demands.

These services will be provided to clients in a trustworthy manner as the company has always been at the forefront of complying with applicable laws and regulations. VirgoCX is delighted to announce that it has been approved by the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) as a Restricted Dealer in crypto assets in all Canadian provinces and territories.

"Governments around the world are increasingly leaning towards comprehensive crypto regulation. The Virgo Group team has a deep understanding for both compliance and product innovation, so we believe it has great potential in becoming an integrated cryptocurrency service provider with a global impact. We will do everything in our power to help Virgo realize this goal," said Andy Tang, Partner at DraperDragon.

With the whole industry shifting towards compliance, the Virgo Group believes a strong regulatory structure will ensure the integrity and resilience of the crypto market and provide more investor protection.

About VirgoCX

Founded in 2018, VirgoCX is committed to making crypto trading safe, easy, and affordable for Canadians. It is Canada's trusted cryptocurrency trading platform and is dedicated to streamlining the trading experience and empowering clients with advanced technology, superior liquidity, and best-in-class security.

About Virgo Group

Founded in 2021, Virgo Group of companies is dedicated to bringing commission-free crypto trading services globally. It covers multiple business lines, including retail fiat to crypto exchange, crypto wealth management, NFT liquidity management and more. With constant innovation in mind, Virgo Group is prepared to become an integrated global digital asset service provider.

Media contact:

Nora Anwar

Nora.anniwaer@virgocx.ca

Forward-looking statements:

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities' legislation. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, VirgoCX has made certain assumptions, including with respect to its offering of further coins or new services on its crypto trading platform and its intention to provide the best global pricing and deepest liquidity to Canadians. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. Although VirgoCX believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. 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 information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from VirgoCX's expectations include, consumer sentiment towards VirgoCX's products and Blockchain technology generally, technology failures, competition, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. Except as required by law, VirgoCX disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise. Additionally, VirgoCX undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ESA Management LLC (ESA), the nations leading extended stay hotel management company, has announced promotions within the companys leadership team. The new appointments of six existing operational leaders reflect their exemplary performance and key roles as ESA Management continues to grow and evolve its management of Extended Stay America branded hotels.



We are proud to promote these valued operational leaders, each of whom has been instrumental in spearheading our industry-leading performance and success, said Greg Juceam, President and Chief Executive Officer of ESA Management LLC. ESA strives to grow talent from within and these appointments recognize the high-performance and contributions of key team members toward further evolving the organization and delivering genuine care and value to our guests.

Robert Hubbard, Vice President of Operations, has been promoted to Group Vice President, Operations. With 40 years of hospitality leadership experience, he has held vice president positions within operations and revenue with organizations including Red Roof Inn and WoodSpring Suites. In this new role, Hubbard will oversee the day-to-day operations of managed properties as well as the Operational Excellence team. The Managed Operations Division has been reorganized into three, geographically centered groups: East, Central and Westto support increased market demand. Each division will be overseen by a Divisional Vice President of Operations, a new role at ESA, with all Regional Operations Vice Presidents and Directors reporting into these individuals.

Under the new leadership structure, the following appointments have been made:

Danny Meaux will serve as Division Vice President, Operations-East. With 35 years of operational leadership experience, Meaux joined Extended Stay America in 2020 following vice president of operations positions at Red Roof and WoodSpring Suites.

Adrian Vasile has been named Divisional Vice President, Operations-Central. Vasile has been a valued operational leader at Extended Stay America for nearly two decades.

Beran Samba has been promoted to Divisional Vice President, Operations-West. Samba joined Extended Stay America in June 2020, having previously served as Senior Vice President of Operations for LaQuinta and Regional Vice President of Operations for G6 Hospitality.



Additionally, Haley Coleman has been promoted to Director of Operations Excellence from her previous position as Senior Manager. Colemans tenure at Extended Stay America spans 17 years. She joined the company as a Housekeeper, before taking on roles including Maintenance Engineer, Assistant General Manager, General Manager, Task Force Manager and District Manager.

Jackelin Thompson-White has been promoted to Director of Corporate Housekeeping, a new position within the Operations Excellence team. She previously served as Regional District Manager and Task Force Manager.

About ESA Management LLC

ESA Management LLC is the leading extended stay hotel management company in the U.S. with more than 7000 associates providing genuine care at more than 555 Extended Stay America branded hotels in 40 states. To begin a career, view open positions, click here.

About Extended Stay America Brand

Extended Stay America is the leading mid-priced extended stay hotel brand in the U.S. with more than 650 hotels. Its extended stay brand family includes Extended Stay America Suites and Extended Stay America Premier Suites. All locations are ready to welcome guests with genuine care and value. For more information on Extended Stay America, visit www.esa.com.

For press inquiries, contact Jenn Wade, Nicole Lax, Caroline Morey, or Siena Di Roma at extendedstayamericapr@jwadepr.com.
Comedians appear in an old Popeyes television commercial in this 2000 file photo. Korea Times file



By Kim Jae-heun



American fried chicken restaurant chain Popeyes is returning to the Korean market after pulling the plug on its business here in December 2020.



Its operator Restaurant Brands International (RBI) confirmed Monday it has signed an exclusive master franchise contract with its new partner NLC, a subsidiary of deep-sea fishery firm Silla. It will open its first store under NLC management by the end of this year.



"We are thrilled to introduce Popeyes' unique Louisiana-style chicken and various food items in Korea with NLC, a subsidiary of Silla," Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen President David Shear said. "We are building a partnership with NLC based on strong trust and we will look forward to our future journey together."



RBI thought hard about bringing Popeyes back to Seoul because it has already failed once here. Silla is said to have convinced RBI with its distinguished strategy for Popeyes in an already saturated fast food restaurant market.



NLC is confident about bringing local customers back to Popeyes with its representative Cajun chicken.



"Chicken is one of the most loved food categories in Korea and we are proud to have brought back Popeyes, a globally well-known brand. We also believe our aggressive expansion of the fried chicken restaurant chain can greatly contribute to the country's economy by creating new jobs," an NLC official said.



The Popeyes brand was first launched in New Orleans in 1972. It is one of the world's largest chicken restaurant franchises, operating over 3,400 branches in more than 25 countries. It has been competing with global fast food chains like McDonald's, Burger King and KFC with its New Orleans-style food including spicy chicken, chicken tenders and fried shrimp.



In Korea, TS Food & System (TS F&S), an affiliate of TS Corporation, had been operating Popeyes with its master franchise contract signed in 1994 and opened nearly 200 restaurants here.



However, it fell behind other chicken burger chains such as Mom's Touch after poor business performance that had been afflicting them for a while, the contract with TS F&S was terminated as of the end of 2020.



The brand has since been seeking a new local partner to reenter the Korean market. Daewoo Development Company - Engineering & Construction was one of the candidates that RBI was in touch with.



Apart from Korea, Popeyes has successfully expanded its business to countries such as Spain, Switzerland, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka and the Philippines over the past few years.



Last year, it opened restaurants in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Romania and India.


Jerome, ID, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Idaho Milk Products continues to solidify its position as a leader in the dairy proteins industry with the appointment of Jeremy Pike to the role of Sustainability Platform Leader. A commitment to sustainability was built into the enterprise when the company first opened its doors in 2009. The entire operation was designed to promote sustainable practices and now the creation of a sustainability leader position and the promotion from within generates the impetus for continuous improvement in this critical aspect of operations.

Jeremy will be responsible for coordinating and facilitating the development of processes and metrics within the core areas of Environmental Stewardship, Animal Care, Food Safety, Sustainable Nutrition and People & Community. The position leads a cross-functional team that will evaluate and drive improvements and reporting in all five of these key areas of sustainability.

Before joining Idaho Milk Products in 2021, he worked as a Fisheries Biologist for the Nez Perce Tribe at Dworshak National Fish Hatchery in Orofino, ID. Jeremy earned his M.S. in Environmental Science and Biology from the State University of New York, and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University at Buffalo.

Jeremys previous position as the Effluent and Emissions Supervisor has made a very positive contribution to the improvements in our wastewater operations, said Daragh Maccabee, CEO of Idaho Milk Products. Sustainability is at the very heart of our business and the purpose of our existence as an organization. I am confident in his expertise and commitment to this new role and the fulfillment of its objectives will allow us to better understand where we currently stand and set us on a more systematic path to ongoing improvement.

I am overjoyed for the opportunity to lead Idaho Milk Products toward a more sustainable future, commented Jeremy Pike. My promotion to this new position will set us on a path of continuous improvement through the development of procedures and transparent reporting of key sustainability metrics. We recently adopted the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment and proudly stand by our purpose  Bringing Value to Milk for Generations.

Idaho Milk Products proudly supports personal, professional, educational, technical and above all, leadership development to help employees realize their potential and be part of a world-class team.

###

About Idaho Milk Products

Idaho Milk Products is a privately held, vertically integrated international milk processing leader, supplying Milk Protein Concentrate (MPC), Milk Permeate, and Cream derivatives to customers around the globe. Owned by local Idaho dairy farmers, Idaho Milk Products has a dedicated consistent milk supply and delivers reliable, quality dairy ingredients. For more information, visit idahomilkproducts.com.

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ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland & Labrador, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MADD Canada will present its Team Nick Coates Awards to members of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for their commitment to taking impaired drivers off roads and highways.



Twelve officers from the two police services will be presented with their 2021/2022 awards at a special ceremony on Thursday. The ceremony will also include recipients for 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, when in-person award presentations were not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Media are invited to attend the ceremony and speak with special guests and award recipients.

Date: June 9, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. Location: Lecture Theatre, RNC Memorial Campus, 1 Fort Townshend, St. Johns, NL Guests: Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure RNC Deputy Chief Colin McNeil Sergeant Major Trevor Baldwin, RCMP NL Terry Coates and Patricia Hynes-Coates MADD Canada National President Jaymie-Lyne Hancock

PLEASE NOTE: All attendees will be required to wear masks.



Officers who have taken a minimum of 12 impaired drivers off the roads during the previous year receive the Gold Award. Officers who have taken at least 8 impaired drivers off the roads during the previous year receive the Silver Award. Officers also receive special commemorative challenge coins.



Established in 2019, the award is named in honour of Nick Coates and pays tribute to him and to all victims of impaired driving. Nick was killed by an impaired driver in St. Johns in August 2013. He was riding his motorcycle back from a work meeting when he was hit by a pickup truck. Nick died in hospital later that day. He was just 27 years old.

MADD Canada thanks the Coates family, the RCMP and the RNC for their support in creating this annual awards program.
English French

BEAMSVILLE, Ontario, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada has set an ambitious goal to reduce smoking prevalence to less than 5% by 2035. However, it now seems unlikely that Canada will achieve this, with some calling the plan incremental, erratic and reactive tobacco control. It is clear that traditional tobacco control measures, resulting in modest declines, will not be enough to reach this target.



Tobacco harm reduction (THR) products have shown considerable results in reducing smoking prevalence. We have known the risks from smoking for many decades. We have known that it is the smoke, not the nicotine that is responsible. We also know that we can deliver nicotine in ways that have minimal risk, said Professor David Sweanor, the Chair of the Center for Health Law, Policy and Ethics and an adjunct professor of law at the University of Ottawa.

As a result, Swedens rates of tobacco-related illness and death are by far the lowest that you can see in the European Union. Their smoking rates are now low enough that many people would call it a smoke-free society. When Norway allowed snus products to be more widely available, cigarette smoking fell by half in just 10 years. When Iceland allowed both vaping products and snus into the market, smoking fell by about 40 per cent in just three years, he said.

The stated purpose of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) is to protect youth and nonsmokers from inducements to tobacco and vaping products and ensure Canadians are properly informed about the associated risks. The 2018 amendments sought to regulate vaping products in a way that underscored that these products were harmful for youth and nonusers of tobacco products. At the same time, it recognized emerging evidence indicating that, while not harmless, vaping products were a less harmful source of nicotine for an individual who smokes and quits smoking completely.

Although the TVPA has created a strong framework to protect youth and non-smokers, outside of an acknowledgement of vapings reduced risk, the Act has prevented smokers from receiving accurate information on vaping. In recent years regulation has been reactive and contrary to Health Canadas acknowledgement of vapings reduced risk profile. Increasingly restrictive regulation has played a considerable role in reinforcing the publics misperceptions about vaping. 48,000 Canadians continue to die each year from smokingrelated illness, while health authorities send mixed messages to smokers and allow vaping myths to persist.

Canada is unlikely to achieve its target without a realized plan that adopts modern approaches. The health of Canadians is best served through the implementation of THR strategies, evidenced by vapings impact on smoking rates. The results from traditional tobacco control policy were relatively stagnant for years prior to mainstream adoption of

nicotine vaping. Cigarette sales declined slowly between 2011 and 2018 and then rapidly in 2019 which was vapings peak adoption period, said Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Counsel to the CVA Board.

New Zealand faces similar challenges in eradicating tobacco use, including increased smoking prevalence among Indigenous people. New Zealand has sent a clear message to smokers that vaping is less harmful than smoking and permits flavoured vape products. A multi-faceted and modern approach to reducing tobacco use has allowed New Zealand to remain on track to become smoke-free by 2025.

Canada must cease reactionary amendments to the TVPA and embrace modern solutions for Canada to achieve a smoke-free society by 2035.

Darryl Tempest

Government Relations Counsel to the CVA Board

dtempest@thecva.org

647-274-1867
Merced, California, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sisters of the Valley head out this Friday on their six-city, five-day, west-coast Green Tour. The tour begins in their own neighborhood in Merced County on Friday. From there, the Sisters travel to Oakland and in the ensuing days, the tour takes them down the coast to San Diego. Two brothers will be accompanying the six sisters on a tour that has been delayed for years because of the pandemic.

The Sisters hope to gather at least one hundred people at each location, where they will give a short speech, lead a sing-along, and give away packets of hemp seeds - a bakers dozen in each. Even though the events will be held at the dispensaries, they will be hosted outside in the parking lots, as the Sisters dont want any age barriers or problems with parents bringing small children. It is information about hemp and our planet that everyone should hear - that everyone should know, said Sister Kate.

Friday, June 10th at noon - Global Greenz in Atwater

Friday, June 10th at 5 p.m. - Harborside in Oakland

Saturday, June 11th at 11 a.m. - Harborside in San Jose

Sunday, June 12th at 11 a.m. - Higher Purpose Cannabis in Port Hueneme

Sunday, June 12th at 5 p.m. - Traditional (Olympic Blvd) in Los Angeles

Monday, June 13th at 4 p.m. - Urban Leaf in San Diego

On the tour, the Sisters will be giving away packages of hemp seeds and informational brochures, as well as selling hand-made items from their craft-yurt, greeting cards, raffle tickets, and books.

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Solna, Stockholm, Sweden, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Report contains global attack data collected and analyzed from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021.

Solna, SE  6 June 2022  NTT Security Holdings, a leading provider of global scalable security solutions, has released its 2022 Global Threat Intelligence Report. As in previous years, NTT Security Holdings Global Threat Intelligence Center analysed attacks targeting multiple regions and industries with the goal of identifying emerging threats and understanding the overall threat landscape in order to help business and organizations better protect themselves from cyberattacks.

This years report noted five significant trends across the global threat landscape.

Attacks shifted to critical infrastructure and supply chains, more than doubling in the technology, telecommunications, and transport and distribution sectors.



Cloud migration is shaping global attacks. The percent of web-application and application-specific attacks continued to rise, accounting for 72% of all attacks.



Diversifying target scope and attack intensity. On average, a new vulnerability was registered every 24 minutes in 2021.



Trojan deployments soared as botnets re-emerge. Trojans accounted for 65% of malware in 2021, up from 35% a year earlier, followed by botnets (11%).



Ransomware prevalence is impacting business continuity, with a 240% growth in ransomware incident response engagements over the past 24 months.

In 2021, we saw the greatest number of newly discovered vulnerabilities compared to any previous year. This increase emphasizes how much attention attackers dedicate to discovering new targets and methods, said Kazu Yozawa, President and CEO, NTT Security Holdings. We also saw two dominant evolutions in malware. First, ransomware continued evolving and is one of the greatest cyberthreats an organization may face. Second, a surge in Trojans and botnet activity demonstrates attackers are seeking longer-term strategic objectives.

The Global Threat Intelligence Report also noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine may have a lasting impact on cyber and information security domains. Organizations, particularly custodians of critical infrastructure, will need to continue operating under higher levels of vigilance. In fact, ongoing disruptive cyber activity is to be expected and will likely target high-value assets as well as assets of strategic importance both nationally and economically.

Details in this report enable organizations to understand potential threats to their own environment, Yozawa added. I encourage cybersecurity leaders and defenders to utilize the insights shared in the report to make informed decisions in how to enhance their security posture.

Download the full 2022 Global Threat Intelligence Report at https://www.security.ntt/global-threat-intelligence-report-2022





-ENDS-

About NTT Security Holdings

NTT Security Holdings, a division of NTT Limited, provides proactive cyber defense and services that make use of gathered human resources and intelligence to protect our customers and society. For more than 20 years, our company has helped clients protect their digital businesses by predicting, detecting, and responding to cyberthreats, while supporting business innovation and managing risk. Our SOC, R&D centres and security experts deliver unsurpassed threat intelligence and handle hundreds of thousands of security incidents annually. Together, we secure the connected future.

Media Enquiries:

Marcus Silwer

Senior Manager, Service Offer Marketing, Security Services

NTT Security (Sweden) AB

T: +46 763443020

E: marcus.silwer@global.ntt





For the original news story, please visit https://www.prdistribution.com/news/ntt-security-holdings-releases-its-2022-global-threat-intelligence-report/9176753



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https://youtu.be/S-P2ftxL8rY

MADISON, Wis, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celebrate National Dairy Month this June with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) and explore all the ways dedicated dairy farm families make Wisconsin Americas Dairyland.

Quality dairy products start with the best milk in the world, produced by Wisconsins devoted dairy farmers. As one of the nations top producers of dairy and supplier of more than half the countrys specialty cheese, Wisconsin does dairy better than anyone. Dairy products are a natural source of immune-boosting nutrients, like vitamin A, vitamin D and protein that our bodies need, and dairy is the backbone to our states economy providing $45.6 Billion in economic activity  Dairy is Good for You and for Wisconsin.

National Dairy Month pays tribute to the steadfast Wisconsin dairy farmers who contribute to their local communities, care for the land and animals, and produce delicious and nutritious dairy products. Dairy farming is a family affair in Wisconsin. In fact, over 95% of all dairy farms are family owned.

Farming is a labor of love  a love of the land, cows, family and feeding the world, said Suzanne Fanning, Senior Vice President of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Chief Marketing Officer for Wisconsin Cheese. Wisconsin dairy farms often consist of multiple generations dedicated to producing high-quality milk, providing care for animals and improving the land for future generations.

Here are five easy ways to make this June a legen-DAIRY start to summer fun:

Experience modern dairy farming and meet local farmers by attending one of Wisconsins iconic June Dairy Month farm breakfasts Enjoy fresh cheese curds or sample one of over 600 varieties, types and styles of Wisconsin Cheese Try a dairy delicious recipe Brush up on your dairy knowledge Look for the Proudly Wisconsin Cheese and Proudly Wisconsin Dairy badges when shopping at your local grocery store



The versatility and nutritional value of dairy products make it easy to participate in this month-long celebration. Dairy is a pure, farm-to-table food with an all-natural ingredient profile that makes smoothies creamier, desserts richer and summer picnics tastier. Visit www.wisconsindairy.org/national-dairy-month/ for more information on National Dairy Month.

About Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin: Funded by Wisconsin dairy farmers, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is a non-profit organization that focuses on marketing and promoting Wisconsins world-class dairy products. For more information, visit our website at WisconsinDairy.org .

Media Contact:

Liz Fitzsimmons

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin

8418 Excelsior Dr

Madison, WI 53717

608-203-7280

lfitzsimmons@WisconsinDairy.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e42a4941-cbde-4a76-acc4-aad8072cb8e9

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9d27f970-d485-4e01-bc5f-3a5efb3f0ddf
STEINHAUSEN, Switzerland, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) announced today that Equinor Energy AS has awarded an additional nine wells plus two, one-well options to the contract for the harsh environment semisubmersible Transocean Spitsbergen for work offshore Norway. The firm part of the contract extension, with an estimated backlog of $181 million, is expected to begin in October 2023 and conclude in April 2025.



The estimated firm backlog excludes revenue associated with performance incentives, additional services, and option periods provided for in the contract.

About Transocean

Transocean is a leading international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. The company specializes in technically demanding sectors of the global offshore drilling business with a particular focus on deepwater and harsh environment drilling services, and believes that it operates the highest specification floating offshore drilling fleet in the world.

Transocean owns or has partial ownership interests in, and operates a fleet of 37 mobile offshore drilling units, consisting of 27 ultra-deepwater floaters and 10 harsh environment floaters. In addition, Transocean is constructing two ultra-deepwater drillships.

For more information about Transocean, please visit: www.deepwater.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements described herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements could contain words such as "possible," "intend," "will," "if," "expect," or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and assumptions, and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, estimated duration of customer contracts, contract dayrate amounts, future contract commencement dates and locations, planned shipyard projects and other out-of-service time, sales of drilling units, timing of the companys newbuild deliveries, operating hazards and delays, risks associated with international operations, actions by customers and other third parties, the fluctuation of current and future prices of oil and gas, the global and regional supply and demand for oil and gas, the intention to scrap certain drilling rigs, the success of our business following prior acquisitions, the effects of the spread of and mitigation efforts by governments, businesses and individuals related to contagious illnesses, such as COVID-19, and other factors, including those and other risks discussed in the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in the company's other filings with the SEC, which are available free of charge on the SEC's website at: www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize (or the other consequences of such a development worsen), or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the company or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which we become aware of, after the date hereof, except as otherwise may be required by law. All non-GAAP financial measure reconciliations to the most comparative GAAP measure are displayed in quantitative schedules on the companys website at: www.deepwater.com.

This press release, or referenced documents, do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and do not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA) or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of Transocean and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of Transocean.

Analyst Contact:

Alison Johnson

+1 713-232-7214

Media Contact:

Pam Easton

+1 713-232-7647




San Francisco, California, USA, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following continued international expansion in Q1 2022, QT Imaging, Inc. (QT Imaging) today announced its intention to become a public company this year through a de-SPAC transaction. QT Imaging has engaged ARC Group to advise them in the process. QT Imaging is a privately held developer of innovative, proprietary body imaging technology, offering patients a safe, radiation-free, accurate, and painless scanning alternative to traditional radiation emittance or MRI technology. The company is currently seeking $30 million through a convertible note offering, with US Capital Global Securities LLC, an affiliate of US Capital, as placement agent.

Headquartered in San Francisco, US Capital is a full-service private financial group with an established track record in investment banking, asset management, and capital formation services. All securities are offered by the group through its FINRA-member, SEC-registered broker-dealer affiliate, US Capital Global Securities LLC.

We are extremely pleased to announce our intention to go public this year, said John C. Klock, M.D., CEO and Chief Medical Officer at QT Imaging. The company is at an inflection point in its international expansion and the past twelve months have seen a string of notable achievements and business milestones. The medical imaging market is estimated at $40 billion globally and $10 billion in the United States annually, and we believe QT Imagings ground-breaking FDA-approved technology has the potential to significantly impact this growing market.

QT Imagings first product, the QT Breast Scanner, is FDA-cleared for whole breast imaging and can be used for medical screening and diagnosis. The companys primary product, QTscan, has demonstrated in clinical trials to have superior sensitivity and specificity to X-ray mammography and can safely identify the difference between benign and problematic tissue without the need for compression, injections, and potentially harmful radiation.

We are delighted to be supporting QT Imaging during this exciting period in its growth, said Frank Villarreal, Senior Vice President at US Capital Global Securities. With the additional working capital provided by the de-SPAC merger, QT Imaging plans to increase its product development for orthopedics and infant imaging and expand its marketing efforts significantly to be able to demonstrate significant sales growth in 2023. The companys proprietary technology is protected by eight US and European patents along with an addition twelve pending, all wholly owned by the company. If you are interested in QT Imaging, the opportunity to participate in this $30 million convertible note offering is currently still open to eligible investors.

About QT Imaging

QT Imaging is a privately held medical device company engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of innovative body imaging systems using low energy sound. This contrasts with traditional medical imaging using ionizing radiation (e.g., X-ray and CT) or magnetic fields (e.g., MRI), which may require contrast injections and specialized facilities. Its clinical trials have been conducted at prestigious institutions in the US and Europe. The QT Breast Scanner is available in Asia through a joint venture with TCL Healthcare Equipment and in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa through a distribution arrangement with QT Scan, B.V. www.qtimaging.com

About ARC Group ARC Group is an international financial services firm headquartered in Shanghai. Established in 2015, ARC is one of the worldwide leaders in SPAC formation and de-SPAC mergers. ARC has six international offices and over 60 finance staff and had over $3.9 billion USD in transactions in 2021. www.arc-group.com

About US Capital

US Capital Global Securities LLC (USCGS) is the FINRA-member broker-dealer division of US Capital that acts as placement agent for growth-stage companies, projects, and investment funds. Since 1998, US Capital has been committed to providing lower middle market businesses and investors with sophisticated debt, equity, and investment opportunities usually available only to larger middle market companies and institutional investors, using the latest FinTech and RegTech innovation. US Capital entities manage direct investment funds and provide wealth management and capital raise services. USCGS or its affiliates may provide advice to, be compensated by, or may from time to time acquire, hold or sell a position in the securities of the issuers mentioned herein. Any such offer or solicitation shall be made only pursuant to the confidential private placement memorandum. Private debt and equity investments are not suitable for all investors, are generally illiquid, offer no guarantee of returns, and subject investors to possible loss of principal. View USCGS Form CRS at https://www.uscapglobalsecurities.com/crs.html.

To learn more about this investment opportunity, email Frank Villarreal, Senior Vice President, at fvillarreal@uscapglobal.com or call +1 415-350-4092.

Attachment
Youngtown, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Youngtown, Arizona -

Emerald Isle Health & Recovery, which is based in Sun City, AZ, wants to emphasize the importance of chronic relapse treatment centers. These facilities are focused on preventing future relapses, which requires a bit of a switch from the usual focus on recovery. In relation to this, they have also released an article on treating addiction by using brainspotting, which is a recent development in psychotherapy that makes use of the inherent link between the brain and body. And finally, they have also published a guide that explains how to help an alcoholic spouse who is in denial.

Studies have shown that the number of relapses experienced by a particular individual in recovery will vary over a broad range. Some people never relapse after quitting alcohol or drugs but at the other end of the spectrum are people who may relapse as many as 100 times. Fortunately, very few of those who underwent treatment relapse that frequently. The majority of those who are in recovery after treatment will relapse once or twice, with some even having no relapses. But a substantial number of people may relapse five to six times and a few may relapse 20 times or more.

The possibility of relapses is a reality that has to be dealt with but there could be an insufficient focus on the importance of preventing relapses in many addiction treatment centers. Chronic relapses need to be prevented because they can have serious consequences for the individual. A chronic relapse treatment center seeks to prevent them by placing a special emphasis on helping the client avoid further relapses. Several methods are used, such as psychotherapy, medication, abstinence monitoring, and various kinds of peer support.

The question is how to find the right chronic relapse treatment center. At Emerald Isle Health & Recovery, which offers holistic rehab, they put a heavy emphasis on avoiding chronic relapses. Via their onsite program, they seek to find and treat the trauma, mental health disorders, and other aspects of each client that increase their risks of having a relapse.

Meanwhile, brainspotting for addiction is where the therapist will guide the patients into finding those places in their bodies where traumatic distress appears to be strongest. While this is being done, the patients eyes naturally focus on certain parts of their visual field. These are called brain spots, and the patients are asked to analyze the distressing feelings related to that spot. And at the end of the session, patients are again asked to evaluate the level of distress they feel with the ultimate goal of the therapy to gradually relieve the distress.

And for people whose spouses are addicted to alcohol but dont realize it, there is a number of techniques that they can do to encourage their spouse to seek treatment. They may not work in all cases but they can increase the chances of finally convincing ones spouse to go for treatment.

Emerald Isle Health & Recovery was launched with the goal of providing easier access to addiction treatment and recovery. Through the years, they have been continuously focused on finding innovative methods and coming up with new treatment approaches while integrating services for both mental health issues and substance abuse problems. Their creative strategy is based on customized evidence-based treatment that seeks to consider the entire person such that the provision of complete medical and clinical care to patients will enable them to achieve long term sustainable recovery. They have meticulously picked the location of their rehab facilities to allow their clients to have a high degree of privacy and to allow them to be separated those things, places, and people that may cause them to relapse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPFLwmofD2M&t=9s

Those who are interested in learning more about the treatment services offered by Emerald Isle Health & Recovery, including helpful information on what to do with substance addiction such as dealing with an alcoholic spouse, can contact them by telephone. They can be contacted 24 hours a day, on any day of the week.

###

For more information about Emerald Isle Health & Recovery, contact the company here:



Emerald Isle Health & Recovery

Admissions

855-605-0644

Emerald Isle Health & Recovery

10702 W Peoria Ave

Sun City, Arizona 85351
BEIJING, June 6 -- Three landing ships attached to a landing ship flotilla with the PLA Navy, including Kunlunshan, Laotieshan and Songshan, conducted a beach landing exercise in waters of the South China Sea days ago, carrying landing craft air cushions (LCACs), ship-borne helicopters, and amphibious armored infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).

The exercise involved multi-dimensional landing operations on LCACs beach landing, formation maneuvering of amphibious armored vehicles, helicopter fast-roping and multi-arms coordination.
Researchers at Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) conduct a final review of Danuri at the institute's headquarters in Daejeon. Courtesy of KARI



By Lee Kyung-min



Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is fully prepared for a successful launch of Korea's first lunar mission, the first step in a giant leap forward into advanced space exploration, the state-run aeronautics and space agency said Tuesday.



The mission involving Danuri, the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) developed by KARI, will help elevate Korea as an active participant in moon exploration alongside its global peers  Russia, the U.S., China, Japan, the European Union and India.



Korea's limitations in technological prowess notwithstanding, the joint project with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) provides enormous learning opportunities for the country, a fast learner defined by the rapid development of high-tech industries, the institute said.





Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) President Lee Sang-ryool speaks at a press conference at the institute's headquarters in Daejeon, June 3. Courtesy of KARI



"We have completed a pre-shipment review of Danuri, following extensive space environment simulation tests, as measured by extreme temperature and electromagnetic condition simulations. Also in check was multi-layer insulation technologies," KARI senior researcher Kim Dae-kwan said during a press briefing at the institute's headquarters in Daejeon, June 3.



"Danuri will leave Incheon International Airport, July 5, for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida. If everything proceeds on schedule, Danuri will be launched to the Moon, Aug. 3, carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9, a U.S. rocket," he added.



Danuri will use, Kim added, Ballistic Lunar Transfer (BLT), a "low-energy" transfer from the Earth to the Moon using the gravity of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun. The method uses less energy and thus saves the use of fuel by about 25 percent, but takes longer to reach the destination.



The orbiter will check for stable operations of its solar panels and antenna deployments, before nine trajectory corrections over four to five months. It will arrive near lunar orbit, Dec. 16, and will begin carrying out six final missions over the course of a full year.





Korea Deep Space Antenna in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. / Courtesy of KARI



The missions will be overseen by 60 KARI officials at the Operation Control Center, whose system is jointly operated through Korea Deep Space Antenna in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, and NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN).



The center processes command transmission and status information and carries out mission planning and trajectory determination. Data on maneuver planning, as well as payload reception and distribution, are among its responsibilities.





Officials at Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) attend a rehearsal for the Danuri launch at the Operation Control Center at the institute's headquarters in Daejeon. Courtesy of KARI
A year ago, tens of thousands were in the stands at the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi. With Nikita Mazepin there was also a fellow countryman driving. But because of the war in Ukraine, all ties between Formula 1 and Russia have been severed.

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Contract torn up

Russian fans of Formula 1 are currently experiencing tough times. The television contract between Match TV and Formula One has been torn up. The races can no longer be seen in Russia. In fact, even the official Formula 1 website or videos of the races on YouTube cannot be viewed. Even a VPN connection does not change this.



The love between Formula 1 and Russia seems to be over. Alexey Popov, Russia's David Crofty, does not expect a quick turnaround in the relationship. "I don't think so," he revealed to Onestopstrategy.com. "I have no inside information or anything. But I don't see what can make the situation change. You've seen how the Formula One organization has reacted."



No more Russian races

The Russian Grand Prix was removed from the calendar immediately after the outbreak of war. The contract for the coming years has also been broken. Haas is now engaged in a battle with former sponsor Uralkali over the sponsorship budget already paid out.
During qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen encountered problems with his DRS, which deprived him of the chance for pole position. Red Bull Racing thought they had solved the problems, but also during the race the Dutchman struggled with problems with his DRS. Then in Monaco there were no problems, but Baku will be the real test.

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Red Bull has inflicted DRS problems on itself

In Barcelona, Verstappen had a lot of trouble. For many laps, he was stuck behind the Mercedes of George Russell. The Dutchman could not pass him because he could not use his DRS on the straights, one of the few places where overtaking is possible in Spain. It resulted in several outbursts on his radio. Despite the problems, Verstappen managed to win the race, but his team clearly had to work to fix the problem.

Read more Zhou not worried about future despite mediocre results

According to Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan, the team's problems with the DRS were self-inflicted, but a hard lesson has been learned from this, he tells Motorsport.com. In the week between Spain and Monaco, the team then did everything possible to solve the problem, something Monaghan says they succeeded in doing. The British engineer is confident that lessons have been learned from the mistakes in Spain. According to him, the team should accept the mistakes and move on again.

Baku will be the real test for Red Bull

The fact that the DRS worked properly again in Monaco is no guarantee that there will be no problems in Baku next weekend, according to Monaghan. The conditions in Azerbaijan are completely different from those in Monte Carlo. On the Asian street circuit, top speeds of around 340 kilometers per hour are achieved, with the DRS being opened at a speed of around 300 kilometers per hour. In Monaco, this was at around 160 kilometers per hour.

According to Monaghan, Baku, therefore, presents very different challenges for the team. Because the DRS in Baku is opened under very different aerodynamic pressure, Red Bull cannot rest on its laurels, according to him. Nevertheless, Monaghan is confident that the problems will be definitively resolved in Spain.
The previous edition of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was not a good advertisement for Pirelli. Both Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll crashed out with a blowout, but the tyres from back then have now made way for Pirelli's new 18-inch tyres. The tyre supplier is confident that it has made the right choice for the upcoming weekend in Baku.

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The tyres the teams will have at the Baku City Circuit concern the C3, C4 and C5 tyres. These are the three softest tyres in the series, making Pirelli the same selection as last year. However, the construction is completely new compared to the tyres of that time.

Pirelli explains tyre selection Baku

According to Pirelli boss Mario Isola, the street circuit demands relatively little from the tyres, as none of the corners require a large amount of energy from the tyres. He expects similar tyre wear to Monaco, but anticipates that the high speeds in Baku will demand just a little more from the tyres than the Circuit de Monaco.

"the main point is all about traction, with finding the right balance between front and rear axles being the key challenge for all the teams," explained Isola on the official website of Pirelli. He adds that it is important to have enough heat in the front tyres to generate grip.

In addition, he points to the long straights, where the tyres cool down again, before being at risk of overheating in the traction zones. "Track temperature is also inconsistent in Baku, so all in all its quite a specific track with a few different technical challenges, which are nonetheless the same for everyone," Isola said.




By Kim Jae-heun







Woowa Brothers founder Kim Bong-jin recently visited University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to check out the latest robot developed by Dennis Hong, a professor and founding director of the Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa), according to Hong's Instagram.







Hong posted pictures of Kim and himself at his research center on June 1, where the founder was looking at a robot standing on its own feet. Hong said in his interview with a local media outlet that the Woowa Brothers founder recently visited his laboratory at the UCLA campus.







Kim is currently expanding Woowa Brothers' business partnerships with local and international companies that develop robots specializing in food delivery and cooking.







In 2019, Woowa Brothers, which operates Korea's top food delivery app Baedal Minjok, said it will invent a cooking robot together with Hong. The two named the project "YORI" which means cooking in Korean.







Woowa Brothers added that YORI is a long-term project that will take at least three to four years to complete.







Kim and Hong are working on the development of a robot that can make various movements such as cutting and flipping food on a frying pan.







The food delivery firm has already commercialized delivery robots and started using them at a multipurpose building in Gwanggyo, Suwon, last December. Robots will bring food to private houses in "Gwanggyo Alley Way" after scanning individual QR codes given to each residents there.







The current traffic rules ban delivery robots from travelling on pedestrian roads, crosswalks or public parks. However, the Ministry of Science and ICT only allowed Woowa Brothers to test their delivery robots in Gwanggyo in 2020.






The Genesis GV80 SUV / courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group





Hyundai Motor said Monday the accumulated sales of its independent Genesis brand models exceeded 700,000 last month despite a prolonged automotive chip shortage.







The Korean carmaker sold 699,751 Genesis cars, including 188,547 overseas, from its launch in November 2015 to the end of April this year, according to Hyundai's sales data.







In May, the carmaker sold an additional 12,234 Genesis models in the domestic market, bringing cumulative sales to 711,985, the data showed.







Genesis' overseas sales data for May will be released later this month.







In particular, sales of the G80 sedan accounted for 44 percent of the 711,985. The Genesis lineup is composed of the electric GV60 and GV70 SUVs, the GV80 and GV70 SUVs, and the G90, G80, electric G80 and G70 sedans.







Genesis model sales are widely expected to surpass 1 million in the middle of 2023, given rising demand for the luxury brand models. (Yonhap)


Lee Chan-hee, chairman of Samsung's Compliance Committee, speaks during a meeting with top executives of Samsung Group affiliates at its office in Seoul, June 3. Courtesy of Samsung Compliance Committee



By Baek Byung-yeul





Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics
Advent Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Laskaridis Shipping Company Ltd., a ship management company based in Athens, Greece, with a fleet of 90 vessels, which includes 55 midsized or large dry bulk vessels. Under the terms of the MoU, Laskaridis and Advent will jointly conduct a pilot program, under which Advent will supply Laskaridis Shipping with its Serene High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (HT-PEM) methanol-powered fuel cells.

Laskaridis Shipping will install these systems on selected dry bulk vessels to assess their overall performance as auxiliary, back-up, or emergency power sources.

Following the successful completion of the pilot program, Laskaridis Shipping and Advent will collaborate on manufacturing and testing the next generation of Advents fuel cells.

These collaboratively tested fuel cells are expected to be based on Advents next-generation Membrane Electrode Assembly, which is currently being developed within the framework of LInnovator, the companys joint development program with the US Department of Energys Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Advent is a vertically integrated manufacturer. Its portfolio includes advanced HT-PEM fuel cell systems, covering the range from 25W to 90kW. Serene methanol-powered fuel cells deliver critical and reliable power in an environmentally friendly wayreducing CO 2 emissions and operating silentlywhile having a low impact on surroundings. Methanol as a carrier of hydrogen allows simpler storage (handling and logistics) compared to pure hydrogen and enhances the safety of operations.

The fuel applied for Serene systems is a pre-mix consisting of 60% methanol and 40% demineralized and de-ionized water (on a volume basis). This pre-mixture provides many advantages, since it is less flammable (fire class II) than pure methanol and, therefore, is cheaper to transport. Moreover, there is no water condenser needed, which again means lower weight resulting in higher efficiency.

Earlier, Advent signed an MoU with Neptune Lines Shipping and Managing Enterprises S.A., a leading vehicle logistics provider operating 18 Pure Car and Truck Carrier vessels (owned or chartered), with a cargo capacity ranging between 1,500-4,600 cars, for a pilot program to explore the application of a fuel cell-based auxiliary power system.

This application will be tested by Neptune Lines team, which will evaluate its performance as a sustainable source of power generation. After the evaluation stage, the parties will consider a broader collaboration.
By Baek Byung-yeul





President Yoon Suk-yeol takes a look at SK Bioscience's COVID-19 vaccine at the company's office in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, April 25, when he was president-elect. Courtesy of Presidential Office
Guam recorded the 365th COVID-related death Monday, according to a news release from the Joint Information Center. The 49-year-old male with underlying health conditions tested positive for the virus May 8. He was vaccinated and was reported to have had one dose of the COVID-19 booster.

With each passing we are reminded that our battle with COVID-19 is not yet over. To his family and those who loved him, we send our prayers and condolences, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero stated in the release.

Hospitalizations

There were 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the Joint Information Center.

Of these, three patients were admitted at Guam Memorial Hospital and none were in the intensive care unit.

There were five patients admitted at Guam Regional Medical City where one patient was on a ventilator. U.S. Naval Hospital Guam also reported two COVID-related hospitalizations. Neither patient was admitted to the hospitals intensive care unit.

Of the 10 COVID-related hospitalizations, nine were vaccinated. One patient was not vaccinated.

There were no children hospitalized due to COVID-19.

New cases

The Department of Public Health and Social Services reported a cumulative total of 149 new cases of COVID-19, taken from 1,438 specimens analyzed from tests administered from Friday through Saturday.

Of the 149 new cases, 36 were reported by the Department of Defense.

Guam has 371 cases in active isolation.

Vaccinations

Residents can still receive free COVID-19 vaccinations 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the Agana Shopping Center vaccination clinic.
An expert witness pointed out to jurors that helicopters seized from Hansen Helicopters Inc. had safety warnings and certifications in different languages.

On the 25th day of trial in the District Court of Guam, jurors visited the Guam National Guard Readiness Center in Barrigada to view helicopters seized from Hansen Helicopters Inc. The governments motion to have the jury view three seized helicopters in the ongoing trial against executives of Hansen Helicopters Inc. was granted last week by District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, according to documents released by the District Court.

The president of the Hansen Helicopters Inc., John Walker, currently is on trial facing hundreds of fraud charges connected to acquiring scrapped, destroyed or otherwise not airworthy aircraft, then falsifying records and defrauding federal authorities for profit, according to charging documents.

On Monday afternoon, expert witness Jeff Guzzetti walked jurors through three helicopters and testified about what he found during his inspection of them.

Guzzetti is the President of Guzzetti Aviation Risk Discovery, LLC and is an aviation safety consultant, according to court documents.

Of the three helicopters, Guzzetti in particular testified about a green and yellow helicopter that he found to have been manufactured in Italy. He further testified there were inconsistencies because the languages indicating safety measures were in Italian, while the overall certification of the aircraft was in English.

The aircraft, Guzzetti said, was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, a federal agency that ensures the safety of air travel. The FAA also is one of the agencies Walker and Hansen is accused of defrauding.

Other Hansen executives also facing charges include operations director Kenneth Rufus Crowe and maintenance director Phillip Turner Kapp but will have separate trials.
Sunni Klarisa Vargas is accused of stabbing a man known to her over the weekend.

According to a magistrates complaint filed in the Superior Court of Guam, police responded to reports of a stabbing incident at an Asan residence where a man reported that Vargas stabbed him.

On Saturday, Vargas slept over at the mans house despite there being a stay away order prohibiting contact. The two then got into an argument on Sunday. During the argument, the man spit on the Vargas face and asked her to leave the residence, the complaint stated.

Vargas however refused to leave and the man then saw her holding a knife. They continued to argue when the man said he felt warmth to his left leg and when he looked down he saw a pile of blood, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, the man stated, I dont know if she stabbed me or I walked into the knife.

A witness then told officers he saw the two arguing and that Vargas did point a knife at the man.

Responding officers later found a one-inch puncture wound on the mans upper left thigh and suspected blood in front of rolling clothing racks and a lawn chair.

Vargas was found in the drivers seat of a car where she appeared to be distraught and said to officers, I told him to leave me alone but he wouldnt leave me alone, the complaint stated.

A six-inch kitchen knife with a black handle and blood on the blade was found in the cars center console before being confiscated by police.

Vargas was charged with aggravated assault as a second-degree felony and family violence as a third-degree felony.




Haiti - Kenscoff : Launch of the AQUHAITI project





The implementation of practical and innovative solutions is one of the ways with the most potential to provide answers to development problems. It is within this framework that the AQUHAITI project falls, an initiative set up with the financial support of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID), carried out in Haiti by the Tecnova Technological Center, the CIDEAL Foundation and the association "Haitian Solidarity for the Development of Kenscoff" (Solidarite Haitienne pour le Developpement de Kenscoff - SOHADERK).



The objective of this project is to contribute to the development of the rural community of Kenscoff, with the establishment of new agricultural practices that are more sustainable with natural resources, which at the same time make it possible to increase productivity, to address the issue of malnutrition through self-consumption and reducing dependence on imports.



To this end, it is proposed to implement the technique of aquaponics, which combines hydroponics and aquaculture. Aquaponics consists of the cultivation of plants in symbiosis with the breeding of fish. It is an ecosystem in which three types of organisms are involved: Fish, whose droppings are the source of nutrients for plants, in the form of fertilizer. Aerobic bacteria that transform manure into nitrates that can be assimilated by plants in mineral form and cultivated plants that purify water.



This project was launched at the end of May 2022 in the presence of the Ambassador of Spain in Haiti, Sergio Cuesta, of the Program Manager at the Technical Office of Spanish Cooperation in Haiti, Jose Luis Rojo, of the Vice-President of the Technological Center Tecnova, Ms. Carmen Roman with also the participation of representatives of international organizations, the public and private sector and Civil Society.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-6596-haiti-agriculture-an-aquaponics-farm-in-grace-village.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Economy : Agreement between the Association of Tradesmen of Santiago and the Consulate General of Haiti for the benefit of Haitians





Sandy Filpo President of the Association of Tradesmen and Industrialists of Santiago (ACIS) and James Jacques, Consul of Haiti in Santiago signed an institutional partnership agreement, to stimulate the regularization of Haitian workers so that they can obtain a Dominican identity card (Cedula).



The Haitian authorities estimate at 3,000 the number of Haitians operating a commercial activity in the city of Santiago alone.



The two parties to the agreement undertake to protect and strengthen the mechanisms that ensure the security of commercial relations between the companies of the two countries, stressing that this commitment is of "prudence and diligence".



ACIS is committed to cooperating in the management of business visas of at least one year, performing due diligence management when requested by the Consulate for a Haitian citizen with an interest in doing business.



For its part, the Haitian Consulate undertakes to cooperate in the management of business and work visas and relevant Haitian documents that Cibao's business entities may require for Haitian workers, exercising due diligence when requested by the through ACIS.



Finally, the agreement recognizes the value of collaboration, the sense of reciprocity and the strengthening of institutional relations as essential factors for the economic, commercial and industrial growth of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





ONM accountant arrested for embezzlement

As part of an investigation by the Office of Financial and Economic Affairs, the police arrested Friday, June 3rd, Cherilus Ilrick, accountant at the National Office for Migration. He is accused of embezzlement of public funds and theft of checks.



The CEP is functional again

The absence of an authorizing officer capable of validating the requests of the Provisional Electoral Council makes the Council dysfunctional. In order to remedy this situation, it was decided in the Council of Ministers in a resolution that Max Delices, Executive Director of the CEP, be authorized to fulfill this role. This will allow Max Delices to carry out current expenses until the entry into force of a new CEP.



24 illegal Haitians arrested on a CaribeTours bus

Soldiers from the Specialized Land Border Security Corps (CESFRONT) arrested 24 Haitians who were traveling in an irregular migration situation in a CaribeTours bus. CESFRONT also seized alcohol and a large sum of money held by the bus driver.



Winner of the "Talents des lyceens" competition

Friday, June 3rd, 2022, took place the grand final of the 3rd edition of the "Talents of high school students" competition in the presence of the Minister of National Education Nesmy Manigat. 3 finalists competed for the title : Pierre Jean Nedine from Lycee Duvivier in Cite Soleil, Jasmine Dameus from Lycee Guy Francois Malary and Veline Feuille from Lycee National in Cite Soleil. Designated the first winner of the Talents Competition for high school students, Veline Feuillee received the trophy and bonuses from Minister Manigat, including a digital tablet offered by the Ministry.



D-1 : Our Grenadiers face the "Emerald Boys"

After a draw [0-0] against the "Gombey Warriors" of Bermuda https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36834-haiti-league-of-nations-2022-haiti-bermuda-[0-0]-video.html , our Grenadiers will face on the lawn of the Olympic Stadium Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, the "Emerald Boys" of Montserrat Tuesday, June 7 at 6:00 p.m. (local time and Haiti time), for their 2nd pool match.



Fuel arrival

Sunday, June 5, 2022: 45,000 barrels of diesel and 24,000 barrels of gasoline. were delivered to the Varreux terminal. 10,000 barrels of diesel and 10,000 barrels of gasoline were delivered to the Thor terminal.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















A woman sits on a destroyed Russian tank placed as a symbol of war in Kyiv, Ukraine, June 5,. AP-Yonhap





Russia struck Kyiv with missiles for the first time in more than a month, while President Vladimir Putin warned he would hit new targets in Ukraine if western nations supplied the country with longer-range missiles.







In Sievierodonetsk, the main battlefield in the east where Russia has concentrated its forces, Ukrainian forces are holding their ground after having retaken half of the city, said Serhiy Gaidai, governor of Luhansk province where the city is located.







Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Sunday that he travelled to Lysychansk, south from Sievierodonetsk, and Soledar  rare outings for him outside Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion, Feb. 24, and possibly the closest to the frontline yet.







"What you all deserve is victory  that is the most important thing. But not at any cost," Zelenskiy, wearing his trademark khaki T-shirt, told Ukrainian troops in a video released Sunday night.







Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk are in the Luhansk region and Soledar is in the Donetsk region. Both regions make up the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland, which Russia claims it is on a mission to "liberate".







In the Kyiv attack, one person was hospitalized though there were no immediate reports of deaths. Dark smoke could be seen from many miles away after Russia's attack on two outlying districts.







Ukraine said the strike hit a rail car repair works, while Moscow said it had destroyed tanks sent by Eastern European countries to Ukraine.







Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of the Ukrainian railway, confirmed four missiles had smashed into the Darnytsia rail car repair facility in eastern Kyiv, but said there was no military hardware at the site.







The strike was a sudden reminder of war in Kyiv where normal life has largely returned since Russian forces were driven from its outskirts in March.







The "missile strikes at Kyiv have only one goal  kill as many as possible," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.







Ukraine said Russia had carried out the Kyiv strike using long-range air-launched missiles fired from heavy bombers as far away as the Caspian Sea.







Ukraine's nuclear power operator said a Russian cruise missile had flown "critically low" over the country's second largest nuclear power plant.







A tombstone with the picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin and derogatory message is seen at a checkpoint in the Donetsk oblast region, eastern Ukraine, June 5. The text reads "Putin dickhead." AP-Yonhap





Sunday's attack was the first big strike on Kyiv since late April, when a missile killed a journalist.







Russia has recently focused its destructive might on front lines in the east and south, although occasionally it strikes elsewhere in what it calls a campaign to degrade Ukraine's military infrastructure and block Western arms shipments.







Putin warned the West that Russia would strike new targets if the United States started supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles, the TASS news agency reported on Sunday.







The United States said last week it would send new, advanced medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine.







In an interview with Russian state television, Putin said the rockets Washington had promised so far were comparable to Soviet-era weapons Ukraine already had, Putin said.







If Washington were to deliver longer-range rockets, "we will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting," he said. He dismissed the impact of Western drones, saying Russia had been "cracking them like nuts."







Britain said it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80 km away.











Heavy fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk and Russian forces are pushing towards Sloviansk, Britain's Ministry of Defence said in a Twitter update.







However, Governor Gaidai earlier said Ukrainian forces were continuing to push the Russians back from Sievierodonetsk, about 85 km east of Sloviansk.







The claims could not be independently verified. Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in Sievierodonetsk.







In Lysychansk, Russian forces fired on a bakery and several administrative and residential buildings, Gaidai said Monday, adding one civilian had been wounded.







Evacuations resumed from the Ukrainian-held part of Luhansk Province, Sunday, and 98 people had escaped, Gaidai said.







A Russian state media journalist said Sunday that Russian Major General Roman Kutuzov had been killed in eastern Ukraine, adding to the string of high-ranking military casualties sustained by Moscow.







The governor of Russia's western Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said the border village of Tyotkino had come under fire from Ukraine this morning which targeted a bridge and some local businesses. There were no immediate reports of casualties.







Ukraine's military reported that its forces repelled seven attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Sunday, destroying four tanks and shooting down a combat helicopter.







Russian forces are "conducting intensive artillery and mortar shelling of our positions" in the Kharkiv region in Donetsk, Ukraine's military general staff said Monday.







It said Russia was targeting civilian infrastructure in several towns. Moscow denies it targets civilians.







In a Sunday address in Rome, Pope Francis called the war "the negation of God's dream." (Reuter)






By William Schwartz | Published on 2022/06/05

Soo-jae (played by Seo Hyun-jin) is an unpleasant attorney working for an unpleasant law firm which represents unpleasant clients with unpleasant legal enemies. All around, "Why Her?" is a drama about some fairly unpleasant people. So it's hard to argue with the significance of the title. Why should we care about Soo-jae? Sure, she might be an ace attorney, but Soo-jae is unapologetic about the fact that she's motivated entirely by her own ambition.

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Whether Soo-jae's actions are morally defensible is thus besides the point, even if the script bends over backwards to emphasize that all the low-class enemies challenging the wealthier sections of South Korean society are themselves uncredible schemers. There's a cynical bite to "Why Her?" that's quite comparable to "Eve" regarding a South Korea that hardly even has a pretense of equity and justice anymore. Soo-jae herself is the closest thing to an inspiring story, with her passing the bar exam with only a high school education.

But even that isn't really a pleasant story. The script in "Why Her?" makes frequent reference to the fact that Chairman Choi (played by Heo Joon-ho) has been shepherding Soo-jae's career mainly because she's a great inspirational story. Well, that and the fact that she makes a whole lot of money for the firm. Also, Soo-jae's main professional competition for managing partner is Yeong-bae (played by Kim Sun-hyuk), who's a bit of an idiot in that he does dirty tricks very incompetently.

That's about the only real reason we have to root for Soo-jae at all so far is just that she's good at dirty tricks. This persists even when she meets So-yeong (played by Hong Ji-yoon), a rape victim with little hard evidence that she was a rape victim at all but plenty of circumstantial evidence that could be used to smear her character. Once again, So-yeong herself is unpleasant enough that Soo-jae's behavior didn't feel like crossing a red line, even if I still didn't like Soo-jae either.

But do I really need to like Soo-jae herself to like "Why Her?" overall. Well, maybe not. There's no denying that the drama is plenty engaging, in part because it's hard to guess what the story is driving at. I might have thought the scandal forcing Soo-jae into exile was staged somehow. Yet none of her political opponents at the law firm seem evil enough or smart enough to want to do something like that.

Review by William Schwartz

___________

"Why Her?" is directed by Park Soo-jin-II, written by Kim Ji-eun-III, and features Seo Hyun-jin, Hwang In-youp, Heo Joon-ho, Bae In-hyuk, Ji Seung-hyun, Lee Joo-woo. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2022/06/03~Now airing, Fri, Sat 22:00 on Coupang Play, SBS.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a press conference in London, Nov. 27, 2021. AP-Yonhap



Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a confidence vote on Monday, after a growing number of lawmakers in the governing Conservative Party questioned the British leader's authority following a "partygate" scandal.



Johnson, who won a sweeping election victory in 2019, has been under growing pressure after he and staff held alcohol-fueled parties at the heart of power when Britain was under strict lockdowns to tackle COVID-19.



He was met with the chorus of jeers and boos, and some muted cheers, at events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth in recent days.



On Monday, the once seemingly unassailable Johnson was also attacked by one-time ally Jesse Norman, a former junior minister who said the prime minister staying in power insulted both the electorate and the party.



"You have presided over a culture of casual law-breaking at 10 Downing Street in relation to COVID," he said, adding the government had "a large majority, but no long-term plan".



Norman is one of a growing number of Conservative lawmakers to publicly say that Johnson, 57, has lost his authority to govern Britain, which is facing the risk of recession, rising prices and strike-inflicted travel chaos in the capital London.



Jeremy Hunt, a former health minister who ran against Johnson for the leadership in 2019, said the party knew it was letting the country down. "Today's decision is change or lose," he said. "I will be voting for change."



Johnson's anti-corruption champion John Penrose quit. "I think it's over. It feels now like a question of when not if," he told Sky News when asked about Johnson's future.



DRAWING A LINE?



Graham Brady, chairman of the party's 1922 Committee that represents rank-and-file Conservative lawmakers, said a vote would be held between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. (1700-1900 GMT) on Monday.



"The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised," he said.



A spokesperson for Johnson's Downing Street office said the vote would "allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people's priorities".



"The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs (members of parliament) and will remind them that when they're united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force."



Johnson, the former London mayor, rose to power at Westminster as the face of the Brexit campaign in the 2016 referendum, and took a tough stance once in power, steering Britain out of the single market and customs union.



Jacob Rees-Mogg, Brexit opportunities minister, told Sky News that completing Britain's departure from the European Union would be "significantly at risk without his drive and energy".



Johnson has recently locked horns with the EU over Northern Ireland, raising the prospect of more barriers for British trade and alarming political leaders in Ireland, Europe and the United States about risks to the province's 1998 peace deal.



OUTCOME UNCERTAIN



A majority of Conservative lawmakers - or 180 - would have to vote against Johnson for him to be removed - a level some Conservatives say might be difficult to reach. If passed, there would then be a leadership contest to decide his replacement, which could take several weeks.



Lawmakers said they had received letters from the prime minister, in which he asked for their support in the vote.



Several ministers in his cabinet team were swift to put out messages of support for the prime minister, with finance minister Rishi Sunak, like other possible successors, saying Johnson had shown "strong leadership".



"I am backing him today and will continue to back him as we focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living and clearing the COVID backlogs," he said on Twitter in what appeared to be a choreographed expression of support.



Bookmaker Ladbrokes put former health minister Hunt as its favorite to replace Johnson if he was ousted, followed by foreign minister Liz Truss, who also tweeted her "100% backing" of the prime minister in Monday's vote.



Since the release of a damning report into the so-called "partygate" scandal, which listed fights and alcohol-induced vomiting at lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, Johnson and his government had urged lawmakers to move on.



But after parliament took a break last week sending many lawmakers back to their constituencies, or voting regions, several were met by a chorus of complaints over Johnson.



The biting criticism from Norman, who served as a junior minister in the finance ministry between 2019 and 2021, was perhaps the biggest sign that criticism of Johnson had spread beyond a vocal group of so-called rebels. (Reuters)


Is Cooper for president Democrats' best chance in 2024?

Some people are asking if North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper might be the Democrats best presidential candidate in 2024.



Not likely, you say, Joe Biden is president. And every first-term Democratic president in modern times has run for reelection.

There have been no serious challenges for Democratic incumbents seeking their party nomination, with one exception. In 1980 Ted Kennedy challenged Jimmy Carter. There has been no other serious intraparty challenge to a sitting Democratic president for the nomination.

Although Biden has not announced his candidacy, it would be fair to assume that he will run and will be the Democratic nominee.

Even so, people are talking about other possibilities.

In an article titled There Has to Be a Backup Plan in the June 5, 2022 edition of New York magazine, Gabriel Debenedetti wrote about a gathering of the national Democratic Establishment held in North Carolina at Pinehurst in April. He called the attendees an unsettled cross section of the Democratic Establishment.

Debenedetti explained, The lobbyists, donors, staffers, and elected officials were gathering for the spring policy meeting of the Democratic Governors Association, and the scheduled sessions concerned such topics as health care and diversity in governance.

But there was also talk about politics, including worried conversations about the midterm elections in November.

Conversations shifted from grim-the midterms-to grimmer. The grim refers to the prospects for this falls elections. The grimmer for them was the state of the party's planning for 2024, when Biden will stand for reelection on the eve of his 82nd birthday.

Although there was no serious question raised about Bidens intention to be a candidate for reelection in 2024, some of those gathered in Pinehurst were calculating contingencies: If Biden's health turned, or if his polling truly collapsed, which of the party's governors might step up and save them from electoral ruin-and the nightmare of a Trump comeback?

Roy Cooper  the conference's host, who had twice won North Carolina in the same years the swing state was carried by Donald Trump  was the most frequent topic of shadow-campaign chatter, wrote Debenedetti.

Other governors were mentioned, too: Phil Murphy, from New Jersey; J. B. Pritzker, Illinois; Jared Polis, Colorado: Gavin Newsom, California; and Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan.

Bernie Sanders sent word that he also might be available for another run. And there are plenty more including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Senators Amy Klobuchar, Corey Booker, Elizabeth Warren and California Rep. Ro Khanna.

Many more are in the wings.

But Cooper has something the other possible contenders lack.

He is a Southerner. And Democrats will remember that beginning with Harry Truman, and until Barack Obama, every winning Democratic presidential candidate, except John Kennedy, had a Southern connection: Harry Truman (1948), Lyndon Johnson (1964), Jimmy Carter (1976), and Bill Clinton (1992). Include Al Gore if you count his popular vote victory in 2000.

How do you explain their success? First, they learned to respond to the challenges in their states with pragmatic rather than doctrinaire solutions that did not frighten conservatives. Second, they learned to gain the support of Black voters and open doors with opportunities for them.

Democratic governors of southern states are a vanishing breed.

Two other Southern governors, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and Andrew Beshear of Kentucky join Cooper in this small group.

Like Cooper, they must work with Republican dominated legislatures. Edwards, has a progressive record, but because he signed a very restrictive abortion law he probably would lose the support of many Democrats.

Andy Beshear is up for a tough reelection battle in Kentucky in 2223, one that will almost certainly preclude his preparing for a presidential run.

Thus, if Biden is not a candidate for reelection in 2024 and the Democrats want to try their winning Southern governor formula again, they have one choice.

Roy Cooper.




PEOPLE across Henley and South Oxfordshire spent the bank holiday weekend celebrating the Queens platinum jubilee.

There were street parties. picnics, beacon lighthings and firework displays.

In Goring and Sreatley there was an attempt on the record for the longest street party.

Children played together on their roads, multiple generations shared stories, cakes were judged and songs were sung.

People spoke of their love for the Queen and their pride at being British.

One topic that was important to everyone was how special it was to reunite after the coronavirus pandemic.

Jubilee pictures and stories from around the area will appear in this weeks Henley Standard.
Minor Hotels is set to expand its already considerable portfolio of hotels in Thailand with the opening of the Avani Chaweng Samui Hotel & Beach Club in early August 2022.

Located in the island hot spot of Chaweng, approximately 10 minutes from the airport, the new-build Avani Chaweng has taken its design cues from the halcyon days of the 1950s, referencing iconic American destinations such as Palm Beach and Miami.

The low-rise, three-storey hotel comprises of 80 rooms and suites, and features a central swimming pool with cabanas, a 24-hour gym and a bar that doubles as the check-in area.

Guests at Avani Chaweng get priority access to SEEN Beach Club Samui's restaurant, bars and swimming pools, as well as its popular pool parties.

Opening rates for Avani Chaweng Samui Hotel & Beach Club start from USD 170 per room per night and include daily breakfast with sparkling wine, a welcome drink at the social bar during check-in, priority access to SEEN Beach Club Samui's daily two-for-one Sinful Hour promotion, an arrival airport transfer and 24-hour check-in.

Hotel website
Aparium Hotel Group today announced the appointment of Joe White as General Manager of the Hu. Hotel in Memphis, TN. The 110 room hotel will reopen in summer 2021 with new and exciting guest programming, amenities and food & beverage experiences.

With over 25 years of hospitality industry experience, White has been recognized for his leadership and operational excellence having received the Marriott Service Excellence Leadership Award, Hotelier of the Year by the Alabama Hospitality Association, Hilton's Developer of the Year and Connie Award. Most recently, White was the General Manager for The Chattanoogan Hotel in Tennessee.

Under White's expert guidance, the 110-room Hu. Hotel is set to reopen in summer 2021. The hotel has undergone a light refresh and guests will be welcomed to a thoughtfully designed hotel experience backed by Southern hospitality and charm. The hotel is also revamping its dining offerings, with new menus and beverage programs for Lucy's cafe and the bespoke rooftop escape - Hu. Roof.
China urged Canada to refrain from any risky and provocative acts; otherwise, they will be held responsible for the serious consequences, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian during Monday's press conference.

His remarks came after Ottawa accused Beijing last week of buzzing its military flights in the international airspace near the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) during Operation Neon.

In response to Canada's provocative acts and unfriendly and unprofessional operations, the Chinese military promptly took reasonable, forceful, safe and professional measures and lodged solemn representations with the Canadian side through diplomatic channels, Zhao said.

Noting that a healthy and stable China-Canada relationship serves the common interests of both sides and is also the common aspiration of the two peoples, he urged the Canadian side to respect objective facts and stop spreading false information.

Canada should adopt a sound and pragmatic policy towards China and take concrete actions to restore the normal development of China-Canada relations, he added.

China's Ministry of National Defense also responded to the issue on the same day.

Canada's military aircraft stepped up close reconnaissance and provocations against China recently under the pretext of implementing a UN Security Council resolution and jeopardized China's national security and endangered the safety of frontline personnel from both sides, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the ministry.

The operation is Canada's contribution to a coordinated multinational effort to support the implementation of UNSC sanctions imposed against the DPRK.

Wu said the Chinese military took reasonable, strong, safe and professional measures against Canada's "provocative, unfriendly and unprofessional operation."

China has made stern representations to the Canadian side through diplomatic channels, he added.

"China urges the Canadian side to face up to the seriousness of the situation, strictly restrain the frontline troops and refrain from any risky and provocative acts, otherwise all serious consequences arising from this will be borne by the Canadian side," Wu said.
As the new year begins, the hotel industry wonderswhat trends face the market going forward? This is precisely the question that finance professor Steve Carvell of the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration and four experts came together to answer in a keynote webinar titled The View for 2022: Insights and Expectations for the U.S. Hotel Industry, produced by the Center for Real Estate and Finance.

The keynote, taking place on December 17, 2021, included representatives of various sectors of the industry. Panelists included Jan D. Freitag 97, national director of hospitality market analytics at Costar Group; Michael G. Medzigian 82, chairman, CEO, and president of Watermark Lodging Trust Inc.; Michelle Russo, CHAM, MAI, CHA 87, founder and CEO of Hotel Asset Value Enhancement; and C. Patrick Scholes 94, managing director of lodging and leisure equity research at Truist Securities. They joined Carvell to discuss the outlook for the hotel industry in 2022, particularly considering the impact of the Omicron variant.

Recovery since 2020: A Tale of Two Cities

The panelists started off by discussing the progress toward recovery that the industry has made since COVID-19 first impacted the U.S. in 2020. Russo was positive about recovery in 2022, but recognized that there will be pauses, like the one currently caused by Omicron, if new variants emerge. Hospitality stocks are also doing well, according to Scholes, who said that Hilton and Marriott are trading on the expectation of full earnings recovery by the end of 2022 or early 2023.

Meanwhile, Freitag and Medzigian stressed the difference between high-end luxury resorts and urban hotels recoveries, describing them as a tale of two cities in which the former are doing better than the latter. Freitag noted that leisure travel is up since the beginning of the pandemic, and Medzigian pointed out group business is also recovering, with one of Watermarks Florida hotels receiving 75% of demand from groups. Ultimately, however, luxury resorts and leisure travel seem to be recovering at a more rapid rate than urban destinations and group travel.

Changing consumer expectations

Changing consumer expectations present another challenge going into 2022. As Russo put it, guests tolerance level was stable in 2021, but going forward, their patience will decline. To keep guests happy, hotels can invest revenue growth into staffing, which will allow them to bring back pre-pandemic service standards.

Carvell defined a term for this phenomenon known as skimpflation, in which hotels cut certain services, such as frequent housekeeping or dining options, while still charging the same prices. Part of the reason for this, explained Medzigian, was due to the rapid loss of funds during the pandemic, leading to a staffing shortage that made providing services difficult.

However, as Russo described, hotels have also made pandemic-related innovations that guests may begin to expect going forward. These include QR codes to pay for food and beverages, affiliations with food-ordering companies that allow customers to earn points, and warming/freezing lockers for storing items. Meanwhile, services predicted to be phased outsuch as room service in luxury hotelsare still hanging on due to consumer demand.

Hiring challenges

Looking ahead into 2022, Freitag raised the question of hiring issues in the industry, wondering where employees lost in 2020 are now. In response, Carvell pointed out the growth of small businesses during the pandemic, and that many used this time to train in different skills such as coding, finding new sources of income equivalent to their previous jobs. Some former employees have not returned because, as Medzigian acknowledged, the industry broke [its] promise. Watermark, he shared, furloughed 10,000 employees at the start of the pandemic, and the industry as a whole furloughed 6 million and rehired only around 2.5 million.

He and Russo agreed that the cost of labor has grown as well, up to 15-20% in the south, while Russo noted that many families downgraded their numbers of income earners. In a trend she believes was accelerated by the pandemic, fewer young people have been joining the workforce, and the only growing labor cohort has been among those aged 60-70. Scholes also brought up the unique pandemic-related challenges that hotel employees may now face, such as enforcing mask and vaccination guidelines, which may discourage people from work in the hotel industry.

Overall outlook for 2022

Overall, the panelists had varied outlooks on 2022. Freitag described himself as moderately optimistic, predicting that room rates would return to 2019 levels in 2023a view shared by Russo, who nevertheless acknowledged that recovery was slightly behind looking ahead toward 2022. Medzigian was quite optimistic, citing consumers desire for travel and experiences after saving up during the pandemic. Scholes expressed a mixed outlook, optimistic on domestic leisure in the long term while pessimistic for the next month or two on business travel and large corporate meetings.

In this tumultuous time for the industry, no one can predict the future with one-hundred-percent accuracy. But these panelist perspectives seem to suggest that recoveryeven if far from immediateis in sight. For more insights on hotels going forward in 2022, including from a real estate investment standpoint, watch the keynote.

About the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration

The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration is the premier school for hospitality education in the world. As an integral part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the school is leading the world in teaching and researching the business of hospitalitymarketing, finance, real estate, operations, and more, all applied to the worlds largest and most exciting industry. Top faculty, industry leaders, alumni, and students work together to generate new knowledge for the hospitality industry and form the premier network that shapes the industry every day.

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The 67th meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe (Yerevan, Armenia, 1-3 June 2022) convened as the restart of European tourism gathered pace. Of the 47 countries in the world that have lifted all restrictions on travel, 31 are in Europe. Against this backdrop, Member States looked to the future to address both short-term challenges and longer-term opportunities for tourism to grow as a driver of sustainable and inclusive development.

High-level representatives from 35 Members States and many representatives of the European and global tourism private sectors were given an overview of UNWTOs work in the region since the last Regional Commission meeting in Athens in June 2021.

Political recognition

From the start of the pandemic and into the recovery phase of the crisis, Europe has led by example in supporting and restarting tourism

Opening the session, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Hambardzum Matevosyan called tourism a locomotive for recovery and opportunity, both in Europe and globally. With Armenia celebrating 25 years as a UNWTO Member State, Mr Matevosyan commended the Organizations work in bridging the public and private sectors and making tourism a pillar of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met personally with the President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan with the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzooyan, acknowledging their leadership and support for tourism and discussing ways in which UNWTO can further support the country as it grows its tourism in size and significance, with a focus on investments and on rural development.

Also opening the session were the Minister of the Economy for Armenia, Vahan Kerobyan, and Sofia Zacharaki, Deputy Minister of Tourism of Greece and current Chair of the UNWTO Regional Commission. Ms Zacharaki also commended UNWTOs leadership through the crisis and stressed that the determination to restart tourism for economic recovery must not outweigh our efforts to become more sustainable.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: From the start of the pandemic and into the recovery phase of the crisis, Europe has led by example in supporting and restarting tourism. At the heart of this has been cooperation and coordination, the same spirit that must lead all European destinations forward as they use the power of tourism to drive development and growth for all.

Ms. Sisian Boghossian, Chair of the Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy emphasised: Armenia reasserts its commitment to effective cooperation with all UNWTO member states to achieve the joint goals aimed at implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Tourism is a priority sector of the economy in Armenia which is not only defined in the Law on Tourism but also expressed in the political agenda and included in the Governments program.

Delivering results

The Secretary-General provided an updated overview of the latest international tourism data and trends and made clear how even in challenging times, UNWTO advanced its priority areas of work, with a focus on boosting tourism investments, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, tourism jobs and education and accelerating sustainability.

UNWTO Regional Director for Europe, Alessandra Priante, highlighted current initiatives and future regional implementation of the UNWTO programme of work, stressing the importance of fostering the successful methodology of cooperation with and within the most visited region in the world: Europe. She pointed out the landmark projects focused on youth, with the first Global Youth Tourism Summit to be hosted in Sorrento, Italy, the Students Leagues in the various European countries and on rural development, with the 2nd edition of the Worlds Best Tourism Villages following the great succusses of the initiative in 2021, and UNWTOs technical assistance projects supporting tourism recovery to grow back sustainably and responsibly were further highlights.

As part of the high-level policy discussion, delegates highlighted the need to balance short-term measures for enabling a swift recovery of tourism, notably addressing workforce shortages, making jobs more attractive and retaining the right talent with sustainability imperatives, including measurement, investing in tourism education, and capacity-building.

Tourism and Rural Development

On the occasion of the Commission Meeting, UNWTO and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with the support of the government of Armenia, partnered to set the stage for a discussion about tourisms role in rural development and how to build bigger synergies between agriculture and tourism.

With a special focus on design thinking to enhance local experiences and add value to destinations, gastronomy and wine tourism, the event highlighted the need to work on infrastructure, governance, product development, collaboration frameworks, quality and market access, digitalization and capacity building. Counting on the participation of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the conference highlighted the value of intellectual property to protect and value of local products and processes. The event closed with a Masterclass on Gastronomy Tourism to support knowledge building and capacity for Members States and stakeholders in Armenia.

Members of the region unanimously agreed to have Bulgaria host the 68th session of the UNWTO Regional Commission in 2023.

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About The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency fostering tourism as a vehicle for equal, inclusive and sustainable development. Working with its Member States, international organizations and the private sector, UNWTO promotes safe and seamless travel for all. UNWTO also works to make tourism the foundation of trust and international cooperation and a central pillar of recovery. As part of the wider UN system, UNWTO is at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through its ability to create decent jobs, promote equality and preserve natural and cultural heritage.

Follow UNWTO on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.
44% of public want new rules and technology to ease travel, YouGov poll of 11 countries finds

34% want travel to be more sustainable and 29% call for planet and health to come before profit

Amid economic uncertainty 42% of people still plan international holidays in next 6 months

64% do not expect to travel for business reflecting concerns of a global slowdown

Travelers want the global tourism sector to learn the lessons of the pandemic, and to change for the better, a brand-new global survey has found.

The Future of Tourism Survey explored attitudes to travel and the expectations of consumers in 11 countries around the world. It found that:

44% of respondents called for greater harmonization of health protocols and the use of technology to enable seamless travel.

34% wanted to see greater sustainability at the heart of tourism.

29% wanted to see health and sustainability prioritized over profits for the travel sector.

33% called for greater financial protections for travelers  likely in response to the experience of the pandemic.

People from China, India, and South Korea were most in favor of greater harmonization of safety protocols and use of technology to make travel simpler.

Conducted by YouGov and commissioned by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, almost 14,000 people were polled, across China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, Spain and Sweden.

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia said: "The pandemic has a profound impact on the global tourism sector. It has shown us all  travelers, tourists, businesses and governments, that we can do things differently."

"The Future of Tourism Survey shows that the public want us to learn the lessons of the pandemic and to make changes that put health, sustainability, and the better use of technology, at the heart of future tourism."

The Survey found that the travelers' attitudes have changed following two years of pandemic and lock downs which have constrained travel. 55% of respondents are now more likely to travel domestically. And 32% of people are more willing to make an international trip than they were before COVID.

Economic uncertainty and rising prices have damped enthusiasm for travel over the next 6 months. Globally, 42% of people are either likely or very likely to travel internationally for a holiday, compared with 39% who are either unlikely or very unlikely to do so.

The biggest impact, however, has been on business travel. Just 18% of respondents consider themselves likely or very likely to travel for internationally for business.

Chinese, Japanese and Americans were least optimistic about the prospect of international travel. By contrast British, Indians and Saudis considered themselves most likely to travel internationally in the next 6 months

The Future of Tourism Survey was released ahead of the 116th meeting of the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia next week, hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism.

Strengthening the tourism sector and adapting to future demands for greater sustainability and resilience are high on the agenda.

Prior to the pandemic, Travel and Tourism (including its direct, indirect and induced impacts) accounted for 1 in 4 of all new jobs created across the world, 10.3% of all jobs (333 million), and 10.3% of global GDP (US$9.6 trillion).

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia said: "Saudi Arabia is a brand-new tourism destination. We opened our doors to international tourism just before the pandemic, and because of that we are willing and able to think and act in new and different ways."

"By aligning vision, leadership and resources we have been able to create a new model for tourism which is more resilient and more sustainable by design. We look forward to sharing our insights and to working with our international partners to build a brighter future for tourism."

Last week the World Economic Forum released its Travel and Tourism Development Index. Saudi Arabia moved up 10 places to 33rd in the world overall. The independent index benchmarks 117 countries on 17 pillars crucial to the development and resiliency of their travel and tourism industries.

Saudi moved from 43rd in 2019 to 33rd in 2021, the second largest rise in rankings, as a result of improvements across almost all indicators. This was the first report to be produced since Saudi opened for international tourism in September 2019.

The UNWTO Executive Council will meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 7-8 June.

About the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism leads the Saudi Tourism ecosystem, with support from the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development Fund. The Ministry sets the Kingdom's tourism sector strategy and is responsible for the development of policies and regulations, developing human capital, gathering statistics, and attracting investment. It works in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority, which promotes Saudi Arabia as a global tourism destination, and the Tourism Development Fund, which executes the Ministry's investment strategy by providing funding for the sector's development. Headed by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Ministry was founded in February 2020, following the opening of Saudi Arabia to international leisure tourists for the first time in its history in 2019. Saudi Arabia aims to welcome 100 million tourism visits by 2030, increasing the sector's contribution to GDP from 3% to 10%. Digital initiatives, providing technical solutions for tourism promotion, research and development to improve the tourism sector, innovation for emerging technologies.

About The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency fostering tourism as a vehicle for equal, inclusive and sustainable development. Working with its Member States, international organizations and the private sector, UNWTO promotes safe and seamless travel for all. UNWTO also works to make tourism the foundation of trust and international cooperation and a central pillar of recovery. As part of the wider UN system, UNWTO is at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through its ability to create decent jobs, promote equality and preserve natural and cultural heritage.

Follow UNWTO on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.
DALLAS, TXJune 6, 2022UniFocus, the leading provider of Workforce Management Systems, has been awarded the designation of Approved Vendor by IHG Hotels & Resorts for all brands and service levels across the franchise hotels that are part of its portfolio of nearly 6,000 hotels in over 100 countries around the world. The global hotel companys franchise owners will have the opportunity to access advanced workforce management technology with a proven industry track record of optimizing workforce productivity and employee retention.

With a family of 17 diverse hotel brands under the IHG umbrella, we are committed to providing a high level of guest service and help our hotel owners operate more efficiently. UniFocus has the technological expertise to ensure that labor resources are utilized in a way that exceeds guest expectations and optimizes hotel operations, said Christian Urbat, Head of Owner Solutions, IHG Hotels & Resorts. Using UniFocus array of solutions, each of our locations can effortlessly staff according to projected demand and not just by the day but by the hour, maximizing productivity for each department area.

As an Approved Vendor, IHG hotel owners can optimize labor and operations with UniFocus Labor Management platform where advanced algorithms analyze occupancy, employee availability, compliance, and other business influences to accurately forecast staffing volumes. By going beyond simply inserting existing labor standards to create an employee schedule, UniFocus Labor Management technology is uniquely able to automatically determine the precise number of staff required to maintain service quality levels. This includes providing optimized scheduling for a hotels F&B, housekeeping, front desk, spa, maintenance as well as meeting and event operations to name a few examples.

Using UniFocus Time & Attendance software in combination with its Labor Management platform, IHG properties can also ensure employee alignment with scheduling strategies while providing each staff member with enhanced shift flexibility. With many of todays employees basing their continued loyalty to an organization on the ability to achieve a greater work/life balance, Time & Attendance notably allows them to select the shifts they would like to work based on business needs to prevent any lapses in service quality.

With the drastic shifts that have taken place in workforce management as a result of the labor shortage and rising employee expectations, we are honored that IHG Hotels & Resorts recognizes the tremendous value that our solutions provide in resolving these challenges and ensuring continued high quality of service, said Moneesh Arora, CEO of UniFocus. With our full suite of solutions now available to IHG-branded properties around the world, we look forward to each location experiencing a dramatic increase in both productivity and profitability while ensuring that business, guest and staff interests are always fully aligned.

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has around 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 1,800 in the development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 325,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG One Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter

About UniFocus

UniFocus is the only complete workforce management platform designed to fundamentally shift the way service industries manage labor. The powerful platform helps managers plan with intelligent Labor Management tools that automatically produce accurate forecasts, optimized schedules based on business demand, employee availability, service standards and work rules. Staff is easily aligned with a world class Time and Attendance module that communicates schedules and facilitates swaps with tools like Shift Genius that live within an intuitive mobile app. Once scheduled, frontline employees operate with ease from the industry leading Knowcross Task Management suite that streamlines guest services, housekeeping, maintenance, inspections and glitches.

With traditional workplace silos removed, managers benefit from a complete view of analytics and a personalized virtual assistant, Odin, that highlights opportunities to improve productivity and cost controls while keeping an eye on guest satisfaction and employee engagement. UniFocus is arming managers with best-in-class decision making technology in the hospitality, restaurant, retail, and healthcare industries.

Check us out at UniFocus.com to learn more about the labor paradigm shift.

Corey McCarthy

Chief Marketing Officer

972-512-5100
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Electric vehicles could account for half of Houstons new car and light-duty truck sales by 2030. Thats in line with national projections, and it is the vision of Evolve Houston, a nonprofit coalition of civic, business, and academic leaders who seek to accelerate clean transportation in Houston.

At normal vehicle replacement rates, 5 to 10 percent of all light-duty vehicles could be electric by the end of this decade. In the first of a series of RISE Houston reports on our regions charging infrastructure, we studied two main questions: Does the Houston areas distribution of vehicle charging stations meet near-term needs, and how much will it cost to support the anticipated demand?

The answers will determine how quickly the public accepts EVs. Although most EV owners charge their vehicles overnight at home and seldom use a full charge in one day, some worry about topping up their batteries on longer trips. For first-time EV buyers, such range anxiety is real.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Global oil demand will peak within 5 years as more people buy electric vehicles, new report finds

Here's the good news: In March 2021, the U.S. Department of Energys Alternative Fueling Station Locator reached the milestone of 100,000 public charging ports nationwide. Even more charging stations are on the way. The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that President Biden signed into law in November includes $7.5 billion to jump-start a national EV charging network. The goal is to have five times as many public vehicle charging stations by 2030. Will that be enough?

Where we are now?

In September, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory noted that Greater Houston had 467 charging stations and nearly 1,200 total charging ports. Given that 80 percent of the regions 16,500 EV owners charge at home, the existing number of public charging stations is enough to support the demand. That will change.

Climate concerns and government incentives to promote zero-emission vehicles ensure that the demand for EVs will continue to grow. But EV growth may quickly outpace charging capacity.

What will it cost?

The price of a charging port depends on how rapidly it charges. Level 1 chargers are mainly used to charge vehicles overnight and are typically provided by the EV manufacturers. Level 2 chargers are faster, but they cost around $1,000 to $2,000, including installation. About 8 percent of charging stations are DCFCs, which charge EVs the fastest, but cost about $100,000 each.

By the end of 2021, regional investments in public EV rapid charging stations topped $10 million. To meet Evolve Houstons goal of EVs reaching 50 percent of new vehicle sales by 2030, more than $400 million will be needed locally to provide adequate charging. After 2030 ,the need for more EV charging stations will rise exponentially.

Who will pay?

The distribution of federal funds in the Houston region is controlled by the Texas Department of Transportation. Beyond that, the Texas Commission on Environmental Equity has state-level initiatives that offer funding for EVs and charging stations. Private companies, too, are contributing, too, providing charging stations for employees and tenants.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Biden moves to build coast to coast network of electric car chargers

The next steps

Evolve Houston is working with municipalities to ensure adequate numbers of public charging stations. With private, municipal and corporate stakeholders all in various stages of implementation, its an expensive moving target.

Evolve intends to work on EV infrastructure plans with multiple stakeholders to support efficient and effective EV charging deployment. One challenge is the equitable distribution of public charging stations. Minority communities are severely underserved, yet these are the ones most likely to feel the brunt of climate change.

Evolve Houston plans to address this through an equity program that aligns with the Biden Administrations Justice40 initiative. Specifically, Justice40 commits to delivering 40 percent of the overall benefits of federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, clean water and other investments to disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.

Its important to remember that every phase of the technology, from vehicle design to battery range to charging infrastructure, is evolving rapidly. What some view as problems now are likewise opportunities for savvy investors and innovators in the future.

Richard Cunningham is a freelance science journalist and author based in Houston. Harry Tenenbaum is the firector of commercialization and infrastructure at Evolve Houston. Jackson Seidel is a program coordinator at Evolve Houston.
Gasoline prices continued their march toward $5 a gallon as tight supplies and limited refining capacity trumped easing demand.

Gasoline jumped more than 30 cents a gallon in Houston over the past week, averaging $4.52. Gasoline prices have increased 59 cents a gallon over the past month and $1.90 over the year.

Nationally, gasoline averaged $4.85 a gallon, climbing 26 cents over past week, 56 cents over the month and $1.81 over the year.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Oil supplies to remain tight, despite OPEC production boost

Oil, which rallied last week as the European Union adopted sanctions against Russian oil, was closing in on $120 a barrel in early trading Monday morning.

Most signs point to gasoline prices only going higher, said Patrick De Hann, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

It now appears not if, but when, we'll hit that psychologically critical $5 national average," he said. Gasoline inventories continue to decline even with demand softening due to high prices, a situation that doesn't look to improve drastically anytime soon.
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As the old saying goes, One persons trash is another persons treasure. But in this case, to be more specific, its another persons renewable energy.

The Houston company Archaea Energy is teaming with Republic Services, one of the nations biggest waste management firms, to reclaim methane produced by landfills and refine it to fuel power plants, homes and vehicles. In addition to matching the quality of natural gas produced from wells, landfill methane, known as renewable natural gas, or RNG, has the advantage of emitting lower levels of greenhouse gases and meeting federal and state standards as a low-carbon fuel.

The companies plan to develop 39 RNG projects across 19 state, representing the nations single largest development of renewable natural gas. Five projects are slated for Texas: one in the Houston area, one in Beaumont, two in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and one in Amarillo.

We're really excited about this, Tim Oudman, Republics vice president of environmental services, said in an interview. No one else has done something like this.

Under the joint venture, Archaea Energy will develop, engineer, build and operate the RNG processing plants located at landfills owned by Republic Services. Construction is slated to begin later this year, with completion and commissioning of the plants scheduled through 2027.

The 39 projects are expected to generate approximately 12.5 million MMBtu, (million British thermal units) of RNG annually  equivalent to the average annual natural gas usage of nearly 200,000 U.S. residential customers.

Nick Stork, CEO of Archaea Energy, said the joint venture represents a good fit for both companies. Republic, based in Phoenix, was seeking a partner with the capabilities to develop more than three-dozen RNG processing plants and maintain consistency across the projects in both efficiency and sustainability.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Renewable energy firm Archaea Energy moves headquarters to Houston, plans hip office in the Heights

Archaea, meanwhile, specializes in a standardized approach to designing and building RNG facilities, which is expected to lower costs.

The two companies signed a five-year agreement to create a joint venture valued at $1.1 billion. Under the terms of the deal, Archaea Energy will invest approximately $800 million, and own 60 percent of the joint venture, and Republic will contribute about $300 million and own 40 percent.

RNG primer

RNG, also known as biomethane, is produced from wastewater, food waste and livestock waste such as manure. But the major source of RNG comes from landfills, according to an economic analysis by the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, a trade group that advocates for RNG in North America.

As solid waste breaks down in landfills, it emits gas  primarily the potent greenhouse gas methane  into the atmosphere. But the gas, which otherwise would contribute to global warming, can be captured through various technologies and refined into biomethane by removing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and other unwanted gases.

The resulting RNG is interchangeable with natural gas from wells and can be injected into the natural gas distribution system.

By mid-2021, 176 RNG facilities were operating and 220 were under construction or planned, the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas found. North American RNG production reached 87.3 billion cubic feet last year, but still represents a tiny fraction of the U.S. natural gas market, which consumes about 100 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

Fast-growing Archaea

Stork, Archaeas CEO, said he first got into the RNG business as a landfill owner in Pittsburgh. I started in this industry as a garbage man, owning landfills and trash trucks, he said.

With his landfill partner, Richard Walton, Stork decided to build an RNG plant. When he and Walton, now Archaeas president, realized they could build the project themselves at less than half the cost estimated by contractors, they formed Archaea Energy in 2018. (The company is named for single-celled organisms that produce methane gas as a byproduct of decomposition.)

Last September, Rice Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company or SPAC led by former executives of Pittsburgh-based EQT, the largest U.S. natural gas producer, combined Archaea Energy and a long-established renewable energy company, Aria Energy, to form the new Archaea Energy, with headquarters in Houston.

On HoustonChronicle.com: The growing dilemma of oil refiners: Move to biofuels or stick with what they know?

The Rice team, which had previously invested in Archaea, sought to combine Archaeas RNG expertise and technology with Arias larger base of operating assets to create an RNG producer of a sufficient size to be able to expand into the market for new RNG projects. As a result of the merger with Aria, Archaeas revenues jumped by more than 10 times to $73.7 million in 2021. The company has about 100 employees in Greater Houston and 400 employees nationwide.

Archaea operates 19 landfill gas-to-electric projects, that use largely unprocessed landfill gas to produce power on-site, as well as 12 projects that refine landfill gas into pipeline quality RNG. In addition to its RNG joint venture with Republic, Archaea recently announced the acquisition of another 14 North American landfill gas-to-electric projects through a merger with NextGen Power Holdings of Calgary.

Archaea markets its RNG production based on fixed-price, long-term contracts targeting customers seeking stable, dependable supplies of lower-carbon natural gas to help them meet their climate goals. Customers include the University of California system, and FortisBC, British Columbias largest utility.

Our customers that are using renewable natural gas today like the benefits of natural gas, but also want to decarbonize, Stork said.

Transportation

Republic Services has traditionally focused its RNG marketing on the transportation sector, where the biomethane can be converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquified natural gas (LNG) to power fleets of trucks, said Oudman. Republic runs about 20 percent of its own vehicles on CNG, he said.

The joint venture, because of its ambition, is expected to grab the attention of transportation fuel markets, which view RNG as a cheaper way cut carbons emissions standards than alternatives, such as switching to electric vehicles. Proponents of RNG, such as the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, say it could provide a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to moving the country to a lower-carbon energy future.

RNG provides about two-thirds of the fuel for natural-gas powered vehicles, according to David Cox, founder and chief financial officer of Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. Companies pay a premium for RNG because of its environmental benefits, which help them meet regulations and climate goals.

More: Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com

RNG is projected to cost $7 to $20 per million British thermal units, according to 2019 study by the American Gas Foundation, an industry-financed research group. In comparison, spot prices for conventional natural gas are forecast to average $5.72 per million British thermal units by 2040, up from an average of $3.94 this year, according to the Energy Department.

But given the growing demand for cleaner sources of energy, the industrys future looks bright despite the fuels higher costs, said Stork, Archaeas CEO.

We actually think that there's a supply-demand imbalance. There's more demand than there is potential supply of renewable natural gas, he said. There are only so many landfills and so many cows in North America, but there's growing demand.
Postino, the Phoenix-based wine cafe brand, continues its Houston growing local presence with a new location opening this week at LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch in Katy.

Postinos fifth area location, 23501 Cinco Ranch, is slated for a June 6 opening, expanding the popular concept known for its affordable wine selections (including daily $6 wines and pitchers of beer until 5 p.m.) and eclectic menu focusing on bruschetta and charcuterie boards.
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A longtime educator is capping her first year as a theater arts teacher at an Alvin ISD junior high school by returning to the fictional Lone Star community of Tugaloo in Doublewide, Texas, playing June 10-19 at Pasadena Little Theatre.

In 2019, Heidi Scherer made her stage debut as Georgia Dean in the comedy when it was performed at the Pearl Theater in the Pearland area.

I turned 40. I decided, you know, Im getting closer to the finish line; so its time to step out of my box, said Scherer, a 1995 graduate of Pearland High School.

I didnt think I could ever do it, but I tried out and got a part and it was kind of a jumping off point for me.

The Pearland resident enjoyed acting so much that she wasted no time finding her second and third roles, which were at Company OnStage in Houston.

I played a nurse in Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, and I was Jake Marley in A Seussified Christmas Carol, she said.

Want to go? What: "Doublewide, Texas" Where: Pasadena Little Theatre, 4318 Allen-Genoa Road, Pasadena, TX 77504 When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sundays, June 10-19 Admission: $12-18 Information: 713-941-1758; https://bityl.co/CYgm See More Collapse

Then, 2020 happened and I got a role, but I didnt get to play it, when the pandemic hit.

That show at the Pearl, Daddys Dyin: Whos Got the Will, was set to open the week that Houston entered the pandemic lockdown in March 2020.

Scherer missed getting to play Orvilles put-upon wife, Marlene, opposite Julie Owen as Mama Wheelis, but Owen remembered Scherer when she was preparing to direct the PLT production of Doublewide, Texas.

Julie had already cast the role of Georgia Dean, but she contacted me and asked if I would play the role of Joveeta. I was so happy to be part of this show again in any capacity, said Scherer.

The opportunity to inhabit a new character also excited her, especially the part of Joveeta, who grows restless in tiny Tugaloo and casts her net for a new job in Galveston.

She has always felt that her personality is too big for Tugaloo and there is more to life than what this town has to offer.

Similarly, Scherer said her foray into theater has inspired her to continue to pursue more things, including a recent trip to Ireland, her first time overseas.

Also, after teaching for years at Don Jeter Elementary School in Alvin ISD and Challenger Elementary School in Pearland ISD, Scherer segued last year into teaching theater arts at Caffey Junior High School in Alvin.

I love it, she said. I get to see kids spread their wings and I feed off their excitement and their wonder. If youre a kid and youre not an athlete, then theater is a place to create something and build a set out of cardboard and paint and learn how to sew.

Scherer directed her students in four shows this year.

Meanwhile, in 2021, she motored to Rosenberg to portray Mickey, a New York police officer, in Neil Simons The Odd Couple (Female Version) at Cast Theatrical, then returned this year to play Jeri Neal in The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, which was also written by Doublewide, Texas playwrights Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten.

In addition to directing Doublewide, Texas, Owen is reprising her role as Big Ethel Satterwhite. The Clear Lake City thespian is assisted by Michael Betts of Rosharon, who appears as Haywood Sloggett.

Marla Miller, who lives in the Scarsdale neighborhood of Houston, plays Georgia Dean, along with Judy Ahlhorn of Seabrook as Caprice Crumpler, who says, When you mess with one Crumpler, you mess with the whole trailer park!

Stage manager Robert Wise of Pasadena does double-duty as Lomax Tanner, while Linda Rodriguez of Pasadena plays pregnant Larken Barken.

Rounding out the cast are Jeffrey Merriman of Pearland as Norwayne Baby Crumpler and Nori Head of League City as Starla Pudney.

Crew members include Brett Owen of Pasadena, the light/sound technician, and Vanessa Pearson of Pasadena, light/sound design.

Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be contacted at donmaines@att.net
A March For Our Lives event is planned for Saturday at Northshore Park in The Woodlands for anyone concerned about gun violence in America.

March For Our Lives is a national organization created by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after 17 people were killed in a mass shooting at their school in 2018.

Since then, the organization has been working to address the issue of gun violence in America. Following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24, March For Our Lives began organizing for national marches on Saturday.

This is not the first time that residents in the area have participated in a March For Our Lives event. After the 2018 shooting, the organization held its first mass march event. Organizers in The Woodlands area held a stationary event on Sawdust Road.

Nancy Hathaway has been to marches before and knows that they arent always accommodating to people who cant walk long distances, drive too far, or who have limited time. So, while a march will be happening in downtown Houston, another will be happening at 9 a.m. at Northshore Park at 2505 Lake Woodlands Dr.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Conroe ISD looks ahead to safety and security upgrades

We will coincide with the nation-wide effort to bring attention to this and to say its enough, we need to do something and come together to end gun violence, said Hathaway, the events organizer. Were hoping to draw  by having an event like this  people who can agree on at least that one thing, that theres too much gun violence, and start somewhere for people of different views, maybe even different political parties.

Hathaway wants attendees to know that this event is not supposed to be a political one. There will be no speeches or chanting. Non-political signs are encouraged and should be printed on both sides. Hathaway recommends such slogans as March For Our Lives or Working to end gun violence.

I will be attending because I know that Texans, like myself, are no longer safe in this statement, said The Woodlands resident Erica Lawrence. I have four children here in the Conroe Independent School District and I want them to be safe at school, I want everyone here in the community to know that I am no longer happy with the status quo, I am no longer happy turning on the news and seeing another mass shooting in our great state of Texas.

Northshore Park will be closed that day for maintenance but Hathaway said The Woodlands Township gave permission for the event so parking at the park is available. Once attendees have gathered the march will take place along Lake Woodlands Drive.

We want this to be very inclusive, Hathaway said. Our march is designed to accommodate people who may not be able to walk a long distance, or who may not have three or four hours. We want the march to be non-partisan to include everyone and draw people regardless of their political affiliation.

For attendees who are not registered to vote, voter registration cards will be available at the event.

Were not saying vote for any particular party, I want to make that clear, but we do think voting is important, Hathaway said.

Residents interested in attending have questions can send an email to nancy.hathaway@yahoo.com.

We consider this an issue of morality, safety, and civility, and we want our march to be very civil, Hathaway said. We want people to come together civilly and start to speak about this.

jamie.swinnerton@chron.com
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  The judge overseeing the remaining case against two former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's killing ordered Monday that the trial be delayed until January in hopes that some additional time will improve prospects for a fair trial.

Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were due to go on trial next week on charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 2020 death of Floyd. But Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ordered Monday that the trial be delayed until Jan. 5.

Cahill denied a defense motion for a change of venue, which was requested because of the extensive publicity in the case. But he said media reports and recent events surrounding connected cases have created a reasonable likelihood of an unfair trial if it were to begin next week.

Cahill cited the May 18 guilty plea by Thao and Keung's co-defendant, former Officer Thomas Lane. He also cited the February convictions of Thao, Kueng and Lane on federal charges of violating Floyd's civil rights.

The judge said those two events and the publicity surrounding them are significant enough to make it difficult for jurors to presume that Thao and Kueng are innocent of the state charges. So, he ordered the delay, just shy of seven months, to diminish the effects of that publicity.

Cahill also presided over last year's trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin, which ended with a second-degree murder conviction and a 22 1/2-year sentence for the white officer who kneeled on the Black mans neck for 9 1/2 minutes despite Floyds fading pleas of I cant breathe. The killing led to protests worldwide and a national reckoning on racial injustice.

The judge also denied a motion by a coalition of media organizations, including The Associated Press, to reconsider his April decision to prohibit live audiovisual coverage of the proceedings from gavel to gavel. But he said he may reconsider if the Minnesota state court system revises its rules on cameras in the courts by Jan. 4.

Bob Paule, an attorney for Thao, said he thought the decision was a thoughtful and well-reasoned decision by Judge Cahill.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is prosecuting the case, said in a statement: Its unfortunate for the victims, the witnesses, and community that the opportunity to seek justice has been delayed. The State was ready for trial next week and will be ready next January.

A message left for Kueng's attorney was not immediately returned Monday.

The new trial schedule says pretrial motions will be held Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, with jury selection beginning Jan. 9. Questionnaires will be mailed to a new pool of several hundred potential jurors around Sept. 1. Opening statements are set for Jan. 30.

In denying a change of venue, Cahill wrote that he is satisfied that a fair and impartial trial can be held in Hennepin County eventually, noting that its the most populous and diverse county in the state. He said attorneys will get to select jurors from a panel that will surely exceed 200 after the lengthy questionnaires designed to screen out bias are returned.

Alan Tuerkheimer, a Chicago-based jury consultant, said the reason for the postponement seems like a strange rationale. He said he doesnt see how a potential jurors bias would subside with the passage of time, and with effective questioning, jurors with bias can be weeded out today or tomorrow or in early 2023.

He added that while other events that happen between now and January will consume jurors minds, feelings about these cops will not just vanish over time. As trial approaches in January it will all come back to those who followed this case. For those who havent, the passage of time doesnt matter.

Mike Brandt, a Minneapolis defense attorney who has been following the case, said although Cahill's stated reason for the postponement is to dissipate the case's notoriety, the decision is also likely pragmatic. He said pushing the trial back allows time for Thao and Kueng to be sentenced on their federal convictions first, increasing the likelihood of plea deals with the state.

They may not be on the radar, but in my opinion, this enhances the options for a settlement, Brandt said. He added that once the federal sentences are known, the thinking could be: If were going to be doing this amount of time anyways, and the state agrees to this amount of time, why would we risk going to trial?

Chauvin has been in prison since his state murder conviction, while Thao, Keung and Lane remain free on bail pending their sentences on federal civil rights convictions. No federal sentencing dates have been set, but defense attorneys said in state court last week that they expect them to be in September. Chauvin pleaded guilty to a civil rights charge, while the other three went to trial.

Cahills order said he wont entertain any potential plea agreements from Thao or Kueng until 15 days after their federal sentencings. They rejected plea deals from prosecutors earlier.

___

Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
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The body of a missing woman was found Sunday in the trunk of a car in rural Montgomery County, and police believe she may have been a victim of human trafficking.

A pair of four-wheel drivers found an abandoned car and human remains in a wooded area of Roman Forest near the intersection of Fairway and Putters Green around 10:23 a.m., said Stephen Carlisle of the Roman Forest Police. Homicide detectives discovered a man's body in the woods near Fairway Drive and, nearby, the woman's body in the car's trunk.
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Police are investigating a drive-by shooting Monday in Houston's Southside neighborhood that may have been aimed at a police officer.

The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. outside a motel in the 4500 block of Idaho, near Cullen Boulevard, where police were investigating a report of a disturbance.
Hot Houstonians who have happened upon a frozen dessert cart shaded by a large rainbow umbrella in recent years have been rewarded with a trip around the world.

Theres Mr. Tans Dragon, a flavor inspired by a Vietnamese security guard who gave the carts owner, Jonathan Delgado, dragonfruit from his backyard. Theres an ice pop that resembles stained glass, with slices of kiwi, strawberry and mango suspended in the frosty white puree of soursop  a food, sometimes called the fruit of a thousand flavors, popular in his wifes native Colombia. Even the carts hail from abroad. After Delgado started the business with a plastic red cooler, a custodian at the Museum of Fine Arts who sometimes bought his pops offered to help him secure the metal paleta carts popular in Mexico, shipping them in from Michoacan.

Soon, Popston, which has operated since 2016 as a fleet of frozen pop carts, will open its first brick-and-mortar in Houstons East End. Delgado said the store should open at 3401 Harrisburg Boulevard in the coming weeks, as soon as it clears all necessary red tape. The menu will offer an enthusiastic, freewheeling tribute to Houstons people and culture.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Before redeveloping Third Ward staple Spanish Village, owner taps new platform for community input

Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Several flavors and a few collaborations of popsicles at the soon-to-open storefront for Popston popsicles in Second Ward on Sunday, June 5, 2022.

Already, Delgado said, hes created a flavor based on the Houston bakery Shipley Donuts (featuring Shipleys glazed donuts mixed with cajeta, or Mexican caramel) and is in talks with the artist behind the Be Someone mural about collaborating on a flavor (it will likely be the same blue as the graffiti).

I want the flavors to be Houston, things that people know, Delgado said.

Popston was founded in 2016, shortly after Delgado was laid off from his job as a parts salesman for a reefer (short for refrigerated container) company. His wife urged him to take the setback as an opportunity to pursue a longstanding dream  opening a frozen pop shop.

His grandmother in El Salvador had once sold pops, but he wanted to create recipes that would do Houstons foodie scene justice. He went to the now-shuttered Half Price Books in Montrose to buy books on frozen pops, smoothies and cocktails, and he reached out to an ice cream maker that had once bought freezer parts from the his former employer. The ice cream maker set him up with some equipment, and soon he was pushing a cart between the Medical Center, Museum District and Hermann Park.

Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor

Today, his small staff of part-time employees are all friends hes made selling frozen pops. On Sunday, Raul Figueroa, a teacher and self-described foodie who spends his free time working with Popston, was helping Delgado ready for the opening.

They had met in the summer of 2016, when Figueroa was Yelping desserts after dinner in the Museum District. When he pulled up Popston, he thought to himself that the frozen pops, which often showcase slices of fruit, were certainly Instagram worthy, but that hed be the judge as to taste. After one pop, he transformed Popstons hype man, passing time by the cart and cajoling passerby into having a taste.

Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor

After Hurricane Harvey destroyed Delgados home and damaged the Sheldon Independent School District elementary school where Figueroa worked, both poured themselves into the company.

Its a form of escapism, Figueroa said. And of creativity. Recently, after returning from a trip to Mexico, he fashioned a new flavor of ice cream called Rocky Rodeo, in which chocolate, which is rooted in the country, is mixed with ancho, chipotle, morita, pasilla and guajillo chiles and topped with pop rocks.

Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Jonathan Delgado shows off several flavors and a few collaborations of popsicles as he perfects different recipes at the soon-to-open storefront for Popston popsicles in Second Ward on Sunday, June 5, 2022.

When Jeffrey Kaplan, who does leasing for the Plant on Harrisburg as one of its owners, called Delgado about opening a brick-and-mortar location in the East End, it marked the beginning of what Delgado hopes will be a new chapter for Popston.

His approach to the shop has been shaped by the pandemic. It will offer no indoor seating, instead selling its treats from a walk-up window. Its giant storefront windows will be used to let customers see fresh fruits being transformed into frozen pops, ice creams and other treats. I think the kids will have fun watching, Delgado said excitedly.

As he looked at the walls that will soon be transformed with Houston- and frozen pop-themed murals, he marveled at where life had taken him, saying his new career sometimes feels like a dream. He credited his success to the city his brand centers around: "What I like most about Houston is people like to see the little guy win."

rebecca.schuetz@chron.com;

twitter.com/raschuetz
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A Houston Chick-Fil-A wants its customers to See Mor Sign so they can Eat Mor Chikin.

The fast-food chain wants a 42-foot sign for its new Gulf Freeway location, which opened last month. The problem: City code limits signs on that stretch of highway to 31-feet.

That 11-foot difference has led to a months-long dispute between the fast-food giant and city officials in what has become a lengthy test of the airport corridors sign code, which was aimed at beautifying roadways packed with eye-popping ads.

City Council unanimously voted in July 2020 to reduce the maximum allowable height and size of signs along parts of I-45 from 42 feet to 31 feet to limit distraction to drivers and improve the first impression of travelers arriving to Houston from its three main airports. The changes were meant to reform rules for billboards and signage at entry points to the city, which for years had clogged thoroughfares with visual clutter.

On Wednesday, the council will decide whether to grant Chick-Fil-A an exception.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Federal relief money powers Houstons adopted budget

Were council to approve Chick-Fil-As request, it would be the first such exception granted, according to Houston Attorney Arturo Michel.

I cant recall another instance where a variance has been permitted, Michel said last week.

Opponents worry granting the chains request would upend city sign permitting processes and lead other well-funded companies to challenge city rules in future.

There is a very clear rule, Cooke Kelsey, a member of the Scenic Houston board said Monday. If they allow an exception for Chick-Fil-A, then every mom-and-pop should be entitled to the same exception. The code is the code.

Chick-Fil-A is asking for a variance on the grounds that nearby outposts of Raising Canes, Burger King and Popeyes all have 42-foot signs. Those restaurants erected their signs before the sign code was updated in July 2020.

We are just requesting that we be considered for an increase in height to match the signs that are right in row with our sign, Stephanie Stewart, an attorney for Chick-Fil-A, wrote to council members in March. This would keep everything uniform for that block of Gulf Freeway.

The dispute began last year, when Houstons permitting office denied Chick-Fil-As request for the larger sign. The Atlanta-based chain appealed the decision. The general appeals board denied the appeal in a February hearing.

Its crystal clear  there is no gray, Mike Dishberger, chair of the appeals board, said at the hearing denying the request.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Council to consider historic district for Riverside Terrace

An attorney for Chick-Fil-A then requested City Council review the matter, as is allowed by Houstons bylaws. Councilmember Robert Gallegos, who represents the district where the franchise is located, last week urged his colleagues to enforce the appeals board ruling denying the taller sign.

You are setting a precedent if you allow this to happen, Gallegos said. As we speak, there is another fast food restaurant being built. ... What would keep them from coming here tomorrow and saying, Hey, we also want a sign thats 40-feet tall?

Other council members, including Vice Mayor Pro Tem Martha Casex-Tatum and Councilmember Edward Pollard, championed Chick-Fil-A's cause at length, noting the company bought the land on which the restaurant sits before new sign rules took effect in July 2020.

However, according to city records, Chick-Fil-A did not apply for a sign permit for the location until December 2021.

Casex-Tatum suggested a grandfather clause should be applied to Chick-Fil-A, saying city officials did not notify the company of the rule changes.

Patrick Davis, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate developer for Chick-Fil-A who applied for the sign variance, declined comment when reached by phone Monday.

The restaurants lack of signage has not appeared to prevent customers from finding it. A long line of cars waited at the drive-through window one recent afternoon.

nora.mishanec@chron.com
If gun control measures that are now being considered in Congress had been on the books since 1999, 91 Texans killed in eight mass shootings since Columbine might be alive today, according to a recent analysis by the New York Times.

Four of the gunmen may have been prevented from stealing their weapons if gun owners were required or encouraged to properly store their weapons, the newspaper reported. Two of the gunmen wouldn't have been allowed to legally purchase the large-capacity magazines that turned their guns into assault-style weapons and helped them kill a combined 38 people.

UVALDE MASSACRE: Its time to die. You guys are mine, gunman said during 75 minutes of terror in Uvalde

The Times also reported that the 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde on May 24 would not have been allowed to legally purchase an extended magazine. Proposals meant to raise the legal age to buy rifles to 21 would also have prevented him from legally purchasing the guns used in the elementary school shooting.

DREW ANTHONY SMITH/New York Times

These measures and others might have changed the course of at least 35 mass shootings  a third of such episodes in the United States since the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, the Times found. Those 35 mass shootings have killed a combined 446 people.

Below are the mass shootings in Texas:

Irving, March 2000: The gunman stole a gun and killed five people and injured one at a car wash.

Sash, August 2005: The gunman stole a gun and killed four near a church.

Killeen, Nov. 2009: The gunman used an extended magazine, killing 13 and injuring 32 at Fort Hood.

Tennessee Colony, Nov. 2015: A gunman used a stolen gun to kill six at a campsite.

Sutherland Springs, Nov. 2017: The gunman used an extended magazine to kill 25 and injure 20 at a Baptist church.

Santa Fe, May 2018: The alleged gunman used a stolen gun to kill 10 and injure 13 at a high school.

Odessa, Aug. 2019: The attacker purchased a gun from a private seller, with no background check required and killed seven people and injured 23 others in multiple locations.

Uvalde, May 2022: The 18-year-old gunman legally bought a gun and used an extended magazine to kill 21 people and injure 17 at an elementary school.

The Times reported that most of the mass killings may not have been affected by the bills being considered by Congress now because the guns were either illegally purchased or obtained by older adults who used weapons that arent the subject of any proposed restrictions.

Pete Luna /Uvalde Leader-News

Other proposed measures, including a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons, could in theory have had greater impact because the weapons were used in 30 percent of shootings since a ban on the sale of such weapons expired in 2004, the Times reported. Shootings involving military-style assault weapons have caused nearly 400 deaths, according to the analysis.

LEGISLATION: House committee passes first gun laws in response to Uvalde school shooting

No law would be guaranteed to stop any one shooting, and America already has more guns than people, leaving a motivated individual with numerous paths to violence, the newspaper reported.

But experts who study gun violence told the Times that deterring a third of mass shootings would be substantial.

Theres no such thing as a perfect, 100 percent effective policy or suite of policies, Garen Wintemute, the director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California at Davis, told the Times. But there is a chance to make a real difference.

timothy.fanning@express-news.net
A fourth-grade Robb Elementary School student who survived the shooting there by covering herself in her friends blood in order to appear dead, will testify before Congress on Wednesday, according to a news release.

Miah Cerrillo, 11, and other survivors of mass shootings in New York and Uvalde last month will appear before the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee to relay their experiences with gun violence.

Related: Police officers from across Texas converge on Uvalde in wake of massacre at Robb Elementary

Felix and Kimberly Rubio, the parents of Lexi Rubio, a 10-year-old Robb Elementary School student gunned down in the Uvalde mass shooting, will also speak before lawmakers. Roy Guerrero, Uvaldes only pediatrician who helped treat victims, is also scheduled to speak.

John Normile, HODELETE60 / TNS

It is my hope that all my colleagues will listen with an open heart as gun violence survivors and loved ones recount one of the darkest days of their lives, U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, said in the news release. This hearing is ultimately about saving lives, and I hope it will galvanize my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass legislation to do just that.

The hearing starts at 9 a.m. and will be livestreamed.

On May 14, an 18-year-old gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle is accused of opening fire on shoppers and employees at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket. Authorities have said it was a racially motivated shooting that killed 10 and seriously injured three others.

Ten days later, another 18-year-old gunman stormed an elementary school in Uvalde and opened fire on the children and teachers in their classrooms. The gunman, who used two assault-style rifles, killed 19 children and two teachers.

Related: 2021 was a study in how Texas Republicans quash gun control proposals after mass shootings

The House Judiciary Committee held an emergency meeting last week to mark up a legislative package that contains eight bills related to gun control. President Joe Biden also addressed the nation on Thursday and urged Congress to move forward on passing gun control legislation.

The hearing on Wednesday will examine the urgent need for Congress to pass common sense legislation, including a ban on assault weapons and bolstering background checks on gun purchases.

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

The hearing will be broken into two panels of witnesses. The first panel will include survivors and victims of gun violence, and the second panel will be made up of gun safety advocates, experts and law enforcement.

timothy.fanning@express-news.net
A trio of abortion rights activists boldly interrupted a service at Lakewood Church Sunday, stripping down to their underwear in protest of this month's expected Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

As Pastor Joel Osteen concluded a prayer and congregants began to take their seats, three activists with Texas Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights stood up, removed their dresses and shouted, "It's my body, my (expletive) choice."

The three women waved green bandanas  a symbol of the pro-choice movement  and chanted "Overturn Roe? Hell no!" as security ushered them out.

Earlier this year, a leaked draft opinion revealed the Supreme Court's intentions to overturn Roe v. Wade after nearly 50 years. A final ruling on that is expected to happen this month.

Stunned churchgoers shocked by the disruption clapped as security escorted them out and as Osteen returned to preaching. Once outside, the women joined about a dozen other activists in a demonstration.

It's unclear why the activists targeted Lakewood specifically, but one activist could be heard saying laws banning abortions won't stop them from happening and accused churches of playing a role.

"Wielding the bible as a weapon to control women's free choice is not the way to welcome believers in Christ," she said in a video shared on Twitter. "In fact, a direct result of losing Roe will be women joining the satanic temple as a safety net in order to protect their rights in a Christian-led defense against something which they simply do not believe."

The Chronicle contacted Lakewood Church for comment, but requests were not immediately returned in time for publication.

One of the church protesters was captured on video explaining the interruption as a way to "break the silence" and "stand up."

"Christians are not afraid to bother us at healthcare clinics, at doctor's office(s) trying to get essential healthcare so why (expletive) wouldn't we bother you in your own home where the laws are coming from," she shouted.

Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, which advocates for on-demand abortions, proudly posted videos of the Lakewood interruption to its website and social media pages, explaining the activists were acting on the group's behalf.

The group began in Jan. 2022 when three longtime activists, Merle Hoffman, Lori Sokol and Sunsara Taylor, came together "out of a shared recognition that the Supreme Court was on track to decimate abortion rights," according to the group's website.

The disturbance at Lakewood is one of many since the group launched in January.

Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights rallied in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 22, Roe v. Wade's 49th anniversary, to call for nonviolent protests against the Supreme Court. They also protested outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on Feb. 27, during nationwide events on March 8 and April 19, and during a Dodgers-Mets game Sunday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, after a mass shooting at an elementary school in his state, pointed to Chicago as an example of how "real gun laws" fail to protect school children and teachers from shootings.

"I hate to say this, but there are more people who were shot every weekend in Chicago than there are in schools in Texas," he said during a nationally televised news conference the day after the shooting.

"We need to realize that people who think that well, maybe if we could just implement tougher gun laws, its going to solve it, Chicago and LA and New York disprove that thesis. And so, if youre looking for a real solution, Chicago teaches that what youre talking about is not a real solution."

Abbotts remarks came amid the most recent flurry of demands for tougher gun laws after a gunman at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, killed 19 fourth graders and two teachers on May 24.

Abbotts remarks also recalls a long-repeated Republican talking point that Chicago has the toughest gun laws in the nation. It doesnt.

PolitiFact has fact-checked multiple claims on this point. In every case, the reporting has shown Chicago and Illinois do not have the strictest laws compared to other states, although they are tougher than in Texas. Federal court decisions have loosened once-tough restriction, and many experts agree additional reform could have a positive impact.

Since it is difficult to parse Abbotts comparison of all Chicago shootings to shootings in Texas schools  or statewide Texas shooting deaths to various cities  we decided to compare statewide statistics, which in each state he mentioned are influenced most by urban gun violence.

Abbott nor his communications staff returned a request for comment for this fact-check.

Chicagos gun ban struck down

Chicagos reputation for strict gun laws is rooted in its 1982 ban on handguns. By 2010, it was the only major city left with a blanket handgun ban.

But the ban was struck down in 2010 in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling McDonald v. City of Chicago, which called such outright bans a violation of the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights. That decision left intact the statewide ban on concealed firearms until two years later when an appeals court declared that unconstitutional as well. Illinois then joined every other state in the nation in allowing licensed citizens to carry concealed firearms.

In 2016, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed that Chicago had the toughest gun laws in the United States and more gun violence than any other city. That was Mostly False.

The fact check said cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco do more to regulate the concealed-carry permitting process, while Illinois simply processes applications through the Illinois State Police.

Illinois gets an A- from gun control advocacy group

Despite the 2010 and 2012 court rulings, Illinois still has tougher gun restrictions than Texas.

According to Giffords Law Center, an organization which advocates for gun control, Illinois requires universal background checks, gun owner licensing, lost and stolen firearm reporting, waiting periods and has minimum age laws, open carry reporting, community violence intervention funding, risk protection orders and domestic violence gun laws.

Texas has none of those. The state does however, have child access prevention laws, which Illinois also has.

Giffords gave Illinois an A- ranking on its 2021 Annual Gun Law Scorecard  meaning the state has strong laws to reduce the risk of gun-related crimes. Giffords said that while some changes were made in 2020, Illinois as a whole can take measures to improve gun control.

Those improvements include: Prohibiting the sale of large-capacity magazines and enacting a gun accountability law. The gun control group also suggested Illinois could ban the manufacturing and selling of "ghost guns," firearms that law enforcement cant track because they lack serial numbers  an issue Illinois has since addressed in state law enacted this year.

Giffords gave Texas an F rating for weak gun laws, along with Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. The only neighboring state with a better grade is New Mexico with a C.

At the same time, Illinois and Texas are roughly the same when it comes to gun deaths per capita, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2020, Illinois reported 14.1 gun-related deaths per 100,000, compared to Texas 14.2 rate, according to the latest available CDC data.

Experts interviewed by the BGA suggest Abbotts comparison to gun laws in Texas and Chicago are inherently misleading because gun laws in nearby states  such as Indiana and Wisconsin  more resemble those in Texas where less stringent gun laws allow easier access.

"Many factors determine the rates of homicide and violent crime from city to city," said Daniel Webster, a co-director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. "You assess the impact of policies by examining changes in homicides and violent crime after gun laws are enacted and contrast that with changes in places that didnt adopt the policies."

A 2017 Gun Trace Report released by the Chicago Police Department shows the majority of illegal guns came to Chicago from Indiana and outside of Chicagos city limits.

"The majority of illegally used or possessed firearms recovered in Chicago are traced back to states with less regulation over firearms, such as Indiana and Mississippi," the report said. "More than two of every five traceable crime guns recovered in Chicago originate with their first point of sale at an Illinois dealer."

The remaining 60% of firearms come from out of state, with Indiana as the primary source for one out of every five crime guns.

"This pattern also highlights Chicagos challenge to address illegal guns within the loosely-regulated national gun market," the report said.

Abbotts claim also falls short when it comes to his comparisons to California and New York.

In 2020, both California and the state of New York had lower gun death rates than did Texas. Both California and New York have tougher gun laws than Texas, and both are surrounded by states with tougher gun laws compared to a large portion of the rest of the country.

Giffords classifies California as having the strongest gun laws in the nation.

Our ruling

Abbott said Chicago, New York City and LA are all examples of how tough gun laws do not work.

While Chicagos gun laws may be more strict than some states, Abbotts statement ignores how regulations have been weakened after federal court reversals of the citys once-tougher restrictions. He also ignores how the majority of firearms in Chicago are coming from neighboring states where gun laws more reflect those of his own state, illustrating the impact of the lack of national regulation.

States like New York and California with lower gun death rates are for the most part surrounded by states with tougher gun laws.

We rate this claim Mostly False.

Our Sources
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, June 5, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Little River County in southwestern Arkansas...

Southeastern McCurtain County in southeastern Oklahoma...

Central Bowie County in northeastern Texas...

* Until 415 PM CDT.

* At 333 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles north of

De Kalb, or 12 miles west of Foreman, moving southeast at 40 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...

New Boston, Foreman, Hooks, De Kalb, Richmond, Leary, Almont,

Beaverdams, Goodlake, Wallace, Tom, Red Bank and Pine Prairie.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
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Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
MCLA Benedetti Teaching Artist-in-Residence 'Travelogue' to Open

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Conrad Egyir, MCLA's inaugural Benedetti Teaching Artist in Residence, will unveil a solo exhibition, "Travelogue," on Friday, June 10, at MCLA Gallery 51 on Main Street, with an event to mark the opening from 5-7 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public; "Travelogue" runs until September 2022.

The exhibition is supported by a $2,500 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Cultural Investment Portfolio program, awarded recently to MCLA Arts and Culture (MAC), which hosts several artist residencies each year. The grant supplements the exhibition costs of the exhibit.

According to a press release, "Travelogue" is a culmination of Eygir's work throughout his nine-month stay at MCLA as Benedetti Artist-in-Residence. The work on display is primarily painting and portraiture, drawing influences from pop art, history painting, Biblical culture, and Ashanti iconography from Eygir's native Ghana.

In "Travelogue," there is no beginning, and there will be no end. What we are offered is a summary of an entry that Egyir creates to combine portraits of those he sees, that look like him, and an intention to share their stories, as complex and diverse as his own, but very different.

According to the exhibition text, "He is both an Artist and a Black artist, a Ghanaian and a naturalized American citizen and multiple other categories and identities which muddy the waters of living in America as both an immigrant and a person of color. Navigating as an American, but also"
A group of people forcibly entered the office of Maldivian news outlet Mihaaru and threatened journalists and media workers on May 29, accusing the news outlet of publishing a fabricated news report. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), condemn the attack and urge the Maldivian police to expedite the investigation.

Mihaaru workers were harassed by a group who forcibly entered the outlet's office on May 29. Credit: Mihaaru

On May 29, a mob entered the Mihaaru office located in the Maldivian capital Male, expressing dissatisfaction with one of the outlets recent news articles. The group harassed and threatened the journalists and media staff present in the office.

Mihaarus managing editor, Ahmed Hamdhoon, said the group was targeting a single reporter, who was not present at the office at the time.

Following the incident, the outlet issued a statement on June 1 condemning the intimidation and reported the case to police. Mihaaru is saddened by the baseless allegations being made against its reporters, and that it was putting the safety of reporters at risk, the statement reads.

The unidentified assailants continued to harass the news outlet on social media, citing misinformation within several Mihaaru articles. The outlet statedthat the online harassment was targeted at defaming the newspaper.

The MJA called on police to investigate the case. Police confirmed they had received information regarding the incident and have a commenced an investigation.

The MJA said: An attack on journalists and media-persons on any pretention is not acceptable. We urge the police to take necessary actions.

The IFJ said: The harassment of journalists and media workers within the Mihaaru office is indicative of the systemic targeting of the media in the Maldives. The IFJ urges the Maldivian government to conduct a swift and impartial investigation into the incident and bring perpetrators to justice.
On June 10, Recruitday is going to launch the Philippines first ever career hub set on the metaverse coined as, The Future of Career Building. It will open this coming Friday at 6:00 PM, giving attendees access to tech communities, career advice, discounted courses, and a chance to win an Oculus Quest.

The space that Recruitday will introduce will focus on six of the most in-demand tech tracks in terms of local employment, namely: Data & AI, IT Infrastructure, Software & Applications, IT Security, Tech Project Management, and CRM. The career hub will also introduce a different approach compared to virtual job fairs that have emerged since the pandemic hit: instead of a one-time event, the space will remain open for those who are interested in visiting.

Our goal is to help Filipino tech talents in their career journey, said Joel Garcia, founder and CEO of Recruitday. We have a web platform with events, courses, job openings, and free resourcesall of which would help talents in their careerbut a huge part of advancing in any field is interacting with and building your personal network in the community. Through the metaverse, were putting all of these elements together in a more interactive space to introduce new ways for people to interact, engage, and connect with mentors, peers, friends, and more.

With one of its advocacies involving community building, Recruitday has been hosting events since its founding in 2017. Transitioning into the remote work arrangement, their free Community Socials series has had a consistent stream of attendees since its conception early this year, many of which are looking to upskill and find a network in the local tech scene. Now, the Filipino startup wants to elevate peoples experience with the metaverse.

As we embrace the next version of the web, it opens us up to new and more exciting ways to connect Filipino tech talents with competitive businesses. Weve never imagined this would be possible before, added Garcia.

The event is open to all professionals in the tech industry, as well as for fresh graduates and career shifters looking to start a career in I.T. Attendees will get a chance to win an Oculus Quest, get a discount on tech courses, among other raffle prizes. Reserving a slot is free and entering the virtual space does not require a VR headset.

To find out more, visit www.recruitday.com/metaverse today.
Editor's Note: ZeroAvia is one of seven private companies Inc. identified that are driving development within seven key pathways to net zero--eliminating one ton of greenhouse gases for every ton emitted.

ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2020, a six-seat Piper took off from Cranfield Airport in Great Britain. It flew for eight minutes, topping out at 1,000 feet and 115 mph. It trailed no exhaust, emitting only water, because it was powered by fuel cells running on four and a half pounds of earth's lightest gas. With that flight, ZeroAvia had demonstrated the world's first commercial-scale aircraft powered by hydrogen.

Green grid or no, some of the heaviest users of fossil fuels--like airplanes and ships--can't easily run on electricity. And while aviation accounts for "only" 2 to 3 percent of global CO2 output today, it's slated to contribute 10 times that share by 2050--partly because air travel is booming, but also because burning jet fuel produces nitrogen oxides that trap even more heat than CO2.

ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Miftakhov sees this as an opportunity as obvious as it is urgent. "For large commercial aircraft, long distance is a requirement," he says. "You have to produce a lot of power. Batteries won't work. Sustainability fuels are either not scalable or too expensive. Pretty quickly, you end up with hydrogen."

Miftakhov, 54, grew up in the former Soviet Union, came to Princeton in 1997 for a physics PhD, and then struck out for Silicon Valley. After stints at McKinsey, Google, and an EV-infrastructure startup--and earning his pilot's license--he launched ZeroAvia in 2017 with the lofty goal of decarbonizing flight. "I wanted to focus on what actually matters," he says, "as opposed to just working on cool tech."

And he had a practical idea: Instead of creating wholly new aircraft, ZeroAvia would retrofit planes with hydrogen-powered fuel cells, replacing their powertrains but leaving the bodies mostly untouched. That would cut design costs, ease regulatory approvals, and--crucially--speed commercialization.

In 2018, Miftakhov and his team began by running test vehicles--at first an El Camino, then light aircraft--on battery-generated electricity to show they could power a plane with something other than jet fuel. Now, they are demonstrating that their setup can generate thrust from pure hydrogen, which produces cleaner energy than any source on--or above--earth. Later this year, Miftakhov plans to fly a 19-seater, a milestone on his timeline of making retrofits available by 2024. A 50-seater, and the chance for real change, is slated for 2026.

Which raises the big question: Can ZeroAvia, now with 120 employees, keep packing bigger fuel cells into bigger planes? Major airlines United and Alaska Air must think so. They invested in late 2021, when ZeroAvia raised $35 million in venture capital, bringing its total investor funding to $120 million.
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Since April 26, the Adivasi (tribal) community in Surajpur District, Chhattisgarh, has been protesting against the destruction of Hasdeo Arand, one of the world's largest continuous forest ranges.

Adivasis have been battling to stop deforestation, loss of livelihood, and displacement since the Chhattisgarh state government agreed to greenlight the coal mining activities and forest devastation on April 6 in the region.

Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan

The state forest department began cutting trees for the second phase of mining in the Parsa East Kente Basan (PEKB) coal mine in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Arand region on Monday, despite the ongoing protests. The drill, however, was discontinued after a huge number of people protested the move. While residents claimed 250 trees were cut down, officials maintained just 50-60 trees were cut down before the operation was called off.

The Hasdeo Arand forest

Theleaflet

Hasdeo Arand, a massive forest in northern Chhattisgarh, is noteworthy for its biodiversity as well as its coal deposits. The forest is located in the districts of Korba, Sujapur, and Sarguja, which inhabit a large tribal population. It is traversed by the Hasdeo river, a tributary of the Mahanadi.

According to a research published by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in 2021, Hasdeo Arand is home to roughly 10,000 Adivasis from Gond, Lohar, Oraon, and other parts of India, who live on 1,70,000 hectares of land rich in biodiversity. There are 82 bird species, endangered butterfly species, and 167 varieties of vegetation listed in the reports, with 18 of them classified as 'threatened.'

Additionally, as a 'catchment area' of the Hasdeo Bango Dam, this area helps in the irrigation of around 300,000 hectares for crops.

The Development of Parsa Coal Mine

There are 23 known coal mines on the Hasdeo reserve. After a joint study in 2010, the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Forest and Environment deemed the Hasdeo reserve a 'No Go Area,' prohibiting any sort of mining due to its rich biodiversity and exceptional ecology.

Interestingly, the Parsa East Kente Basan coal mine was permitted within a year after the prohibition, based on a goal of extracting as much coal as possible at the lowest possible cost. It was guaranteed that no new mines would be authorised in the Hasdeo forest area in the future, Following that, the case went to court, and the approvals were revoked.

Thewire

On the government's appeal, the court, however, allowed mining until further orders were issued, requiring the government to submit an investigation report based on a study of Hasdeo's ecology and environment from a recognised institution such as the Wildlife Institute of India or the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun. The matter is currently pending at the Supreme Court.

The protest has seen its ebb and flow for over a decade now. The Ministry of the Environment approved Forest Clearance for mining in phase I of the PEKB coal mines in 2012, limiting mining to 762 hectares and a reserve of 137 million tonnes. The Chhattisgarh government announced in March that it has granted Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam permission to mine coal in an area of 1,136 hectares under the PEKB coal block's second phase.

Voice of Dissent

The inhabitants of the region argue that the Parsa coal mine is located in a Fifth Schedule area, a tribal-dominated territory, where such decisions require the authorization of the gram sabha. Ghatbarra village sarpanch Jainandan Porte alleged that the permission for phase-II of the PEKB mine was given based on fake gram sabha consent documents.

Thewire

Meanwhile, local residents filed a plea with the Chhattisgarh High Court, urging an immediate halt to tree clearance in the area as well as the scrapping of the coal mine's allocation. The court questioned the hurry with which trees were chopped, along with posing a reasonable question: will the fallen trees be brought back to life if the property acquisition process is cancelled? The High Court has issued a notice to the state government in this regard, requesting a response.

At the moment the forest clearance of Phase 2 has been halted citing law and order issues. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently expressed his displeasure over his partys decision in Chhattisgarh to greenlit the coal mining in the Hasdeo forest. Answering a question over the pertinent issue during an interaction with students at the University of Cambridge, Rahul said he finds the protests justified in some ways.





For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.
Airfares of India bound flights from UAE may double in July and August, according to a report.

Many Indians living in the UAE have not been able to come home in the past two years owing to COVID-19 and the subsequent pandemic. Now, after the 2-year hiatus which restricted travelling, relaxing norms is likely to boost travel to India from the UAE.

The summer months of July and August which are considered the 'summer holiday months' in Dubai may see a doubling in demand for travel, many expatriate families travel back to India during this time, Khaleej times reported.

dubai airport

High-airfare costs have kept cost-conscious expatriate families in the UAE from visiting their home countries in the last two years. The fear regarding a resumption of Covid norms had added to the scare.

Current prices and expected prices

Currently, the price of one ticket to India stands at approximately Dh1,500 ( 31,728.41) to Dh1,600( 33,843.63), depending on the destination, the Dubai-based English daily reported. As per a report of Khaleej Times, airfares of India bound flights from the UAE could jump to Dh3,000 ( 63,408.70) in July and August.

Flights to home countries are expensive while flying to Europe and US is a challenge. Airfares to popular destinations to India, Pakistan and other Indian subcontinent countries will see a sharp increase in the coming weeks as expat families will increasingly fly to their home countries, said Avinash Adnani, managing director of Pluto Travels.



REUTERS

Travel agents spell out reasons

Wasim Raja, manager, MICE and holidays, Galadari International Travel Services, said airfares are on the very high side for July and August and most of the seats are sold out, especially during the Eid Al Adha days from July 8 to 11.

Airfares to Europe have more than doubled during Eid. The day school holidays start, airfares go up for the next seven to 10 days because a large number of families fly out to their home countries. Then again, inbound airfares go up just before the schools reopen as families return to the UAE in the last week of August, said Raja.

dubai-airport

Avinash Adnani pointed out that this is the first summer vacation after two years that all the Covid-19 related visa restrictions have been relaxed with no need for PCR tests, quarantine and prior approval from the GDRFA or ICA.



For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


The next time someone says you are too old to do something, give them this guy's example - an 83-year-old yachtsman arrived in Japan after a solo, non-stop trip across the Pacific. He is now the oldest person to ever achieve the feat, reported AFP.

Kenichi Horie's arrival in the Kii Strait off western Japan bid adieu to a two-month-long trip that began from a yacht harbour in San Francisco in March. This is not the only achievement by the Japanese man. Back in 1962, he voyaged from Japan to San Francisco at the age of 23, becoming the first person in the world to sail alone across the Pacific.

AFP

His PR team said that his latest voyage made him the world's oldest person to sail solo and non-stop across the largest and deepest ocean on the planet.

"I'm about to cross the finish line," Horie wrote on his blog Friday after what he described as a three-day battle with the pushback from a current.

"I'm exhausted," it read.

Back in 1962, his solo travels were the talk of the world as he had embarked on his journey without a passport, and essentially 'smuggled' his way into the United States.

"Sixty years ago, I was constantly anxious and stressed that I might get caught... My condition was the worst," he blogged in April.

"But this time it's different, I was sent off by many people and have their support through tracking systems and wireless radio. I couldn't be more grateful."

Japan Times

Horie is also known for sailing around the world solo in 1974 and his longitudinal voyage around the world between 1978 and 1982.

His latest journey was the first one since 2008 when he sailed from Honolulu to the Kii Strait on a wave-powered 31-foot boat.



WUSA9

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Yoga is an ancient Indian practice which includes physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines. It helps us maintain our physical as well as mental health. Travellers from around the world come to India to learn about the practice of Yoga.

Now, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) mountaineers practiced yoga at an altitude of 22,850 feet in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. The ITBP mountaineers were present on the summit of Mount Abi Gamin last week where they performed a high altitude yoga session at a place in the snow-covered terrain. The 14 members of the ITBP mountaineers practised yoga for about 20 minutes amid severe snow conditions on June 1.

Twitter

A video of the same was shared on Twitter with the caption, "New record of practicing Yoga at high altitude by ITBP. #Himveers of ITBP demonstrate Yoga practice ahead of #InternationalDayOfYoga2022 with the theme: '#YogaforHumanity' at an altitude of 22,850 feet in snow conditions in Uttarakhand near Mount Abi Gamin."

New record of practicing Yoga at high altitude by ITBP. #Himveers of ITBP demonstrate Yoga practice ahead of #InternationalDayOfYoga2022 with the theme: '#YogaforHumanity' at an altitude of 22,850 feet in snow conditions in Uttarakhand near Mount Abi Gamin.#YogaAmritMahotsav pic.twitter.com/eHWE0qO1zJ  ITBP (@ITBP_official) June 6, 2022

Their activity records as the highest high altitude yoga practice session to date by anyone in the world, according to a statement released by ITBP. No one has ever witnessed ITBP mountaineers practicing yoga at such extreme high altitudes.

Inspired by the Prime Ministers vision on the International Day of Yoga and the theme this year- Yoga for Humanity, the ITBP mountaineers practised yoga at such a high altitude.

The crew wanted to give the message to the people to practice fitness by indulging in yoga.

The ITBP personnel have earlier promoted Yoga by 'doing various asanas including Surya Namaskar and various other yogasanas at different high altitude Himalayan ranges on India-China borders including Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in bone-chilling minus temperatures around,' reported ANI.



Twitter

With quotes from ANI.

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Born in Mexico City, Sandra Thomas-Esquivel left Mexico at age 18 to pursue academic scholarships in Canada and the United States. Her career of more than 25 years in journalism and television has been dedicated to serving the Latino community and Latin America. While working for Univision, in 2011 she was promoted to Senior Director of Local and Affiliate News. In this role Thomas-Esquivel led and delivered strategic initiatives for the Univision Television Group (UTG) news departments across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

From 2015 to 2017 Thomas-Esquivel was VP of News at Telemundo 39 in Dallas, TX. She oversaw Telemundo 39 news department and local productions across multimedia platforms. In 2017 she was promoted to Telemundo Network News Bureau Chief for Mexico and Central America based in Mexico City leading a team of correspondents, producers, and video crews. Coverage included the 2017 earthquakes in the Mexican territory and the Mexican electoral process.

Sandra Thomas-Esquivel joined Voice of America in Washington, D.C. in June of 2019, as Chief of the Spanish service. Through her tenure, she led radio and TV programs, multiplatform special projects, and election coverage.

In 1994, Sandra received an EMMY award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for a network special about poverty-stricken Latino children in the U.S. The news departments she has led have won numerous awards, including Edward Murrow Awards, APTRA Awards, Best Newscast EMMY awards for Noticias Univision 14, and two consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Newscast in Telemundo Dallas, among others. In 2005, the California Chicano News Media Association honored her for her career achievements in broadcasting and for her many years of mentoring young journalists. The same year she received the Trailblazer Award from American Women in Radio and Television.

She was a Carnegie Fellow at the University of Southern California, where she obtained a masters degree in International Journalism, completed in California, Mexico, and Cuba. Sandra holds BA degrees in journalism and radio, television, and film from the Instituto Latinoamericano de Comunicacion Educativa (ILCE-UNESCO) and the University of Maryland, respectively.
The overall number of cyberattacks fell by more than half in 2021 for K-12 schools but the number of ransomware attacks is on the rise.

According to a report from the K12 Security Information Exchange, or K12 Six, ransomware attacks increased from 50 in 2020 to 62 in 2021, while the number of cyberattacks in general declined for the first time in three years, from 408 in 2020 to 166 in 2021.

Ransomware attacks are the new norm in cyber risk for schools with ransoms often reaching the million-dollar range, says Jessica Blushi, vice president at Keenan & Associates, an Assured Partners organization based in California. Blushi handles the cyber insurance portion of Keenans large insurance program for more than 500 school districts.

Ransomware attacks, or cyber breaches where hackers steal a districts data and refuse to give it back until they have received payments, now make up the largest category of attacks for the first time, according to K12 Six, which began tracking cybersecurity incidents in schools in 2016. Schools have upped their game in cyber risk management over the past year and managed to lower the number of incidents overall. But when a ransom attack does hit, its still costly, Blushi said.

In a good situation, it ends up getting negotiated down but claims over a million dollars are absolutely the norm, she said. Blushi says that a ransom event might encompass the cost of the ransom itself, plus forensics, legal and IT fees bring the total cost of a claim above $1 million.

Schools and other public entities have been particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic because budget allocations for cyber security were often less robust than other industries and hackers could more easily access their systems.

Schools became a very big target when schools went to remote education during the pandemic, Blushi said. While schools were not alone in moving remote during that time, the biggest challenge was their lack of cyber security. The IT infrastructure on the school side wasnt prepared for that shift and threat actors found themselves a nice, soft place to land.

Today, cyber security on campuses has changed since those days, she added. But even today, our clients who are well protected from a network hardening, cyber protection standpoint, have still seen ransom attacks get through, Blushi says.

Insurance Market

The growing prevalence of ransomware has changed the landscape of the cyber insurance marketplace dramatically. Insurers have hiked cyber coverage and retentions while lowering limits. Underwriters are now requiring security controls in many scenarios as well.

What we had was a perfect storm, a knee-jerk reaction, specifically in the public entity and educational sectors because they were hit a little bit more severely than others, said Kasey Armstrong, senior vice president at AmWins Brokerage, adding that the insurance market saw drastic premium increases for cyber insurance for 2021 July 1 renewals. But Armstrong says right now hes seeing a more sensible approach to market conditions as schools look to renew again on July 1.

I would say right now were coming out the tail end of that storm, Armstrong says. Now we have a tampering in market conditions and more accurate inquiries are being made from the carrier side.

While the cyber market for public entities remains challenging, Armstrong sees more willingness from carriers to listen. That wasnt happening a year ago, he said.

Armstrong cited a public entity client  not a school but a port authority  that wanted to tout its cybersecurity measures to possible markets prior to receiving a renewal quote.

He was able to connect the client and retail broker with several markets where the port authority reviewed its in-house IT and risk management efforts with underwriters.

They got to say, Hey, were doing this, that, and the other. And then the underwriters started asking questions. What about this? What do you think about this? What are you doing here?' Armstrong says that 12 months ago as the cyber market pushed for a strong correction, there was no desire to listen. Thats not the case as he works through July 1 renewals today, he said.

Theyre coming back to the table and saying, OK, we dont need to have such a hard line. We have a couple key things that were looking for and what we want to do now is come back to the table and listen. That is the tectonic shift that is occurring in public entity cyber today, he said.

Blushi agrees but noted that Keenan had to get a bit creative with its programs cyber component this year.

This year we found that we needed to get a little less traditional with our cyber replacement and put a significant group retention in place, to provide a little bit of insulation for the carriers, before they attach, she said.

When we approached the market this year, we said, Of course wed love to have coverage directly above member retention, but if thats not an option, wed be willing to take on a funded retention for the group and then build coverage above that. Were not finalized yet but were pretty close, she said, adding that the program will likely end up with a funded layer between $1 million to $2 million.

Schools Hacks

When K-12 schools began teaching online they were unprepared for cyber risks they face, Blushi said.

Since 2016, the K-12 Cyber Incident Map published by K12 Six has cataloged a total of 1,331 publicly disclosed school cyber incidents affecting U.S. school districts (and other public educational organizations) across a wide array of incident types. Averaged over the last six years, this equates to a rate of more than one K-12 cyber incident per school day being experienced by the nations public schools.

Its pretty incredible because if you look at the data, schools are tracking worse than the general average, Blushi said. Thats not surprising, she says, because schools focus on teaching students, and not technology, she added. But with the rising threats in cyber they have been forced to shift their focus, she said. We saw a few cyber claims, just before the pandemic, but it was like somebody flipped the switch when schools went remote. The attacks have been pretty aggressive ever since.

Blushi says many schools have implemented security measures over the past two years to reduce threats. One key security measure has been the implementation of multifactor authentication when school staff are working from any remote environment.

School districts are being forced not only to pay dramatically higher premiums but also to implement commonsense cybersecurity controls  such as multifactor authentication for employees  for the first time, according to the State of K12 Cybersecurity report. Thanks to this market dynamic and heightened awareness  school districts may have done a modestly better job of defending their communities from cybersecurity threats during 2021.

Education  something schools know about  for staff is also key when it comes to cyber risk management. Schools need to make sure that people are cognizant of what theyre doing when they are clicking on links or visiting websites. You can have the best risk management from a network security perspective out there, she said, but if you have people who are just blindly clicking on links, youre going to still have threat actors intrude into your network.

The other key risk management tool that Keenan has found helpful is storing data backups offsite and offline.

Whether they be in the cloud, or at another physical location, they must be encrypted because if you dont have those backups protected, theyre not any more useful than anything else once someone has hacked into your network, Blushi said.

Blushi has seen school districts get attacked and backups were no help because they were not stored properly.

Thats one area that weve been really encouraging our clientele to focus on  ensuring that those backups are offline, offsite, and with separate credentials for access so that the likelihood of the threat actors being able to encrypt those as well is limited.

Looking Ahead

The market changes are not yet done, Blushi said, especially when it comes to ransomware coverage.

Our ransom coverage last year, and likely going forward into next year, is sub-limited, pretty dramatically where, in the past we didnt have a sub-limit for ransom, she said. On top of that there is also co-insurance on the ransom side, she added. So, we have both and thats managed to at least keep a lid on the exposure to the program but it also puts some of that onus back on the district.

She thinks the market will continue to evolve at least for the near-term.

I honestly dont think that the markets done adjusting. And if folks arent actively engaged in risk management, or network security process at this point, they will ultimately not be able to get coverage in the future. Underwriters are no longer willing to just write the coverage, without the protections.

Topics Cyber Claims Underwriting K-12
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The FBI thwarted a planned cyberattack on a childrens hospital in Boston that was to have been carried out by hackers sponsored by the Iranian government, FBI Director Christopher Wray said last week.

Wray told a Boston College cybersecurity conference that his agents learned of the planned digital attack from an unspecified intelligence partner and got Boston Childrens Hospital the information it needed last summer to block what would have been one of the most despicable cyberattacks Ive seen.

And quick actions by everyone involved, especially at the hospital, protected both the network and the sick kids who depended on it, Wray said.

The FBI chief recounted that anecdote in a broader speech about cyber threats from Russia, China and Iran, and the need for partnerships between the U.S. government and the private sector.

He said the bureau and Boston Childrens Hospital had worked closely after a hacktivist attacked the hospitals computer network in 2014. Martin Gottesfeld launched a cyberattack at the hospital to protest the care of a teenager at the center of a high-profile custody battle; Gottesfeld later was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The attack against the hospital and a treatment home cost the facilities tens of thousands of dollars and disrupted operations for days.

Childrens and our Boston office already knew each other well  before the attack from Iran  and that made a difference, Wray said.

He did not ascribe a particular motive to the planned attack on the hospital, but he noted that Iran and other countries have been hiring cyber mercenaries to conduct attacks on their behalf. In addition, the health care and public health sector is classified by the U.S. government as one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors, and health care providers such as hospitals are seen as ripe targets for hackers.

When it comes to Russia, he said, the FBI is racing to warn potential targets about preparatory actions that hackers are taking toward destructive attacks. In March, for instance, the FBI warned that it was seeing increased interest by hackers in energy companies since the start of Russias war against Ukraine.

Hackers from China have stolen more corporate and personal data from people in the United States than all other nations combined, as part of a broader geopolitical goal to lie, cheat and steal their way into global denomination of global sectors, Wray said.

The speech took place as the FBI continues to combat ransomware attacks from criminal gangs, a continuing concern for U.S. officials despite the absence of crippling intrusions in recent months.

Wray emphasized the need for private companies to work with the FBI to thwart ransomware gangs and nation-state hackers.

What these partnerships let us do is hit our adversaries at every point  from the victims networks, back all the way to the hackers own computers, Wray said.

The FBI and other federal agencies have been working to assure hacking victims that it is in their best interest to report intrusions and cyber crimes. Many companies attacked by ransomware gangs often do not go to the FBI for a variety of reasons.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued a report this year critical of the FBIs response to some ransomware victims. In two cases, the FBI prioritized its investigative and prosecutorial efforts to disrupt attacker operations over victims need to protect data and mitigate damage, the report said.

One unnamed Fortune 500 company told committee staff that the FBI did not offer any helpful assistance when responding to a ransomware attack.

Wray, though, cited the FBIs capacity to get a technically trained agent to any victimized company in an hour and we use it a lot.

Suderman reported from Richmond, Virginia.

Photo: FBI Director Christopher Wray

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cyber
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A federal appeals court has upheld part of a 2020 Connecticut police accountability law that allows public disclosure of state trooper personnel files and internal investigations.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on Thursday rejected a challenge by the Connecticut State Police Union, which argued the law violates the 2018-2022 troopers contract by stripping away its exemptions from state freedom of information laws.

The union said Friday that it is considering asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its case.

The contract section in question says troopers personnel files and documents in internal investigations that end with no finding of wrongdoing are not subject to disclosure.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court upheld a ruling by a judge in a lower court who rejected the unions request to bar the law section from taking effect during its court challenge. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Haight Jr. in New Haven also said the unions case was not likely to succeed because the law serves a legitimate public purpose in increasing law enforcement accountability and transparency.

Andrew Matthews, executive director of the state police union, said troopers oppose the law because it allows records involving unfounded allegations to become public, possibly tarnishing a troopers reputation despite no findings of wrongdoing.

If the union asks the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its appeal and justices reject the request, the case would return to the lower court judge who expressed doubt about the unions case. Also, the state police contract expires June 30 and new contract negotiations are underway.

Proponents of the 2020 law said it answered the calls for reform after the police killings of George Floyd and other Black people. It also created a new state inspector general to investigate police use-of-force cases statewide, limited circumstances in which deadly use of force can be justified, and allowed lawsuits in state courts against officers in certain cases.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Law Enforcement Connecticut
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)  A massive fire at a container depot near a port city in southeastern Bangladesh killed at least 28 people and injured more than 100 others, officials and local media said Sunday, as firefighters struggled to get the blaze under control.

The fire at the BM Inland Container Depot, a Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture, broke out around midnight Saturday following explosions in a container full of chemicals. The cause of the fire could not be immediately determined. The depot is located in Chittagong, 216 kilometers (134 miles) southeast of the capital, Dhaka.

At least five firefighters were among the dead, according to Brig. Gen. Main Uddin, director general of the Bangladesh fire service and civil defense. Another 15 firefighters were being treated for burn injuries, he added.

Multiple rounds of explosions occurred after the initial blast as the fire continued to spread, Uddin said. Explosives experts from Bangladeshs military have been called in to assist the firefighters. The explosions shattered the windows of nearby buildings and were felt as far as 4 kilometers away, officials and local media reports said.

Firefighters were still working to bring the fire under control on Sunday.

The death toll reached 28 by late morning on Sunday, according to Ekattor TV station, and the areas civil surgeon said the number could still rise further. Many of the casualties happened at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, while the rest of the bodies were recovered from the site of the fire.

Many of the containers in the depot are believed to have held chemicals. The depot handles goods for export and import and is located about 20 kilometers from the countrys main Chittagong Seaport.

Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters, including factories catching fire with workers trapped inside. Monitoring groups have blamed corruption and lax enforcement for deadly incidents over the years.

Global brands, which employ tens of thousands of low-paid workers in Bangladesh, have come under fire to improve factory conditions in recent years. In the countrys massive garment industry, which employs about 4 million people, safety conditions have improved significantly after massive reforms, but experts say accidents could still occur if other sectors do not make similar changes.

In 2012, about 117 workers died when they were trapped behind locked exits in a garment factory in Dhaka.

The countrys worst industrial disaster occurred the following year, when the Rana Plaza garment factory outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

In 2019, a blaze ripped through a 400-year-old area cramped with apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part of Dhaka and killed at least 67 people. Another fire in Old Dhaka in a house illegally storing chemicals killed at least 123 people in 2010.

In 2021, a fire at a food and beverage factory outside Dhaka killed at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped inside by an illegally locked door.

Photograph: A firefighter works to contain a fire that broke out at the BM Inland Container Depot, a Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture, in Chittagong, 216 kilometers (134 miles) southeast of capital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, early Sunday, June 5, 2022. Photo credit: AP Photo.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
SYDNEY  Russian aluminum producer Rusal has filed a lawsuit against global miner Rio Tinto, seeking to win back access to its 20% share of the alumina produced at a jointly owned refiner in Queensland.

The lawsuit challenges Australias response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, which included wide-ranging sanctions against Russian firms and oligarchs who had links with President Vladimir Putin.

Rio stepped in to take sole control of Queensland Alumina Ltd. (QAL) in April, sidelining Rusal and cutting its access to the refinerys output of alumina, a compound from which aluminum is derived. Rio owns 80% of the refinery, while Rusal owns the remaining 20%.

Rusals Australian unit Alumina and Bauxite Company (ABC) said in a Australian Federal Court filing that the circumstances required for Rio to step-in to take control did not exist and amounted to a breach of obligations, according to the court documents reviewed by Reuters.

Rios move at QAL came shortly after the worlds biggest iron ore miner severed all ties with Russian businesses over Moscows invasion of Ukraine. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a special operation.

Australia banned the export of alumina and aluminum ores, including bauxite, to Russia in March.

In the filings reviewed by Reuters, Rusals subsidiary asks the federal court to restore its rights at QAL, and declare there would be no sanctions breach if its business continues there.

Rio declined to comment. Rusal, the worlds second largest aluminum producer, could not be immediately reached for comment outside usual business hours.

Rusal was not directly targeted by Australian sanctions, but Rios actions were triggered by sanctions on oligarchs Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg, who own stakes worth 25.6% and 8%, respectively, in Rusal.

In 2018 Rusal was covered by U.S. sanctions against Russian businessmen and companies.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon and Renju Jose; editing by Diane Craft and Kenneth Maxwell)

Topics Lawsuits Russia Mining
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Beazley and Gallagher Re.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Beazley Announces MacCabe Retirement, Wheeler and Pereira Promotions for Intl Management Liability

Beazley announced that Catherina MacCabe, focus group leader International Management Liability (IML), Specialty Risk, is to retire and that Oliver (Oli) Wheeler will succeed her as focus group leader from July 1, 2022. Emma Pereira has also been promoted to product leader for the team.

MacCabe has led the IML team at Beazley for over five years, building it up to be a leading IML team in the London market and growing the firms book of directors & officers (D&O) and management liability business in Europe, Asia and Latin America. She will stay at Beazley over the remainder of the year to ensure a smooth transition to the new leadership team.

Wheeler joined Beazley in 2021, and prior to this, he was D&O practice leader at Aon London. Wheeler previously had underwriting and leadership roles with Chubb, AXIS and Liberty, and has successfully managed financial lines portfolios in New York and Madrid.

Catherina will leave a legacy of underwriting excellence, and under her leadership, the IML team has gone from strength to strength. I will miss her greatly, as will her colleagues, brokers, clients and peers. I wish her a very well-deserved retirement, commented Gerard Bloom, head of International, Specialty Risks.

***

Gallagher Re Appoints 6 Senior Execs for APAC Region

Gallagher Re, the global reinsurance broker, announced the appointments of six senior executives in the Asia Pacific region, effective immediately.

This follows Gallagher Res announcement of Heather Bone as its new CEO in Australia in February, and wider range of senior appointment hires within its Australian operations.

Yuan Tian has joined Gallagher Re as the Strategic and Financial Analytics lead for Asia Pacific, to provide clients with the perspective of key external stakeholders, including rating agencies, regulators, investors and shareholders. Most recently, Tian was a senior financial analyst at AM Best for a portfolio of life and property and casualty re/insurers in the South Asia region. Tian is a qualified actuary with broad-ranging experience across actuarial, risk management and data analytics, having previously worked in London and Singapore.

has joined Gallagher Re as the Strategic and Financial Analytics lead for Asia Pacific, to provide clients with the perspective of key external stakeholders, including rating agencies, regulators, investors and shareholders. Most recently, Tian was a senior financial analyst at AM Best for a portfolio of life and property and casualty re/insurers in the South Asia region. Tian is a qualified actuary with broad-ranging experience across actuarial, risk management and data analytics, having previously worked in London and Singapore. Roshan Perera joins Gallagher Res Regional Development Team in Asia Pacific as executive director to support strategic client engagement around risk, capital and earnings issues in the region and will be based in Kuala Lumpur. Perera brings a wealth of experience in addressing complex insurance issues in both the public and private sector to his new role. He joins from his most recent position as a partner at NMG Consulting, and has over 20 years experience delivering actuarial & strategic advisory projects across developed and emerging markets.

joins Gallagher Res Regional Development Team in Asia Pacific as executive director to support strategic client engagement around risk, capital and earnings issues in the region and will be based in Kuala Lumpur. Perera brings a wealth of experience in addressing complex insurance issues in both the public and private sector to his new role. He joins from his most recent position as a partner at NMG Consulting, and has over 20 years experience delivering actuarial & strategic advisory projects across developed and emerging markets. Cliff Downing brings more than 35 years experience to his new role as executive director in a senior, regional property role, covering both treaty and facultative disciplines. Downing has worked in Australia, London, Singapore and Malaysia and has been involved in some of the largest and more complex reinsurance programs for insureds and reinsureds across the Asia Pacific region, including Japan and Australasia.

brings more than 35 years experience to his new role as executive director in a senior, regional property role, covering both treaty and facultative disciplines. Downing has worked in Australia, London, Singapore and Malaysia and has been involved in some of the largest and more complex reinsurance programs for insureds and reinsureds across the Asia Pacific region, including Japan and Australasia. Richard Sanders has been appointed research and advisory lead in Asia Pacific, bringing 30 years experience in the field of catastrophe modeling and risk analysis. Sanders will work with Gallagher Res teams in Asia Pacific and with the wider Gallagher Re practice and product groups to enhance their regional capabilities in areas such as climate and broader ESG themes. He will also act as the principal contact point for public-private partnerships in Asia Pacific.

has been appointed research and advisory lead in Asia Pacific, bringing 30 years experience in the field of catastrophe modeling and risk analysis. Sanders will work with Gallagher Res teams in Asia Pacific and with the wider Gallagher Re practice and product groups to enhance their regional capabilities in areas such as climate and broader ESG themes. He will also act as the principal contact point for public-private partnerships in Asia Pacific. Andy Hulme has joined Gallagher Re as head of Actuarial for Australia and New Zealand. A qualified actuary by profession, Hulme brings more than 25 years experience in the re/insurance industry having worked in both direct insurance companies and reinsurance brokers across the UK and Australia, including experience in the wider APAC region. During this time, he provided trusted advice to a range of government and commercial entities in relation to insurance risk transfer.

has joined Gallagher Re as head of Actuarial for Australia and New Zealand. A qualified actuary by profession, Hulme brings more than 25 years experience in the re/insurance industry having worked in both direct insurance companies and reinsurance brokers across the UK and Australia, including experience in the wider APAC region. During this time, he provided trusted advice to a range of government and commercial entities in relation to insurance risk transfer. Hitoshi Sonobe has joined Gallagher Re as head of Analytics for Malaysia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Sonobe will be at the forefront of Gallagher Res analytics proposition for its Malaysian client base, while leading and harnessing the competence of the growing local team. He will build on the delivery of quality ground-up reinsurance analytics, while strengthening the cohesion of advice across the risk-spectrum.

Earlier this year we announced the appointment of our new Australian CEO, Heather Bone, as well as the expansion of our Australian team with a raft of key client-focused hires. These latest senior appointments build out our strategic analytical, actuarial and client engagement capabilities across the wider Asia Pacific region, which continues to be a significant growth area for Gallagher Re, commented Mark Morley, managing director of Asia Pacific at Gallagher Re.

Topics New Markets A.J. Gallagher
The U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited two more Dollar General stores for endangering the safety of their employees, continuing the companys long history of workplace safety violations nationwide.

In Baldwin, Wisconsin, OSHA inspectors responded to a referral from local fire officials in December 2021 and found emergency exit doors closed and padlocked on the inside with a bike lock and a board. Boxes of merchandise blocked the exit. In an emergency, these conditions would prevent workers and others from exiting the store through these emergency exits.

Store managers told OSHA inspectors the exit doors needed repairs to close properly and were frequently padlocked and blocked with a board while employees were present. OSHA determined that Dollar General allowed the door to remain in disrepair since September 2021. Fire officials inspected the store 11 times in 2021, and ordered the facility closed six times due to hazardous conditions.

OSHA issued four willful citations for blocking emergency routes, exits and fire extinguishers and failing to leave adequate space around electrical panels. The agency proposed penalties of $435,081.

A similar inspection was conducted at a Dollar General store in Seville, Ohio, on Jan. 11, 2022. OSHA inspectors discovered barrel locks on the inside of a doubledoor emergency exit, which requires special knowledge and additional time to open and might prevent a safe and quick exit in an emergency. The agency cited the store for one willful violation and proposed $145,027 in penalties.

OSHA cites Dollar General stores frequently for exposing workers to serious hazards, including the use of locks at exits, which can be catastrophic in an emergency, explained OSHA Regional Administrator William Donovan in Chicago. This companys willingness to gamble with workers lives is disturbing and must stop before tragedy strikes.

Since 2017, OSHA has issued Dollar General stores numerous repeat and willful citations at locations nationwide. Inspectors routinely identify violations related to obstructed exit routes, portable fire extinguishers and blocked electrical panels. On several occasions, Dollar General Corp.s Director of Risk Management Adam Zager has signed settlement agreements with OSHA, promising on behalf of the company, to resolve similar violations at its stores.

Founded in 1939, the Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based Dollar General Corp., operates more than 18,000 stores in 46 states.

Topics Wisconsin
The Michigan Supreme Court last week reinstated a lawsuit against a senior living center where an 89-year-old woman was locked out in cold weather and died a few weeks later.

In a 4-2 order, the court said Independence Village in Oxford had a duty to provide reasonable care. The case will return to Oakland County court.

Virginia Kermath was wearing only a nightgown when she apparently walked out a side door without her keys in December 2013. She was outdoors for 14 minutes. Hypothermia and frostbite contributed to her eventual death.

Lower courts said the harm to Kermath wasnt foreseeable by Independence Village. But the Supreme Court disagreed.

The potential burden associated with taking reasonable measures to prevent residents from being locked out and unable to alert staff, such as installing a buzzer or cameras, appears minimal when compared to the potential harm that could befall residents, the court said.

In a court filing, Independence Village said Kermath chose independent senior living and that she and her family never indicated that she needed supervision at night.

No reasonable juror could find that her death was foreseeable, lawyers for Independence Village said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Michigan
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Parents of a slain fourth grader and a teacher at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, are laying the groundwork for lawsuits against the gun maker that sold a semi-automatic rifle used in the mass shooting.

Emilia Marin, the teacher, filed a request to gather financial and marketing records from Daniel Defense, the Georgia-based manufacturer that sold the 18-year-old gunman an AR-15 rifle online. He picked up the gun at a local dealers shop. Shes also seeking to question company officials.

According to papers filed in Uvalde County district court, Marins attorneys are requesting information related to the sale of the specific rifle used in the school massacre, which left 19 students and two teachers dead. But they also want facts related to four Daniel Defense AR-15 guns found in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2017 from where a shooter killed 60 people and wounded more than 400.

Marin is also asking the gun maker to turn over the last 10 years of its sales data of AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles, its donations to the National Rifle Association and other lobbying groups, and any data the company has collected on the number of deaths or crimes associated with its guns since 2012.

Marins lawyers want any facts surrounding Daniel Defenses pattern of marketing of its products in a manner associating firearms, and minors, by posting on social media, according to a copy of the filing.

Marin was wrongly accused by authorities of leaving a door propped open through which the gunman entered the school. The Texas Department of Public Safety later clarified that the shooter had entered through an unlocked door.

Daniel Defense didnt respond to a request for comment.

Lawyers for Alfred Garza and Kimberly Garcia  parents of Amerie Jo Garza, a 10-year-old killed at the school  sent letters Friday to Daniel Defense, requesting much of the same marketing materials that Marin is seeking.

Mikal Watts of San Antonio, Charla Aldous of Dallas and Joshua Koskoff of Bridgeport, Connecticut  who specialize respectively in mass torts, individual civil rights and the Sandy Hook mass shooting  also put the gun maker on notice to preserve all potentially relevant information that might be used in litigation.

In particular, the lawyers said they wanted Daniel Defense to turn over any materials related to: your incitement and encouragement of the assaultive use of these weapons; your online purchase system; your communications, on any platform, with the Uvalde shooter; and your awareness of the prior use of AR-15 style rifles in mass shootings, according to a copy of the letter.

They asked Daniel Defense to cooperate and provide the information without forcing the family to sue to get it  a long shot request according to one of the lawyers.

I cant help but think they are not going to cooperate, Koskoff said. I would love to be proven wrong. It would be so refreshing if they picked up the phone and said what do you need from us, here is the information. But I dont expect them to do that. We will get the information and lead our investigation either way.

In Re: Emilia Marin, 2022-06-34365-cv In the 38th Judicial District Court of Uvalde County, Texas (Uvalde)

Photo: Residents attend a vigil for victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022/Bloomberg

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics K-12 Gun Liability
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Elon Musk warned Twitter Inc. on Monday that he might walk away from his $44 billion deal to acquire the social media company if it fails to provide the data on spam and fake accounts that he seeks.

This was not the first time Musk had suggested publicly his acquisition of Twitter may not happen. But the warning, delivered in a letter from Musks lawyers to Twitters chief legal officer, Vijaya Gadde, marked an escalation. It accused Twitter of being in material breach of its deal obligations.

Musks threats to tear up the deal have coincided with a plunge in many technology stocks  including the electric car maker that he leads, Tesla Inc TSLA.O  amid concerns over an economic slowdown and higher interest rates in the face of raging inflation.

Twitter shares ended down 1.5% at $39.57 on June 6, a large discount to the agreed $52.20 deal price, as investors bet Musk will either convince Twitter to agree to a lower deal price or walk away.

In the letter to Twitter, Musks lawyers reiterated his request for details on bot accounts and said he reserved all rights to terminate the acquisition as the company was in a clear material breach of its obligations by not providing him with the information.

Twitter responded that it planned to enforce the completion of the deal on the agreed terms. Twitter has and will continue to cooperatively share information with Musk to consummate the transaction in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, the company said in a statement.

A self proclaimed free-speech absolutist, Musk has said one of his priorities will be to remove spam bots from the platform.

He tweeted that the Twitter deal was temporarily on hold in mid-May, saying he will not move forward with the offer until the company showed proof that spam bots account for less than 5% of its total users. He has said he believes spam bots constitute at least 20% of the user base.

Also Read: Musk Sued by Twitter Investors for Stock Manipulation During Takeover Bid

Independent researchers have projected that 9% to 15% of the millions of Twitter profiles may be bots.

In his letter, Musk said he needs the data to conduct his own analysis of Twitter users because he did not believe in the companys lax testing methodologies. Twitter has said it stands by its projections and it cannot provide proprietary information on how it produces them.

He is trying to walk away from the Twitter deal, this is the first shot across the bow, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said.

Legal experts have told Reuters the disclaimers Twitter used in its projections on spam accounts give it some protection against potential lawsuits, be they from Musk over the deal or shareholders over the accuracy of the companys regulatory statements.

Even if Twitters estimate is off, Musk would have to show that the San Francisco-based company was seeking to willfully mislead  a high legal threshold. Read full story

Its fairly obvious that Musk has buyers remorse and he is trying whatever to get a reduction in price, and I think he may succeed, said Dennis Dick, a proprietary trader at Bright Trading LLC.

CLINCHING A LOWER PRICE

To be sure, Musk may be able to walk away or renegotiate the deal even if the law is on Twitters side. This is because any litigation is likely to be protracted, and Twitter may decide it makes more sense to agree to a lower price or receive compensation from Musk rather than try to force him to complete the transaction in court.

Several companies renegotiated or walked away from agreed acquisitions when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 and delivered a global economic shock.

In one instance, French retailer LVMH threatened to walk away from a deal with Tiffany & Co. The U.S. jewelry retailer agreed to lower the acquisition price by $425 million to $15.8 billion.

As part of the deal, Musk is contractually obligated to pay a $1 billion breakup fee  a sliver of his fortune pegged by Forbes at $219 billion  if he cannot complete the transaction because the debt financing falls apart or regulators block it.

U.S. antitrust regulators last week decided not to further scrutinize Musks acquisition of Twitter, making it unlikely that it would stumble on regulatory grounds. The European Union is still reviewing the deal.

In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday that he had begun an investigation into Twitter for what he said was potentially false reporting over its fake bot accounts, a potential violation of state law.

Paxton asked Twitter to turn over documents as part of the probe.

If Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue, I have a duty to protect Texans, Paxton said in a statement.

A Twitter spokesperson said the company stood by its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Related:
A federal appellate court last week cleared the way for thousands of Houston-area property owners and their insurers to pursue claims for damages after the US Army Corps of Engineers emptied two reservoirs that were holding back floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

A panel of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a US Court of Federal Claims ruling that dismissed 176 lawsuits filed by the owners of properties along Buffalo Bayou downstream of the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs.

Rand Nolen, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said he doesnt forsee any further procedural obstacles that would delay trial on property damage claims that he said are expected to cost $6.5 to $13 billion.

Now the court has told the government it must pay the folks whose property it flooded, damaged, and destroyed, Nolen, with the Fleming, Nolen and Jez law firm in Houston, said in a press release.

A similar lawsuit was filed by property owners upstream of the reservoirs. They allege the government did not buy enough land to adequately store floodwaters and used their properties for the extra storage.

Nolen said in an interview that the evidence shows the Corps intentionally emptied the reservoirs simply because an operating manual written in 1962 told them to do so. He said the dams were fortified in the 1980s and 1990s; there was never any threat of structural damage.

Literally, what they did when they opened those floodgates is they moved the water that was behind the reservoirs into everybodys living rooms, he said.

Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Co., American Home Assurance Co., Great Lakes Insurance and Lexington Insurance Co. are among the plaintiffs in the cases that were consolidated by the Federal Claims court. The insurers are seeking to subrogate property damage claims they paid because of the Buffalo Bayou flooding.

The plaintiffs say the government must compensate them for damages under the 5th Amendment, which prohibits the government from taking private property without just compensation. The lawsuits allege that the government took a flowage easement over their properties when it decided to release water from its dams.

Senior Judge Loren A. Smith, with the Federal Claims Court, granted a motion to dismiss filed by the government, finding that that the property owners did not have a vested right in perfect flood control. His ruling says the US Supreme Court has routinely held that the government cannot be held liable under the Fifth Amendment for property damage caused by events outside the governments control, otherwise known as acts of God. Also, sovereign immunity protects the Corps because the release of water was made under the governments police power to protect public safety, the trial court found.

But the Circuit Court panel rejected the judges reasoning. The opinion says Texas courts have tied the exercise of police power to solely to the abatement of nuisances, not the release of flood waters.

A general police power exception to property rights does not exist under Texas law, the opinion says. In fact, the Tucker Act, passed in 1887, specifically waives sovereign immunity for government flood-control projects, the appellate panel said.

Texas courts have recognized that property owners have interests in flowage easements under Texas law the appellate panels opinion says.

The Circuit Court declined to rule on whether the Corps actually did engage in a taking under the Fifth Amendment. It remanded the case back to Judge Smith to determine if that occurred.

Nolen said he doesnt have to prove that the Corps erred when it released water into Buffalo Bayou, but he has gathered evidence that shows there was no imminent danger to the dams. He said the Corps leadership decided to open the floodgates only because the Water Control Manual written in 1962 instructs them to do so when certain threshold conditions are met.

Presumably, the guidelines in the manual were intended to protect the structure of the dams, but nobody knows for sure, Nolen said. He said the operating manual was not amended after the dams were improved in two projects during the 1980s and 1990s.

Nolen said the Corps allowed water to flow out of the reservoirs at a rate of 16,000 cubic feet per second after Hurricane Harvey had passed. The Corps then kept the floodgates open for two weeks, increasing the amount fo damage.

He said water sat in the homes downstream from the reservoir at a depth of six to seven feet.

Any salvaging of anything is impossible, Nolen said. Even the studs you cannot reuse because they bow and warp and start causing problems.

Nolen said many of the 176 lawsuits filed so far against the Corps by downstream property owners seek compensation of about $2 billion for 1,875 properties. But he said an estimated total of 8,000 properties were affected. The six-year statute of limitations to file a damage claim has not yet passed. Nolen said he expects an additional 2,000 lawsuits to be filed, which will greatly increase the amount of damages owed.

US Court of Federal Claims Judge Charles Lettow ruled in favor of the upstream property owners in December 2019. A trial to determine the amount of damages in that litigation is now underway at the federal courthouse in Houston, Nolen said.

Topics Lawsuits Flood
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The Demotech insurance industry rating firm has withdrawn the financial stability rating for Southern Fidelity Insurance Co. after the carrier said it was unable to complete its reinsurance program at the start of hurricane season.

Southern Fidelity was founded in 2005 and has written property insurance in Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi. The loss of its financial stability rating is not good news for Southern Fidelity. A rating withdrawal often precedes insolvency or rehabilitation for carriers.

The company, with some 98,000 policies in force, told its agents in late May that it had suspended new and renewal business in Florida. That news came the same day that Floridas governor signed legislation designed to help some insurers with a state-funded, lower-level reinsurance program.

Demotech President Joe Petrelli, along with another rating firm, AM Best, said that the insurance reform passed during the May 23-25 special session is a step in the right direction but will not be enough to help some Florida carriers.

Pressures remain for market participants, particularly for those struggling to fully place their reinsurance programs ahead of what is predicted to be another active hurricane season, AM Best analysts wrote Friday.

Senate Bill 2D created the $2 billion Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders program, dubbed the RAP fund. It provides a one-time backstop for hurricane losses. Instead of paying premiums to the fund, insurers will be required to provide premium relief to insureds, expected to be about a 3% to 4% discount.

But AM Bests white paper notes that the fund does not apply to secondary perils, or events less severe than hurricanes, which have been problematic in Florida.

While the rate decrease requirement may provide some slight relief for consumers, it does not address the considerable rate inadequacy issues driven by loss costs, aside from reinsurance pricing. Additionally, primary insurers with already high leverage ratios will find their positions in jeopardy if they are unable to place prudent reinsurance programs.

A Florida State University professor of risk management and insurance, Charles Nyce, agreed that the RAP fund will not be a huge needle mover. It may help a few companies here before hurricane season on their reinsurance, but it wont have much of a long-term effect.

Some insurance trade associations said the legislative package, which included measures to deter claims litigation and large plaintiffs attorney fees, would address most of the problems facing Florida property insurers. Others said it did little to help some carriers struggling to complete their reinsurance programs this month.

Some carriers are managing, despite a sharp escalation in reinsurance costs. Universal Property & Casualty, Floridas largest carrier, said last week it had completed its reinsurance program for 2022-2023 at a total cost of $696 million.

And Heritage Insurance Holdings also reported that it had achieved full placement of its reinsurance program for 2022, including a catastrophe bond. The cost of the program was not announced.

We appreciate our reinsurance partners recognition of our efforts to better diversify and underwrite our business, and we plan to continue to proactively and appropriately raise rates and take underwriting actions within statutory guidelines to improve our profitability for the long term, Heritage CEO Ernie Garateix said in a statement.

Heritage and Universal said they had not utilized the RAP fund but will likely do so next year, as prescribed by the new law.

Peoples Trust Insurance, which also announced last week that it had suspended writing new homeowner policies in Florida, said it has met its reinsurance needs, but gave few details.

Our placed program meets or exceeds all state and rating agency requirements, said Chief Operating Officer Tom Gallagher. The company plans to resume selling new policies within the next 30 days.
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Tropical Storm Alex, the first named storm of whats predicted to be a busy 2022 Atlantic season, caused minor flooding in parts of South Florida before it strengthened a bit and aimed for Bermuda.

The storm that began in the Pacific and crossed over Mexico into the Gulf last week, dumped an estimated 11 inches of rain across the southern third of Florida, stalling cars and flooding some homes in the Miami area, according to news reports.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said the storm tested the system of drainage pumps the city has recently installed as climate change has increasingly made flooding an issue in the low-lying area.

We moved the water off pretty quickly, but in some areas, obviously, it was really challenging, Gelber said. There were some problems getting through on some streets, one of the main arteries was unpassable, but by and large water is dissipating.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said most government services, such as bus routes and trains, planned to operate as normal over the weekend. Canal levels in South Florida have been lowered to minimize flooding from heavy rains.

In Cuba, the storm killed three people, damaged dozens of homes in Havana and cut off electricity in some areas, according to authorities. Heavy rainfall continued Saturday, but was diminishing as the weather system moved away from the island.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began June 1. This is an unusually early start to the storm season but not unprecedented for Florida.

Photo: Water covers the floor at the Raw Juce store near downtown Miami, on Saturday. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald via AP)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Windstorm Flood
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A Georgia county and sheriffs office discriminated when it denied health insurance for a deputy seeking gender reassignment surgery, a federal court decided.

U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell last week found that Houston Countys health insurance policy, which excluded transgender surgery, is facially discriminatory and thus violates Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act. Deputy Anna Langes equal protection violation case will now proceed to trial.

The judge also found that Langes claim that the county violated the Americans with Disabilities Act failed because she did not show that her gender dysphoria was the result of a physical impairment.

The ruling, if upheld on appeal, could reinforce previous court rulings that employers must include gender-affirming surgery in their health coverage, and cannot deny requests for the medical procedures. The judge in the Lange case pointed out that the exclusion was discriminatory because Houston Countys health care plan, provided through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, would provide breast cancer surgery and hormone therapy for menopause, but it would not provide the same procedures as treatment for gender dysphoria.

The undisputed, ultimate point is that the exclusion applies only to transgender members, and it applies to Lange because she is transgender, Treadwell wrote. He cited a landmark 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision that found that Title VIIs protections include gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination.

The sex-change exclusions had been in the countys health policy since 1998, but had not been challenged until recently. The insurance plan has 66 other medical exclusions and 29 pharmacy benefit exclusions, the court noted.

Although the sheriff, Cullen Talton, initially thought Lange was joking when she told him in 2018 that she was transgender and wanted to wear a female deputy uniform, the sheriff later agreed to the request.

Lange, who was represented in part by the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, said in a statement that its a huge relief to know that I can finally receive the medically necessary care that I was repeatedly and unfairly denied, according to news reports.

This decision is not only a personal victory, but a tremendous step forward for all transgender Southerners who are seeking insurance coverage for medically necessary care, she added.

The decision comes amid increasing backlash by some states leaders on transgender issues.

Topics Georgia
A woman who was struck in the eye with a so-called rubber sbullet during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, causing an injury that required surgery, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Seattle Police Department.

Nikita Tarver alleges an officer targeted her  the only Black person in a crowd of white protesters  when she raised a sign showing the names of police violence victims, the Seattle Times reported.

Tarver was likely struck with a 40-mm foam-tipped projectile, one of several less-lethal weapons a federal judge later enjoined police from using against protesters. The rounds can cause serious injury. Their manufacturer warns against firing them at peoples heads.

The lawsuit joins dozens of others filed by protesters who claim police used excessive force against nonviolent demonstrators during the 2020 summer protests.

The Seattle city attorneys office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit claims Tarver and a friend were walking back to their car when Tarver hoisted a sign.

Within seconds of holding her sign up so that it could be seen, Nikita felt a blast in her left eye, the lawsuit says. Nikita screamed out in terror. Her entire face felt like it was burning and she felt like she was going to lose her eye.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Washington Law Enforcement Civil Unrest
A prescription drug maker has done its legal duty by warning prescribing physicians of a drugs risks in accordance with Washington law even when the drugs are advertised directly to consumers, the states Supreme Court ruled.

The ruling may have upheld the status quo, but it addresses a legal challenge that sought to shift the duty to inform consumers of side effects to the drug makers to keep up with changes to healthcare and increased direct-to-consumer advertising.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington asked the high court to rule whether theres a direct-to-consumer advertising exception in a learned intermediary case involving a man who reportedly suffered a stroke and permanent disabilities after taking the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis.

The Supreme Court issued its ruling late last week.

The policies underlying the learned intermediary doctrine remain intact even in the direct-to- consumer advertising context, the courts ruling states. Further, existing state law sufficiently regulates product warnings and prescription drug advertising. Accordingly, we hold regardless of whether a prescription drug manufacturer advertises its products directly to consumers, the manufacturer satisfies its duty to warn a patient when it adequately warns the prescribing physician of the drugs risks and side effects.

The case is Dearinger et al v. Eli Lilly. In the lawsuit, plaintiff David Dearinger alleges that two hours after taking the prescription drug made by Eli Lilly and Co. to treat hyperplasia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and erectile dysfunction, he suffered a hemorrhage that lead to a stroke.

The suit was filed in federal court under Washingtons Products Liability Act and it charges negligence, and claims Lilly knew or should have known Cialis presented a risk of stroke and failed to warn users of this risk.

Lilly moved to dismiss the complaint arguing it provided adequate warnings to Dearningers prescribing physician, pointing out that it was in accordance with the learned intermediary doctrine, a policy adopted by most states that places the responsibility of warning patients of the risks of prescribed medicines on prescribing physicians.

Dearinger countered an exception to this doctrine should be considered for drug makers who advertise directly to consumers. Since no Washington court had considered this exception, Dearinger moved for the U.S. District Court to certify a question to the high court asking if state law recognizes such an exception.

The Washington State Association for Justice Foundation filed an amicus curiae brief supporting Dearinger, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers submitted briefs supporting Lilly.

The case centers on product liability, which is governed under the Washington Products Liability Act. The court in its ruling cited two past applicable decisions from 2017 and 1978 upholding the learned intermediary doctrine.

The act holds manufacturers liable for failing to provide warnings about a product if it harms a user, but this duty to provide warnings to patients under the learned intermediary doctrine is transferred to the doctor, who is in a better position to communicate then to the patient, according to the ruling.

Courts applying the learned intermediary doctrine have done so without recognizing an exception, the ruling states.

Dearninger has been reached out to for comment.

A Lilly spokesperson responded to a request for comment via email with the following statement:

Lilly strongly believes the Court arrived at the correct decision by rejecting the plaintiffs request to recognize an exception to the learned intermediary doctrine in Washington. Physicians and other prescribers will continue to play a crucial role in and are responsible for ensuring that patients understand the risks and benefits of medications.

Dearinger and the other interested parties in the case also argued that changes to healthcare and increased direct-to-consumer advertising should necessitate an exception to the learned intermediary doctrine.

The high court in its consideration of that argument referred to rationale in state law that physicians exercise independent judgment, patients primarily rely on this judgement, physicians decide what facts should be told to the patient and its difficult for drug makers to communicate directly with the consumer.

By legal design, a physician must exercise independent judgement in prescribing medication, and a consumer must rely on this judgement in obtaining a prescription like Cialis, the ruling states.

Topics Trends Washington Drugs
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Global magnesium Stearate market trend 2025-2029 What is Magnesium Stearate used for? by Newsintegra927

How serious are fertility problems today? People don't want to give birth,can't afford it, and can't give birth that has become the "three mountains".

The problem of childbirth is related to the people's livelihood. Whether a country can prosper or not depends on the population. I saw a set of data a few days ago. The data shows that on January 1, 1990, 2,784 babies were born in Shanghai. Ten years later, on January 1, 2000, 1,148 babies were born in Shanghai. In 2010, the number became 380. , 2020 only 156 people, the decline in the birth rate is shocking. The three most critical reasons are: I don't want to give birth, I can't afford it, I can't give birth! The decline of the global population will bring a series of economic and social problems, among which the demand for magnesium Stearate will also be affected.



What is Magnesium Stearate?

Magnesium stearate has the chemical formula Mg(C18H35O2)2. It is a soap consisting of a salt containing two equivalent stearates (the anion of stearate) and a magnesium cation (Mg2+). Magnesium stearate is a white, insoluble powder. Its applications take advantage of its softness, insolubility in many solvents, and low toxicity. It is used as a mold release agent and component or lubricant in pharmaceutical and cosmetic production.



What is Magnesium Stearate used for?

Magnesium stearate is commonly used as an anti-adhesive in the manufacture of tablets, capsules, and powders. In this regard, the substance is also useful because of its lubricating properties, which prevent the ingredients from sticking to manufacturing equipment during the pressing of chemical powders into solid tablets; Magnesium stearate is the most commonly used lubricant for tablets. However, it may result in lower wettability of the tablet, slower disintegration, and slower or even lower dissolution of the drug.

Magnesium stearate can also be used effectively in dry coating processes.

In the production of pressed candies, magnesium stearate acts as a release agent and is used to bind the sugars in hard candies such as mints.

Magnesium stearate is a common ingredient in infant formula.



Why is magnesium stearate used in tablets?

Magnesium stearate is one of the most commonly used lubricant additives. Magnesium stearate can form a film on other tablet excipients, resulting in prolonged-release time, decreased hardness, and increased disintegration time.



What are the side effects of stearic acid?

Skin irritation.

Severe eye irritation.

Severe eye injuries.

Respiratory allergy.



Is magnesium stearate natural or synthetic?

Magnesium stearate is a synthetic additive used to lubricate finely ground herbs into capsules or tablets and fill the remaining space inside the capsules. It is synthesized by adding magnesium ions to stearic acid. Stearic acid is found naturally in plants such as cottonseed oil, canola oil, and palm oil. Although stearic acid is naturally occurring in nature, magnesium stearate is not. It is synthesized in the laboratory through fractionation, bleaching, and deodorization.



What is stearate?

Stearic acid (SA), sometimes called octadecanoic acid, is a saturated long-chain fatty acid. It is found in humans, animals, and some plants.

It appears as a waxy, yellowish-white solid substance.



What is stearic acid used for?

Making soaps and detergents (one of the most commonly used methods worldwide)

Improve the efficacy and texture of detergents, lotions, and skin/hair care products, including shampoos and conditioners

Make makeup/make-up

Stabilize the texture of shaving cream and lubricant

Manufacturing detergents, household cleaners, and textile softeners

Shape and soften plastics

To make a candle

Make gum

Make supplements/tablets



The structure of stearic acid (an 18-carbon chain fatty acid) makes it useful for improving the texture and consistency of other products. It can help to make skin/hair/household products solid and improve their ability to mix with water (which is often difficult as oil/water doesn't mix well).



Is stearic acid a natural ingredient?

Yes, that's why it's found in many natural skincare/beauty products in place of chemicals.

SA is naturally found in animal fats, especially pork fats, and certain plants that contain fats/oils. These sources are heated and pressurized to separate and remove stearic acid.

A process involving distillation, steam, and cooling is then carried out to produce the finished product of concentrated SA, which is usually a waxy substance.



Is magnesium stearate a metal?

Magnesium stearate is the most commonly used metal-salt boundary lubricant and contains two fatty acids (usually stearic and palmitic) and charged magnesium. It is relatively cheap, chemically stable, and has a high melting point and lubrication properties.



Magnesium Stearate Price

The price is influenced by many factors including the supply and demand in the market, industry trends, economic activity, market sentiment, and unexpected events.

If you are looking for the latest magnesium stearate price, you can send us your inquiry for a quote. ([email protected])



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New Delhi: India's Oil Ministry recently conveyed its intention to five national oil companies including Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum Resources LTD to assess the possibility of buying shares in Russian oil projects sold by European and American oil majors.

Bp announced it would give up its 19.75% stake in Rosneft, the Russian oil company. ExxonMobil said on March 1 that it would exit about $4 billion in assets and terminate all of its Russian operations, including the Sakhalin-1 project in Russia's far East.

India's oil ministry has asked the overseas investment arm of India's Oil and Gas Corporation to consider buying ExxonMobil's 30 percent stake in the Sakhalin 1 project in Russia's far East. ExxonMobil is the operator of the project and Indian companies already have a 20 percent stake in the project.

Because of the ever-changing international situation, the supply and prices of international bulk magnesium Stearate are still very uncertain.

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Global market trend 2023-2030 The increasing number of newly confirmed cases in the US has also had an impact on the market for viral rt pcr kit by Newsintegra927

According to the real-time statistics of the world meter, as of around 6:30 on June 6, 2022, Beijing time, 535316817 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the world, and 6320250 cases of death have been confirmed in the world. There were 317372 new confirmed cases and 663 new deaths in a single day in the world.

According to the data, the United States, France, Australia and other countries ranked among the five countries with the largest number of newly confirmed cases in a single day. The United States, Russia, Australia and other countries ranked among the five countries with the largest number of new deaths in a single day.

More than 40000 new confirmed cases in the United States of a new coronal vaccine or myocarditis

According to the real-time statistics of the world meter, as of around 6:30 on June 6, 2022, Beijing time, 86511076 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States, and 1033580 cases of death have been confirmed in the United States; Compared with the data at about 6:30 a.m. the previous day, there were 42934 new confirmed cases and 158 new deaths in the United States.

According to Agence France Presse, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on June 3 expressed concern about the new crown vaccine of Novavax, believing that it may be associated with myocarditis. At the same time, experts are preparing to evaluate the use of this vaccine in the United States. Novavax vaccine has been approved for use in other countries, especially in Europe. In the United States, an independent committee convened at the request of the food and Drug Administration will meet on June 7 to evaluate the clinical trial data of the vaccine and make recommendations.

Buy high quality and effective DNA & RNA nucleic acid extraction reagent, lab consumables, automatic nucleic acid extractions, real-time PCR equipment and consumables or viral rt pcr kit . Send an email to: info@geneture.com and our professional sales engineer will get back to you within 48 hours.

Overview of market area prospect of viral rt pcr kit

By region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America is further divided into countries such as the United States and Canada. The European region is further divided into The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and the rest of Europe. The Asia Pacific region is further subdivided into China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and the rest of Asia Pacific. The Latin America region is further subdivided into Brazil, Mexico and the rest of Latin America, and the MEA region is further divided into GCC, Turkey, South Africa and the rest of MEA.

Market Demand of the viral rt pcr kit

The DNA/RNA Extraction Kit market and other viral rt pcr kits are projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.26% during the forecast period 2022-2027.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the viral rt pcr kit market for a short time due to restrictions on different business and research activities for viral rt pcr kits. In addition, diagnostic tests for other diseases and medical conditions in hospitals and other clinical diagnostic facilities have been affected as COVID-19 has led to fewer patients taking tests. However, the high rate of COVID-19 infection and research activities are undertaken by major companies in the field of sequencing to expand their understanding of the virus and its origins, as well as molecular diagnostics of the SARS-COV-2 virus, have led to the development and launch of many DNA - and RNA-BASED COVID-19 kits, The kits proved so important that they were in great demand.

Market drivers for the viral rt pcr kit

The growth of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market is primarily driven by increased investment in R&D activities in different areas, including molecular diagnostics for different chronic and infectious diseases. For example, the US spent $842 billion on R&D activities in 2020, followed by China at $664 billion, according to the ORGANISATION for Economic Co-operation and Development. Technological advances worldwide, new product launches by major market players, and an increase in cancer cases are also likely to complement the growth of the markets under study.

Other factors, such as increased demand for automation of DNA/RNA extraction technologies, new user-friendly and easy extraction kits, and DNA/RNA for analysis of new diseases causing microorganisms, are expected to drive DNA/RNA growth. RNA Extraction Kit market during the forecast period. Therefore, low awareness and availability of the kit and low market penetration in less developed and developing regions around the world are the major factors limiting the growth of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market.

North America is expected to dominate the global viral rt pcr kit market during the forecast period

North America, which holds a major share in the viral rt pcr kit market, is expected to show a similar trend during the forecast period, mainly due to the high level of R&D activity in the region and the presence of major market players in the region constantly developing their products for the markets studied.

In the region, the US is expected to take a major share of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market due to heavy investment in R&D by government and private entities, increased demand for viral rt pcr kits, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases.

The viral rt pcr kit professional supplier-Geneture

Geneture is a professional supplier of Nucleic Acid Extraction Reagent,Automatic Nucleic Acid Extraction,Lab consumables, Real-time PCR, Covid-19 Rapid Test Supplier. Buy high quality and effective DNA & RNA nucleic acid extraction reagent, lab consumables, automatic nucleic acid extractions, real-time PCR equipment and consumables.

Feel free to get a qutoe send an email to: info@geneture.com and our professional sales engineer will get back to you within 48 hours.

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Very lengthy delays in the planning system are probably the single biggest factor in deciding whether Ireland hits its climate targets, a representative body for the Irish wind industry has claimed.

An Bord Pleanala routinely forgoes its statutory obligation to decide on applications for wind energy projects within 18 weeks, according to Wind Energy Ireland (WEI), instead taking 50-60 weeks on average to make a decision.

The comments come as it emerged wind energy accounted for one-third of electricity generated in Ireland last month. There are now more than 300 wind farms in the State.

Our planning system must be urgently reformed and properly resourced to ensure that the renewable energy projects needed to cut our carbon emissions and drive down electricity bills can get built as quickly as possible, said Noel Cunniffe, chief executive of WEI.

Ireland has committed to a legally binding target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050, and a reduction of 51% by 2030.

Justin Moran, spokesman for Wind Energy Ireland, said he expected to see a large number of offshore wind farms being applied for next year which will greatly exacerbate the planning delays plaguing the system at the moment.

If we cant get them through the planning system, we cant build them, said Mr Moran. And if we cant build them, we cant connect them to the electricity grid. If we cant do that, we cant decarbonise.

Planning will also be needed for solar farms and grid reinforcements which will enable the grid to be strengthened to take all of this [energy].

This May was the strongest on record for wind energy in Ireland, an increase of 9% on the previous year. Wind generation has provided an enormous amount of clean energy this year, amounting to 37% of Irelands electricity over the first five months of the year, according to WEI.

We expect to see new wind farms connected before the end of 2022, said Mr Cunniffe.

And with solar farms connecting to the grid this year for the first time too, the two technologies will increasingly be able to work together to push fossil fuels off the Irish electricity system.

Mr Cunniffe said the increase in usage this year would help to insulate Irish consumers from our dependence on expensive imported gas.

Although prices on the wholesale electricity market fell significantly to an average of 143.27, it is understood this was due to a combination of an oversupply of gas in the UK, lower-than-expected demand and better renewable energy performance.

Read More Record wind power generated in Ireland in April

Wind generation fluctuated greatly this spring, from 53% during a gusty February to 33% throughout a more settled March. To compensate for the difference, gas and coal usage rose as wind energy depleted.

The record for the most wind energy generated in the Republic was set on February 12 this year, with almost 4,500 MW generated. The Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 was passed last year to underpin the offshore wind farm planning system.

Half a dozen projects on the east coast and one on the west coast are applying for maritime area consent, basically a lease for the seabed. It doesnt grant planning permission, but its what you need before you can apply, Mr Moran said.

He expects once this process moves forward, there will be several planning applications early next year which will require significant resources to examine at An Bord Pleanala. The Irish Examiner contacted An Bord Pleanala for comment, but a response was not received by time of publishing.
A Waterford businessmans hotel firm has been ordered to pay the hoteliers sister the maximum compensation allowed, of 21,843, for her cruel unfair dismissal.

At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator Patsy Doyle has ordered the Seamus Walsh-owned Waterford Castle Hotel and Golf Club Limited to pay Bernadette Walsh a total of 23,808 for five workplace breaches including unfair dismissal.

In relation to the unfair dismissal of Ms Walsh while on sick leave in September 2019, Ms Doyle commented that this dismissal is a manifestation of a zero culture of fair procedures or natural justice.

The familial connection underpinning this makes it even more disrespectful.

Ms Walsh had left a $100,000 job in the Bahamas to return to her brothers resort business in March 2015 on the minimum wage of 16,000 per annum and occupied roles as resort executive, company director, and later general manager.

Ms Walsh returned to Ireland after her brother, Seamus had bought the hotel resort, which sits on a private island, from Nama for a reported 6m.

In 2019, Ms Walsh sought a pay increase of 49,000 to 65,000 per annum.

Solicitor for Ms Walsh, David Gaffney stated that Ms Walsh was concerned at the number of hours she was putting into the business.

Ms Walsh told the hearing that she adopted a girl Friday persona, filling in where the service required.

The remote WRC hearing heard that Ms Walshs request for a pay increase was refused by her brother, Seamus Walsh, who is based primarily in Melbourne, Australia and did not attend the WRC hearing.

Six days a week

Now back living and working in the US, Ms Walsh told the hearing that she worked an average of six days a week as she oversaw all aspects of the business and this covered a three-hour commitment on Sundays.

At the hearing, Ms Walsh denied the existence of family conflict.

Ms Walsh told the hearing that she had been shocked by her dismissal in September 2019.

Ms Walsh stated that she had tried to advance the case for her hours and salary at a meeting on August 20, 2019, with Mr Walsh but the meeting started on wages and then drifted onto operational matters with Mr Walsh allegedly telling her that she "was the biggest problem; you are too straight".

Ms Walsh said that after being dismissed, she had lived on her savings and job seekers' benefit before securing a new job in March 2021.

Chief financial officer at the firm, Louise Hurley described a breakdown in staff relations between Ms Walsh and Mr Walsh which by August 2019 had quite a detrimental effect on the business.

Witness for the company, Ms Hurley stated Ms Walsh had refrained from speaking with Mr Walsh, which she said was unviable from an operational point of view.

Ms Hurley stated that during her employment, Ms Walsh had the full run of a three-bedroomed luxurious lodge in addition to a company car and the firm put a value of 4,800 per annum on the accommodation.

The hotel firm accepted that an unfair dismissal had taken place and at hearing the firm argued that Ms Walsh's 16,000 salary was designed as a threshold for tax purposes.

The firm accepted that there was no substantially fair ground for Ms Walsh's dismissal and that it failed to adopt a fair dismissal procedure in relation to the Complainants dismissal.

Operative difficulties

The firm stated that by way of explanation rather than excuse, Mr Walsh was experiencing operative difficulties arising from Ms Walshs employment, growing familial conflict, and that familial conflict seeping into corporate matters within the firm.

The firm stated that these issues informed Mr Walsh's decision to dismiss Ms Walsh.

In her findings, Ms Doyle found that when unfairly dismissing Ms Walsh, the company reneged on their own procedures when they summarily dismissed the highest ranking and lowest paid member of the management team.

Ms Doyle further stated that the impact of the decision to dismiss Ms Walsh in such a summary judgement style was cruel and pointed to the fact that the letter of dismissal reflects the following phrase: "This decision is no reflection whatsoever on your competence or capability. Thank you for your service and loyalty; however, on the expiration of one month from the date of this letter your employment with us will end."

Broke all the rules

Ms Doyle further found that the hotel firm broke all the rules of fair procedures and natural justice in the dismissal of September 2nd 2019.

Ms Doyle stated that the decision was a unilateral action not channelled through the board and on the balance of probabilities reflected operational concerns signalled by Ms Hurleys reference to Mr Walsh and Ms Walsh not speaking.

Ms Doyle stated that the operational concerns were not spelled out by the hotel firm and Ms Walsh was not given time to address matters to improve.

Ms Doyle also found that then serving company director Ms Walsh was unfairly dismissed and the dismissal disproportionate and without a stated reason.

Ms Doyle also found that the case requires that I do justice to the parties in applying the maximum compensation permitted to me as there is no viable means of return to the business in this case.

Earlier in the findings, Ms Doyle stated that she found it unusual that anyone would leave a $100,000 employment in the sun for a sub-minimum wage and a vague variety in titled positions at a family hotel.

Ms Doyle stated that she appreciated that the business was rescued from Nama or receivership, but I identified early in the case a lack of foundation to the business enterprise which seemed to be home to a high attrition rate of key staff and changed titles.

Ms Doyle stated that the parties presented a very unusual employment relationship before the WRC, stating that Ms Walsh was simply appointed to the role by familial patronage.

For me, that amounted to an almost spiritual appointment.

Ms Doyle stated that none of the pre-employment rituals were followed, for example an interview, employment checks, a visible match fit of the candidate to the job, or an induction.

In addition to the 21,843 award for unfair dismissal, Ms Doyle also awarded 750 for an annual leave breach; 600 for two rest periods breaches; and 615.30 for a statement of terms of employment breach.

Ms Doyle recorded that in reference to the clear familial links in the case and the sensitivities that may flow into an employment relationship, she offered the parties time at the commencement of the hearing if they wished to discuss issues.

She stated: The parties availed of the time but did not record a mutually acceptable resolution and the case progressed as planned.
The jubilee coup is under way. The rumbling turmoil in the Tory party is a wonder to behold  but it runs deep, stretching far further back in time than Boris Johnsons brief calamitous leadership.

The old chameleon party used to pick itself up and start all over again with some new face and logo, feigning ignorance of all that went before. Not this time. This is a party riddled with eccentric ideologues too remote from moderate election-winning ground to select any leader but one of their ilk.

This week, those 54 MPs letters required to trigger a vote against their leader landed on the doormat of the 1922 Committees chair. As red wall MPs turn white, the latest JL Partners Wakefield poll putting Labour 20 points ahead. Blue wall MPs face the even more astounding prospect of the Liberal Democrats upending a massive 24,000 majority in Tiverton and Honiton. The stampede to save themselves seems to be on.

Julius Caesar and Macbeth quotes litter the airwaves. I might add A Midsummer Nights Dream, and Titania awakening to find shes been sleeping with Bottom. Boris Johnsons defenders raise only guffaws when they tell the Sun: While these self-obsessed rebels stir up trouble, Boris is working hard to ease the cost of living.

Boos from royalists outside St Pauls as Johnson arrived for the Queens jubilee thanksgiving service, and the indignity of Mumsnet questioners impugning his honesty chime with polls and the public mood.

Which malicious cleric made the PM read that punishingly inappropriate Bible passage extolling, Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure? No one believes him  nor that hes working hard for us.

He is busted with the public, his ratings abysmal, a bourn, one pollster tells me, from which no politician has ever returned.

They say he will have to be dragged out, clinging to No 10s handle. If a vote is triggered, the rebels need 180 backers to oust him, but allies say a one-vote win is enough, defying Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May, who won but departed with dignity and tears after losing support. But for now, watch the dangerous spectacle of Johnson hurling everything at shoring up Tory MPs votes.

Grammar schools are back, he says, but that doesnt fly with the public, only with Tory cultists. The absurdity of imperial measurements appals business and even makes the Sun, tussling with bushels, groats and chains, laugh incredulously: Its firkin hard, it said.

Johnsons latest desperate effort reprises a Thatcher triumph that turned to disaster: he will sell millions of housing association homes to bribe voters with a 70% discount, demolishing whats left of Harold Macmillans social housing building bonanza.

And then, reckless and feckless, he may this week unveil his law to override the Northern Ireland protocol. The EU warns that would trigger a trade war, but he may wrongly think breaking apart the Good Friday agreement could be his Falklands moment. Pull it all down, the more mayhem the better, revive that Brexit enthusiasm. Its where to go when all else fails.

Rebels warn that if he wont budge, they will boycott all his legislation. Johnsonites retaliate by warning the whip will be withdrawn from rebels, so they cant stand as Conservatives again. And then there is the nuclear threat: if too many vote against him, he might launch a shock general election, just to lose them all their seats in revenge. Apres moi, le deluge  the thinking of every megalomaniac.

Reckless and feckless, Mr Johnson may this week unveil his law to override the Northern Ireland protocol.

We see the battle played out in arch-Tory newspapers, where MPs and ministers attack and counterattack. Noticeably few defend their leader  only the desperados, Nadine Dorries, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Grant Shapps and Priti Patel, deficients who would be swept away by any newcomer. But all critics and loyalists are grappling with the same hard question: is there any further point to Johnson? Is he  in the face of a perfect political storm  still the best way for them to save themselves and keep their seats?

And if they cut him loose, what next? Civil war? Disintegration? Old Labour hands see their plight. They recognise a party seized by ideologues and fanatics, just as Labour has been to varying degrees in the past. They recognise a party not just infiltrated but devoured by the Brexit party and all the viruses attached to their Brexit-mania.

Tory moderates are largely driven out, even the most distinguished. Johnson dithered over joining the Brexit side in the referendum, but once he helped win it by a whisker, the party hired him as its jockey to ride Brexit across the line, to get it done. But here we are and Brexit seems not to be done after all. Which way now, but chaos?

There is a brokenness in everything they touch, an anti-midas touch. Pollsters tell me that there is no appetite in red or blue walls for their libertarian retro tunes of deregulation: cut the green crap, forget the climate crisis and pollution, axe Kitemarks and food standards. Those wild things only excite the Tory hardcore. But the cultists hold sway, so any leadership candidate will still need to cleave to their free-market and culture war obsessions.

It means they will struggle to align themselves with the public, for ordinary British voters want what they have basically always wanted: rules, laws, regulations to keep them safe and leaders who can deliver them. These Tories are as rebarbative to voters as once were Michael Foot and Jeremy Corbyn.

Think hard, Johnson says. Come up with something. So their latest brainwave is to target an imaginary Waitrose woman. You can see why, as under Johnson the Tories have a huge woman problem, says Patrick English of YouGov.

Forty-five per cent of women back Labour, only 29% the Conservatives. But everything about this latest desperate ploy is wrong. Waitrose has just 4.8% of grocery sales, and its shoppers wont like being class-tagged and politically pigeonholed. The archetype, we are told, is called Catherine  so the party has probably just lost a lot of Catherines too.

And what of all non-Waitrose shoppers, especially those who saw their Waitrose stores in Wolverhampton, Marlow, Scarborough and Stevenage close down? Catherine wont save them and neither, you must now assume, will the hitherto lauded dark political skills of Johnsons go-to strategist Lynton Crosby. He has dug Johnson out before, but some holes are just too deep.

I may be wrong. How often have Labour people stood on the brink of toppling Tory hegemony, only to watch Conservatives rescue themselves with their ruthless instinct for survival? But talk to people, read the runes, feel the shifting ground.

This time the ruling partys breath-taking incompetence and hubris is weighed down by public service failures and a brutal cost of living crisis. I see no sign these cultists know how to abandon their alien creeds to save themselves.
Burma Civilian Suffering in Myanmar Northwest Highest as Regime War Crimes Continue

Bin Ywar village in Mingin Township, Sagaing Region, after being torched by regime forces in February. / Chindwin Chit Thu

Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin State collectively have recorded the highest amounts of civilian suffering as Myanmars junta has continued its war crimes and crimes against humanity in anti-regime strongholds, according to international and domestic reports.

Junta troops repeatedly committed arbitrary killings, massacres, torture, bombardment and burning civilian houses, leaving a large proportion of people displaced.

The areas are also hotbeds of armed resistance with the junta responding heavily, especially in May when troops raided and torched villages nearly every day.

UNICEFs most recent humanitarian report on Myanmar said more than 320,900 civilians had been displaced by the end of 2021.

However, in the first quarter of 2022 this figure has more than doubled and, as of 23 May, approximately 694,300 people have been internally displaced in Myanmar since the military coup, with nearly 49 per cent of them (336,600 people) within the Sagaing Region, it said.

The Institute for Strategy and Policy, a think tank in Myanmar, reported on Thursday that following the coup until May 26, an estimated 22,299 buildings had been burned down and damaged by the junta.

Sagaing Region has suffered the worst, losing 15,530 houses and other buildings in arson attacks, followed by Magwe with 4,822.

Between May 1 and 26, at least 7,662 buildings were burned down across the country, including 5,337 houses in Sagaing and 2,143 in Magwe, the group said.

Nearly 400 houses at 18 villages in the resistance stronghold of Myaung Township, Sagaing Region, were burned down between May 18 and 25, said the institute.

Since the declaration of a peoples war by the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) on September 7, 2021, the junta has stepped up atrocities, including shelling residential areas, looting and burning houses, arbitrarily killing civilians and using them as human shields, especially in Chin, Sagaing, Magwe, Shan, Kayah and Karen.

After facing difficulties in controlling these areas amid growing resistance from peoples defense forces which were attacking military outposts, convoys, detachments, police stations and collaborators, the regime began looting and torching villages, accusing residents of sheltering resistance fighters.

On May 26 and 27, approximately 200 regime troops, including Pyu Saw Htee militia members traveling south along the Chindwin river in seven motorboats, raided and burned Kin and Upper Kin villages in Kani Township, Sagaing Region, without being attacked, according to residents.

After looting, troops burned 130 Upper Kin houses and 210 in adjacent Kin and villagers motorboats.

During the Upper Kin raid, Ko Aung Than Maw, 28, was captured and killed by junta troops, residents said.

An Upper Kin villager, who saw the body, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday said it had lost fingers and had numerous stab wounds in the chest. The victims head was also wounded.

In recent fighting in Kani, regime forces used drones and an MI-35 helicopter and seized seven displaced civilians as human shields to deter resistance counterattacks.

Mass killings, in which almost 170 people have been killed in five separate massacres since July 2021, have been reported with most of the killings taking place in Sagaing Region, said U Aung Myo Min, the NUGs human rights minister.

He said regime forces committed massacres in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Kayah, Chin and Shan states with children among the victims.

The juntas atrocities were also recorded in the anti-regime strongholds of Kayah and Karen states.

The latest report by Amnesty International on May 31 said between last December and March the regime inflicted collective punishment on civilian targets by relentlessly shelling residential areas and using airstrikes which kill civilians and damage homes, schools, hospitals and religious buildings in Kayah and Karen states.

The atrocities have forcibly displaced more than 150,000 people in the states since the coup in February 2021, according to the report. Kayah and Karen states have seen some of the fiercest fighting since the coup as anti-regime fighters fight alongside more established ethnic rebel groups.

Amnesty reported that air strikes killed nine civilians and wounded at least nine others, saying it constituted a new wave of war crimes and likely crimes against humanity.
Burma Local Resistance Force Kills Eight Junta Troops in Myanmars Yaw Region

Members of the Yaw Peoples Defence Force

Around eight soldiers were killed in a mine attack in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region during a junta offensive against the Yaw Peoples Defense Force (YPDF) Battalion No. 1 last weekend.

A front-line military convoy heading to Gangaw from Kyaw, a small town in the township, planned to attack the YPDF battalion on Saturday morning. After receiving a tipoff, all of the battalions personnel including its commander were evacuated before the junta soldiers arrived.

Landmines were planted at the entrances and exits of the battalions base and at least five exploded when the junta troops entered.

Ko Yaw Lay, the head of the YPDF, said, Eyewitnesses said they carried away the bodies of eight soldiers. Moreover, at least three soldiers were wounded during a guerilla attack by the YPDF near Mae Village on the Pale-Gangaw Highway on the same day.

On Sunday, the YPDF used mines to attack a convoy of nearly 100 military vehicles near Mae Village, destroying a military vehicle and injuring at least five soldiers. That convoy had been heading towards Gangaw from the militarys Northwestern Command Headquarters in Monywa in Sagaing Region via the Pale-Gangaw Highway since May 27. It arrived in Kyaw last week.

That convoy carrying supplies of food, ammunition and troops arrived in Gangaw on Sunday and then left for Kyaw on Monday. Our Yaw region is the main gateway to Chin State. There are a lot of Peoples Defense Force groups in Yaw region and it is also a major area for transportation. This may be why the military has been conducting more offensives in our region recently, Ko Yaw Lay said.

As the convoy was traveling to Gangaw Township, regime troops torched more than 100 houses in five villages on the Pale-Gangaw Highway last week. They also arrested 15 civilians last weekend, according to local resistance forces.

Thousands of civilians from six villages in Tilin and Gangaw townships have been forced to flee their houses since last week.

Yaw region is a geographically central area that includes Gangaw, Kyaw, Tilin and Saw townships in Magwe Division.

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Burma Myanmar Junta Forces Kill Seven Civilians Including a Child in Sagaing Region

The remains of houses after regime troops burned down Kyauk Taing Village in Sagaing's Wetlet Township on June 2, 2022. / CJ

At least seven civilians, including a child and two senior citizens, have been killed by Myanmar regime forces over the last week in three Sagaing Region townships.

On early Saturday morning, Daw Shi, a 78-year-old-women who had been left behind by people fleeing Thargaya Village in Sagaings Khin-U Township, was found dead after 100 military regime soldiers raided and torched the village, according to residents.

Regime forces raided the village last Thursday night and torched homes the following morning. Around 60 houses were burned down in the arson attacks.

Without any clashes, they [regime troops] entered the village opening fire. The victim died in the arson attacks as she was too ill to run away, said a villager.

The villagers also lost food supplies, cows and harvested rice in the arson attacks.

On June 1, a family of three including a child died when junta soldiers randomly shelled the residential areas of Koehtaungboh Village in Sagaings Kantbalu Township with 60mm mortar shells, said the Kantbalu Tiger Rangers, a local resistance group.

U Kyaw Soe, 56, his daughter Ma Lae Lae Soe, 26 and grandson Mg Zan Phone Pyae, 8, died after their home was hit by mortar shells.

A combined force of local resistance groups attacked the regime troops on June 2 and 3 in response to the arbitrary shelling, said the Kantbalu Tiger Rangers. During the fighting, three helicopter gunships were employed to attack the resistance fighters.

We attacked them as we couldnt stand for their atrocities in the village. We had to retreat when they used gunships said Bo Tiger, a Kantbalau Tiger Rangers fighter.

Three civilians including a woman and a senior citizen were murdered on June 2 by regime soldiers during a raid on Kyauk Taing Village in Sagiangs Wetlet Township, according to locals and media reports.

Over 90 houses were burned down during the raid. Afterwards, the remains of a 60-year-old male villager who had previously suffered a stroke were found in a torched house.

Locals said a female villager was also killed and burned along with her motorbike. The body of an unidentified man who had suffered serious head injuries was also found in the village.

Junta troops have relentlessly committed atrocities against the civilian population in Sagaing, including arbitrary killings, air and artillery strikes and the burning and looting of houses and villages. The regime has also cut mobile phone and internet service in dozens of Sagaing townships.

As of June 3, at least 1,887 people had been slain by junta forces, while almost 14,000 people including democratically-elected government leaders have been arrested or detained since last years coup, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Burma Myanmar Juntas Nod for Activists Death Sentences Draws Global Ire

Ko Jimmy, veteran democracy activist and leading member of the 88 Generation Students Group (left), and former NLD lawmaker Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw (right).

Ire and condemnation have grown both locally and internationally over the Myanmar juntas decision to execute a former lawmaker from ousted State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis party and a veteran democracy activist in what will be the countrys first judicial execution of political dissidents in four decades.

Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told local media on Friday the regime had approved orders to carry out the death sentences of four people, including former MP Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw and democracy activist Ko Jimmy, also known as Kyaw Min Yu. The spokesman said the junta-controlled judiciary had already rejected appeals against the death sentences by the two men. With all avenues for appeal thus exhausted, they would be hanged soon according to prison procedures, he said.

The two were arrested late last year in their hideouts in Yangon and were given death sentences on terrorism charges in January by a military tribunal for masterminding armed resistance operations in Yangon.

Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, 40, a hip-hop pioneer, was jailed by the previous military regime in 2008 for forming an underground youth organization known for using guerrilla tactics to distribute subversive material opposing the then junta. He was elected to the Union Parliament in the 2012 by-election representing the National League for Democracy (NLD) of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Ko Jimmy, 53, is a leading member of the 88 Generation Students Group, which rose to prominence during the 1988 student uprising against the then junta. He was also jailed at that time for his anti-regime activism.

The two other men, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, were earlier sentenced to death for killing a woman who was an alleged military informant.

The four are the first to have their sentences approved among 114 prisoners including students and anti-coup activiststwo of whom are minorswho have been condemned to death since the coup. The condemned prisoners were subjected to unfair trials, and denied their legal rights to counsel and to defend themselves, for their roles in the revolutionary movement against the junta.

On Monday, 199 international and Myanmar non-governmental organizations and civil society groups jointly condemned the execution orders and called for the four to receive justice, for the law to be respected and for an end to execution orders.

Below are some other responses from the United Nations, the international community and Myanmar democratic forces against the juntas decision and calls for it to be reversed.

General Gun Maw

Kachin Independence Army (KIA) vice chair

I am not talking about the judicial system, nor about who is right or who is wrong. But I wish to avoid an unforgivable mistake, Gen. Gun Maw said in a handwritten letter posted on his account.

Stephane Dujarric

Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General

We are deeply troubled by the Myanmar militarys decision to proceed with the execution of two pro-democracy activists after they received death sentences. This is a blatant violation of the right to life, liberty and security of person, the spokesperson said in a briefing, referring to an article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Parallel National Unity Governments Ministry of Justice

Death sentences imposed by the junta courts on Ko Jimmy, Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw and other civilians are a clear violation of Myanmars existing laws and international laws. Exercising the judiciary lawlessly and with a grudge and resentment to uphold the death penalty is committing a grave crime. We hereby announced that all verdicts handed down by the terrorist junta-controlled courts are invalid The terrorist regime will be held fully responsible for any consequences, the ministry said. It also warned that collaborators of the junta would be punished.

Ned Price

US Department of State spokesperson

The United States strongly condemns the Burmese military regimes reported plans to execute pro-democracy and opposition leaders, exemplifying the regimes disregard for human rights and the rule of law. We urge the release of all unjustly detained.

U Ko Ko Gyi

Former leading member of the 88 Generation Students Group, current chairman of the Peoples Party

The death penalty is normally upheld only after the final appeal to the president. This is also a time full of legal and political controversies. And thus this [the execution order] should be seriously considered, including the political consequences [that the junta will face]. Personally, as a comrade who worked with him [Ko Jimmy] for a long time, and as we are fathers who have daughters, it dismays me, U Ko Ko Gyi told BBC Burmese.

Phil Robertson

Deputy director of US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW)

[The] Myanmar juntas move towards executing two prominent political leaders will be like pouring gasoline on the fire of popular anti-military resistance in the country.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)

A junta council working to carry out an execution like this, is an unforgiveable act, and clear proof of utter disregard for the will of the international community who wish to return Burma [Myanmar] to democracy, as well as to ASEAN who wish to resolve the issue through the Five-Point Consensus. The AAPP added that the juntas execution announcement was an attempt to challenge and destroy future national reconciliation, including the stability of the country.

Spokesperson of the French Ministry for Foreign affairs

France condemns in the strongest terms the decision announced by the military regime formed by the 1 February 2021 coup in Myanmar to execute four people, including the writer Kyaw Min Yu Ko, known as Ko Jimmy, and the former NLD MP Phyo [Zeyar] Thaw. This is an abject decision that targets once again defenders of freedom. The violation of the de facto moratorium regarding death sentence that has existed since more than 30 years in the country represents a major setback, while 113 death penalties have been arbitrarily imposed by military courts since the military coup. France reaffirms its constant opposition to the capital punishment at all times and in all circumstances.

UK-based Amnesty International

It is shocking that the Myanmar military has said it will resume executions in the country. The death sentence has become one of many appalling ways the Myanmar military is attempting to sow fear among anyone who opposes its rule, and would add to the grave human rights violations, including lethal violence targeted at peaceful protesters and other civilians.
Burma Myanmar Resistance Destroys Trucks in Junta Convoy

Karenni resistance fighters seized two military trucks, weapons, landmines and anti-drone jammers on June 2 in Hpruso township, Kayah State. / KNDF

Myanmars resistance forces in Kayah State destroyed three military trucks and seized two others containing weapons after attacking a regime convoy.

Around 40 military trucks carrying approximately 200 regime troops were attacked by the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and Karenni Army (KA) from Bawlakhe to Hpruso townships after May 30.

A KNDF spokesman told The Irrawaddy that the fighting was intense as the regime used airstrikes.

The armed group said it seized two trucks, weapons, landmines and anti-drone jammers on Thursday at the border of Bawlakhe and Hpruso townships.

On Friday evening, the resistance destroyed three trucks between Law Kyal Khu and Mar Kha Yar Shel villages in Hpruso.

At least 10 regime soldiers were killed but their bodies were put on trucks so we do not know the exact numbers, said a KNDF spokesman.

The KNDF said two resistance fighters were lightly injured.

The convoy was reportedly supplying a Hpruso military training unit.

Bawlakhe to Hpruso is an hours drive but the convoy took six days because of repeated ambushes.

On May 8, about 25 junta soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed when the KNDF and KA attacked a convoy in Hpruso and four trucks were burned out.

Kayah fighting began more than a year ago with the junta using airstrikes and artillery. A majority of the states 200,000 residents have been displaced.

In May there were about 61 battles reported in the state and approximately 107 junta troops were killed and five Karenni resistance fighters seized. Less than 10 resistance fighters were killed, the KNDF said on Thursday.
Burma Pro-Junta Militia Extorting and Looting Locals in Upper Myanmar

Mingon (b) Village in Sagaings Kantbalu Township.

Members of the pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia have been extorting money and looting from villagers in Mingon (b) Village in Sagaing Regions Kantbalu Township, according to locals.

Around 40 Pyu Saw Htee militia members, led by three regime soldiers, extorted money from supporters of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in the village. Some 58 households out of over 200 were affected. The village is a Pyu Saw Htee stronghold.

They extorted 100,000 kyats each from households who voted for the NLD [in the 2020 general election]. They asked for 500,000 kyats from some households whose family members they dislike. They have often asked for 5,000 kyats or so from every household, a resident told The Irrawaddy.

The Pyu Saw Htee group runs a checkpoint outside the village. Militia members stay in a house in the village that they have fortified with sandbags, according to villagers.

Mingon (b) Village NLD activist U Nyunt Win Naing said that Pyu Saw Htee militia vandalized his house and stole two of his cows.

I opened an NLD office at my house. They looted and smashed things in my house. I am already in hiding, so I dont know the extent of the damage. My niece and her husband were taking care of my house. Pyu Saw Htee militia threatened them to leave. They grabbed a pair of my cows and sold them, he said.

Over 100 villagers have fled their homes because of the activities of the Pyu Saw Htee.

People have fled because junta soldiers were searching houses in response to trumped-up reports that villagers were financing a Peoples Defense Force (PDF). They are frightened because some of those detained were killed, said a resident.

Villagers said that they have not been able to irrigate their paddy fields for the final phase of planting before the rice harvest because of threats from militia members.

The Pyu Saw Htee said farmers are not allowed to harvest, meaning that they will confiscate the harvest. They should not do that to farmers who live in the same village as them, and some of the farmers are related to them. Most of the village residents do not engage in political activities and there is no PDF here, said U Nyunt Win Naing.

Residents claimed that the Pyu Saw Htee killed three villagers, and that their bodies were not returned.

They are doing as they please. They are deliberately bullying people out of personal grudges, using the political partisanship as a pretext. The military has not carried out raids or torched houses. But Pyu Saw Htee have torched and seized the paddy fields of farmers. They killed a couple last month, and also abducted U Shan Maung and killed him, said one resident.

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Analysis Myanmar Regime Unlikely to Grant Wa Statehood: Analysts

Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing (right) with vice-chairman of the United Wa State Party U Lau Yaku in Naypyitaw on May 30. / Cncds

At last weeks press conference, Myanmars junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun said the regime agrees in principle to United Wa State Party (UWSP) demands that the Wa region be upgraded to a self-administered state.

In principle, we have a general policy to grant higher status regarding the Wa. We have also agreed in principle to grant greater autonomy in other regions and states, he told the junta-controlled media.

The spokesman said every step possible will be taken to meet the demand of the Wa within the framework for the establishment of a multiparty federal democracy after a parliamentary election next year.

It was unclear if this meant the junta agreed to allow the Wa to create an autonomous state.

The Wa hills in northern Shan State were never ruled by any central authority. Even during the British colonial era, the governments presence in the Wa hills was very limited.

On April 17, 1989, ethnic Wa soldiers split from the Communist Party of Burma and established the United Wa State Army and UWSP and signed a ceasefire with the then military regime.

The UWSA has since become the most powerful ethnic armed group in Myanmar. It signed a ceasefire with the then regime but it refused to sign the 2015 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.

The UWSA is headquartered in Panghsan, also known as Pangkham, and is made up of Mongmao, Monglin and Mongpauk districts and Pangkham special township  areas which the UWSA refers to as northern Wa State covering around 1,500 square kilometers.

The military-drafted 2008 Constitution officially classifies Wa state as the Wa Self-Administered Division.

The UWSA later expanded to Monghsat District on the Thai border in the 1990s with the agreement of the militarys State Law and Order Restoration Council, allowing around 80,000 to 100,000 ethnic Wa to be resettled there.

The area is referred to as southern Wa State, designated by the UWSA as the Military Region 171 where some 9,000 Wa soldiers are stationed. But the 2008 Constitution does not recognize the area as part of the official Wa Self-Administered Division.

The UWSA wants its northern and southern states to be combined and recognized officially as Wa State. In its statement, it calls itself the Wa State Government.

The Irrawaddy was unable to contact the UWSA office in Lashio for a comment.

Human rights lawyer U Aung Htoo, the founder of the Legal Aid Network, said: The UWSA is demanding statehood to gain legitimacy. Statehood would contribute to its external relations, including with China.

Shan ethnic political observer Khun Sai said the Was demand for statehood is fine as long as it complies with human rights and democratic norms.

It is reasonable that every ethnic group would want a self-administered state. I have no objection to the Wa achieving statehood while it follows human and democratic rights, he said.

It is, however, unlikely that the Wa will achieve statehood with ease, he said. There is still no democratically elected government in place yet. Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tuns statement that the regime agrees in principle to grant statehood to the Wa is similar to what I say. I also agree it in principle. But observers think statehood will not be easy to achieve because the military will follow the 2008 Constitution, he added.

An ethnic affairs analyst said it is difficult for the Wa to gain statehood under the 2008 Constitution.

Article 53 states that the delineation of territorial boundary must be approved by more than half of an areas electorate, more than 75 percent of state parliamentarians, the Union parliament and president.

The Wa will face problems if they are to be granted statehood under the 2008 Constitution. A majority will be needed in a referendum across Shan State. The Wa already have autonomy and the military has no authority there. But under the 2008 Constitution, it will be difficult for Wa to achieve statehood, said an analyst.

U Aung Htoo said the regime promised future statehood for Wa to appease the UWSP, which is enduring a political crisis.

Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun said discussions will follow an election next year. A new parliament will reactivate the 2008 Constitution and it is unlikely autonomous statehood can be established under the current constitution.

Zaw Min Tun promised that agreements reached with the regime now will be implemented when a new parliament is elected.

The prime minister, the State Administration Council chairman and the commander-in-chief are the same person [Min Aung Hlaing]. Agreements with him will be respected. The military has already agreed the rights of ethnic minorities at the next parliament. It will grant those rights, he said, adding that new lawmakers are unlikely to object.

Any agreement reached with the regime is invalid under international law, said human rights lawyer U Aung Htoo.

A UN fact-finding mission found strong evidence that the military has committed war crimes and the military is facing lawsuits at international courts. Any agreement made with a criminal regime is not legal, he said.

After the talks with Min Aung Hlaing, the UWSP said it will not leave Myanmar but retain autonomy in all areas, except national defense and diplomatic affairs.

An ethnic affairs analyst in Myanmar said: They know Myanmars military cannot fulfill its promises. So the statement says the Wa will maintain the status quo to prevent things from getting worse. That means they will not fight if the regime does not attack them.
Guest Column Cambodia as ASEAN Chair: A Mid-Term Assessment on Myanmar

Protesters prepare to burn the flag of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as they take part in a flash mob demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on June 14, 2021. / AFP

Since joining ASEAN in October 1999, Cambodia has championed issues related to bridging the gap between the new and original ASEAN members. Phnom Penh realized that as the last member to join the grouping, it can also serve as a catalyst for other newcomers to further integrate with the ASEAN Community. After more than two decades, the country can boast that it has largely integrated with the regional economy. For instance, the country is now one of the most open financial hubs in ASEAN.

Furthermore, it must be said that Cambodia has never shied away from engaging great powers, be it China, the US, Russia or Japan. Prime Minister Hun Sen enjoys tete-a-tetes with world leaders on multiple issues. His latest performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos was just one of the examples of Cambodias growing confidence in the global community.

In the case of the Myanmar quagmire, the slow progress has been attributed to continued fighting between the conflicting parties inside Myanmar, in particular over the past seven months of the dry season. Despite continuous efforts to jumpstart political dialogue, the ASEAN special envoy has admitted that at this juncture none of the stakeholders are ready for dialogue.

It is estimated that since the coup in February last year, at least 1,887 people have been killed by the Tatmadaw (Myanmars military) and more than 13,959 have been detained, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. While it is difficult to get precise totals, the number of internally displaced has now reached one million due to the heavy fighting in the North and Northwest regions of Myanmar, according to the latest update of UN Office of Humanitarian Assistance.

At the recent virtual briefing to the UN Security Council, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn revealed that he was planning a second visit, which is scheduled for early June, to continue with the implementation on the ASEAN five point-consensus (5PC) dealing with cessation of violence, constructive engagement, COVID-19 vaccination, humanitarian relief and meeting with all stakeholders. It was interesting to note that this was Cambodias second time briefing the UNSC. This time, he was invited by the UNSC chair, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US envoy to the UN.

Prak urged the UNSC to engage constructively with Myanmar instead of isolating it. He also updated the UNSC on future humanitarian assistance for the people of Myanmar on which ASEAN is working. The Jakarta-based ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) is ready to dispatch joint needs assessment teams to evaluate the level of emergency and assistance in hard-to-reach areas.

During the May consultative meeting on humanitarian assistance in Phnom Penh, three main issues were discussedthe humanitarian assistance delivery arrangement framework; the delivery of humanitarian aid; and the framework for vaccine administration inside the country. The meeting agreed that the AHA center in consultation with Myanmars partners will spearhead all the three efforts, especially in needy areas such as Kayah and Karen states and Magwe, Sagaing and Bago regions. These five areas have experienced heavy fighting between opposing forces.

On his first visit in March, Prak Sokhonn was able to discuss the humanitarian plan and meet some stakeholders in the conflict. Plans are underway to ensure that the special envoy will be able to meet other stakeholders. The representatives of armed ethic groups and the National Unity Government have yet to meet with the special envoy. The last item of the 5PC is the proposed meeting of all stakeholders.

To complement the ASEANs chair efforts, Thailand is also holding talks with relevant dialogue partners and UN specialized agencies to organize urgent humanitarian assistance along the Thailand-Myanmar border and across the border. At this juncture, the Thai Red Cross Society is handling the distribution of both humanitarian aid and vaccines.

Since the coup, the fighting inside Myanmar has dislocated local villages in various regions. Those who are living close to the Thai border near Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces have sought safety from the conflict by crossing to these two provinces. For the time being, the provincial and local authorities have been able to handle the border situation, especially those related to COVID-19 safety issues. In the past six months, over 1,500 Myanmar villagers have crossed the border daily. When the fighting dies down, they return to their villages. While they are on Thai soil, they are given temporary shelter, food and medical care.

On his second trip, Prak Sokhonn hopes to meet different groups of stakeholders including ousted State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, currently under house arrest, and representatives of ethnic armed groups. The ASEAN special envoy hopes to finalize the proposed framework to provide vaccinations to the Myanmar people without discrimination. Under the framework, the AHA Center and local health officials from the Ministry of Public Health would jointly implement the vaccination program with a 50-50 work-force to the needy communities.

At the outset, the ASEAN chair said that Myanmar should be brought back into the ASEAN family. However, the latest assessment of the implementation of 5PC by the military regime is still wanting. Some ASEAN members have already threatened to recognize the National Unity Government (NUG) if the 5PC implementation falters. Malaysia has become the first ASEAN member to hold dialogue with the NUG. Others will follow suit if the SAC continues to drag its feet on the 5PC. Ahead of the ASEAN-related summits in the second week of November, there must be so-called substantive progresswhich will include political dialogueon the 5PC, otherwise the Myanmar regime leader will not be allowed to attend the planned summits.

Kavi Chongkittavorn is a veteran journalist covering ASEAN affairs.
The Eset NetProtect can be offered via mobile networks or fixed network connections to protect customer devices connected to telco and ISP networks (fixed or mobile) against malicious web domains or domain categories such as malware, phishing, and potentially unwanted content.

With Eset NetProtect, users also have full control of their childrens filters through Web Content Filter. The management portal for end users allows them to manage the Eset NetProtect settings of their connected devices, manage their domain whitelists and blacklists, and generate security reports, which gives insight into how Eset protects their devices and summary information about detected threats, and blocked pages.

The network-level solutions do not require any software installation on end user devices, which are compatible with both Android and iOS. It is provided as a one-click service activation from the users trusted internet provider and automatically provide protection to any connected device.

Eset Australia country manager Kelly Johnson says recent years have seen consumers face a changing online threat environment in ISPs and telcos, and cybersecurity solutions need to adapt too.



Weve seen from our own research in Australia how both children and parents have had to deal with some complex online environments in terms of threats, Johnson says.

We think our NetProtect offering deals with the evolving online environments, both for the telco and ISP sector, and for their customers.

NetProtect provides internet security available via a single click and control via a management portal. We see ourselves and our technologies as the guardians of progress that digital technology enables and our objective is to provide effective digital security that keeps consumers safe in every moment and in any eventuality.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 3 June 2022.
Non-profit organisation YMCA Victoria will standardise collaboration for its 5,000 workforce with Avaya Cloud Office by RingCentral communications and collaboration platform to ensure communications during external disruption.

YMCA Victoria has expanded to more than 150 sites in Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and Queensland including youth services, swim schools, and early learning centres and recreational facilities.

YMCA Victorias expansion encountered problems such as inheriting multiple disparate administration, collaboration, and contact centre technology systems from previous venue operators which risked operational silos across facilities impacting around 5,000 staff and volunteers.

It recognised the need to create a consolidated communications environment to enable collaboration for its workforce, whether in offices, community facilities and increasingly from home. Further, the organisation decided to consolidate its communication and collaboration workflows to improve operations and reduce costs.

Avaya Cloud Office has enabled YMCA Victoria to centralise its teams and processes.

Avaya was a natural fit for us as the outcomes offered by its systems align with our mission. Through better connected teams, we can increase our visibility within local communities and provide more ways for people to connect with YMCA at their convenience, bringing us together even when external challenges force us apart, comments YMCA Victoria general manager technology and strategy Shane Riddle.

Avaya Cloud Office is an all-in-one, office-in-a-pocket that provides YMCA with one unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) app that enables collaboration across multiple channels, allowing employees to call, message, meet, video conference, file-share and more within one environment.

Avaya Cloud Office has already provided the Y with reprieve for managing both internal and external disruptions, including lockdowns, by streamlining communication and collaboration capabilities.

Staff are now able to work from anywhere across devices, including iPads, iPhones and iOS, ensuring uninterrupted productivity and connectivity.

Tech-enabled community support and services

Looking ahead, Riddle said streamlined communication will bring less administrative work, meaning that staff will have more time to engage with community members face-to-face.

The delivery of our services will improve significantly this year, which, due to heightened demand on the back of the pandemic, has never been more important. Our teams will experience less of what we dont want, which is time spent completing excessive administration, and more of what we do best  efficient and personalised access to youth, fitness, recreation and health programs and activities, Riddle said.

For example, getting kids into the pool and teaching them to swim will become a much smoother process with all bookings, cancellations and payments being consolidated, Riddle added.

Avaya Cloud Office was implemented by Australian managed services provider (MSP) and long-term Avaya partner, Fixtel, which delivered system integration and staff training across more than 81 sites.

YMCA Victoria plays a foundational role in the lives of Australias young people and their families, and with Avaya Cloud Office, its easier than ever to get in touch with teams across the Y through a range of different channels, said Fixtel director Craig Taylor.

With Avaya Cloud Office centralising its workforce and support teams, the organisation will provide these services both more personally and efficiently, and navigate the immediate challenges during uncertain times, while setting itself up for the long-term by boosting productivity and bringing down costs by removing the need to maintain multiple technology systems, concludes Avaya team engagement solutions lead Asia Pacific Jeremy Paton.
GUEST INTERVIEW: Getting the Sniip is a great new way to cut costs and save money, with the app enabling a much better way to pay bills, including no fees at all when using debit cards, making the Sniip app impressively rewarding.

Sniip. This innovative Australian app is in used by over 70,000 Australians who have found its the best way to bill pay using BPAY, but connected to digital wallets, credit cards, and debit cards.

When using debit cards and Least Cost Routing (LCR), there are no fees when paying bills at all, and with a range of impressive features that let you take back control of bill payments, it's no surprise to see Sniip being snapped up by those who wish to become savvy money savers.

Sniip lets you easily keep track of your bill payments and receipts, schedule a payment, set-up an installment plan or create recurring payments. You can even have your emailed bills delivered automatically to the Sniip app and receive a push notification when its ready for payment, ensuring you'll never miss a bill again.

As the company notes, whether its your tax bill, school fees, rent, rego, membership renewal, phone bill, health insurance, car insurance, general insurance, body corporate, rates, water, utilities (or whatever bill youve got to pay) - if its one of the more than 60,000 Australian bills with a BPAY Biller Code on it, you can pay it with Sniip.

The eftpos network is part of making the savings happen for Sniip and its customers. Previously, the company was paying through international payment schemes fees of around $1.50 to process the average debit payment of $400, but with the eftpos Least Cost Routing network, this fee drops to a much lower 24 cents for the same transaction!

Sniip is also working with a great range of fintech innovators and disruptors that are based in Brisbane, and with Sniip also part of the Fintech Advisory Committee in collaboration with Fintech Australia, the savings have reached into the six figures.

Sniip co-founder and CEO Damien Vista noted that the Least Cost Routing network meant those savings are being reinvested into enhanced customer service, and stated: "From the customer perspective, its a win-win. They are able to use their debit card to pay bills without incurring any surcharge and enjoy a seamless customer experience that takes the pain out of paying bills.

They simply load up their debit card into the app, then choose debit when prompted to pay a BPAY bill.

So, for plenty more detail, please watch the video interview with Damien below, after which you'll find a summary of the topics we spoke about, so please watch, and read on!

I started by introducing Damien, and asking him to tell us about Sniip, and how it has grown since its founding nearly a decade ago to become vastly more than just a blip in the Australian payments space.





We then spoke about Least Cost Routing and the types of savings Sniip has seen since actively embracing LCR.





I then asked Damien about his involvement in the eftpos FinTech Advisory Committee, working on digital IDs, eCommerce, eQR codes and more, and what this has meant for transparency in the fintech industry, payments companies, banks and greater access to finance networks.





When then spoke about the RBA ruling in October last year that merchants should be able to access eftpos and least-cost routing by the end of 2022, how Sniip is clearly an early adopter and what else Damien can tell us about the benefits he has been able to reap for Sniip, Sniip's customers and Sniip's partners.





Damien then told us about Brisbane having become a Fintech Hub, bringing a bit of Silicon Valley to Fortitude Valley, as it were, and why he thinks Brisbane has attracted fintech companies, and what the network is like.





I asked Damien to share how he entered into the payments space, and a bit about his history in the world of tech.





Damien then shared how he saw the future unfolding, great advice he had receiving in life, and his final message to iTWire viewers and readers, and Sniip's current and future customers and partners.

So, to learn more about how Sniip has snipped its costs, and how it can snip yours, please take a look at the video interview with Damien to learn more!
Selling software has always been a competitive game, with vendors vying against one another to clinch deals and gain entrez for their technologies at ever more user sites. That overarching focus on pushing products, rather than solving problems, hasnt necessarily served customers well in the past.

It certainly doesnt where cybersecurity is concerned. Spending several years working in the sector, including a four year stretch being exposed to a local organisation which grew its security division from three employees to 70, has given me a pretty good handle on how businesses think when it comes to protecting their infrastructure, systems and data, from hackers and cyber-criminals.

Since the onset of the Covid crisis, doing so has become an increasingly urgent imperative, for organisations of all stripes and sizes. The frequency and severity of attacks has risen significantly  the Australian Cyber Security Centre received more than 67,500 cyber-crime reports in the 2020-21 financial year, up 13 per cent from the previous financial year  and so has the average loss per successful event.

Gartner projections suggest that major ransomware attacks, such as those which crippled beverage giant Lions operations back in June 2020, could cost more than $5600 a minute, according to Food and Drink Business.

Meanwhile, attackers are becoming more sophisticated and organised and businesses know theyre squarely in the firing line. Many have accepted that, realistically, when it comes to falling victim, its now a case of not if, but when.

Solutions not sales

Against that backdrop, business leaders and security chiefs arent just looking to get their hands on a string of tools and technologies that promise to deliver best of breed protection for various elements of the enterprises ICT ecosystem.

What they really want is for those products to work together, to form a comprehensive, robust protection layer; one that gives their enterprise the ability to deter and repel infiltrators and detect and neutralise them rapidly, in the event theyre able to slide through best defences.

Arriving at that status quo becomes significantly easier when vendors are willing to collaborate with one another; to align and integrate their products to create solutions that are compatible with customers existing operating environments and risk profiles. Automating, consolidating and simplifying processes, and achieving greater visibility into the entire network, should be the end goal.

Supporting the channel

Taking this tack isnt only in the best interest of customers; its good for resellers too. Every channel partner Ive spoken with (and they are numerous!) agrees its the best way forward. They recognise the benefits for customers and they realise that solving problems rather than selling products will build customer loyalty and trust, and up their annual earnings to boot.

Thats because tightly integrated products tend to enjoy greater longevity than point products that are easily swapped in and out.

Moreover, customers are more likely to make greater use of the functionality and features their chosen products offer; thereby eliminating duplication and gaps in their protection layers.

Working together

ExtraHops focus on collaboration with other premium vendors was one of the things that prompted me to join the company in late 2021. Its global partnership with CrowdStrike, signed in June 2020, has seen the two organisations marry their best of breed detection and response capabilities to provide comprehensive network to endpoint protection. The net result? A stronger security posture for their thousands of joint customers around the world.

Since coming on board in the ExtraHop ANZ office, Ive made it my business to begin seeking out opportunities for us to form more technology alliances and relationships, at a local level  and to communicate the benefits of doing so to our network of channel partners. Joint marketing and events will allow us to share those benefits, in turn, with the ExtraHop user base here in Australia.

Its a change in modus operandi for all of us but one Im confident will enable our reseller partners to continue servicing local customers differently and better in todays complex and challenging threat landscape.
Cisco, one of the Australias leading IT and networking companies, has joined Lifeline in pushing for better Mental Health in the workplace. For the second year running, Cisco will take part in The Push-Up Challenge as it aspires to top the community fundraising chart.

Every year, about 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health condition of some form. The importance of workplace mental health is rapidly increasing in the post-pandemic environment and particularly within the IT workers due to the higher rates of depression experienced in the industry.

As ways of working have shifted with the pandemic and with demand for telecommunication resources ever growing, the sector has been confronted with the challenges of supporting their staff to be mentally healthy.

Following success of last years The Push Up Challenge, Cisco is now calling on the broader IT industry to join them and provide tech workers with an antidote to feelings of isolation, all while enabling them to prioritise their physical and mental health.

The Push Up Challenge participants will take on 3,139 push ups across 24 days in June, putting a spotlight on the tragic number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2020.

Head of Small Businesses at Cisco, Karen Schuman, said The Push Up Challenge creates a safe and relaxed space to talk about mental health at work. By completing the challenge as a team, Karen and her colleagues are able to provide personal support to each other and foster better understanding of mental health.

When working in a high-pressure industry, it is crucial to have conversations about mental health and suicide, and we need to see more workplaces making it a priority, said Schuman.

May 2021, when I was first introduced to The Push Up Challenge, marked the 25th anniversary of my fathers death by suicide. The Challenge resonated with me instantly, both professionally, as a Cisco leader, and personally. For years after my fathers death, I couldnt say the word suicide without shame or hurt, so I knew it was the time to be vulnerable and have open conversations within the team.

Karen Shuman believes that rallying a workplace to complete the Challenge can have a positive impact on teams mental and physical health. It also provides much needed financial support to Lifeline Australia, which is working to make sure no one is facing their darkest moments alone.

Colin Seery, CEO of Lifeline Australia said, Just like Lifelines services, The Push Up Challenge is for everybody. The terrific thing about the Challenge is how it connects people through exercise, while empowering them with ways they can make a positive difference in other peoples lives.

More people than ever before are reaching out to Lifeline for help, and the money raised will support our services to be there for anyone, anytime, whatever the reason. We are delighted to have the Cisco team fundraising to back our crisis support services.

When organisations take the lead like this, it helps encourage Australians to talk about their mental health, learn how to best support each other and recognise when they might need to put their own hand up for help.

In 2021, over 174,000 participants completed 240 million push ups and raised $9 million for mental health programs and services.

Participants of all ages and abilities push-up while learning about mental health, with the number of daily push-ups changing to reflect a vital mental health fact.

Alternatively, participants can set their own push-up goal, which can also be done as sit-ups, squats or tailored exercises, with progress tracked through a dedicated app.

You can register for The Push-Up Challenge as an individual, a team, or get your whole workplace, club, gym or school involved at www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/lifeline.
Video communications solutions provider Brightcove has appointed former AMC executive David Beck as its first chief strategy and corporate development officer.

Brightcove says Beck will lead strategy, business development, and corporate development for the company, working closely with recently appointed CEO Marc DeBevoise  and his broad remit will also focus on enabling Brightcove to expand into new markets and lines of business utilising its market-leading software platform.

We are excited to bolster our executive team with the appointment of David Beck as Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer. David is an exceptional strategist and operator with deep industry experience and a proven track record of architecting innovative strategies and initiatives for world-class companies and brands, said DeBevoise.

Im excited to get to work with David and have him help us realise our vision and crystalise our continued growth strategy.

Brightcove says Beck brings two decades of experience in strategy, operations, and business development at elite digital brands, most recently having served as the Executive Vice President, Head of Content Strategy and Business Operations at entertainment group AMC.

At AMC, Beck led the strategy to accelerate AMCs streaming business model transformation, including its integrated Linear, SVOD (AMC+), and AVOD/FAST services and partnerships for B2B and DTC distribution. He also drove the modernisation of its core operations across AMC, BBC America, Sundance TV, IFC, and WE TV. Prior to his time at AMC, David served as the EVP, Corporate Strategy & Operations at WarnerMedia, and Chief Strategy Officer of TNT & TBS. He is also the co-founder of advisory and investment firm BRAVE Ventures, acquired by Turner (now Warner Bros. Discovery).

Brightcove is an innovator and trailblazer in the video communications space, and Im both energised and honoured to join the company at such an exciting time, said Beck.

With a new CEO developing a focused vision, a fantastic team with building enthusiasm and ready to act, and a best in class technology platform to build on, I am incredibly excited to go after the opportunities ahead of us.
Australias interest in Apple Silicon computers and tablets are contributing to the brands strong market share, according to The Telsyte Australian Table Computer Study 2022 by analyst firm Telsyte.

The study found that more than one in three (36%) Australians planning to purchase a computer this year are considering Apple devices.

The M1, first released in 2020 on Macs, are showcased in iPads. The study found that close to one in four (23%) iPads sold in 2021 contained the chip.

Despite having an ARM version, Telsyte estimates less than 5% of Windows compatible computers sold in 2021 featured an ARM processor, but this could increase substantially over the next two years.

The advantage of better battery life and portability will appeal to businesses as Microsoft is set to follow Apple down the ARM path with recent announcements, says Telsyte.

With further software and app improvements to iPads to leverage the M1 chips, Apple could introduce native Pro Mac apps like Final Cut and Logic for iPad Pros or develop a mode that allows iPads to run apps more like MacOS in coming WWDC announcements.

Tablet and computer sales softened in 2021 as 3.4 million tablets and 4 million computers sold. This was up 1.4% and down 2.3% respectively from a year ago. However, both figures are still higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Telsyte declares Apple Mac computers and Chromebooks as having a standout performance within the computer market, recording a growth of 17% and 15% respectively.

Apple remained the leading vendor in the tablet market with more than half of tablets sold in 2021 being iPads (iPads 53.6%, Android 16%, Windows 28.5%, ChromeOS 2%) and sales of iPads and Chromebook 2-in-1s grew by 5% and 8% respectively, while the other operating systems have experienced a decline in sales (3% and 2% respectively).

The top three tablet vendors in 2021 remained Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft, with over 80% of total sales combined.

Googles Android and ChromeOS set for a surge

Android and ChromeOS, Googles two consumer operating systems, are starting to appeal to consumers beyond the education sector.

The growing popularity of Chromebooks (both the 2-in-1 and laptop form factors) is making them increasingly competitive in both the tablet and computers market as an affordable computing device that also offers the full desktop web browsing experience, Telsyte found.

Lenovo is the leading Chromebook vendor in both the tablet (2-in-1) and computer markets.

Despite easing consumer demand for Android tablets, Telsyte expects Googles refocus on Android tablets  with better software support from Android 13  could improve productivity and potentially lift consumer and developer interest.

Android 13 is expected to have further user interface optimisation and gestures to take advantage of larger screens.

According to the study, 2-in-1s continued to dominate tablet sales with over 80% of tablets sold in 2021 being 2-in-1s. Keyboard attachment rates continued to increase across all tablet operating systems, including Android tablets.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Johnson City, TN (37604)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable.
Lawyer and opposition politician Lovemore Madhuku described Alex Magaisa as an extremely intelligent young lawyer.

Its very devastating that we have lost Magaisa. We were observing with keen interest the amount of energy he was putting into developing some form of interest in how the law can assist the ordinary person. His Big Saturday Read had become a household name, Madhuku said.

CCC leader Nelson Chamisa described Magaisas death as a huge blow for the country.

What a force, a giant! What a human being! What an intelligent man! What gigabytes of intellect! What a fine great man! What a sober mind! What a cool character! What a lovely brother! And he has not seen his hearts desire: A New Great Zimbabwe, Chamisa said.

Exiled former minister Jonathan Moyo tweeted: Gutting news about Dr Alex Magaisa. A fierce interlocutor, a prolific writer and an indefatigable contributor to the quest for a better Zimbabwe. His tragic death leaves an unfillable void in the countrys public discourse. Condolences to his family and friends.

Magaisa (47) is said to have suffered a heart attack while admitted to Margate Hospital in the United Kingdom (UK).

Some of his most read BSRs included Demolition Job  How the Regime is Unmaking the New Constitution; Presidential Decree  A Bout of Economic Madness and a Cocktail of Illegalities; and Zec has Broad Powers to Ensure a Free, Fair, and Credible Election, among several others. They sparked fierce public debate.

Magaisas academic achievements included a PhD in Law from the University of Warwick in the UK.

Between 2011 and 2012, he was part of the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee team that wrote the new Constitution of Zimbabwe which was adopted in a 2013 referendum.

Details of his burial arrangements are yet to be announced. Newsday




06/03/2022

by Buffy Lockette

As the world marks the 78th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, JSUs Marching Southerners will begin taking reservations for the bands 2024 trip to Normandy to observe the 80th anniversary of the day that changed the course of World War II.

The world renowned marching band will travel to France in two years to perform in ceremonies and events honoring the anniversary of D-Day. They will participate in services at St. James American Cemetery and Normandy American Cemetery and march in a parade in the first village liberated by American troops, Sainte-Mere-Eglise.



This will be an amazing experience for our students, said Dr. Ken Bodiford, JSU director of bands. We are honored to help salute the brave men and women who fought to liberate Western Europe and turn the tide of World War II.

This is not the first time the Southerners have crossed oceans to perform. They led the parade celebrating Queen Elizabeths Diamond Jubilee in London in 2012, participated in the 75 anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in 2016 and marched in the World Peace Day Parade at the Vatican in 2019.
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CW series launch their final seasons

For those keeping score, the CW will launch two new seasons of returning series. Theres nothing odd about that  theres a long history of summer filler series. But these two shows have already been canceled.

A sudden storm portends something frightful as Roswell, New Mexico (7 p.m., CW) enters its fourth and final season. In the Dark (8 p.m., CW) will also conclude after its fourth season runs its course. This drama, about a blind detective, never exactly found an audience.

But that could be said of most of The CWs fare. The network existed to promote shows that were later sold to streaming services or foreign markets. The CWs demise is a symptom of the fact that there are entirely too many networks offering too many scripted series that never gain any traction.

TONIGHTS OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

More action on American Ninja Warrior (7 p.m., NBC).

The voice of Kelly Macdonald animates the 2012 fantasy Brave (7 p.m., ABC).

The mystery of the one-eyed corpse NCIS (8 p.m., CBS, rerun).

Lifetime launches the true crime series, #TextMeWhenYouGetHome (8 p.m., Lifetime), showcasing a worldwide movement launched on social media (with flagrant disregard for punctuation) about the fears women feel walking alone in public spaces. The movement emerged after the murder of a British woman in 2021.

Sleeping With a Killer (9 p.m., Lifetime) profiles women who met tragic ends at the hands of a husband, boyfriend or rival.

A social media star is kidnapped on NCIS: Hawaii (9 p.m., CBS).

CULT CHOICE

A domestic aide (Barbara Stanwyck) discovers that the children in her care are targets for murder in the 1931 shocker Night Nurse (4 p.m., TCM).

William Wellman directed this thriller co-starring Joan Blondell and a young Clark Gable as a killer. The films depiction of depravity, alcoholism and drug addiction, and Blondell and Stanwyck in lingerie, offered a catalog of subjects later cleaned up by Hollywoods Motion Picture Production Code.

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All Lions Clubs in Ireland are joining Lions Clubs across Europe in dedicating Saturday, June 11 in support of Ukraine refugees and displaced persons. Over 9,300 clubs will be participating.

Already Lions Clubs in Ireland have provided cash, medicines, clothing, food and most important friendship and making new arrivals welcome in our communities. The Lions Clubs in Ireland have already contributed 150,000 to the Lions International Foundation who provide direct support.

Lions Clubs are planning different activities on the day including in some cases fundraising to support efforts for the Ukraine refugees.

In the case of Kilkenny Lions Club, we will be holding a Street Collection outside City Hall, Kilkenny from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, June 11.

Eddie Holohan, President Kilkenny Lions Club, said the club was delighted to support Lions Ukraine Day and that the proceeds from the fundraising will go to support Ukraine refugees in a time of great need.

"Every 1 raised in the collection will be used for the direct benefit of refugees and displaced persons," he said.

"The funds will be used by the Lions International Foundation to ensure support is provided in Ukraine and the adjoining countries such as Poland and also in Ireland where the number of refugees is approaching 30,000.
Sophie Koehler of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is a senior at Chippewa Falls Senior High School. She has had a passion for animals since she was 3 years old, which has led her into her emerging passion for agriculture. She is serving as the FFA president for her school chapter, where she was able to create and lead many service projects. In the fall she plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for the animal-science program for pre-veterinary medicine.

Ashley Andre helps with the youth perspectives; shes the policy-initiatives adviser for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Visit datcp.wi.gov for more information.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

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Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

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Mostly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
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...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 105. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
The Innovation Centre Denmark at the Danish embassy in Korea co-hosted the Circular City International Conference, where the respective mayors of Gwangmyeong, Hanam and Hwaseong jointly declared their intent to cooperate in becoming circular cities, on Jan. 24. Courtesy of the Embassy of Denmark



The world is facing a climate crisis and only through joint action can we offset global warming. Therefore, Denmark is active in launching partnerships and joining international calls to action so that we may inspire each other and speed up the decarbonization process around the world in a just, efficient and economically viable manner.



One of the Danish actors facilitating this joint effort is the Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK), a collaboration by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Headquartered in Copenhagen, the ICDK has seven offices around the strongest innovation hubs in the world, including Korea. In Seoul, the ICDK bridges Danish and local businesses, research institutes, universities and public entities to create synergy in innovation. It has many areas of expertise under its belt, but its main focus area in recent years for Korea has been building a greener tomorrow.



Over the past eight years, we have been engaged in a number of meaningful projects within a variety of green sectors, including green shipping, marine resources, the bio economy and more. In regards to green shipping, in recent years the Danish company, Maersk, the world's largest shipping and logistics company, ordered from Korea 1 feeder of 2,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and 12 large-sized ocean-going vessels that will operate on carbon-neutral fuels.



"This was fantastic news that reaffirmed Denmark and Korea as being extraordinarily compatible partners in the green transition. It also was a clear sign of the changing times: There are carbon-neutral solutions already available today. Market demand for the stable supply of green fuels is growing, as is the need to develop land-based energy infrastructure in ports that can handle these new fuels and batteries. These are areas where seafaring nations like Denmark and Korea are respectively leading the world, so it only makes sense to collaborate," said Peter Vangsbo, the executive director at ICDK Seoul.






African diplomats in Korea and former Korean diplomats to Africa talk about their experiences during an Africa Week talk concert at the Dohwaseogil Cultural Complex in central Seoul, May 31. From left are moderator Lee Eun-bin, former Korean Ambassador to Tanzania Song Geum-young, Tanzanian Ambassador to Korea Togolani Edriss Mavura, former Korean Ambassador to Democratic Republic of the Congo Kwon Ki-chang, Rwandan First Counselor Claude Ganza, Kenyan Counselor Lorraine Owele and moderator Ndagijimana Frank Aimee Rodrigue. Courtesy of the Korea-Africa Foundation



By Kwon Mee-yoo



The Korea-Africa Foundation (KAF) hosted 2022 Africa Week from May 25 to June 6, commemorating Africa Day and enhancing understanding on Africa in Korea.



Co-organized with the African Group of Ambassadors in Korea, this year's Africa Week was headlined by an African art exhibition as well as a seminar on public diplomacy, an African music concert by Hareem and two talk concerts on Africa.



During the second talk concert held May 31 at the Dohwaseogil Cultural Complex, Tanzanian Ambassador to Korea Togolani Edriss Mavura, Rwanda Embassy First Counselor Claude Ganza and Kenya Embassy Counselor Lorraine Owele shared their experience in bridging their countries and Korea.



Ambassador Mavura, who visited Korea for the first time in 2012 with his foreign minister and served as an ambassador here for about six years, said the changes he saw in Korea over the past decade were very impressive.



"There are so many unique things I've seen so far. One of which is very striking to me is the how many times you like to say cheers  'geonbae.' In my country, there's one and then and that's enough. But here, we are used to doing it 10 times and then somebody could do it again and do it again," Mavura said of his experiences.



"In our country, and I'm sure to my neighboring countries as well, there is the assumption that all Koreans play taekwondo, because when you watch (Korean) movies everybody is doing taekwondo. Since I came here, I've never seen anybody practicing on the street."



The ambassador said that the distance between Korea and Africa is more a matter of cultural distance than of geographical distance.



"When somebody says Africa is so far, I understand. Yes, Africa is very far, but far from where? It's a fourteen-hour flight to go to Los Angeles and New York and about the same distance you can go to Nairobi, Kigali or Dar es Salaam. That's another prejudice I see. To me the answer is we need to interact more. Simple," Mavura said.



Rwandan first counselor Ganza also has about seven years of experience living in Korea.



"Korea was my first time on the continent of Asia. So, coming to Asia, a totally different continent and environment than my own continent, Africa, was learning a new culture, and landing in a country like Korea was kind of a soft landing," Ganza said.



Ganza said people in Africa are also curious about Korea, always asking about how to get to Korea and whether Korea is a good place to live in.



"Korea suffered from colonization like many African countries and it is positive in a sense that we can understand each other better (through the experience). We face the prejudices as challenges, but we have an opportunity to get much closer than any other people," Ganza said.



Owele from Kenya said that she struggled with differentiating Asians when she first arrived here.



"Generally before (coming to Korea) we didn't have so much differentiation between the Chinese, Japanese and Korean... I think this kind of acuteness and diligence and focus on processes and results is what made Korea stand out so much," Owele said.



Owele agreed that the notion of distance is becoming more conceptual due to the development of technology and social media.



"K-pop, K-culture, K-food are as popular in Korea as they could be anywhere else, mostly because of technology," she said. "I think most of us are coming to the realization of the importance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in terms of bringing cultures closer and deepening engagement and people-to-people interaction," Owele said.



Kwon Ki-chang, the former Korean ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Song Geum-young, the former Korean ambassador to Tanzania, joined African diplomats to provide differing perspectives on the continent.



Song shared the role of an embassy and how he communicated with Koreans living in Tanzania, as well as how Korean culture is becoming known in Tanzania, as he was able to find Korean music CDs in a Tanzanian flea market.



Kwon gave an example of an official development assistance (ODA) project in DR Congo that was the first museum built through ODA. Kwon also noted that Korea's interaction with Africa tends to center on English-speaking African countries, but two-thirds of African countries speak French, so there is greater potential for cooperation if speaking French as well.


By Trudy Rubin





Only days ago, Russian foreign ministry officials were warning Finland about "retaliation" if its leaders applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spouted dire nuclear threats, and many Western pundits warned about the danger of further NATO expansion.



Yet last Monday, after top Finnish and Swedish officials announced plans to join NATO  abandoning a long history of military nonalignment  Vladimir Putin did an about-face. He said there was "no immediate threat to Russia" if Finland and Sweden joined the Western military alliance.



This reversal is a perfect illustration of how Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has boomeranged.



Putin has forced nonaligned nations near Russia to choose between submission to Moscow or seeking protection for their independence. "What we see now (is that) Europe, the world, is more divided," Finland's President Sauli Niinisto told CNN in explaining his country's decision to join NATO, adding that Putin does not respect nonaligned countries.



Putin's attack on Ukraine awakened Europeans to the danger he poses to any country he considers part of Russia's rightful sphere of influence. But Russia's dismal military performance in Ukraine also makes clear that Putin can't afford to expand his war beyond Ukraine. Swedes and Finns believe the Kremlin's nuclear saber-rattling is aimed more at his domestic audience than at them.



Last week, I spoke by phone with Elina Valtonen, deputy head of the National Coalition Party, the main Finnish opposition party, which has long supported NATO membership. From Helsinki, she spoke about how Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine dramatically changed Finnish public opinion.



Before the Russian attack, a majority of Finns had long opposed NATO membership, Valtonen told me. "The invasion caused a striking shift in the polls to become a full member with Article 5 protection," she continued. (Article 5 states that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all.)



According to Finnish polls, that support rose from 53 percent in February to 62 percent in March and 76 percent in May  and increased to 83 percent if Sweden joined at the same time.



"One of our main fears," she said, "and a reason why Finland didn't seek membership earlier, was the concern about Russian retaliation," given that Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia. "But people know now if they don't act now things could be worse later. We have one of the strongest defense forces in Europe, along with cyber capacity. We are very well prepared."



Indeed, Finland's history shows remarkable similarities to the brave Ukrainian military performance against Russian forces. In 1939, the Soviet Union demanded that neighboring Finland cede substantial border territory to Moscow. When it refused, the Soviets invaded, but the vastly outnumbered Finns held them off for two months, inflicting heavy losses. "You had a motivated army fighting for independence," said Valtonen.



"My grandparents and family members never forgot," Valtonen continued. She said the courage of Ukrainians and of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "reminds me of the experience and mindset I heard from them."



Following World War II, Finland was forced to accept a form of nonalignment often referred to as "Finlandization," in which they had to cede substantial territory but retained nominal independence with substantial political interference from Moscow.



Some European leaders are still urging Ukraine to accept a form of "Finlandization" as a compromise with Putin. But the term has become a dirty word to Finns. "We are not terribly proud of the concept," Valtonen said. "It is wise to know that the mindset of Russia hasn't changed from Soviet times."



Putin's aggressive, Soviet-style behavior is also why Sweden has dropped its 200-year-old tradition of neutrality to apply for membership in NATO. Politicians such as Hans Hallmark, deputy chairman of the Swedish parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, point out that  similar to Finland  Stockholm had been pursuing a "long farewell" to neutrality since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The Swedes joined the European Union in 1995 and have pursued ever stronger cooperation with NATO.



When their closest historic and cultural ally, Finland, made the decision to join NATO, "the train started to leave the station," Hallmark told me by phone from Stockholm. "It was necessary for Sweden to jump on board." He is confident that this decision will make Europe safer, as neighboring Sweden and Finland will join with the three Baltic states, Norway, and the United Kingdom in protecting Northern Europe.



Hallmark said Sweden is grateful for NATO countries' pledges of support in the risky period between applying for membership and being accepted  which requires ratification by all 30 NATO members. "Sen. Mitch McConnell, who just visited Helsinki, assured us the U.S. Senate will work to speed up ratification, which is of great importance," said Hallmark.



That's encouraging news, since more and more MAGA-loyal Republican legislators, and Fox News pundits, have been voicing reluctance to support Ukraine.



The Finns and Swedes have recognized that there is no neutrality when it comes to dealing with an aggressor willing to seize and destroy another European country.



This is not the time for concessions or the "Finlandization" of Ukraine. It's the time to push Putin back.





Trudy Rubin (trubin@phillynews.com) is a columnist and editorial-board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer. This article was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.






The driver of this vehicle suffered a cut to the shin and complained of head pain following a two-vehicle accident Sunday on Interstate 69 near the 331 mile-marker.
The Geneva Lake Arts Foundations Summer Art Exhibit opens Thursday, June 9, at Gallery 223.

Located in Downtown Lake Geneva at 223 Broad St., the gallery will also host a meet the artists open house Friday, June 10, from 6-8 p.m.

Works from area artists will be on display June 9-July 31 in a showcase of one-of-a-kind watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings, pastel and pencil creations, sculpture, jewelry, art glass, mosaics, prints, and much more.

Many of the artists will be on hand June 10 to visit with guests and discuss their work.

The gallery is open Thursday through Monday, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. There is no charge for admission. Guests can purchase artwork.

The Geneva Lake Arts Foundation works to foster a community appreciation of the fine arts through a regular schedule of exhibits, classes and demonstrations.

For more information, go to www.genevalakeartsfoundation.org or visit Gallery 223.

Art In The Park, the foundations annual event set to enter its 42nd year, will be Aug. 13-14.
Tom Hiddleston forgot his lines while working with Kermit The Frog on 'Muppets Most Wanted' because he was starstruck.

The 'Loki' actor was among the famous faces who made cameo appearances in the 2014 film playing The Great Escapo but he admitted he got flustered when he came face-to-face with his childhood hero.

He told Total Film magazine: "Bucket list, yeah! I dried working with Kermit the Frog. I forgot my first line. I was so overwhelmed!"

After meeting The Muppets on the set of the film, Tom was pictured giving Miss Piggy a kiss at the 2012 BAFTAs in London and although he saw Kermit a few months later, he previously joked he was "embarrassed" to have let his bond with Piggy slide.

He quipped: "You know, I am ashamed to say, I haven't, and I don't know how Miss Piggy feels about this, but I feel embarrassed right now just thinking about it because, you know, what's the point in making connections if you're not going to sustain them?"

However, the 'Night Manager' actor felt Miss Piggy would understand - though he also made an appeal to help him get back in touch.

He added: "But you know, Miss Piggy's got a busy schedule, I know she's got lots of friends and appointments to keep and places to be, and she's a big star ... I like to think that in that moment, we shared something real, at least I choose to see it that way ... If you have her phone number or email address, please send it my way."
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Monday stayed an order by the Delhi Commission for Women summoning the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on the issue of safety and security of girls in primary schools.

Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri also issued notice and sought a response of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on a petition filed by the MCD challenging the commission's June 2 order.

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The court was informed by the counsel for MCD that in place of the MCD Commissioner, an Additional Director (Education) would appear before the commission on June 9 to respond to the findings by the panel.

The high court listed the matter for further hearing on July 20 and said till then the DCW order summoning the MCD Commissioner to be kept in abeyance.

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On June 2, the DCW summoned the MCD Commissioner after the corporation sought two months to respond to a notice on the safety and security of girls in primary schools.

The DCW had instituted an enquiry on the condition of safety and security of girls in primary schools in Delhi following the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls in Bhajanpura on April 30.

The panel's team had visited four primary schools of MCD in May and inspected the school buildings as well as interacted with students, teachers, and other staff of the school.

During the inspections, several glaring irregularities and critical shortcomings were observed by the commission, the panel had said.

The DCW had asked the MCD Commissioner to respond to the findings by the panel by June 9.

"It is shocking that instead of prompt action on our critical findings, MCD has chosen to turn a blind eye to the safety and security of primary students. The sheer apathy of MCD officials has led to lakhs of lives being at stake and it has now sought another two months' time to reply to the commission," DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal had said.

The DCW had said that the MCD has cited the recent unification of the three MCDs as a reason for the delay in their response.

Maliwal had stated that there can be no excuse for further mismanagement and negligence.

"We will not allow MCD to go scot-free. I have issued summons to MCD Commissioner to appear before the DCW and provide an action taken report within a week," she had said.

In its summons, the DCW had said that the MCD has "unjustifiably" failed to provide critical information despite the acute danger being faced by young students in MCD schools.

"Any delay in rectifying the glaring abnormalities in the MCD schools will make the office of MCD Commissioner liable for gross criminal negligence," a statement by the panel had said.

The commission had further stated that the MCD was expected to act swiftly on the issue of safety and security of the children and teachers in schools and take corrective measures immediately.

The DCW visited four primary schools of MCD in May.

In one of the school premises the DCW inspected on May 20 and 21, the panel had claimed it found syringes, drugs, cigarette cases, gutkha wrappers, and even broken liquor bottles.

The panel had said that the four schools were overcrowded and it was clear that the norms for teacher-pupil ratio were not being followed.

The civic body, in a statement, had responded to allegations, saying that broken syringes were found due to the existence of a corporation dispensary near the school located at Keval Park.

It had also said the MCD school at Bhati Mines was facing difficulty in providing wholesome facilities as it is located on forest department land, while the corporation school in Aruna Nagar will be renovated soon.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Garhwa, Jun 6 (PTI) A former CPI (Maoist) Sub-Zonal Commander was arrested from a jungle in Jharkhand's Garhwa district, a senior police officer said.

Superintendent of Police Anjani Kumar Jha said a special police team was formed following a tip-off about the movement of the former sub zonal commander Bhanu Singh Kharwar.

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Kharwar and his lover made an abortive attempt to flee on seeing the approaching police team but were caught, the SP said on Sunday.

Police recovered one AK-47 rifle, one magazine, 20 rounds of ammunition, one country-made pistol, two live cartridges and seven mobile phones from their possession, Jha said.

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The SP said that Kharwar had surrendered under Jharkhand Government's surrender and rehabilitation policy in October 2016.

After he came out of jail in 2020, he again started terrorising villagers and was re-arrested in 2021.

Following his release after one and half months, Kharwar had started recruiting youths to strengthen the organization and engaged in extracting ransom from contractors and terrorizing locals including elected representatives in Ranka, Ramkanda and Chinia, the SP said.

Around 10 Naxal-related and criminal cases were pending against him, the police officer said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): In connection with hawala transactions related to a Kolkata-based company, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches on Monday at the residence of Delhi's Health Minister Satyendar Jain and six other locations, informed the officials.

The federal agency's separate teams carried out these searches at six places in Delhi, including Jain's residence.

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The places raided by the ED across Delhi included Ram Prakash jewellers Pvt Ltd in south east Delhi and conducted another search in Gurugram.

The agency conducted raids after it arrested Jain on May 30 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

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On May 31, a trial court sent Jain to ED's custody till June 9.

The move comes days after the federal agency arrested Jain on May 30. Jain is in the custody of ED till June 9.

Jain was arrested after the ED in April this year attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore owned by companies named Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in connection with the disproportionate asset and money laundering case registered Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and others.

It may be recalled that on August 25, 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR against Jain in a money laundering case.

The ED had registered a criminal case against the AAP leader based on this FIR which was lodged by the CBI in which it had been alleged that Jain could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he was a shareholder.

Jain had reportedly floated or bought several shell companies in Delhi. He also laundered black money worth Rs 16.39 crore through 54 shell companies of three hawala operators of Kolkata.

Jain owned a large number of shares in companies named Prayas, Indo, and Akinchan. However, after becoming Minister in Kejriwal's government, all his shares were transferred to his wife in 2015, as per reports.

These companies used to transfer cash payments to their Kolkata counterparts and these companies would later, under the ruse of buying shares, would route back the money to Jain by employing legal means. The companies have reportedly laundered money to the tune of Rs 16.39 crores from 2010 to 2014 to Satyendra Jain.

As per government sources, when prosecuted by the I-T Department, Jain surrendered black money in form of cash of Rs 16.39 crore under Income Disclosure Scheme (IDS) 2016 on Benami names of Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.

In November 2019, the Home Ministry approved the prosecution of Delhi minister Satyendra Jain in cases related to disproportionate assets and money laundering.

Besides, Home and Health, Jain holds Power and PWD, among other portfolios, in the AAP-led Delhi government.

The Delhi High court on Saturday stayed the order of a special court allowing Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain to have counsel during the interrogation by the ED.

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed an FIR against Jain in a money laundering case on August 25, 2017. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar, Jun 6 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir has registered a significant decline in the Infant Mortality Rate during the last one year and the administration envisions to further decrease the maternal and child mortality to establish the union territory at the forefront of providing quality healthcare, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said here on Monday.

The Lieutenant Governor inaugurated J-K's first Maternal and Child Health Conclave at SKICC. On the occasion, the LG also dedicated Paediatric wards, ICUs, Maternal ICUs to the public.

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The Lt Governor said the conclave will provide a unique platform to deliberate upon challenges, opportunities and newer initiatives in Maternal and Child healthcare.

He said the UT has registered significant decline in the Infant Mortality Rate during the last one year and the administration envisions to further decrease the Maternal and Child mortality to establish UT at the forefront of providing quality healthcare.

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Sinha stressed that the medical institutions must provide a big canvas to our researchers and doctors who are talented and capable to produce path-breaking inventions in the healthcare.

"I hope that our talent pool will be responsive to such opportunities and take full advantage of it for larger public interest," he added.

The Lt Governor urged the premier medical colleges, super specialty hospitals and other health institutions to encourage research and new innovations at the grassroots level to further strengthen the health safety net in the UT.

We have taken decisive steps to address healthcare challenges and enhancing access to health facilities in remote areas. I am grateful to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for providing best health infrastructure to UT of J-K. It has given a new hope and confidence to healthcare sector, the Lt Governor said.

Highlighting the major strides in the healthcare ecosystem of the UT, the Lt Governor said J-K has the unique distinction of being the first UT of the country with two AIIMS and two Cancer Institutes, besides seven new medical colleges have been established in the UT in just eight years.

Apart from this, the Prime Minister also launched the Ayushman Bharat-Sehat Scheme in December 2020, extending health insurance of Rs 5 lakh per family to every citizen without any discrimination.

It was also informed that in a span of just two years, 2209 health and wellness centres have been established which are providing health facilities to the people even in far flung areas, besides 211 ambulances are providing 24X7 facilities in Jammu and Kashmir Divisions in addition to 286 general ambulances which are serving the people.

Sixty four Advanced Life Support Ambulances were also inducted into the fleet to fill all the existing gaps in healthcare in saving precious lives.

Medicity projects are being started in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions with an investment of about Rs 4,575 crore, which will create 1,000 MBBS seats, provide employment opportunities to thousands of medical professionals and would add thousands of additional beds for patients in health facilities, it was informed. PTI

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, June 6: Emphasizing the country's rising stature in the global arena, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said a large part of the world is looking forward to India for solutions to problems.

Addressing at the event, PM Modi said, "A large part of the world is looking forward to India for the solution of problems. This is made possible because in the last 8 years we have trusted the wisdom of the common Indian. We encouraged the people as intelligent participants in growth." PM Narendra Modi Releases Special Series of Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10, and Rs 20 Coins With Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Logo.

He said India has worked on different dimensions in the last eight years. The increased public participation during this period has given impetus to the development and empowered the poor.

Refering to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, PM Modi said, "the programme gave the opportunity to the poor to live with dignity. Facilities like pucca houses, electricity, gas, water, and free treatment increased the dignity of the poor and promoted ease of life. The scheme of free ration during the COVID period freed more than 80 crore countrymen from the fear of hunger."

Highlighting the policy reforms made by the Centre, Prime Minister said that the 21st century India is moving ahead with the approach of people-centric governance leaving behind the government-centric approach.

He said, "The country has borne the brunt of government-centric governance in the past. But today 21st century India is moving ahead with the approach of people-centric governance. There was a time when policies and decisions in the country were government-centric. It means that after a scheme started, it was the responsibility of the people to reach the government to avail benefits. In such an arrangement, the responsibility of the government and administration used to decrease."

Prime Minister said the reforms in the last eight years were made keeping the youth on priority so that they can achieve their potential. "Now, our youth can easily open the company they want. They can make and run their enterprises easily, they can run them easily. Therefore by reducing more than 30,000 compliances, abolishing more than 1,500 laws, decriminalizing several provisions of the Companies Act, we have ensured that Indian companies not only grow but also achieve new heights," stated PM Modi.

Refering to GST and reforms in tax regime, PM said, "Along with reforms, we are focusing on simplification. The simplification of GST has now replaced the web of many taxes at the centre and the state level. The country is also seeing the result of this simplification. Now it has become normal for GST collection to cross Rs 1 lakh crore every month."

"Half of the country's population was deprived of the formal system and country's development. We included them in mission Mode. Such a great work of financial inclusion has been done nowhere in the world in such a short span of time," he added. PM Modi launched the national portal for credit-linked government schemes - Jan Samarth Portal today.

According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Jan Samarth Portal is a one-stop digital portal linking government credit schemes. It is a first of its kind platform which directly connects beneficiaries to lenders. The main purpose of the portal is to encourage inclusive growth and development of various sectors by guiding and providing them with the right type of government benefits through simple and easy digital processes. The portal ensures end-to-end coverage of all the linked schemes.

Prime Minister also inaugurated a Digital Exhibition which traces the journey of the two Ministries over the past eight years. Prime Minister also released special series of Rs 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 20 coins. These special series of coins will have the theme of the logo of AKAM and will also be easily identifiable to visually impaired persons.

The programme has been organised simultaneously at 75 locations across the country and each location was connected through virtual mode with the main venue.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow, Jun 6 (PTI) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday asked the BJP to initiate legal proceedings against its now suspended members for hurting religious sensibilities of the people.

In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said, "In this matter, the BJP should strictly rein in its people. Merely suspending and expelling them will not do. They should be sent to jail under strict laws."

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She also demanded a serious probe in the Kanpur violence, and urged the Uttar Pradesh government to not harass the innocent. She said all religions should be respected in the country.

The UP Police have arrested 38 people so far in the June 3 Kanpur violence, having booked over 800 people in all under the National Security Act.

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Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav too had on Sunday in a tweet in Hindi asked the BJP to take tough action against Sharma.

"The BJP should not only take 'dikhavati kaaryavahi' (sham action) against Nupur Sharma, but take legal steps," he had said.

The BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal over their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, as it sought to defuse a raging row over the issue.

Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks which have also caused a stir abroad, especially in the Arab countries, the BJP issued a statement distancing itself from these members.

In the statement, the party said that it respects all religions and strongly denounces insult of any religious personality.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday, seeking to direct Respondent Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to conduct a Special Stray Round of counselling to allow the candidates to participate for the vacant seats which are available after the conduct of stray vacancy round of All India Quota (AIQ).

The vacation bench of Justices MR Shah and Aniruddha Bose on Monday listed the matter for further hearing on June 8. The Court has also asked respondent counsel to take instruction on the petition.

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The petitioners were represented by advocate Milind Kumar Advocate. The Petitioners appeared in NEET-PG 2021-22 and participated in Rounds 1 and 2 of All India Quota (AIQ) Counselling and State Quota Counselling which was followed by All India Mop-Up and State Mop-Up Rounds and was concluded on May 7, 2022, by Medical Counselling Committee post the All India Stray Vacancy Round. The Petitioners were not able to secure a seat in any of the rounds.

The petitioners claimed that they are aggrieved by the counselling process which was conducted by MCC in a manner that all the vacant seats were not a part of the Stray vacancy round of the counselling.

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They said that the cause of action for filing the present Writ Petition arose on May 11 2022 when the Petitioner's received a reply to the RTI they had filed wherein it was stated that "at the time of online allotment process all medical/ dental post graduate seats were exhausted but due to non-joining, resignation, and non-reported some seats remained vacant". However, official data has not been provided, the petitioners said.

Hence, the petitioner has sought to direct Respondent MCC to provide the exact number of vacant seats after the conduct of stray vacancy round of AIQ and to conduct a Special Stray Round of counselling to allow the candidates to participate for the vacant seats which are available after the conduct of stray vacancy round of AIQ. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 6 (ANI): President Ram Nath Kovind attended a special joint session of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Akhilesh Yadav were also present at the special session.

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President Kovind is on a four-day visit to Uttar Pradesh from June 3.

Earlier on Sunday, the President addressed the 90th year celebrations of the Merchants Chamber of Uttar Pradesh at Kanpur.

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"The objective of any business organization should not only be to work for the benefit of its members but it should also become a participant in the all-around development of the society and country," he said during the event.

President Kovind also participated in the centenary celebrations of the Gita Press at Gorakhpur on Saturday. Speaking at the event, he noted that the intention behind the establishment of Gita Press was to make available Gita in pure form with the right meaning and at a low price to the masses which were not easily available at that time.

The President also noted that of the 1850 current publications of Gita Press, about 760 publications are in Sanskrit and Hindi but the remaining publications are in other languages such as Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Kannada, Assamese, Malayalam, Nepali, Urdu, Punjabi and English.

He said that this reflects the unity in diversity of our Indian culture. "The religious and spiritual base in Indian culture is the same from east to west and from north to south."

Pointing to the Gita Press's plan for setting up its branches abroad, the President expressed hope that through this expansion, the whole world would benefit from the culture and philosophy of India. He urged Gita Press to enhance its relations with the Indian diaspora living abroad, as they are the messengers of Indian culture, who connect the world with our country.

Earlier on Friday, the President visited his native village - Paraunkh in Kanpur Dehat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also accompanied President during the visit to his native village. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chandigarh, Jun 6 (PTI) Congress candidate Dalvir Singh Goldy and BJP's Kewal Dhillon filed their nomination papers on Monday for the June 23 Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll.

Goldy and Dhillon, both former MLAs, besides Shiromani Akali Dal's Kamaldeep Kaur filed their nominations on the last day for filing the papers on Monday.

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Dhillon, a former Congress MLA from Barnala, had joined the BJP with four other Congress leaders from the state here on Saturday.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had defeated Goldy, who was the MLA from Dhuri seat, in the Assembly polls held earlier in the year.

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The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded party's Sangrur district in-charge, Gurmail Singh, for the bypoll. Singh and SAD (Amritsar) nominee Simranjit Singh Mann had filed their nominations on Saturday.

Kamaldeep Kaur, the sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh's assassination case, has been fielded by the Akali Dal for the bypoll.

While filing their nominations in Sangrur, the three candidates were accompanied by senior leaders of their respective parties.

Chief of Punjab's main opposition party, Congress, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and former Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa accompanied Goldy, while Kewal Dhillon was accompanied by state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma and party leader Sunil Jakhar among others and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and other party leaders accompanied Kamaldeep Kaur.

Speaking to reporters after filing her nomination, SAD's Kamaldeep Kaur appealed to all Panthic organisations to unite on a common platform to create a movement to ensure the release of Sikh prisoners who have been in jails even after the expiry of their term. She said she is contesting the bypoll for the cause of Sikh prisoners who are in jails for decades. Later, in a tweet, Sukhbir Badal said, "I appeal to Punjabis to shed all political differences to achieve freedom for Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners). Earlier also Pbis united in 1989 to elect Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann to Lok Sabha in absentia which resulted in the latter's unconditional release from jail. The same unity is needed today". "It is our bounden duty to relieve all Bandi Singhs including Bhai Balwant S Rajoana from the intense suffering they are undergoing. Bhai Rajoana has been incarcerated in 88 feet cell for 28 yrs without parole except once when he was allowed to attend his father's cremation," tweeted Badal. SAD has teamed up with panthic organisations to elect Kamaldeep Kaur to Lok Sabha to send a strong message to release all Sikh prisoners including Rajoana who are in jail even after completion of their life sentences, said Badal. Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, Goldy said he wants to thank his party for reposing faith in him. "I want to tell people of Sangrur that I will forcefully raise their voice in the parliament and work for overall development of the constituency," said Goldy. Meanwhile, Kewal Dhillon said the BJP is the only alternative to address the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state. "People gave big mandate to AAP, but the party failed to give good governance to the people. Punjab's law and order situation is worsening while fiscal situation too is bad," Dhillon said.

State BJP chief Ashwani Sharma, who accompanied him, said the people of Punjab are disappointed with the AAP dispensation "for misleading them to vote for a party which promised a better Punjab, but in fact has pushed them into chaos and lawlessness".

Describing Kewal Dhillon as a seasoned politician, he said people of Sangrur have long standing relationship with him and will make him victorious.

The Sangrur Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Bhagwant Mann successfully contested the Assembly polls from Dhuri.

Mann had won the Lok Sabha polls from Sangrur in 2014 and 2019. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 26.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jammu, Jun 6 (PTI) The threat of drones is present everywhere along the Indo-Pakistan border but security forces are alert to foil any nefarious design from across the border in the region, a senior Border Security Force (BSF) said on Monday.

He said that Army and BSF are fully dominating the Line of Control (LoC) to ensure the protection of the people along the frontier.

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"The threat of drones.. is prevalent everywhere (along the Indo-Pak border). Nobody can say that there is no such threat in Rajouri or Poonch or any hinterland,'' the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the BSF Rajouri Poonch sector, D S Sindhu, told reporters at a function in Rajouri.

"There is a threat of drones in all areas along our borders," he said replying to queries on the issue.

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He said that troops are alert along the borderline to protect the people living in border areas.

He said that troops have deployed to instill a feeling of security among the border population.

"Army and BSF are dominating the Line of Control in a proper manner to thwart any nefarious design of our adversaries", Sindhu said.

He noted that advanced courses are conducted regularly to upgrade the skills of the jawans.

The DIG inaugurated a skill development program at Sector Headquarters Rajouri.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kochi, Jun 6 (PTI) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said the negotiation to reach a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union will begin from June 17 at Brussels in Belgium.

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Addressing the media, Goyal said negotiations were progressing for such agreements with the United Kingdom and Canada and the effort was undertaken to provide market access and opportunities for exporters in the country.

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"We are also entering into free trade agreements with several countries. We have finalised with the UAE and Australia, while negotiations are progressing for such agreements with the UK and Canada. Our formal negotiations with the European Union to reach an FTA will begin on June 17 at Brussels. The effort is to provide market access and new opportunities for our exporters and consequently give fishermen a better future," Goyal said.

Earlier in May, Goyal had said that India will be able to conclude an FTA with the European Union by next year.

Goyal met the media after inaugurating various infrastructure projects at the Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) here including a 13-storey office space for budding entrepreneurs and an effluent treatment plant.

Speaking to reporters, the Union minister said the treatment plant, based on Zero Liquid Discharge concept, which is beneficial to major water consuming units and the general public will be a solution to the complaints with regard to effluents.

After the inauguration, Goyal visited the plant and interacted with the staff.

"I am very happy that the effluent treatment plant has finally come up in Kochi SEZ so that the local complaints of effluents will now go away. It can treat one million litres per day. The pollution issues associated with water discharge can be solved. We literally saw black water turning into drinking standards," he said.

The minister also ruled out the possibility of shifting the office of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) from Kochi.

Rejecting the reports, Goyal said the statutory body under the Union Commerce and Industries Ministry will continue to operate from the southern coastal city.

"There is absolutely no plan to shift MPEDA from this beautiful city of Cochin and we have a very large setup here and it will continue to grow from strength to strength," the minister told reporters reacting to a query after holding separate stakeholder consultations with leaders of fishers and marine exporters here.

Recently, MPs from Kerala, Hibi Eden and T N Prathapan had met Goyal in New Delhi to impress upon him the requirement for maintaining the MPEDA headquarters in Kochi.

Goyal also interacted with the unit holders of Cochin SEZ.

"I loved their enthusiasm. I am grateful to them for the ideas received from them. I am going back with a lot of homework. There is a huge potential for development in the city of Kochi," he said.

Goyal, who visited the MPEDA, said the aim of the country was to double exports of marine products from more than Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore within the next five years.

He also held discussions with fishermen from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karnataka.

The minister had an interaction with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) at MPEDA and had an extensive discussion on various issues, challenges and solutions facing the sector.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Agartala, Jun 6 (PTI) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, three other BJP candidates and three Congress nominees filed nomination papers for by-elections to four Assembly constituencies on Monday, the last date for doing so.

Saha, a Rajya Sabha member, was appointed the state's chief minister last month, replacing Biplab Kumar Deb.

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Saha is the BJP's candidate for the Town Bordowali assembly seat.

Saffron party nominees also filed nominations for Agartala, Surma and Jubarajnagar seats that are going to polls on June 23. Votes will be counted on June 26.

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Three Congress candidates - Sudip Roy Barman, Asish Saha and Susmita Debnath - also submitted their nomination papers for Agartala, Town Bardowali and Jubarajnagar seats respectively during the day. The party is not contesting from Surma.

Altogether 24 nomination papers were received by returning officers of the four Assembly constituencies till Monday, the last day for filing papers, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Usa Jen Mog said.

Altogether seven candidates have filed nomination papers for the Town Bardowali constituency and five for the Agartala seat. Six candidates each filed their nominations for Jubarajnagar and Surma constituencies.

The nomination papers will be scrutinised on Tuesday.

All eyes will be on the Town Bardowali seat in West Tripura district and Agartala, the state capital.

The main contest in Town Bardowali is likely to be held between Chief Minister Manik Saha who is not a member of the Assembly, and Asish Saha, the winner of the 2018 election with a margin of more than 11,000 votes from the seat as a BJP nominee.

Mainak Saha, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP in 2016, was made the party's state president in 2020. BJP legislators Asish Saha and Sudip Roy Barman resigned from the assembly and gave up their memberships in the party in February. They later joined the Congress.

In the Agartala constituency, Sudip Roy Barman will lock horns with BJP state vice-president Ashok Sinha.

Candidates of the CPI(M)-led Left Front, Trinamool Congress and the TIPRA Motha, a regional party headed by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, submitted their nomination papers for the bye-elections earlier.

The bye-polls are necessitated due to the death of CPI(M) MLA Ramendra Chandra Debnath (Jubarajnagar) and the resignations of Roy Barman (Agartala) and Asish Saha (Town Bardowali). Besides, the Surma seat became vacant after BJP legislator Asish Das was declared disqualified by the Assembly Speaker.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 6 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday informed that Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft has been arranged to take the bodies of pilgrims killed in the bus accident in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district to Madhya Pradesh.

The deceased pilgrims hailed from Madhya Pradesh's Panna district.

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Speaking with ANI, Chouhan said that the bodies will be sent to MP's Khajuraho from Uttarakhand's Dehradun after postmortem. Whereafter, teams of the Madhya Pradesh government will take them to four different villages in the state.

"We have asked for IAF aircraft to carry the bodies. The aircraft will arrive in Dehradun by 2 pm. The bodies will be sent to Khajuraho, our teams will be ready there and will take the bodies to four different villages," he said while adding that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has made the arrangements for IAF aircraft.

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Chouhan further informed that all the bodies were recovered last night, and their post mortem was done too.

"Bodies will reach Dehradun at about 10 am today and will be sent to Khajuraho after embalming; will try that their cremation is done today," he added.

The MP Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister and Home Minister for the continuous support from the Centre.

Chouhan has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured along with free treatment to the four critically injured including the driver.

"Rs 5 lakh to the deceased's families, Rs 50,000 and free treatment to the four critically injured including the driver, who told us that accident happened after the steering wheel failed. The remaining three tourists are from MP, trying to save their lives," he said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Shivraj Singh Chouhan have reached the site of the incident in Nainbagh and extended their condolences to Krishna Bihari Dwivedi, a relative of Ramsji and Banke Bihari, who died in the bus accident.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand CM said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also sent the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team for rescue work.

"All bodies have been recovered and sent to Dehradun...After the process is complete we will send them...(bodies to Khajuraho, MP)," he added.

Dhami has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

After the search and rescue operations concluded, the officials on Monday said that as many as 26 persons have been confirmed dead while four are critically injured.

The bus carrying 30 people, including 28 pilgrims was on its way to Yamunotri Dham in Uttarkashi when it fell into a gorge. Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) along with district administration rushed to the site to conduct rescue and relief operations.

The Prime Minister expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Beijing [China], June 6 (ANI): Canadian air forces have stepped up intelligence activities and provocations against China under the pretext of implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea, Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Monday.

Last week, the Canadian armed forces accused Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force pilots of unprofessional and security-threatening behavior during recent encounters with the Canadian air forces in international airspace. The incidents occurred during the Canadian air forces' NEON mission to monitor possible violations of UN sanctions against North Korea, Sputnik reported.

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"Recently, the Canadian air forces aircraft have stepped up intelligence activities and provocations against China under the pretext of implementing UNSC resolutions, which poses a threat to China's national security and also endangers the personnel of both sides, the Chinese side strongly opposes this," the spokesman said, as quoted by the ministry.

China urged Canada to refrain from provocations in international airspace, otherwise Ottawa will be responsible for the consequences, the official added. (ANI)

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(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Colombo, Jun 6 (PTI) India on Monday delivered life-saving drugs, medical equipment and relief material to hospitals and people across Sri Lanka as part of its growing assistance to help the debt-ridden country tide over its worst economic crisis.

A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices have heaped misery on the people.

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On Monday, the new consignments were supplied to Hambantota General Hospital, Jaffna Teaching Hospital and to the people in Kilinochchi and Vavuniya districts of Northern Province.

"Indian aid to Hambantota General Hospital. Consul General @dipinprIFS handed over 6.4 tons of drugs & essential medical supplies to Hambantota General Hospital today, the Consulate General of India in Hambantota said in a tweet.

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Dr Suranga Ubeysekara, the Director of Hambantota General Hospital, thanked India for this vital support.

"As Jaffna Teaching Hospital receives life-saving drugs and medical equipment Director (Acting), Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Dr Nandakumar thanks the Government of India for timely assistance, the Consulate General of India in Jaffna tweeted.

"Indian aid to Kilinochchi and Vavuniya! CG Shri Raakesh Natraj handed over relief material that will benefit close to 50,000 families across both districts. Assistance across Northern Province now underway, with almost half the total households here benefiting. This is part of assistance from Tamil Nadu, with 40,000 MT of rice and 500 MT of milk powder being distributed across Sri Lanka, it said in another tweet.

India had earlier supplied diesel to the Jaffna fishermen to facilitate their livelihood activity. The Indian government has also coordinated humanitarian assistance of food relief from the government of Tamil Nadu.

Last month, India delivered more than 25 tonnes of medical supplies to Sri Lanka.

Indian credit lines for fuel and essential items purchases have provided a lifeline to Sri Lanka which is facing its worst economic crisis since 1948.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad [Pakistan], June 6 (ANI): Amidst Pakistan's failure to address the financial issues concerning the CPEC projects, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the country's State Bank to hold meetings with the Chinese banks for bilateral trade using China's Renminbi (RMB) and Pakistani rupees (PKR).

Shehbaz directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to hold meetings with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and the Bank of China. He gave these directions in a meeting with Chinese businessmen on May 30.

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He said that in case a Ministry is unable to meet the timelines for a justifiable reason, this should be communicated to the Chinese Companies, Planning Division, and the Prime Minister's Office before the expiry of timelines.

According to the sources of Pakistan-based outlet Business Recorder, the Finance Division has been directed by the PM to take immediate measures to address the liquidity issues of CPEC Chinese Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

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The Pakistani PM directed Secretary Power Rashid Langrial to hold meetings with power companies based on imported coal to address their specific issues. He asked them to also work out mechanisms and modalities to tackle the issues. Power Division, as per the sources, has been directed to come up with a sectoral plan to improve the financial health of the power sector within two weeks.

During the meeting, it was decided that investments in solar and wind power projects and a desalination plant in Karachi shall be encouraged to save precious foreign exchange being spent on imported fuels, the sources maintained.

In view of the recent suicide attack in Pakistan that killed 3 Chinese teachers outside the University of Karachi's (KU) Confucius Institute, Shehbaz earlier also ordered the tightening of security for Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects.

Shehbaz said that there will be no compromise on the security of Chinese residents and directed the Interior Ministry and security agencies to ensure foolproof security, the report said.

Recently, all the Chinese teachers at Karachi University left the country due to security concerns after the Karachi University suicide attack.

Notably, Sharif held a telephonic conversation with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and assured him that his government was determined to take all necessary measures for the enhanced security and safety of all Chinese nationals working in Pakistan, the report said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Sydney, Jun 6 (The Conversation) Stress is common among teachers, and recent reports suggest it's getting worse. We need to understand the sources of this stress to improve support for teachers. Growing teacher shortages in Australia underscore the need for this support.

It is also important to identify whether there are patterns of stress experienced by individuals and groups of teachers within a school. This knowledge will tell us whether support for teachers should be targeted individually or to a teaching staff more broadly.

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Our study involving 3,117 teachers at 225 Australian schools shows sources of stress do vary among individual teachers. At the same time, the school environment  workloads, student behaviour and expectations of teachers  appears important. At some schools the stress experiences of individuals mirror those of the teaching staff more broadly.

So managing stress is not just the responsibility of individual teachers. Schools have an important role to play in developing a workplace that helps to minimise their teachers' stress.

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What are the sources of teachers' stress?

In our study, published in Teaching and Teacher Education, we examined three common sources of stress at work to see how these affect well-being among individual teachers and across a whole school teaching staff.

These three sources of stress are:

workload stress  teachers' sense they have too much lesson preparation, instruction or marking work in the time available to them

student behaviour stress  teachers' sense that student behaviour is overly disruptive or aggressive

expectation stress  teachers' sense that professional/registration bodies and parents are placing very high or unrealistic expectations on them.

We first examined how the three sources of stress co-occur among teachers to identify teacher stress profiles. That is, we wanted to see if there are distinct types of teachers who experience similar patterns across the three sources. For example, are there teachers with low or high levels of all three sources of stress, and are there teachers who have mixed levels of the sources of stress?

Next, we wanted to ascertain whether different types of schools are identifiable as being more or less stressful based on the make-up of their teacher stress profiles. That is, we set out to identify different school profiles.

Once we had identified teacher and school profiles, we examined whether the different profiles were linked with work strain and work commitment. Work strain refers to the adverse outcomes of stressful work  such as feeling highly stressed and reduced mental or physical health. Work commitment refers to teachers' attachment to their profession.

Ideally, teachers experience low strain at work, but high commitment.

What teacher profiles did we find?

Our analysis used data from the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018. We identified five teacher profiles:

low-burden profile (7% of teachers in our sample) displaying very low levels of all three stressors

mixed-burden-workload profile (15%) displaying below-average workload stress, very low student behaviour stress and low expectation stress

mixed-burden-behaviour profile (19%) displaying low workload stress, below-average student behaviour stress and low expectation stress

average-burden profile (41%) displaying slightly above-average levels of all three stressors

high-burden profile (18%) displaying high workload stress and very high student behaviour and expectation stress.

Looking at links between profiles and outcomes, the low-burden profile and the two mixed-burden profiles generally displayed the lowest work strain and highest work commitment.

What school profiles did we find?

We then examined how these teacher profiles are distributed in schools. We identified three school profiles:

workload-oriented-climate profile (17% of schools in our sample) composed mostly of teacher profiles with high workload stress, but also a sizeable proportion displaying lower stress

behaviour-oriented-climate profile (23%) composed mostly of teacher profiles with high student behaviour stress, but also a sizeable proportion displaying lower stress

higher-pressure-climate profile (60%) composed mostly of teacher profiles with above-average to high levels of all three sources of stress.

Teachers who collectively displayed the highest levels of work strain tended to work in higher-pressure-climate schools. Levels of work commitment were also lowest among teachers in those schools.

What does this mean for teachers and schools?

One notable finding was the differentiation between workload stress and student behaviour stress in two teacher profiles and two school profiles. Some teachers and schools were higher in student behaviour stress. Others were higher in workload stress. And other profiles had similar levels of all types of stress.

These results suggest sources of stress at work are not necessarily specific to the individual, but reflect a broader school climate as well. So, teachers' stress isn't just an individual issue  some schools are more stressful places to work.

In practice, it is important that teachers have their own strategies to manage stress. At the same time, our findings suggest schools and educational systems should be aware of teachers' collective experiences of stress and provide school-wide supports.

To reduce workload stress, research suggests supportive mentors are helpful. It's also helpful to develop professional learning communities to share the loads of lesson preparation and marking moderation.

Reducing workload across the school is also critical. Decreasing teachers' face-to-face teaching time and administrative tasks have been suggested as ways to do this.

Providing professional learning opportunities to develop teachers' classroom management skills might help reduce student behaviour stress.

A positive learning climate at school is also important. When students feel supported and are more engaged in their learning, they are less likely to be disruptive. In particular, research suggests it is important that all students feel cared for, have opportunities to succeed in their learning, and are given a say in content and tasks in the classroom.

Finally, research suggests school leaders can help reduce expectation stress by seeking out teachers' perspectives and conveying their trust in them as professionals. Likewise, positive school-home partnerships can help ensure teachers, school leaders, students and parents are aligned in their goals. (The Conversation)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad, Jun 6 (PTI) A top Pakistani general on Monday warned that "unnecessary and unfounded views" on the country's nuclear programme should be avoided, days after ousted prime minister Imran Khan warned that if Islamabad were to lose its nuclear deterrence, it would fragment into "three pieces".

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) General Nadeem Raza made the remarks in his keynote address at a seminar on "Regional Environment and Imperatives of Security" at the NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) in Islamabad, the army said in a statement.

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"Pakistan is a confident and responsible nuclear power. It pursues the policy of full-spectrum deterrence within the precincts of credible minimum deterrence, the four-star general said.

"Our national security and safety architecture meets all national and international obligations and caters for all kinds of scenarios," he added.

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He also said that as a norm in other nuclear-capable nations, "unnecessary and unfounded views on the strategic program should be avoided".

"When necessary, NCA (National Command Authority) is the right forum to issue specific responses or views," he said.

Gen Raza, who is also the deputy chairman of the National Command Authority (NCA), reiterated the significance of Pakistan's nuclear capability as the guarantor of deterrence and defence of the country.

"Pakistan's nuclear programme enjoys across-the-board support of all political parties and the people of Pakistan, he said, adding that the NCA along with all its political and military leadership has stood firm for the strategic program.

His statement came days after former premier Imran Khan in his typical uncontrolled outburst said in an interview with a private news channel that if Pakistan were to lose its nuclear deterrence, it would fragment into "three pieces".

"Pakistan is going towards a default. If that happens then which institution will be [worst] hit? The army. After it is hit, what concession will be taken from us? Denuclearisation," he said. "If the right decisions aren't made at this time then the country is going towards suicide."

His interview was criticised by the government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supremo of "making naked threats against the country.

"Imran Niazi is making naked threats against the country. If at all any proof was needed that Niazi is unfit for public office, his latest interview suffices," the prime minister tweeted.

Khan, who was ousted from power in April through a no-trust vote, has been claiming that the no-trust motion against him was the result of a foreign conspiracy because his independent foreign policy and funds were being channelled from abroad to oust him from power. He has named the US as the country behind the conspiracy, a charge denied by Washington.

Khan was replaced by PML-N's Shehbaz Sharif.

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California [US], June 6 (ANI): Food scarcity, including shortage of wheat a staple for nearly 2.5 billion people, has brought millions, particularly in Africa to the edge of starvation and malnutrition that could plague them for years.

The United Nations is ringing loud alarm bells to warn of catastrophic hunger and deaths in the coming months but to little avail.

Also Read | From Breakingviews  Guest View: Global Hunger Fight Means No Biofuel  Latest Tweet by Reuters.

Chair of the African Union and President of Senegal Macky Sall made an urgent trip to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin in person last week to get nearly 20 million tons of wheat out of Ukraine by cargo vessels. But he had to come away without any concrete actions to ease the hunger.

The US is accusing Putin of stealing Ukraine's wheat and subverting draconian financial sanctions to sell it cheaply to African countries stricken by drought. He is finding ready takers because wheat prices have shot up more than 60 per cent this year mostly because Russia's invasion of Ukraine has blocked deliveries from those two countries. They usually provide nearly one-third of global wheat exports.

Also Read | Shanghai International Film Festival 2022 Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Resurgence.

UN chief Antonio Guterres, who also met Putin personally in April, said after a visit to Africa's poverty-stricken Sahel region, "Severe acute malnutrition - a wasting disease that can kill if left untreated - is rising. Farm animals are already dying of hunger."

"Leaders told me that because of the war in Ukraine, on top of the other crises they face, they fear this dangerous situation could tip into catastrophe," he added.

The response from the world's seven richest countries (G7) at meetings last month was disappointing mostly because their focus remains on blaming Putin in case widespread starvation deaths occur in Africa.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to supply emergency shipments of wheat to countries requesting help to alleviate hunger. India is the world's second-largest wheat grower after China but the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that it accounted for only 4.1 percent of total global wheat exports in 2020-21.

The world's largest wheat exporters are Russia, the EU, Australia, the US, Canada, Argentina, Ukraine, India and Kazakhstan. But the US and its allies are being slow in unblocking large supplies of wheat as humanitarian aid.

Worse, the high costs of helping Ukraine have reduced G7 humanitarian aid pledges to only USD 2.6 billion, well below promises they made in 2021 to commit USD 8.5 billion to end famine.

Indian farm productivity has made huge gains during the past decade because of improved policies and freer markets promoted by Modi's administration. The country produced 109.6 metric tonnes (mt) of wheat in 2021-22, of which 8.2 metric tons was exported, up from 2.6 metric tons of exports in 2020-21.

Before reforms, no food grains were left over for export because wheat and rice are staples for India's 1.3 billion population. Shortages and rising prices can bring down governments in both federal and state elections.

Fearing popular unrest, Delhi has temporarily suspended wheat exports citing price pressures stemming from poor harvests caused by life-threatening extreme heat in recent months. However, there is wide public support for waivers to make emergency shipments to alleviate hunger elsewhere.

Expanding exports requires freer internal markets in India but the politics are very difficult. Modi is still negotiating with powerful farmer lobbies that want to slow down his push towards freer markets.

They have long enjoyed guaranteed prices for wheat and other grains, subsidized by the government. In addition, they benefit from heavily discounted prices for water, electricity and grain storage in silos. Now, they fear having to face competitive markets for food.

In global trade negotiations, the US and EU strongly oppose the subsidies but Indian farming lobbies seem to be as politically potent as in those countries. More agricultural cooperation between the West and India as fellow democracies would be helpful since India is one of the few countries capable of efficiently increasing food supplies and exports to alleviate global hunger levels.

The UN says that in just two years, the number of severely food insecure people has doubled to 276 million from 135 million before the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine.

Almost 21 million children are one step away from starvation and about 811 million go to bed hungry each night because they do not get enough food. This is outrageous because there is more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone.

Another shocking symbol of entrenched inequalities is small farmers, herders and fisherman produce about 70 per cent of global food supply, yet poverty and hunger are most acute among them and other rural populations. (ANI)

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Washington [US], June 6 (ANI): The US on Sunday (local time) condemned Myanmar military regime's reported plans to execute pro-democracy and opposition leaders.

"The United States strongly condemns the Burmese military regime's reported plans to execute pro-democracy and opposition leaders, exemplifying the regime's disregard for human rights and the rule of law. We urge the release of all unjustly detained," tweeted Ned Price, US State Department's Spokesperson.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: UK To Send First Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine.

This comes after Myanmar marked the first judicial executions in Myanmar in decades, two people will be executed in the country by the military junta, CNN reported citing the junta on Saturday.

"It's confirmed that Phyo Zayar Thaw and [Ko] Jimmy would be on the execution list," junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said as quoted by CNN, without giving a date.

Also Read | US, South Korea Fire Eight Ballistic Missiles Into Sea, Matching North Korean Missile Display.

In January 2022, veteran democracy activist Ko Jimmy and former National League of Democracy lawmaker Phyo Zayar Thaw were sentenced to death, according to a statement by Myanmar's Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services.

The junta accuses the two men of being "involved in terrorist acts such as explosion attacks, killing of civilians as informants," the junta spokesperson said, CNN reported.

According to Amnesty International, news of the resumption of executions is "shocking." They called on authorities to "immediately" drop the plan and for the international community to step up intervention efforts.

"The death sentence has become one of many appalling ways the Myanmar military is attempting to sow fear among anyone who opposes its rule and would add to the grave human rights violations, including lethal violence targeted at peaceful protesters and other civilians," Amnesty International tweeted.

Raising an alarm over the rights situation in Myanmar, Amnesty International has said the death penalty increased at an alarming rate under military rule, with nearly 90 people sentenced to death by military tribunals since the coup last year.

Shortly after taking power in a coup on February 1, 2021, the military imposed a state of emergency under the authority of the Chairman of the State Administration Council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and on March 16 issued Martial Law Order.

Among other concerns, another order transferred the authority to try cases of civilians to special or existing military tribunals, for a wide range of offenses including those involving the death penalty, through summary proceedings and without the right to appeal. (ANI)

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After Qatar, Iran and Kuwait, now the United Arab Emirates has condemned statements by former BJP spokespersons on Prophet Muhammad. The UAE foreign office expressed denunciation and rejection of insults to the founder of Islam.
#TamilNadu fire force personnel doused a fire that broke out at the #Russian Cultural Centre, #Chennai due to a short circuit. While it was a minor fire that broke out at the centre, the swift action of the firemen prevented any damage and casualties in the accident. pic.twitter.com/nPi2Dc8oO1 IANS (@ians_india) June 6, 2022

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Hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico is asking the White House for any help it can get.

But theres at least one request the Trump administration hasnt granted Puerto Rico: the suspension of a 97-year-old maritime law that says shipping between ports in the United States must be done by U.S.-owned, U.S.-flagged, and U.S.-built ships operated by U.S. citizens.

Meet the Merchant Marine Act of 1920  more popularly known as the Jones Act  which was championed at the time with nationalist rhetoric that was remarkably similar to President Trumps.

The Jones Act entered the news this week after the federal government waived its restrictions to ease relief efforts for Texas and Florida after their recent hurricanes, but not for Puerto Rico, whose stranded residents are desperate for water, food, medicine and other basic supplies.

The protectionist economic law was designed to create American jobs in the years after World War I.

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American politicians and military figures were worried that the country would fall behind on the high seas if its naval power was not nurtured during peacetime. A healthy commercial shipping fleet, known as the merchant marine, was seen as a key part of national defense.

Republican U.S. Sen. Wesley Jones of Washington state came up with the Merchant Marine Act, which the Los Angeles Times hailed as an America first shipping law that would unshackle commerce and make shipping vessels 100 Per Cent. American.

Other nations have similar policies, which are called cabotage laws. The Jones Act doesnt apply to cargo shipped between the mainland states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but it does affect Puerto Rico, whose 3.4 million residents get a large portion of their goods via container ships from the mainland.

For years, Puerto Rican politicians have complained that forcing the U.S. island territory to rely on American-flagged ships  even with foreign ships in abundance in its ports  drives up the cost of basic goods there. The cost of living is higher on average compared with the mainland.

Any protection raises costs. That is its purpose, Alan Deardorff, an international trade economist at the University of Michigan, told The Times in 2015. Protection is sought by industries that are facing lower-cost competitors. It raises costs to consumers.

The nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office found in 2013 that foreign shippers serving Puerto Rico from foreign ports generally cost less than their American counterparts despite traveling longer routes.

But the report also concluded that removing the restrictions on foreign shippers could result in the disappearance of most U.S.-flag vessels in this trade, thus harming American shippers and shipbuilders. The agency made no recommendation about what to do with the law.

Merchant marine supporters have firmly defended the law as the number of U.S.-flagged ships has shrunk over the decades.

A balanced, competitive and efficient waterborne transportation system is indispensable to Americas economy and security, says the website of the Transportation Institute, an industry nonprofit that supports the Jones Act. A privately-owned, citizen-crewed merchant fleet, flying the flag of the US in our domestic and foreign commerce, has been the foundation for the success of our nation throughout its history  in peace and war.

Criticism of the Jones Act has been shared by some conservative think tanks that believe in unbridled free trade. Making a case to scrap the law, the Heritage Foundation wrote in 2016 that when special interest groups want goodies from Congress, theyll often cloak their pleas in the garb of national security. 

The devastation from Hurricane Maria last week has spurred calls from some lawmakers to suspend the Jones Act for Puerto Rico for at least a year.

The island is now facing an unprecedented uphill battle to rebuild its homes, businesses and communities, a group of seven Congress members led by Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez, a Democrat from New York, wrote to the Department of Homeland Security.

Temporarily loosening these requirements  for the express purpose of disaster recovery  will allow Puerto Rico to have more access to the oil needed for its power plants, food, medicines, clothing, and building supplies, the lawmakers wrote.

Elaine Duke, the acting Homeland Security secretary, had previously approved temporary Jones Act suspensions for states affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, citing a need to ensure we have enough fuel to support lifesaving efforts, respond to the storm, and restore critical services and critical infrastructure operations. Jones Act Attorneys may have some insight regarding this as well.

As of Wednesday, however, no waiver had come for Puerto Rico. The agencys current assessment is that there is sufficient numbers of U.S.-flagged vessels to move commodities to Puerto Rico, a spokesman told The Times. The limitation is going to be port capacity to offload and transfer cargo, not vessel availability.

Supporting that argument, some news reports from Puerto Rico have suggested that theres a glut of containers filled with supplies waiting to be unloaded in the islands ports, but that officials have had difficulty securing drivers and transportation to unload them.

When asked by reporters whether his administration would suspend the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, Trump said, Well, were thinking about that, but gave a similar explanation as the Department of Homeland Security.

Trump also hinted at another motivation: A lot of people that work in the shipping industry  dont want the Jones Act lifted.

Ruben Vives contributed to this report.

matt.pearce@latimes.com

Matt Pearce is a national reporter for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @mattdpearce.

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In a desperate plea for "action" on gun control, President Joe Biden has talked about raising the minimum age for buying a gun following the Texas school shooting that killed 19 children and two adults at an elementary school in Uvalde.

On Sunday, Biden took to Twitter to ask why an ordinary citizen can buy an assault weapon with hundreds of bullets.

"Why should an ordinary citizen be able to purchase an assault weapon that holds 30-round magazines and fires hundreds of bullets in minutes," the president asked.

Biden went on to say that the aftermath of the Texas school shooting in Uvalde was "devastating" to the point that parents of the victims had to do "DNA swabs to identify the remains of their 9- and - 10-year-old kids.

"Enough," the president concluded.

In a separate tweet, Joe Biden commented on the guidelines for buying firearms in Texas.

"In Texas, you can be 18-years-old and buy an assault weapon - even though you can't buy a pistol until you're 21," the president said.

Biden then suggested that if banning assault weapons is out on the table, then the minimum age for buying weapons should be raised.

"If we can't ban assault weapons as we should, we must at least raise the age to buy assault weapons to 21," the president said.

READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden Admits No Quick Fixes on Food and Gas' High Prices

Joe Biden Went to Uvalde in Texas

Last week, Joe Biden traveled to Uvalde, Texas to visit Robb Elementary School, the site of the Texas school shooting.

Biden traveled with First Lady Jill Biden. They laid a bouquet of white flowers to those already placed in front of the school sign. The Bidens reportedly viewed every altar erected in memory of each victim.

The couple also reportedly attended a mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where one of the victims' families was in attendance.

As they were about to leave the church and get into their car, a crowd of about 100 people started chanting, "do something," and Joe Biden replied, "we will."

During a commencement address at the University of Delaware on May 28, Biden also commented about the Texas school shooting.

"We have to stand stronger. We must stand stronger. We cannot outlaw tragedy, I know, but we can make America safer," the president said.

Biden earlier noted that gun control is up to Congress as he cannot "dictate this stuff." The president said it was ultimately up to the House and the Senate to outlaw an assault weapon or strengthen the background check for gun sales.

Joe Biden noted that although he will continue to take "any executive action" he can take, he could still not outlaw a weapon and change a background check, The Hill reported.

"I can't do that," the president said, adding that Congress must act to pass gun control legislation.

Texas School Shooting in Uvalde

At least 19 children and two teachers died after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered Robb Elementary School and opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle on May 24.

Tactical officers killed Ramos during a shootout in a classroom after he went on a killing spree at the Texas school.

Despite killing 21 people, Ramos' mother claimed that the 18-year-old shooter was not a "violent person." However, the mother acknowledged that her son did not have many friends.

READ MORE: Oklahoma Mass Shooting: Gunman Kills 4 'Civilians' at Tulsa Hospital Before He Commits Suicide

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: President Biden Addresses Texas Elementary School Shooting - From ABC News
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is providing more than $317.9 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for this month.

According to OAOA News, the allotments are expected to help about 1.3 million Texas households. In a press release, Abbott said, "Texans across the Lone Star State benefit from the nutritious food made available through the extension of emergency SNAP benefits."

He then thanked HHSC and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for continuing to help families remain healthy and put food on their tables.

Texas HHSC Access and Eligibility Services Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter noted that they were always ready to support families by providing access to fresh, nutritious foods needed for healthy families.

Salter said they were there to support families when they needed it most. The emergency June allotments are in addition to the more than $6.9 billion in benefits earlier provided to Texas since April 2020, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits 2022: Texas, California, Florida, Other States Payment Updates

SNAP Benefits Texas

Texas SNAP benefits are sent out monthly by the Texas HHSC through Texas Lone Star Cards, which is the state's version of the federal EBT Card.

Go Banking Rates reported that the SNAP benefits could be used to purchase food, seeds, and plants to grow food in most major grocery stores and retailers.

Texas Lone Star Card can be used by swiping the card in the store's payment machine, selecting "EBT," and entering the PIN.

The receipt will show the amount left in one's SNAP account. Recipients can also check their Lone Star Card balance and view rent card activity through their online account at YourTexasBenefits.com.

Texas also has a program for households in which all members are either older adults or people with disabilities. Those eligible in the program called Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP) will face an easier SNAP application process and will receive three years of benefits instead of six months.

SNAP benefits are usually deposited onto the Lone Star Cards over 15 days, starting on the 1st day of the month.

Recipients receive their SNAP benefits based on the last digit in their Eligibility Determination Group number.

SNAP Benefits 2022

The USDA noted that emergency allotments are equal to the maximum benefits for the household size. State SNAP agencies can issue emergency allotments on a month-to-month basis to all SNAP households that normally receive less than the maximum benefit.

Meanwhile, according to Go Banking Rates, households that are at or near the maximum SNAP benefit will receive little or no additional support.

EA payments can be made as long as there is a national public health emergency (PHE), with the state having a state-level emergency declaration in place. The current PHE is seen to expire on July 15.

Eligible school children and childcare programs may also receive temporary emergency food assistance during the summer months.

READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022 Update: Full Schedule of Texas June Payments, Revealed

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WATCH: SNAP Food Program Gets Boost In Benefits - From NBC News
Colombia mine blast near the northern town of El Zulia on Monday has claimed the lives of nine coal miners while six others remain trapped underground.

The National Mining Agency announced the developments. The explosion was caused by a build-up of gas, triggering a fire and the collapse of a tunnel, which trapped the miners, according to a BBC News report.

The surviving miners have been trapped underground for six days while their families have been desperately waiting for news as rescue efforts continue.

Mayor Manuel Pradilla said last week in an ABC News report that a miner who was above ground at the time was injured by the blast, causing him to have "burns all over his body."

Pradilla said in a Colombian TV news outlet that they are not losing hope, adding that they hope that the 14 trapped people can be found alive.

The sheets of flame shot nearly 50 feet outside the entrance to the mine.

Metro News reported that one of the dead has been identified as Fabio Caceres Garcia, who suffered severe burns in the explosion.

Caceres Garcia was the first person to be rescued but died in hospital in Cucuta the following day.

He suffered second and third-degree burns to 80 percent of his body after he had been outside the mine at the time of the explosion and was hit by the blast wave.

Meanwhile, another miner has also been found dead. However, he was not yet identified.

The country's mining agency spokesman said that workers had managed to repair the ventilation system. But the rescue would still "take several more days."

The ANM announced that it would launch an investigation into how the blast happened.

READ NEXT: Starlink in Brazil: Elon Musk Announces Major Move to Help 19,000 Schools, Protect Amazon

Colombia Mine Blast

In March, an explosion at a coal mine had also taken place in Colombia, which had killed 15 miners.

The blast happened at the La Chapa mine located in Tasco, Boyaco, according to Anadolou Agency News report.

The agency noted that the accident was caused by an accumulation of methane gas at the mine, which was operated by Ingecolmaq SAS.

Rescue operations started as soon as the blast happened, with a group of 14 engineers, eight technicians, 60 mining rescuers, and company workers trying to bring the workers out alive.

Bodies were found under the rubble with burns from the explosion.

Mining in Colombia

Monga Bay reported that legal mining in Colombia has significantly driven deforestation, which contributed to the destruction of 121,819 hectares of forest from 2001 to 2018.

Researchers found that only 100 contribute to most of the deforestation out of the 8,600 mining concessions with permits given by the Colombian government.

Deforestation due to legal mining increased after the signing of a peace agreement in 2016, which had ended decades of civil war between the Colombian government and FARC guerillas.

It was then followed by the worst year for deforestation resulting from mining, with 22,000 hectares of forests cleared in 2017.

READ MORE: Colombia's Most-Wanted Drug Lord Dairo Antonio Usuga Arrested; Pres. Ivan Duque Likened It to Capture of Pablo Escobar

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Deadly Explosion In Colombian Coal Mine Traps At Least A Dozen Miners - from NBC News


WWE star Cody Rhode proved his strength again on Sunday after winning against Seth Rollins in "Hell in a Cell" pay per view, despite having a pectoral injury. The match between Rhodes and Rollins occurred at Rosemont, Illinois, according to CBS Sports.

According to Bleacher Report, this is the third time Rhodes beat Rollins in a match. Cody won after he gave Rollins his Cody Rhodes finisher twice and then hit his opponent with a sledgehammer.

Other WWE stars who will appear in this year's Hell in a Cell include Bianca Belair, Asuka, Becky Lynch, Ezekiel, and Kevin Owens.

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins' rivalry dates back to Wrestlemania 38, when Rhodes made his return to WWE after six years.

Also called the American Nightmare, Rhodes won his first match against Rollins. Rollins then faced Rhodes once again in WrestleMania Backlash, but the American Nightmare still won.

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WWE Hell in a Cell: Cody Rhodes Reveals Injury During Match

Cody Rhodes' win in WWE Hell in a Cell on Sunday was not easy, as he revealed the damage his body has even before the match started.

The WWE star revealed his purple chest and shoulder, prompting a hush from the venue when he took his hood off from his body, per Metro.

Rollins did not shy away from targeting the injury Rhodes has revealed in the arena. At one point in their match, Seth dug a kendo stick in Rollins' bruised chest.

A GIF uploaded by WWE on Twitter showed how much pain Rhodes sustained after the kendo stick was dug into his chest. The WWE star was seen screaming in pain as he tried to stop the kendo stick from digging deeper into his chest. Rollins then donned Rhodes' jacket and grabbed his opponent's belt, then repeatedly whipped the injury in his shoulder.

Rhodes also failed to land a proper attack slam on Rollins' back. A video from WWE showed that he hurt his right shoulder when he was about to lift his opponent and slam his back on the ring. The American nightmare failed to complete the move as he released Rollins from his clutches and held his right shoulder due to his pain.

Cody Rhodes Injury Ahead of WWE Hell in a Cell

The bruise on Cody Rhodes in his chest resulted from a torn pectoral tendon ahead of his match in Hell in a Cell.

Host Kayla Braxton confirmed Rhodes' injury during a Hell in a Cell 2022 Kickoff show.

Braxton pointed out that a tendon tore completely from Rhodes' bones while he was weight training.

Rhodes did not blatantly announce that he will attend the match, but he tweeted a photo of the seats in Chicago where his match against Rollin was held.

"You ready Chicago," Rhodes captioned the photo.

He also tweeted WWE's poster for his match against Rollins.

READ NEXT: California Gas Prices Surge up to $8 per Gallon | What's Causing the Massive Increase?

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Cody Rhodes reveals the scars of battle: Hell in a Cell 2022 (WWE Network Exclusive) - From WWE
Camille Vasquez, the lawyer of Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial, is currently receiving a flood of offers from Hollywood law firms.

New York Post reported that Vasquez is at the center of an ongoing bidding war between law firms that want her on their team after her victory in Depp's trial, according to sources.

Industry sources noted that doors are opening for Vasquez, adding that it is just a matter of time which one she chooses.

One source said talent agents are orbiting Vasquez after they recognized that "she is the unicorn," which is a smart, savvy, poised attorney. The source added that her performance during the trial propelled her to a level of visibility. The person familiar with the matter also said that Vasquez being a woman of color "is an added bonus."

Sources said that since the trial's conclusion, the Depp lawyer has received offers from several traditional TV networks and cable channels.

A former network executive familiar with the matter said that Vasquez is "inarguably a great voice to weigh in on legal matters."

The former executive said that networks are "naturally chomping" at the bit to speak about on-air opportunities.

READ NEXT: Johnny Depp Verdict: Amber Heard's Lawyer Reveals 1 Major Reason for Defamation Case Defeat

Johnny Depp Lawyer Camille Vasquez

Camille Vasquez was recently spotted with her boyfriend in Virginia. She is currently dating 38-year-old Edward Owen.

Owen is a Cambridge-educated senior director at WeWork and is in charge of real estate for Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, according to a Geo TV News report. He earned a degree in history from Cambridge in 2005 and a master of philosophy in real estate in 2006.

Owen is also a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He joined WeWork in 2017, having spent eight years working for international developer titan Swire Properties before.

Vasquez spoke out outside the courtroom after the verdict was read. She said that the ruling confirms what they have said from the start, that the claims against Depp are "defamatory and unsupported" by any evidence.

Camille Vasquez During Amber Heard's Trial

Camille Vasquez cross-examined Amber Heard, with the highlights including when she asked the Aquaman actor whether the $7 million divorce settlement amount had been donated to charity by her.

NDTV News noted that Heard tried to avoid answering it directly by saying she had pledged the money to different charities.

Vasquez then replied and said, "Ms. Heard, respectfully, that's not my question."

Johnny Depp sued Heard for $50 million in defamation, claiming that a 2018 article she wrote for Washington Post damaged his career.

Heard talked about being a domestic abuse survivor in the article. However, he had not named Depp.

Heard then filed a $100 million countersuit against Depp, claiming that she was granted a temporary restraining order.

The jury decided to award Depp $15 million in damages on Wednesday.

Vasquez is a litigation associate for Brown Rudnick, which Depp hired to oversee his legal defense.

READ MORE: Amber Heard Dating History: Johnny Depp, Elon Musk and Some Latino Men She's Been With

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Written by Mary Webber

WATCH: What's Next For Johnny Depp's Lawyer Camille Vasquez? - from Law & Crime Network
A California teen was arrested on Sunday after he threatened a school shooting on social media.

According to New York Daily News, the California teen, which was not identified, was a high school senior at Heritage High School in Menifee, a town located about 75 miles from Los Angeles.

Police from Menifee, California confirmed on Sunday that the teen was arrested after the threat was made and for possessing a ghost gun.

ABC News reported that Heritage High School was not specifically targeted by the social media threat made by the California teen. However, the post of the teen reportedly revealed that he planned to "shoot up a school" as well as "kids."

The police were reportedly notified by people who saw the social media post of the 17-year-old.

Detectives who obtained a search warrant encountered the California teen around 2 p.m. on Sunday while he was returning home.

READ NEXT: Texas School Shooting: Joe Biden Sends Desperate Plea for Gun Control, Highlights How Uvalde Parents Took DNA Swabs to Identify Children

Weapons Allegedly Owned by The California Teen

The police statement also revealed that they found a "ghost gun" a privately manufactured firearm that is untraceable. The said firearm is created through assembling pieces, which are either sold together or in a kit or sold separately.

The California teen was also reported to possess brass knuckles.

California police noted that the 17-year-old did not have any previous criminal record. However, reports mentioned that the teen had allegedly been harassing students.

The California teen was booked into Riverside County Juvenile Jail. His charges include making criminal threats, possession of brass knuckles, and possession of an unregistered firearm.

The Menifee Police underscored in their statement that they will not tolerate any threats that will cause fear in their community.

Another California Teen Arrested Over Shooting Threats

The 17-year-old from Menifee was not the first teenager that was arrested by the California police in June.

Last week, the police reportedly arrested a 16-year-old male after they received a tip that he was recruiting other individuals to carry out a shooting and bombing at Berkely High School, Fox News reported, citing a local news outlet.

It was unclear if the 16-year-old was a student from Berkely High School. Authorities also did not reveal the identities of the individuals that were recruited for the shooting.

The police reportedly searched the teenager's home after obtaining a warrant, prompting them to find parties for explosives, assault rifles, and electronics that could be used to make new weapons.

The suspect reportedly turned himself in after the warrant was issued. The 16-year-old was slammed with charges, including threatening to commit a crime that will result in death or great bodily injury.

Berkeley Police Department said in a statement. that school safety remains as a high priority for their department. They furthered that they dispatched a school resource officer to Berkely Highschool following the incident.

READ NEXT: WWE Hell in a Cell Results: Cody Rhodes Wins Against Seth Rollins Despite Pectoral Injury

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WATCH: Deadliest Mass Shooting in US History - From ABC News
A Chicago police officer was shot and seriously wounded on Sunday afternoon during a short gunfire exchange in the Englewood neighborhood.

Chicago Tribune reported that the unidentified male officer and a male offender were both wounded in the area, according to authorities.

The wounded officer was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, and is in serious but stable condition.

Police Superintendent David Brown said that the offender got out of the car and started firing at the officers.

Brown added that the Chicago police officer was struck twice, once in the arm, and one in the torso. Meanwhile, the offender was struck as well, with the suspect in critical condition.

The superintendent said he did not know how many times the offender was shot while police were still holding off releasing details until the video of the incident was reviewed.

Brown told reporters the offenders are "brazen in harming officers."

Chicago Sun-Times reported that authorities have scanned the area surrounding the shooting, with at least 18 shell casing markers were placed near a silver Toyota sedan.

READ NEXT: 10-Year-Old Girl Shot, Killed Florida Woman With Whom Her Mom Got Into a Fight

Chicago Police Force Shot

In a separate incident, Chicago police noted that 19-year-old Tarrion Johnson was arrested Thursday after he opened fire on an officer with the U.S. Marshals Service's fugitive apprehension team with his federal police dog, according to a Fox News report.

The unit was serving the Chicago man with an arrest warrant for a previously attempted murder charge.

The marshal brought the wounded K-9 to a veterinary clinic right after the shooting, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

The officer then realized that he was shot in the hand but refused to be taken to a hospital.

The U.S. Marshals Service noted that the police dog was in the intensive care unit of an emergency veterinary hospital.

Johnson is facing charges of attempted murder, attempted robbery with a firearm, aggravated cruelty to animals, and injury to a police animal.

Another Englewood District officer was shot and seriously wounded while trying to make a traffic stop in the 6100 block of South Paulina Street.

Police had internally determined a suspect last week. However, no arrests have been reported.

Brown said that now is a good time to say thank you when one sees an officer, adding that they need encouragement right now.

Gun Violence

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot posted a statement on Twitter calling on the U.S. Senate to take action to end access to illegal guns.

Lightfoot asked how many officers and residents must be subjected to gun violence before lawmakers start to act.

Asia Butler, co-founder, and CEO of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood noted that new efforts are underway that would help bridge the gap between the police and the community and increase visibility.

However, she acknowledged that it is difficult to reach people "committing these types of crimes."

Police said that officers involved in the shooting will be on administrative duties for 230 days as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates.

READ MORE: Disney Stocks Falls by 33% After Governor Ron DeSantis Revokes Special Status

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Chicago police officer, suspect shot on South Side - from WGN News


Laurel, MS (39440)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High around 95F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.
The odds of Laois Offaly TD Barry Cowen taking the reins at Fianna Fail were halved this week after he questioned the performance of the party.

A tight battle could be on the cards to succeed Micheal Martin as leader of Fianna Fail as Barry Cowen made a notable move up in the betting.

A new Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks opinion poll made troubled reading for the Fianna Fail leader with the party lagging behind both Sinn Fein (35%) and Fine Gael (20%) despite their share of support rising one point to 17%.

Now speculation on a successor to Martin as party leader is on the up and Barry Cowen is being backed as a possible contender after he tabled a motion at an internal Fianna Fail meeting last week questioning their performance in government.

The Laois-Offaly TD has been cut into 6/1 from 12/1 by BoyleSports making him the fourth most likely successor behind long-time favourite Jim OCallaghan.

The Dublin Bay South TD remains the frontrunner should a vacancy arise, but his odds of 6/5 at the start of the year have eased out to 2/1.

Lawrence Lyons, Spokesperson for BoyleSports commented: The betting on the next Fianna Fail leader is now a lot closer than it once was and Barry Cowen is closing in on the favourites. He has been vocal in challenging the leadership and is clearly in punters minds having moved into 6/1 from 12/1, so perceived frontrunner Jim OCallaghan certainly has competition.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue and Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity with special responsibility for horticulture Pippa Hackett have announced the opening of the Horticulture Exceptional Payment Scheme.

Support is being provided to the critically important Irish horticulture sector, with an aid package of 2.8m for eligible growers.

This is a support measure which will be funded from Irelands allocation for exceptional adjustment aid to producers in agricultural sectors which have been impacted by Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine, as announced by the European Commission on 23 March.

Announcing the scheme, Minister McConalogue said:

The horticulture sector has been experiencing significant challenges recently and that is why I am delighted to announce this support for those most impacted in the sector. We are very proud of our domestic horticultural growers and we must ensure the long-term viability of the sector.

Minister Hackett said:

This support scheme will help to mitigate some of these impacts as well as sustain the viability of our horticultural growers who play a key role in producing safe, nutritious and local food in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Eligibility criteria and other details are laid out in the term and conditions of the scheme which can be found here.

To apply for this scheme please complete the application found here.

Completed application forms should be emailed to heps@agriculture.gov.ie by midnight on June 17, 2022.

Payments to eligible growers will be made by September 30, 2022.
With the leaving cert getting underway this week, national mental health charity Turn2Me is launching a free mental health support group on Thursday, June 9 at 6pm.

The Exam Stress support group will be open to students of all ages and will cater for young people sitting the leaving certificate, students preparing for college entrance exams, and students doing third level examinations.

The support group will be 100% free for all students and is also open to parents who are worried about their children during exam season. The support group will focus on exam anxiety, how to reduce exam stresses, and how to prepare for upcoming exams while ensuring your mental health is also prioritised.

The free support group will be conducted by a mental health professional, Anika Sparling, who is a qualified, accredited Psychotherapist. The support groups are accessible to anyone on the island of Ireland. People who want to enroll for the free Exam Stress support group can create a free account on Turn2Me.ie and simply sign up for the group.

Fiona OMalley, CEO of Turn2Me, said: We have been listening to our users and to feedback from secondary schools and third level institutions across the country, and the need for this support group has become clear to us. A little bit of stress coming up to exams can be good, as it can help you focus and act as a motivation tool. The problems occur when the anxiety and stress levels increase and become overwhelming.

She said: Some students feel like theyre drowning in the pressures they put on themselves, or pressures from their parents, to perform well in exams. Of course, its important to try your best in exams, but academic success isnt the most important thing. The most important thing is to manage your wellbeing and to make sure that youre approaching exams with as little stress as possible, one topic and one subject at a time.

Psychotherapist at Turn2Me said, Anika Sparling said: The common symptoms of stress coming up to exams are feeling low, appetite loss, feeling overwhelmed by the pressure, not being able to sleep, and sometimes not being able to focus.

"This level of stress is unproductive and unhelpful because its bad for your mental health and it also negatively impacts your performance during the exams. The support group were launching on Exam Stress will run every Thursday at 6pm on the Turn2Me website. People can anonymously post how theyre feeling and voice their concerns. It will be a safe, welcoming space for students who might just want to get their worries off their chest, who may need some support coming up to and during exam season, and for parents who are worried about their children sitting important exams, and who arent sure how to support them during this challenging time.

Turn2Me is encouraging secondary students, third level students, and any parents interested in getting support for themselves or a loved one during exam season, to sign up to this free support group, run by a mental health professional, by creating a free account on Turn2Me.ie and booking their slot.
Builders are being invited to bid for the contract to carry out alterations at the temporary homes of the news secondary school in Laois.

Laois Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) has invited bids from contractors for work at the existing buildings at Tower Hill and Railway Street to form new classrooms and staff rooms and all associated site works at Dunamase College, Portlaoise, Co. Laois

Builders have been told that the site is a live school, including a number of buildings and other external areas with established uses. The works areas are in the Temple Hill building and in the main school building on Railway Street.

Apart from using the former Tech and CBS schools, pupils also go to the former Scoil Mhuire NS for some tuition.

Dympna Kelly was recently appointed as te new principal of the school which welcomed its first intake in 2017.

Work has commenced on the new 24.5million 1,000 pupil school which will be located on the Timahoe Road. Dunamase College is an English-medium, coeducational, multidenominational school which includes an Aonad Lan-Gaeilge, where students can study all the subjects through Irish.

LOETB is the school Patron with An Forus Patrunachta as Trustee Partner. Dunamase College - Colaiste Dhun Masc is one of nine post primary schools under the patronage of LOETB, the largest education and training provider in Laois and Offaly.
Final preparations are under way at Laois Hospice for the return of the vital Sunflower collection day.

While the organisation is hoping for successful fundraising on the day it also appealed for volunteers to help deliver on this goal.

Laois Hospice is delighted to tell you that Hospice Sunflower day is back after two years of COVID restrictions. This year it takes place on Friday, June 10.

We need volunteers to help make it happen therefore Laois Hospice is seeking your help. Could you spare one hour on Friday 10th June to help.

All money collected on the day stays in Laois to provide the much needed hospice home care service, the say.

Since its inception in 1989, Laois Hospice Foundation says it has helped to provide a palliative care service for cancer patients, whose illness no longer responds to curative treatment.

The Hospice says it also provides support for the families of such patients. This total care involves doctors, nurses, a team of specialists and the clergy, who are all concerned with quality of life.

People will be able to support their local hospice service by purchasing various pieces of Sunflower merchandise including sunflower pins or sunflower seeds for 2 each from collectors on the streets of cities, towns and villages around the country.

If you wish to contact the committee of Laois Hospice, getting in touch is easy. The contact details for our officers are below:-

Seamus O'Donoghue - Chairman - (086) 8709311

Mary Delaney - Secretary - (086) 8157280

Irene Murray - Treasurer - (087) 2897753

You may contact the committee via email, our address is info@laoishospice.ie

You can also back the them by donating online at Together for Hospice.

For more on Laois Hospice go to their website by tapping HERE

For more on Irish Hospice Foundation go to their website by tapping HERE
There are 147 Ukrainian pupils enrolled in schools across Leitrim according to figures released by the Department of Education.

As of June 3, 117 students have enrolled in national schools and a further 30 have enrolled in post primary schools.

Nationally, 6,797 Ukrainian pupils have been enrolled in schools across Ireland. Out of that figure, 4,766 of these pupils have been accommodated in primary schools while 2,031 pupils have enrolled in post-primary schools.

To assist with the transition of Ukrainian refugees and their families into Irish schools Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) continue to operate, hosted by the 16 regional education and training boards around Ireland and staffed by regionally based education support personnel.

The primary role of the REALT is to build on existing regional education support structures and the initial focus will be on assisting families in securing school places. REALT are also supporting schools in the area to meet the needs of these children as they emerge, advising and supporting the Department of Education in developing new capacity where required, and co-ordinating the provision of education services to schools and families across their defined area.

These teams are ensuring that clear, accessible information flows are in place between schools, local education support services and national support structures in relation to people arriving from Ukraine.

Information for parents in Ukrainian and Russian on accessing school places is available at www.gov.ie/Ukraine.
Cleo Paskal is a Canadian scholar and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow for the Indo-Pacific at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank. Previously, she lead the "The Indo-Pacific: Geostrategic Perspectives 2019-24" program at the independent Chatham House Institute in London. In an interview with "Le Monde," she analyzed the impact of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's exceptional visit to eight Pacific island states between May 26 and June 4. The tour was aimed at sealing numerous bilateral trade and security agreements between China and the island states of East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

Yin Kun, "Paper Boat," 2020, acrylic on canvas. YIN KUN / SOMEO FINE ART

Why is China working so hard to establish cooperation with the Pacific island states? What is its end goal?

It all starts with geography: If you look out to sea from the coast of China, the first thing you see is a chain of islands blocking you in, stretching from Japan to Taiwan and the Philippines. The space between the islands may seem wide, but if you want to deploy submarines and aircraft, or access the high seas, it is not wide enough. To reach the Indo-Pacific or the Arctic, China needs to break this chain and, in order to do so, take Taiwan. From Taiwan, it will be able to project its power and create a control zone that includes the Pacific islands.

To this end, China has made a huge effort to develop the world's largest navy. Under the guise of its "military-civil fusion" strategy, it can also deploy fishing fleets as naval power.

The goal is to win a "political war." The second crucial map is therefore that of the so-called "civilian" infrastructures, that is, the ports and airports that China would secure in the islands  many of which were used by the United States and Japan during the Second World War.

Mr. Wang wanted to conclude a regional agreement on trade and security  two related subjects for China. Has he failed at dealing with the multilateral aspect of the agreement?

There has never been any question of a truly multilateral agreement. Four of the Pacific island states recognize Taiwan [Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Palau and Nauru] and Beijing is not in dialog with them. The Chinese are testing ideas, proposing a lot to get less. You cannot speak of failure. They have excellent intelligence services, so it is very likely that they are wiretapping the region's leaders' phones and know perfectly well who to negotiate with. It is important for the Chinese to identify who is opposing them, such as the President of the Federated States of Micronesia David Panuelo, who has bravely warned about the threats posed by China to regional peace. He is now the target of very violent political attacks.

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The Arts Council has announced its strategic funding decisions for 2022 with funding totalling 47.4million that will be distributed to 106 organisations across all parts of the country.

From theatre to Irish traditional arts, from jazz to classical music to local fiddle festivals, from visual arts to literature, the talent and creativity embodied in these organisations is world class, full of ambitious confidence and something that we should all be proud of.

Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said:

Our strategic funding decisions will enable people of all ages and from all backgrounds to experience the very best of the arts.

The recipient organisations range across galleries, festivals, choirs, publishers, studios, theatres and venues and their work will ensure that the public has access to high quality artistic expression in every part of Ireland.

"...This funding for 106 organisations means local communities all over Ireland will be able to access great art throughout the year"



We are pleased to announce the strategic funding decisions for 2022. A total of 47.4m will be shared by orgs



More: https://t.co/oIdUy0m2Un pic.twitter.com/offaYeBeaj  Arts Council Ireland (@artscouncil_ie) June 3, 2022

Chair of the Arts Council, Prof. Kevin Rafter said:

Receiving funding of 130m for 2022 has allowed the Arts Council to invest in arts organisations across the country. This funding for 106 organisations means local communities all over Ireland will be able to access great art throughout the year.

Recipients of strategic funding play a critical part in delivering the policy priorities of Making Great Art Work, the Arts Council's ten-year strategy.

They also support the essential infrastructure required to sustain and develop the arts in Ireland. Funding is awarded following an open and competitive application process.

The criteria against which applications are assessed are; artistic quality and development of the arts, public engagement, organisational capacity, the importance of the oganisation in the arts infrastructure and the commitment to Equality Diversity and Inclusion.

The strategically funded organisations deliver excellent artwork and / or events and provide excellent opportunities for artists to develop their practice or to be engaged in high-quality, creative work.

A full list of organisations that have received this funding can be found here
GARDAI have issued a warning after they were alerted to a new scam which they believe is doing the rounds in Limerick.

In one incident, which is being highlighted publicly, a young woman in her late twenties was asked to transfer hundreds of euro after the applied for a loan online.

"The loan company contacted her and requested that she transfer a sum of money to confirm that she was capable of repaying

the loan. The lady transferred over 400 into an account. Two weeks later, there still is not any sign of her loan," said divisional crime prevention officer Sergeant Ber Leetch.

Gardai say it has since been established that the loan company does not exist and that the woman is out of pocket.

"Only apply to reputable financial institutions like banks and credit unions for a loan, if you are not successful do not apply online for a loan as you have no idea who you are dealing with," advised Sgt Leetch.

Gardai at Henry Street are investigation the specific incident.
IT IS an exciting time to join Bothar, according to the Limerick-based charity which is hiring a new CEO.

The news came as a surprise to Limerick IFA chairman Sean Lavery. The generosity of farmers has played a crucial role in Bothars work in developing nations through donations of livestock. B

othar sent its first airlift of 20 in-calf heifers from Shannon to Uganda in 1991.

A three-year contract for the new CEO comes with a 90,000 per annum salary; 30 days annual leave; employer pension contribution and health cover.

It states in the job description for the new Bothar CEO that a crucial aspect of this role is to represent the charity externally, especially as we work to resolve legacy issues and mitigate the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic on our operations.

Last year Bothar launched High Court proceedings against its former CEO, David Moloney, who, they claim, misappropriated the charity's monies for his own use. Bothar is seeking to recoup the monies taken.

Mr Moloney, of Clino, Newport, County Tipperary, has admitted misappropriating large amounts of monies donated to the charity for his personal use. In a sworn statement to the court, he said he spent the cash on things including family holidays, on his friends, but never lodged the monies in the bank nor kept any of the cash taken.

He also claims that much of what was misappropriated was paid to others, including to Peter Ireton, co-founder and former CEO of Bothar. Mr Ireton died following what has been described as a personal tragedy at his home in Limerick in April, 2021. Mr Ireton's death came days after Bothar's High Court action against Mr Moloney began.

The total sum it is alleged has been misappropriated is 1.1m.

Mr Lavery said one would be inclined to think what happened a year ago was of little consequence which it certainly was not.

I do not believe simply appointing a new chief executive to carry out a look back review and to develop a new strategy is credible. The reputational damage done is such that the future viability of the organisation has to be questioned.

At a minimum, all stakeholders should be consulted to ascertain their views regarding do we want to continue? How do we restore trust? What is the current financial situation? What is the likelihood of recovering monies? Status of current projects? said Mr Lavery.

The Limerick IFA chair said only after answers on the above could you have any view on Bothar's future.

The job description for the new Bothar CEO states the role reports to the chair of the board of trustees and there are currently three other employees who all report directly to the CEO.

This is an exciting time to join us as we determine future strategy for our organisation, it states on the job description.

There are a number of headings with bullet points regarding what is expected of the new CEO.

Under Communications & Fundraising, it reads: Carry out a full analysis into past income, as part of future strategy.

Below Governance & Compliance, it states: Lead and direct Bothars work ensuring that robust management and governance practices are adhered to.

Meanwhile, under Risk Management & Financial Controls, it reads: Ensure financial integrity and accountability of Bothar through sound controls and financial reporting.

The most recent financial statements available on the Bothar website date back to 2018.

The closing date for applications to be the new CEO of the charity is Monday, June 6 at 5pm.

Bothar has been contacted for comment.
GARDAI are appealing for witnesses to a single vehicle collision that claimed the life of a young man in Limerick this morning.

The fatal collision occurred at 12:30am on the R512 at Carrigmartin, Ballyneety.

The sole occupant of the only vehicle involved, a man in his early 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

His body has been removed to University Hospital Limerick where a post-mortem will be conducted at a later date.

The road was closed for a time this morning as Forensic Collision Investigators carried out a technical examination of the scene.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the R512 at Carrigmartin between midnight and 12:30am are asked to make this footage available to Gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Roxboro Road Garda Station on 061 214340, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Seven people have died in road traffic collisions in Ireland over the Bank Holiday weekend.

A man in his 60s was killed in a collision in Cork, two men died after a three car collision in Sligo, a male motorcyclist was killed in Kilkenny and two motorcyclists died in a collision on the M50 in Dublin.
Search engine giant Google is looking to hire 160 people in different departments for its largest India campus in Hyderabad defying the layoffs trend in the sector. The selected candidates will play an important part in helping to keep Googlers from around the world productive.

Google India on its website said Google Hyderabad is looking to hire 160 people for its different departments like Engineering and Technology (115 jobs), Sales, Service and Support (34 jobs), Business Strategy (22 jobs), People (8 jobs), Design (5 jobs), Facilities (2 jobs), Legal (2 jobs), and Finance (1 job).

Google India said, If youre looking for a challenge served up with a helping of fun, bring your ingenuity to Google Hyderabad."

To recharge your creative batteries, theres an indoor cricket pitch and massage therapists, Google Hyderabad said. Google India celebrates local festivals like Diwali and Eid ul-Fitr, and its chefs prepare the cuisines of all 28 Indian states, the firm further added.

"Our engineers have impacted millions of lives thanks to critical contributions to global products such as Gmail, Docs, and Maps. Our sales Googlers support advertisers small and large in India, North America, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Google India said on its website that, a minimum of eight years of work experience in consulting; software, Internet, media industries and/or early stage companies is required for Strategy and Operations Lead.

MBA or graduate degree in a management, technical or engineering field, experience in management consulting, investment banking, corporate strategy, or equivalent project management experience and knowledge of Service Operations, Customer Support Operations and Internet/Online Media is Preferred qualifications for the candidate.

Lead Data Analyst, Google Ads, Trust and Safety: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Quantitative Social Sciences, or equivalent practical experience. 8 years of experience in data and analytics. Experience with SQL database queries/analysis, and writing code in web or mobile development language (e.g., Java, JavaScript, Python, Go, PHP, Android, or iOS) are the minimum qualifications for the candidate.

Authoring Lead, Business Solutions and Insights: The minimum qualifications for the candidate for the post are bachelor's degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience. 8 years of experience in translating product and technical concepts for non-technical and executive audiences. Experience in product implementations, digital ad operations, or technical sales. Experience with SQL.

Practice Product Lead, Search Assets, Creatives and Formats: Minimum qualifications for the post are bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience. 10 years of experience in advertising product development/commercialization/activation. 5 years of experience in a tech or media environment.Experience with search, search tools, and online advertising

In April 2022, the internet giant began its work on its largest campus outside of its headquarters in the US. The 3 million square feet building at Gachibowli, the information technology cluster. In April, the company also unveiled the design of the campus spread at the 7.3-acre site it acquired in 2019.

The building prioritises sustainability and energy efficiency throughout its design.

An agreement for the campus was signed between the Telangana government and Google in 2015.
SURAT : Indian might gets its first operational bullet train by the year 2026, Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday.

Ashwini Vaishnaw further mentioned that good progress was being made into making the first bullet train of India operational between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat in 2026.

There has been good progress in the construction of infrastructure for the bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, and the work is being done at a high speed, the railway minister assured.

He was in Surat to inspect the progress of the government's ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

"We are keeping the target of running the first bullet train between Surat and Bilimora in 2026. The progress is very good, and we are confident of running the train by that time," he told reporters.

Bilimora is a town in Navsari district of south Gujarat. The project is aimed at running the bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai on a high speed rail (HSR) corridor at a speed of 320 kmph, covering a distance of 508 km and 12 stations.

The bullet train is expected to reduce the travel time between the two cities to about three hours from the current six hours. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 81% of project cost which is estimated at 1.1 lakh crore.

Vaishnaw said pillars for the bullet train project have been put up on 61 km of the route and work is underway on around 150 km of the stretch.

The Railway minister harped on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious vision for the railway system in India.

"It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to provide ultra modern and best services, such as redevelopment of railway stations, new Vande Bharat trains, Kavach (automatic train protection system), bullet trains...We are working to fulfil the aspirations of 130 crore Indians," he said.

Vaishnav inspected the operation of a segmental casting yard of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor near Vaktana village in Choryasi taluka of Surat, and also visited the under-construction Antroli railway station under the project.

Later, he also visited the project site at Nasilpore in Navsari along with Minister of State for Railways Darshana Jardosh. Asked about the progress of the bullet train project in neighbouring Maharashtra, Vaishnaw said it was slow due to land acquisition issues. He said Maharashtra should work with the spirit of cooperation and collaboration on the project.

"This is a national project and there should not be any politics over it," he said. "I believe we would set an example of working together on this project...The progress (in Maharashtra section) is slow. We hope there will be more progress," he said.

But, at the same time, the 352 km section in Gujarat is also sufficiently long, he said, adding that the focus will remain on Gujarat until the work of land acquisition in Maharashtra is completed.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on June 6, conducted searches at the residence of Delhi's Health and Home Minister Satyendar Jain in connection with hawala transactions related to a Kolkata-based company, ANI reported.

Union Minister Smriti Irani previously chastised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for "ducking" her questions about Minister Satyendar Jain, who had been arrested by the ED in a money laundering case, citing a High Court order that stayed a special court's order allowing Jain to have legal representation during the interrogation. Irani also added one more question to the list of ten she had posed to Kejriwal earlier this month during a news conference.

Irani, earlier this week, posed a set of 10 questions to the Aam Aadmi Party supremo hitting out over the arrest of Satyendar Jain after the latter was remanded to the ED custody till June 9.

Taking to Twitter, the Union Minister called the AAP leaders defending the Delhi Minister a "saga of lies".

"Saga of AAP's lies continues! Delhi HC has accepted ED's argument that Satyendra Jain who is accused of money laundering under PMLA must be denied his lawyer's presence during custodial interrogation. As Kejriwal Ji continues to duck 10 pointed questions, here's 1 more question," she tweeted.

Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal came out in the open to defend the arrested minister, claiming that the case registered against him is fake and politically motivated.

"Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. I have personally read all the papers and the case filed against Satyendra Jain by ED and it is completely false. We have a very strict and honest government. We are hard-core patriots; we can get beheaded but can never betray the country. His arrest is politically motivated," Arvind Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference on May 31.

Over half a dozen portfolios allocated to Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, currently in ED custody, have been handed over to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, according to an official notification. It happened after Jain had been arrested by the ED in a money laundering case on May 30.

(With agency inputs)
KOCHI : The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said the negotiation to reach a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union will begin from 17 June at Brussels in Belgium.

Earlier on the union minister had said that negotiations regarding the same were going on with the United Kingdom and Canada and the effort was undertaken to provide market access and opportunities for exporters in the country. Goyal had in May said, that the FTA with the European Union would could next year.

"We are also entering into free trade agreements with several countries. We have finalised with the UAE and Australia, while negotiations are progressing for such agreements with the UK and Canada. Our formal negotiations with the European Union to reach an FTA will begin on 17 June at Brussels. The effort is to provide market access and new opportunities for our exporters and consequently give fishermen a better future," Goyal said.

Last month, EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said that the talks on the trade deal between India and the EU would start soon.

India-EU FTA negotiations had been on the back burner after they were started in May 2013. However, an anti-China sentiment and the need for securing the supply chain amid geopolitical uncertainties have reignited the need to resume stalled trade talks.

Under the FTA, India wants the EU to conclude agreements on investment protection and geographical indicators accounting for nearly 15% of Indian exports, which jumped 59% year-on-year in April-January to $50.7 billion.

Goyal inaugurated various infrastructure projects at the Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) including a 13-storey office space for new entrepreneurs and an effluent treatment plant.

Speaking to reporters, the Union minister said the treatment plant, based on Zero Liquid Discharge concept, which is beneficial to major water consuming units and the general public will be a solution to the complaints with regard to effluents. After the inauguration, Goyal visited the plant and interacted with the staff.

"I am very happy that the effluent treatment plant has finally come up in Kochi SEZ so that the local complaints of effluents will now go away. It can treat one million litres per day. The pollution issues associated with water discharge can be solved. We literally saw black water turning into drinking standards," he said.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this infrared image of the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula. The light from young stars being formed can be seen piercing the clouds of dust and gas.

Stars are born amid turbulent clouds, and their deaths can be just as explosive. But how long do stars actually live? The short answer is: It depends on the size of the star.

For most of its life, a star exists in a delicately balanced state called hydrostatic equilibrium, in which gravity pulling in on the star is balanced by the outward push created by nuclear reactions in the star's core. That outward push happens as a star fuses hydrogen nuclei to form helium nuclei, which results in a burst of energy that maintains the star's shape and brightness. Once all the hydrogen is used up, the star embarks on an irreversible path toward its demise. The star will burn helium for a time, and the biggest stars will continue burning chemical elements up to iron, but it's a fleeting stay of execution. Stars come in a range of sizes, from just 7% of the sun's mass all the way up to 250 solar masses. So which ones die the fastest?

"Bigger stars have more fuel to burn," Ryan French, a solar physicist at University College London, U.K., told Live Science. "But they also burn much harder and brighter," French said. Their huge size means that gravity is crushing material down into their cores more intensely than in smaller stars, so their nuclear reactions proceed at an elevated rate

Related: 15 unforgettable images of stars

"Bigger stars actually exhaust the fuel available to them much faster than smaller stars," French said. The most massive stars live for a cosmically brief hundreds of millions of years. They live fast and die young. The smallest stars that are less than about 10% of the sun's mass have far less fuel to begin with; even so, they can eke out a living from their fuel supply for hundreds of billions of years.

The oldest star in the universe is HD140283  or Methuselah as it's commonly known. This Digitized Sky Survey image shows Methuselah star, located 190.1 light-years away. (Image credit: Digitized Sky Survey (DSS), STScI/AURA, Palomar/Caltech, and UKSTU/AAO)

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But because the universe formed just 13.8 billion years ago, there simply hasn't been enough time for a small star to reach old age.

"One of the oldest stars ever discovered is the Methuselah Star (opens in new tab)," French said. The star, which is 190 light-years from Earth, is named after the character in the Bible who supposedly lived for almost a millennium. "The current estimate of this star's age is 13.7 billion years," French said. That means it would have formed not long after the Big Bang.

By contrast, astronomers have discovered some stars, called protostars, that are still in the process of forming. Observed using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, these stars are less than 500,000 years old, according to the Max Planck Society (opens in new tab). "Humans were using stone tools by the time these stars first ignited," French said.

So how do astronomers work out a star's age? "It's not simple," French said. "Astronomers use a combination of measurements of the star's mass, brightness and speed in space to compare with other stars, and computer simulations to estimate its age."

Our own sun's age is about 4.6 billion years old  somewhere between protostars and the Methuselah Star. Astronomers think it is nearly halfway through its lifespan. "In about 5 billion years' time, the sun will stop fusing hydrogen into helium within its core," French said.

Once the sun's core runs out of fuel to counteract gravity, it will begin to contract. The suns outer shell, meanwhile, will expand, as it still has some hydrogen to fuse. "The sun will become so large that it will swallow up the orbits of Mercury and Venus," French said. After around 1 billion years, the outer core will have used up its hydrogen and move on to helium fusion. Eventually, the sun will run out of fuel, its core shrinking into a ball of carbon and oxygen called a white dwarf; its outer layers will dissipate and become a nebula  an envelope of hot, leftover plasma.

It's a reminder that, though even the biggest stars live far longer than humans, nothing lasts forever.

Originally published on Live Science.
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David Cronenbergs Crimes of the Future opened for general audiences this weekend without exactly lighting up the box office, which no one expected it to do.

The filmography of Cronenberg has been one that has brought unadulterated respect from cinephiles, while never having the populist appeal to breakout into huge commercial translations or awards attention. While its never too late to become an Oscar darling (i.e., Christopher Plummer nabbing his three career Oscar noms, and win, after the age of 80), unless the King of Body Horror is going to make a drastic switch in style and genre, it would be criminal for him to have no industry acknowledgment as a prolific auteur. The honorary Oscar is the perfect tool for such a distinction.

Despite telling an ambitious allegory of art, autism, global warming, awards season, relationships and perhaps a dozen others that can be picked out upon multiple viewings, Crimes of the Future is far too cerebral for mainstream awards attention.

When the precursor season begins later this year, it wont be surprising to find groups such as the Toronto Film Critics give the movie noms or wins for its actors, notably Viggo Mortensen and Lea Seydoux. Even original screenplay or Kristen Stewart could pop up. When it comes to the guilds, two artisan categories could be in play for noms  production design and makeup and hairstyling, depending on how loud the fall circuit goes.

At 79, Cronenberg has never been nominated for an Oscar, but his contribution to the cinematic medium is undeniable. As he becomes more seasoned, hes not getting any less subtle with his stories and hes insistent to continue to push cinema as far as they can go.

With a filmography thats included The Fly (1986), Dead Ringers (1988) and eXistenZ (1999), you can find the blueprint of many of todays up-and-coming filmmakers within the confines of his previous classics. An honorary Oscar rewards such an impact.

Violence and horror have been pillars of his gravitas and its too simple to say the Academy just doesnt dig the genre. Some styles are just ahead of their time. While the membership is making progressive movements towards an array of different movies and styles (i.e., Get Out winning original screenplay), Cronenbergs 22 feature films have never resembled any big Oscar movie in history.

His closest moment to major Oscar glory came with his A History of Violence (2005), a film about a small town diner owner who is confronted with his past after becoming a local hero.

Released in the same year that included Ang Lees cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain and Steven Spielbergs darkly visceral Munich, A History of Violence has aged like a fine wine and stands as my personal favorite of his career.

The Academy extended its hand to nominate the film for two Oscars  adapted screenplay (Josh Olson) and supporting actor (for the recently departed William Hurt). However, Viggo Mortensens reserved take on Tom Stall and Maria Bellos career-best turn as Edie, Toms cheerleading-dress-up wife, were ignored.

Four years away from the Academy expanding to 10 best picture nominees, it was near impossible for the film to crack a five-allotted lineup that also included a look at a tortured author (Capote) and a news organizations fight against politicians (Good Night, and Good Luck).

It was a combative year as journalists and audiences challenged the Academy to look beyond the conventional selections they would typically make, which led to Jack Nicholsons envelope-opening shocker and reading Crash. Cronenbergs unbridled drama was drenched in too much bloodshed to break through. Since then, we thought the Oscars toe-dip into the world of Cronenberg would yield more opportunities at a statuette but that hasnt panned out.

Mortensen received his first Oscar nom with the duos follow-up film Eastern Promises (2007), which was the only nom for the movie. Afterward, its been a complete shutout for his next three films  A Dangerous Method (2011), Cosmopolis (2012) and Maps to the Stars (2014), all making debuts at prestigious festivals such as Cannes and Venice.

In December 2020, I offered suggestions for worthy honorary Oscar recipients that named Jamie Lee Curtis, Loretta Devine, Brad Dourif, Danny Glover and Harrison Ford. Glover was honored this past April, the weekend of the 94th Oscars ceremony, along with others such as Elaine May and Samuel L. Jackson. While the Neon flick may not be his finest outing, Cronenbergs signature beats and attention-grabbing visuals still display the ability of a director that stands tall as one of our greatest auteurs.

As consumers and industry professionals continue to advocate for more representation for the horror genre, one of its begotten children David Cronenberg would make a fine candidate to be honored.

Crimes of the Future is now in select theaters.

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Enrique Tarrio, the national chairman of the Proud Boys during the events of Jan. 6, 2021, has been charged with seditious conspiracy, in a new, superseding indictment filed Monday. Tarrio is already in custody, with a federal judge ruling recently that he should remain locked up until trial.

The new indictment (embedded below) brings Tarrio and four other Proud Boys into dubious company, joining Stewart Rhodes and a slew of militia members from the Oath Keepers, who also face sedition charges in relation to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The Proud Boys are a violent far-right fraternity that preaches Western Chauvinism  and is notorious for engaging in street brawls with anti-fascist demonstrators.

Previously, Tarrio and the other named Proud Boys had been facing a charge of conspiracy to disrupt an official proceeding, the count of the Electoral College. The new federal indictment alleges that the purpose the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy was to oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force.

Tarrio was not on the ground in Washington, D.C., when the Capitol was breached. But the indictment alleges he was the leader who planned  and from afar in Baltimore, Maryland  praised the groups violent incursion into the halls of Congress. In a new text exchange quoted in the indictment, Tarrio compared Jan. 6 to the storming of the Winter Palace, a pivotal event in the Russian Revolution of 1917.

The indictment alleges that Tarrio created and recruited an elite group of Proud Boys called the Ministry of Self-Defense  whom a deputy characterized as comprised of radical and real men, a cut above normal Proud Boys recruits who were losers who wanna drink. Tarrio put himself at the helm of this top-down group and told others to fit in or fuck off.

The indictment does not offer many new details, instead recasting the details of the original conspiracy charge as seditious.

Tarrio was allegedly involved in plotting an attack in Washington D.C. In late December 2020, an unnamed individual is alleged to have sent Tarrio a nine-page document called 1776 Returns. It called on agitators to occupy parts of the Capitol complex on January 6, to show our politicians We the People are in charge. This individual wrote to Tarrio that The revolution is [more] important than anything. The Proud Boy leader allegedly responded: Thats what every waking moment consists of. Im not playing games.

Legal troubles forced Tarrio to leave Washington, D.C. on Jan. 5. But Proud Boys members were allegedly in the thick of the action on Jan. 6, helping breach metal barricades, and roughing up cops.

One of Tarrios deputies is alleged to have ripped a riot shield from a Capitol Police officer and used that shield to break a window at the Capitol. This was a pivotal act, the indictment notes, The first members of the mob entered the Capitol through this broken window.

In addition to Tarrio, the others facing the sedition charge are Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola, the alleged shield-thief. They are each in custody and all pleaded not guilty to the previous conspiracy charge. The governments hand in this case appears to have been strengthened by the April guilty plea of a sixth Proud Boys member, Charles Donohoe, to that original conspiracy charge.

Read the new indictment below:
For decades, Laredo has struggled under its medically underserved designation which was highlighted further during the pandemic. Amid the discussions on how to address the issue, a major component has been to find expert medical staff to come to Laredo and serve the community.

With a goal to help her community and doing her part with her expertise, University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry Class of 2022 Valedictorian Dr. Thelzy Ruth Zamarron, OD, said she will return to her hometown to help address the medical needs of its residents after graduating in May. Commemorating her achievement, Zamarron was featured by Women in Optometry alongside the other top graduates in North America.

Current plans for Zamarron include working at a local practice sometime this year, and she said that her plans see her staying in Laredo for the long run. She cited that her father, Dr. Eloy Zamarron -- who opened his own family practice in 1995 -- was a major influence for her career and said that she hopes to build her client base on the foundations of trust, a strong bond between doctor and patient confidence that made her dads practice a success.

Seeing the service he provides and the passion that Ive seen for years and years of my life from my dad for his patients, that was something that drew me to the field of medicine, she said. Once I told him I wanted to pursue optometry, he was nothing but ecstatic for me.

"He definitely had a huge impact on me and my decision to No. 1, pursue medicine, No. 2, to come back to Laredo and help my community. I have to give him a lot of credit.

She noted that while some may believe that optometry only deals with addressing bad eyesight and glasses, diabetes is a focal point of her expertise.

Diabetes is very prevalent in South Texas, she said. That is one of the diseases that usually tends to manifest in the eye sometimes before someone is diagnosed with diabetes. That was probably one of the things that sparked my passion the most.

As her fathers practice helped residents dealing with diabetes, Zamarron said that the ability to help diagnose, treat and educate on the importance of eye and systemic health are cornerstones of her passion for optometry.

Furthermore, her knowledge and experience in specialty contact lenses led to her goal of one day bringing that service to Laredo. With a number of rare diseases that require a specialized contact lens, including hard lenses, larger diameter lenses, specialty lenses and more. These lenses help those with diseases that are hard to treat but that can be managed with the lenses.

Right now, I know that it is very underserved in Laredo, and I was able to work with a doctor in San Antonio that does specialty lenses, and with that knowledge, thats something I also want to bring to Laredo, Zamarron said. Thats combining optics and physics along with the medical side of optometry.

Besides bringing a new service, she explained that she understood the severe need for doctors in Laredo and echoed current health officials concern for the retiring physicians due to age.

Multiple discussions between city officials, health officials and health service stakeholders have occurred during the pandemic. Health Authority Dr. Victor Trevino has stated that there are many factors to consider for physicians to move to Laredo but added that it is vital to entice more to move here. Compounding the issue is the fact that current doctors are retiring after long careers with no new physicians to replace them.

Between her father and sister, who both work in the Laredo medical field, Zamarron will soon join in helping residents with health issues. The ongoing concerns by the city and its residents does put some added pressure on her shoulders, but she said that it is alleviated by her confidence. Regardless, she understands that the city is attempting to address the growing medical needs with a lack of resources -- something she will be a boon to in the coming years.

Beyond her expertise in optometry, Zamarron also steps into the role of a role model in the community, and she hopes her experience can help motivate local students to pursue their careers regardless of where it takes them.

Zamarron is an Alexander alumna and was a part of the health science magnet program. During the programs rotation, Zamarron worked with Dr. Jose Barrera at Texas State Optical in her first exposure to optometry. After that, the goal was set and followed closely by shadowing local physicians before going to Tulsa to graduate in biology.

I knew I wanted to return back to Texas, and there are only two optometry schools in Texas. I ended up going to San Antonio because it was closer to home, Zamarron said. I was far away from home for college, and I wanted to be closer to home and I fell in love with the program.

She explained that the optometry program was four years and she graduated in May. Her love and dedication to both optometry and the program pushed her through her college career. She said that a question arose if she had a Plan B regarding getting into optometry school, and she said her only plan would be to restart the process and reapply.

I think more than anything, it's kind of remaining dedicated to your field and to what you plan, and if not, be flexible and realize that some things are not going to work out perfectly, she said. But I think that dedication to still pursue what you were passionate about from the beginning, I think thats the strongest thing you have to hold on to.

Regarding her commemoration, Zamarron said that she has seen a nationwide shift of women in college classrooms. Within her graduating class, she believes that it was 80% women, and she noted that her participation in high school panels led to conversation between Latina women who aside from being minorities were also often first-generation students.

For me I think I was more passionate about getting more students excited about optometry, and I think there is more room for so many more optometrists, she said. So for me, I would say I am completely passionate about it. Im excited, I love it. I want to be a role model, I want to encourage other students and I want to encourage other women, and I think we are already seeing that shift.
Women who went shopping at the Outlet Shoppes of Laredo this week might have shopped more than what they bargained for as they encountered several vendors and booths of information that offered women resources to maintain a healthy and good quality lifestyle.

The Womens Health & Wellness Expo was spearheaded by Raul Reyes, Webb County Treasurer and president of League of United Latin American Citizens Council #22387, as well as Webb County Commissioner for Precinct 2 Rosaura Wawi Tijerina.

The expo was held on May 31 to help commemorate the Day of Action for Womens Health, which is celebrated every year in late May.

According to Reyes, over 100 women attended the health and wellness expo according to on-site registration data. Many were looking for information related to areas of concern and prevention. There was a great interest on ovarian cancer and breast cancer screening, as was the case with diabetes and food nutrition guidance.

Webb County LULAC alongside Pct. 2 County Commissioner Wawi Tijerina hosted a free Womens Health and Wellness Expo for the Laredo/Webb County community and welcomed women to explore health-related resources during this free community event in honor of International Day of Action for Women's Health, Reyes said. Women represent the cornerstone of a family's overall health, ensuring they have access to quality care, information and resources can lead to improved health for children and families. The health of families and communities are no doubt tied to the health of women.

According to Reyes, one of the main goals and objectives in LULAC #22387 is to inform and empower women to take responsibility for their health, understand their health options and identify services, thereby increasing equal access to services, resources and products that best help them prevent and reduce poor health. He states that this can be accomplished by developing sustainable, collaborative community partnerships, discovering social economic health concerns in local communities, and increasing environmental and social-economic health awareness in underserved communities.

We did it at the Outlet Shoppes because everybody is walking around ... and we had approximately 20 vendors, Tijerina said. Women were there to explore the several community resources that are available to all these beautiful women. These vendors provided a lot of information, including the services that they offer.

Also in attendance at the expo was Rep. Henry Cuellar, who spoke to several of the vendors and women who attended, as he remains in a standstill in his current election

The county commissioner alluded to the attendance of the congressman, as she states that he can help bring many resources for local womens health from Washington as he sits on the appropriations committee.

Henry Cuellar was there going booth by booth getting information and stuff like that, which is great because as he is part of the appropriations committee, that is where all of the money can come to help out on this, Tijerina said. He can be able to find out what grants are available for us and all of these organizations. It is certainly something that is beneficial for all of us here in Laredo.

One of the vendors that took a picture with the congressman was Liz Martinez, who was at the event on behalf of KWS Financial group, and she stated that they really enjoyed the opportunity of being a part of the event.

The event included an expo of partners and businesses focused on balanced living and wellness, Martinez said. The opportunity to participate at this event allowed us to connect with women of all ages who are passionate about enhancing their lives. We were able to provide information on health insurance and life insurance plans, along with other information regarding financial planning.

The feedback provided by the women to the organizers was all positive, according to the county commissioner.

The women who attended said that it was very wonderful and very informative, and the feedback that I got was that we need to do this more often, as a lot of them are not aware of the different agencies that provide services for them, Tijerina said. They were very excited about the different information they got from the different organizations that were there.

Tijerina states that the City of Laredo Health Department is more than just a provider of vaccines, as they also provide many resources to the women of the community to keep a check on their health.

Both Tijerina and Reyes said that despite the abundance of resources that exists in the community, there continue to be various challenges that impact the health of local women.

The biggest challenge that we have is that a lot of girls do take for granted that these services are available to them, as most of these services are for free, Tijerina said.

They need to take care of themselves and really find out and what we need as women, and take advantage of the services because they are there. A lot of times we make excuses and say that we cannot do it today and things like that, and women need to start taking care and loving themselves as many of them never provide time for themselves, as they are too busy working, dealing with the children, thinking of keeping the house clean or thinking about having the dinner ready for the husband. No, women should start thinking about themselves.

For Reyes, he states that the challenge is that actually more resources are needed for the health issues that women are facing locally.

The greatest health care challenge for women in our community has to be the need of opportunities to improve access to care and effective treatment, and strategies to prevent conditions and health problems before they become problematic and expensive, Reyes said. Prevention and early detection are key in any chronic illness-related matter, so it is important for our young women to get the preventative information and initiate a healthy lifestyle.

Tijerina hopes that this is not the last time that they host such an event, as she believes it is important for the women of the community to know what programs and services exist for them. And she is open to cooperating and working with the same organizers to host it next year or another time.

Both community leaders thanked the various organizations that assisted them during the event, such as Black Widows LTX, CaptionCall, C.A.S.A.-Voz de Ninos, Driscoll Health Plan, Early Childhood Intervention, Gateway Community Health Center Inc., Imagine Dental & Orthodontics, KWS Financial Group, Laredo Cancer Society and the Laredo Health Department WIC Program.
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TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP)  Several thousand migrants set out walking in the rain early Monday in southern Mexico, tired of waiting to normalize their status in a region with little work and still far from their ultimate goal of reaching the United States.

Their advocates said they wanted to call attention to their plight, timing it with this weeks Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. It was estimated to include 4,000 to 5,000 migrants, mostly from Central America, Venezuela and Cuba.

It is the largest migrant caravan to attempt to leave southern Mexico this year, though a much larger group was stopped last year in Guatemala. Mexican authorities have eventually broken up the others through a mix of force and offers to more quickly resolve their cases.

Many carried children in their arms, on their backs, using sheets of plastic or blankets to shield them from the persistent rain. They walked from the southern city of Tapachula to a town about 10 miles (15 kilometers) away before stopping to rest for the night.

For months, migrants and asylum seekers have complained that Mexicos strategy of containing them in the southernmost reaches of the country has made their lives miserable. Many carry significant debts for their migration and there are few opportunities for work in Mexicos south.

The migrants complain that delays in paperwork on visa requests have trapped them in Tapachula, a city near the Guatemalan border. On Monday, a group of migrants tried to escape a detention center in Tapachula, climbing onto one of the roofs of the facility. However, police and National Guard ringed the center and prevented any escape.

Mexicos asylum agency has been overwhelmed by the surging number of applicants. Restrictive policies have made applying for asylum in Mexico one of the few routes migrants have to legalize their status and be able to continue traveling north.

The caravan departed just hours before Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that he would not be attending the Summit of the Americas because the Biden administration did not invite Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to participate.

Luis Garcia Villagran, an activist accompanying the migrants in Tapachula, said they wanted to send a message to the regions leaders that the migrant women and children, the migrant families are not bargaining chips for ideological and political interests.

Venezuelan migrant Ruben Medina said he and 12 members of his family found themselves in southern Mexico because of his countrys president Nicolas Maduro.

(We have) been waiting about two months for the visa and still nothing, so better to start walking in this march, Medina said.

They gave us an appointment for August 10 in (the asylum commission), and we dont have the money to wait, said Joselyn Ponce of Nicaragua. We had to walk around hiding from immigration, there were raids, because if they catch us they will lock us up."

The phenomenon of migrant caravans took off in 2018. Previously, smaller annual caravans moved through Mexico to highlight migrants' plight, but without the stated goal of reaching the U.S. border.

But then several thousand migrants began walking together, betting on safety in numbers and a greater likelihood that government officials would not try to stop them. It worked at first, but more recently the Guatemalan and Mexican governments have been far more aggressive in moving to dissolve the caravans before they can build momentum.

An October 2021 caravan grew to about 4,000 migrants before it diminished in southern Mexico. Another that was broken up by authorities in Guatemala in January of that year was estimated to be even larger.

While the caravans have garnered media attention, the migrants traveling in them represent a tiny fraction of the migratory flow that carries people to the U.S. border every day, usually with the help of smugglers.
TRONA, Calif. (AP)  The Navy has made public the identity of a pilot killed in the crash of a fighter jet in the Southern California desert last week.

Lt. Richard Bullock was killed Friday afternoon when his F/A-18E Super Hornet went down in the vicinity of the small Mojave Desert community of Trona, Naval Air Forces said in a statement Sunday night. Nobody on the ground was hurt.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  A California federal judge on Monday sentenced the Mexican man acquitted of murder in the 2015 shooting death of a woman on a San Francisco pier to the seven years he's already spent in jail  bringing to a legal close the case that ignited a national firestorm over immigration, crime and sanctuary cities.

Jose Inez Garcia Zarate was in the U.S. illegally when Kate Steinle, 32, was fatally shot along a crowded Pier 14 where she was walking with her father and a family friend. He faces deportation and U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria told him in court to never return to the U.S.

The shooting shocked a country already divided over immigration and fueled Donald Trumps successful campaign for president. Trump called for a crackdown on unlawful immigration and the sanctuary cities and states  including San Francisco and California  that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Garcia Zarate admitted firing the gun on July 4, 2015, but said he found it under a bench and didn't know what it was when he picked it up because it was wrapped in a T-shirt. The gun fired accidentally after he picked it up, he said. Officials said the bullet ricocheted off the ground and hit Steinle.

He was acquitted of homicide charges by a San Francisco jury in 2017 but faced firearms charges in federal court. In March, he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and a person illegally in the country in possession of a firearm.

If you return to this country again and you are back in front of me, I will not spare you. Let this be your last warning: do not return to this country, Chhabria said before sentencing Garcia Zarate to the time he has already served.

Chhabria also delivered a harsh rebuke of the mental health treatment received by Garcia Zarate for his schizophrenia while in custody, which the judge said was virtually nonexistent.

Garcia Zarate will be sent to Texas, where he faces a federal judge for failing to report his location when he was released from a San Francisco jail shortly before the shooting. He had been deported five times and was on track to be removed from the U.S. again when he shot Steinle.

The maximum sentence on the firearms charges was 10 years. Prosecutors agreed to the sentence of time served plus three years of probation. Garcia Zarate's lawyers wanted a shorter sentence so he could apply any time left over in case the judge in Texas imposes additional prison time.

The handgun belonged to a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger who reported it stolen from his parked car a week before Steinle was killed.

Before the killing, Garcia Zarate had recently completed a prison sentence for illegal re-entry to the U.S. when he was transferred to San Francisco to face a 20-year-old marijuana charge.

Prosecutors declined the case, but the San Francisco sheriff released him from jail despite a federal immigration request to detain him for at least two more days for deportation.

Garcia Zarate "feels horrible about what happened, and that hes very sorry and apologizes, his lawyer, Mike Hinckley, said in court Monday.

The judge said he does not believe that prosecutors proved that Garcia Zarate had acted with criminal recklessness in the shooting and that he likely did not understand what was happening that day when he killed Steinle, because of his mental health illness.

Chhabria also expressed sympathy for Garcia Zarate, who spent most of his seven years in county jail without medication or meaningful treatment.

Two doctors diagnosed Garcia Zarate with schizophrenia and found him unfit to stand trial because he could not follow the court proceedings.

"That must have been hell," Chhabria said.

But the judge also said that consequences matter and that Garcia Zarate admitted being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Steinle's relatives were not present in court for the sentencing and prosecutors said her family did not want to participate in the proceedings.
ROCKLAND, Maine (AP)  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a worker who was trapped when a structure collapsed.

Workers were demolishing an attached garage when the structure collapsed on a worker Saturday morning.
WASHINGTON - Key senators said Sunday there is growing momentum to forge a bipartisan congressional response to recent mass shootings that could toughen federal gun laws for the first time in a generation. But a deal is not yet in hand, they warned, and the delicate talks are expected to continue for several more days as negotiators seek to garner enough Republican support to get a compromise bill through the Senate.

Should an agreement come together, it is certain to fall well short of the parameters that President Joe Biden laid out in a White House address on Thursday, when he called for renewing the federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, as well as significantly expanding federal background checks for gun buyers and removing the firearms industry's immunity from lawsuits.

But a proposal that would encourage states to set up red-flag laws that would allow authorities to keep guns away from people thought to be a threat to their communities or themselves remains under keen discussion, as do measures tackling school security and mental health, according to people involved in the discussions.

"It's really tough sledding. But I've never been part of conversations that are this serious and this thoughtful before, and I know all the Republicans and Democrats who are at the table are there with total sincerity to get an agreement," Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.), the Democratic negotiator, said in an interview Sunday.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., another member of the small group of senators hashing out a potential deal, said on CBS's "Face The Nation" that the discussions, while "intensive," do not "guarantee any outcome."

"But it feels to me like we are closer than we've been since I've been in the Senate," said Toomey, who co-led a failed 2013 effort to expand criminal background checks for gun buyers after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The negotiators - and Democratic leaders - have seized on a growing sense of national outrage following the May 14 attack that took 10 lives at a Buffalo supermarket and the May 24 massacre of 19 children and two teachers inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Other shootings with multiple victims have followed, including incidents in Tulsa; Ames, Iowa; and overnight Saturday in Philadelphia and Chattanooga, Tenn. By one measure, there have already been more than 200 mass shootings in 2022.

Public polling shows consistently strong support for expanding background checks for gun buyers. Surveys taken after mass shootings frequently show strong support for tighter gun laws - 54% vs. 16% wanting less strict laws, according to a May CBS News/YouGov poll taken after Buffalo but before Uvalde - though that support tends to recede as public attention fades.

Having seen previous attempts at negotiation fizzle as violent incidents left the headlines, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signaled last month after the Uvalde shooting that he had limited patience for extended talks. He gave the group 10 days - until the Senate returns on Monday from a week-long recess - to show substantial progress toward an agreement.

Murphy said he spoke to Schumer on Sunday morning and that the deadline has been extended, modestly. "He still feels like we need to come to an agreement by the end of this week," Murphy said, adding, "I think that's entirely possible." Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman did not address the timeline but said the senator supports the bipartisan group and looks forward to discussing its proposals with the Democratic caucus this week.

Asked about the pace of the negotiations, a GOP aide familiar with the negotiations said, "We're aware of the artificial timeline Senator Schumer has created." The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe the talks.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who is leading the talks for Republicans, said in an interview Thursday that he shared a sense of urgency. "I think we need to act, and we need to act relatively quickly," he told The Washington Post. "We could lose this opportunity to do what we could to save lives, which to me is what this is all about."

While Republicans have long emerged as unflinching defenders of gun rights, encouraged by a voting base that includes millions of gun owners, there are signs that GOP lawmakers may have more negotiating space than in the past.

An open letter published Sunday in the Dallas Morning News signed by more than 250 prominent Texas conservatives offered support to Cornyn as "the right man to lead this bipartisan effort." The signers also endorsed a federal red-flag law and expanded background checks.

In an interview Friday, the key Democrat negotiating a federal red-flag provision, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, said he was encouraged by the progress that had been made on that aspect of the negotiations.

Blumenthal said he and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had come to an agreement between the two of them on a basic framework for legislation that would create a system of incentives, grants and federal standards for states that create their own red-flag laws. But he said details were still being hashed out as the discussion moved to a wider group of bipartisan negotiators. A spokesman for Graham did not respond to a request for comment.

It remained unclear, Blumenthal said, if any iteration of the proposal could garner the necessary 60 votes - which would mean a minimum of 10 Republicans if all 50 members of the Democratic caucus backed a deal.

"It's not final until it's final, and we need 60 votes," he said. "We're now going beyond the two of us to 10 of us, and we also need to be mindful of 60 of us, because all of the optimism in the world will fail to save lives unless we make it law."

As for background checks, talks are still underway. Any deal would be much more limited than previous expansion proposals, such as the legislation drafted in 2013 by Toomey and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

Cornyn said Thursday that he is willing to consider expanding the scope of criminal records that can block a gun sale under the federal instant background check system to include juvenile records. That could theoretically block a sale to a young gun buyer who has been judged responsible for a criminal act in sealed juvenile proceedings but has no adult record.

The Buffalo and Uvalde attacks involved 18-year-olds and legally purchased weapons. It remains unclear in both cases whether there were juvenile records that might have blocked those sales.

Cornyn said he favored a "limited, careful, confidential look-back" to ensure that young gun buyers are more closely scrutinized. "If they had been an adult with this same record, they would have been disqualified by the background check system," he said.

"We all agree that violent criminals and deranged, dangerously mentally ill people shouldn't have firearms," Toomey said Sunday. "So we need a mechanism to increase the likelihood that will identify such a person and prevent them from buying a gun legally anyway."

Other proposals related to school security and mental health have been floated during both private discussions and public forums. Graham on Friday tweeted a proposal to "create a certification process that allows former military members to go through school security training" and carry weapons in schools.

"Our schools are soft targets," he said. "They contain our most valuable possession - our children, the future of our country - and must be protected."

While Democrats have tended to react coldly to proposals that would arm school staff, Murphy on Sunday lent tentative support to Graham's idea. "There's no doubt there's going to be an increased demand for school security officers. It would be perfectly appropriate and, in some ways preferable, for veterans with significant training to fill those positions," he said.

Other elements likely to be included in a package is significant federal funding for both school security and mental health programs. Murphy said he thought congressional Republicans could be willing to follow the lead of Florida lawmakers after the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Within a month, a GOP-majority legislature and GOP governor in the state enacted legislation that included significant new gun restrictions as well as $400 million in funding.

"I don't think we're going to copy anybody else's law - we're going to have to come up with a unique compromise in the Senate," Murphy said. But he praised the gun provisions, mental health funding and school safety money that the Florida law provided: "That makes a lot of sense, and it's consistent with the discussions we've had."

In a rare national prime-time address on Thursday, Biden advocated for relatively far-reaching proposals such as the assault weapons ban. But he acknowledged that the current Congress, with a 50-50 Senate and a thin House majority, would probably not be raring to embrace them.

He suggested more modest alternatives, such as raising the minimum age for assault weapon purchases to 21 from 18. Even that, negotiators have said in recent days, is unlikely given conservative reticence to ban firearms or ammunition of any type.

Biden's overarching plea, however, was for Congress to do something, anything, to break nearly three decades of inaction on guns: "Enough, enough, enough," he said in closing.

While he lent support to the bipartisan talks on Thursday, he also added a dig at the GOP: "The fact that the majority of the Senate Republicans don't want any of these proposals even to be debated or come up for a vote, I find unconscionable."

That grated on the ears of Republican senators and aides who were perplexed at Biden's decision to give a national address advocating for provisions that few, if any, conservative lawmakers could support - and which Democrats in the bipartisan Senate group weren't even seriously pursuing.

Graham, for instance, quickly tweeted that he was "ready to work across the aisle to find common ground - something that was absent from President Biden's address to the nation."

Toomey on Sunday chided Biden for putting forth "policies that he knows for sure have no chance of passing the Senate, probably couldn't even get 50 votes and hold the Democrats, much less get the 60 we would need."

But Biden's sharp speech does not appear to have derailed the talks, which never included many of the provisions he called for. "It was unhelpful," said the Republican aide briefed on the talks. "But, also, he's irrelevant."

The biggest factor pushing the two parties toward the kind of deal that has been elusive in the past, Murphy said Sunday, is a "collective sense of the cost of failure."

"I think parents and kids are really scared right now, and for us to let our politics get in the way of providing them an answer, and comfort, would be devastating," he said. "But, you know, this is the most politically complicated and emotionally fraught issue that Congress deals with. There's a reason why we haven't made progress on this for 30 years."

- - -

The Washington Post's Scott Clement, Ellen McCarthy and Amy B Wang contributed to this report.
Major Republican donors, including some that have contributed to Gov. Greg Abbotts campaigns, joined other conservative Texans in signing an open letter supporting congressional action to increase gun restrictions in response to the mass shooting in Uvalde that left 19 children and two teachers dead last week.

The letter, which is expected to run as a full-page ad in the Dallas Morning News on Sunday, endorses the creation of red flag laws, expanding background checks and raising the age to purchase a gun to 21. More than 250 self-declared gun enthusiasts signed it.

Most law enforcement experts believe these measures would make a difference, the letter reads. And recent polls of fellow conservatives suggest that there is strong support for such gun-safety measures.

The letter voices support for Texas senior senator, John Cornyn, who has been tapped to lead bipartisan negotiations in Congress over possible gun reform measures.

We are grateful that our Senator John Cornyn is leading efforts to address the recent tragedies in Uvalde and elsewhere across our great Country, the letter says. Hes the right man to lead this bipartisan effort, as he has demonstrated throughout his career.

In an interview with Politico, Cornyn stressed that he was not interested in restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens under the Second Amendment, but said it would be embarrassing if Uvalde didnt spark Congress to reach some sort of bipartisan legislative response.

The letter was paid for by Todd Maclin, a former senior executive at J.P. Morgan Chase who now runs the Dallas-based finance firm Maclin Management. Maclin said he is a conservative gun owner who has been stirred to action by the shooting in Uvalde.

These events have really motivated me and really gotten under my skin and encouraged me to support the effort thats underway, Maclin told The Texas Tribune. I just felt like I needed to do something, and I also believe that there are reasonable things that can be done.

He said he is still hearing from more conservative gun owners who are feeling a great sense of urgency and a great need to support [Cornyn] as he does his best to address these issues.

Maclin said the group is focusing on federal legislation, which he believes is the best avenue to passing gun safety laws and ensuring they are applied uniformly across the country. He declined to comment on the state response to the shooting or gun legislation, except to say that he hopes any federal plan led by Cornyn and passed with conservative support would be embraced by state governments.

Among the signatories are deep-pocketed Abbott supporters, including billionaires Robert Rowling, whose holding company owns Omni Hotels, and Ray L. Hunt, executive chairman of Hunt Consolidated Inc.

The contents of the letter are in line with policies Abbott and other party leaders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have supported in the past  though not the ones they are endorsing now.

After the 2018 school shooting in Santa Fe, outside Houston, Abbott supported red flag laws, which would allow local officials to take someones guns away if a judge declares them to be a danger. He later dropped his support for the measure, citing a coalescence against it from his own party.

The next year, after back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso and Midland-Odessa, Patrick said he was willing to take an arrow from the National Rifle Association and support expanding background checks.

The next time the Legislature met, however, lawmakers instead passed a law that allows Texans to carry a handgun without a license or training.

This time, neither Patrick nor Abbott have expressed any support for tightening gun laws. They have instead offered suggestions that have ranged from expanding mental health services and minimizing the entrances to school buildings to doing surprise security checks.

On the federal level, both Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz have A+ ratings from the NRA and are top Senate recipients of gun industry donations. But theyve taken differering tacks in response to the shooting in Uvalde.

Cruz said in the wake of the massacre that passing laws that restrict gun access doesnt work. Its not effective. It doesnt prevent crime. But Cornyn has shown a willingness, now and in the past, to support some bipartisan gun legislation.

In the wake of the 2017 Sutherland Springs shooting outside San Antonio, Cornyn worked with Democratic colleagues to improve the background check system to prevent felons and domestic abusers from purchasing firearms.

He has also supported banning bump stocks, which allow semi automatic guns to fire faster, and shepherded into law a bill that funded the screening and treatment of offenders with mental illness.

After last weeks shooting, Cornyn has said hes not interested in making a political statement, but is focused on making the terrible events that occurred in Uvalde less likely in the future.

Disclosure: Politico has been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
We will be in Storm Alert Weather mode today as dangerous heat and humidity continue across the Tennessee Valley. High temperatures will reach Read More
Protracted works to upgrade one of Longford town's busiest roadways have been likened to the building of London's undergound railway system more than 150 years ago.

Moves to carry out substantive improvements to a 250 metre stretch of the county town's Major Well's Road began last October, but has since been beset by a series of hold-ups.

Initially, it had been hoped the project would be completed last Christmas, a date which has now been extended to September at the earliest.

Local politicians learned of the latest delay at a meeting of Longford Municipal District last week with the most recent setback being blamed on difficulties linked to a materials shortage issue.

That prompted an angry response from councillors Gerry Hagan and Seamus Butler, the latter of whom compared the drawn out nature of the project to that of the building of London's Underground network during the mid nineteenth century.

I find it extraordinary that they are complaining about materials. There is no specialist pavings, it is concrete. Its the fact it is intricate work but we are talking a stretch of 250 metres of road that is taking month after month after month to do, he said.

As the managing director of a large wastewater manufacturing company, Cllr Butler said while he had spent a lifetime on building sites, it was, in his view, the most painstaking he had ever encountered.

Per millimetre this is the slowest contract I have ever seen, he said.

I know there is ducting and all these type of things but they can be done.

"We were told it could be Christmas and then we were told it would be the end of July and now its September.

Its not the London Underground we are building here.

His Fine Gael opposite number Cllr Gerry Hagan gave a similarly pessimistic assessment.

He said it was imperative the public weren't being fooled into thinking the work would be finished anytime soon.

I agree (with Cllr Butler), its not the London Underground we are building here but my major concern is looking at it or the lack or progress on this road on a daily basis, I think we are looking at another six months here.
Longford model and former Love Island star Maura Higgins is among eight celebrities lined up to take on the second series of Cooking With The Stars on Tuesday night, June 7, on Virgin Media One at 9pm.

Hosted by Emma Willis and Tom Allen, Cooking With The Stars will see eight celebrities paired with a professional chef who will mentor, teach and take them from passionate amateur to restaurant level chefs.

The eight celebrities who will be putting on their aprons and heading to the kitchen are our very own Love Island star, Maura Higgins (mentored by Jack Stein), dancer and TV personality Anton Du Beke (mentored by Rosemary Shrager), Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes (mentored by Ronnie Murray), This Mornings Josie Gibson mentored by Tony Singh MBE) , Chaser Anne Hegerty (mentored by Jean-Christophe Novelli), TV expert Dr Ranj Singh (mentored by Clodagh McKenna), comedian Joe Wilkinson (mentored by Judy Joo) and DJ Woody Cook (mentored by Mike Reid).

Across a series of exciting cooking battles, the celebrities will be trained by their mentor chefs to produce delicious dishes that will be judged by the remaining professionals.

Pictured are Woody Ball, Anne Hegarty, Anton Du Beke, Dame Kelly Holmes, Emma Willis, Tom Allen, Dr Ranj Singh, Josie Gibson, Maura Higgins and Joe Wilkinson

In show one the theme is British dishes. The bottom two of each cooking battle will fight for their place, creating a dish without any help from their mentor. The result of this cook off will be decided by a blind tasting judgement from the professional chefs.

Unaware of whose food they are tasting, their greatest supporter could swiftly and unwittingly become their worst critic and vote for their protege to leave the competition.

Watch Cooking With The Stars every Tuesday from 9pm on Virgin Media One and Virgin Media Player
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: June 06 2022

These veterans were the last line of defense during the forty years of ideological conflict between Democracy and Communism," said the Museums president, Lawrence Kadish.

For forty years they kept the Cold War from becoming hot: Americans in missile silos and Berlin checkpoints, remote B-52 bomber bases and storm tossed Navy picket ships, all part of the Cold War conflict that was always a trigger away from global nuclear destruction. They never received a parade for their courage or professionalism, or even a public word of thanks. Until now.

On Friday, May 27, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at the Museum of American Armor, 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, Richard Nicolello, Presiding Office of the Nassau Legislature dedicated two Nike missiles similar to those that defended New York from Soviet bombers, to all the Americans who served during the Cold War.

Legislator Nicolello stated, Each American generation has faced dangerous threats to our nations future. Some events, such as Pearl Harbor, were immediately recognized as defining moments. The four decades of the Cold War did not produce such an event. There were no victory day parades. There was no opportunity to say thank you to those who stood vigil on behalf of freedom. We intend to remedy that omission with this ceremony.

The Armor Museums founder and president, Lawrence Kadish, said, Most Americans do not understand the role these veterans played in being part of the last line of defense during the forty years of ideological conflict between Democracy and Communism. Our effort addresses the need to pay tribute to them, and our need to better understand our history.

Armor Museum senior trustee Michael Sapraicone explained, Few New Yorkers remember that they were on the front line throughout the Cold War. Soviet submarines sat off shore, within easy missile range during the Cuban missile crisis. Nuclear tipped Nikes at Rocky Point were poised to detonate in the air to bring down Russian Bear bombers. Interceptor fighters sat in Westhampton and New Jersey, always minutes away from `scramble. In short, we were an armed camp, and very few of us knew it then or recall it now.
Crime

By Long Island Published: June 06 2022

Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the arrest of TONG HYON SUH, a/k/a Jason Suh. SUH is charged with communicating online with an individual he believed to ...

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the arrest of TONG HYON SUH, a/k/a Jason Suh. SUH is charged with communicating online with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl and attempting to meet the girl to engage in sexual activities and record the activities. SUH was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court and detained.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: Suhs behavior is the nightmare of every parent. He attempted to exploit the most vulnerable in our society. This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them.

According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] filed yesterday in White Plains federal court:

Beginning on April 24, 2022, a detective with the Greenwich Police Department (Detective-1), who was posing as a 14-year-old girl named Megan, communicated via the social platform, Kik, with TONG HYON SUH, a/k/a Jason Suh. During the communications, SUH, who was using the Kik user name suhjason, identified himself as a 45-year-old Korean male living in New York City and indicated that he wanted to meet with Megan for the purpose of having sex. Detective-1 told SUH that she was a 14-year-old female from Connecticut. During the communications, SUH sent various photos of himself showing his face.

During their communications, which occurred from April 24, 2022 to May 27, 2022, among other things, SUH told Detective-1 that he find[s] the age gap hot tbh and tbh on the down low I want a young submissive sl*t. SUH requested pictures from Megan. For example, he told her, So sneak in a bathroom break pic. I love a good sl*t.

On April 26, 2022, SUH discussed meeting in person. He asked Megan for some sl*tty pics that she could delete after taking. During the communications, SUH referenced other teenage girls with whom he had engaged in sexual activity. On or about May 2, 2022, SUH told Megan that he wanted to film them engaging in sexual acts and he continued to request pictures.

On or about May 20, 2022, an FBI Special Agent acting in an undercover capacity as Megan, spoke to SUH by phone. During the call, SUH identified himself as Daddy and Jason. SUH stated that he was born in 1977, is a New York attorney with an office in the Bronx, and has been a lawyer since he was 26 years old.

SUH and Megan spoke again on May 24, 2022. SUH and Megan discussed meeting and SUH said he would rent a residence and take the train to Greenwich, Connecticut. He said that he would use a ride service to pick Megan up at her house, and then they would travel together to the rented residence, where they would engage in sexual activity and smoke marijuana. During the conversation, Megan requested that SUH bring condoms, lollipops and marijuana, and wear a suit. Megan gave SUH an address in Greenwich, Connecticut and told him that she lived in an apartment located at that address.

After the May 24, 2022 phone call, SUH told Megan that they should meet on Friday, May 27, 2022. SUH said that he and Megan would use a ride service to go to the residence he rented in Stamford, Connecticut.

A public database for New York attorney registration information indicates that a TONG-HYON SUH is registered as an active attorney in New York with a business address in the Bronx. Additionally, the database indicates that TONG-HYON SUH was admitted to the New York bar on or about November 19, 2003.

On May 27, 2022, at approximately 3:31 p.m., TONG HYON SUH, a/k/a Jason Suh, arrived at the Metro North train station in Greenwich, Connecticut on a northbound Metro North train after passing through Westchester County. SUH was wearing a suit and carrying a black briefcase and a red and white shopping bag. Law enforcement observed SUH enter the rear passenger seat of a black Toyota Highlander and depart the train station.

At approximately 3:50 p.m., TONG HYON SUH, a/k/a Jason Suh, the defendant, arrived at the address provided by Megan. When SUH entered the building located at that address, detectives with the Greenwich Police Department arrested him. After SUHs arrest, the detectives retrieved a black briefcase and a red and white shopping bag from the vehicle in which SUH was riding. An inventory search of the briefcase and bag revealed that they contained, among other things, a laptop computer, a thumb drive, sneakers, matches, marijuana, toiletries, clothing, an unopened package of lollipops, and six condoms.

Following his arrest, TONG HYON SUH, a/k/a Jason Suh, was charged in Stamford Superior Court.

There may be other victims of this alleged conduct. If you have information to report, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI
(Alliance News) - AdvancedAdvT Ltd on Monday said its offer to buy M&C Saatchi PLC values the London-based advertising agency higher than Next Fifteen Communications Group PLC's deal.

The announcement comes hours after M&C Saatchi reported it removed Vin Murria, who is the chair of AdvancedAdvT, from its board as non-executive director.

On May 20, M&C Saatchi said it saw AdvancedAdvT Ltd's as an "unsolicited hostile offer" and "derisory". M&C Saatchi directors recommend shareholders to accept the deal by London-based growth consultant Next Fifteen Communications.

Next Fifteen offered 0.1637 of a Next Fifteen share and 40 pence in cash for each M&C Saatchi share, valuing M&C shares at 247.2 pence each.

The Next Fifteen offer had represented a 48% premium to M&C Saatchi's closing price of 167.5 pence on January 4, the last business day before AdvancedAdvT, a London-listed acquisition vehicle led by Vin Murria, said it had taken a minority stake.

Under AdvancedAdvT's offer in May, shareholders in M&C Saatchi will for each share held either receive 2.043 new shares in AdvancedAdvT and 40p in cash, or receive 2.530 new AdvancedAdvT shares.

At the time of AdvancedAdvT's offer, it valued each M&C share at 207.5p, about 40p lower than Next Fifteen's offer of 247.2p. Next Fifteen's acquisition deal valued M&C at about GBP310.1 million. AdvancedAdvT's proposal had valued M&C lower, at GBP253.6 million.

However, AdvancedAdvT on Monday said due to the fall in Next Fifteen's share price, its owner offer now values M&C Saatchi higher.

"In the nine business days since the release of NFC's firm offer announcement, the price of a NFC share has fallen by 13%, from 1,266 pence to 1,100 pence at the close of business on June 1, 2022," AdvancedAdvT explained.

Based on share prices from June 1, AdvancedAdvT's offer valued each M&C share at 221.4 pence. This is higher than what it said is Next Fifteen's June 1 share price-adjusted offer price of 220.1p per share.

"The board of M&C Saatchi continues to recommend NFC's offer, which as at June 1, 2022 offered lower value, yet described AdvancedAdvT's final offer as 'derisory,'" AdvancedAdvT said.

"AdvancedAdvT continues to believe that NFC's current offer for M&C Saatchi does not fairly reflect the potential to unlock significant synergies for M&C Saatchi shareholders as a whole."

AdvancedAdvT shares were untraded in London on Monday, last quoted at 85.31p each. Next Fifteen traded 1.1% higher at 1,112.00p each.

M&C Saatchi shares were down 0.4% at 194.20p each.

By Tom Budszus; tombudszus@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Energean PLC on Monday confirmed its floating production storage and offloading unit has arrived on location in Israel for its Karish project.

The London-based oil and gas company said its FPSO unit was transported by two tugs from the Sembcorp Marine's Admiralty Yard in Singapore in a 35-day long journey.

Energean said it will now "immediately" begin hook up and commissioning operations.

This will include installing risers and jumpers and commissioning the sales gas pipeline. Three to four months of commissioning is expected before the first gas, the firm said.

"This marks a major step forward in delivering first gas from Karish which remains on track for the third quarter of 2022. We look forward to continuing our progress through Karish first gas, the commercialisation of the newly defined Olympus Area and contributing to energy security and competition of supply for the region," said Chief Executive Officer Mathios Rigas.

Shares in Energean were up 1.5% at 1,343.00 pence each in London on Monday morning.

By Elizabeth Winter; elizabethwinter@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Longboat Energy PLC on Monday said its Cambozola exploration well offshore Norway came up dry and will now be plugged and abandoned.

The exploration and production company focused on the North Sea said the Cambozola exploration well in licence PL1049 was drilled to a total vertical depth of 4,393 metres below sea level. However, it failed to encounter any effective reservoir.

Longboat Chief Executive Helge Hammer said: "Naturally, we are disappointed that the Cambozola well was not a success, but we look forward to continuing our fully-funded, gas-focused exploration programme with the large Oswig and Copernicus wells both anticipated to spud during the summer."

The company started drilling at the 25%-owned Cambozola well in April. It had called it the largest gas prospect to be drilled in Norway in 2022.

Longboat raised gross proceeds of GBP35 million in 2021 to finance the drilling.

Longboat shares were down 16% at 48.07 pence each on Monday morning in London.

By Xindi Wei; xindiwei@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - CRH PLC on Monday said it has agreed to buy Barrette Outdoor Living Inc, an Ohio-based maker of residential fencing, for an enterprise value of USD1.9 billion.

CRH is buying Barrette from TorQuest Partners and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec. It is paying USD1.85 billion in cash, plus taking on USD40 million in capitalised lease liabilities.

Barrette, which will be added to CRH's Architectural Products business, reported USD79 million in pretax profit in the financial year that ended January 1. CRH said the price it is paying represent a multiple of 10 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

Barrette is based in Middleburg Heights, Ohio and operates from 14 locations in total. It was founded in 1975 and now distributes its fencing, railing and outdoor decking for homes in the majority of US states and several regions in Canada.

Dublin-based CRH noted the acquisition follows the recent divestment of its Building Envelope business and represents a reallocation of capital.

CRH last month completed the Building Envelope sale to KPS Capital Partners LP at an enterprise value of USD3.8 billion, having agreed the deal in February. The sale price included USD3.45 billion in cash, plus the transfer of lease liabilities of USD350 million.

"Our Architectural Products business has been one of our fastest growing businesses in recent years, and the acquisition of Barrette complements and enhances our existing offering of sustainable outdoor living solutions in North America" said CRH Chief Executive Albert Manifold.

CRH shares were up 2.9% at 3,327.50 pence early Monday, outperforming the wider FTSE 100 index, which was up 1.3%.

By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Melrose Industries PLC on Monday said it has agreed a USD650 million deal to sell the final asset belonging to 2016 acquisition Nortek Inc.

Melrose shares were 3.8% higher at 138.45 pence each in London on Monday morning, one of the best blue-chip performers.

The industrial turnaround specialist said it has agreed to offload its Ergotron business to funds managed by Sterling Group.

Completion of the sale is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2022 and is conditional upon customary US antitrust approvals. On or before completion, Melrose will announce how it intends to use the net proceeds, the FTSE 100 listing added.

Ergoton is a manufacturer of ergonomic products such as computer mounts, stand-up desks, and mobile carts. Ergoton achieved an adjusted operating profit of GBP58 million in 2021.

Melrose, having sold the Nortek Air Management and Nortek Control businesses last year, said Ergotron is the last of the businesses remaining from the Nortek acquisition in 2016. On completion, Melrose will have more than doubled shareholders' initial investment, the rand noted.

Chief Executive Officer Simon Peckham said: "The sale of Ergotron is the final step in our Nortek ownership cycle, capping what has been a very successful acquisition for Melrose shareholders. We will have more than doubled shareholders' equity investment in Nortek and have transformed the businesses themselves. Our attention now remains firmly on achieving the same result for the current group."

Melrose back in April 2021 had agreed to sell the Nortek Air Management business to Chicago, Illinois-based Madison Industries for GBP2.62 billion.

It had agreed a deal to buy Nortek Inc for USD1.44 billion back in July 2016.

By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a vote of no confidence by Tory MPs amid anger across the party at the disclosures over lockdown parties in Downing Street.

Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, confirmed in a statement that he has now received the 54 letters from Conservative MPs needed to trigger a vote.

The vote  by secret ballot  will take place at Westminster on Monday between 1800 BST and 2000 BST, with the count to take place immediately afterwards.

It comes after a steady stream of Tory MPs called publicly for the prime minister to stand down in the wake of Sue Gray's report into breaches of the Covid regulations in No 10 and Whitehall.

In order to oust the prime minister however the rebels will need 180 MPs, and allies of Johnson made clear he is determined to fight to stay on.

Speaking shortly after Brady made his announcement, Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News: "If there is [a vote] the prime minister will stand and fight his corner with a very, very strong case."

Brady said he had informed Johnson on Sunday that the threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party calling for a vote had been passed.

"I have followed the rules that we have in place. I notified the prime minister yesterday and we agreed the timetable for the confidence vote to take place," he said.

"He shared my view, which is also in line with the rules that we have in place, that that vote should happen as soon as it could reasonably take place and that would be today."

A No 10 spokeswoman said: "Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people's priorities.

"The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they're united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force."

Earlier, former minister Jesse Norman became the latest Tory MP to go public with his call for Johnson to go.

In a scathing letter posted on social media, he said the prime minister had presided over "a culture of casual law-breaking" in No 10 and that his claim to be vindicated by Gray's report was "grotesque".

He said the government's current priorities were "deeply questionable", its policy of offshoring the processing of asylum claims to Rwanda was "ugly", while any breach of the Northern Ireland Protocol would be "politically foolhardy and almost certainly illegal".

"Neither the Conservative party nor this country can afford to squander the next two years adrift and distracted by endless debate about you and your leadership," he said.

"For you to prolong this charade by remaining in office not only insults the electorate, and the tens of thousands of people who support, volunteer, represent and campaign for our party; it makes a decisive change of government at the next election much more likely. That is potentially catastrophic for this country."

By Gavin Cordon, PA Whitehall Editor

source: PA

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
In the midst of the terrible school shootings that have been happening often in the United States, a Florida principal brought two loaded weapons and put them in storage.

She may face felony charges

Desperation outside Texas school as shooting unfolds

The principal of Somerset Academy is Geyler Castro, and she brought them to the school campus and were unattended in a locked place, however it is a felony to carry a gun into school premises in Florida. There is no confirmation yet if Castro will face charges for the action.

It is close to a mass shooting memorial

The school is located some miles away from Stoneman Douglas High School where the atrocious mass shooting happened in 2018, in which 17 people lost their lives and other 17 others were also injured.

Polarizing views on gun control

The situation in the United States is getting more and more difficult to handle since there are polarizing views on how to prevent mass shootings, however, there are many people who are pushing for gun control, while others like the Republican Ted Cruz blame mass shootings on videogames and other external motivators.

They are all looking for a solution

Whether she did right or wrong is up to the authorities to decide, since it is understandable that they are looking for a solution and to protect their students, however, maybe it is not the right move to leave unattended firearms that may harm more people, rather than help them.
"Restaurant: Impossible" fans rejoice: Chef Robert Irvine is filming his fifth Michigan-based restaurant next week.

The show is coming to Leah's Korner Kafe in the city of Coleman on June 13-14. Having the program produce an episode there means a facelift for Leah's, provided by the show's $10,000 budget, and a grand reopening meal to help promote the business.

"Restaurant: Impossible" helps restaurants that are facing "an impending demise if things don't improve," according to the Food Network. But, Irvine's tips don't always prevent restaurants he revamps from going out of business.

According to Food Network Gossip, around 55% of locations that "Restaurant: Impossible" visited subsequently closed.

Submitted

In honor of the Mitten being featured for the fifth time, below is an update on the other four restaurants that have been on the show.

A Michigan restaurant was not featured on the show until season four, which initially aired in 2012. It was Frankie's in the city of Three Rivers. Frankie's is still open and keeps an updated Facebook page.

The other Michigan restaurant to air in 2012 was Paliani's Restaurant in the city of Burton which has since closed.

The following year, Irvine visited the city of Douglas to film an episode at Kalico Kitchen. The restaurant was featured on the show in July and closed months later in December.

Kalico Kitchen was also featured in the show's roundup of the "Top 5 Stubborn Owners" Irvine encountered. Watch the clip below.

Most recently, Irvine and his crew traveled to Chez Olga in the city of Grand Rapids.

Photo provided/Google Maps

The restaurant remains open since its episode aired in 2019 and keeps an updated Facebook page.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of articles highlighting vendors at local farmers markets. If you are a vendor, or know a vendor, that would like to be featured, contact Brendan Sanders at brendan.sanders@pioneergroup.com)

BIG RAPIDS  Firearms and succulents dont usually go together, yet Isaiah Davison has been able to fill his passions in both areas.

Originally from New Jersey, Davison has worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and private security for over 15 years. After he moved to West Michigan about seven years ago, he worked at the Yoplait factory in Reed City before branching out and becoming a firearms instructor.

Eventually, Davison became solely a firearms instructor. But, this year, he branched out to a new hobby, selling succulent plants at the Big Rapids Farmers Market.

Davison explained that his wife has been the main reason for this new path. Saying she was already growing them before he jumped in and began propagating the plants. Soon, they had enough to begin selling them.

You're sitting there and you're watching something that literally starts out the size of a pea. I mean, you know, it's just one little thing," he said. "Over months you're taking care of it and feeding it water. And you see it turned into this really cool light green plant that comes over and starts hanging out over the sides. The one Im thinking of is called the donkey tail.

The Davisons have found early success with the succulents, with the two most asked questions about whether the plants are even real and how to keep them alive.

I take that as a compliment, they look good enough where they look like they're plastic instead of real-life plants, and they're thriving and doing very well. I've gotta give a lot of credit to my better half. She wants to make sure everything looks amazing. Davison said.

Succulents have been the plant of choice for the Davison, ranging in both size and price. The lowest costing plant is $6, while the most expensive is $45.

According to Davison, they make sure that the plants are well rooted.

The No. 1 way to kill a succulent, is to over water. They're used to a dry environment where they come from naturally. So, you water it once every week and a half to two weeks. You want to make sure that you have highly porous soil so that way it doesn't retain a lot of moisture. And the pot has to have drainage; it can't hold any in there.

Davison helps promote the health of the plant by selling each succulent in Italian terracotta pots that allow for better transfer of moisture in the soil. Retaining the moisture that it needs while letting go of what it does not.

We like terracotta for a couple of reasons. One, it looks really attractive all the time," he said. "The terracotta we use is Italian; it's not Mexican or Chinese cheap stuff that crumbles after a year or two. These actually weather, they patina and get some nice color unique coloration.

There is a multitude of different succulent plants that the Davisons sell, including the Donkey Tail, Rosetta's, Hens and Chicks, Pandas also known as Donkey Ears, Chocolate Soldier and the Trumpet Jade aka Ogre Ear.

You watch it grow and become something really pretty, put it with the other plants and become something awesome with the different colors and shades. People really like them, and I enjoy doing it. Davison said.

IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

When Isaiah Davison is not selling succulent plants, he is working as a firearms instructor in the Big Rapids area. Operating out of 745 Water Tower Road, Davison has a Class 7 FFL (Federal Firearms License), which allows him to be a gunsmith, gun sales, and even manufacturing.

He currently teaches individuals how to safely use a firearm. This ranges from high level organizations to novices.

I do everything, from working with novices, first time shooters, all the way up to working with different agencies, SWAT, I've worked with the DEA, FBI and military. I was a civilian instructor for a while when I was younger. I do work with a lot of different things. But with novices, most often it's getting comfortable and becoming accurate and consistent.

Davison also works with churches on security and first aid in the event of an emergency.

I work with church security teams, not just active threat response, but also first aid. Natural emergencies like natural events like tornadoes or a fire. How would the church body respond, which is their SOPs (Standard operating procedure)? What would they do with that?"

Hourly rates for one-on-one instruction are $50. His classes are $115, but if three people or more sign up as a group it is $100. Davison also provides rentals for those who need a gun for the class. Before each class, Davison provides a customer an hour and a half of free lessons to teach them gun safety, gun anatomy, and actual shooting. Making sure the customer is capable of operating a firearm before the class.

In my mind, if somebody ever had to use one of my skills that I taught them to protect themselves or those they love or those around them, I kind of keep that as a win in my mind. Davison said. I did have a couple of students that have had to use things in the past. It's always been really wonderful to hear them and say, Oh, I'm so glad you got out of that. That's awesome, and I'm so glad everybody's safe.

For more information on Isaiah Davisons work both with succulents and with firearm safety, email him at HomeOnTheRangeMI@gmail.com or call him at 989-289-4699.
NEW YORK (AP)  As a knot of journalists stood across from a mortuary witnessing a funeral for a child killed in the Uvalde school massacre, some people passing by didn't disguise their anger.

Y'all are the scum of the Earth, said one woman, surveying the cameras.

When tragedy comes to town in the 21st century, the media follows, focusing the world's eyes on a community during its most difficult hours. Columbine, Sandy Hook, now Uvalde, Texas  the list of places synonymous with horrible mass killings keeps growing.

Journalists are called upon to explain what happened, and sometimes to ask uncomfortable questions in places where many people want to be left alone to grieve. Is it possible to do it better, to co-exist within a moment no one wants to be part of?

Tempers have flared in Uvalde. One female journalist was told, I hope your entire family dies in a massacre. Some are threatened with arrest for trespassing while on public property. A group called Guardians of the Children blocked camera views, often with the encouragement of police.

Yet there are also people like Ben Gonzalez, who approached reporters near the mortuary after hearing the woman lash out to say that she doesn't speak for everyone. Thank you for documenting this tragedy, he said. We'll look back at the photos you take and appreciate it.

The shady courthouse square in Uvalde has been dotted by canopies erected by TV news crews. Journalists have been stationed at Robb Elementary School, where the shooting took place, near a makeshift memorial piled with flowers, stuffed animals and messages. At the local Starbucks, where many journalists go to work, tables are set aside for Uvalde residents.

These are the typical signs of the invasion of journalists that accompany such events.

I respect the wishes of people if they want me to leave, said Guillermo Contreras, a senior writer at the San Antonio Express-News. By the second day (after the shooting), the people were overwhelmed. The town has been overrun by reporters. There was pretty much nowhere you could go without running into the media.

Like most colleagues, Contreras tries to be sensitive to what Uvalde's people are enduring. He has a 10-year-old daughter at home.

When you are at the epicenter of a situation like that, you really do need protection, said Michele Gay, who lost her daughter Josephine in the Newtown school shooting a decade ago. You are really not in a state of mind to be offering your feelings in front of the camera.

Gay said she had no idea of the extent of attention given to the story until the state trooper assigned to protect her family drove them around town to see the memorials.

At first, I was angry, said Gay, co-founder and executive director of Safe and Sound Schools, an advocacy group. It felt invasive. It felt hurtful ... At the same time, there were members of the media who were so thoughtful, caring and compassionate.

The sensitivity that most journalists try to bring to such assignments can be undermined by those who stick cameras in the faces of people crying, or ask a grieving parent how it feels. One parent who lost a child in Newtown saw someone outside her home with a camera peering into a window, said Monsignor Robert Weiss of the town's St. Rose of Lima Parish.

In general, journalists do a poor job explaining what they do and a poor job putting themselves in the shoes of the people they are interviewing, many on the worst day of their lives, said Joy Mayer, a former journalism professor.

It's really valid for people in that community to feel overwhelmed and resentful, said Mayer, the director of Trusting News, which helps members of the media improve their relationship with the public.

Kelly McBride, an expert on journalism ethics at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, advises news organizations to better prepare when assigned to these stories. Most interviews on the street indicate this work hasn't been done; people in shock and trauma, she said, shouldn't have to make an on-the-spot decision about dealing with a reporter.

She praised CNN for sensitively handling the interview of a young survivor of the shooting who smeared herself in the blood of a dead classmate to appear dead. CNN reported on what the girl said, but didn't show her or play her voice.

Ana Rodriguez, who lost her daughter Maite in the shooting, sat at her dining room table to tell The Associated Press about how the girl aspired to become a marine biologist. She didnt want her face to appear on camera to divert attention from her daughter.

Sometimes there's little time to prepare. Tony Dokoupil of CBS News was told to get on a plane to Texas. Fast. Dokoupil said he tried to get away from the pack and knock on doors; in one case, he came upon someone close to a child who died who helped arrange an interview with her parents.

He found residents polite and respectful even when they didn't want to talk. He was thanked by some people for being there and telling the stories.

Gay recommends journalists focus their attention on people who have lost their lives, not perpetrators. There has been a marked effort on the part of news organizations to minimize mentions of shooters, although Gay was concerned that she had seen more after Uvalde.

In Uvalde, questions raised about the police response to the shooting have lengthened the time the shooting has lingered in the news and increased hostility toward journalists. CNN used a tag team to stake out Pete Arredondo, the schools police chief who directed operations, and get an ambush interview.

You have people who are supportive of law enforcement, Contreras said. Its a small town; people know each other. All of a sudden people are pointing fingers at the officers you know, so theres a division.

For people in communities like Newtown and Uvalde in the immediate aftermath of these stories, the sheer repetitiveness is often wearing.

If theres been one interview out here theres been 150, said one downtown shopkeeper who, like many in Uvalde, didnt want his name in a news story. I mean, how many times can you interview people who dont know nothing?

There are some suggestions of what is known in the industry as a pool  where a handful of reporters ask questions of officials and report answers to a larger group. This is used most famously at the White House.

But McBride said this inevitably leads to less aggressive journalism. Most reporters are driven by the impulse to get things their competitors don't. It was tried in a few instances in Uvalde and proved unsatisfying, Contreras said.

Things grew quieter in Uvalde by this past weekend. Only a television satellite truck remained at the Robb school, and just a handful of journalists were at the courthouse square Saturday as a Hawaiian group presented a giant lei and sang songs.

There's no avoiding the shock an influx of journalists brings to a quiet community. Weiss recalls being swarmed by reporters after emerging from a meeting with parents. He didn't know what to say. But in general, the Catholic monsignor said he found the press respectful and has come to understand the importance of its role.

We needed to get the story out there and we needed to keep this story out there, Weiss said. Because in 10 years, what has changed? If anything, it has gotten worse.

___

Associated Press journalists Acacia Coronado, Jae C. Hong, Adriana Gomez Licon, Jay Reeves and Eliot Spagat in Uvalde, Texas, contributed to this report.

___

More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
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Branford native and film director Matt Berman left the Nutmeg State for California in the early 1990s to pursue a career in entertainment. Around 30 years later, Berman is returning to his home state on June 8 to host the red carpet and movie premiere for "The Wedding Pact 2: The Baby Pact" the Edmond Town Hall Movie Theatre on South Main Street in Newtown.

The director of the 2014 romantic comedy, The Wedding Pact, Berman is coming to Newtown to debut its follow-up film, The Wedding Pact 2: The Baby Pact, starring Haylie Duff (Napoleon Dynamite), Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side), Heather McComb (Ray Donovan) and Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). The cast, along with executive producer Michael Gouloff, will stop by the film screening for its red carpet.

Matthew Berman / Contributed Photo

Berman first brought the film series to life in Madison, hosting a film screening at the Madison Arts Theater in 2013.

For Berman, keeping his East Coast roots close is something he has made part of his filmmaking mission.

In a press release for his 2013 film premiere, Berman said, As a writer and director from the East Coast, I feel its important to promote independent filmmaking in New England, so I could think of no better place to premiere my film. I hope to bring many projects in the future back to my home state.

But before Berman started hosting red carpets and movie premieres, he said he got his start at Paramount Studios and later worked in casting. By the mid-90s, Berman tried his hand at writing, and he filmed a short film that was later featured in the New Haven Film Festival. It was at this festival that Berman said he met someone who gave him the opportunity to write a script for the movie, Big Wind on Campus, in 2000.

In between Big Wind on Campus and his work on The Wedding Pact films, Berman said he also worked with radio host Vinnie Penn for the 2011 film, Hollywood & Wine.

This all brought me to writing The Wedding Pact with Haylie Duff and now I am lucky to say, here we are with a sequel and coming back to my home state for the premiere, he said.

The Wedding Pact 2: The Baby Pact, features Duff as the films main character, Elizabeth. The story picks up three years after the first film, which ended with Mitch (Chris Soldevilla) and Elizabeths wedding. A month after celebrating Elizabeths pregnancy, Mitch dies and Elizabeth leaves Boston and moves back to her hometown of Fort Wayne, Ind., spurring a complicated chain of events with Mitchs family.

While The Wedding Pact 2 is set outside of Connecticut, Berman said he think[s] a lot about Connecticut when he writes, and has drawn from real-life events in his home state to shape some of the films plot. For example, there is a scene in the movie Berman said reminded him of a car being broken down on Route 34 outside near Orange and Woodbridge.

No matter the source of inspiration for some of scenes, the stories in both The Wedding Pact films hinge on Duffs performances, according to Berman.

The movie would be nothing without Haylie, he said. If all I did was Wedding Pact movies for the rest of my career with Haylie Duff, Id be completely fine with it.

Its not just Duff that Berman is happy to work with. Cast members like McComb are familiar  and welcome  faces for the director.

Heather McComb [who plays Duffs sister in the film] was actually in my first movie back in 1999. So when I called her, I said, You know, they say every 20 years you have to do a movie together, he joked.

Bermans The Wedding Pact 2: The Baby Pact will premiere at Newtowns Edmond Town Hall Movie Theatre on Wednesday. The red carpet kicks off at 5 p.m., and the film screening will begin at 6 p.m. The film will be available on demand and on video-on-demand services starting June 14.
SIMSBURY  Police have identified a New York man as the pilot who crashed last week into a local farm and then flew off in a friends plane before authorities arrived.

A Simsbury police report shows John Gordon, 63, of Queens, N.Y., was the pilot who crashed at a farm share on Wolcott Road on May 31.

Simsbury Fire Department / Contributed photo Simsbury Fire Department / Contributed photo Emily DiSalvo / Hearst Connecticut Media Left and top right: A small plane overshot the runway at Simsbury Airport on May 31. (Photos contributed by the Simsbury Fire Department). Bottom right: This farm on Wolcott Road in Simsbury was the site of the crash. (Emily DiSalvo / Hearst Connecticut Media)

Gordon declined to comment when reached by phone Monday by Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

Rai Blanchette, director of operations at the Autobon repair center across the street from Simsbury Airport and about a one-minute drive from the crash scene, said he heard sirens around 8:30 p.m. May 31.

The police report indicates Officer Kyle Colby arrived around that time after a man reported finding the wreckage, but said he did not see the plane crash.

Police said Gordon was not at the scene when they arrived. Fire marshals and Blanchette found a set of log books corresponding to Gordons plane, indicating he walked from the crash site along Wolcott Road to the airport, according to the police report.

Gordon left the log books on the steps of the airport and disappeared, the report stated.

Blanchette said around 8:28 p.m. he saw another plane take off from the Simsbury Airport. Police believe Gordon was flying into the Simsbury Airport for repairs on the plane. After overshooting the runway, he left the area in his friends plane, police said.

The friend was believed to have been flying behind Gordon in a separate aircraft. It is unclear if this aircraft is the plane Blanchette saw taking off.

He decided his best course of action was to return home with his friend, said Brad Griswold, manager of the Simsbury Airport.

Under Federal Aviation Administration guidelines, Griswold said pilots are required to report a crash of this nature to the FAA and to emergency personnel to prevent further damage.

This gentleman did not do that, Griswold said.

Colby took the logs, which are now being investigated by the FAA.

The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. It remains unclear what charges or fines Gordon will face.

The Simsbury Airport does not have a tower like most major airports, so pilots are not required to report they are coming in to land.

Think of it like going to a commuter lot for Amtrak, said Griswold, who said he was not at the airport when the crash occurred. You get in your car, you might call your friend and tell them you are taking the train into the city today.

Griswold is not familiar with Gordon and has not seen his name in any recent logs at the airport. Like all others working at the airport, Griswold is a volunteer.

We enjoy being a quiet, grassroots airport that gets people interested in flying, Griswold said. When that stuff happens and someone does something that does not reflect well on aviation, it is really disappointing.
NEWINGTON  Local police are asking residents not to approach an injured black bear.

The animal was reported to be roaming in the area of Willard Avenue and Pebble Drive, the department said in an alert to residents Monday morning.

The states Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is aware of the animal and will not be taking any action, the alert said.

Police said the bear is attracted to bird feeders and unsecured garbage.

Because bears are attracted to bird feeders as a source of food, DEEP recommends homeowners remove feeders by late March. Other tips to avoid human interaction with bears include locking up pet food and storing any garbage in a secure, airtight container inside a garage or other storage area. Households that compost should avoid mixing meat or sweet foods in with their compost, according to DEEP.

Police Sgt. Ryan Deane said the male bear is the same one recently spotted in Newington and the surrounding area, including New Britain.

The injury is the bears hindquarter, but because the animal is still moving and migrating, officials dont plan to intervene, Deane said.

Hes migrating, hes moving around, Deane said.

Authorities dont believe the injury was the result of any man made issue, he added.

In the rare instance when a bear appears to be aggressive toward people, DEEP said to call its 24-hour dispatch line at 860-424-3333.
More than a year after people began rolling up their sleeves for cutting-edge coronavirus shots, a new vaccine - this one based on a classic, decades-old technology - is expected to begin rolling out in the United States this summer.

Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration are scheduled to debate Tuesday whether a shot developed by the Maryland biotechnology company Novavax, an underdog in the vaccine race, is safe and effective. If the shot gets the greenlight, it will become the fourth coronavirus vaccine in the nation.

For most people, some already on their third or fourth messenger RNA coronavirus shot from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, it's a puzzle: A new vaccine? Now? Why bother?

But for a small contingent of holdouts who have closely tracked the progress of the Novavax vaccine, this is a long-awaited moment of truth.

"Some people can't take the mRNA vaccines, and it's important to have a choice," said Victoria Dawson, 74, of New York, who is allergic to an ingredient in the mRNA shots. She received a Johnson & Johnson shot and booster but hopes her next shot will be from Novavax.

"I'm being very cautious. I'm staying around my apartment complex and not eating in restaurants," Dawson said. "I get up in the morning and just stress the minute I get up."

Even though Novavax lost the race to be first, company executives argue that their shot will help fill in the margins of the pandemic vaccination campaign and play an important role in helping people live alongside the virus into the future.

They argue that their vaccine, which can stay stable at refrigerator temperatures long-term and may be better tolerated than alternatives, will have key advantages once the exigencies of the pandemic recede. But hopes were dashed Friday that the vaccine would offer an alternative for people worried about rare heart inflammation associated with mRNA vaccines. An FDA review found that there were five cases of inflammation, mostly in men, within two weeks of being vaccinated in the company's trials, "raising concern for a causal relationship."

The Novavax vaccine is poised to hit the U.S. market as more than three-quarters of people 18 and older are already fully vaccinated. Among the unvaccinated, some may be waiting for another option, but others may not be interested at all. Novavax plans to seek expanded authorization for use of the shot in adolescents and as a booster.

The vaccine's rollout is likely to be slower than that of earlier coronavirus vaccines, which were available days after FDA advisers met.

An agency review released Friday said that testing and submission of manufacturing information about the vaccine was "still in process" and would be essential "to ensure the vaccine's quality and consistency for authorization." A meeting of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisers, a critical step before a vaccine becomes available, has not been scheduled yet. The company plans to have shots ready to supply "within a very short period of time" - a few weeks after the Tuesday meeting of FDA advisers, said John Trizzino, chief commercial officer at Novavax.

Despite the late arrival of their vaccine, Novavax executives remain confident it will fill a need.

"If you would have asked anybody in the space 12 months ago what would be happening in the pandemic now, they would have said, 'Oh, by now we'd be long past the pandemic,' " Trizzino said.

- - -

In a brightly lit laboratory in Gaithersburg, Md., a cloudy, yellowish broth swirls inside Erlenmeyer flasks. The glass containers, shaking back and forth inside two incubators, are teeming with cells from a pest known as the fall armyworm moth.

Those moth cells are tiny vaccine factories, churning out coronavirus spike proteins found in the newest omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. Even as Novavax scientists wait for their first-generation vaccine to be authorized - based on earlier versions of the virus - they are working on new formulations to be ready for wherever the pandemic swerves next.

The winding path to this moment - a vaccine on the cusp of authorization a year after it was shown to be 90 percent effective - underscores the speedy development of the first vaccines. The time lag for the Novavax vaccine reflects a combination of factors: the more time-consuming technology used in the company's shot; the growing pains of a small company that had to expand quickly; and manufacturing delays.

What makes Novavax's vaccine attractive to some people - that it's an older, more familiar technology - is also what made it trail other shots. Protein-based shots are tried and true - they're used against influenza, hepatitis B and shingles. But the timeline to develop them is longer.

The newer mRNA vaccines instruct cells inside the body of vaccine recipients to build the coronavirus spike protein. The J&J shot uses a harmless virus to spur cells to churn out the spike protein. Novavax, by contrast, manufactures and purifies the coronavirus spike proteins in a laboratory.

Novavax scientists start with a baculovirus, which in nature infects insects. The baculovirus is engineered to carry genetic instructions for building the coronavirus spike protein. The baculovirus, with its genetic instructions, is then introduced into cells taken from the fall armyworm moth. In progressively larger vessels, researchers brew a cloudy broth of moth cells capable of churning out the spikes. In a factory in India, where manufacturing takes place, there are 6,000-liter stainless steel vats teeming with the insect cells.

To recover the key vaccine ingredient, the coronavirus spike proteins, scientists purify and filter out other cellular debris. Then, they add detergent to create a spike-covered soap bubble that looks similar to the virus itself. An adjuvant, a vaccine ingredient that revs up the immune system, is added.

Gale Smith, Novavax's chief scientist, said he started working on the technology in the early 1980s as a graduate student.

"I had this crazy idea when I was a graduate student," Smith said, talking over the loud hum of lab equipment. "I knew it was important, and I can tell you - hardly anyone shared that opinion."

The advantage of "bug cells," as Smith calls them, is that they are adept at making complex proteins.

Still, cool science alone can't get a vaccine across the finish line, and at the beginning of the pandemic, Novavax started out with disadvantages. The biotech company had never launched a vaccine. Its staff had been slashed and key manufacturing capabilities sold off to keep the company afloat after efforts to develop a vaccine against RSV - respiratory syncytial virus - foundered in 2016.

Novavax's coronavirus vaccine was one of six candidates backed by Operation Warp Speed, the federal program to accelerate vaccine development. The government invested $1.6 billion in the Maryland company to support development of the shots. Even with the influx of cash, the challenges of scale-up were enormous.

"We weren't a developed company at that time. We started with 100 people in the U.S., without any laboratory space at the time," chief executive Stanley C. Erck said. "Starting Jan. 12, 2020, we had seven-day weeks for two years. Every day, we'd work to get to the next experiment, to the next data point."

The Novavax workforce exploded during the past two years to 1,600 employees, and a new headquarters is under construction. The growth is visible in every department. At a glassed-in corridor, scientists receive frozen patient samples from vaccine trials around the world.

Last year, a staff of nearly 60 received and analyzed results from about 100,000 samples. So far this year, they've analyzed 87,000 and are looking to expand the lab to double their capacity by next year.

The Serum Institute of India is manufacturing Novavax's vaccine, and U.S. regulators needed to inspect that plant, which added to the time it took to review the company's application for FDA authorization, Erck said.

Novavax also lost time in manufacturing because of difficulties with tests used to check the contents and quality of the vaccine. Vaccine makers must demonstrate to regulators that their product is consistent in every batch and every vial.

"That can take a long time - to both get that process right and to the level of purity the FDA requires," said Kathleen M. Neuzil, director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The company filed for emergency authorization in January.

- - -

With more than three-quarters of U.S. adults fully vaccinated, few people expect that a fourth shot will significantly boost vaccination rates. For Novavax executives, one of their selling points has been the promise of helping to close the vaccine hesitancy gap, but the experience in some European countries, where the shot is available, has not borne that out.

There is a niche group of people in the United States who connect on social media and who have been holding out for the shot because they can't or won't take existing vaccines. But the shot's true potential is global or as a booster. It has been approved in more than 40 countries. And if it is eventually authorized in adolescents and children, that could also spur greater use.

"I still think there are quite a lot of people who are nervous about the mRNAs, all these people who haven't gotten boosted. I think there's a niche there for people who feel safer with" the Novavax shot, said Kathryn Stephenson, a vaccine expert at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston who led a Novavax trial.

With the virus continuing to throw curveballs, adding another option to the arsenal could be crucial for the future, experts said.

Some people had hoped the protein shot might be an attractive option in a world in which there are choices, especially because mRNA shots have been associated with a risk of heart inflammation in younger men. But the five cases of heart inflammation identified in Friday's FDA review "support a concern for causal relationship to vaccine," FDA reviewers wrote.

Novavax took issue with the FDA analysis, arguing that the rates of heart inflammation were exceedingly low and were the same in the vaccine and placebo groups. "We believe there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship," the company said in a statement.

For Randy Cox, 42, of Ludington, Mich., the revelation that the same rare heart risk may exist with this vaccine as with mRNA vaccines comes as a major disappointment.

For months, Cox has been waiting on Novavax because he is fearful that mRNA vaccines - with their rare potential to cause heart inflammation in men - could exacerbate the baseball-size cyst on the right atrium of his heart. As much of the country was vaccinated, boosted and even boosted again with mRNA vaccines, Cox kept his mask on and continued wiping down his groceries.

"It comes as quite a shock" to learn about heart inflammation associated with the Novavax shot, Cox said.

He had been frustrated by the slowness of the regulatory review and watched with envy as other countries authorized the vaccine. When Canada authorized the Novavax shot, Cox applied for a passport, thinking he could make the five-hour drive - only to learn that people who weren't Canadian citizens couldn't just roll up their sleeves and get a shot.

Now, Cox said he is going to have to dig into the data, watch the FDA meeting and think about whether he still wants Novavax, or whether - if the risks are about the same - he would settle for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that has been more widely used.

"I'm really bummed," Cox said.
MIDDLETOWN  A judge ordered a mental health evaluation for a disbarred attorney who failed to show up for a May court date to address her disbarment and use of client funds.

Middletown Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher disbarred former Hamden attorney Nickola Cunha, 54, of Wallingford, earlier this year after she filed a motion requesting that a family court judge be removed from a pending divorce case because he showed bias in favor of Jewish litigants and the disabled, court documents said.

Cunha then repeatedly failed to take the steps required by Moukawsher to settle her affairs with several clients, officials said. Her resistance to provide information to an appointed trustee led her to be brought to court in shackles Monday following a weekend in the custody of the state Department of Correction, the judge pointed out.

Im very sorry to see you were wearing them, Moukawsher said of the handcuffs he asked judicial marshals to remove. A few minutes after listing the many chances he gave Cunha to supply her client information to the trustee, the judge said, you gave the court no choice.

Cunhas lawyer, Norm Pattis, claimed in a hearing Monday afternoon that his client is suffering from a mental health condition that has interfered with her ability to execute the judges orders.

Her behavior is out of character, Pattis said told the judge. Im not sure she is capable of assisting in her own defense.

Pattis said he and her family members believe that her mental health is the reason Cunha has not complied with court orders. Pattis also said allegations that his Cunha improperly withdrew client funds could turn into first-degree larceny charges so she would plead the Fifth Amendment if she were asked any questions during Mondays hearing.

The court gave her ample opportunity, Pattis said. The orders are very clear about the steps to be taken and they werent followed. Shes either hiding information or shes incapable of producing what you ordered.

Moukawsher said the case was forcing him to weigh Cunhas liberty verses the property of her clients.

It could be the reason she hasnt complied with the orders to provide her books could be that she has something to hide, the judge said.

He then gave Pattis 15 days to come up with a plan to have Cunha evaluated. In the meantime, the work of the trustee assigned to sort out the affairs of Cunha's clients has been stalled with at least one client providing a statement, indicating she believed Cunha improperly took $78,000 from a settlement.

A judicial marshal acting on a capias warrant issued by the judge took Cunha into custody at a Wallingford restaurant Friday evening with the help of local police, Wallingford Police Sgt. Stephen Jaques said. Cunha was dining with her husband Louis when police and the marshal arrived, Jaques said. Louis Cunha attempted to prevent his wife from being taken into custody and grabbed the arm of a police officer, Jaques said.

He was charged with interfering with an officer and released on a $5,000 surety bond. The judicial marshal took custody of his wife. Pattis said she was held by the state Department of Corrections until Monday morning.

Nickola Cunha was allowed to leave with her family following her court appearance.

Cunha was slated to appear before Moukawasher in mid-May to provide a trustee with a list of client addresses and phone numbers and to deal with client funds that officials claimed she had inappropriately kept, court documents said. Cunha failed to show up, prompting the judge to issue a capias warrant, ordering state marshals to take her into custody to guarantee her appearance in court.

The deadline for the capias warrant was extended several times, court documents show, before Moukawsher ordered Cunha taken into custody on May 18.

The states Chief Disciplinary Counsel Brian Staines submitted documents on June 1, claiming Cunha had inappropriately taken $78,000 from an accident settlement for a client after she had already withheld her $96,000 fee for handling the case.

Staines also said in the documents that Cuhna originally told the judge she took $30,000 from the clients accident settlement to pay for previous pro bono work, but failed to clarify throughout the hearing that the actual amount she took was $78,000.

She had no authority from the client to take this money, Staines wrote in the filing.

Cunha was disbarred in January after Moukawsher ruled she had made empty and malicious claims, alleging another judge was engaged in a Judaism-based conspiracy and protected child sexual abuse as part of her representation of a Glastonbury woman engaged in a dissolution of marriage case.

In late April, as part of the ruling, Moukawsher ordered Cunha to turn over her clients contact information, along with active and pending files to a court-appointed trustee. The judge noted at the time that a recent withdrawal of $30,000 from a clients account may have been illegal and required an audit.

Cunha turned over the information for three clients on May 13, according to the trustee who was appointed by the court after her disbarment. But Cunha failed to supply complete information for several other clients, court documents said. The trustee is also looking for financial information for some clients and what Cunha did with their retainers, court documents said.

Ben Lambert and Liz Hardaway contributed to this story.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  A former Roman Catholic priest who served at several Rhode Island parishes has been indicted on a charge of sexually assaulting a juvenile about 40 years ago, the state attorney general's office said Monday.

Kevin Fisette, 66, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on a charge of first-degree sexual assault, authorities said.

The alleged assault on a boy occurred in Burrillville between Jan. 1, 1981, and Dec. 31, 1982 when Fisette was serving as a deacon at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Hopkinton and as a chaplain at Rhode Island Hospital, officials said.

Fisette, who currently lives in Killingly, Connecticut, was ordained in November 1981.

A message was left with Fisette's attorney.

He is already on the Diocese of Providences list of clergy credibly accused of abuse and was removed from ministry in 2009, which means he cannot act as a priest or present himself as one.

The diocese in a statement said it has cooperated with authorities.

He was removed from ministry after someone contacted the diocese with an allegation of sexual abuse dating to the 1980s that a diocesan investigation deemed credible, the diocese said.

Authorities declined to prosecute Fisette at that time, citing the statute of limitations for second-and third-degree sexual assault, and inconsistencies in the complainant's statements. But a spokesperson for the attorney general said there is no statute of limitations for first-degree sexual assault.

Attorney General Peter Neronha in 2019 opened a review of allegations of sexual abuse in the diocese shortly after the diocese released a list of 50 clerics, religious order priests and deacons it deemed to have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children, dating to 1950.

The diocese voluntarily agreed to give the attorney general and the Rhode Island State Police access to all complaints since 1950.

Rhode Island is one of the most heavily Catholic U.S. states.

Fisette is the fourth former priest to be indicted as part of the latest review.

Our broad investigation of clergy child sexual abuse in Rhode Island has had, from its inception, two principal purposes: to prepare a comprehensive report of our findings regarding such abuse and the dioceses response to it, and along the way bringing individual criminal cases as they are developed, where the facts as alleged warrant them, Neronha said in a statement.

The investigation remains ongoing, he said.
OAKLAND, Calif.  A former U.S. Air Force staff sergeant and alleged member of the boogaloo extremist movement was sentenced to 41 years in prison Friday for the fatal shooting of a federal security officer in the San Francisco Bay Area amid large 2020 protests against police brutality.

Steven Carrillo, 33, had pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal murder charge in the killing of David Patrick Underwood and to the attempted murder of Underwoods colleague after federal prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.

The men were shot on May 29, 2020, while they stood in front of a federal building in Oakland as hundreds marched on the streets.

In February, Carrillo admitted to posting messages on Facebook a day before the shooting asking anyone if they were down to boog and saying he was ready to act and not just talk. He also admitted firing 19 rounds from a homemade AR-15 rifle from the back of a white van being driven by a man he connected with online.

I aligned myself with the anti-government movement and wanted to carry out violent acts against federal law enforcement officers in particular, Carrillo said then.

Prosecutors on Jan. 31 said they would not seek the death penalty, but U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said at a February hearing she was not convinced that a 41-year-sentence agreed to by prosecutors and defense lawyers was sufficient for Carrillos crimes.

Gonzalez Rogers had warned that she could reject the plea agreement if she didnt feel prosecutors and defense lawyers did enough to justify the sentence.

On Friday, Gonzalez Rogers sentenced Carrillo to the 41-year term, a lifetime of supervised release and an amount of restitution to be determined at a later date, a court official said. She spoke directly to Underwood's family, explaining why she had accepted the agreement.

I believe there is evil in this world.  But from what I read and studied as I tried to make and find logic in the illogical, as I have looked for answers, as you are frustrated and angry that such a tragedy could happen, what I can tell you is that I do not see evil in Mr. Carrillo," the judge was quoted as saying by the Mercury News.

I know (the plea agreement) wont make you happy but I need you to trust me. I would not accept it if I saw no measure of redemption, she said. He will spend virtually the rest of his life in prison in a cell that is typically no bigger than 10 by 6  not even bigger than that jury box.

Prosecutors have said Carrillo, of Santa Cruz, had ties to the boogaloo movement  a concept embraced by a loose network of gun enthusiasts and militia-style extremists. Experts say the group started in alt-right culture on the internet with the belief that there is an impending U.S. civil war.

Authorities accused Carrillo of fatally shooting Underwood after spraying a guard shack he was in with bullets.

Prosecutors said Robert Alvin Justus Jr., of Millbrae, drove the van. He faces federal charges of murder and attempted murder in the case.

The pair is accused of driving to Oakland and taking advantage of the distraction afforded by people marching through the citys downtown to protest George Floyds killing by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Carrillo was arrested a week after the shooting in Oakland after he allegedly ambushed sheriffs deputies in Santa Cruz County who were responding to a report of a van containing firearms and bomb-making materials. Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38, was killed and several other law enforcement officials were wounded, according to authorities and court records.

Prosecutors in Santa Cruz charged Carrillo with a slew of felonies, including murder and attempted murder in connection to that killing.

Carrillo has pleaded not guilty to Gutzwillers killing.
Multiple feral cats were shot with blowgun darts, and some were severely mutilated around Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. An Oahu animal rescue group is pointing the finger at soldiers.

"It is our understanding that a group of soldiers purchased blow dart guns while on a recent training to Indonesia and brought them home to Hawaii," the group, KAT Charities, said on its Facebook page.

The Army is investigating the group's claims. KAT Charities, which helps feed stray cats and manages their overpopulation on the island, has raised more than double its initial $1,000 goal as of Monday in an online fundraiser to help pay the veterinary bills for the maimed creatures.

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"U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii was just made aware and is initiating an investigation into these reports. ... We cannot speculate about the details at this time while the investigation is ongoing," officials at the installation said in a statement to Military.com. Schofield Barracks is home to the Army's 25th Infantry Division

A female feline named Katniss was one of multiple cats wounded, according to KAT Charities, which first reported the incident and shared graphic photos of the injured animals on its Facebook page.

Katniss was brought to Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services on June 2 to treat her injuries.

Witnesses with firsthand information are being encouraged to contact the Schofield Barracks military police at (808) 655-5555.

"While we want to give the commanders the opportunity to investigate the situation, we worry animals will continue to be harmed," KAT Charities founder Karen Tyson told KHON2.

Together with Catopia Hawaii, another animal rights nonprofit, KAT Charities is now offering a $1,000 reward for further details on the incident, the group's vice president Beth Doughty said in an interview with Military.com.

As of Monday afternoon, she and her team were still working to catch one last cat spotted with an arrow in it, describing the incident as "discouraging because we hold our soldiers to a higher standard morally. We expect better."

KHON2 also reported that Katniss, the injured cat, is now recovering with a foster family and will be transferred to Popoki + Tea Cat Cafe at the end of the month.

-- Jonathan Lehrfeld is a fellow at Military.com. Follow him on Twitter @lehrfeld_media.

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The Army on Monday activated the new 11th Airborne Division in Alaska, a historic move that brings the service's 12,000 soldiers in the state under a single banner.

The change will bring the service closer to its mission in Alaska of mastering the frigid, inhospitable Arctic terrain. Previously, two of its brigades were loosely associated with the 25th Infantry Division, an element known for its specialty in jungle warfare. The new division has also folded in U.S. Army Alaska, which mostly served a headquarters role in the region.

As the Army reorients after decades of counterterrorism operations back to conventional warfare, it is anticipating that frigid environments will play a huge role in modern conflicts. Adversaries Russia and China have already laid claims to the Arctic Circle, where melting ice is freeing up territory, natural resources and new sea routes.

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"They will be the experts for our Army, and we like to see the best in the world operating in this environment," Gen. James McConville, the Army's chief of staff, told reporters at a press conference Monday.

The 11th Airborne will take center stage in that strategy, as commanders in the region refine doctrine and fit their troops with the gear they need to survive in extreme temperatures. Unlike other environments in which soldiers train, the environment itself is deadly -- sometimes dipping to minus-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

It isn't Alaska itself the Army is planning to defend. Any invading forces there would have to cross hundreds of miles of frozen terrain, a virtually impossible task for vehicles and a challenge for the sustainment of troops, including feeding them.

Commanders in the region have pointed to past conflicts as examples of why the Army needs a unit dedicated to fighting in the extreme cold, such as the Battle of the Bulge and the campaign in Italy during World War II, and much of the Korean War, where freezing temperatures were often as deadly as the enemy.

Commanders have told Military.com they aim for units there to be a prestigious force, having to carry more gear and thrive in more difficult conditions than other conventional units in the Army. Given the frigid climate, service planners have acknowledged Alaska isn't for everyone and have made moves to slowly make it more of a volunteer force, including allowing new recruits to pick Alaska as their duty station when they enlist.

Most significantly, the new formation eliminates a brigade of Strykers for the Army, redesignating the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, to the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division. The service will take Alaska's aging fleet of 320 Strykers and scrap some vehicles for parts, and update others to send to other units.

The new formation will not add any more airborne capabilities to the Army's bottom line with the former Stryker brigade redesignated as a light infantry brigade. McConville said those troops will instead focus on air assault operations.

The division reintroduced the patch used decades ago by the 11th Airborne Division, but with an Arctic twist. The original unit fought in the Pacific Theater in World War II and later tested out air assault tactics before it was deactivated in 1965.

That new patch will add an "Arctic" tab above the classic "airborne" tab seen with other units such as the 82nd Airborne Division. Previously, the Arctic tab was an award for completing an 11-day Arctic survival course in Alaska.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Breakdowns, Ripped Clothing and Dying Batteries: Army Commits to Arctic But Still Figuring Out What Soldiers Need
Former Private 1st Class Randall Ching was with the 5th Ranger Battalion in the hellscape that was Omaha Beach during the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings in Normandy. At 97 years old, he is about to receive his second Congressional Gold Medal.

Ching, the only person of Chinese descent among the nearly 7,000 Rangers who served in that war, received the medal for the first time when President Donald Trump in 2018 signed the Chinese-American World War II Veteran Congressional Gold Medal Act to honor the estimated 20,000 Chinese American men and women who served in all of the military branches.

"At the time, it never occurred to me that I was the only Chinese Ranger but, looking back now, I'm very proud," Ching would later tell the Marin Independent Journal in California.

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His second medal -- one of the highest honors from Congress -- will be bestowed this week when President Joe Biden is expected to sign a bill sponsored by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., designed to honor the Army Rangers of World War II.

On Omaha Beach 78 years ago, Ching's 5th Ranger Battalion was among the units pinned down under such withering fire that then-Maj. Gen. Omar Bradley at one point considered ordering a withdrawal.

The battalion would play a pivotal role in taking the heights above the beach to get at the German guns raking the landing area and would inspire the motto: "Rangers lead the way." (In Ranger-speak, it's just "RLTW.")

For his actions that day, Ching would receive a meritorious Bronze Star for "active ground combat against the enemy on 6 June 1944 while serving with the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion in France," his citation said.

Ching, who was known for his skill with a knife, would receive a second Bronze Star with combat "V" device for his actions on Sept. 2, 1944, in France wiping out a German position. "As a member of a reconnaissance patrol, Private First Class Ching assured the success of its mission by knifing all the occupants of a fortified position," the citation said.

Ching, born in San Francisco in 1924, came to the Army and the all-volunteer Rangers by an unlikely route. His family moved back to China during the Great Depression of the 1930s, but the better life they sought there fell apart when Japan invaded beginning in 1937.

At the urging of his family, Ching returned to the U.S. in 1941, joined the Army in 1943 and then volunteered for the Rangers, said Bonnie Ching Louie, his daughter.

In an interview last Friday, Louie said her father was "very much aware" that he'll be the recipient of a second Congressional Gold Medal, but he's hard of hearing and doesn't like to do interviews.

"He's really proud that he served with that elite [Ranger] group," she said, and equally proud to be a U.S. citizen. From the time she, her two sisters and her brother were kids, "My dad would tell us, 'You are so damn lucky you're living here in America,'" Louie said.

"It will mean a lot to my dad" to receive the second medal, said his son, retired Navy Capt. Carl Ching. His father "has never been a rah-rah guy," boasting of his record, and like so many WWII veterans was reluctant for many years to talk about what he had done and where he had been, the son said in an interview.

Carl Ching recalled that he and his sisters were playing one day and found a cardboard box containing his father's medals. When they asked him about it, he said, "Oh, that's just some ribbons," Carl Ching said.

His father never pressed him to join the military, Carl Ching said, but he initially went into the Navy as an enlisted sailor and served in "Brown Water Navy" patrol boats in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War; he later became an officer. "I wanted to make my dad proud," he said.

The Ching family tradition of service was carried on by a grandson, former Marine Sgt. Alan Chin, who served two tours in Iraq, Carl Ching said.

The Congressional Gold Medal is considered the highest honor Congress can bestow and is awarded to individuals or groups, whether military or civilian, "who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture." Ching will be receiving his second award of the medal as a member of an honored group -- Chinese-American veterans and now WWII Rangers.

Only four individuals -- Gen. Winfield Scott, Gen. and President Zachary Taylor, polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth and Adm. Hyman G. Rickover -- have received two Congressional Gold Medals, according to the History, Art and Archives section of the House of Representatives.

The "United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act," sponsored by Ernst and Crow, passed the Senate last October and the House in May, and now awaits Biden's signature.

In a May floor speech, Crow, a former Ranger captain who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, cited the advanced age of the living WWII Rangers in urging that the bill be signed into law quickly.

When Crow spoke, there were only 15 living Rangers from WWII, and that number decreased to 14 with the death in late May at age 99 of Ranger Thomas "Tommy" Mascari, who fought in Italy, was captured by the Germans, and escaped by leaping from a prison train.

Once Biden signs the bill, the lengthy process of designing and minting the medal will begin; in the past, it has taken anywhere from six months to more than a year.

A single gold medal will be placed at the Smithsonian Institution and duplicates in bronze will be presented to the living WWII Rangers and made available upon request to families, but the details on how to apply for a duplicate have yet to be worked out.

For Randall Ching, the second award will be a point of pride to mark his service with the Ranger units that set the standard for special operations in the military.

After the war, Ching worked as a stock clerk manager in San Francisco's Chinatown while attending night school to become a certified electronics technician. He then became a maintenance manager until his retirement.

In a virtual ceremony in December 2020 to honor the Chinese Americans receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco, said, "We take great pride in our city's Chinese American veterans, including U.S. Army Ranger Randall Ching, the only Ranger of Chinese descent to fight in World War II.

"His valor on D-Day and throughout the war earned him a Bronze Star with 'V' device," Pelosi said, and he "inspired his family, motivating his son to serve in the Navy in Vietnam and his grandson with the Marines in Iraq -- a family legacy of proud service."

"In learning of this congressional recognition, Randall said, 'I am very proud. It's about time,'" Pelosi said. "We agree, Randall. It is time."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

Related: Chinese-American WWII Vets Eligible for Congressional Gold Medal
A face familiar to military medicine was picked to lead the Defense Department's medical school and research university in Bethesda, Maryland, after the school's previous president was pushed out last year.

Dr. Jonathan Woodson, an Army Reserve major general who served as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs under President Barack Obama, has been named the next president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He will take over leadership of the school on June 21.

Woodson has served on the Board of Regents at the military medical university since 2016 and was chairman last year during the tumultuous departure of the school's previous president, Dr. Richard Thomas.

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The Defense Department chose not to renew Thomas' five-year contract when it expired in mid-2021, even though he received an overwhelming endorsement from the board, including a staunch defense by Woodson.

Thomas' supporters said the failure to renew the contract was politically motivated, since he promoted the school's expansion while a DoD initiative launched under President Donald Trump, a Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation review, recommended downsizing the university or completely eliminating it.

Woodson, who led the DoD's health affairs from 2010 to 2016, currently serves as a management professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business and is a professor of surgery and professor of health law, policy and management in the university's School of Medicine and School of Public Health, respectively.

As a reservist, he commands U.S. Army Reserve Medical Command in Pinellas Park, Florida.

In a statement released Monday, Woodson said he was excited to serve as the seventh president of the school, which draws 2,500 students to the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing and the university's Postgraduate Dental College and College of Allied Health Sciences.

"Preparing the health and medical research leaders needed for the Military Health System and the nation is an extremely important mission to ensure we always care for those we ask to go in harm's way," Woodson said in a statement.

"The depth and breadth of Dr. Woodson's more than 30 years of experience will be a major asset to the university and the Military Health System," Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Seileen Mullen said in a prepared statement.

Under Woodson's tenure as assistant secretary for health affairs at the Pentagon, the military health system began a major reform effort designed to contain the Defense Department's growing $50 billion health budget.

He oversaw initiatives that included creating the Defense Health Agency, now responsible for managing all military hospitals and clinics and overseeing all military medical support, training, education and administrative services within the department.

Woodson was a strong proponent for the DoD's medical center and clinic system, encouraging incentives to draw military family members back to military treatment facilities, which he considered to be the most cost-effective health care option for the department. However, he also reduced the geographic areas served by Tricare Prime as part of an effort to curb the ballooning budget, which was projected to reach $70 billion by 2025.

The Defense Department's health budget has not yet reached those projections. The proposed fiscal 2023 budget calls for $54 billion for the military health system. The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences' budget in fiscal 2021 was more than $180 million.

Woodson is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Kosovo, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He also served as senior medical officer for management response following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

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The Navy has released the names of two sailors killed in separate incidents -- a downed fighter jet and a van crash on the highway -- in southern California over the past few days.

Lt. Richard Bullock, who was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 113, died late Friday when his F/A-18E Super Hornet jet crashed near Trona, California, about 250 miles away from Naval Air Station Lemoore, where he was based, the service said in an updated statement Sunday.

The Navy also said Sunday that 29-year-old Electronics Technician 2nd Class John Deltoro was killed in a vehicle crash while returning from training at Camp Billy Machen in Niland around 10 p.m. Friday. The crash involved Deltoro and five other sailors, who were all part of a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit, according to the Navy.

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Two other sailors were in critical condition, and two were in stable condition, at local hospitals following the highway mishap.

The California Highway Patrol, which is investigating the accident along with the Navy, said the five sailors -- four men and one woman -- were driving a Chevrolet Express van west on a highway that leads to San Diego when "for reasons still under investigation, the Chevrolet traveled off the north side of the roadway."

"The Chevrolet traveled down a dirt embankment and struck a large boulder," the Highway Patrol press release said. The use of seat belts and the positions of the passengers was being investigated, but it did not appear that alcohol or drugs were factors.

Deltoro was the middle rear passenger, according to the police release. Citing privacy concerns, the Navy did not identify the other sailors involved.

"John was one of our best combat support technicians, enabling our force to conduct highly complex and high-risk missions in the nation's defense," Rear Adm. H.W. Howard III, head of Naval Special Warfare Command, said in a statement Sunday.

Capt. David Abernathy, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, added that the unit "will remain in support of John's family and will never forget his dedication to selfless service."

Deltoro was an Augusta, Georgia, native and joined the Navy in 2012, according to the service. He is the second Naval Special Warfare sailor to die recently. Electronics Technician 1st Class Ryan DeKorte, 35, who was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit, died in early May "after sustaining injuries after a helicopter landing incident during joint training at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story."

Less information was available Monday on the cause of the crash that killed Bullock, the Super Hornet pilot, who the Navy says "was flying a routine training mission at the time before his aircraft [went] down in a remote, unpopulated area" west of Death Valley National Park.

Although the Navy says no civilians were harmed as a result of this incident, it is also the fourth F/A-18 crash in the area in three years.

In August 2019, a F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 151, also based out of Lemoore, slammed into a rock wall in Rainbow Canyon in Death Valley National Park, killing its pilot and injuring some nearby tourists.

Then, in October 2020, there were two more Super Hornet crashes. The first happened on Oct. 4 when a F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9, based at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, crashed at Death Valley. Two weeks later, on Oct. 19, another Lemoore-based Super Hornet crashed near China Lake. In both of these incidents, the pilots safely ejected.

Lemoore, according to its website, hosts "more than half" of the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet and, on average, conducts 210,000 flights per year.

The Navy's statement on Sunday said that the service "mourns this tragic loss" of Bullock alongside his "family, friends and shipmates."

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

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The Army will redesignate its current Stryker element in Alaska to a light infantry brigade amid the formation of the 11th Airborne Division on Monday, according to a source with direct knowledge of the plans.

The move will sideline a fleet of roughly 320 Strykers in the state after multiple training exercises have shown the wheeled combat platform is no good in the frigid and snowy Arctic conditions.

About 12,000 soldiers in Alaska are being redesignated under a new formation -- the 11th Airborne Division. The 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, will be reformed as the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team,11th Airborne Division.

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It's unclear what will happen to the Army's Strykers in the region. There are no announced plans to form a new Stryker brigade in the mainland U.S. or in Europe. In May, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth suggested they may be used for spare parts for other units across the force.

Strykers are not built for the Arctic and are unable to operate reliably at minus-65 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the benchmark set by commanders for equipment in the region. The wheeled vehicle also doesn't maneuver well off-road in the snow and ice.

The Army wants to buy 13 Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicles in its proposed 2023 budget, which still needs approval by Congress. As a tracked vehicle, it's expected to be much better at navigating the rough, frozen terrain.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team will remain a light infantry formation for the foreseeable future, Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commander of U.S. Army Alaska, told Military.com in May.

The 11th Airborne Division will not add any paratrooper capabilities to the Army's bottom line. Eifler, who will command the new division, says that could change, but there are no plans for it in the near future. Instead, one idea Army planners are mulling is having the brigade focus on air assault.

The 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, will be redesignated the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

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Like many things produced during World War II, the A-11 watch was developed for use by the U.S. military. It was a simple watch, with a face designed to be eminently readable and strong, able to withstand any situation in which U.S. troops might find themselves.

A simple one-piece band rounded out the watch that won the war. Millions of watches were developed using some version of the War Department's A-11 specifications. Today, the Praesidus brand has been reviving the A-11, often in memory of World War II veterans.

In honor of the 78th anniversary of D-Day, the watchmaker has designed a special version of its watches to honor the landings that signaled the end of Nazi Germany and World War II in Europe.

Praesidus' A-11 "Marston Mat" edition uses the same perforated steel style once used by Seabees and Army engineers to create makeshift American landing strips and runways during the war. The mats were used to get tanks, armored vehicles and trucks off beaches and onto solid ground during amphibious landings.

Named for Marston, North Carolina, where the mat was first used, it saw action almost everywhere American forces did, from the Pacific Theater to the invasion of Italy. It was even used by the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

Pilots from the 332nd Fighter Group, the "Tuskegee Airmen," walking on Marston matting in 1943. (U.S. Air Force)

The 10-foot by 15-inch interlocking steel plates were also used in Normandy after the success of Operation Overlord, with C-47 Skytrain cargo aircraft becoming the first to land in liberated France. Marston Matting made it all possible.

After the war, Normandy locals cleaned up the remaining Marston Mat, sending most of it to the Utah Beach Landing Museum near Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont, France. Some of this steel plating wound up in the museum's storage area as a part of its preservation initiatives.

The same Marston Mat that was recovered from the beaches and stored in the museum for more than 75 years is now part of these new commemorative watches.

In 2021, members of the Praesidus watchmaking team visited the Utah Beach Landing Museum and met with the curator. The curator loved the watchmakers' mission and dedication to World War II veterans and gave them a piece of the original Marston Mat used during the liberation of Europe.

An original strip of Marston Mat used on D-Day and procured from the Utah Beach Landing Museum. (Courtesy of Praesidus)

The company sent it to an industrial treatment center to have the rust removed and began to create a new A-11 watch constructed with the actual history of D-Day inside. The steel was thinned to one millimeter and then laminated to meet the specs of the original A-11 design.

The rest of the watch is just as the War Department prescribed in 1942, with a waterproof stainless steel case, topped with double-domed sapphire glass and anti-reflective coating. The A-11 also specifies a highly legible index and a simple brown or green leather strap. It's a watch just like the ones our grandfathers might have worn.

Previous Praesidus watches don't include small pieces of history, but were made to honor World War II veterans Tom Rice and Vince Speranza, who were paratroopers with the 101st Airborne Division.

The Praesidus A-11 "Marston Mat" Special Edition is being released on the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2022, and will have a limited edition run of 120 watches for around $595 -- there's only so much original Marston Mat available for repurpose, after all.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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You are probably familiar with Goodwill Industries. After all, a Goodwill store is probably where all your unneeded household goods end up before a permanent change of station (PCS) move. What you may not know is that Goodwill Industries does a lot more than resell used items for low prices.

For 120 years, Goodwill has provided communities across North America with things like career resources, job training, mentoring, certifications and credentials, and even job placement, child care and rides to work. Today, it gathers corporate partners to aid that mission through its Rising Together program. Services like those offered by Goodwill and its industry partners are sorely needed.

In 2022, labor markets are struggling to adapt to the economic fallout from the global COVID-19 pandemic. As of April 2022, Goodwill says, there were 11.5 million open jobs in the United States, so the nonprofit commissioned a survey to determine where the problems and potential solutions may lie.

To help stimulate economic recovery, it asked workers how they feel about their work, what they want in an ideal job and what's keeping job seekers from finding work. The result was the May 2022 survey report, "Creating an Equitable Economic Recovery Centering Workers' Needs," which found most workers lack the skills to get their ideal job.

The survey asked 2,318 adults ages 18 to 65 who are currently working, looking for work or would be working if they didn't face barriers to employment about their feelings in certain areas of the job search process and their current employment, where applicable.

Of those who did have jobs, 68% of respondents said they could not pursue their ideal position because they needed further training in their field or lacked the skills necessary to advance. Goodwill says these kinds of workers have been more likely to lose hours, pay and even their jobs over the last two years. This is especially true, the report states, if the workers are in lower income brackets.

For the unemployed, the situation is much worse. Unemployed workers who are also looking for work reported trouble finding affordable housing, child care and mental health counseling when needed, before the barriers to finding work arose. When they were able to start looking for work, 47% of unemployed respondents said they lacked the skills, training or education to find a job.

Of all respondents, 57% said they didn't apply for an ideal position because they did not have the skills to get that job. Of those who were able to apply for their ideal positions, 36% said they were rejected from the process, because their qualifications did not meet the skills required.

Goodwill believes it has an answer to the dearth of access to skills, training or job opportunities. In May 2021, it launched Rising Together, a coalition of industry leaders and companies that are offering funding and support services like child care and job training programs that will help Goodwill address the issues expressed in the survey.

The nonprofit initiative recently expanded with companies like USAA, Bank of America Charitable Foundation and Lowe's joining its existing partners, which include Google, Anthem and others working to help empower a million American workers by 2025 with access to job training and other services.

So far, Rising Together has extended its reach to 33 states and some areas in Canada. For more information about Rising Together, its services or to learn how to access those services, visit the Rising Together website.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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California-based Ghanaian Musician, First Lady of Heavenly Twins has bemoaned the hypocritical attitude exhibited by some Ghanaian Christians.

She is of the view that some members of the Christian community in Ghana are hypocritical to the extent that if you follow some of their doctrines you will end up in hell instead of the heaven pastors preach about.

The musician revealed that I was on Abeiku Santana's show some time ago and made an analogy that, I don't see anything wrong with women doing butt implants and surgeries to look good.

First Lady of Heavenly Twins added that this attracted a lot of hate comments which shocked her, considering the kind of interpretation and judgement passed on the matter.

It is okay for Christians to go to hospital for surgeries when they have kidney or liver failures but these same Christians are chastising me for telling the truth about enhancing your beauty, she said.

First Lady of Heavenly Twins further queried So if they have to patch your skin because of a surgery will these same Christians not accept these remedies?

The musician urged Ghanaians to desist from this negative attitude for it bred hatred and jealousy amongst people.
04.06.2022 LISTEN

Ghanas leading telecommunication company, Mobile Telecommunication Network, MTN has advanced plans to invest about GHC 20million in social investment this year.

The investment would go into communities within which the company operates as part of its Social Corporate Responsibility for the year 2022.

The Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr Ismael Yamson made this known during the companys Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was virtually held on Friday.

Dr Yamson expressed optimism that the companys Social Corporate Responsibility (CSR) initiatives would bring a lot relief to many Ghanaians and also improve quality of lives.

He said, We are privileged to support the development of Ghana through these initiatives to improve the quality of life of Ghanaians and provide sustainable social interventions in communities across the country.

Dr Yamson explained that The company continues to contribute significantly to direct and indirect employment opportunities, impacting over 500, 000 Ghanaians

MTN, he said, made significant contributions to Ghanas agenda to stay safe during the peak period of the Covid-19 pandemic, a drive which yielded a positive impact

MTN spent GHC 14.3m on CSR last year

Dr Yamson disclosed that as part of MTN Ghana Foundations Social Corporate Responsibility, the company spent an amount of GHC14.3 million on its projects in 2021.

The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital became a major beneficiary of the initiative as Blood Bank was constructed for the facility to assist in the management of the hospitals blood stock.

He indicated that MTN did not only pursue interventions to support its customers and other key stakeholders but it has over the years, also remained the highest tax payer in the country

CEOs assurance to customers

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN, Mr Selorm Adadevor gave an assurance that MTN would continue with its commitment to keeping all its customers at heart.

He stated, Our cherished customers remain at the heart of the organisation and this focus will continue through this year as well.

Mr Adadevor further assured that the company would not renege on its commitment to honouring its core Social Corporate Responsibilities such as promoting good health, education and economic empowerment.
The mortal remains of a renowned educationist and former Northern Regional Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Sir Emmanuel Kpalsowura Kuntala Ntoba has been laid to rest at his hometown in Busunu, Suburb of Damongo in the West Gonja Municipal of the Savannah Region.

The legendary K. K. Ntoba who served as headmaster for Bole Senior High School and Yendi Senior High School among others passed onto glory on Sunday, 15th May, 2022, at the West Gonja Catholic Hospital after battling a short illness.

The former educationist was given a rousing farewell at his hometown, Busunu, on Saturday, 4th June, 2022, by former students, school mates, church members, colleagues from the educational sector and members of his home community.

Biography

The late Emmanuel Kpalsowura Kuntala Ntoba popularly known as KK Ntoba was born on the 6th of September, 1959, to Chief Kpalsowura Kuntala Ntoba and Madam Tusua Yaw, both of blessed memory.

He was the first of the two children born to his parents and has fourteen other siblings from other two wives of his father.

Mr. Ntoba enrolled into formal education in the year 1966 at the Busunu L/A primary school and proceeded to Damongo for his middle day school where he later gained admission into the St. Charles Minor Seminary/Secondary school in the year 1974 for his GCE 'O' level certificate. This was after passing a very competitive entrance examination.

He proceeded to the Nandom Secondary school where he obtained his 'A' level certificate in 1981 which qualified him to enrol into the university of cape coast where he obtained a Diploma in Basic Education and Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and French.

He did his mandatory one year of National Service at the Nkoranza Secondary/Technical school in 1986 and later got recruited as a full time teacher in the same school in 1988, where he provided excellent service as an English teacher until 1990 when he left Ghana for Nigeria.

While in Nigeria, Mr. Ntoba taught in the Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri in the Borno state from 1991 to 1992 and later returned to Ghana and continued to teach English language, Literature in English and French from July,1992 to September 1995 in his alma mater, St. Charles Minor Seminary in Tamale.

The Name K K Ntoba became a household name among students in almost all the secondary schools in Tamale including schools where he did not have a formal teaching engagement because of his exceptional knowledge in English, French and Latin.

In 1995, he was posted to Damongo Secondary school where he taught English language, Literature in English and French until September, 2011, when he was promoted to the rank of Director in the Ghana education service and posted to E.P Agric secondary school in Tatale as headmaster.

Due to his hard work, good managerial and leadership skills, he was again posted to Yendi Senior High school from 2014- 2016 and finally to Bole senior high school from 2016 - 2019 where he went on compulsory retirement at the age of 60.

While in active service, Late K K Ntoba held various positions in many Associations including; Welfare Secretary of GNAT, Nkoranza District(1987 - 1990), Local Chairman of GNAT, Damongo(1998 - 2005), West Gonja District GNAT Chairman( 2012 - 2015), Northern Region Representative to the National GNAT council, Member of the District GNAT council, member of the Regional GNAT council, Northern Regional GNAT chairman for six years, Secretary to Northern Regional CHASS, Board Chairman, Damongo nursing and midwifery training college, member of the Savannah Region Consultative Forum and co - chairperson of the Busunu Professionals Association.

As an ardent Catholic and a believer of Jesus Christ, Mr. Emmanuel Kuntala Ntoba equally devoted his time to the service of God and the Catholic Church as a whole.

He showed his devotion by joining the Catholic Youth Organization as a young boy and the legion of mary as a teenager.

When he became an adult, he was initiated into the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies Auxiliary of St John International.

He left behind a wife and five children namely; Alberta Katan Kuntala, Angela Kanyiti Kuntala, Bernard Akumfo Kuntala, Basil Borenyi Kuntala and Anita Besipo - Anye Kuntala.

The funeral ceremony of the late K K Ntoba witnessed the presence of prominent politicians, members of the catholic church in the Damongo Diocese, chiefs and people of Busunu, heads of senior high schools across the five Northern regions, former students and members of St. John's international.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the much-talked about Sunyani Airport would soon be re-opened for use by the public, Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister has disclosed.

According to her, the first phase of the re-construction of the Sunyani airport has been completed and currently awaiting final inspection, afterwhich it would officially be inaugurated.

The minister told the Sunyani-based Ark FM, a local radio station, that the project is in two phases but work on the second phase, which is yet to start, will not affect the smooth operations at the completed section of the facility.

The first face of the project which was completed in April this year involves the run-way, the wings among others. It is left with the re-construction of the second phase which is yet to start. I must state that, the second phase of the project does not affect the movement of flights at the airport, she explained.

The closure of the Sunyani Airport for several years now has been a major concern of the people of the Bono region and other surrounding areas, culminating in a demonstration by the youth of Sunyani sometime last year, among other agitations.

Brief history

In 1969, the Busia Government seeing the need for an airport for Sunyani initiated construction work for a full airport. This was completed and officially opened on13th July 1974.

In March 2015, the Sunyani Airport was temporarily shut down due to the extent of visible deterioration of the airfield.

Upon assumption of office in 2017, President Akufo-Addo initiated moves to undertake major rehabilitation works at the airport to, among other things, ensure that facilities and services at the airport meet all international safety and security standards.

The scope of work included rehabilitation/re-construction and extension of existing runway, rehabilitation of existing taxi link, rehabilitation and upgrade of existing apron, resurfacing of internal roads, rehabilitation and remodeling of the existing terminal building to make space for all necessary terminal facilitation.

Commendation

At their recent visit to Jubilee House, members of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the President for the completion of the first phase of the Sunyani Airport.

The President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Oseadeayo Agyeman Badu II, who spoke on behalf of the Chiefs said Mr. President, we thank you for the re-construction works on the Sunyani Airport. Sometime past, we all remember the deplorable state of our airport. It took the shine off our region significantly. Thats is why we are here to thank you.

Nananom are rightly informed that Phase one is now fully complete and will be fully functional after it is officially commissioned.

A cross-section of residents of Sunyani appear happy about this development but quite upbeat about the commencement of work on the second phase.
05.06.2022 LISTEN

Government has again been urged to be more committed to expanding engineering education to train more engineers to provide solutions to challenges confronting the nation rather than the current trend of training more graduates in the humanities.

Ing. Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, Vice-Chancellor of Sunyani Technical University, who made this point, said this would enable the country to realize accelerated national development.

He was speaking at the maiden conference and annual general meeting of Branch 2 of the Ghana Institution of Engineers, held in Sunyani under the theme Engineering, Key to Achieving National Development.

Prof. Adinkrah-Appiah stated that it was incumbent on government to provide a system as well as an enabling environment to help engineers fit into diverse job markets, adding that government should equip young engineers with the requisite skills to become emerging leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Industry also should play its role by supporting engineers to undertake purposive research and introduce innovative technologies to resolve community problems, which in effect, would create new ideas, jobs, products and services to contribute to foreign exchange earnings for accelerated national development, the Vice-Chancellor emphasised.

Turning to his fellow engineers, Prof. Adinkrah-Appiah said they also have the responsibility of providing the antidote to existing problems in society by providing innovative solutions to improve the quality of life in all facets of human endeavours as well as providing inputs through research and discoveries to improve productivity.

He also said engineers owe it as a duty to address critical sustainability issues in sustainable energy, waste management and all other human activities for national development; and work hard and effectively through the Precision Quality concept to achieve our mandate by providing value for money to all engineering projects.

Ghana is blessed with several natural resources including gold, diamond, manganese, timber and quite recently oil. It is crystal clear that the extraction and exporting of all these primary commodities without significant value addition will not make the expected impact on our national economy.

Achievement of accelerated national development requires training of more engineers who should apply scientific knowledge to invent technologies to be able to extract our natural resources ourselves, in a sustainable way, and also add value to these primary commodities before exporting them abroad to earn better foreign exchange for the strengthening of our nations economy. This is the surest way we can achieve accelerated national development.

Prof. Adinkrah-Appiah explained that there is an important link between a countrys engineering capacity and its economic development.

This, he said, confirms why countries like China and the four Asian Tigers including Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong-Kong developed within relatively shorter periods of time as they fully committed themselves to engineering.

This further shows that the extent to which engineering can aid the development of a country is also dependent on that countrys government's commitment to engineering education.
The son of a French anti-imperialist tortured and killed by the French army during Algeria's war of independence has said he cannot forgive and that the "truth" is more important than apologies offered by Paris.

Maurice Audin, a mathematician and communist who supported Algeria's struggle for self-rule, was killed in 1957, three years into a bitter eight-year war that finally brought an end to French colonial control. His body has never been found.

President Emmanuel Macron in 2018 acknowledged in the name of the French state that Audin had "died under torture stemming from the system instigated while Algeria was part of France", and asked his widow for forgiveness.

But Audin's son Pierre, who was visiting the country to receive an Algerian passport and attend the unveiling on Sunday of a bust of his father, said Macron's apology was too little, too late.

"What's important is to tell the truth. Not to say, 'I wash my hands of it, I've asked for forgiveness'," he told AFP.

"There can be no forgiveness -- it was unforgivable."

He had been just a month and a half old when his father was killed, and waited much of his life for the crime to be recognised.

"When the president visited my mother (to apologise) I was 61 and already retired... a lifetime had passed," he said.

The Algerian struggle for independence pitted armed groups mostly made up of Muslims against French armed forces as well as the far-right Secret Armed Organisation (OAS).

But some Europeans in both countries, notably communists including Audin, supported independence.

Pierre Audin said he had "only really felt the need" to have an Algerian passport after Macron's apology.

He added that he hopes the document will help him to find the remains of his father, which were never recovered.

"A few days before my mother died, I promised her I would continue looking for the remains," he said.

Macron has since acknowledged the French army was behind the death of the nationalist lawyer Ali Boumendjel and returned the skulls of 19th century Algerian resistance fighters, as well as opening French state archives on the Algerian war.

But memories of the colonial period continue to provoke recurring diplomatic spats between Paris and Algiers, which is preparing to mark 60 years of independence on July 5.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is embroiled in a growing scandal centred on the theft of cash from his sprawling cattle farm worthy of a spy thriller that has highlighted the leader's wealth.

Ramaphosa is accused of complicity in buying the silence of the burglars who were allegedly detained on his property, charges which he fiercely denies as he vies to stay on as ruling party leader.

The office of Ramaphosa, who is known affectionately as "the buffalo" for his collection of prize cattle, attempted to snuff out speculation and intrigue with a business-as-usual statement.

"While there is much public interest and concern" the president remained "firmly focused on the task of rebuilding the economy and the country", the presidency said.

The scandal came to light after a criminal case was brought by the country's former spymaster and ruling ANC member Arthur Fraser, now threatening to overshadow the president's effort to remain party leader.

Ramaphosa will face party members at a conference in December during which he could be ousted from the ANC's top job.

The 69-year-old party veteran who succeeded Jacob Zuma as president of both the party and South Africa has insisted he was not involved in any criminal conduct.

The president, who has a considerable personal fortune, vowed to continue the fight against corruption, but pledged "once again" to cooperate fully with any investigation.

The presidency stressed it would "not be able" to go into details of the case, leaving the police and the judiciary to their work.

The saga began in February 2020, according to the complaint filed Wednesday at a Johannesburg police station by Fraser, the former South African intelligence chief.

Robbers allegedly broke into Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm in the northeast of the country where they found $4 million in cash hidden in furniture.

Ramaphosa himself has disputed the sum of money in question, but accepted that he buys and sells animals "sometimes through cash sometimes through transfers".

"I've never stolen money from anywhere and I will never do so. I have never stolen from taxpayers," Ramaphosa added.

The case accuses Ramaphosa of concealing the theft from police and the tax authorities.

It sensationally alleges that the president then "paid" the burglars "for their silence".

Fraser, who said he provided police with "photos, bank accounts, names and videos", accused Ramaphosa of obstruction of justice and organising for the suspects to be kidnapped, interrogated on his property and paid off.

Ramaphosa's quandary

On Thursday, the president's office confirmed an "armed robbery" in Ramaphosa's Limpopo game reserve, during which the proceeds from the sale of cattle were stolen.

The president, who was attending an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, was not present at the time.

"On being advised of the robbery, President Ramaphosa reported the incident to the head of the Presidential Protection Unit of the South African Police Service for investigation," the presidency said.

Speaking at an ANC provincial conference in Limpopo on Sunday, Ramaphosa himself suggested there could be a "political agenda" behind the allegations.

In the early 2000s, Ramaphosa, considered Nelson Mandela's "favourite son", left politics to become a highly successful businessman.

The ambitious leader, who hails from a humble background in Soweto, in 2015 ranked 42nd on Forbes's list of Africa's richest people, with a fortune of nearly 400 million euros.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) must decide by December whether to retain Ramaphosa as president in 2024.

"It's not going to be easy," political analyst Rebone Tau told AFP.

"Ramaphosa is having a hard time consolidating power within the ANC," and the latest furore is already "a problem for Cyril", as many South Africans refer to him.

"Is he still popular?" asked Tau, a former ANC youth activist.

Nothing can be taken for granted, especially with unemployment stubbornly high, soaring prices at the pump and profound economic challenges ahead.

While Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma easily won their second terms, the ANC fell below 50 percent support for the first time in local elections in 2021, Tau said.

"That is his legacy."
At least 50 people were killed and others injured after gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Nigeria's Ondo state during mass on Sunday, a doctor and local media reported.

A doctor at a hospital in Owo, a town in the state in Nigeria's southwest, told Reuters that no fewer than 50 bodies had been moved to the FMC (Federal Medical Center) in Owo and to St. Louis Catholic Hospital.

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, calling it "heinous".

The identity and motive of the attackers was not immediately clear.

Local media said gunmen had fired at worshippers and detonated explosives at the church. Those killed included women and children.

Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, police spokesperson for Ondo state, said only that there had been an incident at the Saint Francis Catholic Church in Owo and said police would issue a further statement soon.

Africa's most populous country has witnessed attacks and kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs, mostly in its northwest. Such attacks are rare in southwestern Nigeria.

Ondo state governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu cut short a trip to the capital Abuja and returned to Ondo after the attack. "We shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay," he said in a statement.

GNA

Credit: Reuters
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06.06.2022 LISTEN

Traditional leaders in Ghana, to be more precise, chiefs, are since time immemorial free from many constraints. In the olden days, they were able to do whatever they liked, exercising arbitrary powers, even to the extent of killing or banishing some of their subjects without any higher authority questioning their actions.

Again, in those days, most of the chiefs were very responsible. They pursued the collective interests of their subjects and communities.

Today, in Ghana, the modern-day crop of chief is still free to do so many things except banishing or killing any of their subjects for the least mistake committed, or for other reasons which in this era may be considered very stupid and out of order, unlike in the olden days.

Therefore, it is a bit mind-boggling for anyone to suggest, or propose that Ghanaian chiefs need to be further emancipated, resourced and given more powers, probably through an act of parliament or executive instrument.

Before proceeding further with this traditional chiefs discourse, let us try to understand what emancipation is. Emancipation is defined in the dictionary as the process of giving people social or political freedom and rights; the act of freeing a person from another person's control; the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation

What further freedom do the chiefs need, and if they need any at all, who should it come from and for what purpose? Are the chiefs in Ghana today not free to do so many things that they like?

The current chiefs in Ghana see and take all stool lands as their personal property, although, they were supposed to be the custodians of such lands in behalf of their subjects. They sell the lands, pocket the proceeds without being accountable to their subjects.

Who dare you, a subject, to demand accountability from a chief over the sale of a stool land? Nobody is able to do that.

Again, it is an ongoing fact that is undeniable that a chief can sell the same plot of land for housing project to more than one person, pocket the monies without using any portion of it to develop his area, thus, town. Once that happens, the two or three buyers of same land will be left to battle the case in court as to who the real owner of the plot of land is while the crook chief is left off the hook to enjoy in peace the money so collected from the buyers.

These chiefs are noted for meddling in the justice system of Ghana. When say, a criminal is arrested and being prosecuted, a chief can use their position and influence to get the judge to set free that criminal, especially, when the criminal is their relative, friend or somebody of importance to them in a way or the other.

A case in point is the Asante Overlord, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who has been breaching existing agreed conventions with impunity and still goes around proclaiming that no court or judge in Ghana can overturn his decisions so taken, whether or not such decisions are lawful.

Are todays chiefs not free to sell stool lands to whomever they like, even if the buyer is going to use it for surface and alluvial mining to spoil the water bodies, virgin forests and fertile and arable lands?

They dont invest in their communities but have voracious desire to acquire immense personal wealth and power to continually lord themselves over their subjects.

If Ghanaians would be honest with themselves, they will agree with me that the chiefs should not be emancipated any further but rather their current powers they are being exercising unlawfully be curtailed.

What are the functions of the Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives? Are they not supposed to help develop their areas of jurisdiction? Why should a percentage of funds going to them for the development of their areas go to the chiefs? What for?

One would not mind if the chiefs had the welfare of their community and subjects at heart. Unlike their olden days predecessors, the current crop of Ghanaian chiefs is just a bunch of shameless greedy lot who should not be emancipated any further but rather their powers limited.

Mind you Ghanaians, we are in a republic but not in a total monarchy as prevailed before Ghana coming under the British colonial rule and later gaining her independence.

It is just for this confusion of the chiefs refusing to accept their status as ceremonial heads under elected governments, but still seeing themselves as wielding autocratic powers as it was before that is retarding the progress of Ghana. How on earth is a chief allowed to see the entire land under his jurisdiction as his, to use it as he likes for his personal gain?

The proud and fearless son of Kumawu/Asiampa soil is opposed to any intended further emancipation of Ghanaian chiefs. This is to prevent them from being more irresponsible to the detriment of their subjects and communities. They must be compelled to stop selling all their lands and using the money they get from the sales for their selfish and myopic interests. For, if their forefathers, or predecessors, had sold the lands recklessly greedily as they are doing today, they wouldnt have come to find any to sell gluttonously as they are obviously doing.

Rockson Adofo

Sunday, 05 June 2022
The Director for the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR - STEPRI), Dr. Wilhelmina Quaye says communicating scientific facts isnt only vital for the scientific community but necessary in bridging the gap between the scientific community and the public.

She noted that the unfortunate incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the critical role of science and public health.

"Communication about scientific facts is vital for not just the scientific community as we do in publication, science articles and presentations at various conferences and workshops, but bridging the gap between the scientific community and the non-scientific community, she stated.

Dr. Wilhelmina Quaye was speaking at the final event of the 2022 edition of the Africa Science Week organized by the Next Einstein Forum on 2nd June.

She explained that it is important that scientists use non-scientific language rather than terminologies which can confuse the public when dealing with them. She urged scientists to use the opportunity they have today to build capacity in science communication as part of their life-long learning roadmap.

We need to strengthen our position and commitment as scientists and establish our local relevance to the ordinary people, this can only be done better if we have strong science communication skills to enable us to share correct scientific information with a wider audience, she stressed.

She also encouraged scientists to make use of social media, blogs, podcasts and other social platforms to communicate effectively in correcting misinformation about vaccines, climate change, global warming, biodiversity loss, bad eating habits among others.

The program dubbed, The Art of Science Communication was the climax of the Africa Science Week.

Justina Onumah, an ambassador for the Next Einstein Forum and an organizer for the program said the 2022 Africa Science Week has rekindled the discussion around STEM and how scientists and science enthusiasts contribute to raising the next generation of Einsteins.

She added that after halting for two years due to the COVID pandemic, the return has demonstrated how STEM enthusiasts long for such forums and opportunities alike to impact the younger generation.

Connecting science to society depends on the way we communicate it. The science communication session has taught scientists to own their stories, draw a roadmap for communication, as well as using the right channels to make it effective, Ms. Onumah said.

Other speakers at the event were Dr. Thomas Tagoe of Gh Scientific, Mr. Gameli Adzaho of Just One Giant Lab and Mr. Samson Kofi Adotey of AIMS-Next Einstein Initiative.

In attendance among other scientists, the public and media were Dr. George Essegbey and Dr. Godfred K. Frempong, former Director and former Deputy Director of CSIR - STEPRI respectively.

This years event was organized in five sessions; The Spotlight Session with Trailblazing Scientists, Africa Science Movie Night, Climate Science session, Women in STEM (with an outreach to a public basic school) and the Art of Science Communication.
What do Nigerians from all walks of life; poor, rich, North, South, East, and West have to lose by conducting Nigerias civic and security affairs democratically?

Nigeria is still young enough to develop its own healthy leadership system, create an entrepreneurial environment, and provide an institutional framework to help restructure the economy.

What is wrong with providing mentally and physically fit, strong, and trained leaders that can envision the right course and appropriate attitude for the people to emulate?

What's wrong with Nigerians reconditioning themselves to stop loving thieves who vie for power, know the weaknesses of the people they want to rule, and ride freely with ethnic and religious marks, illegal or unethical gifts?

What is wrong with using proven democratic institutionalists that will build inclusive political and economic institutions to empower the civil servants to do that which is right?

What is wrong if Nigerians, for the first time, psychologically, spiritually, and physically disregard native old politicians like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who use the people to vote them into power, let their money fail them this time.

What is wrong with promoting a positive leadership that aims to bring in good governance, education, power supply, economic stability, and an end to insecurity as well as corruption, among others?

What is wrong with getting a national leadership that supports an environment where corruption does not manifest itself in the media and in journalistic practice, in order to advance transparency and accountability?

Given the inherent ethical challenges in the Nigerian leadership, the likes of Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are certainly no angels, but what is clear is that, emotionally, Nigerians are tired of outdated politicians like Atiku and Tinubu with chronic experiences of attention seeking and self-serving.

Is it not time for Nigerians to employ institutionalists like El-Rufai and Osinbajo who direct progress and help the nation achieve the dreams of the founding fathers like Anthony Eromosele Enahoro in order for Nigerians to start believing in the future of their own country?

It is time for a leadership model that will not be indifferent to the Nigerian people with regard to stopping them from destroying their own country through their ongoing identification with bad leadership.

As a psychological scientist, I do not engage in religious prediction. But in the manner of a psychological institutional analyst with a focus on African matters, I predict, unless Nigeria is no longer in existence, that the next President will be Yemi Osinbajo, with Nasir El-Rufai and other progressive institutionalists in his administration.

As a leader in a growing and multifaceted society like Nigeria, Osinbajo has largely kept a low profile during the Buhari administration. To help understand this man who is a heartbeat away from the presidency, here are some things you should know about Osinbajo, his personal background, and his political psychology.

He is a reassuring pick for Nigerias Christian religious population and loved by the religious Islamic moderates in the North. admired by the masses.

Yemi Osinbajo is a Lagos born Nigerian of Yoruba ancestry. Intellectually, he is skilled in history and oratory. A law graduate with distinction from the University of Lagos. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree. A Professor of Law, with a focus in public law at the University of Lagos. He is an expert on conduct and discipline through his work with the United Nations.

A senior pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God. He is married to the granddaughter of Obafemi Awolowo, and they have children.

As one who is interested in political philosophy, he helped in the formation of the All-Progressives Congress along with other Nigerians. Osinbajo, helped design and produce a strategy for the new political party: "Roadmap to a New Nigeria", a document published by APC as its manifesto if elected to power.

The focus of the document includes the need for free schools, addressing poverty and the needs of children and youth. He has been a Vice President since May 29, 2015, under President Muhammadu Buhari, and he has once served as an Acting President a few times while the President was receiving medical treatment in London.

Osinbajo is currently in his second term as president. He is known for his loyalty to the nation and the people. He is not a tribalist. He does not present as a weak or sick man. He is very young. In the North of Nigeria, he is seen as trustworthy, loyal, and honorable. But he is not a yes man. On a psychological note, based on commentaries, he presents himself as a Nigerian with good political ethics.

As a political figure, Osinbajo is firm in his uncompromising liberalism. Despite perceived religious and personality differences with his boss, Osinbajo has shown steadfast loyalty to Buhari. Osinbajo has gained fair criticism from all partisan groups because of his progressive national attitude.

Osinbajo appears to be a person who is easy to make personal friends with across political parties. At no time has Osinbajo, especially before the current political primaries, shown any open eye regarding his political future as he tries to do his present work.

Along with this psycho-political map of Osinbajo are some comments on Nasir El-Rufai.

El-Rufai is a Kaduna born Muslim with a modest background. As a child, he lost his father, and fortunately for him, he had an uncle who sponsored his early schooling. He is in an expanded marriage with children.

El-Rufai received a bachelor's degree in quantity surveying with first class honors from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. It is important to know that while in Barewa College, the house captain of his dormitory was President Umaru Yar'Adua, a known non-tribalist and a man of goodwill, simplicity, and humility, who died at the age of 58 from health complications.

El-Rufai holds an MBA from Ahmadu Bello University, as well as professional and post-graduate training from institutions such as Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington.

He has as his area of focus advanced studies in privatization and leadership. A law graduate from the University of London; and has a master's degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He received the Kennedy School Certificate in Public Policy and Management, having worked as an Edward A. Mason Fellow in Public Policy and Management.

He has extensive experience in quantity surveying consulting and has served in management positions with international telecommunications companies. A man whose political career started as an economic advisor to the military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar. He has worked with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Under President Olusegun Obasanjo, he served as director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, and secretary of the National Council of Privatization.

As a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory during his tenure, he officiated over a sweeping transformation of the federal capital, earlier damaged by corruption.

El-Rufai, along with others, led the reform of the Nigerian public service and, at various times during his tenure as Minister, he oversaw the Federal Ministries of Commerce and Interior. He also chaired several high-profile cabinet committees that led to the establishment of a mortgage system in Nigeria and the National ID card system for Nigeria.

He once went into self-imposed exile and became a vocal critic of the Umaru Yar'Adua administration. He boldly returned to Nigeria in 2010 and was arrested for corruption charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was cleared of corruption charges. In 2011, he joined party politics with the Congress for Progressive Change, supporting Muhammadu Buharis campaign. He served as a deputy national secretary of the newly formed All Progressives Congress. In 2015, El-Rufai was sworn in as the Governor of Kaduna State, and he is currently in his second term.

He has had serious criticism in many areas, such as not reportedly obeying court orders and being known to be hard on human rights issues, journalists, and protesters, but I see him as one who is open to public counseling, especially as a progressive political figure.

In a dogged society like Nigeria, El-Rufai, who is sometimes too stubborn and stern all of which are admirable leadership characteristics will tie well with Yemi, a much more level-headed man.

Psychologically, Nigeria in the last 20 years has been crying out to get some degree of sustained economic, education, welfare, health, security, and peace for the people. Osinbajo and El-Rufai seem to believe that one way to strengthen Nigerias peace and security is the establishment of a state police. which should also include decentralization in the judiciary, corrections, and many other critical systems.

Osinbajo and El-Rufai have been fully trained in civilian leadership styles, which are much needed in a diverse environment like Nigeria. They understand each others backgrounds in terms of progressive leadership. Their leadership styles will help in navigating diversity. They know it is crucial that Nigerians understand their mission and give them affirmation. Only then can they better contribute to Nigeria and help improve the quality of the people and systems. This is my hope and fantasy, psychologically.

In a progressive Nigeria where, democratic institutions are valued and practiced, the likes of Osinbajo, El-Rufai, and other progressives like Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum of Bornu State, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State; Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna; Muhammad Yahaya, Gombe; and Bello Matawalle, Zamfara State; Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Umar Ganduje of Kano; Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State; Kingsley Moghalu; Peter Obi; Chukwuma Soludo; Oluwarotimi Akeredolu; Omoyele Sowore; Oby Ezekwesili; Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

Gov. El-Rufai in 2021 calls for a true institutional, federal, and democratic setting. Nigeria needs progressives to lay out a blueprint for a national strategy and an incoming administration can realign Nigeria institutionally.

El-Rufai's ten (10) responsibilities for the Nigerian state and federal governments are

"This includes decentralizing the police to enable the states to exercise effective control in securing their residents and communities.

We need to have federal, state, and community police, with each granted sufficient powers to make them effective in securing the areas assigned to them and cooperating closely with each other. Those expressing concerns about the ability of the states to bear the cost of policing should realize that apart from the payment of salaries by the federal government, most of the operational and capital costs of the Nigeria Police are borne by state and local governments," El-Rufai said.

He said that fear of abuse of state police by sub-national governments is misplaced because a constitutional or statutory framework could be enacted to ensure federal intervention in cases of such abuses.

El-Rufai also said that the constitution should be altered to remove the Police Service Commission because "it is an unnecessary hindrance to effective policing in the country."

The power to hire and fire police officers should revert fully and totally to the Inspector General of Police, under the supervision of the National Police Council, as envisaged by the Constitution."

"All mineral resources, including oil and gas and solid minerals, in the states, which will in turn pay royalties and taxes to the Federation Account.

States already control land within their territories, courtesy of the Land Use Act, which is incorporated into the Constitution by reference.

He said that the dichotomy and total disconnect between federal institutions issuing licenses for mining and state agencies that ultimately control land and title were impeding the takeoff of mining in the country.

He said States should be empowered to establish, staff, and run their own judiciary up to the appellate level.

It is an anomaly to have a National Judicial Council appointing high court judges for states." This should be the responsibility of state judicial councils.

The remit of the National Judicial Council should be limited to the federal high and appellate courts. The constitutional amendment should clarify that the states can establish courts to exercise jurisdiction in the first instance, or on appeal, on matters for which the states can make laws.

 In essence, I am suggesting that judges of State High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal, and Customary Courts of Appeal should be nominated by the State Judicial Council, subject to confirmation by the House of Assembly, he said.

El-Rufai further advocated for states to establish state courts of appeal. Prisons and corrections services should be entirely state-owned and managed.

The State Court of Appeal will entertain appeals from State High Courts, Customary and Sharia Courts of Appeal, on matters on which the State House of Assembly is empowered by the Constitution to make laws.

This arrangement will make our judicial processes faster, encourage competition, deepen our jurisprudence, and restore citizens trust."

"It will also significantly reduce the burden on the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

El-Rufai said each state should decide the model of democratic local government that best suits it because Nigeria is a federation of the 36 states and the Federal Government.

Listing the 774 local governments in the Constitution and trying to establish for them direct relations with the Federal Government violates the spirit of federalism."

Each state should decide how many local governments it can efficiently run and fund for better governance and delivery of public goods."

Each state should decide what typology of local governance fits its historical, cultural, and administrative circumstances, but the resulting framework must be democratic, with periodic elections at no longer than four-year intervals, he said.

El-Rufai also said that adopting this proposal means that the revenue allocation formula will specify what proportion of federation transfers is for the local governments."

No state government shall be allowed under any guise to take control of local government funds, and the Constitution should entrench safeguards and sanctions, including withholding state funds due from the Federation Account in the event of any reported diversions, impoundment, or misappropriation, he said.

For instance, why should the Federal Government be enabled by the Constitution to fix a national minimum wage that it can afford but most of the states have been unable to implement.

A minimum wage is certainly desirable to protect citizens from exploitation, but it should be on the Concurrent List due to variations in cost of living and ability to pay."

I would add that states should legally establish an independent and impartial election body, a body charged with overseeing the implementation of the direct electioneering process of the state, which must be independent from the federal election commission.

In his continued advocacy for a democratic nation with healthy institutions, Prof. Mike Ozekhome once stated, "Our Democracy Has Not Progressed At All." With El-Rufai and other noted institutionalists, a progressive approach toward democracy in Nigeria could become a reality.

Ah! tearfully, we don tiya, we are tired. It's Time for a Positive Change. A piece on mutual respect between the ruled and ruled in Nigeria. Nigeria is going through a test of democracy, which is necessary for meaningful change in our institutions. Nigeria is undergoing a test of leadership. Whether we can deliver at a moment of national anxiety is the question, but with the current challenging political climate, I believe we are closer than ever to getting there. Let's see if we can land it.

John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional, and Career Development. He is a former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings. In 2011, he introduced State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. Currently, a Virtual Behavioral Leadership Professor at ISCOM University, Republic of Benin. Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, and Openness. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 200 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues.

Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]
Three men in military uniform who fired gunshots at residents at Zabarama line in Accra over a land dispute are in the grips of the Dansoman Police.

The three were arrested after they stormed a construction site on Saturday, attempting to demolish structures on a litigated land.

Four persons were shot in the process as a youth group tasked to oversee the construction clashed with the armed men in military uniforms.

Citi News sources within the police suspect that only one of the three is a military officer.

One of the injured men who spoke to Citi News said, They started shooting at us when we got word of them. The one who fired the bullets shot a friends leg and later gave two warning shots. He then shot at me, I was wounded on my arm and face.

When I was first hit, I experienced the impact on my face even though blood was oozing on my arm.

---citinewsroom
Ukrainian forces have beaten back Russian units to control about half of the flashpoint eastern city of Severodonetsk, according to local officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky has, meanwhile, been visiting the front lines to support Ukraine's "true heroes".

As the struggle continued for control of the strategically important city of Severodonetsk -- the largest in the Lugansk region not under Russian control -- more help was promised from abroad.

The United Kingdom said it would follow the United States and send long-range missile systems to Ukraine, defying warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin against supplying Kyiv with the advanced weapons.

Fighting since April has been concentrated in the east of the country, where Russian forces have made slow but steady advances after being beaten back from other parts of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv.

Ukraine's gains in Severodonetsk, announced by regional governor Sergiy Gaiday, represent a significant advance by Kyiv's troops, who had been on the verge of being driven out of the city.

"The Armed Forces have cleared half of Severodonetsk and are moving forward," Gaiday posted on Telegram.

However, he warned in a video in the same post that a major new Russian offensive appeared imminent.

President Zelensky praises army

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday visited the defensive front line near Severodonetsk.

The Ukrainian leader was in the southwest in the Donetsk region of the Donbas to talk with servicemen.

"I want to thank you for your great work, for your service, for protecting all of us, our state. I am grateful to everyone," he told them.

"I am proud of everyone whom I met, whom I shook hands with, with whom I communicated, whom I supported," Zelensky said in his daily evening address after his visit.

"Each family has its own story. Most were without men," he said.

"Someone's husband went to war, someone's is in captivity, someone's, unfortunately, died. A tragedy. No home, no loved one. But we must live for the children. True heroes -- they are among us."

Kyiv again hit by Russian missiles

Sunday also brought the first Russian missile strikes on Kyiv since 28 April.

"High-precision, long-range missiles fired by the Russian Aerospace Forces on the outskirts of Kyiv destroyed T-72 tanks supplied by eastern European countries and other armoured vehicles that were in hangars," a Russian defence ministry spokesman said.

Ukraine has asked supporting countries for ever-more powerful arms to fend off the Russian attack.

The United States last week said it would supply Ukraine with advanced missile systems, the latest in a long list of weaponry sent or pledged to the pro-Western country.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin said long-range missile supplies to Ukraine meant "we will draw the appropriate conclusions and use our arms ... to strike targets we haven't hit before".

UN efforts to facilitate wheat exports

Russian troops now occupy a fifth of Ukraine's territory, according to Kyiv, and Moscow has imposed a blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, sparking fears of a global food crisis.

Ukraine and Russia are among the world's leading exporters of wheat.

The United Nations said it was leading intense negotiations with Russia to allow Ukraine's grain harvest to leave the country.
On Thursday, June 2, 2022, HortiFresh West Africa climaxed its eight years of transformational agenda within the horticulture sector in Ghana and Cote D'lvoire at a colourful closing ceremony in Accra.

The event dubbed, "Sustaining Gains Made for a Competitive Horticulture Sector" highlighted the report launch of activities carried out over the past years by HortiFresh.

With support and funding from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana focusing on the fruit and vegetable sectors in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire.

The 8-year project was implemented by a consortium of partners which includes SNV, Resilience, Advance Consulting, and Sense.

In his remarks, the Director for Agriculture at the Crop Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Dr Solomon Gyan Ansah said the government's new direction for national development within the period 2017-2024 is to create the conditions for the Ghanaian private sector to propel growth and create employment opportunities.

He added that strengthening the horticulture sub-sector along the value chain with attention to value addition and market access is high on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture Development agenda.

Dr. Solomon Gyan Ansah admonished the significant and impressive results by the HortiFresh program over the years under the ministry's watch.

"The HortiFresh West Africa Program is closing with some results which include; improving the knowledge and income of over 1,500 family farms, the creation of 3,000 jobs, adoption of research results and the certification and financing of more than 30 Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). The program has impacted positively in people's lives through the creation of sustainable livelihoods, improved access inputs, finance, technical support and access to markets," he said.

According to him, the collaboration between HortiFresh and the MOFA has been enormous and beneficial.

"Key outputs of our collaboration include the development of onion, mango, tomato and peri-urban clusters as well as preparatory works towards the formation of the Horticulture Development Authority (HDA). HortiFresh also strengthened the capacities of agricultural extension officers located in these areas. The program also provided support for knowledge transfer from the trained agronomists to smaller farmers in their areas of operations," the Director stressed.

The program manager of HortiFresh, Mrs. Sheila Assibey-Yeboah stated that their main objectives include improving productivity, facilitating more efficient markets, improving the business climate, professionalizing the value chain and linking actors with Dutch/EU private sector have been achieved to a large extent.

"The HortiFresh program has also contributed to knowledge and skills enhancement in agronomy, innovation, the inclusion of women and young persons in horticulture, reliable jobs in horticulture, certification, nutrition awareness, B2B initiatives and strengthening of private sector associations," she stated.

She added that the success of the program has seen massive improvement within the sector driving actors and players on board.

"Over the period, we have witnessed remarkable growth in the horticulture sector. New norms have been created, markets have been shifted, government and private sector are engaging more, and clearly, business processes now seem more efficiently organised.

"It has been a quiet and incredible journey supporting different segments of the horticulture sector through the testing of ideas, conducting scoping studies, sharing knowledge and experiences, providing business management advice, handholding, strengthening capacities for access to finance, connecting markets to demand sources and influencing policy through high-level dialogue and public sector support," Mrs Sheila Assibey-Yeboah added.

She, however, appreciated the support from all coordinators across the country and other sector players who played vital roles in the success of the program.

"We want to emphasize our deep appreciation for the guidance, rich counsel and support we received from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture authorities in all 16 regions that we worked in, particularly, the excellent collaboration with officials at the district offices and the excellent coordination of all activities.

"For you sector practitioners, producers, aggregators, processors, exporters, marketers and service providers, we are indeed impressed with the level of knowledge, skill and enthusiasm to evolve being exhibited by you all," she continued.

Dr. Irene Koomen, Coordinator of the HortiFresh program at the Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation stressed the need for focusing on horticulture.

"Rapid population growth and urbanisation, an emerging middle class demanding more, quality and safe horticulture products, awareness of health benefits of consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is rising, opportunities for processing and service delivery, management of natural resources and year-round production," she said.

The Director of Wageningen University Research, Mrs Hedwig Bruggeman in her speech, highlighted the implementation of HortiFresh by her outfit.

"The programme has been financially and morally supported by the Dutch government and worked in line with the agriculture vision and strategy of the Ghanaian government. The success of the programme is grace and hard work and the entrepreneurial attitude of the beneficiaries. I would like to call this a closure but the start of a new era where the beneficiaries of HortiFresh move on, grow their business, make new connections and opportunities," she said.

She disclosed that an approach by the Wageningen University Research which was successfully applied in the HortiFresh program was based on two principles.

"First, Interdisciplinary, finding solutions together. Combining innovations in plant science and environmental science with the latest insights in social science on transition thinking for agricultural sectors. Secondly; working from a multi-stakeholder approach which has also been the fundamental of the success of the Dutch Agricultural sector; local, national and international government, non-governmental organisations, private sector as well as Education and research institutes," she added.
The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church Ghana, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso has implored the citizenry to continue to push for an election to decide who rules.

Speaking to the media in Koforidua over the weekend after an induction service, the respected man of God expressed worry over the talks of coup in the country and the issue of a possible terrorist attack.

Recounting coups from the past, Rev. Frimpong Manso stressed that it is evil and will not bring any progress to the country.

I cannot speak for the church but I as an individual I am worried because coup destroys every nation, we have seen it right from the 60s until 1992, the instability, the sudden changes, killings, anarchy, and lives lost.

Firing people couldnt change lives, it couldnt bring progress, it couldnt bring development, thats why we went back to democracy since 1992 or 1993 January 7th, we havent got there but gradually we will get there thats why we change governments, we change MPs and we change leaders, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso told journalists.

The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church Ghana further advised Ghanaians to wait for an election periods to decide the fate of a government when things are not going well, insisting that the ballot is stronger than bullets.

So to me the ballot is stronger than the bullet so Ghanaians should not encourage, should not promote or we should not even bring coup detat in our national conversation because coups are an abomination, they are detestable and we should treat any coup issues with contempt that they deserve, he appealed.
A Convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has said his group did not plan to embark on an armed demonstration as was reported by the Police.

He said all they wanted was for a private security to protect the demonstration, not the Police.

I was at a press conference and people started calling me, saying, we were going to do an armed demonstration. At no point did we say we wanted to do an armed demonstration.

What we are saying is that we want a private security protection and if any weapon is held by them it is going to be licensed by the Arms and Ammunition Decree, he told Berla Mundi on the New Day show on TV3 Monday June 6.

the group has been condemned for planning to stage a violent demonstration.

For example, North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said violence and the use of guns by demonstrators could not be acceptable in any democratic society like Ghana.

To that end, he said, the leaders of the planned June 4 armed demonstration must be condemned for contemplating this disastrous path  they must stop it or be stopped!

Violence and the use of Guns by demonstrators cannot be acceptable in any democratic society. Leaders of the June 4 demonstration must be condemned for contemplating this disastrous path  they must stop it or be stopped! Mr Ablakwa tweeted.
Nigeria's ruling APC party starts primaries this week to choose its candidate for the 2023 election with President Muhammadu Buhari urging consensus to overcome divisions in the party ranks.

With no clear frontrunner, the All Progressives Congress or APC's splits have intensified especially after the opposition People's Democratic Party chose veteran Atiku Abubakar as its challenger for next year's ballot.

Among those vying are former Lagos governor and APC strongman Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi and Buhari's loyalist Senate president Ahmad Lawan.

Buhari, who steps down after his two terms allowed in the constitution, has given no public support to a preferred candidate to take over governing Africa's most populous country.

But he has urged the party's local state governors and party leaders to back a single candidate to ensure the APC's victory.

"I charge you to recognise the importance of the stability and unity of the party, which cannot be overemphasised," Buhari said in a statement over the weekend.

Delegates start to arrive Monday in the capital Abuja for primaries with voting expected on Tuesday.

Part of the APC's debate is over so-called "zoning" -- an unofficial agreement among political elites that Nigeria's presidency should rotate between candidates from the south and north of the country.

That accord is meant to act as a form of power-sharing balance in a country almost equally split between the mostly Christian south and the predominantly Muslim north.

Former Nigerian vice president Atiku Abubakar has been selected as the PDP candidate for the 2023 election. By Pius Utomi EKPEI (AFP/File)

After northern Muslim Buhari, most observers have expected the presidency to return to a candidate from the south.

But the PDP chose Abubakar, a wealthy northern Muslim, former vice president and political stalwart who will be on his sixth bid to win the nation's top political post.

The opposition's choice to ignore "zoning" has triggered speculation over how the APC's candidate will appeal to the north, where voter numbers and participation are traditionally higher.

The APC itself is an alliance of smaller parties who came together to secure Buhari's victory in 2015 and has often struggled with internal strife.

"They need the strong hand of an incumbent president," said Chidi Odinkalu, Nigerian analyst and lecturer at the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy in Tufts University.

"The APC does not have... the internal governance mechanisms to manage the physics that you let loose when all those forces come together."

Lagos strongman

Another consideration for the APC will be an unwritten accord for Muslim presidential candidates to chose a Christian vice president on their ticket and vice versa.

Among the APC leading hopefuls Tinubu is a southern Muslim, Osinbajo is a southern Christian pastor and Amaechi, a Christian, is from the southern oil region while Lawan is the only leading APC northern Muslim candidate.

Tinubu, who was instrumental in helping pull APC ranks together and bringing Buhari to power, last week caused waves with a blunt claim to the presidency.

"I helped Buhari to be president. I met him in Kaduna and convinced him to run after he had given up on his bid," Tinubu said. "It is my turn to be president."

The two main candidates will battle for the presidency next February as Nigeria struggles with a 12-year-old jihadist insurgency in the northeast and attacks by criminal kidnap gangs in the northwest.

Highlighting insecurity, gunmen on Sunday attacked a church with explosives in the relatively safe southwest, killing at least 21 worshippers during a morning service.

Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, is also still recovering from the global pandemic and feeling the impact of the Ukraine war which has pushed up fuel and food prices across the continent.

The PDP dominated Nigeria's politics for a decade and a half after the country's 1999 return to democracy after years of military rule.

A long-term political operator, Abubakar was vice president during the first government after the end of the military dictatorship.

But the APC managed to end the PDP's dominance in 2015 with Buhari promising to use his security credentials as a former military man and also tackle the country's rife corruption.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare has invited the organizers of the much-talked-about three-day demonstration with arms.

The organizers at an earlier press conference held in Accra asked the police to allow them to carry their own registered weapons during their demonstration over some injustices in the country.

The organizers in demand to the police argued that all weapons held by demonstrators or by the contracted security personnel will be for personal protection only, and all weapons will be duly licensed in accordance with the Arms and Ammunitions Act, 1972(NRCD).

However, the police administration last week secured an injunction restraining the demonstrators from embarking on their June 4, 2022, demonstrations.

Two members of the group under the name Arise Ghana, Mr. Mensah Thompson and Mr. Listowell Nana Opoku, respectively took to the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by the sit-in host, Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman on Monday, June 6, 2022, to announce the invitation extended to the leadership of the group by the IGP.

According to them, they are prepared to meet with the IGP to hear what the police have in stock for members of the group over the decision to demonstrate.

As a group, we are going to meet him (the IGP) to hear what he has to tell us in our quest to march against the numerous injustices under the leadership of the governing New Patriotic Party led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, they said.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Negotiators from almost 200 countries met in Germany Monday for climate talks tasked with reigniting momentum on tackling global warming, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine overshadows the threat from rising emissions.

The conference will set the stage for a fresh round of major United Nations talks later this year in Egypt.

It will also be a chance to test the resolve of nations facing a catalogue of crises, including escalating climate impacts, geopolitical tensions, bloodshed in Ukraine and the threat of a devastating global food crisis.

Issuing a call for international unity to hold firm, outgoing UN climate change chief Patricia Espinosa told delegates it was "not acceptable to say that we are in challenging times".

"We must understand that climate change is moving exponentially. We can no longer afford to make just incremental progress," she said at the opening of the June 6 to 16 meeting.

"We must move these negotiations along more quickly. The world expects it."

Governments have already accepted that climate change is a grave threat to humanity and the planet, and have advocated immediate action to cut fossil fuel emissions and prepare for the accelerating impacts of warming.

The summary to this year's landmark climate report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that any further delay in action "will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all".

But as things are going, the world is unlikely to be able to meet the Paris climate deal's commitment to limit warming "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

"There is this disconnect between the scientific evidence of global crisis in the making, of potentially rushing towards unmanageable climate impact, versus the lack of action," Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told AFP.

"This is a deep worry."

The world has warmed nearly 1.2C so far -- enough to usher in a crescendo of deadly heatwaves, floods and storm surges made worse by rising seas.

Funding focus

While the conference in the German city of Bonn is largely aimed at preparing for the UN COP27 meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh in November, there are a number of key issues up for debate.

That includes a push for countries to speed up their timetable for updating their carbon-cutting plans, to more quickly align actions on reducing emissions with the agreed goals for limiting global warming.

A devastating climate-driven heatwave in India this year has hit harvests. By Pawan SHARMA (AFP/File)

A particular focus will also be funding from rich polluters to help vulnerable developing nations least responsible for global heating.

A promise of $100 billion a year from 2020 to help them adapt to a warming world has still not been met.

Meanwhile, there are growing calls for "loss and damage" funding for countries already struck by devastating climate impacts, with a specific dialogue on the subject slated for this week.

The Alliance of Small Island States has warned that the Bonn conference must not be "just another talk shop", calling for a "clear view" on when and how this financing will be put in place.

'Fragile' world

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last week warned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine risked slowing action to combat the climate crisis.

"But I think this war has demonstrated one thing: how fragile the world is in its dependence to fossil fuels," he added.

The invasion has prompted countries, particularly in Europe, to scramble to shore up energy supplies. It has also caused wheat and fertiliser prices to soar.

Fears of a food crisis have intensified in recent weeks, with India moving to ban wheat exports after the hottest March and April on record -- blamed largely on climate change -- hit harvests.

One opportunity for exhibiting political will comes on Wednesday when the European Parliament votes several hotly debated planks of the bloc's sprawling "Fit for 55" climate plan.

Measures with highest potential to limit global warming. By Valentin RAKOVSKY (AFP)

EU member states have set themselves the target of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990, and achieving carbon neutrality for the continent by 2050.

In May, an analysis from non-profit groups found that countries in the G20 group of major economies have yet to strengthen greenhouse gas reduction goals, despite agreeing to revisit their plans.

Last year in Glasgow, countries made new pledges to slash methane emissions, stop deforestation and other measures that -- in addition to existing national carbon-cutting pledges -- could theoretically cap warming under 2C, said Rockstrom.

But that means the focus at this year's meetings needs to be on "accountability", he added.

"We are now in the delivery phase".
Fishing on the Weija reservoir is fast becoming a high-risk expedition for some fishermen who at the peril of their lives trying to earn a living.

The reservoir upstream has become a hotspot for piracy where armed men in canoes rob fishermen of their catch and personal belongings, including fishing gear.

This practice has festered over the years due to an ongoing territorial fishing warfare where fishing communities upstream prevent fishers downstream from fishing in their territory.

Mr Andrews Tetteh-Kietey, the Assistant Chief fisherman of Tomefa, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the ongoing feud had created an enterprise for some recalcitrant youth around Machigani, Domeabra and Agbozome within the Weija reservoir enclave to commit heinous crimes.

Tomefa, located near Ngleshie Amanfro in the Ga South Municipal Assembly is a settler fishing community created during the damming of the Densu river in the 1970's to form the Weija reservoir and the Weija dam.

It consists of fisherfolks from Ada in the Greater Accra region, Winneba in the Central region as well as Tefle, Sokpe and Anlo all in the Volta region.

Mr Tetteh-Kietey explained that in instances where a community member is attacked for supposedly invading the territorial waters of others, he said the leadership of the community might have to resort to the Police or dialogue with the chiefs to have their confiscated properties released.

Sometimes we report to Amanfro police station, Accra or Anyaa police station, he said.

In most cases where these attacks had not been sanctioned by the traditional authorities, he observed that fishermen aside losing their belongings, including canoes, usually got exposed to drowning, sustaining serious injuries or even death at the hands of local pirates on the water body.

Over the last four years, he said there had been about eight casualties sustained with the last four casualties sustained this year near Weija.

He was of the view that the water body is vested in the hands of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to be managed and for that matter no one should claim ownership of the water body.

This river helps a lot of us here to look after our children to attend their education and other things but the people at the river side sometimes make us confused (sic), he said.

He has therefore appealed to the Government to intervene with needed steps to improve security and end the territorial feud among communities surrounding the water body.

When GNA visited the community on Thursday, some youth originating from Winneba had gathered by the shores of the reservoir to discuss a recent attack on their counterpart that took place last Saturday.

Narrating the ordeal, Mr Kofi Donkor, a fisherman, said their fishing nets were destroyed about two weeks ago by some individuals whom they confronted.

The confrontation, he said, led to a fight that warranted the arrest of some fisherfolk.

Mr Tetteh Dotse, the Tomefa Chief explained that there were instances where for customary reasons, fishing would not be allowed on certain days or within certain periods on the water body and so anyone found culpable would have his fishing gear seized.

But for the recent attacks, he noted that there was no such information about an operation and for that matter found the trend very worrying.

He called on the Government to also help the community by providing it with potable water, waste collection bins and a good road network.

A check at the Amanfro Police Station showed that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer who handled reported cases from the community had been transferred from the station four years ago.

Attempts to get him to comment on the matter have so far proved futile.

GNA
Gunmen killed at least 21 people, including children, in an attack on a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria on Sunday, local officials said, in violence that drew widespread international condemnation.

The bloodshed at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo town during a service was a rare assault in Nigeria's usually safer southwest and shocked a country grown used to jihadist assaults and mass kidnappings in the north.

Richard Olatunde, spokesman for the Ondo State governor's office, told AFP that dynamite exploded inside the church before gunmen opened fire on worshippers attending the service.

"They did not even enter the church, they were shooting through the windows," he said, confirming a death toll of 21 people.

National Emergency Management Agency local representative Olanrewaju Kadiri said 22 people were killed, including several children, with another 40 people wounded.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo arrived on Monday to visit some of the wounded, an AFP reporter in Owo said.

The state government declared a seven-day mourning period for the victims, and ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast in Ondo.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Monday also appealed to residents to donate blood for the wounded.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack and the motives were not clear.

One witness told AFP he saw at least five gunmen on the church premises.

"I was passing through the area when I heard a loud explosion and gunshots inside the church," the witness, who gave his name as Abayomi, told AFP.

Jihadists, gangs

Nigeria's military is fighting a 12-year-long jihadist insurgency in the northeast and heavily armed criminal gangs often carry out looting raids and mass kidnappings in the northwest and north-central parts of the country.

But large-scale attacks in Nigeria's southwest are relatively rare although kidnappings for ransom have become increasingly common.

Boko Haram jihadists in the northeast have targeted churches in the past. Nigeria's jihadist conflict has killed 40,000 and displaced two million more in the northeast.

Map of Nigeria locating Owo, in Ondo state. By ElAonore HUGHES (AFP)

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned Sunday's "heinous killing of worshippers" while Pope Francis offered prays for the victims.

The UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, condemned what he called a "barbaric terrorist attack".

Sunday's attack comes a day before the ruling APC party starts primaries for its candidate in the 2023 election to replace Buhari, a former army commander who steps down after two terms in office.

Security will be a major challenge for whoever wins the race to govern Africa's most populous country and the continent's largest economy.

As well as jihadists and criminal gangs known locally as bandits, Nigeria's security forces are also dealing with separatist agitation in the southeast.
Chad's public prosecutor on Monday said he was seeking two-year prison terms against six opposition leaders arrested after violent anti-French protests last month.

"We are calling for two-year jail terms with fines of 100,000 CFA francs" (around $160, 150 euros) against each of the defendants, prosecutor Moussa Wade Djibrine told AFP as their trial got underway.

The case comes against a backdrop of political tension in Chad, where a military junta is in power following the death of the country's veteran leader 14 months ago.

An authorised march in the capital N'Djamena on May 14 against France's military presence in Chad turned violent.

Seven petrol stations belonging to the French oil major Total were attacked and 12 police were injured, according to a police toll.

In the aftermath, the authorities carried out a string of arrests among the march organisers, who denied any responsibility for the violence.

Those charged include Max Loalngar, coordinator for Wakit Tamma, which is the country's main opposition coalition, and Gounoung Vaima Gan-Fare, secretary of the Chadian trade union federation.

The six have been charged with disturbing public order and destruction of property. They began a hunger protest on May 23.

The verdict is expected to be announced on Monday at a court at Moussoro, around 300 kilometres (180 miles) from N'Djamena.

Trade unions, opposition political parties, armed groups and international NGOs have called for the six to be released immediately and unconditionally.

"We will see if the court is independent and follows the (prosecutor) or not," said Djerandi Laguerre, a lawyer for Wakit Tamma.

Defence attorneys boycotted proceedings, which took place amid a heavy police presence.

Junta

Chad has been under military rule since President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, was killed in April 2021 during operations to crush rebels in the north of the country.

He was succeeded by his son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a four-star general.

He took the helm at the head of a 15-member group of senior officers and was appointed transitional president.

Chad. By (AFP)

The junta immediately dissolved parliament, sacked the government and suspended the constitution.

It vowed to hold "free and democratic elections" within 18 months after staging a proposed nationwide "dialogue" on the country's problems.

The planned reconciliation forum should have started last month but has run into hefty problems.

Armed groups failed to reach a joint position with the junta at so-called "pre-dialogue" talks in Qatar, and the political opposition has withdrawn from the organising process.

French ally

Chad has a long history of coups and revolts since the vast arid country gained independence from France in 1960.

The military's takeover last year was widely accepted by Western countries, led by France, which sees Chad as a close ally in its fight against jihadists in the Sahel.

Other recent coups in Africa -- in Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso -- have encountered condemnation or regional sanctions.

France has thousands of troops in the Sahel, including in Chad, under its Barkhane mission. By AURELIE BAZZARA-KIBANGULA (AFP)

France has thousands of troops in the Sahel, including in Chad, under its Barkhane mission.

But in February, France announced it would withdraw its troops from Mali and deploy them elsewhere after falling out with the junta in Bamako, which has woven close ties with the Kremlin.

On May 16, Deby, reacting to the violence that had unfolded two days earlier, attacked what he called "false and unfounded allegations" that French troops would redeploy in Chad.
06.06.2022 LISTEN

The Secretary-General of the Ghana Commission for UNESCO, Ama Serwah Nerquaye Tetteh has clarified issues bordering on the comprehensive sexuality curriculum which angered many Ghanaians some two years ago.

In an interview with Abraham Aidoo on the Transformation Agenda Series on Class91.3FM, she explained that it was never the intention of government nor UNESCO nor any other UN body to impose a comprehensive sexuality curriculum education on Ghanaians.

No one as far as UNESCO and other UN bodies are concerned are intending to do so. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NACCA), they came out clearly to say, that was not the intention, she said.

According to Ms Tetteh, decisions go through deliberations and considerations by the higher authorities before they are finally passed.

She noted that the decision table has representatives from the Christian Council and the Muslim council who make sure that decisions made are in conformity with the countrys culture and laws.

Members on the decision table come from all; we have representatives from the Christian Council, the Muslim council, just to make sure that we dont lose who we are in trying to educate our people and so at no point was that the intention, she stressed.

She further stated that, people refused to take a keen look into the curriculum explaining that the curriculum was to usher the students into gender knowledge in bits.

She noted that If anybody had taken the time to look at the curriculum, it was to start by explaining to young people that we are different. There are two genders, whether we like it or not; there are males and there are females. That realisation, that awareness and how different we are as we grow because young people should grow with that information in bits and in pieces.

In November 2018, the United Nations Population Foundation (UNFPA) and Ghana Education Service released a document titled Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in Ghana to NACCA.

This sparked a volcanic debate and anger among religious groups and some individuals who believed it was a satanic attempt to promote LGBT+ among Ghanaian children.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Alexander Ayertey Odonkor

06.06.2022 LISTEN

Africas population is growing faster than any other region; this is making it increasingly difficult for governments and energy companies to meet the continents energy demand. A report (2019) from the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations suggest that out of the projected 2 billion people that could be added to the worlds total population between 2019 and 2050 sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will account for 1.05 billion of this additional population, representing 52 percent. Although population growth in North Africa is comparatively slower than in SSA, the region is also expected to add 237 million people between 2019 and 2050 and an additional 170 million people between 2050 and 2100.

High population growth rate in Africa is exacerbating the challenges associated with energy supply as the installed energy generation capacity in the region does not meet the regions current energy demand. An article (2020) published by the Finance and Development (F&D), the flagship magazine of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicates that almost 50 percent of SSAs population do not have access to electricity. Economic loss attributed to power shortages in Africa every year, is about 2 to 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). In most African countries the revenue generated by energy companies do not cover the total cost of power generated, this impedes the supply of sufficient, reliable and affordable energy. People, who have access to electricity in Africa, pay an average of about twice as much as electricity consumers in other parts of the world.

With the continents demand for electricity projected to increase by 3 percent a year, it will be impossible to achieve sustainable development with Africas current energy mix. At present, the regions energy mix is derived largely from oil, burning coal and traditional biomass (charcoal, dry dung fuel and wood). These sources of energy may be cheap but they are not the most suitable energy mix, especially for a continent that is the most vulnerable to climate change. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change impacts under all climate scenarios above 1.5 degrees Celsius. Even though Africa accounts for the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, 7 out of the 10 countries that are the most vulnerable to climate change are in the region. Africa is susceptible to the impact of climate change because of the regions considerable reliance on agriculture. Agriculture plays a vital role in Africa, serving as the backbone of many economies, specifically countries in SSA. However rain-fed agriculture accounts for more than 95% of farmlands in SSA; this and many other weather-sensitive economic activities such as fishing and herding put these countries in peril as the impact of climate change will derail progress made against poverty, increase income loss and accelerate food insecurity.

To meet Africas increasing energy demand without causing severe consequences to development, the natural environment and human health, the region is promoting renewable energy. Implementing a well-designed energy mix that is dominated by renewable sources will not only limit greenhouse gas emission but will have the capacity to stimulate growth, create new jobs and facilitate sustainable development. Obviously, Africa cannot achieve this feat alone; the continent needs the support of countries that have the resources to augment the regions transition to renewable energy.

Among the many countries that are supporting Africa in this regard, Chinas contribution represents the largest share. A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that examines Chinas recent and planned contribution to SSAs energy sector from 2010 to 2020, suggests that during this period, Chinese contractors built 10% of SSAs installed capacity; this is equivalent to Finlands total installed capacity. Renewable energy sources represent 56% of the entire capacity added by Chinese projects within this period; hydropower accounts for 49%. A significant share of Chinese power projects in SSA are aimed at improving access to electricity. For a region that is home to 635 million people without electricity, Chinese contractors were responsible for 30 percent of the development works such as increasing power capacity and improving electricity access through grid development that ensured that 120 million people could access electricity. Chinas contribution to the development of technology and capacity in Africas energy sector is encouraging; between 2010 and 2015 buyer or seller credits, foreign direct investment (FDI) and loans for the development of SSAs energy sector amounted to U$13 billion, representing one-fifth of the total investments in the regions energy sector. These investments in the energy sector have enhanced access to energy, created new jobs, increased renewable energy sources (solar, biomass, wind and hydropower) and limited greenhouse gas emissions.

However countries across the continent are grappling with the economic downturn that is caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; this could jeopardize the regions substantial progress in alleviating energy poverty, improving access to energy and obstruct the ultimate goal of achieving universal energy access. As a result of the pandemic, economic activity has declined in Africa, reducing income and households ability to pay for energy services. This has caused a significant drop in the revenue generated by energy companies and governments across the region, making it extremely difficult to provide sufficient and reliable energy to consumers in Africa. This is the time for development organizations and relevant stakeholders to provide unflinching support to African countries in an effort to sustain the growth in Africas energy sector.

About the Author

Alexander Ayertey Odonkor is an economic consultant, chartered economist and a chartered financial analyst with a masters degree in finance and a bachelors degree in economics and finance  together with a stellar experience from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Alexander holds postgraduate certificates from Harvard University, New York Institute of Finance, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Adelaide, Curtin University and Delft University of Technology. Alexander is also an author and columnist for the China Global Television Network (CGTN), The Brussels Times, The World Financial Review, China Daily, The Diplomat, The Business Standard (Bangladesh), Pakistan Today, The Peoples Daily, Daily News (Sri Lanka) and the Business and Financial Times (B&FT). Some of his articles have also appeared in NTS Bulletin (Nanyang Technological University), NextBillion (University of Michigan), and several other top-notch publications.
Member of Parliament for Bunkpurugu, Bandim Abednego Azumah has revealed that there is tension in his constituency and surrounding areas following the threat of terrorist attack.

He however, assured us that the security agencies are on high alert.

He said these in interview with TV3s Mohammed Rabiu Tankoh after the Ministry of National Security has said it has identified the movement of suspicious persons on the hills of Bunkprungu-Nankpanduri District in the North-East Region.

He said Indeed I am aware because I am a very important stakeholder as far as development and security of my constituency is concerned. I was one of the first to be consulted even before the statement was issued by the national security. It came as not surprising to me, even as shocking as it was to many people.

Why do I say so? Because, we, my constituency is a border town to Togo, we share borders to our neighbouring country Togo and recently we all heard about the happenings in Togo when the Jihadists invade the community and killed even some military in that country.

So as a border town, I am not surprised that may be these people have extended their activities trying to enter into our country Ghana using the North East border with Togo, so I am not surprised at all. What we only need to do is to tighten up our security and I am sure working with the security operatives on the ground, they are very much prepared to ensure that those characters are arrested if they ever enter into the constituency.

There is some amount of tension because if you saw videos of what they did in Togo, and you hear that, they are getting closer, you will be concern.

So there are some tension, but of course the security agencies are also up and doing. Just this afternoon, I had a call from the commanders on the ground, both the police, Immigration and National Security asking me to assist them in propagating or educating our people.

So I have sponsored some media education programmes which is currently going and we intend that after the first one, almost every two, three hours, it will be repeated so that the people will understand what their responsibilities are and that the attention will also be count so that they dont live in fear and all the time. But they have to be watchful and that is why the education is very important.

Source: 3news.com|Ghana
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cautioned the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be wary of its actions in government.

He said their aggressive reaction and being overly bothered by the mere mention of coups by some frenzy individuals is worrying.

This government seems to get butterflies in its stomach at the mere mention of coups in the country, he said.

He noted that the mere mention of coups on social media does not make a coup a reality but corrupt conditions make coups a reality.

He noted that if the NPP wants to scale over coups in the country, then it should be mindful of its programmes and policies in government.

He warned the NPP to desist from doing things that will embolden some unscrupulous individuals in society to think of staging a coup.

The government must desist from creating conditions that bring about coups in the country, he stressed.

He insisted that coups do not come about with the mere mention of coups on social media.

If you want to avoid coups as a government, you must learn to avoid policies and programmes that outrage the electorate, he advised.

If some group of people in government feel state properties are their private properties, it will lead to rife conditions for coups and not the mere mention of coups on radio among others, he said.

Mr. Johnson Aseidu Nketia speaking on the relevance of the celebration of June 4 on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by the sit-in host, Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman on Monday, June 6, 2022, said the events of June 4, even though regrettable cannot be delinked from the history of the country.

If you dont take lessons from history, you are bound to repeat the same mistakes of the past, he indicated.

He reiterated that the relevance of the celebration of June 4, was to guide and help the growing generation to know the circumstances that led to the house cleansing exercise from the military on June 4, 1979.

It is relevant for Ghanaians to be reminded of the circumstances that lead to coups, he stressed.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Agony. Bleak. Tears. In Ayo Fayose's verbal rendition, Nigeria is in "severe pain". Pains that continue to wreck destruction on her. Nigeria's neck is strained, insecurity is gruesomely kneeling on her.

Gory scenes, teary pictures, terrifying videos; as though they were from the Rwanda Genocide or Civil War. Alas, they were from St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. Agents of doom struck yet again in a 'mass killing', this time, not in the core North nor in the South East, but in Owo - a city that literally translates as 'honour'. Owo was dishonoured by stony-hearted criminals. The Honour of Owo was relegated; the sanctity of a worship place was baited. Eleyi tun kawa laya - this is confounding!

'Mass murder' has gripped many Nigerian states; but in the South West, Ondo State is just one among the few cauldrons. This latest and dreadful attack seems to open a new page of 'mass murder' in the Yorubaland, especially when it's coming just 365 days after a 'mass murder' was perpetrated in Igangan of Oyo State. No thanks to killer pastoralists, who sent innocent souls on a bloody journey of no return.

Had the identity of the perpetrators been revealed to be Northern Killer Pastoralists, I would have given their hegemonic and feudalistic mentality a space in this piece. But in distressing times when emotions naturally becloud the senses, reality should have its way. Every tribe has bad eggs who perpetrate vile acts. The prime suspects in the 2017 Ozubulu Church mass killing in Awka were Igbos. Withal, regardless of who the Owo Church mass killing are, the question only remains: Would Igangan and Owo 'mass killings' be among the many to hit Yorubaland if swift and strict measure is not adopted?

Obviously, this dreary attack hits differently; that hues and cries have poured from all orifices of the country; but my mind keeps telling me these emotions will fade in a few days and it'll all end up in prayers while we get back to our usual activities as though nothing had happened. Then BOOM, we get struck again - God forbid. Such is the vicious circle of Nigerians' actions toward boiling issues, which has not helped our bad situations over the years.

Delving into the colossal failure of the Federal Government would only waste time further, we can't wait to see this administration go already. We would only continue to plead that human feelings run through those at the helm of Nigeria's affairs, at least. Southwest Governors should hearken towards the insecurity that's brewing in the region. ACTIONS, NOT EMOTIONS should be on top gear. The Amotekun, since its inception, has done commendably well; but more drastic actions need to be in place. Lest these brewing mass killings in Yorubaland boomerang into full insecurity like the other regions'. We rebuke that more bloodshed follows the Igangan and Owo's.

The perpetrators should be apprehended by all means, regardless of the tribe or group they represent. Ogulutu won - their payback - should be that they are treated with a taste of their bad medicine. They should be sent to God with immediate effect; for only He can accommodate them, we can't afford to do that here. Nigeria is already sitting on a powder keg. Nowhere is safe. It's all doom here! Oh Lord, do not forsake us, for we brought these upon ourselves.

Hashim Yussuf Amao

Twitter: @LegalBard
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the assumption that the Party would always win political votes in the Volta Region was a problem.

"Our biggest enemy is complacency, where we tend to think that whatever happens, we have won Volta Region. It is our stronghold, so we are going to win."

He said everyone was disappointed but not surprised that the Party lost the parliamentary seat in the Hohoe Constituency.

Mr Asiedu Nketia addressing Branch Executives of the Party in Hohoe as part of activities to mark the Party's 30th Anniversary, said the seat was lost partly through gerrymandering.

He said the carving out of the Guan enclave from the Hohoe Constituency although unlawful, could not be reversed although they fought it.

Mr Asiedu Nketia said there was the need for the Party members to look at the new Hohoe Constituency without the Guan and begin to strategise to win the seat back.

He said the Party had decided to embark on decision-guided research in the Volta Region particularly in the Hohoe Constituency ahead of winning the 2024 general elections.

Mr Asiedu Nketia said the NPP government was focused on disrupting the NDC's power base which was the Volta Region with decisions such as separating the region into Oti.

He said the creation of the Oti Region had even gone in favour of the Party by being the only region where all parliamentary seats were won.

Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Chairman of the Party, said it was important to note that if the Hohoe seat was won, the narrative at the national level would have been different.

He said the Party was proud of members in Hohoe who stood their grounds despite all influences and voted for the Party describing them as the true heroes of the Party.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo urged leaders of the party to begin assisting individuals without the Ghana Card to register and not wait till last minutes.

He said there was the need to bring together all members, reconcile with each other, and see themselves as one people with a common agenda.

Mr Henry Ametefe, Volta Regional NDC Chairman, said parliamentary democracy required that a member of a party must die for that party.

Madam Della Sowah, Member of Parliament for Kpando Constituency and representing the Volta Caucus MPs, noted that the 2024 elections in the Hohoe Constituency must not be business as usual.

She urged party members to begin the hard work and not wait until it was late.

Mr George Bright Anni Bansah, Hohoe Constituency Chairman of the Party, urged the national executives to input measures to ensure that votes of the party in the Constituency must be protected ahead of 2024.

The occasion was also used to sensitise members on the Party's membership registration processes.

GNA
MTN Ghana says it has paid a total of GHS3.1 billion of its 2021 revenue of GHS7.7 billion to government in taxes.

It comprised of corporate taxes, Value Added Tax (VAT) levies and duties, withholding taxes, communication service tax, national fiscal stabilization levy, Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and payments to other government agencies.

The company said: During the year, MTN made a fiscal contribution of GHS3.1 billion of which GHS2.8 billion was paid to government in direct and indirect taxes, representing 35.8 percent of total revenue.

Dr Ishmael Yamson, Chairman of the Board of the company, said this during their just ended fourth Annual General Meeting since becoming a public listed company.

He said: Creating shared value committed to being a strategic partner to Ghana's development over the years, MTN has won various awards as the highest taxpayer in Ghana in recognition of its contribution to the fiscal development of the country.

He assured shareholders of continued effective governance through adequate training and maintaining the right balance to ensure long-term growth of the business.

Thereby: Living our purpose  bringing hope to communities within which we operate, Dr Yamson emphasised.

As a responsible corporate institution, we are committed to remaining at the forefront of delivering sustainable development to communities, especially in this era of the pandemic, he added.

Meanwhile, the company declared 11.5 pesewas per share to its shareholders as dividend, an increase of 43.8 percent over what it paid to shareholders in 2020, and more than 70 per cent of its GHS2 billion profit for 2021.

In 2021, MTN Ghana recorded strong growth in service revenue ( 28.5 per cent year-on-year) and managed its costs prudently, which led to growth in profit after tax of 43.5 per cent year-on-year to GHS2.0 billion.

Mrs Antoinette Kwofie, Chief Finance Officer of the company, stated that: In 2021, the Group (Scancom PLC and Mobile Money Limited) delivered a total revenue and service revenue growth of 28.0 percent and 28.5 percent year-on-year (YoY) respectively to GHS7.7 billion.

She added that: This growth was underpinned by growth in data (up 56.3 per cent YoY), voice (up 4.9 per cent YoY), and Mobile Money (up 38.2 per cent YoY).

She, however, indicated that the company's digital revenue declined by 5.1 per cent YoY and it was due to a cleanup of the company's digital products and services to enhance customer experience and rationalization of its digital products portfolio.

During the year under review, the company committed an amount GHS14.3 million towards Corporate Social Responsibility projects in education, health, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment.

The MTN Foundation, the CSR arm of the company, for example, donated GHS5 million (bringing its total contribution to GHS10 million since 2020), to the National COVID-19 Trust Fund in support of government's efforts to fight the pandemic.

By way of contributing to increased vaccinations in the country, the company donated 356,000 vaccines to the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Health.

The Foundation extended its support to 465 students through the MTN Bright Scholarship Scheme, and disbursed GHS2.3 million to cover tuition, accommodation, and a stipend for books of beneficiaries.

The company noted that 119 beneficiaries had successfully completed their programmes and were now in the workforce, contributing towards the growth and development of Ghana in their own small ways.

In addition, the Foundation constructed a blood bank unit for the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Cape Coast, constructed a 600-bed girls' dormitory block for Tamale Senior High School in Tamale and a 24-unit classroom block for the Ghana Police School in Accra.

GNA
06.06.2022 LISTEN

Numerous Igbo Groups converged in Abuja on Sunday to pile pressures on the All Progressive Congress APC to pick an Igbo from the South East as Presidential Candidate.

The groups held strategic meeting at Asokoro and resolved to use all their contacts to persuade President Buhari to act in Igbo Interest.

In a communique reached at the end of the meetings, the groups described the decision of President Buhari to zone presidency to the South as laudable. They enjoined him to microzone it to the South East.

The groups include Igbo Ohanaeze Integrity Groups lOIG led by Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu, former Ohanaeze Publicity Secretary, Eastern Youth Forum EYF, led by Mr Dominic Onyekwelu, APC Non-Indigenes Forum led by Chief Comrade Gabriel Nwobodo, Ndigbo of Nigeria led by Godwin Onyekachi, Nigerian Youth in Politics Founded by Duke Omeye, New Foundation for National Understanding headed by Mr Chris Okigbo, Ofuma Women Organization of Nigeria led by Prophetess Ifeyinwa Emeleife.

They also presented various letters addressed to President Buhari and APC leadership buttressing the positions to the representatives of the APC high echelon.

The group's leader Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu asked APC stakeholders to address the injustice in the nation by supporting a president of Igbo Extraction.

The Coordinator of Eastern Youth Forum EYF, Mr Dominic Onyekwelu asked Ndigbo to be strategic in their political journey, and weigh obvious strengths and weaknesses.

The Director-General of Igbo Mandate Congress IMC, Rev Obinna Akukwe, in his reaction, asked for a free and fair primaries devoid of manipulation. He enjoined Ndigbo to adopt a candidate to brighten their chances and warned that if they fail to put their acts together, and another zone carries the day nobody should cry marginalization.
The strongman and leader of South-West politics, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been at the receiving end of all manner of attacks in the past few days, including from members of his own political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The attacks are coming not only from those who hate him, those who secretly admire his guts, those who fear him, but also from those who have been eating from him for a long time. But what exactly did Tinubu do to warrant the kind of bile that has been lately unleashed on him?

The offence of the former governor was that he publicly  for the first time  let the world hear exclusively from him what already was no longer news even in the beer parlour, the story of the becoming of President Buhari. Yes, who does not know how Tinubu together with a few others paved the way for General Muhammadu Buhari already termed a serial loser by the media, to become Nigerias president in 2015.

I have read and heard many people ask, what did Tinubu do for Buhari in 2015? Well, even President Buhari himself, I believe, will not in good conscience follow that thought pattern. Yes, the Jagaban cannot claim to have solely enthroned Buhari in 2015, but he showed the pathway and led from the front. Even more significant is the fact that many of those in the South-West struggling now to harvest the glory of 2015 with Tinubu, were there not as Buharis supporters, but simply as Tinubus followers.

Lest we forget, Tinubu did not just provide the platform and possibly a large chunk of cash that enabled Buhari and APC to defeat a sitting President, he continued to support the Buhari presidency even when it amounted to self-immolation. Those political hounds now out in the boulevard with knives baying for the blood of Asiwaju should just look back and see how Tinubu, even at personal cost, had done his best in bringing stability to the government he helped bring to power seven years ago.

At the most critical moments in the life of the Buhari administration, who was there to provide the needed and critical stabilizing support of the South-West region when it seemed that all the other zones of the country especially, the North-Central, the South-East and the South-South, had decidedly turned their back on the President? Tinubu it was, of course. Yes, the most obvious and indeed justified criticism of the Buhari presidency is its brazen mismanagement of the nations diversity. Buhari has been accused of being too much of a Fulani man rather than being the Nigerian president and this disposition plays out poignantly in his many appointments and even in the siting of projects across Nigeria since 2015.

Let us take for instance the appointments in the security sector of the country, which has left out an important swathe of the country, the South-East, under Buhari. Ordinarily, you would have expected a federalist like Bola Ahmed Tinubu to speak out or speak up and tell the president that the essence of federalism is for each segment of the federation to see a little of itself in the bigger picture frame of the country. Tinubu, before his association with Buhari, would not have stomached the deliberate northernization of the countrys security council by President Buhari. But Tinubu chose to be silent at this anomaly maybe because of friendship, personal loyalty and support for the President. Or maybe out of selfish interest now couched as lifelong ambition.

Second, when Buhari showed his hand early in 2015 by letting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu know that he was just one of the national leaders of the party, not the National Leader, he simply walked away without a whimper. Indeed, the Buhari presidency carried on in its first term as if Tinubu did not exist until the reality of the reelection dawned on them. Then, the presidency realized how important Asiwaju was and started courting him again. Even Tinubus wife, Senator Remi Tinubu, could not hide her disappointment on the way her husband was trashed just like a filthy rag after all he did to help Buhari become president. He was campaigning, I did too. We were running three campaigns in my house. And for him to be trashed like that? But I saw somebody who has love for this country. I hate to speak because when I stand in the front of God, I dont want to, because of this man, go to hell. Occasionally, I would chip in and I would say, Youre still helping out? Why are you helping out? He would say, This country matters to me more, Tinubus wife reportedly told the media.

Despite the humiliation Tinubu again led the charge in 2019 for the presidents reelection. He could have pitched tent with his good friend, Atiku Abubakar, who could easily have won had Tinubu supported him against President Buhari. Again, when it seemed that the South-West, and indeed the rest of the country, had taken a position against the Fulani herdsmen because of the activities of some criminal herders, strangely, Tinubu appeared to be the only man standing behind Buhari and the Fulanis demanding that criminals, rather than an ethnic group, should be dealt with for who they are. Remember also the #EndSARS protests, which President Buhari wrongly called a coup by young people to remove him from office. Although the protests were targeted at ending police brutality and bad governance, it could have ended anyways without the intervention of people like Tinubu.

You cannot dismiss Tinubus unmistakable loyalty to President Buhari and the APC since 2015 as mere pursuit of personal interest to achieve his lifelong ambition. If so, there wouldn't have been any need for Asiwaju to mortally injure himself on many occasions. When Tinubu made that famous where are the cows comment when the daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, was murdered, he left an indelible scare on himself and lost thousands, if not millions, of supporters in Yorubaland. When Tinubu ditched the youths in Lagos to support Buharis government during the #EndSARS protests, he gave away a critical segment of the population that made him leader of the South-West.

Yes, what happened in Abeokuta a few days ago with Tinubu was just a slip; one of those elderly moments. Even Buhari has had his own big share of those moments. Remember Ondo about three years ago when he told the crowd how they (APC) won in Osun State by means of a remote control. And it was expected because Tinubu has borne so much humiliation, unrequited kindness, one-sided friendship and disloyalty from those who can be rightly called his beneficiaries. Maybe, in pursuing this lifelong ambition, he has edited himself so much so that people cannot recognize the real Tinubu again. In a way Bola Tinubu now looks like Manchester United - without his signature identity, trying so hard to be what he is not.

Although it is not clear who will emerge victorious at the APC presidential primary, what is clear though are those who will not emerge. Sadly, Tinubu may be on top of this list. In the event Tinubu is elbowed out by Buhari and his men, let him rest assured that nobody, not even Buhari, can erase him from history. If Tinubu looks deeper and sees an unfolding movement of young people thirsting for good governance across the land, and plays his card well after his impending loss, he may still end up as the father of a new Nigeria. That way, he will no longer worry about what is written about him in history. He will have the chance to write the history himself.

Uche Ugboajah, a political scientist, is the editor-in-chief of Ikengaonline
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) TEIN Secretariat has issued a press release giving President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo a two-week ultimatum to settle salary arrears of National Service Personnel in the country.

In the release signed by Ekow Djan who is the Deputy National TEIN Coordinator, it warns that should the President fail to see to it that NSS personnel are paid, members will hit the streets of Accra.

According to TEIN NDC, the non-payment of personnel is a result of the Presidents wanton disregard towards the services these young persons render to Ghana, and most importantly, his disrespect for the personnel and lack of sense of urgency to respond to their plights.

TEIN has become aware of the nonpayment of National Service Allowance to service personnel for a couple months. The situation is disastrous and highly unfortunate amidst the economic crisis the general public is facing.

TEIN gives Akufo-Addo a two-week ultimatum to pay the allowance owed the service personnel lest we hit the streets of Accra to openly register our displeasure, parts of the release from TEIN NDC reads.

TEIN NDC demands that within the two-week period, the Akufo-Addo government should ensure that all other outstanding allowances owed trainees; teachers, nurses, NABCO, Youth in Afforestation etc are also paid.

Below is a copy of the NDC TEIN press release:
06.06.2022 LISTEN

Democratic Youth for Competent Leadership (DYFCL) has added its voice to the numerous calls by sections of Ghanaians on the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the just ended ruling New Patriotic Party, NPP Constituency and Regional elections held across the country.

Happenings from the elections have revealed there was monetization in the events which has called for urgent investigations.

According to a press release issued by the NDC affiliated group, it is worrying to hear candidates allegedly paying as high as Ghc10,000 to each delegate in this era of the current economic hardship facing Ghanaians.

The statement also emphasised that the outcome of the NPP's Constituency and Regional elections lacks credibility and integrity as it was characterised by vote-buying.

Read full statement below:
The Chief of Party at the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwada has blamed the Ministry of Works and Housing and the Metropolitan, Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs) for failing to adopt the recommendations of the June 3, twin disaster committee.

According to him, there was a recommendation for the Ministry and the MMDAs to ensure mandatory harvesting of rainwater by households.

He said this recommendation which has the tendency of reducing the water levels in the country when it rains over the past seven years has not been adhered to.

The Committee members were from both Ministry of Defence and Interior (Colonel M. Mustapha, Chief Supt. Raymond Simpi, Deputy Chief Fire Officer William J. Mensah) as well as Engineer Ametefe Wise a hydrologist and drainage consultant and the Chairman of National Disaster Management (NADMOs) with the retired Appeals Court Judge, Justice Isaac Douse as Chairman of the Committee.

Mr. Akwada made this revelation in an interview on the commemoration of the June 3 disaster in 2015, on Accra-based Class 91.3 FMs midday on Friday, June 3, 2022.

He said the recommendations among other things called for the complete dredging of the Odaw drain, and a ban on the use of plastics as carrier bags.

According to the committee report, the overflow of Odaw river coupled with the Korle Lagoon interceptor blockage and the rainfall-runoff caused the flooding, while the displacement of fuel from the Goil fuel station tanker into the flood and the immediate dropping of lit cigarette stub by one Seth Kwasi Ofosu onto the floating fuel caused the fire.

He stressed that the government set up a committee to find possible causes of the disaster and damages, cost and make recommendations but seven years on, the recommendations have been abandoned.

He said when the report was ready, the Ministry of Interior failed to make the details of the report available and took the ingenuity of the Bureau of Public Safety to make the recommendations of the report available to the public.

He questioned whether the government was committed to the implementation of the recommendations of the committee adding that this is a matter of action not words.

For instance, adequate tooling of disaster managers was top among the committee recommendations for implementation yet fire service get to the scene of fire disasters without water in their tanks, he bemoaned.

He said the recommendations led to the passage of the new NADMO Act (ACT 927 of 2016) into law to cater to the findings in the committees report.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Flagbearer and founder of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Kofi Akpaloo has said the solution to social and economic challenges confronting Ghana is succinctly captured in the LPG manifesto.

High unemployment rate, businesses suffering, the economy is collapsing, the answers to all what Ghana is going through today is in the LPG 2024 manifesto, he told the media during a press conference in Accra last Friday with regards to issues concerning Ghana's economy.

He added, "In the LPGs manifesto, there is a big investment for infrastructure development agenda, where millions are projected to be used to construct roads, hospitals, and schools.''

Mr Kofi Akpaloo said there was also a well-crafted plan to create one million job opportunities for young Ghanaians and also solve the countrys galamsey menace which has caused extensive destruction to vegetation cover and water bodies.

I will entreat all Ghanaians to continue to read the partys manifesto and propagate the word to all Ghanaians to see that it is through the LPG that the country can be liberated from all these problems.

I know if we work hard as a political party going into the 2024 elections not only are we going to take majority seats in parliament, the LPG will win the Presidential election as well, he said.
Responding to the killing of more than 20 worshippers, including women and children, at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo on Sunday, Osai Ojigho, Amnesty Internationals Nigeria Director, said:

What happened in Owo reveals the impunity enjoyed by gunmen on the rampage across Nigeria. This tragic event should offer a wake-up call for the authorities, who must now do everything they can to ensure the perpetrators of this appalling crime face justice.

This brutal attack shows a complete disregard for the right to life. Under international human rights law, Nigeria has a duty to protect the right to life of its people in all circumstances.

Victims and their families have a right to know the truth about this shooting and to be provided with justice and reparations. Amnesty International is calling on the Nigerian judicial authorities to immediately launch a thorough and impartial investigation to identify the perpetrators of this crime, and to prosecute and judge them in fair trials, without recourse to the death penalty.

Background

On 5 June 2022, gunmen entered the St. Francis Church in southwest Nigeria at around noon as Sunday mass was ending. They shot at worshippers and detonated dynamite, killing at least 20 and critically injuring many others.

Residents told Amnesty International that the attack lasted about 15 minutes, during which time there was no immediate response from security forces. This attack comes almost two months after at least eight people were killed on a train from Abuja to Kaduna.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact [email protected]
A meeting between the leadership of the Arise Ghana group and the leadership of the Ghana Police Service has ended in a deadlock today.

The newly-formed group after making it clear of intentions to stage a 48-hour demonstration in the capital city starting June 21 is hoping to receive clearance from the security agency.

Today, its leadership held a meeting with the Inspector-General of Police and the Police administration to finalise the schedule for the demonstration.

At the meeting today, the police raised issues about the 48 hours overnight picketing at the frontage of the Jubilee house, citing various reasons ranging from the terrorism threat to inadequate personnel and lack of logistics to provide security for over 5,000 people overnight.

The Leadership of Arise Ghana however stood their ground and insisted that they could not compromise on their 48hours demonstration and picketing in front of the Jubilee house.

With no party willing to compromise, the meeting subsequently ended inconclusively.

In a press release from Arise Ghana after the meeting, it has noted that another meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 8, 2022.

The meeting between the Police Leadership and the leadership of the Arise Ghana Group will therefore reconvene on Wednesday 8th June 2022, at 10am, a release from Arise Ghana signed by leading member Mensah Thompson reads.

Below is a copy of the Arise Ghana release:
The District Court in Accra (Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit) has remanded businessman Evans Kyekyeku Oppong into Police custody, after appearing in court for the first time today following his arrest over an attempt to use his daughter for money ritual.

The businessman who is reported to have stayed abroad for years was arrested by the Police in Oyibi last week after a herbalist he consulted to use his 11-year-old daughter for the rituals reported the matter to the security agency.

Today, the District Court in Accra presided over by Her Worship Ama Adomako Kwakye has remanded Evans Kyekyeku Oppong into Police custody.

This was after the prosecution prayed the court for him to be remanded.

The accused has been charged with Preparation to commit a crime to wit.

Chief Inspector Richard Amoah who is the lead prosecutor on the case told the court today that extensive investigations into the matter are yet to be conducted.

He explained to the court that this is because the accused was arrested on June 3 before the weekend.

He said full investigations have started today as the Police gather needed evidence for the prosecution.

Representing the accused, Lawyer Ralph Agyepong did not oppose the request from the prosecution for his client to be remanded.

He, however, prayed the court to be allowed access to have a conference with him.

The request was duly granted by Her worship Ama Adomako Kwakye, who has adjourned the case to June 20, 2022.
A barrage of global crises must not deflect attention from urgent climate action, the UN's climate chief warned Monday, as negotiators from nearly 200 nations began talks in Germany against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The conference will set the stage for a fresh round of major United Nations talks later this year in Egypt, as climate-driven weather extremes are increasingly felt across the planet.

But nations also face a formidable collection of inter-related challenges, including the Ukraine conflict, energy, food and economic crises, as well as the continued impact of the Covid pandemic.

Issuing a call for international unity to hold firm, outgoing UN climate change chief Patricia Espinosa told delegates not to lose focus or give up hope.

It was "not acceptable to say that we are in challenging times", she argued.

"We must understand that climate change is moving exponentially," she said, opening the June 6 to 16 meeting.

"We can no longer afford to make just incremental progress. We must move these negotiations along more quickly. The world expects it."

'Lack of action'

Governments have already accepted that climate change is a grave threat to humanity and the planet, and have advocated immediate action to cut fossil fuel emissions and prepare for the growing impacts of warming.

The summary to this year's landmark climate report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that any further delay in action "will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all".

But as things stand, the world is unlikely to be able to meet the Paris climate deal's commitment to limit warming "well below" two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and preferably 1.5C.

A devastating climate-driven heatwave in India this year has hit harvests. By Pawan SHARMA (AFP/File)

"There is this disconnect between the scientific evidence of global crisis in the making, of potentially rushing towards unmanageable climate impacts, versus the lack of action," Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told AFP.

"This is a deep worry."

While the conference in the German city of Bonn is largely aimed at preparing for the UN COP27 meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh in November, a number of key issues are up for debate.

Among them is a push for countries to speed up their timetable for updating their carbon-cutting plans, to close the gap between warming targets and emissions-cutting action.

Funding promises not met

In May, an analysis from non-profit groups found that countries in the G20 group of major economies had yet to strengthen greenhouse gas reduction goals, despite agreeing to revisit their plans.

Funding from rich polluters to help vulnerable developing nations least responsible for global heating will also be particularly in focus.

Measures with highest potential to limit global warming. By Valentin RAKOVSKY (AFP)

A promise of $100 billion a year from 2020 to help them adapt to a warming world has still not been met.

Meanwhile, there are growing calls for "loss and damage" funding for countries already struck by devastating climate impacts.

"The inability to reduce emissions and ensure adequate adaptation funding is leading to increasing losses and damage in our countries, and we are the ones paying the price," said Madeleine Diouf Sarr, chair of the Least Developed Countries group.

Espinosa expressed concern that money to help green the economies of developing nations could shift away as a result of the war in Ukraine, which has roiled energy markets and raised the spectre of a global food crisis as wheat prices soar.

'Urgency'

Fears of a food crisis have intensified in recent weeks, with India moving to ban wheat exports after the hottest March and April on record -- blamed largely on climate change -- hit harvests.

Countries with exposure to Russian fossil fuels -- particularly in Europe -- have also scrambled to shore up energy supplies.

The US, criticised over plans to resume oil and gas drilling, on Monday said it would invoke a key power to compel domestic manufacture of clean energy technology and suspend some solar tariffs to try and boost renewable capacity and tackle climate change.

Espinosa told reporters that the "very difficult situation" caused by the war only adds to the "urgency of addressing climate change".

She urged nations to prepare to arrive in Egypt able to demonstrate progress since the 2021 COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Countries made a raft of promises on the sidelines of last year's meeting -- to curb deforestation and methane leaks, for example.

If honoured in full they could, along with official carbon-cutting commitments under the Paris deal, theoretically cap global warming under 2C, research suggests.

But that means the focus at this year's meetings needs to be on "accountability", said Rockstrom.

"We are now in the delivery phase".
The people of Donkoase a farming community in the Amansie Central District as well as 24 communities in six other districts can now heave a sigh of relief after years of engaging in open defecation and lack of access to clean water.

This was after the Rotary Club of Obuasi through the Clean Water and Sanitation Ghana project cut sod for the construction of a mechanized borehole and household microflush toilets for the people of Donkoase.

According to the World Bank's report in 2020, 17.78% of Ghanas population 2020, had no access to decent toilets hence were involved in open defecation.

As of 2015, only one rural household out of ten was using improved household toilets while three in every ten of them practiced open defecation. No district in Ghana has achieved an open defecation-free status.

Again, it has been reported that there is limited private sector interest in rural basic sanitation since there is a perception that investments in rural sanitation businesses are not profitable. Improved sanitation technologies such as the household microflush toilets are affordable, hygienic, devoid of flies and environmentally friendly. Rotary seeks to replace old pit latrines with microflush toilets in Ghana.

To address these challenges, the Rotary Club of Obuasi has partnered Rotary Club of Cape Coast Central and Rotary E- Club Premier 7040, Montreal, Canada to construct 30 mechanized boreholes, 10 toilets for schools as well as 160 household toilets for 25 communities in six districts of Ghana.

The project which is expected to be completed in one( 1) year is estimated at a cost of $160,000 with funding from The Rotary Foundation through Rotarians in Canada, USA, India and Ghana to impact 25,000 livelihoods.

Speaking with the media at the sidelines of the sod cutting ceremony, the outgoing president of the Obuasi Rotary Club, Sarwan Kumar said after undertaking needs assessment exercises, the Club resolved that the major challenge facing most communities in Ghana was lack of access to clean drinking water and proper toilet facilities.

"Having been privy to the challenges communities in Obuasi and its surrounding areas face regarding access to clean water and place of convenience, we at Rotary Club of Obuasi and partners decided to put our resources together to assist them. We believe that this will go a long way to improve sanitation and prevent water related diseases in beneficiary communities."

He mentioned that members of Rotary Club of Obuasi were committed to helping the less privileged in the society to improve their living standards.

The President-Elect of Rotary Club of Obuasi, Elizabeth Hamenoo also emphasized that as a humanitarian group they have always supported impoverished communities to have access to basic social amenities. She added that they remain committed to the provision of clean water and sanitation in Ghana, an area of focus for Rotary andan end to open defecation in local communities.

She appealed to users of the facilities to protect and maintain them when completed so that they could stand the test of time.

Nana Kojo Ntosuo III, the Chief of Donkoase lauded Rotary Club of Obuasi for coming to their aid. He revealed that accessing potable water and decent toilet facilities have been a major challenge for the community.

He pledged to offer his support throughout the construction phase. He again promised to ensure the facilities are properly maintained when completed.

Richard Osei, the Assembly member for the area recounted the ordeal his people go through accessing clean water and a decent toilet. He said,"Donkoase a population of 1,200 people will now have access to household microflush toilets to replace the old dilapidated pit latrine".

Whiles praising Rotary Club of Obuasi and partners for the gesture, Mr. Osei appealed to them to consider extending it to the surrounding communities.

Rotary is an international service organization formed in 1905 to bring together business and professional leaders to contribute to providing humanitarian services and advance goodwill and peace around the world.

It is a non-political and non-religious organization open to all.
Journalists Steve Wembi (L), Stanis Bujakere (C), and John Lungila (R) recently received threats in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Photo credits: Wembi, Bujakera, and JoAl Cadet Ndanga)

06.06.2022 LISTEN

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo must ensure the safety of journalists Stanis Bujakere, Steve Wembi, and John Lungila and investigate the threats made against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday.

Since Monday, May 30, Bujakere, a reporter with privately owned, France-based Jeune Afrique news site, Reuters, and Congolese online outlet actualite.cd, Lungila, a reporter with local, privately owned Educ TV broadcaster, and Wembi, a freelance reporter, have repeatedly received threats, including of death, and insults via social media and telephone calls accusing them of supporting Rwanda in relation to the conflict in the DRCs east, they told CPJ in interviews via messaging app and phone.

The journalists said many of the people posting and calling claimed to be supporters of the ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS). Bujakere added that he was called and threatened with death by members of the government and advisers to President Felix Tshisekedi. Bujakere said he knew some of the callers but requested the officials names not be made public for fear of retaliation.

The three journalists, who frequently publish their reporting on Twitter, had recently posted statements made by Rwandan government officials in relation to the conflict in the eastern DRC, where the M23 and other rebel groups are fighting the DRC government. Congolese authorities have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, according to news reports. The journalists told CPJ they were accused on social media and during the phone calls of being supporters of the Rwandan government and M23.

DRC authorities should ensure the safety of journalists Stanis Bujakere, Steve Wembi, and John Lungila, and hold government officials and ruling party supporters making death threats to account, said Angela Quintal CPJs Africa program coordinator, in New York. Threats against journalists working in the DRC send a chilling message that not all matters of public interest are safe to report on.

In one of the posts on May 30, a copy of which CPJ reviewed, a Twitter account with the handle @ZacharieMbaya_1, which has more than 10,000 followers, published photos of Bujakere, Wembi, and Lungila along with the message, If today I am asked to kill three corrupt Congolese journalists, I will kill these three journalists. Hours after it was posted, the tweet was taken offline.

On May 31, Wembi said he filed a complaint against Mbaya, who was not identified in the complaint beyond the name attached to the Twitter account, at the Kinshasa/Gombe Court of Appeal. According to a copy of the complaint published by the privately owned Ouragan online news site, Wembis lawyer requested that authorities guarantee the safety of my client and to dismantle the mafia network of which the accused [Mbaya] is a bridgehead.

@ZacharieMbaya_1s account did not permit direct messages and CPJ was not able to find any additional contact information to reach the user.

Reached over the phone by CPJ, Gaby Kuba, the National President of the National Press Union of Congo (UNPC), said that the threats should be taken seriously and that the Congolese courts should investigate.

CPJs calls to Patrick Muyaya, the DRC Minister of Communication and Media, and to Tina Salama, President Tshisekedis deputy spokesperson, went unanswered.
More FM, Live Nation and CRS are stoked to welcome GEORGE EZRA back to our shores for one show this October!

British award-winning, multi-platinum selling musician George Ezra is returning to New Zealand for one show, headlining Aucklands Spark Arena on October 25th.

The announcement follows the release of Ezras brand new single Green Green Grass, the second single from his forthcoming album Gold Rush Kid. Kiwi fans will have the opportunity to see Ezra perform his third studio album live in Aotearoa in all its glory after its release on June 10.

Ezra will play his biggest headline show to date in London this July with special guests Blossoms, Holly Humberstone, Mimi Webb, The Big Moon, Mychelle, and the London International Gospel Choir. The performance kicks off an 11-date UK arena tour, before Ezra travels down under to perform in Aotearoa.

Marking Ezras first live shows in almost three years, tickets for George Ezras New Zealand show will go quick.

Fans can gain first dibs tickets in the Artist Fanclub, Spotify & Vodafone presale kicking off Wednesday June 8, or at the Live Nation presale on Friday June 10.

GEORGE EZRA

SPARK ARENA, AUCKLAND

TUESDAY OCTOBER 25

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: georgeezra.com & livenation.co.nz
In the latest sign Texas oil and gas has not just recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic but is surpassing pre-pandemic levels is the Comptrollers report on oil and natural gas production taxes.

Comptroller Glenn Hegar reported that $666 million in oil production taxes was paid in April, the highest monthly amount in Texas history and 99 percent higher than April 2021. That was followed closely by $595 million in May, which was 64 percent above May 2021 collections.

Natural gas production taxes were $339 million in April, up 46 percent from the previous April while Mays revenues of $413 million was the highest amount in history and a whopping 216 percent higher than the previous May.

Once again Permian Basin producers are contributing record taxes to the state of Texas. It is a testament to the hard-working men and women in the Permian Basin and will benefit every man, woman and child in Texas, commented Ben Shepperd, president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, in an email to the Reporter-Telegram.

Kevin Lyons, spokesman with the Comptrollers office, told the Reporter-Telegram by telephone that the Comptrollers office forecast collecting $4.9 billion for the fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31. To date almost $4.4 billion has been collected  90 percent above the same time frame a year ago  with three months to go, he said, leading to expectations actual revenues will beat forecasts.

Natural gas revenues have already blown past the forecast, totaling almost $3 billion, 195 percent more than the previous fiscal year. The forecast was for $2.67 billion in natural gas production revenues.

In Fiscal Year 2021, which ended Aug. 31, 2021, oil production tax revenues totaled $3.45 billion, the second-highest revenue on record, just behind $3.89 billion in 2019. The previous high for natural gas production tax revenues was $2.68 billion in FY 2008.

Lyons pointed out that sales taxes comprise the biggest chunk of tax revenues and at $30.6 billion, are already 20 percent higher than year-ago levels and approaching the forecast of $34.6 billion for FY 2022.

He said Comptroller Hegar will issue a revised of how much additional revenue the state will have so the legislature can determine how much will be spent at its next session beginning next January.

Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, said the April and May production tax revenues are remarkable in that they exceed some entire years revenues.

Tax revenue generated by robust oil and natural gas activity across Texas continues to be a game-changer for Texans, providing billions of dollars in funding for our states public schools and universities, roads, first responders, and essential services, Staples said in a statement. The indispensable role this industry plays in Texas continued economic successes underscores the importance of policies that encourage responsible development of our natural resources."

Production taxes are only one of the many taxes that the Texas oil and gas industry pays. The industry also pays billions in property taxes on all assets from producing minerals properties to pipelines to refineries and gas stations, Staples organization pointed out. State and local sales taxes also apply to many purchases made by the industry, raising billions more. There are further taxes, including the states franchise tax and gross receipts taxes imposed on natural gas utilities and pipelines, and millions of dollars in fees imposed by state government.

April: oil production tax  $666 million, the highest monthly collections on record, up 99 percent from April 2021

April: natural gas production tax  $339 million, up 46 percent from April 2021

May: oil production tax  $595 million, up 64 percent from May 2021

May: natural gas production tax  $413 million, the highest monthly collections on record, up 216 percent from May 2021

Source: Texas Comptrollers Office
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  After decades of fighting farmers in court over how much water they can take out of California's rivers and streams, some state lawmakers want to try something different: use taxpayer money to buy out farmers.

A proposal in the state Senate would spend up to $1.5 billion to buy senior water rights that allow farmers to take as much water as needed from the state's rivers and streams to grow their crops. If state officials owned those rights, they could leave the water in the rivers to benefit endangered species of salmon and other fish.

California has been mired in drought for most of the last two decades, prompting intense scrutiny of the states complex water system and how it might be modified to ensure steady supplies during exceptionally dry periods  including a separate state proposal that would pay farmers to grow fewer crops to save water.

Current readings show about 98% of the state has severe drought conditions as California heads into summer months that rarely produce any significant precipitation. Many areas have begun restricting water use for homeowners, largely by reducing outdoor use such as lawn irrigation. And farmers have had their allocation from the two major state-owned water systems reduced  in some cases down to zero.

Legally, all of the water in California is the property of the government. But farmers have water rights that let them take water for agriculture. Farmers have used those rights  governed by a complicated system based on seniority and other factors  to turn California's Central Valley into an agricultural powerhouse that provides much of the nation's fruits, nuts and vegetables.

But siphoning off all that water also has disrupted the fragile ecosystem of the San Joaquin/Sacramento river delta, the largest estuary on the West Coast and home to endangered salmon and other fish. Environmental groups and farmers have battled for years over state and federal rules governing just how much water can be diverted for agriculture, which uses far more water than any other sector of the economy.

Now, with California having a record budget surplus of nearly $100 billion, Democrats in the state Senate have proposed using up to $1.5 billion to buy senior water rights  by either buying the land associated with the rights, buying just the right itself, or putting an easement on the land that requires the water to be used for fish and other fauna and flora.

The proposal is part of budget negotiations between lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration that should wrap up by the end of this month.

It's like we're taking a page from corporate America and we're buying back stock, said state Sen. Bob Wieckowski, a Democrat who represents the San Francisco Bay Area and is chair of a budget subcommittee overseeing environmental spending.

While $1.5 billion sounds like a lot of money, it wouldn't buy that much water. Regulators measure water by acre foot," defined as enough water to cover 1 acre (0.4 hectares) of land to a depth of 1 foot (30 centimeters). That's the equivalent of 325,851 gallons (1.2 million liters).

A typical household uses 1 acre foot of water each year. Farmers collectively use up to 35 million acre feet of water each year, according to the Water Education Foundation.

The $1.5 billion would be enough to buy about 200,000 acre feet of water, based on an average price of $7,500 per acre foot, according to Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural water district in the country.

Still, Birmingham says the idea makes an awful lot of sense" because it is a means by which conflict can be avoided.

Right now, the only way to get more water flowing in rivers and streams is to get state and federal regulators to change the rules. They can do that by requiring more water be left in rivers and streams, but that means less water for farmers. Those rule changes often prompt lawsuits, which can take a decade or longer to resolve, said Lester Snow, a former secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency and regional director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

We need a way to take much quicker action. And I think acquiring water rights for that purpose is one of the ways to do that, he said. With climate change, we just don't have that kind of time.

For this to work, farmers would have to voluntarily sell their valuable water rights  something Birmingham says shouldn't be a problem. Lots of farmers try to sell their water rights to Westlands Water District every year, Birmingham said.

For many farmers ... their children simply are not interested in continuing to farm, Birmingham said.

But state Sen. Brian Dahle, a republican running for governor whose family has been farming in California for 92 years, said the only reason farmers would be willing to sell is because state officials are driving them out of business with burdensome regulations.

This makes my blood boil. It's ridiculous, Dahle told his colleagues during a legislative hearing on the proposal. You are forcing them into a corner where they have no other option.

John McManus, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association, said as with any legislative proposal the devil will be in the details. He said he'd want to see rules that make sure any additional water purchased by the state will remain in the rivers and not be removed by someone else with water rights farther downstream.

But he is hopeful the program will work because he said there are about six native fish species that are on life support right now because we don't have enough water flowing through the Delta."

So anything that can be done to address that problem is appreciated, he said.
The Google Trends Twitter account recently posted a graphic highlighting the most common spelling queries posed across the U.S. to determine "America's top spelling searches." So, which word do Texans have the most difficulty spelling?

Overall, the Google Trends map lists the top "How do you spell..." search inquiry for each state with a color-coded legend to identify states based on the character count of the top search term.

In Texas, the top spelling search was for the word "normal," leading to the Lone Star State being color-coded green as "normal" falls within the five-to-six character count. For perspective, other states with search queries for words within this character count include California ("Tomato"), Alaska ("Cheese"), Hawaii ("Kauai"), Idaho ("Tokyo"), Georgia ("Little"), Kentucky ("Again"), North Dakota ("Sorry"), Ohio ("Choir") and Virginia ("Prank"), among others.

As for Texas' neighboring states, New Mexicans sought spelling assistance for the word "Bologna," while Oklahomans took to Google to understand how to spell "Business." In Arkansas, "Therapy" was the top spelling search, putting three of Texas' four neighbors in the blue color-coded seven-to-eight character count realm. The only outlier was The Pelican State as the word "Gray," a four-letter word, was the top search for Louisianans.

On the lower end of the character count, "Gray" also claimed the top spot in Vermont whereas Wisconsinites searched how to spell "lose" the most, according to Google Trends.

On the higher end of the word count spectrum, nine states searched how to spell words ranging from nine to 10 characters. This includes Washington ("Experience"), Montana ("Beautiful"), Minnesota ("Paparazzi"), Michigan ("Impatience"), New York ("Listening") and Tennessee ("Pneumonia").

Seven states searched how to spell words with 11 or more characters. This includes Utah ("Boutonniere"), South Dakota ("Beautifully"), Illinois ("Anniversary"), Mississippi ("Independent"), North Carolina ("Multiplication") and Pennsylvania ("Reimbursement"). Also within this group, the most searched "how to spell" word in West Virginia was "West Virginia."
Tents set up by homeless people are seen on a corner street as people walk by amid an outbreak of the coronavirus disease in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, California, March 27, 2020.
Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, fire the MIM-104 Patriot to destroy a drone target at Camp Growl in Queensland, Australia, on July 16, 2021.
BLUFFS  The village has moved a step closer toward construction of a new water tower.

Village board members last week accepted an ordinance to approve a loan agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and authorizing the issue of waterworks revenue bonds.

Jamie Headen, who represents consulting company Benton & Associates, told board members the loan for a little more than $1.4 million will be repaid over 30 years.

About $400,000 of the cost will be forgiven and deducted at the start of the loan. Repayment will begin October 2023.

In other business, the village discussed hiring a part-time police officer to cover daytime hours, and approved a $2,000 contract with Trash Queen for a villagewide cleanup planned for August.

The village is also seeking a replacement for Treasurer Sharon Evan, who retired. Board members approved an ordinance that removes residency requirements for the village clerk and treasurer candidates to allow for more applicants.
Seth Perlman/AP

An investigative reporter and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist will be at the Jacksonville Public Library on Sunday.

Chicago Tribune reporter Ray Long is visiting the library at noon to read from his book, "The House That Madigan Built," a biography of the rise and fall of former Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.
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NEW DELHI (AP)  India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modi's party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting Indias Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modi's regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for everything from their food and clothing style to inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks could escalate. They have also accused Modis governing party of looking the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise 14% of Indias 1.4 billion people but are still numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.

Modi's party denies the accusations, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their faith have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week after the two spokespeople, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Islams Prophet Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modis party took no action against them until Sunday, when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities," a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait.

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also lodged complaints with India, and the Jeddha-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the remarks came in a context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims.

Indias Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the comments by the OIC as unwarranted and narrow-minded. On Sunday, Indias embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by fringe elements. The statement said that strong action had already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks.

The criticism from Muslim countries, however, was severe, indicating that insulting Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatars Foreign Ministry said it expected a public apology from the Indian government, and Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see an increase of extremism and hatred." The Grand Mufti of Oman described the obscene rudeness of Modis party toward Islam as a form of war. Riyadh said the comments were insulting and called for respect for beliefs and religions. And Egypts Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni worlds foremost institution of religious learning, described the remarks as real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars.

The remarks made by Sharma during a TV program in India and Jindal in a tweet risk damaging Indias ties with Arab nations.

India maintains strong relations with Gulf countries, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and elsewhere in South Asia to serve their tiny local populations and drive the machinery of daily life. India also depends on oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to power its energy-thirsty economy.

The remarks also led to anger in India's archrival and neighbor, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Pakistans Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and conveyed Islamabads strong condemnation," a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the comments were hurtful and India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. Indias Foreign Ministry responded by calling Pakistan a serial violator of minority rights and said it should not engage in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.

India accords the highest respect to all religions," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Criticism also came from Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not allow such fanatics to insult ... Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims.

Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists posted comments on social media saying the government was buckling under international pressure.

Anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have risen across India under Modi. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India was seeing rising attacks on people and places of worship, eliciting a response from New Delhi, which called the comments ill-informed.

More recently, religious tensions have escalated after some Hindu groups went to a local court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple. Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian television anchors during raucous debates.

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Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Munir Ahmad and Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

Follow more AP coverage of India at https://apnews.com/hub/india
Routt Catholic High School 2022 senior class was known for its perfectionist nature, according to some of their teachers.

Now the 25 seniors will be leaving their high school halls to move into the world.

And teacher Scott Maruna said he hopes they recognize the mistakes they make and use them to learn about themselves.

"Embracing and learning from their mistakes as they search for their true selves," Maruna said.

Maruna has taught at Routt for 26 years. Throughout his time with this class of students, he said he has learned one thing about them.

They fear mistakes.

"This group of students almost collectively as exemplified by their achievements, suffered from perfectionism," Maruna said. "I think they fear mistakes. All the years of teaching I hoped they'd embrace their mistakes, not fearing them."

Maruna said by fearing their mistakes, students wouldn't learn from them or take the necessary risks in life.

"By fearing mistakes they'll let the world shape them instead of them shaping themselves," he said.

In addition to embracing their mistakes, Maruna encouraged the students to take their time in the world, encouraging them to accept the reality that they may not discover who they are right away.

Though some may know who they are now, Maruna said who they are now is shaped by outside forces. Stepping out on their own to go to a school where they don't know someone or into a work field, they have the opportunity for a clean slate.

"No one is going to know what happened that day in fourth grades, no one will know about that embarrassing incident in junior high," Maruna said.

And there were some happy and embarrassing moments, though valedictorian Addie Dobson said those are some of the memories she'll miss.

After sharing a story about each of her friends and classmates, she said it was her friends that she'll miss.

"This class has meant so much to me, not only these past four years, but 15 out of 25 of these students have been with each other since kindergarten. ... That means the longest I have gone from seeing my class is two months max. And now, I will not see some of them for a very long time."

Though she got emotional during her speech, pausing for a minute to collect herself, Dobson said she wanted others to do what they did as a class and not judge one another.

Or worry about what others thought.

"I cannot express to you enough how important it is to stop worrying about what others think," Dobson said. "Stop putting other people down and excluding them. Just be with them. Laugh with them. And open up to them."

This is the first graduating class for Principal Daniel Carie. And he said he couldn't have asked for a better first class.

"This class has been an exceptional group of individuals," Carie said. "They are a tight-knit, close group."

He said he was proud of the students.

"Each and every one of them has something special and unique," Carie said.
US, S. Korea fire missiles to sea, matching Norths launches View Photo

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The U.S. and South Korean militaries launched eight ballistic missiles into the sea Monday in a show of force matching a North Korean missile display a day earlier that extended a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations.

The allies live-fire exercise involved eight Army Tactical Missile System missiles  one American and seven South Korean  that were fired into South Koreas eastern waters across 10 minutes following notifications for air and maritime safety, according to South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Forces Korea.

The tit-for-tat missile launches were aimed at demonstrating the ability to respond swiftly and accurately to North Korean attacks, the South Korean military said.

The Souths military on Sunday detected North Korea firing eight short-range missiles over 35 minutes from at least four different locations, including from western and eastern coastal areas and two inland areas north of and near the capital, Pyongyang, in what appeared to be a single-day record for the countrys ballistic launches.

It was North Koreas 18th round of missile tests in 2022 alone  a streak that included the countrys first launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles in nearly five years. South Korean and U.S. officials also say North Korea is preparing to conduct its first nuclear test since September 2017 as leader Kim Jong Un pushes a brinkmanship aimed at cementing the Norths status as a nuclear power and negotiating economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

U.S. and South Korean forces conducted a similar live-fire exercise following North Koreas previous ballistic launches on May 25, which South Koreas military said involved an ICBM flown on medium-range trajectory and two short-range weapons. Those tests came as Biden wrapped up his trip to South Korea and Japan, where he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend both allies.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a speech marking the countrys Memorial Day on Monday said his government would pursue fundamental and practical security capabilities to counter North Koreas growing nuclear weapons and missile threat.

North Koreas nuclear weapons and missile programs have grown to a point where they are not only a threat to the Korean Peninsula, but to Northeast Asia and world peace, Yoon said at the National Cemetery in Seoul, saying his government would sternly respond to any kind of North Korean provocation.

Yoon, a conservative who took office in May, has vowed to strengthen the Souths defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States. His goals include enhancing missile strike and interception capabilities and resuming large-scale military exercises with the United States, which were suspended or downsized in recent years to create space for diplomacy with Pyongyang or because of COVID-19.

Yoons dovish predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who had staked his five-year term on inter-Korean engagement, refrained from missile counter-drills after North Korea resumed ballistic missile tests in 2019 as its diplomacy with the United States fizzled.

North Korean state media have yet to comment on Sundays launches. They came after the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan concluded a three-day naval drill with South Korea in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, apparently their first joint drill involving a carrier since November 2017, as the countries move to upgrade their defense exercises in the face of North Korean threats.

North Korea has long condemned the allies combined military exercises as invasion rehearsals and often countered with its own missile drills, including short-range launches in 2016 and 2017 that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean ports and U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Hours after the North Korean launches, Japan and the United States conducted a joint ballistic missile exercise aimed at showing their rapid response capability and strong determination to counter threats, Japans Defense Ministry said.

The United States has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, but the prospects for meaningful new punitive measures are dim with the U.N. Security Councils permanent members divided.

Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over its latest ballistic tests on May 25, insisting that Washington should instead focus on reviving negotiations with Pyongyang.

Addressing the brewing animosity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian called for related nations to maintain calm and exercise restraint, and avoid any actions that may aggravate tensions.

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions for the Norths disarmament steps.

Despite facing harsh challenges at home, including a decaying economy and a COVID-19 outbreak, Kim has shown no willingness to fully surrender an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offers for open-ended talks and is clearly intent on converting the dormant denuclearization negotiations into a mutual arms-reduction process, experts say.

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AP video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to the report.

By KIM TONG-HYUNG

Associated Press
Canada fund invests $5 billion in DP Worlds Dubai home base View Photo

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  International port operator DP World said on Monday it sold a stake in its home base, the Jebel Ali Port, and other flagship assets to one of Canadas largest pension funds for $5 billion, expanding the Canadian groups reach into the crown jewel of the Dubai-based companys operation.

The transaction comes nearly two years after Dubais DP World struck a deal with Canadian infrastructure investor Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, or CDPQ, to pour $4.5 billion of new capital into their joint venture already spanning four continents and 18 terminals.

DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said the sale helps lighten the companys debt burden as it faces the challenges of the pandemic and recent global economic conditions, an apparent reference to global supply chain snarls that have sent production and labor costs soaring.

Through a new joint venture, CDPQ will invest $2.5 billion in the Jebel Ali Port, as well as the Jebel Ali Free Zone and the National Industries Park, taking 22% of DP Worlds three major assets in the United Arab Emirates with the remainder financed through debt.

Other investors can acquire an additional stake of up to $3 billion, the companies said, with deals expected to close by the end of the year.

The Jebel Ali Port, one of the worlds largest that sits on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula, is also the regions busiest container-handling facility. The free zone adjoining the port is one of Dubais key economic development zones, allowing companies to sort and assemble products without the complications of clearing customs.

CDPQs executive vice president, Emmanuel Jaclot, said the transaction gave the global retirement fund exposure to new fast-growing markets and trade routes in Africa and South Asia.

The assets will remain within the DP World Group, the companies said, with day-to-day operations unaffected.

DP World originated from Jebel Ali Port and now runs operations as far east as Brisbane, Australia, and as far west as Prince Rupert, Canada. The company has expanded aggressively into East Africa, helping the Emirati government wield influence farther afield.

DP World has returned to private hands and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai World, a government investment company. In early 2020, Dubai delisted the state-controlled company as it sought to pay back debt owed by the parent company amid an economic slowdown triggered by the 2014 collapse in oil prices and geopolitical turmoil.
Russian opera Boris Godunov to open next La Scala season View Photo

MILAN (AP)  Milans famed La Scala opera house on Monday announced the celebration of next seasons gala premiere with the Russian opera Boris Godunov, a move it hopes will underline the separation of culture from politics.

La Scalas 2022-23 calendar, set long before Russias invasion of Ukraine, also features a host of Russian stars singing roles in Boris Godunov as well as other titles, including soprano Anna Netrebko in Macbeth.

We hope that we will have a St. Ambrose (feast day) that will also celebrate peace, said Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who is president of La Scalas board, calling the opera by Modest Mussorgsky a masterpiece.

He referred to the Dec. 7 feast day for Milans patron saint, when La Scala holds its gala season opener each year, one of the most anticipated events of the European cultural calendar.

La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer emphasized that the choices were made two to three years ago, in keeping with the opera worlds practice of drafting calendars and booking stars years in advance.

The announcement of the rare Russian premiere comes months after La Scala became one of the first opera houses to exclude Russian conductor Valery Gergiev after he failed to respond to their appeal to denounce Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Opera house management was quick to separate Gergiev from other Russian artists who will be performing in Milan, noting his position as the general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg puts him close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

We considered him like a politician. The others, no. He is almost culture minister. It is another case, Meyer said.

Boris Godunov, which the La Scala program calls a disturbing fresco on the brutality and solitude of power, opened the 1979-80 season, conducted by Claudio Abbado.

Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov, who sang in last years season premiere, will sing the title role in Boris Godunov, while Russian tenor Dmitry Korchak headlines Czech composer Antonin Dvoraks Rusalka, which is making its La Scala debut.

Chief conductor and musical director Riccardo Chailly, who assisted Abbados 1979 premiere of Boris Godunov, said he has long been pushing for more Russian music on La Scalas calendar, which is historically heavy on the Italian repertoire as the premier opera house in the birthplace of lyric theater. Giuseppe Verdi is by far the composer most represented on the Dec. 7 gala season opener.

It would be serious to penalize the artistic aspect for the tragedy that we are all aware is happening in Ukraine, Chailly said. It seems to me necessary, in light of what we are living unfortunately for more than 90 days, (to say) that great music can live independently, as it should be.

It is important to distinguish the two things. Give merit to those who deserve it and to bring back to life masterpieces completely independently of events.

The 14 operas on La Scalas calendar also include Lucia di Lammermoor, starring American soprano Lisette Oropesa in the title role opposite Juan Diego Florez. The Donizetti opera was supposed to open the 2020-21 season, but was delayed because of pandemic restrictions.

La Scala is also reprising Umberto Giordanos Andrea Chenier, which opened the 2017-18 season, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late stage and film director Franco Zeffirellis birth with his staging of La Boheme, and premiering Leonardo Vincis Neapolitan opera Li Zite Ngalera as part of a project to relaunch Italian baroque opera.

Netrebko, who performed to rave reviews last week at La Scala, will sing four dates of Verdis Macbeth, alternating with Belarusian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk.

The ballet season opens with Rudolf Nureyevs choreography for The Nutcracker, marking the 30 anniversary of the Russian dancers death. The program, which includes both classics and contemporary choreographies, contains another homage to Nureyev, with his choreography to Tchaikovskys Swan Lake.

___

The story corrects that composer Antonin Dvorak is Czech and not Russian.

By COLLEEN BARRY

Associated Press
Cyprus to UN: Turkey seeks full control of breakaway north View Photo

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus will lodge a complaint with the United Nations over Turkeys new financial assistance deal with breakaway Turkish Cypriots that demonstrates Ankaras complete control over them, the president of the ethnically divided island nation said Monday.

President Nicos Anastasiades, a Greek Cypriot, told state broadcaster CyBC that he would also include in the protest letter Turkeys move to designate the Turkish Cypriots unrecognized, main airport as a domestic flight route, effectively turning it into a Turkish one.

Many liberal Turkish Cypriots fear that both the financial deal and the airport designation are the clearest signals yet that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to eventually annex breakaway northern Cyprus.

I will proceed with the complaint again with the United Nations relative to the airport which  in essence is being integrated and considered a Turkish airport, Anastasiades said. Secondly, (financial) protocol clearly demonstrates Ankaras complete control of the Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish officials reportedly said the designation aims to make flights to and from northern Cyprus cheaper.

Hardline Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Monday dismissed Anastasiades remarks as Greek Cypriot propaganda ahead of presidential elections next year. He also hailed the financial agreement as of great importance to reinvigorate the Turkish Cypriot economy.

Turkish Cypriots declared independence in the island nations northern third nearly a decade after Turkey invaded in 1974 following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Cypriots independence. Numerous rounds of U.N.-facilitated talks over nearly a half century to reunify Cyprus as a federation composed of Greek and Turkish speaking sectors have led nowhere.

Turkish Cypriots fault a Greek Cypriot denial to equitably share power in a federated Cyprus. Greek Cypriots fear a Turkish Cypriot insistence for Turkish military intervention rights, a permanent Turkish troop presence and veto power for the minority Turkish Cypriots.

Citing the failed peace talks, Ankara and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar say the only feasible way now to break the deadlock is an accord based on two sovereign states  something that Greek Cypriots reject as formalizing permanent partition of the Mediterranean island.

Many Turkish Cypriots are up in arms over the financial agreement, about 240 million euros worth of grants and loans this year, or about a third of annual revenues.

Although the north has always been dependent on Turkish economic aid, the peace group United Cyprus Now says this deal compels Turkish Cypriots to introduce measures curbing freedom of speech, making it easier for Turkish citizens to buy up property and cedes more power to religious authorities.

These measures constitute a direct threat to the will, identity, culture, way of life and heritage of Turkish Cypriots, the group said.

The leader of the leftist opposition Republican Turkish Party Tufan Erhurman called the deal a protocol for the abandonment of the will of Turkish Cypriots to govern themselves.
Sacramento, CA  A bill up for debate in the California legislature would spend $1.5 billion to acquire water rights from interested farmers.

The water rights allow farmers to pull water from rivers and streams to irrigate their crops.

The state, along with environmental groups, and farmers, often argue how much water should be left in the waterways to protect endangered fish species. The debates are heightened during times of drought. Democratic Senator Bob Wieckowski argues that farmers voluntarily selling those rights would eliminate some of those debates. It would put more control in the states hands.

The proposal is part of the budget negotiations between lawmakers and Governor Gavin Newsom.

Senator Brian Dahle, a Republican running for Governor, is voicing out against the proposal. He argues that the only reason farmers would voluntarily sell water rights is because of the states burdensome regulations placed on them. He calls the proposal ridiculous.

Wieckowski compares the situation to a company (in this situation the government) buying back stock.
Israeli coalition suffers loss, faces uncertain prospects View Photo

JERUSALEM (AP)  Israels government on Monday failed to pass a bill extending legal protections for settlers in the occupied West Bank, marking a major setback for the fragile coalition that could hasten its demise and send the country to new elections.

The failure to renew the bill also highlighted the separate legal systems in the West Bank, where nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers enjoy the benefits of Israeli citizenship while some 3 million Palestinians live under military rule that is now well into its sixth decade. Three major human rights groups have said the situation amounts to apartheid, an allegation Israel rejects as an assault on its legitimacy.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts coalition remains in power. But Mondays vote underscored the weaknesses and divisions in the fragile alliance and raised questions about how long it can survive.

Emergency regulations in place for decades have created a separate legal system for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, applying parts of Israeli law to them  even though they live in occupied territory and not within sovereign Israeli land.

These regulations expire at the end of the month and if they are not renewed, that legal system, which Israel has cultivated for its settlers in the West Bank since it captured the territory in 1967, will be thrown into question. It could also change the legal status of the 500,000 settlers living there.

Proponents of extending the law say they are merely seeking to maintain a status quo and preserve the governments shelf life. Opponents say extending the regulations would deepen an unfair system.

However, Mondays vote  defeated by a 58-52 margin  went far beyond the contours of the legal debate. Instead, it served as a key test of the governments prospects for survival, creating a paradoxical situation where some of the settlements biggest opponents in the government voted for the bill, while hard-line parties that support the settlements voted against it in order to weaken the government.

The coalition, made up of eight ideologically distinct parties that include both supporters and opponents of the settlements, came together last year and pledged to sidestep divisive issues that could threaten its survival. Mondays vote showed just how difficult that mission has been.

The vote did not immediately topple the government, and it is still possible for the coalition to present a modified version of the legislation.

As always after we lose, we will return stronger and win in the next round, said Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, the chief architect of the governing alliance, in a statement on Twitter.

But the setback indicated the governments days could be numbered. One of the coalitions members, the nationalist New Hope, has already threatened to bolt if the coalition cannot pass the measure. If New Hope leaves, it could give the opposition the votes it needs to trigger new elections or form a new government.

Any coalition member who doesnt vote for this law that is so central is an active participant in its demise, Justice Minister Gideon Saar, leader of New Hope, said before the vote.

He also warned that defeating the bill would create legal chaos in the West Bank and harm Israeli settlers.

The votes of certain lawmakers, including renegade hard-liners in the coalition as well as Raam, an Arab Islamist group that made history as the first Arab party to join an Israeli coalition, were closely watched. In many cases, these lawmakers did not attend the vote.

The opposition meanwhile, made up mainly of nationalist parties led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, showed its willingness to forsake its pro-settlement ideology in order to bring down the coalition.

Bennetts Yamina party issued a statement accusing Netanyahu and his Likud party of banding together with leftist settlement opponents to serve the former prime ministers personal interests. The Likud will burn the state for Netanyahus needs, it said, vowing to find a way to pass the required legislation.

Bennett has faced hurdles before. Idit Silman, the coalition whip from Bennetts small, nationalist party, quit the coalition earlier this year, leaving the government with 60 seats in the 120-seat Knesset  surviving immediate defeat but struggling to govern. Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, another legislator from Meretz also quit, but later rejoined after being promised a raft of benefits for her constituents, Palestinian citizens of Israel.

In the end, Silman skipped Mondays vote, while Zoabi bucked her coalition partners and voted against the bill, giving a thumbs-down as she cast her vote.

Bennetts government came together last year after two years of political mayhem, with four elections producing no clear winner. The eight coalition members were united by their goal of ousting Netanyahu  the longtime prime minister who now heads the opposition, from where he is battling corruption charges  and have sought to work around their issues to keep him out of power.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move that is not recognized internationally and pulled out troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. But hundreds of thousands of Israelis reside in over 120 settlements dotting the West Bank, along with more than 2.5 million Palestinians.

Since Israel has never annexed the territory, it technically remains under military rule, creating a bewildering legal reality. For Jewish settlers in the West Bank, most of Israels criminal and civilian laws apply. They vote in Israeli elections, enlist for compulsory military service and pay their taxes to the state.

Palestinians, meanwhile, are subject to a different set of laws, adding to the confusion  and often inequality.

If the government does not find a new solution in the coming weeks, settlers will automatically fall under military rule, like Palestinians in the West Bank, according to Emmanuel Gross, an Israeli expert on criminal and international law and a former military judge.

Basic, everyday relations between settlers and the state will crumble: Israel wont be able to levy taxes and police wont be able to investigate criminal offences, among other things, Gross said. The status of Palestinian inmates being held in Israeli prisons will also be challenged, as Israel uses this same set of emergency regulations to hold prisoners outside of occupied land.

The entire legal basis of what happens with the settlers today will be cancelled. This can cause chaos, he said, adding that he expected the government would find a way to ensure the regulations are extended.

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Associated Press correspondent Emily Rose contributed reporting.

By JOSEF FEDERMAN

Associated Press
MILAN (AP)  Milans famed La Scala opera house on Monday announced the celebration of next seasons gala premiere with the Russian opera Boris Godunov, a move it hopes will underline the separation of culture from politics.

La Scalas 2022-23 calendar, set long before Russias invasion of Ukraine, also features a host of Russian stars singing roles in Boris Godunov as well as other titles, including soprano Anna Netrebko in Macbeth.

We hope that we will have a St. Ambrose (feast day) that will also celebrate peace, said Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who is president of La Scalas board, calling the opera by Modest Mussorgsky a masterpiece.

He referred to the Dec. 7 feast day for Milans patron saint, when La Scala holds its gala season opener each year, one of the most anticipated events of the European cultural calendar.

La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer emphasized that the choices were made two to three years ago, in keeping with the opera worlds practice of drafting calendars and booking stars years in advance.

The announcement of the rare Russian premiere comes months after La Scala became one of the first opera houses to exclude Russian conductor Valery Gergiev after he failed to respond to their appeal to denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Opera house management was quick to separate Gergiev from other Russian artists who will be performing in Milan, noting his position as the general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg puts him close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

We considered him like a politician. The others, no. He is almost culture minister. It is another case, Meyer said.

Boris Godunov, which the La Scala program calls a disturbing fresco on the brutality and solitude of power, opened the 1979-80 season, conducted by Claudio Abbado.

Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov, who sang in last years season premiere, will sing the title role in Boris Godunov, while Russian tenor Dmitry Korchak headlines Czech composer Antonin Dvoraks Rusalka, which is making its La Scala debut.

Chief conductor and musical director Riccardo Chailly, who assisted Abbados 1979 premiere of Boris Godunov, said he has long been pushing for more Russian music on La Scalas calendar, which is historically heavy on the Italian repertoire as the premier opera house in the birthplace of lyric theater. Giuseppe Verdi is by far the composer most represented on the Dec. 7 gala season opener.

It would be serious to penalize the artistic aspect for the tragedy that we are all aware is happening in Ukraine, Chailly said. It seems to me necessary, in light of what we are living unfortunately for more than 90 days, (to say) that great music can live independently, as it should be.

It is important to distinguish the two things. Give merit to those who deserve it and to bring back to life masterpieces completely independently of events.

The 14 operas on La Scala's calendar also include Lucia di Lammermoor, starring American soprano Lisette Oropesa in the title role opposite Juan Diego Florez. The Donizetti opera was supposed to open the 2020-21 season, but was delayed because of pandemic restrictions.

La Scala is also reprising Umberto Giordanos Andrea Chenier, which opened the 2017-18 season, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late stage and film director Franco Zeffirellis birth with his staging of La Boheme, and premiering Leonardo Vincis Neapolitan opera Li Zite Ngalera as part of a project to relaunch Italian baroque opera.

Netrebko, who performed to rave reviews last week at La Scala, will sing four dates of Verdis Macbeth, alternating with Belarusian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk.

The ballet season opens with Rudolf Nureyevs choreography for The Nutcracker, marking the 30 anniversary of the Russian dancers death. The program, which includes both classics and contemporary choreographies, contains another homage to Nureyev, with his choreography to Tchaikovskys Swan Lake.

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The story corrects that composer Antonin Dvorak is Czech and not Russian.
BAGHDAD (AP)  A British citizen was sentenced Monday by an Iraqi court to 15 years in prison after being convicted of attempting to smuggle artifacts out of the country, in a case that has attracted international attention.

The verdict handed down to retired geologist Jim Fitton, shocked the court in Baghdad, including his defense attorney. He and his family have argued that Fitton, 66, had no criminal intent.

I thought the worst case scenario would be one year, with suspension, Fittons lawyer Thair Soud, visibly shocked, told The Associated Press.

Soud said Fitton would appeal the verdict.

A German national tried with Fitton was found not to have had criminal intent in the case and will be released.

Judge Jabir Abd Jabir found that, according to the government's investigation, Fitton had criminal intent to smuggle the artifacts that he had picked up and intended to transport them out of the country.

The trial has grabbed international attention at a time when Iraq seeks to open up its nascent tourism sector. The two men first appeared in court on May 15 wearing yellow detainees' uniforms, telling judges they had not acted with criminal intent and had no idea they might have broken local laws.

Fitton said he suspected the items he collected were ancient fragments, but that at the time I didnt know about Iraqi laws, or that taking the shards was not permitted. Fitton said as geologist he was in the habit of collecting such fragments as a hobby and had no intention to sell them.

In his defense, Soud said Fitton waited for weeks while in custody before hiring him as his legal counsel, arguing that this makes the point that the Briton had no idea of the severity of the case or the value of the goods found in his possession.

The judge, however, did not consider Souds arguments that laid out Fittons ignorance of Iraqi laws and the value of the items he picked up. Fitton and the German national, Volker Waldman, were arrested at Baghdad's airport on March 20 after airport security discovered the items in their luggage. They had been part of a tourism expedition around the countrys ancient sites.

Their tour guide, also a British citizen who was in his 80s and in poor health, died in police custody for reasons unrelated to his detention. He was found with over 20 archaeological fragments in this possession.

Fittons family grew worried when he did not arrive on a scheduled flight back to Kuala Lumpur, where he resides with his wife, on March 20. They later learned that Fitton, a well-traveled geologist for oil and gas companies, had been taken to an airport holding cell where he was still being detained, Fittons daughter Leila told the AP last month.

Fitton missed his daughter's wedding in Malaysia, which took place in early May. Leila said at the time she was heartbroken by his absence.

Her hope for her father's return home has been a near-daily fixture on her social media. Nineteen hours before Fitton was sentence she posted a photo of her parents to mark their wedding anniversary. In another, at a family hiking trip she wrote she hoped her father would be able to join them on the next venture.

Frustrated by perceived inaction on the part of the British Foreign Office to intervene and assist in Fittons case, his family started a petition that has garnered over 100,000 signatures. The British diplomatic mission in Baghdad has not commented on its involvement in the case and the British consul in Iraq, who attended the court session Monday, left following the sentencing without making any comments.

In total, 12 fragments of pottery and other shards were found in Fittons possession by Iraqi authorities, all of them collected as souvenirs, Fittons family says, during a group tourism expedition to Eridu, an ancient Mesopotamian site in what is now Dhi Qar province. The site is said to be among the oldest sites belonging to that civilization.

Controversy, however, remains about the items that Fitton had picked up. A report by the Iraqi Culture Ministry stated they were over 200 years old, without offering any further explanation about their provenance. But any item less than 1,500 years old disqualifies it from being from antiquity, a period from the beginnings of Western civilization to about 450 A.D.

The trial has also divided Iraqi public opinion. Some see the punishment as just, saying Iraq has long been a looting ground for invaders and foreigners with impunity. Others said Iraq lacked proper site management to inform tourists of the laws.

Eridu is a UNESCO world heritage site in Iraq and it requires a better site management plan, said Ali Makhzomy, the founder of BilWeekend, a touring company. It is the Iraqi government's responsibility to do that."

The items were not shown in court. Amir Abdul Razaq, an archaeologist in the southern province of Nassriyah, said he believed the items in Fitton's possession dated back to 1,800 B.C. after AP shared images of the shards shared by his family. Government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Waldmans defense team has said the German tourist had been carrying two pieces for Fitton but that he did not pick them up from the site. Both men were charged with smuggling based on the countrys antiquities laws, and could have potentially faced the death penalty. However, officials had said that was only a remote possibility.

It wasn't clear if Fitton can serve out his sentence in his home country. In 2017, Iraq signed a prisoner swap agreement with the U.K.
PHOENIX (AP)  A federal judge has denied an Arizona prisoners bid to delay his execution in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl, according to the ruling posted Sunday.

U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdis decision keeps on track Wednesdays scheduled execution of Frank Atwood, who argued the states death penalty procedures would violate his constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment by subjecting him to unimaginable pain.

His lawyers said Atwood, who has a degenerative spinal condition that has left him in a wheelchair, would undergo excruciating suffering if he were strapped to a gurney while lying on his back during his lethal injection execution.

Liburdi said in the ruling made Saturday that he would not block the execution based on Atwoods claim, noting that the state will provide Atwood with a medical wedge that will relieve pressure on his spine and can also tilt the execution table. He said those accommodations will minimize the pain Plaintiff experiences when he lies on his back.

The constitution, Liburdi wrote, does not require a pain-free execution, and that Atwoods position will be similar to what he typically assumes in his cell to limit pain.

Liburdi also rejected challenges to the drug the state plans to use and dismissed Atwoods claim over the Arizonas use of the gas chamber, saying it was irrelevant because he will be executed using lethal injection.

The challenge to his method of execution is one of a flurry of last-minute appeals by Atwood. Hes also asking the Arizona Supreme Court to delay his execution while his lawyers pursue claims that he is actually innocent of killing the little girl. That court denied a stay late last week, but is now considering the new claim.

And his lawyers continue to spar with the state over religious accommodations prior to and during his execution. He has been a practitioner of the Greek Orthodox faith for more than two decades and wants the state to allow him to undergo a religious initiation ceremony before the execution and receive last rites while in the execution chamber. The state has mainly agreed, but the two sides are at odds over exact details. A different federal judge is overseeing that matter.

The states insistence on cyanide gas is a cynical choice to force the acceptance of the danger and incompetence of its lethal injection method, at the cost of embracing Nazi methods of mass extermination, Joseph Perkovich, an attorney for Atwood, said in an email Sunday.

Atwood was convicted of murder in the 1984 killing of Vicki Hoskinson.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped the girl, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains that were found, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent of the crimes.

Until last month, Arizona went almost eight years without carrying out an execution. The hiatus has been attributed to the difficulty of securing lethal injection drugs as manufacturers refuse to supply them and to problems encountered during the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over nearly two hours. Wood snorted repeatedly and gasped before he died. His attorney said the execution had been botched.

The hiatus ended on May 11 when the state executed prisoner Clarence Dixon for his murder conviction in the 1978 killing of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old Arizona State University student.

As part of Atwoods argument to get his execution delayed, his lawyers questioned whether the compounded pentobarbital to be used in the execution meets pharmaceutical standards and whether the state has met a requirement that the drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

Prosecutors say Atwood was trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers.

Two weeks ago, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state to still have a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.

Atwoods lawyers also said Arizona could take up executions by firing squad, a method of execution not used in the state.
DETROIT (AP)  Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday that the company disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The lawyers wrote that Musk has repeatedly asked for the information since May 9, about a month after his offer to buy the company, so he could evaluate how many of the companys 229 million accounts are fake.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said that Twitter has consistently estimated that fewer than 5% of its accounts are spam. But Musk has disputed that, contending in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.

Shares of Twitter Inc. slid 1.5% Monday, likely incensing Twitter shareholders who filed a suit against Musk late last month for deflating the price of the stock. Shares of Twitter are down more than 20% in the last month.

Twitter said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement and noted that the deal is in the best interest of all shareholders.

"We intend to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms, it added.

Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share back in April. A number of Musks actions since, including a public spat with Twitters CEO about the fake accounts  on Twitter  has led some experts to question whether the billionaire wants to use his loud complaints to negotiate a lower deal price or even walk away entirely.

Musk's lawyers wrote in the letter that Twitter has offered only to provide details about the companys testing methods. But they contend thats tantamount to refusing Mr. Musks data requests, and constitutes a material breach of the merger agreement that gives Musk the right to scrap the deal if he chooses.

This is a clear material breach of Twitter's obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement, the letter says.

Musk wants underlying data to do his own verification of what he says are Twitters lax methodologies.

The Twitter sale agreement allows Musk to get out of the deal if there is a material adverse effect caused by the company. It defines that as a change that negatively affects Twitters business or financial conditions. Twitter has said all along that it's proceeding with the deal, although it hasn't scheduled a shareholder vote on it.

Last month Musk said that he unilaterally placed the deal on hold, which experts said he can't do. If he walks away, he could be on the hook for a $1 billion breakup fee.

Musks latest maneuver shows how he is looking for a way out of the deal or something that will get leverage for a renegotiation of the price, said Brian Quinn, a law professor at Boston College. But Quinn said its unlikely to hold up in court since he already waived his ability to ask for more due diligence.

I doubt he would be allowed to walk away, Quinn said. At some point, the board of Twitter will tire of this and file a suit asking a judge to force Musk to stick to the deal.

Twitter has disclosed its bot estimates to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.

If Twitter is confident in its publicized spam estimates, Mr. Musk does not understand the companys reluctance to allow Mr. Musk to independently evaluate those estimates, the Musk letter says, adding that he agrees not to disclose or keep the data.

The bot problem is a longtime fixation for Musk, who has more than 96 million Twitter followers and whose name and likeness are often mimicked by fake accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams. Musk appears to think such bots are also a problem for most other Twitter users, as well as advertisers who take out ads on the platform based on how many real people they expect to reach.

Musk's lawyers are arguing that he is entitled to data about the core of Twitters business model so he can prepare the transition to his ownership. Citing a June 1 letter from Twitter in which the company said it only has to give information related to closing the sale, Musk's team says the company is obligated to provide data for any reasonable business purpose needed to complete the deal.

Musk's bot count skepticism was also taken up Monday by the chief legal officer of Texas, where Tesla is headquartered. Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said he's launching an investigation because he has a duty to protect Texans if Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue.

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Matt O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Employees at a Starbucks store in New Orleans voted to form a union, becoming the first of the coffee giant's locations in Louisiana to unionize.

Ballots were cast Friday and Saturday 11-1 in favor of joining Workers United, which represents the unionized Starbucks stores, WWNO-FM reported. Two ballots were challenged, the station said.

The New Orleans vote is the latest in a series of wins for labor at Starbucks stores across the nation, and comes about a week after workers in Birmingham, Alabama, voted 27-to-1 to become that states first unionized Starbucks.

Barista Caitlyn Pierce and others wanted to unionize because of regular shifts where they were overworked and understaffed, the station reported.

Im feeling amazing, Pierce said. This is something we worked so hard for and its just great to finally get here.

Starbucks has fought unionization efforts, saying its 9,000 company-owned U.S. stores function best when Starbucks works directly with employees, which the company calls partners.

In a statement Sunday, Starbucks said it was listening and learning, and added, We respect our partners right to organize. The statement didnt say whether the company would challenge the vote.

Billie Nyx, lead organizer of the union campaign, was fired in mid-May for closing the store early without permission from higher management. Nyx is contesting the dismissal, saying it was in retaliation for union advocacy.

Nyx said they will meet with their lawyer and gather those still working at the store to solidify specific demands for the contract negotiations.

To win the changes they seek  like better pay and more reliable schedules  unionized stores must still sit down with Starbucks and negotiate a contract. Its a painstaking process that can take years.

A Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, became the first in the United States to unionize late last year. Based in Seattle, the company has more than 34,000 stores worldwide.
WHITTIER, Calif. (AP)  An officer with Southern California's Whittier Police Department was killed in a weekend motorcycle crash while off duty, authorities said.

Lanell Whitfield died in the crash Saturday afternoon in the city of Lynwood, south of downtown Los Angeles, the department said in a statement.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the city amid fierce fighting in the streets as Russia tries to deploy more forces.

But it is the 103rd day, and the Ukrainian Donbas stands. It stands firmly, he said in his nightly address to the nation.

Zelenskyy also said Moscow's forces intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.

The defenders' fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelenskyy said more than than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release.

The recovery of their remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government, and Russian officials have not commented. But relatives of soldiers killed at the plant discussed the process with The Associated Press.

Ukraine on Saturday announced the first officially confirmed swap of its military dead since the war began. It said the two sides exchanged 320 bodies in all, each getting back 160 sets of remains. The swap took place Thursday on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Anna Holovko, a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment, said all 160 of the Ukrainian bodies turned over by the Russians were from the Azovstal ruins. She said that at least 52 of those bodies are thought to be the remains of Azov Regiment soldiers.

Maksym Zhorin, a former Azov Regiment leader now co-commanding a Kyiv-based military unit, confirmed that bodies from the steel plant were among those exchanged.

The brother of an Azov fighter missing and feared dead in the steelworks told the AP that at least two trucks of bodies from Azovstal were transferred to a military hospital in Kyiv for identification.

Viacheslav Drofa said the remains of his elder brother, Dmitry Lisen, did not appear to be among those recovered so far. He added that some of the dead were severely burned.

The mother of a soldier killed in an airstrike on the plant said the Azov Regiment telephoned her and said her sons body might be among those transferred to Kyiv. The mother did not want her or her son to be identified by name, saying she feared that discussing the recovery process might disrupt it.

She tearfully referred to her son as a hero. Its important for me to bury him in our Ukrainian land," she said.

In other developments Monday, Ukraine's efforts to fight off Russia's invasion loomed large over D-Day commemorations in France, where the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion was marked.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.

He added: Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery."

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day. Asked about the war raging on the European continent, Shay said, "It is a very sad situation.

In 1944 I landed on these beaches, and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added.

Meanwhile, the president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic said that the pro-Moscow region is putting on trial three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukraine. If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could get the death penalty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine. Guard members have taken part in such operations as the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The lump sum is roughly six times the average annual Russian salary.

On the battlefield, Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian forces put up resistance in Sievierodonetsk and other areas.

"There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian artillery fire could be heard outside the city of Bakhmut, southwest of Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian tanks moved back and forth from the front line, carefully hiding under trees after firing at Russian positions. One of the tanks was a T-80 captured from Russian forces. Its crew hacked bushes with hatchets and covered the vehicle and its main gun with branches.

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Associated Press writers David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine; Andrea Rosa in Bakhmut, Ukraine; and Sylvie Corbet in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, contributed to this story.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
VIENNA (AP)  The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog urged Iran on Monday to cooperate with his inspectors amid a standoff over its atomic program and a threat by Western nations to censure Tehran over its noncooperation.

We have to recognize that we have not been able to get the results we were expecting, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters in Vienna.

This will be a reminder for Iran, and for us, and for everybody, that we really need to get down to work and clarify these issues that have been outstanding for too long, Grossi added.

Grossi spoke during the first day of the IAEA board of directors meeting in Vienna, which runs until Friday.

The meeting comes at a tense time for the future of the negotiations over Irans nuclear program. Iran has limited the IAEAs monitoring activities for more than a year, and has failed to provide what Grossi called credible information about discovered nuclear material at three of Irans sites.

Additionally, talks between senior diplomats from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia to discuss bringing Tehran back into compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action stalled earlier this year. The pact eased sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

The United States pulled out of the accord under former President Donald Trump and reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to resume its uranium enrichment.

Grossi said he was neither for nor against a possible vote to censure Iran during this weeks meeting, stressing the importance of continued cooperation with Iran despite recent tensions.

I believe that its in no ones interest that the cooperation between the agency and Iran diminishes even further, he said.

Still, without adequate cooperation on Irans part, there is an impasse between the agency and Irans leadership, Grossi said. These issues will not go away - they are not solved, they are not clarified.

Grossi repeated his warnings that Iran is nearing the amount of nuclear material necessary to create a bomb, saying Monday they are very, very close to acquiring a significant quantity of this material.

He said Iran could reach this amount in a matter of weeks. Still, he stressed that having enough material for a bomb and building a bomb are two different things.

As of Feb. 19, the IAEA says Irans stockpile of all enriched uranium was nearly 3,200 kilograms (7,055 pounds). Some has been enriched up to 60% purity  a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Meanwhile, Iran has stopped the IAEA from accessing its surveillance camera footage.

While Iran insists its program is peaceful, the IAEA and Western governments say Iran had an organized military nuclear program up until 2003.
The 40th annual Panhandle Parade of Breeds is around the corner.

The show is open to the public and free to attend.

This years judges include Parker Henley of Stillwater, Okla. And Chad Coburn of Sterling City.

Activities for the three-day affair are set to begin June 16 at the Ollie Liner Center.

Barn doors will open at noon June 16 for the arrival of heifers and steers. All mini breeds must be checked in on this day. Showmanship entries will close at 6 p.m.

Steer weigh-ins and classification and heifer check-in is set for 5-8 p.m.

There will be an exhibitor dance from 8:30-10:30 p.m.

Barn doors will open June 17 at 5 a.m.

Steer weight cards must be turned in and steers will be classified between 7:30-9 a.m. The Mini-Hereford show will begin at 9 a.m. followed by the showmanship contest.

Heifer exhibitors will present in Ring B and steers will be presented in Ring A.

The Progress Steer Show will start 30 minutes after the showmanship competition. Progress Steers weigh 876 pounds or above.

The Gebo Supreme Champion Heifer Show will follow.

Plainview Mayor Charles Starnes will read a special proclamation at 3 p.m. June 17 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the show.

Prospect Steer judging will begin at 8 a.m. June 18 with American breeds kicking things off that morning. English breeds will follow, then Continental breeds followed by crosses.

The Shorthorn Steers will be judged after this following a break.

That break will include a reading of the history of the show and introduction of past officers and directors.

Limousin Steers will cap the show.

Prizes will be presented for supreme and reserve champions in each category as well as the top five prospect steers.

Visit the Panhandle Parade of Breeds website for additional information.
WALLINGFORD  After 51 years at Quinnipiac University, town resident Joe Woods has retired from teaching biology courses.

Never once did it seem for a moment like it was 50 years, Woods said. I just moved from one day to the next and it was like time was not an issue, never was.

Woods, originally from New Jersey, went to St. Josephs University in Philadelphia to get his bachelors degree in biology. Following that, he went to Rutgers University and got his doctorate in physiology.

I had never heard about this place called Quinnipiac College, Woods said. I didnt know what I was going to do. I did know from maybe about the third year in graduate school that I was looking to teach some place because I had an experience under my mentor in graduate school, helping him teach some of his undergraduate labs.

Woods began his career at Quinnipiac as an assistant professor. Throughout his time as a faculty member, he held various positions, such as associate professor, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences and dean of the School of Health Sciences.

Daryll Borst, one of Woodss former colleagues in the Department of Biological Sciences, was working at Quinnipiac when Woods first started as a professor.

I was invited to a little impromptu luncheon for (Woods) from the Department of Biology and one of the things that I said, Well Joe, you and I are the last men standing, Borst said. Because there is no one else that we know that is alive from when we started at Quinnipiac in the Department of Biology.

Borst said Woods has had a great impact on the university.

What he has actually done for the university and the Department of Biology is just absolutely outstanding, Borst said. I cant think of anyone whos done more in that respect for the Department of Biology, Health Sciences and so forth  When he was the dean of health sciences, he helped increase the viability of the health sciences courses and also for the Department of Biology.

For professors that joined after Woods, Ken Kaloustian, professor emeritus, said he is a mentor.

I would just sit there and look at him, Kaloustian said. How he conducted himself teaching, things like that. I imitated him. Thats how good Joe Woods is as an educator. His dedication to students is infectious.

While working at Quinnipiac, Woods lived in Cheshire for about 25 years and now lives in Wallingford. Woods was a member of the Cheshire Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission and was on the board of trustees for the Alzheimers Resource Center in Southington.

Even though Woods is retiring from teaching, he is planning to assist some of his faculty colleagues in their laboratories.

It will give me something to do and it will keep that tie that I have nurtured for such a long period of time, Woods said. A chance to continue.

jsimms@record-journal.com203-317-2279Twitter: @jessica_simms99
Chris Stokes/MySA

Before making it multi-platinum with their hit "Heat Waves" in 2020 (and "Gooey" before that), Glass Animals spent the first eight years of their career cruising the indie circuit. In 2014, the band made their first South by Southwest appearance in Austin.

The English indie pop rock outfit was nominated a Best New Artist Grammy Award in 2022 and is about to embark on a their global tour, but not before taking over the Freeman Coliseum with their latest, Dreamland. MySA was there to capture the dreamy set.
Singer Mariah Carey is being sued over her yuletide earworm, "All I Want for Christmas Is You," by a songwriter who alleges it infringes the copyright of his song with the same title, which was released five years before her 1994 smash hit.

Andy Stone, whose stage name is Vince Vance, part of the band Vince Vance & the Valiants, filed a lawsuit against Carey, 53, on Friday in a New Orleans federal court. He is seeking at least $20 million in damages and alleging copyright infringement and unjust enrichment, among other claims.

Carey is named in the suit along with her co-writer Walter Afanasieff and the music company, Sony.

The court documents describe Vance as a self-employed artist who in 1989 co-wrote a song titled "All I Want for Christmas is You" and recorded it in a studio in Nashville. It was later released and "receiving extensive airplay during the 1993 Christmas season . . . began making appearances on the Billboard Music Charts."

Carey's song with an identical name, but not identical lyrics and music, was released in 1994 on her album "Merry Christmas." The lawsuit contends that Carey and the other defendants "never sought or obtained permission" from Vance to use, reproduce or distribute the song and accuses them of infringing his copyright.

Carey has yet to publicly comment on the lawsuit. Sony Music did not immediately respond to a request for comment early on Saturday.

Carey's song has become a Christmas classic and a staple of the holiday charts each year, making it unclear why the lawsuit has only now been filed.

Copyright does not generally extend to song titles alone, with dozens of registered entries for "All I Want for Christmas is You" at the U.S. Copyright Office as of Saturday.

The court documents say Vance's lawyers initially made contact with Carey and others in April 2021 and followed up with a letter in December. "Even after communicating the concerns with Defendants, Plaintiff was unable to come to any agreement over usage of the 'All I Want for Christmas is You'," the suit said.

Carey, known for musical hits such as "Fantasy" and "Hero," was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year, which on its website called her part of "an elite group of songwriters" and said she had "written or co-written 18 of her 19 number one songs on the Billboard Hot 100."

She had her first No. 1 hit in the United States with "Vision of Love" in 1990 and went on to win 5 Grammy Awards, 3 Guinness World Record titles and an Ivor Novello Award with her distinct 5 octave style earning her global stardom for her musical performances.

Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" remains wildly popular, streaming more than 1 billion times on music service Spotify and for some is an unofficial announcement of the start of the Christmas season. But others say it has become overplayed and irritating, with one Texas bar last year banning the playing of the song before Dec. 1 and thereafter allowing it to be played only "one time a night."
Harini Logan, 14, was crowned champion of the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee last Thursday, June 2. The Indian American eighth grader from the Montessori School of San Antonio won the title after spelling 22 words correctly in 90 seconds during the final spell-off lightning round of the competition.

The spell-off between Logan and Vikram Raju, 12, from Aurora, Colorado, was the first in the spelling bees 94-year history. It came after 18 rounds of traditional competition. The first round started with 234 students. Some of the words Logan spelled during the final round included phreatophyte, chalicothere, and chorepiscopus. When Logan was announced the winner, she was met on stage by her parents and 6-year-old brother, Naren. Her win came with a trophy and $50,000 prize.

During the spell-off, I took every single emotion I was feeling out of my head and just focused on each word, Logan told MySA during an interview this past weekend. It was really surreal. I dont think I had time to feel nervous. When I won, I was exhilarated. I was on cloud nine.

courtesy of Scripps National Spelling Bee Hartongs

This was the fourth year Logan participated in the spelling bee. She was initially eliminated from the competition in an earlier round where spellers had to choose the correct definitions of words, the first time the format was ever used. Logan was reinstated after judges decided that the multiple choice answer she gave for the word pullulation was, in fact, correct.

Before the spelling bee began, there were some critics who were not in favor of adding vocabulary rounds to the event, although the definition of a word is something that most spellers study along with a words country of origin, alternate pronunciations, and parts of speech. Logan didnt have an opinion on the issue, but said that studying the definitions of words was already something she would do when preparing for a spelling bee.

courtesy of Scripps National Spelling Bee Hartongs

I really had a rounded approach to studying words, Logan said. I dont just memorize the spelling. In a way, I had already been studying for the vocab indirectly before the rounds were introduced. I think I had some experience. It may have been less hard on me than it was on others.

This is the first time in the history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee that a San Antonio resident has won the competition. Logan is the 16th champion from Texas. She will be attending Saint Marys Hall for high school this fall.

Born in Irvine, California, Logan moved to Chicago and then to San Antonio at the age of four. She said shes always had a deep interest in reading and words since she was a little girl. Its something that was introduced to her by her parents. After watching the national spelling bee on TV in 2015, she knew she wanted to compete at the highest level.

I was really inspired how these kids were on stage spelling these words I never heard of from languages I had never heard of with confidence and ease, she said. Its really what started my passion for the bee.

courtesy of Scripps National Spelling Bee Hartongs

In the future, Logan would like to earn an MD and MBA and work in the medical field. Apart from spelling, her hobbies include Indian classical music, choir, piano, creative writing, musical theater, and spending time with her family and puppy. So, where exactly is Logan going to put her newest trophy inside her home?

Were going to have to move some other trophies around to figure that out, she said. But it will definitely be the centerpiece.

Watch Logan's National Spelling Bee victory here:
Courtesy, Michelle Gonzalez/Rosario's

Rosario's, one of San Antonio's mainstays for Tex-Mex eats, was hit twice by burglars in one night. The restaurant is offering a reward for information leading to the arrests of the suspects.

Michelle Gonzalez, a representative for the restaurant, tells MySA that on Tuesday, May 31, the Southtown restaurant and the San Pedro outpost were broken into. Surveillance photos shared by Rosario's show at least two masked suspects shattering the main doors and walking around the business. Videos show the men also scavenging around the administrative offices.
NEW YORK (AP)  A New York appeals court on Thursday upheld Harvey Weinsteins rape conviction and 23-year prison sentence, rejecting the former movie moguls claim that the judge at his landmark #MeToo trial unfairly allowed women to testify about allegations that werent part of the case.

The ruling by a five-judge panel in the states intermediate appeals court affirmed one of the highest-profile verdicts to date in Americas reckoning with sexual misconduct by powerful figures  an era that began with a flood of allegations against Weinstein.

Weinsteins publicist, Juda Engelmayer, said he is reviewing his options and will seek to appeal the decision to the states highest court, the Court of Appeals.

We are disappointed, but not surprised, Engelmayer said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who took office in January while Weinsteins appeal was pending, said in a statement that prosecutors were gratified by todays decision, which upholds a monumental conviction that changed the way prosecutors and courts approach complex prosecutions of sexual predators.

Weinstein, 70, was convicted in New York in February 2020 of forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant, Mimi Haley, in 2006 and raping an aspiring actress in 2013. He was acquitted of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault stemming from actor Annabella Sciorras allegations of a mid-1990s rape.

The Associated Press does not generally identify people alleging sexual assault unless they consent to be named; Sciorra has spoken publicly about her allegations, and Haley has agreed to be named.

Weinstein is jailed in California, where he was extradited last year and is awaiting trial on charges he assaulted five women in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2004 to 2013.

Lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents Haley, Sciorra and another witness, said that she was thrilled Weinsteins conviction was upheld and that her clients many sacrifices for the cause of justice were not in vain.

Justice was done, Allred said. But now I am also looking forward to the criminal prosecution of Mr. Weinstein in Los Angeles, where I also represent alleged victims for whom charges have been filed.

Former District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who oversaw Weinsteins prosecution, told The Associated Press he has always had confidence in the strength of the case. He said he was confident that trial judge James Burkes rulings were fair and would be sustained on appeal.

I am also grateful this decision by the appellate court fully credits the powerful testimony of the brave and strong survivors of Mr. Weinsteins abuse," Vance said. Today, they are one step closer to full closure of the legal process, which they deserve.

The ruling follows several setbacks for women seeking to hold celebrity men accountable for alleged wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, a Virginia jury found that Amber Heards abuse allegations against Johnny Depp were defamatory. In March, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal after a Pennsylvania court threw out Bill Cosbys sexual assault conviction.

In Weinsteins case, the appeals court took an unusually long time to rule  nearly six months after contentious oral arguments last December that stoked doubts about whether his conviction would stand. The court had been expected to rule in January.

At the hearing, some judges were critical of Burke and prosecutors, suggesting they were open to reversing Weinstein's conviction and ordering a new trial. Judge Sallie Manzanet-Daniels said Burke let prosecutors pile on with incredibly prejudicial testimony" from additional witnesses.

But, in the 45-page ruling Thursday, the five judges were unanimous in finding that Burke had properly exercised his discretion in allowing testimony from three women who accused Weinstein of violating them but whose claims did not lead to charges in the New York case.

The judges also concurred with Burkes decision to let prosecutors confront Weinstein with evidence about other, unrelated misbehavior if he'd testified, including whether he'd stranded a colleague in a foreign country, told people to lie to his wife, or screamed at restaurant staff while demanding a late-night meal.

The judges, in their ruling, said that although the volume of material  pertaining to 28 alleged acts of boorish behavior over 30 years  was unquestionably large, and, at first blush, perhaps appears to be troublingly so, Burke properly weighed its relevance to the case. Weinstein didn't take the witness stand.

The panel also rejected Weinsteins arguments that Burke was wrong in other ways: by keeping a juror who wrote a novel involving predatory older men, and by letting a prosecution expert testify about victim behavior and rape myths. Burke did not allow testimony on similar subjects from defense experts.

Rules on calling additional witnesses to testify about prior bad acts vary by state and were an issue in Cosbys successful appeal of his sexual assault conviction in Pennsylvania. New Yorks rules, shaped by a decision in a 1901 poisoning case, are among the more restrictive.

At the December hearing, Weinsteins lawyers argued the extra testimony went beyond whats normally allowed  detailing motive, opportunity, intent or a common scheme or plan  and essentially put the ex-studio boss on trial for crimes he wasnt charged with and hadnt had an opportunity to defend himself against.

The jury was overwhelmed by such prejudicial, bad evidence, Weinstein lawyer Barry Kamins told the appellate panel. This was a trial of Harvey Weinsteins character. The people were making him out to be a bad person.

___

Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak
A man drowned at Canyon Lake and two others were hospitalized after near drownings over the weekend, according to a New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung report. The man who drowned at Canyon Lake on Sunday, June 5 was reportedly wearing a personal flotation device at the time.

It was reported that the victim, a man in his 40s, did not know how to swim but was wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) when he entered the water from a boat, said Canyon Lake Fire and EMS Chief Robert Mikel to the newspaper. Friends with him noticed that he was face down and still wearing the PFD when they pulled him from the water.

Mikel said in the report that crews arrived at the drowning location at 4:34 p.m. on Sunday. He added that Canyon Lake Fire and Emergency Management fire rescue boat marine 53 was on the water near a previous emergency call and responded to the area near boat ramp 7 and Party Cove.

"Upon arrival, the victim had been pulled out of the water and was aboard a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department game wardens boat and CPR was in progress," Mikel said in the report. "Emergency medical care continued as the patient was transported to a waiting ambulance at Boat Ramp 2. Unfortunately, life-saving efforts were unsuccessful and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene."

Then at 7:26 p.m. on Sunday, Canyon Laker Fire and EMS was dispatched to the site of a near drowning near Boat Ramp 6. Mikel said a 29-year-old man was on a boat pulling a tube when he jumped into the water to help a person thrown from the tube, according to the report.

"The rope used to tow the tube became wrapped around the propeller, preventing the boat from returning to pick him up," Mikel said. He added in the report, the man, who was not wearing a PFD, became fatigued and started going underneath the lake surface.

He was picked up by a pontoon boat and delivered to Boat Ramp 6, where EMS began treatment, Mikel said to the newspaper. He was transported in serious condition to Christus-New Braunfels Hospital.

Prior to the Sunday incidents, Canyon Lake Fire and EMS were on the scene of a near drowning of a woman in her late 20s on Saturday, June 4, according to the report.

At approximately 3:30 p.m., Canyon Lake Fire and EMS was dispatched to Comal Park for a possible drowning victim that had been pulled from the water, Mikel said.

"A Precinct 4 constable was on scene performing CPR," he added. "A pulse was regained and the patient was transported to Christus Santa Rosa-New Braunfels Hospital."
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

With the recent mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, one Hill Country school district has came up with a new safety measure. Harper ISD, about 90 miles north of San Antonio  around an hour and a half drive  has implemented a clear backpack/bag policy for students in the 2022-23 school year, according to a social media post.

"When parents started contacting us after the Uvalde shooting, wanting to know what's Harper going to do? Well, most of the things that need to be done, we've already done," said Harper ISD Superintendent Bonnie Stewart. "We've really been proactive in the last few years."
Yves here. I must confess to not having read Blowback, since its become a classic. Too many good books, too little time. So I would very much welcome takes from those of you who know it.

By Tom Engelhardt, co-founder of the American Empire Project and the author of a highly praised history of American triumphalism in the Cold War, The End of Victory Culture. A fellow of the Type Media Center, his sixth and latest book is A Nation Unmade by War. Originally published at TomDispatch

Once upon a time, long, long ago  actually, it was early in the year 2000  I was involved in publishing Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire. It had been written by the eminent scholar of Asia, former CIA consultant, and cold warrior Chalmers Johnson. I was his editor at Metropolitan Books. In its introduction, using a word Americans were then (as now) all too uncomfortable with, he bluntly summed up his professional life by labeling himself a spear-carrier for empire. And he described the origins of his books title this way:

Officials of the Central Intelligence Agency first invented [the term blowback] for their own internal use [It] refers to the unintended consequences of policies that were kept secret from the American people. What the daily press reports as the malign acts of terrorists or drug lords or rogue states or illegal arms merchants often turn out to be blowback from earlier American operations.

Ominously enough, he added, All around the world today, it is possible to see the groundwork being laid for future forms of blowback. On page 10, he brought up  and remember he was writing this as the previous century ended  the name of a former protege of the United States, one Osama bin Laden. In the 1980s, that rich young Saudi had been part of Washingtons secret war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, forming a group to battle the Russians that he called al-Qaeda (the Base) to battle the Red Army. By the time Chalmers wrote his book, the Russian war there was long over, the Soviet Union had collapsed, and bin Laden had turned against Washington. He was then believed responsible for the bombing of the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. On page 11, Chalmers added that such retaliation for American acts was undoubtedly not yet at an end in the case of bin Laden.

He summed things up this way: Because we live in an increasingly interconnected international system, we are all, in a sense, living in a blowback world.

Sadly, that remains even truer today and, if Chalmers could return from the dead, I have no doubt that he would have much to say about how we now find ourselves on the ultimate blowback planet.

Blowback in a Sole-Superpower World

To use an all-too-appropriate word, given what he was writing about, his book bombed. Boy, did it! The reviewer at the New York Times dismissed it as marred by an overriding, sweeping, and cranky one-sidedness. And it sold next to no copies. It was dead in the water, until, 18 months later yes, Im sure youve already guessed what Im about to write next on September 11, 2001, those towers in New York City came down and the Pentagon was clobbered.

Suddenly, Blowback was on every bookstore bestseller table in America. As Chalmers would mention in his new introduction to the 2003 paperback, Metropolitan Books had to reprint it eight times in less than two months to keep up with demand.

In that volume, he had done something deeply unpopular at the time of publication (except among fringe groups on the left). He had called our country an empire  an imperial power intent on maintaining a staggering military presence globally in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and before the rise of China. A common term used in Washington at the time was the sole superpower on planet Earth. And he pointed out, ominously enough, that even without official enemies of any significance, thanks in part to its global imperial presence, Washington had hollowed out our domestic manufacturing and bred a military establishment that is today close to being beyond civilian control. He added tellingly that it always demands more and was becoming an autonomous system. In addition, the post-Vietnam, post-draft, all volunteer military was, he pointed out, increasingly an entirely mercenary force. Worse yet, he saw the growth of American militarism at home as another form of blowback from this countrys overextension abroad. (Sound familiar in 2022?)

He warned that the collapse of the Soviet Union in the wake of the war in Afghanistan should have been a warning to Washington. Even more ominously, at a moment when this countrys foreign-policy establishment considered us the indispensable nation (Secretary of State Madeleine Albrights phrase), he suggested that we were already experiencing imperial overextension and on the long downward slope that all empires experience sooner or later.

And keep in mind that all of this was written before 9/11; before President George W. Bush and crew launched devastatingly ill-fated invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq; before this countrys civilian population became  as the nightmare at Uvaldereminded us recently  armed to the teeth with military-style weaponry. It was long before Donald Trump and before the Republican Party was transformed into something unrecognizable. It was well before Congress became essentially incapable of passing anything of significance for most Americans, even as it was instantly capable of providing $54 billion in aid and arms for the Ukrainians and endless funds for the Pentagon.

President Blowback

Just last month, 22 years later, I reread Blowback. Chalmers is, of course, long gone. (He died in November 2010.) But with the news of these last years and what may be on the horizon in mind, I couldnt help thinking about how he would have updated the book, were he still here.

As a start, I doubt he would have been particularly surprised by Donald Trump. In June 2005, reintroducing a piece he had done for TomDispatch in 2003 on the scourge of militarism, he was already writing: The American governmental system is no longer working the way it is supposed to. Many distinguished observers think it is badly damaged in terms of Constitutional checks and balances and the structures put in place by the founders to prevent tyranny.

And as I added in that same 2005 introduction, reflecting Chalmers:

In September 2003, only four months after [President George W. Bushs] Mission Accomplished moment on the USS Abraham Lincoln, it was already evident to some of us that neocon dreams of establishing a robust Pax Americana on the planet were likely to be doomed in the sands of Iraq  but that, in the process, the American constitutional system as weve known it might well be destroyed.

Yes, the possibility of our system spinning downward toward some version of tyranny wouldnt, I suspect, have surprised him. Of course, he didnt predict Donald Trump. (Who did?) But if anyone could have imagined this country governed  and I put that in quotes for obvious reasons  by a billionaire grifter and TV impresario who thought not just unbearably well of, but only of himself, it was Chalmers. Had he been here in 2016, when that bizarre figure ran for president, as hed been dreaming about doing since at least 2011, and won, Id put my money on his not being even slightly taken aback. Nor, I suspect, would he have been surprised when the economic inequality that helped Trump to victory only grew ever more rampant in his years in office, while billionaires began to multiply like fleas on a rabid dog.

Honestly, if you think about it for a moment, its hard not to imagine The Donalds success as another version of blowback. In fact, hes almost inconceivable without the sort of imperial mess Chalmers had in mind and that this country did such a splendiferous job of encouraging with its disastrous invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and its never-ending war on terror. If it werent for the mess that our military machine made of the world in this century (and the money it gobbled up in the process), his rise would be hard to imagine. He now seems like the cause of so much, but honestly, as I wrote during the election campaign of 2016 referring to the disease then in the news: Perhaps it would be better to see Donald Trump as a symptom, not the problem itself, to think of him not as the Zika Virus but as the first infectious mosquito to hit the shores of this country.

He certainly marked another key moment in what Chalmers would have thought of as the domestic version of imperial decline. In fact, looking back or, given his insistence that the 2020 election was fake or rigged, looking toward a country in ever-greater crisis, it seems to me that we could redub him Blowback Donald. (Of course, that B could also stand for Blowhard.) And given the present Republican Party, as well as the growing evidence that this countrys political system could be coming apart at the seams, its hard not to think that Chalmers was onto something big as the last century ended.

Of one thing Im sure. He wouldnt have been slightly shocked to discover that, these days, just about the only thing Congress can agree upon across party lines is the annual raising of the Pentagon budget to levels that now match the military budgets of the next 11 countries combined.

Twenty-First-Century Blowback

In the back of my mind, while rereading his book, I kept wondering how else Chalmers might have updated it in 2022. And what came to mind repeatedly was that potentially ultimate subject, climate change.

Now, Chalmers certainly had a sense of the environmental damage the American empire was already causing, but climate change was not yet on his mind. Recently, to my surprise, I came across a passing reference to it in something I wrote but never published in the 1990s and was surprised I even knew about it then. Still, in this century, as I became ever more aware of it and wrote and published ever more about it at TomDispatch, I came to believe that it would indeed be potentially devastating for humanity. For years, though, I didnt quite grasp that it would be so in my own lifetime.

Back then, I imagined it as largely a phenomenon of the future, not something for which you could find evidence in the news daily (whether identified as such or not). Yes, at some point I realized, for instance, that South Asia might be more susceptible to climate extremes than many other areas. Still, I hadnt expected that I would live to see springtime weather with temperatures in the range of 115 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, or that such horrific and, without air conditioning, increasingly deathly warmth would be followed by devastating flooding. Or that such extremes would grow more common so quickly.

Nor, honestly, had I expected a wave of record July temperatures (and humidity) here in the northeast U.S. and across much of my own country this very May (it hit 95 degrees on a recent day in Philadelphia!). Nor did I imagine that the Southwest and West would be embroiled in a megadrought the likes of which hasnt been seen on this continent in at least 1,200 years, with devastating, often record-setting fires, blazing in New Mexico and elsewhere ever earlier in the year. Or the unprecedented severe drought and record flooding in parts of Brazil and Argentina. Or the staggering burning and flooding in Australia. Or the unparalleled floods in recent years in China, Germany, and other countries.

I hadnt imagined that every spring Id see more or less the same spring article predicting another terrible, if not record, Atlantic hurricane season. Or that Id hear about a May hurricane of record strength hitting the Pacific coast of Mexico.

And of course, thats just to start down what seems like an increasingly endless list. I mean, I havent even mentioned those three rare tornadoes in Germany or the record May heat wave in Spain, or but why go on? You get the idea. In fact, you or people you know are undoubtedly living that very reality, too, in some daunting fashion  and at this moment, thanks to the war in Ukraine and endless other distractions, the world is only burning yet more fossil-fuels promising so much worse to come.

To return to Chalmers Johnson, if you think about it for even 30 seconds, climate change has obviously become the greatest blowback event in human history  with almost unimaginably greater climate chaos likely to come. As he would undoubtedly have noted, if youre living in the most significant blowback nation in human history, since no other country has put more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than the United States, youre truly facing  to cite the subtitle of his book  the costs and consequences of American empire and, of course, of the imperial oil companies that continue to have such a hand in (mis)shaping our world.

Worse yet, in this century, that newest of imperial powers, China, has already outstripped this country in terms of the fossil-fuelization of this planets atmosphere. (Yet another classic case of imperial over-stretch in the offing.)

Talk about decline! These days it almost seems to precede imperial rise. Yikes!

And so many years later, just to out-Chalmers the master himself, let me offer another prediction: if the Republicans sweep into Congress in 2022 and Blowback Donald or one of his act-alikes sweeps (or even creeps) into the White House in 2024, consider that the potential end of the American story, since it would ensure that, for years to come, nothing would be done to stop the ultimate version of blowback.
Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war  both real fog and stage fog  in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked.

And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.

Yves

P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies:

Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please dont do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them.

* * *

I Rented an Electric Car for a Four-Day Road Trip. I Spent More Time Charging It Than I Did Sleeping. WSJ

Climate

#COVID19

Monkeypox

Monkeypox Tracker Global Health. Commentary: 1. A #monkeypox @WHO has released a new update. They say as of June 2, a total of 27 non-endemic countries have reported 780 cases.

The line list being maintained by https://t.co/VLiqjLB18u currently reports nearly 1000 from 39 countries. https://t.co/nRO5gux6LW pic.twitter.com/OPj3dG5cXP  Helen Branswell  (@HelenBranswell) June 5, 2022 On Monkeypox, if we could just decide to Let er rip openly and right away, instead of posturing and having many meetings and pressers, I for one would be very grateful.

China?

Myannar

Assassinations Become Weapon of Choice for Guerrilla Groups in Myanmar NYT. Local administrators for the junta have been targeted for at least a year, as NC readers know. A night with Myanmars wizards Today Nigeria News

India

UK/EU

New Not-So-Cold War

US Excludes Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua From Regional Summit Bloombergx

US to allow Venezuelan oil to be shipped to Europe: report The Hill

Biden Administration

Supply Chain

The Bezzle

Gunz

RussiaGate

The Steele Dossier and Lying to the FBI  Not Guilty as Charged John Kiriakou, Scheerpost

Capitol Seizure

Police State Watch

Our Famously Free Press

LAffaire Joffrey Epsteins

Class Warfare

Eclipse of Rent-Sharing: The Effects of Managers Business Education on Wages and the Labor Share in the US and Denmark (PDF) NBER. From the Abstract: This paper provides evidence from the US and Denmark that managers with a business degree (business managers) reduce their employees wages. Within five years of the appointment of a business manager, wages decline by 6% and the labor share by 5 percentage points in the US, and by 3% and 3 percentage points in Denmark.. We establish that the proximate cause of these (relative) wage effects are changes in rent-sharing practices following the appointment of business managers. Exploiting exogenous export demand shocks, we show that non-business managers share profits with their workers, whereas business managers do not. Professional Managerial Class. How Mega Landlords Threaten Housing Stability for Renters Invisible People (DCBlogger).

Thoughts on software-defined silicon LWN.net. Nobody tell John Deere

Debunking the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart Mad in America

Antidote du jour (via):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
(Natural News) It is official: communist China is now heading up the World Health Organizations (WHO) executive board, which fully explains why the Biden regime is pushing all of its new public health amendments.

In a unanimous vote, China was elected to control the Executive Board of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHOs governing body. The communist country will serve alongside 11 other countries in steering the direction of global public health.

Chinas occupation of the top seats at the WHA will last for three years at least  this despite the fact that the WHO blatantly lied and provided false information to investigators during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) plandemic.

Not only did China lie to investigators, but it also obstructed the investigation into the true origins of the alleged virus, as well as persecuted and even killed Chinese doctors who came forward early to warn about what was unfolding at the time.

WHA condemns Israel for posing a unique health risk to the world

UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer expressed astonishment and horror that communist China is being propped to the top of the United Nations health agency, with no apparent objections from any member nations such as the United States.

This is the regime that crushed those in Wuhan like Dr. Li Wenliang who courageously tried to warn the world about the coronavirus, Neuer tweeted from Geneva, Switzerland, on May 27.

Dr. Li, in case you missed it, was a doctor in Wuhan who was brutally silenced, according to Newspunchs Niamh Harris, by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for warning other doctors about a SARS-like respiratory disease spreading rapidly through his city.

Dr. Li died in February of 2020 at the young age of 34, supposedly from a Fauci Flu infection. The circumstances surrounding Dr. Lis untimely death remain suspiciously questionable in terms of the official story.

Neuer further condemned the installment of China to head up global public health at the WHO after several member countries called out Israel as a unique health risk to the world. North Korea was also handed the position of chair at the UN Conference on Disarmament, which has upset some.

UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet is also in the hot seat for giving Beijing a propaganda coup, to quote Harris, by failing to investigate or condemn the ongoing Uyghur genocide during her visit to East Turkistan, the region of China officially referred to as Xinjiang.

According to columnist Ross Clark of the Spectator, the WHOs executive board is now stuffed with small countries, many with lousy human rights records, which will not dare to challenge China or which will not have the political clout to do so.

Giving China this top spot, Clark added, just goes to prove that the WHO has lost all credibility, even as the Biden regime attempts to award the organization with more influence and authority through proposed amendments to the international treaty on pandemic prevention.

Interesting. What are their intentions? Is it a bribe to get China compliant again and Russia for alienating her from the only country capable of keeping her safe from grand theft and mass murder? wrote a commenter at Newspunch about the situation.

Did China want it or were they cornered into it by slanders and legal liabilities of the falsehoods told, declaring China guilty of making COVID? The deceit the world seems to accept as the truth. Id say yes, theyve been set up to APPEAR to be running WHA. In fact, they are the puppets of the puppet masters of the world. The fall guys.

To keep up with the latest news about plandemic authoritarianism, be sure to check out MedicalFascism.news.

Sources include:

Newspunch.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Joe Bidens handlers continue to have him say very contradictory things about the ongoing war in Ukraine following Russias late February invasion.

For instance, Biden has repeatedly said he does not want to engage in conflict with Russia, but he nevertheless continues to try and provoke his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, into a military response, which is dangerous on its face not because Russias army is so big and bad  the Ukrainians have proven otherwise  but because Putin has a lot of nuclear weapons at his disposal.

In an op-ed someone wrote for him that was published last week in The New York Times, Biden sought to clarify his governments position regarding Ukraine policy amid what appears to much of the public as constant incremental escalation, Zero Hedge noted.

Critically, he argued that the United States is not seeking regime change regarding Putin nor is his administration attempting to escalate toward war with Russia.

We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia. As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the United States will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow, someone from Bidens administration wrote on his behalf.

So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces, he noted further.

Zero Hedge notes further:

Now in the fourth month of war since the Feb. invasion, its very telling that Biden would himself have to take pains to clarify this, suggesting that Moscow would perhaps be fully rational and justified seeing in Washingtons economic war and (indirect) military participation in the form of training and unprecedented arms transfers aid a commitment to fighting Russia.

Its also no wonder than many observers might look upon Americas Ukraine policy and be confused, to say the least. While declaring that he doesnt want to fight Russia, Biden in the same NY Times op-ed unveiled hell be sending more advanced rocket systems and munitions to Ukraine, which will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield.

The op-ed noted that arms already being sent to Ukraine will continue while adding that billions more in U.S. aid will be sent  even as Americans struggle to find baby formula and he has left the southwestern border virtually wide open.

Biden wrote:

We will continue providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger antiaircraft missiles, powerful artillery and precision rocket systems, radars, unmanned aerial vehicles, Mi-17 helicopters and ammunition. We will also send billions more in financial assistance, as authorized by Congress.

He stressed further: 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.

But it remains that cease-fire discussions between the warring sides have not taken place much at all over the past month after they broke down amid accusations and mistrust following the previous talks in Istanbul, Turkey.

Also, though he pledged to send additional advanced rocket systems, the Biden op-ed hinted that they wont be capable of ranges that make strikes possible inside Russian borders.

We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders, he said in the op-ed.

In addition, the op-ed claimed that his administrations policy is not to prolong the war in order to inflict pain on Russia. But he then pivoted quickly, taking a contradictory tone by emphasizing that Moscow must pay a heavy price for its aggression. That echoed a previous statement by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said the objective of the aid was a weakened Russia.

Putin is aware of the incoming rocket launchers and his government has warned of the consequences of sending them.

So the escalation continues.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

NewsTarget.com
(Natural News) Dr. Syed Haider is not happy about a newly proposed bill in California that stands to criminalize physicians for administering unapproved Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) remedies to their patients.

Assembly Bill 2098, as we reported, would prohibit doctors from giving any medical advice or treatment that the state decides is off limits.

Also known as the medical misinformation bill, AB 2098 would criminalize any criticism of vaccines, as well as alternative treatments for the Fauci Flu such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin.

Like a lot of other doctors around the world, Ive just been trying to raise awareness of this, Haider says, noting that he has personally chosen to retain a lawyer because of all this.

But, like a lot of doctors in America, Ive gotten letters from the American Medical Association, the Federal State Medical Board warning me that my license is at risk if I speak out about vaccines or if I spread misinformation or if I prescribe ivermectin.

Since the beginning of the plandemic, Haider says, dissenting voices like his own have been silenced. Science and medicine are always changing, and enshrining a one-size-fits-all format for both at the state level amounts to medical tyranny.

In any scientific field or endeavor, there is no absolute truth, Haider adds. Dr. Fauci is not the science, like he claims to be.

He does not have the last word on what scientific truth is. Were always getting closer to the truth, but we have never arrived at a final truth in medicine. So, there always has to be room for debate.

Health freedom must be preserved at all costs

California is hardly the only state where such tyranny is taking place. Even if it is not enshrined in state law, saying anything negative about covid injections in any kind of health or medical setting almost everywhere in the country is considered to be misinformation or disinformation.

To say there are any risks associated with the vaccines is claimed to be misinformation or disinformation, and the working definition of misinformation or disinformation seems to be anything that would prevent someone from submitting to or doubting the FDA and CDC guidelines and recommendations, Haider laments.

The good news is that Haider is not alone in the fight, but that fight could always use more fighters. Many of our own readers have joined the fight, and we encourage anyone still on the sidelines to write their representatives to demand that health freedom be preserved and protected at all costs.

When government forces and conspires with doctors to harm people, you can be certain Satan is in charge, wrote someone at Natural News about the situation. Is this why fools emptied prisons in California, to fill cells with doctors?

First do no harm to anyone innocent, still do love thy neighbor, unless thy neighbor is a legislator who voted to harm doctors and patients of doctors (hint, all of us).

This same commenter went on to encourage people to pray and resist this encroaching tyranny by any means necessary.

Stock up on foods, water, water purification, medicines, firearms and ammo, this person added. If enough RESIST, government must act and that is the time for action, kinetic action along with like-minded people.

I beg of all to investigate and consider this: The leaders in this nation are out to harm us. They are giving us off to Great Reset and forced vaccinations. They are weakening our military fighting ability and preparing for eventual invasion by China and Russia.

Another wrote that if AB 2098 passes, we will see a culling like never before.

If keeping up with the latest news about the fight for health freedom interests you, be sure to check out HealthFreedom.news.

Sources for this article include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Concerns regarding the environmental impact of bitcoin have surfaced despite its rising prominence. Many have criticized the cryptocurrencys mining process for using up huge amounts of energy. Because of this, the U.S. treasury secretary warned of bitcoins staggering energy demand and slammed it as extremely inefficient.

CNBC reported Feb. 22 that U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen voiced out her concerns about the cryptocurrency. She told network host Andrew Ross Sorkin: I dont think that Bitcoin  is widely used as a transaction mechanism. Its an extremely inefficient way of conducting transactions, and the amount of energy thats consumed in processing those transactions is staggering.

Bitcoin mining is enormously energy intensive  and was designed to be so. According to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI), mining the cryptocurrency uses a total of 128.84 terawatt-hours every year. The amount is much more than the yearly consumption of Argentina and Ukraine.

When bitcoin first began in 2009, it was still possible to mine for the cryptocurrency on a normal computer. There are only 21 million bitcoins that can be mined, and doing so requires solving complex math problems on a computer. However, the math problems become more complicated as the number of bitcoins to be released becomes fewer and fewer. Currently, 18.5 million bitcoins have been released  making an average computer insufficient for the complex algorithms.

As the price of bitcoin rises and only 2.5 million bitcoins are yet to be released, more people are driven to jump on the cryptocurrency hype. University of Chicago economics professor Gina Pieters commented: They want to get that revenue, and thats whats going to encourage them to introduce more and more powerful machines in order to guess this random number. And therefore, you will see an increase in energy consumption.

Power-intensive bitcoin mining calls for cheaper energy sources

According to a report by The Guardian, cryptocurrency proponents argue that mining can be powered using renewable energy sources. But the huge energy demand motivates miners to look for cheaper energy sources to sustain operations. (Related: As Bitcoin wastes the worlds electricity, Bitcoin mining now a money-LOSING proposition.)

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) elaborated on this concept. The more machines a miner operates, the more likely [they] will find the solution to the puzzle. However, more machines also means that more electricity is needed to run and cool the equipment  which in turn results in higher costs for the miners in question. Miners are thus always searching for abundant electricity sources at the lowest possible price, it said. The CCAF is responsible for maintaining the CBECI.

Coal is the first thing that comes in when a cheap electricity source is mentioned, The Guardian noted. China has seen more cryptocurrency mining operations compared to other countries, and about two-thirds of its electricity still comes from coal-fired power plants. The CBECI wrote: There are valid concerns that Bitcoins growing electricity consumption may pose a threat to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the future.

Furthermore, the lack of a government body or organization keeping tabs on where bitcoin is mined and what kind of energy cryptocurrency miners use makes transparency difficult. Thus, there is no way to find out if miners use fossil fuels or renewable energy for their operations.

Mining rigs can also move from place to place, driven to where energy prices are the lowest. Camilo Mora, a geography and environment professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa commented: The places where you [mine] bitcoin can be moved around. [In] some cases, you dont even know where they are. (Related: Bitcoin mining rigs now LOSING money daily as the Bitcoin Ponzi scheme continues to unravel.)

As bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies gain ground, their huge energy requirements will slowly become a threat to power grids worldwide. Bitcoin expert Alex de Vries shared to BBC News the possible consequences of adapting bitcoin as a global reserve currency. The founder of the Digiconomist website said: [The] bitcoin price will probably be in the millions, and those miners will have more money than the entire [U.S.] federal budget to spend on electricity.

Wed have to double our global energy production for bitcoin, de Vries remarked.

Visit BitcoinCollapse.news to read more about the exorbitant energy requirements of cryptocurrency mining.

Sources include:

EcoWatch.com

CNBC.com

CBECI.org

TheGuardian.com
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
(Natural News) The United States Border Patrol (USBP) is set to test automated drones later this year from Skydio, a Redwood City, California-based startup. Skydio announced on Monday, March 8, that it had raised an additional $170 million in venture funding at a valuation of $1 billion. That brings their current funding to $340 million.

Its not clear just how fast the drones, said to be the most advanced AI-powered ones ever built, are selling. But Dun & Bradstreet estimates that Skydios revenues in 2020 were just below $5 million. However, Skydio stated that those estimates were off. The U.S. Army Air Forces alone spent $10 million in the companys drones in the last two years.

Furthermore, over 20 police agencies across the U.S. have drones from Skydio, according to Forbes. The figure was based on documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and Skydios public announcements. Some agencies got a Skydio drone for free as part of a project to help amid the pandemic.

Experts posit that working with police agencies is part of the companys attempt to compete with the dominant player in the commercial drone market: DJI. The Chinese drone giant commands 7080 percent of the market in the U.S.

Skydio bills itself as an all-American alternative to DJI. It also claims it is shipping the most advanced artificial intelligence-powered drone ever built: a quadcopter priced at $1,000. The drone can latch onto targets and follow them while dodging obstacles and capturing everything on high-definition video. Skydio claims that their drones can also predict a targets next move, even if that target were a pedestrian or a moving car.

Most advanced, autonomous drones made in the U.S.

Skydios prospects may have been helped by the U.S. governments decision last December to blacklist DJI. Its now designated as a national security concern and American companies are prohibited from exporting technology to the company.

The decision did not greatly affect DJI since customers in the U.S. can still purchase and use their drones. That said, some police agencies reportedly ditched drones from the company.

To fill in that gap, Skydio began promoting its drones self-flying technology and handed out drones for free. In an interview with Forbes, Skydio Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Adam Bry said that the company is working on making their drones trustworthy and able to fly without a pilot.

Bry worked as a software engineer at Google with Abraham Bachrach. They founded the company in 2014 with Matt Donahoe, who they met while attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Bry and Bachrach had set up Googles Project Wing, which aimed to utilize drones for delivery services.

But Skydio can do more than just large-scale delivery. Federal authorities and local police forces may find their drones helpful for conducting search-and-rescue operations or standoffs. Last year, a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit had used a Skydio drone during a standoff with armed suspects in Massachusetts.

Drones could be used for government surveillance

Bry admits that working with government agencies and police forces might mean that their drones will be used in potentially polarizing and charged situations. However, he added that steering away from such a possibility just because it is controversial would be the wrong thing to do.

Bry also stated that they will not be putting weapons on the drones. Weaponization is the one thing where you want less automation, not more, he told the New York Times.

But even without weapons, some experts fear that government agencies could use the automated drones to spy on citizens and oppress society.

In a recent article, Matt Agorist, editor-at-large at the Free Thought Project, explained that behavior prediction and autonomous surveillance from above is enough to oppress citizens, even without guns.

News of Skydios autonomous drones is also particularly concerning given the Biden Administrations virtual border. This smart wall is the governments alternative to former President Donald Trumps border wall, which received massive backlash from left-wing activists.

Now, experts warn that this new virtual border will pose a threat to immigrants and citizens alike. Unlike a real wall, a virtual border doesnt just exist along the actual border dividing countries. It extends inland into private properties, airports, domestic roads and the like.

And although a smart wall will not be as physically offensive as an actual wall, autonomous drones, infrared cameras, sensors and facial recognition are far more ominous, warned Agorist.

Unfortunately, this might soon be the reality in the U.S. as the government considers implementing automated solutions to address problems brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. (Related: Cities using creepy pandemic drones to identify people with coronavirus.)

For example, automated drones can be loaded with data from immigration and health databases. These drones can then be used to immediately check peoples travel and health data at airports. People can be barred from traveling if suspected to be infected with the coronavirus even before they board the plane.

Read more stories about the dangers of AI-powered drones at Robots.news.

Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

Forbes.com

TheNation.com
(Natural News) Americans who were counting on special counsel John Durham to get a conviction against Michael Sussmann, a former lawyer for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, on a felony charge of lying to the FBI, were sorely disappointed last week when a heavily stacked jury found him not guilty.

He was guilty, of course, because Durhams prosecutors found smoking-gun evidence: A text message to then-FBI general counsel Jim Baker in which Sussmann said he had something to pass along  the fake Donald Trump-Russian collusion lie  and that he was not acting on behalf of any clients.

He was acting on behalf of a client: The Hillary Clinton campaign.

But if this revelation isnt enough to demonstrate clearly what a filthy, slimy, stinking, incestuous pool of corruption our federal government has become, sit back. Theres more. A lot more.

Earlier this week, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) appeared on Tucker Carlsons top-rated Fox News program to deliver a bombshell: The attorneys office Sussmann worked for, Perkins Coie  a Democrat-aligned law firm that served as the go-between for the equally fake Russia dossier created by former British spy Christopher Steele  actually has an office inside the FBI. And for the kicker, theres this: Sussmann was running it until very recently.

Heres Carlsons report:

BREAKING: In response to a letter sent by Rep. Matt Gaetz and @Jim_Jordan, Perkins Coie, the legal arm of the DNC and Hillary Clinton, admits they have been operating an FBI workspace in their Washington, D.C. office since 2012. pic.twitter.com/D2k19wQ2n5  Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 1, 2022

The Democrat Partys law firm, the law firm that received $42 million from the Democratic Party, has this co-located workspace that they operate in concert with the FBI, Gaetz told Carlson.

Why in the world would that be the case? Why would Christopher Wray allow this to continue? Then you would also have to ask yourself why in the last 12 months was the person on behalf of Perkins Coie operating that worksite, Michael Sussmann himself? the Florida Republican continued.

What reason would there be for that and what leverage would the Perkins law firm have over the FBI given this work they are doing together? he added.

Nick Arama at Red State opined on the bombshell revelation:

Oh, that isnt concerning at all. 

Gaetz said he was making demands on Christopher Wray, the FBI Director, immediately to explain what was going on here, because Gaetz said it was not at all normal. Gaetz said that the Democratic Party, which has employed Perkins Coie for many years, shouldnt have this special access to the FBI.

Its not clear what is being referenced here and well have to hear what the FBI and Perkins Coie have to say about this. But if there is such a space, that raises questions given the close relationship of the law firm and the Democratic Party because the FBI is supposed to be maintaining objectivity as one of the chief law enforcement arms in this country. Weve had a lot of questions about that when it comes to the Russia probe. Is there an explanation here for this space? Id like to hear it.

So, lets see if we can recap all of this:

 During the latter stages of Trumps 2016 campaign, the FBI launched a counterintelligence investigation after being told by Hillary Clintons lawyer Trump had a secret backchannel communication link with a Russian bank, Alfa Bank;

 That was a lie, but Hillarys lawyer told Baker anyway;

 Sussmann said he wasnt acting on behalf of any client but he billed the Clinton campaign for his time so he was acting on the campaigns behalf;

 Sussmann was also running the Democrat-aligned law firms office within the FBI itself, in the shadows, because that is how the deep state operates;

 Durham charges Sussmann after catching him in an obvious lie;

 A Democrat-donor jury finds Sussmann not guilty;

 He skates; Hillary skates; all high-ranking FBI officials involved in this lie skate.

No wonder our founding institutions no longer function as designed.

Americans can expect nothing in terms of fairness and justice from the current system of government. As such, there should be nothing to compel us to pay one iotas worth of attention to anything those people demand of us.

Sources include:

RedState.com

LawEnforcementToday.com
(Natural News) With each passing day it appears as though the globalist deep state elitists are more than willing to sacrifice the lives of millions of their fellow citizens  but not themselves  in their never-ending bid to acquire more power and wealth unto themselves.

While officially the U.S.-led NATO has refrained from engaging Russian forces fighting in Ukraine after invading, the security alliance is nevertheless expending every effort to ensure that its forces, at some point, are dragged into the war.

According to Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana, the alliance believes that it is no longer bound by past commitments to refrain from deploying forces in eastern Europe.

During a meeting in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius this week, Geoana claimed that Russia has voided of any content the NATO-Russia Founding Act because of its invasion of Ukraine and ongoing offensive there. In addition, according to a report by Almayadeen, Moscows refusal to conduct talks with the alliance further negates the agreement.

Under the 1997 agreement, which sought to improve post-Cold War relations between Russia and NATO, both sides agreed to work together to prevent any potentially threatening build-up of conventional forces in agreed regions of Europe, to include Central and Eastern Europe.

In reference to Russia, the deputy secretary-general said, They took decisions, they made obligations there not to aggress neighbors, which they are doing, and to have regular consultations with NATO, which they dont. So I think that in fact this founding act is basically not functioning because of Russia.

Geoana went on to say: Now we have no restrictions to have robust posture in the eastern flank and to ensure that every square inch of NATOs territory is protected by Article 5 and our allies.

Article 5, of course, is the provision of the NATO alliance agreement that allows for the collective defense of all member nations; if one is attacked, then all others are required to come to that countrys defense. So naturally, stationing NATO forces as close to the border of Ukraine and Russia as possible, that only dramatically increases the chance of an accidental attack  a false flag, if you will  on NATO forces, which will be used as the impetus to then attack Russia, which is replete with nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them.

That said, one of NATOs more reluctant members  Turkey  is at least acting in a responsible manner.

Earlier this week, the country canceled planned NATO drills in the Black Sea, taking on the role of mediator between the alliance and Russia. The reason for Ankaras cancellation was simple: There is no reason to put NATO warships in proximity to Russian warships at the present time and dramatically increase the chance that something unfortunate would happen that would trigger a wider conflict.

If we had joined the sanctions, we would not have been able to fulfill the mediation role that we have now. We applied the Montreux Convention to warships, but the airspace, that corridor, we have to keep it open, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Outside of the convention, there have been requests from Russia, the United States for ships to pass. We have, in accordance with the convention, canceled or postponed planned NATO drills. We play an important role, and we fulfill our obligations, stated Turkeys Foreign Minister.

Everyone can now impose sanctions on anyone they want. Thats their business. We have chosen the role of mediator, we are trying to make things easier. And this position is welcomed in the EU, in the world, he added.

Sources include:

EuroWeeklyNews.com

Almayadeen.net
(Natural News) Former president Barack Obama will speak Thursday at a Stanford University forum on media disinformation alongside a group of allies linked to fake news scandals, including his former aide Ben Rhodes.

(Article by Chuck Ross republished from FreeBeacon.com)

Obama will give the keynote speech at the symposium as part of his personal crusade to fight disinformation in the digital domain. He announced this week that the Obama Foundation will work with experts to combat disinformation, which he said poses real challenges for democracy. Obama reportedly joined the fight after discussions with Apple heiress Laurene Powell Jobs, who has funded a network of fake local news sites that push Democratic talking points.

Obamas foray into the debate comes as Democrats have pressured social media companies to aggressively combat disinformation. Speakers at the Stanford forum will discuss the role of tech companies and the U.S. government in reducing political polarization.

Some of the speakers, including Obama, have themselves been accused of pushing false, politically divisive information, raising questions about their participation in a disinformation event.

Obama was awarded the 2013 Lie of the Year for declaring, if you like your health care plan, you can keep it, in order to sell Obamacare to the American public. Rhodes, a national security adviser to Obama, admitted in 2016 that he manipulated journalists in order to push favorable but misleading stories in the media. Rhodes bragged about creating an echo chamber of reporters who amplified White House spin. Rhodes also said he largely manufactured a narrative about the timeline by which the Obama admvinistration began negotiating with the Iranian government about its nuclear energy program.

Two lesser-known panelists have been at the center of disinformation firestorms. Rashad Robinson, the president of the civil rights group Color of Change, repeatedly pushed the false claim that actor Jussie Smollett was the victim of an anti-gay, anti-black hate crime in Chicago in 2019. Robinson pushed the hoax even after evidence emerged that Smollett lied to police about the attack. Renee DiResta, a Stanford researcher moderating a session with Obama, advised a technology company that created fake Russian bots in order to influence Republican voters in the 2017 Alabama special election. DiResta told the Washington Post she knew the tech company was involved in the Alabama race, but she denied knowing about its deceptive tactics.

Robinson and DiResta are speaking on a panel about the U.S. governments role in facilitating consensus and reducing polarization at home.

In addition to a post at Stanford, DiResta is a fellow at the Emerson Collective, the media investment company owned by Jobs. The company has invested in outlets like the Atlantic, Axios, and Ozy, a failed pop culture website under investigation for fraud. Jobs recently hired a public relations firm, Sunshine Sachs, that has worked for Jussie Smollett and disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Read more at: FreeBeacon.com
(Natural News) Poland has announced its plans to fine Big Tech companies whenever they censor legal free speech. Under the new law put in place by Polish authorities, a freedom of speech council will be established to make sure legal speech cannot be simply taken down. Social media firms who remove protected content face hefty fines amounting to almost $13 million.

The National Law Review reported on Feb. 12 that the Polish Ministry of Justice published on its website a new draft act on freedom of speech on social media platforms. The bill was originally announced in December 2020, but only gained momentum in January following former U.S. President Donald Trump being blocked on Facebook and Twitter. The Polish government considered the ban on Trump amid the Jan. 6 Capitol riots as censorship.

The draft bill aims to protect both the freedom of speech guaranteed in the constitution and the individual personal interests that anonymous internet users may violate. It envisions the establishment of the Freedom of Speech Council, which will decide on matters related to freedom of expression on social media.

If a website blocks an account or deletes a certain entry even though its content does not violate or infringe upon Polish law, the affected user can complain to the service provider. The provider must confirm it has received the complaint and act on it within 48 hours. The affected user can then lodge an appeal to the Freedom of Speech Council if their complaint is dismissed. If the council decides in favor of the user, the service provider must restore the blocked content or account within 24 hours. Failure to comply with the councils orders may lead to a fine of PLN50,000,000 (US$12,880,250). (Related: Poland announces measures to fine social media companies that censor free speech.)

The draft also introduces the John Doe lawsuit permitting legal action against anonymous internet users. Any affected user who wishes to sue need only provide their login details, the link where the defamatory statements were posted, the time and date of publication and the name of the website where they posted. The new procedure makes it easier for claimants to pursue their rights in civil courts. Previously, the process was very difficult as affected users must provide the alleged infringers name and address  a very difficult effort.

Polands actions aim to clamp down on Big Tech censorship

Polish Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro remarked that arbitrary censorship by Big Tech companies infringes on peoples freedoms because most political discourse and debate takes place online. Often, the victims of  censorship are also representatives of various groups operating in Poland. [Their] content is removed or blocked  because they express views  that are unacceptable from the point of view of communities with an ever-stronger influence on the functioning of social media, he said.

The minister continued: We realized that it is not an easy topic. On the internet, there should also be a sphere of guarantees for everybody who feels slandered, a sphere of limitation of various content which may carry with it a negative impact on the sphere of other peoples freedom.

However, Ziobro noted the need for tools that will enable both one side and the other to call for the decision of a body  to adjudicate whether content appearing on  a social media account really violates personal rights, whether it can be eliminated, or whether there is censorship. (Related: Emily Ratajkowski says Facebook banning Trump gives Zuckerberg too much power.)

Back in 2018, Facebook signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs. According to the terms of the MOU, Facebook users in Poland will be able to challenge the tech giants decision to refuse to restore content previously blocked or deleted. The MOU established a so-called point of contact  a government liaison who will compile appeals from users whose posts, accounts or profiles were removed. The liaisons report aims to prompt Facebook to perform additional reviews on the banned content, with the social media giant having the final say on censorship-related decisions.

Check out FirstAmendment.news to learn more about measures to curb Big Tech censorship by Poland and other countries.

Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

NatLawReview.com

EDRI.org
(Natural News) As competitor nations around the world like China continue to keep their eyes on the ultimate prize of global domination, the all-too-comfortable West is collapsing under its self-inflicted cultural, societal and political decay.

Now, apparently, the Western media has become so woke and so concerned about the concept of gender that it refuses to accurately report the nature of horrific crimes  like rape.

According to Reclaim The Net:

The BBC has been accused of violating the journalistic principle of accuracy by changing the testimony of a rape victim to avoid misgendering the accused rapist, a biological male who identifies as a transgender woman.

In the testimony, the anonymous rape victim, who is a lesbian, referred to the transgender rapist as him, saying that he raped her.

In its subsequent story on the testimony, the BBC changed the womans words to refer to the rapist as they instead of him  even though the rapist is a biological male.

The original statement noted, I was too young to argue and had been brainwashed by queer theory so he was a woman even if every fiber of my being was screaming throughout, so I agreed to go home with him. He used physical force when I changed my mind upon seeing his penis and raped me.

According to The Times of London, senior editors debated and then ultimately decided to censor the female victims words in deference to the alleged rapists preferred pronouns.

Some journalists argued that the quote should remain intact, while others said it should reflect the trans womans preferred she/her pronouns, The Times reported.

A source for The Times was quoted as saying: They were originally all-male references but the woke bros at the news website wanted to make them female because of misgendering. Its quite shocking. I cant think of any other situation where we would change the words of an alleged rape victim.

Naturally, the woketards at the BBC justified their decision.

Its routine to have editorial discussions about different stories. Our only intention when deciding on language is to make things as clear as possible for audiences, the editorial board said.

That is complete nonsense: By changing the language and the actual words, the editors literally muddied the waters and made details far less clear  because of a political decision.

This horrific example of woke editorial decision-making is far from the only one.

NewsFakes.com is reporting that wokesters throughout the mainstream media have suddenly dropped monkeypox scare stories in order to avoid offending members of the LGBTQ community:

It turns out that most of the cases of the virus have been reported by men seeking care at sexual health clinics after having sex with other men and developing symptoms. In other words, if you are not a man who has sex with other men, your risk appears to be quite low. And by talking about the virus as something undesirable, it could stigmatize gay people, and that would get the social justice warriors out in droves trying to cancel everyone.

Many of the stories about the disease in the media fail to mention that the current outbreak has been linked to two major gay sex parties in Europe. Some media outlets, like NBC News, have described them using less loaded terms like raves. One was actually a Gay Pride event held in Spains Canary Islands that attracted 80,000 people, and the other was a large-scale gay fetish festival held in Belgium known as the Darklands Festival.

Translation: The woketards in the media cant be honest or truthful about why and how this virus is spreading because they dont want to be seen as blaming the gay community for anything.

Its just another sign of the Wests decline and eventual fall.

Sources include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

NewsFakes.com
DUBBO, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 06: A giraffe looks on at Zoofari Lodge before a feeding at Taronga Western Plains Zoo on November 06, 2021 in Dubbo, Australia. Taronga Western Plains Zoos' Zoofari Lodge has been announced as a finalist in the 2021 NSW Tourism Awards for unique Accommodation. Now in its 31st year, the NSW Tourism Awards celebrate business excellence, acknowledge business innovation and reward exceptional customer service. Parts of this year's program have been modified to reflect the business challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 12-months. COVID-19 travel restrictions eased on Monday 1 November to allow people from Greater Sydney to visit New South Wales regional areas. (Photo : Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

In consideration on the evolutionary selection's merciless tug-of-war regarding commodities, a recebt discovery assumed that the giraffe's distinctive neck developed to grasp foliage that many competing plant-eaters cannot possibly grasp.

Purpose of Giraffe's Necks Based on Fossilized Bones

As per Science Alert, what appeared evident to Charles Darwin has subsequently been called into question, with certain scientists claiming that those elongated vertebrae aren't for grazing, but instead male war machines in the struggle for romance.

Not all academics agree, offering lots of opportunity for discussion over the giraffe's comical morphological characteristics.

New research centered on the cranium and vertebral column of an archaic herbivore contributed to the debate, indicating that at that one giraffe-like grazer actually featured necks adapted for pounding.

The petrified remains were first discovered more than two decades ago in northern China by archaeologist Jin Meng, who is now a conservator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

A new investigation of Meng and his associates' finding, which was published in Science, has uncovered traits of the life form that may assist in understanding the issues contributing in the evolution of the giraffe's distinctive morphology.

The recently discovered Discokeryx xiezhi, dubbed after a mythological unicorn-goat in Chinese tradition, was revealed to be an early part of the Giraffoidea tribe that inhabited the Miocene savannah 17 million years ago.

What would be more notable concerning D. xiezhi doesn't have birdlike features, instead mainly a portly frame topped with a head like a feudal footsoldier's headgear.

It's the type of headwear that can withstand a collision or two with an opponent.

It's plain, broad, and somewhat domed.

The group of investigators utilized a quantitative approach to measure the possible pressures the cranium and spine might bear through several impacts to see whether xiezhi's cranium gave benefits in actual confrontation.

Researchers discovered that the complex shape of the skeletal system could resist incredible trauma, maybe over any previous recognized head-butting mammal.

Although relatively remote related to current giraffes, the finding suggested that head-to-head fighting will not be a revolutionary habit for this species.

Also read: Why Are Male Mice Afraid of Bananas?

Fossilized Bones Started Debate on Giraffes

According to Chinese Academy of Sciences paleontologist Wang Shi-Qi, neither modern giraffe and Discokeryx xiezhi are members of the Giraffoidea tribe.

Despite their vastly different cranium and neck topologies, both are involved with male courting battles and have developed in an explicit fashion.

A correlation of the frameworks and patterns of cranium protuberances and antlers of antiquity musing animal species - such as other giraffoids, sheep, and pronghorn - suggests family members to the giraffe progressed a broader range of headgear, supporting the idea that fighting played a part in the development of the giraffe's skull and vertebral column.

The broad plains that xiezhi surrounded itself in similarly mirrored the broad meadows that contemporary giraffes developed to fit, suggesting at common characteristics.

Stable elements of dental enamel have revealed that Discokeryx xiezhi lived in meadows and could have moved occasionally.

There is no simple opportunity to show with assurance the types of stressors that are at task prodding and influencing an organism's characteristics.

Equally essential, biological evolution does not discriminate based on intention.

If a long neck aids battle, consume, and evade enemies without sacrificing health, it will survive a bit longer.

However, knowledge that there are some buttheads in the lineage may convince a couple extra researchers that a long neck may be a useful weapon in the struggle for life, as reported by EurekAlert.

Related article: High School Shocked as Mountain Lion Suddenly Wandered in a Classroom
A picture taken on May 13, 2017, shows mummies lying in catacombs following their discovery in the Touna el-Gabal district of the Minya province, in central Egypt. Egyptian archaeologists have discovered 17 non-royal mummies in the desert catacombs, an "unprecedented" find for the area south of Cairo, the antiquities ministry announced. Along with the mummies, they found a golden sheet and two papyri in Demotic -- an ancient Egyptian script -- as well as a number of sarcophogi made of limestone and clay. (Photo : Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Experts have discovered an antiquity interment of a woman lying on a bronze mattress, located at the northern Greek metropolis of Kozani.

It was built during first century B.C.

The Discovery of 2100-Year-Old Burial

The observation tower was somewhere close to the northern Greek metropolis of Kozani and goes all the way back 2,100 years ago.

As per to the official statement of the researchers and experts working on the discovery, the photograph of a bird carrying a snake in its teeth on the woman's mattress represents the Greek god Apollo.

The timber components of the female's mattress have decayed as she was entombed centuries ago, according to Live Science.

The bed's posts are decorated with mermaids.

The duvet as well depicts a bird with a snake in its mouth, an emblem of the ancient Greek god Apollo.

Furthermore, Areti Chondrogianni-Metoki, chairman of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kozani, has already told the media that the victim's head was protected in gold oak leaves, which were most probably part of an ornament.

The bed's timber components have decayed.

Gold strings, perhaps from needlework, were discovered on the woman 's palms, according to Chondrogianni-Metoki.

Further objects unearthed in the grave included four cooking pots and a crystal vase, however, no one else was interred with the woman.

Scientists examined the remains to determine the woman's maturity level, physical condition, as well as likely manner of morbidity.

Experts suspected the items they discovered showed that she hailed from a rich household, maybe a monarchy.

Scientists and researchers are currently examining the structural framework to establish the woman's wellness, average life expectancy, and likely cause of death.

The objects discovered with her indicate that she hailed from an affluent household but might have pledged allegiance to a ruling family.

Chondrogianni-Metoki told Flipboard in an interview concerning the discovery that as of the moment, researchers do not know enough about this area's chronology, which took place during the first century B.C.

Also read: Ancient City Near Tigris River Emerges After Being Submerged for Decades

The Bronze 'Mermaid Bed' of the Mummified Woman

Millions of years ago, Kozani was close an ancient city named Mavropigi, and then later on, the location has become a town that held a shrine devoted to Apollo, Chondrogianni-Metoki stated.

Written documents suggested that throughout the first century B.C., Roman dominance and authority in Greece was on the increase.

U.S. Time Post also reported that in 146 B.C., the Roman empire devastated Corinth.

In 86 B.C., they dismissed Athens.

Furthermore, in 48 B.C. The invasion force of Julius Caesar defeated a military means headed by Pompey in the Final showdown of Pharsalus in northern Greece; the landslide win ultimately resulted in Caesar gaining the de facto ruler of Roman empire.

It is unknown when in the first century B.C. this lady existed, as she would have seen or known about any of those momentous occurrences.

The woman's skeleton is presently on display at the Archaeological Museum of Aiani in Greece.

Live Science approached non-researchers for the additional information on the findings, and none have been accessible to respond at the period of publishing.

Related article: Cave in Spain Has Over 1,000 Prehistoric Wall Art by Ancient Humans 50,000 Years Ago
Mount Bulusan in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines, spewed ash and steam during an "ongoing phreatic eruption" on the morning of Sunday, June 5, according to local authorities.

Multiple media reports and social media posts suggestrd the that some rural residents have been alarmed amid fears of a looming major volcanic eruption.

The authorities raised the status to Alert Level 1, which poses a minor yet potential threat communities in the area.

There were no immediate reports of large-scale, mandatory evacuations, as well as any casualties.

Officials are still monitoring the situation as a possible eruption may occur with little or no warning.

Phreatic Eruption

In a Twitter post on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) announced the Alert Level 1 status over the Bulusan Volcano as a means to warn the public and concerned authorities.

This is to notify the public and concerned authorities of an ongoing phreatic eruption at Bulusan Volcano. Details to follow.  PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) June 5, 2022

The status is part of the Philippine agency's five-tier scale; with Alert Level 0 being the lowest and Alert Level 5 being the highest.

A level 5 is marked by a life-threatening eruption to nearby communities due to volcanic hazards, such as widespread ashfall, lethal pyroclastic flows, lava emission, volcanic earthquakes, and magmatic eruption.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) explaine the current status level means it is in a state of an abnormal condition.

Relative to its calm state before Sunday, the Bicol Region's stratovolcano has showed signs of increased volcanic activity.

The phreatic eruption occurred approximately at 10:37 a.m. PHT (local time) and lasted around 17 minutes, releasing a plume of ash into the air of at least 1 kilometer.

The grey plume was observed from a nearby municipality of the province, according to PHIVOLCS, as cited by local newspaper Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Also Read: Indonesia's Mount Ili Lewotolok Erupts, Thousands of People Evacuated

Volcanic Ashfall

There were 14 people with four tour guides hiking on the side of the volcano when the phreatic eruption occurred.

Still, all of them were able to seek refuge in a nearby town safely, according to the Associated Press.

The Associated Press also confirmed, through telephone, a statement from a local named Rica Tomale who was hanging her laundry when volcanic ashfall started pouring in the coastal town of Juban, near Bulusan where the volcano is located.

The villager also reportedly stated two motorcycles slipped since the road was covered with ash.

The drivers remained unhurt.

The towns of Casiguran and Irosin in the province were also affected by the ashfall. I

n addition, authorities reported the villages of Anog, Bacolod, Buraburan, Sangkayon, Catanusan, and Guruyan also experienced light to heavy ashfall, as cited by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Volcanic Earthquakes

Over the past 24 hours prior to the phreatic eruption, PHIVOLCS recorded 77 volcanic earthquakes.

The said eruption at Mount Bulusan occurred due to various factors, including volcanic water heating or new volcanic deposits indirectly caused by hot rocks or magma, according to PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum who told CNN Philippines.

A similar phreatic eruption occurred at Bulusan Volcano in December 2016, emitting a volcanic ash plume of up to 300 meters or nearly 2 kilometers high.

The Philippines is situated along the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," a region in the Pacific Ocean where seismic activities, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes are common due to the movement of underground tectonic plates.

Related Article: Scientists Linked a Powerful Volcanic Eruption in 2020 to Prolonged Thunderstorm
In southwest England, a yellow weather warning is in effect until Saturday, with the possibility of floods, building damage, lightning strikes, hail, or high winds as well as a slight likelihood of railway and bus service delays and cancellations.

Government forecasts have warned that a "hotter than typical" summer will bring heavy downpours and thunderstorms.

Wet weather on Jubilee Parties



On the third day of the bank holiday weekend, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and northern England will enjoy sunshine and warm temperatures, as per The Guardian.

The overall picture for the UK, according to Met Office meteorologist Steven Keates, revealed large variations, with Scotland recording its warmest day of the year on Friday at 21.6C.

On Saturday, temperatures in Scotland are predicted to rise to a high of 23C in the west Highlands, accompanied by plenty of sunshine.

Following Saturday morning's downpours, southern England is likely to get some "relief" before returning to "severe" weather overnight.

From early Sunday, thunderstorms are expected to develop over portions of England and Wales, including London, Manchester, and Cardiff, causing transport disruption and, in some areas, flooding.

A yellow alert is in effect until 6 p.m. Sunday.

Because it will be late at night, the expert don't believe people should rule out a shower for activities in London, such as the party at the palace.

At the present, it appears to be a generally dry picture with good circumstances, according to Keates.

Over the weekend, there was a north-south divide in our weather, with southern parts seeing a couple of rounds of heavy rain showers and thunderstorms and northern areas receiving fine, dry, and some warm and sunny weather.

So there are certainly major disparities around the UK, but the weather might pose some issues for some of us during the next few days, or at the very least be inconvenient, considering that many people's focus will be on outdoor activities and festivities.

Read more: Study Shows Drought Worsen Heatwaves, Making the Event Less Deadly

100 days rainfall after hot weather

Government forecasts have warned that a hotter than typical summer will bring heavy downpours and thunderstorms, as per Express.

According to the Met Office's latest three-month prediction, very high temperatures between now and August risk "likely heatwave repercussions."

"Even with a minor drop in the risk of a rainy period, spells of wetter weather are likely to bring heavy showers or thunderstorms at times," a Met Office spokeswoman said.

The three-month forecast predicts only a 5% possibility of milder weather, but a 40% chance of excessive heat, which is double that of average years.

The monsoon forecast comes as the UK prepares for a thunderstorm outbreak to commemorate the conclusion of the Platinum Jubilee vacation.

A six-hour thunderstorm warning has been issued by the Met Office for parts of southern and central England.

Experrs advised that severe rains will bring gushing floodwaters to the region, while thunder, lightning, and hail will cause power outages and traffic chaos.

Rainfall might reach one inch in a matter of hours, with two inches likely by the end of the day.

As a plume of strong storms ploughs in from France, thunderstorms will clatter over the nation until approximately 6 p.m.

Related article: Climate Experts Are Concerned About Heatwaves at Both Poles of the Earth
Last Sunday, Greek fire crews battled a wildfire near two Athens districts for the second day in a row.

Houses and cars were damaged, according to local media, and 65 fire engines and 283 firemen were still on the scene.

Although the fire has calmed down, authorities claimed that it is still blazing. Official damages estimates will be revealed once the fire has indeed been suppressed.

Wildfire in Athens

A wildfire on the outskirts of Athens, Greece's capital, is threatening houses and infrastructure, prompting officials to evacuate some inhabitants, as per The Guardian.

The wildfire has swept across the southern outskirts of Athens, from the foothills of Mount Hymettus, which dominates the city.

The fire has been aided by strong winds.

Damage to electrical wires is a risk, therefore traffic has been directed away from the area.

Some residents in the Voula and Glyfada areas, some 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) outside the city center, have been evacuated.

The fire service stated that more than 100 firemen, supported by six firefighting planes and four helicopters, tackled the wildfire that began about lunchtime in the city's neighborhood of Glyfada.

The fire broke out early Saturday afternoon.

Despite everyone's efforts, several properties were only slightly damaged, but there were no injuries or deaths, Tournas added, noting that 61 fires were reported around Greece on Saturday.

Particularly in hot, dry periods and occasional high gusts, Greece is especially vulnerable to fires all through the summer.

The country's firefighting capacities were taxed by these and other large fires, prompting aid from 24 European and Middle Eastern countries, which supplied planes, helicopters, trucks, and hundreds of firefighters.

More than 200 firemen and technological equipment donated by European Union countries will be dispatched to Greece soon, according to the European Commission, to enable a quick response to significant wildfires.

The government are still in the early stages of summer, and their goal is to mitigate the worst effects of the new phenomena brought on by the climate crisis, according to Christos Stylianides, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.

Also Read: Blazing Wildfire in Turkey That Almost Wiped Out Forest Finally Under Control

Wildfire losing intensity

Heavy winds and elements sparked a blaze in a southern Athens neighborhood on Saturday, prompting residents to leave and suffering structural damage, according to the fire department, had diminished in intensity as the winds have died down.

The fire was brought under condition overnight by 283 firemen in 65 trucks and groups of spectators.

Early Sunday, two firefighter planes and two choppers would still be in service.

Authorities said no one was hurt, but four additional areas were rescued when the wind shifted and the fire front moved closer to Vari later Saturday evening.

The fire originated at a high voltage electrical power station, according to Giorgos Papanikolaou, the mayor of Glyfada, where it initially broke out.

Last summer, Greece had its worst heatwave in decades, with flames destroying more than 100,000 hectares of forest and farmland, the country's greatest wildfire devastation since 2007.

Related article: US Wildfire Forecast: Meteorologists Predict the Western US is Set for an Intense Wildfire Season
Malaria is a fever sickness caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted to humans by mosquito bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitos.

As the efficiency of conventional antimalarial medications deteriorates, a novel approach to combating malaria that sees the illness turn against itself might provide a viable therapy for the hundreds of millions of people affected globally each year.

The study discovered ML901, an anti-malarial chemical that suppresses the malaria parasite without harming the cells of humans or other mammals.

Self-destructing parasite due to the new instrument

Professor Leann Tilley of the University of Melbourne's Bio21 Institute said the ML901 molecule essentially made the parasite the agent of its own destruction, which explains its potency and selectivity, as per ScienceDaily.

Professor Tilley said that ML901 acts through an interesting reaction-hijacking mechanism.

Consider a covert weapon that can be used to cause your car to self-destruct by slamming on the brakes and killing the engine.

ML901 identifies a flaw in the malaria parasite's mechanism for producing the proteins it needs to replicate itself and disables it.

Tests were undertaken utilizing molecules given by Takeda Pharmaceuticals in partnership with Medicines for Malaria Medicine, the apex worldwide body for antimalarial drug discovery and innovation facilities spanning five continents, during which the ML901 chemical was found.

Once within the parasite, ML901 hooked itself to an amino acid and attacked the parasite's synthesis of proteins engine from the inside, grinding it to a standstill.

Human cells are not vulnerable to ML901 because of their molecular structure.

ML901 destroyed malaria parasites that were resistant to presently used medications in experiments utilizing both human blood cultures and an animal model of malaria.

It also demonstrated quick and persistent activity, resulting in good parasite killing.

At least 200 million new malaria infections are identified each year across the world, resulting in over 600,000 fatalities in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Antimalarial resistance has risen steadily over the last 50 years, signaling an imminent catastrophe in which breakthrough treatments are sorely needed.

Professor Tilley stated that the team was prepared to explore the development of novel antimalarial medication people based on such discoveries.

Also Read: Scientists to Use Geoengineering to Lower Global Temperatures and Combat Malaria Spread

Malaria

According to the most recent World Malaria Report, there will be 241 million malaria cases in 2020, up from 227 million in 2019.

Malaria fatalities are expected to reach 627,000 in 2020, an increase of 69,000 over the previous year.

While nearly two-thirds of these fatalities (47,000) were caused by disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic, the remaining one-third (22,000) were caused by a recent adjustment in WHO's malaria mortality methodology (irrespective of COVID-19 disruptions).

The new cause-of-death technique was tested in 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, which account for nearly 93% of all malaria fatalities worldwide.

Since 2000, malaria has claimed a significantly larger toll on African youngsters, according to the approach.

Early detection and treatment decreases Malaria sickness, avoids fatalities, and helps to minimize transmission.

All suspected cases of malaria should be verified using parasite-based diagnostic tests, according to the WHO through either microscopy or a rapid diagnostic test.

Diagnostic testing allows doctors to quickly identify between malarial and non-malarial fevers, making treatment more effective.

Artemisinin-based combination therapy is the best current treatment, especially for P. falciparum malaria (ACT).

The fundamental goal of therapy is to eliminate Plasmodium parasites quickly and completely in order to avoid an uncomplicated case of malaria from escalating to severe illness or death.



Related article: Cone Snail Venom Might Hold the Cure for Malaria, Study Shows
Asteroid 2021 GT2 has been projected to safely fly by Earth's orbit at a speed of 16,000 miles per hour (26,000 kilometers per hour) on Monday, June 6, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The space rock has an estimated size ranging between 121 and 272 feet wide, comparable to triple the size of a blue whale.

The celestial object has not been considered as a potential threat to our planet.

This is due to its fly by distance of over 2 million miles, which is equivalent to around 10 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

Asteroid Detection

Asteroid 2021 GT2 was first discovered on April 4, 2021 and last observed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA on Sunday, June 5.

The space object is classified as an Aten-class asteroid, which entail its orbits the Sun closer than Earth does.

This class of asteroids, still considered to be Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), has only an orbital period or revolution around the Sun of less than a year, approximately every 342 days.

After the asteroid fly by, the next close approach of 2021 GT2 to Earth will transpire on January 26, 2034 at a distance of 9 million miles (14.5 million kilometers), which is significantly farther than the upcoming approach, according to Live Science.

Also Read: Gigantic Asteroid Will Pass By Earth in 7 Years, Do We Have Defense Against Such Threats?

Asteroid Belt

Sometimes referred to as a "minor planet," asteroids are remnants of the past during the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago.

The prevailing and current asteroid count to date is 1,113,527, according to the Solar System Exploration webpage of NASA.

2021 GT2 is only one of the many so-called "ancient space rubble" orbiting the Sun, situated between Mars and Jupiter.

This region of space is called the asteroid belt, which contains a multitude of celestial rocks that comes in varying sizes and shapes.

NASA reportedly estimate the total mass of the asteroid belt is still lesser than those of the Moon, which is far too small to weight in as an official planet.

Planetary Defense Exercise

NASA, along with other space agencies and space enthusiasts, monitors thousands of space objects.

However, the space rock of concern are those with size larger than a mere blue whale, a school bus, or the Empire State Building in New York City.

In June 2004, astronomers detected a massive asteroid called 99942 Apophis.

Concerns both in public and the media emerged in December of the same year, since initial estimates of chances Apophis hitting Earth had an asteroid impact probability of up to 2.7% in 2029.

While estimates change in value as time progresses, the latest calculation of Apophis' approach to Earth is will be on April, 13, 2029.

However, the potentially planet-killing ancient space rubble with the size of more than 1,000 feet in diameter will only be a close encounter and will not likely strike our planet.

The threat posed by Apophis is one of the several reasons why planetary defense measures are underway, including NASA's development of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which aims to deflect against NEAs and other Near Earth Objects (NEOs), like asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.

On May 31, NASA announced the conduction of a planetary defense exercise that uses Apophis as an example of a mock encounter based on real-world asteroid strike scenario.

More than 100 participants, including NASA scientists, from 18 countries joined the event.

The exercise was a product of the coordination between NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) and the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN).

Related Article: Asteroid Hits Off the Coast of Iceland, Becoming the Fifth Known Earth Impactor
The global loss of insects, particularly pollinating insects, poses a hazard to ecosystems and economies.

The figures are staggering: according to the Krefeld research, the biomass of all flying insects in Germany plummeted by 76% between 1989 and 2016.

Pesticide usage in agriculture is on the rise, which is thought to be a contributing factor.

As per a recent study by Dr. Anja Weidenmuller of the Cluster of Excellence "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour" at the University of Konstanz, the world's greatest frequently used herbicide glyphosate might help so much more to the emergence than previously thought, as per a study published on June 3.

When supplies are low, bumblebee colonies are under time pressure

Bumblebee swarms' capacity to adjust the climate of their brood is being studied by a scientist, as per ScienceDaily.

Bumblebee colonies with enough nectar as "fuel" maintain a steady temperature of around 32 degrees for their broods.

According to Weidenmuller, the animals in a colony collectively display homeostasis in the temperature regulation of their brood, much as people do.

This cooperative thermoregulation is critical for colony formation.

Only at such high temperatures does the brood develop fast from egg to bumblebee, and the colony grows from a single queen to hundreds of individuals.

Weidenmuller argued that when materials are short, the aggregate thermal decomposition of colonies that have been persistently subjected to glyphosate is definitely altered.

They are unable to keep their young warm for as long.

Her study, which she collaborated on with four researchers from the University of Konstanz, the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz, and the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, found this impact.

According to Weidenmuller, bumblebee colonies are under extreme pressure to develop as swiftly as possible in a short amount of time.

Their larvae will take longer to develop or not at all if they are unable to maintain the required brood temperature.

Also Read: Bumblebees and Narrowing Range: Climate Change is Only Reason

Glyphosate

Glyphosate is a herbicide that is often used to manage broadleaf weeds and grasses.

Since 1974, it has been registered as a pesticide in the United States, as per EPA.

EPA has evaluated and reassessed glyphosate's safety and usage since its initial registration, including undergoing registration review, a procedure that re-evaluates each registered pesticide on a 15-year cycle.

EPA issued an interim decision for registration review in January 2020, after receiving and evaluating public comments on the glyphosate proposed interim decision.

As part of this action, EPA continues to determine that when glyphosate is used according to its existing label, there are no concerns to human health.

The EPA also discovered that glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, glyphosate is now licensed for use in the EU until December 15, 2022. (EFSA).

In 2019, the Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG) submitted an application for renewal.

Weidenmuller's study method may be used for any pesticide in theory.

They still don't know much about the effects of several popular pesticides, such as various herbicides and fungicides, on wild bees and other pollinators, the scientist said.

Test methodologies for determining the dangers associated with our substantial use of pesticides should be revisited as part of our consideration of future agricultural practices.

Related article: Bumblebees Huddle in Packs When Danger's Near
Dementia has been known to overwhelm the elderly population due to deteriorating effects to the cognitive function of the brain, including recollection, judgement, and thinking.

The most common form of dementia is the notorious brain disorder called Alzheimer's disease, known for its gradual memory loss and impact to other cognitive abilities.

Previously thought to be an isolated factor, heart disease has been found to potentially trigger dementia, according to a new study.

In particular, the novel research blamed fat build up or plaque buildup in the blood vessels to be the culprit behind the health risk.

Heart disease affects millions of people worldwide, leading to either hospitalization or death.

With the heart illness posing a risk for both brain-related medical conditions, new insights may shed light for changing an approach towards their treatment.

Heart-Brain Connection

In the research published in the journal eLife on January 11, scientists from the University of Sheffield in England, United Kingdom, found that there is a connection between the heart and the brain in terms of the indirect, yet causal, development of dementia.

The study discovered that heart disease triples the amount of an Alzheimer's protein in the brain.

The researchers stated that such process transpires amongst patients with heart disease, especially before the fat buildup inside the blood vessels of the brain.

The scientists reportedly described the event as a prelude to dementia, which is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting the functions of the brain.

Severe cases of dementia can lead to the disruption of daily life.

Also Read: Food Served on Bright Yellow Plates Can Help Dementia Patients Remember to Eat

Neurovascular Coupling

In spite of the findings, it remains unclear how some types of vascular dementia can happen years before the brain's arteries hardens and thickens.

Nevertheless, the UK researchers attributed the failure of brain process called neurovascular coupling to be the link for the development and progress of various neurological conditions, including dementia.

The study defined neurovascular coupling as a critical brain mechanism that any alterations or changes in cerebral blood flow still connects passing neural activity.

Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasized that dementia is not a disease but a connotation to describe the impaired ability of a person to engage in decision-making, remembering, and other brain functions as mentioned earlier in this article.

Aside from Alzheimer's disease, the following are the most common types of dementia:

Vascular dementia

Lewy body dementia

Fronto-temporal dementia

Mixed dementia

The CDC pointed out that Alzheimer's disease is not a part of normal aging, even if it affects mostly older adults.

Within a population of at least 65 years old, 5 million have suffered from dementia in 2014 and the organization projected this could reach almost 14 million by the year 2060.

Heart Disease

Due to the new findings linking heart disease with brain arteries, the number of cases as projected by the CDC could increase even more, due to the fact that individuals with the heart ailment are at increased risk of developing dementia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges cardiovascular diseases or CVDs as an umbrella term to depict the group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels.

Heart disease is included within this group.

The WHO says CVDs are one of the main causes of death worldwide with approximately 17.9 fatalities annually.

Related Article: New Study Finds Connection Between Cholesterol and Heart Attack Inconsistent
Degraded ecosystems harm more than three billion people.

Pollution causes nine million people worldwide to die each year, and over one million plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction, with many facing extinction within decades.

Individual people, community members, society organizations, enterprises, and various governments celebrated World Environment Day today under the theme #OnlyOneEarth, with official festivities hosted in Stockholm, and host country Sweden declaring a ban on announcing additional licenses for the harvesting of coal, oil, and fossil fuels beginning July 1 to protect human health and the environment.

The world environment day

The United Nations' main vehicle for increasing global environmental awareness and action is World Environment Day.

Since 1973, the day has served as a critical venue for encouraging progress on the Sustainable Development Goals' environmental components in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The day has been used to promote awareness and build political momentum around major environmental challenges, such as toxic chemical pollution, desertification, and global warming since 1973 as per the UN News.

It has subsequently evolved into a worldwide action platform, assisting in the transformation of consumer behavior as well as national and international environmental policy.

UN Chief Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the importance of a healthy environment for people and the Sustainable Development Goals by providing food, clean water, medicines, climate management, and protection from extreme weather occurrences.

He claimed that nearly half of humanity is already in the climate danger zone, with people 15 times more likely to die as a result of climate impacts, such as extreme heat, floods, and drought.

He also claimed that there is a 50:50 chance that global temperatures will exceed the Paris Agreement limit of 1.5C in the next five years.

The Secretary-General made measures to activate renewable energy everywhere by lowering red tape, transferring subsidies, and doubling investment, as well as making renewable technologies and raw materials available to everybody.

For the sake of mankind and their own financial line, organizations must prioritize sustainable development in their decision-making.

He claimed that healthy earth is the foundation of practically every enterprise on the globe.

Also Read: How World Environment Day 2020 is Being Celebrated Despite a Raging COVID-19 Pandemic

Global actions on the world environment day

Annika Strandhall, Sweden's Minister for Climate and Environment, announced the ban during the official World Environment Day festivities in Stockholm

Creating the green employment of the future by expediting the climate transition is one of the top goals for the Swedish government, she said.

People must take action against behaviors that have a harmful impact on our health and the environment as part of our efforts to achieve our climate goals.

The victors in the global competition will be those that accelerate the transition, not those who fall behind and cling to fossil fuel dependence, she noted.

Meanwhile, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, David Boyd, has cautioned that wars are worsening environmental damage and human rights crimes.

According to him, peace is a necessary condition for long-term growth and full enjoyment of human rights, especially the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

He said that conflicts use "massive amounts" of energy, create "large emissions of climate-disrupting greenhouse gases," pollute the air, water, and land, and damage ecosystems.

World Environment Day 2022

World Environment Day will be observed for the 49th time in 2022.

It was founded in 1972 during the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, and it is commemorated every year on June 5th, with a new country hosting it each year.

#OnlyOneEarth is the topic for this year's World Environment Day, which was first observed in 1973.

It asks for worldwide collective, revolutionary action to honor, defend, and repair our planet.

Hundreds of millions of people throughout the world joined worldwide social media debates calling for immediate environmental conservation and restoration.

Hundreds of thousands of people planned their own events, such as planting millions of trees, cleaning up rubbish, and doing acts to draw attention to the fact that there is only one Earth.

On World Environment Day, governments and communities all across the world took action to improve their ecosystems.

A historic call on climate-responsible financing was signed by religious leaders.

These groups will only work with financial institutions that support the Paris Agreement's goal of reducing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Related article: Happy Earth Day 2017! UN Calls for Environmental and Climate Literacy to Save Mother Earth
Shark sightings over the Memorial Day weekend forced local authorities to launch the fin finder program known as Hempstead Town Shark Patrol on Long Island, New York.

The operation was announced after a fisherman in the town saw a 10-foot-long shortfin mako shark near the Point Lookout site on Long Beach Barrier Island on Monday, May 30.

Launched on Friday, June 3, the shark patrol program came several days and weeks after related shark sightings were reported in different areas along the East Coast of the United States.

The sightings raises concern for the general public, especially for beachgoers.

Over recent years, shark attacks along US coastal areas have resulted in injuries and even death.

Various anti-shark attack measures have also been implemented, including the placing of warning signs on beaches where shark activity is present or has increased.

Shortfin Mako Shark

The marine animal in focus in Long Island is the shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), also called blue pointer or bonito shark.

The said species is a large predatory shark and can reach up to 12 feet in length and weigh at least 1,200 pounds (545 kilograms), according to Oceana, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. which aims to promote ocean conservation.

The organization claims the shortfin mako shark is the fastest living shark and one of the fastest fish on Earth.

Given the physical features and capabilities of the dangerous, sharp-toothed predator, the launching of the shark patrol in the New York state town has been deemed as necessary.

Also Read: Basking Shark Sightings Decrease Off the Coast of California: New Study Confirms

Shark Patrol

The shark patrol allowed Long Island lifeguards to stand from their usual post along beach shores and ride jet skis through the town's south shore beaches to help bay authorities monitor the dangerous fish, according to WABC-TV, as provided by the New York Post.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin stated on June 3 that the team of lifeguards will also be in the stands gazing at the swimmers and their surrounding water for any signs of a shark presence, particularly any sort of fins, as cited by New York Post.

In addition, authorities are said to be investing in sending crews into the waters and other coastal areas in the region.

New York Shark Sightings

Marine life experts reportedly state shark sightings in New York waters are common in July and August as the sharks are known for migrating northward and feed near the shore.

The New York Post highlights shark sightings are increasing on Long Island recently, with a significant uptick over the last two years compared in the previous decade.

Other shark sightings have been reported recently.

In May, the 1,000-pound great white shark with the name of "Ironbound" was detected off the East Coast.

Ironbound was recorded to be swimming in the coastal waters for several months as it was expected to head north, according to NBC Boston.

In Massachusetts, renewed sightings of great white sharks were reported on the waters off Nantucket.

The sharks were seen devouring a humpback whale carcass.

The city also witnessed a separate incident where a great white shark was feasting on a live seal.

Related Article: Great White Sharks Feast on Humpback Whale Carcass Off the Coast of Nantucket
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RTHK: Airline slammed over Afrikaans tests for S Africans

Ryanair is requiring South African passengers to prove their nationality before travelling by completing a test in Afrikaans, a language used by just 12 percent of the population that has long been identified with apartheid and the white minority.

Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, which does not operate flights to and from South Africa, said it required any UK-bound passengers from the country to fill in the "simple questionnaire" due to what it described as a high prevalence of fraudulent South African passports.

"If they are unable to complete this questionnaire, they will be refused travel and issued with a full refund," a spokesman for the Irish airline said.

South Africa's Home Affairs department, which has warned of syndicates selling fake passports, said it would issue a statement on the Ryanair test.

The UK High Commission in South Africa said on Twitter that the Ryanair test was not a British government requirement to enter the United Kingdom. The Irish High Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The low cost carrier said the test would apply to any South African passport holder flying to Britain from another part of Europe on the carrier. The airline did not immediately respond to a query about why it would apply to those routes, given Britain says it is not a requirement.

The test, which is already being conducted, triggered a backlash from South Africans in Johannesburg.

"It's very discriminatory to a whole host of South Africans who don't speak Afrikaans," Siphiwe Gwala said.

"They're using this (test) in a manner that is utterly absurd," Conrad Steenkamp, the chief executive officer of the Afrikaans Language Council, said when asked if this was the correct way of determining if the passengers were indeed South African.

Afrikaans is the third most spoken of 11 official languages in South Africa, used by 12 percent of the 58 million people in the country. It was considered the official language until the end of apartheid in 1994.

The language was born of Dutch settlement in South Africa in the 17th century, and has long been identified with racial classification and the ideology of apartheid which was primarily enforced by the white minority National Party from 1948. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-06-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. Record high temperatures expected. High 99F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 74F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The round Century 21 building at Third and John streets, shown at right in this view of Campustown looking southeast from Scott Park, turns 50 this year. For the first 36 years of its existence, it was the tallest building in Champaign.
Quenton Tompkins' family tree is deeply rooted in rural McCormick County, South Carolina.

His grandfather was a sharecropper in McCormick. His mother, who turns 88 this month, grew up as the youngest of 24 children. Branches of aunts, uncles, and cousins now stretch from Florida to Chicago.

And although 48-year-old Tompkins has heard plenty of stories, his family holds its secrets, too.

He didn't know until he was an adult that his grandfather died of leukemia. And he's still unsure if his father's bout with prostate cancer runs in the family. Tompkins' mother and her siblings have dealt with a range of health issues, including diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes, but he still doesn't know what killed his grandmother more than 70 years ago.

"Those are questions I go through personally," said Tompkins, a lobbyist for the Medical University of South Carolina. "There's another side to knowing where you come from."

Twenty-two years ago, President Bill Clinton announced the completion of a "draft version" of the Human Genome Project, a breakthrough he described as "the language in which God created life." He predicted that scientists, armed with genetic discoveries, would find cures for Alzheimer's disease, cancer, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes in the coming years.

Clinton's prediction, of course, hasn't yet come to pass. But researchers in Charleston are hopeful that a large genetics research project underway across South Carolina may help scientists address some of the state's persistent health disparities, which disproportionately impact its Black residents and regularly rank among the nation's worst.

The university health system intends to enroll 100,000 of South Carolina's 5 million residents in genetic testing over the next four years in hopes of better understanding how DNA influences health. Researchers also want to recruit participants who reflect the diversity of the state's population.

It's an ambitious goal. With nearly 27% of South Carolina residents identifying as Black or African American, the MUSC genetics research project, called "In Our DNA SC," would  if successful  accomplish something most other genetics research projects have failed to do. Historically, diverse participation in this type of research has been very low.

"There's a trust factor. It's plain and simple," said Tompkins, who is developing an outreach program for the project.

He referenced Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman in Baltimore whose cells were used without her or her family's knowledge for research purposes by doctors at Johns Hopkins University in the 1950s, and the Tuskegee syphilis study, conducted over nearly 40 years starting in the 1930s. Researchers deceived hundreds of Black men enrolled in the study, telling them they were being treated for syphilis when, in fact, they were left untreated, even after penicillin became widely available.

"Those are still fresh in many people's minds," Tompkins said. "We've come a long way from those stories  it doesn't dismiss what happened  but there are a lot more controls and oversight in place to ward those things off from happening again."

But it's not only history feeding this distrust. Bias and racism evident in medicine today contribute to the problem.

Diversity in genetics research is so low that approximately 90% of participants in projects launched since the first sequencing of the human genome have been individuals of European descent or those who identify as white, said Dr. Shoa Clarke, a pediatric cardiologist and geneticist at Stanford University.

These numbers affect real-life health care. Clarke and others published research last year showing that a DNA-based tool used to assess a patient's risk of developing high cholesterol works reliably well only when administered to those of Northern European descent. That's because the tool was developed using information from genetic "bio-banks" largely made up of DNA from white people. And aside from a large DNA bank compiled by the Department of Veterans Affairs, this is generally the norm.

Human beings, regardless of race, are more than 99% genetically identical, but small variations and mutations passed down through generations can influence health outcomes in huge ways, Clarke explained.

"Genetics is not the cause of health disparities," he said. "But as we move toward using genetics in clinical settings, it's very possible they could create new disparities."

In South Carolina, health disparities between Black and white patients are already acute, said Marvella Ford, a researcher at MUSC's Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston.

"South Carolina  compared to the rest of the country  we're usually in the bottom tier," Ford said. The prostate cancer mortality rate in South Carolina, for example, is 2 times higher for Black men than white men, she said.

"When you look at most other chronic conditions," she said, "you see the same thing."

She called the genetics project at MUSC "a great opportunity to open the doors." Even so, thetopic of recruiting Black research participants for genetics studies is complex.

"There's debate on how we should be doing this work," said Shawneequa Callier, an attorney and an associate professor of bioethics at George Washington University. "There's just so much diversity in Africa. It's the cradle of humanity."

Men and women transported to Charleston and other American port cities during the transatlantic slave trade came from a wide region of Africa  mostly from West Central Africa, but in large numbers from regions farther north, too. Once in America, they were often separated and forced hundreds of miles apart. This explains why someone whose ancestors lived on one of South Carolina's barrier islands may have inherited different genetic variants than someone from a multigenerational Black family inland in McCormick County, just north of Augusta, Georgia.

That's also why categorizing genetics research participants simply as "Black" or "African American," without more context, may not yield particularly useful research insights, Callier said.

"If you don't study the data and study it well, that's a real dereliction of ethical duty," Callier said.

Those who choose to participate in the MUSC project stand to benefit from it directly, its organizers said. After submitting a saliva sample, each participant will receive a report indicating if they have one or more of three genetic conditions that may put them at a higher risk for heart disease and certain cancers  such as one of the BRCA mutations linked to breast cancer. If they test positive for one of these conditions, they will be connected at no cost to a genetics counselor, who can assist with information and treatment options related to a patient's inherited risks. Participants will also learn where their ancestors likely lived.

The de-identified DNA data will then be used by researchers at MUSC, as well as those at Helix, a private California-based genomics company, which will process the saliva samples and extract the genetic information from each participant's sample. Researchers at MUSC and Helix have indicated they hope to use the results to better figure out how DNA affects population health. Heather Woolwine, an MUSC spokesperson, said the project will cost $15 million, some of which will be paid to Helix. Hospital revenue will fund the research, she said.

Tompkins expects to receive a lot of questions about how it all will work. But he's used to questions. He said he encountered much of the same hesitancy when he helped set up MUSC covid testing and vaccine sites across the state. Many people  regardless of race  worried microchips or tracking technology had been embedded into the covid vaccines, he said.

Tompkins found that the key to persuading residents in rural parts of the state to consider the covid vaccine was to seek out invitations from trusted, local leaders, then set up events with them. South Carolina's covid vaccination rate remains lower than the national average, but Tompkins said some skeptics have been more receptive to MUSC's message because the hospital system has focused on building relationships with organizers outside Charleston. He hopes to use those relationships to spread word about the new genetics research project.

"You have to build those relationships and find community champions that can help you open doors and gather people," he said. Then, it's about "letting them choose."
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers reviewed and analyzed data from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serosurveys supported by the United States (US) Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) in the low- and middle-income (LMI) countries.

Background

Seroprevalence surveys assess the prevalence of pathogen-specific antibodies in the serum. Accordingly, they have been used to assess the prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, and C viruses to inform the public health models for disease control and eradication.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence survey data could complement case-surveillance data and also provide critical information to guide public health strategies. It could indicate the actual burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), showcase the population immunity for a region, identify transmission hotspots and at-risk groups, and help assess the vaccination coverage.

Only 23% of seroprevalence studies conducted during 2020 were from LMI countries. Therefore, the CDC and other international players, including the World Health Organization (WHO), offered support for seroprevalence studies in the LMI countries in the mid-2020.

About the study

The US CDC supported 72 international serosurveys between May 12, 2020, and February 28, 2022, in 35 LMI countries. Via its offices in the LMI countries, the CDC provided technical assistance (TA) on statistical, epidemiologic, laboratory methods, and financial assistance (FA) for these serosurveys. They also provided training for sampling and laboratory techniques, local staff, protocol development, data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of the results. Additionally, the CDC encouraged countries to use the WHO UNITY protocol to ensure some degree of standardization wherever possible.

The US CDC activated its emergency operations center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on January 20, 2020, and created an international task force to handle its incident management system. Comprised mainly of the CDC staff, this workforce monitored the CDCs role in the global response to implementation and monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 international seroprevalence studies and received funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

A virtual monthly group call facilitated communication between the CDC headquarters and country office staff engaged in seroprevalence work. A Microsoft Excel-based tracker for CDC-supported international seroprevalence surveys helped the project staff update the status of protocol development and implementation for each survey. The authors used this data to review and analyze information for the current paper.

The current review describes all the CDC-supported serosurveys with their goals and characteristics. The analysis covers the WHO region of the survey, study design and population surveyed, type of assistance provided by the CDC, viz., TA, FA, or both, laboratory testing used, survey implementation, and result dissemination status. The researchers also discuss the challenges faced during the survey implementation and suggested measures to use serosurvey data to inform public health action.

Study findings

Of the 72 serosurveys supported by the CDC, 61% received both TA and FA, while 30% and 3% received only TA and only FA, respectively. The remaining six percent were part of the informal reviews.

Regarding the target audience, 54% of these surveys targeted the general population within the WHO African region, whereas 13%, 7%, and 7% targeted sample pregnant women, healthcare worker cohorts, and other specific population segments, such as patients, and students, etc., respectively. The remaining 18% targeted other populations, e.g., truck drivers.

Interestingly, around 55% of studies used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in serum, while only 11% used a rapid antigen test. While the researchers assessed 63% of survey rounds against WHO UNITY criteria, only 79% used methods aligned with its criteria. The CDC-supported studies were in different stages of implementation. Notably, they were conducted by the local governments, which had ownership over the data. However, CDC could obtain limited and temporary access to seroprevalence data for analysis.

A meager 34 serosurvey rounds had completed data collection, while only five studies (6%) conducted in Africa were published. Among the published data, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence estimates ranged from 2.1% in Zambia to 34.7% in Kenya. Likewise, infection to reported cases ratios ranged from 21:1 in Ethiopia to 295:1 in Senegal.

Conclusions

The assistance provided by the CDC strengthened the local capacity to conduct SARS-CoV-2 epidemiologic surveillance in several LMI countries. However, the challenges in the study implementation and the interpretation of seroprevalence results constantly evolved.

Therefore, it was crucial to identify and forecast epidemic patterns over time, resolve the long-lingering question of correlates of protection (CoP) for SARS-CoV-2, and integrate COVID-19 serosurveillance with surveillance of other pathogens, including Plasmodium species, Dengue viruses, and other human coronaviruses. Notably, antigenic cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and these pathogens fetch false-positive results for SARS-CoV-2 serologic testing. To address this, CDC recommended conducting independent in-country validations of results, especially in the WHO African region.

The introduction of COVID-19 vaccines also challenged the design and implementation of SARS-CoV-2 serosurveys and the interpretation of their results. For instance, in the countries where a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey design could not distinguish between natural and vaccine-induced immunity, it could not identify potentially at-risk populations and allocate vaccines efficiently. Likewise, the phenomenon of the waning of immunity hampered the assessment of both the actual burden of COVID-19 and vaccination coverage.

It is noteworthy that the type of antibody assay, test timing, and severity of infection impact the efficacy of serosurveys. Therefore, the CDC introduced new seroprevalence protocols. They also adapted the existent ones to address the epidemiologic, laboratory, and other considerations of vaccine introduction. Overall, the CDC's support for international seroprevalence surveys greatly helped guide public health interventions to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic at the global level.

*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.
Global company Finsen Tech, the world-renowned pioneers in UVC innovation to control the spread of infectious pathogens, has entered into an alliance with successful UK-based market opportunity specialist Sanollo.

The deal, which has once again demonstrated the efficacy of Sanollos unique business model, has created an entirely new portfolio of agreed distributor networks for Finsen Tech in South Africa, Norway, Switzerland, Croatia and Spain.

Finsen Tech specialises in the design and manufacture of life-saving UVC disinfection products and services which can be effectively utilised across healthcare, hospitality and other sectors.

Founded seven years ago, the company operates on the premise that UVC light is a known disinfectant for surface, objects and air, and interest in Finsen Tech products has peaked in line with the heightened awareness of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), whose UVC technology has been shown to destroy.

Finsen Technologies has a suite of exciting products and a terrific team and, when we get in front of potential customers, conversion to sales quickly follows. Major international trade fairs, however, are crowded and competitive events and the expertise, market knowledge and contacts that Sanollo brought to the table were invaluable in putting us face-to-face with decision-makers and signers. Finding new partners and distributors can be time-consuming and costly and outsourcing our international business development to Sanollo considerably eased pressure on staff and brought in the positive results we were looking for. Bill Passmore, CEO of Finsen Tech Group

In choosing to partner with Sanollo, Finsen Tech effectively outsourced its international sales and market development capability. For less than the cost of a single in-house sales asset, Sanollo delivered ten market entry reports, five signed distributors who purchased capital equipment, and 3x sales to investment revenue  all within the first year.

Also, as Sanollo is a UK-based consultant, Finsen Tech was able to claw back part of its investment in Sanollo through the DIT Internationalisation Fund which is designed to help eligible SMEs expand their international market presence by providing matched funding of 40% to 50% of projects up to 9,000.

The engagement with Finsen Tech, said Sanollo Director James Hardie, demonstrated that the return on investment provided by the Sanollo model of expert guidance and advocacy significantly outpaced the cost to clients of employing their own in-house international business development specialists.

The return on investment (RoI) on using the experience, knowledge and business analysis processes of Sanollo is in the region of 300%, as opposed to salary and other hiring costs of more than three times as much to achieve the same sales results. By engaging with Sanollo on this project Finsen Tech gained a team of three experienced medical sales specialists. Finsen Tech was able to scale business development quickly and efficiently by leveraging Sanollos resources. Through understanding the market, the product and Finsen Techs growth goals, Sanollo was able to work with Finsen Tech to create the ideal distributor profile, directly engage with the target partners and motivate them to proactively deliver sales. Our mission has always been to help the best medical technology enter new markets and our insight reports, market strategy, trials and distributor management allow any company to build their international business. James Hardie, Sanollo Director

Sanollo has built its brand on the knowledge that having to sell a product to a succession of distributors can be time-consuming and susceptible to cultural nuances in diverse international markets.

It has managed distribution partners even in the most challenging environments, such as India, Iraq and Nigeria, and has continued to deliver success across a range of products, from software to consumables.
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A new clinical trial studying the effectiveness of a combination of immunotherapy treatments could be more effective for patients with ovarian cancer who are resistant to traditional interventions.

The University of Cincinnati's Thomas Herzog, MD, is presenting a poster describing the new trial, called ARTISTRY-7, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago today.

Herzog explained that ovarian cancer can be a difficult disease to recognize and diagnose at first due to vague and mild symptoms, which in turn makes it difficult to treat. Treatments include surgery and platinum-based chemotherapies, which contain the chemical element platinum as part of their molecular make-up and form structures that prevent cancer cells from growing or cause them to die.

A majority of patients' cancers will eventually develop resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy, Herzog said. For platinum-resistant ovarian cancers, the standard of care is a non-platinum chemotherapy, but this treatment offers a low likelihood of long-term effectiveness.

Trial design

The trial will examine the effectiveness of a combination of two immunotherapy drugs called nemvaluekin alfa and pembrolizumab, compared to the standard of non-platinum based chemotherapy. Immunotherapy helps boost and train the body's own immune system to identify and kill diseased cells.

There is a high unmet clinical need for treatment of patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, and the ARTISTRY-7 trial provides a pathway to meet those unmet needs by incorporating cutting edge scientific advancements in targeted cancer therapy in a treatment regimen in combination with pembrolizumab." Thomas Herzog, deputy director of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, clinical director and Paul and Carolyn Flory Professor in Gynecologic Oncology in the UC College of Medicine and a UC Health gynecologic oncologist

Pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, is a well-established immunotherapy drug used to treat a variety of cancers. Nemvaleukin alfa is a novel drug created by drug company Alkermes that received Food and Drug Administration fast track designation last fall to accelerate the review of the drug's safety and effectiveness.

"Nemvaluekin alfa is a drug that works with your body's immune system to expand the cancer fighting immune cell," Herzog said. "It is based on an established immune pathway which has shown promise in certain cancer types."

Herzog said the trial will enroll and randomly assign 376 patients into one of four study arms. One group of patients will receive both immunotherapy drugs, one group will receive nemvaluekin alfa only, another group will receive pembrolizumab only and the final group will receive standard chemotherapy treatments.

The solo immunotherapy arms will be monitored for ineffectiveness early in the trial, with an option to close these groups before full enrollment if they prove futile. Herzog said single immunotherapy treatments for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer have not shown to be effective in the past, and he is excited to see if the combination immunotherapy approach can provide a new treatment option for patients.

ARTISTRY-7 is a Phase 3 trial, meaning it is designed to confirm preliminary evidence from previous trials that the treatment option is safe, beneficial and effective for the patient population, and Herzog said the preliminary evidence has been promising. Alkermes is the sponsor of the trial, and Herzog helped design the study for the specific patient population it will target.

Trial locations have already opened in Florida and New York, and Herzog said UC will soon begin enrolling patients and serve as a trial site as well.

"If this trial is successful, patients will have a novel treatment option where limited options exist, and it allows a break from repetitive chemotherapy, thereby potentially having better efficacy and safety profiles," he said.

Herzog will present his poster, "ARTISTRY-7: A phase 3, multicenter study of nemvaleukin alfa in combination with pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy in patients (pts) with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer," during the ASCO 2022 Gynecologic Cancers poster session on June 4 from 1:15-4:15 CDT.
Professor Diane Griffin from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, has recently explained the persistence mechanism of viral RNA in the human body after clinical recovery from acute infection. The article has been published in the journal PLOS BIOLOGY.

Background

Viruses require a continuous chain of transmission between infected and susceptible individuals to persist. After acute infection, DNA viruses, such as Herpes viruses, can undergo a latent phase wherein no infectious virions are produced. DNA viruses adopt this strategy to persist in the human body. These viruses can reactivate after months, years, or decades to produce infectious virions and subsequently infect a new group of susceptible individuals.

RNA viruses that cause acute infections by transiently producing infectious virions require an efficient transmission process to persist in the human population. However, in some cases, viral RNA remains in the human body even after eliminating infectious virions. In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, detectable levels of viral RNA have been observed after acute infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Such long-term presence of viral RNA might be associated with the prolonged manifestation of symptoms commonly known as long COVID.

Existing literature indicates that viral RNA mostly persists in immune-privileged sites, such as the brain, eyes, and testes. In addition, viral RNA can be present in the blood, joints, respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, kidney, and lymphoid tissue.

Form of viral RNA that persists in the system

Viral RNA detected in clinical samples by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is often present in degraded or fragmented form. However, studies have shown that full-length viral RNA can eventually resume productive replication in the absence of host immune control.

Because RNA viruses replicate primarily in the cytoplasm, it is most likely that viral RNA persists in this site. For nonretroviral RNA viruses, reverse transcription by cellular enzymes facilitates their persistence as endogenous viral elements. In the cytoplasm, the RNA of negative-stranded viruses is protected by the ribonucleocapsid. Similarly, positive-stranded viruses associate with membranous structures to protect the RNA.

Mechanisms facilitating viral RNA persistence

The innate immune system acts as the first line of defense to recognize and eliminate viral RNA. Innate immune responses include induction of interferon response and production of interferon-stimulated antiviral proteins that help eliminate viral RNA from the body. However, for the complete elimination of infected cells, the production of virus-specific antibodies and T cells (adaptive immune response) is required.

Acquisition of escape mutations in viral RNA sequences through positive selection is regarded as the major mechanism of immune evasion. Because of these mutations, the production of infectious virions can be suppressed, facilitating the survival of infected cells and the persistence of viral RNA.

Specifically, certain mutations that appear in the viral RNA may reduce the assembly of infectious virions and surface expression of viral protein so that the virus can escape immune cell-mediated recognition and elimination. These mutations help the virus transmit viral RNA to uninfected cells without producing infectious virions.

Furthermore, host-induced adaptive immune responses may trigger the elimination of infectious virus through noncytolytic mechanisms that allow the survival of the infected cell. Viral RNA can persist in cells that are survived. Collectively, these processes help maintain a detectable viral RNA pool even after recovery from acute infection.

Clinical consequences of viral RNA persistence

Viral RNA is capable of inducing innate immune responses and chronic inflammation. Despite not being replicated or assembled to form infectious virions, viral RNA can be translated to synthesize viral proteins, leading to chronic stimulation of adaptive immune responses.

Clinical consequences of such chronic immune stimulation depend on the site of viral RNA persistence. Studies have shown that the long-term presence of alphavirus RNA in synovial tissues is associated with chronic inflammation and joint pain. Similarly, the prolonged presence of enterovirus RNA in the myocardium has been associated with cardiac abnormalities.

In severe COVID-19 patients, SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in the blood during recovery. This indicates the systemic spread of the infection that might be responsible for the induction of long-COVID. A state of hyperinflammation and vascular injury has been documented in COVID-19 patients presenting various symptoms even three months after acute infection.

Long-term stimulation of adaptive immune responses in the lymphoid tissue could benefit the hosts in terms of inducing durable immunity against reinfection. Infection with the measles virus has been associated with long-lasting immunity because of the persistence of viral RNA in the lymphoid tissues. In contrast, induction of only short-lived immunity has been observed in SARS-CoV-2 infection due to a lack of RNA persistence in the lymphoid tissue.
Katie Coleman stood face-to-face with a choice no job seeker should ever have to make. She could tell her prospective employer she had stage 4 kidney cancer, the most life-threatening stage of all.

Or she could stay mum.

She knew she risked losing any shot at the job by being honest about her diagnosis  or risked losing her self-respect by keeping quiet about it.

This may sound like the plot of an episode of "Grey's Anatomy." It's not. It's the decision that confronted the 31-year-old resident of Austin, Texas, who has been battling the deadly disease for nearly three years.

"The number of ppl advising me to not disclose my [diagnosis] is astounding," she tweeted in mid-April. The concern was that employers might worry about the costs and absenteeism that can result from such a condition  even though federal law prohibits employers from taking health issues into account when hiring.

Yet, while interviewing for the high-pressure software engineering job she desperately wanted, Coleman shared her diagnosis with the CEO of MDisrupt, an Austin-based company that connects clinicians and scientists with digital health companies.

Ruby Gadelrab, CEO and founder of MDisrupt, was unfazed. Moments after interviewing Coleman for a job, she tweeted: "Today I met a candidate who applied for one of our jobs, and she might just be the most inspiring person I have ever met."

Coleman's personal story is both hair-raising and hope-inducing. It took 18 months to get an accurate diagnosis in the first place, after eight doctors insisted she was too young for cancer and the real problem must be anxiety. Finally, on New Year's Eve 2020, an ultrasound performed in an emergency room helped determine she had metastatic renal oncocytoma, a rare form of kidney cancer, which became malignant only after it spread to her liver. Then she underwent extensive surgery to remove a 12-centimeter tumor from her right kidney and numerous tumors from her liver. In a second procedure, doctors burned tiny tumors off her liver that were too small to see during the first surgery. Coleman asked doctors at the National Cancer Institute to perform the surgery and procedure because they were the only ones who she consulted who were willing to operate. She also knew they were interested in studying rare kidney cancers like hers.

None of this  not the surgery, the prognosis, her honesty  stopped Coleman from snaring her dream, nor MDisrupt from hiring her as a full-time software developer.

Coleman's experience has become something of social media lore as she shares updates about her cancer battle and her new job in posts on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. She's leaving a deep footprint across social media that she believes could help fellow cancer patients for years to come.

At the same time, her story has become a high-profile reminder to employers and job candidates that a prospective employee's medical history is their own business  unless they opt to share it.

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits asking prospective employees anything about their medical history  or using health issues as a basis for not hiring them, said Joyce Walker-Jones, senior attorney and adviser at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Walker-Jones does not recommend sharing medical information with potential employers. "If an applicant knows they have a serious medical condition, they do not have a duty to disclose it  even if they will need reasonable accommodations if they get the job," she said.

In that regard, Coleman threw caution to the wind.

She applied for the job at MDisrupt because a recruiter who'd spotted her cancer-be-damned social media posts approached her. Gadelrab said she wasn't aware of Coleman's cancer battle and never asked about her health. But Coleman opted to lead with her diagnosis and shared her story.

"I look at my diagnosis as my greatest strength," Coleman said. The type of tumor she has is almost always benign, but in her case, it wasnt.

Coleman contacted Driven to Cure  an organization for rare kidney cancers  for help. And Driven to Cure connected her to the National Cancer Institute.

Since fall, she has been off treatment and said she is on "active surveillance," monitoring with scans every three months to keep a close eye on a few suspicious spots too small to treat.

She also is on a personal mission to destroy her cancer  in part by keeping digital tabs on all the twists and turns in her medical journey with an app she built. Coleman started working on her app concept after her surgery but before her liver procedure in 2021.

The app allows her to keep track of her doctors  and everything else she needs for her care  in one place. She shared her creation for other patients to use free of charge. Gadelrab "really liked that I was building a positive out of a negative," Coleman said.

Gadelrab said she seeks three critical qualities  none health-related  in new employees: passion, purpose, and potential. She said she found all three in Coleman.

"Katie was so passionate. She has a way of communicating her empathy towards providers and patients that's different from others," said Gadelrab. "That is exactly the kind of thinking that we need to have as a company: empathy for our users. Katie came in with that."

Still, Coleman was hesitant about taking the job once she got the offer. She was waiting for yet another critical cancer scan. She was nervous about leaving a company that had been good to her. And she was anxious about changing insurers. Then, something unexpected persuaded her to accept the offer.

While at home packing her bags to go to the hospital for the scan  which the folks at MDisrupt knew was coming  she heard a knock at her door. When she answered, she saw a huge bouquet of orange roses  the color that signifies kidney cancer awareness. It was from MDisrupt. The note said: "Good luck on the scans."

She took the job.

Coleman's first day was in late April. She works from home most of the time but visits the office once or twice weekly for group gatherings. She doesn't recommend that all people with serious illnesses be so open with prospective employers.

"My advice is to first do the research on the company that you want to work for and know that they will be supportive," she said.

Coleman, who has 40,000 TikTok followers and nearly 5,000 Twitter followers, continues to document her cancer battle on social media  and in a new blog. She pokes fun at herself in her posts because, she said, her self-deprecation often elicits more donations to the kidney cancer research she promotes. Perhaps her recent tweet says it best:

"My pet peeves can be summarized by: 1. Cancer. 2. Mansplaining. 3. Missing sauce packets w/takeout."
A recent article posted to the Research Square* preprint server demonstrated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutants and vaccine variability stem from ribonucleic acid polymerase (RNAP) inaccuracy.

Background

Since the beginning of the CoV disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the world has seen the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) and viral lineages that can evade vaccine protection. COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines centered on the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein have been commonly used to avert COVID-19 and induce a protective immune response towards VOCs following multiple doses.

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines for their synthesis and SARS-CoV-2 for replication require RNAP. Nevertheless, these enzymes are intrinsically fault-prone than their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) equivalents and could introduce SARS-CoV-2 mutants to the RNA3.

To date, no empirical research has directly evaluated the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNAP (RdRp) defects during replication, a critical parameter for modeling viral evolution. Likewise, the frequency and nature of RNA variants produced during vaccine production are unclear. The distribution and extent of mistakes generated by the RNAPs participating in each phase are crucial to understanding SARS-CoV-2 evolution and vaccination efficacy. Current approaches are not adequately sensitive and specific to detect de novo RNA mutants in low-input samples such as virus isolates.

About the study

In the present work, utilizing a targeted, accurate RNA consensus sequencing (tARC-seq) approach, the scientists establish the nature and frequency of RNA faults in both SARS-CoV-2 and its vaccination. tARC-seq integrates the core characteristics of ARC-seq and the hybrid capture technique for target enhancement to allow deep variant probing of low input SARS-CoV-2 samples. The researchers offer a targeted sequencing approach for finding RNA mutants in low abundance samples and infrequent transcripts.

The team initially validated tARC-seq in Escherichia coli (E. coli). They next examined SARS-CoV-2 RNA extracted from infected Vero cells using tARC-seq. To determine whether RNA variants were distributed randomly throughout the SARS-CoV-2 genome, frequencies were determined by position.

Since SARS-CoV-2 has developed into multiple separate lineages, each with its own set of mutations and VOCs, the investigators analyzed if the frequency of RNA variants differed across viral lineages. They applied tARC-seq to the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants.

Further, the team examined the frequency and spectrum of RNA variants in the Pfizer vaccination since vaccine mRNA was plentiful and susceptible to sequencing using bulk RNA consensus sequencing, i.e., ARC-seq. A sequence of T7 in vitro transcription (IVT) reactions was carried out simultaneously over a variety of temperatures on two distinct templates: 1) the native S gene from the SARS-CoV-2 WT strain and 2) the codon-optimized S structure from the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.

Results

Overall, the authors discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp creates one mistake for every 10,000 nucleotides, greater than prior estimates by sequencing three SARS-CoV-2 isolates. While this frequency was higher than other forecasts, it was equivalent to earlier findings in poliovirus, which uses an RdRp for replication but does not have a proofreading function. The team also found that RNA mutants were not dispersed randomly throughout the genome, albeit were linked to specific genomic characteristics and genes, like S protein.

The mistake frequency estimates were based previously on the discovery of a proofreading 3'-to-5' exoribonuclease (ExoN, non-structural protein 14 (nsp14)) separate from the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp. The same proofreading process has been linked to template switching, which the researchers found error-prone.

Large deletions, insertions, and intricate mutations were detected using tARC-seq, which could be simulated using non-programmed RdRp template flipping. Many substantial genetic alterations identified in the evolution of multiple SARS-CoV-2 lineages globally, including the Omicron variant, can be explained by RdRp's template-switching function. Subsequent sequencing of the COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine showed an RNA variant frequency of about one in 5,000, implying that majority of the vaccine transcripts generated in vitro by T7 phage RNAP contain a variant.

On the whole, these findings highlight the exceptional genetic variety of the SARS-CoV-2 populations and the diverse trait of an mRNA vaccine fueled by RNAP inefficiency.

Conclusions

To summarize, the study findings show that the RdRp of SARS-CoV-2 was promiscuous due to nucleotide misincorporation and faulty template flipping, both of which were regulated by the same exonuclease. ExoN could be a crucial protein in viral evolution tuning. These findings demonstrate the fundamental biology that drove viral variety and evolution on such a large scale in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

It is yet uncertain what role vaccination heterogenicity plays in the immunological response. The data from the Pfizer BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine analysis utilizing ARC-seq could explain why mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 provide broader immunity against new strains after boosting.

tARC-seq variant spectra, when combined with functional investigations and pandemic datasets, can help models anticipate how SARS-CoV-2 will evolve. Ultimately, the current findings add to a growing corpus of medicine and public health studies that promotes mRNA-based therapeutic technology. As mRNA therapeutics gain traction, these findings may aid future COVID-19 vaccine development and research design.

*Important notice

Research Square 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.
(Newser)  Ed Lu is a former NASA astronaut with a PhD in applied physics, and he is worried about near-Earth asteroidsspace rocks at least 460 feet in diameter that have been nudged by gravity into Earths neighborhood. According to the New York Times, only 40% of the estimated 25,000 near-Earth asteroids have been located. The rest are flying around undetected; however, their locations might be "hiding in plain sight" within existing data. This week, Lus nonprofit B612 Foundationestablished in 2002 to assist in planetary defenseannounced the discovery of 104 previously unknown asteroids. Theyre not near Earth, but their existence validates a new approach to space exploration.

Unlike previous asteroid discoveries, researchers with B612s Asteroid Institute did not use a telescope of their own. Instead, astronomers at the University of Washington developed a novel algorithm called Tracklet-less Heliocentric Orbit Recovery (THOR), which can comb through existing digital archives and identify potential asteroids that went unnoticed by astronomers who were focused on finding other things, like supernovas and exoplanets. Essentially, THOR can turn any telescope into an asteroid hunter, but the work requires enormous computational power thats only possible thanks to cloud computing. Google contributed to the project by providing time on Google Cloud, per the Times.

According to UW News, the 104 asteroids were found within a small initial subset of the nearly 68 billion observations archived by the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Lab in Tucson. The Minor Planet Center confirmed the existence of some of the newly discovered asteroids, thereby validating THORs potential. Astronomers expect to make thousands of additional discoveries in NOIRLab archives and other data sets they plan to examine. Per NBC, Lu said that discovering and tracking asteroids is crucial to understanding our solar system, enabling development of space, and protecting our planet from asteroid impacts. As to what anyone can do if a planet killer is discovered, the Times says NASA is planning the Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission for later this year, and China has a similar program in the works. (Read more near earth objects stories.)
(Newser)  Ukraine says Russia has been stealing its grain since the invasion began, and the allegation isn't in much dispute, reports the New York Times. Now the US State Department is warning that Russia is trying to sell this "stolen Ukrainian grain" to other nations. The newspaper frames it as a dilemma for African nations in particular: Anger the US and the West by buying the grainessentially gaining from war crimesor refuse cheap food when their people are starving. However, some see it as an easy choice.

"This is not a dilemma," says Hassan Khannenje of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies. "Africans don't care where they get their food from, and if someone is going to moralize about that, they are mistaken." Ukraine and Russia typically supply 40% of Africa's wheat annually. "The need for food is so severe that it's not something they need to debate," says Khannenje. Ukraine also accuses Turkey of buying its stolen grain, reports Reuters.

The issue speaks to the larger problem of the Russian invasion contributing to a global food shortage. Politico reports that negotiations are underway through the UN to try to convince Russia to lift its blockade in the Black Sea and allow Ukrainian ships to restart exports of grain it has managed to retain. However, the piece has a "don't hold your breath" message. Russia appears to be demanding that the West would have to lift sanctions on Moscow before any such agreement is put in place. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  A kids museum in Indiana is at the center of controversy after a menu item for Juneteenth didn't go over so well. The Indianapolis Star reports that included among the food options at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis was a prepackaged watermelon salad (TMZ has a pic), whose presence ahead of the celebration of the end of slavery in America is prompting backlash. The Smithsonian notes that even though watermelon didn't always have a negative connotation when associated with the Black community, it became a racist stereotype during the Jim Crow eraa fact that isn't escaping locals.

Some say the menu item plays into the racist trope and is indicative of businesses that try to celebrate Juneteenth without fully understanding what the holiday means to Black Americans. "I don't know what the thought process was," one man tells the Star. Another interviewee says it feels like the museum's Juneteenth celebration is a "money grab," adding: "It just seems like if a single person of color had been in the room when this was decided, it wouldn't have gone forward." In a statement, the museum attributed the choice to its food service provider, which "uses the food and beverage menu to commemorate and raise awareness of holidays like Juneteenth. The team that made this selection included their staff members who based this choice of food on their own family traditions."

The museum also apologized and "[acknowledged] the negative impact that stereotypes have on Black communities." It said the salad has been taken off the menu and that it's "reviewing how we may best convey these stories and traditions during this year's Juneteenth celebration," in addition to "making changes around how future food selections are made by our food service provider." (Read more Juneteenth stories.)
(Newser)  The issue of gun safety remains in the headlines after at least nine mass shootings in the US over the weekend left 13 people dead and more than 50 injured. Axios rounds up details on seven shootings in Philadelphia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Mesa, Arizona; Summerton, South Carolina; Phoenix; Macon, Georgia, and West Texas. The outlet's list doesn't include a deadly shooting at a graduation party near Richmond, Virginia. And CNN has another in Omaha, Nebraska. Related:

Nevada: The state's Democratic treasurer says Nevada will divest itself from manufacturers of assault weapons, reports the Reno Gazette Journal. "Investments are fundamentally a plan for the future, and it's time Nevada started investing in a better future where our children aren't slaughtered in classrooms," says Zach Conine. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York City are among the municipalities that already have done so. The move will impact less than 1% of the state's $49 billion portfolio.

In the Senate: Progress continues on some sort of gun safety reform, reports the Washington Post. Any legislation would likely fall short of what President Biden wants, including a renewal of the federal assault weapons ban, but lesser measures including red-flag laws (to prevent high-risk people from buying weapons) are being discussed. "It feels to me like we are closer than weve been since Ive been in the Senate," says the GOP's Patrick Toomey, who helped attempt to put more robust background checks into place after the Sandy Hook massacre. That measure failed in 2013.

(Read more gun safety stories.)
(Newser)  Police have arrested a suspect in the slaying of 6 people at a Milwaukee duplex in January. Travis Birkley was charged Saturday with six counts of felony murder-armed robbery in the fatal shootings of Michelle D. Williams, 49, and her husband Donta "Michael" Williams, 44; Charles L. Hardy, 42; Caleb A. Jordan, 23; Javoni Liddell, 31; and Donald Smith, 43. The Williamses and Smith lived at the residence, and Jordan's mother tells the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel he had been taken in by the Williamses after experiencing homelessness. Police say Birkley may also have lived at the duplex at some point (prescription bottles and papers with his name were found there, Fox 6 reports), and that he appeared to know all the victims.

Witnesses told police Birkley worked security for drug deals that allegedly took place at the address, CBS 58 reports. Witnesses said Donta Williams sold K2, synthetic weed that he dyed red to "market" it, and that Birkley was seen with that distinctively-colored drug, a large amount of money, and Donta Williams' "house gun" after the victims were killed. One witness told cops Birkley and his cousin admitted to the witness that the murders took place during a "robbery gone bad," WISN reports. (Birkley's cousin has not yet been identified or charged with any crime.) As the men pulled guns on Donta Williams to rob him, per the police complaint, "Michelle [came] from a blind spot in an attempt to protect Donta, so the Defendant [said] he and his cousin ... shot Michelle first and then Donta."

Then, per the complaint, Hardy "was coming upstairs with a firearm or was about to come upstairs with a firearm," so Birkley allegedly told the witness they "had to shoot" him. "The Defendant then said that everyone else in the basement had to be shot so that there would not be any other witnesses, the complaint says. It adds that Birkley and his cousin did not realize Smith was in the house until he "must have heard the gunshots," at which point "he came out and thus they shot him as well. Police found Birkley by tracing a strange 911 call that was made about 12 hours before the bodies were found, alerting police to dead bodies at a fake address. Ultimately, Birkley's girlfriend told police she'd made the call at his direction. Police also say they found a selfie Birkley took with the victims' bodies on his phone. (Read more Milwaukee stories.)
(Newser)  The slow-burning "partygate" scandal in Britain may doom Boris Johnson after all. Members of his own Conservative party will hold a no-confidence vote Monday that could end his three-year run as prime minister, reports the BBC. The vote comes on the heels of a scathing report showing that Johnson and members of his government attended rule-flouting COVID parties at the height of the pandemic.

The vote: To stay in office, Johnson needs a bare majority of the 359 Conservative lawmakers to support himin this case, 180 votes. That the vote is even taking place is a sign of trouble because it can only be triggered by 15% of Conservative members (a total of 54) of parliament calling for one.

To stay in office, Johnson needs a bare majority of the 359 Conservative lawmakers to support himin this case, 180 votes. That the vote is even taking place is a sign of trouble because it can only be triggered by 15% of Conservative members (a total of 54) of parliament calling for one. Consequences: If Johnson loses, he is done as Conservative leader, and a new prime minister will be elected. If he wins, he is safe from another such vote for a year. The vote takes place Monday evening in Britain, from 3 to 5pm EDT in the US. Results should be known immediately.

Predictions: The AP thinks it's "more likely" than not that Johnson will survive. However, if it's a tight vote, he could be "severely weakened." The story notes that former Prime Minister Theresa May survived a no-confidence vote herself in 2018 but ended up having to resign months later. Johnson replaced her.

The AP thinks it's "more likely" than not that Johnson will survive. However, if it's a tight vote, he could be "severely weakened." The story notes that former Prime Minister Theresa May survived a no-confidence vote herself in 2018 but ended up having to resign months later. Johnson replaced her. Predictions, II: The New York Times also sees a "good chance" that Johnson will survive, but it notes that the vote is conducted in private, meaning lawmakers who give Johnson a public show of support don't necessarily have to cast their ballot accordingly. That story also takes note of what happened to May.

The New York Times also sees a "good chance" that Johnson will survive, but it notes that the vote is conducted in private, meaning lawmakers who give Johnson a public show of support don't necessarily have to cast their ballot accordingly. That story also takes note of what happened to May. What Johnson says: In a new statement to his fellow Tory members, Johnson acknowledges mistakes but says the vote is an opportunity to put the "partygate" scandal to rest. "With your support, I believe that tonight we have a great prize within our grasp," he writes. "We can put an end to the medias favorite obsession." However, as the Guardian notes, Johnson's critics are making the very same argument.

(Read more Boris Johnson stories.)
(Newser)  The Sunday scaries may have been less of an issue for 3,300 British workers who on Monday began what is being touted as the largest trial of a four-day workweek in the world. The 6-month pilot involves 70 varied companies who are giving the 100:80:100 model a go. That's 100% of pay for 80% of the hours, with the goal of keeping productivity at 100%, reports the Guardian. Researchers at Cambridge, Oxford, and Boston College (who are working with the British thinktank Autonomy and 4 Day Week Global) will assess the impact.

Boston College sociology professor Juliet Schor calls it a "historic trial" and says "the four-day week is generally considered to be a triple dividend policyhelping employees, companies, and the climate. Our research efforts will be digging into all of this." On the employee front, researchers will be looking at how "stress and burnout, job and life satisfaction, health, sleep, energy use, [and] travel" are altered, she adds. The participating companies run the gamut: software developers, a construction recruitment firm, charities, a fish and chip shop, and a game developer.

A brewery that's giving it a go tells the BBC its nine-member staff will have to see if they can get the same amount of beer produced and packaged in just four days. "I think it's about how you use your time," says the brewery's co-founder. "When I talk about being productive I don't mean being faster at the task you're doing right now, it might be making use of the natural downtimes you have to prepare better for the following day." By Fortune's count, the previous biggest experiment of this type took place in Reykjavik, Iceland, over 2015 and 2016 and involved over 2,500 public sector workers. Autonomy says the results from that experiment were "overwhelmingly" positive. (Read more work stories.)
(Newser)  At least 10 states now claim an average gas price of more than $5 per gallon, and some of them can trace this dubious honor back to a surge over the past few days. According to AAA, the country's average increased to $4.87 a gallon on Monday, which represents a 25-cent spike over the past weekand a nearly 60-cent jump over the past month, reports CNN Business. And it doesn't look like relief is coming in the near future, as oil analyst Andy Lipow tells the outlet that he expects the national average to hit $5.05 in less than two weeks' time.

This gloomy outlook comes despite the Biden administration's decision in March to release a million barrels of oil daily from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as well as an agreement last week by the OPEC oil cartel and its allies to boost production of oil, which remains the largest factor in gas prices. President Biden is expected to visit Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks, though it's unclear what that will achieve in terms of gas prices, either. "A president has to try," Bill Richardson, who served as energy secretary under Bill Clinton, tells the New York Times, which notes Biden has "precious few tools" to bring down prices. "Unfortunately, there are only bad options. And any alternative options are probably worse than asking the Saudis to increase production."

"Presidents may be the most powerful figure in the American government, but they cannot control the price of oil at the pump," concurs Chase Untermeyer, who was the US ambassador to Qatar under George W. Bush. Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, warns that more wide-ranging economic consequences could result if things don't even out soon. "If oil prices go to $150, we are going into recession. There is no way out," he tells CNN. Meanwhile, consumers who care more about the effects than the cause continue to express frustration. "It's terrible," one driver in California, where the average cost of gas statewide is now $6.34 per gallon, tells Yahoo Finance. "I can't go visit my grandkids ... because of the gas prices." (Read more gas prices stories.)
(Newser)  China is establishing a naval base in Cambodia as part of its plan to have military sites for its use around the world, Western officials say. The two nations have shrouded the project in secrecy and denials, though they plan a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday that Chinese officials will attend, the Washington Post reports. The installation is being built at Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand and will be China's second overseas military site; the other is in East Africa. The Cambodian Embassy in Washington said that the site is merely being renovated and that the government follows the nation's constitution, which prohibits hosting foreign bases.

A Western official said Chinese leaders consider the strategically important Indo-Pacific to be part of China's sphere of influence. "They view China's rise there as part of a global trend toward a multipolar world, where major powers more forcefully assert their interests in their perceived sphere of influence," the official said, adding that China wants to increase its presence and clout until the region is "unwilling or unable to challenge China's core interests." Other nations could experience that clout through coercion, inducements, punishment, and other means.

A Chinese official told the Post that only part of the base will be used by China's military, saying scientists will use it, as well. Construction on a Chinese military installation in the United Arab Emirates was stopped last year, per the Wall Street Journal, after US officials found out about the project. The armies of China and Cambodia signed a memo of understanding in March, per Bloomberg, without releasing its contents. "China and Cambodia are close neighbors and iron-clad friends," a Chinese military spokesman said, adding that the cooperation between the nations has expanded and involves "strategic communication, joint exercises and training, exchanges, and personnel training." (Read more Chinese military stories.)
(Newser)  Joy and sadness in acute doses poured out Monday on the beaches of Normandy. As several dozen D-Day veteransnow all in their 90sset foot on the sands that claimed so many colleagues, they are thankful for the gratitude and friendliness of the French toward those who landed here on June 6, 1944. The sadness comes as they think of their fallen comrades and of another battle now being waged in Europe: the war in Ukraine. As a bright sun rose Monday over the wide band of sand at Omaha Beach, US D-Day veteran Charles Shay expressed thoughts for his comrades who died here 78 years ago. "I have never forgotten them and I know that their spirits are here," he told the AP.

The 98-year-old Penobscot Native American from Indian Island, Maine, took part in a sage-burning ceremony near the beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. Shay, who now lives in Normandy, was a 19-year-old US Army medic when he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. He said he was especially sad to see war in Europe once again, so many years later. "Ukraine is a very sad situation. I feel sorry for the people there and I dont know why this war had to come, but I think the human beings like to, I think they like to fight. I dont know," he said. "In 1944, I landed on these beaches and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible."

For the past two years, D-Day ceremonies were reduced to a minimum amid COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. But this year, crowds of French and international visitorsincluding veterans in their 90swere back in Normandy to pay tribute to the nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the US, Canada and elsewhere who landed there to bring freedom. On that single day, 4,414 Allied soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. Several thousand people attended a ceremony Monday at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in the French town of Colleville-sur-Mer. They applauded more than 20 WWII veterans who were present at the commemoration. (Read more D-Day stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 74F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Overcast. Low 53F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 53F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 53F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched its annual awareness campaign, Travel Safe, on various media outlets.

It was aimed at increasing citizens awareness of travel guidelines, and instructions for communicating with diplomatic and consular missions abroad.

The campaign identified mechanisms for contacting diplomatic or consular missions abroad and the ministrys follow-up office on phone number (17227555), for assistance in the event of any problems, emergencies or crises.

The ministry has also advised citizens to download Wejhaty application to get the latest information they need.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

An Indian School Bahrain (ISB) student has donated his hair to Bahrain Cancer Society.

ISB student Kethan Mohan Pillai, aged 11, has been growing his hair out for the past one and a half years. Now, he has donated his 12-inch-long hair to the Cancer Society so wigs can be made for cancer patients.

Kethan said: I decided to grow my hair for the last one and a half years during the COVID-19 pandemic when the school started online classes. When my hair grew longer, I thought of donating my hair to cancer patients wigs.

Then I heard about the Bahrain Cancer Society which supports cancer patients. So I contacted them and asked if I could donate my hair. They said yes. Im proud of doing a little act of kindness. We all can do some small things in our life to make others smile.

A class VII student, Kethan is the son of Indian expatriates Mohanan Pillai and Rajee Mohanan.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

New cases of viral fever have remained high in Bahrain with many cases being reported across private hospitals and government health centres.

Medical sources said Bahrain is witnessing a spike in viral fever cases for the first time since the beginning of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, which hit the nation for nearly two years.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, Dr Babu Ramachandran, leading general physician at American Mission Hospital, said there is nothing to panic about the rising number of viral fever cases.

It is not unusual to find a rise in flu cases during this period of the year when the climate changes fast. During the last two years, we didnt witness this spike in flu in this climate changing period as people mainly remained indoors and there was no room for transmission.

However, he urged caution as the Kingdom reported 614 new Covid cases yesterday. It is true that a victory has been achieved in the battle against Covid-19 virus, but we need to exercise caution to sustain this victory forward in light of fresh Covid-19 infections being reported everyday in the Kingdom.

I advise patients to seek medical attention if the fever lasts for a longer period. Generally, viral fever will subside in four days. Take rest and drink plenty of fluids. Definitely, seek medical attention if the fever is accompanied by a severe headache, stiff neck, shortness of breath, or other unusual signs or symptoms.

Allaying fears of Monkeypox infection, Dr Babu said Monkeypox is not a cause of worry in the Kingdom.

No case of Monkeypox has been reported in the Kingdom and health authorities are on alert to tackle any challenge in this regard.

Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari, Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean at World Health Organisation (WHO), earlier praised Bahrains success in tackling the Covid-19 threat, highlighting that the Kingdom has a strong system to combat infectious diseases including Monkeypox.

Monkeypox is containable in the Arab region and what is required now is close cooperation between nations and increased awareness among the people to stop transmission of the virus.

Dr Ahmed said people are the main partners in combating any virus transmission. After reporting the first case, the UAE is in its best efforts to trace contacts and prevent the transmission of virus. Countries in the region already have accumulated experience in order to protect individuals from the disease.
Three jailed for rioting and using firebombs in Bahrain

Three jailed for rioting and using firebombs in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Court punished three young men with prison terms along with fines for making Molotov cocktails and setting fire garbage containers and trash in the Sanabis area. The defendants received jail terms ranging between one and three years behind bars.

They were also fined amounts between BD100 and BD500. The convicted men were arrested after one of them stumbled while trying to flee the scene when members of the security forces arrived.

According to court files, the security forces received a communication revealing that a bunch of thugs were rioting in Sanabis and setting alight garbage containers and some wood waste to disrupt traffic.

The security forces that were stationed near the site went to the site and arrested one of the suspects. He attempted to escape after throwing Molotov cocktails at the container but stumbled while running.

The accused admitted that he had agreed with others to make Molotov cocktails and riot. Investigations also confirmed the validity of the defendants confessions with the evidence collected from the scene.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Labour Fund Tamkeen announced the launch of a series of meetings with several enterprises that have received support through the recently launched programs. These programmes were designed to increase productivity and achieve a positive impact on the local economy, in line with the national priorities and the economic recovery plan, while also addressing the current and potential market changes.

These meetings also aim to encourage business owners and entrepreneurs to identify new ideas and market opportunities, shedding light on the most important indicators and growth prospects in several sectors, while also focusing on the optimal utilization of support in order to reach their full potential and remain sustainable.

The attendees praised the new strategic direction and programmes, highlighting their optimism for the positive impact on enterprises of all sizes and sectors, which will ensure their increased contribution to the national economy. Im very excited about Tamkeens strategic direction, especially because of how it focuses on digitalization and expansion. Our company has great aspirations in that space, and were looking forward to expanding and increasing our digitalization in the future.

We applied to the Start Your Business programme and were able to go through the application process with ease. Im looking forward to growing with support from Tamkeen., said Maitham Mansoor, Company representative of Flexsell International W.L.L stated.

Grotta Bakery CEO Khalid Ali Salem expressed his gratitude to Team Tamkeen for initiating this meeting saying: considering some recent economic and financial challenges facing entrepreneurs, Tamkeen plays a crucial role in facilitating growth and generating positive impact. The meeting highlighted Tamkeens continuous efforts in enhancing their programmes and offerings, particularly from the Chief Executive and Management, who were ready to accommodate our concerns and suggest solutions to some of these challenges.

Founder of Petula Floristry Zainab Hassan Kadhem stated that Tamkeen is eager to provide high-quality services to its customers which are reflected in the professionalism of its Customer Service Advisors, who should be thanked for all their efforts. Tamkeen plays a major role in empowering Bahraini businesses through its support programs, which will contribute to the growth and prosperity of the national economy., she said.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Export Bahrain and The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide further options in export credit insurance services to Bahrain-based businesses.

This agreement intends to boost the support to Bahrain-based businesses in their export journey by indemnifying the exporters against the risk of nonpayment by foreign buyers. The issuance of export credit insurance is an important spectrum of trade finance as it allows exporters to confidently compete in global markets and to provide international buyers enhanced and competitive credit terms.

The new partnership between Export Bahrain and ICIEC is the latest addition to the Export Credit Insurance solution, which aims to stimulate the export of services and products of national origin across various sectors to global markets; an added incentive and benefit that was not available to service exporters prior to this agreement.

Furthermore, this MoU will provide exporters with new alternatives and a variety of added benefits as Export Bahrain continuously seeks to add to the growing list of partners to enhance the services provided to Bahrain-based businesses.

Commenting on the occasion, Export Bahrain Chief Executive, Safa Sharif Abdulkhaliq stated, Export Bahrains efforts are geared towards establishing exclusive partnerships to ease and find solutions to the different challenges that Bahrain-based businesses may encounter during their export journey.

We encourage businesses from all the various sectors to take advantage of this agreement as we are confident that this strategic partnership would allow more exporters to explore new markets and buyers with confidence, particularly now with more alternatives being offered in the Export Credit Insurance solution to Export Bahrain customers.

Oussama Kaissi, Chief Executive Officer of ICIEC, added, Despite the onset of COVID-19, many ICIEC member countries have shown remarkable resilience especially in trade and exports. ICIEC stands ready to enhance its support to Bahrain by mitigating political and commercial risks for trade and investment through the provision of its Shariah compliant insurance solutions for banks, corporates, ECAs, and other stakeholders. We look forward to this new partnership with Export Bahrain and to support Bahrain-based businesses with their credit insurance needs.
KPMG in Bahrain to showcase the importance of innovation and digitalization for entrepreneurs

KPMG in Bahrain to showcase the importance of innovation and digitalization for entrepreneurs

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

KPMG in Bahrain is gearing up to host a seminar session to discuss importance of innovation and digitalization in the post pandemic era for business growth.

The half-day event will take place on Wednesday, 15 June at the Radisson Blu Hotel to educate entrepreneurs and business owners across all sectors on how some companies have been resilient in the current times.

Harish Gopinath, Partner and Head of KPMG Enterprise at KPMG in Bahrain commented on the upcoming event, and said, As we are dealing with Covid-19 aftermath, entrepreneurs need to understand what is driving customers behavior today and look at their business model to determine how they need to adapt to keep pace with shifting customers demands.

Today, value for money is a key purchase drive prioritizing savings over spending, prioritizing savings over spending. Also, consumers are expecting premium digital experience which means companies need to make serious investments in their digital infrastructure to ensure its resilience and continuity.

I believe this event is an ideal platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to learn how to add value to their customers by bringing innovative solutions and tech-savvy experience The event will feature keynote presentations from key business leaders in Bahrain on the importance of innovation in meeting the changing customers expectations.

This includes: Hesham Al Saati, previous CEO of Talabat; Saleh Abbas, Managing Director of Flat6 Labs; Dr. Jarmo Kotilaine, Chief Strategist at Tamkeen: Rameen Kazerooni, Associate Director, Strategy and Digital Transformation at KPMG in Bahrain.
At least 50 killed in massacre at Catholic church in southwest Nigeria

At least 50 killed in massacre at Catholic church in southwest Nigeria

Agencies | Lagos

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Gunmen attacked a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria during mass on Sunday, killing at least 50 people including women and children, according to a hospital doctor and media reports.

The gunmen shot at people outside and inside the church building, killing and injuries worshippers, said Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, police spokesperson for Ondo state.

She did not say how many people were killed or injured at St Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo but added police were investigating the cause of the attack.

Ondo state Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who visited the scene of the attack and injured persons in hospital, described Sunday's incident as "a great massacre" that should not be allowed to happen again.

The identity and motive of the attackers was not immediately clear.

"It is so sad that while the Holy Mass was going on, unknown gunmen attacked St Francis Catholic Church...leaving many feared dead and many others injured and the Church violated," said Catholic Church spokesman in Nigeria, Reverend Augustine Ikwu.

Ikwu said the bishop and priests from the parish had survived the attack unharmed.

A doctor at a hospital in Owo told Reuters that at least 50 bodies had been brought into two hospitals in the town from the attack. The doctor, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the press, also said there was a need for blood donations to treat the injured.

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, calling it "heinous", and the Vatican said Pope Francis was praying for the victims who had been "painfully stricken in a moment of celebration".

Nigeria is battling an Islamist insurgency in the northeast and armed gangs who carry out attacks and kidnappings for ransom, mostly in the northwest.

In the southwest, attacks such as this are rare.
At least 24 people were killed after a bus carrying pilgrims fell into a gorge near Damta on the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on Sunday, police said.

The bus had around 30 pilgrims from Panna district of Madhya Pradesh and a driver. The accident took place between Damta and Barnigad, which is around 70 km from Yamunotri Dham at around 7.15 p.m., after the driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel. It was said that this was his third trip without a rest.

So far the bodies of 24 pilgrims have been retrieved while six others injured are undergoing treatment at Damta Primary Health Centre for first aid.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the accident. He said, "The bus accident in Uttarakhand is extremely painful. I express my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. The local administration under the supervision of the state government is doing all possible help..."

The Prime Minister has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident in Uttarakhand. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also expressed his grief at the loss of lives in the accident and spoken to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

"It is very sad to hear about the bus of devotees falling into the gorge in Uttarakhand. I have spoken to the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Local administration and SDRF teams are engaged in rescue work and the injured are being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. NDRF is also reaching there soon," the Union Home Minister tweeted.

"The death of pilgrims, from Panna district, after their bus fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand, is unfortunate. Our team is in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government. Arrangements are being made for the treatment of the injured and to bring back the bodies," tweeted Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident.

Dhami reached the disaster control room at Secretariat to take stock of the relief and rescue operations. Expressing grief over the accident, the Chief Minister has directed the district administration to carry out relief and rescue work expeditiously. He also instructed officials to make arrangements for proper treatment of the injured.

It was learnt that SDM, Badkot tehsildar, SDRF, police and ambulance have been deployed to the spot.

The Uttarakhand Transport Department has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the dead and Rs 40,000 to the seriously injured.
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BROOKFIELD  More than a years worth of speculation over the identity of a newly built grocery story ended over the weekend after crews finished installing the large Amazon Fresh sign above the entrance of the building at 14 Candlewood Lake Road.

Now, the question is: When will it open?

I can confirm that Amazon will open an Amazon Fresh grocery store in Brookfield, CT., a spokesperson for the company told the News-Times Monday morning while declining to offer details on when it might welcome its first customers.

First Selectwoman Tara Carr confirmed the spokespersons message, saying the town has, no specifics on [a] timeline for when residents can expect the store to open, but said the new grocery store will be a welcome addition to the community.

We look forward to welcoming Amazon Fresh in Brookfield as Amazon will be a good corporate partner and will create quality jobs for our community, Carr wrote in an email.

The mystery  and accompanying hints  over the identity of the future Brookfield grocery stores owner began unraveling with the submission of a site plan modification for the property at the 14 Candlewood Lake Road shopping plaza in October 2020.

The property formerly hosted a TJ Maxx location, but at a October 22, 2020 meeting of the Brookfield Zoning Commission, representatives for the plazas owners, Raymour & Flanigan, noted difficulties in securing a new tenant for the space as a way to underscore the need for their new, prospective tenant, to remain anonymous.

The proposed grocery store client is extremely secretive, as a product of the companys foundation as a technology company there is only one of these stores open now in the country, said Trevor Edkin, Director of Leasing for Raymour & Flanigan, according to the minutes.

By the end of last fall, an updated site submission to the Zoning Commission brought more clues to the identity of the grocery stores owner with architectural designs for the buildings signage showing resemblance to existing Amazon Fresh stores. Still, there was no official word on whether or not the tech-giant was behind it all.

If you look at the designs and you look at the other stores that are out there, its not hard to figure out who it is, its not, but theyve asked us to keep quiet, and we have, then-First Selectman Steve Dunn commented to the News-Times.

With so much effort brought to protecting the name of the future grocery store, the sudden appearance of the Amazon Fresh signage over the weekend caught some suspecting Brookfield Town Hall employees off-guard.

We are actually surprised ourselves that the sign went up, said Planning and Land Use Director, Greg Dembowski, who referred questions to Brookfields Zoning Enforcement Officer, Francis Lollie.

I wasnt aware of it, so it was news to me, too, said Lollie on Monday. I had an idea of which grocery store it was going to be but without actually knowing or seeing the sign going up it was hard to say.

Lollie explained how the sign design submission filed in October 2021 did not use the Amazon Fresh logo for the signage.

While the signs installed read differently than those in the plans, Lollie said he did not anticipate any delays or repercussions coming from the sudden signage work, as long as they apply within the regulations  which they do, he added.

Once I caught wind of it, I had to notify the sign-installer who is in the process of now working with the building department to revise the application to reflect the Amazon Fresh signage, Lollie said. I did speak to the individuals at Amazon, and advised them of the same thing, too.

Brookfield Amazon Fresh  the first in New England?

If it opened today, the Amazon Fresh location in Brookfield would mark the site of the companys first store in New England, but further expansion in Connecticut and across the northeast is already in the works.

An Amazon Fresh location is expected to open in Westport sometime this year despite a recent hiccup over sign-design approval with the towns Zoning Board of Appeals, according to the company.

In Orange, officials recently approved site-plans for a yet-to-be-named grocery store at another former-TJMaxx space that is also owned by Raymour & Flannigan. According to Burt Flickinger, managing director of New York City-based Strategic Resource Group, the zoning approval includes all the hallmarks of an Amazon Fresh location.

Im very familiar with for their site location and this checks off all the boxes, Flickinger told Hearst in February.

In Massachusetts, local media outlets reported last fall that two Amazon Fresh locations were in the works, one in Saugus and one in Braintree, according to a report from WCVB-TV. Last month, Amazon announced it would begin hiring for its yet-to-be opened New Jersey and New York locations.

Seattle-based Amazon also owns Whole Foods Market, which has more than 500 locations across the U.S., including 10 in the Connecticut.

The tech-giant opened its first Amazon Fresh store to the public in Los Angeles in September 2020  one of 31 locations currently open for business in the U.S. today; along with 17 in the United Kingdom.

The most recently opened Amazon Fresh location, a 35,000 square foot space in Huntington Beach, Calif., became the the 15th store to open in the golden state last Thursday. Other U.S. states hosting multiple Amazon grocery locations include Illinois, Washington, and Virginia.

The stores concept allows for both traditional and online grocery shopping to customers who can choose from a variety of pick-up and delivery and payment and checkout options, including its Just Walk Out technology, which gives customers the option to skip the checkout line, and will be available at the Brookfield store when it opens, according to the Amazon spokesperson.
NEW GLASGOW, NS, June 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Across the country, Canadians are feeling the impacts of climate change. The Government of Canada is working with municipalities and industry to implement climate solutions. By investing in renewable energy initiatives that support energy independence and economic development while lowering GHG emissions, we can keep our air clean and build strong, healthy communities for everyone to call home.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced a $515,000 investment in TorchLight Bioresources to study a district energy system  a heat network  that would connect over 90 percent of buildings in the community and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and heating costs for Canadians in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.

The feasibility study will design a heat network that uses renewable biomass and wind energy supplies, helping to create new jobs, support sustainable Nova Scotian forestry and grow the local economy.

Biomass is proven to be a low-cost renewable fuel in many heating applications, supplying energy when and where it is needed. District energy systems are a safer, more reliable way to heat buildings and have proven to be essential to the decarbonization of similar northern countries, such as Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

The Town of New Glasgow , TorchLight Bioresources, Rathco , the Federation of Nova Scotia Woodland Owners and ACFOR are also contributing to the project, bringing the total investment to $755,000.

Federal funding for this project is provided by Natural Resources Canada's Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways (SREPs) program, a four-year, $964-million program that provides support for smart renewable energy and electrical grid modernization projects. This program will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enabling increased renewable energy capacity that will provide essential grid services while supporting Canada's ongoing transition to a net-zero economy by 2050 as well as Canada's commitment to achieve a 100-percent net-zero-emitting electricity system by 2035.

Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy ensures Canada will remain a world leader in clean power. In Budget 2022 , Canada committed to investing an additional $600 million over five years to the SREPs program to continue to support renewable electricity and grid modernization projects.

Quotes

"Transforming the way communities produce and use energy is key to building a prosperous economy that is aligned with our climate objectives. Today's announcement of a feasibility study will enable TorchLight Bioresources' district energy system project in the Town of New Glasgow. This represents our government's commitment to collaborating with and investing in communities in pursuit of building a clean and prosperous future in Nova Scotia and across the country. "

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources

"Growing the economy and protecting the environment are top priorities for our government. I am thrilled to see important projects that promote both of those goals go ahead right here in our own backyard. Part of the solution to lowering GHG emissions while creating and supporting good jobs across Nova Scotia, including in Nova Scotia's forestry sector, can be achieved through the use of biomass and wind energy as a renewable energy source. Seeing this groundbreaking study move ahead right here in New Glasgow in partnership with TorchLight Bioresources should serve as a vote of confidence for our community and its place in the green economy."

The Honourable Sean Fraser,

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Member of Parliament for Central Nova



"We are incredibly thankful to Natural Resources Canada for supporting this project and to the Town of New Glasgow for placing its trust in us. We are excited to engage with the residents and businesses of New Glasgow to determine if a biomass district heating system is the best energy option for the community. District energy systems are proven to provide significant local economic and community resiliency benefits, and we are eager to work with the Town of New Glasgow to design a system that maximizes these benefits for New Glaswegians."

Dr. Jamie Stephen

Managing Director, TorchLight Bioresources

"The Town of New Glasgow is actively working to advance ambitious climate action to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, improve community resilience and support local economic development. Decarbonizing heating is essential to lowering our greenhouse gas emissions. This project is an exciting opportunity to explore a low-carbon pathway for community heating and to meaningfully address energy poverty through a reliable pricing model. Heating with local sustainable biomass can create new jobs, support the Nova Scotia forestry sector and grow our local economy. We are grateful for the funding support from Natural Resources Canada and look forward to working with the team at TorchLight Bioresources."

Nancy Dicks

Mayor of the Town of New Glasgow

Associated Links

Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

For further information: Contacts: Media Relations, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, 343-292-6100, [email protected] ; Keean Nembhard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 613-323-7892, [email protected]
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch of the UK, has vowed to keep serving the people after celebrations for her 70 years of reign.

"When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your queen, there is no guidebook to follow... But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee," the 96-year-old monarch said in a statement on Sunday, capping the four-day national celebrations.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London for celebrations that include military parades, concerts and cultural shows, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Queen briefly appeared Sunday afternoon on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, her royal residence in central London, at the end of day-long pageant featuring street arts, music and carnival in central London.

She missed a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral on Friday and a star-studded concert and light show outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday due to her mobility issue after appearing on the Palace's balcony for Trooping the Color on Thursday.
OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA: JAM1), a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development announces the launch of its new wholly owned subsidiary 'Tetra Bio-Pharma Australia Pty Ltd' ("TBP-AU"), an Australian-based research company focused on the execution of clinical trials in Australia. This represents Tetra's second foreign subsidiary and is in line with the Company's global expansion strategy for QIXLEEF, and other future drug candidates.

The new subsidiary follows the recent announcement of Tetra's partnership with Cannvalate Pty Ltd for the performance of clinical trials of Tetra's drug candidates in Australia. Accordingly, TBP-AU will benefit from a 43.5% tax credit on all money spent on clinical trials in Australia.

"We look forward to working with our strategic partners and building value for our current and future investors. These are very exciting times for us as we continue to drive scientific excellence and deliver on the promise of cannabinoid-derived transformative medicines to improve patient health and quality of life," said CEO Dr. Guy Chamberland.

Regulatory Update - REDUVO 

The Company is also pleased announce it has completed the Annual Licence Review process for our Health Canada Drug Establishment Licence (DEL) and meets the regulatory requirements of C.01A.009 of the Food and Drug Regulations to maintain our DEL for the distribution of pharmaceuticals, like REDUVO, in Canada. Any company that intends to distribute pharmaceutical drugs in Canada must obtain a DEL as per Health Canada regulatory requirements.

On December 30, 2020, the Company submitted its first New Drug Submission (NDS) for REDUVO to Health Canada to obtain a Drug Identification Number (DIN) for the prescription drug. The Company is in discussions with Health Canada to address final commentary on the submission. REDUVO remains a top priority and the Company is ready to launch manufacturing activities as soon as possible following regulatory approval.

About REDUVO 

REDUVO is a soft gel capsule used to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and weight loss and severe nausea in people living with HIV infection. The active pharmaceutical ingredient in REDUVO is dronabinol, also known as THC, a synthetic form of the active natural substance in cannabis.

About Tetra Bio-Pharma

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

Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

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 acquisitions and financings) 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, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.

For further information: please contact Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.: Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc., Ms. Natalie Leroux, Phone: + 1 (833) 977-7575, Email: [email protected], [email protected]
The appointment opportunity for the first Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia has now been posted

OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Islamophobia and hate, in any form, have no place in Canada. The Government of Canada stands with and supports Muslim communities across Canada and reaffirms its commitment to take action to denounce and tackle Islamophobia and hate-fueled violence.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, announced that the Notice of Appointment Opportunity, which invites applicants to submit their candidacy for the new position of Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, has been posted on the Governor in Council Appointments website.

The Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia will serve as a champion, advisor, expert and representative to the Canadian government, for the purpose of enhancing efforts to combat Islamophobia and to address barriers facing Muslim communities, and promoting awareness of the diverse and intersectional identities of Muslims in Canada. The Special Representative will collaborate with domestic partners, institutions and stakeholders to support Canada's efforts to combat Islamophobia, anti-Muslim hate, systemic racism, racial discrimination and religious intolerance.

The Government of Canada is committed to an open, transparent and merit-based selection process. To fulfill this role, qualified candidates must have the knowledge and understanding of Muslim communities across Canada, preferably based on lived experience.

A detailed description of the education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position is provided in the Notice of Appointment Opportunity, which reflects what we heard during the National Summit on Islamophobia held in July 2021 and also through the ongoing work of the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat with members of racialized, and religious minority communities, as well as Indigenous peoples.

Eligible candidates are encouraged to submit their applications by July 6.

Quotes

"As we commemorate the one-year anniversary of the London attack and the five-year anniversary of the Quebec Mosque shooting, the urgency for our government to take further actions to combat hate and all forms of racism is evident. Our government has listened to the lived experiences of Muslim communities from across the country and is stepping up its efforts in the fight against Islamophobia. The launch of applications for the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia is another important step in building a safer, stronger, and more inclusive and equitable future for all."

The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

Quick Facts

As defined in Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy, Islamophobia includes racism, stereotypes, prejudice, fear or acts of hostility directed towards individual Muslims or followers of Islam in general.

On July 22, 2021, the Government of Canada hosted a National Summit on Islamophobia, which helped to identify ways the federal government could work with Muslim communities to implement federal anti-racism initiatives that specifically address Islamophobia and hate-fueled violence.

To push back against religious discrimination, hateful rhetoric and racism at home, Budget 2022 proposes new resources to support the new Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia.

Recognizing that Canada's fight against racism is far from over, Budget 2022 proposes to provide $85 million over four years, starting in 2022-23, to support the work underway to launch a new Anti-Racism Strategy and National Action Plan on Combatting Hate.

Associated Links

Governor in Council  Appointment Opportunity Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia

Governor in Council appointment process  How to Apply

Budget 2022 - A Diverse and Inclusive Canada

The Government of Canada Concludes National Summit on Islamophobia

Building a Foundation for Change: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 20192022

Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat

Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Mandate Letter

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For further information: For more information (media only), please contact: Arevig Afarian, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
Evan Vucci / Associated Press

Connecticut officials praised the elevation of Adm. Linda Fagan as the new Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, hailing her recent swearing in as a historic moment for the 231-year-old service.

Fagan, a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, became the first woman to lead a branch of the armed forces during a change of command ceremony at the U.S. Coast Guards headquarters last week.
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JERUSALEM (AP)  Israels government on Monday failed to pass a bill extending legal protections for settlers in the occupied West Bank, marking a major setback for the fragile coalition that could hasten its demise and send the country to new elections.

The failure to renew the bill also highlighted the separate legal systems in the West Bank, where nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers enjoy the benefits of Israeli citizenship while some 3 million Palestinians live under military rule that is now well into its sixth decade. Three major human rights groups have said the situation amounts to apartheid, an allegation Israel rejects as an assault on its legitimacy.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts coalition remains in power. But Mondays vote underscored the weaknesses and divisions in the fragile alliance and raised questions about how long it can survive.

Emergency regulations in place for decades have created a separate legal system for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, applying parts of Israeli law to them  even though they live in occupied territory and not within sovereign Israeli land.

These regulations expire at the end of the month and if they are not renewed, that legal system, which Israel has cultivated for its settlers in the West Bank since it captured the territory in 1967, will be thrown into question. It could also change the legal status of the 500,000 settlers living there.

Proponents of extending the law say they are merely seeking to maintain a status quo and preserve the governments shelf life. Opponents say extending the regulations would deepen an unfair system.

However, Monday's vote  defeated by a 58-52 margin  went far beyond the contours of the legal debate. Instead, it served as a key test of the governments prospects for survival, creating a paradoxical situation where some of the settlements biggest opponents in the government voted for the bill, while hard-line parties that support the settlements voted against it in order to weaken the government.

The coalition, made up of eight ideologically distinct parties that include both supporters and opponents of the settlements, came together last year and pledged to sidestep divisive issues that could threaten its survival. Mondays vote showed just how difficult that mission has been.

The vote did not immediately topple the government, and it is still possible for the coalition to present a modified version of the legislation.

As always after we lose, we will return stronger and win in the next round, said Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, the chief architect of the governing alliance, in a statement on Twitter.

But the setback indicated the governments days could be numbered. One of the coalitions members, the nationalist New Hope, has already threatened to bolt if the coalition cannot pass the measure. If New Hope leaves, it could give the opposition the votes it needs to trigger new elections or form a new government.

Any coalition member who doesnt vote for this law that is so central is an active participant in its demise, Justice Minister Gideon Saar, leader of New Hope, said before the vote.

He also warned that defeating the bill would create legal chaos in the West Bank and harm Israeli settlers.

The votes of certain lawmakers, including renegade hard-liners in the coalition as well as Ra'am, an Arab Islamist group that made history as the first Arab party to join an Israeli coalition, were closely watched. In many cases, these lawmakers did not attend the vote.

The opposition meanwhile, made up mainly of nationalist parties led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, showed its willingness to forsake its pro-settlement ideology in order to bring down the coalition.

Bennett's Yamina party issued a statement accusing Netanyahu and his Likud party of banding together with leftist settlement opponents to serve the former prime minister's personal interests. The Likud will burn the state for Netanyahu's needs, it said, vowing to find a way to pass the required legislation.

Bennett has faced hurdles before. Idit Silman, the coalition whip from Bennetts small, nationalist party, quit the coalition earlier this year, leaving the government with 60 seats in the 120-seat Knesset  surviving immediate defeat but struggling to govern. Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, another legislator from Meretz also quit, but later rejoined after being promised a raft of benefits for her constituents, Palestinian citizens of Israel.

In the end, Silman skipped Monday's vote, while Zoabi bucked her coalition partners and voted against the bill, giving a thumbs-down as she cast her vote.

Bennetts government came together last year after two years of political mayhem, with four elections producing no clear winner. The eight coalition members were united by their goal of ousting Netanyahu  the longtime prime minister who now heads the opposition, from where he is battling corruption charges  and have sought to work around their issues to keep him out of power.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move that is not recognized internationally and pulled out troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. But hundreds of thousands of Israelis reside in over 120 settlements dotting the West Bank, along with more than 2.5 million Palestinians.

Since Israel has never annexed the territory, it technically remains under military rule, creating a bewildering legal reality. For Jewish settlers in the West Bank, most of Israels criminal and civilian laws apply. They vote in Israeli elections, enlist for compulsory military service and pay their taxes to the state.

Palestinians, meanwhile, are subject to a different set of laws, adding to the confusion  and often inequality.

If the government does not find a new solution in the coming weeks, settlers will automatically fall under military rule, like Palestinians in the West Bank, according to Emmanuel Gross, an Israeli expert on criminal and international law and a former military judge.

Basic, everyday relations between settlers and the state will crumble: Israel wont be able to levy taxes and police wont be able to investigate criminal offences, among other things, Gross said. The status of Palestinian inmates being held in Israeli prisons will also be challenged, as Israel uses this same set of emergency regulations to hold prisoners outside of occupied land.

The entire legal basis of what happens with the settlers today will be cancelled. This can cause chaos, he said, adding that he expected the government would find a way to ensure the regulations are extended.

___

Associated Press correspondent Emily Rose contributed reporting.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Jill Biden on Monday praised Nancy Reagan as a first lady who made such a difference, as the current first lady hosted the unveiling of a new U.S. postage stamp honoring a woman who held the role 40 years before Biden stepped into it.

The issuance by the U.S. Postal Service of a forever first-class stamp bearing Nancy Reagan's image is part of a yearlong commemoration of the former first lady's centennial by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

At a White House ceremony, Biden talked about the incredible platform first ladies gain to serve the people after we're just sort of thrust into the national spotlight in a way that I know none of us could have anticipated.

First lady Nancy Reagan served the American people with grace," Biden said. "She understood that the role of first lady came with inherent pitfalls and scrutiny, yet she found the humanity in it all. She knew the potential of this role.

Next month would have been her 101st birthday, Biden continued. And with this stamp we are affirming that she made such a difference.

Nancy Reagan was born on July 6, 1921.

Fred Ryan, a White House aide to President Ronald Reagan, said the former first lady advocated for foster grandparents, championed the arts, and restored and remodeled parts of the White House. She is also remembered for her Just Say No anti-drug campaign, for undergoing a mastectomy after her breast cancer diagnosis during the Reagan presidency and a fierce devotion to her husband.

But the White House announcement last week of Monday's event sparked angry commentary on social media by people who noted the Reagans' indifference toward gays and lesbians and to the AIDS crisis that exploded during their time as president and first lady.

Other commentators expressed indignation that the White House under a Democratic president hosted the event at all, let alone during Pride Month, which celebrates LGBTQ people.

Jill Biden's office did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Last week, President Joe Biden issued a Pride Month proclamation in which he said the rights of LGBTQI people currently are under relentless attack and sought to reassure them that my administration sees you for who you are, deserving of dignity, respect and support.

In her remarks, Jill Biden spoke of needing everyone's help to bring our communities together.

We have to learn from those we dont understand, to reach across the divide and find common ground, because thats where the foundation of our future must be laid, she said.

Also participating in the unveiling were U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Anne Peterson, Nancy Reagan's niece. Ryan also is chairman of the board of trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

Nancy Reagan is the sixth first lady to appear on a U.S. postage stamp after Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lady Bird Johnson, DeJoy said.

The stamp is set to officially be issued on July 6 during a dedication at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, he said.

Nancy Reagan died in March 2016 at the age of 94.
MILFORD  Austin Cesare has earned numerous awards over the years, but this one is most special.

The Foran High teacher was recently awarded the John Stedman Passion for Social Studies Award  one in which the winner is determined by the students.

Without a doubt, this award is more meaningful than others Ive won because this is an award determined by students, said Cesare, who has worked in the Milford Public Schools since 1998 and at Foran High since 2000.

The fact that students at Joseph A. Foran High School decided to take time to write nominations for me, to support me for this award is meaningful, he said. I went into teaching to work with students, and the fact that Ive had this type of impact means a lot to me.

Cesare has been Forans social studies department chair since 2013, and also has been an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University since 2013.

I knew since kindergarten that I wanted to be a classroom teacher, so Ive been going for that my entire life, he said. I enjoy working with students and enjoy working with my colleagues here at Foran High School. They are phenomenal people.

But the person who pushed him to become a teacher was his great aunt, Lavina Costanzo, who was the assistant superintendent at New Haven for the eastern half of the city.

During my growing up years, we spent a lot of time with her at her lake cottage in New Hampshire, and she would tell us stories about what it was like being a teacher, he said. She got me involved in becoming a teacher and wanting to do that.

Cesares passion for history began when he was young. He said he would go on family trips to different sites of historical significance.

We would tour historical battlefield sites with my parents growing up because they had a desire to show us the important historical sites, he said. So I grew up with that  a family-focused on history. So I put two and two together and I became a history and social studies teacher, Cesare added.

Cesare is also a government teacher and uses his family and personal experience when teaching in the classroom.

My father, brother and I were all town councilmen in Hamden, he said. I also served on the Board of Education, so I have a lot of experience in government and politics, and that is also part of social studies.

Annually, the Connecticut Council for Social Studies gives the Stedman award to an educator displaying the excellence and passion for teaching in the field of social studies. The award is determined solely on letters from students describing the acumen and impact of their social studies educator.

When Cesare won the award, he said he was reminded of the advice his great aunt and mother gave him about being a teacher.

My mom always said, when you become a teacher, make it a classroom you would want to be in and a classroom you would enjoy, he said. And my great aunt, before she passed away, told me to teach because you want to do it, not because you have to do it. Make it your passion.

Cesare said he likes to do hands-on learning, and one time he had free speech activist Mary Beth Tinker, from the 1969 Tinker vs Des Moines Independent School District Supreme Court case, speak to his class virtually about her case.

Other types of hands-on learning Cesare focuses on is mock trials, debates, a mock senate bill read and a mock election campaign.

I do a lot of hands-on learning that I would want to be in if I was in my classroom, he said. But to me, its not a job. It is the idea of being there and being supportive to all kids.
A PTI lawmaker has threatened to carry out a suicide attack if harm befalls even a "single hair" on party Chairman Imran Khan's head, it emerged on Monday, Dawn reported.

The threat has been made by PTI MNA Attaullah in a video doing the rounds on social media. Several noted journalists have also shared the video of the enraged PTI leader.

"If a single hair on Imran Khan's head is harmed, then those running the country be warned: Neither you nor your children will remain. I will be the first to carry out a suicide attack on you, I will not let you go. In the same way, thousands of workers are ready," Attaullah said in the video.

The shocking statement also drew criticism on Twitter. Journalist Talat Hussain asked and answered his own question: "What was the law called under which such threats were taken into account? Oh yes, the Anti-Terrorism Act!"

The purported threat to Imran's life was first spoken of by Faisal Vawda during the last few weeks of his government in late March. In the beginning of April, the former information minister, Fawad Chaudhry, had disclosed that a plot to assassinate Imran had been reported by security agencies.

Later the same month, after the PTI government's ouster, the Lahore deputy commissioner had cautioned the party against going ahead with a rally in the city and had advised Imran to address the gathering virtually in light of "severe threat alerts".
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP)  The chief of a volunteer fire department in Florida is accused of fatally shooting a business owner because the victim owed him money, authorities said.

Brian Keith Easterling, 52, was taken into custody earlier Monday at his home in Holt, Florida and is awaiting extradition from the nearby county of Okaloosa, the Escambia County Sheriffs Office said. He was charged with premeditated murder, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
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BERLIN (AP)  Nations must keep up hope and focus on tackling global warming despite the many obstacles now to international cooperation  including the war in Ukraine, the coronavirus pandemic, food shortages and rising energy costs, the U.N. climate chief urged Monday.

Patricia Espinosa, whose second term as head of the U.N. climate office ends this year, spoke at the start of a 10-day meeting in Bonn, Germany, where diplomats from around the world will try to lay the foundations for this year's international climate summit in Egypt.

I appeal to all of you, especially in these difficult and challenging times, not to lose hope, not to lose focus, but to use our united efforts against climate change as the ultimate act of unity between nations, she said.

Since signing the 2015 Paris climate accord, most countries have stepped up their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas that underlie human-made global warming. But collectively those pledges still fall far short of what's needed to limit global warming since pre-industrial times to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) by the end of the century.

While Espinosa said that much more is needed, she noted that the commitments so far were also made during a time of international turmoil  from the U.S. decision under President Donald Trump to pull out of the Paris accord, later reversed by the Biden administration to the first years of the coronavirus pandemic.

We must never give in to despair, she said, joining a chorus of scientists and policymakers who reject climate doomism. We must continue to move forward. Look at what we have accomplished in the last six years.

Many of the key issues delegates gathered in Bonn will try to resolve in the coming days center around financial aid to poor countries struggling to cope with the impacts of climate change. Espinosa made clear she expects leaders to provide their delegates with the necessary backing to agree upon what she described as a balanced package soon.

We must understand that climate change is moving exponentially. We can no longer afford to make just incremental progress, she said. We must move these negotiations along more quickly. The world expects it.

Representatives of the group of 46 Least Developed Countries demanded that big polluters such as China and the United States cut their emissions more strongly and pay for the damage thats already resulting from climate change.

Countries with much greater responsibility and capabilities than ours must close the funding gap so that when the impacts of climate change hit  when houses and hospitals are washed away, when crops are destroyed, when islands sink and when whole communities are displaced  the costs dont land on the already vulnerable households, said the groups chairperson, Madeleine Diouf Sarr from Senegal.

___

Follow AP's coverage of climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
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WEST HAVEN  City officials have limited public use of a downtown parking lot, citing public safety issues.

The Department of Public Works installed gates at the Main Street and Center Street entrances to the parking lot behind the former Silvers Drug building last month. The lot will be closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.

There was numerous types of activity, like fights, said Police Chief Joseph Perno. It was a secluded area that was putting citizens and officers in danger, so we checked with surrounding businesses and they close at a certain hour. After that, theres no need for that back lot to be utilized.

Campbell Avenue business owners had mixed feelings Monday.

George Ghaly, owner of West Haven Computer Repair, whose shop is adjacent to the lot but closes at 5 p.m., said it would not have an effect on his business and he did not have larger concerns about safety.

However, Physicians Physical Therapy owner Carolyn Sires, who operates on Campbell Avenue across from where the lot is located, said she was concerned theres more the city is not telling business owners.

Sires said she does have concerns about public safety in downtown West Haven at night, but her evidence is mostly anecdotal. She said that if the city has made the decision to limit the hours of operation of a public lot, any data that informed that decision has not been shared with business owners.

As a business owner, I want to know about these crimes. What are the crime statistics? she said. Sires said that if crime is bad enough to influence the citys decisions, she would want to know whether she should invest in more security.

Sires said one of her clients relayed concerns about how, after the decision was made to close the lot, Campbell Avenue has come to resemble a parade with noise pollution and intoxicated people. Sires said she was not convinced closing the lot would put a stop to the type of behavior it seemingly hopes to prevent, but merely will push it out to the street.

The lot is operated by the city as part of a 99-year agreement with the Silver family that owned the former corner drugstore. The agreement is set to expire in 2095.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
Governors on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday, rejected the Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan as the...

Governors on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday, rejected the Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan as the consensus 2023 presidential candidate.

The governors at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, insisted that there must be a power shift which they noted would be too risky for the APC, if rotation was disallowed.

The National Chairman of the APC Senator Abdullahi Adamu had anointed Lawan as the consensus candidate, a development that is currently causing ripples among the governors and other party stakeholders.

The announcement came a few hours to the National Convention, which was expected to produce the APCs flag bearer within the next three days.

Earlier in the meeting of the National Working Committee of the APC, which was presided by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, NigerianEye learnt on good authority that some members of the Committee vehemently opposed Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan as consensus candidate.

Those who opposed Lawan argued that the party must respect zoning and allow the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and others cleared by the Screening Committee to contest, if APC must keep power at the centre.

Earlier in his brief with the State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and incumbent Governor of Plateau State, Barr Simon Lalong, made their position known in the interest of justice, equity and fair play.

Lalong said: 13 of us apologised to the President for receiving the information about our position after it was leaked.
The Presidency has dismissed the claim of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), that he brought Presi...





The Presidency has dismissed the claim of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), that he brought President Muhammadu Buhari into power.

While addressing APC delegates in Ogun State last week, Tinubu had boasted that without him, Buhari would have lost in 2015.

You have not heard this from me before. This is the first place I am saying this. If not me that led the war front, Buhari wouldnt have emerged. He contested first, second and third times, but lost. He even said on television that he wont contest again.

But I went to his home in Katsina. I told him you would contest and win, but you wont joke with the matters of the Yorubas. Since he has emerged I have not been appointed minister. I didnt get contract. This time, its Yoruba turn and in Yorubaland, its my tenure, he had said.

Following the heavy criticism that trailed his comments, Tinubu recanted and claimed he was quoted out of context.

But in a statement on Monday, Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said many people worked for the emergence of Buhari.

It is perhaps not surprising that on the eve of the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer primary there are those running as candidates who wish to associate themselves with the Presidents rise to elected office seven years ago.

There are many people who played parts large and small in his historic election in 2015, making history as the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president with power changing hands peacefully at the ballot box.

There are those who advised the President to run again; those who decided to build a political party  the APC  that could finally be the political vehicle capable of delivering victory where all other opposition parties and alliances before it had failed.

Those decisions may have been agreed upon by a few. But they were delivered by thousands and voted for by tens of millions. No one can or should claim to have made this possible.

Yet as important as that moment was, it is not what should decide the next general election. What matters is the future: the policy platforms, the ideas, the drive, and the determination to take over the Presidents stewardship of our country and build upon his legacy to make our country better than it has ever been.

The person most demonstrable in those qualities is the one to lead our party and our country forward.
Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has expressed grief over the murder of worshipers during a mass at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-lu...





Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has expressed grief over the murder of worshipers during a mass at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa, Owo, Ondo State, on Sunday, by gunmen.





The Governor equally commiserated with the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu and the people of the State, over what he described as a sad and disheartening incident.





Abiodun, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, said that the Owo Church attack where innocent souls were cut short, came to him as a rude shock, especially at a period when efforts were being made to enhance the security architecture in the South-West.





According to the Governor, the killing of defenceless adherents in the church showed that the assailants were not only barbaric, but satanic.





He added that a killing of such a scale was planned and executed to plant fears in the hearts of the people and paint a picture of anarchy, particularly, as the nation is preparing for the general election next year.





Abiodun, who expressed his condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the attack, said that the government and people of Ogun state are with the government and people of Ondo in this time of their grief.





The Governor, however, called on the security agencies to ensure the perpetrators of the heinous crime are apprehended.





Abiodun also urged his Ondo State counterpart not to be swayed and discouraged by the latest incident, but continue to be vocal against and stand against insecurity.





Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost their loved ones in the church attack, the government and the good people of Ondo State.





The news of the unfortunate incident came to me as a rude shock! One wonders who enters into a place of worship and unleashes terror on the worshipers. This incident has indeed shown that the insecurity in the country is becoming worse, and it needs to be curtailed as a matter of urgency.





As a government, we stand with the Ondo State government and the people in this moment of grief. Though, the attack is devastating, I would like to urge Governor Akeredolu not to be fazed by this latest incident, rather, he should continue to be vocal and maintain his stance against insecurity.





We sincerely pray that the departed souls rest in the bosom of the Lord, while their families be given the fortitude to bear this painful loss.





I hereby join my brother governor to call on the security agencies to go after these evil doers, with the view of bringing them to justice, Abiodun was quoted to have said in the statement.
A former Information and Orientation Commissioner in Ondo State, Donald Ojogo has partly blamed the Nigeria police for the number of death r...





A former Information and Orientation Commissioner in Ondo State, Donald Ojogo has partly blamed the Nigeria police for the number of death recorded in the gruesome attack on the St. Patrick Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo-State on Sunday.





The former Commissioner accused the security operatives of refusing to show up to rescue the victims despite being just 2 kilometres away from the scene of the incident.





He also said explosives were used in the attack on a church that led to many deaths and injuries to several people.





There is clear evidence that explosives were also used in the attack, the former commissioner told Channels Television on Monday.





He added that some of the survivors disclosed that while they were running outside, as a result of the explosives, the criminals were shooting at them.





So, it was at the cause of the stampede that most of these persons died.





He said the number of persons who have died as of Sunday was 21, noting that many others are on the danger list.





Ojogo also faulted police operatives for not responding on time, saying the nearest police station was a few metres away.





The nearest police station to that place is two km. There is a police station not far from the Olowo palace and this happened not far from the palace, Ojogo said.





These gunmen shot for more than 20 minutes and the police didnt show up. This is the reason we need state police.





Meanwhile, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC Bola Tinubu on Monday visited Owo in Ondo State where over 30 Catholic church worshippers were killed by gunmen.





Tinubu, one of the APC presidential aspirants, visited the place and donated N50 million to aid the treatment of the victims.





The Asiwaju of Lagos also donated N25 million to the Catholic Church where the incident happened.
RIMPAC 2022 is the largest Naval exercise in the World held biennially, hosted and administered by US Indo-Pacific Command, in conjunction with US Marine Corps, US Coastguard and Hawaii National Guards forces under the control of the Governor of Hawaii.

by Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne

SLN contingent of ten officers, thirty eight sailors from Sri Lanka Navy Marines and two senior sailor instructors from Special Boats Squadron left country on 4th June 2022 to Australia onboard Royal Australian Airforce heavy lift Aircraft C- 130. They were briefed by Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne at Naval Headquarters prior to their departure.

Sri Lanka Navy Marines battalion is the youngest in the World and raised with support of US Marines on 27th Feb 2017. Initial training was conducted with support of 11th US Marines Expeditionary Unit.

Our contingent will join Royal Australian Naval Ship Canberra in Australia and train alongside Australian Navy Marines on board this Canberra-class Helicopter dock. Ship carry 1046 personnel and four landing craft mechanized, 110 vehicles and 18 helicopters. This huge helicopter carrier will be home for our contingent for next two month, on board which they will sail to Hawaii and California for the exercise.

RANS Canberra

RIMPAC 2022 (Rim of Pacific Naval Exercise 2022) is the largest Naval exercise in the World held biennially, hosted and administered by US Indo-Pacific Command, in conjunction with US Marine Corps, US Coastguard and Hawaii National Guards forces under the control of the Governor of Hawaii.

Receiving an invitation to this prestigious Naval Exercise and Australian government helping in passage was a great achievement and recognition to SL Navy Marine. We as nation should grateful to both the countries for helping and sponsor ing us in difficult hour. This year 27 nations taking part in RIMPAC with 38 surface ships, four submarines and 170 aircraft.

Whole QUAD group, US, Japan, China and Australia taking part in this exercise from 29th June to 4th Aug.

This is an great opportunity to Sri Lankan Navy Marines to show their capabilities to other Nations.

(The writer retired from Sri Lanka Navy and Former Chief of Defence Staff )




The British Government has condemned the heinous killing of worshippers on Sunday at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo ...

The British Government has condemned the heinous killing of worshippers on Sunday at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo Kingdom, in Ondo State.

Recall that not less than 25 worshippers were killed by herdsmen who attacked the church at Owo.

A top official of the Catholic church in Ondo State put the number of those killed at 25.

It was gathered that many worshippers died and several others were injured in what looked like a bomb attack on the St. Xavier Catholic Church.

Reacting, Catriona Laing, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, on Twitter, while condemning the attack extended her sympathies to the victims and their families.

She tweeted, Terrible news today from Owo in Ondo State. I condemn those responsible for this horrific crime. I extend my sympathies to all those affected.
The people of Owo woke up to the devastating news of innocent worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, murdered in cold blood. The...

The people of Owo woke up to the devastating news of innocent worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, murdered in cold blood. The entire ancient city was thrown into total confusion and frustration.

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Ondo State Chapter condemns in very strong terms this attack in which more than fifty persons including women and children were killed. It is very sad that human lives mean very little to those whose business it is to provide security for lives and properties in our country.A situation where everybody lives in fear of being kidnapped or even killed in this senseless manner should be addressed as a matter of urgency by the Muhammadu Buhari led All Progressives Congress (APC) government. We cannot continue to live like this as a people.

Our party commiserates with families of the victims of this attack, the Olowo of Owo, His Royal Majesty Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye 111 and all Ondo State people who are traumatised by this killing. We also urge the security agencies to up their game to be more proactive than allowing this kind of calamity to strike before promises of tracking down the culprits.

It is unacceptable for worshippers to be mowed down in a church. The perpetrators must certainly be animals just in human skin. It is sacrilegious.

Kennedy Ikantu Peretei

State Publicity Secretary, PDP, Ondo StateJune 5, 2022
Following the massacre of worshipers at the St.Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa Owo, Ondo State, on Sunday, blood donors are needed at the F...





Following the massacre of worshipers at the St.Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa Owo, Ondo State, on Sunday, blood donors are needed at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, where most of the injured victims were taken to.





Scores of worshippers were killed while service was ongoing in the church, which is located in the heart of the town.





It was reported that the worshippers, mostly children and women, were killed in the attack by gunmen, who also made use of dynamite.





It was gathered that the injured victims, who were rushed to the emergency unit of the hospital, are in need of blood.





A total of 35 persons were brought in dead, according to workers at the Federal Medical Centre and Saint Louis Hospital, both in Owo, where the dead and the injured were taken to.





The number of those killed was yet to be specified by the church or the State authorities.





More deaths were said to have been recorded as some of those injured died hours after the incident.





A woman, who was shot in the leg during the attack, was said to have given up the ghost on Sunday evening.
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with the northern All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the state house in Abuja. ...

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with the northern All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the state house in Abuja.

The meeting is taking place in the presidents office.

The agenda of the meeting is believed to be centred on the decision of the northern governors to back a power shift to the south.

The governors had on Saturday asked Buhari to look toward the southern presidential hopefuls when considering his pick for the flagbearer of the ruling party in the 2023 elections.

They also asked the northern presidential hopefuls in the APC to withdraw from the race in national interest.

A statement issued after the meeting said Abubakar Badaru, governor of Jigawa state, had withdrawn from the race to contribute to this patriotic quest.

Speaking to BBC Hausa on Sunday, Badaru had said the discussion is still a proposal to be sent to the president for approval.

The governor added that he will only withdraw from the presidential race if Buhari gives his consent for power to be shifted to the south.

I am not in a position to withdraw until I hear what Buhari says. If he says we should go ahead with a contest, we will go ahead. If he says we should withdraw and take the candidature to the south, we will do so and be in the vanguard to convince others from the north to drop their ambition because Baba says it should go to the south. However, if Baba said we should continue we will continue, Badaru had said.
The presidency says millions of Nigerians elected President Muhammadu Buhari into office in 2015. According to the presidency, no si...

The presidency says millions of Nigerians elected President Muhammadu Buhari into office in 2015.

According to the presidency, no single individual can claim to have been responsible for Buhari becoming president.

The presidencys comment is in reaction to the remarks of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a presidential hopeful of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While addressing delegates in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, on Thursday, Tinubu said Buhari wouldnt have become president without him.

The former Lagos governor said Buhari had given up on the prospect of leading Nigeria until he intervened.

In a statement issued on Monday by Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to Buhari, the presidency said many people played parts large and small in the 2015 election.

The statement reads: It is perhaps not surprising that on the eve of the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer primary there are those running as candidates who wish to associate themselves with the Presidents rise to elected office seven years ago.

There are many people who played parts large and small in his historic election in 2015, making history as the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president with power changing hands peacefully at the ballot box.

There are those who advised the President to run again; those who decided to build a political party  the APC  that could finally be the political vehicle capable of delivering victory where all other opposition parties and alliances before it had failed.

Those decisions may have been agreed upon by a few. But they were delivered by thousands and voted for by tens of millions. No one can or should claim to have made the possible.

Yet as important as that moment was, it is not what should decide the next general election.

What matters is the future: the policy platforms, the ideas, the drive, and the determination to take over the Presidents stewardship of our country and build upon his legacy to make our country better than it has ever been.

The presidency added that the aspirant who has the aforementioned qualities is the one to lead our party and our country forward.
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Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 83F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
The Parish Line's locally themed gifts are found at shops across the city
New Orleans played a pivotal role in World War II's D-Day, and that involvement inspired the creation of the National World War II Museum, which opened 22 years ago today in New Orleans.

It's grown to become one of the city's top attractions.

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces crowded onto Higgins boats in the English Channel and stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, as they began the liberation of German-occupied Western Europe.

The Higgins boat was designed in New Orleans by Andrew Higgins and built by workers in the city. President Eisenhower called Higgins "the man who won the war for us" thanks to his namesake landing craft, which were used in every major U.S. amphibious operation of the war.

The museum is hosting several events Monday for the anniversary of D-Day, including a scarf giveaway. See the schedule below.

In honor of D-Day, check out these five things you might not know about the museum.

1. Originally was the D-Day Museum

The museum opened 22 years ago as the National D-Day Museum.

What started as one building has morphed into a six-acre campus with five pavilions and a hotel. It was designated in 2004 by Congress as the National World War II Museum and is a private nonprofit institution.

Higgins was a Nebraska-born builder who specialized in shallow-draft vessels capable of navigating Louisiana's waters. His biography, written by historian Jerry E. Strahan, is credited with planting the seed for the creation of the National World War II Museum, according to Richard Campanella, a geographer with the Tulane University School of Architecture.

Higgins and his team designed and built the vessels that deposited troops on the shores of Normandy. The vessels were tested in Lake Pontchartrain and the Industrial Canal.

Read more about the vessels.

2. Tom Hanks is a major supporter

Actor Tom Hanks, who starred in the D-Day film "Saving Private Ryan," has a long history of supporting the museum.

He attended the opening-day parade in 2000, along with director Steven Spielberg and news anchor Tom Brokaw.

Hanks is the executive producer for the museum's interactive show, "Beyond All Boundaries," in the Solomon Victory Theater.

The museum honored Hanks and Brokaw in 2015 with the American Spirit Award. In 2016, the French government bestowed its highest award, the Legion of Honor medal, on Hanks, Brokaw and Gordon "Nick" Mueller, the museum's president and CEO emeritus. The medal is an honor that was inaugurated by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

3. Museum once offered cruises

The museum restores and preserves WWII artifacts at the John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion, which features glass exterior walls that allow the public to see a behind-the-scenes view of the process.

The patrol-torpedo boat, PT-305, was a large focus on the restoration efforts for years.

The museum's PT boat, which received the tongue-in-cheek title USS Sudden Jerk from its crew, was built in 1943 and entered combat in the Mediterranean Sea, where the crew is credited with sinking at least two enemy vessels. After the war, the boat was sold as surplus. Eventually the old warhorse was repurposed as an oyster trawler on the East Coast.

It was "in serious disrepair," officials said, when the museum bought it.

Can't see the video? Watch it here.

The PT-305 was brought back to New Orleans in April 2007 where it was restored by hundreds of volunteers for nearly 10 years. The effort cost about $6 million.

In spring 2017, the boat was put in Lake Pontchartrain and and history buffs could pay to walks the decks or take a cruise. The vessel was pulled from the water in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is being stored at Seabrook Harbor and Marine.

4. Higgins boat usually opens once a year

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The Higgins boat inside the museum is generally off limits to visitors. But, on D-Day, it is usually open for people to explore. It remains closed this year but fingers crossed the experience will return in the future.

The Higgins boat was a landing craft made famous for bringing troops to shore during World War II.

5. Museum hosted funeral for oldest U.S. veteran

The museum hosted the funeral for the country's oldest World War II veteran in January. Lawrence Brooks of New Orleans died at 112 years old.

His service was attended by Cedric Richmond, who was a White House senior adviser at the time, and read a letter from Pres. Joe Biden.

Lawrence will be remembered as a strong man and a good soldier," the letter said. "As a member of the greatest generation, he served our nation with honor and represented the best of who we are as Americans.

Brooks' last few birthdays had been celebrated with either a party at the museum or a visit to his Central City house by the museums singing trio, the Victory Belles.

Read more about Brooks.

Lagniappe: NOLA war effort 'destroyed romance,' brothel madam says

In 1941, Andrew Higgins convinced the mayor of New Orleans to requisition the residential block of 1600 block Polymnia as a private space for him to build 50 tank lighters.

Higgins' workers roped off the street, strung lights and erected giant tarps to create an all-weather work yard and assembly line. For two weeks, at least 800 employees worked three shifts, 24 hours a day.

All the bustle did not go without complaint. Neighbors protested about obstructed streets, blocked access to homes, interrupted garbage pick-up and loss of commerce.

A madam of a Polymnia Street brothel "argued plausibly that the racket destroyed romance," and, according to a Fortune story, "threatened to take up the matter with the authorities."

A 1943 photograph of the LCVP assembly line at Higgins Industries in New Orleans. It is estimated that they built a boat every 45 minutes, 24-hours a day, seven days a week for three years. pic.twitter.com/K9vLggD4wp  Derby Gisclair (@DerbyGisclair) June 6, 2022

Read the whole story from Richard Campanella.

D-Day events at the National WWII Museum

The National World War II Museum is hosting several events Monday to commemorate the D-Day anniversary.

The schedule:

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. About 200 knitted scarves will be given away at the museum.

11 a.m. D-Day commemoration ceremony. Watch it live:

Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration Ceremony from The National WWII Museum on Vimeo.

Noon: Birthday cupcakes at the museum

5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Lecture about "Mary Churchill's War: The Wartime Diaries of Churchill's Youngest Daughter."

See more about the events.

Sources: The Times-Picayune archive, National World War II Museum
Cars spun out in shrieking arcs beneath the Calliope Street overpass on Sunday, billowing smoke from their wheel wells as spectators milled about waving handguns and rifles.

Downtown, it was more of the same and then some: When a New Orleans Police Department patrol vehicle crawled into the crowd of another sideshow, this one at St. Roch and St. Claude avenues, two men leaped onto its front hood and began to stomp and cavort. Others kicked the cruiser as it rolled through, lights flashing, according to video footage that went viral on social media.

Police say organized chaos broke out at four intersections across the city on Sunday, in perilous scenes that left residents outraged and city leaders pledging an aggressive response. The image that emerged for some was of a city that had lost control of its streets.

There were no arrests as of late Monday, but police did release pictures of two men captured on video jumping on the police cruiser. They also released information about four vehicles allegedly involved in the stunts: A silver 2012 Chevrolet Camaro; a red 2013 Camaro; a white 2017 Ford Mustang and a red 2015 Dodge Challenger. Two were registered in New Orleans, one in Kenner and one in Baker, La.

At an afternoon news conference, NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said it appeared that at least some of the events were organized from outside New Orleans and drew people from other states.

Ferguson said he would press to book drivers, spectators and organizers regardless of where they came from, and that he would begin to urge an elevated felony charge -- aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce -- that carries a 15-year maximum prison sentence.

Theres no way in hell we should allow anyone to come to our city and rule our city the way they (did) yesterday, Ferguson said.

Can't see the video below? Click here.

Such stunt shows are nothing new to New Orleans or other urban centers in America, having grown into a social media-fueled craze that has left cities groping for answers. What made Sundays incidents different, Ferguson said, was the total disrespect patrons showed to police.

Ferguson said Mayor LaToya Cantrell was out of town Monday, but in a statement, Cantrell described the stunt shows as "reckless criminal behavior."

"These brazen actions have accelerated to a complete disregard and blatant disrespect for law enforcement. This ends now!" the statement read. "My administration stands with the New Orleans Police Department as they seek to increase criminal penalties associated with this type of behavior, and as they relentlessly pursue all perpetrators who place the public at risk."

Much of the footage, including cars screeching donuts and stalling traffic, appeared to be shot at Calliope and Annunciation streets. Other videos that spread revealed pop-up sideshows Sunday at Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road, and at St. Claude and St. Roch avenues. Police described another Sunday at Orleans Avenue and North Galvez Street in Treme.

Noe Regules, who works at Laksa NOLA in the St. Roch Market, said people started to gather late in the afternoon for an event he said was clearly planned.

Regules said drivers parked on the median and sat on their hoods to watch the car stunts that soon ensued, while others stopped traffic to clear the intersection. The group grew into a crowd, and the show went on for a "good 30 minutes" before the NOPD got to the scene, he said.

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Officers who arrived were forced back inside their cruiser, he said. Then members of the crowd started jumping on the hood, hitting the windows and throwing bottles.

Can't see the video below? Click here.

Regules said he was stunned to see cars spinning out so close to people standing in the street. "Luckily they didn't get hurt, but that's still shocking to see," he said.

A video from another part of town showed a man riding the hood of a spinning car, then getting thrown and slammed aside.

Ferguson said he is working with the Louisiana State Police on tactics to deal with these events. He also plans to push state legislation to make it easier to seize vehicles from participants.

"We want to know who are the planners, who are the organizers," Ferguson said. "Not just the drivers, not just the spectators. Everyone identified will be held accountable."

As news reports hit the internet Monday, at least six Instagram accounts associated with car stunt groups listed on a flyer for Sunday's event turned private, were edited or deleted. One page, @streetfleetbr, had advertised sideshow meetups dating back to October 2021 at various locations, including Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Another page, @gtsboys4l, encouraged members of the "GTSBOYS" club to meet at locations around New Orleans. That account's earliest video was posted September 2020 and features men hanging out of the window of a car doing donuts.

Im asking everyone to get as angry as we are, Darlene Cusanza, president and CEO of Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans, said Monday.

Some cities, like Baton Rouge, have recently passed laws to crack down on street racing by penalizing spectators or organizers.

After a stunt show erupted April 30 outside a Garth Brooks concert at Tiger Stadium, police assigned task force officers to monitor social media for organized events, according to Baton Rouge police spokesperson L'Jean McKneely. The East Baton Rouge Metro Council also raised penalties last year for illegal drag racing and made it easier to impound vehicles.

City Council members Oliver Thomas and Eugene Green said New Orleans must also crack down.

This isnt Gotham City. The Joker and the Penguin dont rule the streets of this community, said Thomas, who warned of arrests, fines and vehicle seizures for those who participate. This is a tipping point If you thought you could do it yesterday, you cant do it anymore.

Green said he has drafted an ordinance that will go before the City Council on Thursday to specifically outlaw street burnout shows.

Those people who think these are victimless crimes are absolutely wrong," Green said.
Authorities say Daniel Tenner confessed to killing and robbing a Pascagoula, Mississippi, woman that he had lured to Terrytown under the guise of selling a cell phone through the online Facebook Marketplace.

When Tenner, 20, of Jackson, Mississippi, allegedly expressed remorse for the grisly crime which had been committed in front of the victim's girlfriend and a toddler, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigators asked Tenner if he wanted to apologize to the victim's family.

"We gave him a legal pad and a pen so he could write a letter, and he did," JPSO Homicide Detective Harold Wischan testified Monday during a probable cause hearing in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court.

+2 Terrytown Facebook Marketplace deal turned deadly: Mississippi woman fatally shot while buying phone A Pascagoula, Mississippi, woman who drove to Terrytown in April to buy a cell phone she found advertised on Facebook Marketplace was, instead

Authorities didn't disclose the contents of the letter they say Tenner penned to the relatives of Morgan Tyrone, 24, who was shot to death during the April 10 hold-up. Tenner is booked with first-degree murder, armed robbery and two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Blood everywhere

Tyrone and her 22-year-old girlfriend had been shopping for a new cell phone and settled on an iPhone 13 being offered on Facebook Marketplace, Wischan testified. Tyrone and the seller negotiated a $300 price.

Though she'd been searching phones for sale in the Jackson area, the seller revealed that he was actually located in New Orleans, according to Wischan. The two arranged to meet on April 10.

Tyrone, her girlfriend and the girlfriend's toddler son drove to the 300 block of Friedrichs Road in Terrytown, the location they were given by the seller. They arrived about 10:30 p.m.

The 22-year-old woman told detectives that Tyrone and the seller went back and forth, each asking the other to hand over their part of the transaction first, Wischan said. But Tyrone, who was sitting in the driver's seat of a mini-van, began to get a "bad feeling" about the whole encounter.

When Tyrone turned to put the money in the vehicle's center console, the seller, who'd been standing outside the vehicle at the driver's-side window, pulled a pistol and shot Tyrone once in the head, Wischan testified, spraying blood everywhere inside the vehicle.

The man pointed the gun at the woman and the toddler, threatened to kill them, and demanded the money.

"The surviving victim had just witnessed her girlfriend murdered. She was wearing her blood and brains. She really believed her and her child would be murdered next," Wischan said.

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The woman handed the gunman the blood-stained cash, and he fled.

Tip and confession

Detectives analyzed Tyrone's cell phone and confirmed that she'd been conversing with a potential seller about an iPhone, according to Wischan. All of the communication was done through Facebook messenger, he said.

Tenner was not the owner of that Facebook account, authorities said. Detectives have spoken with the account's owner. But Wischan and Assistant Jefferson Parish District Attorney Thomas Block did not identify the person during the hearing Monday.

Wischan, however, said investigators found evidence linking that Facebook account to Tenner, including photos and other social media and digital accounts.

Wischan conceded that authorities cant say for sure whether it was Tenner messaging Tyrone through Facebook. But Wischan noted that Tenner later admitted doing so.

Investigators tracked Tenner's cell phone and determined that he'd been in the vicinity of the homicide at the time Tyrone was killed, authorities said.

They later determined Tenner had come to Terrytown from Jackson on April 3 and was staying with someone in an apartment about a block from the murder scene, Wischan said. The resident of the apartment drove Tenner back to Jackson on April 12.

About three weeks after the homicide, the Sheriff's Office received a Crimestoppers tip naming Tenner as the suspect, Wischan said. The tipster provided quite a bit of information and told authorities that Tenner had been bragging about the killing in Jackson, even sharing a news article about the murder.

Probable cause

The U.S. Marshals Service took Tenner into custody in Jackson on May 17. Tyrone's girlfriend identified him as the gunman in the case, according to Wischan.

Criminal Commissioner Paul Schneider ruled there was probable cause to continue holding Tenner without bond on the first-degree murder charge. But he ruled there was insufficient cause to hold Tenner on the attempted murder charges, saying there was no evidence of intent to kill.

Tenner was remanded to the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.
ICQPodcast Episode 378 - Gateways On The Air 2022

In this episode, Martin Butler (M1MRB) is joined by Martin Rothwell (M0SGL), Frank Howell (K4FMH), Bill Barnes (WC3B) and Leslie Butterfield (G0CIB) to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and in the episode's feature Gateways On The Air 2022.

We would like to thank Yusuf Chadun (M7CZF) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate



News stories include: -

"Q" RSL to Celebrate The Queen's Platinum Jubilee

SOTA on BBC Countryfile

23cm Band and Sat-Nav Coexistence: ITU-R WP4C Studies

The Undead Spacecraft

Essex Radio Amateur in Queens Birthday Honours List

GB70U: From Guernsey to Space  and Back Again

Boston Amateur Radio Club Field Day 2022

The ICQPodcast can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com
The United Way of Southeast Louisiana and Baptist Community Ministries will distribute $500,000 in grants to 37 New Orleans organizations to expand summer programming for young people of color living in poverty.

The programs aim to reach some of the most vulnerable young people in New Orleans, where 88,000 people between age 5 and 24 live at or below what is considered the minimum income necessary for survival, according to a United Way report.

"We're at a crossroads. We as a community have to do something," Tod Smith, the chair of the United Way of Southeast Louisiana board of trustees, said at a news conference at Grow Dat Youth Farm in New Orleans on Thursday. "While the numbers tell a story, they really don't tell the complete story. Behind each data point, behind each percentage, is a family, young person or a child who is facing these substantial challenges."

Smith said in New Orleans 62% of children between age 5 and 17 and 83% of young adults between age 18 and 24 are employed, or have caregivers who are employed, but still struggle to make ends meet. In addition, New Orleans youth show symptoms of PTSD at rates 4.5 times higher than the rest of the country, he said.

A panel that included youth representatives from New Orleans Youth Alliance and New Orleans Children and Youth Planning Board selected 37 programs from 73 applicants. The programs focus on a wide variety of subjects, including arts, advocacy, dance, leadership, literacy, soft skills and workforce development.

Programs were awarded between $5,000 and $20,000. United Way and Baptist Community Ministries each contributed $250,000 for the grants.

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"The aim is to help close the achievement gap, improve health outcomes, reduce crime and foster financial stability," Smith said.

Many of the programs that received funding are already underway for the summer.

"We need to talk with our citys youth, listen to them and learn what they need from their perspective. We need to invest in them and create effective change to break the generational cycle of trauma that New Orleans children have faced, said Slade Simons, the Baptist Community Ministries board chair.

Alyssa Poche, 16, is starting her second year working at Grow Dat, an urban farm in New Orleans that employs about 100 young people. She said the work has given her and others "an experience they won't get in school," including learning communication and conflict resolution skills and about climate change.

Something I wish more adults knew about being a young person in todays world is that just because we are younger, it does not mean that our needs and wants for the world are any smaller than theirs," Poche said. "My hope for the future of young people in New Orleans is to live the best we possibly can, of course, and to realize that learning about our differences can help us coexist in the world.
The developers of a controversial $400 million grain elevator in Wallace will be allowed to conduct pre-construction activities, including pile driving, at the proposed site over the objections of opponents who contend the work may disturb the graves of slaves on the former plantation property.

Judge J. Sterling Snowdy of the 40th Judicial District Court in LaPlace on Friday denied a temporary restraining order that the Descendants Project, a St. John the Baptist nonprofit group, had requested to block the work planned by Greenfield Louisiana LLC.

Snowdy is overseeing a lawsuit filed by the Descendants Project against St. John the Baptist Parish that challenges a 1990 rezoning of the property for heavy industrial use.

Sisters Jo and Joy Banner, owners of the Fee-Fo-Lay Cafe in Wallace and leaders of the Descendants Project and the opposition to the silo facility, argued in court filings that corrupt rezoning was involved in the land use change. The Banners linked the project to the conviction of former parish president Lester Millet Jr. on charges that included extorting $200,000 from the person who brokered the 1990 sale of the land to Formosa Plastics Corp., which wanted to build a rayon plant on the site.

Formosa Plastics abandoned that plan in 1992. In July 2021, Greenfield bought the west bank site for a facility that will include a loading terminal and 54 silos.

In April, Snowdy dismissed several challenges by the parish to the Descendants lawsuit. But on June 1, he also allowed Greenfield, which had intervened in the Descendants lawsuit, to appeal his decisions to the state Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal. He did not grant Greenfields request to pause action on the suit itself until the appeals court issues a ruling, though.

The opponents also argue that grain dust from the new terminal will add to the environmental threat faced by mostly Black and low-income residents in Wallace, which is already plagued by air pollution from nearby chemical plants.

Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

We are disappointed that we werent granted the injunction, said Joy Banner. Though Greenfield was supposed to have consulted specifically with the Descendants group before any construction began, the group only learned of Greenfield's work after the company sent postcards to some residents warning that pile driving was about to start, she said.

Banner said her group has asked the Corps to issue its own cease-and-desist order to Greenfield. The group also wants the Corps to require Greenfield to rule out the potential for slave graves being disturbed before allowing work to begin.

Banner also objected to language in motions Greenfield filed in support of their request to do the work, in which Greenfield charged that the Descendants Project had provided no proof of graves being found on the property.

The fact that we dont have evidence is a result of the system of slavery, where burial grounds were unmarked, said Pam Spees, an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing the Descendants group. And we dont have access to the site. Greenfield has not allowed us access to the site.

Spees added that the judge's decision Friday "highlights the painful, outrageous and absurd Catch-22 of history that the descendants find themselves in -- doing everything they can to find and protect the graves of their ancestors on these sites, while their ancestors are still in the possession and control of private landowners who can decide their fate."

But Louis Buatt, an attorney representing Greenfield, praised Snowdys decision.

The courts decision is a win for the people of the parish who will benefit from the jobs, opportunity, engagement and revenue that Greenfield will bring to the community, he said. This was just another procedural attempt by a vocal few to hold up a project that is anticipated to have immense benefit to the community.
Platinum Jubilee ham radio station GB70U on TV

The Guernsey Amateur Radio Society got coverage on ITV and BBC for their special event station for the Platinum Jubilee, GB70U



Keith Le Boutillier GU6EFB was interviewed by ITV, he said:





"Amateur radio is a hobby in which you can communicate with people all over the world.""A lot of stations are aware it's the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the one thing that has become evident is the affection for the Queen across the world, even in countries which she has no direct control over.""We've been speaking with some stations in Brazil last night and we were quite surprised to find that they actually watched the Trooping of the Colour. That's the same for a lot of other countries and amateurs watching it on the television, it's amazing."Watch the ITV news broadcast atThe GB70U station also featured in the Guernsey Press.
South Korea and the United States jointly launched eight short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Monday, in response to North Koreas recent bombardment of short-range ballistic missiles, according to the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

This exercise utilized one U.S. Army missile and seven [South Korea] Army missiles. The missiles were fired from the northeast of South Korea into the East Sea following appropriate notifications for air and maritime safety, the USFK said in a statement.

The move was to demonstrate the ability of the combined [U.S.-South Korea] force to respond quickly to crisis events, the USFK said, reaffirming Washingtons ironclad commitment to the defense of South Korea.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said they launched the ground-to-ground ballistic missiles for about 10 minutes starting from 4.45 a.m. on Monday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Our military strongly condemns the Norths series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns, the JCS said.

The U.S. forces also conducted a bilateral ballistic missile defense exercise with Japan on Sunday to demonstrate the readiness of the U.S.-Japan alliance to respond to regional threats.

North Korea launched eight short-range ballistic missiles from four locations on Sunday. The JCS claimed that the missiles traveled 110 to 670 kilometers (68 to 416 miles) eastward at altitudes between 25 to 90 kilometers (15 to 55 miles).

North Koreas official news agency did not issue a statement regarding the missile launches.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said that it was aware of the multiple ballistic missile launches by Pyongyang and had consulted with its allies and partners.

While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, these missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of [North Koreas] illicit weapons program, it said in a statement.

The latest missile test marked the Norths 18th round of missile launches this year, the previous one was on May 25, when it launched three ballistic missiles just hours after President Joe Biden ended his trip to Asia.

Sung Kim, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, held a trilateral meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Seoul on June 4 to discuss North Koreas nuclear threats. Kim said that Washington and its allies are preparing for all contingencies.

We are prepared to make both short and longer-term adjustments to our military posture as appropriate and responding to any [North Korea] provocation and as necessary to strengthen both defense and deterrence to protect our allies in the region, he said.

We want to make clear to the DPRK that its unlawful and destabilizing activities have consequences and that the international community will not accept these actions as normal, Kim added, using North Koreas official acronym.

Kim reaffirmed that Washington remains open to dialogue with North Korea and is willing to discuss sanctions relief. But Pyongyang has shown no interest to resume denuclearization talks due to what it says are the U.S. and its allies hostile policies.

When [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un] sees that we are coordinating very closely with partners and allies, I hope this persuades him that the only viable path is diplomacy with us, the envoy said.

From The Epoch Times
RAC Amateur of the Year 2021: Hiroshi Takahashi, VA7LET

Through the RAC Amateur of the Year Award, Radio Amateurs of Canada recognizes the outstanding contributions made by Canadian Amateurs. The RAC Board considers nominations for the RAC Amateur of the Year Award and presents it if and when the nomination demonstrates the exceptional contribution made. If there are several nominations the best for that year is approved.

RAC British Columbia/Yukon Director Keith Witney, VE7KW (left), was pleased to present the award to Hiroshi at his home on March 8

Hiroshi Takahashi, VA7LET, has made a significant contribution to the Amateur Radio community in Vancouver, British Columbia.

He was highly active with the Vancouver Emergency Community Telecommunications Organization (VECTOR), which operates the Amateur Radio program that supports the Vancouver Emergency Management Agency and raises the communication preparedness of the community.

Hiroshis contributions to Amateur Radio include the following:

Coordinating VECTORs Basic Amateur certification course from 2014 to 2020, helping 800 people become Amateurs in two to three courses each year

Coordinating VECTORs civic service operations from 2014 to 2019 with Gary Webb, VA7GMW and Mike Watkins, VE7WV, including activations at the annual Celebration of Light, Canada Day and Santa Claus Parade events

Serving as VECTOR Vice-President from 2014 to 2019

Coordinating VECTORs annual exercises from 2012 to 2016

Coordinating VECTORs Field Day setup from 2013 to 2019 with Gary and Mike

Sponsoring and operating VE7RVU, a local 440 MHz repeater

Helping to maintain the VE7RVZ repeater, a local 2 metre repeater

Inspiring and coordinating the local 2 metre QSO Party starting in 2019

In 2021, Hiroshi founded the Lower Mainland Radio Room (LMRR) to focus on the fun in radio technology to get more people on the air and inspire existing Amateurs to discover new ways they can use their radio.

For more information about the RAC Amateur of the Year Award visit:

https://wp.rac.ca/rac-amateur-of-the-year/

Phil A. McBride, VA3QR/VA3KPJ

RAC President and Chair
PetSmart plans to open a big-box store in Valparaiso soon.

The national pet retailer is taking over the former Pier One and AT&T Store spaces next to Barnes & Noble in the Valparaiso Marketplace shopping center. It will combine both vacant storefronts into a bigger, 12,000-square-foot space.

Petsmart, a chain that has locations in Schererville, Hobart and Michigan City, is renovating the retail space at 150 Silhavey Road in Valpo. It's building a loading dock, adding drainage and remodeling the facade, including by switching out the window frames, according to plans filed with the city of Valparaiso.

Phoenix, Arizona-based PetSmart operates more than 1,600 stores across North America. Founded in 1986, it sells pet supplies, dog and cat food, treats, pet accessories and small pets like birds, hamsters and rabbits. It also offers a variety of pet services like adoption, pet boarding, grooming, training classes, dog daycare and third-party pet hospitals at some locations.

David Holzem with Wispo Investors told the Valparaiso Site Review Committee the big-box store in Valparaiso will not have any veterinarians on staff.

The main competitor of Petco, PetSmart carries scores of leading brands for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, gerbils and other pets. It stocks everything from collars, crates and flea and tick treatments to dental treats, rawhides, bowls and beds.

It will be located in the outdoor Valparaiso Marketplace shopping mall at Ind. 49 and LaPorte Avenue along with many other big-box retailers, including Target, Home Depot, Kohl's as well as smaller retailers like Shoe Carnival, Hair Cuttery, Maurice's and Pet Supplies Plus.

Valparaiso Marketplace lies next to the outdoor Valparaiso Walk shopping mall that's home to Menard's, Best Buy, Marshalls, Michael's and Bed, Bath & Beyond and across the highway from the Porters Vale Shopping Center.

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VALPARAISO  Police have released surveillance photos in hopes the public can help identify a suspect in a recent theft at the local Walmart store at 2400 Morthland Drive.

The suspect entered the store around 12:45 p.m. May 30, selected more than $850 in merchandise and walked through the checkout area, Valparaiso police said.

"He then attempted to exit the store after failing to pay for the scanned items," police said. "The male was approached by store staff; however, the male refused to comply and left the area."

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police Detective Sgt. Melanie Sheets at 219-462-2135.

Information can also be texted to TIP411 (847-411) by entering "Valpo" in the message field and placing "850" in the first line of the tip to identify the case.

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HOBART  Improvements are coming to City Hall, but they won't be as extensive as initially planned.

The City Council and Mayor Brian Snedecor authorized up to $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for enhancements addressing safety and COVID issues, Clerk-Treasurer Deb Longer said.

We looked carefully at this building, and its time to do some upgrades, Longer said.

A new front entrance, an emergency exit and interior work are planned for the facility at 414 Main St.

We will not be doing a major renovation and anticipate spending less than $200,000 on what is planned at this time, Longer said.

She said city leaders eventually will reevaluate the needs at City Hall and determine if other work is necessary there.

The front entrance will be converted to a touchless sliding door thats ADA compliant.

Longer said the city also plans to create a new exit point off of the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall.

Essentially an emergency exit because the second floor of this building has no secondary exit, Longer said.

She said the outdoor structure isnt an entryway, but it provides a method for people to leave the facility in an emergency.

The citys Plan Commission on Thursday reviewed the project and authorized the site plan for the improvements.

As Hobart plans to enhance City Hall, the municipality also looks to address another need.

The City Council approved the creation of an IT position in the city.

The maximum salary amount for the new IT position is $80,000 plus benefits for a full-time employee, Longer said. The range for hiring is anywhere between $30,000 (and) $80,000.

Police Chief Garrett Ciszewski said IT work is currently handled by a consultant whos working about 20 hours a week in the municipality.

He said that person plans to retire. It was recommended the city hire a person to provide full-time IT services in the municipality.

Our IT needs as a city have grown exponentially through the years, Ciszewski said.

He said the Police Department has 100 computers and a few servers by itself. Councilman Josh Huddlestun said the Parks Department recently encountered issues with a new system it has in place. In addition to helping with those issues, an IT employee can help the city with new technology.

Just having somebody on staff to sit down with a group of employees and answer their questions without anybody feeling stupid about asking them, Longer said. Just to walk them through how to use what we have.

Longer said Hobart considered outsourcing the IT position, but that doesnt seem feasible at this time.

The problem with that is we run 24/7 and youre at their mercy as to when they can make it out, she said.

It hasnt yet been determined when a person will be hired. Ciszewski said Hobarts IT consultant agreed to help train the person selected for the new position.

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MICHIGAN CITY  Professional sculptors turned sand and water, the two beach staples, into beautiful artworks during the inaugural Singing Sands Sand Sculpting Festival at Washington Park.

If you missed the festival, youve missed the artworks completely. They were destroyed at the end of the festival for childrens safety.

The Sand Lovers, based in Fort Myers, Florida, organized the festival for the city.

Bill Knight, one of the partners, said he got into the business when he stumbled across a sand sculpting event. I had no idea you could make a living at it, he said, but he and his wife, Marianne Knight, now travel the country and the Caribbean islands, primarily, to run festivals like the one here.

Each beachs sand has different qualities. Michigan City is a great location for sand sculptures, he said. We like to have super fine sand, and this is very fine sand.

Lauri Tournoux, of Navarre, Ohio, is a tax commissioner by day but loves being a master sand sculptor. I think its great. Ive worked in varieties of sand over the years, she said.

If I lived here, Id be parked on the other side of the dune every night, she said while gesturing toward Lake Michigan. Look at what we have here. We have it all.

Her grandchildren enjoy visiting her home. I have a 10-ton sand pit at home, she said. At the festival here, she spent three days turning 11 tons of sand into The Little Engine That Could.

Tournoux enjoyed interacting with visitors as they watched her work. Sand is relaxing for all ages, she said. Weve had people out here with walkers.

She was worried when an 85-year-old woman appeared to be teetering, concerned for both the woman and her sculpture, but as it turned out the woman was just bending over to remove her shoes.

Sand moves, which can frustrate sculptors. This sand shifts. It should be called shifting sand, she said. Its a rolling sand. Its continual.

Tournoux worked on her sculpture for a couple of hours Friday night. I saturated it really good, but in the morning she was surprised. Where did it go?

Disappointments have happened before. She told of when someone stumbled on the sprayer at the end of her hose while she was at lunch. When she returned, she watched her creation collapse. It was going to be a dragon, so she shifted directions and turned it into a dragon hatching from an egg while there was still time to do so before the competition ended.

In New England, Tournoux was working on a sculpture when a noreaster blew in. I never know wind could beat up your body. I had bruises, she said.

Rain is another enemy of sand sculptors. People leave when it rains, so thats a bad word, rain, she said.

The festival drew people from far and wide, Tournoux noted. 180 miles to see this. That says something, she said. Visitors were making a weekend out of their trip to Michigan City.

I hope they love it. I hope it (the festival) grows, Tournoux said.

Thivya Braba, of Columbus, Indiana, brought her family after seeing a state tourism email that mentioned the festival.

I feel blessed to see these kinds of sand sculptures, she said.

Braba is amazed by the three days of effort to create the minute details. She admits to not having that kind of patience.

Its a kind of meditation. They cant think of anything else, Braba said.

Kelly Moore, of Niles, Michigan, was impressed by Tournouxs work. I love the perspective on it with its storybook feel, Moore said.

The park, too, was worth the visit. Its such a nice environment. Youve got the skyline, youve got the beaches.

Bob and Gwen Eriks, of Crown Point, watched the sculptors at work. We thought it was a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon, Gwen said.

I always wondered how they do it. I wonder how they keep it from collapsing, Bob said.

The sculptors secret is a mixture of one part Elmers glue and nine parts water, Marianne Knight said. They lightly spray it, and that just kind of keeps the outer layer in place.

Knight pointed to the sand-sculpted rocks under the lighthouse in the 70-ton tribute to the festivals sponsors. Sand was slowly seeping out from under the rocks.

Sculptor Scott Triplett, like some of the others, also works with snow as his medium. In fact, thats how he began his sculpting career.

Triplett said he appreciates the support he gets from the small community of professional sculptors. If he runs into a snag, he can ask for advice. Its a family, and were really, really open about everything, he said.

Sculptors can take one or two years to work on a design. Friday morning at the hotel, Triplett finished drawing his plan for the weekends sculptures.

Marianne Knight does corporate logos and other designs for clients. At the festivals run by The Sand Lovers, though, shes too busy running the show to compete. She misses it.

The festivals are fun, but they have a bittersweet ending when the sculptures are demolished. Thats one of the worst things, is when we take them down, she said.

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I stood in silence next to my kitchen sink, my hands dripping water on to the floor, as my mother berated me for what I had just done. I tried to stay calm as she scoffed, swore, laughed, sighed and grew louder as my two children slept upstairs. Then, without warning, she walked away and closed the guest room door behind her. I found my husband, wrapped my arms around him and cried.

All I had done was gently correct her after she misgendered my child.

My husband and I are parents of two loud and lively kids. From the outside, you would never think theres anything different about us. Our younger child is 16 months old, a fledgling toddler who crafts temper tantrums with panache. Our older child is a 7-year-old whos like other first graders: they tell you very little about their school day when asked, they dislike making their bed, and they want nothing more than the freedom to play Minecraft for upward of 23 hours a day. But one thing does set my first grader apart from others: Our child, who Ill call M, is not cisgender. M is nonbinary, also known as gender nonconforming, gender creative, genderqueer or gender diverse. M uses they/them pronouns and simply doesnt identify as the sex assigned to them at birth.

From the beginning, as parents, my husband and I werent the blue-for-boys, pink-for-girls type. We let M dress in the clothing they gravitated toward and wear their hair in whichever style they liked. We made a point to shy away from anything overtly gendered, or from the notion that our child was only entitled to half the worlds opportunities. Still, we were happily raising our child as cisgender without thinking anything of it.
I have a small graveyard of no-show socks in a drawer. Regardless of price, they all seem to slip under my heels. Can you recommend a good brand for this essential wardrobe item?  Lisa, Cambridge, Mass.

Socks are one of those often-overlooked wardrobe items that deserve more attention than they get. Given the amount of time we spend on our feet, great socks can improve our quality of life, making walking and other daily activities spent in ballet flats, sneakers and loafers a pleasure. Or at least a relatively pain-free experience.

Especially around this time of year when feet swell in the heat and a shoe that fit nicely only a month ago starts to chaff. Then, before you can say Ouch, a blister has formed.

Enter no-show socks, those footie accessories that promise to allow you to look as if you are so carefree as to wear shoes without socks while actually allowing you to avoid the rub.
On top of that, the continent is suffering badly.

Russia and Ukraine normally supply about 40 percent of wheat needs in Africa, where prices for the grain have risen 23 percent in the past year, the United Nations says. In the Horn of Africa region, a devastating drought has left 17 million people hungry, mostly in parts of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, according to the United Nations. More than 200,000 people in Somalia are on the brink of famine.

Faced with such pressing need, many African countries are unlikely to hesitate before buying Russian-supplied grain, no matter where it comes from, said Hassan Khannenje, director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, a research body in Kenya.

This is not a dilemma, Mr. Khannenje said. Africans dont care where they get their food from, and if someone is going to moralize about that, they are mistaken.

The need for food is so severe, he added, that its not something they need to debate.

Ukrainian officials said the solution to Africas food problem is greater global pressure to end the war, not purchases of looted grain. There is a simple answer, Taras Vysotsky, Ukraines deputy minister of agriculture, said: Stop the fighting.
Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, June 6 - 12. Details and times are subject to change.

Monday

IRMA VEP 9 p.m. on HBO. With a wink, Olivier Assayas revisits his 1996 film of the same name in this mini-series, which itself follows a disastrous attempt to remake Les Vampires, the silent serial film from the 1910s. The show stars Alicia Vikander as an American movie star who signs on to play Irma Vep, the heroine in the old story. The role seeps into her own life.

Tuesday

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981) 10 p.m. on TCM. Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken and Jessica Harper star in this offbeat musical, which was adapted from a BBC series. Martin plays a sheet-music salesman in Depression-era Chicago whose knotty romances are heightened by lip-synced renditions of popular songs from the 1920s and 30s. A neo-Brechtian comedy-melodrama with music, is the label that the critic Vincent Canby used in his 1981 review for The New York Times, adding that he watched the movie with what might be best described as baffled interest.
Britain offers weapons to Ukraine

Britain, embroiled in its own political scandals this week, has joined the U.S. in pledging advanced rocket systems to Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned the West against supplying Ukraine with such arms.

The British multiple-launch rocket system can hit targets up to 50 miles away. President Biden said last week that the U.S. would soon deliver a precision rocket system with a similar range, far beyond what Ukraine has in its arsenal. Here are live updates.

The fighting in eastern Ukraine has increasingly become an artillery war, and Western rockets could dent Moscows weaponry advantage in the battle for the Donbas. The barrages have exacted a heavy toll on the Ukrainian army: The Ukrainian government has said that as many as 100 soldiers are dying every day.

But there are complications: Ukrainian soldiers do not always know how to use high-tech weapons from the West. Some have been forced to resort to Google. Its like being given an iPhone 13 and only being able to make phone calls, a sergeant said.

Monastery: One of the five holiest sites in the Russian Orthodox Church is directly in Russias line of fire. But even as shells kill monks and nuns, the monastery in eastern Ukraine remains faithful to the church  and to its pro-Putin leader, Patriarch Kirill.
This is one part of the debate in which the two sides agree on at least some of the facts, if not their significance. Abortion opponents sometimes emphasize that Roe has reduced the population of nonwhite Americans. A highly disproportionate percentage of aborted fetuses are Black, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the leaked draft opinion that calls for overturning Roe.

Across much of the South  including Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas  more than half of the women who got an abortion in 2019 were Black or Hispanic, according to the C.D.C. A large share were also younger women, with nearly 40 percent nationwide younger than 25.

These are people who may be working in jobs that arent paying well or they may be in school, Kari White of the University of Texas at Austin, told The Times. They may feel they dont have the resources to raise a child.

The bottom line

The overturning of Roe would be a radical legal change. But it would not end the political fight over abortion any more than Roe did.

For decades, abortion opponents have been trying to restrict abortion access, and they have often succeeded in Republican-run states. If Roe were to fall, advocates of abortion access would continue their efforts, including in states that outlawed abortion. And the rise of medication abortion has made possible a strategy that did not exist decades ago.

What if? Emily Bazelon asks whether abortion rights might have been more enduring if more advocates had emphasized womens equality rather than the right to privacy.
The monastery lies directly in the path of the Russian Army as it advances in eastern Ukraine. It is also sheltering hundreds of people who have been displaced by the war.

Russian shells aimed at nearby Ukrainian troop positions regularly go astray and strike the monastery, with terrifying shrieks and metallic booms that echo through the churchyards. They tear through building walls and leave gaping holes in the grounds, writes my colleague Andrew Kramer. At least four monks, priests or nuns have been killed, the Ukrainian police say.

That forces the residents of the monastery  who are loyal to Patriarch Kirill in Moscow, an ally of President Vladimir Putin who has blessed the Kremlins war  into a form of wartime rationalization.

Yes, they shell the monastery but they are probably just following orders, said one nun, Sister Ioanna, who is in a hospital after she was wounded while praying. We pray for them, too, asking that they realize what they are doing.

Over the past week, the frontline has advanced to within about a mile of the gates of the monastery, which sits on the banks of the Siversky Donets River.

On Saturday, the fighting started a fire that burned the wooden All Saints Hermitage church, the largest wooden church in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said. Russia blamed Ukrainian forces.
This past week, Elon Musk issued an ultimatum to Tesla and SpaceX employees: Return to the office for at least 40 hours per week  or lose your job. Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan, said last month that working from home wasnt for people who wanted to hustle. And Mayor Eric Adams of New York City recently announced a strict policy of in-person work for city employees as he aimed to revive the citys tax base.

But for all of the power wielded by Musk, Dimon and Adams, they may be fighting a culture shift that is larger than any single company or city, my colleague Vivian Giang wrote in the DealBook newsletter.

There are signs that the work-from-home trend is actually accelerating. One recent survey published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that employers said they would allow employees to work from home an average of 2.3 days per week  up from 1.5 days in the summer of 2020.

At its core, the battle over remote work is a test of corporate Americas definition of an ideal worker. For decades or even longer, that has been a person who prioritizes the job above all else and has no outside commitments.

For many C.E.O.s and managers, thats how they worked. Thats how they succeeded and thats the only way they know, said Brigid Schulte, the director of the Better Life Lab program at the think tank New America. All of this was completely false; it was totally a fake story weve been telling ourselves.
Three days later, on Sunday, nine of the ethics boards 13 members informed Mr. Smith that they would resign. Mr. Smith said in a statement on Sunday that Axon would pause its plans for the drone project. It was unclear whether the decision to halt the project was made before or after the board members told Mr. Smith that they planned to resign.

It is unfortunate that some members of Axons ethics advisory panel have chosen to withdraw from directly engaging on these issues before we heard or had a chance to address their technical questions, Mr. Smith said. We respect their choice and will continue to seek diverse perspectives to challenge our thinking and help guide other technology options that we should be considering.

The nine board members who resigned said in a statement on Monday that none of us expected the announcement.

We all feel the desperate need to do something to address our epidemic of mass shootings, they said. But Axons proposal to elevate a tech-and-policing response when there are far less harmful alternatives, is not the solution. Before Axons announcement, we pleaded with the company to pull back. But the company charged ahead in a way that struck many of us as trading on the tragedy of the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings.
And Musk is could be an unusually powerful enemy: Love him or hate him, he has a loyal, almost religious following. Some of his fans have even tattooed his name, his face and the Tesla logo on their bodies. And he can often control the news cycle with a single tweet.

The Musk and Biden feud started more than a year ago, seemingly sparked by Biden backing auto unions, and unionization more broadly. Biden went so far as to push a provision in a bill that would benefit electric-car makers that are unionized at the expense of those that are not, namely Tesla. He frequently touts hiring figures by the likes of Ford, which last week said it was hiring 6,000 workers, without ever mentioning that Tesla hired nearly 50,000 people around the world in the last two years. (Bidens latest barb came after Musk said he planned to cut thousands of jobs at Tesla, which Musk later walked back.)

Is there a political calculus that there are enough Musk haters to make this a sound strategy? There are about 14 million Americans who belong to unions in the country. (More than half of voters in unions, on a percentage basis, went for Biden). Musk has nearly 100 million followers on Twitter (many of which, though, are probably bots, and lots who probably dont agree with Musks views or dont vote, but nonetheless.)

If Biden had brought Musk under his tent  invited him to the White House with other auto C.E.O.s or praised SpaceXs work for NASA, to name just two examples  Musk has enough of an ego that he most likely would have been turning SpaceX launches into photo opportunities for Biden to wear his Ray-Bans.
LONDON  Thousands of employees across 70 companies in Britain started the first day of a four-day workweek on Monday, a pilot program that is the latest test in the decades-long quest to scale back workers hours while they earn the same amount of pay.

The six-month trial was organized by the nonprofit groups 4 Day Week Global and 4 Day Week UK Campaign, and Autonomy, an organization that studies the impact of labor on well-being. Researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College will assess its effect on productivity and quality of life and will announce results in 2023, the organizers said in a statement.

The program in Britain follows similar efforts in other countries, including Iceland, New Zealand, Scotland and the United States, where companies have embraced greater flexibility in work hours as more people worked remotely and adjusted their schedules during the pandemic.
Wells Fargo is temporarily suspending a hiring policy that led some managers to conduct sham interviews of nonwhite and female candidates, following a report by The New York Times highlighting the practice, the banks chief executive, Charles W. Scharf, told employees in a letter on Monday.

Instituted in 2020, the banks diverse slate policy stipulated that at least half the candidates interviewed for open positions paying $100,000 or more in annual salary needed to be diverse  a catchall term for racial minorities, women and members of other disadvantaged groups.

Though a version of the policy had been in place for years, Wells Fargos leaders spelled it out in writing in mid-2020 as part of a broader push to increase diversity at the bank. On Monday, Mr. Scharf told employees that the policy would be put on hold for several weeks to give the banks leaders time to study its use and make changes.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul has said that she would consider calling a special session of the State Legislature if the law were overturned. And after a shooting in Buffalo last month in which a teenager motivated by racism killed 10 Black people at a grocery store, she brought up the law unprompted, saying that her administration was preparing our state for what could be a Supreme Court decision that allows people to carry concealed weapons. Were ready.

A spokeswoman for the governor declined to elaborate further on the preparations.

Local officials are also readying their offices. On Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams said that in preparation, he and others were looking to draft legislation on the federal, state and local levels, adding that the impending ruling keeps him up at night.

And last week, the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, sent an email to his prosecutors saying that his team was planning to work with Ms. Hochul, Mr. Adams and other district attorneys on new legislation to protect New Yorkers and withstand legal challenge.

He said that the office was planning for a potential storm of litigation should the law be overturned, including lawyers filing motions to dismiss gun possession indictments and even convictions.

If the Supreme Court does issue the type of opinion that many predict, we will have to innovate and adapt to meet the new public safety challenges that the decision may pose  and we will, Mr. Braggs email said.

Under the law being challenged, it is illegal to carry a handgun openly, and a permit is required to carry one concealed. Such permits require a showing of proper cause, which requires applicants to demonstrate to courts or the local police that they have a heightened need to carry a gun. It is then up to those officials to determine whether or not the applicant will be issued a permit  a process that the lawyers for the upstate New Yorkers challenged in a case that made its way to the Supreme Court.
Bills like H.R. 8 should be signed into law, and the age to purchase a high-caliber semiautomatic weapon that can hold a high-capacity magazine should be the same as it is to purchase a handgun. We must also build, at the federal level, on successes like Floridas Red Flag law, that allow police officers and relatives to petition to temporarily confiscate firearms from individuals who may pose a danger.

Had H.R. 8 been signed into law, it would not have prevented the carnage in Uvalde  the murderer passed a background check. But it would have prevented other killings. Had the age to purchase a semiautomatic weapon been 21, it certainly wouldnt have prevented Sandy Hook because the killer stole weapons, but it might have prevented Uvalde.

Careful, well-designed policy may not win headlines or make good fodder for campaign spots. But we know that it can save lives. And we know that real legislative solutions can pass in Washington. Following Sutherland Springs, a bipartisan bill was passed by Congress called Fix NICS. When this piece of legislation was signed into law, it updated the database thats searched every time a background check is performed with more than six million additional records. This vastly improved our ability to stop the wrong people from buying guns.

We also must be prepared in case guns do find their way into the wrong hands. We need to protect our most vulnerable places, like schools, churches, and hospitals. We need to ensure local law enforcement is trained in the most effective ways of dealing with mass shooters.

We are not helpless, and if the people we elect to address our countrys tough challenges think nothing can or should be done beyond thoughts, prayers and complaining about the filibuster, then its time we help them find a new career.

These ideas arent new, but for any fixes to become law, we need to agree that the situation we find ourselves in  our supermarkets, schools and hospitals becoming battlefields  is a national emergency.
Do not be alarmed.

The hole you see is not really moving, growing or expanding. The darkness will not swallow you.

The image is actually static, and has much to teach us about how our brains and eyes see the world. In a study published last week in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, psychologists tested this illusion on 50 men and women with normal vision, and, using an infrared eye tracker, found that the greater a participants response to the illusion, the stronger the pupil dilation response.

They also discovered some people  perhaps even you  cant see it.

In your eyes, the pupils unconsciously adjust to the light in your surroundings, dilating when it is dark to try to capture more light, and constricting when it is bright to prevent overexposure. When you look at this illusion, the hole is not darkening. But the perception that it darkened was enough to make your pupils respond.
Visionaries is a limited series that looks at figures who are trying to transform the way we live.

Ravindra Gupta had studied drug-resistant H.I.V. for more than a decade when he first encountered Adam Castillejo, who would become known as the London patient, the second person in the world to be cured of H.I.V. Dr. Gupta, who goes by Ravi, was a professor at University College London straddling the clinical and academic worlds when Mr. Castillejo presented as both H.I.V.-positive and with relapsed lymphoma, after a previous transplant using healthy stem cells from Mr. Castillejos own body had failed.

Building on work by the German hematologist Gero Hutter and others that went into curing the first person of H.I.V.  Timothy Ray Brown, known as the Berlin patient  Dr. Gupta and his colleagues proposed using stem cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that prevents certain individuals from being infected with H.I.V. Mr. Castillejo agreed and had his transplant in 2016. Seventeen months later, Dr. Gupta and his team took Mr. Castillejo off the antiretroviral drugs that kept his H.I.V. at bay. In 2019, three years after the transplant, Dr. Gupta published the results in Nature, confirming Mr. Castillejo was cured of H.I.V.

The news shook the scientific world and revitalized the search for a cure. Dr. Gupta was hired as a professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge and established Gupta Lab on the schools biomedical campus to continue his research.
He said that given his experience, he had no current plan to return to academia. Academia has become an intolerant place for anyone, not just conservatives but anyone who seeks the truth, Mr. Shapiro said. (He calls himself a classical liberal but says others describe him as a libertarian conservative.)

The intolerance, he said, was enforced by nondiscrimination and antiharassment offices such as Georgetowns Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action, which investigated him. It is one of the most pernicious parts of recent developments in academia where its kind of an Orwellian situation, where in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion, bureaucrats enforce an orthodoxy that stifles intellectual diversity, he said.

A spokeswoman for Georgetown, Meghan M. Dubyak, said: While we protect speech and expression, we work to promote civil and respectful discourse. In reviewing Mr. Shapiros conduct, the university followed the regular processes for members of the law center staff.

Mr. Shapiros troubles began with a tweet in late January, a few days before he was to begin working at Georgetown Law, and just as Mr. Biden was selecting a Supreme Court nominee  who he had promised would be a Black woman.

Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog & v smart, he wrote. Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesnt fit into the latest intersectionality hierarchy so well get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?

Image Mr. Shapiro tweeted about Sri Srinivasan in January before he began working at Georgetown. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times

Mr. Shapiro quickly apologized for the tweet, calling it inartful and deleted it. Trying to fit his message into Twitters short format had not helped, he said on Monday.
But theres more at stake than just who wields political power.

If fascism and authoritarianism continue to rise in this country, the authors wrote, it will be because more of the voters in the small and midsized counties of the manufacturing belt fuel its advance.

An economic slide and political shift

In Iowa, which holds its primaries on Tuesday, the Democratic Party has all but given up.

Trump won the state by more than eight percentage points in the 2020 presidential election, and this years midterms augur more misery for Democrats. They hold just one of Iowas four congressional seats, and a vanishing number of major statewide offices.

Jasper County, just east of Des Moines, is a prime example of the typical factory town arc.

The county was once the center of the American washing-machine industry, but after the closure of a Maytag plant in 2007, unemployment soared to 10 percent, the highest in the state. Barack Obama won the county with 53 percent of the vote in 2008. But 12 years later, Joe Biden lost it to Trump by 22 points.

Iowa could offer but a glimpse of the future of an entire region that is trending Republican, the new report warns.
Democrats who are leading the gun talks insist that Mr. Cornyns involvement this time is different. To win his support, they concede, any new legislation would need to be much narrower than they would prefer. But they also note that it was Mr. Cornyn who in 2017 teamed with Democrats to negotiate a package of enhancements in federal background checks after a deadly church shooting in his home state.

It was an example of Senator Cornyns ability to reach out across the aisle on a tough topic and find something that made a difference, said Senator Christopher S. Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, who is leading the gun talks for his party. The measure, known as Fix NICS, encouraged government entities to supply more records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. A Navy record of the Texas church gunmans court-martial for domestic violence had not been submitted, meaning it was not caught in a review for gun purchases.

Mr. Murphy and other Democrats involved in the talks say their experience with Mr. Cornyn gives them hope that some consensus can be found, probably centering around so-called red flag laws that allow guns to be seized from people deemed to be dangerous, as well as mental health measures, school safety funding and adjustments in background checks.

Hes made it very clear what he is not willing to do, and now we are just exploring what is possible, said Mr. Murphy, who has become a leading congressional voice on gun safety after the 2012 Sandy Hook school shootings in his home state. He is not willing to infringe on law-abiding gun owners rights. He is not willing to ban weapons.

Ive got a good sense of his no-go areas, Mr. Murphy said of Mr. Cornyn.
ATLANTA  A gas-money giveaway in support of Herschel Walker, the Republican candidate for Senate in Georgia, drew the ire of Democrats and voting rights groups in the state, who said the move was both hypocritical and possibly illegal.

The event, organized by the pro-Walker PAC 34N22, aimed to highlight rising gas prices and tie the issue to Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat who will run for re-election against Mr. Walker in November. The group handed out $25 fuel vouchers and Walker campaign flyers to motorists in line at a gas station in downtown Atlanta on Saturday as volunteers held signs saying, Warnock isnt working.

Several Democrats and leaders of voting rights groups criticized the event, pointing to a provision of the states voting law that bans volunteers from handing out water or snacks to voters while they are waiting in line. Handing out gas vouchers on behalf of a political candidate to motorists who are in line at the pump, they argued, should be considered just as unlawful.
A candidate for a county office near Atlanta was vaulted into first place after a series of technical errors made it appear that she had not mustered a single Election Day vote in a vast majority of precincts in last months Democratic primary, election officials determined.

The candidate, Michelle Long Spears, was shortchanged by 3,792 votes in the District 2 primary for the Board of Commissioners in DeKalb County, Ga., that was held on May 24, according to newly-certified results released on Friday.

In all but four of the districts nearly 40 precincts, no Election Day votes were recorded for Ms. Spears, who had received more than 2,000 early votes. She said that she immediately alerted state and county election authorities.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Monday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, the latest member of President Bidens cabinet to be infected.

Mr. Buttigieg added that he was experiencing mild symptoms.

I plan to work remotely while isolating according to C.D.C. guidelines, and look forward to when I can safely return to the office and the road, he wrote on Twitter, referring to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mr. Buttigieg was not considered a close contact of Mr. Biden, a White House spokesman said on Monday. To be a close contact, Mr. Buttigieg would have to have been less than six feet away from Mr. Biden for 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period, according to the C.D.C.
It was not immediately clear what evidence led to the new charges, but the indictment underscored the central role played by the Proud Boys in the effort to forestall President Donald J. Trumps defeat and oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power by force by storming the Capitol.

The group and its actions around the Capitol will be central to the narrative being pieced together by the House committee investigating the attack and Mr. Trumps efforts to overturn the election results, two people familiar with the committees plans said on Monday.

When the committee on Thursday evening holds the first in a series of public hearings scheduled for this month, the two people said, it intends to present live testimony from Nick Quested, a British documentarian who was filming the group with its permission during the riot, and from Caroline Edwards, a Capitol Police officer who was injured, according to videotape of the incident, by a rioter who had been in a conversation moments earlier with one of the Proud Boys indicted on the sedition charge.

Mr. Quested spent a good deal of the postelection period filming members of the Proud Boys, including Mr. Tarrio, and is considered by the committee likely to have been a witness to their conversations planning for Jan. 6. Mr. Quested had accompanied the Proud Boys to pro-Trump rallies in Washington in both November and December 2020, and was on the ground with members of the group on Jan. 6 when several played a crucial role in breaching the Capitol.
They cited a new article by two prominent constitutional scholars  Vikram David Amar, the dean of the University of Illinois College of Law, and Akhil Reed Amar, a law professor at Yale  to be published in The Supreme Court Review. It argued that focusing on the word legislature in isolation did violence to the original meaning of the clause.

The public meaning of state legislature was clear and well accepted at the founding: A states legislature was not just an entity created to represent the people; it was an entity created and constrained by the state constitution, the two professors, who are brothers, wrote.

The North Carolina Supreme Court also rejected the argument that it was not entitled to review the actions of the state legislature, saying that would be repugnant to the sovereignty of states, the authority of state constitutions and the independence of state courts, and would produce absurd and dangerous consequences.

Some precedents of the U.S. Supreme Court also tend to undermine the independent state legislature doctrine.

When the court closed the doors of federal courts to claims of partisan gerrymandering in Rucho v. Common Cause in 2019, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the five most conservative members of the court, said state courts could continue to hear such cases  including in the context of congressional redistricting.

In 2015, in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, the court ruled that Arizonas voters were entitled to try to make the process of drawing congressional district lines less partisan by creating an independent redistricting commission notwithstanding the reference to legislature in the Elections Clause.
Once the fuel has been added to the fire, its very hard to back away from it, said Kathay Feng, the national redistricting director for the advocacy group Common Cause. Now its not just the operatives in the back room, which is where it started. Its not just technology. Its not just legislators being shameless about drawing lines. Its governors and state officials and sometimes even courts leaning in to affirm these egregious gerrymanders.

Democrats pulled nearly even  in terms of the partisan lean of districts, if not the partys prospects for success in the November midterms  largely by undoing some Republican gerrymanders through court battles and ballot initiatives, and by drawing their own partisan maps. But the strategy at times succeeded too well, as courts struck down Democratic maps in some states, and ballot measures kept party leaders from drawing new ones in others.

New York is a particularly glaring example. In April, the seven Democratic justices on New Yorks highest court blew up an aggressive gerrymander of the states 26 congressional districts that had been expected to net Democrats three new House seats. The courts replacement map, drawn by an independent expert, pits Democratic incumbents against each other and creates new swing districts that could cost Democrats seats.

Weeks later in Florida, where voters approved a ban on partisan maps in 2010, the State Supreme Court, comprising seven Republican justices, declined to stop a gerrymander of the states 28 congressional districts. The ruling preserves the new map ordered by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, that could net his party four new House seats. The ruling cited procedural issues in allowing the map to take effect, but many experts said there was never much doubt about the result.
How far do you think hes going to be able to swim? an officer asked, according to the video.

An officer asked Mr. Bickings what his plan was. Mr. Bickings said twice that he was going to drown, to which an officer responded that he was not and that he should grab onto the bridges pylon, according to the transcript.

Im not jumping in after you, another officer told Mr. Bickings.

I cant touch. Oh, God. Please help me, Mr. Bickings said. Help me.

Mr. Bickings swam about 30 to 40 yards before repeatedly indicating he was in distress, the city said, adding that he soon went underwater and did not resurface.

According to the transcript, his last audible words were, Can you hear me?

The woman pleaded repeatedly with the officers to save Mr. Bickings, whom she referred to as her husband, according to the transcript. The officers replied that a colleague was going to get a boat.

Im just distraught because hes drowning right in front of you and you wont help, she said, according to the transcript. About six hours later, his body was recovered from the lake.

The city has asked the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Scottsdale police to examine the officers response to the drowning. Nikki Ripley, a spokeswoman for the city of Tempe, said it was not immediately clear how long that review might take.
The last-minute decision by Mr. Lopez Obrador is likely to dampen expectations that the meeting will re-establish U.S. influence in a region largely ignored by former President Donald J. Trump. But it may also undercut Mr. Lopez Obradors own wish to be seen as a leader in the region.

Its going to reveal in many ways that his ability to lead the rest of Latin America is simply not there, said Tony Payan, a Mexico expert at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. It aligns Mexico against its own interests with what is really three, rather small, impoverished, dictatorial nations. In the end, Mexico is giving up a valuable seat at the table.

Mr. Lopez Obradors announcement follows weeks of negotiations during which Washington has sought to convince regional leaders to attend the summit. In the case of Presidents Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Alberto Fernandez of Argentina, the negotiations apparently succeeded, with both leaders confirming their attendance despite some initial skepticism.

Still, Mr. Lopez Obrador is not alone in boycotting the event.

In addition to Mexico, Honduras has announced that it would be represented by its foreign minister at the summit, and not President Xiomara Castro. The participation of Bolivia also remains in doubt after President Luis Arce also vowed to boycott the event unless all countries in the region were allowed to attend.

And the president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, announced last month that he would not attend the meeting after the State Department barred the Central American nations attorney general from entering the United States due to her involvement in significant corruption.

The bickering over the participation of states like Venezuela and Nicaragua, countries rife with human rights abuses, as well as the snub from Mexicos president, will likely add to criticism of the summit as a whole, and reignite speculation over whether a meeting of such disparate interests is worthwhile.
The unity government claims that at least 14,890 regime soldiers have died in the fighting, while it has lost just 1,000 fighters. The regime refuses to discuss casualty figures. But earlier this year, the junta acknowledged that military-appointed ward administrators were being killed at a rate of more than one a day. Nearly as many have been wounded. Many were shot in their homes or offices; one resistance group claimed responsibility for gunning down a ward administrator while he was flying a kite.

We are witnessing the peoples revolution in which everyone takes part, collectively making history, Duwa Lashi La, the unity governments acting president, said last month.

Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, said the Peoples Defense Force has done surprisingly well on the battlefield and has upgraded its arsenal by capturing weapons.

As the war in Ukraine continues to drain Moscows resources, he said, the Tatmadaw will find it harder to get weapons, ammunition and replacement parts from Russia, a major supplier. Unable to contain the rebel forces, the Tatmadaw has mounted continuing attacks on the civilian population, Mr. Abuza said, including torching villages and waging a relentless bombing campaign.

The reliance on arson, indiscriminate artillery fire and air attacks is indicative of a loss of control on the ground, he said. The Tatmadaw is experiencing an unprecedented degree of casualties and defections. They are now having to fight and defend supply lines in places that were previously secure.
In a speech to his fellow Conservative lawmakers, Prime Minister Boris Johnson argued that the best was yet to come if they continued to support him, and that he would prove an election winner for a second time.

I will lead you to victory again and the winners will be the people of this country, Mr. Johnson said, according to excerpts from the text released by a party official.

Mr. Johnson also promised to reduce taxes and focus on the problems confronting Britain as he prepared to face a no-confidence vote on Monday after public outcry over violations of pandemic lockdown rules.
Russias bid to capture the key eastern city of Sievierodonetsk is faltering against a fierce Ukrainian counteroffensive that has reclaimed significant sections of the city, where Moscow has concentrated its troops with the goal of fully seizing the province of Luhansk.

Ukraine now controls large parts of the city, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War reported, corroborating earlier statements from the governor of Luhansk. The city has been largely destroyed by intense back-and-forth fighting, and thousands of civilians remain sheltered in basements.

If Sievierodonetsk falls, Russia and its local separatist allies would then capture all of Luhansk, one of two provinces in the industrial Donbas region. The other province, Donetsk, is already largely under Russian control.
Ukraines needs are palpable in the region where Sergeant Pysankas unit is dug in, just northeast of the Russian-occupied city of Kherson. The area was the site of a brief Ukrainian offensive in the past week that slowed as soon as the retreating Russians destroyed a key bridge; the Ukrainians lack of longer-range artillery meant they were unable to attempt a difficult river crossing in pursuit, Ukrainian military officials said.

For Sergeant Pysankas gun team, the only instructor available for the laser range finder is a soldier who remained behind from the last unit and had taken time to translate most of the 104-page instruction manual. But its still trial and error as they figure out what combination of buttons do what, while searching for ad hoc solutions to solve the lack of a mounting tripod and video monitor (both of which are advertised in the instruction manual).

If youre working long distances while holding it by hand, sometimes it can transmit inaccurate figures, Sergeant Pysanka said. It is safer, he added, to work when the gear is stationed on the tripod facing the enemy and the operator is working with the monitor under cover.

The JIM LR, made by the French company Safran, looks like a cross between a virtual reality headset and traditional binoculars, and can be used alongside a mapping application on a computer tablet that Ukrainian troops use to help call in artillery strikes.

At around six pounds, it is far smaller than the four-and-a-half-ton, U.S.-supplied M777 155 mm howitzer that has recently made its way to the frontline in Ukraines east. But both pieces of equipment have intricacies that are reminders of the complications that come from supplying a military with foreign materiel.

The M777 is highly mobile and capable of firing long distances, but training has been a bottleneck in deploying the howitzers, Ukrainian officers say. At courses in Germany that lasted a week, the United States trained soldiers to fire the weapon and others to maintain it.
Staring through the sight attached to an anti-tank gun camouflaged in netting and green underbrush, Junior Sgt. Dmytro Pysanka is greeted with a kaleidoscope of numbers and lines that, if read correctly, should give him the calculations needed to fire at approaching Russian forces.

Still, errors are common in the chaos of battle. To negate them, the commanders of Sgt. Pysankas artillery unit on the frontline in southern Ukraine secured a high-tech range finder, supplied by the West over a month ago, which uses laser technology to measure distances.

But theres an issue: Nobody knows how to use it.

Its like being given an iPhone 13 and only being able to make phone calls, said Sergeant Pysanka, clearly exasperated.
The monks and nuns cloistered in a monastery complex in eastern Ukraine absorb daily bombardments from Russian artillery. And yet they remain loyal to the Russian Orthodox Church.

June 6, 2022

SVIATOHIRSK, Ukraine  Of the hundreds of battle sites all across Ukraine, the Sviatohirsk Monastery of the Caves surely ranks among the most incongruous.

The sprawling complex of onion-domed churches built into a high bank of the Siversky Donets River is considered one of the five holiest sites in the Russian Orthodox Church. Yet it is directly in the line of fire of the Russian Army in its advance in eastern Ukraine.

Russian shells aimed at Ukrainian troop positions regularly go astray and strike the monastery, with terrifying shrieks and metallic booms that echo through the churchyards. They tear through building walls and leave gaping holes in the grounds; at least four monks, priests or nuns have been killed, the Ukrainian police say.
Mr. Fitton was part of a British-based tour group on a visit to Iraq in March when they toured the Sumerian site of Eridu in the south. He told the court that while at the site  which, like many of Iraqs archaeological sites, is largely unexcavated and unguarded  he picked up shards of pottery and stones to take them home as souvenirs. He said he did not know that was illegal.

Airport security found 12 pottery shards and stones in Mr. Fittons luggage as he and other tour group members were flying out of Baghdad in March.

The British tour director Goeff Hann, who was 85, and in ill health, was prevented from being medically evacuated out of the country after suffering a stroke because he was wanted for questioning in the case, according to British media. Hinterland Travel, the tour company, said Mr. Hann died in a Baghdad hospital on April 12. Mr. Hann, the founder of the adventure travel firm, had led trips to Iraq for years and was co-author of one of the few guidebooks to the country.

The court on Monday acquitted another tourist from the same group, 60-year-old German citizen Volker Waldman, who had two artifacts in his luggage, after accepting his defense that he had been given the items by Mr. Fitton to carry.
Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk Crying in H Mart Made Michelle Zauner a Literary Star. Whats Next?

The odds are against making a career as an indie musician. Finding success as a memoirist is equally unlikely. Michelle Zauner, improbably, has done both. Under the nom-de-band Japanese Breakfast, Zauner, who is 33, has released three albums of dreamy alternative pop, including last years critically acclaimed Jubilee. That effort came close on the heels of her memoir, Crying in H Mart, which was not only an artistic triumph  artfully observed and emotionally rich  but a surprise runaway best seller. The book, about food and memory, the confusion that can come with biracial identity, Zauners fraught relationship with her hyper-demanding Korean mother and then her grief at losing her mother to cancer, has stayed on the New York Times best-seller list for more than 40 weeks. For a long time, and maybe still in some part of me, I felt like I had to have a backup job, says Zauner, who is currently working on the screenplay for a film adaptation of her book and will be touring with Japanese Breakfast this summer. This kind of validation makes life a lot easier.

I read an interview where you said that as a musician you tend to get a ton of Whats it like to be a girl in music? questions, but now, after Crying in H Mart, the cliche questions are about racial identity. What have those questions revealed to you about other peoples assumptions about Asian Americans? Its such a diffuse category. Well, I can say that the most gratifying thing to learn from other people about the book is that it shined a light on a different type of parental affection. I just did an interview with the Korean press, and a lot of times they ask me, Why do you think that your book is so successful? I feel like part of it is that this kind of relationship hasnt been showcased before. Thats why it was so challenging for my mother and me to figure out. We had no reference point for why we were so at odds and how to manage our cultural divide and probably not even realizing that it was a cultural divide. I was so angry at my mom for so much of my life, and I was just starting to get to this wonderful place with her when she got sick. It wasnt until after she died that I was able to realize how different her love and affection was from my peers parents love and affection.

Whats been less gratifying to learn from people about the book? I think they dont even mean it, but I find it offensive when people think that the book has been successful because of the attacks on Asian Americans, because of anti-Asian hate. There are some people who feel like woke readers want to support Asians.

And so theyre buying Crying in H Mart out of solidarity? Yeah. Im sure there were a number of Black authors that also experienced this during the Black Lives Matter movement. Theres weird guilt and heavy feelings about that. But its also insulting, because I would like to believe that the success of this book is because Im allowed to be a main character for the first time in the world. And this book has universal themes about mothers and daughters and grief and food and memory. This doesnt have to be a specifically Asian American story. This is a story, and I happen to be Asian American.

You know the famous idea that musicians first albums are good because they spend their whole lives writing the songs and then the second albums arent as good because the songs all had to be written quickly? Maybe this is a stretch, but are you finding anything similar about the prospect of writing a follow-up to Crying in H Mart? No, Im dying to! My creative life has been so raw and personal that I would like to do something more analytical. The most difficult part of writing the book was that I dont feel like Im someone with a great memory, which you need for memoir. So part of me is interested in writing a book thats rooted in the present. A natural jumping-off point from Crying in H Mart is to study Korean. Id like to move to Korea for a year and document that process and the funny idiosyncrasies of a specific language. Something like Jhumpa Lahiris In Other Words. I love the idea of just observing, developing language skills. Im looking forward to that. It feels like a safe project for me.

Michelle Zauner performing with her band, Japanese Breakfast, in Atlanta in April. Scott Legato/Getty Images

Earlier you said your moms affection was so different from the affection shown by your peers parents. How? I mean, she had this blunt honesty that felt exquisitely cruel at times. She was overbearing and critical. I never witnessed my friends enduring that type of thing. Like, my husbands mom is a coddling kind of mother. When I got fired from a job, shed say something like: Thats crazy. You work so hard. They dont deserve you. My moms reaction would be, What did you do? Anyone can hold a tray. Everything was always my fault. In some ways I value that now because it makes me look at myself critically. But as a child it was annoying because you want your parents to be on your side, and she never would be. If I got hurt, my mom would start screaming at me instead of picking me up. But I dont think thats a uniquely Asian thing. Ive had people from a variety of cultures express that thats how their parents reacted. Its just misplaced anger. The parents are so upset that this thing is happening to you that they accidentally direct their anger at you instead of trying to fix the situation.

It can be such a confusing thing to feel real ambivalence about a parent. How does that ambivalence make you think about the kind of mom that youd want to be? That is, if you want kids, of course. I do. Its made me realize that I am probably going to be just like my mom in some ways. Even with my husband I can find myself interacting with him in the same way that my mom used to drive me insane. Like, he sunburns easily, and I feel anxiety about knowing that hes not wearing sunscreen. Im constantly harassing him about it, and it makes me think, Oh, God, my mother was like that. Drove me crazy. Let me get sunburned! I dont care! But I would like to believe that I have the self-awareness of not wanting to be too demanding. Or being more open. My mom was very unsupportive of my creative career because shed never seen that work out for anyone. Coming from a background where that did work out for me, I think Ill be able to be more accepting when I have a kid than she was.

Zauner and her mother in 1990. From Michelle Zauner

Theres a piece of advice that your mom gives you in the book that Ive been thinking about a lot. She said that you should save 10 percent of yourself as a secret and not share it with anyone else. What I keep wondering about is whether thats actually good advice. What do you think? I do. It was difficult for me to understand until recently. There are types of truths you tell that are about unburdening yourself and putting that burden onto someone else. That, I think, is part of what my mom meant. Its more noble to keep certain things to yourself in order to protect people, your loved ones. Im trying to think of an example to give you. I can only think of something thats intense and serious or gross and weird.

You choose. OK, one would be if youre a parent thats had affairs and you feel burdened by that information and that you should be honest with your child. But there are some family secrets that someone doesnt need to know even if it makes you feel better to tell them. Or if your friends ex had once said something really inappropriate to you. Does it make you feel better to let that out even if that relationship is already over? Or is it more noble to protect your friend from the pain of knowing just how awful that ex was? And heres the weird, gross example: A friend and I went to this L.A. restaurant and had this delicious Korean raw crab. But right as I was leaving I saw the owner chasing a cockroach. I was thinking that I want to take my husband back there but knowing there was a cockroach would gross him out. Should I not tell him so that he can enjoy the meal? Or should I tell him because holding back the information is burdening me?

Thats a real conundrum. Its a stupid example but I dont have a better one!

Heres another conundrum: There was a Times article about you right around when the book came out and it mentioned an article youd written for Harpers Bazaar about your relationship with your father. In the Times piece, your dad  I know you two are estranged  was quoted as saying, Im not a perfect guy but I certainly deserve more than I was given in both the article and in the book. Is he right? Your portrait of him was pretty unsparing. I actually reread that recently and I think what he was talking about was that he was upset that he wasnt in the books acknowledgments. I spoke to him briefly and  Im trying not to be too revealing  he was also upset that I wrote that he sold used cars to the military. He wanted me to know that he sold new cars. That was just something Id misremembered. In my mind, him selling used cars to the military and taking such a deep sense of pride and accomplishment was kind of funny. I thought that it was sweet that he had come from such a difficult life and found something that he was good at and it turned his life around. But I think he felt I was demeaning him by saying that he sold used cars and it was important for me to know that he sold new ones. You think, I talked about how you were drinking. I talked about how you crashed your car. But its that one weird little detail that upsets someone.

Your mom, as you said before, was really critical of you. But now that youve had time to live with the reality of the books success, what do you think shed make of how strongly people have responded to the story of you two? Im sure she would have, like my dad, found something weird that I shared that I didnt know wouldve bothered her. But I think I understand people in the way she taught me. My mom had a creative sensibility that went unexplored, and she really passed that on to me. I think she would find it moving. We were moved by similar things. For instance, I started crying in a Costco a few months ago because I saw an old man dressing the hot dogs and bringing them back to his wife of 50 years or whatever. I looked over at my husband and burst into tears because I was like, Im so glad I have you in my life to do this mundane chore that is so enjoyable with you by my side. Thats something that would have, I know, also moved my mom to tears. She would have brought that sensibility into reading this book. If someone else wrote the book, she wouldve said to me in a chiding way, Oh, I hope that when I die, you love me this much to write something like that. Maybe she wouldnt have ever said that about my book, but I think that shed be proud.

This interview has been edited and condensed from two conversations.

David Marchese is a staff writer for the magazine and the columnist for Talk. Recently he interviewed Neal Stephenson about portraying a utopian future, Laurie Santos about happiness and Christopher Walken about acting.
A middle-aged newspaper salesman in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was recently arrested for hacking dozens of credit cards and using them to make small purchases.

When crime-fighting authorities in Argentina received a complaint about hundreds of unauthorized purchases, they were sure they were dealing with an organized hacking group. However, all leads pointed to the house of a 56-year-old newspaper salesman in the Buenos Aires town of Villa Madero. Judging by the scale of the security breach, it seemed unlikely that one person, let alone one that operated a newspaper stand, could have pulled it off. And yet, upon searching the mans house, they found a small notebook containing a hand-written algorithm that had apparently allowed him to figure out the CVC (Card Verification Code) of his victims.

Photo: Emil Kalibradov/Unsplash

By day, Fernando Falsetti was a newspaper salesman, but when he wasnt at his stand, he was busy figuring out how to crack credit cards. Investigators found that he had been able to figure out the CVC of cards issued by a certain Argentinian bank by analyzing the card number and expiration date.

Security experts were astonished to discover a 30-page algorithm developed by Falsetti and written down in an old notebook. The patterns that he was able to identify and write down in his notebook made investigators suspect that Falsetti was no ordinary newspaper salesman, and indeed, he wasnt. According to Clarin, he is a trained computer engineer specializing in systems and telecommunications who simply decided to change professions at some point. Still, even for a computer engineer, his algorithm is nothing short of impressive.

So how did this brilliant mind eventually get caught? Well, he may be a genius when it comes to figuring out complicated numerical patterns, but covering his tracks isnt Falsettis strong suit. You see, after figuring out how to crack credit cards, he used them to buy satellite television subscriptions from his own newspaper stand, so he could earn a commission from them. It was a relatively small sum that he thought most people wouldnt notice or report.

However, while people didnt seem to notice the sums deducted from their credit cards, hundreds of them did notify the satellite television company that they had never bought the subscription and wanted to cancel it. Suspecting some sort of fraud, the company filed a complaint.

Falsetti had made no effort to cover his tracks. he simply used the card data to make purchases from his newspaper stand, and even kept all the invoices in his house for the investigators to find. All police had to do was check the IP from where the purchases were made and all the evidence was waiting for them.

For now, Falsetti has been set free, but the investigation is ongoing and he may have to do some jail time because of his brilliant mind. Argentinian media reports that the scale of his fraud is around a million pesos ($8,260).
Bubble Agency picks up KILOVIEW, a provider of IP-based video transmission solutions. The agency will work to raise the brands profile with important industry groups and create opportunities for the brand in markets including ProAV, broadcast, remote medical, education, government, house of worship, live streaming, live event and live production. We have appointed Bubble Agency for their industry-specific strategic PR expertise and are looking forward to working with them to target crucial markets in the USA, Europe and APAC, said KILOVIEW vice president and head of marketing and sales Judy Zuo.

Comunicacion Iberoamericana lands Quito Tourism in Europe, North America and South America. The agency will be in charge of implementing Quito Tourisms new public relations, marketing and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) strategies. It will also disseminate news about tourism and investment opportunities, support participation in trade fairs and organize events, roadshows and inspection trips for the press and tourism industry.

NextTech Communications is named public relations agency of record by MPC: The Digital Commerce Event for MPC22, a conference and exhibition focused on the future of alternative payments worldwide. The event is being held Aug. 22-24 at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North. NextTech will work with the MPC22 events team to drive promotion of the conferences programming, exhibitions, and its supporting content. NextTech Communications was the clear choice for our public relations partner from the start of our search given the firms extensive knowledge and media relations experience in tech, and especially payments,  said Marla Ellerman, executive director of MPC: The Digital Commerce Event.
FOROIGE has reopened its clubs in communities across Ireland. The past two years have had an impact on young people across the country but with the world open once more, Foroige offers young people the opportunity to meet and learn new things with their peers in a fun and welcoming environment.

A recent study stated that 53% of young people yearning for more in person social opportunities. Additionally, the Ombudsman for Childrens Office Survey revealed 60% of Irish children really missed extracurricular activities during the pandemic.

Holly, aged 17 a club member from Piltown Foroige Club in Kilkenny mentioned The hardest thing over the past two years was not being able to interact outside of home - before the pandemic we could go out every Friday to Foroige and have a few hours hanging out, planning events, going off and doing things. But being at home and being stuck with the same people every day takes a toll on you. It was really the lack of social interaction for me. Im really looking forward to getting back to normal with Foroige and making new friends and going on the adventures like we used to.

With hundreds of clubs located in communities nationwide, Foroige plays a vital role in youth development in Ireland supporting thousands of young people. The clubs are run with the generous help of volunteers. In an effort to enrich the lives of as many young people as possible, Foroige is encouraging youth and the public to find a club near them and get involved!

Katherine Amusan, aged 17, from NRG Foroige Club in Tallaght, South Dublin stated; Foroige isnt for a certain type of person - its not just for people who are shy and looking to get out of their shell, its not just for people who are talkative and want to make friends, it really is for everyone. Its a diverse, multicultural, inclusive group for everyone from all walks of life. Thats what I want to drive home for anyone interested in Foroige - just do it, youre honestly not going to regret it. Its the best time - Foroige for the win!

In a report that investigated Irish youth activity during COVID-19, it was noted that young people became extremely reliant on technology and screens for their social interaction. During this time, they missed out on building crucial social skills that set them up for the years ahead.

After a difficult few years for young people in Ireland, Foroige offers them the chance to get back out into the world, meet new people and experience new things.

To celebrate the fact that clubs across the country are now meeting in person once more, Foroige collaborated with famed illustrator, Fatti Burke, on artwork that celebrates Foroige and the young people they work with. This artwork will be displayed across press and online ads over the summer months.

Speaking about the comeback, Barbara Daly, the organisation's chairperson, but also a long standing youth volunteer from Ferbane, Co. Offaly , said; We are thrilled to open our doors across the country once more. Its been a long few years and we know our young people and volunteers have really missed their local Foroige clubs. To keep our clubs running to the high standard we are known for, we are calling on the general public to get involved. Volunteering with young people is extremely rewarding and we are asking the public to help in any way they can. Our clubs are situated nationwide and cover lots of interest sets, so getting involved is fun, rewarding and worthwhile.

Foroige has been a cornerstone for youth development in Ireland since 1952. The youth who attend Foroige clubs report seeing positive benefits to their lives through both socialising and learning. Foroige gives the public the opportunity to volunteer which is an enriching opportunity for both the young people and the volunteers themselves.

For more information visit www.foroige.ie .
A coroner examining the death of a man shot during a prison break has expressed concern at an ongoing failure by the Attorney General in London to respond to a request for files related to the case.

Hugh Gerard Coney was shot in the back by a British soldier as he and other internees tried to escape the Long Kesh facility in 1974.

The republican internee had used a tunnel to escape the prison camp and was running across a field close to the perimeter fence when he was shot.

A fresh inquest into the killing of the 24-year-old from Coalisland, Co Tyrone, is due to be heard next February.

At a pre-inquest review hearing at Belfast Coroners Court on Monday, coroner Anne Louise Toal was told that multiple attempts to contact the office of the Attorney General for England and Wales over the last nine months had gone without a response.

The coroner is seeking any documents the office may hold related to the 1974 incident.

Counsel for the coroner Leona Askin told her that there had been no response at all from Suella Bravermans office in London.

There hasnt been any response madam coroner, not even an acknowledgement, she said.

And I know that your solicitor has attempted to telephone them as well and that has been unsuccessful as its difficult to find someone whos able to deal with it.

Ms Toal said she found the lack of response quite startling and formally requested that the office replies within four weeks.

Im highly surprised given the fact it is the Attorney Generals office and as I understand it this correspondence has been going on since September of last year, she said.

Yet to have no response from a governmental public body after this length of time is frankly quite startling.

She added: I would ask for a response within four weeks, even be it a holding response to acknowledge the correspondence and what steps are being taken.

Ms Askin said RTE had also not responded to a request for material on a documentary the Irish broadcaster had made on the prison escape.

Ms Toal also issued a formal request for the broadcaster to respond to her within four weeks.

I certainly think if theyve been written to on a number of occasions and theres been no response, Im certainly happy to provide a direction that a response be provided within four weeks, she said.
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Split is the second largest city of Croatia, the largest city in Dalmatia and the largest city on the Croatian coast. It lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and is spread over a central peninsula and its surroundings. An intraregional transport hub and popular tourist destination, the city is linked to the Adriatic islands and the Apennine Peninsula.
Black smoke rose above Kyiv following the first attack on the capital in weeks. Vladimir Putin has said Russia will hit fresh targets if the West delivers long-range missiles to Ukraine.
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Manzini  The Evangelical Methodist Church (EMC) on Friday hosted a successful fundraising dinner.

The church has to raise E300 000 for a building loan. By the end of Friday evening they had already raised E130 000 from EFTs (Electronic Fund Transfers) alone, while the rest of the money was yet to be calculated. Manzini EMC Praise Team set the ambience in the church, by opening the event with their beautiful voices. Next to perform was Ndawonye Christ Worshippers, which saw the guests standing up and singing in praise.

Prayer

The opening prayer was done by Pastor Alex Mngomezulu, who is a senior pastor at FEA Luyengo. The next speaker was Reverend Antony Matsenjwa who is a senior pastor at Manzini EMC. He shared the history of the church and the purpose of the event. The church building was officially opened by His Majesty King Mswati III on July 14, 2017. It was financed through offerings, fundraising activities, donations and a bank loan, said the reverend. He went on to say that the consistent repayment of the bank loan has been one of the biggest challenges the church faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event had various distinguished guests like Collen Maluleka Pastor of Goshen City Church in South Africa, who is also a Gospel artist. He was invited on stage to say a few remarks; he thanked the church for the invite, and made an announcement that he would contribute E5 000.

Recording

He added that he would return to Eswatini to do a live recording of his fourth album on October 30t with other South African Gospel artists. He then blessed the guests with a beautiful song. Elder of the church Isaac Magagula introduced former Prime Minister Dr. A.T. Dlamini who was a guest speaker. The elder went on to share a brief background about the former PM. The A stands for Amazing and the T stands for Terrific. Magagula also shared that Dlamini is a good-hearted, philanthropist and a seasoned politician. Dr A.T Dlamini spoke about the immense importance of the event and that the church needed assistance. The money that we need to raise is a lot, its E300 000 and everyone present here tonight should contribute. These are your blessings so even your petrol money should come out, said the former PM. Before he left the stage he announced that he and his friends contributed E85 400.

Make Khanyile from Glory of the Last Days fame gave a lovely spiritually uplifting performance and Linda Dlamini. Reverend. J.V Mazibuko preached the Word of God and encouraged everyone going through a dark time that they should believe as the Holy Spirit is consistently moving an shining light in every situation. At the end of the ceremony we caught up with Dr A.T Dlamini and asked what the cause meant to him and how he felt he said This is something close to my heart and I can proudly say that the event was a success and that gives me joy. Things of this magnitude always give me hope, said the former PM.
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MANZINI  Medication availed to members of the public is exposed to all sorts of weather in some of the one-room pharmacies in Matsapha.

As the shortage of medication remains unsolved in the health sector, members of the public residing in some of the peri-urban areas in the Manzini Region, are exposed to medication that is not stored under the stipulated temperatures. This is because some of the so-called pharmacies are operating in one-room flats, with no ceiling, which minimises heat during extremely hot days. A visit by this publications reporters to Mbhuleni, under Kwaluseni Constituency, became testament to the submissions by the Ministry of Health that some of the retail pharmacies were inadequately equipped to keep medication.

In a stretch of less than two kilometers, there were four pharmacies in one-room flats where there were no qualified pharmacists within the shops. At Habile Wandvodzana Pharmacy, the assistant found claimed to have been requested by the owner of the establishment to look over for him while he ran his errands. She admitted to have no knowledge of how to prescribe medication as it was not her speciality. In fact, she informed this publication that the proprietor of the pharmacy was her spiritual father. When asked where the spiritual father was, she said: He has gone to collect stock in Ngwane Park and also run his errands.

Accreditation

Despite that there was no pharmacist within the establishment, on the wall, a copy of a supposed accreditation from the Eswatini Medical and Dental Council (EMDC) was hung along a trading licence. The pharmacy had sparse medication lined up on its shelves and had no ceiling or air conditioning to retain temperatures at the specified degrees for some of the pharmaceuticals. Later in the day, a male posing as the proprietor of the pharmacy, contacted this publications reporter, seeking to explain that he was in a partnership with another individual. When asked about his qualifications, the individual claimed to be a pharmacy technician and had opened the business with a partner whom he supposed had a qualification as a pharmacist. My partner is a pharmacist but Im not certain if he is registered with the Eswatini Medical and Dental Council, he said. When pressed for the unique registration number of the pharmacist, who was supposedly his partner, the proprietor claimed that he was busy at work before requesting to contact this reporter later.

Meanwhile, about 10 metres away from this pharmacy was another trading as Esibusisweni Pharmacy. This pharmacy had no individual inside save for medication packed on the shelves. Proprietors of business establishments next to it pleaded ignorance to the whereabouts of its owners. Despite that it is located in a residential area where children were playing along the street; it had its door open and the medication easily accessible to the minors who may consume it. Also, four metres from Esibusisweni Pharmacy was Kadabuka Herbal Pharmacy, which was also unlocked and had no person inside.

Qualified

At about 300 metres away, next to the community police station, there is another pharmacy. It was also found without a qualified pharmacist within its premises at the time this publications reporter visited it. The pharmacy was also in a one-room flat, which had gaps in its roofing. The assistant present said the pharmacist had gone to collect stock and would return later. When asked how she was capable of dispensing medication as this needed a qualified individual, she said her supervisor had taught her. When the pharmacist, Goodness Mashaba, was contacted she said her accreditation was not on display as the establishment had a leaking roof. However, a copy of her Certificate in Pharmacy from the Citizen University of Zambia and a copy of the trading licence were hung on the wall.

She said: I dont display my registration from EMDC because whenever it is raining, there are leaks and we have to move things around. Mashaba, when asked about the medication being exposed to the rainfall as well as the sun due to the inadequate roofing, said they tried to keep it away from the sun or water. She also informed this publications reporter that the Ministry of Health had visited her establishment and informed her that an air conditioner was necessary to control the temperatures. The pharmacist said she was in the process of doing this as there was money supposed to be given to her to do that. The visit by the Ministry of Health was said to have been in April. They understood about our structure as we are in a rural area; but their major concern was the lack of an air conditioning, which we shall address, Mashaba said. Meanwhile, about 100 metres from her establishment was another pharmacy, which had no qualified personnel at the time this publication visited.

Stock

The proprietor was said to have gone to collect stock at Ngwane Park. The woman found there claimed that she was keeping it going while she waited for the proprietor to return.

On the other hand, other one-room pharmacies were found around Eteni, Ndlunganye, Logoba and KaKhoza. Almost half of the pharmacies in the country are operating illegally, as they do not have registered pharmacists. It is worth noting that last week, this publication reported that most pharmacies were illegally operating following that there were only 279 registered pharmacists with the EMDC, much against the 447 trading licences for pharmacies issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade. The Ministry of Health, through the Director of Health Services, Dr Vusi Magagula, said the law stipulated that only a registered pharmacist should dispense medication to the public. He said this when asked if there was a law which stipulated that each pharmacy had to have a qualified pharmacist. No compromise there! he said.

This, he said, was in the Swaziland (Eswatini) Medicines Related Substances Control Act 9 of 2016 on Section 39. Also, the National Pharmaceutical Policy of 2011 states that the Ministry of Health should ensure that licensed pharmaceutical outlets such as retail pharmacies and wholesales are owned by and licensed to registered pharmacists. It further states that in the case of pharmaceutical manufactures, the majority shareholding should be held by a pharmacist or a group of pharmacists. Dr Magagula explained that for a prospective general medical practitioner to be registered with the EMDC, there was a need to apply proper vetting processes in regulating the medical cadre. He said the ministry was concerned and like it had been articulated, an assessment would be conducted to establish the manner in which the pharmacies were operated. The director of health services said there were allegations that some were being operated like spaza shops, which put the lives of the public in great danger, as some medication needed certain temperatures.

Weve heard that some of the pharmacies have their medication closer to even their roofing while they do not have a ceiling. This exposes the drugs to extreme heat and may lead to adverse challenges, Dr Magagula said. He said the ministry was set to uproot these challenges in order to ensure that the public was not sold drugs that were set to cause them more harm than heal them. In a previous interview, Dr Magagula informed this publication that chalk was being sold over the counter by certain pharmacies under the guise of medical drugs. He said this after the Ministry of Health partnered with the International Police (Interpol) and raided local pharmacies, where they confiscated fake drugs.

Meanwhile, the establishment and operations of pharmacies stands to be regulated after the passing of the proposed Pharmacy Bill No. 8 of 2021. The proposed Bill states that the sale of pharmaceutical products by individuals or companies that are unregistered could come with a fine of E50 000 or imprisonment not exceeding two years. The object of the Bill is meant to regulate the pharmacy protection and to establish the Pharmacy Council. Section 55 of the Pharmacy Bill, No. 8 of 2021, proposes that offences under the anticipated Act are to the effect that a person who, not being registered, yet carries on a business as a pharmacist or allows to be described as a pharmacist, commits an offence and may face two years imprisonment.
Amanda Walsh of Midland, Michigan, was recently initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Walsh was initiated at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Walsh is among approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10% of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
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BEIJING (AP)  Diners returned to restaurants in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month Monday as authorities further eased pandemic-related restrictions after largely eradicating a small COVID-19 outbreak in the capital under China's strict zero-COVID approach.

Zhang Suyan said she called her friends and said let's make a reservation as soon as she heard that restaurants were opening again.

We don't have such an atmosphere or feeling at home, she said as she and two friends polished off bowls of spicy fried crayfish, a popular summertime meal.

Museums, cinemas and gyms were allowed to operate at up to 75% of capacity and delivery drivers could once again bring packages to a customer's door, rather than leave them to be picked up at the entrances to apartment compounds.

The return to near-normal applied everywhere in Beijing except for one district and part of another, where the outbreak lingered. Schools, which partially reopened earlier, will fully do so on June 13, followed by kindergartens on June 20.

Authorities had conducted multiple rounds of mass testing and locked down buildings and complexes whenever infections were discovered to stamp out an outbreak that infected about 1,800 people over six weeks in a city of 22 million. The number of new cases dropped to six on Sunday.

The ruling Communist Party remains wedded to a zero-COVID strategy that exacts an economic cost and inconveniences millions of people, even as many other countries adopt a more relaxed approach as vaccination rates rise and treatments become more widely available.

Chen Feng, the manager of the crayfish restaurant, said sales dropped 70% when Beijing eateries were restricted to takeout and delivery. Customers started lining up late Sunday night, and he and his colleagues served 350 people between midnight and 2 a.m.

In Shanghai, a population of 25 million people endured a citywide lockdown that kept most confined to their apartments or neighborhoods for two months. The city reopened last week, but restaurants remain closed except for delivery and takeout. One neighborhood conducted more mass testing on Monday after finding new cases in a residential compound, which is now locked down for 14 days.

In both Beijing and Shanghai, anyone entering the subway or an office building, shopping mall or other public place must show a negative test result within the past 72 hours. People lined up at testing stations that have been set up around the cities to meet the requirement.

All ferries in Shanghai, which is bisected by the Huangpu river, resumed normal operation on Monday. But organizers postponed the Shanghai International Film Festival, which was scheduled to be held this month, until next year.

Elsewhere, the government responded to outbreaks in China's Inner Mongolia region, where 39 new cases were recorded on Sunday, and in the northeast city of Dandong, which has had about 130 cases in the past two weeks. Dandong is on the border with North Korea, which acknowledged an outbreak for the first time last month.

___

Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.
On Sunday afternoon, Caseville Public School celebrated the graduation of its 21-student Class of 2022 at the James. G. Stahl Auditorium.

Highlights from the ceremony included speeches from valedictorian Garrett Miller, salutatorian Emma Hopkins, Class of 1977 alumnus Molly Ross, and the announcement that this year's class gift would be contributing funds to help the school get new flags.
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP)  At least 15 people who attended a public affairs conference last week on Michigan's Mackinac Island have tested positive for COVID-19, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The gathering is put on each year by a business group, the Detroit Regional Chamber, and attracts more than 1,000 public officials, journalists and others who discuss a variety of political and policy issues. Four Republican candidates for governor held a debate.
Nine Alma College students have been selected for membership in Phi Beta Kappa, America's most prestigious scholastic honorary society. The newest members were inducted during an in-person ceremony on April 13 at Zimmerman Hall, in the college's Wright Leppien Opera House.

Alma College senior Grayson Argyle, a computer science major from Freeland was among this year's inductees.
MBABANE  Under Secretary (US) in the Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) Office Hlobisile Dlamini has been transferred to another ministry.

This, it is expected, will settle stormy waters at the DPMs Office following a spat between the US and Principal Secretary (PS), Makhosini Mndawe. The quarrel between the two threatened to derail the administrative capacity of the DPMs Office. So tense was the situation at the DPMs Office such that Dlamini (US) filed an application in court to prevent the PS from presiding over a disciplinary process that had been instituted against her. In her court papers, Dlamini alleged that Mndawes conduct towards her had led to the work environment at the DPMs Office being untenable. She alleged that because of Mndawes behaviour, she was constantly depressed and dragged herself to work daily. Deputy Prime Minister, Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku, in an interview yesterday afternoon, confirmed that the US had called him to state that she would be leaving. He said she promised to come to him for a formal farewell, but he had been told that the correspondence from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) had arrived at his office on Friday afternoon.

Leaving

I can confirm that she would be leaving as per her assertion, and what I am told by officials in my office. However, I would not be in a position to confirm whether she would be going to the Home Affairs Minstry or another government department, Masuku said. The row between Mndawe and Dlamini is said to have emanated from newspaper headlines to the effect that there had been E10 million fraud at the DPMs Office. In her court papers, Dlamini cited headlines that read E10 million maladministration: DPMs Office rocked by fraud scandal, and E10 million fraud, rot at DPMs Office. Dlamini alleged that these articles were published at the instance of Mndawe, in a bid to tarnish her name. She said the articles implied that she was responsible for the alleged fraud of E10 million, further disputing that no fraud ever occurred at the DPMs Office. Efforts were made to get a comment from the US yesterday afternoon. She was first called around 4:15pm, then again at 5:16pm. The last call was placed to Dlaminis mobile phone number at 5:53pm.

Asleep

At the first instance, a female answered the call and said the US was asleep. The receiver was then asked to record this journalists mobile phone number so that when the US woke up, she could return the call. However, after a few moments, the line was dropped, unceremoniously. A text message was then sent to the US at 5:16pm. She responded at 5:59, asking how she could be of assistance to this reporter. She was asked to shed light on her purported transfer to the Home Affairs Ministry, Dlamini responded as follows; Home Affairs? May I refer you to the CSC Chair (Chairman). Im not aware. Principal Secretary in the DPMs Office, Mndawe, confirmed that his office received correspondence from the CSC affirming Dlaminis transfer to the Ministry of Home Affairs. I can confirm receipt of the correspondence from the CSC, and the USs move to Home Affairs. There is nothing else I can add, he said.

Both Masuku and Mndawe said the correspondence arrived at the DPMs Office on Friday afternoon. However, the CSCs Chairman, Simanga Mamba, said all he knew was that there was a request from the principal secretary at the Ministry of Public Service to have some under secretaries transferred. By nature, under secretaries are senior government officials. It is only the PS at Public Service that can make a request for their transfer. We shall be deliberating on this list today, he said.
Tea sold in 23 states is possibly contaminated with hepatitis A and is being recalled

Tea sold in 23 states is possibly contaminated with hepatitis A and is being recalled

A company called Urban Remedy, in an attempt to ensure "safety as a top priority" is recalling a certain tea distributed in 23 states, including Michigan, because it may be contaminated with hepatitis A.

The move is associated with the outbreak investigation linked to organic strawberries.

The tea, Urban Remedy Organic Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose, was recalled due to the possible presence of organic strawberries that have been linked to a hepatitis A outbreak being investigated in the United States and Canada, according to a company announcement posted by the FDA on June 5.

There have been 17 illnesses and 12 hospitalizations linked to the outbreak in the U.S., with most of the cases being in California. Ten laboratory-confirmed cases have also been identified in Canada as of June 2.

The FDA, sharing news of the outbreak in May, noted that investigations showed the strawberries were the "likely source" of illnesses.

But, no illnesses have been reported from consuming the recalled Urban Remedy tea.

The product number subject to the recall reads as follows: 813377025831 Urban Remedy Organic Revitalizing Tea Tonic Strawberry Hibiscus Rose.

The product was sold in a 12-ounce resealable plastic bottle between May 17 and May 29 at various retail stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

More on the outbreak: FDA: Strawberries may contain Hepatitis A virus

What to do if you bought the recalled product:

"At Urban Remedy, food safety is our companys top priority," CEO Paul Coletta said in the announcement.

Coletta is asking those who purchased the product with the affected lot number (1232 best by 7/17/2022) to dispose of the item or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Those who have already consumed the product they bought are being advised to contact their health care provider to find out if they are up to date on their vaccine, while those who develop hepatitis A symptoms should "immediately" call their local health department, according to the FDA.

Hepatitis A is a contagious virus that can cause liver disease, according to the FDA. Some symptoms to watch out for include jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain and pale stool. The illness may occur from 15 to 50 days after consuming the contaminated food or drink.

According to the FDA, "all people" are susceptible to hepatitis A, except for those who have been vaccinated or had it before; they are "immune" to the infection.

Consumers with questions can call (855) 875-8423 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST or email connect@UrbanRemedy.com.
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.
Washington, DC, US (PANA)  An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team and the Malawi authorities have discussed the request of the East African country for a four-year Extended Credit Facility arrangement
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

A mom got pregnant while already pregnant; a condition called superfetation. The second pregnancy happens days or weeks after the first.

When she discovered that she had gotten pregnant again while already pregnant, she asked her doctor for an explanation. Her doctor told her that she likely got ovulated twice, released two eggs, and got fertilized at different times, The New York Post reports.

Her doctor said that considering her pregnancy journey, what happened to her is 100 percent a miracle.

Three previous miscarriages

She gave birth to her son Wyatt in 2018. A year after, they wanted to expand their family. Unfortunately, Cara had three miscarriages, one of which almost killed her.

She was lying in bed, and there was a lot of blood when she went to the bathroom. She called her doctors and told them what was happening. The doctor told her that as long as you are not bleeding often, then it's normal. But her husband did not think it was normal. He rushed to the hospital. By the time she got to the ER, her pressure had dipped.

She blacked out. When she regained her consciousness, the doctor told her that the baby got stuck in her cervix and she was bleeding out. Had she stayed home minutes longer, she would have died.

Cara had to get blood transfusions and therapy to cope with the traumatic experience.

After the harrowing experience, she was scared to get pregnant again. However, she was certain that she wanted to have more kids. Not losing faith, she put her fears aside and tried to get pregnant again, as per Metro.

Read Also: Fetus in fetu: Doctors Find Fetus in 40-day-old Baby in India

Another pregnancy

The frustrated mom found out that she was pregnant in March 2021 again. After five weeks, she went back to the doctor for a scan. When she had a follow-up scan two weeks after to check for a heartbeat, the doctor was surprised that there were two fetuses.

The ultrasound showed that she was expecting two babies conceived two weeks apart. Cara admitted that she broke down and cried. She was overwhelmed, confused, but very happy. Her husband, on the other hand, was in shock.

The former teacher gave birth to Baby Colson Winhold and his little brother Cayden six minutes apart on October 25, 2021.

Superfetation

Cara said that she could not think of other explanations for having twins as it does not run in their family. The babies were also conceived naturally.

While the new babies are technically twins, there is a four-pound weight difference between the brothers. The happy mom says she has to buy two clothes and nappies in different sizes.

As per Verywell Family, twins from superfetation differ in maturity, having been conceived days or weeks apart. Superfetation is observed in animals, but it is infrequent in humans, and there are only a few documented cases in the medical literature.

In 2009, Julia Grovenburg of Arkansas was reported to have two babies due to superfetation. The babies are two and a half weeks apart.

In 2005, The Journal of Pediatrics recorded superfetation in a triplet pregnancy of a 32-year-old woman who became pregnant with the help of fertility treatments.

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Photo: (Photo : LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)

A sperm donor has filed a motion to have legal custody of a baby boy whose parents are in the middle of a highly-publicized divorce in Oklahoma. Despite signing a previous agreement that he will not seek any parental rights to his biological child, Harlan Vaughn believes he should be publicly recognized as the baby's father.

According to WGN-TV, the sperm donor and one of the parents, Rebekah Wilson, met in person to sign and notarize the agreement in 2018. This was before Wilson and her spouse, Kris Williams, proceeded with artificial insemination. The lesbian couple agreed it will be Wilson who will carry the baby to term.

Brande Sanders, a friend of both LGBTQ+ moms, was a witness to the signing of the agreement with Vaughn and stated that it was clear from the start that the sperm donor has relinquished any rights or relationship with the baby. However, following the divorce do the LGBTQ+ moms, Vaughn has become a presence in the baby's life and he's been staying in the same house as Wilson.

Reports cited that Wilson and the sperm donor have been co-parenting the baby for the last six months. Williams, on the other hand, has not seen her son, now almost 3 years old, since this latest turn of events.

Read Also: Lesbian Mom Removed From Birth Certificate in Oklahoma; Blasts Judge's Ruling

Loopholes in the Parental Rights

Vaughn had been a sperm donor for 14 other couples in Oklahoma. He is contracted through an app called Just A Baby. Part of the stipulations in the contract stated that the sperm donor and the biological mother had to meet at a conference before they work out an agreement.

After the marriage of the LGBTQ+ moms fell apart, Wilson apparently found loopholes in the parental rights and filed a petition to have Williams' name removed from their baby's birth certificate. At the same time, Vaughn re-appeared in the baby's life.

Judge Lynne McGuire initially sided with Wilson and ordered the removal of Williams' name from the birth certificate. The judge said that the non-gestational mother should have filed for the baby's adoption to have parental rights.

However, within days of that ruling, McGuire reversed her first order and reinstated Williams as a legal parent along with Wilson. For now, the parties involved have agreed to the judge's decision about the baby's certificate but the court battle is far from over.

Domestic Abuse Allegations

Aside from Vaughn's parental rights claim to the baby, the LGBTQ+ moms are still in court to contest the victim protective order (VPO) that Wilson filed against her ex-wife. Wilson told the court that her son could be in danger if he has any contact with Williams. She has raised allegations of domestic abuse and wants the court to issue the VPO for five years, per KFOR.

If the court agrees with Wilson, Williams will be prohibited from contacting her son. Both parents have to present testimonies to establish the need for the VPO. This story is still developing.

Related Article: Sperm Donor, Who Proudly Fathered 138 Kids, Aims for 150
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Queen Elizabeth II may have skipped the music concert of her Platinum Jubilee celebration for health reasons but she still managed to steal the show by surprising everyone while having an afternoon party with Paddington Bear.

The clip was shown on the big screen to thousands watching the Jubilee Platinum concert and millions of viewers across the UK. The two-and-a-half-minute video showed Paddington Bear having an afternoon tea and sharing his love for marmalade sandwiches which, to his surprise, is also a Queen's favorite, as per The Guardian.

This on par if not better than the Olympic James Bond scene.

The Queen having tea with Paddington - incredible that at 96 and after 70 years on the throne she still has the power to surprise #platinumpartyatthepalace pic.twitter.com/88NP1ScpXx  Michael Cowan (@mrmikecowan) June 4, 2022

Paddington Bear and Queen Elizabeth II Tea Party

The video, kept secret by Buckingham Palace, BBC Studio, and Heyday Films/Studiocanal for months was shown on the BBC as part of the Jubilee celebrations.

The short film starts with Paddington Bear thanking the Queen for inviting him for an afternoon tea. He made a series of blunders when he accidentally drank all the tea straight from the teapot and sprayed cream from a chocolate eclair over a palace footman.

The Peruvian-born bear then told the Queen that he loves and keeps marmalade sandwiches in his hat, offering them to Her Majesty. To his surprise, the Queen also keeps marmalade sandwiches in her bag for "emegencies."

The bear congratulates the Queen on her reign and thanked her for everything. The Queen replied, "That's very kind."

The clip ended with The Queen and Paddington tapping out the beat of the Queen's "We Will Rock You" song using a spoon and a china teacup.

Read Also: Prince Louis Comic Reaction in Royal Balcony During Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Becomes a Meme [LOOK]

Filming with the Queen and Paddington Bear

The Queen was known for her sense of humor; hence it was no surprise that she took part in the sketch, Deadline reports. The Palace said that while the Queen could not attend the concert in person, she wanted people to understand how much the event meant to her. She also wanted to ensure that all those watching had a great time.

Mark Sidaway, the Executive Producer for the BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace at BBC Studios Productions, said that they were thrilled and honored that the Queen had agreed to participate in the "touching yet the joyful idea" of their team. He admitted that the video was also nerve-wracking as the team made sure that the short film blended with the live performances of the Queen and Adam Lambert.

As per Rosie Alison of Heyday Films, their entire crew had an emotional day filming the video. Alison admitted that they were enamored of her Majesty's wit, warmth and aura as she patiently engaged with the polite, clumsy, but very well-intentioned bear.

The Platinum Jubilee Concert

The Her Majestty was unable to attend much of the Jubilee celebrations due to health reasons, but the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and other family members were in royal attendance.

The concert was starstudded, with music legends like Diana Ross, Sir Elton John, Queen, Hans Zimmer, Alicia Keys, George Ezra, Sam Ryder, Craig David, and Rod Stewart gracing the show.

As per News Sky, the Queen's Jubilee at a concert outside the Buckingham Palace garnered a live crowd of 22,000 people and a television audience of millions from all across U.K. and outside of the country.

Related Article: Mom Reunites with Biological Son After 20 Years, Finds Out They are Workmates
Photo: (Photo : Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

A dad is still bursting with positivity despite becoming a victim of a hit-and-run in Chicago and he's vowing he will walk again if only for the sake of his two sons.

While recovering from nine surgeries, Dr. Bryce Summary told CBS News that he will get a semblance of his former life back once he gets out of the hospital. He's currently still receiving treatments and has been on the watch of the medical staff at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He's been at the hospital for more than 25 days since the accident.

Summary and his wife, Amy, who are from St. Louis, were in town in Chicago for a conference. While walking on the Magnificent Mile, a white Mercedes Benz was trying to evade the red light and hit another car before it went straight for the couple.

Reports cited that the doctor was pinned down by the car with his legs crushed. The white car, on the other hand, sped off and disappeared onto the road.

Read Also: Father Stands Guard Outside Daughter's School, Where His Wife Also Works, to Protect Them from Shooters

His Legs Couldn't Be Saved

Summary's wife was uninjured but he had to be rushed to the nearby hospital, where doctors immediately assessed that they could not do anything about his crushed legs. The first thing the father thought of was that he won't be able to play or chase his sons Connor and Isaac around because his legs have to be amputated.

His boys have seen him after the operation and they have been curious about the fact that their father is going to have robot legs. Despite feeling angry, Summary said that becoming a victim of a hit-and-run gave him a new perspective on life. He will plan to be "the same Bryce" as he was before and create a new normal for his family.

"This is just a challenge that I need to overcome," the doctor said. "It's going to make me a better person."

The Summary family has set up a GoFundMe for the doctor's hospital bills, physical therapy and eventual prosthetics. So far, the fundraiser has received more than $35,000 from over 430 donors.

Hit-And-Run Case Still Not Closed

Meanwhile, the police are still unable to trace the owner of the vehicle responsible for the hit-and-run. In 2021, Chicago had more than 37,000 hit-and-run crashes with only three out of 1,000 arrests. In the previous years, only a handful of arrests were made as well.

NBC Chicago reported that there are many families of hit-and-run victims still waiting to have those accountable in prison. For instance, the family of Christine Campbell said that the police have had run-ins with the suspect who hit their favorite aunt. The 70-year-old woman died of her injuries from a hit-and-run that happened in December 2020.

Despite having records of the suspect, 20-year-old Marcel Windham, who was traced to Campbell's crash site via CCTV, the police have yet to close this case. Campbell's family was told that they are still waiting for the DNA tests to prove that Windham was the driver of the car that killed the old woman.

Related Article: Father and Son Save Neighbor's Toddler With Autism from Pool Drowning; Parents Offer Water Safety Tips
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The record-breaking Malian nonuplets celebrated their first birthday in perfect heath on May 4, 2022. The babies hold the Guinness World Record for most babies delivered in single birth to survive and are the only naturally conceived nonuplets globally.

The nonuplet's father, Abdelkader Arby, said that nothing is better than the first year, and their family will always cherish their experience in raising their kids in their first year. The family had a simple birthday celebration in their home in Morocco where they invited some nurses and a few people from the building.

Birth of nonuplets

The Malian government flew the mom from Mali to Morocco for special care at the 25th week, way before the planned caesarian section on May 4, 2021. Her husband, Abdelkader Arby, had to stay in Mali to look after their three-year-old daughter, EpochTimes report.

Arby and Cisse welcomed five girls and four boys at Ain Borja Clinic in Casablanca, Morocco, at 30 weeks gestation.

The doctors and the couple were not expecting the eight and ninth babies, as their previous ultrasound indicated seven fetuses. Fortunately, the "surprise" did not faze the medical team of "one of Morocco's largest neonatal resuscitation services."

The babies were placed in incubators and were cared for several months after being born. Nurses also provide the babies with the necessary medical and supportive care.

The proud dad met his newborns in October 2021 before returning to Morocco to take care of their three-year-old daughter. He and their firstborn daughter came back to Morocco six months later, in time for the nonuplet's first birthday celebration.

The babies have reached their expected milestones are in good health, Today's Parents says.

Read Also: Woman Got Pregnant While Already Pregnant; Superfetation Explained

It takes a village to raise babies

While in Morocco, the children and the nine babies live in what Arby calls a "medicalized flat" that belongs to the owners of the Ain Borja clinic in Casablanca.

The proud dad, an officer in the Malian army, said that her wife could care for the nine babies because nurses from the clinic helped her. The hospital also provided a menu that has to be given to the children all day to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition.

The babies, five girls, and four boys, were born at 30 weeks. They weighed between 500g and 1kg (1.1lb and 2.2lb) and were delivered through a caesarian section a year ago.

As per BBC, multiple births are so risky that in some countries where abortion is legal, mothers with more than four babies are advised to terminate their babies. Most multiple births babies are born premature, making them vulnerable to health problems like sepsis and cerebral palsy.

However, in their case, the Malian state has put everything in place to care for and treat the nine babies and their mother, the proud father, said. He admits that raising the kids is not easy, but it is "beautiful" and "comforting."

The dad of ten has been grateful to the Malian government for its support.

The nonuplets have not been to Mali yet, but they are already very popular. Family, friends, their home village, and the whole country are very keen to see the babies with their own eyes, Arby said.

Related Article: Mom Reunites with Biological Son After 20 Years, Finds Out They are Workmates
SIKHUPHE - His Majesty King Mswati III saw Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema off at the King Mswati III (KMIII) International Airport yesterday afternoon.

Hichilema had been in the country for a three-day visit. The two heads of State had cordial greetings at the KMIII International Airport, where the visiting Statesman found the Monarch waiting to bid him farewell. They proceeded to the holding room of the Royal Wing of the airport, before exiting to be treated by various regiments with their different traditional dances. At instances, the two leaders would be seen taking a pause on the red carpet to appreciate the different dances performed by the regiments. Their walk towards the red carpet was characterised by conversation and laughter. At about 12:30pm, national anthems of the two countries were sung by the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) Brass Band before the visiting Statesman inspected the guard of honour.

Farewell

Thereafter, he proceeded to greet those who had come to bid him and his delegation farewell at the airport. These included Cabinet ministers, members of the Liqoqo Advisory Council and Emazinyane. President Hichilema had been in the country with Cabinet ministers from his government in Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga; Tourism Minister Rodney Sikumba and other government officials. Meanwhile, Eswatini and the Republic of Zambia signed two memorandums of understanding (MoU) in a variety of sectors. Speaking during the State banquet, Chief Officer at the Kings Office, Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, said the first MoU was on the establishment of a comprehensive consultation mechanism between the two countries.

Gamedze said this MoU sought to establish a mechanism that would facilitate consultation and cooperation between the government of Eswatini and that of Zambia in all aspects of their bilateral relations. He said it also aimed to provide a structure for an exchange of views on regional and international issues of mutual interests. He said in particular, the mechanism would consider ways and means of promoting an enhancing cooperation between the two countries in political, economical, commercial, technological, scientific technical and cultural cooperation, among others.

This MoU was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Thuli Dladla, and Zambias Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Sikumba. Gamedze said the second MoU signed by the two governments was on tourism cooperation. He said this one sought to establish a legal framework for the commencement of institutional and business cooperation between the two countries in the tourism sector, based on equality of status reciprocal advantages.

The cooperation between the parties in the tourism field will include tourism marketing, exchange of information, staff exchange and training of products. In addition, the Acting High Commissioner of Eswatini to Zambia, Vuli Kunene, read the Joint Communique between His Majesty King Mswati III and President Hichilema, issued during the State visit of the president. According to the communique, the two heads of State held bilateral talks at Lozitha Palace, where they exchanged views on respective national issues and prospects initiatives to strengthen bilateral cooperation. They also discussed regional and international affairs.
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

Netizens slammed Pizza Hut on Twitter this week for featuring books that focus on the LGBTQ community on its website in light of celebrating Pride Month.

The restaurant' reading club program, Book It!, has identified three books on its website this month, including "Big Wig" by Jonathan Hillman.

Newsweek reports that several critics were unhappy about the choice and took it to social media. Some even threatened to boycott the pizza food chain.

Book It!

Pizza Hut's "Book It!" literacy program started in 1984. The US-based program aims to motivate students to read by providing Read Award Certificates, which can be used for claiming a free, one-topping Personal Pizza. The program is nostalgic for those born in the 80s as it encouraged young people to read a certain amount of books, fill out a booklet and claim a free personal pan pizza.

The program is meant for students aged four to 12 and is offered from June to August.

This month, Pizza Hut chose three books that is in line with the celebration of Pride Month. This month's reading lists are Perfectly Pegasus, Big Wig, and Be Amazing: A History of Pride.

According to Daily Hive, the chosen books explore and celebrate the uniqueness of each individual. It also encourages kids to recognize what makes everyone different and unique.

However, some conservative parents and guardians were not happy with the selection. They singled out "Big Wig," a book about a child dressed in drag to compete in a costume contest, and the experience and confidence that came with dressing up.

The critics got so offended that they threatened to end their "relationship" with the pizza chain.

Brigitte Gabriel, the founder and chairman of the grassroots movement Act for America, posted that Pizza Hut has gone "full woke" and urged everyone to "make them broke."

Another Twitter user said that the popular food chain is promoting children's books about a drag queen so he will be choosing another pizzeria, "Little Caesars," from now on.

Twitter user Kyle Becker asked Pizza hut to note that other pizza restaurants would not try to turn their kids into drag queens.

Raven Fox posted that he will not patronize Pizza Hut after clarifying its stance on LGBTQ.

Read Also: Prince Louis Comic Reaction in Royal Balcony During Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Becomes a Meme [LOOK]

The other side of the coin

Although many people were upset with the suggested reading, not everyone agreed with the criticisms.

Twitter user Dice replied to Kyle Becker that if the kid is a drag queen, they will be a drag queen even without reading the Book.

Other people also point out that the country had more than 30 mass shootings in three weeks, and the critics are worried about "Pizza Hut and rainbows."

A comment laughed that someone would be upset about a book about individuality and imagination.

Pennlive says that the featured books are for suggested reading materials only.

Pizza Hut has not commented on the matter yet.

Related Article: Muslim Family Files Complaint Against McDonald's Restaurant in Massachusetts for Serving Them Bacon Intentionally
Francisco Tourinho is a Brazilian Calvinist apologist. He described his theological credentials on my Facebook page:

I have the respect of the academic community for my articles published in peer review magazines, translation of unpublished classical works into Portuguese and also the production of a book in the year 2019 with more than 2000 copies sold (with no marketing). In addition I have higher education in physical education from Piaui State University and theology from the Assemblies of God Biblical Institute, am currently working towards a Masters from Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary, and did post-graduate work at Dom Bosco Catholic University. Also, I am a professor in the Reformed Scholasticism discipline at the Jonathan Edwards Seminary in the postgraduate course in Philosophical Theology. [edited slightly for more flowing English]

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blue , John Calvins in green . This is a reply to his article, JOAO CALVINO DEFENDIA A VIRGINDADE PERPETUA DE MARIA? [Did John Calvin Defend the Perpetual Virginity of Mary?] (6-27-18). His words will be in, John Calvins in

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Today I came across the following quote:

There were certain people who wanted to suggest from this passage [Mt 1,25] that the Virgin Mary had other children besides the Son of God, and that Joseph was intimately related to her afterwards; but what stupidity! The gospel writer did not intend to record what happened afterwards; he simply wanted to make Josephs obedience clear (). He therefore never dwelt with her nor shared her company (). Furthermore, Our Lord Jesus Christ is called the firstborn. This is not because there was a second or a third son, but because the Gospel writer is stressing his precedence.  John Calvin. Sermon on Matthew 1:22-25. Year 1562 (Max Thurian. Mary: Mother of All Christians (translated by Nevill B. Cryer, New York: Herder & Herder, 1963, pp. 39-40)

The friend who defended the Marian dogma of perpetual virginity categorically stated, through this source (Max Thurian apud Calvino), that the great reformer defended the Marian dogma. I went looking for the source, and I found the same quote on several Catholic apologetics websites, but they all look like this, a quote, that is, a secondary source.

This was almost certainly derived, or indirectly derived from one of my blog articles.

I also looked for the sermon quoted by the apologists, attributed to John Calvin, and I didnt find it either.

Youve come to the right place, then, because I ran across the original primary source in French. I didnt have it at first (or else I would have cited it). Then I did. It has been posted on my blog since 10-14-14: three years and eight months before the article I am now critiquing.

But first, lets look at the quotation I produced: longer than the above abridged version:

There have been certain strange folk who have wished to suggest from this passage [Matt 1:25] that the Virgin Mary had other children than the Son of God, and that Joseph had then dwelt with her later; but what folly this is! for the gospel writer did not wish to record what happened afterwards; he simply wished to make clear Josephs obedience and to show also that Joseph had been well and truly assured that it was God who had sent His angel to Mary. He had therefore never dwelt with her nor had he shared her company. There we see that he had never known her person for he was separated from his wife. He could marry another all the more because he could not enjoy the woman to whom he was betrothed; but he rather desired to forfeit his rights and abstain from marriage, being yet always married: he preferred, I say, to remain thus in the service of God rather than to consider what he might still feel that he could come to. He had forsaken everything in order that he might subject himself fully to the will of God. And besides this, our Lord Jesus Christ is called the first-born. This is not because there was a second or a third, but because the gospel writer is paying regard to the precedence. Scripture speaks thus of naming the first-born whether or no there was any question of the second. Thus we see the intention of the Holy Spirit. This is why to lend ourselves to foolish subtleties would be to abuse Holy Scripture, which is, as St. Paul says, to be used for our edification.

From this we learn several things:

1. It serves as a further interpretation or clarification of his allegedly agnostic commentary on Matthew 1:25, as actually affirming perpetual virginity. 2. It shows that his denial of a vow of perpetual virginity from Mary is not necessarily and not in fact the same as a denial of her perpetual virginity. 3. Calvin does indeed believe in the traditional doctrine, as we see in his statement: not because there was a second or a third and his assertion that Joseph never dwelt with Mary. Mary had no further children. This is why he habitually refers to her as the virgin in his writings, much like Catholics have through the centuries. It implies perpetual virginity. 4. Since they never lived together, according to Calvin, obviously they had no children together. Thus, Mary was perpetually a virgin.

This 1562 sermon may be one reason why many Protestant (including Calvinist) scholars agree that Calvin adhered to Marys perpetual virginity:

David F. Wright, in his book, Chosen by God: Mary in Evangelical Perspective (London: Marshall Pickering, 1989, pp. 173, 175), stated:

. . . his more careful biblicism could insist on only Marys refraining from intercourse before the birth of Jesus (i.e., her virginity ante partum). On the other hand, he never excluded as untenable the other elements in her perpetual virginity, and may be said to have believed it himself without claiming that Scripture taught it. . . . [Calvin] commonly speaks of Mary as the holy Virgin (and rarely as simply as Mary preferring the Virgin, etc.).

Thomas Henry Louis Parker, in his Calvin: an Introduction to his Thought (Westminster John Knox Press, 1995), concurs:

. . . the Virgin Birth, which Calvin holds, together with the perpetual virginity of Mary. (p. 66)

He is the author of several books about Calvin, such as John Calvin: A Biography (Westminster John Knox Press, 2007), and Oracles Of God: An Introduction To The Preaching Of John Calvin (Lutterworth Press, 2002), Calvins New Testament Commentaries (S.C.M. Press, 1971), Calvins Preaching (Westminster John Knox Press, 1992), Calvins Old Testament Commentaries (Westminster John Knox Press, 1993), and several other Calvin-related volumes, and translator of Calvins Harmony of the Gospels in its 1995 Eerdmans edition. Presumably, he knows enough about Calvin to have a basis for his beliefs about this matter and Calvins own position.

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The article Mary (by David F. Wright) in the Encyclopedia of the Reformed Faith (edited by Donald K. McKim, Westminster John Knox Press,1992, p. 237), proclaims:

Calvin was likewise less clear-cut than Luther on Marys perpetual virginity but undoubtedly favored it. Notes in the Geneva Bible (Matt. 1:18, 25; Jesus brothers) defend it, as did Zwingli and the English reformers . . .

Donald G. Bloesch, in his Jesus Christ: Savior and Lord (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2006, p. 87), joins the crowd:

Protestantism . . . remained remarkably open to the idea of Marys perpetual virginity. Among others, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Wollebius, Bullinger and Wesley claimed that Mary was ever-virgin (semper virgo). The Second Helvetic Confession and the Geneva Bible of the Reformed faith and the Schmalkald Articles of the Lutheran churches affirm it.

Geoffrey W. Bromiley in his article, Mary the Mother of Jesus in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: K-P (edited by Bromiley, revised edition of 1994 published by Eerdmans [Grand Rapids, Michigan], p. 269), wrote:

The post-partum or perpetual virginity concept is held by some Protestants and was held by many Reformers (e.g., Calvin in his sermon on Mt. 1:22-25) . . .

Note that this refers to the sermon I cited above, not just Calvins Commentaries. And this is from the revised ISBE: not a source one can easily dismiss. Derek W. H. Thomas, writing in A Theological Guide to Calvins Institutes: Essays and Analysis (edited by David W. Hall & Peter A. Lillback; Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing [Calvin 500 series]: 2008, p. 212), makes a casual reference: a perpetual virgin in Calvins view! He is a professor of systematic and pastoral theology at Reformed Theological Seminary. His doctoral dissertation was devoted to Calvins preaching on the book of Job.

Timothy George concurs, with slight qualification: To be sure, there is nothing theologically problematic about affirming Marys perpetual virginity. This venerable tradition, first given dogmatic sanction at the Fifth Ecumenical Council in 553, was affirmed by Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin during the Reformation, though Calvin was more agnostic about this belief than the other two reformers. (in Mary, Mother of God, edited by Carl E. Braaten and Robert W. Jenson, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Pub. Co.: 2004; p. 109)

Dr. George is the dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, teaches Church history and serves as executive editor for Christianity Today. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Southern Baptist Convention, has written more than twenty books, and regularly contributes to scholarly journals. His book Theology of the Reformers is used as a textbook in many schools and seminaries.

J. A. Ross MacKenzie wrote: Calvin, like Luther and Zwingli, taught the perpetual virginity of Mary (in Alberic Stacpoole, editor, Marys Place in Christian Dialogue, Wilton, Connecticut: Morehouse-Barlow, 1982, 35-36). Dr. Mackenzie was a professor of church history at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, and has translated or written more than twenty theological books.

Robert H. Stein, professor of New Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, also agrees:

If one believes in the perpetual virginity of Mary, a teaching held not only by Roman Catholicism but also by Greek Orthodoxy, Martin Luther, and John Calvin, then the Helvidian view must be rejected. (Mark [Commentary], Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic: 2008, p. 187)

Calvins successor Theodore Beza argued that Catholics and Protestants agreed on the perpetual virginity of Mary, at the Colloquy of Poissy in 1561 (see William A. Dyrness, Reformed Theology and Visual Culture: the Protestant Imagination from Calvin to Edwards, [Cambridge University Press, 2004], pp. 86-87). Here are some other Calvin utterances on the topic:

Helvidius displayed excessive ignorance in concluding that Mary must have had many sons, because Christs brothers are sometimes mentioned. (Harmony of Matthew, Mark and Luke, sec. 39 [Geneva, 1562], vol. 2 / From Calvins Commentaries, translated by William Pringle, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1949, p.215; on Matthew 13:55)

[On Matt 1:25:] The inference he [Helvidius] drew from it was, that Mary remained a virgin no longer than till her first birth, and that afterwards she had other children by her husband . . . No just and well-grounded inference can be drawn from these words . . . as to what took place after the birth of Christ. He is called first-born; but it is for the sole purpose of informing us that he was born of a virgin . . . What took place afterwards the historian does not inform us . . . No man will obstinately keep up the argument, except from an extreme fondness for disputation. (Pringle, ibid., vol. I, p. 107)

John Calvins comment on the text quoted by the Catholic apologists source also does not suggest that he defended perpetual virginity. Calvins text in this part seems to be more cautious, however, we learn from him that the Marian dogma of perpetual virginity was not unanimous among the church fathers, since he cites Helvidius as not defending this thesis, and Jerome, at a later period, disagreeing with Helvidius.

Under the word brethren the Hebrews include all cousins and other relations, whatever may be the degree of affinity. (Pringle, ibid., vol. I, p. 283 / Commentary on John, [7:3] )

Also, Calvin habitually calling Mary the virgin or holy virgin (as Calvin scholar T.H.L. Parker noted), is further evidence, since that had always been understood in Church history (Im pretty sure) as a belief in perpetual virginity, and was clearly understood as such in Calvins time. Examples:

This is not simply referring to the virgin birth. Think about it. We dont call women who are married now and sexually active, virgins their whole lives and thereafter. That would make no sense, since they ceased being virgins. It is as illogical as calling them children when they are adults. Theyre not lifetime eunuchs or celibates or virgins. They were simply one thing and then another, by virtue of getting older and passing into the state of marriage. They did not have the gift of celibacy that Calvin acknowledged, per clear Pauline teaching.

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The Right to Repair movement has been advocating for consumers opportunity to repair their own hardware and electronics without involving manufacturers for more than two decades. Important milestones in the United States include various auto-related bills and an explicit repair exemption to the DMCA. On Friday, the New York state legislature passed the first Right to Repair bill for almost all electronic devices.

The bill, New York Senate Bill S410A (also known as the digital fair repair act), requires manufacturers to supply diagnostic and repair information, tools, and parts to independent repair shops, not just their own stores or partners. The end result is that electronics and appliance manufacturers will no longer have a monopoly on who gets to repair their products on behalf of owners.

The bills physical components for proprietary tools and parts only apply to New York state, of course. But since its effectively impossible to limit information (say, a diagnostic and repair manual for a laptop) once public, the bill could have a huge impact on repair shops and tech-savvy owners all over the country and beyond. It will also create a fairly substantial amount of work for manufacturers of everything from cell phones to televisions to meat thermometers, now explicitly required to support repair efforts for any shop in New York that asks. Nothing will prevent said shops from sharing any information theyre given.

The New York bill has yet to be signed into law by Governor Hochul, but long-time right to repair advocates iFixIt doesnt foresee any problems there. The bill does not cover automobiles (already covered by national laws), medical devices, or home appliances. It will go into effect one year after signing. Similar bills are being considered all over the United States, with varying degrees of success. Late last month, the California legislature declined to pass a similar bill.

The Right to Repair movement is gaining steam, legislatively and more widely with manufacturers and consumers. Frameworks modular laptops now allow nearly every component to be replaced and even Apple is now supplying parts and instructions for DIY iPhone repairswith mixed results.
Ivorian economist Jean-Claude Brou, president of West Africa's main political bloc, has been nominated by Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara to be governor of the regional central bank, a source familiar with the matter said.



Brou has served as president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) commission since 2018.



The source said the other members of the bank are expected to formally validate his nomination to succeed another Ivorian, Tiemoko Kone, as governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), which represents eight regional countries that use the CFA franc currency.



Kone was appointed Ivory Coast's vice president in April, leaving Ouattara the prerogative to name his successor, a senior regional source told Reuters.



A bank spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.













Source: REUTERS









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The Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), a leading indigenous Ghanaian bank today out-doored an online platform that allows customers of the Bank link their Ghana Cards to their UMB accounts online, without having to go into their branch.



The service, dubbed EZ- UPDATE, allows customers to scan their Ghana Cards with their phones and load this information onto a secure portal. Customer are then able to sign into this portal and link their Ghana card to their account. The Bank of Ghana has set the 1st of July, 2022 as the deadline for all bank accounts in Ghana to be linked to Ghana Cards. This is in line with the Bank of Ghanas and the Government strategy to make the Ghana Card the primary ID in the country.



Speaking to this reporter, Nii Amankra Tetteh, Executive Director Business of the Bank noted; The search for a single source of truth and the consequent integration of databases is a critical ambition for Ghana, bringing financial data into this integration is important and the BoGs support for it is commendable. We know that a large percentage of customers are cut out of banking benefits because the bank simply cannot KYC said customers. EZ UPDATE is our own digital innovation to reflect the lifestyles of our customers today. Now our customers can conveniently update their accounts, even at 2am on a Sunday. This is the UMB advantage we are proud of and continue to deliver to Ghana, since 1972.



With the launch of EZ UPDATE UMB joins an elite club of Banks in Ghana offering the service. Over 80% of Banks in Ghana currently require their customers to do the linkage in person, at their branches. UMB and a few other banks have developed digital means that allow customer to achieve the linkage digitally.



Madam Belinda Boamah  Executive Director (Strategy) of the Bank in her remarks on the product said, At UMB we pride ourselves in innovating for customer convenience, since 1972. EZ UPDATE was developed internally in the Bank with our own Ghanaian resources and its performance is world -class. It is another step in our digital reimagination journey, as we commit to becoming digital -1st for the customer, in the next 50 years of our Bank. We are working hard to get to the point where our customers can interact with the Bank fully online, guaranteeing true convenience and access.



The service can be accessed at http://Ezupdate.myumbbank.com or by visiting the UMB website.



UMB is a leading indigenous bank reputed for bringing a uniquely Ghanaian perspective to banking, since 1972. Headquartered in Accra and licensed by the Bank of Ghana, the bank operates out of 35 branches across Ghana. Its strategic aspiration is to become a digital 1st, SME focused bank.



The bank has pioneered several innovations in this market, including SPEEDAPP, one of the best performing agnostic banking apps in the sub-region. UMB is a strategic member of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) network.







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana LTD. (CBG), Mr. Daniel Wilson Addo has met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, at No.10 Downing Street, ahead of the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF 2022) scheduled for Rwanda later this month.



The meeting was organized by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) to launch the CBF 2022. Mr. Addo who is a member of the Global Advisory Council of CWEIC, indicated that it was critical for CWEIC to meet and align with the Prime Minister on the expected outcomes from the forum.



As part of a one-on-one brief with the Prime Minister, Mr. Addo spoke about the relevance of the Commonwealth and the opportunity available for its members to leverage its global presence to facilitate and foster trade and investments. He also spoke about the AFCTA, its potential to accelerate Intra-African trade, and CBGs strategic focus on facilitating trade in West Africa.



The CWEIC meetings are highly patronized by the 54 countries that make up the Commonwealth including the United Kingdom. The 2018 edition was a three-day event with more than 40 individual sessions in three iconic London locations. 1400 participants from 80 nations took part representing businesses, regulators, trade and investment promotion bodies, and Governments.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Tunisia's judges will suspend work in courts for a week and hold a sit-in to protest against a purge of their ranks, amid growing tensions over the president's attempts to consolidate one-man rule.



President Kais Saied this week dismissed 57 judges, accusing them of corruption and protecting terrorists in a crackdown on the judiciary - his latest step to tighten his grip on power in the North African country.



Judge Hammadi Rahmani said a meeting of judges on Saturday voted unanimously to suspend work in all courts, and to start the sit-in.



The strike will start on Monday in all judicial institutions and could be extended, Anas Hamaidi, president of the Association of Judges, said.



Last summer, Saied seized executive power in a move his foes called a coup, before setting aside the 2014 constitution to rule by decree and dismissing the elected parliament.



Among the judges fired this week was Youssef Bouzaker, the former head of the Supreme Judicial Council whose members Saied replaced this year.



The council had acted as the main guarantor of judicial independence since Tunisia's 2011 revolution that introduced democracy.



In a session attended by hundreds of judges, some of the dismissed judges said the purge came after they rejected interventions from the justice minister and in some cases from people surrounding the president.



"This injustice will not pass in silence .... These free voices will never be silenced," Hamaidi said. "The attack was not only against judges, but on the law and freedoms."



Rahed Ghannouhci, the speaker of dissolved parliament called in statement for "national forces, parties, civil society, to stand by the judges in resisting the brutal dictatorship to preserve an independent judiciary".



Saied's purge of the judiciary sparked international outrage. Washington accused him of undermining Tunisia's democratic institutions.

Source: REUTERS









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Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Capital Bank Group (CBG), a top banking group in the Mena region, have signed subscription agreement, through which PIF will have a 23.97% interest in CBG, at a value of $185 million.



The completion the deal, represented by the issuance of 63 million new shares, is subject to completing the conditions in the relevant agreements and obtaining the required approvals from regulators and the relevant government authorities, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).



The deal aims to increase the Groups capital, thereby raising its total shareholders equity to around $846 million, and bolstering the Group's ability to execute its strategy, and expand its business through introducing new services and products in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other markets where it operates, including through the Groups investment arm; Capital Investments.



In addition, the deal will strengthen the Groups digital transformation plans by offering the most up-to-date electronic services, including the launch of digital banks.



The investment contributes to the Capital Bank Group initiative of positively impacting the Jordanian economy, and highlights the growth prospects that the Bank offers, especially given the Groups solid position in terms of equity.



The Group enjoys a strong financial and credit position following its acquisition of the assets and branches of Bank Audi in Jordan and Iraq, as well as Societe Generale - Jordan in less than a year.
Abubakar Ahmed, alias Blakk Rasta has backtracked on an allegation he made on TV recently that a former British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, had cause to once describe President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as "arrogant."



The outspoken radio presenter and musician explained in the TV XYZ interview that he had performed at a party for the then departing High Commissioner when an incident happened leading to the purported statement from Jon Benjamin.



But in a Twitter post referencing the GhanaWeb story on his allegation, he said he had put his words and sentiments into the mouth of the the UK envoy, "Jon did not say that. I apologize..." he added.



"I unreservedly apologise to my very good friend @JonBenjamin19 for putting my words and sentiments in his mouth. I am the one of the opinion, alongside millions of Ghanaians, that @NAkufoAddo is arrogant . Jon did not say that. I apologise..." his tweet read.



Jon Benjamin left Ghana in 2017, months after President Akufo-Addo came into office. According to Blakk Rasta, it was at the final party where he was invited to perform along with Wiyaala that he had a bad encounter with an aide of the President.



He explained that after shaking the hands of the former president, John Agyekum Kufuor, he attempted to do same with President Akufo-Addo, but what happened next shocked him.



When the former British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin, was leaving Ghana, he invited me and Wiyaala to come and perform, we performed our best and as I was performing, that was when the President Akufo-Addo walked in, and I was happy that this was my president and that he was the one pushing the agenda for a Ghana Beyond Aid and so since I like him, I would shake his hands and thank him from saving us from the claws of Mahama.



He told the interviewer that when he attempted to greet Akufo-Addo an aide prevented him by giving him a hefty slap on the hand, which action gave him blisters.



Blakk Rasta said that this action was so unexpected, he was further amazed that the president did nothing about this. He said the diplomat witnessed the incident and excused the president citing his arrogance.



My own president; I am not a riffraff; you know who I am. The president had folded his arms and was just looking on and I said to myself if you can slap my hand like this in public, what then will you do to the Nima boy or the Ashaiman boy you dont know? And so it was after this that the High Commissioner told me, Excuse this arrogant president, and maybe I shouldnt have said that but that is what he said."



You see, Nana Addo is one man that you dont need glasses to see that he is arrogant. In fact, before he came into the presidency, WikiLeaks reported that this was a man Ghanaians saw as arrogant, he said.























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Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, the Minister for National Security, has commended Military personnel deployed in the Northern region for their commitment against threats of terrorism.



"The personnel of the Unit have stayed true to their constitutional mandate to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ghana at all times, the Minister noted in a statement from the Ghana Armed Forces after a high-powered security delegation visit to the 11 Mechanised Battalion Area of Operation in Bawku and Mognori Detachments in the Upper East Region.



The visit was necessitated by the emerging threats of terrorism along the northern frontiers of the country and national efforts against the threats.



Mr Kan-Dapaah said the Government was aware of the challenges the personnel faced and efforts that had been made to deliver the necessary resources to enable them work effectively and efficiently.



The Minister encouraged the personnel to remain professional, hardworking and vigilant and continue to protect the northeastern frontiers of the country.



Lieutenant Colonel Minta-Agyemang, the Commanding Officer, 11 Mechanised Battalion, briefed the Minister and his entourage on the operations, training and logistical matters in the operational area.



The Ghana Armed Forces with sister security services have embarked on several counter-terrorism training exercises and operations with the collaboration of their international partners in recent years to deter and rid the country of any terrorist element or threat while protecting the citizenry and national assets.



They are: Exercise Eagle Claws, Exercise Burning Arrow and Operation Conquered Fist.



The delegation visited Pulmakom Detachment to ascertain at first hand, boundary issues with neighboring countries and the total welfare of troops.



The delegation include: Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister and Head of the Regional Security Council, Mr Edward Kwaku Asomani, the Deputy National Security Coordinator, and Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, Chief of the Army Staff.







Source: GNA









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The Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Daniela DOrlando, has said the commitment to the promotion of peace, multilateralism and regional integration are core values needed to overcome the current global challenges.



Those values, which were shared by her country, were also required for a thriving democracy and respect for the rule of law and human rights, she said, while lauding the fruitful relations between her country and Ghana.



Our excellent bilateral relations date back to 1958, when the Italian Embassy was opened, just a year after Ghanas independence, Ms DOrlando said in a toast at a reception at her official residence in Accra to mark Italian National Day last Thursday.



Members of the Italian community in the country, government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, as well as representatives of the private sector, attended the reception.



Italian presence

Ms DOrlando, however, said the presence of Italians in the then Gold Coast dated back to the beginning of the 20th century.



She said as a result of Italys strong and ever-growing cordial ties with Ghana, there were now 800 Italians in the country, while Italy was also hosting one of the largest Ghanaian communities in Europe, about 100,000.



Ambassador DOrlando further said there were 100 Italian companies and 40 associations in Ghana which were involved in various businesses in the energy, construction, educational and agribusiness sectors.



Furthermore, she said, the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries yielded 521 million in 2021, adding that an office of the Italian Development Cooperation was opened at the Italian Embassy in Accra in December last year.



Cooperation

Responding to the toast, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, who represented the government, acknowledged the continuous cooperation between the two countries in the areas of fisheries and railways, as evidence of the growing signs of their bilateral ties.



With regard to defence, she said Italy had been a dependable partner, especially in the area of maritime security.



Ms Dapaah also said Ghana looked forward to exploring new areas of cooperation with Italy in all sectors of the national economy, especially in our post-COVID-19 economic recovery effort.









Source: graphiconline.com









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QNET has called for accelerated action to tackle climate change impacts that are disproportionately affecting developing countries such as Ghana, even though they account for the lowest proportion of causal factors. The global e-commerce and direct selling leader made the call to mark the celebration of this years World Environment Day on the 5th of June.



50 years ago in Sweden, the World Environment Day came into being, when the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment took place. It was regarded as the first global environmental summit, it was there that the idea of a World Environment Day was formalized, with the first one held in 1973.



Since then, the annual event, which falls on 5 June, has helped both celebrate the planet and put a spotlight on the perils it is facing. Experts say it has also driven change, helping lead to landmark global treaties that cover everything from plastic pollution to food waste.



Much of Africa has already warmed by more than 1 C since 1901, with an increase in heatwaves and hot days. In the drought-prone sub-Saharan African countries, the number of undernourished people has increased by 45.6% since 2012 according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.



The same body reported that a reduction in mean agricultural yield of 13% is projected in West and Central Africa, 11% in North Africa, and 8% in East and Southern Africa, under the worst-case climate change scenario.



On the economic front, The African Climate Policy Center projects that the Gross Domestic Product in the five African subregions would suffer a significant decrease as a result of a global temperature increase. For scenarios ranging from a 1C to a 4C increase in global temperatures relative to pre-industrial levels, the continents overall GDP is expected to decrease by 2.25% to 12.12%.



Mr Biram Fall, QNETs Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, said, It is evident that the time to act on climate change is now, and that every stakeholder must do their part. This is all the more important if we are to safeguard the gains made in developing Ghana and Africa at large, while maintaining the momentum.



Mr Fall added "At QNET, we simply believe that it is the right thing to do and has adopted environmental sustainability as a key pillar of our business operations. We call upon all and sundry to join hands to accelerate actions and initiatives designed to reverse the trend. In line with this, we have implemented a number of initiatives that directly and indirectly contribute to creating a more sustainable environment. Wepartnered with EcoMatcher to launch the Green Legacy Initiative in 2021, with the goal of planting at least 10,000 trees by the end of 2022. Currently, we have planted 3,000 trees, spread across the Philippines, Kenya and the UAE, with plans to expand to more countries including Ghana.



Beyond external partnerships and projects, QNET has committed to making its operations more sustainable by implementing a meat-free policy within all its offices and events worldwide, given that the livestock industry is one of the biggest contributors towards climate change. The company also strongly champions sustainability at key events, and sponsors key stakeholder events.



To drive home the essence of reforestation, Mr Fall stated that through its partnership with EcoMatcher, QNET is actively doing its part in protecting the planet by planting trees.



Through this partnership, QNET is reiterating its commitment to actively protect the planet by planting trees that help improve local ecosystems and generate sustainable livelihoods for local communities." Qnet's Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa stressed.



Other initiatives include partnering with Water for Africa to provide clean water for rural communities in Tanzania. At the 9th World Water Forum in Senegal, QNET presented its first water filtration system, HomePure Nova, as a solution to safe drinking water designed with 10 years of research on water quality. This innovative product does not use single-use plastic, minimizes water wastage and does not require electricity to run  making it an ideal solution for homes and communities looking guilt-free, sustainable and easy access to clean water.



The company also plans to eliminate all plastic from its product packaging and switch to using solely sustainable materials by 2025.



QNET continues to make communities more resilient. These include the partnership between the RYTHM Foundation, QNET's social impact initiative, and Water For Africa (WFA) that aims to provide access to clean water in rural Tanzania by building wells. The project also supports livelihoods through macadamia and avocado farming on a 50-acre land in Iringa, Tanzania. This not only generates revenue for local communities, but also provides funds for the construction and maintenance of the water wells.



The company has also donated numerous water filters over the years to various hospitals and charitable foundations worldwide to increase access to clean water in those communities. Moreover, every year during Ramadan and on World Water Day, QNET gives back to society by donating HomePure units to communities in need of clean water in 30 countries.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Ada Police Command in the Greater Accra Region has arrested David Ayornu, 31, popularly known as Rapper Bee for slashing the belly of his wife and killing her instantly.



According to residents of Lufenya, near Kasseh in the Ada East District, Ayornu stabbed his wife with a knife in the belly and dragged it multiple times resulting in the outburst of her intestine.



In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Chief Superintendent Atsu Dzineku, Ada Divisional Commander confirmed the incident and subsequent arrest of the suspect.



He said the District Police Command on Friday, June 03, received information from Nene Glover Ayornu, the Chief of Lufenya, and Mr. Akrofi Mensah the Assembly Member for Amlakpo Electoral Area with two others with a complaint that they heard a loud noise in a nearby room around 0130 hours.



"So, the Chief quickly rushed there because the noise was loud and unusual where he found out that one David Ayornu's wife, identified as Theresa Kwao was lying dead with the intestine gushed out, he said.



According to the Chief, the said David Ayornu was in the same room with the woman when they identified that the woman was stabbed to death, so they came for Police assistance to know who caused that.



Chief Supt. Dzineku noted that Police swiftly rushed to the scene and identified a man believed to be 31-year-old as a suspect.



"Police were shown the room, where a female adult was seen wearing only a bead and a pant lying in a pool of blood with the face down with the intestine out.



He explained that initial inspection of the body revealed that live bones of the chest and the stomach and a sharp knife with blood stains on it were found lying in the room about 2 - feet from the body.



He said photographs were taken and the body was deposited at Health Star Funeral Services near Kasseh for autopsy and preservation at Addokope.



The Ada Divisional Commander explained that the suspect Ayornu had been arrested and taken to the Ada District Hospital, where he was examined and discharged but still in police custody for further investigations.



He said the knife was retrieved and detained with the suspect for the investigation, adding that the Police had commenced investigations into the incident.



Chief Supt. Dzineku stated that it was too immediate to unravel what led to the death of Theresa Kwao.

Source: GNA









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It was all tears of joy for a motor taxi operator, Bright Nana Owusu alias Gyamfi after he was acquitted and discharged of murder by the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra.



This was after a seven-member jury panel unanimously returned a not guilty verdict to the court on the judgment day, which sets him free.



Owusu, and another David Nii Aryee alias Shainu- earlier freed, were charged for killing one Mohammed Yahaya, at Aboum junction at Kwabenya in July 2017 following a misunderstanding.



Prior to being set free, he had been in lawful custody for over five years.



Owusu broke down in tears moments after the Court presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh acquitted and discharged him.



EIB Networks Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah reports that Owusu would have been sentenced to death had he been found guilty of the offence by the jury.



According to the prosecution, on July 7, 2017 at about 9pm at the Abuom junction station, a misunderstanding ensued between a group of motor taxi operators.



The prosecution said the misunderstanding was resolved but later on, another group was seen fighting Mohamed Yahaya (deceased person).



The prosecution noted that it was Owusu and Aryee, the 1st and 2nd accused persons respectively who were seen among the persons fighting the deceased.



Owusu was then accused of using a pavement block he was holding to hit the head of the deceased, who fell down immediately.



Aryee according to prosecution was also seen holding something in his hand and attempting to hit the deceased with it.



He, however, did not hit the deceased because the deceased had already fallen from the impact of the pavement block allegedly used by the 1st accused on his head, the prosecution told the court.



The prosecution added that there was an attempt by persons to stop the fight between the accused persons and the deceased.



The accused persons were apprehended and handed over to the police while the deceased was immediately conveyed to a hospital.







Source: kasapafmonline.com









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Delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ekumfi Constituency of the Central Region have elected new executives to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.



The elections were earlier slated for Friday, May 27, 2022, but were put on hold owing to a court injunction secured by some aggrieved aspirants.



The matter was, however, later settled out of court by the Party and this paved the way for the Regional Election to be held on Saturday, June 04.



The rains set in around 1400 hours just after voting had ended and counting was about to begin, interrupting the peaceful process briefly.



Despite that the euphoria that characterised the exercise did not wane as people jumped and sang in jubilation in the rain spontaneously throughout the counting and declaration of the result.



In all, 26 aspirants contested for 10 positions with 518 delegates voting.



Mr Nana Adu Donkor aka Okumkom was elected Charmian, beating his only contender, Moses Donkor when he bagged 411 votes as against 94.



Mr Ishmael Osam Anderson retained his position as the First Vice Chairman with 318 votes with David Dawson getting only 184.



For the second Vice Chairmanship position, which had four contenders, Mr Ransford Egya Bosomtwe emerged winner with 182 votes, while his closest contender, Mr James Entsie polled 161, Sumaila Awuni and Ato Biney garnered 62 and eight votes, respectively.



The Secretary portfolio saw Mr Jamil Rahman Nyame coming out victorious with 260 votes, while Mr Edward Armah had 228 votes in the close contest.



For the Assistant Secretary position, which had the greatest number of contestants, there was a tie between Messrs. James Ackon and Boutrous Kojo Saah with 140 votes each.



Messrs. Ebenezer Spio Anim, Mustapha Quansah, Isaac Minkah and Barnabas Sam got 108, 46, 38 and 33 votes, respectively.



The position was therefore not declared pending a new date for another voting.



Madam Naomi Aba Adu became the Treasurer with 203 while Alfred Cudjoe polled 160 with Celestina Anderson garnering 145.



The Organiser was grabbed by Ahmed Mustapha Anderson with 332 and his only contender, Mr Albert Augustine Mensah polled 173.



Nana Ansah became the constituency's Youth organiser after garnering 320 votes to beat Mr Samuel Kuntu Takyi who had 185 votes.



The women Organiser race did not appear to be a contest as Madam Araba Woode polled a whooping 388 to beat Ms Kate Nyame who had 119 votes.



The keenest race, Nasara coordinator position saw Nasil Ahmed Anderson winning narrowly with 254 as Madam Mary Andam polled 250.



The newly elected Chairman, Mr Nana Adu Donkor, called for unity among members of the party as the NPP resolved to "break the eight ".



He commended the delegates for comporting themselves and applauded the police for demonstrating professionalism during the exercise.



"I thank the party hierarchy for helping put this together peacefully. There is no winner in this contest. The victory goes for Ekumfi NPP," he said.



"I urge the entire party to emulate the beautiful polls by Ekumfi and go into the national elections peacefully and surely we can break the eight," he added.

Source: GNA









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Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has advised party members to register for the Ghana Card as it may be the ultimate identification card for the 2024 general election.



Speaking at a ceremony at Bowiri-Kwamikrom in the Biakoye Constituency of the Oti Region, he appealed to the people to secure the Ghana card and vote for the NDC in 2024.



The NDC National Chairman said the New Patriotic Party-led Government had mishandled the economy and made most Ghanaians poorer hence the need to change it in 2024 and bring back the NDC.



The NPP has become a liability on the neck of Ghanaians and the only way to regain our economic freedom is to vote against them come 2024, he said.



He criticised the Government for the economic hardship it had plunged the country into and the high cost of fuel and goods and services in general.



Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, the 2020 Running Mate to the Flagbearer of the NDC, said Ghanaians had acknowledged the infrastructural achievements of the NDC and its contributions to the health sector, some of which facilitated the treatment of COVID-19 patients during the pandemic.



She said it was time for Ghanaians to make a choice for a productive change.



This is the time to get a good leader to rule the country and it was time we looked at facts and not follow anybody's propaganda, she said.

Source: GNA









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The National Organizer of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Yaw Asani Tanoh is concerned over the continued absence of the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo.



The MP in a recent interview indicated that her absence is due to the ill-health of her son and that once he's better, she will resume her duties in the country.



She also indicated that she sought permission and President Akufo-Addo is aware of everything she's going through.



Asani Tanoh in a reaction on UTV's Adekye Nsroma programme, feels there's more to it than meets the eye.



"This woman has left parliament more than six months now; she says her son is sick and we are joking with it . . . interestingly when she was interviewed she said the President knows everything happening to her; indeed family first but the people who left their families and voted for you, you have abandoned them. Is Adwoa Safo telling us that she cannot afford a nanny or ask any of her sisters to take care of that boy for at least a month so that she can be going back once in two months? There's a deep secret that probably the only person who knows is the President," he stated.







Source: Peacefmonline.com









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NPP Deputy National Communications Director, Kamal-Deen Abdullai, has urged the New Patriotic Party to revise its measures to discourage the culture of vote buying in the party.



The vote buying, technically described as "monecracy", is the act where political aspirants induce delegates with items and money in order to woo them.



The New Patriotic Party recently held its Regional elections and elected executives for their branches across the 16 Regions of Ghana, however some party aspirants were recorded to have doled out monies to the delegates to solicit their votes.



Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", Kamal-Deen suggested a solution to ending the vote buying in the party.



According to him, in order to stop the aspirants from financially inducing the delegates, the leadership should expand the delegates base to make impossible for any person to buy the votes of the delegates.



He believed expanding the numbers is a sure way of ending the party's monecracy.



"I have always said that if NPP puts its things in order, winning an election is not so much difficult for us. But if, internally, we don't put matters right and some people feel short-changed, so they will overlook things . . . that is where we are going to have ourselves to blame. But so far so good except to add that it appears the monetization is becoming too much and we really need to look at it. It is very important.



"I am praying and hoping that the new crop of executives, there should be a conversation centered around that. What can we do to help reduce at least that spectacle we are presenting for people to see the party as such? If we are not able to do it, a time would come that we would always cede competence to whoever has money and it's a problem. It's dangerous!"



He, however, complimented the party for a successful elections at the Regional level but called on the members and supporters to put their hands on deck for the party to win power again.



"Breaking the eight cannot just be mere words; a lot of work," he advised.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has announced the signing of a subscription agreement with Capital Bank Group, one of the largest banking groups in Jordan, Iraq and the Mena region.

As per the deal, PIF will get to acquire a 23.97% interest in the groups capital, at a value of $185 million, represented by the issuance of 63 million in new shares.

The completion of the deal is subject to completing the conditions in the relevant agreements and obtaining the required approvals from regulators and the relevant government authorities, said the statement from PIF.

The deal aims to increase the Groups capital, thereby raising its total shareholders equity to around $846 million, and bolstering the Group's ability to execute its strategy.

The move is aimed at expanding its business through introducing new services and products in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other markets where it operates, including through the groups investment arm; Capital Investments.

In addition, the deal will strengthen the Groups digital transformation plans by offering the most up-to-date electronic services, including the launch of digital banks.

This deal is in line with PIF's strategy, which includes exploring new investment opportunities in the Mena region that support the creation of long-term strategic economic partnerships to achieve sustainable returns that contribute to maximizing the Fund's assets and diversifying Saudi Arabias economy in line with Vision 2030.

The investment contributes to the Capital Bank Group initiative of positively impacting the Jordanian economy, and highlights the growth prospects that the Bank offers, especially given the Groups solid position in terms of equity.

Capital Bank Group enjoys a strong financial and credit position following its acquisition of the assets and branches of Bank Audi in Jordan and Iraq, as well as Societe Generale - Jordan in less than a year.

-TradeArabia News Service
The Office of the Special Prosecutor, has frozen all assets of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John, a former chief executive officer of the Forestry Commission.



A source at the Office of the Special Prosecutor confirmed to asaaseradio that this forms part of investigations into the acquisition of state lands and properties that were contained in Sir Johns Will.



Last month, the Office of the Special Prosecutor served notice that it has begun full investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in the alleged and unlawful acquisition of state lands at the Achimota forest enclave and the Ramsar site by the former CEO of the Forestry Commission.



A statement signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, indicates that Sir John including other persons will be investigated.



The special prosecutor has urged the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources to fully cooperate with the OSP in the investigations since they will play an important part in the probe.



The decision to launch the investigation follows the publication of a will, purported to be by Sir John. The ten-page document has been circulating on social media and follows an affirmation by the government that it will protect the forest reserve in Achimota.

Source: asaaseradio









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The organisers of the Ghana Music Awards France have announced a shortlist of its nominees for the maiden edition set to take place on July 23, 2022, in Toulouse, France.



The nominations feature some tough competition in the 27 categories, including Artiste of the Year, which has the likes of Sarkodie, KiDi, Kuami Eugene, Diana Hamilton, Kofi Kinaata, Fameye, and Black Sherif.



This years awards ceremony, themed Portraying Ghana Through Music, seeks to expose Ghanaian music to an international audience, especially those in France.



Speaking at the unveiling ceremony at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra, Madam Annie Sophie Ave, French Ambassador to Ghana, said Ghanaian artistes deserved the maximum support because of the talent they possessed.



When I arrived in Ghana, I realised the amazing talents Ghana had, coupled with the catchy hit songs, and I thought we had to take it to France because the French people found Ghanaian songs amazing.



Your artistes are your best ambassadors and I think they deserve to be put out there. I have been following a few of them who are having a blast in Europe and it was for this major reason that I needed to support them, especially with the organisation of such events, she said.



Mr. Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, popularly known as Abeiku Santana, Chairman of the Ghana Music Awards France, lauded the French Ambassador for her tremendous support for the arts industry, suggesting that she deserved a statue for her contribution to Ghanaian music.



Artiste recognition is one of the forces driving music globally, and I believe Ghana Music Awards France as a project will contribute highly to the existing bilateral relationship between Ghana and France, and will also deepen our prospects with regard to our tourism products with music at the forefront.



Music tourism is a huge contributor to our music dispensation and with the rise of globalisation, the tourism and the travel industry have also seen expansion, and I can confidently say music is the driving force, Abeiku Santana said.



The astute broadcaster urged corporate Ghana, the government, and other stakeholders to come on board and support the vision of taking Ghanaian music internationally because it had the talent to reach the pinnacle of world music.



Madam Mavis Osah Frimpong, Founder of Ghana Music Awards France, stated that the idea of holding awards gala in France began 15 years ago as she sought to contribute her quota to the growth of Ghanaian music.









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Day 3 of Event #9: $1,500 Seven Card Stud begins at 2 p.m. with eight players left vying for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in Bally's Event Center. Today brings the conclusion to this great event that boasted a field of 329, which was a good deal more than last year's version of this tournament and created a prize pool of $439,215. The remaining eight players will be playing for the top prize of$103,282.

The chip leader of the final eight is Alex Livingston, who holds commanding lead with 2,495,000, over 800,000 more than second place. The Canadian is most well known for his third-place finish in the 2019 WSOP Main Event, which is the majority of his $5.7 million in career poker earnings.

Despite his large numbers, Livingston actually does not have a tournament win on his poker resume, with several second and third place finishes. He will be aiming to finish off the job today and win his first WSOP Bracelet.

Final Table

Seat Player Country Chip Count 1 Thomas Taylor Canada 765,000 2 Daniel Weinman United States 660,000 3 Brad Ruben United States 725,000 4 John Evans United States 170,000 5 Hojeong Lee United States 585,000 6 Alex Livingston Canada 2,495,000 7 John Racener United States 1,160,000 8 Kenny Hsiung United States 1,605,000

Brad Ruben (725,000) comes into the day fifth in chips and is looking to do the unthinkable and win a second bracelet within a week, having already won Event #4: $1,500 Dealers Choice just a few days ago, which was his fourth overall. Even just a top-three finish today would but give him a nice leg up on the early WSOP player of the year race.

There are two other WSOP bracelet winners still alive. Kenny Hsiung, who is second in chips and who won his lone bracelet in a 2012 Limit Hold'em event. As well as John Racener, third in chips. Racener won his bracelet in the 2017 in a 10k 6-Handed Dealer's Choice event.

Daniel Weinman will be coming back sixth in chips and as of the time of this introduction being posted, he is also still alive in Day 2 of Event #5: $500 The Housewarming No-Limit Hold'em, so there may be some multi-tabling in the cards for him while he does the improbable in two very different events.

The other Canadian at the table, Thomas Taylor, is the fourth biggest stack and Hojeong Lee and John Evans start the day as the short stacks.

Play starts at 2 p.m. local time at Level 26. There will be a 15-minute break every two hour long levels and a dinner break to be determined.

PokerNews will be there to bring all of the seven-card stud action to you.
Abu Dhabi-based Masdar has signed implementation agreements with the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan to develop clean and renewable energy projects in the country with a combined capacity of 4,000 MW as an exclusive concession, with the right to develop an additional 6,000 MW as a second phase, thus bringing the total production capacity of these projects to 10,000 MW  the largest such signing in Azerbaijans history.

One of the worlds leading renewable energy companies, Masdar said it has signed two implementation agreements, one relating to the development of onshore wind projects with a capacity of 1,000MW, and 1,000MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.

The second agreement covers integrated offshore wind and green hydrogen projects with a capacity of 2,000MW, said the statement from the Emirati group.

The implementation agreements were signed by Parviz Shahbazov, Minister of Energy, with Fawaz Al Muharrami, Acting Executive Director of Masdar Clean Energy at an event in Shusha, held as a special session of Baku Energy Week.

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, said: "The 4,000MW of renewable energy projects announced today reinforce the close relationship between UAE and Azerbaijan and are a testament to our shared commitment to progressive climate action."

"These clean energy projects also demonstrate the valuable economic opportunities of the energy transition and will contribute to the energy diversification and energy security of Azerbaijan. Today's announcement also underscores the UAE and Masdars position as a global leader in renewable energy, as we progress our strategy toward a portfolio of at least 100 GW globally," he stated.

Shahbazov said: "Today we are going to sign mega projects with Masdar in accordance with the green energy course of the President of Azerbaijan, which defines renewable energy sources as a strategic priority for the country's development."

"These 4,000 MW solar, wind and green hydrogen projects, being the largest renewable energy production capacity in the region and in our energy history, provide ample opportunities for the development of Azerbaijan as a green growth country, green energy producer and exporter, as well as allow for involving multibillion-dollar green investment," he noted.

The agreement for onshore wind and solar projects includes measures to study and strengthen the network and implement processes for the export of electricity. The second agreement includes measures to create wind power for production and export purposes, decarbonization, hydrogen production and export, he added.

At the same event, Masdar also signed a MoU with the state oil company Socar for the joint development of renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High around 100F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. Near record high temperatures. High 94F. NNW winds shifting to E at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low around 75F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph.
Columbia, SC (29201)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 99F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Jeff March, the leader of South Carolina Pride who grew the organization through its events in a decade-plus run, announced he would be stepping down as president of the LGBT+ advocacy organization.

March's lengthy tenure brought a large shift to the organizations visibility in Columbia as he moved the signature Famously Hot SC Pride festival to Main Street and started other community-focused events. March told Free Times that he had mulled the option for some time and came to the decision after concluding he had done everything I possibly could do with the organization.

March announced at the annual Outfest event over the weekend he would step down at the end of the year

Its been the best years of my life, he said. I want to do something else with my time, I just dont know what it is.  Ill never know if I dont exit soon, who knows what opportunities will come up.

March joined the organization as its president in 2012 after working as its volunteer coordinator in the years prior. Once he took over, he took significant steps to shake up SC Prides approach.

Early after he started, the organization held an expensive event with comedian Joan Rivers performing. March said it cost Prides entire savings and he had to take on debt. In the end, the event made money for the organization and helped it to gain a larger profile in the public, March said.

The organization also transferred the deed to the Harriet Hancock LGBT Center to the foundation that operates it now, he said.

He also launched events including the Presidents Ball, the June Outfest and the Brave the Rainbow campaign, which put a rainbow sticker in public-facing windows as a mark of support.

March said he worked to broaden the organizations audience, which at times was faced with pushback. March said he wanted the organization to host events that would be accessible to those outside the LGBT+ community, take a tolerant approach toward protesters at events and be welcoming of those on the political right.

In part due to this goal, March moved the annual Pride festival to Main Street from Finlay Park once he took over, in an effort to draw in more attendees. It worked, with the annual event now attracting over 80,000 people, up from 17,000 in 2011.

Its also one of the things that if we can bring some right people to the festival and make them comfortable around us, then the understanding grows and eventually acceptance grows, he said. Thats how my brain has worked this whole 11 years ago, How do I get people to come together?

March said he hopes to see the amount of space given to the annual Pride festival grow to a larger footprint.

Marchs close collaborator and former SC Pride board member Nick Kask said March devoted a large amount of time to the organization, which is run by volunteers, including March's role. While March handled organizational direction, Kask was the main marketer for the groups new direction and was asked to join the organization by March in his first year.

I will say this very explicitly. Jeff has been tireless, theres been no one who has put more into SC pride, in my mind, Kask said.

As a board member until then, March said he will have some say in whoever steps in next. However, he was uncertain who would fill the role.

March said hell be as helpful as is needed to SC Pride  the organization office shares a space with Marchs hair salon  but doesnt plan to be involved heavily any longer.

I suspect things are going to change (with Pride's new leader); theyre probably going to have to change, March said. Im still fighting for equality.
GREENVILLE  A U.S.-based manufacturer of medical personal protective equipment announced June 6 its plans to invest $150 million and create 600 new jobs at a new manufacturing facility to make medical gloves in Greenville County.

Glove One, the name of the newest entity from North Carolina-based Health Supply US, plans to build a 400,000 square-foot facility along Old Grove Road at 1 Quality Way, south of Greenville.

CEO Chris Garcia said the company has a $137 million contract with the Air Force to produce its nitrile gloves domestically. It expects to make 4.3 billion disposable medical gloves in Greenville annually, he said.

Shortages of personal protective equipment, or PPE, during the initial waves of the coronavirus pandemic led the company to seek further U.S.-based manufacturing of its products to avoid an overreliance on other countries and shipping issues, Garcia said.

We made the bold decision during 2020 that perhaps we shouldnt be sourcing all of our supplies overseas, Garcia said. Maybe we should make some things right here in the United States.

The announcement came a month after Greenville County voted to give the company tax incentives in exchange for setting up operations in the area and making at least a $95 million investment in its new plant.

Glove One officially announced its new location during the Greenville Area Development Corporations annual luncheon on June 6.

Gov. Henry McMaster spoke during the event about the area's business climate and leadership that he said has prepared the county for extended growth. In a statement, he said the announcement was proof of the states increased effort to recruit life sciences companies.

Expanding our life sciences industry is critical to safeguarding our supply chain and ensuring life-saving medical supplies are readily available during future emergencies, McMaster said.

In a pre-recorded video message, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said the companys announcement was a result of efforts to on-shore what we have lost to China with manufacturing.

We learned from COVID we dont want to depend on China any more than we have to, Graham said.

Health Supply US was founded in 2020 as a mission-driven business focused on American manufacturing of PPE. It now has nine facilities in five states and operates in the U.S. and Malaysia.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 96F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Whether your high school student is dreaming of being a Gamecock or a Tiger (or attending any of the other fine universities, colleges, or trade schools in South Carolina), as a parent, you are probably wondering, How am I going to pay for this?!?

With June 6 being National Higher Education Day and the deadline for FAFSA filing for the 2022-2023 school year being June 30, 2022, its time to familiarize yourself with the financial aid opportunities available in South Carolina.

The application period through FAFSA runs from October 1st to June 30th each year. Its always best to apply as soon as possible, but its still not too late! Scholarships are available even for students who have completed their high school degrees in other states and just established residency here.

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program is administered by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Palmetto Fellows may receive up to $6,700 their freshman year and up to $7,500 for their sophomore, junior and senior years.

Assuming continued eligibility, Palmetto Fellows may receive Scholarship funding for a maximum of eight full time terms of study toward their first bachelors degree at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina.

As of May 2021, Governor McMaster established a law allowing recipients of this award to choose to begin their education at a two-year college.

For Enhancement eligibility, Palmetto Fellows must declare a major in an approved math or science program. Palmetto Fellows must also successfully complete at least fourteen credit hours of instruction in mathematics or life and physical science or a combination of both by the end of the first academic year. Eligible students may receive up to $10,000 (combined funds from the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and the Scholarship Enhancement) per year beginning with their second/sophomore year of college enrollment. Students may receive Enhancement funding for a maximum of six full-time terms of study toward their first bachelor's degree at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina.

Minimum requirements are an SAT score of 1200 or ACT score of 27, a 3.5 GPA by the end of senior year, and rank in the top six percent of the students class for the final three years of high school, and have their application submitted through a school counselor by June 30th.

Homeschool students are eligible to apply if they are part of a homeschool association that ranks and they association applies on their behalf.

The LIFE Scholarship may be used towards the cost-of-attendance for up to eight terms based on the students initial college enrollment date. Students must be enrolled full-time in their first one-year program, first associates degree, first two-year program leading to a baccalaureate degree, first baccalaureate degree, or first professional degree.

Students will automatically be notified by the in-state institution of higher learning they are enrolled in if they qualify for this scholarship which awards up to $4,700 plus a $300 book allowance for eight terms.

Students who possess a 3.0 GPA, 1100 score on the SAT (or ACT equivalent), and rank in the top 30% of their class qualify. Test score and class ranking requirements waived for students attending a two-year technical school.

If you believe your student is eligible, but you have not received notice, contact the office of financial aid at the institution they will be attending.

Scholarship enhancements are available for students majoring in math/science fields.

The Hope Scholarship is available for first time students at an in-state, private or public institution of higher learning who earned a 3.0 GPA during high school. The scholarship of up to $2,800 (plus $300 book allowance) is awarded for one calendar year only to qualifying students. The school your student has enrolled in should inform you if you are a recipient.

For first time students, each college offers need based assistance of up to $2,500 annually for full-time students and $1,250 for part-time students. Students can apply by completing a FAFSA.

By completing the FAFSA, students attending a two-year college may be eligible for $85 per credit hour toward the cost of tuition if they are enrolled in at least six credit hours. Students who have already earned degrees are also eligible to receive this assistance when seeking an additional degree in a different field. There are no merit based or need based requirements to receive this assistance, however, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA after 24 credit hours to continue receiving assistance.

Students receiving lottery assistance may also qualify for further assistance of up to $65 per credit hour (up to 15 hours per semester) and a $300 book allowance per year if they are pursuing a certificate, diploma, or degree from one of SCs 16 technical colleges. This award is available for students with a high school diploma as well as those completing a dual enrollment course in high school.

In addition to the state sponsored scholarships offered in South Carolina, there are thousands of privately funded scholarships available.

It may not be the most fun way to kick off the summer, but it will pay off in the long run to have your student hunt for and apply for applicable scholarships which often have summer due dates.

Resources like scholarships.com, studentscholarships.org, and opportunity.collegeboard.org (to name just a few) are great places to start to looking for extra funding for college.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. Near record high temperatures. High 92F. NNW winds shifting to E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low around 75F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph.
FLORENCE  "Tiger King" star Bhagavan Doc Antle and one of his employees are accused of laundering more than $500,000 out of Antles Myrtle Beach Safari, federal prosecutors announced.

Antle and Andrew Jon Sawyer appeared June 6 at a preliminary hearing in federal court in Florence, where a judge said they would have a bond hearing June 9. They said nothing during the hearing.

According to an unsealed criminal complaint, Antle, 62, and Sawyer, 52, allegedly laundered $505,000 over four months which authorities contend are proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States.

The duo allegedly concealed the money by providing checks from a business controlled by Antle and a business controlled by Sawyer. Antle and Sawyer claimed the checks were for construction work at the 50-acre wildlife preserve in Socastee outside Myrtle Beach, but federal officials countered the checks were written to make the pair appear to have legitimate income, court documents said.

Antle and Sawyer allegedly received a 15 percent fee of any amount laundered. According to the complaint, Antle allegedly discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at Myrtle Beach Safari and in the past used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals when he could not use checks.

The charges in the complaint carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Both Antle and Sawyer are in custody, authorities said. Antle was arrested June 3 and is being detained in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway.

Antle has been a controversial figure among animal rights advocates who have accused him of mistreating lions and other wildlife, including allowing people to hold the animals at Myrtle Beach Safari.

Antle was featured on the hit Netflix series "Tiger King," about animal handler and zoo operator Joe Exotic, who also was targeted for animal mistreatment and was sent to prison in a plot to kill a rival, Carole Baskin.

Antle is facing other criminal charges.

In Virginia, he faces two felony counts on wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to wildlife traffic charges, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges tied to trafficking lion cubs.

Two of Antles daughters also have been charged in Virginia. Tawny Antle and Tilakum Watterson both face two misdemeanor counts  cruelty to animals and violating the Endangered Species Act.

Antle has a history of recorded violations, stretching as far back as 1989, when he was fined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for abandoning deer and peacocks at his zoo in Virginia. Over the years, he has more than 35 USDA violations for mistreating animals.

Trials for his Virginia charges are scheduled to start next month.
Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has announced that a total of 22 developer/developer consortiums have been prequalified for Riyadh East and Khamis Mushait ISTPs - two independent sewage treatment plants in the kingdom with a total capacity of 150,000 cu m per day.

The list of the bidders (lead and/or technical) for the project include Spanish infrastructure majors Acciona Agua; Cobra; GS Inima Environment and Copasa Group, French groups Saur Sas and Suez International, in addition to Mumbai-based ESG-focused water utility Vishvaraj Environment as well as Chinese groups Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment and Everbright Water Investment.

The regional heavyweights in the fray include Utico and Metito Utilities and Dubai unit of Jinluo Water Company.

SWPC had indicated early this year that a total of 42 companies had expressed their interests in the Riyadh East and Khamis Mushait ISTP projects. Of these, 23 were Saudi companies.
There's one week left before the showdown among a handful of local candidates who are on the ballot for the June 14 primary election.

Two Republicans are competing in the June 14 primary for the state House of Representatives district that lies just a bit east of North Augusta proper, but is still very much in Aiken County: the contest between incumbent state Rep. Bart Blackwell (R, SC-81) and real estate businesswoman Betsy Lamb.

The 81st House district is the only one of the Aiken County legislative delegations seats that is on the primary ballot this year.

The 82nd House District originally had a challenger for current Democratic Rep. Bill Clyburn's seat, but the Democratic party decertified Clyburn's opponent in May. The last-minute decertification means that both Clyburn's and Brian Ryan B. Doyle's names may still appear on the primary ballot, but only Clyburn is eligible to receive any votes.

South Carolinas statewide primary election is Tuesday, June 14. Early voting already opened May 31 and continues through June 10.

Beyond that Bart Blackwell-Betsy Lamb showdown in the 81st House District, the only local-level races that will be on the primary ballot this year are for county council in both Aiken and Edgefield counties. Pay attention, North Augusta voters: the North Augusta district for each of these councils is included in that lot.

The statewide primary winnows the herd of those seeking a particular office by allowing voters to show their preference among a political partys candidates. Winners of the primary then go on to compete in the general election, which this year will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Included on the primary ballot are statewide offices, like the governorship, but since the primary is also at the local level, heres a local-level peek at it.

Aiken County Council

Both Aiken and Edgefield county councils have more than one candidate in the running for a couple of their seats.

For North Augustans in Aiken County, its Aiken County Councils fifth district that matters.

Aiken County Councils District 5 represents both North Augusta and Belvedere and will see incumbent Sandy Haskell vie with Kurt Mueller in the primary.

Haskell has been on the council since winning a special election in 2009. Both Haskell and Mueller are Republicans.

Aiken County Council also has primary contests in its first and second districts this year; these districts lie outside of the North Augusta area.

Edgefield County Council

For North Augustans in Edgefield County, what matters is Edgefield County Councils District 5, which includes North Augusta; and District 2, which covers a good chunk of Edgefield Countys western half and is just outside of District 5.

Scott Cooper, current District 5 and North Augusta representative on Edgefield County Council, did not file for re-election this year. Instead, its Jason Furmage and Jerry Moody who are on the primary ballot. Furmage had made a bid for the office in 2020 but lost to Cooper in that years primary.

In Edgefield's District 2, incumbent Tiffani Ireland is running against Franklin Gabriel. Gabriel had first put his name in as an independent before withdrawing it the same day to run as a Republican, filing records show. Ireland has served one term on the council.

All candidates for Edgefield County Council's District 5 and District 2 are competing as Republicans.

Farther afield of North Augusta, Edgefield County Council had just one candidate file in each of its first, third and fourth districts. Because of this, these districts are not part of this years primary election.

Beyond the primary

Just like those county council districts that had just one candidate file for them, there are some local match-ups in North Augusta that have already been decided for the general election by virtue of these races having a limited candidate pool.

State House District 83 and U.S. Congressional District 2 are races in which the political parties had only one candidate file to run and so will not be part of the June 14 primary.

Republican incumbent Bill Hixon of South Carolinas 83rd House District will go up against Democrat Jerico McCoy in the general election on Nov. 8. The 83rd represents North Augusta, Belvedere and parts of southern Edgefield County at the Columbia statehouse.

On the Congressional level, longtime U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson will compete against Democratic  and political  newcomer Judd Larkins for the second Congressional District, which stretches along I-20 and encompasses all of Aiken County as well as a slice of southern Edgefield County.

Yet other local races are entirely uncontested, and candidates making their bids in these races can expect smooth sailing through the general election.

Democratic state Rep. Bill Clyburn of South Carolinas 82nd House district is now running unopposed after his opponent, Brian "Ryan B" Doyle, was last month determined ineligible to hold the office per the criteria of South Carolinas state constitution, according to filing records. The 82nd represents much of northern Aiken and Edgefield counties as well as a portion of south Saluda County at the Columbia statehouse.

And neither state Rep. Melissa Oremus (R, SC-84) nor state Rep. Bill Taylor (R, SC-86) had anyone file to run against them for their seats in the state House of Representatives.

Oremus House District 84 covers the area between North Augusta and Aiken, while Taylors District 86 includes both a portion of northern Aiken County and a portion of southwest Lexington County. The two Republicans can be well-assured their seats are safe this election cycle.

Not taking place at all this year are the hyper-local elections for city government: the electorate made its decision on North Augusta council members and mayor just last spring.

How to vote

Registration to vote in this years primary has already come and gone, but people can still register through Oct. 7 to vote in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

New legislation that took effect this year now allows excuse-free, early in-person voting. The early voting period for the primary began May 31 and continues through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 10.

In-person early primary voting for Aiken County residents is Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ronnie Young Aiken County Government Center, 1930 University Parkway, Aiken.

In-person early primary voting for Edgefield County residents is Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 210 Penn Street Suite 1, Edgefield.
COLUMBIA  President Joe Biden has tapped Adair Ford Boroughs as South Carolinas next U.S. attorney, picking the former Department of Justice tax attorney and one-time congressional candidate to oversee federal prosecutors in the Palmetto State.

Boroughs would join the U.S. Attorneys Office for South Carolina as it wraps up a yearslong investigation into the failure of the states $9 billion nuclear power project and continues a secretive probe into the alleged financial crimes of disgraced Hampton County attorney Alex Murdaugh.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Williston native and Stanford Law School graduate would aim to add stability to an office that has cycled through six leaders in just three years.

Boroughs would replace Corey Ellis, the former chief of staff to FBI Director Christopher Wray. Ellis has been on the job since late December, when then-Acting U.S. Attorney Rhett DeHart resigned to go into private practice.

Boroughs, a Columbia Democrat, said June 6 she is "honored and humbled" by Biden's nomination.

"Should I be confirmed, it will be a professional homecoming that I hold dear," she wrote in a statement. "The Department of Justice is where I started my legal career and the organization with which I have worked the longest. To be able to further the Department's work in my home state of South Carolina and to work with the incredible people at the U.S. Attorneys Office would be a privilege and an honor."

Boroughs is best known for her unsuccessful run for Congress last year, in which she touted her rural upbringing, educational achievements and work founding a nonprofit that seeks to expand legal access to working class South Carolinians.

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She won the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson for the deeply red district but lost to the Springdale Republican by 13 percentage points in November.

Boroughs currently works for the Boroughs Bryant law firm in Columbia. She has prior experience in federal government, having worked as a civil attorney in the DOJ's tax division in Washington, D.C. Boroughs moved back to South Carolina in 2013 to clerk for U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel, including as he handled the trial of Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof.

As presidents pick U.S. attorneys, they typically rely on recommendations from each states ranking members of Congress, favoring the support of the states senators  in South Carolinas case, Republican U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham of Seneca and Tim Scott of North Charleston.

Boroughs was long understood to be the White Houses pick, even as Biden's administration took more than a year to announce her nomination.

Among the other names mentioned as contenders for the job:
COLUMBIA  State Education Superintendent Molly Spearman is endorsing longtime teachers' advocate Kathy Maness in the race to be the next chief of South Carolina's K-12 public school system.

Spearman, who is not seeking a third term, traveled the state June 6 with Maness to announce her decision in next week's GOP primary.

Maness is among six Republicans vying for the chance to replace Spearman. Other front-runners include top fundraiser Ellen Weaver, who as director of a conservative think tank founded by former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint is the apparent choice of the GOP establishment, and Lowcountry businessman Travis Bedson, a political novice who is largely self-financing his campaign.

While neither of the better-financed candidates has a master's degree, a requirement for the job since 2018, both maintain they're on track to have one before voters go to the polls in November. Bedson called it a nonissue.

People who think a master's is unachievable within six months are "uninformed," he told The Post and Courier. "It's not a difficult task, but those without finances are throwing the political daggers they have. Are we really going to have a debate on whose master's degree is better than another?"

Beyond the degree debate, Spearman said Maness has her vote because of her experience in the classroom, her knowledge of the state's disparities and her understanding of the political process that sets education policy.

Maness, executive director of the Palmetto State Teachers Association, has been advocating for teachers at the Statehouse since 1993. Having a relationship with legislators is important in a role that involves managing half of the state budget, said Spearman, who donated $1,040 to Maness' campaign two weeks ago.

"She is definitely the most experienced and is fully qualified, no question," Spearman told The Post and Courier ahead of the formal statewide announcement. "The things that are important to me: She's a teacher. She knows the legislative process. She's been probably in more schools than I've been in.

"The part I think is really, really important is that overall knowledge of South Carolina and an appreciation of the rural versus urban, the world-class versus struggling," Spearman continued.

She noted Maness, who taught in her hometown of Lancaster before joining the nonprofit group, is already legally qualified. Maness holds a master's degree in early childhood education from the University of South Carolina, as well as a master's-plus-30 certification in education administration from Winthrop University.

Bedson, who says the job needs financial management rather than education experience, called Spearman's endorsement an "unsurprising continuation of the status quo."

Weaver's campaign responded by calling Maness a liberal, noting she has opposed private school voucher legislation Weaver has lobbied legislators to support, and, as president of the National League of Cities, that Maness supported a federal infrastructure bill and traveled to Washington in November 2021 when President Joe Biden signed it. Maness was first elected to Lexington Town Council in 2004.

Legal requirements

This is the first wide-open election for state superintendent since a 2018 change in state law required officeholders to have at least a master's degree in something, along with "broad-based experience" in either public education or financial management. Spearman, who ran unopposed on 2018 ballots, also holds a master's-plus-30 advanced degree, meaning at least an additional 30 credit hours.

Both Weaver, president of the Palmetto Promise Institute, and Bedson, CEO of construction company CNT Foundations, said in April  after filing to run for the job  that they had recently enrolled in online master's degree programs.

At the time, Bedson told The Post and Courier he was pursuing a master's in industrial organizational psychology from Minnesota-based Capella University, while Weaver had enrolled in a leadership program through Utah-based Western Governors University.

Both have since switched.

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Bedson is now pursuing the leadership degree through Western Governors, while Weaver is seeking a master's in educational leadership from her alma mater, Bob Jones University in Greenville.

Bedson said he changed course after looking up the program Weaver said she enrolled in and realizing he liked it better.

Weaver decided to "jump in with a university well-known, established and accredited here in South Carolina," said her campaign manager Ryan Gillespie.

She has completed two of the degree's required 11 courses and will soon finish a third, he said.

According to Bob Jones University's website, her master's program takes one to 1 years to complete. The 33-credit program is specifically designed for leadership in private Christian schools. It is a non-certification program, meaning the degree does not make graduates eligible to be a principal or other administrator in a public school.

According to Western Governors' website, most students complete the degree Bedson is seeking within 20 months.

But both Bedson and Weaver say they expect to complete their self-paced programs in October.

Weaver is not getting any special privileges from her alma mater, said Bob Jones Chief of Staff Randy Page.

"Any student can take this as accelerated or as slowly as they'd like," he told The Post and Courier.

Republicans trailing in the money race are pastor Bryan Chapman, a Florence One school board member; former teacher Lynda Leventis-Wells, a Greenville County school board member; and Lexington elementary school teacher Kizzi Gibson. All three already have at least one advanced degree.

If no candidate crosses the 50 percent threshold in the June 14 primary, a runoff between the top two vote-getters will be June 28.

Three Democrats  all with advanced degrees  are also seeking the seat. The winners of this month's primary contests will face off in November. Voters have not elected a Democrat to the office since Jim Rex won in 2006 with less than 500 votes, one of the closest margins ever for a statewide contest in South Carolina.

'A hypothetical'

It is unclear what will happen if the Republican nominee does not get the necessary master's degree by the general election.

The state Election Commission will seek a legal opinion on what to do if that becomes an issue, said agency spokesman Chris Whitmire.

"While we recognize that's a potential controversy," he said, "that is a hypothetical."

Some critics of the GOP candidates who currently lack a master's degree point to the 2018 superintendent's race to offer a comparison, when the Democratic nominee withdrew following reports that he was ineligible. He had been convicted a decade earlier for unauthorized practice of law, and the state constitution bars people from holding office within 15 years of a felony conviction. But Israel Romero was never actually disqualified. Instead, he withdrew from the race three weeks ahead of the general election, citing an illness, and did not appear on the ballot.
SPARTANBURG  Gov. Henry McMaster supported protecting religious groups from government restrictions during a ceremonial signing held at First Baptist North Spartanburg on June 6.

The South Carolina Religious Freedom Act was passed by the state General Assembly on April 20 and signed into law by McMaster on April 22. The law provides protection "of the exercise of religion during a state of emergency" and defines religious services as an "essential service during a state of emergency that must be allowed to continue operating."

During the pandemic, some states required churches to close or limit occupancy to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Members of the state legislature introduced H. 3105 in January 2021 to protect the exercise of religion during a state of emergency. McMaster was joined by religious leaders and state lawmakers during the ceremonial signing.

"It is important we take a stand when necessary," McMaster said. "This law makes it clear where we stand in South Carolina."

McMaster criticized other states that pressured churches to close during the pandemic.

Mike Hamlet, First Baptist North Spartanburg senior pastor, accepted the ceremonial bill after it was signed by McMaster. Hamlet said he was grateful the governor did not close churches during the pandemic and supported legislators' efforts to protect religious services from government intrusion.

"My prayer is that we as pastors and we as churches will take that (Religious Freedom Act) responsibility, because religious liberty is so important and is ingrained deeply in South Carolina," Hamlet said. "I am so grateful that this bill is going to do to ensure that."

State Rep. John McCravy, of Greenwood, was among those who attended the ceremony.

"Religious liberty is one of the founding principles of our state and our nation," McCravy said. "This bill recognizes that important principle by ensuring that our churches can stay open during the most difficult times when we need church the most."

State representatives Josiah Magnuson and Roger Nutt, both of Spartanburg County, were among 44 sponsors of the bill in the House. They said the law was necessary.

"I think the governor hit on the most important point and that is the Constitution exists to limit the power of government expression in regards to religious matters," Magnuson said. "It was vital we codified this into law."

Nutt said some questioned the bill's sponsors why they introduced the bill in early 2021, believing it was a waste of time.

"We saw several states restrict religious freedoms," Nutt said. "This is a preventive measure to prevent any future governor that gets elected from shutting down churches, keeping people from worshipping. Religion is an important part of our lives in Spartanburg and South Carolina."
COLUMBIA  Vice President Kamala Harris will headline the South Carolina Democratic Party's 2022 Blue Palmetto Dinner on June 10, appearing ahead of the Democrats' regular state convention scheduled for this weekend.

The June 6 announcement from the state party confirmed the vice president will be joined by her husband, Doug Emhoff, at the event.

The visit was not previously disclosed.

South Carolina Democrats cant wait to welcome Vice President Harris and Mr. Emhoff back to South Carolina," state party Chair Trav Robertson said in a media release.

"We are excited that we can thank Vice President Harris for her hard work on behalf of the people of South Carolina, he added, and that the vice president had agreed to an invitation "to be with South Carolina Democrats.

The dinner will also honor former S.C. governor and past federal secretary of education Dick Riley.

The vice president's last visit to the state was a year ago, in June 2021, when she was in Greenville to promote the federal governments vaccination campaign in the Upstate.

The visit was part of a nationwide push toward Bidens goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the U.S. population by July 4. The national rate of vaccination was 63 percent at the time.

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South Carolina was at the bottom of vaccination rates among states at the time as well, with less than half of residents having received at least a first dose. The state now has 57 percent of its residents fully vaccinated, or 10 percentage points below the national average, according to the latest data tracked by the New York Times. That ranks in the bottom 12 of all states.

Harris, a former senator from California, had been a popular figure in South Carolina during her 2020 run for president but dropped out weeks before the February primary, ending a bid that had focused heavily on the Palmetto State but became plagued by a lack of financial resources.

She had centered her campaign strategy almost entirely on delivering strong performances in Iowa and South Carolina, the first early-election state with a large bloc of Black voters.

This year's Blue Palmetto Dinner will be held in person for the first time since 2019. It's part of multiple organizational events that will draw Democrats to Columbia ahead of the party primary June 14.

The dinner will run from 7-9 p.m. June 10 at the Columbia Convention Center. The main gathering of party business will be June 11.
On June 3, marking the midway point of the 46th Annual Spoleto Festivals Wells Fargo Jazz Series, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane was at the helm.

Amidst colossal clouds and imminent threat of rain, a distinctly erudite Cistern Yard of concertgoers was gifted rarefied alchemy by jazz royalty, the second son of musicians Alice and John Coltrane.

Coltrane paid homage to the familys matriarch, pianist, harpist and composer, Alice Coltrane, with a program harkening to her eponymous album Universal Consciousness, released in 1971 on Impulse! Records. An inimitable quintet coalesced to make manifest this truth, resulting in a stellar performance and transcendental journey.

Born in Detroit in 1937, Alice Coltrane was raised between gospel and Motown. She went on to study classical music and honed her jazz chops, studying with Bud Powell while in Paris. She was finding her voice, both on and off the bandstand.

It would be on the bandstand, at Birdland no less, where Ravis parents met and fell in love in the summer of 1963. Vibraphonist Terry Gibbs was the opening act for John Coltranes extended run at the famed New York City jazz club, one of the few still in existence.

Gibbs hired Alice as his pianist and she struck a chord with John well beyond the sphere of music. She and John shared more than their artistry, they shared a spiritual connection to the East, one that would inform both their lives and their creation. In 1966, when pianist McCoy Tyner left Johns quintet, Alice was invited to fill the position.

The two were married in Mexico in 1965 and for just a few short years, John and Alice lived an entire lifetime. Johns untimely death to liver cancer in 1967 left Alice with a husband to grieve, four children to raise, an estate to manage and her own career to tend to.

Alice remained devoted to propelling the movement forward. She would go on to release 13 albums in a span of 11 years. Her music shifted from a standard jazz approach to increasingly experimental, infusing traditional eastern instruments, electronic keyboards and synthesizers and, above all, her faith, into her sound.

She would then turn inward, leaving a public life for a private sabbatical that would last the better part of 25 years. It was only at the behest of her sons, Ravi and Oran, that she would return to the limelight, releasing her final album, "Translinear Light," in 2004.

It was a personal dream for Ravi Coltrane to collaborate with Alice in the creation of this album, securing his mothers legacy, rightfully so, alongside his fathers.

After his mother's death in 2007, at the age of 69, a memorial service was planned in New York City. It was then that Ravi discovered Brandee Younger, strikingly born for this moment.

You wont hear anyone play the harp like this young lady here, Coltrane shared, as he introduced Younger on stage. Alices protege was the guiding light of the performance. Dressed in gilded sequins to match her golden touch, she emanated the divine essence of Turiyasangitananda (Alice Coltranes adopted Sanskrit name), embracing her full-sized harp in all its glory.

Whether rhythmic and comping or lyrically soloing, she sweetened the music and entranced a willing audience with her heavenly strokes of genius and celestial cascades. She brilliantly intertwined her own feminine spirit with that of her sage. Younger is an artist made for this music and proves that Alice was at the vanguard of something timeless and eternal.

David Virreyes masterfully covered all of the keys  from the Steinway grands traditional eighty-eight to the electronic keyboards, a Fender Rhodes and Moog synthesizer to either side of him. A returnee to the festival, his monstrous solos masterfully demonstrated his wide-ranging technique and the dynamic breadth of each instrument under his command. His talent is otherworldly.

Rashaan Carter, the youngest of the band, held his own on bass, leaning into every note and particularly adept at synchronizing with Younger on harp. Raising the state of consciousness to an entirely new level was the venerated Jeff Tain Watts on drums.

The program was one primarily dedicated to Alices compositions, starting the set with Blue Nile and a slew of other favorites spanning her career. Ravi, alternating between tenor and soprano saxophones, snuck a little John in there, making reference to his father, with refreshing takes on Equinox and Alabama, a welcome reminder that live performance is where jazz lives.

With one eye on the time and the other on lightning looming in the distance, the band closed with the Latin-tinged "Los Caballos," infamously featuring a then-uncredited friend on timbales on the original recording: Carlos Santana. The band ended on Alices farewell composition and a respectable standing ovation to a crowd clearly satiated. The effect was grounding and effervescent, leaving a feeling of revived romanticism.

Ravi Coltranes devotion to his familys legacy makes the future safe for jazz and his parents immortal.
We just needed five more minutes of their greatness.

And, yes, the pun is intended. "Five More Minutes" is among the hallmark songs of The War and Treaty, who performed June 2 as part of Spoleto Festival USA's First Citizens Bank Front Row series.

I had never seen them live but had heard a few of their songs. My first introduction to the husband-and-wife duo of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount Trotter was indirect. It came through the Instagram account of Ranky Tanky vocalist Quiana Parler, who is friends with Blount Trotter.

One thing that resonated with me from then to now was that this was the same woman who sang the bottom note in His Eye Is On The Sparrow, the memorable duet with Lauryn Hill from the 1993 "Sister Act 2" starring Whoopi Goldberg. She also released a few songs as an artist in the 1990s. The woman has effortless vocal power, range and a great tone.

My first thought while first listening to their music was that they definitely have their own sound. Their music contains elements of rock, gospel, blues, soul, country and folk all wrapped into one.

The live show, which included Down to the River from the band's debut album, reflected the tone of a church revival. With the duo's influences from icons like Aretha Franklin and Al Green, you could feel the soul in every note and harmony throughout the night.

At Cistern Yard, Michael Trotter was on keys, joined by music director and guitarist Max Brown, along with a backing band of organ, bass and drums. They all shined in their own right making the night memorable for a number of reasons.

Let's talk for a moment about wardrobe. As a performer, I could truly appreciate the way the duo was dressed because they looked cool and comfortable. I love that Blount Trotter takes a vintage approach with styles from the 1950s, so classy and simple.

She wore a golden colored head scarf, leaving her hair out of her face and back, and a black A-line dress to complement her husbands loose-fitting, black dashiki-styled top. It was a warm night in Charleston and they were able to effortlessly glide across the stage without worrying about the aspect of sweaty clothes distracting the audience from the beauty of their vocals.

The duo is extremely humble and down to earth, evident from the natural emotions displayed while singing a song they wrote called Little New Bern, about the riverfront city of New Bern, N.C., Blount Trotter grew up on a street called Blount Lane, named after her family.

The words of the song painted a vivid picture of life growing up with her grandparents with a hog pen and 27 to 30 cousins who always came around. Blount Trotter shared this while prefacing the tune.

The couple took their mics off the stands and turned to face one another to sing the last few notes as tears began to flow down Blount Trotter's face. Her husband embraced her with a gentle strength as if to say, I know you miss the good ole days but I got you and I love you.

In order for us to fully understand their love for one another, the couple candidly shared their history as an important aspect of their transparency as artists. In one story, Michael mentioned how he was a war veteran and how he suffered from PTSD after his commander was killed.

Blount Trotter came into the picture and saved his life, he said, literally. He was on the verge of taking his life and she pleaded with him to give her five more minutes to love him. Thus began his journey to healing. That true love was displayed in songs like Hearts, a country ballad with an ending that captivated the audience for its slow, note by note anticipation, as well as Five More Minutes.

Whether it was an endearing kiss or an intense gaze, the couple shared many cherished moments on stage. The music and stories reflected such concepts. In "It's Not Over Yet," the duo explored happiness being freedom without cost and the continued fight for unity. The importance of having someone you love who loves you by your side to take the journey through life with was seen in many songs, including Hearts, Jubilee, Love Like Theres No Tomorrow" and Are You Ready to Love Me?"

They band also recognized current events, making a plea that we as Americans need to kill racism on the spot.

The energy from the show sent a wave of love and positive vibes throughout the audience leaving them on their feet and at the front of the stage at the end of the show. I look forward to seeing them again when they return to Charleston in October for the Riverfront Revival festival.
It's not easy to revisit the events of the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo.

And you might think it would make for a challenging Friday evening as Spoleto Festival USA continues to mount new works.

But in the hands of Dael Orlandersmith there is an alchemy at work that moves you from the tragic to the transcendent.

The playwright and performer's transfixing one-woman show, which is directed by Neel Keller, brings together eight Ferguson residents who attempt to process that evening when the unarmed 18-year-old Brown was shot by Wilson multiple times.

Any student of the human psyche, with all its nature and nurture, will likely be hooked by Orlandersmith, a magnetic, layered artist who fully captures with words and then inhabits each of the characters who share their responses and backstories on the Festival Hall stage.

For "Until the Flood," she created composite characters drawn from Ferguson community members spanning backgrounds and ages. She then crafted monologues that are intricately drawn, deeply layered and utterly authentic.

The action takes place on a stage with a few areas earmarked for segments, such as an armchair, which was designed by Takeshi Kata. It is laden with the flowers and candles that you would see at the site of a tragedy. A street lamp looms ominously in the corner. A rippled backdrop hangs upstage, on which is projected stylized images that telegraph each character  a barber shop, a manicured suburban neighborhood.

If you do the math, the hourlong work metes out these eight characters in an economic average of seven or eight minutes a human being. So it's astoundingly deep and layered for getting at the nub of contemporary American city addled by a long history of troubled power dynamics.

Take, for starters, Louisa Hemphill, a retired teacher who shaped her worldview in the heyday of the Civil Rights movement. She weighs in event through the prism of her own childhood in Ferguson, explaining the entrenched racism endured by her own parents.

There is Rusty Harden, retired White police officer with a steadfast faith in the service of honorable police officers, and no concern if the force is predominantly White.

Hassan, a 17-year-old who is all about being "fluid," toggles between sharing his verbally adept rap lyrics and erupting in flashes of anger. He knows well his precarious circumstances as a young Black man. He knows well how Brown winded up shot down in the street.

And Dougray, a white racist as a child got his love of Hemingway and Fitzgerald all but beat out of him by and alcoholic father.

From one person to the next we see Ferguson's soul-searching following the shooting of Brown  the pain, the anger, the defiance, and also the wistfulness, reflection and heartbreak.

And as Orlandersmith achieves this, she demonstrates the agency of theater to keep igniting a crucial conversation in this country. By stepping into the skin of so many divergent individuals, she exposes America's deepest fissures, ones that continue to erode, not because of monsters but because of damaged people.

Together they demonstrate that, whatever the perspective and ultimate pronouncement about the death of Michael Brown, no one in Ferguson is at peace with whatever happened between teenager and officer. Everyone was affected.

And if anyone could reveal them for their humanity, however compromised it might be, it is Orlandersmith. She has clearly embraced them all, channeling her palpable warmth and grandness to grant providence to each fractured soul.

And they move together in what the artist calls "flow," a term that punctuates the monologues and speaks to a greater collective force in the troubled town of Ferguson.

About that flow. After seeing the play, that night I had a vivid dream. I was floating in the warm, salty surf at what seemed to be Sullivan's Island, rolling in and out with the waves, which enveloped me.

In the dream I somehow knew this represented my experience at "Until the Flood," a visceral, profound immersion that was meant to heal.

If Orlandersmith can prompt me to dream in such a fashion, perhaps her brave, excellent work can advance what could be, should be, America's collective dream, to come together, and finally move beyond the persistent, senseless events that tear it apart.
A POST-NATIVE PERSPECTIVE

This past week I received my Evoshield shots. If you dont know what these are, they are the next level of COVID-19 protection, beyond the t Read more
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has announced that 97% of the work has been completed on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant being developed in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi in co-ordination with Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), the JV partner and prime contractor of the plant.

While the first two units are commercially operational and producing electricity 24/7, the third unit is in operational readiness phase pending receipt of the operating licence from the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), said the statement from Enec.

Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Managing Director and CEO of Enec, met Seung-il Cheong, President and CEO of Kepco, at a special ceremony in the Korean capital Seoul where they discussed the progress of the Barakah plant. The Kepco CEO reaffirmed his teams commitment to completing the remaining units at Barakah in an efficient and high-quality manner to realise the full value of the plant in terms of electricity generated and the significant carbon emissions the plant saves. The Barakah Plant is accelerating the decarbonisation of the power sector in the UAE and the Arab World, significantly contributing to achieving Net Zero by 2050. The meeting, which was attended by senior officials of Kepco, also discussed the Enec's future cooperation in nuclear sector, said the statement.

Al Hammadi's visit to South Korea comes within the framework of the joint venture agreement between Enec and Kepco and in line with the special strategic partnership between the UAE and Korea.
My college classmate John Floberg recently retired after a distinguished career in neurology. We took Professor Peter Biens freshman seminar on Politics and the Novel together during our first term. John is originally from Chicago but we reconnected in the Twin Cities through Power Line 40 years after our studies with Professor Bien.

Following in a family tradition, John served as a commissioned Navy officer after our graduation. In 2016 John sent me this Daily Journal article about his fathers service on D-Day and his sister Anne Wilsons then upcoming visit to the Normandy beaches where John and Annes father fought. Please check out Corey Elliots excellent story on Frederic Floberg, the executive officer on PC-565.

The story concludes: Anne Wilson has a copy of the D-Day orders passed onto her fathers ship in May of 1944. Here is the briefing all members of the United States Navy received just two weeks before D-Day, June 6, 1944. I thought readers might enjoy a look at the call to duty:

27 May, 1944. Secret From: Naval Commander, Western Task Force To: ALL HANDS 1. We of the Western Naval Task Force are going to land the American Army in France. 2. From battleships to landing craft ours is, in the main, an American Force. Beside us will be a mainly British force, landing the British and Canadian troops. Overhead will fly the Allied Expeditionary Air Force. We all have the same mission  to smash our way onto the beaches, and through the coastal defenses, into the heart of the enemys fortress. 3. In two ways the coming battle differs from any that we have undertaken before: it demands more seamanship, and more fighting. We must operate in the waters of the English Channel and the French coast, in strong currents and twenty-foot tide. We must destroy an enemy defensive system which has been four years in the making, and our mission is one against which the enemy will throw his whole remaining strength. These are not beaches held by apathetic Italians or defended by hasty fortifications. These are prepare[d] positions, held by Germans who have learned from their past failures. They have coastal batteries and mine fields; they have [illegible] and E-boats and submarines. They will try to use them all. We are getting into a fight. 4. But it is not we who have to fear the outcome. As the German has learned from failure, we have learned from success. To this battle we bring our tested methods, with new weapons, and overwhelming strength. Tides and currents present a challenge which, forewarned, we know how to meet. And it will take more than the last convulsive effort of the beaten master race to match the fighting spirit of the American Navy. It is the enemy who is afraid. 5. In this force there are battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. There are hundreds of landing ships and craft, scores of patrol and escort vessels, dozens of specials assault craft. Every man in every ship has his job. And these tens of thousands of men and jobs add up to one task only  to land and support and supply and reinforce the finest army ever sent to battle by the United States. In that task we shall not fail. I await with confidence the further proof, in this the greatest battle of them all, that American sailors are seamen and fighting men second to none. 6. Captains will please publish this letter at quarters on the day that the ships are sealed; then post on bulletin boards; and remove and burn prior to sailing. A.G. Kirk (Commander, U.S. Navy)

John noted that you can find part of the rest of the story on page 369 of Stephen Ambroses D-Day, June 6, 1944, where Ambrose quotes ships cook Exum Pike. Pikes quote concludes: I have often told my two sons that I have no fear of hell because I have already been there.
 You know whats really going to hold up Russias war against Ukraine? Climate change. Because of course it is. The latest extreme unction from the climatistas is a primal scream in the New York Review of Books about how climate change is going to ruin Russia, and why its fossil-fuel dependent economy may have helped cause this war in the first place. Thats the great thing about climate change nowadaysit can explain everything, and getting rid of fossil fuels will solve everything.

Russias days of hydrocarbon-funded might are numbered. Unfortunately, the end of this era will not come soon enough for Ukrainians, or for the planet. . . in the redistribution of wealth and power that will result from climate change, Russia is doomed.

This part is especially fun:

About two thirds of Russia is covered in permafrost, a mixture of sand and ice that, until recently, remained frozen year-round. As permafrost melts, walls built on it fracture, buildings sink, railways warp, roads buckle, and pipelines break. Anthrax from long-frozen reindeer corpses has thawed and infected modern herds.

Anthrax! That ought to make everyone change their mind.

 So Im now thinking Homer Simpson may be the healthiest person on the planet?

Decades of Scientific Theory Disproven: Beneficial Health Effects Found From High Background Radiation Exposure Surprisingly, exposure to a high background radiation might actually lead to clear beneficial health effects in humans, according to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Nuclear Research Center Negev (NRCN) scientists. This is the first large-scale study which examines the two major sources of background radiation (terrestrial radiation and cosmic radiation), covering the entire U.S. population. The studys findings were recently published in Biogerontology. Background radiation is an ionizing radiation that exists in the environment because of natural sources. In their study, BGU researchers show that life expectancy is approximately 2.5 years longer among people living in areas with a relatively high vs. low background radiation. Background radiation includes radiation emanating from space, and radiation from terrestrial sources. Since the 1960s, there has been a linear no-threshold hypothesis guiding policy that any radiation level carries some risk. Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent around the world to reduce radiation levels as much as possible.

 Another day, another leftist liberal revealing the hypocrisy behind white privilege:

Canadas fake Indigenous professor resigns A Canadian professor whose claims of Indigenous ancestry were found baseless has resigned from employment at the University of Saskatchewan, according to a June 1 news release from Preston Smith, dean of the College of Medicine. Carrie Bourassa taught in the department of community health and epidemiology and ran an Indigenous community health research lab at the university, the CBC reported. Bourassa had claimed to belong to three Canadian Indigenous peoples, according to the Star Phoenix, the daily newspaper of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. However, an October 2021 CBC investigation into Bourassas genealogy found no evidence of Indigenous ancestry and traced her lineage back to Europe and the United States.

Funny how this keeps happening. Its almost as though leftists think that people of color enjoy some kind of favoritism at universities, even though we all know higher education is a nest of neoliberal oppression and white supremacy. Elizabeth Warren should hold hearings.
Proponents of instructing small children in perverse sexual practices get offended when people point out that the children are being groomed. But what else can you call it? The invaluable Libs of TikTok has documented not just one or two, but numerous elementary school teachers who proudly boast of what can only be termed grooming of their pre-teen students.

Then we have the Drag the Kids to Pride event that was held yesterday in a Texas gay bar:

A Texas gay bar hosted a Drag the Kids to Pride event where drag queen dancers provocatively gyrated in front of children as young as toddlers.  The Mr. Misster gay bar in downtown Dallas hosted the drag queen event aimed at children.

***

Our under 21 guests can enjoy a special Mr. Misster Mocktails while the moms and dads can sip on one of our classic Mr. Misster Mimosa Towers, the poster reads. Do you want to hit the stage with the queens? We have FIVE limited spots for young performers to take the stage solo, or with a queen of their choosing! Come hangout with the Queens and enjoy this unique pride experience, fit for guests of all ages!

At the link, you can see a number of appalling videos. Here are two of them. These kids are obviously being groomed into a gay lifestyle. Note the neon sign: Its not gonna lick itself. Another sign in the bar said, I licked it so its mine.

Parents are having children hand drag queens money pic.twitter.com/0Y43VMy9vF  Tayler Hansen  (@TaylerUSA) June 4, 2022

The crowd cheered as children walked with the drag performers There were toddlers in the audience as well pic.twitter.com/WzVC4Vza1P  Aldo  (@AldoButtazzoni) June 4, 2022



One cannot imagine how parents can expose their young children to such insanity. In general, children should be pulled out of the inept and failing public schools, which have now added perverse indoctrination to their other sins. But when parents go out of their way to inflict perversity on their kids, one can only despair.
After a messy custody battle that began after they split in 2020, ex-beauty queen Precious Chikwendu and a former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, have finally resolved their differences.

Ms Chikwendu, who petitioned the United Nations (UN), Amnesty International, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), seeking justice and custody of her children, finally gained access to them on Sunday.

The mother-of-four appreciated her estranged partner for allowing her to reunite with her children after a lengthy custody battle.

She also said Mr Fani-kayode now has a change of mind and is working out a process for peaceful co-parenting as wars always have a long-lasting effect on both parties regardless.

She also shared photos of fun moments with her children.

That is all that it is currently, but I believe their Father has a change of mind and is working out a process for peaceful co-parenting as wars always have a long-lasting effect on both parties regardless. Please be patient with me as I am basking in this little joy and win for a little longer and soaking it all in as I figure a way to put all issues to rest without drama.

Thank you all so very much for the messages and well wishes. Thanks to my concerned elders. Their Father (through his aides) and some good people around him are in talks to see that my children grow up having balanced love and affection from both sides. I hope this leads to an end in media wars and a peaceful co-parenting as we move on to achieve our various destinies apart, her post read.

Mr Fani-Kayode equally shared a video to show they may have settled their differences regarding co-parenting.

My sons spent the day with their mother yesterday! What a beautiful sight it was! Love, peace, and joy all around! Thanks be to God. @snowhiteey, Thanks Mama Aragorn, he wrote.

History

A Customary Court at Kubwa in Abuja had, on December 8, ordered Mr Fani-Kayode to allow Ms Chikwendu access to their four sons at a neutral ground during the Christmas and New Year periods.

Ms Chikwendu accused Fani-Kayode of defying a court order granting her access to their four sons.

She said he failed to produce their children at the agreed venue as earlier ordered by a court.

Ms Chikwendu chose Central Park, Abuja, as the venue for the visitations because of the alleged traumatic experiences at Fani-Kayodes residence, where the four children currently reside.

However, counsel to the former minister, Ayodeji Ibikunle, also debunked her claims and absolved his client of any wrongdoing.

Ms Chikwendu told a Customary Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, that FFK never consummated his six-year relationship with her because he allegedly had erectile dysfunction.

The mother-of-four said her relationship with Mr Fani-Kayode, her former estranged cohabiter, was full of woes, lies, deceits, quarrels, assaults, battery, and domestic violence.

The 32-year-old model also said that since August 2020, when she walked out of the co-habitation with Fani-Kayode, she had been continuously denied access to her children and has constantly been deprived of parental motherly care and protection.
President Muhammadu Buhari has appraised the series of consultations held so far towards getting a widely acceptable presidential standard bearer for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)

Femi Adesina, the presidents special adviser on media and publicity, in a statement, said Mr Buhari stated this at a meeting held on Sunday at State House, Abuja, with members of the National Advisory Council of the APC.

The president said: We are on the way towards winning our third straight victory since 2015.

He said the meeting was convened to provide leadership and direction during the transition period, adding that the motive was to strengthen our unity and to focus on building upon our electoral fortunes.

I am optimistic that the outcome of this consultation with the National Advisory Council will in addition to sharpening our focus, help to fortify the positive democratic principles, practices and culture that already exists within the party system.

In the course of these consultative processes, I have already met separately with the Progressive Governors and with all our eminent members who are aspiring to become the Presidential flag bearer for our party during the 2023 elections.

I am pleased to inform you that those meetings have been fruitful and indicative of a party that is prepared and marching towards a third straight victory since 2015, at the presidential polls, he said.

Mr Buhari recalled that at the meeting with the governors and the aspirants, I underscored the important roles consensus building and consultation have played in the survival of successful political parties around the world, our party should not be an exception.

Recognizing the foregoing, therefore, I also emphasized the need to strengthen our unity, stabilize our internal cohesion and system as well as present a formidable presidential candidate who has the ability to build a unified nation and the capacity to deal with our challenges.

The party machinery has also screened all our aspirants to the office of the president and found that they consist of eminent personalities, rich in experience, capacity, commitment to service and accomplishment in life.

This gives us a lot of confidence but it also comes with its challenges.

He said that in the circumstances, in order to prevent any post-convention acrimonies and also reduce noticeable anxiety among members on the possible outcome of the process, the party leadership has recommended the intensification of consultation and consensus building.

The president said this would reduce the number of aspirants as it approaches the convention, which commences on Monday.

He said in order to further support the efforts of the party, he had admonished the aspirants to consult among themselves and with the party, so that the objective of the recommendation by the leadership would be actualized.

The president said, as members of the National Advisory Council of the APC, he recognised the fact that they all had diverse interests, spheres of influence and expectations.

You similarly possess the collective ability to ensure our victory at the 2023 polls by strengthening the stability and unity of the party.

My charge and appeal to all of you, therefore, is to reach out to your various spheres of influence to actively promote the spirit of consultation and consensus building so that a formidable candidate for the 2023 presidential elections would emerge from the convention.

Our citizens do not expect less from us, he said.

Mr Buhari gave the assurance that in the interest of the nation and the party, he would lead the transition processes and on-going consultations, till we successfully choose our candidate for the 2023 presidential elections and record our third straight victory, thereafter, by Gods grace.

Responding on behalf of the National Advisory Council (hitherto known as Board of Trustees) members, former Internal Affairs Minister and Senator, Mohammed Magoro, former Osun State Governor and first Interim National Chairman of the party, Bisi Akande, and former Senate President Ken Nnamani thanked the president for the consultative meetings.

They commended him for the great service he had rendered to the country, particularly in the areas of agriculture and infrastructure.

They were unanimous that with hard work and a united front, the APC would win the presidential election billed for February 2023, as well National Assembly, governorship, and State Assembly polls. (NAN)
The residents of Jenew (Genuine) Estate in Gwarinpa have denied reports that some residents were abducted in the community in the early hours of Monday.

The assailants were reported to have stormed the estate between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. to kidnap residents and steal some of their properties.

However, the residents told PREMIUM TIMES that there was no such criminal act within the estate and its neighbouring estates on Monday or before then.

The chief security officer of the estate, Abraham John, who was on duty all through the night, alongside his subordinates, said nothing like that happened in the estate.

It is absolutely fake. We were on duty all through the night. Is there another Jenew estate in 6th Estate in Gwarinpa that I am not aware of?

There was no robbery nor abduction, he said before taking this reporter around.

Other residents of the estate said something similar.

Details shortly
Hours before the start of the APC convention, President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with governors of northern states who are members of the ruling party, APC.

The meeting is being held at the State House in Abuja, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The meeting is being held hours before the APC picks its presidential candidate for next years general election.

The majority of the Northern APC governors had earlier called on the party to pick its presidential candidate from Southern Nigeria.

Fourteen of the APCs 22 state governors govern states in Northern Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari has told Northern APC governors that he has not endorsed any of the 23 aspirants seeking to be the presidential candidate of the APC, an official has said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that President Buhari met with the Northern APC governors at the State House, Abuja, Monday afternoon.

Garba Shehu, Mr Buharis media adviser, said in a statement that the president has no preferred candidate, and has anointed no one, as the presidential candidate of the governing APC.

Mr Shehu said the president had a clear mind and was determined to ensure that there shall be no imposition of any candidate on the party.

The statement quoted Mr Buhari as saying: You were elected as I was. Have a clear mind as I have. God gave us the chance; we have no reason to complain. We must be ready to take pain as we take the joy. Allow the delegates to decide. The Party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody,

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, disclosed that the president directed governors of APC-controlled states to meet with the National Working Committee of the party, to fine-tune modalities for the selection of the presidential flag bearer of APC.

The president told us that for the APC presidential primaries, he has no anointed candidate and therefore directed that the Progressive Governors Forum meet with the National Working Committee of the party to agree and proffer further solutions and recommendations for his successor.

And based on his directive, the Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum has summoned a meeting for 5:00 (local time) today, after which we will make further suggestions to the President, Mr Lalong added.

The Plateau governor added that the governors were at the Presidential Villa to apologise to the president because they met at the weekend and took a position to support the power shift to the southern part of the country in the spirit of fairness but before they could convey their position to the president, the matter got leaked.

For emphasis, those of you who read it, I have a copy of what we wrote, which was already out of press, and I said we wrote it and we stand by it; that in the interest of unity, in the interests of peace, we recommended that and also justice, our recommendation is that the next president should come from the south.

I told you that the president believes in democratic process, but even during democratic process, there are consultations, there is consensus, and it is also part of democratic process. Even our constitution provides for that; it says consensus and then election, either direct or indirect.

So, what were doing is part of the build-up towards the election. What were also saying is recommendation as we think that will bring out a very peaceful process, Mr Lalong said.

Also speaking, the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, said the stance of the northern PDP governors that power should shift to the south was for fairness.

We looked at the totality of the issues in our country and we believe APC with a President that has delivered democratic dividends across the breadth of the country and 22 Governors, has everything going for it.

What is the political brinkmanship that we need to bring so that every component of Nigeria will feel important. It is to allow opportunity for other parts of the country. And this is a step that will bring more peace and resonate with every part of Nigeria, he said.

In his comment, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, said out of the 14 governors of APC states in Northern Nigeria, only one, that of Kogi State, who is also an aspirant, disagreed with their position of zoning the presidency to the south.

There are 14 APC governors out of the 19 Northern states. 13 of us are on one page on this subject and we all came to see the President, but the governor of Kogi State excused himself and it is within his democratic rights to excuse himself.

But 12 out of 14 is a supermajority. 13 out of 14 is an even bigger supermajority and the 13 of us met with the President today. What our leader has communicated to you is a summary of the discussions with Mr President.
At least, 20 people were abducted when bandits attacked Furfuri community in Bungudu local government area of Zamfara on Sunday night.

Among those abducted were two wives of a former Accountant-General of Zamfara State, Abu  Bello Furfuri.

Sources, however, said the two wives, Hajia Khadija and Hajia Ade were rescued by members of a vigilante group in the area.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that two of his female children and some domestic staff are still being held by the bandits.

The two abducted daughters are Zulaihat Abu  Bello and Zainab Abu  Bello.

Furfuri community is less than 10 kilometres away from the capital city, Gusau.

Abdullahi Shehu, a resident of Bungudu town, said the bandits attacked the community around 11 p.m. Sunday night and went straight to the former accountant-generals residence.

He (former Accountant General) lives with his family in Furfuri even when he was the accountant general, so its possible the attack was a deliberate one because they went straight to his house when they entered the community.

Though Mr Shehu said Mr Furfuri was at home when the bandits struck, he said the man was helped by one of his domestic staff to leave the house through a back exit.

He said other houses were attacked. In one house, eight siblings were reportedly abducted by the bandits.

What we know now is that 18 residents are with the bandits including Zulaihat and Zainab and three other domestic staff taken from the forrmer AG (Accountant General) house. Seven of them were taken but with the rescue of the two wives, he now has five people to save. The remaining 13 people were picked from other houses. They could be more than that but for now, this is what weve gathered.

Vigilance members rescue wives

PREMIUM TIMES gathered from an anonymous member of the ex accountant-generals family that his two wives were ,however, rescued by a team of vigilance members in the area.

He said immediately after the attack, the vigilance members mobilised their men and followed the bandits.

Thats how they do, he said. Anytime there is an attack, the vigilante members regroup and either block or chase the Bandits to see if they can rescue some of the abductors I did not see and doctors abductees.

Immediately the bandits left Furfuri, we alerted the vigilante members who went after the gunmen and because the wives are too weak to walk the distance to where the bandits kept their motorcycles. 

When asked how the vigilance members rescued the wives of the former civil servant, the source said they only saw them (vigilance members) returned with the wives in their van.

He said the wives have been handed over to their husband.

When contacted by this newspaper , the Zamfara State police command spokesman, Mohammed Shehu, said he was in a meeting.

He , however, confirmed the abduction but didnt give details.

Ill call you back please, he responded through an SMS

He did not call back after five hours and a reminder sent to him was not responded to.
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday told governors of APC-controlled northern states that he had no preferred presidential aspirant in the ruling party and the party should allow the delegates to decide its presidential candidate.

Mr Buharis position was contained in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu.

Mr Shehus statement was released minutes after the APC national chairman told other members of the partys leadership that Mr Buhari had chosen Senate President Ahmad Lawan as his preferred presidential candidate.

Allow the delegates to decide. The party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody, Mr Shehu quoted the president as saying.

The APC was scheduled to commence its presidential primary in Abuja Monday and conclude on Wednesday. The event was yet to start at the time of this report.

A total of 23 presidential aspirants are seeking the partys ticket.

Apart from Mr Lawan, other presidential aspirants include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi and Ekiti governor Kayode Fayemi.

Mr Shehus statement thus indicates that all the 23 aspirants will test their mettle at the primary.

Read Mr Shehus full statement below:

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

I HAVE ANOINTED NO ONE, THERE SHALL BE NO IMPOSITION, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday afternoon cleared all doubts about where he stands on the choice of a presidential candidate for the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, declaring before the partys 14 governors of northern states that he has no preferred candidate, and has anointed no one, and is determined to ensure that there shall be no imposition of any candidate on the party.

Speaking at a meeting with the governors at the State House, Abuja, President Buhari said the party is important and its members must be respected and made to feel they are important.

The president said he had a clear mind about what he was doing and asked the APC governors to feel the same way: You were elected as I was. Have a clear mind as I have. God gave us the chance; we have no reason to complain. We must be ready to take pain as we take the joy. Allow the delegates to decide. The party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody.

Earlier in their addresses, the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Governor Simon Bako Lalong and Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of the Progressive Governors Forum, said they had come to affirm the position of the Northern Governors that the partys candidate in the presidential election shall come from the southern part of the country.

They apologised to the president for the leakage of their signed memorandum which was not in support of any particular candidate and gave assurances to the president on their readiness to accept his leadership on the matter.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) continued Monday as 12 northern state governors of the party insisted that the party should pick its presidential candidate from the southern part of Nigeria. This occurred at about the same time the partys national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the consensus candidate.

The governors restated their position at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Plateau governor, Simeon Lalong, said the governors were at the Presidential Villa to apologise to the president because they met at the weekend and took the position to support power shift to the southern part of the country in the spirit of fairness, but before they could convey their position to the president, the matter got leaked.

Also speaking, the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, said the stance of the northern PDP governors that power should shift to the south was for fairness.

We looked at the totality of the issues in our country and we believe APC with a President that has delivered democratic dividends across the breadth of the country and 22 Governors, has everything going for it.

What is the political brinkmanship that we need to bring so that every component of Nigeria will feel important. It is to allow opportunity for other parts of the country. And this is a step that will bring more peace and resonate with every part of Nigeria, he said.

In his remarks, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, said out of the 14 governors of APC-controlled states in Northern Nigeria, only one, that of Kogi State, who is also an aspirant, disagreed with their position of zoning the presidency to the south.

At the meeting with the president, the governors insisted on their advice that the party should nominate a candidate from among the southern aspirants in the race.

Ten of the governors and a former governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wammako, had issued a statement on Saturday in which they first issued their advice on the power shift.

After careful deliberation, we wish to state our firm conviction that after eight years in office of President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the APC for the 2023 elections should be one of our teeming members from the southern states of Nigeria. It is a question of honour for the APC, an obligation that is not in any way affected by the decisions taken by another political party. We affirm that upholding this principle is in the interest of building a stronger, more united and more progressive country.

We, therefore, wish to strongly recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari that the search for a successor as the APCs presidential candidate be limited to our compatriots from the southern states. We appeal to all aspirants from the northern states to withdraw in the national interest and allow only the aspirants from the south to proceed to the primaries. We are delighted by the decision of our esteemed colleague, His Excellency, Governor Abubakar Badaru to contribute to this patriotic quest by withdrawing his presidential aspiration, they had said in the statement.

On Monday, an aide to the Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, issued a statement to affirm his support for his 10 colleagues.

Some newspapers had on Saturday reported that Mr Buhari had accepted the advice of the governors and stated this when he met the 23 presidential aspirants at the Aso Rock Villa Saturday evening.

However, a presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, issued a statement the following day to say that the president did not endorse the call for a southern candidate.

The president has since met with different stakeholders in the party and urged them to prevail on the aspirants to come to a consensus to produce a candidate before the convention for which preparations are now underway in Abuja.

Adamus Statement

The APC National Chairman, Mr Adamu, told a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party that the president had picked Mr Lawan, a Yobe senator, as his preferred candidate.

A member of the NWC, who was at the meeting but asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said although the matter was not on the meetings agenda, Mr Adamu told them of the presidents position.

According to the member, the information divided the NWC as many of the members kicked against it.

Another member of the NWC and National Youth Leader of the APC, Dayo Israel, also confirmed Mr Adamus statement in a Twitter post.

Late entrant

Mr Lawan was a late entrant into the race who picked the presidential nomination form of the party in May, two days before the close of the sale of the forms.

He later said he was a reluctant aspirant, saying it took him a long time to yield to pressure to join the race.

The governor of Jigawa, Abubakar Badaru, also dropped his senatorial nomination form to pick the presidential form about the same time.

He too was said to have succumbed to pressure from northern power brokers to join the race.

According to reliable information obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had to flee to Dubai last week after pressure was intensified on him too to pick the nomination forms, despite the sale of the forms closing almost two weeks earlier.
The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, on Sunday, announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Olaniyan, an Oke-Ogun-born technocrat cum politician, announced his defection while speaking with journalists in his private office at the Ojoo area of Ibadan.

He, however, said the defection does not affect his position as the deputy governor of the state, saying he had not resigned.

The deputy governor added that he took the decision after consultations with his supporters from across the state.

Mr Olaniyan, who described politics as free entry and free exit, added that all his political supporters prevailed on him to join the APC.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new development has doused tension and rumours over the sour relationship between the deputy governor and his boss, Seyi Makinde.

APC reception

Teslim Folarin, the governorship candidate of the APC in Oyo State, received Mr Olaniyan, into the party.

In a statement in Ibadan, personally signed by Mr Folarin, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, he described Mr Olaniyans defection as a welcome development and a big catch for the APC.

He said Mr Olaniyans defection was a reflection of the arrogant and non-accommodating nature of the PDP leaders in the state.

ALSO READ: Teslim Folarin emerges Oyo APC governorship candidate

The state APC family is very excited that the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji AbdulRauf Olaniyan, has joined us with thousands of his supporters across the 351 Wards.

Olaniyan is one of the few technocrat-turned-politician I admire and respect.

With Olaniyan and other well-meaning stakeholders in Oyo State politics, we shall rescue the state from the PDP in 2023.

Oyo PDP is unfortunate for losing a great asset. There is no denying the fact that Olaniyan is a cool-headed man, highly cerebral, and undoubtedly the most experienced deputy governor in the history of Nigeria, Mr Folarin said.

(NAN)
Six of the 16 candidates contesting the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti have signed a pact with the people of the state to usher in good and responsive governance if elected.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the candidates signed the pact on Sunday at a programme organised by the Justice Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI) of the Catholic Mission, in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Ekiti Council of Elders.

The candidates include Biodun Oyebanji of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC); Segun Oni, Social Democratic Party (SDP); Wole Oluyede of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Kemi Elebute-Halle of Action Democratic Party (ADP); Debo Ajayi of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Ben Agboola of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bisi Kolawole, was absent from the programme.

In his remarks, the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti, Felix Ajakaye, urged the candidates to not walk away after winning or losing the election.

Mr Ajakaye advised the candidates to go into the race with love, rather than acrimony.

He said they should be ready to support whosoever emerges as the winner at the poll, if truly they love Ekiti, as the culture of walking away after elections should stop.

Commenting, the Chairman, Council of Obas in Ekiti, Gabriel Adejuwon, urged whoever emerged the winner to extend the hands of fellowship to others and share ideas to move the state forward.

Emmanuel Akingbade, the Director, Justice Development, and Peace Initiative, said that the manifesto of whoever emerged as the governor should be printed out and pasted on the billboards across the state.

This, he said, would serve as a reminder.

According to him, a survey will also be carried out to score the new governor to enable people to always call his attention to areas that had not been touched in the course of running his administration.

Earlier, the State Chairman of NUJ, Rotimi Ojomoyela, said the union partnered with others in organising the event, as part of its social responsibilities to the society toward engendering good governance.

Mr Ojomoyela urged politicians and their followers to pursue the election project with the utmost fear of God and the spirit of peaceful co-existence.

He urged journalists assigned to cover the election to be mindful of their safety in performing their duties and report events accurately without sensation or unverified information.

The chairman said that plans were in place to stop quacks from participating in the election coverage, warning fake journalists to steer clear of the state in order not to give real journalists a bad name.

(NAN)
The police in Anambra State have killed some suspected kidnappers in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.

The incident happened on Sunday when operatives foiled a kidnap attempt on a yet-to-be-identified resident at Oko roundabout in the area, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

A resident of the area, Oluchukwu Victor, told PREMIUM TIMES that the hoodlums have been terrorising the area.

Some soldiers and police people caught some kidnappers. I was coming back from Ekwulobia when the thing happened, he said.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.

He said police operatives were drafted to the area following information that a resident was abducted by the hoodlums.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said some of the kidnappers were killed, but did not give the exact figure.

Following information gathered of an abduction that took place (on) June 5, 2022, along Oko and Ekwulobia, the police embarked on a rescue operation which resulted in neutralising some of the armed hoodlums, Mr Ikenga said.

ALSO READ: Two passengers burnt to death in Anambra road accident

The police spokesperson said some operational vehicles belonging to the suspects were recovered by the operatives.

The operation is ongoing now. I will get back to you with full details as soon as I can please, he added.

A video clip of the incident is being circulated on some WhatsApp groups.

In the clip, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, a lifeless body of one of the kidnappers was seen in a pool of his blood, while a vehicle, believed to have been used by the kidnappers, was parked in the area with its doors wide open.

Some voices, believed to be those of the police operatives, were heard from the background raining curses on the corpse and making scornful remarks on the charms found on the corpse.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has condemned the killing of worshippers at a church in Owo, Ondo State, on Sunday.

The body in a statement on Monday said the attack is not only a crime against humanity but also a grievous and inexplicable sin.

All peoples of Faith should take this attack as a direct attack on all law-abiding citizens and should therefore be in the vanguard to halt the evil that appears to be assailing the life, property, and integrity of humanity, particularly believers in God, read the statement signed by Zubairu Usman-Ugwu, the Director of Administration.

The Council also calls on the Governments at all levels to issue and pursue an ultimatum for the security agencies to unravel the identity and bring to book the perpetrators of the violation of sanctity of not only life but also religions.

Over 70 people were killed and injured after gunmen shot at the worshippers and detonated explosives during a Pentecost Mass.

Police said the assailants approached the church during the Mass and started shooting while others, numbering about four, shot directly at worshippers.

Read the NSCIA statement below:

ATTACK ON ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC CHURCH, OWO, ONDO STATE

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Saad Abubakar, CFR, mni, condemns, in the strongest terms, the heinous attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State where many innocent worshippers were gruesomely murdered and several others severely wounded. It is a crime not only against humanity but also a grievous and inexplicable sin.

All peoples of Faith should take this attack as a direct attack on all law- abiding citizens and should therefore be in the vanguard to halt the evil that appears to be assailing the life, property and integrity of humanity, particularly believers in God.

The Council also calls on the Governments at all levels to issue and pursue an ultimatum for the security agencies to unravel the identity and bring to book the perpetrators of the violation of sanctity of not only life but also religions.

The security agents, who have been engaged to combat criminality and insecurity, are enjoined to heed the Quranic call that:

For had it not been that God checks one set of people by means of another; monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein the name of God is persistently mentioned would surely have been pulled down. Verily, God will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, God is All-Strong, All-Mighty. (Q 22: 40)

It is therefore mandatory for security agencies to help in rescuing the helpless citizens that we have all become.

The Council stands in absolute solidarity with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Catholic community, the government and people of Ondo State and commiserates with the families of the victims in this period of immeasurable agony and distress.

May Allah grant us peace and security in our nation. Amin!

Arc. Zubairu Haruna Usman-Ugwu

Director of Administration
Olumuyiwa Igbalajobi, a Nigerian postdoctoral research fellow in Canada, recently got the University of Alberta, Canada, to exclude Nigerian students from its English language requirement.

Mr Igbalajobi, who hails from Ekiti State, South-west Nigeria, on May 22, emailed and tweeted at the universitys official Twitter handle, calling its attention to a list of select universities from Nigeria who meet the institutions English language requirement.

I write to call your attention to a list on your graduate school page exempting applicants with credentials from SELECTIVE universities in Nigeria from the English Language Requirement at the University of Alberta, he tweeted.

He added that the official language in Nigeria is English which automatically translates to the fact that all academic programmes from elementary to tertiary education are taught in English.

He said based on that, Nigeria should have been exempted entirely and not some select schools.

Nigerians have over the years, but most recently intensified the campaign #ReformIELTS, which calls on foreign universities to exempt Nigeria from taking English requirements tests such as International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

In January, PREMIUM TIMES reported that about 40,000 Nigerians signed a petition calling on the United Kingdom (UK) home office to either remove Nigeria from the list of countries whose citizens are required to take English proficiency tests or reduce the fees charged for the examination.

The cost of the test, which currently stands between N80,000 and N90,000 in Nigeria, is almost three times the countrys minimum wage of N30,000.

I affirmatively believe that the University of Alberta attracts applicants from different backgrounds and inclusion is germane to her. It will be greatly appreciated if the current list is updated or reworded to reflect all universities in Nigeria, Mr Igbalajobi wrote.

University reacts

In acknowledging his email, the university noted that Mr Igbalajobis email surfaced an important issue of discrepancies between ELP exempted countries as listed across Canadian post-secondary institutions

It noted that it will work with its U15 partners to make the reference list consistent but will in the meantime, add Nigeria to the list.

Adding that it (University of Alberta) is home to many Nigerian graduate students and will make sure that Nigerians and other prospective students have accurate information as they research and apply to our institution.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, Mr Igbalajobi said he sent a reminder to the university after a week of monitoring its website for a change.

I noticed that it was effected yesterday (Saturday), he said.

PREMIUM TIMES can confirm that Nigeria has now been added to the universitys list of countries where English is an official language of instruction.

However, this newspaper further confirmed that the universitys second category of exempted international schools had yet to be corrected or taken down from its website.

Mr Igbalajobi insists that my request gave them a reason to add Nigeria to the first list.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted the mother of Abdulkarim Abdulsalam, the All Progressive Congress (APC), senatorial candidate of Kano Central.

The victim, identified as Laure Mai-Kunu was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Monday at her home, in Rangaza community, in Ungogo Local Government Area.

The police spokesperson in Kano, Abdullahi Kiyawa, has confirmed the incident.

The police spokesperson said operatives of Operation Puff Adder, a special police and military unit set up to fight banditry, have been deployed to the area to rescue the victim and arrest the suspected criminals.

The latest incident at Ungogo Local Government Area, followed that of Takai Council Area, last month, where seven persons were killed by suspected bandits at Karfi community. The traditional ruler of that community was also kidnapped.

Kano has been largely spared the violence that has engulfed the Nigerias North-west region. But recent reports indicate that the violence, blamed on islamist affiliates locally referred to as bandits, may be fast spreading into the state.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was not involved in any road accident in Abuja on Monday, his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, has said.

Mr Akande was reacting in a tweet to some media reports about a purported road accident involving Mr Osinbajo in Abuja.

He clarified in a tweet that the Vice Presidents convoy met a road accident and ensured victims were taken to the hospital in his convoy before heading to the airport.

On his way to the airport this morning, VP came across a road traffic accident, stopped to lend assistance, and ensured (the) victim was taken to the hospital with VPs convoy ambulance. He then proceeded on his trip and is now in Ondo State heading to (the) site of yesterdays attack in Owo, he tweeted.

Mr Akande said the Vice President was on his way to the airport to fly to Owo in Ondo State to deliver the presidencys condolences to the victims of Sundays mass killing of worshippers at a Catholic Church in the ancient town.

He said: The VP heads out to Owo, (Ondo State this morning) where worshippers were heinously attacked yesterday resulting in many casualties. He will deliver (the) presidents condolences and message in person.

The gunmen were said to have stormed the church and shot at worshippers indiscriminately. The number of casualties is yet to be ascertained.

Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, visited the community on Sunday, where he vowed that perpetrators would be brought to book.

The killings have been widely condemned by President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Osinbajo, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

A statement by his media aide, Femi Adesina, quoted the president as saying that the country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light. Nigeria will eventually win.

Anselm Ologunwa, the chairman of CAN in Ondo State, also described the act as barbaric and wicked.

He said: The killing of some innocent souls in the name of whichever guise is the highest criminality everybody should rise and condemn in our society.

How can some people just wake up from nowhere and decide to kill their fellow men unjustly without any recourse to the judgement of God.

Meanwhile, the Federal Medical Centre, Owo has also called for the donation of blood to survivors of the attack.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at PREMIUM TIMES in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
Hotels in Abuja have witnessed increased patronage in the last few days as delegates and other chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) arrive at the nations capital for the partys special national convention holding between June 6 and 8.

No fewer than 2,322 delegates are expected to participate in the APC primary to elect its presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

A total of 23 aspirants are jostling for the partys ticket at the convention holding at the Eagle Square. They were cleared last week by a seven-member committee headed by a former National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun.

Among them are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited some hotels in Area 1 Garki, Wuse, Wuse 2 and Central Business District (CBD), it was discovered that the apartments had been fully booked by APC delegates and other faithful.

Despite the high cost of the rooms per night, not a single room was confirmed available for rent for the next three days in Transcorp Hilton, Nicon Luxury, John Wood, Valencia, Barcelona, Chelsea and Candellux Imperial Hotels, when our reporters visited.

Blue Spring, Stone Edge and Ekiti House Hotel located close to Eagle Square have been fully booked for delegates despite costing N35,000 on average.

Sorry, we are fully booked for the next three days because of the convention, a receptionist at Stone Edge, told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday night.

The cheapest room in the hotel costs N45,000 per night while rooms at Transcorp and John Wood Hotels cost almost three times that amount during such a period.

It was also discovered that some of the delegates are sharing rooms in some of the hotels.

Preparations at Eagle Square

PREMIUM TIMES noticed that life has returned to Eagles Square, the venue of the convention.

Artisans were spotted cutting and joining woods to erect banners of the aspirants around the routes to the facility. The pavilions where delegates of the 36 states and FCT will stay as well as the state box are being tidied up.

Although no ballot box was sighted as of 10 a.m, hired workers were preparing to mount them.

Posters of aspirants adorn spaces around the Square just as food vendors and other business owners, including fashion designers, are displaying their wares.

Security around the Square has been beefed up as armed operatives are noticed at strategy points leading to the facility.

Access roads to the venue have been blocked. The FCT Police Command had on Sunday advised Abuja residents to find alternative routes to some roads leading to Eagles Square.

Some of the diverted routes, according to the police, are the Goodluck Jonathan expressway (by Appeal Court), NITEL Junction, Bullet, Bayelsa House, and NNPC Towers, DSS Headquarters, Ceddi Plaza bridge, Gana by Transcorp, and DSS Headquarters, among others.

The National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, inspected the venue on Sunday evening and expressed satisfaction with the level of preparations at the facility.
New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) India on Monday accused the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) of making "motivated, misleading and mischievous comments" and said New Delhi categorically rejects the "unwarranted and narrow-minded comments".

External Affairs Ministry official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: "We have seen the statement on India from the General Secretariat of OIC. The Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions.

"The offensive tweets and comments denigrating a religious personality were made by certain individuals. They do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the government of India. Strong action has already been taken against these individuals by relevant bodies," he said.

"It is regrettable that OIC Secretariat has yet again chosen to make motivated, misleading and mischievous comments. This only exposes its divisive agenda being pursued at the behest of vested interests.

"We would urge the OIC Secretariat to stop pursuing its communal approach and show due respect to all faiths and religions," the spokesperson added.

The OIC had commented on BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal against Prophet Mohammad and his wife. Both were sacked from the party on Sunday.

Several countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Iran and Saudi Arabia had strongly reacted to the statements by the BJP spokespersons.



The OIC had observed that the incident had occurred against the backdrop of increasing anti-Muslim activities in India.

UNI AO MR
A lawyer, Sebastine Hon, has sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the National Judicial Council (NJC) concerning the poor salaries of Nigerian judges.

In September 2021, the President of the Court of Appeal, Monica Dongban-Mensem, appealed to the federal government for an upward review of the salaries of judges.

She lamented that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), who heads the judiciary earns only N279,497 as a monthly salary, while his colleagues on the Supreme Court bench go home with a monthly pay of N206,425.

The Appeal Court president revealed that she receives the sum of N206,425, while other justices on the bench of the Court of Appeal go home with N166,285 every month.

Suit

Mr Hon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, seeks an order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) compelling the defendants  the AGF, NJC, the National Assembly and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC)  to increase the salaries and allowances of judges in the country.

The claimant noted that the highest-paid judicial officer in the country  the CJN, currently earns about N3.4 million per annum, far below what is earned by such an officer in other countries.

Mrs Dongban-Mensem corroborated Mr Hons claim when she said the salary structure for judicial officers and staff in Nigeria has consistently ranked poorly when compared to that of their counterparts in commonwealth countries.

Mondays proceedings

The National Assembly, on Monday, asked the court to allow an out-of-court settlement in the suit instituted against it and three others, challenging the poor salaries of judicial officers in the country.

The parliament through its lawyer, Charles Yoila, told the judge, Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osagie, that the institution is interested in resolving the dispute amicably.

Mr Yiola told the judge that the National Assembly would have opted for an early resolution of the dispute but for the strike embarked upon by parliamentary workers.

But Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who led 33 other SANs, sought to argue the originating summons in the suit that was filed by Mr Hon.

However, the hearing could not proceed because of the absence of RMAFC, the AGF and the NJC, who had no legal representation.

In a ruling, the judge, Mrs Obaseki-Osagie, adjourned the matter to June 22 for a report of settlement by the parties in the matter.

Prominent among the senior advocates in attendance were Kanu Agabi, Mike Ozekhome, Mr Hon, Godwin Obla, Emeka Ngige, Hassan Liman, Tawo Tawo, Emeka Etiaba, Paul Ogbole, Henry Akunebu, Audu Anuga and John Asoluka.

Mr Hon, who instituted, the suit is praying the court to compel the defendants to increase the salaries and allowances of judges in the country.

In court filings, Mr Hon stated that as a legal practitioner, who has practised in all the levels of courts in Nigeria, I know that poor pay for judicial officers is seriously affecting the quality of judgments and rulings those officers are delivering and the discharge of other functions associated with their offices.

He argued that the current economic reality in the country requires that the salaries and allowances of the nations judges be urgently improved upon.

Mr Hon, who quoted what all judicial officers currently earn as provided under Part IIB of the Schedule to the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Amendment Act 2008, said the paltry sums have discouraged him from aspiring to become a judge.

He pointed out that it is about 14 years since the salaries and allowances of judges were last reviewed upward in 2008 despite the loss of value of the naira vis-a-vis other global currencies like the US dollars, the British pound sterling and the European Union (EU) euro, etc.

As of November 2008 when the amended Act was in force, the exchange rate between the naira and the US dollar was N117.74 to USD1.

The naira has considerably lost its value over time; but judicial officers in Nigeria have been placed on the same salary scale for up to 12 years, namely since 2008, he said.

Prayers

Mr Hon is praying the court for a declaration that  it is unconstitutional for the RMAFC to refuse or neglect to upwardly review the salaries and allowances of the judicial officers notwithstanding the changing local and international socio-economic realities.

The plaintiff wants an order compelling the defendants to immediately activate measures to urgently review judicial officers pay, raising that of the CJN to a minimum of N12 million monthly, N11 million for other Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal President; N10 million for other Justice of the Appeal Court, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and President of the National Industrial Court (NIC).

Mr Hon also wants the court to compel the defendants to raise the monthly minimum take-home of a judge of the NIC to N9 million; N8 million for Chief Judges of High Court of states and the Federal Capital Territory, while the other judges are entitled to N7 million.

He also seeks an order compelling the RMAFC or any other body assigned its responsibilities, to, in perpetuity, review and continue to embark upon and carry out, in conjunction with the 3rd defendant (AGF), a yearly or at most a two-yearly review of the salaries and allowances of the judicial officers listed above, with a view to making the said salaries and emolument realistic and befitting of the offices and duties attached to/exercised by such offices.
The silence of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the attack of worshippers in Owo, Ondo State, confirms complicity, Nigerias main opposition party has said.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also accused the APC of supporting terrorism in the country.

The party said the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is nonchalant and shows no sympathy for citizens in distress in the country.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how armed men stormed St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State on Sunday morning and opened fire on worshippers leaving over 70 people, including children, dead.

Scores of worshippers were also injured and rushed to nearby hospitals.

Mr Buhari has since condemned the attack. In a statement, the president said Nigeria will never give in to evil and wicked people.

The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, had cut short his activities in Abuja for the partys convention and visited the scene of the incident.

He described the attack as vile and satanic and vowed that the perpetrators will be caught and brought to book.

He also directed that flags be flown at half-mast on Monday.

Presidential statement, dinner appalling

The PDP, however, described Mr Buharis statement as lame, disconnected and lacking empathy and assurances to the victims  a move it said, is confirmation that the APC holds sympathy for terrorism.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party said in sane climes, Mr Buhari would personally address the nation on the gruesome murder of many citizens under his care.

The PDP also condemned the president for hosting APC governors and other stakeholders to a dinner at the presidential Villa hours after the incident.

Such actions by the APC and President Buhari, who has woefully failed in his promise to lead the fight against terrorism from the front, continue to embolden terrorists to carry out more terrible attacks on our citizens.

The inexcusable stance of the APC also lends credence to the fears already expressed by Nigerians that there are planned orchestration of crisis by the APC in various parts of the country so as to derail the scheduled 2023 general elections, the PDP said.

While stating that the APC has never forcefully condemned terrorism attacks in Nigeria, it challenged the APC to come clean on the pact it has with terrorists for which it is sacrificing the lives of innocent Nigerians.

Nigerians were also urged not to despair but remain united and on alert as the PDP takes firm steps ahead of the 2023 general elections in the mission to Rescue and Rebuild the nation.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasak, has said he backed the northern governors resolution on power rotation to the south.

Mr AbdulRasak, whose signature was missing in the statement signed by 10 of the governors, said he was unable to physically sign it initially because he was at a family event.

He , however, said he subsequently signed the statement after it was presented to him.

The governor explained this in a statement by his media aide, Bashir Adigun, on Monday.

We like to state emphatically that the Governor was ab initio fully part of the meeting and resolution of the Northern leaders that the next President should come from the southern part of the country.

The Governor could not immediately sign the resolution of the meeting because he was at his nieces wedding held on Saturday, June 4, 2022, where he was the Chief Host.

Governor AbdulRazaqs Northern colleagues were thus unable to wait for his physical signature on the resolution because they needed to send it to the President immediately. The final copy of the resolution was however brought to him later and he became the 12th signatory to the resolution, the statement said.

The 10 Northern APC governors that signed the statement are those of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Gombe, Borno, Plateau and Kebbi.

In the statement, the governors said We are delighted by the decision of our esteemed colleague, His Excellency, Governor Abubakar Badaru to contribute to this patriotic quest by withdrawing his presidential aspiration.

Officially, none of the aspirants from the north has stepped down despite the statement by the governors.

Mr Badaru had earlier denied that he had withdrawn from the presidential race.
The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) has faulted the northern governors decision to zone the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the southern part of the country.

The President of the group, Yerima Shettima, said the governors actions are not in tune with democratic practice and is not in line with both the countrys constitution and that of the APC.

Mr Shettima was reacting to the announcement that 10 of the 14 northern APC governors have resolved to support a southern presidency.

A statement by Aliyu Wamakko, the leader of the party in Sokoto State, revealed that governors of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Gombe, Borno, Plateau and Kebbi.

Only four northern APC state governors did not sign the statement. Two of them, Yahaya Bello of Kogi and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, are among the APCs 23 presidential aspirants.

But Mr Shettima accused the governors of being insensitive to the plight of the northern people and were only concerned about their personal interests.

We are not surprised by this development. We have seen moves by some of the northern governors, he said when he spoke on BBC Hausas morning show, Shirin Hantsi, on Monday.

What the governors just showed is that they do not care about the northern masses. Did they consult the northern people before making such a decision? There is nowhere in the world where it is written that power should be rotated between regions. Its always elections. The 1999 constitution did not state that. Not even the APC constitution, he said.

What they did is not backed by law. Its not democracy. Its for their own selfish interests, and we in the north will not agree to that. The peoples choice is superior to the governors choice.

Mr Shettima said the APC ticket should be thrown open and a winner should emerge through an open election without disenfranchising anyone in the process.

He said: Why will northern governors just turn back on their people by giving power to the south just like that and not allow the election to decide.

In Burkina Faso, the minority held power for more than 30 years. They are still in power. There is no justification that the north should give up the presidency to the south simply because it occupied the position of eight years. Look at Cameroon, Paul Biya has been in power for 40 years, and nothing happened.

The APC is holding its convention between June 6 and 8, during which 2,322 delegates will select the partys flag bearer who will contest against Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.
The immediate past national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Akpanudoedehe, has resigned his membership of the party.

Mr Akpanudoedehe tendered his resignation letter, dated June 4, to the APC chairman in his ward, Offot Ward 6, Uyo.

The former secretary, who wants to run for the governorship of Akwa Ibom State, has been involved in a protracted political battle with a former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, over the control of the APC structure in the state.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, is an APC presidential aspirant.

A faction of the APC in Akwa Ibom that is loyal to Mr Akpanudoedehe was edged out of office under controversial circumstances by a man, Stephen Ntukekpo, who had forged the results of the APC Congress in Akwa Ibom to get a favourable court judgement at a Federal High Court, Abuja.

Mr Ntukekpo is backed by Mr Akpabio.

Mr Akpanudoedehe went to the Court of Appeal, Abuja, to challenge the judgement of the lower court, but he appeared frustrated by the support Mr Akpabio and his faction in Akwa Ibom were getting from the national leadership of APC.

The faction loyal to Mr Akpabio, a few days ago, outmanoeuvred Mr Akpanudoedehe and got Akanimo Udofia, a man who joined the APC in less than a month, to be elected the 2023 governorship candidate of the party in Akwa Ibom.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, however, did not monitor the primary that produced Mr Udofia. The commission has, therefore, refused to recognise the candidate.

The decision to part ways with the APC is a tough one, Mr Akpanudoedehe, a former senator, said in his resignation letter.

But leadership entails adherence to the wishes of the vast majority of associates, allies and supporters who have shown fidelity over time and have now witnessed the obduracy the APC is handling the candidate selection processes in Akwa Ibom State, he said.

He said, Our greater goal of providing service to the people of our dear state remains sacrosanct.

Mr Akpanudoedehe, for close to two decades, was the face of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, and later the APC in Akwa Ibom. His resignation, therefore, marks a turning point in the opposition politics in the oil-rich state.

I will contest the 2023 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, the former senator told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday. I am going to the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, on Monday, visited Owo, where gunmen attacked and killed dozens of worshippers in a church.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State received Mr Tinubu.

Speaking at the Olowo of Owos palace, Mr Akeredolu described the Pentecost Sunday, when the incident happened, as a black Sunday.

A heinous crime of this level has never been experienced in the Southwest., the governor said.

A group of people, terrorists, came into a very serene area, into a city, and commit this horrific crime. Its heart wrecking. This is unbearable and challenging to us. Like I said, we are determined to go after these criminals.

Mr Tinubu said the attackers meant more damage than Governor Akeredolu described.

He assured that he will support the government to find the attackers.

God in His infinite mercy saved some people. Some people died as a result of this evil act. We pray that they will not die in vain.

We as promoters and supporters of this government, we will do everything to apprehend those who perpetrated this crime.

Kabiyesi, may God Almighty give peace to you and the people of Owo and the families of those who are directly affected. It is very hard to take.

Mr Tinubu was accompanied to Owo by a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro; former head of Nigerias Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu; Pius Akinyelure; among other prominent politicians in the country.

Mr Tinubu donated N50 million to the families of the victims of the attack and N25 million to the Catholic Church.

Whatever we can do as politicians and as government supporters, we will do. We pray that Almighty God will continue to spare your lives. Government will not relent.

Responding, the Olowo of Owo, Gbadegesin Ogunoye, called on the Federal Government to flush out all illegal occupants of the state forests across the South-west.

NGF

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) also donated N50 million to victims of the attack

The Chairman of the NGF and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, made the donation when he paid a visit to the governor at the Government House on Monday in Akure.

Mr Fayemi was accompanied by a former governor of Ogun State and Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, Ibikunle Amosun.

Both are also APC presidential aspirants.

They were later led by Mr Akeredolu to the residence of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Jude Arogundade, before moving to Owo to commiserate with the Olowo of Owo in his palace.

Mr Fayemi, who described the attack as least expected, stated that Owo had been a very peaceful environment.

It is a serious and unusual attack on the people who cant go out and farm or worship God in peace. We are all shocked.

Just like the governor said, these people shall not go unpunished. They will be hunted down and brought to book. But this cannot save the lives that have been lost or save the wounded from discomfort.

As leaders of the people, we will redouble our efforts. This is happening across the county and we are concerned. We know how troubled you will be. And we know that this is something that troubles our minds.

For now, the governments at the state and federal levels are working to bring the perpetrators to book.

My colleagues in the Governors Forum have asked me to donate N50 million to the Catholic Church to ameliorate the condition of the families of the victims. This is a crime against humanity. Mr Fayemi said.

The Bishop of Ondo Diocese described the attack as evil.

He urged the governors to ensure that those behind the killing and their sponsors were brought to book.

I appreciate your coming and comment. How did we get here? Have we lost our mind and humanity? Even in war situation, nobody kills children and women. Nobody attacks the church.

I am calling on you the leaders of the country, I think we need to talk and we need to be frank with ourselves.

This cannot happen without the backing of some powerful people. Those behind this no matter how powerful they are must be brought to book.

How are we presenting ourselves as primitive? Ondo state doesnt deserve this. Humanity doesnt deserve this. This doesnt present us well. People are laughing at us, Mr Arogundade said.

(NAN)
In response to a statement by ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu who said he helped President Muhammadu Buhari emerge president in 2015, the presidency said millions of Nigerians brought Mr Buhari into power and not just one person.

Garba Shehu, Mr Buharis spokesperson, said Monday that many people played parts, large and small, in Mr Buharis historic election in 2015; thus making history as the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president with power changing hands peacefully at the ballot box.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Tinubu had said he brought the president out of retirement and helped him to win the election in 2015.

He was addressing delegates in Ogun State when he said Mr Buhari, after losing the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections, vowed not to contest again but he (Mr Tinubu) went to Katsina to persuade him to contest and subsequently supported him to win in 2015.

Mr Tinubu later released a statement saying he did not mean to disparage the president.

At the Ogun meeting, Mr Tinubu also said he nominated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the presidents running mate.

But a statement by presidential media aide, Garba Shehu, described Mr Tinubus utterances as unsurprising.

There are those who advised the president to run again; those who decided to build a political party  the APC  that could finally be the political vehicle capable of delivering victory where all other opposition parties and alliances before it had failed, he said.

Those decisions may have been agreed upon by a few. But they were delivered by thousands and voted for by tens of millions. No one can or should claim to have made the possible.

READ ALSO: APC threatens to punish Tinubu over comment on Buhari

Mr Shehu said as important as that moment was, it is not what should decide the next general election and what matters is the future: the policy platforms, the ideas, the drive, and the determination to take over the presidents stewardship.

The person most demonstrable in those qualities is the one to lead our party and our country forward, he said.

Mr Shehus statement came hours before the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress.

So far, the president has been meeting with different groups with the aim of encouraging aspirants to come up with a consensus candidate.

Mr Tinubu is one of the 23 aspirants seeking to be the presidential candidate of the APC. Others include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello and ex-transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress has not endorsed Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the presidential candidate of the party, its National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungu, has said.

Mr Argungu and four other members of the NWC briefed journalists on Monday on the report that Mr Lawan had been picked as the consensus candidate of the party.

He, however, confirmed the report that the National Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu, indeed mentioned the endorsement of the Senate President.

Mr Argungu said the issue was not deliberated at the meeting, rather, it was treated as information from the national chairman.

He added that Mr Adamu, like every other member, is entitled to his opinion.

It is just a piece of information that he gave us. It is not an issue that has to be deliberated by NWC. It is information. All of us are entitled to our opinion. We are all democrats. This decision was never taken by the NWC.

That is just information, not an issue that was discussed by the NWC. Just recently, the northern governors had their meeting

We as members of the NWC, are with the governors on what they have said.

He did brief us that Ahmad Lawan is our consensus candidate.

That is just information, not an issue that was discussed by the NWC. Just recently, the northern governors had their meeting

We as members of the NWC, are with the governors on what they have said, Mr Argungu told journalists.
Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, has withdrawn from the presidential race.

Mr Nnamani, who was running on the platform of the All Progressives (APC), pulled out of the race on Monday, some hours before the national convention.

In a statement, Mr Nnamani cited a lack of sincerity on zoning and the poor management of the primary election activities which he said had created uncertainty.

Mr Nnamani said the party had initially given the aspirants the impression that only southern aspirants will participate in the primary but that events of the past few days have shown otherwise.

But the events of recent day created the impression that zoning had been jettisoned in the APC. The vacillation of party leaders regarding zoning of the APC presidential ticket has not created clarity in the party and injures the confidence and faith of many in the south, particularly the South-east, in the party.

It has the implication of suggesting to many in the party, including myself, that the party will allow conveniences of the moment to override foundational issues of justice and fairness, the statement read.

Mr Nnamani warned the party against putting short term gains ahead of national unity.

With the withdrawal of Mr Nnamani, there are officially 22 aspirants left in the race.

Earlier on Monday, the National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, had announced at a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was the consensus candidate of the party.

Mr Lawan hails from Yobe State, North-east Nigeria.

Mr Adamus position contradicts the position of the northern governors in the party, who already affirmed support for power shift to the south.

The governors had a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari during which they informed him of their decision taken on Saturday.

Also on Monday, Mr Buhari denied having an anointed presidential candidate.
Oil driller Oando Plc said Monday its clean energy unit signed a deal with Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to provide the renewable energy that will facilitate the deployment of electric mass transit buses, charging centres and supporting charging infrastructure.

Oando Clean Energy Limited agreed to the public-private partnership arrangement late in April, Oando said in a statement, paving the way for the attainment of Lagos State Governments goal of rolling out an electric vehicle infrastructure system that will in turn guarantee a megacity road transport system that is sustainable.

Lagos, Africas largest city by population, is projected to be home to 100 million people by 2100, four times more than the current number of its residents. That could make it the worlds most populous city.

Vehicles plying its roads increased by 400 per cent in the last 10 years, and the strong possibility of further surges in the light of population growth is bound to trigger higher tons of carbon emissions, with the transportation sector accounting for 23% to 30% in annual CO2 emissions.

With an understanding that transportation is a key emitter of greenhouse gases in Nigeria, we developed a strategy to cut greenhouse gases by 50 per cent, said Lagos State Commissioner for Transport Frederic Oladeinde.

A key component of this strategy was identifying and developing a more robust mass transit system for Lagos that would include rail and waterways amongst others.

The move is seen curbing the shortfall in available mass transit buses for the exploding number of Lagos commuters.

Abimbola Akinajo, LAMATAs chief, said Oando Clean Energy came to us with a comprehensive solution that went beyond electric mass transit buses to include supporting infrastructure, and this was key for us, as the full remit of an EV support ecosystem is the only way to achieve success.

Ainojie Alex Iruene, who stood in for Adewale Tinubu, the chairman of Oando Clean Energy, is on course to disrupt the mobility ecosystem by pioneering e-mobility in Lagos.
Amman/New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) The Kingdom of Jordan became the latest Middle Eastern country to condemn the controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad by a now-expelled BJP functionary.

Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Monday condemned the offensive remarks made by a spokesperson for India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the Prophet Muhammad.

Ministry's Spokesperson Ambassador Haitham Abu Alfoul stressed Jordan's denunciation of such statements and firm rejection of violations against Islamic and other religious figures, considering it as an act that feeds extremism and hatred.
As with so many of the new examples thrown up recently as we continue with this experiment in democratic rule, party apparatchiks have ring-fenced processes from popular influence in order to advance parochial interests. That cannot be good for our democracy. For in the enddemocracies struggle even when parties are vehicles for popular expression.

Why is it not acceptable that President Buhari nominates his successor? One rough and ready answer to this question is to ask, Why not? After all, over the last 23 years of this current essay at institutionalising democratic rule in the country, it has been the practice for state governors, after eight years in office, to try to choose who succeeds them. And this practice notwithstanding, we have not ceased to describe ourselves as a democracy. The better response to the choice of successor question, though, is that this practice is not consistent with democratic principles. Again, one could respond to this assertion with a further query, Why should this matter? If nothing else, the main governance lesson worldwide from the last 10 years is the many examples from advanced democracies of how universal adult suffrage may offer sub-optimal choices.

The illiberal options that extreme right and left parties in developed democracies have put before voters who either consider themselves left behind by the last phase of globalisation, or who now fear that previously Caucasian majorities in those polities may now be imperilled by a flood of dark-skinned immigrants, are but the more recent examples of how democracies may falter. Long before these, however, we ought always to remember that because of the economic consequences of the peace imposed by the victors after World War I, outcomes which a prescient John Maynard Keynes had warned of, the Nazi Party actually came to office via the largest share of the popular vote in the two Reichstag general elections of 1932.

These blots on the democratic copybook, notwithstanding, the advantage that a democracy holds over other non-representative forms of government is the regularity of the voting process. An advantage that illiberal democrats promptly proceed to hobble once ensconced in office. Nonetheless, an advantage it remains  allowing voters another opinion (at future polls) on their choice at previous polls. The consequent possibility of voting out an incumbent government is not available to a monarchy or any other authoritarian ruler. The point may be made at this juncture that President Buharis preference for who would succeed him in office is, by itself, neither monarchical nor totalitarian. In the end, as candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), whomsoever this is, will have to campaign for a plurality of the popular votes as would presidential aspirants from other parties. The people still get to choose, as it were.

In order to realise his goal, President Buhari, as have governors who were barred by term-limits, must play fast and loose with existing rules. This flouting of rule-based conduct is the bane of authoritarian rule. It explains the excesses of the Nazis in Germany, that of the Bolsheviks in the USSR, and of Vladimir Putins Russia, today.

Except that the imposition of any candidate on the party runs foul of the rules pre-agreed by the APC for this process, if not of the Nigerian constitution. This is because the APCs rules for candidates contesting elective offices assume that it is a democratic party operating in a democratic state. This leads to a further question, Would it have been any different if the party were arranged around President Buharis preferred route to his succession? In other words, could a party whose members are elected as if the partys leader were a monarch (free, therefore, to anoint his successor) put candidates forward in a democratic election?

The answer to this question is at the root of the problem with the presidents preferred choice, and how governors at the state level have conducted affairs to date. In order to realise his goal, President Buhari, as have governors who were barred by term-limits, must play fast and loose with existing rules. This flouting of rule-based conduct is the bane of authoritarian rule. It explains the excesses of the Nazis in Germany, that of the Bolsheviks in the USSR, and of Vladimir Putins Russia, today. The danger from these examples is that the distance from a president or governor trampling over the rules of his party in order that his will be done is not far from a similar assault on the constitution of the commonwealth in pursuit of this same will.

As with so many of the new examples thrown up recently as we continue with this experiment in democratic rule, party apparatchiks have ring-fenced processes from popular influence in order to advance parochial interests. That cannot be good for our democracy. For in the end, as the illiberal examples earlier alluded demonstrate, democracies struggle even when parties are vehicles for popular expression. Interfere adversely with this transmission mechanism as President Buhari appears minded to, and democracies, especially one as young as ours, threaten to wither on the vine.

Uddin Ifeanyi, journalist manque and retired civil servant, can be reached @IfeanyiUddin.
At the bottom of the issues that will influence the choice of a running mate who is a potential vice president, in our clime, is the capacity to function as president. The potential VP must have a deep understanding of policies and economic issues in the country. He must understand and buy into the vision of the likely president and how he fits in with executing policies and projects to achieve that vision. Another important consideration would seem to be that of compatibility between the president and his deputy.

In the race to breast the tape of the presidency in 2023, the most consequential decision in terms of who would fly the flag of the major parties is made by delegates  a new set of power brokers, thanks to section 84(8) of the amended Electoral Act. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delegates chose Atiku Abubakar, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) delegates will select one from a group of thirteen shortlisted aspirants very shortly. The other parties, often referred to as fringe parties, will also choose their presidential candidates.

The next most consequential decision would be outside the purview of these new gods of presidential nomination called delegates. And it will be made by the nominated presidential candidates in consultation with a handful of party leaders. I am referring to the choice of presidential running mates, one of who would become our next vice president (VP). It is traditional in presidential democracies that the presidential candidates select the vice presidential candidates to run with them in the general elections, for the office of the president.

The choices of the vice presidential candidates made by the presidential candidates are not always straightforward affairs, depending on the maturity of the democracy. In advanced democracies, the prominent basis for choosing a vice presidential candidate is geopolitical electoral balancing or partnership that culminates in a qualified candidate to help the presumptive president run the state.

The vice president, although having a limited constitutional role in comparison with the president, plays a vital role in leading the country, but most importantly, must be very presidential, as he is a heartbeat away from the president under emergency; for example, when the president is incapacitated, resigns or dies.

For this reason, the president must choose someone capable of running the state and not just a lame duck with little or no presidential sagacity, capabilities, and skills. Even though the first vice president of the United States of America, John Adams, said the position was the most insignificant invention ever contrived by man, the position has come a long way since the 18th century.

The selection of a running mate is complex, with all sorts of considerations outside the severe issues of a candidates suitability, based on presidential qualities and capacity to lead and make a meaningful impact. Often, petty, extraneous, and insignificant issues determine who gets nominated as a vice presidential candidate without considering that a vice president is a potential president. Whether in the APC, PDP, Labour Party, or any of the other party in Nigeria, five things are topmost in choosing a vice president, and none of these affects the quality of governance.

The first is ethnic or geopolitical balancing. It is an unwritten rule that the president and the vice will not come from the same region, zone, or ethnic group. There is a North/South divide in this case, where if the president comes from the North, the Vice President will come from the South, and vice versa. Also, if the president comes from one major ethnic group, the vice president will come from another.

I advocate that we have a paradigm shift in choosing VPs in Nigeria. Although the factors considered above in selecting a VP emanate from our peculiar political circumstance and history, and although some of them make sense and may be logical considerations, we must make them peripheral and auxiliary factors in choosing a VP candidate by the presidential candidates.

The second primary consideration is religious balancing, often a Christian complimented by a Muslim, and vice versa. Rarely will both the presidential and vice presidential candidates be of the same religion. The case of Abiola/Kingibe in 1993 was an exception.

The third factor is intra-party group interest. The partys internal power dynamics and factions may play an essential role in a vice presidents choice, in order to carry every faction along.

The fourth consideration is the ability of the vice president to raise money to prosecute the election, because presidential elections are very capital intensive, and a deep purse is vital in conducting election campaigns.

The fifth consideration is the ability of the vice president to win votes for the presidential election. This is considered by looking at the political structures of the VP candidates or their popularity and electability.

For now, PDP has produced a presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. However, he is playing a cat-and-mouse game, waiting for APC to choose its flag bearer first before deciding on a running mate. This has not stopped clandestine manoeuvres, speculations, high-wire politicking, and intrigues. In the APC, the potential running mate is a matter of conjecture, permutation, and strategic positioning by all those who are interested.

I advocate that we have a paradigm shift in choosing VPs in Nigeria. Although the factors considered above in selecting a VP emanate from our peculiar political circumstance and history, and although some of them make sense and may be logical considerations, we must make them peripheral and auxiliary factors in choosing a VP candidate by the presidential candidates.

At the bottom of the issues that will influence the choice of a running mate who is a potential vice president, in our clime, is the capacity to function as president. The potential VP must have a deep understanding of policies and economic issues in the country. He must understand and buy into the vision of the likely president and how he fits in with executing policies and projects to achieve that vision. Another important consideration would seem to be that of compatibility between the president and his deputy. Our next VP must have a demonstrable and proven ability to be a provider of solutions to national problems.

The choice of the VP must transcend parochialism and pedantic reasoning. The VP candidature is serious business and must be treated as such. I must argue that the choice of a presidents VP says a lot about the psychology and direction of the presidency, if the presidential candidate wins. One can extrapolate, albeit unscientifically, about the presidencys mood, feel, and impact through the choice of the VP.

The YarAdua-Jonathan case is still fresh in our minds. Providence called, and we were stuck with Goodluck Jonathan, the VP, as the acting president and later the president. Jonathan was immediately expected to act presidential and continue the programmes, projects, and visions of the YarAdua administration. This experience underscores the importance of choosing a VP carefully and allowing the executive capacity to function as a president trump all other considerations in choosing a VP candidate.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the club of governors in APC and PDP have emerged as the most crucial bloc in deciding who a potential running mate would be. And I will not be surprised if the major parties go for them. It will be interesting to see how the other blocs in the party firmaments and political structures will react to the dominance of the club of governors in this case. My primary concern is not where the VP candidates come from but their suitability. Nigeria can get it right now and join the league of mature democracies that allow capacity, rather than sentimental reasons, shape the choice of VP candidates.

Even the electorate does not pay much attention to who the vice presidential candidates are. Often, the issue of VP is reduced to ethnic or regional sentiments, and it gives politicians from the area the VP candidate comes from access to the villa. The common misconception that VPs do not matter in the political equation and are powerless in the scheme of things is wrong and must change with time. I can only assume that this idea has been perpetuated over time because of the inability of VPs to succeed their principals as presidents. However, we must never forget that the VP plays a critical economic role in Nigeria. The VP has some constitutional functions, including presiding over National Economic Council. Imagine having a VP who cannot manage and make meaningful inputs into the NEC. That will be disastrous!

In the absence of linking potential VPs to the quality of input and output of governance, three key issues stare us in the face as parties and presidential candidates choose VP candidates. First, Nigerians should demand to know our potential VPs, as much as we want to know our presidential hopefuls, so that we can make informed decisions in electing them. Second, there are certain minimal qualities that a potential VP must possess for the joint ticket, in order to earn our confidence. And finally, a VP is a president in waiting, so he must share his idea of how he can turn the country around with the Nigerian people.

The choice of VP candidates should send a signal on what matters to our presidential candidates. Is it politics, mundane governance issues, the economy, or new thinking on how to salvage Nigeria? A VP candidate should not be about satisfying petty sentiments or settling those who lost out in internal party politics or those who can raise money for the election. We should see beyond these. We must acknowledge our time and realise that we need our best hands to bring us out of the present political and economic quagmire. The VP candidature is not a souvenir but a call to salvage the nation at a time of national economic and security crisis.

The net effect of my proposition is that in the presidential democratic system, the executive at the centre of government is embodied in the president. As the executive head of the government, the president appoints and assembles all other members of the executive to collaborate with him in executing and enforcing the law and leading the people to prosperity. One person the president must choose properly to run with in the election is his VP. The VP is a critical stakeholder in the presidency and, as such, must be selected carefully.

The choice of the VP must transcend parochialism and pedantic reasoning. The VP candidature is serious business and must be treated as such. I must argue that the choice of a presidents VP says a lot about the psychology and direction of the presidency, if the presidential candidate wins. One can extrapolate, albeit unscientifically, about the presidencys mood, feel, and impact through the choice of the VP. If the presidential candidate gets his first choice of appointment (the VP) wrong, how can we trust him to get other essential appointments into the executive arm of government right?

Dakuku Peterside is a policy and leadership expert.
Although it is not clear who will emerge victorious at the APC presidential primary, what is clear though are those who will not emerge. Sadly, Tinubu may be on top of this list. In the event Tinubu is elbowed out by Buhari and his men, let him rest assured that nobody, not even Buhari, can erase him from history. If Tinubu looks deeper and sees an unfolding movement of young people thirsting for good governance across the land, and plays his card well after his impending loss, he may still end up as the father of a new Nigeria.

The strongman and leader of South-West politics, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been at the receiving end of all manners of attacks in the past few days, including from members of his own political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The attacks are coming not only from those who hate him, those who secretly admire his guts, those who fear him, but also from those who have been eating from him for a long time. But what exactly did Tinubu do to warrant the kind of bile that has been lately unleashed on him?

The offence of the former governor was that he publicly  for the first time  let the world hear exclusively from him what already was no longer news even in the beer parlour; the story of the becoming of President Buhari. Yes, who does not know how Tinubu, together with a few others, paved the way for General Muhammadu Buhari, already termed a serial loser by the media, to become Nigerias president in 2015.

I have read and heard many people ask, what did Tinubu do for Buhari in 2015? Well, even President Buhari himself, I believe, will not in good conscience follow that thought pattern. Yes, the Jagaban cannot claim to have solely enthroned Buhari in 2015, but he showed the pathway and led from the front. Even more significant is the fact that many of those in the South-West struggling now to harvest the glory of 2015 with Tinubu, were there not as Buharis supporters, but simply as Tinubus followers.

Lest we forget, Tinubu did not just provide the platform and possibly a large chunk of cash that enabled Buhari and APC to defeat a sitting president, he continued to support the Buhari presidency even when it amounted to self-immolation. Those political hounds now out in the boulevard with knives baying for the blood of Asiwaju should just look back and see how Tinubu, even at personal cost, had done his best in bringing stability to the government he helped bring to power seven years ago.

when Buhari showed his hand early in 2015 by letting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu know that he was just one of the national leaders of the party, not the National Leader, he simply walked away without a whimper. Indeed, the Buhari presidency carried on in its first term as if Tinubu did not exist, until the reality of the reelection dawned on them. Then, the presidency realised how important Asiwaju was and started courting him again.

At the most critical moments in the life of the Buhari administration, who was there to provide the needed and critical stabilising support of the South-West region when it seemed that all the other zones of the country, especially the North-Central, the South-East and the South-South, had decidedly turned their backs on the president? Tinubu it was, of course. Yes, the most obvious and indeed justified criticism of the Buhari presidency is its brazen mismanagement of the nations diversity. Buhari has been accused of being too much of a Fulani man, rather than being the Nigerian president, and this disposition plays out poignantly in his many appointments and even in the siting of projects across Nigeria since 2015.

Let us take, for instance, the appointments in the security sector of the country, which has left out an important swathe of the country, the South-East, under Buhari. Ordinarily, you would have expected a federalist like Bola Ahmed Tinubu to speak out or speak up and tell the president that the essence of federalism is for each segment of the federation to see a little of itself in the bigger picture frame of the country. Tinubu, before his association with Buhari, would not have stomached the deliberate northernisation of the countrys security council by President Buhari. But Tinubu chose to be silent at this anomaly, maybe because of friendship, personal loyalty and support for the President. Or maybe out of selfish interest now couched as a lifelong ambition.

Second, when Buhari showed his hand early in 2015 by letting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu know that he was just one of the national leaders of the party, not the National Leader, he simply walked away without a whimper. Indeed, the Buhari presidency carried on in its first term as if Tinubu did not exist, until the reality of the reelection dawned on them. Then, the presidency realised how important Asiwaju was and started courting him again. Even Tinubus wife, Senator Remi Tinubu, could not hide her disappointment on the way her husband was trashed just like a filthy rag after all he did to help Buhari become president. He was campaigning, I did too. We were running three campaigns in my house. And for him to be trashed like that? But I saw somebody who has love for this country. I hate to speak because when I stand in the front of God, I dont want to, because of this man, go to hell. Occasionally, I would chip in and I would say, Youre still helping out? Why are you helping out? He would say, This country matters to me more, Tinubus wife reportedly told the media.

Despite the humiliation, Tinubu again led the charge in 2019 for the presidents reelection. He could have pitched tent with his good friend, Atiku Abubakar, who could easily have won had Tinubu supported him against President Buhari. Again, when it seemed that the South-West, and indeed the rest of the country, had taken a position against the Fulani herdsmen because of the activities of some criminal herders, strangely, Tinubu appeared to be the only man standing behind Buhari and the Fulanis demanding that criminals, rather than an ethnic group, should be dealt with for who they are. Remember also the #EndSARS protests, which President Buhari wrongly called a coup by young people to remove him from office. Although the protests were targeted at ending police brutality and bad governance, it could have ended differently without the intervention of people like Tinubu.

Yes, what happened in Abeokuta a few days ago with Tinubu was just a slip; one of those elderly moments And it was expected because Tinubu has borne so much humiliation, unrequited kindness, one-sided friendship and disloyalty from those who can be rightly called his beneficiaries. Maybe, in pursuing this lifelong ambition, he has edited himself so much so that people cannot recognise the real Tinubu again.

You cannot dismiss Tinubus unmistakable loyalty to President Buhari and the APC since 2015 as mere pursuit of personal interest to achieve his lifelong ambition. If so, there wouldnt have been any need for Asiwaju to mortally injure himself on many occasions. When Tinubu made that famous where are the cows comment when the daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, was murdered, he left an indelible scar on himself and lost thousands, if not millions, of supporters in Yorubaland. When Tinubu ditched the youths in Lagos to support Buharis government during the #EndSARS protests, he gave away a critical segment of the population that made him leader of the South-West.

Yes, what happened in Abeokuta a few days ago with Tinubu was just a slip; one of those elderly moments. Even Buhari has had his own big share of those moments. Remember Ondo about three years ago when he told the crowd how they (APC) won in Osun State by means of a remote control. And it was expected because Tinubu has borne so much humiliation, unrequited kindness, one-sided friendship and disloyalty from those who can be rightly called his beneficiaries. Maybe, in pursuing this lifelong ambition, he has edited himself so much so that people cannot recognise the real Tinubu again. In a way Bola Tinubu now looks like Manchester United  without his signature identity, trying so hard to be what he is not.

Although it is not clear who will emerge victorious at the APC presidential primary, what is clear though are those who will not emerge. Sadly, Tinubu may be on top of this list. In the event Tinubu is elbowed out by Buhari and his men, let him rest assured that nobody, not even Buhari, can erase him from history. If Tinubu looks deeper and sees an unfolding movement of young people thirsting for good governance across the land, and plays his card well after his impending loss, he may still end up as the father of a new Nigeria. That way, he will no longer worry about what is written about him in history. He will have the chance to write the history himself.

Uche Ugboajah, a political scientist, is the editor-in-chief of Ikengaonline.


In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation. May the salutations of Allah, His peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet, his family, his companions and his true and sincere followers until the Last Day  then to proceed:

Jahannam, Hawiya, Hutama, and Saqar are the names Allah has used in the Noble Quran for hell. Hell will be a place for disbelievers in Allah, hypocrites, idolaters, the arrogant, those who treat religion as a pastime, have broken the treaty, made fun of Allahs messengers or reality of Day of Judgment, murderers, ones misappropriating inheritance especially of orphans, those who are accused of slandering chaste women will dwell in hell. As Allah Almighty says in Quran that:

Indeed, those who disbelieve and commit wrong [or injustice]  never will Allah forgive them, nor will He guide them to a path. Except for the path of Hell; they will abide therein forever. And that, for Allah, is [always] easy. [Surah Nisa, verse 168, 169]

But Who Will Enter The Hell First?

According to a Hadith, the first three people whom Allah will call to send them to the hell will be an Islamic scholar, a martyr, and a wealthy man. The Hadith is as follows:

The Martyr:

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) say:

The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognise them. [The Allah Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied  you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hellfire.

The Scholar:

[Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognise them. [Allah The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied  you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hellfire.

The Richman:

[Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognise them. [Allah The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them?He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied  you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hellfire. [Muslim]

May Allah save us from the punishment of hell fire, Ameen!

All praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okenes Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.
I never wanted to write this story but I was inspired to do so today, following Buba Galadimas interview with the Punch on Monday. Buba struck a chord when he spoke about the issue of trust in the relationship between Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

You think Osinbajo should have given up his presidential ambition for loyalty to Tinubu?, Buba was asked.

He replied: If he doesnt, can you now trust him? If you look at how Osinbajo came with Tinubu and hes now contesting against Tinubu who brought him, how safe would you be to work with such a person?

If the man who did all this to someone who made him commissioner, made him this, made him that and he is now fighting him. You will now want to fight for him now, what would be your status later in life with him?.

Just like Buba, I feel strongly that Osinbajo has grossly violated the trust that ordinarily should exist between him and Tinubu.

Contrary to the stories in the social media, I was the one God used to bring Osinbajo into Tinubus circle in January 1999.

Tinubu had just won the election as governor of Lagos State and days after, we met on the 6th floor of Kresta Laurel at Maryland, which Otunba Gbenga Daniel donated for our use. On this day, Tinubu shared with us some of the certain appointments he intended to make. Those who were at the meeting were Otunba Daniel, Dele Alake and I. Tinubu sat at the head of the table as he said he would make Rafiu Tinubu the Lagos State Head of Service. We argued over this and he justified the planned appointment by saying that Rafiu, who is now late, was a senior permanent secretary in the Lagos Civil Service.

Attorney-General will be Bayo Oriola, Tinubu said.

I shot back and said:  I have a better person for you, my exact words. Tinubu was startled by my interjection.

Who is that, he asked.

He is a Law Professor and the man who drafted our companys MOU. He crafted it in a brilliant way that protected us from the founding partners. Without this, the other shareholders would have thrown us out, I explained.

I also said Osinbajo had worked with Prince Bola Ajibola, who was the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under President Babangida.

Dele and Otunba Daniel did not oppose my nomination, surprisingly. Tinubu also appeared eager to meet the wonder lawyer that I have just sold to him, to replace a man, who had served as the lawyer to the campaign.

Go and bring him, Tinubu said.

Before the meeting ended, Tinubu also settled on his nominee for Information Ministry. It was to be Dele Alake and I said I would return to my office to continue journalism.

After the meeting, I went to Osinbajos house in Ogudu to invite him to meet the new governor, Bola Tinubu. I remember entering the apartment from the kitchen. The wife was there when I delivered the message and left the house with him, later.

I have never published this story before and hereby want to apologise to my namesake Bayo Oriola, for blocking what should have rightly been his entitlement, going by the role he played during the campaign. I hope Oriola would have the heart to forgive me.

This event happened 23 years ago. Thus a few days ago, I asked Alake to fill the memory gap. Here is what he sent to me from the U.S.

I remember that day very well. I had actually mentioned Jebby ( Osinbajos nickname) to Asiwaju before that meeting. He said well see. You can ask Asiwaju himself. Which was why I didnt object when you mentioned him at the meeting because it reinforced what I had told him.

My mentioning Jebbys name was solely because we were classmates in Igbobi college  same classroom, together with Tunde Fowler, Ade Ashekun, (the one he made ambassador to Canada) and Tunde Durosinmi Etti, former Commissioner under Ambode. Jebby and I were also attending the same church, Baptist Sheperd Hill Obanikoro, and his fathers house in Obanikoro not far from my dads house in Pedro road at the back of the church.

After you mentioned his name that day , Asiwaju still asked Gbenga Daniel again and Gbenga also okayed him.

 Asiwaju knows all these. You were the one that mentioned him openly at the meeting while I had mentioned him a day or two before in private and Asiwaju again confirmed his name from Daniel.

When Asiwaju told me he also asked about him from Daniel I then told him that Daniel, myself and yourself were contemporaries in UNILAG and he laughed that we were doing Akoka solidarity.

Looking back now, did I regret what I did in January 1999. Yes, I would say I have some regret, especially since my action hurt Bayo Oriola. And my apology to Oriola once again. I could not have foreseen todays turn of events between Tinubu and Osinbajo, who I nominated to be justice commissioner.

Bayo Onanuga, a publisher, is a former managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria.
Abba Kabir, the son-in-law to ex-governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, was on Monday elected the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP).

Mr Kabir clinched the NNPPs ticket for governorship unchallenged.

Musa Aujara, the head of the election committee, told reporters that Mr Kabir is the lone contestant for the governorship seat under the NNPP in Kano.

He said according to the elections guidelines of the party, thus, he was affirmed by the delegates on a yes or no vote, which the yes won.

The election took place at the Sani Abacha Youth Centre, in Kanos metropolis. It was presided over by Mr Aujura, and other officials from the National Office of the NNPP.

Mr Aujura said 1,452 delegates drawn from each of the 484 wards affirmed Mr Kabir as the governorship candidate for the NNPP.

I chaired the committee organizing this exercise along with four other members that include Dr Sani Ado, Bashir Yusuf, Abubakar Suleiman and one other member, Mr Aujura told reporters.

The candidate, Mr Kabir, was the governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019. He lost the election in controversial circumstances, which included allegations of rigging and intimidation of voters, to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
A doctor, Victor Raji, who received the late Peju Ugboma after she was transferred to Evercare hospital, said the chances of survival of the deceased were low.

He testified in the ongoing coroners inquest into the circumstances of the death of Peju Ugboma, the Lagos-based chef at a magistrate court in Ogba, Lagos.

The deceased had undergone a fibroid surgery at Premier Hospital but was transferred on April 25, 2021, to Evercare in an emergency where she eventually died, the same day.

Mr Raji told the coroner that he is a clinical care physician and consultant anaesthetic. He also stated that he doubles as the head of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital.

Cross-examination

During a cross-examination by the familys lawyer, Babatunde Ogungbamila, Mr Raji explained his involvement with the deceased after receiving her.

He stated that his first contact with the patient was around 12 p.m. on April 25 at the hospitals emergency unit, also called the Ambulance Bay.

He noted that he was not on duty but he was called by his colleague, a neurologist, to attend to the patient.

He said he observed that she was severely pale and was in a dire state.

Mr Raji said she had respiratory failure, sepsis shock, and renal failure.

The patient was very sick, her blood pressure was very low, her heart rate was very fasther rate of breathing was also very fast and it was laboured, he added.

He noted that the deceased medical record and diagnosis were sent to them by Premier hospital.

The doctor said he didnt observe an abdominal drain but noticed massive blood loss.

The doctor explained pre-renal failure and stated that among the causes, are underlying causes that may be randomly triggered.

Mr Raji said he believed that the deceased could have been better monitored.

FCCPC

A representative of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) also cross-examined Mr Raji.

The doctor explained that at the time the deceased was brought into Evercare hospital, they couldnt do renal dialysis because she would not survive it.

When he was asked how long it takes to prepare for a patient with the deceased condition, Mr Raji said that they were always ready and had processes to make sure they could respond immediately.

The state and defence lawyers deferred their cross-examination to the next adjourned date, June 20, on the basis that they only got the Mr Rajis statement less than 48 hours ago.
Introduction of regulations regarding emission of greenhouse gases, increase in demand for luxury vehicles with greater cabin comfort, and rise in production & sale of automotive drive the growth of the global automotive air filter market.

PORTLAND, Ore., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Automotive Air Filters Market By Type (Air Intake Filters, Cabin Air Filters), By Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Light Commercial Vehicles, Heavy Commercial Vehicles), By Propulsion (ICE and Hybrid Vehicles, Electric Vehicles), By Sales Channel (Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Aftermarket): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030." According to the report, the global automotive air filter industry was estimated at $4.7 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to hit $7.8 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.4% from 2021 to 2030.

Download Report (308 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/14180

Prime determinants of growth-

Introduction of regulations regarding emission of greenhouse gases, increase in demand for luxury vehicles with greater cabin comfort, and rise in production & sale of automotive drive the growth of the global automotive air filter market. On the other hand, rise in demand for electric vehicles impedes growth to some extent. However, advancements in technology and surge in demand for the multi-filtration system are anticipated to pave the way for lucrative opportunities in the industry.

Covid-19 scenario-

Decrease in vehicle production and decline in sales of automobiles gave way to a shortage of automotive components, which resulted in delays of vehicles across the globe, thereby impacting the automotive air filter market negatively.

However, as the global situation is getting better, the market is also projected to get back on track soon.

Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/14180

The cabin air filters segment to dominate by 2030-

By type, the cabin air filters segment contributed to the major share in 2020, holding around more than half of the global automotive air filter market. The same segment would also cite the fastest CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period, since it aids in improving the car's ventilation by removing particles such as dust, mold, pollen, and bacteria from the air.

The passenger cars segment to maintain the lion's share-

By vehicle type, the passenger cars segment accounted for the major share in 2020, holding more than four-fifths of the global automotive air filter market. The same segment is also expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 5.6% from 2021 to 2030. This is attributed to the fact that several automobile manufacturers are launching new passenger cars with improved cabin air filters in order to provide improved HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems in vehicles.

Interested to Procure the Data with Actionable Strategy & Insights? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/14180

Asia-Pacific garnered the major share in 2020-

By region, the market Asia-Pacific had the lion's share in 2020, generating more than two-fifths of the global automotive air filter market. Increase in sale of passenger cars with advanced features to reduce carbon footprints drives the market growth. The Europe region, however, is projected to portray the fastest CAGR of 6.3% by 2030. This is due to increase in sales of cars and electric vehicles in the province.

Key players in the industry-

Denso Corporation

Donaldson Company, Inc.

Hengst SE

MANN+HUMMEL International GmbH & Co. KG

Hanon Systems

Mahle GmbH

Robert Bosch GmbH

Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj

Sogefi S.P.A

General Motors Company (AcDelco)

Alco Filters Ltd

CabinAir Sweden AB

Freudenberg Filtration Technologies SE & Co. KG

Cummins Inc.

Buy Complete Report Now! https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/8540babd172737481e3ba6b1e8dc26c0

Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry:

Air Filters Market by Type (Intake & Cabin), Filter Media (Intake-Cellulose and Synthetic & Cabin-Particle and Activated Carbon) and Market Type (OE & Aftermarket) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecasts, 2018-2030.

Automotive Hydraulic Filters Market by Filter Type (Bag Filter, Screen Filter, Magnetic Filter, and Others), Filter Material (Metal Screens, Wire Mesh, Synthetics, Micro-Glass, and Others), Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicles, and Heavy Commercial Vehicles), and Sales Channel (Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), and Aftermarket): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

Intake Filter Media Market by Application (Automotive, Aerospace, Marine, and Others), Filter Media (Cellulose and Synthetic), Distribution Channel (OEM and Aftermarket), Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Commercial Vehicle, Construction Equipment, Marine Vessels, and Others) and Mode (Off Road and On Road): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

Diesel Particulate Filter Market By Substrate Type (Cordierite, Silicon Carbide and Others), Regeneration Catalyst (Platinum-Rhodium, Palladium-Rhodium and Platinum-Palladium-Rhodium), Regeneration Process (Passive, Active-Fuel Assisted and Active-Electrically Assisted), Equipment Type (Agricultural Equipment and Construction Equipment) And Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light Weight Commercial Vehicle, Truck and Bus): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030.

Oil Filter Market by Product Type (Base gasket, Canister, Anti-drain black seal and Base plate), Vehicle Type (Compact passenger cars, Mid-sized passenger cars, Premium passenger cars and Luxury passenger cars), Sale Channel (Original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Original equipment supplier (OES) and Independent aftermarket (IAM)), and Filter Media (Cellulose, Synthetic and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030.

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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.

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BEIJING, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news release from GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE:

The three-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)Youth Technology and Innovation Forum dropped its curtain in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on June 2. The Shenzhen Initiative on SCO Youth Technology and Innovation Forum was adopted during the forum.

Shen Yueyue, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and President of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, Abduhakimov Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan and leaders of SCO member states, Zhang Ming, Secretary-General of the SCO, and foreign representatives attended the opening ceremony of the forum.

Shen delivered a keynote speech via video link. She expressed that friendly exchanges and sci-tech innovation have always been the priority areas of the SCO's cooperation.

Young people from SCO member countries should bear people's well-being in mind, seize opportunities, uphold openness and inclusiveness, engage in the friendship cause, Shen pointed out.

Abduhakimov Aziz delivered a keynote speech via video link. He noted that his country encourages young people to participate in the implementation of top-level planning and reform plans, fully supports the SCO work on youth affairs, and will continue to make contributions to the progress of the SCO youth cause and the development of the SCO member countries.

Six parallel sessions of the forum were held, including the Parallel Session on Youth Innovation and Cooperation, the Parallel Session on People's Health, the Parallel Session on Digital Economy, the Parallel Session on Artificial Intelligence, the Parallel Session on Green Development , and the Parallel Session on Poverty Reduction Cooperation and Rural Development. Fruitful results were yielded during the parallel sessions.

During the forum, the young participants also visited the SCO Youth Campus, sci-tech and innovative companies, youth entrepreneurship bases and cultural landmarks in the city.

About 30 Gen-Zers, including participants to the forum, young representatives from all walks of life in the city and Chinese and foreign media influencers, gathered together for a bike riding activity, which was a warm-up for the forum.

Government officials and diplomatic envoys from the member states, observer states, and dialogue partners of the SCO, representatives of universities, institutions and enterprises, young scientists, young entrepreneurs, and representatives of youth organizations and media outlets from home and abroad attended the forum, which was held both online and offline.

SOURCE GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE
Nepal cancels 2-day weekly holiday after month-long trial 15 Jun 2022 | 2:07 PM Kathmandu, 15 (UNI/Xinhua) Nepal will resume a one-day weekly holiday from this week after experimenting with Saturday-Sunday holidays for a month, an official said on Wednesday. see more..

Ukraine proposes lend-lease deal with US for LNG supplies - Reports 15 Jun 2022 | 2:06 PM Washington, June 15 (UNI/Sputnik) Ukraine's energy sector officials have proposed signing an energy "lend-lease agreement" with the United States for up to 6 billion cubic meters liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the country, US newspaper Foreign Policy reported on Wednesday. see more..

WHO to rename monkeypox after scientists call the name stigmatizing 15 Jun 2022 | 1:39 PM Geneva, June 15 (UNI) The World Health Organization announced that it will rename the increasingly spreading monkeypox virus after a group of scientists claimed the name could be stigmatizing New York Post reported on Wednesday. see more..

Sri Lankan, British flights avoid collision 15 Jun 2022 | 1:31 PM Colombo, June 15 (UNI) A vigilant crew of a Sri Lankan airline flying from London to Colombo avoided a possible devastating mid-air collision with a British Airways flight while in Turkish airspace, a newspaper here reported on Wednesday. see more..
Succeeding Mr. Shevlin will be Chad Yarlagadda. Currently, he serves as Atlanta Branch Manager for the Southeast Region. In his new role as Regional Executive Officer of the Southeast Region, he will be responsible for executing the underwriting and sales strategies of Chubb's business units, staff management, production, profit and loss, and distribution management in seven states in the Southeast.

The appointments are effective immediately. Mr. Shevlin will report to Matt Merna, Senior Vice President, Chubb Group and Division President, North America Major Accounts. Mr. Yarlagadda will report to Chris Maleno, Senior Vice President, Chubb Group and Division President, North America Field Operations.

"Jim has close to 30 years of insurance experience, with 20 of them being at Chubb where he held a variety of leadership roles," said Mr. Merna. "His background and understanding of our business positions him well to lead ESIS in continuing to provide outstanding service and results, while developing strategies to further grow the business through innovative solutions that help clients reduce their total cost of risk."

Mr. Maleno added, "We're so excited to see Jim move into his new role and thrilled that we have a deep bench of talent that ensures the ongoing success of our regional operations. Chad's understanding of the needs of clients in this region makes him an ideal fit for his new position and we are pleased to have someone of his caliber in this role."

Mr. Shevlin joined the company, then named ACE, in 2002 and has a diverse background in sales, marketing, management and e-commerce practices in the insurance industry. Prior to his current role, Mr. Shevlin served as Senior Vice President, Regional Executive Officer for ACE USA's Southwest Region.

Mr. Yarlagadda joined Chubb in 2004 as an underwriting trainee. Prior to his new role, he served as Atlanta Branch Manager for the Southeast Region, a role he assumed in 2021. Earlier, he was the Minneapolis Branch Manager for the Midwest Region. Throughout his career at Chubb, Mr. Yarlagadda has served in a number of technical, marketing and leadership roles in both underwriting and field operations.

About ESIS, a Chubb Company

ESIS, Inc. provides claim and risk management services to a wide variety of commercial clients. Our innovative best-in-class approach to program design, integration, and achievement of results aligns with the needs and expectations of our clients' unique risk management needs. With more than 70 years of experience and offerings in both the U.S. and globally, ESIS provides one of the industry's broadest selections of risk management solutions covering both pre- and post-loss services.

About Chubb



Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com.

Chubb Insurance Company of Canada has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver and provides its products and services through licensed insurance brokers across Canada. For additional information, visit: chubb.com/ca.

SOURCE Chubb
Less than eight years remain to align with the 1.5-degree pathway and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals laid out by the United Nations. If the fashion industry does not accelerate its response to climate change, by 2030 it will be responsible for producing approximately twice the volume of emissions permitted to align with the Paris Agreement global warming pathways towards net zero emissions by 2050. Meanwhile, the global pandemic and volatile geopolitical climate are dramatically disrupting the global economy, exacerbating social dilemmas, and disrupting commodities and value chains around the world. Bold alliances are needed to redesign the fashion system and establish pervasive change.

In a bid to accelerate progress, The GFA Monitor presents guidance according to the five sustainability priorities of the Fashion CEO Agenda: Respectful and Secure Work Environments, Better Wage Systems, Circular Systems, Resource Stewardship, and Smart Materials Choices. Building alliances through shared industry knowledge, each priority includes expert insights from GFA's Impact Partners including: Fair Labor Association (FLA), the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP), Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Apparel Impact Institute, and Textile Exchange, respectively. Through action on these priorities, GFA believes that the industry will progress towards achieving a living wage and fair compensation for all, a significant reduction of conventional virgin resources, and decreased emissions that will lead to a net positive fashion industry.

Federica Marchionni, CEO, Global Fashion Agenda, says: "With such an array of information circulating about sustainability, it can be challenging for leaders to identify which actions will lead them on the path to progress. Through this report, we aim to create an aligned resource for the industry. We have created alliances with multiple expert organisations with different specialties to combine existing knowledge and reduce complexity. The solutions and tools that the fashion industry needs to improve already exist. It's time to use them ambitiously. I hope this report can be a companion for the industry on its journey to reach a net positive industry by 2050."

Through a newly formed partnership with sustainability insights platform, Higg, GFA is working to establish a measurement baseline to improve the availability, reliability, and consistency of data to measure industry progress. Data from the brands and retailers that completed the Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM)* indicates that they have made more progress in areas of Resource Stewardship, Respectful and Secure Work Environments, and Smart Material Choices, whereas there are still significant improvements to be made related to Better Wage Systems and Circular Systems. The data demonstrates that more action is urgently needed across all five priority areas to improve industry performance. (View more data highlights below).

Building on the inaugural 2022 edition, GFA intends for The GFA Monitor to become an annual gauge of the fashion industry; to monitor industry progress to increase accountability, present the latest insights and impact data, and identify critical actions required to meet its objectives. GFA welcomes further cooperation with other industry organisations as the annual report evolves and responds to industry and scientific developments.

GFA and its Impact Partners will discuss the findings during Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition, the leading international forum for sustainability in fashion, taking place on 7-8 June at the Royal Opera House, Copenhagen.

Jason Kibbey, CEO, Higg  Data Partner for The GFA Monitor, says: "Higg is honored to have been selected as GFA's data partner. We look forward to helping close the information gaps that exist today to bring businesses the data necessary to make critical interventions and reduce impact."

Words from The GFA Monitor's Impact Partners:

Lewis Perkins, President, Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), says: "Congratulations to GFA on this new report highlighting the necessarily collaborative nature of industry efforts to accelerate positive impact. Aii is proud to contribute content on the proven, data-driven solutions that are ready to scale for improved resource efficiency. It is only with greater transparency and an eye towards the tremendous gaps we must fill rapidly in the coming years that our industry will successfully make the changes that are imperative today."

Laura Balmond, Fashion Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, says: "GFA brings together key industry actors to address challenges and create real change, which is why we're delighted to share our vision of a circular economy for fashion in the latest GFA Monitor report. Together we can redesign the fashion industry from being a linear model of take, make waste, to one that eliminates waste and pollution, circulates products and materials and regenerates nature."

Sharon Waxman, President and CEO, Fair Labor Association (FLA), says: "The GFA Monitor showcases what is achievable when fashion companies are committed to sustainability. At Fair Labor Association we work with global brands to foster that same commitment to improving the lives of workers in factories around the world. Collaboration is key to addressing the health, safety, and economic wellbeing of workers, especially on living wages."

Janet Mensink, Executive Director, Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP), says: "The need to focus on respectful and secure working environments in fashion's supply chains has never been more urgent. The guidance provided in the GFA Monitor can support the industry to move in the right direction and to harness the power of collaborative approaches that create systemic change and maximize impact"

Ashley Gill, Chief Strategy Officer, Textile Exchange, says: "With the Climate+ strategy Textile Exchange is committed to driving a 45% reduction in GHG emissions in fiber and material production. We urge companies to consider material choices and business models that reduce impacts without losing sight of interdependent impacts such as biodiversity, soil health, and water. The GFA Monitor will provide essential guidance to changemakers in the industry's journey."

Watch The GFA Monitor media briefing to learn more and hear from our Impact Partners.

Download the full embargoed report here and supporting imagery here.

Visit globalfashionagenda.org to stay updated on Global Fashion Agenda's news and insights.

SOURCE Global Fashion Agenda
HYDERABAD, India, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyient, a leading consulting-led, industry-centric, global Technology Solutions company, today announced that it had signed definitive agreements to acquire Celfinet. An international Wireless Engineering Services company, Celfinet, is focused on providing end-to-end Network Planning and Performance Optimization services. Cyient will acquire the Portugal-based company for EURO 41 Million.

The reach and performance of ongoing 5G deployment and early steps towards 6G are developing to a point where they provide flawless infrastructure for pervasive and unified connectivity. With this acquisition, Cyient strengthens its Wireless Engineering practice to support Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Enterprises in deploying their pervasive connectivity networks at scale. This will also enable Enterprises to build networks to harness the power of 5G and drive their own Digital Transformation journey. The addition will further strengthen Cyient's presence in Europe, where Celfinet has a strong footprint, and help scale Cyient's business across North America and Australia.

Commenting on the acquisition, Krishna Bodanapu, Managing Director and CEO, Cyient, said, "Cyient is helping CSPs engineer the networks of tomorrow by delivering solutions across Intelligent Infrastructure, Smart Operations, and Enterprise Network Transformation. Celfinet's deep expertise and long-standing customer relationships will further add to our capabilities as we strengthen our technology play in wireless networks for 5G rollouts. In addition, Portugal has a highly skilled engineering workforce, making it a strategic innovation hub for expanding our global delivery footprint."

Nuno Ribeiro and Jose Mata, Founder and Co-CEOs, Celfinet, declared, "We are very excited about this new journey we are starting with Cyient. Despite many approaches over the years, it was critical to wait for the right fit in a company to take over the business and unleash our potential. Cyient presented not only shared values but also an ambitious and innovative vision for the future, with Celfinet acting as the cornerstone investment to drive Cyient's Wireless Engineering forward."

About Cyient

Cyient (Estd: 1991, NSE: CYIENT) is a leading consulting-led, industry-centric, global Technology Solutions company. We enable our customers to apply technology imaginatively across their value chain to solve problems that matter. We are committed to designing tomorrow together with our stakeholders and being a culturally inclusive, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable organization.

For more information, please visit www.cyient.com



Follow news about the company at @Cyient

About Celfinet

Headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, Celfinet has successfully built an international business combining outstanding wireless engineering expertise and best in class network management solutions portfolio to improve network quality and wiresless customer experience whilst at the same time reducing capex and opex.

For more information, please visit www.celfinet.com

Rishiraj Barik I Soumya P Cyient Press Office  Genesis BCW +91 9739196200 I +91 8368543945 [email protected] I [email protected] Kiran Rajani Cyient PR Team +91 9884139184 [email protected]

SOURCE Cyient
Nurses and healthcare workers are assaulted more than police officers and prison guards, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening threats and violence

BOSTON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts lawmakers advanced key healthcare violence prevention legislation the day after a gunman killed four people at Tulsa's Saint Francis Hospital campus on Wednesday, a horrific act that reminded nurses and healthcare professionals of local violence and sparked a renewed sense of urgency for stronger protections at healthcare facilities.

"Nurses and healthcare professionals have been dedicating themselves to safely caring for patients while suffering from an epidemic of violence for many years," said Katie Murphy, a practicing ICU nurse, and President of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. "Here in Massachusetts, we know all too well the potential for deadly violence in healthcare that was inflicted on innocent people in Tulsa. We know the pain of the victims and their families, we grieve with them, and we call for stronger protections for everyone in healthcare."

Massachusetts representatives recommended on Thursday, June 2 that legislation filed on behalf of the MNA  An Act requiring health care employers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence  be passed favorably out of committee and sent to House Ways and Means. The House bill is very similar to Senate legislation bearing the same name that lawmakers advanced to the Senate Ways and Means committee on March 31.

The legislation, sponsored by Senator Joan Lovely and Representative Denise Garlick, would:

Require healthcare employers to perform an annual safety risk assessment and, based on those findings, develop, and implement programs to minimize the danger of workplace violence to employees and patients.

Provide time off for health care workers assaulted on the job to address legal issues.

Allows nurses and healthcare professionals to use their health care facility address instead of their home address to handle legal issues related to an assault.

Require semiannual reporting of assaults on health care employees to District Attorneys.

Stats on Healthcare Violence

Local Healthcare Violence

Last October, WBUR reported that two to three Massachusetts General Hospital nurses are assaulted every day.

In July 2021 , a Lowell General Hospital nurse was severely assaulted in the emergency department, hit in the head with a fire extinguisher by a patient. WHDH reported that than 70% of emergency department nurses report being assaulted during their careers.

, a Lowell General Hospital nurse was severely assaulted in the emergency department, hit in the head with a fire extinguisher by a patient. WHDH reported that than 70% of emergency department nurses report being assaulted during their careers. Two months later, WHDH reported on a "troubling rise in patient violence" in Massachusetts emergency departments.

emergency departments. In June 2017 , Harrington Hospital nurse Elise Wilson was stabbed multiple times. The attack nearly killed Wilson, who required surgery. She later supported MNA workplace violence legislation along with her husband and colleagues.

, Harrington Hospital nurse was stabbed multiple times. The attack nearly killed Wilson, who required surgery. She later supported MNA workplace violence legislation along with her husband and colleagues. In January 2015 , Dr. Michael J. Davidson was killed in murder/suicide shooting at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The tragedy prompted Brigham nurses to press for improved protections at their hospital, enlisting OSHA and fighting at the bargaining table during a negotiation campaign that nearly resulted in a strike in June 2016 .

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association
DUBLIN, June 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Nuclear Energy Growth Opportunities" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The publisher values the global PPE market for the nuclear energy industry at $255.6 million in 2021 and projects it will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.6% from 2021 to 2026.

Protective clothing is the largest product segment, accounting for 48.9% of market revenue. Activities in the nuclear energy industry that contribute the most PPE market revenue are outages and operations and maintenance.



Decommissioning a nuclear power plant requires the most sophisticated and highest-value PPE because this is when hazards are the highest. However, decommissioning is low in terms of volume.



On the one hand, the nuclear energy industry is growing in some regions, such as Asia and Central-Eastern Europe, with the majority of power plants under construction in China and India. On the other hand, the industry's growth is relatively stagnant in Western Europe and the Americas. Germany and Great Britain are the main countries trying to reduce their dependence on nuclear energy. These regions are witnessing the construction of only 7 new nuclear power plants.



Each country that operates with nuclear energy has its own regulatory standards, although some international organizations work on aligning regulations as much as possible, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Nuclear Law Association (INLA).



Research Scope

This research presents the global PPE market for the nuclear energy industry, considering current status and future prospects. It quantifies revenue in US dollars generated between 2018 and 2021 and estimates revenue between 2022 and 2026. Prices are calculated at the manufacturer level.

Regional scope is limited to the countries that have nuclear power plants, either operational, under construction, or in the decommissioning process. This adds up to 38 countries in Africa , Asia , Europe , and North and South America .

, , , and North and . The publisher has identified 6 phases in nuclear energy generation for use in this analysis: nuclear power plant construction and commissioning; fuel production; operation and maintenance; outages; decommissioning; and nuclear waste management.

The PPE product segments are above-the-neck protection, respiratory protection, protective clothing, hand protection, foot protection, and fall protection. The PPE is not limited to protection against radioactivity, but includes other hazards such as physical, thermal, and electrical, which are common to several industries.

The study takes into account the present state of PPE products that workers in the PPE industry typically use as well as the technology trends and possible evolution for these products.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Strategic Imperatives

Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow?

The Strategic Imperative

The Impact of the Top Three Strategic Imperatives for the PPE Market in the Nuclear Energy Industry

Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine

2. Growth Opportunity Analysis, PPE Market in Nuclear Energy Industry

Key Findings

PPE Market Outlook for Nuclear Energy Industry

Scope of Analysis

Market Segmentation

Percent Revenue by Product Type

Key Competitors

Key Growth Metrics

Growth Drivers

Growth Restraints

Forecast Assumptions

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Analysis

Competitive Environment

3. Overview of Nuclear Energy Industry

Overview of Nuclear Energy Industry

Global Hot Spots - Operational Nuclear Power Plants

Global Hot Spots - Under Construction Nuclear Power Plants

Global Hot Spots - Permanently Shut Down Nuclear Power Plants

Global Hot Spots Discussion

Main Hazards in Nuclear Energy Production

Industry Overview - Stages in Nuclear Power Generation

Industry Overview - Power Plant Construction and Commissioning

Industry Overview - Fuel Production

Industry Overview - Operations and Maintenance

Industry Overview - Decommissioning

Industry Overview - Nuclear Waste Management

Industry Overview - Outages

Future Nuclear Plants - Expectations

Regulatory Standards in the Nuclear Energy Industry

4. Growth Opportunity Analysis by Product Type, PPE Market

Forecast by Product Type

Above-the-Neck Protection for Nuclear Energy Industry

Respiratory Protection for Nuclear Energy Industry

Hand Protection for Nuclear Energy Industry

Protective Clothing for Nuclear Energy Industry

Foot Protection for Nuclear Energy Industry

Fall Protection for Nuclear Energy Industry

5. Growth Opportunity Universe, PPE Market in Nuclear Energy Industry

Growth Opportunity 1 - Breathable Protective Clothing for Improved Comfort

Growth Opportunity 2 - Autonomous Air Supply System for Protective Clothing

Growth Opportunity 3 - PPE Supply for Future Operating Plants

6. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/w5tuqn

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
Industry Veterans Bring Over 35 Years of Combined Experience with Proven Track Records in Cannabis, Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods

OAKLAND, Calif. and TORONTO, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Harborside Inc. ("Harborside" or the "Company") (CSE: HBOR) (OTCQX: HBORF), a California-focused, vertically integrated cannabis enterprise, today announced the expansion of its leadership team, appointing Kavi Bhai as vice president of financial planning and analysis and Angela Pih as vice president of marketing.

Mr. Bhai has over 11 years of relevant experience, having previously worked for BellRock Brands, where he served as chief financial officer. Prior to BellRock, he served as chief financial officer at Mary's Medicinals and led audit and advisory engagements at Frazier & Deeter, LLC. In his current role, Mr. Bhai will be responsible for planning, forecasting, budgeting, and analysis to support the execution of the Company's strategic plan.

Ms. Pih is charged with expanding Harborside's market share by strengthening the company's brands and sales capabilities. She was previously chief marketing officer at Papa & Barkley, the category leader in cannabis products for health and wellness, and at CannaCraft, a house of brands in California across recreational and wellness cannabis products. Considered a technology "first mover", Ms. Pih is a 3x Clio Award winner and was named by The Drum as a Top Female Talent of Color in 2018. She brings 25 years of experience in cannabis, retail, and consumer packaged goods.

"As we embark upon the next phase of growth in creating a leading, vertically integrated cannabis enterprise, we are filling the final two critical positions in our senior executive team," said Ed Schmults, CEO Harborside. "The addition of Kavi, with his track record of navigating companies toward financial growth following internal overhaul, and Angela, with her proven marketing experience across retail and CPG brands, is hugely beneficial to Harborside as we further establish a leadership role in the California market."

About Harborside

Harborside, a vertically integrated enterprise with cannabis licenses covering retail, major brands, distribution, cultivation, nursery and manufacturing, is one of the oldest and most respected cannabis companies in California. Founded in 2006, Harborside was awarded one of the first six medical cannabis licenses granted in the United States. Today, the Company operates 14 dispensaries covering Northern and Southern California and one in Oregon, distribution facilities in San Jose and Los Angeles, California and integrated cultivation/production facilities in Salinas and Greenfield, California. Harborside is a publicly listed company, currently trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the ticker symbol "HBOR" and the OTCQX under the ticker symbol "HBORF".

The Company continues to play an instrumental role in making cannabis safe and accessible to a broad and diverse community of California and Oregon consumers.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Harborside Inc.
HIA TOPICS delivers library of medically authenticated answers

ALPHARETTA, Ga., June. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/-- The Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia today announced the launch of a partnership with HIA Technologies, Inc. This important development is part of a larger strategic plan to expand efforts to reach and improve the effectiveness in serving the Hispanic/Latino community. It will also serve other minority, underserved, and socio-economically challenged populations. The interactive education platform, HIA TOPICS will be leveraged to reduce misinformation, increase engagement, and improve health literacy. Leveraging 20+ years of academic research in human/computer interaction, digital humans, and advanced AI technologies, HIA TOPICS allows health providers to create their own virtual learning environments, eliminates barriers to medically validated information, and connects patients to real-time answers from their physician via conversational AI.

Shirley E. "Bella," Borghi, HHCGA Executive Director, said this about the partnership with HIA:

"The HHCGA has long regarded education as a critical strategic component in the quest to promote awareness and facilitate access to healthcare services and available benefits. By partnering with HIA, the HHCGA can now deliver a library of healthcare topics, sourced from known and respected subject matter experts to the Hispanic/Latino community. HIA TOPICS represents an extraordinary opportunity for underserved communities to have answers to health questions, and to do so in an interactive virtual learning environment."

With HIA TOPICS, clinicians deploy physician-authored education from a library of healthcare topics. Digital agents then host interactive presentations during which patients can ask questions and hear their physician's answers, thanks to physician-controlled AI.

CEO Vacit Arat states, "Our method of matching physician-authored responses to real-time patient questions simulates live interactions with pinpoint accuracy." He adds, "Patients get trusted information from the source, stop error-prone internet searches, and reconnect with their providers from the safety of home. HHCGA is a perfect example of how organizations that are committed to health equity can leverage cutting-edge technology that is both inclusive and accessible."

For HHCGA, the goal of the program is to explore the utility and impact of HIA TOPICS on patients, and measure potential improvements in efficiency and adherence to or adoption of medical protocols. Some specific use outcomes that are being collected include: quantitative and qualitative data to address the impact of social determinants on underserved populations, with a focus on the Hispanic/Latino population and ultimately justify their Extension For Community Healthcare Outcomes (Echo) model, which would support peer collaboration, network building, and capacity resilience throughout the public health workforce.

HHCGA's implementation of HIA TOPICS focused first on increasing awareness for screening exams related to Colonoscopy and Mammography. Colon cancer and breast cancer kill a disproportionate number of Hispanic/Latino and Black Americans every year. As cited by the American Cancer Society, 176,000 new cancer cases will be diagnosed within our Hispanic/Latino population, resulting in 46,500 deaths each year, and 224,080 new cancer cases will be diagnosed within the Black community resulting in 73,680 deaths each year. With early screening and detection, the survival rate of these cancers is dramatically increased for better health outcomes. By providing trustworthy education designed to specifically reach these audiences, HHCGA plans to publish results from this program in a whitepaper this summer.

About HIA Technologies

HIA Technologies, Inc. was founded with the mission to vastly expand the ways businesses reach their audiences, allowing them to participate in intimate, personalized, conversations in an efficient, precise, and low-cost manner. HIA's Embodied AI technology is a transformative user interface that allows artificially intelligent interactive characters to conduct sophisticated conversations with people, educate them, ask and answer questions, and report back on the interactions. A result of 20+ years of research in human-computer interaction, digital humans, AI, and XR, HIA's products allow businesses to quickly create and deploy conversations at scale, opening the door to endless engagement opportunities.

About The HHCGA

The Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia, ("HHCGA"), is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, with more than

35 years dedicated to serving the Hispanic/Latino and under-served populations throughout the State of Georgia. The HHCGA is Georgia's only statewide organization focused on Hispanic/Latino Chronic Disease prevention and better health outcomes. It offers direct community services and support activities to improve the health of Georgia Latinos. As an expert in community health promotion, education, policy, and health advocacy, HHCGA creates high-quality, culturally sensitive, and linguistically appropriate health care and prevention services for their community.

Media Contact

Jolean Sheffield

VP Content and Marketing [email protected] www.HIA.AI

Ossie Williams

Director of Communications/PR

[email protected]

https://www.hhcga.org/

SOURCE Hispanic Health Coalition of GA
SEATTLE, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

JND Legal Administration announces a proposed Settlement in In Re: Farm-Raised Salmon and Salmon Products Antitrust Litigation, Master File No. 19-21551-CVALTONAGA. The Court in charge of this case is the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division (the "Court").

Plaintiffs Euclid Fish Company; Euro USA Inc.; Schneider's Fish and Sea Food Corporation; and The Fishing Line LLCsued on behalf of a proposed Class. The companies they sued are called the Defendants and include Mowi ASA (formerly known as Marine Harvest ASA), Mowi USA, LLC (formerly known as Marine Harvest USA, LLC), Mowi Canada West, Inc. (formerly known as Marine Harvest Canada, Inc.), and Mowi Ducktrap, LLC (an assumed name of Ducktrap River of Maine, LLC); Grieg Seafood ASA, Grieg Seafood BC Ltd., Grieg Seafood North America Inc. (formerly known as Ocean Quality North America Inc.),; Grieg Seafood USA, Inc. (formerly known as Ocean Quality USA Inc.), Grieg Seafood Premium Brands, Inc. (formerly known as Ocean Quality Premium Brands, Inc.); Sjor AS (formerly known as Ocean Quality AS); SalMar ASA; Lery Seafood AS and Lery Seafood USA Inc.; and Cermaq Group AS, Cermaq US LLC, Cermaq Canada Ltd., and Cermaq Norway AS.

Who is part of the Settlement Class?

You are a Settlement Class Member if you or your company purchased farm-raised Atlantic salmon or products derived therefrom directly from one or more of the Defendants between April 10, 2013 and May 26, 2022. Excluded from the Settlement Class are the Court and its personnel and any Defendants and their parent, subsidiary, or affiliated companies.

What is this case about?

Plaintiffs allege that Defendants conspired to fix, raise, and maintain the prices that direct purchasers paid for the Defendants' farm-raised Atlantic salmon and that, as a result, members of the Class paid more than they otherwise would have. Defendants deny all claims and have asserted a number of defenses. The Court has not decided who is right. Plaintiffs and Defendants have reached a proposed Settlement to avoid the uncertainties, risks, and costs of further litigation.

What does the Settlement provide?

If the Settlement is approved, Defendants will pay a total Settlement Amount of $85,000,000.00 into a Settlement Fund to pay legal fees (not to exceed 30% of the Settlement Amount) and litigation costs; the cost of notice, administration, and the distribution of the Settlement proceeds (estimated at approximately $75,000), as well as to pay reasonable Service Awards to each of the four Class Representatives for their work in the case, if permitted by the Court. The remainder of the Settlement Amount will be available for distributions to Settlement Class Members. Settlement Class Members who make a claim will receive their pro rata distribution via check based on the number of claims and the volume of commerce represented in those claims. Using an online portal, Settlement Class Members will be able to check their claim volume, and in the event that their own data suggests that a different claimed volume of commerce is appropriate, they can provide that information, and it will be considered by the Claims Administrator, subject to audit.

How can I get a payment?

You must complete and submit a timely Claim Form to be eligible to receive a payment from the Settlement. The Claim Form can be obtained online at www.salmondirectpurchasersettlement.com or by writing or emailing the Claims Administrator at the address listed below.

Farm-Raised Salmon Antitrust Settlement

c/o JND Legal Administration

P.O. Box 91447

Seattle, WA 98111-0050

[email protected]

The completed Claim Form must be submitted online or by mail postmarked by September 23, 2022. If you do not submit a valid Claim Form by September 23, 2022, you will not receive a payment, but you will be bound by the Court's judgment.

You may receive offers from companies, not affiliated with the Court or Class Counsel, that specialize in aggregating claims of Class Members who will offer to complete and file your claim in return for your agreement to pay them a percentage of the amount you receive. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY ANYONE TO FILE YOUR CLAIM. You can always seek help from the Settlement Administrator or Class Counsel at no charge.

When do I get my payment?

Payments will be made to Settlement Class Members who submit valid and timely Claim Forms after the Court grants "final approval" to the Settlement and after all appeals are resolved. If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. It is always uncertain whether these appeals can be resolved and resolving them can take time. Please be patient.

Do I have a lawyer and how will they be paid?

The Court has appointed Podhurst Orseck, P.A. and Hausfeld LLP as Class Counsel. You do not have to pay Class Counsel. Class Counsel have not been paid for their services since this case began. They will seek an award of attorneys' fees out of the Settlement Fund, as well as reimbursement for litigation costs they advanced in pursuing the claims. The fees will compensate Class Counsel for investigating the facts, litigating the case, and negotiating and administering the Settlement. Class Counsel's attorneys' fee request will not exceed 30% of the Settlement Amount. Any attorneys' fees and costs awarded are subject to the Court's approval. Class Counsel's motion for approval of that award and payment of their fees and costs will also be posted at www.salmondirectpurchasersettlement.com prior to the deadline for objections.

What are my other rights and options?

If you do not file a claim, your other options are:

STAY IN THE CLASS AND DO NOTHING. If you do nothing, you will receive no benefits and you will give up your right to separately sue or continue to sue the Defendants for the claims in this case.

STAY IN THE SETTLEMENT CLASS, BUT OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT. If you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement Class, you may tell the Court what you do not like about the proposed Settlement. You will still be bound by the proposed Settlement unless you exclude yourself from the Settlement Class.

ASK TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THE SETTLEMENT CLASS. This means you remove yourself from the Class entirely. You will receive no benefits and you will no longer be bound by any judgment for this case. You will keep your right to sue or continue to sue the Defendants for the legal claims in this case.

Go to www.salmondirectpurchasersettlement.com for details on how to exclude yourself or object. Exclusion requests and objections must be postmarked by July 11, 2022.

Fairness Hearing

The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing at 9:00 a.m. on September 8, 2022 at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse, 400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33128 in Courtroom 13-3. At the hearing, the Court will consider (i) whether the proposed Settlement should be approved as fair, reasonable, and adequate to Settlement Class Members; and (ii) whether to approve any application by Class Counsel for an award of attorneys' fees and payment of costs and expenses, and any Service Awards to the named Class Representatives. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. If you stay in the Settlement Class, you or your representative may ask to speak at the hearing at your own expense, but you do not have to. The date of the hearing may change, so please check www.salmondirectpurchasersettlement.com for updates.

Questions?

For more information go to www.salmondirectpurchasersettlement.com, call toll-free 1-877-540-1084, or email [email protected].

Please do not contact the Court.

SOURCE JND Legal Administration
Sygnus and The Leading Hotels of the World align to champion independent, world-class resorts in coveted island destinations

KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sygnus, the leading alternative investment management company in the Caribbean, today announced that its Mammee Bay development, located in Jamaica, has been accepted as a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the leader in independent, luxury hospitality for more than nine decades. This project is being undertaken by Sygnus Real Estate Finance Limited (SRF), a specialty real estate investment company managed by Sygnus. This is the first addition of Sygnus to the Leading Hotels, and signifies a start of the companies' relationship, with plans to partner and bring even more independent properties to the region.

The collaboration will be brought to life with the award-winning luxury hospitality operator Wischermann Partners, Inc., and renowned design and architecture firm LEO A DALY. The future plans underscore a commitment to creating authentic travel experiences, introducing resorts rooted in innovation, with an independent spirit and designed to celebrate the culture of each destination. "We have long celebrated hoteliers who curate distinctive, independent hotels and remarkable experiences," commented Shannon Knapp, President & Chief Executive Officer, The Leading Hotels of the World. "It is a great pleasure to welcome Mammee Bay to our exclusive portfolio, and we hope to welcome many other projects of Sygnus Real Estate Finance (SRF) and Wischermann Partners, Inc. in the future. Both companies are dedicated to developing independent, luxury hotels that embody the essence of their surrounding locales. Mammee Bay marks Leading Hotels' re-entrance to Jamaica, and we are excited to introduce our travelers to this extraordinary property and future Sygnus Real Estate Finance (SRF) and Wischermann Partners, Inc. developments in the important Caribbean region."

The first property under development is a 250-room luxury resort and 23 residences nestled amongst towering 200-year-old fig and banyan trees at Mammee Bay in Jamaica, that is slated to debut in late 2024. Showcasing design by LEO A DALY, the resort has been envisioned to celebrate the vibrant nature of the island and introduce an at once elevated, elegant and authentic experience - an idyllic haven delivering transportive getaways. An array of unique amenities will be found throughout the property including an 18,000-square-foot spa deeply immersed in nature and featuring therapies such as sound healing and meditative practices, culinary destinations including a fine dining show kitchen, a Mediterranean bistro, a beach bar and grill, and more. The project is estimated to be a US $265 million investment.

"Creating memorable experiences for curious travelers is at our core," commented Paul Wischermann, President and Chief Executive Officer for Wischermann Partners, Inc. "We are proud to introduce this collection of destination-defining resorts within LHW which are rooted in cultural immersion and guided by a commitment to setting a new bar in luxury travel."

"As the regional leader in the alternative investments space, Sygnus through our specialty real estate investment company, Sygnus Real Estate Finance (SRF), has always had a key interest in enhancing the luxury hospitality market in Jamaica and our Mammee Bay project represents the ideal opportunity to achieve this. In collaboration with the Leading Hotels of the World and a group of highly talented partners, our vision is not only to execute the Mammee Bay project but to over time build out a series of similar luxury projects in other highly sought-after destinations across the Caribbean," remarked Berisford Grey, Chief Executive Officer of Sygnus Group.

Sygnus is actively exploring future developments in the Dominican Republic and St. Lucia, among other magnificent island escapes.

About Sygnus Group

Headquartered in Jamaica, Sygnus has operations in Puerto Rico and St. Lucia, and is the Caribbean's leading alternative investment management company with investment funds spanning private credit, real estate and private equity. Sygnus Capital Limited is a licensed securities dealer in Jamaica with the Financial Services Commission and is focused on providing clients with independent Investment Banking and Investment Advisory Services. As a registered broker, Sygnus Capital is committed to assisting local and regional clients to access financing through the debt or equity capital markets, as well as non-traditional channels through our Private Credit Investment companies.

Sygnus manages Sygnus Credit Investments Limited (SCI) which is listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) and is the largest Private Credit Investment company in the English-Speaking Caribbean. SCI is a pioneering private credit investment company, which offers creative debt financing to middle market businesses across the Caribbean. Sygnus Real Estate Finance Limited (SRF) which recently listed on the JSE, provides flexible capital (Debt or Equity) to all classes of real estate assets (commercial, hospitality, industrial or residential). Sygnus Deneb Investments Limited (SDI) invests private equity capital in companies in the form of growth capital, buyouts and turnarounds. Sygnus also offers its clients Investment Banking, Wealth Advisory and Tax Advisory services.

About Leading Hotels of the World

Comprised of more than 400 hotels in over 80 countries, LHW is the largest collection of independent luxury hotels. In 1928, 38 independent hoteliers came together to create LHW. Since then, the Company has carefully curated distinctive hotels, resorts, inns, chalets, villas, and safari camps from the snow-capped Alps of Europe to the African veldt, to share them with adventurous souls who seek the remarkably uncommon. The LHW community is filled of exceptional individuals, united by a passion for the surprising discoveries and details that come with every experience. LHW hoteliers are artisans of hospitality whose expertise, commitment to excellence, and individual flair allows them to create story-worthy moments for their guests. And it is these authentic, individualized experiences combined with the warm hospitality and high-touch service they provide that keeps discerning travelers returning again and again. LHW's collection covers the globe and promises a broad range of destinations and uncommon experiences, enhanced by LHW's tiered guest loyalty program Leaders Club. From converted former palaces, and countryside retreats run by the same families for generations, to gleaming skyscrapers in dynamic urban centers, serene private island escapes, glamorous tented camps  and beyond  explore, find inspiration, and experience unforgettable travel moments. For more information visit: www.lhw.com, Facebook at @LeadingHotels, Twitter at @LeadingHotels and Instagram @leadinghotelsoftheworld.

About Wischermann Partners, Inc.

An award-winning, global hospitality firm that designs, brands and operates refined hospitality experiences. Established in 2002, Wischermann Partners has an unwavering attention to detail, creating unique experiences while being commercially minded and has a deep love of hospitality. Operating hotels & resorts consistently ranked as the best in guest service and design, Wischermann has a selective collection of distinctive properties that each celebrate their unique destinations and vibrant traditions.

About LEO A DALY

LEO A DALY is a leader in the design of the built environment, offering planning, architecture, engineering, interior design, and program management. Founded in 1915, LEO A DALY has an unyielding focus on design excellence. Consistently ranked as one of the top architectural, engineering, and interiors firms in the US, its award-winning, diverse portfolio includes projects in more than 91 countries, all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

SOURCE Sygnus
New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) Naveen Kumar Jindal, who has been removed as Delhi BJP's Media Head over his derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, was evasive on Monday over the party's action against him and the international embarrassment that India faced over this comment.



Surrounded by a few supporters at the Todarmal Road office of the BJP, the journalist-turned-politician tried to avoid the media in the face of a flurry of phone calls.
The statewide virtual event hosted by the Ohio Realtist Association (ORA) brings together seven in-state chapters to discuss Black homeownership in a post-pandemic economy

CINCINNATI, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ohio Realtist Association (ORA), a state chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, Inc. (NAREB), is bringing together members, NAREB affiliates, financial services executives, housing counselors, and elected officials, among others to build out a plan designed to increase homeownership opportunities for Ohio's Black American residents.

The virtual conference opening under the banner of "Realtist Creating the Path to Homeownership" is scheduled for June 10-11, 2022. This year, the event is being hosted by the Cincinnati Realtist Association in collaboration with the six other chapters in the Buckeye State including those in Columbus, Dayton, Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown, and Akron.

"Considering the statistics surrounding black homeownership, conferences such as this are critical to changing the trajectory," says ORA President Jerry Isham. "There is a 30% homeownership gap between blacks and whites. We need to continue to have these conversations and further support the Realtist mission of Democracy in Housing."

The conference agenda features the internationally known motivational speaker Karim Ellis. Always in high demand, the Les Brown Platinum presenter is considered a breakthrough strategist, leadership expert and author whose goal is to inspire his audience to reach their full potential. In addition to Ellis' keynote address, the conference offerings include continuing education sessions, professional development workshops, and sessions designed to lay out strategies to promote the value of homeownership among Ohio's Black American residents. Of special note is a panel comprised of powerful women in politics. Confirmed are Cincinnati Vice Mayor, Jan-Michelle Kearney, and State Representative, Catherine Ingram.

"The mission and purpose of the Ohio Realtist Association aligns with our commitment to the community, and we are so proud to sponsor their ongoing work. We believe the conversations which stem from this conference can help break barriers that may still exist for people striving to secure homeownership." - Doug Reilly, Home Lending Leader for KeyBank, the conference Platinum Sponsor. Other event sponsors include Fifth Third Bank, Park National Bank, First Commonwealth Mortgage, First National Bank, Third Federal Savings and Loan, and the Ohio Mortgage Bankers Association.

Registration for members is $59 and $69 for non-members. For more information about the virtual conference and to register, visit www.ohiorealtist.org.

About the ORA

The Ohio Realtist Association (ORA) is a state chapter under the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). It was formed in 1952 out of a need to secure the right to equal housing opportunities, regardless of race, creed, or color. For 70 years, ORA has participated in meaningful legal challenges and has supported legislative initiatives that ensure the availability of fair and affordable housing for all Americans. There are seven (7) local chapters across the state.

SOURCE Ohio Realtist Association
Phase I consisted of 6,482.6 meters in 41 diamond drill holes (DDH's), with over 4,900 assay samples. The main goal of the program was to upgrade Cerros Taguas Oxides Sector to Measured & Indicated Resource categories, as those terms are defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (" NI 43-101 ") while moderately expanding the ore tonnage previously reported in the Company's NI 43-101 compliant Taguas preliminary economic assessment report dated December 29, 2021 and filed on SEDAR on February 11, 2022 (the " Taguas 2021 PEA "). The second goal was to incorporate satellite Cerro Campamento Sector into the Oxides scope, going forward.

"The DDH's average drilling results and key intercepts continue to support Orvana's Oxides development strategy for our Taguas multimillion-ounce Au-Ag Oxides-Sulfides Project. Also, the decision to incorporate the satellite higher-grade Cerro Campamento Sector will be key to improving project economics. We are excited, and eagerly awaiting, resource re-modeling by July 2022. Completion of Phase II will be the foundation of the 43-101 Pre-Feasibility Study for our Oxides Project in Taguas", said Orvana CEO Juan Gavidia.

Highlights:

Phase I infill and growth drilling program on Taguas Oxides completed (41 holes totaling 6,482.6 meters).

Mineralization encountered in all 41 holes.

Grades generally equaling-improving average previous resource grades included in the Taguas 2021 PEA.

Best drilling results included:

TADD244: 61.2 meters @ 0.82 g/t Au and 16.59 g/t Ag



TADD265: 72.8 meters @ 0.46 g/t Au and 6.04 g/t Ag



TADD274: 27.7 meters @ 2.51 g/t Au and 10.61 g/t Ag

Potential to reduce strip ratio in next open pit re-design.

Phase II infill and growth drilling program expected to start in November 2022 : additional 11,000 meters in Cerros Taguas Sector and 3,000 meters in Cerro Campamento Sector.

Drilling Program Overview:

Phase I was conducted between late-December 2021 and mid-May 2022. Out of the total 41 drill holes drilled in Phase I, assay results from the first 12 holes (TADD237 to TADD248) were outlined in Orvana's March 31, 2022 news release. The assay results for the subsequent 29 holes are summarized in Table 1 and Table 2 of this news release.

Phases I & II results to be used for Taguas Oxides prefeasibility studies purposes.

Cerros Taguas

34 core holes totaling 5,748.6 meters drilled.

Targets:

Oxides mineralization upgrade to Measured and Indicated categories.



Resource growth with oxides extensions to the northeast and northwest.



Resource growth in areas within the pit proposed in the Taguas 2021 PEA that were outside the block model due to lack of drilling (e.g., TADD246 and TADD249 in Figure 1).

Table 1, below, shows promising results, identifying thicker high-grade structures than previously modeled:

27.7 meters @ 2.51 g/t Au and 10.61 g/t Ag



14.0 meters @ 1.38 g/t Au and 10.42 g/t Ag



72.8 meters @ 0.46 g/t Au and 6.04 g/t Ag

Under-drilled area inside Taguas 2021 PEA open pit model is now preliminarily showing a high possibility to improve mining strip ratio.

High grade structures like the ones intercepted in TADD258 leave open the possibility of increasing resources towards the northeast.

Phase II (additional 11,000 meters) is expected to be completed by March 2023 .

Cerro Campamento

7 core holes totaling 734 meters drilled.

Focused on defining the shallower part of high gold grade oxides, which can potentially be mined by open pit.

First interpretations show the existence of a low-grade envelope around high-grade veins. Additional drilling is necessary to continue delineating shallower parts of high gold grade veins; with the aim for open pit mining modeling.

Best intercepts shown in Table 2. Highlights:

7.0 meters @ 3.07 g/t Au and 31.03 g/t Ag



23.5 meters @ 0.72 g/t Au and 31.51 g/t Ag



11.3 meters @ 0.59 g/t Au and 24.06 g/t Ag

Phase II (additional 3,000 meters) is expected to be completed by March 2023 .

Quality Assurance-Quality Control ("QA/QC")

Samples were prepared and analyzed by Alex Stewart International Argentina SA Laboratory in Mendoza. This laboratory is ISO 9001; ISO 17025, and ISO 14001 certified. Samples were prepared following the P-5 laboratory preparation code: the samples were dried, crushed to passing 10 mesh (>80%), riffle split of 1kg sample and pulverized to 106 microns (>95%). The assays included 50 g Au by fire assay (FA), AA finish and 39 element package with aqua regia dilution and ICP OES finish. Over limits for Au and Ag were run in 50 g sample by FA and gravimetric method finish. Coarse and pulp rejects were returned and are stored in the Piuquenes storage facilities.

The reported work has been completed using industry standard procedures, including a quality assurance/quality control ("QA/QC") program consisting of the insertion of quarter core field duplicates, coarse duplicates split after laboratory crushing, pulp duplicates split after laboratory pulverization, coarse analytical blank samples and 2 different CRMs inserted in batches of roughly 50 samples.

The exploration update was prepared under the supervision of Raul Alvarez Cifuentes, a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 and an employee of the company.

Table 1  Intercepts from Cerros Taguas

The assay results from the first 12 holes (TADD237 to TADD248) were outlined in the news release dated March 31, 2022. The assay results for the subsequent 29 holes are summarized below:

DDH

FROM

TO

Downhole

length

True

width*

Au (g/t)

Ag (g/t)

Cu (%)

Ore Type TADD249

18.20

40.30

22.10

14.37

0.28

10.77

0.02

Oxide TADD249

111.50

114.20

2.70

1.76

0.25

22.15

0.03

Oxide

































TADD250

59.00

67.00

8.00

5.20

0.26

7.12

0.10

Oxide TADD250

157.00

163.00

6.00

3.90

1.61

122.43

0.44

Sulfide

































TADD251

8.00

10.00

2.00

1.30

0.25

2.30

<0.01

Oxide TADD251

21.00

34.20

13.20

8.58

0.23

2.27

0.01

Oxide TADD251

61.00

62.00

1.00

0.65

0.77

1.50

<0.01

Oxide TADD251

82.40

135.00

52.60

34.19

0.44

4.31

<0.01

Oxide TADD251

143.40

148.80

5.40

3.51

0.32

6.20

0.02

Oxide TADD251

158.10

160.30

2.20

1.43

0.27

1.20

0.01

Oxide

































TADD252

43.50

48.50

5.00

3.25

0.21

13.87

<0.01

Oxide TADD252

81.10

83.60

2.50

1.63

0.21

6.32

0.01

Oxide TADD252

103.60

107.15

3.55

2.31

0.31

6.94

<0.01

Oxide TADD252

111.50

113.70

2.20

1.43

0.27

6.46

<0.01

Oxide TADD252

132.55

135.10

2.55

1.66

0.61

12.26

<0.01

Oxide TADD252

138.90

144.00

5.10

3.32

1.54

26.52

0.11

Sulfide

































TADD253

18.00

20.00

2.00

1.30

0.24

7.10

<0.01

Oxide TADD253

24.95

57.90

32.95

21.42

0.56

5.11

<0.01

Oxide TADD253

81.45

101.20

19.75

12.84

0.23

6.89

0.03

Oxide

































TADD254

8.00

24.40

16.40

10.66

0.30

11.58

<0.01

Oxide TADD254

34.20

37.35

3.15

2.05

0.35

5.40

<0.01

Oxide TADD254

68.90

75.20

6.30

4.10

0.29

7.63

0.04

Oxide TADD254

92.20

128.00

35.80

23.27

0.39

3.51

<0.01

Oxide TADD254

132.60

134.45

1.85

1.20

0.68

12.50

<0.01

Oxide TADD254

146.40

149.00

2.60

1.69

0.67

29.58

0.66

Sulfide TADD254

162.45

185.00

22.55

14.66

0.49

15.03

0.19

Sulfide

































TADD256

2.00

6.00

4.00

2.60

0.25

10.05

<0.01

Oxide TADD256

42.80

44.50

1.70

1.11

1.00

71.10

0.01

Oxide

































TADD258

77.45

79.30

1.85

1.20

0.42

21.40

0.01

Oxide TADD258

121.80

124.80

3.00

1.95

24.99

29.20

0.02

Oxide

































TADD259

0.00

2.80

2.80

1.82

0.38

3.20

<0.01

Oxide TADD259

47.30

50.30

3.00

1.95

0.21

9.59

<0.01

Oxide TADD259

54.00

55.20

1.20

0.78

0.41

24.30

0.02

Oxide TADD259

61.20

64.60

3.40

2.21

0.40

11.74

<0.01

Oxide TADD259

106.00

107.80

1.80

1.17

0.77

47.80

0.01

Oxide

































TADD261

12.10

15.70

3.60

2.34

0.33

12.70

0.02

Oxide TADD261

51.10

53.10

2.00

1.30

0.41

18.55

0.01

Oxide TADD261

56.90

64.30

7.40

4.81

0.59

8.51

<0.01

Oxide

































TADD262

0.00

2.00

2.00

1.30

0.55

7.90

<0.01

Oxide TADD262

38.20

70.20

32.00

20.80

0.56

10.74

<0.01

Oxide including

40.20

44.20

4.00

2.60

2.82

39.90

0.01

Oxide TADD262

78.20

80.20

2.00

1.30

0.94

6.20

<0.01

Oxide TADD262

86.20

89.00

2.80

1.82

0.31

13.00

0.02

Oxide TADD262

98.00

100.00

2.00

1.30

0.30

11.50

<0.01

Oxide TADD262

125.60

127.60

2.00

1.30

0.34

14.00

<0.01

Oxide TADD262

183.20

184.70

1.50

0.98

2.49

35.00

0.04

Oxide TADD262

230.50

233.00

2.50

1.63

0.41

5.24

0.01

Oxide TADD262

244.00

251.10

7.10

4.62

0.22

6.31

0.01

Oxide TADD262

258.00

262.00

4.00

2.60

0.46

8.40

<0.01

Oxide

































TADD263

20.40

24.10

3.70

2.41

0.23

13.82

<0.01

Oxide TADD263

28.10

36.00

7.90

5.14

0.25

9.60

0.01

Oxide TADD263

55.10

78.90

23.80

15.47

0.32

5.12

0.06

Oxide TADD263

89.00

120.00

31.00

20.15

0.23

5.47

0.12

Sulfide TADD263

126.00

132.00

6.00

3.90

0.18

10.30

0.32

Sulfide

































TADD265

14.00

23.00

9.00

5.85

0.21

6.07

174.00

Oxide TADD265

41.00

153.00

112.00

72.80

0.46

6.04

<0.01

Oxide Including

149.80

151.80

2.00

1.30

11.75

70.30

0.04

Oxide

































TADD266

0.00

60.90

60.90

39.59

0.37

9.27

<0.01

Oxide TADD266

66.80

143.60

76.80

49.92

0.30

15.03

0.03

Oxide

































TADD267

141.00

145.00

4.00

2.60

0.32

5.50

0.01

Oxide TADD267

166.30

169.00

2.70

1.76

2.59

51.93

1.18

Sulfide

































TADD268

24.00

30.00

6.00

3.90

0.28

12.73

36.00

Oxide TADD268

37.40

43.00

5.60

3.64

0.39

3.81

<0.01

Oxide TADD268

53.00

55.00

2.00

1.30

0.26

10.10

<0.01

Oxide TADD268

59.40

60.20

0.80

0.52

5.03

57.30

<0.01

Oxide TADD268

64.00

66.60

2.60

1.69

0.28

14.17

<0.01

Oxide TADD268

99.60

101.00

1.40

0.91

0.26

5.40

0.02

Oxide

































TADD270

85.00

88.50

3.50

2.28

0.24

9.63

<0.01

Oxide TADD270

97.00

99.00

2.00

1.30

0.89

6.00

<0.01

Oxide TADD270

124.00

126.00

2.00

1.30

0.36

12.40

0.02

Oxide TADD270

136.00

143.50

7.50

4.88

0.39

13.43

<0.01

Oxide TADD270

182.50

188.20

5.70

3.71

0.80

27.58

0.24

Sulfide

































TADD272

22.00

36.00

14.00

9.10

0.24

1.90

<0.01

Oxide TADD272

50.30

58.90

8.60

5.59

0.30

3.15

<0.01

Oxide TADD272

60.90

62.90

2.00

1.30

0.17

2.00

<0.01

Oxide TADD272

66.90

75.50

8.60

5.59

0.39

2.93

<0.01

Oxide TADD272

82.00

84.50

2.50

1.63

0.44

10.50

0.03

Oxide

































TADD274

35.40

37.00

1.60

1.04

17.45

387.00

1.28

Sulfide TADD274

44.00

86.60

42.60

27.69

2.51

10.61

0.01

Oxide

































TADD275

9.00

21.00

12.00

7.80

0.39

5.84

0.01

Oxide TADD275

23.80

25.90

2.10

1.37

0.21

2.13

<0.01

Oxide TADD275

65.00

80.80

15.80

10.27

0.29

6.15

0.02

Oxide TADD275

123.00

131.00

8.00

5.20

0.77

19.73

<0.01

Oxide

































TADD276

40.00

42.00

2.00

1.30

0.68

15.70

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

49.80

71.40

21.60

14.04

1.38

10.42

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

79.15

81.30

2.15

1.40

0.16

8.75

0.01

Oxide TADD276

84.80

90.00

5.20

3.38

0.27

14.14

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

98.45

100.65

2.20

1.43

0.31

12.45

0.01

Oxide TADD276

146.60

148.60

2.00

1.30

0.42

1.90

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

178.35

181.40

3.05

1.98

0.52

29.39

<0.01

Oxide TADD276

268.65

269.65

1.00

0.65

2.00

6.80

0.02

Oxide

































TADD277

33.80

51.90

18.10

11.77

0.83

9.70

0.01

Oxide TADD277

84.70

87.40

2.70

1.76

0.31

4.40

<0.01

Oxide TADD277

90.90

95.70

4.80

3.12

0.34

5.74

0.01

Oxide

*True width is averaged to 65% of the down-hole intercept, although ranges from 60-70% subject to intersection with sub-vertical veins and drilling dip.



Table 2  Intercepts from Cerro Campamento

The table shows the most significant results:

DDH

FROM

TO

Downhole

length

True

width*

Au (g/t)

Ag (g/t)

Cu (%)

Ore Type

































TADD255

44.00

61.30

17.30

5.76

0.79

8.46

0.02

Oxide including

55.85

61.30

5.45

1.81

1.74

21.61

0.04

Oxide TADD255

65.85

68.20

2.35

0.78

0.27

2.78

<0.01

Oxide

































TADD257

41.00

43.60

2.60

0.87

0.22

3.90

0.01

Oxide TADD257

61.70

71.00

9.30

3.10

0.98

6.73

0.07

Sulfide

































TADD260

0.00

3.00

3.00

1.67

0.32

11.15

<0.01

Oxide TADD260

19.00

21.00

2.00

1.11

0.24

4.80

<0.01

Oxide TADD260

44.60

48.00

3.40

1.89

0.37

2.15

<0.01

Oxide TADD260

110.00

119.80

9.80

5.44

0.68

20.34

0.02

Oxide TADD260

138.00

141.70

3.70

2.05

0.34

38.94

0.02

Oxide TADD260

169.00

181.50

12.50

6.94

0.54

12.69

0.03

Oxide

































TADD264

84.00

107.45

23.45

23.45

0.72

31.51

0.03

Oxide TADD264

131.25

147.35

16.10

16.10

0.76

9.68

0.03

Oxide TADD264

161.00

163.15

2.15

2.15

0.32

16.15

0.39

Sulfide

































TADD269

62.50

76.05

13.55

11.29

0.59

24.06

0.01

Oxide Including

66.30

66.90

0.60

0.50

8.96

389.00

0.09

Oxide

































TADD271

13.40

16.20

2.80

1.55

0.39

5.50

<0.01

Oxide TADD271

29.90

33.25

3.35

1.86

1.57

9.33

0.01

Oxide TADD271

57.00

59.70

2.70

1.50

0.36

18.28

0.05

Sulfide TADD271

71.60

73.60

2.00

1.11

0.37

7.90

0.11

Sulfide TADD271

79.00

83.50

4.50

2.50

0.33

37.31

0.22

Sulfide

































TADD273

0.00

2.70

2.70

1.35

0.53

4.87

<0.01

Oxide TADD273

13.60

27.60

14.00

7.00

3.07

31.03

0.01

Oxide Including

15.60

23.60

8.00

4.00

5.19

45.12

0.02

Oxide

*True width varies between 33 and 100% of the down-hole intercept, subject to intersection with sub-vertical veins and drilling dip.



Cautionary Notes to Investors - Mineral Reserves and Resources Estimates

Pursuant to Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves Definitions and Guidelines" (the "CIM Guidelines"), mineral resources have a higher degree of uncertainty than mineral reserves as to their existence as well as their economic and legal feasibility. Inferred mineral resources, when compared with measured or indicated mineral resources, have the least certainty as to their existence, and it cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will be upgraded to an indicated or measured mineral resource as a result of continued exploration. Pursuant to NI 43-101, inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of any economic analysis, including any feasibility study. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a mineral resource exists, will ever be converted into a mineral reserve, or is or will ever be economically or legally mineable or recovered.

ABOUT ORVANA - Orvana is a multi-mine gold-copper-silver company. Orvana's assets consist of the producing El Valle and Carles gold-copper-silver mines in northern Spain, the Don Mario gold-silver property in Bolivia, currently in care and maintenance, and the Taguas property located in Argentina. Additional information is available at Orvana's website (www.orvana.com).

Cautionary Statements - Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this presentation constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, potentials, future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "believes", "expects", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "are projected to" be taken or achieved) are not statements of historical fact, but are forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements herein relate to, among other things, Orvana's ability to achieve improvement in free cash flow; the ability to maintain expected mining rates and expected throughput rates at El Valle Plant; the potential to extend the mine life of El Valle and Don Mario beyond their current life-of-mine estimates including specifically, but not limited to, in the case of Don Mario, the processing of the mineral stockpiles and the reprocessing of the tailings material; Orvana's ability to optimize its assets to deliver shareholder value; the Company's ability to optimize productivity at Don Mario and El Valle; estimates of future production, operating costs and capital expenditures; mineral resource and reserve estimates; statements and information regarding future feasibility studies and their results; future transactions; future metal prices; the ability to achieve additional growth and geographic diversification; and future financial performance, including the ability to increase cash flow and profits; future financing requirements; mine development plans; and the possibility of the conversion of inferred mineral resources to mineral reserves.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, which includes, without limitation, as particularly set out in the notes accompanying the Company's most recently filed financial statements. The estimates and assumptions of the Company contained or incorporated by reference in this information, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to the various assumptions set forth herein and in Orvana's most recently filed Management's Discussion & Analysis and Annual Information Form in respect of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year (the "Company Disclosures") or as otherwise expressly incorporated herein by reference as well as: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, whether due to labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; permitting, development, operations, expansion and acquisitions at El Valle and Don Mario being consistent with the Company's current expectations; political developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations; certain price assumptions for gold, copper and silver; prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; production and cost of sales forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Orvana's current expectations; and the availability of necessary funds to execute the Company's plan. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this news release also contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including, without limitation, references to the results of the Taguas preliminary economic assessment (PEA), including but not limited to the mineral resource estimation, conceptual mine plan and operations, internal rate of return, sensitivities, taxes, net present value, potential recoveries, design parameters, operating costs, capital costs, production data and economic potential; the timing and costs for production decisions; permitting timelines and requirements; exploration and planned exploration programs; the potential for discovery of additional mineral resources; timing for completion of a feasibility study; timing for first gold production at Taguas; issuing an expanded resource PEA for Taguas in a timely manner; completion of the infill drilling program and prefeasibility timing at Taguas; making a decision on the oxides stockpile at Don Mario in a timely manner; identifying additional resources beyond the replenishment of annual depletion rates at El Valle for the extension of mine life; and the Company's general objectives and strategies.

A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include: the potential impact of the COVID-19 on the Company's business and operations, including: our ability to continue operations; our ability to manage challenges presented by COVID-19; the accounting treatment of COVID-19 related matters; Orvana's ability to prevent and/or mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases at or near our mines; the general economic, political and social impacts of the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, our ability to support the sustainability of our business including through the development of crisis management plans, increasing stock levels for key supplies, monitoring of guidance from the medical community, and engagement with local communities and authorities; fluctuations in the price of gold, silver and copper; the need to recalculate estimates of resources based on actual production experience; the failure to achieve production estimates; variations in the grade of ore mined; variations in the cost of operations; the availability of qualified personnel; the Company's ability to obtain and maintain all necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; the Company's ability to use cyanide in its mining operations; risks generally associated with mineral exploration and development, including the Company's ability to continue to operate the El Valle and/or ability to resume long-term operations at the Carles Mine; the Company's ability to successfully implement a sulphidization circuit and ancillary facilities to process the current oxides stockpiles at Don Mario; the Company's ability to successfully carry out development plans at Taguas; sufficient funding to carry out development plans at Taguas and to process the oxides stockpiles at Don Mario; the Company's ability to acquire and develop mineral properties and to successfully integrate such acquisitions; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy; the Company's ability to obtain financing when required on terms that are acceptable to the Company; challenges to the Company's interests in its property and mineral rights; current, pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments or changes in political, social or economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates; general economic conditions worldwide; the challenges presented by COVID-19; fluctuating operational costs such as, but not limited to, power supply costs; current and future environmental matters; and the risks identified in the Company's disclosures. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company's Disclosures for a description of additional risk factors.

Any forward-looking statements made herein with respect to the anticipated development and exploration of the Company's mineral projects are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this information are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future operating activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes.

SOURCE Orvana Minerals Corp.
CHICAGO, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report "Robotics and Automation Actuators Market by Actuation (Electric, Pneumatic, Hydraulic), Application (Process Automation, Robotics), Type, Vertical (Automotive, Electronics, Healthcare), Design Characteristics & Region - Global Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Robotics and Automation Actuators Market is estimated to be valued from USD 18.7 billion in 2022 to USD 35.8 billion by 2027; at a CAGR of 13.9% during the forecast period.

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The robotics and automation actuators market is growing at a significant rate, and this trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the development of advanced actuators, such as pneumatic muscle arm actuators, shape memory alloy actuators, and compact electric actuators. However, stringent regulations regarding safety and power consumption, noise, and leak issues are some of the restraints impacting the growth of the market.

The Robotics application segment of the robotics and automation actuators market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecasted period.

By application, the robotics segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the robotics and automation actuators market in 2022. The growth in service robots in applications such as logistics, medical, field robotics, exoskeleton and household will fuel the growth of robotics segment.

The Rotary actuator segment of the robotics and automation actuators market is estimated to have the highest CAGR during the forecasted period

By type, the rotary is estimated to grow at a highest CAGR during the forecast period. Growth in rotary actuators can be attributed to the increasing installations of industrial robots and growing demand for service robots.

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Asia Pacific is estimated to lead the robotics and automation actuators market

Asia Pacific is estimated to lead the robotics and automation actuators market by 2027. The market growth in this region can be attributed to the installation of automation systems in Japan and China and the higher manufacturing of industrial robots in these regions. The presence of some major companies such as SMC (Japan), MISUMI Group Inc. (Japan), IAI (Japan) is also contributing to the growth of the Asia Pacific robotics and automation actuators market.

ABB (Switzerland), Rockwell Automation (US), Altra Industrial Motion (US). Moog (US), SMC (Japan), Curtis Wright (Exlar) (US), and MISUMI (Japan) are some of the leading players covered in the robotics and automation actuators market report.

Related Reports:

Actuators Market by Actuation (Electrical, Pneumatic, Hydraulic), Type (Linear, Rotary), Application (Industrial Automation, Robotics, Vehicles & Equipment), Vertical (Automotive, Electronics, Healthcare), and Region (2021-2027)

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
The largest and most respected Financial Modeling accreditation body in the world, serving candidates in over 50 countries and growing, introduces an accessible program for individuals with no prior financial modeling experience.

TORONTO, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Financial Modeling Institute (FMI), the only Financial Modeling accreditation body in the world, currently serving candidates in over 50 countries, is pleased to announce the launch of FMI Foundations . The new 10-hour program is designed to make financial modeling knowledge more accessible for individuals with no previous experience in the area. FMI Foundations provides a succinct immersion in financial modeling, an area of practice essential for the success of businesses worldwide. Topics covered include how to effectively structure a financial model, key accounting concepts, what goes into schedules, and financial statements.

"We designed the new 10-hour FMI Foundations micro-credential program for university students through to professionals who are seeking a first accessible step to upskilling their financial modeling knowledge base," said Ian Schnoor, Executive Director of the FMI. "FMI accreditations are recognized by employers worldwide, validating excellence in the discipline, and FMI Foundations will allow more people to jumpstart their journey in financial modeling."

FMI Foundations is the first step towards achieving outstanding financial modeling skills, which can be attained through the FMI's Advanced Financial Modeler (AFM) accreditation. Having strong financial modeling skills is of critical importance because financial models are the most important decision-making tools in finance, especially during periods of economic uncertainty when companies are retooling and need a clear picture of their financial trajectory. Many organizations are demanding that new hires and existing employees have well-developed financial modeling skills to allow them to make the most effective business decisions.

"Employers worldwide in investment banking, private equity, corporate development, equity research, asset management and credit, require their new hires, and many existing team members to have exceptional modeling skills," said Paul Smith, former CEO of CFA Institute and current FMI board member. "FMI Foundations provides a solid platform to pursue the FMI's rigorous, proctored, financial modeling exams - it's an important step in the journey of financial modeling." Following Foundations, next is the FMI AFM exam, which provides validation to employers worldwide that the individual's financial modeling skills are ready to be applied in the business. Financial modeling talent is in high demand, and the FMI helps employers find the talent they need through FMI accreditation.

Visit https://fminstitute.com/ for more information about The Financial Modeling Institute and its new FMI Foundations program.

About The Financial Modeling Institute (FMI)

Founded in 2017, the FMI's mission is to promote awareness, excellence and discipline in Financial Modeling globally through its world-class accreditation programs. The FMI's exams are relevant for professionals working in banking, private equity, accounting, asset management, business development, venture capital, and other areas of finance. The FMI is the only organization in the world that offers proctored, rigorous financial modeling exams. Through research and testing, the FMI has developed exams that set the bar high with regards to modeling skills. The Level 1 Advanced Financial Modeler (AFM) accreditation launched in 2017, the Level 2 Chartered Financial Modeler (CFM) accreditation launched in 2018, and the Level 3 Master Financial Modeler (MFM) accreditation will be launched in 2022.

Media Contact

Ria Romano, Partner

RPR Public Relations, Inc.

Tel. 786-290-6413

SOURCE The Financial Modeling Institute
Golden Ray Shipwreck is largest salvage operation since Exxon-Valdez Alaska Oil Spill

Albert Dai's surviving dependents file wrongful death lawsuit against salvage operators, T&T Salvage, LLC and Teichman Group, LLC

Lawsuit claims T&T Salvage won bid to salvage Golden Ray in Georgia based on reckless plan, resulting in millions of dollars in excess cost, delays, environmental damage, and the death of Albert Dai , Plaintiff

AUSTIN, Texas , June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Harris-county family represented by law firm Muery & Farrell has filed a lawsuit against Galveston-based T&T Salvage for the death of employee Albert Dai, husband and father. Teichman Group, LLC is also named as a defendant.

Wenijan (Albert) Dai had been employed by T&T Salvage as a specialized naval architect and salvage engineer from 2012 until his death. In 2019, Defendant bid on a complex salvage project off the coast of Georgia, following the capsize of the Golden Ray.

The Golden Ray shipwreck is the largest salvage operation in the history of the United States. The lawsuit claims Dai, who had over two decades of experience in marine salvage, warned T&T Salvage that its salvage plan was "not achievable" and posed "significant risks".

T&T Salvage won the bid, causing an extraordinary workload on Dai, including during the first half of 2020 as COVID-19 caused global lockdowns. His widow, Yuan Zhou, claims that Dai worked "around the clock" under extraordinary pressure. He died on June 29, 2020, and Plaintiffs make claims for gross negligence.

The Golden Ray salvage incident was, according to one U.S. Coast Guard Commander, the "largest wreck removal in U.S. history." T&T Salvage is also named as a defendant in a lawsuit by Glynn County, Georgia, where the capsize took place, which alleges that negligent salvage operations caused environmental damage, including several fires, oil spills, and allowed "debris and hazardous fluids to get into the sound, estuary and marshlands."

Maureen Farrell, Counsel for Plaintiffs, "T&T Salvage ignored warnings, and pursued a reckless salvage plan that cost about $800 million, caused environmental destruction to the Georgia coast, and cost Albert Dai his life. Companies should not work employees to death in pursuit of profits at any price."

The lawsuit is ongoing. Houston-based firm Nguyen & Chen is serving as plaintiffs' co-counsel in the case.

Media Inquiries

Christine Haas, Haas Communications

[email protected]

(512) 751-1592

SOURCE Muery & Farrell, P.C.
Tips and tricks to buy online and save big on brand-name contact lenses.

LAS VEGAS, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It can be overwhelming to purchase contact lenses, especially for the first time. At Lens.com, they've gathered practical information to help guide you through buying contact lenses online.

When buying contact lenses, the best way to ensure you're saving money is to comparison shop. Overpaying for contact lenses can really add up over time. Take your contact lens prescription from your eye doctor or eye care professional and shop online to start saving money.

How To Buy Contacts Online?

Before you can place an order for contact lenses, there are a few steps you'll need to take.

1. Obtain a contact lens prescription. A current contact lens prescription issued by a licensed eye care professional is required for any contact lens purchase. U.S. law requires retailers worldwide to verify prescriptions when shipping to a U.S. address.



Prescriptions for eyeglass and contact lenses differ in many respects and are not interchangeable. When you schedule your visit, ask for a "contact lens evaluation" as part of your eye exam. Most providers charge an extra fee for a contact lens evaluation and fitting to help cover the cost of supplies provided to you and the additional time to evaluate the fit of your lenses.



Prescriptions expire in a year or two, depending on the state where you live. If you already have a contact lens prescription you love, you may be eligible to renew your prescription for as little as $10 with an online eye exam.



If you've lost your prescription or your provider was reluctant to provide a copy, Lens.com can obtain your prescription when you place your order. Provide your eye doctor's name and contact information to their customer service staff at 1-800-LENS.COM (536-7266), and they will help secure your contact lens prescription.

2. Find a reputable retailer. Stick to looking for the brand name listed on your prescription in your search. This will help you find your product more easily. When comparing prices among retailers, look at the quantity to ensure you're looking at comparable products.



With more than 45 million people in the U.S. wearing contact lenses, chances are you know someone who is a regular contact lens wearer. Ask your friends and family which retailers they trust when ordering their contact lenses. Sometimes there might even be a referral bonus or discount they can pass along to you.



In 2022, CNET named Lens.com the best place to buy your favorite name-brand contacts online. Lens.com earned this distinction for its unmatched low prices, excellent customer service based 100 percent in the U.S., online eye exams, massive stock of hard-to-find lenses, and that they accept returns of unopened boxes.

3. Completing your order. Once you've found a retailer to complete your purchase, carefully create your order. Selected the lens name, manufacturer name, or lens type to locate your product. When you find the lens you want to purchase, pick the correct prescription and add it to your shopping cart by clicking "Add to Cart". The shopping cart will hold everything for you until you are ready to check out.



Double-check your entries to ensure accuracy and avoid delays in shipping. Some retailers will require that you provide a copy of your prescription. Others, like Lens.com, can obtain your prescription for you. Be sure to include a good email address and phone number where you can be reached if your retailer needs to get a hold of you about your order.



Consider purchasing your contact lens solution and other eye care products online to compound your savings.



If you have a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HAS), use that to pay for your purchase of contact lenses and care solution for additional savings.

4. What to do when your contact lens order arrives. Always inspect your order to ensure you've received the correct product and quantity. Verify your packing slip matches your order receipt. Contact lenses have a long shelf life, but they do expire, so check the expiration date as well.



Mark your calendar for when you'll need to order contact lenses again. Be sure it's before your prescription expires, and give yourself enough time for shipping.



Once you've purchased contact lenses, bookmark your retailer's website to make it easy to return and reorder.

What To Consider When Comparing Retailers Online

The contact lens industry is highly regulated because contact lenses are classified as medical devices by the Federal Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Even for cosmetic colored contact lenses, a prescription from a licensed eye care professional is required because of the significant potential for harm. An ill-fitting contact lens can cause corneal abrasions and ulcers, eye infections, and even vision loss.

While your eye doctor may have your brand of contacts in stock, you'll find significant savings and convenience by shopping online.

Online retailers have many advantages over brick-and-mortar stores, leading to savings passed along to you as a consumer. Online stores don't have to pay for expensive retail space, staffing a store that may or may not be busy, plus limited business hours.

Not all online retailers are reputable, and some sell counterfeit contact lenses. The health of your eyes is too important to trust a manufacturer that cannot meet the strict requirements set by the FDA. Avoid any issues with the quality of your lenses, and stick to name-brand contact lenses sold through a reputable retailer.

But what makes a retailer reputable? Consider how long the company has been in business. Where are their headquarters and operational locations? Review their business policies for returns, shipping, and customer service availability.

For example, let's look at Lens.com. It was founded in 1995 and is the longest-running online contact lens retailer in the U.S. Its headquarters are in Nevada, and its distribution center and contact center are in Missouri. They sell major brands and types worn by over 99% of all contact lens wearers, making Lens.com an ideal retailer for just about anyone. To top it off, they have one of the most generous return policies in the business.

Steps to Take Before Buying Contacts Online

You've been considering contacts for yourself or someone else. Maybe it's a teen who wants to ditch eyeglasses and get contact lenses. Whatever the reason, it's good to prepare yourself with what to expect and pitfalls to avoid.

1. Decide if contact lenses are right for you. Contact lenses are a health care device that almost everyone can safely use. But it's important to note that there are considerable risks if proper hygiene practices are not followed or if the lenses fit incorrectly. Before switching to contact lenses, it's essential to evaluate if the patient is up to maintaining an eye care routine.



Each contact lens has a recommended cleaning and replacement schedule. Some require daily cleaning and storage, others can be tossed at the end of the day with a fresh set of lenses used the next, and others can be worn continuously for several days before cleaning or replacement.



It is imperative to have freshly washed hands when inserting or removing your contact lenses. Consider your daily routine and ability to maintain a proper hygiene schedule and discuss further with your eye doctor.



Patients with certain eye conditions may not be good candidates for contacts, such as severe dry eyes or those susceptible to eye infections. Your eye professional can help you decide if contact lenses are right for you.

2. Prepare for your eye exam and contact lens fitting. Your eye doctor will examine the health of your eyes and dilate your pupils. When discussing contact lenses, share what type of hygiene schedule you feel fits your lifestyle best. For example, if your schedule is hectic and you frequently fall asleep on the couch, that's essential information to help your eye doctor prescribe contacts that match your lifestyle.



Contact lens fittings, especially for first-timers, can be a peculiar experience. Relax! Your eye care professional will walk you through the steps. You may want to go without eye makeup to make it easier and not worry about tears messing up your look.

3. Which contact lenses are the best for new contact lens wearers? Getting used to the feel of contact lenses on your eyes takes some time to adjust. This process can be helped by selecting a comfortable contact lens.



According to Lens.com, there are three contact lenses that stand out and are popular among users based on their unique qualities.



Picked for its remarkable balance of comfort and breathability, Cooper Visions's Biofinity is a monthly disposable lens. These lenses are specially designed to deliver remarkable visual performance, whether you're nearsighted or farsighted. They are also FDA-approved for extended wear, meaning they can be worn continuously for up to six nights and seven days before they need to be removed and cleaned. If you demand exceptional quality, try Biofinity contact lenses.



Another great lens for new contact lens wearers is made by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, one of the most trusted brands in health products. The Acuvue Oasys is often picked for new wearers because of its ability to keep your eyes moist and comfortable. These bi-weekly contacts are ideal for contact lens wearers who experience eye dryness or live in a dry climate. These contacts feature Acuvue's innovative HYDRACLEAR PLUS. Inspired by the way the eye's tear film works, this wetting agent keeps the contacts wet and smooth for all-day comfort. They are also FDA-approved for extended wear of up to six nights and seven days of wear before needing to be removed and cleaned.



New contact lens wearers are often concerned with comfort and convenience. Alcon's Dailies Total1 is an excellent choice because wearing them feels like you're not wearing contacts. This contact lens is designed to be disposed before going to sleep and replaced the next day with a fresh set. Since you're tossing out your contacts every day, there's no daily cleaning ritual, and you get fresh lenses each day. Dailies Total1 (90 pack) are the only contact lenses to feature both Water Gradient and SmarTears Technology for comfort that lasts.

4. Receiving your contact lens prescription. Following your contact lens fitting, your eye doctor is required to provide your contact lens prescription. Congress granted your right to your prescription through the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act. In conjunction with the Contact Lens Rule, this act gives patients the legal right to shop around for contact lenses. Your eye doctor cannot require you to buy contact lenses from them, pay an additional fee beyond the exam and contact lens evaluation fee, or sign a waiver or release of liability or responsibility for your examination.



Some consumers have reported issues receiving their contact lens prescription. You may need to ask for your prescription at the end of your contact lens fitting.



Also, ask your eye doctor to clarify any information you do not understand when receiving your prescription. Make sure your prescription is complete with the following information:

 Your name and your eye doctor's name

 Your exam date and the expiration date of your prescription

 Contact lens brand name and manufacturer

 Contact lens material, power (with +/- signs), diameter, and base curve/designation of the lens



Another critical piece of information to understand about your new contact lens prescription is the replacement schedule and how many come in a box. You'll need this information when comparing pricing and placing your order.

5. How do I read my contact prescription? Although the data that makes up your contact lens prescription may seem intimidating, a contact lens prescription is intended to keep your eyes safe and comfortable and ensure you'll receive optimum vision correction.



Here are the abbreviations used in a typical contact lens prescription. These abbreviations can also be found on the end or side of your contact lens box:

Abbreviation Meaning Definition OD Oculus Dexter Latin for "Right Eye" OS Oculus Sinister Latin for "Left Eye" OU Oculus Uterque Latin for "Both Eyes" SPH Sphere The overall power of the lens. BC Base Curve Back curve of a contact lens is measured in millimeters. DIA Diameter Diameter of your lens from edge to edge. CYL Cylinder A "+" refers to farsightedness, and "-"refers to nearsightedness. AX Axis A measurement to correct astigmatism. ADD Add Power Typically found in prescriptions for reading or close-up vision.

Your contact lens prescription will include information about the brand and, in the case of colored or cosmetic lenses, a reference to the color or design. The information may seem complicated, but it's very straightforward once you understand the abbreviations.

Millions of Americas each year purchase their contact lenses online. Join in the savings and convenience of online shopping.

Would you like more tips about buying contacts online? Visit Lens.com's eyeSTYLE blog with 10 tips for buying contacts online.

About Lens.com

Founded in 1995, Lens.com, Inc. is the nation's 2nd largest online retailer for contact lenses, offering consumers all the popular brands of contact lenses at wholesale prices with convenient quick delivery. The company provides competitive pricing, convenience, personalized customer service, and online eye exam through its easy-to-use website www.Lens.com and its toll-free telephone number "1-800 LENS.COM" (1-800-536-7266). Lens.com is a privately-held U.S. corporation based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Contact: Janet Webster

888-812-9480, [email protected]

SOURCE Lens.com, Inc.
Decorated Military Veteran Named To Lead Top U.S. Defense Contractor

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc. d/b/a ADS, Inc., today announced Ryan Angold as CEO and John Dunn as COO. Angold succeeds Jason Wallace, who is stepping down following nearly 25 years of service with ADS. John Dunn has been appointed COO of ADS, following the departure of ADS's CSO, Brant Feldman.

"We are grateful for Jason's dedicated service, and I'd like to thank him for his outstanding contributions to our industry, our customers, our company, and our employees over his extraordinary career at ADS. I also thank Brant for his hard work and success in growing the company and making sure our customers' needs were always met," said Luke Hillier, ADS's Chairman of the Board of Directors.

As CEO of ADS, Angold will oversee all aspects of the company's business, providing unique and cost-effective solutions and products for the women and men in uniform serving the United States, all over the world. ADS had 2021 revenue of $3.1 Billion.

"Throughout his career, Ryan has served this country and brought expertise, experience, and excellence to every position he has held," said Hillier. Angold served in the United States Navy as a Naval Special Warfare Officer until his career was cut short after sustaining a significant spinal cord injury in 2004. Angold transitioned to working in the defense industry, where he excelled at developing and introducing new products and technologies to the U.S. Military. His continued success and passion for supporting the warfighter led him to start his career at ADS. After 11 years of rising through the ranks, his appointment as CEO of ADS will allow him to lead a dynamic team focused on supporting the men and women that serve our country. "Ryan's consistent leadership and strong sense of purpose, responsibility, and ethics are no longer just an advantage in today's business world," said Adam Casagrande, ADS's General Counsel. "These characteristics are a requirement in a dynamic defense industry stretching through the global economy. It is no accident that a leader built with true integrity and ethics like Ryan now leads one of the foremost defense contractors in the world."

Hillier also announced John Dunn as COO of ADS. Dunn began his career with ADS as Corporate Controller in 2010, before being promoted to Vice President of Finance in 2013. In February 2017, he was promoted to CFO, where he has led Finance, Business Analytics, and Investor Relations teams. "John's promotion to COO is a natural progression of the incredible work he's already handling at ADS, having taken on a heavy role in the operational decision making of the business for some time," said Hillier. "John's promotion is a reflection and recognition of the terrific job he's done for the company to date, and the trust and confidence the Board, the company, and its employees have in him." Dunn retains his role as CFO while taking on the additional duties as COO.

Angold and Dunn's new assignments became effective June 1. In his role as CEO, Angold joins Dunn and Casagrande to make up ADS's Executive Team.

In his announcement, Hillier stated, "Having Ryan and John in these new roles demonstrates ADS's continued commitment to progress, accountability, and continued growth, along with its mission to always put its customers and employees first. I am proud to chair the Board of a company with such strong leadership and integrity, embodied by these two executives."

About ADS, Inc. ADS, Inc. is a leading value-added logistics and supply chain solutions provider that proudly serves all branches of the U.S. Military, federal, state and local government organizations, law enforcement agencies, first responders, partner nations, and the defense industry. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA, ADS is a Top 50 Department of Defense Contractor focused on solving our customers' challenges by providing the best product and service offerings, the broadest array of procurement options, and legendary customer service.

SOURCE ADS Inc.
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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

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CHICAGO, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report, "Agricultural Adjuvants Market by Function (Activator Adjuvants & Utility Adjuvants), Application (Insecticides, Fungicides, Herbicides), Adoption Stage (Tank-mix & In-formulation), Formulation, Crop Type and Region - Global Forecast to 2027", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Agricultural Adjuvants Market size is estimated to be valued at USD 3.7 Billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 4.7 Billion by 2027, recording a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period in terms of value. The market is driven by the various developments in farming techniques and increasing investments in agrochemicals for higher yields. The growing demand for crop protection products has also resulted in the development and commercialization of sustainable crop protection solutions that comply with environmental regulations. These market trends are anticipated to boost the sales of agricultural adjuvants over the foreseeable future.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1240

Activator adjuvants was the largest function segment in the global agricultural adjuvants market and is expected to maintain the dominance over the forecast period

Due to their high compatibility with various pesticide formulations, activator adjuvants are the most widely consumed agricultural adjuvants. Most herbicides are mixed with surfactants to improve their spraying characteristics. Some of the activity modes of activator adjuvants include reducing the surface tension of the spray solution to enhance the contact area, increasing spray retention, and maintaining the stability of the herbicide in the spray solution.

Tank-mix is anticipated to be the fastest-growing adoption stage segment in the agricultural adjuvants over the forecast period

Tank-mix adjuvants ensure activation and compatibility for challenging formulations. The main class of tank-mix adjuvants has spray formation and retention properties that ensure improved pesticide usage efficiency. As a result, the demand for these ingredients is growing more in sustainable farming practices to enable reduced pesticide use, lower treatment costs, and ensure a better yield.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Agricultural Adjuvants Market"

423  Tables

45  Figures

349  Pages

Herbicides was the largest application segment in the agricultural adjuvants market

The increasing demand to reduce pesticide redundancy, environmental concerns, and the introduction of adjuvants for herbicides with multifunctional properties are factors that are projected to increase the demand for such adjuvants during the forecast period.

Suspension concentrates was the largest formulation segment for the agricultural adjuvants market and anticipated to maintain the dominance over the forecast period.

Suspension concentrates are solid active ingredients that can be dispersed in water. The active ingredients that are solid at room temperature could either be formulated as water-based suspension concentrates or can also be combined with co-formulants to be utilized as water-dispersible granules or wettable powders, which would disperse readily in a spray tank. Unlike emulsifiable concentrates and wettable powder formulations, suspension concentrates are gaining popularity as they offer various benefits, such as the absence of dust and flammable liquids, the small particle size of active ingredients, ease of use, and effectiveness.

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Cereals & grains is anticipated to be the second fastest growing crop segment in the agricultural adjuvants market.

This is attributed to the increasing consumption of crop protection chemicals for cereal and grain crops, particularly in the Asian and North American regions. Also, due to the increasing demand for crops such as corn, wheat, rice, and sorghum across various industries, the consumption of crop protection chemicals is projected to increase.

North America was the largest region for the agricultural adjuvants market in 2022.

North America is the leading consumer of pesticides due to the high regulatory compliance requirements for pesticide application. As the adoption rate of agricultural adjuvants in these countries remains high, North America dominated the market in 2021. This market is also projected to witness a steady demand during the forecast period.

Since the number of bans on the usage of chemical pesticides in European countries is increasing, the market for agricultural adjuvants is projected to grow at a sluggish rate in this region compared to other regions. On the other hand, with increasing investments in the expansion of production facilities in the Asia Pacific, the market in this region is projected to witness exponential growth during the forecast period.

Key Players:

This report includes a study on the marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolios of leading companies. It consists of profiles of leading companies, such as Corteva Agriscience (US), Evonik Industries (Germany), Croda International (UK), Nufarm (Australia), Solvay (Belgium), BASF SE (Germany), Huntsman Corporation (US), Clariant AG (Switzerland), Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC (US), Stepan Company (US), Adjuvant Plus Inc. (Canada), Wilbur-Ellis Company (US), Brandt, INC. (US), Plant Health Technologies (US), Innvictis Crop Care LLC (US), Miller Chemical And Fertilizer, LLC (US), Precision Laboratories, LLC (US), CHS Inc. (US), Winfield United (US), KaloInc. (US), Nouryon (Netherlands), Interagro Ltd. (UK), Lamberti S.P.A (Italy), Garrco Products, Inc. (US), Drexel Chemical Company (US), and Loveland Products Inc. (US).

Related Reports:

Fertilizer Additives Market by Function (Anticaking, Dedusting, Antifoaming, Hydrophobic, and corrosion Inhibitor), Application (Urea, Ammonium Nitrate, DAP, MAP, Ammonium Sulphate, and TSP), Form of Application, and Region - Global Forecast to 2021 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/fertilizer-additive-market-110688277.html

Agricultural Surfactants Market by Type (Non-ionic, Anionic, Cationic, Amphoteric), Application (Herbicides, Fungicides), Substrate Type (Synthetic, Bio-based), Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Fruits & Vegetables), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/agricultural-surfactants-market-52947416.html

Browse Adjacent Reports: Agriculture Industry Market Research Reports & Consulting

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New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) Trade and investment, defence, science and tech, and health were the focus of talks during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's four-day visit to Slovakia and the Czech Republic that helped boost relations with the two central European nations.

His June 2-3 visit to Slovakia, undertaken at the invitation of Ivan Korcok, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, was the first ever visit at the level of EAM since its creation in 1993. India and Slovakia share close and friendly ties based on common values of democracy, rule of law, freedom and equality.

On June 3, EAM participated in the GLOBSEC 2022 think tank Forum held in Bratislava and spoke on the topic Taking Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific Region.

On the bilateral front, EAM called on Eduard Heger, Prime Minister of Slovakia, and had delegation level talks with Foreign Minister Korcok. EAM thanked the Slovak side for their assistance in evacuation of 1,115 Indian students from Ukraine.

He also appreciated the mutual recognition of Vaccine certificates between India and Slovakia which has greatly facilitated travel between the two countries. Both sides discussed the expanding cooperation in trade, investment and defence sectors. EAM invited FM Korcok to visit India and conveyed that the rapidly growing private sector as well as the opening of the Defence industry had led to considerable ease in doing business.

FM Korcok conveyed his interest in visiting India with a large business delegation in the coming months. EAM also invited Slovakia to join the International Solar Alliance. Both sides also exchanged views on regional as well as multilateral issues including Ukraine, EU and the Indo-Pacific.

EAM also interacted with a cross-section of Indian community, including students. He appreciated their role in strengthening the bilateral relations as well as in promoting people-to-people ties between the two countries, an official statement said.

On the sidelines of the GLOBSEC 2022 Forum, EAM met Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of European and International Affairs of Austria. FM Schallenberg warmly recalled his visit to India in March 2022 and conveyed that it was very productive and had led to further strengthening of our partnership, especially in fields of business and culture.

Both sides agreed to work towards an Agreement on Migration and Mobility as well as mutual recognition of Vaccine certificates. The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues, including the Ukraine conflict and its implications.

EAM also called on Milo ukanovic, President of Montenegro. Both leaders noted the friendly ties between the two countries and the close cooperation in the multilateral field. They discussed ways to expand our relations across sectors especially in the areas of investment, culture, tourism and renewable energy. The Montenegrin President appreciated our ongoing collaboration in the field of ITEC and invited EAM to visit Montenegro in the coming months.

From June 4-5 EAM visited the Czech Republic at the invitation of Jan Lipavsky, Minister of Foreign Affairs. India and Czech Republic have historically enjoyed warm and friendly relations which have been strengthened in the last several years through high level exchanges and enhanced cooperation across sectors.

During the delegation level talks, the two leaders discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, defence & security, S&T, cultural and people to people ties.

Both sides appreciated that bilateral trade had crossed over USD 2 billion. Discussions were also held on India-EU relations, including the upcoming Czech Presidency of the EU. Both sides agreed to work towards an early conclusion of the India-EU FTA. Both sides exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict. They also discussed cooperation at multilateral fora and agreed to work closely in this sphere.

EAM also interacted with Czech Members of the European Parliament and discussed Indias strong ties with EU, as well as the Czech Republic. They exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific, Food and Energy security, as well as digital cooperation.

In Prague, EAM paid floral tributes at the bust of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. He also interacted with the members of the Indian community and appreciated their role in promoting India- Czech people to people ties.

UNI RN
Company Also Provides Updates on Share Repurchase Program and Combined $56.6 Million in Collateral Releases

BRISTOL, Tenn., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. (NYSE: AMR), a leading U.S. supplier of metallurgical products for the steel industry, today announced several positive financial updates, including the elimination of its remaining term loan balance.

Long-Term Debt Elimination

On June 3, 2022, Alpha made a voluntary prepayment of $99.4 million on its term loan, which eliminated all remaining principal and paid the loan in full.

"Today we are pleased to announce that Alpha's term loan has been paid in full, eliminating our long-term debt," said David Stetson, Alpha's chair and chief executive officer. "As we have mentioned consistently over the past few quarterly calls, this is a critically important milestone for our company, and a significant step in further strengthening Alpha's balance sheet. In just under a year's time, more than $550 million has been paid toward eliminating Alpha's long-term debt load, which allowed us to extinguish the term loan and its carrying costs two years ahead of maturity."

Share Repurchase Program

As previously announced, Alpha's board of directors authorized a $600 million share repurchase program. As of June 3, the company has acquired 860,934 shares of common stock at a cost of $126.3 million.

Collateral Release

In connection with Alpha's improved financial position, the company has received a reduction of $40.1 million in collateral requirements related to its self-insured workers compensation at certain locations in West Virginia.

Additionally, as part of routine surety program review and negotiation, the company has received a $16.5 million reduction in surety collateral requirements, while securing multi-year visibility on surety program terms and conditions.

Alpha's president and chief financial officer, Andy Eidson, elaborated on today's financial announcements: "These collateral releases, which are in the form of letters of credit, directly increase our ABL availability, and thus our financial liquidity, by nearly $57 million. Taken together with the final payment to eliminate Alpha's term loan, these developments represent a further de-risking of our balance sheet and demonstrate our commitment to building a company that is resilient through any market. Additionally, we are pleased to provide an update on the progress of our share repurchase program, which we still believe to be the best investment we can make at this point in time. We are excited about where Alpha is heading, and we look forward to continuing this positive momentum."

About Alpha Metallurgical Resources

Alpha Metallurgical Resources (NYSE: AMR) is a Tennessee-based mining company with operations across Virginia and West Virginia. With customers across the globe, high-quality reserves and significant port capacity, Alpha reliably supplies metallurgical products to the steel industry. For more information, visit www.AlphaMetResources.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Alpha's expectations and beliefs concerning future events and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors are difficult to predict accurately and may be beyond Alpha's control. Forward-looking statements in this press release or elsewhere speak only as of the date made. New uncertainties and risks arise from time to time, and it is impossible for Alpha to predict these events or how they may affect Alpha. Except as required by law, Alpha has no duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this press release or elsewhere after the date this release is issued. In light of these risks and uncertainties, investors should keep in mind that results, events or developments discussed in any forward-looking statement made in this press release may not occur.

SOURCE Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc.
NEW YORK, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amahoro Tours is pleased to announce the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Red Rocks Culture Festival, which will be held between the 26th of August and the 2nd of September 2022. The festival, organized by the Red Rocks Intercultural Center, seeks to celebrate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of Rwanda. The theme for this year's festival is "Conservation and Cultural Sustainability," and it aims to promote eco-conservation, community-driven sustainability, and tourism that supports protecting Rwanda's natural environment and resources.

The Red Rocks Culture Festival is a celebration full of vibrant, thrilling cultural events, making it an exciting time for all ages. Visitors can enjoy traditional music performances every afternoon, cultural artwork and dances, evening storytelling around a campfire, discussions and debates surrounding conservation, and much more. In addition, the festival runs concurrently with the annual Rwandan Kwita Izina, a Gorilla Naming Ceremony, during which newborn gorillas are given names by conservationists. Kwita Izina is held on the morning of the festival's last day, allowing the excitement to build throughout the weeklong celebration. The final night of the festival is marked by the Crazy Night of the Gorillas, which includes refreshments, dancing, and live music for all to enjoy.

Visitors and conservationists who participate in the Red Rocks Culture Festival are given the opportunity to learn more about the culture of Rwanda, the need for sustainable development, and the conservation efforts made to protect endangered mountain gorilla populations in the area. In doing so, they support the local community's everyday life while also helping preserve the region's cultural heritage. Rwanda is already a rich tourism hub, yet the festival promotes further cultural participation among visitors. As this will be the 10th anniversary of the festival, visitors can also expect enhanced cultural diversity and conservation that reflects the nation's pride.

For those interested in celebrating conservation, sustainability, and Rwanda's cultural heritage, Amahoro Tours and the Red Rocks Intercultural Center invite them to join the Red Rocks Culture Festival through the end of August into early September 2022. Both organizations believe that tourism is a fine tool for promoting sustainable development, so visitors from all over the world are encouraged to participate. Learn more about this exciting celebration at amahoro-tours.com .

About Amahoro Tours:

Amahoro Tours is a tourism company offering tours throughout Rwanda, Uganda, & the Democratic Republic Of the Congo. They believe in responsible and eco-friendly tourism, and they strive to provide unique and memorable experiences that help tourists gain a deeper understanding of the cultures they visit. Through the promotion of the Red Rocks Culture Festival, Amahoro Tours hopes to enhance tourism in Rwanda while also enabling visitors to interact with the region's environment and local communities for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Find out more by visiting amahoro-tours.com .

Contact Information

Name: Greg Bakunzi

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 970-541-3284

SOURCE Amahoro Tours
Black-led Investment Fund A&H transitions Denver-based Apex Plumbing Co. and El Paso-based Accent Landscape Contractors Inc. into 100% employee-owned businesses, benefitting large BIPOC workforces and all workers generally

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Apis & Heritage Capital Partners (A&H), an investment fund that finances the conversion of companies with substantial Black and Brown workforces into 100% employee-owned businesses, today announced that it has converted Denver-based Apex Plumbing Co. and El Paso-based Accent Landscape Contractors Inc. into 100% employee-owned enterprises.

"We're immensely proud to announce these groundbreaking partnerships with Apex Plumbing and Accent Landscape Contractors. Not only will they preserve jobs and generate wealth for the employees, but they will also help to ensure the long-term sustainability of these great businesses in their communities," said Todd Leverette, A&H Founding Partner. "We're grateful to all of our partners, including Democracy at Work Institute and The Rockefeller Foundation, as well as visionary owners, Brian and DeAnn Wilkie of Apex Plumbing and Cameron Stevens of Accent Landscape Contractors, for sharing our vision of increasing economic equity and entrusting our fund with helping their employees to own their future."

A&H finds businesses with large workforces of color where the owner is ready to retire and provides financing and technical support to convert the companies into 100% employee-owned businesses. Their novel "employee-led buyout" (ELBO) model is helping workers build wealth through ownership, especially Black and Brown workers who have historically been left out of such opportunities.

"Closing the racial wealth gap is why we created A&H. Today, over 40% of all Americans surveyed report they could not easily pay an unexpected $400 medical bill while about 2/3 of Black and Latino workers retire with no savings. Whereas, the average employee in an employee-owned business in the US nearing retirement has $147,000 in his or her ESOP account1, which we think will be transformative for our workers, their families, and their communities," said Phil Reeves, A&H Founding Partner.

"Today is a great day for Apex Plumbing, and in particular, our employees who will now become owners. We built a great company over 35 years through dedication and the hard work of our team," said Brian Wilkie, Co-Founder & Owner, Apex Plumbing. "By converting our company into an employee-owned business, we have provided an opportunity for all team members to reap the benefits of their hard work going forward through stock ownership. The future is literally in their hands, and we couldn't be more excited for our company and its new owners, our employees. We deeply appreciate the A&H team for financing, supporting, and preparing our employees for this transition."

"I could have sold my business to a competitor or private equity, but I know what can happen next  the culture changes and people get laid off. I didn't want that for my employees. They are like family to me, and they helped build the company. A&H offered me a fair market price, did not require me to carry a large seller's note, cut through all of the red tape, and showed me throughout the process that my workers were going to be able to carry Accent forward. I'd like to express my gratitude to A&H and their investment partners for making this transition to employee ownership possible," said Cameron Stevens, Founder & Owner, Accent Landscape Contractors.

A&H, which is Black-owned and invests in companies where at least 40% of the workforce consists of workers of color, announced its first close at $30 million in June 2021 through its flagship Legacy Fund I. The fund was supported by investments from the Ford Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation's Zero Gap Fund, The Skoll Foundation, Capricorn Investments, Gary Community Investments, Ascension Investment Management, and many other impact investing institutions and individuals.

About the New Employee-Owned Companies

Operating since 1985, Apex Plumbing Co. is one of the largest providers of residential, commercial, and municipal sewer and water line repair and replacement in the Denver Metro Area. Known as "the underground guys," they have successfully completed tens of thousands of sewer repairs and water line replacements. Apex also performs emergency repair and underground infrastructure rehabilitation for cities and districts and provides excavation services and turn-key surface restoration solutions for concrete, asphalt, and landscaping. Apex currently has a workforce of approximately 50 people, about 50% of whom are Latino. Senior financing was provided by UMB Bank (www.UMB.com).

About Accent Landscape Contractors Inc.

Accent Landscape Contractors Inc. was incorporated in Texas in 1979. Accent engages in commercial landscaping, irrigation construction work, and maintenance services. As certified Irrigation Specialists and Qualified Commercial Landscape Developers, the Company specializes in large-scale, commercial-grade projects for private, public, and local/state/federal government clients, with a current client base of 70+ active accounts. Accent has a workforce of approximately 120 full-time workers, the majority of whom are lower-income hourly-wage Latino workers. Senior financing was provided by Woodforest National Bank (www.woodforest.com).

About Apis & Heritage Capital

Apis & Heritage Capital uses a novel "employee-led buyout" (ELBO) structure to provide workers of color and workers in essential industries with the most powerful wealth building tool in the nation: equity in a thriving business. A&H finances the acquisition of great companies from retiring owners/founders and converts them into 100% employee-owned enterprises. The ELBO utilizes the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), which has over 50 years of bipartisan political and regulatory support, to secure significant tax benefits for qualifying companies and wealth-building opportunities for employees. To facilitate the ELBO, A&H coordinates senior financing from some of America's most forward-thinking lending institutions. A&H and its operating partner, the nonprofit Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI), invest in training to build an ownership culture that ensures all employee-owners, from management to the shop floor, are engaged in a common endeavor to create healthy, growing, profitable, and satisfying places to work over the long term. A&H was incubated at DAWI with seed funding provided by the Kendeda Fund, the Kellogg Foundation, and support from Citi Community Development.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation to enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We work to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal. Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to healthy and nutritious food. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn.

1 https://www.nceo.org/assets/pdf/articles/NCEO-S-ESOPs-Retirement-Dec-2018.pdf

SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation
ASH invests $19 million to strengthen the next generation of hematologists by funding the creation of 10 new hematology-focused fellowship tracks in the U.S.

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) announced the institutions that have been selected for the ASH Hematology-Focused Fellowship Training Program (HFFTP), an innovative initiative to address the critical need to expand the hematology workforce. ASH has invested $19 million to launch 10 new hematology-focused fellowship tracks at nine academic institutions across the country.

Each institution will receive funding from ASH to develop a robust hematology training experience for up to two new fellows per year over five years to produce 50 new academic hematologists by 2030. The first cohort of 10 ASH-sponsored hematology fellows will begin in July 2023.

Hematology is a rewarding and rapidly advancing medical specialty. Classical hematology offers physicians opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research leading to life-saving discoveries and specialized patient care for adults living with sickle cell disease and bleeding and clotting disorders, among others. Millions of Americans are affected by blood disorders each year, and the need for hematologists continues to grow. Despite the need, over the past 25 years, hematology training has almost entirely intertwined with training in oncology, and the majority of fellows who choose a career in hematology ultimately focus on blood cancers. HFFTP will provide trainees who are interested in specializing in classical hematology with more fellowship options.

ASH conducted a series of workforce studies of U.S. hematology-oncology fellows and practitioners seeking additional insight into the growing shortage of hematologists, including perceptions of education, mentorship, the job market, and income potential in hematology. According to a 2019 study of 2,500 practicing hematologists, 46% reported a shortage in classical hematologists, while 31% reported a deficit in hematologists who specialize in blood cancers.

This disparity leaves critical gaps in medical care for patients with non-cancerous blood conditions like sickle cell disease and hemophilia, among many others. Trainees looking to study classical hematology also need more mentors to help them navigate the field. Of hematology-oncology fellows surveyed in 2021, only 30% of those in classical hematology reported having had mentors, despite mentorship being cited as the most influential factor in trainees' career decisions and perceptions of medical specialties.

As part of ASH's mission of fostering high-quality, equitable care, transformative research, and innovative education to improve the lives of patients with blood and bone marrow disorders, ASH is making a substantial commitment to address the shortage of hematologists through the ASH HFFTP, which will provide critical education, mentorship, and research opportunities for fellows interested in pursuing careers in hematology.

"ASH believes it's critically important to support the next generation of hematologists," said ASH President Jane N. Winter, MD, of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "This program will not only provide world-class medical training to fellows across the country but will also address growing gaps in medical care to help ensure the best care of patients with blood disorders."

The program is primarily targeting aspiring hematologists from internal medicine or combined internal medicine-pediatrics. The new tracks at the awarded institutions offer opportunities to pair comprehensive classical hematology training with career-enhancing education in transfusion medicine, sickle cell disease, and thrombosis, as well as fields like medical education, systems-based hematology, and outcomes research.

"Through this strategic investment, ASH will expand the field of academic hematology and cultivate mentorship opportunities for fellows," said Dr. Winter. "We, along with the awarded institutions, remain committed to supporting hematology trainees and specialists throughout their educational and professional journeys."

To learn more about HFFTP and the awarded institutions visit: hematology.org/HFFTP.

ASH Awarded HFFTP Institutions:

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Emory University School of Medicine

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

University of California, San Francisco

University of Minnesota Medical School

Medical School University of Pittsburgh / UPMC

/ UPMC University of Washington School of Medicine

School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

School of Medicine in Yale School of Medicine

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (www.hematology.org) is the world's largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. For more than 60 years, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. ASH's flagship journal, Blood (www.bloodjournal.org), is the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, and Blood Advances (www.bloodadvances.org) is the Society's online, peer-reviewed open-access journal.

SOURCE American Society of Hematology
Global healthcare data management and analytics leader brings together experts to discuss current drivers in personalized medicine at second edition of Precision Medicine & Data Science Conference in Singapore

ZURICH, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BC Platforms (BCP), a leading provider of data and technology platforms for personalized medicine and drug development, will host a key, day-long, Precision Medicine and Data Science Conference in Singapore on 7 June 2022 to discuss how stakeholders can securely collaborate and enable the use of federated data at scale to empower precision medicine, population health, and preventive care initiatives in the region.

The event features preeminent local and international experts from healthcare, government, and academia, including Professor Patrick Tan, Executive Director of the Genome Institute of Singapore, Associate Professor Neerja Karnani, BioInformatics Institute A*STAR and Dr Shay Ben-Shachar, Director of Precision Medicine and Genomics at Clalit Research Institute, Israel. It is part of BCP's efforts to support the growth of precision medicine activities in Asia Pacific.

"Access to connected, secure data is a key pillar in overall healthcare development. High quality clinical and genomics information is foundational to predictive and preventive clinical care as well as drug development. Today, real-world data generated from Asian countries is not represented well enough and data diversity is key to solving the most pressing research questions," said Mr Tero Silvola, Chief Executive Officer of BC Platforms. "At BC Platforms we recognize that Asian countries continue to remain under-represented in global life science research; so it is important for healthcare systems in the region to collaborate, build highly secure, enabling technologies and ensure local legislation is supportive of real-world data initiatives. It will allow the whole ecosystem to stay in front of the development, and our vision focuses on personalized care models for patients in this region."

The company had expanded its R&D operations in Singapore earlier this year and partnered with SingHealth, Singapore's largest public healthcare group. Parties aim to build a series of research projects and by doing so accelerate relevant clinical research with pressing targets on diseases prevalent in the Asian population, including but not limited to cancer and cardiovascular diseases. This highly visible partnership is part of BC Platforms' rapidly growing data partner network for secure and regulatory compliant sharing of real-world data. The BCRQUEST.com global partner network now comprises 33 million patient lives from 37 data partners on five continents.

While BC Platforms has been active in Singapore since 2019, it plans to ramp up activities and continue to build its presence in the region as it continues to develop and deploy safe and secure infrastructure for healthcare data. The company is also focusing on partnerships with local and regional healthcare and research institutions to strengthen translational research capabilities in Asia Pacific and improve care outcomes for patients in the region.

About BC Platforms

BC Platforms is a global leader in providing a powerful data and technology platform for personalised medicine and drug development, accelerating the translation of insights into clinical practice. Our technology drives the infinite loop between personalised care and research discoveries, leveraging latest science, deep technical expertise, strategic partnerships, and harmonized, diverse data collections. Our high performing genomic data discovery and analytics platform enables flexible data integration, secure analysis, and interpretation of molecular and clinical information. For more information, please visit the website www.bcplatforms.com .

SOURCE BC Platforms
DALLAS, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BenefitMall , the leading provider of next-generation broker services, was named a winner of a People's Choice Stevie Award for Favorite New Products in The 20th Annual American Business Awards .

The People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products are a feature of The American Business Awards in which the general public can vote for their favorite new products and services of the year. More than 46,000 votes were cast in people's choice categories this year. All new products and services nominated in the ABAs' new product categories were included in people's choice voting.

BenefitMall was awarded the People's Choice Stevie for Marketplace, powered by Ease , which offers brokers a completely digital solution that is paperless, secure, and cohesive across every point of client engagement, from new quotes to annual renewals. Marketplace enables brokers to offer a General Agency experience that differentiates them from their competition.

"We are honored to be recognized by our industry peers and clients through public voting," said Laura Clenney, Vice President of Marketing Services for BenefitMall. "Our broker network and their clients are our number one priority. We take pride in providing the fastest, easiest, and most secure benefits selling experience for carriers, brokers, and their clients"

Marketplace offers a more efficient selling experience, an easier renewal process, and increased sales on new lines of coverage through a completely digital agency/employer/employee experience. By providing full-service support that includes pre-sale quoting, point-of-sale enrollment, and post-sale census management support, Marketplace can deliver faster, best-in-class processing and turnaround times due to digital automation and complete enrollment data.

More than 3,700 nominations were submitted to this year's American Business Awards for consideration in a wide range of categories, including New Product or Service of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Startup of the Year, among others.

The American Business Awards are the nation's premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S. are eligible to submit nominations  public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. Winners of the crystal People's Choice Stevie Awards, as well as all other winners in the 20th ABAs, will be celebrated during a gala awards banquet on Monday, June 13 in New York City.

Details about The American Business Awards, the list of People's Choice Stevie Award winners, and the complete list of Stevie winners in this year's ABAs are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA .

About BenefitMall

Headquartered in Dallas, BenefitMall is the largest general agency partnering with a network of 20,000 Brokers to deliver employee benefits to more than 140,000 small and medium-sized businesses. BenefitMall uniquely leverages innovative technology backed by human expertise to provide the fastest, easiest, and most secure benefits selling experience for carriers, brokers, and their clients.

BenefitMall is owned by Management and The Carlyle Group. More information is available at www.benefitmall.com .

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the Stevie Awards for Great Employers. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com .

SOURCE BenefitMall
SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Lawyers Association (CLA) has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve the test that applies to communications between lawyers and their clients involving both legal and nonlegal purposes, known as dual-purpose communications, and when those communications are protected by the attorney-client privilege. CLA supports adoption of the test that provides the most protection to the attorney-client privilege.

In an amicus brief filed June 1, CLA urges the Supreme Court to grant a petition for certiorari to review a Ninth Circuit decision, In re Grand Jury, 23 F.4th 1088 (9th Cir. 2022), which created a three-way split among the Circuit Courts on the issue of attorney-client privilege and dual-purpose communications.

The Ninth Circuit held that a dual-purpose communication is only privileged when the most significant purpose is legal. This test requires courts to evaluate and balance all the purposes for the communication. The decision conflicts with the D.C. Circuit, which found that a dual-purpose communication is privileged when it has a significant legal purpose. In the Seventh Circuit, a dual-purpose communication is never privileged.

CLA argues that the attorney-client privilege needs to be clearly defined so attorneys know the boundaries of the privilege and clients know when they can communicate freely and candidly with their counsel to ensure they are receiving competent and informed legal advice. CLA endorses the D.C. Circuit's test.

"CLA urges this Court to grant certiorari to protect this sacrosanct tenant of the legal profession and resolve the conflict in the circuit courts," the amicus brief says. "CLA has an interest in ensuring there are uniform and clear rules regarding whether a communication is privileged, especially when those rules substantially affect a broad spectrum of attorneys in many practice disciplines."

Adria Price and Laura L. Buckley of CLA's Taxation Section authored the brief, with editing and technical appellate assistance from H. Thomas Watson of CLA's Amicus Committee.

"We appreciate the work of these dedicated volunteers who are helping to bring attention to an issue with nationwide significance for lawyers and their clients across the country," CLA President Jeremy M. Evans said.

"This amicus brief highlights CLA's invaluable role in advocating on issues of interest to our members and the legal profession as a whole," CEO and Executive Director Oyango A. Snell said.

About California Lawyers Association:

Established in 2018, CLA is the bar association for all California attorneys. CLA's mission is to promote excellence, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and fairness in the administration of justice and the rule of law.

SOURCE California Lawyers Association
CCMA's donation will support special projects that benefit patients and guests throughout Marshall County Hospital. The Hospital's Foundation recently funded college scholarships to qualifying high school seniors, automatic doors at various entrances of the facility, laparoscopic equipment for the surgery department, hearing amplifiers for the emergency department and inpatients, sleeper chairs for patients' families, and an infant transport incubator for emergency deliveries.

Mordechai Korf and Uriel Laber of CCMA issued the following joint statement: "Local health means local prosperity and strong communities. CCMA understands how important Marshall County Hospital & Healthcare Foundation is to the local community and the critical role they play. We are grateful to everyone at Marshall County Hospital for providing lifesaving assistance and to all the brave frontline workers who keep our communities safe and healthy. To give back to the community, with the support of our employees, is incredibly rewarding for us."

Chris Cobb, Plant Manager at CCMA's Calvert City Production Facility, said: "Under the leadership of Motti Korf and Uriel Laber, CCMA has long been committed to supporting the local community. We are proud to continue that tradition by supporting our hometown heroes at Marshall County Hospital."

Today's announced donation follows a long history of CCMA supporting the local community. This past December, CCMA provided crucial food and housing support to six local charities helping hundreds of Kentucky families. That same month, CCMA provided over $70,000 in needed relief supplies to support the recovery of Kentucky communities after a tornado moved through Western Kentucky. And in April, CCMA donated $25,000 in support to five local nonprofit organizations that provide critical food and meal services as well as family services to hundreds of families in their communities.

SOURCE CC Metals and Alloys, LLC
Islamabad/New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) Pakistan issued a strong demarche to the Indian Charge d Affaires in Islamabad condemning the remarks against Prophet Mohammad made by two BJP functionaries, even as India has slammed the remarks by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that India under Modi is persecuting Muslims.

The Pakistan Foreign Office summoned the Charge d Affaires M Suresh Kumar and issued a strong demarche condemning the controversial remarks about the Prophet made by now-expelled BJP functionaries.

The Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while condemning the remarks by the BJP functionaries, also said that India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms and persecuting Muslims. World should take note and severely reprimand India.

He added, in a line aimed to whip up communal sentiments, that All Muslims can sacrifice their life for the Love & Respect of their Holy Prophet.

In response to the Pakistani Prime Minister and statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone.

He also said The world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan.

Bagchi said the Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour.

We call on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities instead of engaging in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India,  he said.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto in a tweet condemned the remarks by the BJP functionaries - Naveen Jindal and Nupur Sharma - as repugnant and added that it is Time for the international community to stop the Hindutva inspired Islamophobia in India.

The Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement on Sunday strongly condemned and rejected the totally unacceptable derogatory remarks by BJP officials about Holy Prophet Muhammad. This has deeply hurt sentiments of Muslims in Pakistan, India & across the world.

It said BJPs attempted clarification and belated and perfunctory disciplinary action against these individuals cannot assuage the pain and anguish they have caused to the Muslim world.

UNI RN
SHANGHAI, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 2171.HK), a company focused on innovative CAR T-cell therapies for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, announces that at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the Company presented two posters with study results for CT041, an autologous CAR T-cell product candidate against protein Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2). The two posters included (1) results from the multicenter Phase 1b CT041 trial in the U.S. for patients with advanced gastric and pancreatic adenocarcinoma and (2) the safety and preliminary efficacy results from the Phase Ib/II CT041 study in China for patients with advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

The abstracts of the posters are listed below:

Abstract #2538: Multicenter Phase 1b Trial of Salvage CT041 CLDN18.2  specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy for Patients with Advanced Gastric and Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

A single-arm, open-label, Phase 1b trial (NCT04404595) was conducted in six centers in the U.S. CLDN18.2 positive patients who had gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJ) with  2 prior lines of systemic therapy or pancreatic cancer (PC) with  1 prior line were eligible for the study. A preconditioning regimen with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and nab-paclitaxel (100 mg or 100 mg/m2; FNC) was given prior to CT041 infusion. Adverse events (AEs) were graded per CTCAE v5.0. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) were graded by ASTCT criteria. Tumor response was assessed per RECIST 1.1.

As of May 6, 2022, 14 patients had enrolled (5 GC/GEJ, 9 PC) with a median of 3 prior lines of therapy (range 1-5) and had received 18 total cycles of CT041. Fourteen patients were given by three dose levels (DL) including DL1 of 2.5-3.0108 cells (n=6), DL2 of 3.75-4.0108 cells (n=6) and DL3 of 6.0108 cells (n=2).

Safety

No dose-limiting toxicities or treatment-related deaths were observed. No  Grade 3 CRS or ICANS was observed. No gastrointestinal bleeding or acute gastric mucosal injury were reported. One patient did not have CRS. Among the 13 patients with CRS, 11 patients had Grade 1 and 2 patients had Grade 2.

Efficacy

In a subgroup of patients with GC/GEJ, an objective response rate (ORR) of 60% was reported, and one patient achieved complete response (CR). Additionally, tumor shrinkage was observed in 80% (4 of 5) of patients with stable disease (4 patients with PC). Median duration of response (mDOR) and progression-free survival (mPFS) have not been reached. Two patients who received DL3 did not have tumor response assessments by the data cutoff date. Dose-dependent responses were observed in DL1 and DL2. An ORR of 16.7% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 50% was observed in DL1. An ORR of 33.3% and a DCR of 83.3% were observed in DL2. Tumor response details are listed in the table below.

Tumor response by tumor type

GC/GEJ (n=5) n (%) PC (n=7) n (%) Complete response 1 (20) 0 (0) Partial response 2 (40) 0 (0) Stable disease 1 (20) 4 (57.1) Progressive disease 1 (20) 3 (42.9) Note: GC/GEJ= gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer; PC=pancreatic cancer.

Conclusion

In heavily pre-treated gastric cancer, CT041 CLDN18.2 CAR T cells may have significantly improved antitumor activity compared to historical treatment regimens.

Abstract #4017 Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Efficacy Results in Patients with Advanced Gastric/Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma from a Phase Ib/II Study of CLDN18.2 CAR T-cell Therapy (CT041)

This multicenter, open-label, Phase Ib/II study (NCT04581473) was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy in Chinese patients with GC/GEJ. In Phase Ib, CT041 dose levels of 2.5108 and 3.75108 cells were investigated using a 3 + 3 design.

Key eligibility criteria for the Phase Ib study: patients with CLDN18.2-positive expression confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining (2+/3+ in 40% tumor cells), advanced GC/GEJ adenocarcinoma who were refractory to or intolerant of at least 2 prior treatments are eligible for this study. HER2positive patients should have received standard antiHER2 therapy.

As of December 22, 2021, 14 eligible patients with GC/GEJ were enrolled in Phase Ib, among which 57.1% had  3 metastatic organs and 92.9% had peritoneal dissemination. Most of the patients (85.7%) had received 2 prior treatments or a triple combination of fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and paclitaxel. 35.7% of the patients had been exposed to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor. The baseline characteristics are shown in the table below.

Demographics and baseline characteristics Total (N = 14) Median age (range), year 44.5 (2371) Male, n (%) 6 (42.9%) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status=1, n (%) 12 (85.7%) Lauren classification, n (%)

Intestinal type 3 (21.4%) Diffuse type 9 (64.3%) Mixed type 2 (14.3%) Signet ring cell carcinoma, n (%) 9 (64.3%) Claudin18.2 staining, n (%)

2+ 2 (14.3%) 3+ 12 (85.7%) HER2 expression, n (%)

Positive 1 (7.1%) Negative 12 (85.7%) Unknown 1 (7.1%) Numbers of metastatic organs, n (%)

< 3 6 (42.9%)  3 8 (57.1%) Peritoneal metastasis, n (%) 13 (92.9%) Liver metastasis, n (%) 3 (21.4%) Numbers of prior lines, n (%)

2* 12 (85.7%)  3 2 (14.3%) Prior systemic therapies, n (%)

Fluorouracil 14 (100%) Platinum 14 (100%) Paclitaxel / nabpaclitaxel 13 (92.9%) PD1/PD-L1 inhibitor 5 (35.7%) Tyrosinekinase inhibitor 2 (14.3%) * Five patients received a triple combination of fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and paclitaxel as first line treatment.



All 14 patients received 1 cycle of bridging chemotherapy determined by the investigators, including 13 patients (92.9%) received FOLFIRI, and only 1 received 5FU plus intraperitoneal nabpaclitaxel. All patients received preconditioning treatment (fludarabine 25 mg/m2 on d12, cyclophosphamide 250 mg/m2 on d13 and nabpaclitaxel 100 mg on d2) before CT041 infusion. All patients received at least one infusion (11 received 2.5108 cells and 3 received 3.75108 cells) of CT041 and 7 patients received two infusions. For the 7 patients who received two infusions, the median interval between infusions was 132 days (range 49252 days).

Safety

No patients had doselimiting toxicities or AEs leading to death. Thirteen patients had Grade 2 CRS, and only one patient had Grade 4 CRS, which was related to the patient's disease burden, who fully recovered after corticosteroid treatment. No ICANS or gastrointestinal mucosal injury were reported.

Efficacy

Thirteen patients were evaluable and one patient withdrew from the study before any tumor assessment was performed. Eight of 14 (57.1%) patients achieved partial response at the first tumor assessment after the first CT041 infusion. Based on the investigators' assessment, the ORR and DCR were 57.1% and 78.6% respectively.

While the median follow-up time was 8.8 months, the mPFS and median overall survival were 5.6 months and 10.8 months respectively. Seven patients were still alive by the cutoff date.

Conclusion

These preliminary results suggest that CT041 had manageable safety/tolerability profile and promising efficacy in patients with previously treated advanced GC/GEJ adenocarcinoma. This study is ongoing with further investigation of CT041 in confirmatory Phase II underway.

Dr. Raffaele Baffa, Chief Medical Officer of CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited, said, "Solid tumors, including gastric cancer, are of high incidence globally. As treatment options for gastric cancer are still limited, there is a strong need for more innovative therapies. The updated clinical data of CT041 at ASCO 2022 are very encouraging in pre-treated GC/GEJ and PC patients, demonstrating significant efficacy and excellent tolerability, including the impressive ORR of 60% and a case of CR. We look forward to the continuing development of CT041 and we believe it can help more patients."

Dr. Zonghai Li, Founder, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Scientific Officer of CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited, said, "It is the first time that we presented the data for CT041 from registrational trials in China and the U.S. Following the publication of the results of an investigator-initiated trial of CT041 in Nature Medicine earlier in May, the updated results announced at ASCO 2022 further demonstrated the promising therapeutic efficacy and favorable safety of CT041. CT041 is currently the only CAR T-cell product candidate entering a confirmatory Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of solid tumors. We will spare no efforts to continue driving the global clinical development of CT041 to benefit more cancer patients worldwide."

About CT041

CT041 is an autologous CAR T-cell product candidate against the protein CLDN18.2 that has the potential to be the first-in-class globally. CT041 targets the treatment of CLDN18.2 positive solid tumors with a primary focus on GC/GEJ and PC. CT041 has demonstrated promising therapeutic efficacy and favorable safety in ongoing clinical trials. CARsgen believes that CT041 has the potential to become a backbone therapy for GC/GEJ and PC in the future and benefit a large population of patients worldwide.

As of the date of the announcement, CT041 is the only CLDN18.2-targeted CAR T-cell product candidate globally that is being studied in clinical trials with IND/CTA approvals from the FDA, the NMPA and Health Canada.

Active trials in CARsgen include investigator-initiated trials, a Phase Ib clinical trial for advanced GC/GEJ and PC and a confirmatory Phase II clinical trial for advanced GC/GEJ in China (CT041-ST-01, NCT04581473), and a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial for advanced gastric or pancreatic adenocarcinoma in North America (CT041-ST-02, NCT04404595). CARsgen also intends to conduct a pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial in North America in 2022.

In May 2022, the phase I trial interim results of an investigator-initiated trial of CT041 have been published in Nature Medicine. In this largest clinical trial for solid tumors to date, the CAR T-cell therapy showed unprecedented efficacy against solid tumors.

In 2020 and 2021, CT041 received Orphan Drug designation from the U.S. FDA for the treatment of GC/GEJ and Orphan Medicinal Product designation from the EMA for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. In November 2021, CT041 was granted PRIME Eligibility by the EMA for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. In January 2022, CT041 was granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) Designation by U.S. FDA for the treatment of advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma with CLDN18.2 positive tumors.

About CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited

CARsgen is a biopharmaceutical company with operations in China and the U.S. and is focused on innovative CAR T-cell therapies for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The Company has built an integrated cell therapy platform with in-house capabilities that span target discovery, antibody development, clinical trials, and commercial-scale manufacturing. CARsgen has internally developed novel technologies and a product pipeline with global rights to address major challenges of CAR T-cell therapies, such as improving the safety profile, enhancing the efficacy in treating solid tumors and reducing treatment costs. The Company's vision is to become a global biopharmaceutical leader that brings innovative and differentiated cell therapies to cancer patients worldwide and makes cancer curable.

Contact Us

For more information, please visit https://www.carsgen.com/

Contact CARsgen PR: [email protected]

SOURCE CARsgen Therapeutics
Yichang is the hometown of Qu Yuan, a well-known poet and a minister of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), whose death was closely related with the origin of China's Dragon Boat Festival, a day traditionally marked with dragon boat races and eating Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.

After the opening ceremony, a grand original performance named "China in the songs of Chu Kingdom" was staged. Fifteen programs in various forms, including song and dance, drum performance, acrobatics and rap, presented a cultural audio-visual feast to audiences at home and abroad, according to the Publicity Department of Yichang Municipality.

On June 3, a total of 16 teams with over 400 participants from Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong and other provincial regions competed in a dragon boat race in Yichang's Zigui County with the backdrop of the Three Gorges Dam to celebrate the traditional Chinese festival.

Yichang's Dragon Boat Culture Festival activities seek to present the city's rich cultural deposits related with Qu Yuan. In addition to the opening ceremony, a dragon boat race, an investment match-making meeting, folk performances and other activities, the first Qu Yuan culture research international forum, the annual meeting of the Chinese Association of Qu Yuan, a global collection of works on Qu Yuan from young writers and other activities were also held.

As a national Dragon Boat Festival event, the Qu Yuan's hometown Dragon Boat Culture Festival has been held six times, with an average of 150,000 visits each year. In 2009, the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, with Qu Yuan's hometown Dragon Boat Culture Festival as its main content, was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Therefore, Dragon Boat Festival has become a thousand-year-old cultural event and a cultural symbol with global influence in Qu Yuan's hometown of Yichang.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=422738

Caption: The dragon boat race

SOURCE Publicity Department of Yichang Municipality
Ms. Sherman steps into the role most recently held by Joseph Clabby, who will retire from Chubb in July after more than three decades of service. Ms. Sherman will report to Ben Rockwell, Vice President, Chubb Group and Division President, North America Middle Market. The appointment is effective immediately.

"We look forward to having Leigh Anne join Commercial Insurance," said Mr. Rockwell. "She has a proven track record in leading innovative organizations and driving results and will be able to leverage decades of insurance industry knowledge and experience in this new role."

Mr. Rockwell added, "Over the years, Joe has served the organization in a variety of leadership roles and has been instrumental in helping to grow our business. On behalf of Chubb's entire management team, we thank him for his many contributions and wish him all the very best during retirement."

Ms. Sherman has been with Chubb for 25 years. Prior to serving as head of ESIS, she served as Executive Vice President of Chubb's Private/Not-For-Profit Management Liability business within the North America Financial Lines business. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Sherman has held progressive leadership roles throughout the Chubb organization.

Jim Shevlin succeeds Ms. Sherman as Division President of ESIS.

About Chubb



Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com.

Chubb Insurance Company of Canada has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver and provides its products and services through licensed insurance brokers across Canada. For additional information, visit: chubb.com/ca.

SOURCE Chubb
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Major Price Models in the Coke Sourcing and Procurement Market

The report discusses in detail each pricing model and the pros and cons attached to every pricing model prevalent in the market. Also, the report provides insights with respect to the category supply chain and the margins of various suppliers within the supply chain.

The most widely adopted pricing models in the Coke Sourcing and Procurement Market

Volume-based pricing model



Fixed pricing model

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Spend Growth and Demand by Region

The Coke Sourcing and Procurement market will register an incremental spend of about USD 7.77 Billion during the forecast period. However, only a few regions will drive the majority of this growth. Moreover, on the supply side, North America, Europe, and APAC will have the maximum influence owing to the supplier base. The growth is expected to be primarily driven by increasing demand and adoption of the category across those few regions.

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Most Adopted Procurement Strategies by Buyers Across the Coke Sourcing and Procurement Market

The report provides a detailed insight of the most adopted procurement strategies by buyers across industries and analysis of these strategies with respect to innovation, regulatory compliance, quality, supply, and cost. Adoption of these procurement strategies will enable the buyers to reduce category TCO and achieve cost savings, while sourcing for thermal equipment requirements.

To get the exact information on various procurement strategies:

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This Coke Sourcing and Procurement Market report answers help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers, for instance:

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Anirban Choudhury

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SOURCE SpendEdge; SpendEdge
"We are thrilled to add James and Theresa to our Retail leadership team," said McKinney. "The retail banking landscape continues to evolve, and through their leadership and expertise we can further enhance the deep alignment of our operational initiatives to meet the growing demands of our business."

James Johnson

Johnson will be responsible for the oversight of risk management processes and controls across the Retail Bank. He will also serve as the strategic leader for operational and execution initiatives.

With a career that spans more than 15 years, Johnson brings with him extensive experience in developing risk and operational strategies. In his most recent role as Vice President, Head of Digital Risk and Operations, Digital Channels for First Republic Bank, he led programs to identify, measure and mitigate risk, while providing sound solutions for secure delivery of digital banking products and services. Prior to First Republic Bank, he also served in risk management roles at Prosper Marketplace, Bank of the West and FDIC.

Johnson earned his bachelor's from Pfeiffer University in North Carolina, and master's degree from the University of Phoenix. He also earned his Graduate Certificate in Banking from the University of Washington. Johnson holds designations as a Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC); Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE); Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA); and Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP).

Theresa Bazan

Bazan enters the newly established position of Senior Vice President, Director, Sales Enablement after serving as the Senior Vice President, Regional Director for Central/South Texas Regional Director for 15 years. In her prior role, she led Comerica's key Central and South Texas markets, which include Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Kerrville, helping to deliver enhanced customer experience, fulfill established business goals and achieve operational efficiencies.

In her new role, Bazan will work to enhance the effective delivery of solutions for small business and consumer customers by developing strategies, processes and support tools for bankers to achieve their goals and objectives.

Bazan is an active member of the community, serving as President of Dress for Success Houston, Women's Corporate Guild. She is also a Vincentian with the St. Vincent De Paul Society, through which she provides financial support for and assesses the needs of individuals. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist School of Banking in Texas.

Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $89.2 billion as of March 31, 2022.

SOURCE Comerica Incorporated
"We have always known that Morgan is exceptionally talented and so it is elating that she was recognized by an independent committee for her work," commented Louis-David Mangin, CEO and Cofounder of Confiant Inc. "She is one of our valued team members," concluded Mangin.

"I'm honored to be included along with these amazing women in our industry. As women in technology it's up to us to support and elevate each other in all aspects of our work. We offer a diversity of thought in an industry that is constantly changing. I'm proud to be part of it," said Morgan Martins, Head of Marketing at Confiant Inc.

Applicants from across North America competed for the 2022 Top Women in Media and Ad Tech Awards. AdMonsters and AdExhcanger created the awards to recognize, celebrate, inspire and bring together the women who are making a difference to the greater digital media and advertising technology community with their talents, creativity and effective productivity.

The June 6th awards gala at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City celebrates the achievements of this impressive group of women who are helping to define the future of media and ad tech.

Morgan is an influential, team-building Head of Marketing at Confiant with more than 20 years delivering innovative integrated marketing programs for start-ups and global enterprises in B2B, Ad Tech, SaaS, Real Estate, Legal, and Higher Education that build brand share, revenue growth, and customer retention. Morgan knows and executes on the world-class strategic marketing, PR, Social Media campaigns, cultural communications, marketing ops, sales enablement, and training that drive awareness, engagement, and customer journeys resulting in conversion. She is a passionate driver of brand creation, innovation, standards, and enforcement.

About Confiant, Inc.

Confiant's mission is to make the digital world safe for everyone.

Confiant is a cybersecurity provider specialized in detecting and stopping threats that leverage advertising technology infrastructure, also known as Malvertising. We help digital publishers and advertising technology platforms around the world take back control of the ad experience in real-time. In addition, Confiant helps enterprises protect themselves and their customers from threat actors performing these attacks. Confiant oversees trillions of monthly ad impressions with innovative integrations embedded deep into the ad tech ecosystem, giving us a unique vantage point. Our superior detection set for phishing, crypto scams and malware attacks using ads as a vector is one-of-a-kind in the industry. Confiant executes our mission everyday to protect users and organizations of all sizes, including Microsoft, Orange, Paramount and IBM. We offer unique and actionable insights into threats that systematically target brands, businesses, individuals and supply chains via ads. Our recently published Malvertising Matrix maps the tactics, techniques and procedures active in Malvertising today. inclusive of emerging Web3 Layer 4 threats. To learn more about Confiant and our technology visit: www.confiant.com

Follow us on Social

@Weareconfiant or visit www.confiant.com

for more information.

Media Contact Information:

Morgan Martins

(646) 694-2696

[email protected]

SOURCE Confiant
Cybellum Wins 3 Awards for Cybersecurity in 10th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2022

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cybellum is proud to announce that we have won the following awards from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry's leading electronic information security magazine:

Cutting Edge in Cybersecurity Internet of Things (IoT)

Most Comprehensive in Healthcare IoT Security

Next Gen in Industrial Cybersecurity"

"We're thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine, during their 10th anniversary as an independent cybersecurity news and information provider. We knew the competition would be tough and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn't be more pleased," said Slava Bronfman, co-founder and CEO of Cybellum.

"We scoured the globe looking for cybersecurity innovators that could make a huge difference and potentially help turn the tide against the exponential growth in cyber crime. Cybellum is absolutely worthy of these coveted awards and consideration for deployment in your environment," said Yan Ross, Editor of Cyber Defense Magazine.

We're thrilled to be a member on this coveted group of winners, located here: http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com/

Please join us virtually at the #RSAC RSA Conference 2022, https://www.rsaconference.com/usa today, as we share our red carpet experience and proudly display our trophy online at our website, our blog and our social media channels.

About Cybellum

Cybellum enables device manufacturers to keep the products they build secure and compliant, every single moment of their life. Industry leaders use Cybellum's product security platform to fuse security into every phase of the product lifecycle. Powered by Cyber Digital Twins technology -- a live digital replica of every software component inside your devices  Cybellum allows product security teams to manage cyber risk continuously, whatever new threat arises. From living SBOMs to automated vulnerability management and continuous monitoring, teams can ensure their product portfolio is secure from design to post-production and beyond.

To learn more visit www.cybellum.com

About CDM InfoSec Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazine's tenth year of honoring InfoSec innovators from around the Globe. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage, or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About the Judging

The judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking "What's Next?" so we are looking for best of breed, next generation InfoSec solutions.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.

CDM Media Inquiries:

Irene Noser, Marketing Executive

[email protected]

Toll Free (USA): 1-833-844-9468

International: 1-646-586-9545

www.cyberdefensemagazine.com

Cybellum Media Contact

Annette Habani

Marketing Manager, Cybellum

[email protected]

SOURCE Cybellum
Srinagar, June 6 (UNI) Security forces shot dead a suspected Pakistani militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba during a gun battle in Sopore sub-district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Monday evening.

Police said two foreigners and a local militant escaped from the cordon.





They said the gunfight broke out during a cordon and a search operation which was launched at Panipora forest of Zaloora area by Police and Army's 22 Rashtriya Rifles following an input about militant presence.



"The CASO turned into a gun battle when hiding terrorists opened fire," a security official said.

Police said four militants were trapped in the area when the operation was launched .

Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar said one Pakistani militant of LeT was killed in the gun battle.

"As per the documents recovered from the killed Pakistani terrorist, he has been identified as Hanzalla of Lahore, Pakistan. One AK rifle, 05 magazines along with ammunition has been recovered," Kumar added.

" 2 FTs ( foreign terrorists) and one local terrorist escaped from cordon. Search (is) going on," Kumar said.





UNI MJR GK
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Datacolor , the global leader in color management solutions, will be offering creatives who own a legacy Spyder or X-Rite/Calibrite monitor calibration device, the opportunity to upgrade to the SpyderX Elite - Datacolor's most comprehensive calibration tool.

This crossgrade campaign will be available in the USA and Canada and will allow users to upgrade to the SpyderX Elite, for a fraction of the regular price. Users simply need to follow this link and enter a valid serial number to qualify for the upgrade.
Direct Relief has also provided over $14.7 million in direct financial assistance to other organizations in the region. The cash assistance has included direct payments for Ukrainian refugees in Poland to cover prescription medication copays, as well as operating funds for health facilities providing care in Ukraine.

"Direct Relief's three-month report on humanitarian assistance to Ukraine reflects the generosity of an extensive private coalition of individuals and businesses globally," said Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe.

As the war continues, Direct Relief is approaching the response along two parallel tracks  supporting people experiencing the conflict inside Ukraine, and for who have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries.

Direct Relief last week published a report detailing the medicine, supplies and financial assistance donated, as well as a summary of financial contributions received from individuals, corporations and others.

As of May 24, Direct Relief has received 117,611 Ukraine-designated financial contributions totaling $79,624,504 from individuals, foundations, businesses, and organizations located in 79 countries (including Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and Belarus as well as all U.S. states and territories). The contributions came from 91,822 donors, some of which were aggregations of donations from countless individuals. For example, millions of individuals who play Fortnite contributed to these efforts through in-game purchases and subscriptions, which were aggregated and donated to Direct Relief by Epic Games.

Consistent with Direct Relief's Donation Policies, 100 percent of funds received for specific emergency situations are devoted entirely to those situations, and none of these funds are used for fundraising.

Thus far, of the total Ukraine-designated cash contributions received to date, Direct Relief has expended or committed $21.1 million to improve the health and lives of people affected by the war. Among the uses of funds are $14.7 million in financial assistance to organizations supporting Ukrainians and Ukrainian refugees (including $10 million for prescription medication costs for refugees in Poland) and $2.4 million on procurement of oxygen concentrators, emergency medic packs, and other supplies.

When the war erupted, Direct Relief quickly established contact with the Ministries of Health of Moldova, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, as well as nonprofits in these countries, in order to provide support for the health-related needs of refugee populations.

Direct Relief expects it will take years for Ukraine's health systems and its people to recover from the war's destruction, and the organization is planning for a multi-year response.

"Direct Relief will continue to provide assistance to the Ukrainian people, both those who remain in Ukraine as well as those who have fled the country and may be unable to return for years to come," Tighe said.

Corporate Support

Direct Relief's ability to furnish a large portion of the extensive medical material support without the expenditure of donor funds was due to the in-kind donations from healthcare manufacturers and distributors, many of which Direct Relief works with on an ongoing basis.

Healthcare company donors responded expansively to requests for their participation. Included among them are 3M, Abbott, AbbVie, Accord Healthcare, Ajanta Pharma, Alvogen, Amgen, Apotex, AstraZeneca, Baxter International, Bayer, Becton Dickerson, Boehringer Ingelheim Cares, Covidien, Eli Lilly & Company, GSK, Hikma, ICU Medical, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, LifeScan, McKesson Medical-Surgical, Medtronic, Merck & Co., Merck KGaA, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Unilever, and Viatris.

In addition, the State of California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) donated seven Field Hospital Content Kits. Each kit contains the equipment needed to set up a 50-bed field hospital, and the hospitals have been deployed to high conflict areas.

Information Assistance

In addition to the provision of medical material and financial aid in response to the crisis, Direct Relief has been a critical supplier of information. Within Ukraine, Direct Relief assisted with crowdsource data collection on the needs of internally displaced persons, including their origins and destinations, and access to key services and goods including health care, food, water, shelter, and livelihoods.

At the same time, Direct Relief has also collected data on the needs and goods availability of over 950 private pharmacies throughout Ukraine over the past 2.5 months, including many located in areas of significant conflict. The pharmacy data has been incorporated into the cross-validation of MOH needs lists. Important insights were shared with first responders, healthcare partners, and Ukrainian health officials, as well as with United Nations agencies and international assistance organizations to help them determine how to best prioritize and deploy their respective resources. Key analysis sharing partners include the World Bank, UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM, the Health Cluster, Mercy Corps, and others.

SOURCE Direct Relief
ATLANTA, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ECI Group and joint venture partner Phoenix Capital announce the start of construction of the $101 million luxury apartment and townhome development, Averly East Village, in Roswell, GA. The apartment development is designed by Rule Joy Trammell Rubio Architects with Truist providing construction financing. Averly East Village is expected to be completed in late 2024.

"The development of Averly East Village comes at a particularly opportune time, with North Atlanta experiencing explosive growth in jobs and residents. We are excited to play our part in helping to address the shortage of new housing by building luxury residential units on what was a mostly vacant strip center in the middle of the affluent Roswell area," said Jimmy Baugnon, Chief Investment Officer at ECI Group.

"Phoenix Capital is delighted to continue its long history of successful multifamily investments in the Atlanta MSA, said Phoenix Capital Partner and Senior Managing Director, Andrew Scott. "Opportunities in Roswell are rare, making this project an especially exciting addition to our Fund X portfolio."

"The redevelopment plan for the East Village Shopping Center was heavily influenced by input from neighbors and other local stakeholders," said Joe Miller, Development Manager at ECI Group. "The inclusion of live-work units in the multifamily development will help to integrate the residential component with the adjacent retail uses, and the community green and amenity pavilion to be constructed will be available for public use, making the project a focal point for the East Roswell community. We appreciate the cooperation and assistance of The Ardent Companies, which owns the retail component of the center, and of the residents of The Towns at East Village in making this redevelopment possible."

The first stages of the project include demolition of the existing vacant commercial buildings, which has already commenced, and construction of the project infrastructure.

Averly East Village will include 335 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments as part of the larger East Village mixed use development that will ultimately include 74 townhomes, 75,000 SF of retail, and a large public central green with pavilion. The project will present resort quality landscaping, architecture, and interior finishes.

Averly East Village features:

Expansive pool with sun shelf

Pool deck with cabanas, two outdoor kitchens, and resort style landscaping

Clubroom with gourmet chef's kitchen

Synthetic turf dog park

Dog spa

Two-story state-of-the-art fitness center

Outdoor gym

Cafe style coffee lounge with individual work from home spaces

Secure bicycle storage

Central green with pavilion

Walkable to 75,000 SF of retail

Individual apartments include:

Quartz countertops with under-mount sinks

Stainless steel appliances including French door fridge with bottom freezer

Designer cabinets and light fixtures

Tiled kitchen backsplash

Vinyl plank hardwood-style flooring in kitchens, living rooms, and baths

Private porch or balcony in each unit

Large walk-in closets

Full-size washer and dryer in each unit

Island kitchens

Ceiling fans in all bedrooms and living rooms

Floor heights vary from 9'-6" to 10'-0"

About ECI Group

For more than 50 years, ECI Group has been one of the most highly regarded, privately owned real estate organizations in the United States. The firm is fully integrated, with development, construction, investment, and property management groups that have garnered national recognition for innovation and performance in the multifamily industry. With a portfolio of more than 7,500 units located throughout the Southeast, ECI is strategically positioned to continue to be a leader in the multifamily industry. For more information, visit www.ecigroups.com.

About Phoenix Capital Management, LLC

Phoenix Capital Management is a private equity fund manager with a focus on U.S. real estate assets, specifically multifamily. Over the course of the firm's 26-year history, Phoenix has invested $1.7 billion of capital in more than 250 joint-ventures with sponsors across the U.S. Phoenix's large, diverse investor base allows the firm to be a consistent partner to its roster of developers and operators. For more information, visit www.pcpre.com.

Media Contact:

Karen Widmayer

KW Communications, LLC

[email protected]

301.661.1448

SOURCE ECI Group
The Jacksonville ITM is located in a building First Federal Bank purchased several years ago as a mortgage banking center. The renovated offices serve as a central location for Jacksonville customers who seek a community-based mutual bank. An opening celebration is being held throughout the day on June 8th; local employees and customers are welcome.

"This location underscores First Federal's continued commitment to support and invest in the communities we serve," said John Medina, President and CEO. "The stability we have enjoyed for the past 60 years allows us to serve citizens of northeast Florida while remaining a locally managed mutual bank."

Though the ITM addition is new, First Federal Bank has been serving this market for many years. In April of this year, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced TOP lenders for North Florida and First Federal Bank was named the Top Community Lender by Dollar Amount & Number of Loans. "Businesses in the Jacksonville area who seek capital to expand or consolidate debt will be well-served by our new location" says Robert Turbeville, Chief Lending Officer for First Federal Bank.

As an additional commitment to the local community, First Federal Bank is pleased to welcome Parker Eiler as the Community Relationship Manager for the Jacksonville market. Parker is a University of West Florida graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Parker's expertise includes developing relationships with businesses in and around Jacksonville and brings that experience to First Federal Bank to connect local businesses to personalized service and digital convenience. Businesses seeking banking solutions will have access to Commercial and SBA loans, business checking accounts and credit cards, and other solutions such as lockbox and payment validation services.

About First Federal Bank

First Federal Bank is a community-based mutual savings bank offering consumer and commercial banking solutions, services, and loans through banking offices in Florida's Panhandle, North Central and East Florida, and coastal South Carolina. Mortgage, SBA and USDA customers are served through lending offices across the Southeast. First Federal is headquartered in Lake City, Florida with assets totaling over $3.4 billion. First Federal has received a "5-Star, Superior" financial rating from Bauer Financial, Inc., of Coral Gables, FL. for more than two decades and was recognized by Newsweek as "Best Small Bank in Florida" in 2020 and 2021. For more information, visit www.ffbf.com.

SOURCE First Federal Bank
AUSTIN, Texas, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Futurum Research and Moor Insights & Strategy will cohost The Six Five Summit 2022, a 100% virtual, on-demand event designed to help the business, technology and investor community to stay on top of the latest developments, trends, and leadership in digital transformation.

The Six Five Summit 2022, in its third year, will kick off with Arvind Krishna, Chairman & CEO of IBM on June 7th at 8am PT to discuss driving competitive advantage with hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence, followed by a conversation with President & CEO Niklas Heuveldop of Ericsson North America on transforming industries with 5G and connecting the metaverse.

Other daily keynotes speakers include:

Darius Adamczyk , Chairman & CEO of Honeywell

, Chairman & CEO of Honeywell Matt Murphy , President & CEO of Marvell

Other Select Speakers Include:

Rob Bearden , CEO of Cloudera

, CEO of Cloudera Antonio Neri , President & CEO of HPE

, President & CEO of HPE Gary Steele , President & CEO of Splunk

, President & CEO of Splunk Dr. Randir Thakur , President of Intel Foundry Services

For a full list of featured speakers, please click here .

For a full schedule of conversations, please click here .

To attend the virtual event and access 70+ pre-recorded sessions, please click here .

From the Founders of the Six Five

"As our third annual event kicks off, I couldn't be more grateful for the companies and executives that took the time to participate," shared Daniel Newman, Founding Partner of Futurum Research and Co-Founder of The Six Five. "We set out to provide our audience with market insights, intelligence, and strategies that will propel businesses forward, especially in the current economy which is going to create new challenges that technology will be critical to help solve."

"We couldn't be prouder and more excited of the lineup of world-class CEO's and Business Leaders that will be presenting at this year's Summit," said Patrick Moorhead, Chief Analyst and CEO of Moor Insights & Strategy and Co-Founder of the Six Five. "As the speed of technology continues to accelerate, hearing from such a diverse and accomplished set of voices in the tech industry provides a wonderful opportunity for business leaders and learners worldwide."

ABOUT THE SIX FIVE

The Six Five is the leading media brand for high-tech analysis. Leading global tech analysts Patrick Moorhead (Moor Insights & Strategy) and Daniel Newman (Futurum Research) are front and center on analyzing the tech industry's biggest announcements each and every week and also conducting interviews with tech industry "insiders" on a regular basis.

SOURCE Futurum Research
ANDERSON, S.C., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Lou Huff is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Distinguished Psychiatrist for her excellence in the Mental Health Care field and in acknowledgment of her work with the Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Center.

With more than 26 years of professional experience, Dr. Huff has served as a staff psychiatrist with the Norwood VA Medical Center, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorders. She has additionally served as an independent consultant.

Georgia Lou Huff

Before her career as a psychiatrist, Dr. Huff served as a public school science educator. She was honored as the 1974 Teacher of the Year in Anderson, SC, where she taught for several years.

In pursuit of her higher learning, Dr. Huff obtained an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Anderson University in 1961 and earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Medical Technology from Clemson University in 1968. In continuing her education, she earned a Master of Science in Education from Clemson University in Clemson, SC in 1974.

After serving as a teacher for many years, she decided to pursue a healthcare career. She returned to school, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and a Medical Doctorate from the Saba University School of Medicine in 2001. She completed residencies with the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

Dr. Huff is a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc., among her professional affiliations. In recognition of her success, Dr. Huff's portrait has been placed in the Circle of Honor at Anderson University in Anderson, SC.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Huff has served as president of the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium and a medical volunteer with the Anderson Free Clinic. She also supports the Meals on Wheels program, the American Heart Association, Lions Club International, and the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Huff attributes all of her successes to hard work, perseverance, and divine inspiration. In the future, she plans to write a book and continue to give back to her community.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
Through real-time metabolite monitoring, Bitome's technology is expected to support accelerated product development timelines across Ginkgo's portfolio of cell programs

BOSTON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, today announced that it has acquired certain assets from Bitome, a company pioneering real-time metabolite monitoring for faster biological product development. Bitome has developed technology leveraging machine learning to provide continuous monitoring of cell culture media, illuminating the performance of cells in real-time and enabling faster rates of bioprocess optimization.

In the design-build-test-learn process that is central to synthetic biology, testing the performance of cells is an expensive and time-consuming bottleneck. Bitome's continuous metabolite monitoring technology can help address this bottleneck, providing essential data on cell performance and potentially accelerating the path to production-ready organisms. Real-time data on the metabolic state of the cells in a bioreactor helps scientists better anticipate which cell lines and process conditions to select for further optimization, which in turn can reduce the number and duration of bioreactor runs that are necessary for a given project.

"Ginkgo is constantly looking for opportunities to strengthen its cell engineering platform, and a central component of cell engineering is testing and optimizing strains at scale," said Barry Canton, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Ginkgo Bioworks. "Having evaluated Bitome's technology over the past few years, we believe their technology will allow us to accelerate the design and optimization of strains across a range of customers and industries."

"Bitome was founded to unleash faster biotech innovation, and one of the core obstacles this industry faces is incomplete strain performance data," said Herbert Ryan, co-founder and CEO at Bitome. "Our team is thrilled to be joining the Ginkgo platform where we can deploy our technology much more broadly to create the next generation of synthetic biology."

About Ginkgo Bioworks

Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com .

About Bitome

Bitome, Inc. is a Boston-based company that is digitizing bioprocessing. Bitome's AI engine leverages metabolomics to rapidly accelerate process optimization -- helping biotech companies get their product to market faster.

Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential success of the acquisition and Ginkgo's cell programming platform. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the effect of Ginkgo's business combination with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. ("Soaring Eagle") on Ginkgo's business relationships, performance, and business generally, (ii) risks that the business combination disrupts current plans of Ginkgo and potential difficulties in Ginkgo's employee retention, (iii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Ginkgo related to its business combination with Soaring Eagle, (iv) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities now that it is a public company due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business and changes in the combined capital structure, (v) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (vi) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (vii) the unpredictability of the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demand for COVID-19 testing and the commercial viability of our COVID-19 testing business, and (viii) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 16, 2022 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR CONTACT:

[email protected]

GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA CONTACT:

[email protected]

SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks
6 Short Films: Taylor Swift, Go Soo, Taron EgertonLucy Boynton, Tilda Cobham-Hervey & Dev Patel, Eddie Alcazar  Darren Aronfsky, and Critics Company are nominated.

SHIBUYA WARD, Japan, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) 2022, the largest international short film festival in Asia, accredited by the Academy Awards, started on June 4th, 1999 and the day was registered as "Short Film Film Day" in 2018.

This year, the 24th anniversary of the festival, will be held under the theme of "Meta Cinema". We are exploring a new era of film, such as the utilization of AI and neuroscience, online screening, and VR short film experience in a virtual space.

Taylor SwiftGo Soo Taron EgertonLucy Boynton Tilda Cobham-Hervey & Dev Patel  Eddie AlcazarDarren Aronfskyand Critics Company SSFF & ASIA main visual

The Global Spotlight Award is given to a work that conveys the present of the world in a changing world and opens up new possibilities for a filmmaker and supports short films that unites the world.

The nominees of the second global spotlight award are six films:

Taylor Swift "All Too Well: The Short Film" (USA), which was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, short film of the popular online battle royal game "PUBG UNIVERSE", "Bystanders" (Korea) starring Go Soo ("Okunyo"), screened at the Venetian Film Festival, VR short film "Glimpse" (UK / France / Ireland) voiced by Taron Egerton ("Rocketman") and Lucy Boynton ("Bohemian Rhapsody"), NFT animation "Roborovski" (Australia) by Tilda Kobham-Harvey and Dev Petal ("Hotel Mumbai"), "Vandal" (USA) by Eddie Alkazar and Darren Aronofsky ("Black Swan") depicting robotomy, and "Timothee" (Nigeria), by a teenagers video production group, Critics Company.

https://shortshorts.org/2022/en/information/globalspotlight/

SSFF & ASIA is paying attention to 6 works of artists and actors who are active in the world challenge various new creatives such as music, games, VR, and NFT. Of the 6 films.

The award-winning films will be announced at the opening ceremony of the film festival held on June 7th.

SSFF & ASIA has started global streaming of more than 185 short films at Online Venue.

https://www.shortshortsonline.org/browse

[Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2022]

Dates: Festival - Tuesday, June 7th to Monday, June 20th

Online venue: Thursday, April 28th - Thursday, June 30th

Screening venues: Online venues and multiple venues in Tokyo

Screening period differs for each venue.

Entry fee: Free of charge with the exception of special events

Homepage: https://shortshorts.org/2022/en/

 Organizer: Committee for Short Shorts /

Fuyumi Tanaka

[email protected]

+81354748201

SOURCE Committee for Short Shorts Film Festival
On this eve of Election Day, Tuesday June 7th 2022, Greenberg reiterates that the refusal of Boudin to diligently accept and execute his elected duties and role as prosecutor is the main reason for his necessary removal from office. "Boudin has essentially given refuge to drug dealers, to organized retail looters, to those who victimize the city's vulnerable Asian community. He has given the green light to criminals to hit tourists' cars, and with impunity. He embraces the accused and ignores victims, a heinous dereliction of duty. People have died under Boudin's watch; too many lives have been ruined. He isn't a prosecutor and never was. He's a fraud, and we voters have been given no choice but to undertake his removal."

San Francisco's nearly 320,000 registered Democrats have been alienated by both Chesa Boudin and the SF Democrat Party leadership comprised of a mere 26 radical activists. This fact further exposes a much deeper issue - where the city's broad spectrum of one half million left-center-and-right voters are rejecting an ultra-leftist agenda and the 26-member democrat party leadership's imposed directives. This will certainly have broader implications for the very near future."

Richie Greenberg will be providing commentary during the latter half of Tuesday, June 7th , 2022 approaching the close of election day voting. The poll close 8:00pm PST, with the first results of voting expected by 8:45pm PST from the Department of Elections.

The recall committee website is RecallChesaBoudin.org

Media Contact: Richie Greenberg, [email protected]

SOURCE Richie Greenberg
EPHRATA, Pa., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GSM Roofing ("GSM") is providing notice of a recent data privacy event that may have affected certain personal information. The confidentiality, privacy, and security of information is one of GSM's highest priorities and GSM takes this matter seriously.

What Happened? GSM recently became aware of suspicious activity related to certain GSM email accounts. GSM immediately launched an investigation, with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists, to determine the nature and scope of the activity. GSM's investigation determined that there was unauthorized access to certain email accounts from January 26, 2022 to February 28, 2022. GSM began reviewing the affected accounts to determine what, if any, sensitive information was contained within them. On May 9, 2022, GSM's review determined that the affected email accounts contained certain information related to certain individuals. Please note that GSM is providing this information in an abundance of caution, as the investigation cannot confirm that information relating to specific individuals was actually accessed or viewed by an unauthorized party. GSM began notifying individuals whose information was contained in the affected email accounts on June 6, 2022.

What Information Was Involved? GSM determined that the information impacted by this event varied by individual but may include certain individuals' names, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial account information, driver's license numbers, medical information, health insurance information, dates of birth, and tax identification numbers.

What We Are Doing. GSM is individually notifying those whose information was present in the affected accounts. As an added precaution, the organization is offering these individuals access to credit monitoring and identity protection services at no cost.

What You Can Do. GSM encourages individuals to review the information below related to "Steps Individuals Can Take to Help Protect Personal Information," which provides detail on how to better protect against possible misuse of information. Affected individuals can find guidance in the letters being sent to them.

For More Information. Individuals who may have questions about the incident, may contact our dedicated call center at (855) 503-3417, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm CT., or visit https://www.gsmroofing.com/.

STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one (1) free credit report annually from each of the three (3) 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 (3) 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 one (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 (7) years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three (3) 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 security 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 (2) to five (5) 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, military identification, 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 1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-833-395-6938 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 can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General.

The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov , 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338). 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.

SOURCE GSM Roofing
Tata Motors bags order for delivering biggest EV fleet in India

Mumbai, June 6 (UNI) Auto major Tata Motors, on the occasion of World Environment Day, signed an agreement with BluSmart Electric Mobility for delivering 10,000 XPRES T EVs to the company.

This deployment of 10,000 units makes it the biggest ever EV fleet order in India. With deliveries starting soon, these vehicles are an addition to the 3,500 XPRES T EV order, which was signed by both the companies in October last year, and will be used across the country for commuters, in turn helping to minimise the carbon footprint.

Speaking on the occasion, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd said, "Tata Motors is taking active steps towards the rapid electrification of mobility, and it is heartening to see renowned fleet aggregators joining the green mobility wave with us.

"We are delighted to continue our association with BluSmart Electric Mobility as we deploy 10,000 XPRES-T EVs across the country. Our XPRES-T EV fleet offers an optimal battery size, along with a captive fast charging solution and has already set benchmarks in its category.

"Tata Motors is constantly working towards educating and enhancing the adoption of electric mobility in India and we hope that more people join us in this journey as we mobilise the nation to #EvolveToElectric," he added.

According to Anmol Singh Jaggi, Co-Founder, BluSmart Electric Mobility, "With our $50M in Series A fundraise, we are supercharged to rapidly expand across Delhi NCR and the metro cities. We are thankful to Tata Motors for charging up our journey to scale up at a fast pace. BluSmart Electric Mobility has covered 50 million clean km and delivered over 1.6 million zero-emission rides with an elevated customer experience on its platform.

"We are building a large-scale integrated EV mobility ecosystem in India - from the country's largest fully-electric ride hailing service to the largest network of EV charging super hubs. With the increasing fleet size, we are leading India on the path to reliable, sustainable and zero-emissions mobility and also creating more inclusive and economic opportunities for driver partners," he added.



UNI JS RJ
WHEATON, Ill., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Turkish rugs and decor are some of the most beautiful and intricate in the world. That's why Hareer Interior Decors is dedicated to bringing these authentic pieces to homes to complete your space.

Hareer Interior Decors Hareer Interior Decors

The word "Hareer" is an Arabic term that refers to "silk." That is exactly the brand's aim  to offer high-quality decorative goods of luxury and elegance that are nevertheless accessible to everyone. Turkish decor is famous around the world for its beauty, intricate designs, and the way that it can elevate a space, and are the perfect way to add a touch of luxury to the home. The goal of Hareer Decors is to help its clients create beautiful, unique spaces that reflect their personal styles, offering a wide variety of Turkish rugs and decor, including both traditional and modern pieces.

Hareer's SIVA Collection of Turkish rugs is named after the city of Sivas, Turkey, which is world-renowned for rug making. Featuring intricate palmettes, elegant vine scrolls, and breathtaking colors, each rug in the SIVA Collection is machine-made using superior quality cotton and polyester that will elevate any space.

In addition to rugs, Hareer Interior Decors also offers a variety of other Turkish decor items, including accessories, throws, and pillows. Each of these pieces is the perfect way to add a touch of Turkish culture to your home.

About Hareer Decors

Hareer Decors was formed as a result of a ground-breaking innovation to offer high-quality, beautiful Turkish rugs at an affordable price. After being disappointed by the lack of affordable or appealing Turkish rugs available through large chain retailers, the owners, Mohammed and Afia of Hareer Decors, knew there had to be a better way to provide quality Turkish rugs and decor that was both affordable and didn't skimp on quality.

Hareer Decors strives to share with the world the rich legacy of creating magnificent rugs developed with modern high-tech machines, introducing customers to quality Turkish pieces. Featuring genuinely authentic, eco-friendly, and high-quality rugs, Hareer Decors strives to make living spaces throughout Illinois more classy and delightful. Hareer Decors sources and sells one-of-a-kind vintage and modern rugs at reasonable prices  all while providing outstanding customer service.

Shop authentic Turkish rugs, pillows, and more from Hareer Decors at www.hareerdecors.com today.

Contact Information

Reema Khalid

[email protected]

(773) 798-9558

SOURCE Hareer Interior Decors
NEW YORK, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nick Cannon Foundation, Inc., in collaboration with Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in public schools nationwide, held its 7th Annual National America's Teen Mogul (ATM) Competition in Southeast Queens, NY. Previous ATM pitch competitions have been held in San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago, DC, Miami, and Charlotte. The event took place on Friday, June 3, 2022, at Excelsior Preparatory High School Auditorium in Southeast Queens.

Team Alattis won the grand prize of $10,000 with a modern solution to virtual and hybrid videoconferencing. From left to right: Gina Battagliola, Nick Cannon, Ronnie Highsmith, Roel Huinink, Jacob Mandel, James Ward, Vernon Taylor, William Olsker, Catherine Domenech, Patrick Sanchez. Left to right: Nick Cannon with Team reMind Me of Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem: Robert Loveless, Makail Williams, and Fritz Andral.

The competition, open to youth nationwide, is designed to expose youth ages 12 to 19 to global career and entrepreneurship opportunities available in the growing middle-skill job sectors. A recent commissioned report revealed that growing job sectors in NYC include Health Care and Information and Communication Technologies. The competition encouraged students to explore global opportunities across all high-demand sectors.

More than 15 student teams nationwide from 9 school districts participated in business plan and career readiness training workshops leading up to the grand finale event. Team reMind Me of Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem took 3rd place, with a $2,500 cash prize, in the highly competitive competition. Team reMind Me presented an iOS app designed to combat and address procrastination which is linked to mental health concerns like anxiety, ADHD, and depression and their effects: lack of energy, motivation, and disconnection.

The 1st place prize of $10,000 was awarded to team Alattis, of Mission Bay High School in San Diego Unified School District, who created a modern solution to virtual and hybrid videoconferencing. The teen moguls invented the product after hearing legitimate concerns about the lack of hybrid meeting technology, experiencing how virtual students are disregarded in hybrid meetings, and watching teachers/students alike struggle to learn with conventional video conferencing software (Short video clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/kkZyYwR9fFs).

"I was truly blown away with the level of ingenuity and creativity of these teens," said Nick Cannon.

The 2nd place prize of $5,000 went to team AppaRent, of Canyon Crest High School in San Diego's San Dieguito Union School District. Team AppaRent created a business-to-customer retailing company featuring an instant clothing rental service online and targeting marginalized communities. The Foundation awarded Rodney Orji, Principal, Excelsior Preparatory High School, with the 2022 NCREDIBLE Administrator Award and San Diego Unified School District's CTE Teacher, David West, with the 2022 NCREDIBLE Teaching Partner Award.

"Wells Fargo is a proud sponsor of this event because we understand how essential financial education, entrepreneurship and innovation are to a growing and thriving economy," said Catherine Domenech, Vice President, New York Community Relations at Wells Fargo. "By supporting the Nick Cannon Foundation and its students, we are helping to play a key role in ensuring the next generation of innovators and community leaders have access to the resources they need to be successful."

The ATM Competition is held annually in connecting business partners with students and teachers to develop a strong foundation for the U.S. economic future. Students present products they produce and business problems they solve in collaboration with members of the local business community. Past projects have included biomedical solutions, game design apps, automotive innovations, photographic art and robotics. More than 900 students, industry professionals, mentors, volunteers, guest speakers, and parents attended the event in Queens.

"It's critical we create sustainable opportunities for today's young people to explore careers in Career and Technical Education and middle-skilled employment," said NYC Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers.

In addition to the generous support of Nick Cannon, the ATM Competition was sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT), and Sugar Factory Restaurant. Media inquiries can be directed to [email protected].

Contact:

Ronnie Highsmith

(202) 297-2379

[email protected]

SOURCE Nick Cannon Foundation, Inc.
South Carolina life sciences boom continues with addition of PPE manufacturing facility in Greenville, SC Tweet this

The announcement was the latest feather in the life sciences cap of South Carolina. According to life science industry organization SCBIO, since 2017, life sciences have become the state's fastest-growing industry and feature a higher growth rate than any other Southeastern state. More than 1,030 life sciences companies are spread across the state, employing 87,000 citizens.

"Health Supply US is dedicated to bringing critical medical supply chains back to the United States," said Health Supply US CEO Christopher Garcia. "Nitrile gloves are a vitally needed medical item that keep our frontline health care professionals and first responders safe, an item that we simply cannot rely completely on international markets for our domestic supply in the future."

"This major investment by Health Supply US is further proof that our increased efforts to recruit life sciences companies to South Carolina are paying off," stated SC Governor Henry McMaster. "Expanding our life sciences industry is critical to safeguarding our supply chain and ensuring life-saving medical supplies are readily available during future emergencies. I congratulate Health Supply US on their investment and look forward to the impact they will have statewide."

Founded in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with a mission focused on American manufacturing, Health Supply US has employed thousands of American workers across nine facilities in five states.

The Health Supply US Greenville facility will operate as Glove One. The state-of-the-art facility will produce more than 4.3 billion nitrile gloves per year and greatly increase the domestic supply for this critical item.

"We embarked on this critical project on behalf of our nation, and in doing so, knew that manufacturing site selection was of paramount importance to operational longevity. Greenville and the entire state of South Carolina displayed tremendous enthusiasm for life sciences and support for this medical device operation," said Health Supply US Executive Vice President Aaron Petrosky. "We'd like to thank all those involved who enabled this project to find its Greenville home."

Health Supply US is committed to transforming the pipeline for America's health care facilities, first responder networks, and Federal, State and Local Governments by identifying, sourcing, and delivering essential safety and medical supplies to frontline workers and those who need them most.

The company is dedicated to reshoring PPE manufacturing as a matter of national security so that overreliance on foreign products which led to chronic shortages of critically needed products during the pandemic does not reoccur in the future.

Sam Patrick, 864.787.0820

[email protected]

SOURCE Greenville Area Development Corporation
WASHINGTON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House released an Executive Order (EO) May 25, 2022, which outlines a number of wide-ranging directives from the Biden Administration aimed at enhancing public safety and improving community trust in law enforcement. The Order outlines broad actions described in 23 separate sections, including one which specifically addresses face recognition technology (FRT). The International Biometrics + Identity Association (IBIA) calls on the President to ensure that our industry community is included and participates in the required study, assessment and interagency reporting process.

Section 13 of the Executive Order directs the Attorney General to engage the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and its research arm, the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a study of current usage of FRT and biometric technologies and publish a report detailing the findings. The Order also directs the initiation of an interagency process  jointly chaired by the U.S. Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)  to publish a report within 18 months that outlines industry best practices in FRT and biometric technologies, changes to law enforcement policies, and guidelines on the future use of such technologies by these law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

"Biometric technologies, like other technologies, are advancing exponentially, reaching levels of accuracy and speed that weren't imagined even 5 years ago," said John Mears, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IBIA. "Such advances, especially in face recognition, have proven the technology to be far more reliable and accurate than human witnesses and even trained officers. Given the budgetary pressures and increasing sophistication of criminals faced by LEAs, they need every advantage possible to protect the public."

"However, as is sometimes the case, the pace of technology advances faster than the proliferation of associated policies, best practices, and training to use the technology," Mears continued. "The setting of appropriate guidelines, training, and enforcement of processes surrounding the use of face recognition and other biometric technologies is critical to ensuring public trust and safety while respecting the rights of all people," Mears said. "IBIA has been a leader in this regard since its inception in 1998, publishing analyses, best practices, a Code of Ethical Conduct, and guidelines for the responsible use of a wide array of biometric technologies. In the spirit of inclusivity, we call on the President to ensure that our wealth of experience and expertise, as well as our industry Members' inputs, are included throughout the entire study and interagency process," Mears added.

"As the President said in this Executive Order, 'Protecting public safety requires close partnerships between law enforcement and the communities it serves.' Our industry community is committed to playing an active role in that partnership," Mears concluded.

For More Information about IBIA, please visit: www.ibia.org .

 2022, The International Biometrics + Identity Association. All rights reserved.

SOURCE International Biometrics & Identification Association
The Foundation, created by #1 NYT bestselling author Robert M. Edsel, was established to preserve the legacy of the Monuments Men and Women, honor them for their service, and raise public awareness about their important work. Since its first day of operations on June 6, 2007, the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, the Foundation has introduced these WWII veterans from fourteen nations, to a global audience through books, documentaries, a feature film, and an investigative television series.

"This name change has been a long-standing wish of mine," said Robert M. Edsel, Founder and Chairman of the Foundation.

In the last decade, the Foundation has expanded its mission to completing the work of the Monuments Men and Women by reuniting rightful owners with their long-lost properties. "The Monuments Women, twenty-seven in all, made an important contribution to the post-war restitution of almost 4,000,000 stolen cultural objects," said Foundation president Anna Bottinelli. "Today, women are an integral part of the US Army's newly reconstituted cultural preservation force. Women constitute a majority of our Monuments Men and Women Foundation team. It is right and appropriate that we recognize those contributions by name."

Stephen Watson, President and CEO of the National WWII Museum, said "The National WWII Museum salutes the Foundation in formalizing their recognition of the crucial role that women played in the military's efforts to rescue artwork threatened with theft or destruction in World War II. We are proud of our partnership with the Foundation to tell the stories of Monuments Women like Capt. Edith Standen, one of America's outstanding art registrars who sorted through tens of thousands of stolen objects at the end of the war. Her efforts and others will be celebrated in a new permanent gallery dedicated to Monuments Men and Women in the Museum's Liberation Pavilion, opening in 2023."

"This name change has been a long-standing wish of mine," said Robert M. Edsel, Founder and Chairman of the Foundation. "The upcoming opening of the Monuments Men and Women Gallery presented just the right opportunity."

The Foundation also revealed its new logo, designed by Grace Houdek, a recent graduate of Michigan State University (MSU). Through the personal connection of Foundation Trustee Ms. Kristen Mapes, Assistant Director of Digital Humanities at MSU, the Foundation partnered with students in the university's Design Center resulting in several innovative and creative concepts. The Foundation wants to extend thanks to Associate Professor Christopher Corneal and his students for their excellent work.

Inspired by the 15th-century Ghent Altarpiece, one of the world's most revered and beautiful works of art  and one of the most frequently stolen  the left-to-right design of the logo represents art still missing, art that has been recovered, and ultimately art that has been returned to its rightful owners. The total number of panels  fourteen in all  is a subtle, yet brilliant reference to the Monuments Men and Women of fourteen nations who worked together to help rescue and protect cultural treasures throughout WWII.

"Ms. Houdek beautifully captured the mission of the Foundation," said president Bottinelli. "I am grateful to Professor Corneal and our Trustee Ms. Mapes for opening the door to this collaboration. Rebranding can be a long and expensive process, so their dedication to this important step was immensely helpful."

The website change www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org will be effective immediately. The name change, however, will be implemented gradually. In conjunction with the name change, the Foundation has created a dedicated fund for donors wishing to help underwrite the cost of rebranding. To learn how you can help, please write to [email protected].

About Monuments Men and Women Foundation

Monuments Men and Women Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising global awareness about the importance of respecting and preserving our shared cultural heritage by honoring the historic achievements of the Monuments Men and Women and completing their mission to right the wrongs of the Nazi looting machine using its super partes role to return stolen and missing objects to their rightful owners. The Foundation acts on behalf of the art or cultural object in question, without favoritism, without an agenda. It has to date located and returned more than thirty objects, some priceless.

During its first 12 years of operations, the Foundation raised worldwide awareness about the Monuments Men and Women through film, television, and books, honored their military service through the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal  the highest civilian honor bestowed by the United States  and preserved their legacy through a partnership with the National World War II Museum making the Foundation's incomparable archives and artifacts accessible to students and scholars around the world. In October 2020, the Museum broke ground on its Liberation Pavilion, which will feature a permanent exhibition about the Monuments Men and Women, the first of its kind.

For more information, please visit www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org.

SOURCE Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art
Significant Necrosis Demonstrated in Invasive Ductal and Lobular Cancers, Which are Normally Resistant to Chemotherapy.

One or Two Doses of INT230-6 Resulted in 85% to 95% Necrosis of 4 cm Invasive Tumors

Within the Tumor Microenvironment, There was a Relative Increase in Abundance of CD8 Memory T, CD4 Naive and B Cells Post-Treatment

No Surgery was Delayed or Cancelled, and No Surgical Procedure Altered

WESTPORT, Conn. and OTTAWA, ON and TORONTO, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ottawa Hospital, The Ontario Institute of Cancer Research ("OICR") and Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. ("Intensity"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of proprietary, novel immune-based intratumoral cancer therapies designed to kill tumors and increase immune system recognition of cancers, today presented data from the INVINCIBLE study, a randomized, phase 2 presurgical Window-Of-Opportunity trial for Intratumoral INT230-6 comprising SHAO (dispersion enhancer), VINblastine (VIN) and Cisplatin (CIS) that is evaluating clinical and Biological Effects in patients with early-stage operable breast cancer. The study, presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting being held in Chicago and virtually from June 3-7, 2022, reported data demonstrating efficacy and tolerability of INT230-6.

Abstract Title: Intratumoral (IT) INT230-6 can cause tumor necrosis In Vivo: Preliminary results of a phase II randomized presurgical window-of-opportunity study in early breast cancers (the INVINCIBLE study).

First Author: Angel Arnaout, MD, FACS

Session Type/Title: Poster Session/Breast CancerLocal/Regional/Adjuvant

Session Date and Time: Monday, June 6, 2022, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Location: In-Person & On Demand

Abstract Number: 605

Poster: 376

Copies of the presentation materials will also be available on the Intensity Therapeutics website on the publications and posters page, following completion of the live presentation.

"For a breast cancer patient, the typical waiting period of 2-6 weeks from diagnosis to surgery is a very anxious time. Surgeons and patients feel helpless, as there are currently no therapeutic options for the patient during this time," said Angel Arnaout, M.D., Scientist and Surgical Oncologist at the Ottawa Hospital, and Professor of Surgery at the University of Ottawa. "The active drug agents comprising INT230-6 remain in the tumor following injection and can cause tumor cell death and high levels of necrosis in multiple breast cancer subtypes including triple negative breast cancer, as demonstrated by Part 1 of this study. Interestingly, we also saw immune activation with a relative increase in the abundance of CD4 T naive, B and NK cells, post treatment, and within the tumor microenvironment, a relative increase in abundance of CD8 memory T, CD4 naive and B cells, post treatment, when comparing drug treated with control samples. The ability to use just one or two doses of this agent to elicit a rapid and marked cytotoxic and immune induction response within the tumor during the surgical waiting period, all without an increase in postoperative complications, is very novel and highly attractive to patients. We are excited about how this may shift the paradigm on how we treat cancer patients awaiting surgery, in general. We look forward to future studies to demonstrate how this intra-tumoral agent can have systemic benefit and long term impact in patients with breast cancer."

"INT230-6 is our novel, proprietary, locally-delivered, tumor dispersive anti-cancer product that has shown favorable clinical results as monotherapy in a basket study of patients with advanced, relapsed and refractory disease," said Lewis H. Bender, President and Chief Executive Officer of Intensity Therapeutics. "These first results reported from the INVINCIBLE breast cancer study provide evidence and support for the potential of our drug in treating local disease prior to surgery. The data from Part I of the INVINCIBLE study show that INT230-6 is well tolerated and, as we see in metastatic disease, elicits both rapid direct tumor killing and immune activating effects. We anticipate completing enrollment of Part II this summer and reporting the full patient study results at a future oncology conference."

About the INVINCIBLE Study

The INVINCIBLE study is a phase II, randomized, open label, multi-center study, expected to enroll up to 90 women with newly diagnosed operable early-stage intermediate or high-grade T1-T2 invasive breast cancers who are randomly allocated (2:1) prior to resection to IT injections of INT230-6, no treatment or saline sham injection. The study has two parts. Part I (N=29), now complete, randomized patients 2:1 to either 1-3 doses of INT230-6 injected weekly or no treatment, 2 to 5 weeks prior to surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy). The purpose of this portion of the trial was to evaluate safety, feasibility, and optimal drug dosing. Part II is a double-blind, randomized arm of up to 60 patients, where patients will be randomized 2:1 to receive one or two IT doses of INT230-6 vs. saline injection. The objective of using saline will be to rule out the potential confounding effect of hydrostatic pressure on tumor necrosis. The results of Part II will further evaluate the potential cytotoxic, immunomodulatory and other biologic effects of INT230-6 and its role as a potential cancer therapy in breast cancer patients awaiting surgery. The INVINCIBLE Study is being conducted under a Health Canada (HC) approved Clinical Trial Application (CTA), under the direction and supervision of Principal Investigator, Dr. Angel Arnaout. OHRI will conduct subject enrollment and treatment, and evaluate clinical responses. OICR will analyze subject immune responses and conduct biomarker analyses.

About Potential INT230-6 Approval Pathways in the Presurgical Setting

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instituted its Accelerated Approval Program to allow for earlier approval of drugs that treat serious conditions, and that fill an unmet medical need based on a surrogate endpoint. Pathological complete response (pCR) is an accepted FDA accelerated approval criterion for approval in high risk breast cancer, such as TNBC subtype. pCR is defined as the absence of residual invasive and in situ cancer after evaluation of the complete resected breast specimen and lymph nodes following completion of neoadjuvant systemic therapy.

Data from the INVINCIBLE study will provide an understanding of the effect of INT230-6 on cancer cell proliferation and tumor necrosis. If INT230-6 causes increased tumor necrosis with good safety, then the addition of INT230-6 to the existing or a modified neoadjuvant (presurgical) systemic standard-of-care treatment regimen may increase pCR rates in TNBC. In November of 2020, Intensity Therapeutics met with FDA and discussed the potential use of INT230-6 in the presurgical neoadjuvant breast cancer setting in an accelerated approval program.

About INT230-6

INT230-6, Intensity's lead proprietary investigational product candidate, is designed for direct intratumoral injection. INT230-6 was discovered using Intensity's proprietary DfuseRx technology platform. The drug is composed of two proven, potent anti-cancer agents, cisplatin and vinblastine, and a penetration enhancer molecule that helps disperse potent cytotoxic drugs throughout tumors for diffusion into cancer cells. These agents remain in the tumor, resulting in a favorable safety profile and the induction of an anti-cancer systemic immune response resulting in shrinkage of uninjected tumors.

About The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada's top learning and research hospitals, where excellent care is inspired by research and driven by compassion. As the third-largest employer in Ottawa, our support staff, researchers, nurses, physicians, and volunteers never stop seeking solutions to the most complex health-care challenges. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, attracts some of the most influential scientific minds from around the world. Backed by generous support from the community, we are committed to providing the world-class, compassionate care we would want for our loved ones. www.ottawahospital.on.ca

About the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

OICR is a collaborative, not-for-profit research institute funded by the Government of Ontario. We conduct and enable high-impact translational cancer research to accelerate the development of discoveries for patients around the world while maximizing the economic benefit of this research for the people of Ontario. For more information visit https://oicr.on.ca/

About Intensity Therapeutics' Clinical Studies

INT230-6 is currently being evaluated in several phase 2 cohorts (NCT03058289) in patients with various advanced solid tumors as part of Study IT-01. In 2019, the Company signed a clinical collaboration agreement with Merck Sharpe & Dohme (Merck) to evaluate the combination of INT230-6, Intensity's lead product candidate, and KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), Merck's anti-PD-1 (programmed death receptor-1) therapy, in patients with advanced pancreatic, colon, squamous cell and bile duct malignancies. In 2020, the Company executed a clinical collaboration agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb to evaluate the combination INT230-6, with Bristol-Myers Squibb's anti-CTLA-4 antibody, Yervoy (ipilimumab), in patients with advanced liver, breast and sarcoma cancers. Intensity is managing the individual combination arms separately with each respective partner via a joint development committee. In 2021, the Company executed agreements with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research (OICR) to study INT230-6 in a randomized controlled neoadjuvant phase 2 study in women with early stage breast cancer (the INVINCIBLE study) (NCT04781725).

About Intensity Therapeutics

Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new immune-based approach to treat solid tumor cancers. Intensity leverages its DfuseRx technology platform to create new, proprietary drug formulations that, following direct injection, rapidly disperse throughout a tumor and diffuse therapeutic agents into cancer cells. Intensity's product candidates have the potential to induce an adaptive immune response that not only attacks the injected tumor, but also non-injected tumors. In addition to its clinical collaborations, the Company executed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Vaccine Branch in 2014. For more information, please visit www.intensitytherapeutics.com and follow the Company on Twitter @IntensityInc.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Intensity Therapeutics' plans, future operations and objectives. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual performance or achievements to be materially different from those currently anticipated. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the initiation and timing of future clinical trials.

Contact Information

Investor Relations Contact:

Rx Communications Group

Michael Miller

917-633-6086

[email protected]

US Media Contact:

KOGS Communication

Edna Kaplan

781-639-1910

[email protected]

SOURCE Intensity Therapeutics, Inc.
BEIJING and SHANGHAI and BOSTON, June 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobio Pharma (1167.HK) announced the phase I clinical data of KRAS G12C inhibitor JAB-21822 at the 2022 annual meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

As of April 1, 2022, the Phase I clinical data of non-small cell lung cancer patients with KRAS G12C mutation shows that the overall response rate (ORR) is 56.3% (18/32) and the disease control rate (DCR) is 90.6% (29/32). In 400mg QD and 800mg QD cohorts, the ORR is 66.7% (8/12) and the DCR is 100% (12/12).

JAB-21822 was well tolerated with no dose limited toxicity (DLTs) in the dose escalation phase. The study of the clinical trial is still ongoing and remains open to enrollment.

The e-poster presentation materials has been available at 8:00 a.m. (Central Time) on June 5, 2022 at www.asco.org.

Conference Call Information

Jacobio will host JAB-21822 data discussion and business update call on June 6 9:00am-10:00am (HKT).

Registration link: https://goldmansachs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YIbtwhuHTRKFA6isqJ-asA

About JAB-21822

JAB-21822 is a KRAS G12C inhibitor independently developed by Jacobio. Jacobio has initiated a number of Phase I/II clinical trials in China, the United States and Europe for patients with advanced solid tumors, including monotherapy for STK11 co-mutated non-small cell lung cancer in a front-line setting; combination therapy with SHP2 inhibitor, PD-1 monoclonal antibody and Cetuximab.

About Jacobio

Jacobio is committed to providing more products and solutions to people's health. Our mission is to provide compelling innovations for creating a pipeline of life-changing medicines. Our vision is to become a global leader recognized for our impact in drug R&D together with our partners. The company's R&D centers are located in Beijing, Shanghai and Boston, with a platform and expertise in developing allosteric inhibitors against protein tyrosine phosphatase, KRAS and transcriptional factors. Please visit www.jacobiopharma.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly.

These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections and understandings of the management of the Company with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, the Company's competitive environment, and political, economic, legal and social conditions in China.

The Company, the Directors and the employees of the Company assume (a) no obligation to correct or update the forward-looking statements contained in this site; and (b) no liability in the event that any of the forward-looking statements does not materialize or turn out to be incorrect.

SOURCE Jacobio Pharma
GREELEY, Colo., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JBS USA Food Company announced today that it has commenced cash tender offers (each, a " Tender Offer " and collectively, the " Tender Offers ") for (i) any and all of the outstanding U.S.$900,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.750% Senior Notes due 2028 issued by JBS USA Lux S.A., JBS USA Food Company and JBS USA Finance, Inc. (the " 2028 Notes ") and (ii) up to U.S.$300,000,000 aggregate principal amount (the " Maximum Tender Amount ") of the outstanding U.S.$1,400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.500% Senior Notes due 2029 issued by JBS USA Lux S.A., JBS USA Food Company and JBS USA Finance, Inc. (the " 2029 Notes " and together with the 2028 Notes, the " Notes ").

In conjunction with the 2028 Notes Tender Offer, JBS USA Food Company is also soliciting consents (the " Consent Solicitation ") from the holders of the 2028 Notes for the adoption of proposed amendments (the " Proposed Amendments "), which would eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain events of default and related provisions contained in the indenture governing the 2028 Notes. The Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation are being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated June 6, 2022 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the " Offer to Purchase ").

Holders who tender 2028 Notes must also consent to the Proposed Amendments to the indenture governing the 2028 Notes. Holders of 2028 Notes may not deliver consents to the Proposed Amendments without validly tendering the 2028 Notes in the 2028 Notes Tender Offer and may not revoke their consents without withdrawing the previously tendered 2028 Notes to which they relate. The Proposed Amendments will be set forth in a supplemental indenture relating to the 2028 Notes and are described in more detail in the Offer to Purchase. Adoption of the Proposed Amendments requires the delivery of consents by holders of 2028 Notes of a majority of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of 2028 Notes (not including any 2028 Notes which are owned by JBS S.A. or any of its affiliates).

Certain information regarding the Notes and the terms of the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation is summarized in the table below.

Description of Notes CUSIP / ISIN Outstanding Principal Amount of Notes Targeted Tender Amount

Tender Offer Consideration + Early Tender Payment(4) = Total Consideration(3)(4) 6.750% Senior Notes due 2028 472141AA8 and L56590AA7/ US472141AA8 and USL56590AA7 U.S.$900,000,000 Any and All

U.S.$1,023.751)

U.S.$30.00

U.S.$1,053.75 6.500% Senior Notes due 2029 46590XAA4, L56608AA7 and L56608AD1/ US46590XAA4, USL56608AA7 and USL56608AD1 U.S.$1,400,000,000 U.S.$300,000,000 aggregate principal amount

U.S.$1,016.25 (2)

U.S.$30.00

U.S.$1,046.25

(1) The amount to be paid for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2028 Notes validly tendered (and not withdrawn) after the Early Tender Payment Deadline but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase, not including 2028 Notes Accrued Interest (as defined below). (2) The amount to be paid for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2029 Notes validly tendered (and not withdrawn) after the Early Tender Payment Deadline but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase, not including 2029 Notes Accrued Interest (as defined below). (3) Includes the Early Tender Payment for Notes validly tendered (and not withdrawn) at or prior to the applicable Early Tender Payment Deadline. (4) Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not withdrawn) at or prior to the applicable Early Tender Payment Deadline and accepted for purchase.

The deadline for holders to validly tender Notes and deliver consents and be eligible to receive payment of the Total Consideration (as defined below), which includes the Early Tender Payment (as defined below), will be 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 17, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by JBS USA Food Company (such date and time, as the same may be modified, the " Early Tender Payment Deadline "). The Tender Offers will expire at 11:59 PM, New York City time, on July 5, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by JBS USA Food Company (such date and time, as the same may be modified, the " Expiration Time "). 2028 Notes tendered may be withdrawn and consents for the Proposed Amendments delivered may be revoked at any time prior to the execution of the supplemental indenture (the date and time of such execution and delivery, the " 2028 Notes Withdrawal Deadline "), but not thereafter, unless required by applicable law. 2029 Notes tendered may be withdrawn at any time prior to the Early Tender Payment Deadline (the " 2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline " and together with the 2028 Notes Withdrawal Deadline, the " Withdrawal Deadline "), but not thereafter, unless required by applicable law.

The total consideration payable to 2028 Notes Holders for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2028 Notes validly tendered and purchased pursuant to the 2028 Notes Tender Offer will be U.S.$1,053.75 (the " 2028 Notes Total Consideration "). The 2028 Notes Total Consideration includes an early tender payment of U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2028 Notes (the " 2028 Notes Early Tender Payment ") payable only to 2028 Notes Holders who validly tender (and do not withdraw) their 2028 Notes and validly deliver (and do not revoke) the related 2028 Notes consents at or prior to the Early Tender Payment Deadline. 2028 Notes Holders who validly tender (and do not withdraw) their 2028 Notes after the Early Tender Payment Deadline but at or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive U.S.$1,023.75 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2028 Notes (the " 2028 Notes Tender Offer Consideration "), which amount will be equal to the 2028 Notes Total Consideration less the 2028 Notes Early Tender Payment. In addition, JBS USA Food Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount of 2028 Notes accepted for purchase from the most recent interest payment date on the 2028 Notes to, but not including, the applicable settlement date for such 2028 Notes (the " 2028 Notes Accrued Interest "). Payment in cash of an amount equal to the 2028 Notes Total Consideration, plus 2028 Notes Accrued Interest, for such accepted 2028 Notes will be made on the 2028 Notes early settlement date, which is expected to be within three business days after the Early Tender Payment Deadline, or as promptly as practicable thereafter.

The total consideration payable to 2029 Notes Holders for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2029 Notes validly tendered and purchased pursuant to the 2029 Notes Tender Offer will be U.S.$1,046.25 (the " 2029 Notes Total Consideration ", and together with the 2028 Notes Total Consideration, the "Total Consideration"). The 2029 Notes Total Consideration includes an early tender payment of U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2029 Notes (the " 2029 Notes Early Tender Payment ", and together with the 2028 Notes Early Tender Payment, the " Early Tender Payment ") payable only to 2029 Notes Holders who validly tender (and do not withdraw) their 2029 Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Payment Deadline. 2029 Notes Holders who validly tender (and do not withdraw) their 2029 Notes after the Early Tender Payment Deadline but at or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive U.S.$1,016.25 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2029 Notes (the " 2029 Notes Tender Offer Consideration ", and together with the 2028 Notes Tender Offer Consideration, the " Tender Offer Consideration "), which amount will be equal to the 2029 Notes Total Consideration less the 2029 Notes Early Tender Payment. In addition, JBS USA Food Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount of 2029 Notes accepted for purchase from the most recent interest payment date on the 2029 Notes to, but not including, the applicable settlement date for such 2029 Notes (the " 2029 Notes Accrued Interest ", and together with the 2028 Notes Accrued Interest, the " Accrued Interest "). Payment in cash of an amount equal to the 2029 Notes Total Consideration, plus 2029 Notes Accrued Interest, for such accepted 2029 Notes will be made on the 2029 Notes early settlement date, which is expected to be within three business days after the Early Tender Payment Deadline, or as promptly as practicable thereafter. If 2029 Notes are validly tendered in an aggregate principal amount in excess of the Maximum Tender Amount pursuant to the 2029 Notes Tender Offer, such tendered 2029 Notes will be subject to proration (as described in the Offer to Purchase). JBS USA Food Company reserves the right, but is not obligated, to increase the Maximum Tender Amount in its sole and absolute discretion without extending the Early Tender Payment Deadline or 2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline or otherwise reinstating withdrawal or revocation rights, except as required by applicable law.

JBS USA Food Company's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offers is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, including, among others, a financing condition as described in the Offer to Purchase. In addition, subject to applicable law, JBS USA Food Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (i) extend, terminate or withdraw the Tender Offers or the Consent Solicitation at any time or (ii) otherwise amend the Tender Offers or the Consent Solicitation in any respect at any time and from time to time. JBS USA Food Company further reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept any tenders of Notes or deliveries of consents with respect to the 2028 Notes. JBS USA Food Company is making the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation only in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so.

Barclays Capital Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC and Truist Securities, Inc. are acting as dealer managers for the Tender Offers and as solicitation agents for the Consent Solicitation and can be contacted at their respective telephone numbers set forth on the back cover page of Offer to Purchase with questions regarding the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation.

Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available to holders of Notes from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and the tender agent for the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation. Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King at +1 (800) 967-7574 (toll free), +1 (212) 269-5550 (collect) or [email protected].

Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any related documents have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor have any such documents been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary.

The Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation are being made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any other securities of JBS S.A. or any of its subsidiaries, including JBS USA Food Company. The Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation are not being made to, nor will JBS USA Food Company accept tenders of Notes or accept deliveries of 2028 Notes Consents from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation or the acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities of blue sky laws of such jurisdiction. This press release also is not a solicitation of consents to the Proposed Amendments to the indenture governing the 2028 Notes. No recommendation is made as to whether holders should tender their Notes or deliver their consents with respect to the 2028 Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase because it contains important information, including the various terms and conditions of the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation.

Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain 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, as amended. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about JBS S.A.'s perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. The words "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions, when related to JBS S.A. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, indicate forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current view of management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on various assumptions and factors, including general economic, market, industry and operational factors. Any changes to these assumptions or factors may lead to practical results different from current expectations. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made and JBS S.A. undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made.

About JBS USA Lux S.A.

JBS USA Lux S.A. is one of the world's largest producers of beef, pork, chicken and packaged food products. In terms of daily production capacity, JBS USA Lux S.A. is among the leading beef producers and the second-largest pork and chicken producer in the United States. In Australia, JBS USA Lux S.A. is the leading producer of beef, lamb and packaged foods. JBS USA Lux S.A. prepares, packages and delivers fresh, value-added and branded beef, pork, chicken, and lamb products to customers in more than 150 countries on six continents. JBS USA Lux S.A. is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of JBS S.A., the largest protein company and the largest food company in the world in terms of net revenue.

CONTACT: Diego Pirani

Treasurer

[email protected]

+1 (970) 506-8117

SOURCE JBS USA Food Company
SHAWNEE, Kan., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- John R. Alley, Jr., MD, FACS, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Top Pinnacle Surgeon for his years of service in General Surgery and in acknowledgment of his dedication to teaching young doctors.

John R. Alley, Jr, MD, FACS

As a General Surgeon at Kansas Health System, Dr. Alley performs all general surgery procedures and is a hernia repair specialist. As a surgeon for nearly two decades, he has successfully performed thousands of procedures, ranging from emergency laparoscopic procedures to hernia surgeries. He is also spearheading a new Emergency General Surgery Service at the Medical Center.

Dr. Alley is passionate about guiding the next generation of surgeons. He teaches and mentors young students, providing them with the wealth of knowledge he has gained throughout his career. He works as an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the General and Pediatric Surgery Division at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He has published several articles on topics such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and in-utero fetal brain trauma after a vehicle collision.

After completing his undergraduate education, Dr. Alley served the United States Military for ten years, beginning in 1991. After his first four-year tour, he attended college at Pittsburgh State University, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry and Physics in 1995. He then attended the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he completed his general surgery training.

As a General Surgeon, Dr. Alley is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the American Board of Surgery (ABS). He is certified in CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 and Epic Care Ambulatory EMR. Dr. Alley's exceptional work has been profiled on issuewire.com and kumc.edu.

To stay current in the medical field, Dr. Alley is a member of the Society of Laparo-Endoscopic Surgeons and the Kansas Medical Society and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

He performs many types of surgeries, mainly focused on the abdominal area. He may perform surgery in or around the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, bile ducts, and thyroid. His specialty is hernia surgeries. He believes in treating every patient with respect, kindness, and a willingness to listen and respond to their concerns.

On a personal note, Dr. Alley is married and has four children, three girls and a boy. His hobbies include spending time with family, skydiving, gourmet cooking, and sampling fine wine and premium cigars. To give back, he serves as the Medical Director for Guatemala for the Medical Missions Foundation. Each year, he travels to Guatemala and performs surgeries in underserved regions.

He would like to dedicate this honorable recognition In Memory of James H. Thomas MD, his mentor and Chairman in the Department of Surgery during Dr. Alley's early career, and to his uncle James M. Dover, MD, his inspiration and mentor.

For more information about Dr. Alley and the University of Kansas Medical Center, please visit https://www.kumc.edu/.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
MORRISVILLE, N.C. and SAN FRANCISCO , June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JupiterOne , the industry's leading cyber asset attack surface management (CAASM) platform provider, enters RSAC 2022 with significant momentum. The company recently announced a valuation of over $1 billion after a $70 million Series C funding round, released brand new research with The 2022 State of Cyber Assets Report , and published two JupiterOne Press books for cybersecurity professionals, Cyber Defense Matrix The Essential Guide to Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape and Reinventing Cybersecurity .

The JupiterOne team kicked off its participation at RSAC with a strong presence in the South Hall of the Moscone Center, booth S-#325. There, attendees can catch a demo of the company's CAASM platform and its new Critical Assets feature, which helps security teams easily identify, analyze, and secure their most important cyber assets. The company will also unveil the platform's new Insights dashboards for Incident Response to immediately answer any security investigation and response question for any workload or cloud. Team members will also be on hand to discuss Starbase, an initiative JupiterOne launched earlier this year to deliver an open-source tool to collect assets and relationships from services and systems, including cloud infrastructure, SaaS applications, security controls, and more. Demos will also take place at their partners' booths in the North Hall, Cisco (N-#6045) and Splunk (N-#5865).

Industry Recognitions

On the morning of RSAC Day 1, the company received several industry recognitions at the 2022 Global InfoSec Awards.

Cyber Defense Magazine, the industry's leading electronic information security magazine and organizers of the 2022 Global InfoSec Awards, recognized JupiterOne as the "Most Comprehensive Cybersecurity Startup of the Year," while JupiterOne's CAASM platform was awarded "Best Solution in SaaS/Cloud Security". In addition, JupiterOne founder and CEO Erkang Zheng was named "Next Gen Chief Executive Officer of the Year".

The company is also proud to announce that it has recently received additional accolades from FinTech Global and Great Place to Work.

FinTech Global, the world's leading provider of FinTech information services, B2B media products, and industry events, featured JupiterOne in their third annual CyberTech100 list. Chosen by a panel of analysts and industry experts, the CyberTech 100 list features the world's 100 most innovative cybertech companies for financial services that have demonstrated innovative use of technology to solve a significant industry problem, generate cost savings, or deliver efficiency improvements across the security value chain.

JupiterOne has also been Certified by Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture. According to the survey administered by the certifying organization, 98 percent of JupiterOne employees said the company is a great place to work  41 points higher than the average U.S. company.

JupiterOne Sessions at RSAC

JupiterOne experts will be delivering several presentations at RSAC, including the following speaking slots in the main conference agenda:

Monday, June 6 - 8:30am to 9:20am in Moscone West 3018

Cyber Defense Matrix: Revolutions

Sounil Yu, CISO and Head of Research, JupiterOne

The Cyber Defense Matrix (CDM) helps people organize and understand gaps in their overall security program. This session will unveil new use cases including how to map startup vendors and security trends, anticipate gaps, develop program roadmaps, capture metrics, reconcile inventories, improve situational awareness. and create a board-level view of security programs.

Tuesday, June 7 - 9:40am to 10:30am in Moscone West 3002

How Behavioral Economics Can Help Make Better Security Decisions

Kelly Shortridge , Senior Principal Product Technologist, Fastly

Sounil Yu, CISO and Head of Research, JupiterOne

This session will show how behavioral economics can help practitioners understand why users make "bad security decisions" such as sharing devices, choosing poor passwords, and downloading questionable links. By understanding behavioral economics, security teams can help others, and themselves, make better security and risk decisions.

Tuesday, June 7 - 11:15am to 12:15pm in Moscone South 303

Reinventing Cybersecurity: Tales of Rebellion and Resistance (at DevOps Connect)

Jasmine Henry , Security Director, JupiterOne

Tracy Bannon , Senior Principal, The MITRE Corporation

Coleen Shane , Network Security Engineer, Quick Quack Car Wash

Breanne Boland , Product Security Engineer, Gusto

Reinventing Cybersecurity is an anthology of essays by leading women and non-binary security practitioners that explores a central theme of redefinition with diverse expert perspectives on the industry's technical and interpersonal aspects. This author panel will discuss how to operationalize a culture where security is shifted left in meaningful ways and how the industry needs rebels and revolutionaries who are willing to rethink everything.

Tuesday, June 7 - 2:25pm to 3:15pm in Moscone South 306

Hacking Her Career (H2C2)

Jasmine Henry , Security Director at JupiterOne

Mary Balogun , Security & Compliance Manager at Experian

Keenan Skelly , CEO of Shadowbyte

Mari Galloway , CEO of Cyberjutsu & Architect at Palo Alto Networks

This session will feature interactive roundtables that will explore short talks centered around best cyber books, resources, podcasts, owning the interview, better salary negotiations, high-growth careers, being heard, getting hands-on tech experience, playing to win, and much more.

Thursday, June 9 - 8:30am to 10:30am in Moscone West 2020

Cyber Defense Matrix Learning Lab

Jasmine Henry , Security Director, JupiterOne

Helen Patton , Advisory CISO, Cisco

Sounil Yu, CISO and Head of Research, JupiterOne

This Learning Lab will walk participants step-by-step through several use cases of CDM and how it can help practitioners organize their overall security program.

Summer of JupiterOne

Following RSAC, JupiterOne will be participating in several additional industry conferences, Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit 2022 (June 7-10), Cisco Live! (June 12-16) and Splunk .conf22 (June 13-16). A full list of JupiterOne's upcoming conference participation is below:

Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2022

CISO Advisor at Cisco Security Daniel DeSantis and JupiterOne Solutions Architecture Director Akash Ganapathi will participate in a fireside chat during Gartner SRM 2022 on June 7-10 (Gaylord Convention Center, National Harbor, MD). They will discuss the new areas that security leaders must address when building a framework for a resilient security program, share field stories from their conversations with hundreds of CISOs, and reveal best practices to bring a resilient program to life. Demos will take place at the JupiterOne booth.

Cisco Live!

JupiterOne will exhibit and spread the word about cyber asset attack surface management at Cisco Live! on June 12-16 (Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas ). JupiterOne and Cisco will co-host a reception at the Franklin Lounge on Monday, June 13 . Attendees can register here . Demos will take place at the JupiterOne booth #3270.

Splunk .conf22

The JupiterOne team will discuss the company's recently announced partnership with Splunk at .conf22 on June 13-16 (MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas ). In addition, founder and CEO Erkang Zheng , will present a thought leadership session titled Back to the Beginning: Why Breaches Still Occur and What Security Leaders Have Missed All Along. JupiterOne Solutions Architecture Director Akash Ganapathi and Integrations Product Manager Sam Andrus will also co-present a session to showcase the integration of the two solutions, unveiling the new JupiterOne Add-On for Splunk and the JupiterOne App for Splunk. Demos will take place at the JupiterOne booth.

Later this summer, the company will also exhibit at AWS re:Inforce on July 26-27 (Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston) and Black Hat USA on August 6-11 (Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas).

To learn more about JupiterOne please visit https://jupiterone.com .

Quotes

Jon Oltsik, Senior Principal Analyst and Fellow at Enterprise Strategy Group

"Security leaders are challenged to create true visibility and control of assets within physical and cloud environments. Attack surfaces continue to grow rapidly, and organizations face more constant destructive security threats. CISOs need total visibility to make meaningful recommendations to the business about risk and opportunity. JupiterOne can help organizations that want to compete on proprietary, cloud-native technology. It can provide a foundation for quantitative business risk management with visibility into security context and relationships."

Erkang Zheng, Founder and CEO at JupiterOne

"RSAC 2022 will really be our coming-out party as a company. The past several months have been a whirlwind as we have released many product features, secured new funding, launched the first of what will be an annual report on the state of cyber assets and become a publisher for security books which not only show best practices from the technical side, but challenge the diversity status quo in the industry."

Sounil Yu, CISO and Head of Research at JupiterOne

"With the concentration of bright and diverse minds, I can sharpen my thinking and understanding of our complex cybersecurity challenges more during one week of RSAC than I can over months of normal life. As a speaker, RSAC gives me an opportunity to give back what I have learned from other attendees and great giants of the past. It's an honor to pay it forward and share what little I know in the hopes that future generations of practitioners might benefit from standing on my shoulders."

Jasmine Henry, Security Director at JupiterOne

"RSAC 2022 will be an important moment for JupiterOne and the security industry as a whole to gather in-person at Moscone Center and discuss what it means to transform to greater challenges than ever before. In an unprecedented threat climate and economic pressures, security practitioners have a critical need for visibility into their assets and attack surface to act as strategic risk advisors to their organizations on threats, vulnerabilities, and opportunities."

Related Links

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About JupiterOne

JupiterOne is a cyber asset attack surface management (CAASM) platform company providing visibility and security into your entire cyber asset universe. Using graphs and relationships, JupiterOne provides a contextual knowledge base for an organization's cyber asset operations. With JupiterOne , teams can discover, monitor, understand, and act on changes in their digital environments. Cloud resources, ephemeral devices, identities, access rights, code, pull requests, and much more are collected, graphed, and monitored automatically by JupiterOne.

Contact:

Nathaniel Hawthorne for JupiterOne

Lumina Communications

(661) 965-0407

[email protected]

Melissa Pereira

JupiterOne

(408) 656-4071

[email protected]jupiterone.com

SOURCE JupiterOne
New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) More Islamic countries joined to condemn the controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad by now-expelled and suspended functionaries of the BJP, with the UAE being the latest to issue a statement, and closer home, the Maldives and Indonesia also issued statements.

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry condemned statements by the spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party, expressing its denunciation and rejection of insults of the Prophet Muhammad.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed the UAE's firm rejection of all practices and behaviors that contradict moral and human values and principles.
Brand to celebrate new designs by Antenna Design, Marc Newson, Dan Grabowski, Piero Lissoni

EAST GREENVILLE, Pa., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Knoll will present Welcoming Spaces for Work Anywhere at the first MillerKnoll Design Days that will take place in Chicago from June 1315. At 811 W. Fulton Market, Knoll will introduce designs by Antenna Design, Dan Grabowski, Piero Lissoni and Marc Newson.

The Welcoming Spaces Showroom will feature a variety of settings for hybrid work that support connection, forge culture and foster collaborationall illustrating the power of hospitality in today's workplace.

The Fulton Market Space will showcase brands from the MillerKnoll collective, including Knoll furnishings and accessories; DatesWeiser conference room furniture; Spinneybeck and FilzFelt architectural and acoustic materials; KnollTextiles fabrics, wallcoverings and drapery; and Muuto furniture and accessories.

Alana Stevens, Knoll Brand President stated, "As companies have embraced hybrid work solutions, the communal vibrancy of a welcoming workplace is more important than ever."

Presenting Welcoming Spaces for Work Anywhere

As companies return to the workplace after more than two years of work-from-home and limited time in the office, they need to plan for a successful hybrid experience, with products that blur the lines between office and home, with solutions for remote, hybrid and resident workers.

Successful hybrid work environments offer people a holistic experience, leverage technology to connect people across locationsremote and in personand provide a place where people come together to collaborate with a sense of purpose, freedom and fulfillment at work.

Ms. Stevens added, "now that people can work from anywhere, companies are realizing the importance of creating a space that creates connectivity and community across the workplace ecosystem."

The Fulton Market space displays how the value of offering people a fluid and equitable experience, and places for in-person interaction to complement remote work from getaway spaces to shared areas for teams and groups to "physgital" meeting spaces enables organizations' success throughout the workplace ecosystem, from work in the office to work from home and anywhere in between.

New Knoll Performance Seating

Introducing the Newson Task Chair

The first step to greatness is sitting down. From the trailblazing design Marc Newson, Newson Task is ready to take you to the next leveljust take a seat. The chair features an organic, fluid design that's packed with sophisticated hidden technology and a level of luxe material refinement. A quiet confidence creates an interesting duality: the ability to stand out as a statement piece or blend into its surroundings.

New Workplace Solutions

Antenna Workspace Enhancements

Design Days 2022 will showcase enhancements to Antenna Workspaces, which captures the energy of people coming together with the best technology, furniture, and spaces for their work.

Hybrid Storage pairs wood shelves with sleek steel side panels in a lean footprint, allowing ample storage capacity and options for integrated cable management.

pairs wood shelves with sleek steel side panels in a lean footprint, allowing ample storage capacity and options for integrated cable management. New suspended storage: Open configurations provide a spot for personal items, and lockable drawer versions provide secure storage for resident workers. Suspended Hybrid Storage integrates with Knoll tables.



New Tall Hybrid Storage: Shares the collection's mixed-material aesthetic and comes in open and hinged-door configurations. Link them together to create a storage bank that delineates space and supports team storage needs



Mobile Technology Cart: Transform any space into a power-supported work point. Integrated handle, casters, and three horizons let you pull up the power source in training or sprint rooms as well as lounge spaces.

Antenna Power Beam expands on the center beam at the heart of the Antenna Workspaces Big Table. By decoupling worksurfaces from the power structure, Power Beam enables flexibility and agility, providing maximum performance in a minimal footprint.

expands on the center beam at the heart of the Antenna Workspaces Big Table. By decoupling worksurfaces from the power structure, Power Beam enables flexibility and agility, providing maximum performance in a minimal footprint. Modesty Panels: Efficient planning capabilities and power routing paired with the neat aesthetic of a traditional technology spine planned to the floor. Modesty panels are suspended from Power Beam to conceal workstation clutter and are secured with glides for stability.



Gallery Panels: Available in a variety of widths and horizons, end and intermediate gallery panels delineate space while maintaining sight lines and access to natural light.



Ladders: Mounted to Power Beam or to a worksurface, Ladder screens imply boundaries while allowing light to filter between spaces. Moveable screen, hook, tray, cup, and phone rest mount to both sides of the ladder, offering users an opportunity to personalize their space and move work tools off the worksurface.

New Office Collection Designed by Dan Grabowski

Work continues to evolve and, with this collection, the private office keeps pace, reflecting new approaches to planning and timeless aesthetic. It pairs streamlined design with a refined scope of thoughtful product features, including a new approach to managing technology, all the while maintaining Knoll's tradition of sustainable wood craftsmanship and design flexibility.

The collection, designed primarily for private offices but also for the shared spaces that often adjoin them, features a slim profile with thin surfaces and beveled edges in all the right places. It has a refreshing lightness of scale and proportion, and it features honest materials that are the hallmarks of modernismwood, glass, and more. The collection has individual, scalable components fit for private or open spaces of any size, from modest to expansive. Through this refined design, it delivers a unique pairing of wood craftsmanship with the latest design and features found in today's signature workspaces.

Dividends Horizon Enhancements

Dividends Horizon remains a solid, go-to panel-based solution for space delineation and power distribution.

Dividends Horizon Elevated Spine. Accessibly-priced elevated spine with ample power and data capabilities for flexible planning with freestanding elements in the open plan. Available with two planning horizons and a broad scope of material options.

Quoin Storage Additions

Quoin offers streamlined metal solutions for individual and group storage needs and plans for the total workplace. An innovative cantilever shelf support system allows for a clean aesthetic in open and enclosed units, with no visible adjustment holes.

Credenza. Shallow 15" depth, low 1H elevation and options for tray tops and new configurations

Pull Options. New rubber grommet pull option offers a more casual and playful aesthetic.

Inlet Screens

These lightweight, moveable screens, designed by Dan Grabowski, define space while providing visual privacy and acoustic dampening. Available in two finishes with markerboard and novel porthole options.

New Lifestyle Solutions

KN Collection Additions

Milan-based designer Piero Lissoni has a thirty-year history in the fields of architecture, landscape, interiors, product and graphic designwith the human experience at the center of his work. His growing body of work with Knoll is characterized by its elegance, attention to proportion and exquisite detailing. His KN Collection of seating for Knoll complements a range of spaces  from collaborative meetings to individual refuge  with elevated detailing and comfort. New arm and armless side chairs, KN06 and KN07, are available fully upholstered in selected textiles and Spinneybeck leathers, with painted or polished aluminum metal legs.

KnollTextiles Celebrates 75 Years

KnollTextiles celebrates its 75th anniversary by introducing The Heritage Collection: eight archive-inspired textiles that continue to evolve the modernist tradition by combining the best archival design with next-generation technology. KnollTextiles will preview the collection along with an exhibit of corresponding archival fabrics. Also on display are the performance-oriented Focus and Pattern Play Collections. The Focus Collection is subtly evocative of details from nature with performance upholstery, drapery, privacy fabric and wallcoverings that range from graphic to gestural in a palette of sophisticated modern neutrals. The Pattern Play Collection offers vibrant upholstery and color combinations and wallcovering with unexpected design elements. The lively patterns exude a sense of optimism while inviting visual and tactile exploration.

Muuto is Exploring What Makes a Space Feel Just Right

For this year's Design Days, Muuto is inviting visitors to explore their immersive space to ask themselves:

What makes a space feel just right to me?

Recognizing that there is more to design than meets the eye, Muuto is investigating what design can do to make us feel more at ease, focused and grounded in our surroundings. Everyone experiences design in vastly different wayswhat deeply resonates with you might not with someone else. Take a walk through their showroom on the 5th floor and reflect on five key elements that help make a space feel just rightlight, color, tactility, nature and form.

New Designs from Muuto

With forward-looking materials, techniques and bold creative thinking, Muuto shares their latest new perspectives on Scandinavian design.

New Linear System Series

The Linear System Series, designed by Thomas Bentzen, brings a warm, hospitable oak expression to the evolving needs of the modern workspace, hospitality settings and educational institutions. Its configurable designtables, lighting, screens and traysalongside its custom integrated power solution, allows one to tailor the design to the exact needs of any space. Choose between 3 pre-configurations or configure your own.

New Linear Steel Series Addition

The Linear Steel Chair offers a new perspective on modern outdoor furniture with its clean lines, half-circular intersecting legs, and a smoothly curved backrest for an enveloping comfort. The small spacing allows for easy removal of water. Available with or without arms, in four colors.

Connect Soft Modular Sofa

Designed by Andersson & Voll, the Connect Soft Modular Sofa brings together elegant proportions and deeply inviting comfort. With its slimmer profile and softer seat than the original Connect Sofa, the Connect Soft is ideal for hospitality and residential settings. Choose between 9 pre-configurations or create your own.

Introducing Oslo Lounge Chair (Available in Q3 2022)

Marrying its compact design with comfort and elegance, the Oslo Lounge Chair by Andersson & Voll offers an embracing and dynamic seat with a classic, yet distinctly contemporary expression. The combination of sculptural qualities and functional design makes it an ideal piece for public spaces. Available with either a Tube or Swivel base.

Introducing Sketch Toolbox (Available in Q3 2022)

Cast in one monolithic piece with a handle for portability, the Sketch Toolbox, designed by Thomas Bentzen, is a friendly companion for daily life in the nomadic workplace. The versatile toolbox is manufactured in Denmark using a minimum of 91% recycled plastic.

A New addition to the Fiber Chair Family (Available in Q3 2022)

The Fiber Conference Chair's wider, cushioned seat make it ideal for conference or hospitality settings. Its interior shell is made of 99% recycled plastic, while its spacious seat and embracing curves are fully upholstered with a soft, fixed cushion for maximum comfort. Choose from 6 swivel bases. Designed by Iskos Berlin

About Knoll

A globally recognized leader in modern design and the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program, Knoll uses modern design to create places people love to be. Our commitment to modern design and ongoing dialogue with designers and customers has yielded a timeless collection of pioneering products for high-performance workplaces, work-from-home settings, and luxury residential interiors. A recipient of the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Knoll has championed sustainable practices in manufacturing and can help organizations meet their sustainability goals.

SOURCE Knoll
BETHESDA, Md., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced that its board of directors has elected Evan T. Scott as vice president and treasurer, and H. Edward "Ed" Paul, III as vice president and controller, effective immediately.

Scott succeeds John Mollard, who has announced his plans to retire at the end of the year after more than 39 years of service to the company. Paul succeeds Brian Colan, who has also announced his plans to retire later this year after more than 10 years of service to the company. Both Mollard and Colan will serve as strategic advisors until their retirements as part of paired leadership transitions for the positions.

"Evan and Ed's extensive leadership experience within our global business and finance operations will drive both continued excellence in our core finance functions and focused execution of our growth strategy," said Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO James Taiclet. "I want to thank John and Brian for their many contributions to the success of the company over their decades of outstanding service."

As vice president and treasurer, Scott will lead the corporation's worldwide banking activity, including global treasury operations, foreign exchange and capital markets, rating agency relations, capital planning, facilities and risk management. He also will oversee financial planning and analysis and the LMC Properties subsidiary. Scott began his career at Lockheed Martin in June 1999 and has served as vice president and assistant treasurer since August 2021. During his more than 20-year career with the company, he has held roles of increasing responsibility within the finance function.

As vice president and controller, Paul will lead the corporation's accounting, government finance, global financial services and financial transformation and systems functions. Paul brings extensive experience partnering with executive management to develop and deploy financial strategies that strengthen Lockheed Martin's financial position, improve performance within our existing businesses and expand into new areas. Paul joined the company in May 2011 and has served as vice president of accounting since March 2015. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Paul served in accounting and audit roles at Discovery Communications, Inc. and Ernst & Young LLP and is a certified public accountant.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin
The FTA is one of the final steps before receiving a permit to drill Santas Gloria. Mantaro can now apply for final permits (water use and initiation of activities) for drilling activities. Assuming the final permits are granted, Mantaro anticipates that it will be permitted to drill Santas Gloria in August 2022.

The high-grade Santas Gloria Silver Property is 100% owned by Mantaro and is comprised of seven mineral concessions totalling 3,272 hectares. There are over 12 strike km of untested veins at Santas Gloria. Channel sampling of sulphide material in historical adits returned robust assays of up to >10,000 g/t Ag, 56.3 g/t Au, 10.3 % Pb and 9.07 % Zn (see news release dated June 2, 2021).

Qualified Person

Dr. Christopher Wilson, Ph. D., FAusIMM (CP), FSEG, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.

About Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.

Mantaro Precious Metals Corp. is a British Columbia company that holds a diversified portfolio of gold and silver focused mineral properties in Bolivia and Peru. The Company's holds an option to acquire up to an 80% interest in the advanced Golden Hill Property ("Golden Hill"), located in the underexplored, orogenic Bolivia Shield, Bolivia.

The Company also has a 100% interest in the high-grade Santas Gloria and San Jose Silver Properties in Peru.

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. The Company 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 the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Company'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, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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.

SOURCE Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.
With over 18 years of commercial experience, Michael spent the last eight years at Novozymes, a global biotechnology company, leading sales and regional marketing of biological solutions across food and industrial markets. Over the last four years, Michael served as Novozymes' Sales and Marketing Director leading the company's Food and Beverage business operations across the Americas. He played an active role in developing and executing the sales and marketing strategy in the region and held global responsibility for several of the company's largest food and beverage customers. Prior to Novozymes, Michael worked at GE Energy as an Account Manager in the Power and Water division. During his time there, he honed his technical sales and marketing skills by building value propositions and technical solutions for diverse industrial business segments, including chemical production, power generation, and food and beverage manufacturing.

As InnovoPro's newest Chief Commercial Officer for North America, Michael will develop and execute the corporate marketing and sales strategy in North America by translating InnovoPro's overall business objectives into marketing strategies that drive revenue.

"North America is one of our main target markets and represents significant growth potential for InnovoPro," said Taly Nechushtan, CEO of InnovoPro. "Michael brings incredible experience to his role as CCO, and we are thrilled to have him leading the North American team on this growth journey. We are confident he will bring great value to the company and its stakeholders."

"I'm excited to start my next challenge with such an innovative company. InnovoPro has already established itself as a leader of the new emerging chickpea protein category, and I'm incredibly humbled to join the team," said Michael. "I look forward to implementing InnovoPro's extensive strategic plan to expand their chickpea protein offerings here in the United States and Canada."

For more information about InnovoPro, please visit innovopro.com.

About InnovoPro

InnovoPro is committed to bringing unique plant-based protein ingredients to the global food & beverage market, for creating nutritious, tasty, and sustainable food products. With an excellent nutritional profile, "free from" properties and wide usability in the food industry, InnovoPro's CP-Pro 70 concentrate is the best choice for the growing plant-based protein market. Now, with its growing recognition and infrastructure, InnovoPro is in the best position to scale up its innovative solutions worldwide.

Media Contact

Harper Clark

[email protected]

SOURCE InnovoPro
HERNDON, Va., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Nacha announced a partnership with Phixius and Aliaswire that will enable financial institutions, fintechs and businesses that originate a small volume of ACH transactions to comply with Nacha's WEB Debit Account Validation Rule. Phixius by Nacha is a trusted peer-to-peer network for the efficient and safe exchange and verification of payment-related information. The partnership will enable lower volume ACH users to utilize Phixius as a safe, secure and fast option to verify the routing and account numbers for ACH payments.

"Many smaller organizations came to Nacha looking for options to comply with the WEB Debit Account Validation Rule and validate account information," said George Throckmorton, Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives & Network Development at Nacha who oversees Phixius. "The partnership with Aliaswire will ensure that all financial institutions, fintechs and businesses offering consumer ACH debits will have a reliable option to verify the consumers' account information in compliance with the Nacha Rule."

"We are excited to partner with Nacha's Phixius to provide a real-time option for low-volume originators to comply with the WEB Debit Account Validation Rule," said Scott Goldthwaite, President of Aliaswire.

"We considered multiple options to comply with ACH account validation requirements for our Account Opening Solution," said Jose Maldonado, Director of Solutions Engineering at ProcessMaker, a company participating in the partnership. "This solution scales to our needs."

Interested organizations should complete the Phixius Interest Form .

Phixius has realized substantial growth since its launch in 2021. Today, Phixius has enabled more than 1,700 financial institutions and more than 7,000 businesses to verify account information. Phixius is expecting to facilitate more than 1 million validations this year, enhancing overall ACH Network quality.

Earlier this year, Nacha's WEB Debit Account Validation Rule became enforceable. The Rule requires that the first use of an account number, or account number changes, be validated as part of a commercially reasonable fraudulent transaction detection system.

About Nacha

Nacha governs the thriving ACH Network, the payment system that drives safe, smart, and fast Direct Deposits and Direct Payments with the capability to reach all U.S. bank and credit union accounts. More than 29 billion ACH Network payments were made in 2021, valued at close to $73 trillion. Through problem-solving and consensus-building among diverse payment industry stakeholders, Nacha advances innovation and interoperability in the payments system. Nacha develops rules and standards, provides industry solutions, and delivers education, accreditation, and advisory services.

About Aliaswire, Inc.

Aliaswire is a fintech company based in Boston with a history of innovation in payments. The company supports leading financial institutions and merchant services providers with bill pay through DirectBiller and small business credit solutions through PayVus. For more information, visit https://www.aliaswire.com/ .

About ProcessMaker

ProcessMaker is a low-code BPM and workflow automation platform. ProcessMaker makes it easy for business analysts to automate complex cross functional workflows that connect people and existing company systems. Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina in the United States, ProcessMaker has a partner network spread across 35 countries on five continents. Hundreds of commercial customers, including many Fortune 100 companies, rely on ProcessMaker to digitally transform their core business processes enabling faster decision making, improved compliance, and better performance.

Contact: Dan Roth

703-561-3923

[email protected]

SOURCE Nacha
DALLAS, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing optogenetic therapies for treatment of retinal degenerative diseases, today announced two presentations featuring the Company's clinical development of optogenetic gene therapy for vision restoration in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients at the upcoming 45th Annual Meeting of The Macula Society, to be held June 8-11, 2022, in Berlin, Germany.

"The two abstract presentations will highlight our Multi-Characteristic Opsin gene therapy, MCO-010, for RP, which is part of our optogenetics platform for vision restoration of people blinded by retinal diseases regardless of gene mutations," said Sulagna Bhattacharya, CEO of Nanoscope. "Our multi-site, double blind, sham-controlled Phase 2b trial in RP patients is fully enrolled with results expected in Q1 2023. We are also initiating a multi-site Phase 2 trial of MCO-010 for Stargardt macular degeneration."

Details for the presentations are as follows:

Title: 52 Week Safety and Efficacy of Optogenetic Therapy for Vision Restoration in Inherited Retinal Degeneration Patients

Session: Inherited Retinal Diseases

Presenter: Sai Chavala, MD, Professor of Surgery, TCU School of Medicine, Fort Worth, TX. Dr. Chavala is a Nanoscope Scientific and Clinical Advisor.

Date and Time: Wednesday, June 8, 2022, from 6:06 p.m.  6:52 p.m. CEST

Title: Design and Development of novel endpoints for Double-masked, Randomized, sham-controlled, Multicenter Phase 2b study of Multi-Characteristic Opsin enabled vision restoration in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa

Session: Inherited Retinal Diseases

Presenter: Victor Hugo Gonzalez, MD, Valley Retina Institute, McAllen, TX. Dr. Gonzalez is a Nanoscope Scientific and Clinical Advisor.

Date and Time: Saturday, June 11, 2022, from 7:37  8:42 a.m. CEST



About Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc.

Nanoscope Therapeutics is developing site restoring optogenetic therapies for millions of patients suffering from retinal degenerative diseases. A Phase 1/2a open label trial (NCT04919473) of Nanoscope's lead product, MCO-010 in advanced RP patients (n=11), demonstrated a favorable safety profile and several patients experienced restoration of vision to a level sufficient to resume activities of daily living. A multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled Phase 2b clinical trial of MCO-010 in RP patients (NCT04945772) is fully enrolled (N=27) and in follow-up. Primary data are expected in H1-2023. The company is initiating Phase-2 clinical trials for Stargardt macular degeneration in Q2-2022. MCO therapy received orphan drug designations from the FDA for RP and Stargardt.

Investor Contact:

Argot Partners

212-600-1902

[email protected]

SOURCE Nanoscope Therapeutics
Leading appraisal software and services firm, Tyler Technologies, embeds Nearmap aerial imagery and data into its proprietary property appraisal system to streamline the assessment of millions of properties in the U.S.

SALT LAKE CITY, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The assessment of millions of properties by government officials and property appraisers in the U.S. will be hugely improved and streamlined following a powerful partnership by leading location intelligence and aerial imagery firm, Nearmap, and America's largest provider of computer assisted mass appraisals (CAMA) for properties, Tyler Technologies (Tyler).

Nationwide across the U.S., Tyler's mass appraisal, tax billing, and collections software solutions help to ensure fair and equitable property assessments and timely taxation of more than 97 million property 'parcels'.

The innovative partnership provides users with the most comprehensive property appraisal solution available in the U.S. By working with Tyler to streamline the overall appraisal workflow, Nearmap is helping Tyler's customers to complete multiple appraisals in the time it would take to physically visit one property. The solution will incorporate regularly updated, high-quality Nearmap aerial imagery and location data into the workflows of Tyler's mass appraisal system. This will deliver even more efficient and accurate property valuation and assessment processes, allowing users to remotely, and more easily, detect data changes and discrepancies in properties.

Jake Wilson, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Tyler Technologies said: "Local governments are striving to implement fair and equitable property tax systems for residents. Streamlined data collection and quality control  which prevent data errors and omissions early in the process  will increase trust in property valuations. This also reduces costly and time-consuming disputes for property tax administrators."

Mr Wilson continued, "Tyler has been the trusted partner for integrated solutions covering the land development and property tax lifecycles for more than 70 years. We're excited to partner with Nearmap, which has the leading location intelligence offering in the market, to enhance Tyler's property appraisal solution and create the industry's most comprehensive solution for property assessment administration."

Don Weigel, Senior Vice President of Products for Nearmap, said: "The ability to embed the leading location data and aerial imagery of Nearmap with Tyler Technologies' comprehensive offering in computer-assisted mass appraisal, assessment administration, tax-billing, and collections, creates an incomparable and enduring property solution."

"Property valuations and appraisals are highly dependent on access to timely, accurate, and validated property, building, and real estate market data. Nearmap aerial imagery helps bridge that gap, by providing clear and current aerial imagery that helps thousands of users conduct virtual site visits for data-driven property insights that better enable informed decisions, streamline operations, and contribute to an improved bottom line."

With the integration of regularly updated aerial imagery and location data into system workflows, Tyler customers can access a more comprehensive property solution. Users will be able to manage every step of the property appraisal process, while also optimizing daily operations, analyzing assessment data, and generating fair, equitable, and defendable property valuations.

Joe Wehrli, Enterprise Architect for Tyler Technologies said: "The transition from manual property data collection and verification processes to a more holistically automated approach represents the first step in the next wave of evolution for the Assessment Office."

"This integration will ensure property assessors have the right image available at the right time for the task at hand. It helps offices optimize day-to-day operations by improving data-driven decision-making and streamlining tasks to increase efficiency and save time and tax-payer's money."

Mr Weigel added: "Organizations across North America continue to be drawn to the diverse and innovative applications for Nearmap content and solutions. Nearmap can, through our widget technology, enhance a wide range of systems and platforms in the Government, Insurance, and Commercial sectors with high resolution, regularly updated, property-specific geospatial content. This saves software developers and platform providers the time, effort and money required to build easy and efficient mapping tools to access Nearmap property intelligence data."

Nearmap location technology and content is now used by government customers in 42 out of the 50 U.S. states where it offers location data.

Media Contacts:

Nearmap | Taylor Cenicola | [email protected]

Tyler Technologies | Kate Bussey | [email protected]

About Nearmap | nearmap.com

Nearmap (ASX: NEA) provides easy, instant access to high resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, AI data sets, and geospatial tools. Using its own patented camera systems and processing software, Nearmap captures wide-scale urban areas in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand several times each year, making current content instantly available in the cloud via web app or API integration. Every day, Nearmap helps thousands of users conduct virtual site visits for deep, data-driven insights enabling informed decisions, streamlined operations and better financial performance.

Founded in Australia in 2007, Nearmap is one of the largest aerial survey companies in the world and is publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

About Tyler Technologies, Inc.

Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) provides integrated software and technology services to the public sector. Tyler's end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler's solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities. Tyler has more than 37,000 successful installations across more than 12,000 locations, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. Tyler has been recognized numerous times for growth and innovation, including Government Technology's GovTech 100 list and Forbes' "Most Innovative Growth Companies" list. More information about Tyler Technologies, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com .

SOURCE Nearmap
As Vice President of Human Resources and a key member of the company's Executive Management Team, Patricia will lead the strategic direction and operational execution of all aspects of HR. She will focus on talent development, engagement strategies, performance management, change management, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness.

"I am really pleased to have to welcome Patricia to Neoss. She is the right leader to help us continue to build an engaged, inclusive, and high-performing culture at Neoss. Patricia's' vast experience and proven success in Human Resources will enable us to continue to expand our team as we increase our footprint around the world."

Dr. Robert Gottlander, CEO and President of Neoss Group.

Patricia brings over 15 years of experience in human resources and organization strategy; primarily within the pharma and medical devices industries. Most recently she was the Human Resources Global Director for the Retail Business Unit at Sonova AG, where she amongst other things was supporting the transformation of the business unit, working with employee engagement, and implementing talent management and competency development processes. Earlier in her career, she worked as HR Business Partner in companies like Coloplast, Schneider Electric and Pfizer, with responsibility for a broad range of HR topics.

"I am thrilled to have joined a company with such a great potential, and I am looking forward to contributing to further develop Neoss and the team. A big thank you to the colleagues I have met so far for such a warm welcome".

Patricia Bremild, Vice President of Human Resources Neoss

Patricia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Psychology from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and a Master in International Marketing & Management from Copenhagen Business School.

About Neoss

Neoss offers intelligent solutions that are intuitively easy to use. Our products allow dental professionals to provide reliable and cost-effective treatments to their patients with predictable long-term results. Leading the market with ingenuity and integrity, we strive to set new standards. In developing smart treatment solutions and working closely with each practice, Neoss makes the complex less complicated. We call that Intelligent Simplicity. Headquartered in Harrogate, UK, with research and development based in Gothenburg, Sweden, the company has established a global footprint with a long-standing presence in key markets. To find out more visit https://www.neoss.com

SOURCE Neoss
PM Modi to participate in I2U2 leaders' inaugural summit next month 15 Jun 2022 | 3:11 PM Washington/New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) A new grouping of four nations  India, Israel, UAE and US  called the I2U2  is fast gaining traction, and will hold its first leaders summit next month, participated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden. see more..

Rahul Gandhi being questioned by ED on 3rd day,Cong leaders protest 15 Jun 2022 | 2:54 PM New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) Congress leaders and workers staged protests once again on Wednesday as party leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before the ED for the third consecutive day. see more..

NE CMs wish DoNER Minister Reddy on his birthday 15 Jun 2022 | 1:47 PM New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) Chief Ministers of the North Eastern states on Wednesday extended their warm wishes to Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Kishan Reddy on his birthday and prayed for his long and healthy life. see more..
Strategically partnering with Sahara Healthcare City to launch Neuropedia in Sharjah was a result of the city's clinical proficiency that is supported by the most advanced medical technology. Sahara Healthcare City is also located on the border between Sharjah and Dubai and is a one-stop solution to community healthcare needs and benefits.

Akram Ammar, Managing Director of Sahara Healthcare City said: "As part of our vision to be a leading destination in the provision of premium patient care to national and international communities, it gives us great pleasure to be hosting Neuropedia's expansion into Sharjah. We look forward to advancing the UAE health sector on our journey to empowering national medical tourism through distinct expertise and knowledge."

Neuropedia is the first comprehensive paediatric neurosciences centre, providing world-class expertise in neurological, psychological, behavioural and rehabilitative science. The centre currently has the best paediatric neurologists in Dubai, and with this new branch in Sharjah, it will be reflecting its heightened care and integrity by offering comprehensive care for infants, children and young people with a wide spectrum of acute and chronic neurological, developmental, behavioural and psychological disorders.

Dr Arif Khan, founding CEO and medical director and consultant paediatric neurologist at Neuropedia, said: "Our mission is to serve children and people with developmental delay and learning needs by offering them evidence-based therapy. As we seek to cater to children all over the UAE, expanding to Sharjah through Sahara Healthcare City was an ideal choice for us given its facilities and strategic location."

The centre in Sharjah will bring together paediatric neurologists, child psychiatrists and allied health professionals trained in the UK, Europe and the USA. The centre believes in a multi-disciplinary approach and works to cater to needs unique to each child and family. This specialised care will be provided by a board-certified team of highly qualified, motivated and passionate health professionals keeping children and families at the centre of the decision-making process

On par with its world-class global healthcare, education and training are also top priorities for Neuropedia. It consistently strives to impart education to families, healthcare workers and schools locally and nationally on dealing with children with complex neurological problems.

Neuropedia Sharjah is located on the seventh floor of Sahara Healthcare City. For more information or to book an appointment, contact the centre on 06-742 7799 or [email protected].

About Neuropedia:

Neuropedia Children's Neuroscience Center is the first highly specialised pediatric neuroscience center in UAE, offering state-of-the-art expert care to children and young people across the UAE and GCC countries.

Neuropedia, the neuroscience center in Dubai provides comprehensive care for infants, children and young people with a wide spectrum of acute and chronic neurological, developmental, behavioral and psychological disorders.

The Pediatric Neuroscience specialist care is provided by a board-certified team of highly qualified, motivated and passionate health professionals keeping the child and family at the center of decision making process. At Neuropedia Dubai, we bring together pediatric neurologists, child psychiatrists and allied health professionals trained in the UK, Europe and USA. We believe in a multi-disciplinary approach and work together to cater to the needs unique to each child and family. We see children from ages 0-16 years and in some special circumstances up to 18 years of age. Children's neuroscience center never fails to provide children and families with a comprehensive approach from initial diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation and long-term follow-up care under one roof.

About Sahara Healthcare City:

Sahara Healthcare City aims to become the UAE's first medical destination to offer medical and surgical treatment, served by professional competencies of different disciplines  all gathered under one roof  to provide assistance to patients of the UAE and beyond.

Contact: Reem Masswadeh, M: +971 (05)0 583 9330, E: [email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1833281/Sahara_Healthcare_City_1.jpg

SOURCE Sahara Healthcare City
Novel tells the story of murder at a construction conference on Cape Cod in the summer of 1984

FALMOUTH, Mass, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Building science and air quality expert Paul H. Raymer is launching his latest novel, Second Law. (Salty Air Publishing, on sale July 18, 2022). The novel uniquely combines the science of buildings with a mysterious and gruesome murder.

For the past two years, circumstances have trapped millions of us inside our homes, subjecting us to the toxic soup that makes up the air that we breathe. Unrecognized hazards fill this familiar environment. Mr. Raymer converts these hazards into weapons in his novel.

Second Law - Cape Cod (PRNewsfoto/Paul H. Raymer) Paul H. Raymer (PRNewsfoto/Paul H. Raymer)

In 1984, JON MEGQUIRE, the protagonist of Second Law, returns to Cape Cod to attend a conference to widen his knowledge of this growing field of science while seeking his true path in life. But the bizarre murder of his conference roommate interrupts that quest.

According to Mr. Raymer, "In 1984, the science of home construction was undisciplined thinking. People knew how to put roofs, walls, and floors together to keep the weather out. But there was little understanding of the house as a system. The fan in the bathroom was there to get rid of the odors, not to expel indoor air pollutants and viruses. An insulation material, like expandable foam, was in its infancy. Training was limited and the lack of understanding led to house fires and other disasters."

Jon's search for an understanding of science, love, construction, and the law holds together the disparate elements of Second Law. Once the murder is discovered, pressure builds with the fear of an unidentified murderer, and Jon has only three days to figure it all out.

"Nature is very patient," Raymer says. "It is difficult to control and use as a weapon aimed at a single individual. But our quest for saving energy has created a massive market for energy saving products and a rush to satisfy it. That's how mistakes get made." Beginning in the late 1970s with the Arab Oil Embargo and the rationing of fuel, a need for a clearer understanding led to conferences on solar energy and building efficiency. Solar energy became the "Energy of the Future". Cape Cod was the perfect environment to attract attendees who could see a lucrative future, enriching themselves on the need.

We will celebrate the launch of Second Law on Saturday, June 18th at the Station Grill, 59 Depot Avenue, in Falmouth, Massachusetts at 2pm, and the novel will be available on-line and at fine bookstores.

Second Law: 978-0-9906781-7-5, www.paulhraymer.com/second-law

About the Author:

Paul H. Raymer has been working with the science of homes and buildings for over forty years. He researches indoor air quality for the EPA and teaches people how homes work and how they can be made more comfortable, energy efficient, and safe. Paul brings his knowledge and enthusiasm about homes to Second Law, which is his third published novel.

For a review copy of Second Law or an interview with the author, please contact him via email at [email protected]. When requesting a review copy, please provide your street address. More information about him and his writing can be found at his author website https://www.paulhraymer.com/

Paul H. Raymer

508-725-8034

[email protected]

www.SaltyAirPublishing.com

SOURCE Paul H. Raymer
LONDON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Outsource Accelerator today announced the book launch of Inside Outsourcing: How Remote Work, Outsourcing & Global Employment is Changing the World. This long-awaited book is a wake-up call for businesses at a time when the world is seeing a dramatic change in employment norms toward remote, global and offshore solutions.

Outsourcing is the bad boy of business. Blamed for poor quality, unethical salaries, and inhumane conditions. Yet, Apple, Google, and most other Fortune 500 companies outsource - and the industry is growing at breakneck speed.

With soaring salaries, staff shortages, and the Great Resignation wreaking havoc on the economy, business owners are turning to offshore staffing solutions in record numbers.

As businesses get used to remote work solutions, and a post-COVID new normal, employers are realizing that offshoring gives them access to a global pool of highly-qualified candidates  and they can save 70% on staff costs.

Global employment means that employers can access highly capable staff from USD$500 /mo. It's a game-changing proposition for businesses.

Everyone is talking about remote work, outsourcing, virtual assistants, and global employment - but the industry remains mysterious.

"If you deprive yourself of outsourcing and your competitors do not, you're putting yourself out of business." Lee Kuan Yew, Former Prime Minister of Singapore.

Inside Outsourcing explores the evolution of outsourcing and the future of global employment as it transitions from an obscure industry to a default way of work. This seminal book on modern global outsourcing shines a light on the $200bn industry, and the seismic shift toward remote work, offshore staffing, and global employment.

ABOUT DEREK GALLIMORE

The book's author, Derek Gallimore, is the leading authority on global outsourcing solutions for business. Derek Gallimore is the founder and CEO of Outsource Accelerator, the world's leading marketplace and advisory for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), offshore staffing, remote and global employment.

BOOK RELEASE:

Available in Paperback, Kindle (ebook), and Audible (audio) versions by 8 June. Available from Amazon. Full details about the book, along with further information about the author, can be found at: https://www.outsourceaccelerator.com/inside-outsourcing/

ISBN: Paperback: 978-1-7396230-0-5 | Ebook: 978-1-7396230-1-2 | Audio: 978-1-7396230-2-9

MEDIA CONTACT:

Laura Angeles

Outsource Accelerator

E: [email protected]

W: https://www.outsourceaccelerator.com/

SOURCE Outsource Accelerator
BETHESDA, Md., June 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTCQB: NWBO) ("NW Bio"), a biotechnology company developing DCVax personalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, reported that yesterday on June 4, 2022, in the Industry Expert Theater during the ASCO 2022 conference, Dr. Marnix Bosch made a presentation discussing the Company's DCVax-L technology for personalized dendritic cell vaccines, the Sawston, UK facility, the manufacturing technology, the development of automation, and preparations for manufacturing scale-up. In addition, a video presentation about the DCVax-L clinical program was screened in the Company's exhibit booth in the ASCO Exhibit Hall.

These presentations are now available online at https://virtualtrials.org/dcvax

The Industry Expert Theater is not an official event of the ASCO Annual Meeting. It is not sponsored, endorsed or accredited by ASCO, CancerLinq, or Conquer Cancer the ASCO Foundation. It is not CME-accredited.

About Northwest Biotherapeutics

Northwest Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing personalized immunotherapy products designed to treat cancers more effectively than current treatments, without toxicities of the kind associated with chemotherapies, and on a cost-effective basis, in both North America and Europe. The Company has a broad platform technology for DCVax dendritic cell-based vaccines. The Company's lead program is a 331-patient Phase III trial of DCVax-L for newly diagnosed and recurrent Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). GBM is the most aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer, and is an "orphan disease." This Phase III trial reached data lock and top line data was recently presented. The Company has also developed DCVax-Direct for inoperable solid tumor cancers. It has completed a 40-patient Phase I trial and, as resources permit, plans to pursue Phase II trials. The Company previously conducted a Phase I/II trial with DCVax-L for advanced ovarian cancer together with the University of Pennsylvania.

Disclaimer

Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements concerning future treatment of patients using DCVax and future clinical trials, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expect," "believe," "intend," "design," "plan," "continue," "may," "will," "anticipate," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We cannot guarantee that we actually will achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. Specifically, there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, such as risks related to the Company's ability to achieve timely performance of third parties, risks related to whether the Company's products will demonstrate safety and efficacy, risks related to the Company's ongoing ability to raise additional capital, and other risks included in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings. Additional information on the foregoing risk factors and other factors, including Risk Factors, which could affect the Company's results, is included in its SEC filings. Finally, there may be other factors not mentioned above or included in the Company's SEC filings that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by securities laws.

CONTACTS

Dave Innes

804-513-4758

[email protected]

Les Goldman

240-234-0059

[email protected]

SOURCE Northwest Biotherapeutics
Treatment with targeted therapies Tafinlar + Mekinist resulted in 47% ORR versus chemotherapy (11%) and reduced risk of progression or death by 69%, showing significant efficacy improvement in patients ages 1 to 17 years old with BRAF V600 low-grade gliomas (LGG) requiring first systemic treatment 1

If approved, Tafinlar + Mekinist may offer a potential new standard-of-care for pediatric patients with this brain cancer who are in need of a more efficacious and convenient option that can be administered orally and may also improve quality of life 1

Results add to body of evidence demonstrating efficacy and safety of Tafinlar + Mekinist across multiple BRAF V600 solid tumors

Data highlighted as part of ASCO official press briefing and will form basis of upcoming regulatory submissions

EAST HANOVER, N.J., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis today announced Tafinlar (dabrafenib) + Mekinist (trametinib) significantly improved efficacy in patients ages 1 to 17 years old with BRAF V600 pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) requiring first systemic treatment compared to chemotherapy, the current standard-of-care for these patients1. In this study, patients randomized to receive Tafinlar + Mekinist experienced a statistically significant overall response rate (ORR) of 47% (CI: 35-59%) compared to 11% (CI: 3-25%, p<0.001) for those randomized to receive chemotherapy. A new liquid formulation of Tafinlar + Mekinist that can be easier to administer than chemotherapy was used in this trial. The data will be highlighted today as part of an official press briefing and oral presentation at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (Abstract #LBA2002).

"These results show dabrafenib and trametinib demonstrate an improvement over chemotherapy for children and adolescents with BRAF V600 low-grade gliomas," said Eric Bouffet, MD, FRCPC, Senior Associate Scientist Emeritus at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada. "This work highlights the importance of testing for mutations like BRAF in patients with low-grade gliomas."

LGG is the most common pediatric brain cancer and BRAF V600 mutations are present in 15-20% of pLGGs2,5. Currently, standard chemotherapy is associated with poor outcomes and a high burden of care6.

Additional results from the Phase II/III trial showed at a median follow-up of 18.9 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 20.1 months with Tafinlar + Mekinist (CI: 12.8 months-not estimable) compared to 7.4 months with chemotherapy (CI: 3.6-11.8 months, hazard ratio=0.31 [CI: 0.17-0.55] [p<0.001])1. Additionally, tumors shrank or remained stable in 86% of patients in the Tafinlar + Mekinist arm (n=73; CI: 76-93%) compared to 46% of patients in the chemotherapy arm (n=37; CI: 30-63%). After one year of follow-up, nearly all patients on Tafinlar + Mekinist (89%) had a reduction in tumor size compared with baseline versus 70% of patients in the chemotherapy arm. Results from a quality-of-life analysis favored Tafinlar + Mekinist compared to chemotherapy at all time points1.

"These young patients and their families experience a heavy burden of care as BRAF V600 low-grade glioma poses a risk of neurological impairment and current standard-of-care treatment is intravenous and associated with frequent trips to the cancer clinic or hospital," said Jeff Legos, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Oncology & Hematology Development at Novartis. "Tafinlar + Mekinist has shown unprecedented efficacy, and we will work with health authorities to bring these children the possibility of a more effective and easier to administer liquid oral treatment option as quickly as possible."

The safety profile of Tafinlar + Mekinist was generally consistent with established safety observed in previous studies. Patients in the Tafinlar + Mekinist arm had fewer grade 3 or higher adverse events (AEs; 47% vs 94%) and fewer discontinuations due to AEs (4% vs 18%) than patients in the chemotherapy arm evaluated for safety (n=33)1. The most frequent AEs in the Tafinlar + Mekinist arm were pyrexia, headache and vomiting1.

In a separate single-arm cohort of this study evaluating pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory BRAF V600 high-grade gliomas (HGG), treatment with Tafinlar + Mekinist showed an independently assessed ORR of 56.1% [CI: 39.7%-71.5%] and generally consistent safety results4. These data were presented in a poster discussion at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract #2009).

Tafinlar + Mekinist was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pediatric patients one year of age and older with LGG with a BRAF V600E mutation who require systemic therapy.

About the TADPOLE trial

This global Phase II/III, multicenter, open-label trial is evaluating patients aged 1 to 17 with BRAF V600 LGG (n=110) or relapsed or refractory HGG (n=41)1. Tafinlar + Mekinist is administered orally either as new liquid formulations, or as capsules and tablets, respectively. The primary endpoint in both cohorts is overall response rate. Secondary outcome measures include duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival and other endpoints1.

About pediatric gliomas

Gliomas are the most common pediatric central nervous system tumor type, representing about half of all pediatric brain cancers5,7,8. Gliomas are classified as either low-grade (grades 1 and 2) or high-grade (grades 3 and 4)7.

Pediatric low-grade gliomas positive for the BRAF V600E mutation have been associated with worse survival outcomes (OS/PFS) and are found in approximately 15-20% of pLGG2,3. BRAF mutations are found in approximately 3% to 7% of people with HGG (all ages combined)9,10.

BRAF mutations have been identified as drivers of cancer growth across a wide range of solid tumors and often have limited treatment options11,12.

About Tafinlar + Mekinist

The combination of Tafinlar + Mekinist, the worldwide targeted therapy leader in BRAF/MEK-inhibition research and patients reached, may help to slow tumor growth by blocking signals associated with the BRAF and MEK kinases, which are implicated in the growth of various types of cancer11-15. Tafinlar + Mekinist has been studied in more than 6,000 BRAF-positive patients in more than 20 ongoing and completed trials and has been prescribed to more than 200,000 patients worldwide15.

Tafinlar + Mekinist is currently not approved for pediatric patients with LGG or HGG. These results will form the basis of regulatory discussions with global health authorities.

Important Safety Information

TAFINLAR and MEKINIST are prescription medicines that can be used in combination to treat people with a type of skin cancer called melanoma:

that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable), and

that has a certain type of abnormal "BRAF" (V600E or V600K mutation-positive) gene

TAFINLAR and MEKINIST are prescription medicines that can be used in combination to help prevent melanoma that has a certain type of abnormal "BRAF" gene from coming back after the cancer has been removed by surgery.

TAFINLAR and MEKINIST are prescription medications that can be used in combination to treat a type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic NSCLC), and that has a certain type of abnormal "BRAF V600E" gene.

TAFINLAR and MEKINIST are prescription medications that can be used in combination to treat a type of thyroid cancer called anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC):

that has spread to other parts of the body and you have no satisfactory treatment options and

that has a certain type of abnormal "BRAF" gene

TAFINLAR, in combination with MEKINIST, should not be used to treat people with wild-type BRAF melanoma. MEKINIST should not be used to treat people who already have received a BRAF inhibitor for treatment of their melanoma and it did not work or is no longer working.

TAFINLAR, in combination with MEKINIST, should not be used to treat people with wild-type BRAF NSCLC.

TAFINLAR should not be used to treat people with wild-type BRAF melanoma or NSCLC. MEKINIST should not be used to treat people who already have received a BRAF inhibitor for treatment of their melanoma and it did not work or is no longer working.

TAFINLAR should not be used to treat people with wild-type BRAF melanoma, NSCLC, or ATC. MEKINIST should not be used to treat people who already have received a BRAF inhibitor for treatment of their melanoma and it did not work or is no longer working.

Your health care provider will perform a test to make sure that TAFINLAR and MEKINIST, in combination, are right for you.

It is not known if TAFINLAR and MEKINIST are safe and effective in children.

TAFINLAR and MEKINIST, in combination, may cause serious side effects such as the risk of new cancers, including both skin cancer and nonskin cancer. Patients should be advised to contact their health care provider immediately for any skin changes, including a new wart, skin sore, or bump that bleeds or does not heal, or a change in the size or color of a mole.

When TAFINLAR is used in combination with MEKINIST, it can cause serious bleeding problems, especially in the brain or stomach, that can lead to death. Patients should be advised to call their health care provider and get medical help right away if they have any signs of bleeding, including headaches, dizziness, or feel weak, cough up blood or blood clots, vomit blood or their vomit looks like "coffee grounds," or red or black stools that look like tar.

MEKINIST, alone or in combination with TAFINLAR, can cause inflammation of the intestines or tears in the stomach or intestines that can lead to death. Patients should report to their health care provider immediately if they have any of the following symptoms: bleeding, diarrhea (loose stools) or more bowel movements than usual, stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness, fever, or nausea.

TAFINLAR, in combination with MEKINIST, can cause blood clots in the arms or legs, which can travel to the lungs and can lead to death. Patients should be advised to get medical help right away if they have the following symptoms: chest pain, sudden shortness of breath or trouble breathing, pain in their legs with or without swelling, swelling in their arms or legs, or a cool or pale arm or leg.

The combination of TAFINLAR and MEKINIST can cause heart problems, including heart failure. A patient's heart function should be checked before and during treatment. Patients should be advised to call their health care provider right away if they have any of the following signs and symptoms of a heart problem: feeling like their heart is pounding or racing, shortness of breath, swelling of their ankles and feet, or feeling lightheaded.

TAFINLAR, in combination with MEKINIST, can cause severe eye problems that can lead to blindness. Patients should be advised to call their health care provider right away if they get: blurred vision, loss of vision, or other vision changes, seeing color dots, halo (seeing blurred outline around objects), eye pain, swelling, or redness.

TAFINLAR, in combination with MEKINIST, can cause lung or breathing problems. Patients should be advised to tell their health care provider if they have new or worsening symptoms of lung or breathing problems, including shortness of breath or cough.

Fever is common during treatment with TAFINLAR in combination with MEKINIST, but may also be serious. In some cases, chills or shaking chills, too much fluid loss (dehydration), low blood pressure, dizziness, or kidney problems may happen with the fever. Patients should be advised to call their health care provider right away if they get a fever.

Rash and other skin reactions are common side effects of TAFINLAR in combination with MEKINIST. In some cases, these rashes and other skin reactions can be severe or serious, may need to be treated in a hospital, or lead to death. Patients should be advised to call their health care provider if they get any of the following symptoms: blisters or peeling of skin, mouth sores, blisters on the lips or around the mouth or eyes, high fever or flu-like symptoms, and/or enlarged lymph nodes.

Some people may develop high blood sugar or worsening diabetes during treatment with TAFINLAR in combination with MEKINIST. For patients who are diabetic, their health care provider should check their blood sugar levels closely during treatment. Their diabetes medicine may need to be changed. Patients should be advised to tell their health care provider if they have increased thirst, urinate more often than normal, or produce an increased amount of urine.

TAFINLAR may cause healthy red blood cells to break down too early in people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. This may lead to a type of anemia called hemolytic anemia, where the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Patients should be advised to tell their health care provider if they have yellow skin (jaundice), weakness or dizziness, or shortness of breath.

TAFINLAR, in combination with MEKINIST, can cause new or worsening high blood pressure (hypertension). A patient's blood pressure should be checked during treatment. Patients should be advised to tell their health care provider if they develop high blood pressure, their blood pressure worsens, or if they have severe headache, lightheadedness, blurry vision, or dizziness.

Men (including those who have had a vasectomy) should use condoms during sexual intercourse during treatment with TAFINLAR and MEKINIST and for at least 4 months after the last dose of TAFINLAR and MEKINIST. For women of reproductive potential, TAFINLAR and MEKINIST, in combination, may harm your unborn baby. Use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with TAFINLAR and MEKINIST in combination, and for 4 months after stopping treatment with TAFINLAR and MEKINIST. The most common side effects for patients with metastatic melanoma are: pyrexia, nausea, rash, chills, diarrhea, headache, vomiting, hypertension, arthralgia, peripheral edema, and cough. The most common side effects for patients with stage III melanoma receiving the combination as adjuvant therapy are: pyrexia, fatigue, nausea, headache, rash, chills, diarrhea, vomiting, arthralgia, and myalgia. The most common side effects for patients with NSCLC: pyrexia, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dry skin, decreased appetite, edema, rash, chills, hemorrhage, cough, and dyspnea.

Please see full Prescribing Information for TAFINLAR at https://www.novartis.us/sites/www.novartis.us/files/tafinlar.pdf

and MEKINIST at https://www.novartis.us/sites/www.novartis.us/files/mekinist.pdf.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Located in East Hanover, NJ Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation  an affiliate of Novartis  is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis employs nearly 15,000 people in the United States. For more information, please visit https://www.novartis.us.

Novartis and Novartis US is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at https://twitter.com/novartisnews and @NovartisUS at https://twitter.com/NovartisUS.

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References

Bouffet, E MD. Primary analysis of a phase II trial of dabrafenib plus trametinib (dab + tram) in BRAF V600mutant pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG). 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Abstract #LBA2002. Lassaletta A, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2017;35:2934-2941 Mistry M, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33:1015-1022 Hargrave, D MD. Dabrafenib + trametinib (dab + tram) in relapsed/refractory (r/r) BRAF V600mutant pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG): Primary analysis of a phase II trial. 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Abstract #2009. Ostrom QT, et al. Neuro Oncol. 2021;23(12 suppl 2):iii1-iii105 Oberheim Bush NA, Chang S. Treatment Strategies for Low-Grade Glioma in Adults. J Oncol Pract. 2016 Dec;12(12):1235-1241. doi: 10.1200/JOP.2016.018622. PMID: 27943684. ESMO/Anticancer Fund. Glioma Guide for Patients Louis DN, et al. Acta Neuropathol. 2016;131:803-82 Ballester LY, Fuller GN, Powell SZ, Sulman EP, Patel KP, Luthra R, et al. Retrospective analysis of molecular and immunohistochemical characterization of 381 primary brain tumors. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2017 Mar 1 ;76(3):179-88 Schindler G, Capper D, Meyer J, Janzarik W, Omran H, Herold-Mende C, et al. Analysis of BRAF V600E mutation in 1,320 nervous system tumors reveals high mutation frequencies in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, ganglioglioma and extra-cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma. Acta Neuropathol. 2011 Mar;121(3):397-405 Turski ML, et al. Mol Cancer Ther. 2016;15:533-547 Pratilas C, et al. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2012;355:82-98 Tafinlar [prescribing information]. East Hanover, NJ : Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. Mekinist [prescribing information]. East Hanover, NJ : Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. Data on file.

Novartis Media Relations

E-mail: [email protected]

Anja von Treskow Novartis External Communications +41 61 324 2279 (direct) +41 79 392 8697 (mobile) [email protected] Dan Connelly Novartis Oncology Communications +1 862 210 0217 [email protected] Julie Masow Head, US External Engagement +1 862 579 8456 [email protected]



Novartis Investor Relations

E-mail: [email protected]

North America Sloan Simpson +1 862 778 5052





SOURCE Novartis US
WASHINGTON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Small Business Association (NSBA) and the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (EXIM) are releasing a new survey of small business about their attitudes, practices and beliefs when it comes to doing business internationally. This survey shows growing interest in exporting among small businesses as well as increased appetite for export-related assistance and education.

"Hands-down the biggest challenge to those small businesses who are interested in exportingbut haven't made the leap yetis that they simply don't know where to start," stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. "Expanding and strengthening the export assistance programs we currently have, like EXIM, could help small businesses more easily weather tough economic times."

Underscoring the need for federal resources, the NSBA-EXIM report found that the overwhelming majority of owners handle the export operations themselvesa major undertaking especially when you're likely handling HR, accounting and all other aspects of the business. Many of the resources already exist, however just 22 percent of small businesses report being aware of the various federal agencies dedicated to helping export U.S. goods and services.

"Having managed international sales at my company I can assure you that startingand maintaininginternational sales is a major undertaking," stated NSBA Chair Mike Stanek of Hunt Imaging, LLC in Berea, Ohio. "From finding foreign customers to navigating foreign import rules and, most importantly, making sure you get paid, exporting can be challenging but also very impactful to a company's growth."

This survey was conducted online among 530 small businesses across the country April 14-May 12. We hope you find the data in this report useful. Please contact the NSBA media affairs department with questions.

Please click here to download the full report.

Celebrating more than 80 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America's entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S., and we are proud to be the nation's first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz or @NSBAAdvocate.

SOURCE National Small Business Association
Mayors prioritize fight against gun violence and climate change, and promote economic solutions like infrastructure, broadband, and EVs

RENO, Nev., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On the final day of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 90th Annual Meeting, mayors gathered to set the Conference agenda and install new Conference officers for the next year. A business meeting Monday morning here in Reno marked the conclusion of an action-packed Annual Meeting, the first in person since 2019.

"It was fantastic to have America's mayors back together in person," said USCM President Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. "The Meeting has reaffirmed that mayors are the ones committed to delivering solutions to the big challenge facing this country. It's impossible not to be inspired by the great leaders of this Conference, and I am grateful to be trusted by my colleagues to lead the organization for another year."

On Friday and Saturday, USCM standing committees met and advanced dozens of policy resolutions, and today they were considered by the full body. Among the resolutions passed, mayors reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the public health crisis of gun violence, calling for universal background checks, a red flag law, and increasing the age to purchase a handgun or assault weapon to 21. All through the Meeting, mayors have shared their experiences with the toll gun violence has taken in their communities, and kept that top of mind going into the final meeting.

Other resolutions adopted today advance policy on issues like climate change, housing, infrastructure, broadband, tourism, electric vehicles, and mental health. These proposals will now serve as official USCM policy and will guide the organization's advocacy efforts for the coming year. You can read more about the committee meetings held over the past several days in these recaps here and here .

Closing out the final meeting, newly elected officers of the Conference were installed. Miami (FL) Mayor Francis Suarez, who has been serving as USCM President since former Dayton (OH) Mayor Nan Whaley left office in January, will continue to serve as Conference President for another full term. Reno (NV) Mayor Hillary Schieve was elected USCM First Vice President, and Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther was elected USCM Second Vice President.

New USCM Trustees are as follows: San Diego (CA) Mayor Todd Gloria, St. Louis (MO) Mayor Tishaura Jones, Shreveport (LA) Mayor Adrian Perkins, and Fontana (CA) Mayor Acquanetta Warren. These mayors in addition to the current elected top leaders and past presidents make up the USCM Executive Committee.

New USCM Advisory Board Members are as follows: Cleveland (OH) Mayor Justin Bibb, Cincinnati (OH) Mayor Aftab Pureval, Phoenix (AZ) Mayor Kate Gallego, Orion (MI) Mayor Chris Barnett, Albuquerque (NM) Mayor Tim Keller, Scranton (PA) Paige Cognetti, and San Antonio (TX) Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

Finally, it was announced that the 2024 Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors will take place in Kansas City, Missouri. As previously announced, next year's Meeting will be in Columbus, Ohio.

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors
Through the agreement, PABLO AIR is partnering with leading mobility technology companies to enter the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market in earnest, which aligns with the company's overarching goal of accelerating its drone delivery demonstrations and business commercialization.

A ceremony was held at LG Science Park in Seoul on May 10 to commemorate the six companies' agreement to cooperate for: The establishment of Korean UAM standards; Individual demonstrations to accelerate the commercialization of services; and Joint research on additional business opportunities in the UAM industry.

PABLO AIR is planning to establish an integrated UAM flight control system based on its previous experience developing PABLO AIR Mobility Network, PAMNet, a smart mobility traffic management system that analyzes flight departures and UAM risk and provides integrated management for the stable operation of aircraft.

Each of the other five companies that are part of the consortium together with PABLO AIR has its own defined role under the agreement. LG Uplus is expected to establish a traffic management system and communication service for the stable operation of UAM, while Jeju Air has agreed to provide safe and reliable flight services, based on its accumulated expertise in the aviation field

Also as part of the agreement, GS Caltex plans to build a UAM Vertiport (Vertical take-off and landing site) utilizing the company's network of gas stations evenly distributed around the country. For its part, Kakao Mobility will be using its previous experience operating the complete MaaS (Mobility as a Service) app "Kakao T" to develop a multimodal mobility platform and vertiport solution that will be used for automatic check-in and security search functions to support the uninterrupted movement of UAM devices.

Britain's Vertical Aerospacea leading global UAM aircraft manufacturer that has already received pre-orders for more than 1,350 eVTOLs from the global marketwill be in charge of producing UAM aircraft for the consortium. The company is currently scheduled to perform a UAM pilot flight at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

Kim Young-Joon, CEO of PABLO AIR, commented on the consortium saying, "With this business agreement, we will work with participating companies to reorganize the UAM industrial ecosystem and commercialize UAM services." He continued, "We will successfully develop a UAM Integrated Flight Control System and contribute to the management of UAM operations."

PABLO AIR has previously received recognition for its excellent technology, field utilization, and future growth values in the global market and was awarded 2nd place in the Operation category at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) XCELLENCE Awards in 2021 and 2022 for its development and use of PAMNet as a UAM traffic management platform.

About PABLO AIR

PABLO AIR first entered the Korean unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market in 2018 with its swarm flight technology and has since developed a wide array of integrated drone solutionsincluding UAV control systems, aircrafts, and drone delivery platforms & servicesand has participated in numerous ICT drone shows. PABLO AIR continues to engage in R&D and commercialization efforts at home and abroad as a pioneer of the global UAV industry.

In 2021, PABLO AIR established a branch in the U.S., bolstering the global UAV market's recognition of the company's technological prowess. PABLO AIR is the first Korean company to ever participate in a U.S. drone delivery PoC and is a 2nd place winner of the world-renowned AUVSI XCELLENCE AWARD and a technological partner of the National Technology & Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) in Malaysia.

For more information, visit pabloair.com

About the Born2Global Centre

The Born2Global Centre, operated by Born2Global, is a full-cycle service platform that supports the global expansion of promising companies. Established in 2013 under the Ministry of Science and ICT, Born2Global has been setting the standards for a successful startup ecosystem in Korea and continues to expand and transform startups so that they are engaged, well equipped, and connected with the global market.

For more information, visit born2global.com

Pablo Air: [email protected]

Born2Global Centre: [email protected]

SOURCE Born2Global Centre
Campaign featuring actress Gillian Anderson highlights the pervasive nature of cyber threats around us and the next-generation of zero trust cybersecurity that can stop them

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to bring everyday cyber risks to the forefront of public awareness, Palo Alto Networks , the global cybersecurity leader, launched today the next chapter of its "We've Got Next" omni-channel campaign. The company's new ad, called "Zero Trust with Zero Exceptions" features American-actress Gillian Anderson and reinforces the Palo Alto Networks continued innovation to bring the next generation of comprehensive Zero Trust security solutions to the enterprise.

Zero Trust with Zero Exceptions - the latest ad from Palo Alto Networks "We've Got Next" cybersecurity campaign

Speaking on her involvement in the campaign, Gillian Anderson said, "Palo Alto Networks has a critical mission to make each day safer than the one before. In today's digital world, we all deserve the right to work and live without the fear of cyber threats. I'm thrilled to be working with the company leading the charge for a more secure digital world. "

"We are at a critical juncture in cybersecurity and have an opportunity to build the right security architectures for the future. With the world working from anywhere, using applications that are hosted in multiple clouds or data centers, the cyber attack surface has expanded significantly," said Palo Alto Networks Chairman and CEO Nikesh Arora. "The first generation of zero trust cybersecurity solutions can't keep up and are inconsistent. With this campaign we sought to highlight the urgency around cybersecurity and the importance of building a zero trust future with zero exceptions."

The ad was created with Palo Alto Networks Los-Angeles based agency of record TBWA\Chiat\Day. The agency touts its capabilities to help brands find their soul and place them in culture in unexpected ways. It's that shared vision for disruption that made Palo Alto Networks tap them to help put cybersecurity front and center for everyone.

The campaign debuts this week in conjunction with the RSA Conference, the world's leading information security conference in San Francisco, and will run across digital media over the next year.

For more on Palo Alto Networks We've Got Next Manifesto

For more on Palo Alto Networks at RSA .

Palo Alto Networks is the world's cybersecurity leader. We innovate to outpace cyberthreats, so organizations can embrace technology with confidence. We provide next-gen cybersecurity to thousands of customers globally, across all sectors. Our best-in-class cybersecurity platforms and services are backed by industry-leading threat intelligence and strengthened by state-of-the-art AI and automation. Whether deploying our products to enable the Zero Trust Enterprise, responding to a security incident, or partnering to deliver better security outcomes through a world-class partner ecosystem, we're committed to helping ensure each day is safer than the one before. It's what makes us the cybersecurity partner of choice.

At Palo Alto Networks, we're committed to bringing together the very best people in service of our mission, so we're also proud to be the cybersecurity workplace of choice, recognized among Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces (2021), Comparably Best Companies for Diversity (2021), and HRC Best Places for LGBTQ Equality (2022). For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com .

Palo Alto Networks and the Palo Alto Networks logo are trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names, or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. Customers who purchase Palo Alto Networks applications should make their purchase decisions based on services and features currently generally available.

SOURCE Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
Pathlock Wins Market Leader Zero Trust Award In 10th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2022

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pathlock , the leading provider of access orchestration and application security for critical business applications, is proud to be announced the Market Leader for Zero Trust from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry's leading electronic information security magazine.

"We're thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted awards from Cyber Defense Magazine during their 10th anniversary as an independent cybersecurity news and information provider. We knew the competition would be tough and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn't be more pleased," said Piyush Pandey, CEO of Pathlock.

Deploying an increasing number of apps (in the cloud, or on-premise) without a coordinated access and controls strategy can result in unintended consequences in terms of potential and actual risk. Without an effective zero-trust program and technology in place, risks can easily and quickly spread from one app to another. Pathlock is a leading vendor for Segregation of Duties (SOD) technology, a cornerstone of Zero Trust, transforming access and permissions through usage-based roles and automated application risk management.

"Pathlock embodies three major features we judges look for to become winners: understanding tomorrow's threats, today, providing a cost-effective solution and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk and get one step ahead of the next breach," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

In addition to this award, the company has recently received a Gold Award in the category 'Zero Trust Access' from the Globee Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards and was named a first place winner in the Hackernoon Startup of the Year Awards. These awards are testament to their outstanding work over the last year and a demonstration of their commitment to revolutionizing the way enterprises secure their sensitive financial and customer data.

This award comes on the heels of Pathlock's recent series of mergers, acquisitions and a $200M capital raise. In May, the company completed mergers with Appsian, the leading provider of ERP data security solutions, and Security Weaver, the leading provider of governance, risk and compliance management (GRCM) software for SAP. Additionally, the newly combined company acquired CSI Tools, a Belgium-based GRCM provider, and Germany-based SAST SOLUTIONS, a holistic solution provider for hardening SAP environments.

About Pathlock

Pathlock is the global leader in application governance, risk, and compliance. Our platform protects over 140 enterprise business applications and the critical transactions they power. Our unified application governance solution supports companies on their journey to enforce GRC controls and takes action to prevent loss. Enterprises can manage all aspects of application governance in a single platform, including user provisioning and temporary elevation, ongoing User Access Reviews, control testing, transaction monitoring, and audit preparation. Global 2000 companies rely on Pathlock to protect their critical digital assets from financial, operational, regulatory and security threats, ensuring corporate compliance and improving performance. Our customers have saved millions in employee productivity, labor costs, audit fees and data loss prevention.

About CDM InfoSec Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazine's tenth year of honoring InfoSec innovators from around the Globe. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage, or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com

For media inquiries:

Caroline Dobyns

410-353-5340

[email protected]

SOURCE Pathlock
UW Art Museum Receives Grant to Support New West Exhibition

The University of Wyoming Art Museum has received a $43,000 grant from the Terra Foundation for American Art to support an upcoming exhibition.

The Terra Foundation for American Art is dedicated to fostering exploration, understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts of the United States for national and international audiences. To further cross-cultural dialogue on American art, the foundation supports and collaborates on innovative exhibitions, research and educational programs.

We are honored to be selected for a Terra Foundation for American Art grant to support The New West: The University of Wyoming Art Museum at Fifty, says Nicole Crawford, director and chief curator at the UW Art Museum. These grants are extremely competitive, with only 33 institutions receiving funds last year. We are humbled to be representing Wyoming within this high level of awardees.

The New West: The University of Wyoming Art Museum at Fifty will re-present traditional narratives to highlight Indigenous voices, place landscapes in a historical perspective and examine the history of collecting art from the American West. The grant will support engaging Indigenous artists and/or scholars to contribute to a reinterpretation of the art museums Western collections and the production of a catalog.

The art museum has a large collection of Western art that we would like to continue to interpret in nuanced and meaningful ways, says Michelle Sunset, curator at the UW Art Museum. This exhibition specifically will further the goals of smaller exhibitions curated by the art museum, including The West on Horseback, through which curators have used the collections to broaden visitors understanding of what Western American art is and to prioritize Indigenous perspectives.

The exhibition will serve to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the UW Art Museum, which got its start in 1972 in the Fine Arts Building, now known as the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. In 1993, the museum made its new home in the Centennial Complex, where it houses a permanent collection of over 10,000 objects.

Using its encyclopedic collections that range from the 11th century B.C. to contemporary from across the world, the museum seeks to reflect on its history, change its trajectory by repositioning Western American art in a global narrative, and demonstrate the possibilities of museums outside of coastal metropolises.

The New West: The University of Wyoming Art Museum at Fifty will be on view summer and fall of 2023.

For more information about the UW Art Museum, call (307) 766-6622; visit the website at www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum; or follow the museum on Facebook and Instagram.

The UW Art Museum shares in the transformative power of art through exhibiting, preserving and interpreting visual culture from around the world. As an integral part of UW, the museum fosters a deeper connection with humanity and creativity that envisions new futures by engaging academic, local, state, national and global communities.

The museum is located at 2111 E. Willett Drive in Laramie. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday hours are extended to 7 p.m. Admission is free.
TUCSON, Ariz. , June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospitals that want to remove a physician from their staff may offer a "voluntary abeyance" as an alternative to summary suspension. In the summer issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Lawrence Huntoon, M.D., Ph.D., explains the ramifications of this "sham peer review" technique.

A physician is typically asked to sign an agreement whereby he agrees not to practice in the hospital or not to perform a procedure or surgery until an investigation can be completed, Dr. Huntoon explains. "A 'voluntary' abeyance, however, is always presented with an 'or else'"usually an immediate summary suspension.

The hospital may say that it will not report a voluntary abeyance to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). However, at the 31-day mark, the physician may be shocked to learn that the hospital has nonetheless reported him to the NPDB, and his career is either ruined or ended. As one judge put it: "An adverse report to the Data Bank is akin to a 'scarlet letter' that could permanently harm a physician's professional reputation."

According to the NPDB Guidebook, a voluntary abeyance is exactly the same as a summary suspension.

Hospitals may try to use the voluntary abeyance as a method to deprive physicians of their due process rights, arguing that it is "voluntary." This would generally violate the medical staff bylaws.

Physicians need to be aware of tactics hospitals use for bad-faith peer review against good physicians, Dr. Huntoon advises, and of possible defenses. These include negotiating a leave of absence, or seeking an injunction from a court. He cautions strongly against resigning during an investigation or to avoid an investigation.

The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943.

SOURCE Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)
The market is fragmented and it is expected to remain fragmented during the forecast period. Vendors are deploying different organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market.

Ashcomm LLC

AWA Cabinets and Countertops

BESTAR Inc.

Dorel Industries Inc.

Euro Style Inc.

Flexa4Dreams AS

Home Reserve LLC

Inter IKEA Holding BV

Nitori Holdings Co. Ltd.

Nova LifeStyle Inc.

Sauder Woodworking Co.

Simplicity Sofas Inc.

View more about the market's vendor landscape highlights with a comprehensive list of vendors and their offerings.

Key Market Segmentation

The RTA Furniture Market share growth in the US by the cloud-based segment will be significant during the forecast period.

Product

Home



Office

Distribution Channel

Offline



Online

The home segment's RTA furniture market share will expand significantly in the United States. In the home, RTA furniture can be found in living rooms, bedrooms, and other spaces. Aside from essential furniture, this type of furniture also includes decorative items. In addition, new styles and designs that take up the least amount of space while providing optimum comfort are in high demand.

Due to the creation of numerous startups, the country is also seeing a surge in the number of home offices. As a result, these factors are contributing to an increase in the use of RTA furniture in the house.

Learn more about the additional trends impacting the future of the market and the positive and negative consequences on the businesses., download sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR70422

Latest Trends, Driving the RTA Furniture Market in the US

Market Driver:

One of the major factors driving the RTA furniture market in the United States is the increasing rise of urbanization. Megacities are fueling the construction of residential and commercial structures. Residential building residents are increasingly focusing on purchasing new and stylish furnishings to improve the beauty of their homes. As a result, the urban populace favors RTA furniture to traditional furniture. As a result, rising urbanization is boosting the ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture market in the United States over the projection period.

is the increasing rise of urbanization. Megacities are fueling the construction of residential and commercial structures. Residential building residents are increasingly focusing on purchasing new and stylish furnishings to improve the beauty of their homes. As a result, the urban populace favors RTA furniture to traditional furniture. As a result, rising urbanization is boosting the ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture market in over the projection period. Market Challenge:

One of the challenges impeding the growth of the RTA furniture market in the United States is raw material price volatility. Solid wood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard, plastic, and adhesives are some of the most widely utilized raw materials. RTA furniture is made from a wide variety of wood species. However, one of the major issues faced by RTA furniture makers in the United States is the unpredictability of wood prices.

Find additional information about various other market drivers & trends mentioned in our latest sample report .

Need More? Are You Looking for Information Not Covered in This Report?

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Do reach out to our analysts for more customized reports as per your requirements. Speak to our Analyst now!

Related Reports:

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RTA Furniture Market Scope in the US Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 2.69% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 2.56 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 1.85 Regional analysis US Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Ashcomm LLC, AWA Cabinets and Countertops, BESTAR Inc., Dorel Industries Inc., Euro Style Inc., Flexa4Dreams AS, Home Reserve LLC, Inter IKEA Holding BV, Nitori Holdings Co. Ltd., Nova LifeStyle Inc., Sauder Woodworking Co., Simplicity Sofas Inc., South Shore Industries Ltd., Tvilum AS, and Walmart Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Country Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 07: Parent market



Exhibit 08: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 09: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 10: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 11: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 12: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 13: Chart on US: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on US: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 15: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 16: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 17: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 18: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 19: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 20: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 21: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Product

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 22: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 23: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 24: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Comparison by Product

5.3 Home - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 26: Chart on Home - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Home - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 28: Chart on Home - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Home - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Office - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 30: Chart on Office - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Office - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 32: Chart on Office - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Office - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 34: Market opportunity by Product ($ million)

6 Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 35: Chart on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Distribution Channel

Exhibit 37: Chart on Comparison by Distribution Channel



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Comparison by Distribution Channel

6.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 39: Chart on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 41: Chart on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 42: Data Table on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 43: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 45: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Distribution Channel

Exhibit 47: Market opportunity by Distribution Channel ($ million)

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 48: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 49: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 50: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 51: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 52: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 53: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 54: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Ashcomm LLC

Exhibit 55: Ashcomm LLC - Overview



Exhibit 56: Ashcomm LLC - Product / Service



Exhibit 57: Ashcomm LLC - Key offerings

10.4 BESTAR Inc.

Exhibit 58: BESTAR Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 59: BESTAR Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 60: BESTAR Inc. - Key offerings

10.5 Dorel Industries Inc.

Exhibit 61: Dorel Industries Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 62: Dorel Industries Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 63: Dorel Industries Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 64: Dorel Industries Inc. - Segment focus

10.6 Euro Style Inc.

Style Inc. Exhibit 65: Euro Style Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 66: Euro Style Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 67: Euro Style Inc. - Key offerings

10.7 Flexa4Dreams AS

Exhibit 68: Flexa4Dreams AS - Overview



Exhibit 69: Flexa4Dreams AS - Product / Service



Exhibit 70: Flexa4Dreams AS - Key offerings

10.8 Inter IKEA Holding BV

Exhibit 71: Inter IKEA Holding BV - Overview



Exhibit 72: Inter IKEA Holding BV - Product / Service



Exhibit 73: Inter IKEA Holding BV - Key offerings

10.9 Nova LifeStyle Inc.

Exhibit 74: Nova LifeStyle Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 75: Nova LifeStyle Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 76: Nova LifeStyle Inc. - Key offerings

10.10 Sauder Woodworking Co.

Exhibit 77: Sauder Woodworking Co. - Overview



Exhibit 78: Sauder Woodworking Co. - Product / Service



Exhibit 79: Sauder Woodworking Co. - Key offerings

10.11 Tvilum AS

Exhibit 80: Tvilum AS - Overview



Exhibit 81: Tvilum AS - Product / Service



Exhibit 82: Tvilum AS - Key offerings

10.12 Walmart Inc.

Exhibit 83: Walmart Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 84: Walmart Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 85: Walmart Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 86: Walmart Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 87: Walmart Inc. - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 88: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 89: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 90: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 91: Research methodology



Exhibit 92: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 93: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 94: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RSA Conference -- Salt Security , the leading API security company, today announced that the Salt Security API Protection Platform won the "Next Generation in API Security" award in the 2022 Global InfoSec Awards from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM). The Salt Security platform provides companies with unparalleled API protection capabilities, including continuous discovery of APIs and exposed sensitive data, attack detection and prevention, and remediation details to eliminate API vulnerabilities.

"Competing in today's market requires continuous innovation. Modernization and digital transformation are more important now than ever before, and APIs are an integral part of TripActions' cutting-edge offering," said Prabhath Karanth, senior director of security, trust, and compliance at TripActions. "With so much business value riding on data protection and APIs, API security needed to evolve and modernize to keep up with the latest threats. Legacy solutions no longer offer adequate protection. Salt Security truly delivers the next generation of API security capabilities."

According to the Salt Security State of API Security Report, Q1 2022 , 95% of organizations experienced an API security incident in the past 12 months. The Salt platform delivers comprehensive API protection across build, deploy and runtime phases of APIs, including defending against the attacks outlined in the OWASP API Security Top 10 list. With its API Context Engine (ACE) Architecture, a cloud-scale big data engine that applies machine learning and artificial intelligence, Salt Security provides its customers with the rich context needed over time to identify today's low-and-slow API attacks and inform API discovery and remediation.

"APIs are the gateway to the modern enterprise and at the heart of most digital transformation, cloud migration, and architecture modernization initiatives, making them incredibly attractive targets for malicious activity,'' said Roey Eliyahu, co-founder and CEO, Salt Security. "Against this backdrop, the need for stronger API protection has increased, especially as traditional solutions such as WAFs and API gateways have proven ineffective in detecting and stopping API attacks. The Salt platform is the only solution that provides cloud-scale big data and real-time analysis across all application environments, pinpointing and stopping attackers in their tracks. This latest recognition from Cyber Defense Magazine underscores our leadership in enabling companies to prevent today's sophisticated API attacks, enhance their API security posture, and mitigate API-related risks."

Now in its tenth year, Cyber Defense Magazine's Global InfoSec Awards honor companies in the information security space who provide unique and compelling products and services. This year's awards were judged by a panel of esteemed CISSP, FMDHS and CEH certified security professionals who have decades of experience in the cybersecurity industry and are continually on the lookout for new, innovative and transformative security solutions. Winners of the Global InfoSec Awards will be celebrated at the 2022 RSA conference beginning on June 6. The complete list of winners can be found at https://www.cyberdefenseawards.com .

To learn more about the Salt Security API Protection Platform or to request a demo, please visit: https://content.salt.security/demo.html .

About Salt Security

Salt Security protects the APIs that form the core of every modern application. Its API Protection Platform is the industry's first patented solution to prevent the next generation of API attacks, using machine learning and AI to automatically and continuously identify and protect APIs. Only Salt Security has the ability to correlate activities across millions of APIs and users over time and provide real-time analysis of all that data. Deployed in minutes, the Salt Security platform learns the granular behavior of a company's APIs and requires no configuration or customization to pinpoint and block API attackers. For more information, please visit: https://salt.security

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.

Press Contact

Dex Polizzi

Lumina Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Salt Security
LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakout beauty brand ME Cosmetics is delighted to announce the signing of American television personality, Scheana Shay, as its first-ever brand ambassador.

"I've always had insecurities regarding my hairline, but after experiencing post-partum hair loss, I sought out solutions to help me feel more confident onscreen and off," said Scheana. "I was thrilled to discover, and now be working with, ME Cosmetics. Although I still love to rock a bucket hat, those days have definitely been fewer since incorporating ME into my routine!"

ME Cosmetics first ever brand ambassador Scheana Shay

Known for her role in Bravo's hit TV series Vanderpump Rules and her popular podcast Scheananigans with Scheana Shay, Scheana began to share her postpartum hair loss journey with fans in 2021 after receiving negative messages on social media about her appearance. She responded, "To everyone who has commented on my hairline tonight: this was already my biggest insecurity and legit the only thing I usually would facetune. After having a baby, I have postpartum hair loss." An inspiration, ME Cosmetics believed that Scheana would be the perfect representation for the brand, exuding honesty, transparency, and strength in an otherwise trying time, and serving as a guide for women experiencing similar struggles.

"Scheana is a strong, passionate advocate for women's self-confidence and has an impactful story to share about overcoming her struggles with hair loss," said Camille Barreto, Founder & CEO. "Scheana perfectly exemplifies our mission to transform self-consciousness into self-confidence and we are elated to welcome her to our ME Cosmetics family."

ME Cosmetics launched to rave reviews in November 2021 and their innovative Can't Stop Me Now Scalp Foundation has been referred to as, " ... the greatest beauty invention since sliced bread." by ManeAddicts.com. Featured in Real Simple, First For Women, and Beauty Independent, along with dozens of highlights from leading beauty influencers worldwide, Can't Stop Me Now has also recently been nominated for a number of beauty awards including The Glossy Beauty Awards and Beauty Independent's Beacon Awards.

Scheana Shay will begin appearing on behalf of ME Cosmetics across media platforms and press beginning this month.

About ME Cosmetics:

Indie beauty brand ME Cosmetics launched in 2021 after years of research and development by founder & CEO, Camille Barreto. With a clear mission to transform self-consciousness into self-confidence, ME Cosmetics creates clean, dermatologist-tested, and consumer-tested cosmetic solutions that are truly transformative & empower women to fearlessly conquer each day. Today, category-creating Can't Stop Me Now Ultimate Coverage Scalp Foundation is the go-to hair loss concealer for those with hair loss concerns. Can't Stop Me Now is the first-ever powerhouse pressed powder scalp foundation and features rich, reflective color to give the appearance of thicker, fuller hair, and conceal small bald spots. Infused with ten active hair- and skin-loving ingredients, the innovative formula delivers lightweight, highly pigmented, buildable coverage that blends seamlessly with hair and skin. ME Cosmetics is proud to have created a supportive community where everyone is seen, heard, and empowered, leaving no one behind.

For more information visit mecosmetics.com | IG: mecosmeticsusa

Media contact:

Tara Ciccone

[email protected]

212 966 7900

SOURCE ME Cosmetics
Sharethrough is the first SSP to offer completely net-zero emissions media to brands.

MONTREAL, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharethrough , one of the top global independent omnichannel ad exchanges, today announced the launch of its first Green Media Product, Green PMPs (Private Marketplaces). Green Media Products measure the emissions from an entire programmatic advertising campaign using Scope3 data and contribute the social cost of carbon to high quality carbon removal projects.

In a survey of 1,000 adults across the U.S., Canada and the U.K., 80% stated that they favor brands that are working to reduce their carbon emissions. Sharethrough's Green PMPs provide brands an easy path forward to set and achieve net-zero carbon commitments. Green PMPs connect to the same premium publisher inventory - accounting for carbon while not sacrificing performance.

Sharethrough's Green Media Products are measured using Scope3's robust industry data that looks at all of the emissions in an advertiser's supply chain, or Scope 3, emissions. While Scope 3 emissions are more difficult to calculate, it is estimated that they account for 65-95% of a company's total footprint. Sharethrough is the first SSP to use Scope 3 data measurements of the entire supply chain to measure their Green Media Products.

The cost of emissions for a Green PMP are calculated and contributed to a portfolio of projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Sharethrough partners can now search for Green PMPs directly in their Demand Side Platforms and activate them with the click of a button. They can also work with Sharethrough to create custom Green PMPs across display, video, and native advertisements. Green PMPs can be identified with a green icon which also links users to more information regarding the initiative.

"OMD UK are in full support of industry initiatives such as Ad Net Zero, #ChangeTheBrief Alliance and the IPA Media Charter. A significant part of our focus and contribution to these initiatives is through identifying ways to make our business and our clients more environmentally friendly; we are always looking for opportunities that will help us move the needle on our sustainability goals. Because of the focus on Scope 3 emissions; the Green PMP from Sharethrough and Scope3 provides a viable path toward a cleaner, greener digital media ecosystem." said Suzy Ryder, Chief Digital Officer of OMD UK. "OMD UK is proud to be an anchor partner for this initiative, bringing more awareness and real solutions to the entire digital media ecosystem. We're excited to see the results so we can continue to learn and advance our work in this area as we look to support our own and our clients sustainability ambitions".

To put things into perspective, 1 million ad impressions produce the same amount of emissions as one individual round trip flight from Boston to London or the manufacturing of 2.3 million plastic straws. Sharethrough is committed to decarbonizing the $136.74 billion programmatic advertising industry and is proud to announce a solution that allows others to drive change in their own supply chains as well.

Cossette Media, a leading Canadian media agency, will be one of the first agencies to transact net-zero emission media on Sharethrough's Green PMPs.

"The Green PMP initiative from Sharethrough fits perfectly with Cossette Media's purpose of Making Media Matter and particularly the importance of building a cleaner and more sustainable media ecosystem, " said Axel Dumont, president, Cossette Media. "We are happy to see a tech company like Sharethrough take leadership on creating a turnkey way for agencies like us to achieve net-zero carbon emissions on our programmatic media buys."

"Thanks to Green PMPs, businesses on all points across the programmatic supply chain are able to deliver net-zero emission ad impressions, and help lead the charge in making adtech an overall more environmentally conscious industry," said Luc Marsolais, Chief Operating Officer, Sharethrough.

"Green Media Products (GMPs) are the easiest and most impactful thing brands can do to help decarbonize advertising," said Brian O'Kelley, Co-Founder and CEO, Scope3. "By building carbon into its Green PMPs, Sharethrough is allowing brands and media buyers to take action to fight climate change without compromising on campaign results."

More information regarding Sharethrough's Green PMPs can be found here.

About Sharethrough

Sharethrough is one of the top global independent omnichannel ad exchanges. Driven by our conviction that advertising should be underpinned by respect & care, we believe taking a human-centric approach to advertising and monetization is the key to a sustainable path forward for the independent and accessible internet to thrive. Advertisers & publishers leverage Sharethrough's unique technology to enhance every impression by rendering a higher-performing banner, video, CTV or native ad that dynamically fits into any placement on any site. Our publisher partners benefit from directly-sourced demand, scale, and quality, prioritizing their monetization efforts while elevating performance. With its headquarters in Montreal, Sharethrough has several offices across North America including San Francisco on the west coast & New York City in the east and European headquarters in London.

About Scope3

Scope3 is the source of truth for supply chain emissions data. For organizations seeking to make carbon-aware business decisions, Scope3 is the standard that delivers an accurate, comprehensive, and independent emissions model for every company in the digital ecosystem. Scope3 enables the industry-wide usage of Green Media Products (GMPs), or carbon-neutral media, by measuring emissions and managing the purchase of high quality carbon removal contributions.

SOURCE Sharethrough
Poster presentation of Wake Up America: The Night & Day Impact of Insomnia , the largest U.S. survey of people with trouble sleeping and doctors, to discover the need for improved education, treatment options and patient-physician dialogue

, the largest U.S. survey of people with trouble sleeping and doctors, to discover the need for improved education, treatment options and patient-physician dialogue The Alliance for Sleep calls for deeper research and action to improve insomnia patient outcomes in its "Roadmap for Change" based on these recent survey findings

Idorsia to host special screening of the new, feature-length documentary, The Quest for Sleep, which delves into the science of sleep while illustrating the hidden toll of insomnia through real people's journeys

RADNOR, Pa., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals, U.S. Inc., announced that results from the Wake Up America survey, conducted by The Alliance for Sleep and sponsored by Idorsia, will be presented at SLEEP 2022, the 36th annual congress hosted by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS). Survey results reveal a drastic need for education, improved dialogue and new solutions for people affected by insomnia. Based on these findings, The Alliance for Sleep, a multidisciplinary committee assembled by Idorsia to promote education, awareness and research on sleep and sleep disorders, is demanding more concentrated attention through its newly released "Roadmap for Change," which provides a framework for improving insomnia patient outcomes.

Data Presented at SLEEP 2022

The Alliance for Sleep's landmark survey, Wake Up America: The Night & Day Impact of Insomnia  the largest U.S. survey of people with trouble sleeping and doctors  will be presented at SLEEP, "A National Survey of 1,000 Patients' and 450 Physicians' Views and Attitudes on Insomnia Care." The data reveal the massive impact that trouble sleeping and insomnia have on a variety of aspects across both the night and the day.

Notable findings from the survey include that a majority of patients with sleep difficulties reported feeling frustrated (54%), irritated (52%), stressed (51%) and/or reported that their mood is negatively impacted (59%). While nearly all PCPs (98%) and psychiatrists (97%) affirmed that sleep is critical to good health, only 12% of PCPs and 24% of psychiatrists routinely conducted a full sleep history of their patients.1

Wake Up America : Roadmap for Change

Based on data from the Wake Up America survey, The Alliance for Sleep is also debuting its "Roadmap for Change." The Roadmap outlines areas of additional focus  education and awareness, dialogue, management and resources  to support patients and physicians in efforts to improve patient outcomes for those living with insomnia.

Dr. Charlene Gamaldo, MD commented:

"Findings from the Wake Up America survey highlighted the current gap between patients and doctors in how they discuss sleep and insomnia. Through our 'Roadmap for Change,' we're taking an important first step of identifying areas for growth, then subsequently developing potential tools and strategies to close this sleep health communication gap between provider and patient."

The Quest for Sleep

Idorsia Pharmaceuticals U.S. and Osmosis Films will host a special screening of The Quest for Sleep for congress attendees. The Quest for Sleep amplifies patient voices and provides tremendous insight into the reality of living with insomnia. In the film, sleep experts Drs. Michael Grandner, Dayna Johnson and Meeta Singh share information on the science behind sleep and provide insights into what happens inside the body and brain when there is a lack of sleep. Following the film, a special panel discussion will be moderated by director and producer Rachel Mills, including cast member Kelly and sleep experts Drs. Grandner, Johnson and Singh.

Patricia Torr, President and General Manager of Idorsia U.S., commented:

"At Idorsia we are committed to elevating conversations around insomnia and highlighting the need for improved patient outcomes. In all of our endeavors, it is essential that the patient perspective inform the way we think and talk about trouble sleeping. The Quest for Sleep aligns with this commitment by providing first person perspectives on the struggles of living with insomnia."

In addition to the Wake Up America survey poster presentation, Idorsia will also be presenting on the following abstracts:

The Sleep Diary Questionnaire: An Analysis of Meaningful Change in Subjective Total Sleep Time Using Phase 2 and Phase 3 Clinical Trial Data

The Insomnia Daytime Symptoms and Impacts Questionnaire: An Analysis of Clinically Meaningful Change Using Phase 3 Clinical Trial Data

First-line treatment patterns in patients with insomnia: a large-scale, real-world cohort study

To learn more about the Wake Up America survey and download the "Roadmap for Change," visit WakeUpAmericaSurvey.com. To learn about the documentary, visit TheQuestforSleep.com. For updates, follow Idorsia U.S. on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Notes to the editor

About Insomnia

Insomnia is defined as a combination of difficulty obtaining sufficient sleep and dissatisfaction with sleep combined with a significant negative impact on daytime functioning. Chronic insomnia is defined as difficulty initiating and/or maintaining sleep on at least three nights per week for at least three months, despite adequate opportunity to sleep.

References

Idorsia Data on File

About the Wake Up America Survey: The Night & Day Impact of Insomnia

The Wake Up America: The Night & Day Impact of Insomnia survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Idorsia from September to October 2021 among 300 primary care physicians (PCPs), 152 psychiatrists, and 1,001 U.S. adults ages 18+ who have been diagnosed with insomnia by a healthcare provider or who have experienced difficulties sleeping for a period of time (i.e., people with trouble sleeping). Results for each audience were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

About The Quest for Sleep

The Quest for Sleep is a feature-length documentary that follows real individuals, whose struggles with sleep threaten to unravel their waking lives. The voice of Sleep itself  narrated by award-winning actor Octavia Spencer  acts as an enigmatic and insightful complement to the cast. She helps lead the audience to experts who illuminate the science behind how we sleep, and what can keep us awake. Through stunning 2D & 3D animation, the documentary delves into the themes of regular wake-sleep patterns, the causes and risks of insomnia and the effects of insomnia on the brain and body. The documentary, in association with Idorsia U.S., was produced by Osmosis Films and is being released by Abramorama.

About Idorsia U.S.

Idorsia U.S., an affiliate of Idorsia, is reaching out for more  we have more ideas, we see more opportunities, and we want to help more patients. To achieve this, we will help develop Idorsia into a leading biopharmaceutical company, with a strong scientific core. With commercial operations based outside of Philadelphia, PA, one of densest communities of life sciences talent in the world, we are helping to realize the company's ambition of bringing innovative medicines from bench to bedside. Our goal is to build a commercial footprint that will deliver Idorsia's deep pipeline of products from its R&D engine to the U.S. market  with the potential to change the lives of many patients. Idorsia was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA) in June 2017.

About Idorsia

Idorsia Ltd is reaching out for more  We have more ideas, we see more opportunities and we want to help more patients. In order to achieve this, we will develop Idorsia into a leading biopharmaceutical company, with a strong scientific core. Headquartered near Basel, Switzerland  a European biotech-hub  Idorsia is specialized in the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecules to transform the horizon of therapeutic options. Idorsia has a broad portfolio of innovative drugs in the pipeline, an experienced team of professionals covering all disciplines from bench to bedside, state-of-the-art facilities, and a strong balance sheet  the ideal constellation to translate R&D efforts into business success. Idorsia was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA) in June 2017 and has over 1,200 highly qualified specialists dedicated to realizing our ambitious targets.

About Osmosis Films

Osmosis Films is an award-winning creative studio founded in 2010 which combines global production resources and a unique collaborative process to bring powerful narratives to life across all media types and platforms. Films include the Academy Award short-listed documentary The Lottery and ESPN's 30-for-30 Fernando Nation. Osmosis has created premium documentary content for HBO, ESPN 30 for 30, A&E, A24, Vice and more. For more information, visit www.osmosisfilms.com.

About The Alliance for Sleep

The Alliance for Sleep is sponsored by Idorsia U.S. and is a multidisciplinary committee built to promote education, awareness, and research on sleep and sleep disorders. Its mission is to advance research, elevate the standard of care, and improve the health and quality of life of those experiencing insomnia and other sleep disorders. Members of The Alliance for Sleep are paid consultants for Idorsia Pharmaceuticals U.S. Inc.

For further information, please contact

U.S. Media:

Christopher Clark

Head, U.S. Communications

Idorsia Pharmaceuticals U.S. Inc., One Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 101, 100 Matsonford Rd, Radnor, PA 19087

215-421-4887

[email protected]

www.idorsia.com

Global Investors:

Andrew C. Weiss

Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Hegenheimermattweg 91, CH-4123 Allschwil

+41 58 844 10 10

[email protected]

www.idorsia.com

SOURCE Idorsia Pharmaceuticals U.S.
Recharge Teen Center is an Eagle View Community Health System project, a non-profit healthcare provider serving uninsured, low-income and medically underserved individuals in Henderson County and southeast Iowa. The center, located at 213 S. Main St., is open weekdays 3-6 p.m. to area youth entering 8th grade through age 18. Activities offered on a rotating schedule include cooking classes, art therapy, workforce and leadership development support, literature review, homework assistance, mindfulness classes and volunteer and philanthropic opportunities.

In addition to Smithfield's donation, members of the company's Monmouth facility leadership team have volunteered to mentor teens serviced by the center and will provide education and development opportunities focused on economics, budgeting, workplace safety and industry career opportunities.

"We're committed at Smithfield to helping our communities thrive," said Bruce Rundle, plant manager of Smithfield's Monmouth facility. "With more than 1,300 team members in the Monmouth area, it's our honor to support the amazing Recharge Teen Center team and the deserving young people they serve."

Smithfield is committed to helping the communities its employees call home and contributes tens of millions of dollars in cash and in-kind donations every year. For more information on the company's commitment to supporting community development and vitality, visit this link.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.

Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly." and serve as one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield, Eckrich and Nathan's Famous, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.
However, many hotel developers fail to look beyond the aesthetic aspect of interior design, missing another equally important facet: functionality. For example, when it came to designing a hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a city that gets incredibly congested around Hajj, one of the primary challenges the design needed to address was how to keep the flow of traffic and people going while also allowing access to the premises. As such, interior design transcends artistry to encapsulate topography, environment, sociology, and even the culture of its surrounding residents and visitors.

Why hotel interior design matters

Bland hotels struggle to connect with those seeking a step above in their choice of temporary residence. Research has shown that guests continuously choose properties that cater to their needs and expectations of what they deem the ideal hotel. A well-designed space can target the intended audience demographic, help position the hotel among its competition, and gain recognition from the community, among many other reasons.

Blending in

Hotels are increasingly being designed to blend in with their surroundings. This is a feature that can be accomplished by employing large windows, doors and balconies to fuse internal and external spaces and grant easy access to outdoor amenities. It can also be achieved by utilising natural features that reflect the landscape surrounding the hotel.

Marrying form and function

Beautiful hotel interior design should never be prioritised over function. Room features and hotel facilities, for example, should be accessible and easy to use for new guests. This may sound like a simple procedure, but it is surprisingly trickier than one may imagine. This also applies to public spaces where every detail is carefully considered: lobbies are designed the way they are to offer an open space for foot traffic and be accessible for guests with mobility issues, and the choice of colour plays a fundamental role in defining the experiences of both guests and staff.

Let there be light

An overlooked element that brings out the spirit of a hotel is its lighting. Satisfying both practical and aesthetic purposes, the right lighting will imbue a space with a relaxed and rejuvenating ambience. Conversely, using the wrong light shades or sources can tamper with guests' moods, making them feel subconsciously irritated.

Get interior design help from pros

When it comes to interior design, hoteliers must not wing it themselves or regard the craft as an afterthought. The design of a space is of utmost importance to get right, so employing the assistance of a great designer who has experience working in the hospitality sector and is capable of building familiarity with your brand and goals is critical and may be the difference between the success of a hotel and its failure.

So much goes into the interior design of a hotel, and working with the right people will help you translate and realise your vision and potentially surpass your expectations to deliver an aesthetic that equally serves customers, visitors and staff. The next time you walk into a hotel, stop to consider the countless hours that were invested in every little detail, from the choice of colour and material to the signage and navigation that impact your opinion of a location and space.

About Samer Khdeir

With more than 20 years of interior design experience across the MENA, including prominent projects in the UAE, the KSA, Qatar, and Jordan, Samer is a creative innovator who translates the world of shapes and colours around him into impeccable design solutions that perfectly blend function and style.

Since 1999, he has worked on a number of high-end commercial and residential projects, ranging from luxurious hotels, malls, and offices to palaces of UAE sheikhs, among many others. As the current design director at Dar Al Omran, Samer leads a team of architects, managing projects from conception to construction and completion to ensure optimal results that surpass projected expectations.

His efforts were validated in 2018 when Interior Design magazine awarded him Best Residential Project in the Middle East. This expanded his reach, granted him a prominent platform on the UAE's architecture and design stage, and further consolidated the innovation behind his design ethic.

Samer is a visionary with an aversion to the normal, continuously pushing the envelope of and redefining regional design standards with every project he leads.

Contact: Reem Masswadeh, M: +971 (05)0 583 9330, E: [email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1833341/Radisson_Blu_Hotel_KSA.jpg

SOURCE Samer Khdeir - SSK
Bramson will also oversee IES's diversified, global portfolio of brands. These include: HAT Collective , which serves the contract office market with intuitive, ergonomic products such as height-adjustable tables, monitor arms, seating, power and accessories; HAT Collective Healthcare , a division of HAT Collective, which provides point of care products like mobile carts and wall mounts; Innovative Design Works (IDW ), which serves as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and designer of monitor arms, tablet mounts and point of sale systems for customers ranging from hospitality to retail; and several e-commerce brands.

"Steven brings deep knowledge of the markets we serve and is well positioned to lead IES at this time in the company's lifecycle," said IES Executive Chair and commercial furnishings industry veteran Kris Manos. "He is a proven leader who can solve challenges, unite people and create new opportunities. He is a great fit to the lead the team and serve our customers."

Mark Woods, Non-Executive Chairman of IES, and Partner and Head of North American Private Equity at Cathay Capital, the controlling shareholder of IES, commented: "During his time at IES, Steven's vision, leadership skills and business acumen have been instrumental in strengthening the existing IES platform while identifying significant growth avenues. Steven is relentless in his pursuit of excellence, and we are confident he will create significant value for all stakeholders."

Bramson brings more than 25 years of experience to the position. Prior to joining IES, he was the President of Humanscale North America, a leading manufacturer and global provider of ergonomic products and high performance seating. During his tenure there, he oversaw many of the company's largest divisions, implemented new organizational strategies and helped deliver significant revenue growth and increased market share.

"Joining IES last year was a great decision," said Bramson. "The company has built an excellent foundation through its brands and products, all designed to help people better interact with their technology. As CEO, I am eager to build on that foundation to further strengthen our culture, our capabilities and the service we provide to our customers."

About Innovative Ergonomic Solutions

Innovative Ergonomic Solutions is a private equity-backed platform with a collection of inventive brands focused on ergonomic workspace products and services that improve the health, wellness and productivity of users across a multitude of environments. IES serves a broad range of channels and markets including both corporate and home office, healthcare, hospitality, retail and point-of-sale. Its brands include HAT Collective, Innovative Design Works and others that serve the e-commerce market. IES is committed to product excellence and supporting the growth of ergonomics across North America, Europe, and Asia. More information about IES is available at www.team-ies.com

About Cathay Capital

Cathay Capital Group is a global investment firm supporting companies at all stages throughout North America, Asia, Europe and Africa. By helping navigate the opportunities of globalization and sustainable transformation, Cathay is the partner of choice for companies aspiring to lead markets and make a positive impact. Its global platform connects people  from investors and entrepreneurs to management teams and leading corporations  across continents to share knowledge, the tools to scale, and achieve the extraordinary. Founded in 2007 with a strong entrepreneurial heritage, Cathay Capital now manages over $4.5B in assets, has completed over 220 buyouts, growth and venture capital investments with the global reach and local expertise from offices in Paris, New York, Shanghai, Munich, San Francisco, Beijing, Singapore, Shenzhen and Tel Aviv. For more information, please visit www.cathaycapital.com

Media Contacts:

Libby Ferin Matt Spaulding Mary Magnani

Chief Marketing Officer President Founder

Innovative Ergonomic Solutions Spaulding Communications Code PR

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

c: 616-292-3630 c: 404-324-6031 c: 415-867-3904

SOURCE Cathay Capital
UWs Biodiversity Institute to Host Summer Bat Walks Around Wyoming

Mason Lee (left), senior project coordinator of the UW Biodiversity Institute, leads a Summer Bat Walk in Sheridans South Park open space. Bat walk attendees walk along the path and watch the sky for flying bats while listening and watching the detector device, known as an Echo Meter Touch, that Lee holds for bat calls. (Chris Vrba Photo)

Some cities and towns in Wyoming will be going a little batty this summer.

The University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute will host five free Summer Bat Walks, beginning tonight (Monday) along the Laramie River Greenbelt in Optimist Park from 8:30-10 p.m.

Our main goal with the bat walks is to introduce community members to an animal group they often dont encounter, says Mason Lee, senior project coordinator of the Biodiversity Institute who leads the walks. Since bats are nocturnal and arent like birds or deer that people are more familiar with, theres a lot of misconceptions and fears about bats. We want our bat walk attendees to walk away with a new appreciation and respect for bats.

For example, bats are invaluable to Wyoming and to ecosystems around the world. All bats in Wyoming -- of which there are 18 species -- are insectivores, and they eat a lot of crop pests. It is estimated that, in the U.S., bats save farmers $3 billion each year in pest control, Lee says. Insectivorous bats help protect crops, such as corn, cotton, potatoes and wheat.

The ones most often encountered on our bat walks around the state, so far, are big brown bats, hoary bats and little brown myotis, says Lee, who is a certified Bat Walk Ambassador through Bat Conservation International (BCI). We have around nine species that we might possibly pick up along the greenbelt.

BCI is an international, nongovernmental organization working to conserve the worlds bats and their habitats through conservation, research and education efforts. The Biodiversity Institute is the only certified Bat Walk Ambassador to offer this program in Wyoming. Bat walks are designed to introduce communities to the amazing and beneficial flying mammals that live in their area.

A lot of our bats in Wyoming are actually tree-roosting species, Lee explains. The habitat along the greenbelt is pretty good for bats. There are lots of trees and a wide-open water source. Bats drink on the wing while they fly. So, they need large stretches of water in order to drink and plenty of open foraging area with native insects to eat.

Most bats echolocate at a frequency that is too high for human ears. But a device, known as an Echo Meter Touch, that Lee takes on the walks translates their calls to a lower frequency that can be heard by people. For a recording of bats during a previous bat walk, go to https://vimeo.com/717518476.

Bats also have chatter or social calls that they emit when they are in bat boxes, which are artificial roosts. These chatter or social calls are at lower frequencies, which humans can sometimes hear, Lee says.

The bat walks are capped at 20 participants each.

Too large of a group makes it hard for folks to see and hear the bat calls as they come in, Lee says. The Laramie Bat Walk quickly reached 20 participants. So, yes, it is currently closed to additional registrants. But we still have lots of space available for our Saratoga, Sheridan and Dubois walks.

All bat walks are scheduled from 8:30-10 p.m. Locations and dates are as follows:

-- Laramie: June 6 (tonight), Laramie River Greenbelt at Optimist Park. Registration is closed.

-- Saratoga: Thursday, June 23, Veterans Island Park.

-- Cheyenne: Wednesday, July 13, Mylar Park.

-- Sheridan: Tuesday, July 19, South Park open space.

-- Dubois: Monday, Aug. 1, Petes Pond.

For more information about Summer Bat Walks or to register for a bat walk, go to http://wyobiodiversity.org/index.php/outreach/bat-walks.

The UW Biodiversity Institute fosters conservation of biodiversity through scientific discovery, creative dissemination, education and public engagement. In this setting, scientists, citizens, students and educators come together to share a wealth of perspectives on the study and appreciation of biodiversity -- from microbes to poetry and ecosystems to economics. Learn more at www.wyomingbiodiversity.org.
"Taco Bell Defy is an incredible innovation for our brand, and one that's meeting our consumer in a really unique way. For decades we've been committed to providing a fast, safe and friendly drive-thru experience; now with our bold goal of creating a two minute or less drive-thru experience for customers of this concept, Taco Bell Defy is the future," said Mike Grams, Taco Bell President and Global COO. "We're thankful for our incredible 36-year partnership with Border Foods and feel like Taco Bell Defy is a culmination of years of success between our teams, along with the expertise of local partners like Vertical Works who helped make this possible."

From digital check-in screens for mobile order customers' unique QR codes, to a two-way audio and video technology service for customers to talk to team members on the second floor, Taco Bell Defy boasts many features that could show up in future Taco Bell restaurants in the US. In the meantime, and in partnership with long-time franchisee Border Foods , the teams are considering potential retrofits that could be made to several of Taco Bell Defy's neighboring restaurants.

Taco Bell knows what it means to deliver on craveability and do so quickly. The brand's drive-thru speed has been lauded for outperforming the average national drive-thru speed . Taco Bell Defy aims to reduce service times to two minutes or less, all while providing fans with a fun, easy and seamless drive-thru experience. To do this, the restaurant model will solve many challenges of traditional drive-thrus in order to drive convenience for fans. Regardless of how fans order their favorites, Taco Bell Defy has four lanes to accommodate them:

Pre-orders : Fans who order via the Taco Bell app will score, skip-the-line service. For ultimate ease and convenience, the Taco Bell App can be downloaded ahead of time by visiting the Apple App Store or Google Play.

: Fans who order via the Taco Bell app will score, skip-the-line service. For ultimate ease and convenience, the can be downloaded ahead of time by visiting the Apple App Store or Google Play. Delivery Drivers : For those ordering through a third-party delivery partner, drivers will be able to process orders with the goal of providing an even faster delivery time in getting tacos straight to fans.

: For those ordering through a third-party delivery partner, drivers will be able to process orders with the goal of providing an even faster delivery time in getting tacos straight to fans. Traditional Drive-Thru: For those who can't resist the purple glowing sign from the street and prefer to drop in for their favorite menu items, there's one lane dedicated solely for this purpose.

"Taco Bell Defy embodies the innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of Minnesota businesses and franchisees," said Lee Engler, co-founder and CEO of Border Foods. "It is a creative, technological solution for a faster, contactless experience for as many Taco Bell fans as possible and is poised to be the future of quick-service dining."

Since 1962, Taco Bell has aimed to be a disruptor within its industry, dating back to when Glen Bell opened his first Taco Bell  later, appropriately named "Numero Uno" in Downey, CA. In what was once a "burger world," Glen aimed to revolutionize what it meant to bring Mexican-inspired food to the masses, with early restaurant concepts that featured walk-up windows, outdoor seating, firepits and live music. In the 70s, drive-thrus were introduced to appeal to shifted consumer behaviors, and since then Taco Bell has introduced innovative restaurant design concepts like Cantina and Go Mobile models. As the brand celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, Taco Bell Defy symbolizes a significant drive-thru evolution, with an advancement in digital to meet consumers' need for speed. From Numero Uno to Defy, Taco Bell's iconic designs continue to follow Glen's vision and always aim to deliver craveable flavors for fans.

Minneapolis-based Vertical Works Inc. merged innovation, design and manufacturing to concept and build much of what fans can expect from Defy, and in doing so reinvented the drive thru experience. Vertical Works is powered by WORKSHOP and PD Instore .

"We applied our innovative approach to problem solving to create a brand new way for consumers to access fast food," said Josh Hanson, co-founder of Vertical Works and CEO and founder of WORKSHOP. "We know today's consumer expects a convenient and memorable experience, and the Taco Bell Defy concept delivers on both."

"We were excited to partner with Border Foods and Taco Bell to bring the Taco Bell Defy concept to life," said Mike Strommen, co-founder of Vertical Works and CEO of PD Instore. "The Border Foods team was facing challenges with streamlining the journey from order to meal hand-off, and the Vertical Works team presented a solution to not only address this, but also deliver a more impactful customer experience overall. Taco Bell Defy's unique design combined with innovative technology delivers food to consumers faster and more efficiently."

About Taco Bell Corp.

For more information about Taco Bell, visit www.TacoBell.com/news or www.TacoBell.com/popular-links . You can also stay up to date on all things Taco Bell by following us on Facebook , Instagram , Taco Bell's Twitter , Taco Bell News' Twitter , TikTok and subscribing to our YouTube channel. For updates on how Taco Bell is navigating COVID-19, click here .

About Border Foods

Border Foods is a family-owned franchisee of Taco Bell, the nation's leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant. With more than 230 locations (and growing) across the Upper Midwest, it is one of the largest Taco Bell franchises in the country. Headquartered in New Hope, Minnesota, with locations in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Montana the company has a people-first culture where leaders work to develop team members for long-term careers with the brand and beyond. For more information about Border Foods, visit the website at www.BorderFoods.com .

About Vertical Works Inc.

For more information about Vertical Works Inc., visit the website at www.VerticalWorks.co . Vertical Works, LLC is a disruptive solutions consultancy powered by designers and makers from WORKSHOP and PD Instore. Vertical Works merges design, manufacturing, and construction to concept and build industry-leading solutions for quick-serve restaurants, retail, healthcare, and beyond. For more information on its entities, please visit www.WORKSHOP.com and www.PDInstore.com .

Chad Hoffmann  Taco Bell Corp.

[email protected]

Elizabeth Burmeister  Edelman

[email protected]

SOURCE Taco Bell Corp.
Dwyer brings more than 30 years of experience leading major arts presenting organizations across the United States.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a national search, longtime arts leader Terrence "Terry" Dwyer has been named the next executive director of The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (The Clarice), the dynamic hub for the performing arts at the University of Maryland.

In this role, Dwyer will ensure The Clarice continues to thrive as a laboratory for education, scholarship, community engagement and innovation in the arts as well as a national leader among performing arts presenters. He begins July 18, 2022.

Dwyer brings more than 30 years of experience in executive leadership, financial planning, high-level fundraising and programming at major arts presenting organizations, both regional and national, across the United States.

"We are thrilled to welcome Terry Dwyer as the next executive director of The Clarice," said Bonnie Thornton Dill, the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. "Terry's significant experience as a leader in arts management, fierce dedication to collaborative leadership and commitment to community engagement and relationship-building promises an exciting future for The Clarice."

After beginning his career as a stage manager at Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival (now Great Lakes Theater), Dwyer has served in leadership positions at prominent presenting and producing organizations from New York to San Diego since 1988. From 2006 to 2019, he was the president of the internationally acclaimed Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, California, a role he left with a strong legacy of artistic and educational excellence, collaboration and innovation. Under his leadership, the center launched new festivals, expanded programming and raised more than $140 million as part of its capital and endowment campaigns. He also worked to establish innovative and impactful new community partnerships and engagement programs.

The extensive list of venues where he has served as a chief executive, in addition to Segerstrom Center, includes La Jolla Playhouse, The Alley Theatre, Circle Repertory Company, Laura Dean Dancers & Musicians, the McCallum Theatre and the Kravis Center. Most recently, Dwyer comes to The Clarice from the Performing Arts Center-Eastside in Bellevue, Washington, where he was the consulting CEO.

"I am so grateful for the opportunity to join The Clarice at the University of Maryland to build on its incredible record of campus and community impact," said Dwyer. "The Clarice's legacy of artistic excellence, community connections and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, along with its dedication to collaboration and the development of new work, positions it well to realize opportunities for continued cultural leadership and developing of its role as a catalyst for social change."

Dwyer takes the helm at a time when performing arts organizations around the nation are reckoning with race and racism, heightened social and political unrest and a radically shifted post-pandemic landscape for the arts.

He will play a key role in the campuswide Arts for All initiative, which leverages the power of the arts, technology and social justice to address the grand challenges of our time and aims to ensure equitable access to the arts. In collaboration with other arts leaders and alongside Associate Dean for Arts and Programming Patrick Warfield, he will take part in developing and implementing a strategic and innovative vision that engages the campus, connects with the community and further enhances the reputation of the university.

"It's a hugely important and exciting time for the arts at Maryland, and I am so thrilled to welcome Terry," said Warfield. "His demonstrated commitment to collaborative artistic planning and programming that reflects aesthetic equity, diversity and inclusivity, as well as his belief in the power of the arts, bodes well for the future of the arts on campus and beyond."

Dwyer holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame, a master's degree in directing for the theater from the University of Missouri and a Master of Fine Arts in theater administration from the Yale School of Drama.

Thornton Dill extends her deepest gratitude to Acting Executive Director of The Clarice Erica Bondarev Rapach, who has served in the role for over two years. During that time, she led The Clarice through the most challenging and uncertain periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, engaged the staff in difficult and impactful conversations and workshops around anti-racism, and worked to foster an increasingly collaborative relationship with campus and community partners. She also designed, advocated for and built a shared leadership team in artistic programming for The Clarice. Bondarev Rapach will return to her role as associate executive director.

About the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland

The College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland is home to nearly 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 14 academic departments, 21 research centers and over 300 tenured and tenure-track faculty. The college connects students with expert scholars who teach how to investigate, reflect and analyze the world around them, past and present. Through interdisciplinary approaches to the arts and humanities, students develop into global visionaries and creative problem solvers who thrive in a world of rapidly evolving opportunities.

SOURCE University of Maryland
"We're excited to offer our properties and residents an additional amenity through our new partnership with Trash Butler," said David Walther , Chief Revenue Officer of Asset Living. " This is another available service for our teams to provide residents with the highest quality living experience in the industry."

Asset Living is ranked No. 4 on NMHC's Top Manager List for multi-family living, as a preferred national provider for its more than 175,000 units nationwide. The company was also recently ranked as the eighth largest management company of affordable multi-family properties in the U.S. by the National Affordable Housing Management Association's (NAHMA) 2022 Affordable 100 List and for 11 years in a row, Asset Living has been ranked No. 1 in student housing third-party property management by Student Housing Business. This partnership with Trash Butler will help to keep Asset Living communities clean and sanitary while giving residents the benefits of flexible scheduling for service days on a five-to-seven-night basis.

"We are thrilled to continue expanding our national footprint with this new partnership," said Nick Friedman, Co-Founder of Trash Butler. "Asset Living is an industry leader in multi-family management, and Trash Butler looks forward to increasing the net operating income, asset values, and resident experience at their communities."

Founded in 2013, Trash Butler currently services over 200,000 units across 33 states in the country and is recognized as one of the top national doorstep providers. Trash Butler has made a pledge to donate one meal to U.S. Hunger per month for every unit it services, and this partnership will help provide thousands of additional meals per month.

To learn more about Trash Butler, visit www.trashbutler.com.

About Asset Living

Founded in 1986, Asset Living ("Asset") is a Houston-based real estate management firm. With a growing portfolio that includes a multitude of properties across the nation, Asset provides services to a variety of clients that include property management, asset management, receivership, and investment services. Asset is a member of The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and is recognized as an Accredited Management Organization (AMO).

To learn more about Asset Living, please visit www.AssetLiving.com

About Trash Butler

Trash Butler was originally founded by the same entrepreneurs who started the established nationally recognized brand, College Hunks Hauling Junk. They currently service over 200,000 units across the United States and have been voted one of the top amenities by residents and property managers. Trash Butler has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine and CNBC. They are a purpose-driven, values-based, socially conscious, tech-enabled, and results-obsessed enterprise that helps increase apartment NOI and makes residents' lives easier by removing the burden of taking out the trash. Leave the heavy lifting to us so you and your residents can breathe a sigh of relief.

For more information, visit www.trashbutler.com

Media Contact:

Amanda Rast

[email protected]

Photos: HERE

SOURCE Trash Butler
NEW YORK, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- United Spinal Association will bring over 100 wheelchair users to Washington, DC for the 10th annual Roll on Capitol Hill (ROCH) event on June 12th to 15th to meet with their Congressional representatives on key issues affecting the spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI/D) community.

ROCH is United Spinal's annual flagship advocacy event, gathering the organization's members and supporters to encourage elected officials to support policy initiatives that empower and promote the independence and quality of life of people with disabilities.

The event draws on the voices of grassroots disability rights advocates from around the country and their experiences on the local level fighting for civil rights, accessibility, social supports, and inclusion.

"The disability rights movement is as old as the modern age, and still we fight. New advancements in society that benefit the majority often spur new inequities for people with disabilities. We've won major victories in navigating our cities' buildings and transit systemsnow it's time to finish the project of full equality. Roll on Capitol Hill plays a significant role in reminding us of all of the work that we have to doand it shows how powerful our community is when it's united," said Vincenzo Piscopo, president & CEO of United Spinal Association.

This year's event will be hybrid, marking a return to face-to-face Capitol Hill visits since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a virtual option available for attendees who are unable to travel to Washington.

ROCH will focus on the following issues:

Supporting more robust SCI Model Systems funding to ensure that newly-injured individuals receive necessary healthcare and services

Ensuring passage of the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act and advocating for other protections for travelers with disabilities

Emphasizing the importance of personal care services to pursuing economic independence and mobility

Advocating for Department of Veterans Affairs funding for automobile grants for disabled veterans that are necessary for community living

Seeking action on outdated and restrictive federal regulations that prevent all wheelchair users from having access to the wheelchair that's right for them

On the evening of June 14th, ROCH will culminate in a Congressional Reception that will honor and celebrate Congressional leaders and core United Spinal advocates for their achievements in disability rights.

Congressman Robert C. Bobby Scott will receive the Outstanding Congressional Leadership Award for his leadership in introducing the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA), which prohibits wage discrimination against people with disabilities and provides for services and supports for people with disabilities who are employed in integrated work environments.

The first quadriplegic to serve in the US House of Representatives, Congressman James Langevin, will receive the Congressional Lifetime Achievement Award, for his decades of service to the disability community, including his work on the ADA Amendments Act and the Affordable Care Act.

The Roll on Capitol Hill 2022 Advocate of the Year Award will go to Richard Bagby, who is the Director of United Spinal Association of Virginia. In particular, United Spinal is recognizing Bagby's local advocacy around complex rehab technology (CRT) and opposing physician-assisted suicide, as well his role in establishing the Sheltering Arms Institute in Richmond, VA in 2020, a world-class rehabilitation hospital and research center which became a Spinal Cord Injury Model System not long after opening.

United Spinal will also recognize ROCH sponsors and allies who have provided invaluable support in promoting its mission and advocacy efforts.

For more information about Roll on Capitol Hill, visit https://unitedspinal.org/roll-on-capitol-hill/.

ABOUT UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION

Formed in 1946 by paralyzed veterans, United Spinal is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to empowering people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), including veterans, to live successful and fulfilling lives. Membership is free and open to all individuals with SCI/D, with over 53,000 members across 48 chapters nationwide. Known for its revolutionary advocacy efforts, United Spinal played a significant role in writing the Americans with Disabilities Act, provided important contributions to the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Air Carrier Access Act, and was instrumental in attaining sidewalk curb ramps and accessible public transportation in New York City, which created the standard accessibility model used in many United States cities.

SOURCE United Spinal Association
The dedication ceremony for the Nancy Reagan Forever stamp will be held July 6  the 101st anniversary of her birth and the culmination of her centennial year. The event will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, CA.

"Through our stamp program, the Postal Service seeks to commemorate and celebrate the very best of America, and Nancy Reagan truly represents that ideal," said Postmaster General DeJoy. "The Postal Service takes great pride in our mission to bind the nation together and through the issuance of the Nancy Reagan stamp, we hope to provide the means for the public to come together in remembrance and commemoration of this great and impactful American. I, along with the 650,000 women and men of the United States Postal Service, am proud to honor First Lady Nancy Reagan with this stamp."

Petersen said of the stamp, "Nancy Reagan brought grace and honor to her role as first lady. She was fiercely loyal to her husband and her country, always placing them first. I am sure she would be humbled by this special tribute!"

Ron Reagan, son of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, who was unable to attend the event, said, "Her own stamp! I'm sure she never expected to receive an honor like this. Neither did she expect to be flying all over the country stuck to the front of envelopes. She would, of course, have reacted modestly to this wonderful commemoration. But secretly she would be very pleased. On her behalf, I thank you."

Nancy Davis Reagan (19212016), wife of the 40th president, was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Her husband's most trusted adviser and champion, she was an important part of one of the most pivotal presidencies of the 20th century.

Throughout her life, Reagan held a deep passion for her country, championing many causes along the way. Chief among these were the Foster Grandparents Program; Vietnam veterans and the plight of POWs and MIAs; drug and alcohol abuse prevention among youth; breast cancer awareness; and Alzheimer's research.

As First Lady, she worked hand in hand with her husband, both at home and abroad, and advocated for issues on both the national and international stage. Reagan's partnership with her husband and devotion to his success, behind the scenes influence, and her legacy of public service made her one of the most significant first ladies in modern times.

The Nancy Reagan Forever stamp is being issued in panes of 20. News of the stamp will be shared with the hashtag #NancyReaganStamp.

Dedication Ceremony Information

What: The U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the centennial of former First Lady Nancy Reagan's birth with the issuance of a Forever stamp. When: July 6, 2022, 11 a.m. PDT Where: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum 40 Presidential Drive Simi Valley, CA 93065 RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/nancyreagan

Postal Products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps , by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Please Note: For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.

Contact: James McKean

(C) 202-258-6586

[email protected]

usps.com/news

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service
LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vision Films Inc. ("Vision") has scheduled the millennial coming of age comedy Getting Toasted for U.S. and Canadian VOD release for July 12, 2022. The film is directed and written by Casey Zilbert who grew up on the New Zealand vineyard central to the film's storyline. Produced by Steve Barr, Casey Zilbert, and Chris and Lynne Wilson.

Vision closed the deal with Terese Linden Kohn, Founder of TALK Global Media to release the film, formerly titled Hang Time .

Getting Toasted Movie Poster

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/_VGaXFu9nnY

Inspired by Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises," Getting Toasted is a wine-fueled comedy for the new "lost generation": Millennials. Whether you are drinking with us or nursing one heck of a hangover - the film's balance of "booze and bros" humor with candid character drama will have you reaching out to your besties to book a vineyard adventure of your own.

Synopsis: Friends on an epic winetasting weekend attempt to cheer up their heartbroken buddy after he's dumped just days before his wedding. With a beautiful vineyard and all the wine intended for the wedding at their disposal, a life changing extravaganza of food, wine, and shenanigans set them on a new path and prove once and for all that nothing heals a broken heart like good wine and good friends.

Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO of Vision Film shares, "Getting Toasted is thoroughly entertaining comedy set in an incredibly beautiful location that adds to its unique feel and message. This is the perfect film to watch with good friends and a glass of wine!"

"Getting Toasted perfectly showcases the creativity of Casey Zilbert, a first-time director from New Zealand, and a talented cast including one North American ex-pat," adds TALK's Terese Linden Kohn.

Starring Hayden Weal (Dead), Nick Davies (Filthy Rich), Gemma Knight (Over and Out), Katrina George (Bats), Steve Barr (Pete's Dragon)

Getting Toasted will be available on all major streaming and cable platforms across the US and Canada on July 12.

About Vision Films

Vision Films is a leading independent sales and VOD aggregator specializing in the licensing, marketing, and distribution of over 800 feature films, documentaries, and series from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world. Led by Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO Worldwide Distribution, Vision Films releases 2-4 films a month across Theatrical, VOD, DVD, and television platforms. visionfilms.net

About S.C. Wheelbarrow & Sons

Steve Barr and Casey Zilbert believe they don't need to take themselves seriously to be seriously good storytellers. Professionally minded with the reputation of delivering on time and under budget, they specialize in playful crowd pleasers with real heart. From dance flicks to sassy chicks, rom-coms to zom-coms  SCW aims to surprise and delight, no matter the size of the screen .

About Sleepers Are Dreamers

Sleepers are Dreamers is a family owned and operated production company based in Kekerengu, New Zealand. Working from the picturesque Sleepers Vineyard (sleepersvineyard.co.nz), we are dedicated to disrupting the global wine industry with sustainable wines and scripted/unscripted content about modern wine appreciation and viticulture.

About TALK Global Media

TALK is veteran sales executive Terese Ann Linden Kohn's global sales agency whose years of indie sales and distribution experience has provided the global marketplaces with quality film, television and new media content. Representing all genres and numerous libraries for all rights and windows, TALK takes pride in the transparency and service it provides to filmmakers, distributors and programmers around the world. TALKglobalMedia.com

Media Contact:

Andrea McKinnon

(818) 415-9442

[email protected]

SOURCE Vision Films, Inc.
TOLEDO, Ohio, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL) today announced that it has revised its second quarter 2022 outlook. The Company now expects to achieve net income attributable to common stockholders in a range of $0.22 - $0.25 per diluted share as compared to previous guidance of $0.20 - $0.25 per diluted share. Additionally, the Company now expects to achieve normalized funds from operations in a range of $0.84 - $0.87 per diluted share as compared to previous guidance of $0.82 - $0.87 per diluted share. Additional details regarding the Company's updated guidance and other recent developments are contained in the following Business Update presentation:

https://welltower.com/june2022-business-update

About Welltower

Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL), an S&P 500 company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, is driving the transformation of health care infrastructure. The Company invests with leading seniors housing operators, post-acute providers, and health systems to fund the real estate infrastructure needed to scale innovative care delivery models and improve people's wellness and overall health care experience. Welltower, a real estate investment trust ("REIT"), owns interests in properties concentrated in major, high-growth markets in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, consisting of seniors housing, post-acute communities and outpatient medical properties. More information is available at www.welltower.com.

SOURCE Welltower Inc.
HOUSTON and MOORESVILLE, N.C., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rural Telecommunications of America, Inc. (RTA) has joined Michael Roberts Construction (MRC) as a sponsor of Zane Smith No. 38 Front Row Motorsports (FRM) Ford F-150 team.

RTA's partnership with MRC will feature a full primary truck sponsorship at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 27. RTA is celebrating Memorial Day saluting soldiers with a special patriotic "Got Freedom? Thank a Soldier!" stars and bars paint scheme.

RTA Telecommunications of America Inc.

"As a veteran, we selected Memorial Day weekend to do something special with Zane and FRM to honor those who served and are currently serving in the military protecting our nation," said RTA Chairman Donald Workman.

RTA is a Rural Internet Service Provider on a mission to bring affordable gigFAST INTERNET to America's rural communities. Zane has experienced first-hand the need for more options and faster internet in places underserved. RTA is excited to partner with Charlotte based Conterra Networks for the North Carolina Education 200 race. Providing internet service to rural school districts is a passion both RTA and Conterra share.

Zane Smith has won 3 races this year, and leading the playoff point standings. Dale Earnhardt Jr., recently shared this: "Zane is a great dude with serious potential on the cup side."

"RTA is a perfect partner for our sport as they are leading the way in bringing high-speed internet to NASCAR fans all over rural America," said Smith.

RTA is offering a Memorial Day special:

If Zane finishes in the top 5 in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, RTA will provide $38 gigFAST INTERNET for new customer activations through June 1st. See RTA's website for details.

RTA's provides affordable gigFAST INTERNET, VOICE, and TV to rural America. RTA is hiring veterans and offers everyday discounts to veterans, first responders and teachers. Visit RTA at www.rtatel.com.

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm, and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Conterra Networks About

Conterra Networks delivers ultra-fast, reliable, and efficient fiber solutions for schools and businesses. Conterra has recently expanded in N.C. to Rowan, Salisbury, Kannapolis, Greenville, Rocky Mount, Lenoir, Statesville, Monroe, and Hickory Counties. https://conterra.com/

Media Contact:

Donald Workman

1-844-RTA4USA / 1-844-7824872

[email protected]

SOURCE RTA Telecommunications of America Inc.
UW in the News

State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage:

Forbes included UW economist Charles Masons comments in an article on the latest South Korean conglomerate to expand into nuclear power as a means to reduce carbon emissions.

UW law Professor Michael Duff was interviewed by Bloomberg Law for an article focusing on National Labor Relations Board judges who will hold the first set of hearings this month on alleged unfair labor practices as Starbucks workers attempt to unionize.

The Laramie Boomerang interviewed UW economist Anne Alexander, who said high fuel prices are not only affecting everyday consumers, but also the cost of goods that are delivered on trucks, which is having a widespread impact. The Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T) also interviewed UW economist Rob Godby for a similar article.

UWs Wyoming Teacher-Mentor Corps was mentioned in a CS-T article that focused on experts and lawmakers discussing how to fix teacher recruitment and retention as the state faces teacher shortages.

The Boomerang noted that UW, Laramie and the state are putting more of a focus on some of the newest areas of technology that some hope will become a major economic stimulator for the Cowboy State: blockchain and cryptocurrency.

John Stark, the incoming UW Foundation CEO/president, was featured in his hometown newspaper, The Jackson Hole News & Guide.

Sheridan Media printed UWs release noting that new research -- featuring UWs Lisa Barrett and Jessica Marsh -- was published in the Royal Society Open Science journal. The study demonstrates that zebra finches have personalities, and some traits are consistent over two years of the birds lives.

Cynthia Brock, the Wyoming Excellence Chair in the UW School of Teacher Education, was among researchers who produced a case study of pre-service teachers experiences in remote Australian Indigenous education. The Educator Australia published the article.

Wyoming News Now reported that Central Wyoming Colleges Alpine Science Institute and UW are collaborating on the Wyoming Anticipating Climate Transitions project to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Wyoming History Day, an affiliate of National History Day and administered by UWs American Heritage Center, returned recently with an in-person competition. County 10 published UWs release announcing the student winners.

The CS-T published UWs release noting that a team of UW researchers will travel to Kemmerer and Diamondville later this month to document residents lived experiences and to discuss the impact of a planned new sodium-cooled nuclear reactor at the Naughton Power Plant outside of Kemmerer.
Inclusive Capital, the US fund bidding for Countryside Partnerships PLC (LSE:CSP), has welcomed calls from the housebuilders largest shareholder to put the business up for sale via an auction.

Browning West, another US fund that owns 15.3% of Countryside, wrote to the board of the housebuilder at the weekend urging it to start a sale process and begin a strategic review.

In-Cap said it was supportive of any proposal from shareholders that the board of Countryside run a formal sale process for the company and would welcome the opportunity to participate in any such process.

Jeffrey Ubben, In-Caps managing partner, added: As noted in our previous announcement, on 30 May 2022, we have attempted to engage with the board of Countryside in good faith and have been rebuffed each time despite offering to provide selling shareholders an attractive selling option at a meaningful premium.

A robust auction process, with proper due diligence, will allow In-Cap to put its best foot forward.

In-Cap, which owns 9.3% of Countryside, had a second offer of 295p cash per share and worth around 1.47bn turned down by the board of the housebuilder last week.

Countryside said the approach materially undervalued the business and did not take into account its strength in mixed tenure or its asset-light strategy.

In its letter, Browning West said that the company needed to undertake a strategic review and that it would perform better privately owned or as part of a larger business.

Browning West founder Usman Nabi wrote: "I urge the board to immediately undertake a thorough process to consider all strategic alternatives for the company," Reuters reported.

The activist fund has been critical of Countryside for some time and has repeatedly called for it to be broken up.
1 June 2022

The Small Cap team will be taking a short break and will return Wednesday 8th June.

*A corporate client of Hybridan LLP

Dish of the day

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Whats cooking in the IPO kitchen?

AssetCo PLC (AIM:ASTO), intends to join re-join AIM. The Company's strategy is to develop an agile asset and wealth management company that meets the needs of investors in the 21st century by acquiring, managing and operating asset and wealth management activities and interests, together with other related services. The Company is in the process of acquiring the entire issued share capital of River and Mercantile Group (LSE:RIV) plc (RMG), via a reverse takeover and therefore a Readmission Document is required for the enlarged group. Due 15 June 2022.

Psych Capital PLC, intends to list on the AQSE Growth Market. Psych operates the Psych Platform (a business-to-business networking platform), that is developing the Blossom Database pursuant to a third party licensing arrangement. The Company also has an investment of 426,000 common shares in Awakn, a Canadian NEO Exchange listed psychedelics research and clinical group, with operations in the UK and Europe. Psych is developing the Blossom Database pursuant to a third-party licensing arrangement, and Psych will work to develop an artificial intelligence platform that will provide biotech companies advanced clinical data that will be able to fast-track drug development and loop back the real-world data, in a centralised database, to provide feedback on molecules and associated therapy programmes. Due Date TBC

Altona Rare Earths, the AQSE listed mining exploration Company focused on the evaluation, acquisition and development of Rare Earth Elements mining projects in Africa, intends to join the Main Market. Admission to trading of the Company's Ordinary Shares on the AQSE Growth Market will be cancelled simultaneously with Admission. It is also proposed that on Admission, the Company will change its EPIC from Altona Rare Earths Plc (AQSE:ANR) to REE. The Company also seeks to raise funds to finance its current and future rare earths mining projects in Southern and Eastern Africa. Due June 2022.

Banquet Buffet

Brickability Group PLC (AIM:BRCK) 89p 265.7m

The leading construction materials distributor, announces the acquisition of Modular Clay Products Limited (MCP) for a consideration of 4.75m. MCP is a leading supplier of UK and Imported clay facing bricks to the specification sector. Working closely with architects, MCP provides design advice and consultation to ensure the perfect product is chosen for a variety of schemes covering housing, education, healthcare, leisure and recreation. MCP's established track record features contemporary and prestigious projects in the UK and Ireland, including The Shard. For the 12 months to 31 December 2021, MCP reported unaudited revenue of 10.5m and normalised EBITDA of approximately 1.3m. The consideration is being satisfied by an initial cash payment of c.3.33m and deferred consideration of c.1.43m payable in cash over the next three years subject to adjustments to deferred consideration payments for performance against target performance criteria during the Performance Period. The acquisition will be funded from the Group's existing resources and is expected to be immediately earnings accretive post completion.

Diurnal Group PLC (AIM:DNL) 12.3p 20.8m

The specialty pharmaceutical company targeting patient needs in chronic endocrine (hormonal) diseases, announces that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 3 pivotal clinical trial of hydrocortisone modified-release hard capsules (DNL-0200 -approved in Europe and the UK under the commercial name Efmody ) for adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The pivotal Phase 3 randomised, double-blind, active-controlled, clinical trial, known as CONnECT, is evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of modified-release hydrocortisone compared with immediate-release hydrocortisone replacement therapy in participants aged 16-years and over with CAH. The study will recruit up to 150 subjects with CAH who will be treated for a period of 52 weeks in centres across Japan, the US, France, and Turkey. The study is anticipated to take up to one year to recruit all patients, with subsequent data readout anticipated in 2024. The study is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) that has been agreed with the US FDA. The SPA provides agreement that the Phase 3 trial design adequately addresses objectives that would support the regulatory submission for drug approval.

GreenRoc Mining PLC (AIM:GROC) 6.1p 6.7m

The company focused on the development of critical mineral projects in Greenland, announces the appointment of Dr. Stefan Bernstein as Chief Executive Officer and Director, with effect from 1 July 2022. As a Danish geologist with over 30 years' experience in Greenland's mining sector, Stefan Bernstein brings a very strong knowledge and understanding of the country and its mineral wealth, with his experience spanning both corporate and governmental advisory roles. Mr Bernstein joins GreenRoc from GEUS, the Danish and Greenlandic Geological Survey responsible for supporting the sustainable exploitation of raw materials in Greenland, where since 2016 he was the Head of the Mapping and Mineral Resources Department. Before that, among other roles, he was Exploration Director, and latterly CEO, of Avannaa Resources Ltd, a Greenland-focused mineral exploration company which he co-founded in 2007. Following this appointment, Mr. Lars Brunner, who has assumed the role of Interim CEO, will return to his role as a Non-Executive Director of the Company.

Feedback PLC (AIM:FDBK) 0.7p 19.3m

The specialist clinical communication company announces that it has continued its strong momentum into the second half of 2022 and now expects to report revenue for the financial year ended 31 May 2022 materially ahead of market expectations. This follows the previously announced progress with the Company's flagship product Bleepa  and additional technology license fees arising from the Company's partnership with Imaging Engineering LLC (partnership as announced 13 January 2020) booked at the year-end. The Board expects to provide a full 2022 year-end operational and trading update in mid-June 2022. Annemijn Eschauzier has been appointed to the Board of directors as a Non-Executive Director with immediate effect adding strong healthcare and digital skill sets, as Tim Irish steps down.

Location Sciences Group PLC (LSE:LSAI, OTC:PXAMF) 0.24p 6.3m

Location Sciences announces that, further to the Company's announcement on 21 June 2021, both Mark Slade and David Rae will leave their positions as employees and directors of the Company on 22 June 2022. Simon Wilkinson and Nigel Burton will continue in their capacities of Non-Executive Chairman and Non-Executive Director respectively. The Company will retain access, on a consultancy basis via a third-party contractor, to the necessary skills and resources to enable the ongoing operation of both Location Sciences generally, and the Verify business as the board continues to assess the strategic options for it. In parallel with this process and in line with the Company's strategy to increase shareholder value, the board continues to explore various options for acquisition candidates.

Jadestone Energy PLC (AIM:JSE) 108p 502.8m

An independent oil and gas production company focused on the Asia-Pacific region announces that it is committing to Net Zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its operated assets by 2040. This commitment covers Scope 1 direct emissions from the Company's existing operated assets as well as Scope 2 emissions from electricity purchased for its facilities. The commitment also covers Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from future acquisitions, where Jadestone becomes operator.

Nanonsynth (LON: NNN) 0.4p 7.8m

The AIM quoted company specialising in the synthesis and application of nanoparticles to create new and improve existing products announces that the Company has taken the decision to evolve its mask strategy to focus on licensing its novel technology into multiple verticals rather than manufacturing masks directly. In conjunction with its partner Volz Holdings v.o.s, the Company is currently testing the spraying of its technology used within the masks directly on to the material media strands. Once this testing is concluded this is intended to allow the Company to sell the solution direct to media providers globally for the use on masks and other applications. It is no longer considered to be financially viable for the Company to continue manufacturing masks and existing stock will be written off in nanosynth's accounts due to the incremental cost of readying existing stock for commercial sale. The remaining stock of masks held by the Company will be made available to good causes, including local hospitals and care homes.

Open Orphan PLC (AIM:ORPH, OTC:OPORF) 16.3p 109.0m

A rapidly growing specialist contract research organisation and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces that hVIVO, a subsidiary of Open Orphan PLC (AIM:ORPH, OTC:OPORF), has signed a 14.7m contract for an influenza characterisation study and a follow on influenza human challenge study with an existing top five global pharmaceutical client. Revenue from the contract will be recognised across 2022 and 2023. This follows a challenge virus manufacturing contract signed with the same client, announced on 4 May 2022. Following completion of the challenge agent manufacturing, the characterisation study will identify a dose of the flu challenge agent that causes a safe and reliable infection in healthy volunteers. The study, which is sponsored by hVIVO, is expected to start in Q3 2022, subject to the relevant regulatory approvals, and will enrol volunteers recruited from the Company's clinical trial volunteer recruitment arm,FluCamp. Following completion of the characterisation study, hVIVO will conduct a human challenge study, expected to commence in Q1 2023.

Silverbullet (LON: SBDS) 102.5p 13.8m

A provider of digital transformation services and products announces its unaudited preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2021. Financial highlights: Revenue 3.81m (2020: 2.79m). Gross profit 2.79m (2020: 1.97m). Reported loss before tax 8.75m (2020: 5.73m). Operational highlights: Successful admission to trading on AIM on 28 June 2021, raising gross proceeds of 9.5m. 26 new services client wins in the period, including ITV, Venture Crowd and Edyn. Further strengthening of strategic and technical teams with valuable new hires. The senior management team was bolstered by the addition of Kristen Kelly as Chief Operating Officer. Significant technical development and enhancements of 4D, Silverbullet's contextual outcomes engine, including the delivery of a YouTube video solution. Expansion of 4D-focused US office and offering. The Company has conditionally raised 4.5m immediately following the publication of these results in order to bolster its balance sheet and support the growth of Silverbullet's 4D product sales during 2022.

Sovereign Metals Ltd (ASX:SVM, AIM:SVML) 32.5p 152.0m

Sovereign Metals Limited announces the commencement of its Pre-feasibility Study (PFS) drilling program across the Kasiya Rutile Project (Kasiya). 12,000m drilling program commenced at Kasiya to upgrade higher-grade Mineral Resource areas to underpin conversion to reserves as part of the planned PFS. Deeper drilling to target extensions to indicated zones at depth to base of saprolite (~25m). Expansion of the overall mineralised footprint through extensional and regional hand-auger drilling will continue with multiple drill teams. This is the first significant work program for the PFS to commence as the Company completes the updated Scoping Study due in the coming weeks.

Head Chef:

Sacha Morris

sacha.morris@hybridan.com

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Panther's dealmaking pace picked up in recent times with the company even managing to do two deals in one day (one a disposal and the other an acquisition). In the process, it ended up gaining a sizeable stake in a soon-to-be-listed entity on AIM and added a whole new district to its Canadian holdings.

In 2021 its main deal had been the demerger of the Australian assets into a separately listed entity on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and then the addition of some extra territories in Canada.

The London main market-listed company now controls a Canadian exploration portfolio and has a strategic stake of 36.6% in the spun-out Panther Metals in Australia and shortly in an AIM-listed entity.
An Englishmans home is said to be his castle and so it is perhaps appropriate that housebuilder Countryside Partnerships PLC (LSE:CSP) is under siege.

Not one but two Californian hedge funds are on managements case, urging the board to succumb to a takeover approach that would enable the company to implement its turnaround strategy away from the stock markets beady eye.

San Francisco-based Inclusive Capital (In-Cap), which has a 9.2% stake in Countryside, had two bid approaches rebuffed by the FTSE 250 companys board and so went over the heads of the board and announced to shareholders it is considering has gone over the boards heads and announced it is interested in making an offer worth 295p per share.

Los Angeles-based hedge fund Browning West, which has a 15.3% stake, has agreed with In-Cap that Countryside would be better off being privately owned and has called for a strategic review and to consider putting the business up for sale.

The question is, why would these US outfits be so interested in a company that had a profit warning in January that did for the chief executive officer?

Despite a booming housing market, the company has clearly failed to benefit from successive governments realising that doing something about runaway house prices is a vote loser.

After it returned to the market in 2016, it did well enough for a few years, with the shares more than doubling from the flotation price of 225p by the end of the decade but the performance since then has been a bit more patchy.

This year, before bid interest perked up the price, the shares had practically halved, leaving the company valued at just 1.3 times the companys net asset value, compared to an average of 1.7 over the last three years.

On a forward price/earnings ratio (based on forecast earnings) of 12.0, the company is not overly expensive on a fundamentals basis.

Earnings per share are tipped by analysts to rise by just 0.2% year-on-year this year but next year earnings growth is expected to improve to 21%.

It is the way of private companies acquiring listed firms to load up on debt and if that is the case then a predicted free cash flow of 160mln this year will go some way to helping meet the interest payments (the market capitalisation of Countryside is 1.4bn).

In its dress rehearsal for a bid defence, Countrysides management pointed to significant cash generation from legacy asset sales and potential for attractive returns on capital from the asset-light partnerships model.

It also pointed to considerable intrinsic value in the land bank, including sizeable recent investments not yet reflected in profitability.

The fact that In-Cap made the bid approaches suggests it probably agrees with these points but up until a few weeks ago, the market was taking no account of them.

In-Cap has until 27 June to put up or shut up but with the share price of Countryside trading at 288p, 7p below the putative offer, it does not sound like the market is expecting Countryside to take Browning Wests advice and trigger an auction for the company.
Earlier in May, Musk said he would put the deal "temporarily on hold", while he waits for the social media company to provide data on the proportion of its fake accounts

Elon Musk has warned that he might walk away from his $44 billion offer to acquire Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) if the social media network fails to provide data on spam and fake "spam bot" accounts.

In a letter to Twitter, the billionaire reiterated his request for details on spam bot accounts and said he reserved all rights to terminate the merger as the company was in a "clear material breach" of its obligations by not providing him with the information.

This is the first time Musk has threatened to walk away from the deal in writing as opposed to airing it on Twitter's social media platform.

"Musk believes Twitter is transparently refusing to comply with its obligations under the merger agreement, which is causing further suspicion that the company is withholding the requested data," according to the letter sent by Musk's lawyer and addressed to Twitter's chief legal officer, Vijaya Gadde, seen by Reuters.

Earlier in May, Musk said he would put the deal "temporarily on hold", while he waits for the social media company to provide data on the proportion of its fake accounts.

Twitter has previously downplayed Musk's warning that the deal was "on hold", arguing the data would help him prepare for his ownership of Twitter and that it was not meant to carry out due diligence and reopen negotiations.

Musk said in his letter that he needed the data to conduct his own analysis of Twitter users and did not believe in the company's "lax testing methodologies", Reuters noted.

Musk, who owns 9.6% of Twitter and is its second-largest shareholder, has said one of his priorities for the Twitter takeover will be to remove spam bots from the platform. The Tesla Inc boss has secured financing for the deal and has pulled in top shareholders, including Saudi Arabian investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Sequoia Capital.

At lunchtime in New York on Monday, Twitter shares were down 2.3% at $39.22, a steep discount to Musk's offer of $54.20 per share, suggesting that investors do not expect the deal to close at the agreed price.

Danni Hewson, AJ Bell financial analyst commented: Ever since it emerged one of Twitters most famous tweeters had snapped up a chunk of the company, market watchers have been enthralled. There have been more twists and turns in this takeover bid than your average soap opera and each story line seems a little more farfetched than the last.

"However, this latest plot twist has been well signposted, the only surprise today is that the story is being played out via traditional channels rather than on the platform at the centre of things. Theres plenty for lawyers to scrap over and at the moment no one would be wise to bet on the ultimate outcome but its clear Elon Musk has fallen a little out of love with the idea of owning the platform he described as important to the future of civilisation just a few short months ago.

"As for Twitter shareholders, theyve been on the kind of ride Mr Musks rocket crew might enjoy but many will be feeling a little travel sick about now and calls of are we there yet arent just being uttered in jest.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Kin Mining NL (ASX:KIN) is compelled to push ahead following new drilling results from its Eastern Corridor exploration program targeting the under-explored Rangoon area at the 1.275-million-ounce Cardinia Gold Project (CGP) near Leonora in Western Australia.

The Eastern Corridor program was designed to give the company a better understanding of several prospects within what has emerged as a large, highly mineralised complex.

Kin Minings Eastern Corridor Targets, part of the CGP. Rangoon lies on the Helens Fault west of the Fiona Fault and Cardinia Hill Fault.

Significant new zones

KIN has discovered significant new zones of gold mineralisation east of the historical Rangoon surface workings during reverse circulation (RC) drilling, pointing to the potential to expand the existing shallow 32,000-ounce mineral resource at the prospect.

The RC drilling program wrapped up in April with 32 holes drilled for 3,913 metres. Results include:

43 metres at 1.03 g/t gold from 39 metres, including 15 metres at 1.55 g/t from 48 metres;

31 metres at 1.07 g/t from 55 metres, including 6 metres at 3.17 g/t from 55 metres;

27 metres at 1.05 g/t from 75 metres, including 14 metres at 1.31 g/t from 88 metres;

6 metres at 4.22 g/t from 65 metres; and

3 metres at 3.95 g/t from 42 metres.

The new intersections confirm an east-dipping orientation to the mineralisation in this area, supporting previous broad intersections containing high-grade quartz-sulphide zones such as 19 metres at 2.48 g/t gold from 91 metres and 12 metres at 3.04 g/t from 62 metres.

Exciting exploration along Eastern Corridor

The Eastern Corridor contains a number of exciting exploration and development prospects including Cardinia Hill, Helens, Fiona and Rangoon, which collectively host in excess of 239,000 ounces of mineral resources and are interpreted to be structurally linked as part of a significantly larger mineralised system on the eastern side of the CGP.

Mineralisation discovered to date within the Eastern Corridor extends over an area of approximately 1 kilometre by 5 kilometres on the eastern side of the CGP, and the company believes it is in a position to uncover new mineralised positions and extend existing deposits at depth.

Mineralisation remains open along strike to the south and down-dip to the east and the company is waiting on assay results for a further 15 RC holes, which test the southern extent.

Kin Mining managing director Andrew Munckton said: These latest results from Rangoon provide further definitive evidence of the Eastern Corridor potential. What is important here is the style of mineralisation we have been intersecting and the geometry of the lodes in a predominantly east-dipping orientation.

The mineralisation is predominantly primary, sulphide hosted mineralisation, which is easily recognisable and has the same origins as the other mineralisation found along the Eastern Corridor  with similar alteration and pathfinder minerals. Recent metallurgical test work at Cardinia Hill has shown excellent recovery of gold from similar sulphide ores."

"Significant depth extent"

These shallow, east-dipping lodes are wide (up to 43 metres down-hole) and seem to link the high-grade steep dipping lodes such as we see at Cardinia Hill, Fiona, Helens and Helens East together," he said.

"The Eastern Corridor mineralisation has significant depth extent  we know that high-grade zones persist up to 250 metres deep and probably well beyond this. This means that the potential along the Eastern Corridor is substantial.

We continue to see great potential to discover further high-grade lodes, delineate new resources and grow our overall inventory across this corridor, which is a major growth opportunity for the company.
Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX:GAL) has kicked off 4,000 metres of drilling at the Callisto palladium-rich multi-element discovery within the Norseman Project in Western Australia, targeting eastern extensions of the main sulphide zone of the prospect.

The company has selected priority targets for this follow-up round of reverse circulation (RC) drilling, investigating areas host to previously reported palladium-platinum-gold-nickel-copper-rhodium intersections from shallow depths:

33 metres at 2.05 g/t 4E (1.64 g/t palladium, 0.28 g/t platinum, 0.09 g/t gold, 0.05 g/t rhodium), 0.32% copper and 0.30% nickel from 144 metres;

22 metres at 1.60 g/t 3E (1.32 g/t palladium, 0.21 g/t platinum, 0.07 g/t gold), 0.25% copper and 0.26% nickel from 135 metres;

28 metres at 1.58 g/t 3E (1.29 g/t palladium, 0.22 g/t platinum, 0.07 g/t gold), 0.27% copper and 0.26% nickel from 137 metres; and,

19 metres at 1.69 g/t 3E (1.38 g/t palladium, 0.23 g/t platinum, 0.09 g/t gold), 0.24% copper and 0.28% nickel from 124 metres.

Potential for large mineralised system

It is great to be back drilling at Callisto so soon after the release of results from the first drill program in May, Galileo Mining managing director Brad Underwood said.

The current drilling aims to expand on the early results with drilling designed at a 50-metre spacing across strike to be followed by drill lines along strike to the north.

The mineralisation intersected to date contains palladium, platinum, gold, copper, nickel and rhodium, and the grades appear to be increasing towards the eastern target zone.

The extensive prospective strike, combined with the thick and consistent mineralisation drilled to date, indicates the potential for a large mineralised system.

Approximately 20 holes will be undertaken in this round of drilling, and we look forward to updating the market with results from this exciting new discovery.

Callisto drill section with priority target zone.

Galileo says it will release results as they become available, with laboratory assays expected from late July.
Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd (ASX:RAD) has appointed Dr Leila Alland to its board as a non-executive director.

The developer of a world-class platform of radiopharmaceutical products for both diagnostic and therapeutic uses, has appointed Dr Alland, a paediatric haematologist-oncologist, for her strong track record in developing oncology drug products.

Dr Leila Alland.

Dr Alland has a wealth of experience including leadership roles at AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis and Schering-Plough, where she contributed to multiple successful drug approvals.

Currently chief medical officer of PMV Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage precision oncology company, Dr Alland also serves on the boards of several biopharmaceutical companies and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Council of Columbia University's Center for Radiological Research.

Previously, she served as chief medical officer of Affimed, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company.

Dr Alland served as assistant professor of paediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and during her academic tenure, was awarded the James S McDonnell Foundation Scholar Award and pursued basic cancer research while also caring for children with cancer and blood disorders.

Radiopharms CEO & managing director Riccardo Canevari said of the appointment: Dr Allands scientific and clinical expertise along with her impressive background in pharmaceutical drug development make her a valuable addition to our Board of Directors as we steer Radiopharm through a pivotal period of innovation and growth.
Gold room operators pouring first gold at King of the Hills.

Red 5 Ltd (ASX:RED) has achieved a significant milestone with first gold poured at the 2.4 million-ounce King of the Hills (KOTH) Gold Project in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.

The companys first smelt delivered two gold dore bars weighing 1,588 ounces from the gold pour completed yesterday at KOTH.

In the coming weeks, the KOTH processing team will continue to focus on increasing the mill production rate and completing outstanding punch list items with the EPC contractor.

Looking ahead, the team is well placed to increase the KOTH processing plant to full capacity, with over 800,000 tonnes, or about two months of feedstock now on the ROM pad.

Huge milestone

Red 5 managing director Mark Williams said the first gold pour marked a huge milestone for the company and its shareholders.

We can all be proud of this achievement. It marks the beginning of a new era for Red 5, with the new 4.7 million tonnes per annum King of the Hills processing plant set to become a highly efficient production hub.

There are promising signs regarding future throughput potential and with two months of feedstocks ready for processing and mining now well established, we have a strong platform to build upon.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has assisted us in getting to first gold within the scheduled timeframe, amid the backdrop of a very challenging environment.

KOTH general manager, Neal Valk [centre] congratulates processing manager Chris Witt [right] with mining manager Andrew McRae [left] holding Red 5s first gold bar poured at King of the Hills on June 5, 2022.

New operating regime

This marks the start of a new operating regime for Red 5 at King of the Hills

Red 5 has recently commissioned gravity and elution circuits for the project

The gyratory crushing circuit has been running on a combination of oxide and fresh material for more than 40 days and has achieved throughput rates above 1,600 tonnes per hour.

The grinding circuit and wet plant continue to ramp up, with the SAG mill now achieving throughput rates in excess of 600 tonnes per hour at moderate mill load and power draw.

About KOTH

Red 5s 100%-owned King of the Hills Gold Mine is 80 kilometres south of the companys Darlot Gold Mine and 28 kilometres north of the town of Leonora in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.

Mining at King of the Hills is undertaken through a combination of bulk underground stoping and airleg mining of selective high-grade gold veins with ore trucked from King of the Hills to Red 5s nearby Darlot Processing Plant.
Cornish Metals Inc (AIM:CUSN, TSX-V:CUSN, OTC:SBWFF) has announced that Vision Blue Resources has nominated former Anglo American boss Tony Trahar as its representative to the board of directors of the company.

Vision Blue is a major investment vehicle headed up by mining industry veteran and former Xstrata chief Mick Davis, and has recently made a major investment in Cornish Metals.

Cornish Metals plans to reopen the South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall after completing a dewatering operation.

Tony Trahar has a 40-year track record in the mining, natural resources and industrial sectors.

He was chief executive of Anglo American PLC (LSE:AAL) from 2000 to 2007, and was also a director of Anglo Gold, Anglo Platinum and De Beers.

During his tenure at Anglo American, Tony oversaw a significant period of growth, delivering a 35% return on equity and returning US$10.5bn to shareholders.

In addition, he negotiated and implemented the US$19bn deal that integrated De Beers into Anglo American. He is currently a special adviser to Vision Blue Resources.

"We are very pleased to welcome Mr Trahar to the board of Cornish Metals, said Cornish Metals chief executive Richard Williams.

Tony's experience in all aspects of the mining industry will be a tremendous asset to Cornish Metals as we advance South Crofty and assess additional value adding opportunities that may be presented to us."
Bens Creek Group PLC (AIM:BEN, OTC:BENCF) said it started to deliver by railroad its High Vol B coal product to Integrity Coal Sales Inc., the company's offtake partner in the USA.

Initially, Bens Creek had been supplying Integrity with Run of Mine coal via truck as it completed the remediation of the wash plant and railway spur line.

Following completion, the company has built up an inventory of clean coal which it is now delivering, via railroad, at around 11,000 tons per train, from its 3.2 mile rail spur connecting to the Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Railway system, which transports the coal to the port of Norfolk, Virginia.

This initial rail delivery of 11,000 tons of the company's HVB product took place on 1 June 2022 and is expected to be followed by further rail deliveries of a similar quantum during the coming weeks.

Separately, Bens Creek changed the terms of its loan facility with MBU Capital Group Limited, which is also the company's major shareholder.

Due to the company's share price performance since admission, the conversion price of any amounts drawn since April under the MBU loan facility has increased to 60p from 15p per share.

As of 5 June 2022, a total of 7.3mln has been drawn down by the company under the MBU loan facility, of which 5mln is convertible at 60p per share. The Company currently has cash balances in excess of circa 5m.

"The arrival of the first railway cars is a significant milestone, as it affirms the full remediation of the Bens Creek project, from the commencement of both high wall mining and underground mining, the processing of the coal through the wash plant, the buildup of inventory and delivery via a "fast flood" rail load out system onto Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) railcars on our remediated 3.2 mile rail spur, said Adam Wilson, chief executive of Bens Creek.

"Whilst we were some weeks behind our originally planned schedule of railroad deliveries, we are very pleased now to be fully functional and we remain on track to meet our obligations to our offtake partner, Integrity, for the supply of HVB coal, as previously announced. We have also commenced the second shift on the first highwall miner and are in the process of renovating our second highwall miner, which we purchased earlier this year. We expect in due course to receive a new permit for the area that is to be mined using the new highwall miner. The company is targeting to reach full production using both highwall miners by the end of the summer 2022.
According to the report, Cerrito is home to higher confidence indicated gold resources of 187,650 ounces, while the lower confidence inferred category stands at 293,468 ounces

Lavras Gold Corp (TSX-V:LGC) told investors it has now advanced to its million ounce resource milestone for its Lavras do Sul (LDS) gold project in Brazil.

The explorer has released a new NI 43-101 resource for the Cerrito gold prospect at the property - one of 23 prospects at the project in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

According to the report, Cerrito is home to higher confidence indicated gold resources of 187,650 ounces, while the lower confidence inferred category stands at 293,468 ounces.

"Combining this gold resource estimate for the Cerrito Gold Prospect with the previously announced 500,000 ounces from our Butia Gold prospect moves us to our first million ounce milestone at LDS," said Michael Durose, the firm's CEO, in a statement.

"This is a major step toward unlocking the potential gold mineral endowment of LDS, which we have only just begun to understand. We look forward to releasing results of active drilling at the Zeca Souza, Matilde, and Matilde Extension prospects soon," he added.

The Cerrito gold resource was based on a drilling database of 92 diamond holes totaling 14,593 metres (m). Distances between the holes varied from 25m to 100m, from which 24 vertical sections were created having a north-south orientation and an average distance of 50m between sections.

The estimate assumed a gold cut-off grade of 0.3 grams per tonne (g/t), while high-grade samples were capped at 3.07 g/t for the capped resource estimate.

Lavras also noted in the statement that resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

The firm is holding a webinar on June 7 at 11 am EST on the Cerrito and Butia mineral resource estimates, as well as the potential of the LDS project. To register, click HERE.

In a separate statement, Lavras Gold also announced that Michael Durose, its president and chief executive officer, and his team joined Robert Peterman, vice president, Global Business Development, Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), to celebrate the company's new listing on TSX Venture Exchange and opened the market on Monday, June 6, 2022.

Lavras Gold is focused on realizing the potential of the 22,000 hectare Lavras do Sul gold project (LDS) in Brazil, which is believed to host an alkaline porphyry gold-copper system. More than 23 gold prospects centred on historic gold workings have been identified.

-- Adds TSX market opening news --

Contact the writer at giles@proactiveinvestors.com
The latest batch of results are from Aftermath's twinning of historic reverse circulation (RC) holes

Aftermath Silver (TSX-V:AAG) Ltd has described new, high grade silver and copper assays from its Berenguela project as very encouraging for a planned resource estimate.

The company revealed another 10 holes from the Peru-based project, with highlights of 18.9 metres at 1,162 grams per ton (g/t) silver and 1.12% copper in one hole.

Another hole returned 20 metres at 268 g/t silver and 2.95% copper, while yet another reported 97.60 metres of mineralization from surface at 188 g/t silver and 1.70% copper.

The latest batch of results are from Aftermath's twinning of historic reverse circulation (RC) holes. Four of the holes intercepted silver-copper mineralization from surface, while the majority cut silver-copper mineralization within 10 metres of surface.

Drilling and sampling of this year's core is now complete, Aftermath CEO Ralph Rushton said in a statement, and the company has submitted 63 holes to the assay lab.

We continue to see select intervals with extremely high silver grades, which correlate with elevated copper and manganese grades, Rushton said.

Rushton told investors that the next few batches of holes are going to be particularly important for the planned resource estimate as they mostly twinned historic RC holes that included poor sample recovery or encountered extensive voids.

Aftermath has now recovered full core intersections, where the historic RC program returned no samples, according to Rushton.

Whilst it is still very early days, preliminary grade and intercept comparisons on this subset of twinned holes are very encouraging as we achieved parity or, in some cases, bettered the historic 2004/5 results, the CEO added. The new holes will be incorporated into the database we are compiling for our resource estimate, replacing their historic twin RC holes."

Vancouver-based Aftermath has a portfolio of precious metals project in the Americas.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
Infield Minerals said compelling targets developed by the company through systematic exploration and modern techniques, are "obscured by cover and thus remain untested by previous operators"

Infield Minerals Corp. (TSX-V:INFD) said it has received a Notice of Intent (NOI) permit from the Bureau of Land Management for drilling at its wholly-owned Desperado property in the historical Ellendale Mining District in Nevada.

The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company, which is exploring for gold and silver in famously mining-friendly Nevada, said it has retained the services of Midnight Sun Drilling for the upcoming campaign, which is expected to start in July 2022. Construction of access roads and drill pads are planned to proceed imminently in preparation for drill mobilization, added the firm.

The 2022 campaign represents the first drilling at the property in recent decades and is planned to test eight to ten priority targets outlined through systematic exploration. The program consists of approximately 2,000 metres (m) of reverse circulation (RC) drilling from up to eight permitted drill sites. Priority targets include buried lithological contacts and structural features identified using modern exploration techniques, said the company.

READ: Infield Minerals plans to advance Desperado property with 2,000-meter reverse circulation drilling campaign

"Over the past year, we have progressed the Desperado project from an early-stage prospect to a drill-ready status. Our systematic exploration process has identified multiple anomalous trends that are prospective for gold and silver, and we are extremely excited to drill test them," Infield CEO Evandra Nakano said in a statement.

"Several of our prospective targets are under cover, providing opportunities for discovery in areas overlooked by historical miners," he added.

The property hosts a large clay alteration footprint covering an area of over 6 kilometres (km) by 4 km, suggesting that a sizeable hydrothermal system existed during mineral emplacement. The clay alteration was detected using an Aster image spectral interpretation, and the prospective ground was further investigated during subsequent field visits in 2021.

The company said 60 rock grab samples were collected and evaluated using a Terraspec Spectrometer, which confirmed the presence of hydrothermal clay minerals such as illite, alunite, kaolinite and minor dickite. The clay-altered rocks underlying the property host several illite-kaolinite associations typical of the low sulphidation epithermal environments common in the nearby Tonopah area and along the Walker Lane trend of Nevada. Significant potential exists across the property given the productive host environment and scale, noted the company.

Extensive artisanal mining was conducted in the area during the early 1900s, demonstrating that mineralization was found widely distributed among the clay-altered areas.

Target potential

The company said that historical operators typically exploited formations that were either outcropping or near-surface, leaving behind significant potential in areas under cover. Infield has used induced polarization (IP) and magnetic geophysical surveys to target prospective structures that are buried under layers of desert gravel and have never been previously tested.

The chargeability highs associated with some of these targets may represent an increase in sulphide content which is linked to gold and silver mineralization in the area, said the company. In the western part of the property, several historical mine shafts have been observed to extend down mineralized faults. These faults, along with several others, correspond well with the magnetic survey results obtained by Infield in 2021.

Infield said it believes that Desperado is well-positioned within favourable rocks overlain by a large hydrothermal alteration footprint indicating the potential for a sizable epithermal system. Moreover, recent sampling and historical workings demonstrate that the system is mineralized, and that the strongest targets on the property are obscured by cover and remain untested.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
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Seoul, June 6 : South Korea and the US fired eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Monday in response to North Korea's missile launches the previous day, according to the South's military.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles from an eastern coastal region in Gangwon Province starting at 4:45 a.m. for around 10 minutes, Yonhap news agency reported.

On Sunday, the North shot eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from four different locations into the East Sea following a South Korea-US naval exercise last week involving an American aircraft carrier.

"The South Korea-US combined firing of the ground-to-ground missiles demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces," the JCS said in a press release.

"Our military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns," it added.

The North's weekend salvo is presumed to have involved a variety of SRBMs, including the KN-23 missile modeled after Russia's Iskander ballistic missile. The KN-23 is known for its "pull-up maneuver", designed to avoid interception.

Seoul officials have warned that Pyongyang's military "provocations" will be met with "corresponding" reactions.

Shortly after the North's launch of three ballistic missiles, including an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on May 25, the South and the US conducted combined missile launches in their first such joint move since 2017.
Lagos, June 6 : Several were killed while dozens of others were wounded after gunmen entered a Catholic church in Owo, Nigeria's Ondo State and opened fire on worshippers, police said.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack at St. Francis Catholic Church on Sunday.

Reports suggest the attackers also set off explosives during the attack in Ondo.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed condolences for the families of the victims, and ordered emergency agencies to assist the injured.

"No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light. Nigeria will eventually win," read a statement by the President.

Meanwhile, reacting to the attack, Pope Francis has expressed his solidarity with the victims and sent his prayers, Vatican News reported.

"The Pope prays for the victims and for the country, painfully attacked at a time of celebration, and he entrusts everyone to the Lord, that God might send His Spirit to console them," said Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office.
Bengaluru, June 6 : A sub-inspector in Karnataka has been booked for the alleged sexual exploitation of his 13-year-old step-daughter and his wife's sister.

The second wife of the accused lodged a complaint against him in the J.C. Nagar police station limits in Bengaluru.

The accused has been booked under the provision of the Protection of Children from the Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) and rape charges, police said on Monday.

The complainant has also charged that her accused husband had forced her for unnatural sex.

The woman first met the accused sub-inspector at a women's police station when she was filing a complaint against her first husband.

The sub-inspector was also there to record his statement in connection with allegations made against him made by his first wife.

The two started talking to each other and got married after divorcing their former spouses.

The woman said in her complaint that the initial few days after their marriage, the couple led a normal, harmonious life, but the relationship deteriorated as times passed.

The accused is a serving police officer who is deputed in superintendent of police office.
Lucknow, June 6 : A video clip of three minor boys, tied to a rope and being dragged by the owner of a goods carrier on suspicion of stealing a tyre, has gone viral on social media.

The clip went viral on Sunday evening and within hours, the Thakurganj police in Lucknow lodged an FIR against the man who was later identified as Satyendra Mishra and his aide Krishna Saxena.

The 30-second video shows three children tied with a rope being pulled by Satyendra and his aide Krishna even as they are crying bitterly and pleading innocence.

ADCP, West Zone, Chiranjeev Sinha told IANS that an FIR has been lodged and the accused would be tracked s down at the earliest.

Child rights activists are demanding strict police action against the accused persons.

"The incident apparently took place on Sunday and the video clip went viral in the evening," said the ADCP.


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Bengaluru, June 6 : Intelligence agencies have alerted the Karnataka government after they tracked satellite phone calls made to foreign locations from state's coastal and Malnad regions, sources said on Monday.

Three calls were detected from the thick forests in these regions between May 23-29, according to the sources.

Two calls were tracked in places near Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district, Chikkamagalur and Uttara Kannada jungles by the Central intelligence agencies.

The sleuths of State Internal Security Division (ISD) visited the spot and have launched a probe.

Preliminary findings have suggested that the satellite phone calls were made from four locations in 10 days. The agencies are tracking down the persons who used the banned satellite phones.

Sources explained that this is the third time that satellite phones were being used in this year in the coastal and Malnad regions.

The Central agencies have been alerting the state police department on these developments.

This time satellite phone signals originated from the forest that falls between Yallapur and Sirsi towns in Uttara Kannada; Natekal, Kulai regions in the outskirts of Mangaluru city; and the jungles between Kadur-Birur towns in Chikkamaglur, the sources said Earlier, the phone calls were tracked to Mudibidre, Mudipu regions in Dakshina Kannada; in dense forest regions of Uttara Kannada; and another two locations from Chikkamagalur.

Since terror activities targeting civilians were being reported from Jammu and Kashmir, Central agencies have told their counterparts and authorities in Karnataka to be vigilant about the developments.

Central agencies have gathered information about suspected anti-national activities taking place in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi; and Chikkamaglur and Shivamogga districts in the Malnad region.

The issue of the use banned satellite phones was raised in the state Assembly session last year and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had given detailed statements that the government is handling the situation in coordination with Central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

Intelligence agencies suspect and track whether the anti-national forces are activating sleeper cells in the state.

The phone calls are being made despite intelligence agencies being on alert in the state.

Jnanendra had stated on the floor of the House that there were 256 instances of satellite phone usage in 2020 and 220 in 2021, which were tracked to foreign locations.

After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, using satellite phones was banned by the Directorate General of Shipping.
Moscow, June 6 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's scheduled trip to Serbia this week has been cancelled due to a flight ban imposed by three of Belgrade's neighbouring nations in the wake of Moscow's continued invasion of Kiev, the media reported on Monday.

The trip was to take place on Monday and Tuesday.

The flight ban has been imposed by Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro, the BBC reported.

In a statement to the media late Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that the three countries have closed their airspace to Lavrov's aircraft, reports TASS News Agency.

"The countries bordering Serbia have closed the only air route to the aircraft of Sergey Lavrov who was to depart for Serbia. The Russian delegation was scheduled to hold talks in Belgrade, while the EU and NATO member-countries have closed their airspace," she was quoted as saying.

Despite the raging war, Serbia has not imposed any sanctions on Russia yet.

Serbia also heavily relies on Russian gas, the BBC report said.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Kiev, June 6 : A top Ukrainian official said that Russian troops have destroyed 43 religious building in Donetsk, most of which belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, since the war began on February 24.

In a social media statement on Sunday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, said: "Yesterday the All-Holy Skete (hermitage) of the Sviatohirsk Lavra (monastery) burned down as a result of the shelling of Sviatohirsk, but this is not the first religious building that the Russians have destroyed," Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

He went on to say that in Sviatohirsk itself, which contains three heritage monuments, the "Russians have damaged the historical and architectural museum and destroyed the church, two hermitages and two cell buildings in the Sviatohirsk Lavra, killing four monks".

"In total, the Russians have already destroyed or damaged at least 43 religious buildings in the region, the majority of which belonged to the Moscow Patriarchate," Kyrylenko added.

On Saturday, a huge fire engulfed the All-Holy Skete of the Sviatohirsk Lavra of the Holy Dormition in Donetsk.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate stated that this happened "as a result of military operations", reports Ukrayinska Pravda.

Since Russia launched its ongoing invasion, cultural centres such as the Mariupol Museum and the Makarivska Public Library in Kiev that contain unique art and literature have been destroyed.

Historic buildings and monuments dedicating Ukraine's fight against Nazism in World War II, including the Drobitsky Yar Holocaust Memorial, have also been damaged.

There are seven Unesco World Heritage sites in Ukraine, including St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Lviv's entire historic city district and the Struve Geodetic Arc.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the UN and UNESCO to expel Russia as a terrorist state for destroying historical monuments and social infrastructure in Ukraine.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
June 06 : After the Kalinmpong shooting, Kareena Kapoor Khan is back on the sets in Mumbai for Sujoy Ghoshs film. On Sunday, the actor went to the sets along with her superstar son Jehgangir Ali Khan, also called Jeh.

Taking to Twitter, Sujoy Ghosh shared a cute picture of the mother-son duo walking out of the set. Kareena can be seen holding Jeh's hands as they leave a building. While Kareena wore a white T-shirt, blue denim and sandals, Jeh stole the show. The little munchkin wore a printed T-shirt, blue shorts and white sneakers. Sharing the picture, Sujoy captioned it, "Super star on set. Along with his mother."

super star on set.

along with his mother. pic.twitter.com/O9mJpVKKZY  sujoy ghosh (@sujoy_g) June 5, 2022

Kareena was recently in Kalimpong in North Bengal, for a schedule of Sujoy's film, an adaptation of The Devotion of Suspect X. The film will mark Kareenas debut in the OTT world. The film also stars Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat. It is bankrolled by Jay Shewakramani, Akshai Puri, Sujoy Ghosh and Thomas Kim.

Last month, Jeh accompanied his mom to her trip to Kalimpong and Darjeeling in West Bengal, where she was shooting for the film. The Good Newwz actress had also shared a cute picture of Jeh with her in Kalimpong while she was getting her hair done before the shooting. Later, her husband and actor Saif Ali Khan and their elder son Taimur Ali Khan joined her in Darjeeling.

The Devotion of Suspect X is written by Japanese author Keigo Higashino, and is the third in his Detective Galileo series. The story is about a single mother and her daughter, who escaped from an abusive ex-husband. However, she was wrong in thinking that everything was over as one day her abusive ex-husband turns up. Her life changes from there.

Meanwhile, Kareena is waiting for the release of her forthcoming film Laal Singh Chaddha with Aamir Khan. The film is an official Hindi remake of the Hollywood film Forrest Gump. Laal Singh Chaddha also features Naga Chaitanya and Mona Singh in key roles. The movie is slated to release on August 11 this year. Helmed by Advait Chandan, the film is backed by Aamir Khan Productions, Viacom18 Studios and Paramount Pictures. Kareena has also turned a producer and has signed a new film with Hansal Mehta. She will co-produce the venture with Ekta Kapoor.
Jaipur, June 6 : Even after moving its MLAs to a five-star hotel in Udaipur fearing poaching ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, the ruling Congress in Rajasthan has approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau expressing apprehensions of horse-trading.

Rajasthan government's chief whip and cabinet minister Dr Mahesh Joshi went to the ACB office on Sunday and gave a written complaint to DG-ACB B.L Soni requesting that a watch be kept on the people involved in horse-trading and if caught, strict action taken against under corruption.

Earlier too, during the political crisis in the state in 2020, there was an entry of Special Operations Group (SOG) and ACB in the case of alleged conspiracy to topple the government and horse-trading of MLAs. After a year-and-a-half, the Congress government has once again reached ACB, the corruption-fighting agency.

Joshi told media that as per sources, there may be use of money power in the ensuing polls which can weaken democracy. He also raised concerned over the fielding of an independent candidate Subhash Chandra in the contest who is being backed by BJP.

He further opined that MLAs can be brought to vote in support of an independent candidate only through horse trading. "In such a situation, being the chief whip of the government in the Legislative Assembly, it is my responsibility to alert the ACB and that's why I have lodged a complaint with the ACB.
Los Angeles, June 6 : Hollywood stars Zendaya and Tom Holland took home top honours at the MTV Movie and TV Awards.

Actress Vanessa Hudgens hosted the ceremony live on MTV. Tayshia Adams took over the hosting duties for the second part of the show, honouring the best in unscripted television, reports 'Variety'.

Zendaya and Holland won big, with each scoring a performance nod for their respective roles in 'Euphoria' and 'Spider-Man: No Way Home', which also won best show and best movie awards.

Actress Scarlett Johansson won best hero for her turn as 'Black Widow', while Daniel Radcliffe took home the best villain award for his performance in 'The Lost City'.

Actor Jack Black took home the Comedic Genius Award, while Jennifer Lopez accepted the Generation Award and delivered an emotional speech, in which she thanked her children, the people who gave her joy and her manager Benny Medina, as well as "all the people who told me to my face or when I wasn't in the room that I couldn't do this." Earlier in the ceremony, Lopez took home the award for best song for 'On My Way (Marry Me)'.

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' took home The Best Movie honour. It was competing against films such as 'Dune', 'Scream', 'Shang-Chi' and the 'Legend of the Ten Rings', 'The Adam Project' and 'The Batman'.

The Best Show award went to Zendaya-starrer 'Euphoria'. Others in the same category included names such as 'Squid Game', 'Ted Lasso', 'Inventing Anna', 'Loki' and 'Yellowstone'.

Poopies and the snake from 'Jackass Forever' were feted with the Best Kiss trophy. While in the Best Comedic Performance, Ryan Reynolds took home the honour for 'Free Guy'.

In the Breakthrough Performance genre, it was Sophia Di Martino's performance from 'Loki' which was named as the winner.
Hyderabad, June 6 : Mahesh Babu, who is riding high on the success of his film 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata', is currently chilling with his family in Germany. Trivikram Srinivas, the director of Mahesh's upcoming film 'SSMB28', is expected to join the actor in Germany for another round of story discussion.

Following the success of 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata', Mahesh Babu appears to be picky about his next project and has suggested a few changes to the script, which Trivikram has been working on for a few weeks.

Trivikram and a few of his assistant writers have flown to Europe to discuss the matter, where they will most likely meet Mahesh in Germany to discuss the script.

Namrata is also expected to participate in discussions about the film's business aspects, promotions, and possible casting, according to industry sources.

While actress Pooja Hegde from 'Radhe Shyam' has already signed on to play Mahesh's love interest, music director Thaman has already jumped at the chance to compose the soundtrack for the film.

'SSMB28' marks the second time collaboration between Mahesh Babu and Trivikram.

The movie will get on the sets soon.
New Delhi, June 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the death of seven youngsters due to drowning in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore.

In a tweet on Monday, the Prime Minister's Office said, "I'm saddened by the drowning of youngsters in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore. In this time of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families: PM Modi." In an unfortunate incident, seven girls drowned in a check dam across the Geddilam river on Sunday afternoon.

Police said that the girls, who were neighbours and friends, had entered the water at the check dam across Geddilam river to take bath when they got washed away with the undercurrent and drowned.

The girls belonged to A. Kuchipalayam near Nellikuppam in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.

Police said the Fire and Rescue personnel at Cuddalore rushed to the spot and tried to save the girls but could not. They retrieved their bodies later. The bodies have been sent to the Cuddalore district hospital for post-mortem.
Chennai, June 6 : V.K.Sasikala, the estranged former interim general secretary of AIADMK, on Monday called for reunification of the party to make it a fighting force in Tamil Nadu.

In a statement, she said that the party leaders and workers who are trying to prevent her entry into the AIADMK were indirectly supporting the DMK. She expressed confidence in solving all the issues plaguing the party.

Notably, a section of the party leaders led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami is against her entry to the party fold. While O. Panneerselvam-led faction of the AIADMK is supporting Sasikala's return, there is stringent opposition from second rung leaders led by D.Jayakumar and CVe Shanmugham.

Another factor that necessitates unity in the AIADMK is its recent fall out with its ally BJP leading to leaders from each side firing salvos against the other.

BJP leader Nainar Nagendran MLA has gone on record to invite Sasikala to the fold the saffron party. Sources in Sasikala camp told IANS that she is not interested in directly joining the BJP, but wants to head the AIADMK.

With the opposition politics in Tamil Nadu turning murkier by the day with BJP and AIADMK taking on each other, Sasikala is trying to emerge into a major force in the AIADMK politics.
London, June 6 : In his first Test since resigning as the England skipper in April this year, Joe Root made a stunning 115 not out to help England hunt down 277 and seal a five-wicket victory over New Zealand at Lord's. Root's phenomenal century, his 26th in the format which also took him to the 10,000 Test runs club meant that England began their summer of 2022 on a winning note.

But after the match, Root revealed that his relationship with Test captaincy, especially after England had won just one out of their last 17 matches under him, including a 4-0 Ashes defeat and 1-0 loss to West Indies, had become "very unhealthy".

"I was unaware of how much it was grabbing hold of me. It had become a very unhealthy relationship, the captaincy and me. It had started to take a bad toll on my own personal health. I couldn't leave it at the ground any more, it was coming home, it was not fair on my family, people close to me or myself either," said Root to reporters after the match.

After the 1-0 loss to West Indies, Root had claimed that he still had it in him to lead the Test side. But in April, Root stepped down from the captaincy role, admitting that it had taken a toll on him. Now, after taking England to victory over New Zealand, Root explained how stepping down from the leadership role was liberating.

"As soon as I made the decision (to step down) I knew it was the right thing to do. I felt like a big weight had been lifted. As hard as it was, obviously it's been a huge privilege and something that I'm extremely proud to have done, but it's time for a new phase in my career. And it's one that I'm very much looking forward to, seeing one of my best mates (Ben Stokes) now take this team forward and start in a way that he has." With England now 1-0 up in three-match series, Root wants to again gain the feeling of winning a Test match when taking field against New Zealand on June 10. "This (winning a Test match) is a very nice feeling. It's felt like a long time. But it's one that you want to feel over and over again. So, again, having experienced that this week, it's one that we want to make sure that, when we turn up to Trent Bridge, we're on the right side of it again, and can feel it again."
Dhaka, June 6 : The death toll due to a devastating blaze at a container depot in Bangladesh's Chittagong district has increased to 49, with the blaze still continuing to rage on Monday despite efforts to douse it even after 38 hours, authorities said.

Currently, 10 fire service units are working along with a military rescue and chemical expert team comprising 200 members.

The devastating blaze broke out at about 10.30 p.m. on Saturday at the private BM Container Depot Ltd, a Netherlands-Bangladesh joint venture company, in Sitakunda.

Authorities said that within 40 minutes of the raging fire, there was a massive explosion and the blaze spread from one container to the other due to the presence of explosive chemicals.

Of the 49 victims, nine were fire fighting personnel. So far 23 victims have been identified.

More than 160 people were injured, including 10 policemen and 15 fire fighters.

Sitakunda Circle Additional Superintendent of Police, Ashraful Karim told IANS on Monday that the Chittagong district administration has formed a nine-member body to probe the origin of the raging inferno and so far, no case has been registered in connection to the incident.

He added there was no water left in the ponds surrounding the depot to put out the fire.

However, the containers will now be removed with an excavator, and a path will be formed for fire service personnel to supply water to all the spots, Karim told IANS.

The BM Container Depot did not have proper authorisation to store chemical agents in the facility, claims Tofazzal Hossain, an explosives inspector in the port city.

This directly contradicts with the depot officials' earlier claim that they did have paperwork for storing such materials, he said.

Tofazzal said hydrogen peroxide, the chemical agent that many are assuming stoked the fire, may not be behind the explosion at all.

"Hydrogen peroxide is an accelerant agent, it can help spread the fire, but it never causes it," he said.

Since the fire is yet to be contained, an inspection team led by Tofazzal could not get close to the area still on fire.

"We could not get to the bottom of it. But I'm certain there were other chemical agents or materials which explode under the right circumstances, such as they come into contact with fire or any other materials." Meanwhile, Fire Service Director General Brigadier Md Main Uddin confirmed to IANS that the Fire Service and Civil Defence has formed a five-member body to look into the incident and will submit an inquiry report within three working days.
Riyadh, June 6 : Saudi Arabia has condemned and denounced statements by the now suspended BJP spokesperson which constituted an insult to the Prophet Mohammed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh said.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), insulting the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion, alongside all religious figures and symbols," Saudi state news agency SPA quoted the Ministry as saying.

On Sunday, the BJP suspended party spokespersons Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal for their comments on Prophet Muhammad and said that party's view is to respect all religions.

Sharma was the party national spokesperson and Jindal the spokesperson and head of media department of the BJP Delhi unit.

The Saudi Ministry welcomed the BJP's measures and reiterated the Kingdom's position calling for respecting all beliefs and religions, Al Arabiya reported.

Gulf states Qatar and Kuwait have summoned their Indian ambassadors.

Doha demanded the Indian government issue a public apology over Sharma's comments.

After being suspended, Sharma issued an apology and said she unconditionally withdraw her statement, adding that it was never her intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings.
Bengaluru, June 6 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has sought a report from the principle secretary of the state's health department in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases.

Bommai on Monday further stated that he would initiate action after going through the report.

"I have a sought report in the backdrop of spike in the numbers of Covid. Health Department principle secretary has informed that he will convey district wise meeting and submit the report." Based on that, decisions would be taken and no need to get panic, he stated.

Regarding the distribution of compensation to the families of people who died of Covid during the second wave last year, Bommai said that the funds have been released and if anyone is left out, they will be compensated.

Karnataka's new Covid numbers crossed the 300-mark in the last 24 hours.

The state reported 301 new Covid cases, while Bengaluru alone registered 291 infections.

The positivity rate has jumped to 1.40 per cent.

One death was reported in same period hours and number of total active cases stood at 2,414 in the state. The active cases in Bengaluru are 2,294 while 21,413 tests were conducted in the state till Sunday evening.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Kochi, June 6 : The open re-auction of the Thar jeep gifted by the Mahindra group to the famed Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple in Kerala's Thrissur fetched Rs 4.3 million on Monday.

As many as 14 people had taken part in the re-auction and after several rounds, it was eventually won by Dubai-based businessman Vignesh Vijaykumar, who was represented by his father Vijaykumar.

The new owner of the Thar will have to pay 12 per cent GST before taking its possession.

In November 2021, the Mahindra Group had gifted the vehicle to the famed temple and in December, it was placed for auction at a base price of Rs 1.5 million and just one buyer had turned up and he increased the bid price by Rs 10,000.

With no other buyer in the fray, he had won the vehicle, but then in the wake of strong opposition, the temple board decided to cancel the auction despite the strong resistance by the lone buyer who even threatened to take legal recourse.

Vijaykumar, who won the auction on Monday, told the media that his son who is in Dubai was very particular that since being the vehicle of Lord Guruvayoorappan, it should be bought.

"My son instructed me to get the Thar at any cost which I did," said Vijaykumar.
New Delhi, June 6 : Low-cost airline SpiceJet on Monday said that 90 barred pilots will undergo re-training after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine on the carrier.

The domestic aviation regulator had recently fined the carrier for training pilots on faulty simulators. The DGCA had barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from operating the Boeing 737 Max aircraft, and those pilots were subjected to retraining on 737 Max simulators.

In a statement, DGCA Director General Arun Kumar said: "For the moment, we have barred these pilots from flying Max and they have to retrain successfully for flying Max.

"Also, we will take strict action against those found responsible for the lapse." At present, the airline has 650 pilots trained to operate the 737 Max aircraft.

As per the advice of DGCA, the company restricted these 90 pilots from operating MAX aircraft, until these pilots undergo re-training to the satisfaction of the regulator, SpiceJet said in a regulatory filing to the exchanges.

"This restriction does not impact the operations of MAX aircraft and the company has adequate trained pilots available for its operations. Basis the observation of DGCA these 90 pilots shall undergo re-training. DGCA has imposed penalty of Rs 10 lakh basis its audit observations," the filing read.
Chennai, June 6 : Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) and senior DMK leader, P.K. Sekar Babu said on Monday that the government would act as a bridge between the 'Dheekshithars' and Sri Sabanayagar temple in Chidambaram.

He also said that the government would take a just and balanced decision without hurting anyone's sentiments.

The HR&CE Minister was speaking to reporters after having darshan at the Kanagasabhai mandapam in the Sri Sabanayagar temple, Chidambaram. The Minister said that Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin has directed that the expectations of all sections of the society should be met on a balanced scale without hurting any particular section.

He also said that he shared the views of the government with the Dheekshithars and elicited their views as also perused the rules governing the administration of the temple.

The Minister also said that the government would not take any decision that was injurious to any section and that the government was for prevailing cordial relationship between all sections of the people.

Sekar Babu said, "Our intention is that all sections of the people live happily without any prejudice or bad blood and hope that all issues will be settled amicably with the blessings of Lord Natarajar." The HR&CE Minister also said that the state government had increased the grant given to temples to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1 lakh for one-time pooja. He also said that while the number of such temples receiving Rs 1 lakh grant for poojas was earlier 12,959, the present government has added 2000 more temples into the list.

The Minister said that the state government was also providing a monthly aid of Rs 1000 to 10,109 temple priests. Sekar Babu also assured that he would take up consecration works of 1500 temples at Rs 1000 crore and that he would take up the renovation and consecration works of the Thillai Govindaraja Perumal temple in Chidambaram.
June 06 : After Kartik Aaryan revealed on social media that he is Covid positive, the grapevine is now abuzz with the news that three more actors have contacted the virus.

According to media reports, Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif have tested positive for Covid 19. The Pathaan actor was recently seen coming out from a dubbing studio in Mumbai. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted today, "Just came to know that our Brand Ambassador Shahrukh Khan has been detected covid positive. Pray fastest recovery for the superstar. Get well Shahrukh! Spring back asap!

Just came to know that our Brand Ambassador Shahrukh Khan has been detected covid positive. Pray fastest recovery for the superstar. Get well Shahrukh! Spring back asap!  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 5, 2022

Vicky returned from Abu Dhabi on Sunday after receiving the IIFA 2022 award for Best Actor. Katrina skipped the IIFA event on Saturday, where her husband was awarded the Best Actor for Sardar Udham. It is also reported that the actress must have tested Covid positive as the shoot schedule of her film Merry Christmas with Vijay Sethupathi has been rescheduled. It is also reported that Katrina has completed her quarantine period.

Aditya Roy Kapoor, has also reportedly tested positive for the virus. Aditya recently unveiled the motion poster of his film, Om: The Battle Within.

It is also reported that at least 55 people who attended Karan Johars 50th birthday bash tested Covid positive. Shah Rukh, Vicky, Katrina and Aditya were also present at the party, which was hosted at Yash Raj Studios.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday asked people to be on alert after a daily rise in coronavirus cases was observed. BMC tweeted, Due to rising Covid-19 cases in Mumbai and a possibility of fourth wave, all labs and hospitals have been put on alert. We urge all to wear masks and take care. Film studios in Mumbai have been asked not to organise parties.
New Delhi, June 6 : India on Monday strongly objected to Pakistan's comments and said that Islamabad should focus on the safety of its minorities.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi said: "We have noted statements and comments from Pakistan. The absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone. The world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan.

"The government of India accords the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogied and monuments are built in their honour.

"We call on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities instead of engaging in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India." Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi strongly condemned the derogatory remarks made by two now-suspended BJP spokepersons against Prophet Muhammad.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Sharif said: "I condemn in strongest possible words hurtful comments of India's BJP leader about our beloved Prophet (PBUH). Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. World should take note & severely reprimand India.

"Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is supreme. All Muslims can sacrifice their life for the Love & Respect of their Holy Prophet (PBUH)."
Bhopal, June 6 : A 32-year-old woman was shot dead by her husband after a feud erupted between the couple in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district early on Monday. The accused husband, Rishabh Singh Bhadoria, is a former spokesperson of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee.

As per the police, Bhadoria, a resident of Thatipur area in Gwalior, was living with his family and preliminary investigation revealed that the couple had heated arguments on Sunday evening, which continued the next morning also.

Police said that during the argument, Bhadoria took out his gun and pointed it at his wife who tried to run away, but her husband opened fire.

Bhadoria's father heard a gunshot and rushed inside the room and found his daughter-in-law (Bhavna Bahdoria) lying in a pool of blood on the ground. Subsequently, he informed the local police station. The couple have two children who were sleeping when the incident took place.

Before the police could reach the spot, Bhadoria ran away with his gun.

He was also allegedly involved in the violence that took place in Gwalior and Chambal on April 2. There are some other criminal cases registered against him. The district administration had in 2020 also initiated proceedings against him to expel him from the city limits.

Police said there are around 16 cases pending against him which include murder, attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, assault, and possession of illegal weapons.

"A case has been registered and the body has been sent for the post-mortem. Family persons are being interrogated to find out the reason behind the scuffle. A search operation to nab the accused has been launched," said a senior police official.
7 young representatives, including a 5 year old Ajmer girl participates in Water for All conference in Netherlands. Image Source: IANS News

7 young representatives, including a 5 year old Ajmer girl participates in Water for All conference in Netherlands. Image Source: IANS News

7 young representatives, including a 5 year old Ajmer girl participates in Water for All conference in Netherlands. Image Source: IANS News

Jaipur, June 6 : A total of seven young representatives, including a 5-year-old Ajmer girl participated in the 'Water for All' conference held recently at the Peace Palace in the Netherlands. The conference was organised by Living Peace Projects Foundation.

Besides participants from the business community, others who entered an interactive dialogue with spiritual leaders on water, were the youngsters, who voiced their concern to protect water bodies from pollution and ensure clean water provision for all in the world.

Aged between 5 and 25 years, the participants entered into interactive dialogue to share their perspective on the importance of water.

Speaking on the occasion, Samar Chisty from Ajmer, aged 5, said "If you save water, water will save you." Samar is the daughter of Syed Salman Chisty, spiritual head of Ajmer Sharif Dargah and chairman of Chisty Foundation.

Prubleen Kaur Bhogal from Birmingham, 16, said, "Sacred water is a tangible connection to my Gurus." Prableen is grand-daughter of Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, chairman of the Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha UK, who is the first British Sikh to be awarded the official title of 'Bhai Sahib' by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee, SGPC, Amritsar.

Erik de Baedts, the Director of the Peace Palace, the Hague, received the first copy of the educational "Water Springs", a special book which the spiritual leaders have worked on together.

Mila Mohan, 13, the daughter of Brahmarishi Mohanji, a humanitarian, addressing the gathering, said, "This book has to be in every library." The other youngsters who participated in the conference included Viviana Franco Hernandez, Environmental Engineer, Netherlands; Abidemi Tolulope Kuye, Engineer, water purification, Nigeria; Jorn Beltman, designer and building engineer; Mohamad Al Jounde, International Children's Peace Prize Winner 2017.

The 'Water for All' ceremony witnessed water from 18 sacred sources being brought and merged together, representing the oneness of spirituality, creation and humanity.

Afterwards, the merged water was used to create exquisite glass water jewel pendants, to wear as a symbol of solidarity with the mission.

These 18 water sources included rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Brahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej, Karnali, Imeq, Mississippi, Rhine, Jordan, Lake Manasarovar, Kali Bein, Nile, Amazon, Water Spring Ajmer Sharif, Water Spring Mekka and Nakki Lake.

The conference concluded after the spiritual leaders gave a call to act and express commitment towards the cause.

The very first 'Water for All' ceremony took place in Assisi, Italy, in June 2018, which was immediately preceded by a visit to Greenland, to witness the melting of the ancient glaciers, sacred to the native population.

Other events included a trip to the Kumbh Mela in February 2019, and Palpung Sherabling Monastery, Himachal Pradesh, in February 2020.
New Delhi, June 6 : A vacation bench of the Delhi High Court on Monday refused an urgent listing of a petition challenging the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order to stop the offering of 'namaz' at a mosque near Qutub Minar.

A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Kumar Ohri and Poonam A. Bamba said that there was no urgency in hearing the matter, denying the Delhi Waqf Board's request.

Last week, a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi also refused urgent hearing in the matter.

On May 24, a lower court had reserved the appeal against the dismissal of a suit seeking restoration of the Hindu and Jain temples and the deities at the Qutub Minar complex.

The verdict in the matter will be delivered on June 9.

Additional District Judge Nikhil Chopra of Saket Court had earlier observed that the 'deity at the Qutub Minar Complex has survived for 800 years without any worship', and "let it survive in that way". He said this during the hearing of the appeal challenging the rejection of a suit alleging that the Quwwat-uL-Islam Masjid situated within the Qutub Minar complex in Mehrauli was built in place of a temple complex.
Chennai, June 6 : Member of Parliament and DMK leader, T.K.S. Elangovan has raked up a controversy stating that Hindi is the language of underdeveloped states and implementing that language in Tamil Nadi will make Tamil people 'shudras'.

The MP on Monday said that Hindi is the native language in underdeveloped states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.

He also said that states like West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat do not have Hindi as their native tongue and added that these states were developed states.

Elangovan also said, "Hindi will convert us to shudras, will not do any good for us".

The DMK leader has allegedly used a casteist slur while attacking Hindi language.

Earlier, there were protests across Tamil Nadu against the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that Hindi should be used as an alternative to English and not regional languages. he was addressing the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language committee in New Delhi a few months ago.

Tamil Nadu Education Minister K. Ponmudy had also stirred a controversy when he said job prospects for Hindi speakers in the state were weak as most of them sold pani-puris and did menial jobs.
New Delhi, June 6 : Vedanta Aluminium, India's largest producer of aluminium has declared that its largest aluminium smelter has substantially reduced its GHG, or greenhouse gas emissions intensity (carbon footprint), by around 12 per cent in FY22 over theprevious fiscal, while increasing production volume by 20 per cent .

On World Environment Day, Vedanta Aluminium committed to reduce GHG emissions intensity by 25 per cent by 2030, over FY21 baseline, as part of its climate action endeavours.

Historically, Vedanta Aluminium has reduced its GHG emissions intensity by 21 per cent in the 2012-21 period, while almost tripling its production in the same period.

Vedanta Aluminium has deployed a multi-pronged approach for combating climate change.

This includes operating plants at high levels of operational efficiencies, increasing quantum of renewables in energy mix, and transitioning to cleaner fuels from fossil fuels. As a testimony to its climate action initiatives: Vedanta Aluminium is the first from India to launch low carbon 'green' aluminium, branded Restora, whose carbon footprint is nearly half of the global threshold of 4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of aluminium for low carbon aluminium.

Vedanta Aluminium is India's largest consumer of renewable energy, at 3 billion units in FY22.

The company has signed a Power Delivery Agreement for 380 MW of renewable energy for its aluminium smelters.

It has commissioned India's largest industrial electric fleet of 27 forklifts powered by lithium-ion batteries.

It has expanded its existing carbon sink with plantation of 4 lakh more saplings in FY22.

Vedanta Aluminium's BALCO plant continues to be the national benchmark in lowest.

Specific Power Consumption or SPC (a metric which establishes the energy efficiency of operations; lower SPC denotes higher energy efficiency) Operational efficiency and energy conservation initiatives have resulted in energy savings of 23 lakh Giga Joules in FY22.

Created 9 rainwater harvesting infrastructures in last fiscal alone, having a combined water saving potential of 194 million litres.

Speaking about Vedanta Aluminium's approach to sustainable development, Rahul Sharma, CEO, Aluminium Business, Vedanta Limited, said: "Being India's largest producers of aluminium, we firmly believe in our role as climate action stewards while being industry leaders. We have set ambitious targets for ourselves on our road to Net Zero Carbon by 2050, with the first milestone being 25 per cent reduction in GHG emissions intensity by 2030. We have adopted a 360-degree approach to sustainable development, which includes products, processes, technology, policy and partnerships. We believe our actions will help build a net-zero climate-resilient business, while creating virtuous circles of sustainable growth, jobs and opportunities, for us, our stakeholders, the nation and world at large." The past year has seen Vedanta Aluminium increase its focus significantly in the areas of carbon reduction, renewable energy, biodiversity, air, water, waste management and communities.

For instance, the company has signed several MoUs with India's leading technology institutes for extracting residual value out of industrial by-products like fly-ash and bauxite-residue, as well as establishing circular economy avenues for their utilisation.
New Delhi, June 6 : The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine a plea by medical students seeking a fresh mop-up round to fill vacant postgraduate medical seats under the All-India Quota (AIQ) in the NEET 2021.

A vacation bench comprising Justices M.R. Shah and Aniruddha Bose asked the advocate representing the petitioners to serve a copy of the petition to the respondents -- Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), National Board of Examination, and the Centre.

The top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on June 8.

The petitioners have sought a direction to MCC to conduct a special stray round of counselling to allow the candidates to participate for the vacant seats which are available after the conduct of the stray vacancy round of AIQ. The petitioners also sought a direction to MCC to provide the exact number of vacant seats after the conduct of the stray vacancy round of AIQ.

The plea, filed through advocate Milind Kumar, said: "On 11.05.2022, vide a reply to an RTI, the petitioners were informed that some seats are still vacant and that the information regarding the same runs into 101 pages. This ignited a ray of hope in the petitioners as they were still without a seat and that these vacant seats would provide a fair chance to all the candidates placed similarly as the petitioners." The plea contended that the petitioner made umpteen efforts to contact the appropriate authorities by emails to obtain information regarding the vacant seats but received no response.

The plea said as per the notification released by MCC on April 18, 2022, a special stray round was organised in the UG counselling for the vacant 323 seats in order to make sure that precious seats do not go to waste.

"The MCC has taken steps to ensure that the vacant seats do not go to waste in the UG counselling, they can adopt a similar method with respect to PG counselling. In the interest of justice, this will provide a fair opportunity to everyone who could not secure a seat in the previous rounds of counselling and also be advantageous to the colleges as it will generate revenue for them," added the plea.
New York, June 6 : Narcissist bosses can cause knowledge barriers within organisations and hinder cooperation between teams due to a sense of superiority, finds a study.

Narcissism, in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others, is a prominent trait among top executives, and most people have seen the evidence in their workplaces.

These individuals believe they have superior confidence, intelligence and judgement, and will pursue any opportunity to reinforce those inflated self-views and gain admiration.

Researchers from the University of Washington showed that narcissism can also cause knowledge barriers within organisations.

When different units in the same company share information, it boosts performance and creates a competitive advantage.

Narcissists hinder this knowledge transfer due to a sense of superiority that leads them to overestimate the value of internal knowledge and underestimate the value of external knowledge, researchers noted in the study, published in the Strategic Management Journal.

"Narcissism affects people's desire to be distinctive," said Abhinav Gupta, Associate Professor of Management in the varsity's Foster School of Business.

"It's correlated with people wanting glory for themselves. We hypothesised that business-unit heads that have those traits would be the ones to say, 'We don't want to work with you. We have sufficient skills and knowledge and abilities that we will work independently.' That was very strongly borne out based on our research design," he added.

The team surveyed business units of a headhunting company in China that helps organisations recruit talent and search for technical personnel. These units must share knowledge about building talent pools, identifying skills and persuading prospects to accept offers.

Researchers asked unit heads to rate, among other factors, their own narcissistic traits, the environmental complexity of the local market and perceived competition with other units. They then asked deputies to rate the level of knowledge imported from other units.

The study found that unit-head narcissism can prevent knowledge sharing. That tendency diminished in fast-changing or complex environments because narcissists had an excuse to pursue external ideas. But when businesses have high inter-unit competition, narcissists are more tempted to distinguish themselves from other units.

The research has multiple implications for companies, Gupta said. For example, when filling roles that require knowledge sharing, managers might watch for signs of narcissistic personality traits.
New Delhi, June 6 : The Department of Tourism, Govt of West Bengal and Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) held a day-long workshop to formulate a tourism development strategy aiming at creation of livelihood and job opportunities, was held on June, 4, 2022 at ITC, Royal Bengal Hotel on the development of a tourism strategic roadmap for West Bengal.

FAITH, the policy federation of all the ten national associations representing the complete tourism, travel and hospitality industry of India - Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), Federation of Hotel & Restaurants Association of India (FHRAI), Hotel Association of India (HAI), Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA), Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), held a detailed strategy formulation meet on development of a tourism roadmap in association with Govt of West Bengal.

The day-long workshop, the first in series in pursuance to the Memorandum of Agreement signed between the FAITH and Govt of West Bengal on April, 21, 2022, held discussions on multiple issues relating to strategy roadmap for tourism development for the state of West Bengal.

There was a consensus to evaluate in detail many of the issues concerning tourism, travel and hospitality industry including policy for heritage tourism, direct and last mile connectivity for tourist destinations, strengthening single window clearance mechanism for tourism, seamless tourist transportation, adventure and eco-tourism policy, prioritization of top 10 tourism products & segments, marketing & awareness campaign, development of district-wise tourism inventory and tourism calendars.

The workshop discussed ways to evolve an eclectic and holistic tourism strategy for tapping the immense tourism potential of the state; connecting tourism with the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the state thereby promoting and protecting folk art, craft and folk genres. It was decided to constitute sub-groups for more focused attention on niche tourism sectors including Heritage Tourism, Rural Tourism, Film Tourism, Adventure Tourism, Eco Tourism, River Tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) Tourism.

The evolving strategy shall be expected to focus on skilling, re-skilling and upskilling of different professionals and stakeholders engaged in the travel and tourism industry with a view to unlock the huge employment opportunities, while also ensuring seamless delivery of services for all the sectoral stakeholders and end-beneficiaries i.e. tourists intending to visit West Bengal from different parts of the country.

For Govt of West Bengal, the day-long workshop was attended by Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and District Magistrates, Commissioner/Superintendent of Police under the leadership of Chief Secretary, Dr H.K Dwivedi while from FAITH (Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality), the session was attended by presidents of its member associations and their key West Bengal representatives under the leadership of Nakul Anand, Chairman, FAITH, Harshvardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group and Nazib Arif, EVP Corporate Communication ITC were also present as members of the State Sectoral Task Force on Tourism.

A detailed ideation on the above was subsequently undertaken with officials of Department of Tourism led by Tourism Secretary Dr Saumitra Mohan. A milestone and timeline-based implementation roadmap will be put in place by the joint task force for subsequent consideration by the Government of West Bengal.

The delegates expressed their gratitude to the Chief minister, Mamata Banerjee for her overall guidance.
Kanpur, June 6 : The Uttar Pradesh Police have released a poster with photographs of 40 persons who were caught on camera pelting stones and participating in the violence that erupted in Kanpur on Friday.

A WhatsApp number has been provided for the people to inform the police if they have any information about the alleged miscreants.

The police have assured that the identity of those giving information will not be disclosed.

As many as 38 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence, the FIR of which has 1,000 unnamed persons.
Kolkata: Governor of West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tribute to BR Ambedkar at West Bengal assembly during National Voters Day in Kolkata on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Kolkata, June 6 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will replace Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as Chancellor of all the state-run health, agricultural, and animal & fishery sciences universities.

A formal decision was taken by the state cabinet on Monday afternoon to replace the Governor with the Chief Minister as the visitor of private universities operating in the state.

At a previous meeting on May 26, it was decided to replace Dhankhar as the Chancellor of state universities. Monday's decision was an extension of that decision.

"The monsoon session of the West Bengal assembly is scheduled to start from June 13. The amendment bills on this account will likely be tabled in the monsoon session for clearance. Once the bills are cleared, they will be sent to the Governor for his consent," said a member of the Cabinet.

However, realising that the Governor will likely withhold his consent, the state government is prepared to bring in an ordinance.

The monsoon session of the assembly is expected to be quite stormy over two issues: The bills for replacing the Governor with the Chief Minister as university Chancellor or visitor, and the ongoing West Bengal School Service Commission recruitment scam.

The Trinamool Congress leadership has already instructed its legislators to maintain their cool while countering the jibes of the BJP legislators and avoid any kind of untoward scene as had happened in the previous session of the assembly where the ruling and opposition MLAs got into scuffles. A number of BJP legislators including the Leader of Opposition were suspended by the Speaker.
Bhopal, June 6 : Ex-armyman Braj Mohan Sharma, who had fought in the Kargil war in 1999, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his home town in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, the police said on Monday.

Police recovered the retired soldier's body tied with stones and a rope from a well. In its preliminary investigation, the police suspect that Sharma was killed due to electoral rivalry as he was contesting the Zilla Panchayat elections. Sharma was missing since June 1 and the family had filed a missing person complaint with the police.

Police said that an unidentified corpse was found in a well built in Bhaiya Saheb Yadav's field in Rijodi village under Bamor Kala police station. "When relatives were called to identify the body, it came out that he was a former soldier, Braj Mohan Sharma. The deceased was tied with stones and thrown into the well," Puneet Bajpai, Bamor Kala police station in-charge, said.

After lodging a case, the postmortem was done and the body was handed over to the relatives, Bajpai said adding that Sharma was preparing to fight the Zilla Panchayat elections.

Murari Lal Sharma, brother of the deceased, said that Braj Mohan Sharma was in the army for 27 years. "After retirement from the service, he returned to his village. He was living his life according to the rules of the army. He used to do everything according to the rules and the law," he added.

He said that Braj Mohan had contested the Sarpanch election last time also, but lost by 17 votes. This time he was contesting for the Zilla Panchayat.
Panaji, June 6 : Goa Police on Monday launched its crackdown on illegal massage parlours running in the state, with the first case reported from Anjuna in North Goa.

One person was detained in this connection and articles used for massage and the register maintaining names of customers attached.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi told IANS that police will continue to raid massage parlours operating illegally.

"Chief Minister has given us clear instructions to crack down on illegal massage parlours. We were gathering information of such activities and today we raided one parlour, which was operating without obtaining permission from the Health Department, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Panchayat, and the owner even doesn't have a trade license and shops and business establishment license," he said.

He said that this massage parlour was running without required permissions since the last four years.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced that a strict crackdown on such business in the coastal state will take place from Monday.

He had said that Police Inspectors of respective areas will be held responsible if illegal activities are found taking place.
Chennai, June 6 : The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee has said that it will conduct massive protest marches across the state against the Karnataka government's proposed move to construct a dam across Cauvery river in Mekedatu in that state.

TNCC president, K.S. Alagiri in a statement said that the party wants the Karnataka government to reconcile on the construction of Mekedatu dam and if it is continuing with the proposal, then the Congress in Tamil Nadu would conduct massive protests across the state.

The Congress leader also said that it was the Congress party while in power in Delhi contributed immensely to the growth of Tamil Nadu.

He said that during the Manmohan Singh government there were a slew of projects for Tamil Nadu, challenging the state BJP to list out the number of projects that had come into the state during its eight-year rule in Delhi. He said that the BJP even scuttled Rs 2000 crore Sethusamudram project that was sanctioned by the UPA government.

The senior Congress leader also said that it was during the UPA regime that Tamil language was accorded the status of 'Senmozhi' or classical language.

He also came down heavily on BJP state president, K. Annamalai's statement that Tamil leaders including Ministers and MPs don't know English language. The TNCC president said that a person could be criticized if he does not know his mother tongue but there was nothing wrong if a person does not know another language.

He said that not knowing English was not something to be ashamed of and called upon Annamalai to speak well in English and to get the projects for Tamil Nadu released from the central government.

The TNCC president also lashed out at the BJP and said that under the Vande Bharat scheme not even a single train was allocated to Tamil Nadu.
London, June 6 : A weekly intake of a drug, approved to treat Type 2 diabetes, can provide substantial and sustained reductions in body weight, according to a study.

The experimental drug, called tirzepatide, developed by US pharma major Eli Lilly has also been hailed as an alternative to bariatric surgery.

Tirzepatide combines synthetic mimics of two hormones known as GLP-1 and GIP that our guts naturally release after we eat to make us feel full. These naturally occurring hormones also help control blood sugar.

In May, the US Food and Drug Administration approved tirzepatide, under the trade name Mounjaro, for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Currently, Tirzepatide is not available for weight loss, but Eli Lilly is aiming to get an updated timeline from the FDA this year.

The drug, which is currently available in an injectable form, "is a welcome relief," Dr. Anil Arora, chairman, Institute of Liver, Gastroenterology, Pancreaticobiliary Science at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, told IANS.

"The combination of the two hormones go and tell the brain that your stomach is full or you have enough reserves and you don't need to eat more. So that restricts your appetite that makes you burn more calories which are residing in your body unutilised helping you lose weight," he added.

In the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, an international team, including from Yale University, randomly split 2,539 overweight or obese participants into four equal groups.

One group was offered a self-administered placebo injection once a week for 72 weeks, while the other three groups were offered either 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg of tirzepatide. They were also recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week.

At the end of the 72-week period, participants given 5 mg of tirzepatide each week lost an average of 16.1 kg, those given 10mg lost an average of 22.2 kg, and those given the 15 mg an average of 23.6 kg. Those given a placebo injection lost an average of 2.4 kg.

Those who took the highest of three doses lost as much as 21 per cent of their body weight compared to those who took placebo.

One disadvantage of people who undergo bariatric surgery is that they tend to regain weight. But here with the drug, one can tweak the hormones, which are taking the signals from the intracellular tract to tell the brain that you are hungry, Arora said.

Importantly, this "type of therapy does not interfere with the normal structure of the body" unlike endoscopic surgery or bariatric surgery, where the size of the stomach is decreased, he noted.

Weight loss of 15 per cent to more than 20 per cent also has the potential to change the way doctors treat diabetes.

A previous study of tirzepatide in diabetes showed that half the participants who were early in the course of their diabetes went into remission while taking the drug.

"That is a potential game changer in how we think about therapy for people with Type 2 diabetes," Dr. Robert Gabbay, chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association, was quoted as saying to USA Today.

However, what's not known, Gabbay said, is whether remission achieved this way will reduce the typical complications of diabetes, which can include cardiovascular disease, nerve and kidney damage and limb amputations.
Thiruvananthapuram, June 6 : An audio clip of a three time former legislator Johnny Nelloor, presently secretary of the United Democratic Front (UDF), wherein he demands a state car and a chairmanship of a Corporation, if he has to defect to the ruling CPI-M led Left Democratic Front, has surfaced.

Reacting to this, Nelloor said he completely denies such a thing.

"I am the secretary of the UDF and this has been created to take away the big win that we had at the Thrikkakara assembly by-election a few days back. I will take legal steps against this," said Nelloor, who is a top leader of the Kerala Congress, the third biggest ally of the Congress led UDF.

The audio clip that has now found its way to the TV channels also has Nelloor saying that he has been offered posts by the BJP, but since he does not like to join the BJP, he has declined it.

"I need a state car and a chairmanship of a Corporation as I have to have a reason to defect to the Left Front," Nelloor in the audio clip can be heard saying.

The erstwhile Kerala Congress (M) of which Nelloor was a top leader, is presently an ally of the ruling LDF government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and when they joined the Left, he preferred to remain with the faction that was with the Congress led UDF.

Meanwhile, Hafeez, the person who was informed about these demands, told the media that it was on Saturday night at 10.25 p.m. that he got this call from Nelloor.

"Anyone can find out that I got a call from him (Johnny Nelloor). It was me who decided to put this conversation that we had in public domain. I am ready to face any legal recourse to this. Nelloor himself is a lawyer and he knows everything. He can just walk into a police station and file a case against me and I am prepared to face that also," said Hafeez, a party worker attached to the Kerala Congress (M).
The average man, particularly the average young man, or woman, may have trouble articulating their situation, but they know what they are experiencing: stagnant economy, deep trouble in agriculture, symptomised by an appalling number of rural suicides every year, collapse of industry, no jobs and no hope of jobs, a state government that in fact has no money and falls deeper into debt with every passing year.

[A] report by Common Cause points towards an ingrained distrust of the police and by extension, the government. Some people may be able to identify a year or a period when this distrust took root; for others, it is just a 'given' that they grew up with.

Militancy itself was a symptom of a long-standing sense of alienation. The state's response drove that alienation deeper. Ruthless measures employed to crush it perverted the administrative culture, particularly police culture. The courts were paralysed for 20 years.

Industry was always denied to Punjab on the pretext that the state was vulnerable to attack, and, in recent years, tax-holiday packages granted to neighbouring states have drained away industry and jobs. Traditionally, Punjab has been an agricultural state; but, if any hope remained in agriculture, then farmers and farm labourers would not be committing suicide.

Successive state governments have come in on big talk but, either because of indifference or inability, all the indicators show the state on a downward path. Parties woo the voters with solemn oaths to provide corruption-free and efficient governance; they promise to rescue agriculture and revive the villages; they commit to attracting industry and creating jobs.

If the claims are to be believed, would lakhs of young people and their parents make such a heroic effort to get out of Punjab, get out of India? It must also be pointed out that the politicians of Punjab send their own children abroad, which strongly suggests that they do not believe what they say either.

'It Can't be Worse There' The motivations of those desperate to leave Punjab are largely economic, but not only economic. Another thing that drives them to risk everything to get out of Punjab is the belief that there is absolutely nothing that they can do to change a corrupt administration, a rapacious police force, and a selfish, static, unresponsive political culture.

A story in 'The Indian Express' of March 3, 2018, quotes a youngster from a village in Gurdaspur district: He has studied up to Class 10 and wants to "get out of here". He says, "I don't believe Greece can be worse than Punjab. The agent has told me that there is always work for those who are willing to work hard. I am. At least I can go out and see the world." Within a decade or two, most of the generation that witnessed events of the 1980s and 1990s will be gone.

Some of that generation were sufficiently alienated from the government to get into a war with it. They were not alienated from home and faith, so fighting still seemed worthwhile. Very few of their children and grandchildren have much awareness of, or interest in, the traumas suffered by the preceding generation. They see so little hope in their homeland that fighting does not seem worthwhile; they simply leave.

If militancy was a symptom of alienation, then the present generation is even more alienated than their elders were. Legacies do not always have to be recognised or articulated to endure.

(Excerpted with permission from SAGE Publications India from the book The Legacy of Militancy in Punjab: Long Road to 'Normalcy' by Inderjit Singh Jaijee and Dona Suri)
New Delhi, June 6 : A bag containing severed human body parts was found at Ramlila Ground in east Delhi's Kalyanpuri area, police said on Monday.

According to an official, the police personnel while patrolling in the area noticed foul smell coming from near the bushes in the Ramlila Ground, in front of 20 Block, Kalyanpuri in east Delhi.

"The information was immediately passed to the Pandav Nagar police station," Deputy Commissioner of Police Priyanka Kashyap said. As soon as the information was received, the Station House Officer along with staff reached the spot and found a bag containing severed human parts stuffed in the bag.

Accordingly, the police registered a case under section 302 (punishment for murder) and 201 of the Indian Penal Code at the Pandav Nagar police station. The crime team of Delhi Police inspected the spot from where the bag was recovered.

The body parts that were found inside the bag have been preserved at the LBS mortuary. The body parts are yet to be identified.
New Delhi, June 6 : Terrorist and mastermind of the 2006 Varanasi serial bomb blasts, Waliullah Khan, was sentenced to death by a Ghaziabad court on Monday. The verdict came after over 16 years of the blasts, in which at least 20 people were reportedly killed and nearly 100 people injured.

The blasts were rocked at the Sankat Mochan temple and the cantonment railway station in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on March 7, 2006.

On Saturday, District Sessions Judge Jitendra Kumar Sinha convicted Waliullah in two cases lodged under IPC sections of murder, attempt to murder, and mutilation, and under the Explosives Act.

Hailing from Prayagraj, Waliullah, a mufti or Islamic legal authority, was arrested by police after a case was opened and his case was taken to Ghaziabad after Varanasi lawyers refused to protect him.

He faced trial in three cases, which included six cases registered at Lanka and Dashashwamedh police stations and the Government Railway Police precinct in Varanasi.
Chennai, June 6 : Tamil Nadu fire force personnel doused a fire that broke out at the Russian Cultural Centre, Chennai due to a short circuit. While it was a minor fire that broke out at the centre, the swift action of the firemen prevented any damage and casualties in the accident.

The fire was reported at 12.50 p.m. and two fire units from Teynampet and Mylapore were deployed to put out the fire.

Priya Ravichandran, Joint Director, Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) coordinated the operation and the fire team doused the fire within fifteen minutes of reaching the spot, sources in the department told IANS.

The fire force personnel evacuated all those who were present at the centre and then doused the fire, sources said.
Jammu, June 6 : A terror module, being run by LeT terrorist Mohammad Amin alias Khubaib from Pakistan, was recently busted in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur, police said on Monday.

"It is evident that Khobaib is making desperate attempt to revive militancy in Chenab region and attempts are made to allure and trap local youth in the net of militancy to run terror modules for carrying out attacks in Jammu province," a police official said.

Police also said on Monday that on the basis of specific input, generated by Doda police, on June 6, a cordon and search operation was launched by the local police, troops of 10 RR, and CRPF troopers in Kastigarh area of Doda.

"During search, the operation party recovered explosive material (IED device), along with a mobile phone and other incriminating material from the house of suspect, namely Irshad Ahmed S/o Mohd Yousuf R/o Dhandal, Kastigarh," police said.

Police have registered an FIR and Ahmed has been arrested.

"Investigation of the case is going on and more arrests/recoveries are expected in the case," police said.
Patna, June 6 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday raised questions on the socio-economic and caste census conducted by the then UPA government in 2010-11.

He said that the census report was never published or came into the public domain, and thus no one knows how it was drafted and what was its content.

"We are doing caste-based surveys in a better way and it will become a landmark for others. The data of the survey will be available in the public domain. Once it would be completed, I am sure other state governments would definitely think of doing the same in their places," he said after attending his Janata Darbar.

"We did a couple of meetings and the process of drafting the work is under progress. It will take another one month and then the ground work will start. The execution of ground work will be done through general administration. We will also take help from retired officers and employees who may be interested in it and have previous experience of census," he added.

He dismissed the statement of coalition partner HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, about his experience in the NDA.

Manjhi's Sunday statement came in the context of MLC election for 7 seats, out of which three will go to the opposition RJD and the other four to the NDA.

The JD-U is seeking a 2:2 seat-sharing formula while the BJP wants 3:1. Manjhi is also laying claim to one seat.
Ahmedabad, June 6 : Acting on a tip-off, the Gujarat ATS have arrested a man from Vastrapur area of Ahmedabad in Gujarat and recovered 80 grams of MDMA, 325 grams 'charas' and three and a half kg of cannabis from him.

According to sources, a man from Rajula in Amreli was dealing in drugs.

Last week, two brothers were arrested by the Ahmedabad Police Crime Branch for carrying drugs in the Andhajan Mandal area and 421.16 grams of mephedrone drugs worth Rs 42 lakh were recovered from the duo.

Upon questioning by police, the man from Vastrapur confessed to selling drugs to three drug peddlers -- Maruf and Salman from Vejalpur, and Farooq from Raikhad -- across the city who were arrested by Ahmedabad police Crime Branch.
Abuja, Nigeria  Nigerian authorities in the capital city of Abuja on Saturday said they're investigating the killing and burning of a man by a mob over accusations of blasphemy. Blasphemy has been a subject of debate in Nigeria in recent weeks after a Christian woman was also burned in the northwestern Sokoto State.

The Abuja Police Command public relations officer, Josephine Adeh, in a statement Saturday said the latest victim was 30-year-old Ahmad Usman a local vigilante member.

She said Usman was involved in an argument with an unidentified Muslim cleric in the Lugbe area of Abuja and it escalated.

She said a mob, numbering about 200, who were supporting the cleric, beat, stoned and then set Usman ablaze before police officials intervened.

"We received a distress call and then we responded to it by deploying our men from Lugbe division," Adeh told VOA by phone. "We were able to rescue the victim, who suffered a severe degree of burns, and then we took him immediately to the hospital where the doctor confirmed him dead."

Police surveillance and ambush teams have been patrolling the area since the incident. Adeh said normalcy has been restored. No arrests have been made.

Abuja's police commissioner on Sunday said the perpetrators will be sanctioned and warned against the use of so called "jungle justice" -- taking the law into one's own hands.

However, many businesses in the area remained shut Saturday evening over fear that more violence could erupt.

"The area is calm now, there's not much movement around based on what happened earlier, said Princewill Azubuike, a Lugbe resident. "There were gunshots earlier in the afternoon and there were people running around."

Blasphemy is a sensitive topic in Africa's most populous nation with a delicate balance of Muslim and Christian populations.

Three weeks ago, a mob in northwest Sokoto state killed and burned the body of a Christian student of the Shehu Shagari College over alleged blasphemy.

The incident triggered protests by Christian groups and human rights organizations. Some of the groups called for the authorities to expunge blasphemy from punishable crimes under the Nigerian law, but for now, it remains on the books.
New Delhi, June 6 : A video showing a rashly-driven SUV hitting a biker in the national capital went viral on social media on Monday, prompting the Delhi Police to take cognisance of the accident.

According to sources, the incident took place on Sunday in the Arjan Garh area when a group of bikers were riding their motorcycles. In the video, the bikers could be seen getting into an argument with an SUV (Mahindra Scorpio) driver simultaneously while riding their bikes.

In the 45-second clip posted by Anurag R. Iyer, the Scorpio could be seen driven rashly by the driver in the last 10 seconds and subsequently hitting one of the bikers.

The biker, identified as Shreyansh (20), fell down from his motorcycle and collided with railing across the road. As the biker was wearing a helmet, he received minor bruises and his life was saved.

"Please help us, the Scorpio driver almost killed a few of our riders and threatened to kill us by crushing us under the car. This is not what we vote for or pay taxes for. No one was severely injured. Gears respect riders," Iyer wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Additional DCP (south) Harsh Wardhan said they took note of the incident through social media and contacted the rider.

"A PCR call was also received at Fatehpur Beri police station at 7.30 am on Sunday," the official said.

He said that prima facie it looked like the Scorpio driver deliberately hit the motorcycle.

"We have registered a case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC at the Fatehpur beri police station," the official said, adding that that the accused has also been identified.

However, no arrests have been made so far.
Chennai, June 6 : One person was arrested by Customs officials for trying to smuggle out assorted foreign currencies equivalent to Rs 97.46 lakh, Customs Commissioner, Chennai International Airport, said on Monday.

According to the Customs, Wasim Akram, who was about to board a flight for Sharjah, was intercepted by Customs officers and his baggage was examined thoroughly.

During examination of his checked-in baggage, assorted foreign currency of various denominations equivalent to Rs 97.46 lakh was found concealed in a specially-designed cavity.

The foreign currency was seized and the passenger was arrested under the provisions of Customs Act, 1962.
New Delhi, June 6 : The Delhi High Court will on Wednesday hear the anticipatory bail plea moved by Congress MP Karti P. Chidambaram in connection with a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate linked to an alleged Chinese visa scam.

The matter, which was listed before the vacation bench of Justice Poonam Bamba, could not be heard on Monday due to the non-availability of the Additional Solicitor General during the hearing time.

Accordingly, it was listed for Wednesday following requests by the counsels.

Karti, the son of senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, knocked the doors of the high court following the dismissal of his anticipatory bail plea by a lower court.

Last week, the court of special CBI judge M.K. Nagpal had denied the anticipatory bail applications moved by Karti and other accused persons in the case, including the Congress MP's chartered accountant, S. Bhaskar Raman, and Vikas Makharia, the associate vice-president of thermal power plant Talwandi Sabo Power.

In the last hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal had argued that the alleged transaction was from 2011 and the ED registered the case after the lapse of a long time, pointing out that there was no investigation in all these years.

The counsel also argued that the value of the alleged transaction was Rs 50 lakh, which was less than Rs 1 crore, and in view of this fact he should be granted bail.

According to the FIR, the Mansa-based Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd took the help of a middleman and allegedly paid Rs 50 lakh to get visas issued for Chinese nationals to complete a project before deadline.

"The payment of the said bribe was routed from the Mansa-based private company to a private person in Chennai and his close associate through a Mumbai-based company as payment of false invoice raised for consultancy and out of pocket expenses for Chinese visa related works," the FIR read.
Jaipur, June 6 : After Congress, the BJP on Monday also shifted its MLAs to a private hotel in Rajasthan ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on June 10.

Close on the heels of the Rajasthan Congress taking their MLAs to Udaipur fearing poaching, the BJP on Monday also shifted its MLAs to a private hotel till June 10, which is the scheduled date for the Rajya Sabha elections in the state.

While Congress openly admitted that it is undergoing political fencing, BJP, has named it a training camp.

As the MLAs were being shifted to a hotel, leader of the opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said that the ruling government had to take their MLAs to far off location from the capital city as they are scared that their MLAs can be poached.

"The way Congress MLAs have to go 400 km away from the headquarters from June 2 and the manner in which their mobile phones and internet connection were switched off, speak the story of the panic they are undergoing," he said.

"Had we been afraid, we would not have started our training camp in Jaipur openly and would have preferred going to some far off location," Kataria said.

The BJP MLAs gathered at the BJP headquarters on Monday from where they were taken in two buses to Hotel Deviratna, situated on the Agra-Jaipur road.

Here Rajya Sabha election in-charge and Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and BJP state in-charge Arun Singh, State President Satish Poonia, organisation general secretary Chandrashekhar, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, leader of the opposition Gulab Chand Kataria, Deputy leader of the opposition Rajendra Rathod will meet all MLAs in the hotel on late Monday evening. There will be 13 training sessions in 4 days for the MLAs.

Meanwhile, Kataria also said that a few Independent and Congress MLAs are in touch with the saffron party leaders and they shall dent the Congress' prospects of winning all three seats.

The BJP has fielded senior leader Ghanshyam Tiwari as its candidate, while it is supporting Independent Subhash Chandra for the fourth seat.
Vijayawada, June 6 : BJP president J.P. Nadda on Monday claimed that there is no national party left in the country except BJP.

He told party workers at a meeting here that BJP's fight is no longer with any national party in the country. "If there is a national party, it is the BJP. We are fighting against family rule," he said listing out the parties in various states.

Addressing heads of shakti kendras and workers here, Nadda described Shiv Sena as a party of father and son. He said Jagan Mohan Reddy led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) both are dynastic parties. He also remarked that the Indian National Congress has been reduced to a brother-sister party.

Nadda claimed that Narendra Modi has changed polity and political culture of the country by eliminating family centric, caste and community based politics, appeasement and corruption.

Stating that Andhra Pradesh has a special place for BJP, he recalled that out of two MPs that BJP once had from the entire country, the state had sent one MP. He called upon party workers to strengthen the organization in the state.

He said out of 10,000 Shakti kendras in the state, appointments have been made for more than 6,000 kendrs while appointments will be made in remaining kendras soon. He pointed out 4-5 booths come under each shakti kendr and there are 10.40 lakh booths in the country.

Stating that there are 46,00 booths in Andhra Pradesh, he urged their heads to reach to all booths, hold meetings with workers and bring new workers to the party fold. He called for enrolling members from all sections of the society including Dalits, tribals and minorities.

He urged kendra heads to identify beneficiaries of central government schemes at the booth level. "Find out who are getting food grains under PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojna and what change it has brought in their life. Similarly identify beneficiaries of PM Awas Yojana, find out if they have received houses and what change it has brought in their life," he said.

He claimed that Arogyasri scheme being implemented in Andhra Pradesh is not the scheme of the state government but it is the central government's scheme.

"Ayushman Bharat has been changed as Arogyasri by Jagan Mohan Reddy. It's not Jagan's scheme, it is Narendra Modi's scheme," he said.

Nadda asked BJP workers to explain to people that if covered under Ayushman Bharat they can get medical treatment in any other state in the country to the tune of Rs 5 lakh a year.

He also asked them to arrange booth level meetings on the last Sunday of every month to listen to Prime Minister Modi's 'Mann ki baat' programme. "All workers should gather and listen to Mann ki baat, discuss and eat together by exchanging food carried from their houses," he said.

Nadda also asked party workers to hoist BJP flag on every house, go door to door for mass contact, arrange speakers to address people explaining the government schemes. He advised them to meet five new people every day and invite them to join the party.
New Delhi, June 6 : Two criminals, including one member of the Hashim Baba gang, were arrested for pointing a gun at a man who scolded them for sitting on his scooty, a police official said.

Interestingly, of the two accused, the one identified as Faizan was found to be a close associate of Shahrukh, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang while the other was named Suhail.

Giving details, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Sain said an FIR was lodged under sections 307, 341, 506 and 34 IPC & 27 Arms Act on May 25 on the complaint of Md. Kasim Khan and an investigation was initiated.

During the investigation, the name of notorious criminal Salman alias JD surfaced. Besides, the involvement of Faizan alias Modal was also ascertained after scanning and analyzing the footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity.

"Multiple raids were conducted by the police teams at the hideouts of the culprit. Through technical inputs, the police team zeroed in on a location in the area of Janta Colony," the DCP said. Acting on a tip-off received on June 3, the police conducted a raid and arrested Faizan, a resident of Matke Wali Gali in Jafrabaad, Delhi.

On sustained interrogation, the accused confessed that he along with Salman and some other friends threatened Kasim Khan at gunpoint and after that they handed over the pistol to Salman aka JD. On Faizan's instance another raid was conducted and another accused Sohail was arrested.
New Delhi, June 6 : A day after expelling Naveen Kumar Jindal from the party, the Delhi BJP has advised its spokespersons to only speak about achievements of eight years of the Narendra Modi government.

The Delhi BJP also advised its spokespersons to think before speaking and not cross the line while participating in TV debates.

On Sunday, the Delhi BJP expelled its media head Naveen Jindal from party for his social media comment on Prophet Muhammad. The BJP central leadership has also suspended national spokesperson Nupur Sharma from party for her comment on Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate.

A senior Delhi BJP leader told IANS that spokespersons are asked only to speak about works of the Modi government and nothing else. "A clear directive has been issued to our spokespersons to speak only about 'Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan', the theme of eight years of celebration of the Modi government. They are clearly asked only to speak about Modi government works," a senior Delhi BJP leader said.

Sources in the Delhi BJP said that after Sunday's action against Jindal, the state leadership feels that party spokespersons and TV panelists must not cross the line during the debate and think twice before speaking. "Words must be carefully chosen so that it does not hurt anyone's religious sentiments. Our spokespersons must defend the party on various issues or topics but while doing that they also ensure that their words should not hurt religious sentiment of an individual or insult any religious leader," a Delhi BJP insider said.

It is learnt that spokespersons have been advised to avoid participating in debate on religious issues if possible but continue to defend the party on its ideology or core agenda. "It is general advisory that if possible Delhi BJP spokespersons must avoid participating in religious debate. They must participate in debate on political issues and defend the party. They must also strongly put their view on party ideology and agenda and while doing so they must also remember their limit," a senior Delhi BJP functionary said.
Bengaluru, June 6 : To counter the opposition Congress's move to burn khaki shorts worn by RSS workers to show their opposition to saffronisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers have started collecting shorts and knickers from houses and sending them to the Congress headquarter in Bengaluru to be given to opposition leader Siddaramaiah.

The move has triggered public outrage in the state. RSS workers of K.R. Pet unit in Mandya district of Karnataka have sent a parcel containing shorts, condemning the call given by Siddaramaiah to burn khaki shorts all over the state.

The RSS workers claimed that the opposition leader won't be able to burn the huge number of khaki shorts that will be sent to him. The workers went door to door in the villages and collected used shorts and knickers.

Later they packed hundreds of shorts and knickers into a box and parcelled it to the Bengaluru Congress office.

Activists of the NSUI had burnt khaki shorts in front of the residence of Education Minister B.C. Nagesh to protest against the revision of syllabus for school students. The ruling BJP had strongly condemned the incident and arrested 15 persons in this connection.

Later, the Congress state unit began burning khaki shorts, slamming the ruling BJP for bending before the RSS in its policies and programmes.

The campaign by the RSS is likely to be taken up by workers all over the state, according to sources.
Agartala, June 6 : As many as 24 candidates including Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha filed their nomination papers for the June 23 bypolls to four Assembly seats in Tripura. Saha, currently a Rajya Sabha member and state BJP President, in his around three-decade-long political career will for the first time contest a direct election in the bypolls from the Town Bordowali assembly constituency.

Saha, who assumed office on May 15, a day after Biplab Kumar Deb's resignation from the top post, has to become a member of the Assembly within six months. Accompanied by Deb and senior state party leaders he submitted his nomination papers on Monday, the last day of filing of candidature.

The 69-year-old Congress-turned-BJP leader will contest against six other candidates including Ashish Kumar Saha (Congress), Raghunath Sarkar (Forward Bloc) and Sanhita Bhattacharya (Banerjee) of the Trinamool Congress. Of the total of 24 candidates contesting in the four assembly seats, eight women candidates are trying their electoral fortunes.

The BJP and the Trinamool Congress fielded two women candidates each while the CPI-M led Left parties and the Congress nominated one woman candidate each. Multi-cornered contests would be witnessed in all the four assembly seats -- Town Bordowali, Agartala, Jubarajnagar and Surma (SC) -- between the nominees of the BJP, the CPI-M led Left Front, Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other smaller parties.

The Congress has forged a tacit alliance with the leading tribal based party -- Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance headed by Tripura's former royal scion, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman in Surma seat, reserved for the Scheduled Castes.

The bypolls were necessitated after the resignation of three BJP MLAs and the death of CPI-M legislator Ramendra Chandra Debnath.

Amid resentment by a section of BJP legislators against the then CM Deb, three MLAs -- Sudip Roy Barman (Agartala), Ashish Kumar Saha (Town Bordowali) and Ashis Das (Surma)-- quit the BJP and the Assembly. Roy Barman, also a former BJP minister, and Saha joined the Congress in February this year while Das joined the TMC last year. However, Das also resigned from the TMC last month.

Elected from the Jubarajnagar constituency six times, Debnath was Assembly speaker multiple times. He passed away on February 2 in Kolkata due to kidney failure. According to the Election Commission's schedule, scrutiny of the nomination papers would be done on Tuesday and the last date of withdrawal of nominations is June 9. The votes will be counted on June 26.
Hyderabad, June 6 : Hyderabad police on Monday intensified probe into May 28 gang rape of a 17-year-old girl even as the fifth accused remained at large.

Stepping up the pace of investigation, the police on Monday recorded the second statement of the victim. Based on the statement, the police are likely to widen the scope of the probe by questioning more suspects.

As the video released by BJP MLA M. Raghunandan Rao raised new questions about the alleged involvement of a son of an MLA, the police are now said to be focusing on his possible role.

Based on the first statement of the victim and the technical evidence gathered, police had said that they had nothing to suggest the involvement of MLA's son. However, the BJP MLA gave a new twist to the case on Saturday by releasing a video allegedly showing the victim with the MLA's son in a compromising position in a car.

Though the BJP MLA came under criticism from various quarters for revealing the identity of the victim, he denied the allegation and said he released the video as the police were trying to shield the son of MIM MLA.

Police were also investigating how the MLA got the video. The investigators are also reportedly examining the possibility of booking the MLA for releasing the video.

Raghunandan also disputed the police claim that the girl was sexually assaulted in Innova vehicle. He claimed that the crime was committed in red-colour Mercedes.

Forensic experts examined both the Innova and the Mercedes. They reportedly found a tissue paper and the same was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis.

Meanwhile, the fifth accused remained at large even four days after the case came to light and police identified the accused.

On Sunday, police announced the arrest of a fourth accused. He was the third juvenile to be taken into custody.

"So far out of 5 accused persons determined, one major and 3 juveniles are apprehended and efforts are continuing to apprehend the remaining. Further investigation is in progress," Deputy Commissioner of Police Joel Davis said.

Saduddin Malik (18) was arrested on Friday while two accused, both juveniles, were arrested on Saturday. The second major accused, Omair Khan (18) still remained at large.

One of the juveniles involved is the son of a leader of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), who heads a government-run minority body.

The horrific crime was committed by the accused after promising lift to the victim, who was returning home after attending a party at a pub on the evening of May 28.

Since the accused were not known to the victim and the crime was reported three days later, the accused escaped to other places.

The police investigation revealed that after committing the crime, the accused dropped the victim back near the pub. She called her father, who picked her up but suspected something untoward happened to her as there were bruises on her neck.

On May 31, the victim's father approached police on May 31 saying his daughter went to day-time non-alcoholic party and suspected that molestation might have taken place there. He told police that the girl is in a state of shock and is not able to speak.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 9 and 10 of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and started investigation.

The next day, the victim was sent to the Bharosa Centre of the police where lady officials gave her confidence. It was only on June 2 that she revealed what happened and gave her statement.

Based on the victim's statement, police altered the case to section 376 D of IPC and section 5 and 6 of POCSO Act and since there were bruises on the victim, Section 323 of IPC was also added.
Dozens of worshippers were feared dead in an attack on a Catholic church in Nigeria on Sunday, state lawmakers said.

Legislator Ogunmolasuyi Oluwole said the attackers targeted the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state just as the worshippers gathered on Pentecost Sunday, with gunmen opening fire and detonating explosives. He said that numerous children were among the dead.

The Vatican said that Pope Francis "prays for the victims and for the country, painfully attacked at a time of celebration, and he entrusts everyone to the Lord, that God might send His Spirit to console them."

"It is a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy," Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu tweeted Sunday. "Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people."

The governor was away in Abuja, taking part in his party's primary elections ahead of next year's polls but suspended his activities and returned to Ondo hours later with state security officials.

Akeredolu said that the attackers would be hunted and prosecuted. He also urged residents to remain calm and not resort to retaliation. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

There was no immediate death toll, but Adelegbe Timileyin, who represents Nigeria's lower legislative chamber, said at least 50 people had been killed, while others said the figure would turn out to be higher. Video footage of the scene showed worshippers lying in pools of blood as people around them wailed.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack. While much of Nigeria has struggled with security issues, Ondo is widely known as one of Nigeria's most peaceful states. The state, though, has been caught up in a rising violent conflict between farmers and herders.

"In the history of Owo, we have never experienced such an ugly incident," said lawmaker Oluwole. "This is too much."

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The Christian Association of Nigeria condemned the attack, with spokesman Bayo Oladeji saying, "What happened in Owo today is an unprovoked attack on innocent people worshipping God and to [the] Christian Association of Nigeria, it is condemnable; it is unacceptable. We're tired of people going to church and being killed."

Church officials said many of the wounded were fighting for their lives in hospitals. Some residents launched a blood donation drive to help them.

Nigeria is currently facing a wave of violence by armed gangs. A week ago, the prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Samuel Kanu Uche, was kidnapped on his way to the airport in southeastern Abia state.

He was released two days later after the church raised about $240,000 and paid the kidnappers.

Timothy Obiezu contributed to this report from Abuja. Some material came from The Associated Press.
Mumbai, June 6 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will address a mega rally in Aurangabad on Wednesday where he's expected to give 'reply' to his critics on Shiv Sena's Hindutva credentials and other major issues, a party official said here on Monday.

Thackeray's rally comes just a couple of days before the June 10 elections for six Rajya Sabha seats followed by the June 20 polls for 10 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

In these indirect elections, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress is pitted against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with high stakes on both sides.

The CM's rally also comes a few weeks after his estranged cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray addressed a public meeting in Aurangabad.

Raj Thackeray had recently muddied the state's political scenario with a shrill campaign demanding a complete ban on 'azan' blared over loudspeakers in mosques and threats to counter it with 'Hanuman Chalisa'.

Aurangabad was in the news last month for visits by top AIMIM leaders -- Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi -- with the latter creating a huge row by visiting the grave of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Even BJP Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis had addressed a meeting in Aurangabad and had slammed the MVA government on various issues.

The Shiv Sena has been under fire from the MNS and the BJP for not implementing the proposal to rechristen Aurangabad as 'Sambhajinagar', though local party strongman Chandrakant Khaire indicated this week that "all formalities for the re-naming have been completed".

However, no Sena or MVA leaders are willing to speculate whether there could be any concrete development in this regard at Wednesday's rally.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was the son of great Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and was killed at the behest of Emperor Aurangzeb, after whom Aurangabad has been named.

While the Congress is opposed to the renaming move, the NCP has adopted a neutral stance, arguing that it should be as per the wishes of the local populace. The AIMIM is vehemently against the proposal.

Thackeray's rally will also be politically significant for more reasons as Aurangabad is among the dozen-odd major civic bodies in the state which will go to the polls next month onwards along with Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur etc.
New Delhi/Uae, June 6 : After Qatar, Iran and Kuwait, now the United Arab Emirates has condemned statements by former BJP spokespersons on Prophet Muhammad. The UAE foreign office expressed denunciation and rejection of insults to the founder of Islam.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed the UAE's firm rejection of all practices and behaviours that contradict moral and human values and principles.

"The Ministry underscored the need to respect religious symbols and not violate them, as well as confront hate speech and violence. The Ministry also noted the importance of strengthening the shared international responsibility to spread the values of tolerance and human coexistence while preventing any practices that would inflame the sentiment of followers of different religions," it said.

Iran, Qatar and Kuwait had also summoned Ambassadors of India on Sunday and handed over protest notes to them.

The Indian Embassy in Qatar had already issued a statement, saying that the "Ambassador had a meeting in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality. Ambassador conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements".

The Qatar government, in a statement, said: "State of Qatar welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party's official from practicing his activities in the party due to his remarks that angered all Muslims around the world." Noting that Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks by the Indian government, it pointed out "that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment, constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate".

The BJP on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled Naveen Jindal, who was media head of the party's Delhi unit, over remarks on the Prophet Muhammad.
Islamabad, June 6 : A PTI lawmaker has threatened to carry out a suicide attack if harm befalls even a "single hair" on party Chairman Imran Khan's head, it emerged on Monday, Dawn reported.

The threat has been made by PTI MNA Attaullah in a video doing the rounds on social media. Several noted journalists have also shared the video of the enraged PTI leader.

"If a single hair on Imran Khan's head is harmed, then those running the country be warned: Neither you nor your children will remain. I will be the first to carry out a suicide attack on you, I will not let you go. In the same way, thousands of workers are ready," Attaullah said in the video.

The shocking statement also drew criticism on Twitter. Journalist Talat Hussain asked and answered his own question: "What was the law called under which such threats were taken into account? Oh yes, the Anti-Terrorism Act!" The purported threat to Imran's life was first spoken of by Faisal Vawda during the last few weeks of his government in late March. In the beginning of April, the former information minister, Fawad Chaudhry, had disclosed that a plot to assassinate Imran had been reported by security agencies.

Later the same month, after the PTI government's ouster, the Lahore deputy commissioner had cautioned the party against going ahead with a rally in the city and had advised Imran to address the gathering virtually in light of "severe threat alerts".

On May 14, the former Pak prime minister had reiterated that his life was in danger and that he had recorded a video in which he had taken the names of all those who "conspired against me" since last summer.
London, June 6 : With voting scheduled for between 10.30 p.m. and 12.30 a.m. (IST) on Monday, how will Indian origin MPs in Britain's ruling Conservative party cast their ballots in a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Boris Johnson? The vote was triggered after more than 15 per cent of Conservative MPs expressed a lack of support for Johnson - which is the minimum requirement for such a test of opinion to take place. With the current strength of the party being 359 in the House of Commons, 180 MPs have to oppose the Prime Minister to depose him.

Johnson is accused of being a serial liar. He is charged with misleading Parliament on parties and socialising that took place at his office-cum-residence in Downing Street in violation of laws enacted against such practices during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Last but not the least, he is now perceived to be an electoral liability likely to cause disastrous consequences to his party.

The Conservatives are forecast to lose two by-elections to the Commons later this month in constituencies hitherto held by them. Their prospects in a general election which must take place by 2024 do not appear to be any better at present with Johnson at the helm.

Tobias Ellwood, an MP in the Conservative heartland of southeast England, claimed his party would lose 90 seats based on current public opinion. This would return the Labour Party to power either on its own or heading a coalition.

There are seven odd Indian origin Conservative lawmakers in the Commons, of which four are cabinet ministers.

It is taken for granted that Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, is a Johnson loyalist and likely to back him. The same is assessed to be true of Suella Braverman, who is the Attorney General.

Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Alok Sharma, Minister at the Cabinet Office, are the others. "@BorisJohnson has my full support," Sharma tweeted.

The process at hand is a secret ballot. Therefore an MPs preference will be unknown. In the early months of this year, Sunak was seen as a contender to succeed Johnson. But his popularity has plummeted since because of the cost of living crisis in Britain and the scandal over his Indian wife paying lower taxes in India instead of submitting to higher rates in Britain, thereby denying revenue to the UK in a situation in which her husband is responsible for the government's income.

Sunak tweeted on Monday morning: "I am backing him today and will continue to back him." The longest serving MP of Indian descent Shailesh Vara has been prominent among MPs arguing for Johnson's continuance as Prime Minister.

Another, Gagan Mohindra posted on Twitter: "I will be suppporting Boris in tonight's vote." The MPs demanding a vote crossed the 15 per cent threshold some time in the past week when parliament was in recess. But Sir Graham Brady, the senior backbench MP who chairs what is known as the '1922 Committee' which conducts the balloting, avoided spoiling the 4-day platinum jubilee celebrations of the British monarch Queen Elizabeth's reign, which concluded on Sunday.

With parliament back in session on Monday, Brady immediately announced the vote. Thus Johnson's fate will be decided before the night is out.

If he loses then a procedure for a contest among MPs will begin, which could consume at least a couple of months. Johnson during this period will effectively become a lame duck leader.

But if he wins Monday night's vote, no challenge to his leadership can take place for another year, thus giving him breathing space and time to repair his position.

Of course, Johnson could win the vote and then decide the tide is running against him and so resign.
Hyderabad, June 6 : Hyderabad police on Monday filed two cases against a couple of YouTubers for allegedly uploading a video clip of Jubilee Hills gang rape victim and thus revealing her identity in violation of Supreme Court guidelines.

Cybercrime wing registered the cases and took up investigation. Police found that the a couple of YouTube channels not only uploaded the video clip but organised a debate by inviting panelists and repeatedly played it.

Police have issued a notice to one of the YouTubers asking him to appear before them.

The action came two days after the video clip went viral on social media after it was released by BJP MLA M. Raghunandan Rao at a news conference.

The clip purportedly shows the son of an MLA in an intimate act with the victim in a car. Rao, however, denied that he revealed the name or identity of the victim. He said he wanted to make public the evidence about the alleged involvement of a MIM lawmaker's son in the incident.

The BJP leader alleged that since police were derailing the investigation by giving a clean chit to the MLA's son, he released the video clip. Amid reports that police were mulling action against him, Rao told reporters on Monday that he was ready to face the case.

Rao, who is also a lawyer, claimed that he would submit to court all the evidence he has at an appropriate time.

Meanwhile, the Telangana State Women's Commission took suo moto note of the gang rape and directed police to submit a report on the incident.

Commission Chairperson Sunita Laxma Reddy called for harshest punishment to the guilty. She said the Commission and the state government would stand by the victim.

In another related development, workers of BJP's youth wing BJYM staged protests at different places in Hyderabad and other places in the state demanding immediate arrest of all the accused in the May 28 incident.

Alleging that the government and police are trying to shield the culprits, the BJYM staged protest at Jubilee Hills Checkpost and Sangeet Crossroads. They demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Police detained the protestors and shifted them to police stations. A similar protest was held at Shadnagar in neighbouring Rangareddy district.

Police have already arrested four accused including three juveniles in the sensational case while the fifth accused is still absconding. The arrested juveniles include the son of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

They sexually assaulted the girl in a car after promising to drop her home from a pub, where she attended a party.

--IANS ms/vd

A
New Delhi, June 6 : The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in a meeting on Monday chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded acceptance of necessity for capital acquisition proposals of the armed forces amounting to Rs 76,390 crore under 'Buy (Indian)', 'Buy & Make (Indian)' and 'Buy (Indian-IDDM)' categories.

The DAC accorded fresh AoNs for procurement of rough terrain forklift trucks (RTFLTs), bridge laying tanks (BLTs), wheeled armoured fighting vehicles (Wh AFVs) with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and weapon-locating radars (WLRs), through domestic sources with emphasis on indigenous design and development for the Indian Army.

A Defence Ministry statement said that it will provide substantial boost to the Indian defence industry and reduce foreign spending significantly.

For the Indian Navy, the DAC accorded AoN for procurement of next-generation corvettes (NGC) at an estimated cost of approx Rs 36,000 crore. These NGCs will be versatile platforms for variety of roles like surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, surface action group (SAG) operations, search and attack, and coastal defence.

The NGCs would be constructed based on new in-house design of the Indian Navy using latest technology of ship building and would contribute to further the government's initiative of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region).

The DAC also accorded AoNs for manufacture of Dornier Aircrafts and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by the Navratna CPSE Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd with focus on enhancing indigenisation particularly in indigenising aero-engine material.

"In pursuance of the government's vision for digital transformation in defence, 'Digital Coast Guard' project under Buy (Indian) Category has been approved by the DAC. Under this project, a pan India secure network for digitising of various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance and HR processes in Coast Guard will be established," the statement said.
Islamabad, June 6 : Pakistan's National Assembly (NA) on Monday adopted a resolution condemning the controversial comments of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Pakistans nuclear programme and armed forces, media reports said.

The resolution read that the House condemns the interview of Imran Khan in which he said that Pakistan would disintegrate into three parts and the Pakistan Army would be dismantled if the establishment did not take the right decisions, Samaa TV reported.

The resolution stated that Pakistan Army has made great sacrifices for the country's defence, including in the war against terrorism for which the House pays tribute to it.

It added that the state should approach the Supreme Court against the former premier.

During his speech, federal minister Ayaz Sadiq said that Imran Khan said 'big things' in the lust for power which, he feared, would damage Pakistan in the future, Samaa TV reported.

He said the armed forces sacrificed numerous lives in the war against terrorism.

"The person who says Pakistan would get disintegrated into three parts... no idea to whom he might have given the country's secrets," Sadiq said.

He said Imran Khan talks about the nuclear programme which was initiated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and finished by Nawaz Sharif.

Sadiq said, "It seems like he [Imran Khan] was also involved in maps showing disintegrated Pakistan as the comments of country's breaking apart is its endorsement." "We cherish our political affiliation and parties, but nothing is dearer than Islam and Pakistan," he added.

The minister said that Imran Khan is making senseless remarks since the day he lost power.

The minister also said that the lawmakers not signing the resolution would be considered siding with Imran Khan on his statement.
New Delhi, June 6 : Scientists and observers manning the District Agro-Met Units (DAMU) - that sends advisories to over 43 lakh farmers across 27 states - on Monday declared a "no advisory to farmers" agitation on Tuesday to protest non-receipt of their salaries for over a year.

This is an extreme step they have decided after multiple meetings - successful and unsuccessful - in Delhi on May 25 yielded no results for them.

Weather advisories are increasingly important due to the growing uncertainties in the weather and climate in recent years that pose a major threat to food productivity and food security of the country. An early warning makes the risk management easier.

Along with the bi-weekly bulletins, daily weather forecast and now cast information are also disseminated to the farmers by regional and state meteorological centres of the IMD.

The DAMU personnel shot off a warning letter to the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Director General (Meteorology), IMD, and other related officials.

"We the DAMU employees across India would like to humbly intimate you that inspite of several representations and intimations from our end regarding the ongoing pending salary issues since 12-14 months and non-release of fund during FY 21-22 and FY 22-23 no assurance has been given from your good end," the letter read.

As part of the joint project by the IACR and the IMD, these DAMU are situated within the Krishi Vikas Kendra premises and send out detailed agro-met advisories to 43.6 lakh farmers across 27 states every Tuesdays and Thursdays. Two people each are managing the 200-odd DAMUs have been facing a pay crunch for almost a year now, a problem the Ministry of Earth Sciences had in March said would be resolved from April.

The scientists and observers upload information from their respective districts to a designated portal by the IMD after which the advisory is generated in a standard pro-forma in multiple languages according to the states. That is downloaded as a PDF document and sent to these lakhs of farmers, each associated with one of the 200-odd DAMUs.

"We don't want to harm the farmers' interest due to our protest agitation. Therefore, what we have decided is that we will not upload the information from our end on to the IMD portal but instead, send a gist of the advisory directly as a text to the farmers," said one of the many scientists that IANS spoke with.

Almost 50 per cent of the DAMU scientists and observers have agreed to not send the regular advisory, another of the protestors said.

Earlier on May 25, 12 persons from eight states had gathered in Delhi and jointly met ICAR ADG, Extension, A.K. Singh, and OSD to Agriculture Minister, Arun Kumar but could not meet the IMD DG or Earth Sciences Secretary.

Talking to IANS, an observer had said, "The Ministry also aims to establish 530 more DAMUs, if they don't have funds for us, how are they going to pay others?" Calls and text messages to senior officials in the Ministry and IMD DG went unanswered.

(Nivedita Khandekar can be reached at nivedita.k@ians.in )
Srinagar, June 6 : A Pakistani LeT terrorist was killed in an ongoing encounter between terrorists and security forces at Sopore area in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Monday, police said.

"One Pakistani terrorist affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT killed. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition recovered. Two foreign terrorists and one local terrorist escaped from cordon. Search going on. Further details shall follow," Jammu and Kashmir Police tweeted, quoting Inspector General Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar.

The encounter comes two days after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist commander Nisar Khanday was killed in an encounter at Rishipora area in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district.

There have been a series of anti-terror operations in Kashmir over the last few months in which many terrorists and their commanders have been eliminated.

Most of the operations have been jointly conducted by the police and the army on the basis of specific intelligence inputs.
New Delhi, June 6 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed a prosecution complaint (charge sheet) against absconding jewel businessman Mehul Choksi, his wife Priti Choksi and others in connection with the PNB money laundering case.

The ED has claimed that she was the key beneficiary and hiding with her husband in Antigua since 2017.

This is the second supplementary charge sheet which was filed before a special court in Mumbai against six including Choksi, his wife and their firms.

Choksi, who is wanted in India by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, had gone missing from the island nation on May 23, last year sparking a massive manhunt.

He was captured in Dominica on May 26.

A Dominican court had restrained his deportation after hearing a habeas corpus filed by Choksi's lawyers.

Choksi has been residing in Antigua and Barbuda since January 4, 2018, days before the CBI registered a case of bank fraud against him and his nephew, Nirav Modi, among several others. The CBI and the ED, which have filed separate charge sheets in the case, are trying for his extradition.
The explosion at a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) retail outlet burnt down shops and injured 20 people in the state.

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the gas explosion at a liquefied gas retail outlet in Kano on Friday as "extremely horrific," saying he is distressed by the accident, the second in the city in a month.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how a gas explosion at a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) refiling shop has burnt down shops and injured 20 people in the state.

The incident occurred at a busy area of Sheka quarters, Karshen-Kwalta in the Kano metropolis on Thursday.

The president's media aide, Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the president is worried about the 201 residents who were hospitalised after inhaling chemicals from a cylinder dismantled by metal scrappers.

"I am shocked and pained to hear about this tragic incident, so soon after the last gas explosion. Our brave emergency response agencies and medical workers are trying their best to save lives. We are in constant touch with the field workers and the hospitals," the president was quoted as saying.

Mr Shehu said the president also commended the immediate response of the government of Kano State and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Mr Buhari also thanked hospitals in the state, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) and the Nigerian Red Cross, for their support to the victims.

The president wished all the injured a very quick recovery.

PREMIUM TIMES learned that the fire destroyed about three nearby shops, including part of a house attached to the shop.

The latest incident happened less than a month after at least nine people were killed in an explosion in the Sabon Gari area of the state.
Hyderabad, June 6 : The Telangana High Court on Monday sentenced four police officials to four weeks imprisonment in a contempt of court case.

Justice Radha Rani also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 each on the officials.

Joint Commissioner of Police A. R. Srinivas, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sudershan, Circle Inspector Rajasekhar Reddy and Sub-Inspector Naresh are the officials sentenced by the court.

The court pronounced the order on a petition filed against them for violating Supreme Court guidelines while dealing with a dispute between a couple and others.

It also directed the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to take disciplinary action against them.

The court, however, stayed implementation of the sentence for six weeks to enable the officials to go for an appeal against the order.

The contempt of court petition was filed against the officers for completing the investigations and filing the charge sheet even before issuing a notice under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Bhubaneswar, June 6 : Activist Medha Patkar on Monday faced strong protest and public ire while visiting Dhinkia village in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, where JSW has proposed to set up a mega steel plant.

After meeting Debendra Swain, who led the protest against the proposed JSW plant at the Kujang sub-jail, Patkar was heading to Dhinkia village to meet Swain's family members.

However, the villagers, who support the project, staged a protest at the entrance of the village.

"Why have you come here, to stir a conflict," the villagers asked Patkar.

"I don't know why she is coming to our village. We are fine and living in harmony. So we will not allow any leader to enter our village and create disturbance," said a protesting villager.

Facing public opposition, Patkar returned without meeting the family members of Swain.

"We came here to hear from the villagers. The people have said that they will get jobs if the JSW plant is set up," Patkar told mediapersons at the protest site.

Sajjan Jindal-owned JSW Utkal Steel Ltd (JUSL) has proposed to set up a 13.2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) integrated steel project at the site near Paradip in Jagatsingh district with an investment of Rs 65,000 crore.

Earlier, Posco had planned to set up a 12 million tonne capacity steel project at the site with an investment of Rs 52,000 crore. However, following public resistance as well as regulatory hurdles, the South Korean steel major officially withdrew from the project in 2017.
Bengaluru, June 6 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to the families of three persons who died due to consumption of contaminated water in the state's Raichur, as well as a through probe.

Over the past week, at least 60 persons, including several children, have fallen sick and been hospitalised after consuming allegedly contaminated water supplied by municipal authorities.

Addressing media persons, Bommai said: "The state government has taken the case seriously. The KWSSB Chief Engineer has been ordered to conduct a thorough inquiry into the unfortunate incident and submit a report. The Deputy Commissioner of Raichur has been instructed to test the samples of drinking water in every ward of Raichur." Water supplied from the Rampuru reservoir through a pipe to 35 wards in the city is suspected to have been contaminated by sewerage.

A police investigation too would be conducted to ascertain whether there were any lapses on part of the officials. Action would be taken against those responsible if any lapses were found, Bommai said.
Patna, June 6 : In wake of the mass suicide by five members of a family, including two minors, in Bihar's Samastipur, Deputy Chief Minister Tar Kishore Prasad on Monday denied that starvation was a reason for the tragic incident.

"The incident was extremely unfortunate and the agencies are investigating... The victims had taken extreme steps due to starvation is hard to believe. The state government is providing free food grains to the people who need it. Such a policy was started in the first wave of Corona and it will remain till September this year. The mass suicide may not be done due to scarcity of food grain," he said while interacting with media persons in home town Katihar.

"The district police is investigating from all angles to find out actual reasons of mass suicide," Prasad added.

Earlier, Chief Nitish Kumar, expressing deep condolences to the family members of the victims, said that the investigation is underway to find out the reason.

Leader of Opposition in Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Monday said that it is an extremely unfortunate, disheartening and painful experience for him that five persons of a family died due to poverty, starvation, stringency, and unemployment.

"Such an unfortunate incident attributed to bigotry of the double engine government is a black spot on Nitish Kumar government," he said.

Manoj Jha, 45, his wife Sundarmani Devi, 38, mother Sita Devi, 65, and the couple's children So Satyam, 10, and Shivam, 7 were found hanging in the house located in ward 11 of Samastipur.

Samastipur SP Hriday Kant said: "Preliminary investigation reveals that the victim Manoj Jha, 45, has taken a loan of Rs 3 lakh from various lenders and was unable to repay it." Sources have said that the entire family was in deep depression as the lenders were humiliating them for not paying the installments.
Kohima, June 7 : With the Naga political issue and peace talks facing hurdle over the NSCN-IM's repeated insistence for a separate flag and Constitution, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which rules Nagaland, on Monday urged the Centre as well as the Naga groups not to back out from what has been committed, in writing and otherwise, during the last 25 years.

UDA Chairman and former Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang said that the ruling alliance had conveyed the sentiments of the Naga negotiating groups to the Centre that it should not change its stand from what had been committed to the Nagas through former interlocutor and Governor R.N Ravi and present government representative A.K. Mishra.

"The negotiating parties should not back out from what has been committed to each other. With this approach, Nagas can expect that the talks will come to a logical conclusion at the earliest. The ongoing talks so far are positive," he said in a video message.

Referring to various reports in the media and elsewhere and without mentioning the name of former Chief Minister S.C. Jamir, Zeliang said "loose remarks" made by some Naga leaders based on speculations and hearsay caused misunderstanding and confusion among the Nagas.

"I appeal to all right-thinking Naga leaders to refrain from making unsubstantiated comments. Any lawmakers, public leaders and everyone have the right to speak out for the common welfare of the Nagas.

"However, one must remember that unlike the 1960s when overground groups were part of the (peace) negotiations, it is the Naga nationalist groups who are part of the negotiations today." He said as the undivided armed group, the Naga National Council was not consulted prior to the signing of the 16-Point Agreement in the 1960s by the Centre and the Nagas, the armed conflict continued.

"The UDA government wants inclusiveness and involves everyone to settle the Naga political issue," the former Chief Minister said, adding that any unfounded and unwarranted remarks might mislead the most sensitive peace process.

Jamir is the only surviving signatory of the 16-Point Agreement that led to Nagaland's creation as a state in 1963. Of late, he had warned of an impending earthquake in Nagaland with epicentre in Delhi.

Appreciating the "genuine" effort of the negotiating parties, the UDA Chairman said one should not believe that the final agreement on this complex and sensitive issue would be inked secretly and imposed on the Nagas.

The UDA government headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has been working vigorously to settle the Naga political issue involving every shareholder, he said.

"The 60 MLAs have committed to pave the way for smooth transition as and when there is a final settlement. However, the demand for the resignation of the democratically-elected members at this juncture by individuals and certain sections of society is uncalled for. UDA requests all Naga organisations and Naga leaders to avoid issuing public statements based on speculations and hearsas," he added.

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party is the dominant party of the ruling UDA with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has 12 MLAs, as one of the important constituents. Recently, 21 of the 25 MLAs of the Naga People's Front (NPF) led by Zeliang merged with the NDPP, increasing its strength in the 60-member Assembly to 42.

The BJP, the NPF, and the NDPP are the constituents of the opposition less all-party UDA government, formed last year to take forward the Naga political issue between the Centre and Naga outfits and various other groups.

Assembly polls in Nagaland expected to be held in February-March next year and all the parties and the state government are keen to resolve the issue before these.
Bhopal, June 7 : A minor girl and a man were paraded with garlands of shoes around their necks as "punishment" for eloping. The incident was reported at a village in Chhindwara district, around 130 km from the state capital Bhopal.

A group of people in Ambajhiri village under the Mohkhed police station paraded the girl and the man on the street and beaten them up, justifying their act as "punishment for eloping", police said on Monday.

The incident occurred on Saturday, however it came to light after the local police were informed on Monday. As per the police, "this unlawful act was done on the direction of a tribal social panchayat". Both the girl and the man belong to a tribal community, and the girl was accused of eloping with a man, who is her maternal uncle.

Tribal panchayat ordered that both the girl and the man should be punished and therefore they were paraded with garlands of shoes and abused. They were paraded on the streets of the village in the presence of family members and relatives.

The police on the complaint of the minor girl had booked nine persons including - Motilal Karveti, Dadubhai Ivnati, Saddhu Ahke and others, in connection to the incident. Motilal is the maternal grandfather of the girl and was among those who passed a "verdict" against the girl.

As per the complainant, a samajaik panchayat (social court) was organised at the house of the girl, where she was accused of eloping with a local man who is a distant relative of the village and the court called it an "immoral act". The courtiers insulted and abused the two and later pronounced a verdict that both of them should be paraded in the village with garland of shoes around their neck.

The girl had left to Nagpur around 20 days ago to find work in Nagpur and returned on June 2. During the same period the man - Basanta Dhiku, had also "disappeared", prompting locals to assume that the two had an affair and fled together.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivek Agrawal told reporters that the police have taken a serious note of the incident and a case was registered against eight identified persons and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Juvenile Justice Act.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has sought a report about the incident from the Chhindwara SP within three weeks.
New Delhi, June 7 : The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), reacting to the suspension of two BJP spokespersons - Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal - from the party over their comments on Prophet Muhammad, has said that mere suspension is inadequate and the two should be "punished strictly".

Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, General Secretary of the AIMPLB, issued a statement saying, "Some activists of the ruling party of the country made objectionable and indecent remarks on the Prophet, it caused severe pain to all the Muslims of the country and at the global level. Due to this, the reputation of the country has been hurt. Suspending the 'perpetrators' of such 'heinous crimes' from the party is certainly a good thing but it is not enough." "Strict punishment should be given to those who do such misdeeds, legal action should be taken against them and a law should be made which declares insult of holy personalities (symbols of faith) of different religions as a condemnable offence, and immediate and appropriate legal action could be taken against them." Apart from this, he also said that the kind of "unilateral and discriminatory action being taken against the protesters in Uttar Pradesh is regrettable and condemnable".

On Sunday, the Delhi BJP expelled its media head Jindal from the party for his social media comment on Prophet Muhammad while the party's central leadership suspended Sharma from the party for her comment on Prophet during a TV debate.
Damascus, June 7 : Israeli forces "launched missile strikes from Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and targeted military sites south of the capital Damascus on Monday night", the Syrian army said in a statement.

It added that most of the missiles were successfully intercepted, and the attack caused no casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.

On the opposition side, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Israeli attack targeted sites in the Kisweh area south of Damascus where pro-Iran Shiite militias are located.

The UK-based war monitor added that the Syrian air defences successfully intercepted most of the missiles but missed two, which slammed the base.
MWC Las Vegas 2022, in partnership with CTIA, is the GSMAs flagship event in North America showcasing the hottest trends in connectivity and mobile innovation. For more information, please visit https://www.mwclasvegas.com/.

We are going to host a comprehensive private 5G seminar in the US, where the private networks ecosystem come together to unite, expand and enable the private networks market, said Alex Besen, Founder and CEO of The Besen Group LLC. Engineered to provide an exceptional delegate experience, our private 5G seminar facilitates true networking and exclusive content for enterprises and positions our seminar sponsors brand as the leader in the private networks sector. Current sponsors for our seminar include Celona, Cellwize and Limitless Mobile.

Preview of private 5G seminar agenda:



2:00pm - 2:20pm: Keynote Presentation by Brian Hobson, Senior Director, Roadmap Development Division, FirstNet Authority

2:20pm - 3:00pm: Presentation by Alex Besen, Founder & CEO, The Besen Group

3:00pm - 3:20pm: Presentation by Mehmet Yavuz, CTO & Co-Founder, Celona

3:20pm - 3:40pm: Networking Break

3:40pm - 4:00pm: Presentation by Atte Miettinen, Group CEO, Limitless Mobile

4:00pm - 4:20pm: Presentation by David Ronen, VP & GM, Private Networks, Cellwize

4:20pm - 5:00pm: Panel Discussion

Alex Besen, Founder & CEO, The Besen Group

Sarah James, Senior Editor, S&P Global Market Intelligence

Will Townsend, VP & Principal Analyst, Moor Insights Strategy

Joe Walsh, VP, Smart Grid Advisory & Networks, NRTC

The Besen Groups private 5G seminar is an invitation-only event therefore any vendor, system integrator or hyperscaler is interested to register for the seminar, they will have to select one of the sponsorship packages in order to be permitted to the seminar.

If any mobile operator, cable operator, satellite operator, enterprise or financial institution is interested to register for the private 5G seminar, their registration will be approved based on first-come first serve basis.

For more information on sponsorship packages offered by The Besen Group, please send an email to sponsor (at) thebesengroup (dot) com. Agenda and speakers are subject to change without notice.

The Besen Groups private 5G seminar presentation will include the following:

-Private 5G Networks Market Size and Market Forecast (2022-2026)

https://www.thebesengroup.com/downloads/Private.Networks.Brochure.pdf

-Wi-Fi 6 versus CBRS Private 5G Total Cost of Ownership Tool (Market Size, Capex, Opex, KPIs)

http://www.thebesengroup.com/downloads/CBRS.Private5G.WiFi6.TCO.Tool.Limited.xlsx

-The Besen Group Tesla Smart Factory CBRS Private 5G Network Case Study 2022

https://www.thebesengroup.com/downloads/CBRS.Case.Study.Tesla.pdf

To purchase a copy of The Besen Groups private 5G seminar presentation, please send an email to seminar (at) thebesengroup (dot) com.

The Besen Group manages the largest Private LTE & Private 5G Networks Group on LinkedIn, for more information please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8742116/.

About The Besen Group

The Besen Group is an international management consulting practice to the mobile industry headquartered in the Washington DC area, with representatives in Paris and Tokyo. Its mission is to provide mobile players with tools, knowledge, and services enabling them to perform optimally in their mobile environment. The Besen Groups competitive edge is based on practical experience with mobile operators, mobile vendors and a mobile data laboratory.
Establishing the Initial Coin Exchange as a new global standard is an important step toward holding blockchain and digital currency firms accountable and restoring the reputation of our industry.

Peer Inc., the Web3 social network and blockchain-based metaverse ecosystem for the future of computing, today announces an alternative to the Initial Coin Offering (ICO) called the Initial Coin Exchange (ICX). The ICX provides a framework for an evidence-based fundraising standard for established blockchains and decentralized apps that promotes responsible innovation, global participation, and rapid validation. Peer will lead the way with its launch of the worlds first ICX on June 27, 2022, via its purpose-built platform.

The original Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), invented by JR Willet in Seattle in 2012, proposed to accelerate fundraising through an exchange of ownership. Willett subsequently led the worlds first ICO in his project called Mastercoin. The ICO underpins the cryptocurrency market to this day.

Tony Tran, Peers Founder and CEO and the inventor of the ICX Standard believes it will become a principal tool in seeding the next generation of technology. ICOs have been wildly successful at bringing more people into the digital currency market and fueled its rise, said Tran. Nowadays the ease of setting one up makes it far too easy for countless illicit activities to target the unsuspecting public. Given the Internets ubiquity, the blast radius of these activities is virtually unlimited.

Tran contends that Democratizing access to innovation at its formative stage is the path to the future. The next era of innovation is so vast that theres room for everyone to be a part of its success story. The ICX is a validation round that provides an express lane to both capital and global support.

The ICX Standard aligns with increasing regulatory action surrounding the nascent digital asset market. Earlier this year, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling on the government to examine the risks and benefits of cryptocurrencies. It focused on six key areas: consumer protection, financial stability, illicit activity, U.S. competitiveness, financial inclusion and responsible innovation. The order calls on federal agencies to take a unified approach to regulation and oversight of digital assets.

Peers Initial Coin Exchange is an answer to the Biden Administrations call for responsible innovation, explained Tran. The ICX will establish a true global standard to help the world qualify and quantify viable projects. It will also serve as a new key performance indicator for innovation and allow other established projects to issue tokens.

Unlike most ICOs, an ICX is only for blockchain companies that have already completed a functioning product, providing utility to the token from the start. The ICX standard will be only for established companies and decentralized applications (dapps) where the issued digital asset can be utilized in the network from the start, eliminating riskier early-stage projects without working products.

Under this new funding model, a seed round could be followed by an ICX, then series A, B, C, and so on.

What differentiates an ICX from an ICO are three key elements:

1. The launch of a mainnet or working application  Peer launched the main network of its patent-pending blockchain on March 16, 2022.

2. Establishing functional utility  From the moment the token is live, it can be used within a decentralized application or blockchain that is already active and working, giving the token value from current utility instead of potential future utility.

3. Publishing an in-depth White Paper that describes any patent-pending or patent-issued IP and explains the utility available from the first sale.

Following Peers own launch of the PMC token, two partner projects, Nooncake and Century, will be launching on Peer using the ICX model.

This is the upgrade for ICOs, concluded Tran. Establishing the Initial Coin Exchange as a new global standard is an important step toward holding blockchain and digital currency firms accountable and restoring the reputation of our industry. Today, even legitimate investment opportunities are met with increasing skepticism because of all the negative publicity surrounding crypto scams. The Initial Coin Exchange will distance itself from the past and restore confidence in the crowd-sale platform, drive deeper innovation, and reward responsible developers of this brave new world.

To sign up for the ICX waitlist, please visit the Peer website.

About Peer Inc.

Peer is the Web3 social network and blockchain-based metaverse ecosystem built for the future of computing. Peer was founded by Tony Tran and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

To learn more, please watch Metaverse Rising with Tony Tran and follow us on Twitter @peerpmc.

Media Contact

Press@peer.inc
Against its earlier stance, INEC recently extended the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties by six days.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the court to "declare unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards the failure of the electoral body to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights."

Against its earlier stance, INEC recently extended the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties by six days, from June 3 to June 9. But the commission has failed to also extend the online pre-registration which ended May 30 2022 and the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) ending 30 June 2022.

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1034/2022 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking the court to determine "whether the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is not a violation of Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, and international standards."

SERAP is asking the court for "a declaration that the failure of INEC to extend the deadline for voter registration is a violation of eligible Nigerians' rights to participate freely in their own government, equality and equal protection."

SERAP is also asking the court for "an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to extend voter registration by a minimum of three months and take effective measures to ensure that eligible Nigerians are able to register to exercise their right to vote in the 2023 general elections."

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: "Enforcing unrealistic voter registration deadline while extending the deadline for party primaries would deny and abridge the constitutional and international human rights of eligible voters."

SERAP is also arguing that "INEC mandates ought to be exercised in a fair, just and non-discriminatory manner. The extension of voter registration would ensure that Nigerian voters are treated equally and fairly. The future of Nigeria's democracy depends on it."

SERAP is arguing that "Voters are also critical stakeholders in the electoral process. Treating all eligible Nigerian voters fairly would advance the people's right to vote and to participate in their own government."

According to SERAP, "INEC must not only be independent and impartial in the exercise of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities but must also be seen to be independent and impartial."

SERAP is also asking the court for "an order restraining INEC, its agents, privies, assigns, or any other person(s) claiming through it from discontinuing the continuous voters' registration exercise from the 30th June 2022 or any other date pending the hearing and determination of this suit."

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi, read in part: "Extending the voter registration exercise would also bolster voter confidence in the electoral process."

"One of the people's most sacred rights is the right to vote. The commission has a constitutional and statutory responsibility to ensure the effective exercise of the right of all eligible voters to participate in their own government."

"Extending the deadline for party primaries without providing adequate time and opportunity for eligible voters to register and participate in the 2023 general elections would amount to an unfair and discriminatory treatment of Nigerian voters, and violate other human rights."

"Extending the voter registration deadline would provide more time for eligible voters, including young people, the elderly, people living with disability, as well as those resident in states facing security challenges and living in IDP camps to participate in the 2023 elections."

"Extending the deadline for voter registration would be entirely consistent with constitutional and international standards, and the Electoral Act. Any such extension would also not impact negatively on INEC's election calendar and activities."

"The public perception of the independence and impartiality of INEC is essential for building public confidence in the electoral process, and ensuring the credibility and legitimacy of the 2023 elections."

"Where Nigerians have doubts about the independence and impartiality of INEC, they are more likely to have less confidence in the electoral process thereby undermining democracy."

"Extending the deadline for voter registration would also be justified, given reports of challenges in the voter registration exercise, especially for young people, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, and those resident in states facing security challenges and living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps."

"The will of the people is expressed through democratic elections. This requires that people should be afforded adequate time and opportunity to register to vote. Extending the voter registration deadline is crucial for promoting the independence and impartiality of INEC and building public confidence in the electoral process."

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"The Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) provides in Section 14(1)(c) that, 'the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.'"

"Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that 'the registration of voters, updating and revision of the Register of Voters under this section shall not stop not later than 90 days before any election covered by this Act.'"

"Similarly, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance guarantee the right to political participation."

"These human rights treaties also require states parties including Nigeria to ensure the independence and impartiality of national electoral bodies responsible for the management of elections, as well as to promote the establishment of the necessary conditions to foster citizen participation."

"The right of people to participate in their government is a fundamental feature of any democratic society, and any undue restriction of the right would strike at the heart of representative government."

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Satori Elements SAO SC Tatami Room Finally, an authentic imported Japanese plaster which is a practical alternative to paint for the U.S. market has arrived!

Shikoku International Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Shikoku Chemicals Corporation in Japan (the manufacturer) will stock and distribute Elements SAO SC throughout the United States. The designation SC stands for Select Color and will be available in 78 liquid tint packets of vibrant rich colors which are premeasured for each bag of untinted plaster.

The new Elements SAO will be stocked and shipped without color and if additives such as straw, mica and silky fibers are to be mixed with the plaster it will work with untinted SAO and the result will be a white colored plaster similar to our most popular SAO 61 pre tinted white plaster. The additives will not have color transfer since the plaster is untinted and applies and dries as white. We also have straw colored plaster which works well with straw additives and has the natural earthen look which is traditional in Japan.

There will be a new limited edition Elements brochure available shortly with 9 actual plaster samples as well as all 78 colors shown with part numbers on our website under Elements https://satoriwalls.com/ . We have individual bags of SAO SC available for sale which cover 30 sq ft as well as our tints which can be used to make samples. Applicators experienced in custom tinting may select untinted SAO SC or include one of our tints close to their desired color and modify it with their preferred tinting method and products.

We are striving to make it easier for paint stores and specialty retailers to sell our products. It became very difficult and expensive to stock 32 different pretinted plasters, so we listened to our customers and streamlined inventory at our warehouse in Southern California.

If a color is not in stock, it can be quickly and economically shipped since the tint packets are small and light in comparison to cases of plaster.

Our goal is to greatly expand color choices and customization for Satori Elements SAO plasters and provide a real alternative to paints for U.S. consumers. All Satori plasters are suitable for interior only residential and commercial applications on both walls and ceilings.

About Us:

Satori Japanese Plaster and additives are imported from Japan by Shikoku International Corporation which is based in Orange, CA. The products are stocked and shipped from our warehouse in Long Beach, CA. Shikoku International Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Shikoku Chemicals Corporation founded in 1947 and based on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The Housing Materials Operations began producing its first Japanese plasters in the 1970s and launched the Diatomaceous Earth series in 1999. We are certified ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The earth material used in our products has been carefully selected for quality and particle size consistency from around the globe. The earth particles are collected from areas in strict accordance with all regulations from land beneath the clay layer. Japanese plaster has been a centuries old tradition in homes, tea houses as well as commercial establishments and Shikoku International is proud to bring these beautiful wall finishes to the United States market.

Please contact us online via livechat or email for more information:

https://satoriwalls.com/contact/
UCC Diver  Chesapeake Bay We expect to add up to 50 new underwater construction service jobs in the region, and our new office will enable the company to better serve our customers, says Philip McDermott, UCCs Vice President  Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions.

Underwater Construction Corporation (UCC) is proud to announce their newest office in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

UCC specializes in power plant diving services, underwater intake/discharge and marine infrastructure rehabilitation, underwater carbon wrap services, water-storage tank cleaning services and underwater inspection services with divers and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).

The Mid-Atlantic Region is already home to many of UCCs customers, and the new location will enhance customer service in that area. We expect to add up to 50 new underwater construction service jobs in the region, and our new office will enable the company to better serve our customers, says Philip McDermott, UCCs Vice President  Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions. We recently completed a substantial underwater coating services and carbon wrap project in April 2022 for one of the largest power generation companies in the USA. UCCs Glen Burnie office assisted in the projects safe completion, which utilized more than 45 commercial divers from within our company.

Tim Fisher, one of UCCs most experienced commercial divers and project managers, will be the Mid-Atlantic Operations Manager. With the addition of their Glen Burnie office, UCC will be able to expand their services to new customers in Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.

For over 50 years, with offices in Connecticut, Michigan, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, and now Maryland, Underwater Construction Corporation has continued to deliver unparalleled support to the power generation, marine construction, and water-dependent manufacturing industries. UCC provides a myriad of underwater commercial diving services to a diverse customer base with global response capabilities.
InOrbit Connect With InOrbit Connect and the robot directory, were able to reduce the friction for end-users, who just want their robots to do their job, and robot developers can now focus on addressing the specific needs their robots were designed for.

At A3s Automate trade show today, InOrbit launched the new InOrbit Connect certification program making it easier for companies to connect robots to the cloud. Companies deploying robots to improve internal processes can add one or hundreds of robots to their InOrbit account with one click. Robot buyers also have access to a free, comprehensive robot directory, including InOrbit Connect-certified robots. With a growing list of robotics companies, this will become an invaluable industry resource.

Robots are the ultimate data-driven machines, yet its still hard for people to get the right insights from their robots at the right time, said Florian Pestoni, co-founder and CEO of InOrbit. With InOrbit Connect and the robot directory, were able to reduce the friction for end-users, who just want their robots to do their job, and robot developers can now focus on addressing the specific needs their robots were designed for. They can each get the data they need, whether its to drive operations, detect and resolve incidents, or make their product better.

InOrbit Connect is a first-of-its-kind certification program to help connect robot developers and end-users. It removes barriers to getting valuable, real-time robot operations data across vendors. The new program enables robot developers to gather data from all their robots in the field to drive continuous improvement. By connecting their robots to the cloud with a single click, end-users can access all critical operational data in one place regardless of vendor. InOrbit Connect makes this as easy as watching Netflix on a Smart TV.

Through our work with InOrbit, we are getting critical operational data on our smart autonomous mobile robot, KIRA B 50, said Marco Cardinale, VP of Floor Care Solutions and Robotics at Karcher. With InOrbit Connect, our customers get the benefits of RobOps with minimum effort, gaining access to real-time, actionable insights that match their needs. As autonomous cleaning robots from Karcher are deployed in environments such as warehouses and airports with other types of robots, InOrbit can provide an integrated view for maximum efficiency.

We are thrilled to be part of InOrbit Connect and to be listed in the robot directory, said Lucas Jagodnik, CEO of Apelie Robotics. As a startup in Argentina working on robotics solutions for specific local needs, we face many unique challenges. InOrbit Connect lets us offer our customers a complete solution for robot operations thats on par with or above what the largest robotics companies provide.

InOrbit offers free and paid editions of its scalable, cloud-based RobOps platform, making it accessible to everyone from early-stage startups to large enterprises. In combination with InOrbit Connect, the InOrbit platform provides a single pane of glass for operating diverse and growing fleets while keeping each part of the ecosystem focused on what it does best.

To learn more about InOrbit Connect and to start your robot certification, please visit - http://connect.inorbit.ai/

For media assets, please click here.

About InOrbit

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, InOrbit is the leading platform for RobOps at scale. The company is bridging the autonomy gap through its cloud-based, robot-agnostic data platform that enables robotics companies and enterprises to master the four Os of robot operations: observability, operation, orchestration and optimization. InOrbits multi-cloud platform provides secure, real-time analytics and data collection, robot performance monitoring (RPM), incident response and root-cause analysis. For more information, please visit http://www.inorbit.ai.

Press contact:

Sacha Arts

Bella Vista Communications

(408) 458.6316

S.arts@me.com
The AccuLynx Customer Portal helps contractors stay on top of customer relationships by automating the process of keeping customers informed throughout a job and providing the tools that make communication and payment collection easy.

AccuLynx, the leading provider of all-in-one roofing business management software, today announced the launch of an online Customer Portal to help roofing contractors provide better customer service while saving them time. This secure, self-service website, which is designed for use with an AccuLynx account, gives contractors an easier way to provide project updates to their customers, answer questions, offer financing, request or receive payments, and more.

For many contracting businesses, managing customer relationships is challenging, especially when things get busy. The AccuLynx Customer Portal helps contractors stay on top of customer relationships by automating the process of keeping customers informed throughout a job and providing the tools that make communication and payment collection easy. Contractors can exchange messages with customers, share documents and photos, receive payments, and even offer financing, said Mark Rattin, VP of Product at AccuLynx.

Instead of emailing individual documents, making phone calls, or driving back and forth to job sites, roofing contractors can share relevant information stored in their AccuLynx job file directly to the portal. Once a customer is provided with a unique login to the portal, they will be able to see the specific information that is shared with them, including relevant documents, appointments, delivery dates, cost, payment history and invoice balance.

Customers today expect a high level of service from contractors, said Mike Stein, Chief Executive Officer of AccuLynx. That includes on-demand access to their projects, the ability to get immediate answers to their questions, and a convenient way to make payments. Our new Customer Portal, along with the many other features in AccuLynx, helps roofing contractors take their service to the next level without increasing their workload.

The Customer Portal is the latest addition to the AccuLynx platform, which is used by thousands of roofing contractors across the United States and Canada. It is designed for roofing contractors who are focused on delivering superior customer service while running an efficient operation. By providing customers with 24/7 access to their projects as well as self-service capabilities, roofing companies that use the Customer Portal benefit from improved capacity and customer satisfaction.

The Customer Portal, which can be customized with a companys branding, is an optional feature available in AccuLynx.

###

About AccuLynx

AccuLynx is the leading provider of cloud-based business management software for roofing contractors. Recognized as a pioneer in the industry, AccuLynx has helped thousands of companiesfrom rapidly-growing start-ups to multi-location operationsstreamline their processes and grow their business. Used by more contractors than any other roofing software, AccuLynxs simple business management tools include CRM, estimating, production scheduling, project management, aerial measurements, material ordering, photo sharing, payment processing, custom reporting, homeowner financing, and more. AccuLynx has direct integrations with Beacon Building Products, SRS Distribution, ABC Supply, QuickBooks, HomeAdvisor, GAF, GreenSky, EagleView Technologies, and others. For more information, visit acculynx.com.
Princeton TMX Logo Shippers today are looking for more flexible, fuel efficient options for shipping freight over long distances, says Tim Minnich, President, Chief Executive Officer. We are making it easier for manufacturers to have more options and control when picking modes and carriers.

Princeton TMX announces new rail capabilities that augment existing truck (truckload, intermodal and LTL) modules in their cloud-based SaaS TMS system. Adding new features and modules for planning, executing, sourcing, and settling payments via railway freight transport allows for nearly seamless experience between truck and rail which can save time, reduce transport costs and conserve fuel, helping shippers to build more cost-effective and sustainable supply chains.

Shippers today are looking for more flexible, fuel efficient options for shipping freight over long distances, says Tim Minnich, President, Chief Executive Officer. We are making it easier for manufacturers to have more options and control when picking modes and carriers.

Shipping by rail is a great way for manufacturers to move their goods in a cost efficient, sustainable way. Offering rail with trucking enables companies to manage both modes in one TMS platform leveraging the cost advantages and strengths of rail shipping with speed and agility of trucks.

Princeton TMX has purpose built the rail capability into its microservices architecture, cloud-native TMS system, giving users a seamless, automated experience for managing their shipments each day.

Princeton TMX Modules for Shipping by Rail

In addition to the robust Princeton TMX ground transport modules with configurable workflows and work queues for planning, sourcing, execution, settlement, carrier communications, reporting and analytics, the new rail mode includes modules that support the unique requirements of shipping by rail. The rail shipping modules include freight rating, payment, equipment management, real-time load tracking & ETA, load building and yard management. Princeton TMX rail mode gives users the ability to create, edit, or view rail shipments and transmit this information to the appropriate railroad.

Visibility for Shipping by Rail as Well as Truck

Princeton TMX makes it fast and easy to automatically manage and view rail equipment, history, lease information and charges. Quickly access shipping information and status with real-time ETAs. The Yard Management module allows shippers to create yards, define tracks and capacities within yards, visualize and drag and drop their rail cars between the tracks within the yard.

Rail Freight Audit and Payment with Demurrage

Rail cost management is complex when a shipment passes through multiple carriers, and each must separately set and publish their own shipping rates and bill the customer for that rate. Princeton TMX multi-mode truck and rail TMS supports both through rates and Rule 11, eliminating the complexity presented across multiple handoffs. Princeton TMX can also handle complex demurrage management which saves time and reduces costly demurrage fees.

To learn how Princeton TMX multi-mode TMS capabilities can help save time and money visit Booth 103 at the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium / Xpo June 6  8 in Orlando, Florida.

About Princeton TMX

Princeton TMX offers shippers in industries including lumber, steel, paper, chemicals, agriculture and aggregate a cloud-based transportation management system that automates, streamlines and optimizes transportation transactions. The results are increased efficiency, ease of workflow and lower cost. Over 10,000 users in North America manage their transportation through the flexible, modular TMS system. Princeton TMX is a subsidiary of Princeton Consultants, Inc. For more, visit http://www.PrincetonTMX.com.
RoadShow Africas mission is to foster international collaboration and encourage African leaders and governments to explore film opportunities available in Georgia and beyond their own borders.

RoadShow Equity Partners is pleased to announce the launch of RoadShow Africa, the first platform to offer investors the opportunity to participate in a diverse portfolio of risk-mitigated media projects involving filmmakers from Africa engaging with Georgia.

RoadShow Africa recognizes and supports the growing number of African filmmakers by representing this talent in the American market to ensure they receive equitable compensation for their work and have access to advanced educational programs, distribution, and international collaborations.

When meeting with political leaders and influencers from the African continent in recent months, it became apparent that there is a need for representation and expertise that we could offer in Georgia, said Jim Munson, CEO of RoadShow Africa. RoadShow Africa invests in African projects, works to distribute these projects, and collaborates with directors and producers exploring ways to take advantage of all the opportunities Georgia has to offer including tax incentives and workforce diversity.

The company is already aligned with Nigeria, the Ghana International Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations. Munson continued, RoadShow Africas mission is to foster international collaboration and encourage African leaders and governments to explore film opportunities available in Georgia and beyond their own borders.

Film has increasingly become the most valuable tool for the expression of our identity as Africans, said Amina Smaila, the Consulate General of Nigeria in Atlanta. The marginalization of African and Black filmmaking has led to longstanding historical injustices and distortions that must be corrected. I commend the efforts of Roadshow Africa in initiating a platform that provides a space to showcase films by Africans and people of African descent and, more broadly, to express African creativity at its best.

Georgia and especially Atlanta has always had an attraction to me and other filmmakers from Africa, said Joseph Benjamin, an advisor to RoadShow Africa and acclaimed actor, song writer and producer originally from Nigeria, now living in Atlanta. I have enjoyed working with the team at RoadShow Africa and look forward to bringing even more opportunities to Georgia.

On October 20th, RoadShow Africa will have its premier in-person reception featuring panel discussions with top industry experts, film showings and awards, and attendance by government organizations, international dignitaries, and Georgia students and independent filmmakers. Saprea, a nonprofit organization focusing on child abuse healing and prevention, has been designated as the charity of choice for the upcoming event. More details will be announced soon about the October 20th event.

For more information about RoadShow Africa, please visit http://www.roadshowafrica.com/. For more information about investing, partnering or supporting RoadShow Africa, please email Madeleine Smith at media (at) roadshowafrica (dot) com
After the Harvest is the only organization of its kind in the Kansas City region, and were excited to engage our business community in this one-of-a-kind event with the ultimate goal of serving hungry people in our region, said ATH Board of Directors President Randy Burdge.

Since After the Harvests inception in 2014, our mission has been to fight food insecurity, improve nutrition, and reduce food waste. But as the need continues to increase, our efforts have grown to meet the moment, and now ATH is proud to join forces with the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in announcing our first signature event, the 2022 Amaizing Sweet Corn Glean-A-Thon and Sweet Corn Festival.

ATH and the Ag Hall of Fame are partnering to engage the robust business community in our region, soliciting corporate and community teams to help us harvest 50,000 ears of sweet corn from three generous Kansas City-area farms this July. This nutritious sweet corn will be delivered to area food pantries, food kitchens, Harvesters - The Community Food Network, and other local agencies serving people experiencing food insecurity.

In 2022, Feeding America projects that 1 in 6 children and 1 in 8 adults in the Kansas City area dont know where their next meal is coming from, said ATH Board of Directors President Randy Burdge. After the Harvest is the only organization of its kind in the Kansas City region, and were excited to engage our business community in this one-of-a-kind event with the ultimate goal of serving hungry people in our region.

Over the course of two weeks in mid-July, competing teams will have a three-hour window to harvest as much sweet corn as possible. The competition will culminate in a Sweet Corn Festival on July 30, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, Kan., which has a long history of promoting agricultural history and awareness in America.

We are happy to partner with After the Harvest and host the Sweet Corn Festival at the National Agricultural Center, said Dave Hurrelbrink, Board of Directors President at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame. As part of our mission to educate the community on agriculture, as well as to help feed those in need, this partnership is a perfect fit for both our organizations.

Participating farmers who have generously planted sweet corn specifically for this event include Kathy Dean, Tom and Andrea Guetterman, and Jimmy Springer of Riverview Farm.

Team registration is still open, and ATH encourages community groups, faith and civic organizations, local businesses and families to sign up. Small teams of 2 to 7 members or larger teams of 8 to 15 members can register to compete here. All participating teams will receive company-branded t-shirts and cooling towels, and will enjoy refreshments at the field on the day that they compete in the Harvesting Contest. Contest winners will be announced at the Sweet Corn Festival. More details about the festival are available here.

After the Harvest and the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame would like to thank our generous sponsors who made this event possible, including:



Cargill, Inc.

Bayer Crop Sciences

Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Creative Planning, LLC

Archer Daniels Midland

A limited number of corporate sponsorships are available. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lisa Ousley at lisa (at) aftertheharvestkc (dot) org. For more information or to schedule press and media interviews, please contact Autumn MorningSky at autumn (at) aftertheharvestkc (dot) org.

The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) chartered by Congress in 1960 to educate society on the historical and present value of American agriculture and to honor leadership in agribusiness and academia by providing education, information, experience and recognition. Learn more at http://www.aghalloffame.com.

After the Harvest rescues nutritious fruits and vegetables from going to waste and donates them to agencies that serve hungry people, primarily in Greater Kansas City. Our volunteers glean after the harvest, picking whats left in farmers fields and picking up already harvested leftover produce. The majority of the funds we raise helps secure semi-truckloads of donated produce that might otherwise end up in landfills. After the Harvest, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the largest local produce donor to HarvestersThe Community Food Network. Learn more at http://www.aftertheharvestkc.org.
Two-thirds of survey respondents say their company still doesnt have an accurate picture of the personal data they hold, according to new research from Transcend. Many of todays manual data inventory exercises fall short because the act of documenting the data is abstracted from where the data actually lives. Companies are far too reliant on individual system owners to surface up processing information, or make best guess inferences.

Transcend, the privacy platform that makes it easy to encode privacy across a companys tech stack, announced at this years RSA Conference in San Francisco the release of new research into corporate stewardship of the personal data they process and store. Based on a survey of technical leaders across different industries, the findings from Transcends 2022 State of Data Visibility Report paint a stark picture of how companies are performing when it comes to knowing how and why they use customer, user, and employee data, and where it is stored.

Transcends research found that:



Two-thirds of survey respondents say their company still doesnt have an accurate picture of the personal data they hold; the result of system sprawl, reliance on manual processes, and insufficient resources. This is against a backdrop of increased privacy regulations and technical requirements from industry leaders like Apple.

Compounding this visibility challenge, 57% of those surveyed say new systems containing user data are added weekly, in some cases daily, within their companies, but only 22% have implemented automated data discovery and inventory approaches, exposing compliance and data security gaps.

Over 50% of companies will need more than a year, multiple internal teams, and an external vendor to discover all data systems and create a unified data map.

These results paint a troubling picture of corporate readiness for the increased stress privacy programs will faceif its not being felt alreadyin complying with new laws, new requirements, and heightened consumer expectations of agency over their personal data, made worse by a baseline lack of real-time visibility into the data they hold, said Brandon Wiebe, Transcend General Counsel & Head of Privacy.

Many of todays manual data inventory exercises fall short because the act of documenting the data is abstracted from where the data actually lives. Companies are far too reliant on individual system owners to surface up processing information, or make best guess inferences. said Wiebe.

As long as there's daylight between the privacy organizations that are charged with complying with regulations, and the data plane where personal information is actually processed, privacy compliance, data security, and honoring data rights will always be unscalable.

Transcends research also found that when asked what was blocking their data inventory projects, 62% of respondents cited lack of support from leadership, while 31% cited insufficient budget.

A complete data inventory is foundational to fulfilling many privacy law requirements: completing data subject requests (DSR) for data access, rectification, and deletion, identifying risky data processing activities, and creating and maintaining records of processing activities (ROPA)a requirement of GDPR Article 30. In spite of this, Transcends research found that 68% of companies still rely on manual lists or ad hoc cross-functional communication to identify which systems should be included in their data subject request (DSR) workflows.

The full 2022 State of Data Visibility Report can be found at: https://go.transcend.io/data-visibility-report-2022. Transcend is also an exhibitor at this years RSA Conference in San Francisco, and can be found at booth 4614 in the Moscone North Exhibit Hall.

About Transcend

Transcend is the privacy platform that makes it easy to encode privacy across a companys tech stack for full visibility, auditability, and compliance. Backed by Accel and Index Ventures, the company is the data privacy partner of choice for brands such as Robinhood, Clubhouse, Eventbrite, and more. Transcend customers go beyond the patchwork compliance and manual offerings of today to realize an easy, efficient, and secure privacy program at scale, with industry-leading technical solutions for the most urgent data mapping, consumer request, and consent management challenges. By future-proofing its technology, Transcend also enables customers to confidently address new or future regulatory requirements, whatever they might be. In addition, Transcends privacy platform incorporates standard-setting data protections that security-conscious brands have come to expect, including an on-premise security gateway, E2EE (end-to-end encryption), and more.

Founded in 2017, Transcend is headquartered in San Francisco.

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We are extremely proud of the accomplishment of a portion of our portfolio receiving an AHCA/NCALs Bronze Quality Award, says Rod Burkett, CEO of Gardant Management Solutions.

9 Gardant Management Solutions Communities Achieve

2022 AHCA/NCAL Bronze National Quality Award

National award signifies a formal commitment to continuous improvement in quality care

Nine assisted living and memory care communities managed by Gardant Management Solutions have been recognized as 2022 recipients of the Bronze  Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) for its commitment to improving the lives of residents through quality care. The distinction is the first of three progressive award levels through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program. The program, presented by the leading association in long term and post-acute care, honors providers across the country that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality of care for our nations seniors and people with disabilities.

The Gardant-managed communities to be honored with 2022 Bronze Awards are as follows:

Churchview Supportive Living

Churchview Supportive Living is an affordable assisted living community located in Chicago. The community is designed to serve low-income adults 65 years of age and older.

Gateway at River City

Located in Peoria, Illinois, GateWay at River City is an affordable assisted living community designed to serve adults 22 to 64 years of age with disabilities.

Heritage Woods of Chicago

Featuring 110 private apartments, Heritage Woods of Chicago is designed to serve adults 65 years of age and older. The community was recently among more than 20 Gardant-managed assisted living and memory care communities rated by U.S. News as being among the Best in the nation.

Heritage Woods of Gurnee

Heritage Woods of Gurnee is located in Lake County, Illinois. The affordable assisted living community is designed to serve adults 65 years of age and older.

Heritage Woods of Rockford

Heritage Woods of Rockford is an affordable assisted living community located in Winnebago County, Illinois. The community is designed to serve adults 65 years of age and older and was one of more than 20 Gardant-managed communities to be recognized by U.S. News as among the best for assisted living and memory care in the nation.

Heritage Woods of Sterling

Located in Whiteside County, Illinois, Heritage Woods of Sterling is an affordable assisted living community that serves adults 65 years of age and older. The community was one of more than 20 Gardant-managed communities to be recognized by U.S. News as among the best in the country for assisted living and memory care.

Heritage Woods of Newburgh

Located in Warrick County, Indiana, Heritage Woods of Newburgh is designed to serve adults of all incomes 62 years of age and older.

Oasis at 30th

Located on the east side of Indianapolis, Oasis at 30th features 124 apartments. The community is designed to serve low-income adults 55 years of age and older.

Gull Creek

Gull Creek is located in Berlin, Maryland, and features assisted living and memory care apartments. In 2021, Coastal Style magazine named Gull Creek the top assisted living provider in Worcester County.

In the past three years, 47 assisted living and memory care communities managed by Gardant have been recognized with Bronze awards.

We are extremely proud of the accomplishment of a portion of our portfolio receiving an AHCA/NCALs Bronze Quality Award, says Rod Burkett, CEO of Gardant Management Solutions. This recognition is due to the dedicated efforts provided by the staff and management teams at these communities throughout the year, and it is indicative of their dedication to serving residents and committing to ongoing quality improvement. We are extremely thankful every day for their compassion and dedication!

Created by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is a rigorous three-level process that is reviewed and judged by trained experts against a set of nationally recognized standards for organizational excellence. The standards of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program help organizations achieve superior performance to improve quality of life and care of long term care residents and staff.

Providers begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level, where they develop an organizational profile with essential performance elements such as vision, mission statement, and key strengths and challenges. Bronze applicants must also demonstrate their ability to implement a sustainable performance improvement system. Trained examiners review each application to determine if the center has met the demands of the criteria. As recipients of the Bronze - Commitment to Quality award, these communities may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving advanced levels of performance that meet the Silver - Achievement in Quality award criteria.

Quality care is always top of mind for providers, and this achievement celebrates the commitment and fortitude of all nine Gardant-managed communities to find ways to enhance the lives of its patients and residents, said the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers Chair Tammy Kelly.

The awards will be celebrated during AHCA/NCALs 73rd Convention & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 9-12, 2022.

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ABOUT GARDANT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Gardant Management Solutions was built on the foundation that operating communities with dignity, compassion and enriched services would drive financial results. Our expertise in developing & operating environments that inspire vitality in our residents will create tangible business value for you.

We applaud figures 49 awards received from 48 communities that have achieved Bronze Award status in the past four years. We appreciate their commitment to quality improvement and to our mission of enriching the lives of residents by providing them with the Love, Compassion, and Dignity they deserve in addition to the personal assistance, help with medications, and support services they need.

15 Gardant-managed communities won the Bronze Award in 2021 including Cambridge House of Maryville, Cambridge House of OFallon, Cedar Grove, Deer Path Supportive Living, Eagle Ridge of Decatur, Grand Prairie of Macomb, Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook, Heritage Woods of McHenry, Heritage Woods of Noblesville, Heritage Woods of Ottawa, Heritage Woods of Watseka, Lacey Creek, Oasis at 56th, Prairie Winds of Urbana, and White Oaks at McHenry.

26 Gardant-managed communities won the Bronze Award in 2020 including Belvedere Senior Housing, Cambridge House of Swansea, Evergreen Village at Bloomington, Glasswater Creek of Lafayette, Hellenic Senior Living of Indianapolis, Hellenic Senior Living of New Albany, Heritage Woods of Batavia, Heritage Woods of Belvidere, Heritage Woods of Benton, Heritage Woods of Centralia, Heritage Woods of Charleston, Heritage Woods of DeKalb, Heritage Woods of Dwight, Heritage Woods of Freeport, Heritage Woods of Huntley, Heritage Woods of Manteno, Heritage Woods of Minooka, Heritage Woods of Moline, Heritage Woods of Mt. Vernon, Heritage Woods of Plainfield, Heritage Woods of South Elgin, Heritage Woods of Yorkville, St. Anthony of Lansing, The Lodge at Summers Pointe, White Oaks at Heritage Woods of South Elgin, and White Oaks at Spring Street.

For more information about the Bronze Award, click here.

ABOUT AHCA/NCAL

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent more than 14,000 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers, and homes for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit http://www.ahcancal.org.
Ribbon cutting with Atlanta Mayor Dickens, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. CEO Clyde Higgs, Invest Atlanta CEO Dr. Klementich, Atlanta Councilmember Dustin Hillis, and executives from Prestwick Company. At the end of the day, its about the people. When you think about the BeltLine vision, this represents what were trying to do: access to jobs, transportation options, affordable housing, arts and culture, access to greenspace.- Clyde Higgs, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. President & CEO

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) celebrated the ribbon cutting and grand opening of Parkside on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Prestwick Development Company constructed the 100 percent affordable housing community on Atlantas Westside.

Appearing with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Invest Atlantas Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Atlanta City Councilmember Dustin Hillis and executives from Prestwick Company, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. President & CEO Clyde Higgs said, At the end of the day, its about the people. This brick and metal and wood that you see is just a conduit for outcomes that we want. When you think about the BeltLine vision, this represents what were trying to do: access to jobs, transportation options, affordable housing, arts and culture, access to greenspace. It really is all about collaboration of all our partners to get this done.

Said Mayor Dickens, Weve all been really excited about this day and this project. Thats important to where were going in the city. Housing is foundational to a communitys health and right here, right now we dont have enough of it in Atlanta. At this time, were in a fight to do all we can to establish more and more and more affordable housing at the right price point to accommodate all of our residents. Since January, weve made one of largest investments in housing in Atlantas history.

Parkside, located at 1314 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway in the Bankhead/Historic Westin Heights neighborhood, is located within the BeltLine Tax Allocation District (TAD) and received a $2 million contribution from the BeltLine Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Prestwick Development Company, the developer, also received a $3 million tax-exempt loan from Invest Atlanta, low-income housing tax credits from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and additional financing through Enterprise Community Partners, Sugar Creek Capital and Bellwether Enterprise.

As the city of Atlanta continues to grow, we need to remind ourselves of one important pillar for growth  creating strong, thriving communities for all, said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. Building stronger communities requires coordinated community development strategies focusing on housing as well as employment, small business development, educational facilities, greenspace, and other areas of need. Parkside is another great example of partners coming together and creating an asset to help this community prosper.

While the community is almost fully leased, people interested in learning more can visit http://www.parksideqy.com.

Parkside is one block from the Bankhead MARTA station and Maddox Park. Located on Proctor Creek, it also offers easy access to the Proctor Creek Greenway, which starts by the MARTA station.

All 182 units are dedicated to affordable housing units at the following levels of Area Median Income (AMI):

57 units at 50 percent AMI

96 units at 60 percent AMI

29 units at 70 percent AMI

The new apartments include 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom options with open floor plans. The complex includes a wellness/fitness center, business center, conference center, and multiple community spaces.

While not a housing agency, ABI works with multiple partners to achieve affordable housing goals and provides capital to development projects like Parkside that create and preserve affordable housing and commercial affordability within the BeltLine TAD. In partnership with Invest Atlanta, ABI administers the Atlanta BeltLine Affordable Housing Trust Fund (BAHTF) and the BeltLine TAD excess increment fund. The TAD is a financing tool that is projected to cover approximately a third of the costs to build out the Atlanta BeltLine with excess committed to affordable housing.

Just south of Parkside, located on Proctor Creek, is a 31-acre site on Chappell Road purchased by ABI in 2021. By owning land, ABI will guide thoughtful development with affordability for residents and small businesses.

Nearby, Westside Trail  Segment 3 is under construction and nearing completion while Westside Trail  Segment 4 is at 60 percent design. The Westside BeltLine Connector, leading into downtown, opened last year.

To date, ABI has partnered with organizations to create or preserve 3,100 affordable units within the TAD. In the broader BeltLine Planning Area, a total of 4,755 affordable units have been created or preserved within walking distance of the Atlanta BeltLine. ABI already has exceeded its annual goal in 2022, set forth as 320 affordable units for the year, with 373 units created or preserved, thanks in part to the City of Atlantas Inclusionary Zoning ordinance. The legislation, sponsored by then Councilmember Andre Dickens, now Atlantas mayor, and championed by other city leadership, went into effect in January 2018.

ABI, in conjunction with Atlanta BeltLine Partnership (ABP), also administers the Legacy Resident Retention Program (LRRP). This program provides financial assistance through 2030 to cover property tax increases for qualifying homeowners financially burdened by property tax increases.

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About Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.s vision is to be the catalyst for making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life. As one of the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs in the United States, the Atlanta BeltLine is building a more socially and economically resilient Atlanta with our partner organizations and host communities through job creation, inclusive transportation systems, affordable housing, and public spaces for all. For more information on the Atlanta BeltLine, please visit http://www.BeltLine.org.
"People with questionable characters use money to buy their ways into various elective positions."

Many Nigerians have expressed displeasure about the rate at which electoral processes have been tied to the use of money and other values in recent times.

A cross-section of those who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday expressed displeasure on the development.

Peter Kua, a businessman in Makurdi, Benue State, said that the way and manner money is used in politics has become very worrisome.

"People with questionable characters use money to buy their ways into various elective positions.

"It is very sad that the masses have been mortgaging their rights and the future of their children because of peanuts.

"We are encouraging these people who brandish or throw money at us to take advantage of our gullibility to further impoverish us," Mr Kua said.

Also, Tersoo Ade, a taxi driver in Makurdi, appealed to the National Assembly for the interest of the nation to adopt direct primaries as the only mode of party primaries to check the influence of moneybags.

Mr Ade stressed that if direct primaries were adopted and enshrined in the Electoral Law, it would go a long way to save the Nigerian political system from total collapse.

Corroborating Mr Ade, Jacob Terwase lamented that if nothing was done about the ugly development, only money bags could win election in the country.

"Without money, one cannot make any meaningful move in any political party even if he was an angel because stakeholders always expect transportation fare whether they visited or the aspirants visited them.

"If something was not done about it, only the highest bidders will be picking parties tickets.

"My brother, money has destroyed our politics completely. Just see what happened during the last PDP primaries here in Makurdi where state House of Assembly aspirants were offering each delegate N1 million.

"We even have a situation where a House of Representatives aspirant was offering N1.5 million yet he still lost because his opponent offered more," Mr Terwase said.

Another resident, Charity Tyolaha, said that for the country to produce a credible leader, serious efforts must be put in place to mitigate the use of money in politics.

Mrs Tyolaha also said that the direct form of primaries remained the best option and urged stakeholders to go for it.

She said that if direct primaries were adopted as the mode of primaries, many people in leadership positions would not be there.

The Campaign for Democracy, Human Rights Advocacy, Civil Society in Niger, therefore, called on the National Assembly to come up with stringent laws to discourage increasing money politics by politicians in the country.

Abdullahi Jabi, the chairman of the group, said: "The amended electoral law of 2022 is not strong enough to tackle the numerous corruption going on in our electoral system.

"Therefore, there is the need for the National Assembly to come up with stringent laws that will reduce the current huge amount of money that a politician must spend to win elective position.

"The same law must monitor the bank details and spending of political parties and their Aspirants/Candidates."

Mr Jabi said that the measure would encourage responsible Nigerians who wish to serve the people to participate in politics.

He said that responsible Nigerians who want to serve the country have been denied the opportunity owing to their financial strength as a result of increased monetization of the polity.

"For instance, ordinary Nigerians can not afford to purchase expression of interest forms under their various political parties because money for such forms are on the high side, meant for the rich alone.

"Our politics still remain the exclusive rights of our politicians who have embezzled public funds and their families.

"These people still want to remain in power at all cost because they have converted our national treasury to their family business," he said.

The group's chairman described the ongoing party primary elections as a shame and disgrace to the country.

"Today delegates have become rich overnight because of money offered them by corrupt politicians, some of them get from N15 million to N20 million each.

"This is what is currently going on in the primary elections conducted so far, it is sad and not a good development for our country," he said.

He enjoined Nigerians to stand against these group of politicians or they would continue to perpetuate themselves in power and plant other members of their families before leaving the scene.

In his view, Hamzat Lawal, the executive director, Connected Development, a civil society organisation, called on all anti-corruption agencies to scale up their games to check the rising money politics in Nigeria.

Mr Lawal, an anti-corruption activist and founder of Follow the Money, said the fact that "money politics is still playing precedent in Nigeria, it clearly signifies that the anti-corruption agencies are not doing enough.

"If the anti-corruption agencies are doing enough, people with money bags would have been scared to use money to entice or induce voters for their gains.

"If we must get it right, we must embrace our value system which has been eroded because we exchange our rights for a one-day meagre stipend and suffered in penury for the four or eight years the candidate will spend in office.

"It is really sad that money politics has taken its toll on the entire electioneering processes in Nigeria.

"Interestingly, the civil society organisations have deployed observers who are monitoring and documenting the entire process of the parties' primaries and the forthcoming general elections.

"We shall in due cause make known our findings to the public including the international communities," he said.

Nathaniel Abaniwo, the coordinator of Kogi NGO's Network (KONGONET), said money politics has become endemic in Nigeria's political system and is "not healthy for our political landscape and our economy."

He blamed part of the problem on the failure of government at all levels to muster and imbibe the political will to reduce the cost of governance and ensure transparency, and accountability at all levels.

Mr Abaniwo called for adequate involvement of anti-graft agencies in proper monitoring of election process at all stages while ensuring the prosecution of erring politicians and the electorate.

A farmer and retired civil servant, Hafsat Ibrahim, said money politics in Kogi has denied credible and God-fearing politicians opportunities to represent the suffering electorate.

She expressed regret that the very people or organs who should help checkmate the menace are deep into it and so only God can bring the change to save the suffering masses.

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"My worry and pain is that it's women like me and our youths, who form the larger population of voters are vulnerable to this game of money politics," she said.

Olugbenga Ademola, a lawyer and politician, stressed the need for the government and the relevant stakeholders to redress the anomalies.

He warned, "if nothing drastic is done about this disturbing trend, only those with the cash to throw around to buy their way fraudulently into electoral offices in the 2023 general elections.

"There are still some loopholes needed to be addressed in the Electoral Act 2002, 2006 and 2010 such as Section 91(9) which states that no individual or other entity shall donate more than N1 million to any candidate.

"Also, Section 93(2)(b) gives political parties leverage to receive unlimited amounts above the threshold, which is contradictory.

"Each party is required to record and keep the name and address of any person or entity that contributes any money or assets which exceed N1 million.

"Some candidates latched on the lacuna to technically overshoot the limit by transferring the extra cash to their party.

"Other donors also took advantage of the provision to donate funds running into billions of Naira, on behalf of several unnamed friends."

Mr Ademola noted that this is the time to de-emphasize money politics and push for a robust 'human face' party manifestoes that can proffer lasting solutions to the most pressing needs of the people.

He then enjoined INEC to rise to the occasion and prosecute anyone found wanting for infringing on political finance regulations to serve as a lesson to others.
I created the Bonefairy game and wanted there to be a storyline to accompany it, Spiegel said. The book explores the world of fantasy creatures during medieval European times and incorporates DNA and genealogy to create bewildering powers.

Author David L. Spiegel published The Scrolls of the Bonefairy Castle," a fantasy thriller populated with unique characters, including elements of royalty and the real-life science of genealogy and DNA. The book is based on a video game that Spiegel created  Bonefairy.

The main character, a young boy named Hunter, needs to learn more about his ancestors and family history after enduring a humiliating event at school. The hunt for his long-lost family opens the door to the biggest adventure he has ever encountered.

Throughout the book, Hunter learns about his namesake, Sir Hunter, and how he worked for the Queen of Bonefairy Castle. The queen had previously hidden scrolls  which young Hunter would soon uncover.

After befriending one of the Queens fairies, Galaxy, Hunter sets out to complete the mission described in the scrolls  and possibly even save the human race.

I created the Bonefairy game and wanted there to be a storyline to accompany it, Spiegel said. The book explores the world of fantasy creatures during medieval European times and incorporates DNA and genealogy to create bewildering powers.

The Scrolls of the Bonefairy Castle

By David L. Spiegel

ISBN: 978-1-6632-3304-2 (softcover); ISBN: 978-1-6632-3306-6 (e-book)

Available through iUniverse, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

David L. Spiegel was born and raised in Michigan. During the 1960s, he served in the military and later worked with the Teamsters, Americas largest union, for over 25 years, before retiring at the age of 62. Spiegels passion for video games motivated him to create his own  a game called Bonefairy. In his free time, Spiegel enjoys writing songs, listening to music, and dancing. He currently resides in Clearwater, Fla. with his wife. The couple shares three children and nine grandchildren. To learn more, please visit http://www.bonefairy.com.

General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Taylor Moralez, Haylee Elmore

tmoralez@lavidge.com, helmore@lavidge.com
Academic and author Tom Segady has released a new book, sharing his life lessons with readers. A Texas Education: Learning (and Unlearning) in a Strangely Familiar Land chronicles his experiences from hitchhiking cross country at only 18 years old, to his encounters in over 30 years as a college professor.

Segady encourages readers to be willing to learn at any stage of life, potentially from places or people they may not expect.

I wanted to create a different perspective on what it means to be educated, Segady said One finds many teachers along this path, many of whom do not possess degrees and reside completely outside the college classroom. The stories and lessons I have garnered will, hopefully, redefine ways of seeing and learning for readers.

A Texas Education addresses not only Segadys personal experiences, but topics such as overcoming racial biases, issues in higher education, and conflicts between social classes. From backstage encounters in universities and anxiety-ridden students, to a transformational encounter with a Black man who went from catching chickens to support his family to becoming successfully wealthy, Segadys book shares in a lifetime of non-traditional education.

What is critical is remaining open to the encounters with others and seeing the joy in the act of experiencing Segady said. Life and learning are performance arts, and the teacher often can only learn the art of teaching if she or he is constantly learning through the life-worlds of others. Virtually all of these stories emerge from a chance encounter with a strangely familiar cultureTexas.

A Texas Education: Learning (and Unlearning) in a Strangely Familiar Land

By Tom Segady

ISBN: 9781663235473 (hardcover); 9781663235459 (electronic)

Available at iUniverse, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Tom Segady received his Ph.D. in sociology in 1985. Since then, he has taught in several universities for over 30 years, in his home state of Colorado, in Pune, India, but mostly in Texas. Over his career, he has received two Fulbright grants to conduct research in Germany and India, and is the author of over 20 refereed articles in his academic field. For more information, please visit https://www.tomsegady.com/.

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General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Ashley Fletcher

Afletcher@lavidge.com
"The incentives we're now offering are a huge bonus to an already solid investment, meaning that new owners will be provided with the tools they need to quickly launch and scale their businesses. - Ashley Gundlach, British Swim School President

British Swim School, deemed the North American leader in learn to swim franchise companies, currently operates more than 215 locations across the United States and Canada. As the franchise continues to expand its footprint across North America, British Swim School launched its Canadian Foundation Initiative in 2021.

For over 40 years, British Swim School has been revolutionary in developing a water survival program that enables young children first to survive a water incident and then develop the lifelong skill of swimming. The mission-based franchise was recently ranked #352 on Entrepreneurs 43rd annual Franchise 500 list and named #63 on Entrepreneurs Top Franchises Under $100,000.

In an ongoing effort to continue making waves throughout Canada, the franchise launched an exclusive opportunity, inviting potential franchisees to join their elite team. British Swim School is offering potential candidates who wish to purchase territories in Canada an investment incentive through its Canadian Foundation Initiative, with an initial five spots available in both western and eastern Canada. To date, six of the ten spots have been awarded, with two left on each side of the country.

Benefits of joining the Canadian Foundation include:



One free territory for candidates investing in one or two territories.

A $5,000 marketing credit to help new franchisees jumpstart customer acquisition efforts.

Membership in a tight-knit community with other British Swim School franchisees. British Swim School knows the value of mentorship and guidance when starting a new business venture, so this community aims to offer a strong support system for new owners.

Significant attention and continued support from the Corporate Leadership team, with two dedicated team members on the ground in Canada.

"This is an exclusive opportunity for potential franchisees to achieve their business ownership goals, with the added benefits of a free territory and a critical $5,000 marketing credit said Ashley Gundlach, British Swim School President. "The incentives we're now offering are a huge bonus to an already solid investment, meaning that new owners will be provided with the tools they need to quickly launch and scale their businesses.

British Swim School has built great success with its low-cost business model, which utilizes pools in existing facilities such as fitness centers, hotels or apartment complexes. This innovative model allows franchisees to take advantage of the low overhead and startup costs instead of building a new facility.

Aside from being a lucrative franchising opportunity, British Swim School is a business on a mission. It is an opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills and be successful while working toward a great cause in the communities it serves.

We are looking for customer service-focused and highly motivated individuals to make a splash in each new market," said Gundlach. "We're confident aspiring business owners who take advantage of this initiative will flourish while creating a genuine community impact. Franchisees can be confident they are making the right choice when making this investment. Our rapidly expanding list of franchisees across North America is a testament to our continued success.

To learn more about the Canadian Foundation Initiative and additional franchising opportunities with British Swim School, visit http://www.britishswimschoolfranchise.com.

###

About British Swim School

British Swim School, the nations most established swim school franchise with over 40 years in business, believes that every individual, regardless of age or ability, should have the opportunity to become a safe and happy swimmer. Offering lessons for babies, children, and adults, the brand is dedicated to its mantra, Survival of the Littlest, focusing first on the survival skills needed to survive a water accident, then moving on to stroke development and more advanced skills. Not only does British Swim School give peace of mind to countless families who seek the essential life skill the brand offers their children, but the purpose-driven franchise offers an exceptional opportunity for entrepreneurs who seek a fulfilling business venture with a sound foundation, low investment, and easily scalable model. Part of the Buzz Franchise Brands family, British Swim School currently operates over 215 schools across the United States and Canada.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against PSG California LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that PSG California LLC violated the California Labor Code. The PSG California LLC class action lawsuit, Case No. CIVSB2207161, is currently pending in the San Bernardino County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

According to the lawsuit filed, PSG California LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, and (f) failed to provide wages when due, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections  201, 202, 203, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct.

PSG California LLC allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code  2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other California Class Members were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones and personal home offices as a result of and in furtherance of their job duties.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against PSG California LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.

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Icon Chilean wine estate Sena is celebrating its 25th anniversary in conjunction with expanding its distribution in the U.S. market. With its recent presence at a number of high-profile events, including a top-tier press lunch, the Mondavi 100th Harvest Celebration and the 2022 Nantucket Wine & Food Festival, award-winning Sena is making its mark by signaling a new era of Chilean fine wine in America and demonstrating it is one of the worlds top wines. Equipped with a partnership through Shaw-Ross International Importers and its open distribution through La Place de Bordeaux aimed at growing the brand within the US, Sena is ready to share Chiles first icon wine with consumers nationwide.

The international rise of Sena can be attributed to its co-creator and Decanters 2018 Man of the Year, Eduardo Chadwick. The fifth-generation member of a renowned winemaking family partnered with wine titan Robert Mondavi in the early 1990s to develop a Chilean wine estate of exceptional quality. The two achieved this goal through Sena, which represents the richness of the Chilean terroir and the Aconcagua Valley. Following Senas inaugural vintage in the mid-1990s, Eduardo Chadwick had dreams of showcasing Chilean wine on the world stage.

Chadwick coordinated a series of global tastings from 2004 to 2010 (called the Berlin Tasting) where Sena vintages were tested alongside the worlds greatest wines. They surpassed expectations and Sena earned top scores for quality and aging capabilities. Ultimately, the event justified Chiles reputation as a respected wine region of the world, fulfilling Chadwicks goal.

The next challenge was to showcase Senas aging potential, and for this purpose, Chadwick conducted a Sena Vertical Tasting Tour through Europe and Asia. Senas top back vintages were blind tasted side by side with matching vintages of the worlds most famous wines, and the consistently successful results constituted yet another milestone in the history of Chilean wine.

This past month, Chadwick and his daughter Magui attended a series of events in New York City for press and trade honoring the 100th harvest of the Mondavi estate. Hosted by Tim Mondavi, Robert Mondavis son, Chadwick was joined by the world-renowned Lamberto Frescobaldi to recognize the contributions of the Mondavi family in Chile and internationally. As Sena commemorates its 25th Anniversary, Chadwick was able to reflect on the collaboration that served as a catalyst for global recognition of the Chilean terroir.

Sena will prove, as it did on the global stage, that it can win over the hearts of American wine lovers and collectors. At a recent press lunch held at The Modern, the two Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City, Eduardo and Magui Chadwick hosted an intimate gathering to share their story with members of the media. Perfectly paired with Eduardo Chadwicks storytelling, the superb lunch featured six vintages from the last quarter century (including the current 2019 25th Anniversary Edition as well as the 2009 vintage from the family library collection). The legacy of his family captivated the room while the wines showcased the exceptional quality and aging of the Sena portfolio.

Sena received a similar reaction at the 2022 Nantucket Wine & Food Festival. Chadwick was invited as one of the festivals select group of luminaries to participate in the exclusive events, engaging high-end consumer audiences through seminars and discussions as guests tasted the award-winning Chilean wine. During the festival, Sena participated in the Chilean Seminar hosted by Michael Schachner, former Contributing Editor at Wine Enthusiast for 20+ years, the Grand Houses Tasting and La Fete, the most prestigious event at the festival. In this occasion, Sena presented their 2019 Anniversary Edition, a very special vintage that showcases the full potential in a wine of balance, depth and elegance, and holds significance as it commemorates the twenty-five years since the inaugural vintage of the wine. In addition, Sena showed the 2009, 2015, and 2017 vintages. This special selection of back vintages represents the evolution of Chilean wine from the Aconcagua Valley. These remarkable wines are available in the US market through Shaw-Ross International Importers, which showcase Senas quality and aging ability over the last quarter century.
We are looking forward to helping residents of San Francisco, California. They can now utilize our service so their lemon vehicle problems get handled quickly by an experienced lemon law attorney, at no out-of-pocket cost to them, says Joel Geffen, co-founder of Lemon Larry.

Lemon Larry is now available to consumers in the greater San Francisco, California, area. This helpful online service helps to connect them to an experienced lemon law attorney after purchasing a car that may qualify as a lemon. The assistance Lemon Larry offers is very valuable, as most consumers are confused about what actually constitutes a lemon. Lemon Larry educates consumers and provides a simple, free, online pre-qualification process to help determine if the vehicle they purchased may be a lemon. If the vehicle qualifies, a referral is made to a lawyer who specializes in this area for further discussion and review of the potential case. These attorneys are experienced with California lemon laws and understand how to file a claim under these laws. This legal assistance could result in the manufacturer providing either a reimbursement or a replacement vehicle. One of the benefits of lemon laws is that the attorneys fees are paid by the manufacturer if the vehicle is determined to be a lemon.

Generally, the lemon law covers new vehicles with serious defects/malfunctions for a certain amount of time or mileage. If your vehicle can't be fixed after a reasonable number of repair attempts by the manufacturer or its authorized dealer, you'll likely be entitled to a replacement vehicle of equal value or a total refund. Specifically, California lemon laws apply to vehicles that are purchased from a vehicle manufacturer or authorized dealership that show continual mechanical failings, even after repairs have been made on the vehicle. In order to be protected under the law, the vehicle must meet eligibility requirements, meet the definition of a lemon and the manufacturer must be allowed to make a reasonable amount of attempts to repair the vehicle. The lemon law can be applied to used vehicles if it is still under the manufacturers warranty when the attempts to make repairs were made during that period. Lemon Larrys simple, 2-minute, online screening process can help consumers determine whether they might qualify. If they do, they can easily speak to a top lemon law attorney who will provide legal assistance.

We are looking forward to helping residents of San Francisco, California. They can now utilize our service so their lemon vehicle problems get handled quickly by an experienced lemon law attorney, at no out-of-pocket cost to them, says Joel Geffen, co-founder of Lemon Larry.

More about Lemon Larry:

Lemon Larry is not a law firm. It is strictly a referral service to match consumers with lemon law attorneys who are familiar with lemon law claim cases. They do not endorse any particular lawyer or law firm. Lemon Larry receives compensation based on leads generated from its website and advertising. For more information about Lemon Larry, please call (833)505-3666, email help@lemonlarry.com or visit http://www.lemonlarry.com.
Bev Adams illness and near-death experience with COVID-19 inspired her to share her memoir of the tragedy, trauma, and recovery of her life, in dedication to her three living children. She was inspired to share the tools of meditation, intuition, and rambunctious humor used in her transformation and management during the lifetime of formidable challenges in an authentic story-telling memoir to inspire others to rise above the sh*t.

Rising Above the Sh*t: Transformation Through a Lifetime of Consequences (published by Balboa Press) is an impactful memoir filled with betrayal, sacrifice, heartbreaks, loss, trauma and tragedy that is provocatively entertaining and laced with rambunctious humor. At 21 years old, Adams emigrated on her own to Australia, escaping the dysfunction of family dynamics, to search for new life beginnings. She found inner wisdom, intuition and tools to rise above the sh*t through near-death experiences, angel healing of her tachycardia, loss of children, and PTSD resulting from her husbands death.

Todays society is challenged by fear, anger, frustration, stress, a pandemic and or a polarized world with opposing political views, creating separation in all types of communities which eventually fall apart and disintegrate. The story telling in this book is currently relevant and illustrates how the author rose above all these obstacles still maintaining coherence in the face of tragedy, trauma, betrayal, and loss, Adams says.

Rising Above the Sh*t: Transformation Through a Lifetime of Consequences illustrates to readers through an authentic storytelling how one woman sustained resilience, and courage, with her developing intuition and spiritual journey. It will make them think, make them laugh, will draw them to tears, and touch their hearts. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.amazon.com/Rising-Above-Shit-Transformation-Consequences/dp/1982279516

Rising Above the Sh*t: Transformation Through a Lifetime of Consequences

By Bev Adams

Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 216 pages | ISBN 9781982279530

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 216 pages | ISBN 9781982279516

E-Book | 216 pages | ISBN 9781982279523

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Currently residing in Colorado, Bev Adams has lived throughout the USA and Australia. Adams started her passionate design career renovating a bird farm in Perth, Western Australia. As founder and president of Interior Intuitions Inc., she has been rewarded as a national and regional published interior designer. Now semi-retired, she continues to design-by-heart not only for interior residences, but also for teams and individuals to understand the heart brain connection as a HeartMath certified trainer. She is dedicated to teaching the tools for businesses and communities to implement and understand neuro-cardiology and the power of the heart-brain that provides better coherent communication, relationships, and life solutions.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc.  a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 844-682-1282 today.
Grid Connect and Real Time Automation's industrial protocol module (i.e., universal translator) with paperclip for scale. . . . the automation device market . . . requires specific communications technologies, said Drew Baryenbruch, president of RTA. The cost of implementing and supporting all these technologies has historically been out of reach for many equipment manufacturers.

At Automate 2022, Grid Connect, Inc. and Real Time Automation (RTA) have partnered to bring original equipment makers a new embedded module that serves as a universal translator for enabling serial devices (RS-232, 422, 485, SPI, I2C) to communicate via protocols such as EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, PROFINET, BACnet/IP and others. OEMs also gain the capability to push data from plant-floor and field devices to analytical and business applications via OPC UA and MQTT.

Imagine an OEM that makes a micro-controlled actuator limited to serial ports, but its customers have standardized on PROFINET, said Rick Rockershousen, vice president at Grid Connect. Until now, the customer either couldnt use the OEMs actuator or the OEM had to spend time and money with an R&D team developing a PROFINET capability for the device. Now, OEMs can integrate our module into their device to provide the communication protocol to match the customers automation system.

Manufacturers know the automation device market is segmented. Access to the markets different channels requires specific communications technologies, said Drew Baryenbruch, president of RTA. The cost of implementing and supporting all these technologies has historically been out of reach for many equipment manufacturers.

To develop the highly integrated, compact module (33mm x 23mm x 3mm), the companies combined RTA's protocol stacks with Grid Connects know-how of hardware and IIoT. The companies will market the module separately as Grid Connects GRID32 and RTConnect from RTA. The module offers device makers a quick-to-market, affordable and simple solution for adding a full array of industrial protocols to any new or legacy device a manufacturer uses. If an OEMs device is interacting with the factory in, say, Modbus, the module enables the equipment makers device to communicate in a next-gen protocol like PROFINET. The array of protocols is no longer out of reach for device makers that may be manufacturing a lower volume of new products or facing prohibitively high costs for converting legacy products.

With the module, a device also has the option to communicate via protocols for cloud applications, so the device maker can analyze data about the device from beyond a factorys walls. That said, the wireless protocol would not control a device in a closed loop application. The ability to communicate wirelessly via the MQTT or OPC UA protocol simply enables the device maker or owner to collect data in the cloud.

Embedding the module into a device is a way to future proof it, too; OEMs dont have to put a new board into their device to collect data wirelessly when theyre ready to take that step, Rockershousen said.

About Real Time Automation, Inc.

Established in 1989, Real Time Automation, Inc., is based in Wisconsin and specializes in making easy-to-use connectivity products, source code protocol stacks and OEM solutions for use by control engineers on factory floors everywhere. You can visit us today at Automate in Booth #409. Learn more: http://www.rtautomation.com or 800-249-1612.

About Grid Connect, Inc.

Naperville, Ill.-based Grid Connect, Inc. is an ISO 9001:2015 company and has been a leader in the embedded and networking marketplace for more than 20 years. Grid Connects products range from custom OEM smart devices and security controllers to bridges, switches, and diagnostics tools. Along with the products Grid Connect makes, the company also distributes and supports complementary products from other high-quality technology makers. Learn more at http://www.gridconnect.com
Episodes of Global Wellness Conversations take a deeper dive into wellness topics that matter

The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) has released yesterday the 54th episode of its popular wellness podcast, which now can be found under its new name: Global Wellness Conversations (GWC). First recorded at the 2019 GWS in Singapore, GWC has grown into a year-round series featuring inspiring, thought-provoking conversations with leading voices in the business of wellness. While informed by the annual Summit, the podcast name change reflects the approachable and practical conversational dialogue in each episode, allowing wellness thought leaders to inspire not only with deep industry insights but also with their rich personal stories and business highs and lows.

The GWS is an organization that brings together industry luminaries to positively shape the future of the $4.4 trillion global wellness economy. Its annual gathering, held at a different location around the globe each year, is where thought leaders and experts from the worlds of medicine, science, business, technology, investment, academia, design and hospitality come together to shape the future of wellness globally.

The GWC podcastwhich for the first time this season will also post videos of each interview on the GWS YouTube Channelmakes topics influencing the business of wellness accessible to the world at large. This dynamic communications platform also provides another avenue for discussing the Global Wellness Institutes (GWIs) Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease by sharing practical, research-backed information that listeners can apply in their own lives. The topics range from the role of the gut biome to tips for financial wellness; from the nuances of wellness architecture to the science of sleep. Host, Kim Marshall, a 25-year veteran of the wellness industry, acts as an entertaining and humorous conduit between the experts and podcast listeners.

Podcast guests this season include:



Dr. Michael Roizen, Professor, Learner College of Medicine of Cleveland Clinic at Case Western Reserve University and Emeritus Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus, Cleveland Clinic -- The author of four New York Times best sellers, the host of a weekly podcast and syndicated newspaper column, Dr. Roizen was also the Co-Chair of the 2021 Global Wellness Summit in Boston. We explore why he has the audacity and insight to make the claim that soon 90 will be the new 40.

Belgin Aksoy, Founder of Global Wellness Day (GWD) -- Learn how this cancer survivors vision became a reality and how GWD grew from a one-day event dedicated to sharing free wellness education and experiences in one country in 2014 to what it is today: a wellness event celebrated in 7,000 locations in 150+ countries on six continents and endorsed by Oprah Winfrey.

Carolee Lee, Founder of Womens Health Access Matters (WHAM) -- Hear how the creator of one of the fashion industrys most popular accessory brands used her powerhouse circle of female friends to change a long-accepted reality in the medical world. Before founding WHAM, women were historically left out of clinical trials, with findings defaulting to the male norm, even when specific diseases affected women up to three times more.

Susie Ellis, Co-Founder and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit & Global Wellness Institute -- Find out the origin story behind this modern-day wellness icon. Hear how she learned at the feet of the masters and was driven to establish credibility for the wellness industry by establishing an independent research institute that quantifies the global wellness economy and provides scientific evidence supporting wellness modalities. Ellis shares her organizations forward-looking trends for 2022 and her predictions for the future of the business of wellness.

Episodes of Global Wellness Conversations take a deeper dive into wellness topics that matter, and, crucially, expose more people to the important work both organizations are doing, explains Nancy Davis, Chief Creative Officer & Executive Director for both GWS and GWI. Our goal with the podcast is to bring our contentincluding research findings, trend reports and Summit speakersto an even larger audience. Kims background in and passion for the wellness industry coupled with her natural warmth makes each episode interesting and delightful. Its like listening to conversations between friends.

This seasons sponsor is Access Corporate Group (ACG)an innovative brand management company with offices in US, Canada, China, Australia and New Zealand that oversees a family of online wellness and beauty brands found at http://www.vtnstore.com and a marketplace of 100,000 influencers who share their knowledge and experience with the platforms 12 million users. ACGs proprietary ecosystem of business intelligence, product development, influencer marketplace, international distribution and marketing has resulted in a dynamic international success story in the world of wellness retail.

SWell The Agency, a public relations and strategic firm specializing in wellness storytelling, produces the Global Wellness Conversation podcast with Nova Media, a full-service podcast production agency. The GWC podcast is free to listen to on Apple & Google Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and everywhere podcasts are available.

Images to accompany this news are found here.

About the Global Wellness Summit The Global Wellness Summit is the premier organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.4 trillion global wellness economy. Its future-focused conference is held at a different global location each year and has traveled to the United States, Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico, Austria, Italy and Singapore. GWS also hosts other virtual and in-person gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes, Wellness Sector Spotlights, Investor Reverse Pitch events and Symposiums. The organizations annual Global Wellness Trends Report offers expert-based predictions on the future of wellness. The 2022 Summit will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel from October 31November 3.
The CDI for the Clinician CDI+MD mobile app gives physicians and other healthcare providers essential guidance for achieving accurate, compliant documentation as part of a clinical documentation integrity (CDI) program.

Pinson & Tang, LLC, authors of the best-selling original CDI Pocket Guide, announces the launch of their CDI for the Clinician mobile app for clinicians, CDI+MD, for iOS and Android devices.

Based on decades of experience and annual analyses of the 50 diagnoses that create the greatest challenges or ambiguities for clinical documentation, the app focuses on the essential information physicians need for clinical documentation integrity (CDI). Included in each of the 50+ clinically relevant diagnoses are the:



Clinical definitions

Authoritative diagnostic criteria

Preferred documentation terminology and terms to avoid

Links to supporting authoritative clinical literature and references

The CDI+MD mobile app also includes additional introductory CDI resource content written specifically with the physician in mind: What is CDI, Coding and DRG fundamentals, Coding Rules for clinicians, E&M Fundamentals, Pay for Performance, and Risk Adjustment and HCCs.

The philosophy of all Pinson & Tangs CDI Pocket Guide products is to deliver targeted, clinically relevant content, resulting in the highest impact in the least amount of time.

Clinicians can download the CDI for the Clinician CDI+MD mobile app for free on the Apple App or Google Play store and gain access to all CDI introductory content and the 10 most common and challenging diagnoses, including sepsis, acute respiratory failure, acute kidney failure, pneumonia, encephalopathy, and more. Access to all diagnostic content is only $49.

It is also designed to complement the CDI for the Clinician micro-learning tool for training physicians. For more information about CDI for the Clinician and the CDI+MD mobile app, visit https://www.pinsonandtang.com/cdi-for-the-clinician/ or download the CDI+MD app on the Apple or Play Store. Or, contact Customer Service at (713) 292-9412 or contact@pinsonandtang.com.

About Pinson and Tang, LLC

Over the past 30 years, Pinson & Tang have earned the trust of hospitals and healthcare practices throughout the U.S. and internationally (Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE) for their crystal-clear teaching and resources for CDI specialists, coding professionals, and physicians.

Richard Pinson, MD, FACP, CCS, CDIP, is a physician, educator, administrator, and healthcare consultant. He practiced Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine for over 20 years, having board certification in both specialties, before joining forces with Cynthia Tang to address the needs of healthcare providers and hospitals. Cynthia Tang, RHIA, CCS, CRC, has been helping hospitals and healthcare practices across the country for over 30 years to improve their coding and clinical documentation integrity and health information management. She has devised and implemented successful, sustainable coding and clinical documentation integrity (CDI) programs in hundreds of hospitals.

Pinson and Tang co-authored the original CDI Pocket Guide in 2008 and have created updates each year since then. This Guide set the standard for connecting the clinical and coding components that lie at the heart of a successful clinical documentation integrity (CDI) program.
As winners emerged, victory speeches across all the venues bore one common denominator: the name 'Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.'

As the All Progressives Congress (APC) concluded its primaries in Lagos, the shadow of the former governor and national leader of the party loomed large across all the venues of the exercise.

Apart from some of the aspirants donning Mr Tinubu's signature cap, several of those who emerged victorious paid tribute to the APC national leader for contributing to their success.

The APC held its Lagos State governorship primaries on May 26; followed by the state assembly and house of representatives primaries the next day.

The primaries for the three senatorial districts' tickets took place on May 28.

As winners emerged, victory speeches across all the venues bore one common denominator: the name 'Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.'

At Eti Osa Constituency I, Noheem Adams, who won the ticket to contest for another term in the House of Assembly, polled all the valid votes cast in the primaries.

In his speech after the exercise, he promised to be "more accessible and available" to his constituents.

"I want to use this opportunity to thank Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, our national leader, Mr Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and all the kabiyesis (royal fathers)."

At Alimosho Constituency I, Rotimi Ekundayo, who won the ticket, thanked Mr Tinubu "for keeping to his promise of a free and fair election at the primaries and also abiding by the result of the election."

"I pray that Tinubu will also emerge as the APC flag bearer at the presidential primaries on Sunday," he said.

In Amuwo Odofin Constituency I, Olaitan Folorunso, who defeated the incumbent lawmaker, Mojisola Macaulay, said Mr Tinubu advised them not to step down but to step up.

"I thank God that again I have been declared the winner of the APC ticket for Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1.

"I thank our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for allowing transparency in the process and for stating that whoever emerges the winner remains the winner.

"He made it clear that there would be no stepping down, instead we should step up. Today, I have stepped up in Amuwo Odofin Local Government."

Similar speeches of gratitude to the former governor reverberated across the other venues from victors of the primaries.

Mr Tinubu, 70, was the governor of Lagos between 1999 and 2007. He is currently a presidential aspirant on the platform of the APC.

But ever since he left office, Mr Tinubu has kept his fingers in every pie in Lagos politics. From determining his successors as governors to councillors in local government wards.

It is common to hear, in Lagos political circles, aspirants going to 'pay homage to Bourdillon,' a euphemism for going to Mr Tinubu's home at Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, to get his blessing before aspiring for office.

Anointed governors

Despite Mr Tinubu endorsing the candidacy of a relatively unknown Akinwunmi Ambode ahead of the 2014 APC governorship primaries, the remaining aspirants insisted on going ahead with the primaries.

After the votes were collated, Mr Ambode polled 3,735 votes - out of the 5,700 total votes - to defeat the other 12 aspirants, including Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, who got 182 votes.

Four years later, Mr Tinubu, having fallen out with Mr Ambode, endorsed Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a three-time commissioner, to run against the governor for the APC ticket.

At the end of the controversial direct primary, Mr Sanwo-Olu polled 970,851 votes to defeat Governor Ambode, who scored 72,901.

So earlier this month when Mr Tinubu publicly endorsed Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, for a second term of four years; it left no one in doubt who the APC flag bearer in the state would be.

Nevertheless, two aspirants threw their hats in the ring.

One of them was Olawale Oluwo, a former commissioner for energy and mineral resources under Governor Ambode. He had resigned his post in 2018 and defected to the PDP after Mr Ambode suffered an embarrassing defeat at the party primary.

The second aspirant was AbdulAhmed Mustapha, who retired as a permanent secretary, also in the ministry of energy and mineral resources.

Both aspirants were barred from entering the venue of the primary last Thursday after the electoral officer claimed they had been disqualified from contesting. Details of why they were disqualified were not provided. Mr Mustapha said he only learnt of his disqualification when he arrived at the venue.

Mr Oluwo described the congress as "one-sided" because it excluded the other aspiring delegates that bought the nomination forms.

"The Lagos State APC State Exco, headed by one Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, is complicit in the exercise of this blatant rape of democracy in APC Lagos," he added.

Governor Sanwo-Olu went ahead to win all the votes cast at the primaries and would fly the party's flag at next year's election.

Selecting senators

Mr Tinubu's wife, Oluremi Tinubu, is the current senator representing Lagos Central. Elected in 2011, she has served three terms - the only senator from Lagos to do so.

The decision to give Lagos Central senatorial district a fresh representation saw the drafting of Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, the deputy speaker of the Lagos Assembly, as a replacement. Mr Eshinlokun-Sanni went ahead to win the ticket, polling 185 votes to defeat his closest rival, Demola Seriki, the Nigerian ambassador to Spain, who polled 97 votes.

In Lagos East, Tokunbo Abiru, the incumbent senator, was elected unopposed.

Mr Abiru was allegedly imposed on the party by Mr Tinubu ahead of the by-election in 2020, after the death of the then-senator, Bayo Oshinowo.

While the elections in both Lagos Central and East senatorial districts were held without rancour, that of the Lagos West took a controversial turn.

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With the incumbent senator, Solomon Adeola, switching to Ogun West to continue his aspiration, the door was flung open for a new candidate for the party.

Musiliu Obanikoro, who defected to the party in 2017, appeared to be the front runner for the ticket. But the party leaders had a different plan.

It was gathered that the leaders preferred a female candidate, and former deputy governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, was pencilled down. After procuring the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, Mrs Orelope-Adefulire, however, failed to return them or present herself for screening.

The Lagos APC leaders quickly drafted in Idiat Adebule, another former deputy governor, to join the race. There are reports that they procured Mrs Adebule's forms after the close of the exercise. PREMIUM TIMES could not yet verify the claims, but only Mr Obanikoro and Kayode Opeifa, a former commissioner, were cleared by the party's screening panel.

However, on Saturday, Mrs Adebule defeated Mr Obanikoro with 424 votes to 119. Mr Opeifa came a distant third with four votes.

Mr Obanikoro immediately rejected the result. He said Mrs Adebule did not obtain the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms or take part in the screening.

"Therefore, it is obvious that the exercise was designed to favour the acclaimed winner who was not even qualified to stand for the election," the former minister said.
Planet Word and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association announced today the launch of a new collaborative digital exhibit spotlighting word-finding problems.

Through voice-activated beacons, visitors learn how and why word-finding challenges occur, ranging from the tip of the tongue phenomenon many people experience occasionally, to aphasia, a language disorder that can dramatically reroute word finding in the brain. Aphasia has recently been in the headlines after the family of actor Bruce Willis announced he has been diagnosed with the disorder.

Besides explaining aphasia and its impact, the beacon covers a variety of other ways people can struggle to find words, how speech-language pathologists support peoples ability to communicate, and how the public can help friends and loved ones experiencing difficulties. The beacon itself communicates through illustrative photos, videos, and graphics designed for people of all ages.

Language is what connects us. When people are affected by word-finding problems, like aphasia, it's not only frustrating but isolating, said Ann Friedman Founder and CEO of Planet Word. Working with ASHA on this beacon will help our visitors better understand these disorders. We also hope it will provide tools to help families and their loved ones stay connected as they navigate a new reality.

We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Planet Word, said ASHA President Judy Rich, EdD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL. For us, it marks an exciting new way to educate the public about communication, one that aligns with how Americans increasingly receive information.

The new word-finding beacon is located in the museums Words Matter gallery.

Planet Word prides itself on being the only museum in the country dedicated to renewing and inspiring a love of words and language. It occupies the entire five story historic Franklin School building at 13th and K Streets NW in downtown Washington, D.C. Visitors and reviewers alike have lauded the Museum ever since it opened in 2020.

As we observe National Aphasia Awareness Month, ASHA President Rich added, I encourage the public to visit Planet Word and the new beacon. Doing both would be a great way to be informed and reminded of how vital communication is to life.

For more info about ASHA, visit http://www.asha.org.

For more info about Planet Word, visit https://planetwordmuseum.org.

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Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville The completion of the TIGER project is the result of the commitment that the Ports of Indiana has to best-in-class infrastructure and making our Indiana network bigger, better, faster, said Vanta E. Coda II, Ports of Indiana chief executive officer.

The Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville is celebrating the completion of $24 million in infrastructure enhancement projects. The Port received a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant in 2015 initiating big changes in Jeffersonville. All projects were completed in 2022.

The grant provided partial funding for $24 million in infrastructure enhancements that has added four miles to the ports existing 11-mile rail network. The projects have enhanced and overhauled the railroad infrastructure and intermodal capabilities throughout the entire port. The projects included:

Four miles of additional rail track to accommodate unit train delivery to and from the port, along with two new rail loops connected to the waterfront facility.



Railyard can now accommodate 200 rail cars.

Enhanced unit train handling; new capacity and improved velocity.

Waterfront intermodal facility that more than doubles the capacity of bulk commodities transferred from rail cars or trucks to barges.



The new conveyor belt can run more than 2,000 tons in one hour or one rail car to barge in less than 3 minutes.

Three-acre transload facility that allows cargo to be transferred between trucks and rail cars.

Through a taped video, Governor Eric Holcomb said (in part), We couldnt be prouder to welcome (barges) from all over the world carrying millions of tons of cargo every year, supporting tens of thousands of careers and billions of dollars of economic impact. Its truly what propels our progress. Thank you for your continued commitment to fostering economic vitality through world-class infrastructure and keeping it all flowing so we all can keep growing. See full video from Gov. Holcomb.

The new infrastructure improvements will increase maritime commerce through domestic barge service. Combined with the two new Ohio River interstate bridges and new heavy haul transportation corridor leading into the port, the region can further attract new cargoes and large-scale industrial projects that require multimodal transportation connections.

The completion of the TIGER project is the result of the commitment that the Ports of Indiana has to best-in-class infrastructure and making our Indiana network bigger, better, faster, said Vanta E. Coda II, Ports of Indiana chief executive officer. This infrastructure will allow our current and future customers to grow for the next 50 years.

Indianas three ports contribute more than $8.2 billion per year to the state economy and support 50,000 Hoosier jobs. Jeffersonville alone contributes $1.8 billion yearly in economic impact and supports 12,137 jobs.

The Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville set a shipping record in 2021, handling 3.22 million tons, up 21.6% compared to 2020. This is the highest annual shipment total since it began operation in 1985. (The second-highest year was in 2015.)

$24 million investment breakdown:

$10 million federal TIGER grant; $3 million private-sector; $11 million Ports of Indiana

See new photos here.

About the TIGER Program: The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grant program, allows the U.S. Department of Transportation to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects. Applicants compete for funds and must detail the benefits their project would deliver for five long-term outcomes including safety, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, quality of life and environmental sustainability. Information: transportation.gov/tiger

Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville completes $24 million in new infrastructure projects - Ports of Indiana
Police Officer Protecting a High School We have a largely untapped, highly skilled and passionate resource that is capable of altering the current course across every state, says East. Im referring to the many men and women who are military veterans returning to civilian employment and sworn police officers facing burn out."

In the wake of the tragedy in Uvalde, TX, the debate over arming Americas teachers has reignited. At the same time politicians are frantically pointing fingers and seeking solutions, teachers could be considered to shift their role from the teaching center of a childs educational universe to making split second decisions as an armed security warrior; something they inherently did not study in their desire to teach. (3) I admire any teacher trained on the proper use of firearms or willing to be trained in securing the classroom, but something to consider is that in the U.S. they should be the second line of defense; behind the schools structure allowing only one point of entry and being protected by an armed guard, points out Adams Arms President Jason East.

We have a largely untapped, highly skilled and passionate resource that is capable of altering the current course across every state, says East. Im referring to the many men and women who are military veterans returning to civilian employment and sworn police officers facing burn out. These are people with a passion to protect and serve and many would gladly trade their current state of service for a focus on the community of a single school, its future adults, teachers and administrators.

Since the 1900s various federal agencies have created programs and funded security for public schools, as have state and local school boards and local law enforcement agencies. (4) Most recent is the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, unifying 22 different federal departments and agencies. They have a vital mission: to secure the nation from the many threats we face in such areas as aviation, border security, emergency response. Their goal is clear - keeping America safe. (5) Taking this one step further, East wants to see federal agencies take the lead and provide a 50-state plan that encompasses every public school in the U.S. and ensures that campuses are reinforced with single entry controlled access, monies would be provided to train teachers willing to take on the added responsibility if it becomes reality, and cost offsets for hiring of armed security every day that a school is in session. This is a cost that the U.S. needs to shoulder and not leave up to individual states. We did it after 9-11 and should again set a precedent by taking an active role, notes East.

East adds that while his industry generally favors less federal intervention, and more state control, the school shooting crises are equivalent to national defense, which is a function of the federal government. There should be a playbook that is standard for every state in terms of protection for our school children that is based on defense in the framework of military and police protection.

For several years police departments have struggled to recruit, hire and retain officers in the wake of protests, the pandemic, and defunding.(6) Officers cite burnout even as cities begin re-funding police departments in the wake of crime escalation. The situation varies from city to city across the nation as a valuable national conversation has started. In the same timeframe military veterans transitioning to civilian life are seeking out a career path, something that comes easier to some than others.(7) veterans are consistently undervalued in the civilian workforce. Despite their unparalleled training, work ethic and team mentality, far too many struggle to secure meaningful employment: 61% are either unemployed or underemployed.(8) Both of these groups are highly trained in firearms use and safety, have a passion for serving the public  and could be considered a great resource, suggests East.

East adds, As Americans who respect both the constitutions inalienable rights and its Second Amendment - and are searching for solutions to protect our schools and the generations of future adults, Adams Arms stands firm in having citizens contact their local, state and national congressional representatives to encourage a federal program working in concert with state and local organizations to certify willing teachers to be armed, as well as utilizing a national resource by ensuring the hiring of armed resource officers in every school. In every community. In every state.

About Adams Arms

In a changing nation where the fastest growing markets of first-time gun owners are millennials, women and people of color, the old public impression of gun owners has faded. Skill proficiency, adventure and empowerment are spearheading the sharp demand for firearms and ammunition, while personal and home defense continues to be a driving force. Adams Arms, headquartered in Brooksville, Florida, is the face of reliable, clean, and cooler AR15 firearms operation with its patented piston drive actionfavorites of gun enthusiasts across the country. Known for their years of parts experience and their engineering and design prowess, their Retro-Fit system can be installed by owners or piston-action arms can be purchased new. Adams Arms proprietary PVD and Melonite process and their lifetime warranty make their lineup of products dependable for years to come. Adams Arms are there when it counts the most. Visit https://adamsarms.net/

# # #

Sources:

1. Staff Writer. Crime Fighting Has Taken Its Toll; National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund; 2022; nleomf.org/memorial/facts-figures/law-enforcement-facts/

2. Staff Writer. The Military to Civilian Transition 2018; US Department of Veterans Affairs; 2018; benefits.va.gov/TRANSITION/docs/mct-report-2018.pdf

3. Greene, Peter. Three Reasons Arming Teachers is a Bad Idea; Forbes; 31 May 2022; forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2022/05/31/three-reasons-arming-teachers-is-a-bad-idea/?sh=4d1840ad1419

4. Connery, Chelsea. The Prevalence and the Price of Police in Schools; UCONN Neag School of Education; 27 October 2020; education.uconn.edu/2020/10/27/the-prevalence-and-the-price-of-police-in-schools/#

5. Staff Writer. About DHS; Department of Homeland Security; 2022; dhs.gov/about-dhs

6. Mellen, Greg. Why Law Enforcement is Facing Unprecedented Challenges in Hiring and Keeping Recruits; Police1; 22 November 2021; police1.com/police-recruiting/articles/why-law-enforcement-is-facing-unprecedented-challenges-in-hiring-and-keeping-recruits-pFiTKCXrne6ccNfB/

7. Staff Writer. Separation & Transition; Military One Source; US Department of Defense; 2022; militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/separation-transition/

8. Jones, General James. For Many Veterans, Finding a Job is the Greatest Battle of All; New York Post; 21 May 2022. nypost.com/2022/05/21/for-veterans-finding-a-job-is-the-greatest-battle-of-all/
Purchase the 2022 Hyundai Palisade at Cocoa Hyundai in Cocoa, Florida

Customers based in the Cocoa, Florida, area looking for a reliable SUV with a bevy of safety elements and potent engine options can end their search and visit the Cocoa Hyundai dealership to check out the 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The 2022 Hyundai Palisade is a stylish three-row SUV that encompasses a wide range of standard top-notch overall features and comes at a competitive price point.

Starting at just $33,600, the 2022 Palisade comes with a six-cylinder 24-valve Dual-CVVT engine that displaces 3.8-liters to generate 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC sends engine power to the front wheels of the SUV. However, customers can also go for the optional HTRAC All-Wheel Drivetrain. The 2022 Palisade impresses automobile enthusiasts with 19 MPG city, 26 MPG highway, and 22 MPG combined on the fuel economy front.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have lauded the 2022 Hyundai Palisade with their highest safety ratings. Standard safety elements include pedestrian detection & automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist & a lane-departure warning system, and adaptive cruise control.

Customers interested in the 2022 Hyundai Palisade can check out the website of Cocoa Hyundai https://www.cocoahyundai.com and schedule a test drive online. Customers can contact the Cocoa Hyundai dealership by calling them at 321-631-2444 or visiting the store at 1825 West King St, Cocoa, Florida, 32926.
Psalm 139 spoke to me very deeply several years ago almost as if I was reading it for the first time, which is what started me on the journey of writing this book

Author Robyn Trostle shares her devotion to Psalm 139 to inspire readers to fully understand Gods love for them in How Amazing Is His Love ($19.49, paperback, 9781662847059; $30.99, hardcover, 9781662851988; $7.99, e-book, 9781662847066).

Trostle penned her version of creation as it is depicted in the book of Psalms. In great detail, she explains Psalm 139, from the beginning of mans creation and throughout the story, introducing all of Gods other creations. Her purpose of this book is to remind readers just how deeply the God of the Universe knows, cares and is acquainted with each person as an individual. According to the author, Psalm 139 is the one book of the Bible that speaks about how intricately God knows every detail of each persons lives and expresses the enormity of His great love toward all of His followers. Trostle wants readers to fully understand the love that God has for them, an experience that she says will provide a freeing feeling for each Christian.

Psalm 139 spoke to me very deeply several years ago almost as if I was reading it for the first time, which is what started me on the journey of writing this book, said Trostle. I longed for love and acceptance and I believed I could gain these through my accomplishments. As I struggled with insecurities, there were times I felt unworthy, unloved and had a terrible self-image. I was a child of God, but the devil was devouring me daily and stealing my joy (I Peter 5:8-10). There is healing in Gods Word, and that is exactly what I found in Psalm 139. It helped me understand I am very special to God and that He loves me just as I am. My prayer is that anyone who reads this book would understand His amazing love for all of us and how very special we are to Him. Everyone is precious to God!

Robyn Trostle was born and raised in East Tennessee. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and later completed a Masters in Library and Information Science from Trevecca Nazarene University. Trostle worked as a school librarian. She is retired from the Tennessee Air National Guard after 22 years of service. Trostle currently serves as a Coordinator of a local Senior Center. She enjoys reading, crocheting and spending time with her family. She especially loves to read the Bible. In addition, Trostles son is currently teaching her how to play the banjo.

###

Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. How Amazing Is His Love is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.
RuffleButts Swimwear & Roshambo Eyewear Summer Swimsuit Bundles Were excited to take a small step in fighting childhood cancer and hope to continue our partnership into the future to help generate awareness and support for this amazing cause" said Scott Morris, CEO and Cofounder of Roshambo Eyewear.

Two leading kids brands working together for one amazing initiative! Join us as we raise money for Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) this summer! For every Summer Swimsuit Bundle we sell, we will donate 10% back to ALSF. Your little one will not only look adorable this summer in their RuffleButts swimsuit and Roshambo shades, but you will feel great knowing that you are helping raise money to help fight childhood cancer. Lets put the squeeze on childhood cancer!

Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation is changing the lives of children with cancer by funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer. You can access these bundles on both the Roshambo Eyewear website (http://www.roshambo.com) and RuffleButts (http://www.rufflebutts.com).

We are excited to kick off this new initiative with ALSF during their upcoming Lemonade Days campaign, and build a long term partnership to raise money to help cure childhood cancer. Lemonade Days is a national fundraising movement that commemorates when Alex held her first stand and set her goal of raising $1 million to help other kids like her. From June 4-12 supporters across the country host their own lemonade stands or fundraising events. And this year Roshambo Eyewear and RuffleButts are proud to be a part of this event. Learn more at http://www.alexslemonade.org/campaign/lemonade-days

Roshambo and RuffleButts will both donate 10% of all sales for the Summer Swimsuit Bundles to Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation, June 1 - August 31, 2022.

We are excited about our new partnership with Roshambo and RuffleButts, said Liz Scott, Alexs mom and co-executive director of ALSF, this new collaboration and partnership shows the dedication of these two companies to kids and their commitment to our mission of changing the lives of children with cancer by funding new cures, treatments and supporting families.

Roshambo donates a portion of all sales to a variety of childrens focused charities year round, and they are excited to add Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation to their initiatives. We feel very passionately about giving back to our community, and especially those in need, said Scott Morris, CEO and Cofounder of Roshambo Eyewear. Were excited to take a small step in fighting childhood cancer and hope to continue our partnership into the future to help generate awareness and support for this amazing cause.

In addition to the summer donation, Roshambo will also be offering a 20% discount to Alex's Lemonade Stand members in support of their families and children needing prescription eyewear. *Please contact Selina at s.andrews@alexslemonade.org to learn more about this discount available to your family.

RuffleButts participates in other fundraising events focused on neuroblastoma and pediatric cancer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and looks forward to supporting ALSF with Roshambo on a larger scale. We are humbled to partner with ALSF alongside Roshambo Eyewear to support the fight against childhood cancer, said RuffleButts CEO, Kent Collins. We recognize there are many families affected and are grateful for the opportunity to amplify this cause.

To purchase one of these swimsuit bundles, please visit: https://www.roshambo.com/bundlesforacause

ABOUT ALEXS LEMONADE STAND FOUNDATION

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is an American pediatric cancer charity founded by Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who lived in Pennsylvania and suffered from neuroblastoma. The Foundation was started in 2005 by Alex's parents to raise money to find cures for all children with cancer. Alexs spirit and determination inspired others to support her cause, and when she passed away at the age of 8, she had raised $1 million.

Since then, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement. Today, ALSF is one of the leading funders of pediatric cancer research in the U.S. and Canada raising more than $200 million so far, funding over 1,000 research projects and providing programs to families affected by childhood cancer. For more information, visit http://www.alexslemonade.org.

ABOUT ROSHAMBO EYEWEAR

Roshambo Eyewear is a family-owned business that provides affordable Italian-made polarized sunglasses, prescription glasses, and screen time glasses for the entire family. The unbreakable material is durable enough for kids, but stylish enough for adults too. With 5 sizes to choose from, we know you can find the perfect fit just for you!

All Roshambo frames are proudly made in Italy and assembled in the United States. They are BPA, phthalate, lead & latex free, and are small parts tested as safe for babies! Plus, they are virtually unbreakable...we offer a full damage replacement guarantee if you or your child happen to break them!

Our company was built on our desire to create high-quality sunglasses for babies and children. Safety is our #1 priority - especially when it comes to children! All of our lenses offer UV400 protection to block 100% of UVA/B rays, and are also polarized to help reduce glare and eye strain. For more information, visit http://www.roshambo.com

ABOUT RUFFLEBUTTS

RuffleButts started small, a little idea pursued with passion. We place high value on gratitude and humbleness, while driven by determination and grit to deliver a wow-worthy customer experience.

Our customers are amazing - intelligent, kind, enthusiastic, and so extremely supportive of our brands. Our best decisions are driven by your suggestions, as our company continues to grow beyond our wildest dreams. The company started with RuffleButts, then added RuggedButts for boys.

We quickly expanded beyond our namesake RuffleButt Bloomer and now offer a full wardrobe for girls and boys all the way into their tween years. The one thing that hasnt changed is our dedication to quality, hand-me-down quality with a touchable difference, evidenced by our 100,000+ five-star reviews. When youre happy, were happy - full circle smiles!

We are female founded. Amber started this company from a little idea and a deep-rooted determination to build a business based on the Golden Rule, treating others the way we wanted to be treated, both internally and externally. She was determined to produce high-quality clothing for the treasured years of childhood, all while spreading love and joy. We carry on that vision today. Ultimately, its all about you, and thats joyful for us. For more information, visit http://www.rufflebutts.com.

Stacy Brown

Marketing Director

619-417-7306

stacy@roshambo.com
I look forward to contributing my time and skills to provide members with opportunities for education, networking, advancement and social events.

Attorney Tara R. Devine, Managing Partner of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchards Lake County office, took office on June 3, 2022 for a one-year term as the President of the Lake County Bar Association (LCBA).

"I am honored and humbled for the opportunity to serve the members of the Lake County legal community as the LCBA President for the coming year, Tara R. Devine said. I look forward to contributing my time and skills to provide members with opportunities for education, networking, advancement and social events.

Ms. Devine is a longtime LCBA leader. She previously chaired the Civil Trials and Appeals Committee, and serves as a committee member on the Judicial Selection and Retention Committee. Ms. Devine has been an active member of the LCBA Board of Directors for six years, previously serving as a board member, secretary and vice president.

A graduate of the University of Illinois (B.A. 00) and Marquette University Law School (J.D. 03), Ms. Devine joined the Law Offices of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard in 2004 and became the firms first female partner in 2011. In 2018, she was promoted to Managing Partner of the firms Lake County office, where she concentrates her practice in the areas of personal injury, nursing home negligence, wrongful death, medical malpractice and product liability cases. She is licensed to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Ms. Devine has helped achieve numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of her clients, including a record-setting $148 million jury verdict on behalf of a dancer paralyzed by a collapsed pedestrian shelter at OHare International Airport. The verdict is the largest personal injury verdict ever awarded to an individual plaintiff in Illinois history.

Ms. Devine succeeds Joseph M. Fusz as the LCBA President. Joining Fusz as officers of the LCBA Executive Board are 1st Vice President Katherine Hatch, 2nd Vice President Daniel Hodgkinson, Treasurer Kevin Berrill, Secretary Jeffrey Berman, and Past President Fusz.

The Lake County Bar Association, located in Waukegan, IL, has been serving the professional needs of attorneys, judges, and the public for over 100 years.

For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Marcie Mangan at (312) 372-1227 or mmangan@salvilaw.com.
Star Refrigeration Roadshow 2022 We look forward to meeting delegates from across a variety of industries including temperature-controlled logistics, HVAC, pharma, food manufacturing and leisure and ice

The cooling and heating specialist presenters for Star Refrigeration 2022 Roadshow have been announced. Stars roadshow will provide an opportunity for companies to get ahead of the curve with current issues facing the industry. The half-day CPD certified events will take place in Aberdeen on the 14th June and Glasgow on the 16th June and the presentations are free to attend for end-users operating refrigeration and heating equipment.

Stars Roadshow speakers will provide information on energy and carbon reduction, legal compliance, proposed changes to the F-gas regulation, heat pumps and Health & Safety. Presenters will be supported by the wider Star team to offer practical and technical guidance that will help businesses address the challenges they are facing.

The half-day events will provide information on energy and carbon reduction, legal compliance, proposed changes to the F-gas regulation, heat pumps and Health & Safety. Presenters will be supported by the wider Star team to offer practical and technical guidance that will help businesses address the challenges they are facing.

Calum Mckenzie, Star Refrigerations Regional Manager  Scotland, said, We are delighted to announce our line-up of speakers for this years event. Our team of Star engineering and energy specialists have years of expertise and are passionate about sharing their knowledge to help businesses transition towards net zero. We look forward to meeting delegates from across a variety of industries including temperature controlled logistics, HVAC, pharma, food manufacturing and leisure and ice.

Arguably the most topical subject facing the UK right now is the soaring price of energy, affected by issues such as the war in Ukraine, Brexit, and Covid. This brings a renewed focus on energy reduction and operational efficiency whilst still achieving the businesss required results. Stars Regional Sales Manager for Scotland, Euan Duncan, will lead a presentation on energy optimisation, including a range of tools and techniques to measure and reduce energy consumption and improve overall plant performance.

A proposed revision to the European Commissions F-gas Regulation was published in April 2022. Attendees have requested a session advising on the F-gas Regulation and refrigeration compliance, and Star has delivered. Adam Strachan, Process Cooling Technical Sales Specialist, will deliver a presentation explaining what the proposed changes could mean for businesses. This is a must-see seminar for any company still relying on f-gases in refrigeration equipment.

Stuart Webb will deliver a presentation titled Future Refrigerants  What are the options?. As Stars CO2 Market Manager, Stuart has over 15 years of experience working in the industry and is best positioned to advise refrigeration end-users who wish to future-proof their plants by moving away from f-gases to natural refrigerants including CO2 and ammonia. Stuart will run through case studies of projects from different sectors using sustainable cooling technology and will provide best practice guidelines.

Heat pumps were another popular topic requested by attendees. Star Renewable Energy Manager, Nicky Cowan has worked alongside industry and the Scottish Government to implement countrywide decarbonising strategies using water source heat pump technology. He will present on the benefits of heat pumps and heat recovery systems. Nicky will share his expertise on how businesses can capture and reuse waste heat to provide heating and hot water. He will also go into the advantages of using large scale heat pumps for district heating and provide examples of current successful projects including the award-winning Queens Quay heat pump in Clydebank and Bristols City Council heat pump.

All roadshow attendees will receive a CPD Diploma as proof of the learning received on the day. They can also book a one-to-one session with one of Stars experts following the presentations.

Grab the last remaining free tickets for the Glasgow and Aberdeen events at https://star-refrigeration-roadshow-2022-scotland.eventbrite.co.uk . All registrants will be entered into a draw with a chance to win one of two 150 Dining Out Gift Card.
"We should be looking at a casualty figure of between 70 and 100. I saw more than 20 people dead, especially children."

The majority leader of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, has said that Sundays attack at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, affected about 100 persons.

Mr Ogunmolasuyi, the lawmaker representing Owo Constituency 1, said he visited the church and hospital to see the victims.

"It's a very sad incident. Of course, it had already happened before I got there. I saw thousands of angry youths. It was barbaric, never experienced in the history of Ondo State," he said.

"We should be looking at a casualty figure of between 70 and 100. I saw more than 20 people dead, especially children.

Scores of worshippers were killed and injured after gunmen attacked the church on Sunday morning.

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack and added that Nigeria will "never give in to evil and wicked people."

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu described the incident as "vile and satanic."

Mr Ogunmolasuyi said he spoke with the parent of a survivor and was told that the attackers were herdsmen.

"They were shooting and they also used dynamite," he said.

"The governor has really worked on security in the state, which is why we never believed something like this will happen in Ondo."

'23 people killed'

An official at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, told our correspondent that 23 bodies had been admitted to the morgue of the hospital, two of which are children.

The official, who would not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak, said the 28 persons who are survivors, are still receiving medical attention, noting that they sustained very serious injuries.

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"Of the number, 17 are females while 11 are males," the official said.

"They are relatively stable and are being attended to by general and orthopaedic surgeons at the hospital's theatre."

He also said that 13 children were rushed in immediately after the incident, but two arrived at the hospital already dead.

"The other 10 children are receiving treatment and are relatively stable," the source said.

A witness, who identified herself as Toyin, said the terrorists attacked the church while the priest was rounding off proceedings of the service.

"They first started by throwing in explosives into the church hall, which sent the worshipers scampering for safety," she said.

"It was while they were running for safety that the attackers started shooting at them.

"It initially thought that the Reverend Father was kidnapped, but he was not kidnapped, he survived the attack."
In a paperless order issued on May 26, Judge Deborah Boardman asked lawyers for the state of Maryland and the Association of American Publishers to submit proposed language for a declaratory judgment to end the parties' dispute over the state's library e-book law. But in filing the proposed language, the parties dispute whether the request means the court is preparing to deny the AAP's bid for a permanent injunction.

"The Parties met and conferred to discuss the Order and agree that a declaratory judgment may be entered. The Parties disagree, however, in their view of whether a permanent injunction may still be granted," reads an AAP brief filed last week. "Plaintiff interpreted the Order to refer only, 'at a minimum,' to the Courts determination that a declaratory judgment should be entered, but understood that the Court was still considering whether a permanent injunction is also necessary. Plaintiff still believes a permanent injunction is necessary and appropriate here. The State interpreted the Order to mean that a permanent injunction will not be granted, and that at a minimum referred to the relief on which the parties could agree."

However the court ultimately rules, Maryland's library e-book law is a step closer to its end. In February, Boardman issued a preliminary injunction barring Marylands library e-book law from being enforced, holding that the states law is likely preempted by the federal Copyright Act. And in an April filing, the AAP asked federal judge Deborah L. Boardman to convert her preliminary injunction blocking the law into a permanent injunction.

Maryland attorneys, meanwhile, have argued that a permanent injunction is not necessary, telling the court that the state would no longer defend the law in court, and had no intention of invoking or enforcing the law.

While a permanent injunction would be a much stronger remedy, the brief language proposed by each party for a proposed declaratory judgment is similar in function, and, if issued, would effectively scuttle Maryland's library e-book law by declaring it to be preempted by the federal Copyright Act.

First introduced in January 2021, the Maryland e-book law required any publisher offering to license "an electronic literary product" to consumers in the state to also offer to license the content to public libraries "on reasonable terms." The bill passed the Maryland General Assembly unanimously on March 10, and went into effect on January 1, 2022.

The AAP filed suit on December 9, 2021 arguing that the Maryland law infringed on the exclusive rights granted to publishers and authors under copyright, and on December 16, AAP attorneys moved for a preliminary injunction blocking the law. Just days after a February 7 hearing Boardman found in the AAP's favor.

Library e-book bills are currently still pending in half a dozen other states, with legislators in Rhode Island last month voting its bill out of committee and recommending passage.
Dry humor, moving tributes to those who provided award winners with practical and emotional support, and honorees with differing approaches to the thriller genre, highlighted ITW's 17th Annual Thriller Awards Banquet. The award ceremony was the crowning event of the International Thriller Writers' Thrillerfest XVII, held June 4 at a packed ballroom at Manhattan's Sheraton Times Square. The group boasts more than 5,000 members in over 50 countries, including authors who have collectively sold over 3 billion books.

The big winner was S.A. Cosby, the first person ever to take home back-to-back Best Hardcover Novel awards, whose Razorblade Tears (Flatiron Books), also won for Best Audiobook (Macmillan, narrated by Adam Lazarre-White), a new ITW award category. Cosby described his book, which centers on the aftershocks of the murders of an interracial gay couple, as "ultimately about tolerance," but a challenge to write, given his intent to provide a nuanced look at "things that are difficult to talk about."

Cosby's path to critical and commercial success led him from a job at a hardware store to being touted on the Today Show. This year's honor was especially significant to him, given that he'd dedicated Razorblade Tears to his mother Joyce, who died in 2021; Cosby stated that she not only had gotten him his first typewriter, but pawned her wedding rings so that he could buy his first laptop. He also gave shout-outs to his editor, Christine Kopprasch, for making his book better, and actor Lazarre-White, who'd been on The Young and the Restless, one of his mom's favorite soaps.

Best First Novel winner Amanda Jayatissafor My Sweet Girl (Berkley)also moved the audience with her acceptance speech, crediting the ITW community with treating her as a professional colleague, rather than a fangirl, despite her excitement at meeting some of her literary heroes. Jayatissa, who flew in from her native Sri Lanka for the occasion, especially appreciated the judges' recognition of her book, which features a Sri Lankan protagonist, at a time when her country "is going through some hard times." Her earnest and sincere speech was leavened with humor, as when she thanked her husband for not only being her best friend and first reader, but for being "so critical" of her work.

Jess Lourey, whose Bloodline (Thomas & Mercer) won in the Best Paperback Original Novel category, thanked editor Jessica Tribble, who had told her to throw out the first hundred pages of her manuscript - "It turns out, she was right," and her agent, Jill Marsal, before joking that she'd never met Marsal in the seven years they'd worked together, and wondered if she was a real person.

R.L. Stine, the 2011 ThrillerMaster, began his remarks introducing 2022 ThrillerMaster Frederick Forsyth, by sharing that upon arriving at the Sheraton, a woman asked him if anyone had ever told him that he "looked like R.L. Stineno offense?" Stine credited Forysth, who appeared briefly via excerpts from a pre-recorded video interview, with changing the thriller genre forever by using "journalistic techniques to tell fictional stories," eschewing emotional adjectives in describing the actions of characters such as the eponymous assassin in The Day of the Jackal.

The second 2022 ThrillerMaster, Diana Gabaldon, self-deprecatingly resisted being called iconic because she was too short for such a designation, and thanked her editor for patiently waiting seven years for her last book. Her focus, however, was on the questionable significance of genre labels, matching the text on the back of the complimentary copies of Outlander left on each table, which informed readers that the book was for them if they were interested in adventure fiction, historical romance, epic fantasy or military history - the thriller label conspicuous by its absence. Gabaldon amusingly shared her husband's response to news of the honor"but you don't write thrillers, why on Earth would you go to the banquet?" She added her own experiences finding her books in various sections in bookstores, highlighting her battle with Barnes & Noble to have them not shelved in romance, which she felt would limit her sales.
Christoph Waltz will play the lead role in "Billy Wilder & Me," adapted from Jonathan Coe's partially true book about the Hollywood director from a young Greek woman's perspective.

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The film follows the young Greek woman who begins working for Billy Wilder and his screenwriter Iz Diamond during the filming of Fedora on a Greek island in the summer of 1977, according to the official synopsis. She then follows Wilder to continue shooting the film in Germany, where he sifts through memories to get to the core of his family's history.

The No Time to Die actor will play Wilder, whose career in Hollywood spanned five decades, with some other credits including, The Seven Year Itch, Sunset Blvd., Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, in the film adapted from the book by Stephen Frears and Christopher Hampton.

"From the time of our first meeting in Los Angeles in the early '80s, Billy Wilder was extremely kind and encouraging to me," Hampton said. "Jonathan Coe's wonderful novel has provided the perfect opportunity to express my gratitude and my admiration for one of the undisputed giants of cinema history."

Jeremy Thomas, whose last film, EO, won the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, will produce the new film, which reunites Frears and two-time Oscar winning screenwriter Hampton for their third collaboration since Dangerous Liaisons and Cheri.

Thomas and Frears also previously worked together in the cult road movie The Hit in 1984.

"Billy Wilder said, 'You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning,'" Waltz said. "A Stephen Frears movie from a Christopher Hampton script produced by Jeremy Thomas should do the trick for me."

Production is slated to begin in spring of 2023 in Greece, Munich and Paris with other cast members to be announced shortly.
Stars of the Real Housewives franchise walked the red carpet at the 2022 MTV TV & Movie Awards: Unscripted.

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Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars Kyle Richards , Dorit Kemsley, Garcelle Beauvais and Crystal Kung Minkoff attended the awards show, which took place June 2 and aired Sunday on MTV.

Richards was joined by her niece, television personality and entrepreneur Paris Hilton, and her sister Kathy Hilton, who appears as a friend of the Housewives on RHOBH.

Richards and Kemsley wore coordinating black outfits and posed for photos together.

RHOBH alums Teddi Mellencamp and Taylor Armstrong were also present at the event.

In addition, Real Housewives of New York alum Dorinda Medley and Real Housewives of Orange County alum Tamra Judge attended the awards show.

Hilton presented the Reality Royalty Award to former RHONY star Bethenny Frankel, who was honored for her legacy in reality television.

"Thank you, MTV. Thank you to the audience who invested in a flawed yet always transparent person. I have overshot the mark. All I ever wanted was to make a difference in some way," Frankel said in her acceptance speech.

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Selena Gomez 's Selena and Chef and RuPaul 's Drag Race were among the winners at the MTV Movie & TV Awards: Unscripted, which focus on reality television.

The MTV Movie & TV Awards took place earlier in the evening. Spider-Man: No Way Home and Euphoria were the big winners of the night.
Mr Atiku said any attack on worshippers is a red line

Former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said he is devastated by reports of loss of scores of lives following the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa, in Owo

Mr Atiku in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, condemned the attack and any such attack on a worship centre as unacceptable.

"Any attack on innocent citizens indeed of a gathering of worshippers in any place in Nigeria stands condemned; it is a red line," Mr Atiku said.

"My prayers are with the people of Owo, especially families of the deceased. I do hope that the state government and relevant security agencies will leave no stones unturned in apprehending the criminals.

"I condole with all the affected families; the St. Francis Catholic Church Owa-luwa; the body of Catholic faithful in Nigeria and the people and government of Ondo State.

"Even as I pray that someday, very soon, we shall have a lasting solution to these painful episodes, I urge the security agencies not to relent in their efforts to fish out the culprits and bring them to justice."

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti described the killing of the worshippers as barbaric, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode.

According to him, there can never be any justification for the heinous behaviour of the assailants.

The governor also commiserated with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and the people of Ondo State on the incident.

He urged security agencies in the state to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime were apprehended and made to face the wrath of the law.

Mr Fayemi also tasked them to remain vigilant.

"The perpetrators of this dastardly act should not go unpunished. We call on relevant security agencies in the state to spring into action and ensure that they are brought to book.

"Our condolences to the government and good people of Ondo state as well as families that lost their loved ones in the carnage," he said.

In solidarity with the sister state, the governor, however, directed the Ekiti Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Banji Filani, to immediately send human and medical resources to Ondo state.
Shay Mitchell is introducing her newborn daughter to fans.

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On Sunday, the 35-year-old actress shared a photo and her baby girl's name after recently giving birth to her second child with her partner, Matte Babel.

Mitchell posted a photo on Instagram that shows her snuggling her daughter, Rome.

In the caption, Mitchell said she named Rome after her late grandmother, who died in January.

"Losing the most important person in my life in the same year I welcomed my second daughter has shifted everything for me, but one thing remains steady in my soul -- I'm certain they spent time together and that brings me peace and joy," the star wrote.

"We're so happy you're here Rome, named after my best friend, my soulmate, my 'person,' my Grandma Romaine," she said.

Mitchell and Babel also have a 2-year-old daughter, Atlas Noa.

Mitchell confirmed Rome's birth while attending an event Saturday in Los Angeles, telling People that Atlas is "loving being a big sister."

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"She is so excited. She's been incredible. She helps me change diapers and it's good -- she loves it," the actress said.

Mitchell had announced her second pregnancy in February following her grandmother's death.

"Saying goodbye to a loved one while simultaneously experiencing the joy of welcoming another into this world is the great cycle of life. It is also my most challenging season to date," she said at the time.

Mitchell is known for playing Emily Fields on Pretty Little Liars, which aired on Freeform from 2010 to 2017. She now portrays Stella Cole on the Hulu series Dollface.
Students at NewBrook Elementary School, in Newfane, Vt., learn about where their food comes from during their Community Farm and Field Day on Friday, June 10, 2022.
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We need to constantly convey our mission of promoting economic growth while enhancing the quality of life in Northwest Connecticut. The key is communication as we anticipate the 2022 Chamber Celebration of Success and so many other exciting programs. But how do we communicate our versatility and encourage positive results? In pondering this dilemma, I was inspired to develop a Chamber Alphabet to better communicate in a language the entire business community will recognize and appreciate. Heres a start

A - Activities - Action oriented programs that include everything from the Chamber Seminar Series, to Business After Hours, to Leadership Northwest, to the WOW Forum.

B - Board of Directors - Leaders of our organization who control the policy-making responsibilities of the Chamber and support us in creating the business plan for the year. C - Corporate Sponsors - Committed business leaders investing in our community and generously supporting the mission and objectives.

D - Development Corporation - Determination to move forward with strength as a regional 501c3.

E - Entrepreneurial Center - Support for the NCCC initiative in Winsted to assist owners and managers of small business.

F - Fun - Fathom business organizations and meetings where we really have fun - especially since we have not seen so many of our colleagues in person during the pandemic.

G - Government Relations - Galvanization of our business community through the strong government relations committee working tirelessly with our elected officials so that our voice is heard.

H - Home & Business Expo - Please join us for the Great Giveaway on July 14th at The Warner Theatre. This event brings the community together to showcase the variety of businesses in region.

I - Initiatives - Insurance benefit programs, School to Career, Leads I,II, III, Leadership Northwest, Regional Economic Development Corporation, SCORE, Internships, and so many more

J - Join in June -become a member of the most prestigious business organization in Northwest Connecticut. Call us to become a member.

K - Knowledge - Key to our success - we are fortunate to have many friends who can guide you in making your business decisions.

L - Leadership Northwest - Local leadership potential will be more fully developed through this initiative. We are most grateful to Torrington Savings Bank for their commitment and support.

M - Membership Services - Members Matter Most - through the strength of the membership services committee and a united business community, the opportunities that await us are limitless.

N - Networking - Never-ending opportunities to promote your business through our many alliances, initiatives and publications.

O - Opportunities - Outstanding initiatives to market your business through newspaper, radio, TV, the monthly newsletter and annual directory. You can read all about us in the Register Citizen, hear us on WAPJ and WSNG and see us on weekly video.

P - Partnerships - Penetration of the regions business community through our alliances with our friends" and we do have many.

Q - Quest for Quality - Quorum for achieving the best for our business community. Mark your calendars as we celebrate the best of the best on June 23rd when we recognize Sandy Evans as Business Leader, Stephen Todd as the Community Leader and Friendly Hands Food Bank with the Quality of Life Award. Great venue too - Five Points Center for the Arts.

R - Resources - Relationships established with old friends, utilizing the assets within our business community. Our success would not be possible without the support of our friends who are members, directors, corporate sponsors and community leaders. The answer is always Yes and we are grateful!

S - Staff - Sensational team dedicated to the improvement of our business climate. Stop to say hello to Sharon, Lauren, Pam, Norma and Cynthia.

T - Team - You will find us at our new home at 59 Field Street, Suite 120. Still unpacking. You will be invited to an Open House soon.

U - Ubiquitous - Undivided attention to the needs of the business community through involvement in economic, educational, cultural and civic activities.

V - Visionary - Versatility of programs and events to promote our quality of life. Watch for some exciting announcements sure to boost our region.

W - Work - Worthwhile efforts to promote economic growth while enhancing the quality of life in NW Connecticut. Involvement with the Workforce Investments Board, Board of Regents for Connecticut State Colleges & Universities and soon to be other important organizations with similar goals.

X - eXtraordinary members, Board of Directors, Corporate Sponsors, staff, leaders and friends throughout this beautiful NW CT region.

Y - Yearlong - Yearning to achieve our goals as we attract and retain commerce in Northwest Connecticut.

Z - Zenith - Zest to improve the value of membership in our Chamber make this a great place in which to live and work.

Hopefully, the Chambers Alphabet will become a universal language.

JoAnn Ryan is President & CEO of the NW CT Chamber of Commerce. joann@nwctchamberofcommerce.org or phone: 860-482-6586.
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WINDSOR LOCKS  A Hartford man was arrested after authorities found a loaded handgun in his backpack at Bradley International Airport, state police said Monday.

Armand D. Slack, 26, of Hartford, was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal tampering with airport equipment, illegal sale/purchase of a large-capacity magazine and criminal possession of a pistol or revolver. The tampering charge means he was circumventing security by trying to bring in contraband, police said; the charge about the large-capacity magazine means it has the capacity to hold more than 10 rounds, which makes it illegal in the state of Connecticut.
FAIRFIELD  Two teens, one from Hamden and the other from Meriden, were arrested after a police chase on Interstate 95 North earlier this week, according to police.

A town officer was patrolling in an unmarked vehicle around 5:25 p.m. Thursday when they observed a black Honda Civic traveling south on Black Rock Turnpike, then determined the vehicle had recently been reported stolen out of New Haven following a reported violent carjacking, officials said on Facebook.

Another officer, arriving in a marked cruiser, attempted to stop the Civic near the intersection of Black Rock Turnpike and Rakoczy Avenue, but the car allegedly refused to stop and fled from officers.

Fairfield Police deployed spike strips further down the road in the area of Castle Avenue in an attempt to stop the suspect vehicle, said police. The vehicle then began driving in the wrong direction on the Kings Highway East Traffic Circle before subsequently entering the on-ramp for I-95, traveling northbound.

Fairfield and state police pursued the vehicle on I-95, following it off the highway as it exited onto Seaview Avenue in Bridgeport. The chase remained at a low rate of speed due to the vehicles punctured tires, police noted.

Police then deployed spike strips on Seaview Avenue, which the vehicle drove over before once again entering the on-ramp onto I-95, traveling northbound. At this time, the driver lost control of the vehicle in the grass median. The pursuit lasted approximately five miles, police said.

The occupants of the vehicle, allegedly a 17-year-old from Hamden and a 15-year-old from Meriden, ran across the road before they were arrested after a brief foot chase, police said.

Upon a search of the vehicle, officers located and seized two 9mm semi-automatic handguns along with a high capacity (30 round) magazine. The guns did not have a serial number and are believed to be what is referred to as ghost guns,  said police. Police also seized three bags containing a white, loose rock-like substance that is believed to be crack cocaine and 35 individually packaged white wax folds containing a white powdery substance believed to be heroin.

The 17-year-old was charged with first-degree larceny, possession of more than an ounce of heroin with intent to distribute, illegal transfer/purchase of a pistol, carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possession of a vehicle in a motor vehicle, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a high-capacity magazine, engaging police in a pursuit, reckless driving and resisting arrest, police said.

The 15-year-old was charged with first-degree larceny, illegal transfer of a stolen pistol or revolver, carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possession of a weapon ina motor vehicle, possession of more than an ounce of heroin with intent to distribute, criminal possession of a firearm and resisting arrest, police said.

The two youths were transported to the Bridgeport Juvenile Detention Center ahead of their arraignment, police said. They allegedly had pending felony taken into custody orders following numerous allegations of violent crimes, and after they allegedly escaped from juvenile detention.

Police Chief Robert Kalamaras praised officers for their response.

I would like to commend all Fairfield Police Officers involved and thank the Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police for their assistance in apprehending these two suspects, resulting in the seizure of dangerous weapons and substances, Kalamaras said. Due to the diligent work of all officers involved, we were able to successfully apprehend the suspects without further harm to the community.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
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NEW PRESTON  The VNAs thrift store on Route 202 is packed with bargains this time of year, offering a collection of gently used and new clothing, shoes, housewares and gifts.

The stores dedicated crew of volunteers enjoy their work, but they need more help to keep the place up and running.

This week, volunteers Betty Hinckley, Jane Moore, Marilyn Roze and Diane Locke spent their Monday morning sorting the latest batch of donations.

The supply of donations never ends or wavers  theres always plenty of work for the volunteers, who also wait on customers, keep the displays fresh and appealing and the store neat and tidy each day. Ideally, the store has a team of workers who volunteer in pairs. But lately its been harder to get people to sign up.

I sometimes work here by myself, said Hinckley, who has been a volunteer for nearly 20 years. Its not easy to do it alone.

But volunteering at the thrift store is a labor of love for her, Moore, Roze and Locke, who say they look forward to being with their friends.

Its fun, and we know were doing something to help the (VNAs) patients, Roze said. Its motivating, to help the people in our community. We all live and work in the towns the VNA serves.

The Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County thrift store is open Tuesday through Saturday and welcomes regulars and newcomers searching for a deal on a new dress, a purse or a pair of earrings, or maybe a bed spread or a set of sheets.

The clothing is displayed by size  small, medium and large womens and mens garments in their own area of the store, accompanied by shoes, sleepwear, jackets and jeans. Childrens clothes are also available, along with shoes and coats. The store also carries plus-size clothes and handbags, and a boutique rack up front has designer label dresses, jackets, skirts and womens suits. Most of the clothing is sold for a few dollars; the boutique rack items run between $5 and 20.

We just got a whole collection of brand-new bathing suits, Hinckley said.

Housewares, sets of dishes, mugs and glassware, small appliances and decorative, seasonal pottery and serving dishes are also sold. There are CDs and cassette tapes, some vinyl records; greeting cards; and a selection of books and DVDs. Along the back wall, shoppers can find bathrobes, nightgowns and casual dresses, dressy pants, sweatpants and leggings. Jeans in every size are available

Geiger handles marketing and communications for the Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County at the organizations Winsted office, and said the stores earnings provide money for visiting nurse services throughout the county, from Canaan down to Washington. Foothills VNA, VNA Northwest and Salisbury VNA merged in the mid-2000s.

While the organizations services usually are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance agencies, financial assistance is available for those who cant afford it, thanks to the thrift shop.

There are many people who cant afford the care they need, and we provide services to those people, Geiger said. The idea that if you volunteer here, or shop here, means that youre really helping other people. Everything thats raised here goes to the care we provide.

The agency provides skilled nursing and hospice care. It has a medical social worker to advocate for patients, helping them through the emotional and financial challenges that often accompany a health crisis, Geiger said.

Along with nursing care, the agency can provide physical, occupational and speech therapy and home health aides. Advance services include wound care, ostomy and continence care, disease management, pediatric nursing, maternal and child health care, IV therapy and nutritional counseling.

In the community, Visiting Nurse & Hospice runs flu and blood pressure clinics, balance classes, foot care clinics and bereavement support groups.

The thrift shop volunteers encouraged interested residents to join them. We have fun here, and we have a purpose, Roze said. She and the other members of the team are retired. Make new connections  its a fun place to work.

To learn more about the thrift store and to become a volunteer, call 860-379-8561 or visit www.vnhlc.org.
CAIRO (AP)  Yemen's Houthi rebels said Monday that three people were killed in the country's capital when a drone aircraft crashed in a neighborhood after being shot down.

In a statement, the Houthis said that their air defense system downed the surveillance drone and that it belonged to the Saudi-led coalition with which they are at war. The Houthi claims could not be immediately verified.
analysis

With more information now coming into the public domain about how a large quantity of cash (US$) was stolen in early February 2020 from President Cyril Ramaphosa's game farm Phala Phala, near Bela-Bela in Limpopo, and his failure to report this to the public, it is now realistically possible that this could weaken him in a very critical way and, in the process, significantly alter the course of our democracy.

It is the worst public image crisis since Ramaphosa returned to formal politics as deputy leader of the ANC at the 2012 Mangaung conference. Unless this is handled correctly, it can potentially derail his stated ANC renewal agenda, with serious repercussions for the ruling party's prospects of retaining power after the 2024 national elections.

It should also not be forgotten that the first public source of these claims, the former head of the State Security Agency Arthur Fraser is, to put it bluntly, not a man who can be trusted. He faces serious allegations and there is zero doubt that he is stoking this fire solely for his political agenda of helping RET return to full control of the ANC and thus, South Africa, especially its security cluster.

Any claim...
Anthony Albanese also pledges closer cooperation with Jakarta on trade, security and climate change.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo ride bicycles partly made of bamboo on the grounds of the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, June 6, 2022.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged Monday to help host country Indonesia make this years G20 summit a success, including by attending the gathering, which controversially has both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on the guest list.

Australias new PM made the pledge during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, after he and Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo held talks and rode around the palatial grounds on bamboo bicycles, in a nod to their humble origins.

Albanese, who took office two weeks ago, was on his maiden visit as prime minister to the giant neighbor next-door.

[D]eepening engagement with Southeast Asia is a priority for my Government, he stressed in a statement read out to reporters.

I will work closely with President Widodo to help deliver a successful summit, Albanese said, adding that international cooperation was needed to tackle the many challenges we face in navigating the post-COVID global economic recovery.

Indonesia holds the 2022 presidency of the grouping of the worlds top 20 economies. The United States has urged Indonesia not to invite member-state Russia to the G20 summit, scheduled for November in Bali, because of Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

Jakarta so far has refused to disinvite Russia from the summit but has invited Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, which is not a G20 member, as a guest. In March, U.S. President Joe Biden said Ukraine should be able to participate in the G20 summit, if the grouping did not expel Russia.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (left) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese interact with journalists at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, June 6, 2022. Credit: Indonesian Presidential Palace Mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation

Albanese also pledged closer cooperation with Indonesia on trade, security and climate change.

Indonesia is on track to be one of the worlds five largest economies, Albanese said.

Revitalizing our trade and investment relationship is a priority for my government, he said.

Albanese added that the two countries were working to realize the potential of the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a free trade agreement which came into effect two years ago.

Albanese came to Indonesia with a delegation that included chief executives of major Australian companies, as well as Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrel.

Jokowi, for his part, said that the strategic partnership agreement and the free trade deal with Australia provided a strong foundation for bilateral relations.

These two foundations are very important for the two countries to continue to strengthen mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, Jokowi said.

Jokowi stressed the importance of expanding access to exports for Indonesian products to Australia, including cars.

The first shipment of completely built-up cars made in Indonesia to Australia was made in February and I hope that export access like this will continue to expand, he said.

Jokowi said he told Albanese that good bilateral relations could contribute to regional peace and prosperity.

International principles and laws must be consistently obeyed, strategic competition in the region needs to be managed properly to avoid open conflict, a culture of peace and strategic trust needs to be strengthened, he said.

Albanese also promised increased cooperation in the fields of defense, as well as maritime security and safety, amid Chinas growing assertiveness in the contested South China Sea.

Indonesia has on several occasions expressed concerns about a new trilateral security pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, known as AUKUS, which allows Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

In their respective statements, however, the two leaders made no references to AUKUS.

Albanese stressed that his government would work closely with Australian Super Funds, one of the countrys largest investors, to explore investment opportunities in Indonesia.

Ninasapti Triaswati, an economist at the University of Indonesia, said the visit provided an opportunity for Indonesia to strike business deals with Australian companies.

But it requires technical readiness on the part of the Indonesian side to be able to make cooperation contracts that benefit the Indonesian people, Ninasapti told BenarNews.

Ninasapti said she believed the presence of Putin at the upcoming G20 summit would not affect economic ties with Australia.

If Putin comes, the Australian government may leave the room, but CEOs of Australian private companies will still be interested in investing in Indonesia, he said.

Strengthen partnerships in the Pacific

Albanese also said his government was committed to deepening economic ties with Southeast Asian countries.

And we will deliver a comprehensive ASEAN Economic Strategy to 2040, to map current and future export and investment opportunities across key ASEAN markets, he said.

Albanese said Australia would give A$470 million (U.S. $338.55 million) to Southeast Asia over four years under Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) programs, on top of A$200 million for its climate and infrastructure partnership with Indonesia.

We also agreed to strengthen partnerships in the Pacific, especially in the fields of climate, fisheries and agriculture, he said.

True to my governments ambitious climate targets, I want better access to affordable, reliable and secure clean energy right across our region, as we transition to a net zero world together.
China responds by accusing members of the Five Eyes alliance of carrying out provocative activities in the region

A Chinese fighter jet dangerously intercepted an Australian reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea last month, Australias Department of Defence (DOD) said, but Chinas state media stated it was Western countries who were in the wrong.

A DOD statement said on May 26 a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8A Poseidon was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance activity in international airspace in the South China Sea region.

The intercept resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew, the DOD said, adding that the Australian Government had raised its concerns about the incident with the Chinese Government.

Last week the Canadian government also expressed concerns over Chinese aircraft buzzing a Canadian surveillance aircraft in the East China Sea, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling it extremely troubling.

Chinese media rejected the accusations, saying Canada and Australia  members of the Five Eyes Western intelligence alliance  conducted close-in reconnaissance and provocative activities on China.

The Global Times, a mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, said reports on the Chinese intercepts are not consistent with the truth.

On Monday China's defense ministry said the PLA has taken reasonable measures to counter provocations by Canadian military jets that have been carrying out increased reconnaissance in the region. Spokesman Wu Qian described China's response as 'reasonable,' adding that Beijing has made 'solemn representations' through diplomatic channels, according to Reuters.

Dangerous mid-air maneuvres

The Australian DODs statement said that it has for decades undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with international law.

Defence Minister Richard Marles told Australian media that the J-16 jet flew very close to the RAAF P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft, released flares and then accelerated and cut across the nose of the P-8, settling in front of the P-8 at very close distance.

"It then released a bundle of chaff, which contains small pieces of aluminium, some of which were ingested into the engine of the P-8 aircraft, Marles told Australias Channel 9.

This maneuvre is dangerous and designed to provoke, said Alexander Neill, a defense and security consultant based in Singapore.

Dispensing chaff is extremely dangerous, Neill added, as the pieces could cause serious damage when entering the engine of the P-8.

The Chinese interpretation of the event was very different.

The Global Times quoted Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, as saying that it is possible that the Australian P-8 used its jamming pod to lase the Chinese aircraft, triggering the latter's self-defense system which is programed to automatically release the flares and chaff.

Earlier this year Australia accused a Chinese warship of pointing a military-grade laser at an Australian P-8A Poseidon in the Arafura Sea, north of Australia, posing great danger to the pilots safety.

The RAAF has a fleet of 14 modern Boeing-manufactured P-8As that it uses for maritime surveillance.

Canberra raised concerns with Beijing over the Feb. 17 incident but the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) did not issue an apology, arguing that the vessel was fully complying with international law and Australia was maliciously spreading disinformation against China.

In 2019 a similar incident happened in the South China Sea when Australian helicopter pilots, operating from the naval vessel HMAS Canberra, were forced to land as a precaution after a Chinese warship targeted it with a laser.

This maneuvre in May is similar to the one which downed a U.S. Navy P-3 back in 2001, said Alexander Neill.

In April 2001 a Chinese F-8 fighter jet collided with a U.S. Navy EP-3 Aries II surveillance plane over the South China Sea, killing the Chinese pilot. The U.S. aircraft had to make an emergency landing on Chinas Hainan island.

It seems the PLA returned to using such dangerous techniques but dispensing chaff is even more serious, the analyst said.

A CP-140 Aurora, similar to the aircraft buzzedby Chinese jets over the East China Sea, in a Canadian Government file photograph.





Five Eyes

Such events have become more regular as China ramps-up its campaign to back up territorial claims in the region.

At the same time the U.S. and its allies have also intensified activities in accordance with the Free and Open Indo-Pacific initiative.

In September last year Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States formed the AUKUS security alliance, which is generally seen as an effort to counter Chinas growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

Canberra was alarmed when China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April and sought to reach a multi-sector deal with some other Pacific island nations.

I would say this latest incident is part of a new coercive strategy to put pressure on Australia following the creation of AUKUS and also in response to pressures by Australia in the South Pacific, Neill told RFA.

Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. are already members of the long-standing intelligence alliance known as Five Eyes.

China has been accusing the U.S. and partners of conducting provocative reconnaissance on China.

The South China Sea Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based Chinese think tank, alleged that last month the U.S. military performed 41 sorties of land-based reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea alone.
Chinese censors shut down the livestream of beauty influencer Austin Li after he displayed a tank-shaped cake ahead of the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre, as former student leaders reflected on the , 1989 crackdown from overseas.



Li's livestream was taken off air on shortly after he showed an ice-cream dessert in the shape of a tank, prompting fans to wonder what unknown event he could have been referring to.



Public commemorations of the massacre, in which the People's Liberation Army (PLA) mowed down unarmed civilians with guns and tanks to end a weeks-long mass protest movement in Tiananmen Square, are banned in China.



The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rarely allows any public reference to the event, although it describes the protests that preceded it as "counter-revolutionary turmoil." Online references to the events of , 1989, including images of tanks, are swiftly deleted by government censors.



Now, Li may have introduced a new generation of 170 million largely unsuspecting fans to the violent crackdown that left hundreds, possibly thousands, dead.



Li attributed the premature ending of his livestream to a "backstage technical failure," but hadn't updated his social media account by .



A current affairs commentator who gave only the surname Su said anything that refers to the events of spring and early summer 1989 is politically sensitive for the CCP.



"He's the second most popular anchor after Wei Ya, and he has thousands of people among his suppliers," Su said. "He has so many people around him, yet he was silly enough to promote a tank-shaped dessert on ."



"Why did his production team fail to detect or block such a common-sense issue; there must be some kind of problem," he said.



Su said Li was unlikely to re-emerge following the incident.



"Given the current political environment, he is finished for sure, or at least will just fade away from the public eye," Su said.



Screenshot of Chinese beauty influencer Austin Li, whose livestream was taken off the air after he displayed a tank-shaped cake on the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre, June 3, 2022. House arrest for dissidents

Massacre survivors, victims' families and prominent dissidents are typically placed under house arrest or similar restrictions by state security police during the anniversary, only to be released when the date has passed without incident.



Qi Zhiyong, a massacre survivor who had both legs crushed by a tank in , said he had been forced to leave town with a state security police escort.



"I was taken away from my home on by police, who confiscated my mobile phone," Qi told RFA. "But my dialysis appointments weren't affected."



"There are police and security guards at the entrance to my apartment complex," he said.



Former 1989 student leader Wang Dan said he is currently engaged in setting up a Memorial Hall in New York City.



"All of my energy is devoted to this project now," Wang, who also founded the Dialogue China think-tank since arriving in the U.S. on medical parole 24 years ago.



He said the overseas democracy movement was the best exiled dissidents could do for China, and suggested that CCP leader Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy could open some younger people's eyes to the nature of the regime.



"We're already seeing the effects of the Shanghai lockdown," he said. "I think a lot of little pinks [CCP fans] in Shanghai, and many millennials will be realizing that this society isn't as beautiful as they once believed."



Former 1989 student activist Zhou Fengsuo, who founded the rights group Humanitarian China after arriving in the U.S., said his organization manages to support more than 100 prisoners of conscience annually.



"That has added up to more than 1,000 people over the years," he said. "We hope that more people will come to know about them, and to thereby understand the human rights situation in China."



Brainwashing

Former Shandong student activist Bob Fu has worked to promote religious freedom in China since becoming a Christian in the wake of the 1989 crackdown, founding the Texas-based group ChinaAid.



"The first thing we want to do is to give them a voice, and the second is to make very specific efforts to promote religious freedom in China," Fu told RFA. "In the past couple of decades, we have paid particular attention to human rights lawyers, as to support them is actually to promote religious freedom in China."



A member of the millennial generation who gave only the surname Li said he thought everyone should understand what happened in 1989.



", 1989 is something that every Chinese person should remember," Li said. "We can learn a lot from the way the students were thinking, from their spirit, now."



"But a lot of people don't have access to the internet outside the Great Firewall, including a lot of Generation Z, so they don't know about such things, and have never heard of any of it."



A slightly older man from Shanghai surnamed Wang said CCP brainwashing has been particular effective among the younger generation.



"If anyone mentions freedom and democracy, they tell you that you can't eat those things," Wang said. "They really support the current regime with all their hearts."



"It's clear that this brainwashing [patriotic] education they received has been hugely successful, from the point of view of those who rule," he said.



Zhou said he realizes how far there is to go.



"Of course so far, this has been a losing battle," he said of China's faltering democracy movement. "But before the CCP falls, many more people will have to get involved in this losing battle."



"For those who are in it and are still fighting against this authoritarian regime, at least they have the courage to resist, the spirit of perseverance. This is worthy of huge respect."



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Three people were injured in the shooting, including 1 who remains in a coma.

Gunmen opened fire Sunday on traffic moving along a China-invested expressway in Laos, leaving one of three injured in the shooting in a coma in a local hospital, Lao sources say.

Four suspects described by authorities as bandits and including both Lao and ethnic Hmong are now under arrest following the incident, which took place at about 12:30 p.m. at the Phou-Pha tunnel on the Vientiane-Vang Vieng Expressway, a public security official told RFA on Monday.

The group may have been involved in a business dispute, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media about the case.

We have already arrested four suspects, who include both Lao and Hmong, the official said. Details of what happened are still unclear, and we are carrying out an investigation.

An official press conference will be held when the investigation ends, the official said. Meanwhile, security measures will be taken to ensure safety along the Vientiane-Vang Vieng expressway, and vehicles will be checked before entering, the official said.

Seriously wounded in the shooting, a resident of the Lao capital Vientiane is now in a coma at the Lao-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Vientiane, where doctors are attempting to remove a bullet from one of his lungs, and family members are appealing for donations of blood, sources said.

A family member contacted by RFA declined to comment on the case.

A toll gate on the Vientiane-Vang Vieng Expressway , Dec. 27, 2020. Photo: RFA

Lao residents concerned over safety issues on the major roadway linking the capital with Vang Vieng, a popular tourist destination north of Vientiane, told RFA the gunmen had likely been involved in a dispute over drugs, with one source saying the shooters may have been under the influence of drugs themselves.

These young gangsters are all using drugs, especially methamphetamines. The police are always arresting them, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. Other Lao villagers following the news said those injured in the shooting may have been involved in earlier disputes.

After reading about this incident on Facebook, it seems to me there may have been some conflict over drugs. Im sure this must be what this was all about, one source said, also declining to be named.

Government authorities must now strengthen security along the expressway, especially by deploying more police officers along the road, said another local resident who often drives along the Vientiane-Vang Vieng route. I usually see CCTV cameras on the expressway, but not that many police, he said.

Reached for comment, an official of the Laos-China Joint Expressway Development Co., Ltd., declined to speak to RFA reporters, but the company issued a statement Sunday reporting the shooting and saying reasons for the incident were being investigated by the police.

Traffic was moving normally along the expressway, which began operations in 2020, by 5:35 p.m., the company said in its statement.

Translated by Phouvong for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Locals found the bodies on June 4 after troops torched homes in Kani and Khin Oo.

Thargara village in Khin Oo township, Sagaing region was destroyed in fires set by military forces, locals told RFA.

The charred bodies of a 79-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy were among five people discovered after military forces set fire to two villages in Myanmars war-torn Sagaing region, locals told RFA.

The elderly woman was from Thargara village in Khin Oo township. The boy and three men came from Than Se Chaung village in Kani township.

Residents told RFA the elderly woman may have been trapped after suffering a stroke when junta troops burned down houses on June 4.

They say the blaze also killed cattle and destroyed 70 houses, agricultural machinery, motorbikes and 10,000 baskets of rice, being stored for food.

Agricultural equipment and food supplies were also destroyed in the blaze. CREDIT: citizen jounalist.





The bodies of four Than Se Chaung residents were found close to their village, near Nat Sin Gone at Nga Pyat village. They had been detained by the military a few days earlier.

A local resident told RFA the four villagers, aged between 14 and 45, were killed after being taken hostage by troops.

They were sent to the frontline and were then killed as they did not do what the junta troops asked and commanded, said the resident, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity.

It was still not known how the four were killed. Calls to a military council spokesman by RFA on Monday morning went unanswered.

Most of Sagaings townships and villages have been affected by fierce fighting between junta forces and members of the Peoples Defense Forces since the military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021 coup.

RFA reported last month that nearly 6,300 homes in 19 townships had been burned down in the northwestern region over the previous two months. Junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun blamed the PDFs for starting the fires.

RFA figures show that 414 people were killed in Sagaing region between Feb. 1 and Dec. 1 last year, 309 by the junta and 105 by PDFs.
The Vietnam Communist Party (VCP) on Monday expelled the countrys health minister and the mayor of the capital Hanoi for their roles in a U.S. $172 million scandal involving overpriced coronavirus test kits, the party said at an emergency meeting of its Central Committee.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and Mayor Chu Ngoc Anh are the latest casualties of the one-party states crackdown on corruption, which has seen several high-profile arrests of government and private sector officials over the past few months.

Long and Anh could face criminal charges for their actions in connection to the

Viet A Technologies Company scandal, during which officials were paid off so that hospitals would use overpriced COVID-19 test kits.

Its always a sign when the Vietnam Communist Party calls for an emergency session of its Central Committee, Southeast Asia analyst Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, told RFA.

Expulsion from the party is in itself a major deal... No longer protected by their elite party status, their legal jeopardy just went up a few notches, he said. Now that the partys inspection has concluded, they will now be passed on the prosecutors for trial and an almost certain conviction.

The companys director-general, Phan Quoc Viet, faces charges of bribing health officials so that they would agree to overpay for the test kits to be distributed to hospitals and provincial Centers for Disease Control. Viet was able to make $172 million in profit and then re-channel $34 million into more bribes, AFP reported.

The Viet-A scandal was uncovered at the end of last year as part of the Communist Partys efforts since 2016 to get tough on corruption.

The anti-corruption campaign, referred to as furnace burning by its architect, Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong, has seen high-profile arrests of government officials over the past few months for their involvement in various scandals. For example, several Ministry of Health officials have been accused of accepting bribes for space on international rescue flights out of areas in the world heavily hit by COVID-19.

Authorities have also discovered a number of training violations at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. The director of a military hospital was arrested for granting slots to unqualified applicants at the ASEAN Medical and Pharmaceutical College.

Vietnam also recently arrested 19 people on charges of violating regulations on asset management and use, causing losses and waste at an agriculture company, and seven senior coast guard officials, including the commander, for embezzling funds

Nguyen Ngoc Gia, an independent journalist, told RFA that corruption is more widespread than even the recent arrests would indicate.

I think the big reasons are that the rule of law doesnt exist, the rule of virtue is just a formality, and the technocracy is too weak, Gia said.

Meanwhile, culture and education, the two most important areas making up the soul of a nation, are widely manipulated by money. Therefore, it can be seen that the current appearance of morality is just hypocrisy, said Gia. Totalitarianism and the one-party system have led to an overemphasis on money and power, Gia said.

The Viet-A scandal was not as large as others, but the government is paying special attention, Abuza said.

This scandal seems to have stung the leadership a little bit more. In part there was the direct link between the firm and the senior leadership. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had egg on his face, Abuza said.

Anti-corruption has been the hallmark of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs tenure. Trong has wielded anti-corruption as he believes that the countrys endemic corruption threatens the VCPs legitimacy, he said. But he also has wielded it as a tool against political rivals. And many in the country will see this as just that: elite political infighting.

Trong suffered a stroke in 2020, so there are expectations that the third-term general secretary will step down before the term is up in 2026, Abuza said.

But as long as he believes that corruption is still reaching the senior most ranks, hell fight to stay on, convinced that others will take the issue of corruption as seriously.

Translated by Anna Vu. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
analysis

Without revealing many details about the theft which took place at his Phala Phala farm in 2020, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed allegations levelled against him by former spy boss Arthur Fraser. He said because the incident was still under investigation, it was not possible to fully explain what transpired.

On Sunday afternoon, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa surprisingly addressed accusations made against him by former State Security Agency and Correctional Services director-general Arthur Fraser.

He was delivering his closing speech at the party's Limpopo provincial conference which was held at The Ranch Hotel in Polokwane.

Ramaphosa said the allegations made against him were politically motivated and that some details on the matter were incorrectly reported by the media -- including the exact amount of money found at his Phala Phala farmhouse in Limpopo.

"I would like to say that I am a farmer, I am in the cattle business and game business. Through that business which has been declared in Parliament and all over, I buy and I sell animals. Sometimes people buy these animals and some of the people who bought the animals -- some of them are here. I do it sometimes through cash or transfers.

"Some of...
Russian forces are now in control of most of Syevyerodonetsk despite fierce resistance by Ukrainian forces who are suffering painful losses in the weeks-long battle for the key eastern city as Western countries prepare to announce further deliveries of arms and munitions amid repeated and impassioned appeals from Kyiv.

Russia told Ukrainian forces who were holed up in the Azot chemical plant in Syevyerodonetsk to lay down their arms on June 15, pledging to ensure a humanitarian corridor for the civilians who are also taking shelter in the plant, but Ukraine so far has not responded to Moscow's offer.

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.

British military intelligence said in its daily bulletin on June 15 that several hundred civilians are currently in underground bunkers at the Azot chemical plant together with Ukrainian fighters.

The bulletin issued by Britain's Defense Ministry said that it was "highly unlikely" Moscow had anticipated such stubborn opposition from the Ukrainians during its original planning for the invasion.

It added that in the face of the determined Ukrainian response, Russia has resorted to urban-warfare tactics that rely on the heavy use of artillery, causing extensive collateral damage throughout the city.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on June 14 in a late-night address that Ukraine needs modern anti-missile weapons now, adding there could be no justification for partner countries to delay delivery.

"We keep telling our partners that Ukraine needs modern anti-missile weapons," Zelenskiy said. "Our country does not have them yet at a sufficient level, but it is in Ukraine and right now that there is the greatest need for such weapons. Procrastination in providing them cannot be justified."

The region has been the scene of a weeks-long battle in the Donbas region and the "losses, unfortunately, are painful," he said.

The head of Russia's National Defense Management Center, general Mikhail Mizintsev, promised a humanitarian corridor would be opened to evacuate civilians from the Azot plant from 8 a.m. Moscow time on June 15. Mizintsev said evacuees would be taken to the town of Svatovo, 60 kilometers to the north in territory under the control of Russian and separatist forces.

Ukraine has not reacted to the proposal by Mizintsev, who is accused by Kyiv of human rights violations while commanding troops during the long siege of Mariupol, Ukraine's key port on the Sea of Azov that has been taken over by the Russians.

Zelenskiy said Ukraine is also seeing "painful losses" in the Kharkiv region to the east of Kyiv, where Russia is trying to strengthen its position after being pushed back.

Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said earlier that Ukraine has received just 10 percent of the weapons it has requested from the West to help fight the Russian invasion.

"No matter how hard Ukraine tries, no matter how professional our army is, without the help of Western partners we will not be able to win this war," Malyar said in a televised briefing, saying the West should speed up the delivery of the arms.

Western countries have promised to send sophisticated weapons, including advanced rockets, but deploying them is taking time.

Malyar said there should be "a clear timeframe" for the deliveries "because every day there's a delay, we're talking about the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians."

Dozens of defense ministers from the Ukraine Defense Contact Group are expected to discuss more weapons deliveries to Ukraine on June 15 in Brussels ahead of a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers that will start later in the day, U.S. defense officials said.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is poised to lead the discussions of the group of nearly 50 countries, officials said.

NATO is officially not participating in the talks, to avoid being militarily involved in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and as non-aligned countries are also part of the group chaired by the United States.

With the Luhansk region with its key city of Syevyerodonetsk almost completely in Russian hands, a senior NATO official told CNN that the war in Ukraine has reached a critical point.

"I think that you're about to get to the point where one side or the other will be successful," said the official.

"Either the Russians will reach Slovyansk and Kramatorsk [in the Donetsk region adjacent to Luhansk] or the Ukrainians will stop them here. And if the Ukrainians are able to hold the line here, in the face of this number of forces, that will matter."

With reporting by Reuters, AP, BBC, CNN, and AFP
When Iranian aerospace engineer Ayoob Entezari died on May 31, authorities handed his family a letter of appreciation in which they referred to him as a "martyr," suggesting that he had been killed.

Soon after, authorities in the central city of Yazd backtracked, saying the wording in the letter was a "mistake" that had been "immediately" rectified.



In the meantime, Israeli media referred to Entezari's death as "suspicious," saying he was poisoned at a dinner party, after which the host fled the country. Israeli media also claimed that he had worked on Iran's missile and drone programs.



The judiciary in Yazd said on June 5 that Entezari was an "ordinary employee at an industrial company" who died from an unspecified "illness" in hospital. It added that "rumors" about Entezari being poisoned were spread by a relative "who wanted to be noticed." The judiciary vowed to punish the unnamed individual.



A day later, local authorities in Yazd said the cause of Enezari's death was still being investigated. Ali Salehi, the head of the communications department in the provincial government, said on June 6 that "we have to wait for the relevant authorities to announce their view."



Mahmud Entezari, who said he was related to the engineer, claimed on Instagram that Ayoob Entezari told him that he feared being targeted by Israel after he was photographed alongside then-President Hassan Rohani at the opening of a wind-turbine factory in 2019. "Don't be surprised if I suffer the same fate as [Mostafa] Ahmadi Roshan," he quoted Ayoob Entezari as saying, in reference to an Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated in 2012.
The family of an Iranian dissident journalist says their son has been missing since the end of last month and is likely to have been abducted by Iranian agents in Turkey, where he had taken refuge.



The Daily Sabah newspaper reported on June 5 that the father of Mohammad Bagher Moradi, an opposition journalist who fled to Turkey nine years ago, believes his son has been abducted by Iranian agents after he went missing on May 30 in Ankara.



According to the newspaper, Moradi left his home in the Turkish capital to buy bread and never returned, while his mobile phone no longer works.

In addition, Moradi's car was found abandoned and his Twitter account has not been active since May 30.

Another Turkish daily, Hurriyet, reported that Moradi's family had filed a criminal complaint over their son's disappearance and told the local prosecutor's office that they suspected he had been abducted.



Hossein Moradi says his son has been wanted by Iranian intelligence for some time.

Turkey, which lies on Iran's western border, is one of the main destinations for Iranians fleeing the country. It has also become a prime hunting ground for dissidents by Iranian intelligence, or those who work for Tehran's security agencies.

Writing and reporting by Ardeshir Tayebi
Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission says voters in a weekend referendum were overwhelmingly in favor of proposed constitutional amendments aimed at decentralizing decision-making and stripping former President Nursultan Nazarbaev of his "national leader" status.

The referendum on some 56 proposed changes to the constitution came after the country was rocked by deadly unrest in January that ended Nazarbaev's longtime grip on power.

"The referendum can be considered validated," Commission Chairman Nurlan Abdirov said on June 6, citing preliminary results that 77.18 percent voted in favor of the amendments. He said turnout was 68.06 percent.

In order to be adopted, more than 50 percent of voters in at least 12 of the countrys 17 regions must cast ballots in favor of the amendments.

President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said the referendum will shift the country from a super-presidential form of government to a presidential republic with a strong parliament.

Nazarbaev handpicked Toqaev to be his successor after he resigned in 2019. The referendum was seen as an attempt by Toqaev, 69, to formalize Nazarbaev's "retirement" and ensure his departure from the political scene.

Nazarbaev, 81, voted in the capital, Nur-Sultan. He was seen in a short video dropping his ballot into the ballot box and leaving the polling station with a wave of his hand, but with no comment to reporters.

Government opponents had called on Toqaev to postpone the referendum, saying people had not been given enough time to study the proposals. Others said the voting should be canceled altogether.

Police in Almaty detained Kazakh activist Darkhan Sharipov, who protested against the referendum, which he said would only achieve "partial reforms, not political ones."

In some cities and districts in the Qaraghandy region, where an RFE/RL reporter visited polling stations and talked with people in the streets, not all residents understood exactly what they were voting for and what specifically would change in the Constitution.

In Prishakhtinsk, an area of Qaraghandy, some voters asked members of the commission to acquaint them with the amendments. Ksenia Sinitsyna, secretary of polling station 120, told RFE/RL that voters are provided with information, including in printed form, and their questions are answered.

Some voters took the printouts home to study them before returning to vote, Sinitsyna said.

The changes would bar the countrys president from being a member of a political party while holding office. Perhaps even more importantly, relatives of the president would not be allowed to hold any key positions in the public sector.

That measure is seen as an attempt to prevent the depth of nepotism that occurred under Nazarbaev.

The number of Senate members appointed by the president would be reduced from the current 15 to 10.

But the president would maintain the right to appoint the prime minister, the cabinet, the prosecutor-general, the security chief, the heads of the national bank, and the election commission, and other key posts.

The chief executive would also retain the power to appoint provincial governors and the mayors of cities, including the capital, despite widespread calls from public activists for governors and mayors to be elected by voters.

The right to appoint powerful regional governors is seen as an important political tool for the president as governors can be used to swing an election by controlling the voting process in the authoritarian country where international observers say free and fair elections are not held.

The one who stands to lose the most if the referendum is approved is Nazarbaev, who led Kazakhstan from 1990 until 2019 and enjoyed significant political sway as ex-president until the bloody nationwide unrest in January that left at least 238 people dead.

The revised constitution removes all references to Nazarbaev as "elbasy" (leader of the nation), which would cement his fall from grace that began with demands by anti-government protesters to end his family's grip on the countrys politics and riches.

The changes remove the lifelong immunity for Nazarbaev and his close relatives from prosecution that was guaranteed by the Law on the First President of Kazakhstan. However, they will still enjoy that privilege under the general law on ex-presidents.

The constitutional overhaul would reduce the number or lawmakers in the Mazhilis, or lower house of parliament, to 98 from the current 107 members.

The Senate would also lose its power to make new laws but would vote on bills passed by the Mazhilis and as well as vote to confirm nominations for prosecutor-general, security chief, and other key positions submitted by the president.

Many analysts have seen the referendum as a bid by Toqaev to prepare for the countrys next presidential election, scheduled for 2024.

A CIS observer mission -- comprising 144 representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan -- said the vote was held "in accordance with the law."

Some independent observers, however, reported irregularities, according to RFE/RL. In the western region, an observer reported that ballots were in the ballot box before the start of voting, and RFE/RL reporters were barred from reporting from some polling stations.

Some observers reported irregularities, according to RFE/RL. In the western region, an observer reported that ballots were in the ballot box before the start of voting, and RFE/RL reporters were barred from reporting from some polling stations.

Kazakhstan has been rated "not free" by the U.S.-based Freedom House NGO, which has said its "parliamentary and presidential elections are neither free nor fair, and major parties exhibit continued loyalty to the government."
Nairobi  Azimio La Umoja -- One Kenya Alliance on Sunday expressed confidence that the party will take over the country's leadership after the August 9 polls and succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta at the end of his 10-year- reign in power.

The leaders were speaking at Undugu Grounds in Lang'ata, hours after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) cleared Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua to contest for the August elections.

Azimio flag bearer Odinga took a swipe at his opponents for spreading what he termed "propaganda" labeling them as "liars."

"Wale wamezoea mambo propaganda hawajui kusema ukweli. Wakisema maneno mia moja, moja ndio itakuwa ukweli, mengine yote ni propaganda tupu. (They are used to propaganda; they do not know how to tell the truth. If they say a hundred words, one will be true, the rest will be empty propaganda)," he told a crowd in Lang'ata a former stronghold captured by Deputy President William Ruto's wing in the 2017 parliamentary election.

Odinga promised Langata residents several goodies once he takes over the country's leadership including the planned upgrading of slums in Kibera, a constituency created after 2010 after it was hived off the larger Lang'ata which he once represented, by constructing affordable housing for the residents once he takes over the country's leadership.

He also promised to improve on health care and education in the county.

"We will continue on the Kazi-Mtaani initiative to provide jobs to the unemployed youth to ensure that they are financially empowered," Odinga said.

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He further pledged to recognize the Jua Kali artisans operating in the country saying they will be issued with the certificates of recognition of higher learning.

In regard to the boda boda sector, Odinga said his governrmnt will support them financially and train them on safety.

"We have many plans for this country that we aim to achieve, that is why we want our supporters to plan themselves," Odinga said as he appealed for six-piece voting pattern to reclaim Lang'ata from Ruto's United Democratic Alliance.

He noted that it is only through six-piece voting that he will be able to successfully deliver on his promises without being under what he termed "capture."

"That is why I am saying, I don't want you to elect me to State House as a 'Prisoner President.' I want to go there with my troops," he said as he charged his supporters to elect Azimio-leaning representatives to Parliament.

Karua on her part urged their supporters to do whatever it takes and turn up in large numbers during the August 9 polls to ensure that they secure enough votes to get into office.

She praised Odinga for his role in fighting for the justice of Kenyans since he got into politics saying he is the best candidate suited to lead the country

"I am calling on you to prepare your votes, remind your friends, we want all the votes we can gather to secure victory," she said.

She reiterated that Azimio will not engage in petty arguments in its quest to take over the country's leadership, but will stick to an issue-based campaign.
Export volumes to key markets fall

By Evgeny Zainullin

(kommersant.ru) - Russia has reduced exports of diamonds to key markets - India and Europe. Sanctions imposed on ALROSA allow it to supply rough diamonds to India, but there are problems with payment. The restrictions exacerbated the already existing shortage of diamonds in the world market, so that the drop in incomes of Russian producers was largely offset by rising prices. At the same time, analysts are confident that problems with transport and financial logistics will eventually be resolved and a serious drop in ALROSA's production should not be expected.

Russian diamond mining companies are losing export volumes, but do not lose in the proceeds from the sale of rough diamonds, as follows from the statistics of the largest importing countries, which Kommersant got acquainted with. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India (the world's largest market for rough diamonds, with 90% of stones being cut there), imports of non-industrial rough diamonds, from which polished diamonds are made, amounted to 209 000 carats in March 2022, which is half as much as in March 2021. From January to March, Russia supplied 718,000 carats to India against 1.3 million in the same period last year. At the same time, in value terms, the imports in March increased by 27%, to $78 million.

Deliveries of Russian diamonds to Europe in March also decreased in carats, but not in value. According to Eurostat, Russian imports to the EU (Belgium) amounted to 1.5 million carats, three times less than in March 2021. However, the value of all imports in March is 185 million compared to 162 million a year ago. ALROSA, which accounts for 27% of global and 95% of Russian diamond production, does not publish sales data.

ALROSA is included in the EU, US and UK sanctions lists. The US has officially banned the direct import of Russian gems. However, as explained by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the import of diamonds processed in other countries is not prohibited.

India does not support sanctions against the Russian Federation, but difficulties arose with payments. According to Bloomberg, Indian traders discussed with ALROSA in April how to buy rough diamonds, including the currency of payment: rubles or rupees.

The sanctions have exacerbated the shortage in the global diamond market.

Analysts at Bank of America are forecasting a 15% rise in prices amid strong demand and falling supply. Another major market player, De Beers, is limited in production growth, so prices, according to analysts, may continue to rise.

The prices for rough and polished diamonds have fundamental support due to "objectively limited supply", confirms Boris Krasnozhenov from Alfa-Bank. There have been almost no new deposits with an attractive economy and a stable level of diamond output for the production of investment-grade diamonds over the past 20 years in the world, the expert explains, while a number of large mines (for example, the Argyle mine in Australia) have closed.

According to our estimates, ALROSA's gem-quality diamonds tend to be priced at $180 per carat, which is 2530% higher than last year, Mr. Krasnozhenov clarifies. Rapaport's indicative prices for 1-carat and 3-carat diamonds went up by 9-11% in the first four months of 2022. In 2021, 1.3 and 5-carat diamonds have risen in price by 17-19%.

At the same time, the drop in sales in volume terms in March, according to Boris Krasnozhenov, is largely due to the high base of the first quarter of 2021, when ALROSA sold off stocks accumulated during the pandemic in 2020.

It can be assumed that sales in the second quarter fell slightly due to problems with payments and logistics, the expert admits. However, these are temporary problems that have solutions anyway. We see the potential for growth in diamond prices and do not expect a significant reduction in ALROSA's production. The demand for investment diamonds is also growing in the world, Mr. Krasnozhenov adds, which provides additional support for the industry.
Rwandans love their beer, and while they have been widely growing coffee for years, it was mainly for export.

But that trend could soon change. A walk in Kigali's middle-class neighbourhoods and one will hardly miss seeing a coffee bar or two, but this was not the case a decade ago.

There has been an undeniably obvious increase of coffee bars in Kigali, with many Rwandans also adopting its culture, with some embracing it in their adulthood.

This was the case for Herve Gatabazi, a 26-year-old barista in one of Kigali's finest coffee shops, KG Craft Cafe.

He had his first sip four years ago when he underwent a coffee-making training so he could make a living as a barista.

"I never used to drink coffee, but now, I take like three cups every day," Gatabazi said.

He is always at the shop by 6:30 in the morning to set up the coffee machine and help with the cleaning. But every day starts with a cup of espresso, he told The New Times.

Gatabazi ventured into coffee making to make ends meet, little did he know he would fall in love with the beautiful vocation, he said.

"I can now support my family financially. I am an independent person who can buy myself what I need," he said.

This is because the coffee culture in Rwanda has been on the rise, and customers at KG Craft Cafe have their eyes, always, on Gatabazi whose skill brings them there.

He added that coffee is the most ordered for drink at the cafe, despite the fact that they serve a wide range of drinks that include tea, fresh juices and beer.

"We can serve between 50 to 100 litres of coffee per day," Gatabazi said.

A cup of coffee served to a client at one of Kigali's finest coffee shops, KG Craft Cafe.

To say that the coffee culture in Rwanda is new would not be a lie. Some of us have had our first sip of coffee in adulthood like Gatabazi, and we cannot handle some strong brews that coffee lovers usually fancy. Most times we go for a latte or cappuccino.

In fact, we grew up being told coffee causes heart diseases and insomnia, hence the reason its consumption has been frowned upon in the past.

Its low consumption in the past was also because German missionaries, who introduced the crop in 1904 in Mibirizi sector, Rusizi district, officially strictly limited its consumption to themselves.

"Since then, coffee was meant for white people and not Rwandans, until later in the 1950s," Pie Ntwari, the in-charge of communications at the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), told The New Times.

Before the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, some quantities of coffee were being consumed locally, but not as much as other crops Rwandans were growing as well.

In 1975, an average Rwandan consumed 0.010 kg of coffee, but this has improved overtime, with consumption per capita at 0.790 kg in 2018.

Despite the fact that coffee and tea are the country's major exports, Rwanda only consumes 3 percent of its coffee and exports the rest! This is contrary to the last decade where 0.5 percent was consumed.

Non-verified reports even say Rwandans hated coffee and instead loved tea, although both were the country's main exports.

This is backed by a 2018 report by the FAO that portrayed Rwanda as a rapid consumer of tea.

"While global tea consumption is dominated by large markets, such as China and India, which account respectively for a share of 38.6 percent and 19.0 percent, there are some small but rapidly growing markets that have expanded well above the world's average annual growth rate of 4.5 percent over the last decade," the report reads.

It goes on to show that Rwanda's consumption rate growth was at 26.8 percent in a decade.

That majorly doesn't raise questions, because generally, Rwandans have tea for breakfast and sometimes in the evening too.

But why would a country like Rwanda whose coffee is ranked among the best globally not consume its own produce?

Ntwari said that in 2000, Rwanda had only two coffee washing stations and one dry mill, which perhaps explains further how Rwandans would export coffee and have to import it again after being processed, if they had to consume it.

But in 2007, Rwanda had what is believed to be the very first coffeehouse chain restaurant; Bourbon coffee shop.

Two years later, Alice and her husband Jean-Philippe flew in for the first time to visit Rwanda.

Alice described to The New Times how at that time, Bourbon coffee shop was the only go-to place for coffee. Although there could have been other places that served coffee, it was the only known brand.

Alice's husband is Rwandan, but he had never set foot in Rwanda before. Coming to the country, the initial plan was to stay for three years for a job opportunity he had got.

"When we got here, we knew we would want to stay for longer. That is when we thought of how to make that easier for us," Alice said.

The couple, who had come from Belgium, where they were both born and raised, came up with an idea to start a bakery.

In 2013, they started a pilot phase of Brioche, which was a success, and in 2014, they opened two more dine-ins, adding coffee to the menu this time.

"We received positive feedback from our customers, and in 2015 we opened up a factory in the Special Economic Zone that would be our central kitchen. This was because we wanted all our customers to have similar experiences at either one of our branches," Alice added.

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In 2018, Brioche opened two other branches in Kenya, where they would export their products, all made in Rwanda. This happened together with opening up a couple others in Kigali too.

But Covid-19 hit and it was hard to maintain branches in Kenya, so they were closed.

"We however, got an opportunity to sign with Rubis petrol stations in Kenya and Rwanda to have bakery corners where we sell our coffee and pastries," she added.

They now have seven shops in Kenya and eight in Rwanda.

Alice is one of the people who have seen the coffee culture grow in Rwanda and beyond.

"More people are drinking coffee, and I hope more will come, especially because the coffee is good. We now have multiple options for coffee lovers," Alice noted.

Brioche, which is known for their excellent tasting croissants and pain-au-chocolat, has also created more than 100 jobs directly, but they have also played a role in the export of Rwanda's processed coffee.

The coffee culture grows hand in hand with the welfare of its farmers. Now, Rwanda has more than 300 coffee washing stations and almost 20 dry mills.

It is produced by more than 400,000 smallholder farmers, covering an area of 39,844 hectares. Total production ranges between 20,000MT to 24,000MT per year, 98 percent being Arabica.
Hundreds of people took to the streets in two cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo this week to protest neighbouring Rwanda's alleged meddling in the country's affairs.

Relations between the neighbouting states - which have long been tense - boiled over last week after the DRC accused Rwanda of backing the resurgent M23 rebel group active in the volatile eastern Kivu region.

Kinshasa suspended flights from Rwanda's national carrier last Saturday as part of the diplomatic spat, and detained two Rwandan soldiers it accuses of trespassing onto Congolese soil before releasing them on Monday.

On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Rwandan embassy in the Congolese capital.

Bienvenu Matumo, from the Congolese rights group Lucha said: "We have come to demand the expulsion of the Rwandan ambassador and the severing of diplomatic relations, the aggressor country."

Si comme nous, vous etes indignes par l'agression que subit la #RDC dla part du Rwanda a travers le M23, joignez-vous au rassemblement pacifique de ce lundi 30 Mai a la gare centrale a #Kinshasa a 16h30. Nombreux nous serons, fort et audible sera notre message #RwandaIsKiling pic.twitter.com/cgxCoHXEZw -- LUCHA  (@luchaRDC) May 29, 2022

Protests in Bukavu

Several hundred people also demonstrated in the eastern city of Bukavu on the Rwandan border, more than 1,500 kilometres from Kinshasa.

Protesters reportedly held banners bearing pro-military slogans, chanting "Rwandans go home" and voicing their support for the ideology of the Colombian FARC rebel group.

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The DRCongo Lucha activists' sentencing is another example of lack of freedom: activists

Doctors without Borders suspends operations in NE Congo due to violence

The protests come amid fresh clashes between the Congolese army and the M23 - primarily Congolese Tutsi group - which spread close to the eastern DRC's economic hub, Goma.

The militia seized the city in late 2012 before the army quelled the rebellion the following year.

However, fighting resumed late last year after accusing the government of failing to respect a 2009 agreement under which its fighters were to be integrated into the army.

Open to dialogue

On Monday, Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya repeated the accusation that Rwanda is backing the group, but added that the Tshisekedi administration remains open to talks.

Rwanda has repeatedly denied backing the M23, and late last month accused the Congolese army of firing rockets into Rwandan territory.

Recent M23-linked fighting in the eastern DRC has displaced at least 72,000 people, according to the United Nations.
Belgium's King Philippe on Tuesday begins a historic visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a region cruelly exploited by his ancestors, as tensions rise in the volatile east.

The six-day trip, from June 7-14, at the invitation of President Felix Tshisekedi, has strong symbolic significance, coming two years after Philippe wrote a letter to the Congolese leader, expressing his "deepest regrets" for the "wounds" of colonisation.

The visit, the monarch's first to the DR Congo since ascending the throne in 2013, has been billed as a chance for reconciliation after the atrocities and other abuses committed under Belgian colonial rule.

It had originally been scheduled to take place in June 2020 to mark the DRC's 60th anniversary of independence, but was rescheduled to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The visit was then postponed from March to June because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Philippe will be accompanied by his wife, Queen Mathilde, and members of the Belgian government, including Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

Colonial statues

Three stops are planned and the sovereign will deliver a speech at the first two: in Kinshasa on Wednesday during a ceremony with Tshisekedi at the Congolese parliament, then Friday before students at the University of Lubumbashi in the south of the country.

Historians say that millions of people in the Belgian Congo were killed, mutilated or died of disease as they worked on rubber plantations belonging to Leopold II, Belgium's monarch from 1865-1909 and the brother of Philippe's great great grandfather.

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'Human Zoo' expo in Belgium's Africa museum highlights colonial past

The growth of the Black Lives Matter, initially a reaction to police violence in the United States but now a broader anti-racist movement, has seen several colonial-era statues removed in Belgium.

Belgium is also preparing to return to Kinshasa a tooth -- the last remains of Patrice Lumumba -- a hero of the anti-colonial struggle and short-lived first prime minister of the independent Congo.

Lumumba was murdered by Congolese separatists and Belgian mercenaries in 1961, and his body dissolved in acid, but the tooth was kept as a trophy by one of his killers, a Belgian police officer.

Philippe's visit comes 12 years after the last visit of a Belgian sovereign, Albert II in 2010, and will also aim to reset ties that were soured during the presidency of Joseph Kabila, who left office in 2018.

The latter was criticised, including by Brussels, for having remained in power beyond his second term, in violation of his country's constitution, and development ties were suspended for a time.

Brutal colonial past colours Belgian king's DRC visit

(With AFP)
Motorists wait for hours in Abuja, Nigeria to fill their cars with petrol, due to the ongoing fuel shortage.

analysis

Motorists queuing for several hours at petrol pumps in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, has become the new normal after an acute scarcity in fuel earlier this year. In February, the government announced that bad fuel containing a high level of methanol was imported into the country by oil marketeers and the contaminated fuel needed to be withdrawn from petrol stations across the country.

Coupled with the disruption of petroleum imports into Nigeria due to the Russia-Ukraine war, residents face even more shortfalls and delays.

"I have stayed on the queue for seven hours just to get fuel, yet when it finally got to my turn, I was told that the fuel is finished. This is painful," Franklin Davis, a motorist, tells Africa Calling in Abuja.

The lack of fuel has forced many to turn to black market suppliers who sell petrol at around one euro per litre - three times more than the government's approved price.

This also affects people who take public transport.

"You know how they say if you don't drive the fuel issue might not get to you? That's a lie, because it's really getting to me", says journalist Kikelomo Ajibade, speaking while flagging down a taxi.

Ajibade normally budgets 10 to 15,000 Naira (22 to 33 euros) for transport

"I am spending up to 25,000 naira (55 euros) per week depending on how far I am going or where I am going to. It is ridiculous," Ajibade laments.

Businesses suffering

The prolonged shortage of fuel has prompted Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari to apologise to "all sections of the society" for the inconvenience, but he stressed that relief is on the way.

Commercial driver Samuel Adamu says making any profit in his transportation business is almost impossible.

Energy analyst @sadinho23 says the poor maintenance of 's already weak & fragile national grid, & vandalizing power cables adds to the country's fuel scarsity.But he says there are possible solutions--  report on @Africa__Calling: https://t.co/HX5xqolzgt -- Africa Calling (@Africa__Calling) May 13, 2022

"This is my only source of income; the little money I make I use to feed my children. But since I am forced to buy at a very expensive price from black marketeers, I can no longer make a profit. Passengers are not willing to pay the increased fare that I charge," Adamu says.

When the price of bus fares rise, every aspect of event planner Peace Amaugo's business is affected, making her run at a loss.

"I spend so much more to get my job done and it is just overwhelming, and then every other vendor who I meet for my events and weddings are already doubling their prices," she tells RFI.

"Once transportation costs go up, it affects prices - everything just keeps spiraling," Amaugo explains.

S2,EP 18: Nigeria's fuel hikes, Nairobi tackles rabies, & Sudan fishermen affected by climate change

In addition to vehicles, some businesses rely heavily on petrol-fuelled generators, as Nigeria has never known a stable 24/7 power supply.

RFI spoke with Abuja-based graphic designer, Emmanuel Daniel, who says the crumbling power situation is cutting into his business.

"As a graphic designer, without light, you cannot power-on your system; in fact, you cannot even work that day. Even though you have generators, to get fuel for it is a problem," says Daniel.

"When customers give you jobs to do, you will want to charge customers more so that it will cover the cost of fuel, but the customers will tell you that they don't have such an amount," he adds.

While he used to make 60,000 naira (130 euros) per week, he now struggles to make 20,000 naira in the same amount of time.

Grid Collapse

In Nigeria, when residents scream "UP NEPAAAAAA" it means public power has been restored. Nigerians are thrilled whenever their bulbs are lit, but that type of celebration is few and far between due to the increase in power outages.

The grid transmits electricity to all parts of Nigeria and breakdowns occur when there is an imbalance between the demand, generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

"Today, I noticed light has been stable for like 30 minutes. I said to myself, Grace, you need to dress up and let's do this," says Gracefill Godwin, a social media content creator who is affected by the erratic power supply.

She couldn't set up her video in time before the next blackout.

"We could switch to the generator, but the background noise is frustrating" and loud," she told RFI.

Lagos coastal community scrambles to fight off encroaching climate change

Nigeria generates most of its power from hydroelectric dams but the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, says the reduction in water levels at the hydro power stations during the dry season has been responsible for the recent instability in power supply.

Nigeria also relies on gas powered plants, but again the Ukraine war has hindered access to gas from Eastern Europe, making the power situation even worse.

Experts say poor maintenance of the already weak and fragile national grid and vandalization of the power cables add to the problems.

There are, however, some possible solutions, says Saddiq Abba, an energy analyst.

"We need to get substantial investment throughout the value chain. From the generation side, we can explore more sources of energy and more investment in the transmission infrastructure whereby it can withstand whatever disturbance," he says, adding that the infrastructure needs to be reinforced.

Diesel skyrockets

Both small and big businesses rely on diesel to run their plants because of the relentless power outages.

While Nigerians were lamenting about a fuel and power crisis, diesel prices skyrocketed to more than $2 (1.85 euros) per litre from less than $1 (.85 euros) a few months ago.

Some businesses have had to reduce their working hours to be able to survive the hit.

"Due to the diesel scarcity and the poor power supply, we would like to notify all Hot FM Abuja listeners and partners that the station will be adjusting transmission times until the current situation improves," the Abuja-based radio station said in a statement posted on social media.

Flights disrupted

Meanwhile, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) announced plans to disrupt scheduled flight operations due to the scarcity of aviation fuel also known as JetA1.

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According to a statement from AON spokesperson Obiora Okonkwo: "The scarcity is impacting negatively on the seamless conduct of air transport operations and would lead to flight rescheduling or cancellations."

At the beginning of May, AON threatened to halt operations over the same issue, but the government pleaded with them.

"We are private investors who do not run our airlines with public funds to be able to continue to pay upfront in cash at 700 naira (1.50 euros) per litre for JetA1 which has increased our cost on daily basis to about 95 percent," Okonkwo adds.

According to the statement: "This is totally unsustainable. And its consequences, if allowed to stay, will be borne by the passengers, which is what we are trying to prevent."

The scarcity of aviation fuel and its high cost will persist until the Dangote and Port Harcourt refineries begin operations, says Nigeria's Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

Nigeria, Africa's biggest crude oil exporter, imports virtually all refined petroleum products due to moribund government utilities.

Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, has invested $19 billion (17.7 billion euros) to set up a 650,000 barrel-per-day petroleum refinery in the economic capital Lagos, which is set to be commissioned later this year.

He maintains this will cater for the petroleum needs of the populace, so that even if the power supply situation doesn't improve in time, there would be available and affordable petroleum products in the country.

This story was originally heard on RFI's Africa Calling podcast.
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed the readiness of the Nigerian government to back further sanctions to be imposed by the Economic Community Of West Africa (ECOWAS) on Guinea and Burkina Faso aimed at ensuring that a democratic form of government is restored in the two countries before long.

Speaking yesterday in Accra, Ghana at the 6th Extraordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State on the political situations in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, Buhari declared that Nigeria fully supports any action, including the imposition of further sanctions that the Authority may adopt to compel the military leaderships in the two countries to submit an acceptable electoral timetable.

He, however, stressed the need for ECOWAS to continue to engage the military leadership and key stakeholders in Burkina Faso and Guinea to reach an agreeable understanding, especially on the transition timeframes.

President Buhari expressed concern that to date, their proposed timeframes are not in tandem with the expectations of the regional leaders as well as their respective citizens.

He urged the military authorities in Burkina Faso and Guinea to renew their determination and immediately provide acceptable timeframes for the return to democracy in their respective countries.

The Nigerian leader also stressed that any decision to be taken by ECOWAS leaders on the political situations in Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea must consider the victims of unconstitutional changes of government and the adverse consequences of isolation on them.

He expressed concern that since the last Summit of ECOWAS leaders on March 25, 2022, not much has been achieved in terms of having an acceptable timetable for the conduct of elections to restore democratic rule in the affected countries.

According to him, although the military leadership in Burkina Faso has released President Kabore in line with the request by ECOWAS leaders, further measures must be taken to ensure his safety and full freedom.

President Buhari warned that the security situation in both Mali and Burkina Faso has reached alarming levels with incessant attacks by extremist groups on the civilian populace and military facilities, aggravating the humanitarian condition in the two countries.

"The deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Mali and Burkina Faso should be a source of serious concern to us as leaders in the region. As you may be aware, the world is still recovering from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, which wrecked the global economy.

"While our economies begin to recover, the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine has led to a surge in prices of many commodities including foodstuffs.

"We are, therefore, left with no option but to devise means of sustaining our economies by becoming more creative and evolving in finding other channels of demand and supply, to ensure that we cushion the effect of the war and prevent our economies from collapsing, and our people remain productive.

"We must, therefore, ensure that, in whatever decision we take, we must remember the mass of the populations in the affected countries, who are victims of the unconstitutional change of government and the adverse consequences of isolation brought about," he said.

To this end, the Nigerian leader called on the Authority to revisit the report presented by former President Goodluck Jonathan, the ECOWAS Mediator on Mali, on a transition timetable for the West African country.

President Buhari noted that Jonathan had recommended 16 months transitional timeframe "as well as his further personal appeal and observation to us to give the military leadership in Mali up to 18 months for the conduct of the election, starting from March 2022."

"Furthermore, Nigeria is also calling on the Authority to consider the proposal earlier made for the Chair to personally visit Bamako and present this proposal. Nigeria equally welcomes the magnanimous offer by President Macky Sall, Chair of the Assembly of African Union to accompany H.E. President Nana Addo to Bamako for the purpose.

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"From our findings, we are certain that the high-level visit proposed would be welcomed by the military leadership and would achieve the needed consensus. At the same time, the region must be ready to provide the needed support to Mali to return to democratic rule as soon as possible."

Earlier in his speech, the Chairperson of the Authority and President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, thanked his counterparts for their strong commitment to democracy, peace, and stability in the region and for staying focused on the situation in the countries.

President Akufo-Addo, who acknowledged the presence of African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said the summit hopes to find lasting solutions to political instability and the resurgence of coup d'etats in the region since August 2020
Update: San Francisco building inspectors to investigate posh housing towers broken water pipe

Several hundred residents of a San Francisco luxury apartment tower spent the weekend in two downtown hotels  and it wasnt a group staycation.

Instead, the tenants of 33 Tehama St. were evacuated Friday when a water pipe broke atop the sleek 35-story highrise in the Transbay district that bills itself on its website as a haven of truly cosmopolitan living. They dont expect to return before Friday, and are exiled until then to hotel rooms near Union Square that were leased hurriedly by 33 Tehamas owner.

The elevators are broken beyond repair and the fire marshal wont let anyone return, said Austin Caldwell, 28, who pays $3,330 with his partner for a one-bedroom on the second floor.

According to the San Francisco Fire Department incident report, a six-inch pipe burst in an apartment on the 36th floor of the building Friday afternoon. Residents said it happened on the roof, since there is no 36th floor at the tower, which opened in 2018.

In either case, the water spilled down multiple floors, soaking hallways and creating an electrical hazard. The entire building was evacuated with residents only given short notice before the tower was locked down. Residents, some of whom had to get special escorts to retrieve their pets, were all sent to either the Hilton Union Square or the Parc 55 Hotel.

As of Sunday afternoon, residents said they were advised by management of 33 Tehama that their hotel reservations had been extended until Friday.

San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents the neighborhood, tweeted Sunday that everyone had gotten out safely to satisfactory lodging. After hearing a litany of complaints from tenants, he said he would be requesting a meeting with building management Monday morning.

I dont have my arms around it, he told The Chronicle.

In a statement released Sunday evening, 33 Tehamas property management firm offered no firm timetable for when tenants of the towers 383 leased units will be able to move back to their building,

At this time, a team is working diligently to fix the problem and restore safety systems and utilities, said the statement from Willowick Residential. We will be conducting an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the water leak at the property.

Carrie Stern, 38, who lives in an apartment on the 17th floor, was home at 2 pm. Friday when she got alerted by a residential group chat that there was water flooding elevators and the stairwell.

I was sitting at my desk doing work, said Stern, who is in research at a tech company. Then I started hearing rushing water and I went to my front door and water was coming in beneath the door. By then the water was already in the front closet.

Around 3:30 pm., two fire engines arrived on the scene after a team comprised of building engineers, representatives of the water company and PG&E were unable to control the flow. At 4 pm., Stern she heard an announcement over a loud speaker that was muffled. So she went out on her balcony where she could hear the evacuation order.

She gathered up her laptop and one nights necessities and took the stairs down to the ground floor. By then, several dozen people were gathered in the courtyard. Not long after that, an employee told everyone they would be going to hotels, not back to their apartments.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The fire department turned the incident back over to building management at 5:25 pm., having stanched the flow of water.

Residents are being allowed in for short visits to their apartments. Stern, for instance, was able to stop by long enough on Sunday to run a load of soaked towels.

Stern who has lived at 33 Tehama since 2019, said she had never before had an issue in her apartment. Asked if she will renew when her lease expires, Stern was noncommittal: it depends on how they deal with the repairs.

Others say they already have made up their minds.

One is Caldwell, a corporate recruiter who said this is the second time he has been evacuated due to flooding in the two years he has lived there. He and his partner, Tyler Patterson, and their dog and cat will be looking for a new place when their lease expires in August.

We're all incredibly frustrated at how the building management and building owners have handled this, Caldwell said

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF
Nakuru  The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) has identified Nakuru County as a melting point of book piracy in Kenya, a vice that KPA says is denying the country's publishers up to 40 percent of the market share.

According to the association, school textbooks are the biggest target as they make up to 90 percent of Kenya's book market, and their sales are virtually guaranteed.

KPA Chairman Mr. Kiarie Kamau expressed regret that in many cases, pirated books are sold at the same price as the original versions, as few buyers can spot a fake, adding that counterfeited books not only cause publishers to incur heavy losses but also compromise the quality of education.

Kamau said some of the pirated books contain errors that occur during scanning of the original copies thereby misleading learners. Some of the books have contents crammed from old editions which are encased in covers of current editions, he warned.

"The books also have poor binding and print quality. The text is illegible and unfriendly to the learners. The growing menace is resulting in the loss of employment for most professionals in the book publishing industry," he said.

Speaking in Nakuru during the launch of Kenya Literature Bureau's Grade 4, 5 and 6 Competency Based Curriculum Encyclopedia, the chairman expressed concern that illegal books flooding most parts of the country were creating a string of losses in the book supply chain.

"Most people think publishing amounts only to printing. Publishing is a vast investment in content creation, editorial work, engaging book designers, warehousing, marketing, legal and financial aspects," explained Kamau.

He added: "Furthermore, the government loses value added tax on untraceable book sales, while honest distributors and bookshops suffer on low sales and, needless to say, authors lose out on royalties."

The event was graced by Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB) Chief Executive Officer Dr Victor Lomaria and Rift Valley Regional Director of Education, Jared Obiero.

Kamau noted that a few cases of the fakes, mostly school textbooks illegally published overseas, being of even better quality than the genuine publications have been reported suggesting that well-funded cartels were part of the hidden hand in book piracy.

He stated that an antipiracy campaign launched by the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA), the Kenya Copyright Board in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, the Anti-counterfeit Agency and the Kenya police was ongoing.

The KPA chairman advised parents to buy books from dealers who have electronic tax register receipts as this will keep the fraudsters out of business. He said that KPA introduced security features which help schools and parents ascertain the authenticity of books.

"It is similar to what is used on airtime scratch cards. A buyer only scratches to reveal the book's serial number then sends the code to a toll-free number," Kamau explained.

Dr Lomaria observed that besides disrupting the publishing industry, piracy was also hurting Kenya's knowledge base.

"Piracy discourages authors who want to make contributions to society through writing books as their knowledge is lost to the rest of us. At KLB we are coming up with security features (organograms) which are embedded in the book seal. We are also asking the government to write to all schools requiring them to buy books from shops which give them electronic tax register receipts," he said.

He noted that since pirates mostly scan pages of genuine printed books, they usually missed a page or even mixed pages from different titles.

"At other times, pirates print older versions of book titles that publishers have already revised to respond to needs of teachers and pupils/students," warned the CEO.

Dr Lomaria stated that KLB's Grade 4, 5 and 6 Competency Based Curriculum Encyclopedia content had been regulated by the government on technical specifications through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to conform to the new curriculum.

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While indicating that a vibrant publishing industry is not only good for the economy but also as a custodian of Kenyan culture, the Rift Valley Regional Director of Education said the Ministry was promoting public awareness to ensure that the public opens its collective eye when buying books and reports any suspicious activities to government authorities.

Mr Obiero affirmed that the government had put in place mechanisms that guarantee that learners in both public and private learning institutions received the correct learning materials.

"One of the simplest solutions is to buy books from bona fide bookshops and not from briefcase booksellers without a fixed address. Piracy kills creativity and jeopardizes the future of our young learners," he observed.

In the digital age, Mr Obiero pointed out that piracy has evolved and copying has been made easier. Electronic files he stated can be created and spread over the Internet in a relatively short period of time. - Kna
A 10-year-olds battle with long COVID shows how a childs life can be scrambled long after recovering from initial infection, and how little is known about what the lingering-recurring symptoms of the virus look like for the youngest patients. COVID infections in the Bay Area are finally dropping, and yet at the same time, five counties have fallen into the CDCs highest risk category. Since the pandemic began, COVID-19 has claimed nearly 8,500 lives in the Bay Area.

(For the June 7 live blog, click here.)

Latest updates:

Babies exposed to COVID in womb show neurodevelopmental changes, study says

Infants whose mothers were diagnosed with COVID-19 while pregnant may suffer from neurological and motor function development at 6 weeks, according to preliminary research by the European Congress of Psychiatry. The analysis suggests that the babies born to infected mothers may have greater difficulty relaxing and adapting their bodies while being held, and difficulty controlling head and shoulder movement, compared to those whose mothers did not contract COVID. Not all babies born to mothers infected with COVID show neurodevelopmental differences, but our data shows that their risk is increased in comparison to those not exposed to COVID in the womb," said Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola, the leader of the project, in a statement. We need a bigger study to confirm the exact extent of the difference.

Impacts of pandemic heighten looming food crises, United Nations says

Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about looming food crises driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. World Food Program executive director David Beasley said besides hurting the poorest of the poor the global food crises threaten to overwhelm millions of families who are just getting by. He cited as just the tip of the iceberg food crises now in Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru and Sri Lanka. The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to help hunger hotspots where acute hunger is expected to worsen over the next few months.

Childrens COVID cases dip slightly after 2 months of increase

After rising steadily over the past two months, childrens COVID-19 cases in the U.S. dipped slightly, with 87,374 new cases reported last week, according to data published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childrens Hospital Association. That number still remains far higher than the 25,915 cases reported during the mid-April lull between the omicron winter surge and when the BA.2 and BA.2.121 virus subvariants took hold.

British P.M. who flouted COVID rules survives vote of no-confidence

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote on Monday, securing enough support from his Conservative Party to remain in office despite a rebellion that leaves him a weakened leader. Known for his ability to shrug off scandals, Johnson has struggled to shrug off revelations that he and his staff repeatedly held boozy parties that flouted the COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on others. Johnson won the backing of 211 out of 359 Conservative lawmakers, more than the simple majority he needed, but still a significant rebellion of 148 MPs.

Santa Cruz businesswoman pleads guilty to distributing fake vaccine cards, pills

The owner of a wellness center in Santa Cruz has pleaded guilty to federal charges of distributing phony immunization pellets and falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards in a scheme with a Napa naturopathic doctor who already pleaded guilty to the fraud, authorities said. Jaimi Jansen, a founder and CEO of Santa Cruz Core Fitness + Rehab, pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in San Francisco to three counts of providing false statements related to health care matters. Read the full story about the COVID fakery scheme.

Fourth case of monkeypox detected in Sacramento County

Health officials in Sacramento County said Monday that they have detected the fourth presumptive case of monkeypox in the region. The county is awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Olivia Kasirye, the countys health officer, said the risk to the public remains low. Elsewhere in California, one confirmed case of the viral disease has been detected in Los Angeles County, and another presumed case was identified in San Francisco over the weekend.

Buttigieg tests positive for COVID-19

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Monday he has tested positive for the coronavirus. He said on Twitter that he was experiencing mild symptoms. I plan to work remotely while isolating according to CDC guidelines, and look forward to when I can safely return to the office and the road, Buttigieg wrote. He had attended a conference in Michigan last week, with at least 14 other attendees also testing positive, according to the Detroit News.

The U.S. has wasted 11% of COVID vaccine doses

More than 82 million COVID-19 vaccine doses distributed by the federal government December 2020 through mid-May were discarded -- that's over 11% of the nation's supply, according to data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared with NBC News. The report found that most of the doses were thrown away by two retail pharmacy chains, CVS and Walmart, which together accounted for at least a quarter of the wasted doses. Two states, Oklahoma and Alaska, also discarded more than 25% of the doses they were allocated, according to the CDC data. Its a tremendous loss to pandemic control  especially in the context of millions of people around the world who havent even been able to get a first dose, said Dr. Sheela Shenoi, an infectious disease expert at the Yale School of Medicine.

Cases down, hospitalizations up as the U.S. aims to steady latest surge

The United States may be seeing some reprieve from the climb in coronavirus infections the 7-day moving average of daily new cases for the week ending Friday decreased by about 11% compared with the previous week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But COVID-19 hospitalizations, which typically lag cases, continue to tick up with a 4% increase week-over-week. The nation is averaging nearly 250 confirmed virus deaths per day. According to federal metrics, about 7.45% of counties in the U.S. have high COVID-19 community levels, including most of the Bay Area counties. CDC recommends indoor masking at that level. Another 23% of counties have a medium community level. Vaccination uptake has flatlined with 67% of the U.S. population fully vaccinated.

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.

Beijing gets closer to normal

Restaurants welcomed diners in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month Monday as authorities further eased pandemic-related restrictions after largely eradicating a small COVID-19 outbreak in the capital under Chinas strict zero-COVID approach. Museums, cinemas and gyms were allowed to operate at up to 75% of capacity and delivery drivers could once again bring packages to a customers door. Authorities had locked down buildings and complexes whenever infections were discovered to stamp out an outbreak that infected about 1,800 people over six weeks in a city of 22 million. The number of new cases dropped to six on Sunday.

Almost 85 million Americans have been infected

Close to 85 million Americans now have been infected with the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. The death toll nationwide has risen to nearly 1.01 million, data from Johns Hopkins researchers shows. More than 90,000 Californians have died from the virus, and in the Bay Area, the virus has taken nearly 8,500 lives to date. Childs long COVID shows how little we know about the lingering symptoms for kids. The current surge in cases has started to taper off in the Bay Area, but cases are on the upswing in the nation overall.

Childs struggle reveals the turmoil of long COVID for kids

Few studies have focused on children who find their childhood disrupted by COVID months after recovering from the illness. Read about one Bay Area childs struggles to live like a normal kid while fighting all-over pain, hair loss and the big life-disruptor, fatigue.

Orange County man admits $5 million fraud involving COVID relief money

An Orange County man agreed to plead guilty to a $5-million COVID-19 relief loan scam, the U.S. attorneys office announced. Raghavender Reddy Budamala, 35, of Irvine allegedly used relief loans to purchase a $1.2-million investment property in Eagle Rock, a Malibu property worth close to $600,000 and a personal residence in Irvine. Budamala deposited nearly $3 million into a personal account, the U.S. attorney said in a statement on Friday. Budamala will admit in a plea agreement on June 21 to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering and will forfeit all of the money he gained during the scheme, the U.S. attorney said. He faces up to 40 years imprisonment.

CDC probes whether long COVID can cause death

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking at death certificates from across the country to explore whether long COVID could cause peple to die, Politico reports, citing two people familiar with the matter. The National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the CDC, is now reviewing a batch of death certificats from 2020 and 2021, in the first review of its kind and indicates that long COVID and its health complications could lead to death. NCHS is set to publish preliminary data from its analysis in the coming days, Politico reported.
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle 2020

The owner of a wellness center in Santa Cruz has pleaded guilty to federal charges of distributing phony immunization pellets and falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards in a scheme with a Napa naturopathic doctor who already pleaded guilty to the fraud, authorities said.

Jaimi Jansen, a business coach and the founder and CEO of Santa Cruz Core Fitness + Rehab, appeared before Senior District Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco and pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of providing false statements related to health care matters.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge Monday to an Oakland ordinance requiring property owners who evict tenants at the end of a lease to pay their relocation expenses.

The 2018 law is similar to ordinances in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles. When renters are being evicted through no fault of their own  for example, when the owner decides to move in or convert the property to a condominium  they must be compensated for costs of finding and moving into a new home. The payments are based on the size of the unit and other factors such as the renters family size, age and income.

The ordinance was challenged by property-rights advocates on behalf of Lyndsey and Sharon Ballinger, an Air Force couple who leased their home to another family during an assignment on the East Coast, then retook the property when they were reassigned to Oakland in 2018. After paying the family $6,582 in relocation costs, the Ballingers sued the city, saying they were being penalized for exercising the right to regain their property.

But a federal judge and the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Oakland was not confiscating the Ballingers property but merely regulating the owners use of their land, just as a city can limit the rents owners can charge.

The Ballingers voluntarily chose to lease their property and to evict under the ordinance  conduct that required them to pay the relocation fee, Judge Ryan Nelson, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said in the Ninth Circuits 3-0 ruling Feb. 1.

He said the Supreme Court has upheld the governments authority to impose property-related fees, such as property taxes, and fees related to an owners use of the property, like the costs of cleaning up hazardous wastes.

In an appeal to the Supreme Court, the couples lawyer, J. David Breemer of the Pacific Legal Foundation, argued that the ordinance requires a property owner to cede property (the relocation costs) prior to engaging in a traditional use of property, such as the right to occupy ones home.

The San Francisco Apartment Association and the Small Property Institute of San Francisco also urged the court to take up the case. So did the Claremont Institute Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a conservative organization whose founder, John Eastman, represented Trump in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The Constitution protects the right to use property. That right includes the right to exclude others. And cant be conditioned on payment, the institute said in a brief signed by Eastman and attorney Anthony Caso.

On Monday, the court denied review of the case, without comment or any indication of a dissenting vote.

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.

Breemer said the Ballingers were disappointed but remained confident that the court, in a future case, will ultimately agree that rental owners are entitled to real constitutional protection when government requires them to pay off tenants before moving back into their own home.

City Attorney Barbara Parker said in a statement that the modest relocation assistance landlords must provide to tenants who are displaced, by no fault of their own, in an owner move-in eviction, provides critical support for those facing unanticipated moving expenses and other relocation costs and can enable them to avoid homelessness.

The case is Ballinger v. Oakland, 21-1181.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Filipa Ioannou/The Chronicle

San Francisco police officials said they arrested two people suspected of stabbing a man to death in the citys Mission District on Friday.

Police said they were sent to 15th Street and South Van Ness Avenue Friday shortly after 6:30 p.m. following reports of a stabbing.
A Safeway employee in San Jose was shot and killed early Sunday, police said, and authorities were searching for the gunman.

The incident unfolded at about 3:35 a.m. inside the Safeway grocery store on the 1500 block of Hamilton Avenue in San Joses Willow Glen neighborhood, said San Jose police Officer Steve Aponte.

According to a preliminary investigation, authorities said the fatal shooting appeared to have followed an altercation between the Safeway male employee and another man.

The gunman had not been identified as of Sunday and remained at large. A motive for fatal shooting was under investigation.

The victim died from his gunshot wounds at the grocery store. His identity will be released by the Santa Clara County Coroners Office after his family has been notified.

Phone calls to the San Jose Safeway store went unanswered Sunday evening.

Wendy Gutshall, a spokesperson for Safeway, told The Chronicle in a statement Monday that the company was mourning the tragic loss of one of our associates and working with San Jose police for the investigation.

Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts are with his family. We are sending our deepest and heartfelt condolences to them, Gutshall said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Sundays fatal shooting is San Joses 14th homicide so far this year. There were 19 at this time last year, according to the Police Department.

Jessica Flores (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores
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Berkeleys Third Culture Bakery has cut ties with lawyers hired to enforce its trademark of the term mochi muffin after intense backlash.

In a statement posted to social media on Saturday, co-owners Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu said the law firms recent strategies did not align with our values and why we pursued and wanted the trademark in the first place.

We are reevaluating what it means to own such a trademark and the relevance of this trademark to our core mission of starting Third Culture Bakery, they wrote. We apologize to those that felt hurt by our ill-advised and petty actions and we promise to follow up in coming days.

They said they initially pursued the trademark after an unnamed cafe chain that Third Culture was supplying with mochi muffins on a wholesale basis told Third Culture that it planned to make its own version of the baked good under the same name. Third Culture obtained the mochi muffin trademark in 2018.

The statement followed a barrage of outrage over the popular Bay Area bakerys decision to trademark mochi muffin and send cease-and-desist letters to demand that bakeries and food bloggers across the country stop using the words. Under U.S. trademark law, Third Culture is required to proactively protect its trademark, but news of the letters sparked criticism from customers and bakers dismayed by the bakerys actions. Third Cultures Yelp, Google review and social media pages were flooded with negative comments and calls for a boycott. In their statement, the owners decried the false reviews that tanked Third Cultures Yelp pages and asked critics to not harass bakery employees.

They pushed back against the criticism that protecting the trademark could harm businesses that had to change the name of the baked good after receiving cease-and-desist letters, which warn that using the words mochi muffin is unauthorized and constitutes trademark infringement.

There were no instances where we were threatening anyones existence or their business or threatening to shut a small business down through litigation, they wrote.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Business owners who received cease-and-desist letters told The Chronicle they were fearful of costly legal action and the vast majority quickly complied.

One San Diego bakery, Stella + Mochi, tried to contest the trademark in 2019 by filing a petition to cancel Third Cultures mochi muffin trademark, records show. Although Butarbutar and Shyu denied taking legal action against any businesses, court records show attorneys for Third Culture filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Stella + Mochi in February 2020. Southern California firm Rutan & Tucker filed the formal complaint on behalf of Third Culture in United States District Court of Southern California, with requests for a jury trial and financial relief.

The lawsuit did not go to court and was settled within a few months.

Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany
Wine Country was positively buzzing in May  and not just because of the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival.

Several new bars opened, including one focused on cider and another on Champagne. A popular natural winery opened an Eataly-inspired shop in Healdsburg, and a beloved Napa taqueria upgraded from a food stall to a full-blown restaurant. Theres also a variety of new wine experiences to check out with extras like bocce ball, sunset views and a murder mystery train ride.

Read on for 10 notable launches in Napa and Sonoma counties. Find Mays installment at sfchronicle.com/food.

Sunset sips launch in Sonoma

Sonomas Sangiacomo Family Wines has introduced a new way to kick off a weekend in Wine Country. Every Friday, Sangiacamo will pour wines by the glass or bottle at sundown, allowing guests to soak up the sunset over vineyards and golden rolling hills. Table reservations are complimentary; light bites, cheese and charcuterie will be available for purchase.

21545 Broadway, Sonoma, sangiacomowines.com

A cider bar opens in Sonoma

Pomme, a new cider bar and bottle shop in Sonoma, has 18 taps and more than 90 bottles of cider sourced from across the globe. Cider can be sipped by the bottle, glass or flight (plus, cans and bottles can be taken to-go), and on Sundays, theres a special lineup of cider mimosas. The narrow bar is simply designed yet chic and also carries other fermented beverages, including beer, natural wines and Champagne. Soon, Pomme will serve sandwiches, salads, cheese, charcuterie and caviar.

531 Broadway, Sonoma, instagram.com/pommecidershop

Jess Lander/The Chronicle

Napa finally gets a dedicated cocktail bar

The Napa Valley Distillery has opened a new cocktail bar in downtown Napa, and the small, narrow space has quickly become a hot spot for happy hour and late-night drinks. Cleverly named the Arbaretum, the art-deco lounge is cloaked in greenery to evoke an arboretum and serves more than a dozen Instagrammable cocktails  six of which are gin based  like the San Remo (Napa Valley Distillery gin, cointreau, blueberry, lime, demerara sugar and sparkling elderflower soda). Theres also a small selection of food on offer, like a broiled sausage plate and Muffaleta pizza.

1149 First St, Napa, napadistillery.com

Napa taco stand expands

C Casa, one of the Oxbow Public Markets food vendors of longest standing, has upgraded from a stall to the markets largest sit-down restaurant space, previously occupied by Kitchen Door. Designed like a bright and contemporary taqueria with posh outdoor seating, the new digs have enabled the gluten-free restaurant to expand its innovative taco menu with new dishes  think elote, frito mixto and bison chile relleno  and a full bar serving artisanal Tequilas and cocktails, like a smoky strawberry negroni. C Casa, which also has two East Bay locations, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and much of the menu is vegetarian or vegan.

610 First St., Napa, myccasa.com

Idlewild Wines brings Italian goods to Healdsburg

The owners behind the popular Italian-inspired wine brand Idlewild have opened an Italian goods store on the Healdsburg Plaza, adjacent to their tasting room. Ciao Bruto sells an array of imported Italian wines (about 200 total) and foods, including cured meats, cheeses and pastas, plus tinned fish and truffle products. Theres also one worthy exception to the Italian theme: a Champagne selection.

130 Plaza St., Healdsburg, ciaobruto.com

John Storey/Special to The Chronicle 2019

Silicon Valley meets Wine Country

Tech geeks can dive into vineyard technology thats driving sustainability efforts during a new experience at Bouchaine Vineyards. The Taste of Technology offering ($95) includes a vineyard walking tour with a deep dive into vineyard sensors that collect real-time climate data  like temperature, humidity and water  and enable the Carneros winery to make precise farming decisions that reduce its carbon footprint in the process. The tour ends with a tasting of five wines on Bouchaines terrace that overlooks the San Pablo Bay.

1075 Buchli Station, Napa, bouchaine.com

Champagne and ceviche liven up Santa Rosa

Champagne and tapas are on deck at Kancha, the newest addition to downtown Santa Rosas Fourth Street. Kancha pairs an extensive list of Champagnes (and other beverages) with Peruvian and Japanese small plates that range from oysters and crab cakes to three types of ceviche, wild mushroom empanadas and octopus. A native of Lima, Peru, owner Angel Cayllahua is a sommelier and the former general manager of Roka Akor in San Francisco.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

643 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, kanchasr.com

A new wine experience made for groups

Ideal for groups, a new experience at Anaba Wines in Sonoma Valley stars two hours of access to the winery bocce court with a mountain and vineyard backdrop. It includes a flight of five Pinot Noirs, salad and woodfired pizzas, such as the Funghi Blanc (caramelized mushroom medley, mascarpone and truffle oil) and Pizza Romani (pancetta, caramelized onion, fennel). Available Thursday-Sunday, the Pinot, Pizza and Bocce offering costs $125 per person.

62 Bonneau Road, Sonoma, anabawines.com

Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle 2019

The Napa murder mystery experience is back

The Napa Wine Train has brought back its Magical Mystery Tour (from $405 per person), a two-hour journey through Wine Country where guests tap into clues Colonel Mustard-style and attempt to solve a murder aboard a vintage train. The ride up and down Napa Valley includes a multicourse dinner  featuring dishes like porcini-dusted beef tenderloin and ricotta gnocchi  with optional wine pairings. Each mystery tour, offered on select Thursdays through October, has a theme, like the Roaring Twenties. Guests are encouraged to dress up.

1275 McKinstry St., Napa, winetrain.com

Wine Countrys most mellow stopover gets a makeover

Sonomas ultra-chill winegarten, Kivelstadt Cellars, has reopened with a new look, a new menu and new tasting experiences. Kivelstadt specializes in lesser-known grape varieties, like Charbono and Carignane, and isnt afraid to break convention with its winemaking practices. Its unique location off Highway 12 enables Kivelstadt to host casual al-fresco tastings. But it also operates as a restaurant and wine bar, which serves comfort food dishes like a peach mozzarella and bacon sandwich and sweet potato tacos. (Brunch is offered on weekends.)

22900 Broadway, Sonoma, kivelstadtcellars.com

Jess Lander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jess.lander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesslander
Doctor, is my daughter going to die?

As an inpatient pediatrician, I get asked some variation of that question from parents frequently. I struggled with what to say less than 24 hours after an 18-year-old with an assault-style rifle killed 19 children and two teachers, and injured another 17 people May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The patient in question was, thankfully, doing very well and in the hospital for an asthma attack, which is a manageable condition. It was easy for me to listen to the mothers concerns and reassure her that her daughter would get to go home and that shed be OK.

My heart breaks when I think of the conversations doctors had to have with parents in Uvalde and so many other places across the country because of gun violence.

Talking to parents about the health of their children is part of the job of a pediatrician. Sometimes these conversations are fairly easy, like with my asthma patient. But often times, they are not.

I have watched children die during code blue emergencies despite heroic effort and the best modern medicine has to offer. I have attended deliveries of babies born so prematurely their eyelids are still fused, with airways too small to accommodate even the tiniest breathing tube. I have sat with parents and held their hands as I explained devastating diagnoses and cried with them when their child took their last breath.

As doctors, we are given both the training and the tools to evaluate, diagnose and manage disease. Often the problem is not something I can cure, but I can offer some treatment, some comfort and rarely is it the case that I know what the problem is, what treatment to provide, but am prevented from doing so.

This is why, as a pediatrician, a mom and a longtime gun violence prevention advocate, Im struggling today, more than ever. Gun violence is a disease. It is a public health epidemic, and just like many other public health issues, we know the cause  in this case, unrestricted access to guns by many who should not have them  and the solution  common sense gun safety legislation.

Yet here we are again, collectively mourning the killing of elementary school children when we have the means to prevent it.

In 2021, guns surpassed motor vehicle collisions as the leading cause of death of American children. Not COVID, not cancer, not birth defects or anything else. Guns.

In other words, the No. 1 killer of kids today is something that is 100% preventable but there is no reason to think the violence will stop.

According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 20 mass shootings since the May 24 shooting in Texas.

That count doesnt include the two shootings Thursday in Iowa and Wisconsin or the dozens more that will certainly happen throughout the rest of the year.

Were often told that gun violence prevention is a political issue. But thats not true. In reality, the country is ready for reform.

According to a May 25 survey from Morning Consult and Politico, 88% of Americans support background checks on every gun sale, 67% support an assault weapons ban, 79% support banning the purchase of firearms by people on the federal no-fly or watch list and 65% of people support stronger gun laws overall.

Yet, pro-gun lobby groups, most notably the National Rifle Association, spend millions of dollars supporting politicians who do their bidding by shouting about threats to the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms.

Undoubtedly, there are some who would call for a full ban on gun ownership. But by repeatedly focusing their talking points on that perspective, pro-gun lobby groups and the politicians they fund conveniently ignore the fact that a majority of Americans want stricter gun safety laws than we have today.

In the 1980s, there was strong resistance to seat belt safety  much of it stemming from resistance to a perceived government infringement on individual choice. One politician at the time argued levying a fine on people who didnt buckle up was just the start and soon the government would outlaw smoking.

Obviously, that never happened. But the country eventually did pass seat belt safety laws, saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

While some Republican lawmakers in Texas have signaled an openness to some gun restrictions in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, theres little reason to think theyll follow through.

In 2021, Texas legislators loosened gun laws by passing permitless carry, less than two years after mass shootings in El Paso and Odessa.

To expect any different outcome without the country collectively standing up and saying enough through the vote is asinine. Nothing will change.

As pediatricians, emergency room doctors and trauma surgeons, our mission is to save lives. Let us go back to treating the things we can actually fix. Let us be telling the truth when we tell parents that their babies arent going to die. That we arent just fixing them up to send them off to school to be slaughtered by bullets from an AR-15.

No matter our differences, lets at least agree on that.

Dr. Nicole Webb is vice president of the American Academy of Pediatrics California Chapter 1, which covers the northern and central part of the state.
The weapon used in the devastating mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, was once banned in the United States. The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was signed into law in 1994, but 10 years later, the landmark legislation was allowed to expire.

Stanford law professor and gun law expert John Donahue has studied the impact of the assault weapons ban, and on this episode of the Fifth & Mission podcast, he tells host Cecilia Lei that it worked. But he says gun lobby disinformation and a GOP that wont stand up to the NRA means new federal gun restrictions are unlikely.

This is the second of two episodes on gun safety. The first was an interview with former Assemblyman Mike Roos, who wrote California's assault weapons ban in 1989.

Photo above: A makeshift memorial in front of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two adults were killed in a mass shooting on May 24.
Often lauded as the optimal bun for smashburgers, the squishy, yellow potato roll has been a holy grail for burger geeks around the country.

The reigning champ among those buns has to be the one from Martins Famous Pastry Shoppe, a family-owned company in Chambersburg, Pa. It catapulted to fame with the rise of Shake Shack, which uses its bread exclusively at its locations around the world. Locally, use of the Martins potato bun, at operations like Wesburger, Kowbird and Smish Smash, has signified chefs seriousness about their sandwiches.

But in light of recent revelations about the Martin familys political activities, these chefs are scrambling to find something else to use.

They make a great product  thats the part that sucks, said Wes Rowe, owner of Mission District restaurant Wesburger n More. He compared it to going to a family reunion and finding out that someone you love is espousing hateful beliefs: On one hand its family, but on the other hand, I cant be OK with this.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

On May 12, Philadelphia news outlet Billy Penn (a news site associated with radio station WHYY) published an article tying the Martin family to Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the GOP candidate for governor. Campaign finance reports show that several members of the Martin family, including executive chairman of the board Jim Martin, wife Donna Martin and social media manager Julie Martin, donated generous amounts of money to Mastrianos campaign in 2021 and 2022. Jim Martin, whose parents founded the bakery, donated $110,000 last year; according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the average donation amount to Mastriano is $206.

Mastriano, a pro-Trump Republican and QAnon conspiracy theory promoter, has been subpoenaed by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington for using campaign funds to charter buses for some who marched toward the Capitol (including himself). In 2020, he became known for his efforts to assist Trump in his attempts to overturn the results of the presidential election.

If elected governor, Mastriano has pledged to ban abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest, reduce voting accessibility and attack diversity initiatives in schools. He is among the most prominent faces of a growing far-right Christian nationalist movement in American politics: His rallies, complete with apocalyptic rhetoric and non-Jewish performers in Jewish prayer shawls blowing on shofars, can seem like the opening shots of a holy war.

Shake Shack, which included members of the Martin family at its IPO debut at the New York Stock Exchange in 2015 and advertises itself as a LGBTQ-friendly workplace, has not returned The Chronicles request for comment, though the company sent a statement to Today to address the growing backlash. It came out in support of equality, inclusion and belonging but did not say it would take any concrete actions. In regards to the actions of individuals associated with the Martins company and their personal political donations  those are the choices of those individuals and do not express the values of Shake Shack. We continue to be in active conversations with Martins to express our concern.

Martins has also not responded to a request for comment, though the company did seek to distance itself from any particular ideology in a Memorial Day social media post.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Ive been thinking about this almost nonstop since Billy Penn broke the news, said Zack Fernandes, a former Philadelphian and the owner of Bay Area smashburger pop-up Lil Eagle Burger. Its hard to calculate how much of the $32 hes paid for each case of buns might have gone into the Mastriano campaign, he said.

But since Martins is not a public company with no shareholders to hold them to account, they will have to deal with the consequences of such a horrific political affiliation in the wholesale and consumer markets. I cannot in good conscience use Martins products any longer for Lil Eagle pop-ups, especially while people I love still live in the state of Pennsylvania, he said.

Fernandes will likely run out of his supply of buns at his next pop-up on Sunday, June 12, and then seek out another supplier.

If I have to start making my own buns, so be it, he said.

The Martin familys ties to Mastriano and right wing politics extend beyond their donations. In 2019, the bakerys headquarters hosted a political event with the politician. His wife, Rebecca, previously served as the bakerys in-house chaplain. In their hometown of Chambersburg, the Martins attend Antrim Brethren in Christ Church, which hosts seminars positing critical race theory as a spiritual bogeyman, deals in transphobic and homophobic rhetoric, and successfully pushed to repeal the towns LGBTQ anti-discrimination policies in the name of religious freedom.

In addition, political donation data first publicized by the Twitter watchdog KnowYourCEO reveals that Jim Martin has also made several contributions to the National Rifle Associations PAC, totaling $12,000 over the past decade.

According to Smish Smash co-owner Amy Han, the East Bay burger pop-up is ditching Martins buns and hoping to test out a few alternatives.

Horn BBQ and Kowbird owner Matt Horn said that hed already been considering swapping out the rolls for a local purveyor, and the Mastriano news convinced him to do so.

Im honestly disappointed, Horn said.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Wesburger owner Rowe found out about the Martins issue from culinary figure J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who recently posted about it on his Instagram page. The next day, Rowe started calling his distributors to find another bun. Rowe said that he tries to keep politics out of peoples mouths when it comes to the restaurant and burgers, but the extreme nature of this case prompted him to take action.

He is concerned about issues of quality or the increased cost of switching suppliers, but also about potential blowback for doing something that could be read as political. In his six years of business, Rowe said, hes never taken an action like this, which perhaps is testament to the intensifying polarization in national politics.

Im never going to be like, if youre a Republican you cant come in, or if youre a Democrat you cant come in, he said. But youve gotta know how youre gonna sleep at night.

Soleil Ho is The San Francisco Chronicles restaurant critic. Email: soleil@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hooleil
African countries needing to fill the gap created by a lack of Russian and Ukrainian food imports must look outside the typical sphere of economic aid, says UN Assistant Secretary General Ahunna Eziakonwa after a five-day mission to Japan.

Eziakonwa, also the UN Development Programme (UNDP) regional director for Africa, spoke of the unique role government and private sector partners in Japan could play in support of African countries.

"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," she said.

Japan has played a strategic role to increase food security on the African continent, and aims to do more, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Rice revolution

"JICA is also concerned about the present situation of the global food crisis. What we can do is enhance food capacities on the African continent by utilizing our strengths, our advantages, and that is rice production - Japan is rice country," says Shinjiro Amameishi, who works on JICA's agricultural development department.

This aid from JICA comes directly under Japan's Foreign Ministry. And while the group is not directly involved in diplomatic policies, Amameishi says supporting rice development in Sub-Saharan Africa is key.

Japan has been working on a three-phase program that began in 2008 with the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) in order to increase rice production for the domestic market throughout the continent.

JICA, along with a number of bilateral and multilateral donors and research institutions, makes up the consultative group.

CARD started with 23 member countries on the continent and has grown to 32 countries.

It achieved its first goal of doubling rice production from 14 million tons in Sub-Saharan African by 2018, surpassing the target with a yield of 31 million tons in 2018.

Tanzania

However, agricultural assistance and technology transfer to the African continent is nothing new for Japan. JICA began giving consistent technical assistance to Tanzanian farmers in Moshi, at the foot of Kilimanjaro, in the 1970s.

Tanzania's rice production ranks third on the African continent, with it also exporting to neighbouring countries. Its yield comes from a combination of irrigated fields as well as lowland and upland rain-fed rice paddies.

JICA plans to create seven training centres that fall under the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture that provides training for various climates within the country.

In the past, farmers in Moshi have complained that they have not had support from the government, arguing that tariff-free rice from Asia has flooded the market in the past, ruining some farmers.

Each African country is supposed to make its own strategies and promote domestic rice production, says JICA's Amameishi.

"We are not in the position to forcibly influence the government stance, but what we are doing is giving support to the local farmer," he tells RFI.

"If they are importing rice from outside, the domestic production should be increased and the quality should be increased."

Senegal

Senegal, one of the most important rice producers on the continent, has worked with JICA and JICA-supported rice development on boosting productivity and rice quality. The Japanese development agency has been working to increase irrigation.

"In Senegal rainfall is limited, but there is water coming from rivers in the north," says Amameishi, speaking about the JICA work in hydro-agricultural developments of the Senegal River Valley between Saint Louis, Podor, and Bakel.

JICA believes this area will contribute some 60 percent of total rice production under the Senegalese Agriculture Acceleration Program.

The agency is working to improve and extend rice cultivation techniques, including the double cropping system, "which means a farmer can produce rice twice a year; before, they only produced rice once a year".

Farming technology

From his experience living in Tanzania and Senegal, Amameishi has worked with farmers who want to mechanise their work more, but admits there are a few barriers to trade, even though they have had clearance from African countries to bring Japanese farm equipment to the African continent.

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"From a business aspect, it's not so easy. Japanese quality is nicer, but the problem is the price," he says.

Part of the second phase of the CARD program is to create regional hubs for agricultural mechanization.

Most of the machines African farmers use are made in China and India, which is cheaper.

UN agencies warn of looming famine in Somalia, call for more funding

"We are trying to attract Japanese companies to come to Africa to start business activities," Amameishi says.

"We have to make a distribution network. If in the future the demand is bigger, then they will start, but at present it's too small."

More options between Japan and the African continent will be discussed at the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) slated to take place in Tunisia from 27-28 August, 2022.
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UPDATE: Chesa Boudin ousted as San Francisco district attorney in historic recall

As the campaign to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin heads to a vote Tuesday, campaign finance data shows that groups created to oust the embattled D.A. out-raised anti-recall groups by more than 2 to 1, primarily thanks to high-spending individual donors and corporate entities.

The four local committees created to support the recall have raised $7.2 million, while four committees opposing the recall raised $3.3 million, according to data on political contributions filed with the San Francisco Ethics Commission. Put together, $10.5 million was raised for the recall by June 1, the last filing due date before San Franciscans are scheduled to vote on whether Boudin should stay in office.

By comparison, the 2018 special election for mayor only garnered $5.2 million in contributions across nine candidates.

Ninety percent of the total pro-recall funds came from the committee San Franciscans for Public Safety Supporting the Recall of Chesa Boudin. This committee was the funding source of Safer SF Without Boudin, the group that gathered the necessary signatures to place the recall on the ballot. The leaders and spokespeople of Safer SF Without Boudin, which bills itself as a Democratic-led campaign, include former homicide prosecutor Brooke Jenkins and former San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Mary Jung.

Among the largest donors to pro-recall committees include several real estate interest groups, such as the California Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors, the S.F. Chamber of Commerce, and tech investors such as Initialized Capital founder Garry Tan and former PayPal executive David Sacks.

But the largest single pro-recall donor by far was Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Advocacy, a state-level super political action committee that also helped fund the citys school board recall in February. Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Advocacy contributed a total of $4.7 million to three pro-recall committees  more than the amount raised by the entire anti-recall effort.

Overall, Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Advocacys donor list is relatively small; just under 100 different groups and individuals contributed to the PAC in 2021 and 2022, giving an average of about $80,000 each. The largest contributors included San Francisco firm Shorenstein Realty Services; Republican billionaire William Oberndorf; Jean-Pierre Conte, chairman of private equity firm Genstar Capital; and Miriam Mimi Haas, the billionaire widow of former Levi Strauss CEO Peter Haas.

The biggest donors to the anti-recall committees include local chapters of the ACLU and the Service Employees International Union. Other major givers are the Real Justice PAC, a national group that works to elect progressive prosecutors and the primary sponsor of San Franciscans Against the Recall of Chesa Boudin, and Smart Justice California, a committee founded by a small group of ultrawealthy donors that fund progressive criminal justice measures in the state.

Other large anti-recall donors include Christian Larsen, a billionaire tech investor and founder of cryptocurrency firm Ripple Labs; Jessica McKellar, a software developer and chief technology officer of accounting software company Pilot; and Elizabeth Liz Simons, chair of the Heising-Simons Foundation and daughter of billionaire hedge fund manager James Simons.

Susie Neilson (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: susie.neilson@sfchronicle.com
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UPDATE: Chesa Boudin ousted as San Francisco district attorney in historic recall

San Francisco was awash in dueling political leaflets Monday morning, as District Attorney Chesa Boudin and those seeking his removal from office sought to make their final, respective cases to voters ahead of a historic recall election Tuesday.

A man walking into the Glen Park BART Station on Monday morning stopped to talk to Boudin. They talked for more than five minutes as other commuters streamed by. One woman yelled, I support Chesa! as she passed through the fare gate.

Live: San Francisco election results for the recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin

The man, Chris Best, shared his concerns with Boudin  about seeing people selling drugs in the open air. Afterward, he said he was still undecided on how he would vote on Proposition H, the ballot measure to recall Boudin.

I think the state of crime and things in the city is not in a great place, said Best, shaking his head. And I dont know what to do about that.

Boudin arrived at the BART station at 8 a.m. Tuesday in a charcoal suit with a reusable Trader Joes bag full of campaign leaflets in his hand.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Boudin was elected on promises to reform San Franciscos criminal justice system  by increasing police accountability and shifting away from policies that disproportionately fill jails and prisons with poor people and people of color. But a sizable, vocal contingent of San Franciscans is seeking to unseat him Tuesday, in the belief that those policies are too lenient and have made San Francisco a more dangerous place to live and work.

Boudin called the recall effort a move by Republicans and police unions to disrupt a nationwide criminal justice reform movement.

No question what theyre doing here in San Francisco is part of a national strategy, said Boudin, who was joined by the couple who raised him, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, who flew in from Chicago to support him and were holding No on H signs.

Most of the commuters who saw and recognized Boudin also expressed support. Zack Turner stopped and asked for a selfie with him, saying Good luck, as he walked away.

Josef Norris, who was heading into BART for his job at the workforce development organization Code Tenderloin, said he supports Boudin and is against the recall, which he calls dangerous to the democratic process.

Clearly the criminal justice system doesnt work, he said. It doesnt work for the people caught up in the prison industry. It doesnt work for the families.

Don Feria/Special to The Chronicle

But Best, after talking to Boudin at length, didnt seem satisfied with his answers for how to deal with street crime.

He lays a lot of the blame on the Police Department and the police union, he said.

Boudin acknowledged that constituents are experiencing crime in different parts of the city, and said about his job: Its about ensuring everyone in San Francisco is safe and feels safe.

But he told Best later, What youre seeing on Market Street is also happening in other cities.

Across town, Leanna Louie and a group of about 20 recall supporters gathered at the corners of Lombard and Broderick streets in the Marina District. Equipped with megaphones and signs, they urged commuters and pedestrians to Vote Yes on H and turn in their ballots.

Louie, donning a rainbow cape, stood on a median next to a crosswalk as motorists heading westbound on Lombard occasionally honked their horns in apparent support. It had been a long road to the penultimate day of the campaign for Louie.

One of the recall campaigns earliest volunteers, she said she spent five months gathering signatures to put the measure on Tuesdays ballot.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Louie said she supported the recall because Boudin wasnt responsive to residents public safety concerns, a contention Boudin has long disputed. Even though she was tired, Louie planned to volunteer more time phone banking in the afternoon.

Were going to keep working hard until we get him out of office, Louie said.

While the polarizing, bitter public debate over the recall may have invited many voters to make up their minds already, get-out-the-vote efforts like the one at Lombard and Broderick are pivotal in a low-turnout election, said Mary Jung, former leader of the San Francisco Democratic Party and chair of the recall campaign.

Recall supporters planned to gather at other San Francisco intersections later in the day to catch commuters on their way home. Volunteers planned to keep working phones throughout the day and delivering mailers to homes.

What we're focused on right now is making sure that people get in their ballots, Jung said, because the sentiment is there.

As Jung gathered with campaign volunteers at the intersection Monday morning, a man crossing Lombard with his goldendoodle nodded at them in support.

You guys keep up the great work, he said.

Jana Asenbrennerova/Special to The Chronicle

Jung was encouraged by the positive feedback supporters received from passersby at the Lombard corner, and hoped the effort to turn out voters would pay off.

San Francisco needs new leadership, Jung said. We need someone who truly embodies San Franciscos values, somebody who believes in criminal justice reform but also understands public safety and who will support our citizens.

Tara Duggan (she/her) and Ricardo Cano are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com, ricardo.cano@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan, @ByRicardoCano
The bidding war over Spirit Airlines is ramping up again with JetBlue boosting its offer for the discount carrier just days after rival Frontier upped its own bid for Spirit.

Spirit shareholders are also scheduled to vote Friday on Frontier's offer.

JetBlue said Monday that it will now provide a $350 million reverse break-up payable to Spirit if a deal between the two isn't completed for antitrust reasons. This is $150 million more than JetBlue previously offered to pay.

JetBlue said it would prepay $1.50 per share in cash, about $164 million, of the reverse break-up fee, in the form of a cash dividend to Spirit stockholders promptly following the Spirit stockholder vote approving the combination between Spirit and JetBlue.

Spirit stockholders would ultimately receive $30 per share in cash at the closing of the transaction and the prepayment of $1.50 per share of the reverse break-up fee.

Spirit said Monday that its board will review JetBlue's updated proposal and will pursue the course of action it determines to be in the best interests of Spirit and its stockholders."

JetBlue Airways Corp. originally offered $3.6 billion in cash, then launched a $3.2 billion tender offer and asked Spirit shareholders to reject the Frontier bid.

JetBlue's announcement comes less than a week after Frontier Airlines added a $250 million termination fee to its proposal. Denver-based Frontier's cash-and-stock offer  which is unanimously supported by Spirit's board  had been valued at $2.9 billion when it was announced, but it has lost some of its value since then.

Shares of JetBlue rose more than 2% in morning trading, while shares of Frontier Group Holdings Inc. climbed 3.3%. Spirit's stock jumped 5.4%.
The boys are fighting!

The longstanding feud between Elon Musk and Bill Gates reignited over the weekend after Gates called out his fellow billionaire on who donated more to climate change between the two of them.

In an interview with French journalist Hugo Decrypte, Gates sounded off on the ongoing feud and Musk's prior comments about how Gates' claims to care about the environment aren't backed up by action.

Related: Bill Gates Surprisingly Praises Elon Musk Following Leaked Altercation: 'You Wouldn't Want to Underestimate Elon'

"Tesla's done a fantastic job; I give a lot more money to climate change than Elon Musk or anyone else," Gates candidly told the Youtuber. "[Elon's] done a great job, but somebody shorting the stock doesn't slow him down or hurt him in any way."

The clip of the interview was posted to Twitter by Tesla shareholder Sawyer Merritt who tagged Musk and added the commentary "Ya  Ok" which garnered a simple, one-worded response from Musk.

"Sigh," the billionaire bluntly wrote.

Sigh  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2022

The argument began at the end of April when texts were leaked to the New York Times and then circulated on Twitter between the two men that showed Gates asking Musk to work on philanthropic efforts together in an attempt to help combat climate change.

However, Gates was accused of shorting Tesla stocks, which left Musk unwilling to work with the billionaire on said efforts.

"Sorry, but I cannot take your philanthropy on climate change seriously when you have a massive short position against Tesla, the company doing the most to solve climate change," Musk said via text message.

Related: Elon Musk Accuses Twitter of 'Actively Resisting' and 'Thwarting' His Attempts to Buy the Company

The Tesla CEO confirmed via Twitter that the messages were real even though he didn't initially leak them to the NYT and said that Gates' shorting Tesla by a "half billion" wasn't "exactly top secret."

However, in an interview with TODAY just a few weeks later, Gates seemed to praise Musk when questioned about the billionaire's proposed bid to purchase Twitter for $44 billion.

"You wouldn't want to underestimate Elon. What he did at Tesla is amazing, helping with climate change, what he did at SpaceX," Gates told Savannah Guthrie in conversation. "Will he this time make that improvement? Should there be laws that strike a better balance of free speech versus conspiracy theories confusing people? Elon thinks he can improve Twitter. I don't know specifically what he'll do. But there's an opportunity and we need innovation in that space."

But as of Monday, it looks like Musk's bid may be permanently on hold after an amendment to an SEC filing on behalf of Musk showed that the Tesla CEO believes that Twitter is still "actively resisting" his request for release of data that shows how many Twitter accounts are bots or spam accounts and called such resistance a "clear material breach of Twitter's obligations under the merger agreement."

This, Musk maintained, gives the billionaire the "right not to consummate the transaction" and the "right to terminate the merger agreement."

Gates has not commented on the state of the acquisition.

Twitter was down around 1.5% in a 24-hour period by early Monday afternoon.

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Elon Musk threatened to back out of his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter, accusing the company of "actively resisting" his requests for information about how many bogus accounts are on the social media platform.

In a letter filed Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Musk reiterated his concerns from several weeks ago that the company isn't being frank about how many fake accounts are on its site.

"This is a clear material breach of Twitter's obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement," Musk's legal team wrote in the letter.

The Tesla CEO said in mid-May that the deal was on hold as he requested new info from Twitter on how it determined how many fake accounts were on its site. Twitter said Monday it has been sharing info with Musk and that it intends to "close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms."

The move adds to speculation that Musk is trying to wriggle free of the agreement, or renegotiate it for a lower price, though securities law experts have said that Musk backing out at this stage could result in a protracted and messy legal battle. Musk waived his right to take a deeper look at the company when he signed the initial deal to buy it in April, and the purchase agreement allows Twitter to force Musk to go through with the deal unless he can show the company misled him or in the case that a major, adverse event changes the value of the company. Even if Twitter does not go to court to force Musk to close the deal, he may still have to pay a $1 billion breakup fee.

"We believe this is much more than a threat," Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities, said. "He is trying to bail out of the deal."

Ives said the faulty account issue was always going to be the "material breach" Musk would use to secure his exit. "It will help remove a major overhang on Tesla."

Since he first voiced interest in Twitter in April, Tesla's stock - the source of much of Musk's personal fortune - has been pummeled amid a broader sell-off of tech stocks. Last week, he said Tesla would cut salaried staff by 10% and put a freeze on hiring, telling executives in an email that he had a "super bad feeling" about where the economy was headed. (Over the weekend, though, he backtracked, saying Tesla's total head count would increase while salaried positions would be "fairly flat.")

Spam bots, accounts that peddle cryptocurrency scams and otherwise seek to exploit vulnerable users, have long been a pet peeve of Musk - one of the platform's most popular users, with over 96 million followers - who regularly encounters such spam accounts on the site. Twitter has long struggled to identify and take down bots, a task complicated by the fact that the platform allows people to post anonymously and to make automated accounts. The company's own estimates put the number of spam accounts at 5 percent or less, but Musk has been calling for data the social media company says it cannot provide to verify the true figure.

On Monday, the Texas Attorney General's office said it would investigate Twitter over the issue of whether it has been upfront about how many fake accounts it believes it has. Tesla moved its official headquarters to Texas last year.

Twitter's shares slumped 2.9% at midday. Tesla's shares edged up 1.5%.
Susan Kirsch is a 78-year-old retired teacher who lives in a small cottage home in Mill Valley, California, on a quiet suburban street that looks toward a grassy knoll.

A Sierra Club member with a pesticide-free garden, she has an Amnesty International sticker on her front window and a photograph on her refrigerator of herself and hundreds of other people spelling out TAX THE 1% on a beach.

The cause that takes up most of her time, however, is fighting new development and campaigning for the right of suburban cities to have near total control over what gets built in them. We met just before the pandemic, after Kirsch sent an email inviting me to coffee and in the note suggested that my reporting on the nations housing problems could benefit from her slow-growth perspective.

Weve become friendly in the two years since, and as Ive absorbed her cheerful demeanor and come to appreciate her distrust of large institutions, Ive tried not to reduce her philosophy to a single and oversimplified term.

But just so we know what were talking about, Susan Kirsch is a NIMBY.

NIMBY stands for Not in my backyard, an acronym that proliferated in the early 1980s to describe neighbors who fight nearby development, especially anything involving apartments. The word was initially descriptive (the Oxford English Dictionary added NIMBY in 1989 and has since tacked on NIMBYism and NIMBYish) but its connotation has harshened as rent and home prices have exploded. NIMBYs who used to be viewed as, at best, defenders of their community, and at worst just practical, are now painted as housing hoarders whose efforts have increased racial segregation, have deepened wealth inequality and are robbing the next generation of the American dream.

It seems like a lot to dump on what amount to hyperlocal disputes that largely consist of homeowners trekking down to city hall to complain about a new condominium building or proposed row of town homes.

AARON WOJACK/NYT

But take a step back: Whats at stake in these disputes is the structure of American civilization. In a country with little national housing policy, the thicket of zoning, environmental and historic preservation laws that govern local land use are the primary regulators of a multitrillion-dollar land market that is the source of most households wealth and form the map for how the nations economy and society are laid out.

Around the country, cities and states that have struggled to tame rising housing costs are now trying to wrest control from neighborhood activists like Kirsch. Their logic is that too much of the power over whether new housing and infrastructure projects get built is left to a relatively small band of activists who pack late-night meetings to tell their city councils that whatever is being proposed is out of character and should be built somewhere else  not in their backyard.

To distinguish themselves from NIMBYs, the current generation of housing activists has adopted new backyard variants (YIMBY, Yes in my backyard; PHIMBY, Public housing in my backyard; YIGBY, Yes in Gods backyard) to declare how they are for things (everything, subsidized housing, building on church parking lots) that a NIMBY presumably is not.

Politicians have piled on: In California, homeowners who are used to being catered to with a host of regulatory and tax policies recently woke up to discover that their governor, Gavin Newsom, told The San Francisco Chronicle, NIMBYism is destroying the state.

Before we go any further, I am obligated to note that Kirsch does not appreciate the word NIMBY. She describes herself as someone who helps communities feel empowered and self-reliant. She has, nevertheless, made peace with the term.

After all, this is a person who once wrote an op-ed that said the removal of five trees in Mill Valley sent existential messages to our fellow citizens of the world. Who has fought for two decades to prevent a developer from putting 20 condominiums on a hill at the end of her street.

Kirschs nonprofit, Catalysts for Local Control, opposes just about every law the California Legislature puts forward to address the states housing and homelessness problem.

In Zoom meetings with her members, she describes lawmakers intentions in dark terms and drives the message home with graphics that say things like, Our homes and cities are under attack.

It might seem kitschy if it werent so effective. Kirsch was 60 when she began her fight against the condos down the block. Eighteen years later, the hill remains dirt.

Stories like that, one project fight after another, form a larger story about how the state and nation dug themselves into a growing housing shortage. The impulse behind NIMBYism is timeless: People who already live somewhere have always raised objections to newcomers. The feeling applies to renters as well as homeowners, crosses boundaries of race, class and culture, and has been a part of urban life for centuries.

But California has gone further than most in empowering it. And until fairly recently, this was seen as something to be proud of.

That turnabout is whats so baffling to activists like Kirsch. In the late 1970s, when she moved to Marin County, California was in the vanguard of an ideological backlash that created modern environmentalism and rejected the assumption that a growing economy and more people were always good  a cause championed by state and national politicians and celebrated everywhere from songs to magazine covers.

California is now a different place with a different struggle, and a lack of housing is at its center. Its not just that the $800,000 median home price is too expensive, or that the 100,000 people who sleep outside are a daily tragedy, or that the outflow of cost-of-living refugees has helped steer it into population decline. Its that those statistics have raised hard questions about the states governance and sense of self.

How does a place that prides itself on progressive politics have so many policies that exacerbate inequality? How do homeowners whose window signs say they welcome every oppressed group rationalize a housing system that has caused their own children to flee?

Kirsch does not deny that California has a housing problem but has a different narrative about why. In her telling the states problems have little to do with the lack of housing  a diagnosis that unites basically every liberal and conservative economist along with the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations  but instead blames investors who buy single-family houses, big technology companies and inequality generally.

She wraps her opposition to development in a small c conservative philosophy that a smaller local government is better and more responsive to its citizens than a bigger one farther away. Where many people see gridlock, she sees having her voice heard  and in the midst of a brutal housing crisis, fewer people want to listen.

It feels like huge forces conspiring to take away control from people at the lowest level at which they live, she said.

Yimbytown vs. Nimbytown

We are winning.

Alan Durning, founder of the Sightline Institute, a sustainability think tank that pushes for dense housing, was feeling triumphant. He was on a stage in Portland, Oregon, addressing the 2022 Yimbytown conference, which bills itself as a gathering of pro-housing activists and draws heavily from the ranks of embittered millennials who feel locked out of the housing market and under the thumb of rising rents.

Durning had just referenced a host of new state and local development laws  from California to Seattle, Minneapolis, Austin, Texas, and Connecticut  that in the past two years have shifted the national conversation around housing. New rules that allow homeowners to build second homes in their yards. Sweeping legislation to discard single-family zoning restrictions that ban apartments in suburban neighborhoods. When he mentioned a more obscure set of rules that limit the amount of parking in new developments, someone in the crowd of 300 went Woo!

A few weeks after the conference, the Biden administration released its own cheer in the form of a Housing Supply Action Plan. Among other measures, the plan aims to increase the nations supply of housing by using grant money to reward cities that reform land-use regulations in the manner Yimbytown celebrates. The administration pegged the nations housing shortage at 1.5 million units (other sources put it as high as 3.8 million).

That deficit is the product of two main trends. The most recent one is the Great Recession, which left the homebuilding industry so hobbled that even now, 17 years after the housing bust began, new home construction has yet to eclipse the mid-2000s peak. The other built gradually over decades as cities installed a cats cradle of land use rules that empowered NIMBYism and made housing scarcer and more expensive.

In the hours before the Yimbytown gathering began, an unseasonable April snow fell on Portlands streets. As attendees walked and Ubered to a Portland State auditorium for the conference, they passed sidewalk tents under a fresh layer of frost.

It puts a knot in our stomachs, a clutching feeling in our chests, we have feelings of fear about being excluded, about being pushed out, about being unwelcome, unable to keep up, Durning said in his speech. Thats what housing feels like in Nimbytown. But here in Yimbytown, were about the opposite of all that.

He added, We want abundance of housing.

The word abundance was not incidental. It refers to an emerging framework that says many of Americas deepest problems stem from shortages  too few houses, not enough colleges, a lack of wind and solar projects  and that the only way to solve them is to build.

Encoded in YIMBY ideology is a belief that the best thing to do with NIMBYs is discard them. But since the successes of one generation become the burdens of another, they should first understand them.

Small Is Beautiful

Forty-nine years earlier, Kirsch was also young, idealistic and in Portland. Shed grown up on a farm in Minnesota, in a town with 1,400 people. After a series of urban teaching jobs broken up by trips from the Midwest to Washington, D.C., to protest the war in Vietnam, she took a yearlong road trip with a man she called the adventure husband. The final stop was Portland, and they rolled into town in a van.

Back then, the idea that the activist circuit might include a stop at Yimbytown would have seemed preposterous. Instead of build baby build, the national feeling had swung from the post-World War II boom to a new posture that three decades of mass suburbanization and urban redevelopment had created a crisis of too much.

The pebbles to this backlash had been sprinkled through songs like the 1962 tract home satire Little Boxes (And theyre all made of ticky tacky/And they all look just the same). Or the speech two years later in which President Lyndon B. Johnson warned of an ugly America troubled by decaying cities and lifeless sprawl that a raft of social critics said were breaking community spirit and creating an epidemic of loneliness.

Kirsch was partial to Small Is Beautiful, which was published in 1973 by economist E.F. Schumacher. The book cast doubt on a growth-at-all-costs mentality and was but one entry in what historian Kevin Starr called this developing genre of population and land use apocalypse.

Part of how it influences me is I think greater self-reliance and self-resiliency are qualities that keep a community or culture strong, Kirsch said of the book. And the trends we have now, with being able to have efficacy in your own life, is part of what I think is being diminished.

Instead of celebrating the arrival of new citizens, new power plants, new cloverleaf interchanges, California scholars started semi-seriously lamenting that they couldnt require visas for people arriving from elsewhere in the United States. Environmental activists came to define themselves by what they could stop.

It became a politics of quality of life rather than a politics of prosperity, said Jacob Anbinder, a doctoral candidate at Harvard whose dissertation is on the emergence of anti-growth politics in the postwar period.

Marin County, a woodsy enclave that sits across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, enacted some of the strictest growth-control measures in the country  proudly. In the early 1970s, when a group of Marin homeowners mobilized to stop a nearby town-home development, the county commended them for distinguished public service.

But housing fights could also be proxies for racial exclusion. Even though discriminatory practices such as redlining  banks refusing to offer mortgages in nonwhite neighborhoods  had been outlawed by federal civil rights legislation, economic segregation persisted. Today Marin County is the most segregated county in the Bay Area.

Marin was Kirschs next stop after Portland. She arrived in Mill Valley in 1979, where she remarried, had kids and stretched to buy a house for $112,500.

Blithedale Terrace

Phil Richardson surveyed a tiny home on his dining room table. It was a model of a town home he wants to build, and it lay atop a bath-towel-size aerial photograph of Mill Valley.

AARON WOJACK/NYT

The model and the photo were one small piece of a growing archive of drawings, renderings and environmental reports that document Richardsons failure to build two dozen condominiums on Kite Hill, a plot of trees and bushes that sits next to a small office building at the end of Kirschs block. Various proposals and millions of dollars in land, legal and consulting fees later, he has yet to placate neighbors.

Richardson is a small-time developer who works from a home office decorated with models of World War II tanks and battleships. In a recent interview at his home, he recounted the time he met Kirsch to talk about his town homes. She told him he should scrap it and build a park bench.

He started the project in his late 60s and is now 86. He is determined to see it through. My wife thinks Im crazy, he said. I think the town could use the housing.

Later, he added: Id still like to know her motivation. Forget my project: What drives her bus?

Kirsch first heard about the proposal in 2004, after she got a public notice in the mail. The plan  then called Blithedale Terrace  was for 20 earth-toned town homes with pitched roofs and wood shingles. She convened a group of neighbors in her living room to see if they had an opinion about it.

And we did, she said.

AARON WOJACK/NYT

There ensued a decade of meetings, lots of legal back-and-forth, and a sign that said Save Kite Hill. The city also got a lot of letters. They said the project was an insane idea that would create unimaginable density and lead Mill Valley toward an LA-like destruction.

Most of the letters raised questions about parking and traffic. Others voiced a more esoteric set of concerns, like confusion for the post office. One writer averred that anyone who lived in the new condos would be accepting a higher cancer risk, since their homes would be downwind from the wood-fired oven at a nearby restaurant.

From my backyard I see the hillside, Kirsch wrote from her Hotmail account. Explain how my property value is not deflated if open space is replace(d) with view-blocking, dense, unsightly buildings.

Richardson set Blithedale Terrace aside in 2013, nine years after proposing it, to focus on another development elsewhere. Kirsch used the dispute to start a slow-growth platform.

Shed fought the developer through a group called the Freeman Park Neighborhood Association. It morphed into a larger organization called Friends of Mill Valley, then a group called Citizen Marin. In 2016, having raised her profile through activism, Kirsch ran for the Marin County Board of Supervisors. She lost with 42% of the vote.

Were All Getting Clobbered

In retrospect, 2016 was a turning point of a different sort. It marked the beginning of a blitz of state legislation that would force cities to accept higher density neighborhoods in the form of backyard units and duplexes that could no longer be prohibited by local governments, and even higher density in the future, after the state reformed a long-standing planning process to increase the amount of growth cities have to plan for.

To make sure cities actually comply, Newsom recently created an accountability and enforcement unit, a sort of NIMBY patrol that monitors whether localities are approving new housing.

When you ask a planner or policy wonk how this happened, they point to a series of dull but important bills that were modest in isolation. Stacked together, however, theyve shifted power over housing away from city councils to state bureaucrats and local planning and building departments  a move intended to prevent activists like Kirsch from having so much influence over whether new housing gets approved.

They also got comparatively little press coverage or debate, because most of the attention was consumed by a more extreme series of bills proposed by Scott Wiener, a state senator from San Francisco, from 2018 to 2020. The bills had various forms  none passed  but would have forced California cities to allow four- to eight-story buildings within 1 mile of rail stations and bus stops, regardless of local rules.

Im a former local elected official and former neighborhood association president; I am a huge believer in making decisions at a local level and people passionately tending to their community, Wiener said. But were going over the cliff, and whatever the benefits of local decision-making, and there really are benefits, it has failed to produce the housing we need.

One afternoon in 2018, after traveling to San Francisco to hear Wiener talk about his plans at a police station, Kirsch and a group of furious attendees left the meeting for a nearby restaurant, where they founded a organization called Livable California. Its aim was to take the fight for local government to the Statehouse.

The whole thing was, were all getting clobbered; well have greater impact if we unify, she said.

Livable California is now the most recognized brand among a class of new groups protesting the states housing moves. The groups do things like organize neighborhood associations and produce research that paints the idea of a shortage as overblown. (This charge is discordant with the volumes of research on the topic, the states low per-capita building rate, and its surfeit of illegal and overcrowded homes.)

Many of the most active members are from wealthy enclaves like Marin, but the fight to maintain local control over housing attracts a more diverse group than the stereotype of a rich, suburban NIMBY would suggest.

In California and around the country, activists who fight gentrification in cities frequently team up with suburban homeowners worried about development to oppose broad zoning reforms. Even if these groups dont agree on housing policy, they often side with having those decisions made at the city or neighborhood level, where the political sphere is small enough that a group of volunteers can still be effective.

Community activists organize in person, said Isaiah Madison, who is 26 and Black, a resident of Los Angeles historically Black Leimert Park neighborhood  and on the board of Livable California. But when you take it to the state, youre just a number. There are so many issues, and so much bureaucracy and politics and money, that community gets lost.

Over the course of several interviews, many of the most active homeowners expressed a feeling of upper middle-class regression. It seems unfair to them that people who did exactly what society told them to do  buy a house, get involved in their neighborhood  are now being asked to accept large changes in their surroundings.

More than anything, they are furious how an epithet like NIMBY can reduce someone who cares about their neighborhood to a cartoon. Yes, they are the people who fight development. These are also the people who make and distribute lawn signs. Who attend late-night city meetings to ask probing questions about bids on the citys dog-catching contract. Who organize the block party and help start library programs that everyone else takes for granted.

The state is crazy in trying to make all these cities their enemy, said Maria Pavlou Kalban, who is on the board of directors of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association and recently founded a statewide homeowners and neighborhood group called United Neighbors. These are people that are really seriously trying to answer the problem of Where do our kids live?

When the conversation shifts to solutions, however, the conundrum of local control resurfaces. In an interview, Kalban outlined a plan to build higher-density housing on high-traffic corridors, which sounds perfectly reasonable. It also sounds like the town homes Richardson has been trying to build since 2004.

The Homevoter Hypothesis

Housing is a bundled purchase, or a big decision governed by a million little variables: the number of bedrooms, the size of the yard, the quality of local schools, proximity to work, family and transit. Hanging over all of this is, of course, the price.

Housing politics is driven by emotion, specifically the fear of losing what you have. Economist William Fischel, a professor at Dartmouth, laid out the financial dimensions in a theory  The Homevoter Hypothesis  that holds NIMBYism is a form of insurance. Since you cant buy a policy that will protect you from the neighborhood going to hell, the thinking goes, people compensate by packing planning meetings to fight anything (be it a dump, a freeway or a low-rent apartment complex) they perceive as a threat.

People usually get involved in local politics for a distinct reason  they are angry at their school board, for instance, or worried about a condo complex at the end of their street  but they stay involved because they make friends and derive purpose from the work. It becomes something to do.

Over the past two decades, Kirsch said she has spent almost as much time on her deck drinking wine and talking housing with fellow activists as she does with longtime friends.

In our own conversations she dedicated as much energy to railing about how corporations are too big and billionaires too under-taxed and inequality so troubling as she did to the state housing policy. And so I asked the obvious question: With so many things to be angry about, why spend so much time fighting some condos?

I suppose it is just that feeling of home, she said. Just that feeling of home and the safety and security and groundedness that goes with having a safe place to go to at the end of the day, where you can believe you can have security, you dont need to worry about how are you going to have money for both food and insurance and dental care for your kids and all of those things, that metaphor of home as a place of comfort.

The natural follow-up was what about the next generation, who say they are fighting for that too? She defaulted to neighborhood control.

Local communities would do a much better job of solving these problems, she said. Using the language of centralized power is what charges me to do this  I think small is beautiful.

Richardson recently put forth a new proposal for Kite Hill. This time it would consist of 25 condos that range from 800 square feet to 2,100 square feet, including six subsidized units for households making around or below the area median income. Hes feeling better about his chances thanks to changes in state law, but, at 86, is getting short on time.

Im going to win or Im going to die, Richardson said. Its one or the other.

The city has yet to schedule a public hearing on the new proposal, but he is hopeful there will be one later this year. Whatever the date, Kirsch plans on being there. She has some things to say.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

WASHINGTON (AP)  Another sign America's entertainment landscape is returning to normal: President Joe Biden will make his first in-person appearance on a late-night talk show since taking office.

Biden will be a guest Wednesday night on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! the White House said.
Kisumu  Former Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has called for peaceful campaigns devoid of violence as witnessed on Saturday when Kisumu Central MP Fred Ouda was attacked during the launch of Governor Anyang' Nyong'o's gubernatorial campaign.

Reacting to the incident on Sunday, Ranguma said such violence being meted on politicians and their supporters is giving Kisumu a bad name.

He said the growth of Kisumu will be pegged on its good name and constant violence will derail the process to develop the lakeside city.

Ranguma, who spoke during an engagement with the media fraternity in Kisumu, said the people of Kisumu should not be coerced but rather be allowed to make their own decision at the ballot on August 9.

The former Governor, set to present himself to the IEBC on Monday as he seeks to be cleared for the gubernatorial race, appealed to the media to remain the watchdog of the society and point out challenges that could stir violence.

MP Ouda was attacked as he made his way to the dais to join Governor Nyong'o who was launching his bid and had invited the MP to grace the occasion.

He wondered why Governor Nyong'o, who was his host, failed to condemn the actions of the goons who attacked him.
John Locher/John Locher/Invision/AP

MADRID (AP)  Penelope Cruz has won one of Spains top film awards for her contribution to Spanish cinema, the countrys ministry of culture said Monday.

The jury of the 2022 National Cinema award was unanimous in its decision to honor the Madrid-born star, describing the 48-year-old Oscar winner in a statement as an iconic actress whose brilliant legacy enriches Spains cultural heritage.
The Laredo International Fair & Exposition has announced its annual raffle to gather funds for students.

LIFE announced earlier this week that Uni-Trade provided it with a $10,000 donation in efforts to continue its goals of doing an annual raffle to help gather funds for the students. With prizes including trips around the country and internationally, LIFE plans to sell 1,500 tickets at $100 each trying to raise $150,000 for the organization's mission.

Fernando Ortega is the president of LIFE for the 2022-23 year. And he expressed his gratitude for being able to put on the community-driven project.

This is our second (year) that we have had this raffle, as we basically reach out to the community and different organizations to donate to our cause to raise the funds. So it is a type of different raffle, as everything we are raffling is donated by the community, he said. We use these funds to be basically be able to continue fueling our organization and also be able to get scholarships to these children that participate in our fair on an annual basis.

Laredo District IV Councilmember Alberto Torres is Executive Director of LIFE. He said these raffles are important because as a non-profit organization, it is able to raise funds to achieve its mission.

The Laredo International Fair & Exposition promotes the areas of agriculture, horticulture, home economics and the vocational (and) industrial trades to Webb County students, Torres said. Annually, scholastic awards, grants and scholarships are awarded to the students to continue engaging in the different educational programs we promote and to further achieve their higher education studies.

Over $800,000 has been awarded to students from proceeds from the annual county fair, livestock auction and fundraisers, Torres said.

The Uni-Trade Annual Raffle drawing will be done via Facebook live from the Laredo Fair account and via its YouTube channel on Aug. 18, 2022 at 6 p.m.

Some of the prizes that will be part of the raffle include a grand prize of $10,000; a skintology package worth over $7,000; trips to locations including Hawaii, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Mexico City; a hunting trip; a stay at a North Padre Island condo; and a VIP LIFE Fair package. In total, 25 prizes will be raffled.

Torres said winners will have a year to claim their prizes at the LIFE Downs office or from any LIFE board member or employee.

Ortega states that the winners of the raffle always feel good because they do not just help out the community but also collect unique prizes.

The LIFE organization will be celebrating our 60th annual fair on our fairgrounds, and it would be a really good celebration if everybody could join us for our fair, as we are trying to motivate our students to participate, Ortega said.

For more information and for the complete list of prizes, visit laredofair.com. To purchase tickets, call 956-722-9948.
GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP)  North Carolina authorities say a hospital was temporarily placed on lockdown after a shooting that resulted in a non-life-threatening wound to the victim.

Wayne County spokesman Joe Gillie said that authorities received a report of a shooting at Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro around 8 p.m. Sunday night, prompting a lockdown that lasted for about an hour.
GARY, Ind. (AP)  Three people were taken into custody following a Sunday shooting that wounded two people shortly after a graduation ceremony in northwestern Indiana, police said.

Two 19-year-olds were wounded about 6 p.m. CDT Sunday as more than 200 West Side Leadership Academy graduates and their families were leaving the U.S. Steel Yard stadium in Gary following the commencement ceremony, police said.
IRWINDALE, Calif. (AP)  A 300-pound (135-kilogram) bear was struck and killed Monday morning on a Southern California highway, authorities said.

The animal was hit by a Toyota SUV around 4:15 a.m. on a westbound connector road to Interstate 210 in Irwindale, east of Los Angeles, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The collision shattered the SUV's windshield, Fox 11 TV reported.

The bear was eventually removed from the freeway on a flat-bed truck, highway patrol Officer Ramon Kendricks told the Los Angeles Times.

Kendricks said he didnt know whether anyone in the vehicle was injured in the crash.
A North Carolina sheriff's office announced a $3 million settlement on Monday in a lawsuit filed by the family of an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed in his car by sheriffs deputies more than a year ago.

The family of Andrew Brown Jr. had filed a $30 million civil rights lawsuit in 2021, saying the man died because officers showed intentional and reckless disregard of his life.

Brown was killed on April 21 of last year by Pasquotank County sheriffs deputies while they were serving drug-related warrants at his Elizabeth City home. Several deputies surrounded Brown in his BMW before his car backed up and moved forward. They fired several shots at and into his vehicle. He was killed by a bullet to the back of his head.

District Attorney Andrew Womble had said at a news conference last year that Brown used his car as a deadly weapon, causing deputies to believe it was necessary to use deadly force. But lawyers for the Brown family said the shooting was unjustified because Brown was trying to drive away  not toward the deputies and that he posed no threat. After viewing body camera footage of the shooting, they said Brown was sitting in his stationary car with his hands on the wheel when the first of numerous shots was fired.

The settlement was approved by the Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners. It includes a special $1 million appropriation to go along with $2 million from the county's insurance policy, which was supplied by the North Carolina Counties Liabilities Pool, according to a statement from the sheriffs office provided to The Associated Press. That amount is at the limit of the policy.

The settlement was reached over several weeks last month in the case overseen by a federal magistrate in U.S. District Court in Raleigh, the news release said.

The county's payment resolves potential liability against the defendants and any individual officers who were either named or could be named as defendants in the lawsuit, the news release said. The family also entered into a stipulation in which it dismisses all claims against the defendants, namely Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten II and three sheriff's deputies, as well as other potential claims arising from Brown's death, the news release said.

Brown's children will share in the proceeds of the settlement as heirs of his estate, the sheriff's office said.

Andrew Brown Jr. was a devoted father who wanted his children to have the things he didn't, said a statement from the five attorneys representing his family. While no settlement could ever fill the hole his death left in their hearts, this agreement is about providing for those children's futures, securing their education and ensuring their dreams didn't die with their father.

At the time, the lawsuit filed by the Brown family was the latest in a string of federal civil rights lawsuits following high-profile police shootings of Black and brown people. Many ended in settlements that often included money but specified no admission of guilt. Some of the lawsuits end up in court where a jury can award massive settlements that are reduced on appeal.

An independent autopsy commissioned by the family said Brown was shot five times, including once in the back of the head. Family members who were privately shown a portion of the body camera video afterward said Brown was trying to drive away when he was shot. The shooting sparked days of protests in the city in rural northeastern North Carolina.
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PHOENIX (AP)  An Arizona judge on Monday declined a request by the state Republican Party to block most mail ballots for the 2022 election, preserving the voting method used by the overwhelming majority of voters.

Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen ruled that nothing in the Arizona Constitution prohibits the Legislature from allowing citizens to vote by mail.

The case is the latest piece of a multi-pronged effort by the Arizona Republican Party and its firebrand chair, Kelli Ward, to roll back a system of no-excuse absentee voting that the GOP-controlled Legislature has built since 1991. Theyve pushed to require nearly everyone to cast a ballot in person on Election Day as former President Donald Trump repeats the lie that he lost the 2020 election because of fraud linked to mail ballots in Arizona and other battleground states.

Arizona is among the states with the highest levels of mail voting, a system that has grown overwhelmingly popular with voters from both parties as well as independents. Striking down those laws would have had major implications for the 2022 election in Arizona, which includes one of the handful of races that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

Attorneys for Ward and the GOP argued that voting by mail is inconsistent with the Arizona Constitutions requirement for a secret ballot. Attorney Alex Kolodin pointed to several clauses in the constitution that he says, taken together, prove that the framers intended to ban mail ballots.

Only the voters, not the Legislature, can authorize mail voting by amending the constitution, Kolodin argued in court last week.

Lawyers for state and county election officials, as well as state and national Democratic Party committees, said the vote-by-mail laws have plenty of secrecy safeguards built in. The judge, appointed by former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, agreed.

The laws are far from perfect and nobody anticipated thirty years ago that approximately 90 percent of Arizona voters would vote by mail-in ballot during a pandemic, but these laws are NOT in violation of the Arizona Constitution, Jantzen wrote.

Ward and the state GOP originally filed their lawsuit directly with the Arizona Supreme Court earlier this year, a highly unusual step, but the justices said it should go through a trial court first and they would only consider it on appeal. They refiled the case last month in Mohave County, the most conservative county in the state, where Trump got 75% of the vote in 2020.

Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who has earned Trump's ire for failing to more aggressively advance the former president's lies about the 2020 election, declined to defend the mail voting laws in court. Brnovich is running in a crowded GOP primary for U.S. Senate.

With Brnovich on the sidelines, the law was instead defended by lawyers hired by Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, along with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, which represented seven county recorders. The Arizona Democratic Party and three national Democratic Party organizations also intervened to defend the law.

Arizona Democrats defended democracy and won, striking down the AZ GOPs shameful, embarrassing, and unconstitutional effort to try and end early voting in our state, Arizona Democratic Party Chair Raquel Teran said in a statement.

The Arizona Republican Party said in a statement late Monday that it is exploring its next steps, including a possible appeal.

We knew going in that asking a superior court judge to take it upon itself to strike down this unconstitutional system was a big ask, the statement said.
PHOENIX (AP)  An attorney for an Arizona death-row prisoner has urged an appeals court to call off the execution scheduled for Wednesday of his client who was convicted in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl, arguing the condemned mans spinal condition would make it excruciatingly painful for him to be strapped on his back to a gurney before he is lethally injected.

At a hearing Monday before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, a lawyer for Frank Atwood also questioned whether the state has met a requirement that the lethal injection drugs expiration date falls after the execution date.

And even though he didnt pick lethal gas as his execution method, Atwood also is challenging Arizonas protocol for gas chamber executions. His lawyers say Atwood has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and said the state should switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths.

Prosecutors say Atwood is trying to indefinitely postpone his execution through legal maneuvers. They say Atwoods challenge to the states cyanide gas execution procedures is moot, because the execution will be carried out by lethal injection.

Last month, Atwood declined to choose between lethal injection or the gas chamber, leaving him to be put to death by lethal injection, the states default execution method.

Atwood, who is scheduled to be executed at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 8-year-old Vicki Hoskinson, lost on all those arguments in a lower-court ruling issued over the weekend and appealed those decisions to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Authorities have said Atwood kidnapped Hoskinson, whose remains were discovered in the desert northwest of Tucson nearly seven months after her disappearance. Experts could not determine the cause of death from the remains, according to court records.

Atwood maintains that he is innocent.

Atwoods lawyers have argued the states death penalty procedures would subject their client, who has a degenerative spinal condition that has left him in a wheelchair, to excruciating suffering if he were strapped to a gurney while lying on his back during his lethal injection.

Prosecutors say Atwood can alleviate pain caused by lying on his back by propping himself up with a pillow and using the tilt function on the execution table. Atwoods legal team rejected a proposal from the state to also let one of the condemned mans legs remain free during the execution as another way of easing his pain.

The state here is not trying to subject Mr. Atwood to any to unnecessary pain, said Jeffrey Sparks, an attorney representing the state. Its trying to accommodate the claims he is raising, while also still carrying out a lawful execution.

Atwoods attorneys have questioned whether the compounded pentobarbital to be used in the execution meets pharmaceutical standards. The testing (of the compounded drug) cannot be relied on, said Joseph Perkovich, one of Atwoods attorneys.

Even though he didnt pick the gas chamber, Atwood challenged the states lethal gas protocol that calls for the use of hydrogen cyanide gas, which was used in some past U.S. executions and by Nazis to kill 865,000 Jews at the Auschwitz concentration camp alone. His lawyers say hydrogen cyanide gas is unconstitutional and produces agonizing levels of pain in executions.

His lawyers argue he has a right to choose between methods of execution that are constitutional and said the state should switch its lethal gas from hydrogen cyanide gas to nitrogen gas because nitrogen would produce painless deaths. Arizona prosecutors say nitrogen executions are untried and untested.

Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming are the only states with decades-old lethal-gas execution laws still on the books. Arizona, which carried out the last gas chamber execution in the United States more than two decades ago, is the only state with a working gas chamber.

In recent years, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama have passed laws allowing executions with nitrogen gas, at least in some circumstances, though experts say its never been done and no state has established a protocol that would allow it.
Nairobi  Thirdway Alliance presidential aspirant Ekuru Aukot has been disqualified from contesting in the August 9th presidential race after contesting the 48,000 signatures requirement.

Aukot deliberately failed to provide the 2000 signatures from at least 24 counties supporting his bid which is a key requirement for any presidential candidate to cleared for the race.

He told Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati that the requirement was simply impractical threatening to block it in court.

"I am wondering how the other cleared candidates got photocopies of Kenyans' IDs. Lets just be realistic no Kenyan is willing to give you his ID card to photocopy," he said.

The Thirdway Alliance presidential aspirant argued that his candidature in 2017 polls was cleared without the requirement of signatures.

"We deliberately decided not to bring the signatures. People want to be bribed so that they can give you their ID cards to photocopy," Aukot said.

Aukot threatened to file a petition in court on Monday to challenge the signatures requirement for presidential aspirants.

Also on his onslaught is the presidential candidature of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance flagbearer Raila Odinga.

He insisted that his clearance is unlawful since he presented his bid on a corporate political outfit.

Aukot also alleged Odinga used state resources to bank roll his presidential bid.

Despite failing in the signatures requirement, his academic credentials were not stamped by the learning institutions that awarded him the degrees.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace is beefing up her campaign coffers in an effort to stave off GOP challenger Katie Arrington in the closing days of the Republican primary race for South Carolina's 1st District.

The freshman Mace has consistently topped the contest for dollars in the 1st Congressional District, which she won back from Democrats in 2020. Mace has taken in more than $4.1 million in contributions through May 25, the deadline for pre-primary fundraising reports, and has $1.4 million cash on hand.

The pre-primary receipts for Arrington, a former state lawmaker who also sought the seat in 2018, amounted to more than $909,000, according to federal filings. More than half of that amount came via a personal loan of $525,000, and Arrington had $607,000 on hand as of May 25.

As they vie for their partys nomination, both women have been making their case to voters who are either still mulling which of them to pick, or who are already casting ballots. Early voting in South Carolina has been underway since May 31, and more than 28,000 people have already cast primary ballots overall, according to state officials.

Election day is June 14.

Arrington, who went to work at the Department of Defense after her 2018 loss, has largely portrayed herself as a servant leader loyal to former President Donald Trump, who is supporting her current bid. Trump backed Mace in 2020 but soured on her following the freshman congresswoman's critical statements about Trump's role in the Capitol violence. The former president campaigned for Arrington this spring and reiterated his support for her last month.

To kick off the GOP primary's only debate, third candidate Lynz Piper-Loomis also threw her support behind Arrington, stripped off her microphone and left the debate stage, whittling down the contest to a head-to-head match.

Additionally, Arrington is backed by Ric Grenell, who served as Trumps ambassador to Germany. Breaking with his delegation member Mace, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson has endorsed Arrington, whom he said would be a tireless advocate for our veterans and the military.

Along with groups including the National Rifle Association and Club for Growth, Mace is backed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who also served as Trump's U.N. ambassador, and helped Mace raise $300,000 during an event earlier this year. Mace also has support from Mick Mulvaney, who served as Trumps chief of staff, budget director and special envoy to Northern Ireland, as well as GOP congressional leaders including U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and U.S. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise.

A new television ad from Mace wonders if voters can trust Katie Arrington to keep America safe, pointing to the suspension of Arrington's security clearance during a Pentagon probe into the exposure of classified information.

Arrington has disputed Mace's characterization of the clearance issue, arguing she had been politically targeted as a Trump supporter after the Democratic administration of President Joe Biden took over the Pentagon.

Another new spot from a political action committee backing Mace points toward Arrington's support of South Carolina's 2017 gas tax overhaul  a stair-step increase aimed at repairing the state's crumbling roads and bridges  during her single term as a state lawmaker.

A recent ad from Arrington featured voters  as customers  seeking a refund on their choice of Mace because she turned her back on Trump, among other characterizations.

The winner of the GOP contest will go on to face Dr. Annie Andrews in the general election.

With no primary opposition, the Democrat Andrews has been able to continue raising money  more than $920,000, with more than $568,000 on hand as of pre-primary federal filings  and let the GOP contenders feud with each other.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  High school students working to earn free college tuition through Louisiana's TOPS state scholarship program could take computer coding instead of a foreign language under a bill passed Monday amid complaints efforts to revive the French language could be undermined.

The measure passed in the final hours of the 2022 session in Baton Rouge. It goes next to Gov. John Bel Edwards. The Senate passed the final version of the bill 34-0 on Monday but in the House, where 53 votes are needed to pass a bill, the measure squeaked by on a 54-41 vote.
Russia escalated its assault against Ukraine on the battlefield Monday, pummeling a city that has emerged as a key battleground in the east as Moscow expanded sanctions against those who have condemned its actions during the war.

The fight for Severodonetsk has "worsened for us," Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region, said in a televised interview. Russian forces have been shelling and expanding their footprint in the city, though Ukrainian troops remain in control of its industrial zone.

The creeping losses come as the West scrambles to send Ukraine more firepower as fighting in the country's eastern Donbas region intensifies. On Monday, Britain said it would send rocket launch systems that can be used to strike targets up to 50 miles away despite threats from the Kremlin that it would retaliate. The announcement follows a pledge by the United States to send Ukraine similar weapons.

It will take at least a few weeks for Ukrainian forces to be trained in how to use the longer-range weapons, U.S. officials have said, and it remains unclear whether the West's combined efforts to arm Ukraine with more powerful systems will be enough to beat back Russia's recent advances.

Ukrainian leaders have sought to buoy troops' morale. Speaking to reporters Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky - who a day prior visited units in Lysychansk, a town neighboring Severodonetsk - said Ukraine had "every chance" to claw back the city. Kyrylo Budanov, the country's chief of military intelligence, signaled "the occupiers" were being pushed out of Severodonetsk gradually.

The killing of Russian Maj. Gen. Roman Kutuzov, confirmed by Russian state media, appeared to bolster those claims. Kutuzov was the fourth general whose death in Ukraine was confirmed by Russian officials or pro-Kremlin media. Ukraine claims to have killed 12 generals, apart from Kutuzov.

Yet on Monday, Zelensky acknowledged the Ukrainian forces "holding out" in Severodonetsk and Lysychansk were outnumbered by "stronger" Russian troops, according to reports. He also referred to both places as "dead cities."

Speaking at the annual D-Day commemoration in France on Monday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley compared the suffering of Ukrainians to the "horrors" experienced "at the hands of the Nazi invaders" during World War II. Milley and his counterparts from other countries supporting Ukraine are meeting this week in the Normandy countryside to discuss how else they might assist the government in Kyiv.

"The world has come together in support of the defense of Ukraine against a determined invader," Milley said, adding the fight now is about preserving the principle that "strong countries cannot just invade small countries."

"That aggression," he said, "cannot be left to stand."

At the United Nations in New York, Ukrainian officials testified about worsening sexual violence in Ukraine. Natalia Kabrowska, of the Ukrainian Women's Fund, told a session of the U.N. Security Council about how Russian troops use rape "as terror to control civilians in temporarily occupied territories." The United Nations has received 124 reports of sexually based violence during the war, which is the "tip of the iceberg," said Pramila Patten, the U.N. special representative on sexual violence in conflict.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency also reported "extremely stressful and challenging working conditions" at a nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, which is under Russian control, and regulators have yet to be able to visit.

Meanwhile, the British Defense Ministry reported Monday that Russia is likely have installed new air defense systems in the Black Sea, south of Odessa on Snake Island. The antiaircraft missile units believed to be stationed there would provide cover for its ships operating in the area, which have been vulnerable to attack by Ukrainian forces. In April, Russia's Black Sea ship the Moskva sank after Ukraine said it hit the vessel with two anti-ship missiles; in February, Ukrainian fighters on Snake Island were captured and held as prisoners after defying a demand from the Moskva to surrender.

Russia has begun to turn over to Ukraine the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed during the siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, the Associated Press reported Monday. The remains are undergoing DNA testing to verify identities.

Russia and the West also traded punitive measures against prominent individuals, as Moscow blacklisted more than 60 Americans, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and a federal judge in New York approved the U.S. Justice Department seizing two private jets owned by Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Abramovich, who until recently owned the British Chelsea FC soccer team and has served as go-between Putin and Zelensky since hostilities began, is accused of violating federal law by re-exporting his planes, which were made in the United States and worth more than $400 million.

- - -

The Washington Post's Shayna Jacobs, Lateshia Beachum, Dan Lamothe, Robyn Dixon, Karen DeYoung and Bryan Pietsch contributed to this report.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A three-judge panel dismissed a federal lawsuit Monday that sought to force all 100 members of Virginias Republican-controlled House of Delegates to face an unscheduled election this year.

U.S. District Judge David Novak, joined by two other judges, ruled that Paul Goldman, an attorney and longtime Democratic Party activist, lacked standing to pursue the lawsuit he filed last June. Goldman had argued that House members elected for two-year terms in November 2021 must run again in 2022 under newly redrawn maps that properly align legislative districts with population shifts.

The 2021 elections should have been the first held under constitutionally required redistricting based on the 2020 census. But because census results were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the state held elections under the old legislative boundaries; new maps werent finalized until December. Goldman argued that deprived Virginians of their constitutional voting rights, violating the one man, one vote principle outlined by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The judges ruled Goldman did not have standing as a voter or a potential candidate and granted Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares' motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Goldman did not prove that he suffered an individualized disadvantage" from residing in an underrepresented House of Delegates district, the 31-page opinion and order said. Instead, it said Goldman, a Richmond resident, had benefited from over-representation.

In fact, had the new maps been in place in time for the election, they would have weakened Plaintiffs vote, the court wrote.

Miyares praised the ruling, saying the 2021 elections were legal and constitutional.

"Record numbers of Virginians went to the polls to vote and had their voices heard. Im glad that the court agreed with my office, that there is no more uncertainty for voters and legislators, and that we were able to protect the sanctity of our 2021 elections, he said in a statement.

Goldman said that the ruling effectively slashes the right to equal representation in the state legislature and leaves important constitutional issues" unresolved. He said he was considering whether to appeal.

Even though I think I can win the appeal, can you get a ruling in time to have an election in 2022? he said.

Monday's ruling on standing comes after months of delays and voluminous briefings in the long-running case. Goldman, a former state Democratic party chair and former adviser to ex-Gov. Doug Wilder, brought the suit alone and has represented himself. Miyares' predecessor, Democrat Mark Herring, also sought to have it dismissed.

House members on both sides of the aisle had mostly been silent on Goldmans legal fight, though a growing number of Democratic and voting and civil rights groups announced their support in recent months.

If Goldman had prevailed in persuading the court that new elections were needed, it would have thrown many lawmakers back into campaign mode and forced some of them to consider moving. Lawmakers must reside in the district they represent, and the new maps approved by the state Supreme Court were drawn without concern to where incumbents live.

Currently, Republicans narrowly control the chamber they flipped in November.

The court did say that voters who live in districts with populations larger than the ideal district likely have standing, because they are underrepresented when compared to the ideal.

It wasnt immediately clear if a new legal challenge would be filed.

The Loudoun County NAACP said earlier this year that it was reviewing whether to file its own lawsuit. In a letter, the group said the use of outdated maps in the 2021 elections suppressed the vote, diluted the voices and diminished the representation of the groups 637 members and thousands of county residents of color.

The group did not immediately respond to a voicemail left at its office or an email sent Monday.

Herring  who for months last year ignored a request for an official opinion on the matter  attempted to have the lawsuit thrown out on sovereign immunity grounds. Novak dismissed claims against former Gov. Ralph Northam and several other defendants but declined to dismiss claims against state elections officials.

Since then, much of the argument in the case has focused on Goldman's standing. In March, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the issue of standing back to the U.S. District Court to decide.

In October, before the matter had reached the 4th Circuit, a federal judge appointed a three-judge panel to handle the case. Monday's opinion said that the three-judge panel collectively deciding the issue constitutes the most efficient process for handling the case.

The judges said the case had languished for far too long, blaming both the defendants' efforts to engage in piecemeal litigation and Goldman's unorthodox (and occasionally improper) filings.

Novak wrote the opinion and was joined by U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie Thacker and Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson. Novak was nominated by former President Donald Trump and Thacker and Jackson by Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, respectively.
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OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)  Crime, education and the economy were leading issues discussed Monday by eight candidates who are seeking Maryland's Democratic nomination for governor during their first statewide televised debate.

Candidates also used the opportunity during the debate at Maryland Public Television to confront opponents they believe they are more closely competing with in the crowded primary, which will be held July 19. The governor's office is open this election cycle because Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is term limited.

Rushern Baker, Jon Baron, Peter Franchot, Doug Gansler, Ashwani Jain, John King, Wes Moore, and Tom Perez participated in the hourlong debate for broadcast Monday night.

Franchot, who has been the state comptroller since 2007, and former Attorney General Doug Gansler, emphasized their experience in statewide office as qualifying them to take on issues the next governor will be facing. Tom Perez, a former U.S. labor secretary and a past chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also stressed his experience in local, state and federal government.

Wes Moore, a bestselling author and former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation  which focuses on fighting poverty  criticized Franchot during the debate, saying he has accepted campaign donations from entities he has voted to approve contracts for as one of three members of the state's powerful Board of Public Works.

Franchot responded that he has demonstrated integrity in a life of public service. He noted he has been elected four times in statewide races to be the state's tax collector.

Ive spent my entire life serving the people," said Franchot, who also served as a delegate from Montgomery County in the state legislature.

Moore cast himself as a person who has worked for the public good outside of politics.

I have been a public servant for my entire life," Moore said. "I just havent been a politician.

Perez, who also served in former President Barack Obamas administration as assistant attorney general for civil rights from 2009 to 2013, questioned Moore's commitment to public service. Perez said he fought predatory lenders when Moore was working for Citibank during the foreclosure crisis.

I dont know how working at Citibank is public service, Perez said.

Moore responded by questioning Perez's work on predatory lending, saying no one went to jail as a result of his efforts. He also said Perez got a vote of no confidence from the Congressional Black Caucus when he was the chairman of the Democratic Party in 2018.

Perez said he wasn't involved in prosecutions of Wall Street bankers, but he pointed out two large cases he settled involving fair housing.

Perez said he was running to increase jobs and opportunities across the state.

I want to get stuff done, Perez said, highlighting his endorsement by The Washington Post.

Baker, a former Prince George's County executive, focused on how he worked to restore public trust to the state's second largest county, after his predecessor went to prison in a public corruption scandal. Baker also noted he is running his campaign with public campaign financing.

John King, a former U.S. education secretary, said he would focus on making sure education is well funded in the state. He said a huge investment in K-12 education known as the Blueprint for Maryland's Future would be a floor, not a ceiling, if he is elected governor.

We have to commit to the investment necessary, King said.

Gansler, who also is a former Montgomery County states attorney, emphasized fighting crime.

This election is about crime and criminal justice, Gansler said, adding that he supports hiring more police and training them in de-escalation techniques.

Baron, a former nonprofit executive, said the state needs to take innovative approaches to improving education and boosting stagnant wages. He's said he supports providing high-quality tutoring to struggling early elementary school students so they don't fall behind.

Jain, a former Obama administration official, said he was running to make government more inclusive, bringing experience from the public and private sectors.

Jerome Segal, who also is seeking the nomination, was not invited to the debate.

The Maryland Public Television debate is a significant event that is airing statewide on other media outlets, including WBAL-TV," Segal said in a statement. "My exclusion from the debate is a major blow to my campaign, and I believe it is illegal.

Tom Williams, MPT's managing director of communications, said MPT used its best judgement in determining Segal's campaign did not meet participation criteria. Williams said MPT will offer him an opportunity to discuss his campaign on an MPT program.
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NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus will lodge a complaint with the United Nations over Turkeys new financial assistance deal with breakaway Turkish Cypriots that demonstrates Ankaras complete control over them, the president of the ethnically divided island nation said Monday.

President Nicos Anastasiades, a Greek Cypriot, told state broadcaster CyBC that he would also include in the protest letter Turkeys move to designate the Turkish Cypriots unrecognized, main airport as a domestic flight route, effectively turning it into a Turkish one.

Many liberal Turkish Cypriots fear that both the financial deal and the airport designation are the clearest signals yet that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to eventually annex breakaway northern Cyprus.

I will proceed with the complaint again with the United Nations relative to the airport which ... in essence is being integrated and considered a Turkish airport, Anastasiades said. Secondly, (financial) protocol clearly demonstrates Ankaras complete control of the Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish officials reportedly said the designation aims to make flights to and from northern Cyprus cheaper.

Hardline Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Monday dismissed Anastasiades remarks as Greek Cypriot propaganda ahead of presidential elections next year. He also hailed the financial agreement as of great importance to reinvigorate the Turkish Cypriot economy.

Turkish Cypriots declared independence in the island nations northern third nearly a decade after Turkey invaded in 1974 following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Cypriots' independence. Numerous rounds of U.N.-facilitated talks over nearly a half century to reunify Cyprus as a federation composed of Greek and Turkish speaking sectors have led nowhere.

Turkish Cypriots fault a Greek Cypriot denial to equitably share power in a federated Cyprus. Greek Cypriots fear a Turkish Cypriot insistence for Turkish military intervention rights, a permanent Turkish troop presence and veto power for the minority Turkish Cypriots.

Citing the failed peace talks, Ankara and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar say the only feasible way now to break the deadlock is an accord based on two sovereign states  something that Greek Cypriots reject as formalizing permanent partition of the Mediterranean island.

Many Turkish Cypriots are up in arms over the financial agreement, about 240 million euros worth of grants and loans this year, or about a third of annual revenues.

Although the north has always been dependent on Turkish economic aid, the peace group United Cyprus Now says this deal compels Turkish Cypriots to introduce measures curbing freedom of speech, making it easier for Turkish citizens to buy up property and cedes more power to religious authorities.

These measures constitute a direct threat to the will, identity, culture, way of life and heritage of Turkish Cypriots, the group said.

The leader of the leftist opposition Republican Turkish Party Tufan Erhurman called the deal a protocol for the abandonment of the will of Turkish Cypriots to govern themselves.
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UNITED NATIONS (AP)  European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia on Monday of using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries and blamed the Kremlin for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscows U.N. ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Michel addressed Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at the council meeting, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odessa a few weeks ago.

That was because of Russian warships in the Black Sea," and Moscows attacks on transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, bombs and mines that are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting, he said.

This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilizing entire regions, Michel said. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.

Michel also accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas it has occupied while shifting the blame of others, calling this cowardly and propaganda, pure and simple.

Nebenzia walked out during Michel's briefing, giving Russias seat to another diplomat.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky tweeted later on Telegrams Russian channel that Michels comments were so rude that the Russian ambassador left the Security Council chamber.

The Security Council meeting was supposed to focus on sexual violence during the war in Ukraine but Russias invasion and the consequences, especially on global food shortages and rising prices, were also raised.

Michel gave strong backing to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to get a package agreement that would allow grain exports from Ukraine and ensure that Russian food and fertilizer have unrestricted access to global markets.

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.

Guterres warned last month that global hunger levels are at a new high, with the number of people facing severe food insecurity doubling in just two years from 135 million before the COVID-19 pandemic to 276 million today. He said more than 500,000 people are living in famine conditions -- an increase of more than 500% since 2016.

Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Security Council on Monday that the country remains committed to finding solutions to prevent the global food crisis and is ready to create the necessary conditions to resume exports from the key southern port of Odesa.

The question is how to make sure that Russia does not abuse the trade route to attack the city itself, he said.

Kyslytsya said the question has become more relevant since four Russian missiles hit a plant in the capital Kyiv on Sunday where freight cars that carry grain to Ukrainian ports were being repaired.

It means all Putins fairy tales about his readiness to facilitate Ukrainian wheat export that he so eloquently tells his rare interlocutors remain too far removed from reality, the Ukrainian ambassador said.

Nonetheless, we continue our work with the U.N. and partners to ensure the functioning of the maritime rules for the expert for Ukrainian agricultural products, Kyslytsya said.

As a first step," he said, Russia must withdraw its naval forces in the maritime waters around Ukraine and provide security guarantees against attacks in ports and against commercial ships.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, at a virtual roundtable discussion with private sector groups on food security issues arising from the conflict, accused Russian forces of planting explosives in captured farmland and hoarding Ukraine's food exports.

Blinken said Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing this and aggressively using his propaganda machine to deflect or distort responsibility because he hopes it will get the world to give in to him and then the sanctions. In other words, quite simply put: Its blackmail.

The Kremlin needs to realize that it is exporting starvation and suffering well beyond Ukraine borders," with African experiencing an outsize share the pain," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A former congressman from Philadelphia pleaded guilty Monday to charges related to fraudulently stuffing ballot boxes for Democratic candidates between 2014 and 2018.

Federal prosecutors said former Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael J. Ozzie Myers pleaded guilty to violations of election law, conspiracy, bribery and obstruction.

Messages seeking comment were left for his defense lawyers listed on the online docket.

In a sentencing memo dated Friday, federal prosecutors said his "criminal efforts were generally, although not exclusively, directed at securing election victories for local judicial candidates running for Philadelphias Court of Common Pleas or Municipal Court who had employed Myers as a political consultant.

Myers was expelled from Congress in 1980 after being caught taking bribes in the Abscam sting investigation.

Prosecutors said Myers, 79, admitted he bribed a judge of elections to add votes for his chosen candidates, including clients who were running for judicial offices. The bribes were hundreds or thousands of dollars.

He also conspired with another elections judge to tell voters on election days which candidates they should vote for, candidates that Myers had selected, and the now former judge cast fraudulent votes for people who did not appear at the polls.

Votes are not things to be purchased and democracy is not for sale, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a news release.

In the Abscam sting, Myers was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking money from FBI agents who posed as Arab sheiks. He served more than a year in prison.

Myers also served six years in the Pennsylvania House before his 1976 election to Congress.
President Paul Kagame has said that all challenges that countries are facing can be handled faster, better, and more equitably by investing in universal and affordable broadband.

He made the address during the Broadband Commission Meeting for Sustainable Development, which he co-chaired with Carlos Slim, a Mexican billionaire, on June 5.

For the third time in Kigali, the meeting brought together several officials including; Houlin Zhao, the Vice Co-chair of International Telecommunication Union, and Tawfik Jelassi, representing the Director General of UNICEF, and different Ministers.

"We are still living in tough times, economically, politically, and in terms of global public health. The immediate future is full of uncertainties and risks," said Kagame.

Since 2011, he said, "we have come a long way but we still have some distance to travel to achieve universal and affordable broadband. It is very encouraging to see that our Broadband Commission community is as energetic and focused as ever."

The Commission defines the internet as being affordable when 1.5 gigabyte of mobile data is priced at no more than 2 percent of average income.

While referring to the World Telecommunication Development Conference to be hosted in Rwanda, Kagame commended its 'notable feature'- a launch of Partner-to-Connect, a platform to mobilise new resources and partnerships for universal connectivity.

"More than 200 pledges have been made so far, including 12 from Broadband Commissioners," he disclosed.

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He said that Rwanda has already benefited from such partnership efforts as a lead country in the Giga initiative, led by International Telecommunication Union and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund).

"The pilot project in 63 schools has resulted in a quadrupling of capacity and a 55 per cent reduction in cost."

The Giga Initiative is a UN ambitious enterprise with the purpose of providing internet connectivity to every school in the world by 2030.

Slim, the Co-Chair of the Commission, said that the Covid-19 pandemic showed the necessity to have broadband connectivity used across different sectors of life such as work, learning, communication, and access to health.

"Millions of people got connected during these times and it was very impressive to see the use was so intensive," he noted.

Globally, between 2020 and 2021, he said, connectivity grew by 17 per cent and the experience of this pandemic makes it clear that "we need to go for universal connectivity."

Zhao said that one of the challenges to overcome is reducing the cost of broadband subscription and digital devices, especially in low and lower middle-income countries.

"I hope that we can use this moment to accelerate the achievement of the targets, and break down these last barriers to connectivity," he added.

In 2018, the Broadband Commission set out seven targets for 2025 to "Connect the Other Half" of the world's population, and it aims to expand broadband infrastructure to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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NEW HAVEN  It was a time of renewed friendships and welcoming, but not for one alum from Yale's undergraduate class of 1987  Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Classmates did not see him in person, but they sent a loud message nonetheless to Kavanaugh, who is expected to be the swing vote in a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization this month. That ruling could end constitutional protection for abortion which has been in place under Roe v. Wade since 1973.

He can hear us from down in Chevy Chase, Maryland and we will make some noise in New Haven, said organizer and alumna Kathy Charlton at a rally for reproductive rights held Saturday in front of the Maya Lin Women's Table on Yales Cross Campus.

A crowd of around 300 encircled the sculpture, spilling onto the steps of the Sterling Memorial Library, holding signs with the same theme. Alumni from the six other Yale classes holding reunions on campus were among the crowd.

Brett Lied Again. Get off the Court Kavanaugh, one of them read. My Choice: Impeach Brett, read another.

Kavanaugh is one of four justices who signed onto a draft by Justice Samuel Alito that would overturn Roe and return decisions on abortion to the states. If this happens, it is estimated that 26 states are certain or likely to prohibit abortions.

Draft decision shows courts possible action

Carrie N. Baker, a professor at Smith College, a lawyer and contributing editor at Ms. Magazine, as well as a former classmate of Kavanaugh, called the draft decision appalling, but it is one that tells the American people what the court will do in the future.

It is an extreme decision that basically makes the Constitution irrelevant for many of the rights that we count on, Baker said.

She predicted the court will deep-six affirmative action and go after the right to contraception as first outlined in the 1965 case, Griswold v. Connecticut, decided under the rubric of privacy.

Rights enshrined under privacy pulled the cops out of our bedrooms. Pulled the politicians from rifling through our underwear draws and that is going away, Baker predicted.

She said the draft argues that the only protected rights are those explicitly stated in the Constitution  rights determined by slave-holders and property-holding white men who weren't thinking about abortion. It also refers to rights that have a long standing protection in U.S. history and tradition.

She said there is nothing in the opinion about rape or incest or other exceptions.

Baker said Alito used the term unborn child repeatedly throughout the decision, leading her to think Connecticut's abortion protective laws could be challenged next as violating an unborn childs rights that could lead to the end of abortion in all 50 states.

A college connection

While Kavanaugh, with his connection to the Yale Class of 1987 was the focus, Baker pointed out that of the five votes expected to overturn Roe v. Wade, Alito and Clarence Thomas also have Yale connections.

What the hell are we doing here? How are we producing people that think that they can take our rights away like this  long standing constitutional rights? she said to cheers.

Baker said she knew Kavanaugh as an undergraduate and the idea that hes prepared to take away peoples rights is appalling.

We need to hold him accountable, she said.

Baker, who chairs American Studies at Smith College, said one in five female students experience sexual assault while in college.

I think sexual assault and abortion bans are two sides of the same coin, Baker said. It is about taking away women's bodily autonomy. They are both a form of violence against women.

Access to abortion

Beth Parker, class of 1977 and general counsel at Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, said without Roe 36 million pregnant people will no longer be able to easily access abortion.

She said they will have to find a provider, locate transportation, travel hundreds of miles and incur huge expenses to cross borders to access the services. Parker also worries about those states that will criminalize crossing state lines and prosecute those aiding and abetting an abortion.

These laws will have a devastating impact on low-income women, people of color, immigrants and those who our healthcare system otherwise fails, Parker said.

Parker said with Roe, women in her graduating class were able to become full participants in society.

We had autonomy over our lives, she said. We could decide if, when and how many children to have. We can take full advantage of the educational and employment opportunities open to us.

When Roe is reversed, which is widely expected, all of these advances will evaporate, Parker added.

She shared real stories Planned Parenthood has experienced. She said under Roe the organization did not have to ask a pregnant woman to forego chemotherapy in favor of a nascent pregnancy; maintain a pregnancy after contraception fails; force a patient with a fatal abnormality to deliver a dead baby; nor allow a 13-year-old rape victim to carry a child to term.

These are not hypothetical or rare occurrences, she said.

The crowd was asked to go home and use their voices to educate, advocate and donate to the cause of reproductive rights.

An LGBTQ access issue

James Esseks, director of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer and HIV Project, and another classmate of Kavanaugh, said the draft decision represents a crisis, it represents a warning and it represents a call to action.

The largest portion of the LGBTQ community is bisexual and pan-sexual people who need access to abortion care, he said. It is an LGBTQ access issue.

He called Alito's test for protected rights enormously restrictive and worried it could take other rights away.

That includes the right to form intimate relationships with other consenting adults. He pointed to the past criminalization of sodomy for same-sex couples, but also oral sex for straight folks that could be brought back.

The other right, won in 2015, is the ability of same-sex couples to marry.

There is a lot at stake here ... and the sad reality is, the courts are not going to fix this for us, Esseks said. The courts can't fix this for us ... the only way forward is politics folks and our political system is broken, but that does not give us the excuse to just sit there and do nothing.

We are in the fight of our lives, he said.

Health concerns

Dr. Audrey Garrett, a gynecologic oncologist from the Class of 1987, talked about terrifying pragmatic concerns she has if Roe goes away.

She said there is no way to discern the difference between a miscarriage and a pregnancy termination, adding the risk is women may sit unattended to in an emergency room as they bleed and their situation worsens.

The danger is that women are going to be criminalized, Garrett said.

She said pre-Roe v. Wade, the medical community saw women every weekend in the emergency room and intensive care units sick, septic and sometimes dying from botched abortions.

Garrett asked the Yale alumni not be complacent.

She said very few clinicians have seen women die of a septic abortion. Garrett said she has. It really is not pretty and we don't, in this country, want to go back there.

Dr. Karen Horst, a reproductive psychiatrist practicing in Texas, also class of 1987, said she works with pregnant women who have an anomaly that is lethal or devastating, such as carrying a fetus with a genetic disorder, or a fetus with no brain or that part of the brain that makes us human.

They can't recommend termination if there is a heart beat.

She said several women have flown to other states for abortions.

Horst said she also had women show up with their membrane ruptured, which leaves them open to infection. They are sent home until they develop a fever which means they may be septic. Women with incomplete miscarriages have also come to her hospital.

We just have to let them bleed until we decide that they have bled too much. That is where we are in Texas right now, Horst said.

State Sen. Gary Winfield, D-10, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, received extensive applause for his efforts on a bill that prohibits the state from extraditing anyone charged with a crime that is not illegal in Connecticut.

The bill covers abortion and expands the groups of medical personnel who can perform the procedure.

Winfield said people have always had to fight for their rights.

I don't want you to walk away and say I went to the rally, but I am dejected and I just don't want to deal with it, Winfield said.

He told them to go back to their states where they should advocate, educate and donate to the cause.

Those are the things to do, Winfield said. Those are the ways you change it.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette said Monday that he plans to travel to Africa just as the primary campaign season kicks into high gear, banking that his name recognition is so strong he can afford to leave the country with his job on the line.

La Follette told The Associated Press that he plans to leave on a trip to Kenya and Zimbabwe on Sunday and doesnt plan to return to Wisconsin until early July. The 81 year-old Democrat said he booked the trip two years ago but had to postpone it due to the COVID-19 pandemic and doesn't want to lose his down payment.

The trip comes as La Follette faces a challenge within his own party for his job and with Republicans targeting his office.

Its probably not the best time, but I had no choice unless I had to forfeit the payment I made for it," he said. "So I decided that life has to go on.

The stakes are high for the sleepy office because Republicans want to shift election oversight from the state elections commission to the secretary of state, following the model of more than 30 other states. Democrats fear that could allow Republicans to improperly influence certification of Wisconsin elections, particularly the 2024 presidential contest.

Worried that La Follette may lack the energy to compete, Dane County Democratic Party Chairwoman Alexia Sabor is challenging La Follette for the partys nomination.

La Follette plans to stay in small lodges with a group of 10 to 15 people and spend his days on excursions looking at wildlife. Earlier this year, he said he was so scared of contracting the coronavirus he didnt know how he would circulate his nomination papers across Wisconsin, although he ultimately did manage to secure the 2,000 signatures he needed to get on the ballot. He said he now feels the pandemic has subsided enough that its safe to travel overseas.

Ill wear my double mask and shield on the airplane, he said.

La Follette  a distant relative of Fighting Bob La Follette, a progressive governor and 1924 presidential candidate  was first elected secretary of state in 1974. After a failed try for lieutenant governor in 1978, he won the office in 1982 and has won reelection nine times.

The Wisconsin primaries are Aug. 9. State Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, Jay Schroeder and Justin Schmidtka are running in a three-way Republican primary.

La Follette said he's not particularly worried about not being able to campaign in the crucial weeks leading up to the primary. The lodges have internet service so he can stay in touch, he said, and he's confidant that voters already know plenty about him.

Im sure my opponent will try to make hay out of it, but its not like Im an unknown candidate, he said. People know who am I. The issues are simple. Who has the best chance of winning in November? I am that candidate. If my opponent tries to drag out any other issues like I'm too old or Im in Africa, that doesn't make any difference. The issue is the same. Who has the best chance to beat the Republican?

Sabor accused La Follette of disengaging with voters.

This trip demonstrates the same disrespect for voters that Doug has shown for taxpayers his entire 40-plus years in public office, she said in a text her campaign consultant, Sachin Chedda, forwarded to the AP. He couldn't go out and get signatures but he can go on safari?"

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Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1
The prisoner who walked out of an Alabama jail in handcuffs with a corrections official, prompting a manhunt that came to a bloody end in Indiana, was in the woman's care and custody the entire time, his attorneys said in revealing their potential legal defense to an escape charge.

Lawyers for Casey White made the claim about his high-profile departure from the Lauderdale County jail in a flurry of motions filed Friday in a capital murder case in which White faces a potential death sentence if convicted. It was the defense's first public explanation of what happened.

An attorney for White, Mark McDaniel, declined comment Monday. But the defense suggestion that jailer Vicky White, 56, was in control of Casey White, 38, as they departed the jail in Florence, Alabama, on April 29 meshes with a claim made previously by Casey White's mother, Connie Moore.

"I doubt he even knew he was leaving when she came in there to get him, Moore told The Associated Press in an interview last month.

Casey White, who is not related to Vicky White, was serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other crimes and awaiting trial on a murder charge when he left the jail with Vicky White, the longtime assistant corrections director at the time. Video showed her escorting White to a patrol car and leaving for a supposed mental evaluation at a courthouse.

Officials said no evaluation or hearing ever was scheduled, and the two disappeared. They were eventually located in Evansville, Indiana, where the man surrendered and was arrested after Vicky White shot herself to death in the car in which they were riding.

Authorities in Alabama said it appeared the two had a jailhouse romance. Weeks before they fled, Vicky White sold her house for $95,000, sold her car and filed for retirement, which took effect the day she took the man out of the jail.

The defense portrayed Vicky White as being in control of events from the very start, noting she placed Casey White in the back of a sheriff's department vehicle.

This prompted an 11 day manhunt for Vicky White and the Defendant who remained in her care and custody, the defense said.

The defense arguments came in a request to move Casey White's upcoming capital murder trial out of Lauderdale County because of publicity caused by the escape and manhunt.

While a court has not ruled on the request, a judge on Friday postponed White's trial in the 2015 death of Connie Ridgeway. Authorities say he confessed to the slaying in 2020 while in state prison, but the defense asked a judge to throw out those statements.

White won't go on trial in the murder case any sooner than December, a judge ruled in granting an unopposed defense motion to postpone the case. A hearing on the escape case is scheduled for later this month.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP)  The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a health care staffing shortage in Washington, so the state Legislature this year provided more than $38 million to expand nursing programs statewide.

Some schools, like Eastern Washington University, got funding to create a new four-year program while others, including Washington State University, didnt receive any to bolster their current programs. Legislators and university officials say thats just because of what funding each school requested this year.
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KYIV, Ukraine  A theater in Ukraines capital has reopened for the first time since Russian forces invaded the country, and tickets sold out for Sunday's performance.

Theater on Podil was the latest cultural institution in Kyiv to resume operations. Movie theaters and the National Opera opened their doors at the end of May.

We were wondering how it would be, whether spectators would come during the war, whether they think at all about theater, whether its of any interest, said one of the actors, Yuriy Felipenko. And we were happy that the first three plays were sold out.

Filipenko saysthe theater is putting on plays with just a few actors.

Actor Kostya Tomlyak says he had hesitated to perform in wartime. But the influx of people returning to Kyiv since hostilities there have lessened persuaded him that its necessary to go on.

In his words, You continue living, although you dont forget that there is the war. The main question is how actors can be helpful.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

 AP Exclusive: Ukraine recovers bodies from steel-plant siege

 Ukraine's leader says Russia is trying to capture a key southeastern city

 US general says US, allies will keep sending significant aid to Ukraine

 NATO nations block Russian envoy from visit to Serbia

 UN: Climate shocks and Ukraine war fuel multiple global food crises

 In eastern Ukraine, keeping the lights on is a dangerous job

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

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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

MOSCOW  Russias Foreign Ministry announced Monday that is levying sanctions on 61 U.S. nationals,.

It said the move was being taken in response to the ever-expanding U.S. sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic business.

The list includes U.S. officials and former and current top managers of large American companies, such as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

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UNITED NATIONS -- European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia of using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries and blamed the Kremlin for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscows U.N. ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Michel addressed Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at a council meeting Monday, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odessa a few weeks ago because of Russian warships in the Black Sea. He said Moscows attacks on Ukraines transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, airstrikes and mines are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting.

This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty and destabilizing entire regions, Michel said. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.

Michel accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas in Ukraine that it has occupied while shifting the blame of others, calling this cowardly and propaganda, pure and simple.

Nebenzia walked out, giving Russias seat to another diplomat. Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky tweeted later on Telegrams Russian channel that Michels comments were so rude that the Russian ambassador left the Security Council chamber.

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COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France  The United States and its allies will keep providing significant support to Ukraine out of respect for the legacy of D-Day soldiers, whose victory over the Nazis helped lead to a new world order and a better peace, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday.

In an interview with The Associated Press overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, Milley said Russias war on Ukraine undermines the rules established by Allied countries after the end of World War II. He spoke on the 78th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Allied troops onto the beaches of France, which led to the overthrow of Nazi Germanys occupation.

One fundamental rule of theglobal rules-based order is that countries cannot attack other countries with their military forces in acts of aggression unless its an act of pure self-defense, he stressed. But thats not whats happened here in Ukraine. Whats happened here is an open, unambiguous act of aggression.

I think that the United States and the allied countries are providing a significant amount of support to Ukraine, and that will continue, he said.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

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NEW YORK  U.S. authorities moved Monday to seize two luxury jets  a $60 million Gulfstream and a $350 million aircraft believed to be one of the worlds most expensive private airplanes  after linking both to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

A federal magistrate judge signed a warrant authorizing the seizure of the Gulfstream and a Boeing jet that authorities said was worth less than $100 million before a lavish customization.

The action takes place just days after the United States announced new sanctions and penalties on Russian oligarchs and elites, Kremlin officials, businessmen linked to President Vladimir Putin and their yachts, aircraft and firms that manage them.

President Joe Biden promised after Russias February invasion of Ukraine to pursue Russian elites ill-gotten gains.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Monday that his office was using every legal tool available to respond to Russians illegal war in Ukraine.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines president is asking for a secure corridor for Ukrainian vessels to be able to ship out grain and prevent food shortages in Africa and Asia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a news conference on Monday that Kyiv is in talks with countries like Turkey and the U.K. about security guaranties for Ukrainian ships.

It is important for us that there is a security corridor ... that the fleet of this or that country ensures the shipping of the grain, Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy adds that if now we have 22-25 million tons blocked there, in the fall we might have 75 (million tons).

What are we going to do? he asked. Thats why we cant do without the ports.

The issue of blocked grain will be on the agenda on Wednesday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs visit to Turkey. Ankara is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for the shipment of Ukrainian grain amid an escalating food crisis.

Zelenskyy says Kyiv hasnt been invited, possibly because Turkey wants to get security guarantees from Russia for its own ships first.

He explains that Ukraine cant export large shipments of grain via railways because of long delivery times, even though Kyiv has been in talks with Poland and the Baltic nations. A transport through the territory of Russias ally Belarus isnt an option, he said.

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UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. envoy on sexual violence in conflict says sexual violence in Ukraine especially against women and girls remains prevalent and underreported, and the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country is turning into a human trafficking crisis.

Pramila Patten told the U.N. Security Council Monday that there is a gap between its resolutions aimed at preventing rape and other sexual attacks during conflicts and the reality on the ground for the most vulnerable  women and children.

As of June 3, she said, the U.N. human rights office had received 124 allegations of conflict-related sexual violence  97 against women and girls, 19 against men, 7 against boys and 1 gender unknown. Verification of these cases is on-going, she said.

Patten said Ukraines prosecutor general informed her during a visit in May that a national hot line reported the following forms of conflict-related sexual violence between Feb. 24, when Russian troops invaded the country, and April 12: rape, gang rape, pregnancy following rape, attempted rape, threats of rape, coercion to watch an act of sexual violence committed against a partner or a child, and forced nudity.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines president says the Russian forces intend to capture the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on Monday. He added that part of the region already has been taken and Russia wants to take the city next.

In the south of Ukraine, Russia has already seized large cities of Kherson and Mariupol. The Zaporizhzhia region, with the population of 1.6 million people, is one of the biggest industrial hubs of Ukraines southeast. The city itself has 722,000 people.

Zelenskyy also said that the Ukrainian troops continue to fight in the eastern part of the country known as the Donbas. In the Luhansk region, the Ukrainian resistance continues in Sievierodonetsk, one of two cities still not in Russias hands, he said.

There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on there, Zelenskyy said.

In the northern Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian army step by step de-occupies our lands, Zelenskyy said.

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MOSCOW  President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine.

The National Guard is Russias internal military forces, but has taken part in military operations in Ukraine including the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

The lump sum is equivalent to roughly six years of Russias average salary.

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MOSCOW  The president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic says the regions supreme court is opening the trial of three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukrainian forces.

If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could face the death penalty.

Separatist president Denis Pushilin on Monday said the crimes they committed were monstrous, according to separatist news agency DAN. They are also charged with committing crimes against groups of people.

Two of the men, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, were members of regular Ukrainian military units in Mariupol. The affiliation of Andrew Hill, who was captured in the Mykolaiv area, is unclear.

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ROME  Russias ambassador in Rome has been summoned to the Italian foreign ministry, following anti-Italy remarks by Russian government officials.

The foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday that Ambassador Sergey Razov was summoned on instructions on Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and in concert with the office of Italian Premier Mario Draghi.

Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov derided Di Maios peace plan, which had been relayed to the United Nations. Lavrov described the plan, which called for incremental cease-fires as well as humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, as not serious.

Lavrov also insinuated that Di Maio was out for self-promotion to gain votes.

The foreign ministry statement said Secretary General Ettore Francesco Sequi firmly rejects accusations of amorality aimed at some heads of Italian institutions and media.

Sequi also rejected insinuations relative to the alleged involvement of the media of our country in an anti-Russia campaign. In the same statement, Sequi reiterated Italys condemnation of Russias unjustified aggression against Ukraine.

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MOSCOW  The Russian foreign minister has warned the West that if it provides Ukraine with long-range rockets, Moscow will respond by taking over larger areas of Ukraine.

Speaking during an online news conference Monday, Sergey Lavrov said that the longer the range of weapons you supply, the farther away the line from where neo-Nazis could threaten the Russian Federation will be pushed.

The U.S. and Britain have announced they will provide Ukraine with multiple rocket-launchers capable of striking targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. The systems are capable of firing longer range rockets that can hit areas of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) away, but U.S. said it wouldnt supply the rockets.

Asked how Moscow would respond if the U.S. and its allies change their mind and provide Ukraine with long-range rockets, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in televised comments Sunday that Moscow will draw appropriate conclusions and use our strike means, which we have plenty of, in order to hit the facilities that we havent struck yet.

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SOFIA, Bulgaria  Bulgarias foreign ministry said Monday that Ukraines ambassador to Sofia has requested Bulgarian arms deliveries for his embattled country.

Ambassador Vitaly Moskalenko confirmed in a TV interview that his country needs Soviet-era weapons including heavy artillery.

We need weapons, we are talking about howitzers and missile systems  Soviet, old weapons that we can handle, he said.

In the wake of Russias stepped-up military efforts in eastern Ukraine, he added: Imagine the firepower concentrated now against Ukraine in Donbas.

On May 4, Bulgarias Parliament approved military technical assistance to Ukraine, which provides only for the repair of Ukrainian weapons and equipment, not the provision of combat systems and small arms.

Parliament would need to revise its previous decision, which seems uncertain because of the divisions between the political parties on this issue.

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KYIV, Ukraine  A regional governor in Ukraine says that the situation in a key eastern town has worsened.

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Monday that fierce fighting was continuing in the city of Sievierodonetsk in the epicenter of the Russian offensive. He described the combat situation as quite dynamic.

Our defenders managed to conduct counteroffensive and free nearly half of the city, but the situation has worsened again now, Haidai told the AP. Our guys are defending the positions in the industrial zone on the outskirts of the city.

The shelling of Sievierodonetsk has intensified, (the Russians) are destroying everything in line with their scorched earth tactics, he alleged.

Haidai said that the Russians have continued intensive bombardment also of nearby Lysychansk.

The Russians have an enormous amount of equipment and personnel, they have pulled up a lot of reserves, he said. He added that they had shelled a humanitarian center in Lysychansk and destroyed a bakery, and that 98 people had left the town over the past 24 hours.

Haidai said that a key highway between Bakhmut and Lysychansk has been under constant shelling even though it remains in Ukrainian hands.

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COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France  Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had strong words about the war in Ukraine at a ceremony Monday commemorating the 78th anniversary of D-Day.

Speaking in the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach, Milley said that "Kyiv may be 2,000 kilometers away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II.

He spoke in the presence of more than 20 World War II veterans and several thousand people who came to pay tribute to those who fell that day.

The world has come together in support of the defense of Ukraine against a determined invader. The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, he said.

Its about maintaining the so called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery.

Gen. Milley recalled the principle underlined in that order that strong countries cannot just invade small countries. Each country is sovereign and each country has the right to territorial integrity.

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MOSCOW  The Russian military says it has struck a Ukrainian factory that was being used to repair armor.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday that Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was fixing armored vehicles.

Konashenkov said that the Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while the Russian artillery struck 431 military targets. His claims couldnt be independently verified.
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (AP)  A man threatened a motorist with an assault rifle a day before being killed in a confrontation with a police officer, the police chief said Monday.

Jacob Poitraw, 25, of Presque Isle, was shot after ramming a police officer's cruiser several times Sunday evening during a pursuit, Police Chief Laurie Kelly said. He died later at a hospital.
LANCASTER, Calif. (AP)  Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies shot and killed a man who pointed a crossbow at them over the weekend, authorities said Monday.

Deputies responded around 1 p.m. Sunday following reports of a suicidal man with a knife outside a business in Lancaster, according to a sheriff's department statement.
MANISTEE COUNTY  A list of Manistee County first response agencies are reporting higher calls for service lately compared to years past.

Josh Glass, Manistee City Police chief, reported at the June Manistee County Public Safety Committee meeting that the police departments complaint volume skyrockets in June and the officers are extremely busy.

Glass noted that the department is not just busy with calls for service but also with revisiting its COVID-19 mitigation plan, training on emergency vehicle operations, first aid and firearms, and work with schools.

June specifically, we have the second half of our training curriculum. We have all the things that are associated with the beach, traffic doubles (or) triples, ordinance enforcement, he said. Its a very, very busy time for us, as it is for everyone else.

Glass said the department is also preparing for the Manistee National Forest Festival as well as the fireworks and parade tied to it.

Michael Machen, Manistee County emergency management coordinator and 911 deputy director, said overall, everything is just up.

Kind of like everybody else, were just kind of busy; 2020 is kind of the throw-away year when nothing happened so thats why theres a huge increase between 2020 and 2022. But overall, they are up just a little bit  about 230 calls from last years month of May to this years month of May.

One incident in particular last month that drew the help of 18 agencies spanning nine counties was a drowning on Bear Lake.

Its a tragedy and its something that nobody should have to go through. Our hearts go out to (his) family and friends and everyone who was involved and touched by that incident, Manistee County Sheriff Brian Gutowski remarked at the committee meeting.

Responders searched Bear Lake from May 29 through Wednesday when the 20-year-old Manistee mans body was found.

Gutowski remarked on the importance of partnerships when responding to calls like the drowning incident.

Were a small sheriffs office, were a small community and we couldnt do anything that we do especially in instances like this without the help of our partners, he said. I have staff that worked over 48 hours in four days. Sunup to sundown, they were out there with our dive team, our marine patrol getting boats set up, getting them out on the water working all daylight hours. Then coming in putting everything away and doing it again the next day.

Gutowski said the number of agencies that helped was just overwhelming and its a testament to what we do in public safety when things like this happen.

May 2022 at a glance Here is what the Manistee County Public Safety Committee reports show for May 2022 in Manistee County's emergency calls.  Law enforcement had 2,083 calls, incidents and events responded to last month.  Law enforcement saw most of its calls and activities on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Most law enforcement numbers stem from traffic stops, follow up investigations, criminal history checks, assisting citizens and abandoned 911 calls.  There were 410 fire and EMS calls last month.  The highest number of fire and EMS calls took place at either 4 p.m. or 7 p.m.  Most of the fire/EMS calls were for ambulance requests and fire runs. See More Collapse

Travis House, Michigan State Police Cadillac Post Commander, said search and rescues in lakes are difficult. People dont realize (when they) look at an inland lake and I think most people look at it and think it should be no problem to recover a drowning victim from that.

The truth is its an effort and from what I could tell it was very well run by the sheriff and the amount of resources that poured out to help really was something to behold, House said.

Lisa Sagala, Manistee County controller and administrator, pointed out at the meeting that the family of the man who drowned was appreciative of the efforts by all the different agencies that assisted in the search.

A look at the numbers

Not only is June going into the time when police, fire, EMS and central dispatch see higher numbers, it has also been a time of higher calls compared with the last few years overall.

According to a report included in the June Manistee County Public Safety Committee agenda materials, there were 1,452 calls, incidents and other events recorded by law enforcement in May 2020.

Then in May 2021, that number increased to 1,865 and finally to 2,083 last month.

The highest numbers reported last month for law enforcement were attributed to traffic stops, follow up investigations, criminal history checks, assisting citizens and abandoned 911 calls.

The report also broke the numbers into the most common times of day and days of the week in which events took place during May throughout the last few years.

Last month, law enforcement saw most of its calls and activities on Mondays compared to the lead day in May 2021 and 2022 being Saturdays.

Of all the law enforcement calls last month, the highest number of calls took place at either 4 p.m. or 7 p.m. These two time slots together accounted for about 13% of the months calls.

For fire and EMS, there was also an increase from May 2020 to 2022 as the area went from seeing 377 calls in 2020, to 396 in 2021 and finally 410 last month.

Most of the calls last month were for ambulance requests and fire runs, followed by ambulance request transfers and lift assists.

In 2020, there were 48 fire runs for May, while 2021 had 47 and 2022 had 56. But ambulance request transfers dipped by about 35% from 2020 to 2022.

The most common time for calls to fire and EMS last month was from 10 p.m. to 10:59 p.m. The most common day for fire and EMS calls last month was Tuesdays while May 2020 it was Fridays and May 2021 was Saturdays.

Animal control also saw increases in some types of calls last month.

Last month, the county continued to see an increase in animal bites with six instances reported compared to two in April.

Animal control stats in the report also showed an increase in animals impounded going from one in April to 13 last month. Animal control spent the most time in Bear lake Township on calls followed by Manistee Township and Stronach Township, according to the reports.
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CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  The stepmother of a New Hampshire girl who disappeared in 2019 at age 5 entered not guilty pleas Monday to two perjury charges accusing her of lying to a grand jury.

Kayla Montgomery, 31, is accused of lying last month to the Hillsborough County grand jury about the location of a prior job and the time of a prior shift, according to court documents. Her lawyer said authorities allege she lied about those details for November or December of 2019, which is about the time they believe Harmony Montgomery went missing.

Kayla Montgomery waived arraignment on the charges and was released after spending the weekend in jail.

She was arrested Friday at the Manchester Police Department when she arrived for a daily check-in. The check-ins are required as part of Montgomerys bail conditions after she was arrested on unrelated charges of receiving stolen firearms.

Earlier this year, she was charged with theft by deception after police said she falsely claimed that Harmony Montgomery was living with her in order to collect welfare benefits. She pleaded not guilty and was released on bail last month. Lawyers are scheduled to discuss that charge on Thursday.

Authorities didn't know that Harmony Montgomery was missing until last year. She is still considered a missing person. Her eighth birthday is Tuesday.

Kayla Montgomery pleaded not guilty to the benefits charge and was released on bail last month. In April, lawyers said a plea offer and a counter offer were discussed. A spokesperson for the attorney general's office said we would not be able to comment" when asked if the new charges would affect those discussions. Montgomery's attorney did not immediately respond.

Adam Montgomery, Harmonys father, has been indicted on an assault charge alleging that he struck Harmony in the face in July 2019. Hes also accused of unrelated firearms theft charges and has pleaded not guilty.

The couple, described as estranged, told police that Harmony was brought to be with her mother in Massachusetts around Thanksgiving 2019. Her mother said she last saw her daughter during a phone video conversation at around Easter that year.

Police have received hundreds of tips. Theyre offering $150,000 for information that will lead them to the missing child.
Nairobi  Major news companies of Africa have teamed up with the China Media Group (CMG) in rolling out a joint initiative in environmental protection.

"Speaking for Nature Media Action for China-Africa Environment Protection" was launched in Kenya's capital Nairobi as part of the celebrations to mark the World Environment Day on June 5.

Zhou Pingjian, the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, together with more than 30 representatives of media, international organizations, and government departments attended the ceremony.

In his opening speech, Cao Ri, the Acting Bureau Chief of CMG Africa, called for joint action in environmental protection.

"Living in harmony with nature is a value long upheld by the African people. This demonstration of ecological ethics should be an inspiration for us all," said Cao, outlining the purpose of the initiative and proposing a more global approach to dialogue and multilateral cooperation on matters of ecological protection.

"We need to shift humanity's relationship with nature to one that includes the true value of all the benefits and services we receive," said Susan Gardner, the Director of the Ecosystems Division under the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Through presentations and panel discussions, participants highlighted ongoing efforts on environmental protection in Africa and outlined existing opportunities for China-Africa cooperation going forward.

"China has been actively carrying out South-South cooperation in battling climate change. As of September 2021, China has signed 15 cooperation agreements with 14 African countries," said Zhang Yujun, the Director General of China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center.

Robert Gituru, the Director of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, spoke of his organization's efforts to preserve species through new discoveries and listing, explaining: "If you want to conserve biodiversity, the first thing you need to know is what you actually have, because you cannot conserve what you do not know."

Africa is home to a vast array of biodiversity resources, but at the same time has a rapidly increasing population, many of whom are poor and vulnerable, according to Michael Meadows, president of the International Geographical Union.

He noted: "This results in a tension between the need to protect environment on the one hand, while at the same time harnessing its resources to promote socio-economic development on the other."

Meadows said the need for Africa to continue to develop in a sustainable way cannot be overemphasized.

In his projections into the future, Turhan Saleh shared insights on green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Saleh, who serves as the Resident Representative at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ethiopia Country Office, cautioned against a post-COVID-19 return to the status-quo, saying the future lie in climate-smart, green, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive development.

Representatives from African media weighed in on their role as broadcasters and publishers in creating environmental awareness among the public. "Media is the one that informs the public and also educates the public," Samuel Maina, the Acting Managing Director of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, said.

To strengthen environmental reporting, using the latest technological advances, Maina called for more exchange programmes between China and African media.

Joining the session virtually, Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, the Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), said the media is a powerful tool that can help direct attention of citizens on the environment agenda.

"As media, we are guilty as we are not highlighting the right issues at the right time," Bernard Momanyi, the editorial director of Capital FM, cited the academia as the missing link in the discourse.

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Victor Nyambok, an advocacy and policy communications manager at World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), spoke on the need to help media simplify and make environmental stories interesting in order for the public to relate with their reporting.

Participants also watched the unveiling of a 3D promotional video to be displayed on a curved screen at a shopping square in Nairobi. The software-rendered animation features a giant panda and an elephant, aiming to draw more attention to nature. This is also the first time such 3D art has been publicly displayed in the continent.

The session concluded with the release of a proposal for CMG and its African partners to work together to promote public awareness on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.

Other activities such as a 5G livestreaming in Amboseli National Park, documentary exhibitions across Africa, and a release of the campaign's results have been scheduled for the next three months.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) 

A 2-year old boy fatally shot his father in an accident after finding a gun, and the boy's mother is now facing criminal charges, authorities in Florida said Monday.

Reggie Mabry, 26, was fatally shot late last month while he was playing a video game. The gun was fired by his 2-year-old son in the home Mabry, his wife Marie Ayala, and their three young children shared in metro Orlando, according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office report.

The gun was not properly stored," Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference. In fact, it was easily accessible, even to a 2-year-old, and the result is a tragedy that no one in this community can really comprehend."

Ayala, 28, was charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and violation of probation, Mina said.

Both Ayala and Mabry had been on probation for child neglect and narcotics possession.

Ayala remained in jail on no bond Monday, according to an online jail record. Online court records showed she was being represented by the public defender's office but no further details were provided.

Ayala told detectives that her 5-year-old son told her that his 2-year-old brother had fired the gun, but the older brother couldn't explain how his younger brother had gotten hold of the weapon, the arrest report said.

The children weren't harmed and have been placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

The tragedy could have been prevented if the gun had been properly stored, the sheriff said.

Now these young children have effectively lost both of their parents, Mina said. And a young child has to live his life knowing he shot his father."
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP)  A New Mexico man convicted in a 2009 double homicide case has been sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms.

Prosecutors said 49-year-old Robert Chavezs sentences will run consecutive with previous sentences, including a 26-year prison term for drug trafficking and life in prison plus 21 years for another murder.
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  New Yorkers under age 21 will be prohibited from buying semiautomatic rifles under a new law signed Monday by Gov. Kathy Hochul, making the state among the first to enact a major gun control initiative following a wave of deadly mass shootings.

Hochul, a Democrat, signed 10 public safety-related bills, including one that will require microstamping in new firearms, which could help law enforcement solve gun-related crimes.

Another revised the state's red flag law, which allows courts to temporarily take away guns from people who might be a threat to themselves or others.

In New York, we are taking bold, strong action. Were tightening red flag laws to keep guns away from dangerous people, Hochul said at a press conference in the Bronx.

New York's Legislature passed the bills last week, pushing the changes through after a pair of mass shootings involving 18-year-old gunmen using semiautomatic rifles. Ten Black people died in a racist attack on a Buffalo supermarket May 14. A Texas school shooting took the lives of 19 children and two teachers 10 days later.

The quick action in New York further illustrated the sharp divide between Republican and Democratic leaders on how to respond to gun violence.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said after the massacre of children in Uvalde that government should increase security in schools and resources for mental health, but the Republican says stricter gun laws are ineffective. Fellow Republican Gov. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee echoed similar sentiments Monday, a day after gunfire near a Chattanooga nightclub left three people dead and multiple people wounded.

In New York, most people under age 21 had already been banned from owning handguns. People age 18 and over will still be allowed to own other types of long guns, including shotguns and bolt-action rifles.

Part of New York's new law will also require all purchasers of semiautomatic rifles to get a license, something now required only for handguns.

Proposed federal legislation that would require buyers of semiautomatic weapons to be 21 is advancing in the U.S. House, but is seen as facing long odds in the Senate.

A handful of states require people to be 21 to purchase any firearms, including Florida, which raised the age for legally purchasing a rifle after a 19-year-old gunman killed 17 people at a high school.

Hochul also signed a bill Monday that will restrict sales of bullet-resistant vests and armor only to people in certain professions.

The governor said New York will continue to invest in prevention of gun-related crimes by partnering with local communities and continuing to strengthen laws by putting pressure on Congress.

Today is the start, and its not the end, said Hochul. Thoughts and prayers wont fix this, but taking strong action will. We will do that in the name of the lives that have been lost, for the parents who will no longer see their children stepping off the school bus.

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Maysoon Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter.
GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP)  A woman was shot and wounded at a North Carolina hospital when a gun went off accidentally Sunday night, and police were searching for the woman's brother Monday, authorities said.

Wayne County officials said that a report of a shooting at Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro around 8 p.m. prompted a lockdown that lasted for about an hour. Officials tweeted Monday morning that responding police officers found a woman with a gunshot wound to her leg that was not considered life-threatening. Officers then searched and secured the hospital.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  The government of Poland, where a near-total abortion ban is in place, faced accusations Monday of creating a pregnancy register as the country expands the amount of medical data being digitally saved on patients.

Women's rights advocates and opposition politicians fear women face unprecedented surveillance given the conservative views of a ruling party that has already tightened what was one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws.

They fear the new data could be used by police and prosecutors against women whose pregnancies end, even in cases of miscarriage, or that women could be tracked by the state if they order abortion pills or travel abroad for an abortion.

A pregnancy registry in a country with an almost complete ban on abortion is terrifying, said Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bak, a left-wing lawmaker.

The matter gained attention Monday after Health Minister Adam Niedzielski signed an ordinance Friday expanding the amount of information to be saved in a central database on patients, including information on allergies, blood type and pregnancies.

The health ministry spokesman, Wojciech Andrusiewicz, sought to allay concerns, saying only medical professionals will have access to the data, and that the changes are being made at the recommendation of the European Union.

The effort, he said, is meant to improve the medical treatment of patients, including if they seek treatment elsewhere in the 27-member EU. In the case of pregnant women, he said this will help doctors immediately know which women should not get X-rays or certain medicines.

Nobody is creating a pregnancy register in Poland, he told the TVN24 all-news station.

But Marta Lempart, the leader of a women's rights group, Women's Strike, said she does not trust the government to keep information on women's pregnancies from the police and prosecutors. She told The Associated Press that police in Poland are already questioning women on how their pregnancies end, tipped off by disgruntled partners.

Being pregnant means that police can come to you any time and prosecutors can come to you to ask you questions about your pregnancy, Lempart said.

The new system means many Polish women will now avoid the state medical system during their pregnancies, with wealthier women seeking private treatment or traveling abroad, even for prenatal care.

Meanwhile, poorer women in Poland will face an increased risk of medical problems or even death by avoiding prenatal care, Lempart fears.

Lempart also worries that information gained by police could be shared with state media to harm people's reputations.

She already knows how that can happen. In 2020, Lempart tested positive for COVID-19, and the information was reported by state television even before she got her results.

Poland  a predominantly Catholic country  bans abortion in almost all cases, with exceptions only when a womans life or health is endangered or if the pregnancy results from rape or incest.

For years, abortion was allowed in the case of fetuses with congenital defects. That exception was struck down by the constitutional court in 2020.

In practice, Polish women seeking to terminate their pregnancies order abortions pills or travel to Germany, the Czech Republic and other countries where the procedure is allowed. While self-administering abortion pills is legal, helping someone else is not.

Activist Justyna Wydrzynska is facing up to three years in prison for helping a victim of domestic violence access abortion pills. Amnesty International says it is the first such case in Europe.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP)  A 17-year-old was shot to death in a North Carolina city, while a second juvenile was wounded, police said.

Elizabeth City police said its officers responded on Sunday to gunshots at around 8:30 p.m., news outlets reported. When the officers arrived, they were told that two 17-year-olds had arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)  A shooting Sunday evening slightly wounded a bystander in a nearby yard, Burlington police said.

It was the 12th shooting incident in Burlington this year.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger called gunfire incidents dangerous, illegal, and unacceptable.

The individuals who are putting themselves and the public at risk through these reckless shootings should be on notice that the City is doing everything in its power to hold them accountable," he said in a statement.

Burlington police need action from other law enforcement agencies, the City Council, and state and federal lawmakers, Weinberger said.

Weinberger said that later this week he and acting Police Chief Jon Murad will outline steps to reduce the problem.

Police received reports of the shooting just before 7 p.m. Sunday near Roosevelt Park in the Vermont citys Old North End.

The shooting happened in the street, and responding officers found someone in a yard nearby had been hit by shrapnel or other debris from the gunshots. The person was taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution and later returned home in good condition.

Investigators recovered ballistics evidence and spoke with witnesses and neighbors. It is believed that rounds were fired in the vicinity of St Marys Street and Willow Street.
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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  Serbia and Russia confirmed Monday that a planned visit by Russia's foreign minister to the Balkan country will not take place, with Moscow accusing the West of preventing the trip by blocking the envoy's plane flight.

The announcement followed reports that Serbia's neighbors  Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro  had refused to allow Sergey Lavrov's plane to fly through their airspace to reach Serbia.

An unthinkable thing has happened, Lavrov said during an online news conference Monday. A sovereign state has been deprived of its right to conduct foreign policies. The international activities of Serbia on the Russian track have been blocked.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier Monday met with Russia's ambassador to Serbia who informed him that Lavrov could not come because the Russian government plane was denied necessary flyover permissions, a statement issued after the meeting said.

Vucic expressed dissatisfaction over the circumstances that prevented the visit and added that "despite all, Serbia will preserve independence and autonomy in political decision-making."

Later Monday, Vucic told state RTS broadcaster that the cancelation of the visit was not too much of a surprise and that arrangements faced problems from the start.

Russia is a traditional friend of Serbia, Vucic said, describing Serbia's policies toward Russia as a rational, sensible and soothing way within Europe, where it is not easy to hear a voice of reason and dialogue."

While formally still seeking European Union membership, Serbia has maintained friendly ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, refusing to join Western sanctions against Moscow. Many in Serbia view the fellow-Slavic nation as a close ally and Moscow has backed Serbia in its effort to retain its claim on Kosovo.

Lavrov blamed NATO countries for engineering the flight ban  Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia are all members of NATO  noting that the action showed again that the main purpose of the alliance expansion is to try to isolate Russia.

Lavrov still plans to travel for talks Wednesday in Turkey, where he can fly directly over the Black Sea. Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both Russia and Ukraine while also trying to help international mediation efforts in the war.

The Russian foreign minister said the West has trampled on the principle of a free choice of foreign policy partners.

From the Western viewpoint, Serbia mustnt have any choice, any freedom in choosing its partners, he said. The West clearly shows that it would use any base means to apply pressure."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov deplored what what he described as hostile actions," but said this "wont significantly hamper the continuation of our countrys contacts with friendly countries like Serbia.

In Belgrade, Serbia's pro-Russian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin expressed deep regret that a great and proven friend of Serbia could not come. Vulin added that Serbia is proud that it is not part of anti-Russian hysteria, and the countries that are (part of it) will have time to be ashamed.

Serbia, meanwhile, also is almost fully dependent on Russian gas. Vucic recently talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to arrange a new deal on gas supplies for the next three years.

Analyst Slobodan Stupar described Lavrov's attempted visit to Belgrade as a show that would have been used by Moscow to further vilify the West.

I believe the Russians invited themselves to Serbia, Stupar told The Associated Press. They are terribly isolated. ... They can now say that Europe and the world are not democratic and won't allow a simple flyover.

Stupar said Vucic has placed himself in between Russia and the West.

That is the worst possible position one can imagine, Stupar said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in the region later this week.

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Suzan Fraser contributed to this report from Ankara, Turkey.
Prices of maize and paddy rice have crashed in Taraba again to an all-time low since the ban on importation of the commodities by the federal government became effective.

Findings revealed that a100kg bag of maize came down from N17,500 to between N14,000 and N15,000.

Similarly, a 100kg bag of paddy rice came down from 17,000 to N14,000.

Further findings revealed that 100kg bag of locally processed rice is now sold at N48,000.

It was also revealed that prices of the commodity crashed as a result of the absence of grain merchants following an increase in the price of diesel, which is now sold at N950 per liter in the state.

It was further gathered that an increase in transport fare has discouraged many merchants from coming to the state to buy grains.

Our correspondent learnt that a trailer-load of maize, which used to cost between N750,000 and N900,000 to Abuja and the eastern part of the country, has increased to N1 million and N1.2 million as a result of the increase in the price of diesel.

Similarly, attacks on trailer drivers in southeastern states by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) militants also prevented grain merchants from that part of the country from coming to buy grains in the state.

It was also gathered that other factors that caused the crash in the price of maize is that farmers have brought out their stocks of produce to the market following the start of the farming season.

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"We need money to start the farming season, that is why most farmers brought out their stocks to the market," a farmer, Falalu Suleiman said.

According to Suleiman, the practice is that at the beginning of the farming season, farmers used to bring out their stocks to the market to sell and get money for farming activities.

It was also gathered that the price of both paddy rice and the locally processed type came down to N14,000 and N15,000 as a result of bumper harvest witnessed by dry seasoning farmers .

Newly harvested paddy rice from Karim-Lamido, Sheka, Gassol and Didango irrigation farms has flooded grain markets across the state, resulting to a crash in the price of paddy and locally processed rice in the state.

A dry season farmer in Zip, Gambo Muhammed, told Daily Trust on Sunday that dry season farmers were harvesting their rice and had witnessed a bumper harvest.

He said the area witnessed banditry in the past but was now safe, which enabled farmers to access their farms and harvest their crops.

Findings at Mutumbiyu, Iware, Maihula and Garba-Chede grain markets showed that there were many stores stocked with maize, but no buyers, a situation that forced the price down.

A middleman, Nuhu Dauda, said he bought over 3,000 bags of maize at the rate of N18,000 per bag few months ago, hoping to make profit, but the price crashed to N14,000 and N15,000.

"What is worrisome is that we have thousands of bags of maize in our stores but there are no buyers, and there is the likelihood that the price would further go down," he said.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  A Safeway employee was shot and killed inside a San Jose grocery store and authorities were searching for a gunman, police said.

The incident happened around 3:35 a.m. Sunday inside the store, apparently following an altercation between the Safeway male employee and another man, San Jose police Officer Steve Aponte told the San Francisco Chronicle.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill Monday that orders a number of changes to state laws over partisan election observers in polling places and election offices, a throwback to complaints in 2020 by former President Donald Trump that the Democratic bastion of Philadelphia needed to be watched closely for election fraud.

Pennsylvania, like other battleground states where Trump lost, is still roiled by Trump's baseless claims that 2020's presidential election was stolen from him. It has helped drive a wider partisan stalemate in election-related legislation in Pennsylvania's statehouse.

The bill passed, 30-19, with every Republican and one Democrat backing it.

The sponsor, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor who has spread baseless claims about election fraud, said the bill would restore trust and integrity in elections.

However, the office of Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said in a statement that the administration strongly opposes the bill and that it "does nothing to increase access to voting."

One provision in the bill would remove the county residency requirement in state law for certified poll watchers, freeing them to come from anywhere in the state.

Trump had pushed for such a change in 2020, failing in court. Wolf has threatened to veto such Republican legislation previously, with Democrats calling it a voter intimidation tactic.

The bill also would raise the number of partisan poll watchers allowed into each polling place during voting and give them access to any facility where votes are collected.

In 2020, Trump campaign aides complained that Philadelphia city officials had prevented campaign representatives from watching people registering to vote or filling out mail-in ballots in newly opened satellite election offices there.

The campaign sued and lost in court, with judges saying Pennsylvania law did not allow partisan representatives to observe in election offices.

Another provision in the bill would require partisans who are certified to watch election workers processing mail-in or absentee ballots to have a clear line of sight to view and hear the proceedings at a distance of six feet or less."

The Trump campaign had sued  and lost  in state and federal courts over its complaints that its observers were not allowed close enough to scrutinize mail-in ballots as they were being processed in heavily Democratic Philadelphia and Allegheny County, which is home to Pittsburgh.

___

Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at twitter.com/timelywriter.

___

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at twitter.com/ap_politics.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  A South African court has convicted a pastor of plotting to overthrow the government and to kill thousands of Black people in the country.

Harry Johannes Knoesen, 61, a leader of the National Christian Resistance Movement, was on Monday found guilty of high treason, incitement to carry out violent attacks, and recruiting people to commit attacks.

Knoesens group explored the possibility of using a biological weapon to infect and kill Black people, including the poisoning of water reservoirs supplying Black communities, according to the prosecution.

Knoesen was also found guilty of unlawful possession of firearms by the Middelburg High Court. Weapons and ammunition were found when he was arrested in Middelburg, a small town in the eastern Mpumalanga province.

The plot by the pastors group was foiled in 2019 by South Africa's police and intelligence services, who have since dismantled the organizations cells across various parts of the country and arrested some of its leaders.

Knoesen was convicted on evidence from witnesses including members of his group who are already serving jail sentences after they were convicted of similar crimes.

The state alleged that Knoesens plot was motivated by his highly racial views and that he sought to justify his beliefs on religious grounds, claiming that he was ordained to reclaim South Africa for white people.

To further this end, he planned to attack government institutions and more specifically police and military institutions, Monica Nyuswa, a spokeswoman for the National Prosecuting Authority, told The Associated Press.

He also identified townships and informal settlements occupied by Black South Africans as targets for attack, she said.

Knoesen allegedly used social media platform Facebook to incite violence against Black people and to recruit former members of South Africa's military to join his movement and to carry out the planned attacks. These were foiled when he was arrested in November 2019 and the cells in various parts of the country were dismantled.

In his testimony, Knoesen admitted to sharing recipes to manufacture explosives with his followers on Facebook, according to the Middelburg Observer newspaper.

This is not the first racist, treasonous plot to be uncovered in South Africa.

In 2013, 20 members of the right-wing white supremacy group known as the Boeremag were sentenced to prison for plotting to kill South Africas first Black president Nelson Mandela, overthrow the government and kill thousands of Black people.

They were handed sentences ranging from five to 35 years following a 10-year treason trial, one of the longest in the countrys history.

That group, like Knoesens, was opposed to South Africas democracy which brought an end to apartheid, the country's regime of white minority rule that ended with the first democratic elections in 1994 which elected Mandela president.

Knoesen is expected back in court on June 10 for the beginning of sentencing proceedings.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he ran an online pornography scheme that victimized at least 500 girls across the United States and elsewhere.

The Pioneer Press reported that 31-year-old Yue Vang entered the plea on Thursday to two counts of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of interstate communications with intent to extort. Prosecutors are seeking a 72-year prison sentence.
EDMONDS, Wash. (AP)  A student at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Washington state was arrested after authorities said he made a threat against the school.

A 16-year-old male was booked into juvenile jail early Monday for felony harassment, according to the Edmonds Police Department.
MIAMI (AP)  State Sen. Annette Taddeo announced Monday that she's leaving the Democratic primary for Florida governor to run for a U.S. House seat in South Florida.

Taddeo said she will run for Floridas 27th congressional district, which includes all or part of Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and Kendall in Miami-Dade County.

The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who took office after winning her 2020 election. Taddeo faces Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and community organizer Angel Montalvo in the Aug. 23 Democratic primary.

Families in Miami need a representative in Congress who will stand up for them, hold Washington politicians accountable and make sure we finally tackle issues like the cost of living, gun violence, and defending a womans right to choose," Taddeo said in a statement. "Im a small business owner and a mother with a daughter in Miami-Dade Public Schools so I live with these issues every single day.

Taddeo, 55, is the founder and CEO of LanguageSpeak, which offers translation services in more than 240 languages. She was born in Colombia to an American father and Colombian mother and spent the first 17 years of her life in the South American country.

Taddeo first ran for office in 2008, losing to then-incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen. She ran for Congress again in 2016, losing a close primary to former Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia. She won her state Senate seat in a 2017 special election for a district a Republican won by 10 percentage points the previous election.

With Taddeo leaving the gubernatorial race, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who previously served as Florida governor as a Republican, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried remain the strongest candidates in the Democratic primary.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that he does not support restricting firearms or strengthening gun control laws in response to recent mass shootings in Tennessee and around the country, including the gunning down of 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Texas.

Instead, Lee joined the growing list of Republican governors who are stressing the need for more security at schools with the governor signing an executive order calling for enhancing safety measures that does not mention the word gun once.

The directive largely encourages schools to continue to implement current school safety laws, directs state agencies to issue guidance on to improve school building security, and calls for law enforcement agencies to promote more people to join law enforcement careers.

Were not looking at gun restriction laws in my administration right now. Theres one thing to remember, criminals dont follow the laws. Criminals break laws, Lee told reporters. We cant control what we can't control.

Lee's remarks comes nearly two weeks after the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Within that timeframe, at least two mass shootings have occurred in Tennessee, with the latest leaving three dead and 14 injured from gunshot wounds in Chattanooga.

The governor sidestepped answering whether he considered gun violence a public health concern and demurred when pressed on what he considered to be the root cause of the string of shootings, saying that I certainly dont have the answer for a very complicated issue.

In contrast, many Democratic governors are renewing calls for greater gun restrictions. On Monday, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a new law banning those under age 21 from buying semiautomatic rifles.

Lee did say that he wants a school resource officer in every school and stressed that he established a grant program in 2019 that has since helped place more than 200 officers in public schools.

Supporters argue that police officers in schools help build trust with young people, but some critics warn that doing so typically results in Black students being disproportionately arrested and punished.

Last year, police officers shot and killed a 17-year-old Black student at a Knoxville arts magnet school during a short struggle. While the local district attorneys eventually concluded that the officers actions were justified, the incident prompted Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon to announce that the city would reevaluate law enforcements role inside the schools.

Meanwhile, Lee explicitly stated that he is not contemplating arming teachers to help boost school security.

We have not had discussions internally about moving in that direction, he said.

Tennessee's Republican-controlled General Assembly has floated allowing teachers and other public school staffers to carry concealed weapons over objections from teacher groups and law enforcement officials, but to date, those efforts have stalled. In 2016, lawmakers passed legislation allowing full-time college campus employees to carry a concealed handgun if they alert police in advance.

In Tennessee, most adults 21 and older are allowed carry handguns without first obtaining a permit that requires clearing a state background check and training. Some Republican lawmakers attempted to lower that age 18 during this year's legislative session, but the bill eventually was spiked before the Legislature adjourned.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  A federal grand jury has indicted three people for allegedly kidnapping an FBI victim specialist last week. Online court records indicate Juan Francisco Alvarez-Soto, Deyvin Morales and Lourdes Alondra Bonilla were indicted on May 19 on charges of kidnapping, carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

The indictment was unsealed Thursday.

According to the indictment, the trio kidnapped FBI Victim Specialist Curt Lauinger while he was engaged in his official duties in Red Shirt on May 6. The indictment offers no other details on the circumstances except to say a rifle was brandished during the incident.

U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell said through a spokeswoman that no additional information was available to the public.

Online court records did not list an attorney for Alvarez-Soto, Morarles or Bonilla.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP)  Five of six young suspects who are charged in the shooting death of a Kansas man pleaded not guilty Monday in juvenile court to first-degree murder.

The six suspects are charged in the May 14 death of 19-year-old Marco Cardino of Smithville, Missouri. His body was found in a car parked in an Olathe, Kansas, park.
Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has said he is deeply saddened by the unprovoked attack and killing of innocent people of Owo, worshiping at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, on Sunday.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, the governor said the vile and satanic attack was a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed relative peace over the years.

The statement reads: "It is a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people. This is a personal loss, an attack on our dear state.

"I have spoken to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Most Reverend Jude Arogundade, who is presently on his way to Owo. Similarly, I have had to cut short my party's national assignment in Abuja and visit Owo immediately. This is an unexpected development. I am shocked to say the least.

The governor said, nevertheless, he will commit every available resource to hunt down the assailants and make them pay.

" We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolves to rid our state of criminals. I commiserate with my people in Owo, particularly families of the those who lost their lives to this ugly and unfortunate attack. I extend my condolences to Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye as well as the Catholic Church.

"I urge our people to remain calm and vigilant. Do not take laws into your hands. I have spoken to the heads of the security agencies. I have equally been assured that security operatives would be deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to Owo kingdom," Akeredolu said.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukraines president says Russian troops intend to capture Zaporizhzhia, a large city in the country's southeast, which would allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a news conference on Monday that peace talks with Russia stood at level zero, and in the meantime the most threatening situation has developed in the Zaporizhzhia region, parts of which have already been taken by Russia.

The enemy wants to ... occupy the city of Zaporizhzhia," Zelenskyy said.

In the south of Ukraine, Russia has already seized the large Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Mariupol. The Zaporizhzhia region, with the population of 1.6 million, is one of the biggest industrial hubs of Ukraines southeast. The city itself has 722,000 people.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian troops are still fighting in the eastern part of the country known as the Donbas. In the Luhansk region, which is part of the Donbas, the Ukrainian resistance continues in Sievierodonetsk, one of the two key cities in the region still not in Russias hands, he said.

There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

In the northern Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian army step by step de-occupies our lands from Russian invaders, Zelenskyy said.

In the meantime, Kyiv is hoping to create secure corridors that would allow its ships to export grain that has been blocked inside the countries by the fighting. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is in talks with countries like Turkey and the U.K. about security guaranties for Ukrainian ships carrying much needed grain for export. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has disrupted food supplies for many nations in the world, causing prices to soar.

It is important for us that there is a security corridor ... that the fleet of this or that country ensures the shipping of the grain, Zelenskyy said. If now we have 22-25 million tons blocked there, in the fall we might have 75 (million tons).

"What are we going to do? he asked. Thats why we cant do without the ports.

His government has previously accused Russia of stealing tons of grain from territory it has occupied in Ukraine.

The issue of blocked grain will be on the agenda Wednesday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs visit to Turkey. Ankara is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for shipping Ukrainian grain out amid an escalating global food crisis.

Zelensky said Kyiv has not been invited to the talks, possibly because Turkey wants to get security guarantees for its ships from Russia first.

He explained that Ukraine cant export large shipments of grain via railways because of long delivery times, even though Kyiv has been in talks with Poland and the Baltic nations. Exporting grain through the neighboring territory of Russias ally Belarus is also not an option, he said.

___

Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A lawsuit claiming that New Mexico county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin engaged in viewpoint" discrimination could be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court in a test-case for free speech rights on social media platforms.

Chaplain and local Democratic Party leader Jeff Swanson lost a federal appeals court ruling in February in a lawsuit claiming he was blocked by Griffin from social media discussions about public county business on Griffin's Facebook page.

Swanson, a Marine veteran, says he was blocked in a discriminatory fashion after criticizing Griffin about the upkeep of a courthouse and urging Griffin to not mix politics and religion. Swansons attorney on Monday confirmed the petition to the Supreme Court, which has not said if it will take the case.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver in February sided with Griffin in the dispute over his social media account and whether it functioned as a public forum concerning county affairs, with implied guarantees to public access and free speech.

The appeals court in the dispute found no clearly established right to First Amendment free speech protections for public discussions on social media platforms.

Advocacy groups including the ACLU assert that First Amendment rights should apply to social media accounts when a public officials use accounts as an extensions of their office.

Griffin has said that he used his Facebook page to express personal opinions as just one member of a three-member county commission.

The dispute emerged in 2019  long before Griffin, an elected commissioner in southern New Mexicos Otero County  was suspended indefinitely from social media accounts, including Facebook, following his arrest in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

Griffin was convicted of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds, where he appeared on an outdoor terrace and tried to lead the crowd in prayer without entering the building.

He was acquitted of engaging in disorderly conduct during the riot that disrupted Congress from certifying Joe Bidens presidential election victory.

Griffin is not running for reelection in November.
BOSTON (AP)  A Massachusetts woman who pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $800,000 from her employer to buy drugs has been sentenced to three years in prison, federal prosecutors said.

Kayla Figelski, 34, of Malden, was also sentenced Friday to two years of probation and ordered to pay restitution, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office in Boston.
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, June 6, 2022

_____

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX

237 AM CDT Mon Jun 6 2022

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO

8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures of 110 to

115.

* WHERE...Terrell and Lower Brewster Counties.

* WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 8 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the

potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those

working or participating in outdoor activities.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ THIS

AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Temperatures up to 105 to 109.

* WHERE...Portions of southeast New Mexico and southwest and

western Texas.

* WHEN...From 1 PM CDT /noon MDT/ this afternoon to 8 PM CDT /7

PM MDT/ this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

* WHAT...Temperatures up to 105 to 109, except 95-99 in the

mountains.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SEATTLE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, June 5, 2022

_____

AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY

Flood Advisory

National Weather Service Seattle WA

431 PM PDT Sun Jun 5 2022

.Light to moderate rainfall will continue to train over NE Jefferson

county and Whidbey Island, both areas where heavy rainfall has

occurred today.

...FLOOD ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Urban and small stream flooding caused by excessive

rainfall continues.

* WHERE...A portion of northwest Washington, including the following

counties, Island and Jefferson.

* WHEN...Until 1100 PM PDT Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

Water over roadways.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- At 426 PM PDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges

indicated heavy rain. This will cause urban and small stream

flooding. Between 0.5 and 2 inches of rain have fallen.

- Some locations that will experience flooding include...

Oak Harbor, Port Townsend, Port Ludlow, Coupeville,

Marrowstone, Port Hadlock-Irondale and Chimacum.

- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

West central Nez Perce County in north central Idaho...

Southeastern Whitman County in eastern Washington...

Northwestern Asotin County in southeastern Washington...

* Until 500 PM PDT.

* At 431 PM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Clarkston

Heights-Vineland, or 8 miles west of Clarkston, moving northeast at

15 mph.

HAZARD...Quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Lewiston, Clarkston, Clarkston Heights-Vineland, West

Clarkston-Highland, Asotin, Uniontown, Clarkston Heights and Jerry.

This includes the following highways...

U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho between mile markers 309 and 314, and

between mile markers 316 and 324.

U.S. Highway 12 in Idaho between mile markers 0 and 3.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SPOKANE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, June 5, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

The Walker Creek Burn Scar in...

Northeastern Okanogan County in north central Washington...

* Until 700 PM PDT.

* At 405 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain over the Walker Creek Burn Scar. Between 0.1 and 0.3

inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 0.25 to

0.5 inches in 1 hour. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to

begin shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow

moving through the Henderson, Lightning, Pettijohn creeks flowing

into Bonaparte Creek drainage. The debris flow can consist of rock,

mud, vegetation and other loose materials.

HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding in and around the Walker

Creek Burn Scar.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of areas in and around

the Walker Creek Burn Scar.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Bonaparte Lake Campground, Wauconda and Lost Lake Campground.

Same areas that had flash flooding occur last Friday will be at risk

for additional flash flooding and debris flows.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

The affected areas are in and below the Walker Creek burn scar

northeast of Wauconda, including Bonaparte Lake Road and Bunch Road.

Some drainage basins impacted include Henderson Creek, Lightning

Creek, Beaver Creek, Pettijohn Creek, and Bonaparte Creek. High

intensity rainfall on the burned area may cause flash flooding, mud

slides and rock slides. Campers, hikers residents, and motorists in

and below the Walker Creek burned area should take immediate

precautions to protect life and property.

This is a life threatening situation. Heavy rainfall will cause

extensive and severe flash flooding of creeks...streams...and

ditches in the Walker Creek Burn Scar. Severe debris flows can also

be anticipated across roads. Roads and driveways may be washed away

in places. If you encounter flood waters...climb to safety.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SPOKANE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, June 5, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

The Lick Creek Burn Scar in...

Northwestern Asotin County in southeastern Washington...

South Central Garfield County in southeastern Washington...

* Until 715 PM PDT.

* At 417 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain over the Lick Creek Burn Scar. Between 0.2 and 0.8

inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 1

inch in 1 hour. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow

moving through the Lick Creek Burn Scar. The debris flow can consist

of rock, mud, vegetation and other loose materials.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms in and around

the Lick Creek Burn Scar.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flooding of areas in and around the Lick Creek Burn

Scar.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Peola, Wickiup Campground and Cloverland.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

The affected areas are in and below the Lick Creek burn scar west of

Asotin, including parts of Asotin Creek Road, Charley Creek Road,

Lickfork Road, and Smoothing Iron Road. Some drainage basins

impacted include steep drainages for Asotin Creek, Charley Creek and

Lick Creek. High intensity rainfall on the burned area may cause

flash flooding, mud slides and rock slides. Hikers, residents, and

motorists in and below the Lick Creek burned area should take

immediate precautions to protect life and property.

Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SPOKANE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, June 5, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

West central Benewah County in the Panhandle of Idaho...

Northeastern Whitman County in eastern Washington...

Southeastern Spokane County in northeastern Washington...

* Until 600 PM PDT.

* At 531 PM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 19 miles north of

Colfax, or 28 miles north of Pullman, moving northeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Tekoa, Oakesdale, Latah and Tensed.

This includes U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho between mile markers 382 and

388.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
The two ethnic groups have been at loggerheads for a long time over fish ponds and land ownership.

But the intervention of Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration restored a relative peace in the last two years to the area.

The renewed hostility was said to have erupted on Monday, May 30, when two people believed to be of Bassa ethnic nationality were allegedly killed on a farm at Uga-Cheure near Oguma, the headquarters of the council and Korumu near Udogbo.

Daily Trust learnt that Bassa people believed the killing was masterminded by Igburra Mozum because of the existing hostility between the two ethnic groups.

It was gathered that the Bassa people reported the incident to the divisional police post at Oguma.

Before the dust could settle on the Monday killing, another two Bassa people were allegedly killed on a farm in Sheria and Korumu, near Odugbo on Thursday.

Like the Monday killing, attackers were also not identified.

Daily Trust learnt further that in a suspected reprisal, unidentified gunmen invaded Odugbo town, a predominantly settlement of Igbura-Mozum people on Friday morning, burning houses and killing locals.

The hostility continued in the early hours of Saturday June 4 with burning of houses by the gunmen.

According to a community leader in Bassa, Mr Keke Kaku, the police and the army stationed at Oguma swung into action to quell the crisis.

"By Saturday morning, both the police and a detachment of the army moved to Udogbo town to repel the invading gunmen," he said.

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However, he said that since the crisis started on Monday six Igbura-Mozum people had been killed by gunmen in the community.

Also, a source claimed that not less than 18 persons had lost their lives from both sides since the crisis erupted on Monday while properties worth millions of naira were burnt.

A member representing the Bassa Constituency at the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Ranyi Daniya, called on the people of Bassa to maintain peace.

The lawmaker urged security agents to leave no stone unturned in arresting the perpetrators of the act.

The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying that the situation was already under control.

The state command's Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Aya, said the military and police had been sent to the area to restore law and order.

The police authorities denied any casualty.
Fast-food chain KFC India has unveiled 'KFConscious' which is claimed to be the most sustainable restaurant in the city, as the outlet aims to tap energy efficiency and use of environment-friendly materials, the company said on Sunday.

KFC India has chalked out plans to open 20 more such outlets across the country this year, the company said.

''A first for the Quick Service Restaurant industry in the country, the restaurant is located at Thiyagarayanagar (T Nagar) in Chennai,'' marking the brand's commitment to growing sustainably, a company statement said.

''The efforts with KFConscious align with KFC's global commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 46 percent by 2030. This is in addition to a sustainability commitment of all plastic-based, consumer-facing packaging to be recoverable or reusable by 2025,'' the statement said.

The restaurant design and operations integrate with energy efficiency, usage of environment-friendly materials, and waste diversion. This launch takes forward the brand's ongoing efforts in the journey. Another KFC outlet in the Yamunanagar Expressway food court is marked by energy efficiency, the company said.

The brand aims to launch 20 more such restaurants by 2022, striving to enable consumers to enjoy their favorite KFC dishes in a much more responsible manner, the company said.

According to KFC India, Managing Director, Samir Menon, ''We are passionate about feeding a future with more purpose and are committed to creating a better future for our customers, communities, and the environment. KFConscious has provided an impetus to our efforts in driving meaningful change and pioneering sustainable development in the restaurant industry.''

''...we are honored at the opportunity to help advance the conversation on sustainability and are proud to be able to shape the path ahead,'' he said.

According to the company officials, the solar panels at the restaurant in Chennai would help save about 18,000 units of power every year while 100 percent of the water collected from the RO system is utilized for flushing in the washrooms.

The usage of natural and LED lighting ensures energy efficiency while the energy management system in the kitchen ensures optimized use of electricity.

The company has also installed eco-friendly materials such as local clay tiles for wall finishes, it said.
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One year after the demise of Prophet Temitope Babatunde Joshua, known as TB Joshua, followers of the late charismatic preacher on Sunday thronged the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos, to celebrate his legacies.

The event, also attended by followers from diverse foreign nations, was filled with nostalgia of glamorous and spirit-filled worship in the people, as it was during the days of TB Joshua.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos reports that the church has been operating low-key since the passing on of the founder, in honour of the departed preacher and philanthropist.

The first memorial anniversary service had the theme: "Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Prophet TB Joshua".

It featured some Nigerian celebrities including popular comedian Ali Baba, KC Brown and Tee Mac who entertained people.

Many foreign gospel ministers who also attended the service included Pastor Freyle from Colombia, Pastor William Ghaltas from Bethlehem, Pastor Obispo Elvis from the Dominican Republic and Bishop Trevor Williamson and wife from Bahamas.

Others included Pastor Bernard Mulder of South Africa and Bishop Steven Ogedengbe from Nigeria.

In his welcome remark at the event, Williamson asked the worshippers to celebrate for "TB Joshua is not dead, but lives on."

"Since the day he exited to the higher realm, he has continued to appear to me in dreams with messages of upliftment to the congregation.

"He is with the Lord resting for the mission he accomplished here on earth.

"He is in heaven advocating for you, therefore, be happy and worship God in its true sense.

"His legacy, faith, and good works while here speaks volume of a prophet anointed by God to save and serve the people at the global level," he said.

He thanked the leadership of the church especially the president of SCOAN, Pastor Evelyn Joshua, wife of the late founder, for keeping faith and the structural renewal of the church.

Williamson affirmed that the church would continue the spiritual warfare against demons, deliverance and humanitarian works aside from other services to the people.

He added that those services were what the church was known for as the prophet's legacy.

Phillip Kato, a SCOAN worshipper, told NAN that, to him, the presence of TB Joshua was still very much in the Synagogue.

"He might be physically dead but he lives on in the works and charity he did while he was here on Earth."

Damian Amora said he came from Benin City for the occasion.

"TB Joshua left a huge legacy. He touched the lives of many.

"He was a giver. He was a healer. I believe he walked with the Lord. His preaching made a positive impact on me. I miss him a lot," he told NAN.

Mrs Ajoke Adebanjo said she came from Ibadan to join in the memorial.

According to her, while TB Joshua was alive, she got many healings and testimonies from the church, by practising the wise teachings of the late prophet and living out what the word of God says in the Bible.

About TB Joshua

TB Joshua, Nigerian pastor, televangelist, philanthropist, leader and founder of SCOAN, passed on June 5, 2021 at the age of 57.

He would have been 58 on June 12, 2021.

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TB Joshua was one of the most controversial and "enigmatic" Nigerian pastors of our time, especially with his preaching style and records of miracle performances.

In 1987, TB Joshua founded The SCOAN under the bridge that links Ejigbo and Egbe in Lagos State, with just few members.

The church later grew to have large number of members within and outside Nigeria, Africa and Latin America.

He established the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos, which has wide viewership, especially as it is on cable TV.

TB Joshua was a known philanthropist and noted for helping the needy and sponsoring persons.

Like many influential men, TB Joshua was not without controversies.

On Sept.12, 2014, a guesthouse collapsed in the SCOAN's premises in Lagos, killing no fewer than 115 people.

Many speculate he had premonition of his death. (NAN)
Poetic timing: It is 10 years since James Packer met with then NSW premier Barry OFarrell at the apartment of influential broadcaster Alan Jones to unveil his dream to build a second casino in Barangaroo. If, as anticipated, the $2.5 billion development receives the green light from the government to open the casino as early as Tuesday this week there will be a party but no Packer - jubilation but without James.

What Packer had represented as his gift to hometown Sydney will mean little more to him than a passing interest from his new home in the US. Plans he had conjured to open the grand gaming edifice from his luxury yacht moored at the casinos doorstep evaporated more than a year ago when three public investigations so trashed the culture and the governance and misconduct of his Crown casinos that the company became a reputation graveyard for all those involved and which houses Packers tombstone.

James Packers Barangaroo dream is about to come reality. Credit:Fairfax Media

Right now, Packers interest in the casino group he dominated is focused on when state regulators provide the thumbs up to US private equity firm Blackstone to officially get the keys to the casino groups front door and can write Packer a cheque for his $3.3 billion.

Given Blackstone is yet to receive the necessary regulatory approvals, Crown Resorts remains in ownership limbo and while Packer can probably smell the money he cant get his hands on it.
For at least a decade, Burger Kings formula for European expansion has relied on a joint venture partnership, including a master franchisee, to open and operate new locations.

But now the fast-food chain has a whopper of a problem in Russia. It hasnt been able to exit its partnership or close its roughly 800 franchised locations following Russias February invasion of Ukraine.

Burger King has been having trouble trying to exit Russia. Credit:Bloomberg

Burger King halted corporate support for its Russia locations in March. Parent company Restaurant Brands International Inc (RBI), which was formed in 2014 when Burger King merged with Tim Hortons, said on March 17 that it was trying to sell its stake in the joint venture.

However, the restaurants remain open and thriving in locations such as central Moscow where queues have become the norm. Demand has been helped by rival McDonalds currently being closed ahead of a reopening under new branding later this month.
NSW students are still flocking to humanities degrees almost two years after massive fee hikes were introduced as academics say it proves the federal governments attempts to deter people have failed.

Experts and students say the fee rises served only to increase inequities as most young people choose university degrees based on personal interests and job prospects, not future HECS debt.

University of Sydney arts student Brynn Daly said she did not choose her course based on fees. Credit:Brook Mitchell

The latest Universities Admissions Centre data showed the proportion of year 12 students applying for society and culture courses in NSW increased 9 per cent between 2020 and 2022. Demand for the states most popular humanities degree, a Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University, increased 28 per cent in the same time period.

The Coalition government in 2020 announced an overhaul of university funding  dubbed the Job Ready Graduates reforms  with society and culture, communications, commerce, economics and law degrees attracting the highest annual fees of $14,630 per year. It resulted in a 110 per cent increase in fees for most humanities degrees.
PM Anthony Albanese has talks with Indonesia's President

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Queensland premier launches commission of inquiry into state-run forensic lab

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A prominent Melbourne snake catcher has won his legal battle against the state government after it refused to renew his wildlife controller licence over a series of breaches he admitted to while removing serpents around Melbourne.

Stewart Gatt, who operates as Stewy the Snake Catcher, was eventually granted a new licence, but the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal told him on May 21 he must stop posting videos of his exploits to his large social media following.

Colourful reptile wrangler Stewart Stewy the Snake Catcher Gatt standing next to his truck. Credit:Facebook

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning accused Gatt of not being a fit and proper person to hold a licence after he pleaded guilty to several breaches during his decades-long career removing the states reptiles.

They included nursing back to health a weakened tiger snake in his own home, keeping a brown tree snake after removing it from a Victorian business, and improperly returning a possum to a tree after finding it in a residential cold room.
In Australia, Aboriginal languages are far more endangered than Maori is in New Zealand. Surely it is time for Australian governments to take up the cause of our Indigenous languages with the same gusto we have seen over the ditch. The task is made much harder in Australia because there are so many different Aboriginal languages. But that does not mean significant progress cannot be made. Just over two weeks ago, Labor leader Anthony Albanese used his election night victory to commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full. He rightly said that all of us ought to be proud that amongst our great multicultural society we count the oldest living continuous culture in the world. These are powerful words that must be turned into action during the life of this parliament. The new government has committed $14 million to bring First Nations language teachers to around 60 schools. That obviously falls well short of the every primary school commitment in New Zealand but it is a positive step forward.

The Victorian government began an Aboriginal Languages in Schools program in 2011. This has seen the number of students studying Indigenous languages increase dramatically from 23 to 1867 in 2019, with 14 state schools and 160 kindergartens involved. Loading Why not follow the New Zealand example and set a target for all schools to teach the basic elements of Aboriginal language. Students could learn greetings, the names of animals, family members, colours and so on. Those of us beyond school years should take up opportunities to learn about and keep alive Indigenous language. For my part, I have started doing the traditional acknowledgement of country in the Woiwurrung language: Womenjika, Marram-bik  Boorn-dup, Wurrundjeri  Wilam  u, Liwik  u  Kulin, Yalinbu  ba  yirram-boi / I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Traditional owners, their ancestors and the Kulin people, past and present. In many municipalities across Australia, including the City of Melbourne, there is a process underway to look at dual names or more respectful names for many locations, to better reflect Aboriginal cultural heritage.

The ABC has increased its daily use of Indigenous languages and includes Aboriginal names for cities and towns in its news programs. Other organisations are taking it upon themselves to incorporate Aboriginal language and names. The national law firm Maurice Blackburn now lists the address of its head office as La Trobe Street, Naarm/Melbourne. Loading But the renaming of places is not easy political territory and there remains strong resistance to this trend. Even Jacinda Ardern has avoided calls to use the Maori name of Aotearoa for her country, saying it is not on her agenda. It is easy to criticise efforts to increase the use of Aboriginal language as being token or performative. As the Closing the Gap strategy makes clear, there is a shocking difference in the life experience of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. This is not going to be fixed by the increasing propensity for people like me to use the odd phrase in the Woiwurrung language. But this is definitely more than some warm and fuzzy initiative. It is a very real way in which Australians can start to shift the dial and celebrate our rich Indigenous history and culture and be something we can all be proud of as being uniquely Australian.
On Saturday, I was contacted by Ted Lindsay, who was the Labor member for the federal seat of Herbert in Townsville from 1983 to 1996. He wanted to warn me: a federal anti-corruption commission would be an abrogation of democracy.

But I fear that we in the Coalition are edging towards supporting such a body in Canberra  to make happy those who did not vote for us in the May 21 election.

A caution to his Coalition colleagues ... former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Lindsay told me of a past federal inquiry, under then prime minister Bob Hawke, into a proposed form of an Independent Commission Against Corruption, such as the one in NSW. This, as we know, led to no such body  because the prevailing view was that it was not required.

In any case, the public scrutiny of federal politicians today is much more intense than for their state counterparts, courtesy of a better-resourced and more forensic media gallery and a question time that voters actually watch. Be honest. How often do you watch question time in a state parliament or see those MPs on Insiders or Sky?
Lifting a ban on patient testimonials would worsen the exploitation of young women by unscrupulous cosmetic surgeons, medical and social media experts warn.

The proposed removal of the prohibition on using testimonials in medical advertising is part of a suite of amendments to the national health practitioner laws backed by state and territory health ministers in February.

Social media expert Maddison Johnston says young women are being brainwashed by their social media idols into thinking they need tummy tucks, breast implants and liposuction.

But peak medical bodies have criticised the push to allow testimonials, particularly while the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is midway through an inquiry into the cosmetic surgery industry, which was launched after The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age lifted the lid on allegations of misconduct by some surgeons.

Social media experts Michael Fraser and Maddison Johnston, whose research has uncovered disturbing online practices by cosmetic surgeons, said the ban was already being breached daily, but its removal would worsen the problem.
One hundred days since the 24 February Russian invasion of Ukraine, UN humanitarians on Friday issued a fresh alert about the enormous needs there, as the Organization has continued to push to secure food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia, to the wider world, amid rising and alarming levels of food insecurity.

Amin Awad, UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, confirmed that the Organization was making every effort to secure the release of grain stuck in Ukraine's Black Sea ports. Equally important for the world's farmers is a secure supply of fertilizer from Russia, a major world producer.

Leading the discussions are top UN officials Martin Griffiths - the Organization's Emergency Relief Coordinator - and Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN Trade and Development agency, UNCTAD.

Complex puzzle

"The negotiations are going on," said Mr. Awad, speaking to journalists in Geneva from Kyiv. "There (are) a lot of details and shuttling between Moscow and other countries that have concerns and the negotiations continue. But there's no clear-cut emerging solution right now because it's a board of puzzles that they have to move it together."

Highlighting the difficulties linked to international trade with Russia even though there are no sanctions on food and fertilizer humanitarian exports from the country, Mr. Awad explained that Ms. Grynspan was working "with other financial institutions and the West in general to see how Russia can really, as far as transactions are concerned, resume".

1.5 billion impacted

Around 1.5 billion people "are in need of that food and fertilizers" around the world, the UN official explained, adding that he hoped that the negotiations "really go in a smooth manner and be concluded as soon as possible so that the blockade of ports and the resumption of export of fertilizer and food takes place, before we have another crisis in hand."

Today, at least 15.7 million people in Ukraine are now in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection, Mr. Awad said. Numbers are rising by the day as the war continues, and with winter around the corner, the lives of hundreds of thousands are in peril.

"Today we mark 100 days from the Russian Federation invasion of Ukraine," said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine.

Speaking from Lviv in the west of the country, he added that it was "100 days too many, and it has put the health system under huge stress... We have verified 269 attacks on health", he said, and 76 deaths together with at least 59 injured during those assaults.

Although humanitarians have explored different ways of transporting grain from Ukraine to the wider world, the only viable solution is by sea, given the huge amount of cereals and other essential foodstuffs produced.

"The five million tonnes a month, that's 100 ships a month," said Mr. Awad, adding that rail transportation or trucking, could not manage the same volume and were fraught with logistical problems. "So, is really has to be a maritime movement... to export 50 to 60 million tonnes of food out to the world."

Jobless on the breadline

Inside Ukraine, people's everyday needs continue to grow, as the Russian advance in the eastern oblasts continues. Nearly 14 million people have been forced to flee, about one third of the entire population of Ukraine, and workers have lost their jobs and are queuing for food, UN humanitarians said.

"Clearly our biggest challenges are getting aid into the hardest-to-reach areas of this country, the wartorn areas, the occupied areas, the areas around the front line," said Matthew Hollingworth, Emergency Coordinator for WFP in Ukraine.

Speaking from Lviv, he explained that "36 per cent of everything we've done in last three months has been to support those areas of the country. But it's not enough, it's nowhere near enough. And clearly, we need those continuous appeals to be heard for unimpeded humanitarian access into those areas of the country."

He added: "We have returned to a breadbasket of the world where now sadly people are having to become significant recipients of humanitarian assistance. Where hungry people are standing in breadlines when this is the breadbasket of the world."

Health needs are also critical for the country's women, 265,000 of whom were pregnant before the Russian invasion.

C-sections, under fire

"We have received reports and heard testimonies from doctors about deliveries, including C-sections, taking place in the basements of maternity hospitals, in shelters, and even in metro stations," said Jaime Nadal, the UN Population Fund's (UNFPA) representative in Ukraine.

Speaking from a railway station in Lviv, he added that other surgeries had taken place "in hard-to-reach areas with gynaecologists giving remote, online instructions during childbirth to save the lives of both the mother and newborn".

Displacement and multiple displacement continues to impact Ukrainians, particularly the most vulnerable, warned the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

"In Dnipro I saw buses with people who had evacuated from locations at Bakhmut arriving very visibly shaken," said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.

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Elderly, alone, and on the run

Speaking from Vinnitsya in central Ukraine, she explained that most of the arrivals she saw were elderly people "who had difficulties walking alone and came really with next to nothing in their hands. And for some, this was the second or even the third time that they have fled since 2014."

UN migration agency IOM, has continued to track the movement of people displaced by the war - including returnees - since it began on 24 February.

"Most of these returns have taken place to the north region of Ukraine including almost one million persons to Kyiv itself," said Stephen Rogers, IOM Ukraine deputy chief of mission. "However, when those persons returned to northern and central regions... 33 per cent in the central region (and) 21 per cent in the north, those people who returned found destruction of their property and will need to rebuild."

In common with conflicts everywhere, vast swathes of Ukraine are now contaminated with unexploded ordnance or mines, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) warned.

"Demining issues are of utmost priority for UNDP, we're working with different government authorities to address this issue," said Manal Fouani, acting UNDP Ukraine Resident Representative. "The estimation by the Government is that more than 300,000 square kilometres - that's almost half the territory of Ukraine - are contaminated."
~While the St. Maarten government calls for unity, it is the biggest polarizer.~

PHILIPSBURG:---The MP notes with much concern that another week has gone by and there is no news about the Minister of TEATT and his return to the office.

The minister disappeared from the public view without so much as a notice to the general public. And the Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten seems to have no issue with the situation. Yet, there are so many important matters pending at the Ministry of TEATT.

While the Ministers absence is one thing and in my view unacceptable that the community and the parliament are left in the dark, more flabbergasting is the fact that this ministry is responsible for the prices of goods and the price of fuel, and the government seemingly could care less that weeks have passed since the minister announced relief for the consumers due to the high gas prices.

MP Wescot recalled that before the minister went on an assumed leave, he announced the reduction of the cost of fuel for the consumer. However, a short reaction to this announcement by the minister of finance was not very encouraging, as he seemed to suggest that without knowing how the reduction would be compensated, he could not approve the reduction for the consumer. In the meantime, the cost of fuel products is going through the roof.

Nearly 1 month ago, I made a proposal to the government on how the budget could be adjusted to accommodate the reduction in fuel costs for the consumer. But an amended 2022 budget is yet to see the light of day.

The minister of TEATT also announced an expansion of the food items that fall under the governments control, commonly called the basket of goods, effectively setting price control on this group of items. No further word on this, but in the meantime, prices continue to skyrocket out of control. Currently, with all that is going on and all that is being said, one very important element is lacking, focused and systematic control and enforcement in the areas where consumers can be duped.

If it was only the ministry of TEATTs lapsing due to presumably the absence of the minister, I would have to understand, but also holding the proverbial carrot in front of the lowest income earners, is the minister of VSAs announcement of the minimum wage increase, to be approved by the council of ministers, as announced 2 months ago. The minister announced that the decree would be sent to the council of advice after the COMs approval. Nowhere on the website of the Council of Advice is it mentioned that this decree has been received.

When a minister approves a proposal, usually the legwork is already done. And the advice then gets the nod of the council of ministers. How long must that take, is the question that should be asked and where is the indexation of the minimum wage at currently?, the MP queries.



Similarly, the changes to the civil code must also be put into force by the government of St. Maarten. These amendments reduce the duration of short term contracts, increase maternity leave, and establish paternity leave, MP Wescot outlined.

I am tempted to think that the government is against these changes. After this law, initiated by me, was passed by parliament, the wrong version was publicized by the government. I informed them of this foul-up and I am now awaiting the enforcement. The minister informed parliament that this law would go into force ultimately on March 31st. Well if it has, I ask that the minister provides parliament with the governments decision to put these changes into effect.

Does it even make sense to belabor the issue of the timeshare ordinance again? I think not. The fact is, that promises notwithstanding, nothing has been done by this government. We were told that the Court of Justice would be consulted. Were they and what is the opinion of the Court on the timeshare ordinance in the English language?

And then, the issue of the week, the 12.5% cut in salaries and benefits, and the secret conditions, now attached to retracting these cuts. Yet the minister of finance is agreeing to pay out vacation allowance to civil servants and teachers, without thinking of all the others, whose salaries and benefits were also affected by these cuts.

The government ministers seem to forget that they are a government for all of the people firstly, and employers secondly.

In the meantime, parliament is awaiting the amendments to the budget 2022, that by the way has been criticized by the CFT, who suggested cuts to the budget. A budget amendment is also needed to make the vacation allowance payable, as the vacation allowance was scrapped from the budget 2022 by the government.

I again reiterate that it is in the hands of the council of ministers to retract the 12.5 % law and they need to do so before any payouts can be made, which currently are not allowed due to the same law, concluded MP Wescot-Williams.
PHILIPSBURG:--- PPA leader Gracita Arrindell said in a press release that on Monday, June 6th we bid farewell to a son of the soil, Reynold A. Groeneveldt affectionately known as Groen. Grateful to celebrate his public life and outstanding service to the country as an attorney at law, first acting Governor, and an experienced constitutional expert. We express our heartfelt sympathy to his wife Mrs. Glenda Groeneveldt- Smith, his beloved daughter Angela, families, colleagues, and friends.

Arrindell states;  Mr. Groeneveldt was and will forever occupy a critically important part of our constitutional historical journey. Our quest to attain a new constitutional status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands is recorded in bits and pieces. Reynold played an important role in this process for decades until his recent sudden passing. Called upon by civic organizations to render his expert advice on new constitutional developments, he heeded the requests and complied to the end.

Sint Maarten held its second referendum on June 23rd, 2000 chaired by Mr. Richards Gibson while Mr. Groeneveldt served as the Vice- Chairman of this important plebiscite. This public consultation started the process on the long road of discussions and negotiations for Sint Maarten to become a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands wherein Mr. Reynold Groeneveldt executed his duties and responsibilities in various advisory roles and workgroups pertaining to our constitutional process.

As a former colleague civil servant and advisor constitutional affairs, I am privileged and great-full to have personally witnessed his commitment and contributions in these matters.

These areas included however are not limited to Mr. Groeneveldt being a member/ advisor of -the workgroup that prepared the Constitution of Sint Maarten as well as to the sub-group government organization. His overall involvement in numerous position papers, and interviews in reference to the new constitutional order remains relevant.

Gracita says: Theres never a good time to bid farewell to a former colleague and trusted administrator. Soft-spoken, even in expressed indignation over a controversial or disputed issue. Always neatly dressed in his favorite colors and always-polished shoes. Groen believed in and- personified the meaning of integrity in the execution of one civic duties

Arrindell concludes:  we will sorely miss his presence, he advises, his camaraderie shared with many who appreciated his contributions to family, friends, colleagues, to Country. Leaving a void in the flesh should inspire those of us whom he has left behind to continue working with integrity, humbly, and intelligently for the greater good. His mission was accomplished on earth, continuing his journey in the Spirit. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Farewell Groen.
Trillium Gold Signs Option Agreement for Wenasaga Gold Project 35km from Dixie Deposit in Red Lake, Ontario

Trillium Gold Mines Inc. (TSXV:TGM, OTCQX:TGLDF, FRA:0702) (aTrillium Golda or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/trillium-gold-mines-inc/ ) is pleased to announce that it has signed the Wenasaga Property Option Agreement (the aAgreementa) to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Wenasaga Gold Property (the aPropertya) held by Bounty Gold Corp. (aBounty Golda). The 1,692 hectare Property is contiguous to Trillium Golda?s Eastern Vision land package and effectively extends Trillium Golda?s dominant foothold along the Confederation belt on trend with Kinross Golda?s LP Fault Zone of the Dixie Deposit (see Figure 1).A

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, in order to keep the option thereunder in good standing, Trillium is required to pay Bounty Gold an aggregate amount of Cdn $25,500 over a period of two years, issue an aggregate 64,500 common shares in the capital of Trillium over a period of two years, and grant to Bounty Gold a 2.0% Net Smelter Returns royalty on the claims comprising the Property upon exercise of the option. The Company has the right to repurchase 50% of the royalty (being 1.0%) by paying the holder an aggregate amount equal to $1,000,000.

The Common Shares of Trillium Gold issued under the Agreement will be subject to a four-month holding period from the closing date. The Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSXV and other applicable regulatory authorities, as well as the approval of the Ontario Mining Recorder to extend the due dates for assessment work.A

About the Wenasaga Gold Property

The Wenasaga Gold Property is located 30km northeast of Ear Falls and 55km southeast of Red Lake. The Property is situated over a crustal fault structure1 and is on strike with Kinrossa?s Dixie Project, located 35km to the west. The Dixie Project hosts the LP Fault zone, a 4.6km long, drill tested zone containing 16 highly continuous bulk and 5 high-grade mineralized domains with attractive grades and true thickness.2 The Wenasaga Gold Property contains similar regional geology as that of the Dixie Project, underlain by felsic intrusive and metasedimentary rocks in the south, with felsic to intermediate-mafic metavolcanics rocks in the north. Historical drilling to the west and on strike along the crustal fault structure within the Wenasaga Gold Property intercepted highly deformed, chloritic and carbonate altered green basic metavolcanic rocks.3 Trilliuma?s exploration programs will focus on delineating the fault structure which transects the Wenasaga Gold Property.

The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Paterson QP, P.Geo, Vice President of Exploration of Trillium Gold Mines, as defined by NI 43-101.

1 Lemkow, D.R., Sanborn-Barrie, M., Bailes, A.H., Percival, J.A., Rogers, N., Skulski, T., Anderson, S.D, McNicoll, V., Whalen, J.B., Tomlinson, K.Y., Parker, J.R., Hollings, P. and Young, M.2006: GIS compilation of geology and tectonostratigraphic assemblages, western Uchi Subprovince, western Superior Province, Ontario and Manitoba; Geological Survey of Canada Open File 5269, Manitoba Geological Survey Open File Report OF2006-30, Ontario Geological Survey Miscellaneous ReleaseData 203. Scale 1:250 000. 1 CD-ROM.

2 Kinross Gold Corporation, BMO Investor Presentation February and March 2022, accessed 4 May 2022.

3 Assessment File: 52K14SE0024, Diamond Drill Report

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Trillium Gold Mines Inc.

Russell Starr

Interim Chairman, President & CEO

For further information, please contact Donna Yoshimatsu, VP Corporate Development and Investor Relations at dyoshimatsu@trilliumgold.com, (416)A 722-2456, or info@trilliumgold.com. A A

Visit our website atA www.trilliumgold.com.

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

About Trillium Gold Mines Inc.

Trillium Gold Mines Inc. is a growth focused company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. As part of its regional-scale consolidation strategy, the Company has assembled the largest prospective land package in and around the Red Lake mining district in proximity to major mines and deposits, as well as the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts.A Recently, the Company signed a definitive agreement for control over a significant portion of the Confederation Lake greenstone belt to more than 100km in length.A In addition, the Company has interests in highly prospective properties in Larder Lake, Ontario.A

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations.

Forward-looking information is based on managementa?s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on managementa?s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect.A Such factors, among others, include: impacts arising from the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Vizsla Silver extends high Grade Mineralization at Southern End of Napoleon, Intersecting 2,098 G/T AgEq over 4.30 Metres

Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSX-V: VZLA) (NYSE: VZLA) (Frankfurt: 0G3) (aVizslaa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/vizsla-silver-corp/ ) is pleased to report results from 18 new drillholes targeting the southern extension of the Napoleon Vein at its 100%-owned flagship Panuco silver-gold project (\Panuco\ or the \Project\), located in Mexico. The results are a part of Vizslaa?s ongoing, fully-funded 120,000-meter resource/discovery-based drill program.

Highlights

 NP-22-258 returned 2,098 grams per tonne (g/t) silver equivalent (AgEq) over 4.30 metres true width (mTW) (1,139 g/t silver, 11.48 g/t gold, 0.32 % lead and 0.85 % zinc) including:

7,213 g/t AgEq 1.11 mTW (3,850 g/t silver, 40.6 g/t gold, 0.77 % lead and 2.51 % zinc)

 NP-22-271 returned 677 g/t AgEq over 7.00 mTW (223 g/t silver, 2.76 g/t gold, 1.54 % lead and 5.01 % zinc) including:

2,871 g/t AgEq 0.46 mTW (18.5 g/t gold, 789 g/t silver, 5.68 % lead and 11.7 % zinc); and,

673 g/t AgEq over24 mTW (393 g/t silver, 2.92 g/t gold, 0.40 % lead and 0.94 % zinc) including:

3,274 g/t AgEq over 0.87 mTW (1,970 g/t silver, 14.65 g/t gold, 1.37 % lead and 2.48 % zinc)

 NP-22-277 returned 389 g/t AgEq over 7.00 mTW (151 g/t silver, 2.63 g/t gold, 0.24 % lead and 0.55 % zinc) and 583 g/t AgEq over 3.90 mTW (237 g/t silver, 2.35 g/t gold, 1.75 % lead and 2.89 % zinc)

 NP-22-281 returned 5,700 g/t AgEq over 1.40 mTW (3,585 g/t silver, 25.84 g/t gold, 0.32 % lead and 1.07 % zinc)

aThe Napoleon southern extension continues to be the primary target for near-term resource growth within the Napoleon Vein Corridor,a commented Michael Konnert, President and CEO. aOur local model of a gently plunging epithermal system has led to the discovery of a new high-grade mineralized shoot marked by increasing grades and widths along strike and down plunge to the south. Furthermore, todaya?s reported high-grade intercepts demonstrate that Napoleon is more than a single structure, it is interpreted to be a vein system with multiple splays hosting great potential for additional resource growth. Drilling continues with three rigs, including one direction rig, focussed on resource expansion and conversion along the Napoleon Vein Corridor.a

Details of the Napoleon southern extent

Infill and step-out (expansionary) drilling completed in 2021 led to an improved understanding of the controls on mineralization along the Napoleon Vein Corridor. Observations based on metal zonation and alteration continue to suggest the corridor has been tilted with the southern extent being at the top of the mineralized horizon near surface (Figure 3). Previously reported high-grade gold values closer to surface support the model (see press release dated December 16, 2021), while results reported here, with high silver grades and continued high gold grades continues to validate the model. A Over the first quarter of 2022, Vizsla utilized up to four drill-rigs to target this area with the objective of testing this hypothesis and expanding the resources along strike and down plunge to the south.

Todaya?s results outline a new high-grade, precious metals rich zone with significant widths below the Napoleon resource reported on March 1, 2022. To date, this high-grade footprint has been traced over ~800 metres along strike, ~300 metres down dip and remains open at depth. Moving forward, Vizsla plans to continue expanding and infilling this high-grade zone ahead of the planned resource update in Q4 of this year.

About the Panuco project

The newly consolidated Panuco silver-gold project is an emerging high-grade discovery located in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, near the city of MazatlAn. The 6,754-hectare, past producing district benefits from over 75 kilometres of total vein extent, 35 kilometres of underground mines, roads, power, and permits.

The district contains intermediate to low sulfidation epithermal silver and gold deposits related to siliceous volcanism and crustal extension in the Oligocene and Miocene. Host rocks are mainly continental volcanic rocks correlated to the Tarahumara Formation.

The Panuco Project hosts an estimated in-situ indicated mineral resource of 61.1 Moz AgEq and an in-situ inferred resource of 45.6 Moz AgEq The Technical Report, titled aNational Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for the Panuco Project Mineral Resource Estimate Concordia, Sinaloa, Mexicoa was filed on SEDAR on April 7, 2022, has an effective date of March 1, 2022 and was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 a Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (aNI 43-101a) by Tim Maunula, P.Geo., Principal Geologist, T. Maunula & Associates Consulting Inc and Kevin Murray, P.Eng, Manager Process Engineering, Ausenco.

Stock Option Issuance

The Company has granted 590,000 stock options (aOptionsa) at an exercise price of $1.74 to an officer and an employee. The Options are exercisable for a period of five years and will vest over the next two years. The Options are subject to the approval and policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American.

About Vizsla Silver

Vizsla Silver is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, focused on advancing its flagship, 100%-owned Panuco silver-gold project located in Sinaloa, Mexico. To date, Vizsla has completed over 140,000 metres of drilling at Panuco leading to the discovery of several new high-grade veins. For 2022, Vizsla has budgeted +120,000 metres of resource/discovery-based drilling, designed to upgrade, and expand the maiden resource as well as test other high priority targets across the district.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drill core and rock samples were shipped to ALS Limited in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico and in North Vancouver, Canada for sample preparation and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver.A The ALS Zacatecas and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Silver and base metals were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish and gold was assayed by 30-gram fire assay with atomic absorption (aAAa) spectroscopy finish. Over limit analyses for silver, lead and zinc were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with AA finish.

Control samples comprising certified reference samples, duplicates and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Companya?s quality assurance / quality control protocol.

Qualified Person

In accordance with NI 43-101, Martin Dupuis, P.Geo., COO, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release.

Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources

The scientific and technical information in this news release was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the aSECa). The terms \measured mineral resource\, \indicated mineral resource\ and \inferred mineral resource\ used in this video are in reference to the mining terms defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards (the aCIM Definition Standardsa), which definitions have been adopted by NI 43-101. Accordingly, information contained in this video providing descriptions of our mineral deposits in accordance with NI 43-101 may not be comparable to similar information made public by other U.S. companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

You are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral resources will ever be converted into reserves. Pursuant to CIM Definition Standards, ainferred mineral resourcesa are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Such geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. However, it is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of acontained ouncesa in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute areservesa by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures.

Canadian standards, including the CIM Definition Standards and NI 43-101, differ significantly from standards in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Effective February 25, 2019, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the aSEC Modernization Rulesa), with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of ameasured mineral resourcesa, aindicated mineral resourcesa and ainferred mineral resourcesa. Information regarding mineral resources contained or referenced in this video may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report according to U.S. standards. While the SEC Modernization Rules are purported to be asubstantially similara to the CIM Definition Standards, readers are cautioned that there are differences between the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definitions Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral resources that the Company may report as ameasured mineral resourcesa, aindicated mineral resourcesa and ainferred mineral resourcesa under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules.

Contact Information: For more information and to sign-up to the mailing list, please contact:

Michael Konnert, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (604) 364-2215

Email: info@vizslasilver.caA

Website: www.vizslasilvercorp.caA A

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

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.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain aForward?Looking Statementsa within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and aforward?looking informationa under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words aanticipatea, abelievea, aestimatea, aexpecta, atargeta, aplana, aforecasta, amaya, awoulda, acoulda, aschedulea and similar words or expressions, identify forward?looking statements or information. These forward?looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the exploration, development, and production at Panuco, including plans for resource/discovery-based drilling, designed to upgrade, and expand the maiden resource as well as test other high priority targets across the district.

Forward?looking statements and forward?looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of Vizsla Silver, future growth potential for Vizsla Silver and its business, and future exploration plans are based on managementa?s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on managementa?s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of silver, gold, and other metals; no escalation in the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; Vizsla Silvera?s ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.

These statements reflect Vizsla Silvera?s respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, 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 or forward-looking information and Vizsla Silver has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the Company\-s dependence on one mineral project; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company\-s mining activities in Mexico; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company\-s management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company\-s inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of COVID-19; the economic and financial implications of COVID-19 to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company\-s interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Company\-s ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; and the factors identified under the caption aRisk Factorsa in Vizsla Silvera?s management discussion and analysis. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward?looking statements or forward-looking information. Although Vizsla Silver has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Vizsla Silver does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward?looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.
Skeena Completes Acquisition of QuestEx and Concurrent Sale of Assets to Newmont

Skeena Resources Limited (TSX: SKE, NYSE: SKE) (aSkeenaa or athe Companya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/skeena-resources-ltd/ ) is pleased to announce that it has completed the previously announced plan of arrangement (the aArrangementa) to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of QuestEx Gold & Copper Ltd. (aQuestExa). Following the closing of the Arrangement, Skeena also completed the previously announced sale of certain QuestEx properties (the aAsset Salea) to an affiliate of Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT) (aNewmonta).

Walter Coles, CEO & Director of Skeena commented, aThe acquisition of QuestEx positions Skeena with one of the largest land positions held for mining in the prolific Golden Triangle. We expect to realize exploration synergies at the KSP and Kingpin properties which are proximal to our Eskay Creek and Snip projects. We would like to thank the teams at Newmont and QuestEx for working together with us on these transactions and we would also like to thank the Tahltan Nation for their continued support. We look forward to exploring these exciting new tenements while we continue to advance Eskay Creek.a

Under the terms of the Arrangement, QuestEx shareholders received C$0.65 cash and 0.0367 of a Skeena common share (aSkeena Sharea) for each QuestEx common share (aQuestEx Sharea). In aggregate, under the Arrangement Skeena paid approximately C$18.7 million in cash and issued approximately 1.05 million Skeena Shares to QuestEx shareholders other than Newmont and Skeena. The cash consideration was fully funded by the cash proceeds of the Asset Sale to Newmont.

Under the terms of the Asset Sale, Newmont acquired 100% of Skeenaa?s rights, titles, and interests in and to the Heart Peaks, Castle, Moat, Coyote, and North ROK properties, which were previously owned by QuestEx, in exchange for consideration of approximately C$26 million, including the purchase by Skeena of Newmonta?s QuestEx shares.

Advisors and Counsel

Agentis Capital Mining Partners acted as financial advisor to Skeena with regard to both the Arrangement and Asset Sale. Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP acted as legal counsel to Skeena.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration and development company focused on revitalizing the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver mine located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Prefeasibility Study for Eskay Creek in July 2021 which highlights an open-pit average grade of 4.57 g/t AuEq, an after-tax NPV5% of C$1.4B, 56% IRR, and a 1.4-year payback at US$1,550/oz Au. Skeena is currently completing both infill and exploration drilling to advance Eskay Creek to a full Feasibility Study in 2022.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,

Walter Coles

CEO & Director

Contact Information

Investor Inquiries: info@skeenaresources.com

Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725

Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

The scientific and technical information in this press release was approved by Paul Geddes, P.Geo., a Qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and Vice President, Exploration and Resource Development for the Company.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute aforward looking informationa and aforward looking statementsa within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet managementa?s expectations.A Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as aanticipatesa, abelievesa, atargetsa, aestimatesa, aplansa, aexpectsa, amaya, awilla, acoulda or awoulda and, in this press release, include, without limitation: statements regarding the QuestEx Transaction and Newmont Transaction, including the closing thereof and the timing and receipt of approvals and fulfillment of the conditions therefor, and the source of reimbursement for the cash portion of the Arrangement Consideration; the expected synergies arising from the QuestEx Transaction; and the exploration potential and geological hallmarks of the QuestEx properties to be retained by Skeena.A Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the closing of the QuestEx Transaction and the Newmont Transaction, including the receipt of approvals and fulfillment of the conditions therefor, that the purchase price pursuant to the Newmont Transaction will be sufficient to reimburse Skeena for the cash portion of the Arrangement Consideration, that the Company will recognize the expected synergies from its acquisition of QuestEx, that the Company will be able to realize the exploration potential of the QuestEx properties it intends to retain, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters.A Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks which may cause actual results to vary significantly from the results implied by forward-looking statements, including, that the Company may not close the QuestEx Transaction or the Newmont Transaction, on the timeline anticipated, or at all; that the purchase price payable pursuant to the Newmont Transaction may not be sufficient to fund the cash portion of the Arrangement Consideration, and the Company may be required to utilize funds from treasury to fund the outstanding cash required; that the Company may not be able to realize upon the expected synergies arising from the completion of the QuestEx Transaction, or the exploration potential of the QuestEx properties it intends to retain, and the other risks and uncertainties set out in the Companya?s most recent annual information form, which is available on the Companya?s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Note that for acquisition accounting purposes, the shares issued to acquire QuestEx will be valued at the date of close. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States of America.A Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws.
HMF at E-world 2022: Smart Communication Solutions for Today and Tomorrow

Forward-looking private 5G solutions, professional (TETRA) radio systems for secure, highly available and fast voice and data transmission  even in a blackout: From 21 to 23 June HMF Smart Solutions will be presenting state-of-the-art and versatile communication solutions for the energy sector and utilities industry at E-world energy & water in Essen, Germany.

Visit HMF Smart Solutions at Europea?s leading trade fair for the energy industry in Hall 5, Stand 5-355 | in the SMART ENERGY area and find out about the latest communication technologies.

5G Smart Box  Discover the many possibilities of our new private 5G solution.

Smart Solutions for Smart Utilities

Digital transformation, energy transition, increasing demands in everyday operations, increased need for cyber security and independent operational capability in emergencies: a professional, future-proof communication infrastructure for secure, reliable and effective voice and data transmission is essential and is becoming increasingly important. HMF Smart Solutions develops and implements customised, individually adaptable and technology-independent system solutions for the energy and utility industry.

Martin Asbrock, Sales Director Energy & Utilities and expert at HMF for the energy sector: aOur customers benefit from more than 40 years of experience and proven know-how in the field of professional mobile radio as well as our customer-oriented, holistic services.

We are exhibiting at E-world for the first time and are very much looking forward to presenting our solutions to the trade fair visitors.a

5G Smart Box a The Future Inside

Brand new at E-world: HMF Smart Solutions presents the 5G Smart Box, a turnkey private 5G (campus) solution. Monitoring and control of devices in distribution networks/companies (e.g. smart metering), data transmission and analysis in real time, automation, increased efficiency in energy transport, and much more  the range of possibilities of the 5G Smart Box are almost unlimited.

The 5G Smart Box from HMF is

Ultra-fast  allows for real-time data transfer

Innovative  state-of-the-art 5G, easy-to-handle, future-proof

Tailor-made  precisely matched to the individual area of application

Secure  mission-critical applications (voice and data), independent infrastructure

Extremely flexible  scalable, customisable, interconnective

Experience the 5G Smart Box live at the HMF stand (5-355). Let\-s think 5G together.

The SMART Way of TETRA

Mission-critical communication systems from HMF set standards. With ACCESSNETA-T IP SMART, the specialists from Lower Saxony in Germany will be presenting a clever, compact and powerful in-house TETRA radio solution at E-world. ACCESSNETA-T IP SMART meets the highest demands, can be flexibly scaled  and is ready for the future: The TETRA system is not only easy to expand, but can also be conveniently extended to include broadband applications, e.g. Push-To-Talk over Cellular (PoC). HMF will be presenting its PoC solution PTTconnect at the trade fair. PTTconnect makes it easy to bridge the gap from narrowband to broadband and enable almost borderless communication.

You will find HMF Smart Solutions at E-world in Hall 5 | SMART ENERGY area | Stand 5-355.

Hytera Mobilfunk GmbH (HMF), based in Bad MAnder, Germany, has been developing and implementing customised, mission-critical communication solutions in the field of professional mobile radio for more than 40 years. HMF is an established specialist for technologies such as TETRA, LTE/5G and DMR, offering easily available and secure radio communication solutions for industrial, utility and transport companies, the oil and gas industry as well as for security and rescue forces among others. HMF regards itself as a holistic solution provider whose core expertise is comprehensive project support from a single source a from development and planning to implementation, including services and network operation.
Trillium Gold Signs Agreement to Purchase Panama Lake Gold Project Located 80km from Kinross Gold\-s Dixie Deposit in Red Lake, Ontario

Trillium Gold Mines Inc. (TSXV:TGM, OTCQX:TGLDF, FRA:0702) (aTrillium Golda or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/trillium-gold-mines-inc/ ) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the aPurchase Agreementa) to acquire all of the rights and title to the Panama Lake Property (the aPropertya) held by St. Anthony Gold Corp. (aSt. Anthony Golda). The Panama Lake Gold Project is located approximately 80km from, and on the same structural trend as, Kinross Golda?s Dixie deposit and effectively extends Trillium Golda?s dominant contiguous foothold along the Confederation belt by 9,882 hectares (see Figure 1).A

Pursuant to an assignment and assumption agreement to be entered into on the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement (the aAssignment Agreementa together with the Original Option Agreement, the aOption Agreementa), among Trillium Gold and St. Anthony Gold, St. Anthony Gold will assign all of its rights and obligations under the Original Option Agreement to Trillium Gold. In addition, pursuant to the Assignment Agreement, Benton Resources Inc. (aBenton Resourcesa) will agree to consent to the assignment and will agree to register 100% of the Propertya?s title to Trillium Gold while retaining its 50% ownership interest in the Property until such time as Trillium Gold fulfils its option to earn 100% interest.

Terms of the Agreement

Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, at closing, Trillium Gold will pay St. Anthony Gold, Cdn $500,000 in cash and issue 1,000,000 common shares in the capital of Trillium Gold (the aCommon Sharesa). A In the event Trillium Gold acquires a 100% interest in the Property, St. Anthony Gold may cause Trillium Gold to exercise its Buy-Back Right under the Option Agreement (as further discussed below) to repurchase from Benton Resources one-half of the 2% Net Smelter Royalty on the Property and convey such repurchased 1% Net Smelter Royalty to St. Anthony Gold in exchange for a cash payment by St. Anthony Gold to Trillium Gold of $1,000,000.

Pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement, in order for Trillium Gold to earn a 70% interest in the Property, it will pay to Benton Resources Cdn $100,000 in cash or the equivalent in Common Shares, based on the 10-day value weighted average price (aVWAPa) of Trillium Golda?s Common Shares traded on the TSXV prior to issuance by October 24, 2022, and complete $250,000 in exploration expenditures on the Project by April 24, 2023. Trillium Gold has the option to earn 100% ownership of the Property by paying Benton Resources a further $300,000 in cash or the equivalent in Common Shares, based on the 10-day VWAP of Trillium Golda?s Common Shares traded on the TSXV prior to issuance and complete $300,000 in exploration expenditures on the Project in each case by October 24, 2023. Benton Resources has the right to retain a 2.0% NSR on the Project, subject to the option of Trillium Gold to buy back one-half of such royalty (being 1.0%) for Cdn $1,000,000 (the aBuy Back Righta). A In the event that Trillium Gold completes a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate for the Property, Trillium Gold will issue to Benton Resources Common Shares with the amount of Common Shares issuable to be determined based on the number of ounces of gold in the NI 43-101 report and the market price of the Common Shares at the time.

The Common Shares of Trillium Gold issued under the Purchase Agreement will be subject to a four-month holding period from the closing date. The Purchase Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSXV and other applicable regulatory authorities.A

About the Panama Lake Property

The Panama Lake Gold project consists of 9,882 hectares in the historic Red Lake Mining district and displays very similar regional geology to that of the Dixie deposit located along strike approximately 80km to the west. A long history of exploration activity has occurred on the Panama Lake Gold project since the late 1960s. Recent diamond drilling completed by Benton Resources and St. Anthony Gold have continued to intercept anomalous gold values from the Panama Zone and north of a highly anomalous gold grain till sample collected by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC Open File 3038). Recently completed interpretation of newly acquired airborne geophysics have identified several linear magnetic trends that appear coincident with the Panama Zone and other gold occurrences found on the Panama Lake Gold Project. This new geophysical interpretation and recently obtained anomalous gold values from 2019-2022 diamond drill programs will allow future exploration programs to be focused on areas of high mineral potential.

The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Paterson QP, P.Geo, Vice President of Exploration of Trillium Gold Mines, as defined by NI 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Trillium Gold Mines Inc.

Russell Starr

Interim Chairman, President & CEO

For further information, please contact Donna Yoshimatsu, VP Corporate Development and Investor Relations at dyoshimatsu@trilliumgold.com, (416)A 722-2456, or info@trilliumgold.com. A A

Visit our website atA www.trilliumgold.com.

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

About Trillium Gold Mines Inc.

Trillium Gold Mines Inc. is a growth focused company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. As part of its regional-scale consolidation strategy, the Company has assembled one of the largest prospective land packages in and around the Red Lake mining district in proximity to major mines and deposits, as well as the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts.A Recently, the Company signed a definitive agreement for control over a significant portion of the Confederation Lake greenstone belt to more than 100km in length.A In addition, the Company has interests in highly prospective properties in Larder Lake, Ontario.A

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations.

Forward-looking information is based on managementa?s reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on managementa?s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect.A Such factors, among others, include: impacts arising from the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Details of annual&special meeting of shareholders

Aurania Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ARU) (OTCQB: AUIAF) (Frankfurt: 20Q) (aAuraniaa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/aurania-resources-ltd/ ) announces that its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the aMeetinga) will be held at 2:30pm EST on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, via teleconference. The formal part of the Meeting will be followed by a brief presentation and a question-and-answer period.A

Teleconference & Webcast Details for Auraniaa?s Annual Meeting

Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Time: 2:30pm EST

To join the webcast, click on this URL just prior to the event:

http://services.choruscall.ca/links/aurania2022asgm.html

To listen via the teleconference or to participate in the question period, please refer to the dial-in numbers below:A A A A A A A A

Canada/USA Toll Free: 1-800-319-4610

Toronto Toll: +1-416-915-3239

UK & Europe Toll Free: 0808-101-2791

Callers are asked to dial in 5 a 10 min prior to the scheduled start time and simply ask to join the call. Please use the teleconference line to participate in the question period.

Proxy Voting DeadlineA A A A A A A A

The teleconference is for listening to the proceedings of the Meeting only.A To ensure your vote is counted, please cast your vote prior to Monday, June 6th, 2022, at 11:00am EST as per the details in your form of proxy. A Meeting materials can be found on Auraniaa?s website under the Annual General Meeting tab. An audio replay of the Meeting will be available on Auraniaa?s website after June 8th for those shareholders who cannot attend the live webcast and conference call.

Q1 2022 Financial Statements and MD&A

Auraniaa?s financial statements and MD&A for three months ended March 31, 2022, are now available on SEDAR and the Companya?s website.

About Aurania

Aurania is a mineral exploration company engaged in the identification, evaluation, acquisition and exploration of mineral property interests, with a focus on precious metals and copper in South America.A Its flagship asset, The Lost Cities a Cutucu Project, is located in the Jurassic Metallogenic Belt in the eastern foothills of the Andes mountain range of southeastern Ecuador.

Information on Aurania and technical reports are available at www.aurania.com and www.sedar.com, as well as on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/auranialtd/, Twitter atA https://twitter.com/auranialtd, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurania-resources-ltd-.

For further information, please contact:

Carolyn Muir

VP Investor Relations

Aurania Resources Ltd.

(416) 367-3200

carolyn.muir@aurania.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

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.
The Stockholm+50 environment conference came to a close on Friday with a call for real commitments to urgently address global environmental concerns, and for a just transition to sustainable economies, that work for all.

"We came to Stockholm 50 years after the UN Conference on the Human Environment knowing that something must change. Knowing that, if we do not change, the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, will only accelerate," said Inger Andersen, Secretary-General of Stockholm+50, and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The UNEP chief urged the participants to "take forward this energy, this commitment to action, to shape our world."

Shaping tomorrow

General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid reminded that the policies we implement today "will shape the world we live in tomorrow".

Governments and the private sector have an important role to play in rethinking strategies to target structural barriers that have hindered women's participation in labour forces, he said.

"The workplace of the future must be rooted in equity and free of discrimination and harmful stereotypes about women's skills, work ethic, leadership abilities or intellect."

Success means instilling gender equity practices embodied in legal protections, robust enforcement mechanisms, and deep structural and cultural change, he added.

Mr. Shahid urged everyone to discuss constructively "how we can secure not only a more gender equal recovery - but a gender equal world."

Goal: Healthy planet

The two-day international meeting concluded with a statement from co-hosts Sweden and Kenya, which recommended placing human well-being at the centre of a healthy planet and prosperity for all; recognizing and implementing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; adopting systemwide changes in the way our current economic system works, and accelerate transformations of high impact sectors.

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"We believe that we have - collectively - mobilized and used the potential of this meeting. We now have a blueprint of acceleration to take further," said Sweden's Minister for Climate and the Environment, Annika Strandhall.

"Stockholm+50 has been a milestone on our path towards a healthy planet for all, leaving no one behind."

Rebuild for future generations

Stockholm+50 featured four plenary sessions in which leaders made calls for bold environmental action to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Three Leadership Dialogues, hundreds of side events, associated events and webinars and a series of regional multi-stakeholder consultations in the run-up to the meeting, enabled thousands of people around the world to engage in discussions and put forward their views.

"The variety of voices and bold messages that have emerged from these two days demonstrate a genuine wish to live up to the potential of this meeting and build a future for our children and grandchildren on this, our only planet," said Keriako Tobiko, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for the Environment.

"We didn't just come here to commemorate, but to build forward and better, based on the steps taken since 1972."
On average, 90 per cent of those killed and injured by the use of explosive weapons used in populated areas are civilians. A political commitment to address the humanitarian harm arising from the use of these weapons in cities, towns and villages could be a major step towards protecting those caught up in conflict.

The devastating harm caused by explosive weapons falling on population centres has been seen again and again, from Syria to Ethiopia, Myanmar and Iraq. The flood of images coming out of Ukraine have shocked many. On top of the deaths, the use of these weapons is a cause for long-term harm, destroying livelihoods, and vital infrastructure such as health care facilities.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been consistently advocating for nations to adopt a commitment to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

Below we examine the effect that these weapons have on civilian populations, and some of the ways in which nations, the UN, and partners around the world are working to reduce the humanitarian impacts.

1. What are explosive weapons?

Explosive weapons are systems that use munitions or devices whose primary destructive effect is caused by the detonation of a high explosives creating a blast and fragmentation zone. There are many different types of explosive weapons in use by national military forces and non-State armed groups.

Examples include indirect fire weapons, such as artillery, rockets, and mortars; weapons that fire in salvos, such as multi-launch rocket systems; large air-dropped and sea-launched bombs; surface-to-surface ballistic missiles; and improvised explosive devices.

Explosive weapons with "wide area effects" form a major subset of explosive weapons. They include weapons that use munitions with a large destructive radius, that fire in salvos or that deliver multiple munitions over a wide area.

Armed conflicts are increasingly fought in population centres. This urbanization of warfare has resulted in devastating and well documented impacts on civilians, often due to the use of weapons systems that are designed for traditional open battlefields.

Many of these weapons have foreseeable and indiscriminate effects when used in populated areas and result in increased civilian casualties and devastating humanitarian impacts.

2. What are the humanitarian impacts and consequences of the use of these weapons in populated areas?

When used in villages, towns, cities, or other populated areas, explosive weapons create a consistent pattern of immediate and longer-term harm to civilians, destroying lives, livelihoods, and vital infrastructure.

In addition to immediate impact, many civilians are affected by the indirect and often long-term impact of the weapons - also referred to as reverberating effects. Children are particularly vulnerable to various forms of psychological or emotional trauma.

Health-care facilities are hit, hampering the delivery of medical care. Housing and essential infrastructure, such as drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and electricity supply systems, are damaged or destroyed, increasing the risk and spread of disease and further burdening the healthcare system.

Schools are blown up, interrupting or halting access to education, posing considerable risk to children and often exposing gender inequalities. The use of these weapons in populated areas can also contribute to large scale displacement, forcing people to leave their homes, often for long periods and in precarious conditions.

The use of these weapons virtually always leaves explosive remnants of war that can kill and injure civilians, particularly children, long after hostilities have ended. The remnants can also prevent or delay reconstruction work or agricultural production, as well as the return of refugees and displaced persons.

3. What are the UN and partners doing to reduce the civilian death toll?

Since 2009, UN chief Antonio Guterres, and his predecessors, have repeatedly called on parties to conflict to avoid their use, notably through his Agenda for Disarmament, which commits to supporting UN Member States in developing a political declaration that addresses the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, as well as limitations, common standards, and operational policies, in line with international humanitarian law.

In 2019, together with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mr. Guterres appealed to parties to conflict to employ strategies and tactics that take combat outside populated areas and "try to reduce urban fighting altogether".

Fully documenting the short and long-term humanitarian impact of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, including collecting data on civilian casualties, is key to taking appropriate action.

The United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and NGOs across the globe have published numerous studies to inform debate and to improve military policies and practice.

Some military forces have adopted policies to avoid or restrict the use of certain explosive weapons in certain situations in order to better protect civilians, such as the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and the African Union Mission in Somalia.

4. What else is happening at a global level?

Over the last decades, coalitions of governments and civil society have successfully campaigned for the conclusion of new instruments that address humanitarian harm, such as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Safe Schools Declaration.

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Since 2010, humanitarian actors, including civil society, have led efforts to raise awareness about the indiscriminate and severe humanitarian impact of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

A consultation process for the development of an international political declaration addressing the humanitarian harm arising from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas - led by Ireland - has been ongoing since 2019, following years of steadfast advocacy efforts. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, States reconvened last April to negotiate a political declaration, which is expected to conclude in June.

The Secretary-General has expressed his full support for this process, and continues to advocate for a political declaration that includes a clear commitment to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

5. What difference could a political declaration make?

The adoption of a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas could go a long way towards reducing the associated humanitarian harm, by recognizing that conflict cannot be fought in populated areas in the same way it is fought in open battlefields.

States should commit to develop operational policies based on a presumption against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas to foster behavioural change, promote concrete steps to protect civilians and ultimately enhance compliance with International Humanitarian Law.
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Argentina's Lionel Messi moves into fourth place in the all-time international men's top-scorer list, overtaking Ferenc Puskas after scoring five goals against Estonia.

Lionel Messi scored all five goals in Argentina's emphatic 5-0 victory over Estonia to overtake Ferenc Puskas in the all-time international men's top scorers list.

The Argentinian returned to Spanish shores for a friendly encounter against Estonia on Sunday, and it was a return that the former Barcelona player certainly enjoyed.

Messi wrapped up his hat-trick within 47 minutes, taking him level with Puskas, but two more goals in the final 20 minutes at El Sadar ensured the Paris Saint-Germain attacker moved into fourth place among the all-time international men's top scorers.

The five-star performance also helped the 34-year-old become the first man to score five goals in a European Cup or Champions League game and in a senior international fixture.

As a result of his dazzling display in Pamplona, Messi took his international tally to 86 goals, leaving him three behind Malaysia's Mokhtar Dahari.

However, there is a lot more work to be done if the Argentina captain wishes to close the gap to the top two, with Iran's Ali Daei on 109 goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo has found the net on 117 occasions for Portugal.
Since Victoria Buitron was five years old, her life has been divided between Ecuador and Norwalk. Her transitions and adaptations to two different countries and ways of life inspired her latest memoir "A Body Across Two Hemispheres: A Memoir in Essays."

When Victoria Buitron was five years old, her family moved to Norwalk from Ecuador. Her life changed and she had to adapt to a new country, new language and new way of life. Ten years later, after her grandfather got sick, her family decided to move back to their home country.

"My dad decided to leave everything behind and go back to Ecuador to be with my grandfather, which meant that we all went back. That really changed my life," said Buitron. Before moving back, Buitron was planning to graduate high school in Norwalk and go on to college. Rather, she got back to her hometown Milagros and started an adapating journey, the second one in her life.

Seven years after leaving Connecticut, Buitron came back to the U.S., but this time she knew she wanted use her unique experiences for storytelling. Her journey from moving back and forth between South and North America inspired her recently published memoir. Divided in three parts that represent the times she has moved countries, Buitron's memoir tackles her personal struggles through asynchronous essays. "A Body Across Two Hemispheres," published in late March, was awarded the 2021 Fairfield Book Prize.

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One of Buitron's favorite stories in her memoir is one that happened she was a teenager. She and a friend skipped out on paying taxi fare; they ran away from the car.

"That may seem like a terrible example but there's so many layers to that moment," said Buitron, who added that her taxi-ditching experience was not only a coming out of age moment but one that exemplified her status in American society, that included struggles but also privileges.

Writing a memoir also requires a great amount of emotional weight, she said. While revisiting experiences of her past, Buitron would often tap into painful memories.

"I had to excavate moments from my past that weren't necessarily the happiest moments while I was living them," said Buitron, mentioning that there are some essays that she is not ready to read out loud yet during public book readings.

Four years prior to the publishing of her memoir, Buitron decided to take her next step in her career and get her Masters of Fine Arts at Fairfield University. She applied to the master's program knowing that she wanted to fully dedicate her time to finish her memoir, but it was also during Fairfield University that she started to look for her community.

"I had this idea of what it meant to be a writer. For example, [I thought] a writer was probably a professor in academia but a day job doesn't fit that role. As a Latinx, I was like, 'How do I find my community? How do I feel at home?," said Buitron. She began researching for literary magazines that have Latino or people of color as editors.

During her career as writer and editor, having worked with literary magazines such as Brevity and Causeway Lit, Buitron tried to uplift other writers of color, she said. In the near future, Buitron will continue writing; she has both poetry and short stories in her mind. But first, she wants to savour this moment as much as possible because publishing her memoir was a dream come true, she said.
The 1970s was the start of a great migration  a corporate exodus from the city to the suburbs.

Experts say the vast movement of Fortune 500 companies from Wall Street and midtown Manhattan to greener pastures in the suburbs literally reshaped the landscape of southern Connecticut, transforming rolling woodland and sleepy town centers into gleaming corporate office parks designed by the leading architects of the era.

But now, many of those corporate parks are flagging; COVID-19 sent workers home from office buildings, in some cases for years. Some companies folded or closed their offices entirely. At the same time, the need for housing has grown as corporate work shifts to more home offices or hybrid schedules that include work-from-home.

In the last two years, landlords have taken a look at their real estate, said James Ritman, managing director of the Stamford office of Newmark. The large commercial real estate company said the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a stress test for many office buildings and office parks in the region.

For the office buildings and parks that werent seeing a lot of activity post pandemic, the question is: Whats the next logical or realistic use for this property? Its probably not office any more, he said.

Across Fairfield County as a whole, the office vacancy rate stands at about 24 percent as of the first quarter of 2022. In central Fairfield County  which includes Darien, Norwalk and Westport  the rate runs at 31 percent during that same period, among the highest vacancy rates in the U.S.

The term Suburban Office Obsolescence began to trend in commercial real estate reports and MBA circles as early as 2015.

A professor and real estate analyst, Randall Zisler, said this year, Real estate always obsolesces, but COVID increased the pace.

Once upon a time in the suburbs

The corporate building boom of the 1970s and 1980s created huge new edifices for imposing corporate headquarters, clad in smoked glass, marble and steel.

Stamford saw more than 1.6 million square feet of office space under construction in 1985 alone.

General Electric Co. went to Fairfield. Danbury welcomed Union Carbide Corp. American Can Co. created an artificial dam on a sprawling site in the north end of Greenwich and built an enormous office complex there.

The moves to southern Connecticut had a simple logic: Location, location, location, said Robin Stein, a longtime planner for the city of Stamford.

The region was  and is  well-served by its proximity to New York, Stein said. In Stamford and other towns along Long Island Sound, there were large empty tracts of land, friendly local governments and plentiful access to the kinds of amenities that executives and their employees were looking to enjoy.

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In Greenwich, town leaders were more than happy to create a new office-business district for the American Can Company in 1970 at a site formerly zoned residential, a first for the town. A town planner directed company executives to the 181-acre site off King Street when a search team looking to relocate from midtown Manhattan came calling at Town Hall. A 600,000 square-foot complex later rose there, and 2,300 employees worked in offices adorned with rugs imported from Morocco and suede leather chairs.

Stein also pointed out that the suburban office park boom put work closer to home for many corporate executives. Especially in the case of re-locations to Stamford and Greenwich, company chairmen enjoyed much shorter commutes post-move. Sociologist William Whyte found that the average commuting distance for a CEO was eight miles during that era.

But it was clear even in the 1980s that the huge amount of office space built during the boom years was too much for the market to handle.

Stein said Stamfords office-vacancy rate was becoming a problem by the late 1970s. At the American Can Company in Greenwich, the parking lot for 1,700 cars was half empty by the early 80s, according to media reports from the era, and in 1984, the company decided to sell off the property and downsize.

A change in focus

Ritman, from real estate company Newmark, said public officials and developers had to take a close look at what kind of creative and adaptive use might work best for an old office site that was no longer viable as a workplace. Whats the demand in that market? What will the market allow for? You need to know your audience, and your town, whats needed in Norwalk versus Stamford. Whats lacking? he said.

Tishman Speyer / Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission

Now, in Greenwich, Stamford, Danbury, Darien, Trumbull and New Haven, those questions are being asked, and new uses for empty office space have been built or are being proposed. The trend has been accelerating in recent months.

Given the fact that many people have expressed a desire not to return to the office, or do so on an irregular basis, the people in commercial real estate are now desperate to find revenue generating streams. Everything from apartments to health clubs will give them that opportunity, said David Cadden, professor emeritus of entrepreneurship and strategy at Quinnipiac University.

Cadden said it was a classic case of supply and demand: For owners of commercial real estate, its an income generating stream, and given the fact theres a dearth of housing, it will provide housing for people. In Fairfield County, it would seem to be a very viable option. Generating several hundred, or several thousand, units would be very welcome.

In the north end of Greenwich, a plan by Tishman Speyer, the current owner and occupant of the old American Can property, would build 465 residential units there. Also in Greenwich, 33 upscale residential units were created out of an old office building built in 1981. The Mill in the Glenville section of town, which opened last year, is just one of a number of proposals or conversions from office to retail around the region.

In Stamford, the old General Electric site on High Ridge Road is now the site of of a school and 146 residential units for seniors, Waterstone at High Ridge. The Palmer Hill condominium project on Havemeyer Lane, on the border with Greenwich, replaced the Conair-Cuisinart office park in the 2000s after a lengthy legal battle. Property owners have converted small office buildings near Downtown Stamford into buildings with a handful of studios and one-bedrooms.

In Danbury, the old Union Carbide building, which when it opened in 1982 was the largest office building in the state, has been re-purposed as The Summit, with residences, a fitness club and other commercial uses carved out of the old office building, called a city within a city by the development team there. The Summits owner wants to supplement the existing space with about 400 apartments.

In Trumbull, 202 apartments were built at a former office site on Oakview Drive. Rivers Edge, an assisted living facility for seniors, was developed at the site of the former United Healthcare building at Route 111 and Old Mine Road.

A developer is currently looking to build housing with up to 88 units on Parkland Drive, an old office site in downtown Darien.

Beside residential redevelopment, developers and property owners have also prioritized turning office space into school buildings.

Danbury officials in March announced that they would turn a former headquarters for the Cartus Corporation into a $164 million career academy that prioritizes science and business instruction. The University of New Haven in 2013 bought the one-time headquarters for electrical equipment company Hubbell to house its Orange campus.

The redevelopment trend extends far beyond southern Connecticut. Office complexes around the country are being converted into residences or commercial operations.

According to a market report by Rent Cafe, an industry analyst group, 32,000 apartment units in the U.S. were re-developed from existing spaces over the last two years, with 41 percent of that total converted from office space. Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., led the nation with the most office-to-residence conversions.

Southern Connecticut would be a natural candidate to follow and expand on that trend, say housing and economic experts.

A Darien developer with an extensive background in commercial real estate, Bob Gillon, said some office sites worked better than others for residential conversion.

The number one challenge is to find the right place, he said. Its location dependent.

The conversion from a 1985 office building in downtown Darien that he called functionally obsolete to a site where housing might be made available to young families or seniors looking to downsize posed a number of difficulties, he conceded.

But challenges always breed opportunities, he said.
Dear editor,

When I was teaching English in Bogota, Colombia in 2018, my friends in the United States asked me if I felt safe after I told them that occasionally I saw an armed guard standing in front of a commercial or government building.

I always honestly told them that of course I felt safe, adding that I never saw or heard any shooting. In fact, I learned that Colombian gun laws are much stricter than in our country.

Now, after two tragic mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, in the past several weeks, piled on many similar massacres in the past two decades, I hope I never hear one of my American friends ask, Are you safe there? when Im living someplace else in the world.

No American should have the nerve to ask that question  ever again. Yes, there are places around the globe where I might not feel safe, but based on the steadily increasing number of shooting deaths in the United States, our country has become a scary place to live.

International statistics in terms of shooting deaths show how dangerous life in the United States has become in comparison to many other countries.

There are more guns in the United States there are than residents. Our love affair with guns and the outdated Second Amendment have resulted in the murder of 10 innocent people in Buffalo and more than 20 children and adults in Uvalde.

Its time for the National Rifle Association and its marionettes in Congress to finally surrender to the demands of the American public and enact some real gun control legislation. There also must be a permanent ban on semi-automatic long gun sales. In what countries can someone walk into a store and buy a semi-automatic, military-style weapon that can be used to mow down 10 or 20 people in a short, deadly minute or two?

Democrats have been introducing meaningful legislation for years, only to see it blocked by NRA-controlled Republicans. In Texas alone, since November 2017, 70 people have been shot to death in Sugarland, El Paso and Uvalde.

Hopefully, when they go to the polls in November, thinking voters will remember more unforgivable Republican inaction after another horrific massacre.

Richard Lee

Stamford
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With the popularity of streaming services, watching movies at home has become a regular activity for most. The modern house on 392 Brushy Ridge Road in New Canaan gives owners plenty of space to watch  it has two movie theaters.

Listed for $5.3 million, the New Canaan home has both an indoor and outdoor movie theater, both of which are accompanied by comfortable seating and entertaining spaces.

Set back from the street, the home sits on a 2.5-acre lot and has a shared, tree-lined driveway that leads up to the three-car garage. Around the back of the house, there is a patio with ample seating and a built-in barbecue covered by a sunsail. The patio overlooks the pear and apple trees that fill the backyard.

Built in 2010, the four-bedroom New Canaan home is described as a fusion between a modern farmhouse and a SOHO loft, according to the listing. The homes exterior has farmhouse features, like a front porch and dormer windows, while the inside has contemporary features such as floor-to-ceiling glass walls, skylights and an indoor gym.

Modern Angles / Contributed Photo Modern Angles / Contributed Photo Modern Angles / Contributed Photo The half bathroom, indoor theater and outdoor theater and patio area at the home on 392 Brushy Ridge Road in New Canaan, Conn. / Modern Angles / Contributed Photos The half bathroom, indoor theater and outdoor theater and patio area at the home on 392 Brushy Ridge Road in New Canaan, Conn. / Modern Angles / Contributed Photos

From an aerial view, the home has three separate wings. The darker wing was an addition built by the current owners, according to listing agent Fatou Niang of William Pitt Sothebys International Realty. The addition gave the owners two more bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and an office. The newer wing is connected to the original house by an outdoor terrace with a seating area and television, covered by a sunsail.

Niang said the home and its additions make it a very mature house and able to adapt to different living styles.

The house features energy-saving technology, including solar panels, a whole house generator and radiant flooring. There are also three cisterns to store rainwater for irrigation purposes, according to information provided by Sothebys. The house also has a geothermal heating system, using the ground to naturally warm or cool the home, according to geothermal heating company Dandelion Energy.

The geothermal heating carries throughout the house, even to the storage area. The original owner and designer of the home thought to use the smart heating and cooling system to maintain their items throughout the fluctuating Connecticut seasons.

I dont usually talk about houses storage areas, but this one is amazing, Niang said. Its all custom built for their storage and can be used for their seasonal clothing.

New Canaan is one of many cities and towns around Connecticut to have seen its average home value increase between 2020 and 2022. In those two years, average home values in the town increased by $358,189, marking a 29.56 percent jump. According to national real estate brokerage Redfin, the median sale price in the town increased by 4.5 percent between April 2021 and April 2022, with this year's average sale price totaling $1.685 million.

The 392 Brushy Ridge Road home is listed by William Pitt Sothebys International Realty and is presented by Fatou Niang (212-961-7428).
Challenges including the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict hampered the development and integration agenda during the first year in office of Peter Mathuki, the East African Community (EAC) Secretary-General.

Mathuki noted this in his offices in Arusha, Tanzania on Friday, June 3, as he took stock of events and developments over the past year.

"The conflict in Ukraine has escalated the prices of commodities in East Africa and is still affecting us. I know Council (of Ministers) and other organs are still working to find solutions to all these issues," Mathuki said.

"The other challenge is weather patterns and climate change which is also really threatening as we are not getting enough rains in the region. This has affected productivity in the region and this also impacted on the prices of goods in our region.

These are the major challenges we are facing but again, we are putting in place policies that will mitigate issues of climate change and encourage our citizens to embrace efforts that try to intervene such as planting trees."

Last year, he started in office pledging to, among others, hit the ground running in enhancing the four pillars of EAC integration.

Mathuki is happy that the mission to admit the DR Congo was accomplished.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi signed the Treaty of accession by his country accomplished, on April 8, making it the seventh member of the regional economic bloc.

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"A key milestone the Community has achieved in the recent past is admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo into the EAC," Mathuki said.

Among others, in February, EAC Partner States adopted the regional tariff offer for Category A products amounting to 90.2 per cent, thereby meting the minimum requirements for those products to start trading on provisional basis under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

"The EAC continues to firm up its resolve to trade as a bloc under the AfCFTA," Mathuki said.

DRC insecurity a work in progress

On the resurgence of insecurity in eastern DR Congo, the bloc's new member, the Secretary General indicated that all hope is not lost as leaders within and outside the region are working to ensure peace prevails.

"The spirit of ensuring that we get peace, not only in the DRC but in the entire East African Community is work in progress. And even the Heads of State of the EAC have commenced those engagements...there are some meetings held in Nairobi in April.

"That demonstrates the level at which the Heads of State are committed to ensure that we have a peaceful EAC. Ourselves, as the Secretariat, we are committed to facilitate their work so that we have a Community that is working for the people."

Mathuki was appointed by East African Community leaders , on February 27, 2021, as the new Secretary-General of the regional bloc after Burundi's Liberat Mfumukeko completed his five-year term.

Mathuki, the former executive director of the East African Business Council (EABC) officially assumed office on April 23, 2021.
The number of NATO military present in our country is over 5,000, Chief of Defence Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, declared on Monday at the changing of the guard ceremony of the Headquarters Multinational Division South - East (HQ MND-SE)

Brigadier General Cristian Dan, commander of HQ MND-SE between June 2020 and June 2022, handed over the command to Brigadier General Dorin Toma, Deputy Chief of Staff, Romanian Land Forces in April 2020, Agerpres reports.Petrescu said that the existence of HQ MND-SE "is more important than we anticipated in 2014, when the decision was made to create an allied command in Romania"."The Headquarters Multinational Division South - East has as mission to be able to ensure the command and control of a NATO Article 5 operation, collective defense, contributing to the strengthening of defense on the Alliance's South-Eastern Flank, to ensuring the territorial security and that of the population of the states in the area of responsibility," declared the Minister of Defence, Vasile Dincu, present at the ceremony.Dincu stressed that "NATO is the alliance that demonstrates the capability, success and commitment of collective defence."Former HQ MND-SE commander Cristian Dan said that military from 15 countries (including Romania) are active in the division.The new commander, Dorin Toma, spoke about the prospects of the NATO summit that will take place this month in Madrid."The deployment of these multinational structures on the Romanian territory, the contingents of different nations that train together with the Romanian military are also preparing this event, from a military perspective, at the politico-military level," he added.
The government is on schedule with the actions for Romania to benefit from 10 billion euros from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) in 2022, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Monday, while presiding the meeting of the Committee for monitoring the PNRR, a gov't release reads.

This was the first meeting after Romania submitted, on May 31st, the first payment request to the European Commission, Agerpres reports."Capitalizing on the EUR 30 billion from PNRR is a coordinated and coherent effort, with well-established milestones, deadlines and responsible people for each area. We proved that we managed to operate this European financing mechanism in a short period of time and not at all simple for Romania and to send the first payment request. The pre-financing received, amounting to EUR 3.7 billion, added to the first payment request already submitted to the European Commission, clearly shows us that we are on schedule to achieve what we have proposed, namely that Romania will benefit this year from 10 billion euros from the PNRR. Next, I will monitor the fulfillment of the priorities, milestones and reforms of the PNRR. I am convinced that the discipline of the government team's work and the responsibility will continue to guide our activity", said Nicolae Ciuca.The source adds that the discussions during the meeting focused on the procedures and measures associated with the submission of the request for payment in the amount of approximately 3 billion euros, of which about 2 billion euros represent non-reimbursable funds, and about 1 billion financing in the form of a loan."In this respect, the Ministry of Investments and European Projects has sent to the coordinating ministries of reform and investments the form approved by the Commission of the Operational Type Agreement, a document necessary for the implementation of the PNRR. Also, the coordinating ministries are to implement specific action plans to improve the management and control system related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, established through consultations at the level of the state institutions, as well as in dialogue between the Government and the European Commission," the release reads.At the same time, in the context of the REPowerEU plan, which proposes a set of actions to save energy, diversify supply sources and accelerate Europe's transition into clean energy, the Committee reviewed the European Commission's communication on the subject."The guidance sent to the member states details and explains the ways of developing the chapters dedicated to the REPowerEU plan, focusing on the process of amending the existing plans," it said.Also, during the meeting, it was presented the situation of the guidelines for the competitive calls for projects from the PNRR, including the state aid schemes, for 61 of the 71 projects (85%) being set launching deadlines in 2022."The next payment request from Romania will be submitted to the European Commission in the third quarter of 2022 and includes the milestones and the deadlines that have the deadline for the realization of the first and second quarters of 2022. The value of the second application is over 3.2 billion euros, of which 2.14 billion euros are non-reimbursable funds and over 1 billion financing in the form of loans," according to the press release.
Minister of National Defence Vasile Dincu participated on Monday in the meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the member states of the Bucharest Nine (B9) format, held in a video-conference system, informs the Ministry of National Defence (MApN).

The event, co-organized by Poland and Romania, was attended by the Defence Ministers of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic under the B9 Intiative, as well as British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning Patrick Turner.The meeting was an opportunity to harmonize the positions of the B9 Defence ministers on issues of common interest in preparation for the NATO meeting on 16 June in Brussels and the NATO Summit in Madrid on 29 and 30 June.The Romanian Minister of National Defence underlined, in context, the relevance of the future B9 Summit, hosted by Romania, on Friday, for the alignemnet of the positions of the B9 member states, in the perspective of the future Allied Summit.Discussions focused mainly on efforts to strengthen NATO's position of deterrence and defence on the eastern flank, the adoption of the Alliance's New Strategic Concept, and the evolution of the regional security situation.The Romanian official pointed out that the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation drastically affects the stability in our region, and the impact of the aggression on Ukraine is significant.Minister Dincu conveyed to his counterparts that the threats and challenges to the common security and the consequences of the brutal invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation require "a consolidation of the security and defence posture in a unified manner, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, as we are now in a crucial moment."The B9 Defense Ministers have adopted a joint statement.
The Government continues to count on the valuable contribution of the Royal House in carrying out social responsibility projects, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said after his meeting on Monday at Victoria Palace of Government with Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Her Majesty Margareta and His Royal Highness Prince Radu, Agerpres reports.

"I thank them on this occasion for the constant involvement of Her Majesty's House in promoting the image and support of Romania's interests in the world and in projects that promote the development of the Romanian economy, education and culture. I also appreciated the social projects through which the Royal Family supports the ties of the Romanian communities abroad with the mother country, as well as the humanitarian actions through which Her Majesty's House has been by our side in managing the refugee crisis in Ukraine. The government continues to count on the valuable contribution of Her Majesty's House in carrying out social responsibility projects," Prime Minister Ciuca wrote on his Facebook page.The dialogue between the Crown Custodian and Prime Minister Ciuca focused on the public actions of the Royal House both internally and externally, for the development of the Romanian economy and education, according to information on the Facebook page of the Royal Family of Romania.The Royal Family's support for the integration of the Romanian communities in the EU countries and the maintenance of their connection with the native country was also discussed."2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the first public actions of King Mihai and the Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Her Majesty Margareta supported by the Romanian political and administrative authorities. In this quarter of a century, the Royal Family has conducted 11,500 public activities of an economic, educational, diplomatic, military, cultural, sporting, charitable and social nature. The Royal Family also paid 365 visits to 55 countries in Europe, America, Africa and Asia to serve Romania's interests and strengthen our country's position in the world," the same post also says.
President Klaus Iohannis will visit, on Tuesday, the Secondary School no. 11 of eastern Buzau Municipality, in the context of the World Environment Day and the Teacher's Day, announces the Presidential Administration Agerpres reports.

According to the source, Secondary School no. 11 represents a model for other educational institutions in Romania, given that it "combines the quality of education offered to students with specific components of green schools", and "the buildings of the education unit include a series of elements of sustainable school infrastructure".The Presidential Administration mentions that the Report "Education on climate change and the environment in sustainable schools", the green axis of the Educated Romania Project, includes numerous measures for the development of a sustainable infrastructure and school culture.The Presidential Administration's report was in public consultation in the early part of 2022, with its current form to be available on Tuesday on the institution's website, the source said.The Presidential Administration adds that some of the measures of the report are already in the process of implementation, noting, in this regard, that the Green Week was included in the structure of the school year 2022-2023, and calls for projects for investments in energy efficiency in schools have been launched by public institutions.
The distribution of social vouchers will start on June 13, Minister of European Investments and Projects Marcel Bolos told a press conference on Monday at Victoria Palace of Government, Agerpres reports.

The minister was asked what information he has on the distribution of social vouchers, given that the representatives of the Romanian Post specified that they haven't received them yet so as to send them to their beneficiaries.He reiterated that there are four stages in the implementation of the project on social vouchers."Stage one - issuing these cards, stage two - distributing them, stage three - charging them. Consider that there are 2,581,000 recipients waiting for these vouchers and having this process specific to the first installment. The obligations that we have assumed, at the deadlines that we have assumed, are being carried out as announced in the program of economic and social measures," minister Bolos also declared.
On a visit to Chisinau, Moldova, on Monday, Speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu said that Moldova does not need military aid, instead it needs border security, an area where Romania needs to get even more involved.

"I believe that Moldova does not need military aid. As far as I know, the Constitution of Moldova provides for neutrality. Instead, it needs border security, which is beneficial for entire Europe, and that is an area where I believe Romania needs to get even more involved alongside Moldova. To be more precise Romania is truly a shield for Moldova and it must be so," Ciolacu told a news conference at the Moldovan Parliament.

He was asked whether in the regional context the bilateral agreement on military co-operation between Romania and Moldova should be updated and whether Romania could provide other assistance to Moldova than before.

A parliamentary delegation led by Ciolacu began a two-day official visit to Moldova on Monday at the invitation of Chairman of the Moldovan Parliament Igor Grosu.

In addition to parliamentary discussions, Ciolacu is also scheduled to meet Moldova's President Maia Sandu and Moldova's Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita.

AGERPRES.
The war in Ukraine was among the topics discussed by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in South Africa in May.

Nairobi, Kenya  The top African Union official met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine and its effects on Africa. A cutoff in grain exports has heightened food insecurity in many African countries, leaving millions of Africans hungry.

Senegalese President Macky Sall met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian city of Sochi Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine and the effect it's having on Africa's 1.3 billion people.

Before the war, the continent annually imported about 30 million tons of wheat and maize from Russia and Ukraine. The war has greatly reduced the exports and sparked a global increase in food and fuel prices.

At Friday's meeting, Sall, the current African Union chairperson, urged Putin to be aware that African countries are "victims" of the Ukraine conflict, according to the French news agency. He said food supplies should be "outside" of Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over Ukraine.

Speaking to journalists in Nairobi, Africa Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, said the rise in oil prices caused by the war is also hurting Africa's economy.

"You look at the energy prices today, energy prices have gone up to the roof of course which benefits all the exporting countries but you, for example, Kenya, you spend a lot of money importing fuel," Adesina said. "So fuel made importing countries suffer as a result of that which has a tendency to slow down economic growth."

Adesina also lamented the Russian blockade of ships in the Black Sea, which is holding back millions of tons of Ukrainian grain meant for other countries, including some in Africa.

The Africa Development Bank recently authorized a $1.5 billion program to ensure that Africa grows enough food to feed its citizens. The bank group said the money would benefit 20 million African farmers.

Adesina said the bank is determined to make Africa less reliant on outside countries for its food supply.

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"Africa will not have a food crisis," he said "We will support Africa to produce its food and we will use this opportunity. We must not lose, and wait for a crisis, to get Africa to be a solution to global food issues. Africa has 65 percent of all arable land left in the world. So what Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world. We must take agriculture as a business."

In the meantime, some countries are facing severe problems feeding their populations.

Chad, a landlocked African country, declared a food emergency Thursday and authorities called other countries for help.

Last month, the United Nations said the number of food-insecure people in the world has doubled from 135 million to 276 million in two years. The crisis is blamed on climate change, the global pandemic and the current war in Ukraine.

As African leaders meet the Russian president, the head of the African Development Bank is calling for an end to the war that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands and negatively impacted millions of people around the world.
A parliamentary delegation led by the Spaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, begins a two-day official visit to the Republic of Moldova on Monday.

The visit takes place at the invitation of the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Grosu.

"The action is reciprocal, following the visit to Romania in 2021 of the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, together with a parliamentary delegation, and aims to continue and intensify the existing dialogue between Romania and the Republic of Moldova," according to an internal memorandum of Chamber of Deputies.

In addition to parliamentary talks, Ciolacu also has scheduled meetings with the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu and Natalia Gavrilita.

The delegation includes the vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies Daniel Suciu (PSD), the vice-president of the Pro-America Group, Ana-Maria Catauta (PSD), who is also the chairman of the Joint Commission of the Chamber and the Senate for relations with UNESCO, the chairman of the Education Committee of the Chamber, Natalia Intotero (PSD), Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, Andi Cristea (PSD), as well as Eugen Constantin - Director of the Chancellery of the President of the Chamber of Deputies and Liviu Sova, Councilor.

The chairman of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Policy, Titus Corlatean (PSD), and the chairman of the Committee on European Affairs, Angel Tilvar (PSD), will also participate.

AGERPRES
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  The public defenders representing Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz tried to withdraw from his death penalty trial Monday after the judge ordered them to move forward with jury selection even though one member of their five-member team is sick with COVID-19.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer rejected the withdrawal motion by Cruz's lead attorney, Melisa McNeill. The defense then filed a motion asking Scherer to remove herself from the case, accusing her of being biased against Cruz. Scherer dismissed the request.

The defense also filed a motion to delay Cruz's trial indefinitely, saying the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead has reawakened emotions in Broward County over Cruz's murder of 17 at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High on Feb. 14, 2018. They said that shooting makes it impossible for him to get a fair trial currently. Scherer did not rule on that motion.

Judge Scherer and McNeill heatedly argued Monday over the judge's insistence that jury selection move forward without the presence of Casey Secor, a South Carolina death penalty defense specialist who is assisting McNeill. Scherer said Secor could watch the proceedings on a video link and communicate with McNeill by phone or text message.

Scherer accused McNeill of trying to intentionally provide ineffectual counsel to Cruz by saying her team would not participate without Secor. At one point, Scherer recessed the hearing, telling McNeill to consult the Florida Bar over what sanctions she might face if she and her team refused to participate. She said four attorneys present for Cruz in the courtroom was enough.

We are moving forward, Scherer said.

But McNeill told the judge she was the one creating grounds for a successful appeal of ineffectual defense counsel by insisting that jury selection move forward without Secor, who McNeill said has special expertise in that area. McNeill said that more than half of successful death penalty appeals are over issues that arise during jury selection. If Cruz is sentenced to death, a successful appeal would result in a retrial several years from now.

These (victims') families do not need to be coming back to this courtroom, McNeill said. She also said Scherer's threat to sanction her created a conflict between her obligation to provide Cruz with the best defense possible and her obligation to her career and family not to endanger her law license.

Prosecutors found themselves in the middle. They originally agreed with the defense to delay the jury selection until Secor returned, but then told the judge she would be on solid legal ground if she decided to move forward without Secor. Scherer then adjourned court until later Monday afternoon.

With the legal wrangling taking up most of the day, the defense got what it and the prosecution agreed to at the beginning of the day  two groups totaling 36 potential jurors were only asked if any new hardships such as job or family commitments had arisen since they were last in court two months ago. The 20 who said they could still serve will be brought back Tuesday and Wednesday for further questioning.

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder. The court for two months has been trying to pick 12 jurors and eight alternates for a four-month trial that will decide whether he is sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.

Jury selection, which originally had been scheduled to be concluded by mid-May, has slogged along, including a two-week delay when McNeill was sick with COVID-19.

An original pool of about 1,800 potential jurors has been whittled down to about 300 with the process in Phase 2 of 3. After being simply asked during Phase 1 whether their jobs and lives would allow them to serve for four months, the potential jurors are now being asked in Phase 2 their opinions on the death penalty and whether they can be fair to Cruz.

Phase 3, whenever that begins, would involve individualized questioning. Scherer is hoping to have 150 potential jurors for that phase, but right now only 35 have advanced out of Phase 2 while about 95 have been rejected.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Two "smart bomb" drugs are offering new hope to women with aggressive breast cancers, a pair of clinical trials show.

Both medications are antibody-drug conjugates, consisting of a chemo drug that's been wedded to an antibody that delivers the chemotherapy directly to cancer cells.

"That's a way to take the chemo right to the cancer cells and spare the rest of the body a lot of toxicity," said Dr. Shanu Modi, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. "The antibody takes the chemo right to the cancer cells. When the antibody finds its target, the whole complex gets internalized into the cell, and then the chemo gets released inside the cancer cell."

Modi served as lead researcher for the first drug, Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan), which stalled cancer progression for nearly double the time of standard chemotherapy  10.1 versus 5.4 months  in a select group of patients with advanced breast cancer.

The other drug, Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan), also resulted in longer progression-free survival compared to standard chemotherapy in certain cancer patients, according to results presented Saturday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, in Chicago. Such research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Both antibody-drug conjugates are already U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved for use in treating certain types of breast cancer. These new clinical trials show that they could be useful for even more patients, said ASCO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julie Gralow.

Enhertu is already approved in more than 40 countries for the treatment of adult patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, the researchers said in background notes.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a protein that promotes the growth of cancer cells. About one in five breast cancers have extra copies of the gene that makes the HER2 protein; those cancers tend to be more aggressive.

The tastuzumab part of Enhertu is an antibody that steers the drug to HER2 receptors, Modi explained, making it very effective in breast cancers that are driven by HER2.

But researchers had reason to think the drug might also be effective in treating patients whose breast cancer expresses little HER2.

Antibody helps deliver chemo directly to tumors

"Once it's released inside the target cancer cell, the drug can now pass through the membrane of the cells and it can enter neighboring cells which may not have that target protein," Modi said. Thus, even low levels of HER2 can still help direct the chemo to where it's needed most.

For this clinical trial, researchers recruited 557 patients in Asia, Europe and North America whose breast cancers were HER2-low and either inoperable or had spread to other organs. All had already undergone chemotherapy once or twice.

Patients were randomly assigned on a two-to-one basis to receive either Enhertu or a doctor-chosen chemo drug.

Results showed that progression-free survival nearly doubled in Enhertu patients versus those who got standard chemo. They also had a higher overall survival rate of about 24 months compared to 17 months.

"This is important because this is a very common kind of breast cancer, probably three times as common as the group that we were already using this drug for," said co-researcher Dr. Hal Burstein, a medical oncologist with Dana-Farber Cancer Center, in Boston.

Enhertu was also less toxic than chemo, with about 53% of patients suffering adverse events versus 67% of those treated with chemotherapy alone.

"Importantly, this antibody drug conjugate compared to standard chemo is actually less toxic," Gralow said of Enhertu. "So it's a clear winner both in terms of efficacy as well as toxicity. This absolutely will change the standard of care."

Based on these results, the FDA in April granted "breakthrough therapy designation" for Enhertu for use against HER2-low breast cancers.

The other drug, Trodelvy, uses the antibody sacituzumab to target breast cancers expressing the Trop-2 protein. More than 90% of breast and bladder cancers carry this target, the researchers said in background notes.

Trodelvy is already approved to treat metastatic triple-negative breast cancers.

More breast cancer patients will benefit

In this new trial, researchers tested Trodelvy's effectiveness in treating the most common subtype of advanced breast cancer, hormone-receptor positive/human epidural growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-).

HR+/HER2- breast cancers account for approximately 70% of all cases, the researchers said.

For the study, the researchers recruited 543 patients at 113 international locations with HR+/HER2- breast cancer who had been treated with hormone and targeted therapies and had undergone two to four rounds of chemotherapy. The patients randomly received either Trodelvy or another round of standard chemotherapy.

Trodelvy improved progression-free survival on average by 35%, 5.5 months versus 4 months for standard chemo. The average duration of response  the amount of time a tumor responds to treatment without the cancer growing or spreading  also was better for Troveldy versus standard chemo, 7.4 versus 5.6 months.

In addition, about 34% of patients responded to Trodelvy versus 22% for standard chemotherapy.

"It is very gratifying to see the benefit of sacituzumab govitecan for these patients who have had very limited treatment options," lead researcher Dr. Hope Rugo, director of breast oncology and clinical trials education at the University of California, San Francisco, Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in an ASCO news release.

"Longer follow-up is needed to determine the impact on overall survival, and additional pre-specified analyses will help us understand the potential role of sacituzumab govitecan in a setting where there are currently no other targeted treatment options available," Rugo continued.

Trodelvy was significantly more toxic than standard chemo, with 74% versus 60% of patients having adverse events. These included low white blood cell counts (51% versus 39%) and diarrhea (10% versus 1%).

However, side effects caused just 6% of Trodelvy patients to discontinue treatment, compared with 4% for standard chemo.

"I do think there'll be discussion about what point you would bring this drug into the line of therapy, because there's only that 1.5 month difference in overall survival," Gralow said. "I think most will accept that it has a role and it may very well be part of the sequence of therapies, but whether or not you would do it before or after single-agent therapy  that's where the discussion will be."

Both trials were funded by the drug companies that created the medicines  Gilead Sciences for Trodelvy, and Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca for Enhertu.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about breast cancer treatment.

SOURCES: Shanu Modi, MD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City; Julie Gralow, MD, chief medical officer, American Society of Clinical Oncology; Hal Burstein, MD, medical oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Boston

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- New research points to a compelling interplay between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and depression.

IBD includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In addition to the physical pain that these illnesses can inflict upon sufferers, the new study showed that patients face a significantly increased risk of depression.

Interestingly, the investigators also found that IBD-free siblings of people with the disorder were more likely to develop depression. People with IBD were nine times more likely to develop depression than the general population, while their siblings who did not have IBD were nearly two times more likely to develop the mood disorder.

At the same time, people with depression were two times more likely to develop IBD, and their siblings without depression were more than 1.5 times more likely to develop IBD, according to the study recently published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

"This research reveals a clinical overlap between both conditions, and is the first study to investigate the two-way association between IBD and depression in siblings," said co-lead author Dr. Bing Zhang. He is a gastroenterologist at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.

"The finding that people with IBD are more prone to depression makes sense because IBD causes constant gastrointestinal symptoms that can be very disruptive to a patient's life," Zhang said in a university news release. "And the elevated depression risk among siblings of IBD patients may reflect caregiver fatigue if the siblings have a role in caring for the patient."

Environmental stressors, the gut microbiome and genetics are among the many factors that may play a role in the two-way link between IBD and depression, according to Zhang.

He did note that the team was surprised to find that people with depression are prone to IBD, and said that may have to do with what's called the gut-brain axis, the connection between the gastrointestinal system and the central nervous system, which consists of the spinal cord and the brain.

For example, inflammation of the brain, which plays a role in depression, may be linked to the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, a hallmark of IBD, Zhang explained.

About 1.6 million Americans have IBD and more than 16 million have depression.

More information

There's more on IBD and mental health at Crohn's and Colitis Canada.





SOURCE: University of Southern California, news release, June 2, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
Kisumu  Media professionals have been urged to safeguard credibility and accuracy during coverage to support the process of free, fair, acceptable, peaceful and democratic general elections.

Speaking during the Training of Public Information Officers in Kisumu, the Director of Government Advertising Agency (GAA), Gwaro Ogaro, advised the information officers to consider the core values and ethical principles in covering elections.

He noted that as gatekeepers, journalists have the mandate to maintain public service values by ensuring proper conflict-sensitive reporting.

"When writing political statements, you need to navigate and frame the information in a positive way which does not translate to conflicts among the citizens," he emphasized.

Ogaro further stated guidelines when presenting conflict-sensitive reports as follows: avoid projecting opinions as facts, avoid framing conflict only from the perspective of leaders and opinion shapers by reporting accurately and constructively.

The core values, he said, comprise of accuracy and fairness, confidentiality of sources, integrity, objectivity and protection of privacy.

"In order to be on the safe side of the law, you should ensure that you follow the core values and ethics which were developed by the MCK. Peaceful reporting is very essential especially during general elections," he emphasized.

Similarly, the director of media training and development, Media Council of Kenya (MCK) Mr. Victor Bwire also urged journalists to provide comprehensive, accurate, impartial and fair coverage of elections.

He underscored that the media has duty to the citizen, the contestants and the nation. Duty to the citizen, he said, is fulfilled by empowering citizens to make informed choices and giving them a voice.

"As information officers, you should ensure that you perform your duty to the country by being responsible, relaying factual information from authorized sources, and avoiding impartiality. Despite supporting different parties, your stories should be free from bias," he noted.

Additionally, Bwire added that journalists should provide candidates with equitable and impartial opportunities during coverage. - Kna
Tiger King star Bhagavan Doc Antle has been charged with laundering more than half a million dollars, money federal prosecutors said Monday that he believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle people across the Mexican border into the United States.

Charges against Antle and Andrew Jon Sawyer, one of Antle's employees at Myrtle Beach Safari, were revealed during a federal court hearing in Florence, South Carolina.

According to federal prosecutors, Antle and Sawyer laundered $505,000 over a four-month period by doling out checks from businesses they controlled, receiving a 15% fee of the money that passed through their hands.

The checks, prosecutors allege, falsely purported to be payment for construction work at Myrtle Beach Safari but were in reality intended to serve as evidence that the recipients had legitimate income.

According to the complaint unsealed in court Monday, Antle discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at his 50-acre (20-hectare) wildlife tropical preserve. Prosecutors also said he had previously used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks.

Records for the Horry County jail show Antle and Sawyer were both arrested Friday. Attorneys for both men did not immediately comment on the charges when reached via email.

According to authorities, Antle and Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Antle is featured prominently in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, a 2020 Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders and private zoo operators in the U.S. The series focused heavily on Oklahoma zoo operator Joe Exotic, who also was targeted for animal mistreatment and was convicted in a plot to kill a rival, Carole Baskin.

Animal rights advocates have accused Antle of mistreating lions and other wildlife. He was indicted in Virginia in 2020 on animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking charges.

In May, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked the IRS to probe Antles Rare Species Fund, a nonprofit raising money for wildlife conservation. PETA alleges he uses some of the funds money to subsidize his safari site in Socastee outside Myrtle Beach.

Its fitting that Doc' Antle is behind bars after years of locking up the endangered animals he uses in tawdry photo ops. His legal woes are mounting, as PETA recently blew the whistle on his apparent charity scam, and the end to his reign of terrorizing tiger cubs cant come soon enough, said Debbie Metzler, associate director of PETAs Captive Animal Law Enforcement division, in a statement.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, Antle is facing two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to wildlife trafficking charges, as well as 13 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and animal cruelty charges tied to trafficking lion cubs. Those charges are scheduled to go to trial next month.

Antle has a history of recorded violations, going as far back as 1989, when he was fined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for abandoning deer and peacocks at his zoo in Virginia. Over the years, he has more than 35 USDA violations for mistreating animals.

Meg Kinnard can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ST. LOUIS  A 22-year-old man on Monday was once again denied bail while being held on two charges of first-degree murder.

Graylon Lindsey appeared virtually before Circuit Judge Michael Mullen from the City Justice Center in a detention hearing legally required after a different judge last week decided to keep him in jail without bail.

Lindsey is charged with two counts each of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was taken into custody May 19.

In one of those charges, Lindsey is accused of killing of 16-year-old Kyierah Jeffries. The Eureka High School sophomore died May 14 after being shot about 3:30 p.m. in the 5900 block of Minnesota Avenue, police said.

In the other, police allege Lindsey shot and killed Arriell Dixon, 25, of St. Louis, just after 1 a.m. May 5 just north of Fairground Park.

Lindsey on Monday told Mullen he had applied for a public defender twice, but had yet to meet with an attorney from the office. Blair Bopp, while not his lawyer, represented him during the hearing.

Assistant St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jonathan Phipps argued Lindsey should not be provided bail, given hes charged in two seemingly unrelated homicides and said he had admitted to the shootings while speaking with investigators.

Jeffries mother addressed the court virtually on Monday, also arguing the court should not set bail for Lindsey.

I had to bury my daughter, she said. Ive been lost. This person just up and took her for no reason at all.

Jeffries older sister, Crystal Jeffries, also spoke virtually. She told the court she wanted Lindsey to be locked up forever.

People like that do not deserve to be here, Jeffries said. We cry every night for my baby sister.

As Bopp began to address the court in support for Lindseys bail, Mullen stopped her.

Theres nothing youre going to say that would convince me, he said.

He then ruled Lindsey would remain in jail without bail.

Police said Lindsey, of the 4000 block of St. Louis Avenue, is also a suspect in two non-fatal shootings that took place in 2021, but no charges have been filed in those cases.

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JEFFERSON CITY  Backup for the states public defenders is likely on the way after state lawmakers signed off on another funding increase to the long-beleaguered agency this past legislative session.

The boost, authorized in the state budget year that begins July 1, is in addition to a $3.6 million increase in the current fiscal year that allowed the Missouri State Public Defender System to eliminate a waiting list for indigent defendants seeking attorneys, said Mary Fox, director of the agency.

That has been as a result of additional funding from the Legislature, Fox said.

Im not saying things are perfect, she said. We still have many attorneys who have caseloads that are too high, but were in a much better place than we were prior to the additional funding.

Missourinet first reported in December that officials were able to eliminate the waiting list. A federal judge ruled last year the waiting list, created in 2017, was unconstitutional.

Fox said although this years budget authorized the hiring of 53 new attorneys, the agency hasnt been able to fill all positions. But officials have been able to contract with outside counsel when needed, Fox said.

She said the office as of Friday had 386 attorneys on the payroll.

The current budget also included funding for four attorneys to work on the Parole Revocation Defense Team, a program the office is able to provide due to state support, Fox said.

For the budget year that begins July 1, which is pending Republican Gov. Mike Parsons approval, the public defenders will receive a more than $1 million increase allowing the agency to hire 24 non-attorney support staff  another win for the office.

Fox said in her agencys budget request this year that the lack of support staff rippled throughout the states judicial system.

Attorneys are often called upon to perform secretarial, administrative and investigative work, Fox said. Cases are delayed in the court system as the limited support staff work to obtain applications for services, police investigation documents medical and mental health treatment records and perform essential investigation.

The delays were detrimental not only to the defendant, but also to the State, the counties, the courts and the complaining witnesses, Fox said.

Rep. Peter Merideth of St. Louis, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said the Legislatures inclusion of funding for 24 support staff represented a big win in the budget.

Its going to make a pretty significant difference in their ability to do their jobs, he said.

Merideth said it was vital to fund the public defenders not only because those accused of crimes have a constitutional right to counsel, but because adequately funding the agency is among the most important criminal justice reforms the state can tackle.

We want to make sure that they have their day in court and the ability to defend themselves, Merideth said. We have a lot of people that are over-incarcerated, sentenced to too-harsh of sentences, or sometimes even sentenced for things ... that they werent guilty of.

And if we dont have a good public defender system, we dont have a way to make sure that peoples civil rights are protected, he said.

I am glad to see those resources being directed to the public defender, said House Budget Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage. I think its important to have a balanced criminal justice system and hopefully this will help with that.

Financial woes within the Missouri State Public Defender System have drawn attention for years.

Over the last couple of years, weve had more revenue to work with, and so we have made some increases to ongoing spending across the budget, including public defenders office, Smith said.

He also noted more awareness to issues within the office. Theres been more attention around the public defenders office thats been generated by the lengthy waiting lists, Smith said.

Merideth blamed the GOP-led Legislature for years of underfunding, but the states last Democratic governor drew fire from the public defenders for cuts to the office.

In 2016, the agencys then-director assigned Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, a case in an audacious move meant to draw attention to overworked attorneys.

Total funding for the public defender will rise to $64 million next year, assuming Parson doesnt withhold money from the agency.Thats up from about $57 million in the current budget.

In the 2012 fiscal year, during Nixons first term, the state budgeted about $38 million for the office.

Parson took office ahead of the 2019 budget year.

Under Governor Parson, our budget has significantly increased, Fox said.

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A new law is driving a dramatic increase in the number of Missouri police departments sharing data with the FBI on officers use of force, reversing years of lagging participation across the state.

The FBIs National Use-of-Force Data Collection, launched in 2019, gathers information on fatal and nonfatal shootings and also records instances when officers fire their weapons but no one is struck.

Experts and officials say collecting this data is essential to understanding how officers make life-and-death decisions.

We need concrete information and transparency into whats really going on in our communities, FBI Director Christopher Wray told criminal investigators at a conference last month in Indianapolis. Accurate, objective data. We need the facts.

But the strictly voluntary data-gathering effort was long bedeviled by low participation nationally, prompting a federal watchdog to warn in December that the FBI program was at risk of being discontinued because it had not reached a required 60% participation threshold. According to an FBI report released Tuesday, the bureau has finally met the goal.

So far, the data has shown that more than half of the use-of-force incidents reported by police nationwide to the FBI in 2021 resulted in serious bodily injury of a person, while about one-third resulted in death, the bureau announced Tuesday.

Missouri was among the states where participation in reporting had lagged. The metro areas two largest police departments  St. Louis city and county  began submitting incident reports in 2020, but few others across the state had signed up. Only 36 of more than 600 agencies in Missouri submitted data in 2021, according to the FBI, a slight increase from 21 in 2020.

The low participation spurred Missouri lawmakers to include use-of-force reporting requirements in public safety reform legislation that Gov. Mike Parson signed into law last summer.

Having law enforcement report incidents provides us information that will increase transparency and restore the publics trust, said Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, who sponsored the measure. This is about building police and community relations.

Participation has soared since the Police Use of Force Transparency Act took effect in March.

According to the FBI, 219 of Missouris 635 police agencies submitted use-of-force data during the first quarter of 2022, a six-fold increase over the 2021 total. Those agencies represent 62% of sworn officers in the state, compared with 41% last year.

Nationwide, Missouri now ranks 22nd in participation. Eight states are at or near 100%.

First national snapshot

Crossing a key participation threshold enabled the FBI to release its first national snapshot of police uses of force, although the statistics it released Tuesday are limited.

Among the findings:

 Most of the use-of-force incidents reported to the FBI in 2021 began with officers responding to unlawful or suspicious activities, rather than traffic stops, serving court orders, or routine patrols.

 The most common form of resistance officers encountered during these incidents was individuals not complying with verbal commands and other types of passive resistance.

 The most common type of force used in these incidents involved firearms, followed by hands, fists or feet; electronic control devices; and police dogs.

When the FBI established its National Use of Force Data Collection, the goal was not to offer insight into single incidents, Wray told criminal investigators last month, but to provide a comprehensive view of the circumstances, subjects, and officers involved in use-of-force incidents nationwide.

The program is bound by participation requirements set by the Office of Management and Budget to ensure a standard of quality. The FBI had to collect data from agencies representing at least 60% of the nations estimated 860,000 law enforcement officers before it could publish a rough summary of responses.

The bureau crossed that 60% goal in February, the bureaus Uniform Crime Reporting program told the Post-Dispatch by email last week.

Reaching the next threshold, 80% participation, would enable the bureau to release aggregate data.

We can give the public the necessary facts, Wray said, and, I believe, strengthen our nations confidence in law enforcement.

Adding transparency

The North County Police Cooperative is one of the many agencies across Missouri that began reporting use-of-force data in March to comply with the new state law.

I welcome anything to add transparency, said Maj. Ron Martin, the cooperatives assistant chief. This line of work is tough. Statistics and data can certainly help you.

Based in Vinita Park and serving several nearby communities, officers at the cooperative make about 900 to 1,110 arrests per year, Martin said. Less than 5% of those arrests involve any use of force.

Martin knows these figures because the cooperative internally has been tracking uses of force since 2016 as a requirement of its international accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The cooperative didnt submit data to the FBI prior to the new state law, though.

He noted that the cooperative internally tracks a broader range of uses of force, including, for example, situations when an officer gets hands-on to put a suspect in handcuffs, or when an officer points a gun at someone.

The state and the FBI data collections, by contrast, focus on a limited set of the most serious circumstances: incidents where police kill someone or cause serious bodily injury, or when an officer fires a weapon at a person but nobody is struck.

North County had no such incidents in March and April, and so far has submitted only zero reports to the state and the FBI.

Ultimately, Martin says, tracking these incidents is important both for the public and for police. He doubts there will be much friction getting agencies to comply with the new state law.

Policing is different in this day and age, he said. We want to do things that make this profession a lot better.

State mandates

States across the U.S. began their own efforts to track police shootings in the aftermath of high-profile incidents such as the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014. As of May 2020, at least 21 states had enacted laws to collect use-of-force data, according to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Missouri joined them in 2021 by requiring all law enforcement agencies in the state to submit monthly use-of-force reports to the Missouri Highway Patrol and to the FBIs National Use of Force Data Collection. Just under 300 agencies had requested access to a new state portal for collecting the data as of mid-April, said Mike OConnell, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Nearly 200 submitted data to the portal in the same timeframe.

FBI data indicates at least seven other states have passed mandates similar to Missouris, requiring police statewide to submit use-of-force data to the FBI.

Illinois is among them. Its mandate was part of a comprehensive public safety reform bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February 2021. The law took effect in July, and participation by Illinois police agencies spiked, rising from 68 of 989 total agencies in 2020 to 294 in 2021, according to the FBI. But the percentage of officers represented dropped significantly  from 53% in 2020 to 36% in 2021  possibly because the Chicago Police Department did not submit reports for 2021.

Williams believes Missouris law will result in one of the strongest state databases on uses of force in the country.

Police must provide detailed information about each use of force, Williams said, including: the reason for initial contact, demographic information of everyone involved, location of the incident, the number of officers who used force, and much more.

To be able to quantify how often officers use force, its essential also to track when they dont use it. For this reason both Missouris state program and the FBIs national program ask agencies with no qualifying incidents to submit a zero report for the month.

FBI data shows that zero reports make up the bulk of the submissions. Only 62 agencies nationwide submitted incident reports to the FBI for March, while nearly 4,700 submitted zero reports.

In Missouri, once enough data has been collected, Williams said, it will be analyzed to give the public a clearer perspective on how police use force.

Beginning next year, the Department of Public Safety must prepare annual reports of statewide and agency-specific statistics on uses of force. Beginning in 2025, it will produce analyses of trends and disparities in how force is used.

Updated June 7 to correct the date the FBI released its report.

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St. Louis Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed and former aldermen Jeffrey Boyd and John Collins-Muhammad were charged last week with accepting bribes from a small business owner for their help in securing property tax breaks and other favors.

Here are key takeaways from the charges brought by federal authorities.

What are they accused of doing?

Collins-Muhammad and Reed are accused of accepting bribes to help a small business owner obtain a property tax break for a new gas station and convenience store on Von Phul Street, near Interstate 70. The business owner is identified only as John Doe in court documents.

Reed is accused of accepting $9,000 in cash in relation to tax abatement bills. Prosecutors also alleged that Doe gave Reed $6,000 in cash and $3,500 in campaign contributions for Reeds help in trying to win city contracts for Does trucking company and to obtain city certification as a minority business enterprise.

Collins-Muhammad is charged with accepting $7,000 in cash, $3,000 in campaign donations, a new iPhone 11 and a 2016 Volkswagen CC sedan in exchange for his help.

The indictment details a separate scheme related to Does purchase of a commercial property in Boyds ward. Prosecutors say Boyd accepted $9,500 in cash and repairs worth about $2,300 for two vehicles. Boyd is also accused of seeking $22,000 from an insurance company for damage to vehicles that he falsely claimed to own.

What are they charged with?

Collins-Muhammad faces two bribery-related charges and one charge of honest services bribery/wire fraud. Boyd faces two bribery-related charges and a separate, two-count wire fraud indictment. Reed faces two bribery-related charges.

Was anyone else involved?

Collins-Muhammad is accused of setting up a meeting with another public official who could steer business to Does trucking firm. That official, however, is not identified in the charging documents.

Collins-Muhammad later asked for an additional $2,500 on behalf of the unnamed official, but he used it to buy a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV for himself, the indictment alleges.

Surveillance and recordings

The charges followed a two-and-a-half year investigation by the FBI and U.S. Attorneys Office. It included surveillance, recorded phone calls and meetings and a review of thousands of text messages and emails.

The indictment includes transcripts of communications between the elected officials and John Doe. In one excerpt, from a December 2021 meeting in Reeds office, the alderman told John Doe he was hoping to run a unified campaign for mayor that required $1 million in campaign money. He asked John Doe to donate $20,000.

John Doe: "I brought cash with me. What would work?"

Reed: "If you can do five today, that would be a huge help."

John Doe: "I got you, I got you. But I was really trying to get with, you know, Ive got somebody who was working the tax abatement named (ZW).

Later, Reed wrote a schedule for introduction and passage of the tax abatement board bill, gave it to John Doe and accepted from John Doe $4,000, the indictment says.

Reed: "Thanks, man."

John Doe: "Any time, my brother. I appreciate you a lot, because you, know, you helped me big time."

A jolt to St. Louis politics

The charges have upended the citys political landscape. Reed and Boyd have been key players on the Board of Aldermen for more than 15 years. Reed has been one of the most powerful officials in St. Louis government, with large sway over bills and the citys finances.

Boyd announced on Friday that he would resign. His position will be filled in a special election, which has not yet been scheduled.

Reed said last week he intended to stay in office, but according to another alderman, Reed may take an extended leave of absence from his board duties.

Boyd quits St. Louis Board of Aldermen, Reed weighs leave after indictments Boyd submitted his resignation despite giving every indication during Fridays board meeting that he planned to stay on while fighting in court.

St. Louis aldermanic president, two allies indicted on federal bribery charges The charges sent shockwaves through the St. Louis political establishment, where Lewis Reed has been a key player for more than 15 years.

Indictments shake St. Louis City Hall, cast cloud over upcoming Board of Aldermen meetings Aldermanic President Lewis Reed says he wont preside over the meetings until further notice amid effort by some aldermen to boycott Fridays session to prevent a quorum.
Each day we offer a curated collection of some of the best AP images that were taken from that day. Not all of these photos were prize winners
PALO ALTO, Calif.  Taser-maker Axon Enterprise Inc. said on Sunday it was halting work on a project to equip drones with stun guns to combat mass shootings, a prospect that a member of its AI ethics board told Reuters was prompting an exodus from the panel.

The May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 children and two teachers, prompted an announcement by Axon last week that it was working on a drone that could be operated remotely by first-responders to fire a Taser at a target about 40 feet away.

In light of feedback, we are pausing work on this project and refocusing to further engage with key constituencies to fully explore the best path forward, Chief Executive Rick Smith said in a statement on Sunday.

Earlier, ethics board member Wael Abd-Almageed told Reuters he and eight colleagues were resigning from the 12-member panel, in a rare public rebuke by one of the watchdog groups that some companies have set up in recent years.

The aim behind such groups is to gather feedback on emerging technologies, such as drones and artificial intelligence (AI) software.

Smith said it was unfortunate that some members have chosen to withdraw from directly engaging on these issues before we heard or had a chance to address their technical questions.

He said Axon will continue to seek diverse perspectives to challenge our thinking and help guide other technology options that we should be considering.

Axon, which also sells body-worn cameras and policing software, said in February that its clients include about 17,000 out of the roughly 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States.

It has explored the idea of a Taser-equipped drone for police since at least 2016, and Smith depicted how one could stop an active shooter in a graphic novel he wrote.

The company first approached its ethics board more than a year ago about running a limited police pilot with Taser-equipped drones, which members voted eight to four against, said Abd-Almageed, an engineering research associate professor at University of Southern California.

Axon last Thursday announced it was working on the technology anyway, hoping to spur discussion after the Uvalde shooting. Its shares rose nearly 6% on the announcement.

In the aftermath of these events, we get stuck in fruitless debates about guns, Smith said. We need new and better solutions.

Ethics board members had concerns that the system could be used in circumstances beyond shootings and exacerbate racial injustice, undermine privacy through surveillance and become more lethal if other weapons were added, Abd-Almageed said.

What we have right now is just dangerous and irresponsible, and its not very well thought of and it will have negative societal consequences, he said.

Fellow member Mecole Jordan-McBride, advocacy director at New York University law schools Policing Project, last week said that the board needed more time to weigh the idea. The board had not evaluated non-police use of the drones, it said.

Formed in 2018, the panel has guided Axon productively on sensitive technologies such as facial recognition. But the companys drone announcement prior to a formal report by the board broke with practice, according to Jordan-McBride and fellow member Ryan Calo, a University of Washington law professor.

Chair Barry Friedman was resigning as well, said Abd-Almageed. Friedman, reached by telephone, said he would be available to comment on Monday.

CEO Smith acknowledged limitations and uncertainties around the project, noting a drone without a Taser may be enough on its own to distract a shooter.

In response to questions on the social media service Reddit on Friday, Smith wrote that drones could be stationed in hallways and move into rooms through special vents. A drone system would cost a school about $1,000 annually, he said.

Dave reported from Oakland, California.
NEW DELHI (AP)  India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modi's party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting Indias Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modi's regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for everything from their food and clothing style to inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks could escalate. They have also accused Modis governing party of looking the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise 14% of Indias 1.4 billion people but are still numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.

Modi's party denies the accusations, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their faith have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week after the two spokespeople, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Islams Prophet Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modis party took no action against them until Sunday, when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities," a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait.

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also lodged complaints with India, and the Jeddha-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the remarks came in a context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims.

Indias Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the comments by the OIC as unwarranted and narrow-minded. On Sunday, Indias embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by fringe elements. The statement said that strong action had already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks.

The criticism from Muslim countries, however, was severe, indicating that insulting Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatars Foreign Ministry said it expected a public apology from the Indian government, and Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see an increase of extremism and hatred." The Grand Mufti of Oman described the obscene rudeness of Modis party toward Islam as a form of war. Riyadh said the comments were insulting and called for respect for beliefs and religions. And Egypts Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni worlds foremost institution of religious learning, described the remarks as real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars.

The remarks made by Sharma during a TV program in India and Jindal in a tweet risk damaging Indias ties with Arab nations.

India maintains strong relations with Gulf countries, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and elsewhere in South Asia to serve their tiny local populations and drive the machinery of daily life. India also depends on oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to power its energy-thirsty economy.

The remarks also led to anger in India's archrival and neighbor, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Pakistans Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and conveyed Islamabads strong condemnation," a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the comments were hurtful and India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. Indias Foreign Ministry responded by calling Pakistan a serial violator of minority rights and said it should not engage in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.

India accords the highest respect to all religions," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Criticism also came from Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not allow such fanatics to insult ... Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims.

Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists posted comments on social media saying the government was buckling under international pressure.

Anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have risen across India under Modi. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India was seeing rising attacks on people and places of worship, eliciting a response from New Delhi, which called the comments ill-informed.

More recently, religious tensions have escalated after some Hindu groups went to a local court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple. Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian television anchors during raucous debates.

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Munir Ahmad and Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

Follow more AP coverage of India at https://apnews.com/hub/india

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Nairobi  The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has barred impeached leaders from contesting in the August 9 polls citing the need to conform to constitutional provisions under Article 75(3).

IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati as a result disqualified former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, former Kiambu Chief Executive Committee Member for Youth Karungo wa Thang'wa and Chitavi Mkala, former Chief Executive Officer by Malindi Water and Sewerage Company Ltd.

Chebukati affirmed that the disqualification is applicable to persons dismissed for offending provisions of Article 76, 77 or 78 (2) of the Constitution.

He explained that the trio aren't eligible to run for public office after being hounded out of office over integrity issues as stipulated in the Chapter six of the constitution.

"The reason for disqualification was and remains that he was removed from office for abuse of public office," Chebukati said while responding on the Sonko's issue.

Article 75(3) provides that: "A person who has been dismissed or otherwise removed from office for a contravention of the provisions specified in clause (2) is disqualified from holding any other State office."

Chebukati however clarified that those with active cases in court will be presumed innocent until all active appeals are concluded.

He said a similar presumption of innocence will apply to those being investigated as listed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission are also still qualified.

Chebukati further stated that non-elected public officers who did not resign by February 9 within timelines provided in law will not be cleared to seek elective office.
ROME  Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring.

The glum assessment came in a report by two Rome-based food agencies: the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

WFP Executive Director David Beasley said besides hurting the poorest of the poor the global food crises threaten to overwhelm millions of families who are just getting by.

Conditions now are much worse than during the Arab Spring in 2011 and 2007-2008 food price crisis, when 48 countries were rocked by political unrest, riots and protests, Beasley said in a statement. He cited as just the tip of the iceberg food crises now in Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru and Sri Lanka.

The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to help hunger hotspots where acute hunger is expected to worsen over the next few months.

The U.N. agencies are also warning that war in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February, has exacerbated already steadily rising food and energy prices worldwide.

The effects are expected to be particularly acute where economic instability and spiraling prices combine with drops in food production due to climate shocks such as recurrent droughts or flooding, the joint statement from the U.N. agencies said.

Among critical areas cited is East Africa, where the United Nations said an unprecedented drought is afflicting Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. South Sudan, meanwhile, faces a fourth straight year of large-scale flooding.

The report cited other sobering climate impacts: above-average rain and a risk of localized flooding in the Sahel, a vast swath of Africa stretching south of the Sahara Desert.

It also cited a more intense hurricane season in the Caribbean and below-average rainfall in Afghanistan. That Asian country is already suffering through multiple seasons of drought, violence and political upheaval, including after the return of Taliban rule last summer.

The report tagged six nations as highest alert hot spots facing catastrophic conditions: Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia. It said as many as 750,000 people are facing starvation and death in those countries. Of those, 400,000 are in Ethiopias embattled Tigray region  the highest number on record in any one country since the 2011 famine in Somalia, the U.N. agencies said.

In April, according to a study by regional health officials that was seen by The Associated Press, at least 1,900 children under 5 died from malnutrition in the Tigray region. Western Tigray, which is under the control of forces from the neighboring Amhara region, was not included in that survey.

The U.N. food agencies report Monday said Congo, Haiti, the Sahel region, Sudan and Syria remain of very high concern and noted that Kenya was a new entry to that list.

Joining the list of hot spot countries were Sri Lanka, Benin, Cape Verde, Guinea, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, while areas that faced continuing food scarcities included Angola, Lebanon, Madagascar and Mozambique.
If federal authorities hoped that the imprisonment of former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger would enlighten local elected officials about the consequences of engaging in pay-to-play politics, they badly miscalculated. St. Louis city Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and Aldermen Jeffrey Boyd and John Collins-Muhammad are the newest poster children in the campaign to convince elected officials everywhere that career destruction and time behind bars await those caught accepting bribes and engaging in pay-to-pay politics.

The sordid details of a federal corruption probe against them can serve only to bolster St. Louisans sense of cynicism and hopelessness that their city will ever be lifted from its perpetual state of ethical and economic decay. Far too often, those who claim to be saviors are instead looking only to milk the system for their personal enrichment. And thats particularly worrisome as the Board of Aldermen divvies up about $500 million in federal pandemic-related aid and the citys portion of the $790 million Rams settlement. Who else will succumb to the immense temptations?

Though Mayor Tishaura Jones issued a serious statement that she was deeply troubled, she probably had to muffle an ecstatic cheer after her two biggest political foes  Reed and Boyd  were indicted on corruption charges. Instead of creating political headaches for Jones, Reed and Boyd will be occupied for the foreseeable future defending themselves in federal court.

A federal prosecutor has revealed detailed evidence collected by surveillance and a wired-up John Doe informant who recorded their pay-to-play conversations. The informant was introduced to Reed and Boyd by Collins-Muhammad, who abruptly resigned last month while acknowledging having made mistakes. Reed and Boyd managed to get themselves caught in the same federal snare as Collins-Muhammad after what the indictment vividly describes as their repeated acceptance of bribes. All three have entered not-guilty pleas.

Reed and Boyd used to devote their time to thwarting Jones agenda at every turn  both having run unsuccessfully against her and Boyd having dragged her into a lengthy court battle.

Its hard to imagine a scenario in which any of the three defendants survives with his political career intact  or without serving serious prison time. The 66-page indictment contains an appalling narrative of conversations and practices strongly pointing to their guilt. Perhaps most appalling is how cheaply and unhesitatingly the three aldermen appear to have sold their services and souls. For just a $1,000 payment here or $2,000 there, businessman John Doe  identified by the Post-Dispatch as convenience-store operator Mohammed Almuttan  was able to purchase their help opening doors and arranging the purchase of expensive city-owned property at rock-bottom prices. They also helped him obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax breaks  even when Collins-Muhammads constituents were so outraged that they launched a drive to recall his election.

Excerpts of recorded conversations between them and John Doe seem to eliminate any possibility of the aldermen credibly claiming they were entrapped. Its not as if they raised objections when presented with cash in exchange for intervention at City Hall. John Doe makes clear in the recordings how much he is handing over and what services he seeks. The aldermens consistent responses are expressions of thanks and offers to keep helping in the future.

In one conversation, Reed is recorded apparently soliciting $5,000 as a downpayment on a $20,000 campaign donation. Then John Doe turns to the subject of a tax abatement he is seeking. Oh, hold on a second, Reed is quoted as saying. Lets have a break between this conversation and that conversation. So that theyre not  legally I cant put them together in one meeting. So, lets finish this one, and then  talk about that.

Bizarrely, the aldermanic president is aware of the illegality of mixing a conversation about official business with campaign donations, yet he seems oblivious about the illegality of accepting cash payments and donations in exchange for Reeds intervention at City Hall.

Reed, Boyd and Collins-Muhammad were recorded explaining how they maneuvered at City Hall to remove bureaucratic roadblocks and alter aldermanic bills to ensure John Does projects won approval. Its not the backroom use of political influence that makes this case so remarkable  politicians do this everywhere, all the time  but rather the acceptance of bribes to make it happen.

Reed is also recorded bragging about the ways he manipulated the redrawing of aldermanic ward boundaries to boost the majority of his supporters on the Board of Aldermen so he can override any vetoes by the mayor. Theres nothing illegal about such bragging, but it exposes the cynical nature of local politics and the blatant manipulation of ward maps behind the scenes to serve his personal political goals.

An air of hubris permeates these conversations, as if Reed and Boyd regard themselves as untouchable. It wasnt that long ago when a similar air of hubris and untouchability permeated the pay-for-play schemes that landed Stenger in prison.

Its wrong in any context, but the scandal is particularly important now as city officials work out the distribution of federal pandemic aid and the Rams settlement. Deliberations over how that money will be allocated now must occur against the backdrop of a major corruption scandal in which influence-peddling overshadows all other considerations. If top politicians can be bought for a few thousand dollars each, imagine the temptations when hundreds of millions of dollars are on the line.

St. Louisans and Missourians across the state cannot help but shake their heads in disgust. This scandal only serves to confirm the publics lowest expectations while helping explain why the city continues to descend into crime, chaos, blight and population decline.
Ukraine tried to keep secret its stealthy use of sixteen Mi-8 transport helicopters to keep the defenders supplied in the besieged Azovstal steel plant. The plant was located in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. The Russians were frustrated by their inability to take the steel plant, which is on the coast. Russia sent in a lot of their best troops to take the plant but were repulsed for three months before the several hundred surviving Ukrainian troops surrendered on May 18th and were registered by the Red Cross according to the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. Russia had agreed to let the Red Cross register the steel plant prisoners and claimed they had captured 1,700 troops. That is more than three times as many as the Red Cross has registered. Ukraine and Russia have both generally observed the Geneva Convention and have even carried out some prisoner exchanges early on. As the number of captured Russians increased much more rapidly than the number of Ukrainian troops captured, Russia lost interest in exchanges or even admitting how many Russian POWs the Ukrainians helped. Russia wanted to limit the number of confirmed Russian dead and captured, even though the Ukrainians published the data and, when Russian prisoners offered telephone numbers of their relatives, the Ukrainians would contact them, sometimes even allowing the Russian prisoner to make the call and confirm that he was all right. Most Russian believed the Ukrainian claims because the Russian government had declared such information a military secret in an effort to conceal the extent of their losses. By May senior Russian officials, most of them retired, openly criticized the government treatment of families seeking information on their sons. Some officials still employed by the government began complaining as well, and then resigned.

Which brings us back to the way Ukraine used Mi-8 helicopters to resupply the steel plant defenders and even bring in some reinforcements. This was done at night, at low altitude. While some helicopters were spotted by the Russians and fired on, only three were brought down. One of these was trying to rescue the crew of a downed helicopter. There were rumors of these missions but no evidence of official confirmation. That changed after a Chinese newspaper published a photo of one of the downed Mi-8s on March 31st. Russia continued to deny it and the Ukrainian government had no comment. Russians would only say that they continued to attack the steel plant and would not reveal their casualties which, according to Ukrainian sources, were substantial. The defenders took advantage of a complex system of tunnels under the plant, which the defenders know more about than the Russian attackers.

In May the Russians agreed to allow the remaining steel plant defenders to surrender, with the wounded receiving medical treatment and the soldiers registered by the Red Cross as POWs. There were apparently still some civilians in the tunnels, helping to care for the wounded and do whatever else was needed. Russia may have counted the captured civilians as combatants. Civilians had good reason to seek shelter in the steel plant because Russian artillery fire on the city had already killed over 10,000 civilians and wounded many more. The Red Cross is having problems getting information from the Russians and the Ukrainians admitted to the Mi-8 resupply missions but not details of the supplies brought in. Much of it was ammunition, as well as medical supplies and food. The Russians had increased their air defense activity around the coastal approaches to the steel plants and more MI-8 missions were aborted because of that. It may be months or years before full details of the steel plant defenders and the Ukrainian helicopter support is known.
Among the many new NATO weapons showing up in Ukraine are a few old ones that just look new. This includes the Belgian F2000 bullpup (magazine behind the trigger) 5.56mm assault rifle. First offered for sale in 2001, it did not sell well and was no longer offered after 2018. The Ukrainians have a lot more infantry than infantry weapons and will accept all the help they can get.

The bullpup design, firing 5.56 ammo, first appeared in 1977. These bullpups were an effort to provide an effective rifle in a small package for use by vehicle crews, special operations troops and support personnel who did not need a full-size combat rifle. The bullpup design allowed the designers to get a 518mm (20.4-inch) barrel on a 780mm (30.7-inch) long rifle. Many bullpups featured even shorter barrels. Contrast this with the M16A2, which has a 508mm (20-inch) barrel, the rifle is 1008mm (39.6)-inches long. Both rifles fire the 5.56mm NATO round, and use 30-round clips. Nine inches might not sound like much, but for a soldier in a vehicle, nine inches can be as important as nine miles. A smaller rifle is lighter. Bullpups are also more compact. In vehicles like tanks or IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicles like the British Warrior or American M2 Bradley, space is at a premium.

For a while Bullpups were very popular. Early models like the Austria Steyr and France's FAMAS saw considerable service as well, with the former being adopted by a number of countries; including Austria, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Oman, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia as well as the US Coast Guard. The FAMAS served with the French, UAE, and Senegalese forces.

There were problems with the Bullpup design including accuracy and awkwardness for troops initially trained on full-size assault rifles. Spent shells left the rifle close to the soldiers face if aimed fire was used. This included ejected ammo and combustion gas which can momentarily disrupt eyesight. Left-handed users often had ejected cartridges ejecting into the face. As a result, when used in combat the troops preferred to use automatic fire, which quickly emptied the 30-round magazine. Efforts to remedy these problems were never completely successful and the bullpup fell out of favor in many armies. China used a bullpup design as an infantry for over twenty years before reverting to a full-length rifle for infantry units. Several other countries did this, but usually kept the bullpups for support troops and vehicle crews.

Most of the Ukrainian F2000s apparently came from Belgium, which sent 10,000 assault rifles of various types. Some also came from Poland which, like most F2000 customers, used them for army and police special operations troops rather than the infantry. The F2000 is one of the bullpups that redesigned the cartridge ejection system so they were ejected forward and made it easier for left-handed shooters to use. The F2000 was one of the better bullpup designs, a category that includes the Israeli Tavor; a small number also showed up in Ukraine because Ukraine builds them under license. Ukraine also designed and built its own Malyuk bullpup for special operations troops. Production began in 2015 and this weapon was initially designed to use AK-47 ammo. Later versions could handle 5.56 and 7.62mm NATO standard ammo.
Jefferies analyst Edison Lee has weighed in on the recent rebound in large-cap China software stocks.

Some stocks in this sector rebounded as much as 30% last week, fueled by COVID reopening, SOE reform talks, and oversold conditions.

We see very different and positive fundamentals: 1) China's interest rate has been stable, and we could even see moderate fiscal/monetary stimulus to offset the impact of recent COVID lockdowns, 2) digitization and IT localization remain a high priority of the government, and 3) such efforts are led by large-scale SOEs, which are motivated to invest in IT and software as this is part of their KPIs, hence no budget constraint despite a slowing economy, Lee told clients in a note.

The analyst sees China software as a highly attractive sector for investors who want exposure to China.

The last weeks rebound likely signals that valuation bottomed out while this mornings positive news surrounding DiDi Global (NASDAQ: DIDI) will also help increase the risk sentiment in China.

Net-net, Lee remains positive on industrial software, followed by localization play.

Our top picks are 1) Baosight, 2) Supcon, 3) Yonyou/Kingdee and 4) Glodon. Baosight and Supcon remain the most resilient to any economic and consumption slowdown, and should benefit from their customers' consolidation. ERP localization is on track, so both Yonyou and Kingdee are attractive at these levels. With lockdown easing and more govt support for infrastructure projects, Glodon remains well positioned to grow its construction mgt business, the analyst concluded.

By Senad Karaahmetovic
Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore told investors in a note Monday that recent data has shown semiconductor inventory has increased meaningfully across the entire supply chain.

Companies across various industries are still citing the supply chain as their most significant challenge. This has, according to the analyst, driven large builds of inventories through the pipeline.

"While 1Q is seasonally a growth quarter for inventory, this year we saw growth exceed seasonality with each area that we track showing an increase in days of inventory," wrote Moore.

Last quarter, the analyst said inventory was at all-time highs at customers, distributors, and semi companies on a $ basis, and he explained that it is once again, the case.

However, Moore says that "while semi company and customer inventory levels have remained above historical levels, distributor inventory has been quite depleted since the local minimum in 4Q20, and just this quarter rose relevantly above that level."

"That means that while overall inventory has been elevated for some time, this is the first quarter where every section of the supply chain is above historical levels."

By Sam Boughedda
(Reuters) -Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is dropping a proxy fight focused on the treatment of pregnant pigs at Kroger Co after losing a similar fight with McDonald's Corp last month, Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

"I congratulate the McDonald's team on their victory in this proxy engagement and, after much contemplation, given the company's financial position, I believe the same outcome will result at Kroger," Icahn said in a letter he plans to send to the shareholders of both companies that was viewed by the Journal.

The activist investor in March nominated two directors to the supermarket chain's board and wrote a letter to its boss pointing out Kroger's inability to create policies concerning animal welfare and criticizing its wage disparities.

Icahn, a billionaire who owns roughly $50,000 worth of McDonald's stock, had also nominated two director candidates to push the fast-food chain to make good on a decade-old promise to stop buying pork by the end of this year from suppliers that house the animals in crates.

He has said confining the pigs in crates during their pregnancy is inhumane and sought to shine a spotlight on the practice more broadly. The boardroom battle ended when shareholders re-elected all of McDonald's directors.

Icahn wrote in the letter seen by WSJ that these campaigns were different from his typical fights considering that the two companies are performing well financially, which makes it less likely the campaigns would gain adequate shareholder support.

"We will continue to engage with stakeholders and shareholders to inform our policies and ensure we are well positioned to achieve our goals," a Kroger spokesperson said in an emailed response to the report.

Representatives for Icahn did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

(Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Sneha Bhowmik; Editing by Sam Holmes and Rashmi Aich)
Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE), a leading healthcare educator, today announced the appointment of William Liam Krehbiel as an independent member of Adtalems board of directors, effective immediately.

Liams passion, energy and commitment to improving equity in education for underserved communities closely aligns with Adtalems mission of expanding access to education and improving health equity, said Steve Beard, president and chief executive officer. He brings decades of experience as a venture philanthropist dramatically improving educational opportunities for low-income students by funding and scaling the most effective schools and programs in the Chicago area. We are thrilled to have him on our board to add to the depth, experience and insight the board provides to the management team as we focus on serving our students and employers in the rapidly growing healthcare education industry.

The Adtalem board comprises 12 directors, ten of whom are independent, six of whom are persons of color and four of whom are women. Adtalems board succession process includes regular evaluation of its board composition and regular board refreshment, and with Krehbiels appointment, five of its ten independent directors will have joined the Adtalem board since the beginning of 2020. Adtalems ongoing process to maintain a board with the optimal mix of skills, expertise and experience is critical to the delivery of long-term value for shareholders and the achievement of superior academic outcomes for our students.

If we want to address societys most pressing issues, we have to focus on root causes, and education is at the root of so many of the challenges we face as a nation today, including health inequity, said Krehbiel. I am honored to join Adtalems board and look forward to working with my fellow directors and the leadership team to leverage Adtalems scale in healthcare education to make a meaningful positive social impact while creating value for Adtalem shareholders.

Krehbiel, 46, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Topography Hospitality, LLC. He is also the Co-managing partner of Ballyfin Demesne, a luxury hotel in Ireland, which opened in 2011. In 2010, Krehbiel founded A Better Chicago, a not-for-profit corporation and venture philanthropy fund, and currently serves as Chair of its Board. Focused on expanding access to quality education, A Better Chicagos mission is to build a more equitable city for Chicagos youth and future generations. Krehbiel served as the Chief Executive Officer of A Better Chicago from 2010 until May 2019. From 2007 to 2010, he was a management consultant at Bain and Company. Prior to joining Bain, he worked with the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation in New York.

In addition to serving as the Chair of A Better Chicago, Krehbiel is a director of the Civic Consulting Alliance and a trustee of The Civic Federation.

Krehbiel received a Master of Business Administration degree with a major in business administration and a double concentration in finance and marketing from Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College.
Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH), a financial services holding company comprised of two complementary and well-established principal franchises, Equitable and AllianceBernstein, today announced the appointment of Craig MacKay as an independent member of its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Mr. MacKay is a leading investment banking executive with over 30 years of experience in private finance spanning business services, communications and media, energy, financial services, healthcare, heavy industry, retail, technology and transportation.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to welcome Craig MacKay to Equitable Holdings, said Joan Lamm-Tennant, Chair of the Equitable Holdings Board of Directors. Craig is a skilled and seasoned financial services senior executive, with decades of accomplishment and leadership in the financial markets. We look forward to Craigs contributions and insights as we seek to further enhance the value of our company in the years ahead.

Mr. MacKay currently serves as Partner and Managing Director at England & Company, LLC, an independent investment bank, where he leads the firms private capital markets efforts, and joins the Board after amassing considerable expertise in financial, fiduciary, corporate governance and operating leadership. His accomplishments include building and leading successful investment banking business units and closing over $12 billion in institutional finance and M&A transactions.

Craigs extensive background in finance and his proven governance experience are very much welcomed additions to our Board of Directors, said Mark Pearson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Equitable Holdings. His unique perspective on capital markets and his passion for serving others are qualities that will bring great value in advancing our mission to help our clients secure their financial well-being.

Before joining England & Company in 2012, Mr. MacKay served as Group Head, Private Finance and Leveraged Finance Distribution at Oppenheimer & Company and its predecessor, CIBC World Markets and headed the Private Finance and High Yield Capital Markets Origination Groups at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. He was also the founder and managing member HNY Associates, LLC, an investment banking boutique. Mr. MacKay began his professional experience at Bankers Trust Company and holds degrees from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania (BS, MBA).

Mr. MacKay has been active on a number of corporate and non-profit boards. He currently serves as a Board Director for Carver Bancorp, Inc., one of the largest African American operated banks in the United States, and serves as an independent Trustee of the Pioneer Funds, the US funds managed by Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. He also serves on the advisory board of Greens Farms Capital, a private equity firm, and is former Board Chairman of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, a leading New York City-based social services agency.
Nairobi  Deputy President William Ruto picked a mama mboga and a boda boda rider as proposer and a seconder when his presented his presidential bid to the electoral commission on Saturday as his campaign sought to demonstrate his bottom-up mantra.

Pauline Waithera, who runs a fruit grocery shop in Kiambu town, proposed while Calvince Okoth, a boda boda operator in Kangemi, Dagoretti North, seconded.

The two were pictured accompanying the DP at Bomas of Kenya as he underwent the clearance exercise and presented their Identification documents in support of his candidature.

He praised Pauline, the proposer, as a "great woman from Kiambu Market in Kangangi where I met her in one of our economic forums discussing the economy of every county."

Ruto described Calvin Ochieng, the seconder, as "a great friend who runs his small hustle around Kilimani and constantly gives us support in the UDA office whenever we need somebody to transport something."

DP Ruto has several occasions during his campaigns committed to include 'hustlers' in his government if elected President.

He has been championing for the bottom up economic model as the sure to Kenya's predicament of social imbalance compounded by lack of access to affordable credit for small and medium-scale enterprises.

Ruto has position himself as the champion of Kenyans at the bottom of the pyramid and his campaign agenda has been revolving around how to better their lives.
An MoU is inked with Proxtera to jointly create and establish an open framework for all participating financial institutions, in addition to serving financing needs of SMEs as Proxteras first participating digital wholesale bank in Singapore.

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ANEXT Bank, a digital wholesale bank incorporated in Singapore and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ant Group, announced its soft launch today. The soft launch follows its receipt of MAS approval to commence business on 2 June 2022. The Singapore-based digital bank will focus on providing digital financial services to local and regional micro, small and medium enterprises, especially those engaging in cross-border operations for growth and global expansion.

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ANEXT Bank, a digital wholesale bank incorporated in Singapore and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ant Group, commences business. (Photo: Business Wire)

Commenting on the soft launch, Ms. Toh Su Mei, the Chief Executive Officer of ANEXT Bank and a banking industry veteran of over 20 years, said: We believe its time to offer the next generation of financial services that are accessible and effortless for growing businesses. Amid rapid acceleration in the digital economy, business models are changing and pivoting to become digital-first, if not adopting a hybrid model. Financial services have to evolve and be where SMEs are doing their businesses digitally.

We are well positioned to live up to this vision, leveraging Ant Groups deep bench of technologies and know-how, along with our customer-obsessed local team dedicated to serving the SME community. Adopting an open and collaborative approach, we believe in joining hands with industry partners and the public sector to provide SMEs with financial services that are simpler, safer and more rewarding, she added.

The Banks soft launch was graced by the Chief Fintech Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Mr. Sopnendu Mohanty. Mr. Mohanty said: This marks yet another milestone in Singapores digital bank development journey, a strategic effort to ensure the banking sector remains progressive, globally competitive and vibrant. Continuous innovation and new capabilities that digital banks are slated to bring will no doubt add more engines of growth to Singapores financial sector. MAS expects the digital banks to thrive and synergise with our dynamic financial institutions and raise the bar in delivering quality financial services, and to uplift Singapores financial sector to better support the growth of SMEs in Singapore, the region and in emerging markets.

ANEXT Bank also signed a 2-year MoU with Proxtera  the entity supported by MAS, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and private sector entities, to transform and enable holistic cross-border trade among SMEs and businesses through making marketplaces efficient and discoverable globally, with embedded financing, fulfillment services and SME empowerment.

The MoU will see both organisations jointly create and establish an open framework for all participating financial institutions as they provide financing and risk mitigation support for SMEs and platforms in global trades. ANEXT Bank will also be Proxteras first participating digital wholesale bank in Singapore to lead the way in providing financing solutions to the buyers and sellers on Proxteras network.

Speaking of the collaboration, Mr. Saurav Bhattacharyya, the Chief Executive Officer of Proxtera said: Proxteras commitment is to simplify global trade for SMEs and uplift them with the power of networks, leveraging on modern technology to improve discoverability, accessibility, availability and affordability of innovative digital services. Seamless access and availability of trade financing solutions will help amplify business growth and accelerate expansion for SMEs. This mission is closely aligned with ANEXT Banks focus to serve SMEs engaging in cross-border operations. Together with ANEXT Banks digital-born identity and digital-first capabilities and services, Im confident that we can make trade easier, more seamless and efficient for SMEs.

As part of its soft launch, ANEXT Bank provided a preview of the ANEXT Business Account, a dual-currency deposit account with proprietary security measures including three-factor authentication verification as well as features such as remote onboarding and daily interest. The Bank is also calling on SMEs to share their thoughts on what they hope to see in financial services  it recognises in order to bring about whats next in financial services, it starts with the needs of SMEs. Entries as well as registrations of interest to open an account is available from today via its website www.ANEXT.com.sg. The ANEXT Business Account will be made available to the general SME community from Q32022.

About ANEXT Bank

Incorporated in Singapore, ANEXT Bank is one of the two successful applicants to receive the digital wholesale banking licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and focuses on providing innovative and secure digital financial services to local and regional micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to aid their growth and global expansion.

Through continuous technology-driven innovation, ANEXT Bank is dedicated to accelerating fintech development and financial inclusion in Singapore and the region. Adopting an open and collaborative approach, ANEXT Bank believes in joining hands with industry partners and public sector agencies to provide SMEs with financial services that are simpler, safer and more rewarding.

ANEXT Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ant Group. Ant Group strives to enable all consumers and small businesses to have equal access to financial and other services through technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, security, Internet of Things, and cloud computing.

For more information on ANEXT Bank, please visit www.ANEXT.com.sg.

About Proxtera

Proxtera is a neutral hub connecting B2B marketplaces, service providers, and trade associations digitally to simplify and amplify trade for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Proxtera was launched in 2020 as the commercialization of the Business sans Borders initiative by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to enhance digital and financial inclusivity for SMEs around the world. Today, Proxtera is live with 18 progressive platforms across Asia and Africa, which totals up to 400,000 SMEs in our network.

Find out more at https://proxtera.com/ or email us at [email protected].

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Betty Bai

ANEXT Bank

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: +65 9183 9108

Diya Malaney

Proxtera

Email: [email protected]

Mobile +65 8118 5489

Source: ANEXT Bank
HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) announced a strategic collaboration today, aiming to foster a robust Innovation and Technology (I&T) ecosystem in Hong Kong. With this collaboration, AWS and HKSTP will launch a series of programs under four key pillars to drive innovation of IT companies, startups, and researchers throughout their entire growth cycle  Research & Development, Technology Simulation, Co-incubation, and Talent and Culture Cultivation.

HKSTP and AWS have been working closely for years in supporting high potential tech ventures to innovate, succeed and grow faster. We have witnessed the surging demand from businesses on cloud computing knowledge and innovation technologies. This partnership combines the scale and technology expertise of AWS, the undisputed cloud innovation leader, as well as HKSTPs R&D, incubation and commercialization capabilities accumulated over the past 20 years, to accelerate the development of Hong Kongs I&T ecosystem while firmly establishing the citys status as a global innovation hub, said Albert Wong, Chief Executive Officer, HKSTP.

AWS is always committed to support the digital transformation of enterprises of all scales in Hong Kong, said Robert Wang, Managing Director, Hong Kong & Taiwan, AWS. Since 2014, AWS and HKSTP have been working together on a number of cloud programs and trainings. We are pleased to deepen our relationship with HKSTP and jointly address the various challenges the city faces in terms of talent, innovation, and technology commercialization.

Research and Development: HKSTP is joining the AWS Open Data Sponsorship Program which extends Open Data access through STP Platform, to support local research teams, including those from universities and research laboratories. Utilizing AWS cloud services, AWS Open Data Sponsorship Program allows researchers worldwide to share and analyze datasets derived from latest studies on global pandemics, cancer, and more. The collaboration will allow researchers at HKSTP partner companies to improve efficiency, while saving costs and time needed for research and data processing.

Technology Simulation: It is often difficult to predict the success and optimal route for commercialization of new technologies in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. AWS will support STP Platform to visualize outcomes through Technology Simulation, allowing developers to conduct tests and simulations at lower costs. AWS and HKSTP will also form a train-the-trainer program using AWS RoboMaker, allowing developers to effortlessly simulate applications under virtual 3D environments and test robotics solutions built with different coding languages, all with reduced costs and higher efficiency. Programs to support simulation of other emerging technologies will follow.

Co-incubation: AWS and HKSTP will continue to nurture startups and support their business growth. Targeting Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) startups, the first six-month acceleration program will provide training, technical and business consultation to help them unlock the potential of SaaS business model, enhance their SaaS products, and ultimately drive business growth and success.

Talent and Culture Cultivation: To nurture homegrown IT talents, AWS will utilize its global training and education resources to equip students and practitioners together with HKSTP. In the first phrase, AWS and HKSTP will provide technical training in biotechnology and AI for InnoHK clusters, enterprises, and startups. Based on the needs of the participating organization, AWS will also provide tailor-made capacity-building packages including talent training and Amazon innovation culture workshops.

AWS will hold its annual AWS Summit Hong Kong online on June 7 where professionals in the industry will gather and share insights into the latest cloud trends and industry best practices. HKSTP will set up a virtual booth at the Summit to share more information about their latest collaboration with AWS. Visit https://go.aws/3Ntu3w1 to register for AWS Summit.

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has for 20 continuous years committed to building up Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub to propel success for local and global pioneers today and tomorrow. HKSTP has established a thriving I&T ecosystem that is home to three unicorns and Hong Kongs leading R&D hub with over 11,000 research professionals and over 1,000 technology companies focused on healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech and smart city technologies.

Established in 2001, we attract and nurture talent, accelerate and commercialise innovation and technology for entrepreneurs on their journey of growth in Hong Kong, to the Greater Bay Area, Asia and beyond. Our growing innovation ecosystem is built around our key locations of the Hong Kong Science Park in Shatin, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong and three modern INNOPARKs in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. The three INNOPARKs are realizing a vision of re-industrialisation for Hong Kong. The goal is sectors like advanced manufacturing, electronics and biotechnology are being reimagined for a new generation of industry.

Through our infrastructure, services, expertise and network of partnerships, HKSTP will help establish innovation and technology as a pillar of growth for Hong Kong, while reinforcing Hong Kongs international I&T hub status as a launchpad for global growth at the heart of the GBA innovation powerhouse.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.

About Amazon Web Services

For over 15 years, Amazon Web Services has been the worlds most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud offering. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any cloud workload, and it now has more than 200 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), media, and application development, deployment, and management from 84 Availability Zones within 26 geographic regions, with announced plans for 24 more Availability Zones and eight more AWS Regions in Australia, Canada India, Israel, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. Millions of customersincluding the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agenciestrust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit aws.amazon.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005498/en/

For media enquiries:

Burson Cohn & Wolfe

Angela Chan

Phone: (852) 5177 0839

Email: [email protected]

Burson Cohn & Wolfe

Kenneth Lau

Phone: (852) 6483 8578

Email: [email protected]

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Karmen Cheung

Tel: (852) 2629 2339

Email: [email protected]

Edelman Public Relations

Vicky Lo

Tel: (852) 2837 4786 / 9886 0423

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Source: Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Security team recognized for innovative, automated security incident response to Insider Risk events

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Code42, the Insider Risk Management leader, today announced it has been named a winner of a 2022 CSO50 Award from Foundrys CSO. This prestigious honor recognizes 50 security projects and initiatives that demonstrate outstanding business value and thought leadership. Code42 will accept its award at the CSO50 Conference + Awards, to be held September 19-21, 2022, at the MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

The Code42 security team was recognized for its new incident-handling robot project, which automates response to Insider Risk and other security events. Traditionally, interactions between security teams and employees have been fraught with tension, resulting in employees often feeling as though security is watching and monitoring their every move. At the same time, security teams are under-resourced and automation via robots serves as a lifeline for many security operations teams. With this award-winning project, Code42s security team built an incident-handling robot using Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR as the automation platform and a Slack integration for the chat component of the project. The chatbot leverages Code42s approach to empathetic investigations to create positive touchpoints between employees and the security team. As a result, trust between security teams and employees is improved, employees are more aware of security policies so security analysts can focus on more strategic cybersecurity work.

Traditional security investigations focused on our end users are accusatory and put those being investigated immediately on the defensive, said Jadee Hanson, CIO and CISO of Code42. However, theres a high likelihood that end user actions are innocent, careless or negligent  not malicious. When we take an empathetic approach to investigations, analysts consider the perspectives of their colleagues, which helps demonstrate trust between the two parties.

As the global business environment continues to change with new technologies and ways to connect with one another, new security challenges are surfacing each day that security leaders and organizations must deal with, said Amy Bennett, executive editor of CSO. The annual CSO50 and CSO Hall of Fame Awards give recognition to the leaders and teams that are establishing new solutions for dealing with the many current and emerging threats their organizations are confronted with. We are looking forward to giving the most standout teams and leaders the recognition they deserve at the upcoming event in September.

Learn more about Code42s human-centric approach to empathetic investigations here.

About the CSO50 Awards

The CSO50 Awards recognizes 50 organizations for security projects and initiatives that demonstrate outstanding business value and thought leadership. The CSO50 Awards are scored according to a uniform set of criteria by a panel of judges that includes security leaders, industry experts and academics.

Past winners of the CSO50 include Adobe, Allstate, American Express, City of Raleigh, The Clorox Company, Comcast, Delta Dental, Genpact, HBO Latin America, Home Depot, Microsoft, University of Pennsylvania, Verizon and many more. A complete list of the 2021 winners can be viewed on FoundryCo.com.

About CSO

CSO is the premier content and community resource for security decision makers leading business risk management efforts within their organizations. For more than a decade, CSOs award-winning website (CSOonline.com), executive conferences, strategic marketing services and research have equipped security decision makers to mitigate both IT and corporate/physical risk for their organizations and provided opportunities for security vendors looking to reach this audience. CSO is published by Foundry (formerly IDG Communications, Inc.). Company information is available at www.foundryco.com.

About Code42

Code42 is the Insider Risk Management leader. Native to the cloud, the Code42 Incydr solution rapidly detects data loss, leak and theft as well as speeds incident response  all without lengthy deployments, complex policy management or blocking employee productivity. The Code42 Instructor solution helps enterprises drive secure work habits by incorporating timely, hyper-relevant Insider Risk awareness training videos to reduce risk events due to accidental and negligent end-user behaviors.

With Code42, security professionals can protect corporate data and reduce insider threats while fostering an open and collaborative culture for employees. Backed by security best practices and control requirements, the Code42 Incydr solution is FedRAMP authorized and can be configured for GDPR, HIPAA, PCI and other regulatory frameworks.

Innovative organizations, including the fastest-growing security companies, rely on Code42 to safeguard their ideas. Founded in 2001, the company is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is backed by Accel Partners, JMI Equity, NewView Capital and Split Rock Partners. Code42 was recognized by Inc. magazine as one of Americas best workplaces in 2020, 2021 and 2022. For more information, visit code42.com or join the conversation on our blog, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

 2022. Code42 Software, Inc. Code42, the Code42 logo, Incydr and Instructor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Code42 Software, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All rights reserved. All other marks are properties of their respective owners.

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Kristin McKenzie

Public Relations Principal, Code42

[email protected]

844-333-4242

Source: Code42
The leader in R&D scientific software adds Chief Legal Officer and Chief People Officer

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dotmatics, the leader in R&D scientific software connecting science, data, and decision-making, today announced the addition of Larry Samuelson as Chief Legal Officer and Neil Frye as Chief People Officer. The appointments further bolster the companys executive team as the company extends the reach of its research and data solutions globally.

Dotmatics is helping scientists to accelerate discoveries that make the world a healthier, cleaner and safer place to live. The Dotmatics platform and applications are now being used by more than two million scientists across 180 countries including customers from the worlds leading biotech, biopharma, chemicals & materials organizations, and academic institutions.

Larry Samuelson joins the company with more than 20 years of corporate legal experience advising and leading companies and their Boards through strategic transformations including equity and debt financing, acquisitions, high revenue growth, regulatory shifts and international expansion. Prior to Dotmatics, he served from June 2013 to April 2022 as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Cvent, an event technology SaaS company, where he took the company public twice and helped the business grow from approximately $100 million to over $550 million in revenue. Mr. Samuelson received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University, a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University.

Neil Frye was previously the Chief People Officer for Alto Pharmacy, a health tech startup focused on the pharmacy fulfillment and provider space. Alto grew from 250 to more than 1500 employees and realized 5x growth in ARR during his tenure. Prior to Alto, he spent more than four years leading global recruiting and HR operations/technology at Dropbox where he helped the company go through its IPO, exceed $1B in ARR, and grow from 700 to 3000+ employees in 18 countries, building out its recruiting teams for engineering/product, executive, recruiting operations, and talent branding. Previous experience also includes management positions at Google and Accenture.

Quotes:

We are adding Larry and Neil at a significant time in our companys growth, said Thomas Swalla, CEO of Dotmatics. Their extensive experience in relevant industries make them the right fit and both will be pivotal as we move forward our plans aggressively growing and scaling the business.

Larry and Neil have an incredibly successful track record building and supporting high-growth software companies, said Mike McKee, president of Dotmatics. But adding these two leaders will also be beneficial to our employees and customers as our team helps scientists use technologies and data to discover and innovate.

I was immediately drawn to Dotmatics mission to partner with its clients to change the world for the better, said Samuelson. Were providing scientists software they love and a data management platform that together helps them find solutions to what ails our world  from COVID to cancer to climate issues.

I searched for a company, a product, and a leadership team that aligned to my values, and that is improving the human experience. That brought me to Dotmatics, said Frye. What makes it better is the opportunity I have to interact with such a passionate group of employees who share this perspective. I look forward to helping to shape our culture, design great employee/candidate experiences and achieve our goals through people programs.

About Dotmatics

Dotmatics is a leader in R&D scientific software connecting science, data, and decision-making. Its enterprise R&D platform and scientists favorite applications drive efficiency and accelerate innovation. More than 2 million scientists and 10,000 customers trust Dotmatics to help them create a healthier, cleaner, safer world. Dotmatics is a global team of more than 800 employees dedicated to supporting its customers in over 180 countries. The companys principal office is in Boston, with 14 offices and R&D teams located around the world.

Dotmatics is backed by Insight Partners, a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software scaleup companies. Learn more about Dotmatics, its platform, and applications including GraphPad Prism, Geneious, SnapGene, Protein Metrics, and LabArchives at https://dotmatics.com.

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Cory Edwards

VP Corporate Communications

Dotmatics

[email protected]

+1 (801) 386-1960

Source: Dotmatics
A prestigious award for founder Don Stephens and blessing of the Global Mercy add to the launch of a packed training schedule designed to increase healthcare capacity in Africa

DAKAR, Senegal--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In the midst of celebrations around the arrival of the Global Mercy to Senegal, training has already begun by the crew of the worlds largest civilian hospital ship, currently docked in Dakar for its first African mission.

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For the first time in Mercy Ships history, the Global Mercy docked next to the Africa Mercy in the port of Dakar, Senegal. (Photo: Business Wire)

This month more than 260 Senegalese healthcare professionals will receive training on board this brand-new hospital ship, through a variety of courses, including surgical skills, SAFE anesthesia, nursing skills, and more. These first of many training sessions will address topics impacting delivery of safe surgical care.

During the week, Don Stephens, Founder of Mercy Ships received the Commander of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal. Veteran surgeon Dr. Gary Parker, Africa Mercy Chief Medical Officer, received the Officer of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal at the Presidential Palace. The Order of the Lion is reserved for only the most distinguished civil or military service.

Ceremonies throughout the past week commemorated more than 30 years of service in Africa and were concluded with a special ceremony of naming and blessing for the Global Mercy, attended by key members of Mercy Ships, governmental dignitaries, and partners including WHO Africa, Johnson & Johnson, and Smile Train.

At the Ceremony of Blessing, Dr. Diop, Secretary General of Senegal, said Its my pleasure to be here on behalf of the President to help my country, (which is) facing huge surgical needs as you know. We are very honored and proud to host the Global Mercy for the first time in Africa. Access to surgery is very limited and expensive. On one hand, hospitals are not well equipped. On the other, our medical staff are not well trained. Mercy Ships comes as a gift.

Gert van de Weerdhof, Mercy Ships Chief Executive Officer, stated, This is a holy moment. After many years of planning, preparation, and partnership, the Global Mercy officially becomes part of the Mercy Ships fleet, doubling opportunities for safe and free surgery to take place, transforming lives not only of the patients but their families and communities.

He went on to say, We aim to provide approximately 5,000 training hours during this first visit of the Global Mercy, incorporating areas of the hospital we could never usually use for training in a field service, creating an impactful experience for our participants. We look forward to returning in 2023 to Dakar to continue our support and see surgical capacity strengthened.

Last week H.E. President of Senegal Macky Sall inaugurated the worlds largest private floating hospital and committed to accelerate access to surgical, obstetric, and aesthetic care for the nations of Africa. Representatives from Cameroon, the Union of Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal gathered on board the Global Mercy to approve a strategic road map to improve surgical care for African nations by 2030, where an estimated 93% of sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to safe surgery.

Global humanitarian organization Mercy Ships and its partners in Africa used this opportunity to come together in an unprecedented and strategic effort to improve access to safer surgery across the continent through a series of milestone events, including the agreement of the Dakar Declaration, a plan to accelerate access to surgical, obstetric, and anesthetic care across Africa, which H.E. President Macky Sall will now take forward to the rest of the African Union.

The new hospital ship, the Global Mercy, is 174 meters long, 28.6 meters wide and has space for 200 patients, six operating rooms, a laboratory, general outpatient clinics, dental, and eye clinics. The hospital decks cover a total area of 7,000 square meters and contain the latest training facilities. When in full service, the ship will be able to accommodate up to 950 people when docked, including crewmembers and volunteers from all over the world and serve collaboratively with the Africa Mercy, in operation since 2007.

Over the next 50 years of the Global Mercys lifespan, its expected that more than 150,000 lives will be transformed through surgery alone, with each transformation representing a person with a name, a face, a story, a family, and a purpose. Thousands of African medical professionals will receive training and mentoring with the goal of multiplied impact within their own communities.

Following the four-week training period in Dakar, the ship will complete final equipping in the Canary Islands for the remainder of 2022 and plans to return to Dakar in 2023 for the crews first surgical field service. The Africa Mercy will remain in Senegal until the end of the year, continuing to provide surgeries and bringing hope and healing to many.

Recordings of the ceremonies include:

Ribbon Cutting: https:///www.facebook.com/MercyShips/videos/328007576151463/

Inauguration Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HylOGBYaX-0

Ceremony of Blessing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5TNNFSUAN8

ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:

Global health for the last two decades has focused on individual diseases, while surgical care in low-resource countries has not received the attention it needs. Lack of surgical care resulted in almost 17 million deaths annually.

Mercy Ships is an international faith-based organization that operates hospital ships to deliver free, world-class healthcare services, medical capacity building, and health system strengthening to those with little access to safe surgical care. Since 1978, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 countries, with the last three decades focused entirely on partnering with African nations. Each year, volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the worlds two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to the cause. Mercy Ships has offices in 16 countries and an Africa Bureau. For more information, visit mercyships.org and follow us @MercyShips on social media.

Website: https://MercyShips.africa/press

Broll and hi-res photos can be found at https://mercyships.africa/press/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220605005109/en/

U.S.

Laura Rebouche

U.S. National Media Relations Director

Telephone: 903-939-7137

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://Mercyships.org/press

International

Diane Rickard

Mercy Ships International Media Relations Manager

Email: [email protected]

Source: Mercy Ships
WATSONVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Granite (NYSE: GVA) announced today that it has acquired and will start development on a new aggregate operation near Grantsville, Utah. Located approximately 30 miles west of Salt Lake City on Interstate 80, the site covers approximately 640 acres. The material comes from an alluvial deposit containing 99 million tons of recoverable rock.

We are pleased to be moving forward with the Grantsville facility, said Brad Estes, vice president of construction materials. This facility will provide quality materials to Utah for decades and supports Granites home market strategy.

Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, and the Salt Lake metro area is where a lot of that growth is happening and will continue to happen, explained Jason Klaumann, vice president of regional operations. Securing such an extensive reserve of material gives Granite lots of opportunity to capture all the work that will come with that growth.

Granite is currently designing the plant for the Grantsville facility. In support of Granites core value of sustainability, the company is assessing a variety of water-saving and waste-reduction equipment and technology options. The plant will be assembled in the coming months and the facility is expected to begin production in July 2022.

About Granite

Granite is Americas Infrastructure Company. Incorporated since 1922, Granite (NYSE: GVA) is one of the largest diversified construction and construction materials companies in the United States as well as a full-suite civil construction provider. Granites Code of Conduct and strong Core Values guide the Company and its employees to uphold the highest ethical standards. Granite is an industry leader in safety and an award-winning firm in quality and sustainability. For more information, visit the Granite website, graniteconstruction.com, and connect with Granite on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005213/en/

Media

Erin Kuhlman 831-768-4111

Investors

Wenjun Xu - 831-761-7861

Source: Granite
PFG associates strongly support the companys strategic direction

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Performance Food Group Company (PFG) (NYSE: PFGC) recently received the Direction award as part of the Richmond Times-Dispatchs 2022 Top Workplaces program. The Direction award is a special honor awarded to the company whose employees feel the most strongly about their companys strategic direction. PFG was the highest ranked company in this category out of 87 corporate participants in the 2022 Top Workplaces survey.

Were proud to receive this recognition and honored that feedback from associates at our West Creek headquarters earned us the Direction award in the Richmond Times-Dispatchs Top 2022 Workplaces program, said PFG Chief Human Resources Officer Erika Davis. We strive to create an extraordinary experience for our associates across PFGs family of companies  one where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging and purpose, and tremendous pride in doing essential work for our country. We are proud to be PFG every day, thanks to the dedication of our associates in their service and care for our customers, our communities and each other. Thats what inspires us on our growth journey as an industry leader and a workplace where associates can thrive and do their best work.

This is the ninth year the Richmond Times-Dispatch has partnered with Energage to identify and acknowledge top workplaces in the Greater Richmond area. Results of the Top Workplaces program are based on the results of a survey completed by local employees of participating companies. In addition to the top workplace awards, Energage also gives special recognition to employers who received standout survey scores in certain areas like benefits, communications, direction, leadership, meaningfulness and values.

About Performance Food Group Company

Performance Food Group is an industry leader and one of the largest food and foodservice distribution companies in North America with more than 150 locations in the U.S. and parts of Canada. Founded and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, PFG, and our family of companies, market and deliver quality food and related products to 300,000+ locations including independent and chain restaurants; businesses, schools and healthcare facilities; vending and office coffee service distributors; and big box retailers, theaters and convenience stores. PFGs success as a Fortune 200 company is achieved through our more than 30,000 dedicated associates committed to building strong relationships with the valued customers, suppliers and communities we serve. To learn more about PFG, visit pfgc.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005672/en/

Investors:

Bill Marshall

VP, Investor Relations

804-287-8108

[email protected]

Media:

Scott Golden

Director, Communications & Engagement

804-484-7873

[email protected]

Source: Performance Food Group Company
FILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor of the London Metal Exchange in London, Britain, September 27, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo

By Selena Li and Eric Onstad

HONG KONG/LONDON (Reuters) -U.S. hedge fund Elliott Associates is suing the London Metal Exchange (LME) for $456 million for cancelling nickel trades after chaotic trading in March that forced the exchange to suspend its nickel market, the LME said on Monday.

The legal action piles more pressure on the exchange, which is being probed by regulators and is struggling to restore trust and volumes in its nickel market.

Elliott said the LME should not have halted trading and erased deals after prices more than doubled to over $100,000 a tonne in a matter of hours on March 8.

The LME and LME Clear Limited were named as defendants in the judicial review claim filed in a British court by Elliott Associates and Elliott International last week, the LME's parent company Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd said.

An Elliott spokesperson said in an email that the LME had acted "unreasonably and irrationally in particular by taking into account irrelevant factors, including its own financial position".

The LME, the world's largest and oldest market for industrial metals, said it had to take action to protect the market as a whole when trading became disorderly.

In a statement, the exchange said it had "an important role to play in ensuring the market is fair and orderly for all those who wish to participate".

It added that the nickel market had become disorderly, and that it had cancelled deals from midnight to 0815 GMT on March 8 in an attempt to return the market to the time when it had last been orderly.

"The LME therefore considers that Elliotts grounds for complaint are without merit, and the LME will defend any judicial review proceedings vigorously.

LME SUED NEARLY A DECADE AGO

Elliott Management, founded and co-led by billionaire Paul Singer, is known for activist investing. The Elliott spokesperson did not say in the email what LME nickel positions it had when deals were cancelled.

The last time the LME was sued was nearly a decade ago when Russian aluminium giant Rusal sought to derail proposed LME reforms aimed at easing huge backlogs to withdraw metal from its global warehousing network.

The LME initially lost the case, but won an appeal https://reut.rs/38VK3bK allowing it to go forward and implement the reforms.

Last month, the LME proposed measures that it said would improve transparency and stability in the over-the-counter (OTC) metals market, including more frequent disclosures of all positions.

HKEX shares closed up 1.6%, underperforming the broader market index, which gained 2.7%.

(Reporting by Selena Li and Eric Onstad; Editing by Florence Tan, Kim Coghill, Kenneth Maxwell and Jan Harvey)
(Updated - June 6, 2022 8:02 AM EDT)

Anaplan, Inc. (NYSE: PLAN), provider of a leading cloud-native platform for orchestrating business performance, and Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, today announced that they have amended the terms of their previously announced transaction, pursuant to which Anaplan will be acquired by Thoma Bravo. Under the terms of the amended merger agreement, which was unanimously approved by the Anaplan Board of Directors, Anaplan stockholders will receive $63.75 per share in cash, instead of the original purchase price of $66.00 per share in cash.

We believe Thoma Bravo continues to be the right partner for Anaplan, and we look forward to closing this transaction, said Frank Calderoni, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. We remain committed to delivering the best-in-class planning platform to solve our customers biggest digital transformation challenges. Thoma Bravos resources and insights will help scale Anaplans growth strategy. We believe this partnership will deliver significant benefits to Anaplans customers, partners and employees.

"We fully support the amended agreement and look forward to partnering with Anaplan as it helps enterprises transform how they see, plan, and run their businesses by delivering cloud-native SaaS solutions at scale, said Holden Spaht, a Managing Partner at Thoma Bravo. We are enthusiastic about leveraging Thoma Bravos extensive operational and investment expertise in enterprise software to support Anaplan in serving customers and reaching its next phase of growth.

Transaction Details

Thoma Bravo and Anaplan agreed to amend the merger agreement to resolve a disagreement between the parties regarding compliance with certain terms of the merger agreement. Thoma Bravo asserted that these matters could have resulted in certain closing conditions not being satisfied. Anaplans position is that it acted at all times in good faith in compliance with the merger agreement and that Thoma Bravo remained at all times obligated to close the original merger agreement according to its original terms. Nevertheless, the Anaplan Board agreed, after extensive consideration, to revise the merger agreement to avoid the risk of lengthy litigation over the disagreement, provide increased closing certainty for its stockholders and close on substantially the same timeline as originally agreed between the parties. Anaplans Board also believes the terms of the amended merger agreement continue to represent a meaningful premium over the price of Anaplans common stock prior to the execution of the merger agreement with Thoma Bravo.

The parties continue to expect the transaction to close by June 30, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Anaplan stockholders. Upon completion of the transaction, Anaplan common stock will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and it will become a private company.

Anaplan will file a supplement to the definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will contain other important information as soon as reasonably practicable and mail the supplement to its stockholders of record who are entitled to vote at the special meeting of the Anaplan stockholders (the Special Meeting) to consider and vote on the Merger, which was originally scheduled to be held virtually on June 9, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific time. The Special Meeting will be adjourned until a later date to allow stockholders sufficient time to review the supplement.

Advisors

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Qatalyst Partners are acting as financial advisors and Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP are serving as legal advisors to Anaplan. Kirkland and Ellis LLP and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP are serving as legal counsel to Thoma Bravo. Financing for the transaction is being provided by Owl Rock Capital, Blackstone Credit, Golub Capital and Apollo Global Management through their respective managed funds.

About Anaplan

Anaplan (NYSE: PLAN) is a transformative way to see, plan, and run your business. Using our proprietary Hyperblock technology, Anaplan lets you contextualize real-time performance, and forecast future outcomes for faster, confident decisions. Anaplan enables connected strategy and planning across your enterprise to move your business forward. Based in San Francisco, Anaplan has over 175 partners and more than 1,900 customers worldwide. To learn more, visit Anaplan.com.

About Thoma Bravo

Thoma Bravo is one of the largest private equity firms in the world, with more than $114 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2022. The firm invests in growth-oriented, innovative companies operating in the software and technology sectors. Leveraging the firm's deep sector expertise and proven strategic and operational capabilities, Thoma Bravo collaborates with its portfolio companies to implement operating best practices, drive growth initiatives and make accretive acquisitions intended to accelerate revenue and earnings. Over the past 20 years, the firm has acquired or invested in more than 380 companies representing over $190 billion in enterprise value. The firm has offices in Chicago, Miami and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.thomabravo.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

All of the statements in this press release, other than historical facts, are forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, the statements made concerning the Companys expectations with regard to the timing of the closing of the Merger, the adjournment and timing of the Special Meeting, and the filing and mailing of a supplement to the Companys definitive proxy statement to disclose the above-referenced matters with respect to the Amendment. As a general matter, forward-looking statements are those focused upon anticipated events or trends, expectations, and beliefs relating to matters that are not historical in nature. Such forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties and factors relating to the Companys operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Among others, the following uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: (i) the risk that the Merger may not be consummated in a timely manner, if at all; (ii) the risk that the Companys stockholders do not approve the Merger, (iii) the risk that the Merger may not be consummated as a result of Parents failure to comply with its covenants and that, in certain circumstances, the Company may not be entitled to a termination fee; (iv) the risk that the definitive Merger Agreement may be terminated in circumstances that require the Company to pay a termination fee; (v) risks related to the diversion of managements attention from the Companys ongoing business operations; (vi) risks regarding the failure of Parent to obtain the necessary financing to complete the Merger; (vii) the effect of the announcement of the Merger on the Companys business relationships (including, without limitation, customers and venues), operating results and business generally; (viii) legal proceedings, judgments or settlements, including those that have been and may be instituted against the Company, the Companys board of directors and executive officers and others, as with respect to the proposed Merger; and (ix) risks related to obtaining the requisite consents to the Merger, including, without limitation, the timing (including possible delays) and receipt of regulatory approvals from governmental entities (including any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on these approvals) and the risk that one or more governmental entities may deny approval. Further risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements are described in the Companys SEC reports, including but not limited to the risks described in the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended April 30, 2022 filed on June 2, 2022. The Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

Important Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the Merger, the Company has filed with the SEC a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, and will file additional relevant materials with the SEC, including a supplement to disclose the above-referenced matters with respect to the Amendment. Promptly after filing its definitive proxy statement with the SEC, the Company mailed the proxy materials to each stockholder entitled to vote at the Special Meeting relating to the Merger, and the Company will further mail the supplement to disclose the above-referenced matters with respect to the Amendment to each stockholder entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. This communication is not a substitute for the definitive proxy statement, the supplement or any other document that Company may file with the SEC or send to its stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THESE MATERIALS (INCLUDING ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE MERGER THAT THE COMPANY WILL FILE WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THE MERGER. The definitive proxy statement and other relevant materials in connection with the Merger (when they become available), and any other documents filed by the Company with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SECs website (http://www.sec.gov) or at the Companys website (https://investors.anaplan.com) or by writing to the Companys Secretary at 50 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105.

Participants in the Solicitation

The Company and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Companys stockholders with respect to the Merger. Information about the Companys directors and executive officers and their ownership of Company common stock is set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on March 23, 2022, as amended by Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A, filed with the SEC on May 27, 2022. Information regarding the identity of the potential participants, and their direct or indirect interests in the Merger, by security holdings or otherwise, are set forth in the definitive proxy statement, will be set forth as revised in the supplement to disclose the above-referenced matters with respect to the Amendment, and may be set forth other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the Merger. To the extent the Companys directors and executive officers or their holdings of Company securities have changed from the amounts disclosed in those filings, to the Companys knowledge, such changes have been or will be reflected on statements of change in ownership on Form 4 on file with the SEC.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005633/en/

For Anaplan:



Investor and Press Contact:



Vikram Khosla



[email protected]

Morrow Sodali



Eric Kamback



(800) 662-5200



[email protected]

Abernathy MacGregor



Tom Johnson / Dana Gorman



[email protected]

For Thoma Bravo:



Megan Frank



212-731-4778



[email protected]

Jed Repko / Matthew Sherman



Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher



212-355-4449

Source: Anaplan, Inc.
Gaotu Techedu Inc. (NYSE: GOTU) today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

First Quarter 2022 Highlights[1]

Net revenues were RMB724.6 million, compared with net revenues of RMB1,940.3 million in the same period of 2021.

were RMB724.6 million, compared with net revenues of RMB1,940.3 million in the same period of 2021. Gross billings[2] were RMB318.1 million, compared with gross billings of RMB1,181.3 million in the same period of 2021.

were RMB318.1 million, compared with gross billings of RMB1,181.3 million in the same period of 2021. Net income was RMB53.7 million, compared with net loss of RMB1,425.9 million in the same period of 2021.

was RMB53.7 million, compared with net loss of RMB1,425.9 million in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP net income was RMB92.5 million, compared with non-GAAP net loss of RMB1,329.4 million in the same period of 2021.

was RMB92.5 million, compared with non-GAAP net loss of RMB1,329.4 million in the same period of 2021. Net operating cash outflow was RMB481.3 million, compared with net operating cash outflow of RMB2,095.3 million in the same period of 2021.

First Quarter 2022 Key Financial and Operating Data (In thousands of RMB, except for percentages) For the three months ended March 31, 2021 2022 Pct. Change Net revenues 1,940,343 724,615 (62.7)% Gross billings 1,181,342 318,095 (73.1)% Net (loss) income (1,425,919) 53,718 NM Non-GAAP net (loss) income (1,329,420) 92,543 NM Net operating cash outflow (2,095,328) (481,266) (77.0)%

[1] For a reconciliation of non-GAAP numbers, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures" at the end of this press release. Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP income (loss) from operations, non-GAAP net income (loss) exclude share-based compensation expenses. [2] Gross billings is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as the total amount of cash received for the sale of course offerings in such period, net of the total amount of refunds in such period. See "About Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures" elsewhere in this press release.

Larry Xiangdong Chen, the Company's founder, Chairman and CEO, commented, "In the first quarter of 2022, our businesses continued to maintain a healthy and sustainable development, and we have remained profitable for two consecutive quarters since we began our business restructuring. Going forward, we will continue to develop and invest in our four core businesses, which are professional education for college students and adults, vocational education, STEAM education, and digital educational products. During this quarter, the scale of our professional and vocational education service further increased, compared with that of the last quarter. Our STEAM education service has also made solid progress, especially in its programming tutoring business. Through the gradual development of our new businesses, we will continue to expand our product portfolio across various categories to fulfil diverse and multi-dimensional learning demands of students, and to build a true learner-centric lifelong learning and service platform."

Shannon Shen, CFO of the Company, added, "In this quarter, our net revenues were RMB724.6 million and gross billings were RMB318.1 million. Further, we are pleased to be able to continue to be profitable in this challenging environment, with a net income margin of 7.4% and a non-GAAP net income margin of 12.8%, indicating that we have achieved effective growth. Furthermore, our capital position remains strong. As of March 31, 2022, we had a total of approximately RMB3.2 billion in terms of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments on our balance sheet.

We believe that under the strong support of government policy, vocational education will have a better future with higher market demand. We sincerely hope that by providing the best service and the best education quality, we will be able to establish Gaotu as a reputable brand in the vocational and professional education market."

Financial Results for the First Quarter of 2022

Net Revenues

Net revenues decreased by 62.7% to RMB724.6 million from RMB1,940.3 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to the organizational adjustments and business restructuring the Company performed in 2021, including the cessation of academic subject tutoring services to students, as a result of the impact of government regulations ("Business Restructuring").

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues decreased by 62.7% to RMB212.9 million from RMB571.5 million in the first quarter of 2021, mainly due to decreases in staff related cost, learning material cost and rental expenses as a result of the Business Restructuring in 2021.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Gross profit was RMB511.7 million, compared with RMB1,368.8 million in the first quarter of 2021. Gross profit margin increased to 70.6% from 70.5% in the same period of 2021.

Non-GAAP gross profit was RMB530.0 million, compared with RMB1,393.6 million in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP gross profit margin increased to 73.1% from 71.8% in the same period of 2021.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses decreased 83.1% to RMB486.4 million from RMB2,871.4 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Selling expenses decreased to RMB284.2 million from RMB2,288.7 million in the first quarter of 2021, primarily due to the decreased spending on branding and marketing activities on academic subject tutoring services as a result of the restrictions of advertising activities according to government regulations. Moreover, the sales and marketing staff related expenses and other operating related expenses also decreased, which was due to the reduction of employees as a result of the Business Restructuring in 2021.

Research and development expenses decreased to RMB123.3 million from RMB365.1 million in the first quarter of 2021, primarily due to a decrease in compensation for research and development personnel as a result of the Business Restructuring in 2021.

General and administrative expenses decreased to RMB78.9 million from RMB217.6 million in the first quarter of 2021, primarily due to a decrease in compensation for general and administrative personnel as a result of the Business Restructuring in 2021.

Income (Loss) from Operations

Income from operations was RMB25.3 million, compared with the loss from operations of RMB1,502.6 million in the first quarter of 2021, which was primarily due to a large decrease in operating related cost and expenses as a result of the Business Restructuring.

Non-GAAP income from operations was RMB64.1 million, compared with non-GAAP loss from operations of RMB1,406.1 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Interest Income and Realized Gains from Investments

Interest income and realized gains from investments, on aggregate, were RMB19.3 million, compared with RMB22.9 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Other Income

Other income was RMB28.0 million, compared with RMB44.9 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to the value-added tax exemption offered by the government in the first quarter of 2021, which was no longer offered after April 2021.

Net Income (Loss)

Net income was RMB53.7 million, compared with net loss of RMB1,425.9 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Non-GAAP net income was RMB92.5 million, compared with non-GAAP net loss of RMB1,329.4 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Cash Flow

Net operating cash outflow for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB481.3 million. The outflow of net operating cash this quarter was primarily due to employee compensation and marketing expenses paid to improve our market share and brand awareness in the professional and vocational education market.

Basic and Diluted Net Income per ADS

Basic and diluted net income per ADS were both RMB0.21 in the first quarter of 2022.

Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS, were RMB0.36 and RMB0.35, respectively, in the first quarter of 2022.

Share Outstanding

As of March 31, 2022, the Company had 172,096,742 ordinary shares outstanding.

Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Short-term Investments

As of March 31, 2022, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments of RMB3,206.7 million in aggregate, compared with a total of RMB3,671.1 million as of December 31, 2021.

Other Payables

As of March 31, 2022, other payables in non-current liabilities totaled RMB26.6 million, which were payables related to the purchase of the Zhengzhou properties.

Business Outlook

Based on the Company's current estimates, total net revenues for the second quarter of 2022 are expected to be between RMB438 million and RMB458 million, representing a decrease of 79% to 80% on a year-over-year basis. These estimates reflect the Company's current expectations, which are subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Monday, June 6, 2022 (8:00 PM on Monday, June 6, 2022, Beijing/Hong Kong Time). Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

International: +1-412-317-6061 United States: +1-888-317-6003 Hong Kong: 800-963-976 Mainland China: 400-120-6115 Passcode: 7635501

A telephone replay will be available two hours after the conclusion of the conference call through June 13, 2022. The dial-in details are as follows:

International: +1-412-317-0088 United States: +1-877-344-7529 Passcode: 7141257

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this conference call will be available at https://ir.gaotu.cn/home.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook, as well as the Company's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. The Company 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 reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's ability to continue to attract students to enroll in its courses; the Company's ability to continue to recruit, train and retain qualified teachers; the Company's ability to improve the content of its existing course offerings and to develop new courses; the Company's ability to maintain and enhance its brand; the Company's ability to maintain and continue to improve its teaching results; and the Company's ability to compete effectively against its competitors. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's reports filed with, or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information or any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
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.

Washington  The United States has targeted al-Qaida-linked fighters in Somalia, launching its first airstrike since announcing U.S. special operations forces would again be based in the Horn of Africa nation.

Somalia's Ministry of Information announced the airstrike Friday on Twitter, saying it had targeted al-Shabab militants near Beer Xaani, west of the southern city of Kismayo, after they had attacked Somali forces.

Initial estimates indicated that five al-Shabab fighters were killed and that there were no civilian casualties, the Somali announcement said.

So far, neither the Pentagon nor U.S. Africa Command has shared any details about the incident.

Friday's airstrike against al-Shabab is the first since the U.S. announced in mid-May that it would reestablish what it described as a "small, persistent U.S. military presence" in Somalia, following a December 2020 decision by the previous U.S. administration to pull out troops that had been stationed in the country.

Senior U.S. administration officials last month called the decision by former President Donald Trump to end the persistent U.S. presence in Somalia a mistake, arguing it gave al-Shabab, already seen as the largest, wealthiest and most dangerous al-Qaida affiliate, a chance to regenerate.

Al-Shabab "has unfortunately only grown stronger," a senior U.S. official told reporters. "It has increased the tempo of its attacks, including against U.S. personnel."

Pentagon officials have described the move, which will see fewer than 500 U.S. special operators working out of Somalia, as a repositioning, noting U.S. troops had been flying into the country to periodically work with the Somali military.

New Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed the change, thanking U.S. President Joe Biden on social media.

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Like a number of high-profile U.S. military officials, some Somali officials had been lobbying for the return of a U.S. military presence to help with the fight against al-Shabab.

"This was a wrong decision taken. Withdrawal was a hasty decision," a senior adviser to Mohamud told VOA, ahead of the official announcement about the return of the U.S. presence.

"It disrupted counterterrorism operations," said the Somali adviser, who asked not to be named because his position in the administration had not yet been made public. "To reinstate and start with the new president is the right decision, and it came at the right time."

Somali officials have also said they hope a persistent U.S. military presence in Somalia will lead to an uptick in airstrikes against the group.

So far this year, U.S. Africa Command has publicly confirmed only one airstrike, on February 22, against al-Shabab fighters near Duduble, Somalia. It has not yet commented on the strike reported Friday by Somali authorities.

It is not clear how many, if any, U.S. forces are currently operating in Somalia. Senior U.S. officials said last month it would "take a little bit of time to reach that full implementation stage."

Intelligence estimates from United Nations member states and shared earlier this year put the number of al-Shabab fighters at close to 12,000 while warning the al-Qaida affiliate has been raising as much as $10 million a month to fund its activities.
IBM (NYSE: IBM) today at RSAC 2022 announced it plans to acquire Randori, a leading attack surface management (ASM) and offensive cybersecurity provider based in the Boston area. Randori helps clients continuously identify external facing assets, both on-premise or in the cloud, that are visible to attackers  and prioritize exposures which pose the greatest risk. Today's news further advances IBM's Hybrid Cloud strategy and strengthens its portfolio of AI-powered cybersecurity products and services.

Investigations into recent data breaches have shown that despite increased investment, companies continue to struggle with managing their attack surface. In fact, 67% of organizations saw their external attack surface expand over the past two years due to the rising use of cloud, third-party services, the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems.1 And 69% have been compromised via unknown, unmanaged, or poorly managed internet-facing asset in the past year.1

"Our clients today are faced with managing a complex technology landscape of accelerating cyberattacks targeted at applications running across a variety of hybrid cloud environments  from public clouds, private clouds and on-premises," said Mary O'Brien, General Manager, IBM Security. "In this environment, it is essential for organizations to arm themselves with attacker's perspective in order to help find their most critical blind spots and focus their efforts on areas that will minimize business disruption and damages to revenue and reputation."

Randori is IBM's fourth acquisition in 2022 as the company continues to bolster its hybrid cloud and AI skills and capabilities, including in cybersecurity. IBM has acquired more than 20 companies since Arvind Krishna became CEO in April 2020.

Assuming the Role of Attackers

Randori is a hacker led company, with software to help security teams discover gaps, assess risks, and improve their security posture over time by delivering an authentic attack experience at scale. Designed to help security teams zero in on previously unknown exposure points, Randori's unique attack surface management solution takes into account the logic of an adversary based on real-world attacks - and is the only one to prioritize based on level of risk as well as the attractiveness of an asset to potential attackers using their proprietary scoring system.

Their unique approach has led to the development of a cloud native solution that provides better prioritization of vulnerabilities and reduces noise by focusing on customers' unique attack surface. By simply entering an email domain, Randori will begin mapping a customer's attack surface, helping to identify shadow IT risks and potential entry points for ransomware. Headquartered in Waltham, MA, with offices in Denver, CO, Randori is backed by Accomplice, .406 Ventures, Harmony Partners and Legion Capital. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in next few months, subject to customary closing conditions and any required regulatory reviews.

"We started Randori to ensure every organization has access to the attacker's perspective," said Brian Hazzard, Co-Founder & CEO at Randori. "To stay ahead of today's threats, you need to know what's exposed and how attackers view your environment - that's exactly what Randori provides. By joining forces with IBM, we can greatly accelerate this vision and strategy - leveraging IBM's deep expertise in AI, threat intelligence, offensive security and global reach. Together, we can arm the industry with the attacker's perspective  helping to give every organization the visibility and insight needed to get in front of the next wave of attacks."

Upon close of the acquisition, IBM plans to integrate Randori's attack surface management software with the extended detection and response (XDR) capabilities of IBM Security QRadar. By feeding insights from Randori into QRadar XDR, security teams will be able to leverage real-time attack surface visibility for intelligent alert triage, threat hunting, and incident response. This can help eliminate the need for customers to manually monitor new critical applications and respond quickly when new issues or emerging threats arise on their perimeter.

Randori also provides businesses with a solution that uniquely combines attack surface management with continuous automated red teaming (CART) to stress test defenses and incident response teams. Upon close, IBM will leverage Randori to compliment X-Force Red's elite hacker lead offensive security services while further enriching QRadar XDR detection and response capabilities. This will allow more global customers to benefit from a top-tier attack experience that helps uncover where organizations are most vulnerable. Randori insights will also be leveraged by IBM's Managed Security Services to help improve threat detection for thousands of clients.

For more information on Randori and IBM please visit this IBM Security Intelligence blog.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) President and CEO and NextEra Energy Partners (NYSE: NEP) CEO John Ketchum issued the following statement regarding today's announcement on solar tariffs.

"The Biden administration's announcement of a two-year pause on new solar tariffs is an important step to help the solar industry recover from the uncertainty of the last three months. I want to thank the administration for recognizing the challenges that trade uncertainty presents to our industry and the country and for taking this important action. NextEra Energy has and will continue to use our industry leadership to support more U.S. solar manufacturing. We look forward to working with the administration on this effort and putting hard working Americans back to work in the solar industry."

NextEra Energy, Inc.NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. NextEra Energy owns Florida Power & Light Company, which is the largest vertically integrated rate-regulated electric utility in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, and serves more than 5.7 million customer accounts, supporting more than 11 million residents across Florida with clean, reliable and affordable electricity. NextEra Energy also owns a competitive clean energy business, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from seven commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry on Fortune's 2022 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," recognized on Fortune's 2021 list of companies that "Change the World" and received the S&P Global Platts 2020 Energy Transition Award for leadership in environmental, social and governance. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
FILE PHOTO: A sign of Chinese ride-hailing service Didi is seen on its headquarters in Beijing, China July 5, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo

(Reuters) -Chinese regulators are concluding probes into ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc and two other firms and are preparing to allow their apps back on domestic app stores as early as this week, the Wall Street Journal reported https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-to-conclude-didi-cybersecurity-probe-lift-ban-on-new-users-11654501320?mod=latest_headlines on Monday.

The report, citing unnamed people familiar with the issues, is the latest signal to investors that official promises to ease pressure on China's internet sector may be gaining traction.

Didi's U.S. shares jumped 37% to $2.53 in morning trading as short sellers bailed out while Hong Kong's Hang Seng tech index surged and closed 4.6% higher.

Didi did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) was not immediately available for comment.

Regulators are also planning to allow apps of logistics platform Full Truck Alliance Co and online recruitment services company Kanzhun Ltd back on app stores this week, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Full Truck Alliance's Yunmanman and Huochebang apps, two of China's major truck-hailing platforms, briefly resumed new user registrations on Monday during the day before registrations were suspended again that night, Reuters checks showed.

Full Truck and Kanzhun did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but investors were optimistic. Full Truck shares leapt 28% in pre-market trade and Kanzhun shares rose 21%.

"Since the middle of May policies of the central government have pointed to less regulation (of the sector)," said Steven Leung, executive director of institutional sales at brokerage UOB Kay Hian in Hong Kong.

"This is a second confirmation that the central government isn't going to do anything more. It helps sentiment," he said, though adding that it was unlikely to herald a return to previous growth expectations or prompt a longer stock rally.

The CAC had ordered app stores to remove 25 apps operated by Didi last year as part of a wider crackdown drawing in some of China's biggest corporate names.

Authorities also told the company to stop registering new users, citing national security and the public interest.

The moves came just days after the ride-hailing giant listed in New York and sent already fragile markets into a tailspin.

The three companies are still expected to face financial penalties, along with offering 1% equity stakes to the state and giving the government a direct role in corporate decisions, WSJ reported.

Didi last year announced plans to de-list in the United States in favour of a new listing in Hong Kong.

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru, Tom Westbrook in Singapore, Yingzhi Yang in Beijing, Zhang Yan in Shanghai and Josh Ye in Hong Kong; Editing by Uttaresh.V, Louise Heavens, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Andrea Ricci)
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a confidence vote "handsomely" on Monday and it is time to draw a line under questions on his future, education minister Nadhim Zahawi said in the first reaction from the government to the vote.

Johnson won the vote 211 to 148, securing the support of 59% of his lawmakers, a lower share than his predecessor Theresa May managed in a 2018 confidence vote. She resigned less than six months later.

"The Prime Minister won handsomely. I think the important thing to remember is that we only are able to deliver if we are united. I hope we can draw a line under this now and focus on delivery," Zahawi told Sky News.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Kate Holton)
FILE PHOTO: The logo and trading symbol for Twitter is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 1, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

(Reuters) - Elon Musk has threatened to walk away from his $44 billion buyout deal for Twitter Inc if the social media company fails to provide data on spam and fake accounts.

Meanwhile, Twitter stock has consistently traded below Musk's offer price of $54.20 per share since the announcement of the deal on April 14.

Below is a snapshot of the Twitter takeover saga.

Date Development Twitter share

reaction

April 4 Elon Musk discloses over 9% stake in Jumps as much

Twitter as 31%

April 5 Twitter says Musk will join company's Rises over 9%

board

April 10 Musk says he will not join Twitter Falls 3.3%

board

April 14 Musk offers $54.20/share, a 38% Rises 6%

premium to Twitter's April 1 closing

price

April 15 Twitter adopts poison pill to protect Gains 1.4% in

company from takeover next session;

trails offer

by 13%

April 21 Musk lines up $46.5 billion in Adds 2.6%,

financing for the deal but still

trails Musk's

offer by

11.5%

April 25 Twitter board accepts Musk's offer Climbs ~7%;

trades 3.5%

below offer

price

April 29 Musk sells Tesla shares worth over $8 Rises 2.3%;

billion in a bid to finance takeover trades 7.3%

below offer

price

May 2 Musk seeks to get more external Falls 0.8% in

investors the next

session;

trades ~10%

below offer

price

May 5 Musk discloses $7.14 billion funding; Rises 4.4%;

sources tell Reuters that Musk could trades 5.5%

temporarily lead Twitter after deal below offer

closes price

May 11 Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey says he Falls ~6% in

will not return as CEO if offered the next

session;

trades 20%

below offer

price

May 13 Musk says Twitter deal on hold pending Drops 11%

review of spam and fake accounts. before paring

Later tweets that he remains committed losses;

to the deal trades 26%

below offer

price

May 25 Twitter investors vote against Rises ~6% in

re-electing Elon Musk ally to board the next

session;

Musk pledges more equity to fund trades 27%

Twitter deal, scraps margin loan below offer

price

May 26 Musk sued by Twitter investors for Rises ~6%;

stock 'manipulation' during takeover trades 27%

bid below offer

price

May 27 SEC looking into Musk's Twitter stake Rises 1%;

purchase trades 26%

below offer

price

June 6 Musk threatens to walk away from the Drops 4%;

buyout deal if Twitter fails to trades 29%

provide data on spam and fake accounts below offer

price

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sweta Singh, Shinjini Ganguli and Devika Syamnath)
BRISBANE, Australia, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allkem Limited (ASX|TSX: AKE, the Company) provides an update on product pricing and operations.

Lithium carbonate

Continued strong market conditions positively impacted the price received for lithium carbonate from the Olaroz Lithium Facility. The June quarter FY22 average price received for lithium carbonate is expected to be approximately 14% above prior guidance at US$40,000/t FOB1 on sales of approximately 3,500 tonnes. Customers continue to value security of supply which is reflected in a fully committed order book for the remainder of the calendar year.

Spodumene

Similarly strong conditions continue in the spodumene market with realised spodumene concentrate pricing in the June quarter of approximately US$5,000/t SC6% CIF. Shipped spodumene concentrate for the quarter is anticipated to be approximately 38,000 dry metric tonnes (dmt") at an average grade in line with customer requirements of 5.3% with a further 15,000 dmt to be shipped in early July 2022.

Current estimated annual spodumene production for FY22 is anticipated to fall marginally short of guidance by approximately 2-4%, at between 192,000 - 196,000 dmt, due to production delays resulting from the highly competitive Western Australian resources labour market and COVID-19 related requirements due to the delayed re-opening of the Western Australian border. Strategies have been implemented to mitigate these temporary impacts on production.

Argentine reference price

Argentinas Customs Agency has recently set a reference price for lithium carbonate of US$53,000/t. This reference price is used by regulatory authorities when reviewing export sales of lithium chemicals to prevent under-invoicing and improve pricing transparency. This price is not used for calculation of taxes, royalties or duties and Allkem does not expect it will have any material impact on product exports, realised prices or profitability.

This release was authorised by Mr Martin Perez de Solay, CEO and Managing Director of Allkem Limited.

Allkem LimitedABN 31 112 589 910 Level 35, 71 Eagle StBrisbane, QLD 4000 Investor Relations & Media EnquiriesAndrew Barber M: +61 418 783 701 E: [email protected] Phoebe LeeP: +61 7 3064 3600 E: [email protected] Connect [email protected] +61 7 3064 3600www.allkem.co

IMPORTANT NOTICES

This investor ASX/TSX release (Release) contains general information about the Company as at the date of this Release. The information in this Release should not be considered to be comprehensive or to comprise all of the material which a shareholder or potential investor in the Company may require in order to determine whether to deal in Shares of Allkem. The information in this Release is of a general nature only and does not purport to be complete. It should be read in conjunction with the Companys periodic and continuous disclosure announcements which are available at allkem.co and with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) announcements, which are available at www.asx.com.au.

Forward Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs and, by their nature, are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performances and achievements to differ materially from any expected future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the risk of further changes in government regulations, policies or legislation; the risks associated with the continued implementation of the merger between the Company and Galaxy Resources Ltd, risks that further funding may be required, but unavailable, for the ongoing development of the Companys projects; fluctuations or decreases in commodity prices; uncertainty in the estimation, economic viability, recoverability and processing of mineral resources; risks associated with development of the Company Projects; unexpected capital or operating cost increases; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones at the Companys Projects; risks associated with investment in publicly listed companies, such as the Company; and risks associated with general economic conditions.

Subject to any continuing obligation under applicable law or relevant listing rules of the ASX, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this Release to reflect any change in expectations in relation to any forward-looking statements or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Nothing in this Release shall under any circumstances (including by reason of this Release remaining available and not being superseded or replaced by any other Release or publication with respect to the subject matter of this Release), create an implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company since the date of this Release.

Not for release or distribution in the United States

This announcement has been prepared for publication in Australia and may not be released to U.S. wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this announcement or anything attached to this announcement shall form the basis of any contract or commitment.

1 FOB (Free On Board) excludes insurance and freight charges included in CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) pricing. Therefore, the Companys reported prices are net of freight (shipping), insurance and sales commission. FOB prices are reported by the Company to provide clarity on the sales revenue that is recognised by SDJ, the joint venture company in Argentina

Source: Allkem Limited
TORONTO, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Excellence Canada is pleased to announce that, at the sixth annual Canadian Business Excellence Awards for Private Businesses, 22 Canadian organizations will be receiving the Canadian Businesses Excellence Award for clearly demonstrating a strategic approach to successfully improving business performance and achieving goals, with a focus on the following three key performance areas: Delighted Customers; Engaged Employees; and Innovation.

The Canadian Business Excellence Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes outstanding achievements by organizations in the private sector, from coast-to-coast across Canada.

The awards will be presented at the 2022 Canadian Business Excellence Awards for Private Businesses - Virtual Cocktail Reception on Thursday, June 9th. The theme of this years event is Living by our values and the public is welcome to attend to join in the celebration, learning, and fun!

The program features:

Virtual Happy Hour  Live DJ, Photo Booth

Networking

VIP Roundtable & Keynote Address by Ryan McCarty, Author, International Renowned Speaker, and Co-Founder of Culture of Good, Inc.

Presentation of the 2022 Awards

For complete event details and registration, please visit www.canadianbusinessexcellenceaward.com/

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Canadian Business Excellence Awards for Private Businesses, in alphabetical order:

Alexa Translations  Toronto, ONArchitech  Toronto, ONAvana  Regina, SKBeaverTails Canada Inc.  Montreal, QCBrainworks  Huntsville, ONCorporate Finance Institute  Vancouver, BCDenesoline Corporation  Yellowknife, NTGroupe MMI Inc.  Saint-Laurent, QCIndellient  Oakville, ONIntegracare Inc.  Toronto, ONISU Corp  Kitchener, ONJan Kelley Inc.  Burlington, ONMBC Managed IT Services  Richmond Hill, ONMobials Inc.  London, ONNeuro Rehab Services  North York, ONR. Khanuja Dentistry  Brampton, ONT&T Power Group Inc.  Wellesley, ONTOOLBX  Toronto, ONUniUni  Richmond, BCWaterford Global Inc.  Winnipeg, MBWeston Forest  Mississauga, ONWinright Law  Vancouver, BC

PROUD SPONSORS OF CANADIAN EXCELLENCE

Excellence Canada gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors and supporters of Canadian Excellence.

Title SponsorCEO Global NetworkBronze Sponsor SE HealthHowatt HR ConsultingThe Inclusion Project Media SponsorThe Globe and Mail

For further information, please contact us:www.cbeawards.com

Niki Marusic, Vice President, Marketing[email protected]

Source: Excellence Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2022) - CopAur Minerals Inc.(TSXV: CPAU) (OTCQB: COPAF)("CopAur" or the "Company")is pleased to provide a corporate update following the successful acquisition of New Placer Dome Gold Corp.'s Nevada gold assets and exercising its option to acquire 79.99% of the flagship Kinsley Mountain Gold Project. The update provides a 2022 exploration plan and details on the company's newly acquired Kinsley Mountain, Bolo and Troy projects in addition to its Williams Copper-Gold Project in northern British Columbia.

Jeremy Yaseniuk, CEO, commented, "Management is delighted to have completed the acquisition of New Placer Dome and its three highly prospective Nevada assets. Kinsley is of particular interest, sharing many characteristics with the nearby Long Canyon Mine. The 2009 Long Canyon maiden resource had over 50,000 fewer indicated ounces gold1 than the current Kinsley resource which includes 418,000 indicated ounces2, with both resources based on a similar number of drill holes. At the time of the $2.3 billion sale of Long Canyon in 2011, the resources had grown to 2.2 million ounces gold based on over 130,000 metres of drilling3, over 50% more than modern drilling at Kinsley showing the potential upside of the project4."

Kinsley Mountain Gold Project, Nevada

The Company's flagship Kinsley Mountain Gold Project has current indicated resources of 418,000 oz at a grade of 2.63 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and inferred resources of 117,000 oz averaging 1.51 g/t gold2 (Figure 1). Of the indicated resources, 302,000 oz are found within the high-grade Western Flank Zone, with an average gold grade of 6.11 grams per tonne2. Historical open-pit mining at Kinsley produced 138,000 ounces of gold between 1995 and 1999. Kinsley Mountain shares the same unique combination of stratigraphy, structure and mineralization with the Long Canyon Mine4, located approximately 90 kilometres northwest. As of December 31, 2021, Long Canyon hosts a 1.38 million oz gold measured and indicated resource and has produced over 1 million oz gold4,5.

Kinsley has significant resource expansion potential through continued near mine exploration and potential greenfield discoveries. Near resource areas drilled during the highly successful 49 hole, 18,000 metre 2020 drill campaign demonstrate significant resource expansion potential remains at Western Flank, Main Pit Oxide, and Secret Spot targets with highlights including6:

Western Flank resource expansion drilling

10.22 g/t gold over 6.1 metres within a broader zone grading 2.63 g/t gold (sulphide) over 38.10 metres in KMR20-017

15.1 g/t gold (sulphide) over 7.6 metres, including 24.1 g/t gold (sulphide) over 4.6 metres lower zone, 9.08 g/t gold (sulphide) over 6.1 metres upper zone in KMR20-026

Main Pit North Oxide Target yields high-grade intercepts 75 m outside the current pit shell

9.83 g/t gold over 7.6 metres high-grade shallow oxide

New surface oxide Discovery at the Secret Spot, including

1.77 g/t gold over 25.3 metres in new surface oxide discovery in KMD20-007B

The Company is currently analyzing results from the recently completed 80 line-km IP/resistivity geophysical surveys completed at Kinsley. The surveys covered the Western Flank Zone, Secret Spot and Shale Saddle targets, as well as the Kinsley North Range to refine existing targets and generate new drill targets. The frontier Kinsley North Range contains a significant strike length of Pogonip Group and upper Notch Peak Formation rocks that are known to host significant gold mineralization at Long Canyon4. This area of the project remains untested by drilling until now.

Figure 1: Kinsley Mountain Gold Project Mine Fault area cross section





To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7895/126569_15476f6f74a0a92a_001full.jpg

Bolo Gold Project, Nevada

The Bolo Gold Project is located in the Hot Creek Range of Nye County, Nevada, approximately 65 kilometres east-southeast of the Round Mountain Gold Mine4.

Bolo demonstrates significant near-term resource and discovery potential. Surface geochemical sampling has defined widespread gold mineralization, associated with jasperoids, iron-stained structures, and anomalous gold pathfinder elements along two parallel north-south trending faults known as the Mine Fault and the East Fault. IP/resistivity surveys completed during late 2021 expanded geophysical coverage 1 km north along the Mine Fault and East Fault targets (Figure 2). Successful drill campaigns in 2019 and 2020 were focused on the South Mine Fault Zone's resource potential with highlights including6:

84 metres of 1.37 g/t gold oxide in hole BL19-01

122 metres of 1.2 g/t gold oxide; including an upper zone of 37 metres of 2.1 g/t gold oxide and lower zone of 12.2 metres of 3.32 g/t gold oxide in hole BL19-04

24 metres of 1.38 g/t gold oxide; including 6.1 metres of 4.35 g/t gold oxide in BL20-02

61 metres of 0.74 g/t gold oxide in hole BL20-03

98 metres of 0.54 g/t gold oxide in hole BL20-05

98 metres of 0.41 g/t gold oxide in hole BL20-06

In early 2022, New Placer Dome announced an untested high priority exploration target along the East Fault hosted within an outlier of the Windfall Formation, the primary host of gold mineralization at the South Mine Fault Zone (see New Placer Dome Gold Corp. news release dated January 24, 2022). Along the East Fault, Windfall outlier rocks are cut by fault-controlled jasperoid units and have returned gold pathfinder anomalies within gridded surficial rock samples. The favourable geology, structure, and pathfinder element anomalies highlighted in the East Fault area provide a compelling exploration target worthy of significant follow-up work and drilling.

Bolo - US $1.5M Proposed Work Program

Surface prospecting and grid rock chip geochemical sampling targeting the northern extensions of the Mine Fault and East Fault structures (approximately 500 samples, extending historical rock chip coverage 1 km north and 300 m east-west).

Up to 4,000 metres of RC and core drilling, including expansion drilling at the South Mine Fault Zone (1,000 m), as well as exploration drilling at the East Fault Windfall target and potential new targets generated by the surface work (3,000 m).

Figure 2: Bolo Gold Project plan map highlighting the Mine Fault zone and the new East Fault exploration target





To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7895/126569_15476f6f74a0a92a_002full.jpg

Williams Copper-Gold Project, British Columbia

The Williams Copper-Gold Project is located in the Toodoggone region of north-central British Columbia. The property is situated halfway between the Red Chris and Kemess North mines, and on trend with the approximately 3-million-ounce Lawyers Gold-silver deposit4,7. Williams hosts two target areas: The T-Bill area, which is prospective for mesothermal style gold mineralization, the GIC porphyry prospect which is a porphyry copper-gold target.

During 2021 CopAur drilled 7 diamond drill holes totaling 3,150 metres targeting the T-Bill gold zone that included bulk-tonnage and high-grade mineralization including 41.57 metres of 1.38 g/t gold with 0.70 metres of 22.00 g/t gold in drill hole WM21-07 (Figure 3). Surface exploration targeting T-Bill and GIC included 158 rock and 654 soil geochemical samples, 25 line-km of IP/resistivity geophysical surveys covering the GIC porphyry copper-gold targets and its eastern extension, and a 718 line-km property-wide airborne VTEM geophysical survey.

Williams - CA $1.5M Proposed Work Program

Up to 2,000 metres of core drilling testing the high priority GIC and T-Bill targets

For 2022 CopAur plans to complete up to 2,000 metres of diamond drilling testing priority drill targets at the GIC copper-gold porphyry target, a 4 km x 0.8 km copper-gold geochemical and IP/resistivity anomaly, and the T-Bill gold zone along its northern and southern strike extent.

Limited historical drilling of 5 holes totaling 881 metres during the 2006 exploration campaign at the GIC zone targeted chargeability high anomalies interpreted as part of a phyllic-pyritic halo related to a potential buried porphyry system. This drilling intersected broad zones of phyllic alteration, and patchy potassic zones returning anomalous copper mineralization within the chargeability high anomaly. However, peak copper-gold geochemical anomalies associated with magnetic and resistive anomalies flanking the high changeability remain untested and will be the target of the initial drilling during 2022.

Figure 3. Williams Copper-Gold Project GIC and T-Bill Exploration Targets





To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7895/126569_15476f6f74a0a92a_003full.jpg

Troy Canyon Gold-Silver Project, Nevada

The Troy Canyon Gold-Silver Project is located in the Grant Range of Nye County, Nevada, approximately 150 km east-northeast of Tonopah and 70 km east-southeast of the Company's Bolo Gold Project. The 100% owned Troy Canyon Project covers 493 hectares of land centered approximately on the historical Locke gold mine (Figure 4). High-grade gold mineralization occurs within mesothermal quartz veins, vein breccias and narrower sheeted vein and stockwork zones that are exposed at surface over 300 m strike length.

Gold mineralization was first identified at the project in 1867 and small-scale mining commenced in 1869. The most recent mining took place from 1948 to 1950 where 643 ounces of gold and 660 ounces of silver were reportedly produced from 1,859 tons of mineralized rock, at an average grade of 11.83 g/t gold (0.345 oz/t Au) and 12 g/t silver (0.355 oz/t Ag). The area of the old Locke mine in Troy Canyon hosts mesothermal gold and silver mineralization with potential for economically significant concentrations. Mesothermal systems typically are persistent to great depths. To date the system seen on the Troy Canyon Project has only been investigated over a vertical extent of approximately 180 metres.

In 2020, New Placer Dome conducted rock sampling at Troy to independently verify historical gold and silver values, which had previously reported underground stope rock grab samples assaying 576 g/t gold and greater than 100 g/t silver8. Highlights of the 2020 rock sampling included (see New Placer Dome Gold Corp. news release dated October 22, 2020):

42.7 g/t gold, 15 g/t gold, and 91 g/t silver in outcrop of partially oxidized silica-sulphide breccia at the historic Locke West and East mine prospects.

37.7 g/t gold in oxidized quartz vein material sampled from historic waste dumps at the Locke East mine.

7.68 g/t gold including 526 g/t silver, in addition to 97.20 g/t silver and 105 g/t silver from mine dump material coincident with a 1.2 km north-south trending greater than 10 ppb gold in soil anomaly along the western Troy Canyon Claims along the historic Leadhill and Galena vein trends.

Figure 4. Historical Locke gold mine looking north





To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

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1Technical Report on the Long Canyon Project, Elko County, Nevada, U.S.A., dated April 24, 2009, with an effective date of April 17, 2009, and prepared by Michael M. Gustin and Moira Smith, and filed under Fronteer Gold Inc.'s issuer profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

2Technical Report on the Kinsley Project, Elko County, Nevada, U.S.A., dated June 21, 2021, with an effective date of May 5, 2021, and prepared by Michael M. Gustin and Gary L. Simmons, and filed under New Placer Dome Gold Corp.'s issuer profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

3Updated Technical Report on the Long Canyon Project, Elko County, Nevada, U.S.A., dated February 25, 2011, with an effective date of December 15, 2010, and prepared by Moira Smith, James Gray, Christopher Lee, and Gary Simmons, and filed under Fronteer Gold Inc.'s issuer profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

4Minerals resource or reserves of advanced projects are not necessarily indicative of the mineralization potential of CopAur Properties.

5Resource and 2021 production values derived from Barrick Annual Report 2021 filed under Barrick Gold Corporation's issuer profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com); 2016 to 2020 production values derived from the Nevada Division of Minerals Major Mines of Nevada 2016-2020 publications downloaded from the State of Nevada Commission on Mineral Resources Division of Minerals website (https://minerals.nv.gov/Programs/Mining/Mining_Forms/)

6True widths of the mineralized intervals are interpreted to be between 60-90% of the reported lengths for Kinsley and 60-70% for Bolo.

7Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate on the Lawyers Gold-Silver Property, Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada, ated June 28, 2021, with an effective date of May 11, 2021, and prepared by William Stone, Yungang Wu, Jarita Barry, Eugene Puritch, Brian Ray, Frank Wright, and Mary Mioska, and filed under Benchmark Metals Inc.'s issuer profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

8National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Troy Canyon Project, Portage Minerals Inc., with an effective date of February 5, 2007 prepared by Jim Chapman, and filed under Portage Minerals Inc.'s issuer profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a Director of New Placer Dome and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Raffle has verified the data disclosed which includes a review of the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained herein.

For more information, please contact:

CopAur Minerals Inc.

Jeremy Yaseniuk, Chief Executive Officer & Director

Tel: +1 (604) 773-1467

Email: [email protected]

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.

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, conducting exploration work on its projects, receipt of assays, other statements relating to the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company and its properties, and other matters.

Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. 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, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved), and variations of such words, and similar expressions are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statement are necessarily based upon a number of factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements express or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of metals, anticipated costs and the ability to achieve goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, and that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events, level of activity, performance or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: (i) risks related to gold and other commodity price fluctuations; (ii) risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of exploration results; (iii) risks related to the inherent uncertainty of exploration and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; (iv) that resource exploration and development is a speculative business; (v) that the Company may lose or abandon its property interests or may fail to receive necessary licences and permits; (vi) that environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous; (vii) that the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; (viii) the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; (ix) exploration and development risks, including risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in exploration and development; (x) competition; (xi) the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of geologic reports or studies; (xii) the uncertainty of profitability based upon the Company's history of losses; (xiii) risks related to environmental regulation and liability; (xiv) risks associated with failure to maintain community acceptance, agreements and permissions (generally referred to as "social licence"); (xv) risks relating to obtaining and maintaining all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations relating to the continued exploration and development of the Company's projects; (xvi) risks related to the outcome of legal actions; (xvii) political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; (xix) risks related to current global financial conditions; and (xx) other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business strategy. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, the loss of key directors, employees, advisors or consultants, adverse weather conditions, increase in costs, equipment failures, government regulations and policies, litigation, exchange rate fluctuations, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, decrease in the price of gold and other metals, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations and fees charged by service providers. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2022) - Goldshore Resources Inc. (TSXV: GSHR) (OTCQB: GSHRF) (FWB: 8X00) ("Goldshore" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce assay results from its ongoing 100,000-meter drill program at the Moss Lake Project in Northwest Ontario, Canada. Drilling is aiming to better define and expand high-grade structural zones within the Moss Lake deposit to improve the overall grade and volume beyond that of the historic Mineral Resource.

Highlights:

MMD-22-025 identified high-grade gold mineralization 200 meters beneath the previously modelled low grade Southwest Zone, implying significantly more potential in this area, with best intercepts of:

1.0m @ 8.32 g/t Au from 358.5m

23.0m at 2.57 g/t Au from 514.0m , including 1.55m at 32.6 g/t Au from 514.0m

, including

MMD-22-022 extended the strike extent of the southern parallel zone by 600m with mineralized intersections within a broad low grade envelope at the end of the hole;

Gold mineralization was added to the eastern and western extents of the Main Zone, with best intercepts in MMD-22-024 adding 200m to the depth extent of of the deposit:

23.7m at 1.11 g/t Au from 472.0m , including 0.7m at 27.7 g/t Au from 495.0m

, including 6.8m at 1.18 g/t Au from 571.2m

President and CEO, Brett Richards stated: "The results we are seeing with our 100,000m drilling campaign are continuing to deliver the results that prove our thesis that the Moss Lake Project is much larger along strike and at depth, and we look forward to regular drill results through the forthcoming several months. I am also proud of the team at site who have ramped up to seven drill rigs, keeping up to the current pace of data collection and analysis required to fully understand this large deposit."

Technical Overview

Figures 1 to 3 and Table 1 summarize the significant intercepts in MMD-22-018, -022, -024 and -025. Figure 4 and Table 2 show the drill hole locations.

Table 1: Significant downhole gold intercepts

HOLE ID FROM TO LENGTH (m) TRUE WIDTH (m) CUT GRADE

(g/t Au) UNCUT GRADE

(g/t Au) MMD-22-018 336.60 341.00 4.40 3 0.64 0.64

365.75 377.00 11.25 8 0.63 0.63

388.50 410.90 22.40 16 0.70 0.70 including 396.00 404.00 8.00 6 1.69 1.69

425.35 431.75 6.40 5 0.36 0.36

443.00 450.00 7.00 5 0.54 0.54













MMD-22-022 80.15 85.60 5.45 4 0.56 0.56

516.55 554.30 37.75 28 0.41 0.41 including 516.55 520.50 3.95 3 1.18 1.18

585.40 596.00 10.60 8 0.34 0.34

599.00 601.90 2.90 2 0.32 0.32

607.00 634.80 27.80 22 0.42 0.42 including 622.50 626.75 4.25 3 1.06 1.06













MMD-22-024 70.30 82.00 11.70 6 0.56 0.56 including 71.00 73.00 2.00 1 1.83 1.83

140.00 145.00 5.00 3 0.50 0.50

181.50 186.00 4.50 3 0.54 0.54

285.70 289.00 3.30 2 0.74 0.74

414.50 418.50 4.00 2 0.35 0.35

472.00 495.70 23.70 15 1.11 1.11 including 495.00 495.70 0.70 0.5 27.7 27.7

542.00 559.05 17.05 11 0.38 0.38

571.20 578.00 6.80 4 1.18 1.18 including 574.15 577.00 2.85 2 1.67 1.67













MMD-22-025 358.50 359.50 1.00 1 8.32 8.32

514.00 537.00 23.00 21 1.92 2.57 including 514.00 515.55 1.55 1 22.9 32.6 Intersections calculated above a 0.3 g/t Au cut off with a top cut of 30 g/t Au and a maximum internal waste interval of 10 metres. Shaded intervals are intersections calculated above a 1.0 g/t Au cut off. Intervals in bold are those with a grade thickness factor exceeding 20 gram x metres / tonne gold. True widths are approximate and assume a subvertical body.







Figure 1: Drill section through MMD-22-024 showing mineralized intercepts relative to the 2013 grade model

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Figure 2: Drill section through MMD-22-022 showing mineralized intercepts relative to the 2013 grade model

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Figure 3: Drill section through MMD-22-025 showing mineralized intercepts relative to the 2013 grade model



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Figure 4: Drill plan showing the drill holes relative to the 2013 resource model and the new parallel zones



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Table 2: Location of drill holes in this press release

HOLE EAST NORTH RL AZIMUTH DIP EOH MMD-22-018 668584 5378992 427 155 -60 749.0m MMD-22-022 668363 5378756 433 135 -50 644.0m MMD-22-024 669411 5379553 427 155 -60 611.0m MMD-22-025 668213 5378601 440 135 -50 542.0m Approximate collar coordinates in NAD 83, Zone 15N

Drilling has focused in the most accessible areas as we seek to protect long term road access during a very wet Spring Break Up following the coldest and snowiest winter in the last decade.

MMD-22-022 and -025 tested the 500 meter gap between the Main Zone and Southwest Zone, and highlighted the potential to increase both the grade and volume of mineralization in this previously untested area. The intercept in MMD-22-024 is believed to represent a 600 meter strike extension of the southern parallel structure, high grade zone at the end of MMD-22-025 represents a 200 meter down dip extension of the Southwest Zone.

Both MMD-22-022 and -025 were drilled by a smaller drill rig with limited depth capacity and holes were ended prior to exiting the altered diorite sequence. Follow up drilling is underway to trace mineralization both along strike and up dip and to test the full thickness of the altered diorite body.

MMD-22-018 and MMD-22-024 drilled the western and eastern margin of the Main Zone, respectively. MMD-22-024, in particular, targeted the previously untested volume below the 200mRL and extended the depth extent of the model by 200m to the 400mRL.

Pete Flindell, VP Exploration for Goldshore, said "These mineralized intercepts highlight the potential to expand the volume of +1 gt Au mineralization in the area between the Main and Southwest Zones, which will benefit the Mineral Resource and open pit economics. Ongoing drilling is testing this zone at shallower levels and will more completely test the width of the zones. Results are expected by July. Meanwhile, we are pleased that with seven rigs on site, we are achieving our targeted monthly drill rate of over 10,000 meters per month, which will help us to complete the infill and step out drill program this year."

Analytical and QA/QC Procedures

All samples were sent to ALS Geochemistry in Thunder Bay for preparation and analysis was performed in the ALS Vancouver analytical facility. ALS is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) for the Accreditation of Mineral Analysis Testing Laboratories and CAN-P-4E ISO/IEC 17025. Samples were analyzed for gold via fire assay with an AA finish ("Au-AA23") and 48 pathfinder elements via ICP-MS after four-acid digestion ("ME-MS61"). Samples that assayed over 10 ppm Au were re-run via fire assay with a gravimetric finish ("Au-GRA21").

In addition to ALS quality assurance / quality control ("QA/QC") protocols, Goldshore has implemented a quality control program for all samples collected through the drilling program. The quality control program was designed by a qualified and independent third party, with a focus on the quality of analytical results for gold. Analytical results are received, imported to our secure on-line database and evaluated to meet our established guidelines to ensure that all sample batches pass industry best practice for analytical quality control. Certified reference materials are considered acceptable if values returned are within three standard deviations of the certified value reported by the manufacture of the material. In addition to the certified reference material, certified blank material is included in the sample stream to monitor contamination during sample preparation. Blank material results are assessed based on the returned gold result being less than ten times the quoted lower detection limit of the analytical method. The results of the on-going analytical quality control program are evaluated and reported to Goldshore by Orix Geoscience Inc.

Wesdome Share Issuance

Goldshore announces it has issued 8,333,333 milestone shares to Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. ("Wesdome") at a deemed price of C$0.60 per share pursuant the asset purchase agreement dated January 26, 2021 whereby Goldshore acquired a 100% interest in the Moss Lake gold project located in Ontario, Canada.

This issuance increases Wesdome's holding in Goldshore to 38,418,333 shares or approximately 27% of the Company's total outstanding share capital of 142,276,603 shares. The shares issued to Wesdome are subject to escrow in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Goldshore

Goldshore is an emerging junior gold development company, and owns the Moss Lake Gold Project located in Ontario. Wesdome is currently a strategic shareholder of Goldshore with an approximate 27% equity position in the Company. Well-financed and supported by an industry-leading management group, board of directors and advisory board, Goldshore is positioned to advance the Moss Lake Gold Project through the next stages of exploration and development.

About the Moss Lake Gold Project

The Moss Lake Gold Project is located approximately 100 km west of the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is accessed via Highway 11 which passes within 1 km of the property boundary to the north. The Moss Lake Gold Project covers 14,292 hectares and consists of 282 unpatented and patented mining claims.

Moss Lake hosts a number of gold and base metal rich deposits including the Moss Lake Deposit, the East Coldstream Deposit (Table 3), the historically producing North Coldstream Mine (Table 4), and the Hamlin Zone, all of which occur over a mineralized trend exceeding 20 km in length. A historical preliminary economic assessment was completed on Moss Lake in 2013 and published by Moss Lake Gold1. A historical mineral resource estimate was completed on the East Coldstream Deposit in 2011 by Foundation Resources Inc2,3. In addition to these zones, the Moss Lake Gold Project also hosts a number of under-explored mineral occurrences which are reported to exist both at surface and in historically drilled holes. The Moss Lake Deposit is a shear-hosted disseminated-style gold deposit which outcrops at surface. It has been drilled over a 2.5 km length and to depths of 300 m with 376 holes completed between 1983 and 2017. The last drilling program conducted in 2016 and 2017 by Wesdome, which consisted of widely spaced holes along the strike extension of the deposit was successful in expanding the mineralized footprint and hydrothermal system 1.6 km to the northeast. Additionally, the deposit remains largely open to depth. In 2017, Wesdome completed an induced polarization survey which traced the potential extensions of pyrite mineralization associated with the Moss Lake Deposit over a total strike length of 8 km and spanning the entire extent of the survey grids.

The East Coldstream Deposit is a shear-hosted disseminated-style gold deposit which locally outcrops at surface. It has been drilled over a 1.3 km length and to depths of 200 m with 138 holes completed between 1988 and 2017. The deposit remains largely open at depth and may have the potential for expansion along strike. Historic drill hole highlights from the East Coldstream Deposit include 4.86 g/t Au over 27.3 m in C-10-15.

The historically producing North Coldstream Mine is reported to have produced significant amounts of copper, gold and silver4 from mineralization with potential iron-oxide-copper-gold deposit style affinity. The exploration potential immediately surrounding the historic mining area is not currently well understood and historic data compilation is required.

The Hamlin Zone is a significant occurrence of copper and gold mineralization, and also of potential iron-oxide-copper-gold deposit style affinity. Between 2008 and 2011, Glencore tested Hamlin with 24 drill holes which successfully outlined a broad and intermittently mineralized zone over a strike length of 900 m. Historic drill hole highlights from the Hamlin Zone include 0.9 g/t Au and 0.35% Cu over 150.7 m in HAM-11-75.

The Moss Lake, East Coldstream and North Coldstream deposits sit on a mineral trend marked by a regionally significant deformation zone locally referred to as the Wawiag Fault Zone in the area of the Moss Lake Deposit. This deformation zone occurs over a length of approximately 20 km on the Moss Lake Gold Project and there is an area spanning approximately 7 km between the Moss Lake and East Coldstream deposits that is significantly underexplored.

Table 3: Historical Mineral Resources1,2,3



INDICATED INFERRED Deposit Tonnes Au g/t Au oz Tonnes Au g/t Au oz Moss Lake Deposit1 (2013 resource estimate) Open Pit Potential 39,795,000 1.1 1,377,300 48,904,000 1.0 1,616,300 Underground Potential - - - 1,461,100 2.9 135,400 Moss Lake Total 39,795,000 1.1 1,377,300 50,364,000 1.1 1,751,600

East Coldstream Deposit2 (2011 resource estimate) East Coldstream Total 3,516,700 0.85 96,400 30,533,000 0.78 763,276



Combined Total 43,311,700 1.08 1,473,700 80,897,000 0.98 2,514,876

Notes:

(1) Source: Poirier, S., Patrick, G.A., Richard, P.L., and Palich, J., 2013. Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Moss Lake Project, 43-101 technical report prepared for Moss Lake Gold Mines Ltd. Moss Lake Deposit resource estimate is based on 0.5 g/t Au cut-off grade for open pit and 2.0 g/t Au cut-off grade for underground resources.

(2) Source: McCracken, T., 2011. Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the Osmani Gold Deposit, Coldstream Property, Northwestern Ontario, 43-101 technical report prepared for Foundation Resources Inc. and Alto Ventures Ltd. East Coldstream Deposit resource estimate is based on a 0.4 g/t Au cut-off grade.

(3) The reader is cautioned that the above referenced "historical mineral resource" estimates are considered historical in nature and as such is based on prior data and reports prepared by previous property owners. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current resources and Goldshore is not treating the historical estimates as current resources. Significant data compilation, re-drilling, re-sampling and data verification may be required by a qualified person before the historical estimate on the Moss Lake Gold Project can be classified as a current resource. There can be no assurance that any of the historical mineral resources, in whole or in part, will ever become economically viable. In addition, mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Even if classified as a current resource, there is no certainty as to whether further exploration will result in any inferred mineral resources being upgraded to an indicated or measured mineral resource category.

Table 4: Reported Historical Production from the North Coldstream Deposit4

Deposit Tonnes Cu % Au g/t Ag Cu lbs Au oz Ag oz Historical Production 2,700,0000 1.89 0.56 5.59 102,000,000 44,000 440,000

Note:

(4) Source: Schlanka, R., 1969. Copper, Nickel, Lead and Zinc Deposits of Ontario, Mineral Resources Circular No. 12, Ontario Geological Survey, pp. 314-316.

Peter Flindell, MAusIMM, MAIG, Vice President - Exploration of the Company, a qualified person under NI 43-101 has approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

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.

For More Information - Please Contact:

Brett A. Richards

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Goldshore Resources Inc.

P. +1 604 288 4416 M. +1 905 449 1500

E. [email protected]

W. www.goldshoreresources.com

Facebook: GoldShoreRes | Twitter: GoldShoreRes | LinkedIn: goldshoreres

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements relating to expectations regarding the exploration and development of the Moss Lake Gold Project, and other statements that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, among others: the Company may require additional financing from time to time in order to continue its operations which may not be available when needed or on acceptable terms and conditions acceptable; compliance with extensive government regulation; domestic and foreign laws and regulations could adversely affect the Company's business and results of operations; the stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies and these fluctuations may adversely affect the price of the Company's securities, regardless of its operating performance; and the impact of COVID-19.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any 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.

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Yearly event was back in person after two-year virtual hiatus, gathering patients and families who were treated in the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment

PHILADELPHIA, June 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, more than 3,000 people gathered at the Philadelphia Zoo to celebrate the 26th Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Fetal Family Reunion, with patients and families from more than 20 states attending the first in-person reunion in two years. The event, hosted by CHOP's Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (CFDT), provided an opportunity for those treated in the center to reconnect with their care team and other families who share an indescribable bond.

The reunion brings together a unique community of families who have shared similar struggles. Nearly all of the children in attendance were prenatally diagnosed with a birth defect, such as spina bifida, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, or twin-twin transfusion syndrome, that had potentially devastating outcomes. Babies diagnosed with these birth defects before birth either underwent fetal surgery to treat the condition before birth or received highly complex care immediately after birth.

"It is truly inspiring to see so many children, who as babies likely could have died, now running around and growing up healthy and strong," said N. Scott Adzick, M.D., Surgeon-In-Chief at CHOP and Director of the CFDT. "The Fetal Family Reunion has always been my favorite day of the year, but it carries even more significance today to gather in-person together once again."

CHOP's Fetal Family Reunion has been an annual occurrence since 1997 and has grown from a handful of attendees the first year to more than 650 families today. CHOP's CFDT is a pioneer in the field of fetal medicine and is one of only a few programs worldwide to offer comprehensive care, including prenatal diagnosis, fetal surgery and therapy, and the option of delivering at a leading pediatric hospital.

"Babies with special needs require highly specialized and experienced care, both before and after birth. The families gathered here today represent an important segment of the more than 28,000 expectant mothers, from all 50 states and over 70 countries, we've treated in our center," said Julie S. Moldenhauer, M.D., Obstetrical Director of the CFDT and Medical Director of CHOP's Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit. "The high volume of patients we see from around the world with incredibly complex, rare conditions makes all the difference in achieving favorable outcomes and allows us to offer hope and support to so many families."

Each week at CHOP, surgical teams perform highly sophisticated procedures, such as spina bifida closure and interventions other birth defects in the womb, placing fetal shunts to treat life-threatening congenital conditions and performing minimally invasive procedures in the mother's uterus to treat various complications. The team has also managed thousands of pregnancies complicated by birth defects in which newborns need immediate specialized medical care or surgery after delivery.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the 595-bed hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as a new inpatient hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

Media Contact:Ashley Moore215-630-4683[email protected]

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SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Yaounde, Cameroon  A commission of senior security and state officials from the troubled Central African Republic and Cameroon has agreed to jointly fight armed C.A.R. rebels they say are fleeing intensive fighting and infiltrating refugee camps in Cameroon. After concluding a meeting in the border town of Ngaoundere, the delegations said they will jointly deploy their militaries to battle the proliferation of weapons, abductions for ransom, attacks for supplies and the illegal exploitation of minerals by rebels along their border.

Senior government and military officials from Cameroon and the Central African Republic (C.A.R) say rebels and armed groups are infiltrating border towns and villages.

The officials ended a security commission meeting Friday in Ngaoundere, a city in Cameroon on the border with the C.A.R. They say scores of civilians abducted for ransom are still being held by C.A.R. rebels and armed groups. They also note that C.A.R. rebels and armed groups are attacking border towns and villages for supplies.

Kildadi Taguieke Boukar is the governor of Cameroon's Adamawa region, where Ngaoundere is located.

Boukar says Presidents Paul Biya of Cameroon and Faustin-Archange Touadera of the C.A.R say they are deeply concerned their plans to ease the circulation of people and goods across the border are being shattered by C.A.R. armed groups and rebels. Boukar spoke through the messaging app WhatsApp from Ngaoundere.

He says the two presidents want to immediately stop cattle theft, abductions for ransom, the proliferation of weapons and many other forms of transborder insecurity caused by C.A.R. rebels and armed groups. Boukar says Cameroon and the C.A.R want total peace to return to border localities so that civilians and goods can move freely across the border. Boukar says rebel attacks and theft slow economic development and growth in border towns and villages.

General Freddy Johnson Sakama, C.A.R.'s defense chief in charge of military operations, led his country's delegation to the Cameroon - C.A.R security commission meeting.

Sakama says the rebels and armed groups are escaping heavy fighting with forces of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, or MINUSCA.

Sakama says the proliferation of armed groups in the C.A.R. is posing serious security threats to both the C.A.R. and its neighbors -- Cameroon, Chad, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Brazzaville. He says the C.A.R. military is commending efforts made by MINUSCA to bring peace to the C.A.R., but that his country is worried because rebels and armed groups fleeing MINUSCA forces are escaping to neighboring countries.

Speaking on Cameroon state broadcaster CRTV, Sakama said the C.A.R. has agreed to collaborate with militaries of all neighboring states to put an end to mounting transborder insecurity caused by C.A.R. rebels and armed groups.

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In March, the U.N. peacekeeping mission to the C.A.R., MINUSCA, said rebels left several towns where they were hiding on the border with Cameroon. MINUSCA said the C.A.R. rebels were fighting to control border towns, and villages and crossing the border to escape fighting with the C.A.R's military.

Cameroon says some of the rebels are disguised as refugees. Paul Atanga Nji, Cameroon's minister of territorial administration, visited Gado Baadzere, a refugee camp on the border with the C.A.R. this week.

Nji says many C.A.R. rebels and armed group members infiltrate refugee camps in Cameroon with weapons and carry out illegal activities like selling ammunition and hard drugs to armed groups in Cameroon. Nji says refugees should not be surprised if joint troops from Cameroon and the C.A.R. visit their camps to search and arrest C.A.R. rebels or former rebels hiding in refugee camps and committing crimes.

Violence was pervasive in the C.A.R. in 2013 when then President Francois Bozize was ousted by the Seleka, a coalition from the Muslim minority groups that accused him of breaking peace deals.

The C.A.R. says there are 14 rebel groups fighting against the government of the Central African Republic. It says several armed gangs also operate in the country, making peace efforts difficult.

Cameroon and the C.A.R. say they are committed to their militaries working together in border towns and villages to dismantle rebels and armed groups responsible for increasing insecurity.

The ongoing fighting in the C.A.R. has forced close to a million Central Africans to flee neighboring countries, including Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria, according to the U.N.
Highly Anticipated Stapler Offers Greatest Articulation Span and Widest Jaw Aperture Among Leading Handheld Staplers1,2

CINCINNATI, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ethicon*, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech**, today announced the U.S. launch of the ECHELON 3000 Stapler, a digitally enabled device that provides surgeons with simple, one-handed powered articulation to help address the unique needs of their patients. Designed with 39% greater jaw aperture and a 27% greater articulation span,3,4 ECHELON 3000 gives surgeons better access and control over each transection, even in tight spaces and on challenging tissue.5,6 These features combined with software that provides real-time haptic and audible device feedback enable surgeons to make critical adjustments during procedures.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9031251-ethicon-launches-echelon-3000-stapler/

"Surgical complications often stem from difficult-to-access anatomy and compromised tissue, which this next generation ECHELON stapler is specifically designed to address," said Tom O'Brien, Worldwide President, Endomechanical, Ethicon, Inc. "Our goal, with ECHELON 3000, is to arm surgeons with a device that helps address the root causes of surgical complications, enabling them to successfully navigate the differing needs of each patient's anatomy, deliver on their preoperative plans and ultimately make a meaningful difference in patient outcomes."

"The ECHELON 3000 has the flexibility that we as surgeons have long craved in a surgical stapler  with greater articulation for better access to tissue in tight spaces, such as the thoracic cavity," said Zane Hammoud, MD, FACS***, Chief of General Thoracic Surgery at Ascension Providence Hospital System. "As a thoracic surgeon, these new enhancements to a trusted device may allow for a more seamless and efficient surgical experience."

ECHELON 3000 builds upon the ECHELON+ Stapler with GST Reloads, bringing forward the same capabilities in advancing staple line security and delivering fewer leakage pathways at the staple line, even in challenging conditions compared to the Medtronic Signia Stapling System.7,8 While it can be used in a wide range of surgical procedures, it was designed to be used in thoracic, colorectal, and bariatric/gastric laparoscopic procedures where improvements in device access and control can make a meaningful difference:

VATS Segmentectomy | Improved access in the tight thoracic cavity and a wider jaw aperture to place thick, variable lung tissue more easily within the jaws9

| Improved access in the tight thoracic cavity and a wider jaw aperture to place thick, variable lung tissue more easily within the jaws9 Low Anterior Resection | Better access and angle of approach in the tight pelvis region to increase the likelihood of transecting the colon in a single firing9,10

| Better access and angle of approach in the tight pelvis region to increase the likelihood of transecting the colon in a single firing9,10 Sleeve Gastrectomy | Easier to control the shape of the gastric sleeve from the first firing to the last with one-handed powered articulation and the ability to set the jaws to any point within the articulation span11

"Greater jaw aperture, powered articulation and articulation within a shortened distance are all incredibly valuable assets that make an already beneficial stapler, even better," said Joe Northup, MD, FACS****, Bariatric Surgeon at BMI Surgery, Past-Chair, ASMBS Access to Care Committee and ASMBS Executive Council. "Having placed the ECHELON+ stapler in my hand already, it feels natural and familiar to transition right into this new device."

Ethicon partners with hospitals, surgeons, and surgical staff to capture the learnings gained from performing countless procedures to address unmet clinical needs and deliver on the transformative promise of digital surgery. Our latest technologies and state-of-the-art training connect the vast knowledge, resourcefulness, and deep experience across the continuum of care for more informed decision making and better connectivity on behalf of patients pre- and post-operatively.

For more information about the ECHELON 3000 stapler, visit www.ethicon.com/echelon3000.

About ECHELON 3000 Staplers

ECHELON 3000 45mm and 60mm Staplers are sterile, single-patient-use instruments that simultaneously cut and staple tissue. There are six staggered rows of staples, three on either side of the cut line. The shaft can rotate 360 and an articulation mechanism enables the distal portion of the shaft to pivot to facilitate lateral access to the operative site. The devices include both powered firing and powered articulation.

The ECHELON 3000 Staplers are intended for transection, resection, and/or creation of anastomoses and are compatible with GST reloads, which are associated with reduced complications in compromised tissue. The instruments have application in multiple open or minimally invasive general, urologic, thoracic, and pediatric surgical procedures. They can be used with staple line or tissue reinforcement materials. The instruments may also be used for transection and resection of liver parenchyma (hepatic vasculature and biliary structures), pancreas, kidney, and spleen.

About Ethicon

At Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson MedTech company, putting humanity at the core of care is our passion and our purpose. In collaboration with clinicians and health care experts around the world, we develop clinically-differentiated surgical technologies and solutions to help address some of the most pressing health challenges of our time such as metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Through our efforts and ingenuity, we aspire to elevate standards of care and create a healthier future for the patients of today and tomorrow. Visit www.ethicon.com to learn more about us.

About Johnson & Johnson MedTech

At Johnson & Johnson MedTech, we unleash diverse healthcare expertise, purposeful technology, and a passion for people to transform the future of medical intervention and empower everyone to live their best life possible. For more than a century, we have driven breakthrough scientific innovation to address unmet needs and reimagine health. In surgery, orthopaedics, vision, and interventional solutions, we continue to help save lives and create a future where healthcare solutions are smarter, less invasive, and more personalized.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the ECHELON 3000 Stapler. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Ethicon, Inc., any of the other Johnson & Johnson MedTech Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: uncertainty of regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; challenges to patents; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; manufacturing difficulties and delays; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2022, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in Johnson & Johnson's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Neither Ethicon, Inc., the Johnson & Johnson MedTech Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

*Ethicon represents the products and services of Ethicon, Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC and certain of their affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.**Johnson & Johnson MedTech comprise the surgery, orthopedics, vision and interventional solutions businesses within Johnson & Johnson's MedTech segment.

***Dr. Zane Hammoud is a paid consultant for Ethicon. He has not been compensated for any media work.****Dr. Joe Northup is a paid consultant for Ethicon. He has not been compensated for any media work.

_______________________________

1Comparison of average maximum articulation angles between the ECHELON 3000 Stapler, ECHELON+ Stapler, and Medtronic Signia Stapling System. (201020-220112)2Comparison of average jaw aperture between the ECHELON 3000 Stapler, ECHELON+ Stapler, and Medtronic Signia Stapling System. (201021-220112)3Comparison of average jaw aperture for ECHELON 3000 Stapler 60mm (22.79mm) vs. Medtronic Signia Stapling System 60mm (16.38mm), p

For complete indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse reactions, please reference full package insert.The third-party trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.Ethicon US, LLC. 2022. All Rights Reserved. 209962-220418

Media Contact:Meg Farina[email protected]+1 610.724.1079

Investor Contact:Sarah Wood[email protected]+1 732.524.2617

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SOURCE Ethicon
PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Janine Darby, board certified in Obesity and Family Medicine, best-selling author of "Get Your Sexy Back," and an inspiring weight-loss success story herself, employs an approach that's highly medical and uniquely personal. Patients rave about her thorough health screenings, compassion, and one-on-one, customized programs.

Now, Dr. Darby is bringing her expertise and empathy to corporations  thanks to a satisfied patient and CEO who asked her to start a wellness program for his employees.

Sedentary from working from home during the pandemic, his workforce had been struggling. They felt isolated and lethargic. Scales were inching up. He worried about their health, decreasing productivity, and burnout. In a tight labor market, he feared The Great Resignation would spread to his company.

With his firm's new wellness partnership with Lifestyle Changes, he stopped worrying. As he invests in his staff, they become more invested in the company. Lifestyle Changes Corporate Wellness Program is tailored to different workforces. Generally, each employee receives an individualized health assessment and wellness action plan created by Dr. Darby and participates in regular virtual wellness events she leads. Sessions begin and end with guided meditation to help keep everyone grounded. And those who need extra help losing weight can enroll in Dr. Darby's individual weight loss programs at a reduced price.

Over time, emotional and physical loads become lighter. High blood pressure and stress melt away. Restful sleep is restored. Happier in themselves, they become happier and more productive at work. "Most corporate wellness programs are run by the business; they're not physician-led," says Dr. Darby. "That's what sets mine apart. I understand what humans need, what their bodies need, and what the individual health issues are."

In the coming months, Dr. Darby plans to add yoga, more recipes and cooking tips, a meal delivery service for busy clients and patients, and a library of healthy-tips videos. She also has a proprietary collection of vitamins and supplements to complement her treatment plans and corporate programs.

Article by Caroline O'Halloran of SavvyMainLine.com.

About Lifestyle Changes:

Lifestyle Changes by Dr. Janine Darby is a virtual weight management and corporate wellness practice. Dr. Darby is a Carnegie Mellon University and Temple University School of Medicine graduate. Learn more at www.LifestyleChangesLLC.com, 484-685-0033, or [email protected].

PR Contact: Leslie Padilla / 267-800-4316 / [email protected]

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SOURCE Lifestyle Changes
BETHESDA, Md., June 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTCQB: NWBO) ("NW Bio"), a biotechnology company developing DCVax personalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, reported that yesterday on June 4, 2022, in the Industry Expert Theater during the ASCO 2022 conference, Dr. Marnix Bosch made a presentation discussing the Company's DCVax-L technology for personalized dendritic cell vaccines, the Sawston, UK facility, the manufacturing technology, the development of automation, and preparations for manufacturing scale-up. In addition, a video presentation about the DCVax-L clinical program was screened in the Company's exhibit booth in the ASCO Exhibit Hall.

These presentations are now available online at https://virtualtrials.org/dcvax

The Industry Expert Theater is not an official event of the ASCO Annual Meeting. It is not sponsored, endorsed or accredited by ASCO, CancerLinq, or Conquer Cancer the ASCO Foundation. It is not CME-accredited.

About Northwest Biotherapeutics

Northwest Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing personalized immunotherapy products designed to treat cancers more effectively than current treatments, without toxicities of the kind associated with chemotherapies, and on a cost-effective basis, in both North America and Europe. The Company has a broad platform technology for DCVax dendritic cell-based vaccines. The Company's lead program is a 331-patient Phase III trial of DCVax-L for newly diagnosed and recurrent Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). GBM is the most aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer, and is an "orphan disease." This Phase III trial reached data lock and top line data was recently presented. The Company has also developed DCVax-Direct for inoperable solid tumor cancers. It has completed a 40-patient Phase I trial and, as resources permit, plans to pursue Phase II trials. The Company previously conducted a Phase I/II trial with DCVax-L for advanced ovarian cancer together with the University of Pennsylvania.

Disclaimer

Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements concerning future treatment of patients using DCVax and future clinical trials, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expect," "believe," "intend," "design," "plan," "continue," "may," "will," "anticipate," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We cannot guarantee that we actually will achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. Specifically, there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, such as risks related to the Company's ability to achieve timely performance of third parties, risks related to whether the Company's products will demonstrate safety and efficacy, risks related to the Company's ongoing ability to raise additional capital, and other risks included in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings. Additional information on the foregoing risk factors and other factors, including Risk Factors, which could affect the Company's results, is included in its SEC filings. Finally, there may be other factors not mentioned above or included in the Company's SEC filings that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by securities laws.

CONTACTS Dave Innes804-513-4758[email protected]

Les Goldman240-234-0059[email protected]

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SOURCE Northwest Biotherapeutics
VANCOUVER, BC, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Western Copper and Gold Corporation ("Western" or the "Company") (TSX: WRN) (NYSE American: WRN) announces its 2022 exploration and drilling program (the "Program") at its wholly owned Casino Copper-Gold Project ("Casino").

The Program was developed in collaboration with Rio Tinto as outlined in the Investor Rights Agreement and Subscription Agreement entered as part of an investment by Rio Tinto Canada in Western (see news release dated May 17, 2021). The Program consists of several components outlined below:

Exploration Drilling

The key exploration target for the Program will be a deep magnetotelluric ("MT") low-resistivity anomaly initially identified in 2009 by a Titan IP-MT survey, and better defined by data reprocessing in 2018 as depicted in Figure 1 below. The anomaly trends NE-SW, is approximately 1,300 m long and 500 m wide, and is expected to be encountered at approximately 800 m depth in the location shown in Figure 1. An equally extensive induced polarization ("IP") anomaly lies above and northwest of this MT anomaly. Historical drill holes that penetrated that anomaly contained low-grade copper and gold values. A second deep drill hole, located approximately 175 m southwest, is contingent on the results of the first drill hole.

Enersoft Logging

The Program also involves scanning of drill core utilizing the innovative GeologicalAI robotic scanning device built by Enersoft Inc., of Calgary, Alberta. The scanning includes Light Detection and Ranging ("LIDAR") scanning, X-ray fluorescence ("XRF") analysis, hyperspectral analysis, high-resolution photography and some geotechnical analyses. The primary focus will be to continue standardization of rock types drilled throughout all programs completed to date. Scanning will be done on approximately 50,000 m of historical drill core and the 2022 exploration drilling targeting the MT anomaly, which will be given priority for scanning throughout the Program.

Geotechnical Drilling

The Program will also include roughly 1,500 m of geotechnical and hydrological drilling designed by Knight-Piesold Consulting. This will target the ground conditions of the proposed tailings management facility, proposed heap leaching and milling facilities and the new airstrip. In addition, several test pits are planned for the proposed heap-leach area.

"We are excited to launch our 2022 exploration and drilling program.", said Paul West-Sells, President and CEO, "The deep MT anomaly is a target that we've wanted to drill for a number of years, and the geotechnical program will be key to the development of our ESE statement, on track for submission next year."

COVID-19 Policy

The health and safety of our employees, contractors, visitors, and the communities in which we operate are paramount. To that end, we have implemented a COVID-19 policy to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at our exploration camp, and in the Yukon. We will continue to follow the guidance issued by the Federal and Territorial governments for the operation of remote camps and mining operations. All of our policies can be found on our website, at https://casinomining.com/about-us/casino-site-policies/.

Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Carl Schulze, P.Geo, and a 'Qualified Person' as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

ABOUT WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION

Western Copper and Gold Corporation is developing the Casino Project, Canada's premier copper-gold mine in the Yukon Territory and one of the most economic greenfield copper-gold mining projects in the world. For more information, visit www.westerncopperandgold.com.

On behalf of the board,

"Paul West-Sells"

Dr. Paul West-SellsPresident and CEOWestern Copper and Gold Corporation

Cautionary Disclaimer Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning anticipated developments in Western's operations in future periods. Statements that are not historical fact are "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward looking information" as that term is defined in National Instrument 51-102 ("NI 51-102") of the Canadian Securities Administrators (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible" and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding perceived merit of properties; mineral reserve and resource estimates; capital expenditures; feasibility study results (including projected economic returns, operating costs, and capital costs in connection with the Casino Project); exploration results at the Company's property; budgets; permitting or other timelines; economic benefits from the mine and/or the access road; strategic plans; market price of precious and base metals; or other statements that are not statement of fact. In making the forward-looking statements herein, the Company has applied certain material assumptions including, but not limited to, the assumptions that the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, although evolving, will stabilize or at least not worsen; that the extent to which COVID-19 may impact the Company, including without limitation disruptions to the mobility of Company personnel, increased labour and transportation costs, and other related impacts, will not change in a materially adverse manner; that all regulatory approvals required to complete the Company's planned exploration and development activities will be received in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; that the Company is able to procure personnel, equipment and supplies required for its exploration and development activities in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; and that general business conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner.

Forward-looking statements are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual results, performance or achievements of Western and its subsidiaries may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks involved in fluctuations in gold, copper and other commodity prices and currency exchange rates; COVID-19 risks to employee health and safety and a slowdown or temporary suspension of operations in geographic locations impacted by an outbreak; uncertainties related to raising sufficient financing in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in Western's AIF and Form 40-F, and other information released by Western and filed with the applicable regulatory agencies.

Western's forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and Western does not assume, and expressly 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 otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE Western Copper and Gold Corporation
FILE PHOTO: A closed Starbucks cafe is seen at Dubai International Airport amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Dubai, UAE April 27, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

By Hadeel Al Sayegh and Saeed Azhar

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has been shortlisted to buy a stake in the Middle East, North Africa and central Asia Starbucks franchise held by Alshaya Group, two sources told Reuters.

Kuwait-based Alshaya Group, the region's leading brand franchise owner, last year hired JPMorgan to sell a significant minority stake in the business. The sources said it could sell up to 30%, generating $4 billion-$5 billion.

The PIF, which manages over $600 billion of assets, Alshaya, and JPMorgan all declined to comment.

The Starbucks franchise in the region has several hundred outlets in 14 countries across the Middle East, Russia, and central Asia. Its stores in Russia are closed in line with Starbucks' decision to suspend activity in the country after its invasion of Ukraine.

The PIF is among the bidders that have made it to the next round as the sale process nears its final stages, the source said.

Several private equity bidders were also in the race, including CVC Capital Partners and Brookfield, but it was not immediately clear if they had been shortlisted.

Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Co and Abu Dhabi state holding fund ADQ are no longer in the race, the two sources said. Mubadala declined to comment, while ADQ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The deal would widen the investor base of a business privately held by the Alshaya family since 1999, one of the sources said.

Some of the Middle East's biggest privately-owned companies are warming to the idea of bringing in outside investors through listings or strategic stake sales.

Saudi Arabia has seen a spate of listings in recent years as the kingdom encourages more family-owned companies to float in a bid to deepen its capital markets under reforms aimed at reducing reliance on oil revenues.

The second source said funds raised could be used towards other businesses Alshaya owns, and that the valuation of the company is attractive, making the sale of a stake compelling.

The privately held Alshaya Group says it is the oldest company in Kuwait, first registered in 1890. It runs franchises including H&M, Mothercare, Debenhams, American Eagle Outfitters and Victorias Secret.

(Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh and Saeed Azhar; Editing by Jan Harvey)
TICKERS: LIO; LOMLF; LLO; LY1

Source: Streetwise Reports (6/6/22)

One junior operating in Fiji is well on its way to building a gold mine, but now its hit a long high-grade gold intercept that might alter those plans  and change the story altogether.



Underground drill hole TUG-141 has found a remarkable new high-grade feeder zone at Lion One Metals Ltd.'s (LIO:TSX.V; LOMLF:OTCQX; LLO:ASX; LY1:FSE) Tuvatu Gold Project on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. It is the longest, highest-grade gold intercept to date in the alkaline system, returning 20.86 grams per tonne gold (20.86 g/t Au) over 75.9 meters.

 ...This high-grade hit is only upside from here.

 Crescat Capital Geologic and Technical Director Quinton Hennigh

TUG-141 is below the current resource at Tuvatus 500 Zone, an intricate network of high-grade structures. Its also completely inside the boundaries of the companys mining lease.

Lion One has long planned to start gold production by the second half of 2023 at Tuvatu, and Crescat Capital Geologic and Technical Director  and an advisor to Lion One  Dr. Quinton Hennigh, says the new intercept should not change the companys course.

Hennigh has seen this kind of intercept before when underground drilling in mid-2017 at the Fosterville gold mine in Australia hit 338 g/t Au over 33.6 meters. The find helped push shares in Kirkland Lake Gold (since bought by Agnico-Eagle) from below CA$5 per share to a peak of about CA$58 in August 2020.

I have long encouraged our team to find that gold room at Tuvatu, and hole TUG-141 leads me to believe they have found it, Berukoff said in a release.

A closer look at TUG-141 reveals some noteworthy high-grade intervals at different points along the core, including: 138.15 g/t Au over 0.30 meter from 450.9-451.2 meters downhole; 396.16 g/t Au over 0.30 meter from 479.1-479.4 meters; 340.07 g/t Au over 0.30 meter from 498.9-499.2 meters; 600.42 g/t Au over 0.30 meter from 499.5-499.8 meters; 244.37 g/t Au over 0.30 meter from 502.5-503.1 meters; and 230.18 g/t Au over 0.30 meter from 507.3-507.6 meters.

Discovery Hole at 500 Zone

The company has continued to drill deeper at Tuvatu since 2020 when UDDH500  the discovery hole into what is now known as the 500 zone  intersected 2 meters grading 35.28 g/t Au at 558 meters downhole, followed by 12.7 meters grading 46.14 g/t Au starting at 571 meters.

Hennigh compares drilling an alkaline system to drilling a tree, starting at the top.

In the shallow part of the system, one finds the upper branches, or gold-bearing lodes, but as exploration persists to depth, bigger and bigger branches, or lodes, are encountered, ultimately leading to the trunk, Hennigh explained.

He added: If you look at the top of the tree, the footprint of the tree is pretty big. In this case (at Tuvatu), it's several kilometers across. And while it would be nice to think there's one trunk to this thing, its a bit disproportionate. So the other thing that popped in my head is that there's probably more trunks down there.

Tuvatu reminds Hennigh of another high-grade alkaline discovery: the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea, operated by Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX:TSX; GOLD:NYSE) and Chinas Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd.

It took about 10 years, but Placer Dome (before Barrick bought it) found the high-grade Romane Fault Zone at Porgera under a series of smaller lodes. The mine has produced about 25 million ounces (25 Moz) gold since 1990.

What is most exciting about this discovery is that now that we have a clear idea where the deep fluid-tapping conduit of this system is located, we can effectively chase it to depth, and alkaline gold systems are known to persist to great depths, Hennigh explained.

Drill hole TUG-141 comes on the heels of some recent promising Phase 2 infill drill results at Tuvatu, a program designed to confirm the size and continuity of the known mineralized lodes, in a section of the orebody slated for early production.

The highlight from the first 11 holes on Zone 5 was hole TUDDH-586, a new discovery that returned 18.47 g/t Au over 1.2 meters between 104.7-105.9 meters downhole, and 584.07 g/t Au over 0.30 meter from 122.4-122.7 meters downhole.

Prospectus Filed

In early May, Lion One filed a prospectus that could see the company raise as much as CA$200 million.

Mining investors tend to follow managers with track records of success. Berukoff is no exception.

Berukoff founded Miramar Mining, which developed the 10 Moz Hope Bay gold project in Canadas Arctic. Berukoff sold Miramar to Newmont Corp. (NEM:NYSE) in 2007 for CA$1.5 billion. That deal came after Berukoff and his team sold Northern Orion Resources to Yamana Gold Inc. (YRI:TSX; AUY:NYSE; YAU:LSE) for CA$1.07 billion that year.

Reuters reports that Berukoff holds a 13.6% stake; Invesco Advisers Inc. owns 4.6%, Franklin Advisers Inc. owns 4.51%, and Crescat Capital also has a significant position in Lion One.

Lion One has about 156 million shares outstanding and trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.88 and CA$1.34.

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Disclosures:

1) Brian Sylvester compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. He or members of his household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He and members of his household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. His company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None.

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BUNKER HILL, Indiana (Tribune News Service)  For years, the 122 airmen at Grissom Air Reserve Base responsible for preparing and loading cargo onto military planes operated out of a small corner of one of the installation's hangars.

Maj. Jfre Potterbaum, 49th Aerial Port Squadron commander, said the quarters were cramped and training airmen was difficult.

But that all changed on June 3 when the base opened its new $9.3-million aerial port. The building is over 11,800 square feet and nearly triples the size of the former space used by the squadron.

The facility now has space to fit all 122 airmen, and includes areas for classrooms, command support staff, storage for gear and a work room.

But the biggest addition is the dedicated training area for the squadron to learn how to expertly pack, load and deliver both military and humanitarian cargo to locations all over the world.

"There is a dollar amount associated with this building, but the true value of the 49th is the dedicated training space," Potterbaum said. "We can send qualified airmen out the door knowing they will fulfill their duty anywhere at any time."

The impetus for the new facility came in 2018, when the division was upgraded to a squadron and increased its staffing from 38 to over 120.

That same year, the base was awarded $21.5 million in federal funding to complete a slew of projects, including the aerial port building. Work started on the facility the next year, but the COVID-19 pandemic significantly slowed construction.

But on June 3, a crowd of airmen and elected officials gathered to open the doors on the new facility, which is located on 4 acres and has nearly direct access to the base's flight ramp.

On display in the parking lot was the large scissor lift crews use to lift pallets of cargo into the air to load on giant planes such as the KC-135 Stratotanker.

Guarding the entrance of the building was a statue of a bulldog, which has become the emblem for the squadron affectionately known as the "Port Dawgs."

Grissom Commander Col. Thom Pemberton told the squadron he was proud to finally give them the building they needed and deserved.

"I have a soft spot for Port Dawgs," he said. "You guys and gals are hard workers, and I'm so pleased we were able to get you the facility that you can call your home."

And like every building on the base, Pemberton said, Grissom crews will ensure their newest facility will stay maintained and in top shape for decades to come.

"This base has a reputation of taking care of things," he said. "This will be no exception to that. The money that was poured into this building, the blood sweat and tears; we're going to take care of this providing good training for our airmen."

___

(c)2022 the Kokomo Tribune (Kokomo, Ind.)

Visit the Kokomo Tribune (Kokomo, Ind.) at www.kokomotribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Two of the several dozen Air Force Inns are being shut down, and the service is looking at the rest of its on-base lodging facilities to determine whether theyre worth keeping open.

The impending closure of an inn at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., sparked a wide-ranging discussion on Reddit about the future of its counterparts. But for now, the North Star Inn at Greenlands Thule Air Base is the only other inn on the list to be shuttered.

In an email to Stars and Stripes on Friday, the service said none of its other base lodging facilities are slated for closure at present.

The Department of the Air Force is currently taking a hard look at the lodging program to ensure we are making the best use of our inventory and have it properly sized, wrote Tech. Sgt. Deana Heitzman, an Air Force spokeswoman at the Pentagon.

The Air Force Inn in Washington stopped taking reservations May 1 and will close at the end of next month, the 11th Force Support Squadrons website said.

According to the Air Force, the decision came after a review of operations showed consistently low occupancy rates over the past five years and an abundance of lodging options in the local area.

The rationale for the closure of the North Star Inn was not included in the message to Stars and Stripes.

On-base lodging options at the Washington installation will still be available through the local Navy Lodge facility, which is expected to continue operating, according to the 11th FSS.

All Defense Department lodging became nonappropriated fund operations after 2018 Pentagon guidance that such facilities become self-sustaining.

For the Air Force, the change has increased posted rates at some locations as much as 25% more per night, as facilities adjust to their continued cost of operations.

The service is reviewing each installations lodging operation based on current inventory conditions, historical occupancy rates and projected future needs, Heitzman wrote.

Some social media users have speculated that the Air Force is considering a move to privatized lodging contractors.

In 2009, the Army began to privatize its lodging, with real estate investment group Lendlease taking over as the owner, developer and asset manager and IHG Hotels and Resorts as the hotel operator.

Prior to privatization, many of the lodging facilities had been around since World War II and lacked even the most basic of necessities, including fire safety precautions, Gretchen Turpen, Lendleases senior vice president and head of lodging, wrote in an opinion piece for Stars and Stripes in March.

As a result many properties were demolished and replaced, while others underwent major renovations, she said.

Congress authorized the services to privatize lodging facilities in 2002, yet the Army remains the only one with privatized hotels at U.S. bases. It has 13,048 rooms at 75 hotels across 40 bases, according to a 2021 Government Accountability Office report.
A former airman who belonged to a California anti-government extremist group was sentenced to 41 years in prison for the murder of a federal security officer and the attempted murder of another amid nationwide racial justice protests in 2020.

Steven Carrillo, 34, received his sentence Friday for gunning down Dave Patrick Underwood in a drive-by shooting outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, Calif., on May 29, 2020. Carrillo had pleaded guilty to the charges in February.

A security officer who was working with Underwood was left with life-threatening and permanent injuries, according to a Justice Department news release issued Friday.

Carrillo was a staff sergeant assigned to an anti-terrorist squadron at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield at the time. He was later discharged from the Air Force, according to a New York Times report.

In 2021, Carrillo was the subject of a joint investigative piece by PBS Frontline, ProPublica and Berkeley Journalisms Investigative Reporting Program. The story was headlined I felt hate more than anything: How an active duty airman tried to start a civil war.

Their investigation cites Air Force records showing that in 2018, Carrillo was an apprentice in an elite unit known as Phoenix Raven, which provides specially trained security forces for aircraft and air crews throughout the world.

Carrillo completed a training course in New Jersey and then returned to California to become fully mission qualified as a Raven, the report said, citing Air Force records.

And from July to November 2019, he was a Phoenix Raven team leader in the Middle East, according to Air Force information provided to the investigative journalists.

In his guilty plea, Carrillo admitted that he had become an adherent of anti-government ideology and wanted to attack federal law enforcement agents in particular.

Prosecutors and Carrillos defense had already agreed on the length of the sentence, and after initial skepticism that 41 years was sufficient, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers accepted both the plea deal and the sentence, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Authorities have said that Carrillo has ties to the boogaloo movement, whose members believe in an impending civil war that will afford them an opportunity to overthrow the U.S. government.

The group gained prominence amid the flurry of protests around the country sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020.

Carrillo still faces state murder charges in the killing of a Santa Cruz County sheriffs deputy the following month amid a manhunt stemming from the shooting at the federal building. Carrillo pleaded not guilty in that case, and state prosecutors are still deciding whether to seek the death penalty.

Gonzalez Rogers said she would not have accepted the plea agreement if she had seen no measure of redemption, adding that she did not see evil in Mr. Carrillo, the Mercury News reported.

Defense attorney James Thomson represented Carrillo and said the former airman had unraveled after his wifes suicide and was in a mental health crisis when he returned from overseas, according to the newspaper.

Thomson said Carrillo sought solace in online extremist groups, and he pointed to a lawsuit Underwoods sister filed against Facebook in January, saying it was exactly right to blame the social media platform for steering him toward the militia members plotting violence, the Mercury News reported.

Under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the military has sought to root out far-right extremists from its ranks and curtail such groups from making inroads among service members.

Those efforts were prompted by revelations of participation by current and former armed forces personnel in violence at Black Lives Matter demonstrations and the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Army soldiers in Alaska were issued new unit patches Monday as the service activated the long-dormant 11th Airborne Division, part of a sweeping reorganization aimed at prioritizing operations in the Arctic Region.

The former Army Alaska headquarters and the Alaska-based 1st and 4th Brigade Combat Teams of the 25th Infantry Division were rolled into the 11th Airborne Division, which Army officials said would adopt the moniker Arctic Angels. The new division  led by the former Army Alaska commander Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler  will focus almost solely on Arctic and cold-weather combat operations amid the Pentagons renewed interest in challenging Russian and Chinese ambitions in the far North.

These soldiers are going to be on the leading edge of innovation and the development of tactics, techniques and procedures and new equipment that were going to need to have the advantage in the Arctic, said Gen. James McConville, the Army chief of staff who oversaw the division activation ceremony Monday at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks in central Alaska. Arctic warfighting is just what [the units] will do, and thats the identity were looking to build with the 11th Airborne Division.

Last year, the Army announced it would stand up a new Arctic-focused division headquarters in its Arctic Strategy, which called for a renewed effort to train and equip soldiers to fight in the most extreme Arctic conditions after the Pentagon largely ignored the region for decades. Pentagon leaders in recent years have said its troops must be prepared for potential conflict in the Arctic as near-peer competitors, including Russia and China, increase operations in the natural resource-rich region where melting ice has opened new sea routes.

In a ceremony steeped in Army tradition, Eifler unfurled the new divisions unit flag bearing the patch that Alaska-based soldiers will now wear  a blue shield adorned with the number 11 inside a red circle with white wings. The new divisions insignia is topped with Arctic and Airborne tabs.

The ceremony at Fort Wainwright also marked a major change for the divisions 1st Brigade. The unit previously known as 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division will be converted into a light infantry unit  the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division  replacing its heavy Stryker vehicles with lighter vehicles specially designed for cold-weather operations, McConville said.

The unit will shed its Strykers during the summer months and test several new vehicles including Cold-Weather All-Terrain Vehicles, the Army chief of staff said. The brigade will also shrink somewhat in size, though McConville said most of those soldiers removed from the unit will transfer to the divisions headquarters.

Army officials have said in recent years that Strykers  armored, wheeled infantry troop carriers  have struggled to perform in cold-weather operations. In the Armys fiscal 2023 budget request submitted to Congress in March, service leaders requested the purchase of 13 Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicles, or CATVs, which are massive, tracked vehicles specifically designed for operating in the extreme cold and across rough terrain, according to its manufacturer Oshkosh Defense.

The departing Strykers will be either upgraded to newer models or stripped for parts to support Stryker units elsewhere in the Army, McConville said. But he did not provide an estimate for the cost to convert the division headquarters or the former Stryker unit to a light infantry unit.

In a second ceremony slated to be held later Monday, the former 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division adopted its new name, 2nd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division. Based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska, that units makeup was not slated for any changes because the Army elected to maintain those paratroopers on airborne status, which McConville said would have uses in cold-weather operations.

Eifler, who took command of U.S. Army Alaska in July 2021, said consolidating Alaska-based soldiers under one division headquarters would help those soldiers build an Arctic-focused identity separate from the rest of the Army.

Were consolidating [Alaska-based units] under one unit patch with one identity, said Eifler, a veteran of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with extensive combat experience with storied units including the 75th Ranger Regiment and 82nd Airborne Division. This division will be unique, and its going to have multiple capabilities to bring to the [Arctic] Region.

The activation returns the 11th Airborne Division to the active Army for the first time since it was deactivated in 1965. The division was first constituted in 1943 and is most famous for its operations in New Guinea and the Philippines during World War II, including a combat jump into Tagaytay Ridge in the Philippines in January 1944.
Addis Abeba  Ambassador Tracey Jacobson, Charge d'Affaires of the U. S. Embassy Addis Abeba, and USAID/Ethiopia Mission Director Sean Jones launched a new partnership with private social enterprise TEKI Paper Bags PLC, which is owned and managed by young, deaf Ethiopian women. For over three years, TEKI Paper Bags PLC will use the $550,000 U.S. Government grant to turn the fight against pollution and plastic bags into a national employment solution, dedicated to youth with disabilities.

At the launch event, Ambassador Jacobson, Director Sean Jones, and Kokeb Misrak, Director for Bilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Finance, celebrated the promising partnership, while listening to factory workers' stories of the transformational power of their employment.

With USAID's support, the organization will create at least 200 jobs for unemployed women with disabilities by producing and distributing recycled paper bags in collaboration with the Addis Abeba environmental protection commission, the city administration, and the private sector. The USAID activity will also improve awareness, skills, and attitudes across Ethiopia related to disability rights and inclusion.

This USAID activity and the partnership with TEKI paper bags reflects the United States' commitment to values, including supporting disability inclusion, environmental protection, and women's empowerment.

This partnership is an example of USAID/Ethiopia's ongoing work to ensure the people of Ethiopia lead healthier, prosperous, and more resilient lives. In 2021 alone, USAID devoted $1.27 billion to the wellbeing of all Ethiopians, in every part of the country. This support is a reflection of America and Ethiopia's shared values and our longstanding partnership with the Ethiopian people. Dispatch
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  U.S. and South Korean forces fired eight surface-to-surface missiles on Monday morning in response to North Koreas unprecedented volley of missiles launched the previous day.

The allies' missiles were fired from the Armys Tactical Missile System at an undisclosed location toward the Sea of Japan/East Sea at around 4:45 a.m., according to a South Korean Defense Ministry news release Monday. The exercise demonstrated U.S.-South Korean capabilities to strike back at North Koreas origin of provocation, regardless of the number of launch sites the communist regime employs, it said.

Our military strongly condemns North Korea's successive ballistic missile provocations and sternly calls for an immediate suspension of acts that raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the release said.

A separate news release from U.S. Forces Korea on Monday said seven South Korean and one U.S. Army missile were fired "to demonstrate the ability of the combined [U.S.-South Korean] force to respond quickly to crisis events."

North Korea on Sunday morning fired eight, short-range ballistic missiles from four provinces toward the Sea of Japan/East Sea. The South Korean military estimated the missiles reached three to six times the speed of sound and flew between 68 and 416 miles at altitudes of 16 to 56 miles.

The North Korean missiles did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, according to a statement from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command immediately after the launches.

North Koreas state-run news outlets disclosed no information Monday about the latest series of launches.

The eight-missile volley is the most fired by the communist regime in a single event, according to an expert on North Korea.

Pyongyang has conducted multiple launches in a single event before, but its usually in much lower numbers, Michael Duitsman, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told Stars and Stripes by phone Sunday.

The launches mark North Koreas 17th round of missile tests for a total of 28 ballistic missiles fired so far this year. It last launched a missile on May 25, hours after President Joe Biden left Asia after his first presidential trip to South Korea and Japan.

South Korea and the U.S. jointly responded to that launch by firing two missiles off the Korean Peninsulas eastern coast and taxied dozens of military aircraft as a show of force.

During their summit, Biden and newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to start talks to initiate joint military exercises on the peninsula that were paused in 2018 during a period of warming relations with North Korea.

The allies missile launches come as U.S. and Japanese diplomats are in Seoul to discuss North Koreas spate of provocations. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim met with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on Friday, all of whom expressed concern and urged the North to return to dialogue, according to a news release from State Department spokesman Ned Price.

Officials from the U.S., South Korea and Japan have assessed in recent weeks that North Korea was prepared to conduct its seventh nuclear test, its first since 2017.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Tribune News Service)  For Kent Loney, attending the 2022 Chippewa Valley Air Show brought back memories of when his brother was a U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot more than 50 years ago.

For Lt. Col. Kendra McIntosh, it was a chance to give her family a tour of her old workplace  the 50-ton KC-135 Stratotanker jet parked on the grounds.

For U.S. Navy veteran Gordon Dickerson, it was the continuation of a 75-year tradition of attending air shows.

For brothers Greg and Michael Manning, it was a chance to see the real thing just a few days after seeing the new movie "Top Gun: Maverick."

Whatever the reason, tens of thousands of residents from across the Midwest flocked to Chippewa Valley Regional Airport over the weekend to see stunt planes, skydivers and military jets perform in the airspace over Eau Claire's north side.

Tim Molepske, CEO of lead organizing group the Chippewa Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America, estimated the show attracted around 35,000 ticket holders to the grounds Saturday and Sunday, with Saturday's crowd being larger in part because of the warmer, dryer weather. Thousands more watched snippets for free from yards and parking lots around the city.

While spectators expressed admiration for all of the performers, the highlight for most was the awe-inspiring Blue Angels demonstration that closed both days of the two-day air show. The only disappointment was that low-lying clowds created unsafe flying conditions Sunday for the Blue Angels, forcing the team to shorten its performance to just over 30 minutes.

"You can't fight the weather," Molepske said, noting that the Blue Angels started Sunday's show early in an attempt to get some flying in before conditions worsened. "Our goal is to put on a safe experience for both fans and pilots."

As four of the six blue F/A-18 Super Hornets roared overhead in their signature diamond formation on Saturday, the craning necks, raised cellphone cameras and "wows" from the crowd spread around the tarmac suggested the team, established in 1946, didn't disappoint.

The Blue Angels performance, which included jets flying at speeds up to 700 mph, was especially touching for Loney after receiving tickets and a Blue Angels cap and sweatshirt from family friends as a Christmas gift. The present, which he acknowledged brought tears to his eyes, reminded Loney of when his brother Hal was the pilot of Blue Angels jet No. 5 in 1968.

Loney saw four Blue Angels performances and got to climb into one of their planes that year but has only seen one show since, so he was thrilled for the chance to see their precision-flying again. He called it "unbelievable" when describing how the jets sometimes fly less than 3 feet from each other.

"The pride that I have for the Blue Angels is unreal," said Loney, who traveled to the show from his home in Marshalltown, Iowa. "They're unbelievable. I can't believe anyone wouldn't be impressed."

Dickerson, who sported a blue Navy cap Saturday, served in the Navy during the Korean War. The 89-year-old Bloomington, Minn., resident has always loved seeing all of the old and new aircraft at air shows, but his favorite act is the Blue Angels.

"When I heard the Blues were going to fly, I just had to come over," Dickerson said.

Boy Scout John Woodmansee from Troop 56 in Bruce summed up his reaction to the Blue Angels in one word: "Cool!"

He was particularly impressed with the pilots' ability to fly in such tight formations, adding, "Being able to do that takes so much talent."

Greg Manning of Menomonie felt the same way about a stunt plane pilot who repeatedly spiraled straight toward the ground before pulling up just in time to avoid a crash, seemingly unfazed by the brisk wind blowing across the airport grounds.

"The adrenaline rush from that must be phenomenal," Manning said, adding that it was "pretty sweet" to follow up seeing "Top Gun: Maverick" by attending an event celebrating such incredible flying. Indeed, some current and former Blue Angels pilots have attended Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), according to the team's website.

McIntosh, of St. Cloud, Minn., couldn't stop smiling Saturday as she talked about attending the air show with 10 family members from three states representing three generations.

"This is so much fun," said McIntosh, dressed in her military uniform.

Now a chaplain at the St. Cloud VA hospital, McIntosh previously was a navigator for the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Refueling Wing on the giant KC-135 that was among the static displays that visitors could check out over the weekend at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport.

"Taking my family on the KC-135 was outstanding. I got to show them where I used to work," she said as two of her young nephews pretended to fly their toy Blue Angels jets moments before the real ones took to the sky. The refueling plane, sometimes called a "gas station in the sky," is 136 feet long and has a wingspan of 131 feet, which provided plenty of space for the current crew to spread out on the wings for an unobstructed view of the Blue Angels.

Staff Sgt. Robert "Bobby" Harper of West Virginia was sporting a flight suit when he relaxed with family on the grounds after completing his duties Saturday as a mechanic with the Air Force Viper demonstration team. He is in his third and final year of traveling across the country as part of the team.

"I love Wisconsin shows because everybody treats you super nice," Harper said.

But Harper grew serious when a spectator asked why the team couldn't give the crowd at least one sonic boom.

"There would be some broken windows and ears bleeding for sure. That's why we can't do it," he said, explaining the reason for rules preventing air show participants from exceeding the speed of sound.

Chippewa Valley Air Show director Tim Olson said Saturday's large turnout  organizers had to use overflow parking for only the third time in the show's history  showed that people were eager to gather for a major event again after two years of limiting activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Putting on the event is a massive undertaking that draws on the talents of 700 volunteers, including 400 scouts, but is worth the effort, Molepske said. The aspect that makes him most proud, he said, is that air show proceeds aid more than 60 local nonprofits as well as Camp Phillips, the popular Boy Scouts camp in Barron County.

"The air show brings in a lot of people from outside of our area," Molepske said. "It's just a great event for our community."

(c)2022 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.)

Visit the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) at www.leadertelegram.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Navy has identified Lt. Richard Bullock as the pilot killed Friday in a Super Hornet crash near Trona, Calif.

It was the fourth crash of the same type of aircraft in less than three years in the Mojave Desert, though pilots safely ejected in two cases.

Bullock was killed when the F/A-18E Super Hornet he was flying crashed at about 2:30 p.m. during a routine training mission in a remote, unpopulated area of the desert, the Navy said Sunday in a statement.

No civilians were injured in the crash, which is under investigation. Recovery efforts are ongoing, the Navy said.

Bullock was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 113 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, about 40 miles southwest of Fresno, Calif. Trona is in the Searles Valley in northwestern San Bernardino County, an isolated, remote part of the desert.

Fridays crash was the latest incident involving a Navy plane in the region.

A Navy pilot safely ejected, suffering minor injuries, when the F/A-18F Super Hornet he was flying crashed in Death Valley National Park, Stars and Stripes reported Oct. 6, 2021. The jet was assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in Ridgecrest, Calif.

Another Super Hornet assigned to Lemoore went down during routine flight training near China Lake with the pilot also safely ejecting, Stars and Stripes reported Oct. 20, 2020.

A Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 151 at Lemoore crashed into a ravine wall in a remote section of Death Valley during routine flight training, killing the pilot and injuring seven civilians, Stars and Stripes reported July 31, 2019.

NAWS China Lake supports the Navys research, development, acquisition testing and evaluation of cutting-edge weapons systems, according to its website.

It is in the western Mohave, about 150 miles north of Los Angeles. Its two ranges and main site are situated on about 1.1 million acres, making it the Navys largest base in terms of land, according to the site.

NAS Lemoore is home to Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing. More than half of the Navys F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft are located at the base, which sees an average of 210,000 flight operations annually, according to its website.
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Monday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Buttigieg said he is experiencing mild symptoms, joining large numbers of Americans who continue to contract the virus as precautions wane and people seek a return to normalcy in the pandemic's third year.

Buttigieg has been crisscrossing the country to promote the infrastructure law that President Biden signed last year, while making frequent media appearances, speaking on issues as varied as gun violence and supply chains.

Buttigieg traveled last week to Michigan, where he attended a state policy conference and met Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D, and other elected leaders. He also appeared in Saginaw to discuss investments in freight rail and supply chain improvements.

Buttigieg, a father of two young children, joins a growing list of Cabinet members and Washington officials who have contracted the virus. Last week, the Interior Department said Secretary Deb Haaland had tested positive and had mild symptoms.

Buttigieg tweeted Monday that he plans to work remotely, while isolating in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said he looks forward "to when I can safely return to the office and the road."
This article first appeared in the Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, June 9, 1958. It is republished unedited in its original form.

SEOUL  Tiny wisps of white incense smoke curled skyward Friday from the Republic of Korea Armed Forces Cemetery on the banks of the Han River where thousands gathered to honor their war dead.

The mourners, dressed in crisp white traditional costume, wore medals of their fallen sons, husbands and relatives as they burned incense and prayed at the graves of their lost ones.

Services were held throughout Asia's youngest nation in honor of the more than 155,000 who gave their lives to help the Republic of Korea escape the talons of encroaching communism.

ROK President Syngman Rhee and General George H. Decker, UNC/USK/Eighth U.S. Army commander-in-chief, placed wreaths at the tomb of Korea's Unknown Soldier.

Similarly, other representatives of ROK government agencies and bereaved families laid wreaths at the base of the tomb, a monument to the Republic's determined fight to remain part of the Free World.

Want to read more historic articles from Stars and Stripes? Subscribe to Stars and Stripes historic newspaper archive! We have digitized all of our 1948-1999 European and Pacific editions, as well as several of our WWII editions and made them available online through http://starsandstripes.newspaperarchive.com/
In Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy  John le Carres classic novel about the hunt for a traitor near the top of British Intelligence  the hero, George Smiley, tells a colleague that the art of being a mole is to be one of a crowd. The greater the number of suspects, the smaller the possibility of being caught. Smiley is hauled from retirement to conduct some quiet detective work precisely because the alternative is a massive investigation that would disrupt and perhaps destroy the very institution its designed to protect.

Thats the territory the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to enter. According to news reports, the search for the leaker of Justice Samuel Alitos proposed abortion opinion has led to demands that law clerks sign affidavits under penalty of perjury and allow inspection of their cellphone records. A sitting federal judge has joined the loud clamor for a criminal investigation.

This isnt shattered trust; its self-immolation.

And all because the leaker, described by some as a hero, prefers to remain hidden in the crowd.

With some law clerks reportedly seeking legal counsel, one can well imagine a course of events that ends in litigation, after a clerk who refuses to turn over cellphone data is fired, then sues for wrongful termination. (Key query for another day: Would the justices recuse themselves from the lawsuit?)

To be sure, internal investigations are a commonplace of our era. In some fields of endeavor, theyve become sufficiently ubiquitous that the psychological literature includes advice on how to survive the process. And when it comes to leaks from the judicial branches, investigations are not new.

In 1938, for example, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a story predicting, correctly, that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court was about to strike down several new state laws restricting grand jury investigations. The furious justices interrogated the city editor, who implausibly explained that he had no sources inside the court and had based his prediction on the oral argument and a study of recent decisions.

In 1939, an incensed Illinois judge demanded to know why a prisoner hed ordered released, one Raymond Scott, had been rearrested. He was told that the attorney generals office had received a tip that the Illinois Supreme Court was about to overturn the order and send the defendant back to jail. Thus, the prosecutor explained, we moved to get Scott before he could flee. The judge announced that he would undertake an investigation into how word of a pending decision got to the attorney generals office. History does not record the result, but it is surely worth noting that the tip turned out to be wrong.

As everyones been pointing out, the Supreme Court has hardly been exempt from worry over leaks. A 1919 leak of a pending railroad decision led to profiteering in the stock market, and criminal charges.

But the justices have often used more discretion in responding. A 1935 Washington Post piece about the justices penchant for secrecy refers to a past incident in which, when a leak was suspected, the court quietly disposed of the matter by internal investigation.

Since the leak of Alitos proposed opinion, many outlets have run stories reminding us that the result in Roe itself leaked back in 1973, in an issue of Time magazine that hit the stands shortly before the decision was handed down. Then, too, there was talk among the justices of an internal investigation, perhaps even including lie detector tests. Then, too, there were fears that so intrusive a hunt would shake the foundations of the very institution it was supposed to protect.

But we should also remember the denouement. The law clerk in question, appalled at the potential damage to the institution, bravely came forward. He confessed to his boss, Justice Lewis Powell, and offered to resign. Powell forgave his clerk but sent him to see Chief Justice Warren Burger. Burger gave the young man a stern talking-to and sent him about his business.

Perhaps the leaker of Alitos opinion possesses sufficient nobility to publicly admit culpability, and so avoid further damage to the trust that the institution requires. Else the momentum of investigation might prove unstoppable. Perhaps the leaker is too much a coward; or too much a careerist. But those of us who even in this day and age still admire the Supreme Court must hope that rather than hide in the crowd like Smileys mole, the leaker will decide that the time has arrived to come in from the cold.

Bloomberg Opinion columnist Stephen L. Carter is a professor of law at Yale University and author of Invisible: The Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down Americas Most Powerful Mobster. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
OWO, Nigeria  The gunmen who killed 50 people at a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria opened fire on worshipers both inside and outside the building in a coordinated attack before escaping the scene, authorities and witnesses said Monday.

Although Nigerian security forces have not yet identified who carried out Sundays attack on St. Francis Church in the town of Owo in relatively peaceful Ondo state, analysts suggested they came from elsewhere in the West African nation, which is plagued by violence from various armed groups, kidnappers and extremists.

No one has claimed responsibility for the church killings, in which children were among the dead and the gunmen detonated some kind of explosive, according to witnesses. A state lawmaker from the region said the death toll was at least 50, and scores of people were wounded, although an exact number was not released by overwhelmed hospital workers.

The attack is undoubtedly terrorist in nature, and the scale and brutality suggests it was carefully planned rather than impulsive, said Eric Humphery-Smith, senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft risk intelligence company, in an interview with The Associated Press.

State Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran said security forces, including the military, pursued the attackers, but unfortunately, we could not catch up with them.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other government officials visited the church Monday. A day earlier, he pledged that we will keep standing against evil, and Nigeria will win.

Nigeria, which is Africas most populous country with 206 million people, has grappled for over a decade with an insurgency in the northeast by Islamic extremist rebels of Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province. The extremists, who have killed more than 35,000 people by a U.N. count, are fighting to establish Shariah law and to stop Western education.

Ondo, however, has long been considered one of the safer states in the country.

Sunday Adewale, who works in the palace of the local chief, said the gunmen used the element of surprise to their advantage.

Everybody felt relaxed and had gone to church, he said. Within 30 minutes, they did what they wanted and went away.

The attack came as worshippers were celebrating the feast of Pentecost, an important Catholic post-Easter holiday. Bishop Jude Arogundade said some gunmen entered the church while others stayed outside to shoot anyone who fled.

The priest celebrating the Mass was giving the blessing to end the service when the attackers came in and opened fire, said John Nwovo, 35, who added that he narrowly escaped with his five children by running and hiding in the churchs sacristy, along with more than 30 people.

We had to pack ourselves inside that place to take refuge from the storm, he told AP.

After emerging from hiding, Nwovo said they saw so many bodies lying in their own blood.

Florence Obi said her sister, Stella Nzelu, fled the church after the shooting and the explosion, only to run into one of the outside gunmen, who shot her in the stomach at close range. Obi said her sister underwent surgery to remove the bullet and she is feeling better now.

Steven Omotayo, who lives nearby, heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene.

I saw a lot of dead bodies  both young and old, even children, he said. The people came in and started shooting from the gate.

He said the church has three entrances and the main entrance was said to have been locked, making it difficult for many to escape.

They were just shooting. If they see anyone trying to escape or stand up, they will just shoot the person, he said. Everybody standing was bombarded with bullets.

The Rev. Vincent Anadi, who was away from his church at the time, said the gunmen also set off some kind of explosive or grenade.

He said he was making his way back to the church when he saw people running away chaotically, including two altar servers that he knew.

They stopped me and said, Father, father, father, stop, stop! Dont go to the parish. They are killing people in the parish! Anadi recounted.

Many Nigerians expressed shock and anger over the attack in Owo, a small town of traders and government workers located 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Ondo state capital of Akure. The central location of the church raised questions as to how the gunmen got there unnoticed.

Rahaman Yusuf said many people tried to find out the fate of their relatives after the attack. Some came only to realize they are dead, he said, adding that they also went to hospitals to see if their loved ones were among the wounded.

Olalekan Agboola was in Lagos when he learned his 70-year-old mother, Caroline, was killed, and he rushed to Ondo. In a telephone interview from the town, he grew emotional as he recalled talking to her by phone on Saturday and how she used to call us and pray for us.

Workers at the Federal Medical Center in Owo struggled to treat scores of wounded from the attack. The Nigeria Medical Association directed all available doctors in the region to help.

Some of the wounded were in a very bad state and needed surgery, according to a doctor there who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists.

I have attended to a good number of casualties, but what I saw yesterday was far beyond whatever I have seen before in my life, the doctor said. This calamity befell all age grades, from toddlers to the old ones.

Blood supplies at the hospital ran out, and a plea for more has gone out, the doctor added.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif, head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, said he hopes the perpetrators of this horrific terrorist act against a church will be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.

Pope Francis decried this act of unspeakable violence in a condolence telegram sent by the Vaticans secretary of state on his behalf to the Ondo bishop.

His Holiness prays for the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence so that they will choose instead the path of peace and righteousness, it said.

Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Frances DEmilio in Rome contributed.
BEIJING  China defended its military pilots on Monday, saying they acted properly and were protecting its sovereignty, following recent complaints by Canada and Australia that Chinese planes engaged in risky maneuvers with their aircraft over the Pacific.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said China swiftly took reasonable, forceful and professional measures in response to Canadas provocative acts and unfriendly and unprofessional operations.

Last week, the Canadian military accused Chinese planes of not following international safety norms on several occasions and putting a Canadian crew at risk. A June 1 statement said the Chinese planes tried to divert a Canadian long-range patrol aircraft from its path, and that the crew had to change direction quickly to avoid a potential collision.

Such interactions ... are of concern and of increasing frequency, the statement said.

The Canadian plane was deployed from April 26 to May 26 to join other countries in watching for fuel transfers between ships at sea that could be helping North Korea evade U.N. sanctions over its missile and nuclear tests. Chinese ships are suspected of taking part in the transfers. The U.S. and Japan have also participated in the surveillance.

Wu said in a statement that Canada has stepped up close reconnaissance of China under the pretext of implementing U.N. sanctions. He said Canada would bear responsibility for any serious consequences from what he called its risky and provocative acts.

A 2001 collision between a U.S. surveillance plane and a Chinese air force jet resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the 10-day detention of the U.S. air crew by China.

In a separate incident, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on a visit to Indonesia on Monday, called the May 26 actions of a Chinese fighter jet a dangerous act of aggression against an Australian air force plane conducting aerial surveillance in the South China Sea.

The Chinese J-16 accelerated and cut in front of the Australian plane, releasing chaff with small bits of aluminum that was sucked into the latters engine, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Sunday.

Chinas Defense Ministry has not commented on the incident.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the Chinese military always conducts operations based on international law and practice and in a safe and professional manner.

We urge Australia to respect Chinas national security interests and major concerns, and to be cautious with its words and deeds so as to avoid a miscalculation that could cause serious consequences, he said.

China claims numerous small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and says the area around these outcroppings are its territorial waters and air space. The waters are an important shipping lane for all countries in the region, including Australia, which along with the United States says it wants to ensure freedom of navigation through them.

Zhao said China would not allow any country to violate its sovereignty in the name of freedom of navigation.

He also accused Canada of spreading disinformation and said it should adopt a moderate and pragmatic policy toward China and take concrete steps to improve relations between the two.

Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, and video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.
China is secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia for the exclusive use of its military, with both countries denying that is the case and taking extraordinary measures to conceal the operation, Western officials said.

The military presence will be on the northern portion of Cambodias Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, which is slated to be the site of a groundbreaking ceremony this week, according to the officials, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matters sensitivity.

The establishment of a Chinese naval base in Cambodia  only its second such overseas outpost and its first in the strategically significant Indo-Pacific region  is part of Beijings strategy to build a network of military facilities around the world in support of its aspirations to become a true global power, the officials said.

Chinas only other foreign military base right now is a naval facility in the East African country of Djibouti. Having a facility capable of hosting large naval vessels to the west of the South China Sea would be an important element of Chinas ambition to expand its influence in the region and would strengthen its presence near key Southeast Asian sea lanes, officials and analysts said.

We assess that the Indo-Pacific is an important piece for Chinas leaders, who see the Indo-Pacific as Chinas rightful and historic sphere of influence, one Western official said. They view Chinas rise there as part of a global trend toward a multipolar world where major powers more forcefully assert their interests in their perceived sphere of influence.

Beijing, the official said, is banking on the region being unwilling or unable to challenge Chinas core interests, and through a combination of coercion, punishment and inducements in the diplomatic, economic and military realms, believes it can get countries to bend to its interests. Essentially, China wants to become so powerful that the region will give in to Chinas leadership rather than face the consequences [for not doing so], the official said.

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 that China had signed a secret agreement to allow its military to use the base, citing U.S. and allied officials familiar with the matter. Beijing and Phnom Penh denied the report, with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen denouncing it as fake news. A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman at the time also denounced what it called rumors and said China had merely been helping with military training and logistical equipment.

Over the weekend, however, a Chinese official in Beijing confirmed to The Washington Post that a portion of the base will be used by the Chinese military. The official denied it was for exclusive use by the military, saying that scientists would also use the facility. The official added that the Chinese are not involved in any activities on the Cambodian portion of the base.

The official said the groundbreaking, scheduled for Thursday, was taking place and that Chinese officials would attend. The Chinese ambassador to Cambodia is expected to be present.

Asked for comment, the Cambodian Embassy in Washington said in a statement that it strongly disagrees with the content and meaning of the report as it is a baseless accusation motivated to negatively frame Cambodias image. It added that Cambodia firmly adheres to the nations constitution, which does not permit foreign military bases or presence on Cambodian soil. The renovation of the base serves solely to strengthen the Cambodian naval capacities to protect its maritime integrity and combat maritime crimes including illegal fishing, the statement said.

Chinas Foreign Affairs Ministry did not reply to a request for comment.

The Western officials said they expect there will be an acknowledgment at the ceremony of Chinese involvement in financing and construction of the expansion of Ream Naval Base, but not of plans for its use by the Peoples Liberation Army. The expansion plans were finalized in 2020, and, significantly, called for the Chinese military to have exclusive use of the northern portion of the base, while their presence would remain concealed, a second official said.

The two governments have taken pains to mask the presence of the Chinese military at Ream, the official said. For instance, foreign delegations visiting the base are permitted access only to preapproved locations. During these visits, Chinese military personnel at the base wear uniforms similar to their Cambodian counterparts or no uniform at all to avoid suspicion from outside observers, the official said. When Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited the base during a trip to the region last year, her movements were very heavily circumscribed, the official said.

While she was in Cambodia, Sherman sought clarification over Cambodias razing in 2020 of two U.S.-funded facilities on Ream Naval Base, according to a State Department news release. The demolition took place after Cambodia declined a U.S. offer to pay to renovate one of them, according to a Pentagon report on Chinese military developments last year. That move, the report said, suggests that Cambodia may have instead accepted assistance from the [Peoples Republic of China] to develop the base.

What weve seen is over time is a very clear and consistent pattern of trying to obfuscate and hide both the end goal as well as the extent of Chinese military involvement, the second official said. The key thing here is the [PLAs] exclusive use of the facility and having a unilateral military base in another country.

Last year, the Joint Vietnamese Friendship building, a facility built by the Vietnamese, was relocated off Ream Naval Base to avert conflicts with Chinese military personnel, the officials said. China and Vietnam have long had a tense relationship, with Hanoi and Beijing clashing over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea for half a century.

The secrecy around the base appears to be driven primarily by Cambodian sensitivities and concern about a domestic backlash, the second official said. There is strong domestic opposition to the idea of a foreign military base, said the official, noting the constitutional ban on the presence of foreign military in the country. As the chair of the 10-member regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, Cambodia is keen to avoid the perception it is, as the second official said, a pawn of Beijing.

Cambodia has been walking a fine line between accommodating and distancing itself from Beijing. It was an enthusiastic supporter of the U.S.-ASEAN special summit in Washington last month, the second official said. In March, it joined 140 other countries in voting at the U.N. General Assembly to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine. Beijing abstained from the vote and has publicly affirmed a no limits partnership with Moscow that includes opposing further NATO enlargement. At the same time, Chinese influence in Cambodia has grown rapidly in recent years, with China providing substantial aid and investment, a trend that has also caused some concern in Phnom Penh about overreliance on Beijing.

Beyond its base in Djibouti, opened in 2017, Beijing is pursuing military facilities to support naval, air, ground, cyber, and space power projection, the Pentagon report said. It has likely considered a number of countries, it said, listing more than a dozen, including Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates. A global network could both interfere with U.S. military operations and support offensive operations against the United States, the report said.

The report also said that Chinese military academics have asserted that such bases can enable deployment of military forces in theater, and intelligence monitoring of the U.S. military.

The Chinese official told The Post that ground station technology for a BeiDou navigation satellite system was located at the Chinese portion of Ream Naval Base. BeiDou is Chinas homegrown alternative to the U.S. Space Force-managed Global Positioning System, and has military uses including missile guidance. The official did not have direct knowledge of how this system was being used.

Chinas military uses BeiDous high-accuracy positioning and navigation services to facilitate force movements and precision-guided munitions delivery, according to a March report by the Pentagons Defense Intelligence Agency.

Chinas global basing effort is not just about power projection but about global tracking and space assets, said a third Western official. Cambodias Ream is one of their most ambitious efforts to date.

Chinas navy is already the worlds largest by numbers of vessels. The U.S. Navy has 297 battle-force ships  carriers, destroyers, submarines, etc.  according to the Congressional Research Service, while China has 355 and is projected to have 460 by 2030, according to last years Pentagon report.

But, said Andrew Erickson, research director of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the Naval War College, as impressive as those numbers are, without a significant network of robust overseas facilities, their ability to use them falls off rapidly with distance from China.

China is nowhere close to matching the network of military bases the United States has around the world, a major U.S. military and strategic advantage, said Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security. But, he said, a base in Cambodia gives them a force-projection capability that they would otherwise not have in the region. Thats intrinsic to the Chinese aspiration of having a more dominant military presence throughout the Asian rimland and in the South China Sea, allowing Beijing to hold at risk  and have political influence over  countries quite far from the Chinese shore.

Djibouti was a logical first step for a military outpost in that it is in a region far from China in which Beijing wants to have a presence, in this case to secure its growing Middle Eastern energy interests, Erickson said. Also, the United States, France and Japan have long had military bases there, he noted. The question then becomes, how do you start filling out the board?

Cambodia is a no-brainer in that Hun Sen, prime minister since 1985, is extremely amenable, Erickson said, noting that the Cambodian leader has had a long strategic partnership with Beijing.

But the problem is Cambodia is a small country in a tough spot, he said. Its trying to have it both ways: maximum strategic collaboration with China with minimum regional pushback. That contradiction is going to be exposed by the undeniable development of this facility.

China also has reportedly sought to establish a facility in the UAE. Last year, U.S. intelligence agencies learned that Beijing was secretly building a military installation at a port in near the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, the Wall Street Journal reported. After meetings and visits by U.S. officials, construction was halted, the Journal reported. The current status of the project is unclear.

Chinas secret building of a Cambodian base resembles the playbook it used in reclaiming and militarizing the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea beginning in 2015, said Eric Sayers, a former adviser to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command who is now a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. It started quietly, he said, with Beijing claiming its building of artificial islands on coral reefs and atolls was for peaceful purposes and promising the features would not be militarized. Then when it was far too late, we saw permanent and irreversible militarization.

He said he expected to see the trend also play out in the Solomon Islands, a South Pacific nation that recently signed a security agreement with China. In April, after a draft copy of the agreement was leaked on social media, Beijing confirmed the pact, which neither government has released. According to the leaked copy, China will be permitted to send armed police and military personnel to the Solomon Islands to help maintain order. The government there has denied it would lead to China establishing a military base.

But Western officials are skeptical. Theres evidence that China is developing plans and has sent technical teams to the Solomons to explore possibilities for basing facilities that would contradict some of the assurances that the government has made to allied governments, a third Western official said.

The Solomons agreement is part of a broader Chinese effort  not always successful  to build influence in the region. Last week, Chinas top diplomat, Wang Yi, completed a 10-day tour of the South Pacific but failed to achieve a desired 11-nation pact on security and development. Instead of repeating the Solomons diplomatic coup, Chinas proposal was shelved at a meeting in Fiji, after some countries questioned whether the deal would spark greater confrontation between China and rivals in the region.

But it would be a mistake to take the rebuff of Wang as a sign that Beijings influence is waning, the third official said. There is a relentless quality to what the Chinese are involved in and theyre just going to keep coming. So anyone who thinks this is a signal that theyve been blunted or blocked, thats not accurate.

- - -

The Washington Posts Alice Crites in Washington and Eva Dou in Shenzhen, China, contributed to this report.
Turkey and Russia have reached a tentative deal to restart shipments of Ukraine's agricultural products from a key Black Sea port, but Kyiv remains skeptical of the proposed pact, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has offered military help to clear mines off the coast of Odesa and escort grain ships, but Ukraine has yet to endorse the plan, worried that removing defenses could leave the vital port open to Russian attack, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters that aren't yet public. Turkey hopes that a U.N. endorsement of the proposal could allay security concerns, the people said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv wasn't invited to talks on the deal set for Ankara this week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is scheduled to visit the Turkish capital Wednesday for discussions, said Monday he's optimistic that military officials can work out a solution.

The Kremlin's invasion has cut off shipments of grain and other farm products from Ukraine, threatening millions of people in its traditional markets with food shortages. Moscow has denied responsibility for the disruption but demanded relief from U.S. and European sanctions limiting its exports of fertilizer and agricultural products.

Ukraine and its allies blame Russia for blocking shipments. Zelensky said as much as 25 million tons of grain are now stuck without export routes, a figure that could triple by the autumn. He said Kyiv is seeking assurances that its ports will be protected from Russian attack once mines are removed. "The most firm guarantees will be weapons" that would allow Ukraine to hit Russian ships if they attack Ukrainian ports, he said.

The Russian-Turkish plan would allow for removal of mines near Odesa and guarantee safe passage for ships out of the Black Sea, under the auspices of the United Nations, the people said. Turkey, which has sought for months to mediate in the conflict, aims to set up a center in Istanbul to monitor and coordinate the shipments. Ukraine hasn't participated directly in the talks, according to an official there.

"By commenting in advance on reaching the deal, Russia is seeking to shift responsibility to Ukraine" for disrupting supplies, Taras Kachka, Ukraine's deputy economy minister, said in a text message. "But the fact remains that the food crisis has been artificially created by Russia and Russia alone."

Russia is also demanding the ability to inspect ships going to Ukraine for weapons, a condition Kyiv has resisted.
Addis Abeba  The West Gonder Zone Justice Division announced that it has apprehended a driver who tried to smuggle 21 people into Sudan in an ambulance. Quara Woreda Health Bureau Secretariat was referenced as having said the driver had appeared in court.

The defendant, Nigussie Mekonnen, picked up the 21 people (from Oromia and SNNPR), brought by different brokers, at Kinebi kebele and made their way in an ambulance that belongs to the Quara health bureau. The driver drove past a security checkpoint in the Alemu Ber area, Gelagu town, as per the police investigations.

Even though the security forces had fired shots, the ambulance had already broken past the checkpoint by which point the defendant was able to disperse and hide the 21 people into the forest and empty houses, however both the defendant and the 21 people being smuggled were finally caught.

The Quara Woreda Investigative Police Bureau reviewed the criminal investigation file and sent it to the Prosecutor of the West Gondar Zone Department of Justice. The zonal prosecutor, after reviewing the file, charged the suspects on two counts, "illegal human-trafficking and corruption", on Wednesday at the Supreme Court of the said zone.

At the court hearing held yesterday, after listening to the charge file, the defendant argued that he had not committed the alleged crime. The Prosecutor, in its part, requested the court to hear its witnesses and said it proved that the suspect had committed the crime on the basis of witnesses and documented evidence.

The West Gondar court, after hearing the two sides arguments, adjourned the next hearing for June 9th of 2022 for final verdict.
WASHINGTON  Key senators said Sunday there is growing momentum to forge a bipartisan congressional response to recent mass shootings that could toughen federal gun laws for the first time in a generation. But a deal is not yet in hand, they warned, and the delicate talks are expected to continue for several more days as negotiators seek to garner enough Republican support to get a compromise bill through the Senate.

Should an agreement come together, it is certain to fall well short of the parameters that President Joe Biden laid out in a White House address on Thursday, when he called for renewing the federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, as well as significantly expanding federal background checks for gun buyers and removing the firearms industry's immunity from lawsuits.

But a proposal that would encourage states to set up red-flag laws that would allow authorities to keep guns away from people thought to be a threat to their communities or themselves remains under keen discussion, as do measures tackling school security and mental health, according to people involved in the discussions.

"It's really tough sledding. But I've never been part of conversations that are this serious and this thoughtful before, and I know all the Republicans and Democrats who are at the table are there with total sincerity to get an agreement," Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.), the Democratic negotiator, said in an interview Sunday.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., another member of the small group of senators hashing out a potential deal, said on CBS's "Face The Nation" that the discussions, while "intensive," do not "guarantee any outcome."

"But it feels to me like we are closer than we've been since I've been in the Senate," said Toomey, who co-led a failed 2013 effort to expand criminal background checks for gun buyers after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The negotiators  and Democratic leaders  have seized on a growing sense of national outrage following the May 14 attack that took 10 lives at a Buffalo supermarket and the May 24 massacre of 19 children and two teachers inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Other shootings with multiple victims have followed, including incidents in Tulsa; Ames, Iowa; and overnight Saturday in Philadelphia and Chattanooga, Tenn. By one measure, there have already been more than 200 mass shootings in 2022.

Public polling shows consistently strong support for expanding background checks for gun buyers. Surveys taken after mass shootings frequently show strong support for tighter gun laws - 54% vs. 16% wanting less strict laws, according to a May CBS News/YouGov poll taken after Buffalo but before Uvalde - though that support tends to recede as public attention fades.

Having seen previous attempts at negotiation fizzle as violent incidents left the headlines, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signaled last month after the Uvalde shooting that he had limited patience for extended talks. He gave the group 10 days - until the Senate returns on Monday from a week-long recess - to show substantial progress toward an agreement.

Murphy said he spoke to Schumer on Sunday morning and that the deadline has been extended, modestly. "He still feels like we need to come to an agreement by the end of this week," Murphy said, adding, "I think that's entirely possible." Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman did not address the timeline but said the senator supports the bipartisan group and looks forward to discussing its proposals with the Democratic caucus this week.

Asked about the pace of the negotiations, a GOP aide familiar with the negotiations said, "We're aware of the artificial timeline Senator Schumer has created." The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe the talks.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who is leading the talks for Republicans, said in an interview Thursday that he shared a sense of urgency. "I think we need to act, and we need to act relatively quickly," he told The Washington Post. "We could lose this opportunity to do what we could to save lives, which to me is what this is all about."

While Republicans have long emerged as unflinching defenders of gun rights, encouraged by a voting base that includes millions of gun owners, there are signs that GOP lawmakers may have more negotiating space than in the past.

An open letter published Sunday in the Dallas Morning News signed by more than 250 prominent Texas conservatives offered support to Cornyn as "the right man to lead this bipartisan effort." The signers also endorsed a federal red-flag law and expanded background checks.

In an interview Friday, the key Democrat negotiating a federal red-flag provision, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, said he was encouraged by the progress that had been made on that aspect of the negotiations.

Blumenthal said he and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had come to an agreement between the two of them on a basic framework for legislation that would create a system of incentives, grants and federal standards for states that create their own red-flag laws. But he said details were still being hashed out as the discussion moved to a wider group of bipartisan negotiators. A spokesman for Graham did not respond to a request for comment.

It remained unclear, Blumenthal said, if any iteration of the proposal could garner the necessary 60 votes - which would mean a minimum of 10 Republicans if all 50 members of the Democratic caucus backed a deal.

"It's not final until it's final, and we need 60 votes," he said. "We're now going beyond the two of us to 10 of us, and we also need to be mindful of 60 of us, because all of the optimism in the world will fail to save lives unless we make it law."

As for background checks, talks are still underway. Any deal would be much more limited than previous expansion proposals, such as the legislation drafted in 2013 by Toomey and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

Cornyn said Thursday that he is willing to consider expanding the scope of criminal records that can block a gun sale under the federal instant background check system to include juvenile records. That could theoretically block a sale to a young gun buyer who has been judged responsible for a criminal act in sealed juvenile proceedings but has no adult record.

The Buffalo and Uvalde attacks involved 18-year-olds and legally purchased weapons. It remains unclear in both cases whether there were juvenile records that might have blocked those sales.

Cornyn said he favored a "limited, careful, confidential look-back" to ensure that young gun buyers are more closely scrutinized. "If they had been an adult with this same record, they would have been disqualified by the background check system," he said.

"We all agree that violent criminals and deranged, dangerously mentally ill people shouldn't have firearms," Toomey said Sunday. "So we need a mechanism to increase the likelihood that will identify such a person and prevent them from buying a gun legally anyway."

Other proposals related to school security and mental health have been floated during both private discussions and public forums. Graham on Friday tweeted a proposal to "create a certification process that allows former military members to go through school security training" and carry weapons in schools.

"Our schools are soft targets," he said. "They contain our most valuable possession - our children, the future of our country  and must be protected."

While Democrats have tended to react coldly to proposals that would arm school staff, Murphy on Sunday lent tentative support to Graham's idea. "There's no doubt there's going to be an increased demand for school security officers. It would be perfectly appropriate and, in some ways preferable, for veterans with significant training to fill those positions," he said.

Other elements likely to be included in a package is significant federal funding for both school security and mental health programs. Murphy said he thought congressional Republicans could be willing to follow the lead of Florida lawmakers after the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Within a month, a GOP-majority legislature and GOP governor in the state enacted legislation that included significant new gun restrictions as well as $400 million in funding.

"I don't think we're going to copy anybody else's law  we're going to have to come up with a unique compromise in the Senate," Murphy said. But he praised the gun provisions, mental health funding and school safety money that the Florida law provided: "That makes a lot of sense, and it's consistent with the discussions we've had."

In a rare national prime-time address on Thursday, Biden advocated for relatively far-reaching proposals such as the assault weapons ban. But he acknowledged that the current Congress, with a 50-50 Senate and a thin House majority, would probably not be raring to embrace them.

He suggested more modest alternatives, such as raising the minimum age for assault weapon purchases to 21 from 18. Even that, negotiators have said in recent days, is unlikely given conservative reticence to ban firearms or ammunition of any type.

Biden's overarching plea, however, was for Congress to do something, anything, to break nearly three decades of inaction on guns: "Enough, enough, enough," he said in closing.

While he lent support to the bipartisan talks on Thursday, he also added a dig at the GOP: "The fact that the majority of the Senate Republicans don't want any of these proposals even to be debated or come up for a vote, I find unconscionable."

That grated on the ears of Republican senators and aides who were perplexed at Biden's decision to give a national address advocating for provisions that few, if any, conservative lawmakers could support  and which Democrats in the bipartisan Senate group weren't even seriously pursuing.

Graham, for instance, quickly tweeted that he was "ready to work across the aisle to find common ground  something that was absent from President Biden's address to the nation."

Toomey on Sunday chided Biden for putting forth "policies that he knows for sure have no chance of passing the Senate, probably couldn't even get 50 votes and hold the Democrats, much less get the 60 we would need."

But Biden's sharp speech does not appear to have derailed the talks, which never included many of the provisions he called for. "It was unhelpful," said the Republican aide briefed on the talks. "But, also, he's irrelevant."

The biggest factor pushing the two parties toward the kind of deal that has been elusive in the past, Murphy said Sunday, is a "collective sense of the cost of failure."

"I think parents and kids are really scared right now, and for us to let our politics get in the way of providing them an answer, and comfort, would be devastating," he said. "But, you know, this is the most politically complicated and emotionally fraught issue that Congress deals with. There's a reason why we haven't made progress on this for 30 years."



The Washington Post's Scott Clement, Ellen McCarthy and Amy B Wang contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  The former top leader of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and other members were charged with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory.

The latest indictment against Henry Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, and four others linked to the group comes as the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot prepares to begin public hearings this week to lay out its findings.

The indictment Monday alleges that the Proud Boys conspired to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power. Tarrio and the others  Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola  were previously charged with different conspiracy counts.

They are scheduled to stand trial in August in Washington, D.C.'s federal court.

The seditious conspiracy charges are among the most serious filed so far, but aren't the first of their kind. Eleven members or associates of the anti-government Oath Keepers militia group, including its founder and leader Stewart Rhodes, were indicted in January on seditious conspiracy charges in a serious escalation in the largest investigation in the Justice Departments history.

Three Oath Keepers have already pleaded guilty to the rarely used Civil War-era charge that calls for up to 20 years in prison. The indictment alleges that the Oath Keepers and their associates prepared in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6 as if they were going to war, discussing things like weapons and training.

Tarrio, the groups top leader, wasnt in Washington, D.C., when the riot erupted on Jan. 6, 2021, but authorities say he helped put into motion the violence that day.

Police arrested Tarrio in Washington two days before the riot and charged him with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December 2020. Tarrio was released from jail on Jan. 14 after serving his five-month sentence for that case.

An attorney for Tarrio said his client is going to have his day in court.

And we intend to vigorously represent him through that process, said Nayib Hassan.

Defense attorney Carmen Hernendez, who represents Rehl, said her client is as innocent of these charges as the ones that had already been pending against him.

Seditious conspiracy requires the use of force, and he never used any force nor thought about using any force, Hernandez said.

More than three dozen people charged in the Capitol siege have been identified by federal authorities as leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys, whose members describe it as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists.

They have brawled with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.

The indictment alleges that the Proud Boys held meetings and communicated over encrypted messages to plan for the attack in the days leading up to Jan. 6. On the day of the riot, authorities say Proud Boys dismantled metal barricades set up to protect the Capitol and mobilized, directed and led members of the crowd into the building.

Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

Shortly before the riot, authorities say Tarrio posted on social media that the group planned to turn out in record numbers on Jan. 6, but would be incognito instead of donning their traditional clothing colors of black and yellow.

Around the same time, an unnamed person sent Tarrio a document that laid out plans for occupying a few crucial buildings in Washington on Jan. 6, including House and Senate office buildings around the Capitol, the indictment says. The nine-page document was entitled 1776 Returns and called for having as many people as possible to show our politicians We the People are in charge, according to the indictment.

Nordean, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and a member of the groups national Elders Council. Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl was president of the Proud Boys chapter in Philadelphia. Pezzola is a Proud Boy member from Rochester, New York.

A New York man pleaded guilty in December to storming the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys members. Matthew Greene was the first Proud Boys member to publicly plead guilty to conspiring with other members to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote. Greene agreed to cooperate with authorities investigating the attack.

Another Proud Boy, Charles Donohoe, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy and assault charges and also agreed to cooperate in the Justice Departments cases against other members of the extremist group.

In December, a federal judge refused to dismiss an earlier indictment charging alleged leaders of the Proud Boys with conspiring to block the certification of Biden's electoral college win. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected defense attorneys arguments that the men were charged with conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France  The United States and its allies will keep providing "significant" support to Ukraine out of respect for the legacy of D-Day soldiers, whose victory over the Nazis helped lead to a new world order and a "better peace," Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday.

In an interview with The Associated Press overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, Milley said Russia's war on Ukraine undermines the rules established by Allied countries after the end of World War II. He spoke on the 78th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Allied troops onto the beaches of France, which led to the overthrow of Nazi Germany's occupation.

One fundamental rule of the"global rules-based order" is that "countries cannot attack other countries with their military forces in acts of aggression unless it's an act of pure self-defense," he stressed. "But that's not what's happened here in Ukraine. What's happened here is an open, unambiguous act of aggression."

"It is widely considered to undermine the rules that these dead  here at Omaha Beach and at the cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer  have died for. They died for something. They died for that order to be put in place so that we would have a better peace," Milley said, speaking at the American Cemetery overlooking the shore in the northwestern French village at Colleville-sur-Mer.

That's why "the nations of Europe, the nations of NATO, are supporting Ukraine with lethal and nonlethal support in order to make sure that that rule set is underwritten and supported," Milley explained.

Dozens of veterans  now all in their 90s, from the U.S., Britain, Canada and elsewhere  were taking part in poignant D-Day ceremonies Monday.

On June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on French beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. On that single day, 4,414 Allied soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded. The massive invasion helped lead to Hitler's defeat and the end of World War II.

Asked about whether Ukraine gets enough support, Milley noted "there's a very, very significant battle going on in the Donbas," in reference to Ukraine's heavily contested eastern industrial region bordering Russia. "But Kyiv (the capital) was protected and successfully defended against. The Russians had to shift their forces to the south in the Donbas. And we'll see how this plays out."

"I think that the United States and the allied countries are providing a significant amount of support to Ukraine, and that will continue," he said. He didn't elaborate.

Milley also had strong words about Ukraine at the ceremony at the American Cemetery, attended by over 20 World War II veterans and several thousand spectators.

"Kiev may be 2,000 kilometers away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II at the hands of the Nazi invader," Milley said in his speech. "Let's not those only here be the last witnesses to a time when our Allies come together to defeat tyranny."

Milley's parents served during World War II and his uncle was in the Navy off Normandy's coast on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord.

That generation of soldiers "fought and sacrificed for all of us... And I have a very, very special bond with them. And I'm very respectful of what they've done. And I think we all  all of us today  need to carry on the legacy that they fought and died for," Milley said.
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France  Joy and sadness in acute doses poured out Monday on the beaches of Normandy.

As several dozen D-Day veterans  now all in their 90s  set foot on the sands that claimed so many colleagues, they are thankful for the gratitude and friendliness of the French toward those who landed here on June 6, 1944. The sadness comes as they think of their fallen comrades and of another battle now being waged in Europe: the war in Ukraine.

As a bright sun rose Monday over the wide band of sand at Omaha Beach, U.S. D-Day veteran Charles Shay expressed thoughts for his comrades who died here 78 years ago.

"I have never forgotten them and I know that their spirits are here," he told The Associated Press.

The 98-year-old Penobscot Native American from Indian Island, Maine, took part in a sage-burning ceremony near the beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. Shay, who now lives in Normandy, was a 19-year-old U.S. Army medic when he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

He said he was especially sad to see war in Europe once again, so many years later.

"Ukraine is a very sad situation. I feel sorry for the people there and I don't know why this war had to come, but I think the human beings like to, I think they like to fight. I don't know," he said. "In 1944, I landed on these beaches and we thought we'd bring peace to the world. But it's not possible."

This year, Shay handed over the remembrance task to another Native American, Julia Kelly, a Gulf War veteran from the Crow tribe, who performed the sage ritual. "Never forget, never forget," she said. "In this time, in any time, war is not good."

Shay's message to young generations would be "to be ever vigilant."

"Of course I have to say that they should protect their freedom that they have now," he said.

For the past two years, D-Day ceremonies were reduced to a minimum amid COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. But this year, crowds of French and international visitors  including veterans in their 90s  were back in Normandy to pay tribute to the nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the U.S., Canada and elsewhere who landed there to bring freedom.

Several thousand people attended a ceremony at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in the French town of Colleville-sur-Mer. They applauded more than 20 WWII veterans who were present at the commemoration.

Amid them was Ray Wallace, 97, a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.

On D-Day, his plane was hit and caught fire, forcing him to jump earlier than expected. He landed 20 miles (32 kilometers) away from the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first French village to be liberated from Nazi occupation.

"We all got a little scared then. And then whenever the guy dropped us out, we were away from where the rest of the group was. That was scary," Wallace told the AP.

Less than a month later, he was taken prisoner by the Germans. He was ultimately liberated after 10 months and returned to the U.S. Still, Wallace thinks he was lucky.

"I remember the good friends that I lost there. So it's a little emotional," he said, with sadness in his voice. "I guess you can say I'm proud of what I did but I didn't do that much."

He was asked about the secret to his longevity. "Calvados!" he joked, in reference to Normandy's local alcohol.

On D-Day, Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. On that single day, 4,414 Allied soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded.

On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

Wallace, who is using a wheelchair, was among about 20 WWII veterans who opened Saturday's parade of military vehicles in Sainte-Mere-Eglise to great applause from thousands of people, in a joyful atmosphere. He did not hide his pleasure, happily waving to the crowd as parents explained the achievements of World War II heroes to their children.

Many history buffs, wearing military and civilian clothes from the period, also came to stage a reenactment of the events.

In Colleville-sur-Mer on Monday, U.S. Air Force aircraft flew over the American Cemetery during the commemoration ceremony, in the presence of Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The place is home to the gravesites of 9,386 people who died fighting on D-Day and in the operations that followed.

Milley had strong words about Ukraine at the American Cemetery ceremony, vowing that the U.S. and its allies would keep up their "significant" support to Ukraine.

"Kiev may be 2,000 kilometers away from here, they too, right now, today, are experiencing the same horrors as the French citizens experienced in World War II at the hands of the Nazi invader," Milley said in a speech. "Let's not those only here be the last witnesses to a time when our Allies come together to defeat tyranny."

For 82-year-old Dale Thompson, visiting the site over the weekend was a first.

Thompson, who traveled from Florida with his wife, served in the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. military in the early 1960s. He was stateside and saw no combat.

Walking amid the thousands of marble headstones, Thompson wondered how he would have reacted if he landed at D-Day.

"I try to put myself in their place," he said. "Could I be as heroic as these people?"

AP Journalists Oleg Cetinic and Jeremias Gonzalez contributed to the story.
Khartoum  At the end of his four-day visit, the UN Expert on Human Rights in Sudan, Adama Dieng, today expressed his deep concern at the human rights situation in the county. He criticised the human rights violations documented since the coup d'etat on October 25 last year, the worsening of economic and social rights since the coup, and in a press conference in Khartoum before leaving the country this afternoon.

The main purpose of Dieng's visit was to continue talks with the authorities on human rights concerns linked to the coup, follow up on the recommendations he made during his visit in February, and hear from civil society and victims of human rights violations.

Dieng said in his statement that he was shocked by the killing of a young man yesterday during the protests to mark the violent dispersal by security forces of the 3 June pro-democracy sit-in in Khartoum in 2019.

He further stated that "the outcome of this visit will also contribute to the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Sudan that will take place on 15 June 2022 during the 50th session of the Human Rights Council, at which the Council will consider the comprehensive written report on the human rights situation in Sudan that I prepared in collaboration with the Joint Human Rights Office in Sudan. The report will be made public on 7 June.

"During this visit, I met with the acting Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice and the acting Attorney General, as well as the National Monitoring, Reporting and Follow-up Mechanism. Unfortunately, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo was not available to meet with me. I have a meeting scheduled with Lieutenant-General Abdulfattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sovereign Council, before I leave this afternoon. I also met with civil society representatives, human rights defenders, victims of human rights violations or their families, UN officials and members of the diplomatic corps.

"I was humbled and moved by the courage and determination of the human rights defenders and the victims of human rights violations and their families amid the challenges they face. Their experiences underline the complexity and magnitude of the human rights challenges confronted by the Sudanese people and the persistent gaps in accountability.

"In my meetings with the authorities, I welcomed the lifting of the state of emergency and release of detainees arrested under emergency legislation, as well as the release last month of high-profile officials affiliated with the Dismantling Committee. However, I stressed that more bold and concrete actions are needed to improve the human rights situation and build confidence; I urged them to release all persons arrested under the emergency legislation, as was recommended by the Security and Defence Council; provide clear and public confirmation that the emergency decree of 24 December, which was linked to the duration of the State of Emergency, is no longer valid; to ensure a definitive end to the use of excessive force against protesters and arbitrary arrests and detention; and ensure there is visible progress in ongoing investigations into human rights violations and that they are conducted in line with international law and standards.

"I flagged my deep concern at the human rights violations documented since the coup. It is simply unacceptable that 99 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured as a result of excessive use of force by the joint security forces responding to protests. I also raised my concern at the arbitrary and mass arrest and often incommunicado detention of resistance committee members, protestors, activists, media professionals and others in the context of protests; sexual and gender-based violence and acts of torture and ill-treatment in the course of arrest and during detention and lack of fair trial and due process guarantees.

"Regarding accountability, I was informed that the investigation committee set up by the authorities to investigate human rights violations committed since the coup has confirmed four cases of sexual violence in the context of the protests and has made progress in investigations into the killings of protesters. However, I stressed to the authorities the need to expedite the process and provide information to the public on the committee's progress.

"In the report to the Human Rights Council, I included reference to information provided by the authorities in February on the number of police officers killed and injured during protests. I understand that the case of Mohamed Adam, known as Tupac, a young protestor arrested on suspicion of his involvement in the death of a police brigadier general during a protest in January, whose family I met when I was here in February, has now moved to trial. I urge the authorities to ensure the right of all those prosecuted to a fair trial.

"I also shared my concern over the retrogression in the enjoyment of economic and social rights since the coup, due to the deterioration in the economy, political instability, increased prices - and the threat of poor harvests this year, which are forecast to dramatically increase the number of people living in poverty. I called on the authorities to take concrete steps to prevent this from happening, using the maximum of available resources and by seeking international support, as appropriate.

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"I also communicated my concern in relation to intercommunal conflicts and large-scale attacks against civilians in Darfur, including the events of 22 to 24 April in Kereinik that claimed the lives of at least 172 people, almost all from the Massalit tribe, and displaced thousands. These events must be investigated fully, and serious and comprehensive efforts taken to restore peace and hold those responsible to account. Implementation of the security arrangements envisaged in the Juba Peace Agreement needs to be accelerated and more joint security forces deployed in hotspot areas in Darfur to protect civilians and including Internally Displaced People, including women and children.

"In conclusion, I encourage all Sudanese to contribute to efforts towards a political settlement and resumption of the important legal and institutional reforms started by the transitional government. In this respect, I would like to underline that any political initiatives must be founded on human rights if they are to succeed and include justice and reparations for victims and accountability for those responsible for human rights violations. There should also be a strong commitment to the protection of civilians."
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Khartoum  The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors yesterday reported the death of a twenty-year-old demonstrator in Khartoum during his participation in the commemorations of what has become known as the 2019 June 3 Massacre.

The victim was shot in the chest in El Sahafa in Khartoum, the doctors committee said in a press statement on Friday evening.

This brings the total number of people killed during pro-democracy demonstrations in Sudan since the military took full power again in a coup d'etat on October 25 last year, to 99.

On Thursday, at least 20 people were injured, 13 of them by gunshots, in demonstrations calling for the participation in commemorations of the third anniversary of the 2019 June 3 Massacre.

On June 3, 2019, two days before the end of Ramadan, the large sit-in in front of the army command, was broken up with excessive violence. At least 127 protesters were reportedly killed. About 40 bodies were found floating in the Nile. More than 700 others sustained injuries, and at least 100 people went missing.

Since December 2018, thousands of Sudanese demonstrated to pressure the then ruling Omar Al Bashir to step down. On April 6, the protesters set up a large sit-in in front of the military command in central Khartoum. Five days later, the dictator was deposed in a military coup. However, protesters continued to occupy the space in front of the Ministry of Defence to demand the military to cede power to a civilian government.

Two months later, on June 3/Ramadan 29, the people at the sit-in were brutally attacked by government forces. In November that year, Human Rights Watch condemned in a 59-page report the "use of disproportionate, excessive force to disperse protests in violent repeated crackdowns".

The committee of inquiry set up by the then Prime minister Abdallah Hamdok in October 2019, earlier this year suspended its investigations. The head of the committee, Nabil Adib, told Radio Dabanga last month that it would be "impossible for foreign teams to examine the evidence while an independent civilian government is absent".
V.Narayan Distinguished - BHPian

Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Delhi-NCR Posts: 3,213 Thanked: 42,290 Times

Re: IKEA opens its first India store in Hyderabad Quote: GutsyGibbon Originally Posted by I hope to not upset Ikea loyalists. I generally support cost effective, functional designs.

I just want to urge people to consider products made from hard wood. These last generations. They can be refinished, repurposed, renewed, & they last forever. If you also end up supporting a local carpenter, it's even better. ryot zamindari of the 19th century which uses power of capital to exploit the supply chain of small vendors, converts employees into 'independent contractors' (who can then be exploited the way an employee cannot) and uses capital to discount prices to nuke competition. Maybe today the customer benefits from lower prices but for how long?



Mind you I am not a left wing slogan shouting warrior. I am a dyed in wool capitalist to my buttonholes as evident by my posts on IT industry attrition threads. Capitalism is healthy when it serves all stakeholders - shareholders, customers, suppliers, creditors, employees, government and local society.

Today's capitalism being imported into India by PE funds such as Softbank, Sequoia through their investments are driving in a draconian fashion the Milton Friedman spawned culture of Gordon Gecko - "greed is good" - and that only shareholder returns matter at the cost of all else.



This was always not so and in many parts of industrial India still isn't. Tatas, Aditya Birla, Reliance, Bajaj, etc all build great infrastructure for their employees and the neighbouring rural & semi-rural areas where ever they put up factories & plants. Navratna PSUs do it all the time. Jamshedji Tata, Walchand Hirachand, GD Birla, Ardesher Godrej, Jamnalal Bajaj and so many others were practicing the concept of trusteeship as industrialists a century and more ago. What is the trusteeship concept - that the wealth they are creating as industrialists is to be used for the good of society just as it is to be used for the good of their employees, their business and their shareholders.



This worship of loss making PE funded unicorns and decacorns is inimical to an India that needs to use every drop of capital to create jobs and not create some jobs (e.g. delivery boys) while destroying others (e.g. the small storekeeper). We talk of our population being ~140 crores. Most of us don't really realize how vast that number is. For example there are ~140 crore seconds in 44 years and 4 months.



The bottom half of our diverse society needs livelihood with dignity. +1 and +1 again. We need to support the local carpenter, the local kirana shop, the local eatery, the local book shop and such others each of which is being utterly demolished by the likes of Amazon, IKEA, Zomato etc. Mind you the business model of at least Amazon and Zomato/Swiggy like Uber/Ola is painfully exploitative of the small self employed vendor, driver, delivery man. This is urban 21st century version of theof the 19th century which uses power of capital to exploit the supply chain of small vendors, converts employees into 'independent contractors' (who can then be exploited the way an employee cannot) and uses capital to discount prices to nuke competition. Maybe today the customer benefits from lower prices but for how long?Mind you I am not a left wing slogan shouting warrior. I am a dyed in wool capitalist to my buttonholes as evident by my posts on IT industry attrition threads. Capitalism is healthy when it serves all stakeholders - shareholders, customers, suppliers, creditors, employees, government and local society.Today's capitalism being imported into India by PE funds such as Softbank, Sequoia through their investments are driving in a draconian fashion the Milton Friedman spawned culture of Gordon Gecko - "greed is good" - and thatshareholder returns matterThis was always not so and in many parts of industrial India still isn't. Tatas, Aditya Birla, Reliance, Bajaj, etc all build great infrastructure for their employees and the neighbouring rural & semi-rural areas where ever they put up factories & plants. Navratna PSUs do it all the time. Jamshedji Tata, Walchand Hirachand, GD Birla, Ardesher Godrej, Jamnalal Bajaj and so many others were practicing the concept of trusteeship as industrialists a century and more ago. What is the trusteeship concept - that the wealth they are creating as industrialists is to be used for the good of society just as it is to be used for the good of their employees, their business and their shareholders.This worship of loss making PE funded unicorns and decacorns is inimical to an India that needs to use every drop of capital to create jobs and not create some jobs (e.g. delivery boys) while destroying others (e.g. the small storekeeper). We talk of our population being ~140 crores. Most of us don't really realize how vast that number is. For example there are ~140 crore seconds in 44 years and 4 months.The bottom half of our diverse society needs livelihood with dignity. Last edited by V.Narayan : 5th June 2022 at 10:00 .
Apple ID passwords can be easily lost if you are not using password managers or are just forgetful. This is a common scenario for some Apple users.

(Photo : Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

A person uses a smartphone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world's biggest mobile fair, on February 26, 2018 in Barcelona. - The Mobile World Congress is held in Barcelona from February 26 to March 1. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)

If ever this happens to you, your day will certainly be ruined. Remember, your Apple ID is required for your Apple services, such as iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Music, Apple App Store, etc.

Once you lose your Apple ID password, you will have a hard time using the mentioned Apple services. But, thanks to the new feature of iOS 15, you can now recover your lost password easily.

Here's how the advanced Account Recovery function can help you do this.

How To Recover Apple ID Password This 2022?

According to CNET's latest report, iOS 15's Account Recovery feature needs to be active already before you lose your Apple ID password.

(Photo : Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

An attendee looks at a new iPhone X during an Apple special event at the Steve Jobs Theatre on the Apple Park campus on September 12, 2017 in Cupertino, California. Apple held their first special event at the new Apple Park campus where they announced the new iPhone 8, iPhone X and the Apple Watch Series 3.

Also Read: iOS 15.4.1: Apple Fixes Battery Drain Issues for iPhone, More Updates Part of Release

This is because it relies on your trusted contacts to be "recovery contacts." Now, here's how you can activate your Account Recovery feature:

First, visit your Settings and click your name. After that, choose the "Password & Security" option and go to "Account Recovery." Once you are there, you can start adding your trusted recovery contacts by clicking the "Add Recovery Contact" button.

Other Useful iOS 15 Features

Aside from the Account Recovery feature, there are other new functions that the latest iOS 15 offers. LifeWire provided some of them:

Spotlight Search in iOS (allows you to find messages, apps, and even web searches easily)

iOS 15 has a feature that can move links, photos, and other items between applications without copying or pasting them.

Focus (this function enables you to have practice healthier daily activities. These include exercising, safe driving habits, as well as correct sleeping patterns)

These are just some of the hidden features of iOS 15 that you can take advantage of. If you want to know more functions, you can visit this link.

Meanwhile, the new iOS 15.4 Scan Notes feature finally arrived.

On the other hand, Apple fixed an iOS 15.4 Siri bug that stores user recordings without consent.

For more news updates about the iOS 15 and other advanced techs of Apple, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: iOS 16: No New Interface, But to Revamp Widgets and Other Updates, Features

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SpaceX's CRS-25 cargo mission is about to happen. Once the independent space agency's 25th cargo re-supply activity is expected to bring advanced tools to help astronauts conduct major experiments at the International Space Station.



(Photo : Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

In this NASA handout image, A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched from Launch Complex 39A on NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard.

"Experiments aboard the Dragon capsule include studies of the immune system, wound healing, soil communities, and cell-free biomarkers," said NASA via its official blog post.

The international space union added that there would also be Earth dust composition mapping, as well as alternative concrete testings.

SpaceX CRS-25 Cargo Mission

According to Space.Com's latest report, SpaceX's CRS-25 cargo mission will launch this June 10. The space company of Elon Musk will use its Falcon 9 rocket to send the Dragon capsule to the large orbiting laboratory.

(Photo : Photo credit should read BRUCE WEAVER/AFP via Getty Images)

Space X's Falcon 9 rocket as it lifts off from space launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, Florida June 28, 2015 with a Dragon CRS7 spacecraft. The unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, following what was meant to be a routine cargo mission to the International Space Station.

Also Read: SpaceX Commercial Spacewalk Training Now Being Prepared; All-Private Polaris Dawn To Launch This 2022

SpaceX will use Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to send its Falcon 9 spacecraft into outer space. On the other hand, here are the experiments that the new CRS-25 cargo mission will bring to the International Space Station:

Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT)

Immunosenescence investigation

ESA's Suture In Space investigation

NASA Division of Biological and Physical Sciences' DynaMoS experiment

ISS National Lab's Genes in Space-9 investigation

These are just some of the activities once SpaceX's Dragon capsule reaches ISS. You can visit this link to see their exact details.

More SpaceX Missions To Help NASA

Recently, NASA announced a new contract with SpaceX that will allow it to take advantage of more space missions from the independent agency.

The international space union will be able to use five more space launches by SpaceX. Since this is launching rockets to space is quite expensive, NASA needs to pay around an increase in its $3.5 billion contracts.

This just shows that SpaceX is growing further in the space industry. But, it still has a lot of things to do, especially since there are some issues it needs to address.

In May, experts warned that SpaceX's South Texas expansion could endanger shorebirds.

Meanwhile, the 12th SpaceX Falcon 9 mission recently happened.

For more news updates about SpaceX and its upcoming cargo resupply missions, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: SpaceX's Crew-3 Astronauts Recount Epic 6-Month Mission in Space

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple is soon set off with the WWDC 22 event in a few hours, and there is a lot of information coming in regarding the upcoming releases and announcements in the showcase by the Cupertino giant. There were many leaks regarding the upcoming event, but there are no confirmations from the company regarding it, and people are left to speculate.

Apple's WWDC 22: What to Expect on the Event?

(Photo : NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

The Apple logo is seen at the entrance of an Apple store in Washington, DC, on September 14, 2021.

There are many things to expect at the event, and users may tune in at specific times to catch these and witness them for themselves. The Verge's report focus on many things regarding the expectations of the event, especially with the many leaks and rumors surrounding the showcase.

Other tech reporters and insiders, including Mark Gurman, Ming-Chi Kuo, and other big names, also have their takes on the upcoming drops in WWDC 22.

Apple AR/VR Headset, realityOS

Apple's AR/VR headsets are a massive device that people expect from the showcase, but the leakers are not entirely convinced that the public is getting the technology in this event. The speculators said that the realityOS that will power the device's interface and software might be coming in WWDC 22, but this release has no guarantees.

MacBook Air and the M2

The MacBook Air is getting delayed, and it is because of the supply chain problems in China that plague its arrival on a regular release for the public. However, Apple may not address it in the coming event, but the company will talk about the new macOS 13, alongside the new chip that the world anticipates.

The M2 is the much-awaited Silicon chip that will power the computer for all its processes.

In addition to this, Kuo said that there would only be three standard colors for the MacBook's new releases, including gray, silver, and gold.

Read Also: Apple WWDC 2022: How to Watch Live Online

iPhone 14 and iOS 16

Apple does not bring information about its hardware to the WWDC. Still, the confirmation of new systems like the expected iOS 16 might get clues to the upcoming iPhone 14 release of the company.

Rumors are already spreading about the iPhone 14's speculation, and the device will have an upgraded RAM for its future arrival.

iPadOS 16

Lastly, one of the devices that will have an upgrade here is the company's tablets, especially with the arrival of the iPadOS 16 that comes with the iOS 16. However, the tablet's operating system is the main focus here. It would add essential features that will help users utilize more of the device, particularly with multi-tasking and using its wide screens.

Related Article: How To Recover Apple ID Password This 2022? iOS 15 Account Recovery Can Help You; Activating and Other Details

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Washington / Khartoum  US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, will travel to Sudan for five days, from June 5-9, to meet with a wide range of Sudanese stakeholders and political actors.

A press statement by the office of the spokesperson for the US Department of State says that Assistant Secretary Phee's visit is in support of the Sudanese-led process, facilitated by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), African Union (AU), and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Trilateral Mechanism, to resolve the crisis following the military coup d'etat of October 25 last year.

"While in Sudan, Assistant Secretary Phee will meet with a wide range of Sudanese stakeholders and political actors and urge them to seize the opportunity offered by the UN-AU-IGAD-facilitated process to restore the transition to democracy and economic stability, and to advance peace."

"The United States is committed to supporting the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people," the US State Department statement concludes.

As reported by Radio Dabanga last week, the appointment of an official US Ambassador to Sudan has moved one step closer after US ambassadorial candidates for Sudan and South Sudan, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, and Kenya, appeared before the US Senate committee in Washington. If John Godfrey, who has been nominated by the Biden administration to take-up the post, is appointed, he will be the first fully ranked ambassador to the country in 25 years. Sudan is currently served by a deputy ambassador.

Sudan-US relations

After a distinct thaw in US-Sudan relations following the overthrow of the Al Bashir regime and a movement toward democratic transition, relations between Washington and Khartoum have been strained following the subsequent the military coup d'etat of October 25 last year.

The USA suspended all aid to Sudan following the coup, saying that "the United States is pausing assistance from the $700 million in emergency assistance appropriations of Economic Support Funds for Sudan. Those funds were intended to support the country's democratic transition as we evaluate the next step for Sudan programming."

On May 11, the US Senate passed a draft resolution "to condemn the military coup in Sudan and support the Sudanese people," and the House of Commons also unanimously passed the non-binding resolution with a quick vote without any objections.

On March 23, the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved a draft resolution condemning the military coup in Sudan and calling on the US administration to impose sanctions on those responsible for the coup.

The draft resolution came two days after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the paramilitary Central Reserve Forces (popularly called Abu Teira) that stand under the command of the police, in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Act* on serious violations of human rights.

The Treasury listed the excessively violent repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests by the security forces as the main reason.

There have been wide calls for targeted US sanctions on the Chairman of Sudan's Sovereignty Council Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan and deputy Chairman Mohamed 'Hemeti' Dagalo for their involvement in serious human rights abuses following the coup.

In March, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on the Sudan Central Reserve Police (CRP, popularly known as Abu Tira) for serious human rights abuse yesterday. The Treasury listed the excessively violent repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests by the security forces as the main reason.

Last week, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against 'Sudan companies with links to Hamas', with one financier, Hisham Younis Yahia Qafisheh, allegedly "operating and managing at least two Sudan-based companies, Agrogate Holding and Al Rowad Real Estate Development, in order to generate revenue for the Palestinian group."

Bilateral agreement

In November 2020, Sudan and the US signed a bilateral claims settlement to resolve "default judgements and claims based on allegations that Sudan's prior regime supported acts of terrorism". According to the agreement, Sudan had to pay $335 million, on top of approximately $72 million already paid, for distribution to victims of terrorism.

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Sudan's removal from the SST list, decreed in the dying days of the Donald Trump administration, was conditional on a bilateral claims settlement signed in November 2020 to resolve "default judgements and claims based on allegations that Sudan's prior regime supported acts of terrorism". Sudan had to pay $335 million, on top of approximately $72 million already paid, for distribution to victims of terrorism.

In exchange, after payment of compensation to the families of the victims of the bombing of the destroyer USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, and the 1998 bombing of the US embassies in Dar El Salaam in Tanzania and Nairobi in Kenya, the default judgments and claims against Sudan in US courts would be dismissed, and Sudan's sovereign immunities under US law would be restored to those enjoyed by countries that have never been designated by the US as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST).

*The Global Magnitsky Act of 2016 authorises the US government to sanction foreign government officials worldwide who are deemed to be human rights offenders. Sanctions can include freezing their assets and banning them from entering the USA.
Phillips 66 is now looking to expand its electric vehicle charging stations venture, and it partners with FreeWire Technologies to bring more of its power hubs outside of Finland. The venture already proves to be a promising one as it has more than 100 locations in the Nordic country, with plans to bring more to other countries, starting with the United States.

Phillips 66, FreeWire to Bring EV Charging Stations to the US

(Photo : Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

The driver of an electric Tesla car looks to the mobile phone to unlock the public charging station on October 29, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin, along with most of Germany's large cities, is seeking to vigorously expand its number of public electric car charging stations both to meet growing demand and to meet environmental goals.

According to a press release by Phillips 66, the company intends to bring its EV charging stations to the United States, and it partnered with FreeWire Technologies to make it possible. The companies are joining forces to solidify their venture towards bringing their charging station program to the United States from its operations in Finland.

Pam McGinnis, Vice President, Global Marketing at Phillips 66, said that "With EV adoption growing, Phillips 66 is working with FreeWire to bring consumers electric fueling stations that meet their expectations for high-speed, on-the-go charging."

There are massive plans in place for Phillips 66, and its enormous corporation aims to use its resources built in the country to expand on its charging venture.

Read Also: Car Tire Creates More Pollution Than Vehicle Exhaust, Claims Experts; Tips On How To Maintain Your Wheels

Phillips 66: 100 New Locations in Finland to Charge EVs

Additionally, Clean Technica reports that Phillips 66 has already opened its new charging stations in Finland as part of its program toward clean energy. The company brought numerous charging stations, with 100 recent locations in the country, in addition to the existing ones that came before.

FreeWire's Boost charger will fulfill its promises on the other end, promising rapid charging features that will cut the waiting time for the EVs to fill their batteries in every charge.

EV and the Charging Stations for Continued Mobility

Many companies do not produce their electric vehicles but are looking into bringing charging stations to their many locations or startups that want to get power for all. One of the most promising candidates here is the Seven-Eleven Corporation which aims to bring more than 500 charging stations to North America by the end of the year.

However, many of the charging stations available globally are from their automakers that either go on the venture alone or partner with entities to bring their power supplies to the cars. Tesla is famous for its Supercharger stations, and it still wants to expand more with the help of the US government for more infrastructures for heavy-duty purposes.

Other companies are also extending their hands on these kinds of issues. There are many problems that it aims to focus on, especially with answering the overcrowding on certain stations. Phillips 66 and FreeWire are looking to bring more to the public, and it will help in the transition from ICE cars to electric vehicles in the future.

Related Article: Stellantis Pleads Guilty to Diesel Emissions Fraud, to Pay $300M for Violating the Clean Air Act

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elon Musk says Tesla's Full Self Driving or FSD Beta, which has yet to roll out in the European region, is inching closer to its release, sort of.

While the Tesla FSD Beta is already available in the United States, its EV owners in Europe are still patiently waiting for its arrival. It comes, no thanks to the stricter rules of the European Union that the giant carmaker has to subscribe to.

(Photo : ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images )

Tesla CEO Elon Musk uses his mobile device as he sits in the car arriving to the construction site for the new plant, the so-called "Giga Factory", of US electric carmaker Tesla in Gruenheide near Berlin, northeastern Germany.

So, the FSD Beta of Tesla is taking some time to reach its customers in the region, lagging from the North American region, as per a news story by The Street.

That said, Tesla drivers in Europe have been asking this question: When is FSD Beta finally coming here?

Elon Musk on Tesla Full Self Driving in Europe

The Chief Executive Officer and founder of Tesla himself has good news for customers of the EV maker in Europe, giving them a brighter hope that FSD is nearing its rollout in the region.

According to a recent report by Tesla North, no less than the tech entrepreneur, Musk, responded to a query of a Twitter user, asking about the timeline of the release of FSD Beta in Europe.

The wealthiest man in the world and CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX might have giant roles in his two disruptive tech firms, but he still finds time to be active on his favorite social media platform, Twitter.

Musk is fond of sharing his spicy takes on various topics on Twitter. Aside from his opinion, the Tesla and SpaceX boss also gives its fans the latest news and updates.

Previously, the tech CEO also used his Twitter account to announce that the FSD BEta in Europe is likely rolling out sometime in the summer.

This time Around, the mega-rich billionaire gave Tesla fans in Europe good news about its development of the FSD Beta.

Read Also: Tesla's CEO Elon Musk Confirms IDRA Group's 9,000-Ton Giga Casting Machine is for the Cybertruck Unibody Shell

Tesla Full Self Driving in Europe

A Twitter user asked the official account of Musk for updates on the EU regulation version of the self-driving software of the giant EV maker.

(Photo : Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The inside of a Tesla vehicle is viewed as it sits parked in a new Tesla showroom and service center in Red Hook, Brooklyn on July 5, 2016 in New York City.

The owner of Tesla himself responded to the tweet, saying that the FSD software version for EU regulators is nearing its final form.

Musk bares that FSD Beta is already" close to the point where offering something for EU regulators to review makes sense."

So, it appears that the self-driving tech of Tesla is inching closer to a version that's ready for the EU regulators.

We are close to the point where offering something for EU regulators to review makes sense  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2022

Related Article: What is it Like to Work in Tesla? Elon Musk Says 'No Ivory Tower Stuff,' Everyone Are Workers

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
For more than 130 million Americans, living with a chronic illness is a reality that can have harsh impacts on their daily lives. Although many chronic illnesses are treatable, finding appropriate treatment plans that suit complex individual needs can be as complicated and painful as living with the illness itself. This phenomenon of delayed or inadequate treatment measures is known as therapeutic inertia, and it impacts more people than you think.

DreaMed Diabetes is creating medical technology to alleviate therapeutic inertia for patients living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. An incredibly common chronic illness, diabetes affects around 1 in every 10 Americans, and roughly 90-95% of cases are type 2, a genetically predisposed condition.

Up to 50% of patients living with type 2 diabetes experience therapeutic inertia, which can lead to debilitating or even fatal consequences. Since 2014, DreaMed's goal has been to close this troubling treatment gap and improve the quality of life for the millions of people affected by diabetes. The company's efforts are centered around providing personalized treatment options based on artificial intelligence and glucose-monitoring data from patients. Endo.digital by DreaMed is the first FDA-cleared decision support system of its kind. The program assists doctors in creating individualized treatment plans with data provided by patients and medical devices.

DreaMed's guiding principle is that healthcare is not a "one size fits all" practice, and using the same solutions for every patient regardless of their response or the severity of their case is ineffective. Patients can use endo.digital to upload data from their glucose monitors or meters and insulin delivery devices. Care providers can then easily administer any treatment changes based on the AI algorithm powering endo.digital. Patients can use their updated treatment plans to receive an immediate insulin injection recommendation on their mobile phones at any time.

Technology like endo.digital is vital in addressing type 2 diabetes therapeutic inertia. Already, it can take up to 7 years to properly adjust treatment plans and dosage for patients with chronic illnesses. As diabetes can cause degenerative complications, such large periods of inadequate care can be incredibly detrimental. This is an especially important gap to address in the United States, which has a high rate of diagnoses for diabetes.

In southern states like Louisiana and Georgia, diabetes costs their state medical systems 5.7 and 11 billion dollars annually, respectively. With a diagnosis rate that exceeds the national average, the ineffective treatment creates an even heavier burden on care providers and a disproportionate number of patients. Using technology that can provide instant relief and changes to treatment can help ease the weight of treating such a widely spread illness.

Leveraging artificial technology can address the unique needs of diabetes patients without medical system backlogs that stall treatments and add stress. Like with any illness, external factors like weight, cardiovascular health, and environmental stressors all greatly impact the different types of data used for analysis to determine the treatment needed for each patient. DreaMed takes this challenge in stride to improve how patients have their unique needs addressed.

On June 3-7, New Orleans is hosting the 82nd Scientific Session for the American Diabetes Association (ADA). This conference brings the best and brightest in diabetes research and cares to meet and discuss advancements in an area plagued by the illness. Visitors can discover DreaMed's technology at the conference up close and personal. With the potential to impact millions of lives for the better, DreaMed's appearance at the conference is a first step to implementing a key advancement in the wide-scale treatment of diabetes therapeutic inertia.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Stealing intellectual property from a company is punishable by law since the involved organization/person is putting the firm at risk. When it comes to trade secrets, confidential information should be safely kept from potential thieves.

According to the new report, that's what happened to ASML, a Dutch manufacturer which is known for creating the high-end chips in the world. The suspect who allegedly stole the chip technology from the firm is reportedly staying now in China.

ASML Pressed Charges Against IP Theft

(Photo : EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)

An engineer who previously worked at ASML has reportedly stolen the chip technology from the company.

Amid the continuous semiconductor shortage, many tech companies have struggled in production because of the limited resources. Apart from that, some of them could not keep up with the surging demand for chips.

Per Bloomberg's report, ASML has pressed charges against a Chinese tech firm that allegedly stole its trade secrets. This particular company is believed to be one of the contributing companies for chip production in the country.

The article says that Dongfang Jingyuan Electron Ltd, a firm based in Beijing, is closely tied with Xtal Inc. ASML used the latter to steal its IP.

To bring light to the issue, it was found out that Dongfang and Xtal were just the same company under two different guises. The 2018 California trial said that Zongchang Yu, an engineer who previously worked at ASML, was the mastermind behind this merge.

In a similar report from Bloomberg, the goal of the culprit is to retrieve the technology from ASML. Later, the IP will be transferred to China.

ASML's attorney said that Yu is bringing the "secret" to the country to contribute to the development of the chip industry. As we know, the semiconductor business is heavily dominated by Western firms.

Based on the transcripts of the proceedings, the engineer was even involved in the two-million heist of source codes from ASML. The software was distributed to both Dongfang and Xtal employees based in China and the United States.

According to ASML's lead attorney Patrick Ryan, this scenario is not an accident. He said that this splot intentionally aims to steal the technology so the Chinese government would benefit.

Related Article: Apple Sues Rivos, a Chip Startup that Allegedly Stole Employees, Trade Secrets from the Big Tech

China is Not a 'Semiconductor' Country

While China excels in gaming, aerospace, and military technology, the country lags in producing advanced chips. Following President Joe Biden's decision to impose stricter regulations on SMIC, the shipment of the semiconductors just became much harder.

According to Tech Times, China has the potential to catch up with foreign chip makers. Unfortunately, it will still need some tools coming from its foreign competitors.

Elsewhere, Reuters previously reported that in Taiwan, 10 Chinese firms were reportedly caught red-handed following their unlawful operations. The involved companies were engaging in illegal poaching.

According to the authorities, the firms have been operating in Taiwan without approval.

Read Also: EVGA Graphics Card Shipments Are Reportedly Stolen in California | Here's the Bad News Behind This

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Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Baringo  Baringo County is awaiting approval from United Nations, Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to have a first Geopark in Kenya.

Governor Stanley Kiptis who spoke at Kabarnet National Museums grounds in Baringo Central thanked residents who have already, willingly surrendered their land for expansion of tourism activities and wildlife conservation.

Kiptis called for the process to be hastened with the support of all stakeholders and at the same time, urged residents to give ample time to a team of experts who are validating tourism sites in the county.

He said that the region is endowed with natural resources like archeological sites especially in Baringo North, South and Tiaty sub counties that need to be safeguarded.

"I am challenging residents who are reluctant to kindly support the sector since it is important not only to the county but to Kenya and beyond."

Governor Kiptis said his administration has put in place a framework to effect policies and projects that includes Lake Bogoria and Lake Baringo management plans, recruitment of community conservancy rangers across nine community conservancies and creation of new wildlife conservancies like Kaborion in Bartabwa ward.

He noted that the tourism department has gone a notch higher to brand and market Baringo products such as the Ushanga initiative and Baringo honey overseas which has improved the livelihoods of residents through creation of jobs.

The county boss stated that the Baringo has a high potential for unexploited minerals as well as sustainable and renewable energy sources which the county government is seeking to partner with national government and other organizations to exploit to boost the economy.

County Commissioner, Abdirisack Jaldesa, reiterated the need for communities in the county to preserve their unique cultures and diverse traditions which defines the region in the global map.

Jaldesa noted that if the diverse natural resources within Baringo are properly tapped, it can eradicate poverty and hunger which is a concern in the county. - Kna
Khartoum  The AU-IGAD-UNITAMS Trilateral Mechanism has condemned the killing of a protester during Friday's rallies commemorating the third anniversary of the violent dispersal of the General Command sit-in in 2019. The statement comes after the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors reported the death of a 20-year-old demonstrator in Khartoum, who was participating in the commemorations of what has become known as the 2019 June 3 Massacre.

"The Trilateral Mechanism recalls the need for a conducive environment for a political process in Sudan which, among other elements, consists of respect of the right to peaceful assembly.

"The Trilateral Mechanism has previously welcomed the lifting of the State of Emergency and encouraged authorities to continue taking further steps that ensure the protection of the rights to peaceful assembly and expression."

In its statement, the Mechanism also reiterates that use of excessive force is not a solution and calls on authorities to cease using it against protesters and ensure accountability for all violations committed since the 25 October coup.

During a meeting on Wednesday between the Trilateral Mechanism and the 'Military Quartet Committee', represented by Vice President of the Sovereignty Council, Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemeti', Lt Gen Shamseldin El Kabashi and, Lt Gen Ibrahim Jaber, the mechanism pre-emptively recognised the potential of "unnecessary use of force against peaceful protestors" at Friday's demonstrations.

The Trilateral Mechanism called on the authorities to "respect and protect the right to peaceful assembly", in order to ensure "conducive conditions" for the talks going forward. Also calling on all parties commemorating the event, to "uphold peaceful means".
The boyfriend who sent me a text message "I'll wait for you"... He was a murderer who murdered his girlfriend and buried him in the dark
Khartoum  The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) has issued a sharp response to remarks made at a press conference by Sudan's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali El Sadig, and Undersecretary, Ambassador Nader Yousef El Tayeb, that expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance of UNITAMS, and demanded that it fully carry out its mandate and fulfil its obligations.

In an extended rebuttal, UNITAMS says that "on Thursday, May 19, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release about its assessment of the performance of UNITAMS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs preceded the issue of the press release by organising a press conference addressed by the Sudan's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali El Sadig, and Undersecretary, Ambassador Nader Yousef El Tayeb. In their press conference as well as press release, the representatives of the military authorities expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance of UNITAMS, and demanded that it fully carry out its mandate and fulfil its obligations, including facilitating peacebuilding, assisting in providing the requirements for a political transition, and mobilising the necessary resources, in accordance with the four objectives contained in the UN Security Council Resolution 2524/2020."

The UNITAMS statement lists the military coup d'etat of October 25 last year, the deep complications in the political scene in Sudan, and the overt and covert hostility towards UNITAMS by the counter-revolutionary forces and opponents of the transition to democratic civilian rule, as well as some political forces that support the democratic transition but refrain from cooperating with the mission for ideological reasons.

'If the Sudanese stakeholders do not show the desire and ability to find national solutions to the country's multiple problems, no other foreign party will be able to play that role, no matter how much efforts and resources they spend... '

The rebuttal concludes: "Finding acceptable and consensual national solutions to Sudan's intractable political, economic and security problems is the responsibility of the political parties and the civil society forces, provided that the state's military and security agencies remain neutral and play their professional role as stipulated by law without interfering in the political process to direct, sabotage or stop it. The military and security agencies should also move away from total control of the economy and focus on relevant strategic industries. If the Sudanese stakeholders, including the military and security institutions, do not show the desire and ability to find national solutions to the country's multiple problems, no other foreign party will be able to play that role, no matter how much efforts and resources they spend.

"The military coup d'etat against the government of Abdallah Hamdok and the consequent serious deterioration in all aspects of life in Sudan as well as the country's growing international isolation and the reluctance of international financial institutions to provide financial resources, and freezing promised debt relief and external financial financing, are some of the strong reasons for the presence of UNITAMS. Such presence and efforts are key for the return of the transition to democratic civilian rule on its right track thus mobilising and ensuring the flow of international development assistance and humanitarian support for Sudan. The first step in this direction is to accelerate the joint efforts of UNITAMS, the African Union and the IGAD countries, to create conditions that enable the Sudanese parties to form a credible civilian-led government which enjoys recognition and trust of the Sudanese people."

Previous criticism

The mission has previously faced criticism from the Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In March this year, as retort to UNITAMS head Volker Perthes's briefing to the UN Security Council the Ministry said that UNITAMS "should focus on the other basic aspects of its mandate, instead of focusing most of its activities on only the political side". Critics in Sudan derided this as "a desperate attempt to tame the UN mission".

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Mandate extended

Last week, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) extended the mandate of UNITAMS) until June 3, 2023. The decision passed by the UNSC in New York extends the initial UNITAMS mandate, which is due to expire on June 3, 2022, until June 3 2023 "as contained in paragraph 3 of resolution 2579 (2021)".

UNITAMS was established in June 2020 with stated objectives "to assist Sudan in its transition towards democratic governance, provide support for peace negotiations and bolster efforts to maintain accountable Rule of Law and security institutions".

This occurred as the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) completed its drawdown exercise on 30 June 2021, as stipulate in UN Security Council resolution 2559 (2020), which ended the Mission's mandate.
An advocacy group, Compass for New Nigeria (CNN), has appealed to leaders of Southern Nigeria to support former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as its consensus candidate for the office of the president.

In a statement by its leader, Toluwalade George, and titled: "Appealing to the Conscience of Southern Leaders", the group said the journey so far has proven that there was never a time that the south suffered dearth of materials for leadership, but what has always been the problem was who to choose from the array often presented.

According to the group, President Muhammadu Buhari's decision that the south should go and consult and revert, was a blank cheque that they must not be misused otherwise the opportunity could elude them for a long time, saying supporting Amaechi makes the best of sense.

"Let's start from his experience, no one currently in the race has his experience. He was speaker for eight years and also chairman of speakers for eight years. He was governor for eight years and also chairman of governors for eight years. He was Buhari's DG for two terms and minister for over seven years.

"So, without prejudice or ethnic sentiments, who again amongst the lot has that experience? Or shall we throw away such staggering experience on the altar of primordial sentiments? We recall former US President, Barack Obama, describing such a situation as the age of anti-intellectualism.

"Like Obama rightly stated, if we want to build houses, we call the best of engineers. To hire drivers, we get the most experienced. To fly a plane, we get the certified pilots to do it. Even in school, we get qualified teachers to teach our children; we ask of the services of very qualified lawyers and doctors in peculiar situations, yet, when it comes to politics and governance, we would rather the worst of us. Isn't that sickening?

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"Let's talk about performance, as governor, Amaechi made Rivers a huge construction site. His policies in education still stand out. As DG, he got Buhari into office twice and as minister, the one thing that the Buhari administration can boast of today, is in the revolution currently ongoing in the railway sector. How do you campaign without an Amaechi in the forefront and subject matter? These issues are too simplistic to ignore.

"Above all, he is young, energetic, progressive in ideas and very futuristic. There could not have been a better person at a most auspicious time than Amaechi. He is honest, trustworthy and dependable. He does not lie or backstab people. He knows Nigeria and his friends are across the length and breadth of the country."

The group therefore, called on the Southern leaders, especially, the South-south leaders to reflect deeply and rally one of their own, Amaechi and at the same time, be part of history that would change the cause of the country for good. "The South-south leaders must see the situation for what it is and the opportunity that might be long in coming. They should engage their counterparts in other parts of the south and get this movement on track. Amaechi is a material that is not only fit for the job but will deliver and do everyone proud, ultimately," the group explained.
Lead character, right, played by Southeastern Louisiana University student Ross Chauvin, walking the streets of Hammond at night followed by a mysterious character, left, played by Brennan Miller, in the student short film 'The Overthinker.' The films director, Southeastern student John Austin Williams, was honored by the Suncoast Emmys of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with a Student Production Award in the director category.
Plans to create a museum in the old Dew Drop Inn in New Orleans received authorization from the state Legislature on Sunday, along with $1 million in funding.

The money will pay for the initial engineering and architectural work and to hire a staffer to start the project, said Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, and a self-described fan of the early rock n roll period in the 1950s and 1960s in New Orleans that featured the Dew Drop Inn.

Magee sponsored House Bill 889, approved unanimously Sunday, which creates the museum under the lieutenant governors office. He also put $1 million into the budget separately.

+3 Was rock 'n' roll born in Memphis or New Orleans? A new museum would make Louisiana's case Touching his inner musical nerd, House Speaker Pro Tem Tanner Magee took the first step Wednesday in a long cherished personal goal of creatin

Its modeled on the Stax Museum in Memphis, Magee said. They were able to leverage federal, state and local dollars to build a school for disadvantaged kids, a music studio and museum celebrating Memphis music."

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Black musicians stayed and performed at the Dew Drop, a hotel and nightclub on LaSalle Street, from the 1940s until it closed in the 1970s.

Little Richard, Ray Charles, James Brown, Ike & Tina Turner are among the artists who performed at the Dew Drop Inn in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, at a time when New Orleans operated under segregation laws that prohibited racial mixing. It closed in 1972.

The Dew Drop Inn is being renovated as a boutique hotel and music venue. Magee hopes to use that redevelopment and the new museum as anchor of a revitalization of the area. Magee also argues that New Orleans  not Memphis  deserves the title of Birthplace of Rock n Roll. He points out that Fats Domino recorded "The Fat Man" in 1949, two years before Ike Turners Rocket 88 was cut at Memphis' Sun Records studio.

Plans for the museum are getting off the ground, Magee said. Once they do, private dollars will come in. The idea is to celebrate New Orleans contributions to rock n roll and bring in tourism dollars.
A federal judge has ordered Louisianas Republican-dominated Legislature, which overpowered the states Democratic governor to enact a congressional map favorable to the GOP, to redraw the map to add a second majority-Black district.

The ruling by Chief Judge Shelly Dick, of the U.S. Middle District of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, blocks Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin  the defendant in the case  from holding congressional elections under the new map drawn by the GOP lawmakers earlier this year.

The ruling delivered a victory to the governor, voting rights groups and Democrats who fought to get another majority-Black district, which would be drawn to connect parts of Baton Rouge to Mississippi Delta parishes in north Louisiana.

But the win could be short-lived. Republican legislative leaders expressed confidence the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is stacked with conservative judges, will swiftly move to block the ruling by Dick, an appointee of President Barack Obama. Ardoin, along with Republican legislative leaders and Attorney General Jeff Landry, both of whom intervened in the case, had already appealed the case by the close of business Monday.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a press conference Monday evening that he would swiftly call a special legislative session for legislators to come back to Baton Rouge to do what is required by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act  its required by basic fairness and math  thats to come in and redo the districts.

Ardoins office and Senate President Page Cortez both declined to comment on the ruling. Landry tweeted, We believe she erred in her decision and have filed a notice of appeal. We look forward to the 5th Circuit halting the ruling!

Congressional redistricting ruling Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick ruling on congressional redistricting

Dick told legislators to draw a map compliant with Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act by June 20. She wrote that the court would step in if the Legislature failed to draw a new map that complies with federal law.

Louisiana has unusually late congressional elections: Its midterm elections for Congress are scheduled for November, with potential runoffs in December. Dicks ruling noted legislators could redraw the map in mid-June and still have roughly five weeks to notify voters before qualifying for midterms in late July, echoing arguments made by the plaintiffs. Qualifying for congressional elections is July 20-21.

Voting-rights advocates had challenged the GOP-drawn maps, which favored White candidates in five of six congressional districts, maintaining a status quo where U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, is the only Democrat and only Black congressman. Edwards, a Democrat, vetoed the maps, arguing they are not representative of a state in which nearly one in three people is African American and where Black population rose faster than White population over the last decade. Edwards argued that two of the states six members to the U.S. House should come from districts in which Black candidates had a strong chance of winning.

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One of the plaintiffs, Edgar Cage, a New Orleans voter and organizer with the advocacy group Together Louisiana, said: Im not surprised because the Census speaks for itself, and the reason for the Census is to reflect populations and give groups a chance to elect a candidate of their choice.

The court proceedings arent over, said state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, the Slidell Republican who as chair of the Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee played a large role in how the new maps were drawn. Well let the process continue to work. I assume her ruling will be appealed.

Republican leaders in the state House also expected the 5th Circuit to quickly step in to stay the decision.

If the ruling is upheld, Republicans, who hold a near-supermajority in the Legislature, could potentially lose a seat in Congress to Democrats. Plaintiffs in the case are seeking another majority-Black district that would encompass parts of Baton Rouge and connect to Mississippi River Delta parishes in northeast Louisiana, an area currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, of Start.

Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley, who led the map-making in the state House earlier this year, said Monday he wasnt surprised by the ruling. But he expects a different result at the appellate level.

I would think the 5th Circuit would expedite this and make a quick ruling seeing as we have qualifying in a month and a half, Stefanski said.

The lawsuit argues that the new map passed by the Legislature continues Louisianas long history of maximizing political power for White citizens by disenfranchising and discriminating against Black Louisianans. It notes that while Black residents make up 31.2% of the states voting age population, Black voters control only around 17% of the states congressional districts. Meanwhile, White voters, who make up 58% of the population, form a majority in 83%  or five of six  districts.

Decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court established a three-part test to determine whether a districting plan violates Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act. First, plaintiffs must prove that the minority population is sufficiently large and geographically compact to support a map with a second majority-minority district.

Next, they must prove that Black voters are politically cohesive and that White voters tend to vote as a bloc to defeat candidates preferred by Black voters. In essence, the courts are asking whether voting is racially polarized, or in simpler terms, whether Black and White voters in Louisiana consistently vote differently.

Rep. Sam Jenkins of Shreveport, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, said: Im elated and relieved that the court saw evidence on the merits that suggests this state should draw a map that contains at least two Black congressional districts.
New Louisiana State Representative Vanessa Caston LaFleur, D-Baton Rouge, smiles at fellow Representatives from the back of the House Chamber after being introduced to them at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, Monday, March 28, 2022. Caston LaFleur was elected March 26 to represent District 101, filling the seat left open by Ted James, who was appointed by President Joe Biden's administration to be a regional administrator for the Small Business Administration. In January 2021, LaFleur retired as the Director of the Tax Policy Division for the Louisiana Department of Revenue.
A bill that would allow second and third graders reading below grade level to leave public schools and take $5,400 in annual state aid with them won final approval Monday.

The proposal, Senate Bill 203, passed the Senate 24-7.

The House endorsed it 97-0 a few minutes later, shortly before adjournment of the nearly three-month session.

However, Gov. John Bel Edwards said shortly after adjournment that he has major reservations about the measure, which could signal that a veto is coming. "I have a long history as governor and eight years in the Legislature of not taking money from public schools and investing it in private schools, parochial schools, home schools," Edwards told reporters.

Push to remake public schools on legislative agenda: 'Intended to empower parents' Ten years after the Louisiana Legislature approved sweeping changes in public schools, a new drive is underway that would allow students to op

The plan is the second approved that allows for the creation of education savings accounts, which families could access so their students could attend private school or pursue other education options.

After the Senate approved it earlier the House essentially tacked on two related bills that were killed last week in the Senate Finance Committee.

+2 Push to aid students who are bullied, trapped in problem schools dies in key Senate committee Two House-passed bills to aid students who are bullied, sexually assaulted, or who are stuck in troubled public schools were killed Wednesday 

One of those changes would allow the accounts for children in military families, foster children and students unable to transfer out of D- and F-rated schools.

The other applied to students who are bullied and sexually assaulted.

State Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, sponsor of the bill, said both House changes were removed from the legislation during House and Senate negotiations.

"We are keeping this bill clean and it is focused only on the literacy component for the ESA," Hewitt told the Senate.

Edwards said he has promised to meet with Hewitt before he acts on her legislation.

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The accounts are legal in eight states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Hewitt's measure is the second of its kind to win final approval.

On Sunday the Legislature endorsed another plan  House Bill 194  to allow the accounts for students with exceptionalities.

It too could face a veto and was sponsored by Rep. Rhonda Butler, R-Ville Platte.

Lawmaker shelves bill that would let students leave public schools, pursue other options The sponsor of a bill that would allow public school students to use taxpayer dollars to leave and pursue a private school education or other 

Backers said the accounts give families more options to ensure their children are educated.

"Parents of kids with disabilities know their child's needs best and an ESA will allow them to create a customized educational program in consultation with their doctor," Daniel Erspamer, CEO of The Pelican Institute for Public Policy, said in a statement.

The group says it advocates for individual liberty and free enterprise.

Kaleb Moore, director of government affairs for the American Federation of Children, praised the approval of both bills.

"House Bill 194 and Senate Bill 203 will empower parents of children with exceptionalities and those behind in reading to make the best educational choices for their children," Moore said in a statement.

The AFC is the state's leading advocate for school vouchers, which allows children from low-income families to transfer out of troubled public schools and apply state aid to private school tuition.

Opponents said education savings accounts amount to another form of school vouchers, which they say have failed to deliver on the promises made they were authorized.

Legislation that would allow all public school students to qualify for education savings accounts was shelved earlier in the session.
press release

A successful meeting of a subgroup of WHO's Global Task Force on TB Impact Measurement was held in Geneva on 11-12 May. This important meeting focused on an up-to-date review of methods used by WHO to produce TB disease burden estimates. The meeting brought together experts in statistics, modelling and epidemiology from academia, government institutions from high TB burden countries, other technical partners and funding bodies.

Two major topics were covered at this 2022 meeting, contributing to one of the Task Force's strategic areas of work:

1. Methods for producing estimates of TB incidence and mortality in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

2. Methods for producing estimates of the incidence of drug-resistant TB, with a focus on estimates of the incidence of rifampicin resistance.

The updated methods will be used to produce estimates of disease burden to be published in WHO's Global TB Report in October 2022, providing a comprehensive picture of the latest situation and recent trends at national, regional and global levels.

About the WHO Global Task Force on TB Impact Measurement

The WHO Global Task Force on TB Impact Measurement was established within WHO's Global TB Programme (GTB) in 2006, with the TB monitoring, evaluation and strategic information (TME) unit in GTB acting as the secretariat. In the context of WHO's End TB Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Task Force's mission is to:

Ensure that assessments of progress towards End TB Strategy and SDG targets and milestones at global, regional and country levels are rigorous, robust and consensus-based; and

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Guide, promote and support the analysis and use of TB surveillance and survey data for policy, planning and programmatic action.

The work of the Task Force focuses on four strategic areas:

Strengthening surveillance - this includes national systems for TB surveillance (for direct measurement of TB incidence) and national vital registration (VR) systems (for direct measurement of the number of deaths caused by TB);

Priority studies to periodically measure TB disease burden - these include (but are not limited to) national TB prevalence surveys, drug resistance surveys and surveys of costs faced by TB patients and their households;

Periodic review of methods used by WHO to produce estimates of the burden of TB disease; and

Analysis and use of TB surveillance and survey data at country level.

More information on the Task Force is available in the online brochure.
Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission
Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, is the sponsor of a bill that would gradually generate about $54 million per year to help build a new bridge in Baton Rouge across the Mississippi River.

talks with Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, during a discussion in the Senate on the constitutionality of the upcoming special veto override session, just before adjournment for the day in that body at the State Legislature in Baton Rouge, Monday, March 28, 2022.
Members of the NOPD look at a gun that was used in a shooting that killed one person and injured two others outside of the Xavier University convocation center just after a Morris Jeff Community School graduation had taken place in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 31, 2022. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
WWII veteran, Robert Lowry, 94, tips his hat as he is recognized during the Dr. Hal Baumgarten D-Day Commemoration Ceremony and Program at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans on Sunday, June 6, 2021. The program was one of the many events at the museum Sunday commemorating the 77th Anniversary of D-Day and 21st birthday of the museum. It also was the return of in-person commemoration events for the museum. (Photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $US44 billion ($61 billion) bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated on Monday (US time), and Twitter disclosed it in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

If Musk walks away, he could be on the hook for a $US1 billion breakup fee. Credit:AP

The letter says Musk has repeatedly asked for the information since May 9, about a month after his offer to buy the company, so he could evaluate how many of the companys 229 million accounts are fake.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said that Twitter has consistently estimated that fewer than 5 per cent of its accounts are fake. But Musk has disputed that, contending in a May tweet that 20 per cent or more are bogus.
press release

At the 75th World Health Assembly, delegates discussed progress made on the Strategic Action Plan on Polio Transition and reiterated their support for the way forward towards stronger, more resilient health systems.

The session on polio transition planning and polio post-certification took place against a backdrop of efforts to bolster essential immunization following COVID-19 and strengthen health systems to respond to outbreaks. Polio transition, which aims to repurpose the polio network and assets for wider public health, is a key tool to sustain vital capacity in polio-free countries to strengthen national health systems.

At the start of 2022, in a major step forward towards integrated health systems, over fifty polio-free countries transitioned from Global Polio Eradication Initiative support. WHO continues to provide technical assistance to these countries to sustain polio gains and to assist progress on broader health priorities, especially essential immunization, disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and response and primary health care.

Member State interventions emphasised the importance of continued close collaboration between the WHO and its partners to ensure that eradication and transition go hand in hand. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, underlined this during his address to the Assembly, stating, "Over fifty countries have transitioned out of the support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. We have proven that eradication and transition can, and must, go hand in hand. Each of us have a challenge ahead... for countries that are now polio-free, it is crucial to accelerate efforts to use the polio assets and infrastructure to build stronger and more resilient health systems."

Member States praised efforts to integrate polio eradication with other public health efforts, including thorough innovative approaches such as the introduction of Integrated Public Health Teams. Member States also emphasized the need to integrate and sustain sensitive surveillance systems for polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases, and strengthen essential immunization to reach under or un-immunized children. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, noted, "The transition from polio to integrated public health has been initiated, with core surveillance capacities being maintained in all our countries."

The World Health Assembly also took note of the Mid-Term Evaluation of the Strategic Action Plan on Polio Transition. The WHO's management response to the Mid-Term Evaluation will help pave the way for the next chapter, by making the necessary adjustments to implement transition effectively in a changed public health context following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Director-General and Regional Directors concluded their statements with a call to action. The passing of a resolution on the sustainable financing of WHO earlier in the World Health Assembly marks an important step towards retaining polio assets. Nonetheless, concerted efforts are needed to ensure that these essential functions can be sustained in the long-term, through predicable donor and domestic financing.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa stated, "This is a critical year for transition, and I urge Member States to step up their efforts, including through political commitment and domestic funding. We have a collective opportunity and responsibility to leverage the polio gains for integrated public health."

WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari said, "We urge Member States to support this integration, mobilize resources, and ensure national ownership and sustainable domestic financing to fast-track polio transition. It is only through collective action and accountability at the national, regional and global levels that we will succeed."

The Director-General Dr Tedros emphasised the importance of continued commitment to sustain the polio functions. "For all partners and donors, please help us seize the moment to raise predictable funding for eradication and transition."
Victorias hospitals were already showing cracks before the COVID pandemic, but they are now straining under unprecedented demand as they struggle to retain burnt-out staff and recruit adequately trained replacements.

While alarmist claims about the state of our health system are nothing new, the evidence that has emerged in recent months is troubling. How long would you expect to wait for a bed in emergency? An hour or two? Try nine or 10 at the Royal Melbourne, according to emergency department director Mark Putland, who told The Age even a 20-hour wait is not unheard of. There have been reports of seriously ill patients arriving by ambulance being left on a stretcher to wait for a bed, Aisha Dow wrote in May, and thousands of triple-zero calls have not been answered in time.

Some patients have waited up to 20 hours in the emergency department, according to Royal Melbourne Hospitals Mark Putland. Credit:Joe Armao

As our hospitals become more crowded on the inside, the queue builds up outside. Victorias elective surgery waiting list is approaching 90,000, and there is a flood of patients whose care has been delayed.

Professor John Wilson, the outgoing president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, left The Alfred hospital last month after 30 years of service, declaring he could not keep working in a system where we are not able to deliver top-quality care with limited resources when staff are being burnt out to the point of beyond exhaustion.
Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro has been awarded $715,000 in his high-profile defamation case against Google after a judge found he was subjected to a relentless and vicious campaign of cyberbullying that led him to resign from politics prematurely.

Barilaro sued the internet giant, which owns YouTube, and political commentator Jordan Shanks in the Federal Court last year over two videos published on the Friendlyjordies channel in 2020 accusing him of corruption.

Former NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro leaves the Federal Court on Monday. Credit:Jessica Hromas

The first video, bruz, focused on Barilaro for more than 26 minutes and was filmed inside his investment property in the NSW Southern Highlands. The second, Secret Dictatorship, made passing reference to him.

Google agreed the videos defamed Barilaro by wrongfully suggesting he was a corrupt conman who committed perjury, should be jailed for perjury, corruptly gave $3.3 million to a beef company, corruptly voted against a royal commission into water theft, blackmailed councillors and pocketed millions of dollars stolen from a council.
Nuclear option, when it comes, will still not make sense Even avid proponents of nuclear power recognise the cost and time required to build large nuclear plants make them prohibitive. As for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Nick OMalley correctly states they sound great but do not yet exist (Old and costly, nuclear has loyal friends, June 6). The most consistent fact about the building of nuclear plants is that they are never built on time and always run over budget. SMRs will be deployed in 2029 at the earliest, by which time advances in renewables with energy storage will have made nuclear power even more uneconomic than it is today. - Peter Nash, Fairlight Perhaps Peter Dutton, his opposition climate spokesperson and other nuclear proponents should read Nick OMalleys excellent article on the fantasy of nuclear power. We now have the spectre of opposition MPs claiming that SMRs are the future. But as Mr OMalley states, they do not even exist yet. And dont get me started on the cost of this fantasy! - John Nelson, Mudgee Energy Minister Chris Bowen has declared hes not ruling anything out in addressing the current gas crisis (Not ruling anything out: gas crisis meeting, June 6). Hopefully, this does not include the expansion of the gas industry. As NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean so aptly states: the best course of action to drive down energy prices is to transition to newer technology. Emissions from recently approved ventures such as Woodsides Scarborough project will make it very difficult for Labor to achieve its 43 per cent target, experts say. Labor came to government promising voters strong action on climate. - Anne OHara, Wanniassa (ACT) It would seem to me that large fossil fuel companies have swum against the tide of national opinion by continuing to pollute at will and paying very little in tax. They will send our resources overseas, instead of supporting families and local manufacturers, to cash-in on ridiculous global gas prices. Why wont these companies make an effort to improve their reputations by forgoing these super profits and supporting the nation that gives them access to their resources? They have a lot of political capital to gain by prioritising Australians in our time of need. - Matt Neenan, Wallagoot

The cost of energy is going up, and through Services NSW our state government is offering Band-Aids to slow the haemorrhaging of low-income household wallets. Meanwhile, the hope for well-designed, comfortable, energy-efficient housing and neighbourhoods went out the window with the dumping of the draft Design & Place State Environmental Planning Policy. Developers breathe a sigh of relief while those who can least afford it feel the sting of being ripped off. - Sandra Chrystall, Spring Terrace Plibersek move no demotional crisis The negative commentary on the appointment of Tanya Plibersek as environment minister baffles me (Fraction of friction in factions June 6). It is blindingly obvious that the outcome of this last election was irrevocably tied to the many environmental issues. I cannot think of a more experienced, skilled, competent and likeable person to take on the responsibility of environment than Ms Plibersek. A great call by the PM, I suggest. Tony Heathwood, Kiama Downs It is unfortunate that a person with the depth of knowledge and the practical hands-on experience that Tanya Plibersek possesses should be passed over for the prominent education portfolio and relegated to a junior ministerial position effectively under the control of Chris Bowen. This country can ill-afford to have the competence and ability of Plibersek sidelined so that Anthony Albanese can remove the worry of having his own position challenged. - Chris Rivers, Port Macquarie History histrionics

If your correspondents think that the current coverage of the Queens Platinum Jubilee is over the top (Letters, June 6), wait till you see the orgy of programs rehashing every last minute of her amazingly long life when she passes. There will probably even be in-depth biographies of her numerous corgis. If you are not a monarchist, it might be a good time to check out your local library. - Richard Keyes, Enfield Im with David Latimer (Letters, June 6). Those pushing for a republic need to consider what, if and how a president would be chosen before rushing to dip out of a monarchy. Until the Australian republicans can come up with an acceptable model, Im sticking with the royals. At least they know how to put on a good show. - Genevieve Milton, Newtown David Latimer is rather selective about republican models in our world. And the many people struggling to feed their families in the UK may not be so enamoured that their taxes are helping to prop up an unelected extended family with more than enough money to look after themselves. As Thomas Paine said: A hereditary monarch is as absurd a proposition as a heredity doctor or mathematician. - Patricia Philippou, Charlestown If the time it takes to hoist the Aboriginal flag above the Sydney Harbour Bridge is any indication, it will take decades to write a new constitution if we were to transition to a republic. Better start now. - Viv Munter, Pennant Hills I get irritated by the churlishness of many of your correspondents who fail to acknowledge that we have lived an enviable life here in Australia under our current constitutional arrangements. Queen Elizabeth has been a peerless exemplar of all that the word service means over a record-breaking 70 years. Our current version of the Westminster system has kept go-getters and charlatans from taking unassailable hold of our hard-won rights and freedoms, unlike many so-called republics. We should all remember it is the power the monarchy withholds from others, not its actual power, that is of vital importance. - Lance Dover, Pretty Beach

Surely, the Queens jubilee will involve a limited release of those being detained in Her Majestys jails. I vote that Julian Assange be released and deported to Australia with his wife and their children. - Graeme Milton, Newtown Look to bad management The shortage of nurses has been strategically brought about by poor management. Both my wife and me, during our 40 years in public sector nursing, witnessed colleagues leaving in droves. Vacant critical clinical positions would be left unadvertised for months or even years. Experienced nurses were targeted and hounded out of the system by upper management. The outcome was an acute nursing shortage resulting in double shifts, leave cancellations and burnt-out staff. The COVID crisis has just highlighted the long-standing managerial practice of staff cutting. Nurses, and other health professionals, will be loath to go back into this critically fractured work environment. To quickly find 10,000 experienced health professionals will be an extraordinary feat of human resource management. - Stuart Garland, Yamba Tokens or merited? For years the federal Coalition has had difficulty in promoting women within its ranks with the usual argument of highlighting the importance of merit before quotas (Dutton names 10 women in top posts, June 6). Unsurprisingly, following its recent election loss, Peter Dutton has managed to find plenty of meritorious women to fill his shadow portfolio positions. Presumably, this is not merely a tokenistic response. - Richard Kolodziej, Georges Hall

Please, enough of being told that both Liberal and Labor lost first preferences. So what? Voters understand the system and sometimes give an encouraging or protesting first preference to a party or candidate who cant win but then give their second preference to a party they know can win. We havent had a good analysis of second preferences, but we know Labor got more because Labor won and the Liberals got smashed. - Victor Bivell, Abbotsford Tax the super rich While reading the Money section, I came across a number of articles that dealt with peoples financial positions, particularly in relation to superannuation. Incredibly, one correspondent was concerned with exceeding the $1.7 million superannuation cap and was asking what that might mean for them financially. Ironically, there was a link to an opinion piece at the bottom of the page, titled: Doing it tough? Heres where you can get genuine financial help. If the new Labor government needs help with its pledge to do something about childcare, aged care and disability care, then I suggest a real overhaul of the tax treatment of superannuation should definitely be up for consideration. - Lee Cook, Orange Grace in the USA How delightful to watch another wonderful Australian, Minjee Lee, win a major tournament showing grace and good manners (Im speechless: Lee wins US Open, record prize money, June 6). Like Ash Barty, she is a credit to her family and her country. - Denis Suttling, Newport Beach

French numbers Why do so many people not have easily visible street numbers on their houses? Do they expect the ambos to cruise up and down shouting: Whos having the heart attack, then? In France, every building has a number, a beautiful blue tile, on the front of the premises. - Jonathan Hornibrook, Newtown Waste not, want not Alleluia, Maida Pineda (Trash or treasure? Our waste problem, June 6). I couldnt agree more. In my young (and not so young) days, objects dumped on the footpath were promptly salvaged. Rarely did something have only one life, one use. Everything that could be mended was, or converted into something else. - Kathleen Hollins, Northmead Too many of us throw out and replace rather than repair or donate. But there are so few options to repair electronic items and the cost of repair, if available, is often more than the cost of replacement. - Susan Rowe, Epping
A Sydney businessman who was allegedly kidnapped and beaten in the citys south last year has been arrested on a historic drugs possession charge in Fiji.

Sam Amine, 46, was at home with his wife in San Souci on June 9, when four armed men allegedly broke into the house, pulled him into a stolen BMW and took him to a place in Padstow where he was assaulted. He escaped just before midnight by climbing out of a window.

Fijian police allege that during a 2019 search of a unit belonging to Sam Amine, they found 451.6 grams of anabolic steroids hidden in the homes meter box. Amine owns several gyms in the country. Credit:Fiji Police Media

The Fiji Sun newspaper reported that Amine faced Nadi Magistrates Court last month and was charged with one count of unlawful possession of illicit drugs, namely steroids, in 2019.

The Fiji Police Force allege that, after searching a Fijian unit belonging to Amine in February 2019, they found 451.6 grams of anabolic steroids. Amine owns several gyms in the country.
A gambling lobby group has criticised the Palaszczuk governments planned tax changes only days after donating $11,000 to the Labor Party.

Electoral Commission of Queensland records show the group that calls itself Responsible Wagering Australia declared a financial contribution to the state branch of the Labor Party on June 2.

Online gambling companies have criticised the Queensland governments decision to tax them more.

The group  which represents Entain, Betfair, bet365, Sportsbet, Unibet and PointsBet  was paying for membership of the partys controversial Queensland Business Partnerships Network.

Within days, however, the group would claim to have been blindsided by the governments announcement it would raise gambling taxes.
Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes will lead a high-level dialogue between leading figures in Australia and India in New Delhi later this year in an effort to grow links between the countries technology sectors.

His software company Atlassian is being unveiled on Tuesday as the new partner with the prestigious Australia India Institute, led by former Labor senator Lisa Singh.

Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Cannon-Brookes and Singh will co-chair the invite-only event in September, which will gather 50 of the two countries leading minds in the fields of government, business and academia.

This years dialogue will focus on national security but also tech, including digital health services, medical technology, clean energy technology and developing tech talent.
New York: European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia of using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries and blamed the Kremlin for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscows UN ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Michel addressed Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at the meeting, saying he saw millions of tonnes of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odesa a few weeks ago.

Walked out: Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia to the UN. Credit:AP

That was because of Russian warships in the Black Sea and Moscows attacks on transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities and its tanks, bombs and mines that are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting, he said.

This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilising entire regions, Michel said. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.
Gender activists Emma Kaliya has challenged advised authorities in government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to follow the yardstick President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has set in promoting women to influential positions.

Kaliya, speaking to Nyasa Times on Friday, said it would be absurd if the recruitment authorities in MDAs decided to let the President down by not emulating his examples.

The renowned gender and women empowerment expert was reacting to recent women appointments by President Chakwera, including the appointment of Ms Colleen Zamba as the new Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC).

Zamba has replaced Zanga-Zanga Chikhosi who was relieved of his duties at the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) last Tuesday.

Kaliya commended President Chakwera for choosing a woman to replace Chikhosi.

"It's his prerogative to identify and choose who suits where. But President Chakwera decided to choose a woman; and for that, he needs to be applauded," she said.

Kaliya added that Chakwera is acting within the expected obligations of the State on the need to comply with the Gender Equality Act of 2013.

"As gender activists, we really applaud him for that and we do recognize the progress Malawi is making towards increasing the number of women in top positions. But we need measures for sustaining the momentum and this is where the role of recruitment authorities in government MDAs is critically needed to ensure there is sustainability in the appointment of women to leadership positions. It shouldn't be the President alone, but everyone tasked with recruitment authority to ensure we walk the steps the President has taken on promoting women in Malawi," narrated Kaliya.

In his comments, Team Leader for 50-50 Campaign Agency, Viwemi Chavula, said the onus is on MDAs now to emulate what President Chakwera is doing in fulfilment of the Gender Equality Act.

Chavula said the agency applauds the steps President Chakwera is taking to ensure more women are given the platforms to serve the nation.
President of Mzinda Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO), Mphatso Nkuonera, has cautioned its members against the tendency to borrow for consumption to avoid being perpetual borrowers.

Nkuonera further warned that borrowing for consumption is risky and unsustainable.

He was speaking at the Bridgeview Hotel in Lilongwe on Saturday during the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the cooperative.

Nkuonera said time had come for the members to start borrowing for investment in order to maximize benefits from their membership with the institution.

"Let us invest every coin we borrow from our SACCO. That's the only way we can come out of financial problems," he said.

At the AGM, it was announced that the cooperative had made a surplus of K27 million profit in 2021 up from K13 million the previous year.

Nkuonera attributed the increase in profits to fiscal discipline among board members and the secretariat and the commitment by its members to save.

He disclosed that the cooperative will continue devising mechanisms for growing its membership.

Nkuonera said, among others, that in an effort to woo more Malawians to save, Mzinda Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) has introduced Yawina Promotion in which lucky customers will go away with various prizes.

The cooperative has also launched a walk-in loan facility targeting civil servants.

Customers are required to open a fixed deposit account and save up to K100, 000 to win in the promotion.

The cooperative gives out T-shirts, shopping vouchers and smartphones to lucky winners.

"In addition to the promotion, Mzinda SACCO is offering a walk-in loan for civil servants that can be accessed on the same day of application. New civil servants can get up to K500, 000 payable in 12 months," he said.

Nkuonera said to access the loan, the customer will simply be required to produce their identity card and employment number.
press release

The World Health Organization (WHO) with the support of Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization and its COVID-19 Vaccines Working Group, continues to review the emerging evidence on the increasing seroprevalence rates against SARS-CoV-2 globally and the characteristics and potential benefits of hybrid immunity. This statement reflects the current understanding of hybrid immunity and highlights the gaps in evidence and potential implications for vaccination schedules and strategies.

Definitions

The following definitions and terminology are used in this note:

Infection-induced immunity is defined as the immune protection in an unvaccinated individual after one or more SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Vaccine-induced immunity is defined as the immune protection in an individual who has not been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 but has completed a primary series (currently one or two doses of EUL COVID-19 vaccine depending on the product) of any COVID-19 vaccine, or has also received a booster vaccination.

Hybrid immunity is defined as the immune protection in individuals who have had one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and experienced at least one SARS-CoV-2 infection before or after the initiation of vaccination.

In each case, the immune protection can be measured against different specific endpoints - infection (including viral load), disease (regardless of severity), or severe outcomes (hospitalisation, severe disease, or death) - and the level of protection may vary according to endpoints. For each endpoint, the immune protection may differ by vaccine, time since vaccination or infection, by SARS-CoV-2 variants, and host-specific factors such as age and comorbidities.

Seroprevalence

Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 through infection or vaccination triggers the production of antibodies that can be readily measured in the blood (referred to as 'seroconversion'). If the level of antibodies in the blood exceeds a pre-specified threshold, the individual is said to be 'seropositive'. This threshold can vary with the assay used, the target antigen being measured, and over time since exposure. The percentage of seropositive individuals in a population at a given timepoint is referred to as the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in that population.

Inferring the level of population-level protection against infection and/or severe outcomes from seroprevalence estimates is challenging for several reasons. First, the amount of antibodies produced in an individual due to infection or vaccination, and the waning of these over time, is determined by multiple factors such as age, the variant which caused infection, the severity of the infection, and vaccine product(s), among others. Therefore, seroprevalence estimates depend on survey design (e.g. sampling frame) as well as on the epidemiological history of the population. Second, seroprevalence estimates are based only on measures of antibodies and do not incorporate measures of cell-mediated immunity, which is an important component of the overall immune protection.

Delineating the degree of infection-induced, vaccine-induced, and hybrid immunity through seroprevalence estimates is similarly complex. The mechanism of exposure to the virus (infection or vaccination) and the vaccine product(s) mediate the immunological response i.e., the kind of antibodies produced and type of cell-mediated immune response triggered. For instance, mRNA and adenovirus vector vaccines induce antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein; thus, a positive test for spike protein specific IgM or IgG in individuals who have received these vaccines could indicate either prior infection or prior vaccination. To differentiate between the two, a nucleocapsid protein-based assay needs to be used; a positive nucleocapsid-protein assay indicates prior infection. In contrast, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines elicit an immunological response to the spike and nucleocapsid protein; thus, in individuals who have received an inactivated vaccine, a positive result in a test for spike protein specific IgM or IgG or a test that specifically evaluates IgM or IgG to the nucleocapsid protein could indicate either prior infection or prior vaccination. Currently available SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests used in serosurveys assess levels of IgM and/or IgG to the spike or the nucleocapsid protein. The vast majority of countries have used a combination of mRNA, viral-vectored and inactivated vaccine products, which makes it difficult to distinguish between the degree of infection- versus vaccine-induced immunity in a population. Moreover, even in settings in which predominantly mRNA vaccines were used, a positive test for anti-nucleocapsid antibodies cannot identify episodes of reinfection, which is an important consideration in assessing levels of hybrid immunity.

Thus, it is difficult to directly infer the degree of population-level protection against infection, and to disentangle the levels of infection- or vaccine-induced and hybrid immunity from

seroprevalence studies. Notwithstanding, both infection- and vaccine-induced immunity confer high protection against severe disease, with hybrid immunity being superior, as outlined below.

Current situation: global seroprevalence trends

According to the most recent estimates by the WHO UNITY Studies Collaborator Group shared with SAGE, the percentage of seropositive individuals increased in all regions during 2021, globally rising from 16% in February to 67% by October 2021 1 . Seroprevalence varied across countries as well as sub-nationally including across sub-populations within countries during this period. Seroprevalence rates also varied by age, with lower rates reported for the youngest (0-9) and oldest age groups (60+) compared to adults aged 20-29 years in studies up to end of 20211. In most low- and middle-income countries, the rise in seroprevalence in this period has been driven by an increase in infections rather than vaccination, given the very low vaccination rates through the end of 2021.

The Omicron variant (BA.1 and then BA.2), which emerged in November 2021, is highly transmissible and has become dominant in all regions of the world, rapidly replacing the previously circulating variants. New sub-lineages of Omicron are emerging, such as BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5. Due to a steep rise in the number of infections in many countries following the emergence of Omicron and increasing vaccine coverage, both vaccine- and infection-induced population seroprevalence levels are expected to have increased substantially since October 2021, albeit with sustained regional and sub-population variations. The widespread exposure to Omicron and variable vaccination coverage across and within countries has resulted in a complex population-based immunity landscape.

Evidence for infection-induced, vaccine-induced, and hybrid immune protection

Protection against infection and mild symptomatic disease.

A previous SARS-CoV-2 infection provides high protection against reinfection with variants of concern (VOCs) such as Alpha and Delta2, which have limited immune escape characteristics. The duration of infection-induced protection depends on a range of host-specific factors including the severity of the immunizing infection3. Generally, protective immunity against infection and mild disease has been observed to persist for 10-12 months post-infection for pre-Omicron VOC4. A SARS-CoV-2 infection has also been found to induce durable cell-mediated immunity for at least 6-8 months5, although the evidence for this is from pre-Omicron VOCs. Data for duration of protection beyond these time frames are still being collected in prospective cohort studies.

Infection-induced immunity confers significantly less protection against Omicron than against non-Omicron VOC six or more months after a previous infection6-8. The durability and breadth of immunity after infection with Omicron in unvaccinated individuals has not yet been determined.

Vaccine-induced immunity following a primary vaccine series is modest against infection due to Omicron in the months after vaccination, and wanes significantly over time6. Vaccine-induced immunity against Omicron-related mild symptomatic disease, asymptomatic infection, and viral shedding is also modest and short-lived even following a booster dose9.

The majority of studies have found that the protection conferred by hybrid immunity against infection and mild symptomatic disease is similar, or modestly better than that by infection-induced or vaccine-induced immunity alone6-8. Compared with infection-induced immunity, hybrid immunity from two or three exposures to the antigen (infection with pre-Omicron VOC or Omicron and one or two doses) improve immune protection against symptomatic infection due to Omicron7,8. The immune protection after two doses (with a prior infection) waned 10-19 weeks after the second dose but was restored after a booster dose7,8. However, the duration of additional protection achieved through boosters was variable6-8,10.

Protection against disease, and severe outcomes including death.

Infection-induced immunity was found to provide strong protection against severe disease caused by pre-Omicron VOC up to 9-12 months post infection11, with some waning observed in this period. Infection-induced protective immunity against disease and severe outcomes wanes faster against VOCs, especially against Omicron4,7.

Currently available data from emergency-use listed COVID-19 vaccines show that vaccines provide higher levels of protection than SARS-CoV-2 infection against severe disease outcomes, with modest waning in the 6 months following completion of primary vaccine series12. Further, they continue to protect against severe disease, hospitalizations and death due to Omicron, albeit to a lesser degree compared with other VOC13. The level of initial protection achieved and the degree of waning of vaccine effectiveness may differ depending on the VOC circulating in the population. The extent of waning may further depend upon the vaccine product(s) in use, and the target population (e.g., older adults, immunocompromised persons). Vaccine-induced protection against symptomatic disease, including severe disease, is enhanced by booster doses13,14.

Hybrid immunity resulting from three or more exposures to the virus antigen (i.e., one or more exposures from vaccination and one or more from SARS-CoV-2 infections before or after vaccination) may provide superior protection (as measured by neutralization capacity) against VOCs, including Omicron, compared with two doses of vaccination, or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection without vaccination15. Waning of hybrid immunity, particularly due to Omicron infections is not yet characterized in magnitude or duration. More data are needed for a precise quantification of the immune protection from hybrid immunity compared with vaccine-induced immunity normalised for the same antigen exposure.

Policy implications of high seroprevalence levels and hybrid immunity

The need for, and optimal timing of, the primary vaccination series and booster doses may differ according to whether individuals have had a SARS-CoV-2 infection. At a population level, the number of doses and inter-dose interval, including for booster doses, may differ between settings with high and lower seroprevalence resulting from infection-induced immunity16. These considerations may be particularly important in identifying simplified vaccination schedule in lower-priority use groups identified in the WHO Roadmap prioritizing use of COVID-19 vaccines16.

Any policy regarding the vaccination of lower priority use groups should involve clear specification of the value of vaccination under consideration and multiple trade-offs, with seroprevalence in these groups representing one of the factors to be considered in the future. For instance, a modelling study in Kenya estimated that vaccination of young adults may not be cost-effective in a high seroprevalence setting17. At the same time, evidence from observational studies suggests that vaccination can reduce incidence of post COVID condition18. Prevention of mild disease, indirect impact on transmission, and reduction of incidence of post COVID condition can provide a strong rationale for vaccinating low priority use groups irrespective of previous exposure.

The WHO Roadmap for prioritizing use of COVID-19 vaccines sets a goal of achieving very high vaccination coverage rates in the highest and high priority-use groups. Every effort should be made to achieve high coverage with primary series and boosters in the most at-risk populations, irrespective of the infection-induced seroprevalence in that country . In light of existing evidence gaps, and heterogeneity of seroprevalence across population groups, the WHO Roadmap is currently not considering infection-induced immunity in its prioritization scenarios or dosing schedule.

Evidence gaps

While the overall evidence suggests that hybrid immunity offers superior protection against severe outcomes due to COVID-19 compared to infection-induced or vaccine-induced immunity alone, it is unclear whether this protection will persist with new variants. For instance, evolving evidence suggests that an Omicron BA.1 infection offers only limited protection against symptomatic disease caused by the emerging sub-lineages of Omicron (BA.4 and BA.5)19.

Moreover, there are crucial gaps in our current understanding of this complex issue. The duration of protection provided by hybrid immunity has not yet been determined, particularly that induced by Omicron infections. Both the quality and durability of hybrid immunity are likely to vary across age-groups and in individuals with underlying medical conditions including immune-compromising conditions. Further, these differences arise from a complex interplay of the SARS-CoV-2 variants with which individuals were infected, the vaccine product(s) in use, the interval between doses, and the time between vaccination and infection. These variations should be studied to further our understanding on how and when to use booster doses of vaccine to optimize vaccination strategies, including dosing schedule.

As of now, these is little to no data on the protective immunity in unvaccinated individuals who have experienced more than one SARS-CoV-2 infection. The durability and breadth of immune protection due to reduced doses (e.g. a single dose) of vaccines in conjunction with infection-induced immunity also remains under-studied. Assessment of the level of protection afforded by hybrid immunity thus generated is critical to inform optimal vaccination schedule, especially for in low-priority use groups, in light of increasing seroprevalence in these groups.

Conclusion

COVID-19 remains a severe threat to global health security and public health. The emergence of VOCs poses formidable challenges for global recovery from pandemic through immune evasion, increased transmissibility, or enhanced severity. The evolution of the pandemic remains unpredictable. Vaccination against COVID-19 reduces the risk of severe morbidity, and curtails the burden on health systems by protecting against hospitalization and death. Moreover, hybrid immunity confers improved protection compared to infection-induced immunity alone. Therefore, in line with the WHO SAGE Roadmap for prioritizing use of COVID-19 vaccines, achieving high primary vaccine series coverage in individuals in the highest and high-risk groups remains the foremost priority, irrespective of their infection history. Countries and implementing partners should emphasize the urgent need to fulfil this primary objective by calling for vaccination of all healthcare workers, immunocompromised individuals, and older persons. Booster doses are associated with enhanced protection against Omicron; highest and high-priority use groups should similarly be prioritised for these.

With more evidence, integrating infection and vaccination-induced immunity into vaccination strategies and/or schedules may provide gains through simplified and/or more effective immunization schedules in countries or communities that have already experienced high levels of community transmission. However, basing national vaccination policies on seroprevalence rates poses several challenges. Seroprevalence rates observed in population-based studies may not be representative of the entire population or certain subpopulations and age groups, and may also differ by factors such as urban versus rural settings. Moreover, hybrid immunity, although superior to infection- or vaccine induced immunity alone, depends on a number of factors in complex and interrelated ways.

Meanwhile, WHO reiterates the need for accruing consistent population representative data over time to further improve our understanding of waning of seroprevalence and hybrid immunity. In particular, seroprevalence studies are needed in specific at-risk populations such as older age groups which may inform vaccine priorities and targeted efforts in the future.

An improved understanding of hybrid immunity will contribute to evidence-based decisions on the need for additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to populations. When more evidence is available, advice on if and how hybrid immunity should be considered in national vaccination policies will be updated.

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References:

Global epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis of standardized population-based seroprevalence studies, Jan 2020-Dec 2021. 2021.12.14.21267791 (2022) doi:10.1101/2021.12.14.21267791.

Hall, V. et al. Protection against SARS-CoV-2 after Covid-19 Vaccination and Previous Infection. New England Journal of Medicine 386, 1207-1220 (2022).

Chia, W. N. et al. Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody responses and duration of immunity: a longitudinal study. Lancet Microbe 2, e240-e249 (2021).

CDC. Science Brief: SARS-CoV-2 Infection-induced and Vaccine-induced Immunity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/vaccine-induced-immunity.html (2020).

Shrotri, M. et al. T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans: A systematic review. PLOS ONE 16, e0245532 (2021).

Altarawneh, H. Effect of prior infection, vaccination, and hybrid immunity against symptomatic BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron infections and severe COVID-19 in Qatar. 40.

Castillo, M. S., Khaoua, H. & Courtejoie, N. Vaccine-induced and naturally-acquired protection against Omicron and Delta symptomatic infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes, France, December 2021 to January 2022. Eurosurveillance 27, 2200250 (2022).

Cerqueira-Silva, T. et al. Vaccination plus previous infection: protection during the omicron wave in Brazil. The Lancet Infectious Diseases S1473309922002882 (2022) doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00288-2.

Andrews, N. et al. Covid-19 Vaccine Effectiveness against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant. New England Journal of Medicine 386, 1532-1546 (2022).

Lind, M. L. et al. Effectiveness of Primary and Booster COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination against Infection Caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in People with a Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection. 22.

Nordstrom, P., Ballin, M. & Nordstrom, A. Risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection and COVID-19 hospitalisation in individuals with natural and hybrid immunity: a retrospective, total population cohort study in Sweden. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 0, (2022).

Feikin, D. R. et al. Duration of effectiveness of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease: results of a systematic review and meta-regression. Lancet 399, 924-944 (2022).

Lauring, A. S. et al. Clinical severity of, and effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against, covid-19 from omicron, delta, and alpha SARS-CoV-2 variants in the United States: prospective observational study. BMJ 376, e069761 (2022).

Plumb, I. D. et al. Effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Preventing COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Among Adults with Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection -- United States, June 2021-February 2022. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 71, (2022).

Wratil, P. R. Three exposures to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 by either infection or vaccination elicit superior neutralizing immunity to all variants of concern. Nature Medicine 28, 24 (2022).

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Orangi, S. Epidemiological impact and cost-effectiveness analysis of COVID-19 vaccination in Kenya. 49.

UK Health Security Agency. The effectiveness of vaccination against long COVID. https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-retrieve-file.pl?id=fe4f10cd3cd509fe045ad4f72ae0dfff.

Sigal, A. Omicron sub-lineages BA.4/BA.5 escape BA.1 infection elicited neutralizing immunity. 8.
Black Hills Energy knows customer bills and energy usage are topics of conversation in Wyoming communities.

Energy costs are a national issue and are caused by a combination of factors  including the increased cost of the natural gas purchased, the recovery of costs associated with Storm Uri, and market forces affecting supply and demand.

The price of natural gas is much higher this year due to several market factors, resulting in higher bills for customers, said Mark Stege, Black Hills Energy vice president of Wyoming operations. Natural gas costs are a pass-through cost, meaning we dont make money when the cost goes up or down.

Here are five actions to take control of your energy bills this spring and summer:

1. Set your water heater to 120*F: Lowering the temperature on your water heater can save a considerable amount of energy. You wont notice in the shower, but youll see the difference on your energy bill.

2. Cook or bake food dishes at the same time: Take advantage of the energy that goes into heating up the oven fewer times, plus use less energy. Dont open the oven door unless you need to! Ovens lose about 25 degrees each time you open the oven door, so use the oven light and window to check on your food  this will also help keep your kitchen cooler while cooking.

3. Run complete loads of laundry and dishes: Do this to avoid using more hot water than necessary or consider using cold water, when possible. Lastly, avoid running these heat-producing appliances during the hottest times of the day to reduce the amount of heat flowing through your home.

4. Replace weather-stripping: Focus on the areas around doors and windows and seal any holes or gaps to help reduce energy waste and keep the cool air in and hot air out. Dont forget the garage!

5. Clean or replace dirty air filters every three months: Clogged or dirty filters make your HVAC system work harder, using more energy. Plus, dont forget to have your air conditioner and furnace serviced regularly. The start of the summer cooling season is a good time to do this.

We know changes to monthly bills can have an impact on the household budget and were here to help, said Stege. As the weather warms, maintaining control over and even reducing your energy usage can help lower energy bills and help you create a more energy-efficient home.

If you need help paying your energy bills, contact the Black Hills Energy customer service team (888- 890-5554) or visit www.blackhillsenergy.com/assistance-programs.

The company has several options available to support customers, including making payment arrangements, budget billing and energy assistance programs. For more ways to reduce wasted energy and for details about our energy efficiency programs, visit www.energy-ready.com.
Photo: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Last week, the internet erupted in celebration: After listening to six weeks of testimony, the jury in the Depp v. Heard trial reached a verdict, largely finding in favor of Johnny Depp. On Instagram, Depps post expressing gratitude for the verdict and thanking his community for its support throughout the trial has received nearly 19 million likes and nearly a million comments, a number of them filled with heart emojis. Heards statement, which expressed disappointment that her right to free speech had been curbed, received a little over 416,700 likes and just five comments  though comments were limited on her post.

Theres no question the verdict had an impact on victims of domestic and sexual violence. The day the jury read its decision, the survivor-support organization RAINN said it served 35 percent more callers to its hotline than on an average Wednesday. But that doesnt mean survivors are united in their reactions. I get why people are upset about it, but having watched the trial footage, its the correct result, Liz, 26, told me.

For Liz, who says she would love to have believed Heard, the verdict was a repudiation of a woman who she feels lied about being abused. She arrived at this conclusion after seeing the evidence of Heards injuries in court and hearing testimony from Heards former assistant Kate James, who accused Heard of stealing details from her own sexual-assault story. What Im really upset about is that people will now (and apparently already have) seized on her crap behavior to say its what every survivor is doing, Liz said, echoing a common refrain that arises whenever a public accusation of abuse or assault is called into question.

When youre abused or raped, thats the beginning. Because then you notice that society comes up with new ways to justify and excuse and ignore all the additional ways that youre being exploited and subjugated after youve been initially attacked.

As a survivor myself, I share Lizs fear. But for me and many other survivors I spoke with, its not Heards actions or credibility that is the problem. Weve seen time and again that even the most credible of victims face disbelief when their accusations are inconvenient. Instead, the verdict reinforces the fact that abuse doesnt end when you leave a relationship  that the remnants of your worst moments can hang around for years and the systems supposedly set up to protect you can twist those moments to cause you even more harm.

When youre abused or raped, thats the beginning of the abuse and violence, says Wagatwe Wanjuki, an award-winning anti-rape activist. Because then you notice that society comes up with new ways to justify and excuse and ignore all the additional ways that youre being exploited and subjugated after youve been initially attacked. For Wanjuki, the verdict feels like one more horrific indignity, a reminder that even if a jury believes youve been abused, it can still punish you for speaking out about your experiences. The law is not our friend, she says.

Amanda Wallwin, a New York State legislative staffer, had largely avoided coverage of the trial. But when she got a news alert about the livestream of the verdict, she couldnt stay away. Watching the jury read out their decision was devastating, she says. I didnt expect to care that much, but I felt nauseous and cried. It was way more of an emotional experience than I expected.

For Wallwin, it was head-spinning that a Washington Post op-ed that never mentioned Heards ex-husbands name could be considered defamatory at the same time that Depps lawyer calling her abuse claims a hoax was also deemed defamation. Wallwin worries that this verdict will discourage survivors from publicly discussing their abuse and that the public faces of domestic violence will be whittled down to a handful of people privileged enough to be able to risk a defamation lawsuit.

And other defamation lawsuits are very likely to follow Depp v. Heard, according to Sonya Passi, the founder and CEO of FreeFrom, a survivor-support organization. It is very common for harm-doers to use litigation as a tool to harass and control their victims, says Passi, who has encountered a number of appalling situations in her work: abusers who draw out custody and child-support hearings for years, abusers who sue in retaliation after being accused of sexual assault, abusers who convince the courts to remove restraining orders, forcing survivors to devote time and energy to refiling. I wish that people knew how truly powerless victims feel, says R. Jones, 34, who spent eight months mired in a custody battle with an abuser. It is very difficult to describe the pattern of abuse in relationships, and court proceedings involve the victim being questioned and badgered in really unpleasant ways.

Although Jones doesnt feel she can authoritatively weigh in on the truth of Depp and Heards relationship, the way Heard said she was treated felt very familiar. A court setting, Jones says, is incredibly intimidating and demoralizing because it is easy to feel like you are not being heard. The court system is supposed to be impartial, but juries and judges are still human, and an abuser can manipulate them just as easily as they manipulate their victims.

For survivors whove watched as courts let perpetrators like Brock Turner off with a slap on the wrist  if theyre even found guilty  this latest verdict is just more salt in a raw, painful wound. We keep getting pointed toward some sort of formal system to decide if were really survivors, to decide what protections we get, to decide if the person who hurt us should be punished, says Wallwin. And they dont work. The criminal system does not work. Watching someone as privileged and powerful as Heard get dragged through the mud was devastating for her but also radicalizing. We need a wholesale revolution of these systems, and they need to be rebuilt to actually serve survivors. Because theyre just not doing it right now.

In spite of everything theyve been through, the survivors I spoke to are ready to build that new system. I think thats what women in this country have come to expect from our culture, from our institutions of power. Nothing will be protected, not even our First Amendment rights to speak, says Lindsey Boylan, a womens-rights advocate who publicly accused former New York governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. Still, she says, I refuse to accept that this is a setback to Me Too. The only way you change things is if you see the true horror of them. At the very least, the brutality of the past seven weeks has been an eye-opening education in the horrors that survivors still endure.
OSHANA regional governor Elia Irimari says his region is faced with the potential risk of drought because of inconsistent rain last summer.

He urges farmers to use early mature varieties of seed and to observe agricultural principles. He says the conservation methods would improve yields in times of drought.

"Based on field observations, farmers who planted on time and used early mature crop varieties, such as kashana 2, kangara, macia, nakare, shindimba, and red sorghum are expecting a good harvest," Irimari says.

He says farmers who planted local varieties are faced with the potential challenge of low yields.

"In general, the harvest for this cropping season is expected to be smaller, compared to the previous cropping season," he says.

The governor says the number of seed growers has increased in the regions.

"Therefore, farmers are urged to buy seeds on time, even if it is not raining. Inorganic fertilisers are procured through the dryland crop-production programme, but are limited due to available funds," the governor says.

Irimari says drought is looming in his area.

"If you drive around the Oshana region, you will see that even some oshana pans are dry. That is an indication there will be drought," he says.

He says farmers who used traditional mahangu seeds are expecting a tough time, and those who used the early mature varieties are getting good yields.

"We are not expecting a bumper harvest as usual. Farmers need to make use of modern farming methods," Irimari says.

He says rotational farming must be prioritised to restore soil nutrients.

"What many farmers do is to grow mahangu year in and year out. If we change our farming techniques, we will have a good yield. Apply organic manure and other fertilsers to increase soil fertility," he advises.

Irimari encourages farmers to leave parts of their fields uncultivated to allow the land to recover.

He says the supply of seeds to farmers in the region is prioritised and will be delivered before the next rainy season in collaboration with the constituency councillors.
Tibard employees make uniforms for health workers at NHS at their factory in Dukinfield, Britain, on April 6, 2020. (Molly Darlington/Reuters)

70 UK Firms Adopt 4-Day Week, Giving Employees 100 Percent Pay in New Trial

Thousands of workers across the United Kingdom are set to begin a four-day work week trial from Monday while still receiving 100 percent of their wages.

The experiment has been arranged by not-for-profit organization 4 Day Week Global in partnership with the think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign, and researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University, and Boston College, who are campaigning for a shorter working week without impacting wages.

During the trial run, which will last for six months, employees in the UK will work four days a week while receiving 100 percent of their pay with the aim of boosting productivity and well-being among workers.

Similar pilot schemes are taking place in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the UK, more than 3,300 workers at 70 UK companies are taking part in the trial, Joe Ryle, campaign director for the 4 Day Week campaign told Good Morning Britain.

Restaurants, recruitment firms, charities, and digital marketing companies are among those taking part in the trial, according to multiple reports.

Sam Smith, co-founder of Pressure Drop Brewery in Tottenham, north London, told the BBC that it felt like a good time for the firm to try out a new approach to working practices, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic which saw the majority of companies ask employees to work from home.

The pandemics made us think a great deal about work and how people organize their lives, he added. Were doing this to improve the lives of our staff and be part of a progressive change in the world that will improve peoples mental health and well-being.

Ed Siegel, chief executive of Charity Bank, which is also taking part in the trial, told The Guardian that a four-day week with no change to employee pay or benefits will create a happier workforce and will have an equally positive impact on business productivity, customer experience, and our social mission.

The 20th-century concept of a five-day working week is no longer the best fit for 21st-century business, Siegel added.

For its part, 4 Day Week Global states that reducing the number of days employees work will improve business productivity, worker health and well-being, boost recruitment, retain employees, and reduce the carbon footprint of firms by reducing both commuting and energy use.

It also states that the four-day working model will provide a better distribution of caring responsibilities between mothers and fathers and reduce childcare costs.

However, opponents believe cutting down the working week could lead to increased stress among both employees and companies, while noting that the slash to working hours simply isnt suitable for many industries.

Youve got to work harder in those four days so theres some evidence in those four days trying to get so much done, its actually more stressful and there might be more mental health problems, entrepreneur Richard Farleigh told Good Morning Britain.

Multiple Japanese firms, including Panasonic Holdings Corporation ADR, global bank Mizuho, and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing Co., have already moved to a four-day week in an effort to achieve optimal worklife balance for employees.

Elsewhere in the United States, the Jasper Independent School District announced in April that it is adopting a four-day school week for the upcoming year amid staff and teacher shortages.

A four-day week trial at Perpetual Guardian in New Zealand in 2018 found engagement levels among workers rose between 30 and 40 percent, work-life balance metrics rose by 44 percent, empowerment by 26 percent, and leadership by 28 percent, according to 4 Day Week.

Meanwhile, work stimulation rose by 27 percent, and organizational commitment increased by 29 percent.
Activists protest in response to the leaked Supreme Court draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on May 3, 2022. (Louis Chen/The Epoch Times)

EXCLUSIVE: Activists Plan to Block Entrances and Shut Down Supreme Court to Prevent Expected Roe v. Wade Ruling

'We may talk about some action ideas that stretch the bounds of constitutionally protected speech'

Protest organizing group Shut Down D.C. plans to block access to the Supreme Court in Washington on June 13.

In online meeting footage obtained by The Epoch Times, the group announced that it planned to seal off all three vehicle entrances to the court so justices wouldnt be able to get in and announce a decision that might overturn Roe v. Wade.

Goal is to create a decision dilemma, presenting the court, Congress, and law enforcement (and the political leaders that oversee them) with three unacceptable (to them) options, a video slide made by the activists reads.

The groups presentation says it would either stop Supreme Court justices from entering the court, continue to escalate the crisis in democracy by making police remove the demonstrators by force, or make the government implement its demands.

The protests are in response to a leaked Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson draft opinion that suggests the court may overturn Roe v. Wade. This new opinion could allow states to make their own laws on abortion.

The leaked opinion sparked the ire of many. For weeks, protesters have demonstrated outside the Supreme Court.

Then protesters changed tactics.

Activist group Ruth Sent Us published the home addresses of the Supreme Court justices and asked people to protest there. Many walked by the homes of the six conservative justices, yelling obscenities at them and their families.

Protesters in the Shut Down D.C. meeting also suggested that their actions might not be constitutionally protected.

We may talk about some action ideas that stretch the bounds of constitutionally protected speech, one activist said on the video call.

Another activist advised protesters to be careful in what they said.

There can be people on any big call who might not have great intentions, so if there is something that you might not want seen on Fox News or any of the conservative news channels, you might not want to say it on this call, she said.

The planned protest next week will continue the escalation by opponents to a change in Roe v. Wade.

If the online planning meetings attendance was any indication, at least 60 people will take part in the court blockade.

Activists at the online meeting suggested ways to block the courts three entrances. These included mass sit-ins, big art, a lock down, a dance party, a peoples assembly in the street, and a rally.

Votes in the group suggested that most preferred conducting a sit-in.

On May 31, Shut Down DC confirmed that it planned to blockade the streets around the Supreme Court to rise up for the transformative change that our communities need.
An Unfriendly Facebook Legacy

Sandberg leaves behind a legacy of amazing business growth, data gathering power, and surveillance

Commentary

Facebook may have begun as just a social networking platform, but over the course of Sheryl Sandbergs tenure, it has become much more than that.

As chief operating officer of Meta, Facebooks parent company since 2008, Sandberg has played a huge role in the social network leaders growth and the dominant global position that it enjoys today. The company grew from just 500 to almost 78,000 employees, and from 100 million users to three billion by the end of 2021.

The former Google executive who helped optimize ad revenues for the worlds most powerful search engine had a similar impact on Facebooks fortunes. In 2007, the year before Sandberg joined the company, its total revenue was just over $150 million. In 2022, the social network giants revenues were around $117 billion.

The Making of a Digital Business Juggernaut

Sandberg not only maximized Facebooks potential in social networking, but also helped turn founder Mark Zuckerbergs small social media platform into an unrivaled business juggernaut, connecting billions of buyers and sellers around the world. As a result, millions of online businesses saw their revenues skyrocket, and millions more were formed as trillions of dollars flowed into businesses worldwide via Facebook.

A big part of that success came from Facebooks strategy of eliminating competition in the social networking, data gathering, and media market.

Devouring Competitors

Under Sandbergs direction, Facebook acquired some of the top social media and networking companies in the world in order to expand its offerings and absorb potential market rivals.

In 2011, for example, Facebook bought Beluga, a messaging service that was still in its startup phase. Belugas messaging technology was cutting edge, but instead of growing organically, it would become the basis for Facebooks very successful Messenger service. Its difficult to imagine Facebook without it.

In 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram, the highly popular photo and video sharing app, for $1 billion. By June 2018, the platform would be used by 1 billion active users a month. In 2021, over 2 billion monthly users would drive Instagrams revenues to more than $47 billion, almost half of Facebooks revenue for the year.

In 2014, Facebook paid $19 billion for the popular mobile messaging service WhatsApp, which was making only a few million dollars per year at the time. By March 2022, WhatsApp had become Facebooks (now Meta Platform, Inc.) top-performing company, surpassing even Instagram, with 2 billion users in 180 countries.

Strategic acquisitions are undeniably a hallmark of Sandbergs leadership. But they also resulted in an antitrust action, with legal claims against the mega firms de facto monopolistic position and behavior.

The charges arent without merit. The Federal Trade Commission is now suing Meta over its anticompetitive behavior.

But the impact of Sandbergs tenure at Facebook goes well beyond the massive expansion of users, revenue, global ecommerce, and market monopolies.

From Network to Driving Political Agendas

Sandberg dramatically expanded Facebooks role as an unrivaled influencer in both the public and political realms. As a former top aide of U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, Sandberg brought a Washington insiders political agenda to Facebook. That agenda included promoting radical feminism, social justice activism, and political opinion shaping.

Of course, Facebooks political influence evolved over time. In the beginning, it was a digital place to enable communication among and between people from all over, locally to most nations. But it also provided opportunities for the manipulation of data and content by sophisticated users such as political parties and other corporations, including Facebook itself.

For example, as an aide in the Clinton administration and a major donor to both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Facebook enjoyed a cozy relationship with left-wing Washington elites. Facebook and other social media played a significant role in Obamas presidential election victories in 2008 and 2012.

Protesters hold signs denouncing Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the Humanity Against Censorship rally in front of Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. on May 19, 2022. (The Epoch Times)

But there are also contrary accusations. Facebook and Sandberg herself were subject to accusation that the company was slow to react to purported Russian interference in the 2016 election. Whats more, recent testimony has come out from whistleblowers that fake Facebook accounts have been used to sway political elections around the world. It has been alleged that as long as the revenue kept coming, nothing would be done to prevent the abuse.

Spying on Users

Then there are the privacy concerns over the use, misuse, and selling of users personal data, including personal habits and political preferences. The scale of data abuse is impossible to overstate. In one instance alone in the 2016 election cycle, the data from 87 million Facebook profiles was harvested and sold to a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, without users consent.

Facebook under Sandberg has also become one of the most powerful surveillance and propaganda tools ever unleashed against its unsuspecting 3 billion-plus users worldwide. Some may even say Facebook has functioned as a totalitarian surveillance tool disguised as a social media platform.

As early as 2012, it was virtually spying on users to an unprecedented degree. It kept a close watch on every user with hundreds of trackers that recorded a users internet activity. Even now, if you type something but then delete it before posting it, Facebook knows what you wrote. Furthermore, it tracks your activity on millions of websites.

In Sandbergs era, Facebook has gone from an online network that facilitated communication to a global data gathering machine with a level of power and influence that has never been seen before. It tolerates and even promotes the expression for some points of view and levies harsh censorship for others. It supports certain political agendas while blocking discussions on the medical efficacy of untested vaccines and their politicized mandates.

It is no longer neutral or even truly regulated. It is, with the advent of the Metaverse, its own entity, largely operating under its own rules.

Apparently, those rules include unlimited growth, monstrous power, and denying privacy to all.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
ANZ Bank Gives Transgender Staff 6 Weeks of Paid Leave

The ANZ bank will allow transgender and gender-diverse staff in Australia and New Zealand to take six weeks of paid leave and up to 12 months of unpaid leave so that they could affirm their gender.

The bank, which is Australias second-largest by assets with more than 40,000 staff globally, announced on Monday that the leave will benefit employees who are undergoing any aspect of gender affirmation including social, medical, and legal gender affirmation.

ANZs Diversity and Inclusion Lead, Fiona MacDonald, said the scheme was part of the banks ongoing commitment to the LGBTIQ+ movement and a step towards creating a more inclusive culture.

She said the move is especially important, while claiming that trans and gender diverse people are more likely to experience lower incomes and employment rates.

The six weeks of paid leave means people who are affirming their gender do not need to exhaust their annual or sick leave entitlements, while also easing some of the financial pressures, MacDonald said.

The big four banks said in a statement on Monday that an individual can affirm their gender identity in many ways, and the extended leave was meant to recognise the process needs time and is not the same for everyone.

According to ANZs press release, examples of social affirmation are changing of pronouns and/or names and adopting the clothing style that better aligns with their gender identity; medical affirmation includes surgery, hormone therapy, medical appointments, and recovery from medical procedures; and legal affirmation includes legally changing the name and/or gender marker on personal identification documents.

On its website, ANZ declares itself as a leading employer for LGBTQ+ inclusion which has claimed several titles by the Australian Workplace Equality Index, a framework that measures Australian businesses level of LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion.

The bank is a member of the Welcome Here Project by the government-funded LGBTIQ+ group the AIDS Council of NSW (ACON). Businesses participating in the project would need to display a rainbow sticker in a prominent place to demonstrate their support for the LGBTIQ+ cause.

ANZ, a signatory to the UN Standards of Conduct for Business Tackling Discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people, is a close partner with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Transgender Victoria and Intersex Human Rights Australia.

The move comes three weeks after Australian supermarket giant Coles announced it will allow trans and gender-diverse staff to take up to 10 days of paid gender affirmative leave.

David Brewster, Coles Chief Legal and Safety Officer and chair of the companys Pride Steering Committee said in a statement released on May 19: We know that we have at least 900 team members who identify as transgender or gender diverse.

We need to have proper policy and education in this area so there is clear guidance around taking leave for this important transition in their life.
Firefighters work to contain a fire that broke out at the BM Inland Container Depot, a DutchBangladesh joint venture, in Chittagong, 216 kilometers (134 miles) southeast of capital Dhaka in Bangladesh, on June 5, 2022. (AP Photo)

At Least 49 Dead in 2nd Day of Bangladesh Cargo Depot Fire

DHAKA, BangladeshA massive fire at a container depot near a port city in southeastern Bangladesh killed at least 49 people, including nine firefighters, and injured more than 100 others, officials and local media reported Sunday, as efforts to extinguish the blaze continued into a second night.

The inferno at the BM Inland Container Depot, a DutchBangladesh joint venture, broke out around midnight Saturday following explosions in a container full of chemicals. The cause of the fire could not be immediately determined. The depot is located near countrys main Chittagong Seaport, 216 kilometers (134 miles) southeast of the capital, Dhaka.

At least nine firefighters were among the dead, according to Brig. Gen. Main Uddin, director general of the Bangladesh fire service and civil defense. More than 10 others were being treated for burns, he added.

Multiple rounds of explosions occurred after the initial blast as the fire continued to spread, Uddin said. Explosives experts from Bangladeshs military have been called in to assist the firefighters. The explosions shattered the windows of nearby buildings and were felt as far as 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away, officials and local media reports said.

The death toll reached 49 by Sunday evening, according to Ekattor TV station, and the areas civil surgeon said the number could still rise as the fire raged for a second night.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her shock at the accident and ordered adequate arrangement for medical treatment of the injured.

Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters, including factories catching fire with workers trapped inside. Monitoring groups have blamed corruption and lax enforcement.

Global brands, which employ tens of thousands of low-paid workers in Bangladesh, have come under fire to improve factory conditions in recent years. In the countrys massive garment industry, which employs about 4 million people, safety conditions have improved significantly after massive reforms, but experts say accidents could still occur if other sectors do not make similar changes.

In 2012, about 117 workers died when they were trapped behind locked exits in a garment factory in Dhaka.

The countrys worst industrial disaster occurred the following year, when the Rana Plaza garment factory outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

In 2019, a blaze ripped through a 400-year-old area cramped with apartments, shops, and warehouses in the oldest part of Dhaka and killed at least 67 people. Another fire in Old Dhaka in a house illegally storing chemicals killed at least 123 people in 2010.

In 2021, a fire at a food and beverage factory outside Dhaka killed at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped inside by an illegally locked door.

By Julhas Alam
Relatives of churchgoers who were attacked by gunmen during Sunday's church service gather as health workers attend to victims brought in by ambulance after the attack at St. Francis Catholic Church, in Owo, Nigeria on June 5, 2022. (Stringer/Reuters)

Satanic Attack on Catholic Church in Nigeria Leaves at Least 50 People Dead

At least 50 people died on June 5 when gunmen opened fire on a Catholic church in Nigeria, in what one official described as a vile and satanic attack.

The assailants used explosives and firearms in the attack, which left women and children dead, Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, a spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Forces command in Ondo State, told media outlets. The perpetrators also allegedly took the priest at St. Francis Xavier church as a hostage; authorities said his whereabouts are unknown.

Some lives were lost and some sustained varying degrees of injuries, Odunlami told ABC News on June 5. Police dont yet have the full estimate of the number of casualties in the attack.

Health officials told the broadcaster that at least 35 people had died, and their bodies were transported to a local hospital, while local doctors told Reuters that at least 50 people had died.

I am deeply saddened by the unprovoked attack and killing of innocent people of Owo, worshiping at the St. Francis Catholic Church today, Ondo State Gov. Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu wrote on Twitter. The vile & satanic attack is a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed relative peace over the years.

While there have been no claims of responsibility, the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram has targeted churches in northern Nigeria in previous years.

This is an unexpected development, Akeredolu wrote. I am shocked to say the least. Nevertheless, We shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay. We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolves to rid our state of criminals.

Rev. Father Andrew Abayomi, a priest at the church, recalled that the Pentecost Sunday service was about to end before gunshots rang out.

We hid inside the church, but some people had left when the attack happened, he told reporters. We locked ourselves in the church for 20 minutes. When we heard that they had left, we opened the church and rushed victims to the hospital.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari also issued a statement in response to the attack, expressing condolences to the families of the victims.

No matter what, this country shall never give in to evil and wicked people, and darkness will never overcome light. Nigeria will eventually win.
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party Sussan Ley (right) listens to newly elected Leader of the Liberal Party Peter Dutton speak to the media after a party room meeting at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 30, 2022. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

Australian Opposition Forms New Frontbench

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has announced the coalitions frontbench after its defeat at the May 21 electiona 24-strong team that includes 10 women.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud also boasts six members of his party on the front bench.

Dutton, who was elected unopposed as leader in his party room last week to replace outgoing prime minister Scott Morrison, appointed former energy minister Angus Taylor shadow treasurer.

Mr Taylor brings great experience into parliament and has a great capacity to hold the (Labor) government to account, he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.

Sussan Ley, who was also unopposed as deputy Liberal leader, will be taking on a wide range of portfoliosindustry, skills and training, small and family business, and women.

Dutton said former foreign minister Marise Payne had asked not to be part of the cabinet but was persuaded to take the role of shadow cabinet secretary.

She has had a breadth of experience, shes been an exceptional contributor to our team over many years, he said.

A wise counsel and experience, I think shell be of great assistance to us in helping us rebuild our team.

Former attorney-general Michealia Cash becomes spokeswoman for employment, Karen Andrews is the spokeswoman for home affairs, a role she held in government, while Jane Hume becomes finance spokeswoman.

Simon Birmingham moves from finance to foreign affairs, West Australian Andrew Hastie becomes defence spokesman and Alan Tudge returns to the education portfolio in opposition.

NSWs Julian Leeser also joins the frontbench as shadow attorney-general and spokesman for Indigenous affairs.

What youre seeing in this lineup is some fresh faces; we have an incredible depth of talent, Mr Dutton said.

Littleproud said there would be six from his party on the coalition frontbench.

He takes on the role of agriculture spokesman, while new Nationals deputy Perin Davey will cover water and emergency management.

Barnaby Joycewho Mr Littleproud defeated in a vote for the leadership last weekbecomes veteran affairs spokesman.

Another former Nationals leader, Michael McCormack, will be the spokesman for international development for the Pacific in the outer ministry.

Kevin Hogan will become the trade and tourism spokesman.

Earlier, Littleproud declined to say what was in the agreement between the Liberal and National parties that form the coalition.

Its all about policies and youll see those policies that we enact, he told ABCs Insiders program.

You dont ask to get underneath the closed doors of the left or the right of the Labor Party, I dont think you need to be in the policy discussions that the Liberal Party and the National Party has.
A COVID-19 rapid antigen test kit is about to be used at home in Sydney, Australia, on Sep 29, 2021. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Australian Taxpayers Can Claim COVID Tests as Deductible: Tax Office

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has confirmed that Australian taxpayers could claim a reduction for COVID-19 test expenses incurred for work-related purposes.

As individuals and businesses are preparing tax documents for the end of the financial year, the ATO is expected to see the impacts of COVID-19 on tax returns.

We know that many have faced significant challenges, ATO Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh said.

In its latest statement, the ATO advised that taxpayers needed to be mindful of tax issues in relation to the changes in circumstances they experienced. Examples of common changes that affect tax returns include receiving an income support payment and changing what can be deducted as work-related expenses.

From July 1, people can claim the cost of COVID-19 tests as a tax deduction if they buy them due to work requirements.

While they must retain a record, ATO allows taxpayers to use a bank or credit card statement alongside employers documentation as evidence that they paid for the expense.

However, the tax office said workers could not claim a deduction for COVID-19 tests provided or reimbursed by their employers.

At the same time, the ATO said only tests purchased for work-related purposes were deductible.

If you purchased a COVID-19 test for a trip with your mates, you cant claim a deduction, Loh said.

In addition, the tax authority permits taxpayers to claim deductions for any spending on protective items that prevent illness or injury from occurring while at work.

If youre spending your working day in close proximity to customers and at risk of contracting COVID-19, you may be able to claim a deduction for protective items such as gloves, face masks, or sanitiser.

It is noteworthy that federal COVID-19 disaster payments are exempt from tax and thus do not need to be included in tax returns.

However, JobSeeker and Pandemic Leave Disaster payments are classified as taxable income and must be declared.

The ATO also noted that the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment would not be prefilled into the tax lodgement system. Therefore, taxpayers must manually calculate the total amount and include it in their tax returns.

While the information isnt prefilled for you, not adding Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments to your tax return will delay the processing of your return and your potential refund, said Loh.
A view shows a facility of the Darnytsia Car Repair Plant damaged by missile strikes, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 5, 2022. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

Battle for Ukraines Sievierodonetsk Ebbs and Flows Through City Streets

KYIVIntense fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces raged in the streets of the industrial city of Sievierodonetsk on Monday in a pivotal battle for advantage in eastern Ukraine, the provincial governor said.

The Ukrainian defenders had over the weekend regained control over about half the city just as the Russians appeared on the verge of victory.

But their position had again become more perilous on Monday morning, Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai told state television.

Our defenders managed to undertake a counter-attack for a certain time, they liberated almost half of the city. But now the situation has worsened a little for us again, Gaidai said.

The Ukrainian forces were holding positions in Sievierodonetsks industrial zone, he said.

Fast-moving fighting is happening right now, he said.

Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in Sievierodonetsk, the largest city in Luhansk Province.

The city has become the main target of a Russian offensive in Ukraines Donbass regionmade up of Luhansk and Donetsk Provinces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to rally his troops on Sunday with a visit to two cities close to the front lines.

What you all deserve is victorythat is the most important thing. But not at any cost, Zelenskyy, wearing his trademark khaki T-shirt, said in a video.

Zelenskyy said he had traveled to Lysychansk, south of Sievierodonetsk, and Soledarrare outings for him outside of Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24.

Putin Warning

In a boost for Kyiv, Britain said on Monday it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80 km (50 miles) away. The systems would give the Ukrainians the more precise, long-range firepower needed to reach Russian artillery units, a key component of Moscows battle-plans.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, on May 20, 2022. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

The British move was coordinated with the United States, which last week pledged to supply Kyiv with advanced rocket systems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday warned the United States that Russia would strike new targets if the West supplied longer-range missiles to Ukraine.

Russia attacked Kyiv with missiles for the first time in more than a month on Sunday. Ukraine said the strike hit a rail car repair works, while Moscow said it had destroyed tanks sent by Eastern European countries to Ukraine.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of Ukraines railways, confirmed four missiles had smashed into the Darnytsia railcar repair facility but said no military hardware was at the site.

Russia says the strikes are part of a campaign to degrade Ukraines military infrastructure and block Western arms shipments.

Destroy Tanks

Britains Ministry of Defence said on Monday that while heavy fighting continued in Sievierodonetsk, Russian forces were also pushing towards Sloviansk, which lies about 85 km (53 miles) to the west.

In Lysychansk, divided from Sievierodonetsk by a river, Russian forces fired on a bakery and several administrative and residential buildings, Governor Gaidai said on Monday. One civilian had been wounded, he said.

Some 60 km (40 miles) to the south, on the front line near Bakhmut, Ukrainian soldiers said the situation was difficult but they had no choice but to push back the Russians.

A unit commander who gave his name as Maxym appealed for more arms from Ukraines allies.

Russian forces were fortifying their positions in the Kharkiv region and shelling Ukrainian positions to keep hold of the territory they had occupied, Ukraines military general staff said.

The governor of Russias western Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said the border village of Tyotkino had come under fire from Ukraine on Monday morning that targeted a bridge and some businesses. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

By Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk
WALVIS Bay mayor Trevino Forbes and French ambassador to Namibia Sebastien Minot this week welcomed the arrival of the French laboratory ship, the schooner Tara.

They said it would add value to the upcoming celebration of World Oceans Day on 8 June.

The ship, which docked at the port of Walvis Bay on Wednesday after travelling from Cape Town, will be in Namibia for six days. Coastal schools and the public are participating in guided tours of the laboratory.

Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes says the arrival of the ship will add to young people's knowledge.

World Oceans Day celebrations will take place on 10 and 11 June.

"It is a wonderful experience for our children. It stimulates curiosity among them. They will learn about what is happening in our oceans, and how they play a vital role in the global climate.

"It is important for our children as it contributes to them caring for the ocean," he says.

Minot says the visit came at an opportune time when there are important decisions to be made on the preservation of ocean life.

"World Oceans Day is taking place in a very rich semester, demonstrating the concern the international community has for the ocean.

"There was a summit in France in February in which president Geingob participated. There will be a United Nations ocean summit that is co-organised by Portugal and Kenya.

"It is a crucial year for promoting sustainable development goals - life below water. The fact that Tara stopped over this time is interesting and beneficial," he says. The ship, which belongs to the Tara Ocean Foundation, is 36m long and 10m wide. The captain of the ship, Audrain Saituel, says the crew was curious to learn more about the Namibian coast.

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"We left France a year and half ago to study. There are 14 people on board, including a journalist to share the project.

We are continuing along the coast up to Europe.

"It will be an almost two-year expedition.

We will cover seven African countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Gambia and Senegal," he says.

A Namibian student, Ndamona Mateus, joined the crew at Cape Town on 25 April and has been travelling and working with the scientists.

Students from the University of Namibia will be assisting on the ship while it is anchored at Walvis Bay.
President Joe Biden meets with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (2nd L), Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger (L), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley (R), members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and combatant commanders in the Cabinet Room of the White House on April 20, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Biden Accelerating Obamas Push for a Woke Military, Undermining Combat Readiness, Analysts Say

As the U.S. military rolls out its new fitness test, which imposes different physical standards and requirements for men and women, longtime defense analysts and observers say that the push for diversity and inclusiona trend that accelerated under President Barack Obama and that the Biden administration has aggressively carried forwardundermines combat training and readiness.

The Biden administration has assigned priority to diversity, inclusion, and equity as the primary criteria. That is a key decision and from it flows everything else that is problematic in the military today, said Elaine Donnelly, founder and president of the Center for Military Readiness, a public policy organization in Livonia, Michigan.

Donnelly views the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2021 released by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) as providing a good measure of the new priorities. The plans Strategic Objective 2 is to educate USSOCOM professionals and leaders to help facilitate and sustain a diverse and inclusive culture. Another of its goals is to increase hiring rates of diverse applicants.

The plan sets forth a far-reaching plan to address and remediate bias and calls diversity and inclusion a strategic imperative numerous times in the course of just 20 pages, Donnelly noted.

Biden Follows Obama

Under Biden, the military has pushed a wide range of imperatives and priorities that have little to do with the traditional function of training soldiers to be as effective in combat as possible and to minimize U.S. casualties, observers say. But it would be a mistake to think that the current administration has taken a new direction when its carrying on and expanding directives, policies, and programs that flourished under Obama.

It seems like a third term for Obama on this score. We have a president who says that climate change is the greatest threat to U.S. security, who has reversed President Trumps executive order banning teaching service members racially divisive concepts that sometimes go by the name critical race theory, and who has lifted all restrictions on service by transgender persons (and promised to fit the bill for transitions), said Kingsley Browne, a law professor Wayne State University in Detroit and author of the book Co-Ed Combat: The New Evidence That Women Shouldnt Fight the Nations Wars.

Browne sees the policy and cultural shifts within the military not just as the work of one president or cabinet official bent on promoting a woke agenda, but as an agenda that many military officials at different levels of command have endorsed, whether because they believe in it or because they are conscious of the impact that their stance on these issues will have on their career.

We have a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who talks about white rage and a Special Operations Command that has declared that diversity and inclusion are operational imperatives, Browne said. Consistent with past practice, commanders are routinely evaluated by how well they satisfy diversity imperatives, even if those imperatives diminish readiness.

Abandoning Traditional Requirements

The new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) is undergoing implementation just as controversy develops around gender-integrated training in another area of the services, namely the Air Force. An unnamed female trainee who recently left the Air Forces Combat Control School reportedly wrote in an April 2021 memo that instructors lowered fitness standards to accommodate her.

The new ACFT, which has lower physical standards than its predecessorsrequiring, for example, the ability to do nine push-ups instead of 10and different requirements for men and women in categories such as strength, endurance, and running speed, didnt come into being overnight. Rather, it is the end result of a long-running effort to scrap standards and expectations that men were more likely to be able to meet, observers say.

In December 2015, then-Defense Secretary Ashton Carter ordered the opening of all combat roles in the military to women within 30 days, denying a request from the Marine Corps for a partial exemption from the order for certain roles such as infantry and fire support reconnaissance. By the end of the 30-day period, all branches of the armed forces had to present Carter with their implementation plans for gender integration.

Fully integrating women into all military positions will make the U.S. armed forces better and stronger, Carter stated at the time, though he acknowledged that there will be problems to fix and challenges to overcome.

The official response to those who expressed concern about the realism of Carters plan was to offer assurances that standards for physical fitness and ability were and would remain gender-neutral, Browne said. But physical differences between the genders in areas such as upper-body strength and stature meant that things didnt always play out as the advocates of diversity had hoped.

Use of gender-neutral standards creates a dilemma, Browne said. You can adopt standards that are challenging for men, in which case few, if any, women will pass, or you can adopt standards that reasonable numbers of women can pass, which will be a walk in the park for men.

The choice made after 2015 was to try to thread the needle between these two optionsto make it not too hard but not too soft. But even with that compromise, you still had a disproportionate number of women who failed the test.

Faced with these difficulties in bringing about the complete gender integration ordered by Carter, lawmakers in Congress commissioned a RAND Corporation study, which set out to address the question of whether soldiers of all ages and genders should be subject to the same standards of physical fitness. The study came to the conclusion that a gender-normed Army fitness test would ensure parity in pass rates between groups, but it would also require the Army to accept differences in potential combat readiness among soldiers who are held to different testing standards.

The new ACFT that the Army is now in the process of implementing doesnt impose standards that anyone hoping to be a soldier must meet, as in the past, but instead sets forth varying standards for men and women and for people of different ages, Browne noted. He sees the name of the test as something of a misnomer, given that it doesnt really seek to gauge how well people can perform combat tasks but rather to measure general physical fitness. It sets maximum and minimum scores on the basis of percentiles within the category, or cohort, in question. It sets a passing score at the fifth percentile for an age and sex cohort, which Browne considers a low bar, and a maximum score at the 96th percentile.

One illustration of the problems inherent in the new test, in Brownes view, is the sprint-drag-carry test, which purports to measure not just a single aptitude but, instead, strength, agility, endurance, and aerobic maneuvering. The test allows an 18-year-old woman to pass with a time of 3 minutes and 15 seconds, but a man must take no longer than 2 minutes and 28 seconds in order to pass.

On a battlefield, heavy ordnance or the body of a wounded soldier that has to be moved under fire to safety doesnt make allowances based on the gender of the soldier who has to perform the task. In light of this reality, Army officials havent explained how the test is useful or relevant.

Who do you want to be trying to extract you and move you to safety if youre wounded? Browne said. I guess the Armys answer is that it doesnt matter, because both potential rescuers are equally fit.

The new norms arent the only impediment to readiness in a military where officers face intense political pressure to pass women, Browne and others believe.

Even without gender-norming of the physical tests referred to above and using the same standards for men and women, it is still possible to cheat. There is a widespread belief that women are often given extra chances to pass training, especially in the special operations forces, he said.

In corroboration of this view, journalist and defense analyst Susan Katz Keating wrote an expose for People magazine in 2015 reporting her findings that two women who passed the Armys elite Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia, received special treatment, and instructors gave them a pass even after infractions for which male trainees were disqualified. This expose came on the heels of Peoples reporting that Rep. Steve Russell, then a Republican congressman for Oklahoma, had become concerned about reports of a gender-based double standard in Ranger training and had asked the Department of Defense for documents relating to the two female candidates, Kristen Griest and Shaye Haver.

Double Standards

Among Keatings findings were that Griest and Haver were able to take a special preparatory two-week pre-training course that male trainees werent allowed to take; that they received direct personal counseling and encouragement from an experienced Ranger that wasnt available to their male peers; that they were allowed to repeat patrols after making mistakes that disqualified male candidates; and that Griest herself expressed surprise that she and Haver passed the course after failing a key segment of training at Fort Benning, not once but twice.

Keating agrees with Browne that the changes pushed heavily under the Obama administration have grown even more pronounced under Biden.

The Biden administration has taken previous policies and amplified them. For example, soon after Biden came into office, he reversed the existing policy on transgender troops, opening the door for them to serve openly, and also to go through the transition process, including surgery, on the publics dime, Keating said.

Keating also sees relatively little dissent in the services over the change in course.

From what Ive seen in several branches, the service members disagree with many of the policies but are keenly aware that they are working within a command structure that doesnt ask them to vote on policies. When it comes to policies, the services dont ask, they tell, Keating said.

The New Priorities

Besides the effects on what happens during training and the standards and requirements involved, the cultural shift within the military in favor of diversity, inclusiveness, and equity has caused far-reaching changes in how candidates for military service spend their time. In Brownes view, the time that trainees spend learning about critical race theory, implicit bias, politically correct pronouns, and microaggressionsinstead of traditional things like firing with precision or scaling obstacles with full-body gearcomes with a steep price.

Any time that personnel are diverted away from training aimed at making the military more combat-effective has a cost, Browne said. I think that a lot of people who are unfamiliar with the military assume that when personnel are not deployed, they are just sitting around with nothing to do.

Under this view, giving them some extra training in how to be a social justice warrior is relatively costless. In fact, however, time and resources spent on such matters are time and resources not spent on enhancing combat effectiveness.

When the inculcation of critical race theorya Marxist-rooted framework that views the United States as a systematic oppressor of ethnic minoritiesand new doctrines are priorities, Browne also sees a severe effect on morale and cohesion within military units. While the goal of training in the past has been to promote unity, doctrines that divide trainees into categories of oppressed and oppressors are unlikely to foster a sense of shared purpose, he said.

Similarly, the message that male personnel often receivethat their female colleagues are more highly valuedcreates resentment and is similarly destructive to cohesion, Browne said.

The Department of Defense didnt respond to a request for comment.
Blank checks are seen on an idle press at the Philadelphia Regional Financial Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on May 8, 2009. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

California Man to Plead Guilty for Stealing Over $5 Million in COVID Loans

IRVINE, Calif.A 35-year-old Orange County man, who is accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $5 million in COVID-19 relief loans on sham companies, agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges, a U.S. attorney said in a June 3 statement.

Raghavender Reddy Budamala, of Irvine, confessed to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering he allegedly used on stock trading, immigrant investment programs, and real estate assets.

Budamala allegedly used the money to pay for personal expenses, including purchasing a $1.2 million investment property in Eagle Rock, a $600,000 property in Malibu, and a private residence in Irvine, according to the statement.

The U.S. attorneys office also accused Budamala of depositing nearly $3 million of the pandemic-era relief loans into his stock trading account and investing $970,000 in whats called an EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program, which allows foreign investors to obtain permanent residency if they meet specific capital investment and job creation requirements.

Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, Budamala formed or acquired three non-operational shell companiesHayventure LLC, Pioneer LLC, and XC International LLC, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

From April 2020 through March 2021, Budamala submitted to the Small Business Administration seven applications for pandemic-relief loans under the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan, the statement reads.

The Small Business Administration funded six of those loans, disbursing about $5.2 million the statement reads.

Budamala allegedly claimed his companiesall of which had bogus, nonexistent, or residential addressesearned millions in revenue, according to the statement.

He allegedly said he needed the money to pay out dozens of employees and use it for business operations.

No records of those companies paying wages to any employees, and bank records for the companies reflect no significant business income or operating expenses, the statement reads.

Once he received the funds, Budamala allegedly applied to have several of the loans forgiven, claiming he used the money entirely for payroll, and agreed to forfeit the ill-gotten gains to the government.

Authorities arrested Budamala on Feb. 23 after thwarting his attempt to flee the United States and escape to Mexico at the San Ysidro port of entry.

Budamala, who has been in federal custody since February, is scheduled to enter his guilty plea on June 21 and will face a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
Chicago Police set up near the corner of 64th St. and Loomis Blvd., an intersection near the location where an officer was shot, in Chicago, on June 1, 2022. (Brian Rich/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Chicago Police: 33 People Shot, 6 Dead Over Weekend

Officials in Chicago confirmed that separate shootings over the weekend left dozens injured and six dead, local media reported.

From Friday to Monday morning, 33 people were shot across Chicago, police told the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday. Two young girls, aged 3 and 6, were counted among the victims who were shot and injured.

Police said that most of the incidents occurred on the South and West sidesareas that are known to have high violent crime rates. Several people were also shot in the citys North Side and in Old Town, officials said.

On Monday morning, a man was shot and killed inside a vehicle in North Park, officials said, adding that they responded to gunfire in the 3400 block of West Catalpa Avenue. Thats when they discovered a man, 28, with a gunshot wound to the face at around 4 a.m. local time.

Hours before that, at around 9 p.m. Sunday, a 40-year-old man was killed and two others were injured after a shooter opened fire on them while they were congregated around a porch on South Deering in the citys Far South Side, officials said.

Officials said that at around the same time, in Douglas Park, a 67-year-old male was killed and another man was critically injured when someone opened fire at them while they were on a porch in the 1600 block of South Washtenaw Avenue. The suspect was inside a black sedan, police told the Sun-Times.

Also on Sunday at around 11 p.m., Juan Antonio Gonzalez-Ramirez, 30, was shot and killed during a dispute between two groups in Chicagos Little Village neighborhood, police said.

A 26-year-old male, meanwhile, was killed while walking in West Garfield Park on Sunday night at 10 p.m., said police. He was walking on North Kenton Avenue when a group of people exited from a vehicle and fired shots at him, authorities confirmed.

A 41-year-old male was shot and killed on Saturday in Homan Square on the citys West Side, authorities said. He was in the back of his home when someone fired shots, hitting him in the back, police said.

Officials told ABC7 Chicago that a 6-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet on Saturday afternoon in Calumet Heights. She was in the backyard of a home when a bullet struck her thigh. Police said shes in good condition.

In another incident, a 3-year-old girl was struck by gunfire while inside her Longwood Manor home on Monday morning, authorities told the broadcaster. Two male suspects fired into the home at around 2:30 a.m. The child was grazed in the buttocks and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was said to be in good condition, said officials.

Meanwhile, a Chicago man was arrested last Thursday after he shot and injured a U.S. Marshal and his dog while he was serving a warrant for his arrest. Tarrion Johnson, 19, was taken into custody right after he opened fire in the 5200 block of West Belmont around 1:20 p.m., Chicago police told Fox News.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian gestures as he speaks during a daily briefing at his ministry in Beijing, on Feb. 24, 2020. (Andy Wong/AP Photo)

China Calls Canadian Flights Monitoring North Korea Sanctions Provocations

Beijing has responded to Ottawas concerns about Chinese fighter jets harassing a Canadian surveillance plane in East Asia by warning it of potential severe consequences for any risky provocation.

The U.N. Security Council has never authorized any country to carry out military surveillance in the seas and airspace of other countries in the name of enforcing sanctions, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a media briefing on Monday.

Canada and other countries in a U.S.-led effort are monitoring the observance of sanctions imposed on North Korea by the U.N. Security Security Council between 2006 and 2017 for its nuclear weapons program and ballistic missiles tests.

Aerial and maritime surveillance is being used in part to detect ship-to-ship oil transfers employed by Pyongyang to circumvent the yearly importation cap of 4 million barrels of crude oil and 500,000 barrels of refined petroleum products.

China is North Koreas main benefactor, but the sanctions would not have been adopted without its approval, given its veto power on the council.

On May 26, China and Russia used their veto to defeat a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution seeking to reduce the amount of oil North Korea can import, due to its 23 ballistic missile launches this year.

Canadas Department of National Defence (DND) revealed last week its CP-140 Aurora Maritime Patrol Aircraft assigned to sanctions-monitoring from April 26 to May 26 had several interactions with Chinese fighter jets over what it says was international airspace.

In some cases, the Canadian aircrews had to modify their flight paths to avoid a potential collision with the Chinese jets, DND said.

The Chinese defence ministry said in a statement that the aerial reconnaissance conducted by Canada was being used against China under the pretext of supporting a U.N. resolution, which it says amounts to provocations.

China experts commented on the issue to The Epoch Times while participating in the University of Ottawa Challenge of China conference on June 3.

Former Canadian ambassador to Beijing Guy St-Jacques called the Chinese militarys action reckless.

It just shows how China has become aggressive, provocative, and this is dangerous, he told The Epoch Times.

St-Jacques said its not the first time the Chinese military has been aggressive toward foreign ships or planes.

More recently and in line with what the Canadian aircrews experienced, the Australian Department of Defence said on June 5 that one of its surveillance planes had been harassed by a Chinese jet on May 26.

The incident occurred in international airspace over the South China Sea region, stated the department.

A Chinese J-16 fighter jet intercepted an Australian P8-A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, which resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew.

Scott Simon, University of Ottawa professor and co-holder of the Chair of Taiwan Studies, says these incidents must be viewed in the broader context of China being increasingly aggressive beyond its own borders.

Theres a broad pattern of aggression that goes everywhere from the Himalayas, where they have border incursions with India, but also building villages inside Bhutan and Nepal. Its very serious, he said.

Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, senior fellow at the University of Ottawa Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, said Chinese pilots did not come up with the idea to harass the Canadian aircraft.

This is an idea of someone much more senior. If you look at [the] top-down control [of] the country, it really must be from [leader] Xi [Jinping] and his colleagues, that this is the direction of what theyre to do.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the harassment by Chinese fighter aircraft extremely troubling last week and said the issue would be addressed with Chinese officials to prevent an escalatory pattern. On Monday, he again said the actions were irresponsible and provocative.

Donna Ho and Reuters contributed to this report.
China Calls On Bangladesh to Reject US-led Bloc Politics

China has called on Bangladesh to uphold independence and reject bloc politics, particularly those led by the United States that Beijing characterized as U.S. centrism and exceptionalism.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on June 2 following a meeting between Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs Liu Jinsong and Bangladeshs Ambassador to China Mahbub Uz Zaman at which they discussed bilateral relations and regional issues.

During the meeting, Liu criticized U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens May speech on China for reflecting serious deviations in the United States view of the world and view of China and China-U.S. relations.

The logic behind the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, AUKUS, the Quad grouping, and the latest Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is U.S. centrism and exceptionalism, he said.

Liu further noted that the U.S.-led initiatives will only bring disgrace to itself, and at the same time undermine the regional cooperation framework and create bloc confrontation.

Unipolar hegemony wins no support, block confrontation has no future, and building small yards with high walls and decoupling from or cutting off supply chains will bring no good to anyone, he said.

China believes that countries in the region, including Bangladesh, will bear in mind the fundamental interests of their own countries and the region, uphold independence, reject the Cold War mentality and bloc politics, safeguard true multilateralism, and defend the hard-won environment for peace and development in the region.

In response, Zaman reaffirmed that Bangladesh opposes bloc confrontation and a new Cold War but maintains its stance of friendship to all, malice to none.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks on China at Jack Morton Auditorium of George Washington University in Washington on May 26, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Blinken stated in his May 26 speech on the U.S. approach to China that Washington is not seeking a new Cold War or to prevent China from becoming a major power, but rather to preserve international law.

Under President [regime leader Xi Jinping], the ruling Chinese Communist Party has become more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad, he said, citing Beijings unlawful maritime activities in the South China Sea and support for Russias war in Ukraine.

We stand ready to increase our direct communication with Beijing across a full range of issues. And we hope that that can happen. But we cannot rely on Beijing to change its trajectory, Blinken added.

This was Chinas second attempt to warn Bangladesh against joining U.S.-led alliances, the first being in May 2021, when the Chinese envoy warned that Bangladeshs bilateral relations with China would suffer substantial damage if it joined the Quad.

The Chinese envoy said that Bangladesh will not derive any benefit from joining the four-nation alliancewhich consists of the United States, India, Japan, and Australiacalling it a narrow-purposed geopolitical clique.

However, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen rebuked the Chinese envoys remarks and claimed that Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign state that can decide its own foreign policy.

Momen described the Chinese regimes warning as unusual and aggressive, adding, We didnt expect such behavior from China. He further noted that the Quad has not reached out to Bangladesh to propose joining the alliance, raising questions as to why the Chinese envoy made such premature remarks.

Bangladesh joined Beijings Belt and Road Initiative in 2016, at the risk of falling victim to its debt-trap diplomacy and losing strategically important ports on the Bay of Bengal to China, which would give the Beijing regime access points to the Indian Ocean.

Alex Wu contributed to this report.
Chinas Actions Toward Canadian Planes Provocative and Irresponsible: Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the actions of Chinese pilots towards Canadian planes taking part in a United Nations mission irresponsible and provocative.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Trudeau condemned the actions of China toward Canadian planes that were taking part in a multilateral UN mission over the Pacific Ocean to enforce sanctions against North Korea.

Chinas actions are irresponsible and provocative and we will continue to register strongly that they are putting people at risk while at the same time not respecting decisions by the UN, the prime minister said.

Last week, the Canadian military accused Chinese planes of not following international safety norms on several occasions and putting a Canadian crew at risk. A statement said the Chinese planes tried to divert a Canadian long-range patrol aircraft from its path, and that the crew had to change direction quickly to avoid a potential collision.

Such interactions  are of concern and of increasing frequency, the statement said.

The Canadian plane was deployed from April 26 to May 26 to join other countries in watching for fuel transfers between ships at sea that could be helping North Korea evade U.N. sanctions over its missile and nuclear tests. Chinese ships are suspected of taking part in the transfers. The U.S. and Japan have also participated in the surveillance.

China defended its military pilots on Monday, saying they acted properly and were protecting its sovereignty, following recent complaints by Canada and Australia that Chinese planes engaged in risky manoeuvres with their aircraft over the Pacific.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said China swiftly took reasonable, forceful and professional measures in response to Canadas provocative acts and unfriendly and unprofessional operations.

Wu said in a statement that Canada has stepped up close reconnaissance of China under the pretext of implementing UN sanctions. He said Canada would bear responsibility for any serious consequences from what he called its risky and provocative acts.

Conservative foreign affairs spokesman Michael Chong said Canada should tell China that its actions were unacceptable and also dangerous and reckless.

Chinas buzzing of a Canadian Forces plane over international waters is reckless and unprofessional, Chong said.

A 2001 collision between a U.S. surveillance plane and a Chinese air force jet resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the 10-day detention of the U.S. aircrew by China.

In a separate incident, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on a visit to Indonesia on Monday, called the May 26 actions of a Chinese fighter jet a dangerous act of aggression against an Australian air force plane conducting aerial surveillance in the South China Sea.

The Chinese J-16 accelerated and cut in front of the Australian plane, releasing chaff with small bits of aluminum that was sucked into the latters engine, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Sunday.

Chinas Defense Ministry has not commented on the incident.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the Chinese military always conducts operations based on international law and practice and in a safe and professional manner.

We urge Australia to respect Chinas national security interests and major concerns, and to be cautious with its words and deeds so as to avoid a miscalculation that could cause serious consequences, he said.

China claims numerous small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and says the area around these outcroppings are its territorial waters and airspace. The waters are an important shipping lane for all countries in the region, including Australia, which along with the United States says it wants to ensure freedom of navigation through them.

Zhao said China would not allow any country to violate its sovereignty in the name of freedom of navigation.

He also accused Canada of spreading disinformation and said it should adopt a moderate and pragmatic policy toward China and take concrete steps to improve relations between the two.
Chinas War on the World

'The first step of gaining control of any population is to create some kind of fear,' says Gen. Robert Spalding

The warfare is daily, Gen. Robert Spalding says of Chinas policies. It never ends.

In two recent episodes of American Thought Leaders, host Jan Jekielek and retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding discuss the Chinese regimes strategy of unrestricted warfare, in which any and all tools are allowedfrom flooding our streets with fentanyl to stealing intellectual property to exploiting a global pandemic. The goal? To dominate the world without firing a single shot.

Spalding is an expert in unrestricted warfare and the author of the new book War Without Rules: Chinas Playbook for Global Domination.

Jan Jekielek: War Without Rules is about another book, Unrestricted Warfare, which was written 20 years ago. You call that book the manual that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used to achieve dominance in many areas. In your book, you use the example of how the CCP weaponized the pandemic to explain how one of these unrestricted warfare strategies could work. Why dont you lay that out for me?

Gen. Robert Spalding: The pandemic was designed to create enormous fear in populations around the globe. The first step of gaining control of any population is to create some kind of fear. Youre willing to give up your freedom, because you seek safety. In Unrestricted Warfare, they talk about how to create fear.

You have to understand what the CCP was doing. Scientists need data, and the Chinese were obfuscating the data. If you dont have data, you plan for the worst and hope for the best. Thats what youre thinking as an epidemiologist.

The CCP would never come out and say anything if there were a crisis. They seclude themselves. That allows them to watch the situation and see how it develops. Theyre very good at figuring out a way to take advantage of how a thing is developing.

Mr. Jekielek: There are other elements here. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, when the pandemic began, canceled domestic flights to stop the spread of the virus within China. But the Chinese media would scream racism at any suggestion that there would be a stoppage of international flights.

Gen. Spalding: If youre the CCP, youre not going to allow Chinese nationals to fly inside the country, but you are going to allow them to fly internationally. Not only are you going to allow them to fly internationally, if a country says, Dont fly to our nation, youre going to say theyre racist.

Why? Because you want to take advantage. You dont want to suffer the pandemic on your own. If it happened in America, we would say, Lets keep it here. Dont let it break out internationally. Now, youre not thinking like the CCP, where warfare is daily; it never ends. Everybody needs to suffer the pandemic, because if we all suffer the pandemic, then theyll be able to take advantage of that fact. They own the supply chain. They have personal protective equipment and masks and everything else. This is the way the CCP thinks.

And thats what unrestricted warfare is all about.

Mr. Jekielek: You describe the relationship of the CCP to the United States as a parasitic one. Please explain that.

Gen. Spalding: If I create a system where you are tied to me economically, and your wealth is tied to our relationship, then I can use these economic relationships to manipulate you. Having the ability to use other nonviolent toolstools that dont involve any bloodshed yet still have the same outcomesis whats baked into unrestricted warfare.

The parasitic nature of China is one part industrial. The money that wouldve gone toward building infrastructure that supported our industrial base was poured into China. It wasnt invested in the United States, in our industrial base and manufacturing; it was invested in China.

Mr. Jekielek: You talk about this in your book. There was certainly massive growth, but you argue it was based on this unsustainable parasitic model.

Gen. Spalding: Because everything thats coming out of these free countriesthe United States and the European Unionis going into China.

Ultimately, the problem with a parasite is that it ends up killing the host. In the case of the CCP, that is their goal anyway. They want to kill the host. You end up with a less efficient society thats not well-organized or self-actualizing, but youre better off than everybody else is, so youve won.

The brilliance of China is to give concessions by saying theyre going to give concessions but not actually giving the concessions. A good example of this is, Stop hacking into our systems. They reply, Oh, OK. Well stop that. But do they stop? No, they dont stop.

Mr. Jekielek: The example that always comes to my mind is, Yes, well stop taking organs from prisoners of conscience. Well do it. But they dont stop.

Gen. Spalding: They dont stop. Well stop sending fentanyl. But they dont stop.

Mr. Jekielek: What is going on with these extreme lockdowns in China?

Gen. Spalding: Well, it could be to just see how far they can take ithow much can they control the population, or who are the ones who are the problems?

Maybe theyre testing how they might approach a Taiwan invasion, if it starts to go wrong or if it becomes too bloody and the population needs to be suppressed. I dont think its because they actually believe that it will prevent the spread of COVID; thats not it.

There are many things that go into how the CCP thinks about lockdowns, because theyre an incredible tool for control. The CCP doesnt do things willy-nilly. Its very deliberate.

Whats important to Xi is taking back Taiwan. He said hes not going to leave it to the next generation. And I honestly dont believe theres anything we could do to stop the CCP from invading Taiwan.

Whats achievable for u.s. is something that says, Hey, we are going to do our best to ensure the safety of the people of Taiwan. Were not going to be able to stop Chinas invasion. Thats beyond our ability at this point, because weve allowed them to build up too much military power on their side of the strait.

Mr. Jekielek: Is what you just expressed a commonly held view?

Gen. Spalding: I dont think that we Americans are very good at saying, Were not the best. But in war game after war game, we lose in a war with China over Taiwan. And not only do we lose, we lose fast. Really fast.

We have no chanceshort of nuclear warat winning a war [with China] over Taiwan. Nobody wants to contemplate nuclear war, because youre talking about the potential end of civilization. So, if its the end of civilization, or if China gets Taiwan, whats your choice if youre the president of the United States? And if thats the case, what do we do? Whats our responsibility? Its to do the best we can to provide for [Taiwan] and to struggle to defeat communism, but youre talking about a long-term struggle.

Mr. Jekielek: So, what to do? And I dont mean about Taiwan; I mean, in general. Are you suggesting that America needs to wage unrestricted warfare in response?

Gen. Spalding: What is America? Its a mind virus. Its this idea that, by your nature, youre supposed to be free as a human. And thats a terribly powerful idea.

We need to get reacquainted with our own principles and valueswhat they mean. Therein lies the allure of America. We dont have to wage unrestricted war on China. What we have to do is reach our true potential, because once Americans reach their true potential and have the blessings of liberty, then their enthusiasm and boundless energy cannot be subdued. It will shine like a beacon around the world.

For over two centuries, this has made us strong. People look to us and say, I wish I were like that. Weve allowed China to basically erode international order, our own domestic institutions, and those principles and values. We must break free of that. Then, were going to shine like a beacon again. When we do, we can work with other nations with similar aspirations.

China cant compete with that. They know it. Thats why theyre so afraid. There are Chinese people who would embrace American freedom if they could.

Mr. Jekielek: Any final thoughts?

Gen. Spalding: I just want to say thank you for what youre doing as a journalist because I believe in the importance of the fourth estate. I believe in this country and in the Constitution. I believe that we have to fight to preserve it.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Jan Jekielek Senior Editor Follow Jan Jekielek is a senior editor with The Epoch Times and host of the show, "American Thought Leaders." Jans career has spanned academia, media, and international human rights work. In 2009 he joined The Epoch Times full time and has served in a variety of roles, including as website chief editor. He is the producer of the award-winning Holocaust documentary film "Finding Manny."
Ruins of a collapsed under-construction tower at the Metropol Building in Abadan, Iran on May 27, 2022. (Iranian Senior Vice-President Office via AP)

Death Toll in Iran Building Collapse Rises to at Least 38

DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesThe death toll in a catastrophic tower collapse in southwestern Iran rose to at least 38 on Sunday, state TV reported, as emergency workers pulled another body from the rubble amid fears still more could be trapped in the destruction.

Its unclear how many more people remain unaccounted for in the collapse of the still under-construction tower at the Metropol Building in Abadan nearly two weeks ago. Rescuers were still working and families still waiting for word of their loved ones despite promises the search operation would be finished by now.

The structural building failure in the oil-rich but impoverished Khuzestan province has focused public attention on shoddy construction practices and prompted mass allegations of government corruption and negligence. Authorities have arrested 13 people as part of a broad probe into the disaster, including Abadans mayor, Hossein Hamidpour, who resigned last Friday.

Protesters have gathered in mourning at the collapse site, denouncing top officials and demanding accountability, according to videos widely shared on social media and analyzed by The Associated Press. However, reporting on events in Abadan remains extremely difficult as the threat of arrest looms. Authorities have disrupted internet access, according to experts, restricting peoples ability to share videos and information.

In an effort to address public mistrust, President Ebrahim Raisi last Friday paid a surprise visit to Abadan, where he surveyed the disaster site and offered personal condolences to the families of victims. During his trip, businessmen lodged complaints about the scope of corruption in local government, state-run media reported.

Raisi vowed the government would not hesitate to deal with the offenders and would monitor construction more closely, especially high-rise buildings.

The perpetrators should know that the passage of time will not absolve them of responsibility and accountability, he said.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also touched on events in Abadan during his live televised speech on Saturdayproviding further indication of their seriousness.

In his first speech outside his residence since the pandemic struck Iran, Khamenei warned of severe consequences for those who violated regulations and may have helped cause the disaster in Abadan.

Those responsible must be brought to justice, their punishment should serve as a lesson for others, and similar incidents in future should be avoided, he said.

Khamenei also blamed the recent outbreak of protests in the restive Khuzestan province on Irans enemies, including treacherous Iranians abroad, who he said try to harm the countrys interest through psychological warfare and online campaigns.

Reza Pahlavi, in exile in the United States, the eldest son of Irans deposed monarch before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, last week seized on reports of growing anger in Abadan to call for the creation of a unified front against the Islamic Republic.
Pro-life activists demonstrate on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on June 27, 2016. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

Democratic Campaign Committee Sponsors Pro-Life Candidate Despite Abortion Stance

The campaign arm for House Democrats is spending tens of thousands of dollars to promote a pro-life Catholic candidate in Texas, despite the partys stance supporting the wide availability of abortion.

Dan Sanchez, a Democratic candidate running in a special election for Texas 34th District on June 14, is now backed by a $100,000 coordinated spend for his campaign from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the committee devoted to electing Democrats to the House. The move was unveiled over the weekend as ads began circulating, according to Patrick Svitek, a political correspondent for The Texas Tribune.

It came days after a virtual forum that was featured on Facebook with Futuro RGV when Sanchez retaliated that he is pro-life across the board.

My views havent changed since I was a little boy, the candidate told the panel on May 31, touching on his family background. I was raised as a Catholic, and as a Catholic, you know Im pro-life.  Although we respect womens rights, we have to also respect the childrens rights.

Calling abortion a very difficult topic given the different variations, Sanchez, who will face off against three other candidates including GOP candidate Mayra Flores, said that policies should be in place for new mothers, such as proper child care and healthcare.

If elected, Sanchez will be one of the few anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, besides incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas). Yet, such a view goes against the overwhelming support for abortion in the national party.

In the #TX34 special election, @DCCC is doing a $100K coordinated spend w/ @dansancheztx34 on digital, per his campaign. Ads started today. pic.twitter.com/urKFyOhcUI  Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 4, 2022

Democrats are fighting to codify Roe v. Wade, the DCCC said via Twitter last month, referring to a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion across the whole country. The statement followed a leaked Supreme Court draft ruling for the scenario of a majority of justices favoring overturning the landmark abortion ruling.

Sean Patrick, the chairman of the committee, soon issued a joint statement the following day with Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison and five others, calling the national situation on abortion access a crisis.

We want to make this very clear: Abortion is legal. It is your right, they wrote.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the DCCC for comment.

The committee announced that its independent expenditure has so far reserved $21.4 million for broadcast TV ad buys, marking its first reservation of the 2022 cycle.

Last September, the House passed the Womens Health Protection Act that would outlaw many restrictions on abortions. Life-long Catholic Cuellar was then the only House Democrat who voted against the act. A bipartisan Senate vote last month blocked the bill after opponents deemed it too extreme.
Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, stands outside of the Hyatt Regency where the Conservative Political Action Conference is being held in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 27, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

DOJ: Proud Boys Leader Charged With Seditious Conspiracy During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

The Department of Justice charged the former leader of the Proud Boys and four other members with seditious conspiracy in connection to the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.

With Mondays charges, the Justice Department appears to be taking a more aggressive stance against the Proud Boys. Its the first allegation by federal prosecutors that the right-wing group attempted to oppose the presidential transfer of power during the Jan. 6 Joint Session of Congress.

Proud Boys former leader Enrique Tarrio and four othersEthan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzolawere charged, officials said. Tarrio wasnt in Washington D.C. during the protests on Jan. 6. But he was arrested in Washington two days prior and charged with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a church; he was released from jail on Jan. 14 after a 5-month sentence.

Nordean, Biggs, Rehl, and Pezzola were detained and have pleaded not guilty, according to the Department of Justice. Tarrio, meanwhile, was already arrested in March.

On Jan. 6, 2021, the defendants directed, mobilized, and led members of the crowd onto the Capitol grounds and into the Capitol, leading to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, breaching of the Capitol building, and assaults on law enforcement. During and after the attack, Tarrio and his co-defendants claimed credit for what had happened on social media and in an encrypted chat room, the Justice Department alleged in its news release.

A sixth member of the group, Charles Donohoe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers in April.

Just before Congress convened a joint session to certify the election results, a group of Proud Boys followed a crowd of individuals who breached barriers at a pedestrian entrance to the Capitol grounds, the federal indictment alleged. Several Proud Boy members also entered the Capitol building itself after windows were smashed and doors were forced open.

Prosecutors have claimed the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Chinese-made Baofeng radios. The devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

Over the years, the Proud Boys have fought with Antifa adherents at riots and protests, with clashes erupting mainly throughout West Coast cities including Portland and Seattle. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, filed a lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling the Proud Boys as a hate group.

Eleven members of the Oath Keepers group were charged with seditious conspiracy earlier this year. The Department of Justice said that more than 800 people have been arrested in connection to the Jan. 6 incident at the Capitol.

Attorneys for several Jan. 6 defendants have said their clients who are detained in Washington jail have faced cruel and unusual forms of punishment, including 23-hour solitary confinement sessions, or have been denied access to their lawyers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
THE impacts of climate change have already started affecting Namibia's economic development, impacting the country's agricultural sector - particularly rural households and small-scale farmers who depend on rain-fed subsistence farming.

This was said by Caroline Garus-Oas, the deputy environmental commissioner in the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, at the handover of equipment and the project closure of the intergrated early warning systems (EWS) in Namibia on Wednesday by the World Food Programme (WFP).

"Fisheries and tourism are not spared either. These threats can directly reduce our country's gross domestic product and cause economic losses that may undermine our efforts to achieve our national development goals," she said.

Garus-Oas said Namibia takes climate change very seriously, and it is for this reason that the government has mainstreamed and integrated climate change into its development plans.

"A cross-sectoral national climate change committee was established in 2001 to oversee all climate change-related activities in the country. In 2011, the national climate change policy was finalised, followed by a Cabinet-endorsed national climate change strategy and action plan in 2013."

She further said the government was grateful to receive the donated equipment, as well as for the capacity development provided to public institutions, such as the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, the environment ministry, and the Ministry of Works and Transport.

"Integrated early warning systems receive high priority on our national developmental agenda, as it plays an instrumental role in disaster-risk reduction through proactively generating timely climatic data that ultimately makes provision for early warning information to trigger early action.

"This information, if disseminated appropriately, could lead to better-informed decision-making that would enhance the adaptive capacity of farmers and enhance food security," she said.

Elvis Odeke, WFP head of programmes, at the event said climate change and climate-related shocks pose an ever-growing threat to food security and reduced nutrition worldwide, and Namibia is particularly vulnerable.

This vulnerability is only growing, as climate-related shocks increase in scale and frequency.

Odeke said the WFP has since positioned itself as a valuable technical partner to the government - not only in emergency response, but also in preparedness, resilience building, nutrition improvement, and social protection.

The WFP in Namibia continues to implement its country strategic plan through five strategic outcomes which complement national priorities and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

"As a developing country, Namibia continues to put adaptation and resilience building at the forefront of its climate change response, and the WFP, in partnership with the government, has been making concerted efforts towards building resilient communities through the Project 2030 fund," Odeke said.

The objective of Project 2030 was to facilitate the development and strengthening of EWS in Namibia.

In particular, it aimed to enhance drought-monitoring systems which use data to inform early mitigation action and long-term investments, thereby building drought-resilient communities.

The WFP's primary role was to provide technical assistance to key government partners and enhance their ability to make policy and programme decisions which are supported by evidence-based analysis.

"The importance of early warning systems and the work undertaken with our esteemed partners is that we can be proactive, we have a head start, and can make the first move in mitigating or preventing the adverse consequences of climate shocks," said Odeke.

"Today we are honoured to hand over this equipment to our government partners - confident that it would be used to build on the critical work that has already been done together.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Namibia Business Climate 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 will enhance their ability to map and visualise climatic conditions at a country level, to collect and analyse data, and to produce and disseminate crucial information - all with the end goal of improving the capacity to make timely, evidence-based decisions and share key information with those who need it.

"Namibia is now better equipped to taking timely shock-responsive actions and make long-term structural investments toward building more drought-resilient communities, thereby bridging the humanitarian development gap.

"The Project 2030 fund has officially come to a close, but this is not the end. Our government partners are now better equipped to carry this work forward, and the WFP will continue to engage with partners in developing a project proposal to be submitted to the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund, focusing on the further development, refinement and integration of early warning systems in Namibia," Odeke said.

Email: [email protected]
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the new U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan attend a ceremony for newly appointed foreign ambassadors to Russia, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 5, 2020. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via Reuters)

Dont Close the Embassy, US Ambassador Tells Russia

LONDONRussia should not close the U.S. embassy despite the crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine because the worlds two biggest nuclear powers must continue to talk, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow was quoted as saying on Monday.

President Vladimir Putin has cast the invasion of Ukraine as a turning point in Russian history: a revolt against the hegemony of the United States, which the Kremlin chief says has humiliated Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.

Ukraineand its Western backerssays it is fighting for its survival against a reckless imperial-style land grab.

In a clear attempt to send a message to the Kremlin, John J. Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador appointed by President Donald Trump, told Russias state TASS news agency that Washington and Moscow should not simply break off diplomatic relations.

We must preserve the ability to speak to each other, Sullivan told TASS in an interview. He cautioned against the removal of the works of Leo Tolstoy from Western bookshelves or refusing to play the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

His remarks were reported by TASS in Russian and translated into English by Reuters.

Despite the crises, spy scandals and brinkmanship of the Cold War, relations between Moscow and Washington have not been broken off since the United States established ties with the Soviet Union in 1933.

Now, though, Russia says its post-Soviet dalliance with the West is over and that it will turn eastwards.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month quipped that he would like to dedicate Taylor Swifts We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together to Putin.

Asked about that remark, Sullivan said: We also will never break up entirely.

A general view shows the U.S. embassy in Moscow, Russia, on March 27, 2018. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters)

When asked by TASS if the analogy meant that the embassies could be closed, Sullivan said: They can there is that possibility, although I think it would be a big mistake.

As I understand it, the Russian government has mentioned the variant of severing diplomatic relations, he said. We cant just break off diplomatic relations and stop talking to each other.

Russias foreign ministry has called in the Moscow bureau chiefs of U.S. media outlets to discuss on Monday what it says are the repercussions of the United States unfriendly actions.

Tsarina Catherine the Greats refusal to support the British empire when America declared independence laid the ground for the first diplomatic contacts between the United States and St Petersburg, then Russias imperial capital.

Following the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917, President Woodrow Wilson refused to recognize Vladimir Lenins revolutionary government and the U.S. embassy closed in 1919. Relations were not re-established until 1933.

The only reason I can think of that the United State might be forced to close its embassy would be if it became unsafe to continue its work, Sullivan said.

Asked how relations would develop, Sullivan, a 62-year-old lawyer, said he didnt know but added that he hoped there might one day be a rapprochement.

If I were to make a bet, I would say perhaps not in my lifetime.

By Guy Faulconbridge
CEO of Tesla Motors Elon Musk speaks at the Tesla Giga Texas manufacturing "Cyber Rodeo" grand opening party in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2022. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk Takes Aim at Communism, Says Its the Bad One

The worlds richest person has made a comparison between communism and capitalism by referring to a cold-war era symbol of communism.

In addition to comments on Shakespeare plays and a California law that officially declares bees to be fish, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in a June 5 Twitter post appeared to contrast communism and capitalism by referring to the Berlin Wallthe cold-war era iron curtain that physically and ideologically divided Germany into the two worlds of communism and liberal democracy.

The acid test for any two competing socioeconomic systems is which side needs to build a wall to keep people from escaping? Thats the bad one! Musk wrote in a Twitter post on June 5.

The acid test for any two competing socioeconomic systems is which side needs to build a wall to keep people from escaping? Thats the bad one!  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2022

The Berlin Wall, a well-known symbol of communist oppression that began construction in 1961, forbade citizens of East Germany to escape to the freer West Germany. Thousands of East Germans were killed trying to escape to the West.

In alluding to the wall, the billionaire seemed to be referring to communism and capitalism as the two competing socioeconomic systems.

Musks weekend comments came as additional insight into the billionaires political stance. The couch-surfing billionaire often describes himself as a moderate and says he generally prefers capitalism over communism.

In 2018, Musk offered his observation that those who identify with the socialist ideology are depressing.

Those who proclaim themselves socialists are usually depressing, have no sense of humour & attended an expensive college. Fate loves irony, Musk said.

Those who proclaim themselves socialists are usually depressing, have no sense of humor & attended an expensive college. Fate loves irony.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2018

In 2020, Musk compared Karl Marx, who wrote the Communist Manifesto, and Adam Smith, the father of modern capitalism. Adam Smith for the win, the billionaire wrote.

Musk previously revealed his vision for a suitable governance system in 2018, when another Twitter user asked Musk what documents he would recommend be used to establish a governing system for a prospective colony on Mars.

Direct democracy by the people. Laws must be short, as there is trickery in length. Automatic expiration of rules to prevent death by bureaucracy. Any rule can be removed by 40% of people to overcome inertia. Freedom, Musk replied.

Direct democracy by the people. Laws must be short, as there is trickery in length. Automatic expiration of rules to prevent death by bureaucracy. Any rule can be removed by 40% of people to overcome inertia. Freedom.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2018
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pictured as he attends the start of the production at Tesla's "Gigafactory" on March 22, 2022 in Gruenheide, southeast of Berlin. - US electric car pioneer Tesla received the go-ahead for its "gigafactory" in Germany on March 4, 2022. (Patrick Pleul/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk Predicts Chinas Population Collapse

Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggests that China could soon be facing a population collapse in the aftermath of Beijings decades-long population control program that until recently had restricted most families in China to a single offspring.

Most people still think China has a one-child policy, he wrote in a June 6 tweet that was pinned to the top of his Twitter account.

China had its lowest birthdate ever last year, despite having a three-child policy! At current birth rates, China will lose ~40% of people every generation! he wrote, before adding the grim note: Population collapse.

The one-child policy was instituted by the Chinese Communist Party between 1980 and 2015 in a bid to curb a population growth rate that the regime considered too rapid and facilitate economic growth. Violators of the limit were fined, forced to go through abortions or sterilizations, and could potentially lose their jobs.

Until its official abolishment in 2016, the policy had caused some 400 million abortions, accounting for about 28 percent of the nations 1.4 billion people, according to official statistics. It also led to child abandonment and infanticide of baby girls due to traditional social preferences for a son.

The decades-long policy has precipitated a demographic crisis in China, marked by a rapidly aging population and falling birth rates. Faced with a looming economic crisis from its dwindling workforce, the Chinese regime allowed two children for couples in 2016 and then increased the limit to three in 2021, as well as providing benefits on childcare, income tax, and housing to support growing families.

Children play at a playground inside a shopping complex in Shanghai on June 1, 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters)

But those measures have done little to convince couples to have more children.

Chinas birth rate has been falling for five consecutive years. In 2021, about 7.52 babies were born for every 1,000 people, the lowest level since the regimes takeover of China in 1949. By contrast, the birth rate for the United States in 2021 was 12 per 1,000 people.

In Guangxi Province, an autonomous region in southern China neighboring Vietnam, authorities in March started allowing married couples to have a fourth child in eight border counties.

But the latest official data from May show that the population of at least 15 Chinese provinces or municipalities, including Beijing, have shrunk, with 11 provinces seeing a decline. That included five provinces where the number of deaths exceeded births for the first time in decades.

Recent demographic studies indicate that the world at large, which currently has about 8 billion people, is confronting a population decline problem.

One of them, published in the medical journal Lancet, predicted that the global human population will peak at 9.7 billion in roughly four decades before starting to decline.

Once global population decline begins, it will probably continue inexorably, the authors wrote in a study published in 2020.

The Lancet study projected that by the end of this century, China will have lost 668 million people, or nearly half of its current population.

Musk has been vocal about the consequences of the worlds declining population growth.

Elon Musk (R), Co-founder and CEO of Tesla, and Jack Ma, co-chair of the UN High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, speak onstage during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Aug. 29, 2019. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

He recently shared a clip taken during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in 2019, where Musk was seen sitting side by side with billionaire Jack Ma, founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Assuming there is a benevolent future with AI, I think the biggest problem the world will face in 20 years is population collapse, he said. I want to emphasize this: The biggest issue in 20 years will be population collapse. Not explosion. Collapse.

Ma, in the video, concurred with him. 1.4 billion people in China sounds like a lot, but I think next 20 years, we will see this thing will bring big trouble to China, Ma said. The speed of population decrease is going to speed up.

Population collapse is the biggest threat to civilization, wrote Musk in a May 24 tweet accompanying the short clip.
The Peoples Bank released the "Financial Stability Law (Draft for Comments)" on April 6, 2022, saying that resolving financial risks is a "constant theme". The picture shows a Chinese migrant worker passes by The People's Bank of China in Beijing on May 1, 2013. (Mark Ralston/AFP)

Fall of High-Level Party Official Who Faked Economic Data Triggers Concern Over Chinas Economy

Chinas top disciplinary watchdog announced on May 31 that it has removed a former top official in eastern Jiangsu Province from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the regimes public office.

Zhang Jinghua, former deputy CCP chief of Jiangsu, was accused of faking economic figures for personal promotion and meddling in market activities in violation of relevant rules, among other charges of corruption, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in a notice on May 31. It did not provide any specifics for the accusation.

Zhang is one of the most recent CCP members of the 19th central committeethe CCPs top governing bodyto fall.

One day prior, Chinas National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) held a virtual meeting in which its director, Kang Yi, said that the problem of statistical falsification still exists in China.

On May 27, the NBS stated that 126 lower-level officials in Hebei, Henan, and Guizhou provinces had been punished for fabricating statistical data.

This wave of purging data fabrication began in March when the CCDI wrote on its website that some local officials had falsified data to create an illusion of development and manipulated statistical data by reminding and ordering relevant departments to make the necessary changes.

Foreign investment banks have already cut their China growth forecasts after the regimes COVID-19 lockdowns hit the economy of Shanghai hard, with Nomura predicting growth of 3.9 percent.

Statistics to Suit Partys Political Needs

For the CCP, statistics have three functions, according to Wang He, a China current affairs commentator in a recent interview with the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times: to support decision-making, to serve politics, and to brainwash the people. But the first function is nominal, he said.

To effectively support decision-making, the authenticity, timeliness, and completeness of statistical data must be of top priority, Wang said.

But the norm in CCP officialdom, Wang said, is to use data to serve the partys political purposes. He noted that fake data assists CCP officials in their promotion through the ranks, which in turn spurs them to continue forging data for further promotion.

The CCP uses false data to fool the people that the situation in China is always great, as lies are a basic element of the CCPs rule, Wang said.

The recent purging of false data by the CCP now is again for political reasons, Wang added, rather than motivated by economic transparency, as the regime is in the critical months before the CCPs 20th national congress to be held in autumn for political reshuffling.

Chinas GDP Figures Man-made, Unreliable: Premier

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang participates in a press conference at Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, China, on Nov. 21, 2019. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

The Chinese regime has long been criticized for massaging its economic data, including GDP figures, population, and other indicators.

Chinese premier Li Keqiang, then party secretary of northeastern Liaoning Province, reportedly said to Clark T. Randt, Jr., former U.S. ambassador to China, that Chinas GDP figures are man-made and therefore unreliable, over dinner on March 12, 2007, as disclosed by Wikileaks.

He also acknowledged the economic crisis facing China in 2020 when he told reporters at a presser on May 28 that there are 600 million people whose monthly income is only 1,000 yuan ($140).

Chinas population is 1.439 billion; 600 million people is roughly 41.7 percent of the total population.

In January 2017, Chen Qiufa, then governor of Liaoning Province, confirmed at the provincial peoples congress that the cities and counties of Liaoning had problems with falsifying financial data from 2011 to 2014, as reported by the CCPs mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency.

In January 2018, Inner Mongolia revealed that its economic data was substantially falsifiedits 2016 industrial output was substantially inflated by 40 percent and that fake growth amounted to 290 billion yuan (roughly $43.5 billion).

In addition to Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, Jilin Province and Tianjin City were forced to revise their data after they were found to have inflated or manipulated economic statistics over the past few years, according to a Bloomberg report.

Gu Qinger contributed to this article.
Filibuster-Proof Democrat Bill Would Place 1,000 Percent Tax on Many Semiautomatic Firearms

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) has unveiled a bill that, if picked up by Democrat leaders, would place a 1,000 percent tax on certain types of firearms and would be immune to GOP filibuster in the Senate.

Beyers bill comes in the wake of a deadly shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead. The shooting re-energized efforts among liberals to pass wide-ranging restrictions on purchasing and possessing several types of firearms.

One such bill, the Protecting Our Kids Act, was pushed through the House Judiciary Committee in a party-line vote last week. It is expected to come to the floor for a vote later this week.

That bill, among other provisions, would ban the sale of any semiautomatic centerfire rifle or semi-automatic centerfire shotgun that has, or has the capacity to accept, an ammunition feeding device with a capacity exceeding 5 rounds to citizens below the age of 21; currently one only needs to be 18 to buy such a weapon.

It would also codify the Department of Justices controversial ban on bump stocks, a weapon modification that increases the fire rate of a semiautomatic firearm.

In addition, it would also make it a federal crime to possess weapons that critics have pejoratively labeled ghost guns, usually describing homemade or 3D-printed weapons without a serial number.

However that bill, like most bills Democrats could put forward, is likely to founder in the Senate, where all legislation must overcome a 60-vote filibuster threshold before it can go to the floor for a simple majority vote.

Beyers bill, which would place a 1,000 percent excise tax on the sale of several semi-automatic weapons, is designed to bypass the filibuster threshold completely.

While the bill would not place an outright ban on weapons targeted by Democrats, the tax could make them unaffordable for average Americans.

Currently, AR-15sthe weapon most targeted by Democratsrange in price from $400 on the low end to $2000 on the high end. If Beyers bill were passed by the Senate, it would increase the cost to $4,000 on the low end all the way up to $20,000 or more.

Congress must act to prevent mass shootings, Beyer said in a June 5 Twitter post. Im writing a bill to restrict the flow of weapons of war into American communitiesincluding AR-15s and high capacity magazinesthat could bypass the filibuster and pass with just 50 votes in the Senate.

To do so, the bill uses the budget reconciliation process.

The budget reconciliation process allows bills specifically related to federal revenues and expenditures to pass through the Senate by a simple majority vote, with no need for the bill to overcome the filibuster threshold.

Democrats have already relied on the process on various occasions to overcome GOP resistance in the upper chamber.

At the beginning of 2021, the process was used to advance the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to President Joe Bidens desk. Later, Democrats used the process for the Build Back Better Act, which ultimately failed after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) refused to vote for the package.

However, this process too is subject to some limitations.

Because of the potential for abuse of the system, as indeed happened through the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan and the Democrat-controlled House, the late-Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) authored a rule requiring all items in a budget reconciliation bill to be directly related to federal revenues and expenditures.

The parliamentarian, who serves as the Senates nonpartisan referee, has wide-reaching authority to accept or reject items in budget reconciliation that go beyond the bounds of this rule.

This was a power that the current parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, exercised on several occasions during negotiations surrounding immigration provisions in the Build Back Better Act.

Though Beyers bill seems to be within the bounds of the reconciliation process, Republicans could try to convince MacDonough against the bill if it comes to the Senate.

Thus far, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democrat leaders have given no indication that the bill will be considered, however.
Former Disney Channel Actor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempt to Meet a Minor for Sex

Former Disney Channel actor Stoney Westmoreland has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for trying to solicit a 13-year-old to have sex.

The 52-year-old actor initially faced the charge of enticement of a minor over the internet, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But he managed to reach a plea deal to the lesser charge of using interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor, according to Deadline.

As part of the plea deal, Westmoreland will have 10 years of supervised release after serving his time in prison. He will also be required to comply with DNA collection and register as a sex offender. He must report all of his email and social media accounts, and may not be in contact with people under 18 without adult supervision. His computers and electronic devices are also subject to random searches.

Westmoreland, who portrayed a grandfather on Disney Channel comedy-drama Andi Mack, was arrested in December 2018 after trying to arrange a meetup with an undercover police officer whom he thought was a 13-year-old boy. Westmoreland reportedly shared explicit photos with the undercover account on Grindr, a dating app aimed at the LGBT community.

The arrest took place in Salt Lake City, where Andi Mack was filmed. The stated age on the Grindr profile used by the police in the sting operation is the same as the main characters of the show and the actors who played them.

The show, first aired in 2017, revolves around the middle school life of 13-year-old Andi Mack and friends Cyrus Goodman and Buffy Driscoll. Cyrus is the first Disney main character to come out as gay.

Disney fired Westmoreland shortly after his arrest. He had appeared in dozens of episodes across all three seasons of Andi Mack.

Given the nature of the charges and our responsibility for the welfare of employed minors, we have released him from his recurring role and he will not be returning to work on the series which wraps production on its third season next week, the company said in 2018.

The sentence comes amid controversy over Disneys continued push to add discussions about sex and gender into childrens programming.

In leaked video footage, Latoya Raveneau, an executive producer at Disney, praised the company for accepting her not-at-all secret gay agenda and allowing her to add queerness into childrens shows wherever possible.

I dont have to be afraid to have these two characters kiss in the background, Raveneau said at the Mar. 28 company-wide video call. She is a director of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, a reboot of the 2001 animated comedy series.

Disney has also put up intense opposition to a new law that prohibits Florida schools from discussing topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity with students in kindergarten through third grade. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that, the company said.
Georgetown Law Professor Quits Over Anti-Free Speech Environment: I Wont Live This Way

A constitutional law professor at Georgetown University said he no longer wants to work at the institution, which had suspended him for months for questioning race and gender criteria used by the Biden administration in its selection of Supreme Court justices.

Ilya Shapiro, who was recently permitted to assume his post as executive director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution, said on Monday that the university has created a work environment so hostile that its practically impossible for him to express his views.

I wont live this way, the professor wrote in his resignation letter. I have no choice but to resign.

Shapiro became a target of progressives in January because of a series of Twitter posts in which he criticized President Joe Bidens use of identity politics to only consider black women in his choice of a replacement for retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court. Georgetowns Black Law Students Association called for his firing. Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor placed him on leave, pending the outcome of an investigation by the office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action (IDEAA).

The IDEAA investigation found that Shapiros comments were harmful and caused pain in the campus community, but agreed that technically Shapiro shouldnt be punished, since he wasnt yet a Georgetown employee when he wrote those comments.

Following that logic, according to Shapiro, its only a matter of time before the university moves to punish him again for saying something that someone somewhere finds offensive.

The IDEAA Report found that if [I] were to make another, similar or more serious remark as a Georgetown employee, a hostile environment based on race, gender, and sex likely would be created,' he wrote in the letter to Treanor. On this theory, all sorts of comments that someoneanyonecould find offensive would subject me to disciplinary action.

This would be a huge Sword of Damocles over my head as I try to engage in my educational mission, he added.

Shapiro moved on to list a number of recent incidents in which students claimed to feel unsafe or offended because of his opinions on topics such as abortion, the Second Amendment, freedom of speech, and gay marriage. He said each of these purported offenses would subject him to IDEAA investigation and discipline.

Nobody can work that way, the professor told the dean. Ironically, it is you and IDEAA who have created an unacceptably hostile work environment for me on account of my political views and affiliations.

Shapiro also pointed to progressive faculty members whose comments caused outrage but went unpunished. For example, political science professor Carol Christine Fair in 2018 said white men who dont immediately believe sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh deserve miserable deaths, with their corpses castrated and fed to pigs.

When Prof. Fair advocated murder and castration based on race and gender, Georgetown did not initiate an investigation, but instead invoked Georgetowns free expression policy, Shapiro wrote. Apparently its free speech for thee, not for me.

In response to a request for comments, a spokesperson for Georgetown Law insisted that the school protects speech and expression and works to promote civil and respectful discourse.

Our speech and expression policy promotes free and open inquiry, deliberation, and debate and does not prohibit speech based on the person presenting ideas or the content of those ideas, even when those ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable, the spokesperson said, adding that the university followed the regular processes for members of the Law Center staff when reviewing Shapiros conduct.
The logo of Gazprom Germania is pictured at their headquarters, in Berlin, Germany, on April 1, 2022. (Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

Germany Faces 5 Billion Euros a Year Hit From Russian Gas Sanctions: Newspaper

BERLINRussias sanctions against Gazprom Germania and its subsidiaries could cost German taxpayers and gas users an extra 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) a year to pay for replacement gas, the Welt am Sonntag weekly reported, citing industry representatives.

In May, Russia decided to stop supplying Gazprom Germania, which had been the German subsidiary of Gazprom, after Berlin put the company under trustee management due to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, the Bundesnetzagentur energy regulator, acting as trustee, has had to buy replacement gas on the market to fulfill supply contracts with German municipal utilities and regional suppliers.

The economy ministry estimates an extra 10 million cubic meters per day are required, said a ministry spokesperson, confirming a number cited by the newspaper.

The quantities are procured on the market and at market prices. No information can be given on the exact amounts due to commercial confidentiality, said the spokesperson in an emailed response.

Welt am Sonntag said the current cost would be about 3.5 billion euros a year and that further costs could arise from the filling of the Rehden natural gas storage facility which Economy Minister Robert Habeck ordered on Wednesday, it said.

The paper also said the additional costs would be passed on to energy suppliers and end customers in the form of a gas levy from October.

($1 = 0.9330 euros)
The logo of Gilead Sciences Inc. pharmaceutical company is seen in Oceanside, Calif., on April 29, 2020. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Gilead Drug Modestly Delays Breast Cancer Progression in Late-Stage Trial

Gilead Sciences Inc.s Trodelvy extended by 1.5 months, or 34 percent, the length of time women with advanced stages of a common type of breast cancer lived without their disease worsening, according to trial data presented on Saturday.

The Phase III study compared Trodelvy to chemotherapy in 543 patients with hormone-sensitive tumors that test negative for a receptor called HER2 and who had stopped responding to at least two earlier lines of therapy.

The data, presented in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), show progression-free survival for the Trodelvy group of 5.5 months compared with 4 months for chemotherapy patients.

Some will argue is that really a clinically meaningful difference? Dr. Julie Gralow, ASCOs chief medical officer, told Reuters. The real point here is we have proof of principle this drug works  Im sure it will be used.

Trodelvy, also known as sacituzumab govitecan, uses a tumor-targeting antibody to deliver an anti-cancer drug.

At the studys first analysis, Trodelvy patients lived a median 13.9 months, compared to 12.3 months for the chemotherapy groupa difference that was not statistically significant.

We have to wait for that to mature, Gilead Chief Executive Daniel ODay told Reuters. The final analysis for overall survival will most likely be in 2024  but well see if we take a look at it earlier.

He said Gilead intends to seek U.S. approval based on the recent data, pending routine discussions with the Food and Drug Administration.

Patients with hormone-sensitive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer are treated with endocrine therapy combined with targeted drugs. As the disease becomes resistant, treatment is limited to chemotherapies with increasingly short durations of benefit.

Gilead in March said the study met its main goal of reducing the risk of cancer progression or death, but did not disclose any details. Shortly afterward, the company wrote down by $2.7 billion the value of its 2020 acquisition of the drugs developer, Immunomedics.

If data mature and a clearer overall survival benefit emerges, then we think there could be a viable path forward, BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman said in a research note on Saturday.

But he expressed caution about potential competition from Enhertuan AstraZeneca Plc drug that is being studied for breast cancer patients with low levels of HER2.

The most common adverse side effects reported for Trodelvy patients were low white blood cell counts and diarrhea.

Trodelvy is already FDA-approved for previously treated metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and bladder cancer. It is being studied for use in a number of cancer types.

ODay said Gilead expects to begin in the second half of this year a trial of Trodelvy as an initial treatment for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.

The drug has a U.S. list price of $2,188 per vial, but Gilead did not provide details of the average dose or duration of treatment.

Wall Street analysts, on average, expect annual sales of the drug will top $2 billion 2026, according to Refinitiv.

By Deena Beasley
Ben Lucas (R) with wife, father (L) and his fathers girlfriend at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, in Houston, on June 4, 2022. (Sherry Dong/The Epoch Times)

HOUSTON, TexasBen Lucas, an accounts manager, said I definitely feel hopeful after attending his first Shen Yun Performing Arts concert with his wife, father, and friend at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston on June 4.

I am hopeful with my marriage and hopeful with my life and my children, and the future together. I think what this show does is it reinforces the hope that I already have within, he added.

Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company. Based in New York, Shen Yuns mission is to revive the 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture that has been on the brink of extinction since the Chinese communist regime seized power in 1949. Shen Yun says its performance this year demonstrates China before communism.

Shen Yun also features a one-of-a-kind live orchestra that blends traditional Chinese instruments into a classical Western orchestra.

I loved the music  I love the combination of more traditional instruments and Chinese instruments together. It created a new sound that I wasnt familiar with together, and I really enjoyed that, he said.

All together, it had an inspiring messagethe message of interconnectedness and that we have a purpose in life that is not just momentary but an eternal purpose: to return to our Creator  to God, he added.

China was once known as The Land of the Divine and Shen Yun presents this culture by drawing upon ancient Buddhist and Daoist philosophies. Hence, the performances often include spiritually uplifting messages.

In the past, artists looked to the divine for inspiration and cultivated virtue in order to create uplifting art. Today, Shen Yuns artists follow in this noble tradition, which is why audiences feel there is something different about Shen Yun, says the companys website.

I think it has a wonderful artistic value  this time that were dealing with in civilization, the message of having a divine purpose and returning to our Creator is that I think we need more of, not less of, said Mr. Lucas, People need hope and need something to be inspired towards, and this is something that offers that.

Mr. Lucas was very impressed with the ability of Shen Yuns Artistic Director to incorporate a wide range of experienced emotions from the trials and tribulation in some of the mini-dramas to the comedic and hopeful parts.

It expanded the entire spectrum of human emotions very well, because were all human and we all experience emotionswhether positive or negative. But were able to find the value of it through the hopeful message that is there, he said.

The Art Director did a very good job of blending it together to a final end with the last act, that kind of brought the overall message of hope together for us to find within.

Reporting by Sherry Dong and Jennifer Schneider.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
"We are on the way towards winning our third straight victory since 2015," President Buhari says.

President Muhammadu Buhari has appraised the series of consultations held so far towards getting a widely acceptable presidential standard bearer for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)

Femi Adesina, the president's special adviser on media and publicity, in a statement, said Mr Buhari stated this at a meeting held on Sunday at State House, Abuja, with members of the 'National Advisory Council' of the APC.

The president said: "We are on the way towards winning our third straight victory since 2015."

He said the meeting was convened to provide leadership and direction during the transition period, adding that the motive was "to strengthen our unity and to focus on building upon our electoral fortunes."

"I am optimistic that the outcome of this consultation with the National Advisory Council will in addition to sharpening our focus, help to fortify the positive democratic principles, practices and culture that already exists within the party system.

"In the course of these consultative processes, I have already met separately with the Progressive Governors and with all our eminent members who are aspiring to become the Presidential flag bearer for our party during the 2023 elections.

"I am pleased to inform you that those meetings have been fruitful and indicative of a party that is prepared and marching towards a third straight victory since 2015, at the presidential polls," he said.

Mr Buhari recalled that at the meeting with the governors and the aspirants, "I underscored the important roles consensus building and consultation have played in the survival of successful political parties around the world, our party should not be an exception.

"Recognizing the foregoing, therefore, I also emphasized the need to strengthen our unity, stabilize our internal cohesion and system as well as present a formidable presidential candidate who has the ability to build a unified nation and the capacity to deal with our challenges.

"The party machinery has also screened all our aspirants to the office of the president and found that they consist of eminent personalities, rich in experience, capacity, commitment to service and accomplishment in life.

"This gives us a lot of confidence but it also comes with its challenges."

He said that in the circumstances, in order to prevent any post-convention acrimonies and also reduce noticeable anxiety among members on the possible outcome of the process, the party leadership has recommended the intensification of consultation and consensus building.

The president said this would reduce the number of aspirants as it approaches the convention, which commences on Monday.

He said in order to further support the efforts of the party, he had admonished the aspirants to consult among themselves and with the party, so that the objective of the recommendation by the leadership would be actualized.

The president said, as members of the National Advisory Council of the APC, he recognised the fact that they all had diverse interests, spheres of influence and expectations.

"You similarly possess the collective ability to ensure our victory at the 2023 polls by strengthening the stability and unity of the party.

"My charge and appeal to all of you, therefore, is to reach out to your various spheres of influence to actively promote the spirit of consultation and consensus building so that a formidable candidate for the 2023 presidential elections would emerge from the convention.

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"Our citizens do not expect less from us," he said.

Mr Buhari gave the assurance that in the interest of the nation and the party, he would lead the transition processes and on-going consultations, "till we successfully choose our candidate for the 2023 presidential elections and record our third straight victory, thereafter, by God's grace."

Responding on behalf of the National Advisory Council (hitherto known as Board of Trustees) members, former Internal Affairs Minister and Senator, Mohammed Magoro, former Osun State Governor and first Interim National Chairman of the party, Bisi Akande, and former Senate President Ken Nnamani thanked the president for the consultative meetings.

They commended him for the great service he had rendered to the country, particularly in the areas of agriculture and infrastructure.

They were unanimous that with hard work and a united front, the APC would win the presidential election billed for February 2023, as well National Assembly, governorship, and State Assembly polls. (NAN)
A father from Ohio who started every morning with an awful hangover began to notice his weight spiral out of control, reaching up to a whopping 350 pounds (159 kg). With this, his mood changed, and he was riddled with feelings of anxiety and self-hate. However, after facing a brush with death, his life took a 180-degree turn and hes now been 20 months sober.

I now have this almost boundless sense of energy that hasnt been with me for many years, Ryan Thom, a plant manager in the manufacturing field, told The Epoch Times. It literally feels like this long, cold winter in my life has finally ended and it is spring again.

Ryan Thom after he became sober. (Courtesy of Ryan Thom)

Early Life

Born in El Paso, Texas, Ryan has lived across many different states growing up, as his father worked for the U.S. Customs and was transferred around a fair amount for his job. When he was young, it seemed like every year or two he would be moved off to a new school. But that didnt seem to affect him and he was always a good student who finished near the top of his class during high school.

Owing to his shy nature, Ryan didnt seem to have a lot of friends as he grew up. At the age of 16, he took his first sip of alcohol, but didnt necessarily enjoy it.

My serious problem with alcohol began in my late teens and I met my best friend, Dennis, Ryan said. Dennis was a popular, social guy with a lot of friends, and being around him suddenly fulfilled a few things that had been missing in my life until then.

Ryan was suddenly flung into a world with popular people and found himself surrounded by more friends than he ever had. As he and Dennis crossed the legal age of drinking, their plans began to revolve around alcohol. Ryan, Dennis, and a group of friends would go out shooting pool, drinking, and partying almost every night of the week.

I was in my mid-20s when I really began to suspect I had a problem, Ryan recalled.

Ryan Thom (R) in 2003. (Courtesy of Ryan Thom)

Slowly, Ryan began to notice that his consumption of alcohol had only increased. By 2015, his drinking had accelerated, and he increased things incrementally on a continuous basis.

I started drinking 10 beers a day, then 11, then 12, Ryan said. Then, when Covid hit, there was a threat of nationwide lockdowns and I started drinking vodka instead of beer since it was more compact to store, and I didnt have to make as many trips in public to get my supply.

At his peak, Ryan was consuming a liter and a half of vodka daily because he had high physical tolerance.

Ryan Thom in 2015. (Courtesy of Ryan Thom)

Naturally, with the increase in alcohol consumption, Ryans weight went up proportionally. He noticed that he began to put on weight in the mid section, and later stopped worrying about his appearance. By 2o19, Ryan weighed his heaviest: 350 pounds.

I stopped fighting my addiction and basically gave in to what was happening to me, Ryan said. At one point, I couldnt even look at myself in a mirror because it caused me so much anxiety.

Through those years, Ryan also noticed that his mental health and relationships with people had dramatically declined.

With his weight and mood altered, he felt a sense of incredible despair and began to hide from the people close to him. He started to keep an arms-length distance from his wife and children, not because his feelings changed for them, but because he was embarrassed and had grown to hate himself.

I was utterly embarrassed by myself and what I had become, and just the thought of showing my face to certain people would give me a panic attack, Ryan said. There were times when I stopped talking to some people, such as my friend Dennis, entirely. With some other people, such as my father, brother, and sister, I would only interact over text messages and never let them see me in person.

For a brief period, Ryan was treated for clinical depression, but the treatment lapsed when he ceased having contact with doctors for several years.

Knowing he had a serious problem with alcohol, Ryan made several attempts over the years to quit drinking and to get straightened up, but was always pulled back. He made it successfully for a week, or a month, and once even a full year, without sipping on alcohol, but he would always circle back because he felt like his life was missing something, under the guise of boredom, seeking a good time.

Now, reflecting back, he sees that those early attempts to quit were laughably insufficient.

Ryans drivers license from 2018. (Courtesy of Ryan Thom)

Turning Point

Ryans life took a major turn in September 2020, when he started experiencing intense cramps and stomach pains. thus he visited an ER. Diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis, he was discharged after a few days with instructions to see a primary care doctor, get a colonoscopy, and stop drinking alcohol.

After this health scare, Ryan tried to abstain from alcohol, but on the morning of Oct. 1, he reportedly had his last few drinks.

I felt a deep, deep sense of being unwell, of being critically ill, he recalled. I couldnt place my finger on exactly what was the problem, but I knew it was bad.

He took some leave from work while he awaited the colonoscopy, hoping he would get some answers as to what was happening. He never made it to that appointment.

In the wee hours of Oct. 20, Ryan awoke with the taste of blood in his mouth.

Describing his state, he said: I felt blood oozing out of my gums. My head was swimming. I got up, made my way to the bathroom, flipped on the light switch, and looked in the mirror. My blood went cold in my veins. Staring back at me was someone I didnt even recognize. My face and eyes had turned bright yellow with jaundice; my mouth was dripping with blood.

Ryan says he knew instantly what had happened: his liver had failed. Shocked by this, he sat down in the bathroom and cried for a really long time.

Later that day, he had collected himself enough to contact his wife and they both then went to the hospital. The diagnosis was bleak: hepatorenal syndrome, which involved the collapse of both his liver and kidneys. He was immediately placed on dialysis so as to keep the toxins from building up in his blood.

In a process termed hepatic encephalopathy, the ammonia levels in Ryans blood built up and he began to lose all control of his mental capacity, causing him to hallucinate.

In my delusional state, I thought the doctors and nurses were out to kill me at times, Ryan said. I was told I would completely black out and become aggressive and combative with some hospital staff.

There was even one episode where I felt my consciousness begin to recede and something very primal in my brain said, this maybe it for me, if I dont get out of this right away, Im going to die right here, right now.

At one point, he was unable to answer basic questions such as his name and location. Ryan was declared medically incompetent and decision-making for his continued care was passed to the family. After consultations with physicians, the decision was made to stop treatment and let him pass on.

I laid in a hospital bed for days after that, unconscious, except maybe brief glimpses of the world around me, Ryan explained. But I hung around and clung to life, and one day, I woke up, after what felt like an incredibly long nap, and there was a doctor in the room I was in.

Ryan in the hospital in 2020. (Courtesy of Ryan Thom)

Recovery

Ryan began to chat with the doctor. She asked him if he wanted to continue being treated, and this alarmed him, as he thought he was in a hospital after all, and was unaware that he was no longer being treated.

It was after that moment that Ryan began his journey back from near death. Within a week, he was starting to feel better, and his kidney function began to return. Released into a skilled nursing facility, he was too weak to walk, but one of the criteria for his release was to be able to walk up a flight of stairs.

It took every ounce of energy and a full 20 minutes, he said, but I did walk up that flight of stairs. I was released from that facility at the end of 2020.

After his release and seeing his world come crashing down at the hospital, he went completely sober and has not been tempted to drink ever since.

The severe trauma of the hospital visit precludes the traditional relapse triggers that I had in the past, Ryan said. There is no amount of boredom or thrill-seeking that would cause me to even contemplate drinking again after the things I lived through.

Ryan in 2021. (Courtesy of Ryan Thom)

Since adopting a clean life, Ryan has got into an exercise routine and hasnt felt this physically strong in decades.

He has also become more confident in looking into the mirror without getting a panic attack, and has been able to mend all the relationships from the past. It has been a massive sense of relief for his family and theyve begun to realize that the changes are permanent.

Im now a stable person that they now can rely on to be there for them, and the threat of a relapse is basically non-existent. I can proudly say that the person who I refer to as the real Ryan is here to stay, Ryan said. My mind is now clear, and the mental fog that I was living in for a long time has finally receded.

Ryan strongly believes that he couldnt have undergone this immense transformation without the continued trust, love, and support of his family, as they were able to pick him up when he faltered in his dark times. Although at one time he pushed them away, hes grateful that they stuck around with him.

Additionally, he thanks his incredible medical team for saving his life.

Being a victim of alcoholism, Ryan shares a piece of advice to those who are struggling with alcohol addiction.

First, dont ever shy away from getting professional help; doing so may have made things a lot easier for me in the long run, he said. My other piece of advice is that, if you think you might have a problem, then you almost certainly do, and it is at that point you need to fight alcohol with everything you have.

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
Liberal Senator James Paterson in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Nov. 21, 2016. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

Labors Dismantling of Home Affairs Undermines Australians Safety: Cyber Security Shadow Minister

Cyber Security Shadow Minister James Paterson has raised concerns about the Labor governments move to dismantle the Department of Home Affairs, warning that it could come at the expense of Australians safety.

The comment comes after the Anthony Albanese led government released its first Administrative Arrangements Order (AAO) which announced a downsize of the Home Affairs department, four years since its inception in 2017.

Under the AAO, the Home Affairs department, which was established to manage immigration and national security, will lose several functions, including the Australian Federal Police (AFP), criminal justice and protective services. Those responsibilities will instead be transferred to attorney-general Mark Dreyfus.

Meanwhile, Home Affairs will retain control of the domestic intelligence agency ASIO and national security functions. Responsibility for natural disaster management, including the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, will be added to Home Affairs, which is now chaired by former aged care minister Clare ONeil.

Paterson criticised Labor for effectively abolishing the home affairs without informing Australians about the move prior to the election or providing any public justification since the changes were made.

It is not the Department of Home Affairs as it was, he told Sky News on Monday.

My fear is itll in fact wont make Australians safer. Itll make us less safe.

The Liberal senator described home affairs as a very innovative reform by the then Malcolm Turnbull government which has protected Australians from mass casualty terrorist attacks, foreign interference and espionage, and strengthen Australias cyber security.

And all of that is being dismantled and undermined, Paterson added.

He also alleged that the overhaul of the home affairs is a grab of power by Attorney General Dreyfus who has opposed the creation of the department.

In 2017, Dreyfus and some other politicians including then-foreign minister Julie Bishop and then-defence minister Marise Payne were against the decision to bring together all security agencies and law enforcement bodies under Home Affairs.

But Paterson argued that was the right thing to do as it allows national security agencies to work together in a seamless way.

According to its AAO, the Albanese government will also create a new Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to oversee air quality and resourcesfunctions that were previously merged into the agriculture and industry portfolios.

A new Department of Employment and Workplace Relations will also be established to reduce the Department of Educations responsibilities to early childhood education, schools and higher education issues.
Liberals Used Emergencies Act to End Convoy Protests to Quell Support in Partys Home Base of Quebec, Preston Manning Says

Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning says one of the reasons the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act to put an end to the convoy protests was because they realized a great portion of the support for the protests came from Quebec, the Liberals home base.

I cant prove this. But it seems to me that politically, the Liberals dont care if they make a whole bunch of people in Western Canada mad, theyre not going to vote for them anyway. But I think when they started to see this support coming from Quebec,  that worried them to the point where it was probably a factor, that, we better put a stop to this, and the Emergencies Act is a way to do it, Manning told The Epoch Times.

Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning at a conference in Ottawa on Feb. 9, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Manning, who was a former leader of Opposition, says the Liberal Party is basically a Quebec-based party, and therefore very sensitive to anything that may upset their support base there.

He says the Liberals were concerned about the size of the protests and arrests of Quebec supporters, and so they sought to put a quick end to the movement.

If they had started arresting [the Quebecers], this would start to have ramifications back in their home base in Quebec, Manning said.

During the Freedom Convoy protests in the nations capital, many people could be seen flying Quebec flags and many vehicles had Quebec licence plates.

The trucker convoy movement started as a protest against mandatory COVID-19 vaccine requirements for cross-border truck drivers. The protests drew huge crowds from across the country as convoys of vehicles drove to Ottawa in late January to protest various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.

As protesters converged in Ottawa, parking their vehicles near Parliament Hill and setting up camp, other convoy protests were launched at several border crossings across the country where protest vehicles blocked traffic.

On Feb. 14, the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time since its creation in 1988 to clear the protests. By then, all border crossings except Emerson in Manitoba had already been cleared. The Emerson border crossing was cleared on Feb. 16 without arrests following negotiations between police and protesters.

In Ottawa, police escalated their attempts to end the protest starting on Feb. 18. Protesters in many cases were met with riot police wielding batons and tear gas, and in one case mounted police advanced into protesters, knocking down two people, one of whom needed hospital care. With the new powers from the act, authorities also saw to it that bank accounts of key protesters were frozen. The emergency powers were revoked on Feb. 23.

Police, including riot control officers and an armoured vehicle, take action to clear away Freedom Convoy protesters from downtown Ottawa on Feb. 19, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

The Liberal government says the use of the act was necessary to avoid blockades, while civil liberties groups such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association say the threshold to invoke the act wasnt met, and using the order to clear the protests set a bad precedent.

Manning says the trucker convoy movement was about freedoms, not just removing vaccine mandates.

Its a lot more than just freedom from vaccine mandates for truckers. It was joined by large numbers of people who werent truckers anyway, and were actually vaccinated. But they saw it as a way of protesting the use of health protection measures to infringe upon constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms, he said.

The big question is whether this freedom aspect that they represented will just die out, or whether it can be expanded and built into something bigger that could actually have a major impact on the next federal election. I think that question is up in the air, but its the right question to ask.

In a panel discussion during the Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference in Ottawa on May 6, Manning said the Freedom Convoy movement has been characterized by the Liberal government and the mass media as racists, misogynists, financed by Americans out to overthrow the government of Canada, which he says he finds utterly ridiculous.

He thinks Canadians will eventually demand the creation of a COVID commission, which he says would be a full-blown independent investigation of the mismanagement of the COVID crisis.

Hopefully, what will come out of that is a more realistic picture of what was behind this, and in the future, striving for balance. Whats the balance between protection of health, and the protection of individual rights and freedoms? Whats the balance between protection of health and protection of the economic sustainabilityincomes and jobs? Manning said.

I dont think the government is going to come out very well from that if that investigation is ultimately held. And I think the truckers are are going to come out a lot better than what some of the people think.
Lord Frost Says UKs Weakness to Blame for Northern Ireland Protocol Problems

Prime Minister Boris Johnsons former chief negotiator on Brexit has blamed the political weakness of Britains position in relation to the European Union for the problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Lord Frost negotiated the Withdrawal Agreement with the 27-nation bloc in 2019 but resigned as Brexit minister in December 2021 saying he had concerns about the current direction of travel under Johnson.

Now, in a foreword to a report by the Policy Exchange think tank called The Island of Ireland: Two Distinct Economies, Frost said the EUs purism was threatening the Good Friday peace agreement.

Under the protocol Northern Ireland effectively joins the EUs Single Market but a de facto border in the Irish Sea requires customs checks on goods moving from the British mainland to Ulster, something which has infuriated unionists and loyalists.

Frost wrote: A persistent concept to have bedevilled the negotiations between this country and the EU over Northern Ireland has been that of the all-island economy. This is the belief that the economies of Ireland and Northern Ireland, in many significant areas, are so closely integrated as to form one economic unit.

Policy Exchanges Chief Economic Adviser Graham Gudgin, who wrote the report, said there had been little economic integration between Northern Ireland and the Republic since the 1998 agreement which brought The Troubles to an end.

Gudgin said only 4 percent of the goods and services produced in Northern Ireland cross the border to the Republic, compared to 16 percent which go to the British mainland, and only 6 percent of Ulsters imports come from the Republic.

Frost goes on to say: Why, then, did the concept of the all-island economy get so established? And why does it matter? The answer is that it suited the political needs of the EU and Ireland.

He said the Northern Ireland Protocol had been shaped by the relative UK weakness and EU predominance.

Lord Trimble, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the Good Friday Agreement (GFA), wrote in a separate foreword to the report: As we approach the 25th anniversary of the GFA it is clear that its institutions are in crisis and indeed on life support.

He goes on to say: The government says that its policy is designed to create the conditions for the re-establishment of the functioning of the GFA. It is involved in a test of wills with the EU which it cannot flunk.
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)

Louisiana Lawmakers Discuss Arming Teachers

Louisiana lawmakers have brought the state into the national conversation over whether teachers should be armed.

An amendment to proposed constitutional-carry legislation in Louisiana would allow for the voluntary training and arming of teachers and staff at elementary and secondary schools. The initial intent of House Bill 37 was to give citizens 21 and older the right to carry a concealed firearm without requiring a permit or training.

Midway through the Louisiana Senates Revenue and Fiscal Affairs meeting on June 1, during which Republican state Rep. Danny McCormicks proposal was debated, Republican state Sen. Eddie Lambert brought up the topic of safety in schools, leading to the discussion that many are having nationwide: whether teachers should be armed.

Do you feel like maybe we need to have more safety in schools, maybe qualified people who are carrying guns in schools because they have the training? Lambert asked McCormick, who answered, I think thats a top priority right now when you consider what weve seen.

Lambert referenced the Uvalde, Texas, shooting on May 24 at Robb Elementary School, where it was reported that law enforcement officials had a delayed response.

The amendment replaced the constitutional-carry proposal with a provision to create voluntary school protection officers.

Any school district in the state may authorize one or more elementary and secondary school teachers, school administrators, or school protection officers to carry a concealed weapon on the school grounds in the district, Lambert said. The purpose of this is to prevent something like what happened in Uvalde and in these other schools.

Teachers would have to be certified through training, he said.

I think this is the last chance to really do something since we cant file additional bills, and I think with the safety involved and the situation we have, I think its an opportunity that we cant pass up, Lambert said, referencing the end of the legislative session on June 6.

He said that given how much time elapsed before police intervened, having a certified staff member already in a school building where a shooting is taking place could make a difference.

Regarding the constitutional-carry section of the bill, that could be brought back next year, Lambert said.

This is the last bite of the apple, Lambert said. We have a chance to pass something that will address school safety. Thats the issue.

The situation, Lambert said, is how to eliminate the threat in schools as fast as possible.

I think this bill has better potential than anything else, he said.

While Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, will likely veto the bill, since the overall argument for Democrats is that arming teachers would send the wrong message, the discussion brings the state into the national debate, along with states such as Ohio and Texas.

The Louisiana Federation of Teachers issued a statement in opposition to the revised bill, stating that state teachers are already overworked and underpaid, adding that it wouldnt be fair to require them to possibly kill a child that they have taught.

These amendments would allow school districts to appoint teachers and school administrators to become voluntary school protection officers who are authorized to carry a concealed firearm in school, the union said. This new law would put all of the responsibility and liability directly onto our teachers. Teachers would be expected to provide their own gun, obtain their own concealed carry firearm permit, complete a minimum of 400 hours of training on their own personal time, and carry all the responsibility and liability if anything goes wrong.

The teachers union said there needs to be thoughtful and meaningful action to keep schools safe that requires a multifaceted approach, not a law hastily thrown together in the last days of the legislative session.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Myopia does not necessarily require a lifetime of wearing glasses. Nowadays, there is a way to restore normal visionmyopia laser surgery. However, in recent years, there has been a growing controversy regarding this type of surgery. Many studies and cases have shown that it may cause some people to lose their vision instead of gaining it, and it may even bring excruciating side effects.

After Paula Cofer underwent myopia laser surgery in 2000, her eyes became extremely dry and started to have a burning sensation. She has also been suffering severe nighttime vision loss, and was left with chronic pain. She has since posted many cases of severe complications from laser surgery on her website and Facebook page.

Several of the more common complications of myopia laser surgery include glare, night vision loss, and the dry eye syndrome. However, in some cases posted on Paulas website, people have lost their vision, become disabled, or even committed suicide because of the prolonged pain.

One such case involves Ms. Weber. After undergoing myopia laser surgery in 2017, she developed severe dry eye symptoms and has been confined to her dim residence. She has to wear a hat and special glasses to go out. She was declared permanently disabled and unable to work at the age of 30.

Many believe that these are just a few cases. After all, there are risks associated with any kind of surgery.

In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the US Department of Defense (DOD) launched the LASIK Quality of Life Collaboration Project (LQOLCP) to understand the potentially serious risks associated with this type of surgery.

A total of 574 individuals participated in this project. A report pointed out that up to 46 percent of these participants had no visual symptoms prior to surgery, but had at least one visual symptom three months after surgery. Their most commonly seen post-surgical visual symptoms were halos, at 40 percent; and another 28 percent of participants, who had no dry eye symptoms prior to surgery, had the dry eye symptoms after surgery.

Finally, less than 1 percent of the participants experienced a lot of difficulty or inability to do usual activities without corrective lenses due to visual symptoms (e.g. ghosting, glare, halos, and starbursts) after laser eye surgery. Over 95 percent of the participants were satisfied with their vision after myopia laser surgery.

In reports of controversies surrounding myopia laser surgery, FDA officials have consistently responded that less than 1 percent of patients who undergo the procedure experience long-term complications.

The Controversy over Myopia Laser Surgery

However, former FDA official Dr. Morris Waxler told Healthline that this is a misrepresentation. He served as an FDA reviewer until 2000 and voted to approve myopia laser surgery in 1998. Over the years, however, he has turned to warning people about the risks and long-term side effects of myopia laser surgery.

Waxler pointed out in a submission he made to the FDA in 2019 that the Summaries of Safety and Effectiveness Data (SSED) submitted to the FDA by the manufacturer showed a double-digit percentage of myopia laser surgery patients experiencing persistent complications 6 to 12 months after surgery.

Similar to Waxler, one of the first doctors to introduce myopia laser surgery in Taiwan, Dr. Ray Jui-Fang Tsai, initially supported but later opposed this type of surgery. In 2012, he announced that he would no longer perform myopia laser surgery on his patients.

At the time, he cited the long-term risks associated with the procedures. For example, many patients, who had undergone laser eye surgery in those years, had significant rapid vision loss more than a decade after surgery, which greatly affected their daily life and work. He researched and concluded that it might be related to the inflammation of the corneal flap after the surgery.

Another reason is that patients, who returned to the clinic years later, found that their corneal flaps cut during the surgery did not heal. Patients would return for help due to shifted corneal flaps caused by minor accidents, such as being hit in the eye by a dog or a child.

The Circumferentially Cut Cornea

One of the mainstream methods of myopia laser surgery is LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis).

LASIK is a procedure in which the cornea of a myopic patient is circumferentially cut, to create a flap, which is then lifted up. The largest part of the stromal layer of the cornea is then cut with an excimer laser, and the corneal flap is finally covered back in place. As the cornea has become thinner and the focal length shorter, the incoming light can be focused on the retina to correct myopia.

LASIK was developed in the 1990s and has indeed allowed many people to successfully remove their glasses. However, for years after the surgery, the corneal flap that is cut during surgery does not heal tightly to the cornea and can be displaced by touching, hitting, or rubbing the eye vigorously.

In addition, some complications are thought to be related to the corneal flap and corneal thinning. For instance, severe pain in the eye, like being pricked by a pin or stabbed by a knife.

In a study published in 2015 by Dr. Anat Galor, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, and several other experts pointed out that there is a growing awareness that LASIK surgery is known to cause damage to the corneal nerves because of the corneal flap cutting. The persistent eye pain experienced by some patients after myopia laser surgery may be due to damage to the corneal nerves.

In some patients, these neuropathological changes may be responsible for some of the prolonged dry eye symptoms after laser surgery.

Dr. Cynthia MacKay, who received an honorary award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is one of the few ophthalmologists who have publicly opposed the procedure, saying that it breaks tiny corneal nerves, thins and weakens the cornea, and permanently changes the shape of the eye.

She told the New York Times that after laser surgery, everyone loses contrast sensitivity, as in the ability to distinguish between shades of gray, to some degree.

A 2018 article in the BMJ Open Ophthalmology mentions that complications such as post-LASIK epithelial ingrowth (PLEI) may occur between the corneal flap and the underlying stroma.

The incidence of corneal epithelial ingrowth after the first LASIK surgery ranges from 0 percent to 3.9 percent. The rate increases to 10 percent to 20 percent if the laser surgery is repeated due to conditions such as failure to achieve the desired degree of correction.

Another rare but serious complication is corneal ectasia. After surgery, the thinned cornea may not be able to withstand the intraocular pressure, resulting in a steepened or bulging corneal surface and vision loss. Scott Petty of Houston was diagnosed with corneal ectasia six months after laser surgery, and his vision continued to deteriorate even after treatment. It was so painful, like having hot grease in his eyes, that he almost committed suicide.

Current treatments for corneal ectasia include hard contact lenses, minimally invasive surgery, and in some cases, corneal transplants.

A 2017 U.S. study found that corneal ectasia occurs a few days to a week after laser surgery, or as late as several years post-surgery. About 50 percent of the cases occur within the first year after surgery, and up to 80 percent of cases occur within two years.

Is the Latest Technology Safe?

The controversy and concerns about these complications are viewed differently by some.

For example, Dr. Roy Rubinfeld, a refractive surgeon practicing in Rockville, Maryland, told TV Today that he trusts the procedure so much that he, his wife, and his daughter had all undergone myopia laser surgery. He believes that complications from myopia laser surgery were more common in the early days, but that the surgical equipment and technologies have come a long way.

The latest myopia laser surgery is the small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) procedure, which was approved by the FDA in 2016.

This latest technology does not require a corneal flap to be cut out, and the wound is only 2mm to 4mm, much smaller than the LASIK wound (20mm). The corneal surface is where the nerves are distributed, so cutting the cornea will definitely damage the nerves. However, the relatively small SMILE surgical wound should cause less damage to the corneal nerves. Therefore, ophthalmologists expect SMILE to be more advantageous than LASIK, while having similarly excellent correction results.

However, some people who received SMILE surgery have still experienced some serious side effects. In late 2018, Jessica Starr, a meteorologist for a Detroit television station, committed suicide two months after undergoing SMILE surgery.

A month before her suicide, Jessica published a video on Facebook stating that she had dry eyes and blurred vision as a result of the SMILE surgery. Her husband stressed that Jessica was healthy before the surgery, with no depression or any underlying problem.

After Jessica committed suicide, Dr. John Vukich, an ophthalmologist and chairman of the Refractive Surgery Clinical Committee for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, told the Detroit Free Press, Detroits largest daily newspaper, that SMILE surgery is fundamentally the same as LASIK and that both are very safe.

Vukich, who had undergone myopia laser surgery himself, added that it is a surgery that has improved the lives of many people, but like in any surgery, there is no such thing as zero risk.

Regarding the risks of the SMILE procedures, it will take time to verify them. Some new studies have discovered that even with the latest technology, the risks of corneal nerve damage and possible corneal ectasia cannot be ignored.

A study published in the Journal of Refractive Surgery in 2020 showed that the myopia laser surgical effects on the corneal nerves are long-lasting. Although the SMILE surgery has better nerve preservation and regeneration results than LASIK, neither procedure restores the corneal nerves to normal levels even five and a half years after surgery.

The February 2022 issue of Optometry and Vision Science documented a case in which a young woman became pregnant 11 months after she had a SMILE surgery. She developed blurred vision in early stages of her pregnancy, and she was diagnosed with corneal ectasia two years after surgery.

Scholars believe that hormonal changes during pregnancy may affect corneal biomechanical stability.

In addition, an in vitro study in 2017 found that the SMILE procedures are not safer than LASIK and may even be less safe than LASIK in low myopic correction.

If Youre Not a Risk Taker

Myopia laser procedures have been developing for more than two decades, and critics of the surgery continue to make their stance heard.

Most people may be the lucky ones with no serious, painful complications after surgery. However, these people may still face the possibility of having to wear glasses or contact lenses again, especially in dim conditions or as they age.

The FDA warns that people who are considering laser myopia surgery should be aware of several things. These include that multiple surgeries may be required to achieve the desired results; the results may not last; the long-term results of the surgery are unknown; and there may be additional risks associated with simultaneous surgery on both eyes.

Is the low risk something we can afford? Most people would reconsider their options after learning about the risks; after all, each person has only one pair of eyes.

For this reason, the FDA has a separate web page on When is LASIK not for me? It is stated in this section that you are probably NOT a good candidate for refractive surgery if you are not a risk taker. Certain complications are unavoidable in a percentage of patients, and there are no long-term data available for current procedures.
L: Andrew Hastie, Liberal MP, speaks at Australian Parliament in May 2018. (Commonwealth of Australia) R: Senator James Paterson speaks in the Senate at Parliament House on Nov. 28, 2017 in Canberra, Australia. (Michael Masters/Getty Images)

National Security a Major Focus of New Australian Shadow Ministry

Australias opposition Liberal-National Coalition will continue its strong focus on defence and national security after the shadow ministry was unveiled on June 5 with the newly created portfolio of Countering Foreign Interference.

Shifting into the role of shadow defence minister will be Andrew Hastie, a former soldier and the assistant defence minister, while James Paterson, former head of the Intelligence and Security Committee, will become shadow minister for Cyber Security and Countering Foreign Interference.

Both men were barred from entering China in 2019 by the Chinese Communist Party over criticism directed at human rights abuse against Uyghur minorities and foreign interference.

I thank the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, for the opportunity to serve in this role, Hastie said in an emailed statement. The first duty of the Australian government is to protect our people, values, interests, and sovereignty.

That is why the Australian Defence Force must be strong, agile, and resilient.

Senator Paterson said cyber attacks and foreign interference were two of the most serious contemporary threats to Australian democracy and sovereignty.

In government, the Liberal and National parties led the world in legislating reforms to protect our country from those who sought to use these vectors to undermine our national security, he said in a statement. It is critical as a nation we now seize the opportunity presented by AUKUS to further enhance our cyber capabilities.

I hope the new Labor government maintains and builds upon our reforms to protect critical infrastructure, combat ransomware, tackle the dark web, and criminalise foreign state interference in our democracy.

The Albanese Labor government was the first government in the G20 to install a dedicated minister for cyber security, Clare ONeil, who will also hold the Home Affairs portfolio.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also removed the Australian Federal Police (AFP) from the Home Affairs portfolio to back under the attorney generals office, Mark Dreyfus Q.C.

The initial move to consolidate the AFP into Home Affairs occurred under the then-presiding minister, Peter Dutton, who is now the opposition leader.

The move attracted criticism from the AFP union, the Australian Federal Police Association, claiming it was embarrassing and made it the least independent police force in the country.

So with the APS reshuffle just announced by @AlboMP leading the @AusFedPolice back to the Attorney-General @markdreyfusQCMP where it belongs. The AFPA welcomes this change as it realigns Commonwealth law enforcement with the portfolio that makes the law. pic.twitter.com/ZukmhZkGMn  Australian Federal Police Association (@AFPAssociation) June 1, 2022

However, proponents of the move argued it streamlined operationsparticularly around obtaining legal authority for sensitive operationsgiven the level of integration between the AFP and intelligence agencies such as the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation.

Meanwhile, the shadow ministry will see Karen Andrews return to the Home Affairs portfolio, Barnaby Joyce has been moved to the Veteran Affairs, Luke Howarth to Defence Industry, and Philip Thompson to Assistant Minister for Defence.
An undated photo of U.S. Navy pilot, Lt. Richard Bullock, who was killed when his F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed in the vicinity of Trona, Calif., on June 3, 2022. (Courtesy of U.S. Navy)

US Navy Identifies Pilot Killed in California Fighter Jet Crash

The U.S. Navy has identified the pilot who was killed in a fighter jet crash during a routine training mission in California last week.

Lt. Richard Bullocks F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet went down at about 2:30 p.m. local time on June 3 in a remote, unpopulated area near Trona, an unincorporated Mojave Desert community in San Bernardino County, Naval Air Force Pacific said in a statement.

Bullock was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 113 based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, which is home to the Navys newest and largest master jet base.

The Navy mourns this tragic loss alongside the family, friends and shipmates of Lt. Bullock, officials said.

Recovery efforts are continuing and the scene of the crash is secured by Navy officials; local authorities are assisting in the ongoing investigation.

No civilians were harmed as a result of this incident, according to the Navy.

From the U.S. Navy, a F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Kestrels of Strike Fighter Squadron 137 (VFA-137) lands on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the western Pacific Ocean on May 3, 2017. (Sean M. Castellano/Getty Images)

Trona is about 236 miles southeast of NAS Lemoore, which is located in Californias Central Valley.

The air station is home to Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing and hosts 16 operational Strike Fighter squadrons, according to its website. More than half of the Navys F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jets are based there. It is also the only naval base that houses the F-35C Lightning II.

In October 2020, a F/A-18E Super Hornet from NAS Lemoore went down during a routine training mission in the Mojave Desert; the pilot safely ejected.

On July 31, 2019, another Super Hornet crashed in Death Valley National Park during a training mission, killing the pilot and slightly injuring seven park visitors who were struck by debris.

People regularly gather in the areas scenic overlook where aviation enthusiasts can watch military aircraft speeding low through a chasm dubbed Star Wars Canyon.

The Super Hornet is a twin-engine warplane designed to fly from either aircraft carriers or ground bases on both air-superiority and ground-attack missions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Nuclear Winter Discussed in Newly Released Reagan-Era Documents

Newly released government documents from the 1980s outline the devastation that would be wrought on the planet if nuclear superpowers went to warwhich should serve as a reminder for policymakers to prioritize peace negotiations as the war in Ukraine rages on, according to Scott Horton, editorial director of Antiwar.com.

Horton told The Epoch Times on June 6 that the nuclear winter documents, released last week by the George Washington University-affiliated National Security Archive, come with the American and NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine bringing the threat of war to its highest point since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.

Such a war would kill billions, said Horton, author of the forthcoming book, Hotter than the Sun: Time to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. According to the National Security Archive documents, the countrys top scientists feared such a scenario: Two superpowers fire nuclear weapons at each other, producing enough smoke to blot out the sun for weeks. Temperatures fall, crops die, and world starvation ensues.

Now commonly referred to as nuclear winter, such a scenario was once thought implausible by many U.S. national security officials. But that thinking began to change in the 1980s, when the then-Defense Nuclear Agencynow the Defense Threat Reduction Agencybegan researching the issue, according to newly released documents from that era.

The documents, released on June 2 by the National Security Archive, include internal scientific records discussing the possibility of a nuclear exchange that results in atmospheric trauma.

The net effect of a summertime nuclear exchange would be that summer conditions in mid-latitudes would turn to dark, near winter-like conditions, while a wintertime nuclear exchange would lead to somewhat more severe winter conditions, reads a declassified 1984 report from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Lower latitude temperatures would become more like those in middle or higher latitudes.

The Livermore report and other studies from the 1980s produced controversy in the Reagan administration. In response to a 1986 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on nuclear winter, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) accused the GAO of giving more validity to the nuclear winter theory than was warranted.

However, the GAO would be supported by later reports on the subject, including a 1988 study from the Committee on Interagency Radiation Research and Policy, which found that previous governmental reports had understated the devastating consequences of nuclear war. While previous studies warned that crop production would be destroyed in the Northern Hemisphere in the wake of a nuclear exchange, the 1988 report says crop production could be nonexistent throughout the entire globe.

[Crop] production may approach zero after a nuclear exchange, even in the absence of climatic perturbations. Thus, the [previously assumed] worst-case scenario may be a gross underestimation of the likely effects of a nuclear war on human populations, the 1988 report reads, critiquing a 1985 study by the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE).

Crops cannot be produced without fossil fuels to till the soil, control the pests, harvest the crops, process them for market, and transport them to markets.

Horton, whose book on nuclear weapons comes out this month, said the 1980s reports helped produce a shift in how U.S. national security officials think about nuclear war.

What the old Cold Warriors did not realize until the 80s was that the global drop in temperatures from the smoke and soot caused by the firestorms ignited by the bombs would surely cause the death of billions of people through famine and set humanity back centuries, he said.

Unfortunately, policymakers have forgotten the lessons learned from the Cold War, Horton said.

To Hortons point, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and numerous U.S. policymakers have called for driving Russia out of Ukraine altogetherdespite warnings from National Intelligence Director Avril Haines last month that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use nuclear weapons if he thinks hes losing the conflict.

Horton said the United States and Russia should be focused on diplomacy rather than continuing to escalate their conflictlest they risk the nuclear winter scenario first contemplated more than 40 years ago.

With the American and NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine bringing the threat of war to its highest point since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, it is long past time for our population to recognize the threat these weapons pose to humanity and that we must do everything we can to disarm our mutual doomsday machines before its too late, he said.
A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chemist checks confiscated pills containing fentanyl at the DEA Northeast Regional Laboratory in New York on Oct. 8, 2019. (Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images)

Drug Legalization in Oregon Has Failed, Officials Admit, as Overdoses Skyrocket

More than a year after Oregon became the first state in the nation to decriminalize drugs, officials are admitting the pioneering experiment has failed so far.

Overdoses in just one county have jumped by 700 percent.

Seizures of fentanyl, marijuana, and opioids have skyrocketed.

Funding for programs intended to provide drug users with treatment has not materialized. And very few drug users are showing any interest in obtaining that treatment.

The experiment began when Oregonians passed Ballot Measure 110 in 2020, which decriminalized the possession of personal amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs.

Under the new law, which took effect in February 2021, those found in possession of drugs would receive a maximum fine of $100, which would be waived if they called a hotline for a health assessment to enter a drug treatment program.

Treatment programs were to be funded by redirecting millions of dollars in tax revenue collected from the states legal marijuana industry.

From the onset, many of the states small cities were unhappy with this plan, as the new program reduced the amount of funding they had been promised when the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2015.

In the first year of the new law, an estimated 136 people have entered treatment and just 13 percent of the $300 million budget for treatment has been spent.

Meanwhile, Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers seized 482,111 doses of fentanyl in 2021, according to testimony by OSP Superintendent Terri Davie. Thats up from just 27,282 in the previous year, she told the Oregon House Interim Judiciary Committee on June 3.

Troopers also seized 966,328 pounds of marijuana in 2021, which is more than 10 times the 90,010 pounds seized in 2020 and eclipses the 20,509 in 2019, Davie said.

In addition, more than 10,188 doses of oxycodone were seized in 2021, compared with just 1,189 in 2020.

Secretary of State Shemia Fagan testified before the Oregon House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health on June 2. When the voters of Oregon passed Measure 110, she said, we did so because it was a change of policy in Oregon to improve the lives of people, to improve our communities.

Instead, in many communities in Oregon, weve seen the problem with drug addiction get worse.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Oregon has the worst drug addiction rate in the country, with 9 percent of residents admitting they are addicts and 12 percent acknowledging they are alcoholics.

Our voters were fooled into believing this would be the answer to our behavioral health, homelessness, and crime issues, Rep. Lily Morgan, a Republican, told The Epoch Times.

Now fentanyl and other drugs are out of control and were finding that virtually no one is getting into treatment.

The state was just not ready to implement the programs required by the law, according to testimony from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

Even as the requests from offenders to receive treatment have failed to materialize as expected, hundreds of applications for grants to provide those services have piled up at OHA, waiting for review and approval.

Steve Allen, OHAs behavioral health director, testified to the Behavioral Health Committee that Ballot Measure 110 has not been implemented without significant bumps along the way.

Its a $300 million project thats never been done before. Weve made some missteps at Oregon Health Authority.

Meanwhile, Rep. Morgan, a member of both the Judiciary and Behavioral Health committees, said that lives are being lost.

Director, youve mentioned a couple of times that youre waiting to see, and yet we have overdoses increasing at drastic rates, Morgan told Allen.

In my community we see a 700 percent increase in overdoses and a 120 percent increase in deaths. How long do we wait before we have an impact that were saving lives?

Allen acknowledged there has been a dramatic increase in overdoses and overdose deaths statewide, and he attributed much of the cause to the recent arrival of methamphetamine laced with fentanyla synthetic opioid that is so powerful that a tiny amount can killand illicit pills containing fentanyl.

So clearly, if we were to do it over again, I would have asked for many more staff much quicker in the process, Allen told the committee.

We were just under-resourced to be able to support this effort, underestimated the work that was involved in supporting something that looked like this, and partly we didnt fully understand it until we were in the middle of it.

He said that his agency is now working to clear the backlog of applications for funding and will soon award approximately $280 million to more than 250 behavioral health organizations to fund drug treatment and recovery programs.
President Buhari addressing the APC Caucus Meeting at the partys headquarters in Abuja on 18th Feb 2019.

This meeting is coming a day after Mr Buhari met behind closed-doors with the 23 presidential aspirants of the party.

President Muhammadu Buhari and some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sunday night met at the Presidential Villa ahead of the national convention of the party scheduled for Monday.

Among those at the meeting were the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, and National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore.

Others include former national chairpersons of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun and Bisi Akande, as well as some governors.

The agenda of the meeting is not known. However, it was gathered that it may not be unconnected with the quest to produce a consensus candidate at the APC National convention holding on Monday to Wednesday.

This meeting is coming a day after Mr Buhari met behind closed-doors with the 23 presidential aspirants of the party.

During Saturday's meeting, the president urged the aspirants to seek a consensus candidate among themselves.

"I urge all of you to hold consultations amongst yourselves and with the party, with a view to building a consensus in a manner that would help the party reduce the number of aspirants, bring up a formidable candidate and scale down the anxiety of party members," Mr Buhari said at the meeting with the aspirants.

Details to follow... ..
Tongan Prime Minister Huakavameiliku (2nd L) and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) hold a meeting at the prime minister's office in Nukualofa, Tonga, on May 31, 2022. (Linny Folau/MatangiTonga/AFP via Getty Images)

Pacific Islanders Say No Thanks to Chinese Friendship

Commentary

In late May, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a virtual summit with the leaders of several Pacific Island republics to entice them into joining a Beijing-led mutual security and economic agreement. It did not end well.

During the summit, Beijing proposed that the Federated States of Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Niue, and Timor-Leste join it in a new China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision.

The proposed pact was sweeping, in particular creating a free trade zone within the member states, as well as providing humanitarian and COVID-19 assistance. It also included Chinese assistance in training Pacific Islander police forces, strengthening cybersecurity, and marine mapping.

More ominously, the plan proposed that these Pacific Islands permit the presence of Chinese security forces and ships in their nations. This could conceivably provide the Chinese military or Coast Guard with expanded access to the Pacific Ocean and make them better positioned for a conflict with the United States.

Indeed, the Chinese had reason to be optimistic about such an ambitious pact. Earlier this year, Beijing signed a framework agreement on security cooperation with the Solomon Islands. This deal allows China to send police, military personnel, and other law enforcement forces to the Solomons to assist in maintaining social order, protecting peoples lives and property, and providing humanitarian assistance.

The agreement also permits Chinese ships access to Solomon Islands ports to carry out logistical replenishments, raising concerns that China may someday acquire a naval base in the country.

Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele shakes hands with Chinese 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 Sept. 21, 2019. (Naohiko Hatta/Getty Images)

In addition, Beijing has recently signed bilateral cooperation agreements with Samoa and Kiribati. In particular, the deal with Kiribati focuses on a wide range of areas, including infrastructure (such as rebuilding an airstrip), health and pandemic response, climate change, and maritime affairs.

Nevertheless, Chinas meeting with the various Pacific Island states ended with major pushback from the latter. Most Pacific leaders declined or deferred action, arguing that the proposal needed to be amended first.

Some Pacific leaders are particularly wary of Chinas long-term intentions. David Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, urged serious caution going forward and warned that the security aspect of the proposed agreement is demonstrative of Chinas intention to shift Pacific allegiances in their direction.

Panuelo added that the Common Development Vision threatens to bring a new Cold War era at best, and a World War at worst.

The Chinese response has not been comforting. Foreign Minister Wangs comeback to the rejection of the proposed pact was to tell the Pacific Islanders, Dont be too anxious and dont be too nervous, adding that China would provide assistance to Pacific Island countries with no political strings attached.

Given Beijings increasing bellicose behavior in places like the South China Sea, such reassurances are more likely to raise concerns than assuage them. Most Pacific Island nations will likely deal with China in a more ad hoc and transactional manner, giving as little as they can while trying to extract maximum benefits.

These nations, too, are more likely to hedge against too much Chinese influence in their neighborhoods by engaging closely at the same time with the West. In particular, many of these countries could join the new U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).

IPEF can be seen as a successor to the abortive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed trade pact that would have included most of the major Pacific rim countries, including Latin American states. Donald Trump killed the TPP upon becoming president.

Critically, IPEF is not a free trade agreement like the TPP. Instead, it is intended as a framework for fostering better trade and economic relations between its member states. IPEFs efforts will revolve around four pillars: fair and resilient trade; supply chain resilience; infrastructure, clean energy, and decarbonization; and tax and anti-corruption measures.

At least one Pacific Island nationFijihas already joined IPEF, which also includes Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as the United States.

Above all, it is intended to counter the growing Chinese economic clout, both regionally and worldwide. In fact, Beijing has already denounced IPEF as an attempt to force Asian-Pacific nations to choose sides in the Sino-American strategic competition.

This is probably true, and one might see IPEF as the economic side of an emerging U.S.-led security network in the Indo-Pacific, as exemplified by the AUKUS agreement and the Australian-Indian-Japanese-U.S. Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as the Quad.

Most nations in the region would probably prefer to balance between the two great powers, drawing benefits from each. That said, one should not expect the shelving of the Common Development Vision to be the end of Chinas efforts to peel off Pacific Island nations into its sphere of influence. Beijing will continue to pursue bilateral efforts to reach out to these nations, and China has said that it will soon release a position paper on pressing closer cooperation with the Pacific countries.

The Sino-American competition in the Indo-Pacific is only heating up more, and expanding further out into the Pacific Ocean.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Philippine Troops Kill Suspected Bomber, Capture Another

MANILA, PhilippinesPhilippine troops killed a suspected terrorist and captured another in a brief gunbattle with rebels aligned with the ISIS terrorist group who are blamed for recent bombings in the south, military officials said Thursday.

Army troops and police clashed briefly with fighters of the Daulah Islamiyah group on Wednesday in Mlang town in Cotabato province while searching for the people behind recent bombings believed aimed at extorting money from bus companies and other businesses in the south, military officials said.

A suspected terrorist, Monir Lintukan, was killed in the clash and another, Randy Saro, was arrested, army battalion commander Lt. Col. Rommel Mundala said. Several others escaped.

Lintukan and Saro are among the suspects in bombings last month of a bus in Koronadal city and a bus parking lot in Tacurong city, army officials said. One person was injured in the Korondal explosion.

Due to our intensified intelligence gathering, we immediately tracked down those suspects and launched manhunt operations, said Col. Jovencio Gonzales, a regional army infantry brigade commander.

Despite a 2014 government peace pact with the largest Muslim separatist group and years of military offensives, pockets of armed insurgents, some aligned with ISIS still pose a threat in the south.
British photographer Tim Flach trains his camera lens on some of the most endangered animals on Earth.

Recollecting boyhood memories sketching outdoors, he attests to a bond he forged with nature by spending time in her midst, literally feeling the energy of a bee streaking through the sky as it passed in front of him while his pencil scratched the page. This primal bond is what he seeks to serve the viewer through his photography by employing a conscious anthropomorphism of nature  attributing human traits to all manner of things that crawl, creep, swim, and flutter in the wild world around us.

Dwindling species  such as the arresting, wide-eyed crowned lemur featured on the cover of his book Endangered  are portrayed by Flach in ways we humans can relate to, stirring new sympathy for these beautiful creations, a sympathy needed for their very preservation. A thought-provoking 2001 study by Kalof, Zammit-Lucia, and Kelly, notes Flach, explains that placing animal representations in a visual context that is usually associated with human representation had the effect of enhancing feelings of kinship.

A crowned lemur. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

The said crowned lemur, curled up, arms wrapped round tucked legs, conspicuously echoes a young human. That body language evoked a sense of a child holding his knees, Flach told The Epoch Times, conjuring the scene of a school gathering on the floor of a gymnasium.

While traditional wildlife photography like that in National Geographic creates a sense of otherness, Flach seeks to bridge the gap between us and them to instill a sense of sameness. Rather than just snapping what one expects to see in a wildlife book  the sort of animals that might be in a childrens bedroom, the flamingo, the toucan, Flach says  theres room for the unexpected, which divulges their all-important surrounding story.

The richness of images is that they can have this slippage between different possibilities  There was a picture of a tiger shaking its water. You remember that? he said, denoting a rather astonishing close-up of a soaking-wet Bengal tiger shaking water off its fur  reminiscent of your golden retriever, alive with undulating jowls and whiskers, swirling and spraying H2O and saliva in all directions.

A wet Bengal tiger. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A polar bear swimming. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

Tim Flach shows off his Peruvian Inca tern photo. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

He shows a Peruvian Inca tern avian with an almost absurdly ridiculous handlebar mustache, furthering the anthropomorphism by tapping into our cultural consciousness of facial hair without diminishing the birds beauty. Photographing polar bears can get quite a cliche, he added. But with their eyes closed as if contemplating? underwater? That might echo how we see ourselves pondering a problem. In a bathtub perhaps.

He reveals a portrait of a freakily outlandish-looking creature called a saiga, photographed near the Caspian Sea in Russia, which have been poached for their horns, a prized alternative to ivory. A kind of antelope, this strange and wonderful beast features light fur, ribbed horns, and alien-like trunk-nose. They have this  we call it proboscis  nose, which does feed in very dusty environments, said Flach. But they were hunted to last degree. Its reminiscent of something out of the Star Wars cantina, as we humans readily know from todays pop culture world.

A saiga antelope in Russia. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

Sadly, the saiga faces impacts from human interactions. Theyre so scared of people because theyre chased on these motorbikes, and they literally run them down, Flach said. They have heart attacks, and then they plug them, and so when they hit any human activity, theyre really, really nervous.

The photographer has journeyed to Kenya to look the very last male white rhinoceros in the eye; to the Galapagos Islands to watch hammerhead sharks gracefully circle above him; and to Mexico to gaze upward upon thousands of monarch butterflies floating like golden confetti.

Though Flach plans excursions with a specific animal in mind, an element of chance always enters the equation; its part of the creative process, he says. Visiting Sichuan province, China, to photograph pandas outside Chengdu also afforded him the chance to snap golden monkeys and red pandas. His foreknowledge going in is not always what comes out. I know I need a double-page spread, he said. But what I need to do is see what reveals itself, so I go searching.

He added, The creative process is: you have to go to catch something, you have to go fishing. When youre there, you have to be present, you have to observe  truly look and see what reveals itself. When something reveals itself, that surprises you, in turn, that will surprise other people. If you just do what you could predict, often thats less interesting.

Close-up of a Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

Alluding to challenges we humans currently face in finding harmony with mother nature, he invokes a peculiar term: the Anthropocene epoch, meaning the age where man is shaping the planet geographically rather than the fluxes of natural forces doing so. Conversely, the Holocene is what led up to that, until about the time of the Industrial Revolution.

For his book, Flach collaborated with leading conservationist Jonathan Bailey, who helped illuminate the stories behind the pictures with his writing, and with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which provided valuable resources to illustrate in great detail how animal species are undergoing dangerous and fatal declines.

Helping humans connect emotionally with creatures of the Earth, great and small, the photographer hopes to touch the hearts and minds of those who decide policy around the globe.

More photography by Tim Flach:

Close-up of a sea angel. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A mother chimpanzee and her baby. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

Scalloped hammerhead sharks circling. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A pair of ring-tailed lemurs. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A black-and-white ruffed lemur. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A swarm of fireflies. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

Forest light mushrooms. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

Danum Valley Conservation Area in Sabah, Borneo. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A polar bear resting. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A ploughshare tortoise. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A polar bear underwater. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A Philippine eagle. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

Several sea angels. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

An Iberian lynx. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A snow leopard. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A baby panda with conservationists. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

A proboscis monkey. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

Tim Flach shows off a photo of Jacobian Pigeon. (Courtesy of Tim Flach)

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
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin looks on during a news conference in San Francisco, Calif., on May 10, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Progressive Prosecutor Movement Goes on Trial in California Primary

Three prosecutors at the forefront of the progressive movement in California will be put to the test on June 7.

Chesa Boudin, San Franciscos chief prosecutor, faces a recall election in the primary. Polls suggest theres a good chance hell lose.

Diana Becton and Tori Berber Salazar, chief prosecutors of two counties just east of San Francisco, face uphill reelection bids against career prosecutor challengers.

All three are founding members of the Prosecutors Alliance, a first-of-its-kind prosecutor organization pushing progressive changes in the California criminal justice system. The fourth founding member, George Gascon, is also mired by a robust recall campaign in Los Angeles.

Boudin, a former public defender and son of incarcerated parents, was elected in 2019 on a progressive platform. He set out policies to restrict cash bail and sentencing enhancements for offenders while ramping up criminal prosecutions against police officers.

His term, coinciding with the pandemic years, has been marked by an uptick in property crimes and homicides, according to San Francisco police data.

The political committee that is most active in the recall campaign, San Franciscans for Public Safety Supporting the Recall of Chesa Boudin, spent nearly $4.5 million in 2022, according to the latest campaign finance disclosures published by the San Francisco Ethics Commission. The treasurer of the committee is Mary Jung, former San Francisco Democratic Party chair.

Four committees opposing the recall spent a combined $2.1 million in 2022. Among them, a committee set up by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California spent $263,171.

A San Francisco Examiner poll conducted last week finds 56 percent of San Francisco voters in favor of recalling Boudin, 32 percent opposing the recall, and 12 percent undecided. Another poll commissioned by the Boudin campaign finds likely voters evenly split on the recall.

Contra Costa County

Diana Becton. (Courtesy of Diana Becton reelection campaign)

In Contra Costa County, incumbent Diana Becton faces a reelection bid against career prosecutor Mary Knox.

Becton, a former judge, was first elected in 2018 on a progressive platform. During her term, she stopped prosecuting certain drug possession cases, piloted a resentencing program to reduce sentencing lengths, and started a data collection project to identify racial disparities within the system.

Knox told The Epoch Times that she disagreed with Bectons policy to stop prosecuting a wide range of drug possession cases. Prosecuting the cases incentivizes people with serious addictions to get court-ordered treatment and reins in drug-fueled crimes such as thefts, robberies, and burglaries, she said.

I think the crime will only increase until we start enforcing our laws the way they are written. It is the district attorneys ethical duty to file charges when the facts prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a crime was committed and not let your own personal beliefs get in the way, Knox said.

Becton told The Epoch Times in a statement that her office focuses resources on prosecuting violent crimes.

Knox also finds fault with the way Becton handled organized retail thefts at high-end stores. During the pandemic, Becton set a higher standard for prosecutors to charge looters, which emboldened the thieves, Knox said.

Becton said that her office continues to file charges in organized retail thefts.

Mary Knox. (Courtesy of Mary Knox)

Knox raised $385,978 this year, out-raising Becton by about $143,000, according to the latest campaign finance disclosures published by Contra Costa Countys election office.

However, far more money was spent by super PACs that have chosen to support Bectons campaign. These super PACs can raise and spend as much as they like, but they are prohibited from coordinating directly with any candidates.

California Justice and Public Safety PAC spent a whopping $963,884 on TV ads, digital ads, mailers, and so on in supporting Becton and opposing Knox in 2022, according to the latest data.

George Soros, who has a record of supporting progressive prosecutor candidates, chipped in at least $652,000 into the PAC. Smart Justice California Action Fund put in $300,000.

Lift Up Contra Costa Action PAC, affiliated with Tides Advocacy, also spent tens of thousands in supporting Becton.

In support of Knox, Contra Costans for Progress and Justice, a PAC formed by a coalition of local organizations and individuals spent $228,548 in 2022. Contra Costa Deputy Sheriffs Association is the largest donor to the PAC, contributing $190,000.

In 2020, Knox and four other prosecutors filed a federal lawsuit accusing Becton of discriminative promotion practices. In 2019, Knox filed an unfair workplace treatment complaint alleging that Becton demoted her after she supported Bectons challenger in the 2018 election.

San Joaquin County

Ron Freitas. (Courtesy of Ron Freitas)

In San Joaquin County, incumbent Tori Verber Salazar faces a reelection bid against career prosecutor Ron Freitas.

Salazar, a Republican career prosecutor who worked at the gang and homicide unit, was first elected in 2014 and reelected in an uncontested race in 2018.

In 2020, Salazar joined Boudin, Gascon, and Becton to form Prosecutors Alliance. The alliance follows the 21 principles for progressive prosecutors developed by Fair and Just Prosecution, Brennan Center for Justice, and Justice Collaborative, including ending cash bail, stopping prosecuting misdemeanors, holding police accountable, expunging criminal records, and ending the death penalty.

In April, the District Attorneys portion of the San Joaquin County Attorneys Association concluded a vote of no confidence in Salazars ability to effectively manage the office.

Freitas told The Epoch Times that he disagrees with the direction set forth by the Prosecutors Alliance. For instance, he thinks stopping prosecuting misdemeanors will embolden criminals and give rise to more violent crime.
Police officers are checking information with a truck driver (L) at a checkpoint in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, on Dec. 18, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

CCP Threatens Death Penalty for COVID-19 Infected Who Cross Into China

Chinas ruling communist party has warned local authorities in its latest COVID-19 control notice that anyone infected with COVID-19 crossing the border into China will face the death penalty.

On June 2, nine governmental bodies of Fangchenggang city in Chinas southwestern province of Guangxi jointly issued the official epidemic control notice on their Chinese social media accounts. Those bodies include the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Public Security Bureau, and the Dongxing Customs Anti-Smuggling Branch.

Article 6 in the notice states that anyone infected with COVID-19 or those who help infected individuals cross the border without permission will be charged with endangering public safety, which is punishable by death, fines, and the confiscation of property.

The policy was met with outrage on social media, and the notice was subsequently deleted from the official accounts of local authorities on June 3. Netizens questioned the appropriateness of the death penalty and whether local governments have the right to convict and sentence someone to death.

One post read, Is there any legal basis for it?

Another person said in a post, They need to understand the law in the first place. The power to determine death penalty is in the Supreme Court, not in a local small towns government.

A third person wrote, In fact, the epidemic is not scary at all, but peoples hearts are much more scary.

This isnt the first time that the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) penalties against citizens who violate its COVID-19 regulations have caused wide criticism. Last December in Baise, another city in Guangxi Province that borders Vietnam, authorities paraded around four residents who had allegedly violated local COVID-19 restrictions for public humiliation, hanging placards around their necks displaying their photos and names, just as the CCP did in the Cultural Revolution.

Communist Party cadres hang a placard on the neck of a Chinese man during the Cultural Revolution in 1966. The words on the placard state the mans name and accuse him of being a member of the black class. (Public Domain)

Each resident was held by two police officers and guided through the streets full of people and surrounded by armed riot police. The videos and photos of the shaming parade were posted online and attracted wide attention and criticism.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the CCP has adopted various extreme virus prevention and control measures, such as citywide mass lockdowns, suspension of medical services, sticking seals on the doors of residences of COVID-19 patients, and welding doors of residential buildings shut where COVID-19 cases are found, among others. The measures have caused many tragedies and much human suffering, triggering increasing public anger.

A screenshot of a post on Chinese social media Weibo of an official notice put on the door of a public restroom in Beijing requesting a negative PCR test certificate within 48 hours to enter. May 2022. (Weibo)

In May, in Beijing, citizens were required by authorities to show a negative nucleic acid test certificate from within the previous 48 hours in order to use public restrooms. Brave netizens online said the countrys epidemic control measures had reached an absurd level.
Signage is seen at the headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

SEC Climate Proposal Violates First Amendment to Constitution: Law Professor

The Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) proposed rules to mandate climate-related disclosures from companies abridge freedom of speech and would create controversy by imposing a political viewpoint, a law professor wrote in a June 1 letter to the agency.

Its almost as though the three commissioners who pushed this rule forward dont take seriously their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, Sean Griffith, a professor at Fordham University School of Law and author of the letter, said in a June 3 interview with The Epoch Times.

Griffith had previously joined many other law and finance professors in an April 25 letter to SEC objecting to the agencys March 25 climate disclosure proposal.

The comment period for that proposal ends on June 17.

The Proposal seems to be heavily influenced by a small but powerful cohort of environmental activists and institutional investors, mostly index funds and asset managers, promoting climate consciousness as part of their business models, the professors wrote in the letter.

Griffith wanted to go beyond the letter and explain why he thinks the SECs climate disclosure approach conflicts with the First Amendment.

He made his case in the June 1 letter and a 73-page draft article, Whats Controversial About ESG? A Theory of Compelled Commercial Speech Under the First Amendment.

The proposed climate rules create controversy by imposing a political viewpoint, by advancing an interest group agenda at the expense of investors generally, and by redefining concepts at the core of securities regulation, Griffith wrote in the June 1 letter.

On the one hand, I object to these climate-related disclosures. But on the other hand, its kind of a wonderful thing that the SEC is trying to do this, because theyre actually pressing the limit in such a way that might actually trigger an answer to the question of, Where is that limit beyond which the SEC cant require stuff? he told The Epoch Times.

Commercial speech is less protected under the First Amendment than other forms of speech.

In Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of Ohio, the U.S. Supreme Court established a fairly low standard of scrutiny for rules compelling commercial speech, as long as the information disclosed is purely factual and uncontroversial.

Griffith thinks the SECs proposal shouldnt be subject to this standard because it creates controversy by deviating from the agencys core mission of protecting investors.

The reason why the climate rules are so problematic is that either theyre politically drivenwhich is very plausibleor they are driven by this desire to appease the institutional asset manager community, which has its own profit interest because they generate revenue from the assets under management of those ESG portfolios. At the end of the day, its not about investors, he told The Epoch Times.

According to Griffith, the potential rules also create controversy because they enforce viewpoint discrimination. They effectively force companies to endorse certain premises about human effects on the climate system.

He also thinks the proposal redefines the central concepts of materiality and investor protection, engendering further controversy.

Heightened financial risks that have some potential link to a warming effect from human carbon emissionssay, a rising rate of storms at some geographical location over the past few decadesare, by definition, already material. That reality raises questions about the value of broad new disclosure mandates for territory already covered under existing law.

The SECs rule proposal should be held to a tougher standard than Zauderereither intermediate scrutiny or strict scrutiny, according to Griffith.

He also sees the proposal as part of a pattern of constitutionally dubious conduct by the politicized agency.

The 5th Circuit ruled on May 18 that the SECs use of administrative law judges violated the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.

The SEC is almost nakedly overreaching, Griffith said.

While he and other legal scholars have raised serious concerns about the SECs climate disclosure proposal, some experts have defended its constitutionality.

George S. Georgiev, a professor at the Emory University School of Law, took on First Amendment objections in a March 27 blog post for Business Law Prof Blog.

He claimed that even though opponents of the SECs climate disclosure initiative made it controversial well before the contours of the Proposal became known, this does not mean that the actual information required by the actual Proposal is controversial, burdensome, or unjustified.

Although Georgiev said his analysis of the SECs enabling statute and practice support the agencys proposed disclosures, he noted that First Amendment challenges could prove significant not only for climate-related disclosure rules, but for other disclosure rules as well.

Georgiev declined to comment to The Epoch Times on Griffiths letter and article.

James Cox, a law professor at Duke University, told The Epoch Times on June 3 that a D.C. Circuit decision, National Association of Manufacturers v. SEC, has defined the parameters of this debate over the First Amendment and required disclosures.

The Dodd-Frank Act, passed by Congress in 2010, directed the SEC to compel companies to disclose whether minerals were conflict freein other words, obtained from the Congo or an adjoining country without directly or indirectly [financing] or [benefiting] armed groups in the region.

The judge threw out that requirement.

The statement was seen as potentially political or at least risking the speaker being ethically tainted, Cox said.

He believes the constitutionality of the SECs compulsion of speech has yet to be resolved, arguing that it will depend in large part on how the final release is worded.

Griffith disagrees.

Insofar as the rules do create a [First Amendment] issue, it doesnt matter what the SEC says in its adopting release. The rules either violate the First Amendment or they dont, he said.

The prospective greenhouse gas disclosures, which he sees as just one of multiple controversial aspects of the proposal, bear no direct relationship to the finances of the affected companies.

It seems to me that the only way they could make this uncontroversial is by dropping the [greenhouse gas] disclosure requirement altogether, Griffith said.

The SEC declined to comment to The Epoch Times regarding Griffiths paper.
Sen. Graham Calls on Retired, Former Service Members to Help Secure Schools After Mass Shootings

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is urging retired and former service members to voluntarily help bolster security in schools across the United States in the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

In a lengthy thread posted to Twitter on June 3, the Republican senator said former military personnel and experienced instructors from the Reserve officers training corps (ROTC) could drastically help improve overall safety at schools.

We have hundreds of thousands of well-trained former military members who could bring a lot to the table in terms of school security. ROTC instructors with firearms training should be allowed to possess weapons to enhance school security, Graham wrote.

The South Carolina lawmaker said hes working on creating a certification process that will allow former military members to go through school security training and then make themselves voluntarily available at school districts throughout the country.

Graham did not provide further details as to exactly how the voluntary program or certification process would work. The Epoch Times has contacted his office for comment.

It is time to mobilize our retired and former service members who are willing to help secure our schools, Graham added in a follow-up post. Our schools are soft targets. They contain our most valuable possessionour children, the future of our countryand must be protected.

Schools should be treated like courthouses, banks, capital buildings, etc. when it comes to security, he added.

Graham is one of five Republicans in talks with Democrats on bipartisan gun safety legislation in response to a series of shootings nationwide, including the Uvalde massacre of 19 children and two teachers, and a Buffalo supermarket incident in which 18-year-old Payton Gendron gunned down 10 people.

The latest incidents have reignited talks on gun safety issues as some Democrats call for tighter restrictions surrounding purchasing and possessing guns, while Republicans say such restrictions would infringe on the Second Amendment rights of Americans.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden urged Congress to ban yet-to-be-defined assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, and strengthen laws that limit the use of guns in the wake of mass shootings.

We need to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines. And if we cant ban assault weapons, then we should raise the age to purchase them from 18 to 21; strengthen background checks; enact safe storage law and red flag laws; repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability; address the mental health crisis, deepening the trauma of gun violence, Biden said from the White House.

I want to be very clearthis is not about taking away anyones guns, it is not about vilifying gun owners, Biden added.

In response, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wrote on Twitter, Biden wants to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines yet Democrats refuse to prosecute violent crimes in Democrat cities all over the country, and refuse to protect your children at school with armed security. Same Democrats are protected by armed guards daily.

Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) told Tucker Carlson Tonight on Thursday that such a magazine ban would effectively ban all of these handguns that millions, hundreds of millions of Americans use every single day to defend themselves, [their] families, to protect their homesteads.

While lawmakers across the country debate stricter gun laws, New Yorks legislature last week voted to pass a number of bills aimed at strengthening gun safety laws, including raising the minimum age at which an individual can purchase or possess a semiautomatic rifle from 18 to 21.
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Senate Candidates Appeal for Law License

Mark McCloskey 'disappointed' but 'not surprised'

The Supreme Court decided on June 6 not to hear the appeal of a U.S. Senate candidate whose law license was restricted after he wielded a gun outside his St. Louis home in 2020 to deter a group of trespassing left-wing protesters in the midst of nationwide race riots.

Attorney Mark McCloskey is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat as a Republican. The primary election will take place in Missouri on Aug. 2.

McCloskey argued in his petition to the high court that he shouldnt be punished as a lawyer for exercising his constitutional right of self-defense.

McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, were honored speakers at the 2020 Republican National Convention for defending their home on June 28, 2020, during violent nationwide protests organized by Black Lives Matter and Antifa. The couple, both lawyers, gained folk hero status in the conservative movement as a result of the encounter. They were sanctioned by the bar in Missouri for displaying firearms in the presence of what they said was an angry mob they believed intended to harm them.

The Supreme Court case is McCloskey v. Missouri Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, court file 21-1440. The justices turned away the petition from the couple without comment, which is their usual practice when denying an appeal.

Mark McCloskey told The Epoch Times after the Supreme Court handed down its decision that he was disappointed in the ruling.

I was not surprised because so few cases are taken up by the Supreme Court, McCloskey said.

Of course, I was disappointed, I was kind of hoping that the Supreme Court would find some general significance for the concept of a lawyer being sanctioned for doing no more than defending himself, but you know, these days its hard to predict.

McCloskey acknowledged the confrontation with the demonstrators provided him a media platform for expressing his political views but said his anti-leftist stance is nothing new.

It was certainly an event, which made a difference in the course of our lives, but my political philosophy was deeply ingrained in me since my teenage yearsas I regularly say, they just came knocking on the wrong door, he said.

Armed homeowners Mark and Patricia McCloskey stand in front of their house along Portland Place to confront protesters in the Central West End of St. Louis, on June 28, 2020. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

My anti-leftist stance has been widely known among all my friends and relatives for as long as Ive been able to speak and my campaign against the gradual, and now ferocious, attack on our civil rights has been going on for decades. It gave me a voice that I didnt have earlier, but it certainly wasnt a significant change in my attitude, my politics, or my determination to save this country.

The case, which involved prosecutorial misconduct, received national media attention. Kimberly Gardner, a Democrat and St. Louiss first black chief prosecutor, who has accused local police of racism, was removed from the case in December 2020 by Circuit Judge Thomas Clark II for using the incident in inflammatory campaign fundraising emails. Clark ruled that Gardners behavior raised the appearance of impropriety and jeopardized the defendants right to a fair trial.

The McCloskeys said they were justified in holding their firearms outside of their home to dissuade the crowd. The couple had originally been charged with felony-level unlawful use of a weapon, but prosecutors reached a plea deal with them to reduce the severity of the charges.

Mark McCloskey entered a guilty plea to a class C misdemeanor of assault in the fourth degree and agreed to a $750 fine. His wife entered a guilty plea to a Class A misdemeanor of harassment in the second degree and accepted a $2,000 fine.

The McCloskeys were pardoned in July 2021 by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican.

Then-President Donald Trump praised Parson and the couple after the pardon, saying they were defending their property and if they had not done what they did, their property would have been completely destroyed and they would have been badly beaten, or dead.

Despite the pardons, on Feb. 8, the Missouri Supreme Court indefinitely suspended the law licenses of the McCloskeys after their misdemeanor convictions. The court found that by displaying their weapons, the McCloskeys had engaged in unlawyerly conduct involving moral turpitude. At the same time, the court stayed the suspension, subject to a year of probation during which the two attorneys must not engage in conduct that violates the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Moral turpitude is a legal term describing wicked, deviant behavior constituting an immoral, unethical, or unjust departure from ordinary social standards such that it would shock a community, according to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School.

In their petition (pdf) to the U.S. Supreme Court, the couple stated that the disciplinary action taken against them violates the Second and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The court should rule that as a matter of constitutional law  a lawyer does not engage in conduct involving moral turpitude when undertaking actions protected by the United States Constitution, in particular the Second Amendment.

The Epoch Times didnt receive an immediate reply from Leawood, Kansas-based lawyer Edward D. Robertson Jr., who is the counsel of record for the Missouri Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel.
Slow Start Continues as Hong Kong IPOs Saw the Lowest Fundraising in 12 Years

HKEX to establish overseas offices in US, Europe to attract more foreign IPOs and investments

Hong Kongs initial public offering (IPO) market saw the lowest fundraising rate in 12 years, with IPO proceeds in May slumping to less than $140 million, and totaling a record low of $2.21 billion for the first five months of 2022.

Amid the markets grim outlook, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) plans to establish two international offices, in the United States and Europe, to appeal to more investors abroad, Nicolas Aguzin, HKEXs Chief Executive Officer, told South China Morning Post (SCMP) during the 2022 Annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in May.

HKEX currently has only three offices outside Hong KongBeijing, Shanghai, and Singapore. HKEXs plans to set up offices outside Asia came one month after its Q1 report showed an 89 percent drop in the IPO funds raised compared to a year earlier.

[HKEXs] IPO pipeline was incredibly strong  However, [we] are not immune to [the] global market sentiment which resulted in some softness in the IPO market, reduced valuations in our investment portfolio, and pricing volatility in our commodities market, Aguzin said in HKEXs first quarterly report (pdf).

A similar message also appeared in Aguzins article, written for the 2022 World Economic Forum, attributing the changed world economy to shifting geopolitics without further elaborating on what it means. One could interpret it as the ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the accelerated decoupling between the United States and China.

The latest HKEX data showed no improvement in its IPO market in April or May. The new listing information shows only two new listings from May 1 to 18KE Holdings Inc.(02423.HK) and Yunkang Group Limited (02325. HK).

KE Holdings had a listing path without selling new shares or raising funds, making Yunkang Group the only company that sold shares in May. The deal raised less than $140 million, marking the lowest for IPOs in May in 10 years.

In April, HKEX had 19 new listings that raised only $2.07 billion, dropping nearly 90 percent compared to $20.7 billion in the same period last year.

The total funds raised in HKEX before June were approximately $2.21 billion, the lowest first five-month amount since 2010.

The core objective of everything were trying to do is to make sure that we continue connecting China and the world, Aguzin told the Financial Times. I am not saying its an easy agenda, [but] thats what we have to do.

Prior to assuming the CEO role at HKEX, Aguzin was the CEO of J.P. Morgans International Private Bank. He is the first non-Chinese chief executive to head the exchange. The former J.P. Morgan executive joined HKEX in May 2021 amid a growing number of foreign companies leaving Hong Kong as the citys status declines as a global financial hub.

A survey report (pdf), published in March by the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, found a growing number of foreign companies and financial support is withdrawing from the city.

The report found that 25 percent of the respondents affirmed that they would entirely relocate out of Hong Kong in the next 12 months, 24 percent planned to move partially, while 17 percent said they did not have relocation plans. The remaining 34 percent said they were unsure.

Investors confidence is the most important factor in a capital market. The current [performance] of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is mainly a reflection of investors attitude toward the market: A lack of confidence, Senior Chinese financial analyst Albert Song told The Epoch Times on April 5.

Song, with 27 years of experience in Chinas financial industry, is also an expert on Chinese politics and economics.

Hong Kongs political and business environment has deteriorated since Beijing imposed the national security law in the summer of 2020. Beijing has imposed heavy fines on big tech firms through new regulatory measures, such as clamping down on Alibaba affiliate Ant Groups IPO.

Song believes that these actions taken by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have shaken Hong Kongs status as an international financial center and worried the investors. Under such circumstances, investors would have to factor in political and regulatory risks when investing in Chinese or Hong Kong stocks.

The stock market is a barometer of the economy, and investors and capital markets vote with their feet. Over the past two years, lots of capital has been moved from Hong Kong to Singapore, including asset transfers and capitalization changes, Song said.
American farmer Roger Murphy putting fertilizer in the ground on April 23, 2020, near Dwight, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Soil Management Key to Fighting Increasing Number of US Dust Storms

Farmers, scientists, and meteorologists have been sitting up and taking notice as severe dust storms in the United States are becoming more frequent across the Great Plains and the Southwest.

Research shows dust storms have doubled over the past 20 years and are becoming more intensedue to a combination of increased drought conditions and the expansion of crop planting.

Damage from these squalls is widespread, including everything from crop losses and property damage to power outages, reduced visibility, and increased respiratory infections.

A 2020 study that used data from satellite imagery to locate the primary sources of dust in the Great Plains showed the region contained more dust points (1,258) than the Chihuahuan desert (187).

Cultivated fields comprised 43 percent of those dust points in the Great Plains area.

The studys authors also identified human-influenced factors as a primary driver of dust emissions in the American Southwest.

In a separate 2020 analysis, researchers noted a 5 percent increase in airborne dust every year in the Great Plains between 2000 and 2018. Concurrently, this coincides with a 5 to 10 percent boost in farmed land in the area from 2008 to 2018.

As more acres of the earth are converted for agricultural purposes, more dirt ends up exposed. This creates a powder keg of conditions for dust storms in historically windy regions of the United States.

A dust storm warning sign by Interstate 10 in New Mexico. (New Mexico State Police)

In May, a tempest of dust with winds up to 105 miles per hour tore across the Great Plains, causing extensive property damage and killing at least two people. The hurricane-strength storm hit South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota.

While increased food production is earmarked as one of the main culprits behind the spike in airborne dust, farmers also hold the keys to mitigation.

Philip Kaatz, a senior extension educator at Michigan State University, says soil loss is one of the primary factors farmers aim to control.

The topsoil they have is a valuable commodity and to lose it is not good, Kaatz told The Epoch Times.

Kaatz says Michigan doesnt have the same depth of rich topsoil as some neighboring great lakes states like Indiana and Illinois, so retention is a priority.

And cover crops play a pivotal role in that strategy.

Cover crops are being used in Michigan, and really, its one of the things that were seeing an increase [in]  Ive been working with dairy farmers on cover crops. Theyre not only using them as a crop, but also as a feed source [for animals], Kaatz explained.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains that cover crops and responsible land management practices to improve soil health are crucial for combating the growing dust factor.

Fully functioning, healthy soils are less susceptible to runoff and erosion. Implementing soil health management systems also allows farmers to improve profitability because they may spend less on fuel, inputs, and energy while benefiting from reduced crop yield variability resulting from improved soil conditions, a department spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

The USDA representative described the fundamental principles of maintaining healthy soil.

One method includes maximizing living roots and keeping crops in the ground for as long as possible to reduce exposed dirt.

Another technique involves minimizing tillage, or whats commonly referred to as no-till farming.

Maximizing biodiversity in planting during rotations and using cover crops were also mentioned as vital elements in reducing soil loss.

Jay Bragg at the Texas Farm Bureau says cover crops are essential for soil retention, but they also create a paradox for farmers in drought-prone regions.

Cover crops limit soil exposure and their root systems help anchor the soil in place. Cover crops are probably the best conservation practice to minimizing soil erosion, Bragg told The Epoch Times.

However, they require water like any other crop. As such, during prolonged droughts and in arid regions, the use of cover crops may be limited.

Texas is no stranger to drought or massive dust storms. Presently, 88 percent of the state is experiencing moderate to extreme drought conditions. The state was also part of the famous depression-era dust bowl of the 1930s, which affected massive swaths of the Great Plains.

Dust storm in Texas during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. (Public Domain)

Bragg noted that not all farming operations can employ cover crops. However, the majority have transitioned to a system that reduces land tillage and leaves residue from the previous years harvest in the soil.

He added that some producers are also embracing the increasingly popular no-till method, which means the ground is never actually plowed.

The preservation strategy employed varies case by case and really boils down to available resources and soil type, according to Bragg.

No farmer wants to watch their soil and crop blow away. However, during extreme conditions, it can still happen, he added.

Part of combating the escalation in dust storms across the United States is education, which the Kansas Soil Health Alliance (KSHA) is tackling at the source.

What our organization is doing is helping to provide education and resources for farmers and ranchers to learn about soil health, coordinator for the KSHA, Jennifer Simmelink, told The Epoch Times.

Simmelink says the organization promotes land management but strives for balance, understanding that farmers have profit margins to consider when incorporating soil health practices.

She also asserts theres no one size fits all technique for creating robust soil. Much of that has to do with drastic differences in the dirt between Kansass eastern, western, and southern portions.

A farmers field is planted with cover crops in Neosho, Wis., on March 26, 2021. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

In western Kansas, its all conserving moisture and using it, and [in] eastern Kansas, a lot of times its about getting rid of moisture, Simmelink explained.

Then you get to southeast Kansas  where there is more clay. And southwest Kansas, its pretty sandy soil. Its quite diverse across the state.

In December 2021, a massive dust storm ripped across Kansas, with wind gusts up to 80 mph recorded. The same storm triggered power outages in four states across the Great Plains.

Another part of the battle to prevent erosion and airborne particles is considering what was previously grown on the land so a producer can understand how to maximize soil vitality.

Principle No. 1 is context. Whats the history of that land, how has it been managed, whats been done there and taking that into account, Clay Conry, District 5 director for the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, told The Epoch Times.

Conry explained that his own land had been used for hay production for a long time, which took a lot of nutrients out of the soil once the bales were rolled up every year. This made it essential to put those lost elements back into the soil for retention and erosion purposes.

And really thats why principle No. 2 is the top one and that is increased soil armor. You want to have an appropriate amount of soil cover and thats where cover crops come into play preventing wind and water erosion, he said.

During the 1930s dust bowl, 2.5 million people migrated away from the Great Plains region, which is still considered one of the largest migrations in American history.

Today scientists estimate upwards of 44 billion pounds of dust are in the earths atmosphere on any given day. And its getting worse as the storms continue to increase.

Conry says producers are aware of the problem and work as the vanguard in the uphill battle against soil loss through better land-management practices.

Some people have said soil erosion is American agricultures No. 1 export, he said.
Mr Olaniyan said the defection didn't affect his position as the deputy governor of the state, saying he had not resigned.

The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, on Sunday, announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Olaniyan, an Oke-Ogun-born technocrat cum politician, announced his defection while speaking with journalists in his private office at the Ojoo area of Ibadan.

He, however, said the defection does not affect his position as the deputy governor of the state, saying he had not resigned.

The deputy governor added that he took the decision after consultations with his supporters from across the state.

Mr Olaniyan, who described politics as free entry and free exit, added that all his political supporters prevailed on him to join the APC.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new development has doused tension and rumours over the sour relationship between the deputy governor and his boss, Seyi Makinde.

APC reception

Teslim Folarin, the governorship candidate of the APC in Oyo State, received Mr Olaniyan, into the party.

In a statement in Ibadan, personally signed by Mr Folarin, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, he described Mr Olaniyan's defection as a welcome development and a big catch for the APC.

He said Mr Olaniyan's defection was "a reflection of the arrogant and non-accommodating nature" of the PDP leaders in the state.

"The state APC family is very excited that the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji AbdulRauf Olaniyan, has joined us with thousands of his supporters across the 351 Wards.

"Olaniyan is one of the few technocrat-turned-politician I admire and respect.

"With Olaniyan and other well-meaning stakeholders in Oyo State politics, we shall rescue the state from the PDP in 2023.

"Oyo PDP is unfortunate for losing a great asset. There is no denying the fact that Olaniyan is a cool-headed man, highly cerebral, and undoubtedly the most experienced deputy governor in the history of Nigeria," Mr Folarin said.
The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, on Aug. 23, 2016. (Courtesy of Ken Scar/U.S. Army/Handout via Reuters)

South Korea, US Fire 8 Missiles to Show Crisis Preparedness After North Korean Missile Launches

South Korea and the United States jointly launched eight short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on June 6, in response to North Koreas recent test of multiple short-range ballistic missiles, according to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

This exercise utilized one U.S. Army missile and seven [South Korea] Army missiles. The missiles were fired from the northeast of South Korea into the East Sea following appropriate notifications for air and maritime safety, the USFK said in a statement.

The move was to demonstrate the ability of the combined [U.S.South Korea] force to respond quickly to crisis events, the USFK said, reaffirming Washingtons ironclad commitment to the defense of South Korea.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said they launched the ground-to-ground ballistic missiles for about 10 minutes on June 6, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Our military strongly condemns the Norths series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns, the JCS said.

The U.S. forces also conducted a bilateral ballistic missile defense exercise with Japan on June 5 to demonstrate the readiness of the U.S.Japan alliance to respond to regional threats.

North Korea launched eight short-range ballistic missiles from four locations on June 5. The JCS claimed that the missiles traveled 110 to 670 kilometers (68 to 416 miles) eastward at altitudes between 25 to 90 kilometers (15 to 55 miles).

North Koreas official news agency didnt issue a statement regarding the missile launches.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it was aware of the multiple ballistic missile launches by Pyongyang and had consulted with its allies and partners.

While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, these missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of [North Koreas] illicit weapons program, it said in a statement.

The latest missile test marked the Norths 18th round of missile launches this year; the previous one was on May 25, when three ballistic missiles were tested just hours after President Joe Biden ended his trip to Asia.

Sung Kim, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, held a trilateral meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Seoul on June 4 to discuss North Koreas nuclear threats. Kim said that Washington and its allies are preparing for all contingencies.

We are prepared to make both short and longer-term adjustments to our military posture as appropriate and responding to any [North Korea] provocation and as necessary to strengthen both defense and deterrence to protect our allies in the region, he said.

We want to make clear to the DPRK that its unlawful and destabilizing activities have consequences and that the international community will not accept these actions as normal, Kim added, using North Koreas official acronym.

Kim reaffirmed that Washington remains open to dialogue with North Korea and is willing to discuss sanctions relief. But Pyongyang has shown no interest to resume denuclearization talks due to what it says are the U.S. and its allies hostile policies.

When [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un] sees that we are coordinating very closely with partners and allies, I hope this persuades him that the only viable path is diplomacy with us.
Asteroid Ryugu is photographed by the ONC-T which is equipped on Hayabusa 2 probe after a journey of around 3.2 billion km since launch, in outer space 280 million km from the Earth, on June 24, 2018 at around 00:01 JST, in this handout photo released by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). (Mandatory credit JAXA-Tokyo University/Handout via Reuters)

Substances Essential for Life Found in Asteroid Samples Collected by Japans Space Probe

Researchers discovered up to 20 types of amino acids on asteroid samples obtained by the Japanese Hayabusa2 space probe in December 2020, essential substances for living things on Earth.

This is the first time amino acidsthe building blocks of proteinshave been found on an asteroid, Kyodo News reported, citing an unnamed Education Ministry official.

A capsule containing more than 5.4 grams of surface materials arrived in Japan in December 2020 after a 6-year odyssey to the Ryugu asteroid, located over 300 million kilometers away from Earth.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and research institutes across Japan, including the University of Tokyo and Hiroshima University, commenced the complete analysis of the samples last year.

The sample analysis is expected to reveal more about the solar system formation and the origins of life on Earth. The previous analysis revealed that the asteroid contains primitive material rich in water and organic matter.

Ground-based observations of asteroids and laboratory analysis of the optical properties of meteorites have suggested that C-type asteroids are the origin of carbonaceous chondrites meteorites, but no direct evidence has been obtained, JAXA stated on its website.

Asteroids are believed to have formed at the dawn of the solar system, and scientists have said the sample may contain organic matter that could have contributed to life on earth.

The Hayabusa2named for the peregrine falconorbited above Ryugu for a few months before landing, then used small explosives to blast a crater and collected the resulting debris. After dropping off the capsule, it changed course and headed back into space.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor sits during a group photograph of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021. (Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Supreme Court Overturns 4th Circuit Ruling, Unanimously Strikes Down Part of Bankruptcy Law

When Congress boosted bankruptcy fees but exempted filers in Alabama and North Carolina from the higher fees, it violated a uniformity requirement in the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on June 6.

The 19-page court opinion (pdf) in Siegel v. Fitzgerald, court file 21-441, was written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Oral arguments in the case were heard on April 18.

The petitioner is Alfred H. Siegel, trustee of the Circuit City Stores Inc. Liquidating Trust. The respondent is John P. Fitzgerald III, the acting United States trustee for Region 4.

Circuit City, a now-defunct technology retail chain, filed in 2008 for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Eastern District of Virginia, and its trustee argued the company wasnt treated fairly in the process, as compared with bankruptcy filers in Alabama and North Carolina.

The U.S. Trustee Program is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases, according to the department. Region 4 includes the federal judicial districts established for Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Alabama and North Carolina arent part of the DOJs watchdog program. Bankruptcies in those states are handled by a bankruptcy administrator, overseen by the Judicial Conference of the United States, who monitors cases there.

The bankruptcy clause in Article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to establish uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States.

This difference in approach to two sets of bankruptcy leads to unfair outcomes, Siegel stated in the petition (pdf) filed with the high court in September 2021.

In the Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2017, Congress adopted a five-year increase in quarterly fees paid only in U.S. Trustee districts, which boosted the maximum fee from $30,000 to $250,000 for all pending cases.

But the increase was not imposed in the U.S. Trustee districts until nine months later, and it applied only to cases filed after that date, Siegel wrote.

The result is a wide disparity in fees paid by identically situated debtors based solely on the geographic location of their bankruptcy. The total difference exceeds $100 million in aggregate fees in Chapter 11 cases nationwide.

Sotomayor wrote for the Supreme Court that the difference in quarterly fees between states overseen by the DOJ trustee and the two other states must be corrected.

The Constitutions requirement that bankruptcy laws be uniform is not a straitjacket: Congress retains flexibility to craft legislation that responds to different regional circumstances that arise in the bankruptcy system, Sotomayor wrote.

Nor, however, is this uniformity requirement toothless. The question in this case is whether Congress enactment of a significant fee increase that exempted debtors in two States violated the uniformity requirement. Here, it did.

There is no dispute that when Congress raised fees in 2017 the increase was not geographically uniform.

The only remaining question is whether Congress permissibly imposed nonuniform fees because it was responding to a funding deficit limited to the Trustee Program districts. Under the specific circumstances present here, the nonuniform fee increase violated the uniformity requirement, the justice wrote.

Debtors in Alabama and North Carolina, unlike debtors in the remainder of the country, paid no fee increases for the first three quarters of 2018. Moreover, the fee increase only applied to newly filed cases, and not pending cases, in those two States. That geographical disparity meant that petitioner paid over $500,000 more in fees compared to an identical debtor in North Carolina or Alabama.

The Constitution does not permit Congress to treat identical debtors differently based on artificial distinctions Congress itself created, Sotomayor wrote, as the court remanded the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit to consider in the first instance the proper remedy.

Dallas-based attorney Daniel L. Geyser, counsel of record for Siegel, and U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar didnt respond by press time to a request for comment.
Tennessee Congressional Hopeful Robby Starbuck Restored to Election Ballot After Suing GOP Over Removal

Businessman Robby Starbuck has been restored to the Republican ballot for the upcoming midterm elections in Tennessee after a judge granted his request for a temporary injunction on Friday evening.

Davidson County Chancellor Russell Perkins ruled that the Tennessee Republican Partys executive committee violated the state Open Meetings Act back in April when it removed Starbuck from the ballot for the Aug. 4 primary in the 5th Congressional District.

Starbuck, a filmmaker who has promoted Trump-era policies such as strong border enforcement, was removed from the upcoming election ballot by the state party during a closed meeting in which officials ruled that he and two other candidates, former Trump administration official Morgan Ortagus and businessman Baxter Lee, did not meet the qualifications to run under the party banner.

The businessman promptly sued Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden and two state officials on May 2 over the removal, but his request for an emergency injunction was denied by U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw in mid-May.

Yet Judge Perkins said on Friday that the 133 vote behind closed doors was a violation of state law and that Starbuck would suffer irreparable harm if he were forced to remain off the ballot given that he was excluded from the ballot through a procedure that violates the law.

This is because Starbuck would be required to run for the GOP position against whomever the incumbent is the next time he is able to do so instead of being permitted to run for the currently vacant seat in 2022, the judge noted.

All other appropriate public officials are expected to immediately take steps to treat the Defendants April 11, 2022, decision as a nullity and restore Plaintiff, Robby Starbuck Newsom, also known as Robby Starbuck, to the ballot as a Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives in the 5th Congressional District of Tennessee, to the same extent and in the same particulars as Plaintiff was on the ballot before Defendants April 11, 2022 decision was made and communicated, Perkins wrote in his ruling on Friday.

Golden told The Tennessee Star on Saturday that the party will be filing an appeal against the latest decision.

Were disappointed with the judges ruling, obviously, and well be filing an appeal on Monday, said Golden.

The Epoch Times has contacted Golden for comment.

Starbuck, who used to live in California, has described himself as a conservative outsider.

In a lengthy statement issued on June 4 following the ruling, he said he was speechless at receiving justice in his case to prove that the executive committee acted illegally when it voted to remove him from the ballot.

Judge Perkins has ordered that my name be restored to the ballot. I cant thank the Judge enough for having a judicial compass that pointed him toward justice for the people in our case, Starbuck wrote. Today the underhanded, secret plot to remove the peoples choice in favor of controllable career politicians like Andy Ogles and Beth Harwell has failed. Ill never forget the cowardly way folks like them supported this illegal action, and in doing so, supported disenfranchising our own voters.

Fridays ruling means that Starbuck will now join a host of other candidates in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District seat, including former state House Speaker Beth Harwell, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, and retired Brig. Gen. Kurt Winstead.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
The emotive melodies of his most beloved compositions reshaped Western classical music and dance

When people think of traditional Russian music, it generally falls into two main categories: grand militaristic marching rhythms and celebratory folk songs. The marches are predominantly played in the minor scale, with low, powerful choral voices and brass sections. The other side of the Russian coin is a fierce celebration of life, with unbridled passion and dance. The humorous Russian folk songs known as chastushkas, frequently played on the three-stringed balalaika and accordion, avoid complex harmonies and are often sung in unison with a sense of pure, unrefined joy.

Whether in celebration or deep, melancholic reverie, the music of Russia is tinged with a very distinctive Eastern feel. This is primarily due to the use of the Phrygian scale, which can be found throughout the East from Arabia to India; its flavor can be heard as far West as Spain, where it features in flamenco music. Its influence in Russian music is unmistakable.

Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (18401893) brought a sophistication to the Russian canon that transformed all expectations. He worked during the Romantic Period of classical musicand all that Russian passion fit right in, albeit heavily seasoned with European sensibilities. Piano Concerto No. 1, composed between November 1874 and February 1875, is one of Tchaikovskys most iconic contributions to the romantic genre, with saturated harmonies, grand, sweeping orchestrations, and one of the most recognizable piano introductions ever written.

Tchaikovsky is one of the few classical composers whose melodies come so easily to mind and pack such a strong emotional impact. This might have something to do with his repetition of melodic motifs, which is very much in the tradition of the folk music of his homeland. The folk influence features much more strongly in his Symphony No. 2, which honors the faster rhythms of the peasant dances. It is clear that his genius was closely tied to the emotional power of music.

Although he was a musical child, his education led him into the civil service, and he didnt enter formal musical education until the age of 22. Anton Rubinstein, who established the conservatory in Saint Petersburg, was a great admirer of Western music, and the cosmopolitan nature of Tchaikovskys work likely found favor there.

In one charming story from his letters, Tchaikovsky tells how he came to Moscow to seek advice on his piano compositions from Anton Rubinsteins brother, Nikolai, and played him the first movement of his Piano Concerto No. 1. Apparently, Nikolai didnt care much for it and went so far as to offer advice on how it could be improved.

Tchaikovsky was adamant, and later wrote that he responded that he shall not change a single note, and it seems he was correct. Piano Concerto No. 1 had its American premiere at the Boston Music Hall (later renamed the Orpheum Theatre) in 1875 and has since been at the top of every performance list, in every concert season, with every orchestra, in just about every country around the world. The conservatory in Moscow, where Tchaikovsky first played the piece for Nikolai Rubinstein, ended up being named in the composers honor.

Tchaikovsky composed three of the worlds most beloved ballets, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty, and these popular compositions have been featured in countless movies. Likewise, Tchaikovskys Fantasy Overture from Romeo and Juliet has become a cliche motif played for lovers in film and even TV commercials. As overplayed as it has become, it is hardly Tchaikovskys fault that he wrote a piece of music that plays in our hearts whenever two people fall in love.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by Artus Scheiner. Illustrations for a book by E. T. A Hoffman and published by J. Otto, Prague in 1924. (Public Domain)

Almost everyone is familiar with the iconic Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker Suitea whimsical, delightfully ornate, and truly magical passage of music. The March of the Toy Soldiers and The Dance of the Red Flutes, also from The Nutcracker, each have an almost nursery rhyme-like simplicity that belies how accomplished and inventive they are. If you compare these compositions to the magisterial scale and drama of Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture (written to commemorate Russia s successful defense against the invasion of Napoleons Grand Armee in 1812), you may begin to wonder if these were composed by two distinctly different people.

Scene from the 2018 Sleeping Beauty by the Royal Moscow Ballet in Palanga,Lithuania. (Vytautas Kielaitis/Shutterstock)

Scene from the 2012 Nutcracker ballet performed by the Dnepropetrovsk Opera and Ballet Theatre in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. (Igor Bulgarin/Shutterstock)

Although Swan Lake, the first of Tchaikovskys composed ballets, was not well received at its Moscow debut in 1877, it has since become the worlds most famous ballet. The Swan Theme is possibly one of the most beautiful, lilting melodies ever written, haunting us to this day. The heartbreaking oboe and shimmering strings, followed by a crescendo of terrifying horns, make this composition an earthshaking drama of tragic, burning sorrow.

Scene from the 2019 Swan Lake at the Odessa Opera Theater in Ukraine. (A_Lesik/Shutterstock)

Tchaikovskys palette moved far beyond the boundaries of any border into the souls of music lovers the world over. He was sincere in his quest to express all that was in him on an emotional level, and it seems the world agrees with his interpretation of what is in our heartsthe ultimate test. He wrote an accompaniment, or perhaps even a salve, for all that might befall us upon lifes road, and it is as magical as The Nutcracker itself that this man even existed. All three of his ballets, in particular, set the bar so high that he still is an impossible act to follow.
Conrad Black: The Origins and Purposes of the Ukrainian War

Commentary

Its time for a comprehensive fact-check on the origins and purposes of the Ukrainian war.

The underlying issue is the ultimate disposition of the 14 republics apart from Russia that seceded from and produced the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991. Russia has never acknowledged the legitimacy of those secessions, and they were accomplished abruptly by the governments and legislatures of the jurisdictions involved, without the formality and legitimacy the break-up of countries requires.

As the Soviet Union fell like a souffle without a shot being fired (after a Cold War in which there were routine reciprocal threats of nuclear annihilation), many promises were made by the major powers, including Russia and the United States, and none of them was kept. When the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, acceded to the reunification of Germany, then-Secretary of State James Baker assured him that NATO would not advance one inch to the east of Germany. The president whom he served, George H. W. Bush, famously gave what Nixon speechwriter William Safire called the Chicken Kiev speech to the Ukrainian parliament recommending that it remain in union with Russia, in 1991. All of the major powers, including Russia and the United States, promised Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, that their borders would be respected, in exchange for the renunciation in 1994 of the nuclear weapons that they had inherited from the Soviet Union.

Needless to say, all of these solemn promises were forgotten almost as soon as they were made. In the next several years, NATO accepted as members Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria; and Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, which had been constituent republics of the Soviet Union and had been fully integrated into Russia for more than 200 years prior to the end of World War I in 1918. President George W. Bush advocated the eventual admission to NATO of Ukraine and Georgia in 2008, but this was deferred as Russia invaded two largely Russian-speaking provinces of Georgia and intervened heavy-handedly in Ukrainian affairs. Russian meddling enabled the election of an outright puppet of the Kremlin in Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich, in 2010, and Western counter-meddling achieved his ouster and replacement by Petro Poroshenko in 2014.

It must be admitted that Ukraine has never shown the slightest aptitude for successful self-government until its inspiring performance following the Russian invasion of Ukraine three months ago. Its an ethnic hodgepodge of Russians, Lithuanians, Poles, and Tatars, and approximately one-sixth of its population of over 40 million is Russian-speaking.

The likeliest explanation for what brought on the present war is that the on-again, off-again Western enticement of NATO membership for Ukraine collided with the ambition of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russias most purposeful leader since Leonid Brezhnev, to assert Russias partial authority over its former fellow republics of the USSR.

It isnt surprising that Putin thought that this was the time to act: The unimaginable shambles of the American flight from Afghanistan and the complete failure of the United States to enunciate any consistent policy about the former Soviet Union could well have convinced him that this was his chance to begin reassembling the involuntary Confederation of ethnicities put together over more than 250 years by Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, some lesser Czars, and Joseph Stalin.

Many readers will remember the inanity of President George W. Bushs assertions that he looked Putin in the eye, and the reassuring importance that Putin attaches to his cross. President Barack Obama appeased Putin by withholding the promised anti-missile defenses for Poland and the Czech Republic, as if such defensive weapons could remotely be considered a provocation to Russia. The Pentagon has contributed to the present confusion by taking the immense budget granted it by President Donald Trump and failing to keep pace with Russia and China in hypersonic weapons, in providing adequate antimissile defenses for Americas Nimitz class aircraft carriers, and possibly in some areas of artillery as well. This may explain why the United States and NATO generally have been clearly intimidated by Putins nonsensical threats to resort to nuclear weapons.

Because of this saber-rattling, which is much less believable and nerve-racking than the antics of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in the 1950s, President Joe Biden allowed the Pentagon to repudiate Secretary of State Antony Blinkens public pledge to facilitate the transfer of Polish warplanes to Ukraine as escalatory (what was the Russian invasion?), and has declined to provide high-altitude anti-aircraft missiles and any Ukrainian capability to reply with offensive weapons that would reach inside Russia as a response to the relentless Russian aerial assault on Ukraines civil population.

Apart from the Ukrainian government, which has played its hand, militarily and in public relations terms, brilliantly, almost every conceivable blunder has been made by both sides in the present conflict. Its inconceivable how Putin and his advisers imagined that they could, with only 150,000 trigger-pullers, overrun a country of over 40 million people defended by a trained army and reserve of half a million well-armed men. Ukraine possesses the possibility of a high manpower advantage unless Russia conducts a general mobilization, which would be extremely unpopular, and hideously expensive for a country with a smaller GDP than Canada. Ukraine has the advantage of having most of its war effort paid for by rich NATO countries; in that sense only is there any truth in the Russian governments claim, echoed by a number of conservative isolationist American commentators, that Russia is at war with all NATO.

But theres no truth to the claim of those American commentators that Ukraine is of no strategic value to the West. Its making a bona fide effort to make democracy work and its the subject of a brutal and completely illegal and unprovoked attack. The consequence of permitting Russia to succeed in this criminal enterprise would be to provide convincing evidence that the United States is in inexorable decline and that its open season on the crumbling Western alliance as the Kremlin took a giant leap toward undoing the Wests epochal strategic victory in the Cold War.

Readers will painfully recall the total defeatism of Biden and the joint chiefs at the outset of the Ukrainian war, when Kyiv was expected to be occupied within a few days and Biden offered to evacuate president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his family, and made sophomoric comments about the Russian ruble becoming rubble and the strength of sanctions, which since theyre being ignored by 155 countries in the world are a gigantic Swiss cheese. When the strength of Ukrainian resistance became clear, Biden spoke of Putin being mad and sick and a war criminal and that regime change was necessary, even as he backed down before Putins juvenile nuclear threats. There has been no clarification of Western war aims and a large quantum of aid is to some extent a substitute for giving Ukraine the weapons they need to provide the Russians an incentive to end the war.

As I have written since before the start of this war, we have the ability in the West to ensure that Ukraine is recognized as a sovereign state as long as we provide the Russians with some recognition of their traditional status in that countryassumedly the autonomy under Russian suzerainty of the Russian-speaking sections of the country but with an iron-clad Russia-NATO guarantee of the security of Ukraines modified borders. Zelenskyy cannot expect more; the geopolitical reality is that Putin doesnt have to settle for less; American isolationists should be given a brief tutorial in geopolitical realities; the entire senior level of the Pentagon should be sacked; and NATO-U.S. will have to provide the weapons necessary to bring the war to a negotiated end. As long as the Russians can kill and terrorize Ukraines civilian population from the air with impunity, the war will go on and the tragedy will become greater.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A map showing the location of the Kayes region in western Mali. (Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Two Red Cross Workers Killed in Attack in Western Mali

DAKARTwo Red Cross workers were killed on Wednesday when their car was attacked by unidentified armed men in western Mali, the global humanitarian organization said on Thursday.

Armed men on motorcycles opened fire on the vehicle in the region of Kayes, the Malian Red Cross said in a statement.

The driver, who was Malian, and a staff member of the Netherlands Red Cross were killed, it said, while two colleagues survived the attack.

The area where the team was driving was considered relatively safe, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement said in a separate statement, although large swathes of the West African country are overrun by Islamist militants.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is deeply concerned about the worsening security situation in the Sahel region, the statement said. This violence, and the specific targeting of humanitarian workers, makes it hard for Red Cross teams to provide the needed assistance to vulnerable communities in the region.

An Islamist insurgency that started in Mali a decade ago has since spread to neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso. Some of the groups fighting have links to al-Qaeda and the ISIS terrorist groups.
An easyJet Airbus aircraft takes off from the southern runway at Gatwick Airport in Crawley, Britain, on Aug. 25, 2021. (Peter Nicholls/Reuters)

UK Holidaymakers Stranded Abroad Amid Severe Airline Staffing Shortage

Thousands of holidaymakers have found themselves stranded abroad after hundreds of return flights to the UK were cancelled.

Tourists returning from half-term breaks from Europe are stuck after major airlines cancelled flights over the weekend and on Monday morning.

Families hoping to return after the half-term school holiday and the four-day Platinum Jubilee weekend found that there were scrapped returns from popular tourist destinations such as Bilbao, Madrid and Seville in Spain, Milan and Palermo in Italy, Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, and Malta.

British Airways axed more than 100 short-haul flights at Heathrow on Monday and Tui Airways is cancelling six daily flights in Manchester. EasyJet flights at Gatwick were also cancelled on Monday. After cancelling dozens of flights over the weekend, easyJet scrapped a further 26 due to arrive at or depart from Gatwick on Monday.

Some 225 departures from UK airports were cancelled between Monday and Friday last week, according to aviation data firm Cirium, compared with 24 during the corresponding half-term week last year.

Airlines had also cancelled hundreds of flights on the eve of the bank holiday weekend because of staff shortages.

Travel consultancy The PC Agency estimated that at least 15,000 passengers were affected by last-minute changes to flights on Sunday.

PC Agency Chief Executive Paul Charles posted on Twitter on Sunday that there was little hope of getting back tonight and warned of major knock-on effects.

It will take three days to clear the backlog, he added.

The airline industry has seen a rise in demand for travel following COVID-19 lockdowns. But airlines and airports made thousands of staff redundant during the pandemic and are now struggling to recruit new workers amid a severe staffing shortage.

The governments COVID-19 travel restrictions were completely lifted on March 18.

Last week, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps blamed the chaos on travel firms, accusing them of having seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver despite government warnings.

On June 1, Shapps said that airline bosses should have been preparing for a surge in passenger demand following two years of travel closures.

Shapps told the BBC on Sunday that the aviation industry cut too many jobs during the pandemic and it must not oversell flights. He added that the government would not temporarily allow more foreign workers in.

This was in response to airlines calling on the government to issue special immigration visas to allow them to recruit overseas workers.

The answer cant always be to reach for the lever marked more immigration. There is not some pull that is going to relieve this, he said.

PA Media and Alexander Zhang contributed to this report.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons, in London, on May 18, 2022. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

UK PM Johnson to Face Confidence Vote on Monday

LONDONBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a confidence vote by lawmakers in the governing Conservative Party later on Monday, the chairman of the 1922 Committee Graham Brady has told lawmakers.

The threshold of 15 percent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded, he wrote in a note to Conservative lawmakers.

Brady said a vote would be held between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday.

The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised, Brady said.

Johnson, appointed prime minister in 2019, has been under growing pressure, unable to move on from a report that documented alcohol-fuelled parties at the heart of power when Britain was under strict lockdowns to tackle COVID-19.

Dozens of Conservative lawmakers have voiced concern over whether Johnson, 57, has lost his authority to govern Britain, which is facing the risk of recession, rising fuel and food prices, and strike-inflicted travel chaos in the capital London.

Jesse Norman, who served as a junior minister in the finance ministry between 2019 and 2021, was the latest Conservative lawmaker to publicly request a confidence vote, joining a growing number who have voiced concern about Johnsons electoral appeal.

Norman said he could no longer stand by Johnson. Recent events have served to clarify the position this country is in under your leadership, beyond any doubt; and I am afraid I can see no circumstances in which I could serve in a government led by you, Norman said in a letter he published on Twitter.

A majority of Conservative lawmakersor 180would have to vote against Johnson for him to be removeda level some Conservatives say might be difficult to reach. If passed, there would then be a leadership contest to decide his replacement.

Since the release of the damning report into the so-called partygate scandal, which listed fights and alcohol-induced vomiting at lockdown-breaking parties at his Downing Street office and residence, Johnson and his government had urged lawmakers to move on.

By Elizabeth Piper
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts as he meets with Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas inside 10 Downing Street on June 6, 2022. (Alberto Pezzali/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

UK Prime Minister Johnson Survives Confidence Vote to Hold Onto Premiership

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has survived a vote of confidence within the ruling Conservative Party, with 211 MPs backing him and 148 wanting him to step down.

If more than half the party MPs had voted against him, he would have been forced to step down as party leader, and thus to also step down as prime minister.

The prime minister was forced to face the vote of confidence after 54 Tory MPs submitted letters to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, which represents backbench MPs, saying they no longer had confidence in Johnson, 57.

That followed the May 25 publication of civil servant Sue Grays report into partygate and the remarks by the prime ministers ethics adviser Lord Geidt that Johnson may have breached the ministerial code by attending parties during the pandemic.

The vote in his favour means that Johnson is now immune for a year from any further such vote against him being triggered. However, many commentators from across the political spectrum say he may yet be forced out by other political forces.

Earlier Jacob Rees-Mogg, the minister for Brexit opportunities and a Johnson loyalist, said victory by even a single vote would be enough for the prime minister to remain in 10 Downing Street.

Activist Steven Bray stands next to a woman holding a placard mocking Boris Johnson as a pro-EU supporter protests near College Green in London on June 6, 2022. (Carl Court/Getty Images)

But former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is tipped as a possible future leader of the party, wrote on Twitter: Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Todays decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.

That led to a furious reaction from Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries who made a number of allegations about Hunt on Twitter and said his handling of the pandemic would have been a disaster.

Dorries, a former health minister, added: Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate. Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so.

She later claimed her remarks were not personal.

Another Cabinet member who made her allegiance crystal clear was Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who has also been tipped as a future leader of the party.

Truss wrote on Twitter: The Prime Minister has my 100% backing in todays vote and I strongly encourage colleagues to support him. He has delivered on covid recovery and supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. He has apologised for mistakes made. We must now focus on economic growth.

Partygate was not the only reason given by those who felt Johnson was taking the Conservatives in the wrong direction.

Jesse Norman, a backbench MP who has turned against Johnson, wrote in his letter of no-confidence, No genuinely Conservative government should have supported the recent ban on noisy protestleast of all when basic human freedoms are facing the threat of extinction in Ukraine.

Johnsons predecessor, Theresa May, survived a vote of confidence in December 2018. May, who was struggling to push her Brexit withdrawal agreement through Parliament, won a vote of confidence by 200 to 117, although six months later she announced her resignation.
Lagos, Nigeria Nigeria Bureau  THE steep rise in the price of fuel, attributed to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, is weighing heavily on Nigeria's airline operators.

This has dampened the significant growth of the sector over the past year following the easing of the coronavirus-related restrictions globally.

However, the latest national accounts released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show the continuous recovery of the air transport sector, with growth of 50,7 percent year-on-year (y/y) in the first quarter (Q1) of 2022.

This is compared to Q1 2021 when it contracted by 11,8 percent.

Air transport was the second fastest-growing segment in Q1 '22, following rail transport (grew by 124,5 percent y/y).

Coronation Merchant Bank noted following the United States ban on Russian oil imports, oil prices surged above $100 per barrel to hit their highest level since 2008.

Aviation fuel is a deregulated product and as such, its price is dependent on movements in global oil price and the foreign exchange rate among others.

Hence, aviation fuel has increased from N190/litre ($0,46) in 2021 to N700/litre in May 2022.

Coronation said the surge was placing pressure on operational costs.

Based on the bank's channel checks, aviation fuel accounted for 40 percent of operating cost in 2021 and has risen to 95 percent this year.

"This increase in operating cost has resulted in upticks in ticket fares across airline operators within the country and has also led to a significant decline in the frequency of domestic flights."

Based on data from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, the average airfare for select routes (one-way) increased by 52,4 percent y/y from N36 409 recorded in April 2021 to N55 501.

On a m/m basis, it rose by 18,6 percent from N46 810 recorded in March 2022 to N55 in April 2022.

Last month, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) announced a shutdown of operations within the industry due to the price surge in aviation fuel and other operating costs.

Discussions with government officials curtailed the shutdown.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has reportedly agreed to fix the price of the commodity to N480/litre.

- CAJ News
The British Army's M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) fires during Summer Shield 2022 military exercise in Adazi military base, Latvia, on May 27, 2022. (Ints Kalnins /Reuters)

UK to Send Ukraine Long-Range Rocket Systems to Counter Russian Artillery Attacks

The UK will supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems to help the country defend itself against Russian long-range artillery attacks, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has announced.

The cutting-edge M270 weapon system can strike targets up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) away with pinpoint accuracy and will offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The latest UK offer comes in response to requests from Ukrainian forces for longer-range precision weapons in order to defend themselves from Russian heavy artillery, which has been used to devastating effect in the eastern Donbas region, the MoD said.

In a statement, Wallace said: The UK stands with Ukraine in this fight and is taking a leading role in supplying its heroic troops with the vital weapons they need to defend their country from unprovoked invasion. If the international community continues its support, I believe Ukraine can win.

As Russias tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine. These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which [Russian President Vladimir] Putins forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK is offering the weapon systems so that the Ukrainian forces can effectively repel the continuing Russian onslaught.

We cannot stand by while Russian long-range artillery flattens cities and kills innocent civilians, he wrote on Twitter.

Following a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday morning, Johnson said: Its clear the Ukrainian people will not bow to Russian brutality. Were unwavering in our mission of ensuring Ukraine is defended and supported for the long-term.

The MoD said the decision to provide the launchers was closely coordinated with the U.S. government, which said it would supply High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to Ukraine.

When the United States announced it would be sending the missiles, Putin vowed to hit new targets.

If they are delivered, we will draw appropriate conclusions from this and use our weapons, which we have enough of, to strike at those objects that we have not yet hit, he said in an interview with state TV channel Russia-1, which was filmed on Friday.

Kyivs residents awoke on Sunday to the first Russian strikes on the capital since April 28, while Moscows forces have also maintained steady pressure via artillery and air strikes in the eastern Donbas region.

Meanwhile, the UK announced that a specialist legal and police team will be offered to assist the chief prosecutor investigating alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday unveiled a second package of support for the independent investigation, on top of the 1 million ($1.3 million) funding provided by the UK government earlier this year.

The offer will include a dedicated Metropolitan Police officer stationed in The Hague, providing the International Criminal Court and its prosecutor, Karim Khan, with swift access to further British police and military expertise.

PA Media contributed to this report.
UKs Johnson Faces No-Confidence Vote as Conservative Rebels Call for Leadership Change Over Partygate

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a vote of no-confidence on Monday evening after Conservative lawmakers called for a change in party leadership following revelations of breaches of COVID-19 rules in the heart of government during the pandemic.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, said on Monday morning, The threshold of 15 percent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.

He announced that a ballot will be held between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. UK time on Monday evening, and the votes will be counted immediately afterwards.

Conservative MP and Chairman of the 1922 Committee Graham Brady outside the Houses of Parliament on Oct. 20, 2020. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Brady said he had notified Johnson on Sunday, adding that the prime minister agreed with him that that vote should happen as soon as it could reasonably take place.

There has been a steady stream of Tory MPs calling publicly for Johnson to stand down in the wake of the publication of an official report on breaches of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus regulations inside the prime ministers official residence at Number 10 Downing Street.

The report, written by senior civil servant Sue Gray, said the senior leadership at the centre must bear responsibility for the breaches, which resulted in a total of 126 fines being issued to 83 people, including Johnson, his wife Carrie, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.

To oust the prime minister, the rebels will need 180 MPs to vote against Johnsons leadership. But Johnsons allies have made clear he is determined to fight to stay on.

Speaking shortly after Brady made his announcement, Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News that the prime minister will stand and fight his corner with a very, very strong case.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said: The PM has got the big calls rightsecuring life-saving vaccines, firing up our economy, and standing up to Putins aggression against Ukraine. We need to back him, unite, and focus on delivering the peoples priorities.

A Number 10 spokeswoman said: Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the peoples priorities.

The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when theyre united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.

PA Media contributed to this report.
A driver unloads raw crude oil from his tanker to process into gas at Marathon Refinery in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 24, 2022. (George Frey/Getty Images)

US Crude Oil Futures Hit Multi-Month Highs After Saudi Arabia Hikes Oil Price

After Saudi Arabia announced a rise in crude prices for July, crude oil futures in the United States hit their highest level in nearly three months.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures hit a three-month high of $120.99 per barrel on Monday, and were trading at $119.28 per barrel at 04:58 a.m. EDT. Meanwhile, Brent crude was trading at $120.04 barrel after hitting an intraday high of $121.95.

Saudi Arabias Aramco, the biggest oil exporter in the world, raised the July official selling price to Asian buyers for its flagship Arab light crude by $2.10 per barrel from its June price to a premium of $6.50 per barrel.

More than 60 percent of Saudi Arabias oil exports go to Asia, with China, India, Japan, and South Korea being its biggest buyers. The Saudi company also raised prices for customers in the Mediterranean and northwestern Europe. However, prices for its U.S. customers remained unchanged.

Aramcos move to raise prices came following a decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies to raise output in July and August by 648,000 barrels per day, which is 50 percent more than previously planned.

Though the output increase is spread across OPEC nations and allies, not all countries are in a position to raise production. This includes Russia, which is currently under Western sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine.

Citibank and Barclays are expecting Russian oil output and exports to decrease by around 1 to 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of this year.

With only a handful of  OPEC+ participants with spare capacity, we expect the increase in OPEC+ output to be about 160,000 barrels per day in July and 170,000 bpd in August, J.P. Morgan analysts said in a note, according to Reuters.

According to Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank, Aramcos price hike suggests a stronger oil demand outlook, specifically in Asia where COVID-19 lockdowns have been easing.

OPEC producers are struggling to raise output even though pandemic curbs have been relaxed and output ceiling has been raised, Varathan wrote in a Monday note, according to Business Insider. Except for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, there may be very little to increase supply adequately to tame oil prices.

Meanwhile, U.S. oil output has moved higher, according to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Output in March rose by over 3 percent to its highest level since November 2021.

Oil production in Texas increased to almost 5 million barrels per day, the highest since December. In New Mexico, output rose to around 1.5 million barrels per day, the highest level on record.
Jessica Stern, U.S. Special Envoy for LGBTQI+ Rights, speaks at the 2022 ILGA World Conference (The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association World Conference) in Long Beach, Calif., on May 2, 2022. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

US Special Envoy Travels to Europe to Promote LGBTQI+ Rights

The Biden administration is undermining traditional principles and values in America

Commentary

Actions matter far more than words in determining the Biden administrations priorities.

The administration is dealing with significant hotspots and thorny issues around the world: an ongoing war and refugee crisis in Eastern Europe resulting in 6.6 million Ukrainian refugees as of May 24; communist Chinese intimidation of Taiwan; Beijings gambit to control 10 Pacific Island countries; the pending nuclear giveaway to Iran (and the inevitable responses by the Israelis and Arab countries); the newly proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) aimed at countering the Chinese regimes influence in the region; continuing al-Shabab terrorism in Somalia with the deployment of U.S. special forces troops; a simmering India-China border fight; and the immigration debacle on the wide open U.S. southern border.

And dont forget trying to contain the leakages associated with the economic boycott of Russia, reevaluating Chinese tariff policy, and countering Russian and Chinese advancements in military and space capabilities, technologies, conventional and nuclear weapons, and force structure.

These seem like large problems that affect the health, welfare, and security of large populations around the world. They are analogous to the burning issues that existed in any past period of recorded human history.

Yet, with all these issues of great importance happening, there was this press release from the U.S. Department of State (DOS) on May 30, Memorial Day, while most Americans were otherwise distracted: U.S. Special Envoy Jessica Stern will travel to Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Sweden, May 31-June 8. During her visits, Special Envoy Stern will engage with local human rights defenders and civil society representatives regarding the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons globally, with a specific focus on LGBTQI+ refugees from Ukraine. (Q stands for queer while I stands for intersex if you havent been keeping up on the evolving acronym that stands for sexual dysphoria in all its forms.)

Really? The DOS is pushing what many Americans view as blatant immorality on our allies in Europe, with a special focus on LGBTQI+ refugees from Ukraine? And LGBTQI+ rights are somehow a priority for the suffering Ukrainian refugees whose most basic needs are food and shelter? Is this supposed to be an exhibition of world leadership of some kind on the part of the Biden administration? The communist Chinese, Russians, Iranians, and others are laughing themselves silly.

In June 2021, President Joe Biden announced the appointment of Stern as U.S. special envoy to advance the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons. Her appointment conveniently did not require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Sterns career has almost entirely been associated with left-wing and LGBTQ activism, as the official State.gov website notes her prior experience, including as a researcher at Human Rights Watch, a Ralph Bunche Fellow at Amnesty International, and a program director at the Center for Constitutional Rights at Human Rights Watch.

Members and supporters of the LGBTQI+ community attend the Say Gay Anyway rally in Miami Beach, Fla., on March 13, 2022. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

Special Envoy Sterns responsibility is to advance (promote) LGBTQI+ rights worldwide in accordance with Bidens Presidential Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Around the World.

That little-known memorandum contains these remarkable words (emphasis added): That memorandum, for the first time, directed executive departments and agencies (agencies) engaged abroad to ensure that United States diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons everywhere.

For the first time. Without public debate. Without a congressional vote. Unilaterally by executive decree. A fundamental change in the definition of U.S. values on which Biden himself did not openly campaign in 2020. Just more actions by the administrative state to undermine traditional culture and values by left-wing activists embedded in the federal bureaucracy.

Judeo-Christian values held by the majority of Americans include the concept of tolerance, which involves allowing the existence, occurrence, and/or practice of sinwithout condoning and certainly not promoting the sin, which goes against Gods word in Leviticus and Romans. Love the sinner, but hate the sin, as the adage goes. Americans are the most tolerant people on Earth. Still, the LGBTQI+ activists have pushed the federal government into the active promotion of sin around the worldsins against God and mankind in the biblical sensejust as Bidens memorandum directed.

So much for the concept of protecting our democracy when the result is a trashing of fundamental values and principles long-held by generations of Americans in order to appease a tiny minority of left-wing activists.

Onward to the brave new world! Though the DOS faces monumental challenges around the globe, you will be very happy to know that, according to the official State.gov website, Special Envoy Stern accepts all pronouns.

Heaven help us!

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith announced an investigation into what he described as a child sex abuse ring that operated in Utah, Juab, and Sanpete counties between 1990 and 2010, under which Utah County attorney David Leavitt and his wife Chelom Leavitt had been previously accused. Leavitt denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated, and said the accusations had been debunked over 10 years ago.

Meanwhile, an official study on the NIH National Library of Medicine website says that a condition is causing more deaths in people with COVID-19 vaccines than without. Its autopsy study found there was a significantly increased rate of generalized viral dissemination within organ systems in vaccinated cases versus nonvaccinated cases.

In this live Q&A with Crossroads host Joshua Philipp, well discuss these stories and others, and answer questions from the audience.

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Airmen and civilians from the 436th Aerial Port Squadron palletize ammunition, weapons and other equipment bound for Ukraine during a foreign military sales mission at Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware, on Jan. 21, 2022. (U.S. Air Force/Mauricio Campino/Handout via Reuters)

Washington Dismisses Javelin Missile Sales by Ukrainians as Dark Web Russian Disinformation

The Biden administration has dismissed reports of U.S. Javelin missiles that were sent to Ukraine being sold online to third parties, calling it Russian propaganda.

Reports of the sale first circulated on social media. One Twitter account posted a screenshot of a website on the dark web listing Javelin FGM-148 missiles for sale at $30,000 each. The missile is designed to be used against heavily armored vehicles such as main battle tanks and lighter-skinned military vehicles, and can also be used against bunkers and helicopters.

According to the AZ Osint tweet on June 2, the missile was sold by Ukrainians, suggesting that weapons have been diverted from official destinations. The U.S. State Department insists that such claims of weapons sales are false.

Given Russias active and well-known use of disinformation, in accordance with its well-worn playbook, the authenticity of such images cannot be taken at face value and should be viewed with skepticism, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News.

The Russian government is heavily invested in producing disinformation to distract the international community from the Kremlins unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine.

The department consistently monitors any report of alleged diversion of U.S.-origin defense equipment anywhere in the world and takes all such allegations seriously.

The spokesperson added that U.S. officials will work with Ukrainian counterparts to make sure all weapons and funds delivered by the United States are properly used and safeguarded.

A National Security Council spokesperson also refuted reports of Javelin sales on the dark web, stating that the sources cited dont appear credible. Moscow has a history of spreading disinformation about weapons proliferation from Ukraine, the spokesperson added.

The claim of Javelin sales on the dark web comes as the United States is sending another $700 million worth of military aid in its latest package to Ukraine. On June 1, the Defense Department detailed the weapons that will be sent as part of the package.

It includes 1,000 Javelin shoulder-launched weapons as well as several other items such as anti-armor weapons, artillery rounds, helicopters, command launch units, and tactical vehicles.

With the $700 million package, the Biden administration has spent $4.6 billion on Ukraine since the Russian military crossed its borders in late February. Since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, the United States has sent more than $7.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

Russia has strongly objected to U.S. military aid to Kyiv. By sending more weapons to Ukraine, Moscow believes the United States is purposefully and diligently adding fuel to the fire, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on June 1.

When asked by reporters about how Russia plans to respond to such American actions, Peskov insisted that its better they not talk about worst-case scenarios.
Threatening graffiti is seen on the exterior of Wisconsin Family Action offices in Madison, Wis., on May 8, 2022. (Alex Shur/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

Washington Faith-Based Pregnancy Center Vandalized

A faith-based pregnancy center just blocks from the U.S. Capitol was vandalized with red paint and eggs, and spray-painted with the words JANE SAYS and REVENGE, sometime between late Thursday night and Friday morning.

Washington Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded Friday morning to reports of damaged property at the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Centera faith-based non-profit organization offering free assistance to mostly financially-disadvantaged families who are dealing with crisis pregnancies.

The center offers free pregnancy testing, counseling, childbirth, and parenting classes but does not perform or refer for abortions, according to its website. We provide women and men with complete, medically-accurate information about abortion. We believe it is everyones right to have this information in order to make a fully informed decision, the site states.

Damage included red paint all over the front door, windows splattered with eggs, and graffiti on the walls.

My initial reaction was just sadness, Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center Executive Director Janet Durig told The Daily Caller. But, as the day went on we received an outpouring of support, and that sadness turned to strength because I knew there were people in the community who supported us, she said.

This type of intimidation is beneath us as a nation, Durig told the outlet.

According to Durig, the MPD did a phenomenal job and sent a team to clean up after evidence was collected.

Emotions are running high after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling guaranteeing the right to abortion across the United States.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said in a Twitter post, Why would anyone attack a crisis pregnancy center trying to help moms?

The spray-painted name JANE could refer to Jane Roe, the fictional name used in the Texas lawsuit that eventually led to the Supreme Court decision.

The graffiti could be connected to a radical pro-abortion group of activists known as Janes Revenge, which has picketed the homes of Supreme Court justices following the draft leak.

The activists firebombed a pro-life organization in Madison, Wisconsin, leaving behind a note stating, If abortions arent safe, then you arent either. Symbols commonly used by the far-left organization Antifa were also found at the scene.

Although the clinic had security cameras covering the premises, the devices were reportedly not working.

The investigation into the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center vandalism is ongoing.

The faith-based center provides intervention and abortion alternatives for women, and encourages lifestyles that reflect godly values, especially with regard to sexual behavior, according to its website.

The Catholic News Agency reported that buildings connected to pro-life organizations and Catholic churches have been targeted for arson and graffiti attacks since the Supreme Court leak.

Next Step Pregnancy Center in Lynnwood, Washington was vandalized in the early hours of May 25. Five front windows were smashed, and footage shared by a local radio host shows a lone person dressed in black, spray-painting the slogans Janes revenge and If abortions arent safe, you arent either.

Twitter account AntifaWatch, which documents incidents related to the far-left, said in a post with related images: A pregnancy center in Reisterstown Maryland was vandalized with pro-abortion graffiti and threats. The graffiti was signed with Janes Revenge, the group that took credit for the firebombing attack on a pro-life group office in Madison Wisconsin.
Would You Call the FBI?

Commentary

Say, for example, you suspect someone youve met or possibly overheard, either as a co-worker or in some other manner, of working for Iranian intelligence, would you call the FBI? (Iranian intelligence, as you no doubt know, has a history of involvement in terror attacks and assassinations.)

In the old days, not so long ago, this would have been an automatic yes. But now?

Ask yourself: Suppose you were or are some kind of conservative or libertarian or even (gasp) unvaccinated person, how would you feel about making that call to our national government?

Would you feel in jeopardy? Would you feel in danger, that things might suddenly be turned around on you? If a public figure such as Peter Navarro can be treated like a common criminal, virtually perp-walked by the FBI at the airport into a cell utilized by would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley, when Navarro lived next door to agency headquarters, what could happen to anonymous you?

Well, we know. Look no further than those still incarcerated in the Gestapo-like Jan. 6 sweep. Before that happened, nobody knew their names. Now maybe we know a few from news reports in places such as The Gateway Pundit. But if we decide to donate money to their suffering families or for their defense, we also knowunless were extraordinarily naivethat records will be kept and that our activities will be recorded by our government. Our names will be on a list, if they arent already. Theyll be tracking us, again if they arent already. Remember, they knew exactly when Navarro would be at Reagan Airport, trying to get to Nashville. Did he send them an itinerary?

I repeat: Would you call the FBI?

Of course, there are alternatives. You could make that call to the local constabulary. But if you lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where Chesa Boudin and George Gascon are district attorneys, at least for now, you might want to think twice. New York isnt much better.

Most of our major cities have far-left district attorneys, thanks to George Soros and Co. These district attorneys probably think the ayatollahs are right or are Third World leaders who should be respected. After all, many of these people or their parents supported the Weather Underground and Angela Davis back in the dayand in some cases, even worked with them.

Still, you would likely make the call anyway because youre a patriot. But youll know, as you make it, that many of the people on the other end arent, certainly not in the way you understand the term.

Nevertheless, the local option is probably better, because with a certain amount of planning and research or just by stumbling upon him or her, you might reach someone who actually cares. A local cop is bound to be closer to the people than todays FBI, which seems to function as a paramilitary arm of the Democratic Party (cf., the dawn arrest of Roger Stone with CNN miraculously in tow).

And dont expect help from the media, with rare exceptions. As Elon Musk just pointed out, they show no interest in discovering who Jeffrey Epstein actually entertained on his island, despite that being, or rather because of it being, front-page newsnor has, interestingly, the Department of Justice (DOJ). Why would they heed a warning from Joe or Jill Conservative, even in a national emergency?

On American Greatness, Roger Kimball gives us a litany of what has become of justice in America and he names names that we recognizeStrzok, Page, Comey, and so forth. Theyre, mostly, gone, enjoying their golden parachutes or cushy private-sector jobs (James Baker went straight to Twitter). But the current leadershipthe FBIs Christopher Wray and the DOJs Merrick Garlandare no better and probably worse because, under the Biden administration, theyre able to operate with impunity. Indeed, theyre encouraged to do so.

Kimball, with his usual perspicacity, sees this allincluding the appalling Sussmann jury nullificationas the work of a company town. I would add that the town is looking more and more like Berlin 1936 or Moscow even earlier.

Does this sound unduly negative? Unfortunately, I dont think so. Correcting this is going to be a monumental job that will take years. Electing a Republican Congress in 2022 and a Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis in 2024 will only begin the task.

It was easy to see during Trumps presidency, despite whatever efforts he made, just how deep the Deep State was. Theyve ruled our country for decades, and theyre not about to give up, if present behavior is any indication.

So I have this suggestion. As many readers recall, during the Ronald ReaganMikhail Gorbachev summit discussions that began the breakupfor a while anywayof the Soviet Union, Reagan told us to trust, but verify. He was right, because Gorbachev did, to some extent anyway, want to change and improve his country. Considering where he came from, he was a good man.

This isnt true of our domestic adversaries, most of whom wish to destroy our extraordinary Madisonian democratic republic forever in favor of some globalist reconstitution of communism, even when they pretend otherwise.

So I say, dont trustalas we cant, much as I wish we couldbut do verify. And verify, verify, verify. And when youve finished that, verify some more.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
press release

Nairobi  Investigate Violations; Stop Repressing the Opposition

Ugandan security forces raided the offices of an opposition political party on the eve of the May 26, 2022, by-election in Omoro County in Northern Uganda, Human Rights Watch said today. The security forces beat party supporters and arbitrarily detained at least 13 opposition supporters that night, and on election day.

The Omoro parliamentary by-election was to fill the seat previously held by Jacob Oulanyah, the parliament speaker, following his death on March 22. The Electoral Commission declared Oulanyah's son, Andrew Ojok, of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the winner with 83.3 percent of the vote.

"The abuses in Omoro reflect the same pattern of abuse against the opposition, as during all of Uganda's recent elections, for which no one has been prosecuted," said Oryem Nyeko, Uganda researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities need to take urgent measures to end these persistent and repressive abuses and ensure accountability."

The authorities should ensure prompt, effective investigations into the myriad violations that characterized the by-election, and hold those found culpable for violations to account.

Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that at around 8:30 p.m. on May 25, about 17 armed soldiers stormed the offices of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party in Opit, a town center 10 kilometers from the Omoro district headquarters in Lalogi sub-county, where about 50 party officials had gathered ahead of voting the next day. The soldiers assaulted party officials, beat them, stole money, and confiscated documents.

Rose Nyapolo, an FDC official, said the soldiers hit her in her left eye, temporarily blinding her, and took 150,000 Uganda shillings ($US40) from her bag. "The soldiers didn't want anybody to be in the office," Nyapolo said. "They threatened to kill the one person who had remained in the office. We all scattered."

At least two FDC officials were arrested during the raid. The officers detained Austin Lubangakene, the FDC general secretary, transferred him briefly to Opit police post, and then drove him 40km to Gulu in a minibus, infamously known in Uganda as a "Drone." Inside the "Drone," the officers punched and kicked Lubangakene in the ribs, forced him to lie on his stomach, and placed tires on his head, back, and legs to keep him pinned to the vehicle floor.

Lubangakene told Human Rights Watch that the soldiers would drive at a high speed for several kilometers then stop abruptly and question him. They repeated this several times and said to him, "Do you people think you are still going to win [the by-election]? What if right now we tell you to vote for [NRM candidate Andrew] Ojok?"

At around 11p.m., about 30 meters from the FDC office in Opit, armed men detained a Chua West opposition legislator, Okin Ojara, and his driver, Dan Okot, at a roadblock at Opit centre and held them briefly at the Opit police post, then took them in a "Drone" to Gulu central police station. Ojara told Human Rights Watch that he was detained after he and his driver arrived at the FDC offices in response to distress calls about the raid.

At around the same time, about 20 police and military officers detained another FDC opposition leader, Stephen Okumu, at a roadblock in Lakwana sub-county, as he was riding a motorcycle to his home. The officers held Okumu overnight, at the Opit police post, and released him at around 5 p.m. the next day without charge. Okumu told Human Rights Watch that some of the officers told him they had been instructed to detain him but did not say why.

On May 26, the police spokesperson told the media the detentions aimed to forestall attempts at sabotaging the voting in Omoro that day.

Police detained more people on election day morning. At around 9 a.m., police and armed masked security forces in civilian clothes detained David Kalwanga Lukyamuzi, a parliament member with the main opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP); Peter Maiso, a party official; Badru Simbwa, Lukyamuzi's personal assistant; Fahad Wezinda, Lukyamuzi's driver; and a local guide only identified as Odongkara, as they drove away from a polling place in Orapwoyo village where they had gone to observe the voting.

The officers held them at Lalogi police station, where they beat Maiso, who had pleaded with the officers not to torture them, and assaulted Lukyamuzi. "They were squeezing me, like they wanted to break my hands and legs. Even now - I am not feeling well," Lukyamuzi said.

The officers drove Lukyamuzi in a "Drone" to the Gulu central police station, while the others remained detained in Lalogi. The five were charged with "inciting violence" and then released on bond around 7 p.m. David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP secretary general, told Human Rights Watch that at least 60 of their election observers were detained during the voting.

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In what is now a common pattern around elections, the Ugandan authorities deploy security forces to restrict the political opposition. In the weeks leading up to the 2021 general elections, the police and military targeted opposition party leaders and their supporters, journalists, protesters, and activists, beating and arbitrarily detaining them, in many instances without trial. Although Ugandan security forces have for years been implicated in serious human rights violations, the authorities have rarely investigated the abuses.

"The Ugandan authorities should immediately end all forms of harassment and intimidation of opposition supporters, members, and leaders, including releasing those detained, and dropping all bogus charges," Nyeko said. "Instead, the authorities should respect and protect basic rights, at all times, and ensure respect for the rule of law."
Photo: Friday evening on Canal Street, or as some might refer to this area, Dimes Square.

Some of the stories that caught our eye in the past week:

City Council member Carlina Rivera joins the crowded field competing in the newly configured 10th Congressional District. [The City]

Another candidate, State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou, sees opportunity in the 10th Congressional District, which includes both Manhattans Chinatown and Sunset Park. [Politico]

Vandals smashed statues at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. [CBS New York]

What is Dimes Square?: a modest, somewhat shabby concrete triangle at Canal and Division in Chinatown. You might not know that though if you read some of the breathless writing about the characters that populate this new micro-neighborhood. Reporter Esther Wang interviews owners of Chinese-run businesses in the area, who have never heard of Dimes Square, but theyve sure noticed whats happening in the gentrified neighborhood. [Hell Gate]

Another look at the grass roots groups making sure Asian seniors have the food they need during the pandemic and beyond: What began as a way for young people to serve the communities close to their hearts has transformed Chinatown into a hub for true mutual aid. [BonAppetit]

On Tuesday evening the NYC Department of Transportation and the Chinatown BID will present at a Community Board 3 meeting a plan to close Doyers Street, turning it into a permanent pedestrian plaza. [Facebook]

Other topics coming up at Community Board 3: a discussion of the citys Open Streets Program and a proposal to renovate the Rivington Street playground in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. [CB3]

Omakase bars are nororiously expensive but there are a few, including Gouie and Matsunori on the Lower East Side, where you can enjoy really good sushi for under $100. [Bloomberg]

A William Klein retrospective opens at the International Center of Photography. [The New York Times]
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

New York Citys joyful return to in-person events this summer includes the return of Rooftop Films Summer Series to the rooftop venue at New Design High School. The outdoor festival has grown over the years to include numerous venues city-wide, featuring site-specific programs of new independent films from May to August. Tickets are free with an RSVP (seating is first come, first served) and most of the screenings include live music, immersive performances, filmmaker Q&As, and fun after-parties.

The lineup at New Design High School brings four different features to the rooftop in June and July, including a special sneak preview screening of Dean Fleischer-Camps Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, on Wednesday, June 22 at 8:00pm.

Fans of the original short film, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, a googly-one-eyed shell who talks and walks, have been waiting for over a decade for a feature film version. It was an internet sensation before the social media era, and is voiced by Jenny Slate, who will introduce the film.

For details on the local screenings and more info visit Rooftop Films here.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke.

In the history of mankind facts have been repeatedly documented without any contradiction from century to century and country to country that there has never been peace in any institution or union where there is no equity and justice. Events have equally continued to emphasise that no amount of force or brutality has ever defeated or silenced truth permanently.

In a nutshell, let us retrospectively remember Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro. He was an Ijaw man, in todays Bayelsa State. He was the minority rights activist who led a protest against oil and gas exploitation in Niger Delta, and later declared Niger Delta Republic in February 1966. He was consequently arrested, charged for treason and imprisoned, but was smartly released shortly before the Nigeria Biafra war began. Because of the way he and his disciples had been suppressed and crushed to submission, numerous years after, many perhaps thought that that idea of protesting against oil exploitation and environmental neglect in Niger Delta died on that day Boro was pardoned and released from prison to join the Nigerian Army, but Ken Saro-Wiwa sprang up and proved such a permutation wrong. Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa. He was the environmental activist who was  amongst other eight Ogoni people  executed by hanging under the brutal military rule of Gen. Sani Abacha. Why? Saro-Wiwa was a very strong recognized voice internationally against oil exploitation, environmental damages and pollution in Ogoni land by Shell. He was equally very vocal against the military dictatorship of Abacha. In 1994 he was accused of murdering four prominent Ogoni Chiefs and was arrested. Many people  locally and internationally  showed their solidarity while he was in detention as they saw the charges against him as trumped-up charges. His trial was by special military tribunal, and he was found guilty and was executed by hanging on 10.11.1995.

More than 50 years after the Nigeria Biafra war under Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Col. Odimegwu Ojukwu ended, Nnamdi Kanu is today facing charges of treason for still wanting to have the same Biafra. Therefore, the reality is that brutality and force cannot conquer truth and suppress justice forever. If it had been so, Saro-Wiwa would not have tried what led to his execution knowing what had befallen Boro, neither would Kanu have tried to reawaken the conscience of the people and re-enact the spirit of Biafra knowing the consequences and what Ojukwu faced, or Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho would not have declared Oduduwa Republic knowing that it was a felony offence. Subsequently, the statistical consequences are that if we make the same mistakes made in the past by not justly dealing with those contentious issues which led to the second protest against oil and gas exploitation and environmental pollution in Ogoni land by Saro-Wiwa  almost 30 years after Boros protest and declaration of Niger Delta Republic  and the resolute by Nnamdi Kanu to have Biafra after the first declaration by Ojukwu 65 years ago, we are likely to live and witness another Saro-Wiwa and perhaps many more Kanus and Igbohos in the future.

Conflicts are inexorable by human nature, but what makes the end results to vary from individual to individual and from nation to nation in attaining reconciliations are the courage and the sincerity exhibited against all odds while engaging in genuine discussions. In pursuant to peace and solutions to disputes, wisdom and maturity must be paramount and sacrifices where the spirit of give and take is absolute are inevitable. Historical records around the globe unambiguously show that amicable settlements have never been achieved anywhere through guns and bombs, but rather via negotiations and resolutions from roundtable discussions. Truth and justice forcefully overpowered through the barrel of a gun or the instrumental power of an authority is only temporal, because it is like a seed thrown into a bush and forgotten, but must surely one day germinate and grow to produce even more seeds that will challenge the status quo.

The youths in the eastern part of Nigeria have been provoked by what they perceived as injustice against them, and they are angry. While I appeal to them to please stop the killings, drop their arms and shed their swords for whatever problem it is killings and destruction of properties can never be the solution as it takes the whole problem from bad to worse, I equally beg the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Buhari to please take them as his children and treat them as such by calming them down and appealing to them to drop their arms and sincerely address whatever grievances they have with wisdom and love. We have not forgotten how the late former president, Umaru Musa YarAdua handled the problem of the Niger Delta militants. He did not use force or military approach and he was very successful.

According to Hon. Chinedu Ogah (OON), a member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, there is unfortunately a disheartening and a very serious allegation of injustice, discrimination and hatred currently ongoing against the Igbo people in Nigeria. He said the South East has been deliberately excluded from the Scholarship Program of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, (PTDF) on the flimsy excuses of insecurity in Igbo land. The South East is not more prone to security threat than other zones in the country as others are being accommodated in the scholarship of PTDF. It is an act of hatred and negligence of the zone, said Hon. Ogah in protest. Things like this cause animosity and ignite protest.

We have also not forgotten that it was still this administration of APC under President Buhari that $22.7b were borrowed for projects that were meant to be situated in every state in Nigeria, but provokingly Edo State and all the entire Igbo States were strategically excluded from the project. Appointments to important, sensitive and strategic positions have continued to be one sided. Can we stop Biafra and Ododuwa agitations like this?

In my personal view, it has no commercial value that Nigeria borrowed money and has started building railways somewhere from the north to Niger Republic when the states in Nigeria have not been interconnected with railways and are actually begging for such. That money wasted on that project could have been better and maximally utilized in making sure that the federal roads in the 36 states of the federation are no longer death traps and facelifted. It was a waste of scarce resources and a misplaced priority that made people to raise eyebrows. Oduduwa and Biafra agitations will indeed be defeated permanently if the money we have spent and perhaps are still spending to search for oil in a desert in the north could be channeled into dredging the River Niger in Onitsha, and the Escravos River in Warri to international seaports, upgrading the Port-Harcourt seaport to international standard and doing the needful that will ease the gridlock in the Apapa Wharf in Lagos etc. Searching for oil anywhere in Nigeria is not a bad idea. But the timing to embark and to prioritize such a project in the midst of all our immediate wants and under the state of the nation that is full of skepticism, mistrust, fears and the allegations of secret agendas seems to wrongly give credence to accusations that fuels agitations.

One important area that should be seriously considered in our quest to permanently kill Biafra and Oduduwa Republics agitations is that all the state governments in Nigeria that see alcohol as a poison and a commodity that should not be consumed, and are actually destroying helpless Nigerians warehouses, shops, goods and properties in search of alcohol should henceforth be stopped by the Federal Government from receiving revenue monies accruing from the same alcohol sold from other states. Nigeria constitution never prohibited the selling of alcohol in any part of Nigeria, but since the government officials do not have the political will to implement that very law, they should at least stop sharing these revenue monies to such states every month in the name of Federal Allocation. It is hypocritical and not fair.

Above all, to kill all the agitations, we are obliged to insert the history of the Nigeria civil war into our school curriculum. Why do we even have history in our schools as a subject but refused to include the Nigeria Biafra war? Is there anything there to hide? But the colonial era is included as a part in our secondary school government subject, which is good. So, are we not doing ourselves a very great disservice by denying our children the rights to know correctly what led to the war, what happened during the war and how the war ended just to deter them from making the same mistakes? No wonder many of our youths today still beat the drums of war because they do not know the consequences of it and that war is not like a riot they witness where police shoot on air and use batons to disperse the crowd because for whatever irrational reason, we failed to guide them properly. We cannot continue to do the same thing every time and expect different results.

Nigeria is a country where events have shown that our leaders are always subjective in their thinking. If not: how can one explain that we rejected the national anthem given to us by the colonial masters before they left in 1960 on the ground that it was not from us, but we are proudly and boldly still holding on to the name Nigeria which the same usurpers, the colonists equally gave us before they left? Ridiculous and absolute absurd! How can one explain the rational? Name is very important in ones life because it is that persons identity. While it is true that we are supposed to do away with both identities, but if we are to speak in comparison: which of the two is even more important? Other smaller African countries have changed the names colonists gave to them except the so-acclaimed giant of Africa and the most populous black nation on the surface of the planet. So, as we try to kill Biafra and Oduduwa Republics we should also not forget to kill the colonial identity and the mentality of teaching our children the role and the history of Queen Elizabeth of England but refused to teach them the civil war that took the lives of more than 4 or 5 million people.

Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen and a refined African traditionalist, writes from Vienna, Austria

[email protected]

+436607369050 (WhatsApp messages only)


Darasamut Underpass to close for 10 days

PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Highways Department has announced that the Darasamut Underpass will be closed to traffic for 24 hours a day from tomorrow (June 7) through to June 17.



By The Phuket News

Monday 6 June 2022, 06:16PM

The notice shared earlier today (June 6). Image: Phuket Highways Office

The notice, shared today (June 6) by the Phuket Info Center, operated by the Phuket branch of the Ministry of Interior, gave no explanation for the closure other than to make improvements **.

The notice did not specify whether one traffic direction will be closed at a time will staff carry out their work. At this stage it is presumed that traffic flow in both directions through the tunnel will be closed.

The notice also did not specificy whether the closure will be in effect from midnight tonight (June 6).

The Phuket Highways Office apologised for any inconvenience caused by the closure.

** Once the work began it was confirmed the closure was to allow road resurfacing through the tunnel (see here)
press release

Brazzaville  A growing number of African countries are fighting back against the unethical marketing of breast-milk substitutes by tightening laws to protect the health of mothers and children from misleading marketing practices, the 2022 report on the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes finds.

Over the past two years, six African countries have adopted or reinforced measures against inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes. This brings to 34 the number of countries in the region that have adopted legal measures to implement at least some of the provisions of the Code. The Code, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981, plays a pivotal role in global efforts to help mothers make the best possible decisions about infant feeding based on impartial information and free of commercial influences, and to be fully supported in doing so. The International Baby Food Action Network, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), continuously monitor its implementation and publish biennial reports.

"Marketers have been trying for decades to divert mothers from their own power to nourish their babies," said Dr Adelheid Onyango, Director, Universal Health Coverage/Healthier Populations, WHO Regional Office for Africa. "The tactics have become more insidious as communication channels expand. It's reassuring to see that more African governments are taking the threat seriously and erecting barriers to these misleading marketing techniques."

Three countries in the African region that previously had no legislation related to the Code--Mauritania, Sao Tome & Principe and Sierra Leone--have now passed new measures. Ethiopia has enacted a strong new directive to replace older legislation that covered only a few provisions of the code. A new decree in Cote d'Ivoire and regulations in Kenya have clarified several issues in existing legislation to make additional provisions enforceable.

According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic created new opportunities for manufacturers of breast-milk substitutes in some countries to promote their brands and products. Among the marketing tactics cited in the report was the distribution of free supplies of commercial formula milk in communities experiencing lockdowns, online content positioning the manufacturer as an expert on protection against COVID-19 in babies and claims that formula provides immunity against COVID-19.

Marketers also released videos advising against breastfeeding for women infected with COVID-19, despite WHO and UNICEF guidelines for national governments as well as communications reassuring mothers of the safety of breastfeeding with COVID-19. Marketing of breast-milk substitutes diminishes the perceived value of breastfeeding and undermines women's confidence in their ability to breastfeed. It plays on expectations and anxieties around nourishing babies and positions formula milk as a better alternative to breast milk.

The report also points out significant gaps in national legislation. Provisions to prevent conflicts of interest are lacking. Of the 34 countries with Code laws, only six have legal restrictions on industry sponsorship of meetings of health professionals or scientific groups. Overall, only 12 countries have measures clearly covering the full breadth of breast-milk substitutes, which includes milk products targeted for use up to at least 36 months. Only six countries prohibit the inclusion of nutrition and health claims on labels.

Political will at the highest levels is needed, the report says, as are constraints on industry lobbying, better accountability, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms and education on the Code. During the 22-28 May 2022 World Health Assembly, countries requested WHO to provide guidance on how to control the inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes through digital channels. The World Health Assembly has continuously reinforced the Code to address ever-changing tactics that baby food manufacturers adopt to promote and market new products through traditional and new media.

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In the African region, WHO is supporting baby-friendly hospital initiatives through which mothers are helped to initiate breastfeeding soon after delivery, which provide psychological, nutritional and immunization benefits. Over the past two years, 11 countries have received guidance on the institutionalization of baby-friendly hospital initiatives.

The report calls for greater investment in human and financial resources to accelerate progress in protecting the health of mothers and babies through breastfeeding.
Iran spy puts cops on alert

BANGKOK: The Royal Thai Police (RTP) has issued a secret order to police nationwide to keep an eye out for spies from Iran believed to be in the region after one was arrested in Indonesia, prompting security fears, a police source said.

police

By Bangkok Post

Monday 6 June 2022, 09:26AM

National police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk is said to have issued an order to all main units to be on alert and gather intelligence about the movements of secret agents. Photo: Royal Thai Police

The source told the Bangkok Post that security agencies are closely monitoring the movement of Iranian nationals and some Thai Muslims who are suspected to be working as spies in Thailand.

National police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk is said to have issued an order to the RTPs Special Branch, the Central Investigation Bureau, the Metropolitan Police Bureau and all nine Provincial Police Regions to be on alert and gather intelligence about the movements of secret agents.

The order cited an incident on May 24, last year when Indonesian authorities were tipped off that a man named Ghassem Saberi Gilchalan arrived in the country carrying a Bulgarian passport which was later found to be fake, the source said.

On May 27, last year, the man was arrested by Indonesian authorities at SoekarnoHatta International Airport just before departing for Qatar.

The man allegedly told police that he had used a fake passport to enter the country. Indonesian police found that he entered the country more than 10 times using false papers and a court sentenced him to two years in jail for the offences.

Indonesian police also found that the man had 11 mobile phones, one tablet computer, a number of SIM cards and cash worth more than B320,000, the source added.

A check on his mobile phones found the names of some Thai Muslims, the source said, adding that Indonesian authorities believe Gilchalan is a spy from Iran.

After further interrogation, Gilchalan told police that he had been given several assignments by a former Iranian diplomat in Malaysia to act as a spy both there and in Indonesia several times.

The latest attempt involved lobbying Indonesian authorities to release the Iranian-flagged MT Horse oil tanker apprehended in the countrys waters in January last year.

The man also set up a company as a front in Bali which was used as a safe house for his covert operations, the source said.

The exposure of Gilchalan has caused a stir among several countries which are worrying about Irans secret operations and spies, which are perceived to be a national security threat by each country.

Such operations may also be taking place in Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, the source said.

Gilchalan and the former diplomat had visited Thailand several times, and also met prominent Shiite Thai Muslims who have close ties with Iran.

In light of this, it is possible that spies from Iran may also be engaging in secret operations in Thailand using fake passports and some Thais are also suspected of working as spies with financial aid or other kinds of support, the source said.

There have been concerns over Thailands hosting of the Apec Summit [in November] which will be attended by world leaders. Security arrangements will be given top priority.

We cant afford to let any unrest or violence happen, the source said, adding authorities wanted to avoid a repeat of the Sukhumvit 71 explosion of Feb 2012.

On that occasion three Iranian men were arrested and jailed in connection with a bomb believed to have gone off prematurely at a rented house in the area.

In November 2020, two of the Iranian prisoners, Masoud Sedaghatzadeh and Saeid Moradi, were sent home to serve out their sentences under a bilateral agreement while the third, Mohammad Khazaei was granted a royal pardon in August of that year.
Police move for arrests over Russian womans death

PHUKET: Officers investigating the death of 35-year-old Russian national Evgeniia Smirnova, who fell eight stories from a Patong condo last Tuesday (May 31), are expected to apply to Phuket Provincial Court for an arrest warrant tomorrow (June 7).

deathcrimeRussiantourismpolicepatong

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 6 June 2022, 06:53PM

Image: Royal Thai Police

Royal Thai Police Deputy Spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen announced the news in a release issued earlier today (June 6), assuring that police had not been complicit in their investigation of Ms Smirnovas death.

The warrant will request the arrests of the three people who were staying with Ms Smirnova at the condo at the time of her death, Col Krissana said.

The notice named the three as Russian national Natalia Kosenkova, 35, US citizen Jamaal Antwaun Smith, 38, and Jordanian national Ahmad Radi Mustafa Alatoom, 28.

The three were taken into custody on a minor drugs possession charge on May 31, just hours after Ms Smirnovas body was found on the ground behind The Emerald Terrace condo project on Phra Barami Rd in Patong.

Jordanian national Alatoom was taken into custody at Phuket airport while he was waiting to board a flight out of Thailand, police confirmed earlier.

The warrant is in order for police to press charges against all three, Col Krissana said in his release today.

Forensic investigators and an autopsy of Ms Smirnovas body were important factors in the investigation, he said.

Regardless, Col Krissana noted that investigating officers have not ruled out any issues of the case.
WOOD RIVER  While the COVID-19 community level for Madison County remains at medium, the Madison County Health Department is making changes to its COVID data reporting to better reflect a growing number of cases.

After being listed as low for several months, the community level for Madison County changed to medium on May 19. MCHD Director Toni Corona said said the change was reflective of many counties in Illinois and the United States.

Madison County has been at the yellow level (medium) for the last couple of weeks, and that means that our cases are indeed rising, Corona said. Fortunately, its not overburdening or taxing the healthcare system to any significant degree of concern.

On June 1, the MCHD is stopped updating its COVID-19 dashboard which, among things, listed the number of confirmed new cases by day and week.

It was time to do that because there are reports that suggest the actual case rate may be five to 10 times higher, Corona said. The reality is that COVID test kits have become much more widely available, and those cases are unreported in the data that we were using.

Its not a fair number to give to the public," she said. "It makes sense that we stick with the indicators that the state and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have selected. The community transmission indicator is still the best gauge for the public to utilize when theyre assessing what they should be doing.

She noted that, for the six-day period of June 1-6, Madison County reported 578 new cases of COVID. No deaths were reported, leaving the number of COVID-related deaths in the county at 794 since the start of the pandemic and 143 since Jan. 1.

If you look at the CDC COVID tracker, youll see that in northern Illinois there are multiple counties now with a community level of high, which means they are starting to see an increase in hospitalizations, Corona said. If we follow those trends, its possible that (Madison County) could be at that level again in a couple of weeks.

Its not to scare people or to cause alarm," she said. "It's to make sure that people understand their situation and have awareness of it, and to make sure they take precautions and preventative measures that they feel they need to reduce the risk of severe illness.

The increase in COVID community level serves as a reminder that people with a high risk of severe illness, as well as those around me, need to remain vigilant.

Those are the folks that really need to pay attention to that, Corona said. They should make the choice of wearing masks if they are going out in public.

You certainly need to stay up to date on your vaccines and getting a second booster shot if youre eligible," she said. "Also, please get tested if youve had symptoms of COVID or if youve had a known exposure.

Corona said both St. Louis County and St. Louis City currently have a community level of "high;" recommended actions include wearing a mask indoors and on public transportation. She said several employers again are requiring employees to wear masks indoors while working.

St. Louis City and St. County County and the Metro East are too interchangeable not to pay attention to that, Corona said.

There are four counties within our Illinois region (Madison, St. Clair, Bond and Clinton) with a community level of medium," she said. "St. Louis City and St. Louis County, like those counties in northern Illinois, are starting to see an increase in hospitalizations.

In Madison County, we will respond to the situation in whatever way we need to respond to make sure the community is aware of what is happening," she said. "At this point, its important for people to decide on their own what precautions and preventive measures they should take.

Corona remains upbeat for the most part, despite the increase in the number of COVID cases.

Were in a different place in this pandemic now than we were two years ago or even a year ago, Corona said. We have vaccines in place and there are many options to treat COVID, such as monoclonal antibodies and antivirals, and some cases pre-exposure.

There are meds that folks can take, so this is an appropriate time for people to gauge what their comfort level is as far as what they do when theyre out in the community," she said. "Thats not to lose sight that COVID is still very much in the community and this (Omicron) variant is pretty contagious. Fortunately, with most vaccinated people, the risk of severe illness seems to be on a decline.
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ALTON  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 associates 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.
Another mass shooting and people still struggle to explain why such a thing keeps occurring with greater frequency and with higher body counts. Theories abound regarding why this phenomenon is nearly uniquely American.

Ultimately we must blame ourselves for that rotten part of our culture that breeds mass shooters. Although American culture is laudable in so many ways, our over two hundred-year-old history is filled with apologists of hate. And hate fuels the hearts of mass shooters.

Our history of hate teaches us: the KKK used lynching with impunity, suffragists were beaten and tossed in asylums, pro-birthers bombed clinics, union busters broke workers heads, blacks were burned out in Tulsa, and Asians were incarcerated because of race.

The Second Amendment was enacted to create local militia to combat slave rebellions. The law itself was borne from hate and its legislative spawn continues to kill innocent people today.

Consider the hate sowed against immigrants during the last ten years and the retched rise of the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and similar groups, all pictured brandishing automatic weapons. And yet, Senate Republicans just defeated a bill to address domestic terrorism.

Hate and a love affair with guns breeds Republican voters, and Republican lawmakers are not going to risk that breeding ground. They calculate that it is better to sacrifice the lives of innocent children, than to take one assault rifle out of the bloodied hands of the next mass shooter.

Despite their false reliance on the Second Amendment, there is no Constitutional Right to own an automatic weapon, large capacity magazines or bump stocks. There is no violation of basic human dignity or freedom by requiring waiting times, universal background checks or passing red flag laws that seek to remove arsenals from those who are decidedly dangerous.

The NRAs A rating is not a grade of patriotism, but of partisanship, declaring to the electorate that an elected official has sold his or her allegiance to guns over their allegiance to citizens right to life. Its not a pride tag. Its a price tag.

Meanwhile, consider the lone, mass shooter. Typically a young, white man who is aggrieved by circumstance or the hate culture. Although he may be anti-social, he isnt insane. What he is, is filled with hate and the desire to create his own twisted Rambo moment. And his hate and rage is such that he isnt repulsed by his AR-15's systematic destruction of flesh and bones, and the explosion of childhood faces under his barrage.

But Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Greg Abbott, and Donald Trump told the NRA gathering that none of that matters if one gun will be taken from the hands of one Republican voter. Again, it is the devils bargain with Republican lawmakers trading lives for votes.

Their collective solutions of hardening schools, adding security officers and arming teachers are stupid distractions that do nothing to remove the two elements of each mass shooting, hate and guns. Building school fortresses is an admission of weakness, that redirects shooters to the grocery store in Buffalo to pray on grandmothers instead of school children.

It is extremely difficult to identify and prevent the next mass shooter from emerging, but there is much that can be done to reduce the two elements common to all, hate and guns. We should ban and buy back assault rifles, large capacity magazines and bump stocks as a start. Outlaw the sale of ammunition for assault rifles that is designed for maximum mortality such as dum dum bullets, jacketed hollow points, +P ammo, 7.62 caliber, and the .223 for AR-15s

The second element, hate, must be rooted out one divisive-preaching Republican at a time who has sold their allegiance to the NRA. Their dehumanizing rhetoric foments hate and creates shooters targets, and people of color are paying the price. Representative Rodney Davis price is over $67,000 from the NRA. As long as people keep electing these NRA-purchased deniers of truth, America will not move forward toward ending the scourge of mass shootings.

It is our job to cast out those that shield the killers tools and provide the false bases for the killers actions. It is our job as caring citizens to rid every legislative body of the abetters of hate and violence. Your ammo is truth and your weapon is your vote. Aim carefully and take out those Republican legislators who care more about getting blood-soaked votes than protecting children from a killers carnage.


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Graduating senior from Enloe High School Malika Mobley has concerns about proposed increases in police presence in schools following the recent Texas school shooting, Thursday, June 3, 2022, in Raleigh, N.C. To reassure students and educators following the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, districts around the country pledged to boost security measures and increased the presence of law enforcement on campus. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Taxes are being raised to their highest level since the Second World War to grab an extra 12billion a year the Government claims it needs to help tackle the health and social care crisis.

We pick through the details to find where the money is actually going  and how it affects us.

Tax hikes: National Insurance contributions are rise by 1.25 percentage points

So how are our pockets going to be picked?

National Insurance is to rise by 1.25 percentage points. This extra 1.25 per cent tax will be paid by both workers and employers  so it will effectively add up to 2.5 per cent.

The self-employed will also have to pay the new tax, as will pensioners aged 66 or over and still working. The rate of dividend tax will also be raised by 1.25 percentage points  meaning income from investments may be hit.

Why does the Government want this extra cash?

The pandemic has proved costly, leaving a huge backlog of hospital treatments and operations that need to be paid for in the coming years. Already 5.5million people are on waiting lists, but that could hit 13million by the end of the year.

Initially, money raised in the first three years  an estimated 12billion a year  will almost all be spent on clearing up this backlog. Only about 5.4billion of this 36billion has been earmarked specifically for social care.

How will I notice the change?

Your pay packet will be lighter. For example, a basic-rate taxpayer on a salary of 24,100 will pay an extra 180 in tax a year, while a higher-rate taxpayer on 67,100 will pay an extra 715. Although the money will probably end up in an NHS black hole, the tax should appear on a separate line on pay slips  to be labelled as a health and social care levy.

The younger generations will bear the biggest burden because they are funding the elderly

When is the tax hike going to happen?

Next April. But the funding rules for social care will not kick in until October 2023. This means that before then, those facing care costs must keep paying just as before.

Are we all being treated the same?

No. The younger generations will bear the biggest burden because they are funding the elderly, who are more likely to need social care than them in the next few years. But 1.3million working pensioners will also pay the new National Insurance tax.

Previously, employees aged 66 or over never had to pay any National Insurance contributions. There will also be a higher tax on dividend income  hurting investors and the self-employed that take payments in dividends.

So will my investments end up being taxed?

Most private investors will largely be left unaffected if their money is kept inside a tax-efficient Individual Savings Account or within a pension plan, such as a self-invested personal pension. There is also a 2,000 annual tax-free allowance on dividend income for individuals on top of a 12,570 personal allowance.

Those receiving annual dividends in excess of 2,000 a year will pay tax on any surplus at 8.75 per cent, as opposed to 7.5 per cent now. For higher-rate payers, it goes up from 32.5 per cent to 33.75 per cent.

Will all parts of the UK pay these new taxes?

National Insurance contribution taxes are levied the same wherever you live. While those living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must also foot the bill, they will enjoy a combined additional 'union dividend' of 2.2billion a year. This equates to a 15 per cent hike in spending on care. Together, these nations will receive about 300million a year more than they pay into the new tax.

About 5.4billion of this 36billion has been earmarked specifically for social care

What exactly is social care?

It is care that is given to assist the elderly and disabled. This could be provided in their own home, a residential or nursing care home, a day centre or in supported housing. It is focused on personal care  for example, helping the elderly with washing, bathing and mobility issues.

How do we currently fund social care?

The majority of social care is funded directly from those who need support (typically, the elderly who need to go into a residential or nursing home). Some people on low incomes draw on assistance provided by local authorities, and funded through council tax.

In England, you might only get help with care costs if your personal savings and assets are worth less than 23,250  full help from your local council if your assets are under 14,250. Above 23,250, anyone requiring social care must pay the full cost. This has led to thousands of elderly people having to sell their home to fund care home fees.

Currently, the average cost of being in a care home is 36,000 a year  more if full-time nursing is required.

And what will happen under the new regime?

The State will now contribute to care costs if someone's assets are below 100,000  a massive hike on the current 23,250. If someone's assets are below 20,000, the State should pick up the social care tab.

In terms of care costs, a new cap will be introduced that means you will have to foot no more than 86,000 of social care bills. After this 'cap' has been reached, the State should step in with funding.

About one in seven people aged over 65 face care costs that could total more than 100,000 over a lifetime.

Those receiving dividends in excess of 2,000 a year will pay tax on any surplus at 8.75%

Are there any nasty catches?

Yes. There is a big one. Check the small print of the 86,000 'cap' and you discover it only relates to the 'personal' aspect of social care. It does not include the food, accommodation or cleaning costs related to residential or nursing home care.

Experts believe these 'hotel costs' account for about half of total care costs. So although there is an 86,000 cap, by the time you reach this limit you may well have spent double this amount  172,000.

Is 36billion enough to solve the problem?

Nothing is ever enough to fill the NHS black hole. There are fears this cash could simply get sucked up by public-sector bureaucrats. There is already talk of 42 new bosses to be employed on salaries of up to 270,000.

The NHS in England has already received 136billion this year, plus a further 18billion to tackle the Covid-19 crisis. It has more than 1.3million employees to pay. Unions are already calling for bumper pay rises (surprise, surprise).

Is there any way of avoiding the tax hike?

Employees who use salary sacrifice to contribute into a company pension can put more aside into a retirement pot because such contributions avoid having to pay National Insurance on them. Non-working pensioners and those earning less than 9,564 a year also do not pay National Insurance.
Kingsport, TN (37660)

Today

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 97F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.
Carter County School Board interviews of the three finalists to be the next director of schools will take place at the administration building at 305 Academy Street, starting at 5 p.m. today.
Kingsport, TN (37660)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable.
Russia struck Kyiv with missiles for the first time in more than a month, while President Vladimir Putin warned he would hit new targets in Ukraine if western nations supplied the country with longer-range missiles.

In Sievierodonetsk, the main battlefield in the east where Russia has concentrated its forces, Ukrainian forces are holding their ground after having retaken half of the city, said Serhiy Gaidai, governor of Luhansk province where the city is located.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday said he travelled to Lysychansk, south from Sievierodonetsk, and Soledar  rare outings for him outside Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24 and could be the closest to the frontline yet. read more

What you all deserve is victory  that is the most important thing. But not at any cost, Zelenskiy, wearing his trademark khaki T-shirt, told Ukrainian troops in a video released on Sunday night.

Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk are in the Luhansk region and Soledar is in the Donetsk region. Both regions make up the Donbas, Ukraines industrial heartland, which Russia claims it is on a mission to liberate.

In the Kyiv attack, one person was hospitalised though there were no immediate reports of deaths. Dark smoke could be seen from many miles away after Russias attack on two outlying districts on Sunday.

Ukraine said the strike hit a rail car repair works, while Moscow said it had destroyed tanks sent by Eastern European countries to Ukraine.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, head of the Ukrainian railway, confirmed four missiles had smashed into the Darnytsia rail car repair facility in eastern Kyiv, but said there was no military hardware at the site.

The strike was a sudden reminder of war in Kyiv where normal life has largely returned since Russian forces were driven from its outskirts in March.

The missile strikes at Kyiv have only one goal  kill as many as possible, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.

Ukraine said Russia had carried out the Kyiv strike using long-range air-launched missiles fired from heavy bombers as far away as the Caspian Sea.

Ukraines nuclear power operator said a Russian cruise missile had flown critically low over the countrys second largest nuclear power plant.

CRACKING THEM LIKE NUTS

Sundays attack was the first big strike on Kyiv since late April, when a missile killed a journalist.

Russia has recently focused its destructive might on front lines in the east and south, although occasionally it strikes elsewhere in what it calls a campaign to degrade Ukraines military infrastructure and block Western arms shipments.

Putin warned the West that Russia would strike new targets if the United States started supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles, the TASS news agency reported on Sunday. read more

The United States said last week it would send new, advanced medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

In an interview with Russian state television, Putin said the rockets Washington had promised so far were comparable to Soviet-era weapons Ukraine already had, Putin said.

If Washington were to deliver longer-range rockets, we will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting, he said. He dismissed the impact of Western drones, saying Russia had been cracking them like nuts.

Britain said it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80 km (50 miles) away.

CONTINUE TO STORM SIEVIERODONETSK

Heavy fighting continues in Sievierodonetsk and Russian forces are pushing towards Sloviansk, Britains Ministry of Defence said in a Twitter update.

However, Governor Gaidai earlier said Ukrainian forces were continuing to push the Russians back from Sievierodonetsk, about 85 kms (53 miles) east of Sloviansk.

The claims could not be independently verified. Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in Sievierodonetsk.

In Lysychansk, Russian forces fired on a bakery and several administrative and residential buildings, Gaidai said on Monday, adding one civilian had been wounded.

Evacuations resumed from the Ukrainian-held part of Luhansk province on Sunday, and 98 people had escaped, Gaidai said.

A Russian state media journalist on Sunday said Russian Major General Roman Kutuzov had been killed in eastern Ukraine, adding to the string of high-ranking military casualties sustained by Moscow.

The governor of Russias western Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said the border village of Tyotkino had come under fire from Ukraine this morning which targeted a bridge and some local businesses. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Ukraines military reported that its forces repelled seven attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Sunday, destroying four tanks and shooting down a combat helicopter.

Russian forces are conducting intensive artillery and mortar shelling of our positions in the Kharkiv region in Donetsk, Ukraines military general staff said on Monday.

It said Russia was targeting civilian infrastructure in several towns. Moscow denies it targets civilians.

In a Sunday address in Rome, Pope Francis called the war the negation of Gods dream.

SOURCE: REUTERS
ANDES  The federal Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has opened an investigation into this small Delaware County school district and its superintendent after receiving a complaint from a parent.

The outside inquiry will run parallel to a separate investigation being undertaken by the district's school board into the actions of Superintendent Chakar, who is on administrative leave as the internal investigation moves toward the end of its third month.

The federal complaint, a copy of which was provided to the Times Union, alleges Chakar put his hand on a fifth grader's shoulder while they were alone in a school foyer, and the student considered it unwelcome. The complaint is dated Feb. 14.

Following the complaint, other allegations have come out  including that Chakar commented on a young student's "breast buds" to her mother  and that Chakar was pushed out as assistant vice-principal of a Connecticut school after an internal investigation revealed he habitually sexually harassed staff members and made inappropriate comments to girls at the middle school.

The parent who submitted the complaint to the OCR first attempted to file a complaint with the school's Title XI coordinator, who is charged with investigating sexual harassment complaints, but found themselves stymied when the coordinator turned out to be Chakar himself.

The parent decided to file the OCR complaint and a complaint with the school board in mid-February, according to the parent's attorney, Iliana Konidaris.

The district's acting superintendent, Patrick Darfler-Sweeny, sent a statement to the Times Union when contacted Monday morning.

"The district was recently made aware of the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights opening an investigation into Robert Chakar and the Andes School District," according to the statement. "The districts own investigation into complaints against Chakar is ongoing."

Chakar remains on administrative leave, the statement concluded. Attempts to reach Chakar have been unsuccessful.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation into Chakar after the complaint about the unwelcome touching, but the investigation concluded in early May without criminal charges being filed, according to a letter sent to parents by the Andes School Board,

The OCR has more than 1,600 active investigations based on sex discrimination in schools and colleges, including 256 active investigations into sexual harassment.

CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect the correct first name of the acting superintendent. It is Patrick Darfler-Sweeny.
Osun Zotiques plate is full.

They were already teaching yoga in Hudson and working toward a Ph.D. in education at the State University of New York at Buffalo when, in December, they took over as executive director of OutHudson, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ people in Columbia County.

The job came up after Zotique bumped into the organizations prior leaders and realized, Goddess bless them, theyre exhausted. Concerned their burnout meant OutHudson, now in its 13th year, would go to the wayside, Zotique offered to help. We still need pride in 2022 and they were happy to pass the glittery baton to me, they said.

Beyond organizing pride commemorations each June, OutHudsons work is year-round. Our mission is to expand the visibility and wellness of LGBTQ and allied folks in Columbia County, said Zotique. This includes a scholarship fund for a graduating high school senior, which Zotique intends to expand through a new capital campaign.

Then came May.

Just as plans were taking shape for OutHudsons first Pride celebrations after two pandemic years, Zotique felt the call of community service again, this time to run for Congress in the newly redrawn 19th district. Currently, theyre gathering signatures to be on the ballot Aug. 23.

Zotique proudly notes that, according to their knowledge, theyre the first openly transgender, nonbinary candidate for federal office in the United States. There are growing numbers of transgender and nonbinary candidates who have run for state office, but, according to Out for America, while there are 11 openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual members of Congress, there are currently no transgender members. The organization doesnt track candidates who lost their elections.

Everyone says I came out of the womb holding a coffee cup, Zotique said. I wear a lot of hats.

They couldnt not throw their hat into the Congressional ring when a Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade leaked. That was a pivotal national moment that has inspired me to run for office. I was content teaching yoga and leading OutHudson until this happened. Gender equality covers women and every gender identity and sexual orientation. An attack on womens rights is an attack on queer rights. I said, no way, Jose.

Zotique had an opening: U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, a fellow Latinx musician, had left his Congressional seat to become lieutenant governor. We needed someone who would be a charismatic, transformative leader to help carry forward the essence of what the Hudson Valley is about.

To Zotique, this means ensuring candidates arent only white men like Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, the two candidates running in the special election to see out the rest of Delgados term. Zotique says it is insufficient on a leadership level if a wide variety of voters cannot see themselves in government representatives. So they stepped up.

Should Zotique collect the necessary signatures by June 10, the candidate filing deadline, they will likely be up against two other Democrats: Jamie Cheney (a cis, white, heterosexual woman and business owner from Rhinebeck) and Josh Riley (a cisgender, white, married, fifth-generation man from Ithaca).

Zotique, who first came to the Hudson Valley from New York City to serve as music director of Berkshire Country Day School, has been living in the Hudson area for seven years. Their Congressional platform covers several categories: economy, education, wellness, land, reproductive health, and history.

Im committed to helping upstate New York shine as a leader in the post-industrial workforce of the global digital economy, and to defend affordable housing and quality of life as we face a mass influx of new residents who are telecommuting and increasing property values, they said. We need to prosper together.

One other concern of Zotiques: voter confusion at the polls come August. The ballot on Aug. 23 puts both the special election and the midterm Congressional primaries before voters.

I fear this whole situation is playing in Molinaros favor very much, Zotique said. That puts me looking at a 2024 run against Molinaro  that is my fear.

This is not Zotiques first attempt at elected office. They also ran, last minute and unsuccessfully, for a Hudson school board seat in 2022.

I joke that they are the reincarnation of the Energizer bunny, said fellow Hudson activist Sherry Jo Williams, who judged floats at OutHudsons 2022 pride parade. I am a huge fan and admirer of their intellect and their dedication to the community. They seem to have a grasp of both large and small community needs.

Williams met Zotique a few years pre-pan walking down Warren Street, where she used to have a gallery. I saw a very cute human with braids and a tie-dye shirt, she said, so she approached them. They chatted, exchanged numbers, met for coffee, and became friends. Zotiques drive was always clear. They wanted to meet the movers and the shakers of Hudson, and Warren was happy to help.

From the very first time I met them, there was a kind of radical authenticity that struck me in a very positive way. A bravery, a courage, a lot of caring, said Williams. They also bonded over coming from the South. Zotique says they grew up in a non-accepting family in Georgia.

Even a brief chat with Zotique brings up wide-ranging opinions large and small. National sex education is abysmal  people should seek more mortgages under the Rural Development Land Act of 1949  Indigenous entrepreneurs legal rights are being undermined in a capitalist economy. They want to get government out of uteruses, save the Hudson River from toxic chemicals and educate regular folks on how wealthy people take advantage of opportunities for community investment, so they can do the same.

Zotique shares these ideas quickly but calmly, and usually while wearing a limited edition collar from Ruth Bader Ginsburgs collection. Zotique says it was part of a Banana Republic swag bag. She wore it often. I am wearing it every day until we reestablish our reproductive rights in this country.

Meanwhile, Zotique is hoping a notable figure like AOC or Bernie will take notice of their campaign. Thats the missing ingredient at this point to push us over the top in terms of gaining attention.

Should that happen, they are ready. Im bringing briefcases of sage down to Capitol Hill, they said, referring to the spiritual ritual of burning the herb to cleanse a space and usher in healing. Congress is one of the least popular elected bodies in recorded history. Its ripe for transformation.
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LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote on Monday, securing enough support from his Conservative Party to remain in office despite a substantial rebellion that leaves him a weakened leader with an uncertain future.

Known for his ability to shrug off scandals, the charismatic leader has struggled to turn the page on revelations that he and his staff repeatedly held boozy parties that flouted the COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on others. Support among his fellow Conservative lawmakers has weakened as some see a leader renowned for his ability to connect with voters increasingly as a liability rather than an asset in elections.

Johnson won the backing of 211 out of 359 Conservative lawmakers in a secret ballot, more than the simple majority needed to remain in power, but still a significant rebellion of 148 MPs.

Johnson called it a convincing win and said the party should now come together.

What it means is that as a government we can move on and focus on stuff that I think really matters to people, he said.

With no clear front-runner to succeed him, most political observers had predicted Johnson would defeat the challenge. But the rebellion could still be a watershed moment for him  and is a sign of deep Conservative divisions, less than three years after he led the party to its biggest election victory in decades.

Johnsons winning margin is less than that secured by his predecessor Theresa May in a similar vote in December 2018. She was forced to resign six months later.

Since replacing May as prime minister in 2019, Johnson has led Britain out of the European Union and through a pandemic, both of which have shaken the U.K. socially and economically. The vote comes as Johnsons government is under intense pressure to ease the pain of skyrocketing energy and food bills.

But the main blow to his leadership has been revelations that he and his staff repeatedly held illegal parties during lockdowns. That caused anger in the country, and unease among many Conservatives.

Discontent that has been building for months erupted after a 10-day parliamentary break that included a long weekend of celebrations of Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee. For many, the four-day holiday was a chance to relax  but there was no respite for Johnson, who was booed by some onlookers as he arrived for a service in the queens honor at St. Pauls Cathedral on Friday.

Conservative Party official Graham Brady announced Monday that he had received letters calling for a no-confidence vote from at least 54 Tory legislators, enough to trigger the measure under party rules. Hours later, party lawmakers lined up by the dozen in a corridor at Parliament to cast their ballots in a wood-paneled room, handing over their phones as they entered to ensure secrecy.

Johnson addressed dozens of Conservative lawmakers in a House of Commons room before the vote as he tried to shore up support, vowing: I will lead you to victory again.

Johnsons allies had insisted he would stay in office if he won by even a single vote.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said Johnson had won the vote handsomely, and urged the party to draw a line under this now.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, one of the favorites to succeed Johnson if he is ousted, tweeted: "Pleased that colleagues have backed the Prime Minister. I support him 100%. Nows the time to get on with the job.

But previous prime ministers who survived no-confidence votes emerged severely weakened.

Johnson became prime minister in July 2019, capping a rollercoaster journey to the top. He had held major offices, including London mayor and U.K. foreign secretary, but also spent periods on the political sidelines after self-inflicted gaffes. He kept bouncing back, showing an uncommon ability to shrug off scandal and connect with voters that, for many Conservatives, overshadowed doubts about his ethics or judgment.

But concerns came to a head after an investigators report late last month that slammed a culture of rule-breaking inside the prime ministers office in a scandal known as partygate.

Civil service investigator Sue Gray described alcohol-fueled bashes held by Downing Street staff members in 2020 and 2021, when pandemic restrictions prevented U.K. residents from socializing or even visiting dying relatives.

Gray said Johnson and senior officials must bear responsibility for failures of leadership and judgment.

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Johnson also was fined 50 pounds ($63) by police for attending one party, making him the first prime minister sanctioned for breaking the law while in office.

The prime minister said he was humbled and took full responsibility  but insisted he would not resign.

But a growing number of Conservatives feel that Johnson is now a liability who will doom them to defeat at the next election, which must be held by 2024.

Todays decision is change or lose, said Jeremy Hunt, who ran against Johnson for the Conservative leadership in 2019 but has largely refrained from criticizing him since. I will be voting for change.

Lawmaker Jesse Norman, a longtime Johnson supporter, said the prime minister had presided over a culture of casual law-breaking and had left the government adrift and distracted.

Despite his victory, Johnson is likely to face more pressure. The war in Ukraine, a simmering post-Brexit feud with the EU and soaring inflation are all weighing on the government.

Polls give the left-of-center opposition Labour Party a lead nationally, and the Conservatives could lose special elections later this month for two parliamentary districts, called when incumbent Tory lawmakers were forced out by sex scandals.

Johnson tried to focus on broader issues, promising colleagues he would cut taxes  a policy popular with Tories  and noting that he spoke Monday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He has been a vocal supporter of Ukraines cause, a stance shared by his possible successors.

Cabinet minister Steve Barclay, a Johnson ally, said toppling the leader now would be indefensible.

But Steve Baker, a strong Brexit supporter whose opposition to May helped Johnson take power, said he was voting for Johnson to go because the prime minister had broken the law.

He predicted before the vote that Johnson would likely formally win but said that would not settle the matter.

What that means over the months ahead, I dont know, Baker said.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP)  The U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday afternoon it had suspended its search for a missing boater in the Chesapeake Bay.

The Coast Guard announced the search for 63-year-old Christopher Martin Young a day earlier, saying it had commenced after a boat with signs of recent occupancy" was found beached near Factory Point, Virginia.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)  The Dominican Republics minister of the environment and natural resources  the son of a former president  was shot to death in his office by a close friend Monday, the office of the president said in a statement.

Authorities said Orlando Jorge Mera was shot by Fausto Miguel de Jesus Cruz de la Mota, who was later arrested at a church dozens of blocks away after telling a priest he committed a crime and handed over a gun to him.

Officials gave no motive for the shooting, and it wasn't immediately clear if Cruz, 56, had an attorney.

We express our deepest condolences, the office of President Luis Abinader said.

As shots rang out late Monday morning, people on the street yelled and took cover as those fleeing the buidling climbed over a tall fence after first throwing over purses, backpacks and even a pair of shoes because the buildings main gates were locked.

Authorities said that in a phone conversation with Cruz while he was at the church, he promised to turn himself in if they guaranteed he wouldnt be killed.

Heavily armed police officers took him into custody at the church, which is about a 15-minute drive from the office where Jorge was shot.

When he was brought out, Cruz was wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest and kept his head mostly down as the glasses he wore slid slightly down his nose. One bystander yelled: You killed a good man! Murderer!

The victim came from a powerful political family. Jorge was the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco and his sister is a vice minister in Abinader's administration. Jorge's son is a lawmaker for the Modern Revolutionary Party, of which Jorge was a founding member.

The family issued a statement saying that Cruz had been Jorge's friend since childhood and that Jorge was shot multiple times.

Our family forgives the person who did this. One of Orlando's greatest legacies was to not hold grudges," it said.

Police and emergency officials swarmed the office of Environment and Natural Resources Ministry in the capital of Santo Domingo and barred entry as mourners gathered nearby. Jorge's office was on the fourth floor of a building that also houses the Ministry of Tourism.

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We are troubled by the situation, Jorges ministry said in a brief statement.

Bartolome Pujals, executive director of the governments Cabinet of Innovation, wrote that he lamented the killing.

His death is a tragedy, Pujals said. We Dominicans have to come together to achieve a pact for peace and peaceful coexistence. No more violence.

Jorge, a lawyer, was appointed minister of the environment and natural resources in August 2020.

___

Associated Press writer Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report.
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OWO, Nigeria (AP)  The gunmen who killed at least 50 people at a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria opened fire on worshippers both inside and outside the building in a coordinated attack before escaping the scene, authorities and witnesses said Monday.

Although Nigerian security forces have not yet identified who carried out Sunday's attack on St. Francis Church in the town of Owo in relatively peaceful Ondo state, analysts suggested they came from elsewhere in the West African nation, which is plagued by violence from various armed groups, kidnappers and extremists.

No one has claimed responsibility for the church killings, in which children were among the dead and the gunmen detonated some kind of explosive, according to witnesses. A state lawmaker from the region said the death toll was at least 50, and scores of people were wounded, although an exact number was not released by overwhelmed hospital workers.

The attack is undoubtedly terrorist in nature, and the scale and brutality suggests it was carefully planned rather than impulsive, said Eric Humphery-Smith, senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft risk intelligence company, in an interview with The Associated Press.

State Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran said security forces, including the military, pursued the attackers, "but unfortunately, we could not catch up with them.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other government officials visited the church Monday. A day earlier, he pledged that we will keep standing against evil, and Nigeria will win.

Nigeria, which is Africas most populous country with 206 million people, has grappled for over a decade with an insurgency in the northeast by Islamic extremist rebels of Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province. The extremists, who have killed more than 35,000 people by a U.N. count, are fighting to establish Shariah law and to stop Western education.

Ondo, however, has long been considered one of the safer states in the country.

Sunday Adewale, who works in the palace of the local chief, said the gunmen used the element of surprise to their advantage.

Everybody felt relaxed and had gone to church, he said. Within 30 minutes, they did what they wanted and went away.

The attack came as worshippers were celebrating the feast of Pentecost, an important Catholic post-Easter holiday. Bishop Jude Arogundade said some gunmen entered the church while others stayed outside to shoot anyone who fled.

The priest celebrating the Mass was giving the blessing to end the service when the attackers came in and opened fire, said John Nwovo, 35, who added that he narrowly escaped with his five children by running and hiding in the church's sacristy, along with more than 30 people.

We had to pack ourselves inside that place to take refuge from the storm, he told AP.

After emerging from hiding, Nwovo said they saw so many bodies lying in their own blood.

Florence Obi said her sister, Stella Nzelu, fled the church after the shooting and the explosion, only to run into one of the outside gunmen, who shot her in the stomach at close range. Obi said her sister underwent surgery to remove the bullet and she is feeling better now."

Steven Omotayo, who lives nearby, heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene.

I saw a lot of dead bodies  both young and old, even children," he said. The people came in and started shooting from the gate.

He said the church has three entrances and the main entrance was said to have been locked, making it difficult for many to escape.

They were just shooting. If they see anyone trying to escape or stand up, they will just shoot the person, he said. Everybody standing was bombarded with bullets.

The Rev. Vincent Anadi, who was away from his church at the time, said the gunmen also set off some kind of explosive or grenade.

He said he was making his way back to the church when he saw people running away chaotically, including two altar servers that he knew.

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They stopped me and said, Father, father, father, stop, stop! Dont go to the parish. They are killing people in the parish! Anadi recounted.

Many Nigerians expressed shock and anger over the attack in Owo, a small town of traders and government workers located 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Ondo state capital of Akure. The central location of the church raised questions as to how the gunmen got there unnoticed.

Rahaman Yusuf said many people tried to find out the fate of their relatives after the attack. Some came only to realize they are dead, he said, adding that they also went to hospitals to see if their loved ones were among the wounded.

Olalekan Agboola was in Lagos when he learned his 70-year-old mother, Caroline, was killed, and he rushed to Ondo. In a telephone interview from the town, he grew emotional as he recalled talking to her by phone on Saturday and how she used to call us and pray for us.

Workers at the Federal Medical Center in Owo struggled to treat scores of wounded from the attack. The Nigeria Medical Association directed all available doctors in the region to help.

Some of the wounded were in a very bad state and needed surgery, according to a doctor there who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists.

"I have attended to a good number of casualties, but what I saw yesterday was far beyond whatever I have seen before in my life, the doctor said. This calamity befell all age grades, from toddlers to the old ones.

Blood supplies at the hospital ran out, and a plea for more has gone out, the doctor added.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif, head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, said he hopes the perpetrators of this horrific terrorist act against a church will be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.

Pope Francis decried this act of unspeakable violence in a condolence telegram sent by the Vaticans secretary of state on his behalf to the Ondo bishop.

"His Holiness prays for the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence so that they will choose instead the path of peace and righteousness, it said.

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Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Frances D'Emilio in Rome contributed.
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JERUSALEM (AP)  Israels government on Monday failed to pass a bill extending legal protections for settlers in the occupied West Bank, marking a major setback for the fragile coalition that could hasten its demise and send the country to new elections.

The failure to renew the bill also highlighted the separate legal systems in the West Bank, where nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers enjoy the benefits of Israeli citizenship while some 3 million Palestinians live under military rule that is now well into its sixth decade. Three major human rights groups have said the situation amounts to apartheid, an allegation Israel rejects as an assault on its legitimacy.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts coalition remains in power. But Mondays vote underscored the weaknesses and divisions in the fragile alliance and raised questions about how long it can survive.

Emergency regulations in place for decades have created a separate legal system for Jewish settlers in the West Bank, applying parts of Israeli law to them  even though they live in occupied territory and not within sovereign Israeli land.

These regulations expire at the end of the month and if they are not renewed, that legal system, which Israel has cultivated for its settlers in the West Bank since it captured the territory in 1967, will be thrown into question. It could also change the legal status of the 500,000 settlers living there.

Proponents of extending the law say they are merely seeking to maintain a status quo and preserve the governments shelf life. Opponents say extending the regulations would deepen an unfair system.

However, Monday's vote  defeated by a 58-52 margin  went far beyond the contours of the legal debate. Instead, it served as a key test of the governments prospects for survival, creating a paradoxical situation where some of the settlements biggest opponents in the government voted for the bill, while hard-line parties that support the settlements voted against it in order to weaken the government.

The coalition, made up of eight ideologically distinct parties that include both supporters and opponents of the settlements, came together last year and pledged to sidestep divisive issues that could threaten its survival. Mondays vote showed just how difficult that mission has been.

The vote did not immediately topple the government, and it is still possible for the coalition to present a modified version of the legislation.

As always after we lose, we will return stronger and win in the next round, said Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, the chief architect of the governing alliance, in a statement on Twitter.

But the setback indicated the governments days could be numbered. One of the coalitions members, the nationalist New Hope, has already threatened to bolt if the coalition cannot pass the measure. If New Hope leaves, it could give the opposition the votes it needs to trigger new elections or form a new government.

Any coalition member who doesnt vote for this law that is so central is an active participant in its demise, Justice Minister Gideon Saar, leader of New Hope, said before the vote.

He also warned that defeating the bill would create legal chaos in the West Bank and harm Israeli settlers.

The votes of certain lawmakers, including renegade hard-liners in the coalition as well as Ra'am, an Arab Islamist group that made history as the first Arab party to join an Israeli coalition, were closely watched. In many cases, these lawmakers did not attend the vote.

The opposition meanwhile, made up mainly of nationalist parties led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, showed its willingness to forsake its pro-settlement ideology in order to bring down the coalition.

Bennett's Yamina party issued a statement accusing Netanyahu and his Likud party of banding together with leftist settlement opponents to serve the former prime minister's personal interests. The Likud will burn the state for Netanyahu's needs, it said, vowing to find a way to pass the required legislation.

Bennett has faced hurdles before. Idit Silman, the coalition whip from Bennetts small, nationalist party, quit the coalition earlier this year, leaving the government with 60 seats in the 120-seat Knesset  surviving immediate defeat but struggling to govern. Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, another legislator from Meretz also quit, but later rejoined after being promised a raft of benefits for her constituents, Palestinian citizens of Israel.

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In the end, Silman skipped Monday's vote, while Zoabi bucked her coalition partners and voted against the bill, giving a thumbs-down as she cast her vote.

Bennetts government came together last year after two years of political mayhem, with four elections producing no clear winner. The eight coalition members were united by their goal of ousting Netanyahu  the longtime prime minister who now heads the opposition, from where he is battling corruption charges  and have sought to work around their issues to keep him out of power.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move that is not recognized internationally and pulled out troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. But hundreds of thousands of Israelis reside in over 120 settlements dotting the West Bank, along with more than 2.5 million Palestinians.

Since Israel has never annexed the territory, it technically remains under military rule, creating a bewildering legal reality. For Jewish settlers in the West Bank, most of Israels criminal and civilian laws apply. They vote in Israeli elections, enlist for compulsory military service and pay their taxes to the state.

Palestinians, meanwhile, are subject to a different set of laws, adding to the confusion  and often inequality.

If the government does not find a new solution in the coming weeks, settlers will automatically fall under military rule, like Palestinians in the West Bank, according to Emmanuel Gross, an Israeli expert on criminal and international law and a former military judge.

Basic, everyday relations between settlers and the state will crumble: Israel wont be able to levy taxes and police wont be able to investigate criminal offences, among other things, Gross said. The status of Palestinian inmates being held in Israeli prisons will also be challenged, as Israel uses this same set of emergency regulations to hold prisoners outside of occupied land.

The entire legal basis of what happens with the settlers today will be cancelled. This can cause chaos, he said, adding that he expected the government would find a way to ensure the regulations are extended.

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Associated Press correspondent Emily Rose contributed reporting.
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BEIRUT (AP)  The Lebanese government invited on Monday a U.S. envoy mediating between Lebanon and Israel over their disputed maritime border to return to Beirut as soon as possible to work out an agreement amid rising tensions along the border.

The invitation for Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser for energy security at the U.S. State Department, came a day after Israel set up a gas rig at its designated location at the Karish field, which Israel says is part of its U.N.-recognized exclusive economic zone. Lebanon insists it is in a disputed area.

The U.S.-mediated indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel have been stalled for months amid disagreement within Lebanon over how big the disputed area is.

Lebanon is home to the heavily armed militant Hezbollah group, which is backed by Iran and has fought several wars with Israel. Hezbollah has also warned it would use its weapons to protect Lebanons economic rights.

On Sunday, Lebanon warned Israel not to start drilling in the Karish field and President Michel Aoun said maritime border negotiations have not ended, adding that any move by Israel will be considered a provocation and hostile act.

Aouns office said Lebanon formally notified the United Nations in February that Karish is part of the disputed area and that the U.N. Security Council should prevent Israel from drilling there in order to avoid steps that could form a threat to international peace and security.

The Israeli energy ministry confirmed that the oil rig arrived Sunday, after a five-week sail from Singapore. The ministry said that the Karish field is projected to provide half of Israels demand for natural gas and will allow greater exports to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.

Israels Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said in an interview on Monday with Army Radio that the field was entirely in undisputed territory and called on Lebanon to return to indirect negotiations.

Its not even (above) the southern line that Lebanon submitted to the United Nations. Even according to the United Nations, its not in Lebanon, she said. Elharrar added that the Israeli defense ministry is taking the necessary steps to protect the rig, without elaborating further.

Elharrar also told the 103FM radio station that the Lebanese allegations were very far from reality and that all the relevant forces are involved, and I recommend not trying to surprise Israel." But she said the likelihood of conflict was small.

Satellite images on Sunday from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Marshall Islands-flagged Energean Power floating production storage and offloading vessel in the Karish field area of the Mediterranean Sea. Nearby was the Bahamas-flagged platform Arendal Spirit. Ship tracking data from the two vessels analyzed by the AP also confirmed the vessels presence in the area.

On Monday, the office of Lebanons caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that he has agreed with Aoun to invite Hochstein to return to Beirut for talks on the border dispute and to work on concluding them as soon as possible in order to prevent any escalation that will not serve the stability that the region is currently witnessing.

Israel and Lebanon, which have been officially at war since Israels creation in 1948, both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to unleash offshore oil and gas production as it grapples with an economic crisis.

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Last year, the Lebanese delegation  a mix of army generals and professionals  offered a new map that pushes for an additional 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles).

An official at the office of Israels Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Karish is a natural gas reservoir within Israels U.N.-recognized exclusive economic zone. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said that the Lebanese themselves had recognized it as Israeli waters in the past.

A Lebanese legal expert said if Israel begins exploration work in Karish, the risk of conflict between the neighboring countries will increase, adding that Hezbollahs precision-guided missiles can easily hit the oil rig.

Their missiles are long-range and they are more precise in hitting these targets that are not mobile like ships and fighter jets, said Paul Morcos, founder and owner of Justicia Consulting Law firm in Beirut.

The Israeli military and ministry of defense declined to comment on whether they were taking any specific measures to protect Karish.

___

Associated Press writer Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed reporting.
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CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  The stepmother of a New Hampshire girl who disappeared in 2019 at age 5 entered not guilty pleas Monday to two perjury charges accusing her of lying to a grand jury.

Kayla Montgomery, 31, is accused of lying last month to the Hillsborough County grand jury about the location of a prior job and the time of a prior shift, according to court documents. Her lawyer said authorities allege she lied about those details for November or December of 2019, which is about the time they believe Harmony Montgomery went missing.

Kayla Montgomery waived arraignment on the charges and was released after spending the weekend in jail.

She was arrested Friday at the Manchester Police Department when she arrived for a daily check-in. The check-ins are required as part of Montgomerys bail conditions after she was arrested on unrelated charges of receiving stolen firearms.

Earlier this year, she was charged with theft by deception after police said she falsely claimed that Harmony Montgomery was living with her in order to collect welfare benefits. She pleaded not guilty and was released on bail last month. Lawyers are scheduled to discuss that charge on Thursday.

Authorities didn't know that Harmony Montgomery was missing until last year. She is still considered a missing person. Her eighth birthday is Tuesday.

Kayla Montgomery pleaded not guilty to the benefits charge and was released on bail last month. In April, lawyers said a plea offer and a counter offer were discussed. A spokesperson for the attorney general's office said we would not be able to comment" when asked if the new charges would affect those discussions. Montgomery's attorney did not immediately respond.

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Adam Montgomery, Harmonys father, has been indicted on an assault charge alleging that he struck Harmony in the face in July 2019. Hes also accused of unrelated firearms theft charges and has pleaded not guilty.

The couple, described as estranged, told police that Harmony was brought to be with her mother in Massachusetts around Thanksgiving 2019. Her mother said she last saw her daughter during a phone video conversation at around Easter that year.

Police have received hundreds of tips. Theyre offering $150,000 for information that will lead them to the missing child.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscows invasion.

Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mills now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.

The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscows goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were holding their positions in the city amid fierce fighting in the streets as Russia tries to deploy more forces.

But it is the 103rd day, and the Ukrainian Donbas stands. It stands firmly, he said in his nightly address to the nation.

Zelenskyy also said Moscow's forces intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraines standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.

In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.

The defenders' fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelenskyy said more than than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release.

The recovery of their remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government, and Russian officials have not commented. But relatives of soldiers killed at the plant discussed the process with The Associated Press.

Ukraine on Saturday announced the first officially confirmed swap of its military dead since the war began. It said the two sides exchanged 320 bodies in all, each getting back 160 sets of remains. The swap took place Thursday on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Anna Holovko, a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment, said all 160 of the Ukrainian bodies turned over by the Russians were from the Azovstal ruins. She said that at least 52 of those bodies are thought to be the remains of Azov Regiment soldiers.

Maksym Zhorin, a former Azov Regiment leader now co-commanding a Kyiv-based military unit, confirmed that bodies from the steel plant were among those exchanged.

The brother of an Azov fighter missing and feared dead in the steelworks told the AP that at least two trucks of bodies from Azovstal were transferred to a military hospital in Kyiv for identification.

Viacheslav Drofa said the remains of his elder brother, Dmitry Lisen, did not appear to be among those recovered so far. He added that some of the dead were severely burned.

The mother of a soldier killed in an airstrike on the plant said the Azov Regiment telephoned her and said her sons body might be among those transferred to Kyiv. The mother did not want her or her son to be identified by name, saying she feared that discussing the recovery process might disrupt it.

She tearfully referred to her son as a hero. Its important for me to bury him in our Ukrainian land," she said.

In other developments Monday, Ukraine's efforts to fight off Russia's invasion loomed large over D-Day commemorations in France, where the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion was marked.

"The fight in Ukraine is about honoring these veterans of World War II, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy.

He added: Its about maintaining the so-called global rules-based international order that was established by the dead who are buried here at this cemetery."

American D-Day veteran Charles Shay, 97, was at Omaha Beach to mark the the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landings and pay tribute to those who fell that day. Asked about the war raging on the European continent, Shay said, "It is a very sad situation.

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In 1944 I landed on these beaches, and we thought wed bring peace to the world. But its not possible, he added.

Meanwhile, the president of Ukraines separatist Donetsk Peoples Republic said that the pro-Moscow region is putting on trial three British men alleged to have been mercenaries for Ukraine. If convicted on the charges, including of trying to seize power, the men could get the death penalty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree granting lump-sum payments of 5 million rubles ($81,000) to families of Russian National Guard members who die in Ukraine. Guard members have taken part in such operations as the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The lump sum is roughly six times the average annual Russian salary.

On the battlefield, Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant on the edge of the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

Russian aircraft hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, while Russian artillery struck 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His claims could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian forces put up resistance in Sievierodonetsk and other areas.

"There are more of them, they are more powerful, but we have every chance to fight on this direction, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian artillery fire could be heard outside the city of Bakhmut, southwest of Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian tanks moved back and forth from the front line, carefully hiding under trees after firing at Russian positions. One of the tanks was a T-80 captured from Russian forces. Its crew hacked bushes with hatchets and covered the vehicle and its main gun with branches.

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Associated Press writers David Keyton and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kyiv; Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine; Andrea Rosa in Bakhmut, Ukraine; and Sylvie Corbet in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, contributed to this story.

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Follow APs coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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ATLANTA (AP)  Some Republican activists are calling for abolishing Georgia's open primary system, complaining that too many Democrats crossed over to vote in the state's GOP primary against candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

That call to close primaries comes after 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 crossed over to cast ballots in the May 24 Republican primary. The five statewide GOP incumbents whom Trump had targeted for defeat  including Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger  ended up winning their primary elections.

The proposal is likely to face heavy opposition, with top Republicans and Democrats signaling Monday that they see no reason to change Georgias open primary system. Like 14 other states, Georgia does not register voters by party. Voters can choose which primary to take part in as they walk up to the polls and switch back-and-forth in subsequent elections without changing their registration.

David Clark, a Republican state House member, and Colton Moore, a Republican state Senate candidate, said they would introduce bills in next year's legislative session seeking to hold back crossover voting. They appeared at a news conference with Republican Vernon Jones, a Trump-backed congressional candidate facing a June 21 runoff against a challenger who Jones contends solicited Democrats to vote for him.

Moore, who faces no Democratic opposition in November for a state Senate seat in the northwest Georgia suburbs of Chattanooga, Tennessee, said parties should not be forced to associate with people who don't share their views.

So all were asking is that the parties have the freedom to associate with their base, with their voters who are interested in their morals and their principles, Moore said. Were trying to make the primary pure, and thats election integrity.

A spokesperson for House Speaker David Ralston, who controls the flow of legislation in the House, rejected the idea.

There is no need to change the current primary system, Ralston spokesperson Kaleb McMinchen said.

Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor, also signaled zero interest.

She supports open primaries because they allow for more participation, said Seth Bringman, an Abrams spokesperson.

The calls for change are coming from party activists after crossover voters may have provided the margin of victory for Raffensperger, who refused to heed Trump's calls to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the state.

Raffensperger cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff election against U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, his Trump-backed challenger, 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 will be even higher.

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.

Best of the Capital Region 2022 Its the 25th anniversary of our Best of the Capital Region readers survey. Make sure your voice is heard by nominating your favorite people, places and businesses between Jan. 21 and Feb. 4.

Raffenspergers campaign has pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats, suggesting that a number of crossover voters were actually Republicans who voted Democratic in recent years to protest Trump.

Moore and Jones said they weren't sure whether crossover voters got Raffensperger or anyone else nominated. A spokesperson for Raffensperger's office said he was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Crossover voting, also known as strategic voting, is not exclusive to Georgia. Voters across the political spectrum this primary season have sought to thwart Trump-backed candidates who support his lies that the 2020 election was stolen.

While Trump railed against the practice last month, there is nothing inherently wrong with crossover voting. Besides Georgia and 14 other states with totally open primaries, a number of other states allow unaffiliated voters to vote in the primary of their choice, or allow people to change parties on election day to vote in a different primary.

John Opdycke, president of the group Open Primaries, disagreed with claims that it's illegitimate for voters to switch between party primaries. He said that a system of party registration can leave fast-growing independents as second-class citizens unable to influence who wins office in areas controlled by one party

Georgia doesn't have Democrats and Republicans, it has voters, Opdycke said. "Voters are free by law to vote in any primary they see fit.

It's not clear how often crossover voting is effective. Trumps opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Republican primary last week in Georgia. The congresswoman, who has embraced election lies and spoken at an event organized by a white nationalist, won by more than 50 percentage points.
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, June 5, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Miller County in southwestern Arkansas...

Northwestern Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana...

Eastern Cass County in northeastern Texas...

* Until 545 PM CDT.

* At 438 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles west of

Queen City, or 9 miles northwest of Atlanta, moving southeast 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...

Atlanta, Queen City, Rodessa, Ida, Bivins, Ravanna, McLeod,

Best of the Capital Region 2022 Its the 25th anniversary of our Best of the Capital Region readers survey. Make sure your voice is heard by nominating your favorite people, places and businesses between Jan. 21 and Feb. 4.

Brightstar, Bloomburg, Douglassville, Kiblah and Red Hill.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
A geologist has been sentenced by an Iraqi court to 15 years in prison after being convicted of attempting to smuggle artefacts out of the country.

The verdict handed down to retired geologist Jim Fitton shocked the court in Baghdad, including his defence lawyer.

He and his family have argued that Fitton, 66, had no criminal intent.

A German national tried with Fitton was found not to have had criminal intent in the case and will be released.

I thought the worst-case scenario would be one year, with suspension, Fittons lawyer Thair Soud, visibly shocked, told the Associated Press.



Jim Fitton, centre, and Volker Waldman, right

Judge Jabir Abd Jabir found that, according to the governments investigation, Fitton had criminal intent to smuggle the artefacts that he had picked up and intended to transport them out of the country.

The two men first appeared in court on May 15 wearing yellow detainees uniforms, telling judges they had not acted with criminal intent and had no idea they might have broken local laws.

Fitton said he suspected the items he collected were ancient fragments, but that at the time I didnt know about Iraqi laws, or that taking the shards was not permitted.

Fitton said as a geologist he was in the habit of collecting such fragments as a hobby and had no intention to sell them.

In his defence, Mr Soud said Fitton waited for weeks while in custody before hiring him as his legal counsel, arguing that this makes the point that the Briton had no idea of the severity of the case or the value of the goods found in his possession.

The judge, however, did not consider Mr Souds arguments that laid out Fittons ignorance of Iraqi laws and the value of the items he picked up.

Fitton and the German national, Volker Waldman, were arrested in Baghdad airport on March 20 after airport security discovered the items in their luggage.

They had been part of a tourism expedition across the countrys ancient sites.



The two men appeared in court on Monday

Fittons family grew worried when he did not arrive on a scheduled flight back to Kuala Lumpur, where he resides with his wife, on March 20.

They later learned that Fitton, a well-travelled geologist for oil and gas companies, had been taken to an airport holding cell, said Fittons daughter Leila.

Frustrated by perceived inaction on the part of the British Foreign Office to intervene and assist in Fittons case, his family started a petition that has garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

The British diplomatic mission in Baghdad has not commented on its involvement in the case and the British consul in Iraq, who attended the court session on Monday, left following the sentencing without making any comments.

In total, 12 fragments of pottery and other shards were found in Fittons possession by Iraqi authorities, all of them collected as souvenirs, Fittons family says, during a group tourism expedition to Eridu, an ancient Mesopotamian site in what is now Dhi Qar province.

The site is said to be among the oldest sites belonging to that civilisation.

Controversy, however, remains about the items that Fitton had picked up. A report by the Iraqi Culture Ministry stated they were over 200 years old, without offering any further explanation about their provenance. But any item less than 1,500 years old disqualifies it from being from antiquity, a period from the beginnings of Western civilisation to about 450 AD.

The items were not shown in court. Government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Mr Waldmans defence team has said the German tourist had been carrying two pieces for Fitton but that he did not pick them up from the site.

Fittons lawyer said he intends to appeal against the sentence immediately. It is not clear if Fitton can serve out his sentence in his home country as this would require a bilateral agreement between Iraq and the UK.
On top of Central Towers

Walmart

Police Station

The hospital

In the middle of the Hydetown gravel pit pond

Pitt Titusville

I'd give up and be zombie food

Vote

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A banner honoring a local veteran, and an American Flag, is displayed on a pole in Tionesta, Pa.
Pictured is a sidewalk within the City of Titusville that is in need of repair.
National data shows the number of children sent to adult courts for criminal prosecution in the U.S. has dropped to new lows as more states steer teenagers instead toward rehabilitation and counseling offered by juvenile courts
I'll save busy readers some time here . . .

Of course the problem with this idea for securing schools is . . . Racism. Of course.

Still . . . There is at least an acknowledgement that there are people who argue for more school resources officers in good faith.

In fact . . . A reasonable discussion about training, guidelines and best practices for SROs is just the kind of boring argument that takes all the fun out of culture war slap fighting.

Meanwhile . . .

Let's not forget that a very brave SRO helped stop a recent school shooting in Olathe, Kansas and earned commendation from politicos on BOTH sides of the aisle whilst the newspaper doubted the guy's heroism in protecting students, teachers and staff.

Nevertheless, this blog serves to share worthwhile ideas and this discussion merits consideration from reasonable people who should be working diligently to stop school shootings regardless of partisan politics . . .

"In the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, John Oliver discusses the push for more police in schools and whether they are the answer to our school safety issues, or a new problem altogether."

Again . . .

Whilst acknowledging that SROs can be a AN UNMITIGATED DISASTER without proper oversight and community cooperation . . .

Some of the issues raised here deserve consideration given that this proposed solution to school shootings seems like the only workable plan that doesn't include dismantling the Constitution.

Check-it bia www.TonysKansasCity.com link/embed . . .

You decide . . .
While many people are under the assumption that their landlords insurance will protect them, there are actually big differences to be aware of, said money expert Jessica Moorhouse. - Mckenna Deighton
On a Friday afternoon, Dianna Murphy sat with a folding table, umbrella and her dog by the garden plot she calls "my own little piece of real estate."


Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : DOUGLAS MANOR LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE IN ANTICIPATION OF RECORD-BREAKING SUMMER WEDDING SEASON IN ALABAMA Industry: Events

2022 is projected to be an amazing year for the wedding industry. Douglas Manor is getting ready for this increased demand with an all-new website.



(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - June 4th, 2022 - The wedding bells are ringing. And for Douglas Manor  one of the premier event spaces in Alabama  theres no better way to welcome couples to the states bustling summer wedding scene than launching a new website.



The Douglas Manor website is dedicated to soon-to-be-married people looking for picturesque outdoor venues for one of the most important days in their lives.



A Timely Launch



According to a New York Times article, 2022 will be the year of weddings, at least in the US. This year alone, about 2.5 million wedding ceremonies are expected to be held. Its a huge feat for the industry to hit such a figure (the highest since the mid-80s), considering the several pandemic-prompted restrictions that put the world on pause for the last two years.



Couples in Birmingham, Pelham, Hoover, and other cities in Alabama are particularly in for a smoother wedding journey as Douglas Manor timely launches their new website. The unveiling comes prior to the record-breaking summer wedding season in the state.



The website, built by Sociallyin, seems to be taken straight out of a tastefully designed wedding invitation. Imbued with elegance  from the font style to the choice of photos  the website houses all the important details needed by a couple looking for the perfect outdoor wedding venue.



On the home page, prospective clients will already be familiar with what Douglas Manor vows itself to be: an events place conveniently located in Chelsea, offering "four beautiful outdoor ceremony sites across 32 acres of property." Theres also a portion at the bottom for testimonials from their happy customers.



The website offers a separate page for a gallery of previously held weddings at the property so couples can get some inspiration. Another page showcases their four sites (Hearth, Acres, Stoneway, and Overlook) and The Manor, which is their equally stunning indoor facility.



With visitors convenience in mind, they also allotted another page for directions powered by Google Maps. For easy booking, theres a dedicated page for an online contact form as well.



Celebrating A Love Thats Timeless



As its website reflects, Douglas Manor is committed to helping couples say their I dos and enduring vows of love in the best setting possible. Like how their online platform boasts a beautiful, easy-to-navigate design, their property prides itself on providing a stunning backdrop  ponds, rolling hills, and unparalleled countryside aesthetics  for an event as timeless as a wedding.



As one of Alabamas premier event spaces, they also guarantee to assist their clients with their venue needs every step of the way. From accommodating inquiries made through their website to the venue logistics on the day itself, they offer a hand to make any wedding day as seamless as it can be.



Visit The New Douglas Manor Website Today



Looking for an idyllic place where you can hold your big day? Browse through Douglas Manors event sites and gallery on their newly launched website: https://douglasmanorevents.com. For inquiries, reach out to them at info@douglasmanorevents.com or 205-369-8714. ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release :



CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Holly Ibanez Company: Douglas Manor Phone: 2053698714 Email: hollyibanez@reliable-mail.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS
Most popular places to visit in Africa for safaris are East Africa precisely Kenya which offers vast plains and roaming packs of extraordinary beasts and experiences



(TRAVPR.COM) KENYA - June 6th, 2022 - One can browse from their website comprehensive listings of safaris to Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and much more on https://www.cruzeiro-safaris.com/

Many travelers come to Africa in search of the big five: buffalo, lions, leopards, elephants and rhinoceroses. The chance to get close to these animals in their natural habitats is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but your trip to the Africa is anything but a trip to the zoo. Safaris can be physically taxing and strenuous, and you may not see all the animals you expected. Since most safari destinations are in developing sub-Saharan nations, travelers must take certain safety and health precautions. If youre planning a safari (or just dreaming about it), be as prepared as possible. Get some good guidebooks, talk to friends whove been to Africa and research, research, research. Weve outlined some important safari basics, to help you start planning a successful African safari such as short trip to the Nairobi National Park which can be booked online, pay easily by PESAPAL (Visa/Mastercard) OR PAYPAL upon check out.

They have given the following links for direct online safari bookings

Nairobi Day Tours Half day and Full Day - https://cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-tours/nairobi-tours/

Kenya Safaris Packages by Road - https://cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-tours/kenya-safari-packages-road/

Kenya Luxury Safari Package By flights from Nairobi - https://cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-tours/masai-mara-safaris/

Airport Transfers - https://cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-tours/airport-transfers/

Zanzibar Full Day Tour please confirm your hotel location

- https://cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-tours/product/full-day-stone-town-and-prison-island-tour-in-zanzibar-central-hotels-and-fumba/

https://cruzeiro-safaris.com/nairobi-tours/product/full-day-stone-town-and-prison-island-tour-in-zanzibar-stone-town-hotels/

ABOUT US:

Cruzeiro Safaris Limited is a tours and travel company since 2005 based in Nairobi, Kenya. Its mandated to provide tours and safaris to everyone willing to be enlightened about travel destinations priority being Kenya then other countries. It also provides Affordable Air tickets worldwide.

Contact-Details:

Claudia Kabui, Sales and Marketing

Cruzeiro Safaris Kenya | URL: https://www.cruzeiro-safaris.com | Email: info@cruzeiro-safaris.com

Tel and Whatsapp: +254-722-370833 or +254-710-729021

Mumias South Road, Buru Buru Shopping Center, Visions Place

###
There are allegations, about attempts to undermine the board of directors at Eastern Credit Union.
The separate units of Russias 150th Motor Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army have suffered significant losses in the Popasna direction, totaling at least 50% of personnel, arms and equipment.

The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus are focused on strengthening the state border. At the same time, there is a rotation of special forces units within the border areas with Ukraine. The threat of missile strikes from the territory of Belarus is persisting.

In the Siverskyi direction, the enemy did not take active actions. The Russian military launched a missile strike on civil infrastructure facilities near Hudove, Sumy Region. In addition, the enemy opened fire on such settlements as Bachivsk, Khodyne and Slavhorod.

In the Slobozhanskyi direction, Russian troops continue to prepare for the offensive. They are replenishing material resources, weapons and equipment stocks from the territory of Russia. In order to reduce the offensive potential of Ukrainian forces, Russian invaders opened fire with cannon artillery and multiple launch rocket systems.

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian troops did not take active actions. The enemy focused efforts to deter the actions of the Ukrainian defense forces. Russian invaders opened fire on civil infrastructure facilities near such settlements as Bashkirovka, Mospino, Ruska Lozova, Pechenihy and Mykhailivka. The enemy also launched air strikes near Nove.

In the Sloviansk direction, Russian troops are hardening positions. The enemy opened fire on civil infrastructure facilities near Dibrivne, Kurulka, Virnopillia, Chervona Poliana, etc. Near Dovhenke, Russian invaders launched air strikes with combat aircrafts. The enemy conducted assault operations near such settlements as Bohorodychne and Dolyna but failed and retreated after Ukrainian forces inflicted damage to them.

In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops continue to launch artillery strikes all over the contact line.

In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders opened fire on civil infrastructure facilities near such settlements as Yarova, Shchurove, Staryi Karavan and Raihorodok. The enemy conducted assault operations near Studenka, and hostilities are underway.

In the Siverodonetsk direction, Russian troops continue to fire at Ukrainian positions and civil infrastructure near such settlements as Sievierodonetsk, Borivske, Ustynivka and Lysychansk. Russias assault aircrafts launched air strikes near Myrna Dolyna. In addition, near Metiolkino and Bilohorivka, Russian invaders attempted to carry out assault operations but suffered losses and retreated to their previous positions.

Battles are underway in the central part of Sievierodonetsk.

In the Bakhmut direction, Russian troops opened fire near such settlements as Pokrovske, New York, Zolote, Komyshuvakha, Mykolaivka, Berestove, Bilohorivka and Vrubivka. Near Vrubivka, Russian occupiers conducted unsuccessful assault operations.

The enemy launched air strikes on infrastructure facilities with attack and combat aircrafts near such settlements as Vidrodzhennia, Rotiv, Novoluhansk and Dolomitne.

In the Avdiivka, Kurakhove, Novopavlivka an Zaporizhzhia directions, Russian troops did not conduct active actions. They opened fire on civil infrastructure facilities near such settlements as Kamianka, Vesele, Marinka, Novomykhailivka, Avdiivka, Pisky, and Zolota Nyva. The enemys separate units, sabotage and reconnaissance groups attempted to involve in clashes and assault operations near Krasnohorivka and Poltavka but failed and retreated to their previous positions.

In the Southern Bug direction, Russian invaders used mortars, cannon artillery and multiple launch rocket systems to fire at civil infrastructure facilities near such settlements as Kavkaz, Lepetykha, Dmytrivka, Osokorivka, Blahodiine and Stepova Dolyna. In some areas of the Kryvyi Rih direction, Russian troops intensified air reconnaissance and attempted to carry out assault operations. They were repulsed and retreated to their former positions.

In order to maintain the defense lines, Russian occupiers are enhancing their advanced positions by sending reserves to the potential areas of the deployment of Ukrainian defense forces.

Russian troops have low morale due to the constant postponement of their rotation. As a result, many Russian soldiers refuse to take part in hostilities.

Over the past day, the Ukrainian military have repulsed five enemy attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions, destroying five Russian tanks, three artillery systems and two armored fighting vehicles. The Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense units shot down three Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles. In other areas, Russian occupiers also suffered significant losses.

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Sweden will provide Ukraine with AG 90 anti-materiel sniper rifles and ammunition, and an additional 5,000 Swedish AT4 recoilless anti-tank weapons.

Thats according to Army Recognition, Ukrinform reports.

The Government proposes that Sweden donate additional defense material to Ukraine in the form of the RBS 17 anti-ship missile system, AG 90 anti-materiel sniper rifles and ammunition, and an additional 5 000 Swedish AT4 recoilless anti-tank weapons, the defense ministrys statement reads.

Sweden also intends to contribute SEK 60 million to the fund set up by NATO intended to support the Ukrainian armed forces.

Earlier this spring, Sweden donated around EUR48 million to the National Bank of Ukraines special fundraising account to support the countrys armed forces. The Government now proposes that Sweden make an additional financial contribution of EUR55 million to the fund.

This support will help strengthen Ukraines ability to fight Russias aggression at a critical time, the statement reads.

In terms of weapons, since the beginning of the war, Sweden has already delivered 10,000 AT4 anti-tank weapons. The AT4 is a series of 84 mm unguided rocket, man-portable, single-shot, disposable, recoilless smoothbore anti-tank weapons manufactured by the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics.

The AT4 can be operated by a single soldier and depending on the rocket model, it has a firing from 200 to 600 m and can penetrate armor up to 460 mm.

The AG 90 is the Swedish designation of the American Barrett M82 12.7mm anti-materiel sniper rifle. The maximum effective range is around 1.8 km.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have killed about 31,250 Russian soldiers between February 24 and June 6, including 100 in the past day.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported this in a Facebook post, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

Ukrainian defenders also destroyed 1,386 (+5) tanks, 3,400 (+8) armored fighting vehicles, 690 (+4) artillery pieces, 207 (+0) MLR systems, 96 (+1) anti-aircraft warfare systems, 211 (+1) warplanes, 176 (+1) helicopters, 551 (+3) operational and tactical level UAVs, 125 (+3) cruise missiles, 13 (+0) warships/cutters, 2,395 (+35) other vehicles and tanker trucks, and 53 (+0) pieces of special equipment.

The enemy suffered the greatest losses over the past day in the Sloviansk area, the General Staff said.
The Government of the United Kingdom unveiled a second package of support for the International Criminal Courts (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

This is stated in the press release published on the website of the Government.

The UK has responded swiftly to a request from the International Criminal Court for more police and lawyers to aid their investigation into Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Russian forces should know that they will be held to account for their actions and the global community will work together to ensure justice is served, Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab, said.

As noted, the total package of support includes:

A police liaison officer based in The Hague to lead on swift information sharing between the UK and the ICC

Offer of seven legal experts to date to support the ICC investigation with expertise in international criminal law and the handling of evidence to be presented to court

Two police officers with expertise in collection of intelligence through publicly available data sources

Ongoing defence analysis and monitoring of events in Ukraine, including preservation of any evidence relating to war crimes

Delivery of bespoke war crimes investigation training to Ukrainian police on behalf of the ICC, in collaboration with the Norwegian Police.

Earlier this month the UKs Attorney General visited Ukraine and led a delegation of war crimes experts to the region to support the work of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova.

As reported, Minister of Justice of Ukraine Denys Malyuska stated that the law on cooperation with the ICC will allow Ukrainian law enforcement officers to submit to court the evidence of Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine.

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Ukraine faithfully fulfills all its international legal obligations towards prisoners of war and demands from Russia a mirror treatment of the captured Ukrainian military.

Thats according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

MFA Ukraine stressed that Ukraine is a responsible actor in the international community, faithfully fulfilling all its international legal obligations, including in terms of international humanitarian law.

"In the context of full-scale Russian aggression, the Ukrainian state, as a party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and its Protocols, has strictly adhered to the principles of hostilities, including international humanitarian law, which includes appropriate rules for the treatment of prisoners of war," the statement said.

The Ministry noted that Ukraine treats POWs humanely and provides everything guaranteed to them by international law in full; under martial law, the state adopted a number of regulations governing the treatment and holding of POWs.

It is noted that Ukraine carefully adheres to the provisions of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of Victims of International Military Conflicts and fully ensures proper treatment of captured Russian servicemen. In this context, the Foreign Ministry noted that the Russian side denounced this important international legal instrument in October 2019.

"It is now clear that this was one of Russia's preparatory steps for a full-scale aggression against Ukraine," the diplomats said.

Our state assumes that prisoners of war cannot be held accountable for their direct participation in hostilities if they have not committed military and other crimes as defined by international law. The Ministry stressed that their temporary holding in specially prepared locations is intended only to prevent their further participation in hostilities and is not a form of punishment.

In addition, the statement emphasizes that the Ukrainian side is ready, as required by international treaties, to release and repatriate Russian prisoners of war if they wish, after hostilities are ceased.

"At the same time, Ukraine reserves the right to detain and prosecute servicemen of the Russian armed forces and other military formations operating in our territory for their war crimes and crimes against humanity," the Foreign Ministry said.

Russian soldiers were and remain aggressors, invaders and occupiers on Ukrainian soil, and the Russian army as a whole is a systemic violator of the laws and customs of war.

Ukraine continues to faithfully guarantee the minimum required conditions of detention set out in international humanitarian law, the statement said, including accommodation, food, clothing, sanitation and health care, and respect for POW dignity.

The Foreign Ministry also stressed that the Ukrainian side provides access to Russian prisoners of war on a regular basis to representatives of international specialized organizations and institutions, including the International Committee of the Red Cross. In Ukraine, the National Information Bureau has been established, which deals with the issues of POWs, including their exchange.

"Ukraine demands a mirror-humane treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian side, including the involvement of specialized international institutions to monitor the conditions of their holding in Russian-controlled territories," the Foreign Ministry said.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights said on April 24 that Russia was holding captive Ukrainian servicemen in regular penal colonies without converting prisons to POW camps.
Russian propaganda is trying to discredit Ukraine's leadership by circulating false allegations of Ukraine selling Western defense technology. For the same purpose, Russia-staged provocations are possible in Europe, involving the types of weapons earlier transferred to Ukraine.

This was reported on Telegram by the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, Ukrinform reports.

"Russian propaganda discredits Ukraines leadership by spreading fake reports about the sale of Western weapons. Shelling of railway junctions of Ukraine fails to yield the desired result for the rucsists or disrupt further supplies of weapons. Therefore, attacks in the information field have been actively linked to this topic, the disinformation watchdog stated.

The Ukrainian analysts also believe that provocation is possible in Europe with the use of weapons transferred to Ukraine. Russia-staged terrorist attack with human casualties could be a turning point in the history of arms supplies and a "trump card" of the Kremlin's puppet propaganda, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation.

Since Russian invasion of Ukraine on February, the European Union, the United States, and other countries have imposed tough sanctions against the aggressor power.

In an interview that appeared following a morning shelling of Kyiv on June 5, Putin threatened the world with "relevant response" if Ukraine was provided with longer-range missiles.
First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko, First Vice-Speaker of the Riigikogu of Estonia Hanno Pevkur and a delegation of Estonian politicians have visited the town of Malyn in the Zhytomyr region and the towns of Bucha and Irpin in the Kyiv region, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"It's one thing to see photos and read the news in the media, and it's quite another thing to come and see for yourself what happened. Speaking of my impressions, of course, I don't have enough words to express everything I feel," Pevkur said.

He said that Estonia would help Ukraine rebuild the destroyed infrastructure.

"I want us together - Estonia, Ukraine and other countries - to remember what happened, but also to work on the future. With this rebuilding, we want to give Ukraine hope that its partners will be there not only yesterday and today, but also in the future," Pevkur stressed.

Kornieenko, in turn, thanked the Estonian delegation for the visit and support of the state.

In the Zhytomyr region, the politicians got acquainted with the infrastructure affected by Russian attacks. In particular, they visited the cardboard and paper mill, the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the Malyn Children's School of Arts and the fire and rescue unit.

In the Kyiv region, the officials visited the mass graves of civilians killed by Russian invaders, the churches of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called and All Saints in Bucha, as well as the Irpinsky Lypky residential complex in Irpin that was damaged by Russian missile and air strikes.

In February-March, the Kyiv region was partially captured by Russian invaders. In early April, Ukraine's Armed Forces liberated the region.

At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops captured four villages in the Narodychi territorial community in the Zhytomyr region. The Malyn, Narodychi, Korosten and Ushomyr territorial communities were hardest hit by enemy shelling in the region.

The Government of Estonia has a list of 15 facilities in the Zhytomyr region that need to be rebuilt due to Russian aggression.
Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, also known as "Putin's chef," directs and finances Private Military Company Wagner's operations in Sudan, where, among other things, they mine gold to compensate for Russia's economic losses due to Western sanctions.

This is stated in a journalistic investigation published by the New York Times on Sunday, Ukrinform reports.

It is noted that Wagner PMC which was previously considered simply as a group of Russian mercenaries performing military operations to order, has now grown into a network of mining companies.

The U.S. State Department also recognized Prigozhin as the owner of the Sudanese mining company Meroe Gold.

Read also: Large unit of Wagner Group eliminated in eastern Ukraine

Wagner's group is not only a supplier of assassins and mercenaries. Now it has become an instrument of the Kremlin power, thanks to which Russia makes money and replenishes its gold and foreign exchange reserves, the publication said.

Among Wagner's operations, according to the inquiry, are obtaining profitable concessions for gold mining in Sudan, which could potentially help increase Russia's gold reserves by $130 billion, which U.S. officials say are used to mitigate the impact of sanctions over Russia's war against Ukraine.

According to the NYT, a week after the fall of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Prigozhin's plane arrived in the capital Khartoum, carrying a Russian military delegation, and then returned to Moscow, bringing high-ranking Sudanese defense officials, including second operational support commander Rahid Abgalo Abdel - brother of the infamous field commander and leader of the forces Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

The investigation also notes that on June 5, 2019, two days after the bloody massacre in Khartoum staged by operational support forces, Prigozhin's Meroe Gold imported 13 tonnes of riot police shields, as well as helmets and batons for the company controlled by the family of General Hamdan.

It is noted that Russia intends to build a naval base in the Red Sea and deploy nuclear ships there. According to the publication, Wagner is helping Putin realize the said plans. To this end, Wagnerites engage in civil wars and conflicts.

In a written response to the newspapers inquiry, Prigozhin denied involvement in mining in Sudan, ownership of Meroe Gold, or any affiliation with the Wagner group.
The Yermak-McFaul International Working Group on Sanctions against Russia presented a roadmap for individual sanctions.

The document defines the objectives of individual sanctions, the principles of their application, comprehensively names all categories of persons against whom personal sanctions should be imposed, and proposes a strategy to increase sanctions pressure, the Presidents Office informs.

The purpose of individual sanctions is to increase pressure on the ruling elites of the regime, and thus help end the war against Ukraine. The Group proposes to impose sanctions on those categories of persons for whom it will be the fastest and most effective. That is, it is proposed to choose those categories of persons, personal sanctions of the democratic world against which will be the most painful, reads the statement.

The following types of persons subject to sanctions are offered in order of priority: oligarchs, senior government officials, key corporate executives, including foreigners, Russian propagandists, political party leaders, family members, and proxies. The Group also proposes to consider introducing individual sanctions against all Russian athletes.

The number of potential candidates for sanctions will be at least 12,000 individuals and 3,000 legal entities. The immediate priority is given to the 100 wealthiest people on Russia's Forbes list.

According to the white paper, the sanctions coalition should focus on those who have been able to avoid sanctions in most or all jurisdictions. Examples are Vladimir Potanin, owner of Norilsk Nickel and other large assets, Andrey Bokarev, co-owner of Transmashholding and other significant assets; and Iskander Makhmudov, co-owner of Transoil, Transmashholding and other significant assets.

The key sanctions mechanisms should be the freezing of assets, the ban on entry into the countries of the sanctions coalition, and the termination of powers in Western companies. It is crucial to involve as many countries as possible in a coalition of sanctions. If a person is subject to sanctions in one jurisdiction, all other jurisdictions should be the case. The role of the Ukrainian government in making any decisions on sanctions is emphasized.

Also, according to the Group, any attempts by senior government officials, heads of corporations and board members, propagandists, and members of political parties to transfer property to their family members or proxies should be carefully monitored and prevented. Any assistance in transmitting or receiving such assets should be grounds for imposing sanctions.

This roadmap and the previous papers of the Yermak-McFaul Group - Action Plan for Strengthening Sanctions and the Roadmap for Energy Sanctions have been provided to all key decision-makers.

As reported, on March 29, President Zelensky announced the creation of a group of experts at the Presidents Office to analyze the impact of sanctions against the Russian Federation.

The group is led by Andriy Yermak, Head of the President's Office, and Michael McFaul, Director at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, former national security adviser to U.S. President.

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June 6 2022

A varied mix of projects from a secondary school that emphasises the mental wellbeing of pupils to a Modernist home saved from ruin and an office building which exemplifies remote working have topped this year's RIAS Awards.

Eight buildings chosen for their contribution to the built environment were assessed on their usability, execution and sustainability - among other factors, to see off six other contenders for the accolade.

RIAS president Christina Gaiger PRIAS said: This years awards demonstrate that you can find outstanding Scottish architecture pretty much anywhere  from city centres to some of the most remote spots in the country. The awards also demonstrate the resilience of our profession  whether that is a house built by hand over many years or projects delivered during the tough times of the pandemic. This years awards show how Scottish architects are rising to todays challenges  from the climate emergency to the nations mental health  and prove the fundamental role that architecture plays in society.

The winning projects are Forth Valley College  Falkirk Campus, Falkirk by Reiach and Hall Architects; Havenfield Mews, Edinburgh by Sonia Browse Architects; High Sunderland, Galashiels by Loader Monteith Jedburgh Grammar Campus and Jedburgh by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design.

They are joined by Lockerbie Sawmill, Lockerbie by Konishi Gaffney; Ostro Passivhaus, Kippen by Paper Igloo; Quarry Studios, Aberdeenshire by Moxon Architects and The Den, Tighnabruaich by Technique Architecture and Design in collaboration with Stallan-Brand.

All winners below will be considered for the upcoming RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award and the RIBA Awards.
June 6 2022

A property developer has come forward with detailed plans to build 359 flats at 144 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow, designed by Mosaic Architecture + Design.

Combining roof terraces, a gym, shop and bike store the development by Soller Group follows the completion of a 301-bed student block nearby.

Mosaic director Neil Haining said: The proposed development has been carefully considered to respond to Glasgows drive to encourage City Centre living, which is vital to making Glasgow a sustainable and vibrant place to live. Our application also demonstrates our aim of placemaking a new destination neighbourhood community for Glasgow, which will quickly become part of the urban fabric of the city.

144 Port Dundas Road will be a pedestrian-friendly courtyard development, allowing daylight to illuminate a central Public Square. Accessed by a landscaped plaza from Port Dundas Road, there will be amenity space as well as roof terraces, designed to ensure they are used as part of the everyday life of the building.

The 1.3-acre brownfield site spans a third of an urban block bounded by Port Dundas Road and Milton Street.
June 6 2022

The National Galleries of Scotland (NMS) is staging a public consultation into the creation of a new collections facility in Granton, Edinburgh.

The Art Works is conceived as a public repository for the study, care and storage of cultural treasures in what is claimed to be the largest building in the country designed to Passsivhaus standards.

Led by John McAslan + Partners the plans centre on a 4.5 hectare brownfield site bounded by Waterfront Avenue and West Granton Road, transforming the space as a focal point for cultural heritage.

Connecting Pilton to the waterfront the scheme will augment the existing NMS visitor centre along a new north-south pedestrian route hosting a wildflower meadow, allotments and events lawn. Fronting Waterfront Avenue with an internal 'street' the proposals seek to spark 'creative collisions' by bringing artists, academics and conservators together while reaching out to the public.

In a statement the NMS wrote: "Along its primary floorplate at ground level, the street is animated with engaging elements open to the public and visiting partners  art rooms, lecture spaces, interpretation and research spaces, digital exploration facilities; and these could be interwoven with social spaces."

The pitched roof warehouse draws on the industrial quality of the site, increasing visibility of the collection while making use of north light and views to the Firth of Forth.

A planning application is expected this October.
(@FahadShabbir)

Santo Domingo, June 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :The Dominican Republic's Environment Minister Orlando Jorge Mera was shot dead on Monday by a gunman who burst into a weekly meeting at the ministry and opened fire, officials told AFP.

An elite police unit entered the ministry to search for the shooter, who was barricaded inside with hostages, according to local press.

Police declined to comment on the incident.

The shooter was reportedly an associate of Jorge Mera's and had access to a secure area, sources who declined to be named said.

The environment ministry said on Twitter it was "dismayed by the situation that took place this Monday morning, right now we do not have any details."Jorge Mera, who was the son of former president Salvador Jorge Blanco (1982-86), was holding a regular meeting with his deputy ministers.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

NurSultan, Kazakhstan, June 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :Kazakhs overwhelmingly voted for sweeping constitutional changes in a referendum that marks the end of founding leader Nursultan Nazarbayev's three-decade grip on Central Asia's richest country, authorities announced Monday.

The amendments are aimed at decentralisation, ending "super-presidential" rule and stripping the 81-year-old Nazarbayev of his national leader status and special privileges, and preventing future nepotism by barring the president's relatives from holding government positions.

"The referendum can be considered validated," national electoral commission chair Nurlan Abdirov said, claiming that 77 percent of voters had backed the move.

He reported a turnout of over 68 percent in Sunday's referendum.

Widespread violence in January -- which grew out of peaceful protests over a spike in car fuel prices -- left more than 230 people dead and prompted authorities to call in troops from a Russia-led security bloc.

- 'New Kazakhstan' - The drive for a "New Kazakhstan" in the wake of the violence has come from the man that Nazarbayev hand-picked to replace him as president in 2019, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Tokayev, 69, on Sunday said that the referendum was only the beginning of his reform bid.

"The paradigm of relations between the state and society is changing, human rights are being put first," he said after casting his vote.

Prior to January's crisis, Tokayev was widely seen as ruling in the shadow of Nazarbayev and his super-rich relatives.

Even after stepping down as president, Nazarbayev retained the constitutional title of "Elbasy", or "Leader of the Nation" -- a role that afforded him influence over policymaking regardless of his formal position.

As the new constitution does not acknowledge this status, "we can say with confidence that the era of Elbasy is over," Gaziz Abishev, a political analyst told AFP.

Another amendment prevents relatives of the president from holding government positions -- a clear nod to the influence of Nazarbayev's family and in-laws, who lost powerful positions in the aftermath of the violence.

Kazakhstan's New Year crisis remains poorly understood, with a days-long internet shutdown at the peak of the unrest helping to further obscure the events.

Protests stirred in the oil-producing west over a New Year fuel price hike, but it was the largest city Almaty -- 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) away -- that became the epicentre of armed clashes, looting and arson.

The capital Nur-Sultan, which was called Astana prior to 2019, remained largely untouched.

Several voters in Almaty, Kazakhstan's financial hub, recalled the violence that rocked the city in the first week of January as they trickled out of polling stations where turnout appeared low Sunday.
Los Angeles, June 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2022 ) :President Joe Biden's plans to reboot US engagement with Latin America -- especially on critical topics like migration -- took a major hit after key partner Mexico snubbed a regional summit opening Monday in Los Angeles to protest Washington's exclusion of three far-left countries.

What was meant to be a week-long showcase of cooperation looks more likely to become a display of division that reflects diminishing clout over a region where long-time US economic and diplomatic influence faces a growing Chinese challenge.

Confirming it was not inviting Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to the Summit of the Americas, a senior White House official cited "reservations regarding the lack of democratic space and the human rights situations." In response, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would stay away.

"You cannot have a Summit of the Americas if you do not have all the countries of the Americas attending," Lopez Obrador announced, complaining of US "hegemony" and "lack of respect for nations." Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will represent Mexico instead, but the leftist populist leader's absence will diminish the impact of a summit where US-Mexico relations are at the heart of major immigration and trade issues.

The senior US official did not directly respond to Lopez Obrador's boycott, saying only that "the United States recognizes and respects the position of allies in support of inclusive dialogue." The official also said non-governmental representatives from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela would be present.

In Havana, the communist Cuban government issued a statement calling Biden's decision "anti-democratic and arbitrary."Biden is expected to make announcements at the summit on economic cooperation and fighting Covid-19 and climate change, said Juan Gonzalez, the top White House adviser on Latin America.

The US president, who flies to Los Angeles on Wednesday, also hopes to secure an agreement to help regulate surges of migration from the region's poorer and violent countries to the United States -- a major concern for US voters and an area where Republican opponents see Biden as vulnerable in upcoming midterm elections.
ULAN BATOR, June 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg on Monday held talks with her Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau here, during which the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in varied fields.

Rau arrived on Saturday in Mongolia for a three-day official visit.

The two foreign ministers agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, such as trade, economy, digital development, education, culture and environment, according to the Mongolian Foreign Ministry.

In addition, the two sides reaffirmed their intention to further deepen bilateral cooperation at regional and international levels.

At the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, Polish President Andrzej Duda is expected to pay an official visit to Mongolia this autumn, according to the ministry.

Mongolia and Poland established diplomatic relations in 1950.
(@FahadShabbir)

Chief Secretary Sindh, Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput, Monday, directed all the divisional commissioners to take stern action against profiteers and hoarders for ensuring compliance of government rates

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :Chief Secretary Sindh, Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput, Monday, directed all the divisional commissioners to take stern action against profiteers and hoarders for ensuring compliance of government rates.

He, while chairing a meeting regarding measures for price control of essential commodities in the province here, also instructed commissioner Karachi to take proactive measures to control prices of flour, ghee and sugar in Karachi should be controlled.

The CS Sindh also directed all the commissioners to personally monitor the action against the profiteers and ensure compliance of government fixed rates by imposing heavy fines on profiteers and business should be sealed for a long time.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Secretary food Raja Khuram Shahzad, Secretary Agriculture Supply and Price Aijaz Ahmed Mahesar, while Commissioners of Hyderabad, Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad and Larkana attended the meeting through video link.

The divisional commissioners briefed the meeting about the action taken in the month of May 2022 regarding price control and informed that 10371 shops were inspected in the month of May across the province and a fine over Rs.

3.4 million was imposed on unsatisfactory 1137 units.

In Karachi 672 profiteers were fined Rs 29,62,000, in Hyderabad division 200 unsatisfactory units were fined 3,42,500, in Larkana 62 shopkeepers were fined 21,000, in MirpurKhas 27 units were fined 15,000 and in Shaheed Benazirabad fine of Rs 53,000 was imposed on 100 units.

He instructed the commissioner Karachi to meet the representatives of Flour Mill Association to ascertain the reasons of higher floor prices as compared to other cities of the province when there was no shortage of wheat in the metropolis.

The CS said that he had received complaints of hoarding of flour and ghee in the city and Commissioner Karachi himself should take action against hoarding of flour and ghee and there should be no hoarders in any mill or super store.
(Following the Uvalde school massacre in particular, it seems well worth bringing up this article from four years ago which goes into detail regarding the 'hardening' of schools. It would appear even more relevant now than ever and also emphasizes the need for armed personnel, including teachers. It is certainly significant food for thought.)

To follow up on my explosively popular article, Israel Figured Out How to Prevent School Shootings 40 years Ago (thank you, readers), its time to get specific about protecting the schools in this country. While everyone else argues over the impossible, that is, impossible prevention of any kind of violence by rolling back Constitutional rights, we can look to the way Israel protects its schools, and its most treasured possession, its children.

Ben Goldstein, an American who made aliyah to Israel, and now serves as volunteer security, and is co-founder of AKRAV Global Security Solutions, described the Israeli method, and how easy it would be for America to follow Israels example.

Goldstein describes security as being a set of concentric circles, beginning in the classroom and extending outward, each circle providing a layer of security.

The widest circles belong to law enforcement and society, doing their best to track and forestall potential threats, and more effectively treat mental illness. Weve now learned of multiple catastrophic failures at every level of social and political prevention in the Parkland shooting.

If society and law enforcement failed this badly, the idea that guns should be taken out of the hands of law-abiding citizens is folly. .....
Facilitation cell will be established in Deputy Commissioner Office to resolve the problems of taxpayers in a dignified and on top priority basis, said Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant (Retired) Sohail Ashraf

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :Facilitation cell will be established in Deputy Commissioner Office to resolve the problems of taxpayers in a dignified and on top priority basis, said Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant (Retired) Sohail Ashraf.

Addressing a gathering of the business community in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), he appreciated the role of taxpayers and said that government should acknowledge their services by providing them silver, gold and platinum card in according to their tax liability.

He asked President FCCI Atif Munir Sheikh to nominate focal persons for this facilitation cell to manage its affairs. He said that this cell should work on the pattern of portal system clearly providing time line to each applicant.

The Deputy Commissioner termed private sector as engine of growth and said that all government departments are bound to facilitate them. He also suggested that President FCCI should formulate a comprehensive strategy for the productive working of the facilitation cell. He said that Faisalabad is an iconic city of Pakistan. He had already visited it but in a casual manner, Sohail Ashraf said, adding that this time being Deputy Commissioner he is critically scanning each and every aspect of the city.

He identified cleanliness and drainage of waste water and said that these issues would be resolved very soon. He said, "Community support is imperative to resolve the civic problems and in this connection, we must pool our energies and try to solve the emerging problems." He said that all problems excluding shifting of Khurrianwala toll plaza are in his notice and would be resolved very soon.

He was impressed by the cooperation of the local industrialists and said that Kashmir Ghee Mill and Sadaqat Mill have taken their responsibility to beautify the Kashmir and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan underpasses.

He further told that local ghee mills have announced to provide additional subsidy of Rs. 10 per kilogram of ghee in addition to subsidy of Rs. 25 announced by the government. "Thus, the local inhabitants would get subsidy of Rs. 35", he added.

Responding to a question about FIEDMC, he said that business community has genuine grievances and he would hold a meeting in presence of FCCI members to sort out the issues of NOCs.

Earlier Atif Munir Sheikh President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) welcomed the Deputy Commissioner and said that Faisalabad is contributing 22% share in GDP in addition to catering 80% domestic needs of cloths and clothing. "Similarly, its share in total textile export is around 45%", he added. He also underlined the importance of FCCI and said that in addition to facilitating its members, it played a major role in resolving local civic problems. He added, "FCCI played an instrumental role in starting direct international flights from Faisalabad and now we are trying to develop an independent civilian airport in this city." He said that originally Pindi-Bhattian- Faisalabad motorway was designed with six lanes which was later on trimmed to four due to financial constraints. He stressed the need for restoring it with six lanes as it has become imperative due to heavy traffic load on this motorway as it has been expanded up to Gojra.

He also demanded that Faisalabad should be linked with Lahore-Kot-Abdul Hakeem motorway as it would reduce travel timing between Faisalabad and Lahore to one hour and ten minutes only. He also demanded expansion in Allied Hospital and Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology in addition to the repair and maintenance of Faisalabad-Chiniot Road. He also demanded that Chiniot dam should be built on priority basis to meet future needs of drinking water for this entire region.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration will establish five cattle markets at different locations on the outskirts of the Federal capital ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

The cattle markets would be established at Barakahu, Sultana Foundation Taramri, Sangjani/Tarnol, Railways Carriage Factory and E-11/2.

It was decided in a meeting met here with Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon in the chair.

It was attended by assistant commissioners, magistrates and officials from Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad.

The meeting decided to ensure strict implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be issued by the district administration in the wake of the Congo spread.

A huge movement of livestock and mass gatherings in cattle markets always pose threats of communicable diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) and respiratory infections.

DC Islamabad said that it was the responsibility of the capital administration to provide an opportunity to citizens of Islamabad to perform their religious duties along with safety measures.

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The National Assembly on Monday recommended the government to approach the Supreme Court for legal action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan as his 'anti-state statement' could undermine Pakistan's security and integrity as well as its atomic programme

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :The National Assembly on Monday recommended the government to approach the Supreme Court for legal action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan as his 'anti-state statement' could undermine Pakistan's security and integrity as well as its atomic programme.

The House unanimously adopted a resolution, moved by Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, condemning former prime minister Imran Khan's remarks given in a television interview about the country's disintegration, strategic assets and the armed forces.

The resolution said the House was very well aware of the fact that the armed forces were not only discharging their responsibilities according to the Constitution and laws, but were also the guarantor of defending Pakistan's geographical boundaries.

The House acknowledged the sacrifices rendered by the brave armed forces for the defence of the country and tackling the issue of terrorism.

It also strongly deplored Imran Khan's statement of breaking Pakistan into three parts and defaming the armed forces of the country for political objectives.
Chief Secretary Sindh Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput directed all the divisional commissioners to take stern action against profiteers and hoarders and impose heavy fines and seal the business for a long time if found unsatisfactory

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :Chief Secretary Sindh Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput directed all the divisional commissioners to take stern action against profiteers and hoarders and impose heavy fines and seal the business for a long time if found unsatisfactory.

He said this while presiding over an important meeting on prices control of essential commodities in the province, said a statement on Monday. The meeting was attended by Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Secretary food Raja Khuram Shahzad, Secretary Agriculture Supply and Price Aijaz Ahmed Mahesar, and other participants including Commissioner Hyderabad, Commissioner Sukkur, Commissioner Shaheed Benazirabad and Commissioner Larkana through video link.

In the meeting, the Divisional Commissioners while briefing about the action taken in the month of May 2022 regarding price control said that 10371 shops were inspected in the month of May in the province and a fine of Rs. 34,16,200 was imposed on an unsatisfactory 1137 units.

In Karachi 672 profiteers were fined Rs 29,62000, in Hyderabad division 200 unsatisfactory units were fined 342500, in Larkana 62 shopkeepers were fined 21000, in MirpurKhas 27 units were fined 15000 Shaheed Benazirabad A fine of Rs 53,000 was imposed on 100 units.

In the meeting, Chief Secretary Sindh said that heavy fines should be imposed on profiteers and business should be sealed for a long time and make them to follow government rates.
(@FahadShabbir)

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2022) The Canadian air forces have stepped up intelligence activities and provocations against China under pretext of implementing UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea, Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Monday.

Last week, the Canadian armed forces accused Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force pilots of unprofessional and security-threatening behavior during recent encounters with the Canadian air forces in international airspace. The incidents occurred during the Canadian air forces' NEON mission to monitor possible violations of UN sanctions against North Korea.

"Recently, the Canadian air forces aircraft have stepped up intelligence activities and provocations against China under the pretext of implementing UNSC resolutions, which poses a threat to China's national security and also endangers the personnel of both sides, the Chinese side strongly opposes this," the spokesman said, as quoted by the ministry.

China urges Canada to refrain from provocations in international airspace, otherwise Ottawa will be responsible for the consequences, the official added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Holy See counterpart Pietro Parolin discussed recent developments in the efforts to resolve the crises in Ukraine and Venezuela, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2022) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Holy See counterpart Pietro Parolin discussed recent developments in the efforts to resolve the crises in Ukraine and Venezuela, State Department spokesperson Ned price said on Monday.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with the Holy See Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin," Price said in a press release.

"The two discussed Venezuela and the importance of the negotiations between the regime and the Unitary Platform as the best path toward resolving the crisis."

Price said Blinken and Parolin also discussed the global issues caused by the conflict in Ukraine, including efforts to address the global food insecurity.

The two top diplomats further raised bilateral cooperation on other global issues of mutual concern, Price added.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2022) Russian Foreign Minister on Monday called the situation around his visit to Serbia unthinkable, noting that by closing sky for his plane, the EU and NATO countries deprived Belgrade of the right to pursue an independent foreign policy.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday that Serbia's neighboring countries had closed their national airspace for the aircraft of the top Russian diplomat, who was expected to pay a visit to Belgrade on June 6-7, thus blocking another channel of communication.

"Of course, the unthinkable happened, and I understand the interest you show in our assessment of these outrageous actions.

A sovereign state has been deprived of the right to pursue foreign policy. Serbia's international activities in the Russian direction have been blocked," Lavrov told reporters.

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian ministry has received lot of questions about "the reaction to the unprecedented decisions that were taken by some NATO members" that "impeded the implementation of the visit," the official said.

Moscow has not yet heard official explanations from the countries that refused to allow the plane of the Russian delegation to fly over their airspace, he noted, adding that Russia will never take reciprocal measures that will further hamper relations between people.
More than half of Britons, or 60%, believe that the UK parliament should vote to remove Prime Minister Boris Johnson from office, according to a poll by YouGov published on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2022) More than half of Britons, or 60%, believe that the UK parliament should vote to remove Prime Minister Boris Johnson from office, according to a poll by YouGov published on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's parliamentary group known as the 1922 Committee, said that on Monday evening Johnson will face a vote of no-confidence over the Partygate scandal.

According to the survey, only 27% of respondents wanted Johnson to stay in office and keep the position of the Conservative party leader, while 60% voted for removing Johnson. Only 13% of those surveyed found it difficult to answer the question, the poll showed.

Earlier in the day, the Telegraph reported that at least 100 members of the parliament have so far publicly expressed support for Johnson ahead of the no-confidence vote, while the prime minister must receive at least 80 more votes to remain in office. This will reportedly be problematic for the prime minister's office, as the support Johnson has now is significantly lower than his predecessor, Theresa May, had in December 2018 ahead of her vote of no confidence.

UK lawmakers do not necessarily have to publicly express their position and say how they will vote, so the balance could change significantly, the newspaper added.

Johnson himself has welcomed the vote of no-confidence and reminded UK lawmakers that when they are united and focused on the issues that matter to voters "there is no more formidable political force," The Guardian quoted a spokesperson for the prime minister's office as saying.

Johnson has been grappling with calls to resign after a series of leaks showed that several social gatherings were held at his offices throughout 2020 and 2021, flouting COVID-19 social distancing rules. The situation was aggravated by the reports that two more parties were held on April 16 last year, right before Prince Philip's funeral, when the UK still maintained COVID-19 restrictions and was in national mourning. Johnson later apologized and said he had paid the fine issued by the Metropolitan Police.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Scores of people gathered to give DNA samples at a Bangladesh hospital Monday as authorities struggled to identify the remains of more than 40 people killed in a devastating explosion

Sitakunda, Bangladesh, June 6 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2022 ) :Scores of people gathered to give DNA samples at a Bangladesh hospital Monday as authorities struggled to identify the remains of more than 40 people killed in a devastating explosion.

Dozens of missing workers from a container depot were still unaccounted for, while many of the dead were burned beyond recognition.

Nine of the victims were firefighters, and officials accused the operators of the B.M. Container Depot in Sitakunda of not telling them about a chemical stockpile before it exploded, sending fireballs into the sky.

Munni Akhter, 25, queued for hours to give a DNA sample at a makeshift stand outside the Chittagong Medical College.

When her turn finally came she struggled to hold back tears as doctors took her blood.

Her lorry driver brother Mohammad Akhter was giving a "running commentary" on the fire on Facebook Live, she told AFP, holding up a phone showing his broadcast.

"Then after the blast, it was all dark," she said.

"Since then, we couldn't find him." Abdul Hannan, 60, carried a portrait of his missing son, a worker at the depot.

"My son called his wife and told her about the fire," he said.

"She heard the explosion over the phone. Since then, we couldn't contact him anymore. I have lost my child, oh God!" Authorities revised the death toll down from 49 to 41, but it was expected to rise again with at least 14 critically injured victims flown to the capital Dhaka in military helicopters for treatment.

Officials said at least nine firefighters were killed in the inferno -- the most Bangladesh has ever lost in a single incident in the industrial-accident-prone country, where safety standards are lax and corruption often enables them to be ignored.

Two more firefighters are among several people still missing, officials said.

"Never in the history of the fire department have so many firefighters died," said Purnachandra Mutsuddi, who led the fire-fighting effort at the 26-acre facility on Saturday night.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Russia has added 61 US citizens to its travel ban list, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2022) Russia has added 61 US citizens to its travel ban list, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"In response to the expanding US sanctions against Russian political and public figures, as well as representatives of domestic business, 61 American citizens from among the heads of leading military-industrial complex corporations, media platforms and rating agencies, aircraft and shipbuilding companies, are included in the 'stop list', as well as individual US State Department officials involved in spreading fake news about 'malicious' Russian cyber attacks," the ministry said in a statement.

Senior executive directors of Moody's and Fitch Group are also included in Russia's travel ban list.
DONETSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th June, 2022) The representative office of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the ceasefire regime (JCCC) said seven civilian residents of the republic were killed, and another 16 were injured on Monday in shelling by Ukrainian troops.

"On June 6, 2022, updated information was received through the DPR JCCC that seven civilians were killed and another 16 wounded as a result of shelling of the republic's settlements," the office said on Telegram.

Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls by the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics for protection from Ukrainian troops.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the goal of the operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, is to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine, and to completely liberate Donbas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." As of March 25, the Russian Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage, significantly reducing the combat potential of Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2022) Turkey's possible military operation in northern Syria will be discussed during the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Ankara on June 8, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Late last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the Turkish military was preparing to launch a new anti-terrorist operation in Syria to secure Turkey's southern border. As Erdogan stated, the operation's goal would be the creation of a 30-kilometer (20-mile) safe zone along the Turkish-Syrian border. The operation is expected to take place in four regions of Syria.

"We can assume with a high degree of certainty that this topic will be discussed by the minister during his upcoming contacts," Peskov told reporters.
Christians in Estonia hold an ecumenical prayer service at the Three Handed Mother of God Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Tallinn on Pentecost Sunday to pray for peace in Ukraine.

By Devin Watkins

A host of Estonian Christians gathered on the evening of Pentecost to pray together for their brothers and sisters suffering from the war in Ukraine.

The prayer vigil was held at the Three Handed Mother of God Church in the capital, Tallinn.

Fr. Roman Kihk, the parish priest of the local Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, presided over the prayer service and led the singing in Ukrainian.

He was joined by Bishop Philippe Jourdan, the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia, and the Lutheran Archbishop of Estonia, Urmas Viilma.

Also present for the ecumenical prayer were various representatives of the member churches of the Estonian Church Council.

Singing was led by Fr. Roman Kihk

Families torn apart by war

In a brief speech, Bishop Jourdan spoke about the experience of Ukrainian men who were in Estonia when the war broke out.

Many of them, he said, returned to fight against the Russian invasion of their homeland, but that before they left many went to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest to confess their sins. He added that they wanted to be ready for death, saying that some of them have indeed already perished in the war.

Bishop Jourdan told the ecumenical group that his prayers go especially to the wives and children whose fathers left to fight. He recalled his own experience as a child, when he would wait for his father to come home from military service.

Fr. Roman Kikh speaks to the faithful

Evil will never prevail

Lutheran Archbishop Viilma, who is President of the Estonian Church Council, affirmed that evil will never prevail. We know that the people of God will win.

He also expressed his compassion and solidarity with the people of Ukraine as the nation endures such a brutal war.

Listen to our report

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Estonia, Ms. Mariana Betsa, took part in the ecumenical prayer service.

She thanked all Estonians for their constant prayers for Ukraine and for the many concrete acts of closeness and support.

Lutheran Archbishop Urmas Viilmas

Churchs support for Ukraine

As of the end of May, over 40,000 Ukrainian refugees had fled to Estonia since 24 February when Russia invaded.

Christian churches in Estonia have pulled out all the stops to help their brothers and sisters in need.

Many have found spiritual and material aid at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church where the prayer service was held on Sunday.

Fr. Roman Kihk holds twice-daily prayersmorning and eveningin Ukrainian, and offers personal spiritual guidance as well as practical assistance for newly-arrived refugees.

His parish sends weekly shipments of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The Bridgettine Sisters host a family of Ukrainian refugees at their convent in Pirita, near Tallinn, and provide them with everything they need.

Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Parish in Tallinn has plans in the works to organize summer camps for Ukrainian children to help them feel part of the community in Estonia.
Police in southwestern Nigeria are investigating a massacre at a Catholic church Sunday at least 50 people dead, according to media reports. Meanwhile, residents in the city of Owo have organized a blood drive to help the many people who were injured in the attack.

Ondo state resident Sunday Ajibola said he barely got any sleep and was up early Monday to continue his plea for blood donations at the Federal Medical Center in Owo, southwest Nigeria.

The hospital is one of three that Ajibola says are collecting blood for people wounded in Sundays shooting at St. Francis Catholic Church.

Ajibola called for donations on social media soon after Sunday's attack and is helping to organize the blood drive.

He said he gives donors directions and sometimes has to pick them up and take them to the hospital. He said there are about three hospitals in Owo that are searching for blood.

"The hospital is trying their best, but there's a shortage of blood, so we're trying to encourage people to donate, Ajibola said.

That's what we're doing. There are a lot of people that are wounded  kids, grown adults and so on.

Ajibola could not say how many victims they were trying to save but described the situation as overwhelming.

A spokesperson from the local governor's office, Richard Olatunde, told French news agency Agence France-Presse Monday that the attackers killed 21 people and injured others. However, media reports from Owo Monday quoted hospital staff as saying at least 50 were killed.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Residents initially blamed pastoralists who have come into conflict with local farmers. But on Monday, Muslim rights group MURIC said elements of Boko Haram were responsible for the attack.

Ishaq Akintola, director of MURIC, said the organization believes it was the Boko Haram because people were kidnapped after the bombing.

Their attacks are always ferocious, very violent, because they want to instill fear in their victims, Akintola said. Boko Haram had penetrated states like Niger state and Kwara. And Kwara is very close to Ondo state."

The attack triggered widespread condemnations from state authorities and the national government, including President Muhammadu Buhari, who described it as "heinous.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) also condemned the attack. The Vatican Monday said Pope Francis was praying for the victims.

Nigeria is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency in the northeast and a wave of criminal activity, especially kidnappings for ransom, mostly in the northwest.

In recent months, authorities have raised concerns that violence would spread to other parts of the country, but Ondo state was never one of the areas of concern.
Russia issued new warnings to western governments providing aid to Ukraine as Moscow continues attacking Kyiv and other cities across the country. Plus, the United Nations estimates Ukraine is now one of the most mined countries in the world.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Jakarta Sunday to begin a three-day visit to Indonesia after pledging his intention to deepen cooperation between the two countries.

The visit is his first bilateral trip since being sworn in as Australia's 31st prime minister on May 23.

Albanese, accompanied by several cabinet ministers including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, is scheduled to meet President Joko Widodo on Monday.

"Indonesia is one of our closest neighbors, which is why I committed to visiting as soon as possible," Albanese said in a press release before the trip.

"I look forward to building our ties further, including to revitalize our trade relationship and promote climate, infrastructure and energy cooperation," he said.

Wong had previously suggested Australia's new government would give greater priority to Southeast Asia, and Indonesia in particular.

Scott Morrison was the last Australian prime minister to visit Indonesia in 2019.

In a press briefing Thursday, the Indonesian foreign ministry's director of East Asia and the Pacific noted it had become a tradition for newly elected Australian prime ministers to choose Southeast Asia's largest economy as one of their first countries to visit.

Santo Darmosumarto said the talks would focus on post-Covid economic recovery and the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement  a trade deal ratified in 2020 that has not been fully implemented due to the pandemic.

The leaders will also discuss the G-20, chaired this year by Indonesia, Darmosumarto said.

An analyst said that Australia-Indonesia ties can be volatile.

"The Australia-Indonesia's relationship can be tumultuous, like a rollercoaster," Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations expert from Padjadjaran University told AFP Sunday.

He said the ties could be at risk if Australia pushed its neighbor towards alignment or "forced Indonesia to be a part of AUKUS," referring to the security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Indonesia is one of several Asian countries that expressed concerns about the AUKUS pact, with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi warning it could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region.

Australia is also part of the Quad, an alliance designed to counter China 's push for dominance across the Asia-Pacific region.

Indonesia, however, favors a non-aligned position when it comes to contests between superpowers.

In 2018-19, total trade between Australia and Indonesia was worth $12.3 billion.
Authorities in Nigerias Ondo state Monday were investigating who might be responsible for a deadly attack on a Catholic church.

The exact toll from Sundays shooting at the St. Francis Catholic Church was unclear. A spokesman for the Ondo state governors office told Agence France-Presse that gunmen killed 21 people. Reuters cited a doctor in Ondo saying the number of dead was 50.

Hospitals treated people wounded in the attack, while volunteers launched a blood drive to aid the injured.

Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu vowed to respond to the attack and ordered flags be lowered to honor the victims.

Those who unleashed this unprovoked terror attack on our people have tested our collective resolves, Akeredolu tweeted Monday. We will not be deterred in responding appropriately to this dastardly act.

The attackers struck as worshippers gathered on Pentecost Sunday, using guns and explosives.

The Rev. Andrew Abayomi, an assistant at St. Francis, described to VOA affiliate Channels TV the moment the attack began.

It was the close of Mass. I had told people, The Mass has ended. During that moment, I had heard loud noise, he said.

Abayomi said he and other worshippers ran into an adjoining room and quickly locked the door. He said he heard several explosions and tried to make silent calls to the parish priest.

After about 20-plus minutes, I got to know that they had gone. So, that was when we came out. Then I saw, at least with my eyes, I saw two, three persons lying dead already, he said.

The Vatican said Pope Francis prays for the victims and for the country, painfully attacked at a time of celebration, and he entrusts everyone to the Lord, that God might send His spirit to console them.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack. While much of Nigeria has struggled with security issues, Ondo is widely known as one of Nigerias most peaceful states. But it has been experiencing increasing violent conflicts between farmers and herders.

In the history of Owo, we have never experienced such an ugly incident, said legislator Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi Oluwole. This is too much.

Kabir Adamu, a security risk management and intelligence specialist in Nigeria and the Sahel region, said any number of groups could be responsible. He also noted that, 24 hours after the attack, had still not released any information about who might be responsible.

The fact that the perpetrators carried out the attack, the fact that they went away almost successfully. The fact that almost 24 hours after the attack  the security agencies have not come out saying in clear terms who was responsible, indicated that, yes, this is another of several such incidents that we've monitored in the country, he said, referencing other such attacks in the country.

Going forward, Adamu said the government needs to improve law enforcement so that offenders are arrested and punished for the people, we need to call for more effort by the Nigerian government.

Christian Association of Nigeria spokesman Bayo Oladeji condemned the attack, saying, What happened in Owo today is an unprovoked attack on innocent people worshipping God. And to (the) Christian Association of Nigeria, it is condemnable. It is unacceptable. Were tired of people going to church and being killed.

Nigeria is currently facing a wave of violence by armed gangs. A week ago, the prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Samuel Kanu-Uche, was kidnapped on his way to the airport in southeastern Abia state.

He was released two days later after the church raised about $240,000 and paid the kidnappers.

VOA Hausa's Alhassan Bala and Olufemi Ojomo of VOA affiliate Channels TV contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Lebanon said on Monday it would invite a U.S. mediator to Beirut to continue negotiations over a disputed maritime boundary with Israel to prevent any escalation after accusing Israel of encroaching on contested waters.

The issue flared up on Sunday when a vessel operated by London-based Energean ENOG.L arrived off the coast to develop a gas field which Israel says is part of its exclusive economic zone but which Lebanon says falls within the contested waters.

In Israel's first response to the Lebanese accusation, Energy Minister Karin Elharrar said on Monday the Lebanese account was "very far from reality."

Lebanon's president and caretaker prime minister agreed to invite U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein to discuss "completing the negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime border and to work on concluding the issue as fast as possible to prevent any escalation that would not serve the state of stability in the region," caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on his Twitter feed.



He said Lebanon would contact major powers and the United Nations to affirm its position, confirming that any Israeli drilling or exploration in the disputed area would be "a provocation and an act of aggression" that threatens peace and security.

The United States began mediating indirect talks in 2020 to resolve the issue.

Energean said its floating production storage and offloading vessel arrived on Sunday at the Karish field, about 80 km (50 miles) west of the city of Haifa, and it plans to bring it online in the third quarter.

In a statement on Sunday, the Lebanese presidency said Lebanon had sent a letter to the United Nations in recent weeks stating that Karish falls within the disputed area.

Elharrar told Tel Aviv radio 103 FM there was "unequivocally no" encroachment by Israel.

Lebanon is home to the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has previously warned Israel against drilling in the disputed area until the issue is resolved, and said the group would take action if it did so.

Asked about the prospect of escalation, Elharrar said: "We are not there at all. Really, such is the disconnect [between rhetoric and reality] that I do not believe they would take action."

But she added: "Israel is making preparations [and] I recommend that no one try to surprise Israel."

There has been no immediate U.S. comment.

Last year, Beirut expanded its claim in the disputed zone by around 1,400 square km (540 square miles).

Lebanon has yet to respond to an undisclosed proposal by the U.S. envoy earlier this year.
Belgium's King Philippe on Tuesday begins a historic visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a region cruelly exploited by his ancestors, as tensions rise in the volatile east.



The six-day trip, at the invitation of President Felix Tshisekedi, has strong symbolic significance, coming two years after Philippe expressed to the Congolese leader his "deepest regrets" for the "wounds" of colonization.



The visit, the monarch's first to the DRC since ascending the throne in 2013, has been billed as a chance for reconciliation after the atrocities and other abuses committed under Belgian colonial rule.



The visit had originally been scheduled to take place in June 2020 to mark the DRC's 60th anniversary of independence but was rescheduled to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.



It was then postponed from March to June because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.



Philippe will be accompanied by his wife, Queen Mathilde, and members of the Belgian government, including Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.



Three stops are planned, and the sovereign will deliver a speech at the first two: in Kinshasa on Wednesday during a ceremony with Tshisekedi at the Congolese parliament, then Friday before students at the University of Lubumbashi in the south of the country.



Historians say millions of people in the Belgian Congo were killed, mutilated or died of disease as they worked on rubber plantations belonging to Leopold II, Belgium's monarch from 1865 to 1909 and the brother of Philippe's great-great-grandfather.



The growth of Black Lives Matter, initially a reaction to police violence in the United States but now a broader anti-racist movement, has seen several colonial-era statues removed in Belgium.



Belgium is also preparing to return to Kinshasa a tooth  the last remains of Patrice Lumumba  a hero of the anti-colonial struggle and short-lived first prime minister of the independent Congo.



Lumumba was murdered by Congolese separatists and Belgian mercenaries in 1961, and his body was dissolved in acid. The tooth was kept as a trophy by one of his killers, a Belgian police officer.



Philippe's visit comes 12 years after the last visit of a Belgian sovereign, Albert II, in 2010, and will also aim to reset ties that were soured during the presidency of Joseph Kabila, who left office in 2018.



The latter was criticized, including by Brussels, for having remained in power beyond his second term, in violation of his country's constitution, and development ties were suspended for a time.



The visit comes in a context of renewed violence in North Kivu, where the DRC accuses neighboring Rwanda of supporting armed rebels opposed to the Congolese authorities.



Belgium has called for an "immediate" halt to the fighting, which is causing civilians to flee.



In this immense country, where the GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world despite its mineral wealth, the east has been shaken by massacres and violence for nearly 30 years.



After the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda in 1994, some of the perpetrators fled to the DRC, and Kigali's new authorities launched operations against them.



The royal couple will come to show their solidarity with these battered populations, especially female victims of rape in the region.



The last stop of their journey is scheduled for June 12 in Bukavu, in the clinic of gynecologist Denis Mukwege, co-winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his fight against sexual violence.



A stop on Wednesday at the National Museum in Kinshasa will also address the issue of the restitution of art objects to the former colony.



The Belgian government last year began a program to give back artifacts to the DRC.
Britain announced Monday it will supply an unspecified number of long-range missile launchers to Ukraine, following the United States' decision last week to send similar weapons. Ukrainian troops will be trained to use the systems in Britain in the coming weeks.

Ukraine has repeatedly asked the West to supply longer-range weapons as it faces an unrelenting barrage of Russian artillery in the eastern Donbas region.

Changing tactics

Britain's Defense Minister Ben Wallace said in a statement Monday: "The U.K. stands with Ukraine in this fight and is taking a leading role in supplying its heroic troops with the vital weapons they need to defend their country from [an] unprovoked invasion.

"As Russia's tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine. These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities," Wallace added.

Precision weapons

The British M270 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) can fire 12 GPS-guided rockets up to a range of 80 kilometers in under one minute. The decision to send the systems to Ukraine was coordinated with Washington, which announced last week that it is sending similar M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS.

The weapons will give Ukraine an advantage on the battlefield, according to Sidharth Kaushal, an expert on missile systems at Britain's Royal United Services Institute.

"What MLRS systems like HIMARS and the M270 will do will be to provide the Ukrainians with the range to engage some of the longer-range Russian systems, as well as a precision-guided capability which will enable things like counter-battery fire against long-range Russian assets, as well as the ability to strike Russian targets in-depth more generally."

Kaushal said the Kremlin's forces have made incremental advances in recent weeks in the eastern Donbas region.

Russian artillery

"The Russians do enjoy a substantial advantage in terms of the sheer number of systems they field, so they can make up in just mass what they lack in precision.  So, it's quite useful in that context to use a more 'blunt force' approach, saturating a general area. But, of course, there is also a conscious strategic choice on Russia's part to use civilian suffering as a tool of warfare," Kaushal said.

The results are clear on the battlefield: towns and cities left in ruins, and high numbers of civilian casualties.

Changing conflict

Western-supplied anti-tank missiles helped drive back Russian armored columns advancing on Kyiv in the early days of the war. Now the nature of the conflict is changing.

"Russia has  shifted the emphasis of the conflict. In Donbas it has emphasized a much slower and more incremental approach to seizing territory in which it methodically prepares the ground with large amounts of artillery fire before its troops advance," noted Kaushal.

Russia warning

Meanwhile, Putin said his armed forces would find new targets if the West supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine.

"If they are going to be supplied, we'll make certain conclusions and use our own means of destruction  of which we have enough to strike at targets that have not yet been hit," Putin said in a television interview Monday.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference that Russian forces would drive back Ukrainian positions. "The longer the range of the systems that are delivered, the further we will move the Nazis back from the line from which threats to the Russian Federation may come," Lavrov said Monday. Russia has repeatedly used the term Nazis to describe the Ukrainian government, which has drawn international condemnation.

Britain and the United States said they had received Ukrainian assurances the long-range missiles would not be fired into Russian territory. Moscow warned of "absolutely undesirable and rather unpleasant scenarios" if that happened.
Two soldiers were killed Monday in fighting against M23 militants in eastern Congo, the DRC army said, the latest violence in a long-standing conflict that has escalated in recent weeks and caused a diplomatic rift with Rwanda.

The rebels shelled an army position in North Kivu, killing two soldiers and injuring five. Congo accuses the neighboring state of supporting the M23, which Rwanda denies.

That clash followed a raid on a village in neighboring Ituri province on Sunday by suspected Islamists from another rebel group that killed at least 18 people, local sources said.

Fighters believed to be from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed residents and burned down houses in Otomabere, said a witness, a local chief and a local human rights group.

Congolese army spokesman Jules Ngongo confirmed the ADF attack without giving a death toll, and said Congolese forces were in pursuit of the rebels.

The ADF is a Ugandan militia that moved to eastern Congo in the 1990s and killed more than 1,300 people between January 2021 and January 2022, according to a United Nations report.

"We were chatting with some friends outside (when) we heard gunshots, and everyone fled in a different direction. It was total panic," said Kimwenza Malembe, a resident of Otomabere.

"This morning we counted 18 dead, killed by knives and firearms."

Irumu chief Jonas Izorabo Lemi said he had received word of 20 dead.

Christophe Munyanderu, coordinator of the local group Convention for the Respect of Human Rights (CRDH), put the death toll at 27, up from a provisional figure of 20.

Uganda has sent at least 1,700 troops to neighboring Congo to help fight the ADF, and last week the two countries extended a joint operation launched late last year.
Tales of Afghanistans former president and his senior advisers fleeing the country in helicopters laden with millions of U.S. dollars, as Taliban fighters closed in on Kabul, appear to be overblown, according to an interim report by American investigators.

Russias embassy in Kabul first floated the allegations of the Afghan cash heist August 16, a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and senior aides departed, telling the RIA news agency that the ex-president left the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash, worth an estimated $169 million.

The charges were then echoed by Afghanistans ambassador to Tajikistan. But in a statement less than a month later Ghani denied the accusations, labeling them as completely and categorically false.

Now, interim findings from the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) finds the truth is likely somewhere in between.

Although SIGAR found that some cash was taken from the grounds of the palace and loaded onto these helicopters, evidence indicates that this number did not exceed $1 million and may have been closer in value to $500,000, John Sopko, the special inspector general, wrote in a letter to top U.S. lawmakers.

Most of this money was believed to have come from several Afghan government operating budgets normally managed at the [presidential] palace, Sopko added, noting another $5 million also reportedly went missing after being left behind.

The origins and purpose of this money are disputed, but it was supposedly divided by members of the Presidential Protective Service after the helicopters departed but before the Taliban captured the palace, Sopko wrote.

SIGARs interim report, published Tuesday, was compiled without any input or explanation from Ghani, who has so far not responded to a series of questions.

Former Afghan officials

More than 30 other former Afghan officials, many in key offices, did talk however, telling the U.S. investigators that luggage was minimal on at least three of the helicopters used to flee the Presidential Palace.

Only a suitcase belonging to Presidential Protective Service chief, General Qahar Kochai, and a backpack belonging to Deputy National Security Adviser Rafi Fazil, contained cash, they said, with SIGAR estimating that the bags contained a total of about $440,000 worth of money.

The rest of the cash was held by the officials themselves.

Everyone had $5,000 to $10,000 in their pockets, a former senior Afghan official told SIGAR. No one had millions."

The admission contradicts earlier assertions by some former senior Afghan officials, like ex-National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib, who when asked by CBS News in December 2021 about the allegations of cash being taken from Kabul, said, absolutely not ... we just took ourselves.

This past February, though, Mohib told VOA he was cooperating with the SIGAR investigation.

I also gave [SIGAR] my bank accounts and details of all my assets, he said at the time.

Despite such initial discrepancies, SIGAR investigators found little to back up the Russian claims that the fleeing Afghan officials made off with a sum of $169 million.

This amount of cash would have been difficult to conceal, the SIGAR report said, explaining that much money would have weighed nearly 2 tons.

According to both SIGAR interviews and press reports, the helicopters were already overloaded with passengers and fuel and could not have taken off with significant additional weight, the report added. That these helicopters were allegedly armored for presidential travel would have reduced their payload capacity even further.

Additionally, the SIGAR report said the Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan who publicly backed the Russian claims, Zahir Aghbar, refused to talk to investigators or provide any evidence.

The estimated $500,000 in cash did not last long.

Senior Afghan officials told SIGAR that $120,000 was used to charter a flight from Uzbekistan, where four helicopters with a total of 54 passengers landed after running out of fuel, to Abu Dhabi.

After arriving in Abu Dhabi, the remaining cash was reportedly divided among the 54 Afghans, most of whom spent weeks at the St. Regis Hotel.

Some was sent to family members of PPS [Presidential Protective Service] guards still in Afghanistan, some was sent to senior staff still in Afghanistan, some was given to senior staff for commercial airfare to third countries where they had citizenship, and the rest was distributed among the group as they departed the St. Regis, the report said.

Questions remain

Although SIGAR is confident in its findings that Ghani and other top aides did not smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars out of Afghanistan as they fled the country, questions remain about other money that reportedly disappeared.

SIGAR, citing multiple and sometimes contradictory accounts of various eyewitnesses, said it could not draw a definitive conclusion about the fate of the $5 million that reportedly was left at the Presidential Palace in Kabul.

One former senior official told SIGAR the money was divided into three to four bags and loaded into cars belonging to Ghanis motorcade.

Another official, who was unaware of allegations the cars carried bags of cash, said he was told the motorcade was then sent to pick up former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, which the official described as bizarre.

Yet other officials differed on the origins of the $5 million, with some saying it was Ghanis personal money while others suggested it may have been provided by the United Arab Emirates for Ghanis 2019 reelection campaign.

Similarly, investigators have unresolved questions about the fate of the former Afghan governments operating budget of the National Directorate of Security, which reportedly had as much as $70 million in cash in the months before the Taliban takeover.

One official told SIGAR much of the money was being spent right up until the end.

We used a lot of money to send and buy weapons, the official said. The governors told us to push the people to help them protect different areas. ... We carried a lot of money to different people, like tribal leaders.

But other officials told SIGAR the money may well have been stolen by corrupt officials.
A Guinean public prosecutor on Monday ordered a list of all police officers present when a young man was killed during demonstrations last week, in a significant shift from past practice.

Conakry's public prosecutor, Alphonse Charles Wright, also told police to hand over records of operational orders after an autopsy found that 19-year-old Thierno Mamadou Diallo was killed by a bullet during the June 1 protest.

Relatives say Diallo was not involved in the demonstration against rising fuel prices, where clashes broke out between security forces and demonstrators.

"The Public Prosecutor's Office ... warns against any political exploitation of the judicial investigation and reiterates that it will initiate legal proceedings in accordance with the law," Wright said.

He said judicial authorities would take control of the crime scene.

The move represents a marked change from the recent past.

Under the regime of President Alpha Conde, who was overthrown in September 2021, human rights groups regularly criticized security forces for using excessive force with impunity.

Dozens of Guineans were killed between 2019 and 2021 during demonstrations against Conde's plans for a third term.

Almost no police or gendarmes have been held to account, human rights activists say.

The ruling junta has promised to break with past practices. Diallo's death  one of the first civilians to die during a protest since the coup  puts that commitment to the test.

His funeral was due to take place in the suburbs of the capital Conakry on Monday but his family told AFP it had been postponed.

In an announcement on Sunday, Wright cautioned people against exploiting the funeral to demonstrate, warning that authorities would crack down "in case of problems" during the march.

The National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC), a political coalition, had called for a march to coincide with the funeral but later called it off.

In a statement, the FNDC called on the public to maintain pressure on the authorities "so that no citizen will ever again be killed with impunity."

The junta's decisions to investigate and arrest prominent Guineans and ban protests until an election in three years' time have sparked growing discontent against perceived authoritarianism.
Early projections show the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party is headed for a landslide victory in the local elections held Sunday, according to early results broadcast by pro-government officials and the nations election body.

According to the National Election Committee, voter turnout stood at 80.19% by 11 a.m. local time and at 77.91% when the polls closed at 3 p.m. Some 9.2 million Cambodians are registered and eligible to vote. An official tally is expected to be released June 26.

Led by longtime autocrat Prime Minister Hun Sen, the CPP won more than 9,000 of the 11,622 council seats being contested in 1,652 commune offices nationwide, preliminary results broadcast Monday by state media showed. Of the 1,652 commune chief positions, CPP won 1,648.

The opposition Candlelight Party is projected to win at least four commune chief positions, collecting some 2,176 commune council seats nationwide, according to the partys officials Monday.

In each Cambodian commune  administrative territory equivalent to a sub-district or a sub-county  a commune council is formed to govern by the proportionate party-list elections. A councilor from the majority party will lead the council as commune chief.

Unfair elections

On Sunday, the opposition and the local rights group LICADHO reported irregularities with the ballot-counting process when the polls closed at 3 p.m. local time. It alleged a number of polling stations restricted access to onlookers, closing the doors and windows of stations from scrutiny. It also alleged intimidation tactics against opposition party representatives.

The Candlelight Party (CLP) decried the electoral process as rigged and the worst in history, citing systematic bias to the ruling party by the weak electoral authorities. On Monday, the partys leadership held a news conference to condemn the conduct but added that it would accept the seats won with dissatisfaction.

These elections are worse than the previous ones in terms of transparency and honesty. The public is not being allowed to witness the vote counting, as required by the National Election Committee (NEC), CLP founder and ex-leader Sam Rainsy tweeted late Sunday. Today, thanks to the courage and intelligence of Cambodian democrats who refuse to give up their struggle, the monopoly of power exercised by Hun Sen has been broken at the local level, despite the manipulated and unjust character of these communal elections.

However, NEC chairman Prach Chan, a former CPP central committee member, called the voting process a success. He also said election day was smooth and peaceful. Asked by reporters at a news conference Sunday afternoon, Chan defended the practice of closing the doors and windows of polling stations during the counting process as well as of local authorities writing down names of those who do or dont vote.

Last week, the U.N. Human Rights Office said, We are disturbed by the pattern of threats, intimidation and obstruction targeting opposition candidates ahead of communal elections in Cambodia on 5 June.

Last elections

The last commune elections in 2017 saw a razor-thin margin between CPP and the Cambodia National Rescue Party, with the latter claiming nearly half of either popular votes or commune council seats. CPP claimed 6,503 seats, while CNRP received 5,007 council seats. CNRP was controversially dissolved in a CPP-controlled court system, and its top 118 party members were hit with five-year bans from political activities.

In 2012, the Candlelight Party merged with the Human Rights Party to form the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which led to the historically strongest electoral performance by the opposition in the 2013 general elections and 2017 local elections.

In 2021, after the CNRP was dissolved, the CLP was reactivated and managed to field candidates nationwide, fielding a group second in size only to the ruling CPP.

However, the reborn CLP was strongly contested by embattled opposition leader Kem Sokhas HRP faction, leaving the opposition in a fractured state. Sokha's aide, Muth Chantha, told VOA Khmer on Sunday that Sokha would not vote because there was no good option for him to choose.

The commune elections, held a year before general elections, are traditionally seen as a test of the ruling partys strength.

The Sunday poll was held after CPP led a seemingly successful campaign to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinating more than 93% of the 16 million population against the virus. It was also the first election since Hun Sen named his eldest son, Hun Manet, a three-star general and the nations army chief, as his designated successor.

Hun Sen has been in office as premier since 1985 while the CPP has been in power since 1979. The established ruling party entered the race in a position of strength against the 16 other opposition parties with firm controls on states institutions, resources, armed forces, grassroots networks, and a well-oiled propaganda machine.

In the northwestern city of Battambang, opposition supporters expressed mixed feelings about the early results.

Despite losing, we will never back down, said Soeun Ratha, who volunteered for CLP to observe polling stations in the citys OChar commune, Winning or losing is normal because we may lose today and win back in the future.

Voters speak up

In Phnom Penh, where all 105 commune-chief positions may go to the CPP, voters interviewed by VOA Khmer called for better public services and integrity in the local administration offices. Many said they preferred to consider individual candidates over party in this party-list voting system  which as the name implies, party names and not candidates names are on the ballots.

They [the commune councilors] will be tasked to be our guardians in which we can rely on because I will not look at which party they come from but at the candidates on whether they are capable of developing our community, Da Ny, a 34-year-old housewife, told VOA Khmer after voting at Phnom Penhs High School for Fine Arts Sunday morning.

Choeurn Sakhon, who voted at a polling station in Phnom Penhs Indradevi High School, said local elected leaders should be down-to-earth and take care of those in need.

They hold a noble role of serving the Khmer people, Sakhon, 87, said in referring to Cambodias hegemonic ethnic group. We must elect into power those who serve the people  regardless of which party. As long as the individual candidates can fulfill that role, it does not matter which party they come from, Ill vote for them.

Keo Chy, a Battambang resident, told VOA Khmer that he wanted newly elected local leaders to strengthen the quality of local services.

The commune leader elected to receive peoples mandate shall be empowered to provide better administrative services, organize more townhall meetings to listen more to the people and let people participate more with the authorities in the villages and the communes, Chy, 34, said.

Some other voters, when reached by VOA, declined interviews, citing fears of reprisal.

VOA Cambodian journalists, Aun Chhengpor, Thida Win, Sokummono Khan, Kann Vicheika, Sun Narin, Hul Reaksmey, Lors Liblib, Pin Sisovann and Nem Sopheakpanha contributed to this report.
Italy summoned Russia's ambassador Monday after Moscow alleged the Italian media were waging an anti-Russian propaganda campaign through its coverage of the Ukraine war.



The foreign ministry in Rome said it called in ambassador Sergey Razov to reject "insinuations regarding the alleged involvement of our country's media in an anti-Russian campaign."



The ministry's top civil servant, Ettore Francesco Sequi, also "firmly rejected accusations of amorality by some representatives of Italian institutions and media, expressed in recent statements by the Russian foreign ministry."



The spat follows the posting Saturday on the Russian embassy to Italy's Facebook page of purported extracts from a report by the Russian foreign ministry on the "violation of Russian citizens' rights" abroad.



It slammed "an open anti-Russian campaign in the Italian media" since Moscow's February invasion of Ukraine, a "biased approach" which it said "has a key influence on the attitude of Italians towards Russians".



The "great campaign launched in Italy against Russian culture and its representatives has led to a series of unpleasant incidents", it said, including alleged discrimination in the healthcare and banking sectors.



Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Sunday insisted the media were "saying what happens, that Russia has used over 2,000 missiles against Ukraine, that 200 children have died".



Prime Minister Mario Draghi has strongly backed sanctions against Moscow, though parts of his coalition government have long nurtured close relations with the Kremlin and have been slow to condemn the war.



Parliament's security committee, Copasir, has opened an investigation into allegations of pro-Russian propaganda by some media, accused of giving significant airtime to Russian "disinformation".
After making gains in recent days, Ukrainian fighters fighting in the city of Sievierodonetsk have lost some ground back to Russian forces, the regions governor said.

Our defenders managed to undertake a counterattack for a certain time; they liberated almost half of the city. But now the situation has worsened a little for us again, Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region that includes Sievierodonetsk, said Monday.

Britains defense ministry said Monday that heavy fighting continued in Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a rare trip Sunday away from Kyiv, traveling to eastern Ukraine where he met with troops and refugees. He made several stops, including in Lysychansk, near Sievierodonetsk.

"What you all deserve is victory - that is the most important thing. But not at any cost," Zelenskyy told Ukrainian troops in a video released on Sunday night.

The Ukrainian leader said Monday he received confirmation from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of a new enhanced defense support package, and that the two discussed ways to unblock Ukrainian ports and avoid a food crisis.

Britain announced Monday it is sending M270 multiple-launch rocket systems that can hit targets up to 80 kilometers away.

We cannot stand by while Russian long-range artillery flattens cities and kills innocent civilians, Johnson said.

Ben Wallace, Britains defense secretary, said support for Ukraine must change as Russias tactics change, and that the new rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putins forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities.

The British defense ministry also said Russia cruise missiles fired early Sunday hit rail infrastructure in Kyiv, "likely in an attempt to disrupt the supply of Western military equipment to frontline Ukrainian units."

The attack on Kyiv was the first in more than a month.

The Russian defense ministry said its forces had destroyed tanks sent to Kyiv by Western governments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would hit targets we havent yet struck if the West went ahead with plans to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden said last week that the United States plans to send $700 million in new weaponry to the Kyiv government that includes four precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, radars, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more.

The U.S. said, however, it will take three weeks to train Ukrainian forces on how to use the rocket systems and deploy them. Washington says it has received assurances from Kyiv it will not use the rockets to target sites inside Russia.

Putin said in a television interview, All this fuss around additional deliveries of weapons, in my opinion, has only one goal: To drag out the armed conflict as much as possible."

If Ukraine gets longer-range rockets, Putin said, Moscow will "draw appropriate conclusions and use our means of destruction, which we have plenty of, in order to strike at those objects that we haven't yet struck."

He contended that the new weaponry arriving in Ukraine was unlikely to bolster Ukraines fortunes and was merely making up for losses of rockets of similar range that they already had.

Ukraine's nuclear plant operator, Energoatom, said one cruise missile buzzed the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear plant, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) to the south of Kyiv on its way to the capital, citing the dangers of such a near strike.

Some material in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
India is scrambling to contain a diplomatic storm that has erupted in Islamic countries following controversial comments made about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad by two officials of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Pakistan have registered protests made by BJPs national spokesperson during a recent televised debate.

Several of these countries summoned Indian ambassadors to denounce the derogatory statements. Calling the comments Islamophobic, Qatar has demanded a public apology from India. The controversy turned particularly embarrassing for India as it erupted while its vice president, Venkaiah Naidu, and business leaders were on a visit to the country.

Denouncing the statement, Saudi Arabia said it reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion.

Besides official outrage, anger against the remarks poured out on social media in several Arab nations with some people calling for a boycott of Indian goods.

The influential Organization of Islamic Cooperation said they came in a "context of intensifying hatred and abuse towards Islam in India and the systematic harassment of Muslims." It also cited a decision by some states in India to ban the Muslim headscarf, the hijab, as well as incidents of violence against Muslims.

Rejecting the OICs comments as misleading and mischievous, the Indian foreign ministry said that the government accords the highest respect to all religions. In a statement, it said that the offensive comments and tweets do not in any manner reflect the view of the government of India and were made by individuals against whom action has been taken.

The foreign ministry criticized Pakistan, which had also condemned the remarks, calling it a serial violator of minority rights and saying that it should not engage in alarmist propaganda.

BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who made the remarks, was suspended by the party while Naveen Jindal, the media head of the Delhi party unit, who had tweeted on the issue, was expelled on Sunday.

The BJP strongly denounces insults of any religious personalities of any religion. The BJP is also against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy," the party said in a statement.

Sharma said on Twitter that there was never any intention to hurt anyones feelings and that she spoke in response to comments made about a Hindu god.

Sporadic protests have also erupted in some Indian states as the remarks caused anger among Muslims, who are Indias largest minority, making up 14 percent of the countrys 1.4 billion people.

The remarks are being seen in the context of what critics say is a rise in hate speech targeting Muslims since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.

In an editorial, The Indian Express newspaper said, The truth is that it was no sudden eruption of bigotry. The BJPs electoral victories since 2014, and especially after 2019, have emboldened party activists and others of the saffron brigade to an extent that they indulge in casual everyday anti-minority actions. By saffron brigade, the paper was referring to Hindu nationalists.

Political commentators said such controversies could set back Indias effort to enhance ties with Persian Gulf countries, which has been a key focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. Tens of thousands of Indians work in the UAE and in Gulf countries like Kuwait, and New Delhi is also trying to strengthen trade ties with these nations.

The U.S. State Department, in its latest annual report to the Congress on international religious freedom, named India as among countries that were violators of religious freedom. It alleged that attacks on members of minority communities, including killings, assaults and intimidation took place in India throughout 2021.
NATO kicked off nearly a two-week U.S.-led naval exercise on the Baltic Sea on Sunday with more than 7,000 sailors, airmen and marines from 16 nations, including two aspiring to join the military alliance, Finland and Sweden.

The annual BALTOPS naval exercise, initiated in 1972, is not held in response to any specific threat. But the military alliance said that with both Sweden and Finland participating, NATO is seizing the chance in an unpredictable world to enhance its joint force resilience and strength together with two Nordic aspirant nations.

Finland and Sweden both have a long history of military non-alignment before their governments decided to apply to join NATO in May, a direct result of Russias Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Over the past years, Moscow has repeatedly warned Helsinki and Stockholm against joining the Western military alliance and warned of retaliatory measures if they did.

Ahead of the naval drill, which involved 45 vessels and 75 aircraft, the top U.S military official said in Sweden  the host of the BALTOPS 22 exercise  that it was particularly important for NATO to show support to the governments in Helsinki and Stockholm.

It is important for us, the United States, and the other NATO countries to show solidarity with both Finland and Sweden in this exercise, U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Saturday during a news conference aboard the large amphibious warship USS Kearsarge, which was moored in central Stockholm.

Milley, speaking with the Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, stressed that the Baltic Sea is a strategically important body of water  one of the great seaways of the world.

He said from Moscows perspective, Finland and Sweden joining NATO will be very problematic and leave Russia in a difficult military position as the Baltic Seas coastline would be almost completely encircled by NATO members, except for Russias Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad and the Russian city of St. Petersburg and its surrounding areas.

Turkey, a NATO member that has had good relations with Russia, has objected to Finland and Sweden joining the military alliance, citing their alleged support for a Kurdish group that Turkey labels as terrorist. NATO's chief has been trying to resolve the dispute.

The United States has never before moved such a large warship as the 843-foot USS Kearsarge in the Swedish capital, where it sailed through narrow passages in the Stockholm archipelago, Milley said.

As NATO's close partners, Finland and Sweden have participated in the naval drill since the mid-1990s.

BALTOPS 22 is scheduled to end in the German port of Kiel on June 17.
South Korea and the United States fired eight ballistic missiles on Monday in response to North Korean weapons tests the previous day, Seoul's military said.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile at targets in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, in the early morning.

The 10-minute volley comes a day after North Korea launched eight short-range ballistic missiles following a South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise involving a U.S. aircraft carrier.

"Our military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations and sternly urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula," it added.

Pyongyang has doubled down on upgrading its weapons program this year, despite facing crippling economic sanctions, with officials and analysts warning that the regime is preparing to carry out a fresh nuclear test.

Monday's launches mark the second such joint show of force by the allies under South Korea's hawkish new President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has vowed a tougher stance against Pyongyang's provocations.

Last month, Seoul and Washington carried out combined launches after Pyongyang fired three ballistic missiles -- including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile -- in their first such joint move since 2017.
Ukrainian and Russian forces engaged in intense street-to-street fighting in the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk on Monday as Ukraines president said Russian troops were also intending to capture the key southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.

The situation in Sievierodonetsk was changing from hour to hour, according to the head of the citys administration, Oleksandr Stryuk, who spoke on television.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had every chance to gain control in the city.

His assessment came after Luhansk regional Governor Serhiy Haidai suggested Ukraine had lost ground.

Haidai said, Our defenders managed to undertake a counterattack for a certain time. They liberated almost half of the city. But now the situation has worsened a little for us again.

Both Russia and Ukraine claim to have inflicted huge casualties on each other.

Zelenskyy told a news conference Monday that Russian troops also intended to capture Zaporizhzhia, in the southeast, to allow them to advance closer to the center of the country.

The enemy wants to ... occupy the city of Zaporizhzhia," Zelenskyy said. The city is an industrial hub with a prewar population of more than 700,000 people.

The Ukrainian leader said Monday he received confirmation from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of a new enhanced defense support package, and that the two discussed ways to unblock Ukrainian ports and avoid a food crisis.

Britain announced Monday it is sending M270 multiple-launch rocket systems that can hit targets up to 80 kilometers away.

We cannot stand by while Russian long-range artillery flattens cities and kills innocent civilians, Johnson said.

Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address Monday, "I am grateful to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the complete understanding of our demands and preparedness to provide Ukraine with exactly the weapons that it so needs to protect the lives of our people."

Ben Wallace, Britains defense secretary, said support for Ukraine must change as Russias tactics change, and that the new rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putins forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities. Wallace was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The British Defense Ministry also said Russian cruise missiles fired early Sunday hit rail infrastructure in Kyiv, "likely in an attempt to disrupt the supply of Western military equipment to front-line Ukrainian units."

The attack on Kyiv was the first in more than a month.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had destroyed tanks sent to Kyiv by Western governments.

Putin warned that Moscow would hit targets we havent yet struck if the West went ahead with plans to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden said last week that the United States plans to send the Kyiv government $700 million in new weaponry that includes four precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, radars, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more.

The United States said, however, it will take three weeks to train Ukrainian forces on how to use the rocket systems and deploy them. Washington says it has received assurances from Kyiv it will not use the rockets to target sites inside Russia.

Putin said in a television interview, All this fuss around additional deliveries of weapons, in my opinion, has only one goal: to drag out the armed conflict as much as possible."

If Ukraine gets longer-range rockets, Putin said, Moscow will "draw appropriate conclusions and use our means of destruction, which we have plenty of, in order to strike at those objects that we haven't yet struck."

Ukraine's nuclear plant operator, Energoatom, said one cruise missile buzzed the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear plant, about 350 kilometers to the south of Kyiv on its way to the capital, citing the dangers of such a near strike.

Some material in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
After the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, schools around the country pledged to boost security measures and increased the presence of law enforcement on campus  partly to reassure parents and students.

But police inside schools can make some students more uneasy, not less. Especially for Black students and other students of color, personal experiences with policing can leave them feeling unsafe and alienated from school when they see officers on campus.

High school senior Malika Mobley has seen three different school resource officers patrolling the campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. Once, on the way home from school, Mobley saw officers detain a visibly distraught classmate and push the student into the back of a police vehicle.

"They were crying, 'Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything,'" said Mobley, co-president of Wake County Black Student Coalition. "I was just forced to stand there and couldn't do anything."

Since 2020, the student group has advocated for eliminating police officers from school buildings in favor of investing in counselors and support staff for students.

"We don't see police presence as part of the solution," Mobley said. "If you really think about why police don't make us safer, you can draw connections to all types of tragedies that impact the most marginalized among us."

A regular presence at schools

Police officers have had a regular presence at schools across the country in recent decades, often in the form of school resource officers who are tasked with building relationships with young people to promote trust of law enforcement, providing security, and enforcing laws. Critics say having armed police on campus often results in Black students being disproportionately arrested and punished, leading to what they call the school-to-prison pipeline.

Researchers have found that Black students report feeling less safe around police officers than their white peers and that officers in predominantly Black school districts were more likely to view students themselves to be threats.

Black students and other students of color also are disproportionately likely to have negative interactions with police in schools, ranging from referrals to law enforcement to being arrested or restrained, said Katherine Dunn, director of the Opportunity to Learn program at the Advancement Project. Since 2007, the Advancement Project has documented at least 200 instances of officers at schools assaulting students, she said.

"It shows all the physical harms that young people experience by police," she said. "It's also the experience of being degraded and made to feel like a criminal because you have to walk down the hallway to your class with several armed cops, who are not there for your safety, who you see arrest your friends, assault your friends."

Results of Florida mandate

In 2018, after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the state legislature passed laws mandating that public schools have either law enforcement or armed personnel present on campuses.

A study of the law's impact by F. Chris Curran, a University of Florida professor, found the expanded police presence was followed by an increase in school arrests and the number of reported behavioral incidents. He said there are many factors to consider in deciding the role police play in schools.

"I'd like to see that conversation include thoughtful considerations of potential benefits, decreasing certain kinds of behaviors, but also the potential unintended consequences, if that's increasing the likelihood students are arrested or potentially increasing racial disparities in discipline and arrest rates," Curran said.

While there are examples of school resource officers who have intervened in incidents of gun violence, Curran said, the presence of law enforcement does not always guarantee that shootings or other violence won't occur, or that the officer would be immediately effective at stopping the perpetrator and minimizing casualties.

In a statement issued this week on best practices for school security in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, shooting, the National Association of School Resource Officers emphasized the importance of having "a carefully selected, specifically trained SRO on its campus whenever school is in session."

The nonprofit group has rejected criticism that officers contribute to a school-to-prison pipeline. Officers who follow its best practices, it says, do not arrest students for disciplinary issues that would be handled ordinarily by educators.

As elsewhere around the country last week, the police presence was increased outside schools across North Carolina to provide reassurance to families in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas shooting.

Wake County schools have 75 school resource officers, drawn from several local law enforcement agencies.

The Wake County Black Student Coalition's campaign to remove the officers stemmed partly from student accounts of bad experiences with officers, including a 2017 incident where a school resource officer was filmed picking up a Black girl and slamming her to the ground, said Chalina Morgan-Lopez, a high school senior who is co-president of the student group.

"I think it's a reasonable response to want more officers in schools, especially from people who genuinely do feel protected by law enforcement, even though that's not my lived experience," Morgan-Lopez said. "But I think people need to take into account ... that officers do in fact do more harm than they do good."

Last summer the school system made several changes to its school resource officer program, including a new process for fielding grievances involving officers and adjustments to training to prepare them better for the school environment, said Lisa Luten, a spokesperson for the school system. The review was based on community feedback the district sought in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, Luten said.

"This is not a new conversation for us," she said. "That certainly brought it back to light."
The United States on Monday announced sanctions on two Bosnian officials, saying they sought "to pursue ethno-nationalist and political agendas at the expense of the democratic institutions and citizens" of Bosnia.

Bosnia was the site of a violent interethnic war in the 1990s after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

The U.S. said Marinko Cavara, in his capacity as the president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of Bosnia's two postwar administrative parts, "directly or indirectly engaged in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes and institutions."

The U.S. said Alen Seranic, health and social welfare minister in the government of Bosnia's other administrative part, Republika Srpska, was engaged in "furthering the secessionist efforts."

The two sanctioned officials will be blocked from access to property fully or partially owned in the U.S.

"Marinko Cavara and Alen Seranic have each sought to pursue ethno-nationalist and political agendas at the expense of the democratic institutions and citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina," Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in the news release.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted Monday that Bosnia's future "cannot be compromised by ethno-nationalist parties at the expense of its citizens."

Both officials are accused of undermining the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended 3 years of fighting among ethnic Bosnian Serbs, Croats and Muslim Bosniaks in Bosnia and left more than 100,000 people dead.

Some information in this report comes from The Associated Press.
Less than a day after North Korea test-fired an unprecedented eight ballistic missiles, South Korea and the United States returned the favor, launching eight of their own missiles into the sea off the east coast of Korea.

The retaliatory launch is the latest sign that South Koreas new conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, will respond more quickly and firmly to North Koreas missile tests and provocations.

It represents a change in approach from that of former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who scaled back public displays of military strength in an effort to reduce tension and preserve the chances of talks with the nuclear-armed North.

Some analysts fear Yoon may become locked in a dangerous cycle of provocations, giving North Korean leader Kim Jong Un added justification to conduct bigger weapons tests. But others say a firm U.S.-South Korean response is necessary to deter North Korean attacks and reassure allies who depend on U.S. protection.

Peace through strength

On Sunday, North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into the sea over a 35-minute period, South Koreas military said, continuing one of Pyongyangs most active years ever for missile testing.

In response, the South Korean and U.S. militaries held a combined live-fire exercise early Monday involving seven South Korean missiles and one U.S. missile. The drill demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces, South Koreas military said in a statement.

Our government will respond firmly and sternly to any North Korean provocation, Yoon said later Monday during a ceremony to mark South Koreas Memorial Day. We will make sure there is not a single crack in protecting the lives and property of our people.

Yoon, who often criticized the left-leaning Moons attempted dialogue with North Korea as dangerous and naive, has called for a policy of peace through strength. He supports not only continuing South Koreas military buildup, but also bolstering his countrys alliance with the United States.

During a summit last month, Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed holding bigger joint military exercises, which had been scaled back under Moon. The two men also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to deploy strategic assets, likely a reference to nuclear-capable bombers and ships.

Some fear Yoon may go too far, needlessly provoking North Korea. During his campaign, Yoon threatened preemptive strikes against North Korea if an attack appeared imminent. As a candidate, Yoon also said he would ask the United States to agree to a nuclear weapons sharing arrangement, or redeploy tactical nukes that Washington withdrew from South Korea in the early 1990s  notions quickly rejected by the U.S. State Department.

Jean Lee, a Korea specialist at the Wilson Center, said there is a risk that Yoons more assertive approach will contribute to an escalation of inter-Korean tensions, but said the Biden administration will make sure the allies response is calibrated.

It is important for the Yoon Administration to act quickly and decisively in response to North Korean provocations, not only to send a warning to North Korea but also to reassure his citizens and allies in the region that his administration is in close communication with the Biden Administration, Lee told VOA.

But responding to every provocation would risk a return to the tensions of 2017, which would only give Kim the justification to accelerate testing, she added.

Since Yoon has taken office, North Korea has conducted three rounds of missile tests. Two out of three have been quickly followed by a barrage of South Korean missiles.

After North Korea launched three missiles on May 25, South Korea and the United States responded by firing what they said was a pair of missiles from the northeastern South Korean city of Gangneung. However, a source in the beach city told VOA they witnessed at least 20 projectile launches that day.

Testing on whose schedule?

Meanwhile, North Korea is on pace for one of its busiest missile-testing years ever. In March, it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time since 2017. U.S. and South Korean officials say the North could soon conduct a nuclear test.

However, North Koreas cycle of intensified testing began long before Yoon took office, suggesting the North is testing according to its own schedule  not in response to Yoon.

J. James Kim at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul acknowledged there is a possibility of worsening inter-Korean tensions, but pointed out that Yoon has expressed an interest in talks with the North.

The question, of course, is whether Kim Jong Un has the interest and wherewithal to engage with South Korea in a constructive manner. So far, there is no indication that they are seriously considering this option. Until this changes, we will have to live with the risk of escalation and brinkmanship, Kim added.

Some still fear Yoon will feel pressured to respond to every North Korean test, leading to an intensification of what some have called an arms race on the Korean Peninsula.

Chad OCarroll, the Seoul-based founder of the NK News website, said he is concerned that retaliatory exchanges between North and South Korea could result in a major round of tensions.

I understand (the) imperative for deterrence and training, but not in a tit-for-tat way, OCarroll tweeted.
Before his arrest Monday, ZimLive editor Mduduzi Mathuthu had been in hiding for about two weeks.

He got worried after unidentified people had come to his home in the city of Bulawayo, saying police were looking for him.

But Mathuthu, who spoke with VOA before his arrest, said at that time, neither the police spokesperson nor the central police station appeared to know if he was wanted.

So I called the police spokesperson Paul Nyathi," Mathuthu said. "He didnt know anything. I sent the lawyer to go to central police station. He was informed that no one was looking for me. So it began this mysterious situation where we started feeling that perhaps the intentions of those who came to the house were not as good. We then filed a report with the police for attempted abduction or kidnapping.

Police later wrote to Mathuthus lawyers saying they wanted to interview him. And when he was taken into custody Monday, he was told the case is linked to a tweet commenting on President Emmerson Mnangagwas appearance on national television.

In that tweet, Mathuthu said the president got drunk before coming on TV.

Njabulo Ncube, of the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum, said the arrest is raising concerns of media harassment over political coverage. Cases of journalist arrests are common during an election season, Ncube said. Zimbabwe is due to hold general elections in 2023.

Its a harbinger of things to come," Ncube said. "Ed (President Mnangagwa) has actually followed the footsteps of the late president Robert Mugabe. Nothing has changed. Journalism being treated like a criminal activity. Mr. Mathuthu must be allowed to practice his journalism unhindered.

Upon taking power in 2017, President Mnangagwa  referred to some in Zimbabwe as Ed, after the initials of his first and middle names  he promised to improve the media landscape. But rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, have documented several cases of media workers detained or questioned in recent months for coverage of politics or local elections.

In Mathuthus case, the Media Institute of Southern Africa is providing legal assistance. The watchdog group says those convicted of undermining the president can face up to a year in prison.

Nompilo Simanje, from the watchdogs Zimbabwe branch, said Mathuthu has come under pressure before for his journalism, including during protests in 2020.

Mduduzi Mathuthu has been in a situation with police before when his home was ransacked in 2020 and his nephew was abducted over some accusations and MISA Zimbabwe had to intervene, Simanje said. So, following his emergency call for support, MISA Zimbabwe deployed a lawyer.

Zimbabwe authorities declined to comment on Mathuthus case on Monday, saying they will talk only when the case is resolved. The journalist is due in court later this week.

Zimbabwe authorities declined to comment on Mathuthus case on Monday, saying they will talk only when the case is resolved. The journalist is due in court later this week.
After making gains in recent days, Ukrainian fighters fighting in the city of Sievierodonetsk have lost some ground back to Russian forces, the regions governor said.

Our defenders managed to undertake a counterattack for a certain time; they liberated almost half of the city. But now the situation has worsened a little for us again, Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region that includes Sievierodonetsk, said Monday.

Britains defense ministry said Monday that heavy fighting continued in Sievierodonetsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a rare trip Sunday away from Kyiv, traveling to eastern Ukraine where he met with troops and refugees. He made several stops, including in Lysychansk, near Sievierodonetsk.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits a position of Ukrainian service members, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Soledar, Donetsk region, Ukraine June 5, 2022. Photo Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters.

"What you all deserve is victory - that is the most important thing. But not at any cost," Zelenskyy told Ukrainian troops in a video released on Sunday night.

The British defense ministry also said Russia cruise missiles fired early Sunday hit rail infrastructure in Kyiv, "likely in an attempt to disrupt the supply of Western military equipment to frontline Ukrainian units."

The attack on Kyiv was the first in more than a month.

The Russian defense ministry said its forces had destroyed tanks sent to Kyiv by Western governments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would hit targets we havent yet struck if the West went ahead with plans to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden said last week that the United States plans to send $700 million in new weaponry to the Kyiv government that includes four precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, radars, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more.

The U.S. said, however, it will take three weeks to train Ukrainian forces on how to use the rocket systems and deploy them. Washington says it has received assurances from Kyiv it will not use the rockets to target sites inside Russia.

Putin said in a television interview, All this fuss around additional deliveries of weapons, in my opinion, has only one goal: To drag out the armed conflict as much as possible."

If Ukraine gets longer-range rockets, Putin said, Moscow will "draw appropriate conclusions and use our means of destruction, which we have plenty of, in order to strike at those objects that we haven't yet struck."

He contended that the new weaponry arriving in Ukraine was unlikely to bolster Ukraines fortunes and was merely making up for losses of rockets of similar range that they already had.

Ukraine's nuclear plant operator, Energoatom, said one cruise missile buzzed the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear plant, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) to the south of Kyiv on its way to the capital, citing the dangers of such a near strike.

Some material in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
(The Center Square) - The South Dakota Legislatures executive board approved the termination of the surety bond for the Keystone XL pipeline Friday.

TransCanada Keystone Pipeline paid a principal amount of $20 million in July 2020 for a surety bond to the state while the project was ongoing. The money was put up as security for costs South Dakota might have incurred from protests related to the project, according to executive board members.

The surety bond posted with the Department of Revenue renews July 6, 2022, requiring the company to pay a substantial sum as a bond premium, attorneys for Keystone wrote in a letter requesting termination of the bond. The project having been terminated, reclamation of disturbed areas and disposition of material having been accomplished, there is no purpose for the security bond to remain in effect.

Work on the Keystone XL pipeline ended in 2021 after President Joe Biden revoked the permit, which had allowed the company to construct and operate a pipeline across the international border between the U.S. and Canada. The revocation was a reversal of former President Donald Trumps previous permit authorization in March 2019. Thousands of workers subsequently lost their jobs.

Earlier this year, 16 Republican attorney generals called on Biden to reinstate the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. In a letter, they warned Americans would be left paying higher gas prices and urged for a focus on domestic energy production.

On Friday, the national average for gas was $4.7 per gallon, AAA reported. In California, the average was above $6 per gallon.

TC Energy, the parent company of Keystone, officially terminated the Keystone XL project in June 2021.

Since the project was terminated, Keystone has ended all construction-related activity on the Keystone XL project in South Dakota, completed all road reclamation work required by its haul road agreements with counties and townships, sold all of the pipe stored in pipe yards in South Dakota, disassembled the pipe yards save one, reclaimed all areas disturbed by construction, disassembled and disposed of the work camps that were constructed in support of construction activities, and sold the pump stations that were constructed in Haakon, Jones and Tripp counties, Keystone attorneys said.

The company said it has no expectation that the remaining Keystone XL pipeline wind-up activities will create a cause for the state of South Dakota to access the surety bond.

The Public Utilities Commission accepted the final quarterly report from the company in December and terminated further reporting requirements. Keystone attorneys said there are no outstanding, contested, or unpaid claims against Keystone or the bond.
(St. Paul, MN) Gov. Mark Dayton said Friday he remains hopeful his dispute with Republican legislative leaders over funding for the House and Senate can be solved at the negotiating table, rather than the courtroom.

House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) said last week they plan to sue the governor in order to restore legislative funding for the 2018-19 biennium that Dayton line-item vetoed from a state government finance bill May 30.

The governor said he has not yet engaged in substantive legal discussions regarding a potential legislative lawsuit, nor considered the potential ramifications on future governors and legislatures should such a legal case come forward.

Id like to see this resolved through negotiations, Dayton said during a morning news conference at the Capitol.

A meeting with House and Senate leaders is tentatively scheduled for next week, he said.

Daudt and Gazelka have charged that the governor acted unconstitutionally in defunding the House and Senate, while Dayton has asserted the veto was within his rights.

The governor has said he will call a special session of the Legislature to restore the funds if lawmakers agree to amend portions of the tax and budget bills he signed into law late last month.

The items Dayton wants changed are:

elimination of tax breaks on tobacco products;

cancellation of changes to the states estate tax that would impact Minnesotans who die with estates valued at more than $2 million, or farmers and businesses valued at more than $5 million;

elimination of a freeze on statewide business property taxes;

removal a measure that explicitly prevents undocumented Minnesota residents from obtaining a state drivers license; and amending changes to the states teacher licensure system that were included in the omnibus education finance bill.

Daudt has expressed an unwillingness to renegotiate bills that the governor has already signed.

(Dayton) had his constitutional right to veto those bills if he did not like the language in them, he said during a June 2 Legislative Coordinating Commission hearing. He did not. He signed them.
A Strange Loop premieres.

The show debuts at Playwrights Horizons, produced in association with from Page 73, another Off Broadway producer. The reactions are rhapsodic. Adam Greenfield, who now runs Playwrights Horizons but at the time was the associate artistic director, recalls seeing the first run-through of the show  finally fully realized onstage  alongside Whitman. They shared mind-blown reactions. He now has a theory why the musical took so long to get produced: Its strength is that you see the play and say, Ive never seen anything like this. But thats also what makes it harder for works like A Strange Loop to find their home. Theaters an old dog; its often hard to teach new tricks.

After the run, Whitman takes Jackson and Brackett out to dinner, where she pops the question every playwright dreams of hearing: Do we want to try for Broadway? You already know Jacksons answer. Unfortunately, there are no Broadway theaters available in 2020, so Whitman decides to take A Strange Loop out of town for another run with plans for Broadway in 2021. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.  now run by Goyanes, the early supporter of Jacksons original version at Ars Nova  agrees to produce it in fall 2020. Of course, COVID-19 will disrupt all theater plans in the U.S. (the show is delayed at Woolly until November 2021); still, the buzz for A Strange Loop intensifies. It wins several major New York theater awards in a year with no Tonys. And then the 2020 Pulitzer for Drama.

That day, May 11, 2020, Jackson gets a text from a strange number on his phone: Mr. Jackson, this is Tyler Perry. Congrats on your Pulitzer!! Jackson tweets about the encounter: I spoke to Tyler today and he said he was gonna beat my ass but he also congratulated me on the Pulitzer win. (Though Perry, to date, has still not seen the show.)
Do you ever get the sense youre watching two different shows here? Theres this exaggerated and cartoonish version of the figures of Watergate, most clearly exemplified in Jeb Magruder and G. Gordon Liddy, and then theres the serious, were-in-an-HBO-drama-except-its-on-Starz players like John and Martha Mitchell. This episode highlights Liddy and the Mitchells in maybe the most uneven installment of the series to date. Not that I didnt enjoy those parts separately. But together they were, how do you say, real weird.

Part One is about the Mitchells, starting with how they met, which was at a Cantonese restaurant called China Pearl in the 1950s. The time shift was not queued up for us at all, other than John Mitchell having darker hair, so I assumed it was present-day and that he had dyed it to appear younger. If they didnt want to put a date on the screen, they could have had Mitchell and his racist friend being like, Boy, President Eisenhower and those highways of his, or That Elvis kid is really climbing the charts or Wow, it sure is great being a white man here in the 1950s. HELP ME OUT, SHOW.

If you werent picking up the pastness of the scene based on hair color, then Martha Mitchell walks in to meet John and she. looks. BEAUTIFUL. Can you imagine if you were on a blind date and it was with Julia Roberts? She looks like a goddamn angel. Theyre both very into each other, even though it makes zero sense that shed be so into him since theyve only just met and he is no Dwight Eisenhower (can you imagine if I used Eisenhower as a barometer for attractiveness?). She makes a wish on his eyelash.

Oh, also, John looks at the Chinese zodiac placemat early on and points out that hes the Year of the Rat (like the episode title!). Martha finds this placemat later and is nostalgic about it. Mainly, though, its just like  hey, he is like a rat.

Then its June 1973, and we pick up where we left off the last episode, as Martha walks into the Senate hearings to testify. Okay, unless the internet is deeply hiding this, this did not happen. This whole scene where the reporters are gone and Senator Gurney talks about how she was institutionalized after Martys birth and calls her father a drunken degenerate gambler  none of this happened. Now she did testify that year in a civil suit against CREEP, but that feels less dramatic, so here we are.

Side note, but in trying to find any testimony she gave, I came across this very interesting article from a July 1973 issue of McCalls that dives into how the Republicans changed Marthas narrative in order to discredit her. Near the end, it quotes Time Magazines Bonnie Angelo as saying, I get this Tennessee Williams feeling about Martha, that shes Blanche DuBois played by Betty Grable. Amazing description.

Back home, Martha is smashing things and scrubbing out her husbands face in his portrait, which seems like it would be very satisfying. Mitchell comes in and a massive fight ensues that involves some shoving on her part and then some choking on his  good LORD. They verbally abuse each other and he admits he was responsible for her kidnapping and abuse in California. Its all hurtful and awful. He says hes going to take Marty, leaving Martha alone.

Soon after, Martha is interviewed by Barbara Walters, which did happen! But as Ive only been able to find a photograph of the interview and no video or transcript, I have no idea if she actually sounded that disjointed and unfocused. In lieu of a Martha Mitchell interview with Barbara Walters, here is Barbara Walters interviewing Julia Roberts (wheels within wheels!). The interview goes poorly, and Martha is left alone at the end on an empty soundstage.

Now we arrive at Part Two! Which is funny and weird and extremely wtf is going on. Liddy writes letters to his wife, which he narrates in a Ken Burnss The Civil War cadence. He talks about pain or fear or one of those things and gets himself put in solitary confinement. While there, he hears a rat (hey, like the episode title!) and finds rat droppings. Now, this is awful. I lived in an apartment in my early thirties that was suddenly infested with mice, and I was on the edge of sanity for weeks until I moved. So being trapped in a tiny room with a rat and also youre G. Gordon Liddy in Gaslit and therefore completely unhinged already? Terrible. Liddy takes apart some of his mattress springs and creates a rat trap.

The rat trap goes horribly wrong and he springs it on himself in a moment reminiscent of nothing so much as Saw. So then Liddys like, ah, this is my test. I am waging a holy war against the demon that is my own weakness  see how weird this all is next to the Martha Mitchell plotline? He paints his face with rat shit, floods the toilet, yells, I STRIKE AT THEE when the rat shows up and he tries to nail it with the lunch tray, only he misses and lands in the water in his underpants.

The storylines merge when Liddy narrates a whole thing about how his Nazi nanny died by suicide because she was so sad about the death of Hitler. Meanwhile, Martha is standing outside the TV studio on the sidewalk, seemingly about to walk into traffic? Why was this narrated by Liddy talking about Nazis?? He says their noble leader (you mean NIXON, sir?) has also been devoured by rats (like the episode title!), and their sickness has infected the rest of them. What!

He sees a small hole in the wall of his cell and starts screaming, I found you! while picking at it. Liddy creates a decent-sized hole and climbs halfway through when he sees rats. He and the rats scream in each others faces while triumphant music plays. I LOLd, I admit it. But also WHAT IS HAPPENING? Pick a tone, show!

Oh, also, John Dean went to prison? He was kinda sidelined in this episode because we needed the scenes with Liddy and the rat shit. Deans in prison and Mo is going to wait for him.

Martha tries to convince Mitchell to stay, but he leaves and takes Marty. Martha cries alone in the apartment, and we flash back to her in 1957, walking into China Pearl as her friend talks up how great John is. Rats (like the episode title!) run across the sign as it fades out.
Incident comes weeks after tourist drove Maserati down Spanish Steps.

Two American tourists were fined 400 each after throwing an electric scooter down Rome's Spanish Steps.

The incident, which occurred at around 02.45 on the night between Thursday and Friday, came less than a month after a Saudi tourist drove a Maserati down the famed 18th-century staircase.

This time it was an American man and woman, aged 29 and 28 respectively, who were attempting to reach Piazza di Spagna from Trinita' dei Monti - via the Spanish Steps - on their rented electric scooters.

The tourists were stopped by Rome police after the woman was captured on security cameras apparently throwing her scooter down the marble steps.

In addition to the fines, the pair received a 'daspo' temporary ban from returning to the area as officials from the Rome superintendency assess the damage to the Baroque landmark.

The Spanish Steps underwent a 1.5 million restoration by luxury fashion house Bulgari between 2015 and 2016.
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JetBlue Airways Corp. isnt giving up in its pursuit of Spirit Airlines Inc. But a revamped bid raises more questions for Spirit shareholders trying to decide which offer to back. JetBlue once again tweaked its proposal for Spirit in an effort to thwart the ultra-low cost carriers plans to sell itself to Frontier Group Holdings Inc. JetBlue is now offering to pay a $350 million breakup fee  up from $200 million  in the event antitrust regulators block the transaction. The move comes after Frontier amended its own proposal to add a $250 million reverse termination fee amid criticism from proxy firm Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. about the lack of one. But Frontier declined to rejigger the terms of its bid to bridge the wide financial gap between what JetBlue is offering. JetBlue is also proposing to pay about half of that $350 million fee upfront as a dividend payment to Spirit holders, should they vote to approve a transaction.

The bottom line is that JetBlues bid is still materially higher than Frontiers, and its clearly motivated to fight for the chance to acquire Spirit. JetBlue is offering more than $30 a share in cash for Spirit (more on the specifics in a moment), or about $7 billion including the assumption of debt. Frontiers stock-and-cash offer was valued at about $21 a share based on Fridays trading prices. JetBlue likely faces a more challenging antitrust review, but both deals carry regulatory risks. JetBlues odds of closing a deal arent so impossible that Spirit shareholders can simply overlook the higher offer.

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Read more: JetBlue Is Going to Force Up Price for Spirit

That said, the latest proposal from JetBlue carries some interesting asterisks. A footnote in the press release cautions that the dividend payment is subject to any CARES Act limitations. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 provided up to $25 billion in loans to passenger airlines but required limitations on share repurchases and barred carriers from paying dividends or other capital distributions with respect to common stock until a year after the loan had been repaid.

JetBlue participated in this financial aid program and repaid its borrowings from the government in September 2021, according to its regulatory filings. Asked about dividend payments last month at JetBlues annual meeting, Chief Financial Officer Ursula Hurley said, at this point, we have no plans to pay dividends as we are unable to pay dividends, given the restrictions from the CARES Act financial support that we received throughout Covid. This is at most a temporary restriction, and its not clear whether the limitations would extend to dividends paid to another companys shareholders. JetBlue said it would pay $164 million ($1.50 a share) up front and promptly after Spirit shareholders vote to back a deal, but CARES Act considerations suggest that the payout could take slightly longer.

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JetBlues press release also makes no mention of its initial $33-a-share offer. That bid was still on the table as of last month, pending due diligence, according to JetBlues previous update on its proposal. Mondays offer is for a total of $31.50 a share $30 paid upon closing plus the $1.50 a share from the prepaid reverse termination fee  in a negotiated transaction. Its not clear what  if anything  happened to JetBlues willingness to pay $33 a share, but the absence of that particular number from Mondays announcement is notable.

Finally, Spirit has repeatedly indicated that it finds the stock component of Frontiers bid particularly attractive because it allows the companys shareholders to participate in future upside for the combined company, whereas in JetBlues all-cash deal, investors financial payout would be capped at whatever the final terms end up being. The stock component of Frontiers offer was also called out as a benefit for Spirit shareholders by proxy firm Glass Lewis & Co. And yet through all the twists and turns to date, JetBlue has declined to add a stock component to its offer. This is somewhat unusual as equity is traditionally considered an easier way to sweeten a deal than offering more cash, which would require raising more debt and bloating the balance sheet.

JetBlues reluctance to add a stock component may reflect a need to get permission from its own shareholders to make such an issuance and doubts about their willingness to sign off on such a plan. JetBlue shares have slid almost 30% since the airlines pursuit of Spirit was first reported in early April.

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Spirit shareholders are scheduled to vote on the Frontier deal on June 10. Frontier could make the decision a lot easier for them by finally taking JetBlues proposal seriously and raising its own offer.

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The Rental Car Apocalypse Has a Terrible Sequel: Chris Bryant



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JetBlue Will Force Up Spirits Price One Way or Another: Brooke Sutherland

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Brooke Sutherland is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals and industrial companies. A former M&A reporter for Bloomberg News, she writes the Industrial Strength newsletter.

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The opaque world of funding commodities trading in China is again under the spotlight. This time, metals markets are fixated on an incident in the southern province of Guangdong, in which several traders claim they were duped into providing credit against fictitious quantities of aluminum. More than 500 million yuan ($75 million) may have been loaned, backed by stockpiles of the metal stored in a warehouse in the city of Foshan that turned out to be worth significantly less than that.

The amounts being talked about are relatively small, certainly in the context of the aluminum market in China. The worlds biggest producer churned out over $100 billion of the lightweight metal last year, for everything from window frames to car parts. But whats spooked traders is the similarity to a much bigger scandal eight years ago in the northern port city of Qingdao that caused a crisis of confidence in Chinas metals markets.

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What might cause the mismatch in stockpiles?

Commodities trading, whether thats wheat, copper or oil, is typically a high-volume, low margin business. To optimize cash flow, traders often pledge their assets for loans. In the metals industry, that collateral takes the form of warehouse warrants, which record details like the quantity, quality, ownership and location of the goods.

Fabricating multiple warrants for a single stockpile of metals would allow the owner to access loans from more than one lender, a practice sometimes referred to as over-pledging. A mismatch between receipts and the actual quantity of metal could happen under such procedure.

Why would a trader take that risk?

Traders running on already razor-thin margins have been operating under even tougher financing conditions in recent months. Banks have become more cautious on lending because of bigger price swings caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as jitters over some high profile losses in the nickel market.

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Thats encouraged some to seek alternative financing, including the practice where smaller, privately owned firms pledge their goods to larger, state-run traders to obtain cash. Commodities prices are also generally higher due to the war in Ukraine, which means that inventories may be worth more as a currency for making other investments.

The risk now is that larger traders arent going to lend to their smaller peers if they dont have confidence that their loans are secured by valid warehouse warrants.

How was the potential foul uncovered?

That market volatility may have jangled creditors nerves. The sharp drop in aluminum prices after the latest virus outbreak locked down the entire city of Shanghai led some to try and take hold of the pledged metal, fearful that borrowers wouldnt be able to repay their loans. That was when the mismatch between too many warrants and not enough aluminum became apparent, according to people familiar with the matter, who declined to be identified discussing a private matter.

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What happened during the Qingdao scandal?

The Foshan incident is relatively small beer and so far involves just traders. At Qingdao, it was banks, including international institutions, that ended up with the biggest exposure to a merchant and its affiliates who pledged the same metals stockpile multiple times to obtain loans of more than 20 billion yuan.

But that in itself is probably instructive. Banks have learned the lessons of Qingdao and other commodities financing scandals, making them more cautious lenders and driving traders to seek other arrangements, including borrowing from larger peers. Chinas regulator also urged banks to strengthen oversight, and the use of metals as collateral for financing has diminished since then.

Other similar frauds outside China include French and Australian banks getting hit by loan losses in 2017 that totaled over $300 million, after they discovered fake documents for nickel stored in Asian warehouses owned by Access World, a subsidiary of Glencore Plc. And in 2020, Singaporean oil trader Hin Leong (Pte) Ltd. forged documents to win trade financing for products it had already sold.

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What are the potential outcomes?

The local police in Guangdong are investigating and will determine whether fraud occurred but because the warrants in question werent registered with the Shanghai Futures Exchange, Chinas biggest commodities bourse wont be on the hook for examining the regulatory angles to the case. Instead, the creditors will probably go after the warehouses first for the inventories, while waiting for investigations to decide if the borrowers are accountable for the losses.

The incident has led to a domino effect whereby more warehouses in China have suspended operations to check on-site metal inventories, according to people with knowledge of the information.

Although the Chinese government and its state banks are preparing to expand lending to counter the ill-effects of the virus on the economy, their largess is unlikely to extend to commodities trading. As such, smaller outfits may find it harder to get financing in the wake of another scandal.

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The incident is having a baleful effect on prices, as well. Aluminum has dropped in the days since news of the possible fraud started circulating, and traders will continue to be wary of buying metal while such uncertainty around ownership persists. Theres also the risk that confidence will be sapped in other important markets for materials that rely on warehouse warrants, like copper, nickel or zinc.

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One aspect of the war in Ukraine demands much closer attention  the failure of the US and its rich-country friends to build strong partnerships with the developing world. Many governments in Africa, Latin America and Asia have distanced themselves from the allies response to Russias aggression. This is helping Moscow and does nothing to discourage other regimes with expansionist ambitions. The neglect that allowed it to happen was a serious error, and putting it right should be a high priority.

When the General Assembly of the United Nations voted to condemn the invasion shortly after it started, 35 countries abstained. It wasnt just China and fellow dictatorships such as Cuba and Nicaragua, but also India, South Africa and Senegal. Others, including Ethiopia and Morocco, didnt vote at all. A combination of Russian arms supplies, Chinese investment and American inattention persuaded too many governments that their interests werent served by aligning with the US.

Its part of a wider pattern. The Summit of the Americas, taking place this week in Los Angeles, was seen partly as a way to atone for Donald Trumps refusal to attend the event in 2018. Its instead become another source of friction, with the regions leaders balking at US efforts to manage the guest list. President Joe Bidens administration has little goodwill to fall back on and continues to struggle with basics like appointing ambassadors. Obstructionist senators are partly to blame for that  but the White House doesnt disguise the fact that it has other priorities.

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In May, a US-ASEAN summit in Washington fizzled, ending with just $150 million of new initiatives for Southeast Asia. The Biden administration is now talking up its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity  an initiative notable for its lack of ambition, which left many of Americas would-be partners distinctly unimpressed. Last years promise of a summit with Africas leaders to counter Chinas triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation gathering has gone nowhere.

Meanwhile, Chinas policy banks have provided more than $130 billion in loan commitments for Latin America and the Caribbean alone between 2009 and 2019. Beijing supplied Covid-19 vaccines to many desperate nations. Russia is a crucial seller of weapons to India and much of Africa, and a main supplier of grain and fertilizer. Neither Moscow nor Beijing asks too many questions about free elections and human rights.

To win better support from developing countries, on Russia and other matters as well, Western governments should, for a start, be less quick to admonish. Appeals to liberal values tend to fall flat with people who remember less principled Western interventions. Also, many see the war in Ukraine as a proxy fight between Moscow and Washington  one where they have little at stake. The remedy is to frame the conflict not as punishing Russia and its autocratic leader, but as aiding Ukraines fight for self-determination. A powerful nation started this war by scorning sovereign borders: Thats a threat all can recognize.

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Heres another. A prolonged war will keep food, energy and fertilizer prices elevated, and this puts poor countries, with fewer resources to buffer the impact, in particular danger. It makes sense for the allies to say so, but their warning will get a better response if combined with prompt and generous support for the countries worst affected and most in need. Looking farther ahead, new efforts to address deeper economic vulnerabilities  for instance, by supporting African agriculture and logistics  would serve the diplomatic purpose and help deliver longer-term prosperity.

Resources arent infinite, but supporting closer cooperation with the developing world would be money well spent. Whether its weaning countries off Russian weapons, improving food security for the planets poorest people, or promoting efforts to address climate change, the benefits would be huge. The Global Souths unnerving tolerance of Putins crimes marks a failure on the part of the US and its friends. It needs urgent attention.

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Saudi Arabias Chief Oil Whisperer Spills Some of His Secrets: Javier Blas

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Consider, if you will, a scenario where Foxconn Technology Group enjoys margins three times fatter than Apple Inc. That may be hard to imagine because the developer of iPhones is one of the largest companies in the world, earning close to $100 billion annually, while the one that makes those devices brings in 5% of that.

But this was once the case. The year was 1996, and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.  Foxconns flagship  posted a gross margin of 31% while Apple delivered just 9.8%. It was a historic low for the Cupertino company, during Steve Jobss hiatus from the business he founded. It was also a record high for the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer. The roles have since switched and last year they posted figures of 42% and 6%, respectively.

Yet Foxconn has a plan to reverse its margin decline by going back to the core business that Terry Gou started almost 50 years ago, one that preceded the iPod and iPhone and was driven by a boom in computers, early games consoles and even dot-matrix printers. If Gous successor, current Chairman Young Liu, is right then todays electric vehicles might be akin to the PCs of the 1990s  and could become a catalyst for levels of profitability not seen in 20 years.

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In the mid-1990s, personal computer uptake was booming with consumers, schools and businesses rushing to install those beige metal boxes on their desks. Companies like Compaq Computer Corp. and Dell Computer Corp. were growing fast and the internet was in its nascent phase. Gou found his niche early on, developing and churning out the myriad small components that connect all the parts of a computer  hence the name Foxconn. While these little pieces of technology had low price tags, clients bought them by the bucket and Foxconn could charge huge markups.

Large-scale assembly of electronic gadgets didnt come until the turn of the century when Jobs, and his lieutenant Tim Cook, needed someone to manufacture their hit new iPod at massive scale and with a fast turnaround. Soon, Foxconns factory in Shenzhen southern China was dubbed iPod city, and would later become the global hub of iPhone assembly.

Despite hiring up to a million workers to slot together all the parts of a smartphone, Foxconns device-assembly business isnt all that profitable and has razor-thin margins. Instead, the company makes better money from manufacturing or procuring the parts that go inside, and charging clients a premium over the cost. Putting the final product together is seen more as an extra service for the client, one that allows Foxconn to command greater control over the entire process and the components that go inside.

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Thats where electric vehicles come in.

At its annual shareholder meeting last week in Taipei, Liu  who took over from Gou in 2019  spent a lot of time talking about the companys EV plans. In the past three years its opened factories or inked manufacturing deals in the US, Mexico, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Thailand. Clients include American startups Lordstown Motors Corp. and Fisker Inc. as well as European carmaker Stellantis NV. Almost no mention was made of smartphones, let alone Apple, which accounts for half its revenue.

Lius ambitions are bold, bordering on fantastical. Within three years he expects Foxconn to ship 500,000 to 750,000 EVs, take 5% of the global market, and garner NT$1 trillion ($34 billion) in annual sales from the sector (equivalent to 15% of 2021 total revenue). Even more ambitious, he is targeting a two-thirds increase in gross margin to 10%  a figure not seen since 2005, two years before the iPhone was released.

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But churning out cars from Detroit-like assembly lines isnt the goal. Instead, Foxconn sees EVs as being just like PCs  a huge computer on wheels, which require a ton of components that go inside. It wants to be the company to supply those parts, and enjoy the fat margins that go with it.

Foxconn already started a consortium of partners  called MIH  to agree on industry standards, and has a reference design for any client who wants a car off the plan. This is very similar to how the PC industry developed in the 1980s and 1990s, when a plethora of incompatible components and connectors  think flat-ribbon printer cables  slowly gave way to common technologies like USB and Ethernet cables. This means that, just as for PCs, Foxconn doesnt need to produce every electric vehicle in the world to make money from each unit shipped. By example, it counts Tesla Inc. as a client for components while Chief Executive Elon Musk made the strategic decision to keep assembly in-house.

Foxconn is also betting on the chips used in cars, which have been in short supply over the past two years. By the end of 2023, itll be operating at least three semiconductor manufacturing fabs, using the older technologies best suited for automotive components. It may fail. While Liu himself is an electrical engineer by training, the companys chip prowess is unproven  especially when compared to Goliaths like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and United Microelectronics Corp. But success here would set it up for even greater power, and profits, given that the average car has more chips inside than all the devices in the average household put together.

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If these bold plans pay off, Foxconn could become as ubiquitous to the EV industry as it once was in PCs  a position it now enjoys within the smartphone sector. If not, the company that makes your iPhone may be remembered as just that.

More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Tesla Is Hedging Its Global Supply Chain Bets: Anjani Trivedi

 Technology Companies Have Found a Road Out of China: Tim Culpan

 Manufacturers Are Embracing DIY Supply Chain: Brooke Sutherland

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Tim Culpan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology in Asia. Previously, he was a technology reporter for Bloomberg News.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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For more than two years, the main topic of conversation pretty much everywhere has been about the impact of Covid-19. Now that the worst of the pandemic seems to be over and people are traveling more freely again, another hot topic is on the tips of everyones tongues: expensive plane tickets.

People are looking for flights -- sometimes their first in years -- in a rush of whats been termed revenge travel. Internet searches show sky-high airfares for many routes, yet travelers with wanderlust are opting to stomach the higher costs after being grounded for so long.

The demand is off the charts, Delta Air Lines Inc. Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said at an industry conference last week, noting that fares this summer may be 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Its coming with leisure, its coming with premium customers, its coming with business, its coming with international. It doesnt matter what the category is.

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Global Movement

The trend is across geographies, though some places are more squeezed than others. Searches for a return economy-class ticket between Hong Kong and London on Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. in late June turn up prices as high as HK$42,051 ($5,360), which is more than five times the typical cost before the pandemic. Direct flights between New York and London around the same time cost more than $2,000 in economy.

Ticket prices are really expensive these days, said Jacqueline Khoo, who works in tourism. Her company paid S$5,000 ($3632) for a colleagues return trip with Singapore Airlines Ltd. to Hamburg later this month. That used to cost about S$2,000, she said. Its really amazing that an economy seat ticket would cost you so much.

A Mastercard Economics Institute study found the cost of flying from Singapore was on average 27% higher in April than in 2019, while flights from Australia were 20% more. Increasingly, travelers are booking tickets months in advance as theyre worried about the cost of buying at the last minute, said David Mann, chief economist for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at the institute.

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There are several reasons for the higher fares, not all of which are within the control of airlines.

Giant Jets Parked

Carriers are cautious about bringing back all their idled jets, even though most countries have eased cross-border restrictions. Thats particularly true for giant aircraft like Airbus SEs A380 superjumbos and Boeing Co.s older 747-8s, as airlines turn to more fuel-efficient models like A350s and 787 Dreamliners. The pinch is most acute in Asia, which was the slowest to ease restrictions, and as China, the biggest market in the region, remains essentially closed.

After navigating varied and changing government policies for the past two years, it will take time for airlines to rebuild fleets given that many restrictions only eased in May, said Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. Its still early days, he said. Were just in June, so its not like turning on the tap.

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Carriers also scaled down their networks during Covid, none more so than Cathay, which has been hemmed in by Hong Kongs onerous travel and quarantine rules. Thats left people considering lengthy journeys with one or more stopovers, whereas before they might have flown direct. British Airways Plc doesnt even fly to Hong Kong at the moment.

With fewer planes in the skies, there are fewer seats to meet the recovery in demand, which in turn has pushed up fares.

Skyrocketing Fuel Prices

Russias invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated a steady rise in crude oil prices over the past 18 months. Jet fuel now represents as much as 38% of an average airlines costs, up from 27% in the years leading to 2019. For some budget airlines, it can be as high as 50%.

Spot jet fuel prices in New York have soared more than 80% this year, though prices vary from region to region depending on refining costs and local taxes. Many US carriers have been able to cover the increased fuel costs so far -- but only by passing them along to travelers in the form of higher fares.

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Some investors believe airlines may seek to boost fuel surcharges as a way to cope, analysts at Citigroup Inc. said in March. Most of Asias airlines dont hedge jet fuel, which means they are more vulnerable to price increases.

Deep-Pocketed Travelers

Higher ticket costs dont seem to be dissuading people from making trips now that many travel restrictions have eased. Some consumers are tapping dormant holiday budgets and upgrading to more expensive aircraft cabins for leisure trips, the International Air Transport Associations Director General Willie Walsh said last month.

The so-called revenge traveler is an individual that has been emotionally affected by the lockdowns and has craved travel over the last two years and theyve dreamt about it, said Hermione Joye, sector lead for travel in Asia Pacific at Alphabet Inc.s Google. They are very spontaneous.

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Lack of Staff

Hundreds of thousands of pilots, flight attendants, ground handlers and other aviation workers lost their jobs over the past couple of years. With travel picking up, the industry now finds itself unable to hire fast enough to allow for seamless operations at its pre-pandemic levels.

Read more: Fewer Pilots Will Lead to a Summer of Flight Cancellations

Singapores Changi Airport -- regularly voted the worlds best -- is looking to recruit more than 6,600 people. Many workers who were let go have found other, less volatile careers, and arent willing to come back to a cyclical industry. An operator at Changi is offering a joining bonus of S$25,000 to auxiliary police officers, a job that pays a maximum of S$3,700 a month.

In the US, smaller regional airlines cant fly at full capacity because bigger carriers have hired away too many pilots. Hundreds of flights have been canceled in the UK, scuppering holiday plans and leading to long delays and scenes of passengers sleeping at airports. In Europe, major airports have faced delays and cancellations after failing to hire adequate staff. That has disrupted airline schedules and added to costs.

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Repairing Balance Sheets

Aviation is a capital-intensive industry with historically wafer-thin margins. Covid has made that operating climate even more challenging: globally, airlines lost more than $200 billion in the three years to 2022.

Elevated fares provide carriers with a path to recover from losses and return to the black.

Read more: US Airlines Face Crucial Summer Test in Quest for Profitability

Weve never seen a revenue environment like this, led by domestic leisure, American Airlines Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Robert Isom said at an industry conference last week. On top of that, we see large corporates coming back in. Small- and medium-sized businesses have been really off the charts for a number of months now.

How Much Longer?

Its unclear how long these high prices will persist, even as many travelers seem willing to pay up.

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The rise in prices is a short-term phenomenon, estimates Stephen Tracy, chief operating officer at Milieu Insight, a Singapore-based consumer insight and analytics firm. Lets all just hope that once these things equalize again, the prices come back down. I am fairly confident that they will.

In a few cases, fares are actually lower than pre-pandemic levels, according to Michael OLeary, chief executive officer of Ryanair Holdings Plc. While theres a prospect of more fares returning to levels they were at before Covid, the war in Ukraine and virus outbreaks are still risks, he said.

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Vladimir Putins propaganda machine has built up the image of a powerful nation with an indomitable leader and a disciplined army, encircled by enemies and fighting for the future of the motherland. Never mind that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine, that there has been plentiful evidence of Russian soldiers looting and raping, or that what was supposed to be a bloodless blitzkrieg has turned into a costly war of attrition. Roadside billboards with portraits of fallen soldiers carry the tagline hero of victory, though theres no actual triumph. A popular slogan roughly translates as we leave none of our people behind, though the armed forces routinely do just that, abandoning bodies in the mud or in makeshift Ukrainian morgues.

The Kremlin sustains its official narrative with a tight grip. But as the war drags on, campaign aims shifting, theres one inconvenient truth that even President Vladimir Putin will increasingly struggle to muffle: the men who fail to come home. No constituency is as hard for him to dismiss as the mothers, wives and daughters of soldiers, especially if tempers rise along with widespread economic hardship. Their anger and grief has helped to galvanize public opinion in the past, tarnishing the image of the military and the state. It can do so again.

Russias losses in Ukraine have already been staggering, even if the pace has slowed since the disastrous early days. Its hard to be precise because official Defense Ministry figures have not been released since March 25, and even then inevitably undercounted, with 1,351 Russian service members reported to have been killed. Ukraine calculates around 30,000 Russian deaths, an overestimate. But even half that, as Britains defense secretary reckoned in April, would not be far off the number the Soviet Union officially lost in its decade-long conflict in Afghanistan. And the number is rising.

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Weve seen the power of mothers before. During the 1980s bodies were returned from Afghanistan in sealed zinc coffins and headstones carved only with killed fulfilling his internationalist duty. Aided by the freedoms of glasnost, angry mothers began to demand information on deaths and injuries. They campaigned actively against dedovshchina, the brutal hazing of young conscripts, and forced the Soviet military to provide answers for the first time.

The Committee of Soldiers Mothers remained front and center during the first Chechen war, when they marched to the capital Grozny, negotiated to bring their sons home and gathered evidence on the killed and wounded. Mothers fury put Putin on the spot over his desultory response to the sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk in 2000, with 118 on board. They earn $50 a month and now theyre stuck in that tin can! What did I raise him for? Do you have children? one pained mother shouted at Kremlin officials. She was silenced  television footage showed her being injected with a substance and collapsing, though she later denied being tranquilized  but public anger was harder to soothe.

It will play out differently in 2022.

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The ability to press the military for transparency in the late 1980s, mothers influence during the Chechen war in the 1990s, and even the outbursts over Kursk, were possible in a context of relative media and political freedom, thanks to perestroikas reforms and the chaos that followed. Its no accident the mothers had far less success during the second Chechen campaign, as Putins time in office got underway. Today, theres wall-to-wall propaganda glorifying the fallen, control of the media and little tolerance for protest of any kind.

As Gulnaz Sharafutdinova of Kings College London pointed out to me, theres also the fact that unlike in either Afghanistan or the first war in Chechnya, when society was more equal and families of all kinds were affected, those involved in this conflict are by and large not conscripts but contracted soldiers, young men seeking a way out of poverty, coming from ethnic minorities and distant regions  with little political clout.

Its telling that a list of nearly 1,100 fatalities analyzed by the BBC Russian Service in early April did not include a single man from Moscow, a city of roughly 13 million. There were only five from the wider Moscow region and one from St Petersburg. Buryatia, a republic with fewer than a million people, had 52 fallen servicemen. Dagestan, in the Caucasus and with some three million inhabitants, had 93.

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And theres the simple reality that a death is easier for families to handle if it is heroic, making them more likely to accept the official line, even when it flies in the face of their experience. When Nobel Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich wrote her polyphonic book on the soldiers of the Soviet war in Afghanistan and their families  Boys in Zinc, after their coffins  she was threatened, and eventually sued by several of her subjects for libel and defamation. Mothers of sons who had died in Afghanistan came to the trial with portraits of their children, with their medals and insignia, she later wrote. And, to me, the mothers said, We do not need your truth, we have our own truth.

But with every casualty, the fiction is harder to sustain, and the questions more pressing. Its a risk that grows with every sunk cruiser or badly hit parachute regiment. Especially when the wars goals remain murky.

Ukraine has spotted the opportunity. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appealed directly to Russian mothers. The government in Kyiv set up a hotline and runs a Telegram channel and website with pictures of those captured, for families searching for loved ones  to spread the word.

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Its a danger Putin recognizes and has struggled with since his plans for a three-day war went wrong in late February. He has repeatedly said there are no conscripts on the front in Ukraine  the use of conscripts in battle remains a highly sensitive issue  and has resisted mass mobilization. But his Defense Ministry has had to acknowledge that some conscripts have been deployed, and some captured. And facing heavy losses of troops and equipment, Putin has just removed the upper age limit for contract soldiers. As the fight drags on, he will have to pull in reserves, or more of those doing their compulsory military service. (Though most likely not women, who make up a tiny portion of the armed forces and are not generally permitted in frontline roles.)

As Ben Noble, who studies Russian domestic politics at University College London, points out, casualties, like economic hardship, will test the limits of the regimes propaganda and repression because both are directly experienced by ordinary Russians, whatever television talk shows say. And there will be a tipping point for both.

Three factors make matters worse for Putin. One is that even by the standards of autocrats, he struggles with empathy that might help navigate a public crisis. He only found time to visit injured servicemen three months after the invasion of Ukraine, and the Kremlins idea of presidential compassion was footage of wooden handshakes distributed in a spotless Moscow hospital where no one actually appeared to be particularly ill. As Noble put it to me, its a personalist regime without a human face.

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Then, theres the fact that unlike around the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the patriotic surge in Russian opinion shown in surveys after the fighting began also shows significant anxiety. Asked in March what they felt about the war, most did first mention pride in Russia  but then it was fear, anxiety and horror. For younger respondents, fear, anxiety and horror came first. There are already disgruntled relatives speaking up and attacks on draft offices.

Finally, theres Putins emphasis on women as mothers, as he grapples with Russias dismal demographics and leans on traditionalist views to rein in society. He has, for example, sought to restore the Soviet title of Heroine Mother for women with large families. Its hard to glorify, then silence.

Moms and wives cant topple Putin or end the fight, just as their distress didnt force troops out of Afghanistan or end the Soviet Union. But their grief and growing numbers of casualties  which state media cannot airbrush away with laudatory coverage alone  tarnishes the military and the state with unpredictable consequences.

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We got so used to living on two levels, one according to what we read in books and the press, and the other  totally different  according to our own experience, one woman told Alexievich, after extracts from her book were published.

Everything you wrote was true, except that reality was even more terrible.

More from Bloomberg Opinion:

 The World Doesnt Need a More Restrained America: Hal Brands

 Is Breaking Up Russia the Only Way to End Its Imperialism?: Leonid Bershidsky

 Top Gun Is a Hollywood Maverick When It Comes to China: Matthew Brooker

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and editorial board member covering foreign affairs and climate. Previously, she worked for Reuters in Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the U.K., Italy and Russia.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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How did Facebook become a business worth $1 trillion at one point last year? Not just by fulfilling its mission of connecting people, but by keeping them hooked on the site, sometimes for hours on end. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc.s YouTube and Twitter Inc. have spent years perfecting the art of building habit-forming products, whether through the social affirmation of likes, the allure of a never-ending newsfeed or the way YouTube hits your dopamine receptors each time it recommends a new video.

Guillaume Chaslot, an engineer who left Google in 2013 after helping to design YouTubes recommendation algorithm, remembers being told to program it to encourage larger amounts of time spent by people on the site. When you optimize for time spent, then you optimize for addiction, he says. At the time, I did not even realize that.

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But now, several years into a broad backlash against Big Tech platforms over their safety, more consumer internet services seem to be disregarding the pressure to be sticky, in Silicon Valley parlance, or to reward attention-seeking behavior. Its a promising trend.

Some of these services are actually taking off with consumers.

BeReal is a social app developed in France where all users are told to post a photo of themselves and their surroundings at one randomly appointed time each day. Instead of perfectly angled selfies on the beach, you get double chins, laptop keyboards and crowds of bus commuters  in other words, the mundane moments of everyday lives. As of May 2022, BeReal had been downloaded more than 10 million times and is growing steadily among teens and college students in the US, UK and France, according to app analytics firm data.ai.

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There are no beautifying filters, and BeReal discourages staged photos. It isnt showing fake lives like some Instagram influencers present, says Alice, a 15-year-old in London who started using BeReal in April after a friend recommended it.

Perhaps more importantly, BeReal isnt as addictive as Instagram. You only really need to look at the app once a day, when a flood of new photos gets added. Ive been using BeReal for several months and find it hard to ignore the apps two-minute alerts for everyone to post a photo, but Im not hooked on BeReal in the same way Im compelled to look at Twitter multiple times throughout the day.

The once-a-day routine is also what has driven tens of millions of people to play Wordle, the hit puzzle game now owned by New York Times Co. that updates itself daily, and which encourages players to share yellow-and-green grid emojis of their results.

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Instead of building a constant itch to be checked 24/7, both BeReal and Wordle create anticipation. Instead of showcasing content, the apps encourage a unique, fleeting daily practice that connects users with others.

Both web services could be fads, of course. Remember the apps Dispo, YikYak and Peach? If not, thats because social media and internet platforms are a fickle business, filled with flameouts that couldnt attain long-term appeal with consumers.

But Wordle and BeReals current success also comes alongside a broader cultural change: a hardening awareness among consumers, and among teens and 20-somethings in particular, of the psychological risks of spending a lot of time on social media. That knowledge has compelled Gen Z to pioneer finsta accounts on Instagram to post more private and authentic photos for their close friends, or to start trends like #filterdrop.

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Ironically, the biggest company ditching the dopamine model may be Facebook itself.

If you find that hard to believe, consider that the metaverse, which Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is pivoting his entire company toward, doesnt seem to have much addictive potential. For one, entering virtual reality is cumbersome. After strapping a headset like the Oculus Quest 2 to your face, you wait several minutes while a game like Beat Saber loads on the headset which, speaking from my own experience of regularly using a Quest 2, becomes noticeably heavy and uncomfortable after about an hour.

VR headsets are destined to get lighter and more comfortable. But they will still require far more intention than glancing at a phone and casually thumbing a screen. Various studies have shown the average American checks their phone between 50 and 100 times each day. That probably wont be the case with the metaverse, even when VR devices become sleeker.

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That is also because visiting VR requires setting time aside to immerse yourself in a virtual space with the same kind of intent you would have to sit down and watch TV in the evening. Its a different story with so-called augmented reality, where information is overlaid onto your view of the real world, and which seems more likely to become addictive with its much more seamless transition between real and digital spaces.

Using the metaverse takes time  being able to log on, and just the amount of focus you have to spend, Wagner James Au, author of The Making of Second Life, told me in February. It takes a lot of time and attention. You cant, for instance, watch a movie and simultaneously check into the metaverse in the same way you might check your Facebook newsfeed during dull moments of dialogue.

Its true that 20 years ago the internets early skeptics argued that getting online was too complicated to plug into our daily lives. But I still dont buy Facebooks vision that people will spend large chunks of their day working, socializing and playing in the metaverse, because the transition from an all-encompassing virtual reality to our physical reality is clunky.

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The metaverse being built by Facebook has serious problems that need ironing out. There have been incidents of harassment, creepy behavior and a worrying number of children visitors. And Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has warned that the metaverse will be habit-forming in the future. But I expect it to be about as addictive as computer games, which have been shown to have narrower incidents of addiction disorder, potentially affecting 0.3% - 1% of the population of the US, UK, Canada and Germany, according to one 2016 study.

In fact, not only are people not finding themselves lured back to the metaverse over and over as they have with Facebook, metaverse evangelists arent, either. Very few of them actually use the metaverse with the degree of frequency that they say were all going to be using it, Au noted.

The moral paradox of Facebook is that its addictive quality has lead to both widespread harm and astonishing financial success. Meta earned $39.4 billion in profit last year, on sales of $117 billion. Its founder is currently the worlds 15th richest person. But its future money-making potential with the metaverse is an open question when putting on a VR headset doesnt hit the same dopamine reward pathways in our brains as glancing at a smartphone dozens of time each day.

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How will Meta attain the same level of ad revenue from the metaverse if people arent visiting it anywhere near as frequently as Facebook or Instagram? That question may be fueling broader skepticism about the metaverses future business potential: Metas shares have sunk 43% since the start of the year, a sharper decline than Alphabet (down 22%) and Amazon Inc. (down 23%) in the latest tech market rout.

The metaverse will continue to cost Zuckerbergs company billions of dollars, but when it comes to creating digital junkies out of us all, Meta and other new apps like BeReal seem to be going in a healthier direction.

More From Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:



Were Giving Elon Musk Too Much Attention: Mark Gongloff



Google Is Sharing Our Data at a Startling Scale: Parmy Olson



Its Awkward Being a Woman in the Metaverse: Parmy Olson

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Parmy Olson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology. A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, she is author of We Are Anonymous.

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Liz Cheney says Jan. 6 was part of conspiracy Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said there was an extremely broad and extremely well-organized conspiracy by President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election  and that the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was just one instance in an ongoing threat to democracy.

We are not in a situation where former president Trump has expressed any sense of remorse about what happened, Cheney, the vice chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, told CBS Newss Robert Costa.

We are, in fact, in a situation where he continues to use even more extreme language, frankly, than the language that caused the attack, she added. And so, people must pay attention. People must watch, and they must understand how easily our democratic system can unravel if we dont defend it.

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Cheneys remarks, which aired Sunday, come days before the committee begins televised prime-time hearings throughout June that will feature live witnesses, taped interviews with key figures  including Trump family members  and previously unseen video footage. The hearings mark the culmination of an inquiry that has involved more than 1,000 interviews and reviews of more than 125,000 records.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), another member of the Jan. 6 select committee, said the panel hoped the hearings would counter Trumps continued propagation of the baseless assertion  what some of his critics call the big lie  that widespread voter fraud cost him the 2020 election. Schiff also said there was a great deal the American public had not yet seen about the Jan. 6 attack.

But perhaps most important is the public hasnt seen it woven together, how one thing led to another, how one line of effort to overturn the election led to another and ultimately led to terrible violence, the first non-peaceful transfer of power in our history, Schiff said on CBS Newss Face the Nation on Sunday. So we want to tell that comprehensive narrative, and were aiming at [an audience], frankly, that still has an open mind about these facts.

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 Amy B Wang

Execution of inmate in 1984 slaying still set

A federal judge has denied an Arizona prisoners bid to delay his execution in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl, according to the ruling posted Sunday.

U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdis decision keeps on track Wednesdays scheduled execution of Frank Atwood, who argued the states death penalty procedures would violate his constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment by subjecting him to unimaginable pain.

His lawyers said Atwood, who uses a wheelchair because of a degenerative spinal condition, would undergo excruciating suffering if he were strapped to a gurney while lying on his back during his lethal injection execution.

Liburdi said in the ruling made Saturday that he would not block the execution based on Atwoods claim, noting that the state will provide Atwood with a medical wedge that will relieve pressure on his spine and can also tilt the execution table. He said those accommodations will minimize the pain Plaintiff experiences when he lies on his back.

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Liburdi wrote that the Constitution does not require a pain-free execution, and that Atwoods position will be similar to what he typically assumes in his cell to limit pain.

Atwood is also asking the Arizona Supreme Court to delay his execution while his lawyers pursue claims that he is innocent. That court denied a stay late last week but is now considering the new claim.

 Associated Press

Democrats challenge candidate's paperwork

Wisconsin Democrats are challenging the paperwork Donald Trumps preferred candidate for governor filed to get on the ballot in the GOP primary on technical grounds.

The state Democratic Party said Sunday that construction company co-owner Tim Michels failed to include his correct mailing address on the nominating forms, making thousands of signatures invalid.

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Michelss campaign dismissed the complaint as frivolous. The campaign acknowledged that some of the nominating forms list his physical address in the village of Chenequa instead of his official mailing address that is in the nearby town of Hartland, but it said all of the forms include the campaigns post office box mailing address.

The states bipartisan elections commission will consider the challenge Friday.

 Associated Press

Wis. man charged in January killings: A 34-year-old Wisconsin man has been charged in the deaths of six people who were found slain in January at a Milwaukee duplex.

Bail was set at $1 million Sunday for Travis Lamar Birkley, who is charged with six counts of felony murder. An attorney who represented Birkley at the hearing declined to comment on the case.

The six victims were found with gunshot wounds on Jan. 23.

Investigators linked Birkley to the killings with cellphone data that included a selfie that appeared to have been taken in the basement of the home where the bodies were found several hours after the victims were thought to have been killed on Jan. 20.

 From news services

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Gary Payton II and the Warriors have Jaylen Brown and the Celtics staring at elimination. (AP)

The Celtics sound plenty confident, but in Game 5 they looked nothing like the worthy challengers who have largely outplayed the Warriors in the NBA Finals.
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UNITED NATIONS  European Council President Charles Michel accused Russia on Monday of using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries and blamed the Kremlin for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscows U.N. ambassador to walk out of a Security Council meeting. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Michel addressed Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at the council meeting, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odessa a few weeks ago.

That was because of Russian warships in the Black Sea, and Moscows attacks on transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, bombs and mines that are preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting, he said.

This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilizing entire regions, Michel said. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.

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Michel also accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas it has occupied while shifting the blame of others, calling this cowardly and propaganda, pure and simple.

Nebenzia walked out during Michels briefing, giving Russias seat to another diplomat.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky tweeted later on Telegrams Russian channel that Michels comments were so rude that the Russian ambassador left the Security Council chamber.

The Security Council meeting was supposed to focus on sexual violence during the war in Ukraine but Russias invasion and the consequences, especially on global food shortages and rising prices, were also raised.

Michel gave strong backing to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres efforts to get a package agreement that would allow grain exports from Ukraine and ensure that Russian food and fertilizer have unrestricted access to global markets.

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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.

Guterres warned last month that global hunger levels are at a new high, with the number of people facing severe food insecurity doubling in just two years from 135 million before the COVID-19 pandemic to 276 million today. He said more than 500,000 people are living in famine conditions -- an increase of more than 500% since 2016.

Ukraines U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Security Council on Monday that the country remains committed to finding solutions to prevent the global food crisis and is ready to create the necessary conditions to resume exports from the key southern port of Odesa.

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The question is how to make sure that Russia does not abuse the trade route to attack the city itself, he said.

Kyslytsya said the question has become more relevant since four Russian missiles hit a plant in the capital Kyiv on Sunday where freight cars that carry grain to Ukrainian ports were being repaired.

It means all Putins fairy tales about his readiness to facilitate Ukrainian wheat export that he so eloquently tells his rare interlocutors remain too far removed from reality, the Ukrainian ambassador said.

Nonetheless, we continue our work with the U.N. and partners to ensure the functioning of the maritime rules for the expert for Ukrainian agricultural products, Kyslytsya said.

As a first step, he said, Russia must withdraw its naval forces in the maritime waters around Ukraine and provide security guarantees against attacks in ports and against commercial ships.

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, at a virtual roundtable discussion with private sector groups on food security issues arising from the conflict, accused Russian forces of planting explosives in captured farmland and hoarding Ukraines food exports.

Blinken said Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing this and aggressively using his propaganda machine to deflect or distort responsibility because he hopes it will get the world to give in to him and then the sanctions. In other words, quite simply put: Its blackmail.

The Kremlin needs to realize that it is exporting starvation and suffering well beyond Ukraine borders, with African experiencing an outsize share the pain, he said.

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Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

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PRISTINA, Kosovo  Hundreds of Kosovo war veterans clashed with police Monday at a protest to demand higher pensions, leaving at least three people injured, police said. Police kept members of the War Veterans Organization of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) away from the parliament in Pristina, where lawmakers were discussing proposal to raise the minimum salary from 170 euros ($182) to 250 euros ($268) per month.

More than 30,000 war veterans get 170 euros per month for their pensions but were not included in the draft law, which did not pass.

They forced their way into the parliament buildings yard, despite the tear gas fired. They also tried to enter the hall of the building but were kept at bay by a police cordon.

Police said during the unannounced protest, participants tried to enter by force and damage the Parliament building doors and also used hard objects, tear gas against police officers. Police denied using tear gas on the protesters, but local news media showed pictures of at least one officer doing so.

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Police said two police officers and a civilian were injured in the clashes.

Kosovos 1998-1999 fight to break away from Serbia was led by the Kosovo Liberation Army, whose main leaders are now being tried at a European Union-backed war crimes court in The Hague, Netherlands.

More than 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, died during the war before a NATO bombing campaign forced Serbia to pull its troops out of the country and to cede control to the United Nations and NATO. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 and was recognized by the United States and most of the West, but not by Serbia or its allies Russia and China.

Last month The Hague court sentenced two leaders of the Kosovo war veterans association to 4 1/2 years in prison for witness intimidation and obstructing justice by publicizing leaked confidential documents pertaining to the investigations and internal work of the prosecutors.

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Brandon Craig may as well be called BHPs chief revenue officer. He heads the WA iron ore operation that dug up and shipped out 284 million tonnes of Pilbara iron ore last financial year to reap $US34.3 billion ($47 billion) in sales.

Since becoming WA iron ore asset president in late 2020 Craig has seen the price of his product more than double past $US200 a tonne, then crash briefly near $US80 before rebounding.

BHP ships almost $1 billion a week of iron ore out of the narrow entrance to Port Hedland behind its WA iron ore asset president Brandon Craig. Credit:BHP

While the price has been volatile, it averaged a healthy $131 a tonne last financial year, up almost 70 per cent from the year before.

The South African-trained mechanical engineer said while the current price backed by stimulus spending in major markets like China was compelling, it would not last.
Russian aluminium producer Rusal has filed a lawsuit against global miner Rio Tinto , seeking to win back access to its 20 per cent share of the alumina produced at a jointly owned refiner in Queensland.

The lawsuit challenges Australias response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, which included wide-ranging sanctions against Russian firms and oligarchs who had links with President Vladimir Putin.

Rio Tinto faces a fight over the impact of Russian sanctions on its Queensland alumina refinery. Credit:Will Willitts

Rio stepped in to take sole control of Queensland Alumina Ltd (QAL) in April, sidelining Rusal and cutting its access to the refinerys output of alumina, a compound from which aluminium is derived. Rio owns 80 per cent of the refinery, while Rusal owns the remaining 20 per cent.

Rusals Australian unit, Alumina and Bauxite Company (ABC), said in an Australian Federal Court filing that the circumstances required for Rio to step-in to take control did not exist and amounted to a breach of obligations, according to the court documents reviewed by Reuters.
Ribbon of Light illustrates an important aspect of Munros work: he wants it to be a salve for the soul. His dazzling displays are underpinned by ideas and theorems, but he also wants them to lift our spirits; to remind us of beauty and transcendence in a world ravaged by disease and war. Bruce Munros Time and Place - Palm Beach 2020, Australia. Credit:Copyright  2021 Bruce Munro He has always been fascinated by light, he says. As a child growing up in Hertfordshire, Munro was mesmerised by trips to the cinema  the light on the screen was beautiful. At Christmas he would spend hours testing each bulb on the string of lights adorning the tree. When he enrolled to study fine art at Bristol Polytechnic, a career as an artist of some kind seemed inevitable. But Munro, by his own admission, took a long time to find his calling. He dropped out of college for 14 months, resumed his studies, graduated then joined the ranks of young Brits heading to Australia for some fun in the sun. Settling in Sydney, he enrolled in a course run by Saatchi & Saatchi that convinced him he wasnt cut out for advertising. One evening his tutor took him out for a drink and told him he had a butterfly mind. I thought it was f---ing rude at first, but I knew what he meant, he recalls. He suggested I stick to one thing which is when I decided to work exclusively with light. Ive still got a butterfly mind  it goes off in all directions  but nowadays I look at everything through the lens of light.

Sydney fostered his career  he started a commercial lighting company  but the outback made him an artist. Camping at Uluru with his fiancee, now wife, Serena, he was mesmerised. I felt there was something in the air there  not just at Uluru, but the outback as a whole. The rawness of it, the light and this incredible energy. I thought: God, this is like being plugged into the mains. Field of Light, Uluru (2016), by Bruce Munro. Credit:Mark Pickthall It was at Uluru that Munro conceived the work that would make his name: a field of light that bloomed at night like desert seeds drenched by rain. What he didnt know is that it would be 12 years before he realised his vision. Back in Britain, Munro tried to make it as a painter and failed. He was more successful as a designer of bespoke lighting, but the artistic dreams forged in Australia haunted him. When he and Serena bought the farmhouse in Wiltshire, he realised its big field and the contours of Long Knoll  a grass-covered chalk ridge behind the house  were the perfect backdrop for his art. He created the first iteration of Field of Light  the one that dazzled the unwary helicopter pilots  using 15,000 illuminated stems that had been used in a window display he designed for the London department store Harvey Nichols. The venture plunged him into debt. But he convinced Eden Project  a collection of massive biomes in Cornwall housing flora from around the world  to erect Field of Light. The project attracted international attention and his first paid commissions as an artist followed.

The 62-year-old man who greets me in the studios meeting room seems genuinely amazed by his success. When you stick a load of lights in a field you never imagine youll be sitting here talking about it 20 years later. It was a bloody stupid thing to do in retrospect, but something told me I had to do it. Bruce Munros Time and Place - Sunrise Road, Australia. Credit: 2021 Bruce Munro He insists he is still uncomfortable describing himself as an artist. Im not clever enough to be a contemporary artist. Im slightly old-fashioned  Im dealing with feelings and the atmosphere they create. The only part of the art world that really concerns me is someone giving you a job, because that pays the bills and allows me to do another project. Like many people in the creative sector his work dried up at the start of the pandemic. The virus also caused the postponement of Bruce Munro: From Sunrise Road, the first museum exhibition in Australia of his work. The show, originally scheduled to open at Heide Museum of Modern Art in June 2021, will finally make its debut on June 25. Munro insists the long delay was all for the best. In a way it was a blessing that we didnt go ahead [in 2021], he says. It would have been awful to have the exhibition there and then have nobody see it because of a lockdown. That would have been very depressing. The title of his Australian exhibition refers to the street in Sydneys Palm Beach where he and Serena lived in the 1980s. One of the works, Time and Place, is a grid of colour culled from three photographic transparencies Munro captured at the time. He compares it to recreating a memory.

Bruce Munros Ferrymans Crossing, 2021. Credit:Mark Pickthall The exhibitions undeniable centrepiece is Ferrymans Crossing, an evocation of an abstracted luminescent river comprised of more than 4000 CDs. It is inspired by Herman Hesses novel Siddhartha and text from the book will be flashed as morse code onto the surface of the discs. Loading Morse code is also used in Reflections, a series of circular, kaleidoscopic digital light animations projected on the gallery floor. The one Munro shows me on his computer is inspired by Wordsworths poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. Set to music by Prokofiev, its a slow-moving whirl of daffodil yellow forms; hypnotic and undeniably beautiful. I ask him what unites these works besides the innovative use of light. Its a way of making shorthand of bigger ideas, he ventures. Another answer might be this: they are all the products of a butterfly mind.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Here we are in June already; the previous five months having gone by in a flash. If youre hunkering down to avoid the bitter chill or just after an absorbing read, there are plenty of new books to tickle your fancy. This months highlights include Adrian McKintys The Island (his first novel set in Australia), a new essay collection from Jhumpa Lahiri and Horse by Pulitzer prize-winning novelist Geraldine Brooks. Here is a selection of 10 books that should be on your reading pile. The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday. Credit: Talking About a Revolution, Yassmin Abdel-Magied Vintage, $34.99, May 31

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The social advocates new essay collection is both personal and political, identifying the current moment as a period of transition that offers opportunity, but also demands action and deep thought along the way. As she puts it, all the pieces in the book speak to some ideas of change, transformation, resistance, revolution. And, yes, she addresses the way she was treated and the chain of events that led to her leaving Australia for a new home in London. Credit: Horse, Geraldine Brooks Hachette, $39.99, June 15 The Pulitzer prize-winning novelist and journalist  she started her career at The Sydney Morning Herald  has made a speciality of intelligent and absorbing historical fiction. In March, she bounced brilliantly off Little Women, while People of the Book was about the Sarajevo Haggadah, the ancient Jewish illuminated text. In this latest novel, set between 19th-century Kentucky and Washington DC in 2019, she brings the great racer Lexington together with an art-world mystery. Credit: Zelensky, Serhii Rudenko

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Polity, $41.95, June 30 This is a translation of Ukrainian journalist and political analyst Rudenkos biography of the actor-turned-politician-turned-national-hero catapulted to international fame as the figurehead and leader of opposition to Russias invasion. According to his publisher, John Thompson, Rudenko remains in Ukraine and responding to emails from a bomb shelter. Also just released is Zelensky (Wilkinson Publishing), a portrait by Andrew L. Urban and Chris McLeod. Credit: An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life, Paul Dalla Rosa Allen & Unwin, $29.99, May 31 Theres been strong word of mouth about this collection of stories by the young Melbourne writer who has already been published in Granta and was on the shortlist for the Sunday Times short-story award in 2019. At the time, one of the judges, Kit de Waal, described his story Comme as word perfect, with undercurrents of sorrow and angst. As our impending review puts it, he writes of tragic and transgressive moments with the same ironic deadpan as the rigmarole of work. Credit:

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Anna: The Biography, Amy Odell Atlantic, $34.99, May 31 So whats the truth about the great fashion dictator who has run the Vogue empire since 1988? Is she really as ghastly as Miranda Priestly, the character in The Devil Wears Prada, which is said to be based on her? Or is there a gentler, more rounded personality lurking behind that formidable presence? Amy Odells biography attempts a full picture of the London-born Wintour based on plenty of input from friends, colleagues and enemies, but sadly not from Nuclear Wintour. Credit: Our Members Be Unlimited, Sam Wallman Scribe, $32.99, May 31 Heres something of a surprise. A graphic novel  comic  about, of all subjects, workers and unions. Sam Wallman has written an inspiring and uplifting visual history of the movement that is centred around his own experience trying to organise in an Amazon warehouse in Melbourne. Does that sound dry and dreary? It certainly isnt. Wallmans distinctive style, wit and historical knowledge make this something to relish.

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Credit: Platypus Matters, Jack Ashby William Collins, $34.99, June 1 Everyone loves a platypus, dont they? Utterly unique and undoubtedly under threat, these wonderful mammals are the centre of this book by Cambridge naturalist and zoologist Jack Ashby, which is based on extensive fieldwork and many years of study. Ashby doesnt, however, restrict himself to the duck-billed one, paying due attention to wombats and others of our creatures that face hostile conditions. Credit: Translating Myself and Others, Jhumpa Lahiri Princeton, $29.99, May 17

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Private schools are grappling with how to plug the loss of tens of millions of dollars in government money under new funding rules, with some principals fearing they will have to raise fees so much the schools will be out of reach for middle-class families.

Options range from significant fee hikes to program or staff cuts, increases in student numbers or more fundraising, said the principals, who were approached by the Herald.

Most said fee rises beyond the annual average of about 3 per cent were most likely. The stress is keeping everyone up at night, said one.

However, critics said private school fees rose even when government subsidies were going up  some have kept pace with Sydney house prices  and there was no reason why schools could not cut back on their educational programs, as lesser-funded government schools with similar demographics performed just as well.

Some independent schools will lose money as funding levels are adjusted for fairness under the Gonski model, which introduced a Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to calculate how much government support private schools were entitled to when parental income was taken into account.
From bullet journals to outsourcing and auto-replies, theres no shortage of productivity hacks available for anyone desperate to free up some time or mental space.

But dive into a pile of productivity podcasts and articles too quickly and youre likely to find yourself overwhelmed by everything you should be doing and, if youre anything like me, end up simply continuing on the hamster wheel of tail-chasing tactics.

Theres no shortage of advice on productivity, but theres a simple first step that will lead you to your most productive self. Credit:iStock

Instead of attempting every strategy to work smarter not harder, productivity coach Donna McGeorge, author of The 1 Day Refund, suggests we all start with one simple strategy  identify our most switched on two hours in the day and dedicate them to our meatiest to-dos or most important work.

These two hours are to be treated as sacrosanct with no meetings, email replies or phone tapping.
Theres one piece of negative feedback that every political campaigner loves hearing: Im sick of opening my phone and seeing your ads.

It was frequent feedback we heard inside the teal independents digital war room as we served an unprecedented amount of advertising on social media to voters in the inner-city Liberal strongholds. All told, digital ads (on social media, YouTube, Google search or websites) promoting independents were seen more than 100 million times. The voters in Kooyong, for example, saw an online ad promoting Monique Ryan an average of 251 times each over the course of the campaign.

But this is just part of the story. To focus on raw numbers alone would be to miss the real reasons behind the success of the teal campaigns.

Sophie Scamps, Zoe Daniel, Monique Ryan, Allegra Spender and Kylea Tink all ousted Liberal men from parliament. Credit:Jessica Hromas, Penny Stephens, Luis Enrique Ascui, James Alcock, Getty Images

Below the iceberg is the story of an advertising campaign that borrowed from both corporate marketing and cutting-edge US political campaigns to upend several campaign orthodoxies in Australia. And it worked, beyond any pundits expectations, and despite the protestations of the Liberal Party via the media: that these seats were theirs, in Peta Credlins words, by right.
In 2009, Anthony Albanese, then minister for infrastructure in the Rudd government, announced that $3 million would be given to help redevelop the Wayside Chapel in Sydney, which had provided its brand of unconditional care and support to people on and around the streets of Kings Cross since it was first opened by Rev Ted Noffs as a social experiment in 1964.

Last Sunday, Albanese attended a play at Sydneys Belvoir Theatre focusing on one aspect of that social experiment. Wayside Bride revolves around Noffs willingness, unmatched at the time, to marry those who had trouble finding a church that would marry them, such as divorcees and couples from different races and faiths. The production featured Albaneses friend Sacha Horler, but its unlikely the reasons were only personal. As a way to end his first week as prime minister, his attendance sent a strong early symbol of support for the arts. After two incredibly tough years, which followed years of funding cuts, the arts community noticed.

Illustration: Jim Pavlidis Credit:

It is easy to over-read symbolism in politics, but one imagines Albanese was conscious more than most of the fact he was watching an Australian play telling Australian stories. He might have noted, too, the fact that underlies the tale: that the largest changes in society take many years. These are not simple changes but shifts in what is acceptable: the transformation from seeming outrageous to just the way things are.

One long-running Australian story progressed a little last week, with Albaneses appointment of an assistant minister for the republic. The appointment is probably useful, in that Albanese has committed to moving towards a referendum on the Indigenous Voice to parliament this term and, later, towards a referendum on the republic, and these will involve discussions and arrangements that will need to begin sooner rather than later. But the most important fact is that the position exists. Simply by including the word republic in his ministry list, Albanese has begun ushering the idea from the edges of national discussion, where it has hovered since the defeated 1999 referendum, back to the centre. Within a few years, it may seem as inevitable as divorcees marrying.
Square Peg said it will update its valuations next quarter, beginning June 30, with the worth of companies deemed material determined by an independent valuer. AirTree will update its valuations on its usual quarterly cycle, also on June 30. Each of the funds stressed that even without Canva, their performance is strong compared to competitors in Australia and abroad. And it is typical in venture capital for one or a few great bets to carry many other investment decisions, given high failure rates are expected among start-ups. At a lower valuation, Canva would still be an impressive pick for the funds that have invested in it, especially Blackbird, which got into Canva early and repeatedly backed it over many years. Even with a steep markdown, Blackbirds investment in Canva is poised to deliver its investors an enormous return. Yet as important as Canva is to the Australian tech sector alone, it is also a marker of how far the sector has dropped from its recent highs. Blackbird advertises its funds under the banner of seeking the wild hearts with the wildest of ideas even as messianic founders such as WeWorks Adam Neumann are being pilloried in popular culture. Credit:Blackbird AirTrees co-founder Craig Blair acknowledged in an interview that the price paid for start-up investments over the past year had soared, but disputed that AirTree had done too many deals at too high prices.

I think its true to say that any investor who invested in growth stage companies in the last 12 months has ... certainly paid valuations weve never seen before, and may never see again, Blair said. He said AirTree was disciplined in its investments, had accounted for valuations returning to long-term averages, and had paid the right price to reflect markets at the time deals were done. Paul Bassat, who co-founded jobs site Seek in 1997 and then Square Peg in 2012, told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age he was broadly confident in the decisions made while the market was very hot, pointing to stakes in companies that had good internal economics and reserves of money, but also conceded times would be harder. In the current environment, we probably expect over the next six or 12 months some write-downs, were going to see more failures in venture capital portfolios for the next year or two than weve seen the last year or two, Bassat said. But I wouldnt necessarily be thinking that as at June 30, therell be significant write-downs. How does venture capital work? Venture capital funds sign up investors, such as superannuation funds or wealthy individuals, who are willing to risk money on high-risk, high-reward bets on start-ups.

The start-ups they invest in are almost always unprofitable, and by design because they are only just beginning. But as a general rule, venture funds expect between two-thirds and three-quarters of the investments they make to fail, with all the returns of a fund generated by a handful of massive successes.

In an exchange for an influx of cash, often contributed through multiple funding rounds as the business grows, the company grants the fund equity, or shares, and often a board seat.

When everything goes well (which is the exception, not the rule), the start-up grows and eventually achieves an exit - either through an initial public offering on a sharemarket, or through a sale to a bigger company. The venture funds and their investors usually book a significant return on their initial investment. In an emailed response to questions, Blackbird co-founder Niki Scevak projected a bullish outlook.

Whilst multiples have contracted, we arent seeing anything to suggest that the quality of companies being formed in Australia and New Zealand is diminished, Scevak said. A spokesman for Canva pointed to the companys positive metrics and noted there was variance in valuations, including some investors who had not changed their valuation and others who had reduced their assessments by 10 or 20 per cent. Valuations with institutional investors are being heavily influenced by public peer comparisons which are turbulent primarily due to the broader macroeconomic environment, the spokesman said. AirTrees Craig Blair, Blackbirds Niki Scevak and Square Pegs Paul Bassat. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer / Oscar Colman / Arsineh Houspian Blair stressed that venture capital funds are ultimately judged on the cash they return to investors. But the valuation plunge will still reverberate across the sector. It will hurt start-ups trying to raise funding by forcing them to hand over more equity in return for the cash they need to survive  or face going under. Others will have to spend less cash, hire fewer people and reduce marketing as they try to make existing money last as long as possible and show investors they have a path to turning a profit. Those start-ups that raise at lower valuations also face the prospect of demoralised staff, who had been expecting their shares would keep rising in value.

Loading Square Peg, Blackbird and AirTree all said they would not start introducing harsh non-standard clauses into deals to protect their investments, despite the downturn, with each emphasising that they had funds to deploy and were seeking good companies. Some of the strongest start-ups will likely benefit from a diminished war for talent if the sector cools. On the other hand, the VC funds will be hit indirectly because investors, such as the nations retirement funds, will not see nearly as rosy a picture when considering tipping in money into their next funds. In a deck dated 2021, Square Peg is seeking $US550 million across its fifth generation of funds, targeting an initial close in February this year and final close in the second quarter. Were not raising and we wont be raising until well into the back end of next year, said Blair of AirTree. Square Pegs Bassat said it was essentially done raising its latest round of funds, though they had not closed. In the 2022 Blackbird funds deck seen by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, it is asking for $1 billion, split across two Australian funds and one in New Zealand.
Delhi: India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly on Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party.

Supporters of a Pakistani religious group chant anti-Indian slogans during a demonstration in Karachi, Pakistan. Credit:AP

Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modis party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting Indias Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modis regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.
Press Release

June 3, 2022 De Lima moved, humbled by Recto's call for her freedom Senator Leila M. de Lima is grateful to her colleague, Sen. Ralph Recto, for making a plea to the incoming administration to free her. De Lima, the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, said she is humbled by Recto's kind remarks during his farewell speech as an outgoing Senator of the 18th Congress last June 1. "My profound gratitude for your farewell speech yesterday in which you honor me and call for my freedom," she said in a handwritten letter to Recto. "I am moved and humbled by the gesture and greatly pleased with the importance and forcefulness of the words therein," she added. In the said address during the last session day of the 18th Congress, Recto urged the "President-elect," referring to Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., to free De Lima, who has been languishing in jail for more than five years now due to trumped-up and politically-motivated drug charges. "Another feisty lady worthy of our respect is Leila de Lima, a prisoner of conscience, punished for her courage, but whose spirit no prison walls could contain. Trolls put her behind bars. The truth shall set her free," the Senator from Batangas said. "Mr. President-elect, free Leila," Recto added. The lady Senator from Bicol said she couldn't agree more with Recto as she is now focusing on the dismissal of bogus drug cases against her. "You are right, Sen. Ralph. No prison walls could contain me; so is justice and my determination to see my full vindication," De Lima said. Prior to Recto, Sen. Grace Poe also expressed her solidarity with De Lima in her speech giving tribute to eight outgoing Senators, saying, "Senator Leila is unbroken, but her incarceration is proof that our justice system is broken."
WSU to Host Food, FUNding, and Your Future Community Carnivals

June 6, 2022

OGDEN, Utah  Weber State University invites the community to three separate Food, FUNding & Your Future Carnivals on June 11 in Ogden at the Community Education Center (CEC), June 18 at the WSU Davis campus, and on Aug. 18 at Farmington Station.

Each of these events will give students and their families the opportunity to learn about Weber State, get one-on-one help with funding, scholarships, applications, and have a blast while doing it. Applicants will need to bring identification and estimated gross annual income information for funding and scholarship assistance. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students are also encouraged to attend. Spanish and English speakers will be on hand to answer questions.

You can also explore educational programs from badges and certificates to degrees to secure a better future in just a few months, said Niki Tonks, marketing manager for the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics.

On June 11 at the CEC in Ogden and June 18 at WSU Davis, the events will have a number of activities to entertain family and friends, including music and carnival style games. Local Mexican food truck, Mi Puebla, will be giving out free tacos, and Ivans Snowies will be giving out free shaved ice as long as supplies last at both events. Participants may also visit various booths from Weber State organizations and learn about different activities and services.

On Aug. 18, the Farmington Station will host a free concert and block party in conjunction with the "Rock The Park" concert series. Visitors can participate in games at Weber States booth, then cool off and fuel-up with free food and drinks inside.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit weber.edu/adult/FoodFundingFuture.html.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

WEEK OF JUNE 12, 2022

TERRAIN ON THE PARKWAY: 1625 Lehigh Parkway East, Allentown

Pet lovers rejoice. Among the features offered at this new apartment complex along the Little Lehigh Creek are pet wash and grooming stations for your furry friends. Perfect for getting them cleaned up after adventures on the nearby Lehigh Parkway Trails.

This "sanctuary amid the city of Allentown" offers 160 new 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments. Other amenities include a club room, fitness center, conference rooms and package lockers. Monthly rent starts at $1,575 with three-bedroom, two-bath units starting at $2,540.

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DLP CAPITAL: 835 W. Hamilton St., Allentown

The former site of the flagship Hess's department store will soon be home to another company with local roots. Lehigh Valley native Don Wenner is moving his real estate investment and finance firm DLP Capital from Bethlehem to Allentown.

To celebrate, a grand opening will be held on June 22. The event will start at 4 p.m., with live music and food trucks. Registration is required through DLP or the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. DLP acquired the Grand Plaza Building, formerly PPL Plaza, via auction last year for $15.3 million.

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WELLS FARGO: 740 Hamilton St., Allentown

While Wells Fargo has been the leader in closing banks lately, it will hold a ribbon-cutting for its new downtown Allentown office on June 30. The event starts at 11 a.m., with registration free and available through the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce website. Wells Fargo is the fourth-largest bank in the U.S. based on assets, and has about 8,000 branches.

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C&I MINERALS: South Mall, 3300 Lehigh St., Allentown

If you're in the market for sterling silver jewelry, minerals and semi-precious gemstones, this is the store for you, now operating at the South Mall in Allentown. The South Mall is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

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PPL CORP.: 2 N. Ninth St., Allentown

The Allentown-based utility company has a new approach after making two big transactions. It sold its U.K. operations, taking a lot of risk and currency complications out of its business, and bought a major Rhode Island utility.

During an investor conference Thursday, Chief Executive Officer Vincent Sorgi said the new, focused PPL is prepared to take the strategy that made it successful in Pennsylvania to its Kentucky and Rhode Island operations. Read more.

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MARTELLUCCI'S PIZZERIA: 1419 Easton Ave., Bethlehem

Ownership at this Bethlehem restaurant has changed, but the nearly half-century tradition there continues. Paul and Donna Hlavinka and their family are running the pizza place just as it has been operated for 49 years. The pizza dough and sauce recipes remain, the menu still includes a variety of sandwiches, salads and pasta, and the family feel of Martellucci's, founded in 1973, continues. Get the full story.

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KASPRENSKI FAMILY EYE CARE: 1088 Howertown Road, Catasauqua

Dr. Jacob Kasprenski's father and grandfather were both physicians in the Lehigh Valley, and now he's following in their footsteps of serving the community. His new vision-care center held a grand opening in conjunction with the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce. Kasprenski Family Eye Care provides vision-care products and optometry services for emergency, medical and comprehensive routine eye care.

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JOSIE'S NEW YORK DELI: 14 Centre Square, Easton

This longtime downtown Easton lunch spot closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but it could be making a comeback. A plan to split the space with a vegan deli did not work out, but a June 13 Historic District Commission meeting includes a request for a new sign at Josie's. The downtown lunch and carry-out spot was a fixture for decades before shutting down indefinitely.

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ZEKRAFT - CURATORS OF TASTE: Easton Silk Mill, 1247 Simon Blvd., Unit N107, Easton

For owners Zeke and Elaine Zelker, their mission is "not simply about feeding or entertaining people; it's about nourishing them  body, mind and spirit." And now people in Easton will be closer to their community-minded, locally-sourced meals as their new location off 13th Street will have a grand opening on June 15, with a ribbon-cutting at 3:30 p.m.

The first Zekraft cafe was opened in Bethlehem. The restaurants' menus change frequently, with a focus on local ingredients. Selections include organic coffee and tea, tartines (toast with toppings such as smoked turkey and brie), stir fry, short ribs, soups. The Easton Zekraft is closed on Mondays, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Read more.

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MANTRA MASSAGE: 319 Main St., Emmaus

The goals at women-owned Mantra are physical and spiritual healing, and they use a holistic approach to massage therapy to help meet each individual's unique needs. Services offered include facial cupping, and massages including targeted warm Himalayan salt stone and targeted facial massage. Sessions can be customized to suit each client's activities, stress level and occupation.

The new massage and wellness spa will hold its grand opening on July 10 starting at 11 a.m. The establishment is holding the event with the Emmaus Main Street Partners and the Greater Lehigh Valley and East Penn chambers of commerce. Posted hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and Mantra is closed on Sunday and Monday.

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THE CLUB AT TWIN LAKES: 3625 Shankweiler Road, North Whitehall Township

The former Iron Lakes Country Club, constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, held a grand opening this week under its new name, The Club at Twin Lakes. The Jaindl family purchased the golf course last year, and worked with KemperSports Management to upgrade it. Renovations include improvements on the course, cart paths and a new pro shop. See the ribbon-cutting.

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PROLOGIS INC.: Proposed warehouses at 7201 Hamilton Blvd., Upper Macungie Township

Prologis, a titan in the logistics industry, is the choice of Air Products and Chemicals to own and operate three warehouses proposed in Upper Macungie Township. The industrial gas company said Prologis will use some of the former Air Products headquarters campus for the warehouses, totaling about 2.6 million square feet. The land became available when Air Products moved its headquarters about a mile down the road last year. Get the full details.

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LEHIGH VALLEY HOSPITAL-CARBON: 2128 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive East (Route 443), Mahoning Township

Lehigh Valley Health Network on Monday ceremonially opened its first Carbon County hospital  a $78 million, 100,578-square-foot facility that officials billed as a "full-service community hospital." With final approval from the state Health Department, the new hospital opened to patients on Wednesday.

The facility, just outside Lehighton, already is being eyed for expansion  with room to double its current space for 20 in-patient beds, and to greatly expand its emergency room, officials said. Read about it.

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SWIFTWATER SOLAR: Proposed solar field in Pocono Township

Pocono Township commissioners voted Monday to approve a plan to build Pennsylvania's largest solar field on a mountain slope, despite pleas by some residents to reject the project for environmental concerns. Commissioners voted 4-1 to accept Swiftwater Solar's preliminary final plan for the $111 million, 80-megawatt field on a private 644-acre site on top of Bear Mountain that would include about 200,000 solar panels.

The property is east of Interstate 380, adjacent to Sullivan Trail and Back Mountain Road in what now is zoned as a recreational district. With approval still needed from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Transportation Department, construction is expected to start later this year. Get the full story.

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FIRETREE LTD.: Proposed in-patient drug- and alcohol-addiction treatment center at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville

A company that in May withdrew a proposal to locate a drug- and alcohol-addiction treatment center in a Schuylkill County industrial park now is seeking approval for a new site.

Firetree Ltd., which is based in Williamsport and operates treatment centers for people with drug and alcohol addiction and other clients transitioning out of prison, now wants to expand its in-patient rehab operation at the former Sands Ford auto dealership at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville.

To do that, it needs the Pottsville Zoning Hearing Board's approval regarding the use of the land, which is zoned community commercial. It has a hearing before the board scheduled for 6:30 p.m. June 16 in City Hall.

In April, Firetree proposed building a one story, 25,000-square-foot treatment center on a vacant 11.5-acre site at 10 Shultz Drive in MAJIC Industrial Park in Delano Township. However, two days before a May 4 hearing was to be held before the Schuylkill County Zoning Hearing Board, Firetree withdrew the application. Get the full story.

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DUNKIN': 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair

A Dunkin' in Schuylkill County has become just the fourth location of the donut and coffee chain to go entirely digital. The remodeled store at 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair, opened with a ribbon-cutting Monday. It has replaced its traditional order counter with two in-store kiosks at which customers place digital orders and pay using a credit card or Dunkin' gift card.

Guests will also be able to place advance orders using the mobile order feature on the Dunkin' App. The location still offers Dunkin's full menu. There only other all-digital Dunkin' locations in the United States are in Boston, Cherry Hill, N.J. and Dallas, Luzerne County. Read more.

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THE CONSERVATORY: 4059 Skyron Drive, Doylestown

A nonprofit music school in Bucks County will close after 34 years, and school officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause. The Conservatory, near the Doylestown Airport, has provided education in music, performances and therapy for communities in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties since 1988. Its final day open will be June 30.

The pandemic led to a decline in enrollment and revenue, and according to a statement from the school, attempts to merge with other music schools were not successful. The Conservatory started as the Community Conservatory of Music in the President's House on the grounds of Delaware Valley College and operated in three other locations before settling at Skyron Drive in 2013. The school has 22 studios and a performance hall. Get the full scoop.

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POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN and ARBY'S: 680 Memorial Parkway, Phillipsburg

Demolition began last week at the former Ahart's Market on Route 22 in Phillipsburg. The site will not be vacant for long, Mayor Todd Tersigni said. A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Arby's will be built on the site.

Popeyes is a fried-chicken fast-food chain with about 2,800 U.S. locations, plus another 600 more in territories and other countries. Arby's, a sandwich chain, has 3,300 locations. Popeyes and Arby's are both owned by Inspire Brands Inc., which also owns Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin, Sonic Drive-In and other restaurant chains. Check out the demolition.

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UNITY BANK CENTER FOR BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP: 119 Main St., Flemington

A historic building in Flemington, which has been a home and later was used as offices, will hold Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce offices and the Unity Bank center. The chamber will hold a ribbon-cutting at the building at 5:30 p.m. June 15. To attend the event, register through the chamber website. The building was erected in 1847 and was once the home of George Hall Large, who served as president of the New Jersey state Senate.

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PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

 Honeygrow opens Quakertown location, next to Chipotle on Route 309, on June 3.

 Dunkin' reopens remodeled restaurant at 1174 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township

 Muse Modern Med Spa at 325 Fifth St. in Whitehall Township will hold a grand opening June 4.

 Around Again, a consignment store, opened at 154 S. Main St., Phillipsburg

 Steak and Steel Hibachi, a restaurant in the works at 44 W. Walnut St., Bethlehem, still plans on opening late this summer.

 Take It Outdoors Recreation Hub has moved to a spot along the Schuylkill River Trail at Riverfront Park in Pottstown, Montgomery County

 Pedego Electric Bikes has a new outlet in Lambertville, N.J. at 13 N. Union St.

 Amanda Vachris has opened a new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St. in Schuylkill Haven.

 Easton's new West Ward Market will open Wednesday and be open on Wednesday's through the summer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market, created by the Greater Easton Development Partnership, will sell fresh produce on 12th Street, next to Paxinosa Elementary School.

 Ciao Sandwich Shoppe is adding a second location, this time on College Hill in Easton. Ciao plans to open at 325 Cattell St. in late summer. Ciao already operates in downtown Easton at 12 N. Third St

 Ma's Crepes and Cakes will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting June 16 at 46 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe. The celebration starts at 5 p.m., with the ribbon cutting at 5:45 p.m.

 Bethlehem's Back Door Bakeshop will reopen as a wholesale operation at 7 E. Church St. in the city's historic district. The business was open for nine years as a retail outlet at Broad and Center streets, before announcing in March that it would close the storefront April 3 and "go back to its origins as a wholesale business."

The Beef Baron on Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem is closed indefinitely for renovations

 The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are opening a new location in Allentown at 1302 N. 18th St.

 St. John Chrysostom Academy, an Orthodox school serving grades 1-9 starting this fall, held a grand opening at its St. Francis Center, Bethlehem, campus.

 Easton Commons, a shopping center anchored by Giant Foods at 2920 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township, has a new name: The Shops at Bethlehem.

 Carbon County is getting a taste of Brazil at Uai Brasil BBQ at 315 Lehigh Ave. in Palmerton.

 The Keystone Pub in Bethlehem Township, at 3259 Easton Avenue, has reopened after a lengthy and expensive renovation.

 The Trading Post Depot opened at 401 Northampton St., Easton. The rustic furniture store makes custom tables for dining rooms, desktops, conference centers and more.

 The Easton area has a new gym: Homemade Fitness at 444 Cedarville Road in Williams Township.

 Il Gaetano Ristorante opened at its 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg, location.

 Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe to open second location on College Hill in Easton, replacing The Kettle Room

 Rene and Grisellies Benique have opened Ezekiel 47 Cafe at 10 S. Fifth Ave., off Fifth and Penn avenues, in West Reading.

 Alter Ego Salon and Day Spa in Emmaus is holding a grand opening Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon.

 Origen Latin Fusion has opened at the site of the former Tomcat Cafe in Sinking Spring, Berks County.

 Sellersville Senior Residences will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 24. The Bucks County affordable-housing community for adults 55 and older has 50 apartments, with eight allocated for people with behavioral health needs.

 The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed outdoor dining and cigar bar area. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.

 Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris's new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24.

 Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg.

 First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18.

 Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location.

 Pedro's Cafe in Emmaus to close

 SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location

 Flemington DIY will host a Grand Re-Opening on May 14 at 26 Stangl Road, Flemington. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m.

 Elpedios Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.

 Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option.

 Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine.

 Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton.

 King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mostly sunny and warm but still quite comfortable for mid-June. .

Tonight

Becoming mostly cloudy and more humid with a shower or thunderstorm possible late, especially from the Lehigh Valley points west.
Reading, PA (19601)

Today

Mostly sunny and warm but still quite comfortable for mid-June. .

Tonight

Becoming mostly cloudy and more humid with a shower or thunderstorm possible late, especially from the Lehigh Valley points west.
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Almost everything I've reviewed for WhatsOnStage has happened in Glasgow or Edinburgh, so I'm a little ashamed to admit that, having lived in Scotland for twenty years, this is the first time I've ever set foot in the Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Pitlochry itself is an attractive Highland tourist town about halfway between Inverness and the Central Belt. The theatre can trace its origins back to the 1950s, and has a long-established season that's particularly busy during the summer holiday months. It's a simple but lovely horseshoe auditorium with a renovated front-of-house space that has open views out to Ben Vrackie and the River Tummel running past, and they now have a newly opened Studio Theatre, too. This new production of Sunshine on Leith is the first time the theatre has been able to reopen since covid (they managed some outdoor and online performances last summer), and I'm pleased to report it was buzzing. In fact, it felt a little like a community reunion, with lots of people sitting around having lunch, and several groups swapping stories ("Were you here before it all changed?"). I was particularly impressed with how wide the geographical reach of its audience is: I overheard couples who said they'd come from Glasgow, Inverness or Dundee.

The theatre puts together an ensemble of actors for the summer season, most of whom will double up on roles in several shows, so I imagine that must reinforce the sense of the community, and the theatre is very proud of the fact that, at certain points in the summer, you can see six plays in six days. It's also a sign of prestige that they're doing joint productions with other companies: this Sunshine, the first new professional production of the show in Scotland since its original incarnation of 2007, is a co-production with Capital Theatres Edinburgh.

It looks and sounds great. Adrian Rees' high-table sets are open and airy, topped with Toytown cutouts of Edinburgh landmarks to give a strong sense of place. They trundle around the stage to evoke different locations with minimum fuss, and I liked the way they allow the band to sit at the centre of the action rather than being hidden offstage. Nearly all of the actors play a musical instrument too, and the ensemble of musicians gets stuck into the action alongside the main characters, swinging their violin, cello, guitar or whatever, in a way that feels like everyone's having a laugh.

The two male leads are strong. Connor Going's Davy seems a little more comfortable than the Ally of Keith Jack, but they both have good charisma and an important sense of mateship. The girls are even better: Blythe Jandoo and Rhiane Drummond play their parts with a strong sense of girl power, and never a sense that they're just the love interest. Jandoo's lead in "Letter from America" is particularly strong. Keith Macpherson is a little histrionic as dad Rab, but Alyson Orr's Jean balances understatement with the character's lifesized emotional journey.

Directors Elizabeth Newman and Ben Occhipinti could give their actors a little more to do  there's a lot of open-armed shrugging to accompany the dialogue  and writer Stephen Greenhorn shouldn't really have bothered with his tweaks to the original script: the references to referendums and NHS privatisation feel a bit strained. And you could drive an Edinburgh tram through the holes in the story; but nobody goes to see a duke box musical for focused narrative cogency. You go for the songs, and they really swing, thanks as much to the terrific ensemble musicians as to the singing of the leads. I also loved the little scenes that took place away from the main action in, for example, the call centre or the Scottish Parliament. This is a strong show given a new lease of life, and the chances are you'll leave it with a big smile on your face.
NEW DELHI (AP)  India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

FILE- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, front, performs Hindu rituals sitting at Sangam, the confluence of the Rivers Ganges and Yamuna, at Allahabad, India, Dec. 16, 2018. India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim countries after top officials in the ruling Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)

NEW DELHI (AP)  India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modi's party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting Indias Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modi's regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.

Indian Muslims shout slogans as they react to the derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad made by top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party during a protest in Mumbai, India, Monday, June 6, 2022. At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for everything from their food and clothing style to inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks could escalate. They have also accused Modis governing party of looking the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise 14% of Indias 1.4 billion people but are still numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.

Modi's party denies the accusations, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their faith have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week after the two spokespeople, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Islams Prophet Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modis party took no action against them until Sunday, when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities," a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait.

Indian Muslims shout slogans as they react to the derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad made by top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party during a protest in Mumbai, India, Monday, June 6, 2022. At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also lodged complaints with India, and the Jeddha-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the remarks came in a context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims.

Indias Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the comments by the OIC as unwarranted and narrow-minded. On Sunday, Indias embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by fringe elements. The statement said that strong action had already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks.

The criticism from Muslim countries, however, was severe, indicating that insulting Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatars Foreign Ministry said it expected a public apology from the Indian government, and Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see an increase of extremism and hatred." The Grand Mufti of Oman described the obscene rudeness of Modis party toward Islam as a form of war. Riyadh said the comments were insulting and called for respect for beliefs and religions. And Egypts Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni worlds foremost institution of religious learning, described the remarks as real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars.

An Indian Muslim stamps on a photo of Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson of governing Hindu nationalist party as they react to the derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad made by her during a protest in Mumbai, India, Monday, June 6, 2022. At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

The remarks made by Sharma during a TV program in India and Jindal in a tweet risk damaging Indias ties with Arab nations.

India maintains strong relations with Gulf countries, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and elsewhere in South Asia to serve their tiny local populations and drive the machinery of daily life. India also depends on oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to power its energy-thirsty economy.

The remarks also led to anger in India's archrival and neighbor, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Pakistans Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and conveyed Islamabads strong condemnation," a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the comments were hurtful and India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. Indias Foreign Ministry responded by calling Pakistan a serial violator of minority rights and said it should not engage in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.

India accords the highest respect to all religions," ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Criticism also came from Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not allow such fanatics to insult ... Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims.

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Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists posted comments on social media saying the government was buckling under international pressure.

Anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have risen across India under Modi. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India was seeing rising attacks on people and places of worship, eliciting a response from New Delhi, which called the comments ill-informed.

More recently, religious tensions have escalated after some Hindu groups went to a local court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple. Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian television anchors during raucous debates.

___

Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, Munir Ahmad and Rahim Faiez in Islamabad, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

Follow more AP coverage of India at https://apnews.com/hub/india
LONDON, Ont. - Some came bearing flowers, others softly recited verses of the Qur'an and many quietly reminisced about the lives of the loved ones they'd lost.

Thousands of people march against Islamophobia in memory of the Afzaal family in London, Ont. on Sunday, June 5, 2022. The march is part of a weekend of events which mark the one-year anniversary of the family being killed in a hate motivated terrorist attack as they walked near their home. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Geoff Robins

LONDON, Ont. - Some came bearing flowers, others softly recited verses of the Qur'an and many quietly reminisced about the lives of the loved ones they'd lost.

At several events in London, Ont., on Monday, local residents and members of the Muslim community gathered to remember a family killed in what prosecutors have called a hate-motivated attack.

The deaths of the Afzaal family, who were driven down while out for an evening walk on June 6, 2021, sent shock waves across the country and have since prompted repeated calls to fight Islamophobia.

For Tariq Bhatti, life as a Muslim in London has changed since the attack.

"When you walk on the street now, I mean, it's not the same," he said on Monday following an event to mark the tragedy. "I just heard a transport truck and I just felt something in my spine."

Salman Afzaal, 46; his wife, Madiha Salman, 44; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumnah; and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal, died after police say they were deliberately hit by a truck. The family's nine-year-old son was hurt but survived.

Bhatti, who was among those who attended a prayer service Monday morning for the Afzaal family, said he used to play cricket with Salman Afzaal.

"He was a gentleman. He was a great Pakistani. He was a great Muslim, and a man of principles. Very, very friendly," he said.

Relatives of the Afzaal family placed flowers Monday morning on the graves of their loved ones, which were marked with small Canadian flags.

Munir El-Kassem, imam of the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario, who led a prayer during the morning service, said last summer's attack hit the community hard.

"Yet we did stand on our feet again and we are using this experience to basically send messages to the world that Islamophobia ... is something we should eliminate once and for all. Because how many times are we going to bid farewell people to the other side of life before we wake up and say enough is enough?"

Shams Syed, who remembered Salman Afzaal as a "great guy" who chose to "keep smiling and listening" instead of getting into arguments, said the prayer service was a way to pay respect to those who had died while also taking a stand against Islamophobia.

"Mainly the youth got affected very badly because they didnt feel safe," said Syed, who is also a trustee with the Pakistani Canadian Association.

"My daughter wears hijab, we were always concerned when she goes out ... Anything can happen."

On Monday night, a crowd gathered for a vigil led by Yumnah's friends, but organizers had to end it after only 15 minutes due to heavy rain and an approaching thunderstorm.

Yumnah's friends unveiled a new mural inspired by her previous artworks at the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road where the attack that killed the family took place last year.

Zaina Belal, 16, who volunteered at the vigil, said she took a class with Yumnah last year.

She said she left Syria about 10 years ago, and she arrived in Canada more than three year ago from Jordan.

"I kept traveling, looking for peace and looking for a country that respects my human rights and respects me as a human, respects my religion," she said.

"After this attack, I don't know what I feel anymore. I just feel so offended ... Having my (mother) worried to let me go out with my friends and walk alone by myself, it's alone a big thing for me."

The City of London dedicated a garden to the Afzaal family on Monday.

The federal government announced Monday it is accepting applications for the job of special representative on combating Islamophobia.

Five months ago, Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen signalled the government's intention to appoint the special envoy. At a news conference in Ottawa Monday with members of the Muslim community, Hussen said the representative will be a champion, expert, advocate and adviser to the government on Islamophobia.

Asked why the representative has yet to be chosen, Hussen said the government wanted to get it right, which meant consultations with the community.

"You have to create a position that will get the confidence of the community. And so that takes time," Hussen said. "And now with this call for applications, we are spreading it across the country, we want people to apply to fulfil this role and we hope to move as expeditiously as possible."

The special representative, an element of the Liberal government's overall anti-racism strategy, will work with a team supported by money earmarked in the latest federal budget.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a statement his government will stand with the Muslim community and will fight Islamophobia.

But Esa Islam, a cousin of the Afzaal family, singled out Ford's recently re-elected Progressive Conservative government during a march in London on Sunday for not committing to pass a law to fight Islamophobia and other forms of hate.

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"Despite all of the promises we heard last year, one year later, it feels there's still an unwillingness by our elected leaders to take concrete action against ... Islamophobia, Islam said.

A bill tabled by Ontario's Opposition NDP earlier this year -- called the Our London Family Act -- would have established a provincial review of hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents in Ontario.

The bill would also have designated safe zones around houses of worship, prevented white supremacist groups from registering as societies and established an anti-racism council that would provide input on government policies. However, the bill was not passed before the election campaign began last month.

A 21-year-old man faces four counts of first-degree murder in the London attack. The case has not yet gone to trial.

 With files from Jim Bronskill.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June6, 2022.
ROME (AP)  Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring.

FILE- Malian women sift wheat in a field near Segou, central Mali, Jan. 22, 2013. In 2022, 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. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

ROME (AP)  Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring.

The glum assessment came in a report by two Rome-based food agencies: the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

WFP Executive Director David Beasley said besides hurting the poorest of the poor the global food crises threaten to overwhelm millions of families who are just getting by.

Conditions now are much worse than during the Arab Spring in 2011 and 2007-2008 food price crisis, when 48 countries were rocked by political unrest, riots and protests, Beasley said in a statement. He cited as just the tip of the iceberg food crises now in Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru and Sri Lanka.

The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to help hunger hotspots where acute hunger is expected to worsen over the next few months.

FILE - Somalis who fled drought-stricken areas sit at a makeshift camp on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu, Somalia on Feb. 4, 2022. Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings on Monday, June 6, 2022 about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File)

The U.N. agencies are also warning that war in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February, has exacerbated already steadily rising food and energy prices worldwide.

The effects are expected to be particularly acute where economic instability and spiraling prices combine with drops in food production due to climate shocks such as recurrent droughts or flooding, the joint statement from the U.N. agencies said.

Among critical areas cited is East Africa, where the United Nations said an unprecedented drought is afflicting Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. South Sudan, meanwhile, faces a fourth straight year of large-scale flooding.

FILE - Residents wait in line at a "community pot," in the Nueva Esperanza neighborhood of Lima, Peru, Wednesday June 17, 2020. Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings on Monday, June 6, 2022, about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)

The report cited other sobering climate impacts: above-average rain and a risk of localized flooding in the Sahel, a vast swath of Africa stretching south of the Sahara Desert.

It also cited a more intense hurricane season in the Caribbean and below-average rainfall in Afghanistan. That Asian country is already suffering through multiple seasons of drought, violence and political upheaval, including after the return of Taliban rule last summer.

The report tagged six nations as highest alert hot spots facing catastrophic conditions: Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia. It said as many as 750,000 people are facing starvation and death in those countries. Of those, 400,000 are in Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region  the highest number on record in any one country since the 2011 famine in Somalia, the U.N. agencies said.

FILE - Residents of Oworonshoki Slum carry their food parcels distributed by the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, a non-profit nutrition focused initiative committed to fighting hunger and solving problems of Malnutrition for poor communities, in Lagos, Nigeria, Saturday, July 10, 2021. Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings on Monday, June 6, 2022 about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)

In April, according to a study by regional health officials that was seen by The Associated Press, at least 1,900 children under 5 died from malnutrition in the Tigray region. Western Tigray, which is under the control of forces from the neighboring Amhara region, was not included in that survey.

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The U.N. food agencies report Monday said Congo, Haiti, the Sahel region, Sudan and Syria remain of very high concern" and noted that Kenya was a new entry to that list.

Joining the list of hot spot countries were Sri Lanka, Benin, Cape Verde, Guinea, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, while areas that faced continuing food scarcities included Angola, Lebanon, Madagascar and Mozambique.

___

Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.

___

Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
DETROIT (AP)  Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

FILE - Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington, on March 9, 2020. Tesla shares tumbled more than 7% in early trading on Friday, June 3, 2022, on a report that Musk is considering laying off 10% of the electric automakers workers. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

DETROIT (AP)  Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday that the company disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The lawyers wrote that Musk has repeatedly asked for the information since May 9, about a month after his offer to buy the company, so he could evaluate how many of the companys 229 million accounts are fake.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said that Twitter has consistently estimated that fewer than 5% of its accounts are spam. But Musk has disputed that, contending in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.

Shares of Twitter Inc. slid 1.5% Monday, likely incensing Twitter shareholders who filed a suit against Musk late last month for deflating the price of the stock. Shares of Twitter are down more than 20% in the last month.

Twitter said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement and noted that the deal is in the best interest of all shareholders.

FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020, in Washington. Elon Musk is threatening to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts. Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday, June 6, 2022 that the social platform included in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

"We intend to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms, it added.

Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share back in April. A number of Musks actions since, including a public spat with Twitters CEO about the fake accounts  on Twitter  has led some experts to question whether the billionaire wants to use his loud complaints to negotiate a lower deal price or even walk away entirely.

Musk's lawyers wrote in the letter that Twitter has offered only to provide details about the companys testing methods. But they contend thats tantamount to refusing Mr. Musks data requests, and constitutes a material breach of the merger agreement that gives Musk the right to scrap the deal if he chooses.

This is a clear material breach of Twitter's obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement, the letter says.

Musk wants underlying data to do his own verification of what he says are Twitters lax methodologies.

The Twitter sale agreement allows Musk to get out of the deal if there is a material adverse effect caused by the company. It defines that as a change that negatively affects Twitters business or financial conditions. Twitter has said all along that it's proceeding with the deal, although it hasn't scheduled a shareholder vote on it.

Last month Musk said that he unilaterally placed the deal on hold, which experts said he can't do. If he walks away, he could be on the hook for a $1 billion breakup fee.

Musks latest maneuver shows how he is looking for a way out of the deal or something that will get leverage for a renegotiation of the price, said Brian Quinn, a law professor at Boston College. But Quinn said its unlikely to hold up in court since he already waived his ability to ask for more due diligence.

I doubt he would be allowed to walk away, Quinn said. At some point, the board of Twitter will tire of this and file a suit asking a judge to force Musk to stick to the deal.

Twitter has disclosed its bot estimates to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.

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If Twitter is confident in its publicized spam estimates, Mr. Musk does not understand the companys reluctance to allow Mr. Musk to independently evaluate those estimates, the Musk letter says, adding that he agrees not to disclose or keep the data.

The bot problem is a longtime fixation for Musk, who has more than 96 million Twitter followers and whose name and likeness are often mimicked by fake accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams. Musk appears to think such bots are also a problem for most other Twitter users, as well as advertisers who take out ads on the platform based on how many real people they expect to reach.

Musk's lawyers are arguing that he is entitled to data about the core of Twitters business model so he can prepare the transition to his ownership. Citing a June 1 letter from Twitter in which the company said it only has to give information related to closing the sale, Musk's team says the company is obligated to provide data for any reasonable business purpose needed to complete the deal.

Musk's bot count skepticism was also taken up Monday by the chief legal officer of Texas, where Tesla is headquartered. Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said he's launching an investigation because he has a duty to protect Texans if Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue.

-

Matt O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
BEIJING (AP)  Diners returned to restaurants in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month Monday as authorities further eased pandemic-related restrictions after largely eradicating a small COVID-19 outbreak in the capital under China's strict zero-COVID approach.

A couple wearing face masks walk through a shopping mall in Beijing, Monday, June 6, 2022. Diners returned to restaurants Monday in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month as authorities further eased pandemic-related restrictions after largely eradicating a small COVID-19 outbreak under China's strict "zero-COVID" approach. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

BEIJING (AP)  Diners returned to restaurants in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month Monday as authorities further eased pandemic-related restrictions after largely eradicating a small COVID-19 outbreak in the capital under China's strict zero-COVID approach.

Zhang Suyan said she called her friends and said let's make a reservation as soon as she heard that restaurants were opening again.

We don't have such an atmosphere or feeling at home, she said as she and two friends polished off bowls of spicy fried crayfish, a popular summertime meal.

People wearing masks line up to get a throat swab at a testing site in Beijing, Monday, June 6, 2022. People are required a negative COVID test result in the last 72 hours to enter some buildings and use public transportation. Diners returned to restaurants Monday in most of Beijing for the first time in more than a month as authorities further eased pandemic-related restrictions after largely eradicating a small COVID-19 outbreak under China's strict "zero-COVID" approach. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Museums, cinemas and gyms were allowed to operate at up to 75% of capacity and delivery drivers could once again bring packages to a customer's door, rather than leave them to be picked up at the entrances to apartment compounds.

The return to near-normal applied everywhere in Beijing except for one district and part of another, where the outbreak lingered. Schools, which partially reopened earlier, will fully do so on June 13, followed by kindergartens on June 20.

Authorities had conducted multiple rounds of mass testing and locked down buildings and complexes whenever infections were discovered to stamp out an outbreak that infected about 1,800 people over six weeks in a city of 22 million. The number of new cases dropped to six on Sunday.

The ruling Communist Party remains wedded to a zero-COVID strategy that exacts an economic cost and inconveniences millions of people, even as many other countries adopt a more relaxed approach as vaccination rates rise and treatments become more widely available.

Chen Feng, the manager of the crayfish restaurant, said sales dropped 70% when Beijing eateries were restricted to takeout and delivery. Customers started lining up late Sunday night, and he and his colleagues served 350 people between midnight and 2 a.m.

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In Shanghai, a population of 25 million people endured a citywide lockdown that kept most confined to their apartments or neighborhoods for two months. The city reopened last week, but restaurants remain closed except for delivery and takeout. One neighborhood conducted more mass testing on Monday after finding new cases in a residential compound, which is now locked down for 14 days.

In both Beijing and Shanghai, anyone entering the subway or an office building, shopping mall or other public place must show a negative test result within the past 72 hours. People lined up at testing stations that have been set up around the cities to meet the requirement.

All ferries in Shanghai, which is bisected by the Huangpu river, resumed normal operation on Monday. But organizers postponed the Shanghai International Film Festival, which was scheduled to be held this month, until next year.

Elsewhere, the government responded to outbreaks in China's Inner Mongolia region, where 39 new cases were recorded on Sunday, and in the northeast city of Dandong, which has had about 130 cases in the past two weeks. Dandong is on the border with North Korea, which acknowledged an outbreak for the first time last month.

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Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.
OTTAWA - The world is changing and all governments must fight the climate crisis and ensure economic development benefits everyone, including Indigenous Peoples, Canada's prime minister said Monday as Chile pushes ahead with reforms to its mining sector.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with President of the Republic of Chile Gabriel Boric in his West Block office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Monday, June 6, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA - The world is changing and all governments must fight the climate crisis and ensure economic development benefits everyone, including Indigenous Peoples, Canada's prime minister said Monday as Chile pushes ahead with reforms to its mining sector.

"You cannot grow a strong, resilient economy in the 21st century unless you are also protecting the environment, unless everyone has a chance to participate, unless you are including people who have been excluded," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said as he appeared alongside Chilean President Gabriel Boric during his visit to Ottawa.

Asked by a Spanish-speaking reporter how the mining reforms impacted Canada's view of Chile as a place for investment, Trudeau declined to comment on the specific democratic processes underway in the country.

But he said leaders and democracies must make sure they keep up with changes in the world, not just for moral reasons but also practical ones.

"That's the only way to build a strong future and a strong country."

About 10 per cent of Canada's mining assets abroad are located in Chile, according to 2019 figures from the federal Department of Natural Resources. The only country with more Canadian mining assets is the United States. In 2020, the department said Canadian mining assets in Chile amounted to 55 companies with a value of about $21 billion.

Boric, who became the youngest president in the history of Chile when he was inaugurated in March, is a left-leaning former student activist who had campaigned for greater environmental protections in a country famed for its enormous copper mines.

The two leaders answered local high school students' questions on Monday afternoon at the Museum of Nature in Ottawa.

Asked about Canadian mining companies that operated in Chile under more lax regulations in the past, Boric said some companies destroyed territory and generated massive revenues without giving enough back to the country, and some of those companies were Canadian.

"The way that we can change our development goals is convincing and forcing the private sector to work better," he said.

Boric also said he told Trudeau that Chile wants to force Canadian companies to act the same way in his country as they would on home soil, saying "there's no reason to justify that in some countries you behave in some way you wouldn't in your own country."

Trudeau said the two leaders discussed the issue during a wide-ranging bilateral meeting. He said he believes the vast majority of Canadian mining companies are responsible, but acknowledged "there are some that are not, and we have to be tougher against them."

Chile is currently undergoing reforms to its 1980 constitution, which stems from when the dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet was in power. The draft will be put to voters in September.

Last month, the assembly working on the draft approved a proposal to include a section that would require mining companies to set aside resources to address harms caused by mining activities, although it rejected plans to nationalize parts of the industry.

The assembly also greenlit a ban on mining in glaciers, areas that are vital to protecting water supplies and other protected regions.

Catherine Coumans, a research coordinator with MiningWatch Canada, said she hopes reforms in Chile will also ensure mining companies have to obtain informed consent from Indigenous peoples in that country as well.

"Trudeau needs to get Canada's house in order by implementing human rights due diligence legislation ... that will require Canadian companies to respect human rights in their operations overseas and offer those harmed access to Canadian courts to get access to remedy," she said in an email.

Meanwhile, Boric praised Canada's freeze on importing, buying, selling or otherwise transferring handguns, which the Liberals made a central feature of firearm-control legislation introduced last week.

He said he wants to introduce legislation of his own that would prohibit gun ownership by all.

The goal of Chile's government is to eliminate firearms from criminal groups, and it does not want firearms to be within civil society, Boric said in Spanish.

It is not enough to have regulations inside of a country, but international regulations are also needed to stop the cross-border flow of guns, he added.

Trudeau also said Canada and Chile have committed to co-sponsoring the Americas for the Protection of the Ocean Declaration, which aims to protect the Pacific Ocean.

"Canada and Chile are both ocean countries," he said.

"We know healthy oceans are critical for jobs for communities and for fighting climate change. Today's announcement is about how we keep the Pacific Ocean healthy from protecting migratory routes for sea animals to preserving delicate coastal ecosystems," he said.

Canada and Chile also signed an agreement to advance gender equality and women's empowerment in both countries. Gender Equality Minister Marci Ien said the agreement seeks to set up a framework for the two governments to co-operate on public policies to promote women's empowerment.

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She said both countries plan to support each others goals to remove socio-economic, cultural and institutional barriers that prevent women from participating in the economy and public life.

Trudeau said Canada and Chile have had a long-standing, positive relationship, and at a time when authoritarian states are rising and democracies are backsliding, it's important to welcome a "strong, progressive voice" on the world stage.

"It is great news for Chile, it is great news for Canada, to have such a strong partner at the end of the continent."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2022.



This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
DETROIT (AP)  Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

FILE - Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington, on March 9, 2020. Tesla shares tumbled more than 7% in early trading on Friday, June 3, 2022, on a report that Musk is considering laying off 10% of the electric automakers workers. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

DETROIT (AP)  Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot and fake accounts.

Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday that the company disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The lawyers wrote that Musk has repeatedly asked for the information since May 9, about a month after his offer to buy the company, so he could evaluate how many of the companys 229 million accounts are fake.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said that Twitter has consistently estimated that fewer than 5% of its accounts are spam. But Musk has disputed that, contending in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.

Shares of Twitter Inc. slid 1.5% Monday, likely incensing Twitter shareholders who filed a suit against Musk late last month for deflating the price of the stock. Shares of Twitter are down more than 20% in the last month.

Twitter said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement and noted that the deal is in the best interest of all shareholders.

FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020, in Washington. Elon Musk is threatening to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts. Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday, June 6, 2022 that the social platform included in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

"We intend to close the transaction and enforce the merger agreement at the agreed price and terms, it added.

Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share back in April. A number of Musks actions since, including a public spat with Twitters CEO about the fake accounts  on Twitter  has led some experts to question whether the billionaire wants to use his loud complaints to negotiate a lower deal price or even walk away entirely.

Musk's lawyers wrote in the letter that Twitter has offered only to provide details about the companys testing methods. But they contend thats tantamount to refusing Mr. Musks data requests, and constitutes a material breach of the merger agreement that gives Musk the right to scrap the deal if he chooses.

This is a clear material breach of Twitter's obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement, the letter says.

Musk wants underlying data to do his own verification of what he says are Twitters lax methodologies.

The Twitter sale agreement allows Musk to get out of the deal if there is a material adverse effect caused by the company. It defines that as a change that negatively affects Twitters business or financial conditions. Twitter has said all along that it's proceeding with the deal, although it hasn't scheduled a shareholder vote on it.

Last month Musk said that he unilaterally placed the deal on hold, which experts said he can't do. If he walks away, he could be on the hook for a $1 billion breakup fee.

Musks latest maneuver shows how he is looking for a way out of the deal or something that will get leverage for a renegotiation of the price, said Brian Quinn, a law professor at Boston College. But Quinn said its unlikely to hold up in court since he already waived his ability to ask for more due diligence.

I doubt he would be allowed to walk away, Quinn said. At some point, the board of Twitter will tire of this and file a suit asking a judge to force Musk to stick to the deal.

Twitter has disclosed its bot estimates to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.

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If Twitter is confident in its publicized spam estimates, Mr. Musk does not understand the companys reluctance to allow Mr. Musk to independently evaluate those estimates, the Musk letter says, adding that he agrees not to disclose or keep the data.

The bot problem is a longtime fixation for Musk, who has more than 96 million Twitter followers and whose name and likeness are often mimicked by fake accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams. Musk appears to think such bots are also a problem for most other Twitter users, as well as advertisers who take out ads on the platform based on how many real people they expect to reach.

Musk's lawyers are arguing that he is entitled to data about the core of Twitters business model so he can prepare the transition to his ownership. Citing a June 1 letter from Twitter in which the company said it only has to give information related to closing the sale, Musk's team says the company is obligated to provide data for any reasonable business purpose needed to complete the deal.

Musk's bot count skepticism was also taken up Monday by the chief legal officer of Texas, where Tesla is headquartered. Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said he's launching an investigation because he has a duty to protect Texans if Twitter is misrepresenting how many accounts are fake to drive up their revenue.

-

Matt O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
With travel and winter sojourns having resumed, Snowbirds need to remember there are tax reporting requirements to which they may need to comply.

With travel and winter sojourns having resumed, Snowbirds need to remember there are tax reporting requirements to which they may need to comply.

Specifically, many Snowbirds need to file Form 8840  the Closer Connection Exception Statement for Aliens with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service by June 15 each year.

Any Canadian who has a substantial presence in the U.S.  as calculated using a weighted average of the days spent in the U.S. over the last three years  must file this form to prove a closer connection to Canada than to the U.S.

If you prove you have a closer connection to Canada, then the IRS exempts you from the requirement to file a U.S. tax return as well as Canadian.

We expect that fewer Canadians will be required to file this form, due to vastly decreased travel in 2020 and 2021, but anyone who has spent more than a few months in the U.S. in two of the last three years should pay heed.

Here are the details.

Step one:

For 2021 (to comply with the June 15, 2022, filing deadline), a Canadian has a substantial presence in the U.S. by spending 31 days or more in the U.S. in 2021 and a total of 183 days during 2021, 2020 and 2019, counting all of the days of physical presence in 2021, one-third of the days of presence in 2020 and one-sixth the number of days in 2019.

If you spent more than 121 days each year, then this absolutely applies to you, without even doing the calculation. But for a person spending exactly 121 days in the U.S. each year, heres the math:

 2021 = 121 days (count all)

 2020 = 40 days (one-third of 121)

 2019 = 20 days (one-sixth of 121)

This total is 121 + 40 + 20 = 181, which is just less than the 183-day limit. Therefore, you do not have a substantial presence.

However, if we use an example of 123 days in 2021, that would have made the total 183, and therefore a substantial presence and a Form 8840 filing requirement.

You count your travel days if they include any presence in the U.S., but not days you were unable to leave the U.S. due to a medical problem that developed while you were in the U.S.

Step two:

If you do have a substantial presence in the U.S., you can still avoid having to file an actual U.S. tax return by filing the much shorter and easier Form 8840, to show that you have a closer connection to Canada than to the U.S.

This form asks about your passport, family members, car registration, social, religious and political organizations, voting, business connections and your own opinion.

If this shows that you have a closer connection to Canada, then your tax home is Canada, and youre done. If it shows a closer connection to the US, then you may be required to file a U.S. 1040NR tax return.

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Form 8840 can be located on the IRS website at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8840.pdf. Once completed, the form is mailed to the Department of the Treasury, IRS Centre, Austin, TX, 73301-0215.

There is also an annual six-month limit to the stay of a foreign person in the U.S., under the terms of the B-2 Visa that is the actual set of rules under which Snowbirds visit the U.S.

It is best to stay onside with all these requirements.

By the way, if you are heading to an airport this summer, arrive early. Lineups and delays are epic!

Dollars and Sense is meant as an introduction to this topic and should not in any way be construed as a replacement for personalized professional advice.

David Christianson, BA, CFP, R.F.P., TEP, CIM is recipient of the FP Canada Fellow (FCFP) Distinction, and repeatedly named a Top 50 Financial Advisor in Canada. He is a Senior Wealth Advisor and Portfolio Manager with Christianson Wealth Advisors at National Bank Financial Wealth Management, and author of the book Managing the Bull, A No-Nonsense Guide to Personal Finance.
ROME (AP)  Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring.

FILE- Malian women sift wheat in a field near Segou, central Mali, Jan. 22, 2013. In 2022, 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. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

ROME (AP)  Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings Monday about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring.

The glum assessment came in a report by two Rome-based food agencies: the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

WFP Executive Director David Beasley said besides hurting the poorest of the poor the global food crises threaten to overwhelm millions of families who are just getting by.

Conditions now are much worse than during the Arab Spring in 2011 and 2007-2008 food price crisis, when 48 countries were rocked by political unrest, riots and protests, Beasley said in a statement. He cited as just the tip of the iceberg food crises now in Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru and Sri Lanka.

The report calls for urgent humanitarian action to help hunger hotspots where acute hunger is expected to worsen over the next few months.

FILE - Somalis who fled drought-stricken areas sit at a makeshift camp on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu, Somalia on Feb. 4, 2022. Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings on Monday, June 6, 2022 about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File)

The U.N. agencies are also warning that war in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February, has exacerbated already steadily rising food and energy prices worldwide.

The effects are expected to be particularly acute where economic instability and spiraling prices combine with drops in food production due to climate shocks such as recurrent droughts or flooding, the joint statement from the U.N. agencies said.

Among critical areas cited is East Africa, where the United Nations said an unprecedented drought is afflicting Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. South Sudan, meanwhile, faces a fourth straight year of large-scale flooding.

FILE - Residents wait in line at a "community pot," in the Nueva Esperanza neighborhood of Lima, Peru, Wednesday June 17, 2020. Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings on Monday, June 6, 2022, about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)

The report cited other sobering climate impacts: above-average rain and a risk of localized flooding in the Sahel, a vast swath of Africa stretching south of the Sahara Desert.

It also cited a more intense hurricane season in the Caribbean and below-average rainfall in Afghanistan. That Asian country is already suffering through multiple seasons of drought, violence and political upheaval, including after the return of Taliban rule last summer.

The report tagged six nations as highest alert hot spots facing catastrophic conditions: Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia. It said as many as 750,000 people are facing starvation and death in those countries. Of those, 400,000 are in Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region  the highest number on record in any one country since the 2011 famine in Somalia, the U.N. agencies said.

FILE - Residents of Oworonshoki Slum carry their food parcels distributed by the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, a non-profit nutrition focused initiative committed to fighting hunger and solving problems of Malnutrition for poor communities, in Lagos, Nigeria, Saturday, July 10, 2021. Two U.N. food agencies issued stark warnings on Monday, June 6, 2022 about multiple, looming food crises on the planet, driven by climate shocks like drought and worsened by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have sent fuel and food prices soaring. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)

In April, according to a study by regional health officials that was seen by The Associated Press, at least 1,900 children under 5 died from malnutrition in the Tigray region. Western Tigray, which is under the control of forces from the neighboring Amhara region, was not included in that survey.

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The U.N. food agencies report Monday said Congo, Haiti, the Sahel region, Sudan and Syria remain of very high concern" and noted that Kenya was a new entry to that list.

Joining the list of hot spot countries were Sri Lanka, Benin, Cape Verde, Guinea, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, while areas that faced continuing food scarcities included Angola, Lebanon, Madagascar and Mozambique.

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Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.

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Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the actions of Chinese pilots towards Canadian planes taking part in a United Nations mission "irresponsible and provocative."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during Question Period, Wednesday, June 1, 2022 in Ottawa. Trudeau has called the actions of Chinese pilots towards Canadian planes taking part in a UN mission "irresponsible and provocative." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the actions of Chinese pilots towards Canadian planes taking part in a United Nations mission "irresponsible and provocative."

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Trudeau condemned the actions of China toward Canadian planes that were taking part in a multilateral UN mission over the Pacific Ocean to enforce sanctions against North Korea.

"China's actions are irresponsible and provocative and we will continue to register strongly that they are putting people at risk while at the same time not respecting decisions by the UN," the prime minister.

Last week, the Canadian military accused Chinese planes of not following international safety norms on several occasions and putting a Canadian crew at risk. A statement said the Chinese planes tried to divert a Canadian long-range patrol aircraft from its path, and that the crew had to change direction quickly to avoid a potential collision.

Such interactions  are of concern and of increasing frequency,'' the statement said.

The Canadian plane was deployed from April 26 to May 26 to join other countries in watching for fuel transfers between ships at sea that could be helping North Korea evade U.N. sanctions over its missile and nuclear tests. Chinese ships are suspected of taking part in the transfers. The U.S. and Japan have also participated in the surveillance.

China defended its military pilots on Monday, saying they acted properly and were protecting its sovereignty, following recent complaints by Canada and Australia that Chinese planes engaged in risky manoeuvres with their aircraft over the Pacific.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said China swiftly took reasonable, forceful and professional measures in response to Canada's provocative acts and unfriendly and unprofessional operations.''

Wu said in a statement that Canada has stepped up close reconnaissance of China under the pretext of implementing UN sanctions. He said Canada would bear responsibility for any serious consequences from what he called its risky and provocative acts.

Conservative foreign affairs spokesman Michael Chong said Canada should tell China that its actions were "unacceptable" and also "dangerous and reckless."

"China's buzzing of a Canadian Forces plane over international waters is reckless and unprofessional," Chong said.

A 2001 collision between a U.S. surveillance plane and a Chinese air force jet resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the 10-day detention of the U.S. aircrew by China.

In a separate incident, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on a visit to Indonesia on Monday, called the May 26 actions of a Chinese fighter jet a dangerous act of aggression against an Australian air force plane conducting aerial surveillance in the South China Sea.

The Chinese J-16 accelerated and cut in front of the Australian plane, releasing chaff with small bits of aluminum that was sucked into the latter's engine, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Sunday.

China's Defense Ministry has not commented on the incident.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the Chinese military always conducts operations based on international law and practice and in a safe and professional manner.

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We urge Australia to respect China's national security interests and major concerns, and to be cautious with its words and deeds so as to avoid a miscalculation that could cause serious consequences,'' he said.

China claims numerous small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and says the area around these outcroppings are its territorial waters and airspace. The waters are an important shipping lane for all countries in the region, including Australia, which along with the United States says it wants to ensure freedom of navigation through them.

Zhao said China would not allow any country to violate its sovereignty in the name of freedom of navigation.

He also accused Canada of spreading disinformation and said it should adopt a moderate and pragmatic policy toward China and take concrete steps to improve relations between the two.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2022.

 With files from The Associated Press
TRURO, N.S. - A police chief testified Monday that during the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, he wasn't asked by the RCMP to send officers, though they were trained in responding to active shooters and were among the closest to the rampage.

Commission counsel Amanda Byrd presents information about the police paraphernalia used by Gabriel Wortman, at the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass murders in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Halifax on Monday, April 25, 2022. Wortman, dressed as an RCMP officer and driving a replica police cruiser, murdered 22 people. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

TRURO, N.S. - A police chief testified Monday that during the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, he wasn't asked by the RCMP to send officers, though they were trained in responding to active shooters and were among the closest to the rampage.

Chief Dave MacNeil of the Truro Police Service told a public inquiry that the normal protocol for the Mounties in the nearby detachment would have been to request help before he dispatched any of his 36 officers.

Three Truro officers were on duty on the night of April 18 when the shootings started at about 10 p.m. in Portapique, 40 kilometres to the west. But MacNeil told a commission lawyer that as the killer in a replica police car continued his murders over 13 hours, the RCMP didn't ask him to provide personnel.

The inquiry has heard that four Mounties from the Colchester division, the rural county surrounding Truro, were the first to respond to the initial shootings in Portapique, and by the time backup arrived from other RCMP detachments at about 10:45 p.m., the killer had escaped out a back road.

MacNeil testified that if his force had been asked, he would "definitely" have called in officers as needed. He said they were trained in responding to active shooter scenarios, had carbines in their cars and were trained to use them.

The lawyer for the inquiry also asked MacNeil about having just three people on duty rather than the normal five, and MacNeil responded this was due to a COVID-19 policy aimed at reducing staff exposure to the virus. However, he added, "we could have very easily had more people in" if requested by the RCMP.

The veteran chief also said that when he reached out to RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather at 9:50 a.m. on April 19 to offer assistance, Leather emailed back saying, "It sounds like we may (have) the suspect pinned down in Wentworth. Will be in touch." In fact, the gunman was not pinned down, and in the next half-hour he would drive through Truro undetected.

Dave MacNeil, chief of the Truro Police Service, provides testimony at the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass murders in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Truro, N.S. on Monday, June 6, 2022. Gabriel Wortman, dressed as an RCMP officer and driving a replica police cruiser, murdered 22 people. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

According to a summary provided by a public inquiry on Monday, the gunman entered the town at about 10:11 a.m. and was gone nine minutes later, passing within blocks of two local officers. It says officers had received descriptions over an hour before then of what to watch out for.

The summary notes that Cpl. Edwin Cormier of the Truro Police Service was on duty at that point, overseeing constables Dan Taylor, Jason Reeves and Thomas Whidden.

It also says RCMP Staff Sgt. Bruce Briers had contacted Cormier to inform him the killer was in "a fully marked, newer model ... looks like a Ford," replica RCMP vehicle. By then, the call number on the side of the car had also been circulated.

At 8:51 a.m., Cormier radioed all the constables on his shift and updated them on the information he had received. One of the officers said in an interview with the inquiry last month he was "unnerved" at the prospect of encountering the replica vehicle.

"I had his face (from a photo), but at the time I'm like, 'That's not good enough,'" Taylor said. "I felt like whoever it was could probably get the drop on me unless I had my gun pointed at every cruiser that came in the parking lot."

During cross-examination, the lawyer for the union representing RCMP members asked MacNeil why a senior officer wasn't called in the early hours of April 19 after police received three "Be On the Lookout" notices warning that an armed and dangerous suspect had been involved in an active shooting.

National Police Federation lawyer Nasha Nijhawan said the RCMP notices provided "a lot of information," but MacNeil replied that the notices didn't tell Truro police what danger existed for the town itself. He took exception to the lawyer's suggestion that Truro should have been better prepared.

He said there had to be "a lot of catastrophic failures" for the gunman, Gabriel Wortman, to be able to get to Truro from the scene of three of his killings that morning in Wentworth. "For you to suggest today that we should have this (lockdown) in place, yeah, great, in hindsight, but there had to be a lot of things go wrong for this guy to get from Wentworth to Truro."

An RCMP dispatcher did eventually phone Truro police asking that they lock down the town, but by that time, Wortman had already passed through and was on his way toward Halifax.

Audio transcripts indicate confusion from Truro police over what the lockdown request meant. "Uh, when you say shut down, what do you mean?" Cormier asks.

"Well I dont know if you need, uh, maybe you can do some, some roadblocks on the main," RCMP dispatch supervisor Kristen Baglee replies.

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Truro police Insp. Darrin Smith also spoke with Baglee, who confirmed that the replica police vehicle in a photo distributed earlier was loaded with weapons.

She then mentioned, as she had to Cormier, that the gunman also could be driving a white Ford pickup truck that had been seen leaving the Glenholme, N.S., area. "Thats one of the vehicles that hasnt been located thats associated to him," Baglee told Smith. Smith radioed the information to all Truro police members.

In an interview with the inquiry, Smith expressed his bewilderment with the RCMP's information and request to lock down. He said he thought at the time that the response wasnt co-ordinated and that the request was made out of "panic" and the need to "just do something."

"It was all over the board, all over the map so to speak," Smith said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2022.

 With files from Keith Doucette and Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax
Memorial Boulevard transformed Sunday.

Thousands of Manitobans, touting rainbow flags and signs and pets and smiles, took to the street  and others downtown  for the first annual Pride Winnipeg parade since the pandemic began.

It was the parades 35th anniversary. And, Winnipeg was hosting the second Fierte Canada Pride Festival  a national recognition.

"Its just so empowering to be here," said Ryan Schreyer, who attended with his husband.

"I think its important to show people that might be questioning themselves that theyre not alone."

Schreyer said he was involved in organizing Pride Winnipegs parade in the late 90s. Attendance had likely tripled since then, he said.

He shook his head while stopped at the intersection of Memorial and York  there was no way hed find his niece in the crowd.

Parade floats marched and drove by. Drumbeats came from the back of a truck representing Anishinaabe First Nations people. Sunshine House waved a sign reading "There are no closets in tipis".

"You have asexual pride, you have bisexual pride, you have gay pride, trans pride," Schreyer said. "Everybodys being represented now, and if youre feeling down and alone call one of the hotlines, because you are absolutely not alone."

The Premier addressed a crowd of over 150 people before the parade.

"Its like a sea of rainbow out there," Heather Stefanson told the ralliers.

The rally was off the main strip of celebrations  it was on the east side of the Manitoba Legislative Buildings grounds, while most attendees (and the trucks and music) were on the north.

Standing near Stefanson were Progressive Conservatives Obby Khan, Rochelle Squires, Shannon Martin, Cliff Cullen, Janice Morley-Lecomte and Sarah Guillemard.

"Were here to celebrate everyone within the LGBT community," Stefanson said.

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman and some city councillors, including Brian Mayes and Markus Chambers, were at the rally.

"Thirty-five years is a long time, and so much has changed," Bowman told the crowd. "We know theres more work ahead to build a community and a city in which were all truly proud to call home and we all feel we can be who we really are."

LGBT was once the acronym used to describe groups not identifying as straight. Its lengthened to LGBTTQ+.

"As the acronym has grown, equal rights has not," said Barry Karlenzig, Pride Winnipegs president.

Uzoma Asagwara, an MLA for Manitobas NDP party and grand marshall of this years pride parade, turned attention to those who couldnt make it to the weekends festivities.

"There are a lot of people who would love to be here today celebrating pride Theres a lot of people who cannot be here," Asagwara said. "Those are the people we need to be reaching out to."

Melissa Peterson and daughter Ellie wait for the parade to begin. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press)

They called pride a riot, a protest and a daily action.

"We have to leave here and every single day action pride  at the grocery store, in our schools, in our legislatures, in our communities," Asagwara said, adding trans kids must be protected.

Over 50 youths are in Prism, a Big Brothers Big Sisters 2SLGBTQ+ mentorship initiative, according to program manager Mackenzie Kolton.

"A lot of kids are really struggling in school, being bullied or having teachers or people not accept them for who they are," Kolton said.

Charlotte Di Lullo, 13, has found their community in school. They grinned ear-to-ear before the parade began Sunday: they were set to walk with Gordon Bell High Schools Gay Straight Alliance club.

"I thought it was just so cool that there was (a GSA)," Charlotte, who identifies as part of the LGBTTQ+ community, said. "I was like, Oh, yay, representation!"

Aubrey Di Lullo, Charlottes 11-year-old sister, did both girls make-up. The Grade 5 calls herself an ally to the LGBTTQ+ community.

"I love seeing everyone be their true selves," she said, motioning to the swaths of people near Memorial Boulevard Sunday.

Kate Sibley, Charlotte and Aubreys mother, said shes noted more diversity and acceptance in families than when she was a child.

"Im very happy for them to kind of grow up and know love who you love, and (that) people are good and kind. Thats the most important thing," Sibley said.

Pictoria Secrete, one of Fierte Canada Prides marshalls, said coming out was "very difficult" in 1981.

"At that point, you could get fired from your job, you could get ostracized by your family  who knows what couldve happened," Secrete said. "Still, today, you dont know until you actually come out."

Social media can create community, especially in the midst of a pandemic, said Bishop Christie, who identifies as bisexual.

"With apps like TikTok and everything, you see people," he said. "You (can) see someone from Winnipeg, and its like, Thats someone in my city whos exactly like me. And I think thats so cool."

The party-vibe Pride parade has been "a long time coming," given two years without the in-person event, said Ava Candaele.

"This is really important to me, as someone whos part of the queer community, to go and see everyone feeling supported and loved, especially after the pandemic where we werent together," Candaele said.

Pride festivities lasted nine days, beginning with a pride flag raised at city hall on May 27. The Fierte Canada Pride Festival happened at The Forks and Parks Canada grounds over the weekend.

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Pride Winnipeg operated with just 10 of 16 board members, according to Karlenzig. Of those, only three were around in 2019. The pandemic caused a shake-up, Karlenzig said.

"Its amazing to have (the event) back, but it is a lot of work," he said.

There were over 130 volunteers. A core group of 40 put in over 5,000 hours, Karlenzig said.

Still, the work continues.

"Pride isnt just one weekend or one month," Karlenzig said. "Pride is 365 days a year."

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
Imagine chatting with the Queen about your summer plans.

Imagine chatting with the Queen about your summer plans.

It wasnt a dream for Brian Bailey when the Queen, Prince Philip and their children visited his familys farm in the summer of 1970.

"It was like having the neighbours come in for a coffee party," Bailey, 77, said. "It was so neat to know that we had them to ourselves."

Queen Elizabeth and Nora Bailey at the 1970 backyard gathering south of Carberry, Man. (Courtesy of Brian Bailey)

The royals were in Manitoba on a Canadian tour. Theyd spent the first part of a Sunday in July in Brandon, but wanted to take a break from the public eye, according to Bailey.

Thats where his family farm  southeast of Carberry  came in handy. The Queen and crew boarded the royal train and rode to the Bailey farm.

She, her family, Baileys dad and security rode RCMP horses around the land for two hours. The monarch wanted to see a Manitoban farm  the crops, the cattle  Bailey said.

Then, they came back to the Baileys yard for food, conversation and relaxing on lawn chairs.

Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with Nora Bailey while husband T. Roy looks on. (Courtesy of Brian Bailey)

"(We) chatted and chatted and chatted," Bailey said.

His mother and the Queen talked about family; Prince Philip talked to Baileys brothers about farming, Bailey said.

Prince Charles and Princess Anne, then 21 and 19 years old, respectively, were in attendance.

"It was so nice to see (the Queen) in plain clothes," Bailey said. "So often, you know, shes dressed to the nines with a proper hat."

Prince Philip greets members of the Bailey family. (Courtesy of Brian Bailey)

The Queen took photos on a Nikon. Bailey took pictures on an Olympus Pen.

They ate coffee cake Baileys mother prepared for the occasion. It was her third time baking it for the event: she first made it for the Queens private secretary in a "dry run," to ensure the food was safe, Bailey said. Then, she made it the morning of but forgot to add the topping.

The third cake was newly baked in time for the Queens arrival.

"We call it the Queens cake now," Bailey said.

A 21-year-old Prince Charles poses during a chat in the Bailey backyard. (Courtesy of Brian Bailey)

The monarch was briefed on the Bailey family before the meet-up. She asked Bailey about his plans for the summer, since he was a schoolteacher.

The day had a lasting effect on Bailey. He recorded last Thursdays kick off to Platinum Jubilee festivities, which commemorate the Queens 70 years on the throne.

Bailey said he got goosebumps while watching.

"We actually met that lady 52 years ago," he said.

T. Roy and Nora Bailey, at left, chat with Queen Elizabeth, centre, while Princess Anne reclines on a lounger. (Courtesy of Brian Bailey)

Baileys father, T. Roy Bailey, had been crowned Mr. Manitoba Farmer in 1967. The farmers connections, plus the farms location, made the Bailey family ideal candidates for the Queens short stay.

"We were at the right place at the right time," Bailey said.

T. Roy Bailey had met the man who helped organize the 1970 royal tour through his Mr. Manitoba Farmer win. He and his wife wintered in Florida. When they returned home in April, they received the call about hosting the royal family, Bailey said.

"The locals were a little bit disappointed because they werent able to even come close to the farm," Bailey said, adding his own family needed passes to access their farmhouse  RCMP had blocked the road.

Queen Elizabeth receives a gift from the Bailey family. (Courtesy of Brian Bailey)

Forty years later, T. Roy Bailey had another meeting with the Queen. Bailey had heard the monarch and Prince Philip would be in Manitoba. He said he emailed the premier with his familys story and asked if his dad could see them again.

Bailey emailed again after no reply, and received comment from Manitobas chief of protocol, he said.

T. Roy Bailey had a front row seat to the Queen unveiling her statue at the Manitoba legislature grounds in 2010.

"As soon as she could get off the stage, she made a beeline to my dad to have a little visit," Bailey said. "My dad was just so tickled."

Prince Philip watches Queen Elizabeth open the gift while Princess Anne sits to the right. (Courtesy of Brian Bailey)

The Royal Family remembered him and his crops, Bailey said.

"I feel like were related, almost," he said of watching the monarch on TV. "You really do feel a kinship with them."

He keeps an enlarged photo of his family with the royals in his house. Its a conversation starter, he said.

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The former schoolteacher once brought the photos into a Grade 12 creative writing class he was leading. The kids had to write based on the photos without asking questions.

Queen Elizabeth waves as she departs the Bailey family farm. (Courtesy of Brian Bailey)

"They wrote some little satirical comments about, Oh, Mr. Bailey thinks hes king, doesnt he now, because the Queen has come to his house," he said with a laugh.

The Royal Family spent the night in 1970 in their train car, Bailey said. They used a portion of the next day to more formally tour the property.

Baileys sister-in-law has kept a serviette and teacup the Queen used, he said.

The Queen is Britains longest reigning monarch. The 96-year-old is the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)  The Dominican Republics minister of the environment and natural resources was shot and killed in his office on Monday by a close friend, the office of the president said in a statement.

FILE - Dominican Secretary for Commerce and Industry Sonia Guzman, right, talks to the media accompanied by Orlando Jorge Mera, at the presidential palace in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, March 16, 2004. Mera, the Dominican Republics minister of the environment and natural resources, was shot and killed in his office on Monday, June 6, 2022, according to officials. (AP Photo/Walter Astrada, File)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)  The Dominican Republics minister of the environment and natural resources was shot and killed in his office on Monday by a close friend, the office of the president said in a statement.

Authorities said Orlando Jorge Mera was shot by Miguel Cruz, who has been detained. No further details were immediately available, and it wasn't immediately clear if Cruz had an attorney.

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"We express our deepest condolences," the office of President Luis Abinader said.

Police and emergency officials swarmed the office of Environment and Natural Resources Minisatry in the capital of Santo Domingo and barred entry to it as mourners gathered nearby. Mera's office is located on the fourth floor of a building that also houses the Ministry of Tourism.

"We are troubled by the situation," Meras ministry said in a brief statement.

Bartolome Pujals, executive director of the governments Cabinet of Innovation, wrote that he lamented the killing.

"His death is a tragedy," he said. "We Dominicans have to come together to achieve a pact for peace and peaceful coexistence. No more violence."

Mera also was an attorney and a founding member of the Modern Revolutionary Party. He was appointed minister of the environment and natural resources in August 2020.
Seven athletes were treated to a rousing send-off Saturday before heading to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in the Sunshine State.

Event Organizer Kathy Armstrong welcomed Beaver Dam Mayor Becky Glewen, law enforcement officials from Beaver Dam and Horicon, along with family and friends to cheer on the group at the Park Village Shopping Center.

Team Wisconsin includes seven people representing Dodge County at the competition this week in Orlando, Florida.

Thats pretty amazing and we need to celebrate it, Armstrong said.

Unified partners Malinda Fuerstenau and Del Yegis will be competing in doubles bocce ball events with Malindas sister Jennifer Fuerstenau and Dels son Eric Yerges. They will join Jaime Jenks, Brian Schuster and Allen Lynard in team bocce ball events.

Glewen told the athletes to remember to have fun and support one another.

Each of you should feel very proud of all your accomplishments to get to this point already. We are so proud of you, she said. Thank you for representing Beaver Dam and our whole county.

The team members were led out of town by a parade of police cars, a fire truck and ambulance, with lights flashing. They made their way to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee to join roughly 100 Team Wisconsin delegates for a statewide celebration and then they boarded buses for the trip to Florida.

Team Wisconsin joined thousands of Special Olympics athletes representing the United States, South America and the Caribbean at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Opening Ceremony Sunday afternoon.

Captain Chris Tarmann of the UW-Oshkosh Police Department was featured in the Opening Ceremony as Team Wisconsins representative for the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg, culminating in the lighting of the Special Olympics Torch and officially opening the 2022 USA Games.

Following the Opening Ceremony, Team Wisconsin cooled off at nearby Amway Arena with some lunch and a show  a surprise performance from the Harlem Globetrotters.

Competition started Monday and goes through June 12. More than 5,500 athletes are expected to participate. ESPN3 is live streaming the events.

Follow Team Wisconsin at specialolympicswisconsin.org/

Follow Kelly Simon on Twitter @KSchmidSimon or contact her at 920-356-6757.

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A career-long love affair with science

From being dazzled by the launch of space stations in the 1970s to pushing the boundaries of quantum physics.

When Wits Universitys Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, was a boy growing up in Katlehong in Johannesburgs East Rand, the wonder of space endeavour was changing the world. The possibilities to unravel the mysteries of the universe held new frontiers for science and physics.

In a recent keynote address during the Wits Physics Open Days presented by the School of Physics as part of the Universitys centenary celebration, Vilakazi said NASAs Apollo Missions and the launch of Skylab, the first US space station, fired his imagination when he was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s.

It inspired me personally and even though it was very difficult for some of us to even think about doing science growing up in the townships, it became my personal moon shot  to dream that I too could be a scientist, he said.

He stayed true to shooting for the moon and by 1992 started his journey as a science scholar at Wits University. He hasnt looked back since.

Just this May, Vilakazi was made a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society in the United Kingdom. The Royal Society recognised him for his contribution to the physics programmes at the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland, and for continuing to build capacity for experimental particle physics and quantum computing in sub-Saharan Africa.

Love affair with the atomic nucleus

In his lecture, titled: A personal journey into the heart of the atomic nucleus, Vilakazi recalls how as a Master's student my love affair with the atomic nucleus began and has continued till the day I was demoted into management and the position of Vice-Chancellor at Wits, he joked. It makes this story not of the present, but a story of the past - between 2000 to 2013 - when I still had a foot in research.

After graduating from Wits in 1998, Vilakazi went on to do his doctoral research at CERN.

I invested eight years of my life in this project, and my friends like to remind me that I spoke nothing but high-level figures during that time - I was just living and dreaming the project. And luckily, it worked out, he says, noting that CERN is home to the Large Hadron Collider - the most powerful particular accelerator which fires proton beams at 14 tera electron volts, 14 trillion electron volts. It is most famous for discovering the Higgs boson  a subatomic particle considered a fundamental building block of the universe. The discovery of the Higgs particle in 2012 is said to mark a turning point between established physical knowledge and new physics.

In 1999, Vilakazi returned to South Africa to take up a lecturing post at the University of Cape Town. Here he was instrumental in establishing South Africas first experimental high-energy physics research group focusing on the development of the High-level Trigger for the CERN-ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider.

The team I was leading aimed to write the tracking algorithms in Cape Town and make sure that they combined with measurements of other events in Kolkatta, India, and then to combine these for analysis, make decisions and send them back to Switzerland. So effectively, we were running a large cluster computer across three continents.

By 2007 Vilakazi, took up the directorship at iThemba LABS and four years later in 2011, he was appointed Group Executive for Research and Development at the NECSA (Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa).

Fast forward to 2014, Vilakazi returned to his alma mater, joining Wits as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Postgraduate Affairs.

He became the Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal in 2021 and paused at a career highlight of the 2019 agreement of the partnership between Wits University and IBM.

We were all very excited about the new collaboration, he said. It would open the door for South African researchers and their counterparts for 15 universities across the continent to gain access to the 20 qubit-IBM Q quantum computer with its advanced quantum computing systems and software for teaching quantum information science and exploring early applications.

It has put us right at the forefront of developing the next generation of young people who will be writing codes using quantum computing, he said.

In conclusion, Vilakazi emphasised that his personal journey in science had also been buoyed by mentors, students, and colleagues who supported and shared his journey. He stressed the continued necessity for collaboration; to push for more doors to be opened for Africa and ultimately to hold on to the inspiration of technological advancement and physics to answer more questions of our time.
Queen Sonja Lifetime Achievement Award for Kentridge

Alumnuss career celebrated for significant contribution to graphic art and printmaking.

Wits alumnus Dr William Kentridge (BA 1977, DLitt honoris causa 2004) was awarded The Queen Sonja Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the worlds most important prizes for printmaking.

The announcement was made by the Queen Sonja Art Foundation on 3 June 2022.

He will be presented with the award by Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway at an award ceremony at the new Munch Museum in Oslo on 20 June 2022. The award celebrates an artists career and lifetime contribution to graphic art and printmaking. It is the QSPA Board that decides on the artists who receive this honour.

The HM Queen Sonja Art Foundation was established in 2011 to generate interest in and promote the development of graphic art. The Foundation presents three awards every other year. In 2018 the QSPA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented for the first time and is presented biannually. Previous recipients include David Hockney (2018) and Paula Rego (2020).

It is a great honour for the QSPA board to present William Kentridge with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his distinguished contribution to the art of printmaking through a long and outstanding career, the statement from the foundation said.

Dr Kentridges career has brought him international recognition at a comparatively early age as one of the major living artists. He has strong Witsie roots: His mother, Felicia (LLB 1953), helped establish the first Legal Resource Centre in South Africa. His father, the eminent Sir Sydney Kentridge QC, defended Nelson Mandela in the Treason Trial and represented the Biko family in the inquest into Steve Bikos death. Johannesburg has acted as an inspirational muse for many of his works and he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Wits in 2004.

* The world debut of Dr Kentridges new film Oh To Believe in Another World based on Dimitri Shostakovichs 10th Symphony, conducted by Michael Sanderling with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, will be performed in Switzerland on 15-16 June 2022.

A derivation of Oh To Believe in Another World will be at The Goodman Gallery, London, concurrent to his major survey at The Royal Academy of the Arts, in September till December 2022.
BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping and Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou exchanged congratulatory messages on Sunday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Xi pointed out that for half a century the two sides, with a historical perspective, have been keeping with the trend of the times, firmly supported each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns, worked together in the joint construction of the Belt and Road in a spirit of openness and win-win cooperation, and carried forward the wisdom of the time-honored civilizations and the Olympic spirit, which have brought tangible benefits to the two countries and their people and set a good example of mutual learning among civilizations for the international community.

Xi stressed that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Greece relations, and stands ready to work with President Sakellaropoulou to take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to deepen the traditional friendship, expand practical cooperation, promote cultural exchanges and enrich the connotation of the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership, so as to benefit the two countries and their people.

In her message, Sakellaropoulou said that over the past five decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Greece and China have nurtured bilateral relations featuring cooperation and friendship in the spirit of mutual understanding and mutual respect.

She expressed the confidence that both sides will join hands to advance the grand goal of promoting dialogue among civilizations and safeguarding world peace.

Also on Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis exchanged congratulatory messages.

Li said China is ready to work with Greece and take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties as a new start to consolidate political mutual trust and continuously deepen cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, marine transport and new energy, so as to promote big strides in the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership and take it to even higher levels.

For his part, Mitsotakis said the solid friendship and high-level cooperation between Greece and China have set a good example for countries across the world.

The prime minister extended the hope that the two countries take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to enhance cooperation in global affairs and push for sustained development of bilateral relations.

(Source: Xinhua)
Kearney is the seat of Buffalo County, located in the south-central state of Nebraska, United States. It is the fifth most populous city in the state, having a population of 33,790. The city was founded in 1871 at the junction of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad. The city was named after Fort Kearny. This fort was built to protect American travelers in the 1800s and was named in honor of General Stephen Watts Kearney. However, the "e" in its names was added due to a postal error.

Geography Of Kearney

Platte River in Kearney, Nebraska.

Kearney is located in the south-central Buffalo County of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city stands at an elevation of 2146ft, and it is along the north of the Platte River. According to the United States Census Bureau, Kearney has an area of 13 square miles, divided into 12.77 square miles of land and 0.23 square miles of water. It is located 125.72 miles west of Lincoln, Nebraska's capital. The city is the principal city in Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Buffalo and Kearney Counties.

Climate Of Kearney

According to the Koppen climate classification, Kearney has a humid continental climate that is characterized by warm-humid summers and dry cold winters. The average annual temperature is 50F, with July and January recording the highest (76F) and lowest (28F) average temperatures, respectively. On average, Kearney gets 24 inches of precipitation every year, with May and June reporting the most precipitation (3.9 inches). On the other hand, the average annual amount of snowfall in Kearney is 28.2 inches, where December records the most quantity of snow (10.4 inches). The day duration varies along the year, where the longest day is recorded on June 21 (15 hours, 6 minutes), and the shortest day is recorded on December 21 (9 hours, 15 minutes). The sky is mostly cloudy between October and June. The rest of the year is mostly clear.

Brief History Of Kearney

The westward push of the Mormon and Overland railroad made Kearney a crossroad for travelers coming from the east-west transportation arteries. And to protect these travelers, a fort was made in the name of General Stephen Watts Kearney. The first permanent settlements in this area were called Darbytown. The establishment of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in 1866 formed a junction between the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad that became named Kearney Junction. This led to the reduction of traveling using the old railroads and the movement of travelers to the northern region of the Platte River. Later on, the name "junction" was removed, and Kearney was incorporated on December 3, 1873, and was chosen to be the seat for Buffalo County in 1874.

Demographics And Economy Of Kearney

According to the United States Census Bureau, Kearney encompasses around 33,790 residents as of 2020, where 50.7% are females, and 49.3% are males. The city's racial makeup is 90.1% white (Hispanic/Latino and non-Hispanic/Latino) and 1% African-American or Black. The rest are distributed among Asians, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other races. English is spoken by 91.2% of the population. The rest speak Spanish (5.9%), Asian and Pacific Islander languages (2%), Indo-European languages (0.8%), and other foreign languages (0.1%). Only 45.9% of the population in Kearney are naturalized U.S. citizens. And veterans make up 6% of Kearney's population, of which 87% are males, and 13% are females.

Sandhill cranes feeding in a farmer's field near Kearney, Nebraska.

As of the same 2020 Census, 69.8% of the population are employed, with a poverty rate of 14.7%. The homeownership rate in Kearney is 61.2%, where the median gross rent cost is $793 per month, with a median household value of $188,800.

Attractions In Kearney

Great Platte River Road Archway Monument

This monument is located in the east of Kearney. It denotes the story of Nebraska's pioneers and travelers that went onto the Oregon trail, which led to the declaration and development of the United States in general and Nebraska in specific. There, you will find gift shops, hike/bike trails, and experience a historical tour.

Central Nebraska Veterans Memorial

This memorial was made to honor the military and veterans who served and died for their country. It has a unique architecture that was designed for veterans, by veterans.

Fort Kearney Museum and Glass Bottom Boat Rides

This museum is a great reserve of the world's history for the last seven decades. You can see Egyptian mummies preserved in specially designed rooms. One display has an actual Samurai suit of armor. You can also see convex windows recovered from an early Kearney Opera house, Old West weapons, and other interesting artifacts which denote the world's history. There, you can also enjoy glass-bottom boat rides along the Marlo Johnson sandpit lake that overlook different kinds of fish.

Classic Car Collection

Classic Automotive Collection is the finest public car attraction between Chicago and Denver, which houses over 200 vintage cars from the early 20th century till today.

Among many other attractions like the Fort Kearny State Historical Park and G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture, Kearney is a great preserver of its western roots that evolved throughout history. If you want to understand more about U.S. history in general and the establishment of Nebraska in specific, Kearney is the place to go.
Madison is a large city situated in Dane County in the US State of Wisconsin. Located 124km to the west of Milwaukee, the city serves as the capital of Wisconsin. It covers a total area of 262.96 sq. km and has a population of 269,840. Madison is recognized as the city of four lakes: Lake Monona, Lake Mendota, Lake Waubesa, and Lake Kegonsa, despite having a fifth lake called Lake Wingra. It has a humid continental climate characterized by a significant variance in temperature. Madison is known to be the core of Wisconsin's intellectual life as it is home to the state's largest university campus (Wisconsin State University). It is also known for its dairy, lumber, and beer production.

Geography And Climate Of Madison

Aerial view of the downtown skyline of Madison, Wisconsin.

Part of Madison is located on an isthmus aptly named the Madison isthmus. The Madison isthmus serves as a link between Madison's western and eastern sides. It sits in between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Summers in Madison is hot and humid; winters are cold, snowy, and windy; and the weather is partly cloudy all year. The warm season in Madison lasts for approximately 3.9 months, from May 22 to September 18. During that period, the average daily temperature would be above 71F. July tends to be the hottest month in Madison, with an average low of 14 F and a high of 28F. From November 30 to March 3, the cold season lasts 3.2 months, with an average daily temperature below 38F. January is the coldest month in Madison, with an average low of 14F and a high of 28F.

Brief History Of Madison

Bascom Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. Editorial credit: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com

The Ho-Chunk nation or Winnebago tribe were some of the early inhabitants of Madison. The city was proposed by a former federal judge named James Dwayne Doty, who convinced the legislature to make Madison the capital of the territory of Wisconsin before there was even a settlement. Madison's strategic location between the territory's other developing districts was the basis for this proposition. The capital city wouldn't be incorporated even as a village for another nine years after construction started in 1837.

Population And Economy Of Madison

A view of a street in Madison, Wisconsin.

Madison has a population of 269,840 inhabitants as per the latest US Census. Of this population, 50.5% were female, and 49.5% were male. Regarding age distribution, 5% were under five years old, 16.1% were under 18 years old, and 12% were over 65 years old. The majority of the populations ethnicity was white (77.5%), whereas 6.6% were black or African American, 9.1% were Asian, 7.2% were Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% were Native Americans, and 5% identified as two or more races. According to the same census, 71.6% aged 16 years or older were in the civilian labor force. Of the 71.6%, 69.5% were female, and 29.5% were male. The percentage of those living in poverty was 16.4%. The median household income (2016-2020) was $67,565, and the per capita income for the past 12 months was $39,595.

Attractions In Madison

State Capitol Building

State Capitol Building in Madison, Wisconsin.

Built in 1917, and resting on an isthmus between the two lakes, Lake Monona and Lake Mendota, is the Wisconsin State Capitol. Standing more than 200 feet tall, the Capitol Building is an architectural masterpiece. Its made of 43 varieties of stone from around the world, hand-carved furniture, and exquisite glass mosaics. Visitors can experience the grandeur of the Capitol on a guided tour that explores the entire building.

Memorial Union Terrace

Memorial Union Terrace on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Editorial credit: Jay Yuan / Shutterstock.com

Situated on the University of Wisconsin's campus, the Memorial Union Terrace is known as one of the best spots in the city for people to hang out and relax. Even though entry to the terrace is restricted to union members, tourists can simply obtain a guest card to get in and attend any of the free activities hosted. Live music is played throughout the day to accompany one's picnic or meal from one of the many restaurants available. Moreover, during the summer, free movies are screened after dark.

Henry Villas Zoo

Opened in 1924, Henry Villas Zoo is owned by the city of Madison. The 28-acre zoo is a favorite among locals and visitors. It attracts close to a million visitors each year. The zoo is home to various animals from tropical, arctic, savannahs, plains, and other habitats. Some popular animals include Amur tigers, African lions, reticulated giraffes, red pandas, and alpacas.

The city of Madison is filled with beautiful and magical places to visit. A fun fact about Madison is that it's the 10th safest place to live in the US, making it a safe touristic spot for people interested in visiting it.
Weather Alert

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values of 100 to 106 degrees this afternoon and 102 to 107 degrees Thursday afternoon. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Indiana, southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight lows will only fall into the mid to upper 70s, providing little relief. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
A view from Clwyd Souths Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates writes

While we had disappointing news on the City of Culture bid last week, the thousands of people who supported the campaign can be proud of what they helped achieve.

We have a lot to be proud of here, and I hope Wrexham Council is able to use this momentum as a springboard to invest in and improve the whole county borough.

There is still much to be optimistic about for Wrexham. The separate designation of City Status will present opportunities for inward investment that the council must take advantage of, and I have written to Economy Minister Vaughan Gething for assurances that the Welsh Government will continue to support our area.

Despite the double Wembley disappointment for Wrexham AFC, its clear that its now a club that, like the town, is on the up. I hope the UK Government will soon respond to the calls from the club and from across the political spectrum to step up and give the Wrexham Gateway project  which includes the redevelopment of the Racecourse Grounds Kop stand  the same level of support that the Welsh Government has pledged.

This campaign is one that transcends political differences, and which should unite everyone in supporting the transformation of Wrexham and its iconic stadium so it can once again host international fixtures. A new Kop would be the final piece of the jigsaw in achieving this.

However, to realise Wrexhams ambitions, UK Government money is needed to supplement the major investment the Welsh Government has already committed.

I am still receiving regular queries from constituents about what is happening with the B5605 at Newbridge following the news in April that the Welsh Government had awarded Wrexham Council a further 2.8m to repair and reopen the road.

The council applied for the funding in late February, and it was awarded in early April. The matter is now in the councils hands, and I have written to them to ask for an update and a time frame for the work to reopen this crucial route connecting Chirk with Cefn Mawr, Plas Madoc, Ruabon and numerous other communities in the heart of Clwyd South. Not only does it serve as a busy commuter route, it provides a diversion option for the A483.

I will share the WCBC response with Wrexham.com and on social media as soon as I have it.

It was a pleasure to officially open the new community hub and revamped visitor centre at Minera Lead Mines, another site which plays an important role in showcasing the proud heritage of our corner of north-east Wales.

In the Senedd, I called for the new national Citizen Voice Body (CVB) to be based in north Wales, which has the countrys largest health board.

From April 2023, the CVB will represent the voices and opinions of the people of Wales in respect of health and social care services. It will be independent of government, the NHS and local authorities, but will work with them to support continuous improvement.

As Wrexham.com reported, I also asked for an update from the Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, about the Welsh Governments plans to improve services across the region.

The people of north Wales must know whether progress has been made against the improvement plans, which were announced by the former Health Minister as the next stage of improvement after BCUHB was taken out of special measures.

Ive also written formally to the Minister, and will share her response when I receive it.

As a proud vice president of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, I look forward to welcoming visitors back to the towns showpiece event for the first time since 2019.

This year marks the 75th year of the iconic event. Given what is happening around the world at the moment, particularly in Ukraine, the Eisteddfods message of international peace and harmony is as important and poignant now as it was when it was created in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The Welsh Government has provided crucial financial support to help keep the Eisteddfod going in recent years, and I hope it will continue to show its support for major events in north Wales. I send my congratulations and best wishes to the organisers as they prepare to welcome back international visitors to Clwyd South once again.

If you need advice or support, please email ken.skates@senedd.wales and include your home address and a contact number. You can also find regular coronavirus updates on my Facebook page and sign up to my weekly newsletters here.



Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).
Prime Minister Boris Johnson to face vote of confidence today  Clwyd South MP backs PM

UPDATE: We are told Wrexhams MP Sarah Atherton has reached out to local Conservative members and supporters pointing to tonights vote of confidence, asking them in an email As members, I wanted to consult you and would welcome your thoughts on the matter, with a cut off of 5PM for responses ahead of the vote from 6PM.

UPDATE: Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has stated his support for the Prime Minister, saying just before 9am Today I will be supporting Boris Johnson  he has got the big decisions right on vaccines, supporting people through the Covid crisis, delivering on Brexit which the majority of people supported in the referendum and 2019 election and leading international support for Ukraine.

Original information below

Enough Conservative MPs have requested a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson to trigger a contest which will be held later today.

54 letters are needed to trigger such a vote

Chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady has announced the vote a press release.

It says: The threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.

In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 1800 and 2000 TODAY MONDAY 6th JUNE  details to be confirmed.

The votes will be counted immediately afterwards.

An announcement will be made at a time to be advised. Arrangements for the announcement will be released later today.

In an interview this morning Sir Graham Brady said he informed PM Johnson of the vote yesterday, and that some MPs had made it clear their letters should not acted upon until the end of Jubilee celebrations.

This morning further MPs made their disquiet public, including the scathing letter below from Hereford MP Jesse Norman.

I have supported Boris Johnson for 15 years, for the London Mayoralty and for PM. Very sadly, I have written to him to say I can no longer do so, for the reasons set out below. pic.twitter.com/0Mjs4hjeSF  Jesse Norman (@Jesse_Norman) June 6, 2022

In February Wrexhams MP Sarah Atherton and Clwyd Souths MP Simon Baynes issued a joint statement saying it was not appropriate to make judgements right now after Wrexham.com asked their views on the update report from Sue Gray.

Following the conclusion of the Gray report and the Met Police investigations we invited a similar comment and view on the outcomes, however as yet have not received one.
Third case of Monkeypox identified in Wales, public health officials confirm

A third monkeypox case has been identified in Wales, public health officials have said today.

A further 77 cases of monkeypox have been detected in the UK bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the UK to 302, as of 5 June.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, the risk of monkeypox remains low for the general public.

Monkeypox  which is usually found in west and central Africa  has been on the increase during the past month with more than 200 confirmed cases recorded in Britain, Portugal, Spain and the United States.

Dr Graham Brown, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for Public Health Wales, said:

Public Health Wales is today (6 June) confirming that an additional case of monkeypox has been identified in Wales. 

This brings the total in Wales to three. The case is being managed appropriately.

To protect patient confidentiality, no further details relating to the patient will be disclosed.

Monkeypox does not usually spread easily between people, and the overall risk to the general public is low.

It is usually a mild self-limiting illness, and most people recover within a few weeks.

However, severe illness can occur in some individuals

Initial symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body, particularly the hands and feet.

The rash changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.

Dr Brown said: Everyone is being asked to be aware of the monkeypox symptoms, but it is important that gay and bisexual men are alert as its believed to be spreading in sexual networks.

Anyone with unusual rashes or lesions on any part of their body should contact NHS 111 or call a sexual health service if they have concern
Volunteers needed for three day food collection event in support of Wrexham residents

Wrexham residents are being urged to support the UKs biggest food donation event this summer, with charities launching a huge recruitment drive for volunteers.

This year the Trussell Trust and FareShare are marking 10 years of working in partnership with Tesco to collect food donations in its supermarkets, and with both charities reporting increasing need for food, those donations have never been more important.

The two charities have now put a call out for volunteers to help out at collection points in stores during the Tesco Food Collection, which takes place at the supermarkets bigger stores from June 30 to July 2.

During that timeframe customers will be asked to donate long-life food to help food banks in the Trussell Trusts network provide food parcels to people facing financial hardship and to help FareShare in supporting thousands of frontline charities and community groups across the UK.

Volunteers are needed because they play a vital role in speaking to customers, encouraging them to donate, and helping them to choose items that are most-needed by local food banks and charities. Tesco will top up all the food donated during the collection with an additional 20% cash donation to the charities to support them in their work.

Every can or packet donated will make a difference, with the Trussell Trusts network of food bank centres across the UK reporting a 14% increase in food parcels handed out last year and more than 75% of the charity and community groups supplied by FareShare reporting an increase in demand.

Emma Revie, CEO of the Trussell Trust, urged people to give a few hours of their time to support the collection.

As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, millions of people across the country are struggling to survive. We know that too many families will be forced to use a food bank over the coming months because they are unable to afford the essentials, she said.

Supporting the Tesco Food Collection this summer by volunteering could make all the difference to your local food bank during this busy period. You could donate a couple of hours of time and volunteer during the collection or alternatively, you could donate food to your local Tesco donation point. Please do get in touch to hear about volunteering opportunities.

Sarah Germain, CEO at FareShare Cymru, added: The cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact on thousands of families across the UK and our charities are telling us that demand for their services continues to grow as a result.

Thats why the Tesco Summer Food Collection is so important. We would be hugely grateful to anyone who is able to volunteer at the Tesco Food Collection this summer to encourage more shoppers to donate much-needed food to FareShare, so we can continue to support those who need it most.

People can find more about the collection and sign up to volunteer by visiting https://fareshare.org.uk/foodcollection/ or Tesco Food Collection  The Trussell Trust.
Warning issued after increase in reports of rental fraud scheme in North Wales

North Wales Police are urging people to be vigilant over a rental fraud scheme targeting residents in the region.

It comes after an increase in incidents whereby members of the public are attempting to rent properties in the North Wales area using social media.

Police say that victims are paying upfront for the accommodation only to find that the person they are dealing with is not the owner of the property.

In March Wrexham.com reported that flats in the Wrexham and Flintshire areas have been advertised as being available to rent on the social media site.

The victims have been asked to pay an upfront deposit for the property.

However, once funds are transferred the advertiser does not get back in contact with the person paying the deposit.

The following advice has been issued to help protect yourself from rental fraud.

Dont send money to anyone advertising rental properties online until youre sure the advertiser is genuine.

Dont pay any money until you or a reliable contact has visited the property with an agent or the landlord.

Ask for copies of tenancy agreements and any safety certificates such as Gas Electricity or HMO Licence.

Do not be pressurised into transferring large sums of money. Transfer funds to a bank account having obtained the details by contacting the landlord or agent directly after the above steps have been followed. Be sceptical if youre asked to transfer any money via a money transfer service like Western Union.

More information on scams can be found on the Action Fraud website.
Press Release

June 3, 2022 Dispatch from Crame No. 1265:

Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the archiving of the Pharmally Report 6/3/22 I am sorely disappointed at the failure of several of our colleagues in the Blue Ribbon Committee to sign the Committee Report on the Pharmally investigation. Because of the lack of a majority signing the same, the report would now have to be archived, as if no anomaly happened. This will also let all culpable parties get away with the 11 billion peso heist scot free. To let these people get away with plunder and corruption smacks of gross dereliction of duty on the part of the Senate. That is why the Blue Ribbon Committee led by Sen. Dick Gordon burned the midnight oil for weeks in order for this not to happen, and so that those responsible will be held to account. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the Committee and its Chair, it appears that Duterte still had favors to collect even as his term ends, and so was able to frustrate the release of the Committee Report. This is a most sordid affair that should not have been the swan song of 18th Congress on the part of the Senate. Instead of exacting accountability, the last act of this Senate under Duterte was to continue turning a blind eye to his administration's impunity. I do hope that Sen. Risa Hontiveros's plan to revive the Pharmally inquiry in the 19th Congress will bear fruit this time around. It will surely be a test for the incoming administration insofar as its promise to fight corruption and jail corrupt officials is concerned, no matter how high up they are in the totem pole of government. I also hope that the next Blue Ribbon Chair is as aggressive and relentless as its last Chair has shown, given the sensitive mandate of the Committee to be the vanguard of the Senate against corruption in government. ### (Access the handwritten version, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_no._1265)
UK rents are rising at their fastest rate in 14 years. According to property website Zoopla, they rose 11 percent nationwide over the past year to an average of nearly 1,000 per month (995), forcing the average tenant to spend more than one third of their household income on rent.

In London, single workers are forced to spend a staggering 52 percent of their income, with payments increasing by 15.7 percent in the capital city.

Zoopla reports demand for rental properties was up 76 percent this year compared to the past four years, citing students and young workers returning to work as the government ends all COVID restrictions.

Heygate Estate, London (Credit: Flickr / Axel Drainville)

But workers being forced back to the office under the governments live with the virus agenda is only part of the reason rents are up this year. The main cause is that successive Labour and Tory governments have for decades implemented policies removing all limits on private wealth accumulation, starving local councils of the necessary funding. They have allowed the sell-off of council estates and privatisation of social housing and their conversion into luxury apartments, causing a massive shortage of affordable housing.

According to government statistics, the long-term historic trend has been a decrease in the size of the social sector in housing. Between 2020 and 2021 alone, there was a 12 percent decrease in available social housing, with more than one million households on the waiting list, according to the Shelter housing charity.

In 2016, Londons Barking and Dagenham borough had 50 times more people on the waiting list than available properties, causing a 50-year waiting list for council housing. Since 1980, the borough has lost 50 percent of its council housing stock, mainly due to the right-to-buy scheme introduced under the Thatcher government under which tenants could buy their council property at a reduced rate.

More than 40 percent of council houses sold to their tenants under right-to-buy terms are now privately rented out to local authorities paying millions annually to private landlords to house homeless families in properties they once owned.

The spiraling cost of living has pushed thousands into debt, leading to a 63 percent rise in no fault renter evictions, with more than 3,700 evictions between January and March this yearup 38 percent over the previous quarter.

Margaret Perry, a renter who earns 30,000 a year, told the Guardian that her landlord put up her rent by 22 percent to 825 per month for her room in Haringey. Thats just not an option. Its hard enough as it is, she said.

In Salford shopping centre, in the north west of England, a 29-year-old shopworker told the World Socialist Web Site, Since COVID, prices have risen and people like myself have to work extra hours, sometimes 70 hours a week, to pay bills and provide for the family. People like me, under 30, can get depression. Mental health problems are linked to livelihood. People who cant provide for the family get depressed. Even if wages go up, everything else you buy goes up. Its killing young people. Its not easy to survive in the 21st century. It feels like World War II when our grandparents were struggling.

House prices have increased by 55,000, with the purchase cost of the average home now roughly 368,000. At this price it is nearly impossible for workers to get on the home ownership ladder. Most are unable to save for the down payment and fees required to buy a home because nearly all of their monthly income is spent on food, fuel and rent.

Last year, a Guardian analysis of the housing crisis showed that low-paid key workers on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic would not be able to afford to buy the average priced home in 98% of Great Britain.

Nurses on a median annual wage of 33,920 are unable to buy a median priced property in almost three-quarters of local authorities nationwide. Secondary school teachers on 40,881 per year are unable to buy in nearly one-fifth of council areas.

According to Bloomberg Economics, the cost-of-living crisis will likely add an average of 2,370 per year to UK consumers household bills, making home ownership even more elusive.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research expects that disposable incomes will fall in 2022 by 4.8% with a further fall of 1.4% in 2023. The forecast fall in living standards this year is an estimated 71bnwhich amounts to 2,553 per household the largest since records started in 1955.

The crisis is being worsened by NATOs proxy war in Ukraine, which is causing global food and fuel shortages. A survey by Rightmove, an online real estate portal and property website, reports that the shocking rise of energy bills has led to a 36 percent rise in the number of inquiries for all energy bills to be included in rental agreements.

In the face of mounting anger as more people are pushed into destitution, the governments legislative agenda outlined in May included proposals to scrap the Victorian-era Vagrancy Act, introduce a Renters Reform Bill and regulate social housing.

With a staggering 22 percent of the 4.4 million renters in England living in what the government describes as homes of an unacceptable standard, it vaguely stated that the Bill will improve the lives of millions of renters by driving up standards in the private and socially rented sector, delivering on the governments mission to level up the country.

A main impulse for what is trumpeted as a New Deal for renters is saving on welfare spending, with the government declaring that the reforms will prevent private landlords from benefiting from tax payer money for renting out low quality homes, slashing the 3 billion a year in housing benefit that is estimated to go to landlords renting out non-decent homes.

The Crisis homeless charity points out how the proposals give with one hand while taking with the other. The plan to introduce legislation that has the potential to criminalise anyone forced to sleep rough is nothing short of shameful and flies in the face of any effort to tackle rough sleeping for good.

The governments Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is seeking views on proposals to respond effectively to begging, potential penalties for harmful begging and how to encourage vulnerable people to engage with rehabilitative support. It warns, We must balance our role in providing essential support for vulnerable people with ensuring that we do not weaken the ability of police to protect communities.

Aside from the Vagrancy Act, the police have an arsenal of modern weapons they use against societys most vulnerable, including Community Protection Notices (carrying a maximum 20,000 penalty), Public Space Protection Orders (involving 100 fines, escalating to prosecutions) and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, that are available for use under civil rather than criminal law. Police have gone as far as using anti-terrorism legislation to justify searching rough sleepers.

According to Crisis, core homelessness in England alone has been rising year-on-year, jumping from 207,600 in 2018 to 227,000 in 2021.

Elaine, a worker in Sheffield, recently shared with the WSWS that she saw a homeless girl in her twenties laid asleep outside the Meadowhall shopping centre because she couldnt get anywhere to live. Thats the result of what all these governments have done. This reality doesnt affect people in the government because theyve got money, and they dont realise how it affects everyone else. Theyre all looking out for each other.
A reporting team from the World Socialist Web Site spoke to workers donating, volunteering at, and using the Spires food bank in Arbourthorne, Sheffield about the cost-of-living crisis. Arbourthorne is a working-class district of a city formerly associated with the steel, engineering and mining industries, where 44 percent of children are officially living in poverty.

Danielle Thorpe has had to resort to using foodbanks since February. She is a carer for her husband who has several debilitating conditions. Danielle explained that while life was always tough for her and her family, she has struggled to cope financially in the last four months.

Danielle (WSWS Media)

I have had a cut of over 200 a month in child and tax benefits. My eldest daughter has type one diabetes but gets no help, not even a bus pass as she is deemed to be able to manage her condition. Me and my husband have to drive to school and pick her up when she is on a low and passes out. She is starting university in September and we will lose our child benefit. She will be living with us and we will need to provide for her.

My husband had two security jobs at the same time to help make ends meet. He cannot work any longer. He has had one knee replacement and is waiting on a second. He has a spinal injury and he was attacked with a metal pole at work which has left him with some brain damage. He is told that he can still work, doing computing. It is impossible for him to work, but they keep pressuring him.

Fuel costs have been challenging. The family are very cautious and dont use fuel unless absolutely necessary. Their food shop has increased from 30 per week to 60. The package of support measures announced last month from the multi-millionaire Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, is not going to fix it, its like putting a band-aid on a large wound. Its degrading that I have to rely on a foodbank and I feel even more sorry for those who work full-time and still cant afford to live. I see teachers and nurses here. They are struggling. This is a disgusting situation the government have put us in. They only care for the rich, not the poor.

Graham is retired and used to be a carer for his wife. He has been visiting the food bank for the past three weeks.

Graham (WSWS Media)

I live in sheltered accommodation right now. They charge me for heating, water and electricity every week. I got behind with that. It used to be 30 but last time it was 45. And Ive not been using the electric oven either. Ive not used it at all for the last month. I owe a few people money, like British Telecom from two or three years ago, thats 1,200. 

Grahams pension payment is only 185 a week but as with millions of others it is calculated to reach a threshold to make him ineligible for additional financial help. I cant get pension credit because Im 2.50 over the limit.

Food prices have gone right up. I used to go to Asda to buy a loaf of bread for a pound, its 1.20 now. Milk, 99p, everything is just going up and I cant afford it. I owe that much money and I have to pay that back, so I have to use the food banks.

Why dont they reduce the prices for us? Its alright the chancellor saying we're going to get 350 in November. Thats six months time. We need it now for the fuel. And I don't qualify for this extra 650 because I'm not on means tested benefit. Im on a basic state pension and that's 2.50 over the limit for pension credit.

When I was working in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, I was earning 400 a week. I was doing all sorts, but the main job was as working in a British sugar factory in York. We got overtime. There was time, double time, and treble time if we worked on Christmas. I used to make fencing panels and I was making almost 500 on piecework.

All these MPs [Members of Parliament] earning tens of thousands a year and getting all their allowances and expenses paid for them and were getting nothing. Look at the chancellor, him and his wife. Theyre all the same. The working man will be no better off even if ther's a Labour government. Labour will say, We wouldn't have done this or done that, but if they actually get in they will not reverse any of the decisions the Conservatives have made. Theyre just as bad in my eyes.

Bladette had been volunteering at the soup kitchen that preceded the food bank and has recently found herself needing to use it herself.

Ive been working voluntary before the food bank started about seven years ago for people that couldnt afford a meal. And then we had lock down. So, it got cancelled. We started doing deliveries. Now with the cost of living, with everything rising, Ive had to use the food bank myself. Ive never done that before, but you know, you cant feel proud and dont be ashamed. If you want to eat, youve got to ask for help.

Due to her difficult circumstances, Bladette has been pushed into debt. She has been lumbered with an exorbitant meter system for her gas and electric bills.

Im just putting a tenner [10] on all the time. It used to be 20 pound a fortnight, now its that every other day. Even if Im not using the gas, Im still getting charged every day. The meter was already there before I moved. I did ask them to take it out, but they said that it would cost me hundreds of pounds to have it changed.

Ive been going into the Co-op [grocery store] after 6 oclock, you know, looking for the reduced items. The first couple of times I felt really embarrassed. But I see everyone else doing it now. So, I get in and I know what Im eating the next day.

Politicians are all for themselves. They can all afford cheese and wine at their office parties. Ive never even voted because I wouldnt know who to start with because theyre all the bloody same. We feel awful when a family comes into the food bank and theres not much left. Even people who used to work and have lost their jobs are coming in now.

Sue Cohen has health difficulties, including sleep apnoea, asthma, and a heart problem. Her daughter, a single parent of four children, is also having to use the food banks.

Sue (WSWS Media)

My electric is pay-as-you-go. The amount Im putting in now has basically doubled. And my food bill has doubled.

Our ignorant government doesnt speak for us, thats for sure. They speak for the rich. Once they can line their own pockets, it doesnt matter about the little people. Yet, its us thats keeping the country going.

I cant even get pension credit because they say I get that little bit too much. And I mean a little bit too much. What happened to all the money that my brother paid in, my dad paid in, my mum paid in? They all died before they were 66.

Joe used to be in the military from 2006 to 2020 and has done several tours of Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. He was visiting the food bank for the very first time.

Joe (WSWS Media)

Im here because of the cost of living. I just cant afford it. Its degrading. It took me a few minutes to work up the courage to come out, just to admit that youre in the position.

Im barely affording the rent. Im waiting on my first electric bill, which Im dreading. Because Im on Universal Credit [welfare payment], I cant afford all these things.

So, I left the army and I was homeless for a little bit. But again, youre just another veteran on the streets. I eventually started getting the help that I needed. I got a council flat, but now I cant afford to live in my flat. So, Im struggling or back on the streets.

Everythings sky rocketing apart from the minimum wage. If you cant afford to live and you cant afford to eat, then thats not living. Some people are getting rich off the suffering of most of the people.

Paul has retired from numerous jobs and has been forced to use the food bank for the past six months.

Everythings going up with a bang. And with this war in Ukraine, that hasnt helped so oil prices are going up so its pushing everything else up.

I think they should take the money off the rich and give it to the poor. But while theyre letting them get away with it, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
Caterpillar workers: We want to hear from you. Fill out the form at the end of this report to share your experience about any workplace or safety issues at your facility. All comments will be kept anonymous.

Tractors and equipment made by Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar Inc. are seen in Clinton, Ill. [AP Photo/Seth Perlman]

A 39-year-old Caterpillar worker, Steven Dierkes, died instantly last Thursday after falling into a molten iron crucible at the companys Mapleton, Illinois foundry. This is the second death of a worker in the last six months at the Caterpillar facility, which has faced increasing safety violations in recent years.

Dierkes, a resident of Peoria, was apparently working near the crucible, where different metals are melted at a temperature of over 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit, when he fell in. An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as the sheriff and coroners offices is presently underway.

{Read More: The death of Steven Dierkes: A victim of Americas industrial slaughterhouse}

Steven Dierkes lived down the street from me when we were kids, said Jermaine Pigee, who mourned his friends death in a social media post. We naturally grew up together. We were into professional wrestling, so every Friday night, wed get together with friends and wed try wrestling moves on each other. Then, wed play video games all night. RIP, buddy.

Ron, a veteran Caterpillar worker whose name has been changed to protect him from retaliation, told the World Socialist Web Site, He was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped. He died instantly, but not all of him went in. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. It must have been ghastly for those folks that witnessed it and to wait for the coroner with half of their coworker lying on the floor.

Worker pouring molten iron into a mold at Caterpillars Mapleton, Illinois, foundry. [Photo by Caterpillar]

The foundry at Mapleton produces multiple engine castings using various combinations of metals, which are poured into various molds in different pour zones that produce engine blocks, heads, liners and other manufacturing components.

The death occurred on one of the large melters in the main foundry melting area, Ron said. I havent seen the melting area in years, let alone the melt deck itself, so I cannot report what conditions are like. Our melting area is physically connected but operationally independent. Word spread fast and people were gathering trying to find out what happened.

I dont know what time it happened but by 10:20 a.m. the entire facility was sent home. I received a text from my boss early evening last night that we were not to return to work until Monday. Presumably the company would have their whitewash mixed by then, he added.

Another worker noted in a social media post that Steven had only been there for 5 days and he should not have been on the iron floor without sufficient training.

In a perfunctory and hollow statement, a spokesperson for Caterpillar stated, We are deeply saddened by the death of an employee who was involved in a serious incident at our Mapleton, Illinois, facility on June 2. Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority.

The United Auto Workers (UAW), which oversees a number of Caterpillar workers, said little more: Local 974 lost one of our members this morning in a tragic accident at our Mapleton facility. He and his family are in all of our thoughts and prayers. The death of the worker has gone unacknowledged by the UAW International so far.

{Read More: Horrific death at Caterpillar Mapleton foundry evokes outpouring of shock and anger among workers}

The horrific death of Dierkes follows that of 50-year-old Scott Adams, an electrical contractor, who also fell to his death in the foundry on December 23, 2021. Adams was contracted from Shaefer Electric to work at the Caterpillar foundry, where he was installing new equipment. While an OSHA investigation is still under way more than six months after his death, Adams allegedly climbed a ladder and fell some 20 feet through a floor opening that was not properly covered.

Ron said of Adams death that he was surprised one of the local stations actually had the audacity to point out the death of a contractor only last December in our facility. I say that because local media are little more than advertising for Caterpillar.

Death, body trauma, broken ribs and amputations: A record of worker safety violations at Caterpillars Mapleton facility

The Mapleton, Illinois Caterpillar facility has been the site of numerous safety and health violations in the past 30 years since the sellout of Caterpillar workers by the UAW in the 1990s. The UAW betrayed two strikes by Caterpillar workers, in 1991-1992 and in a protracted 17-month-long strike in 1994-1995, which ended with the imposition of the hated two-tier system and a 30 percent cut in wages for new hires by 1998.

Dierkes death was the third in 30 years since Ron had started working there. They dropped a 10-ton hook and block from an overhead gantry crane on a man during the strike, he said of the first fatality decades ago.

The recent history of OSHA violations point to a pattern of unsafe conditions for workers. In 2020, OSHA fined the Caterpillar Mapleton facility $5,750 for a serious safety violation concerning fall protection systems and falling objects. The full details have not been made public by OSHA.

In November 2019, OSHA fined Caterpillar $4,337 for a serious health and safety violation at the Mapleton facility. The facility was also fined $17,711 for multiple serious infractions such as fall protection systems and falling objects in May 2019. Full details have not been released by OSHA for either case.

In January 2019, OSHA fined Caterpillar $10,419 for an incident where a workers finger was severed on the job at the facility. The report noted: An employee was repairing a broken chain on an overhead conveyor system. The employee removed the guards and laid on the rollers then saw the broken chain and pulled out with his hands and counted the links on the damaged chain. The employee dropped the chain in between sprockets and pushed on one end to the east and continued sliding under the sprocket to put the master link. The employee placed his hands, one finger to pick up the chain next to the sprocket and received a finger amputation.

Caterpillar was fined $25,868 in November 2017 for a safety violation. The report stated, At 4:47 am on November 1, 2017, an employee walked down an automated crane aisle to check a crane that he believed had faulted. The crane began moving and struck the employee. The employee was hospitalized with multiple fractures and body trauma.

In July 2017, Caterpillar was fined $5,079 for an incident in which a worker sustained six broken ribs. At 10:00 a.m. on July 25, 2017, an employee was working in the iron foundry of a manufacturer of construction equipment. The employee was attempting to retrieve a part from a machine. He climbed up on a chair with wheels to reach the part. The chair rolled out from underneath the employee. He fell onto a concrete floor. He sustained six broken ribs. He was transported and admitted to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.

A climate of fear and retaliation by Caterpillar

In an exchange in 2016 between a UAW safety representative and OSHA, it was revealed that Caterpillar frequently retaliated against employees who reported safety violations, while the UAW did practically nothing.

Steve Mitchell, the UAWs safety chairman for the plant, admitted to a panel of investigators that the company fired workers who reported safety issues, while fecklessly stating, Im not here to speak badly about Caterpillar.

In recent years at my local, Mitchell stated then, weve filed 53 11(c) complaints [whistleblower complaints under the section 11(c) of the OSHA act of 1970], and we havent had one complaint thats come in our favor. He added that people who made these complaints were disciplined or discharged and they expressed to [him] that they wish theyd never reported their injuries, and thats a sad state of affairs when you consider that your worst day at work of getting hurt just got made worse by potentially losing your job.

Mitchell detailed horrific stories of workers who got fired as well. One worker who suffered an injury after falling over a trip hazard was fired by the company. She broke her arm, he said, she damaged her knee, and she lost her job. And he added of the UAWs inability to protect the worker, because I got the complaint late, she lost her house and she ended up living in her car.

Another Caterpillar worker moved his wife and eight children from Oklahoma to find work at the Mapleton facility. While the new worker was on his probationary period for training, he was fired for reporting a part that fell out of a fixture, causing him a minor injury.

Once he reported [his] injury, he was discharged, Mitchell said. His services were no longer needed. It was really tough to sit there and hand the guy Kleenexes in my office as he cried, and he talked about, What am I going to do now? I've moved away from my family. We don't have any money. Ive got girls in high school. What are we going to do? He was fired for not letting the part fall.

Mitchell reported that since Caterpillar eliminated a line at the foundry in 2013, the company made the conditions even more dangerous. In 2013, a line at our foundry was eliminated. It didnt go away, but the work being done by UAW-represented people did. That job was sent out to a contractor and they continued to do that very same job in that very same spot on the floor, with the very same equipment that our people did.

Caterpillar outsourced work in order to reduce workers compensation payments, Mitchell alleged. The reason it was outsourced is because of high injury numbers and workers comp experience, he said. This was told to the union official down at that particular place of employment. It was told to the members in a factory meeting. They were told that its because you guys are getting hurt and our work comp costs are going up. They didnt fix the job. They just handed off the injuries to another employer. Those injuries are still happening.

The UAW has done nothing to stop the increasing safety hazards happening, as the repeat violations and injuries at the facility reveal. The union has also done nothing to protect workers from the unsafe conditions workers face since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ron, the veteran Caterpillar worker, noted that speedups and outsourcing of the workforce have created increasingly deadly conditions, A number of operations like chip and grind have been outsourced, he said. Its very punishing work with a lot of carpal tunnel and similar injuries. Caterpillars production demands almost invariably lead to accidents due to rushing.

Caterpillar workers: Wed like to hear from you. Fill out the form below to share your experience about any workplace or safety issues at your facility. All comments will be published anonymously.
Restaurant workers have suffered severely during the more than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted. Often paid low wages and with few employment protections, many workers were left to fend for themselves on meagre government assistance programs when lockdowns were imposed. When governments of all stripes across Canada moved to recklessly reopen the economy amid a still raging pandemic, hospitality workers were given the choice of returning to poorly ventilated, COVID-stricken workplaces or being plunged into poverty.

Robin, a hospitality employee from Vancouver, recently spoke to the Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic about dangerous working conditions in the hospitality sector and his experience with being infected by COVID-19 twice.

Like many in his industry, Robin began his career in the back of a restaurant washing dishes. He was drawn to the profession by values of community sustainability. By the time the pandemic hit, he had worked his way up to a position as a restaurant manager. I started in the industry at 18, and became a food and water advocate by the time I was 20-21, in the farm to table movement. I believed,  he continued, in the ethos of community development and developing sustainable cuisine.

Sept. 2020 protest against the BC NDP government's reckless school reopening policy. The reopening of schools was a vital element in the profits-before-lives back-to-work drive.

Robin spoke about the pandemics initial impact and the lack of response from his employer. When the pandemic hit in 2020, of course we had to shut down, he explained. I individually called all of my staff to let them know wed be in touch. Although the restaurants owners have a reputation for being very ethical, there wasnt a lot of communication to the rest of the staff from them when we did shut down.

Robin recalled what it was like for hospitality workers returning to work in the late spring of 2020, after the pandemics first wave. When we reopened, even while restaurants in Ontario and Quebec did not, it made many people wonder why. Is there some sort of special jurisdiction in British Columbia? By late July, early August, he observed, there were multiple scientific articles by eminent aerosol specialists around the world suggesting that restaurants were in fact not safe. There was a scientific consensus around that.

During that period of time, everything I believed in was undermined, Robin explained. About community and respect to the guests, and for the folks you work with, you know, your team. I felt that by asking people to come to work, and potentially risk their own health, and their families health and our community, I just felt that was antithetical to what I believed we did. Thats not hospitality. It was the opposite of hospitality. We were asking people to come to restaurants and risk the rest of the community, really just to ensure businesses stayed open.

Upset by the lack of safety precautions at his workplace and the prioritizing of profit over health and lives, Robin left his job and enrolled for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), something that he described as a poverty wage. It was about a third of what I was used to making a month, he said. Living in Vancouver, one of the most expensive cities in the world, it was survivable. But in terms of the quality of life that I was used to, it was not even in the same realm.

When forced to return to the restaurant business in the fall of 2021, he felt that the COVID-19 mitigations in place were all a bit of theater. At the time, the province was being battered by the Delta variant, vaccine efficacy against infection was beginning to wane, and the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) government and its public health officials continued to stubbornly refuse to admit that the virus was primarily spread through aerosols, tiny particles that can float in the air for hours.

Of the provinces vaccine passport system and its use by restaurants, Robin said, It didnt mitigate the spread. If anything, it just created a false sense of security. Of course, the vaccines have mitigated death and severe illness, but in terms of limiting spread, it hasnt done much.

Turning to the mask mandate, Robin said, In terms of how it was in place, it was preposterous. You take your mask off when you sit at the table. Then when you get up and go to the washroom you have to put it back on. But that does nothing to stop aerosol spread.

There were two things about mask mandates in the restaurant workspace: one was that the guests were sitting at their tables, talking and eating, and not wearing a mask for 90 percent of the time they were in the restaurant. The second thing was that we wore supplied surgical masks at the workplace. But if youre not wearing an N95 mask and having to work a seven-eight-hour shift in a confined area with hundreds of people coming and going, it was more or less pointless, to be honest.

The governments policy of mass infection has resulted in Robin getting infected with COVID-19 twice. Speaking on his infections, Robin commented, When Omicron hit, it was kind of laughable how they were trying to mitigate the spread. It was just harming employees, so I quit, but at the time, I started seeing somebody who continued to work there and I got COVID from her. That was earlier in the year.

Both times I got COVID it was in essence because workplaces did not have any meaningful protocols in place. This last time was much more egregious because there was no communication from management about employees that had actually gotten COVID.

When I had COVID, earlier this year in February, it was much more intense, the symptoms were more significant. This time around its been kind of odd. I got a small bout of it and thought I was all right, because I didnt have very many symptoms. But then some symptoms have returned in the last three or four days, so Im feeling very fatigued now. All in all my energy levels are really low.

BC public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry (Wikipedia)

Throughout the pandemic, the BC NDP government has attempted to foster an aura of celebrity, even hero worship, around the provinces public health officer, Bonnie Henry. She has been lionized by a fawning corporate media and awarded various honorary university degrees and governmental titles and awards, such as the Order of BC. Robin has drawn important conclusions about the social forces shaping the provinces pandemic response. There are media monopolies in Canada and they are going to report without much scrutiny or speculation what Bonnie Henry says, because what she has been saying is in line with the interests of capital. Thats clearly whats been happening, he stated.

Robin expressed his deep frustration with the gaslighting and manipulation that the province has used to justify its profits-over-life pandemic response. He especially takes exception to the BC NDPs claim that their lack of COVID mitigation measures has benefited the most marginalized and disadvantaged in society. Its frankly criminal, he said. I dont understand how you can be a person who works within health care and then doesnt actually give any commentary on the institutional power and elements of society that create vulnerability for large swathes of the population. They double down on the institutional framework, instead of acknowledging that the pandemic has given us impetus to make radical changes. Them doing nothing about that has cost peoples lives. Its killed people.

Robin was asked to comment on a zero-COVID policy, which will only be implemented through the mobilization of the working class across Canada and internationally to fight for science-based policies to suppress COVID-19 on a global scale. I completely agree, he replied. COVID Zero is the only real way out of this pandemic. It will not end without a coupling of international vaccination and mitigation of the spread of the virus, along with support for the poor and working class internationally.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the campaign rally in Minneapolis [Credit: AP Photo/Jim Mone]

In a stunning report this past Friday, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman revealed that on January 5, 2021, the day before the fascist attack on Capitol Hill, Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff, Marc Short, contacted the lead Secret Service agent in charge of Pences security to warn him that President Donald Trump was going to turn publicly against the vice president.



This turn, Short warned lead Secret Service agent Tim Giebels, could constitute a security risk to Pence. The Times wrote that this was the only time during his tenure as vice president that Pences chief of staff warned the Secret Service of a potential threat against his boss.



In other words, for failing to go along with Trumps dictatorial scheme, Short was worried that Pence would be attacked by Trump, with the potential threat of violence against his boss. Shorts fears were obviously valid and well-founded.



Less than a day after Short warned Giebels, hundreds of pro-Trump militia elements, Republican activists, white supremacists and other reactionaries stormed the Capitol in an attempt to kidnap and kill politicians, including Pence, for refusing to unconstitutionally overturn the election of Joe Biden and install Trump as president-dictator.



That Trump was painting a target on Pence for his militia supporters was evident from the speech he gave the day of the attack. Speaking from the Ellipse outside the White House, Trump issued a call to action to his militia supporters, some of whom, like the Oath Keepers, had heavily armed quick reaction forces stationed outside Washington D.C. He said, Mike Pence is going to have to come through for us, and if he doesnt, that will be a sad day for our country. Because youre sworn to uphold our Constitution.



Following Trumps speech and after Pence refused to reject the electors from the state of Arizona, Trump tweeted out that Pence did not have the courage to do what should have been done. This message spread like wildfire among the pro-Trump elements, who at the time were overrunning the deliberately undermanned and under-equipped police lines outside the Capitol. As Proud Boy, Oath Keeper and III Percenter fascists broke into the building seeking out targets, hundreds more chanted, Hang Mike Pence! while a gallows was erected on the Capitol grounds.



The fact that Short warned the Secret Service of potential violence against Pence because of Trump further demolishes any claims that the attack on the Capitol was unforeseen or not the result of a deliberate conspiracy organized from the White House itself. The January 6 attack on the Capitol was not a spontaneous riot that got out of hand. It was the culmination of multifaceted effort by Trump and his Republican allies, including in the police, military and intelligence apparatus, to overthrow constitutional democracy in the United States.



While the role of the vice president during the Electoral College certification process is purely ceremonial, Trump and his allies, such as coup lawyer John Eastman, argued in the months following Trumps defeat on November 3 that Pence had the power to reject electors who had previously been certified by the states.



While Pence did not go along with Trumps plan, this was not because he objected to Trumps efforts to remain in power. Following Trumps electoral defeat, Pence instructed his general counsel, Greg Jacob, to write a memorandum explaining what his powers were during the certification process. This memo did not explicitly state that Pence had no role in certifying electors, even though that is the case.



That Trump was eager for violence to be visited upon Pence for his disloyalty to the would-be Fuhrer was made clear in a separate Times report released the week prior. In that report, the Times revealed that as the Capitol was under siege and Pence was being evacuated by Secret Service agents, Trump, watching his fascist foot soldiers storm the Capitol in his name, complained that Pence was being taken to safety by Secret Service agents.



The Times wrote that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, according to an account given to the January 6 Select Committee, heard Trump say something to the effect of, maybe Mr. Pence should be hanged.



The account was confirmed by an aide of Meadows, Cassidy Hutchinson, who testified before the committee three times after receiving a subpoena.



Habermans report is part of a new book she wrote, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America, which is slated to come out in October, likely after the January 6 Select Committee has issued its preliminary report on the failed coup. For the first time since last July, the congressional body charged with investigating Trumps coup will be holding public hearings to report on their findings, beginning this week on June 9.



Short, who has already testified before the committee, will likely serve as one of the witnesses during one of the six scheduled televised hearings. While the Select Committee has refused to name all the witnesses that will be appearing, the committee has already called over 1,000 people for depositions and interviews, some of which will be publicly revealed for the first time this month.



Someone who will not be appearing during the public hearings will be high-level Trump co-conspirator, former Trump trade adviser and co-author of a plan for state legislatures to overturn the election results in key battleground states, dubbed the Green Bay SweepPeter Navarro. Navarro was indicted last Friday by a federal grand jury for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the Select Committee.



Navarro is only the second high-level Trump co-conspirator, following fascist former White House counselor Steve Bannon, to be indicted by the Department of Justice for refusing to comply with the committees request. Navarro and Bannon have both cited executive privilege to justify their refusal to cooperate with what they claim is an illegitimate committee. Both men have publicly boasted of their plan to keep Trump in office by using Republicans in Congress, aided by Trumps mob, to delay the certification.



While announcing charges against Navarro, the Justice Department revealed it would not be pursuing similar charges against Meadows and Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, despite the fact that both of them have also refused to cooperate with the committee.






New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met with President Joe Biden at the White House on May 31, during a two-week trip to the United States.

President Joe Biden meets with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The leaders spoke for more than an hour, with Biden fulsomely praising Ardern. Your leadership has taken on a critical role in this global stage, Biden said, galvanising action on climate change, the global effort to curb violence, extremism, and online, like happened in Christchurch. In a speech at Harvard University, Ardern had called for greater censorship of social media and gun controls.

While given scant attention, TVNZ reported that Ardern also met with two of the administrations leading war hawks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell. Both have been at the forefront of the escalating attacks on China in order to prevent any challenge to US global dominance.

The Oval Office meeting followed a US-led diplomatic offensive in Asia, including a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)the de facto military alliance of the US, Japan, India and Australiaand Bidens visits to South Korea and Japan, aimed against China. Visiting Tokyo in April, Ardern also signed a significant intelligence sharing pact with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The Biden-Ardern meeting coincided with a tour of the Pacific by Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which saw multiple bilateral deals signed with almost a dozen Pacific nations. The Solomon Islands finalised a security agreement with Beijing, which had prompted threats by Washington and Canberra raising the spectre of a possible regime change operation against the government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

The White House meetings final communiqueunusually long at 3,000 wordshad the character of a militarist manifesto, beginning with a glorification of the bloody history of the Pacific during World War II. 80 years ago, the document intoned, U.S. Marines arrived in New Zealand before embarking for the Pacific theatre. Together we honor that history of shared resolve in the face of aggression. The war in the Pacific was a bitter inter-imperialist conflict, fought over a vast geo-strategic territory which has been controlled since by the US.

The document then refers prominently to the US-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, claiming that Russia continues to wage its unjustified and unprovoked war in Ukraine. This is the first of many blatant lies and fabrications. The US has spent decades fomenting wars around the globe while ratcheting up pressure on the Kremlin with NATOs encroaching borders.

New Zealands Labour-led government wholeheartedly supports the war, applying sanctions on Russia and sending material and military personnel to Europe. The working class in New Zealand, which never had any say in the matter, is now being dragged into a war involving nuclear-armed powers. The communique makes clear that the two countries are acting in lockstep, including projected action ensuring that global supply chains for food and agricultural products remain free and open, which would require a direct confrontation with Russia.

Turning to China, the document lists the alleged transgressions used by the White House to advance its own preparations for war: the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and so-called human-rights violations in Xinjiang. The statement reaffirms both countries commitment to preserving the international rules-based orderwhereby the US sets the rules to maintain its own global hegemony.

Increased Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific is deemed to require new resolve and closer co-operation between New Zealand and the US. It asserts the US militarys right of freedom of navigation and overflight, in the South China Sea and beyond, and opposes Beijings purported unlawful maritime claims and activities in the South China Sea.

The Solomon Islands-China security pact is condemned. The establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific would, the joint statement baldly claims without any evidence, present national-security concerns to both our countries. The US, New Zealand and Australia all assert the right to establish their own military presence across the Pacific, which they regard as their own backyard.

With security and defence now an ever-more-important focus of the US strategic partnership, New Zealand is being called on to play a stepped-up role, along with Australia, as Washingtons deputy sheriff in its militarisation of the region, raising the prospect of a formal military alliance. Relations with Washington were disrupted by New Zealands 1987 anti-nuclear legislation, and despite a subsequent thaw, the status of full US ally has not been re-established.

Pointing to Labours multi-billion dollar defence spend, the statement predicts that New Zealands new capabilities will provide opportunities for combined operations and to expand our cooperation in other ways. As the security environment in the Indo-Pacific evolves, so must our defense cooperation, it says, including interoperability of the armed forces, personnel exchanges, co-deployments, and defense trade.

Questioned by reporters whether Biden had pushed for even more commitments, Ardern replied that they were not needed. The political establishments posturing around New Zealands independent foreign policy is increasingly threadbare. Green Party foreign spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman expressed surprise at the unexpected degree of proximity outlined in the joint statement. Where are our bottom lines here? she nervously askedentirely hypocritically given the Greens are a partner in the Labour-led government.

New Zealand is aligning itself with the entire regional architecture aimed at shoring-up the hegemony of American imperialismand Australia and New Zealands own neo-colonial interests in the Pacific. This includes a strong commitment to so-called like minded countries within ASEAN, the Quad and AUKUS (the militarist pact between Australia, UK and the US). Trampling on longstanding anti-nuclear sentiment across the Pacific, Australias incoming Labor government is proceeding at pace with the creation of a nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

Beijing responded to the US-NZ communique with a blistering denunciation, saying it distorts and smears Chinas normal cooperation with Pacific Island countries, deliberately hypes up the South China Sea issue, makes irresponsible remarks on and grossly interferes in Chinas internal affairs.

In Wellington, Chinese ambassador Wang Xiaolang said in a speech to the NZ China Council that New Zealand had valuable trade ties with China that had been slowly built up with hard work over the years from both sides and should not be taken for granted.

China foreign affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian urged the US to abandon its Cold War mentality and expressed hope that New Zealand would adhere to its independent foreign policy and do more to enhance security and mutual trust among regional countries and safeguard regional peace and stability.

The Chinese governments rebuke clearly made some in the political establishment nervous about relations with China, the countrys most important trading partner. Former prime minister and chairman of the ANZ Bank John Key told Newshub it is a waste of time trying to get China out of the Pacific, and New Zealand should be working with them instead. Keys ex-foreign minister Gerry Brownlee also emphasised that the starting point on the Pacific is that the New Zealand economy depends on trade with China.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta is currently resisting intense media pressure to follow her Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, around the Pacific to shore up support following Wang Yis tour. Mahuta told TVNZ that New Zealand is not defined by China, and does not need to react in a way that makes us look desperate.

Mahuta has declared that the issues relating to regional security (and) regional sovereignty will now be taken up at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting, due in Fiji within weeks. Australia and New Zealand will doubtless demand, and if necessary threaten, that the 18-member body takes a unified stand against any further Chinese incursions into the region.
Spains National High Court has summoned former CIA director and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to give testimony on a massive spying operation he allegedly orchestrated against Julian Assange and a related Trump administration plot to kidnap or assassinate the WikiLeaks publisher in London.

Julian Assange being dragged out of the Ecuadorean embassy in London, April 2019

The summons, revealed by ABC Spain last Friday, was issued by National High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz. It reportedly compels Pompeo, along with former US National Counterintelligence and Security Center director William Evanina to testify before a Spanish court, either in person or by video link, later this month.

Pompeo and Evanina have been subpoenaed in a criminal case against Davis Morales, a former Spanish marine who headed the UC Global private security firm. In 2015, Morales company was hired by the Ecuadorian government to provide security for its London embassy, where Assange lived as a political refugee.

According to UC Global whistleblowers, who provided evidence to the Spanish proceedings, Morales entered into an agreement with US authorities in 2016 to extensively surveil the WikiLeaks founder. The former employees also stated there were discussions of potentially abducting Assange or poisoning him the following year.

This ties in with a Yahoo! News expose last September, which alleged that in 2017 there were discussions in the top levels of the US Trump administration about taking extraordinary measures against Assange, including a possible kidnapping or assassination.

The report, based on discussions with 30 former US officials, alleged that Pompeo, as then CIA director, was central to the plotting, instructing subordinates that in the campaign against Assange, nothing is off limits.

According to Business Insider, Pompeo has not responded to the Spanish summons, even though he has been called only to give evidence and the Spanish court has made clear he is outside its prosecutorial jurisdiction.

Pompeo was closely associated with the Trump administrations assault on democratic rights and its warmongering, which included open violations of international law. As Trumps secretary of state, Pompeo would have been involved in the January 2020 assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Iraq.

Pompeo has already given something of an accounting of his time as CIA director, telling a Texas audience in 2019, a year after he had left the position: When I was a cadet, whats the cadet motto at West Point? You will not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do. I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. We had entire training courses. It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.

When the Yahoo! News report was published, Pompeo called for its sources to be prosecuted under national security laws, all but confirming the veracity of the report.

The attitude of the US Justice Department to the Spanish proceedings is also a tacit admission of guilt. Last November, Yahoo! News reported that the Justice Department had stonewalled all requests from Spanish judge Santiago Pedraz for assistance in the prosecution of Morales.

The US government was refusing to provide any information about American computer IP addresses that had access to the illegal surveillance of Assange collected by UC Global. At the same time, Justice Department officials had sought to prise information from Pedraz, including an extraordinary and disturbing request for the identities of the UC Global whistleblowers.

According to Assanges lawyers, Evanina has provided an even more direct confirmation that the allegations of collusion between the US government and UC Global are true.

Documents from Assanges lawyers to the Spanish court, cited in the Objective, claim Evanina confessed that: United States Intelligence had access to the cameras of the Embassy of Ecuador in London, to recordings of conversations within the mission, to the devices of the visits and to the travel documents of all of them, having even planned the murder or kidnapping of the asylee.

Evanina was the only former Trump administration official to go on record for the Yahoo! News story that detailed the alleged plot to kidnap or assassinate Assange. While repeatedly denouncing the WikiLeaks founder, Evanina stated that the US had exquisite collection of his plans and intentions. He spoke about the escalation of electronic and human surveillance against Assange.

Referencing an aborted plan for Assange to escape the embassy and seek asylum abroad, sometime in 2017, Evanina stated: We were very confident within the Five Eyes that we would be able to prevent him from getting out of the clutches of the British and US authorities. The Five Eyes is the US-led electronic surveillance alliance, involving Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

The remark points to the breadth of the imperialist campaign against Assange, and significantly implicates the Australian authorities and central participants in the assault on the WikiLeaks founders rights, despite the fact that he is an Australian citizen and journalist.

In other words, whether Pompeo shows up to the Spanish court or not, the US-led dirty tricks campaign against Assange is a matter of public record. The Spanish summons again exposes the ongoing US attempt to extradite Assange from Britain as the pseudo-legal cover for a criminal rendition operation, involving the violation of international law and domestic legislation across multiple jurisdictions.

The Yahoo! News report made plain that the stepped-up US campaign against Assange was a response to WikiLeaks exposure, in early 2017, of illegal CIA spying operations. An indictment against Assange was drawn up, over separate 2010 and 2011 publications, revealing war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, so that there would be a sham legal basis for Assanges detention in the US were he kidnapped from London by the CIA.

This was raised by Assanges lawyers, during British High Court hearings related to Assanges extradition last October. Mark Summers QC stated: This is the first time, of which we are aware, that the US has sought the assistance of a UK court in obtaining jurisdiction over someone where the evidence suggests it has contemplated, if not plotted, the assassination, kidnap, rendering, poisoning of that person.

Despite this, the High Court accepted worthless and self-contradictory US diplomatic assurances that Assange would not be treated as poorly as claimed by his lawyers if he were dispatched to an American prison. In March, the UK Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Assange against the decision.

WikiLeaks stated on Twitter yesterday that British Home Secretary Priti Patel will imminently announce whether she is granting an extradition order. Given the intense hostility of the British government to Assange, the outcome is all but a formality. On paper, he has one other avenue of appeal within the British legal system, but more than a decade of arbitrary attacks on his rights means that even this is not guaranteed.

In other words, Assange faces the prospects of a rapid rendition to the US, or a further extended period in the maximum-security Belmarsh Prison, where he has been held for over three years, in the event of an appeal being allowed.

The open criminality of the assault on the WikiLeaks founder demonstrates that the fight for his freedom cannot go forward through plaintive appeals to the governments, courts and official institutions. The campaign against Assange is supported by the entire political establishment, as a means of intimidating widespread anti-war sentiment, amid US confrontations with Russia and China, and of establishing a precedent for attacks on broader social and political opposition in the working class.

The US persecution began under the Democratic Party administration of Barack Obama, was intensified by the Republican Trump administration and is being continued by Joseph Biden. In Britain, the Conservatives and Labor are as one against Assange. In Australia, the newly-elected Labor government has already signaled it will do nothing to defend the WikiLeaks publisher, while signing up to US demands for anti-China aggression.

The fight for Assanges freedom, in other words, is inextricably tied to a political struggle against all these governments, by the working class, the vast mass of the population. The defence of Assange must be brought into the growing social and political struggles of workers, as a spearhead of the fight against militarism, war and the accompanying turn to authoritarian forms of rule.
On May 16, Sweden and Finland announced an end to decades of neutrality, proclaiming their intention to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its escalating conflict with Russia.

Less than three weeks later, Stockholm, Swedens capital, has been turned into a naval garrison with the arrival of a US amphibious assault battle group, consisting of the assault ship USS Kearsarge, the dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely and the command ship USS Mount Whitney.

Ships participating in exercise BALTOPS22 prepare to depart Stockholm, June 5, 2022. (Credit: US Navy)

Standing on the deck of the Kearsarge, a warship so large it would be classified as a carrier in any Navy besides the United States, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley declared his intention to make the Baltic Sea, in the words of the New York Times, a NATO lake.

Sweden had remained officially nonaligned since the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800s, having remained neutral in both the First and Second World Wars.

Now, in the span of just weeks, the country has been turned into a new front of the US war with Russia, its cities not only hosting a massive US-NATO military presence, but, just as ominously, targeted by Russian long-range weapons systems.

By pushing for the accession of Finland and Sweden as de facto members of NATO, the United States has opened up a second front in its war against Russia, turning the entire Baltic coast into a powder keg.

The arrival of the ships was part of the BALTOPS 22 exercise, involving, according to NATO, Fourteen NATO allies, two NATO partner nations, over 45 ships, more than 75 aircraft, and approximately 7,000 personnel. The UK sent HMS Defender, the destroyer that in June 2021 sailed into waters around the Crimean peninsula, triggering a standoff that led to the dropping of bombs by Russian forces in the ships path.

US officials made clear that the exercise was to be seen entirely within the framework of the current conflict with Russia.

In past iterations of BALTOPS weve talked about meeting the challenges of tomorrow, said Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) and the US Sixth Fleet. Those challenges are upon usin the here and now.

Using the war in Ukraine as a pretext, the US has sought to double NATOs land border with Russia through the inclusion of Finland.

The US has put into motion plans, years in the making, to turn the entire region into a front line in the war against Russia. This threatens a repetition, on an even grander scale, of the manner in which Ukraine, following the 2014 coup, was transformed into a US/NATO proxy, armed with billions of dollars in weapons.

This turn of events has had horrifying consequences for the people of Ukraine, tens of thousands of whom have died and millions of whom have been displaced as a result of this years war.

With this development, the sweeping goals of the US/NATO war effort are becoming increasingly clear. They have gone far beyond the aims, first announced by Ukraine in 2021, of regaining Crimea through military means. The United States and NATO seek to seize full control of the Baltic and Black Seas, as part of the drive to dismantle Russia altogether.

In a widely cited article published by The Atlantic, Casey Michel, a fellow at the Hudson Institute think tank founded by nuclear war advocate Herman Kahn, approvingly quoted the 1991 proposal by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney to carry out the dismantlement not only of the Soviet Union and the Russian empire but of Russia itself, so it could never again be a threat to the rest of the world.

Michel concludes: Rather than quash Russias imperial aspirations when they had the chance, Bush and his successors simply watched and hoped for the best. We no longer have that luxury. The West must complete the project that began in 1991. It must seek to fully decolonize Russia.

By mooting the dismantlement of Russia, the US media is sending a message: The aim of the war is not just the overthrow of the present government, but the systematic destruction and carve-up of Russia and the hiving off of its strategic mineral and petrochemical resources.

Since signing a $40 billion weapons package for Ukraine on May 21, the United States has announced an additional $700 million in weapons, as well as the deployment of M109 self-propelled artillery, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and medium-range missiles capable of striking targets 50 miles away.

Over the weekend, Russia carried out airstrikes on tanks in Kiev, which Moscow said were provided by NATO members. The airstrikes were launched by aircraft over the Caspian Sea, demonstrating Russias capability to strike targets hundreds of miles away.

Last week, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev strongly implied to al Jazeera that Russia would carry out strikes against NATO territory if the weapons being supplied by the US and NATO were targeted inside Russia.

If  these weapons are used against Russian territory, then our armed forces will have no other choice but to strike decision-making centers, Medvedev declared. Of course, it needs to be understood that the final decision-making centers in this case, unfortunately, are not located on the territory of Kiev.

It is impossible to escape the conclusion that the United States would welcome an attack like the one described by Medvedev, which would allow it to remove all remaining restraints on the conduct of the war.

While the geostrategic and economic interests of US imperialism are a major factor in the conflict, the reckless character of the US-NATO policy cannot be understood solely through the lens of geopolitics.

The American ruling class needs a permanent state of war as part of an effort to divert internal social tensions outwards and to enforce a fictional national unity. It is now clear that the Biden administrations ending of the forever war in Afghanistan was part of a redeployment and refocus on waging war against Russia and China.

At the same time, the transformation of the War on Terror into great power conflict entails and requires an escalation of the assault on the working class. All available social resources not taken up by the bailout of the rich must be diverted to the instruments of war. The massive sums allocated by Congress must be paid for by the working class, particularly through attacks on social programs and other government expenditures.

Over the weekend, both the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, house organs for the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively, published editorials demanding cuts to social entitlement programs. The Journal demanded that millions of people be purged from Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor. The Washington Post, for its part, called for a modest reduction in Social Security benefits.

But the austerity measures proposed by these newspapers are only the beginning. The American ruling classs project of global conquest entails a massive restructuring of social relations aimed at making the working class bear the burden of the crisis of capitalism. At the same time, the intensification of the class struggle that is the corollary of expanding war reveals the social force that must be mobilized against war, the working class.

The struggles emerging by workers at workplaces throughout the country for wage increases commensurate with soaring prices must be armed with a program to end a war that is rapidly spiraling out of control and threatening human civilization with destruction.
A massive fire and explosion at the BM Inland Container Depot in Bangladeshs Chittagong district killed about 50 people on Saturday and injured hundreds of others, many seriously.

Those who lost their lives at the in port, which is located in the area of Sitakunda, include depot workers, policemen and at least five firefighters. The death toll is expected to rise. Two firefighters have been reported as missing.

Firefighters work to contain a fire that broke out at the BM Inland Container Depot, a Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture, in Chittagong, 216 kilometers (134 miles) southeast of capital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, early Sunday, June 5, 2022. (AP Photo)

An estimated 600 people were reportedly working at the container depot when the fire broke out at around 9 p.m., on Saturday. Hundreds of firefighters, police and volunteers quickly arrived on the scene but as they were attempting to extinguish the blaze, a massive explosion rocked the site, triggering blasts in scores of other containers.

Emergency workers and others were engulfed in flames by the initial explosion which hurled debris and people into the air, polluting the area with toxic fumes.

Over 450 people have been injured, with around 30 of them in a critical condition. Nearby hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed. Tofael Ahmed, a lorry driver, told the AFP news agency: The explosion just threw me some 10 metres from where I was standing. My hands and legs are burnt.

A duty officer at the Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defence control room told the Daily Star that 25 firefighting units had been rushed to the container terminal to douse the blaze at the massive facility, which is located about 240 kilometres south-east of Dhaka.

At this stage no detailed information has been released about what caused the initial fire. BM Inland Container Depot director Mujibur Rahman has provided no details, apart from contemptuously telling the media that the blaze could have started in a container. Bangladeshi fire and army officials have reported that large amounts of hydrogen peroxide and other dangerous chemicals were stored at the facility.

According to Akbar Hossain , the BBCs Dhaka correspondent, Bangladeshis are comparing the explosion to the huge August 2020 ammonium nitrate blast in Beirut which killed over 200 people, injured 7,500 and damaged some 300,000 homes.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and senior officials feigned concern whilst offering meagre compensation payments. A perfunctory statement by Hasina voiced her deep shock and sorrow at the loss of lives, offering sympathy for bereaved family members and declaring, according to the Dhaka Tribune, that she was praying for the eternal salvation of the departed souls.

Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Ashraf Uddin said relatives of the dead would be given $US560 (50,000 taka), while $224 (20,000 taka) would be provided to the families of the injured. This is a pittance for the victims, who were overwhelming poor.

BM Inland Container Depot director Rahman said the company would pay all treatment costs for injured survivors. Those who were injured in the accident will be given the maximum compensation and we will take responsibility for all the families of all the victims, he stated.

Rahmans promises, like those made by Hasina and her Chattogram divisional commissioner, are a desperate attempt to deflect mass anger over the disaster and the ongoing and criminal violations of basic safety by owners and managers across the country, with the sanction of government authorities.

The BM Inland Container Depot fire is not an isolated incident.

The have been a string of industrial disasters, which have shown how big businesswith relevant safety officials turning a blind eyeviolates rudimentary safety standards, sacrificing workers lives to maximise profits. Industrial fires caused by the unsafe storage of chemicals are commonplace in Bangladesh.

The most recent include:

* A July 2021 fire that killed at least 52 mostly teenage workers. It was caused by unsafe storage of highly flammable chemicals and plastics at a multistorey food and beverage factory just outside Dhaka.

* A February 2019, chemical blaze and explosion, which claimed 81 lives in Dhaka.

* A 2010 fire at a house illegally storing chemicals in an over-crowed and poverty-stricken district of Dhakka, which killed more than 123 people.

The BM Inland Container Depot is a private DutchBangladesh joint venture that has operated since 2011, with the capacity to store about 5,000 containers. Many of these are from the garment industry and likely contain various hazardous chemicals including hydrogen peroxide. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said that at least 1,000 containers of ready-made garments were incinerated in the disaster.

The garment industry is notorious for its super-exploitation of mainly women workers and its violation of rudimentary safety standards.

According to the Solidarity Center, a workers rights organisation, more than 150 fire and other safety episodes connected to the countrys garment industry occurred between 2012 and 2019, killing more than 1,300 workers and injuring over 3,800. While the industry gouges lucrative profits from Bangladeshi garment workers, they are only paid between $94 and $112 per month.

Bangladeshs worst industrial disaster occurred in 2013 when the eight-floor Rana Plaza garment factory complex outside Dhaka collapsed, killing over 1,200 people. The building, housing five garment factories that employed thousands of workers, was typical of those serving the needs of global corporations, mainly retail giants, ruthlessly pursuing greater profits by maintaining slave labour conditions and violating basic safety needs.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangladesh garment industry, with the blessing of the Hasina government, has continued full operations. The industry contributes over 80 percent of total export earnings, valued at more than $30 billion.

The New Age reported on June 1 that 14.7 million households had at least one person who lost their job as a result of the pandemic crisis. An estimated 2.1 million households, or six percent of the national total, had been directly hit by COVID infections.

The Hasina government says the Bangladeshi economy has begun to recover from the pandemic and has reached 7 percent GDP growth in the 202122 fiscal year compared with 6.94 percent the previous year.

According to statista.com, last year the garment industry earned $31.46 billion, up from $28 billion the previous year. This so-called growth means the further enrichment of the financial and corporate elite at the expense of working people, by subjecting them to superexploitation at poverty-level wages and violating their basic safety.
More evidence and new witnesses continue to undermine the accounts given by Uvalde police and Texas state officials about the course of events and the actions taken during the horrific massacre of 19 school children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School on May 24.

A funeral home worker whose workplace is across the street from the school told Telemundo and NBC News Sunday that after he had seen the gunman enter the school with an assault rifle, he had armed himself and was prepared to charge into the school after him but was stopped by police who had cordoned off the building.

Cody Briseno saw the shooter, Salvador Ramos, crash his pickup truck outside the school, and he and a co-worker went to help him. They retreated after seeing the youth was loading his AR-15 assault rifle, and went back inside their workplace.

Briseno called his wife and asked her to bring his gun from home. Once armed, he marched toward the school. He told NBC that a police officer asked him what he was doing, and he responded, Im going to go in and try to stop them, telling the policeman the gunman was already inside the school. The cop told him to stay back and shut up.

The funeral home worker has since given a statement to the Texas Rangers, the agency that is investigating the police response to the Uvalde massacre.

Other accounts confirm that the main concern of the police officials on the scene appeared to be controlling the crowd of parents outside the school and pushing them back, along with the press, not rushing the school to stop the gunmans rampage. Ramos was not confronted by police and shot dead until 77 minutes after the first police unit arrived outside Robb Elementary.

This policy contradicts standard police doctrine for an active shooter, where the usual tactic is to rush in immediately with whatever officers and equipment are on hand so as to disrupt the attack before it can claim more lives.

This is what is taught in active shooter classes in most police departments including in Texas, where the manual on shootings, released in 2020, declares: A first responder unwilling to place the lives of the innocent above their own safety should consider another career field.

This was certainly the attitude of many parents, who were prevented by police from running into the school to save their children with some even being tackled, but apparently not that of the 19 officers, all of whom were required to take the course, or of the men giving them their orders.

After the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in 2012, the FBI was given jurisdiction over mass shootings and developed a series of FBI initiatives to train police agencies on how to respond including the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (Alerrt) program, which was developed in Texas.

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo took the most recent shooter training courses in December 2021. According to the district polices Facebook page, the department hosted active shooter training at Uvalde High School in March as well, with the post reading, Our overall goal is to train every Uvalde area law enforcement officer so that we can prepare as best as possible for any situation that may arise.

The current official explanation for why the police waited is hard to believe. According to the new official story, police were ordered by Arredondo, the incident commander, not to go in because he was treating the situation as a hostage situation. Believing there was no risk to other children, he was waiting for more officers to show up and until they could get a key to the classroom and body armor.

A memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas Monday, May 30, 2022, to honor the victims killed in last week's school shooting. Photographs of the victims, from left, show Layla Salazar, McKenna Lee Elrod, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos and Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The first call from the child trapped in the classroom came in just after noon. But the 19 officers on scene waited for 47 minutes in the hallway outside the classroom in question until 12:50, at which point federal and local officers finally confronted Ramos and shot him. Additional calls were received from children inside the classroom with some pleading for intervention from the police. All the victims fatally shot were in the classroom in question.

This explanation is only the latest in a series of shifting and contradictory stories emerging from local and state police authorities.

Initially, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said that following an armed confrontation between a school police officer and soon-to-be mass shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, a teacher left a back door propped open allowing access to the school building. Ramos then proceeded to go on a shooting rampage until stopped by a team of Uvalde police officers who immediately breached, because we know as officers, every seconds a life.

Every element of this has proven untrue. There was no school police officer, and Ramos did not confront one before entering the building. The police did not immediately breach but waited more than an hour.

The shooter was not let in by a careless teacher. The Texas Department of Public Safety stated the teacher did close the door and that they had video evidence from inside the school proving this. The teacher herself had made this information public via her attorney, following the accusation she didnt close the door. The door did not lock, a defect that the TDPS is now investigating.

The police story later shifted to there being a delay of 40 minutes to an hour before Ramos was killed by a Border Patrol tactical unit, but still claiming they intervened immediately and that this saved other kids, claiming they kept Ramos pinned down.

Texas Governor Gregg Abbott repeated the same claims, claiming officers showed amazing courage by running towards gunfire for the singular purpose of trying to save lives.

There are now claims that Arredondo was not informed about calls that the Uvalde Police Department, separate from his small six-man school unit, was receiving, apparently because of a system failure to relay information from one unit to the other.

Abbott has promised an investigation into the shooting to find exactly who knew what, when, who was in charge and what they did, claiming, 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?

TDPS investigators have claimed that the Uvalde School District police chief isnt cooperating. The Justice Department is conducting a Critical Incident Review of the shooting as well. These investigations will like others of their type seek to exonerate the police force as a whole, and perhaps scapegoat one or another individual actors.

While the official story on what happened is still murky, if anything has been made clear it is that the actions of the police have severely undermined the claims by the political establishment and the corporate media that the answer to school shootings is deploying more police and militarizing the schools even more.

What is consistently ignored in the massive media reporting of the Uvalde massacre, and similar horrors, are the social roots of the violence. The US is a sick society, a country led by a ruling class that has been at war constantly for over 30 years, routinely summarily executes 1,000 people a year in police killings, has sacrificed more than 1 million peoples lives in the pandemic just to keep Wall Street profiting, and is now recklessly escalating the war with Russia, threatening a nuclear holocaust.

It is in this context that these shootings take place, and any real attempt to address them must address the underlying causes of thts crisis in the capitalist system itself.
Worker in a slaughterhouse processing meat (Wikipedia Commons)

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has issued a wrist-slap fine of $14,502 to meatpacking giant JBS for COVID safety violations which led to seven deaths at plants in Colorado and Wisconsin in 2020. This amounts to little more than $2,000 per death.

In the first few months of 2020, meatpacking plants, notoriously unsanitary, cramped and unsafe even before the pandemic, became major centers of COVID outbreaks, particularly in rural areas. According to the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN), there have been nearly 60,000 reported cases among meatpacking workers and 298 deaths since the start of the pandemic. However, FERN has stopped updating these figures since last September.

The JBS beef plant in Greeley, Colorado was one of the sites of major outbreaks. It had confirmed 290 infections, 51 hospitalizations, and five deaths. The scale of the crisis led to spontaneous walkouts by Greeley workers in the summer of 2020. Another JBS site in Green Bay, Wisconsin reported 357 cases and two deaths by August 12.

The scale of the outbreaks prompted OSHA to cite four JBS subsidiaries in April and May of 2020, and for Congress to launch an investigation into JBS and other meat packing companies last year. But two years after the initial citations, the settlement between OSHA and JBS has resulted in a paltry $14,502 fine. By comparison, JBS, the worlds largest meatpacking company, made over $52 billion in revenue in 2020. This was made possible by keeping workers on the production line as COVID ran rampant through the workplace.

Also included in the settlement are a number of provisions establishing new health protocols and encouraging the company to work with third-party experts to develop better safety measures against the spread of COVID-19. What these safety measures are is not specified, and JBS is apparently being left to its own devices to develop them. OSHA only states in its announcement, Four JBS Foods USA subsidiaries and affiliates have agreed to assemble a team of company and third-party experts to develop and implement an infectious disease preparedness plan for seven of its meat processing facilities to protect its workers.

OSHAs insignificant settlement is another in a long line of slap-on-the-wrist penalties for companies with persistent health and safety violations, particularly for meatpacking companies. In September 2020, JBS and Smithfield were issued a combined $30,000 fine for similar COVID-related citations. On 27 March, 2021, a worker was killed at a JBS plant in Grand Island, Michigan when he was struck by a 2,500-pound paddle wheel that fell. OSHA plans to fine the corporation just $58,709 for the incident.

The lack of any real punishment for such acts of corporate manslaughter is bound up with the policies of herd immunity and mass infection pursued by both the Trump and Biden administrations. Indeed, the deaths at JBS were made possible by deliberate government policy.

Early in the pandemic, Trump declared meatpackers essential workers and invoked the Cold War-era Defense Production Act to keep plants open. A report issued by the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis this May revealed that meatpacking corporations colluded with the Trump administration to keep plants open, making false statements that a shortage was imminent.

Documents obtained by the Committee revealed that there were in fact substantial reserves of frozen meat and that pork exports to China were surging during this time. Because of these lies, tens of thousands of meatpacking workers were infected, and hundreds were killed, while the plants served as centers of transmission into surrounding communities, with an estimated 6 to 8 percent of all COVID infections occurring in the vicinity of meatpacking plants at one point in the early stages of the pandemic.

Mass infection and loss of life have become part of the lived experiences of tens of millions of working class people. A recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that 68 percent of all COVID deaths in the first year of the pandemic were among low-income and working class people. It also found that the mortality rate for working class people was five times higher than that those with higher levels of education and wealth.

Jason Salemi, a professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida and coauthor of the study, issued a warning against claims that the pandemic is over: If we were to immediately heed the calls to return to normal and stop worrying about community spread of the virus, there are certain subsets and members of our community that are going to suffer way more so than other members  and these people have already borne the disproportioned brunt of this pandemic.

Complicit in the killing of meatpackers and the enforcement of returns to work is the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). The UFCW has 250,000 meatpacking members, yet it did nothing to mobilize workers to stop the spread of COVID in meat plants, and even endorsed attendance bonuses to encourage workers to return to unsafe workplaces.

Worse, even amid the initial surge, the UFCW bureaucracy bolstered self-serving claims about workplace safety from meatpackers. In one notorious case, the UFCW worked out attendance bonuses with management at an Iowa Tyson plant amid a major outbreak, while management secretly ran a betting pool over how many workers would eventually become infected.

At least 25,000 UFCW meatpacking members were infected and 135 killed. The union has not made a statement on the settlement as of this writing, but it has indicated that it will work with OSHA to recommend a team of experts to develop and implement COVID safety plans. According to UFCW President Marc Perrone, the union will also work with politicians to develop a comprehensive meat processing safety bill.

The orientation of the unions to Congress amounts to one of the accomplices of the meatpacking industry appealing to another. When the pandemic first began, it was not the UFCW that forced the shutdown of meatpacking plants to save lives, but the workers themselves who organized protests independently of the union.
A retired Wisconsin judge was shot and killed at his home early Friday morning in what Justice Department officials say was a targeted act of murder. The 56-year-old accused shooter, Douglas K. Uhde, had been sentenced by Judge John Jack Roemer in 2005 to six years in prison for burglary.

In a statement published on Saturday, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said it was investigating what it called a critical incident where the Juneau County Sheriffs Office received a call about a shooting at 6:30 a.m. on Friday at a residence in the Township of New Lisbon.

The statement said that following failed attempts to negotiate with Uhde, at approximately 10:17 a.m. the Juneau County Special Tactics and Response Team entered the residence and located retired Judge John Roemer, a sixty-eight-year-old male, deceased. It continued, Uhde was located in the basement with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, life-saving measures were taken, and he was transported to a hospital where he is in critical condition.

Later on Saturday, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul spoke at a news conference and said that the tactical team negotiated with Uhde for four hours going into the residence. Kaul told the news media, So far, the information thats been gathered indicates that it was a targeted act, and the targeting appears to be based on some sort of court case or court cases.

Kaul went on to say that Uhde was apparently targeting other government officials but did not say who they were. He added that those who were targeted had been notified, but we are not aware of any active threats to individuals.

Zack Pohl, deputy chief of staff for the Democratic Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, told the Washington Post that the police had notified the governors office that she was on the accused Wisconsin shooters target list. Pohl said, While the news reports are deeply troubling, we will not comment further on an ongoing criminal investigation.

Other prominent public officials who were among those on the target list were Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, according to WISN-TV.

Uhde was originally sentenced by a different judge in 2002 to ten years in prison and seven years of extended supervision for an armed burglary conviction. Uhde won an appeal in a lower court, but the conviction was upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. When the case was reopened, Judge Roemer was assigned the final sentencing.

Uhde then escaped from prison in 2006 but was rearrested, sent back to prison, and not ultimately released until April 2020. Roemer, a former prosecutor first elected to a nonpartisan position on the Wisconsin bench in 2004, had retired in 2017.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer [Credit: AP Photo Paul Sancya]

The early-morning emergency call on Friday was made by someone who left the residence and contacted authorities from a nearby home in New Lisbon, about 80 miles northwest of Madison, Wisconsin. According to a recorded audio dispatch from Juneau County Public Safety, the caller says his neighbors son from across the street is banging on the door, stating that someone murdered his father.

At the present time, it appears that Uhde acted alone. There is as yet no evidence he was part of a wider politically motivated murder conspiracy involving any groups or organizations. But the news that the accused shooter had a list that included Whitmer comes less than two months after the end of the federal trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap and kill the Michigan governor in 2020.

In that case, in which the jury acquitted two men and could not reach a verdict on the other two accused conspirators, recorded statements and testimony from two confessed co-conspirators demonstrated that the members of a far-right militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen were plotting for months to kidnap the governor. They were hostile to even the limited pandemic mitigation measures she ordered in the spring of 2020, and wanted to send a fascist political message prior to the 2020 elections.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that a kidnapping conspiracy was underway, including the fact that the men had staked out Governor Whitmers summer residence and elaborated a plan to seize her and engage in a gun fight with her security team, the jury drawn from rural northwest Michigan refused to convict them, even on an illegal gun possession charge.

The death of Judge Roemer also takes place within a political environment in which, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll, one in three Americans say that violence against the government can at times be justified.

Far-right and fascistic individuals and groups in and around the Republican Party and former President Donald Trump have continued to promote the false narrative that the 2020 elections were stolen by the Democrats. They also participated in and are defending the mob violence at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, aimed at preventing the certification of Joe Biden as president as legitimate political discourse in the US.

It was Trump who called on supporters to liberate Michigan in the months leading up to the plot to kill Whitmer. Trump has also frequently denounced Republican Senate Leader McConnell for conceding the 2020 election was won by Biden and refusing to back Trumps claims of a stolen election.
Gustavo Munoz, left, his father, Gilberto Valadez, and his business partner, Alejandro Enriquez, at their new restaurant, Amigos Taqueria in Stow.

When Gustavo Munoz and Alejandro Enriquez started working together nine years ago at El Tren Grill, they bonded over their love for their Mexican culture and homemade food of their homeland, whose recipes had been passed down to them by their families.

Munoz, 46, owned the Tallmadge restaurant El Tren Grill at the time, and Enriquez was a promising new cook there. The two became good friends, and six years ago, they started talking about opening a taqueria together.

Now, they're proud co-owners of Amigos Taqueria in Stow, which opened May 12 and focuses on the authentic dishes of their hometowns. That includes recipes perfected by Munoz's parents, who owned a taqueria in Aguas Calientes, Mexico, for many years.

Munoz's family moved to Pittsburgh in 1998 and Munoz, who is a Strongsville resident, moved to Northeast Ohio in 2013. Enriquez, 37, who originally hails from Veracruz, Mexico, moved to Wisconsin in 2007 and to the Akron area in 2013. He lives in Stow.

"He is a very talented guy. He has a lot of skills," Munoz said of Enriquez, who is both co-owner and chef at Amigos Taqueria.

Restaurant specializes in authentic Mexican fare

Both Enriquez and Munoz wanted to bring the tastes and look of home to their small new eatery, which seats 22. It's located at the north corner of the Bridgewater Park retail development, which also includes Skyline Chili, Brubaker's Pub and Hunan of Stow.

They specialize in authentic Mexican fare that starts with handmade corn tortillas made on a tortilla press for entrees such as street tacos and the traditional huarache.

Al pastor street tacos, made with marinated pork with grilled pineapple, are served with homemade guacamole and house sauce on the side at Amigos Taqueria in Stow.

The restaurant's Birria taco is made with shredded, stewed beef that's served moist with its own broth, inside two handmade tortillas. The dish is served with a side of soup featuring the same broth, Birria Consome.

Birria tacos, featuring stewed beef cooked with chili peppers, is served with a bowl of Birria Consome at Amigos Taqueria in Stow.

"It's fresh," Munoz said of the handmade tortillas, the base for numerous dishes that chef Enriquez and the kitchen staff were preparing Thursday.

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With Amigos Taquerias, Munoz and Enriquez have moved away from Tex Mex. Another traditional Mexican favorite that Enriquez made Thursday was the huarache, an entree made with a long, elliptical, handmade tortilla.

That's covered with refried beans, a choice of meat ranging from ground beef to marinated pork with pineapple, and then traditionally topped off with cilantro, onions and shredded cotija cheese. Housemade guacamole and red sauce are served on the side.

The huarache can be eaten by hand because the handmade taco is so thick.

"It's just like an open taco," Munoz said.

Huarache is made with a handmade corn tortilla, refried beans, meat or veggie filling of choice and topped Mexican-style with cilantro, onions and cotija cheese at Amigos Taqueria in Stow.

These restaurant owners put freshness at a premium, including guacamole made fresh tableside at their Stow eatery, served in a three-legged molcajete bowl made from volcanic stone. The tableside guacamole also will be offered at their upcoming Amigos Taquerias location in Strongsville, an 85-seat restaurant expected to open by late June.

Guacamole is prepared fresh tableside at Amigos Taqueria in Stow.

Amigos Taqueria also offers traditional agua fresca, or fresh water, made daily. Offerings on Thursday were watermelon, lemonade, hibiscus and Horchata, which is rice water with condensed milk and cinnamon.

More: The BeaconJournal.com app is packed with great features. Here are 5 you need to know about

The dishes the restaurateurs serve food in matter, too. They include handmade, hand-painted Mexican pottery that Munoz said keeps the heat. Patrons from Mexico get excited when they see the plates, he said.

"That makes them feel like they're home, because there we eat on these plates," Munoz said, showing off a brown, shallow bowl with black and yellow painted accents. "It brings the environment to them."

Dishes, decor reflect Mexico

The restaurant's decor, created by Munoz, offers a taste of Mexico too, with burnt orange walls, burnt wood above the front counter and on the booths, colorful parrot and gecko figures as well as pottery on the walls, and folk art including a tin metal piece.

"He (Enriquez) decorates the plates, I decorate the outside," or the dining room, Munoz said with a laugh.

The Amigos Taqueria menu includes bowls, quesadillas, tacos, burritos, fajitas, sopas (soups), tortas (sandwiches) and more. One carryover menu item from the former El Tren Grill, which Munoz sold several years ago, is the popular Burrito Amigos, filled with chicken, chorizo, rice and beans, and topped with pico de gallo and melted cheese.

Burrito Amigos  a 10-inch flour tortilla filled with grilled chicken, chorizo, rice and beans, and topped with queso, pico de gallo, and sour cream  is a popular dish at Amigos Taqueria in Stow.

A big feature of the restaurant's menu allows for building your own customized entree. That includes starting with a taco, huarache, quesadilla, bowl, sope (handmade, thick corn tortilla), torta or machete (long corn tortilla).

Next, guests can choose from fillings including chorizo, steak, carnitas (slow-cooked pork), ground beef, al pastor, chicken, tinga (shredded chicken cooked in chipotle tomato sauce), lechon (Mexican-style pork roast), veggie or Birria. Finally, toppings include cilantro, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, fresh lime, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, jalapenos, refried beans, corn, onions and mayo.

More: Blossom eats: Fuel up at these 9 restaurants before attending concerts at Blossom Music Center

Amigos Taqueria is a family affair that depends on the help of numerous family members. That includes Munoz's father, Gilberto Valadez; and his sister, Marta Hicks, who handles the back-office work. Also lending a helping hand is Enriquez's fiancee, Madison Baughman, who handles marketing and public relations.

Munoz, who sold El Tren Grill several years ago, said his goal was to open several smaller Amigos Taqueria restaurants rather than one large one. That way, he and Enriquez will have an opportunity to make a greater impact in multiple regions with the authentic fare they're offering.

"The dream is to grow" and eventually add a third location, Munoz said.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

Details

Restaurant: Amigos Taqueria

Where: 4147 Bridgewater Parkway, Stow

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Phone: 330-805-4715

Website: www.amigostaqueriaohio.com

Takeout: Yes

Huarache is made with a handmade corn tortilla, refried beans and meat or veggie filling of choice, topped with cilantro, onions, cotija cheese, vegetables and sour cream drizzle at Amigos Taqueria in Stow.

Amigos Taqueria at 4147 Bridgewater Parkway in Stow.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Friends join forces for new Amigos Taqueria in Stow
JoJo Siwa; Cardi B; Janelle Monae

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images; Phillip Faraone/Getty Images; Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images

The stars have aligned to celebrate Pride!

On Sunday afternoon, various celebrities gathered together to honor Pride Month by taking part in the West Hollywood Gay Pride Parade in Los Angeles, California.

Among those involved in the daytime event included Cardi B and Janelle Monae, plus JoJo Siwa and her girlfriend, Kylie Prew.

Siwa, 19, and Prew were decked out in colorful rainbow gear as they partied atop one of the parade's floats. Cardi, 29, strutted through the streets in a fabulous rainbow jumpsuit, spraying her alcohol-infused whip cream, Whipshots, from a float into the mouths of onlookers.

Other stars also in attendance included MJ Rodriguez, Loni Love, Patrick Starr, Cheyenne Jackson, and Gloria Allred, to name a few.

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Cardi B and Whipshots Celebrate at WeHo Pride 2022

Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Whipshots

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Pride Month

Pride Month is an entire month dedicated to the uplifting of LGBTQ+ voices, the celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and the support of LGBTQ+ rights.

Throughout the month of June, nationwide, parades, protests, drag performances, live theater, memorials and celebrations of life for members of the community who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS are held.

It is part political activism, part celebration of all the LGBTQ+ community has achieved over the years.

RELATED: JoJo Siwa Opens Up About Coming Out as LGBTQ: 'The First Time That I've Felt So Personally Happy'

RELATED: Janelle Monae Reveals She's Non-Binary on Red Table Talk: 'I Just Don't See Myself as a Woman, Solely'

Pride is rooted the Stonewall Uprising, which became the cradle of the Gay Liberation Movement.

In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided a popular gay bar in N.Y.C.'s West Village, The Stonewall Inn. This was commonplace for the time, but on this particular evening, the patrons of the bar fought back  starting the Stonewall Riots, which went on for days.

The Stonewall Inn was declared a historic landmark by the city of New York in 2015 and later named a national monument by President Barack Obama in 2016. This June is the 52nd anniversary of the first Pride parade, which happened in 1970, one year after the uprising.
Wings Jonny May and Jack Nowell have been named in a 35-man England squad for a three-day training camp this week.

May made his comeback for Gloucester on Saturday, featuring as a second-half substitute after five months out recovering from a knee injury.

Nowell, who broke his arm during Englands Guinness Six Nations defeat against France in March, also returned for Exeter during the final round of regular season Gallagher Premiership action.

Squad update | 35 players will gather tomorrow for a three day training camp to continue preparations ahead of our match against @Barbarian_FC and tour of Australia. More on our website   England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) June 6, 2022

There are first involvements in a senior England camp for Biyi Alo, Charlie Atkinson, Freddie Clarke, Sam Jeffries and Namibia-born Exeter prop Patrick Schickerling.

Players from Premiership semi-finalists Leicester, Saracens, Harlequins and Northampton were not considered for selection.

The list of uncapped players also includes Wasps back Paolo Odogwu and Bath centre Max Ojomoh, but there is no place for experienced Bristol prop Kyle Sinckler.

Sinckler has not played for Bristol since April because of a back injury.

He was among a number of players on Bristols unavailability list for their final Premiership game of the season against Sale on Saturday.

And it remains to be seen whether he will follow Tuilagi and Simmonds in being ruled out of the tour.

Exeter hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and Bath wing Anthony Watson, meanwhile, will attend the Teddington camp to undertake rehab work as they continue to recover from injuries.

England head coach Eddie Jones said: With a number of players unavailable because of the Premiership semi-finals, weve got the opportunity to call up some new players.

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Its a great opportunity to learn about them and see what potential they have to play a part in the Australia tour.

England face three Tests against the Wallabies next month, starting in Perth on July 2.

May missed this seasons entire Six Nations campaign, as did Exeter lock Jonny Hill, who is also included.

Hill has not played since early January due to a stress fracture of his lower leg.

Elsewhere, exciting London Irish back Henry Arundell earns another chance to impress as Jones runs the rule over players ahead of the trip Down Under.

England head coach Eddie Jones has named a 35-man training squad (Adam Davy/PA)

Jones, though, has already lost Sale centre Manu Tuilagi (knee) and Exeter back-row forward Sam Simmonds (hip) from his tour plans.

And with the Premiership play-offs and final still to take place, he will be keeping his fingers crossed for no further setbacks.

After facing Australia in Perth, England then head to Brisbane for the second Test before rounding off the tour in Sydney on July 16.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have released a rare new portrait of their daughter, Lilibet, on the occasion of her first birthday. Known as "Lili," the duke and duchess's youngest child turned 1 on Saturday, June 4 amid celebrations in the United Kingdom for her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.

The portrait lensed by photographer Misan Harriman  who also photographed Meghan's pregnancy announcement  reveals Lilibet to be a redhead, taking after her father Harry. Wearing her short, red curls secured with a large white bow, the tot poses in a pale blue dress for the birthday photo.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have shared a new portrait of their daughter, Lilibet. (Photo: Daniel Leal/Pool via REUTERS)

Yahoo U.K. royal executive editor Omid Scobie reports that the couple  who reunited with the extended royal family for some of the London festivities honoring the queen last week  welcomed "close friends and family" to their Frogmore Cottage residence near England's Windsor Castle on Saturday. There, they celebrated their daughter's birthday with an "intimate backyard picnic" featuring a custom cake from Claire Ptak, the baker who created their own lemon-flavored wedding cake back in 2018.

For Lilibets first birthday, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan invited close friends and family for an "intimate backyard picnic" at Frogmore Cottage, Windsor on Saturday. Claire Ptak (who made the couple's 2018 wedding cake) baked a special order for the party.



 @misanharriman pic.twitter.com/gXFM0l3FIT  Omid Scobie (@scobie) June 6, 2022

Lilibet's first birthday also drew well wishes from other members of the royal family, including aunt and uncle Kate Middleton and Prince William, though it's unclear who attended the gathering in her honor.

Wishing a very happy birthday to Lilibet, turning one today!   The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 4, 2022

Born a year and a half after her parents  who also share 3-year-old son Archie  announced their formal exit from the royal family, Lilibet was given a name honoring her roots. Her first name is a nod to the queen's childhood nickname, while her middle name, Diana, honors her late paternal grandmother, Princess Diana.
It is an age-old lament, and more than a little true: The United States doesnt pay enough attention to Latin America, even though its right there.

And when it pays attention, its usually because its mad about migrants on its border.

This week, President Joe Biden has a chance to change that narrative, at least for a while, when he hosts the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. The gathering of Western Hemisphere leaders usually happens every three years, though this one was delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Its the first time the United States is hosting since the inaugural session in 1994.

Expectations are low that Biden will deliver, and the run-up to the summit has been beset by talk of it being a poorly organized, under-resourced effort by the Biden administration.



Biden has no serious trade deals to offer  the one thing some Latin American states want above all. Migration remains an unresolved sore point. And U.S. domestic politics are shaping Bidens approach to the region: Avoiding fury in Florida is one reason Biden has refused to invite the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, prompting talks of a boycott by other heads of state.

Still, Biden administration officials  while cagey on details  insist the president will not arrive in Los Angeles empty-handed, so perhaps the regions leaders are in for a nice surprise. Heres what to watch for during the gathering, which runs Monday through Friday, with Biden arriving in Los Angeles on Wednesday:

Who shows up, and who stays away

For a few weeks, it appeared many key Latin American and Caribbean leaders, including Brazils Jair Bolsonaro and Mexicos Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, would skip the summit. Several cited the Biden administrations decision not to invite the non-democratic regimes of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua as their primary reason to stay away, saying their exclusion was unfair and counterproductive. There were even rumors of Argentina hosting a rival summit.

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Much of this is normal theatrics before such summits, and many of the leaders have indicated they will show up, after all. This came amid a charm offensive from people linked to the Biden team, including first lady Jill Biden, who toured three Latin American countries last month. It also comes as Biden announced he would relax some sanctions and other restrictions on Cuba and Venezuela.

For now, the main holdout appears to be Mexicos president, commonly known as AMLO. Biden wants his Mexican counterpart there, but AMLO plans to send his foreign minister instead.

What will Biden offer his guests?

In summit-speak, this is known as having deliverables. At the moment, aides to Biden are being vague about what exactly he will propose to his counterparts. Thats partly because the team arranging the summit is still working out details, but its also to let the president be the one to unveil the surprise.

A White House official, however, gave POLITICO a sense of whats in the works: an economic framework proposal, which reportedly tackles issues like supply chain vulnerabilities; an initiative to promote health systems and health security to prepare for future pandemics and bolster supply chains; a new partnership on climate and energy with Caribbean nations; a food security plan that will likely involve more funding; and a new migration proposal that will involve sharing responsibilities among various countries.

The specifics will matter greatly, but so will behind the scenes discussions among the leaders. Biden can be very persuasive in private.



Three cheers for democracy? Please?

One factor driving the launch of the Summit of the Americas was promoting democracy. Nearly three decades later, democracy in the region is under increasing threat, and not just in places like Venezuela.

Corruption, criminality and weak institutions hamper governance in nations like Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Peru, meanwhile, has had five presidents in five years. The current president, Pedro Castillo, has already faced two impeachment attempts since taking office in July, among other political tumult.

Biden is deeply wary of the threat posed by populists and strongmen to the worlds democracies; his refusal to invite the regimes of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela is meant to signal that concern extends to the Western Hemisphere.

Last year, Biden hosted a Summit for Democracy, and he is likely to promote the same ideals during this weeks gathering. Its not clear, however, how that will be met by all the participants, some of whom may not wish to be lectured to by the United States.

After all, the insurrection at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, not to mention Republican claims that Biden didnt really win the presidency in 2020, suggest the United States own democracy is fraying.

How the attendees deal with Russias invasion of Ukraine

The Biden administration has pointed to Russias invasion of Ukraine as part of the grander, global faceoff between democracy and autocracy, and it has sought to rally as many countries as possible to stand up to the Kremlin.

But Latin American leaders support of that effort has been mixed at best. While many say Russia was wrong to invade, theyve also tried to maintain good relations with Moscow. (This handy graphic lays out which countries have done what).

Many also have long-held suspicions of U.S. intentions and often avoid aligning themselves with their powerful neighbor.

Can Biden convince counterparts like Brazil's Bolsonaro to defy Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin? Will he even try? Its the type of conversation thats unlikely to happen in public, but whose results could become evident over time.

Chinas shadow

Few countries have delighted in the pre-summit tensions as much as China. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the sharp-tongued Zhao Lijian, has repeatedly assailed the United States for excluding some countries from the summit.

Latin America is by no means a front court or backyard of a certain country, and the Summit of the Americas is not a Summit of the United States of America, he said just days ago. The U.S. scheme to interfere in regional affairs by taking advantage of its capacity as the host of the Summit of the Americas is doomed to fail.

The communist leaders in Beijing have been eager to build relationships with Latin American states, and Chinas economic footprint in these countries is hard to miss. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, China is currently South Americas top trading partner and the second-largest for Latin America as a whole, after the United States. Beijing also is pursuing more security, cultural and technological cooperation with Latin American countries.

Biden will no doubt try to push Latin American leaders to join his economic framework and spurn Chinas advances. But without robust trade deals to offer, his toolbox will be incomplete. And even what he does offer will face comparisons.

Under both the Trump and Biden administrations, the United States has offered few alternatives to Chinese infrastructure finance, noted Benjamin Gedan, a Latin America analyst with the Wilson Center.



The political reaction, in Florida and beyond

Its hard to overestimate how much Biden factors domestic politics into his foreign policy. This is deeply frustrating to many Latin American and Caribbean leaders, who insist the policies for the Western Hemisphere shouldnt be held hostage to U.S. political infighting.

The growing populism in the United States makes it near-impossible for the president to promote trade deals. The toxic domestic politics around migration, too, have made it difficult for Biden to repeal some policies imposed during the presidency of Donald Trump. And the special politics in Florida, a state thats home to many Cuban and Venezuelan exiles, make it hard for Biden to adjust U.S. diplomacy toward Havana and Caracas.

The partisan polarization in the United States means the Biden administration has to walk on eggshells, said Peter Schechter, a Latin America expert and commentator.

As the summit gets underway, dont be surprised if even some of Bidens fellow Democrats trash him  they already have over his recent limited relaxation of Cuba and Venezuela policies  to shore up their moderate backers. Its also likely that the foreign leaders who do show up will use their microphones to decry U.S. policies on everything from migration to the treatment of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Its going to be a long week.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is hounding gun-control activist David Hogg on Twitter for a meeting.

She said described herself as "someone who has also been on lockdown as a student."

A school spokeswoman said Greene was present at school, but not in the classrooms taken hostage in 1990.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is hounding gun-control activist David Hogg on Twitter for a meeting, suggesting she and the Parkland, Florida, mass shooting survivor share an experience because of a gun-related incident at her school when she was a student in 1990.

Following a recent spate of mass shootings, the far-right Georgia conservative and gun-rights advocate, who has harassed Hogg in the past, tweeted on Sunday that if Hogg wanted to fix the problem he would discuss "common sense solutions" with her. Hogg co-founded March For Our Lives after the 2018 shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when he was a student there.

Video: Parents of Sandy Hook, Parkland victims speak out

The youth-led group is planning marches in DC and other cities on June 11 after mass shootings last month that killed 10 mostly Black people in a racist rampage at a Buffalo, New York supermarket, and 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Congress is poised to take action this week.

In her tweet, Greene described herself as "someone who has also been on lockdown as a student when the only madman with a gun is another student who wants to kill people."

She appears to be citing a 1990 incident at South Forsyth County High School in Georgia, where an armed student held other students from two classrooms hostage. No one died in the incident and students in other classrooms were evacuated and bused to a nearby elementary school, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

"Yes, she attended South Forsyth HS and was present at school that day, but she was not in the two classrooms that were taken hostage," Jennifer Caracciolo, the school's communications director, told Insider in an email.

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David, you fundraise for a living.



If you wanted to fix it, you would discuss common sense solutions with me, someone who has also been on lockdown as a student when the only madman with a gun is another student who wants to kill people.



Not just bully my weak RINO colleagues. https://t.co/Cka3jF12jV  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) June 5, 2022

Greene has previously referred to the incident as part of her call for eliminating gun-free school zones. She spoke about it again on Friday in an interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, calling it "the worst thing that could have happened to any of us and it was terrifying."

"There was no adult there with a gun in our school because our schools had turned into gun-free zones," she said. "This is because of Joe Biden and the crime bill that they passed back in 1990."

The school incident happened in September 1990. The 1990 crime bill, a package of bills which then-Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware sponsored as Senate Judiciary Chairman was signed into law two months later on November 29, 1990.

Before she was elected to Congress, Greene promoted a false conspiracy theory that Parkland was staged and was caught on video following and confronting Hogg in March 2019 as he walked toward the US Capitol, badgering him about his positions on gun safety measures and later calling him a "coward" after he walked away.

On Sunday, she went after him again on Twitter.

"I hear you & your girls are funded to come to town this week to once again try to manipulate some of my gutless weak colleagues to vote for gun control that will violate our freedoms and leave Americans defenseless," she wrote to Hogg. "I don't see you on my schedule, why not?"

Greene added that "it happened at my high school too, only we had no one" and she said, "gun control laws won't fix it."

Hogg declined a meeting, saying he's more interested in meeting "commonsense people who are looking for reasonable solutions to stop children from dying. Don't really have time to help you go viral for attacking survivors so you can fundraise."

He added a request for donations to support the group's June 11 march, since he said Greene was trying to use him as a "fundraising opportunity."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have released a new photo of their daughter, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

The photo shows a smiling Lili sitting in the grass at her first birthday party, which took place on Saturday at Frogmore Cottage, the Sussexes' home in the United Kingdom.

Lili celebrated her first birthday in the U.K. with her parents and older brother Archie, who traveled from their home in California to attend Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Lili's great-grandmother and namesake, Queen Elizabeth II.

PHOTO: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the service of thanksgiving for the Queen. on June 3, 2022 in London. (Wpa Pool/Getty Images)

The toddler's birthday party, described as a casual, backyard picnic, was attended by close friends and family, according to a spokesperson for the Sussexes.

It was such a privilege to celebrate the 1st birthday of Lilibet with my family and hers! Joy and face painting all around  pic.twitter.com/bg3RY6MOEu  Misan Harriman (@misanharriman) June 6, 2022

Party guests enjoyed a birthday cake by London baker Claire Ptak, who created Harry and Meghan's wedding cake in 2018, according to their spokesperson.

Prince Harry, Meghan release new photo of daughter Lilibet originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
A US Army veteran, who faked his own death to avoid jail, was sentenced to 85 years on Thursday after being convicted of raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter.

Jacob Blair Scott, 45, was found guilty of repeated sexual attacks on the teenager, who testified that one assault ended in her falling pregnant.

Scott, a Purple Heart recipient from Moss Point, Mississippi, was originally accused of rape after the girl became pregnant in 2017.

However while out on bond in July 2018, Scott disappeared. Police later found a small boat with a handgun, suicide note, and small amount of blood off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama.

US Marshals alert police departments of Scotts disappearance and offered a $25,000 reward for his capture.

During their search of Scotts vessel, authorities found a gun and a note, but little forensic evidence indicating a suicide. A week-long search of the Gulf of Mexico was conducted for Scotts body, but his remains were never found. Authorities later discovered Scott had withdrawn $45,000 from a bank account before his disappearance. The money was never recovered a statement from US Marshalls read.

Scott was apprehended by authorities at an RV park in Oklahoma in January 2020.

He was extradited to Jackson County, Mississippi to stand trial. During the court proceedings Scott, who had served in Iraq, blamed his injuries sustained in the military, post-traumatic stress disorder and his failing marriage for his self-described compromised mental state when the abuse occurred.

I was a good man, he protested, according to AP. This aint who I am.

He wept on the stand as he attempted to blame the victim, who was 14 years old when the abuse began.

Jacob Blair Scott, who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor, cries out while on the witness stand after testifying about his family relationships. (AP)

She wanted me to scratch her back, Mr Scott said, according to The Sun-Herald newspaper. I had sex with [her] because she came on to me.

The jury found him guilty of nine counts of sexual battery, four counts of sexually abusing a child, and one charge of exploiting a minor.

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District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath described Scott as vile during sentencing.

This is the first time in my 18 years I have ever seen anything so brazen and so vile, DA McIlrath said, according to The Associated Press.

This is about blaming the 14-year-old. This whole trial was about humiliating the 14-year-old who had no choice.

Scott showed little emotion during his sentencing. Judge Kathy King Jackson said the trial had more evidence than Ive probably ever seen.
By Byron Kaye

SYDNEY (Reuters) -An Australian court on Monday ordered Google to pay a former lawmaker A$715,000 ($515,000), saying its refusal to remove a YouTuber's "relentless, racist, vilificatory, abusive and defamatory" videos drove him out of politics.

The Federal Court found the Alphabet Inc company intentionally made money by hosting two videos on its YouTube website attacking the then-deputy premier of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, that have been viewed nearly 800,000 times since being posted in 2020.

The ruling revives the question of how much culpability technology firms have for defamation conveyed by users on their websites in Australia, one of few Western nations where online platforms have the same legal responsibility as publishers.

Australia is reviewing what legal exposure platforms should have for defamatory posts. A landmark case in 2021, where a newspaper was found liable for defamatory reader comments below an article posted on Facebook, drove global firms to reduce their social media presence in the country.

The judgment showed Google had denied the videos carried defamatory imputations, and said the YouTuber had the right to an honestly held opinion and should be protected by the right to criticise a politician.

A Google spokesperson was not available for comment.

"They (Google) were advised that those defamatory videos were there, they looked into it, they decided for themselves that they weren't, and left them up," said Prof David Rolph, a specialist in media law at the University of Sydney Law School.

"That's an orthodox application of the basic principles of publication in defamation law (but) leaves the larger question about whether we need to reform the principles of publication."

HATE SPEECH

The court heard that content creator Jordan Shanks uploaded videos in which he repeatedly brands lawmaker John Barilaro "corrupt" without citing credible evidence, and calls him names attacking his Italian heritage which the judge, Steve Rares, said amounted to "nothing less than hate speech".

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By continuing to publish the content, Rares said Google breached its own policies aimed at protecting public figures from being unfairly targeted, and "drove Mr Barilaro prematurely from his chosen service in public life and traumatised him significantly."

Barilaro quit politics a year after Shanks posted the videos, and "Google cannot escape its liability for the substantial damage that Mr Shanks' campaign caused," Rares said.

Shanks, who has 625,000 YouTube subscribers and 346,000 followers on Meta Platforms Inc's Facebook, was a co-defendant until a settlement with Barilaro last year which involved the YouTuber editing the videos and paying the former politician A$100,000.

But Shanks "needed YouTube to disseminate his poison (and) Google was willing to join Mr Shanks in doing so to earn revenue as part of its business model," the judge said.

Before the lawsuit was resolved, Shanks continued to make disparaging comments about Barilaro and his lawyers in YouTube videos, and the judge said he would refer him and Google to the authorities "for what appear to be serious contempts of court by bringing improper pressure ... not to pursue this proceeding".

In a Facebook post after the ruling, Shanks, who goes by the handle friendlyjordies, mocked Barilaro, saying "you finally scored the coin from Google ... without ever having the truth tested in court".

Shanks added, without evidence, that Barilaro "withdrew (his) action against us so we wouldn't testify or present our evidence" in support of the YouTuber's claims.

Barilaro told reporters outside the courthouse that he felt "cleared and vindicated".

"It was never about money," he said. "It was about an apology, removal. Of course, now an apology is worthless after the campaign has continued. It's taken a court to force Google's hand."

($1 = 1.3883 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Kim Coghill and Christopher Cushing)
The Miami Grand Prix lived up to the "Super Bowl of F1" hype. Dan Istitene - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

There is growing support in F1 for a regional schedule to ease the travel burden in the sport.

The current schedule forces teams to hop from continent to continent seemingly every race.

The downside to a regional schedule is oversaturating the US market with too many races in a short period of time.

Some much-needed relief could be coming soon to Formula One teams forced to bounce back and forth all over the world throughout the 22-race season.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is the latest to support changing the schedule to group more races based on their region, thus minimizing the amount of travel required between races and saving the teams money.

"If you look at the calendar, it makes sense to group some of the races together, whether it is some of the American races, some of the Asian races, and Europe, obviously," Horner said, according to GP Fans. "Some of the calendar this year when you look at the geographics of it, Azerbaijan to Montreal doesn't [make sense]. Going to Australia for a weekend is about as expensive as you could make it."

In addition to the races mentioned by Horner, this season's schedule has a few other trips that make little sense geographically. One nine-week stretch saw the sport go from the Middle East (Saudi Arabia) to Australia, followed by Italy, the United States (Miami), and then back to Europe (Spain).

F1 schedule F1

Williams driver Alex Albon also noted the wear and tear on the drivers.

"Twenty-three races is tough, and on top of 23 races, we do much more than that," Albon told Insider before the Miami Grand Prix. "I've spent about two and a half weeks at my house since the beginning of the year, in total. I'm living in a suitcase. If I could do it differently, I would probably structure it a bit better. You know, we go to Italy, we go to Miami, and then we go back to Europe again. It's a lot of jet lag, a lot of adjustments to be done."

The obvious solution creates a new problem for F1

While grouping races based on regions makes a lot of sense financially and for the health of the drivers and teams, it would introduce a new problem, especially in the US  the risk of oversaturation.

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There are already concerns that F1 is pushing too hard, too soon in expanding the US market with new races in Miami this year and Las Vegas next year, joining the US Grand Prix in Austin. Any problems associated with the US expansion will be magnified if all three races are run back-to-back-to-back.

"It would be great to go Vegas, Miami, Austin, but obviously, I don't think that works because you want to get returning customers," Albon said. "I'm sure there's some hardcore fans here, but I'm sure they don't wanna do the triple trip one after the other. So there is a balance to understand, but it's getting tough. It's getting tough for the people involved in the sport."

A Formula One car is displayed ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

One solution could be to group all five North American races and mix in Mexico City and Montreal to help spread out the American races. However, even if Brazil is included, three US races in a 6-round stretch might still be too much for an American fan base trying to find its way in the F1 world.

A better solution might be to split the six races in the Americas up into two trips. An early-season grouping of Miami, Mexico City, and Brazil would leave Austin and Vegas together later in the year with Montreal.

Either way, changes are coming, but the solution won't be as easy as it might appear.

Read the original article on Insider
Ron DeSantis beat Trump soundly in a straw poll again on how much conservatives would like each man to be their 2024 candidate

Ron DeSantis beat Donald Trump in a straw poll of Western Conservative Summit attendees.

Conference-goers were polled on who they would like to be the 2024 presidential nominee.

This is the second year in a row attendees picked DeSantis over Trump.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed another clean win over former President Donald Trump in a recent straw poll of self-identified conservative conference-goers who were asked who they'd like to be the 2024 presidential nominee.

The poll was taken during the Western Conservative Summit, held in Denver, Colorado, on June 3 and 4. According to its website, the summit aims to "motivate those conservative activists who are in the trenches, to convene and network together, and to educate on key issues, both equipping volunteers as well as training a new younger generation of conservatives."

The Centennial Institute, a think tank linked to the Colorado Christian University, organized the event.

Conference-goers were asked which candidate they would prefer to be the GOP's presidential nominee and were told to "vote for ALL the candidates you would approve for President." Some 1,114 people responded to the question, according to poll results shared by Michael McGonigle, a journalist with local Colorado publication The Daily Citizen and Fox News.

According to the poll, DeSantis received the thumbs-up from 71.01% of voters, while Trump received approval from 67.68% of those who answered the poll.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in third, receiving 28.73% of the vote, and Dr. Ben Carson was fourth, with 24.15% of voters choosing Carson. Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence received votes from only 14.36% of respondents, polling lower than Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

This is the second year DeSantis has come out on top of polling among Western Conservative Summit attendees. A 2021 straw poll asking the same question found that DeSantis received 74% approval while Trump received 71%.

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Neither DeSantis nor Trump have officially announced whether they'll be running for president in 2024.

In October 2021, DeSantis said he would not be considering a presidential run because he's busy "trying to make sure people are not supporting critical race theory." Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly teased a run but has not yet made a formal declaration.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia stormed out of a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday as European Council President Charles Michel addressed the 15-member body and accused Moscow of fueling a global food crisis with its invasion of Ukraine.

Michel had also accused Russian troops of war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically citing reports of sexual violence - the focus of the Security Council meeting - and describing it as "a tactic of torture, terror and repression."

During his own statement earlier in the meeting, Nebenzia had "categorically refuted" any accusations of sexual violence by Russian soldiers, condemning what he said was a "lie."

As he left the Security Council chamber during Michel's statement, a visibly irritated Nebenzia told Reuters: "I couldn't stay" because of "the lies that Charles Michel came here to distribute."

Speaking directly to Nebenzia as he walked out, Michel said: "You may leave the room, maybe it's easier not to listen to the truth."

Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has fueled a global food crisis with prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer soaring. Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies, while Russia is also a fertilizer exporter and Ukraine is an exporter of corn and sunflower oil.

"Mr. Ambassador of the Russian Federation, let's be honest, the Kremlin is using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries," Michel said in the Security Council. "Russia is solely responsible for this food crisis."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is trying to broker what he calls a "package deal" to resume Ukrainian food exports and Russian food and fertilizer exports. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to visit Turkey on Wednesday to discuss unlocking grain exports from Ukraine.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Luxury accessories club Vivrelle (dont call it rental) has been growing and growing and its members get a front-row seat.

On Monday, the company unveiled its new sprawling 14,000-square foot showroom and social club in Manhattans NoMad District, near to hotels like the Ace Hotel and many restaurants.

More from WWD

Founded in September 2018 by newlyweds Blake and Wayne Geffen, the company has seen triple-digit growth as well as the injection of a $26 million funding round in 2021. Today, the platform counts tens of thousands of members who can get access to coveted designer bags and jewelry as their appetite changes.

While users must be 18 years of age or older to borrow from Vivrelle (per its subscription policy weeding out any irresponsible borrowers), the space is open to all members. Membership tiers start at premier at $39 a month (for jewelry up to $1,000 in retail value), classique at $99 a month (for jewelry and bags up to $4,000), couture at $199 a month (for couture-worthy bag and jewelry borrows including limited-edition items) and couture+ at $279 a month (for borrows from both the classique and couture tiers).

The space is channeling the Soho House of luxury handbags, according to Wayne Geffen, who said clients can elevate their experience beyond their closet with the advantage of the membership lounge (including cocktails, coffee and tequila on tap) and workspace at no additional cost to them.

There will also be immersive experiences as we continue to open and expand, added Blake Geffen, in a phone interview with both cofounders. Brand collaborations are also on the agenda as the first VIP event kicks off on Tuesday.

Upon entering the space, members check in to a concierge bar with a backdrop of merchandise, be it Fendi, Chloe, Chanel or YSL, as emblems of the companys vast selection. To the right of the check-in is an open workspace lounge anchored by low-lying plush sofas and armchairs in neutral tones. The lounge and centerpiece bar area were designed by New York-based interior designer, Hilary Matt.

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The concierge bar at the Vivrelle showroom has a backdrop of designer bags behind it.

A variety of Gucci bags (to call out one brand from the sea) are stacked as many as five rows deep beneath windows. The dense product display is understandable given that the showrooms second floor  just steps away from the bar and dining room  serves as the warehouse and distribution center.

In all its handbag glory, Mr. Geffen envisions a lofty future at Vivrelles new space. Theres even a Vivrelle-branded claw machine with bags to boot (yes, as in the ones found in arcades where players typically claw for plush toys; and yes, players get to keep, for free, whatever theyre able to get their claw on simply with the touch of a token the company provides). In the past, the company operated a showroom on 27th Street. This time its different, and the goal is much broader in scope.

Vivrelle members can dine and play to win a free handbag at the Vivrelle claw machine.

The goal is we want you to spend time there, get to know the products, get to know the brandEverything from having a cup of coffee or having a glass of wine with another member and sitting around products and having a conversation with our team, he said. These are all things that I think are super important. It goes back to our core. We dont say rental anywhere in our communication. We are not a rental site or a transaction-based site. It is really meant to be an experience  a virtual extension of your closet and the way you view your closet is just different with Vivrelle.

Members can hit the complimentary bar at the Vivrelle Midtown showroom and social club.

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Click here to read the full article.
Pastor Ronald Foxx at Shady Grove Primitive Baptist Church speaks to the community in Porters Quarter about the impact of gun violence.

It was a sunny Saturday with blistering summer heat but that didn't stop a crowd of 30 people dressed in orange from coming together at the Porters Quarter Community Center to honor the victims and survivors of gun violence.

Faye Williams, a local community activist, instructed everyone who came to the "We Wear Orange: Stand Up and Speak Out" event to put their hands together and place them on their chests.

"And now I want you all to breathe in and breathe out," Williams said.

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Everyone in attendance took a deep breath, preparing themselves to hear the devastating and heartbreaking stories of people who have lost a loved one due to gun violence.

For three days, Gainesville and city of Alachua residents were draped in orange as part of the We Wear Orange weekend to raise awareness for gun violence.

The gathering at Porters Community Center on Southwest Third Street was hosted by the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in Alachua County and Music Arts Movement Action (M.A.M.A's Club).

Marnie Wiss, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action and one of the event organizers, looked around at everyone who showed up to hear the stories of the survivors of gun violence.

"It gives me a little hope," Wiss said. "It's also the fact that so many of people here are survivors reminds me of why we do the work we do. It gets really disheartening and really exhausting and I have to say that I want it to stop."

Stephanie Scott talks about her son Christopher Scott, 13, who was killed last year in a shooting at the American Legion hall on Northwest Sixth Street.

Stephanie Scott, a Gainesville resident and mom, was one of the survivors at the event. Scott lost her son Christopher Scott, 13, who was among five people shot and killed at a teen party on June 24, 2021, at the American Legion located at 4701 NW Sixth St. Four others were injured in the shooting.

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Scott said telling the story of her son helps her heal.

"He was my protector even though he was young. He was my best friend, he was my go-to guy," Scott said.

Robin Lillie is another Gainesville resident who lost a son to gun violence.

Lillie said she lost her son Tyler Pearson, 29, in 2019. After her son's death she got involved with Moms Demand Action to share her son's story.

"It's hard and the grieving process is not easy," Lillie said. "One day you're up and a lot of days you're down, so talking about it for me is therapeutic."

Other survivors included Kenneth Johnson, founder of the Gladiator Foundation, who lost his brother in downtown Gainesville in 2002. Regina Livingston, founder of the Unspoken Treasure Society, spoke about how she lost her niece. And Susan Browder, a senior Survivor Fellow with Everytown Survivor Network, spoke about how she lost her daughter to gun violence.

Moms Demand Action states that 2021 was one of the deadliest years for gun violence in the United States. According to the Gun Archive  a nonprofit that provides information on gun violence  last year there were 45,013 deaths due to gun violence in the United States and 20,923 of those deaths were homicides.

"Ive been doing this for so long and I know how many solutions there are to this that aren't so hard to take," Wiss said. "And I am so angry that there are people cynical enough or greedy enough, or power hungry enough to look away from those solutions."

We Wear Orange

We Wear Orange weekend is a national movement in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed at age 15 in Chicago in 2013. Her friends wore her favorite color orange to honor her.

On Friday, in recognition of gun violence survivors and in a demonstration of community solidarity, residents gathered for the lighting of the fountain in Gainesville's Depot Park.

And on Saturday, Moms Demand Action hosted a We Wear Orange event in the city of Alachua. Sunday the Florida Chapter of Moms Demand Action hosted a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) virtual summit.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville community wears orange to honor victims of gun violence
TOPSHOT-US-COURT-DEPP-HEARD

Amber Heard looks on in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on May 17, 2022. Credit - Brendan SmialowskiPool/AFP/Getty Images

A jury may have come back with a victory for Johnny Depp in his defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard, but the legal drama is far from over. Heards lawyers have said that she will appeal the decision, a process that will likely take years. TIME spoke to experts about what happens next in the case, Heards chances of winning an appeal, and how far this legal fight could go.

First, a bit of background on the case itself. Depp had sued Heard over a Washington Post op-ed published in 2018, in which Heard called herself a public figure representing domestic abuse. Heard never named Depp as her abuser. Still, Depp claimed that the opinion piece hurt his career. Heard then countersued, claiming that Depps attorney Adam Waldman, as an agent of Depp, defamed her by calling her allegations a hoax in the Daily Mail.

Many legal experts doubted that Depp would win the case: The actor had lost a similar libel suit in the U.K. against the tabloid The Sun in 2020. In that case, a British judge wrote that he found The Suns statement that Depp was a wife beater to be substantially true, and that Depp had assaulted Heard on at least 12 occasions. But the outcome of that case was decided by a judge, not a jury, nor was the trial televised, as the U.S. one was.

In the U.S. case, the jury handed down awards to both Heard and Depp. They found that Heard defamed Depp with malicious intent and awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Judge Penney Azcarate then reduced the punitive damages to Virginias statutory cap of $350,000. But the jury also awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages on her countersuit. The verdict has left many confused since awarding damages to Depp would suggest that they believed the Pirates of the Caribbean star when he said Heard lied about the abuse she alleged, but awarding money to Heard contradictorily suggests they believed her claims of abuse were not, in fact, a hoax.

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Legal experts are divided on what Heards team willor shoulddo if they plan to appeal the case. The jury seemed to find Depps story more credible than Heards. And experts agreed that appellate courts tend to be reluctant to reassess credibility judgments made by juries, even if this jurys conclusion seemed contradictory. Anyone appealing has an uphill battle, says Rebekah Sullivan, a Washington, D.C., attorney who focuses on family law. Most likely, the lawyers who spoke to TIME said, Heards team will argue some legal error was made during trial and will try to overturn the verdict on the basis that the jury was influenced by things they saw and heard outside the courtroom.

Read More: The Depp-Heard Trial Perpetuates the Myth of the Perfect Victim

Whatever Heards team decides, an appeals court wont hand down a ruling anytime soon. Its a long, expensive process, says David Ring, a Los Angeles civil trial lawyer. He and other experts estimated the appeal would take two years minimum. Several attorneys who spoke with TIME speculated it will cost Heard hundreds of thousands of dollars in addition to the likely millions shes already spent in legal fees. But when youre facing a $15 million judgment, says Ring, you certainly have to probably pursue that.

Before the appeals process even begins, experts say its likely that Heard (or her insurance company) will have to put up some sort of bond that shows she has or can raise the money that she owes Depp. Given that Heard and her lawyers have said this trial has been a financial burden for the actor, Heards ability to post the bond is not guaranteed.

Still, if she does proceed, her team may have a better chance in front of an appeals court than the jury of five men and two women who awarded Depp damages. The trial was televised live, jurors were not sequestered, and videos and memes of Depp and Heard on the witness stand, including overwhelmingly pro-Depp commentary, were inescapable on social media platforms like TikTok. I would expect the appellate portion of the case, where the audience is judges, to focus more on legal arguments and a lot less on the theatrics that we saw in the trial where the audience was a jury, says Sullivan.

Ring agreed: It was a spectacle, he said of the original trial.

Read More: Why Youre Seeing So Many Johnny Depp Defenders on TikTok

On appeal, there would be no cameras and no opportunity for Heards testimony to be picked apart, edited, and misconstrued on social media. Three appellate judges in the Virginia Court of Appeals would decide the case largely by sifting through documents written by attorneys for either side. Depending on the outcome, the case could then be appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court, which has the discretion to take the case or refuse to hear it, and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has the same discretion.

According to experts, there are a number of arguments Heards team could make. Her attorney Elaine Bredehoft made comments after the trial that would seem to suggest that she will focus on evidence. She has suggested that some pieces of evidence Depp was able to introduce were prejudicial while certain evidence from Heards team was suppressed at trial, including evidence that was permitted in the U.K. trial but not the U.S. one.

This trial judge let in a lot of evidence in this case. I mean, a lot, says Ring. I think things went kind of far afield from what the real issues wereSo thats the basis for an appeal, though not necessarily a great basis for appeal. He adds that evidentiary rulings are rarely the basis used by an appellate court to overturn a jury verdict.

Mary Anne Franks, a professor at University of Miami School of Law who focuses on civil rights, says that Heards team might challenge the judges decision to allow the trial to be live-streamed, a particularly unusual decision given that the case involved allegations of sexual abuse and domestic violence, as well as the judges decision not to sequester the jury which resulted in a trial by social media.

Read More: Depp v. Heard Reminds Us That the Legal System Is Still Stacked Against Survivors

Azcarate did remind the jury over and over again to not watch news about the trial at night. But even logging onto Instagram or Twitter or TikTok might have led jurors to memes about the case, including unfounded allegations that Heard faked bruises and persuaded witnesses to lie.

I actually think thats a pretty good argument, says Sullivan. What was so extraordinary about this trial is the social media and news coverage of it, kind of a circus of public opinion. With this case, you have your jury going home, their families have certainly been following this. They see the TikToks and the tweets. And the unsequestered jury is being exposed to things that were not admissible in the trial. So to the extent that Heards lawyers can argue they were influenced by outside factors that werent admitted in trial, that actually has a pretty high likelihood of success, in my opinion.

But Ring believes that argument would be a loser on appeal because, he says, the idea of sequestering juries has fallen out of favor in modern courtrooms. Its just not realistic to sequester juries for six weeks without their phones anymore, he says. Heards team can, however, interview the jurors from the trial about why they ruled the way that they did. If they interviewed them and the jurors say, We followed TMZ every night, OK, now youve got a basis for appeal. But I dont think anyones going to admit to that if it happened.

Many legal commentators have questioned whether Heards 2018 op-ed actually rises to the level of defamation considering the specific words in the piece. Given that the op-ed never mentions Depps name and is largely devoted to the broader topic of the challenges facing women who speak out against abuse, it strains credulity to argue that the op-ed harmed Depp in any meaningful way, says Franks. And especially in any way related to his career, which was already struggling due to well-documented behavioral issues. In fact, Franks points out, Heard did not write the headline for the piece, one of the statements at issue. She merely retweeted it.

Sullivan also thought Heards team could focus on the headline when they appeal. Defamationor the act of damaging someones good reputation with a false statementis, essentially, an exception to the First Amendment right of freedom of speech. But if people who merely retweet news stories can be held responsible for defamation if the article is inaccurate, that might present major First Amendment problems for millions of Twitter users. Sullivan said that its possible Heards lawyers could leave open the option to take the case to the Supreme Court by focusing on this First Amendment issue. They will be sure to include a First Amendment claim if they want to take this all the way, she says.

Though legal experts were divided on whether Heard stands a chance against Depp if she appeals her case, they agree it may be worth the risk for Heard. In no way, shape, or form, says Ring, is this a slam-dunk winner for Johnny Depp on appeal.
A man has been sentenced to six years in prison for pretending to be a DHS agent on TikTok.

The Department of Justice has said that Reyel Simmons, from Minnesota, has been found guilty of impersonating a federal officer on the social media platform.

The US Attorneys Office in the District of Minnesota announced on Friday that the Dodge County man was sentenced to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for impersonating a federal officer and illegally possessing firearms as a felon.

More follows...
Water begins to fill the Rio Grande north of Lou Henson Highway near Santo Tomas after water was released from Elephant Butte Dam for the annual allotment of water for New Mexico, Texas and Mexico.

The dry, sandy riverbed of the Rio Grande will once again fill with water this weekend in the El Paso area, beginning a short irrigation season.

The Bureau of Reclamation first released water from New Mexico's Elephant Butte Reservoir and then opened the gates of the Caballo Reservoir on June 1.

By Friday morning water had flowed downstream to Mesilla, New Mexico. River water began reaching El Paso on Sunday. Rio Grande water will end up in El Paso's faucets, irrigating fields of cotton and alfalfa and sustaining wetland ecosystems like the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park.

The annual water allotments for Southern New Mexico, far West Texas and Mexico are below normal levels. Less snowpack, warmer temperatures and limited precipitation have reduced water levels along the Rio Grande in recent years. Farmers and water utilities are adjusting to the new reality.

More: Irrigation districts plan for another dry year as drought mars Rio Grande

Water begins to fill the Rio Grande under the Lou Henson Highway near Santo Tomas after water was released from Elephant Butte Dam for the annual allotment of water for New Mexico, Texas and Mexico.

El Paso Water CEO John Balliew wrote in his "On the Waterfront" newsletter on May 26 that Rio Grande water will account for less of El Paso's drinking water this season. The utility has developed alternative drinking water sources to depend less heavily on the river, including desalination and advanced purification.

"River water sometimes accounts for half our water supply," Balliew wrote. "But this year, we are due to receive about 16% of our normal season allotment."

"For decades, however, El Paso Water has been planning and preparing for a year like 2022 in which we wont receive our full share of Rio Grande water," he wrote.

More: 'We're still here': West Texas town dealing water to El Paso contemplates its future

Jesus Reyes, manager of the El Paso County Water Improvement District, said farmers supplement river irrigation water with groundwater wells. The District covers 69,000 irrigable acres of farmland. Approximately 49,000 acres are currently in agricultural production, Reyes said.

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He said once the water reaches El Paso on Sunday, the District's extensive system of canals will start to fill. He expected water deliveries to farmers to start, "As soon as we can build up the water into our canal system, Monday morning at the latest."

More: 'Change is possible': High school students take environmental lessons and apply them to El Paso

On Friday morning at the Rio Bosque Wetland Park off Socorro Road, manager John Sproul hauled water in buckets to quench the thirst of cottonwoods and willows. The park depends on water from the Bustamante Wastewater Plant and water deliveries from the Rio Grande.

Water begins to fill the Rio Grande near Santo Tomas after water was released from Elephant Butte Dam for the annual allotment of water for New Mexico, Texas and Mexico.

He was relieved that water would soon begin to flow at the park, where a wetland ecosystem has slowly taken hold.

Water users in New Mexico and Texas breath a momentary sigh of relief in the first days of June, as the Rio Grande once again flows through the arid Borderland.

Staff writer Martha Pskowski may be reached at mpskowski@elpasotimes.com and @psskow on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Rio Grande water returns to El Paso, quenching arid region
LONDON  It has been 102 days since Russia began its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Despite tensions rising, NATO began naval exercises in the Baltic Sea along with aspiring members Finland and Sweden. Spain and the U.K. promised Kyiv weaponry, and Russian President Vladimir Putin retaliated with a warning that Moscow would hit new targets if it continued.

NATOs war games

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge of the U.S. Navy in a harbor in Stockholm, Sweden, on Friday. (Reinaldo Ubilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

On Sunday, NATO kicked off a two-week naval exercise in the Baltic Sea that includes more than 7,000 marines, airmen and sailors from 16 countries including Finland and Sweden  who officially applied to the international alliance last month.

Over 45 ships and more than 75 aircraft are also taking part in the Baltic operations coined BALTOPS 22. The U.S.-led games, which began in 1972, are reportedly not in response to any specific threat.

In past iterations of BALTOPS weve talked about meeting the challenges of tomorrow, Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander of the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO and U.S. 6th Fleet, said. Those challenges are upon us  in the here and now.

He added: BALTOPS 22 highlights our past investments and shows our collective partnership and capabilities as we recognize the importance of freedom of the seas and the vital role the Baltic plays in European prosperity.

Putins warning

Vladimir Putin delivers an address to the participants of the Bolshaya Peremena All-Russian contest for school students through a video link on June 1. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/AFP/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin issued a stark warning on Sunday that the military would strike new targets if the West continued to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. Speaking on Russian-state TV, Rossiya-1, the Kremlin leader said: We will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting. However, Putin did not specify what those targets were.

Military assistance

The Ukrainian military is expected to receive more weapons from both Spain and Britain. On Sunday, the Madrid-based newspaper El Pais reported that government sources in Spain said that Leopard battle tanks and antiaircraft missiles would be sent to Ukraine in a bid to step up Spains military support to the country. Meanwhile, the U.K. is expected to donate several M270 multiple launch rocket systems  which can strike targets up to 50 miles away.

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Despite Putins warning, the U.K.s defense secretary, Ben Wallace, argued that the assistance is justified. As Russias tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine, he said. If the international community continues its support, I believe Ukraine can win.

Zelensky visits frontline

Working trip of the President of Ukraine to the Zaporizhzhia region and Donbas on Sunday. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited soldiers on the frontlines in the east of Ukraine on Sunday. He met troops in the Donbas region and met with fighters in Lysychansk, which is situated across from Severodonetsk  where Ukrainians are fighting back against Russian forces.

I want to thank you for your great work, for your service, for protecting all of us, our state, Zelensky told soldiers. I am grateful to everyone. Take care of yourselves!
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Monday he will not attend the Americas Summit in Los Angeles because the US government did not invite all the governments of the region. (Photo by PEDRO PARDO / AFP)

WASHINGTON  Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Monday that he is skipping this week's Ninth Summit of the Americas, a blow to President Joe Biden as he tries to unite the region to address migration.

There cannot be a summit if all countries are not invited, Lopez Obrador said at a press conference Monday after the United States refused to invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to the summit.

He said Mexico's foreign affairs secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, will attend the summit instead. Lopez Obrador said he will meet with Biden in July.

Lopez Obrador has been threatening to boycott the summit if the United States didn't invite every country in the region, including the autocratic leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

The Biden administration said they do not want to invite countries that have not upheld democratic principles.

More: Why immigration and the border are taking a backseat in Tuesday's primary races

Lopez Obrador's absence is likely to be seen as a snub to Biden as the U.S. prepares to host the summit for the first time since its inception in 1994. The summit is scheduled to begin Wednesday.

The White House has said climate change, COVID-19 and the economy aregoing to be among some of the issues discussed.

But a priority for the administration is migration. The United States has seen record levels of migrants coming to the U.S.-Mexico border over the past year. In April, the United States saw a record number of border encounters for that month in more than two decades.

The Biden administration has tried to work with key countries in the region, including Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, to address the root causes of migration.

Russia-Ukraine explained: Inside the crisis as US calls Russian movements an invasion

Lopez Obrador might not be the only key official who is skipping out on the summit.

Newly-elected Honduras President Xiomara Castro previously indicated that she would not attend the summit if some countries were excluded from the event.

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Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., criticized Lopez Obrador's decision to skip out on the summit, saying it "will unfortunately set back efforts to continue repairing the relationship and to cooperate on issues pertinent to the well-being of both our nations."

Menendez said the Mexican leader is standing "dictators and despots over representing the interests of the Mexican people in a summit with his partners from across the hemisphere."

Contributing: Associated Press

Reach Rebecca Morin at Twitter @RebeccaMorin_

More:

Who is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador?

April saw record encounters at the southern border, but some data points dipped. Heres what that means.

Biden revises some Cuba travel restrictions, restarts family reunification program Trump ended

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mexico President won't attend Summit of the Americas in snub to Biden
(Calloway County Sheriff's Office)

A suspect used a hidden gun to shoot and kill a police officer who let him go outside a station to smoke during questioning.

Gary Rowland, 30, was arrested in Kentucky last month on drugs and firearms warrants and was accused of violating the terms of his parole.

Officials say he was being interviewed following his arrest at the Marshall County Sheriffs Office, when he asked if he could go outside the building to smoke.

It was then that he allegedly pulled out the concealed weapon and killed Calloway County Sheriffs Chief Deputy Jody Cash.

While smoking, Mr Rowland produced a handgun, which had been concealed on his person, firing it in the direction of and striking (Calloway County Sheriffs Chief Deputy Jody Cash), the Kentucky State Police said.

Other officers returned fire and hit the suspect, who was rushed to hospital with the sheriffs deputy where they were both pronounced dead.

Both officers were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

This deputy has paid the ultimate sacrifice today while serving our commonwealth, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said. Let us honor the life, bravery and service of this deputy.

Deputy Cash had spent 22-years working in law enforcement, eight years with the state police and had also served as assistant chief of the Murray State University Police Department.
Gun violence in the United States has been a growing concern for the countrys citizens as America leads the world in average mass shootings. As of May 15, 2022, there have been 246 mass shootings in America, with the number quickly rising. According to the Washington Post, gun violence has risen, with mass shootings leading the statistics. In 2021, almost 700 such incidents occurred, a jump from the 611 in 2020 and 417 in 2019, writes Graphics Reporter Julia Leder. Before that, incidents had not topped 400 annually since the Gun Violence Archive started tracking in 2014.

Mass shooting No. 246 came from the racially motivated gunfire at Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, NY, leaving ten African-Americans dead. In the wake of the tragedy, the supermarket has been closed to the public, leaving the citys biggest African-American community without direct access to healthy foods, a blow to an area already considered a food desert.

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In response to the hateful terrorist attack, rapper Benny the Butcher has decided to stand against gun violence in his hometown and throughout the nation by releasing the politically-charged track, Welcome to the United States. A scathing critique of law enforcement, politicians, gun violence, and racism, Bennys new trackwhich is accompanied by a video meditates on the horrors of Americas mass shootings and the paralyzing state of dread these tragedies leave in their wake.

Benny the Butcher uses the first couple of seconds of the new visual to give stats about gun violence in America before launching into a barrage of social conscious rhymes smothered over the top of images ranging from the KKK to a speech from President Joe Biden after his recent visit to Buffalo, N.Y.

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The track also serves as a fundraiser to support the victims of the Buffalo Mass Shooting, with Benny donating 100% of the profits from the sale of a limited edition Pray For Buffalo T-shirt to the Buffalo 5-14 Survivors Fund.

Fans can donate directly to the Buffalo 5-14 Survivors Fund here and purchase the limited-edition Pray For Buffalo T-Shirt on the Black Soprano Family website.

Watch the newly released Welcome To The States music video below.

Click here to read the full article.
Lisa Smith Roth, 96th House district GOP candidate

Professional background: Smith is a pediatric nurse practitioner with 14 years of practice at Crossing Health care in Decatur. She also practices in Springfield at HOPE Institute for disabled and autistic children.

Education: Smith received her bachelor of science in nursing from Millikin University and master's of science in nursing from University of Illinois Chicago. She also received her doctorate in nursing practice from University of Illinois Chicago and has certification in pediatric primary mental health.

Family background: Smith grew up on a small farm in Brownstown, Il. She is the mother of 10 adopted kids and has been married to her high school sweetheart for 33 years.

Health care costs continue to soar. What proposals do you have to address the escalating costs of health care including prescription drugs?

There is no question that healthcare costs have gotten out of control. As a health care provider, you are constantly addressing this issue with your patients. There is help now with prescription drug coverage, including pharmacy cards such as GoodRx and Singlecare, which can be cheaper than using your private insurance coverage.

More: Fiscal responsibility, tax relief are priorities for Illinois House 96th district candidates

Toxic political polarization has permeated the landscape. How will you work to heal the divide?

The divide in our country is great no question. There is a moral and ethical divide. Pride in our country and a love for it competing with an ideology of hatred and disdain that I have never seen before. People who believe in the constitution and those who are trying to tear it apart. A belief in law and order, and those who would have no consequences for those who break our laws. A media that is not providing the truth to the people and promoting one party over another. I believe that the answer is the truth. Tell the truth, let people see it, and make up their own mind. I believe that providing free speech so everyone can see what is happening to our country will heal.

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More: Meet Prescott Paulin, 96th House District GOP candidate for Illinois

Illinois has been ranked as the least tax-friendly state for the middle class in the nation. Beyond the tax relief passed in the most recent budget, how will you try and help ease the burden on taxpayers?

Tax relief? What tax relief? Make no mistake, there is no tax relief. We will pay for every penny they have "given for relief." The postponed gas tax will be enacted right after the election and then another in 6 months. That's no relief. If they cared about the taxpayers, they would cancel the gas tax all together. REAL tax relief is the lowering of taxes for everyone. No matter what class you are in, lowering taxes benefits everyone. So the best tax plan is to vote out the Democrats and put in Republicans that believe in lowering taxes and regulations which in turn increases job opportunities and cash in your pocket. There are sky high gas and grocery bills across our country. Open the Keystone pipeline and allow us to be energy independent again. This would ensure low energy costs for our citizens.

Editor's note: The final answer in this Q&A has been corrected to show Lisa Smith Roth's answer she submitted. Her opponent's answer was inadvertently published originally in the space.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois primary election q&a with Lisa Smith Roth, 96th district
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry just shared an adorable photo of their daughter Lilibet in honor of her first birthday.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a new photo on Monday of their daughter at her birthday celebration, which was on June 4.

Their close friend and photographer Missan Harriman took the new snap during the festivities over the weekend while the family was in England for Queen Elizabeths Platinum Jubilee celebrations, a spokesperson for the couple revealed.

They added that it is a candid, spontaneous photograph that the Duke and Duchess are pleased to share today.

According to People, the couples spokesperson also shared that the family celebrated their daughters big day with a, casual, intimate backyard picnic on Saturday at Frogmore Cottage.

The couple was in the United Kingdom with Lilibet and their 3-year-old son Archie to celebrate the queens Platinum Jubilee weekend, commemorating her historic 70 years on the British throne.

Over the weekend other members of the royal family celebrated Lilis birthday with sweet messages, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, who sent their well wishes on social media.

The trip marks Meghans first time to London in two years, following her and Harrys decision to step down as senior working royals and move to California.

Access Hollywoods podcast The Vault features decades worth of A-list interviews and never-before-heard moments with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Listen now!
Nathan Patterson is in contention to return to the Scotland side for Wednesdays Nations League clash with Armenia.

The Everton right-back missed last weeks World Cup play-off defeat to Ukraine as he was not fully up to speed following an ankle problem which required surgery in April and sidelined him for almost two months.

However, the 20-year-old, who has emerged as Scotlands first-choice option at right wing-back, has been training intensively since the Scotland squad met up and has declared himself available for action.

Ive trained since we came in the door, working on my fitness, doing some extra stuff with the sports scientists, and I think thats me ready now, Patterson said as he faced the media at Oriam on Monday.

Bologna teenager Aaron Hickey started the Ukraine game in Pattersons absence but Scotland coach Steven Naismith confirmed the former Rangers player is in the thoughts of the management team for the Nations League opener at Hampden.

Nathans been a gradual build-up but hes now in full contention, said Naismith. Hes ticked all the boxes hes needed to.

Lyndon Dykes is the only player to have left Steve Clarkes squad since the Ukraine game after the QPR striker  who went off at half-time on Wednesday  withdrew following a muscle complaint.

Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson has been struggling with a minor injury but otherwise everyone is available for Scotlands first-ever meeting with Armenia.

Lyndons the only one thats dropped out of the squad, said Naismith. Lewis Ferguson didnt train but its very minor so Id imagine hell be back training tomorrow or the next few days. Other than that, everybodys been on the training pitch.
Outtake from Michael Buble HIGHER album

Courtesy of Warner Records

Michael Buble may be known for serenading the world with his ultra-romantic songs, classic standard covers, and all-around charm, but no matter where he is he brings a piece of "Home" with him wherever he goes.

"I have pictures of my wife and my kids," he shared with Travel + Leisure, just after his shows in Las Vegas wrapped up. "As I'm sitting here in this hotel room, they're everywhere, and I put them up wherever I am."

In the spring, Buble set out on his "Evening With Michael Buble" tour, with stops in Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Chile, and Australia. It's a months long excursion that will have him flying all over the globe, but it's a task Buble says is easier than it appears, thanks to a few tricks up his sleeve.

To make sure any red-eye flight or hotel feel like his own little oasis, Buble tells T+L that his comfort items  including a heated blanket and a sturdy neck pillow  are key.

Michael Buble preforming "Buble!"

Chris Haston/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

And really, he says, despite the constant flights and travel, the touring is "so easy. Number one. I genuinely love what I do, and I love who I do it for."

"I think if you could ever compare me to anyone, it might be Gordon Ramsey. Not just because of how sexy we are," he added with a hearty laugh. "But, I think I'm like a chef and I love creating. I love creating in the kitchen and more than that, I love who I create it for."

But Buble doesn't stop at creating great things in the kitchen  or in the studio. He's also been rather busy crafting a new fragrance, "Michael Buble By Invitation".

The scent is just as sexy as Buble (and Ramsey). Though crafted with women in mind, its scent most certainly makes it an excellent gender-neutral contender.

The heart of the fragrance is a blend of four flowers: rose and peony, wild Jasmine for body, and lily of the valley. It's complete with top notes of red fruits and bergamot, wrapped up with sandalwood and musk blended with vanilla praline for good measure.

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"It's no secret that I am a hopeless romantic, which is reflected in the music I write, the songs I sing, and the shows I've performed around the world," Buble said. "I've always loved fine fragrance and wanted to create a scent that represents the same sentiments as my music  feelings of love, romance, and passion."

Though he loves the fragrance now, Buble shares that he almost said no to creating it in the first place.

"My manager called me and said, 'Hey, would you like to do this fragrance thing?' I said, 'No, I'm not interested," admitting he felt like the project was too out of his realm  until he learned he could be a part of the process from start to finish.

So, he traveled to France to what he calls a "fancy French perfume house" to test every element, smell every ingredient, and create something unique to him for the fans he loves so dearly.

"It was a lot of fun, and I love being part of it," he said. "And listen, I love music and I love what I do, but it's nice to have that sort of outlet artistically where it's not just music, it's something else."

When asked about his best smelling fans, Buble once again gave a laugh and refused to pit his fans against one another. Instead, he reaffirmed his excitement to get to see everyone live once again.

"It's so cool to connect [with fans] no matter where we're from or what language we speak," he says. "There's so much of us that's the same."
Beloved Atlanta rapper Trouble was shot and killed on Sunday (June 5) at the age of 34. The Rockdale County Sheriffs Department has swiftly issued an arrest warrant for 33-year-old Atlanta resident, Jamichael Jones, in connection to the murder.

According to reports, the Rockdale County Police Department responded to the Lake St. James apartment complex located at 50 St. James Drive in Conyers, Ga. after the reporting of fired gunshots around 3:20 a.m. When deputies arrived at the scene, Trouble, real name Mariael Orr, was found lying on the ground suffering from a bullet-inflicted wound. The Bring It Back rapper was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

More from VIBE.com

Rockdale County Sheriffs Office - Credit: Rockland County Police Department

Rockland County Police Department

As the sorry is developing, it has been reported by Rockdale Countys Public Information Officer Jedidia Canty that Trouble may have gotten into some sort of confrontation with Jones over a woman.

What we know and what I can tell you is that Mr. Mariel Orr was visiting a female friend at the apartment complex and Mr. Jamichael Jones did know the female and it was a domestic situation, Canty stated at a Sunday press conference. I know there are a lot of people that are really upset right now about the situation.

Since Troubles death has become fast-spreading news, many rappers, Hip-Hop public figures, and more have been sharing their condolences and memories of the former Def Jam signee.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the children, loved ones, and fans of Trouble, Def Jam Records stated in an Instagram post. A true voice for his city and an inspiration to the community he proudly represented. RIP Scoob.

Trouble was known for many of his collaborations with artists like Drake, The Weekend, Young Jeezy, 2 Chainz, and Migos, to only name a few.

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Several Atlanta artists like Boosie BadAzz, Gucci Mane, T.I., Monica, and Meek Mill have expressed their condolences to the slain rapper as well as his ex-girlfriend, Alexis Skyy.

cried n hurted for a hour on the plane with my lil girl holding me All I could thank bout is yo lil girl always playin in your face n both of yall smiling.U was my friend my nigga ?? ,u lifted me up when I was downI just cried to you a couple weeks ago on the phone about my  Boosie BadAzz (@BOOSIEOFFICIAL) June 5, 2022

R.I.P. Trouble ?  Gucci Mane (@gucci1017) June 5, 2022

And I woke up to rip trouble. Everybody texting be careful! Smh rip fam!!!! https://t.co/P9Kebuct9p  MeekMill (@MeekMill) June 5, 2022

Rip @TroubleDTE ???????Im so sorry this happen to you Skoob you didnt deserve this Im praying for your kids and family ? pic.twitter.com/fI3yRdzD7y  Alexis Skyy ? (@alexisskyyyyyy) June 5, 2022

As the investigation remains active, the Rockldale County Sheriffs Office is asking anyone with information to contact them at (770) 278-8188 or (770) 843-7647.

Story developing

Click here to read the full article.
Family of George Bell

A Black man who spent 24 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of double homicide is now suing the city of New York and a team of police officers for allegedly threatening him into making the false confession that landed him behind bars.

George Bells convictionand life sentence without parolewere dismissed in 2021 after new evidence surfaced proving his innocence. His attorney, Richard Emery, blamed Bells botched conviction in the 1990s on a variety of factors, including a biased media, then-Mayor Rudy Giulianis poor crime strategy, and the citys flawed justice system, claiming it targeted Black and brown people.

It was a rush to judgment with political forces behind that judgment, Emery told The Daily Beast.

In a complaint filed June 2 and reviewed by The Daily Beast, Bell requested at least $50 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages to be determined at trial.

F*ck This Guy: The Whistleblower Cops Exposing Corruption and Racial Profiling in the NYPD

In December 1996, Ira Mike Epstein and NYPD Officer Charles Davis were killed in a murder-robbery at a check-cashing business in Queens, according to the complaint. Epstein owned the business, and Davis served as a security guard while off-duty from the force. Authorities immediately launched a manhunt for the killers, with Giuliani and NYPD officials vowing they would not rest until theyd found those responsible.

[Giuliani] was very much pandering to tabloids and to the communities that he thought would back him up and elect him. Of course, he was right, Emery said. (The New York Daily News regularly referred to Bell as a crybaby murderer after his conviction.)

Crime was very serious [at] that time. He was seeking to back a police force that was makingclearly false prosecutions based on bad police work.

The Daily Beast was unable to reach Giuliani for comment.

Though there was a local gang known as Speedstick that had committed similar offenses to the robbery-murder, police focused their attention on other suspects, the complaint states.

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That December, a drug dealer in the area, John Bigwe, was arrested for selling cannabis. Police told him he would face serious consequencesincluding being deported to his home country of Haitiif he did not cooperate with their investigation, according to the complaint. Bigwe implicated Bell, the complaint alleges, because his girlfriend previously had an affair with Bell. The complaint says the police tricked Bell into going to the jail to help a friend who had been arrested. There, Bell was violently interrogated by officers, according to the complaint.

263 Overturned Murder ConvictionsJust 16 New Suspects Charged

[It was the] pressure and political environment that pressed the cops to pick a suspect who was a convenient suspect for them, but not the right one, Emery said. And of course, once they pick a suspect, they dont look at anybody else. They were just single-mindedly focused on George. They never let up, they beat George into submission and coerced a confession.

Bell, 19 at the time, was charged with capital murder. He had no criminal record, and the complaint states that the interrogating officers did not read his Miranda rights before his arrest.

The cops allegedly screamed in Bells face, pulled out his hair, vowed to put him in the fucking hospital, and claimed he would never see his family again if he did not cooperate, according to the filing.

The complaint says no physical evidence ever tied Bell to the double-homicide. But evidence kept pointing to the Speedstick gang before Bell was placed on trial, according to the lawsuit.

Emery told The Daily Beast he felt Bells race played a part in the unjust treatment he received.

The racism of all of this was palpable and most assuredly the fact that most of the victims of false convictions, an overwhelming number, are Black men, he said. George was a victim of racial stereotyping at least, if not direct racial antipathy.

The NYPD declined to comment on the matter.

The Supreme Court Just Said That Evidence of Innocence Is Not Enough

During his trial in 1999, Bell was convicted of the murders. Authorities offered him a plea deal that would allow him to avoid the death penalty if he gave a confession, but Bell maintained his innocence. The jury ultimately declined capital punishment, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On June 29, 1999, the New York Daily News reported that a jury had spared crybaby killer George Bell.

After the Queens District Attorneys Office formed its Conviction Integrity Unit in 2020, it discovered that loads of evidence relating to Speedstick had purposefully been withheld at trial. According to the complaint, a member of the gang even admitted to participating in the murders in 1997. In 2021, Bells conviction was overturned, and he was ultimately cleared entirely. Authorities just chalked it up to a good-faith mistake, according to the complaint.

But thats not an adequate explanation for the now-44-year-old Bell, who wants retribution after spending more than half his life incarcerated. After stays in multiple detention facilities and accusations of being a snitch among other convicts, Bell kept pressing any people who might help him, according to his attorney.

He was able to prevail, Emery said. He knew he was innocent throughout, and his family was very close with him and backed him up a hundred percent.

Along with Bell, Gary Johnson and Rohan Bolt made false confessions in the murders. Their convictions in the murders were also overturned, The New York Times reported. Collectively, they served nearly 75 years in prison.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Jeff Molina sported an LGBT+ symbol on the left side of his shorts (Zuffa LLC)

UFC flyweight Jeff Molina has said he thought people would be more open-minded about his decision to include an LGBT+ symbol on his shorts during his win against Zhalgas Zhumagulov.

Molina, 24, achieved a split-decision victory over Zhumagulov at a Fight Night event in Las Vegas on Saturday, all the while sporting an LGBT+ symbol to raise money for the LGBTQIA+ Center of Southern Nevada and celebrate Pride month.

Addressing the matter ahead of his fight, Molina said: To all the dudes sliding in my DMs, Im a straight guy but pshhh Im flattered! For all the homophobic dudes upset by me repping pride month on my fight kit, yall some fruit cups.

After his victory, the American told reporters: I picked the colours because I thought it looked cool, and then also it supports a good cause. Ill support anything of a community thats been oppressed and ostracized for some time for something they cant help.

Ill get behind any of that. It wasnt that long ago that there was school segregation, and that was like less than a person ago; something like Stonewall, that was like 50 years ago. Thats not even a whole person ago, man  this is recent s***.

Addressing backlash to his decision to sport the LGBT+ symbol, Molina continued: I just thought in 2022 people would be a little more open-minded and not pieces of s***, but I guess I was wrong. Its just crazy to me.

People were saying some crazy s*** and like, dude, what would you do if your kids gay? Mind your own business, it doesnt concern you. Get f***ed.

Who the f*** cares, bro. Its not even about being an ally. Im not saying Im not, but its just like, just be a decent f***ing person. Just be a decent human being. Judging someone, and then trying to justify it with religion, and saying all sorts of spiteful, hateful s*** is crazy to me. Its mind-boggling.

Who cares who someone wants to be with, their sexual preference? And then the irony of trying to justify it with religion of something thats supposed to be so accepted, and I was honestly shocked [with the negative reaction].

Molina improved his record to 11-2 with the win against Zhumagulov.
A GPS-collared cougar reacts after it was treed by hounds on Feb. 25, 2020, near Colville.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wears a mask as he talks to reporters, Thursday, June 2, 2022, outside a Dept. of Ecology office in Richland before a tour of the Hanford nuclear reservation.
A worker picks Skeena cherries from a ladder in an orchard owned by Rowe Farms Friday, July 9, 2021 in Naches, Wash.
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To the editor  An open letter to Yakima Police Chief Matthew Murray:

When you lobbied for more crime analysts and automated license plate readers, you promised they would help reduce Yakimas crime.

We believed you and made the investment. We were tired of abandoning many areas of town, fearing violence.

You and your officers are already delivering. Your new tools have led to arrests that send a message of hope to law-abiding citizens.

Please preserve the trust youve earned by staying the course.

Specifically, your message at a recent post-arrest news conference bemoaning violence against police was confusing and concerning. It surprised me and made me wonder whether YPD is committed to maximizing the impact of their new tools.

We should expect the trans-national gangs entrenched here over three decades to fight back. Of course they will try to back you off with more violence.

But we invested to take back the streets. Once your new technology is in place, every gang leader and member should feel nervous on Yakima streets. So should car thieves and felons with outstanding warrants.

Your news conference message probably should have been, Buckle up. Expect more violence before things get better.

Stay the course, Chief. And thanks.

BARB GREEN

Yakima
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YORK  Heliodoro Maya-Antonio, 34, of Oxnard, Calif., was charged with three felonies related to hauling 60 pounds of high grade marijuana into York County, which were found during a traffic stop on Interstate 80. This week, he was given a hefty fine, as well as being sentenced to jail and probation.

According to court documents, a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol, initiated a traffic stop on I-80 when Maya-Antonio had a traffic violation.

He asked Maya-Antonio to accompany him to his cruiser, in order to utilize a translation/computer device. The trooper said when he advised Maya-Antonio regarding the traffic violation, the defendant grabbed the door handle, but remained inside the cruiser. The trooper says he was also given consent to search Maya-Antonios vehicle.

During that search, the trooper found, in the back of the vehicle under a piece of plastic, nine heat-sealed packages containing 60 pounds of raw marijuana.

Maya-Antonio was charged with delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2A felony; possession of more than one pound of marijuana, a Class 4 felony; and having no drug tax stamp, a Class 4 felony.

As part of a plea agreement, the delivery and drug tax stamp charges were dismissed.

This past week, in York County District Court, he was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution/fines. He was also sent to jail for 28 days now, and was sentenced to two 30-day stints in jail in the future which can be waived by the court if he is found to be in compliance with the terms of his probation.
YORK  Sentencing proceedings were held this past week in York County District Court for Adam L. Hilton, 35, of Denver, Colo., who was charged here with theft of and operating a motorcycle to avoid arrest.

A deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department says in the affidavit filed with the York County Court that he was on Interstate 80 when he saw a man on a motorcycle who was not wearing a helmet. He said the motorcyclist exited at York and as he tried to get his attention, the motorcyclist sped away -- now southbound on Highway 81. The deputy said as he followed, the man on the motorcycle was weaving in and out of traffic at a high speed, with heavy traffic in the area.

The deputy says the man on the motorcycle reached speeds of 100 mph going down Highway 81 and at the intersection with Road 8, he did a U-turn and proceeded back to the north. The deputy said he was driving very recklessly and speeding.

As we continued northbound on Highway 81, where speeds up to 115 mph were reached, other units got involved in the pursuit, the affidavit says.

When they reached Highway 34, the man on the motorcycle  determined to be Hilton  turned east and began driving toward Waco. During that time, deputies say Hilton was driving in excess of 115 mph and was passing vehicles on the shoulder.

Then he turned north on Highway 69, past Gresham and into Polk County and they entered the town of Shelby where a Polk County deputy was waiting. At the north side of town, Hilton turned east into the high school parking lot and proceeded eastbound until he drove on the grass to turn around  thats where he was taken into custody.

It was determined that Hilton had outstanding warrants for his arrest.

The motorcycle had no license plates and it was discovered it was stolen from North Town Motors in Des Moines, Iowa.

Earlier, Hilton pleaded not guilty to theft by receiving stolen property, a Class 2A felony; operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, a Class 4 felony; and willful reckless driving, a Class 3 misdemeanor.

He was sentenced to a term of 1-2 years in prison for receiving stolen property; 1-2 years in prison for operating a vehicle to avoid arrest, to be served concurrently; and the charge of willful reckless driving was dismissed.
Nebraskas current tourism slogan landed with a splash in 2018, stirring a strong social media reaction and generating press coverage on several national platforms, from The Washington Post to "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

The national award-winning slogan  Nebraska. Honestly, its not for everyone  continues to evoke praise and criticism, with even a few Republican gubernatorial candidates calling for a change. But with a busy summer travel season officially underway, Nebraska's tourism chief says the state doesn't plan to shed the striking slogan any time soon.

John Ricks, executive director of the Nebraska Tourism Commission, considers the campaign a success and cites tourism metrics and state rankings to make his case.

A few Omaha industry professionals, though, are still unsure about the message and say that determining success requires more nuance.

In its research, Ricks said, the commission had found that Nebraska wasnt even on peoples shopping list as a potential vacation destination. It found indifference, apathy  difficult beasts to battle in the advertising world.

You have to do something unexpected to get people's attention, to even get in their consideration set, he said. So, that's what we did.

Barriers to people visiting were deeply entrenched, he said. The commission found people wouldnt even take the time to research Nebraska. There were perceptions that the state was all dusty plains, flat and boring, flyover country.

The campaign fed those assumptions back to people, Ricks said, then told them the real story.

One ad from the tongue-in-cheek campaign shows people floating a stream in livestock tanks with the words Lucky for you, theres nothing to do here. Another shows hikers jumping across a rock formation: Famous for our flat, boring landscape.

The commission moved advertising out of the state, Ricks said, to attract travelers who tend to stay longer, spend more and bring in new money. For in-state travel, the commission is more focused on the states successful Nebraska Passport program.

When this hit, we somehow connected with people, Ricks said. And we're joking now that  were finding that there are a lot more not everyones out there than we thought.

Tourism is a $3.6 billion industry in Nebraska, he said, that generates almost $265 million in state and local taxes.

Analyzing travel data from the last few years can be tricky, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic upending the industry in 2020. But Ricks offered some statistics that he said indicate success.

Web traffic on the states tourism website, visitNebraska.com, increased from about 371,000 visitors in 2017 to about 918,000 in 2021.

Year-to-year changes in visitor spending had been modest each year between 2012 and 2017 (ranging from a 1.3% decrease to a 3.5% increase). In 2018, spending went up by 5.5%. It increased again, by 4.6%, in 2019 before plummeting 40% in 2020. It recovered, and then some, in 2021, increasing by 68%.

When people started trekking out after locking down early in the pandemic, Ricks said theyd go in their cars to see less-populated places that are outdoorsy, less-traveled and affordable.

Thats just a description of Nebraska, he said.

He expects theres still pent-up demand that drove some of the success in 2021. But not every state got back to where they were in 2019, he said. Nebraska did.

Another metric: Nebraskas ranking on MMGY Globals Portrait of American Travelers improved this spring, placing it among eight states that had a statistically significant increase over 2021.

Chris Davidson, executive vice president of MMGY Travel Intelligence, said the company has published its in-depth report for more than three decades. It surveys roughly 4,500 adults about their travel habits. In 2021, it changed to a quarterly schedule.

One question it asks of active leisure travelers each survey centers around their interest in visiting each of the 50 states and Puerto Rico, along with other specific destinations. That data is used for the rankings Ricks cited.

Nebraska has traditionally been in the bottom five, Davidson said.

Nebraska ranked 45th in spring 2019, tied with Arkansas and Oklahoma, but only 17% of people surveyed were somewhat or extremely interested in visiting. MMGY didnt publish a report in 2020.

In spring 2021, 21% of people were somewhat or extremely interested in visiting Nebraska in the next two years and it ranked 48th. In its most recent report, spring 2022, that number rose to 25% and Nebraska ranked 45th.

Just people who were extremely interested went from 5% in 2019 to 9% in 2022. The percentage of people who werent at all interested was 41% in 2019 and dropped to 36% in 2022. The states average score went from 2.2 on a five-point scale to 2.4  about a 9% improvement.

Davidsons assessment of those numbers was two-fold: It's some encouraging, incremental positive momentum, he said. And, theres a lot of work to be done.

"The reality is, it's still in the bottom five states for interest in visiting," he said.

Jeremy Lipschultz, a social media professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said he guessed the initial attention the slogan received cut both ways  some people were positive about it but some were negative because it sounds exclusive.

Terry Kroeger, president and CEO of Omaha marketing firm Smith Kroeger, said it was unfortunate that the message was contrary to the truth that Nebraskans are very welcoming to newcomers and visitors.

This message says the opposite, he said in an email.

During the recent gubernatorial primary, Republican candidates talked about changing the slogan.

Right now, 'Nebraska is not for everyone' is not the message that I want to send as governor," Sen. Brett Lindstrom said at a debate. "We simply can't. We have too many jobs in the state of Nebraska  60,000-plus unfilled jobs  were not going to be able to grow organically and bring people and retain and recruit talent by sending that message that Nebraska is not for everyone."

Lipschultz thinks most of the attention was short-term, and that a lot of factors could drive the long-term, positive results, including work going on in communities across the state to promote downtown development, tourism and community engagement  such as UNO Social Media Lab projects in towns including Ashland, Ravenna and Valentine.

I'm sure that some of those local efforts would add up in the larger numbers across the state, he said.

Leanne Prewitt, president and chief creative officer at Ervin & Smith in Omaha, drew a distinction between effectiveness and success. If the goal was to have national recognition for the states tagline, it was certainly effective. And it's likely the most memorable tourism slogan the state has ever had, she said.

With tourism numbers up, she questions whether its the campaign or the fact that people were forced to visit flyover states the last two years because they were reluctant to fly. Even if the slogan did cause the boost, she said, shed challenge whether its been a complete success because she thinks it offends Nebraskans.

Even if you get effectiveness in any or all of those three areas, if you shame and piss off the residents of the state or the people that the campaign is about, I think it's not a success, she said.

She thinks it was a mistake that the commission used an out-of-state firm (Colorado-based advertising agency Vladimir Jones) for the campaign and that there couldve been a way to launch it within the state that let people in on the joke, rather than letting them feel mocked.

Back in 2018, Lipschultz told the Omaha World-Herald his initial grade for the tourism tagline would be only a C. Now, he said, he might raise that grade. Hes not quite sure its an A, he said, but its a contributor to this overall momentum.

Ricks is aware that some people have disparaged the slogan. But, he said theres a lot of uniformity across the industry  states touting great restaurants, events, hotels.

You cant differentiate on sameness, he said. The audience for the campaign, he said, is people who like to take time to enjoy and wander, who want to "peel back the onion and learn a little more.

Thats the not everyones. Those are the people, he said. And, as long as it keeps working, well stick to it.

Nebraska currently has its largest campaign of Ricks' tenure: $3 million in media buys. It has added Minneapolis and spot markets in Madison, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma City to the lineup of Denver, Kansas City, Des Moines, Iowa, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

New ads that are part of the campaign still confront the barriers travelers encounter when deciding whether to travel here, while broadcasting the states quirkiness.

Wed install mountains, but theyd just block the view one says, over a landscape photo of the sun setting over rolling hills. Another, advertising Ashfall Fossil Beds, says Some of us have been waiting 12 million years for you."

The commission's advertising agency will change June 30, with Florida-based Miles Partnership coming out on top in a request for proposals. The firm also has a Denver location and the commission has worked with it before.

Ricks said the campaign wont change.

The long-term objective was to at least get on peoples shopping lists, Ricks said. We had a big job in terms of changing these perceptions. We had to take people unexpectedly and  not necessarily shock them  but we had to get their attention. The self-deprecating humor was all intentional, and it continues to work.
Filipinos lose as Pharmally report fails to get Senate's nod

Senator Richard J. Gordon on Friday said that the Filipino people got shortchanged as the draft committee report on Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation failed to reach discussion on the Upper House plenary.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, lamented the fact that some senators refused to sign the report as the report involved Pres. Duterte.

"Puwede nilang sabihin, 'I dissent,' 'I disagree,' o 'I will interpellate' dahil dadalhin 'yan sa plenary 'pag pumasa para pag-usapan," remarked Gordon during a radio interview.

"Tapos sasabihin nila, magre-reserve sila, mag-interpellate ako o 'di kaya, will amend. Ang naging problema, walang nag-ganoon. 'Halimbawa, si Risa Hontiveros, will interpellate o si [Ralph] Recto, sabi niya, will amend. Ganoon [dapat,]" he added.

As of writing time, only nine senators, including Gordon, have signed the partial committee report, two short of being able to be discussed in the plenary.

Instead, Gordon made a privilege speech last May 31, inserting the whole report into the records of the Senate.

He also called on his fellow lawmakers to let their countrymen know their stand on the issue, as it is their inherent right to know the opinion of their elected officials.

Before the move, Gordon also revealed that he wrote to every senator, urging them to sign, and settle their apprehensions during the plenary sessions.

"[B]ago ko ginawa 'yang [privilege speech,] sinulatan ko ang mga senador. Ang importante ay malaman ng publiko itong report at mapag-usapan sa plenary,'" mentioned Gordon.

Pharmally, which is directly linked to former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, was revealed to have questionable legal, financial, and technical capabilities, having only Php 625,000 in capital.

Despite its shortcomings, it was able to enter a multi-billion peso deal with the Procurement Service of the Dept. of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) in record time.

Some of its officers, namely Twinkle and Mohit Dargani, were apprehended in Davao last November for attempting to flee the country.

The male Dargani and Linconn Ong were ordered incarcerated by the Senate for criminal contempt, as they refused to cooperate with the Blue Ribbon panel.

Its former officers-in-charge. Christopher Lloyd Lao and Warren Rex Liong, were appointees of Pres. Duterte.
A few days after the rumours of Hindustan Motors Ambassador making a comeback hit the internet, a report now suggests that the iconic HM Contessa muscle car might be relaunched in the Indian market. To substantiate the comeback, the publication has shared details of a trademark, which was initiated in March 2022 to register Contessa name by Hindustan Motors Limited at their Kolkata corporate office. Not only this, Uttam Bose, Director of Hindustan Motors mentioned in an interview that Hindustan Motors has entered in a JV with a Europe-based company to make electric two wheelers, which might later translate to an electric four wheeler as well, giving impetus to Ambassador comeback rumours.

Hindustan Motors was one of the largest carmaker in India before smaller cars like Maruti 800 entered the Indian market. The manufacturer declared suspension of work in 2014 due to low production and demand at both its West Bengal and Maharashtra facilities.

Later, PSA Group signed two joint ventures with the CK Birla group in January 2017 and the Ambassador nameplate was bought for Rs 80 crore from Hindustan Motors. The Hindustan Motors is widely regarded as the countrys first car producer, with legendary models such as the Ambassador and the Contessa, both of which uled the Indian market for a long time.

So much was the affinity for the brand, that in 1970s, it held almost 70 percent market share in the country. For reference, the countrys largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki at its peak had a 50 percent market share in the Indian four wheeler market.

Also read: Iconic Ambassador likely to launch in India, next-gen car expected to return as electric vehicle

While the Ambassador was more of a peoples car, giving a comfortable ride quality and solid build quality to owners, the Contessa, was more of a luxury vehicle for its time and was manufactured between 1984 and 2002. The muscle sedan was based on the Vauxhall VX series, and had a cult following, with car modifiers still looking upto the car.

The HM Contessa was powered by a 50 hp 1.5-litre BMC engine and was later adorned with a 1.8-litre petrol engine sourced from Isuzu Motors to add to the performance. What will be the future Contessa will be, nobody is sure, but we can expect an electric Contessa, just like an electric Ambassador!

Image source: Gaadiwaadi

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Tata Motors, the homegrown automaker and the largest electric car maker in India has emerged as the second largest four wheeler brand in India as per the recently released May 2022 sales data. Tata Motors reported a total sales of 43,341 units, an YoY growth of 185 per cent over the same month last year when Tata sold only 15,181 units. In April 2022 itself, Tata sold 41,587 units, again a hike in MoM sales.

While Tata itself was the second largest carmaker, it emerged as the largest SUV maker in India, outnumbering Mahindra. Currently, the Tata Motors Indian line-up consists of a multitude of models, namely Tiago, Tigor, Punch, Nexon, Altroz, Harrier, and Safari. Tata has 4 SUVs among these products.

The combined sales of all 4 SUVs stood at 29,891 units in May 2022, which is higher than Mahindras combined sales of 26,650 units. Mahindra only has SUVs in its lineup, making it the largest UV maker of India, with products like XUV300, XUV700 among others.

Also read: 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza facelift India launch on June 30

Tata Motors keeps on updating the line-up as per its Forever New campaign. Recently, the brand has launched the new Kaziranga Editions of its SUV range. Also, the company keeps refreshing the variant line-up of its models. The brand has launched the new trims of its Harrier SUV - XZS and XZAS, to bridge the gap between the XZ and XZ+ variants. The XZS trim brings along a slew of equipment with the price premium, like the panoramic sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, and auto-dimming IRVM.

Talking of mechanical specifications, the Harrier is offered with a 2.0L oil burner that puts 170 PS and 350 Nm of max torque. The four-cylinder diesel engine can be mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The Harrier rivals the likes of the MG Hector, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Mahindra XUV700 in our market. Soon, it is also expected to get a turbo-petrol motor to enjoy increased accessibility in the market.

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After the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine on SpiceJet airline for training pilots on faulty simulators, the low-cost airline said that all the 90 barred pilots will undergo re-training. The DGCA had barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from operating the Boeing 737 Max aircraft, and those pilots were subjected to retraining on 737 Max simulators.

In a statement, DGCA Director General Arun Kumar said: "For the moment, we have barred these pilots from flying Max and they have to retrain successfully for flying Max. Also, we will take strict action against those found responsible for the lapse." At present, the airline has 650 pilots trained to operate the 737 Max aircraft.

As per the advice of DGCA, the company restricted these 90 pilots from operating MAX aircraft, until these pilots undergo re-training to the satisfaction of the regulator, SpiceJet said in a regulatory filing to the exchanges.

Also read: Worlds most advanced fighter jet to enter production, first sixth-gen stealth aircraft

"This restriction does not impact the operations of MAX aircraft and the company has adequate trained pilots available for its operations. Based on the observation of DGCA these 90 pilots shall undergo re-training. DGCA has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh based on its audit observations," the filing read.

(With inputs from IANS)

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When at war, fighter jets are considered as the deadliest asset any country can possess. Having a superior fighter jet can change the course of a war in no time, as we have seen historically multiple times. Thats the reason countries are striving hard to make the most advanced fighter jets that not only are lethal, but also acts as stealth machines as per need. Currently, the fifth gen fighter jet program is considered to be the best in the world. There are only a handful of fifth gen fighter jets in the world, 2 from the US, 1 each from China and Russia.

If a report from The National Interest is to be believed, the US has already moved a step ahead to manufacture the worlds first sixth gen fighter jet. United States Air Force (USAF) commissioned Next Generation Air Dominance program (NGAD) initiative to develop the worlds first sixth-generation stealth fighter.

Meet IAF Rafale, India's most advanced fighter jet that terrifies Pakistan: IN PICS

The report states that NGAD is starting its engineering, manufacturing, and development (EMD) stage of the worlds most advanced fighter jet, as the program has ushered past the prototype stage. We have now started on the EMD program to do the development aircraft that we will take into production, Air Force secretary Frank Kendall said during a speech given to the Heritage Foundation.

Kendall explained that the U.S. Air Force basically had an X-plane program, which was designed to reduce the risk in some of the key technologies that we would need for a production program. Previously the Air Force has done "a quick demo, and then we have to start an EMD or development program and wait several more years because we didnt start the development function."

The NGAD aircraft is expected to be extremely stealthy and will be capable of flying without a pilot, with an option of manned flying as well. Air Force broke records in doing it. We are ready to go and build the next-generation aircraft in a way that has never happened before, said Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Will Roper.

He said the Air Force had already built and flown a full-scale flight demonstrator in the real world. The plane is still years away from full production, but has created ripples in the defence industry across the globe.

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New Delhi: Advertisement sector regulator ASCI, which has suspended the controversial advertisements of body spray brand Layer'r Shot, said it "was potentially in serious violation" of its code against offensive advertising.

After seeing the ad campaign, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) immediately invoked a special process called "Suspended Pending Investigation" (SPI) and asked the advertiser to file a response over it.

"The said ad is in potential violation of ASCI's chapter II, which states that advertisements should contain nothing indecent, vulgar, especially in the depiction of women, or nothing repulsive which is likely, in the light of generally prevailing standards of decency and propriety, to cause grave and widespread offence," said a statement from ASCI issued on Saturday.

ASCI, however, has not mentioned the name of the brand in its statement.

In most cases, ASCI provides an opportunity for the advertiser to put forth its arguments before a recommendation is provided on the ad.

"However, in exceptional circumstances, when it appears prima facie that an advertisement is in serious breach of the ASCI code and its continued transmission can cause public harm or its continuation is against the public interest then ASCI would, pending investigation, direct the advertiser/the advertising agency/the media buying agency and the media concerned to suspend the advertisement," it said.

A reply from Gujarat-based Adjavis Venture which owns Layer'r Shot could not be ascertained by the time of filing the story as the e-mail sent to the company remained unanswered.

Earlier on Saturday, the I&B ministry asked Twitter and YouTube to remove from their social media platforms the videos of advertisements of body spray Layer'r Shot, as it triggered outrage for "promoting sexual violence against women".

In letters to Twitter and YouTube, the ministry of information and broadcasting said that the videos were "detrimental to the portrayal of women in the interest of decency and morality" and in violation of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code).

The videos of the perfume brand sparked outrage among a large section of social media users who complained the advertisement sought to promote sexual violence against women.

According to ASCI, its Consumer Complaints Council shall adjudicate whether or not the advertisement is in breach of the code and pass appropriate order accordingly, after giving a reasonable opportunity of hearing to the advertiser of Layer'r Shot.

"In this specific case, ASCI wrote to the advertiser on June 3rd, informing them of the decision to suspend the advertising, and invited the advertiser's response which would be tabled before the Consumer Complaints Council in the coming days," said ASCI, adding that it has received confirmation that the channel that originally aired the ad has already pulled it down.
Kolkata Police has added 17 Tata Nexon EV in its fleet on the occasion on World Environment Day, celebrated every year on June 5. The multiple electric SUVs were added as a part of its campaign to replace the ageing diesel vehicles with environment-friendly electric vehicles. Kolkata Police, in 2021, announced to induct electric cars in its fleet and partnered with Tata Motors for leasing the Nexon EV. These SUVs will be leased for a period of 8 years as part of the tie-up.

The Tata Nexon EV is the best-selling electric car in India and also the only electric SUV under Rs 15 lakh to get over 300 km of driving range. Given the popularity of the SUV and high driving range, it becomes an excellent choice for anyone looking to buy an electric car.

Also read: Top 5 electric cars to buy in India under Rs 25 lakh - Tata Motors, MG and more

Tata Motors has managed to take the top spot with sales of 3,454 units of electric cars in May 2022. The company also registered a 6-fold YoY growth, as it could only sell 476 units in the corresponding period last year. Currently, the brand sells a total of three offerings in the Indian market - Nexon EV, Nexon EV Max, and Tigor EV. The company also registered a YoY growth of 171 per cent for its ICE vehicle lineup with sales of over 39,000 units.

Tata Motors has recently launched the Nexon EV Max in the Indian market. In comparison to the Nexon EV, it offered a larger battery pack and increased range. The Nexon EV Max gets an ARAI-claimed range of 437 km on a full charge. Furthermore, the company is offering a warranty of 1.6 lakh km or 8 years on the battery and motor. It uses a 40.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which can be juiced up from 0 to 80 per cent in just 56 minutes via a 50 kW DC fast charger.

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New Delhi: Waliullah Khan who was found guilty in the 2006 Varanasi serial blasts case was sentenced to death penalty and life imprisonment on Monday (June 6) as per ANI. The accused was convicted in the Varanasi bomb blast case in which over 18 people were killed and over 100 injured. On March 7, 2006, Varanasi was shook by twin blasts first at the Sankat Mochantemple and then at the Varanasi Cantonment railway station within a span of 15 minutes.

According to reports, the first blast occurred at the Sankat Mochan temple near the Banaras Hindu University around 6.15pm. Waliullah was arrested soon after the blasts in UP's Prayagraj. However, the trial for his case took place in Ghaziabad as lawyers in Varanasi refused to represent him in court.

Uttar Pradesh | 2006 Varanasi serial blasts convicted terrorist Waliullah Khan sentenced to death penalty & life imprisonment.  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 6, 2022

Waliullah was labeled as the prime accused in the case and was charged with several charges such as attempt to murder, and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and was booked under the provisions of the Explosives Act.

The case also involved other accused. Three of the accused in the serial bomb blast case remain unfound. The fourth accused died during a police crackdown.

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Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir administration has issued the dos and don`ts for the pilgrims of the 43-day-long annual Amarnath pilgrimage. The administration has urged them to "go on a morning walk daily and practice breathing exercises" to keep themselves fit at the high altitudes. The holy Yatra is set to start on June 30, 2022, and conclude on August 11, 2022, on Raksha Bandhan.

Specifying precautionary measures, Principal Secretary to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Nitishwar Kumar is quoted by ANI as saying that devotees should go on a morning walk, do breathing exercises, must keep their warm clothes, and food items and keep themselves hydrated. His remarks came after over 90 pilgrims lost their lives during the Char Dam Yatra in Uttarakhand since it began on May 3 this year, due to heart attack, mountain sickness and other reasons.

Nitishwar Kumar told ANI on Saturday, "The pilgrims who have done their registrations and are planning to do the same, must do the morning or evening walk for nearly 4 to 5 hours daily. This is a necessity to keep oneself fit as one comes at a very high altitude. The holy cave is at 12,700 ft while you do have to cross 14,000 or 15,000 ft in your way. Also, practice deep breathing exercises as there are oxygen shortages at such high altitudes."

Citing the occasional dip in temperature in the region during rains, Kumar further suggested that the pilgrims should carry warm clothes as a precautionary measure. "The temperature dips to nearly 5 degrees when it rains during the yatra. So do bring your warm clothes with you keeping this in mind. Do bring a walking stick, jacket and eatables. Keep hydrating yourself to avoid dehydration," ANI quoted him as saying.

In an important meeting chaired recently over Jammu and Kashmir security situation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had discussed Amarnath Yatra among other issues.

The Centre has asked Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha governments to take urgent steps to ensure that the ongoing Kedarnath Yatra and upcoming Amarnath Yatra and Rath Yatra are conducted in a manner so as to ensure high levels of cleanliness.

In this regard, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Manoj Joshi has written to the Chief Secretaries of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha. Notably, there are four holy shrines in Uttarakhand dedicated to Hindu Gods and holy rivers of India. The four shrines are situated within the Garhwal Region.

These are collectively referred to as "Char Dham of Uttarakhand". In the Hindu religion, Char Dham Yatra holds great importance and sanctity. It is believed that every Hindu should undertake Char Dham Yatra at least once in a lifetime to avail the blessings of gods adorning the shrines.

Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to begin on June 30, 2022, and conclude on August 11, 2022.

Security forces concerned over 'sticky bombs' threat

With the Amarnath Yatra around the corner, security forces in Jammu and Kashmir are concerned over terrorist groups possessing "sticky bombs" -- explosives that can be attached to vehicles and detonated remotely -- and are reshaping their standard operating procedure for the pilgrimage, a PTI report said citing officials.

The official reportedly said that interrogation of arrested terrorists and their sympathisers and other evidence suggests that while some "sticky bombs" have been recovered by security forces, many of them may have found their way into terror groups in Kashmir Valley.

Recently, a drone flying in from Pakistan developed a technical snag and was spotted by people in Kathua. Later, the police recovered arms and ammunition, including seven magnetic bombs or "sticky bombs", from the place.

Concerned over the development, the security agencies reworked their strategy, especially keeping in mind the Amarnath Yatra beginning June 30.

Notably, the "sticky bombs' emerged on the terror scene in Kashmir in February last year when these were recovered from the Samba of the Jammu region, indicating the initiation of a new phase of terrorism in the union territory.

It was the first such recovery of "sticky bombs", used largely in Afghanistan and Iraq. In India, it was used by suspected Iranian terrorists who targeted the vehicle of an Israeli diplomat in February 2012, resulting in injury to his wife.

It may be noted that sticky bombs were used by the British forces during World War II. It can be put on any vehicle and detonated through remote control or an in-built timer.

(Inputs from Agencies)
On one side of her is the picture of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Gandhiji, on the other side is the picture of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Khudiram Bose. It was there that the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's photo was reportedly kept in the same row with the monks. These five pictures are on the wall of the Medinipur Municipal Corporation meeting room. Mamata Banerjee's photo with the intellectuals in the same row has created huge controversy.

The opposition has accused the Trinamool-run Municipal Corporation of insulting the intellectuals. As soon as the controversy arose, the chief minister's photo was removed from the wall. However, Netaji, Gandhiji, Vidyasagar, Khudiram's photo were kept in the same row. Trinamool has won in Medinipur civic elections this time. Of the 25 seats, the Trinamool won 20 seats, the CPM three, the Congress one and the Independent one. Trinamool's Soumen Khan has been elected as the Chairman.

CPM councillor Pratima De Bakshi has raised the issue of keeping Mamata Banerjee's picture in the same row. She said, "On what basis Mamata Banerjee's picture been kept in the middle of the pictures of the intellectuals? I strongly protest this move. Intellectuals are being insulted. Where is the present government taking the education culture of the people of the state? I tell people to be vigilant, to protest."

BJP district vice-president Arup Das said, "At the moment, the name of the biggest monk is Mamata Banerjee. From Nabanna to Medinipur Municipal Corporation, there is only one intellectual-- Mamata Banerjee. This government is destroying the culture of Bengal. I strongly protest against it. Women are being tortured and raped across the state. No one is looking into that." Congress councillor Mohammad Saiful said, "This is a very normal phenomenon during the Trinamool regime. Mamata Banerjee is running the party on proprietorship. She is naturally the owner. The rest are employees. The employees are making their owner sit sometimes in the seat of the goddess, sometimes next to the monks."

However, the authorities do not see anything wrong in this regard. Municipality chairman Soumen Khan said, "There was no injustice or mistake in it. We respect the monks. The Chief Minister is the people's leader of Bengal. Her picture is kept in my room and in the meeting room. I think I'm proud of that."
Kolkata: Fresh protests erupted on Monday (June 6) in Kolkata as university students came to the streets to demand online exams at College Street. Visuals released by news agency ANI shows Calcutta University students staging an agitation against the universitys decision to conduct offline semester exams. This comes after the Calcutta University Friday announced all upcoming semester exams will be held offline, refusing to buckle to demands by a section of agitating undergraduate students who want online tests which were the norm during the two years when the Covid-19 pandemic raged through the country. The students, however, refusing to concede are demanding that exams for this semester take place in offline mode.

Kolkata, West Bengal | Calcutta University students demand online exams, continue to protest on road at College Street pic.twitter.com/N4YsxK1gTa  ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2022

The decision to conduct offline exams was taken by the Calcutta University senior panel after clear deliberations.

CU Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee told PTI, that the members of the highest decision making body of the institution, Syndicate "unanimously" decided to conduct the upcoming semester exams in offline mode.

On the claims by students, that in-person classes at the campus have taken place only in the past two months resulting in gaps in their tutorials, the VC said in her statement."Syndicate took the decision and also decided that all the Principals of affiliated colleges will be well- advised to take steps to arrange special classes to complete courses immediately according to the syllabi, if not already done."

Students of Calcutta University have been protesting against the offline exams as the majority of classes took place in online mode. Around 200 students recently demonstrated outside the varsity's main campus at College Street, claiming that two months of classroom teaching was not enough for finishing the syllabus of a six-month semester and holding offline examinations.

(With inputs from agencies)
As the digital electronic market is expanding in the world with new technologies, TEDDY BEAR http://teddybear.tech, a leading brand has been producing electronics products and services since 1998. They have been in business for 25 years and have launched a new website called TEDDY BEAR in April 2022 for better exposure in the market to serve clients with world-class high-quality products.

TEDDY BEAR intends to provide consumers with premium-quality items at reasonable rates that are appealing to the Indian market. The company's website now serves metro areas, but it plans to expand to include tier 2 and tier 3 cities soon. The company is well-known for its manufacturing in India and export around the countries, which focuses on recognizing the customer's demands and behaviours.

TEDDY BEAR serves numerous geographies including India, the United States, London, Dubai, the Middle East, and Singapore. Willing to expand with its flagship brand TEDDY BEAR with the same enthusiasm. With the company's efficiency, they hope to release new items in the market shortly while keeping the demands of the customers in mind. At the same time, the firm strives to stay ahead of the competition in terms of technology and quality.

TEDDY BEAR aspires to be India's number one brand in the consumer products business, and the company intends to leave an imprint on customers' minds using the newest generation of digital technology.

According to Mr. Athul Passricha, the company's Founder and CEO, "To compete with the global brands, we are committed to deliver high-end premium products with latest technology to our customers while working with ethical practices and compliances at the workplace, keeping in mind the continuous operation along with strict quality control and delivering the products on time by creating a digital environment for the employees. At TEDDY BEAR, we are always committed to and strive for excellence through our innovative products and customer-centric service. Given our strong track record in numerous geographies, we are confident in expanding even further."

The website currently provides high-tech LED TVs and CCTV Security Cameras and also provides EMI facilities on all major credit and debit cards. TEDDY BEAR aims to provide customers with a personalised and flexible experience, hence, offers a wide range of payment options. The brand also prides itself in giving the best after-sales services in the industry.

Grayson one of the clients said, For this price bracket, this is a terrific visual and sound combo, and the general performance of the OTT platform is strong. TEDDY BEAR smart cloud Android LED TV is an excellent and good offer.

The company takes a customer-oriented strategy and prefers to engage directly with its clients to establish long-term relationships. Furthermore, the company also focuses on continuous improvement to prepare for the future. With excellence and customer satisfaction at its core, TEDDY BEAR is all set to capture every market is steps foot in.

To know more visit: http://teddybear.tech

(Above mentioned article is consumer connect initiative, This article is a sponsored publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL.)
Delhi Heatwave: An orange alert has been issued in Delhi due to continuous severe heatwaves in the national capital. The Indian Meteorological Department had earlier predicted intense heatwaves from June 4, which is expected to continue for four more days with no sign of relief, said RK Jenamani, senior scientist at IMD. The expert also advised people in and around NCR to not step out of the house unless necessary, reported ANI. The orange weather alert is the be prepared sign and is issued as a warning to the administration to be prepared for emergencies.

Meanwhile, the heatwave spell tightened its grip on parts of Delhi on Sunday, with the mercury breaching the 45-degree Celsius mark in six localities.

Delhi | Orange alert in Delhi. Severe heatwave from June 4 in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, UP & parts of MP, Rajasthan. Temp varying b/w 44-47. Shall continue for 4 more days. We advise people to venture out carefully as heat spell very severe: RK Jenamani, senior scientist IMD pic.twitter.com/04YwyVE6F1  ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2022

At the Safdarjung Observatory, the city's base station, the maximum temperature settled at 44.2 degrees Celsius as against 43.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday and 42.9 degrees Celsius on Friday.

Maximum temperature in Delhi in the past days

The mercury jumped to 47.3 degrees, seven notches above normal, at Mungeshpur, making it the hottest place in the capital.

Sports Complex, Pitampura, Najafgarh, Jafarpur and Ridge recorded a high of 46.6 degrees Celsius, 46.2 degrees Celsius, 46.3 degrees Celsius, 45.1 degrees Celsius and 45.7 degrees Celsius respectively.

Yellow alert for isolated spots in Delhi

The Met Office has issued a "yellow" alert, warning of heatwave conditions at isolated places in Delhi on Monday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) uses four colour codes for weather warnings -- "green" (no action needed), "yellow" (watch and stay updated), "orange" (be prepared) and "red" (take action).

Pre-monsoon activity likely from June 10

Meanwhile, Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (climate change and meteorology), Skymet Weather informed that Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh may see pre-monsoon activity on and off from June 10. He also said that the maximum temperature in the capital may drop to 40-41 degrees Celsius by Saturday.

According to IMD, a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius and at least 4.5 notches above normal. A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is by more than 6.4 notches, according to the IMD.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: The accused in the Delhi road rage incident which occurred yesterday (June 5) has been apprehended by the cops. On Sunday (June 5), a driver in a Mahindra Scorpio hit a biker after an altercation near Arjan Garh metro station in Delhi. The whole incident was caught on camera by another biker riding beside them. In the video posted by ANI, the bikers can be seen having a heated argument with the Mahindra Scorpio driver, following which the driver of the four-wheeler hits the motorcycle and speeds off later.

The biker, who was hit by the speeding car out of vengeance, was returning from Gurugram along with his 8-10 friends. The bikers said that on their way back, they came across the Mahindra Scorpio driver who was driving rashly. When they tried to reason with the driver of the four-wheeler, he reportedly threatened and verbally abused them.

ALSO READ: Delhi road rage: Scorpio driver hits biker, speeds off after heated argument - WATCH

I was returning with 8-10 of my friends from Gurugram to Delhi when he came near us & started rash driving. He threatened & verbally abused my friend. My friends slowed down a little but I drove ahead. The man sped up, hit my bike and sped away," the biker said.

#WATCH | A man hit a biker with his four-wheeler following a heated verbal exchange with the biker group, near Arjan Garh metro station in Delhi. (05.06)



Police say they've taken cognisance of the matter & investigation is on.



(Note: Abusive language)



(Source: Biker's friend) pic.twitter.com/ZHXdGil95z June 6, 2022

The motorcyclist was not seriously injured in the incident despite the hard impact. The police had taken cognisance of the matter and an investigation into the incident has been launched.

On Monday, the Delhi police had registered an attempt to murder case in connection with the incident after the victim filed a complaint. Later, an FIR u/s 307 IPC (attempt to murder) was filed against accused driver in Fatehpur Beri Police Station. The driver of car was identified and apprehended by the cops on Monday evening.

Live TV
Gurugram: A former BTech student has been arrested for defrauding a man of over Rs 7 lakh with help from his associates with promise of a job in the Haryana Police, Cyber Crime police here said on Monday. The gang duped the victim of Rs 7,30,000 in 2019, they said. The gang fleeced him sending an email from a fake address that mimicked that of Haryana staff selection board's email id.

Police have recovered Rs 40,000 of the defrauded money from the accused, and is searching for his other two accused who are on the run.

ALSO READ: Kerala to include cyber safety in school curriculum

The arrested accused was identified as Sudhir Chauhan, a resident of Mayan village in Rewari district.

He was arrested on May 31 from Delhi's Paharganj area and was taken on five days' police remand. He was produced in a city court Monday and was sent to judicial custody, said a senior police officer. According to the police, Ashish, a Gurugram resident, had come in contact with the gang in 2019, and was promised by it a job in the Haryana Police.

After the swindle, the three accused decamped and were in hiding since. Ashish moved to police in 2021 and lodged an FIR. During investigation, the Cyber Crime police team found the email id Ashish had received the mail from to be fake.

ALSO READ: Mumbai man's image morphed into porn video as he fails to repay loan, sent to family

"All three had made similar email ids that resembled the email id of the Staff Selection Commission and had sent an email to the complainant to convince him that he has been selected in Haryana Police," said Indivar, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crime, Gurugram.

The officer said the gang duped many people using the same modus operandi.

"After carrying out these frauds, the main accused had joined the farmer's movement to hide himself from the police and avoided arrest staying mostly at Kundli border," said the officer.

Before being arrested, Chauhan had also applied for an anticipatory bail at Punjab and Haryana High Court, which was rejected, he added.

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Kanpur: Kanpur police on Monday clarified that the reports pertaining to an attack on the police team that went to arrest an accused of the June 3 violence under Bajaria PS limits are untrue and misleading. According to AP Tiwari, Joint Commissioner, a team went to arrest the accused which was opposed by the accused's family but the police acted on the situation and brought it under control. The accused has successfully been arrested, ANI reported.

Reports related to an attack on police team that went to arrest an accused under Bajaria PS limits are untrue&misleading. The team went for arrest which was opposed by the accused's family, but our force acted with restraint&arrested the accused: AP Tiwari, Joint Commissioner, ANI tweeted.

Kanpur clash| Reports related to an attack on police team that went to arrest an accused under Bajaria PS limits are untrue&misleading. Team went for arrest which was opposed by accused's family,but our force acted with restraint&arrested the accused:AP Tiwari, Joint Commissioner  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 6, 2022

Meanwhile, on the violence investigation, Kanpur Police on Monday registered an FIR against people behind a Facebook account and seven Twitter handles for allegedly spreading fake and provocative content about the June 3 violence here.

The FIR has been lodged against the operators of the Twitter handles -- 'JabirHu77384802', 'AlimehdiRizvi7', 'ullahghau$', 'ShoaibK89544990', 'moinudd15175525', 'mullaburhan', and 'ShamsTabrezQ' --, and one Amit Singh Yadav of Mahoba, Additional CP (Crime) Sureshrao A Kulkarni said.

The people running these accounts allegedly posted provocative content which caused anger in the public, he said.

The accused have been booked under section 505 (making statements to induce public mischief) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code, and section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

This is the fourth FIR registered in connection with the Kanpur violence.

A Special Investigation Team headed by Deputy CP (South) Sanjeev Tyagi, has started a probe into the incident.

Tyagi along with forensic experts visited the incident site to gather evidence, ACP (law and order) Anand Prakash Tiwari said.

Police have also put up posters carrying pictures of 40 key suspects allegedly involved in the incident at prominent places in and around the area where the violence had broken out, he added.

Violence broke out in Kanpurs Parade, Nai Sarak and adjoining areas on Friday (June 3) over the arguments on market shutdown as a protest against controversial remarks by ex-BJP leader Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad.

(With PTI, ANI inputs)
Bengaluru: Three people died after drinking contaminated water in Raichur district, following which Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday ordered a probe into the issue and announced a compensation of Rs five lakh each to the kin of the deceased. According to sources, several people, including children, have been hospitalised in Raichur after consuming contaminated water.

ALSO READ: Karnataka: Throw revised syllabus into dustbin, says Siddaramaiah

"The government has taken seriously three deaths in Raichur, caused due to drinking contaminated water. I have asked Karnataka Water Supply and Sewerage Board's Chief Engineer to conduct a thorough inquiry about the reasons. Some are blaming it on the damaged pipeline due to rains...We are getting a technical report," Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, the Deputy Commissioner of the district has been asked to get samples of all wards in Raichur city tested and get the certification regarding the safety of the drinking water.

ALSO READ: Karnataka disbands Textbook Revision Committee after allegations of saffronisation

"A police inquiry will also be done by a team headed by DySP (Deputy Superintendent of Police), regarding any lapses on part of the officials, involving technical support and action will be taken against the guilty," he said. Bommai also announced Rs five lakh compensation, under the CM's relief fund, to the family of each deceased.

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New Delhi: Shiv Sena launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government in the wake of targeted killings in Kashmir. The Sena, in an editorial piece for its publication Saamana, claimed that the Modi government was busy celebrating 8 years of governance instead of paying attention to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. It stated that the ruling party BJP was boasting about the abrogation of Article 370 but ignorant to the sufferings of Hindus in the valley.

"While Kashmiri people are suffering, the king is busy in celebrations," the party said in a reference to the eighth year celebrations of the Modi government.

ALSO READ: Won't be surprised if Jawaharlal Nehru gets probe summons from ED: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut

The Sena said while the party (BJP) derived a political mileage from the surgical strikes, the situation in Kashmir has worsened and Hindus are still being killed.

It seems the BJP is made of a different element, the editorial said.

"These people blare their throats out over Hindutva and nationalism. But they keep mum when Hindus are in real danger. The BJP and the Centre are quiet over the killings of Hindus in the Valley," it said.

ALSO READ: Targeted killings of Hindus in Valley and the Kashmir Puzzle

"Where did the bombs of surgical strike explode?" the Sena asked.

What results have been achieved by the nullification of special provisions of Article 370 and how many people purchased land in Kashmir, it asked.

"On the other hand, Maharashtra Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray (who also heads Shiv Sena) has said that the state will support Kashmiri Pandits. The state will do whatever is needed," the Sena added.

(With PTI inputs)

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Three alleged drug traffickers were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida after over 130 kg of cannabis estimated worth around Rs 40 lakh was recovered from their car on Monday, police officials said. The recovery of the contraband in Greater Noida near Delhi comes within two days of a major haul of 564 kg of cannabis that was smuggled from the Odisha-Telangana border for sale in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The accused in Monday's incident were held near Pari Chowk metro station in a combined operation by officials of the local Knowledge Park police station and the Noida unit of the UP police's Special Task Force (STF), they said. The trio was in the car when they were held by the police and STF officials near the metro station. 133 kg of cannabis estimated worth around Rs 40 lakh was seized from their possession, a police spokesperson said.

During initial probe, the accused told the police that they had procured the contraband from Odisha and brought it for supply in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), the spokesperson added. Those arrested have been identified as Deepak Sharma, Mohd Wasim, both natives of Meerut district, and Shoib Khan, who hails from Baghpat, the officials said.

An FIR has been lodged in the case under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and three other members of the gang have been identified but they are at large, the police said. The car used for transporting the contraband has been impounded and further legal proceedings in the case are underway, the police added.

In a major haul three days ago, the STF had on Saturday seized over 564 kilogrammes of cannabis estimated worth around Rs 1.50 crore and arrested eight persons in Greater Noida, according to officials.

The cannabis was procured from the border region of Odisha and Telangana and brought through Madhya Pradesh for delivery in the NCR and western UP, the officials said.
Noida: Noida police have rescued two minor sisters working as domestic helps here, months after they were sold off during the Covid-19 pandemic by some people in their native Jharkhand state, officials said on Monday. The girls, aged 13 and 12 years, hail from Gumla district in Jharkhand, where an FIR related to their trafficking was also lodged but the duo remained untraceable, they said.

"The girls were brought to Noida for work by a man named Basant, who had taken consent from their mother. The elder girl came in August 2021 while the younger one came in January 2022. They were working at a couple's house in Sector 27 here and rescued by officials of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) on Sunday," a police spokesperson here said.

"The police had inputs that the girls were kept as slaves and forcefully made to work in the household here after which the action was taken," the spokesperson said.

Vinod Panwar, in-charge of the Noida AHTU, said when rescued from the house, the financially weak sisters did not complain about any ill-treatment from the couple employing them.

The employers were paying a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 to the elder sister and Rs 7,000 to the younger one. The girls had taken only a small amount of their money, which was kept with the couple only, he said.

However, recently when the girls expressed a desire to take leave to visit home, they were not allowed to do so by the couple, Panwar added.

"They had lost their father in 2014. Their mother is understood to be working in Delhi. They have an elder brother and a sister, both of whom are married and live in Jharkhand only," he told PTI.

"During the investigation of the case, it also came to light that an FIR is lodged in Gumla, Jharkhand, mentioning that the girls had been sold off by traffickers and three people had been booked for it," the official said.

When asked about them, the girls told AHTU officials that they had studied till Classes 7 and 8, respectively, but their school had shut down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Panwar.

The girls were taken for a medical examination, and thereafter, to the Child Welfare Committee under the supervision of the local Sector 20 police station officials, he said.

Further legal proceedings in the case are underway, he added.
New Delhi: Kerala on Sunday (June 5, 2022) informed that the norovirus infection, which is similar to the diarrhea-inducing rotavirus, was detected in two kids residing in the state. The State Health Department evaluated the situation and said precautionary measures have been taken as the virus spreads through contaminated water and food.

State Health Minister Veena George said that the health condition of the infected children is stable but urged the people to maintain hygiene as the disease is highly contagious, the PTI news agency reported.

The infection was reportedly detected after samples of students who complained of food poisoning were tested at a government lab.

What is norovirus?

Norovirus is a "very contagious" virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anyone can get infected and sick with norovirus, CDC said.

How can you catch norovirus infection?

A person can get norovirus from having direct contact with an infected person.

A person can be infected with norovirus infection from consuming contaminated food or water

A person can also catch norovirus after touching contaminated surfaces and then putting their unwashed hands in their mouths.

What are the symptoms of norovirus?

The most common symptoms of the norovirus infection are:

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Nausea

Stomach pain

Other symptoms of norovirus include:

Fever

Headache

Body aches

How to protect yourself from norovirus disease?

A person can protect himself/herself and others from norovirus by:

Washing their hands often.

Rinsing fruits and vegetables.

Staying home when sick and for two days after symptoms stop.

Avoid preparing food for others when sick and for two days after symptoms stop.

(With inputs from US CDC)
Nupur Sharma, who stirred a massive controversy with her remarks on Prophet Muhammad, is a former BJP leader who was suspended from the party over her controversial religious remarks. She was a prime spokesperson of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Her religious remark made during a television news debate triggered critical reactions from the South East, especially Islamic countries like Qatar, UAE and Iran putting Indias international relations in jeopardy. The BJP, however, distanced itself from Sharmas remarks.

A graduate of Delhis Hindu College, Nupur Sharma is an Economics and Law graduate. She went on to do an LLM from the London School of Economics and has been active in politics since her college days.

Sharma was also the President of the Delhi University Student's Union (DUSU) on the ticket of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and her political journey began from these outfits.

Nupur Sharma, who has been a prominent face of the BJP Held various significant posts in the party. Some of these portfolios include Member of the National Executive Committee of BJP's youth wing BJYM, National Media Co-In Charge of the BJYM, Member Yuva Working Committee of BJP and Member of the State Executive Committee, BJP Delhi.

She was also a Youth Ambassador of Teach for India (affiliated with Teach for America).

In 2015, Sharma was chosen to contest the Delhi Assembly Election from the New Delhi constituency on BJP's ticket against Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal. However, Kejriwal defeated her.

Nupur Sharma has been the BJP's one of the most active spokesperson in recent years and appeared in numerous television debates. The politician also issued a statement on the ongoing controversy.

Nupur Sharma's statement on the Prophet Muhammad row

Withdrawing her statement against the Islamic Prophet, Nupur Sharm took to Twitter that she did not intend to hurt the sentiments of any community.

The former-BJP politician also clarified that her statements came at the backdrop of constant insults of Hindu gods during television debates.
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday (June 5, 2022) slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the controversial statement of its leader Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad, following which calls were made on Twitter for boycotting Indian products. Taking to Twitter, Tharoor tagged a post which said that supermarkets in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain removed Indian products after insulting remarks were made by ruling party leaders.

"Object lesson: Those who express bigotry at home should be aware of the consequences abroad. India has enjoyed a proud standing in the world, which is being undermined by the irresponsibility of the communal-minded who have been allowed free rein for too long by the ruling party," he tweeted.

Object lesson: Those who express bigotry at home should be aware of the consequences abroad. India has enjoyed a proud standing in the world, which is being undermined by the irresponsibility of the communal-minded who have been allowed free rein for too long by the ruling party. https://t.co/cZc0gTSdna  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 5, 2022

Tharoor also said that the way the BJP has adopted the phrase 'Ghar Phoonk Tamasha Dekhna' (making a spectacle after setting the house on fire), the head of every secular citizen of the country has bowed in shame and that this fire must be doused as it is now gripping NRIs too.

"The way the BJP has adopted the phrase 'Ghar Phoonk Tamasha Dekhna', the head of every secular citizen of the country has bowed in shame. Now even non-resident Indians are coming under the grip of this fire. This fire should be doused immediately," the former Union minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

            ,      ,         ,                   Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 5, 2022

Earlier on Sunday, the BJP suspended its spokeswoman Nupur Sharma from the party`s primary membership and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their alleged controversial remarks on minorities.

While Sharma`s comments during a TV debate aimed at the founder of Islam have drawn the ire of Muslim groups, Jindal also posted objectionable tweets, deleted later, and has been accused of often posting inciting comments.

BJP also said in a statement issued by its general secretary Arun Singh that the party "strongly denounces" insult of any religious personalities of any religion.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party is also against any ideology which insults or demeans any section or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy," the statement read.

The saffron party stated that it "respects all religions" and is "strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion".

"During the thousands of years of the history of India, every religion has blossomed and flourished. The Bharatiya Janata Party respects all religions," the statement added.

"India`s constitution gives the right to every citizen to practise any religion of his/her choice and to honour and respect every religion. As India celebrates the 75th year of its independence, we are committed to making India a great country where all are equal and everyone lives with dignity, where all are committed to India`s unity and integrity, and where all enjoy the fruits of growth and development," it said.

Meanwhile, several Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Iran and Kuwait have expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of Nupur Sharma against Prophet Mohammed.

(With agency inputs)
Mumbai: Hundreds of parents in Mumbais Mulund staged a protest and demanded the fees back after school postponed opening the premises for offline classes for the third time, reported Free Press Journal. The parents were agitated as the school postponed the resumption of offline classes for the third time and demanded a proper explanation for the delay from the school management. The issue was reportedly due to the delay in the construction of the schools new building. While some parents demanded a refund of the fees paid during the course of online classes, others demanded that the classes must resume in a rented space for the time being till the building work is completed, the FPJ report said.

According to the FPJ report, the managing director of the Green Acres foundation has assured that the school will begin in another month in a video message.

Previously, the school had classes in rented premises, which it abandoned in 2020 due to the pandemic lockdown. In 2021, work on the new buildings began.

Meanwhile, the parents say that they were told that the classes will re-open in March. Then it was rescheduled to June 6, and then they were told the school needed extra time to start after which the parents began demonstrations.

According to FPJ, the parents claim that the school premises is still under construction and does not have an occupancy permit (OC).
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the `Iconic Week Celebrations` of the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi on Monday (June 6, 2022). The "iconic week" is being celebrated from June 6 to June 11, 2022 as part of the `Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav` (AKAM). According to the Prime Minister`s Office, PM Modi will launch the national portal for credit-linked government schemes - Jan Samarth Portal.

The main purpose of the Jan Samarth portal is to encourage inclusive growth and development of various sectors by guiding and providing them with the right type of government benefits through simple and easy digital processes, said PMO.

Jan Samarth portal is a one-stop digital portal linking government credit schemes that directly connect beneficiaries to lenders. The portal ensures end-to-end coverage of all the linked schemes.

The Prime Minister will also release special series of Rs 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 20 coins. According to the PMO, these special series of coins will have the theme of the logo of AKAM and will also be easily identifiable to visually impaired persons.

PM Modi will also inaugurate a digital exhibition that traces the journey of the two ministries, Finance and Corporate Affairs, over the past eight years today.

Notably, the program will be organized simultaneously at 75 locations across the country and each location will be connected through virtual mode with the main venue.

(With agency inputs)
RBSE Rajasthan Board 12th Result 2022: The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) is expected to announce Class 12th exam results for the Arts stream soon. According to media reports, the Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan will declare Rajasthan Board Class 12 Arts result 2022 today (June 6, 2022).

The RBSE Rajasthan Board Class 12 Result 2022 will be released on RBSEs official websites.

WHERE TO CHECK RBSE RAJASTHAN BOARD 12TH RESULT 2022

The RBSE Rajasthan Board Class 12th Result 2022 will be announced on RBSE's official websites at rajresults.nic.in and rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in.

HOW TO CHECK RBSE RAJASTHAN BOARD CLASS 12TH ARTS RESULT 2022

Once RBSE Rajasthan Board Class 12th Arts Result 2022 is announced, students need to visit RBSE's official website rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in.

On the homepage, students need to click on the "Examination Results - 2022" link.

Students will then be redirected to a new page where they need to click on the "Senior Secondary(Arts) - 2022 Result" link.

Students then need to enter their roll numbers to view their Rajasthan Board Senior Secondary Examination (Arts), 2022 result.

Earlier last week, the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education, Ajmer, had declared Class 12th results for the Science stream students.
New Delhi: Union Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday (June 5, 2022) hit out at Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal for "ducking" her questions regarding Minister Satyendar Jain, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. In a series of tweets, the Union Minister, while citing the order of the High Court that stayed a special court`s order allowing Jain to have counsel during the interrogation, took a jibe at the Delhi Chief Minister and added one more question to the list of 10 questions which she had put forward to Kejriwal in a press conference earlier this month.

Smriti Irani called out AAP leaders, who are defending the Delhi Minister, a "saga of lies".

"Saga of AAP`s lies continues! Delhi HC has accepted ED`s argument that Satyendra Jain who is accused of money laundering under PMLA must be denied his lawyer`s presence during custodial interrogation. As Kejriwal Ji continues to duck 10 pointed questions, here`s 1 more question," she tweeted.

"Would Kejriwal Ji answer if it is true that ED has started its investigation under PML Act as a sequel to 24 August 2017 CBI FIR & 03.12.18 charge sheet filed by the CBI which has found evidence of disproportionate assets against Satyendra Jain under Prevention of Corruption Act?" the Minister added in her tweet.

Would Kejriwal Ji answer if it is true that ED has started its investigation under PML Act as a sequel to 24.08.17 CBI FIR & 03.12.18 charge sheet filed by the CBI which has found evidence of disproportionate assets against Satyendra Jain under Prevention of Corruption Act?  Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) June 5, 2022

Taking it to Twitter, Irani further sought explanation from the Delhi CM, if ED has arrested Satyendra Jain on the basis of the IO`s position that the Delhi Minister is guilty of the offence of money laundering which has been approved by the Special court while remanding him?

"Response is awaited, Kejriwal Ji!" she tweeted.

Earlier this week, Irani in a press conference had posed a set of 10 questions to the AAP supremo hitting out over the arrest of Satyendar Jain after the latter was remanded to the ED custody till June 9.

While addressing a press conference in Delhi, Irani said, "Arvind Kejriwal presumed the role of a judge and gave him a clean chit. I want to ask Arvind Kejriwal a few questions. My first question is, can Kejriwal deny that Satyendar Jain laundered Rs 16.39 crore using 56 shell companies with the support of hawala operators in Kolkata from 2010-11 to 2015-16?"

Irani questioned Kejriwal that if Jain declared that money laundered representing the undisclosed income under the income disclosure scheme 2016 in the name of his close associates Ankush Jain, and Vaibhav Jain is a self-declaration by him in 2016.

"Is it true that the principal commissioner of income tax has held that the unaccounted income of Rs 16.39 crore was not of Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain, but that Satyendar Jain was the real owner of the income," she asked Delhi CM.

Citing an order of the Delhi High Court delivered on August 21, 2019, Irani said that the Court bench has confirmed the very findings of the principal commissioner of income tax that "Satyendar Jain indeed himself is the real owner of the money laundered".

"Is it true that Satyendar Jain is the beneficial owner of the shell companies namely Prayas InfoSolutions Pvt Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and Akinchan Developers Pvt Ltd and he controls them through shareholding along with his wife?" she asked.

"Is it true that through this black money, Satyendar Jain took the ownership of 200 bighas of land in many areas of Delhi to his advantage?" Irani added.

She further asked if providing a huge return on the investment on the land in the vicinity of unauthorised colonies by Satyendar Jain was the "real reason why the Aam Aadmi Party regularised the unauthorised colonies".

"Does Arvind Kejriwal knowingly now give patronage to those who have deceived the people? How long will `Desh ka gaddar` continue to receive your support?" asked Irani.

The attack by the Union Minister came days after Kejriwal came out in support of Jain and defended the arrested Minister, claiming that the case registered against him is fake and politically motivated.

"Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has been arrested by Enforcement Directorate. I have personally read all the papers and case filed against Satyendra Jain by ED and it is completely false. We have a very strict and honest government. We are hard-core patriots; we can get beheaded but can never betray the country. His arrest is politically motivated," Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference on Tuesday.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday (June 6) conducted raids against arrested Delhi minister Satyendar Jain as part of a money-laundering probe against him, said a report. The raids, including that at the residential premises of Jain in Delhi and certain other locations, are being conducted as part of a "follow up" in the case, officials told PTI.

Satyendra Jain, 57, who was arrested on May 30 under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, is under Enforcement Directorate custody till June 9.

Notably, the ED searches are on at the residence of Delhi`s Health and Home Minister Satyendar Jain in connection with hawala transactions related to a Kolkata-based company. The move comes days after the central probe agency arrested Jain on May 30.

Jain was arrested after the ED in April this year attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore owned by companies named Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in connection with disproportionate asset and money laundering case registered Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and others.

The ED had registered a criminal case against the AAP leader based on this FIR which was lodged by the CBI in which it had been alleged that Jain could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he was a shareholder.

Jain, who had reportedly floated or bought several shell companies in Delhi, also laundered black money worth Rs 16.39 crore through 54 shell companies of three hawala operators of Kolkata. Reports say he also owned a large number of shares in companies named Prayas, Indo, and Akinchan. After becoming Minister, all his shares were transferred to his wife in 2015, as per reports.

These companies used to transfer cash payments to their Kolkata counterparts and later under the ruse of buying shares, would route back the money to Jain by employing legal means. The companies have reportedly laundered money to the tune of Rs 16.39 crores from 2010 to 2014 to Satyendra Jain.

As per government sources, when prosecuted by the I-T Department, Jain surrendered black money in form of cash of Rs 16.39 crore under Income Disclosure Scheme (IDS) 2016 on Benami names of Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.

In November 2019, the Home Ministry approved the prosecution of Delhi minister Satyendra Jain in cases related to disproportionate assets and money laundering. Besides, Home and Health, Jain holds Power and PWD, among other portfolios, in the AAP-led Delhi government.

(With Agency Inputs)
New Delhi: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on Monday (June 6, 2022) joined other Arab nations to condemn the controversial remarks of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad. While Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion and refuses to prejudice all religious figures and symbols, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain stressed the importance of respecting all religious beliefs, symbols and personalities. Both gulf countries, however, welcomed BJP's decision to suspend its party's spokeswoman.

Here are top points on controversy over Nupur Sharma's comment on Prophet Mohammed:

Saudi Arabia condemns Nupur Sharma's statement

Saudi Arabia condemned and denounced the statements made by BJP leader Nupur Sharma insulting Prophet Muhammad and reiterated its position calling for respect for beliefs and religions.

#Statement | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the #Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (#BJP), insulting the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. pic.twitter.com/VLQwdXuPuq  Foreign Ministry (@KSAmofaEN) June 5, 2022

Bahrain calls on to confront 'extremist ideas that feed sedition'

Bahrain condemned Nupur Sharma's remarks and stressed the importance of respecting all religious beliefs, symbols and personalities, and the concerted efforts of the international community to spread the values of moderation, tolerance, and dialogue between religions and civilizations. The Gulf nation called on to confront "extremist ideas that feed sedition and religious, sectarian or racial hatred".

 #                https://t.co/ro811ycl9a pic.twitter.com/HwzXZif20I    (@bahdiplomatic) June 5, 2022

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain welcomed the decision of the Bharatiya Janata Party to suspend its partys spokeswoman.

BJP suspends Nupur Sharma over her comment on Prophet Muhammad, says it respects all religions

The BJP while suspending its spokeswoman Nupur Sharma in response to comments she made during a TV debate about the Prophet Mohammed, said that the party respected all religions.

"The BJP strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities of any religion," it said in a statement.

The saffron party also expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal over his now-deleted tweets on the controversy.

Both Sharma and Jindal said it was never their intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings.

The controversial remarks have now sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.

Qatar, Iran, Kuwait summon Indian ambassadors

Qatar, Iran and Kuwait on Sunday summoned India's ambassadors as the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of the BJP leader against Prophet Mohammed.

Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of the Indian Embassy in Qatar and Kuwait said that the Ambassadors "conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements."

The spokesperson said that the Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal had a meeting in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality.

Those who express bigotry at home should be aware of consequences abroad: Shashi Tharoor slams BJP

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks and tagged a post that said that supermarkets in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain removed Indian products after insulting remarks were made by ruling party leaders.

"Object lesson: Those who express bigotry at home should be aware of the consequences abroad. India has enjoyed a proud standing in the world, which is being undermined by the irresponsibility of the communal-minded who have been allowed free rein for too long by the ruling party," Tharoor tweeted.

Object lesson: Those who express bigotry at home should be aware of the consequences abroad. India has enjoyed a proud standing in the world, which is being undermined by the irresponsibility of the communal-minded who have been allowed free rein for too long by the ruling party. https://t.co/cZc0gTSdna  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 5, 2022

India under Modi trampling religious freedoms, persecuting Muslims: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also condemned the "hurtful" remarks by the BJP leader against the prophet of Islam. "I condemn in strongest possible words hurtful comments of India's BJP leader about our beloved Prophet (PBUH)," Shehbaz tweeted.

The prime minister also alleged that the current Indian government was trampling religious freedom and especially the rights of Muslims.

"Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. World should take note & severely reprimand India. Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is supreme," he said.

Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is supreme. All Muslims can sacrifice their life for the Love & Respect of their Holy Prophet (PBUH).  Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 5, 2022

What did Nupur Sharma say against Prophet Muhammad?

Nupur Sharma had allegedly made controversial comments against Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate on the ongoing Gyanvapi masjid row. Sharma had reportedly said that certain things from Islamic religious books could also be mocked by people. The BJP leader, as per reports, also said that Muslims are mocking the Hindu faith and calling the 'Shivling' claimed to have been found inside the mosque complex a fountain.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Hours after Shehbaz Sharif alleged that the current Indian government was "trampling" religious freedom and especially the rights of Muslims, India on Monday (June 6, 2022) hit out at the new Pakistan Prime Minister and said that the "absurdity" of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone.

"The world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

He added that the Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions and said, "This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour."

"We call on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities instead of engaging in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India," Bagchi said in a statement.

Our response to media queries regarding tweet by the Pakistani Prime Minister and statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs:https://t.co/bTcrX0WH4X pic.twitter.com/IfR4YdFnsO  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 6, 2022

The remarks came after Shehbaz Sharif condemned the "hurtful" remarks by a ruling party leader in India against the prophet of Islam.

"I condemn in strongest possible words hurtful comments of India's BJP leader about our beloved Prophet (PBUH)," Shehbaz tweeted.

The prime minister also alleged that the current Indian government was trampling religious freedom and especially the rights of Muslims.

"Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. World should take note & severely reprimand India. Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is supreme," he said.

"All Muslims can sacrifice their life for the Love & Respect of their Holy Prophet (PBUH)," he added.

Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is supreme. All Muslims can sacrifice their life for the Love & Respect of their Holy Prophet (PBUH).  Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 5, 2022

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned what he called "completely repugnant & derogatory remarks by BJP officials about our beloved Prophet."

"Totally unacceptable; hurting sentiments of billions of Muslims around the world. Time for intl comm to stop the 'Hindutva' inspired Islamophobia in India," he tweeted.

In a separate statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office condemned "in the strongest possible terms, the highly derogatory remarks" by the two BJP leaders and said the "totally unacceptable remarks have not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan but of billions of Muslims around the world."

Pakistan urged India to ensure that decisive and demonstrable action is taken against those responsible for making derogatory remarks, it added.

"India must also take immediate steps to protect its minorities from human rights violations, ensure their safety, security and well-being and allow them to profess and practice their faiths in peace," it said.

We strongly condemn the completely repugnant & derogatory remarks by BJP officials about our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Totally unacceptable; hurting sentiments of billions of Muslims around the world. Time for intl comm to stop the Hindutva inspired Islamophobia in India https://t.co/JZmmPLyQwx  BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) June 5, 2022

Meanwhile, Pakistan said on Monday that it has summoned the Indian Charge d Affaires to convey its categorical rejection and condemnation of the controversial remarks by two BJP leaders against Prophet Mohammed.

The Indian diplomat was told that these remarks are totally unacceptable and have not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan but of Muslims across the world, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

: PR NO.



Pakistan makes strong demarche to the Indian Charge d Affaires in Islamabad condemning derogatory remarks made by two senior officials of BJP.



https://t.co/OMHTJJCqCS pic.twitter.com/AmEsusNzpo  Spokesperson MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) June 6, 2022

Earlier in the day, India`s foreign ministry had said in a statement that the offensive tweets and comments made by certain individuals did not, in any way, reflect the views of the Government of India.

It is notable that on Monday, the BJP had suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and had expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against the Prophet. The party also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.

(With agency inputs)



ALSO READ | Nupur Sharma's statement on Prophet Muhammad: 'Those who express bigotry at home should be...', Shashi Tharoor slams BJP
In an interesting case, the Shamli police has ordered the DNA test of an allegedly stolen buffalo that was traced by its owner in a nearby village. Chandrapal Kashyap, a labourer, had complained that a three-year-old male buffalo was stolen from his cowshed on August 25, 2020. It was found in November 2020 in Beenpur village of Saharanpur but the new owner Satbir Singh refused to part with the animal claiming it was his.

The matter had taken a back seat during the Covid-19 pandemic. Shamli SP, Sukriti Madhav has ordered a DNA test of both the mother buffalo (which is still with Kashyap) and the Saharanpur buffalo to ascertain the rightful owner. Madhav said "It was really a challenge to find out the real owner. But since Kashyap claimed he had the mother, we decided to go for a DNA test."

Kashyap, meanwhile, explained how he identified the lost animal: "Like humans, animals also have distinct features. Firstly, it has a scar on its left leg. It also has a white patch at the tail end. And the third thing is its memory. When I went closer, he recognised me and tried to reach me. What else do I need to establish its identity?"
New Delhi: A total of 26 people were killed after a bus carrying pilgrims fell into a gorge near Damta on the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarakhand`s Uttarkashi district on Sunday (June 5, 2022), police said. The bus had around 30 pilgrims from Panna district of Madhya Pradesh and a driver. The accident took place between Damta and Barnigad, which is around 70 km from Yamunotri Dham at around 7.15 pm, after the driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel. The officials informed that this was his third trip without a rest.

The bodies of 26 pilgrims have been retrieved while four others injured are undergoing treatment at Damta Primary Health Centre for first aid. The search and rescue operation has concluded. A total of 26 people died in the accident, and 4 are injured. The injured have been sent to Higher Centre for their treatment, said Uttarakhand Police.

Uttarkashi bus accident | The search and rescue operation has concluded. A total of 26 people died in the accident, and 4 are injured. The injured have been sent to Higher Centre for their treatment: Uttarakhand Police



The bus had a total of 30 people, including 28 pilgrims. pic.twitter.com/5bfynKTpJE  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 6, 2022

Police and SDRF teams have been rushed to the spot, besides ambulances from Badkot, Nagaon and Nainbagh.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also sent NDRF team for rescue work, all bodies have been recovered and sent to Dehradun...After the process is complete we will send them...(bodies to Khajuraho, MP)," said Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Uttarkashi bus accident.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached Dehradun on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday to take stock of relief operation pertaining to the bus accident of pilgrims from Panna dist in Uttarakhand`s Uttarkashi district. After his arrival in the hill state, Chouhan held a meeting with the officials and took stock of the situation.

Earlier, on Sunday, Chouhan had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured in the bus accident of pilgrims.

Additionally, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also visited the disaster control room at the secretariat immediately after being informed about the accident. He asked the district magistrate of Uttarkashi to speed up relief and rescue operations.

"Officials concerned have been instructed to investigate the accident. May God grant the departed souls a place at his feet and strength to their family members to bear the pain. Also, I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured," Dhami said in a tweet in Hindi.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the accident. PM Modi said, "The bus accident in Uttarakhand is extremely painful. I express my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. The local administration under the supervision of the state government is doing all possible help..."

The Prime Minister has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident in Uttarakhand. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each.

The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident in Uttarakhand. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000 each.  PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 5, 2022

Additionally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also expressed his grief at the loss of lives in the accident and spoken to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

"It is very sad to hear about the bus of devotees falling into the gorge in Uttarakhand. I have spoken to the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Local administration and SDRF teams are engaged in rescue work and the injured are being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. NDRF is also reaching there soon," the Union Home Minister tweeted.

(With agency inputs)
Chennai: Amid the ongoing war of words between AIADMK and BJP in Tamil Nadu, VK Sasikala, the estranged former interim general secretary of AIADMK, on Monday (June 6) called for the reunification of the party to make it a fighting force in the state.

In a statement, Sasikala said that the party leaders and workers who are trying to prevent her entry into the AIADMK were indirectly supporting the DMK, said an IANS report. The estranged former interim general secretary of AIADMK expressed confidence in solving all the issues plaguing the party.

A section of the party leaders led by Edappadi K Palaniswami is against her entry to the party fold, while O Panneerselvam-led faction of the AIADMK is supporting Sasikala`s return. Notably, there is stringent opposition from second-rung leaders led by Jayakumar and CVe Shanmugham.

Another factor that necessitates unity in the AIADMK is said to be its recent fallout with its ally BJP leading to leaders from each side firing salvos against the other.

BJP leader Nainar Nagendran MLA reportedly invited Sasikala to the fold of the saffron party.

Sources in the Sasikala camp told IANS that she is not interested in directly joining the BJP, but wants to head the AIADMK.

With the opposition politics in Tamil Nadu turning murkier by the day with BJP and AIADMK taking on each other, Sasikala is trying to emerge into a major force in the AIADMK politics.

War of words between AIADMK, BJP continues

A war of words between the AIADMK and the BJP continues in Tamil Nadu despite being allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). AIADMK leader K Palaniswami recently lashed out against BJP Tamil Nadu unit`s vice president, S Duraiswamy, for saying that it was the four BJP MLAs who were more vocal in the Legislative Assembly than the AIADMK legislators.

This is in continuation to the spat unleashed by senior AIADMK leader C Ponnayian, who said that the BJP was trying to dislodge the party and grow on its own in-state. The AIADMK also said that the BJP doesn`t have Dravidian credentials.

"The AIADMK is functioning extremely well and we don`t need advice from Duraiswamy. We know how our legislators are functioning in the house. I have been in the AIADMK since 1974 and it is 48 years since I am in the party. Our workers are with the AIADMK for the past several years and continued in the party, not like him who has jumped parties," IANS quoted Palaniswami as saying.

The statement of the senior leader is a clear indicator that all is not well in the relationship between the BJP and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

In the last Urban local body elections, the BJP had contested alone. BJP legislative party leader, Nainar Nagendran also came out against the AIADMK after Ponnayian`s remarks.

the BJP leader had welcomed the estranged interim general secretary of the AIADMK, VK Sasikalam, into the national party. The BJP leader's views apprantly tried to further antagonize the AIADMK as Sasikala is being totally opposed by a section of the party`s leadership led by Palaniswami.

(With IANS Inputs)
New Delhi: Telangana Minister K T Rama Rao on Monday (June 6, 2022) targeted the central government over the backlash from the Gulf national and condemn the controversial remarks of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad. Mr Rao, popularly known as KTR, posted a series of tweets today and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi why India as a country should apologise for the "hate speeches of BJP bigots". KTR also tagged PM Modi in his tweets and said that his party should apologise to Indians at home for "spewing and spreading hatred day in day out".

PM @narendramodi Ji, Why should India as a country apologise to international community for the hate speeches of BJP bigots? It is BJP that should apologise; not India as a Nation. Your party should first apologise to Indians at home for spewing & spreading hatred day in day out, Telangana Minister said in a tweet.

PM @narendramodi Ji, Why should India as a country apologise to international community for the hate speeches of BJP bigots?



It is BJP that should apologise; not India as a Nation



Your party should first apologise to Indians at home for spewing & spreading hatred day in day out  KTR (@KTRTRS) June 6, 2022

Modi Ji, Your silence was deafening & shocking when BJP MP Pragya Singh hailed assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Let me remind you sir; What you permit is what you promote. The tacit support from top is what emboldened the bigotry & hatred that will cause irreparable loss to India, he added.

ALSO READ | Nupur Sharma's controversial comment on Prophet Muhammad: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain join other Arab nations to flay BJP leader's statement - Top points

Meanwhile, the BJP on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma from the party`s primary membership and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their alleged controversial remarks on minorities.

While Sharma`s comments during a TV debate aimed at the founder of Islam have drawn the ire of Muslim groups, Jindal also posted objectionable tweets, deleted later, and has been accused of often posting inciting comments. Their comments also sparked a Twitter trend calling for boycotting Indian products in some countries.
Mumbai: In a stinging attack on the BJP-led Central government, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday (June 5, 2022) said it wouldn't be surprising if the Enforcement Directorate issues summons against former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the National Herald newspaper case and paste the notice on his memorial.

In his weekly column published in Sena mouthpiece Saamana, Raut alleged that National Herald was like a weapon created by Nehru during the freedom struggle and not a property.

"When will traders in the present-day politics understand this?" asked Raut, who is the executive editor of Saamana, in an apparent jibe at the BJP.

The ED recently issued summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her MP son Rahul Gandhi in connection with a money-laundering probe. It was for alleged irregularities in party-promoted Young Indian, which owns the National Herald newspaper.

ALSO READ | What is the National Herald case, involving the Gandhis? See complete timeline

The Shiv Sena, headed by Uddhav Thackeray, shares power with NCP and Congress in Maharashtra. Raut is the chief spokesperson of Sena.

Raut stated that the National Herald newspaper started by Nehru had lost its political significance long ago but the politics over it continues.

"When Jawaharlal Nehru started this newspaper in 1937, Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and Nehru himself were its pillars. The British feared this newspaper for its factual reporting and banned it between 1942 to 45," Raut said.

The newspaper wasn't started for monetary reasons but the ED has summoned Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on charges of money laundering, in this case, he said.

Raut stated that Nehru's soul was in the National Herald and he had told reporters never to write out of fear.

"When someone said that the (National Herald) newspaper had become a headache for Congress despite being its mouthpiece, Nehru got enraged and asked 'what do you want me to do? Call the editor and ask him to praise everyone. What is the use of the editor who only praises," Raut said quoting Nehru.

When National Herald was suffering losses, Nehru even offered to sell his house, Anand Bhavan, the Shiv Sena leader said quoting anecdotes from the book of PD Tandon, who was associated with the National Herald during Nehru's time.

He said Nehru ensured that (Purshottam Das) Tandon's telephone bills are paid on time apprehending his arrest while visiting Mumbai.

"Tandon wrote that Nehru had ensured that his (Tandon's) future bills would be reimbursed by Vijayalaxmi Pandit and Indira Gandhi (Nehru's daughter) and not by National Herald," Raut stated.

Drawing similarities between Saamana and National Herald, Raut said both the newspapers are not properties but are carriers of thoughts and principles.

Raut said he had discussed the National Herald issue with Rahul Gandhi and some Congressmen.

"The case pertains to only repaying a loan which cannot be called money laundering. It wouldn't be surprising if ED summons Nehru too in the case and pastes a notice on his memorial," he stated.

Raut said that questions were also raised over PM CARES Fund and that certain financial transactions were executed by several institutions under Sangh Parivar.

"There was no need to stretch the case this far. Congress might have made certain financial dealings to ensure that the legacy started by Nehru survived. Such transactions are made by several institutions under Sangh Parivar. Questions have also been raised over the PM Cares Fund and crores of rupees deposited in the BJP treasury," he alleged and said Nehru's National Herald has been branded as criminal.

"Some people's souls will get peace only after notices of the CBI and the ED reach Pandit Nehru," he said.
NEW DELHI: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his father Salim Khan received an anonymous letter that had a death threat for the actor-screenwriter duo. Acting on the information, the Mumbai Police immdiately beefed up actor' security, and also enhance the security around actor's residence Galaxy apartments in suburban Bandra. A case under section 506-II (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Bandra police station.

The police also recorded Salim Khan's statement in this regard on Monday (June 6). "Police recorded the statement of Salim Khan and his two bodyguards but could not record Salman's statement as he was not available," an official told PTI.

According to a police source, the letter said, "Salim Khan, Salman Khan Bahot Jald Aapka Mooselwala Hoga G.B L.B? (Salim Khan, Salman Khan very soon you will meet the fate of Moosewala.) There was speculation that 'G. B.' and 'L. B.' may refer to gangsters Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi, though police did not make any statement on this aspect.

Watch Salman Khan entering his Galaxy apartments on Monday



Salman Khan to leave for Hyderabad for film shoot amidst death threat

Now, an ETimes report stated that amidst the death threat, Salman is flying to Hyderabad for the next schedule of his home production 'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali' today. "Salman and the entire team will be flying to Hyderabad today for a 25-day schedule of Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali. Thereafter, Salman will return and join the Tiger 3 schedule in Mumbai," the website stated.

On Monday afternoon, five officials of the Mumbai crime branch along with local police personnel team visited the actor's Galaxy residence for inspection in regard to the anonymous letter, received by Salim Khan. "They spent about an hour at the actor's home", an official said. However, an official statement in this regard is yet to the issued.

"Investigators collected footage of more than 200 CCTV cameras in the area to identify the person who dropped the letter on a bench at Bandra Bandstand where Salim Khan, a noted screenplay writer, was sitting after a morning walk on Sunday, the official added.

Salman, who had travelled to Abu Dhabi for the IIFA Awards 2022, returned to Mumbai on Sunday itself. His brothers Sohail and Arbaaz were seen visiting him at his house in Galaxy Apartments on Monday evening.

Talking of the work front, the actor has films like 'Tiger 3', 'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali', 'Kick 2', in the pipeline.

Live TV
NEW DELHI: Kashmir Valley's 'Tyrion Lannister' Tariq Mir, 31 has bagged a role in Bollywood Producer Ekta Kapoor's upcoming movie 'U Turn'. Mir is a lookalike of Hollywood star Peter Dinklage, who played Tyrion Lannister in the famous series 'Game of Thrones'.

In south Kashmir's Bumthan Village of Anantnag, Mir used to run a grocery store until he was spotted by Bollywood director Imtiaz Ali, who took a selfie with him during a festival in Anantnag. Mir became an instant internet sensation and people were shocked to see Peter Dinklage lookalike in Anantnag.

Life has since completely changed for Mir. He is fondly addressed as Tyrion by everyone and people often queue up to take selfies with him. Mir has already worked with Bollywood superstars like Salman Khan in 'Bharat' movie.

''There was a winter festival in Pahalgam, I had a program, Bollywood Director Imtiaz Ali took a selfie with me, and he shared it on his Instagram. That became viral across the world. And everyone said It's Peter Dinklage in Kashmir, and since I am here in Kashmir and Peter is in the US. I got offers after those pictures and I was shocked. They offered me a role in a 'Bharat' movie, and when I got to know the film stars Salman Khan, it was a dream come true. I am his big fan. And people on the sets called me Tyrion. Salman Khan picked me up in his arms in the movie scene, I was extremely happy,'' said Tariq Mir.

Mir dreams of travelling to the United States one day and meet his Hollywood icon Peter Dinklage. Mir also has not forgotten the days when people used to laugh at him due to his short height. And now he wants to change the people's perception of dwarfism in India as well as in Bollywood.

''I am 4'3 inches, at first people used to laugh at me, and now they walk up to me asking for selfies, autographs, it makes me happy. Everyday people come to me. I got to work in Kashmiri serials. I worked with the Kashmir Tourism department and with Delhi Tourism. I had a lot of offers from these departments. '' said Tariq Mir.

The Jammu and Kashmir government also made an ad featuring Mir as Kashmir's own Tyrion Lannister in snow clad mountains of Gulmarg to attract more and more tourism.
NEW DELHI: Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela is turning heads every day with her stunning beauty. The actress, who juggles a hectic schedule, makes it a point to dazzle the audience with her presence. Urvashi Rautela arrived in grandeur at the IIFA Awards 2022, which was taking place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

For the awards, Urvashi donned a heart-throbbing outfit by ace designer Michael Cinco, which cost a whooping amount of Rs 45 lakh. The 'Hate Story 4' actress enhanced the hotness level in a golden shimmering embroidered gown with a high-slit and plunging neckline.

The diva completed her ensemble with golden studded earrings and matching shoes. Urvashi Rautela's smoky eyeshadow, neutral lip color, brilliant highlighter, crisp contour, and radiant complexion made her stand out in the crowd. When the actress walked on the red carpet, no one could look away from her mesmerizing presence. Urvashi Rautela enamored everyone with her because of the way she posed and smiled at the photographers and reporters.



But did you know that the long sleeves, which were embroidered in crystal detailing, turned out to give a lot of bruises to the actress.

Speaking about her experience, Urvashi said that wearing the outfit was not an easy thing for her as it left her with bruises on her body. "I have never felt pain like that in my life. It also left "indentations on her back, hands, and on my stomach. Wearing the outfit wasn't smooth sailing either. Detailing the damage the corset did to my body," she said.

We understand the discomfort these talented divas have when wearing heavy gowns, but all that matters to them is the happiness on their admirers' faces.

Meanwhile, speaking about her upcoming projects, Urvashi Rautela's upcoming movie 'Dil Hai Gray' which is all set to hit the theaters in July 2022. Alongside Urvashi, the movie features Vineet Kumar Singh and Akshay Oberoi, in pivotal roles. She also has 'The Legend,' trailer of which was unveiled by the makers recently.

Urvashi will also star with '365 Days' star Michele Morrone and Tomasz Mandes in a film, which will be helmed by director Barbara Bialowas. She will also be seen in the lead role of 'Inspector Avinash,' opposite Randeep Hooda.

The actor will star in the bilingual thriller 'Black Rose,' based on Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, as well as the Hindi remake of the superhit 'Thiruttu Payale 2'. Urvashi will also star in her next worldwide music single alongside international sensation Jason Derulo.
New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India has rebutted media claims that stated that the central bank is contemplating to introduce watermarks of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and 11th Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam on Bank notes.

"There are reports in certain sections of the media that the Reserve Bank of India is considering changes to the existing currency and banknotes by replacing the face of Mahatma Gandhi with that of others. It may noted that there is no such proposal in the Reserve Bank," RBI said in a release.

It was reported in the media that the Finance Ministry along with the RBI might soon discuss introducing the watermark of one of the greatest Indian writers and the Missile Man of India on a new series of the banknotes of a few denominations. (Also read: PM Modi launches new series coins of Re 1, Rs 2, 5, 10 and 20 denominations)

The report also pointed out that the RBI and the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL) have sent two different sample sets featuring watermarks of the three prominent figures to IIT-Delhi Emeritus Professor Dilip T Shahani. The professor has been reportedly asked to select a set from the two options. The selected set will be presented in front of the government for final consideration.

It may be noted that the Reserve Bank has the sole authority to issue banknotes in India. Reserve Bank, like other central banks the world over, changes the design of banknotes from time to time.

The Reserve Bank has introduced banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series since 1996 and has so far issued notes in the denominations of Rs.5, Rs.10, Rs.20, Rs.50, Rs.100, Rs.500 and Rs.1000 in this series.
Indian Railways has been completing projects at a fast pace to provide its passengers with all the comfort and convenience. Hence, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is confident that India will achieve its target of running the country's first bullet train between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat in 2026 as good progress has been made in this direction.

Vaishnaw was in Surat to inspect the progress of the government's ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. There has been good progress in the construction of infrastructure for the bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, and the work is being done at a high speed.

"We are keeping the target of running the first bullet train between Surat and Bilimora in 2026. The progress is very good, and we are confident of running the train by that time," he told reporters. Bilimora is a town in the Navsari district of south Gujarat.

Also read: Rail passengers can now book 24 train tickets a month on IRCTC, Indian Railways explains how!

Over 90 percent of the total land required for the ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project spread across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has been acquired, the project's implementing agency NHSRCL said on June 6.

The high-speed bullet train is expected to cover the 508-km journey from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in 2 hours and 58 minutes, as against the current travel time of over six hours. Out of 1,396-hectare land required for the project, 1,260.76 hectares, or 90.31 percent, have been acquired as of June 5, said the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the special purpose vehicle formed to implement the project.

As per details shared by the NHSRCL in a release, 98.79 percent of the land required for the project in Gujarat has been acquired, while in neighbouring Maharashtra, the figure stands at 71.49 percent. Besides, all the land required for the stretch covering the Dadra and Nagar Haveli has been acquired, it said.

At 954.28 hectares, Gujarat accounts for the majority of the land required for the project, covering eight districts of Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, and Ahmedabad. Of this, 942.72 hectares have been acquired, the NHSRCL said.

Also read: Cessna aircraft crashes near Birasal airstrip in Odisha; student pilot injured

In Maharashtra, the project covers Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar, requiring 433.82-hectare land, out of which 310.14 hectare has been acquired so far. For the project stretch covering Dadra and Nagar Haveli, all the 7.90-hectare land has been acquired, the agency said.

As per the NHSRCL, the construction works are in various stages on all eight stations for the bullet train project in Gujarat, and 100 percent contracts have been awarded for the construction of the 352-km route in the state and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The passenger terminal hub at Sabarmati, integrating the high-speed rail station, Metro, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System, and two stations of the Indian Railways, is expected to be completed by August this year, it said. There will be 12 stations along the route of the bullet train, including eight in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra.

Its operational control centre will be located at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. There will be three depots, - at Surat and Sabarmati in Gujarat and Thane in Maharashtra. The foundation stone of the project, which received a soft loan of Rs 88,000 crore from a Japanese agency, was laid on September 14, 2017, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. The Rs 1.10 lakh crore project was then expected to be completed by 2022 but faced land acquisition hurdles.

(With inputs from PTI)

Live TV
New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on everyday basis. The 12-digit redeem code consists of alphabets and numbers. Players can get rewards such as skins for in-game weapons and characters to improve their gaming experience.

Garena Free fire is banned in India. However, if you are located outside India, you can access the reward codes and redeem them. For that you will be required to visit official Garena Free Fire reward site and log in to your Facebook, Google, Twitter IDs to access the Free Fire redemption page.

Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for June 6, 2022

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How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, 6 June 2022

Step 1: Go to the official Garena Free Fire redemption portal



Step 2: Log in on the portal with either your Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, VK, or Huawei ID.



Step 3: Enter a redeem code in the designated text box.



Step 4: Click on the Ok button to get free rewards in your game account.

Disclaimer: Garena Free fire is banned in India. Hence we advise people to adhere to government rules
New Delhi: Apple is planning to launch its own search engine as it prepares for its annual WWDC event.A tweet from writer Robert Scoble, which appears after a thread summarizing the Apple surprises he expects in the coming year, is the source of the speculation.

According to Mashable, Scoble reportedly stated that the information is based partly on interactions with informants and partly on deduction.

"This is the most costly product launch of all time", he continued.Many have speculated that the Cupertino behemoth would eventually dip its toes in the water due to a lack of competition in the search business and a long-standing rivalry between Google and Apple. Read More: WWDC 2022 kicks off today: How to livestream Apple event and what to expect

Although the value of Google Search is difficult to estimate due to the way Alphabet`s profits are reported, we do know that it accounts for the majority of the company's ad revenue, which was USD210 billion in 2021.

If Scoble`s information is correct, Apple has decided it wants a piece of the action. But why now, specifically? According to a theory, Apple believes that the iOS and Safari install bases have reached critical mass, allowing it to mount a credible challenge to Google's dominance.

As per a report, Apple has benefited for years from a partnership with Google that ensures Google`s status as the default Safari search engine (worth an estimated USD20 billion per year). Apple is also prohibited from releasing a standalone search tool under the terms of this agreement, according to court documents filed as part of a recent class-action lawsuit.
Angelo Moriondo's 171st Birthday: Google on Monday (June 6, 2022) paid tribute to Angelo Moriondo, the godfather of espresso machines, on his 171st birthday with a special doodle. Moriondo, who was born on June 6, 1851, in Turin, Italy, was the man who patented the first known espresso machine.

Moriondo was born to a family of entrepreneurs as his grandfather was the founder of a liquor production company and his father built the popular chocolate company - "Moriondo and Gariglio".

Following in his familys footsteps, Moriondo purchased two establishments: the Grand-Hotel Ligure in the city-center Piazza Carlo Felice and the American Bar in the Galleria Nazionale of Via Roma. With coffee being popular in Italy, the time spent waiting for the coffee to brew inconvenienced customers and Moriondo figured that making multiple cups of coffee at once would allow him to serve more customers at a faster pace, giving him an edge over his competitors.

After directly supervising a mechanic, Moriondo presented his espresso machine at the General Expo of Turin in 1884, where it was awarded the bronze medal.

The machine reportedly consisted of a large boiler that pushed heated water through a bed of coffee grounds, with a second boiler producing steam that would flash the bed of coffee and complete the brew.

"Today, coffee lovers sip in tribute to the godfather of espresso machines," Google said as it paid tribute to Angelo Moriondo.
London: British health officials reported 77 more monkeypox cases on Monday, raising the total to more than 300 across the country. To date, the UK has the biggest identified outbreak of the disease beyond Africa, with the vast majority of infections in gay and bisexual men. Health officials warn that anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, is potentially at risk of catching monkeypox if they are in close contact with a patient, their clothing or their bed sheets.

On Sunday, the World Health Organization said more than two dozen countries that haven't previously identified monkeypox cases reported 780 cases, a more than 200% jump in cases since late May. No monkeypox deaths outside of Africa have yet been identified.

The U.N. Health agencies said most cases in Europe and elsewhere have been spotted in sexual health clinics and have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men.

So far this year, there have been more than 1,400 monkeypox cases and 63 deaths in four countries where the disease is endemic Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo and Nigeria, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genetic sequencing of the virus hasn't yet shown any direct link to the outbreak outside Africa.

WHO said the sudden and unexpected detection of monkeypox in numerous countries suggests that there might have been undetected transmission for some unknown duration of time followed by recent amplifier events." Last month, a leading adviser to WHO said the outbreak in Europe and beyond was likely spread by sex at two recent raves in Spain and Belgium.

WHO estimated the risk posed by monkeypox to global health was moderate, saying this was the first time that so many cases and clusters were reported across the world. Until last month, the disease had not been known to cause large epidemics beyond central and west Africa, where it has mostly affected people in rural areas who come into close contact with infected wild animals.

The ongoing outbreak of monkeypox in Europe and elsewhere, including Canada, Australia, Israel and the US marks the first time the disease has been known to spread among people who have no previous travel links to Africa.

US Health officials said genetic analysis of recent monkeypox cases suggests there are two distinct strains in the country, raising the possibility that the virus has been circulating undetected for some time. Many of the US cases were caused by the same strain as recent cases in Europe, but a few samples show a different strain, federal health officials said.

Britain's Health Security Agency said last week most cases have been in gay or bisexual men ranging in age from 20 to 49 and that investigations to date have identified links to gay bars, saunas, and the use of dating apps in the U.K. And abroad.

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illnesses may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

Last week, WHO's top expert on monkeypox, Dr Rosamund Lewis, said she doubted the disease would trigger a pandemic but said actions should be taken quickly to curb its spread so it doesn't become entrenched in new areas.
Press Release

June 4, 2022 De Lima laments failure of some colleagues to sign Pharmally Report Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima is dismayed over the archiving of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Report on the investigation of multi-billion anomalous contracts between Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. and the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. De Lima said that she is "sorely disappointed" at the failure of several of her colleagues in the Blue Ribbon Committee to sign the Committee Report on the Pharmally probe. "This will also let all culpable parties get away with the 11 billion peso heist scot free. To let these people get away with plunder and corruption smacks of gross dereliction of duty on the part of the Senate," she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 1265. "That is why the Blue Ribbon Committee led by Sen. Dick Gordon burned the midnight oil for weeks in order for this not to happen, and so that those responsible will be held to account. "Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the Committee and its Chair, it appears that Duterte still had favors to collect even as his term ends, and so was able to frustrate the release of the Committee Report," she added. The Senate under the 18th Congress ended its session last June 1 with only nine (9) Senators, including De Lima, signing the Blue Ribbon Committee's Report on Pharmally. It fell short of two more signatures before it can be formally sponsored and discussed at the plenary level. Notably, the report found that Pharmally sold supplies to the government under contracts that were marred by irregularities such as substandard deliveries and expired items, "ghost" deliveries or nondeliveries, and tampered expiry certificates. The Committee Report recommended the filing of plunder, graft, estafa and perjury charges against several former government officials and private individuals, as well as the filing of cases against Duterte himself once his term ends for failing to go after his appointees and businessmen responsible for the irregularities uncovered in the Pharmally deals. De Lima lamented how, instead of exacting accountability, the last act of the Senate under Duterte was to continue turning a blind eye to his administration's impunity. "This is a most sordid affair that should not have been the swan song of 18th Congress on the part of the Senate," she said. The lady Senator from Bicol said she hopes that Sen. Risa Hontiveros's plan to revive the Pharmally inquiry in the 19th Congress will bear fruit and that the next Blue Ribbon Committee Chair will be relentless in fighting corruption. "It will surely be a test for the incoming administration insofar as its promise to fight corruption and jail corrupt officials is concerned, no matter how high up they are in the totem pole of government," she said. "I also hope that the next Blue Ribbon Chair is as aggressive and relentless as its last Chair has shown, given the sensitive mandate of the Committee to be the vanguard of the Senate against corruption in government," she added.
Press Release

June 5, 2022 Dismissal of case vs Espinosa shows drug allegations against me pure lies, fabrication - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima maintained that the dismissal of the illegal drug case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Kerwin Espinosa only highlighted her innocence from all the trumped-up drug charges filed against her. De Lima, the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, made the statement after the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 64 denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the Prosecution on the drug case against Espinosa. "Again, the court in Espinosa's case only reiterated that the testimony of Espinosa before the Senate cannot be relied upon as evidence even against Espinosa himself. In the first place, Espinosa has already recanted his Senate testimony. "So insofar as I am concerned, with the court's ruling and Espinosa's recantation, Espinosa's Senate testimony has already been conclusively proven to be unreliable as evidence against me," she said. "From the very start, even the DOJ desisted from including the Espinosa case in the charges they filed against me. As early as 2017, the DOJ already realized that the Espinosa fairy tale narrated at the Senate would not make the cut even in a Duterte-controlled court setting," she added. It may be recalled that Espinosa falsely testified in Senate hearings that De Lima was involved in illegal drug trade as then Justice Secretary, but he already recanted his previous allegations and said he had no dealings with De Lima in a counter-affidavit filed at the DOJ on April 28 this year. Recall that in the government's case against Espinosa, the Prosecution relied on the testimony of Marcelo Adorco who previously presented himself as Espinosa's bodyguard and driver implicating the latter and several personalities in the illegal drug trade. Adorco then recanted all his allegations claiming that he just made his previous affidavits against Espinosa due to fear for his life. Subsequently, the camp of Espinosa and other accused filed their demurrers to evidence which the Court granted and accordingly, dismissed the case for insufficiency of evidence. Notably, in Adorco's counter-affidavit filed at the DOJ on August 28, 2020, he also denied personally knowing De Lima and that he had no personal knowledge about the alleged meeting of De Lima and Espinosa in Baguio City. De Lima maintained that Espinosa's Senate testimony was a purely fabricated story forced upon both Espinosa and Ronnie Dayan, her former aide and co-accused in one of the two (2) remaining drug cases against her, upon the orchestration of Duterte's henchmen and operators. "The fact that all of this is coming out as Duterte's term ends indicates that the Duterte Admin's cases against me are purely manufactured and fabricated in order to persecute, destroy, and silence me," she said. Aside from Espinosa, Dayan and former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Officer-in-Charge Rafael Ragos also recanted their allegations against De Lima, claiming that they have been coerced and threatened by state agents and key government officials of the Duterte Administration. Prosecution witness, convicted murderer Joel Capones, on cross examination, also denied personally knowing and transacting with De Lima and Dayan during the last hearing in one of the bogus drug cases filed against De Lima before the Muntinlupa RTC, Branch 256. De Lima has consistently and firmly asserted her innocence in the cases filed against her. Due to lack of evidence, one of the three trumped-up drug charges against her has already been dismissed last Feb. 17, 2021.
[June 06, 2022] Canadian Premier Appoints Deliska Beauregard as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary Canadian Premier Life Insurance Company and Canadian Premier General Insurance Company ("Canadian Premier") announced today that Deliska Beauregard has been appointed Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. Deliska is part of the executive leadership team and reports to Nigel Branker, Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Premier. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005111/en/ Deliska Beauregard, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Canadian Premier (Photo: Business Wire) "As we continue to accelerate our business strategy, we are thrilled to welcome Deliska to our executive team to further strengthen Canadian Premier's risk management capabilitiesand support strategic objectives," said Nigel. "Deliska's exceptional insurance sector experience and deep product expertise will be key assets as we embark on a period of rapid growth and business transformation." Deliska has more than 20 years of experience providing legal counsel as part of in-house teams in the insurance and financial industry sectors. In her former role of Vice President and Managing Counsel at Chubb Insurance Company of Canada, Deliska spearheaded the regulatory and compliance activities for group insurance offerings and creditor services. She provided critical leadership on all insurance-related regulatory matters while supporting the implementation of corporate compliance initiatives and consulting on privacy, complaint and litigation affairs. "I'm honoured to join the Canadian Premier family during such an exciting transformative time," said Deliska. "I look forward to leveraging my extensive experience in the insurance and financial industry sectors to help propel Canadian Premier's mission forward." Deliska holds a civil law degree from Universite de Montreal and a common law degree from the University of Windsor. About Canadian Premier For more than 60 years, Canadian Premier has been committed to providing financial security to Canadians and their families in the face of uncertainties. Canadian Premier offers individual term and group life, accident & sickness, credit and creditor insurance solutions to a number of leading financial institutions, retailers and affinity groups, insuring over 2 million Canadians and families coast-to-coast. Canadian Premier is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Securian Financial Group, Inc. To learn more about Canadian Premier, visit www.canadianpremier.ca. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005111/en/

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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. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- At least three people died and 11 others were injured after a shooting in the U.S. city of Philadelphia late Saturday night.

Police said "several active shooters" opened fire at a crowd in a popular nightlife area in Philadelphia, the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania.

Fourteen people were taken to hospital, where two men and a woman were pronounced dead, according to police.

Two automatic handguns were recovered from the scene, including one with an extended magazine. There have been no arrests made so far.

The shooting is the latest in a rash of deadly attacks that have shocked the United States over the past few weeks.

Last month, an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. 
DELHI UNION OF JOURNALISTS (REGD)

Flat No.29, Central Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi-1

Phone: 23413459, Email: duj.delhi[at]gmail.com

June 6, 2022

PRESS RELEASE

The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) deplores the hostility repeatedly exhibited by politicians and vigilante groups towards journalists.

The targetting of Mohd Zubair, co-founder and Editor of Alt News, is a classic case of shooting the messenger. Zubair tweeted that BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma had made objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammad on TV. Sharmas remarks were made on prime time TV which is watched by millions of people, not just the Alt News Editor, so singling him out is uncalled for.

Last week another tweet by Zubair led to filing of cases against him for calling Hindutva leaders Yati Narsinghanand, Mahant Bajrang Muni and Anand Swaroop hate mongers. That tweets can lead to the filing of cases shows the intent to harass. There is an urgent need to amend laws that can be so arbitrarily applied. This is the fifth case against the journalist.

The open allegations against a journalist by a Tamil Nadu politician also reflect the hostility that many mediapersons face in the course of their work. BJP state president K. Annamalai accused a journalist of corruption at a press conference for simply asking a question he found inconvenient. Local journalists were forced to stage a protest outside the Chennai Press Club against such accusations.

The Union Governments mistrust of any media that does not toe the official line is evident in its proposed draft to amend the Information Technology Rules, 2021 to impose further curbs on social media, including the right to block or suspend accounts.

We call for fewer curbs on media, including social media, and the striking down by the courts of all laws that can be misused to intimidate and harass journalists, including the sedition and defamation laws. We demand that Parliament enact a special law for the protection of journalists against arbitrary arrest, the filing of cases for their reportage and commentary and other forms of harassment.

Sd/-

SK Pande, President

Sd/-

Sujata Madhok, General Secretary
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan received today the delegation led by Chair of the Mazhilis (lower house) of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Erlan Qosanov who arrived in Armenia on the sidelines of the session of the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliaments press service said.

Welcoming the counterpart, Alen Simonyan thanked him for being in Armenia at decisive days for Kazakhstan.

Yesterday your country held a referendum on constitutional amendments, and departing for Yerevan after that important event is appreciated, the Armenian Speaker of Parliament said.

Touching upon the regional security issues, Simonyan said Armenia is committed to the peace and stability agenda. He said that the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict remains vital for Armenia, adding that its not a territorial dispute as presented by the leadership of Baku, but a matter of rights of the local Armenian population. Alen Simonyan asked his Kazakh colleague to contribute to solving the humanitarian issues relating to Nagorno Karabakh.

The sides positively assessed the level of the Armenian-Kazakh multilateral relations based on traditional friendship and mutual understanding. They highlighted the special role of the legislative bodies of Armenia and Kazakhstan, given that the Armenian-Kazakh political relations continue developing at rapid rates. Both sides emphasized the mutual cooperation in international field and the active participation in international organizations.

In turn the Kazakh Mazhilis Speaker said he has conducted his military service in Armenia in the Soviet years, adding that he returned to familiar places, everything here is familiar to him and he will never forget Mount Ararat. He presented the referendum on constitutional amendments, stating that it was a step ahead on the path to democracy. He thanked for the observer mission sent by Armenia for the referendum. Erlan Qosanov praised the fact that this is his first inter-state visit to Armenia after being elected.

Erlan Qosanov said that the participation of Armenia and Kazakhstan to the Eurasian integration process opens new opportunities for commercial cooperation, stating that todays figures do not reflect the real opportunities, especially when there are prospective acceptable projects both in Armenia and Kazakhstan which could be implemented based on mutual benefit.

Erlan Qosanov invited Alen Simonyan to pay an official visit to Kazakhstan.

At the end of the meeting the Kazakh delegates toured the Armenian Parliaments buildings.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. As many as 77,18% of voters have supported amendments to Kazakhstans constitution in a referendum, according to preliminary data released by the Central Referendum Commission, reports TASS.

According to the commission, voter turnout reached 68.06%.

Kazakhstan held its referendum on amending the countrys constitution on Sunday. The amendments limit the power of the head of state, significantly increase the role of parliament and local representative bodies, systemically promote the human right field, restore the Constitutional Court, confirm the final abolition of the death penalty and remove provisions concerning the status of the first Kazakh president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The referendum has been recognized as valid with voter turnout exceeding 50%. The constitutional amendments will be approved if supported by more than half of voters in at least 12 of the countrys 17 regions.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan received the delegation led by Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, the Parliaments press service said.

The Russian delegation arrived in Armenia for the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly session.

The sides congratulated each other on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Russia and the 25th anniversary of the signing of Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Help.

Both sides emphasized the necessity of holding the events in a proper level.

Views were exchanged on the Armenian-Russian inter-state, allied partnership. The sides particularly highlighted the partnership in military-political and military-technical areas, the consistent improvement of the broad legal-contractual base and the successful cooperation in commercial, inter-regional and humanitarian areas.

Alen Simonyan reminded his Russian counterpart that the Armenian side is planning to publish the collection of documents on Armenia-Russia inter-parliamentary cooperation 1992-2021.

According to Vyacheslav Volodin, the inter-parliamentary format is the best platform in the legislative regulation of several fields, including in the fight against terrorism. He praised the fact that now meetings are held offline.

Both sides praised the level of the Armenian-Russian partnership in CIS inter-parliamentary, CSTO, BSEC parliamentary assemblies and other international platforms.

The officials also discussed several details of todays session of the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, expressing hope that this session will contribute to and boost the prospects of expanding the cooperation within the Parliamentary Assembly.

At the end of the meeting Alen Simonyan said he is waiting for Vyacheslav Volodin on an official visit in Armenia.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Zareh Sinanyan is on a working visit to the United States of America, his Office said in a news release.

For the first time, the High Commissioner visited the state of Michigan and held meetings with organizations and representatives of the Armenian community of Detroit.

On his first day visit, Zareh Sinanyan attended the St. John Armenian Church Women's Guild annual membership dinner, where he met with 70 women leaders of the community and was acquainted with their work. The High Commissioner noted the importance of the inspiring activities of women in the community and their contribution to the preservation of the Armenian identity.

Afterwards, High Commissioner Sinanyan visited the Manoogian Manor, an assisted living facility for elderly Armenians and other nationalities, which was opened in 1949 as the first Michigan Home for the Armenian Aged by thirteen dedicated Armenian Women and the entire Armenian Community, and the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. Manoogian. Mr. Sinanyan had the honor of meeting one of the Manors oldest residents, 100-year-old Margret who told Mr. Sinanyan stories of her travels to Armenia.

Later on, the High Commissioner sat down with Edmond Y. Azadian and Harry Kezelian from the Armenian Mirror-Spectator at the Edward and Helen Mardigian Library for an in-depth conversation about the work of our Office and the future of Armenia-Diaspora Relations.

Then, Mr. Sinanyan visited the St. Johns Armenian Apostolic Church and complex in Southfield, Michigan which has been the pillar of the Armenian community in Greater Detroit. Very Reverend Father Aren Jebejian and Reverend Father Armash Bagdasarian introduced the High Commissioner to the churchs history and activities. Known for its large golden dome, the expansive church complex is home to the Parish Council, the Womens Guild, the Komitas Choir, the Church Sunday School, The Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), Detroit Junior and Senior Chapters, the Mens Society, and the Armenian Heritage & Culture Lyceum. On the church grounds are the complex houses, the Armenian-American Veterans Building, dedicated to veterans of World War II and the Korean War, as well as the Alex & Marie Manoogian Museum, the Edward & Helen Mardigian Library, and Perish Bookstore.

Zareh Sinanyan also visited the Alex & Marie Manoogian Museum which is North Americas largest museum of Armenian art, artifacts, and culture. The museums eight galleries offer a unique glimpse of Armenias past and present, paintings, sacred vessels and vestments, rugs and carpets, household and personal objects, early printed books, manuscripts, textiles, and ancient objects.

High Commissioner Sinanyan's next visit was at the AGBU Alex & Marie Manoogian School, a tuition-free, multi-cultural school located in Southfield, Michigan that serves students in preschool through 12th grade, with a robust Armenian language program for all grades. The AGBU Alex & Marie Manoogian Schools Middle and High School programs have both been ranked by U.S. World & News Report as high-performing charter STEAM-focused and college-prep schools.

During the tour, High School Principal Dr. Hosep Torossian showed the recent expansion of the school for the STEAM program, which will soon have a fully functioning robotics workshop. Mr. Sinanyan also had the opportunity to speak with the 12th-grade students in their Armenian class and introduce them to the work of our Office and opportunities for youth in Armenia.

High Commissioner Zareh Sinanyan's visit to Michigan was concluded with a meeting attended by community leaders from various Armenian churches, educational and cultural organizations in the Greater Detroit area. During the meeting, Mr. Sinanyan presented our Office's programs, emphasizing the importance of professional repatriation and the need for highly skilled employees in the public sector. The meeting was attended by the leadership of multiple key Armenian-American active organizations. Zareh Sinanyan also touched upon the current challenges of Armenia-Diaspora cooperation and our Office's work to create and deepen healthy relations with the Diaspora. The meeting continued in the format of questions and answers. Very Reverend Father Aren Jebejian thanked the High Commissioner for his visit and meetings, stressing the importance of working locally with the community.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. The issue of the return of Armenian captives, who are illegally held in Azerbaijan, has been raised last year at different international platforms, various international organizations made statements calling for the release of the captives, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan said during the joint session of parliamentary standing committees, while presenting the ministrys 2021 activities.

The works on the release of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians illegally held in Azerbaijan, presenting the issue to high-ranking international officials, heads of state, advisors, human rights organizations and experts continued, with the use of respective procedures of the UN, the CoE, and the OSCE. The issue of the return of captives has been raised during the meetings held within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, it was touched upon in the statements of the Co-Chairs, including in the December 7 statement made on behalf of the co-chair countries, FM Mirzoyan said.

Documents over the issue of captives have been circulated in international organizations in New York, Geneva, Strasbourg, Vienna and Brussels. The FM assures that Armenias permanent representatives abroad are always raising this issue during all meetings and events. As a result the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearance made a statement titled Nagorno-Karabakh: captives must be released.

The issue of Armenian captives was also raised by a number of foreign officials, including the President of the European Commission, the Speaker of the EU External Action Service and over 100 MEPs. The PACE Monitoring Committee released a statement, urging Azerbaijan to return them to homeland.

FM Mirzoyan said that Human Rights Watch has published a report on the result of the visit to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh which also makes a reference to the torture of Armenian captives, calling it a war crime.

Freedom House also touched upon the issue of the return of Armenian captives.

On May 20 the European Parliament adopted a resolution with 607 of the votes calling for the immediate release and return of Armenian captives.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. On June 6, President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan convened a working consultation dedicated to a number of socio-economic issues the regions face, his office said.

Legal and organizational issues arising during the reconstruction and renovation of the old housing stock in the communities and the mechanisms for their solution were on the discussion agenda.

Regarding another issue of the agenda, it was decided to dissolve "Artsakhantar" SNCO under the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, transferring most of its powers and functions to the regional administrations.

The President noted that within the framework of the policy of decentralization of management and developing the potential of the regions, new steps will be taken that will allow the community and regional authorities to be more operative and efficient in solving issues of local importance.

The Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, heads of regional administrations and other officials partook in the consultation.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. No official response has been received from Azerbaijan in response to Armenia's 6-point proposals for normalization of relations with Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan said at a briefing with journalists at the National Assembly.

"We have not heard any official response, there were various speculations and opinions in the press, but personally I am not aware of any official position," said the deputy minister.

Referring to the possible talks, he said that the purpose of the talks is to harmonize the approaches of the two sides. To what extent it will be successful will be seen during the course of the negotiations. No date of possible negotiations is known to the Deputy Minister.

"There is a preliminary agreement between the parties, but everything is still in the stage of negotiations, including the beginning, the day of the negotiations, and all the other elements," Hovhannisyan said.

Referring to the question if the proposal of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the simultaneous withdrawal of the troops, after which the delimitation-demarcation works will start, is still being discussed, the Deputy FM said. "The issue is also under discussion, you know that the discussions have started, that proposal is on the table. A number of our international partners have expressed their positive position on this proposal. We will see how things will be during the talks."

In March, Azerbaijan submitted its 5-point proposals, in response Armenia submitted its proposals a few days later.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. The decision of the leaders of the member states to establish a Collective Security Treaty Organization has enabled the establishment of an effective system of interstate cooperation in the Eurasian space, which helps to meet the challenges and threats, ARMENPRESS reports the chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, Speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin said at the sitting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly in Yerevan.

Volodin reminded that the meeting of the council is held in the context of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the decision to establish the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

"For the first time since the pandemic, we are gathering together here in Yerevan, with the in this particular format. And, of course, it is very important for us to gather in this format in the future, having the opportunity to look each other in the eyes, discuss issues and communicate around a round table, because trust is very important for the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, and trust cannot be achieved without communication, Volodin said.

Volodin stressed that the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly contributes to the security and ensuring of sovereignty of the states.

"Our main task is the rapprochement and harmonization of national legislations," the CSTO PA President added.

Volodin reminded that during the entire work of the CSTO, 72 laws and proposals were adopted, which refer to terrorism, extremism, organized crime, drug trafficking, military-technical cooperation, and humanitarian aid.

According to the CSTO PA President, in practice the effectiveness of the CSTO has been confirmed by the activities of peacekeepers in the Republic of Kazakhstan in January 2022.

"The actions of the CSTO peacekeeping force, which included units of all member states, have allowed the Kazakh law enforcement agencies to focus their efforts on restoring the rule of law and eliminating threats to the country's security," Vyacheslav Volodin added.

According to the Speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, based on this experience, it is necessary to continue working to improve the CSTO peacekeeping potential.
YEREVAN, JUNE 6, ARMENPRESS. NATO military exercises will be held in Turkey on June 20-28, ARMENPRESS reports RIA Novosti informs, citing the Turkish Defense Ministry.

The equipment was transferred to Turkey on June 5.

It is noted that the exercises will be conducted in conjunction with the "Anatolian Eagle 2022" international training course, which provides a unique training opportunity in the context of air operations.
Individuals and teams are invited to register to work a shift alongside the nonprofit's current partner family at its home at 144 Wall St. in Auburn. No experience is necessary, and tools and safety equipment will be provided. Shifts are 8 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 4 p.m. Food will be provided, and there will also be raffles and prizes. Volunteers must be 16 or older, and sign a waiver.
These images of a prototype of the shirt-button-sized VfOx instrument show the disk of the sensor itself. It has a diameter of just under one centimeter (almost 0.4 inches) and will be located on the side of the DAVINCI Descent Sphere. Credits: Johns Hopkins APL

Student-Built, Dime-Sized Instrument Is Venus-bound on NASA's DAVINCI

Venus Oxygen Fugacity (VfOx) is a small, button-sized sensor aboard NASA's DAVINCI mission to Venus' atmosphere that will be designed, fabricated, tested, operated, and analyzed by undergraduate and graduate students as the mission's Student Collaboration Experiment.

Planned for launch in 2029, the DAVINCI mission (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) will send a spacecraft and a probe to Venus to investigate numerous unsolved mysteries of the planet. Prior to dropping its descent probe into the Venus atmosphere, the spacecraft will perform two flybys of the planet, taking measurements of clouds and ultraviolet absorption on the Venusian day side, and taking measurements of heat emanating from the planet's surface on the night side. Two years after launch, the mission's probe, called the Descent Sphere, will enter the Venus atmosphere, ingesting and analyzing atmospheric gases and collecting images as it descends to the surface of the planet at the Alpha Regio region.

VfOx will be mounted on the outside of the Descent Sphere, where it will measure the oxygen fugacity - the partial pressure of the oxygen - in the deep atmosphere beneath Venus' clouds, including the near-surface environment.

By analyzing these ground-breaking VfOx measurements, scientists will, for the first time, seek to identify what minerals are most stable at the surface of Venus in the highlands and link the formation of rocks to their recent modification histories. VfOx will measure the amount of oxygen present near the surface of Venus as a "fingerprint" of the rock-atmosphere reactions that are going on today. The balance of how much oxygen is present in the atmosphere, compared to the amount of oxygen captured in the rocks of Venus, will provide information towards a new understanding of the surface minerals in a mountainous region of Venus (known as "tessera") that has never been visited by a spacecraft.

Understanding how much oxygen is contained in Venus' atmosphere will be important in preparation for characterizing Venus-like worlds beyond our solar system with the JWST and future observatories. How much oxygen Venus has in its deepest atmosphere will help scientists studying these remote worlds distinguish between oxygen produced by life, such as what happens on Earth, from oxygen produced solely by abiotic chemical planetary processes, such as what happens on Venus.

The instrument will operate similarly to the oxygen sensor in many automobile engines, which measures the amount of oxygen in the fuel system relative to other components of the fuel. Like all instruments aboard the DAVINCI Descent Sphere, VfOx must be adapted to survive Venus' inhospitable atmosphere. Even though temperatures at the surface of the planet are hot enough to melt lead, the temperatures in internal combustion car engines are even hotter, so VfOx will operate in a comparatively cooler environment on Venus. Additionally, VfOx will be built out of ceramic, a material that is resistant to temperature changes.

The motivating goal for DAVINCI's Student Collaboration Experiment is educating and training young scientists and engineers in planetary science and engineering skills and providing a real-world application for those skills. "We are trying to engage and encourage the next generation of planetary scientists and engineers," says Dr. Noam Izenberg, principal research staff at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, and student collaboration lead for VfOx on DAVINCI.

Students will build the VfOx instrument, analyze the data it returns from Venus, and participate in science activities with the DAVINCI science team. Students involved will be advised by faculty at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The excitement of being actively involved with a real space-flight mission as an undergraduate may be one of the best incentives to attract a diverse group of students to this project. "We want to attract more students from all backgrounds, including the less-advantaged and the less-represented," says Dr. Izenberg. "There will be lots of mentors across the board - on the mission and science side, and the engineering side - where students can find not just mentors of the professions that they might be looking for, but also mentors who look like them, because the DAVINCI team itself is fairly good in its own diversity."

Johns Hopkins will be working in collaboration with the Applied Physics Lab to plan and implement the student experiment. Johns Hopkins will also work in collaboration with the Maryland Institute College of Arts in Baltimore, which has an extreme arts institute that will be involved with an intersection between science and art. The Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute in Baltimore will help coordinate this project, and Morgan State University in Baltimore is an intended partner.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is the principal investigator institution for DAVINCI and will perform project management and scientific leadership for the mission, as well as project systems engineering to develop the probe flight system. Goddard also leads the project science support team and provides two key instruments on the probe.



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We are grateful to the Cato American Legion for its Memorial Day services. These dedicated veterans honor the war dead in four cemeteries. Conquest township has four venues to celebrate the service of our brave men and women. This year we honored the Corfield family buried in Emerson Cemetery. Marjorie Corfield was a Gold Star mother. If you had a soldier serving, you were given a blue star to place in your window. If your soldier was killed, that star was changed to gold. Marjorie and Paul Corfield (also a veteran) had three of their sons serving in the military during World War II. Son Paul was killed  local papers cited him as a hero of the conflict. Son Glen is also buried in Emerson. So often we see families who have spent generations in service to our country. We are proud to be able to honor and celebrate their lives.

The Conquest comprehensive planning committee continues to discover and celebrate all aspects of our town. Greg Hutnik from our Cayuga County planning office is guiding us through the discovery process  this past meeting focusing on natural resources and environmental quality of our town, and we also discussed hazard mitigation. Our rich farmland and the water resources elicited enthusiastic comments!

We recently had the opportunity to visit the Samuel Center for Canal Research. The Center, formerly St. Johns Church in Port Byron, will be a Smithsonian-quality research facility for anyone doing serious or literary study of the Erie Canal. Resources from around the state will now be housed in one location. The center will also be hosting seminars and gatherings of canal enthusiasts and academic and artistic presentations. The Canal Society of New York State will be making wonderful use of this beautiful building. The Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park visitor center, locks and Erie House Tavern opened May 1, and have had hundreds of visitors already. When you visit, be sure to note that Maud, the Erie House Dog is available to purchase. I will be reading Maud to folks at Seymour Library in Auburn at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 9, and hopefully soon rescheduling at the Skaneateles Historical Society at The Creamery.

John Turner recently "celebrated" the 20th anniversary of the attack that left him near death in an Auburn alley. The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse actor had been mugged and beaten. But he has since recovered from his beating and alcohol addiction. He and wife, Kari, live in Southern California and are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters. He is a published author and disability advocate. I recently came across the Citizen article chronicling his recovery. One of the things he remembers fondly is the care and concern of Port Byron fifth-grade teacher Diane Valerio and her students. Diane, an incredibly creative English teacher, invited John to visit her classroom. He had previously visited Port Byron, acting in many MGR school performances. The sixth graders made him cards, wrote a poem and held a party to encourage and support him. That is where I first met John, although I had set the stage for his acting several times! He visited our school a couple of times in the next year or two, and then we lost track of each other. Through the magic of Facebook we connected and met in West Hollywood at the famous Hugos Restaurant in 2015. He was a much different John Turner.

In his words: #DailyGratitude. Thankful I got beaten almost to death 20 years ago. Thankful??!!?!? Yes. Im grateful that 20 years ago today, on May 17, 2002, I was mugged and assaulted by a guy I met in a bar. I sustained a brain injury in the beating that left me permanently disabled. Heres why Im thankful: my life is better overall now thank it was before I was assaulted. I was WAAAAASTED drunk when it happened and even after such a traumatic incident like that I still couldnt stop drinking. I sank even further- emotionally, morally and most of all spiritually. 10 years later in 2012, when I finally hit my true bottom, I sobered up; then did I realize how powerful my addiction was, as I almost died as direct result of my drinking and even that didnt stop me! So, that beating was a true wake-up call though I didnt answer that call for a decade. But I answered it, I changed everything, Now at 10 years sober, I have an incredible life, a beautiful family, consistent work, Im driving a new car, etc. plus I have a relationship with God as I understand Him. Suffice it to say that, disability or no, my life is better now than I ever imagined it would be if I hadnt been beaten up 20 years ago that wouldnt be the case in fact Id probably be dead. Im not dead. Im here. Im grateful. And I love you all.

That Facebook post garnered 100 reactions and 31 comments, and led me to this column with his permission. Also, the recent death of my friend Diane Valerio prompted many memories of her kindness and outreach. May she rest in peace as we celebrate her life.

Joni Lincoln is the historian of the town of Conquest.

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City

 Paul James Green, 43, 135 N. Lewis St., Auburn, was charged June 3 with second-degree aggravated harassment, endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree criminal contempt.

 Daiquan M. Taylor, 18, 30 Gaylord St., Auburn, was charged June 3 with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

 Destiny Marie Soutar, 20, 64 Grant Ave., Apt. 4, Auburn, was charged June 3 with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

 Kendra Marie Monroe, 31, transient, Auburn, was charged June 4 with endangering the welfare of a child.

 Albert S. Ware, 37, 16 Venice St., Auburn, was charged June 4 with failing to report change of address as a sex offender.

 Christopher William Wilson, 60, 56 Clark St., Auburn, was charged June 4 with third-degree burglary and petit larceny.

 Jeffrey Wendell Strachan, 46, 253 Genesee St., Auburn, was charged June 4 with third-degree menacing, aggravated family assault, criminal obstruction of breathing and criminal mischief.

 Kelly Anne Norton, 38, 23 Washington St., Apt. 1, Auburn, was charged June 5 with filing a false written statement.

 Zachary Coral Trufant, 32, transient, Auburn, was charged June 5 with second-degree criminal contempt.

County

 Michael E. Stanton, 24, 48 Jefferson St., Auburn, was charged June 4 with resisting arrest, criminal mischief, third-degree menacing and second-degree reckless endangerment.

 Andrew J. Purdy, 21, 21 Liberty Drive, Moravia, was charged June 4 with second-degree criminal contempt.

 Nathan R. Johnson, 21, 115 Bellair Place, Syracuse, was charged June 4 with first-degree criminal contempt.

 Jamie A. Palmer, 40, 6228 Lake St., Apt. 2, Cayuga, was charged June 5 with driving while intoxicated with three prior convictions in past 15 years, aggravated driving while intoxicated.

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TROY  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's victory in three students' lawsuit over the COVID vaccine mandate sets a precedent for colleges across the state, lawyers for RPI said Tuesday.

The students had sued in January, seeking exemption from RPI's vaccination requirement and seeking a total of $27.5 million in damages. The judge hearing the case dismissed the matter in April, and the students' window to appeal closed last week.

Unless a similar case is brought and successfully appealed, this decision is now the standard in New York, said Michael Ginsberg and Rhiannon Spencer, the attorneys representing RPI.

This decision is a victory for colleges and universities that have enacted policies in an attempt to protect their communities. COVID-19 vaccine exemptions can now be managed as the institutions see fit," they said in a statement.

Ginsberg elaborated that the case came down to motivation: To succeed, the students would have had to show that the vaccine mandate was motivated by RPI's desire to discriminate specifically against them for their religious beliefs.

And that was not RPI's motivation, he said.

An attorney for students Nathaniel Amato, Jeremy Cestero and Sydney Swedick filed the case Jan. 21 in state Supreme Court, Fulton County, where Swedick is a resident.

Each applied for a religious exemption when RPI imposed the mandate, and each was rejected. They still refused the vaccine and were barred from the campus. One took a leave of absence and the other two were disenrolled.

Their complaint stated that:

 RPI's vaccine mandate is in opposition to New York Human Rights Law and RPI's own anti-discrimination policies.

 All three students' religious beliefs compel them to reject the available COVID vaccines because aborted fetal cell lines were used in their development or production.

 RPI's timing of the rejection of religious exemption was purposely delayed until late August to preclude the students from any opportunity to transfer to another school.

 RPI was "so outrageous in character, so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society."

They asked the court to declare RPI had violated their rights and bar RPI from further violations of law and its own policy. They asked for $2.5 million in damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress and $25 million in punitive damages.

RPI, through the Troy law firm Pattison, Sampson, Ginsberg & Griffin PLLC, disagreed, not surprisingly.

In a response to the lawsuit, Ginsberg and Spencer said:

 Scientific data don't support the contentions on which the students based their religious objections, and none of the plaintiffs affirmed that they are qualified to offer such a medical and scientific opinion.

 The court doesn't have power to review RPI's decision to disenroll the students unless RPI failed to follow its own policies, or did so arbitrarily or capriciously.

 State Human Rights Law does not impose a duty to accommodate general religious practices.

 RPI's decision to deny all religious exemptions for vaccination was applied uniformly, and the students did not allege discrimination in its application.

 The students themselves caused the harm they claim they face from being disenrolled, as they had time to obtain vaccination after being denied an exemption.

 Legal precedent holds that the right to practice one's religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community to communicable disease.

In his decision dismissing the lawsuit, Judge Martin Auffredou rejected the students' contentions, writing "The Court has found that RPI did not engage in an unlawful discriminatory practice."

He wrote: "RPI's submissions establish conclusively that the policy change was not 'actuated by discrimination,' and plaintiffs' ensuing disenrollment under the revised policy was pursuant to a general rule applicable to all members ofthe RPI community, regardless of religion, motivated by the need to control the spread of virulent disease among its population."

Auffredou granted RPI summary judgment rejecting the students' first cause of action  that RPI had violated state law  and said other two causes of action depended on the first.

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Honda Motor announced today its monthly China sales reached 89,083 units in May 2022, sliding 30.8% from a year earlier due to the impact of the coronavirus resurgence and the supply constraints of auto parts.

As for the monthly sales of the two joint ventures, Dongfeng Honda faced a year-on-year slump of 45.1% with 36,440 vehicles sold last month, while GAC Honda also saw its May sales shrink 15.6% from the previous year.

For the first five months of 2022, Honda Motor sold 538,085 vehicles across China, representing a 19.5% year-on-year decrease. The year-to-date sales of vehicles armed with the hybrid powertrain system Sport Hybrid reached 79,752 units.

With 280,429 vehicles sold in total, GAC Honda posted a 8.6% year-on-year decline in its Jan.-May sales. A two-digit dip confronted Dongfeng Honda's year-to-date sales.



e:NP1; photo credit: GAC Honda

As to update of product lineup, GAC Honda started presale of the e:NP1 in late May. As the first production model of GAC Hondas EV brand e:NP, the e:NP1 is priced at 175,000 yuan ($26,310) to 205,000 yuan ($30,820) in presale. The BEV model is about to hit the market this month.

Additionally, the joint venture with GAC Group unveiled the ZR-V at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show. The new compact SUV is expected to go on sale in August 2022.
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.

Cadillac LYRIQ to start delivery in September in China

Cadillac's first Ultium platform-powered electric SUV model, the LYRIQ, is scheduled for delivery in late September in China. The model comes with three trims, with prices in the RMB439,700-RMB479,700 ($66,092-$72,105) range.

Photo credit: Cadillac

Suzhou city plans to build 200,000 charging piles by 2025

According to a document from the municipal government of Suzhou city, Jiangsu Province, the city aims to build 200,000 charging piles by 2025. Specifically, at least 155,000 private charging piles, 36,000 public charging piles, and 9,000 special-purpose charging piles should be built.

Mercedes-Benz recalls 2,365 vehicles in China

Mercedes-Benz recalled 2,365 vehicles in China, including some C-Class, E-Class, EQC, and GLC SUV models manufactured between June 4th, 2021 and July 8th, 2021. The recall is triggered by a faulty material used on the front row seat adjustment structures, increasing safety risks.

Haima Automobile sells 1,910 vehicles in May

Haima Automobile produced and sold 1,909 vehicles and 1,910 vehicles in May.

Honda Motor sees China sales in May drop 30.8% YoY

Honda Motor announced today its monthly China sales reached 89,083 units in May 2022, sliding 30.8% from a year earlier due to the impact of the coronavirus resurgence and the supply constraints of auto parts.

NIO launches charging/discharging all-in-one machine

NIO announced today it has launched a portable machine that integrates both charging and discharging functions.

NIO-backed fund invests in MINIEYE's D3 round

On June 6th, Chinas intelligent driving solution provider, MINIEYE, announced the completion of its D3 investment round, closing the entire Series D with RMB800 million ($120.25 million) raised.

Li Autos L9 to debut on June 21, delivery to start in August

Chinas new energy vehicle startup Li Auto will officially launch its second production model, the L9, on June 21st, and start delivery in August.

BYD achieves highest-ever monthly auto sales in May

BYD Company Limited (BYD) saw its monthly auto sales hit a new high of 114,943 units in May 2022, zooming up 148.28% year on year, while also growing 8.39% month on month, the company announced last week.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- HOZON Auto, the Chinese startup owning the new energy vehicle brand NETA, announced on June 6 that Yaoshi, a special edition of the NETA S, has become available for presale with a limited supply of 999 units. Presale price of the model stands at 338,800 yuan ($50,930).

With an exterior styling greatly resembling the normal version of the NETA S, the Yaoshi can immediately grab viewers attention with its scissor doors. The dot-matrix design between the sealed-off grille and the front bumper improves the elegance for the car. The slender daytime running lights serve as a pretty eye-catching part of the split-type headlight cluster.



NETA S Yaoshi; photo credit: NETA

Apart from the butterfly-styled front doors, the NETA S Yaoshi also features green brake callipers, a carbon fibre spolier, as well as an unqiue logo.

The new sedan model measures 4,980mm long, 1,980mm wide, and 1,450mm tall, with a wheelbase that spans 2,980mm. Its drag coefficient stands as low as 0.216Cd.

The Yaoshi comes with three exterior color options, namely, Huanye Black, Jiye Green, and Juechen Silver.

The special edition is capable of such intelligent driver assistant functions as navigation assistance (NNP) and memory parking (NTP) thanks to the automaker's full-stack in-house developed intelligent driving system, the TA PILOT 3.0, which consists of 5 millimeter-wave radars, 11 cameras, and other sensors.

The NETA S Yaoshi is driven by two electric motors with a combined output of up to 340kW and peak torque of 600Nm. The all-electric model can zip from 0-100km/h within only 3.9 seconds and has a CLTC range of 650km.
The three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday ends on Sunday, and domestic travel is gradually breaking the ice.





The cross-provincial travel, Bed and Breakfast (B&B) or homestay, micro-vacations, and camping have become the most popular choices this year, according to the data of Trip.com, a leading Chinese online travel agency.

Data from Trip showed that during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, cross-provincial group tours accounted for nearly 80 percent of all group tour business, an increase of more than 20 percent compared with this year's Tomb Sweeping Day holiday, and an increase of nearly 10 percent compared with this year's Labor Day holiday, reaching the peak in nearly three months.

It may become the turning point for the domestic tourism market which is recovering steadily under the effective control of the COVID-19, Zhang Zhining, deputy director of Trip Research Institute's Strategic Research Center pointed out.

The long-established tourism consumption potential of the Yangtze River Delta area and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region may be released at an accelerated pace in the summer tourism peak season.

Chengdu tops the most popular tourist sources and destinations in air ticket booking.

It is worth noting that the top five most popular tourist sources and destinations in domestic air ticket bookings during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday this year are exactly the same.

As the first city in Asia to be proclaimed the "City of Gastronomy" by UNESCO, Chengdu's airport has become the busiest airport in China and the following four cities are: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Chongqing.

The average daily order of B&B resumes vitality of before the epidemic.

Affected by the epidemic, many formats of the domestic tourism market were slightly sluggish compared to the same period last year. In this context, B&B has become a well-deserved dark horse at the Dragon Boat Festival holiday this year.

Trip data shows that in the two days before the Dragon Boat Holiday, the average daily order volume of B&B on the platform was nearly 10 percent higher than the same period in 2019.

The top five provinces for B&B bookings are: Guangdong, Sichuan, Zhejing, Fujian and Shandong.

Shanghai's tourism industry has ushered in an important turning point.

On June 1, with the gradual restoration of normal production and living order in Shanghai, the Dragon Boat Festival holiday that followed has become an important turning point for the recovery of Shanghai's tourism industry.

According to Trip data, on the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, more than 40 scenic spots in Shanghai have opened, with a total sales volume of more than 40,000 tickets. The number of ticket searches exceeded 1.7 million.

Zoos and forest parks were among the top 10 most popular scenic spots in the first two days of the holiday. The Oriental Pearl Tower, a landmark of Shanghai, is also a popular spot.

In addition, as of June 3, among the 10 cities with the highest number of orders for camping during the Dragon Boat Festival, Shanghai has gone from a state of no orders for two months to being second behind Guangzhou.
An inmate of the Gage County Detention Center may face additional charges after spitting on a corrections officer.

At 1 p.m. Friday, 45-year-old Timothy J. Sutter, an inmate at the Gage County Detention Center, was being moved from one cell to another within the detention center.

A press release from the sheriffs office, where Sutter is listed as being an inmate for possession of a controlled substance, stated he became argumentative and refused to follow the instructions of the corrections officers to move into his cell. He was eventually able to be moved into the cell without incident.

About a minute after he had been placed into the cell the corrections officer was performing other duties in the area when Sutter spat on him, striking the officer in the right arm and right side of his face.

An investigator from the sheriffs office was contacted and arrested Sutter in the jail and charged him with assault with a bodily fluid against a public safety officer.

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POWELL, WYOMING  Northwest College has named 430 students to its spring semester honor rolls. The list of students represents 35 communities in Wyoming, 18 in Montana, as well as 10 states and eight countries.

To be listed on the Presidents Honor Roll, students must complete at least 12 semester hours of college-level coursework with a 4.0 grade point average. Students qualifying for the Vice Presidents Honor Roll completed the same level course work with a minimum grade point average of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale. For the Deans Honor roll, students must have earned a minimum of six credit hours in college-level coursework with at least a 3.5 semester grade point average.
An investigation that started with an anonymous tip more than a year ago led to the arrest of two people who are now charged with promoting prostitution.

David Coble, 54, and Yanhong Liu Coble, 48, both of Bismarck, face possible five-year sentences on the felony charge. A conviction could also bring a fine of up to $10,000.

Police began investigating Cherry Blossom Spa in February 2021 after a man reported hed been inappropriately touched, according to an affidavit.

Police during the investigation interviewed three men they saw leaving the establishment. The men said theyd paid by credit card for massage services and provided cash tips for sex acts. One man told police in April hed been to the spa and paid for sex acts four times in the previous nine months.

The investigation included information from the departments anonymous Tip411 reporting system. The tipster told police the clients at the Mapleton Avenue business were middle to older-aged men. On one day four different vehicles all from Montana visited the business, the tipster allegedly told police.

Police also used bank transaction records and information from the North Dakota Secretary of States office to verify ownership of the business. David Coble was once the registered agent but Yanhong Liu Coble is now the owner, police say.

Two women, ages 43 and 44, were at the spa when police executed search warrants on Friday. One allegedly told investigators she puts cash in a purse at the office and only gives money to the owner and the boss, according to the affidavit. If money is missing she has to pay up, the document states.

The Cobles denied knowing about sex acts at the business. David Coble admitted to some financial involvement, such as writing checks, police said.

Defense attorney Lloyd Suhr, who represents David Coble, said he couldnt make any statements about the case other than to make it clear that Mr. Coble absolutely denies the charge. Court records do not list an attorney for Yanhong Liu Coble.

A search of the business revealed a room with two beds, cellphones, prepared food and clothing in it, authorities said.

Authorities in September 2020 raided the Hong Kong Spa in south Bismarck after reports that massage therapists there were offering sexual acts to customers in exchange for tips.

Owner Craig Grorud, of Bismarck, was charged with felony facilitating prostitution and ultimately pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor promoting prostitution. Lance Jacobson, 65, and Jiang Jennings, 57, both of Hanover Park, Illinois, pleaded guilty to facilitating prostitution, and charges of human trafficking were dismissed. All three suspects got two years of probation.

Reach Travis Svihovec at 701-250-8260 or Travis.Svihovec@bismarcktribune.com

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The federal government will soon return nearly 12,000 acres of land in northern Minnesota it wrongfully took from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe decades ago. The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs thought it had the power to sell tribal tracts without the consent of the majority of the owners, a misinterpretation of an Interior Department order back in 1948. Tribal District 3 Representative LeRoy Staples Fairbanks III said he asked his staff to begin looking into the issue in 2012 after hearing from community members for many years. Then-President Donald Trump signed legislation in December 2020 allowing for the return of the land.
A series of snowstorms in April cut into expected passenger traffic at North Dakota's eight commercial service airports.

The airports in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Devils Lake, Jamestown, Dickinson and Williston had a total of 76,553 airline passenger boardings last month. That was up 23% from April 2021, but the three snowstorms resulted in "a larger-than-normal airline cancellation rate which resulted in a lower-than-expected statewide passenger count for the month," the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission said in a statement.

"A majority of the cancellations were experienced in central and western North Dakota in the areas most impacted by the heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions," the commission said.

The storms dropped from 1 -4 feet of snow in much of the region and also brought freezing rain and strong winds.

Bismarck's flight cancellation rate for the month was 11%, Dickinson's and Williston's was 18%, and Minot's was 19%. Of the 132 departing flights that were canceled statewide, 100 were in those four cities. The statewide cancellation rate was about 10%, when 1-3% is the norm for April, according to the commission.

Our airports did an incredible job in keeping up with snow removal operations to alleviate the impacts to the traveling public as best as possible," Aeronautics Commissioner Kyle Wanner said. "That being said, we look forward to improved weather conditions as we move into the summer months.

All eight airports saw passenger increases last month over April 2021, ranging from 8% in Devils Lake to 46% in Williston. Bismarck's increase was about 17%; Dickinson's was about 16%. Hector International in Fargo, the state's largest airport, saw an increase of more than 24%.

Only two airports saw increases from before the coronavirus pandemic in April 2019 -- Devils Lake and Jamestown. Bismarck's drop from three years ago was 26%. The overall state drop was 17%.

The pandemic began in March 2020. Statewide boardings in April 2020 nosedived to a historic low of about 5,000 -- or 5% of the normal expected traffic. Bismarck's passenger count that month was 1,213.

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In South Dakota, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has tried to shape the Legislature to her liking. And in last week's primary, she publicly backed at least a dozen candidates, including several challengers to incumbents who are part of a contrarian group of Republicans. But two-thirds of the governor's favorites lost, and some of the lawmakers who survived her efforts to defeat them wonder why a governor they generally agree with went to such lengths to try to oust them. While endorsements often draw attention and financial resources, they don't always translate into voter support. Its a lesson that Noem ally Donald Trump is learning as he falls short, notably in Georgia, in trying to punish Republicans who've crossed him.
This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up or thumbs down on the issues from the past week.

Up

Morton County will have the first sheriff's office in North Dakota with a therapy K-9. The agency is acquiring a goldendoodle that will begin training next month. Therapy K-9s are used in traumatic situations to help comfort victims and also first responders. They're also a good resource for students experiencing trauma and abuse. That will be a big part of the dog's duties in Morton County, according to Deputy David Tomlinson. He's the county's student resource officer and will be the handler for the dog. He says the effectiveness of therapy K-9s is being proven across the country. The sheriff's office will join about 400 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. that utilize therapy dogs.

Down

North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley could have better restrained himself in a tweet exchange with a man who questioned how Wrigley's eldest daughter obtained an internship with U.S. Sen. John Hoeven. Wrigley called the man a "dirtbag" and challenged him to meet in Wrigley's state Capitol office. No one can fault Wrigley for defending his daughter -- it's a natural reaction for a father. But in today's atmosphere of violence occurring in schools and offices, we question the wisdom of challenging someone to come to the Capitol for what might end up being a confrontation.

Up

State officials are following through on an agreement to help make it easier for Native Americans to vote in North Dakota. A federal judge in April 2020 approved the agreement between the state and tribes settling a legal dispute over the states voter ID requirements that at one point reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Part of the deal calls for the state to work with tribes to distribute free nondriver identification cards on all reservations within 30 days of statewide elections. The state Transportation Department has been holding ID events on reservations leading up to the June election. The most recent was in Fort Yates in late May. It's sad that tribes had to go to court to resolve the voting dispute, but it's good that the state is taking the agreement seriously.

Down

A national lifeguard shortage is now being felt locally, with the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District starting the summer by adjusting pool hours and swim lessons. The park district typically employs about 70 lifeguards for the summer, but the district would need to hire 15 to 20 more to return to normal operating hours. Park officials were hopeful that lifeguard certification classes would help increase the number of lifeguards. Bismarcks three outdoor pools open Monday.

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North Dakota votes can not be bought by a lot of money paying for sound bites, that say little about who somebody really is. North Dakota votes always check out who people are and what they have been doing, before they were running. North Dakota votes always check out who is donating money to own a candidate. North Dakota votes always check the voting record of people that have been in office. Just because they were bought once does not mean it will not be down again or will it work again thereby proving ND votes are poorly informed and all it takes is a sound bite, and you have not the citizens of the state that are represented, but the person donating the money. Dictators have been elected by the representative of the people before in history, just saying, will watch how it plays out.
The indictments highlight the continued efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to squash dissent and the pro-democracy movement of the once-free city. []

Five people, including a U.S. resident, have been charged with conspiracy and other charges related to espionage and a transnational repression scheme in a federal court in Brooklyn.

The indictment charges Shujun Wang, a U.S. citizen and Queens resident as well as four officials from Chinas Ministry of State Security (MSS)  Feng He (also known as Boss He), Jie Ji, Ming Li (also known as Elder Tang or Little Li), and Keqing Lu (also known as Boss Lu). He, Ji, Li and Lu remain at large while Wang has been in custody since March on a criminal matter.

Todays indictment exposes and disrupts an operation by the PRC that threatens the safety and freedom of Chinese nationals residing in the United States on account of their pro-democracy beliefs and speech, said Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Our Office and our law enforcement partners will remain vigilant to thwart foreign espionage activities aimed at our citizens and residents.

Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments National Security Division said We will not tolerate efforts by the PRC or any authoritarian government to export repressive measures to our country, stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. These charges demonstrate the Justice Departments unwavering commitment to hold accountable all those who violate our laws in seeking to suppress dissenting voices within the United States and to prevent our residents from exercising their lawful rights.

This news comes as China continues to crack down on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. Activist Jimmy Lai and seven other activists are currently on trial for participating in a vigil to remember the Tiananmen Square massacre. Such vigils are now banned under the extremist National Security Law.

Passed down from Beijing, Hong Kongs strict National Security Law bans what the city deems to be acts of subversion, secession or terrorism. Since the laws implementation in June 2020, more than 150 activities and individuals have been arrested.

The Hong Konger, the Acton Institutes documentary on the life of Lai, tells the story of his ongoing struggle against the growing power of the Hong Kong government. It will be released in 2022.
This armed robbery of a convenience store by a 12-year-old in Hartford, Michigan is wrong on just about every level. Guns are simply too easy to come by, this one was apparently his grandfather's.

ABC:

A 12-year-old boy fired a gun while robbing a gas station in Michigan Wednesday, according to police, and the wild incident was caught on video.

Surveillance footage shared by police shows the middle school student standing near the front register and firing one round into the air.

According to police, the clerk ended up handing over a bag containing $5,000 in cash.

The boy was arrested just a few blocks away from the store. He reportedly told officers he took the gun from his father's locked safe.

Authorities say the boy faces a long list of charges, and may be tried as an adult.
With spring cleaning underway and summer coming in hot, its a great time to start looking at how to add life to your walls. For Fathers Day gifts, birthdays, and yourself, Fine Art America has a large selection of framed prints featuring artists and subjects from around the globe. On top of its selection of wall art, Fine Art America also has home decor, lifestyle products, stationery, apparel, and tech products like these cool, artsy iPhone cases.

Decorating a space with art can go a long way toward making it feel more special and unique to the people inhabiting it. Studies have even shown that expression through art can help people with depression and anxiety, help improve memory, and offer many more positive effects. That's why any time is virtually great for picking up a print, a painting, or a photograph to add to your walls.

With spring cleaning underway and summer coming in hot, it's a great time to start looking at how to add life to your walls. For Father's Day gifts, birthdays, and yourself, Fine Art America has a large selection of framed prints featuring artists and subjects from around the globe. On top of its selection of wall art, Fine Art America also has home decor, lifestyle products, stationery, apparel, and tech products like these cool, artsy iPhone cases.

The variety of works available at Fine Art America has helped it gain a lot of popularity. Its simple digital interface makes zeroing in on a piece that you feel will be perfect for you or a loved one easier than ever. You can filter your searches based on a wide variety of subjects, some of which include skylines, science fiction themes, portraits, and celebrities.

To get more specific and find inspiration, there's also a fantastic variety of curated collections handpicked by the Fine Art America staff. You might be drawn to the mesmerizing animal portraits, the collection of photographs of Frank Sinatra, or maybe you'll be partial to a painting of a vintage neon sign.

When you order from Fine Art America, you'll add to over five million shipments of museum-quality works they've sent worldwide. On top of an impressive 4.6/5 star rating on SiteJabber, Fine Art America is also trusted by over 100 major brands, including The New Yorker, Time, and the NBA.

Decorate your home for less with Fine Art America.
Miami isn't known to have more tourist scams than other U.S. cities of its size, but it does have a few traps to avoid, especially in the South Beach area, according to YouTube's Wolters World (see video below).

Travel vlogger Mark lists what he sees as Miami-specific scams travelers should avoid, including:

 "The bait and switch at restaurants and bars," a too-common trick that lures tourists in with the promise of "three drinks for $20" or something similar, only to entice you with a gimmick drink  such as a comically oversized cocktail that ends up costing $40.



 Padding the bill, in which a restaurant slips an extra item or three onto the check that wasn't ever ordered (an unserved appetizer, beer). "It's easy to kind of slip something in  you want to check that."

 Over-priced food in South Beach. "Even if you're going a few blocks away you can save yourself a lot of cash  Honestly, all these restaurants over here," Mark says, pointing to establishments on the touristy Ocean Drive, "you're going to pay a lot more for maybe not as good of food as other places  you can get better Cuban food other places in the city."

 Promoters in front of clubs who make false promises, such as handing out wrist bands to get you "free drinks" or "in for free"  in many cases the useless bands only woo a tourist into the club. "If you want to go to a club, go to the club, but don't think the promoter is going to get you any extra help or extra discounts."

 Flying into Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami to save a few buck on air travel. Unless you're renting a car, what you save in airfare will likely be a wash once you pay the taxi or Uber fare.

For the most part these traps aren't going to ruin a vacation in the Sunshine State, but no one want to be a sucker. Here's the 4-1/2 minute video in case you're headed that way:
MAGA darling Kyle Rittenhouse posed as a silk purse last week, boasting on The Charlie Kirk podcast that he'd be attending Texas A&M University. But the university says they did not admit the young gentleman  who in 2020 at age 17 used an AR-15-style semi-automatic to kill two people and shoot a third at a Black Lives Matter protest  as a student, according to Dallas Morning News.

"I'm going to be going there. It's going to be awesome," the teenaged gunman sporting an A&M cap claimed (see video below). "Beautiful campus, amazing people, amazing food." When asked if he would join the Corps of Cadets, Rittenhouse said he hasn't yet decided.

In reality, there are no decisions for Rittenhouse to make when it comes to Texas A&M.

From Dallas Morning News:

During a radio appearance last week, Kyle Rittenhouse did his best impression of a high school athlete announcing his college choice on National Signing Day  placing a Texas A&M hat he pulled from under a table on his head.  But a university official said on Sunday that Rittenhouse isn't attending. "He has not been admitted as a student this summer or fall," Texas A&M spokeswoman Kelly Brown said in an email.

And from NBC News:

On the podcast, Rittenhouse detailed how excited he was to attend college with hopes to become a pilot. "It's going to be an amazing experience where I can go and finally get an education," he said. "Over the past six months, I've been out having fun, living my life being a free man. Now it's time to go and get an education, get good grades, and be successful in life." However, a university official said he will not be attending the school.
ACSI Welcomes New Vice President for Development





NEWS PROVIDED BY

Association of Christian Schools International

June 6, 2022



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 6, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Waterman as its new Vice President for Development. Waterman will assume the duties formerly overseen by Dr. Steve Dill, who will be retiring July 31, 2022.



Waterman will provide leadership and oversight to all development and fundraising efforts on behalf of ACSI. He and the development team will advance the mission of the Association by securing financial support from private funding Kingdom-minded investors. Waterman will also oversee the team responsible to secure financial support from state-specific tax credit and other school choice programs. Last year, this team collected and distributed over $9 million of tuition assistance grants.



He assumes his new role today.



ACSI President Dr. Larry Taylor shared his strategic vision for Waterman's role as a member of the Association's Senior Staff.



"The development function of ACSI will be a critical component in allowing us to reach and shape the next generation for Christ," he shared. "Ben Waterman is a skilled leader who brings tailored expertise in the non-profit development sector. His contribution will be key in strengthening the Association as we continue our mission across the globe."

Ben Waterman

Waterman has served in the Christian non-profit sector for more than 10 years in a variety of fundraising capacities. He most recently served as Managing Director of Development at By The Hand Club For Kidsa position in which he cultivated strategic relationships to advance the organization's mission, raising $11 million annually and more than $40 million in capital projects.



Waterman's strategic vision grew the fundraising operation of the organization, resulting in nearly double-digit financial growth each year for five years.



Through these experiences, Waterman shared that he has "gained both knowledge and expertise from the various roles," and that he looks forward to utilizing his knowledge for continued kingdom impact.



Prior to his time at By The Hand Club, Waterman managed a portfolio of major donors raising nearly $1 million annually as the Regional Director of Development at Taylor University in Indiana. He also provided oversight for marketing, communications and grant writing for 3 years as the Director of Development and Advancement Supervisor at Northern Seminary.



"I have always sought God's guidance in my career," he shared. "I have prayed diligently about this unique opportunity at ACSI and am certain that the work this association is doing is essential today. I believe my past experience has given me foundational skills in the areas of relational fundraising, team building, and team management."



Taylor believes Waterman's role will help open new doors for ACSI both domestically and internationally.



"The mission of ACSI has always been global, and I believe we are in a time where people are hungry for Gospel-centric education," he said. "With a strong development function, ACSI will be fully equipped to further advance Christ-centered education."



To learn more about ACSI, please visit the website or connect with the ACSI Care Team by calling (800) 367-0798 or by emailing careteam@acsi.org.



About ACSI:

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, ACSI exists to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. ACSI advances excellence in Christian schools by enhancing the professional and personal development of Christian educators and providing vital support functions for Christian schools through multiple services including teacher and administrator certification, school accreditation, legal/legislative assistance, and curriculum publishing. ACSI supports more than 5,000 member schools throughout the United States and around the world, which collectively serve approximately 1.2 million students. Through additional training programs, materials, and expertise provided to other educational groups worldwide, ACSI's overall influence and positive impact reaches more than 26,000 schools operating in 100 countries, together serving 5.5 million people.



Follow ACSI on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram



SOURCE Association of Christian Schools International



CONTACT: Caitlyn Berman, 719-867-0243, Caitlyn_Berman@acsi.org


There's nothing that young women leaders like more than to be told by a man what kind of man they should be attracted to. Thankfully, there was a man at the Young Women's Leadership Summit telling them what kind of man they should be attracted to, and he even had MAGA heartthrob Kyle Rittenhouse on stage as the exemplar of the kind of man they should be attracted to.

Kyle Rittenhouse is introduced at the Young Women's Leadership Summit as the ideal catch for a husband: "I want to talk a lot about what kind of man you should be attracted to .. Men's #1 goal is to protect your family .. and Kyle Rittenhouse is a man who does that." pic.twitter.com/WLjIdQhc6d  Ron Filipkowski  (@RonFilipkowski) June 5, 2022

I wonder if any of the young women leaders who were being instructed to be attracted to Kyle Rittehouse read the article in the August 30, 2020 edition of The Journal Times of Racine, Wisconsin, which posted videos of a "teen identified as Rittenhouse.. [who] appears to land several punches on the female in sweatpants as another male nearby tries unsuccessfully to hold Rittenhouse back."

Snopes says the claim that the teen in the video is Rittenhouse is unproven. "While we can't say definitively that this person is Rittenhouse," says Snopes, "there is plenty of circumstantial evidence to support this claim."

Here's one piece of circumstantial evidence: red, white, and blue clogs.

Here are the videos:

Part 2

Kyle gets dealt with for sucker punching the girl pic.twitter.com/ne3zgxNiMG  Squiggy (@Sickman1972) June 5, 2022

Snopes conclusion:
Any fan of comics will let you know that it takes a lot to keep a superhero down. Even the most strategically brilliant villains like Doctor Doom and Lex Luthorwho have seemingly killed their rivals on numerous occasionscan't close the deal with the reaper. And judging by the recent news with Ezra Miller, the superhero trait of improbable invincibility extends to the actors that portray them.

If you've been keeping up with the chaotic Ezra Miller story, the troubled actor has been on an arrest hot streak that would make Gucci Mane in the late 2000s blush. In short, they've racked up a series of arrests over the last couple of years for a slew of violent and disturbing incidents. Despite the violence and negative press, Warner Brothers is choosing to stand by the actor because they're in too deep with the Flash film to switch gears now. Variety:
What to know about the week ahead

Restaurants to donate portion of June 8 sales: Fifty restaurants in the Buffalo region will be participating in an initiative to raise money for an organization serving the victims of domestic violence.

A percentage of the sales from these restaurants on June 8 will go toward the efforts of the Rachael Warrior Foundation as part of Dining Out Against Domestic Violence.

The foundation honors Rachael Wierzbicki, who was killed in a November 2018 domestic dispute with her then boyfriend.

Visit https://www.rachaelwarriorfoundation.org/dining-out to find out which restaurants are participating.

Learn about investment trends: Curious about cryptocurrency, Web3, climate tech, artificial intelligence or machine learning? 43North is hosting a 2022 Investment Trends seminar for people to learn about current startup and investing trends and how to get involved.

The free event begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Seneca One auditorium, with networking to follow at the Seneca One lobby bar.

Ross Eye Institute will break ground at 11 a.m. Thursday on a new facility in Orchard Park, an 18,000-square-foot space with an imaging suite, procedure room, pediatric and optometry wings. Community Bank is providing the financing for the project, and Calspan Development & Construction was selected to build the specialized eye care facility.

Dr. James D. Reynolds, professor and chair of the University at Buffalo's ophthalmology department, said the new facility will improve the ability to "recruit outstanding, new surgeons from across the nation and bring even more specialized expertise to our growing patient population."

Neighborhood Health Center will soon open its newest location at 1569 Niagara St. in Buffalo, possibly as soon as late this week or the following week. The 26,000-square-foot facility will offer services such as internal/family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, dentistry, behavioral health, nutritional counseling, podiatry and pharmacy services.

It will be Neighborhood Health Center's fifth location in Western New York.

Applications are now being accepted for three Trocaire College certificate programs being held at Gerard Place, 2535 Bailey Ave., Buffalo, in phlebotomy, sterile processing and pharmacy technician. The programs each run two days a week and can be completed in as little as three months.

Trocaire is partnering with Gerard Place, which provides housing and transitional services for homeless and single-parent families, to help fill a demand for skilled workers in health care and offer more resources for community residents to achieve well-paying jobs.

The phlebotomy (blood draw) program starts July 12 and runs Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sept. 13. The course in sterile processing of medical equipment runs Mondays and Wednesdays from Aug. 30 through Nov. 21.

The pharmacy technician program begins Sept. 27 and will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays through Dec. 15. The 12-week program prepares pharmacy techs to work under the direction of a pharmacist to measure, mix, count out, label and record dosages of medications based on the prescription orders, as well as provide customer service.

Apply for any of these programs at trocaire.edu/academics/workforce-development/healthcare-programs-at-gerard-place.

Find Your Path Back to Teaching via a new program at SUNY Buffalo State.

Schools in Western New York and across the nation are experiencing teacher and substitute teacher shortages. Buffalo State's Find Your Path Back to Teaching aims to get teachers certified and into the classroom as soon as possible to help fill this need and make an important contribution to the lives of young people.

The program is open to anyone who started a teacher education program but does not currently hold a New York State teacher certificate.

Find Your Path Back to Teaching offers individualized assistance to meet aspiring teachers where they left off. Find an inquiry form at schoolofeducation.buffalostate.edu/find-your-path-back-teaching

This newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy  from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com.

CATCH UP ON LAST WEEK

Recent news tied to Buffalo Niagara's economy

The Seventh-Day Adventist Church at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Genesee Street purchased three key parcels of land from the City of Buffalo for $100,000. The land is needed for the building of a sanctuary for the Emmanuel Temple Church.

Russell Salvatore Jr., the grandson of one of Buffalo's most prominent restaurateurs, wants to construct a two-story building with 11 apartments and 5,200 square feet of commercial space at the corner of Main Street and Winding Lane in Clarence, as well as a separate farmers market building.

A new network of emergency medical physicians, dubbed the Emergency Physician Response Program, will be available to respond to high-severity 911 calls and mass casualty incidents in Erie and Niagara counties.

Redevelopment of a derelict and fire-damaged industrial property on the shores of Scajaquada Creek by Savarino Companies hit a snag after neighbors and Buffalo Planning Board members raised concerns about the increased traffic and safety risk that it might cause.

In an effort to remain competitive in a growing venture capital landscape, Buffalo startup accelerator 43North will invest $1 million in five companies as part of this year's annual competition.

Former 43North company Rally, which specializes in bus ridesharing for events, will become publicly traded later this year after entering into a business combination agreement with Americas Technology Acquisition Corp. Rally won $500,000 in the 2019 startup contest.

The University at Buffalos School of Management has named Ananth V. Iyer, Ph.D., as its new dean. The current senior associate dean at Purdue Universitys Krannert School of Management will succeed Paul Tesluk.

A large grocery store won't be coming to the proposed Elmwood Crossing after Ellicott Development Co. and Sinatra & Co. Real Estate eliminated it from their ambitious $150 million project to convert the former Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo into a mixed-use community.

Between the gas tax initiatives by both the county and state, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he expects gas prices in the county to go down by up to 30 cents a gallon.

The University at Buffalo's Jacobs School is one of the institutions that's been chosen to take part in a clinical trial of Paxlovid, a Covid-19 medicine being evaluated by Pfizer in children ages 12 to 17. Research has already shown it reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in adults by 88% if given within five days of the onset of Covid-19 symptoms.

The owners of the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence will save more than $2.4 million in property taxes over 10 years after reaching an agreement to lower the property taxes on the struggling mall while they work to redevelop it into a mixed-use town center.

The concept of boat-sharing has taken hold in Buffalo, with at least three businesses offering the service in this area. Members of these clubs dont have to pay for the vessel and its maintenance or the cost of repairs, slip fees, insurance, cleaning, storage and winterization, and are provided with concierge service coming on and off the boats. They are responsible for membership fees and the gas they use when boating.

The way World Central Kitchen mobilized in Buffalo to help feed a grieving neighborhood shows how the organization quickly taps a network of staff and volunteers to find people in a community who can help and puts them to work getting meals to people in need.

The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund will distribute $560,000 worth of grants, ranging in size from $5,000 to $20,000, to 70 Black-led organizations as part of the fund's initial response to a mass shooting at a Tops supermarket that killed 10 people.

The real estate firm owned and led by Dr. Fadi Dagher and his son, Kevin, is proposing to create a major manufacturing or warehouse building on Rano Street, with potentially up to 250,000 square feet of space for lease.

Buffalo Next reporters Jonathan D. Epstein, Jon Harris, Natalie Brophy, Matt Glynn, Janet Gramza and Mike Petro contributed to this roundup.

ICYMI

Five reads from Buffalo Next:

1. 43North aiming to attract high-growth companies to the region: Sam Eder moved to Buffalo from Austin, Texas, in January after his company Big Wheelbarrow won the 43North startup contest. Stipulating winning companies set up shop in Buffalo for at least a year is an important aspect of 43North's mission.

2. Mixed-use development coming to Old First Ward: Developers Karl Frizlen and Michael Masters are in the midst of turning the former Barcalo Manufacturing plant into Barcalo Living & Commerce, a mixed-use community in the Old First Ward that dozens of tenants soon will call home.

3. Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue will reopen, but what that will look like is uncertain: As Tops officials plan for the reopening of its Jefferson Avenue store after a tragic mass shooting, when and how it will do so is still being considered as some community members want a new Tops store at a different location on Buffalo's East Side.

4. Doctor recognized for providing aid in strife-torn regions: Dr. Aaron Epstein has been splitting his life between surgical shifts in Buffalo and leading the humanitarian aid group he founded in 2015. Now, he's in line for one of the nation's top civilian awards.

5. Rachel's Mediterranean grill expands beyond Buffalo home: Rachel's has made it big in Western New York, and the family-owned business is now trying to expand the concept down the Thruway in New York and in larger markets such as Fort Worth, Texas.

The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the regions economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.

Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com.
A coalition of business groups in New York State, including the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, is calling for Congress to reinstate a ban on assault-style weapons  an unusual issue for business advocates to throw their weight behind.

Groups like the Partnership are active in political affairs, but typically in areas such as taxes and regulations, which impact the business climate.

Leaders of those groups said Monday they believe federal lawmakers need to act in the wake of a series of mass shootings  including at a Tops market on Jefferson Avenue  for the sake of safety in the workplace and society at large.

"While gun control may not be a typical lane for chambers of commerce, there is no avoiding the impact gun violence is having on our country and in our communities, and we have an obligation to be part of solving this American problem," said Dottie Gallagher, the Partnership's president and CEO.

The Partnership was joined by four other business groups in supporting a reinstatement of a federal ban that expired in 2004: the Business Council of New York State, the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of Westchester and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

"The time to act is now," said Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State. "It is a business issue, it is a human issue, and it is something that action needs to be taken [on] or we'll continue down this path."

Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, praised the business groups for backing the reinstatement of an assault weapons ban.

"This is unprecedented that you would come forward as a group representing a lot of business leaders and taking seriously this issue of gun violence," he told the coalition members in a virtual news conference.

The business groups wanted to act while Congress was still in session, and "lend a new voice to this discussion, to get this out of an individual rights conversation and more to a community rights conversation," Gallagher said.

Higgins and Briccetti both alluded to Rep. Chris Jacobs' decision last week to not seek re-election, after he took a stand in favor of an assault weapons ban. Jacobs said he subsequently lost Republican leaders' endorsements, which led to his decision to leave the race.

Briccetti said she and Gallagher felt it was time for the business community to speak up, and brought other groups into the fold.

"At this point, I think (lawmakers) need support so that they don't feel like they have to not run for office in order to take a principled stand on an issue like this," she said. "I feel it's very important that we point out, this is about the ability for people to be free in the workplace, to be free in their lives to grocery shop and to go to school. And we aren't free if no action is taken."

Gallagher said she expects the assault weapons issue to become a regular part of the Partnership's advocacy agenda if it isn't resolved in the current session of Congress: "This isn't a one-and-done situation."

Matt Glynn

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More than 200 megawatts of new solar-power generation are being proposed for four projects in Western New York, as energy producers race to ramp up alternate energy production amid the state's push to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced plans for 22 large-scale renewable energy projects across the state, which together would power more than 620,000 homes for at least 20 years. Four of those projects are in Western New York, including two previously announced major projects in Niagara County that have been in the works for some time, and would total 450 megawatts between them.

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But the other two local solar farms  one in the Allegany County town of Alfred, and one in the towns of Busti and Kiantone in Chautauqua County  are new. Those would add 190 megawatts of energy:

Northland Power, through its Alfred Oaks Solar, wants to build another 100-megawatt facility, along with 20 megawatts of energy storage, in the Town of Alfred.

York Run Solar, part of CS Energy, is seeking to erect a 90-megawatt solar farm in Busti and Kiantone.

Meanwhile, the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency is considering two other smaller projects in Stockton and Portland that would add another 17 megawatts in total.

Seaboard Solar LLC of New Milford, Conn., plans to erect a pair of solar farms on Barnes Road in the Town of Stockton, totaling $16 million in investment. The Barnes Road East facility would generate 4.375 megawatts, while the west facility would produce 4.975 megawatts. Located southeast of Stockton Hartfield Road, the 59.5-acre site is owned by Ronald and Karen Cave.

And Amherst-based Solar Liberty, through Solar Liberty Portland Community LLC, plans to put up two solar arrays in Portland  one with 3.92 megawatts on Route 20 and one on Fay Street with 3.6 megawatts. The $12.429 million project would occupy 33.6 acres that Solar Liberty would acquire from multiple owners.

In both cases, the developers are seeing sales and mortgage-recording tax abatements, plus a 25-year property tax break.

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Michael Weiner, the longtime president and CEO of the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, will retire at the end of 2022, the organization announced Monday.

Weiner was appointed to the post in July 2009 and has had a 48-year career in health and human services in Western New York. Prior to the United Way, he was commissioner of the Erie County Department of Social Services from 2004 to 2009.

United Way said it had struggled with declining revenue for many years before Weiner came aboard in 2009. Under his leadership, the organization diversified its revenue mix and grew its endowment from $900,000 to $18 million. The organization also created community impact initiatives such as Work/Life Solutions, GO Buffalo Mom, American Apprenticeship Initiative, Community Baby Shower and the significant expansion of WNY Girls in Sports.

"United Way is a convener and a connector in our community, and Michael has always exemplified that," said the Rev. Rachelle Robinson, board chair. "He is such a relational leader who always brings out the best gifts and abilities of those around him. He always challenges us to go a little further and provides the encouragement to know we can."

The board of directors has started a "time-limited local search" to find Weiner's successor.

Weiner also led the organization through the challenges of Covid-19 and oversaw the creation of its latest strategic plan, which included community input.

"In spite of the challenges over the last few years," Weiner said in a statement, "I feel confident that United Way is well positioned to move into the future, focused on systemic change that improves quality of life for everyone."

Jon Harris can be reached at 716-849-3482 or jharris@buffnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByJonHarris.

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Over and over again, Mollie McCann Poblocki gets accused of stealing from her employers.

In her latest case, the Orchard Park woman was expected to plead guilty Tuesday to thefts involving more than $50,000 in rent and tenant security deposits from an apartment management company where she worked, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the case and her former employer.

Orchard Park woman with history of forgeries sentenced The Orchard Park woman who pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor forgery for stealing from her Hamburg employer has been sentenced to 122 days in jail to be served on weekends. Mollie McCann Poblocki, 44, had originally been charged earlier this year with felony forgery. She also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor petit larceny in Hamburg Town Court,

But McCann Poblocki's case was temporarily put on hold when Erie County Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes recused herself.

Court records show she is charged with felony second-degree grand larceny.

Over the years, McCann Poblocki, 50, has been convicted of nearly bankrupting a medical practice by writing unauthorized checks, stealing merchandise from a Hamburg jewelry store and taking a car dealerships credit card to make personal purchases.

In this newest case, Michael Lorigo, the owner of Pillar Real Estate of Lancaster, said he is more interested in seeing her go to prison than receiving restitution.

I didnt care about the restitution. I feel she needs to go to jail to learn a lesson. She has done this over and over again, said Lorigo, whose company owns 1,500 apartments.

Lorigo said McCann Poblocki's attorney contacted his attorney to try and work out a deal whereby her family would make full restitution if he agreed to go along with a sentence of probation and no incarceration.

Her attorney said he has the money in escrow, but wanted no jail time, but when I spoke with the District Attorneys Office, I found out about her extensive background. She is just going to do this again and again to somebody else, Lorigo said.

McCann Poblocki was in court Tuesday on the grand larceny charge, according to court records, but Barnes recused herself because she knows the Lorigo family.

Michael Lorigo is the son of Ralph C. Lorigo, chairman of the Erie County Conservative Party.

The case has been transferred to County Judge Debra Givens. McCann Poblocki is scheduled to appear in her courtroom June 10.

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said that at this point he cannot discuss specifics of the case and that "it remains under investigation." Attorney Giovanni Genovese, who is representing McCann Poblocki, could not be reached for comment.

Lorigo says that it is his understanding McCann Poblicki faces a sentence of one to three years in state prison and that restitution will be made.

If a prison sentence is imposed, it will not be McCann Poblockis first time behind bars.

IN CHARGES OF EXTRAVAGANT THEFTS, A TALE OF DECEIT AND SHATTERED LIVES Mollie B. McCann Healys favorite movie is Catch Me If You Can. Its no wonder she likes the story of a glamorous con artist. Here are some highlights from her life in the past few years: She served eight weekends in jail last summer for stealing thousands of dollars in jewelry from a Hamburg store where she was the

She was sentenced to 122 days in jail in 2016 after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor forgery and petit larceny for using a company credit card at a Hamburg car dealership where she worked, the DAs office said at the time.

In 2004, she stole approximately $65,000 by writing fraudulent checks to herself and making unauthorized credit card purchases from a medical practice in the Southtowns where she was the office manager and sometimes posed as the wife of one of the practices doctors.

Those thefts occurred while she was serving weekends in jail for stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from a Hamburg jeweler who had previously employed her.

The judge in those two cases described her as a sociopath unable to live an honest life.

For fleecing the medical practice, State Supreme Court Justice Joseph S. Forma sentenced McCann Poblocki to three to six years in state prison. But in less than a year, she caught a break. McCann Poblocki was accepted into a work release program that allowed her to be out of prison for up to five days a week.

WORK RELEASE OK'D IN THEFT WOMAN STOLE $64,000 AS MEDICAL GROUP OFFICE MANAGER An Orchard Park woman serving a prison term for nearly bankrupting a local medical business  the second employer she stole from  has been accepted into the state prison systems work-release program and will shortly be furloughed to look for a job, state officials confirmed. Molly McCann Healy, 33, has been accepted into the program at Albion Correctional

When asked why he would hire someone with McCann Poblockis criminal history, Lorigo said his property manager and his vice president had interviewed her, but did not conduct a background check in 2016.

They never Googled her name. It would have come up she was a habitual thief, Lorigo said. Weve since instituted much more regimented protocol on all new hires.

The reported thefts, which also included McCann Poblocki selling air conditioners that belonged to the company to tenants, occurred over a period of 1 1/2 years when she filled in for the property manager who went on medical leave to care for a family member, Lorigo said.

During that time, the Covid-19 pandemic hit and provided her with good cover, Lorigo said.

In total, Lorigo estimates she stole a total of $60,000 from his company.

Thankfully this didnt bankrupt me. She has no sense of remorse, Lorigo said.

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After a spectacular Sunday with bone dry humidity, a dark blue sky and a mild high of 76, Monday is bringing a bit more warmth and humidity, with more unsettled conditions developing later in the day. Inland high temps should get into the low 80s on a south-southeast flow, though the Lake Ontario shoreline will be cooler with readings in the low-to-mid 70s. With a warm front lifting north of us and a cold front still well to our west, any coverage for late day showers and possible thunderstorms will be sparse and spotty.

Monday night will be much milder, with an unseasonably-mild low in the mid 60s on an increasing downslope southerly breeze. Much of the overnight period will be rain free, with only moderate humidity. By Tuesday morning, a low pressure systems trailing cold front will begin to approach us from the west, increasing coverage for showers and thunderstorms.

In modeled detail, shower and thunderstorm coverage and intensity will begin to pick up early in the day and peak in the mid-morning into the afternoon.

The rainfall coverage and eventual passage of the cold front will hold daytime highs to 69-72. The front will be passed by late afternoon, as the convection begins to move off to the east of our region.

At this time, there are no indications any of the thunderstorms will approach severe criteria.

Wednesday looks like one of the dry days this week. Well be under the influence of weak high pressure, bringing limited sunshine, low humidity, and a fairly seasonable high of 70-73.

A minor disturbance reaching our region Wednesday night will likely produce some scattered showers, thinning out again on Thursday, as seen in the European model.

Only a few stray light showers will be possible on Thursday under a partly sunny sky and mostly dry conditions, with a high around or a bit above 70.

Friday will bring more weak high pressure, allowing for a mix of clouds and sun, and a high temperature edging up through the low 70s. By Friday night, however, a trough of low pressure extending into Western New York from a storm system to our south will bring the chance for just a few scattered showers in the European ECMWF model, while the American GFS keeps us essentially dry. The positioning of the trough keeps this limited chance for scattered showers with us on Saturday.

On the other hand, actual modeling of shower activity looks unimpressive for Saturday. The GFS shows nearly nothing, and the ECMWF keeps spotty activity mostly confined to Saturday morning. At this early point, Saturday does not take on the look of a truly wet day, though the abundant cloud cover may keep high temps only in the upper 60s.

Sunday brings a ridge of drying high pressure toward us from the West as the low pressure center pulls off to the East. That would seem to suggest the best chance for a few spotty showers to be in the morning, before the ridge moves in. A cool northerly flow behind the low and ahead of the high will again keep temperatures in the upper 60s, a little cool for the pool. By Monday, the high will take over, bringing more abundant sunshine and temperatures back into the 70s.

The Climate Prediction Center still favors a tendency for regional temperatures to run below average much of the time during their 6-10 day outlook.

The GFS extended range upper air pattern ensemble does, however, favor warmer ridging returning to the East by late in that period.

The ECMWF ensemble shows more inconsistent ups and downs during the same timespan, with the Canadian ensemble leaning toward the GFS, but slower in its arrival of the returning warmth.

D-Day Anniversary

June 6th marks the 78th anniversary of the largest amphibious invasion in history, the D-Day invasion into Nazi-occupied Normandy during World War II. With that anniversary comes a remembrance of the most critical weather forecast made in history. A landing made across the English Channel could not be attempted during truly stormy conditions, for it would have been doomed with many thousands lost to drowning, and most amphibious vehicles sinking or being swamped.

Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower had 2 meteorologist groups from whose forecasts he could choose. The American group was headed by Colonel Irving Krick, a California Institute of Technology professor, whose methodology relied heavily upon a study of past patterns much more than current observations. Kricks methods, since discredited as mostly unsound science as a mode for day to day forecasting, were overridden by Ike, who chose to go with the more scientifically based forecast of the British group, headed by Group Captain James Stagg.

How Ike and his staff knew to go with the British mets is something of a mystery to me. Krick had predicted near ideal conditions for the 5th based on his unproven methodology. In fact, the 5th would have been a complete disaster for the landings. The Brits had timed cold fronts and storminess from actual weather stations in Newfoundland, weather ships and recon flights, and predicted the 5th landings must be postponed until the 6th, when some modest improvement would arrive behind a front. The decision for Ike to go on the 6th was agonizing, because seas would still be rather rough. As it was, a few hundred infantrymen were lost to drowning, and much equipment never made it onshore.

Eisenhower and his staff knew a postponement past the 6th would have meant holding off for several weeks until the next full moon in the lunar cycle. All the while, the Nazis lacked the meteorological expertise and data the Allies possessed, and their Luftwaffe meteorologists had predicted impossible landing conditions for weeks to come, not knowing of the window spotted by Staggs group. That poor forecasting helped lower their readiness levels. General Rommel even headed home to visit his wife, based on such information.

On a personal note, with all the horrors of that day, Im grateful Ike made his choice as he did. My dad, drafted at age 33 (and known as Pops in his younger platoon) landed on Omaha Beach as a medic with the 29th Infantry Division, who were in the first wave with the more battle seasoned 1st Infantry Division. An inaccurate forecast for the invasion would have meant either failure on a horrific scale, or a postponement giving the Germans time to reinforce their defenses even more with the advantage of almost inevitable eventual leaks of the Allies plans during those weeks.

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As Congress struggles this week to note even a smidgen of movement on gun legislation, Gov. Kathy Hochul surrounded herself with state and local government leaders Monday to sign 10 bills that enact sweeping new controls ranging from age limits on purchase of military-style weapons to banning purchase of body armor for civilians.

The message she and others emphasized was that in New York, at least, measures to address gun violence  including the killing of 10 Black Buffalonians on May 14  remain a priority.

"We are constantly reminded of the scale of this across the nation. Shots ring out, flags come down and nothing ever changes," Hochul said during a bill-signing ceremony at a Bronx YMCA that included Mayor Byron W. Brown. "Except here in New York."

The package of bills stem from quick action during the waning days of the State Legislature's just-concluded session. The new legislation now requires anyone purchasing a weapon like the AR-15 used at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue to be 21 years old, and not 18 like the alleged white supremacist shooter. The package also calls for identifying some ammunition to be "micro-stamped" with identification, strengthening "red flag" laws that target potential lawbreaker and requiring social media providers to monitor their content for hate messages.

The new bills also ban the sale of body armor like the equipment used in the May 14 killings for ordinary civilians, and widens directives for sharing data among state and local authorities.

Hochul repeatedly noted that the Senate and Assembly quickly enacted the new laws to address loopholes that became more evident following the massacre at Tops. She contended that no state ever responded with such a "sense of urgency," and urged officials in Washington to embrace the same haste on a federal level.

"It's an investment in prevention," she said. "That's how you beat this at the front end."

The assemblage of officials gathered in the northeast Bronx to witness the new laws' enactment seemed to underscore the political will of the state  at least from the Democrats who control the levers of New York government. Hochul was joined by Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Attorney General Letitia James. State Sens. Timothy M. Kennedy and Sean M. Ryan of Buffalo also stood behind Hochul as she signed the bills.

During the ceremony, Brown noted his city is "still hurting, still grieving, and in pain" over the events of May 14. He also urged more federal action on guns, which continues to face stiff opposition from Republicans.

"I also hope it serves as a message to states all across the nation and to lawmakers in Washington that enough is enough," the mayor said. "The time for real gun reform at the federal level is now.

"This is the day the families of the victims in Buffalo have asked for ... for hearing the voices of the people," he added. "This sets an example for the rest of the nation. We will keep the pressure on in Congress."

James, meanwhile, laid down a direct political challenge. She singled out the Republican Party for taking too far its defense of the Second Amendment.

"Only in America, only in the country I love, can basic activity result in bloodshed because of our sick fascination with guns," she said, blaming a "feckless, spineless, reckless party known as the GOP."

"The Second Amendment is not absolute," James said. "We cannot wait for another child, another victim, to have their face blown away."

While not as direct in her effort to pressure gun control opponents, Hochul also referred to the reports of mass carnage in the Jefferson Avenue Tops as well as to the Texas elementary school where 19 children and two teachers were gunned down by an 18-year-old armed with an AR-15.

"Heaven help you if you look a those images and not have a change of heart," she said.

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By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Shifts that are taking place in global geopolitics directly affect the situation on the energy track. Today the energy market is going through very difficult times with a very high level of volatility and this is highly reflected in the European market. The current situation in the world showed that the EUs dependence on energy imports is critical, as is its dependence on a single supplier. Now it is either impossible to reduce this dependence, or it is plausible but comes at a high cost.

Q: What is behind the current gas shortage/crisis in the world market?

A: We should bear in mind that the problems on the EU energy map are reflected on the global energy map. Because when there is an acute shortage of gas in a certain region, this region needs to look for new suppliers, and if these supplies are reoriented to a new market, problems arise in the former market.

At the same time, one of the main reasons why now there is insufficient gas in the world market is simply because leading economies and investors do not want to invest in the development of new gas sources. Europe set a goal to develop alternative energy sources, reduce traditional gas usage, and transit to green energy. However, we can see that the implementation of projects related to alternative energy is severely stalled, and the countries do not tend to invest much in the oil and gas sector.

Speaking at the official opening ceremony of the 27th International Caspian Oil & Gas Exhibition on the sidelines of the Baku Energy Week, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that now there is a need to build new bridges, build new connections into connectors and work toward the expansion of the countrys gas presence on the European market.

He underlined that there is a need for contracts, for the beginning and speeding up negotiations, for the work with traditional partners, investors and energy companies, as well as for the expansion of existing facilities.

Q: What is Azerbaijans promise to energy-hungry nations?

A: Azerbaijan has enough gas reserves in order to increase gas supplies to the world market, but what is needed is investments and infrastructure projects. President Aliyev in his speech stressed that "Azerbaijan is thinking about the expansion now as there is a demand for that, but this will take time, take a lot of financial resources, close coordination, cooperation and active dialogue with all countries involved".

Taking into account that there are now new challenges, and new demands, of course, we are already in negotiations with other potential consumers. But for that, of course, only our efforts will not be sufficient, he said.

There must be investments in infrastructure in Europe, building new interconnectors and of course, agreeing on the terms. Everyone knows that in the gas business, first, you sell the gas, sign the contract and then start to invest and extract. First, the buyers need to indicate what volumes they need and sign long-term supply contacts, as in order to decide how much should be invested in the development of the fields in Azerbaijan, it needs to be known how much buyers will import.

Aliyev, who has traditionally been against borrowing from foreign creditors, even said that Azerbaijan is ready to borrow funds from leading financial institutions there will be projects of global importance, and the projects that are important for Azerbaijan.

Q: Does Azerbaijan have enough gas reserves to increase its supplies to the world market?

A: Azerbaijan has already proved itself to be a very reliable supplier and player in the world market. In the first year (2021), Europe planned to import only 5 billion cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan but ultimately received 8.1 billion cubic meters, and this year it is planned to increase the volume by some 25 percent.

In his speech, Aliyev revealed that last year Azerbaijan exported 22 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and this year the projection is 24 billion cubic meters, and the next year even more.

There can be different figures depending on the activity of production and also on activation of other fields which are situated in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea because our gas potential is not limited only with Shah Deniz, he said.

He signaled that some of the gas fields are also very promising, adding that some of them will start production next year.

So that will be an important contribution to energy security, especially now, when the demand for Azerbaijani hydrocarbons is more than ever before. And we, as a responsible country take that into account and we try to support countries which due to different reasons face difficulties, he said.
Activities start at 6 p.m. Friday with a Pride happy hour at Alchemy Wine & Beer, 20 Union St. Hamburg Village Bike Rides will host the Pride Ride, leaving at 11 a.m. Saturday from Gunther's Hill Park on Woodview Avenue for a slow roll through the village.

Pride in the Park will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday at Memorial Park. The day starts with a service led by the Hamburg Unitarian Universalist Church. Other highlights include guided meditation by Village Yoga and Wellness and performances by Mel's School of Music, a SUNY Fredonia dance ensemble led by Anthony Alterio and community members. Guest speakers include Judge Grace Hanlon, Dr. Greg Rabb, Sherry Fossett and Ron Piaseczny of Niagara Pride. Activities will conclude with a performance by acoustic artist Erin Sydney Welsh.
A cooperative supermarket. A publicly funded East Side community land trust. Tearing down or rehabbing substandard housing. And removing the mindset that its normal to live in these types of conditions.

A killer put their ZIP code in the spotlight. But in the 14208, 'All we see is hope' Its a vibrant part of this neighborhood and this community so were trying to rebuild, said one business owner on Jefferson Avenue, near the Tops Friendly Market where policy say a gunman shot and killed 10 people  all Black  and wounded three others Saturday afternoon.

The outpouring of condolences, donations and support from all over the world was warmly received after a self-described white supremacist shot and killed 10 people  all Black  and wounded three others May 14 at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue.

Beyond the short term, however, those advocating for the East Side want urgent and long-lasting steps to lift the community beyond the store's immediate neighborhood.

We know the news cycle generally runs for about four or five days, but we live here. And so even when its no longer national news, we want to make sure we dont let the energy, that emotion of this moment, pass without us using it in some way toward creating some long-term solutions or benefits for our community, said Duncan Kirkwood, a community advocate who organized a recent meeting of Black community leaders.

About 75 people attended in person and virtually, Kirkwood said, including City Court Judge Philip Dabney, NAACP President Mark Blue and attorney Miles Greshem, policy fellow at the nonprofit Partnership for the Public Good.

The purpose was to discuss ideas for a plan to help build community resilience and increase safety Kirkwood said.

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

Long-term plans must be developed to tackle root problems of the entire East Side, including substandard housing, health inequities and outdated infrastructure, among other problems, East Side residents say.

And mental health issues will linger for the those across the East Side traumatized by the deadly racist attack.

All this is cool and all. Youve got the prayers, but wheres the solution, though? said Austin Leeper, 27, a resident of Dodge Street near Tops, who spends almost all of his time in the neighborhood.

This is an underserved community, and you cant dance around that," said Rana Ryan, 53, a clinical social worker and therapist in Buffalo. "I dont think one administration is going to solve that. Its a community understanding that theyre living in oppression. We should be talking about why is this building empty? Why is this lot empty?

Rebuilding the community

The gunman on May 14 reportedly chose the street, the community and its 14208 ZIP code for the location of the murderous rampage specifically because the area is home to so many Black people.

Researchers, community advocates, city planners and mental health experts say rebuilding the community will require long-term strategies and solutions that encompass the entire East Side.

Were talking really about the East Side as a whole because we think that the attack on the grocery store was an attack on Black Buffalo, said Henry Louis Taylor, director of the Center for Urban Studies and professor of urban and regional planning at the University at Buffalo.

The neighborhood around the Tops grocery store is one of the poorer ones in Buffalo. Within the U.S. Census tract that includes the Tops supermarket, the median household income is just over $24,000. Almost 29% of its 2,666 residents live below the poverty line. Thats more than double the rate for Erie County.

The 14208 ZIP code has a high percentage of Black residents, about 78%.

But the people who live and work there, and the businesses and institutions that serve the community, say there is much more to their neighborhood than a demographic designation.

There are new affordable housing units and a thriving commercial district after years of neglect brought on by politics, policies and poverty.

According to a 2019 report from Empire State Development, the Jefferson Avenue commercial district has a vibrant lineup of community resources, entrepreneurial strengths and stable businesses, but it has long struggled with high vacancy rates and outdated infrastructure. The state report counted 67 businesses on Jefferson or on corner lots, accounting for 608 jobs.

Taylor said what he hears from groups hes associated with and people he talks to is that theyre concentrating on a handful of long-term items.

The whole idea of perhaps moving toward a cooperative supermarket. The idea and concept of asking and pushing the city toward the establishment of an East Side-wide land trust that is publicly funded. The focus on substandard housing. The efforts to create a green infrastructure and, most importantly, the turning of all of the economic activities that could occur on the East Side into a highly developed on-the-job-training program so the Black people who live on the East Side would be allowed to participate in the process of rebuilding their communities as they rebuild their lives, Taylor said.

Working together

At his recent Black leaders meeting, the group came up with the first steps of creating a Black agenda of things we want to see happen in the community, Kirkwood said.

The agenda centered on concerns about economic problems and issues around housing and the challenges Black children and families face in public education, among other issues, Kirkwood said.

We talked about safety in our community and well-being and generally the mindset people have adopted  to believe its normal to live in these type of conditions, he said.

A smaller group of volunteers will do research. Then the larger group will meet again, Kirkwood said.

But it is important that organizations work together to find solutions.

We live in a perpetual system of oppression that were all fighting against," Kirkwood said. "You add to that police violence. You add to that over-policing. You add to that white terrorists, and its a scary existence to be a Black person in America.

"So weve got to do something about that. Weve got enough Black leaders and Black churches and Black elected officials that if we could just get people to work together, we can find and create the solutions that we need to advance our own community.

We want to bring together all of the people and have a large-scale initiative on Buffalos East Side so that we can create some type of semblance of unity, Taylor said. When I say unity, some kind of general agreements on what it is that theyre attempting to do; find better ways to collaborate and cooperate. And continue to fashion a vision of the kind of East Side that we want to build.

You need everybody to step up  it takes a village to build a community. It doesnt take one person, said Ryan, the clinical social worker and therapist. Somebody tried giving me money. I dont want money. It takes a family and a community to stop feeling so oppressed. Im tired. We get tired. I just hope the momentum builds.

Mental health needs

The reality of what occurred has to be digested, and that will look different for everyone, experts in mental health say.

Days after the mass shooting, David Louis of Buffalo, for example, said he was still processing what happened.

The day after the incident, Louis was driving to the Jefferson Avenue Tops. On his way, he realized this thing just happened, and it occurred to him the Jefferson Avenue Tops was the only grocery store where he regularly shopped.

He drove to a Sams Club, where he noticed only white people going in and out the store, which made the mass shooting even more surreal, he said.

I was scared. Im a fighter. I was scared to get my strong, Black male self out of the car and go into the store because I thought I was going to be shot  because Im Black, Louis said.

That is a sign and normal response to a traumatic event, said Susan Green, a clinical professor and co-director of the University at Buffalo's Institute on Trauma and Trauma-informed Care. What were talking about here  is that when something occurs that is considered an experience as being traumatic to someone, it basically overwhelms ones capacity to process all aspects of the event at an emotional, cognitive  or thought process  and/or a physiological level.

A minority of people who were exposed to this kind of life-threatening trauma will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, which is different from being traumatized, said Dr. Steven Dubovsky, professor and chair of Psychiatry Department at UBs Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Obviously, everybodys traumatized by something like this, and everybodys upset, and people get scared and people get a little afraid to go out. What if it happens again? But those kinds of acute feelings for a significant number of people go away on their own without treatment, and a distinct group of people develop post-traumatic stress disorder  feeling on edge all the time, feeling scared, on the lookout for something else dangerous, Dubovsky said.

It includes reliving the traumatic experience in your mind; sometimes consciously having thoughts of the trauma go over and over in your mind or having bad dreams about the event. Theres an element of avoidance of things that remind you of the trauma. ... Theres an element of disjointed emotions: feeling depressed, feeling irritable, feeling anxious, having mood swings and so forth. This does not develop in everybody whos been exposed to a trauma.

Therapies include crisis counseling, relaxation training and cognitive restructuring, where people reorganize their thinking to enable them to feel safe and equipped to deal with any danger that might come along.

Just because you feel this way now, he said. It doesnt mean youre going to feel this way forever.

News Staff Reporter Charlie Specht contributed to this report.

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The long shadow of the senseless Buffalo massacre had not even begun to fade when we are once again confronted with the unimaginable slaughter of 19 innocent grade school children and 2 teachers.

What is wrong with us as a society when mass murder becomes commonplace. When we will reach the point of enough is enough and demand our legislators to enact measures that help eliminate these brutal and senseless tragedies. How many more children must be murdered before our politicians wake up to the facts that have been evident for years that we need stronger gun laws.

I for one am sick and tired of politicians using the hackneyed expression of "thoughts and prayers" to the survivors of these horrific events instead of that action that could help to avoid them in the future. The Texas governor's disingenuous remarks after the murders and his upcoming attendance at the NRA convention say everything you need to know about where this politician's true interest lies. However, he is not the only one. Years of inaction by the right on any type of substantive gun control have now turned our schools, churches and stores into shooting galleries.

While the right will fight tooth and nail to save the unborn, they apparently have little or no concern for lives of children already born. It is a disgrace that as a nation we do not hold our representatives accountable for these senseless acts of violence that eat at the very heart and soul of this nation, our children.

Gary Rog

Hamburg
Esther Attard, director of Toronto Animal Services, says the new measures will update the city's municipal code as it applies to animals, particularly fast-breeding pets like this rabbit at the TAS shelter on Progress Avenue in Scarborough. (Sue Goodspeed/CBC - image credit)

If you're thinking of breeding rabbits and guinea pigs, or feeding wild animals, or you're just a dog owner who scoops your pooch's poop every day, then you'll want to know about a new set of rules the City of Toronto is considering.

After two years of study, municipal licensing staff are recommending sweeping changes to parts of the municipal code that concern animals. Getting special attention: the number of fast-breeding pets you'll be allowed to keep.

"Some people don't know if they've got boys and girls and when boys and girls are together, then you end up with many more," said Esther Attard, the director of Toronto Animal Services (TAS). She's also one of the contributors to a new report.

"Guinea pigs and rabbits reproduce really quickly, and so you can end up with a lot ... more pets than you bargained for."

The suggested changes are based on proposals from city councillors, the public and city staff, Attard said. Councillors will take their first look at the proposals when the community development committee meets next month. Council will likely hold a final vote on the plan by the end of the year.

Mike Smee/CBC

City staff are recommending each household be limited to four rabbits, or four guinea pigs. Why? Attard cites the example of one Toronto family who decided earlier this year to breed rabbits and sell them as pets.

"It's a lot harder to do than you think," she said. "And so then they end up in a crisis."

What crisis is Attard referring to? Well, eventually, their home was overrun with 80 rabbits.

Haviva Porter, executive director of a group called Rabbit Rescue Inc., supports the limits. She says she hears similar stories to the one Attard described all the time.

"They thought they were the same gender, and all of a sudden, behold, there are a dozen baby bunnies," she said.

"Nothing can be done once you have a household with so many animals, so many rabbits that aren't being looked after properly. So limits are important."

Story continues

Another proposal would limit pigeon fanciers to 30 birds, except during breeding season, when they'll be allowed 50.

Submitted by Haviva Porter

There's also a proposal for a blanket ban on the feeding of wildlife. Right now, it's only illegal to feed wild animals in city parks. The new rules will disallow the practice city-wide.

Last weekend, in Westlake Park, near Weston Road and Black Creek Drive, a coyote bit a child, prompting the city to warn residents not to feed wild animals  a practice Attard says leads to a lot of problems..

"It conditions wild animals to expect food from people. And then a person can have a bad interaction with a wild animal."

As well, staff are suggesting the city codify a practice that has long been tacitly allowed: pet cats and pigeons roaming the city freely.

Scott Sugden/University of Alberta

But once that becomes law, the city will also require that city shelters stop accepting stray, nuisance cats. At present, felines that roam can be dropped off at the local city shelter by annoyed neighbours. It's then up to TAS to try to reunite the animal with its owner, which can be a long, complicated and sometimes fruitless task, she said.

Although she's generally supportive of the changes, Rabbit Rescue Inc.'s Porter says she's got some questions for councillors before the new rules are passed.

"What would happen in situations where really good owners have six rabbits? Are they going to be grandfathered in? Would they have to get rid of the rabbits when shelters or rescues are already full?" she said.

"I think there's a lot of concern that foster homes be exempt. Will shelters, pet stores be exempt? Who's going to be monitoring it and who's going to be enforcing it?"

The Municipal Licensing and Standards report includes a recommendation that three new bylaw officers be hired at a cost of $347,000 a year.

Sue Goodspeed/CBC

But Attard says she expects enforcement to be done in a measured way. For instance, she says people won't be banned from using backyard bird feeders provided excess feed doesn't spill over onto the ground where other animals, like rats, can get at it.

But she admits that enforcement could be difficult, when it comes to identifying individual bird feeders.

Several other changes to the municipal code are also included in the report: Right now, dog owners have to remove excrement from their own property immediately. The report recommends that giving them 24 hours to get the job done is "a more realistic timeframe."

The report also suggests pledging support for any move by the province to ban cosmetic surgeries for pets  things like tail docking and ear cropping for dogs and declawing cats, Attard said.
Problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol stem from the relative weakness of the UKs position in the Brexit talks with the EU, Boris Johnsons former chief negotiator has said.

Lord Frost, the ex-Brexit minister who negotiated the Withdrawal Agreement, said the arrangements for Northern Ireland would only have worked if the EUs regulatory framework had not been fully applied.

He said the EUs purism in the way it was implementing the protocol  which requires customs checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland  was now threatening the peace process.

Lord Frost made his comments in a foreword to a report by the centre-right Policy Exchange think tank which argued that the idea of an all-island Irish economy was a fiction that was being promoted for political ends.

The report by the Policy Exchanges chief economic adviser Dr Graham Gudgin said that, despite the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, there was little integration between Northern Ireland and the Republic and that they remained two distinct economies.

Only 4% of the goods and services produced in Northern Ireland cross the border to the Republic while 16% go to Great Britain, and 31% of imports to Northern Ireland are from the rest of the UK, the report said.

At the same time, just 2% of the Republics exports go to Northern Ireland and only 6% of Northern Irelands imports come from the Republic.

Lord Frost said the idea of an all-island economy had effectively become part of the protocol because it chimed with the political ambitions of Brussels and Dublin, even though it did not accord with the reality on the ground.

Lord Trimble said said the language of the Irish Government was having a destabilising effect (Brian Lawless/PA)

Shaped as the protocol is by relative UK weakness and EU predominance in the Withdrawal Agreement negotiations, it enshrines a concept, the all-island economy, which suits the EU, Ireland, and their allies politically but which does not exist in real life, he said.

Hence the grinding tensions, the economic frictions, and the political turbulence caused by the protocol.

Story continues

Given this economic reality, the protocol arrangements could only have worked if, in real life, the EU regulatory framework had not been fully applied in practice (recognising, for example, the protocols requirement to minimise checks and controls at Northern Ireland ports) and there had been much more pragmatism in its operation.

As it was, the EUs purism and its casually destructive handling undermined East-West links from the start and are now bringing the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement itself into great peril.

In a second foreword to the report, the former Northern Ireland first minister Lord Trimble, who was leader of the Ulster Unionist Party at the time of the Good Friday Agreement, said talk by the Irish Government of an island economy was having a destabilising effect.

At the time of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish government did not talk to us about an island economy: they were looking for cooperation for mutual benefit, he said.

Today the Irish Government has a different language in which the island economy is an endlessly repeated theme. The Irish Government sharpens unionist fears that there is some all-island economic propulsion leading to political unity. This has had a destabilising effect.

Labours shadow international trade secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said: Now is not the time for a blame game about the workings of the protocol.

What is needed is a pragmatic way forward.

Chaos in the Conservative Party should not be preventing ministers from getting around the table and carrying out the painstaking work necessary to find a solution, and the EU should engage in a pragmatic spirit.
"We look forward to expanding our product selection at our four operating stores to include our own brands and growing our wholesale business in one of the largest cannabis markets in the US, said CEO Jim Cacioppo

Jushi Holdings Inc. (CSE:JUSH, OTCQX:JUSHF) has announced that it is expanding its retail presence with the opening of its 33rd dispensary nationally and fourth dispensary in the Silver State.

Following the opening of NuLeaf Las Vegas The Strip, Jushi noted that its operations in Nevada will consist of three adult-use and medical dispensaries in Las Vegas, an adult-use and medical dispensary in Lake Tahoe and approximately 47,000 square feet of cultivation and manufacturing space.

"NuLeaf Las Vegas The Strip has a fresh, new elevated design and look that is reflective of its location on the Strip," Jushi founder, chairman and CEO Jim Cacioppo said in a statement.

The company said NuLeaf Las Vegas The Strip, located at 1600 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Suite 140, will officially open and begin serving consumers and medical cannabis patients on June 8, 2022, at 9am. Along with providing an unparalleled customer-centric retail experience, it said the store features an option for online ordering through NuLeaf Las Vegas The Strip.

The 3,200-square-foot dispensary is located at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and W. Wyoming Avenue. It is also next door to the 18b Las Vegas Arts District, which straddles West Charleston and is home to the city's art-related galleries, studios, boutiques, stores, bars, restaurants, and other venues. Approximately 29,000 cars pass by the store each day on S. Las Vegas Boulevard, while W. Wyoming Avenue sees about 19,000 cars per day.

"It is incredibly well-positioned to serve the tens of thousands of global visitors who attend monthly First Friday events and visit Vegas to see the neighborhood's amazing public art and murals, all of which are accessible via short, walkable urban blocks, Cacioppo said. Also, we look forward to expanding our product selection at our four operating stores to include our own brands and growing our wholesale business in one of the largest cannabis markets in the US.

Jushi said NuLeaf Las Vegas The Strip will carry top cannabis brands and products, including flower, concentrates, vaporization products, tinctures, edibles, topicals, capsules, and various ancillary products such as approved rigs, batteries, merchandise and other devices, including Jushi and NuLeaf cannabis lines as well as an expanded line of NuLeaf merchandise and accessories.

It noted that the retail location provides an efficient, accessible, and safe experience that goes beyond the traditional cannabis retail environment. As part of its commitment to exceeding customer expectations and experience, the company said well-trained staff will also be on-site to help dispense products, answer questions and provide exceptional service.

In addition, NuLeaf Las Vegas The Strip is handicap accessible, LGBTQIA+ friendly, and offers a standing 10% discount to anyone 65 years or older and a 20% discount to veterans and active military personnel with identification.

Jushi is a vertically integrated cannabis company focused on building a multi-state portfolio of branded cannabis assets through opportunistic acquisitions, distressed workouts, and competitive applications.

Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com
Networking

Internet2's Eduroam Support Organizations Program Expands in Two States

Internet2 recently announced that two additional state research and education (R&E) networks have joined its eduroam Support Organizations program. Connecticut Education Network (CEN) and Link Oregon have joined the program that provides anchor institutions like K12 schools, libraries and museums access to the eduroam global WiFi roaming service. The service is now available in five states across the U.S., according to a news release.

Eduroam was developed as a worldwide roaming wireless service for the international R&E community and is currently available in more than 100 countries. The U.S. branch is operated by Internet2 and has more than 1,000 subscribing organizations that support millions of student, faculty, researchers and staff.

"The eduroam Support Organizations program is cultivating a cohort of leading organizations in the research and education network community that have the capabilities, capacity and collaborative spirit needed to contribute to the expansion of eduroam access throughout the U.S.," said Kevin Morooney, vice president of trust and identity & NET+ cloud services at Internet2. "The unique promise of eduroam lies in its ever-increasing ubiquity. We're over the moon about the momentum the Support Organizations are creating to bring access to all students in their states. The power of a community coming together to solve shared problems is on full display with these efforts."

CEN and Link Oregon are the fourth and fifth Support Organizations in the U.S. to join. The other three are the Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN), the Sun Corridor Network in Arizona, and ConnectEd Nebraska. The news release explained that Support Organization participants share open information with each other, collaborate to solve joint challenges, and leverage existing networks with schools, museums and libraries to address scaling challenges and provide better wireless access. CEN and Link Oregon submitted their proposals to join in April 2022 and will participate in an on-ramp process during the next year.

"CEN is excited to become an eduroam Support Organization and continue to promote secure and seamless WiFi across Connecticut's community anchor institutions," said Ryan Kocsondy, director of CEN. "CEN will be building on the success of the governor's EveryBody Learns initiative, which launched a public WiFi service during the pandemic and utilized eduroam as one of the SSIDs. CEN will partner with members of the CT Commission of Educational Technology on continued eduroam expansion, building on the pilot success at numerous public school districts and libraries."

"Our entire team at Link Oregon is very excited to be recognized by Internet2 as the eduroam Support Organization for Oregon and to have this opportunity to extend the multiple benefits of seamless WiFi roaming to our partners in the K-12, public library and museum sectors," said Steve Corbato, executive director of Link Oregon. "This work will leverage a successful demonstration project led by our founding member Oregon State University, together with the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District and the Albany and Corvallis School Districts."

For more information on the eduroam Support Organizations program, visit the Internet2 wiki.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated homelessness in Wisconsin, with the state now facing a deficit of more than 120,000 affordable homes and over 4,500 people experiencing homelessness on any given night, according to the most recent data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

However, Milwaukee County has the nations lowest per-capita homeless population, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced in March. That is thanks to a set of Housing First policies the city has implemented to permanently house as many people as possible before establishing employment, or attending to substance use or mental health issues, said James Mathy, the administrator for the Milwaukee County Housing Division.

Those policies are now being slowly adopted throughout Wisconsin, as Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, running for reelection this year, announced in March about $210 million in grants to combat homelessness in the state.

The Neighborhood Investment Fund comes from the huge sums the state received from the Democrats nearly $2 trillion federal stimulus from 2021 called the American Rescue Plan. The fund is intended to help cities address a variety of issues, with the majority of grants creating affordable housing and supporting those struggling with homelessness, according to the state.

The city and county of Milwaukee are set to receive a total of $25 million from the fund, according to the state. Milwaukee County will receive two grants totaling just over $10 million. More than $7 million will go toward building 120 single-family homes for people of color, and will focus on affordable homeownership, Mathy said.

Another $3 million will go toward acquiring and rehabbing a building on the citys south side that contains a community food pantry and a transitional housing program according to Mathy. The city of Milwaukee is set to receive $15 million for similar projects.

Other cities getting big grants from the Neighborhood Investment Fund for housing and homelessness include Racine, which will receive $15 million, and Juneau, population about 2,600, will get $10 million in funds. The Ho-Chunk Nation will receive nearly $12 million for that same problem in Black River Falls. Viroqua, population about 4,500, will get $6 million.

The cities of Ashwaubenon, Eau Claire, Fond Du Lac, Lancaster, Menomonie, Oshkosh, and Wausau will all receive between $2 million and $5 million, approximately.

That funding will be crucial, as Wisconsins homeless population is growing in every area of the state, said Michael Basford, the director of the Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness, a state agency with the goal of ending homelessness.

It really is a universal issue throughout the state  everywhere that Ive been able to go see it in person, or virtually over the last nearly three years, everybody tells me the same thing, Basford said. Access to units that are affordable, particularly to people who are low income, is the number one barrier for people who are experiencing homelessness.

About 270 individuals were experiencing homelessness in La Crosse as of April. And while the city did not receive a Neighborhood Investment Grant, officials have been trying to get creative to address the growing issue.

After housing people in a hotel over the winter, La Crosse has designated one of its parks as a campground where those facing homelessness are allowed to pitch tents and stay for the summer. Its seen as a centralized space where agencies and food services can help the most people in one spot.

La Crosse still has its eyes on something more long-term, such as transitional or bridge housing or a city-owned shelter, but officials werent able to secure anything over the winter.

Housing prices across the state have doubled since 2012, and have increased nearly $100,000 on average over the last 5 years, according to the Wisconsin Realtors Association.

Its hard to pinpoint the exact reason housing prices are rising all over the state, Basford said, but in Madison, costs could be driven by the growth in the data sector. On the eastern and western sides of the state, he speculated, the Milwaukee and Twin Cities economies could be pushing people further away from their work.

A huge jump in material prices has also supercharged the housing market. Prices for building materials have risen 33% since the start of the pandemic, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

In the Milwaukee metro area, a renter would need to make about $19 per hour to afford the rent and utilities on a fair market-priced, two-bedroom apartment on a 40-hour workweek, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a nonprofit aimed at decreasing homelessness for low-income people. In Madison, that number is over $23 per hour. The states minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

If I was the Tsar of Wisconsin and I could make budgetary decisions, I would create a program where I would just cut checks out of whatever is available in the budget for [affordable housing], Basford said. But that politically is not a viable option.

Current remedies for creating affordable housing include the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), which awards subsidies to private companies to build affordable housing.

Relying on LIHTC is something that is done most often, because thats something thats available right now, Basford said.

More than 900 affordable units will be built around the state thanks to the Neighborhood Investment Grant, Basford said, but thats far from the 120,000 units he says Wisconsin needs.

That number doesnt mean that you have 120,000 homeless every night, but that does mean thousands of households are one broken arm or COVID diagnosis away from not being able to pay the bills, Basford said, referring to emergencies that prevent people from working. There is still going to be a very substantial need for more affordable housing, and that is going to be a very heavy lift.

Milwaukees Housing First program

Housing First policies were first adopted in Milwaukee in 2015 when a group of care partners, city leaders and politicians sat down to create a system that HUD says helped the city succeed in achieving the lowest per-capita homeless population in America.

A lot of large institutions bought into this plan, Mathy said. Having all of our focus on permanently ending cycles of homelessness, instead of just being reactive, is what made these numbers possible.

On top of using tax credits to create affordable homes, caseworkers in downtown Milwaukee conduct street outreach five days a week, where they work with unsheltered people to put them directly into permanent housing.Data from the Milwaukee County Housing Division shows a 92% reduction in the homeless population on the street since Housing First policies were adopted in 2015, and a 53% reduction in the homeless population that is temporarily sheltered.

The Milwaukee County District Attorneys office, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the Milwaukee County Sheriffs Office are all partners with the Housing Division  which can be the difference between a homeless person getting forcibly removed from a tent city or getting permanent housing, Mathy said.

We want to make sure that people arent just kicked out of encampments, Mathy said. The idea of Housing First is to decriminalize homelessness, and to make sure people are put in permanent housing.

Mathy says 80% of the homeless households served in Milwaukee County are Black. This demographic in Milwaukee has the highest rate of poverty in any demographic group, according to the U.S. Census.

Making major reductions in homelessness is absolutely possible, if everybodys working together and following the same philosophy, Mathy said. Oftentimes it doesnt take unbelievably large financial investments. A lot is just coordination, and building a good public-private partnership.

Inspiration from Houston, Texas

Many of the policies and practices Milwaukee has implemented were initially successful in Houston, a city HUD named a priority community in 2012.

An audit of the citys homeless resources found the system disjointed, with duplicative services and people passed around instead of directed toward housing, according to Ana Rausch, the Vice President of Program Operations at the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County.

Like Milwaukee three years later, the various organizations in Houston first met to agree on a strategy to address homelessness. Leaders decided to pursue Housing First policies that prioritized moving people to permanent housing as fast as possible. The city also set up a facility to recruit and retain landlords and properties for the program.

The latest homeless count found just over 3,000 homeless people in Houston  a third of what it had been in 2011.

It may be tempting to want to respond to the political pressure, or the community pressure of getting rid of that visible homelessness right away, but its just a Band-aid, Rausch said. Its so expensive to temporarily house people. Just doing it right may take a little bit longer, but in the end, you permanently solved the situation instead of pushing them around temporary shelters.

While there have been pitfalls to Houstons system  including dirty apartments, apathetic landlords and potentially long waits to be housed  it boasts a 90% success rate in either keeping people housed after 2 years or a positive transition to more permanent housing, Rausch said.

We put the majority of our funding into permanent housing because we believe that the only way to permanently end someones homelessness is to provide them with housing and supportive services, period, Rausch said.

The Badger Project is a non-profit producing investigative journalism in the state. For more visit thebadgerproject.org.

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin. For more visit thebadgerproject.org. La Crosse Tribune reporter Olivia Herken contributed to this story

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MILWAUKEE  A 34-year-old Wisconsin man has been charged in the deaths of six people who were found dead in January at a Milwaukee duplex.

Bail was set at $1 million Sunday for Travis Lamar Birkley, who is charged with six counts of felony murder. An attorney who represented Birkley at the hearing declined to comment on the case.

The six victims were found with gunshot wounds on Jan. 23, but court documents detailing the charges against Birkley suggest they may have been killed three days earlier.

Investigators linked Birkley to the killings with cellphone data that included a selfie that appeared to have been taken in the basement of the home where the bodies were found several hours after the victims were believed to have been killed on Jan. 20. Investigators said Birkley appeared to be wearing one of the victims' expensive glasses in the photo.

Court documents also say that a witness told police that Birkley had admitted killing the six people with his cousin during a botched drug robbery, WISN reports. Court documents said that shell casings found at the scene came from two different guns.

The witness, who wasn't identified in court documents, also told police about seeing Birkley with a gun, cash and drugs believed to belong to one of the victims after they had died.

The complaint against Birkley doesn't identify his cousin by name. No additional arrests have been made in connection with this case, and police said no additional information was available Sunday.

Authorities previously identified the six victims as Michelle Williams, 49; Donta Williams, 44; Donald Smith, 43; Charles Hardy, 42; Javoni Liddell, 31; and Caleb Jordan, 23. Three of the victims lived at the home where the bodies were found.

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

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By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

The Azerbaijani State Oil Fund (SOFAZ) revenues from the countrys major oil and gas fields amounted to $4.3 billion in January-May 2022, Azernews report per SOFAZ.

The Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli block of fields, the largest oil field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, accounted for $3.8 billion of the revenues.

The funds revenues from the Shah Deniz field, which is among the worlds largest gas-condensate fields, amounted to $526.5 million, including $144.5 million from condensate.

The fund's earnings from the countrys major oil and gas fields amounted to $6.8 billion in 2021, with Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) accounting for $5.9 billion of the revenues and Shah Deniz for $884.7 million.

Established in 1999, SOFAZ is a sovereign wealth fund, which accumulates and preserves Azerbaijans oil and gas incomes for future generations.

The contract for the development of the ACG oil fields was signed on September 20, 1994, and came into effect in December. The contract for the development of the ACG block was extended by 2050 in September 2017.

The shareholders in the ACG project are BP (operator, 30.37 percent), SOCAR (25 percent), MOL (9.57 percent), INPEX (9.31 percent), Equinor (7.27 percent), ExxonMobil (6.79 percent), TPAO (5.73 percent), ITOCHU (3.65 percent), ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) (2.31 percent).

The contract on the development of the Shah Deniz gas field was signed in 1996. Shareholders of the Shah Deniz project are BP (operator, 28.8 percent), TPAO (19 percent), AzSD (10 percent), SGC Upstream (6.7 percent), PETRONAS (15.5 percent), LUKOIL (10 percent), and NICO (10 percent).
Graduate Gabriel Gonzales gives a hug to DCCCHS Dean of Students Violeta Bustamante.

DEMING  Deming Cesar Chavez Charter High School Class of 2022 put the schools motto of Si Se Puede (Yes You can) to the test. The 28 students that received diplomas on Thursday of last week traversed unchartered territory by learning through a global pandemic and overcoming many personal and social obstacles to achieve their goals.

The Mimbres Valley Special Events Center was filled with family and friends and the Deming High School band made a special appearance, along with the DHS JROTC Wildcat Battalion Color guard.

Emotions ran high as selected students gave testimony on their trials and tribulations upon reaching this monumental moment. Many thanked parents, grandmas and other family members who supported them through the rough patches along their journey.

Edna Reyes

The greatest testimony came from Edna M. Reyes, the guest speaker for the DCCCHS Class of 2022. Reyes stood as a prime example of Si Se Puede, and how it translates into success at every step.

Reyes, a deputy district attorney for New Mexicos Sixth Judicial District, told the graduates about her humble beginnings. Born in Mexico and brought to America for a better life, Reyes worked alongside her family in the farm fields and onion sheds as a young teen. Her struggles were real, but she never lost sight of her goals in life.

Reyes graduated from Deming High School with honors in 2008 and went on to become student body president at Western New Mexico University in Silver City where she held many student leadership positions.

In 2012, she interned for former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman in Washington DC. She told the graduates of her humble stature in the nations capital and how she kept her chin up and she relied on her pride in culture and her

Reyes obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees at WNMU and was inducted to the WNMU Student Hall of Fame.

She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from Washburn School of Law in Topeka, KS and held an immigration law position with a Topeka firm.

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While at Washburn, Reyes played an active role in several student organizations, including Vice President of the Washburn Student Bar Association, Vice President of the Hispanic American Law Student Association, an ABA Trial team member, and Voir Dire competition team member.

She prosecutes domestic violence and sex crimes for the district court.

Reyes message was clear to the graduates. Use this story as an example of what a person can achieve when the mind and body are in sync for success.

Bill Armendariz can be reached at 575-546-2611 (leave a message) or biarmendariz@demingheadlight.com.

DCCCHS Class of 2022

Class motto: You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.  Maya Angelou

Class flower: Sunflower

Class song: Til You Cant, by Cody Johnson

The graduates

 Amy Aguilar

 Michael Aguilar

 Chris Avina

 Gabriel Israel Bueno

 Josue Elias Bustamante

 Clarissa Dominguez

 Jonathan Duran

 Matthew Duran

 Daisy Estrada

 Gabriela Nichole Ford

 Skylur Gilham

 Gabriel Gonzales

 Makinzy Ray Harvey

 Aubrey Holguin

 Elena Huerta

 Noah Leck

 Adam J. Linderg

 Manuel Lozano

 Damian Madrid

 Jackeline Martinez

 Evelyn Pereda

 Kianna Ramos

 Dyamond J. Rivera

 Madison Sandoval

 Elizabeth C. Schult

 Amaya Destiny Sera

 Aniya T. Thompson

 Ember P. Walker

 Jared Trevizo

 Erwin Villalobos

This article originally appeared on Deming Headlight: DCCCHS graduates let emotions flow during ceremony
A WEAVE IN TIME: For its sixth project at Milans Salone del Mobile, Loewe and creative director Jonathan Anderson will continue to delve into craft, focusing this time on traditional weaving techniques.

Highlighted throughout Weave, Restore, Renew is the idea that repairing is central to being sustainable while bringing uniqueness and extra character, an approach that sits right at the crossing of respect for the environment and respect for the product, according to Anderson.

More from WWD

Across this whole project, we celebrate the regenerative power of handwork. I am proud we have created a series of items that rewire the relation with time, wear and tear, delivering a message of evolution and transformation which is progressive and uplifting, he continued.

Visitors to the international furniture and interior design trade show will be able to see leather, straw and paper turned into striking functional items.

The ancient Coroza technique is used for hats, baskets and rain coats, here by artisan Alvaro Leiro. - Credit: Yago Castromil/Courtesy of Loewe

Yago Castromil/Courtesy of Loewe

For Repaired in Spain, the Spanish fashion house tasked artisans Idoia Cuesta, Belen Martinez, Santiago Besteiro, Juan Manuel Marcilla with breathing new life into 240 distressed baskets by mending them with leather strips.

Elsewhere, straw was the main material of the Coroza series of bags and baskets with distinctive fringing that nods to the ancestral technique of that name from the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia traditionally used to make raincoats, hats and baskets from pliable natural fibers.

In addition to these, 2019 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalist Young Soon Lee used recycled newspapers woven using the traditional Korean technique called Jiseung for a series of totes.

Shoppers in Milan will have first dibs on a selection of repaired baskets and small accessories starting Monday at the Loewe flagship on Via Monte Napoleone, with some also available on the brands e-commerce, before they become available in other cities including Tokyo, Seoul, New York and Paris.

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The Salone del Mobile, which takes place from Tuesday to June 12 at the Fiera Milano exhibition center on the citys outskirts, is celebrating this year its 60th edition and will be focusing on sustainability, a hot topic not only in fashion but also in design, its president Maria Porro told WWD earlier this year.

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Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
An appellate court decision last month in favor of a Wichita reproductive clinic could be a small step toward legalizing telemedicine abortions in Kansas.

The Kansas Court of Appeals sided with Trust Women in a lawsuit seeking to block enforcement of a telemedicine abortion ban, but the case is far from over.

"The short of it is that we are still waiting for a strong affirmative decision in the court cases, and in that event, we would certainly provide telemedicine abortions to qualifying patients in Kansas," said Zachary Gingrich-Gaylord, a spokesperson for Trust Women, in an email.

Telemedicine abortion would expand access to pregnant women and girls across the state, including Topeka. The state's four abortion clinics are in Wichita and Overland Park.

Wichita reproductive health clinic Trust Women won a court battle that could be a small step toward legalizing telemedicine abortion in Kansas.

The appellate ruling overturns Shawnee County District Court Judge Teresa Watson's denial of an injunction.

The majority opinion concluded the lower court "diverged from well-established Kansas caselaw" and abused its discretion with legal and factual errors. Watson also made an "arbitrary and unreasonable" decision to ignore an order in a separate case that dealt with the same issue.

The case was remanded back to the district court to come to a new decision on an injunction that corrects the previous flaws.

The case proceeds under the shadow of a looming vote on a Kansas constitutional amendment and a forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision that could overturn protections for abortion.

More: Abortion in Kansas could be massively impacted if Roe v. Wade was overturned. Here's why.

Who are the defendants?

The defendants in the case are Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and the heads of the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.

A spokesperson for Bennett referred questions to Schmidt's office, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The appellate court also reinstated Board of Healing Arts leadership as defendants in the case.

Story continues

The lower court had dismissed them because the clinic is licensed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, not the board, despite the fact the board licenses doctors and could take disciplinary action against the licenses of the clinic's physicians.

The doctors could also face misdemeanor criminal charges for violating the law.

More: Abortion numbers rise in Kansas, but patient counts from Texas and Oklahoma drop

Lawsuit challenges Kansas ban on telemedicine abortion

The lawsuit challenges a state law requiring that abortion-inducing drugs be given to the patient in the same room as the doctor who prescribed the medication. The law effectively blocks telemedicine abortion services using mifepristone and misoprostol.

A separate case, also in Shawnee County, resulted in a finding that the statute is unconstitutional. That decision is being appealed.

In the Trust Women case, the clinic requested a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the statute against its clinic and physicians.

If the plaintiffs are granted an injunction, the Kansas Supreme Court may ultimately weigh in before the clinic resumes telemedicine abortions.

More: What does the Oklahoma abortion ban mean for clinics in Kansas?

"Our understanding is that the district court has to at least come to a new decision on the telemedicine case, and a decision to enjoin it, before we would consider offering telemedicine abortions," said Gingrich-Gaylord, of Trust Women. "Our expectation is that if the district court ruled in our favor, the state would still appeal it."

If telemedicine abortions were legalized, it could work one of two ways.

Physicians physically at the Wichita clinic could provide care to a patient elsewhere in Kansas but not outside the state.

Additionally, if a patient were physically at the clinic, then they could see a physician who is in another state. Allowing doctors from outside Kansas to perform telemedicine abortions via an in-person clinic is beneficial, court records state, because "finding physicians to work for Trust Women has been a consistent and chronic problem" that reduces access to care.

More: Oklahomans, Texans now comprise majority of patients at Kansas abortion clinic, doc says

AG Derek Schmidt 'threw down the gauntlet' on abortion rights

The case's history stems in part from the unclear effects of an order in a separate case, which barred the attorney general from enforcing the telemedicine abortion ban, but didn't necessarily block state and local prosecutors from taking action against clinics not involved in that case.

Trust Women began offering telemedicine abortions in October 2018, believing it was protected by the order in the separate case. But two months later, Kansans for Life filed a complaint with the Board of Healing Arts alleging a physician at the clinic was providing illegal telemedicine abortions.

Additionally, Schmidt "threw down the gauntlet" by arguing that he could enforce the telemedicine ban against Trust Women, the appellate court opined. At the time, the district court noted that Schmidt "was ethically bound to comply" with the order barring enforcement.

More: Can churches participate in politics? How little restrictions could impact Kansas abortion laws

Trust Women responded by asking the board and Bennett, the local prosecutor, for written assurances that they would not try to enforce the law. They did not get the assurances they were looking for, so they stopped providing telemedicine abortions and filed a lawsuit.

At the time, Trust Women had been providing telemedicine abortion to expand access to services. Abortion care had previously been provided two days a week because of limited physician availability. Telemedicine then allowed more availability by using physicians outside Wichita.

The clinic intended to further expand access to rural areas using telemedicine, but has not actively pursued that because it was not "viable given existing laws."

Jason Tidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Tidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Wichita abortion clinic Trust Women gets Kansas win on telemedicine
As fuel prices continue to climb around the world, most southeast Missouri drivers are also feeling the pain in their bank accounts.

According to a CNN article posted online, prices hit a new record as crude oil topped out at $120.99 a barrel. The national average price of gas jumped to $4.87 a gallon on Monday, according to AAA, up 25 cents from last week. Prices in St. Francois County ranged from $4.29 to $4.49.

Adam Gross, a science teacher in the Farmington School District, filled his tank at VP Racing Fuel on Ste. Genevieve Avenue in Farmington Monday.

These prices are just difficult when you're trying to manage a budget, especially, you know, because my wife and I are both educators so we're not exactly at the top of any pay scale, he said. I just recently had to go up to Jefferson County, and seeing the price differential and how quickly it's changing, thats probably the most staggering part of it.

He said he and his wife will still take a vacation this summer, but theyre staying within Missouri. He added its also not lost on him that oil companies are making record profits this year.

And when theyre making profits the way that they are, it's kind of hard to justify to all the people who don't make that kind of money, Gross said.

According to an article by the Center for American Progress, an independent, nonpartisan policy institute, there are a variety of reasons for the stratospheric increases.

It is hard to overstate how profitable the war in Ukraine and the resulting financial pain have been for oil executives. Companies already benefited from inflated gas prices in 2021 as the economy bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns  in fact, the top 25 companies made more than $205 billion in profits in 2021  but the recently announced first-quarter profits for 2022 are even more astounding, states a report by Sally Hardin and Jenny Rowland-Shea. The top five oil companies alone  Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, and ConocoPhillipsbrought in more than 300% more in profits than in the first quarter of 2021. That is a total of more than $35 billion in profits in just three months. In fact, these five companies first-quarter profits alone are equivalent to almost 28% of what Americans spent to fill up their gas tanks in the same time period.

One local couple whos feeling no pain at the pump is John and Mo Bales, a Farmington couple who bought an electric car two and a half years ago. They charge the Tesla with their solar panels.

Were thrilled for us, but were so sorry for everyone else, said Mo, a retired teacher. We have no oil to change, or gears to lubricate and we havent had to buy gas. We still have our hybrid MKZ and John drives it every once in a while to keep the batteries going, but otherwise, we use the electric car.

Mo said theyve not done any overnight trips just because theyre still COVID-cautious, But weve taken it to Perryville and back, St. Charles and back, Cape Girardeau and back, no problem. It gets about a 300-mile range.

Mo said one of the features of their car  We didnt get the luxury model, by any meansis that the GPS lets them know where charging stations are and if there are restaurants or hotels nearby. She said a charge takes about 20 minutes at a super-charging station. If theyre home, it takes maybe an hour of solar power to get a 30-mile charge.

For the rest of the American population who drive analog cars, relief wont be coming any time soon, according to the experts. In a New York Times article written by Clifford Krauss, Chase Untermeyer, U.S. Ambassador to Qatar in the George W. Bush administration, said Biden might be traveling to Saudi Arabia to speak with the crown prince, but seldom do presidents have any bearing on fuel prices.

Presidents may be the most powerful figure in the American government, but they cannot control the price of oil at the pump, Untermeyer was quoted in the article. Even if prices do go down for reasons out of his control, President Biden probably wont get much credit for it, either.

Biden could, as many Republicans have urged, open federal lands and waters for drilling and open pipeline development to increase domestic oil production and Canadian imports, but its predicted that would invite political and social revolt from Democrats and environmentalists.

U.S. relations with the politically unrestful, oil-producing regions in Russia, Venezuela and the Middle East are discordant and also unlikely lead to any decrease in the price at the pump.

The national spokesperson for AAA, Andrew Gross, said even though the barrel price for oil is almost double from last August, a post-pandemic world wants to travel nonetheless  and for now, will not be stopped.

People are still fueling up, despite these high prices, Gross said in a AAA news release of June 6. At some point, drivers may change their daily driving habits or lifestyle due to these high prices, but we are not there yet.

Sarah Haas is the assistant editor for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-518-3617 or shaas@dailyjournalonline.com.

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The City of Park Hills is urging citizens to take advantage of a program to have the sidewalks, curbs, and stormwater guttering adjacent to their properties replaced by sharing the cost of materials with the city.

The Adopt-A-Sidewalk program was first introduced in 2017 and gives residents the option to have their sidewalks, curbs, and stormwater guttering more quickly replaced by paying a discounted fee of $5 per linear foot.

City Administrator Mark McFarland said city workers already replace aging sidewalks in poor condition as they can, but the Adopt-A-Sidewalk program lets citizens move up the repair list by sharing the cost of materials with the city.

"We are going to do other sidewalks," McFarland explained. "Just because you don't apply for this Adopt-A-Sidewalk program doesn't mean you're not going to get yours fixed, but we are going to do these first."

Residents looking to take advantage of the program can fill out a short form, available online under the "Forms" page of the city's website, parkhillsmo.net. Forms are also available at City Hall.

Once the form is completed, Public Works Director Cody Govreau will come to the property to assess the sidewalk and guttering and determine whether it should be replaced. Workers then take measurements and let the resident know what their portion of the cost is.

The fees for the replacement will total $5 per linear foot of new sidewalk and $5 per linear foot of curb and gutter repair.

"The [$5 per linear foot] doesn't fully pay for the concrete, but we provide the labor, do the tear-out, put it back in, and it just helps our budget stretch a little further," McFarland said. "And it gets the citizen who would like to have a new sidewalk pushed up on the list and get it quicker."

McFarland said that not every sidewalk replacement would be approved. He said they have to be in reasonably poor condition to be replaced.

"If it needs it, we'll do it," he said.

After the Public Works director has okayed the job, the resident's property is added to the repair list. All work is scheduled at the discretion of the Public Works Department.

City workers will then contact those on the repair list one or two days before doing the work.

Renters can also benefit from the Adopt-A-Sidewalk program with the property owner's approval.

"I just think it's a good program," McFarland added. "We've had a lot of people interested in it. We've had 17 sidewalks fixed under this plan. It helps the city, helps the people, and improves the looks of everything."

Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com

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By Laman Ismayilova

Waqar Zafar Bakhtawari, Executive Director of "D.Watson", the official distributor of Gazelli Group in Pakistan was in Azerbaijan, Azernews reports citing Islamabadpost.

During his visit, he was provided with insight into the work of the Gazelli Group company, one of the first manufacturers of natural cosmetics in the South Caucasus.

The Gazelli Group company is located on an area of 12,000 square meters.

The name of the company is derived from the word "ghazal", the Near and Middle Eastern form of poetry praising beauty, youth, and love.

The company is equipped with the latest technology. Gazelli Group produces over 3 million high-quality products in more than 700 varieties per year.

Around 25 years of scientific research have been conducted on miraculous naphthalene, mud volcanoes, more than 4,000 species of endemic plants, and rare thermal sources.

The company has taken part in various international cosmetic exhibitions and received the following national and international awards for quality and standards of production.

The products of Azerbaijan's Gazelli Group have entered the Pakistani market as part of the cooperation in 2021.

Waqar Zafar Bakhtawari stressed that the company's products aroused great interest among buyers.

Furthermore, the sides exchanged views on the ways to further develop mutual cooperation.
Welcome to The Denver Gazettes Metro Moves. Youll get the latest metro Denver openings, closings, hiring and promotion briefs here. To submit your companys news, drop an email to dennis.huspeni@gazette.com.

On the move

Two longtime Denver-based law firms recently announced theyre moving to new office space.

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck will move its Denver headquarters to the new office building Block 162, 675 15th St., leaving its 40-year home at 410 17th St., according to a news release.

The firm has more than 300 attorneys, staff and management working in Denver, out of about 600 companywide.

Our move to Block 162 in Denvers central core reaffirms a commitment to the city and Colorado that Norm Brownstein, Jack Hyatt and Steve Farber made when they founded the firm 54 years ago, Managing Partner Rich Benenson said in the release. Our new office space will offer best-in-class amenities for our employees, clients and community partners. We are creating a space where people can collaborate and continue Brownsteins legacy of excellence for our clients and the community.

The final move to 100,000 square feet on the top floors, 26-29, is planned for spring 2024. The building was developed by Patrinely Group, a client of Brownsteins, and USAA Real Estate.

David Graham & Stubbs LLP, a Denver-based firm for more than 100 years, will move to Paradigm River North, 3400 Walnut St., Denver, according to a news release.

The under-construction eight-story building is being developed by Jordon Perlmutter & Co. and Rockefeller Group. The firm plans to occupy 80,000 square feet of the buildings top three floors.

We have spent the past few years evaluating our office needs while taking into consideration evolving workspace trends and Denvers changing business ecosystem, co-Managing Partner Kristin Lentz said in the release. Paradigm River North provides high-quality, technology-enhanced office space with ample access to outdoor space that will well serve our employees and clients for years to come. DGS was ahead of its time in transitioning to the Union Station area some 20 years ago, and we are excited about this move to a vibrant area of Denver and the opportunity to engage with our new RiNo neighbors.

The final moved is planned for 2024, after the buildings scheduled completion at the end of 2023.
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Lawyers for Faith Bible did not rule out an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, and called the legal protections for the church's decision to terminate Tucker "very strong."
A Dothan man has been arrested for five outstanding warrants in relation to a shooting incident from last year.

Police said Keith Shakur Helms, 19, has been arrested for attempted assault in the first degree dating back to a November 2021 incident.

The police news release stated that in November a vehicle with five individuals was shot multiple times in the 700 block of Chinook Street in Dothan.

The Alabama Department of Forensic sciences conducted evidence testing, and when the test results were completed, warrants for Helms were issued.

Helms bond was set at $75,000.
pOpshelf, a new retail store that offers customers an affordable and fun shopping experience with the vast majority of items being priced at five dollars or less, is now open in Dothan.

The new location is at 200 Buyers Drive, in the old Pier One location near Wiregrass Commons Mall. Hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

According to company news release on Monday, customers can expect a selection of on-trend seasonal and home decor items. Customers can also find health and beauty items, home cleaning supplies, specialty items such as arts and crafts, party planning items, toys and more.

We are thrilled to expand the pOpshelf offerings and look forward to having customers pop by our new Dothan store, said Matt Frame, pOpshelfs senior director of store operations. At pOpshelf, theres fun in every find, happiness in the affordability and joy in the stress-free shopping experience we offer, we look forward to welcoming the community to our new store.

pOpshelf was first introduced in the fall of 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The company currently operates around 65 locations and 25 store within-a-store locations in some markets.

pOpshelf is also partnering with The Confetti Foundation to provide birthday parties to children who have to spend their birthdays in a hospital or clinic. The partnership aims to bring a little fun and joy to patients and their families during difficult times.
Katie Britt enters the runoff for Alabamas open Senate seat with the financial support and momentum to fend off Rep. Mo Brooks, experts in Alabama politics said, and she is likely to win easily if the nothing changes between now and June 21.

Shes obviously in the drivers seat, said Glen Browder, a retired professor of political science at Jacksonville State University and a former U.S. Congressman and Alabama Secretary of State.

If the messaging of the candidates continues to be what its been, I dont see how she loses, said Jess Brown a retired political science professor at Athens State University

Britt, an attorney from Enterprise, is vying to become the states first elected female senator. While a first-time candidate, she is not a political newcomer, having served as the former chief of staff for outgoing Senator Richard Shelby, whose seat she is trying to fill.

In the May 24 primary, Britt emerged as the frontrunner, earning 45 percent of the vote  just 5 percentage points short of avoiding a runoff.

It is clear tonight that Alabamians want new blood. They want new blood to go to Washington, D.C. and shake it up an exuberant Britt said to a cheering crowd the night of the primary after learning of her success.

Unlike her opponents, said Browder, Britts campaign hasnt been significantly hurt by attack ads.

The commercials have presented her as a likeable person, and shes hit hard on the issues that are important to Alabamians, he said.

Mike Durant, a businessman and former army pilot, suffered a drop in the polls several weeks before the primary after an ad was released showing him advocating for removing guns from American cities in a 2011 speech.

Durant was also recorded in a private meeting with a consultant group saying he supports bringing immigrant workers to the U.S. to help fill the labor needs of employers, a view he affirmed publicly afterward.

Durants late drop in the polls let Brooks bounce back, edge into second place and advance into the runoff with Britt.

Brooks, early on a seeming frontrunner, took a hit in the polls after former President Donald Trump pulled his endorsement in March. Brooks, who left his Congressional seat representing north Alabama to run for the open Senate seat, had campaigned in large part on his support of and alignment with Trump.

Trump has not endorsed either candidate in the runoff.

If Durant voters were to fall behind Brooks, the runoff could tighten, as there could be enough votes available to close the gap between Britt and Brooks. But there isnt a clear reason to assume Durant voters will return to the polls, said Regina Wagner, professor of political science at the University of Alabama.

I would think that unless something changes dramatically, she should be in a pretty good position to be favored to win the runoff, Wagner said.

Turnout for the primary was about 6 percent lower than normal and runoff races tend to inspire even less excitement, said Brown.

Getting the Durant voters back to voting in the runoff could be a real problem for Brooks, said Brown, adding that since Durant positioned himself as the outsider candidate, he may have attracted independents.

I would imagine too that to some extent, said Brown of Durants supporters, his voters are probably a little bit more cynical about politics generally.

Perhaps most importantly, Britt has considerable financial support relative to Brooks in this race. Sen. Shelby and other notable Republican backers in Alabama and Washington D.C. have thrown their resources behind Britts campaign.

Not only did she have a good bit of money for commercials, but she had Richard Shelbys support. I think that has been very, very effective in helping her in this race, said Browder.

Brooks campaign may not have the money to put out the kind of television ads in the next few weeks to muster support against Britt, said Brown, and its likely that if theres any fodder for attacks against her, it would likely have already come out.

If youre heavily outspent, its hard to compete, said Browder.

Race watchers also note that Britt also appears to have done more grassroots campaigning than both of her opponents, visiting all 67 of Alabama counties over the past year.

Britt, former head of the Business Council of Alabama, campaigned on what she calls her conservative, Christian values, and touted her pro-life stance, support for immigration restrictions, protection of the 2nd Amendment, and expansion of charter schools.

Her interpersonal skills are very good and shes simply better at voter interaction, said Brown.

Those efforts appeared to pay off on May 24, as Britt carried 62 of 67 counties in the state, seconded by Brooks who won five counties and pulled in 100,000 fewer votes.

Our goal in the runoff will be to go from winning 62 counties to winning all 67. Alabamians, regardless of their ZIP code, are rallying behind Katie because they know she is the best candidate to fight for our values and our people in the U.S. Senate, said campaign spokesman Sean Ross in a statement to AL.com

I think she would need to just continue what shes been doing and hope that Durant doesnt support Brooks and hope that Trump does not get involved in Alabama, said Browder.

Durant called the election broken, and stated in an article on the conservative news site 1819 on Thursday that he will not support either candidate.

Im not going to vote, Durant told 1819. Katie Britt doesnt deserve to be a senator. Mo Brooks has been in politics for 40 years, and all he does is run his mouth. If that is the best we have, were in trouble.

Meanwhile, Britt, who called for a debate when Durant was leading the primary, has now said she will not debate Brooks during the runoff. Brooks, who has been in numerous political races and served in various elected offices over the last four decades, fired back, calling Britt too weak to face him.

If she is too weak to stand on a stage and take Mo Brooks on, how can anyone expect her to take on Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, or any of the other Socialist Democrats that are destroying America, Brooks said in a statement on Thursday.

Brooks may have one arrow in his quiver, said Brown, as he can attack Britt as a RINO, or a Republican in name only. Brooks has been a GOP candidate long before there were many in Alabama. Back when Brooks was first elected to the state Legislature in 1982, Brooks was one of only 11 Republicans.

And Brooks has used conservative fiscal arguments to attack Britts former boss.

Richard Shelby is probably more responsible for (Americas) $30 trillion debt than any other person in the United States of America, Brooks said at a town hall in Cullman in March. His length of service is power on the Appropriations Committee. Now, if you like the gravy train, hes great at giving you the gravy train.

However, while she was expected by many to run as a traditional Republican candidate in the vein of Shelby, who has brought considerable federal dollars to Alabama industries and institutions, political watchers note Britt has instead fashioned herself as an ideologically driven conservative.

If she does win the runoff, it will be interesting to see if her tone becomes more moderate in the general election, said Wagner. In that case, Britt may already be thinking ahead and signaling what kind of Senator she would be.

If youre going into the Senate, you want to be well positioned with whatever group is ascending, Wagner said, referring to Sen. Mitch McConnells more traditional wing of the GOP as opposed to the Trump supporting, populist faction.
Lawyers have revealed a potential defense for an Alabama prisoner who walked out of jail with a corrections official, prompting an intensive manhunt. Attorneys for Casey White argue he was in the care and custody of jail official Vicky White the entire time authorities were searching for them. And they note Casey White was arrested after the woman took her own life last month in Evansville, Indiana. Authorities say it appears the two had a jailhouse romance. The defense claims came in a request to change the location of a case in which Casey White is awaiting trial on a capital murder charge.
Hanoi chairman Chu Ngoc Anh and health minister Nguyen Thanh Long were expelled from the Communist Party Monday for their culpability in a Covid-19 test kit scandal.

At an extraordinary meeting Monday, the Party Central Committee also asked relevant agencies to handle further administrative punishments against the two "in accordance with regulations for individuals who have been disciplined by the Party."

There are four levels of disciplinary actions for Party members: reprimand, warning, demotion and expulsion.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long at a National Assembly meeting in Hanoi, May 26, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Phong

Also on Monday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed an order to dismiss Pham Cong Tac from his position as Deputy Minister of Science and Technology for having committed "very serious violations on duty."

The Party Secretariat, which manages personnel matters, had expelled Tac for his involvement in the test kit scandal on Saturday.

The Party's Central Inspection Committee last month had proposed that the Politburo considers disciplinary action against the Party Committee of the Ministry of Science and Technology during the 2016-2021 period, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health during the 2016-2021 period, Hanoi chairman Anh who served as the science minister during the period, and health minister Long.

The Politburo and the Secretariat concluded that Long, Anh and Tac had violated the Party and the State's regulations, "causing severe consequences, losses to the money and assets of the State, undermining the Covid-19 fight, causing social unrest and affecting the reputation of the Party, the health ministry and science ministry."

Chu Ngoc Anh, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

The Central Inspection Committee had said in March that the Party Committee and officials of the health and science ministries in the 2016-2021 term had been negligent in their management, allowing violations at the ministries and their units regarding the approval, management and sale of Covid-19 test kits.

Phan Quoc Viet, general director of Viet A, admitted in January that he had inflated the price of a Covid-19 test kit by 45 percent and sent around VND800 billion ($35.2 million) as "bonuses" to company partners. Viet said he had bribed certain individuals in this regard.

Several officials including high-ranking military generals and directors of provincial branches of the Center for Diseases Control have been arrested or placed under criminal investigation for their involvement in the case.

Chu Ngoc Anh, 57, is a Hanoi native. From April 2016 to September 2020, he served as Minister of Science and Technology. In September 2020, he was elected as Hanoi chairman, replacing Nguyen Duc Chung who was facing a criminal investigation. He was tasked with leading Hanoi as the capital city struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic. During his 1.5-year tenure as Hanoi chairman, Anh completed the final pieces of capital planning by approving the Red River and Duong River subdivision plans, as well as Hanoi's underground space. The city recorded nearly 3 percent economic growth in 2021.

Nguyen Thanh Long, 56, is from Nam Dinh Province in northern Vietnam. He took the Health Minister position in November 2020. He spent this time directing Vietnam's fight against the Covid-19 epidemic while also serving as the Head of the Central Committee for Health Care.
UNESCO officials, foreign diplomats explore Vietnamese lacquer paintings

More than 20 ambassadors and representatives of various international cultural organisations recent paid a visit to the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum to gain greater insights into the countrys lacquer paintings.









UNESCO officials and foreign diplomats at the museum (Photo: vietbao.vn)



Nguyen Anh Minh, director of the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum, briefed participants on the process of creating lacquer paintings, noting that the countrys fine arts industry underwent an early combination with Western paintings at the beginning of the 20th century through the Fine Arts College of Indochina.



Christian Manhart, chief representative of UNESCO Vietnam Office, highlighted the lacquer pieces on show, noting some American scientists have worked alongside the NGO and other relevant Vietnamese agencies to seek ways to protect the environment and landscape of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCOrecognised World Heritage Site.



Le Thi Thu Hang, director of the Press - Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said heritage tourism has grown strongly as Vietnam moves past the COVID-19 pandemic. She added Vietnam is home to eight world cultural and natural heritage sites, as well as 14 intangible heritages honoured by UNESCO.



Hang requested that UNESCO and ambassadors support Vietnams candidacy as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for 2022-2026.



This clearly demonstrates its strong will in terms of contributing to conserving cultural diversity and sustainable development of the world's intangible cultural heritage, she said.



The participants had the chance to experience the museum's smart assistant application named iMuseum VFA, a multimedia application which features high-quality audio, text, and photos, with eight voiceover languages.



Singapore Ambassador to Vietnam Jaya Ratnam said the iMuseum VFA application can be considered extremely useful for foreigners as it helps viewers gain greater insights into Vietnamese culture.



He revealed that the National Museum of Singapore has also utilized the similar app and hoped Singapore and Vietnam could co-operate in this field moving forward.
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has held a number of meetings within the Baku Energy Week, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

During the meeting with the Director of Energy Policy at DG ENER Cristina Lobillo Borrero, the parties discussed issues on the agenda of the energy dialogue between Azerbaijan and the European Union.

The sides positively assessed the first meeting held in May in accordance with the agreement reached between Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson in the framework of this year's meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council.

Speaking about the directions of energy dialogue covering the production and export of natural gas, green energy, and hydrogen, the parties emphasized the importance of joint cooperation on a single platform for the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor.

Moreover, during the meeting held with the TAP AG Managing Director Luca Schieppati, the sides discussed the possible supplies increase and the pipeline expansion.

They exchanged views on the prospects for the gradual expansion of TAP based on the results of market tests and the transportation of hydrogen.

The minister also held a meeting with Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto. They discussed the gas supply from Azerbaijan in the future and the expansion of cooperation with MOL.

Additionally, the latest implementation of the IGB was assessed during the meeting with Bulgarian Energy Minister Aleksandar Nikolov.

They stated that the IGB will be ready for commercial operation in early September and the transportation of Azerbaijani gas through this pipeline will give an impetus to the development of energy cooperation between the two countries.
Vietnam making effort to break plastic bag habit

The government is taking one step at a time to reduce disposable plastic bags, but a full-fledged ban is a long way away yet.

A veggie vendor is about to leave the Hoc Mon wholesale market in HCMC's Hoc Mon District, June 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

As his wife waited in line to check out, Hoan was picking a carton box to pack the goods they had bought. It was a Sunday morning in late May, and the couple in their 50s was shopping at a MM Mega Market store in Thu Duc City. "We did bring our own bag, but we bought more goods than planned and so now I need to get a box," Hoan says as he rifles through piles of boxes to find one of suitable size. MM Mega Market does not provide single-use plastic bags but the empty cartons are free for customers for use. "A customer who wants a bag will have to buy one," a cashier named Le Thi Thanh Vi says. Made of biodegradable materials, the bags she refers to are placed near the checkout counters and cost VND15,000 (64 cents) or VND21,000 depending on the size. Calling herself a frequent customer at MM Mega Market, Nguyen Dang Thanh Tam, 30, says she "is not bothered at all" about having to bring her own bag or buy a reusable bag at the supermarket to shop.

Customers at the MM Mega Market store in Thu Duc City pack the goods they have bought in carton boxes or bags they either bring along or buy at the store, May 2022. Photos by VnExpress/Minh Nga

Only a few stores and supermarkets have the policy of not using plastic bags, including Aeon Mall and Annam Gourmet, but the government is about to change that. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced in April that supermarkets and stores inside shopping malls should not use single-use plastic bags from 2026. "Any retailer that still gives customers single-use plastic bags will be punished," Nguyen Trung Thang, deputy head of the ministrys Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE), announced at a conference in Hanoi. According to ISPONRE, supermarkets consume 104,000 single-use plastic bags per day on average, or 38 million bags a year. Data released last year by the ministry showed plastic waste accounting for 7 percent of the solid wastes discharged every day, or nearly 2,500 tons. Vietnam discharges 0.28-0.73 million tons of plastic wastes into the ocean every year, it said.

Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy, director of a plastic waste reduction program at the World Wild Fund (WWF) Vietnam, says, "If Vietnam drastically implements all the strategies and plans it has set out, then the goal of banning single-use plastic bags in supermarkets and shopping malls by 2026 is entirely possible." In 2019 then Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued a national action plan for the management of plastic wastes in the ocean until 2030 that seeks to reduce the dumping and also collect all the lost and discarded fishing equipment from the ocean. The plan targeted zero disposable plastic use in urban shops, markets and supermarkets nationwide by 2025. In January the government issued Decree 08 to guide implementation of the 2020 Law on Environment that says single-use plastic production will stop after 2030. "Supermarkets and retailers have been given enough time to prepare themselves for shifting to saying no to plastic bags," Thuy says.

A cashier packs goods into a single-use plastic bag at a store in Hanoi's Ha Ba Trung District, March 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy
Retirees with money to spend have actual demand for tourist visa that lasts more than one month, and Vietnam should serve that market, readers said.

"There are many well-heeled retirees and digital nomads who would like to travel the country for longer than four weeks. Other countries have special pensioner and digital nomad visas and are very successful with them. For the long journey from Europe, the two-week visa exemption is too short. This should be extended to four weeks. It is also standard worldwide to issue three-month tourist visas. A six-month visa would be ideal so that pensioners and digital nomads can also come to Vietnam."

Weber

"In the past I would get the three or six-month visa and travel gently from north to south spending sometimes a month or two in a place. I don't work, am retired, and find moving slowly through Vietnam for me provides the spirit, mind, soul a lift. In the past I traveled by train from Hanoi to Saigon or would fly to a destination like Da Nang, then visit Hoi An, return to Da Nang and go on. I'd visit Saigon for a while and see Vietnamese friends, reach Can Tho and see someone there. Perhaps go on to Phu Quoc. I did not target a set number of months or days in any one place and I just went. This seemed for my type of retirement and living somewhere else like Cambodia that has a retirement extension, a wonderful way to just slowly see the cities and country, travel by rail to Ninh Binh from Hanoi. Not feel rushed to do a thing or two in 30 days.

That was then. Now I will be living in Cambodia in September after returning after a year of a wonderful life in Mexico. What I am trying to say is 30 days is not enough for some of us that are retired, wish to see friends, travel slowly. I don't work, teach, pay taxes. I just go. Now I will just go for a month and I'll feel the loss. I don't know the number of people that get longer visas. Vietnam has more than I can see in a month and it always has no matter how many times I visited or even lived there during the pandemic times. So consider the visa as something that frustrates people perhaps like me. I am probably a small minority. That is okay. We all have voices. In the most beautiful of all worlds, Vietnam would have a retirement visa I could buy into. Perhaps a scope like Cambodia or one like Portugal or Panama. I doubt that will ever happen though so I will return for a month in October. Such is life."

Mpmilestogo

"From 2014 to the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, my wife and I spent the winter in Vietnam every year as pensioners. Whenever our three-month visa expired, we would fly to Malaysia or Thailand for a few days and return with a new visa-on-arrival. Many of our friends and relatives are also retired and emulated us and started spending the winter there too. We brought a lot of money to Vietnam.

When Vietnam opened its borders, we flew back there on a 30-day e-visa, hoping to extend it. But that hope was soon taken from us. So after 30 days we flew to Malaysia for a few days and returned with new e-visa. Vietnam got 25 USD per person for the new e-visa. We spent around USD 1,000 on flights and hotel stays in Malaysia. Money that we would rather have spent in Vietnam. At the moment we are still hoping that we will be able to get three-month visas again in October. If that is not the case, we will either have to go to Thailand or Malaysia for the winter. There are at least long-term visas for pensioners. But then Vietnam should openly say that we pensioners with enough income are not wanted as long-term guests."

peter.w.zimmermann

"I am retired with a good monthly income and I would like to live in Vietnam, but with only a 30-day visa it is impossible. I have already made two major financial efforts to extend my stay here, the first time I went back to my country in Europe, reapplied for my visa and bought another plane ticket back to Vietnam spending a total of 1,000 Euros. Now I'm back in Vietnam and at the end of the 30 days I'll be forced to go to Thailand for a week, spending about 700 Euros for flights, hotel and other expenses, in order to redo a new 30-day visa.

However, this will be the last time I do this because I don't want to have to throw money away like this only to have to renew my visa every 30 days. I will only go back to Vietnam when there is a visa for foreign pensioners or at least a three-month renewable visa in place. Otherwise, to my great regret, I will opt for another destination. It is incomprehensible that there is no visa for foreign pensioners who would like to live in Vietnam and spend their pensions here. I do not understand what the problem is... several countries in Southeast Asia have visas for foreign pensioners... it would be good for the Vietnam national economy."

rigel3084
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is seeking feedback from other ministries on scrapping the travel insurance requirement for Covid-19 treatment for foreigners entering Vietnam.

It said the pandemic situation is under control and the cost of treatment is not as high as it used to be since most patients do not have to be hospitalized for long, and so it should no longer be necessary for tourists to buy insurance of at least US$10,000.

On March 15 the government allowed quarantine-free entry and resumed the visa waiver for citizens of 24 countries, including Japan, South Korea and some European ones.

It has also removed most other entry restrictions such as medical declaration and Covid tests.

In the first five months of this year the country received 365,000 foreign visitors, according to the General Statistics Office.
Even wars and armed conflicts are subject to rules, as defined by international law. Chief among these are prohibitions against committing war crimes. For one, warring parties are forbidden from deliberately targeting civilians, civilian objects such as hospitals and civilian dwellings, and infrastructure that is vital to their survival, such as food storage and delivery systems. Likewise banned is the indiscriminate use of weapons.





Nonetheless, violations of the law of war have been reported in Ukraine as far back as the run-up to Russias attempted annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014.



In late March, the United States Government assessed that members of Russias forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine. The U.S. Government indicated it will continue to track reports of war crimes and share such information with allies, partners, and international institutions and organizations.



In mid-May, the U.S. Government announced that it is funding the newly launched Conflict Observatory, a program that will use satellite imagery and other technical means to collect information about possible war crimes and other atrocities by Russias forces as they wage President Putins brutal war of choice against Ukraine.



The program will capture, analyze, and make publicly available open-source information and evidence of atrocities, human rights abuses, and harm to civilian infrastructure, including Ukraines cultural heritage, said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.



The information collected by the Conflict Observatory will be a resource for the world to see the deplorable and brutal actions of Russias forces against the Ukrainian people. It will shine a light on atrocities and is intended to contribute to eventual prosecutions in Ukraines domestic courts, courts in third-party countries, U.S. courts, and other relevant tribunals. It will provide information to refute Russias disinformation campaigns and expand the range of our and our partners accountability mechanisms.



The U.S. government plans to support the platform in part through the Presidents recently announced $320 million European Democratic Resilience Initiative, or EDRI.



Indeed, the Conflict Observatory program is one of many U.S. Government efforts designed to assist with future accountability for Russias horrific actions.



However long it takes, said Spokesperson Price, we are committed to seeing that justice is served.
FALLON (AP)  Cathy Williams-Tuni looks over the Lahontan Valley from Rattlesnake Hill.

Small houses and fields of alfalfa sit on the valley floor, where long irrigation canals flow with water.

Williams-Tuni, the chair of the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, points in the direction of a military base seeking to expand on land important to the tribe.

In the opposite direction, about 75 miles away, is a proposed geothermal project that could ruin hot springs the tribes ancestors used for healing.

She points to the irrigation canals that serve as a lifeline for some tribal members who depend on farming.

Members of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe call themselves the toi-ticutta, which means cattail eaters.

Early tribe members lived in the marshes and wetlands of what is now Northern Nevada and relied on cattails for everything.

Now, the toi-ticutta are facing many battles: a fight to preserve their land, a fight to keep their water rights, and a fight to maintain their culture.

This weekend, the tribe is hosting its first powwow in 18 years, Williams-Tuni said, where people will gather and meet one another.

Im not really a powwow person, she told the Las Vegas Sun. But when I go I feel like Im home. Im proud. Its going to be a big coming home for us.

WATER STRUGGLES

Ancestors of the Paiute-Shoshone have lived in the area for millennia, relying on the marshland for water supply and using cattails to build houses, clothing and baskets.

Williams-Tunis grandmother, like many children of the tribe, had a willow bark skirt.

The tribes land is fragmented with the colony on one side of Rattlesnake Hill and the reservation on the other.

Williams-Tuni, 63, says there was a time when Rattlesnake Hill was filled with water, but the lake has long dried up.

The cattails are still around, but because of the pesticides farmers use in the irrigation system, theyre no longer plentiful, she said.

The struggle for water continues.

The tribe, which has 1,567 members and about 500 people living on the reservation, orders irrigation water through the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District, which is a political subdivision of the state of Nevada that operates dams at Lake Tahoe and diversion dams on the Truckee River.

But the tribe doesnt have a way to properly store its supply when the canals bringing water from Truckee River run dry, the result of the tribe not being able to withdraw more than 10,692.85 acre-feet of water a year.

Help appears to be on the way.

An agreement is in place between the tribe, the federal bureaus of Reclamation and Indian Affairs, and the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District to bring and store water more efficiently, said Leanna Hale, the tribes land and water manager.

You always have to make improvements, Hale said.

Theres a plan to improve whats called the S-Line Reservoir, or the rattlesnake reservoir, by lining it with a geomembrane to better hold water.

The tribe also wants to coordinate with the Bureau of Land Management to create a new route behind Rattlesnake Hill that connects the tribes reservation and colony together so that nontribal members cannot take the water -- a big problem the tribe is facing, as nontribal members sometimes use more than the tribe.

Thats just one of the goals (we) have deep in our hearts, Williams-Tuni said.

There are about 47 tribal families who farm, and the tribe also farms, Hale said.

Irrigation for the area usually starts arriving in early April, said Williams-Tuni, who has three fields near the end of the reservation on which she grows hay.

Every year the tribe gets a water card from the irrigation district saying it has a certain amount of water it can use.

Typically, Williams-Tuni gets three to four good harvests each season.

But due to the drought last year, she and the other farmers decided to shoot for one really good first crop because they werent sure how much water the tribe would get and when they would get cut off.

We have to be cautious of how we irrigate, she said.

PROTECTING A TOAD

About 43 miles from the reservation, the Dixie Meadows hot springs have been used by tribe members for healing and medicinal purposes for centuries, Williams-Tuni said.

The tribes ancestors roamed that area for hunting and gathering, and a lot of artifacts and burials remain in the area.

They are still pristine, she said. People go for prayers and blessings. We always give an offering to Mother Earth, whether its some cedar, (and say) thank you for taking care of us.

But the tribe worries that a geothermal project could change all that.

Ormat Technologies Inc., a renewable energy company in Reno, wants to construct a geothermal project that would include two 30-megawatt geothermal power plants and would help meet the state and the countrys renewable energy goals.

Geothermal projects use underground heat produced by the Earth to generate electricity. They involve pumping water and extracting the heat, and are usually next to hot springs.

The Dixie Valley project calls for the drilling of up to 18 production and injection wells, as well as the construction of pipelines for the geothermal fluids.

In December 2021 the tribe filed a lawsuit with the Center for Biological Diversity against the Bureau of Land Management for approving the project.

The lawsuit contends the project would harm the Dixie Valley toad, a rare species found only in the area. A federal judge ordered that construction be halted for 90 days after the lawsuit was filed.

The tribe is not against renewable energy, Hale said, but there needs to be a balance between protecting the environment and the tribes culture with the need for energy.

The Dixie Valley toad was granted temporary emergency protection in April, for 240 days, under the Endangered Species Act, although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to extend the protection longer.

The tribes lawyers are going to federal court in June for an update on the lawsuit, Williams-Tuni said.

When she recently went to the hot spring, she saw one of the toads. It was small, fast and had a bluish-greenish-grayish color to it, camouflaging into the surroundings. Seeing the little amphibian that calls the area home, she compared the experience to meeting an ancestor.

I feel like Im meeting my grandmother, she said. Were always told to take care of our plants and animals and Mother Earth because they will take care of us. Its meant to be there to take care of us and to protect us.

MILITARY EXPANSION NEEDS

About six miles from the reservation sits the Naval Air Station Fallon, which is billed as the nations premier tactical air warfare training station. Its where the pilots of Top Gun fame train.

Since it was established during World War II, the station conducts comprehensive training with four bombing ranges, an electronic warfare range and other training facilities.

It has more than 3,000 active-duty personnel, civilian employees and Department of Defense contractors, according to its website.

Military leaders want the station, which over the years spread to 84,000 acres, to expand by another 600,000 acres. It has been brought up over the last few years, but every year it has been put on hold. The project is awaiting approval from Congress.

Through the years, aircraft exercises out of the base have bombed the tribes sacred Medicine Rock in the valley, where Paiute people would gather medicinal plants, Williams-Tuni said.

Multiple times almost every day, planes fly over the reservation, drowning out any conversations and making the area smell like engine fuel, she said.

The Navy is working with the tribes to ensure they are involved in the process, the project website said. It is also working to limit the impact the expansion would have on sacred and cultural sites important to tribes, and intends to develop protocols on how tribal members could access areas on the base that are important to them, according to the project website.

Similar to balancing the need for renewable energy with conservation, the tribe wants to see a balance between the need for strong military with the protection of land.

We know we need to have good national defense, Hale said, but how do we do that in a way that still protects the natural environment, protects our cultural sites?

The Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe joined forces with the nearby tribes of Walker River Paiute Tribe, Lovelock Paiute Tribe and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe to propose a 3 million-acre Numu Newe National Monument. Numu and Newe mean the people in Paiute and Shoshone.

It would be Nevadas fifth national monument and would be the largest in the country if it is approved.

The site could either be created by a presidential proclamation or by a law through Congress.

In March, Williams-Tuni and Hale went to Washington, D.C., to meet with Biden administration officials and congressional representatives about their vision.

For us our ultimate goal is the protection of the land, Hale said.

CULTURAL PRESERVATION

While the tribe deals with issues relating to land and water, another equally important problem must be addressed: preserving the tribes culture.

Lillie Bright, a 96-year-old elder in the tribe, lost her Native language over the years. In school, when she would try to speak Shoshone, teachers would punish her by putting a clothespin on her lips.

It was so painful, Bright said. I can never forget it.

Efforts to teach and revitalize the language are under way. Charlane Starlight, Brights daughter, understands quite a bit of it, but she cant speak it. Starlight is putting together a school curriculum on Native American history that she hopes to see taught in schools.

Weve lost so much, Starlight said.

Tribal members want to build a cultural center that will hold old photos and items important to the tribe and show people how to play traditional games.

One game Hale and Williams-Tuni used to play involved little willow sticks and a token. One of the players would hide a small token, such as a piece of wood, and the other players had to guess who had it. If you guessed wrong, youd have to give up some sticks.

When Williams-Tuni was young, her grandmother gave her a grinding rock, which is a big bowl in which she would grind pine nuts. She also has a pair of moccasins and an eagle feather that she would love to show to others and so people can come and see what we did and what we had.

Thats like an identity, she said.

The area has been home to Shoshone people for thousands of years, and they believe they were created on Fox Peak, which can be seen in the distance of the reservation.

When Hale was a child, she would pick medicines with her grandmother on Fox Peak, go fishing and gather wild onions.

Traditionally, people would eat rabbit, fish, birds, pine nuts, toolies  or cattails  and fresh wild onions, Hale said. But now the rabbits have parasites, and much of the other wildlife is gone.

Here we are today just trying to hang on to what we have left of our cultural history, Hale said.

The cultural center is part of the tribes proposal for the national monument, Williams-Tuni said, which could take a long time to come to fruition.

In the meantime, tribal members gather at the senior center for meals, attend tribal council meetings and talk about their history and future.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Las Vegas Sun.

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Art performance marks 111 years since Uncle Ho left country to seek the way for national salvation

(Source: NDO)

The programme drew famous artists including Que Tran, Vo Minh Lam, Ngoc Mai, Dao Mac, Duyen Huyen, Thanh Nguyen, The Vy, Thu Thuy, Thuy Trinh and Manh Cuong.

The event was entitled Proud to be named after Uncle Ho featured 18 performance items. It aimed to honour the nation's great leader who devoted his whole life for the cause of national independence and freedom and highlight the citys efforts to promote Ho Chi Minh's thought and secure its role as a leading economic, cultural, science-technology hub of the country.

The art peformance (Source: NDO)

Particularly, the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space was a unique decision of the municipal Party Organisation based on the peoples demand to express their sentiments to President Ho Chi Minh, thus contributing to popularising President Ho Chi Minhs thought, morality and lifestyle.

On June 5, 1911, from Nha Rong Wharf of Sai Gon, now HCM City, Ho Chi Minh, known in those days as Nguyen Tat Thanh, boarded ship Admiral Latouche Treville, beginning his journey to seek ways for national salvation.

Thirty years later, he returned to Vietnam to lead the Vietnamese revolution which successfully conducted the August Revolution in 1945 and founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam./.
Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)



In the context of the pandemic during the period, the Prime Minister issued a series of polices on social and unemployment insurance in support of employees and employers. A highlight among them was the support package worth over 30 trillion VND from the unemployment insurance fund under the Governments Resolution No. 116, the largest direct cash aid ever.

In 2020-2021 and the first five months of 2022, the VSS has spared no efforts to quickly and effectively deliver the aid packages to its beneficiaries.

The VSS said it allowed 2,760 units with 374,126 employees to suspend their payment of the retirement and survivorship fund, which was valued at 1.913 trillion VND.

As of May 27, the VSS also paid 23.5 billion VND on funding to support training to maintain jobs for 5,038 employees of 36 units.

Book on Vietnam-RoK ties debuts

A book on the 30 years of socio-economic cooperation between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) has been published by the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam-RoK diplomatic relations (1992-2022), reported Vietnam News Agency.

Trade between Vietnam and the RoK rose 150 times and is expected to hit 100 billion USD in 2023. (Photo: VNA)

It is a collection of researches by Vietnamese and Korean professors and researchers.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency, Prof. Dr. Lee Han-woo from Sogan University said that the book provides an insight into the socio-economic partnership between the two countries over the past 30 years and gives objective assessments on the design of a better future for the bilateral ties.

Pointing to bright signs in economic cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK over the past 30 years, Prof. Lee noted that two-way trade rose 150 times and is expected to hit 100 billion USD in 2023.

He said that in the future, Vietnam and the RoK should further reinforce the foundation for their win-win partnership by supporting businesses to strengthen partnership and balancing bilateral trade.

In the field of socio-culture, he proposed that the two sides should work together to increase the promotion of the Vietnamese culture, art and literature in the RoK.

The professor suggested that the two sides coordinate together to expand programmes to introduce Vietnamese and Korean cultures to the other country through the Internet to strengthen mutual understanding.

Positive outlook ahead for Vietnamese seafood exports to China

After recording impressive export growth over recent months thanks to rising consumption demand in China, there are bright prospects for Vietnamese aquatic exports to this market this year, reported the Voice of Vietnam according to the Vietnamese trade counselor in China.

Illustrative photo

The General Administration of Customs of China reports despite Chinas strict COVID-19 measures, Vietnams seafood exports to China over the opening four months of the year witnessed an impressive growth rate of 117.6% year-on-year, accounting for approximately 9% of China's total seafood imports.

Nong Duc Lai, Vietnamese trade counsellor in China, attributed such growth to the recovery of consumption demand in China, as well as the knowledge of the latest Chinese regulations on imported seafood products that local firms have acquired.

In addition, Chinese customs have recently granted codes in which to allow several Vietnamese seafood enterprises to export their seafood products to China.

Lai pointed out that although the COVID-19 pandemic is being brought under control in Vietnam, local seafood enterprises must continue to comply with the stringent COVID-19 regulations on food safety and hygiene set by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and particularly China, to avoid being returned.

He went on to say that as China sets stricter food safety standards, especially tightened control over imported frozen food, local seafood enterprises have been advised to further improve their product quality and fully abide by guidelines relating to COVID-19 prevention and control set by China in the future.

Routes Asia 2022 opened in Da Nang City

The 16th Asian route development forum (Routes Asia 2022) was opened in Da Nang City on June 6, bringing together more than 500 delegates representing more than 200 airlines, airports, and aviation service providers from 42 countries and territories around the world, reported the Voice of Vietnam .

For the first time Vietnam has hosted an international investment promotion event in Asias aviation industry. (Photo: baocongthuong.vn)

This is the only international investment promotion event in Asias aviation industry that was held for the first time in Vietnam.

During the three-day forum, policymakers from leading regional airlines, airport leaders, the worlds leading aviation suppliers, trade associations, ministries, and agencies will examine ways to restore the route network and realize action plans to accelerate the post-pandemic recovery process in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Le Trung Chinh, chairman of the Da Nang City Peoples Committee, Routes Asia 2022 is being held at a time when Vietnam has just opened its skies and welcomed the first international flights back after a two-long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hosting of the regional aviation development forum not only positions Da Nang as the destination of the event, but also demonstrates the citys strong determination to restore its aviation network and tourism driven economy, said Chinh.

In the pre-pandemic period, he said Da Nang was a prominent new destination in Asia, attracting 39 international routes with 536 flights per week. However, subsequent outbreaks of COVID-19 have dealt a heavy blow to local aviation operations, disrupting aviation and tourism services.

Therefore, restoring the international flight network and creating favourable conditions for tourists, businesses and investors to return to Da Nang are our primary goals, and we believe that Routes Asia 2022 will be a powerful and inspiring catalyst to realize these goals, emphasized the Da Nang official.

Representatives of more than 200 airlines, airports, and aviation service providers from 42 countries and territories around the world showcase products at the forum. (Photo: baocongthuong.vn)

Meanwhile, Steven Small, director of Informa Routes that co-hosted the forum, said the successful hosting of Routes Asia 2022 will promote the recovery of the regional flight network and generate long-term economic benefits for the region.

Dinh Viet Thang, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, also emphasized that the hosting of Routes Asia 2022 has brought about a better promotion opportunity for the aviation and tourism industries of Vietnam in general, and of Da Nang City in particular.

He expressed his optimism the hosting demonstrates the fact that Da Nang in particular and Vietnam in general continues to be a safe and attractive tourist destination and a dynamic center of aviation and tourism development in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam will create all favourable conditions for airlines if they wish to restore international routes to Da Nang and Vietnam, he assured the participating delegates./.
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

According to experts, the high demand and positive impacts from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are factors making Canada a market with great potential for Vietnamese furniture and interior decorating products.

According to marketinsightsreports.com, Canada's home furniture market is forecasted to expand 6 percent each year in the 2021  2025 period.

Statistics showed that in 2021, Vietnam's export of wooden furniture to Canada reached 416.4 million USD, up 27.4 percent year on year and accounting for 16.7 percent of Canadas total spending on the product in the year.

Currently, Vietnamese products have been available in major supermarket chains in Canada such as COSTCO, IKEA and LEONS. Particularly, conquering the Canadian market will also open up chances for Vietnam to increase exports to other Northern American markets.

At the consultation session, Vietnamese Trade Councilor and head of Vietnamese Trade Office in Canada Tran Thu Quynh will brief participants on the current market situation and challenges in the Canadian market, as well as the support that the office can given to Vietnamese exporters.

Meanwhile, Pham The Huy, First Secretary at the Vietnamese Trade Office in Canada will highlight some regulations, standards and conditions for exporting wooden furniture and home decorates to Canada.

Representatives from some major Canadian importers will share their experience with Vietnamese exporters.

Within the framework of the session, private consultations will be provided to Vietnamese businesses./.
Vu Viet Van, Standing Vice Chairman of the Vinh Phuc Provincial Peoples Committee, receives Ambassador Pranay Verma. (Photo: TDO)

Receiving Ambassador Pranay Verma, Mr. Vu Viet Van, Standing Vice Chairman of the Vinh Phuc Provincial Peoples Committee, stressed that Vietnam and India have a long-standing traditional relationship which was laid by President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlai Nehru, preserved and nurtured by generations of leaders and people of the two countries. Especially, since January 7, 1972, when the two countries officially established diplomatic relations, the traditional friendship between Vietnam and India has been developing better and better.

Currently, in Vinh Phuc, there are 4 Indian investment projects with a total registered capital of over USD10 million, creating jobs for thousands of workers. Through economic and technical cooperation programs, India has also assisted the province in training dozens of officials.

Mr. Vu Viet Van expressed his wish that Ambassador Pranay Verma would continue to pay attention and help Vinh Phuc organize many Indian cultural programs and activities for people to have the opportunity to learn and participate, contributing to tightening the good relationship between Vietnam  India; pay attention to and create conditions for Vinh Phuc to organize investment promotion delegations, attracting big Indian investors to invest in industrial park infrastructure development, and developing public industrial projects high technology, high-tech agriculture and education; organize fairs to introduce and promote typical products, cultural and artistic programs and activities; and give priority to scholarships to support training for staff and students of Vinh Phuc.

Expressing his belief that the Governments of India and Vietnam will continue to regularly organize high-level delegations to visit and exchange economic cooperation, Ambassador Pranay Verma said that the cooperation relationship between India and Vietnam will grow to new heights. In 2021, despite the strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, India continues to be one of the top 10 trade partners of Vietnam, with two-way export turnover reaching nearly USD11 billion, an increase of nearly 40% year on year. This is an important premise for the two countries to aim to increase two-way export turnover to USD15 billion.

Ambassador Pranay Verma suggested that immediately after this visit, the Vinh Phuc Provincial People's Committee direct relevant departments and agencies to work directly with the Indian Embassy in Vietnam to organize programs and events related to economic development, trade and cultural development, towards the goal of multi-dimensional cooperation in many fields where India has strengths. At the same time, Ambassador Pranay Verma wished Vinh Phuc province to continue to pay attention to and create favorable conditions for Indian investors to explore investment opportunities in the fields of information technology, commerce, and pharmaceutical chemistry; and promote connection activities, and develop two-way tourism between Vinh Phuc and India in particular and Vietnam - India in general, especially Buddhist tourism./.
Special art performance in Ho Chi Minh City honours President Ho Chi Minh

(Source: NDO)

The event was held by Ho Chi Minh City Organizing Board for Great Festivals to honour the nation's great leader who devoted his whole life for the cause of national independence and freedom and highlight the citys efforts to promote Ho Chi Minh's thought and secure its role as a leading economic, cultural, science-technology hub of the country.

The programme drew famous artists including Que Tran, Vo Minh Lam, Ngoc Mai, Dao Mac, Duyen Huyen, Thanh Nguyen, The Vy, Thu Thuy, Thuy Trinh and Manh Cuong with 18 performance items.

Particularly, the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space was a unique decision of the municipal Party Organisation based on the peoples demand to express their sentiments to President Ho Chi Minh, thus contributing to popularising President Ho Chi Minhs thought, morality and lifestyle.

On June 5, 1911, from Nha Rong Wharf of Sai Gon, now HCM City, Ho Chi Minh, known in those days as Nguyen Tat Thanh, boarded ship Admiral Latouche Treville, beginning his journey to seek ways for national salvation.

Thirty years later, he returned to Vietnam to lead the Vietnamese revolution which successfully conducted the August Revolution in 1945 and founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam./.
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's important role in ensuring Europe's energy diversification is out of the question and this issue has been repeatedly mentioned.

Baku Energy Week is the main event for the oil, gas, and energy sector in the Caspian region. The participation in it of influential politicians and individuals, as well as the opinions expressed, are a clear indication that Azerbaijans power and prestige are increasing day by day. Nowadays, it is obvious that Azerbaijan is making a crucial contribution to global efforts to maintain energy security.

With the completion of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline construction on December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor. It is worth noting here that last year TAP transported 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe, by late 2022, Azerbaijan plans to increase gas supplies to 9.1 billion cubic meters and to 11 billion cubic meters in 2023. In this regard, the West has repeatedly voiced the wish to increase Azerbaijans gas supplies via the Southern Gas Corridor. President Aliyev stated that for this, there is a need for more investment and new contracts, in order to increase the country's production and supply of natural gas. Moreover, the West also speaks about the positive prospects of attracting large volumes of Turkmen gas through Azerbaijan to Turkey and Europe.

In this regard, earlier Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji stated that Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan have reached agreements to double the amount of natural gas swap under the deal reached in November. To recall, on November 28 last year, the three countries signed in Ashgabat a trilateral agreement on a gas swap. The agreement envisaged deliveries of 1.5 to 2 billion cubic meters of gas each year, with Turkmenistan supplying gas to Iran and Iran delivering an equal quantity of gas to Azerbaijan. Thus, now the annual volume of gas supplies may increase to at least 3 billion cubic meters. Since the beginning of 2022, Azerbaijan has imported 1.5 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas through Iran.

At the same time, on June 3, Azerbaijan and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding. Azerbaijans Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov has said that the signed memorandum will contribute to the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in the field of natural gas. Moreover, Iran and Azerbaijan will jointly develop the Azerbaijani gas project Shah Deniz.

A deal with bp

The countrys Energy Ministry and bp signed an addendum to the implementation agreement that they had previously signed in June 2021. The agreement was signed in Shusha within the agenda of Baku Energy Week. The document represents the next step to finalize the joint work towards the realization of the 240MW solar project, called Project Shafag in Jabrayil.

As a result of our one-year joint activities and fruitful cooperation, we have laid a foundation for the implementation of Project Shafag, which can satisfy the interests of all parties, the countrys Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said.

The minister added that this document once again demonstrates Azerbaijans determination to the implementation of this project and the commitment of Azerbaijan and bp to cooperation on renewable and low-carbon sources of energy.

We believe that Project Shafag, the first example of a foreign partnership in the green energy zone, will give an impetus to our continued cooperation with bp on green energy and decarbonization, he said.

In turn, bps Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkiye Gary Jones noted that the signed document brings Project Shafag closer to the final investment decision.

We are confident that this new approach will lead to the decarbonization of oil and gas operations including ours. This is exactly in line with what we aim to achieve globally by working to significantly reduce our operational emissions, aiming for net-zero by 2050 or sooner, he said.

A deal with Masdar

On the same day in Shusha, the countrys Energy Ministry and the UAEs Masdar company signed an implementation agreement on the evaluation, development and implementation of 1GW utility-scale onshore solar and 1GW wind energy projects in Azerbaijan, as well as an implementation agreement on evaluation, development and implementation of offshore 2GW integrated wind and green hydrogen.

Within the agreement on onshore wind-solar energy projects it is planned to study the network capabilities for transmission of a certain part of the energy to the countrys energy system in detail, take necessary measures to strengthen the network, as well as implement the relevant processes for the export of electricity. At the same time, the agreement on offshore wind and hydrogen energy projects included complex measures to create wind power for production and export purposes, decarbonization, hydrogen production, and export.

The agreements were signed in accordance with the green energy policy, which defines renewable energy sources as a strategic priority for the countrys development.

These 4,000 MW solar, wind and green hydrogen projects, being the largest renewable energy production capacity in the region and in our energy history, provide ample opportunities for the development of Azerbaijan as a green growth country, green energy producer and exporter, as well as allow for involving multibillion-dollar green investment. Some of these projects are planned to be implemented in the liberated areas, which will contribute to the development of the region in the green energy zone concept with zero emissions. The development of offshore wind power capacity and the production of hydrogen also open a new page in the history of the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan, Shahbazov said.

The agreements once again demonstrate Azerbaijans readiness and ability to produce and export even larger volumes of natural gas.




Delegates at the event (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the festival, Mr. Evgeny Vlasov, Deputy Vice-President for International Relations at FEFU, highly appreciated both Vietnamese and Russian students for organizing the festival and adding that they have put great efforts to introduce and promote the beauty of the nature and people of Vietnam.

Diana Albertovna, Head of the FEFU Department of the Asia-Pacific Region, welcomed the event, noting that it provided visitors a better understanding of Vietnamese culture and people.

The festival helped Vietnam more understand about geography, its Con Rong Chau Tien (Offspring of Dragon and Fairy) tale and Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) festival, and significance of the Vietnamese national flag.

During the festival, Vietnamese martial arts, songs and folk dances as well as various traditional folk games and Pho cuon (rice noodle roll), one of Vietnamese traditional dishes, were also introduced.

FEFU is among the universities in Russia with a large number of students, about 30, pursuing Vietnamese language studies. More than 80 Vietnamese students are studying at the university./.
COVID-19 vaccination in Vietnam (Photo: nld.com.vn)

According to updated data, Nikkei has upgraded Vietnam's ranking to 14th place, up 48 places compared to the previous month's ranking. The Republic of Korea and Cambodia lead Asian countries in the COVID-19 Recovery Index.

In an article on June 3, Nikkei Asia stated that with more than 80% of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 60% of the population receiving increased shots, Vietnam received 27 on a 30-point scale for vaccine coverage. Nikkei also emphasized that Vietnam is the first country in Southeast Asia to waive all regulations on testing, vaccination and isolation for foreign tourists./.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs UN support in organizing a mission to the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) occupied by Russian troops, agency's director general Rafael Mariano Grossi has said.

We need UN support, he said at a press conference in Vienna after the opening of the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.

According to Grossi, he is constantly in contact on this issue with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Hopefully I'll be able to give you positive news in the coming days, Grossi added.

At the very opening of the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, Grossi said that he was actively working on coordinating and organizing the agency's international mission to the Zaporizhia NPP to perform basic work on nuclear, security and safeguards at this site. At the same time, he noted that he was counting on the active support of the Board.

"We are developing methods to send such a mission ... The Zaporizhia NPP site remains under the control of Russian troops. I have repeatedly expressed my serious concern about the extremely tense and difficult conditions in which the plant personnel and its operator work," Grossi said in a report published on the IAEA website on Monday.

According to him, Ukraine is concerned about interruptions in the supply chain of spare parts at the ZNPP, which means that "now at least five of the seven necessary basic elements of nuclear and physical security at the facility have been compromised."

In addition, Grossi, referring to the Ukrainian nuclear regulator, noted that it had lost control over the nuclear material of the plant, which is subject to the Safeguards Agreement between Ukraine and the IAEA.

There was also a loss of data transmission from the Zaporizhia NPP to the IAEA, the head of the agency added.

At the same time, Grossi notes that he took note of the appeal of the Ukrainian government, in which Ukraine calls on him and Guterres to redouble their efforts to find ways to quickly liberate the ZNPP from Russian invaders, return the plant under its full control and restore security, as well as develop effective ways organizing a mission of international experts to ZNPP under the auspices of the IAEA/UN.

As reported, ZNPP has been occupied by the Russian Federation since March 4. On June 3, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that a critical situation had developed at the Zaporizhia NPP to ensure the stable and safe operation of the plant, there were practically no spare parts and consumables.
Alfa-Bank Ukraine hopes to get permission from the Bank of England, US Treasury and, possibly, other regulators in the near future to carry out additional capitalization at the expense of subordinated debt for $ 1 billion from the funds of a number of its shareholders that fell under the sanctions, ex-Minister of Finance of Bulgaria Simeon Djankov, who in mid-April, in agreement with the National Bank, was given the right to vote on the majority stake in the bank, said.

"The shareholders wrote me an official letter at the end of last week that they agree to give this billion. The next step should be to contact the authorities and regulators of the jurisdictions where the shareholders' funds are located. And also to the Bank of England and the US Treasury. We need to ask the regulators to withdraw this $1 billion from sanctions, and it will go to increase the capitalization of the bank, to develop the Ukrainian economy," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Djankov noted that the amount of additional capitalization is determined from two equal components: $500 million will increase the bank's capitalization in case of a slower recovery of the clients' economy, and another $500 million is planned to be raised for a quick post-war economic recovery.

The trustee emphasized that today the bank fulfills all the requirements of the National Bank for capital.

"During the first conversation with the National Bank, I also explained how we came to this $1 billion. It is important for us to become part of the reconstruction of the economy, so I would like not $500 million, but $1 billion ... in a year or two we will approach the good and bad bank system to ensure a rapid economic growth. We think that for these purposes another $500 million is needed for our expertise in the bank to work on a new loan program for the development of the corporate sector," Djankov explained.

According to the financier, making this proposal, he took into account the experience of Mexico in 2004, when during the financial crisis some sanctions from the National Bank of Mexico and the US Treasury were eased for the capitalization of banks.

Commenting on a recent similar proposal by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Finance of Canada Chrystia Freeland to lift sanctions against Russian businessmen in exchange for their financing the restoration of Ukraine, the expert noted that he was not surprised that they were talking about this abroad.

"We need a lot of money. Yes, the World Bank, the EIB, other IFIs will give some money, but this is not enough. Ukraine needs additional funds and it needs them now," the ex-minister said.
Defense Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov is convinced that the next step in providing assistance to Ukraine from the European Union could be the creation of an appropriate trust fund, the Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported on Saturday.

"There are states, for example Luxembourg, ready to invest in security  to help Ukraine. But they can't, because they don't have the weapons we need. A good decision was to create a trust fund in Europe, and this may be the next step," Reznikov said, answering questions on the sidelines of the International Security Forum Globsec-2022.
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and Baku State University have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Azernews reports, citing the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

The document was signed by President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva and the rector of the Baku State University, Elchin Babayev.

The MoU envisages cooperation between the parties in the field of protection, study, and promotion of the cultural heritage of the Turkic World.

Speaking at the event, the rector of the Baku State University, Elchin Babayev, stressed the importance of the document.

"The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation is an international organization distinguished by its active efforts. And Baku State University is an educational institution with great human resource potential. Therefore, this document will create ample opportunities for joint work," Babayev said.

In his speech, Elchin Babayev expressed his confidence in the productivity of cooperation.

"We will successfully study and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Turkic world together. The culture of the Turkic world is an inexhaustible treasure, and our duty is to preserve this treasure and pass it on to future generations. Thus, university students will be actively involved in the study and research of the culture of the Turkic peoples in various specialties," he said.

President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva spoke in detail about the activities of the organization.

"The main purpose of the foundation is to bring the Turkic peoples closer to each other, as well as to promote the great Turkic culture, heritage, history, and traditions around the world. Although the foundation is a young organization, it has been involved in many international projects, held conferences, round tables, and exhibitions, published books in different countries, celebrated the anniversaries of geniuses of the Turkic world, staged performances, and continues to work in this direction," she said.

Next, Gunay Afandiyeva shared her views on the signed document with the participants of the event and drew attention to the issues envisaged in the memorandum.

She pointed out that the memorandum covers issues such as the organization of students' internships at the foundation, the provision of scholarships to young people conducting research with the Turkic world, the publication of joint publications, as well as the establishment of the Turkic World Scientific Research Center.

The establishment of such centers in various educational institutions under the foundation's auspices will allow them to establish a large network in the future.

The event continued with a concert program performed by students of Baku State University. The sides then exchanged gifts.
President of Ukraine Vlolodymyr Zelensky has said that the destruction of the All-Holy Monastery of Sviatohirska Lavra by the Russian army indicates that the Russian army is ready to burn anything in Ukraine.

"The Skete of All Saints burned down in the Svyatohirsk Lavra in Donetsk region. It caught fire as a result of Russian artillery shelling. Not the first shelling of the Lavra. Three Lavra monks were killed by the Russian shelling on Wednesday. Worship services are forced to be held in the basement. The roar of artillery and the arrivals of Russian shells are constant in the Lavra, " he said in a traditional video message on Saturday evening.

"And this is one of the three Lavras of Ukraine. This is the Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is still considered in Moscow to be connected with the Russian Orthodox Church. Even this does not stop the Russian army," the president said.

According to him, "they are ready to burn everything: Orthodox churches just like anything else in Ukraine. During the full-scale war, 113 churches have already been destroyed or damaged by Russian shelling. Among them are the ancient ones - those that withstood World War II, but did not withstand the Russian occupation."
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has stated the need for complete isolation of the Russian Federation and its exclusion from UNESCO in connection with terrorist activities and war crimes on the territory of Ukraine, in particular, the artillery shelling on Wednesday and Saturday of Sviatohirska Lavra in Donetsk region.

"Russian artillery has hit Sviatohirska Lavra in Donetsk region again today. The All-Holy Monastery was destroyed. It was consecrated back in 1912. It was first destroyed during the Soviet era. Subsequently rebuilt. And now the Russian army burned it. On Wednesday of the same week, Russian shells exploded right in the cells of the monks of the Lavra. Four people were killed, another four were seriously injured," Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Saturday.

According to him, the occupiers know that about 300 laypeople, including 60 children, are hiding from the fighting on the territory of Sviatohirska Lavra, and there are no military targets there, but "they don't care what exactly to turn into ruins."

The Head of the Ukrainian state recalled that on May 31, the Verkhovna Rada appealed to UNESCO with a demand to deprive the Russian Federation of membership in the organization and now Ukrainian diplomacy is working on this.

"Every church burned by Russia in Ukraine, every school blown up, every destroyed memorial proves that Russia has no place in UNESCO. What can we talk about with a barbarian state, with a terrorist state? ... We expect a logical and fair response from the UN and UNESCO. This is the UN and its charter does not provide for unity with terrorists. The isolation of Russia must be complete, it must be responsible for its crimes," Zelensky summed up.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the combat positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Lysychansk and Soledar on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, he visited Zaporizhia, where he met with temporary IDPs.

"After that, together with the Head of the Office we headed east. We were in Lysychansk, we were in Soledar. I am proud of everyone whom I met, whom I shook hands with, with whom I communicated, whom I supported," he said in his video address on Sunday night.

"We brought something to the military. I will not talk about it in detail. We also brought you something from them. It is important. We brought confidence. And strength. I wish them health. Low bow to their parents. I wish victory to all of us, " Zelensky said.

On Sunday, fighting with the Russian army took place in Severodonetsk, in the immediate vicinity of Lysychansk.
The missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday morning was carried out by Russian occupiers from Tu-95 aircraft from the Caspian Sea, the Command of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.

"Today, on June 5, in the morning, the enemy fired several missiles in the direction of Kyiv. At about 6:00, the servicemen of the anti-aircraft missile forces unit of the Center Air Command discovered and fired at them - one cruise missile was destroyed. According to preliminary data, the ruscists launched missiles from Tu-95 aircraft from the Caspian Sea," the Command said in a Facebook message.
Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov has informed about the beginning of the preparation of Ukrainian artillery calculations in Europe on the use of multiple rocket launchers Himars (USA) and M270 (United Kingdom), according to the website of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

"The decision of the White House on Himars and of London on M270 is the first step for Ukraine and a huge leap in deterring Russian aggression," Reznikov said during speaking at the panel of the International Security Forum Globsec 2022.

He also praised the implementation of the proposals of the U.S. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin III and UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace on the conference on assistance to Ukraine, which took place in London, and later transformed into the Ramstein format.

"Another meeting is expected in June. Such a coordination system will help us continue providing in the future. For example, new aircraft, missile systems, cybernetic systems. The mine clearance program in Ukraine is relevant, because there are many undetonated explosive devices on our land," Reznikov added.

As reported, on June 1, U.S. President Joseph Biden officially announced the delivery of assistance to Ukraine of American multiple rocket launchers Himars. The UK reported on the sending of M270 MLRS to Ukraine, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 80 km, which will provide "a significant increase in the combat capability of the Ukrainian forces."
The Yermak-McFaul International Working Group on Sanctions against Russia presented a Roadmap for individual sanctions, the press service of the Presidents Office has reported.

"The purpose of individual sanctions is to increase pressure on the ruling elites of the regime, and thus help end the war against Ukraine, " presidential website reads.

The Group proposes to impose sanctions on those categories of persons for whom it will be the fastest and most effective. The following types of persons subject to sanctions are offered in order of priority: oligarchs, senior government officials, key corporate executives, including foreigners, Russian propagandists, political party leaders, family members, and proxies.

The Group also proposes to consider introducing individual sanctions against all Russian athletes, the press service says.

The number of potential candidates for sanctions will be at least 12,000 individuals and 3,000 legal entities. The immediate priority is given to the 100 wealthiest people on Russia's Forbes list.

According to the white paper, the sanctions coalition should focus on those who have been able to avoid sanctions in most or all jurisdictions. Examples are Vladimir Potanin, owner of Norilsk Nickel and other large assets, Andrey Bokarev, co-owner of Transmashholding and other significant assets; and Iskander Makhmudov, co-owner of Transoil, Transmashholding and other significant assets.

The key sanctions mechanisms should be the freezing of assets, the ban on entry into the countries of the sanctions coalition, and the termination of powers in Western companies. It is crucial to involve as many countries as possible in a coalition of sanctions. If a person is subject to sanctions in one jurisdiction, all other jurisdictions should be the case,  the message reads.

Also, according to the Group, any attempts by senior government officials, heads of corporations and board members, propagandists, and members of political parties to transfer property to their family members or proxies should be carefully monitored and prevented. Any assistance in transmitting or receiving such assets should be grounds for imposing sanctions.

This roadmap and the previous papers of the Yermak-McFaul Group - Action Plan for Strengthening Sanctions and the Roadmap for Energy Sanctions have been provided to all key decision-makers. It is vital to continue to increase sanctions pressure on Russia.
Enemy inflicts hits by eleven air-to-ground missiles, Grads, artillery, tanks on Donetsk, killed and wounded reported in past 24 hours

Over the day, the Russian occupiers shelled seven settlements of Donetsk region, as a result of which civilians were killed and wounded, the National Police of Ukraine report.

"Eleven strikes were recorded with air-to-ground missiles, Grad multiple launch rocket systems, artillery, tanks. Twentsix civilian objects were destroyed. Law enforcement officers collected evidence of Russian war crimes at the sites of the attacks," it said on Facebook.

Russian troops hit such settlements as Avdiyivka, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, Chasiv Yar, New York, Khromove.

Ten private houses, a high-rise building, an ambulance room, a factory, an agricultural enterprise, and critical infrastructure were damaged.

The police and the SBU have opened criminal proceedings under Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Major General of the Russian army Roman Kutuzov was killed in Luhansk region, Radio Liberty reports, referring to Russian Telegram channels.

According to sources, General Kutuzov died in the village of Mykolaivka, Popasnyansky district in Luhansk region. And this is the fourth general of the Russian army who died on the territory of Ukraine.
The National Electronic Mass Media Council of Latvia (NEPLP) decided on Monday to ban the broadcasting in the country of the remaining 80 television channels registered in Russia which were still available for Latvian viewers, the BNS news agency said.

"The decision was made based on a new legal provision stipulating that programs registered in a country which threatens the territorial integrity and independence of another country cannot operate in Latvia," NEPLP Chairperson Ivars Abolins told BNS.

The decision will enter into effect on June 9.

At the same time, NEPLP decided to issue a broadcasting license to TV Rain, declared a foreign agent media outlet in Russia, and the television channel will broadcast from Riga in the future.
Zelensky receives confirmation from Johnson of new enhanced package of defense support for Ukraine

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has discussed with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defense support for Ukraine, the intensification of work on security guarantees, as well as ways to prevent the food crisis and unblocking ports.

"Talked with Boris Johnson. Told about the situation on the front. Received confirmation of a new enhanced defense support package for Ukraine. Raised the issue of intensifying work on security guarantees. Jointly with UK were looking for ways to avoid the food crisis & unblock ports, " Zelensky said on Twitter.
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

The Sofia Opera and Ballet Theater has successfully staged Fikrat Amirov's "One Thousand and One Nights" ballet.

The ballet was presented to the audience on the occasion of the Independence Day of Azerbaijan and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria, Azernews reports, citing the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

Azerbaijani and Bulgarian Foreign Ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Teodora Genchovska respectively, the president of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Gunay Afandiyeva, Bulgarian officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps in Bulgaria, and numerous spectators attended the event organized with support of the Azerbaijan Embassy in Bulgaria and the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

Speaking at the event, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that the first democratic republic in the Muslim East was the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, proclaimed in 1918 and that in 1991 the country restored its independence and underwent great development over three decades.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan has always been committed to the traditions of multiculturalism, and the ballet performed today is an example of multiculturalism as a joint project of Azerbaijani and Bulgarian artists.

Bulgarian Minister Teodora Genchovska congratulated Azerbaijan on the occasion of Independence Day and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. He stressed that the organization of the gala ballet also contributes to the development of cultural cooperation.

The president of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Gunay Afandiyeva, said that Fikrat Amirov, whose 100th anniversary is widely celebrated this year, is a genius composer not only of Azerbaijan but of the entire Turkic world. She stressed the importance of the ballet in terms of promoting Turkic culture.

The ballet "One Thousand and One Nights" was performed under the baton of the principal conductor of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Ayyub Guliyev.

The ballet performance caused great interest and enthusiastic reception, attracting a full house.

Known in English as the "Arabian Nights", the work is about Scheherazade, a Sassanid Queen, who tells a series of stories to her husband, King Shahryar in order to delay her execution.

The ballet was first staged at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in 1979. In 1980, the ballet was awarded the USSR State Prize.

The ballet's new version was premiered as part of the 5th Mariinsky International Far East Festival in 2020.

More than 300 costumes with hand embroidery were made for the ballet show directed by Honored Art Worker of Russia Eldar Aliyev.
The Swedish government has decided to supply the Ukrainian army with RBS-17 short-range anti-ship missile system.

This became known at a joint briefing by the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance of Sweden, who said that the specified type of weapons was "a special request of the Ukrainian government."

"The Swedish government proposes, among other things, that Sweden donate defense equipment in the form of the Robot 17 (RBS-17) short-range anti-ship missile system," the Swedish government said in a press release published on its website.

Ukraine will also receive AG 90 automatic sniper rifles and ammunition, 5,000 Swedish AT-4 recoilless anti-tank weapons.

According to Militaryleak, the RBS 17 (naval target robot 17) is the Swedish version of the AGM-114C Hellfire air-to-ground missile. It has been adapted for an anti-shipping role and can be launched from naval ships or from a land-based firing post.

RBS-17 is used by units of the Swedish Amphibious Corps to make it difficult for the enemy to penetrate ships or ports in the Swedish archipelago. Missiles can be effectively used against enemy surface targets during landing. RBS-17 missiles can fill the gap for hitting the enemy at close range, since Harpoon and Neptune missiles cannot hit a ship at such close range due to "minimum range" restrictions.
Belarus has extended the terms of checking the combat readiness of the Armed Forces until June 11, and the military commissariats of Gomel region are clarifying the military data of reservists, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Oleksandr Motuzianyk has said.

"Ukrainian intelligence also informs us about the extension of the deadline for checking the combat readiness of the Armed Forces of this country until June 11. Previously, it was planned until June 4. In preparation for the meeting with military personnel of the territorial defense of Belarus from June 22 to July 16, the military commissariats of Gomel region are clarifying military data reservists," Motuzianyk said at a briefing at Ukraine media center in Kyiv on Monday.

He said that in the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border in Bryansk and Kursk regions, in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to other threatening directions, the enemy also holds units.

"In particular, in the area of the settlement of Tetkino, Kursk region, there are servicemen from the 76th airborne assault division of the airborne troops. In the area of international automobile checkpoint Novye Yurkovichi, Bryansk region, Russia, the engineering and fortification equipment of positions continues," the spokesperson of the Defense Ministry said.
Zelensky on visa regime with Russia: Today I have enough opportunities to achieve positive results here

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that today he has enough opportunities to achieve positive results in introducing visa regime with Russia.

"I think this idea is not bad  introducing visa regime with Russia. And, secondly, probably today I have enough opportunities to bring positive results for Ukrainians here," Zelensky told reporters on Monday.

As reported, on May 26, the president ordered Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to work on the issue of introducing visa regime between Ukraine and Russia.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said the officers of the Defense Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, which are currently involved in, among other things, exchanging of prisoners, should return all Ukrainian prisoners home.

"The issue [of the exchange of prisoners] is dealt with by the Defense Intelligence Agency. A special joint agency has been established on its basis. The prisoners are, unfortunately, in the hands of Russia... We know what to negotiate with the Russians, we know this price. We know that they cannot be trusted... The Defense Intelligence Agency should deal with this issue and should give a result. The only result is to return people home," Zelensky told reporters on Monday.

According to the head of state, there are over 2,500 Ukrainian prisoners from Azovstal in Russia.

He said the first task assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency was the task of bringing Ukrainian prisoners of war alive, and it was completed in full.

"The first part was to take people out alive. I believe that the Defense Intelligence Agency has completed the first part. Today there is a second part: to return them home alive... They are the best specialists in this regard... I personally trust them. We expect results from them," Zelensky said.

"All this is not easy. Let us believe that they will succeed in their task," he said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the situation in the frontline area near Severodonetsk, Luhansk region, is complicated, but the Ukrainian army is keeping it under control.

"As for the situation on the frontline We are having a complicated situation in the East, the situation in the Severodonetsk [direction]. You know, we are keeping the situation, exactly keeping the situation under control. They [the occupiers] prevail in number. They have more power, but, nevertheless, I think we have every chance to fight in this direction," Zelensky told reporters on Monday.

The Kharkiv direction is "more positive," he said, adding that Ukrainian residential areas are being liberated there.

The situation in Zaporizhia region is "the most dangerous" due to the occupiers' intention to take the regional center, the president said.

"Probably, the situation in other directions is better, as we can see," Zelensky said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky says that neither he nor Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba were invited to a meeting in Ankara on June 8, which will, in particular, consider the issue of Black Sea shipping and which will be attended by Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.

"I was not invited. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has not been invited to date," Zelensky said during a conversation with reporters on Monday, answering a related question.

According to the president, he discussed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, among others, the issue of mediation by the Turkish side in unblocking Ukrainian ports.

"For us, it is important that we are ready to produce grain... For us [it is important] that there is a safe corridor of ships  that this or that fleet of this or that state will ensure the export of this grain to us. That is all. And here we talked both with Britain and Turkey. Turkey is now finding a format to give us guarantees... I think because of this they are meeting with the Russians so that Russia will give Turkey guarantees that nothing will happen to their ships. I think so. But, however, the details of their meeting are unknown to me yet," Zelensky said.

The president also said that negotiations on the export of grain are being held with the UN, as well as with the Baltic countries and Poland  on the export of some volume by rail, but this direction is not a priority due to the long delivery times. Through Odesa ports, according to him, Ukraine can export 10 million tonnes of grain monthly. "If now we have 22 million to 25 million tonnes blocked there, but in the autumn we may already have 75 million. What are we going to do? Therefore, we wo not be able to do without ports," Zelensky said.

When asked under what conditions Ukraine can go for demining the coast of Odesa ports and who should be the guarantor for the Ukrainian side to do this, he replied: "I consider the strongest guarantee is our appropriate weapons that will be deployed in the region, the unblocking of another corridor to the port for the export of grain".

"We are working on this with specific states, with specific anti-ship systems. We are working and are already getting a little, I can already state. I think this is the best guarantee," Zelensky said.
Prominent human rights lawyer Khaled Ali announced on Tuesday the release of 10 pre-trial detainees who had been imprisoned on charges of joining a terrorist group, publishing and spreading false news and statements.
Egypt seeks scientific, technical and pharmaceutical partnership with Africa to localise all types of coronavirus vaccines, Egypt's Presidential Adviser for Health Affairs Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din said.
The Armed Forces mourned in a statement released on Friday the death of two Egyptian peacekeepers and the injury of another in an IED explosion while carrying out a mission in central Mali.
Egypts Justice Party (El-Adl) announced on Tuesday that it will sponsor the Second Workers Conference in Alexandria on Friday in preparation for the national dialogue that is scheduled for July.
By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

Tatarstan has named Murad Gadylshin as its new permanent representative to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing Tatarstan media.

Under the information, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov signed a relevant decree, appointing him for a period of three years.

From 2016 to 2021, he was a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the VII convocation.

Earlier, Alfred Zakirov, who had held this post since 2013, quitted as the permanent representative of Tatarstan to Azerbaijan at his own request.

Azerbaijan and Russia have mutual cooperation in different sectors, such as economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. Over 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented.

Earlier this year Azerbaijan participated in a number of international exhibitions held in Russia. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to $2.6 billion in 2020, making Russia Azerbaijans third-largest partner. Additionally, Azerbaijan is a major supplier of fruits and vegetables to Russia. The country ranked first in supplies of fresh and chilled tomatoes.

Russia also played a prominent role in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict resolution. The trilateral peace deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the 30-year conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijans Karabakh that along with seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.




US President Joe Biden will make history next month with a direct flight between Israel and Saudi Arabia where he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Baghdad on Sunday on a historic visit, the first by an Egyptian leader to Iraq in nearly three decades, ahead of a tripartite summit between his country, Iraq and Jordan.

The leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Iraq are set to hold a trilateral summit on Sunday in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the fourth round of talks between the three countries to promote cooperation mechanisms and reinforce political consultation on regional issues.



The summit brings together Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, and Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Iraqi President Barham Salih, received El-Sisi at Baghdad on Sunday, Egyptian presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

He later met with Prime Minister al-Kadhimi at the government palace at the Green Zone, where both the Egyptian and Iraqi national anthems were played.



"The visit reflects the strength of the long-standing historical relations between Egypt and Iraq  and confirms Egypt's keenness to support and develop these relations towards broader prospects within the framework of the unity of destiny and challenges, and in response to the common interests of the two brotherly countries," Rady added.

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The new round of talks aims to "build on what has been achieved during the previous three summits, evaluate development in various cooperation fields, follow up on projects being implemented as part of efforts aiming to support and deepen historical ties between the three countries," the spokesman added.The summit also is aimed at reinforcing political consultation on means to counter challenges facing the Arab world and the Middle East."The first trilateral summit was held in Cairo in March 2019, with the second summit held in New York in September of the same year. The third was held in Amman in August 2020.The past summits saw an exchange of views between the leaders of the three countries on crucial regional issues and common security challenges, as well as means to restore stability in the region.Upon his arrival, El-Sisi reviewed with Salih means to push the bilateral ties forward and discussed the main regional issues of mutual interest, agreeing on intensifying coordination between both sides in the coming period.El-Sisi expressed Egypt's aspiration to promote cooperation with Iraq into a sustainable framework of economic integration, particularly in light of the "major" challenges facing the region, as well as the economic and social crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic.The Iraqi president expressed his country's hope to develop the bilateral ties into a strategic partnership in order to help with maintaining regional security and stability and restoring balance to the region.Egypt plays a pivotal role regionally and internationally, Salih noted.He also said Baghdad wants to benefit from Egypt's "successful" experiment in implementing developmental projects and adopting economic reforms, in addition to its efforts in addressing terrorism and extremism.El-Sisi, according to Rady, is set to meet with the Iraqi premier on the sidelines of Sunday's summit to discuss ways to boost trade and economic relations as well as exchange views on several regional issues.Also, a meeting will be held with King Abdullah II on bilateral ties reinforcement, the Egyptian spokesman added.
The Egyptian president called for embarking on carrying on a package of ventures agreed upon between the three nations in embodiment of current cooperation ties between the three nations

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed at a summit with the leaders of Iraq and Jordan the need of maintaining coordination and consultation to address perils that pose threat to the region, particularly amid regional interferences that target the Arab national security.

"The talks are a good opportunity to continue consultation and coordination on the region's main issues amid the consecutive regional and global developments," El-Sisi told the summit, which is attended by Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, and Jordan's King Abdullah II.

The perils of terrorism and radical ideologies are still present, a matter that necessitate exerting joint efforts to defeat them, he said, praising Iraqs victories against terrorism.

The Egyptian leader called for embarking on carrying out a package of ventures agreed upon between the three nations in embodiment of current cooperation ties between them.

"My presence here today embodies the strong relations between our countries and peoples, and our keenness to support and develop these relations towards broader prospects that ensure the unity of objective and destiny as well as fulfill our joint interests," he noted.

He expressed his hope that the summit will build on what was achieved during the previous summits to establish a new era of strategic partnership and close cooperation to achieve sustainable development and contribute to supporting the Arab national security.

El-Sisi said Cairo will put its capabilities to support both Asian countries in confronting the coronavirus pandemic.

El-Sisi arrived in the Iraqi capital earlier on Sunday on the first visit by an Egyptian leader to the conflict-torn country in nearly three decades.

Sunday's trilateral summit is the fourth round of talks between the three countries as the trilogy aims to promote cooperation mechanisms and reinforce political consultation on regional issues,

The first trilateral summit was held in Cairo in March 2019, with the second summit held in New York in September of the same year. The third was held in Amman in August 2020.

The past summits saw an exchange of views between the leaders of the three countries on crucial regional issues and common security challenges, as well as means to restore stability in the region.

Arab water rights

El-Sisi voiced his appreciation to both countries' "supportive" stances on Egypt's water rights, in reference to the dispute caused by the controversial dam Addis Ababa is building on a main tributary of the Nile River.

El-Sisi said Egypt's water rights are "closely" connected to Arab national security and form part of Arab water rights in general, voicing Egypt's support to the water rights of Iraq and Jordan as well.

"Egypt supports the water rights of Iraq and Jordan in the face of challenges both are confronting and deem Arab water a fundamental component of Arab national security, a matter that requires coordination and cooperation between us to preserve them," he stressed.

Libya's stability vs foreign forces

As for Libya, El-Sisi said Egypt is seeking to secure a political settlement based on the outcomes of the Berlin Summit, the Cairo Declaration and international resolutions .

"We, however, assert the difficulty of achieving the desired stability without ending all foreign interference in Libya, and pulling out foreign forces and mercenaries, with the need to continue to respect the ceasefire, leading to the Libyan elections next December."

Egypt has been pushing for a political settlement in Libya for years, calling for a ceasefire, a complete disarming of militias, an end to foreign intervention in the country, as well as a fair distribution of wealth between various regions in the country.

A new Libyan unified interim executive authority was selected in February with the assistance of a United Nations-mediated process that brought together various delegates from Libya's warring factions.

It comprises four leaders to guide the oil-rich country through to national elections in December, with Mohamed Menfi chosen to head a three-man Presidency Council and Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah as interim prime minister.

Libya's parliament voted in March to back the unity government, proposed by Dbeibah, in an attempt to end the chaos that beset the North African country after the NATO-backed uprising that ousted long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

On Syria, he reaffirmed the necessity of reaching a political solution for the Syrian in which the military operations and foreign interventions come to end and the aspirations of Syrian people are achieved.

"I reaffirm our stance that the Syrian issue cannot be settled militarily," he assured.

Egypt supports settlement efforts within the framework of Geneva process and under Security Council Resolution 2254 and the efforts of the UN envoy, he noted.

Arab's central cause

Regarding the Palestinian cause, El-Sisi said Egypt is supporting the "Arab's "central cause" by firming up the Egypt-sponsored ceasefire with Israel and reviving peace efforts anew.

In May, Egypt mediated a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian factions to end an 11-day military operation in the Gaza Strip, which claimed tens of Palestinian lives and injured hundreds.

The Egyptian president said the previous months witnessed momentum related to the Palestinian issues, which included Egyptian efforts to mediate talks between Palestinian factions to bring about reconciliation.

Egypt has been in talks with regional and international sides to revive the long-frozen talks between the Palestinian and Israeli sides based on the international resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the two-state solution with the aim of establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

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Egypt fully backs Iraqi attempts to restore its influence within the Arab world and foreground its Arab identity

President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi flew to Baghdad on 28 August to take part in the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. It was the highest level of Egyptian representation in Iraq for almost three decades.

The one-day conference offered regional leaders an opportunity to discuss ways to support Iraq and address the challenges facing, and the future prospects of, the region.

President Al-Sisis address reflected the degree to which Egypt looks forward to supporting Iraq in its efforts to regain its status and influence in the Arab region after falling prey to the regional agendas of others.

One significant aspect of the Egyptian discourse at the Baghdad summit was Egypts supportive response to the Iraqi desire to reinforce its national sovereignty and end foreign intervention in the country.

Egypt understands that Iraq needs to strengthen its ability to counter threats, including terrorism. Egypt wants to help Iraq build its future which, done properly, will strengthen Arab national and regional security.

The energetic resumption of Egyptian-Iraqi bilateral relations is far from being unilaterally driven. As President Al-Sisi put it, there is a sincere desire on both sides which reflects a shared political will. Not only was this spirit evident in the level of Egyptian attendance in Baghdad, it could also be seen in the agreements and protocols concluded bilaterally, and within the context of the new tripartite Egyptian-Iraqi-Jordanian mechanism for cooperation.

The agreements and protocols also attest to how much Egypts recent development experience can offer friends and allies in the region.

Egypts presence and discourse in Baghdad provides an insight into how Egypt views its role vis-a-vis other players. Cairo does not seek to steer others but rather play a leading role in the framework of a multiparty partnership. This reflects Cairos awareness of Iraqi aspirations, especially in terms of its desire to develop a strategic balance in its relations with Arab and non-Arab regional powers in a manner consistent with Iraqi interests and Iraqs historical, cultural and civilisational history.

President Al-Sisi underscored this in his speech when he referred to Iraq as a bastion of Arabism and hailed Iraqis as the great people who possess civilisation and history.

Battles over Iraqs identity have wreaked enormous attrition on Iraqi society; indeed, they have at times threatened the very integrity of the state, and are an issue that can no longer be shirked. Iraq cannot achieve stability and revive its regional role if it remains alienated from its roots and vulnerable to polarising divisions imposed by others.

In his focus on the maintenance of regional security, Al-Sisi underscored what has become a core foreign policy goal. Cairo has worked intensively to reduce conflicts and crises across the region.

Some countries, such as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, have been particularly hard hit by foreign interventions. Particularly pernicious are the interventions by non-Arab regional powers which include the deployment of mercenaries, direct occupation of Arab territory, and the building of military bases.

The president directed messages to non-Arab regional powers, urging them to honour the principles of good neighbourliness, respect Iraqi sovereignty and the choices made by the Iraqi people, and to refrain from any intervention in Iraqi domestic affairs whether through direct military action, support of terrorist organisations, or by using Iraq as a transit for militias and mercenaries to other countries.

Baghdad has already taken action to put an end to such phenomena, energetically promoting conflict resolution efforts. It has acted as a mediator to reduce tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia over Yemen, and distanced itself from Iranian attempts to use Iraq to promote Tehrans agenda in Syria.

Observers framed the tripartite mechanism that emerged from the conference  what Al-Sisi referred to as a translation of the concept of Arab cooperation  in terms of an Arab versus non-Arab regional dialectic. It is possible to see it within another framework: as an Arab advance into the Arab absence in Iraq.

The new mechanism includes 15 agreements covering energy, agriculture, and other crucial economic areas.

That Egypt fully supports the Iraqi government was conveyed by the high-level Egyptian presence at the conference. President Al-Sisi lauded Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimis political, security and economic reform efforts. Iraq has achieved qualitative progress under Al-Kadhimi, despite many obstacles at home and abroad, a fact that presents Iraq with an opportunity and a challenge. Despite the governments strengthening of state institutions, economic reform, fight against corruption and reordering of foreign policy priorities, it remains an interim government tasked with preparing for elections on 10 October.

It is impossible to tell, as yet, what kind of government the elections will produce. Will it continue along the same path or adopt other priorities? Al-Sisi directly addressed the Iraqi people in his speech, urging them to choose the candidates they feel best represent them and their aspirations for a stable, prosperous and influential Iraq.

President Al-Sisi offered Iraq support in its counter-terrorism operations. Iraq has, in the past, locked horns with and repelled terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Systematising and institutionalising security coordination was one of the main reasons for President Al-Sisis participation in the conference and, before this, for Iraqi Defence Minister Juma Anads visit to Cairo on 7 August.

Al-Sisi also drew attention to a number of other threats, referencing both climate change and water scarcity. These problems are transnational, and multifaceted in their social, economic and environmental repercussions.

The conference also proved useful at a general inter-Arab level. President Al-Sisi had the opportunity to meet with other Arab heads-of-state, not least the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Ahmed. The meeting occurred several days after the arrival of the Qatari ambassador to Cairo.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 2 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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This came during a visit on Sunday to the National Council for Women by the delegation that comprised a delegation from the World Bank

A World Bank delegation praised the achievements Egyptian women have gained so far and the strong belief of the political leadership in Egypt in their important role in the progress of the society and the development of the nation.

This came during a visit to the National Council for Women (NCW) by the delegation that comprised World Bank Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti Marina Wes, Keiko Miwa, the World Bank's Regional Director for Human Development covering the Middle East and North Africa region and Ayat Soliman, the Regional Director for the World Bank Group's Sustainable Development Department for the Middle East.

The visit aimed at discussing cooperation in areas connected with womens empowerment and removing obstacles hindering women participation in public life.

The bank delegates asserted the importance of existing cooperation between the two sides to serve womens empowerment, saying they look forward to furthering cooperation on that score.

Welcoming the guests, the national councils chairperson, Maya Morsy, lauded the strong cooperation with the World Bank.

Egyptian women are taking confident steps forward in numerous domains thanks to the support of the wise political leadership, she said, hughlighting President Abdel-Fattah El Sisis assiduous efforts to put Egypt on the right path of progress to build a better future for the coming generations.

She asserted the importance of confronting negative gender concepts and traditions and customs that prevent womens work and progress and impede them from fulfilling their role in serving their communities.

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Egypt's Al-Azhar, the world's leading Sunni Islamic institution, has condemned and denounced the derogatory remarks made by spokesperson of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on his Twitter page against the Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

The statement against Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha are insolent and disrespectful, Al-Azhar said in a statement issued on Sunday in English, without naming the Indian official.

Over the past few days, two Indian party leaders have made derogatory statement against the Prophet, drawing ire among the Asian country's minority Muslim community and Muslims around the world.

Nupur Sharma, who was an official spokesperson of the BJP, made her remark on a TV debate on 27 May, while Naveen Jindal, who was media head of the party's Delhi unit, wrote a tweet on Wednesday.

Al-Azhar said the statements reveal "blatant ignorance of the history and the biography of the prophets, who represent the highest pinnacles of morality, virtue and ethics, and who were protected by Allah Almighty from falling into vice or committing what pure souls reject."

Al-Azhar affirmed that such behavior is terrorism, which can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars, calling on the international community to confront the dangers of "such reckless abusers" with firmness, determination and strength.

Some political officials, the statement noted, have recently resorted to insulting Islam and the Prophet to win voters support in party elections, and inflame the feelings of their followers against Muslims.

Al-Azhar described this approach as an explicit call to extremism, hatred and sedition among followers of different religions and beliefs.

Al-Azhar reiterated that the civilized world today has to take a rigid stance against those who abuse religions and supreme human values for political gains, the statement added.

The BJP announced on Sunday the suspension of Sharma in response to her comments, and also expelled Jindal from the party due to his tweet, reported Reuters.

In a statement, the Indian ruling party expressed its respect to all religions, saying it "strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities of any religion."

Later on, Sharma apologised for her comment, while Jindal deleted his tweet.

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India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim-majority countries after top officials in the governing Hindu nationalist party made derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, drawing accusations of blasphemy across some Arab nations that have left New Delhi struggling to contain the damaging fallout.

At least five Arab nations have lodged official protests against India, and Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly Monday to the comments made by two prominent spokespeople from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

Anger has poured out on social media, and calls for a boycott of Indian goods have surfaced in some Arab nations. At home, it has led to protests against Modi's party in some parts of the country.

The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting India's Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Modi's regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for everything from their food and clothing style to inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks could escalate.

They have also accused Modi's governing party of looking the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise 14% of India's 1.4 billion people but are still numerous enough to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.

Modi's party denies the accusations, but India's Muslims say attacks against them and their faith have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week after the two spokespeople, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Islam's Prophet Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modi's party took no action against them until Sunday, when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest.

The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it ``strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities,`` a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait.

Later, Saudi Arabia and Iran also lodged complaints with India, and the Jeddha-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the remarks came in a ``context of intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims.''

India's Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected the comments by the OIC as ``unwarranted'' and ``narrow-minded.''

On Sunday, India's embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by ``fringe elements.''

The statement said that strong action had already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks.

The criticism from Muslim countries, however, was severe, indicating that insulting Prophet Muhammad was a red line.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said it expected a public apology from the Indian government, and Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see ``an increase of extremism and hatred.``

The Grand Mufti of Oman described the ``obscene rudeness'' of Modi's party toward Islam as a form of ``war.'' Riyadh said the comments were insulting and called for ``respect for beliefs and religions.''

Egypt's Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni world's foremost institution of religious learning, described the remarks as ``real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars.''

The remarks made by Sharma during a TV program in India and Jindal in a tweet risk damaging India's ties with Arab nations.

India maintains strong relations with Gulf countries, which rely on millions of migrant workers from India and elsewhere in South Asia to serve their tiny local populations and drive the machinery of daily life.

India also depends on oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to power its energy-thirsty economy.

The remarks also led to anger in India's archrival and neighbor, Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

On Monday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat and conveyed Islamabad's ``strong condemnation,`` a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the comments were ``hurtful'' and ``India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims.''

India's Foreign Ministry responded by calling Pakistan ``a serial violator of minority rights'' and said it should not engage ``in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.''

``India accords the highest respect to all religions,`` ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

Criticism also came from Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not allow ``such fanatics to insult ... Islam and provoke the feelings of Muslims.''

Modi's party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists posted comments on social media saying the government was buckling under international pressure.

Anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks have risen across India under Modi. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India was seeing ``rising attacks on people and places of worship,'' eliciting a response from New Delhi, which called the comments ``ill-informed.''

More recently, religious tensions have escalated after some Hindu groups went to a local court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th-century mosque, claiming that it was built by demolishing a temple.

Critics say these tensions have been further exacerbated by Indian television anchors during raucous debates.

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Egypt has expressed its condolence to the republic of Bangladesh over the deadly explosion that occurred on Saturday in a container depot near the port city of Chittagong, which left dozens of people dead and injured.

Egypt expresses its sincere condolences and sympathy to the people of Bangladesh for the victims of the explosion and fire in a shipping container warehouse near Chittagong, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Egypt wished a speedy recovery for the injured, and stressing its support for the Asian country.

At least 49 people were killed and hundreds were injured in the incident.

The cause of the explosion, which shattered the windows of nearby buildings and was heard several kilometers away, is still unknown.

Many of the injured are reported to be in critical condition, according to media reports.

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Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told Zimbabwean Vice President and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga on Monday that Egypt is interested in contributing to the development efforts in Zimbabwe through Egyptian companies working that operate in infrastructure.

Chiwenga lauded the deeply-rooted ties with Egypt, thanking it for its supportive stances toward his country.

Zimbabwe is interested in developing relations with Egypt in various fields, including increasing the rates of trade exchange, which presently do not exceed $20 million, Chiwenga noted, welcoming Egyptian investments in his country.

He also pointed to an agreement on establishing an Egyptian pharmaceuticals company in Zimbabwe.

Abdel-Ghaffar, meanwhile, pointed out he agreed with the Zimbabwean side on sending medical teams.

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A delegation from the National Council For Human Rights (NCHR) inspected on Sunday Wadi Al-Natroun Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre in Behaira Governorate to review the living conditions of the inmates with a follow up on how the human rights strategy is applied concerning the detention conditions, the council said.

According to the council, the delegation was briefed by Tarek Marzouk, the aid to the interior minister for social protection, on how the facility meets international standards related to providing health care and adequate nutrition, ensuring the right to education and culture, allocating time for inmates to exercise and allowing direct visits between inmates and their families.

The NCHR delegation, which was led by its President Ambassador Moushira Khattab, visited the centres hospital where the doctors monitored the health of the inmates and provided them with a full medical care.

The delegation also checked in on the health of a numbers of inmates, including activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah who was transferred to the centre in May to continue serving his a five-year-sentence for "joining a terrorist group and spreading false news."

The NCHR appealed to the interior ministry to transfer Abdel-Fattah from Tora prison after family reported he was on a hunger strike since last April to protest his conditions in prison.

According to the delegation, Abdel-Fattahs condition was stable and vital signs were normal and was being closely monitored by doctors. The NCHR statement added that the renowned activist was receiving food provided by the prison, including buying food from the canteen.

Neither Alaa Abdel-Fattah nor any other inmate reported to the centres management that they are on hunger strike, the NCHR statement said.

Abdel-Fattahs family maintains that he is still on a hunger strike.

The NCHR delegation also visited the literacy classes, the mosque, the church and the centres kitchen, and followed up the quality of meals provided to the inmates.

The delegation also visited the industrial complex consisting of a wood and metal factory, a feed factory, livestock and poultry, and organic greenhouses to rehabilitate the inmates to master various crafts.

Then the delegation was briefed on the situation in the female inmates' wards, nurseries, and the inmates' production of handicrafts

The delegation also spoke to a number of inmates and their families during visiting times and listened to their demands.

The visit comes as part of a series of the councils mandate to periodically visit and assess reform and rehabilitation centres.

Wadi Al-Natroun Rehabilitation Centre, which was inaugurated last fall, is one of the largest such centres worldwide and is managed based on international standards of human rights and modern technology, according to the Ministry of Interior.

According to the interior ministry, 12 prisons  representing 25 percent of the total prisons in Egypt  would be closed after the centre formally begins its operation.

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By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijan and Cambodia have canceled visa requirements for diplomats, Azernews reports, citing the Foreign Ministry.

As part of the third round of bilateral consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries on June 1, in Baku, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov and his Cambodian counterpart Chem Widhya inked an agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic passports, the report added.

During the meeting, the parties reviewed the present condition of bilateral relations, as well as the potential for extending and growing cooperation in political, economic, humanitarian, and other spheres.

Mammadov informed his colleague about the regional post-conflict situation, the progress of demining Azerbaijans liberated regions, and restoration and building activities carried out in these lands.

The parties also discussed prospects for cooperation between the two countries within the framework of international organizations, including Azerbaijans chairmanship in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and Cambodias chairmanship in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Widhya thanked Mammadov for the hospitality, reminding him that the two previous meetings were also held in an atmosphere of cordial friendship and mutual commitment to further enhancing the relations between the two nations.

Azerbaijan and Cambodia are strengthening diplomatic relations and cooperation with Azerbaijan. The three rounds of the bilateral consultations were followed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sens visit to Azerbaijan on April 23-24, 2014.

Both sides reviewed the bilateral ties and exchanged views on regional and international issues while setting up a roadmap for future cooperation to advance ties in potential areas of common interest.

Cambodia is willing to assist the demining of Azerbaijani liberated territories, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said Somathy Prak, secretariat chief of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, on the sidelines of the international conference "Humanitarian de-mining and sustainable development goals" held in April, in Baku.

Azerbaijan and Cambodia established diplomatic relations on February 2, 1995. In 2021, Azerbaijan imported goods worth $2.2 million from Cambodia, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, have discussed means of enhancing their trilateral cooperation in various fields as they met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in Baghdad.

In an official visit that they started on Monday, Shoukry and Safadi discussed boosting trilateral cooperation with Iraq especially regarding the economic and commercial cooperation projects, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs read.

During the meeting, they addressed means of building on the progress in trilateral cooperation achieved within the framework of the summits held between Egypt, Jordan and Iraq over the past years.

They also discussed building on the mandates issued during the summits to push forward cooperation between the three countries in the various fields and development projects.

This should ensure direct and prompt return on these projects for the peoples of the three countries, they affirmed.

The meeting discussed regional and international developments, with the ministers highlighting the need to continue working on the various challenges facing the Arab region and prioritise political solutions to these challenges.

Shoukry and Safadi, for their part, stressed the importance that Cairo and Amman attach to supporting the security and stability of Iraq within the framework of the brotherly bonds between the three countries on the official and popular levels.

The ministers discussed joint security and defence cooperation against terrorist organisations, stressing the need to continue coordination and exchange experiences and information in this regard, a statement by the Iraqi cabinet said.

This should ensure a safe environment for economic prosperity and promoting sustainable development in a manner that serves the peoples of the three countries and the entire region, the statement added.

Shoukry and Safadi also held a separate meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih within the framework of their visit.

Egypt, Iraq and Jordan have intensified their meetings over the past few years to address enhancing strategic relations and expanding trilateral cooperation in several fields, including energy, industry, agriculture, transport, food security, infrastructure and investment.

The leaders of the three countries have met four times in less than three years, the first of which was in Cairo in March 2019, to discuss implementing trilateral strategic projects.

During their latest summit in Baghdad in June last year, the three leaders pledged to reinforce coordination between their security and intelligence apparatuses in countering terrorism and cyber security.

They also laid special emphasis on ambitious plans to build a power grid, a gas network, an oil pipeline and a land route that would connect their three countries and facilitate their integration.

Egypt, a country with an electricity surplus of more than 25 percent, is planning to export electricity to Iraq through its electricity grid link with Jordan. Egypt and Jordan agreed in November last year to double the capacity of their electricity grid link to 1GW.

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President Barham Salih said on Monday that Iraq is keen to coordinate stances with both Egypt and Jordan to establish regional security and stability, a statement by the Iraqi Presidency read.

Receiving Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Jordans Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Baghdad, Salih stressed Iraqs keenness to also enhance relations with the two Arab countries in various fields.

Iraq is keen to expand relations with Egypt and Jordan through the agreed upon trilateral understandings and frameworks in the political, security, and economic fields, Salih said.

Concerning regional issues, Salih said there is an urgent need to ease tensions and defuse the crises in the region and to employ dialogue in resolving the outstanding issues.

This should pave the way for a regional cooperation framework that is based on economic and commercial cooperation to face joint challenges linked to security, economy and climate change, the Iraqi president added.

Iraqs security, stability and geographical location among its neighbours is an indispensable element for the security of the region, Salih said.

Shoukry and Safadi conveyed the greetings of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan to Salih during the meeting, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs read.

The ministers stressed their keenness to enhance relations with Iraq on the bilateral levels and within the framework of their trilateral cooperation mechanism as it constitutes a model of economic partnership and supports the joint Arab work mechanisms.

Shoukry and Safadi started an official visit to the Iraqi capital on Monday, during which they also met with Iraqs Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halboosi.

Their visit comes as part of the efforts exerted by the three countries over the past years to enhance the frameworks of trilateral cooperation and support stability in Iraq.

Egypt, Iraq and Jordan have intensified their meetings over the past few years to address enhancing strategic relations and expanding trilateral cooperation in several fields, including energy, industry, agriculture, transport, food security, infrastructure and investment.

The leaders of the three countries have met four times in less than three years, the first of which was in Cairo in March 2019, to discuss implementing trilateral strategic projects.

During their latest summit in Baghdad in June last year, the three leaders pledged to reinforce coordination between their security and intelligence apparatuses in countering terrorism and cyber security.

They also laid special emphasis on ambitious plans to build a power grid, a gas network, an oil pipeline and a land route that would connect their three countries and facilitate their integration.

Egypt, a country with an electricity surplus of more than 25 percent, is planning to export electricity to Iraq through its electricity grid link with Jordan. Egypt and Jordan agreed in November last year to double the capacity of their electricity grid link to 1GW.

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Egypts Arab Organisation for Industrialisation (AIO) signed in Cairo on Monday an MoU for cooperation in defence industries with Rheinmetall Italia, the AIO announced.

According to a statement issued by the AOI, the organization is keen to cooperate with the Italian firm and the cooperation includes training to develop capabilities using the latest techniques and technologies.

AIO chairman Abdel-Moneim El-Tarras stressed during the signing of the MoU the importance of cooperation with international firms to transfer their technology and expertise to Egypt.

El-Tarras added that this agreement is in line with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis directives to increase the use of local components in defence-related industries.

For his part, Rheinmetall CEO Alessandro Ercolani praised the industrial and human capabilities of the AOI and its ability to use technology to achieve high production rates using the latest techniques in the defence industries.

Ercolani added that the Egyptian market is of strategic importance to the Arab and African regions.

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The Unit of Research and Studies at the Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue (FDHRD) has stressed that factors resulting from climate change are negatively affecting public health through a litany of causes including the spread of disease.

The Egyptian non-governmental organisation issued on Monday a new report entitled The Impact of Climate Change on Public Health in Egypt.

The repercussions of climate change, including heat waves, hurricanes, and droughts, are increasing vulnerability to diseases spread by insects and water, the FDHRD's report said.

The report said that climate change contributes to increasing hunger and affecting healthy aging, and the spread of some non-communicable diseases. These include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.

Climate change also affect the immunity against these diseases, the FDHRD said, highlighting the incidence rates of these diseases in Egypt over the past years.

The report also noted that some infectious diseases are associated with climate change, including those that increase mortality rates.

Nearly two-thirds of human and animal pathogens are sensitive to climate. This includes vector-borne diseases (VBDs) that are mainly transmitted by arthropod vectors such as the mosquitoes, which are common in Egypt and causes West Nile fever, it noted.

Additionally, the climate crisis is causing widespread psychological stress, including severe anxiety among individuals aged 16-25, and affecting daily work performance, FDHRD's report noted.

The impacts of climate change also extends to people with disabilities, it added, noting that the global phenomena "directly and disproportionately" threatens their health rights due to rising temperatures, rising air pollutants and increased exposure to extreme weather events including heat waves, fires and floods.

The report said the climate changes is leading to disruption in food security through reduced crop and livestock production, which causes higher food prices resulting from increased production costs.

Food security in Egypt has been affected faster than global expectations, the reported said, adding that climate change threatens to flood the Nile Delta in Egypt due to sea level rise.

The report concluded that the states have obligations to respect, protect and fulfill human rights, and this includes obligations to mitigate domestic gas emissions, and to protect citizens from the harmful effects of climate change.

Egypt's hosting of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh next November is an opportunity to address the implications of climate change on public health in southern countries that lack the infrastructure for health sectors, it added.

In May, Egypt launched the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050, with the aim of addressing the repercussions of climate change in a way that contributes to improving the quality of life for Egyptians, achieving sustainable development, sustainable economic growth and preserving natural resources and ecosystems.

In January 2022, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Egypt only produces 0.6 percent of the worlds emissions and yet is among the most susceptible to the impacts of climate change.

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As attackers opened fire on worshippers inside a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria, other gunmen waited outside to kill those who tried to flee, church officials and witnesses said Monday.

At least 50 people including children were killed in the attack, according to a state lawmaker from the area.

Worshippers were attending Pentecost Sunday Mass when gunfire erupted at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state.

Bishop Jude Arogundade of the Ondo Diocese said there were gunmen inside the church but also other gunmen outside who then killed churchgoers fleeing in terror.

Steven Omotayo, who lives near the church, rushed to the scene upon hearing the gunshots.

``I saw a lot of dead bodies, both young and old, even children,`` he said. ``The people came in and started shooting from the gate.''

He said the church has three entrances and the main entrance was said to have been locked, making it difficult for many to escape.

``They were just shooting. If they see anyone trying to escape or stand up, they will just shoot the person,'' he said. ``Everybody standing was bombarded with bullets.''

It was not immediately known who was behind the church massacre and authorities said the gunmen managed to flee the scene.

While northern Nigeria has battled an Islamic insurgency for more than 13 years, Ondo state has long been considered one of the most peaceful states in the country.



Ondo State governor Rotimi Akeredolu (3rd L) points to blood on the stained floor after an attack by gunmen at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo town, southwest Nigeria on June 5, 2022. AFP

Hospital workers struggled to treat scores of wounded following the attack. The Nigeria Medical Association in Ondo state directed all available doctors to head to the hospitals to offer any help to dozens of critically wounded.

``At a stage, even the blood got exhausted at our blood bank and we had to be pleading for blood,'' said a doctor at the Federal Medical Center in Owo who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

``Even as a physician, I have attended to a good number of casualties but what I saw yesterday was far beyond whatever I have seen before in my life and in the practice.``

State Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran said security forces were ``on top of the situation.''

``A team pursued the assailants along with the military but unfortunately, we could not catch up with them,'' he said.

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Naksa, or setback, refers to the beginning of the 1967 Six-Day War on 5 June, which saw Israel triple in size, beginning over 54 years of occupation

On this day in 1967, the occupying state of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria. After hitting the air defences of the four countries, Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Twenty years after being recognised as an independent state on the ruins of historical Palestine, Israel began an occupation that would become the longest in modern history. As such, Israel took control of the final 22 per cent of historic Palestine that it wasn't able to occupy in 1948.

The term Naksa, or setback, refers to the beginning of the 1967 Six-Day War on 5 June, which saw Israel triple in size, beginning over 54 years of occupation.

Nearly 400,000 Palestinians were displaced by the Israeli onslaught, adding to the hundreds of thousands of refugees displaced in 1948 by the invading Zionist prpo-Israel militias. Around half were displaced for the second time in less than 20 years.

The number of Palestinian refugees in camps run by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon even grew further.

The attack saw Israel disregard the previously agreed upon Green Line borders drawn up in the 1949 armistice with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, which separated the newly established Israel from the Palestinian areas of the Jordan-administered West Bank and Jerusalem, and the Egypt-administered Gaza.

Following the onslaught, facilitated by strong backing of the United States, Israel imposed a military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza and has annexed East Jerusalem until today.

Palestinians in the "occupied Palestinian territories" have since been subjected to a brutal Israeli military occupation as well as the activities of armed, right-wing Jewish settlers, for whom Israel's victory was a licence to colonise the land which they believed was promised to them by God and them alone.

In 2005, Israel pulled out its troops and settlers from Gaza as part of a unilateral disengagement plan under late Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon.

Despite many UN resolutions calling for its withdrawal from these territories, Israel continues to occupy all the territories except the Sinai Peninsula. It withdrew from this territory in 1982, following a peace treaty with Egypt.

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A French-Palestinian lawyer will spend at least three more months detained without charge under a controversial Israeli practice, court documents show.

Israeli authorities overnight Sunday-Monday extended the detention of Salah Hamouri, 37, under what is known as administrative detention, according to the documents.

The practise allows suspects to be detained for renewable periods of up to six months.

An Israeli military court sentenced Hamouri to administrative detention in March. It accused him of being a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and said he "endangers security in the region".

Hamouri, who holds French citizenship, denies being a member of the PFLP.

The PFLP has been implicated in several fatal attacks on Israelis and is considered by Israel, the United States and the European Union as a "terrorist group".

The military court documents, sent to his lawyers and seen by AFP, said that his administrative detention has been extended to September 5.

Hamouri has been arrested and jailed by Israeli authorities on several occasions, including in 2005.

Following that arrest, he was tried and convicted by an Israeli court on charges of plotting to assassinate Ovadia Yossef, a prominent Israeli rabbi and spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas political party.

Hamouri was released in December 2011 as part of a swap of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit, a soldier held captive in Gaza for more than five years.

He has always maintained his innocence.

In April Hamouri, along with rights groups, filed a complaint in France against surveillance firm NSO Group for having "illegally infiltrated" his mobile phone with the spyware Pegasus.

He is one of several Palestinian activists whose phones were hacked using the Pegasus malware, according to a report in November by human rights groups.

Israel says administrative detention is intended to allow authorities to hold suspects while continuing to gather evidence, with the aim of preventing attacks or security offences in the meantime.

But Palestinians, human rights groups and members of the international community have criticised the system. They say Israel abuses the measure.

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The man charged by President Kais Saied with rewriting Tunisia's constitution said Monday he would present a draft stripped of any reference to Islam in order to fight Islamist parties.

The first article of a constitution adopted three years after the North African country's 2011 revolution says it is "a free, independent and sovereign state, Islam is its religion and Arabic is its language".

But Sadeq Belaid, the legal expert appointed last month to head a committee to draft a new constitution, told AFP "80 percent of Tunisians are against extremism and against the use of religion for political ends".

"That's exactly what we want to do, simply by erasing Article 1 in its current form," he said in an interview.

The draft will be presented to Saied ahead of a planned July 25 referendum.

Asked whether there would be any reference to Islam in the new constitution, Belaid said "there won't be".

The new constitution is at the heart of Saied's roadmap for rebuilding Tunisia's political system, after he sacked the government last July and later dissolved parliament in moves described by rivals as a coup.

Belaid, who once taught Saied and now heads the president's "National Consultative Commission for a New Republic", said he would present the new draft by June 15.

The president is then to sign off on the text ahead of a popular vote.

Belaid, 83, said he wanted to tackle Islamist-inspired parties such as Ennahdha.

"If you use religion to engage in political extremism, we will not allow that," he said.

"We have political parties with dirty hands. Whether you like it or not, French or European democrats, we won't accept these dirty people in our democracy."

Many Tunisians have welcomed Saied's moves against political parties and a mixed presidential-parliamentary system seen as corrupt and inept, but others have warned that he risks scrubbing out the country's democratic gains over the last decade.

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A regional governor in Ukraine says that the situation in a key eastern town has worsened.

Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Monday that fierce fighting was continuing in the city of Sievierodonetsk the epicentre of the Russian offensive. He described the combat situation as ``quite dynamic.``

``Our defenders managed to conduct counteroffensive and free nearly half of the city, but the situation has worsened again now,`` Haidai told the AP.

``Our guys are defending the positions in the industrial zone on the outskirts of the city.''

``The shelling of Sievierodonetsk has intensified, (the Russians) are destroying everything in line with their scorched earth tactics,'' he alleged.

Haidai said that the Russians have continued intensive bombardment also of nearby Lysychansk.

The Russians ``have an enormous amount of equipment and personnel, they have pulled up a lot of reserves,'' he said.

He added that they had shelled a humanitarian centre in Lysychansk and destroyed a bakery, and that 98 people had left the town over the past 24 hours.

Haidai said that a key highway between Bakhmut and Lysychansk has been under constant shelling even though it remains in Ukrainian hands.

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By the beginning of 2023, Jordan is expected to supply Iraq with electricity after the required infrastructure is completed, Jordans Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in a joint press conference with his Egyptian and Iraqi counterparts in Baghdad.

This is part of a cooperation agreement signed between Jordan and Iraq in September 2020 where Jordan will supply Iraq with electricity by connecting their networks.

Egypt, which is more than 800 miles from Iraq, also plans to deliver electricity to Iraq via Jordan by linking their power grids.

The project will bring power to Iraq from Egypt and Jordan and will enable expanding industrial activity [in Iraq], Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said during the presser.

Industrial city, oil link

Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq will also work on setting up an industrial city on the Iraqi-Jordanian border, Safadi said during the presser, noting that the three countries have completed around 90 percent of the preparations required to launch the city.

We are currently in the last phase of the process to start attracting industries and investments to [the industrial city], Safadi added.

Also, Jordan and Iraq have completed 80 percent of the required preparations for implementing the oil pipeline project linking the two countries, Safadi said, noting that Egypt will also benefit from the project.

Trilateral cooperation amid challenges

During the presser, the ministers agreed on the need to enhance their relations within their trilateral cooperation mechanism, especially amid the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine.

The meeting between the three ministers today discussed the impact of the war in Ukraine on political and economic situations as well as on the prices of energy, including gas and oil, Iraqs Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said.

Our message today is that there is a necessity and a need for cooperation to enhance our ability to face the multiple increasing challenges in our region, Safadi said.

This includes the challenges linked to the Ukraine crisis and its impact on food security, energy, and the prices of commodities, as well as other regional challenges, Safadi explained.

The Jordanian FM said he agreed with Shoukry and Hussein on a step towards a deeper institutionalisation" of their trilateral cooperation.

This includes establishing a mechanism that ensures continuous and effective follow-up of the achievements made within the framework of their trilateral cooperation mechanism, Safadi said.

The Iraqi FM said they discussed the future of their joint trilateral work to cooperate in building economic integration and confronting threats to food security.

Shoukry, for his part, said the three countries are fully convinced that they can confront the multiple challenges facing them through their cooperation and efforts to formulate a joint vision to deal with and overcome these challenges.

The ministers also discussed regional challenges including the Palestinian cause. Safadi said the ministers reiterated their support for the Palestinian peoples legitimate rights, especially their right in having an independent and sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Shoukry and Safadi started an official visit to Baghdad today to enhance the trilateral cooperation mechanism launched between the three countries over the past years and follow up on the achievements made in this regard.

Shoukry affirmed during the presser that the goal of launching the trilateral cooperation mechanism is supporting stability in Iraq and protecting its sovereignty after years of challenges.

During their visit, the two ministers also met with Iraqi President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, and Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halboosi.

Egypt, Iraq and Jordan have intensified their meetings over the past few years to address enhancing strategic relations and expanding trilateral cooperation in several fields, including energy, industry, agriculture, transport, food security, infrastructure and investment.

The leaders of the three countries have met four times in less than three years, the first of which was in Cairo in March 2019, to discuss implementing trilateral strategic projects.

During their latest summit in Baghdad in June last year, the three leaders pledged to reinforce coordination between their security and intelligence apparatuses in countering terrorism and cyber security.

They also laid special emphasis on ambitious plans to build a power grid, a gas network, an oil pipeline and a land route that would connect their three countries and facilitate their integration.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

On June 3, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia held the 10th meeting of the trilateral working group on the opening of regional transport communications in Moscow.

"The parties discussed and brought closer their positions on issues of border, customs, and other types of control, as well as the safe passage of citizens, vehicles, and goods on roads and railways through the territories of the Azerbaijani Republic and the Republic of Armenia," the Russian government website reports.

The Trilateral Working Group met for the tenth time on June 3, 2022, co-chaired by

Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian Deputy Prime Ministers Shahin Mustafayev, Mger Grigoryan and Alexei Overchuk to discuss the border issues, the report added.

The parties discussed and coordinated views on borders, customs, and other kinds of control, as well as safe transit of people, cars, and goods by roads and railways through the territories of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Moreover, the parties discussed prospective routes for highways that would connect Azerbaijans western regions with its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenia.

The parties agreed to keep working to execute the agreements reached by the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders on the opening of regional transportation linkages.

At a summit in Moscow on January 11, 2021, the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan agreed to form a working group at the level of the three countries' deputy prime ministers to focus on the construction of transport and economic ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In May, Azerbaijan and Armenia announced the creation of border delimitation commissions following the Brussels meeting under the auspices of EU Council President Charles Michel. The first meeting of the commissions took place on May 24.

The parties confirmed their willingness to cooperate on delimitation and other matters within the commission's framework. The conference also discussed the commission's joint operations' organizational and procedural difficulties.

A high-ranking EU official, who wished anonymous, said that Brussels does not and will not coordinate its measures with Moscow on the topic of normalization of the Armenian-Azerbaijani ties, Azernews reports citing foreign media.

The European diplomat claimed that in view of the latest geopolitical processes, both Yerevan and Baku are now cautious about the Kremlin.

Russia may have stopped the [44-day] war, but obviously the continuation of the process is happening in Brussels, not in Moscow. And the fact that the sides come to Brussels so often is one indication of that," he added.

Over the previous six months, the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders met three times through the mediation of European Council President Charles Michel, with the latest two sessions taking place in the midst of Western-Russian tensions over Ukraine.

Moscow expressed apparent displeasure with Brussels' mediation attempts. Several weeks ago, the Russian Foreign Ministry publicly accused the West of "shamelessly trying to appropriate the subject of the well-known Russia-Azerbaijan-Armenia high-level agreements," claiming that Washington and Brussels have increased their diplomatic activity by refusing to cooperate with Russia in the OSCE Minsk Group.

Earlier, during a meeting with his Armenian counterpart, the Russian foreign minister openly stated the same.

"I do not know what the future fate of the Minsk Group will be, because our so-called French and American partners in this group in a Russophobic frenzy, in a desire to cancel everything and everything that concerns Russia, canceled the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, saying that they will not communicate in this format," Lavrov said.

Brussels also believes that, while the Minsk Group's de jure mediation framework exists, it is not functioning in practice. Apparently, the West is not willing to cooperate with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

The future status of Karabakh is one of the most controversial topics in the peace talks between Baku and Yerevan. The former argues that such a situation no longer exists, but the latter asks that the security and rights of Armenians in Karabakh, as well as the status question, should be addressed first.

Referring to these disputes, the president of the European Council stated that the fundamental issues must be examined and resolved by all parties concerned in order for a long-term solution to the conflict to be reached.
Russia fired a barrage of missiles early Sunday on Kyiv for the first time in more than a month, shattering a sense of normalcy in the Ukrainian capital.

The Russian defense ministry said its forces had destroyed tanks sent to Kyiv by Western governments, even as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would hit targets "we haven't yet struck" if the West went ahead with plans to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden said last week that the United States plans to send $700 million in new weaponry to the Kyiv government that includes four precision-guided, medium-range rocket systems, helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, radars, tactical vehicles, spare parts and more.

The U.S. said, however, it will take three weeks to train Ukrainian forces on how to use the rocket systems and deploy them. Washington says it has received assurances from Kyiv it will not use the rockets to target sites inside Russia.

Putin said in a television interview, "All this fuss around additional deliveries of weapons, in my opinion, has only one goal: To drag out the armed conflict as much as possible."

If Kyiv gets longer-range rockets, Putin said, Moscow will "draw appropriate conclusions and use our means of destruction, which we have plenty of, in order to strike at those objects that we haven't yet struck." He contended that the new weaponry arriving in Ukraine was unlikely to bolster Ukraine's fortunes and was merely making up for losses of rockets of similar range that they already had.


KYODO NEWS - Jun 6, 2022 - 14:27 | All, Japan

Japan's welfare ministry is creating for the first time a survey specifically focusing on boys and men victimized by sexual violence, ministry sources said Monday.

With little social awareness of the issue, the ministry wants to quickly create a support system for male victims of sexual violence by securing a better grasp of the situation, they said.

The shame and fear that they will not be believed prevent many male victims from speaking about their experiences or seeking help, according to support organizations.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has set up a research group to determine the finer points of creating the survey during the current fiscal year ending March. The group includes doctors to establish guidelines for medical institutions to offer better care for male victims.

The Cabinet Office conducts a public survey every three years asking men and women about violence they have experienced. However, questions on sexual violence are limited and the survey does not focus on the various aspects of sexual trauma specific to men.

In the last such survey released in 2021, which was conducted during November to December 2020, there were 1,635 male respondents.

Of those, 1.0 percent, or 17 boys or men, responded that they had been coerced into sexual activity, with abusers ranging from people they met at school to complete strangers.

Of the male victims, 12 did not seek help, stating reasons such as "I can get through this somehow by enduring," "I thought it would be useless even if I sought help," "I did not want to involve other people," and "I didn't know to whom and where to turn for advice or help."

Support centers, some established by municipal governments, want to encourage men to seek help.

"I don't want them (male victims) to blame themselves. No one knows what to do when (a sexual assault) happens suddenly," said an official of the Fukuoka Victim Support Center in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Social awareness of sexual violence is predominantly focused on the experience of women, affecting the type and scale of research as well as support for victims.

Few consultation windows offer care for male victims, said Azusa Saito, an associate professor of clinical psychology at Mejiro University in Tokyo.

"There are cases of men wondering if they will be 'truly heard,'" she added.

"We need to eliminate society's gender bias and deepen understanding of male victimization," including through surveys targeting not just women but also men, she said.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 6, 2022 - 10:23 | All, World

Cambodia's ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen won Sunday's local elections by a landslide.

Sok Eysan, a spokesman of the Cambodian People's Party told Kyodo News that preliminary results suggested the CPP had obtained nearly 100 percent of all the seats in 1,652 communes across the country.

He said the turnout stood at nearly 80 percent of the 9.2 million registered voters, who were to pick 11,622 councilors and chiefs in the fifth communal elections held every five years since 2002.

The elections with more than 86,000 candidates running from 17 parties were seen as a bellwether for next year's lower house election.

The new opposition Candlelight Party's vice president, Thach Setha, said it came second after the CPP and may secure around 2,000 councilor seats throughout the country.

The opposition party may win four of the commune chief contests nationwide, according to a senior CPP official.

The Candlelight Party is dubbed as a "son" of the former Sam Rainsy Party, named after the opposition leader who is in self-exile in France.

In the previous 2017 communal elections, the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party made unexpectedly strong gains, obtaining 43.8 percent, or 3.06 million voters. But the party was forced to dissolve later that year.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 6, 2022 - 21:15 | All, Japan

A Japanese court on Monday sentenced a 30-year-old man to a prison term of 18 years in a retrial over a 2017 road rage incident that resulted in the deaths of a couple and injuries to their two daughters.

The Yokohama District Court convicted Kazuho Ishibashi of dangerous driving after he overtook the car of Yoshihisa Hagiyama, 45, and his family on the Tomei Expressway in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, on June 5, 2017, and forced it to stop in the passing lane where it was rear-ended by a truck.

The court recognized that Ishibashi's actions constituted dangerous driving, which was the main focus of the trial, and described them as "relentless criminal acts based on a strong intent."

Photo shows a minivan removed from a highway in Japan after being rear-ended by a truck in a road-rage accident in June 2017. (Kyodo)

The prison term was handed down by Presiding Judge Kiyoshi Aonuma as sought by prosecutors, who argued Ishibashi was liable for dangerous driving for repeatedly slowing down in front of the family's car. His defense had said there was no causal link between his driving and the accident.

But Aonuma, in handing down the ruling, rejected the argument, saying, "There was a causal relationship."

The judge said the defendant had advanced directly in front of Hagiyama's car four times and repeatedly engaged in obstructive driving by slowing down and approaching the vehicle. Ishibashi's dangerous driving led Hagiyama to take the risky action of stopping the car on a highway.

According to the ruling, Ishibashi was enraged after being warned by Hagiyama about the way he had parked his car in an expressway parking area just before the incident. Ishibashi pursued Hagiyama, who was traveling with his 39-year-old wife Yuka and their two daughters.

The defense side plans to appeal the ruling. Ishibashi was quoted by his lawyer as saying the verdict "did not make sense and that the (court) did not understand the evidence."

The court had convicted Ishibashi of dangerous driving in relation to the case in December 2018, handing him an 18-year prison sentence. Ishibashi pleaded not guilty in both trials.

In the first trial at the same district court, Ishibashi largely acknowledged the facts about his dangerous driving and apologized to the bereaved family. But in the retrial, he maintained he had "not driven in a dangerous way that could cause an accident," and offered no words of apology or remorse.

In December 2019, the Tokyo High Court agreed with the lower court decision but quashed the ruling and sent the case back, stating the district court illegally overturned a view expressed in a pre-trial hearing that Ishibashi's actions did not constitute dangerous driving.

Extensive news coverage of the incident sparked greater public concern over dangerous driving. In 2020, the government enforced revisions to Japan's traffic laws that toughened punishment for road rage offenses.

Ishibashi has also been indicted over a separate road rage incident in Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Japan.

Related coverage:

High court quashes notable road rage ruling due to technicality

Nat'l Police Agency mulls revoking driver's licenses over road rage

Mother of road-rage victim calls for harsher penalties
Mongolian Minister of Environment and Tourism Bat-Ulzii Bat-Erdene is seen during an interview with Xinhua in Ulan Bator on May 24, 2022. (Photo by Suriya/Xinhua)



Mongolia has set a goal of welcoming 1 million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in 2024, said the minister.



ULAN BATOR, June 1 (Xinhua) -- As part of its goal to promote the tourism sector, Mongolia aims to develop cross-border tourism with its neighbors -- China and Russia, Mongolian Minister of Environment and Tourism Bat-Ulzii Bat-Erdene has said.

"In particular, we are working to create legal conditions for the development of cross-border tourism with neighboring China and Russia, and to create 72-hour cross-border tourism zones," Bat-Erdene told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Mongolia has set a goal of welcoming 1 million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in 2024, said the minister, adding the Asian country plans to set 2023 and 2024 as "Years to Visit Mongolia" to promote the pandemic-hit tourism sector.

Mongolia has also been considering exempting visa requirements for a list of 11 countries, Bat-Erdene said.

Given the fact that the Asian country's tourism is seasonal, the minister said Mongolia has attached great importance to developing winter tourism to boost its tourism industry.

"Therefore, we are considering the issue of upgrading our local airports to international 4C4 rating, developing winter business tourism, and hosting major international events, such as conferences in Mongolia in winter," Bat-Erdene said.

Meanwhile, Mongolia is exploring the possibility of receiving transit flights at the new Chinggis Khaan International Airport near Ulan Bator.

"What this means is that Mongolia wants to be the main bridge and transit point connecting Asian countries such as China, South Korea and Japan with Europe and others," said the minister.

With its economy largely dependent on export earnings from the mining sector, Mongolia has been making efforts to diversify its economy, notably through revitalizing the tourism sector. 
Supplying renewable energy to remote communities across Cameroon has become a passion for Eposi Njoh Monyengi, the first woman to install and maintain solar panels in her community.

YAOUNDE, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The sun shone from a cloudless sky in a quiet, bushy neighbourhood in Tiko, in Cameroon's Southwest region. Eposi Njoh Monyengi was busy at work.

In less than an hour, she successfully installed a solar panel on a roof.

Supplying renewable energy to remote communities across Cameroon has become a passion for Monyengi, 44.

"My main aim is to light the community," said the mother of three, the first woman to install and maintain solar panels in her community.

In Tiko, she has won respect for her work and fondly referred to as "solar mama."

In 2019, with the help of a local non-governmental organization (NGO), Rural Women Development Project, Monyengi travelled to India, where she studied installation and maintenance of solar panels for six months.

Since her return to Cameroon, she has installed solar panels in over 200 households, impacting more than 600 people.

Monyengi's work has provided inspiration and ignited hope among her neighbours, friends and family alike in Ombe, her native village also known as Bamukong, on the outskirts of Tiko.

SUNNY HOPE

For over 50 years, the village with about 400 inhabitants had no electricity.

In May last year, Monyengi took a motorcycle to the banks of the Ombe River and then crossed the river on a canoe to reach the remote village.

In three months, she installed solar panels in 54 households.

When Xinhua reporters visited the village, the village was full of life and energy, and music boomed from bars in the agrarian community.

"We are very happy," said Ignatius Tamala, whom Monyengi appointed as chairman of the solar committee of the village.

"The kids are studying well, until 10, 11 at night," said the 47-year-old father of five. "They study very comfortably because there is electricity."

As the sun set and darkness began falling over the village, 49-year-old Gladys Fienyam switched on her solar bulb and started grilling fish. She has been grilling and selling fish for eight years.

Not long ago, nightfall would have forced her to stop working, but now Fienyam can grill fish for as long as she wants.

"I am extremely happy. I don't use torch again. I have more customers now and mostly because of light," she said.

Across Tiko municipality, villagers said their standards of living have since improved remarkably thanks to access to solar energy.

Monyengi's success story is a booster to the fight against climate change that has taken its toll on the livelihoods of people especially in Africa where droughts, erratic rainfall, floods have become more frequent.

Since 2015, Cameroon has made renewable energy a priority, especially for rural electrification.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

But the project is not just about going green.

Monyengi has made it a point of duty to train more "solar mamas."

"When you empower women, you have empowered a whole nation," she said. "When people see me, they are so excited to see a woman because not every woman can do it. Just their happiness encourages me to do more for them."

After losing her job as a plantation worker, Cecilia Otto, 55, was low-spirited and began struggling to eke out a living as a farmer.

"'Solar mama' convinced me that I should learn how to install solar panels," said the mother of five. "I was reluctant (at first) but I finally accepted. Today I am pleased that I did."

Otto is among over 50 women trained by Monyengi to install and maintain solar panels in rural communities. She now accompanies Monyengi regularly to install the panels.

They were also joined by 61-year-old Joan Nkweti, a retired civil servant and widow with four children.

"When I heard about solar installation, I was so interested because it makes me exercise what I really wished to do as a youth," she said.

"I am so happy I achieved something at this age," Nkweti said.

"I can go and install solar panels without anybody's help, because the training teaches you what to do and what not to do," she said.

"You feel so satisfied. You feel so happy for achieving something," Nkweti said.

As the world observes World Environment Day, Monyengi hopes that the government and international NGOs will help her expand the project to other communities. 
People are seen at a camp on the outskirts of Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua)

Severe drought is putting some areas in central and southern Somalia at an increased risk of famine as acute food insecurity, malnutrition and mortality worsen, the United Nations and the Somali government warned Saturday.

MOGADISHU, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Severe drought is putting some areas in central and southern Somalia at an increased risk of famine as acute food insecurity, malnutrition and mortality worsen, the United Nations and the Somali government warned Saturday.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification jointly released by the Somalia government, aid agencies and food security experts, the situation will worsen through at least September if the current Gu season (late March to June) crop and livestock production fails, food prices continue to rise sharply and humanitarian assistance is not scaled up to reach those most in need.

The agencies said the situation in the Bay region is particularly concerning as the acute malnutrition threshold for famine has been breached in the Baidoa district.

"While a famine classification requires at least two of the three criteria to be met, the increase in acute malnutrition levels and mortality signal that loss of life and livelihoods is already occurring," the agencies said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

A woman carrying a child is seen at a camp on the outskirts of Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Jan. 13, 2022. (Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua)

The report says acute food insecurity has continued to worsen across Somalia, with an estimated 5.2 million people (or 33 percent of the total population) already experiencing crisis or worse outcomes, including 38,000 people likely in Catastrophe, as of May, despite the ongoing delivery of humanitarian food assistance.

It says food assistance reached an average of 2.4 million people per month between February and April and has likely prevented the worsening of food security and nutrition outcomes in many areas.

According to the UN, food insecurity and malnutrition are expected to deteriorate further and faster between June and September, and if humanitarian food assistance is not scaled up and sustained, then approximately 7.1 million people (or 45 percent of the total population) are expected to face a Crisis or worse outcomes.

The agencies said urgent and timely scaling up of integrated humanitarian assistance is required to prevent extreme food insecurity and acute malnutrition, including starvation and excess mortality, in areas facing an increased risk of famine through at least September.

"In particular, malnutrition and mortality outcomes in Baidoa and Burhakaba districts in Bay region already point to an extremely concerning situation as of May 2022," the UN report says.

The country is experiencing the worst drought since the 2011 famine following the failure of three consecutive rainy seasons, resulting in the destruction of livestock and crops.

Somalia has called on the international community to take part in the ongoing emergency assistance to the drought-affected people in the country. 
MOSCOW, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian forces have destroyed T-72 tanks and other armored vehicles supplied by Eastern European countries near Kiev, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday.

"High-precision, long-range air-based missiles of the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed T-72 tanks and other armored vehicles, which were housed in the buildings of an auto repair facility on the outskirts of Kiev," Konashenkov told a briefing.

According to earlier reports, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least one person was injured in rocket strikes on Ukraine's capital Sunday morning.

The attacks hit infrastructure facilities in Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts on the left bank of the Dnieper River, Klitschko told The Telegram.

Specifically, railway infrastructure facilities were hit, according to Serhiy Leshchenko, a member of the supervisory board of the Ukrainian State Railways. 
Staff members transport packages at a logistics center in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Nov. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Haoran)

BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China's weeks-long mid-year online shopping event got off to a steady start amid business resumption and pro-growth policy incentives, which analysts believe can help boost consumption as COVID-19 impacts wear thin.

The annual shopping bonanza, featuring promotional campaigns at multiple e-commerce platforms, kicked off on June 1. Many online retailers said sales took off in the beginning hours, especially on upscale big-ticket items.

The first 4 hours of JD.com's campaign saw sales of gaming television top that of last June as a whole, while sales of smartphones costing over 4,000 yuan (about 596 U.S. dollars) from six brands tripled year on year.

Suning reported a 78-percent year-on-year sales increase on high-end home appliances of over 10,000 yuan during its first round of the campaign, while the number of customers trading in old items for new ones rose 56 percent from a year ago.

The whopping growth is backed by the recovery of the retail sector, as the country accelerates the implementation of policies to stabilize the economy. Industry activity gauges for warehouse storage, logistics and e-commerce logistics have all perked up in May from a month ago while posting upbeat expectations for further expansion.

Shanghai, for instance, handled an above-average daily total of 11 million express delivery packages on June 1, the first day of its return to normal production and life after two months of closed-off management to contain the COVID-19 resurgence.

Tempting prices and generous giveaways at e-commerce platforms also fueled shoppers' passion. JD.com and Pinduoduo have collaborated with cities like Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai to issue vouchers for customers to use on top of already reduced prices.

With the help of these incentives, the year's major online shopping event will serve as a strong driver of consumption, which was dampened by COVID-19 flare-ups, said Li Mingtao, an analyst with China International Electronic Commerce Center.

Online outlets are taking up increasingly larger shares of China's consumer product market. In the first four months of this year, online sales of physical goods rose 5.2 percent, with its proportion in retail sales climbing to 23.8 percent.

These outlets are pooling their resources along the supply chain, including nationwide warehouse networks and internet traffic, to expand sales for struggling small and medium-sized firms.

Noting that small businesses, like many vendors on e-commerce platforms, are the main targets of supportive policies, Zhao Ping, vice president of the Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said these platforms can help free them from constraints in the financing, technology, marketing and human resources by offering digital solutions.

China will step up the integrated development of online and offline shopping, and nurture new consumption trends like customization and experiential shopping, said Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping.

The country has rolled out a series of detailed measures to further tap its consumption potential and tackle short-term bottlenecks, including relaxing restrictions on car purchases and handing out billions of yuan in shopping vouchers. 
ADEN, Yemen, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's internationally-recognized government and the Houthi rebels on Sunday began their second round of talks over the opening of blocked roads in Taiz city, a government diplomat told Xinhua.

"Delegations representing the Yemeni government and the Houthi group began a new round of face-to-face negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations in Jordan's capital Amman," said the diplomat on the condition of anonymity.

With the supervision of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, the warring sides were actively involved in negotiations over lifting the years-long siege imposed by the Houthis on the strategic city of Taiz in southwestern Yemen, he added.

There are no official comments yet from the United Nations, the Yemeni government or the Houthis.

The first round of talks on Taiz concluded on May 29 in Amman without reaching any agreement.

Yemen's warring parties entered a two-month UN-brokered truce on April 2, which includes allowing commercial flights to and from the Houthi-held capital Sanaa and the entry of fuel ships into the Houthi-held port Hodeidah and lifting the siege of the government-held Taiz city.

The warring parties have largely held the truce, but have yet to reach a final agreement on lifting the siege of Taiz.

On Tuesday, the warring parties renewed the truce for another two months, allowing more time for them to sort out persisting disagreements.

Yemen fell into a civil war in late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of Sanaa.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation. 
By Trend

UNESCO should reflect in its reports the facts of Armenian vandalism against Azerbaijani culture, Azerbaijani MP Afat Hasanova told Trend.

"Today, when we see the attitude of international community towards the current conflicts in the world, we again become witnesses of double standards. We were faced with silence of international organizations about the facts of Armenian vandalism during the 30-year period of occupation of our lands. UNESCO is one of these organizations," Hasanova said.

Hasanova noted that Azerbaijani people were subjected to ethnic cleansing and genocide by Armenia. Along with this, the Azerbaijani cultural heritage, which is part of the cultural heritage of mankind, was subjected to genocide and vandalism during the period of Armenian occupation. Historical monuments were destroyed, mosques were desecrated in occupied territories.

"Despite the fact that Azerbaijan has repeatedly applied to UNESCO, which promotes the preservation of world heritage and culture, no response has been received. Azerbaijan has applied to UNESCO in connection with the fact that a mission was sent to these territories to investigate the facts of vandalism of Armenians against our cultural heritage, however, unfortunately, this organization has not taken any steps," MP added.

Hasanova noted that today UNESCO continues to demonstrate double standards and does not mention the facts of Armenian vandalism in its reports.

"This injustice must be put to an end, UNESCO must reflect in its reports the facts of Armenian vandalism against Azerbaijani culture," she emphasized.
Soldiers of the Jordan Armed Forces perform an anti-terror drill during the opening ceremony of the 12th Annual Warrior Competition at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Amman, Jordan, June 5, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

AMMAN, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The international 12th Annual Warrior Competition began on Sunday at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Jordan's capital Amman.

A total of 40 teams representing 25 countries participate in this year's competition, which will last five days until Thursday, state-run Petra news agency reported.

Each year, the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) invites Jordanian and international teams, ranging from elite special forces to military and law enforcement units, to join in the event to compete in a variety of challenging tasks meant to test their skills and endurance.

The competition, first launched in May 2009, is part of the JAF's annual plans and training programs to improve the level of efficiency and preparedness among its personnel so that they can meet operational needs and tackle potential threats. 

Soldiers of the Jordan Armed Forces perform an anti-terror drill during the opening ceremony of the 12th Annual Warrior Competition at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Amman, Jordan, June 5, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

A soldier of the Jordan Armed Forces performs an anti-terror drill during the opening ceremony of the 12th Annual Warrior Competition at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Amman, Jordan, June 5, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

Soldiers of the Jordan Armed Forces perform an anti-terror drill during the opening ceremony of the 12th Annual Warrior Competition at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Amman, Jordan, June 5, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)
Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, delivers a speech via video link at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), at the invitation of Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and the Russian State Duma, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and take effective measures to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, China's top legislator Li Zhanshu said Monday.

Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks in a speech delivered via video link at the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSTO, at the invitation of Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and the Russian State Duma.

He said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Collective Security Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the CSTO. Since its establishment, the CSTO has played an important role in safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and security of its member states, promoting regional peace and stability, and preventing and responding to new threats and challenges to regional security.

The Global Security Initiative, proposed by China, aims to respond to the urgent needs of the international community to maintain world peace and prevent conflicts and wars, and provide a new direction for eliminating the root causes of international conflicts, addressing international security challenges, and achieving world peace and development, Li said, adding that the CSTO's participation in the initiative would be welcome.

Noting that China shares broad common interests with CSTO member states in maintaining regional peace and stability, Li said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the CSTO and take effective measures to jointly maintain regional peace and stability.

He said the NPC is willing to work with the legislatures of CSTO member states to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, give full play to the unique role of the legislature, and fully release the potential of the CSTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to make the region and the world more peaceful, secure and prosperous. 
SHANGHAI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai reported three locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases during the 17 hours to 5 p.m. on Monday, the municipal health commission said at a press conference Monday.

The three new cases were detected in community screening and have been sent to designated hospitals for medical treatment, said the health commission.

Epidemiological investigations were carried out immediately. As of 4 p.m. Monday, 12 close contacts of the three cases had been placed in quarantine for medical observation. 
WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Three people died and 14 others were injured following a shooting outside a nightclub in Chattanooga, Tennessee early Sunday morning.

Two people died from gunshot wounds and a third lost life after being hit by a vehicle, Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy told reporters.

Investigators believe there were multiple shooters. Murphy said the shooting was an "isolated incident" with no ongoing threat to public safety.

Last weekend, six teenagers were shot in downtown Chattanooga during a confrontation.

The latest shooting in Chattanooga was reported only hours after gunmen opened fire at a crowd in a popular nightlife area in Philadelphia, killing three people while injuring 11 others.

Mass shootings -- defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot -- were also reported in Michigan, Texas, and Arizona this weekend.

In Phoenix, a teenage girl was shot and killed and eight others were injured after a shooting broke out at a strip mall on Saturday.

A rash of mass shootings has rocked the United States over the past few weeks and renewed cries for stricter gun laws in the nation.

Last month, an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

The United States has seen at least 240 mass shootings across the nation over the past five months or so, with more than 18,500 lives lost to gun violence, according to an online database. 
People attend a launching ceremony of Saudi Cloud Computing Company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 5, 2022. Saudi Cloud Computing Company (SCCC), a new joint venture company formed by Chinese and Saudi companies, has launched its service in Saudi Arabia to meet the growing demand for cloud services in the kingdom. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou)

RIYADH, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Cloud Computing Company (SCCC), a new joint venture company formed by Chinese and Saudi companies, has launched its service in Saudi Arabia to meet the growing demand for cloud services in the kingdom.

Formed by Chinese company Alibaba Cloud, Saudi Telecom Company (STC) Group, eWTP Arabia Capital, the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), and the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), the SCCC announced the opening of two data centers during the launching ceremony in Riyadh on Sunday.

The data centers will offer customers in Saudi Arabia a wide range of public cloud computing solutions ranging from elastic computing, storage, and network to databases to cater to the surging business demand from industries such as retail, fintech, and the internet, among others, it said.

"Saudi Arabia is making great strides towards delivering a scalable and secure IT infrastructure to keep up with the demand for a robust and secure cloud service in the digital era. We are extremely pleased to collaborate with Alibaba Cloud which will leverage their technology expertise and industry know-how for our customers in the Kingdom looking to embrace digital innovation," said STC Group CEO Olayan Mohammed Alwetaid.

Alibaba Group Vice President, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence International President Selina Yuan said that "Saudi Arabia is a very strategic and important market for Alibaba Cloud. This launch of the new joint venture is a significant milestone toward our commitment to forging collaborations with local partners to boost the digital transformation in the kingdom."

"By collaborating closely with STC Group and other local partners, we are pleased and confident that Alibaba Cloud will support more local enterprises benefiting from the leading cloud computing technologies," she said.

Saudi Arabia has been working to become a regional leader in cloud technology. Earlier this year, the kingdom's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced plans to invest billions of U.S. dollars in future technologies. 

Alibaba Group Vice President, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence International President Selina Yuan speaks at a launching ceremony of Saudi Cloud Computing Company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 5, 2022. Saudi Cloud Computing Company (SCCC), a new joint venture company formed by Chinese and Saudi companies, has launched its service in Saudi Arabia to meet the growing demand for cloud services in the kingdom. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou)
British Royal Air Force aircrafts create the number of 70 in the sky over Buckingham Palace during the celebration of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, in London, Britain, on June 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London for celebrations that include military parades, concerts and cultural shows.



LONDON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch of the United Kingdom (UK), on Sunday vowed to keep serving the people after celebrations for her 70 years of reign.

"When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your queen, there is no guidebook to follow... But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee," the 96-year-old monarch said in a statement, capping the four-day national celebrations.

People watch the fly-past after the Trooping the Colour parade in celebration of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, in London, Britain, on June 2, 2022. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London for celebrations that include military parades, concerts and cultural shows.

The Queen briefly appeared Sunday afternoon on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, her royal residence in central London, at the end of day-long pageant featuring street arts, music and carnival in central London.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (C) is seen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour parade in celebration of her Platinum Jubilee, in London, Britain, on June 2, 2022. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

She missed a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral on Friday and a star-studded concert and light show outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday due to her mobility issue after appearing on the Palace's balcony for Trooping the Color on Thursday.

"While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family," the Queen said.

Members of the Household Division march during the Trooping the Colour parade in celebration of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, in London, Britain, on June 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-hosts the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting with Fijian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in Suva, Fiji, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua)

China has unveiled the platforms of the China-Pacific Island Countries Demonstration Center for Agricultural Cooperation, Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Cooperation Center, and Juncao Technology Demonstration Center, said Wang Yi after his tour of eight island countries.

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday that China is willing to help Pacific island nations to speed up development and revitalization after wrapping up his tour of eight island countries.

Under the turbulent international situation coupled with the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and weak economic recovery, Pacific island countries are faced with more risks and challenges, Wang said, adding that his visit was intended to enhance friendship, discuss cooperation, confront challenges, seek joint development, and create a future together with the island countries.

"This trip is a trip of peace, cooperation, and friendship," he said.

Wang said his tour covered all of the 10 Pacific island countries having diplomatic relations with China, and that he has, during the tour, held extensive, in-depth communication and exchanges with 17 leaders and more than 30 ministerial officials from the island countries.

For years, Pacific island countries are often been easily forgotten by the international community, or even marginalized, due to their weak national strength and voice, Wang said, adding that China is also a developing country and thus can better understand the situation, needs and concerns of small and medium-sized countries.

Wang expressed willingness to join hands with Pacific island countries to move forward with more solidarity, support each other with more determination, and conduct mutually beneficial cooperation with more pragmatism, so as to contribute to a closer community with a shared future between China and the island countries.

China and Pacific island countries, both developing countries, share extensive consensuses, similar concerns and common missions, he said. China's policy toward the island countries is to constantly advance their comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development.

The concrete content of China's policy toward the island countries can be summarized as "four upholdings" -- the upholding of equal treatment, mutual respect, win-win cooperation, and openness and inclusiveness.

China's cooperation with the island countries does not target any other countries and will not be disrupted by any other states, Wang said.

China always adopts an open approach to engaging with any developed countries willing to conduct tripartite or multilateral cooperation in the island countries, so as to achieve multi-win and win-win results.

Kiribati's President Taneti Maamau stressed that island countries have the right to choose their own partners and expect China to play a bigger role in helping them promote development.

The island countries appreciate China's efforts to uphold justice in the international arena for the legitimate rights and interests of the island countries and to speak out for them in global affairs, such as climate change response.

China will forever remain a trustworthy strategic partner of the island countries, Wang stressed.

Regarding the next priority for China's cooperation with Pacific island countries, he said new and extensive consensuses have been reached to deepen pragmatic cooperation.

Firstly, both sides will work together to tackle climate change, which is the most pressing challenge facing the island countries.

Secondly, efforts will be made to help island countries promote diversified development, which is an inevitable course for them to achieve modernization.

Thirdly, both sides should join hands and do a good job of blue economy, which is key to the sustainable development of the island countries.

Fourthly, the cooperation should facilitate the expansion of emerging industries such as digital economy, which will be a growth point for the island countries' economy in the future.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) co-hosts the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting with Fijian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Voreqe Bainimarama (1st R) in Suva, Fiji, May 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing)

Wang reiterated that China's cooperation with Pacific island countries is open, transparent and aboveboard.

In the cooperation there are no political strings attached and no imposition on others. The cooperation neither targets any third party nor seeks so-called "sphere of influence", Wang said, stressing that it can withstand the test of time and history.

He said China is ready to help and support Pacific island countries in their historical mission of accelerating development and achieving rejuvenation.

The second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which was held in Fiji on May 30, was the first of its kind held in a Pacific island country since the establishment of the mechanism in 2021.

All parties to the meeting spoke positively of the mutually beneficial cooperation with China as well as China's contribution to safeguarding the region's peace and stability and boosting its development and prosperity.

New consensuses were reached at the meeting, after which China released its Position Paper on Mutual Respect and Common Development with Pacific Island Countries, listing 15 principle proposals and 24 specific measures highly valued by the island countries, Wang said.

He noted that China's cooperation with Pacific island countries has been proceeding with bilateral cooperation as the main channel, and meanwhile with island countries-desired collective dialogue via foreign ministers' meeting in order to broaden communication and coordination to form greater synergy.

China also attaches importance to communicating with the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional organizations, Wang said, and foresaw a vibrant situation of "two-wheel driving" for China's relations with Pacific island countries with bilateral cooperation as the main channel and multilateral cooperation as the new platform.

China has no intention of scrambling for influence with any other countries and no interest in geopolitical rivalry, Wang said, adding that China respects the relations of Pacific island countries with other countries and the existing traditional bond of Australia and New Zealand with Pacific island countries.

China has launched productive tripartite cooperation with Australia and New Zealand in the island countries, which has been supported and welcomed by the island partners.

Pacific island countries, Wang said, are located in the southward extension of the Belt and Road and are important partners in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation.

China has signed the memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road cooperation with all of the 10 Pacific island countries with diplomatic ties, and inked BRI cooperation plans with Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, Wang said.

During Wang's tour, China also signed an implementation plan on Belt and Road cooperation with Kiribati, and achieved the outcomes of 52 bilateral cooperation deals with the island countries, which cover 15 areas including climate change response, fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster prevention and mitigation, green development, healthcare and tourism.

Wang said China announced to build platforms of cooperation with Pacific island countries at the foreign ministers' meeting last year, i.e. the Climate Change Cooperation Center, the Poverty Reduction and Development Cooperation Center, and the Reserve of Emergency Supplies.

The Reserve of Emergency Supplies has facilitated Tonga's reconstruction after being hit by volcanic eruptions in January this year and has helped the island countries fight against the pandemic.

At this year's foreign ministers' meeting, China unveiled the platforms of the China-Pacific Island Countries Demonstration Center for Agricultural Cooperation, Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Cooperation Center, and Juncao Technology Demonstration Center, to which the island countries have warmly responded. They also expressed willingness to actively participate in the platforms.

The six new cooperation platforms are tailored to meet the needs and conditions of the island countries. China is ready to mobilize more resources within this framework to conduct personnel training and launch demonstration projects in Pacific island countries to benefit their people.

Wang visited the Pacific island countries of the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, as well as Timor-Leste.
A Fuxing bullet train runs through Yuanjiang grand bridge on the China-Laos Railway in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

Pinit Jarusombat is optimistic about the development of cross-border railway logistics and the prospect of Thailand as a regional hub. Citing the example of Thai agricultural products exported to China, he highlighted that the China-Laos railway accelerates the transportation speed of chilled and frozen fruits and vegetables.

BANGKOK, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos-Thailand railway project will be a grand gateway that benefits people in Southeast Asia, former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Pinit Jarusombat told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The China-Laos railway, which started operation at the end of last year, has provided a new logistics option for Thailand's trade with China.

"It totally exceeded expectations," Pinit said, adding that despite the pandemic, the frequency of train service had to be increased several times due to the huge demand.

"The Sino-Thai railway is currently under construction and Thailand expects it to be operational very soon," Pinit said.

Once it is completed, a transportation corridor through all three countries will significantly increase the speed of movement of people and goods between Southeast Asia and China, he added.

Pinit is also optimistic about the development of cross-border railway logistics and the prospect of Thailand as a regional hub. Citing the example of Thai agricultural products exported to China, he highlighted that the China-Laos railway accelerates the transportation speed of chilled and frozen fruits and vegetables.

In addition to infrastructure construction, Pinit said the Belt and Road Initiative deserves praise for bringing investment and business opportunities to countries along the route.

A container of fruits from Thailand is transported from China-Laos Railway cargo train to a truck at Nateuy Station in Luang Namtha Province, Laos, April 1, 2022. (Photo by Gao Jiabing/Xinhua)

According to him, an increasing number of Chinese companies have entered Thailand in various fields, such as durian planting, rubber businesses, as well as automobile, energy and high-tech industries.

"The Belt and Road Initiative has further promoted Chinese investment in Thailand and boosted the development of new models of cooperation between Chinese and Thai companies," Pinit said.

Referring to bilateral relations, Pinit, who has visited China dozens of times, said that the trade volume between the two countries has soared in the past decade, and the cooperation has been expanding with increasingly frequent contacts from the top governmental level to the private sector.

He mentioned that the Thai government attaches great importance to the development of the relationship with China, and both countries need to further strengthen cooperation in businesses, investment and tourism in the future.

Pinit spoke highly of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China. He said the initiative is timely and visionary to help countries solve current challenges at a time when the world economy and livelihoods are being threatened by the pandemic.

Food security is also an urgent issue at the moment due to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical factors, Pinit said. He believes that the GDI can help countries reduce disputes and return to the track of dialogue.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

Russian state-funded RIA Novosti news agency's provocative move undermines Moscow's post-conflict, regional peace-building efforts, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva.

The dissemination by the Russian state news agency of information, which contradicts the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, promotes defamatory and separatist tendencies, does not correspond to the spirit of friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, and thus is deeply regrettable, Abdullayeva said.

She added that this action by the state-funded news agency is in violation of the provisions of the 1997 Agreement on Friendship, Security, and Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and Russia, as well as the 2022 Declaration on Allied Cooperation, which requires both countries "to refrain from any activity directed against the principles of the UN Charter and each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity," as well as "counter the threats of separatism".

Azerbaijan has blocked the Russian RIA Novosti news agency due to publishing an interview with certain Artak Beglaryan, a Karabakh separatist. The agency once again questioned the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, presenting the territory in Karabakh under the temporary control of Russian peacekeepers as the "Nagorno-Karabakh republic" and Artak Beglaryan as a "state minister".

RIA Novosti's move sparked outrage in Azerbaijan. Some media outlets called for an adequate response to this step that is blocking the news agency in Azerbaijan.

Commenting on the issue, the Azerbaijani Digital Development and Transport Ministry stated that access to Internet information resources is restricted due to the publication of material that is forbidden by law in the country.

According to the law, access to the Internet information resource or its relevant part is restricted in cases where there is a threat to the legally protected interests of the state and society by the decision of the relevant executive authority.

This is not the first time that the information agency disseminated defamatory and separatist information against Azerbaijans territorial integrity.

RIA Novosti violated the requirements of the Azerbaijani law on information by disseminating defamatory and separatist information on the Internet resulting in the blocking of the agency's Internet information resources in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani journalist, TV critic, and professor Gulu Maharramli also described the blocking of the Russian news agency as an adequate step, Azernews reports, citing local media.

I think that the blocking of RIA Novosti in Azerbaijan is a very appropriate and correct decision. Because RIA Novosti, a Russian state agency, has repeatedly published articles and interviews against Azerbaijan, against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and inciting separatism in Azerbaijan. They have been warned many times, but the latest information shows that the agency disrespects the territorial integrity and state independence of Azerbaijan in these matters. Therefore, it is very important to block such a website, and I think it is a very honest step taken by Azerbaijan, no matter how sharp it is, Maharramli said.

Maharramli noted that in general, RIA Novosti and other Russian websites pay too much attention to the Karabakh separatists.

"They spread all the necessary and unnecessary information about them; they act as their press network. Such agencies are completely captive of the Armenian forces in Russia. A lot of information is prepared at their dictation. Therefore, Azerbaijan has taken the very right step by blocking the website. I think that these steps should be applied to any Russian website, as well as other foreign websites, which in the future will commit information provocations against Azerbaijan and question our information security. Everyone should know that Azerbaijan is an independent state, and such information provocations against it are unacceptable. Stimulation of separatism, in general, is not only related to bilateral relations but also contradicts international law and international conventions. Therefore, drastic measures must be taken against activities that support such separatism," he stressed.

According to the expert, other Russian websites, including Sputnik. az should draw serious conclusions from this case.

"The distribution of about 10 Azerbaijani news agencies or websites in Russia has been banned. Why? Because when these websites provide any information about the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia believes that there are nuances that affect their interests. Therefore, just like every state, Azerbaijan must protect its information security, too. Therefore, blocking such websites is completely logical," Maharramli added.
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- "Heaven does not speak and it alternates the four seasons; earth does not speak and it nurtures all things." Chinese President Xi Jinping has quoted this line from a Tang era poem on multiple occasions to underscore ecological conservation.

Excerpted from a poem by renowned poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the sentence emphasizes that everything in the universe is governed by its own laws.

Resonating deeply with the ancient Chinese wisdom, Xi attaches great significance to ecological conservation.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, ecological conservation has been incorporated into the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics. And it has become a consensus of the whole Party and society that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

"Humanity and nature are a community of life," Xi said during a 2018 speech on ecological environment conservation, urging the public to protect the ecological environment like they protect their own eyes.

When human beings make rational use of nature and protect it, the rewards of nature are often generous; when human beings rudely exploit and plunder nature, the punishment is bound to be merciless, Xi said. 
HAIKOU, June 6 (Xinhua) -- South China's Hainan Province has gained new impetus in the building of the free trade port (FTP) with the launch of the first airport project for independent customs operations on May 31.

Construction works with an estimated investment of 420 million yuan (about 63 million U.S. dollars) have begun in the Haikou Meilan International Airport, involving the upgrade of the terminals, scanning equipment and the information supervision system. Similar projects for the other two airports on the island will also be launched by the end of June.

As one of the country's major opening-up measures in the new era, China aims to build the whole of Hainan Island into a globally influential and high-level FTP by the middle of the century.

According to a plan on the Hainan FTP released in 2020 by the central authorities, the Hainan FTP is set to initiate independent customs operations by 2025.

During the past two years, over 150 policies and measures, including the country's first negative list for services trade and the zero-tariff policy for some imported goods, have taken effect in Hainan, promoting trade and investment facilitation. China's Law on the Hainan FTP went into effect in June 2021.

The wider opening-up push is delivering visible outcomes. In the first four months of this year, Hainan saw its goods trade totaling 59.8 billion yuan, up 68.8 percent year on year, and its actual use of foreign investment hit 1.04 billion U.S. dollars, up 54.1 percent year on year.

In 2021, a total of 1,981 foreign-invested companies were newly established in Hainan, surging 81.7 percent year on year.

By the end of April, the zero-tariff policy had reduced taxes for enterprises by 1.7 billion yuan, covering ships, yachts, production materials and equipment, and amusement facilities, said He Bin, an official with Haikou Customs in the provincial capital.

The province currently has 10 duty-free shops, and the number of international brands has expanded to more than 1,400 from less than 100 originally, said Cui Jian, deputy director of the provincial department of commerce.

In Hainan's Qionghai City, the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone has become the main passage for international innovative medicine and medical devices to enter China. It received 127,300 people through medical tourism last year, marking an increase of over 90 percent from the previous year.

Hainan assesses and dynamically adjusts its existing policies to respond to the interests of market entities in a timely manner and further releases policy dividends, said Yang Lei, deputy director of the Hainan provincial department of finance, adding that the province is now mulling over a sales tax reform.

"We will make every effort to ensure the completion of all preparations for independent customs operations of the whole Hainan Island before the end of 2024," said Li Yufei, a provincial official in charge of deepening reform in Hainan. 
SHENZHEN, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen plans to build 20 advanced manufacturing industrial parks for strategic emerging sectors and industries of the future.

The 20 industrial parks will cover a total area of 300 square kilometers in the districts of Bao'an, Guangming, Longhua, Longgang, Pingshan, and Shenshan, the municipal government announced on Monday.

The move aims to develop and bolster 20 strategic emerging sectors and nurture eight industries of the future.

The strategic emerging sectors cover telecommunications, semiconductors, and intelligent terminals and sensors. It also covers software, intelligent robots, precision instruments and equipment, new energy, intelligent connected vehicles, new materials, and biomedicine.

The industries of the future include synthetic biology, blockchain, cells and genes, space technology, brain science and brain-like intelligence, and quantum information. 
* From Monday, restaurants in Beijing are able to welcome customers again.

* As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to subdue, the city will further loosen epidemic response restrictions and steadily return to normal.

* Beijing had reported more than 1,800 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections by Monday afternoon in the latest resurgence of the virus.

BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- On Monday morning, masked diners had their temperatures and nucleic acid test reports checked before entering a Sichuan cuisine restaurant in east Beijing. The diners sat at separate tables as they enjoyed their food.

It marked the first time that customers could enjoy a satisfying meal in a restaurant over the past 30-plus days after the capital had suspended indoor dining to contain the latest wave of COVID-19.

People have lunch at a restaurant in a shopping mall of Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

From Monday, restaurants in Beijing are able to welcome customers again if the latter have tested negative for the novel coronavirus in the previous three days, the city's government said.

Since the news was released, phones kept ringing in the Tuanjiehu branch of Meizhou Dongpo Restaurant in Beijing's Chaoyang District. "Many customers called to reserve tables," said Wu Xiuli, head of the branch.

Although the restaurant is limited to half capacity, Wu feels confident that business will return to normal very soon.

No new local COVID-19 infections were reported in Beijing in the 15 hours ending at 3 p.m. Monday, and no infections were registered at community level from Saturday to Monday afternoon, Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing municipal disease prevention and control center, said at a press conference on Monday.

Vehicles run at the Central Business District (CBD) in Chaoyang District in Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

As the outbreak continues to subdue, the city will further loosen epidemic response restrictions and steadily return to normal.

Starting from Monday, couriers will also be permitted to enter residential communities, and people who worked from home can return to the office. Public transportation including buses, subways and taxis will resume normal operations, local authorities said Sunday.

Besides the 12th graders who have already been back on campus since June 2, students of all other grades in primary, middle and high schools can attend in-person classes from June 13, while kindergarteners can resume offline classes from June 20.

Public places such as libraries, museums, cinemas and gyms are allowed to resume operations, providing they do not exceed 75 percent of the maximum capacity.

Those who enter public places, take public transportation, or attend gatherings should present a negative nucleic acid test report within 72 hours.

People walk in Huaxi Live shopping plaza in Haidian District of Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

The new rules will take effect in all districts of the Chinese capital except Fengtai District and some areas in Changping District.

At around 10 a.m. Monday, over 40 staff members of a roast duck restaurant in Huaxi Live shopping plaza were in place, disinfecting the dining areas. "Our store had closed for half a month due to the epidemic. We haven't seen each other during the period, and we really need to get together to work," said Ji Weidong, the restaurant's manager.

"The delivery lockers were put into use again in my residential compound. This morning, I also received a package at my doorstep. Everything seems to be back to normal," said a resident surnamed Tian from a community in Chaoyang. Previously, couriers were only allowed to leave packages outside the community compound gate.

People walk near Guomao Bridge in Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Since April 22 when locally transmitted cases of Omicron, a highly infectious strain, were reported in Beijing, the city has adhered to the dynamic zero-COVID policy, and adjusted its anti-virus measures in response to the changing circumstances.

Progress has been made in the current stage of the epidemic control work, and the situation is getting better, said Xu Hejian, a spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government.

However, there must be no slacking in virus control and prevention work, Xu added.

Beijing had reported more than 1,800 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections by Monday afternoon in the latest resurgence of the virus. It still had one area classified as high-risk for COVID-19 and six as medium-risk.

(Reporting by Cheng Lu, Xia Ke, Ji Ning and Wu Wenxu; Video reporters: Sun Lei, Yang Shujun, Luo Xin, Wang Xiunan and Wang Junlu; Video editors: Wang Houyuan, Ma Ruxuan and Zhu Jianhui) 
DAR ES SALAAM, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania on Sunday launched an environmental conservation master plan as part of celebrations marking the World Environment Day.

The master plan was launched by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa in the capital, Dodoma, and he directed the Ministry of Finance and Planning to allocate budget for its implementation in the next 10 years.

The plan is aimed at reclaiming degraded areas in the country and at the same time controlling further environmental degradation, Majaliwa said.

He urged government ministries and institutions, the private sector and individuals to fully participate in the implementation of the plan that he said focused on protection and conservation in 15 areas, including massive tree planting, controlling of invasive plants in protected areas, mobilization on the use of alternative energy to lessen dependence on firewood and charcoal, and controlling outbreaks of wildfires.

Other areas are protection of water sources, protection of animal corridors from encroachment by human activities, controlling of human-wildlife conflicts, and creation of a comprehensive waste management, Majaliwa said.

Zlatan Milisic, the United Nations resident coordinator in Tanzania, commended the east African nation for efforts to conserve the environment in the face of climate change.

"Tanzania has proved to be a trustworthy partner toward the conservation of the environment," he said.

World Environment Day, celebrated annually on June 5, is the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment.

First held in 1973, it has been a platform for raising awareness on environmental issues such as marine pollution, overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. 
NAIROBI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has cleared the two main presidential candidates and their running mates to contest for the top seat during the Aug. 9 general elections.

William Ruto, the sitting deputy president who is running on a Kenya Kwanza (Kenya first) coalition of political parties, and his running mate, Rigathi Gachagua, were the first to be cleared to run for the coveted seat on Saturday, having met constitutional threshold.

Having received the nod to run for presidency, Ruto promised supporters that he would transform the country's economy, address youth unemployment and reduce the cost of basic commodities if he won the tight race.

The 56-year-old Ruto added that his administration would create a conducive environment for youth-led startups to thrive, besides ensuring farmers had access to cheaper inputs and market for their produce.

"Our agenda is to refashion the economy to make sure it spreads benefits evenly. We will also invest in labor-intensive programs that would alleviate youth unemployment," Ruto told supporters at a public rally in Nairobi, the capital.

Ruto also pledged a cordial working relationship with the country's electoral body, to ensure the Aug. 9 polls were conducted in a fair, transparent and verifiable manner.

On his part, Raila Odinga, known as the doyen of opposition politics, was cleared on Sunday to run for presidency under the Azimo La Umoja (Resolution for Unity) coalition of more than 20 political parties.

The 77-year-old former prime minister and his running mate, Martha Karua, a seasoned female lawmaker and gender rights advocate, promised to conduct peaceful campaigns ahead of Aug. 9 polls.

"We promise that we will conduct ourselves in a manner that conforms with the requirement of electoral laws," Odinga told senior electoral agency officials while urging his supporters to maintain peace during the campaigns.

Odinga, who served as prime minister in 2008-2013, is making his fifth stab at the presidency and currently holds the portfolio of African Union (AU) High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa.

After getting the clearance to contest for presidency, Odinga told supporters in a rally in Nairobi that his presidential bid was informed by a desire to improve governance, spur economic growth and promote cohesion.

Odinga, a businessman, will launch his manifesto on Monday, which is expected to be heavy on economic reforms, revitalizing anti-graft war and doling out social protection to the vulnerable including youth, women and the disabled. 
KATHMANDU, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Teams led by Nepal Army have collected over 33 tons of wastes, including human skeletons, from the world's tallest Mt. Qomolangma and three other mountains in a two-month-long cleaning campaign that concluded on Sunday.

The cleaning teams involving a total of 92 individuals started their work on April 5 on Mt. Qomolangma (8,848.86m), Mt. Lhotse (8,516m), Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,586m) and Mt. Manaslu (8,163m), which attract climbers from around the world each year.

"Our teams collected 33,877 kilograms of wastes from the four mountains along with skeletons of two human bodies," Himansu Khadka, a Nepal Army brigadier general, said at a press conference.

The cleaning teams had sorted out biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes, which weighed 7,227kg and 26,650kg respectively, and the skeletons recovered from the base camp of Mt. Kanchenjunga were handed over to Taplejung district police for identification and cremation.

The Nepal Army has been leading the clean campaign since 2019, and a total of 27.6 tons of wastes were collected in 2021 and 10 tons in 2019. The campaign was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The cleaning is necessary to save the biodiversity of the mountains and lessen the impact of climate change," Prabhu Ram Sharma, chief of Army Staff of the Nepal Army, said at the press conference. 
MOSCOW, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday denounced the "unprecedented decisions" by countries surrounding Serbia to close their national airspace for his flight to Belgrade.

"A country's freedom of choosing partners, a principle upheld by the West, has been trampled on by the West itself. Serbia, from the point of view of the West, should not have such freedom," Lavrov said at an online press conference.

Lavrov said the incident was an attempt to undermine Serbia's relations with Russia and restrict its foreign policy.

During his daily briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed the "hostile actions" toward high-level Russian representatives and stressed that interactions between Russia and friendly countries like Serbia would continue.

Lavrov was planning to visit Belgrade from Monday to Tuesday. His plane was denied entry into the airspace of the countries surrounding Serbia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Sunday night. 
BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine:

Moscow will "draw appropriate conclusions" and hit new targets if Washington delivers long-range missiles to Kiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

"If they are handed over (to Kiev), we will draw appropriate conclusions, and deploy our weapons to strike at the targets we haven't hit before," Putin told the Rossiya-1 television channel.

Because "the Ukrainian army is armed with similar systems," the transfer of such weapons to Kiev does not change anything, but will only prolong the conflict, Putin added.

- - - -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday visited the frontline positions of the Ukrainian military in the Zaporizhzhia region in the south of the country, the presidential press service reported.

During the visit, Zelensky inspected the operational situation on the frontline and held talks with Ukrainian soldiers.

- - - -

Russian forces have destroyed T-72 tanks and other armored vehicles supplied by Eastern European countries near Kiev, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday.

"High-precision, long-range air-based missiles of the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed T-72 tanks and other armored vehicles, which were housed in the buildings of an auto repair facility on the outskirts of Kiev," Konashenkov told a briefing.

According to earlier reports, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least one person was injured in rocket strikes on Ukraine's capital Sunday morning. 
Amritsar: A drone from the Pakistan side came inside Amarkot in Tarn Taran at around 2.30 pm on the night of Sunday-Monday. The 103 battalions of the Border Security Force fired 33 rounds at BOP Kalia after which the drone went back. A search operation has also been launched by a joint team of police and border security force. At the moment, no suspicious thing of any kind has been found. On the other hand, a Pakistani national has been detained with Pak currency in the Fazilka sector and his interrogation has been started.

A senior border security force spokesperson said that the 103 battalion was engaged in patrolling the border at BOP Kalia in Tarn Taran. On the night of Sunday-Monday at around 2:25 pm, a call from Pakistan was heard in the Indian territory. On a careful look, the drone was seen in the sky. The team promptly fired 33 rounds and 4 Ilu bombs and drove the drone away. A joint team of police and border security force has launched a search operation since Monday morning. In some way, there has been no such thing to hear so far that any suspicious thing has been achieved so far.

The 52 battalion of the Fazilka sector has captured a Pakistani national. He has been identified as Abdul Majeed(18), son of Mohammad Adrik, village Manchuria, Tehsil Dipalpur, District Omkara (Pakistan). Pakistani 290 rupees were recovered from his possession. The detention is said to have taken place at 6.30 this morning. The BSF team is engaged in intensive interrogation of the arrested Pakistani national. It is being ascertained whether it has links with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

PM launched National Portal for Credit Linked Govt schemes

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Hate remarks against Prophet: Pak summons Indian envoy, issues demarche
KABUL: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid responded to a US State Department report on religious freedom by saying that "the religious and civil rights of all minorities in Afghanistan are protected."

The spokesperson said on Twitter on Sunday that the State Department's report findings on religious freedom in Afghanistan are "incomplete" and based on "fake facts." "All of our Sunnis, Shias, Sikhs, and Hindus are free to pursue their faith," he noted.

According to the State Department, "severe violations" of religious freedom occurred in China, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Myanmar, and India in 2022.

After the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan last August, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the group's basic rights for women and girls were violated, and the regime's ideological restraints impeded women and girls' liberties.

Blinken further said that once the Taliban assumed power, the Taliban created the basis for the Islamic State (IS) terror group to operate in Afghanistan and that religious minorities, particularly the tens of thousands of Afghans, were under attack from the Taliban.

The report added that the US Commission on International Religious Freedom earlier advised the State Department to place Afghanistan at the bottom of religious freedom rankings. The committee described the Taliban's rise to power as a "disaster" for Afghanistan's religious freedom. The Taliban, on the other hand, claims to have established and protected all religious rights.

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World Food Safety Day is celebrated every year on June 7. The reason for celebrating this day is to make those people aware of food security who fall prey to many diseases due to consuming bad food. It has to be ensured that every person is able to get an adequate amount of safe and nutritious food.

Every year, a theme is decided for this day. The safety of food benefits people, the planet and the economy immediately and for a long time. Like every year, this year too, all the events that are being held on the day of World Food Security Day are going to be based on the theme set.

History of World Food Security Day: This day works to make people aware of food security and the day was announced by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018 in association with the Food and Agriculture Organization. This was to recognize the burden on the world with regard to food-borne diseases. The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization work together to celebrate World Food Security Day in collaboration with other organizations related to the region. The World Health Assembly had decided to strengthen efforts toward food security to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases in the world.

This person including Gajendra Singh congratulated on this Environment Day

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New Delhi: The Islamic country of Qatar has condemned the alleged statement made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma regarding Prophet Mohammad. Qatar's foreign ministry said it had specifically summoned the Indian ambassador to condemn the remarks made by Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad. In a statement issued on Sunday (5 June 2022), the ministry said that Indian Ambassador to Qatar Dr Deepak Mittal was summoned today to hand over a note. It criticized the comments made by BJP leaders by Qatar.

According to the report, Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi handed over this note to Deepak Mittal. It said that the Qatar government welcomes the statement issued by the BJP leader and the decision to dissociate itself from the controversial remarks and suspend the leaders who commented on the Prophet. However, Qatar is not happy with this and wants the Indian government to publicly apologize for it. Qatar's Foreign Ministry has said that, 'Qatar expects a public apology from the Government of India and an immediate condemnation of these comments. Drawing attention that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment is a serious threat to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice. This will create a cycle of violence and hatred.

Not only this, the Islamic country has threatened in a way that, 'These derogatory remarks will encourage religious hatred and more than two billion Muslims of the whole world will be outraged by it. This indicates a clear ignorance of the important role of Islam in the development of civilizations throughout the world, including India.' At the same time, after these statements of Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Indian Embassy has responded. Indian Ambassador Deepak Mittal has said that the tweets do not in any way reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the ideas of fringe elements.

The embassy further said that, 'In line with the heritage of our civilization and the strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity, the Government of India accords the highest regard to all religions.' "Strict action has already been taken against those making derogatory remarks," he said. The Indian embassy said that vested interests who are against India-Qatar relations are provoking people by using those derogatory remarks. Let us inform that today (Sunday, June 5, 2022) the BJP, in a press release, expelled Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal from the primary membership of the party. It states that the party respects all religions and is against an ideology that insults or degrades any sect or religion.

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Ukraine's FM warns Russian dictator Putin cant be trusted to unblock Ukrainian grain exports 6 June, 04:16 PM Dmytro Kuleba reminded that Putin had repeatedly lied to the world about his intentions (Photo:Kremlin.REUTERS)

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's words that he will not use trade routes to attack the Ukrainian city of Odesa if its port is cleared of mines to resume grain exports are "empty," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on June 6.

"Putin says he will not use trade routes to attack Odesa. This is the same Putin who told German Chancellor Scholz and French President Macron he would not attack Ukraine  days before launching a full-scale invasion of our country," Kuleba tweeted.

"We cannot trust Putin, his words are empty."

On June 3, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that there was no problem with the export of grain from Ukraine: it could be exported in five different ways, he said.

 

Putin also said that Russia was ready to ensure the safe export of grain through the Russian-controlled Ukrainian ports.

When Western countries said that Russia was preventing the export of grain from Ukraine, Putin called it a "bluff."

Russia is deliberately blocking Ukrainian ports and sea routes in the Black Sea for the export of grain from Ukraine, as well as preventing the export by rail by launching missile attacks on elevators and railway infrastructure.

The Kremlin seeks to provoke famine in African countries, which will lead to a wave of migration to Europe, hoping in this way to put pressure on the EU. Kremlin officials demanded the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the war in Ukraine in exchange for unblocking Ukrainian ports.

Help NV continue its work reporting on the Russian invasion

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Home  Lifestyle  Art  Becoming an art curator in Nepal: An old job, a new term, and an evergreen need for betterment

In 2006, Sangeeta Thapa, the founder and director of Siddhartha Art Gallery, received a letter from an art gallery in Pakistan. There, she was proposed as the art curator of an exhibition that was opening soon.

That was the first time when I heard the word curator and I asked what it was, Thapa remembers, When they explained the job to me, I realised that I had been doing it since I opened the gallery (in 1987) and I agreed.

Whereas Thapa learned the meaning of an art curator and curatorial art in 2006, she had been doing the job for the past two decades already.

The late realisation of what it means to be a curator is not exclusive to Thapa. Even for artists and art curators active today, curator was a relatively new word.

In the short span since then, being an art curator has been in the hype. While more artists are keeping curators as their designation in exhibitions nowadays, there also seems to be hesitation among the artists to use the designations left and right, given it comes up with a lot of responsibilities.

A crucial job

People visiting Revisiting the Roots in the exhibition at Artlab Vidroh, in Thamel. Photo: Nasana Bajracharya

According to Saroj Mahato, a co-founder of Bikalpa Art Center, curation is not a new practice, even in Nepal. However, it is true that the designation has got more limelight and is used more now.

But, Thapa stresses, In Nepal, it was only post-2017 that people started using the designation more prominently. Pre-2015, the artworks were stacked or poorly hung. But, a good curator uses the space effectively even though they have a small space to set the narrative.

Hanging of artworks is not what makes one a curator, yet it is the practice/focus of art curators that we see among artists today and the essence of curation has become secondary, argues Thapa.

Mahato says, Just because one has a gallery space or they practice art, you do not become a curator. But thats the practice we see today. He says the Nepali art scene really lacks a good number of curators with a good eye and intention to promote art in Nepal.

So what makes a good curator?

A good curator sets an apt narrative and does the overall packaging of the exhibition. S/he is responsible for creating engagement as well as social media buzz and content based on the art and the artists.

Thapa shares, They also are essential in creating an art market, increasing art value and packaging the product. They have to establish good communication and discussion, that emphasise and encourage buying of art. Meanwhile, artist Sujan Chitrakar says art cannot function alone and creativity alone cannot create value in their art, so curatorial intervention is necessary.

Mahato also explains, It can be equivalently compared to the director of a film. To be a good art curator, vision is more important. As the director of the film or the pilot of a plane, it is the vision of the leader that can well navigate the exhibition. Another important aspect is team management and when you have the skeleton, you have the right people to fill in the meat.

A bad curator can even kill the exhibition, he stresses.

Hesitation

Photo: Facebook/ Siddhartha Art Gallery

Mahato started practising art in 2009 but started calling himself a curator only in 2014. He is the curator for the recently concluded exhibition, Revisiting the Roots in a Modern Nuance. He says he was comfortable saying that only once after he got specific training and courses.

Longtime artist Chitrakar, who has previously worked as a curator for Kathmandu International Art Festival (KIAF) in 2009 and 2012, still is hesitant to call himself so. He adds that artists do not become curators just because they have visited a few exhibitions outside Nepal.

In 2000, together with Binod Shrestha, I did an exhibition at Nepal Art Council. There, we had art historian Preeti Joseph from Kerala as the curator. And, that was my first time hearing the word and the work around it. In the last decade, a curator has just become a buzzword, yet we lack the understanding around it, says Chitrakar, also the associate dean of Kathmandu University School of Arts.

Those donning the curator designation are not all curators in the Nepali art scene. They are artists and have diverse specialisations including literature, writing, research, logistics and marketing. Nepali art curators are learning by doing, and we still have a lot to learn and achieve. All we are doing is trial and error, says artist Chitrakar.

Need for building better

Agrajka Bimbaharu, an art exhibition in Kathmandu in June 2022. Photo: Aryan Dhimal

Whereas some art curators hesitate to be called so, some unreal ones love it. Mahato says that artists calling themselves curators for a fashion statement does dampen its importance, especially when there is already little knowledge around it.

There are also cases where artists rent out the space and do the exhibition. Some call themselves curators, some do not, but they all still lack the knowledge about the curation, and we need to work on that approach, adds Thapa, suggesting that with a curator, artists can create a bigger impact.

She adds that those actively working as curators also have a few shortcomings. Many take writing for the exhibitionabout the artist and their artworks as well as to medialightly; they give out wrong information and make errors. The focus is yet to shift on the importance of documentation and creating an appealing narrative.

Chitrakar seconds and reasons it with the poor economic returns that art writers get from their work. Yet he argues it will be up to the art curators to create a narrative including contextual and contemporary issues, so the job is irreplaceable yet heavily missed in the present context.

Thapa, who primarily is a gallerist, adds, Curators need to focus on the selection of shows and artists, question their credibility and work on how to highlight them. Having a mailing list, invitation card formats and a calendar based on the vision with campaigns that can accentuate their work can be a big plus point.

Regardless, she adds, budgeting for the art exhibition has always been an issue.

Despite the realisation of the importance of the job, the Nepali art scene has lacked a well-rounded art curator who has not just the artistic background or experience but a sound academic background or training also, according to them. This is why artists and a few curators refrain from calling themselves a curator.

Academics are the hope

Kathmandu University

Realising the importance and the gap in the curatorial practice in the Nepali art scene, stakeholders including Chitrakar have already made the initiative and started a masters in fine arts (MFA) degree in curatorial practice at KU, starting this year. The artistic trio say it is high time Nepal created curators and they are all hopeful that the academic courses will change the course of curatorial practice in Nepal.

We have six students who in two years will learn theory, understand many art practices and work on their curatorial projects. They will submit their final projects before graduation. It will be taught by an Indian curator, Veerangana Kumari Solanki, who is also credited for training many artists practising curation today, Chitrakar adds.

Thapa agrees, The exhibitions and our outlook towards art are highly influenced by the western gaze. Through the academic practice here, we need to redefine that existing perception and reconnect with our roots. We need to encourage people to hold discourse and engage in research.

She also adds that the academic sector might also help collect books and create documentation for a resource centre that can act as a reference. There are books on historical and regional artworks of Nepal in India and Pakistan but not in Nepal. There is also no place where documentation is done or the impact of the artists and their works are recorded.

With their academic background, she hopes that new artists and art curators can work closely with new, old and regional museums. Hopefully, they will also hone their skills to highlight artists in past and present in a way that creates new art value and introduces artists to the national and international markets.
Banke, June 6

Police in the Banke district of southwestern Nepal have reported that a 16-year-old girl survived a gang rape in the district on Saturday.

The law enforcers have rescued the girl and arrested seven people on the charge.

The District Police Office spokesperson Madhu Sudan Neupanel says the girl was invited by her Facebook friend, Hemraj Tharu, a 17-year-old boy residing in Baijanath rural municipality of the district on Saturday. The girl has said she was in a relationship with Tharu since one year ago.

But, the boyfriend forced her to drink and then he and his four friends raped her in turn overnight, according to police.

The girl had fallen unconscious after the incident. When two people were carrying her on a motorbike to Nepalgunj for treatment, police spotted the suspicious case and interrogated them.

During the interrogation, the girl had told the police about the incident.

Meanwhile, police have arrested seven peoplefive on the charge of rape, and two on the charge of working as accomplices.

The gang rape survivor is residing at a shelter after treatment.
DJI Mini 3 Pro has been officially launched by the reputed manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), DJI.

The company is well-known for its commercial aerial photography and videography, and DJI products have global recognition and followers. The recent launch is one of the smallest and most compact devices launched to date by the company and is also definitely one of the best drones available in Nepal right now.

Though small in size, DJI Mini 3 Pro has an abundance of handful features to excite its users. The lightweight drone can record high-resolution videos with a decent flight time. With this drone, the user will be able to shoot videos even during the nighttime. It can detect objects on the way, can provide live feed at HD resolution and many more.

Lets get into the details to see what more DJI Mini 3 Pro has to offer.

Specifications

Dimensions (L*W*H) 145*90*62mm (Folded)

171*245*62mm (Unfolded)

251*362*70mm (Unfolded with propellers)

Diagonal length: 247mm Takeoff weight 249 grams Flight time 34 minutes 47 mins (with Intelligent Flight Battery Plus) Transmission distance Up to 12 km Maximum speed 16 m/s (S Mode)

10 m/s (N Mode)

6 m/s (C Mode) Maximum ascent speed 5 m/s (S Mode)

3 m/s (N Mode)

2 m/s (C Mode) Maximum descent speed 5 m/s (S Mode)

3 m/s (N Mode)

1.5 m/s (C Mode Max service ceiling above sea level With Intelligent Flight Battery: 4000 m

With Intelligent Flight Battery Plus: 3000 m Max hovering time 30 mins (with Intelligent Flight Battery, no wind)

40 mins (with Intelligent Flight Battery Plus [7], no wind) Operating temperature -10 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius Stabilisation 3- axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll and pan) Camera sensor 1/1.3 inch CMOS, 48MP, f/1.7 82.1 degrees FOV ISO range 100-6400 (Auto)

100-6400 (Manual) Zoom range 4K: 2x 2.7K: 3x FHD: 4x Live view quality [email protected] GNSS GPS+ Galileo + BeiDou Bluetooth Version 5.2 Battery Intelligent Flight Battery

2453 mAH Li-ion, 80.5 grams

37W max charging power



Intelligent Flight Battery Plus

3850 mAH Li-ion, 121 grams

58W max charging power SD card UHS-I speed class 3 or above Mobile device App DJI fly Required operating system iOS11 or later Android 6 or above Price Rs 140,900

Design and build

Photo: DJI

The DJI Mini 3 Pro flaunts a completely new look and offers a premium build quality. This drone is one of the most portable drones and is regulation friendly as well. It is a lightweight drone that only weighs around 249 grams and does not require registration in most countries. In Nepal, however, you may require permits from other agencies although the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal exempts you.

Though being lightweight, it has been upgraded with an abundance of safety and top tier features. The drone is foldable and can be easily carried around.

Photo: DJI

The drone measures 251  362  70 mm (L*W*H) when unfolded with the propellers and 145  90  62 mm when folded. The DJI Mini 3 Pro features large propellers, an aerodynamic body tilt and a powerful obstacle sensing system. The drone also comes with a DJI RC remote controller, said to be an improved version of the previous controllers. It has a 5.5-inch display and is integrated with DJI Fly.

Camera sensor

Photo: DJI

DJI Mini 3 Pro features a 1/1.3-inch 48 MP camera CMOS sensor with an aperture of f/1.7 and an 82.1 field of view (FOV). The drone is just as powerful as it is portable. There is a larger sensor on this drone compared to the  inch sensor seen on its predecessor. The new sensor allows the drone to shoot 4K resolution videos up to 60 fps but is limited to 30 fps in 4K HDR video mode. It can also shoot slow-motion videos in 1080p at 120fps.

Photo: DJI (180-degree panorama shot)

Furthermore, the new sensor also features a d-cinelike colour mode that was not available in the previous generation models. This feature provides editors more flexibility while editing as it offers more visual information and richer colour possibilities.

Photo: DJI

Other than this, DJI Mini 3 Pro supports true vertical shooting focused on social media sharing. The reimagined camera gimbal on the drone offers a wider rotation range for low-angle shots. The camera supports HDR, various JPEG, DNG (RAW) photo formats, and MP4/MOV video formats.

Other camera features include:

True vertical shooting

Focus track

Master shots

Hyper lapse

Digital zoom

Day/night flight

180-degree panorama shots

Battery life, flight time and other features

Photo: DJI

DJI Mini 3 Pro offers two battery options. The user has the option to go with either the standard Intelligent Flight Battery or the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus. With a 2,453mAh battery power, the Intelligent Flight Battery can provide a flight time of up to 34 minutes while getting fully charged in 64 minutes. Meanwhile, the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus offers a better flight time of up to 47 minutes and features a larger 3,850mAh battery back up and gets fully charged in 101 minutes. The drone gets charged with a DJI 30W USB-C charger port.

The connectivity option on DJI Mini 3 Pro includes Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.2. The latency between the aircraft and remote controllers is only 120 ms but also fluctuates on environmental conditions and mobile devices. The drone can be connected through the DJI Fly app. To be compatible with the drone, the device should either have iOS v11.0 or later or Android v6.0 or later.

Other features on DJI Mini 3 Pro include:

Photo: DJI

APAS 4.0 (detects objects in the drones flight path in real-time)

1080p/30fps live feed at distances up to 12 km

Tri-directional forward, backward, and downward sensing systems for precision measurement

Quick transfer

The price of the DJI Mini 3 Pro is Rs 140,900. The Fly More Kit and Fly More Kit Plus cost an additional Rs 25,500 and Rs 35,500 respectively.
Kathmandu, June 6

The government has decided to discontinue the two-day weekend provision from mid-June. A cabinet meeting held on Monday made the decision.

The government had adopted a two-day weekend provision beginning from May 15.

The decision was primarily aimed at cutting down fuel consumption as the import of petroleum products was blamed for depleting the foreign exchange reserves of the country. The government had said the decision was provisional and wanted to try it for three months, but due to widespread criticism, the government withdrew its decision early.

Schools, colleges and universities had been against the governments decision to implement a two-day weekend. Several municipalities were against it as it would affect its services.

Meanwhile, the government also restored its regular office hours from 10 am-5 pm. When the two-day weekly leave was declared, it was changed to 9:30 am-5:30 pm.
The one-year statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault must be waived. However, this is insufficient to stem the tide of rape cases. Policy intervention aimed at changing patriarchal beliefs at the grassroots level is also required, in addition to stricter laws.

The #MeToo movement in Nepal has been reignited thanks to a single girls bravery in speaking out about the horrifying incidents she faced as a minor. Her bravery has emboldened other sexual assault survivors to tell their tales, both publicly and discreetly. Her tenacity has mostly highlighted flaws in our judicial system and sparked innumerable conversations about rape culture and sexual assault.

In Nepal, rape cases have been on the rise in recent years. According to Nepal Police, there were 6,259 rape and attempted rape cases last year, up from 146, the count recorded 25 years ago. Only 1,260 of the 6,259 perpetrators were convicted, leaving the rest without justice. These are just the cases that have been reported; many more go unreported.

Unfortunately, in Nepal, the survivors option to register a complaint against the perpetrator is limited. According to the National Penal Code Act 2017, chapter 18, section 229 (2), the Statute of Limitations, a rape case must be filed within a year of the occurrence if the survivor is an adult, and within a year of the survivor turning 18 if the survivor is a minor. This restriction obstructs the survivors access to justice and allows for the dismissal of a large number of cases due to technical errors.

Given this, the ongoing protest calling for the statute of limitations to be scrapped is indeed a necessary demand. It should be waived. However, the protest should not be focused solely on lifting the statute of limitations since it is a law that is necessary after the occurrence of the incident or in the quest for justice. This is, however, insufficient to combat the rape culture that has infiltrated our thoughts, words, and actions.

Change the culture

Protestors lined up at Maitighar Mandala to pressurise the government to remove the statute of limitation on rape.

The extent of the rape culture that exists in our society is evident in social media comments on a recent case  Why did she wait eight years? Perhaps she provoked him to win the competition, and a slew of other remarks were made. Instead of focusing on the criminals, the survivors clothes, sobriety, and sexuality are being questioned. Solutions need to be focused on possible perpetrators and bystanders to get to the root of the problem.

Firstly, language and lyrics that blame victims or survivors, objectify women and justify sexual harassment need to stop. Objectifying women in mass media normalises rape, affirming beliefs like Her dress is a reason why she was raped, Womens no also means yes, and I know you want it. These lines may appear amusing, but they will shape our reality. There is a difference between saying She was raped and He raped her. The blame shifts from the victim or survivor to the perpetrator.

Teach sex

Volunteers of Nepali Brothers holding an orientation session on the role of men in the campaign against violence against women, at Grand Academy, on June 28, 2019. Photo courtesy: Nepali Brothers/Facebook

A proven method to reduce the possibility of rape, after removing the statute of limitations, is to change the way sex education is taught in schools. In Nepal, sex education is taught in an environment of discomfort where even conversations with the opposite sex are restricted. This needs to be completely modernised, with consent lessons and updated sex education curricula beginning with our youngest students. For the young, this can be a syllabus involving naming body parts and the idea that some of them are private. For older children, lessons can include contraceptives, disease prevention, LGBTQ relations, gender identity, and consent.

Another idea is to teach young adolescents about respecting women and how to intervene in the event of an assault. This was accomplished in Kenya through the Your Moment of Truth curriculum. Before the course, 63.1% of boys in one study believed that a woman wearing a sexy dress was inviting them to have sex with her, and 58.5% believed that a woman saying no to sex meant maybe. This changed to 14.5% and 22.8%, respectively, after the course. Such courses, if contextualised for Nepal, will help raise awareness and combat cases of sexual assault.

After removing the statute of limitations, the above-mentioned changes should be made on a national scale to be effective. The government can and should make these types of courses mandatory for all levels. Conducting such short-term courses in schools, government offices, or community levels will help educate the public.

In addition, the government must take drastic measures to alter the criminal justice systems response to such offences. Fast-track courts are required to expedite justice for the survivors. Furthermore, rape penalties must be made more severe if needed, with multiple life imprisonment sentences. While prison reform is hard to argue for, if all else fails, this can work as a deterrent for possible perpetrators.

We, as a society, have always looked for ways to find fault on the survivors side, especially in cases of rape, sexual assault, and gender-based violence. Unless solutions are not oriented towards combating this patriarchal mindset and power imbalance, nothing will change. Hence, behavioural and policy interventions are needed in addition to stricter laws without the statute of limitations to eradicate the rape culture that has become ensconced in the way we think and speak.
PLA aircraft deal with Canadian, Australian provocative close-in recon in East and South China Seas

By Guo Yuandan, Liu Xuanzun and Hu Jinyang (Global Times) 08:13, June 06, 2022

J-16 fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command taxi on the runway during an aerial combat training exercise under complex electromagnetic conditions in early April, 2021.(Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn)

Warplanes of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently dealt with close-in reconnaissance and provocative activities by surveillance planes from Canada and Australia on China in the East China Sea and South China Sea respectively, Chinese sources and analysts said on Sunday.

By accusing the Chinese warplanes of threatening flight safety, the two members of the Five Eyes complained first while being the ones who are guilty in the first place, trying to throw mud at China without reflecting on their own behaviors, experts said.

Reports claiming that Chinese military aircraft "buzzed" Canadian military aircraft are not consistent with the truth, a Chinese source familiar with the matter told the Global Times on Sunday.

The reports the source referred to include one by CNN on Thursday, which said that the Canadian Armed Forces on Wednesday accused PLA Air Force aircraft of repeatedly buzzing Canadian surveillance planes, which allegedly "helped to enforce United Nations sanctions on North Korea."

In some instances, the Chinese warplanes came so close, the Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 patrol aircraft had to change course to avoid a collision, the Canadian Armed Forces claimed.

The Chinese source said that the truth is, it was the Canadian warplanes that traveled all the way to the East China Sea and conducted close-in reconnaissance and made provocations on China.

The Chinese aircraft dealt with the Canadian counterparts completely legitimately and within their rights, said the source.

A Chinese expert on international affairs who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday that, to understand the truth, Canada must answer these questions: North Korea is so far away from Canada, what is the true purpose of the Canadian flights in the name of the UN? The UN stresses territorial integrity and inviolability, what did the Canadian aircraft really do? Were the pilots professional? Did they make approaches on Chinese airspace and make dangerous, provocative moves? Does Canada see its provocation on China as legitimate but see China's legitimate defensive measures as provocation?

By answering these questions, it becomes obvious that Canada called black white and took cause for effect in an attempt to demonize China, hyping the "China threat" theory, the expert said.

In a separate event, Australia's Defense Ministry said in a press release on Sunday that a P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force was intercepted by a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft during a routine maritime surveillance activity in the South China Sea on May 26, claiming the spy plane was flying in international airspace.

The intercept resulted in a dangerous maneuver which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew, read the Australian press release.

The Australian Defense Ministry said that the Chinese plane released flares while flying closely alongside the Australian plane, before cutting in front of the P-8 and releasing a bag of "chaff" into its flight path, which included aluminum fragments that were sucked into the engine of the Australian plane, Australia's ABC News reported.

The Australian aircraft likely also conducted close-in reconnaissance and made provocative moves on China, just like the Canadian aircraft, analysts said.

It is possible that the Australian P-8 was about to enter or even did trespass on Chinese airspace, or it is also possible that the aircraft disrupted PLA maritime exercises in a dangerous manner, analysts said.

If the Chinese aircraft did use flares and chaff, it is possible that the Australian P-8 used its jamming pod to lase the Chinese aircraft, triggering the latter's self-defense system which is programed to automatically release the flares and chaff, Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Some Western militaries often complain first while being the ones who are guilty in the first place, Zhang said.

They pour dirty water on China, but do not mention anything about their own activities or if their activities had threatened China's security, Zhang said.

This is not the first time Australia has made false accusations on the PLA's legitimate activities.

In February, Australia claimed a PLA Navy flotilla had pointed a laserat an Australian P-8 patrol aircraft in flight over Australia's northern approaches, but Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defense, soon debunked the accusation, saying that the Chinese vessels maintained safe, standard and professional actions, which conform to the relevant international law and international practice, and that it was the Australian aircraft that flew very close to the Chinese vessels and dropped sonobuoys near them.

When Australia sent spy planes for provocative reconnaissance near China in the South China Sea, it accused Chinese aircraft of risky interception, but when Chinese vessels sailed in international waters, Australian aircraft made truly dangerous approaches, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Australia is obviously applying double standards here, Fu said.

By dealing with these repeated foreign provocations properly, the PLA displayed its preparedness, capability and determination in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, analysts said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
By Trend





Senior Iranian and South African officials held talks aimed at paving ground for bilateral cooperation on information communication technology, Trend reports citing IRNA.

Iran's Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Khansari, who also heads the country's Information Technology Organization, met with his South African counterpart Mohlopi Phillemon Mapulane.

The talks took place on Saturday in Geneva on the sidelines of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) 2022.

Khansari spoke about Irans achievements in electronic services and announced the countrys readiness to have cooperation with South Africa in this sector.

Mapulane, Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies of South Africa, welcomed that and said his country is ready to share experiences.

The World Summit on Information Society, sponsored by the United Nations, is the largest global gathering on information and communication.

This year, the annual gathering began on March 15. Its final week took place place from May 30 until June 3 involving in-person gatherings.

Irans Minister Information and Communications Technology Isa Zarepour delivered a speech on May 31.
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(Updates, adds new highs in Bund yields)

By Joice Alves and Dhara Ranasinghe

LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - Most euro zone bond yields hit fresh multi-year peaks on Monday, as unease over rising interest rates to tame inflation held sway in a week where the European Central bank is expected to confirm rate hikes are coming soon.

Southern European bond yields, led by Italy, had fallen earlier in the session after a report that the ECB was planning a new bond-buying programme to help vulnerable economies.

Italy's 10-year bond yield, which last week posted its biggest weekly jump since March 2020, fell as much as 10 basis points before heading back higher.

But in late trade, it hit 3.43%, its highest level since late 2018. German bond yields hit fresh eight-year highs, with 10-year Bund yields rising to 1.33%, up 5 basis points on the day with markets unable to shake bearish momentum.

According to the Financial Times, the ECB is this week set to strengthen its commitment to prop up vulnerable member states' debt markets if they were hit by a bond sell-off as the central bank gets ready to join a global rate-hiking cycle.

"Italian bonds are caught between two opposite forces: they widened last week, almost mechanically, as more hawkish ECB expectations set in, only to tighten this morning on the back of that FT article saying the ECB is getting closer to (agreeing) on a sovereign spreads management facility," said Antoine Bouvet, senior rates strategist at ING, referring to bond spreads.

The spread between 10-year Italian and German bond yields was a touch wider on the day at around 209 bps, after hitting a two-year peak of 230 bps last week.

Rising U.S. Treasury yields added momentum to the late bonds selloff in Europe.

Friday's strong U.S. jobs data have fuelled market expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep hiking rates by an aggressive 50 bps for now.

U.S. 10-year Treasury yields were last up 8 bps on the day at 2.9%, with this week's hefty supply adding to upward pressure on borrowing costs.

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Spain's 10-year bond yield also reversed early falls and hit a fresh seven-year high at 2.479%.

Investors have ramped up ECB rate-hike bets further since data last week showed euro zone inflation hit a record 8.1% in May.

On Monday, money markets priced in 130 bps of hikes by year-end, and were pricing in a bigger, 50 bps rise at one of the bank's policy meetings by October.

BofA Securities said it now expected the ECB to raise interest rates by 150 bps this year including half-point moves in July and September. (Reporting by Joice Alves; Editing by Bradley Perrett, Tomasz Janowski and Alison Williams)
4Bio Capital

Press Release

4BIO Capital co-leads $30.3 million (3.86 Billion) oversubscribed Series B financing in LUCA Science

Financing reflects the potential of mitochondrial therapy to restore cellular bioenergetics in dysfunctional or damaged tissues and organs

Investment marks 4BIO Capitals first in Japan which has been identified by the fund as a core strategic market for innovation investment

6 June 2022

LONDON & TOKYO  4BIO Capital (4BIO or the Group), an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector, announces that has co-led a USD 30.3 million (3.86 billion) oversubscribed Series B financing in LUCA Science Inc. (LUCA Science or the Company), a global innovator in the development of a novel class of mitochondria biopharmaceutical agents.

The round was co-led by 4BIO Capital alongside DCI Partners and existing investor Fast Track Initiative and supported by an international syndicate of existing investors including Remiges Ventures and Nippon Venture Capital Co, and new investors including Nissay Capital Asahi Kasei Pharma, QB Capital/ NCB Venture Capital and SMBC Venture Capital.

The investment marks the first by 4BIO Capital in Japan, where the Group has established a growing presence through its partnership with Kyowa Kirin, which made a strategic investment in 4BIOs Ventures II LP Fund, and led by Venture Partner Philippe Fauchet, OBE. 4BIO continues to evaluate the extensive investment opportunities in this innovation-rich market.

LUCA Science is pioneering a new class of mitochondrial therapy to restore cellular bioenergetics in dysfunctional or damaged tissues and organs. The funds from this round will be used to accelerate the research and development of the company's proprietary pipeline toward IND submission. In addition, LUCA Science is rapidly advancing its existing pipeline with a view to target additional therapeutic areas in collaboration with leading academic and industry partners. Proceeds from the financing will also be used to establish a robust manufacturing system based on its proprietary Mitochondrial Isolation Technology (MIT) platform, a novel method for intact, shelf-stable and highly functional isolated mitochondria as a quality-controlled biopharmaceutical agent.

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Kieran Mudryy, Partner at 4BIO Capital, commented: Representing our first investment in Japan, LUCA Science aligns with our ethos at 4BIO Capital to encourage novel treatment modalities that could become game-changers in various indications of high unmet need. We are delighted that our Venture Partner Philippe Fauchet, OBE, will be joining the Board of LUCA Science. Japan continues to present a significant hub of scientific research and development from which cutting-edge innovation continues to emerge and we continue to look at multiple opportunities in this exciting market.

We have assembled a world-class syndicate of investors both in Japan and internationally, who share our vision of creating a novel class of modality using mitochondria to address a range of unmet medical needs, said Dr. Rick C. Tsai, Chief Executive Officer of LUCA Science.

This significant financing round will enable further investment in our CMC capabilities and help us accelerate our research and development activities to bring the possibility of mitochondria closer to patients. This marks a key moment for the company and moves us one step closer to our goal of becoming the world leader in mitochondria therapy.

Following the closing of the financing, Phillipe Fauchet of 4BIO Capital will join LUCA Sciences Board of Directors alongside Tai Harada of Fast Track Initiative and Shuntaro Kodama of DCI Partners.

Philippe Fauchet, OBE, Venture Partner at 4BIO Capital, said: LUCA Science has all the right ingredients to be an international success: it has the science, international team, and fantastic support from experienced investors. Having operated in Japan for many years, I have witnessed the strength of the countrys cell and gene research and I am excited to help realise its potential through this investment. We are proud to be supporting LUCA Science, alongside Japanese investors DCI Partners and Fast Track Initiative, as it takes the next transformational steps in its journey.

- End -

Contacts

4BIO Capital +44 (0)20 3427 5500

info@4biocapital.com Consilium Strategic Communications

Amber Fennell, Allison Connolly, Genevieve Wilson +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

4biocapital@consilium-comms.com

About 4BIO Capital

4BIO Capital (4BIO) is an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector.

4BIOs objective is to invest in, support, and grow early-stage companies developing treatments in areas of high unmet medical need, with the ultimate goal of ensuring access to these potentially curative therapies for all patients. Specifically, it looks for viable, high-quality opportunities in cell and gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies, and the microbiome.

The 4BIO team comprises leading advanced therapy scientists and experienced life science investors who have collectively published over 250 scientific articles in prestigious academic journals including Nature, The Lancet, Cell, and the New England Journal of Medicine. 4BIO has both an unrivalled network within the advanced therapy sector and a unique understanding of the criteria that define a successful investment opportunity in this space.

For more information, connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter @4biocapital and visit www.4biocapital.com.



About LUCA Science Inc.



LUCA Science is a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a new class of mitochondrial therapy to restore cellular bioenergetics in dysfunctional or damaged tissues and organs. Mitochondria are the power plants in our cells that produce energy for our bodies. LUCA Science will use its platform technology to manufacture, store and deliver innovative mitochondrial drugs to research and development of therapeutics for unmet medical needs in a wide range of diseases for which there have been no effective treatments.




Facts & Factors

[228+ Pages Report] According to a market research study published by Facts and Factors, the demand analysis of Global Quartz Market size & share revenue is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 6.9% to USD 11,947.91 million by 2028. The key market players are listed in the report with their sales, revenues and strategies are The Quartz Corporation, Quality Quartz Engineering, Saint Gobain Group, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Kyocera Corporation, TXC Corporation, Abrisa Technologies, Swift Glass Co., Inc., Industrial Quartz Corporation, Caesarstone Ltd., and Others.

DUBLIN, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Facts and Factors has published a new research report titled Quartz Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends and Forecast Report 2022  2028 in its research database.

According to the latest research study, the demand of global Quartz Market size & share was valued at USD 8,535.5 million in 2021 and it is expected to surpass around USD 11,947.91 million Mark, by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 6.9% during the forecast period 2022 to 2028.

What is Quartz? How big is the Quartz Industry?

Market Overview:

Quartz is used in a variety of industries, including electronics and semiconductors, photovoltaic, buildings and construction, medicinal, optics, and telecommunications. Quartz comes in a wide range of variations, shapes, transparencies, and hues, all of which add to its value and utility. Colored quartz is classified as a semi-precious gemstone and is frequently used in jewelry and stone carving.

Amethyst, ametrine, citrine, and opal are valuable or semi-precious gemstones known for their color and durability. Acid, corrosion, high temperatures, impact, wear, compression, bending, and infiltration resistance are only a few of the advantages of synthetic quartz. As a result, it's widely employed in the semiconductor and electronics industries. Synthetic quartz is most found in optical components used in microlithography projection systems' wavelength lasers.

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Get a Free Sample PDF of this Research Report for more Insights with a Table of Content, Research Methodology, and Graphs - https://www.fnfresearch.com/sample/quartz-market



(A free sample of this report is available upon request; please contact us for more information.)

Our Free Sample Report Consists of the Following:

Introduction, Overview, and in-depth industry analysis are all included in the 2022 updated report.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis is included in the package

About 228+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research)

Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on Request

Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends for the Year 2022

Includes Tables and figures have been updated

The most recent version of the report includes the Top Market Players, their Business Strategies, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis

Facts and Factors research methodology

(Please note that the sample of this report has been modified to include the COVID-19 impact study prior to delivery.)

Report Scope

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2021 USD 8,535.5 Million Projected Market Size in 2028 USD 11,947.91 Million CAGR Growth Rate 6.9% CAGR Base Year 2021 Forecast Years 2022-2028 Key Market Players The Quartz Corporation, Quality Quartz Engineering, Saint Gobain Group, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Kyocera Corporation, TXC Corporation, Abrisa Technologies, Swift Glass Co., Inc., Industrial Quartz Corporation, Caesarstone Ltd., and Others Key Segment By Type, End-use Industry, and Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs.

Global Quartz Market: Dynamics

The quartz market's expansion is being stifled by its high cost. China is a major manufacturer of quartz, and various quartz goods are made in the country. All quartz materials imported from China now face tariffs. Furthermore, the US Commerce Department indicated that further tariffs on quartz will be applied as a result of an investigation into the illicit dumping of imported quartz into the US. As a result of this aspect, the cost of quartz is rising in numerous nations, limiting its use. This aspect is predicted to stifle market expansion.

Browse the full Quartz Market By Type (Engineered Quartz Stones, Quartz Sand, Quartz Pebbles, Quartz Crystals, Others (Quartz Glass and Fused Quartz Crucibles)), By End Use Industry (Building & Construction, Medical, Semiconductor, Solar, Optical Fiber & Telecommunication), and By Region - Global Industry Insights, Growth, Size, Share, Comparative Analysis, Trends and Forecast 2022  2028 Report at https://www.fnfresearch.com/quartz-market



Quartz Market: COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused supply chain disruptions in a variety of different industries all over the world, including the construction industry, the automobile industry, and the electronics and semiconductors industry. This, in turn, had a detrimental effect on the demand for quartz in these many businesses. Although there has been an increase in the use of solar electricity, this has not been sufficient to revive the market. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on the global construction industry, which is currently struggling with issues such as labour shortages, difficulties in the supply chain, and financial limitations. The initial problem in China has spread to building sites all over the world, and its repercussions may be seen throughout the entire industry as a ripple effect.

Now that the lockdowns have been lifted in the majority of countries around the world, it is anticipated that the market will begin to recover as a result of the revival of output in the vast majority of industries. Increased investment on research and development of quartz production is another factor that is predicted to contribute to the expansion of the quartz market in the Asia-Pacific region. India, China, and Japan are the primary contributors to the global market for quartz that are located in the Asia-Pacific region.

Quartz Market: Segmentation Segmental Overview

End-user Industry Segment Analysis

By End-user industry, the market is divided into Building & Construction, Medical, Semiconductor, Solar, and Optical Fibre & Telecommunication.

Building & Construction would grow at a significant rate. North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA are the regions studied.

The global quartz market is dominated by North America, with Asia-Pacific predicted to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

Type Segment Analysis

In terms of type, quartz sand accounted for the greatest share of the high purity quartz market.

Quartz sand is used in a variety of industries, including aerospace, electronics, machinery, information technology, petroleum, and more.

Over time, the semiconductor industry has increased its demand for high purity quartz sand. There are no substitutes for high purity quartz sand in the semiconductor business, which is meant to ensure long-term market growth.

Directly Purchase a copy of the report with TOC @ https://www.fnfresearch.com/buynow/su/quartz-market



Competitive Landscape

The report contains qualitative and quantitative research on the global quartz market and detailed insights and development strategies employed by the leading competitors. The report also provides an in-depth analysis of the market's main competitors, as well as information on their competitiveness. The research also identifies and analyses important business strategies used by these main market players, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), affiliations, collaborations, and contracts. The study examines, among other things, each company's global presence, competitors, service offers, and standards.

List of Key Players in the Global Quartz Market:

The Quartz Corporation

Quality Quartz Engineering

Saint Gobain Group

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Kyocera Corporation

TXC Corporation

Abrisa Technologies

Swift Glass Co. Inc.

Industrial Quartz Corporation

Caesarstone Ltd.

Key Insights from Primary Research:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the Quartz market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of around 6.9 % over the forecast period.

In terms of revenue, The Quartz market was valued at around USD 8,535.5 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 11,947.91 million, by 2028.

Based on end-user industry, the the Building & Construction industry is expected to increase at a significant rate from 2022 to 2028.

By Type, the Quartz sand accounted for the largest proportion of the high purity quartz market.

On the basis of region, The Quartz market is likely to be dominated by the Asia-Pacific region, which includes China and India.

Key questions answered in this report:

What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Quartz industry?

What are the main driving factors propelling the Quartz Market forward?

What are the leading companies in the Quartz Industry?

What segments does the Quartz Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Quartz Market sample report and company profiles?

Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fnfresearch.com/inquiry/quartz-market



Regional Overview

The Asia-Pacific region, including China, and India, is expected to dominate the Quartz market. The growing usage of quartz in numerous end-use industries in the Asia Pacific, such as building and construction, electronics and semiconductors, medical, and so on, presents prospective growth possibilities for quartz makers. The region's quartz demand is being fueled by a rising population, industrialization, a growing number of well-established market participants, and the use of quartz in the semiconductor industry.

Some of the primary factors contributing to the global market growth of quartz include increased residential and commercial buildings due to the rising population, advancements in the electronics sector, and expanding semiconductor industry. Manufacturers operating in developing countries such as India and China have significant potential. However, the quartz market's expansion is hampered by the material's high manufacturing and operational expenses.

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(We tailor your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customising your report.)

The global quartz market is segmented as follows:

By Type

Engineered Quartz Stones

Quartz Sand

Quartz Pebbles

Quartz Crystals

Others (Quartz Glass and Fused Quartz Crucibles)

By End-use Industry

Building & Construction

Medical

Semiconductor

Solar

Optical Fiber & Telecommunication

By Region

North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America

Europe France UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific

The Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America



To know an additional revised 2022 list of market players, request a sample report: https://www.fnfresearch.com/sample/quartz-market



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OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2022 /CNW/ - NAV CANADA has become the first Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) in North America to deploy the time-based separation tool - Intelligent Approach.

NAV CANADA Logo (CNW Group/NAV CANADA)

Deployed at Toronto Pearson International Airport, this new technology adds additional tactical capacity across the airport's five runways, and will help reduce delays, fuel burn and CO2 emissions, particularly in high wind conditions.

NAV CANADA worked closely with its UK counterpart, NATS, and the science and technology leader Leidos, to successfully transition to the Intelligent Approach system on May 28. Intelligent Approach is a tool that helps deliver better on-time performance by optimising the spacing between arriving aircraft.

Jointly developed by NATS and Leidos, the system dynamically calculates the optimum time interval between arrivals based on live weather data and the aircraft type rather than relying on set distances. It then translates that into a graphical marker on a controller's radar screen, helping to improve spacing consistency and maintain the landing rate even in strong headwinds.

Mark Cooper, Vice President, Chief Technology and Information Officer, NAV CANADA, said: "NAV CANADA continues to collaborate with key partners, such as NATS and Leidos, to bring about the innovations to our processes and systems, such as the Intelligent Approach at Toronto Pearson, that we need to increase our operational efficiency and effectiveness."

Intelligent Approach was first introduced at Heathrow Airport in 2015, where the use of time-based separation, as a way of maintaining the landing rate, has cut headwind related delays by 62%.

Guy Adams, NATS Strategy and Commercial Director, said: "Delivering Intelligent Approach for Toronto during a global pandemic has been an enormous team effort across NAV CANADA, NATS and Leidos."

"As the industry now begins to recover from the impact of Covid, it has never been more important for airports make the very best of their existing infrastructure. I look forward to Intelligent Approach delivering even better on time performance and operational resilience at Canada's busiest airport."

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Graham Emmons, Vice President, Managing Director Civil UK at Leidos, said: "The collaboration on the Toronto deployment through the pandemic is testament to our partnership with NATS and the resilience of all those involved. We look forward to a successful and continued relationship with NAV CANADA."

NATS and Leidos are also working with Dutch air traffic service provider, LVNL, to support the deployment of Intelligent Approach for Schiphol Airport.

Notes to Editors: For more information, please contact: NATS Press Office on 01489 615945, or email press.office@nats.co.uk

About NAV CANADA

NAV CANADA is a private, not-for-profit company, established in 1996, providing air traffic control, airport advisory services, weather briefings and aeronautical information services for more than 18 million square kilometres of Canadian domestic and international airspace.

The Company is internationally recognized for its safety record, and technology innovation. Air traffic management systems developed by NAV CANADA are used by air navigation service providers in countries worldwide.

About NATS

NATS is the UK's principal air navigation services provider and is split into two main businesses, which provide two distinct services:

NATS (En Route) plc (NERL)  the regulated business, which provides air traffic management services to aircraft within UK airspace and over the eastern part of the North Atlantic; and

NATS (Services) Ltd (NSL)  the unregulated business, which provides air traffic control services at many of the UK's major airports (13 civil and 7 military airfields) and other airports overseas.

NATS provides aerodrome, data, engineering, capacity, efficiency and environmental performance solutions to customers worldwide, including airports, airlines, air traffic service providers and governments.

NATS handled 661,000 flights in the UK in the last financial year (2020/21), a reduction of 73% reflecting Covid-19 travel restrictions.

For more information visit the NATS website at www.nats.aero

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets.

The company's 40,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers.

NATS (CNW Group/NAV CANADA)

Leidos (CNW Group/NAV CANADA)

SOURCE NAV CANADA

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/06/c2929.html
DARIEN, Ill., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine launched "Sleep Is Good Medicine," a national campaign to increase public education about the importance of sleep and its connection to health. The campaign was announced during the plenary session of the SLEEP 2022 annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sleep is good medicine. American Academy of Sleep Medicine

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the United States report getting less than seven hours of sleep per day. In 2021, the AASM issued a position statement noting that sleep is essential to health and calling for greater emphasis on sleep health in education, clinical practice, inpatient and long-term care, public health promotion, and the workplace.

"This campaign will support the AASM vision that sleep is recognized as essential to health," said Dr. Raman Malhotra, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and professor in the department of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Sleep is as important as nutrition and exercise for our health and well-being."

"Sleep Is Good Medicine" will show how getting healthy sleep helps the body boost immunity, reduce stress, and work to lower the risk for many medical conditions, like diabetes and hypertension.

"We know that chronic insufficient sleep can have a detrimental impact on personal health and increase the risk of many diseases," said Jennifer L. Martin, a licensed clinical psychologist who is a professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Healthy sleep is also important for mood regulation and mental health, helping to reduce the risk of problems such as anxiety and depression."

Through "Sleep Is Good Medicine," the AASM will work to elevate sleep as a key pillar of health  equivalent to nutrition and exercise. The campaign builds upon the AASM's existing awareness efforts for the public and health care professionals, serving as a key initiative in addressing information gaps about the value of sleep.

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The digital campaign will provide engaging content, including infographics and social media messages, to educate adults about healthy sleep and encourage people to talk to their doctor about their sleep concerns. The campaign also will provide tips and resources to support health care professionals in helping their patients improve their sleep health.

To learn more about the "Sleep Is Good Medicine" campaign and download its resources, visit www.sleepisgoodmedicine.com.

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine is advancing sleep care and enhancing sleep health to improve lives. The AASM has a combined membership of 11,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists and other health care professionals (aasm.org).

Contact: Jennifer Gibson, jgibson@aasm.org, 630-737-9729

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-academy-of-sleep-medicine-launches-sleep-is-good-medicine-campaign-to-help-americans-get-more-out-of-sleep-301561766.html

SOURCE American Academy of Sleep Medicine
ReportLinker

Major players in the anti-aging market are Allergan plc, LOreal S. A. , Beiersdorf, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. , The Procter & Gamble Company, Shiseido Cosmetics. , Unilever Plc, Lumenis, Home Skinovations Ltd.

New York, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Anti-Aging Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284154/?utm_source=GNW

, Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., Galderma SA, Koninklijke Philips NV, Alma Lasers, PhotoMedex, Candela Corporation, Hologic Inc., Pierre Fabre S.A, and Galderma SA.



The global anti-aging market is expected to grow from $45.17 billion in 2021 to $49.93 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5%. The anti-aging market is expected to grow to $65.96 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 7.2%.



The anti-aging market consists of the sales of anti-aging products and devices by entities (organizations, partnerships, and sole proprietors) that refer to a method of delaying or preventing the aging process.Anti-aging refers to the early detection, prevention, and treatment of age-related disorders.



There are a variety of anti-aging treatments available, including surgical and non-surgical options. It tightens the skin, increases brightness, and inhibits the appearance of age spots or discoloration.



The main types of products in anti-aging are UV absorbers, anti-wrinkle products, dermal fillers, Botox, and anti-stretch mark products.The UV absorbers are used to disperse ultraviolet light into a lower energy state.



These are commonly used to protect polymers by blocking UV light from damaging the polymer.The different treatments include hair restoration, adult acne therapy, breast augmentation, liposuction, chemical peel, others and involve various demographics such as generation X, baby boomers, generation Y, generation Z.



It is used in anti-wrinkle treatment, anti-pigmentation, skin resurfacing, other applications and implemented in several sectors including hospitals, clinics, home healthcare.



North America was the largest region in the anti-aging market in 2021.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in the anti-aging market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



The increasing demand for cosmetic products is significantly driving the growth of the anti-aging market.Anti-aging cosmetics are a subset of cosmetics that focuses on reducing the effects of aging and wrinkles on the human skin.



The use of these cosmetics in treatments or post-treatments enhances the results of anti-aging surgery. For instance, according to Cosmetics Europe, a European trade association for cosmetics, the cosmetics, and personal care industry contributes at least 29 billion (USD 33.14 billion) to the European economy each year, and the number of people who use cosmetics is rapidly increasing, with the number of people using cosmetics in Europe exceeded 500 million by 2020. Hence, the growing demand for cosmetic products is expected to propel the growth of the anti-aging market going forward.



Technology advancements are shaping the anti-aging market.Major companies operating in the anti-aging sector are focused on developing new technological solutions to meet consumer demand and strengthen their position.



For instance, in November 2019, Cynosure, a US-based company that manufactures and develops light-based aesthetic and medical treatment systems introduced StimSure, a non-invasive electromagnetic technique for muscle building and toning that makes a person look younger.The StimSure applicators create an electromagnetic field that stimulates the motor neuron cells in the bodys muscles, causing them to contract as if they were moving or exercising.



This innovative technology, which uses 1.0 Tesla per applicator and offers four pre-set programs as well as the capacity to develop customized programs, allows customers to personalize treatments for each patient.



In January 2019, Gryphon Investors, a US-based private equity firm acquired RoC Skincare for an undisclosed amount.Through this acquisition, Gryphon will expand its product line beyond anti-aging, increase product support in international markets, and strengthen ties with the dermatological community.



RoC Skincare US-based company that offers high-quality anti-aging skin products.



The countries covered in the anti-aging market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, and USA.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284154/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Apple (AAPL) today announced that it would join the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) fray at its Worldwide Developers Conference 2022, or WWDC.

The service, called Apple Pay Later, will be available through Apple Pay, allowing consumers to pay for purchases in four equal payments over six weeks with no interest or fees.

The announcement not only marks an expansion of the Apple Wallet's capabilities, but also a jump for Apple into a space that's grown throughout the pandemic  and run into headwinds and controversies.

Apple shares rose less than half-percent in Monday afternoon trading, largely in line with the tech-heavy Nasdaq index.

Apple Pay Later was announced at WWDC 2022.

BNPL is already a competitive sector, as illustrated by the 5% stock drop that BNPL giant Affirm (AFRM) clocked today on the news of Apple's entrance into the space.

The timing of Apple's announcement comes as BNPL's struggles have been making headlines lately. The sector has been affected in part by more cautious consumer spending, while key BNPL player Klarna has struggled immensely, with the company's valuation getting slashed and layoffs affecting a large section of its workforce.

One of the space's leaders, Klarna, which is backed by SoftBank, has struggled to fundraise recently and has reportedly found itself at a lower valuation. The company, which was previously valued north of $40 billion, is now raising money at a $30 billion valuation, according to the reports.

The Apple Pay Later interface, as presented at WWDC 2022.

For Klarna, the fallout grew exponentially. The company used a pre-recorded video message to communicate a layoff to its staff that affected 700 employees, then Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski controversially shared a list of those recently laid-off employees.

Klarna serves as a microcosm of the uncertainties surrounding the BNPL space right now.

For example, BNPL has been on the receiving end of criticism from numerous state attorneys general, who fear that the practice isn't being appropriately regulated.

"The Buy Now Pay Later industry has grown immensely in the past few years, but that growth has not been accompanied by appropriate protections," North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein told Yahoo Finance. "My biggest concern is that some lenders may be violating or evading consumer protection laws and ultimately causing serious financial harm to consumers in the long term."

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Stein said that there's a lot we still don't know about BNPL and how it affects consumers, with a group of attorneys general calling on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to examine the practice. In January, the CFPB invited any interested parties to provide comments to the bureau on the industry as it gathers information on the size, scope, and business practices of the BNPL industry.

BNPL has become a nearly $100 billion industry, growth that  despite increasing scrutiny  could be attractive for Apple, which three years ago introduced its first credit card.

Apple did not immediately return Yahoo Finance's request for comment.

Allie Garfinkle is a senior tech reporter at Yahoo Finance. Find her on twitter @agarfinks.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance.

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit.
Allied Market Research

Flourishing construction industry and rise in adoption of powder coatings and water-borne coating formulations drive the growth of the global architectural coatings market. Asia-Pacific contributed the highest share in 2020, and is expected to continue its dominant share in terms of revenue by 2030. The industrial and construction industries have been significantly impacted by supply chain disruptions induced by the lockdown measures, resulting in a temporary decrease in demand for architectural coating in 2020.

Portland, OR, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global architectural coatings market generated $63.3 billion in 2020, and is estimated to generate $107.9 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 5.6% from 2021 to 2030. The report offers a detailed analysis of changing market trends, value chain, top segments, key investment pockets, regional scenarios, and competitive landscape.

Flourishing construction industry and rise in adoption of powder coatings and water-borne coating formulations drive the growth of the global architectural coatings market. However, high cost of production and strict regulations on the emission of VOCs and other toxic chemicals hamper the market growth. On the contrary, increase in development of bio-based architectural coatings to offer lucrative opportunities in the coming years.

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Covid-19 Scenario:

The industrial and construction industries have been significantly impacted by supply chain disruptions induced by the lockdown measures, resulting in a temporary decrease in demand for architectural coating in 2020.

Due to the work stoppage, firms were losing money, and so did all of the suppliers who supply the necessary materials to various companies for use in the paint and coating sector and construction sector.

Furthermore, during the pandemic, manufacturing enterprises were working with limited staff due to social distance norms, significantly affecting production and construction processes, which in turn hampered the global architectural coatings market.

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The report offers detailed segmentation of the global architectural coatings market based on resin type, technology, end user industry, function, and region.

Based on resin type, the acrylic segment held the highest market share in 2020, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the total share, and is projected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. However, the alkyd segment is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.9% from 2021 to 2030.

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Based on technology, the water borne segment accounted for the largest share in 2020, contributing to nearly three-fourths of the global architectural coatings market, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is projected to portray the highest CAGR of 6.2% from 2021 to 2030.

Based on region, Asia-Pacificcontributed to the highest share in 2020, accounting for more than two-fifths of the total share, and is expected to continue its dominant share in terms of revenue by 2030. Moreover, this region is projected to manifest the largest CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period.

Leading players of the global architectural coatings market discussed in the research includeAsian Paints, PPG Industries, Nippon Paints, Axalta Coatings, The Sherwin-Williams Company, RPM International Inc., Midwest Industrial Coatings Inc., The Valspar Corporation, BASF SE, and Sumter Coatings.

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By Trend

The aviation authorities of Russia and Uzbekistan reached an agreement to increase the frequency of flights on the Moscow-Tashkent route, Trend reports via the Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia.

In order to develop air traffic between Russia and Uzbekistan, the authorities agreed to increase the frequency of flights from 25 to 39 flights per week.

From the Russian side, Aeroflot, Siberia and UTair airlines have been appointed to operate flights from Moscow to Tashkent, while from the Uzbek side - Uzbekistan Airways JSC and Qanot Sharq airline.
ReportLinker

Major players in the automotive relay market are Fujitsu Ltd. , Denso Electronics Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, TE Connectivity, Omron Corporation, HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA, Littelfuse Inc, Microchip Technology Inc.

New York, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Automotive Relay Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284139/?utm_source=GNW

, Robert Bosch GmbH, Eaton Corporation PLC, ABB Ltd, Sharp Corporation, NEC Corporation, Daesung Electric, and Mouser Electronics Inc



The global automotive relay market is expected to grow from $13.72 billion in 2021 to $15.20 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8%. The automotive relay market is expected to grow to $19.83 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 6.9%.



The automotive relay market consists of sales of the automotive relays by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that use electromagnetism to operate a higher current circuit in automobiles.The automotive relays are electronically operated switches that open and close circuits electronically.



It is designed for DC voltages in retainment systems and passenger consolation that can control power levels in adverse environments.



The main products in the automotive relays are PCB relays, plug-in relays, and others.Plug-in relays permit an easy exchange within the system and are utilized in applications such as wipers and pumps, energy management, fans, and heaters.



The various vehicle types are passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and electric vehicles. The different relay types include solid-state relays (SSR), hybrid, electromechanical that are used in applications such as powertrain systems, body, and chassis, convenience, safety and security, and driver information.



Asia Pacific was the largest region in the automotive relay market in 2021.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in the automotive relay market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



The increasing production of commercial and passenger vehicles is expected to propel the growth of the automotive relays market going forward.Passenger vehicles are motor vehicles that transport passengers, whereas commercial vehicles transport a larger number of people for commercial purposes.



The high production requires a large number of automotive parts including automotive relays to be installed in the new vehicle, thereby promoting the automotive relay market growth. For instance, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers 2021, the production of passenger vehicles was approximately 21.408 million in 2021, up 7.1% year on year. Therefore, the increasing production of commercial and passenger vehicles is driving the growth of the automotive heat exchanger market.



Product innovations have emerged as the key trend gaining popularity in the automotive relay market.Major players operating in the automotive relay market are developing innovative products to strengthen their position.



For instance, in January 2021, New Yorker Electronics, a US-based company that provides electronic components developed a new CIT relay and RoHS compliant A6 Series of automotive relays.This is a lightweight and small relay series that offers low coil power consumption, solderability of +260C for 5 seconds, and switching current up to 30A, 1A, and 1C contact configurations.



It also possesses an electrical life of 100K cycles with 10M mechanical life cycles.



In August 2021, Faurecia, a France-based automobile company acquired a 60% stake in Hella for an undisclosed amount.Through this acquisition, Faurecia aims to accelerate profitable growth by combining both companys product portfolios and market reach to improve the strategic positioning of the company through innovation in electronic and software content.



Hella is a Germany-based company that manufactures electronic components including automotive relays.



The countries covered in the automotive relay market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, and USA.





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ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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GRAPHICAL ANALYTICS PRIVATE LIMITED

Major biodefense market players include Bavarian Nordic, Biosearch Technologies, Alexeter Technologies, LLC, ANP Technologies, Altimmune, BioFire Defense (bioMerieux SA), Bruker Detection, Elusys Therapeutics, Emergent BioSolutions, Ichor Medical Systems, Inc., Nanologix, New Horizon Diagnostic Corp., SIGA Technologies, Smiths Detection Group Ltd., Electronic Sensor Technology Inc., and Dynavax Technologies.

Pune, India, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



The global biodefense market size is poised to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the rising incidence of infectious diseases and bioterrorism activities. Several countries are increasing the production rate of biodefense products to combat chronic infections and reduce the associated mortality rate. Here is a list of the trends affecting global industry forecast over 2022-2028:





North America (regional valuation will go past USD 10.2 billion)

Canada market value will improve:

Canada biodefense market size will register more than 8.5% CAGR through 2028 because the country has a strong presence of well-known healthcare companies. Technologically advanced products are being used to mitigate biosecurity risks. The government is increasing its efforts in spreading awareness regarding biological threats.

The federal authorities are formulating long-term strategies like the National Smallpox Contingency Plan to prepare the nation for any bioterrorism attacks. This will drive the adoption of biodefense solutions.

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Biothreat detection devices will gain momentum:

North America biodefense market revenue from biothreat detection devices stood at USD 2.1 billion in 2021. The region is making efforts to improve peoples access to these devices to ensure their safety and prevent the spread of pathogenic agents.

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The demand for identifiers is also rising because these devices can detect a wide range of biothreat agents, such as smallpox, anthrax, botulinum toxin, and ricin. Since they provide high accuracy in identifying potentially life-threatening diseases on time, their demand will rise.

Asia Pacific (regional valuation will exceed USD 5 billion)

Biothreat detection devices will witness robust demand:

Biothreat detection devices accounted for 35% of Asia Pacific biodefense market share in 2021. Investments are pouring in from both the public and private sector companies to strengthen the ongoing research & development activities in medical devices. Biothreat detection devices have a greater precision and accuracy than traditional systems, thereby playing a crucial role in enhancing public safety.

Access sample pages of the report, Asia Pacific Biodefense Market Forecasts 2028 in detail along with the table of contents (ToC) @

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India market share will grow:

India industry size will observe a 9.4% CAGR through 2028 because the countrys government maintains a strong coordination with healthcare authorities. The administration is encouraging private companies to increase their investments in biodefense technologies.

The percentage of citizens attending awareness campaigns to gain more insights on biosecurity and its importance is increasing every year. The release of pathogenic agents like anthrax, chemical weapons, and biological toxins put public safety in grave danger in the past. Keeping this in mind, the Indian government is planning robust strategies. These initiatives will support the adoption of biodefense devices.

Innovative technologies will boost demand for biodefense solutions:

Countries across the APAC region are heavily investing in advanced technologies to improve the effectiveness of biodefense solutions. Gene chips, for example, are widely preferred to detect harmful pathogens. These chips are being extensively used in biodefense-related nanotechnology, drug development, and forensic medicine. The concept of synthetic biology is picking up pace in the regions agriculture sector, further augmenting the product use.

Europe (regional valuation will cross USD 6.3 billion)

Vaccines will gain traction among end-users:

Europe biodefense market revenue from vaccines touched USD 2.5 billion in 2021. Upcoming growth can be ascribed to the wide availability of vaccines for diseases, such as Hib disease, HPV, and Hepatitis B. Regional governments are providing a strong financial support to help companies develop robust vaccines, which will propel the product demand.

Access sample pages of the report, Europe Biodefense Market Forecasts 2028 in detail along with the table of contents (ToC) @

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U.K. industry witnesses strong progress:

UK market was valued at USD 987 million in 2021. The region is seeing a worrying rise in the occurrence of infectious diseases. For example, as per the U.K. government, as of October 2021, 401 confirmed and 3,419 suspected cases of Lassa fever were found in Nigeria.

The mortality rate of the disease touched 19.7% during this period. Seeing the increasing biosecurity risks, the regional government is planning to publish an action plan for the Biological Security Strategy. This will impel the demand for biodefense devices.

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MarketsandMarkets Research Pvt. Ltd.

Chicago, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the new market research report "Oxygen Scavengers Market By Type (Inorganic oxygen scavengers, Organic oxygen scavengers), By End-use Industry (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Power, Oil & Gas, Chemical, Pulp & paper), and Region - Global Forecast To 2026", The global oxygen scavengers market size was valued at USD 2.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 2.9 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 5.5% between 2021 and 2026.

Oxygen scavengers are chemicals used to reduce the oxygen level present in enclosed packages. They are mainly used in food & beverages industry to provide additional safety and enhanced shelf life to food products. Oxygen scavengers are produced in two major types including inorganic and organic oxygen scavengers. Inorganic oxygen scavengers are iron and sulfite-based, and oxygen scavengers such as DEHA and carbohydrazide are organic. These chemicals are also ideal for reducing corrosion in water-handling equipment such as, boilers and feedwater systems. Oxygen scavengers have applications in various end-use industries such as food & beverage, pharmaceutical, power, oil & gas, chemical, and pulp & paper end-use industries.

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Browse in-depth TOC on Oxygen Scavenger Market

220 - Tables

45 - Figures

224 - Pages





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In terms of value, inorganic oxygen scavengers segment is projected to account for the largest share of the oxygen scavenger market, by type, during the forecast period.

Inorganic oxygen scavengers segment is driven by the food & beverage industry in packaging applications. They are also used in industrial equipments for reducing dissolved oxygen for safeguarding water handling equipments from corrosion. Inorganic oxygen scavengers require moisture or humidity for proper functioning. They are not suitable for dry applications due to their requirement for moisture to activate. Moreover, iron-based Inorganic oxygen scavengers are ideal for food & beverage and pharmaceutical industries owing to its faster reaction and easy handling characteristics.

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Food & beverages industry is expected to be the largest oxygen scavenger segment in 2021.

Rising demand for processed foods and growing awareness on food wastage due to unhygienic and improper packaging are key growth drivers for the oxygen scavengers market. Additionally, good quality packaging of food & beverages, increasing urbanization in emerging economies, and rising demand for convenient foods are also expected to propel the growth of the market. Oxygen scavengers provide longer shelf life and freshness to processed food & beverages. Moreover, rising income level and growth of the middle-class population are also driving demand for oxygen scavengers in the food & beverage industry.

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APAC is projected to grow the fastest in the oxygen scavengers market during the forecast period.



The growth of the market in the region is mainly credited to emerging economies such as India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. Rising population, urbanization, increasing disposable incomes, and growing food & beverages industry contributes to the growth of the market in APAC. China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Australia are the key oxygen scavenger markets in this region. Additionally, demand for processed food & beverages is increasing the consumption of oxygen scavenger. Moreover, industrialization and government initiatives in power, oil & gas, and chemical industries to attract investments is also driving the market for oxygen scavengers in the region.

Major players operating in the global Oxygen Scavengers Market include:

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. (Japan),

BASF SE (Germany),

Clariant AG (Switzerland),

Ecolab Inc. (US),

SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions (US),

Accepta (UK), and

Arkema Group (France) among many others.



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Study Coverage

This research report categorizes the oxygen scavenger market based on type, end-use industries, and region. Based on type, oxygen scavengers market is segmented into inorganic and organic oxygen scavenger. Inorganic scavengers can be further classified into three major sub-segments, iron-based, sulfite-based, and others. By end-use industries, the market has been segmented into food & beverage, pharmaceutical, power, oil & gas, chemical, pulp & paper, and others. Based on region, oxygen scavengers market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and South America. A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been done to provide insights into their business overviews; solutions and services; key strategies; new product launches; mergers; and partnerships, agreements, and collaborations; and recent developments associated with the oxygen scavenger market.

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A coalition of environmental groups on Monday announced a $100 million ad campaign ahead of a midterm election season that looks increasingly hostile to congressional Democrats.

The groups will put the money toward federal and state candidates with aggressive climate policy proposals, including outreach to voters who count climate as a top issue and are at risk of sitting out the election.

The initiative, the Climate Votes Project, will comprise groups including Climate Power Action, Climate Reality Action Fund, Environmental Defense Fund Action Vote, League of Conservation Voters Victory Fun, Natural Resources Defense Council Action Votes and NextGen PAC.

The coalition, first reported by CNN, will also put the funds toward ads targeting candidates receiving substantial funding from the fossil fuel industry and those who oppose aggressive climate action, according to an announcement from the organizations.

The Biden administrations signature Build Back Better policy package includes a number of aggressive climate actions but was seemingly doomed in December after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced he would not back it. While a bipartisan group of senators has continued meeting for talks on a potential smaller climate package, activists and candidates such as Pennsylvania Lt. Gov John Fetterman, who recently won the states Democratic Senate primary, have called to elect more progressive Democrats to the Senate to sidestep the need for Manchins approval.

Pete Maysmith, senior vice president for campaign at the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund, told The Hill that the coalition will seek to recapture enthusiasm from voters who rank climate as a top issue but may have lost faith since the 2020 election. Despite advancements such as rejoining the Paris climate accords, Maysmith told The Hill, were still pushing forward on climate policy happening through reconciliation  that needs to happen not just for political reasons, because of science, because of justice, because of lived experience.

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But it also matters from a political perspective, and that, I think, will be, if it comes to pass, an important part of motivating voters, he said.

Maysmith also dismissed the recent environmental strategy released by House Republicans as a climate scam, citing its lack of action on reducing carbon emissions, and said the campaign will work to illustrate the contrast between the parties on climate action.

Its vital that voters who care about climate change turn out at the polls this year, he added. The stakes, of course, are enormously high. We have to charge forward, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2022) - Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. (TSXV: CEM) ("Constantine" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Ernst (Ernie) Siemoneit to the position of Palmer Project Manager/Senior Engineer for the Palmer copper-zinc-silver-gold project in Southeast Alaska.

Ernie is based in Fairbanks, Alaska and brings over 30 years of combined experience in management, mining engineering and operations with deep knowledge of underground mine design, engineering support, mine system reporting and continuous improvement processes. His experience includes managing technical and financial teams, contractors for mine engineering, underground development, mine construction, facilities commissioning, pre-production development and production ramp-up. Ernie was most recently the Chief Mining Engineer at the Pogo Gold Mine ("Pogo") located east-southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska with Northern Star Resources. At Pogo, he led a site projects team of four engineers supporting improvements and expansion of the Pogo Mine to a 300,000 ounce per year gold producer.

"We are very pleased to welcome Ernie Siemoneit a very talented and experienced Alaskan professional engineer to manage and lead the Palmer project to feasibility," commented Constantine President and CEO MacVeigh. "Ernie's broad depth of underground experience at a time that the Palmer project is preparing for underground exploration and feasibility will be of tremendous value to Constantine Mining LLC, a joint venture between Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. and Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd."

Ernie commented, "I am grateful to be chosen by Constantine's upper management team to lead the Palmer Project in the current feasibility process. As an Alaskan, former commercial fisherman and miner, I understand the need for planning and conducting ourselves in a way that delivers best practices for work safety, community understanding, and environmental protection. Great teamwork and communication effort are required to build on past experience and make the Palmer project a success. I look forward to being a major part of this exciting and challenging process over the next several years."

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About Palmer

Palmer is a high-grade volcanogenic massive sulphide-sulphate ("VMS") project located in a very accessible part of coastal Southeast Alaska, with road access to the Project and within 60 kilometers of the year-round deep-sea port of Haines.

In 2019, the Company reported a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment ("2019 PEA") for the Project with a post-tax NPV 7% of US$266 million (see Company news release dated June 3rd, 2019). The 2019 PEA was amended, and replaced by, a technical report dated March 7, 2022, and entitled "Amended NI 43-101 Technical Report Palmer Project Alaska, USA" (the "Amended PEA") and filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) on March 11, 2022 (see March 11, 2022 news release). The Amended PEA outlined the potential for a low capex, low operating cost, high margin underground mining operation with attractive environmental attributes. Metal prices used were copper at $2.82/lb, zinc at $1.22/lb, silver at $16.26/oz, gold at $1,296/oz, and barite at $220/tonne.

The Amended PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that Amended PEA results will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Exploration work at Palmer has outlined 4.68 million tonnes of indicated resources grading 5.23 % zinc,1.49 % copper, 30.0 g/t silver, 0.30 g/t gold and 9.6 million tonnes of inferred resources grading 4.95 % zinc, 0.59 % copper, 69.3 g/t silver, 0.39 g/t gold1. VMS deposits are known to occur in clusters, and with at least twenty-five separate base metal and/or barite occurrences and prospects on the Project, there is abundant potential for discovery of multiple deposits.

Qualified Person Statement

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Vande Guchte, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About the Company

Constantine is a mineral exploration company led by an experienced and proven technical team with a focus on the Palmer copper-zinc-silver-gold-barite project being advanced as a joint venture between Constantine and Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd., with Constantine as operator.

In 2019, Constantine successfully spun-out its gold assets into HighGold Mining Inc. that included the high-grade Johnson Tract project in south-central Alaska and the Munro-Croesus Gold property which is renowned for its high-grade mineralization in the Timmins area, Ontario.

In 2020, the 100% owned Big Nugget Gold project, located 8 kilometers east of our flagship Palmer Project, was recognized as a potential gold lode source area, immediately upstream from the historic Porcupine Gold Placer operations and is an attractive drill target opportunity.

In 2021, Constantine announced the acquisition of the Bouse Cu-Au Property in southwest Arizona and the Hornet Creek Cu-Au property in west-central Idaho, and earlier this year announced the acquisition of the Yuma King Cu-Au property in southeast Arizona.

Management is committed to providing shareholder value through discovery, meaningful community engagement, environmental stewardship, and responsible mineral exploration and development activities that support local jobs and businesses.

Please visit the Company's website (www.constantinemetals.com) for more detailed company and project information.

On Behalf of Constantine Metal Resources Ltd.

"Garfield MacVeigh"

President

For further information please contact:

Garfield MacVeigh, President or Michael Vande Guchte, VP Exploration

Phone: 604-629-2348. Email: info@constantinemetals.com

1 For details of the mineral resource estimate for the Project including the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied and key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral resource, please refer to the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated Resource Estimate to include the AG Zone for the Palmer Exploration Project" dated effective December 18, 2018 (the "Palmer Technical Report"). The Palmer Technical Report is available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Mineral resources as reported are undiluted. Mineral resource tonnages have been rounded to reflect the precision of the estimate. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Notes:

Forward looking statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward looking statements")." Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", 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. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the appointment of Ernst Siemoneit, future underground exploration preparation and feasibility of the Palmer Project.. 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 are based on a number of factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include availability of contractors, actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126562
DPOservice brings operational efficiency solutions to information security and privacy processes to increase the organizational benefits of compliance.

MONTREAL, June 6, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Cybenergie announced the integration of DPOsolutions, audit, DPOaaS, CISOaaS, consulting services, specialized in information security, privacy and personal data protection, into its portfolio of services that improve the efficiency of the business and technical architecture of public and private organizations. DPOsolutions, with its expertise in data protection technologies remains independent and becomes a partner of Cybenergie. Cybenergie's new cybersecurity and privacy services will be operated under the DPOservice brand under the responsibility of Vincent Bureau who becomes Cybenergie's Vice President Cyber Privacy.

Cybenergie's CEO, Olivier Deschamps, stated ''As part of the FIC 2022 International Cybersecurity Forum, the largest European event in the field dedicated this year to the future of digital technology, Cybenergie is launching DPOservice, a cybersecurity and privacy protection service offering focused on organizational efficiency. Companies are subject to more and more complex legal constraints and industry practices. This service will reinforce our vertical offer concerning data protection in integrated management solutions such as SAP with data security audit, data governance, optimization of existing access processes or implementation of sensitive data protection solutions.''

DPOsolutions' CEO, Vincent Bureau, stated: "Joining Cybenergie and developing DPOservice is an extremely exciting opportunity and will bring significant strategic and operational benefits to strengthen and enhance our vision of mature cybersecurity and privacy compliance and organizational benefits. We are ready to strengthen the links between privacy, process improvement, data governance, artificial intelligence ethics and environmental, social and governance criteria for our clients."

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About Cybenergie

Cybenergie specializes in the optimization of ITIL business processes, such as identity and access management, service requests and data governance. Cybenergie offers application security audits, IT process design and mapping, and improvement of existing IT solutions. For the past 20 years, Cybenergie has been recognized for its expertise in SAP security redesign, employee data protection and IT department chaos management. Cybenergie is a registered brand in Canada, the United States, Europe, Singapore and China and continues to expand internationally. Cybenergie works as a team to improve the efficiency of your IT processes.

www.cybenergie.com

About DPOsolutions

DPOsolutions specializes in personal data protection by design and default, privacy enhancing technologies and their integration, information security, strategies and tactics for trusted data, and an ethical approach to artificial intelligence. With ten years of experience in governance, risk and compliance, DPOsolutions was created to accompany organizations in their compliance with the GDPR and similar laws by combining the legal, organizational, and technological dimensions. DPOsolutions operates for public and private organizations in North America and Europe. For DPOsolutions, data is your strategic asset, its protection is your competitive advantage.

www.dposolutions.co

Cision

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SOURCE Cybenergie

Cision

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Decklar Resources Inc.

CALGARY, Alberta, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Decklar Resources Inc. (TSX-V: DKL) (OTCQX: DKLRF) (FSE: A1U1) (the Company or Decklar) is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced transaction to purchase all of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Westfield Exploration and Production Limited (Westfield), a Nigerian entity that has entered into a Risk Finance and Technical Services Agreement (RFTSA) with Erebiina Energy Resources Limited (Erebiina) to participate in the Emohua Field in Nigeria, located in OML 22, which is 6 km west of Port Harcourt.



The Emohua Field

The Emohua Field was awarded to Erebiina (60%) and the balance (40%) to other local Nigerian entities in the 2020/2021 Marginal Field Bid Round and is situated onshore on dry land terrain in the southeastern section of OML 22 in the Eastern Niger Delta area. The Emohua Field is situated approximately 6 km west of the city of Port Harcourt in Rivers State and approximately 30 km west of the Oza Field, which Decklar is currently developing. The Bonny Oil Export Terminal and Bonny LNG plant are located approximately 50 km south of the Emohua Field.

The Emohua Field was formerly operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC). It was awarded to Erebiina by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2021 as part of the Marginal Field Program.

One well (Emohua-1) was drilled by SPDC in 1979 to a depth of 11,050 ft and encountered oil and gas in several stacked reservoirs. The well was suspended by SPDC as an oil and gas discovery. Data available includes 3-D seismic acquired in 2000/2001 and wireline log data. Petrophysical analysis showed the presence of nine hydrocarbon bearing zones ranging from 20 ft to 70 ft thick. Seismic interpretation also shows upside potential in the deeper undrilled/untested zones where potential closures exist.

The initial planned stages for development of the Emohua Field include re-entering the existing Emohua-1 well, installation of production and export facilities, and construction of flowlines. The Emohua Field can potentially be placed on production directly after the re-entry of the Emohua-1 well due to existing oil and gas export pipelines being located within 5 km of the well.

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The full field development plan will include the drilling and completion of up to nine additional wells and expansion of the processing facilities to enable handling and processing of up to 30,000 barrels of crude per day for the expected peak production levels.

Purchase of Westfield by Decklar

Decklar and Westfield previously entered into a share purchase agreement (the SPA) whereby Decklar has purchased all of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Westfield (the Westfield Shares). Westfield has separately entered into an RFTSA with Erebiina in respect of the 60% equity interest that was awarded to Erebiina for the Emohua Field. Further, Decklar is aware that Westfield is seeking to enter separate RFTSAs with one or more parties in relation to the remaining 40% interest in the Emohua Field.

The SPA terms included a cash payment of US$7 million, which was previously paid as a deposit to be credited against the final purchase price, and the issuance of 6,000,000 common shares of Decklar (Decklar Shares) as consideration for the acquisition of all the issued and outstanding Westfield Shares. In the event Westfield enters into additional RFTSAs in respect of the remaining 40% interest, up to an additional 2,500,000 Decklar Shares will be issued to the shareholders of Westfield.

Duncan Blount, CEO of Decklar Resources, remarked Closing the acquisition of Westfield now brings a third asset to our portfolio at Decklar. Similar to the Oza and Asaramatoru fields, the Emohua Field is a proven undeveloped conventional oilfield with potential for near-term re-entry and re-completion activities, followed by subsequent full field development. We look forward to further incorporating the asset into our company and progressing development towards near-term oil production potential. This is an attractive asset, and one that compliments the rest of our portfolio with a similar infrastructure advantage.

For further information: Duncan T. Blount Chief Executive Officer Telephone: +1 305 890 6516 Email: dblount@decklarresources.com David Halpin Chief Financial Officer Telephone: +1 403 816 3029 Email: davidhalpin@decklarpetroleum.com Investor Relations: info@decklarresources.com

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 Language

Certain statements made and information contained herein constitute "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation), including entering into definitive agreements in respect of the Transaction and satisfaction of conditions precedent to completion of the Transaction. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Such statements and information (together, "forward looking statements") relate to future events or the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities. There is no certainty that definitive agreements in respect of the Transaction will be entered into, or that any conditions precedent contained therein will be satisfied on terms satisfactory to the parties or at all.

All statements other than statements of historical fact may be 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, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect, "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking 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 Company believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, changes in oil prices, results of exploration and development activities, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of materials and equipment, timeliness of government or other regulatory approvals, actual performance of facilities, availability of financing on reasonable terms, availability of third party service providers, equipment and processes relative to specifications and expectations and unanticipated environmental impacts on operations. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

The Company provides no assurance that 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 does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.




(reddit)

Disneyland Paris came under fire last week after a video surfaced of a theme park employee interrupting a marriage proposal. The worker ushered the couple off a platform where the proposal was taking place, but not without snatching the engagement ring from the guests hands.

A spokesperson for Disney has since apologised for the incident.

The viral video was initially shared to Reddit on Thursday with the caption: POS [piece of sh*t] destroyed my best friends moment. He asked for permission beforehand.

In the 21-second clip, a man is seen bending down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend at the Disneyland attraction in Paris, France. Seconds later, a male employee rushes in between them and grabs the engagement ring box out of his hands. The park employee then guided the couple off the platform  which had a perfect view of the Sleeping Beauty Castle  and towards a metal gate.

Both the newly engaged couple and onlookers seemed confused by the Disneyland workers orders. The male partner is seen telling the employee, She said yes, and pointing to the female theme park worker who granted him permission to propose on the platform.

The male Disneyland worker replied, Yes, thats great but over here will be even better, followed by boos from the crowd.

The Reddit user who posted the video clarified in the comments that their friend asked a female coworker who gave him permission to propose on the platform prior to the viral incident.

We regret how this was handled, a Disney spokesperson told Newsweek. We have apologised to the couple involved and offered to make it right.

The shocking moment received many comments online from Reddit users who were appalled by the employees interruption.

Disneyland Paris apologizes after employee ruins wedding proposal:



We regret how this was handled. We have apologized to the couple involved and offered to make it right. pic.twitter.com/J4hlnieVJ3  Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 4, 2022

I wanna see the extended version where they all boo him because you can hear the beginning of it, said one person.

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Their admission pass didnt include the $149 optional Proposal Photograph fee, joked someone else.

Hall monitor energy, said another Reddit user.

Some people wondered if the Disneyland Paris employee had been fired by the company for disrupting the guests special moment.

Disney does not joke around with any employee who ruins a visitors time, said one person, while another user wrote: Theres no way Disney can have a guy working for them who doesnt understand a wedding ring is not something to be snatched away mid-proposal.

Others simply couldnt believe that the worker had grabbed the engagement ring from the mans hands in the middle of his proposal.

Even if you think youre doing the right thing enforcing some policy or other, you DO NOT snatch an expensive engagement ring out of someones f**king hand, a Reddit user commented.

If some stranger ran up and snatched a diamond ring out of my hand, more than the moment would be ruined, another person said.

The Independent has contacted Disney for comment.
This years Fortune 500 companies stood out in terms of the sheer amount of revenue they generated.

In total, the companies produced $16.1 trillion in revenue, equal to two-thirds of Americas GDP. To even make it on the list this year, companies had to produce at least $6.4 billion in revenue, a 19% increase from 2020.

That revenue comes from all kinds of industries, from tech to oil to automobiles. And Fortune 500 companies are scattered all across the U.S.

Heres a visual breakdown of where those companies are headquartered by region, and what industries dominate which areas.

The Western Region

The Western Region is home to Silicon Valley and some of the biggest players in the tech industry.

Companies like Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Meta Platforms are all in San Jose, while Los Angeles is home to the Walt Disney Company, video game giant Activision Blizzard, and health insurer Molina. California alone has 50 Fortune 500 companies, which collectively earned over $401 billion in profitsa 75% increase from the previous year.

California-based Fortune 500 companies also boast the highest total market value, at a whopping $10.3 trillion dollars.

Amazon and Starbucks, meanwhile, are nestled in Seattle along with Fortune 500 newcomer Zillow.

The Midwest Region

The cities in the Midwest Region with the highest number of company headquarters are Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit. While Chicago has companies from a variety of sectors, including aerospace giant Boeing and utilities company Exelon, a majority of Chicago-based Fortune 500 companies are in the food industry. Prominent names include McDonalds, food production giant Archer Daniels Midland and Molson Coors Beverage. Minneapolis hosts a diversified group of companies, includingTarget, which ranked 32 on the Fortune 500. Michigan is the automotive hub: Detroit is home to Ford, General Motors, and Lear, while companies like Autoliv and Penske are headquartered in neighboring cities.

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The Northeast Region

The state of New York ranks second in the country, behind Texas, for the most Fortune 500 company headquarters. The 51 companies there cumulatively brought in $1.6 trillion in revenue for the 2021 fiscal year. New York Citys Madison Avenue is dotted with financial companies like JPMorgan Chase and Blackrock.

Other big names in the midtown area include Verizon Communications, Macys, Footlocker, and Fox.

Notable insurance companies like MetLife, TIAA, and New York Life Insurance are also based in the city.

The Southern Region

The Southern Region has the most Fortune 500 companies, and a large number of them are based in Texas and belong to the oil and gas industry. Phillips 66, KBR, and ConocoPhillips are only a few of the many energy companies that are headquartered in Houston; Sysco, the food-service company, is also based in that city. The pandemic hit the energy sector hard in 2020 and bore $51 billion in losses that year. But then it rebounded in 2021, and Fortune 500 companies in that sector nationwide posted $128 billion in profits. The Fortune 500s number-one ranked company, Walmart, is also in the region, based in Bentonville, Arkansas.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
The sun sets behind the Florida Supreme Court building Monday, Nov. 16, 2020.

Why do we bother having city and county governments, if the state dictates the big stuff from Tallahassee?

Thats not exactly the question in a gun case on the Florida Supreme Court docket this week. But the tattered old cliche about the government closest to the people governs best is being tested by the dispute. It used to be a core principle of conservatism but guns trump principles in our Legislature now.

The fairly mundane argument over home rule and state authority warrants attention in light of the mass murders in Buffalo, Uvalde and Oklahoma, and the current congressional debate on guns. But the issue for the court is whether the state should intimidate duly elected city and county officers for doing what they perceive their constituents want.

In 1987, state legislators pre-empted all firearms regulation, establishing that it would be decreed at the state level. The idea was that, as the right to have guns is in the U.S. Constitution, laws should be uniform from the edge of the Alabama line to the tip of the Florida Keys.

Then, in 2011, the state imposed a $5,000 penalty for any city or county commissioners who adopt regulations in violation of statewide rules. Citizens suing their local governments over tighter gun laws can also recover legal costs under the law.

The issue before the Supreme Court this week is not the state takeover of gun laws, but the harsh penalties for local governments and officers.

A coalition of local governments, joined by Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and some civic organizations, contends that the penalties violate legal immunities for the cities and counties, their mayors and commission members.

Thats a good point. If a city commission member casts a good-faith vote for something, believing its proper policy for the community and doesnt exceed delegated authority, why should that officer be hit with a fine or even removal from office? Sure, everybody must obey all the laws, but if a city attorney or countys lawyers assure members that a proposed ordinance is lawful, shouldnt decision-makers be able to vote for or against it as they see fit?

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The Florida Capitol courtyard on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021.

Challengers to the law include Tallahassee, Gainesville and some of Floridas biggest cities. They argue that the law authorizing the penalties goes beyond the actions of local governments and delves into the motives of those adopting a gun ordinance.

The News Service of Florida recently cited their brief to the high court:

The states argument, if adopted, would undermine core principles of democracy. The Florida Constitution and the separation of powers doctrine preclude the Legislature from expanding the judicial power in Florida to inquire into the motivations of local elected officials  simply because of how they voted on legislation that, at the time, had not yet been determined to be pre-empted.

More from Bill Cotterell:

More: Charlie Crist has nothing to gain from more debates

More: Do we really have to live with mass shootings?

More: What if a voter-suppression law doesnt suppress?

More: The plot thickens with cross-over voting in Georgia primaries

A three-judge panel of the First District Court of Appeal saw it differently, holding that the state has authority to abrogate legislative immunity of city and county officials. With regard to guns, the appellate court said, the Legislature has withdrawn all legislative authority from local governments and agencies to make policy decisions.

Therefore, local governments have no immunity for acts  however well-intended, or desired by the public  in any matter pre-empted to the state level.

Legalities aside, theres a certain irony in the state wanting to punish the cities and counties for not remembering their place, and staying in it.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-maiden Republican Legislature have happily churned out a thick stack of laws of dubious constitutionality. Many of them appeal to a conservative voter base but  like the DeSantis-drafted congressional redistricting map, new abortion restrictions, that Dont Say Gay issue and his recently rejected social-media meddling  will cost taxpayers a ton of legal fees.

Theres no financial or personal penalty for governors and legislators who adopt unconstitutional laws. And theres ample reason to question their motives for doing so.

So why whack city and county officers who are elected to use their judgment on matters of local concern  even guns?

Bill Cotterell is a retired Tallahassee Democrat capitol reporter.

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nalty for governors and legislators who adopt unconstitutional laws. And theres

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Bill Cotterell: High court takes aim at home rule, local control
By Trend

DS Borjomi, one of the largest mineral water producers in Georgia, has denied the accusation by striking employees of the company who earlier today said the enterprise was intending to replace the protesting workers with other staff from Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, Trend reports with reference to Agenda.

Dozens of workers of IDS Borjomi who went on strike about a week ago released a statement on Monday, saying the company was willing to pay more salaries to other employees in order to punish those on protest by not paying salaries for two months.

Borjomi in response also said it was limited in financial resources due to frozen accounts, therefore, was unable to pay wages to those who currently were not involved in the production process.

About 400 employees of the enterprise began full-scale peaceful picketing of the entrances of both factories of the company in Georgia until the fulfilment of their demands, including an immediate reinstatement of the illegally dismissed employees of the company, issuance of their salaries, return to previous labour conditions and lifelong contracts for every employee of the company.

The Georgian Health Ministry announced on Monday it began an active involvement in the ongoing processes to stabilise the situation, noting with the mediation of the Labour Inspection Office and the Health Ministry meetings would be held with the employees and employers to reach an agreement between the parties, fully consider their interests and restore the full functioning of the mineral water bottling plants.

Protesters also noted both the company and the Georgian Government were responsible for the escalation of the situation, saying the latter had done nothing to de-escalate the situation.

IDS Borjomi in late April announced a temporary suspension of the production at both of its plants in Georgia due to the war in Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Russian-owned businesses. At the beginning of May, it dismissed 50 employees on account of their refusal to agree to a change in the contracts during the reorganisation process, the company said.

The company, partly owned by Alfa Group, one of the largest privately-owned financial investment conglomerates in Russia, also announced its submission of a formal proposal to transfer a part of its shares to the Georgian Government for free on May 19.
K92 Mining Inc.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K92 Mining Inc. (K92 or the Company) (TSX: KNT; OTCQX: KNTNF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Kinver as Project Director, Kora Expansion. Mr. Kinver will lead the team that is responsible for the delivery of the Stage 2A and Stage 3 Expansions of the Kainantu Mine. Mr. Kinver joined K92 in September 2019, developing a strong knowledge of the Kainantu Gold Mine and operating in Papua New Guinea, initially as Kainantus Mining Manager and most recently the Evaluations and Studies Manager.



Mr. Kinver is a Mining Engineer with approximately 20 years of experience in the mining industry, predominantly in senior management roles in underground operations and mine development with senior, intermediate and junior mining companies in Australia, Papua New Guinea, South America, Africa and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining K92, Mr. Kinver was with OceanaGold Corporation as the Project Manager for Didipio Underground for approximately 3 years, successfully transitioning the operation from an open pit to a 1.6 mtpa long hole stoping underground operation. Other senior management roles include: Underground Mine Manager with BHP Billiton at the Perseverance Nickel Mine, one of the largest underground operations in Western Australia; Underground Mine Manager with Barrick Gold Corporation at the Plutonic Gold Mine in Western Australia; and Principal Engineer at mining consulting firm Wardell Armstrong LLP.

Mr. Kinver holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining and Mineral Engineering with Honours from Camborne School of Mines and a First Class Western Australian Mine Managers Certificate. He holds registrations with the Institute of Engineers Australia, The Engineering Institution of Zambia, and Registered Engineers of Tanzania.

John Lewins, K92 Chief Executive Officer and Director, stated, We are very pleased with the appointment of Christopher Kinver to the role of Project Director, Kora Expansion. Mr. Kinver will lead the team responsible for executing the Stage 2A and the Stage 3 Expansions, and brings to bear significant senior management experience and a strong project development track record, including the successful development of Didipio Underground in the Philippines with OceanaGold - an operation with a similar mining method and higher throughput than the Kainantu Stage 3 Expansion. Importantly, Mr. Kinver has a tremendous familiarity with Kainantu and operating in Papua New Guinea, with almost 3 years experience with K92. Mr. Kinver is currently at site advancing the project.

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About K92

K92 Mining Inc. is engaged in the production of gold, copper and silver from the Kora and Judd deposits at the Kainantu Gold Mine in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, as well as exploration and development of mineral deposits in the immediate vicinity of the mine. The Company declared commercial production from Kainantu in February 2018 and is in a strong financial position.

The Company commenced an expansion of the mine based on an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment on the property which was published in January 2019 and updated in July 2020. K92 is operated by a team of mining company professionals with extensive international mine-building and operational experience.

On Behalf of the Company,

John Lewins, Chief Executive Officer and Director

For further information, please contact David Medilek, P.Eng., CFA at +1-604-416-4445

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as expect, plan, anticipate, project, target, potential, schedule, forecast, budget, estimate, intend or believe and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, should or might occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control, that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, without limitation, Public Health Crises, including the COVID-19 Pandemic; changes in the price of gold, silver, copper and other metals in the world markets; fluctuations in the price and availability of infrastructure and energy and other commodities; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; volatility in price of our Common Shares; inherent risks associated with the mining industry, including problems related to weather and climate in remote areas in which certain of the Companys operations are located; failure to achieve production, cost and other estimates; risks and uncertainties associated with exploration and development; the fact that a feasibility studying of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability has not been prepared for the Kainantu Mine; uncertainties relating to estimates of mineral resources including uncertainty that mineral resources may never be converted into mineral reserves; the Companys ability to carry on current and future operations, including development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Companys ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold, silver and copper; inability of the Company to identify appropriate acquisition targets or complete desirable acquisitions; failures of information systems or information security threats; political, economic and other risks associated with the Companys foreign operations; geopolitical events and other uncertainties, such as the conflict in Ukraine; compliance with various laws and regulatory requirements to which the Company is subject to, including taxation; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions, including relationship with the communities in jurisdictions it operates; other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry; and the risks, uncertainties and other factors referred to in the Companys Annual Information Form under the heading Risk Factors. Estimates of mineral resources are also forward-looking statements because they constitute projections, based on certain estimates and assumptions, regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future and/or the anticipated economics of production, should mining occur. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actual results to differ materially from those that are anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company 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 by law.




CED grants $750,000 to the Ville de Lachute to install the Bibliotheque Jean-Marc-Belzile in the city's former United Church.

LACHUTE, QC, June 6, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

Shared public spaces such as public libraries are at the heart of communities across Canada. They draw in residents and visitors alike, supporting local businesses and jobs. In so many places across the country, these spaces have seen a significant fluctuation in use due to COVID-19.

Today, Stephane Lauzon, Member of Parliament for ArgenteuilLa Petite-Nation and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development, on behalf of the Honourable Pascale StOnge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED, announced a non-repayable contribution of $750,000 for the Ville de Lachute under the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF). This financial assistance will be used to renovate the interior of Lachute's former United Church for it to become the new home of the Bibliotheque Jean-Marc-Belzile.

This flagship project giving pride of place to culture, knowledge, and education is a core element of the city's plan to revitalize its downtown area. Redeveloping the historic United Church building represents a real opportunity to create a shared space that is accessible and adapted to all manner of clientele.

The Government of Canada recognizes that community spaces promote social interaction and physical activity. By providing better access to recreational programs and facilities, we are contributing to the well-being of communities, families, and individuals across the country. Our economic recovery is closely linked to the vitality of our local communities and their shared spaces.

Quotes

"Our government is keen to focus on regional development, especially when a region launches a promising initiative for the community. Gaining a new library space will enable Lachute to enhance its services and welcome partner organizations, thereby encouraging residents to come together and energizing the community. This is excellent news for downtown Lachute!"

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Stephane Lauzon, Member of Parliament for ArgenteuilLa Petite-Nation and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development

"Our support for the Ville de Lachute's project attests to our government's commitment to boost economic development in communities of all sizes, across all regions. The renovations planned for the new space to house the Bibliotheque Jean-Marc-Belzile will clearly energize the Lachute community. I have no doubt that residents and visitors will be delighted with the library and will see their quality of life improve as a result. I am also greatly pleased that the project has been planned sustainably by adopting cutting-edge energy efficiency measures and reusing an existing building. Bravo on this exciting project supporting Lachute's development!"

The Honourable Pascale StOnge, Member of Parliament for BromeMissisquoi, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED

"Creating an updated new library will undoubtedly help support and stimulate literacy in our community. The library will become more a space to live in with shared areas adapted to today's realities and needs. This project to redevelop the United Church into a library is becoming a flagship initiative in revitalizing our downtown area. Cultural promotion is a priority for City Council. My fellow councillors share with me the dream of having a space where literature, knowledge, and culture can come together and create among our citizens a desire to claim the space as their own, a place for them to live in."

Bernard Bigras-Denis, Mayor, Ville de Lachute

Quick facts

The CCRF was launched in June 2021. A total of $500 million has been granted over two years to Canada's regional development agencies (RDAs), including $107 million for CED to invest in shared and inclusive public spaces in Quebec. As public health restrictions ease, the Government of Canada remains committed to investing in shared spaces to make them safer, greener, and more accessible. This in turn will stimulate local economies, create jobs, and improve quality of life for Canadians. This funding helps communities:

The CCRF is being deployed under CED's Quebec Economic Development Program (QEDP).

CED is a key federal partner in Quebec's regional economic development. With its 12 business offices, CED is present to accompany Quebec businesses, supporting organizations and regions into tomorrow's economy.

Associated links

Stay connected

Follow CED on social media

Consult CED's news

SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

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View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/06/c9962.html
Presentation on Tuesday, June 7th at 12:00 PM PT

Westlake Village, California--(Newsfile Corp. - June 6, 2022) - Wyoming-based holding company Majic Wheels Corp. (OTC Pink: MJWL), a major player in the disruptive industries of Fintech and software development by means of multiple acquisitions, announced today that it will be presenting at the 12th annual Invitational on Tuesday, June 7th at 12:00 PM PT at the Four Seasons Westlake Village.

Dr. Vin Menon will be giving the presentation.

"We are proud to be hosting our 12th annual instalment of the Invitational at a new and fantastic venue no less. I want to build on the incredible momentum generated from the Main Event last October. The patrons are looking forward to seeing Majic Wheels in action." stated Chris Lahiji, Founder of LD Micro.

Event: LD Micro Invitational

Date: Tuesday, June 7th

Time: 12:00 PM PT

Register to watch the virtual presentation here.

Summary of LD Micro Invitational (XII)

The 2022 LD Micro Invitational will be held at the Four Seasons Westlake Village from June 7th to the 9th.

This three-day, investor conference is expected to feature around 200+ companies, presenting in half-hour increments, as well as private meetings.

For more info, please contact Mr. Dean "The Dream" Summers.

Dean@ldmicro.com

About Majic Wheels Corp.

Majic Wheels Corp Inc., a Wyoming Holding Corporation, has positioned itself as a major player in the disruptive industries of Fintech and software development by means of multiple acquisitions. The Company's first acquisition is the cryptocurrency exchange, cryptocurrency mining farm and custody services platform: Calfin Global Crypto Exchange (CGCX) followed by 26% equity stake of Bamboo Wellness Holdings Limited. Earlier this year, Majic Wheels Corp. announced that it has secured a majority interest in Panaesha Capital Exchange (PCEX). Majic Wheels Corp. is listed and traded on the Over-the-Counter Market under the trading symbol "MJWL".

For more information about the Company, please visit:

OTC Markets Profile: https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/MJWL/overview

Website: https://majiccorp.co/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MajicCorp

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About LD Micro

LD Micro aims to be the most crucial resource in the micro-cap world. Whether it is the index, comprehensive data, or hosting the most significant events on an annual basis, LD's sole mission is to serve as an invaluable asset for all those interested in finding the next generation of great companies.

http://www.ldmicro.com

Contact:

Email: ir@majiccorp.co

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/126628
(Bloomberg) --

Most Read from Bloomberg

Several Gulf nations, including Indias key energy partner Saudi Arabia, have expressed displeasure over derogatory comments made by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Prophet Muhammad, sparking off a diplomatic row.

Iran, Qatar and Kuwait summoned Indias envoys for an official protest while Saudi Arabia issued a statement on Sunday condemning the remarks. Qatar went on to demand an apology, saying that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment, constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights.

The BJP suspended one of the party members and expelled another. Both were also party spokespersons and the BJP said it was against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion.

The controversy comes amid Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis efforts to boost relations with Middle Eastern countries to secure energy needs of the South Asian nation, which imports 85% of its annual crude oil requirement.

Prophet Muhammad is widely revered in Islam as the last of Gods messengers. In several Muslim countries, insulting the Prophet is equivalent to blasphemy and can attract jail terms and in some cases, even the death sentence.

In India, the remarks against Prophet Muhammad and Islam were made on two separate occasions during a TV debate and a social media exchange. The two sanctioned party members have said they were trying to defend attacks on Hinduism.

Nevertheless, their comments are a reflection of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in India, which has become a key part of the BJPs plan to push its Hindu nationalist agenda. The Indian embassy in Qatar attempted to play down the issue, saying the said the tweets in particular do not reflect the views of Modis government but were rather those of fringe elements.

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Vested interests that are against India-Qatar relations have been inciting the people using these derogatory comments, the Indian embassy said in a tweet. We should work together against such mischievous elements who aim to undercut the strength of our bilateral ties.

Indias immediate neighbors also reacted to the controversy. Afghanistan, which recently hosted a high-level delegation of Indian officials, urged New Delhi to prevent religious fanatics from provoking the feelings of Muslims.

Pakistan, which has long competed with India for influence in West Asia, said it was concerned at the alarming rise of communal violence and hatred against Muslims in India. The government also summoned the Indian representative in Pakistan to protest the highly derogatory remarks.

(Updates with reactions from Indias immediate neighbors)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
For years, Africas credit infrastructure has lagged behind the rest of the world due to low credit coverage from its bureaus. Per a World Bank report, only 11% of Africas population have their credit information recorded by private credit bureaus. And for those who are banked, only 17% have accessed loans.

Thus, theres a real need to record credit transactions. And as financial services in Africa continue to get digitized, accessing credit in real time becomes increasingly important.

Africas credit bureau systems are due a revamp to tackle these issues, but since its a hard ask, infrastructural platforms that provide credit underwriting processes are positioning themselves as options in the market. Indicina, one such platform based in Lagos, Nigeria, is announcing its seed round of $3 million.

Berlin-headquartered and pan-European venture capital firm Target Global led the round, adding to its long list of investments in Nigerian startups, including Kuda, Kippa and Edukoya. The firms partner Ricardo Schaefer will join Indicinas board. Greycroft also participated in this round, and so did RV Ventures.

As established, access to credit is an integral part of financial services adoption in any region. But while big corporates and high net worth individuals have no issues accessing loans from banks in Nigeria, retail and SME segments are somewhat neglected at scale.

This concern was too significant for Yvonne Johnson to ignore while working as an executive with First Bank, one of Nigerias largest banks by assets. And as digital banking -- which includes the provision of loans -- began to take off in the country, she told TechCrunch that she saw an opportunity to start Indicina in 2019 to provide credit rails and financial analytics tools for these businesses.

So lenders can use Indicina for credit scoring and bank sentiment analysis, getting access to ML-driven financial analytics and improved insights into consumers they currently dont have and derisk unsecured loans. Another interesting angle to Indicinas solution is that lenders who process loan applications manually can use the platform to double or triple their volume without blowing up their loan books.

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Weve never had any balance sheet. Its never been about offering credit for us. We want to focus on the infrastructure layer and provide good infrastructure for people to feel more comfortable, said CEO Johnson, who has investment banking experience from Merrill Lynch.

We want lenders to be better informed about the decisions around credit so they can go to market faster with their digital product. So weve never had a business model that included our balance sheet, which weve always worked with the lenders.

Indicinas unique approach to solving Africas credit problem is why Target Global and Greycroft invested in the company. According to both firms -- as told by their partners, Schaefer and Will Szczerbiak, respectively -- they backed Indicina because it uses data to solve the loan eligibility problem previously decided by incomplete creditworthiness assessments.

The fintech partners with credit bureaus and open finance platforms. Johnson, who launched Indicina with CTO Jacob Ayokunle and chief data scientist Carlos del Carpio, said the platform has more than 120 customers, including banks, non-bank lenders and fintechs. Some include Polaris Bank, LipaLater, VFD, Zilla and CreditDirect. Per information on Indicinas website, it has helped these clientele process more than 3 billion (~$5 million) loans from 10,000 bank statements and disbursed over 700 million (~$1.17 million).

The companys revenues come from API calls made by its customers when analyzing financial documents. The company will launch a B2C offering in the coming weeks to diversify offerings and revenue streams. While Indicina has already analyzed bank statements in real time for lenders to make informed decisions, it is betting that consumers would also need this information. The simplest way to describe it is a credit and financial management platform like Credit Karma.

We have been working with the lenders; now we want to involve consumers. So they see what the lender would see if they are going to apply for a loan, Johnson, who is also an angel investor, having backed the likes of Flutterwave, Eden and Thndr, said on the call.

Indicina

Image Credits: Indicina

Present in Nigeria and Kenya, this new funding will kickstart Indicinas expansion into other African markets. It will also enable the company to reinforce its key product offerings, build more products for consumer credit recommendation, and bolster its infrastructure, the companys statement read.

Johnson stressed the importance of using the funding to get to the next iteration of Indicinas machine learning and data play on the call. Its the core of what we do, said the founder, who heads the company with team members across four continents. The funding will allow Indicina to deepen product development in that area as it hires more data scientists and machine learning engineers.
WASHINGTON, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Small Business Association (NSBA) and the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (EXIM) are releasing a new survey of small business about their attitudes, practices and beliefs when it comes to doing business internationally. This survey shows growing interest in exporting among small businesses as well as increased appetite for export-related assistance and education.

National Small Business Association (PRNewsfoto/National Small Business Associa)

"Hands-down the biggest challenge to those small businesses who are interested in exportingbut haven't made the leap yetis that they simply don't know where to start," stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. "Expanding and strengthening the export assistance programs we currently have, like EXIM, could help small businesses more easily weather tough economic times."

Underscoring the need for federal resources, the NSBA-EXIM report found that the overwhelming majority of owners handle the export operations themselvesa major undertaking especially when you're likely handling HR, accounting and all other aspects of the business. Many of the resources already exist, however just 22 percent of small businesses report being aware of the various federal agencies dedicated to helping export U.S. goods and services.

"Having managed international sales at my company I can assure you that startingand maintaininginternational sales is a major undertaking," stated NSBA Chair Mike Stanek of Hunt Imaging, LLC in Berea, Ohio. "From finding foreign customers to navigating foreign import rules and, most importantly, making sure you get paid, exporting can be challenging but also very impactful to a company's growth."

This survey was conducted online among 530 small businesses across the country April 14-May 12. We hope you find the data in this report useful. Please contact the NSBA media affairs department with questions.

Please click here to download the full report.

Celebrating more than 80 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America's entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S., and we are proud to be the nation's first small-business advocacy organization. Please visit www.nsba.biz or @NSBAAdvocate.

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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nsba-exim-bank-release-new-survey-on-exporting-301561749.html

SOURCE National Small Business Association
OnRobot Palletizer is a powerful, automated palletizing hardware and software solution that combines unprecedented affordability, performance and fast integration with a small footprint to deliver flexible palletizing automation to companies of all sizes.

SINGAPORE, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OnRobot, the world leader in hardware and software solutions for collaborative applications, has launched OnRobot Palletizer, a complete collaborative palletizing solution designed to take the physical and financial pain out of palletizing processes.

OnRobot Palletizer extends OnRobot's application-first approach to collaborative automation by letting users choose a palletizing system that works for their specific application needs thanks to its space saving footprint, and ability to handle many different types of boxes, packages, patterns, pallets and stacking heights. Compatible with collaborative robot and light industrial robots from the Doosan, FANUC, OMRON, Techman and Universal Robots brands, the OnRobot Palletizer is available as a complete out-of-the-box system or as individual components to create a mix-and-match solution. The OnRobot Palletizer includes four new hardware and software products:

OnRobot Palletizing , intuitive palletizing software that guides users through the entire deployment from start to finish via a single intelligent interface for all components. It's also a true time-saver designed to slash overall project costs. Once the physical hardware is in place and secured, the end-user or integrator simply opens OnRobot Palletizing to receive step-by-step guidance through the process of setting up a palletizing application. Designed to reduce deployment time by eliminating complexity, the software enables even inexperienced end-users to deploy the system in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional programming interfaces. For example, using OnRobot Palletizing, an inexperienced end-user can set up a full palletizing application in a day, versus 12 or more days using conventional programming software. Redeployment is even faster, with that same inexperienced end-user reprogramming the cell for a different palletizing application in just half a day. Palletizing application deployment guidance is also available on the free Learn OnRobot e-learning platform.

The OnRobot 2FGP20 , a powerful, versatile, electric palletizing gripper with a 20 kg payload and customizable arms that can handle standard cardboard boxes as well as open boxes and shelf-ready products while also handling slip sheets without changing the gripper or requiring additional handling; no external air supply required.

The OnRobot Lift100, a robust elevator with a total payload of 100 kg that provides a 7 th axis for cobot and lightweight industrial robot brands; TUV-certified stop-functionality facilitates safe and effective collaborative deployments; provides safe and precise positioning even at high speeds.

The OnRobot Pallet Station, durable floor mounted pallet fixtures designed to ensure consistent positioning; each comes with a built-in sensor for detecting pallet presence.

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"Small and midsized companies need palletizing automation that is easy to use, fast to deploy and affordable  even if the application changes over time," says Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. "OnRobot Palletizer combines fast deployment times with a small footprint and the best price point in the market  all using our application-focused approach that gives customers much more flexibility than traditional approaches. OnRobot Palletizer can be deployed out-of-the-box and with minimal disruption to existing factory and warehouse layouts."

Manual palletizing is a labor intensive, repetitive and unergonomic task, which makes it an ideal candidate for automation. Palletizing automation increases productivity and throughput and improves quality and ergonomics.

"By making affordable collaborative automation available to companies of all sizes and technology skill levels, OnRobot is breaking down the global barriers to adoption while building a unique 'One Stop Shop' designed to meet all the automation and business requirements of manufacturing and warehouse companies," says Iversen. "OnRobot Palletizer is a powerful addition to our rapidly expanding portfolio of hardware and software solutions for collaborative applications."

OnRobot Palletizing software "significantly reduces the set-up time needed to have the application running," says Adrian Perez Martinez, CTO & Co-Founder at Neobotik, an automation integrator based in Huelva, Spain, one of the sites where OnRobot Palletizer was tested prior to launch. "It is so easy to install all the hardware and software when doing the initial set up of the cell. And the graphical user interface makes it possible even for non-expert programmers to program a full palletizer solution."

OnRobot Palletizer has three main advantages over existing palletizing automation, explains Martinez: "It's fast to deploy. It has an easy-to-use programming interface. And the gripper weight is optimal, making the solution ideal for a wide range of collaborative palletizing applications, including in industries such as food and beverage, where there is a high flow of open boxes ready to be palletized and gripping the boxes using a traditional vacuum gripper is not possible."

Press Kit: Download images and video here.

About OnRobot

OnRobot is the world's leading provider of hardware and software solutions for collaborative applications. OnRobot has developed flexible, all-electric finger, vacuum, magnetic, soft grippers and the award-winning Gecko gripping technology in addition to force/torque sensors, a 2.5D vision system, a horizontal 7th axis, screwdriver, sander kits and tool changers. All offerings are based on the same 'One System, Zero Complexity' platform, providing a unified interfacing and customer experience. Data analytics and remote monitoring is available across all OnRobot tools and leading cobot or light industrial robot brands with WebLytics software. Supported by the free, Learn OnRobot e-learning platform, OnRobot makes it easy to deploy collaborative automation on tasks such as packaging, quality control, materials handling, machine tending, palletizing, assembly, and surface finishing. Headquartered in Odense, Denmark, OnRobot also has offices in Dallas, Soest (Germany), Barcelona, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and Budapest.

www.onrobot.com

SOURCE OnRobot
Oryzon Genomics, S.A.

Jefferies Healthcare Conference





European Hematology Association Congress, EHA-2022

BIO International Convention

LSX World Congress

MADRID, Spain and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oryzon Genomics, S.A. (ISIN Code: ES0167733015, ORY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging epigenetics to develop therapies in diseases with strong unmet medical need, announced today that its management will give an update on corporate progress at several international events in June.

Oryzon will participate at the Jefferies Healthcare 2022 conference, which will be held on June 8-10 in New York (USA). The company will provide a corporate update on June 10 at 12:45 pm EST and will also hold one-to-one meetings with pharmaceutical companies and global investors. Click on link for more info about the Jefferies Healthcare conference

Oryzons medical team will attend the European Hematology Association congress, EHA-2022, which will be held on June 9-12 in Vienna (Austria) and virtually. The company will present an update on iadademstats ongoing Phase II ALICE trial in combination with azacitidine in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with a poster communication entitled Iadademstat combination with azacitidine shows encouraging safety and efficacy data in elderly and unfit AML patients, to be presented on June 10 at 16:30 CET. Click on link for more info about EHA-2022

Oryzon will attend the BIO International Convention in San Diego (USA) on June 13-16, where the company will hold one-to-one meetings with pharmaceutical companies and global investors. Click on link for more info about the BIO International Convention

Oryzon will also attend the LSX World Congress, which will be held in Boston (USA) on June 21-22, where the company will hold meetings with pharmaceutical companies and global investors. Click on link for more info about the LSX World Congress

About Oryzon

Founded in 2000 in Barcelona, Spain, Oryzon (ISIN Code: ES0167733015) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company considered as the European leader in epigenetics. Oryzon has one of the strongest portfolios in the field, with two LSD1 inhibitors, iadademstat and vafidemstat, in Phase II clinical trials, and other pipeline assets directed against other epigenetic targets. In addition, Oryzon has a strong platform for biomarker identification and target validation for a variety of malignant and neurological diseases. For more information, visit www.oryzon.com

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About Iadademstat

Iadademstat (ORY-1001) is a small oral molecule, which acts as a highly selective inhibitor of the epigenetic enzyme LSD1 and has a powerful differentiating effect in hematologic cancers (see Maes et al., Cancer Cell 2018 Mar 12; 33 (3): 495-511.e12.doi: 10.1016 / j.ccell.2018.02.002.). A FiM Phase I/IIa clinical trial with iadademstat in R/R AML patients demonstrated the safety and good tolerability of the drug and preliminary signs of antileukemic activity, including a CRi (see Salamero et al, J Clin Oncol, 2020, 38(36): 4260-4273. doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.03250). In an ongoing Phase IIa trial in elder 1L-AML patients (ALICE trial), iadademstat has shown encouraging safety and efficacy data in combination with azacitidine (see Salamero et al., ASH 2021 poster). The company has recently obtained approval from the U.S. FDA for its IND for FRIDA, a Phase Ib trial of iadademstat plus gilteritinib in patients with relapsed/refractory AML with FLT3 mutations. Beyond hematological cancers, the inhibition of LSD1 has been proposed as a valid therapeutic approach in some solid tumors such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC), neuroendocrine tumors (NET), medulloblastoma and others. In a Phase IIa trial in combination with platinum/etoposide in second line ED-SCLC patients (CLEPSIDRA trial), preliminary activity and safety results have been reported (see Navarro et al., ESMO 2018 poster). New trials in combination in SCLC and NET are under preparation. In total iadademstat has been dosed so far to more than 100 cancer patients in four clinical trials.

About Vafidemstat

Vafidemstat (ORY-2001) is an oral, CNS optimized LSD1 inhibitor. The molecule acts on several levels: it reduces cognitive impairment, including memory loss and neuroinflammation, and at the same time has neuroprotective effects. In animal studies vafidemstat not only restores memory but reduces the exacerbated aggressiveness of SAMP8 mice, a model for accelerated aging and Alzheimers disease (AD), to normal levels and also reduces social avoidance and enhances sociability in murine models. In addition, vafidemstat exhibits fast, strong and durable efficacy in several preclinical models of multiple sclerosis (MS). Oryzon has performed two Phase IIa clinical trials in aggressiveness in patients with different psychiatric disorders (REIMAGINE) and in aggressive/agitated patients with moderate or severe AD (REIMAGINE-AD), with positive clinical results reported in both. Additional finalized Phase IIa clinical trials with vafidemstat include the ETHERAL trial in patients with Mild to Moderate AD, where a significant reduction of the inflammatory biomarker YKL40 has been observed after 6 and 12 months of treatment, and the pilot, small scale SATEEN trial in Relapse-Remitting and Secondary Progressive MS, where antiinflammatory activity has also been observed. Vafidemstat has also been tested in a Phase II in severe Covid-19 patients (ESCAPE) assessing the capability of the drug to prevent ARDS, one of the most severe complications of the viral infection, where it showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in severe Covid-19 patients. Currently, vafidemstat is in two Phase IIb trials in borderline personality disorder (PORTICO) and in schizophrenia patients (EVOLUTION). The company is also deploying a CNS precision medicine approach with vafidemstat in genetically-defined patient subpopulations of certain CNS disorders and is preparing a clinical trial in Kabuki Syndrome patients that is expected to start in 1H 2022. The company is also exploring the clinical development of vafidemstat in other neurodevelopmental syndromes.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This communication contains, or may contain, forward-looking information and statements about Oryzon, including financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, capital expenditures, synergies, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally identified by the words expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates and similar expressions. Although Oryzon believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and holders of Oryzon shares are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Oryzon that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the documents sent by Oryzon to the Spanish Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), which are accessible to the public. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and have not been reviewed by the auditors of Oryzon. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to Oryzon or any of its members, directors, officers, employees or any persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above. All forward-looking statements included herein are based on information available to Oryzon on the date hereof. Except as required by applicable law, Oryzon does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Oryzons securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of Oryzons securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from Oryzon or the selling security holder, as applicable, that will contain detailed information about Oryzon and management, as well as financial statements.

IR, US IR & Media, Europe Spain Oryzon Ashley R. Robinson Sandya von der Weid Patricia Cobo Saikat Nandi LifeSci Advisors, LLC LifeSci Advisors, LLC / Carlos C. Ungria Chief Business Officer +1 617 430 7577 +41 78 680 05 38 +34 91 564 07 25 +1 917 208 8293 arr@lifesciadvisors.com svonderweid@lifesciadvisors.com pcobo@atrevia.com

cungria@atrevia.com snandi@oryzon.com




Premier Diversified Holdings, Inc.

Not for dissemination in the United States of America.



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Loan Agreement

Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. ("Premier" or the "Company") (TSXV: PDH) announces that it has entered into a loan agreement dated June 3, 2022 with MPIC Fund I, LP ("MPIC") for a secured loan in the principal amount of up to USD$100,000 (the "Loan"). The Loan matures on June 5, 2023 and bears interest at a rate of 6% per annum. The Loan is secured with all of the present and after-acquired property of the Company and ranks equally in priority with all of the loans previously made to the Company by MPIC. The Loan will be used for working capital (including for Premiers partially owned subsidiaries, Purposely Platform Inc. and MyCare MedTech Inc.) and may be used to acquire an additional interest in MyCare MedTech Inc., a telehealth company.

The Company is not issuing any securities, or paying any bonus, commission or finder's fees on the Loan. The Loan is repayable at any time without penalty. Purposely Platform Inc. and MyCare MedTech Inc. are generating revenue, and the Company expects to shortly receive re-payment of funds from such entities, allowing it to partially repay some of the funds owed to MPIC.

Related party transaction disclosure

As MPIC is a control person of Premier, the Loan constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Loan has been determined to be exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval based on sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101.

Premier does not have securities listed or quoted on any of the specified markets listed in section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101. Premier is relying on the exemption from minority shareholder approval in 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101 as the loan was obtained by Premier from MPIC on reasonable commercial terms that are not less advantageous to Premier than if the loan had been obtained from a person dealing at arms length with Premier. Further, the loan is not convertible, directly or indirectly, into equity or voting securities of Premier or a subsidiary entity of the issuer, or otherwise participating in nature, or repayable as to principal or interest, directly or indirectly, in equity or voting securities of Premier or a subsidiary entity of the issuer.

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The Loan is subject to review and acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Amended Loan Agreement

Premier entered into a certain loan agreement with MPIC on May 26, 2021 with a principal amount of US$120,000. The loan was supposed to mature on May 26, 2022. MPIC and Premier agreed to extend the maturity date to May 26, 2023.

About Premier Diversified Holdings Inc.

Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. participates in diversified industries through its acquisitions of securities and/or assets of public and private entities which it believes have potential for significant returns. It may act as a holding company (either directly or through a subsidiary) and may participate in management of subsidiary entities to varying degrees.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Sanjeev Parsad"

Sanjeev Parsad

President, CEO and Director

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.

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 any jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any offering made will be pursuant to available prospectus exemptions and restricted to persons to whom the securities may be sold in accordance with the laws of such jurisdictions, and by persons permitted to sell the securities in accordance with the laws of such jurisdictions.

Further information regarding the Company can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Not for dissemination in the United States of America.

Legal Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are indicated expectations or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding loan terms including maturity date, that PDH will repay the loan from MPIC as disclosed in the news release, and that the net proceeds of the Loan will be used as stated in this news release. Factors that could cause actual results to be materially different include but are not limited to the following: that any revenue which PDH makes indirectly via its operating subsidiaries will be insufficient to repay the loans to MPIC, that its operating subsidiaries will not generate revenue, or will retain such revenue, that the terms and conditions of the various loans may be amended, that the management or board of PDH may use its revenue or other the funds for other purposes, that the capital raised will be insufficient capital to accomplish our intentions and capital alone may not be sufficient for us to grow our business, that the issuer's financial position will not improve, will stay the same or will decline further, that the timing of receipt of anticipated revenues or returns may be delayed, that its ongoing expenses including general and administrative expenses will increase, and that complications or unforeseen obstacles from COVID-19 or other factors may negatively impact Premier. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. It is not our policy to update forward looking statements.

CONTACT: For further information, contact: Sanjeev Parsad, President and CEO Phone: (604) 678.9115 Fax: (604) 678.9279 E-mail: sparsad@pdh-inc.com Web: www.pdh-inc.com




AMATS study about traffic congestion with the highest listed Portage County segment on Tallmadge Road between Cascades Boulevard to just west of the Interstate 76 Interchange in Brimfield.

If you've ever driven on Tallmadge Road near Interstate 76 in Brimfield or on Route 14 in Streetsboro during rush hour, if won't be a surprise to learn that those two stretches made a list of most congested roadways in the Greater Akron area.

AMATS  the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study  compiled a report to assess traffic congestion on road segments located on interstates, freeways, interchanges, ramps, arterials and various intersections within Portage and Summit counties and parts of Wayne County.

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Out of 7,100 segments analyzed, the report found that only 23 segments experience severe congestion at various times during the day. Nineteen of the 23 segments are in Summit County while two are in Portage County and two are in Wayne County.

The most severely congested roadway in the report is the Interstate 271 southbound off-ramp connector to Route 8 in Macedonia during the hours of 3 to 7 p.m. Macedonia is in Summit County, west of Aurora.

Which Portage roads are included on the list?

The two roadways in Portage County to make the list are Tallmadge Road between Cascades Boulevard and 2,140 feet west of the Interstate 76 interchange in Brimfield between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Route 14 west of the Route 43 intersection in Streetsboro between 3 and 7 p.m. Those are number 17 and 18 on the list.

AMATS Transportation Designer Farhad Ahmadzai says that the agency calculated congestion based on average travel speed of vehicles on segments, the average free flow speed of vehicles travelling unhindered on segments, and vehicle hours of delay.

The East Bartges Street eastbound lane through the South Main Street Interchange in Akron and the West Avenue eastbound link to Tallmadge Circle in Tallmadge are second and third on the list of segments experiencing severe congestion. These segments experience severe congestion during the peak evening drive-time.

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By community, the cities of Akron and Tallmadge each have five locations identified as experiencing severe congestion at various times during the day. Other communities with multiple listings are Macedonia with three locations and Hudson with two locations.

The report also lists roadways with moderate congestion including several stretches in Ravenna, such as parts of East and West Main Street; sections of Route 14 and Route 43 in Streetsboro; parts of Route 14 in Ravenna Township; and sections of East Garfield Road in Aurora. Only one Kent roadway was included on the moderate list  East Main Street east between Water Street and DePeyster Street.

About the AMATS report

AMATS used a software analytics platform that tracks vehicle movements. Congestion estimates for segments were calculated over a five-month period spanning March through August 2021.

Ahmadzai says that the report is the first of its kind to be compiled by the agency and will be updated on an annual basis. He notes that congestion is not only an inconvenience to motorists, but also raises safety concerns for commuters on their trips to work, school, and other daily activities. Traffic delays also have negative impacts on air quality, the economy, and the timely delivery of goods and services.

The agency plans to use the report and its future editions to identify long-term regional congestion trends as part of its oversight of the areas Congestion Management Process. The report will help AMATS to identify and plan congestion-improvement projects throughout the region.

We want to maximize the service life of our existing transportation system through congestion management. Maintaining the existing level of service and reducing severe congestion is one of the main goals of this report and the CMP, Ahmadzai said.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Roads in Brimfield, Streetsboro among most congested
By Trend

Russias COVID-19 case tally rose by 3,349 over the past day to 18,355,200, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Monday, Trend reports with reference to TASS.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.02%.

As many as 662 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 20.9% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients decreased in 49 regions, while in 18 regions the figure increased. The situation remained unchanged in 18 regions. A day earlier, 837 people were rushed to hospitals.

Moscows COVID-19 cases surged by 189 over the past day versus 185 cases a day earlier, reaching 2,772,198, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. St. Petersburgs COVID-19 cases increased by 242 over the past day versus 248 a day earlier, reaching 1,531,140.

Russias COVID-19 recoveries rose by 3,492 over the past day, reaching 17,767,753, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Monday.

The share of patients discharged from hospitals has risen to 96.8% of the total number of those infected.

A day earlier some 3,935 patients recovered.

Russias COVID-19 death toll rose by 64 over the past day, reaching 379,584, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Monday.

A day earlier 75 COVID-19 deaths were registered.

The average mortality rate remained at 2.07%, according to the crisis center.
The luxury yacht "Luna" at Blohm+Voss Dock 10 on the Elbe River in the Port of Hamburg Jonas Walzberg/picture alliance via Getty Images

Billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov appealed to the EU in an attempt to get his sanctioned yacht back.

The $460 million yacht is frozen in Germany, but was previously the center of a divorce battle.

Tatiana Akhmedov had the vessel frozen for two years after the oligarch refused to pay $484 million.

Russian oligarch Farkhad Akhmedov called for the European Union to drop sanctions against him and return his superyacht on Friday, according to a report from The Times.

The EU sanctioned the former Russian politician in April as Russia continued its invasion into Ukraine. At the time, the EU said that the oligarch was "close to the Kremlin" and "a leading businessperson involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the government of the Russian Federation."

On Friday, Akhmedov, who acquired much of his wealth through the gas industry, said he has severed ties to the energy industry and denied any relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Times reported.

The Council for the EU did not respond to a request for comment from Insider. Insider was unable to find contact information for Akhmedov.

Last month, the billionaire's 377-foot superyacht, Luna, was frozen in a German port, according to local media outlet Suddeutsche Zeitung. The vessel, which Akhmedov purchased for about $256 million in 2014, is now valued at about $460 million, per Reuters.

It was not the first time that Akhmedov has had to fight for access to his luxury yacht. The vessel  which has 81 TVs, one of the largest swimming pools on a yacht, and a mini-submarine  was once in the middle of one of the largest divorce settlements in the UK.

In 2017, a judge ruled that Akhmedov must pay about 40% of his wealth, or around $484 million, after his wife, Tatiana Akhmedov, filed for divorce. Akhmedov has a net worth of about $1.7 billion, according to Forbes.

At the time, the billionaire refused to pay the divorce settlement, leading to a five-year legal battle. Tatiana Akhmedov ordered a team of specialists to seize her former husband's assets  including his superyacht, according to The Times. As a result, the Luna yacht was moored in Dubai for over two years.

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In July, the battle came to an end when the couple settled on a payout of about $106 million and about $53 million worth of art  over $75 million of which Tatiana Akhmedov used to pay off the asset hunt, according to Reuters.

The superyacht originally belonged to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and was sold to Akhmedov in 2014 for about $256 million, according to Superyacht Fan. Abramovich is also facing sanctions from several Western countries.

Akhmedov's yacht is not the only vessel to be seized in the port of Hamburg in connection with the Ukraine war. In April, Germany impounded the world's largest yacht, a $735 million vessel that was tied to sanctioned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov. The billionaire has also filed an appeal, according to The Times.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Shelby Scott, broadcaster and former president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) has died. She was 86.

SAG-AFTRA announced Scotts passing on Sunday. No cause of death was provided.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

In front of the camera, Shelby Scotts career spanned decades and broke barriers, read a statement from the organizations national executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. But it is for her work off camera as a dedicated union leader that we at SAG-AFTRA will always be most grateful. As AFTRA national president for eight years, and a board member for many more, as a trustee on the AFTRA Health and Retirement Funds, and through her foresight in working to merge SAG and AFTRA, Shelbys legacy is profound and she will be deeply missed.

Scott was born in Washington State in 1936 and began her career at KIRO-TV and radio in Seattle, where she worked as traffic manager and later became an on-air reporter, writer, film editor and documentary producer. Scott joined Boston CBS affiliate WBZ in 1965 as a general assignment reporter and news anchor. Among Scotts roles, she co-anchored the stations Channel 4 News at Noon for fourteen years and its 5:30 News program for 5 years.

Accolades received during Scotts broadcasting career included the United Press Internationals Tom Phillips Citation for Excellence in Broadcasting and the William F. Horner Jr. award from Suffolk University for Excellence in Journalism. In 2008, she was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcast Hall of Fame.

She was elected to the board of AFTRA in 1981, and in 1993 she became national president of the union. During her term, then-President Bill Clinton appointed Scott to the advisory committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters. Scott was also awarded AFTRAs George Heller Gold Card for her service.

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After leaving her post in 2001, Scott remained as a board member and served in multiple capacities, including serving as union co-chair to the AFTRA Health and Retirement Funds Board of Trustees and as president of the AFTRA Foundation. Scott was a member of the Group for One Union of SAG and AFTRA leaders, who spearheaded the merger effort in 2012.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Click here to read the full article.
TSX.V: VIPR, OTC: VIPRF

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

VANCOUVER, BC, June 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Silver Viper Minerals Corp. (the "Company" or "Silver Viper") (TSXV: VIPR) (OTC: VIPRF) is pleased to announce that the Company intends to undertake a non-brokered private placement financing (the "Offering") to raise gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000 from the sale of up to 15,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.20 per Unit, each Unit consisting of one common share of the Company (each, a "Share") and one-half of one warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Share from the Company at a price of $0.30 per Share for a period of 24 months from closing of the Offering.

Silver Viper Minerals Corp. logo (CNW Group/Silver Viper Minerals Corp.)

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes.

The Offering is anticipated to close on or about June 9, 2022 (the "Closing Date"). The closing of the Offering is subject to certain conditions, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and certain other conditions customary for a private placement of this nature. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period from the Closing Date.

The Company may pay a finder's fee in respect of those purchasers under the Offering introduced to the Company by certain persons (each a "Finder"). Each Finder will receive a cash payment equal to 6% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from purchasers under the Offering who were introduced to the Company by such Finder. Red Cloud Securities Inc. will be acting as a finder in connection with the offering.

The securities described herein 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 accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States, nor will there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

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About the Company

Silver Viper Minerals Corp. is a Canadian-based junior mineral exploration company focused on precious metals exploration in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. The Company currently operates the La Virginia Gold-Silver Project. Silver Viper has 100% ownership of the La Virginia concessions acquired from the most recent operator, Pan American Silver Corp., and has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Rubi-Esperanza group of claims internal to those concessions. Silver Viper is under management provided by the Belcarra Group, which is comprised of highly qualified mining professionals.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

Steve Cope

President and CEO

Forward Looking Information

This news release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements with respect to the terms of the Offering, the receipt of regulatory approvals for the Offering, closing of the Offering and use of proceeds of the Offering. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development, the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing, the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, fluctuations in the prices of commodities, operating hazards and risks, competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's financial statements, management discussion and analysis and/or annual information form available on www.sedar.com. The risk factors identified in such documents are not intended to represent a complete list of factors that could affect the Company. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Silver Viper Minerals Corp.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2022/06/c1383.html
Spacee

Using only light and a projector, HoverTouch lets customers explore products virtually, collecting crucial data and boosting sales

Spacee Launches HoverTouch

First AI and Computer Vision Solution that Transforms Existing Retail Surfaces Into Interactive Customer Experiences

ADDISON, Texas, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spacee , which provides the best computer vision and AI solutions that help businesses drive new insights, improve efficiency and boost revenue, today launched HoverTouch, the first plug-and-play solution that transforms existing in-store surfaces such as walls, glass or even cars into interactive customer experiences, and enables clients to collect crucial data on those experiences.



HoverTouch is designed to help drive in-store traffic and boost sales. Building on the success of Spacees previous interactive experience solution (Sense), HoverTouch adds significant new features including:

Adding Hover technology. A shopper does not have to touch a surface to interact with it - shoppers can hover their hand over a surface to drive contactless interactivity. The customer experience is very similar to what a person might do online with a cursor, hovering over and clicking on items that interest them (see video here ).

HoverTouch Connect , a feature that gives retailers, consumer brands and their agencies full control of content, UX and device management and provides actionable data. It also allows customers and their agencies to design content and deploy content in an HTML5 compliant media player, meaning virtually any content can run in the HoverTouch system. Retailers, brands and agencies are encouraged to reuse existing content. HoverTouch Connect also enables retailers to capture detailed data on customer interactions, on par with data collected during e-commerce interactions.

Plug-and-Play installation, with no manual calibration or tweaking needed. Customer installations take minutes.



While HoverTouch can project to walls, glass or products (such as a car in a showroom), customers have the option to purchase a dedicated kiosk solution called HoverTouch React with a projecting surface.

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One of the first retailers to use Spacee HoverTouch is Audi Dallas, one of the top 10 Audi dealerships in the U.S. by sales volume. Shoppers are back in the stores, and we want to give them an incredible experience, said Tom McCollum, President and CEO at Forbes Todd Automotive Group, which owns and operates Audi Dallas. We looked at a number of options for interactive experiences and found that Spacees HoverTouch not only provided the best customer experience, but was also the easiest to get up and running. And we love that there are no touchscreens that wed constantly have to repair and replace. We are still early in the process, but already seeing double-digit in-store sales increases for the products were promoting with HoverTouch.

Skip Howard, founder and CEO of Spacee, said, Retailers are desperate for data, and Spacee HoverTouch can provide CX data thats on par with whats collected online. Were excited to bring this to market, and thrilled that our customers are already seeing a measurable impact on in-store sales.

About Spacee

Spacee provides the best computer vision and AI solutions that help businesses drive new insights, improve efficiency and boost revenue. Spacees interactive displays help engage and educate, and its unobtrusive shelf robots collect near real-time inventory data needed to help decrease stockouts and improve supply chain efficiency. The company works with leading brands around the world including Audi, Walmart, Panasonic, Coca-Cola and Mercedes-Benz. Learn more at spacee.com .

Media Contact:

Michelle Faulkner

Big Swing

617-510-6998

michelle@big-swing.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5c010b23-7c97-4c18-ae35-927c189b5edd




MCFARLAND, Wis., June 06, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After two years of questions and distractions, the students from Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA), Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin (WIDCA) and Insight Wisconsin (ISWI), three online public school serving K-12 students throughout the state, will celebrate its graduates this Wednesday with an in-person commencement ceremony this week.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005001/en/

The graduations will take place concurrently in McFarland at the McFarland High School on Wednesday, June 8 at 6pm. Details for the graduation can be found below or on WIDCAs or WIVAs Facebook pages.

"Our graduates have worked so hard these last few years to overcome more obstacles than ever before, and I for one cant wait to give them some recognition for all their hard work," said Head of School Dr. Sara Cutler. "Were so happy they made it to this point and look forward to seeing what they do next."

Collectively, the Class of 2022 for all three schools which includes more than 300 graduates  reports it has been accepted to trade schools, colleges and universities across the world, including: University of Southern Mississippi, Madison College, Marian University, University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, University of Wisconsin at Green Bay.

Turina Bakken, Provost from Madison College, will provide the keynote address for the Class of 2022. Turina oversees all academic schools, the University Partnership center, continuing and professional education, business development and much more! Her professional experience includes positions in both private and public sector as product manager, marketing/promotions director, and program/communications director. She is well poised to bring an inspirational message to the graduates.

Prior to the pandemic, students enrolled in virtual school for a number of reasonssome were looking to escape bullying, some may have fallen academically off track, and others were looking for an alternative to the traditional classroom setting.

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An online public-school program, WIVA is available tuition-free to students in grades K-12 who reside anywhere in the state. ISWI is a credit-recovery school, which features a high level of personalized academic, social, and emotion support to help students not only catch up but excel in school. And WIDCA is for students who want to focus on college and career training, and even earn college credits, while still in high school.

Wisconsin families and students choose these schools because they provide an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar education. Athletes, advanced learners, and students seeking a bullying-free environment can balance a full academic course load along with extracurricular pursuits or medical needs.

WIVA, WIDCA, and ISWI are inviting all families and friends worldwide to join the celebration. Details of the graduation ceremonies are as follows:

WHAT: Virtual Academy 2022 Graduation Ceremonies

WHERE: McFarland High School

WHEN: 6 pm  8 pm on Wednesday, June 8

CONTACT: For any questions about the celebrations, please contact Eric Peterson, epeterson@wivcs.org. For media inquiries, please contact Ken Schwartz at kschwartz@k12.com.

About Wisconsin Virtual Academy

Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA), a charter school authorized by the McFarland School District, is the largest full-time online public-school serving students in grades K through 12 in the state. As part of the Wisconsin public school system, WIVA is tuition-free, giving families the choice to access the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN), the nations leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about WIVA, visit http://wiva.k12.com/.

About Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin

Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin, a charter school authorized by the McFarland School District, is the first-ever career and technical education-focused online high school in Wisconsin using the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN).. It is also the first online college career readiness program in Wisconsin to offer a construction pre-apprenticeship program in partnership with industry leaders. As part of the Wisconsin public school system, Destinations Career Academy is tuition-free and serves students statewide in grades 9-12. For more information about Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin, visit DCAWI.k12.com.

About Insight School of Wisconsin

Insight School of Wisconsin (ISWI), a charter school authorized by McFarland School District, provides a learning alternative for students in grades 9-12 who meet the statutory definition of at-risk. Utilizing a growth mindset that all students have the capacity to learn and grow, ISWI collaborates with school services, the student, and their family in finding a pathway toward graduation and student success. As part of the Wisconsin public school system, ISWI is tuition-free and provides students across the state with the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN), the nations leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about ISWI, visit here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005001/en/

Contacts

Media

Ken Schwartz

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

kschwartz@k12.com
(Adds Clean Vision) June 6 (Reuters) - The following liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are expected to arrive in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Estimated arrival dates, often revised by port authorities and AIS Live ship-tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon, are updated below. Some tankers heading for Belgium and Britain may be loading at the terminal. Those expected to load are indicated with an (L). Those likely to perform ship-to-ship transfers are indicated with (STS). Tankers that have docked are indicated with (A). For the Reuters LNG guide, click here: LNG TANKER CAPACITY in EXPECTED ARRIVAL FROM PORT cubic metres BRITAIN Gaslog Warsaw 176,000 June 7 United States South Hook Methane Julia Louise 168,000 June 7 Peru Dragon Al Mayeda 262,000 June 9 Qatar South Hook Al Bahiya 206,000 June 11 Qatar South Hook Transgas Power 174,000 June 13 United States Isle of Grain Energy Liberty 165,000 June 21 United States Isle of Grain Methane Becki Anne 170,000 July 11 Peru Milford Haven BELGIUM Hoegh Gannet 170,000 June 7 United States Zeebrugge Al Rekayyat 212,000 June 10 Qatar Zeebrugge Vladimir Voronin 172,000 June 11 Russia Zeebrugge Clean Vision 162,000 June 11 (L) N/A Zeebrugge Golar Crystal 160,000 June 26 France Zeebrugge NETHERLANDS Gaslog Gibraltar 174,000 June 10 United States Gate Aristidis 174,000 June 14 Cameron Gate Sonangol Sambizanga 156,000 June 16 Angola Gate Lng Endeavour 174,000 June 21 United States Gate Lng Rosenrot 177,000 July 2 United States Gate Sources: Ports, AIS Live ship tracking, Refinitiv Eikon data. (^) Partial unload (*) Arrival date calculated using www.searates.com at an average speed of 13.5 knots (Reporting By Susanna Twidale)
Revolutionary restaurant concept from Taco Bell and its family-owned, long-standing franchisee partner reimagines the drive-thru experience

IRVINE, Calif., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Taco Bell is redefining drive-thrus as consumers know it with one of its most innovative Taco Bell restaurant designs yet. Coined "Taco Bell Defy," the restaurant that broke ground last summer will open its doors  but most importantly, its four-lane drive-thru  in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on June 7. The first of its kind two-story model delivers innovative technology and design, like a proprietary vertical lift to transport iconic craveable Taco Bell menu items straight from the kitchen to fans.

Taco Bell is redefining drive-thrus as consumers know it with one of its most innovative Taco Bell restaurant designs yet. Coined Taco Bell Defy, the restaurant that broke ground last summer will open its doors  but most importantly, its four-lane drive-thru  in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on June 7.

"Taco Bell Defy is an incredible innovation for our brand, and one that's meeting our consumer in a really unique way. For decades we've been committed to providing a fast, safe and friendly drive-thru experience; now with our bold goal of creating a two minute or less drive-thru experience for customers of this concept, Taco Bell Defy is the future," said Mike Grams, Taco Bell President and Global COO. "We're thankful for our incredible 36-year partnership with Border Foods and feel like Taco Bell Defy is a culmination of years of success between our teams, along with the expertise of local partners like Vertical Works who helped make this possible."

From digital check-in screens for mobile order customers' unique QR codes, to a two-way audio and video technology service for customers to talk to team members on the second floor, Taco Bell Defy boasts many features that could show up in future Taco Bell restaurants in the US. In the meantime, and in partnership with long-time franchisee Border Foods , the teams are considering potential retrofits that could be made to several of Taco Bell Defy's neighboring restaurants.

Taco Bell knows what it means to deliver on craveability and do so quickly. The brand's drive-thru speed has been lauded for outperforming the average national drive-thru speed . Taco Bell Defy aims to reduce service times to two minutes or less, all while providing fans with a fun, easy and seamless drive-thru experience. To do this, the restaurant model will solve many challenges of traditional drive-thrus in order to drive convenience for fans. Regardless of how fans order their favorites, Taco Bell Defy has four lanes to accommodate them:

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Pre-orders : Fans who order via the Taco Bell app will score, skip-the-line service. For ultimate ease and convenience, the Taco Bell App can be downloaded ahead of time by visiting the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Delivery Drivers : For those ordering through a third-party delivery partner, drivers will be able to process orders with the goal of providing an even faster delivery time in getting tacos straight to fans.

Traditional Drive-Thru: For those who can't resist the purple glowing sign from the street and prefer to drop in for their favorite menu items, there's one lane dedicated solely for this purpose.

"Taco Bell Defy embodies the innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of Minnesota businesses and franchisees," said Lee Engler, co-founder and CEO of Border Foods. "It is a creative, technological solution for a faster, contactless experience for as many Taco Bell fans as possible and is poised to be the future of quick-service dining."

Since 1962, Taco Bell has aimed to be a disruptor within its industry, dating back to when Glen Bell opened his first Taco Bell  later, appropriately named "Numero Uno" in Downey, CA. In what was once a "burger world," Glen aimed to revolutionize what it meant to bring Mexican-inspired food to the masses, with early restaurant concepts that featured walk-up windows, outdoor seating, firepits and live music. In the 70s, drive-thrus were introduced to appeal to shifted consumer behaviors, and since then Taco Bell has introduced innovative restaurant design concepts like Cantina and Go Mobile models. As the brand celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, Taco Bell Defy symbolizes a significant drive-thru evolution, with an advancement in digital to meet consumers' need for speed. From Numero Uno to Defy, Taco Bell's iconic designs continue to follow Glen's vision and always aim to deliver craveable flavors for fans.

Minneapolis-based Vertical Works Inc. merged innovation, design and manufacturing to concept and build much of what fans can expect from Defy, and in doing so reinvented the drive thru experience. Vertical Works is powered by WORKSHOP and PD Instore .

"We applied our innovative approach to problem solving to create a brand new way for consumers to access fast food," said Josh Hanson, co-founder of Vertical Works and CEO and founder of WORKSHOP. "We know today's consumer expects a convenient and memorable experience, and the Taco Bell Defy concept delivers on both."

"We were excited to partner with Border Foods and Taco Bell to bring the Taco Bell Defy concept to life," said Mike Strommen, co-founder of Vertical Works and CEO of PD Instore. "The Border Foods team was facing challenges with streamlining the journey from order to meal hand-off, and the Vertical Works team presented a solution to not only address this, but also deliver a more impactful customer experience overall. Taco Bell Defy's unique design combined with innovative technology delivers food to consumers faster and more efficiently."

About Taco Bell Corp.

For more information about Taco Bell, visit www.TacoBell.com/news or www.TacoBell.com/popular-links . You can also stay up to date on all things Taco Bell by following us on Facebook , Instagram , Taco Bell's Twitter , Taco Bell News' Twitter , TikTok and subscribing to our YouTube channel. For updates on how Taco Bell is navigating COVID-19, click here .

About Border Foods

Border Foods is a family-owned franchisee of Taco Bell, the nation's leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant. With more than 230 locations (and growing) across the Upper Midwest, it is one of the largest Taco Bell franchises in the country. Headquartered in New Hope, Minnesota, with locations in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Montana the company has a people-first culture where leaders work to develop team members for long-term careers with the brand and beyond. For more information about Border Foods, visit the website at www.BorderFoods.com .

About Vertical Works Inc.

For more information about Vertical Works Inc., visit the website at www.VerticalWorks.co . Vertical Works, LLC is a disruptive solutions consultancy powered by designers and makers from WORKSHOP and PD Instore. Vertical Works merges design, manufacturing, and construction to concept and build industry-leading solutions for quick-serve restaurants, retail, healthcare, and beyond. For more information on its entities, please visit www.WORKSHOP.com and www.PDInstore.com .

Chad Hoffmann  Taco Bell Corp.

Chad.Hoffmann@yum.com

Elizabeth Burmeister  Edelman

Elizabeth.Burmeister@edelman.com

The first of its kind two-story model delivers innovative technology and design, like a proprietary vertical lift to transport iconic craveable Taco Bell menu items straight from the kitchen to fans. Minneapolis-based Vertical Works Inc. merged innovation, design and manufacturing to concept and build much of what fans can expect from Defy, and in doing so reinvented the drive thru experience. Vertical Works is powered by WORKSHOP and PD Instore.

Taco Bell knows what it means to deliver on craveability and do so quickly. Taco Bell Defy aims to reduce service times to two minutes or less, all while providing fans with a fun, easy and seamless drive-thru experience. Regardless of how fans order their favorites, Taco Bell Defy has four lanes to accommodate them.

Cision

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SOURCE Taco Bell Corp.
Dwyer brings more than 30 years of experience leading major arts presenting organizations across the United States.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a national search, longtime arts leader Terrence "Terry" Dwyer has been named the next executive director of The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (The Clarice), the dynamic hub for the performing arts at the University of Maryland.

University of Maryland, College Park Logo. (PRNewsFoto/University of Maryland)

In this role, Dwyer will ensure The Clarice continues to thrive as a laboratory for education, scholarship, community engagement and innovation in the arts as well as a national leader among performing arts presenters. He begins July 18, 2022.

Dwyer brings more than 30 years of experience in executive leadership, financial planning, high-level fundraising and programming at major arts presenting organizations, both regional and national, across the United States.

"We are thrilled to welcome Terry Dwyer as the next executive director of The Clarice," said Bonnie Thornton Dill, the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. "Terry's significant experience as a leader in arts management, fierce dedication to collaborative leadership and commitment to community engagement and relationship-building promises an exciting future for The Clarice."

After beginning his career as a stage manager at Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival (now Great Lakes Theater), Dwyer has served in leadership positions at prominent presenting and producing organizations from New York to San Diego since 1988. From 2006 to 2019, he was the president of the internationally acclaimed Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, California, a role he left with a strong legacy of artistic and educational excellence, collaboration and innovation. Under his leadership, the center launched new festivals, expanded programming and raised more than $140 million as part of its capital and endowment campaigns. He also worked to establish innovative and impactful new community partnerships and engagement programs.

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The extensive list of venues where he has served as a chief executive, in addition to Segerstrom Center, includes La Jolla Playhouse, The Alley Theatre, Circle Repertory Company, Laura Dean Dancers & Musicians, the McCallum Theatre and the Kravis Center. Most recently, Dwyer comes to The Clarice from the Performing Arts Center-Eastside in Bellevue, Washington, where he was the consulting CEO.

"I am so grateful for the opportunity to join The Clarice at the University of Maryland to build on its incredible record of campus and community impact," said Dwyer. "The Clarice's legacy of artistic excellence, community connections and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, along with its dedication to collaboration and the development of new work, positions it well to realize opportunities for continued cultural leadership and developing of its role as a catalyst for social change."

Dwyer takes the helm at a time when performing arts organizations around the nation are reckoning with race and racism, heightened social and political unrest and a radically shifted post-pandemic landscape for the arts.

He will play a key role in the campuswide Arts for All initiative, which leverages the power of the arts, technology and social justice to address the grand challenges of our time and aims to ensure equitable access to the arts. In collaboration with other arts leaders and alongside Associate Dean for Arts and Programming Patrick Warfield, he will take part in developing and implementing a strategic and innovative vision that engages the campus, connects with the community and further enhances the reputation of the university.

"It's a hugely important and exciting time for the arts at Maryland, and I am so thrilled to welcome Terry," said Warfield. "His demonstrated commitment to collaborative artistic planning and programming that reflects aesthetic equity, diversity and inclusivity, as well as his belief in the power of the arts, bodes well for the future of the arts on campus and beyond."

Dwyer holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame, a master's degree in directing for the theater from the University of Missouri and a Master of Fine Arts in theater administration from the Yale School of Drama.

Thornton Dill extends her deepest gratitude to Acting Executive Director of The Clarice Erica Bondarev Rapach, who has served in the role for over two years. During that time, she led The Clarice through the most challenging and uncertain periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, engaged the staff in difficult and impactful conversations and workshops around anti-racism, and worked to foster an increasingly collaborative relationship with campus and community partners. She also designed, advocated for and built a shared leadership team in artistic programming for The Clarice. Bondarev Rapach will return to her role as associate executive director.

About the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland

The College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland is home to nearly 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 14 academic departments, 21 research centers and over 300 tenured and tenure-track faculty. The college connects students with expert scholars who teach how to investigate, reflect and analyze the world around them, past and present. Through interdisciplinary approaches to the arts and humanities, students develop into global visionaries and creative problem solvers who thrive in a world of rapidly evolving opportunities.

Cision

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SOURCE University of Maryland
Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc

Studys primary endpoint and key secondary endpoints were met



Study found event-free survival and overall survival superior after treosulfan compared to RIC busulfan, also found non-relapse mortality lower in treosulfan arm than busulfan arm

Study results accepted for publication with American Journal of Hematology, now available online

Medexus to host webconference with key opinion leader to

discuss data on June 6, 2022 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time

TORONTO and CHICAGO, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medexus Pharmaceuticals (Medexus) (TSX: MDP) (OTCQX: MEDXF) today announced that the American Journal of Hematology has accepted for publication the final study results and analysis of the pivotal phase 3 clinical trial of treosulfan conducted by medac, a strategic partner of Medexus. The publication has undergone full peer review and has already been published online.

The open-label, multicenter, randomized parallel study was designed to compare event-free survival (EFS) after treosulfan-based conditioning with a widely applied reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) busulfan regimen in older or comorbid patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The primary endpoint of the study was EFS of patients with disease recurrence, graft failure, or death from any cause as events. Secondary endpoints were overall survival, cumulative incidence of relapse or progression, cumulative incidence of graft failure, and non-relapse mortality. The study was performed in 31 clinical institutions across five European countries and enrolled 570 patients between June 2013 and December 2016.

The publication concludes that the study demonstrates clinically relevant superiority of treosulfan over RIC busulfan with regard to its primary endpoint, EFS. The study found that EFS of patients in the study (median age 60 years) was superior after treosulfan compared to RIC busulfan. The publication also includes favorable conclusions on two key secondary endpoints, finding that overall survival with treosulfan was superior compared to busulfan and that non-relapse mortality for patients in the treosulfan arm was lower than for patients in the busulfan arm. The authors conclude that a treosulfan regimen appears particularly suitable for older AML and MDS patients.

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Frequencies of treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) of all grades and serious AEs were equally distributed between the study arms. Further, frequencies of patients with treatment-emergent serious AEs categorized by organ class and term were comparably low and no unknown safety risks were identified.

See About the study below for additional information, including a summary of statistical information, about the studys findings. The full publication, which includes further discussion of the studys design and findings, is available at the following link:

https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.26620

Medexus invites investors and other interested parties to view and listen to a live webcast at 4:00 pm Eastern Time on Monday, June 6, 2022, with a physician-scientist whose research has focused on treosulfan, who will discuss the results of the study.

To participate in the live webcast, please visit the InvestorsNews & Events section of Medexuss corporate website or join using the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LVZwcCa0QECzcThDPBJuxw

FDA review of treosulfan NDA

As previously announced on May 24, 2022, medacs new drug application for treosulfan is currently the subject of an ongoing regulatory review process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). medac is preparing the updated data files and supporting information requested by the FDA in its May 2022 letter, and medac continues to expect to respond to the FDAs information requests within the 12-month timeline required by the FDAs July 2021 Complete Response Letter. Medexus will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.

About treosulfan

Treosulfan is part of a preparative regimen for allo-HSCT to be used in combination with fludarabine, used in treating eligible patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

Treosulfan was approved by Health Canada in June 2021, and Medexus commercially launched treosulfan in Canada under the brand name Trecondyv in September 2021. Treosulfan is currently the subject of a regulatory review process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

About the study

The phase 3 study was designed to compare EFS after treosulfan-based conditioning with a widely applied RIC busulfan regimen in older or comorbid patients with AML or MDS undergoing allo-HSCT. This publication presents the final study results and pre-specified subgroup analyses of all 570 randomized patients with completed longer term follow-up.

Patients presenting allo-HSCT-specific comorbidity index > 2 or aged  50 years were randomly assigned (1:1) to intravenous (IV) fludarabine with either treosulfan (30 g/m IV) or busulfan (6.4 mg/kg IV) after stratification by disease risk group, donor type, and participating institution. The primary endpoint was EFS with disease recurrence, graft failure, or death from any cause as events.

EFS of patients (median age 60 years) was superior after treosulfan compared to RIC busulfan: 36-months-EFS rate 59.5% (95% CI, 52.2 to 66.1) vs 49.7% (95% CI, 43.3 to 55.7) with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.64 (95% CI, 0.49 to 0.84), P = 0.0006. Likewise, overall survival (OS) with treosulfan was superior compared to busulfan: 36-months-OS rate 66.8% vs 56.3%; HR 0.64 (95% CI, 0.48 to 0.87), P = 0.0037. Post hoc analyses revealed that these differences were consistent with the confirmatory interim analysis, and thereby the treosulfan regimen appears particularly suitable for older AML and MDS patients.

The 36-month NRM for patients in the treosulfan arm (14.2% [95% CI, 9.5 to 18.9]) was lower than for patients in the busulfan arm (21.0% [95% CI, 16.1 to 26.0]) corresponding to a significantly reduced HR (HR 0.63 [95% CI, 0.41 to 0.97] adjusted Fine and Gray-model P value = 0.0343). No adverse influence of increasing numbers of aggregated allo-HSCT-CI categories compared with absence of any comorbidity on NRM was detectable by multivariate analysis. Thus, comorbidities apparently did not impact NRM or its difference between study arms.

About Medexus

Medexus is a leader in innovative rare disease treatment solutions with a strong North American commercial platform and a portfolio of proven best-in-class products. Our current focus is on the therapeutic areas of hematology, auto-immune diseases, and allergy. We continue to build a highly differentiated company with a growing portfolio of innovative and high-value orphan and rare disease products that will underpin our growth for the next decade.

Our current leading products are Rasuvo and Metoject, a unique formulation of methotrexate (auto-pen and pre-filled syringe) designed to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases; IXINITY, an intravenous recombinant factor IX therapeutic for use in patients 12 years of age or older with Hemophilia B (a hereditary bleeding disorder characterized by a deficiency of clotting factor IX in the blood, which is necessary to control bleeding); and Rupall, an innovative prescription allergy medication with a unique mode of action. We also hold exclusive US and Canadian rights to commercialize Gleolan (aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride or ALA HCl), an FDA-approved, orphan drug designated optical imaging agent currently indicated in patients with glioma (suspected World Health Organization Grades III or IV on preoperative imaging) as an adjunct for the visualization of malignant tissue during surgery.

We have also licensed treosulfan, part of a preparative regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to be used in combination with fludarabine, for commercialization in the United States and Canada. Treosulfan was approved by Health Canada in June 2021 and is marketed in Canada as Trecondyv. Treosulfan is currently the subject of a regulatory review process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Our mission is to provide the best healthcare products to healthcare professionals and patients. We strive to deliver on this mission by acting on our core values: Quality, Innovation, Customer Service, and Collaboration.

Contacts

For more information, please contact any of the following:

Medexus

Ken dEntremont, Chief Executive Officer

Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Tel: 905-676-0003

Email: ken.dentremont@medexus.com

Marcel Konrad, Chief Financial Officer

Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Tel: 312-548-3139

Email: marcel.konrad@medexus.com

Investor Relations

Victoria Rutherford

Adelaide Capital

Tel: 1-480-625-5772

Email: victoria@adcap.ca

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements made in this press release contain, and statements made in the webcast discussed in this press release may contain, forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (forward-looking statements). The words anticipates, believes, expects, will, plans, potential, and similar words or expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specific forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential benefits of treosulfan and the expected timing for submission of information to the FDA. Specific forward-looking statements that may be contained in the webcast referred to in this press release may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential benefits of treosulfan and the timing and expected outcome of the FDA approval process for treosulfan, including submission of information to the FDA and the FDAs acceptance and review of that information. Since forward-looking statements relate to future events and conditions, by their very nature they require making assumptions and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Relevant risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from clinical studies; whether and when drug applications may be filed in a given market for the relevant product candidate; whether and when any such applications may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on many factors, including making a determination as to whether the product candidates benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product candidates efficacy and, if approved, whether the product will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety, and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of the product; and competitive developments. A further description of material risk factors can be found in Medexuss materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time, including Medexuss most recent annual information form and managements discussion and analysis. Given these risks, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release or, in the case of the webcast discussed in this press release, the date of the webcast. Other than as specifically required by law, Medexus undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

Additional note

Uniform resource locators, or website addresses, that appear in this press release are intended to be provided as inactive textual references only. Information contained on or accessible through these website addresses is not a part of this press release and is not incorporated by reference into this press release or any of Medexuss public filings.




(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Chinas actions irresponsible and provocative over reports the Asian nations fighter jets have buzzed Canadian planes helping to enforce sanctions on North Korea.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The prime ministers comments come two weeks after his government joined its closest intelligence allies in banning Huawei Technologies Co. from fifth-generation wireless networks, threatening to reignite tensions between the two countries.

Canadas military argues Chinese jets are putting the safety of Canadian pilots at risk by flying so close. In some cases Canadian crews had to quickly modify their own flight path in order to increase separation and avoid a potential collision with the intercepting aircraft, the defense department said in a statement last Wednesday.

Australia has also said that one of their planes was damaged last month by chaff released by Chinese jet.

Trudeau, asked to respond to those incidents on Monday during a news conference in Ottawa, said Canada is standing up for the rule of law by taking part in a United Nations mission.

Chinas actions are irresponsible and provocative in this case, and we will continue to register strongly that they are putting people at risk, while at the same time not respecting decisions by the UN to enforce UN sanctions, Trudeau told reporters.

Canada has deployed a CP-140 Aurora Maritime Patrol Aircraft as part of Operation Neon, a multilateral effort to monitor and enforce sanctions imposed on North Korea.

The Huawei announcement last month had been delayed for years as relations soured after Canadas arrest of a top executive at the state-championed Chinese firm on a U.S. extradition request in late 2018.

Story continues

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
By Trend

The number of Kazakhstans citizens who voted for approval of 56 amendments to the country's constitution, put to the referendum [held on June 5] made up 77.18 percent of those who took part in the voting in all regions of the country, Chairman of the Central Referendum Commission Nurlan Abdirov said at a briefing, Trend reports via Kazinform.

"This morning, the territorial commissions submitted electronic copies of the protocols of voting results. According to preliminary data, the total number of citizens of Kazakhstan eligible to participate in the referendum amounted to over 11.7 million people, and the number of citizens who took part in the vote - was 7.9 million people, which is 68.06 percent of the number of citizens eligible to participate in the referendum," Abdirov noted.

Thus, the referendum can be considered valid, he stressed.

According to the commissions chairman, the number of citizens who voted for a positive resolution of the issue put to the referendum exceeded 6.16 million people, making up an absolute majority in each of the 17 regions.

Thus, according to him, the requirements of the constitutional law on the need to support the majority of citizens have been met.

"The number of citizens who voted against the constitutional amendments made up 18.66 percent of those who took part in the vote, or over 1.49 million people. The number of ballots in which both answer options were chosen, that is, recognized as valid, but not taken into account by law during the counting of votes, made up 1.58 percent or 125,859 ballots, Abdirov noted.

The rest of the ballots, which are of a non-standard form, or in which its impossible to determine the will of the voters, were declared invalid, the number of such ballots made up 2.58 percent or 20,696 ballots," concluded the official.
NEW YORK, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- United Spinal Association will bring over 100 wheelchair users to Washington, DC for the 10th annual Roll on Capitol Hill (ROCH) event on June 12th to 15th to meet with their Congressional representatives on key issues affecting the spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI/D) community.

United Spinal Association. (PRNewsFoto/United Spinal Association)

ROCH is United Spinal's annual flagship advocacy event, gathering the organization's members and supporters to encourage elected officials to support policy initiatives that empower and promote the independence and quality of life of people with disabilities.

The event draws on the voices of grassroots disability rights advocates from around the country and their experiences on the local level fighting for civil rights, accessibility, social supports, and inclusion.

"The disability rights movement is as old as the modern age, and still we fight. New advancements in society that benefit the majority often spur new inequities for people with disabilities. We've won major victories in navigating our cities' buildings and transit systemsnow it's time to finish the project of full equality. Roll on Capitol Hill plays a significant role in reminding us of all of the work that we have to doand it shows how powerful our community is when it's united," said Vincenzo Piscopo, president & CEO of United Spinal Association.

This year's event will be hybrid, marking a return to face-to-face Capitol Hill visits since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a virtual option available for attendees who are unable to travel to Washington.

ROCH will focus on the following issues:

Supporting more robust SCI Model Systems funding to ensure that newly-injured individuals receive necessary healthcare and services

Ensuring passage of the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act and advocating for other protections for travelers with disabilities

Emphasizing the importance of personal care services to pursuing economic independence and mobility

Advocating for Department of Veterans Affairs funding for automobile grants for disabled veterans that are necessary for community living

Seeking action on outdated and restrictive federal regulations that prevent all wheelchair users from having access to the wheelchair that's right for them

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On the evening of June 14th, ROCH will culminate in a Congressional Reception that will honor and celebrate Congressional leaders and core United Spinal advocates for their achievements in disability rights.

Congressman Robert C. Bobby Scott will receive the Outstanding Congressional Leadership Award for his leadership in introducing the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA), which prohibits wage discrimination against people with disabilities and provides for services and supports for people with disabilities who are employed in integrated work environments.

The first quadriplegic to serve in the US House of Representatives, Congressman James Langevin, will receive the Congressional Lifetime Achievement Award, for his decades of service to the disability community, including his work on the ADA Amendments Act and the Affordable Care Act.

The Roll on Capitol Hill 2022 Advocate of the Year Award will go to Richard Bagby, who is the Director of United Spinal Association of Virginia. In particular, United Spinal is recognizing Bagby's local advocacy around complex rehab technology (CRT) and opposing physician-assisted suicide, as well his role in establishing the Sheltering Arms Institute in Richmond, VA in 2020, a world-class rehabilitation hospital and research center which became a Spinal Cord Injury Model System not long after opening.

United Spinal will also recognize ROCH sponsors and allies who have provided invaluable support in promoting its mission and advocacy efforts.

For more information about Roll on Capitol Hill, visit https://unitedspinal.org/roll-on-capitol-hill/.

ABOUT UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION

Formed in 1946 by paralyzed veterans, United Spinal is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to empowering people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), including veterans, to live successful and fulfilling lives. Membership is free and open to all individuals with SCI/D, with over 53,000 members across 48 chapters nationwide. Known for its revolutionary advocacy efforts, United Spinal played a significant role in writing the Americans with Disabilities Act, provided important contributions to the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Air Carrier Access Act, and was instrumental in attaining sidewalk curb ramps and accessible public transportation in New York City, which created the standard accessibility model used in many United States cities.

Cision

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SOURCE United Spinal Association
Vietnam Blockchain Association

Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance officially enter strategic cooperation

Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance officially enter strategic cooperation

Mr. Ngo Duc Thang, Director of the Government Cipher Committee

Mr. Ngo Duc Thang, Director of the Government Cipher Committee

Mr. Phan Duc Trung, Vice President of Vietnam Blockchain Association

Mr. Phan Duc Trung, Vice President of Vietnam Blockchain Association

HANOI, Vietnam, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 4th June, 2022, the Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance - the world's leading Blockchain development technology corporation - officially announced their cooperation on the exchange of research/application of Blockchain Technology and Human Resource Training in Vietnam to promote the development of blockchain technology in Vietnam and build a bridge with other significant technology corporations around the world.



Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance

Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance officially enter

strategic cooperation

Vietnam is not only an exciting market for the application of Blockchain technology but also one of the leading countries in encouraging research and application of new technologies in reality. Mr. Ngo Duc Thang, Director of the Government Cipher Committee, affirmed that Blockchain is one of the digital technology fields on the list of priorities for research, development and application for the 4th Industrial Revolution, according to Decision No. 2117/QD-TTg signed on December 16, 2020, by the Prime Minister. Therefore, digital transactions through blockchain would be promoted in many fields such as banking services, industrial production, energy, agriculture, healthcare, retail and consumption... In particular, blockchain can be applied to the public sector. It can be said that this technology will affect many aspects of daily life and global business whether we realize it or not, and the investment opportunities coming from blockchain technology will be tremendous.

In the coming time, the Government will continue to facilitate, encourage and promote early businesses to proactively accelerate the digital transformation process in which blockchain technology is the mainstay. It is expected that by 2030, blockchain will create 40 million jobs, 10% - 20% of the global economic infrastructure will run on Blockchain technology systems," noted Mr. Ngo Duc Thang.

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Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance

Mr. Ngo Duc Thang, Director of the Government Cipher Committee

According to Mr. Changpeng Zhao, Blockchain is a new technology for the digital economy. How countries adopt this technology today will profoundly impact the future of the local economy and the world at large. More and more countries are showing their determination to grasp and adequately apply blockchain technology to life. I think that clear and effective regulation is essential for blockchain to be applied in every corner of life, not just cryptocurrencies, DeFi or NFT, said the Founder and CEO of Binance.

He also mentioned that Binance is continuously licensed to operate in France, Italy, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Dubai.... is concrete evidence of the company's compliance with local regulations at all time. And today, along with the active activities of the Vietnam Blockchain Association, I pledge that Binance will always comply with Vietnamese laws and put users in focus. Therefore, Vietnamese users in particular and users worldwide believe that Binance's platform is one of the most secure and reliable in the world, stated CEO Changpeng Zhao.

Mr. Phan Duc Trung, Vice President of Vietnam Blockchain Association, hopes that the cooperation between Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance will bring value to the business community in Vietnam, creating a workforce mastering high technology and contributing policy advice to the State's management agencies. We believe that this is one of the proper steps, following the direction of the Vietnamese government towards a digital government, a digital economy, bringing sustainable growth values for a prosperous Vietnam.

Vietnam Blockchain Association and Binance

Mr. Phan Duc Trung, Vice President of Vietnam Blockchain Association

Mr. Trung said: In its role, the Association connects and gathers the Blockchain community in the country and a bridge to bring Vietnamese products to the world and attract more international resources to Vietnam. The Association will also promote personnel training and attract international investment into Vietnam.

Vietnam NFT Summit 2022  The New Era Solution takes place on June 4 in Hanoi, Vietnam as a part of a series of exchange events for research/application of Blockchain Technology and Human Resource Training in Vietnam and worldwide between Binance and the Vietnam Blockchain Association. The program includes discussion panels, signing cooperation and exchange agreements, and various networking activities for the enterprises applying and growing Blockchain in Vietnam and discourse activities and signing exchange agreements.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/16b462c3-c92a-41d6-adb6-d14ebecde4fd

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/01555bf7-d4ab-4fe0-b0f8-e1aed8c90eb7

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e654a33a-5bf3-466d-9f0e-51e13f85c222

CONTACT: Email : info@blockchain.vn




Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd.

Vocational Education and Training Market by Supplier Institution (Public, Private), User's Gender (Male, Female), End Users (Students, Office Workers), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2029

Redding, California, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market research report titled, ' Vocational Education and Training Market by Supplier Institution (Public, Private), User's Gender (Male, Female), and End User (Students, Office Workers) - Global Forecast to 2029', the vocational education & training market is expected to record a CAGR of 9.8% during the forecast period 20222029 to reach $896.01 billion by 2029.

Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5289

Vocational education & training (VET) is an essential component of education, playing an increasingly important role in response to global demand for high quality and skilled labor force. In recent years, VET has gained prominence in both developed and developing countries in response to the global economy, the pace of technological change, and the era of knowledge.

Furthermore, globalization generates new demand for a high-quality labor force empowered with new skills and knowledge. This can be seen in developing countries as they engage in modernization and industrialization. Therefore, the shortage of skilled labor needed to meet social requirements is common in many emerging economies.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in 2020, Central and Eastern Europe had the largest share (about 19%) of the 1524 years age group participating in VET. This region was followed by Central Asia, North America, & Western Europe, with about 15% and 9% of youth participating in VET. Also, South & West Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest share, with less than 2% of youth participating in formal VET. Hence, the large participation of Europe, North America, and Asia in VET is expected to boost the growth of this market.

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In addition, higher education largely remains a financially inaccessible privilege. Students can invest in their futures without investing in a bachelor's degree through vocational education. By enrolling in vocational education programs, students can earn degrees in high-demand fields like nursing, business, and engineering, leading to high-paying jobs. Still, many students believe that a bachelor's degree is the only path to success. To change this trend, California is spending $200 million to encourage more students to earn a vocational certificate instead of a bachelor's degree.

The U.S. Department of Education indicates that people with vocational education have a slightly higher employment rate than academic credentials. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, over 30 million jobs pay an average of $55,000 a year and do not require a bachelor's degree. The healthcare industry alone creates millions of high-paying jobs that do not require students to study for four years.

Hence, the growing participation of the major regions in VET and growing investment by major countries are driving the adoption of VET.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Vocational Education & Training Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely hit many economies around the globe. The market for technology in the education sector has not been affected to a great extent, due to which the VET market is projected to recover at a faster rate post-COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, complete lockdowns and quarantine stopped the learners from physically accessing educational institutions. Technology helped bridge the gap between learners and learning. Students were provided with remote access to lectures and classes, giving rise to online learning.

Speak to our Analysts to Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Business: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/cp_id=5289

The e-learning/online learning concept was not new to the VET sector, though it received global traction during the pandemic. In Europe, the number of students learning either fully or mostly online increased to 92% in December 2020. VET & apprenticeship providers in Germany, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and the U.K. are incorporating online platforms for learning and assessment. Hence, the increasing demand for online learning is a key trend supporting the growth of the VET market.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the reliance on digital skills to unprecedented levels. This phenomenon is expected to boost the market's demand for a workforce with technical knowledge. According to a recent report by Microsoft Data Science, the global workforce is expected to grow as 190 million new technology-oriented jobs will be created over the next five years. Software development role accounts for a large part of this prediction, but roles in related fields like data analysis, cybersecurity, and privacy protection are also slated to grow substantially. Hence, the rising need for a technologically skilled workforce is expected to lead to a high demand in the VET market.

Key Findings in the Global Vocational Education & Training Market Study

The global VET market is segmented on the basis of supplier institution (public and private), user's gender (male and female), user's age group (1624 years, 2534 years, 3544 years, and 4554 years), end users (students and office workers), and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyzes the market at the regional and country levels.

Based on supplier institution, the public segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The high growth of this segment is attributed to factors such as higher student enrollment in public institutions due to cost-effective courses, better infrastructure, educational opportunities, and increasing government support for the public institutions.

Based on user's gender, in 2022, the male segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the VET market. An increasing number of male students are focusing on gaining high-quality and industry-specific skillsets for better job opportunities in the labor market, leading to the high growth of this market.

Quick Buy  Vocational Education and Training Market by Supplier Institution (Public, Private), User's Gender (Male, Female), End Users (Students, Office Workers), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2029 Research Report: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/59648818

Based on user's age group, the 16-24 years segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The high growth of this market is attributed to the increasing number of young adults opting for higher education, including tertiary education and vocational diplomas. Also, individuals aged 1624 with upper secondary education and VET certification have access to more diverse job opportunities and comparatively better wages than those who have not completed their upper secondary education.

Based on end user, in 2022, the student segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the VET market. The large market share of this segment is mainly attributed to the rising demand for higher education in developing countries and the increasing adoption of e-learning. Moreover, the rising preference of students for work-based learning is increasing the demand for the VET market.

Based on geography, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The rapidly developing economies of this region are focused on reducing the demand-supply gap in skilled workforce. In addition, various schemes are being launched to support VET for technical sectors and increase disposable income. These activities are expected to boost vocational education and increase market opportunities for key players operating in this region.

Key Players

Some of the key players operating in the global vocational education & training market are Adobe Inc. (U.S.), Articulate Global, LLC (U.S.), Blackboard Inc. (U.S.), Cegos Group (France), Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.), City & Guilds Group (U.K.), The Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (U.S.), International Business Machines Corporation (U.S.), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), and Lumesse Limited (U.K.).

To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/vocational-education-and-training-market-5289

Key questions answered in the report-

Which are the high-growth market segments in terms of the supplier institution, user's gender, user's age group, end users, and countries/regions?

What is the historical market for vocational education & training across the globe?

What are the market forecasts and estimates for the period 20222029?

What are the major drivers, restraints, and opportunities in the global Vocational Education and Training Market?

Who are the major players in the global market, and what market share do they hold?

Who are the major players in various countries, and what market share do they hold?

How is the competitive landscape?

What are the recent developments in the global Vocational Education and Training Market?

What are the different strategies adopted by major players in this market?

What are the key geographic trends, and which are the high-growth countries?

Who are the local emerging players in the global Vocational Education and Training Market, and how do they compete with other market players?

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For Every Table Booked via Yelp at a Snooze A.M. Eatery in Texas this June, Yelp will Make a Donation to The Trevor Project

AUSTIN, Texas, June 06, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Yelp, the company that connects people with great local businesses, announced a month-long Pride celebration in the state of Texas in partnership with drag superstar Shangela. Throughout June 2022, Yelp will celebrate the LGBTQ community by spotlighting highly-rated local LGBTQ-owned businesses, and hosting drag brunches at select Snooze an A.M. Eatery locations in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. For every party booked via Yelp Waitlist at any Snooze location in Texas during the month of June, Yelp will donate $1.00 to The Trevor Project, the worlds largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ young people, up to a maximum contribution of $60,000.*

"I am thrilled to be working with Yelp to spotlight LGBTQ-owned businesses, celebrate the queer community and give back to The Trevor Project," said Shangela. "Now more than ever, its important to uplift our community, honor artists and entrepreneurs, and take pride in who we are."

This month-long celebration comes after Yelp joined more than 150 businesses as part of the Human Rights Campaign to condemn anti-LGBTQ actions across the U.S., and joined the HRC and 60+ companies as a signatory in a full page ad in the Dallas Morning News, taking a stand for trans rights. During this challenging time for the LGBTQ community, Pride month, a moment of celebration for the community and their allies, may feel different for many.

Yelp and Snooze have joined forces with drag company Illusions to provide fun musical interludes in between delicious palomimosa and eggs benedict. The brunch events will take place on June 11, 2022 from 2-4 p.m. To attend the events, join the Yelp Waitlist at one of the following Snooze locations and book a table via the Yelp app: East Austin, Montrose in Houston, Oak Lawn in Dallas and Quarry in San Antonio.

Story continues

"At Snooze, everyone is welcome at our table. These drag brunches will be celebratory, joyful events for our Texas communities, and were elated that Yelp is committing to such a generous donation to support our own contribution of $25,000 to The Trevor Project for critical mental health services for young LGBTQ folks," said Shelly Landaal, Snoozes Director of Community.

This month, Yelp also named LGBTQ-owned businesses "Ones to Watch" in food, beauty and home categories, across the U.S. Yelp is partnering with beloved LGBTQ-owned businesses  Skull and Cakebones, in Austin and Easy Slider, in Dallas, both of which are named on the list  to host special giveaways for the community during Pride month. More information can be found on the Yelp app.

*Yelp has pledged a minimum contribution of $50,000.

About Yelp

Yelp Inc. (www.yelp.com) connects people with great local businesses. With unmatched local business information, photos, and review content, Yelp provides a one-stop local platform for consumers to discover, connect and transact with local businesses of all sizes by making it easy to request a quote, join a waitlist, and make a reservation, appointment or purchase. Yelp was founded in San Francisco in July 2004.

About Snooze An A.M. Eatery

Founded in Denver, Colorado in 2006 by breakfast-loving brothers Jon and Adam Schlegel, Snooze revitalized brand breakfast culture by bringing creativity and innovation to breakfast, along with an energetic and eclectic atmosphere and friendly neighbor-like service. Snooze prides itself on using their business and love for breakfast food as a platform to do good in every city they live in. Through community involvement and sustainable practices, Snooze is on a mission to make the world a better place one pancake at a time. A full list of locations can be found here.

About The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is the worlds largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the worlds largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also operates an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, an advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and a research team to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting 678678.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220606005397/en/

Contacts

Press Contact

Sunshine Sachs: yelp@sunshinesachs.com
My grandmother and her sisters were terrified of thunderstorms.

Several incidents, which occurred over a 40-year span, brought about this fear that haunted these four ladies into their old age.

The first occurred when my grandmother was about 7. In either late May or early June, a thunderstorm spawned a tornado that destroyed the little one-room school that she and two of her sisters attended.

The twister occurred just a few days after the school session had ended, so thankfully no one was hurt or killed. Still, when Grandma and her sisters visited the site, saw the devastation and considered the disaster that might have been, they gained a fear of and respect for storms that lasted a lifetime.

The second incident occurred in summer 1908, when my grandmother, then 19, got caught in a flash flood during a thunderstorm.

Her father, a blacksmith and wheelwright (he also made coffins), sent Grandma to a hardware store in town to buy something he needed.

During the 5-mile trip, a storm came up to the west and just the sight of lightning and the booming of thunder made my grandmother uneasy. Still, she was driving a quick little mare so she was confident that she could get to town before the rain hit.

What she didnt know was that this storm had been stalled about four or five miles up Mountain Run, the stream on the edge of town, and that the rains had caused the water to rise.

The current was strong when she got to the ford on Rixeyville Road. Grandma urged her mare into water, but the horse became frightened and refused to cross. She reared and tried to turn around and since my grandmother was not driving a cutaway buggy, one wheel jammed against the side of the frame and threaten to turn the rig over.

Not being able to swim, this threw Grandma into a panic, but she still tried to calm the horse. Meanwhile, the water was rising fast.

Two men, who were building the cement bridge that would carry traffic over Mountain Run for nearly 100 years, saw what was happening and waded out to grab the lines and lead the horseand my shaken grandmotherto safety.

It was about 10 years later that, in the moments before the rain from a storm hit, lightning struck a young man who was walking down from my grandmothers sisters house and killed him on the spot. Now, wind, rain and lightning had all made their marks on the four sisters.

Then, in May 1929, a strong tornado struck Woodville, a hamlet about 12 miles away in Rappahannock County. This was one of many twisters that hit in Virginia that day and this one, like another in southwestern Virginia, destroyed an elementary school and killed one student. Another tornado that same day in Fauquier County also proved deadly.

Grandma and her sisters were now all but traumatized at the first sign of a black cloud on a hot summer afternoon. At the first sound of thunder, three of the old ladies, who lived within 200 yards of each other, would gather at the younger sisters house and go into the parlor. Here they would pull down all the shades, turn out the lights and sit in the dark until the storm passed.

No one spoke a word. It was as if they thought silence would prevent danger. I remember asking a question once during a storm when I was a child and being chastised for speaking. You didnt talk during a thunderstorm. That was a hard and fast rule.

Meanwhile, rain poured in buckets on the old tin roof and you could hear the winds howl beneath the eaves of the old frame house. The quiet, at least to me, was unnerving. A little conversation would have taken my mind off the storm. But it was no use. During a storm, silence was golden.

My grandmother and her sisters took the fear of storms to an extreme, but thunderstorms should command your respect. Lightning kills people every summer. Most are struck in the five minutes before the rain starts or the 10 minutes or so after the hard rain ends. Remember, that first and last bolt of lightning are going to strike somewhere.

Remember, too, to take shelter in a basement or bathroom if a tornado is imminent. Get low and stay low.

Finally, dont drive through high water. Turn around; dont drown!

These are good rules to follow. Of course, you could just sit silently in a dark room.

Thats what Grandma and her sisters did.
Sixteen years after it began, the American Battlefield Trust has completed the largest private battlefield-preservation effort in the nations history. The nonprofit announced Monday it has made the final payment toward the $12 million purchase of Slaughter Pen Farm in Spotsylvania County, just south of Fredericksburg.

When we began this journey, the goal was beyond audacious, Trust President David Duncan said in a statement. It was orders of magnitude beyond anything we had attempted, but the unparalleled historic significance of this land demanded that we stretch beyond what had then been considered possible. This is a milestone moment in the historic preservation movement.

The Battle of Fredericksburg is best known for the doomed Union attacks on Maryes Heights downtown, as thousands of visitors to the citys National Park Service sites along Sunken Road would attest.

But the fight was decided farther south, as Union troops confronted Confederate commander Thomas J. Stonewall Jacksons defenses on Prospect Hill. When that Union assault failed on Dec. 13, 1862, soldiers and local residents named the site the Slaughter Pen Farm.

The field is critical to understanding the battle, said National Park Service historian Frank OReilly, author of The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock.

The Slaughter Pen is the very heart and soul of the Fredericksburg Battlefield. Without it, nothing makes sense, OReilly wrote in his definitive study. This is the point where the battle was won and lost.

But in 2005, the battlefieldwhere five Union soldiers heroism earned them the Medal of Honor, the nations highest award for valor under firewas just another chess piece in the Fredericksburg areas suburban sprawl. It was marketed as the most desirable property for industrial development in Virginia.

But then-Trust President Jim Lighthizer and his boardwith help from history lovers and open-space advocatesaverted development of the 208-acre tract.

Early on, the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, a local nonprofit, pledged $1 million. In 2011, CVBT fulfilled its commitment.

The preservation community is strongest when we work together, CVBT President Tom Van Winkle said. It is what allows us to take on the most meaningful work and what ensures we leave a permanent legacy.

Ultimately, nearly half of the $12 million to buy Slaughter Pen came from private funds, mostly donations from Battlefield Trust members.

The trusts loan required annual payments of $400,000. So, many donors scheduled recurring gifts to help pay down the balance, knowing that until the debt was settled, the land wouldnt truly be preserved.

The trust was due to finish its fundraising in 2024. But a longtime, anonymous supporter challenged the group. If individual donors could cough up the next $400,000 annual payment, he would contribute all of the $800,000 remaining on the loan, paying it off two years early. Trust members answered the call and the final debt payment was made in May.

Now that Slaughter Pen Farm is owned free and clear, preservationists can turn toward celebrating the milestone. A Twilight Tour is scheduled for mid-July, with a larger event planned for the fall, the trust said.

Since acquiring the farm, the trust has worked to add interpretive features and restore the landscape to its Civil War appearance. It removed a number of derelict outbuildings and built a 2-mile educational walking trail. Since 2009, that circuit has been popular with families, dog walkers, amateur historians and military units studying leadership and tactics.

Some 9,000 men were killed, wounded or disappeared during the intense, see-saw fighting at Slaughter Pen, which Jacksons artillery and infantry swept with shell and shot. The Unions one chance of winning the mileslong battle along the Rappahannock River was capturing Prospect Hill, key to the Confederate right. Casualties at Slaughter Pen were about equal to the losses at its other end, on the plain below Maryes Heights.

Here, two Union divisions of about 8,000 troops attacked about 10,000 Confederates. Troops led by Brig. Gen. George Gordon Meade, who would later become the hero of Gettysburg, punched through Jacksons line, but couldnt hold the ground for lack of timely reinforcement.

Today, that land near the Slaughter Pen is occupied by retail supplier idX Corp., which redeveloped a defunct GM Powertrain factory. The trust tried repeatedly to buy the Meade-breakthrough site, but couldnt secure a contract on the GM Powertrain property after discussions with local officials and General Motors. The old GM plant is opposite the Fredericksburg Country Club, the site where Meade arranged his command for the attack.

In the 1930s, the Confederate line along Prospect Hill was added to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. The Slaughter Pen, the open plain below, stayed a dairy farm. As time passed, it was hemmed in by a railroad, a small airport and Routes 2 and 17.

In the 2000s, developers sought to build a hospital and an elementary school on the farm, proposals opposed by the trust.

When the farms longtime owner died in September 2005 at 86, his niece planned to sell it. Trust leaders worried she might reject their cash offer.

They reached out to Tricord Homes, a local builder with which theyd crafted a preservation compromise on Spotsylvanias Chancellorsville battlefield. Tricord agreed to buy the farm and sell it to the trust at cost.

The trusts campaign received significant governmental support, including a $2 million matching grant from the American Battlefield Protection Programstill one of the largest awards ever made by that National Park Service entity. Virginia contributed $300,000, which in 2006 led it to create the nations first state matching-grant program for battlefield preservation.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, who championed the effort as governor, said this weeks moment of victory is hard-won and worth celebrating.

As an American and a Virginian, I am thrilled that this important piece of our history will be available for all the generations that follow to enjoy and learn from, Kaine said. It is an honor to have played a part in this wonderful final outcome.

SunTrust (now Truist), the trusts longtime banker, agreed to fund the whole transaction. But SunTrust could reap land-preservation tax credits in Virginia, a program begun in the 1990s. By keeping their property in field or forest, landowners can get tax credits worth a percentage of the lands value, which they can sell to others to offset state income taxes.

Once the trust put a conservation easement on Slaughter Pen Farm, its value plummeted, creating $5 million in tax credits the trust sold over the next three years to help pay down its loan. As a nonprofit, the trust also tapped tax-exempt financing and refinanced its debt as a long-term bond issue.

Created by a handful of historians and advocates in Fredericksburg 35 years ago, the trust has protected 54,000 acres from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War.

Clint Schemmer is a former Free Lance-Star editor and writer. Write him at cschemmer@gmail.com.
While Memorial Day traffic returned to near pre-pandemic levels, deadly crashes in Virginia last weekend were lower than last year.

The Virginia State Police reported eight deaths in crashes over the long holiday weekend, down from 15 a year ago.

One of the fatal crashes involved a motorcyclist; five others who perished were not wearing seat belts.

One of those Memorial Day weekend crashes happened locally about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, and left three dead.

The Stafford Sheriffs Office said the crash happened on Austin Ridge Drive near Shields Road when the driver of a speeding Lexus lost control and crashed head-on into a Hyundai Elantra in the opposite lane.

The Lexus and a

passenger died, along with the driver of the Elantra.

Dear Scott: As a South Stafford resident near Route 17, I have been assuming that eventually the heavy traffic that flows down Route 17 south to merge onto I-95 south would be exiting from Route 17 in two lanes.

It looks like the ramp to I-95 has been built to accommodate that, and the chronically congested Rt. 17 traffic headed toward that exit certainly would benefit from it. However, if thats coming, it seems to be coming painfully slowly.

Will we be seeing that kind of relief for Rt.17 at some point in time? If so, can we expect to see it before the summer vacation crunch on Rt. 17 south begins in earnest?

Ed Davin

This email question came in prior to the official May 26 completion of the Rappahannock River crossing project. The new southbound crossing lanes on I-95 opened in October, but crews continued to finish work, including on the U.S. 17 ramp.

The crossing project separates three lanes of through traffic from three lanes of local traffic between U.S. 17 in Stafford County to State Route 3 in Fredericksburg. Work continues on the $127 million northbound Rappahannock River crossing project to add three lanes in the opposite direction. That new section is scheduled to open in 2024.

Local VDOT spokesperson Kelly Hannon noted in an email that part of the reason for the southbound crossing project was to address the chronic delays at the U.S. 17 interchange, especially during peak times on Thursday and Friday evenings, and Saturday mornings in the summer.

The crossing project expanded the southbound on-ramp to two lanes and lengthened the southbound merge lanes, Hannon said. With construction now finished, the right turn lane on Route 17 southbound south of the Sanford Drive/South Gateway Drive intersection is now a second lane that aligns with the new, second on-ramp lane, which should also reduce the southbound delays.

With the summer travel season upon us, along with traffic returning to pre-pandemic numbers, were about to find out how well the new exit, and the southbound crossing lanes, work.

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A 1981 University of Mary Washington graduate who never ventured far from his alma mater was honored Sunday morning during a ceremony in which the schools bustling University Center was renamed in his honor.

Who would anticipate a building being named after them? asked Cedric Rucker, the universitys associate vice president for student affairs and dean of student life.

Especially someone who sees themselves as doing the sort of things that one ought to doworking with young individuals in a developmental way, he said.

Among those gathered at 11 a.m. to honor Rucker at the four-story hub of student activity was Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw.

Greenlaw, who called Rucker a true servant leader, said its hard to think about him without smiling, as he usually meets people with arms wide open ready for a big hug or an encouraging pat on the back.

But the positive energy that is Cedric Rucker extends beyond these walls and beyond this campus, Greenlaw said. He is an ever-present presence in the city of Fredericksburg, supporting charitable organizations, giving generously of his time to boards and committees and organizations.

University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino said Rucker represents much of what we all inspire to be, making the universitys community better in ways that are immeasurable and eternal.

Cedric has embodied the Mary Washington community values for over four decades, Paino said. It is now hard to imagine this community without him. He represents much of what we all aspire to be.

Sabrina Johnson, the universitys vice president for equity and access and chief diversity officer emerita, said she has known Rucker for the 24 years shes been at the university. Over those years, Johnson collaborated with Rucker to advance social justice, diversity, inclusion and equity for Mary Washington students, faculty and staff.

But no matter how steep the challenge at any time or how gut-wrenching the emotional toll, Dean Rucker was unwavering in two respects, Johnson said. His commitment to the rights of all students, and I say all with capital A-L-L, and his laser-focus on our mission as an institute of higher learning to grow and develop our students.

Rucker, 62, found out about the center being renamed in his honor at a campus meeting about four months ago, when Rector Heather Crislip announced the universitys plans.

I started hearing my name, Rucker said. Its like, What in the world is going on here? I was stunned.

Rucker, the first Black male student to live in the campus dorms when he came to the school as a freshman in 1977, said he remained the only Black male student residing on campus for the next two years.

It was something that kind of took me by surprise to say the least, Rucker said. I knew that I was coming to what was a historically white, historically female institution, but I expected to see some other people of color.

Rucker, who grew up in Richmond, said after he finished moving into Room 102 in Madison Hall, he gazed out his window onto Ball Circle and watched other students move in. He quickly realized what his world would be like for the next four years.

I watched the rest of the students move into the building and the other resident halls, and I didnt see anyone who looked like me. No one, Rucker said. It was powerful. It was real.

Rucker said he spoke to his mother about his new surroundings and she asked him to look back on his many accomplishments in high school and what made him succeed or gave him a sense of belonging or service to his friends and community.

Thats what I did, I ran for office, Rucker said. I ran for publicity chair of class council. And I lost.

Despite the defeat, Rucker found the campaign had benefited his campus life.

Leading up to that election, Rucker visited every freshman student on campus, introduced himself and explained his platform. He also joined the anthropology club, and worked at the library and at the campus radio station. He said the interaction with other students resulted in him receiving invitations to every student event held on campus.

I became part of the community and the community became part of me, Rucker said. I felt that sense of belonging that initially I thought would be lacking, was not a reality.

Rucker said when he first came to Mary Washington, he had dreams to become a lawyer because he believed the career and lifestyle would be as adventurous and exciting as portrayed on TVs Perry Mason, but a couple of internships in law changed his mind.

Rucker spoke to a university mentor seeking guidance and direction, and was connected to an academic program in sociology, a discipline Rucker said helped explain the world to him.

Im an inner-city kid from Richmond, Rucker said. I needed answers to why certain disparities existed, the challenges across communities existed and the discipline to help me to understand that.

He said the mentor also helped him get into a program that allowed him to attend graduate school at the University of Virginia during the summer between his junior and senior years.

After graduating with a degree in sociology in 1981, Rucker returned to Charlottesville as a student and while there, became friends with English faculty member William Elwood, the associate dean of the universitys graduate school of arts and sciences. Elwood later went on to write, direct and produce a 56-minute 1990 documentary titled The Road to Brown, which tells the story of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that launched the civil rights movement and also pays tribute to Charles Hamilton Houston, an African American attorney who played a significant role in dismantling Jim Crow laws.

Bill would take me with him to recruit graduate students when he did graduate student fairs, Rucker said. We would spend time in his car having long conversations.

Just before receiving his graduate degree in 1984, Elwood told Rucker, He said Cedric, youre like Mr. U.Va. You represent this organization so well, you should stay here.

A couple of days later, Rucker accepted a position at the university as assistant dean for undergraduate admissions. He held that post for six years, including a leave of absence while enrolled in the universitys Ph.D. program, before taking a position at then-Mary Washington College in 1989.

Thats how I ended up staying in higher education, because of relationships, because of mentorships, Rucker said. Those people opened the doors.

As an adjunct faculty member for 33 years, Rucker taught sociology to thousands of undergraduate students at UMW and collaborated with colleagues to create courses like Ethnic Studies, designed to bring inclusivity into the classroom.

Rucker said his journey at UMW has been filled with phenomenal experiences where he has seen education transform ordinary lives like his own into incredible success stories.

Its just so appealing, its energizing and thats why Ive stayed in higher education for so long, Rucker said. Theres nothing quite like that eureka momentthose moments where students find themselves, they discover their talents and abilities and you watch them build on those skills.

Rucker, who officially retires at the end of this month but has already joined the Peace Corps, said 100 years from now, when Mary Washington students see his name on the former University Center and wonder who Cedric Rucker was, he hopes theyll do some research and find inspiration in his story that helps them succeed.

We can do things that we cant even imagine today, but because of opportunities afforded to us by education, experiences, mentors and institutions that can impact individuals in a very positive way, those doors will always remain open, Rucker said. Essentially, we can start anywhere, but end up in places which we cant imagine at the front end of our journeys.

James Scott Baron: 540/374-5438 jbaron@freelancestar.com

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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  The government of Poland, where a near-total abortion ban is in place, faced accusations Monday of creating a pregnancy register as the country expands the amount of medical data being digitally saved on patients.

Women's rights advocates and opposition politicians fear women face unprecedented surveillance given the conservative views of a ruling party that has already tightened what was one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws.

They fear the new data could be used by police and prosecutors against women whose pregnancies end, even in cases of miscarriage, or that women could be tracked by the state if they order abortion pills or travel abroad for an abortion.

A pregnancy registry in a country with an almost complete ban on abortion is terrifying, said Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bak, a left-wing lawmaker.

The matter gained attention Monday after Health Minister Adam Niedzielski signed an ordinance Friday expanding the amount of information to be saved in a central database on patients, including information on allergies, blood type and pregnancies.

The health ministry spokesman, Wojciech Andrusiewicz, sought to allay concerns, saying only medical professionals will have access to the data, and that the changes are being made at the recommendation of the European Union.

The effort, he said, is meant to improve the medical treatment of patients, including if they seek treatment elsewhere in the 27-member EU. In the case of pregnant women, he said this will help doctors immediately know which women should not get X-rays or certain medicines.

Nobody is creating a pregnancy register in Poland, he told the TVN24 all-news station.

But Marta Lempart, the leader of a women's rights group, Women's Strike, said she does not trust the government to keep information on women's pregnancies from the police and prosecutors. She told The Associated Press that police in Poland are already questioning women on how their pregnancies end, tipped off by disgruntled partners.

Being pregnant means that police can come to you any time and prosecutors can come to you to ask you questions about your pregnancy, Lempart said.

The new system means many Polish women will now avoid the state medical system during their pregnancies, with wealthier women seeking private treatment or traveling abroad, even for prenatal care.

Meanwhile, poorer women in Poland will face an increased risk of medical problems or even death by avoiding prenatal care, Lempart fears.

Lempart also worries that information gained by police could be shared with state media to harm people's reputations.

She already knows how that can happen. In 2020, Lempart tested positive for COVID-19, and the information was reported by state television even before she got her results.

Poland  a predominantly Catholic country  bans abortion in almost all cases, with exceptions only when a womans life or health is endangered or if the pregnancy results from rape or incest.

For years, abortion was allowed in the case of fetuses with congenital defects. That exception was struck down by the constitutional court in 2020.

In practice, Polish women seeking to terminate their pregnancies order abortions pills or travel to Germany, the Czech Republic and other countries where the procedure is allowed. While self-administering abortion pills is legal, helping someone else is not.

Activist Justyna Wydrzynska is facing up to three years in prison for helping a victim of domestic violence access abortion pills. Amnesty International says it is the first such case in Europe.

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

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By Trend

A joint meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliaments committees on agrarian policy and regional issues will be held in Shusha city [liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 Second Karabakh War] on June 11, Trend reports.

The agenda of the meeting will be disclosed in the coming days.
The outside of the Colorado Convention Center at a previous Outdoor Retailer show.
Schools and child care centers in Colorado will soon begin testing drinking water for lead contamination after Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill funding the free testing and remediation plan on Tuesday.
Jurors determining the fate of Jean-Joseph Danger Le Chiffre delivered guilty verdicts after nearly two weeks of his murder trial.

Le Chiffre  who changed his name from Patrick Joseph Sandoval partially as an ode to the James Bond villain from Casino Royale  was found guilty Friday on all charges, including first-degree murder, in the 2020 killing of his father, Gilbert Sandoval, according to court records.

Le Chiffre was accused of having conspired with his mother, Marcella Sandoval, to kill her husband in a plot to collect money from Gilbert Sandoval upon his death. Along with first-degree murder, he faced charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and second-degree assault.

After the pair went through with the plan to kill Gilbert Sandoval in July of 2020, Marcella Sandoval had a change of heart and confessed to police that her son, Le Chiffre, had killed Gilbert Sandoval, and she helped.

Court records show that Marcella Sandoval pleaded guilty to accessory to murder and was given two years probation.

The defense during the trial attempted to cast doubt over the credibility of Marcella Sandoval's testimony. The defense and Le Chiffre even brought up the possibility that others could have committed the crime, including his brother Mark Sandoval.

I think Mark (Sandoval) killed my dad, Le Chiffre said in his testimony Friday.

This was not enough to convince the jury though, as he was found guilty on all charges just a few hours after closing arguments.

Le Chiffre will have a sentencing hearing at 9 a.m. June 14. A conviction on first-degree murder in Colorado carries a mandatory life sentence in prison.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the monthly U.S. jobs report, at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, U.S., June 3, 2022. REUTERS/Tom Brenner
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Having developed more than 70 different coated products, over 400 different glazing options and supplied about 27 million sq m of glass in the last 25 years, Emirates Glass has announced plans to expand in the GCC and the wider Middle East region.

Celebrating 25 years in the glass business, Emirates Glass - a leading provider of energy-efficient architectural glass in the Middle East and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dubai Investments - is currently executing projects across the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Africa and the UK. Its mega projects are valued at more than AED130 million ($35.39 million).

Underlining the growth trajectory, Emirates Glass aims to be the preferred glazing supplier that is capable of meeting the ever-increasing demand for high-quality, energy-efficient glass products complying with local and international codes and standards.

Capacity for innovation

Employing more than 330 staff (executive and workers) with two glass processing units and a warehouse spread over 1,360 sq m across the UAE, Emirates Glass is backed by exceptional expertise and capacity for innovation.

Marking 25 years in glass business is a major milestone within the emerging glass industry in the region and Dubai Investments is extremely proud to be a valuable contributor in this journey of evolution. Progressing from a Terra G coating line in 2009 to the installation of a Jumbo Glass Tempering Line, Emirates Glass has come long way with a structured focus in business development and enhancement to be able to supply glass for high valued projects not only regionally but also internationally.

The companys efforts are focused on leveraging the strength and the competitiveness of the glass business while contributing to the growing manufacturing industry, said Ahmed Al Shared, Head of Operations, Dubai Investments.

Product development

With a continuous focus on product development and innovation to diversifying the product range from hard and solar control coatings to low-emissivity single and double silver coatings across the entire colour spectrum, Emirates Glass is well equipped to meet the most challenging requirements from consultants and architects in terms of performance and aesthetics.

The companys impressive line-up of products includes the versatile range of spectrally selective, medium to high performance EmiCool series of coated products, safety and security enabled glass with bullet resistant, fire resistant, sound control and laminated glass products, an innovative glass line-up comprising Armax  the anti-reflective glass, Smart-Lite  a switchable glass that turns from clear to opaque and other glass products with coatings over ceramic and several other elements captured or suspended within insulated glass units that either serve as light diffusers or as purely aesthetic features.

Advanced machinery

Emirates Glass continues to enhance technology with the addition of the high-tech auto glass process edger machine, Jumbo size advanced technology 8 metre cutting machine and a Jumbo size Digital Printing Machine, facilitating high performance temperable glass products and innovative digital printing and coating options across the region.

Emirates Glass complies with the ever-stringent requirements of regulatory authorities, defining local glazing codes in the region and the companys high-performance coated glass products with double and triple insulations, provide excellent thermal performance with increased visible light transmission. -- TradeArabia News Service
Members of the National police stand guard at the Ministry of the Environment after Orlando Jorge Mera, Minister of the Environment of the Dominican Republic, was assassinated in his office, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic June 06, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas
Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has announced that a total of 24 international utility project developers have prequalified for the Al Haer Independent Sewage Treatment Plant (ISTP) project

located in Riyadh Province that boasts a total 200,000 cu m/day capacity.

The top firms eyeing the project include Spanish infrastructure majors (Acciona Agua; Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, GS Inima Environment and Copasa); French utility specialists (Saur Sas and Suez International) and Mumbai-based ESG-focused water utility Vishvaraj Environment in addition to Chinese groups Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment and Everbright Water Investment.

Regional heavyweights Metito Utilities, Utico and Besix (Sharjah) are also in the race for the key Saudi ISTP project.

SWPC had indicated in December last year that a total of 39 companies had expressed their interests in the Al Haer ISTP. Of these, 19 were Saudi companies.

The leading local companies vying for the project are Ajlan & Bros; Marafiq; Tawzea; Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies; Miahona Company; Alfanar; Civil Works Company; SETE Energy Saudia for Industrial Projects; Lamar Saudi United; Mowah, Jinluo Water Company and Tamasuk Holding Company.

SWPC in an earlier notification said it will be conducting a competitive process to select a developer/developer consortium for the project which will be responsible for the development, financing, engineering, procurement, construction, implementation, ownership, operation, maintenance and transfer of the sewage plant.

The Saudi utility said the winning bidder, under a 25-year sewage treatment agreement with the utility firm, will be incorporated to develop the project and treat the entire sewage capacity supplied by SWPC.

SWPCs obligations under the STA will be supported by a credit support agreement from the Government of Saudi Arabia.

For the project, KPMG Professional Services are acting as financial and lead advisor to SWPC, while White & Case are the legal advisors and Future Water and Power Consulting the technical advisors.-TradeArabia News Service
A man on parole for aggravated robbery was playing with a gun while intoxicated when he accidentally fired it and killed a friend, according to an affidavit from Colorado Springs police.

Eric Terrell Lockhart Jr., 19, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in the shooting death May 21 of Malaya Marie Leary, 18.

According to statements in the affidavit, on the day of Leary's death Lockhart and several of his friends were at an apartment at the 3000 block of Mallard Drive in southeast Colorado Springs.

Lockhart and his friends told police that they were drinking  Lockhart specifically said he took five shots of vodka  and that Lockhart began playing with his friend's pistol, "pretending as if he was shooting a music video."

Lockhart's friend said in the affidavit that he asked him "multiple times to stop messing around with his gun," and even moved the weapon to his bedroom before taking a shower. Lockhart's friend said that he heard a gunshot while in the bathroom and came out to find Leary lying on his bed and bleeding, and Lockhart saying he "didn't mean to do it."

When police arrived at the apartment, Leary was declared dead.

When speaking with police about the shooting, Lockhart said that he accidentally discharged the weapon because he believed he was engaging the safety switch.

At the time of the shooting, Lockhart should not have been handling the gun because of his parole status, which in the affidavit he acknowledged to police.

The affidavit states that Lockhart told police "repeatedly" that he didn't intend to shoot Leary.

Lockhart is currently being held in El Paso County jail on suspicion of manslaughter and possession of a weapon by a previous offender on a $10,000 bond, according to inmate records.

Lockhart's preliminary hearing is scheduled June 30 in 4th Judicial District Court.
The Colorado Supreme Court reversed a man's convictions because an Adams County judge violated his Sixth Amendment right to hire a different defense lawyer.

The actions of District Court Judge Thomas R. Ensor, who had accused Palmer Gilbert of trying to delay his criminal proceedings, will now result in Gilbert receiving a new trial more than four years after he initially faced a jury.

Although the Supreme Court did not address the degree of displeasure that Ensor showed toward Gilbert's defense lawyer, Gary D. Fielder, the justices heard during oral arguments last year about Ensor's disparaging comments toward Fielder in the courtroom.

"I think that Judge Ensor was fairly abusive," said Harvey A. Steinberg, Gilbert's lawyer on appeal. "This is the first time Ive ever seen a lawyer come before a judge and say, 'As a result of our hearing, I went into therapy.' Thats a pretty unique circumstance."

By reversing Gilbert's convictions based on his right to counsel, the Supreme Court avoided ruling on the second question in Gilbert's appeal involving the admission of evidence about his mental health. Both the prosecution and the defense said on appeal that Ensor ruled incorrectly, at least in part, on that issue.

A Best Buy employee in Northglenn had found Gilbert sitting in another employee's car in September 2016 in the store's parking lot. Gilbert at first maintained the car was his, then brandished a knife before running away. He attempted to carjack three motorists at knifepoint, caused a vehicle crash, and ultimately fled in a stolen truck to Wyoming.

After a court released Gilbert on bond in December 2016, he immediately fled. Authorities apprehended him nearly a year later, and he appeared for his arraignment in December 2017, where he pleaded not guilty. A trial was set to begin on April 2, 2018.

The day before a hearing on Feb. 9, 2018, Fielder indicated his desire to introduce evidence of Gilbert's mental health, which would require a court-ordered examination. Fielder indicated Gilbert was not changing his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity, but rather the mental health evidence might show that Gilbert did not act with the intent to commit the alleged crimes.

"I believe that there might be an underlying mental illness that Mr. Gilbert is suffering from," Fielder told Ensor at the Feb. 9 hearing. "As soon as that hit my brain, I thought I have got to immediately notify the district attorney and the court. ... I, in good faith, believe theres some underlying post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder."

Ensor denied the request for a mental health examination and postponement of the trial. He said, erroneously, that none of the crimes required proof of specific intent, when in fact Gilbert's assault charge did. Moreover, the judge said, Fielder had not shown good cause for making such a request, which normally comes at the time of arraignment.

"You know, frankly, Mr. Fielder," Ensor added, "Im getting tired of the surprises that come in here when youre involved in cases. Its concerning to this court as to whether or not youre really prepared for cases."

Five days before trial was set to begin, Fielder notified the judge that Gilbert's family was hiring new lawyers. The substitute law firm filed a motion describing irreconcilable differences between Gilbert and Fielder. Ensor's comments during the Feb. 9 hearing, they claimed, caused Gilbert to believe that Fielder was unprepared. Fielder also admitted that the hearing caused him "mental distress" and that he sought professional counseling.

The prosecution opposed the request to change lawyers, noting the case had already been pending for a year and a half, that victims had reportedly voiced frustration about the delay, and that one of the key witnesses was undergoing cancer treatment and may not survive to testify at a future trial date.

Ensor agreed with the prosecution, finding that "this eleventh-hour attempt ... to change attorneys is just one more attempt by Mr. Gilbert to delay this case."

The trial proceeded and a jury found Gilbert guilty of aggravated robbery, assault, motor vehicle theft, leaving the scene of an accident and other offenses. He received a sentence of 29 years in prison.

In September 2020, a three-judge panel for the state's Court of Appeals reversed Gilbert's convictions and ordered a mental health examination for Gilbert. If a trial court judge determined afterward that there was evidence Gilbert's mental condition could have supported his defense, a new trial was warranted, the appellate court said. Similarly, the panel directed a trial court review of whether Gilbert deserved to substitute his attorney, which would result in a new trial if the answer was yes.

The government appealed to the Supreme Court, largely focusing on the mental health evidence. Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Lanni told the justices that Fielder had not shown good cause for seeking a mental health examination after the arraignment, beyond saying that Gilbert's possible afflictions "hit my brain."

"This judge was frustrated and he was exasperated. He said things that I think certainly would have been better if he hadnt said them," Lanni admitted. But "the Court of Appeals correctly found that theres no indication this judge's frustration or exasperation was affecting his decisions."

"Isnt part of the problem that the trial judge just shut him down so fast?" asked Justice William W. Hood III. "The trial judge just didnt like this defense lawyer. We dont know about the history but it seemed like he gave him a short audience because of that history."

Steinberg, arguing on behalf of Gilbert, said his client's flight on bond meant Fielder only had a brief time to interact with Gilbert before trial, which contributed to the delay in realizing there may be mental health issues at play. He agreed with Hood that Ensor appeared determined to shut Fielder down.

"You were not gonna get a fair hearing in front of Judge Ensor on this case with this attorney," Steinberg said.

The Supreme Court decided the appeal solely on the question of Gilbert's right to be represented by his counsel of choice. Justice Monica M. Marquez, in the court's May 31 opinion, relied on the 2014 decision of People v. Brown, which laid out a series of factors for judges to consider when deciding whether to postpone a trial to allow for a substitution of attorneys.

Several of the Brown factors, she wrote, weighed in favor of Gilbert's request, including his motive for substitution, the availability of the new lawyers, and the number of continuances already granted in the case  which was zero.

Ensor, "clearly influenced by Gilberts past actions, including his yearlong abscondence, believed that Gilberts purpose in seeking a continuance was to further delay the proceedings. But the record belies any dilatory motive," Marquez wrote.

In reversing Gilbert's convictions, the Supreme Court noted a new judge would have the opportunity to evaluate afresh any request to introduce mental health evidence.

Gilbert's appeal is not the first time appellate judges have disapproved of Ensor's handling of cases. The Court of Appeals ordered a new trial in August 2020 after Ensor, now retired, left out a "significant and material portion" of the law from a jury instruction. That same year, the Supreme Court found Ensor "could have handled this unusual situation in a more restrained manner" when he allowed his wife to serve as a juror in a criminal case he presided over.

Last year, the Court of Appeals reversed a defendant's conviction after Ensor accused his attorney of "the most pathetic defense that I have ever seen" and threatened to have him disbarred.

"It was real demeaning to me. I'm still angry and hurt by it," Fredrick M. Callaway, the attorney involved, told Colorado Politics.
Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, inaugurated an Innovation and Technology Development Center, in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman on Sunday (June 5).

The centre will cater to the telecom, oil and gas, BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance), energy & utilities and public sector by leveraging artificial intelligence, big data & analytics, cloud and 5G technologies. This is in line with Tech Mahindras commitment to invest in upskilling and reskilling of the local Omani talent to take on projects in Oman and around the world, Tech Mahindra said in a statement.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Dr Ali Al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications & Information Technology MTCIT, Amit Narang, Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, Senior Oman government officials, along with Senior executives of key enterprises in Oman and the top management team of Tech Mahindra led by its MD & CEO CP Gurnani.

Dr Ali Al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications & Information Technology MTCIT, said: Oman Vision 2040 prioritizes a future with a knowledge-based society where education and research play a vital role for the citizens. Being ahead of important developments in information technology is encapsulated in our vision statement, and this innovation and development center by Tech Mahindra is a step in that direction. Developments like these are milestones in achieving the success we envision of being a competitive nation and one of the top countries in Digital Economy in the region. It also supports our talent, upskilling to compete in the job market.

CP Gurnani, MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra, said: I believe the vision of Oman based on the pillars of People and Society, Economy and Development, and Governance and Institutional Performance will transform and enhance the countrys economy. Tech Mahindra is pleased to play a part in this strategic narrative and support in building a resilient tomorrow for Oman, that thrives on growth & innovation, with a keen focus on empowering women. As a global organization, we are committed to honing talent across geographies, and our initiatives have been warmly embraced in Oman. This innovation and development center will grow Omani talent in the technology industry and will enable us to leverage it for markets globally.

Ram Ramachandran, Senior Vice President & Head of Middle East and Africa at Tech Mahindra, said: Across the world, the IT industry has been revolutionary  it has become an archetype of how economic liberalization combined with entrepreneurial spirit builds an industry that today contributes significantly to the GDP of any country. Tech Mahindra has a significant footprint in Oman and we have the confidence of the local industries which we have partnered with through the years. The newly inaugurated innovation and development center is one more significant development in our contribution to the country as we tap the huge young talent in the country.

Tech Mahindra also inaugurated Makers Lab (Center for R&D) at the centre, which will have strategic focus on creating IPs, solutions & services that harness the power of technology to make continuous advancements that will enable digital transformation, smart enterprise solutions, cloud transformation, Big data & Analytics.

Tech Mahindra believes in DigitALL philosophy for comprehensive Business Transformation. As part of NXT.NOWTM framework, which aims to enhance Human Centric Experience, Tech Mahindra focuses on investing in emerging technologies and solutions that enable digital transformation and meet the evolving needs of the customer.--TradeArabia News Service
A Historic Victory for Iowa Taxpayers

Iowa taxpayers are the big winners of the 2022 legislative session. Thanks to the new tax law enacted by Gov. Kim Reynolds on March 2, Iowans are set to receive the largest tax cut in state history.

Once fully implemented in 2026, Iowas new tax law will streamline the income tax to a flat rate of 3.9%. Every income taxpayer will receive a tax cut and a rate cut and thats not the only reason it is a huge win for all Iowans.

For the second year in a row, the U-Haul Growth Index finds Texas, Florida, and Tennessee were the top growth states in 2021, meaning they experienced the greatest net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks. What else do these three states have in common? Texas, Florida, and Tennessee do not impose any individual income taxes.

Today there are eight no-income-tax states: Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Nevada, South Dakota, Alaska, Washington, and Wyoming.

Recognizing that people are pouring out of high tax states and into states that allow them to keep their hard-earned money, more states are working to reduce and eliminate their income taxes. Last year, 14 states passed legislation that will provide income tax relief, and key officials in many of these states want to keep chipping away at their income tax burdens until they hit zero.

That momentum has carried into this year. Nearly a dozen states either already have or are currently working to provide income tax relief. This includes Mississippi and Kentucky, which are now moving to flat income tax rates of 4% as the first step towards eliminating their income taxes completely, as well as Idaho, which delivered the largest tax cut in state history for the second year in a row.

Iowas leaders have made significant improvements to the state tax code over the last several years. Gov. Reynolds and legislative leaders understand that to create a more competitive economic climate lower tax rates are necessary. Tax rates matter and the evidence is clear from the exodus taking place from people and businesses leaving high tax states.

Even after Iowas previous tax reform package would have been fully implemented in 2023, Iowa still would have been home to one of the highest income tax rates in the country. Its top marginal income tax rate  the part of the income tax that is most often used to make decisions about investment  would have been reduced from 8.53% to 6.5%. Still higher than Massachusetts and Illinois.

Rather than sitting back and allowing Iowa to fall behind, Gov. Reynolds, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, House Speaker Pat Grassley, and many other legislative champions worked tirelessly this year to make their state competitive.

In just four years, Iowas income tax will be reduced to a flat income tax of 3.9%. This will make the Hawkeye State even more attractive to businesses looking to expand and families looking for greater prosperity. This investment will bring new jobs and opportunities for households across Iowa.

By moving to a flat rate, the new tax law will also protect all Iowans from future tax increases. While graduated income taxes divide taxpayers into small groups, allowing politicians to rob them one by one, flat taxes require politicians to justify tax increases to every single income tax filer. It is harder for politicians to increase a single rate income tax.

This tax cut would not have been possible had Gov. Reynolds and the legislature not committed to a policy of fiscal conservatism by adhering to prudent budgeting. Iowa followed the gold standard example of North Carolina: keeping spending levels low in order to facilitate sound pro-growth tax policy.

The new tax law is a huge win for all Iowans. Individual taxpayers and families will be able to keep more of their heard-earned money, business across Iowa will have more resources to invest in new jobs and higher wages, and Iowa will be better positioned to compete with the no and low-income tax states.

Chris Hagenow is vice president of Iowans for Tax Relief and former Majority Leader of the Iowa House of Representatives. Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform.

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Bunuel wrote:

Dan was driving when he and Alice left their office in a company car to travel to a business meeting. When Dan had driven 2/3 of the distance from their office to the meeting place, his cell phone rang. He pulled off the road to answer the call, and Alice drove the rest of the way to the meeting place. If Alice drove 18 fewer miles than Dan, how many miles was their office from the meeting place?



A. 18

B. 27

C. 36

D. 45

E. 54



Source: Skills Insight



Former GMAT Master Trainer (trained new GMAT instructors) for The Princeton Review.

B-schools couldn't care less about most of the content on the GMAT; the content is just a way to test how you think, not what you know . If you're studying content all the time and not learning testing techniques and psychology, you're missing a huge opportunity.

If you tag @ThatDudeKnows, you'll always get a reply! GMAT/GRE Tutor - http://www.thatdudeknows.com Former GMAT Master Trainer (trained new GMAT instructors) for The Princeton Review.B-schools couldn't care less about most of the content on the GMAT; the content is just a way to test. If you're studying content all the time and not learning testing techniques and psychology, you're missing a huge opportunity.If you tag @ThatDudeKnows, you'll always get a reply! Signature Read More

Let's glance at the answer choices. A is obviously wrong.Let's PITA (Plug In The Answers). How about C? Total distance is 36 miles. Dan drives 2/3, so 24 miles. Alice drives 12 miles. Is that a difference of 18 miles? Nope. Eliminate C.How about D? Dan drives 30 miles. Alice drives 15. Is that a difference of 18? Nope. Eliminate D.Getting closer; need to keep going.Answer choice E._________________
while protecting it

Verb form; Agreement; Parallelism

them

manufacturing

it

it

and

and

to protect

it

manufacturing

but

to protect

it

manufacturing

(C) Correct

it

while protecting it from competition from British imports

indigenous manufacturing

them

indigenous manufacturing

government policies

earliest challengers

for

United States

manufacturing

them

them

FREE trade has been a venerated economic principle in the United States going back 200 years. But there have been challengers. The first was Alexander Hamilton, who in 1791 argued for government policies that would encourage native manufacturingfrom British exports.The point of the sentence is that Alexander Hamilton challenged free trade by advocating government policies that would encourage indigenous manufacturing and, at the same time, protect this manufacturing from competition from British exports. Some of the answer choices use the plural pronoun, but the antecedent of the pronoun is, which is singular, so the singular pronounshould be used. As given, the sentence correctly uses the singular pronoun, but, because the sentence's predicate is a compound predicate, in which two verb phrases are conjoined by the word, the same verb form should be used, which is not the case here.(A) Because the predicate is compound, with verb phrases conjoined by, the verb forms should be the same; thus,is incorrect. The pronounis correct, however, as its antecedent is(B) Because the predicate is compound, with verb phrases conjoined by, the verb forms should be the same; thus,is incorrect. The pronounis correct, however, as its antecedent is. The sentence is well expressed. The pronounis correct as its antecedent is manufacturing, and the use of the participle phrase(the subject,, is given earlier and need not be repeated) appropriately conveys the idea that Hamilton advocated policies that protected the manufacturing at the same time as they encouraged its development.(D) The use ofis incorrect. Since it is plural the antecedent cannot be the singular, though that would appear to be the intended antecedent (the idea underlying the sentence is that Hamilton, in a challenge to the principle of free trade, sought both to encourage and protect indigenous manufacturing). To take either of the plural nounsoras the antecedent renders the sentence illogical, as does the use of the preposition. Although it might make sense to think that encouraging indigenous manufacturing would protect the United States,, like, is singular, and so cannot serve as the antecedent of(E) As with answer choice D, there is no plural noun that is a logically plausible antecedent for the plural pronoun
Bunuel wrote:

The recently announced dissolution of the Freedom Party, a major national political party, will not benefit the one other major national political party, the Liberty Party. It will, however, help third parties, including the Workers Party, who will now take more votes away from the Liberty Party in the upcoming national presidential race than would have been taken by the Freedom Party, had it not been dissolved.



Which of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the claim made in the last sentence above?



A. Name recognition is a better predictor of a political party's success than how well its positions match with public opinion.



B. Most voters had considered the Freedom Party and the Liberty Party to have very similar positions on most key issues.



C. The Workers Party only runs political candidates in local elections, including those for city council members, assemblymen, and mayors.



D. Polls indicate that most voters believe that candidates for third parties are more honest and trustworthy than are candidates for major national parties.



E. The dissolution of a major political party inevitably causes many voters to change their long-standing voting habits and vote for parties they have never voted for in the past.

Knewton Official Explanation

Choice C is correct.

Choice A

"name recognition"

Choices B

Choice D

Choice E

"voted in the past,"

Answer: C

This argument says that, due to the dissolution of a major party, a small, third party will gain a larger share of the votes in the upcoming presidential election from the remaining major party than the now-defunct major party would have otherwise taken. This is a convoluted phrase; in other words, it means that the Freedom Party might have taken 10,000 votes from the Liberty Party in the national president election, but now (the argument claims), third parties will take more than 10,000 votes from the Liberty Party in the presidential election.To weaken this claim, we must find a reason that major parties (and specifically, the Freedom Party) are not vulnerable to losing votes to small, third parties.This choice states that Workers Party candidates compete in local elections and may not even run a candidate for president at all. Because this choice implies that the Workers Party could not play a major role in a national election, it weakens the argument, which claims that a national party (the Freedom party) would be less competitive against the Liberty Party in a national election than would the Workers Party.makes an irrelevant comparison. It is a real-life (but not a safe GMAT) assumption that a third party would have worsethan a major party. Moreover, there is no information in the passage about which parties have positions that match public opinion.also makes an irrelevant comparison. This choice is about the perceived similarity between the the two major parties in terms of their positions on major issues, a criterion that is never even mentioned in the argument, let alone linked to electoral success. Even if this quality was relevant to electoral success, we have no way of knowing whether voters are frustrated with this similarity and looking for an alternative or are perfectly happy with it.is, if anything, a strengthener, not a weakener, of the argument in the passage. It implies that third parties have a certain advantage over major national parties, which may support the claim that the third party will provide serious competition for the Liberty Party.is irrelevant; because there is no way to determine how votersit is impossible to predict whether the changes will benefit or hurt the Liberty Party. It is equally possible, given the situation, that the people who once voted for the Freedom Party will shift their alliances to the Liberty Party or to the Workers Party, or that voters will switch from third parties to the Liberty Party; without stronger numbers, this choice cannot weaken the claim in the argument._________________
GREENSBORO  Eastern Music Festival (EMF), Greensboros nationally recognized classical music festival and summer educational program is back for another season, June 25-July 30, 2022. EMF invites audiences of all ages to come out for the 6th Annual Chamber Crawl taking place on Saturday, June 18, 1-6p.m. in Downtown Greensboro venues. Audiences are encouraged to crawl along, savor the music with food, a cold beverage, and enjoy the summer afternoon through downtown.

This years Chamber Crawl features a variety of musical local talent including: Consensus Duo (Classical Guitar), Quintet Sirocco (Award-Winning Reed Quintet), The Sononauts (Postmodernism meets Tin Pan Alley), Unifour Brass Ensemble (Brass Quintet), and Juliet Gervasi-Azam (Solo Classical Guitar).

EMF delights in the opportunity to partner with ten downtown venues including: Triad Stage, Scuppernong Books, Jerusalem Market, Cheesecakes by Alex, The Green Bean, Little Brother Brewing, Ambleside Gallery, Lewis & Elm, The Bearded Goat, and SouthEnd Brewing Co.

The Chamber Crawl would not be possible without the generous support our sponsors: ArtsGreensboro, Moore Music Company, The Cemala Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, Guilford College, and Steinway Piano Gallery.

2022 Chamber Crawl Schedule: June 18 at 1 p.m.  6 p.m.

1 p.m. Consensus Duo at Triad Stage (232 South Elm Street)

1:20 p.m. The Sononauts at Scuppernong Books (304 South Elm Street)

1:45 p.m. Quintet Sirocco at Jerusalem Market (310 South Elm Street)

2:05 p.m. Juliet Gervasi-Azam at Cheesecakes by Alex (315 South Elm Street)

2:35 p.m. Unifour Brass Ensemble at Scuppernong Books (304 South Elm Street)

3:10 p.m. Quintet Sirocco at The Green Bean (341 South Elm Street)

3:25 p.m. The Sononauts at Little Brother Brewing (348 South Elm Street)

3:40 p.m. Juliet Gervasi-Azam at Lewis & Elm (600 South Elm Street)

4:05 p.m. Consensus Duo at Ambleside Gallery (528 South Elm Street)

4:25 p.m. Unifour Brass Ensemble at The Bearded Goat (116 East Lewis Street)

5:15 p.m. Finale at SouthEnd Brewing Co. (117B West Lewis Street)

The 2022 season running June 25-July 30 will include 60-plus performances by diverse musical ensembles at its home location in Guilford Colleges Dana Auditorium, as well as other locations in Greensboro, and one performance in Boone, North Carolina. For more information on each individual performance, please visit easternmusicfestival.org/calendar/.
Saudi Cloud Computing Company (SCCC), a new joint venture company formed by Alibaba Cloud, Saudi Telecom Company (stc) Group, eWTP Arabia Capital, the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), and the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), has announced the launch of its operations across the kingdom.

The company announced the opening of two data centres in capital Riyadh at the launch ceremony which was attended by the management team from stc Group, eWTP Arabia Capital and Alibaba Cloud.

With the data stored within Saudi Arabia, the two data centres will offer customers in Saudi a local option to utilize global leading cloud capabilities with high availability, elasticity, security, sustainability.

The new data centres provide a wide range of proven and secure public cloud computing solutions ranging from elastic compute, storage, network to database to cater for the surging business demand from industries such as retail, fintech, internet, and so on along their digitalization journey in the region.

Commenting on the launch, stc Group CEO Olayan Mohammed Alwetaid said: "Saudi Arabia is making great strides towards delivering a scalable and secure IT infrastructure to keep up with the demand for a robust and secure cloud service offering in the digital era. We are extremely pleased to collaborate with Alibaba Cloud who will leverage their technology expertise and industry know-how for our customers in the Kingdom looking to embrace digital innovation."

SCCC Chairman Faisal Al Khamisi stressed that the launch of the company was a unique achievement and an important step in supporting the digital transformation process taking place in the kingdom.

"Today, under the guidance and follow-up of HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, leader of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, the launch of SCCCs services, a few days after the company's establishment, has become clear evidence that we are working within the vision of a leader who works to ease legislation and laws in the Kingdom, support attracting investments, and enhancing the Kingdoms digital position in the world," noted Al Khamisi.

Selina Yuan, Alibaba Group VP & Alibaba Cloud Intelligence International President, pointed out that Saudi Arabia was a very strategic and important market for Alibaba Cloud.

"This launch of the new joint venture is a significant milestone towards our commitment to forging collaborations with local partners to boost the digital transformation in Saudi Arabia. By collaborating closely with stc Group and other local partners, we are pleased and confident that Alibaba Cloud will support more local enterprises benefiting from the leading cloud computing technologies," he added.

Founder and Managing Partner of eWTP Arabia Capital Jerry Li said as a key participant in the joint venture, the group has invested in and supported over 16 Chinese digital technology companies among different sectors, to enter the Mena market.

"Most of them will be SCCC's first customers. eWTPA are committed to bring and encourage more advanced tech companies from China on boarding this cloud, host data locally. Participate in the transformation process of digital transformation in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards Vision2030," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A Winston-Salem man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Forsyth County jury found him guilty Thursday of first-degree murder in a 2018 shooting that killed a woman and wounded the mans half-brother. Forsyth County prosecutors said the shooting was over $500.

Jashawn Arnez Summers, 29, of the 5000 block of Kaybrook Drive, also was convicted of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle while in operation and possession of a firearm by a felon.

There are only two sentences available for someone convicted of first-degree murder  death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Because Forsyth County prosecutors did not pursue the death penalty, Judge Todd Burke of Forsyth Superior Court gave Summers a life sentence.

Assistant District Attorneys James Dornfried and Alison Lester prosecuted the case. Alec Carpenter represented Summers. Carpenter could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

Summers convictions are connected to a fatal shooting on Feb. 22, 2018. Tenisha Jenel Mills was shot in the neck and the head while she was in the front passenger seat of a Kia sedan. She died on Feb. 23, 2018, at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The shooting happened in the 500 block of East 25th Street. Christopher Grooms, Summers half-brother, was also shot and also was injured by broken glass, according to search warrants and Winston-Salem police.

Prior to the shooting, Summers and Grooms had argued over $500 that Grooms was supposed to use toward Summers bond for a pending assault charge, according to a news release from the Forsyth County District Attorneys Office. Grooms, however, gave the money to the mother of Summers children for the childrens care.

According to search warrants and closing arguments, Grooms and Mills went to Hot Dog City restaurant on North Patterson Avenue to get something to eat and meet his sister, Vaneisha Summers. When they got there, Grooms said he saw Jashawn Summers. Summers and Vaneisha Summers have a child together, search warrants said. Grooms told police that there had been a history of violence between Summers and Grooms sister.

Grooms and Mills left the restaurant to avoid a confrontation with Summers, prosecutors said in the news release.

But Summers and several other people got into a white 2017 Nissan Pathfinder, which was later found out to have been reported stolen from Modern Nissan on University Parkway. Grooms said the Pathfinder followed them.

Near the intersection of East 25th Street and Blum Park, Grooms told police that the Pathfinder pulled up to the left side of his car, on the wrong side of the road. Grooms said a man named Armando Nicolas Pagan, who is facing a charge of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, was driving. Summers was in the rear passenger seat.

Grooms told police that Summers and another man fired multiple shots into his vehicle. Then the Pathfinder drove away. Grooms drove his car to the Winston-Salem Police Department and called 911.

According to a search warrant, police officers found Grooms car with multiple bullet holes in the left and rear sides. Prosecutors said Summers rolled down his window and fired several shots into Grooms vehicle. An autopsy report later said Mills died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Winston-Salem police detectives said in a search warrant that Hot Dog Citys surveillance cameras showed Summers, Pagan and another man, who has not been charged, coming into the restaurant at 9:12 p.m. on Feb. 22, 2018. The men ordered food, but left suddenly without getting anything. Two minutes later, Grooms called 911.

Pagan testified against Summers during the trial, which started with jury selection last week. Summers also took the stand in his own defense. Summers did admit to Winston-Salem police that he had gone to Hot Dog City but denied being with Pagan or anyone else, according to search warrants. He also denied that he was in the Kia sedan with the men and said he was not involved in Mills murder.

Pagan testified that Summers was in the car with him when the shooting occurred. Pagan admitted that he fired a gun in the air.

On March 12, 2018, Summers was arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Three days before his arrest, authorities found the Pathfinder at the same place where Summer would later be taken into custody. The Pathfinder had been spray-painted black, the news release said. When he was arrested, Summers gave the name of his brother and had a semi-automatic handgun. Summers is facing pending federal charges connected to the handgun.

In closing arguments Thursday morning, Assistant District Attorney James Dornfried said Summers portrayed himself as a prominent drug dealer who made upwards of $300,000 in a year. That wasnt true, he said. But what is true, he argued to the jury, is that Summers is a killer.

He took (Mills) life and he took her away from her family, Dornfried said.

Besides Pagan, another person, Katisha Lashawn Springs, 28, was also charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. She is also facing a charge for possession of stolen goods or vehicle in connection to the stolen Pathfinder. Springs, who was charged May 23, is in the Forsyth County Jail with bond set at $500,000.

Summers was previously convicted in 2012 on charges that he fired a gun three times into a car stopped at a light at Carver School Road. The driver of the car, Donte Marquee Felders, was hit twice and seriously injured, Assistant District Attorney Matt Breeding said at a 2012 hearing. The shooting happened on Sept. 14, 2011. Breeding said the incident was over a dispute between Felders and Summers brother Javon over a mutual ex-girlfriend. Summers was sentenced to a maximum of six years, six months in prison and was released from prison in 2016.
Today's highlight:

On June 6, 1944, during World War II, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, on "D-Day" as they began the liberation of German-occupied Western Europe.

On June 6:

In 1844, the Young Men's Christian Association was founded in London.

In 1912, Novarupta, a volcano on the Alaska peninsula, began a three-day eruption, sending ash as high as 100,000 feet; it was the most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century and ranks among the largest in recorded history.

In 1934, the Securities and Exchange Commission was established.

In 1939, the first Little League game was played as Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy 23-8 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, 25 hours after he was shot by Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.

In 1977, a sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law imposing an automatic death sentence on defendants convicted of the first-degree murder of a police officer.

In 1982, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon to drive Palestine Liberation Organization fighters out of the country. (The Israelis withdrew in June 1985.)

In 1989, burial services were held for Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Washington state Democrat Tom Foley succeeded Jim Wright as House speaker.

In 2001, Democrats formally assumed control of the U.S. Senate after the decision of Vermont Republican James Jeffords to become an independent.

In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that people who smoked marijuana because their doctors recommended it to ease pain could be prosecuted for violating federal drug laws.

In 2006, soul musician Billy Preston died in Scottsdale, Arizona, at age 59.

In 2012, Business social network LinkedIn reported that some of its users' passwords had been stolen and leaked onto the Internet. New Yorkers lined the West Side waterfront to welcome the space shuttle Enterprise as it sailed up the Hudson River to its new home aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

In 2017, Bill Cosby's chief accuser, Andrea Constand, took the stand at his sexual assault trial to tell her story publicly for the first time, saying the comedian groped her after giving her three blue pills that left her paralyzed and helpless. (The jury deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial, but Cosby was convicted in a second trial; Pennsylvania's highest court would toss out that conviction.) George and Amal Clooney welcomed twins Ella and Alexander. Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, 81, once one of the world's richest men, who was implicated in the Iran-Contra affair, died in London.

In 2020, tens of thousands rallied in cities from Australia to Europe to honor George Floyd and voice support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Massive, peaceful protests took place nationwide to demand police reform, as services for George Floyd were held in North Carolina, near his birthplace.

In 2021, several ceremonies were held in France to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day, though for the second year in a row, commemorations were marked by virus travel restrictions that prevented many veterans and families of fallen soldiers from attending. Roger Federer withdrew from the French Open, a day after a four-set third-round victory, in order to rest before Wimbledon.

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DECATUR  A felon who told Decatur police he carried an illegal gun for his protection was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.

Tyler M. Blackburn took a plea deal in Macon County Circuit Court and admitted a charge of being a felon on possession of a gun. The deal, negotiated by his defense attorney, Jacqueline Hollis-George, then saw Judge Jeffrey Geisler dismiss a charge of armed violence.

A sworn Decatur police affidavit about the case said Blackburn, 28, had been a backseat passenger in a traffic stop Jan. 29.

A police dog alerted to the presence of drugs and police said they found a gram of methamphetamine in Blackburns pants pocket; they also found a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun tucked under the front passenger seat.

Tyler acknowledged that he was not allowed to possess the handgun due to being a convicted felon, but stated he carried it with him for protection, said Officer Clayton Zilz, who signed the affidavit.

Zilz said Blackburn had a criminal record that showed previous convictions out of Indiana for battery involving serious bodily harm and residential burglary. At the time of his arrest he had an outstanding warrant from Edgar County for criminal trespass to a house.

In addition to the prison sentence, Geisler ordered that Blackburn pay $250 to have his DNA added to a criminal database maintained by the State Police.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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Its easy to take for granted one of our countrys greatest strengths: a legal system in which we settle our disputes peacefully in court. We do this without the type of violence, intimidation and threats against judges that occur in too many other countries.

That was true until someone leaked a draft opinion from the Supreme Court a few weeks ago.

Now, even though the Supreme Court hasnt even issued its official opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, pro-abortion protesters are gathering outside the homes of the five conservative justices who are assumed to be in the majority of the leaked draft. These crowds have engaged in illegal protests outside the homes of those justices each week since the leak, in clear violation of federal and state law.

So why arent Attorney General Merrick Garland and Steve Descano, the rogue state prosecutor of Fairfax County, Virginia, enforcing federal and state law to stop pro-abortion extremists invading the neighborhoods of Supreme Court justices in order to intimidate them  and their families  over the upcoming decision in Dobbs v. Jackson?

These foul-mouthed vulgarians have no regard for the law, civility or even human life. Their sentiments about the killing of unborn children are entirely captured by one of them saying save the fetus, (expletive) the child at the home of Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

They protest every Thursday night at Barretts house and rotate from one conservative justices home to another throughout the week. There have also been protests at the Alexandria, Virginia, home of Justice Samuel Alito.

Imagine for just a moment that an important Second Amendment case was pending before the Supreme Court and a memo was leaked indicating that the liberal justices were poised to do what the progressive left has wanted the court to do for years: erase the Second Amendment from the Bill of Rights.

Picture gun-rights advocates showing up at the homes of Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, shouting profanity-laced slogans, disrupting the peace of the neighborhood, and scaring the other families who live there.

In other words, acting just like the abortion protesters are now.

Does anyone doubt that theyd be immediately arrested (and properly so), and Garland and Descano would be arguing over who was going to prosecute them first? But because Garland and Descano agree with the political views of these protesters, they refuse to do anything to stop what they are doing  trying to impede, obstruct, intimidate, and influence Supreme Court justices doing their jobs.

Even Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., says whats happening is reprehensible, adding: Stay away from the homes and families of election officials and members of the court.

Durbin is right. A recent poll showed that 75 percent of those polled do not agree with publishing the homes addresses of the five Supreme Court justices, nor do they agree with the protests happening at their homes.

Federal law is quite clear. Under 18 U.S.C.  1507, it is a criminal violation of federal law to picket or parade near a building or residence occupied or used by [a federal] judge, juror, witness, or court officer with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness, or court officer, in the discharge of his duty.

While we have extensive First Amendment rights in this country to speak out, including criticizing decisions of federal courts, we do not have the right to try to abuse that freedom by trying to intimidate judges, jurors, and witnesses in ongoing cases to influence their decisions and their testimony.

No one wants to restrict peaceful, civil protests in the public arena. But taking that to peoples homes, to their families, is an outrageous  and dangerous  abuse that should be stopped.

Hans A. von Spakovsky is a Senior Legal Fellow at The Heritage Foundation and a former Justice Department lawyer.

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HURLEY, Va.  On Saturday, deputies with the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office responded to a shooting call in the Mill Creek section of Hurley, Virginia.

The call was received at approximately 8:15 p.m. by the Buchanan County 911 Dispatch of a male subject shooting a firearm at a residence.

Deputies with the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office Special Response Team responded along with investigators. One man was taken into custody without incident. No one was injured during the incident, police said.

An investigation found that the incident was a domestic situation. The male was found to be intoxicated and searching for a family member. The accused male allegedly fired at a family members residence and vehicle. No one was inside the residence or vehicle at the time of the shooting.

Ernest Clayton Young, 77, of Hurley, was charged with: felony attempted breaking and entering; felony arson of an occupied dwelling; felony firearm used in commission of felony and public intoxication, among other charges.

Young was booked and is currently being held at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authoritys Haysi facility. A hearing is scheduled at the Buchanan County General District Court on Monday.
We all watched in horror.

More than a week ago, the tight-knit community of Uvalde, Texas, was ravaged by a mass shooting at an elementary school. Two teachers and 19 children were slaughtered in their fourth-grade classroom at the hands of an 18-year-old armed with an assault-style rifle. Parents received the worst news they will ever hear: Your baby is gone.

As a mother, I know the worry American parents feel across the country when we send our children off to school. But it is the reality that countless American children live in fear of being murdered in their classrooms that should unite Americans across the nation in wanting change.

As a legislator who believes no American should live in fear of being murdered, I know its long past time to enact commonsense gun violence prevention legislation.

Since I came to Congress, I have voted twice to pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act to ensure existing laws meant to keep guns out of the hands of those with a history of violence are being enforcedensuring that background checks occur for all purchases, including for sales online and at gun shows.

I have also voted twice in support of the Enhanced Background Checks Act, which would extend the amount of time federal law enforcement has to complete background checks. While 91% of checks are cleared within minutes, law enforcement has three business days to return that last 9%. If this window expires, the background check defaults to an approvalknown as a default proceed. Now known as the Charleston Loophole, this default proceed allowed the man who killed nine congregants at Emanuel AME Church to purchase the pistol he used, despite being prohibited by law from owning a firearm because of his violent history.

Congress has more concrete, data-driven actions to consider. For example, I have repeatedly voiced my support and cosponsored legislation related to Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), or red flag laws, to give law enforcement the ability to act when friends and family report concerns about armed individuals. These measures can save the lives of those in crisis and those around themas we have seen in states, like Virginia, where they are in place. After the Parkland massacre, we watched a Republican state legislature pass and a Republican governor sign an ERPO measure into law in Florida.

Congress should also enact safe storage laws. In 2020, firearms surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States. Responsible gun storage that prevents children from accessing firearms is vital in preventing unintended shootings, suicides, and intentional violence by minors.

But in the United States, endemic and high-fatality mass shootings are directly tied to unbridled access to assault-style weapons. Both the Uvalde and Buffalo shooters purchased their assault-style rifles at 18 years old.

Americans must be 21 to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed dealer. Yet the minimum federal age to purchase riflesincluding semi-automatic, assault-style weaponsis 18. Raising this age to 21 is a first step towards protecting lives.

I also support reinstating the ban on large-capacity magazines. The use of large-capacity magazines in shootings statistically leads to higher fatality rates and the unfortunate reality is that requiring would-be mass murderers to reload saves livesallowing people to escape and law enforcement to intervene.

As a former federal law enforcement officer, I carried a gun and two extra magazines every day. My mags were stamped with for law enforcement use only, because at the time, federal law limited magazine capacity to 10 rounds outside of law enforcement useand mine held more than 10. That provision was part of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which expired in 2004.

Ultimately, we should move toward reinstating the ban on the manufacturing, sale, and transfer of assault-style weapons. I have twice cosponsored the Assault Weapons Ban, which clearly defines the weapons that would be impactedfirearms manufactured for the quick and efficient massacre of human beingswhile exempting more than 2,200 firearms with prominent use for home protection and hunting. When similar provisions were in place under the 1994 ban, mass shootings declined by 37%. Once these provisions expired, gun massacres increased by 183%.

If we are serious about protecting Americas childrenand all Americansfrom gun violence, then we need to turn our reactions of horror into action. The problem of gun violence in America is devastatingly pervasive, but we are the country that has demonstrated ingenuity, progress, and strength since our founding. We must rise to the occasion.

U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger is a Democrat representing Virginias 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a former CIA case officer and former federal agent.
As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, Reid McKay was once part of a group that searched for a missing plane and domestic terrorist Eric Rudolph in a remote area of North Carolina.

The search took place in Andrews, which is about 20 minutes from where Rudolph was eventually found in 2003. Rudolph was also known as the Olympic Park Bomber.

One of the FBI agents helping with the search had a birthday at the time of the search so his father flew down to Andrews from Ohio. He never made it. The Civil Air Patrol began a search for the missing plane on top of the Rudolph search that was ongoing. Civil Air Patrol members worked out of the southeast bomb task force command center along with law enforcement entities from much of the East Coast.

Ive never seen so many different badges and things in my life, McKay said. The search was memorable because McKay and the Civil Air Patrol worked with the FBI agent whose father was missing. He said it was hard for them to tell him that they were going to have to stop the search after two weeks because they had exhausted every effort to find his father.

Lt. Col. A. Reid McKay joined the Hickory squadron of the Civil Air Patrol in 1972. The Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary branch of the U.S. Air Force that partners with civilian pilots and other civilian personnel.

McKay is involved with the cadet program, which is for teenagers. The program teaches young people leadership skills by including them in emergency services missions with the senior members of the squadron.

This year is McKays 50th year as a member of the Hickory Civil Air Patrol Squadron. It is also the 50th anniversary of the Hickory Civil Air Patrol Squadron being reorganized from a cadet squadron into a composite squadron, which includes cadets and senior members.

On the most rewarding part of being a member of the Civil Air Patrol:

McKay said one of the most rewarding parts of his time in the Civil Air Patrol has been finding missing aircrafts and missing people. Even if the outcome is not always good, it is still important to be able to bring closure to loved ones, McKay said. Providing relief on a short-term basis until things return to normal for disasters such as hurricanes and even COVID-19 has been rewarding, as well, he said.

McKay said he watched cadets become academy appointees for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. He also saw a cadet earn a Silver Star Medal and continue into the U.S. Army. Its very rewarding to see those young people as they develop and become leaders in the community in part because of some of the things that we were able to teach them while they were cadets, McKay said.

On his passions and joys:

With the help of his peers, McKay said he got his radio operator license after he joined the Civil Air Patrol. He also plays the trombone in a community band and performs with an 18-piece dance band that plays 1940s music.

The best advice hes received:

The best advice McKay received was from his father about his high school geometry teacher. His dad said, Youre not gonna marry her; youre just taking geometry for one year. McKay was anxious about beginning the class, but his fathers words reminded him that nothing is permanent and he would get through the class and move on. McKay has since thought about that quote and applied it to other situations throughout his life.

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The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

That saying is appropriate if you've ever come to regret making a job change. It's a topic that Rick Kyte and Scott Rada tackle in their latest episode of The Ethical Life.

Many people have changed jobs during what's been called the Great Resignation during the COVID-19 pandemic, but those moves haven't worked out for everyone.

The conversation may give you pause if you're considering a career move.

Moving money around

This week on PennyWise, host Teri Barr spoke with Chanelle Bessette of NerdWallet about a study that shows four out of five Americans are choosing to reallocate their savings from a traditional account. They talk about the study and a few signs to keep an eye on if you are considering other savings options.

Can one film save theaters?

We all know that movie theaters have been hurting since the start of the pandemic, but there was a growing movement to turn living rooms into home cinemas thanks to increased streaming options even before 2020 shutdowns.

So can "Top Gun: Maverick" save the movie industry? It's a point co-host Bruce Miller makes during the latest episode of Streamed & Screened. It's an interesting thought that centers on whether studios should focus on fewer, but better blockbusters.

The crew also touch on other new releases, the Hulu series "Pistol" and the upcoming film on Elvis Presley.

An uneasy history between presidents and the press

The latest episode of the Utterly Moderate Podcast sheds some light on the often tense relationship between the press and sitting presidents. In fact, the two sides have clashed since the beginning of American history, and it's by design as First Amendment protections in the Constitution were put in place so a free press could hold government officials, regardless of political party, accountable.

The discussion shifts to shrinking local media coverage (there's no shortage of national reporting) and what can happen when local governments are left to operate unchecked.

Another storm season begins

June 1 marked the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, so the Lee Weather Team gathered to discuss the topic in the latest episode with special guest Joel Cline from the National Weather Service.

Benefits of medical cannabis

The Arizona Daily Star recently launched a podcast called Here Weed Go! that looks at the marijuana industry, and not just in Arizona as national topics are addressed, including pain management. The most recent episode looks at cannabinoid-based research and findings from three experts from the University of Arizona Health Sciences Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center.

Daily news updates

And don't forget our daily news podcast Hot off the Wire that offers new episodes Monday through Friday as well as periodic bonus episodes on breaking news and enterprise topics. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

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Visit to Pacific island countries practice of China's equality-based diplomacy, boosts common development -- Chinese FM

Xinhua) 08:28, June 06, 2022

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday had an interview with media after concluding his tour to Pacific island countries of the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.

Wang said China has always adhered to a diplomatic vision that all countries, big or small, are equal, and long advocated that no one should be left behind in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Pacific island countries are now facing with more risks and challenges amid a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, a weak global economic recovery and a turbulent international situation, Wang noted.

He said his tour, aiming to consolidate friendship, enhance cooperation, address challenges together, seek common development, and jointly build a better future with all Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China, is one of peace, cooperation and friendship.

China is willing to work together with friends of Pacific island countries to well implement the important consensuses reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of relevant Pacific island countries, and to be more united in walking side by side, firmer in supporting each other, and more pragmatic in carrying out mutual beneficial cooperation, Wang said.

China is also willing to make new contributions to boosting development, revitalization, peace and tranquility of the South Pacific region, and to build a closer community with a shared future between China and Pacific island countries, he said.

Noting that both China and Pacific island countries are developing countries, Wang said the two sides have broad consensuses, similar concerns and common missions.

Summarizing the connotation of China's policy on Pacific island countries, Wang said China adheres to treating others as equals, and to mutual respect.

The Chinese side always respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pacific island countries, respects their people's exploration of development paths suited to their national conditions, and does not interfere in Pacific island countries' internal affairs, he said.

China also adheres to win-win cooperation, and to openness and inclusiveness, Wang said. China's cooperation with Pacific island countries is not targeted at and will not be interfered by any country, he added.

Noting that he carried out extensive and in-depth communication with 17 leaders and more than 30 ministers of 10 Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China, Wang said he felt Pacific island countries' pursuit for development, desire for cooperation and expectation for China.

These Pacific island countries all hope to benefit from China's development to boost their own sustainable development, and want to expand exchanges and carry forward friendship with China and to consolidate public support for bilateral friendship, he said.

They all appreciate China for upholding justice in safeguarding Pacific island countries' legitimate rights and interests on the international stage, and for speaking out in addressing climate change and other global affairs, Wang added.

During the visit, China and Pacific island countries reached new broad consensuses on deepening practical bilateral cooperation, Wang said.

First, the two sides need to work together to address climate change, which is the most pressing challenge facing island countries. Second, China will help Pacific island countries promote diversified development, which is the only way for them to achieve modernization, he noted.

Third, both sides need to join hands in the development of the ocean, which is the key to the sustainable development of the island countries. Fourth, the two sides need to expand emerging industries such as digital economy, which will be the growth point of the island countries' economy in the future, the foreign minister added.

He said that the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting is the first to be held in Pacific island countries since the establishment of the mechanism last year, adding there are other regional organizations in the region as well, such as the Pacific Islands Forum.

China's relations with the island countries will be driven by bilateral channels and new multilateral platforms, Wang said.

He also emphasized that China has no intention of competing with anyone for influence or engaging in geographical competition, adding that with an open mind and in accordance with the willingness of Pacific island countries, China is ready to continue to carry out more tripartite or quadripartite cooperation with Australia and New Zealand in the South Pacific region, so as to give full play to respective advantages of all sides and form greater synergy.

Located on the southward extension of the Belt and Road Initiative, Pacific island countries are important partners in the joint building of the Belt and Road, Wang said.

During his visit, China has signed an implementation plan on jointly building the Belt and Road with Kiribati, and achieved 52 bilateral cooperation results with Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China in 15 fields including climate change, anti-pandemic fight, disaster preparedness and mitigation, green development, medical and health care, agriculture, trade, civil aviation and tourism, he added.

The senior Chinese official also said that during the first China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting last year, China announced the establishment of the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Action Cooperation Center, Poverty Reduction and Development Cooperation Center and Reserve of Emergency Supplies, which were warmly welcomed by Pacific island countries.

During the second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting, China also announced the establishment of the China-Pacific Island Countries Demonstration Center for Agricultural Cooperation, Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Cooperation Center and Juncao Technology Demonstration Center, Wang noted, adding that once declared, the projects received warm response from Pacific island countries, who also expressed hope for active participation.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
The Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) recently hosted Spanish Tourism Minister Maria Reyes Maroto in a bilateral investment forum aimed at strengthening investment partnerships in sustainable tourism.



The forum, attended by Abdulrahman Al Fadhli, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, took place on the sidelines of the 116th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization in Jeddah.



Abdulrahman Al Fadhli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said: Saudi Arabia and Spain have historic bilateral ties dating back sixty years and today signifies our shared ambitions to seize investment opportunities and unleash growth with our tourism industries. This is yet further evidence of the growing confidence that businesses around the world have in Saudi Arabia as an investment destination of untapped opportunity.



As the Kingdom wide-sweeping economic and social reforms continue to transform the Kingdom, our National Investment Strategy will continue to unlock game-changing investment opportunities in the tourism sector.



Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, said: "I was very pleased to share our vision and plans with Spanish businesses in Riyadh today. Saudi's fast-growing tourism sector is one of the most exciting opportunities in the world. Last year was a record year for domestic tourism, and we are aiming to attract 70 million international and domestic visitors this year. We already benefit from Spains experience and expertise in tourism, and hope that more Spanish businesses will join the many leading international partners already working with us."



The forum follows several successful events hosted this year by the Ministry of Investment to bolster global bilateral relationships and support foreign investment attraction.



Ahmed Al Khateeb and Maria Reyes Maroto also met on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the Future Investment Initiative in October last year. Earlier this year the Saudi government announced plans to invest a further $1 trillion dollars in the tourism sector over the next ten years.  TradeArabia News Service
Funweek

Si intitola Noi Suonavamo In Un Gruppo Rock il nuovo singolo di Caleido, che arriva a distanza di un anno dalla pubblicazione dellalbum Popcorn. Scritto da Caleido, composto insieme a Francesco Massidda e prodotto da David Paysden e Giordano Colombo, Noi Suonavamo In Un Gruppo Rock e un brano che guarda con nostalgia agli anni Novanta. E una canzone nostalgica. - ci dice Caleido - Ed e nata in modo naturale e in poco tempo. Stavo vedendo su YouTube un live dei Pulp e mi sono messo a scrivere un pensiero sul computer che si concludeva con questa frase. Noi Suonavamo In Un Gruppo Rock. In seguito, ho ripreso in mano quel pensiero e mi colpi tantissimo. Tutto e partito quindi dal titolo.
The Taiwan National Police Agency has commissioned telecommunications equipment company Motorola Solutions to upgrade its mission-critical communications network.

Under the deal, Motorola Solutions will support the prime contractor Mercuries Data Systems (MDS) to deliver the project worth US$128 million ($176 million) for the Taiwan Police Communication Office, National Police Agency of the Ministry of Interior.

The four-year project will deliver a private communications system to support public safety and protection in Taiwan. The upgrade to advanced, digitally encrypted radio communications based on the P25 standard, claims Motorola Solutions, is the most significant modernisation of Taiwans mission critical communication system in almost two decades.

It will provide Taiwans police agencies with higher quality coverage, new security features, and stronger links to strengthen communication between cities and regional areas.

Police and criminal investigation bureaus as well as aviation, roads, civil defence and other specialist units will benefit from interoperable communications.

Taiwan National Police chief of mobility communication section Li Guan Ying says the upgrade would provide significant efficiencies for police agencies.

Taiwan has undergone significant urban planning and development in recent years which has transformed the environment that we operate within, Li says.

Our new radio system has been designed to keep officers connected to secure and reliable communication at all times and in any circumstance, from underground railway stations to bustling city areas and beyond, he adds.

Taiwans mission-critical communications will be extended via Wave Ptx, Motorolas secure communication platform, which will connect teams across different devices, networks and locations, enabling agencies to collaborate with instant voice and data communication via broadband networks.

Motorola Solutions vice president for Asia Pacific Steve Crutchfield says the upgraded communications network would meet the daily needs of Taiwans public safety agencies while providing greater flexibility and resilience to cope with peak events and disasters.

The new communications system will help Taiwans police services to respond to public calls for assistance with greater speed, precision and confidence, Crutchfield says.

Public safety agencies also need to be ready to respond at a moments notice. With the Wave PTX platform, Taiwans public safety teams, volunteers and other frontline workers will all be able to connect to instant push-to-talk communications anywhere and anytime - regardless of the type of device they carry or the network they are connected to, he says.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 3 June 2022.
Editor's note: The following story appeared on the front page of the June 6, 1944, edition of the Journal Gazette. Nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the United States, Canada and other nations landed in Normandy on that date, an invasion widely known as D-Day.

A new and climactic page in the war-ravaged history of the world was written today when American, British and Allied troops stormed into northern France by air and sea and launched the great battle for liberation of Nazi Europe.

Four years from the day the Germans broke the Maginot Line at Sedan and less than 48 hours after redemption of Rome, H-Hour of D-Day came  the moment so long awaited by the world's democracies and so deeply and realistically feared by the war lords of Germany.

As a pure and simple military undertaking the invasion was stupendous in its magnitude. As a controlling factor in the destinies of the world for generations to come it was a stroke of man-made fate that in the future may never find a parallel.

Four upon its outcome depends deliverance of the world from Nazi tyranny and already, only a few hours after the opening gun was fired, there were strong indications of success in at least the initial phases of the greatest armed operation in the history of the world.

With a prayer for God's support upon his lips and an unshakeable conviction of ultimate triumph in his heart, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the signal for attack in the early hours of this morning.

At his bidding hundreds of thousands of men, 11,000 war planes, thousands of warships and craft of all description and hundreds of belching guns went into action.

By barge, glider and parachute the Allies went into the attack, streaming into French towns and villages over a 100-odd-mile stretch between Le Havre and Cherbourg on the northern French coast, while countless thousands baled out behind the German lines to set up airfields and sever enemy communications.

The English channel skies were black with Allied war craft, heavy and medium bombers, fighters, fighter-bombers, rocket-bombers, tow-planes, gliders, supply and hospital craft and possibly aerial tank carriers.

On Gigantic Scale

In the opening wedge, "well over" 1,000 Royal Air Force Lancaster and Halifax bombers dropped more than 5,000 tons of high explosives on 10 enemy gun emplacements during the night to pave the way for the invasion.

This was a concrete example of the way it was done. These gigantic bombers were built to carry six tons or more on flights of 1,200 or 1,500 miles. Instead they had to fly 50, 60 or 100 miles at the most from the British coast, which means a minimum fuel load, and the devastation they left behind them over France must have been complete.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill "took the play" in the early stages of the attack by going before the House of Commons and reporting with manifest confidence on progress of the operation.

Airborne aspects of the invasion have been "successfully effected," Churchill said, vast sea landings are under way and the entire undertaking is proceeding "according to plan."

It was characteristic of the British leader to add this interjection: "and what a plan!"

Few Nazi Planes

With the German radio conceding actual establishment of two Allied beachheads and steady reinforcement of troops already landed on the continent, these facts seemed to stand out as bellwethers of the great offensive.

1  The German air force failed to put in anything in the nature of effective opposition and anti-aircraft fire was comparatively light.

2  Adolf Hitler's "impregnable" fortress Europe appeared to have been taken by surprise to some extent at least, possibly because remote hamlets were chosen for some of the landings along a stretch of coast impossible to defend yard by yard.

3  German sea fortifications proved far less formidable than had been anticipated.

4  With the invasion being carried out "in depth" as well as along the shore, there was the hoped-for possibility that German communications would be severed or demoralized, hampering what Allied military leaders clearly expect as the second phase  a Nazi counter-attack in force.

5  The whole operation in any case found Anglo-American leadership supremely confident.

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GREENSBORO  Police say they are investigating a stabbing and two shootings that happened Sunday night and early Monday, as well as a shooting early Sunday that critically injured one of the two victims at that scene.

At 3:09 a.m. Monday, officers responded to a local hospital about a stabbing victim transported there by a private vehicle. Officers determined the assault occurred at the Intown Suites Extended Stay on 501 Americhase Drive.

At 1:01 a.m., officers responded to a call about a shooting in the 300 block of Mount Olive Drive and located a gunshot victim, who was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Police said in a news release that the person's injuries were not life-threatening.

At 11:52 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a shooting in the 1600 block of North English Street and located two victims with "unknown injuries," according to a news release from police. Both victims were taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

At 12:48 a.m. Sunday, police were called to a local hospital about two gunshot victims who arrived by private vehicle. One victim was listed in critical condition and the second victim had injuries described by police as not life-threatening. Police had not determined the location of the shooting at the time the news release was issued.

Police have not released any additional details about any of the incidents as of 8 a.m. today. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000.
A 22-year-old man was shot in the chest Sunday afternoon while standing outside a house off South Main Street.

At 3:48 p.m. police responded to the 2700 block of Patria Street to a report of a man being shot, said Lt. Daniel Battjes of the Winston-Salem Police Department.

A 22-year-old male was shot one time in the chest, he said.

The victim, Devin Rhyahd Sebastian of Sumter, S.C., was taken to a local hospital. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening.

A black Nissan sedan pulled up in front of the house, Battjes said, and there was an exchange of gunfire from the vehicle and people in front of the house.

Sebastian went back into the house, police said, and the Nissan sped away. Two handguns were recovered at the scene.

Neighbors gathered at either end of Patria Street within minutes of patrol officers cordoning off the road.

Patrol officers canvassed the area and asked several people if theyd seen the black Nissan  a Maxima or Altima  with dark-tinted windows or if they knew someone in the area who drove one.

I heard at least three shots while I was watching TV, said Troy Davis, a Patria Street resident who came outside once he realized the shooting had ended. An ambulance got (the victim) out of here in a hurry.

A news release issued by police late Sunday afternoon indicated that investigators believe the shooting was a targeted incident and not a random act of violence.

Anyone with any information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Winston-Salem Police Department at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800, or En Espanol 336-728-3904.

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PILOT MOUNTAIN  Between the parking spot between the police department and town hall and the time of day  the traditional lunch hour  Donald Muellers food truck was hard to miss.

And even harder to pass by.

A small but steady stream of passersby, many who already knew Mueller through his nine years running a Pilot Mountain fixture called the Mountainview Restaurant, sidled up with variations of the same greeting seasoned with a couple basic questions.

When do you open?  Whats for lunch?  Good luck!

The answer, delivered with the confident smile of a man whos weathered a financial storm touched off by the COVID lockdown, was equally to the point.

Thank you. Its been a long time coming, Mueller said. Well be here Saturday for Hometown Heroes. Come on back.

New opportunity

The fact that Mueller chose an occasion on Memorial Day weekend honoring military veterans and first responders for his comeback was equal parts happenstance, good timing and deliberate choice

The truck, which hes dubbed My Kitchen, had its final inspection scheduled two days before Hometown Heroes. The celebration would be in Pilot Mountain, his adopted hometown.

Mueller also is a proud Navy man, which is evident in details large and small ranging from the trucks dark blue paint scheme to the anchor sticker affixed to a propane tank.

Noticed that, huh? he said. The Navy was an important part of my life. I was an information systems technician  IT. Surface warfare qualified.

Some of the things he learned (and had reinforced) in the service came in handy in late spring of 2020 when widespread COVID lockdowns laid siege to the restaurant industry.

Mueller instinctively knew what was about to happen and made the difficult choice to shutter the Mountain View after a nine-year run.

He owned the restaurant and everything in it but not the building in which he operated it. Rent, already high, would be near impossible to meet without steady in-person business.

That was hard, he said. It was seven days a week, 10 and 12 hours a day, and then  nothing.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Mueller picked himself up and got busy. He took another time-consuming job, managing the kitchen for a chain restaurant in Winston-Salem. While making the long commute, he began thinking about his next move.

When COVID vaccines became widely available, the pandemic morphed into something more manageable  1 million American deaths notwithstanding.

Opportunity, in the form of a food truck put up for sale in Gastonia for about $60,000, honked late last year.

Making a transition

Mueller already knew food and how to run a business. Hed cultivated loyalty among some longtime employees, too, so hiring wouldnt be an issue.

Its like running a factory, an assembly line, and about making sure your system is in place to operate as efficiently as possible, he said.

The byzantine world of rules and regulation, as it pertains to food trucks, was another matter. Food trucks have to conform to state health law, which means that their owners need a commissary arrangement  a deal with a brick-and-mortar food business that provides access to running water and refrigeration, among other things.

With the goodwill that comes with being part of a community, he had no trouble lining that up. After that, getting ready to roll was a matter of fine tuning, tending to such things as getting the kitchen exactly the way he wanted it, planning the menu  classic American fare  and naming his truck.

Lessons learned during the pandemic and a lot of soul searching about life/work balance led Mueller to christen his venture My Kitchen.

Because its mine, he explained. Nobody can take it from me. I dont have to worry about rent. I can set my own hours, work as much as I want when I want and have time for other things.

So now, if hes of a mind to, Mueller can jump on his bike and ride the quiet roads near his home. He can visit old friends in his Maryland hometown or spend a couple days at the beach if he wants.

The long pandemic and attendant shutdown exacted a toll on nearly everyone. Coronavirus closed Muellers business but opened his eyes to other possibilities.

COVID cant stop me or shut me down, he said.

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Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines said this weekend he has no plans at this time to request reinstating the citys mask mandate in response to the latest uptick in COVID-19 community spread.

As the local and statewide peak from the omicron surge was fading by late February, Joines ended the mandate March 1.

Residents of Forsyth County now have a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 than they have had for months, according to Fridays federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update.

It is the first time Forsyth has been listed in the high category since Feb. 25, which was during the peak of the omicron variant locally and statewide.

Forsyth had been in the low-spread category since March 10 before being shifted to medium last week.

The COVID-19 community level is determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

With the shift from medium to high, the CDC recommends residents of Forsyth wear a well-fitted mask in indoor public spaces and on public transportation, regardless of your vaccination status.

Respirator and surgical masks offer the most protection.

Joines said the city will likely put out an advisory encouraging individuals to wear masks indoors.

People in Forsyth also should stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines; get tested if you have symptoms; and, if at high risk for severe illness, consider taking additional precautions, according to CDC recommendations.

Gov. Roy Cooper recommended a March 7 ending to K-12 school and local government mask mandates.

New COVID-19 cases rose again in Forsyth last week, but at a much lower rate of increase, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services update Wednesday.

Forsyth had a 4.3% uptick in weekly cases to 1,119, along with one additional COVID-related death. Thats compared with a 25.8% jump for the week that ended May 21 and a 19% hike for the week that ended May 14.

Weve seen week-over-week increases in cases the past two months, but its been a slow increase for the most part, Forsyth health director Joshua Swift said Thursday. The increases have not been as steep as we saw with omicron and delta.

Swift stressed the DHHS weekly case totals include only laboratory-confirmed cases and dont include most individuals who determine they are positive with an at-home test. Individuals are not required to report their positive tests to county health departments.

Swift said that, based on his conversations with infectious diseases experts, that the actual positive case test rate could be six to eight times higher than DHHS updates reflect.

Forsyth has had 825 COVID-19 related deaths since the onset of the pandemic in mid-March 2020. In all, Forsyth has reported 97,564 COVID-19 cases.

Other Triad and Northwest N.C. counties with high community levels of COVID-19 are Alamance, Alleghany, Davie, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin.

Mask mandate return?

Theres not likely enough time for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to reinstate mask mandates considering Thursday is the last day for students.

County officials could not be immediately reached for comment about a potential mask mandate return.

The primary reason behind the decisions to end mask mandates in February and March were the declining number of COVID-19 omicron cases.

The countys positive test rate was at 21.6% as of last Monday, according to the CDC.

Although that is up considerably from about 3% in April, its still nearly half the 40%-plus range Forsyth saw during the peak of the omicron variant surge.

Our percentages are what we are seeing across the state and other local counties, Swift said.

Meanwhile, weekly COVID-19 test levels in Forsyth have remained steadily below 1,000 since the omicron variant surge, though modestly higher the past two weeks.

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June is my birthday month. And weeks before, as sure as the NRA will claim the killer in any mass shooting has a mental illness, my husband will ask, repeatedly, what I want for my birthday.

But at this big age, 64, Ive long since stopped creating lists of material wishes. For one thing, most of the stuff I want I get for myself. And I have way too many Amazon boxes to prove it. Second, Rona anxiety keeps me inside most of the time, so Ive got nowhere to go and no reason to get dressed. And third, Im actually trying to pare down my stuff.

But he keeps asking, so ...

Heres what I want:

I want to never hear another child on a 911 call asking the dispatcher to send police because he or she is hiding in a classroom from a killer with a semi-automatic gun. Instead, I want children to go to school to learn, explore, develop relationships and not worry about being killed.

I never want to see another president stand in a Black church and feel compelled to sing Amazing Grace because no other words of consolation come to mind. (But how else do you comfort those mourning friends and family killed at a Wednesday night prayer meeting or on a Saturday afternoon stopover in the grocery store simply because of the melanin in their skin?)

I want to go to the movies, to church, to eat out, to a shopping mall without worrying about being killed, catching COVID-19 or being given the side eye by people who dont think I belong here.

I want young people to enjoy reading books about all kinds of people, places and situations, not so they can mimic what they see, but so they will know that the world is broader than the spaces where they live and breathe.

I want those whove been elected to make decisions that move us forward collectively and to stop being beholden to special interests with selfish intentions.

I want Christians who profess they want to be like Christ ... to be like Christ. I want them to love without regard to what people look like, where they come from, their bank account balances and whom theyve selected to love.

I want those people who feel entitled to their rights to understand that the rest of us have rights as well. Your right to your religious zealotry doesnt outweigh my right to control what happens to my body.

I want those who claim they are pro-life to extend that protection beyond the fertilized egg and support programs that provide safe food and water, decent wages, quality housing, health care and education for the already-living.

I want those who intentionally mislead others and who are preaching hate, sympathizing with racists and preying on those unwilling to accept changing demographics to be outed, shamed and silenced.

I want those who are so willing to believe the unbelievable to get some discernment. No, theres no meat being grown in a peach-tree dish or any grand plan to replace white people.

I want girls, especially Black and brown girls, to pursue careers in the sciences and to be paid on par with men doing the same work at the same companies.

I want Black women to be judged for who they are, not for the color of their skin, the coil of their hair or the roundness of their backsides.

I want the media analytics that alert me when its time to buy a new tube of toothpaste or another item based on a recent purchase to alert authorities when people buy excessive amounts of ammunition, search how to create a bomb, or purchase a silencer or bump stock for their guns.

I want mass shootings in the U.S. to become as rare as they are in the rest of the world.

I want people to understand that everybody who is mean, evil and spiteful isnt necessarily mentally ill and that those who are mentally ill arent necessarily mean, evil and spiteful. And I want both groups to get the help and support they need so they arent a danger to themselves or us.

I want to vote without being shifted around like a checker in a politically gerrymandered district created to support an incumbent and I want my vote to truly count.

I want those of us who are tired from the weight of all thats happening around us to hold on to our hope. To hold on to the belief that things can and will be better and that right will win, truth will prevail and chaos will cease. I want us not to grow weary of doing good.

And, since this is my birthday list, feel free to make any of my wishes come true.

News & Record columnist Robin Adams Cheeley is a freelance writer who can be reached at WriteRight4You@gmail.com.
The federal government is providing tens of millions of dollars in aid to Nebraska ethanol producers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that it is giving more than $700 million in relief to more than 100 biofuel producers and nearly 200 facilities, including nearly $100 million to 11 biofuel producers with Nebraska operations.

The largest amount, more than $27.4 million, went to Omaha-based Green Plains Inc., which has facilities in Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Iowa. Chief Industries, which has ethanol plants in Hastings and Lexington, got more than $18 million, while E-Energy Adams received $14 million.

The money, which was made available through the Biofuel Producer Program, created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, is meant to help offset losses caused by the pandemic. USDA said in a news release that the U.S. biofuels industry sustained combined losses of 3.7 billion gallons because of the pandemic.

"The investments were announcing today will pave the way to economic recovery for Americas biofuel producers, stimulate a critical market for U.S. farmers and ranchers, and support our nations transition to a clean-energy economy, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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After more than a decade living on the West Coast, Bellwood native Jimmy Buell has returned to his hometown to own the Backroads Pub.

Buell said in 2006 he moved to Washington state for his daughter. He said he held a variety of jobs from general contractor to landscaper and semi-truck driving. Buell, along with his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Meister, has been back in Butler County for over a year and now have a child together.

Backroads Pub opened under his ownership on the first Tuesday of February 2021.

I purchased it right about Jan. 1 of that year and we did a little bit of a facelift here and made (it) a little bit more comfortable and cozy and cleaned it up a bit until we felt good about it, Buell said.

Buells mother, Deb, worked at Backroads for a number of years before Buell bought it. Backroads Pub is something of a family business, with Meister working in the kitchen and Deb opening each day.

Meister is also from Butler County, originally being from the David City and Garrison area. The purchase of the bar and move back to northeast Nebraska seemed like good timing, she said.

It's nice and quiet and easygoing compared to the city life, Meister said of Bellwood. It was a different setting (in Washington) than it is here. But it's nice to be back.

Meister said she and Buell are hoping to provide good food and quality service.

Buell added he hopes to provide a place where people can socialize and relax.

Backroads Pub opens at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The specials start at 5 p.m. and end around 8:30 or 9 p.m., depending upon the crowd. Usually the business is open until 10 p.m. but theyll be open for longer if theres a crowd. Saturdays they are open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then they reopen for dinner service at 5 p.m. They havent been able to be open for lunch due to being short-staffed but theyre hoping they can do so by the middle of June.

As far as specials, the establishment offers burgers on Tuesdays, wings and loaded nachos on Wednesdays, a Backroads meatball special on Thursdays, a fish fry on Fridays and prime rib on Saturday. They have a full menu in addition to the specials. The bar is open for breakfast on the second and fourth Sunday of the month.

Along with food, Backroads Pub features pool tables and a jukebox  karaoke is held on the second Saturday of the month.

Buell noted their special burger, the Backroads burger, which comes with bacon, cheese, fried egg, ham, lettuce, mayonnaise, onion, pickle and tomato.

We're learning and growing and continually adjusting and adapting until we find our niche. We're after a balance that best serves the community first and then suits our needs as well, Buell said. Employees are hard to come by so you have to create a schedule that you know you can handle without overdoing it yourself as well as be open for the public as much as possible.

Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Banner-Press. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net.

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Bahrains Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched its campaign, Travel Safe", on various media outlets to increase citizens' awareness of travel guidelines, and instructions for communicating with diplomatic and consular missions abroad.



The annual awareness campaign identified mechanisms for contacting diplomatic or consular missions abroad and the ministrys follow-up office on phone number (17227555), for assistance in the event of any problems, emergencies or crises, re[ported Bahrain News Agency (BNA).



The ministry has also advised citizens to download Wejhaty" application to get the latest information they need.



The campaign continues throughout the summer, starting in June, through the ministrys digital platforms, the Bahrain News Agency, radio and television channels, and screens at Bahrain International Airport.
In a crash that was caught on video and witnessed by dozens of bystanders  20 of whom required treatment at local hospitals  an internal memory component inside a 2010 Ford Taurus could play an important role in the investigation and potential prosecution stemming from last weekend's O Street crash.

The so-called black box inside the Taurus  and every car manufactured since the early 2000s  is a mechanism more accurately known as an airbag control module, which captures a three-to-five-second snapshot of data that can tell investigators exactly what happened in the lead-up to a crash, Nebraska State Patrol Lt. Brent Bockstadter said.

Bockstadter, the agency's crash reconstruction coordinator, said the module activates in events of sudden deceleration, tracking a handful of statistics, including steering positioning, revolutions per minute and, importantly, speed.

The Lincoln Police Department notably used module data in its investigation of a 2018 crash that killed a UNL band member. In that instance, the data showed the man whose vehicle stuck another, killing 20-year-old trumpeter Tyler Butterfield, had been driving 92 mph three seconds before the crash, police said then.

Nearly four years later, the same type of data could be crucial, after the Taurus, driven by 18-year-old Kyvell Stark of Omaha, struck a Toyota as it turned north onto 52nd Street from O Street on May 29, killing Emily Siebenhor, 20, and her passenger, Edith Hermosillo, 22.

The impact sent both cars off the street and onto the sidewalk, hitting onlookers there for the traditional Memorial Day weekend cruise.

Some bystanders said the Taurus had been driving as fast as 100 mph in a 40 mph zone before the crash. In the crash report, police said Stark was speeding, but authorities have not yet said how fast he was driving.

"Eyewitness testimony is important, but eyewitness testimony also has to line up with what the physical evidence says and what the crash reconstruction says," said Bockstadter, a 26-year veteran of the State Patrol who spoke generally about crash reconstruction practices but did not specifically comment on the Lincoln crash.

"To pinpoint a speed," he said, "that's pretty difficult to the untrained eye."

The exact speed of the Taurus will carry weight if investigators turn the case over to the Lancaster County Attorney's Office for prosecution.

In 2018, prosecutors charged 30-year-old Waltrivelish Watson with felony motor vehicle homicide  normally a misdemeanor  in the crash that killed Butterfield. An exception in Nebraska's motor vehicle homicide statute allows prosecutors to enhance the charge if the state can prove the defendant drove with a disregard for safety, according to state law.

The difference in potential penalties for the two charges is up to 2 years of incarceration and $9,000 in fines. Watson was sentenced to two years in prison and had his license suspended for seven years.

Further complicating the investigation into last week's O Street crash is the alleged presence of THC in Stark's system. Police said in the crash report that Stark tested positive for marijuana, but proving the drug influenced him at the time of the crash is its own hurdle.

The car's speed, though, is not so hard to prove.

"That's definitely going to play in," County Attorney Pat Condon said of the control module data. "That's something that really is  we can pretty much say with certainty, 'This is how fast they were going' when we get that information, if we can obtain that information from the black box."

There are instances  often when vehicles are submerged in water or catch fire  when the control module data is corrupted or irretrievable, Bockstadter said. Additionally, the data may read inaccurately if a car is thrust airborne.

Stark's car rolled several times and landed upside-down after last weekend's crash, according to police. And Lincoln's Fire and Rescue chief told reporters that first responders initially put out several small fires upon arriving at the scene near 52nd and O streets, but it's unclear if fire burned near enough to the control module to affect the data.

Police Chief Teresa Ewins mentioned the "black box" at a news conference Monday as an ongoing part of the investigation, but it's unclear if the department has yet analyzed the data. No search warrant for the module had been filed in Lancaster County District Court as of Friday.

Asked if investigators had recovered data from the module, Lincoln Police Sgt. Chis Vollmer said department officials would address all available details at a news conference early this week.

With or without the data, Bockstadter said, traditional crash reconstruction methods  which include examination of tire marks and assessing impact damage, he said  along with video analysis, can help investigators determine impact speed.

"For lack of a better term, it has to pass the smell test," Bockstadter said of the data. "That the data that's reported here is consistent with what an officer generally sees ... with the amount of damage or injury level to the occupants. All that stuff has to come together."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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An inmate who went missing from the Community Corrections Center-Lincoln last week has been arrested, according to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

James Crihfield was granted permission for a personal furlough to go to a local hospital on Wednesday. An alert indicated he removed the electronic monitoring device he was wearing.

The Lincoln Police Department arrested him on Sunday, the Corrections Department said. He was booked in the Lancaster County jail.

Crihfield began a 43-month sentence on July 14, 2021. He was convicted of multiple charges of theft by deception and second degree forgery  all out of Lancaster County. He was tentatively set for release on Oct. 11.

CCC-L is one of two community custody facilities in the state's prison system where inmates are allowed to participate in work opportunities, attend school and religious services with prior approval and without direct supervision.

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A 63-year-old man was arrested and charged last week after three women alleged he had sexually abused them as children, police said in court records.

Delbert Taylor was charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of third-degree sexual assault of a child.

His first accuser told Bryan West Campus staff in September 2021 that Taylor had sexually abused her as a child, and later told Lincoln Police the abuse began when she was about 6 years old, investigator Jake McCord said in the affidavit for Taylor's arrest.

The girl was in high school when she disclosed the alleged abuse, according to court records.

Another girl, now 15, told police in February that Taylor began abusing her when she was 7 or 8, McCord said.

And a third woman, who is now in her 20s, told investigators in April that Taylor had repeatedly sexually assaulted her at his central Lincoln home and at nearby parks and trails, McCord said.

The woman told police that Taylor threatened to abuse her younger sister if she didn't allow the assaults to continue. Her sister is among Taylor's accusers, according to the affidavit.

Police contacted and arrested Taylor at his apartment Wednesday. He was taken to the Lancaster County Jail, where his bond is $750,000. He must pay $75,000 to be released.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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Two people are in jail after a Lincoln father tracked down the alleged thieves of his son's wheelchair after it was stolen from the family's front yard near Capitol Beach Lake on Sunday, according to police.

Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian said officers initially responded to the home, on Surfside Drive south of the lake, at about 1 p.m. Sunday when the father learned his son's wheelchair and a backpack had been taken from the yard.

Soon after, Kocian said, the family received text alerts indicating debit cards that were in the backpack had been used along West O Street.

So the father drove to the area and found a silver SUV near an ATM with his son's wheelchair in the back, Kocian said, and guided police to the occupants.

Police arrested 40-year-old Reynaldo Gonzalez and 35-year-old Latisha Castillo at the Walgreens near 13th and O streets, Kocian said, recovering the stolen property and finding 14.9 grams of suspected methamphetamine.

Gonzalez was booked in the Lancaster County Jail on suspicion of felony theft by unlawful taking, criminal possession of a financial transaction device and possession of a controlled substance.

Castillo was arrested on suspicion of felony theft by unlawful taking and possession of a controlled substance, along with possession of drug paraphernalia.

The recovered property is valued at about $7,600, Kocian said. He said the pair racked up about $700 in fraudulent charges on the debit cards before their arrest.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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WAHOO  Jason Smiths love of instrumental music was developed as a student at Ashland-Greenwood High School.

For the past 10 years, he has been the band director at Wahoo Public Schools. His hard work was recognized recently when he was named the 2021 Music Educator of the Year by the Nebraska Music Education Association.

I was speechless, he said.

The 2021-22 school year began with a stellar season for the high school marching band, which earned superior awards in all five of the competitions in which it was entered, including the State Marching Band Contest.

It was the first superior at state since I restarted field marching nine years ago, he said.

The school music program also received recognition from the Nebraska Music Education Association for a high level of participation in music. Smith said 41% of the students in grades 9 to 12 are involved in some form of band or choir.

While growing up in Ashland, Smiths love of music was fostered by his grandmother, who couldnt read music but could play the piano by ear.

She really encouraged us to stay involved in the arts, he remembered.

He knew in high school that he wanted to be a band teacher.

In my junior year of high school I caught the bug, he said.

Supportive teachers suggested the saxophone player learn to play multiple instruments.

I just started learning more and more and picking up other instruments and trying new things, Smith said.

After graduating from Ashland-Greenwood in 2004, Smith enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He graduated in 2009 with a degree in music education and recently completed his masters of education in curriculum and instruction at Wayne State College.

Smith taught for two years at Bancroft-Rosalie Community School before coming to Wahoo in 2012.

He was excited for the chance to be closer to his parents, who still lived in Ashland, but also to be back on familiar ground as far as school size.

I always saw myself teaching in a school or a position much like the one I grew up in, he said.

Since taking the position of band director for grades 5 to 12 at Wahoo, Smith has moved the music program in a positive direction. He credits great leadership at the student, teacher and administrative level for the success.

The culture of this school and the music program is very good, he said.

Adding field marching has helped bring more students to band. He has also created more occasions for students to perform and experience music outside of school by adding performances at senior living centers, creating opportunities for the band to perform at places like Worlds of Fun and adding more field marching competitions.

Smith has also brought in clinicians  college professors to work with small groups to improve their performances.

He also encourages his students to participate in honor bands and attend clinics.

Smith, too, has fostered a mentoring program where high school students talk to middle school students about band.

Allowing middle school students to ask high schoolers what band is like opens avenues and opportunities for those kids to be a part of the band family, he said.

The hard work is paying off. The middle school and high school jazz band programs have grown, and Smith is seeing increased interest in auditioning for honor bands.

The community has also helped the program grow by supporting the construction of the Performance Learning Center at the high school 10 years ago.

Investment in the arts here at Wahoo has paid dividends for our programs, he said.

The music program, and Smiths success, also is shown by the number of students that have gone on to careers in music education or to perform in college or university bands. He has also mentored three student teachers in recent years, including one who was hired as the new band director for Raymond Central Public Schools.

The students who participate in music have the opportunity to learn more than just how to read music. Music incorporates the ideas of art, math, science and history, Smith said.

Wherever you go, music is a part of the human experience and its important that students are educated consumers of music and ideally participants, he said.

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Three generations of women have grown up with abortion being legal and available, even though restricted, in Nebraska.

But older women lived through a time when Nebraska law, like most around the nation, banned abortion except when necessary to preserve a womans life or when advised by two physicians.

Their memories offer a glimpse of what could be in store if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion, and if abortion opponents in Nebraska succeed in changing state law, although there have obviously been some changes in health care and cultural attitudes in 50 years.

The high court is expected to rule by the end of June. Gov. Pete Ricketts has said he will work with Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers to call a special legislative session on abortion if Roe is overturned.

Both men supported a bill this spring that would have banned all abortions, with no exceptions. However, it would have provided an affirmative defense for a doctor performing an abortion to save a womans life. The measure failed after a filibuster-ending cloture motion fell two votes short.

Looking back, Marcia Kushner calls herself pretty naive when she was young. The Lincoln woman didnt know anyone who got in trouble, as they said then.

She was careful to avoid any risk of pregnancy herself before getting married in 1949. That meant avoiding sex, even with her fiance, because condoms were the only birth control available to unmarried couples at the time.

There was no way I was going to not engage in abstinence because of the fear of pregnancy, she said.

Decades later, she learned that four women close to her had undergone abortions in secret and, in three cases, in violation of the law. Kushner is a supporter of abortion rights and spent years volunteering to escort women seeking abortions at Lincolns Planned Parenthood clinic past anti-abortion protesters.

She said her mother didnt talk about her own abortion until she reached her 90s. It happened in the early 1930s, during the depths of the Great Depression. She had two children already and Kushners father was barely managing to support the family by peddling produce from a truck.

When her mother got pregnant, Kushner said, she was determined to go where the rich women in Omaha went for their abortions. The procedure cost $100, a huge sum for the cash-strapped family. They managed only by borrowing from a relative.

Nearly three decades later, in the late 1950s or early 1960s, a pair of friends went together to get abortions, Kushner said. One was a married woman with three children and severe financial struggles. The other was married with four children and couldnt handle more.

When both wound up pregnant again, they reached out to a more worldly relative in another state, who connected them with someone offering abortions. They got on the train in Nebraska for a supposed family visit.

It was not a real savory experience, Kushner said. They really put their lives on the line.

One woman returned with a pelvic infection, a common but potentially deadly risk of such unregulated procedures. She recovered, thanks to antibiotics.

The fourth abortion happened shortly before the Roe v. Wade decision made the procedure legal in Nebraska. The woman was 19 years old, unmarried, a college student, pregnant and ashamed.

Kushner said the young woman went to Planned Parenthood in Lincoln. Workers there helped her arrange an abortion in New York City, where the procedure had been newly legalized. She borrowed money for travel and the procedure, a debt it took a long time to pay off.

She didnt tell a soul, Kushner said. To this day, she does not want her name known.

Shirley Lang was aware of abortion in the years before Roe v. Wade, but she didnt give it much thought. She knew abortions were forbidden in her church and in the Catholic hospital where she worked. They were also illegal in every state well into the 1960s.

She certainly never knew any woman who had one.

They would never tell it, the Lincoln woman said. That would be something so hidden.

The few girls in her acquaintance who wound up pregnant outside of marriage mostly ended up marrying the guy who got them pregnant, Lang said.

As a student nurse in the early 1950s in Iowa, she assisted at what was called an abortion. But it wasnt what is commonly thought of as abortion. It happened after the fetus had died and the dilation and curettage procedure was being done to clear out the womans uterus and prevent complications.

Lang also remembered one patient with chronic health problems. The doctor asked what was wrong, and the woman confessed she had had an abortion and started to weep.

Other patients came in with pelvic infections. At the time, big-city hospitals had special wards for abortions that turned septic. Where Lang worked, while some cases may have resulted from illegal abortions, the records did not reflect that.

The mother of six was propelled to action when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that women had a constitutional right to abortion and that states could put few restrictions on it before the third trimester of pregnancy. She co-founded Lincoln Right to Life and has been a leader in the decades-long fight against abortion.

When that happened, I was so shocked by it all, Lang said. I remember thinking this cant happen. I knew that this is an innocent; the fetus is a living human being.

The 77-year-old

Sue Ellen Wall remembers the gut-punch when she first saw the photo in a magazine she pulled from a Lincoln drugstore rack.

A police photo of a woman, later identified as Gerri Santoro of Connecticut, naked, kneeling and collapsed on a motel room floor. Bloody towels between her legs and another towel by her right hand. She had bled to death from an illegal abortion attempted with the help of her partner.

I was old enough to know it was happening and there would be stories in the paper about women found dead, Wall said. That was just kind of a visual shocker.

The photo became an abortion-rights symbol, representing the dangers of driving the procedure underground. Wall, a retired attorney, became an outspoken abortion-rights advocate.

In her personal life, she didnt know anyone ready to reveal they had gotten an abortion. But she knew the toll that pregnancy could take on a womans life.

While in junior high school, she knew a classmate who got pregnant and disappeared. The girl did not return to attend high school. Several years later, two students at the junior high where she was student teaching got pregnant. Those girls stayed and finished out the year.

There was also the family story about her Presbyterian grandmother who had 13 pregnancies, Wall said. To spare her the danger of additional pregnancies, relatives arranged for her husband to visit a prostitute in town on a regular basis and set up violin lessons for Walls father as a cover story.

The 64-year-old

Sandy Danek was in her mid-teens when abortion became legal in Nebraska. One month after the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, a federal court tossed out Nebraskas abortion ban. That May, state lawmakers passed a law allowing abortions in Nebraska for the first time in a century.

Still Danek, now executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, was old enough to experience the time before Roe. She remembers being surprised when a friend of a friend in junior high school got pregnant and her mother whisked her off to New York for an abortion.

It seemed strange to me, she said. Why go all the way to New York?

That mothers reaction contrasted with how two others in Daneks life handled pregnancies outside of marriage. In neither case was abortion considered, she said.

One young woman got married and left school after winding up pregnant at age 16. She later got her GED and went to college. Danek said the girl was terrified to tell her parents, who could be abusive. But they remained calm when a doctors bill for a pregnancy test arrived in the mail and her secret was revealed.

Another young woman Danek knew had gotten pregnant several years earlier. That young woman spent her pregnancy at a Lincoln home for unwed mothers, but kept the baby. Her own father helped her raise the child until she got married.

Theres no erasing the fact that women struggle with these issues, she said.

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We're talking weather as usual, but taking a bit of a biblical approach on this one. And by biblical, we mean the actual Bible.

Anthony McCullough and Dan Palmeri from JMJ Missions in New Jersey talk about some of the stories in the Bible where weather played a key role. They each list their Mount Rushmore of top four weather events in the bible.

McCullough, who has a meteorology degree from Rutgers University, discusses with the Lee weather team if there's a basis of truth for each one.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

Listen now: Regretting a job change, moving money out of savings and 'Top Gun' soars  Need audio for your commute, workout or to help time pass on the job? Here are our latest podcast episodes to start the week!

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MOUNT PLEASANT  Robert Barkley started on an engineering pathway at Case High School, but that changed when he took part in a state business competition as a sophomore.

Barkley liked that thrill of starting your own business and marketing it  and just the thrill of working with a team to create that business, he said.

He switched to a business pathway shortly after and has not looked back.

I really like how powerful it can be, Barkley said about business, noting that it is in every aspect of everything.

Barkley was one of about 400 graduates this week from Case, 7345 Washington Ave. He plans to attend Gateway Technical College for two years and then UW-Parkside. Barkley is interested in tax accounting and tax law, interests that grew after he shadowed an accountant through a youth apprenticeship program this year.

After school, Barkley plans to stay in the area. He is developing a mobile app that lists a variety of local activities. Barkley started the app to increase awareness of area options like volunteering and scholarships.

I believe that Racine County has tons of great opportunities, Barkley said. I believe that a lot of people leave Racine believing it has no opportunities, but I believe thats not the case. I believe that those opportunities are there, its just people dont know about them.

For example, Barkley wished more students knew about the state business competition he took part in as a sophomore.

I got irritated, because Im like, Why didnt they market this opportunity to all the other students? Barkley said. I could think of about 20 other students that wouldve loved to do it.

Barkley has always possessed that initiative. He has worked as a school ambassador for four years and often gave building tours.

Barkley didnt know what being an ambassador would entail but figured it was a good way to meet people. That was the case, and Barkley said he had a relatively smooth transition from middle school to high school.

Im quite good at making friends and meeting new people, Barkley said.

Barkley tried many new activities over the past four years, including wrestling for a year. He had never participated in the sport and quickly learned that skill and technique are crucial for success.

It was extremely hard, Barkley said. I thought wrestling was a sport you could win just by having raw strength.

Barkley also gave theater a shot.

He had a few lines in a student-run play but dropped out because he had a part-time job. He regretted doing so and hopes to participate in theater again.

Barkley was only briefly in theater, but he is a performer. Emily Grow, Case English teacher, remembered Barkley dressing up as the Easter bunny and handing out candy before spring break this year.

Grow taught Barkley in classes when he was a sophomore and senior. She said he is a friendly, curious student who actively participates in discussions.

He is always attentive and ready with his questions to keep the conversation flowing, Grow wrote in an email.

As a sophomore, Grow said Barkley was outspoken but sometimes immature.

Barkley continues to be outspoken, but now he is very mature in his responses to others, Grow wrote. His voice is very commanding, and he uses it well.

After starting in engineering, Barkley plans to use his voice in the local business world.

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The transmission level of the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 illness is back into the medium category in Racine and Kenosha counties, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Three weeks ago, the area moved into the high transmission category.

Late last week, Racine Countys classification moved back into medium transmission.

As of Thursday, the data affecting Racine Countys transmission levels were as follows:

Active cases per 100,000 residents: 241.45

New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people per week: 6.6

Percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 3.3%

As of Thursday, the data affecting Kenosha Countys transmission levels were as follows:

Active cases per 100,000 residents: 207.59

New COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people per week: 6.6

Percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 3.3%

The four counties directly to the north  Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee  all still are in the high category, as are seven other counties in north-central and northwest Wisconsin.

The factor pushing those counties into the high category is hospital admissions. Across the four counties, there have been 10.7 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people per week.

In the past couple months, deaths related to COVID-19 have risen slightly in Wisconsin, from an average of 1-2 deaths per day in mid-April, up to 3-4 per day in late May and early June. Those rates are still far below the peaks of 39 per day in late January 2022 and 57 per day in mid-December 2020.
RACINE  It felt like a special occasion when Rodney Brushwood walked through the doors of Horlick High School.

It was January 2021, and Brushwood was overjoyed to return to in-person schooling after 10 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I was so happy that we were back, Brushwood said. I felt like I was missing out on building relationships and human interaction.

After returning to in-person education, Brushwood developed relationships with his instructors and became more interested in the profession. He switched from the health science pathway to education and plans to be a high school English teacher after attending UW-Parkside.

Brushwoods experiences as a senior solidified that education was the right pathway for him.

I got so much information thats useful in such a short amount of time, Brushwood said.

Brushwood had a unique high school experience. It included homeschooling, working remotely during the pandemic and catching up on credits before he was one of about 325 graduates from Horlick, 2119 Rapids Dr.

Brushwood was homeschooled from kindergarten through his freshman year. Upon starting at Horlick as a sophomore, he said he was nervous and awkward.

I felt like I was out of place, Brushwood said.

As he was getting used to in-person learning with more than 1,000 students, the pandemic hit. Brushwood returned to Horlick in spring of his junior year.

He made an effort to talk with people, including his teachers, who showed him what their jobs entailed. Brushwood shadowed instructors at Wadewitz Elementary School and worked at the Gilmore Fine Arts School library, which he said were valuable learning experiences.

Teachers also helped Brushwood graduate. He started high school well behind on credits, but a competency-based graduation program Brushwood completed as a senior ensured that he received his diploma.

Brushwood said that competency-based graduation class was his favorite course.

The whole class just felt like one big family, Brushwood said. We all worked together to help each other to graduate. It felt so special.

The students got along with one another, and the teacher often played music from a class playlist. Brushwood loves the 1980s, so his go-to songs were Take On Me by a-ha and Take My Breath Away by Berlin.

Because he was homeschooled as a freshman, senior year was also the only time that Brushwood attended class in-person at Horlick for the entire school year.

This year felt like the first real, normal high school year, Brushwood said.

Speaking to The Journal Times before graduation, Brushwood said it would likely feel bittersweet to receive his diploma.

Ive really gotten attached to Horlick, Brushwood said. This is my favorite place to be. I look forward to going to school in the morning  It does feel like Im losing a part of my life and what I really like to do and where I like to be and who Im with.

He looks forward to attending college but is sad to leave high school relationships behind, including those he formed with instructors.

Ill miss a lot of my teachers, Brushwood said. A lot of them I would consider to be friends.

One of those teachers was Theresa Heberling, education pathway instructor. Heberling taught Brushwood and said he often asked questions and spoke during discussions.

Heberling said Brushwood was exceedingly polite, hard-working, kind and willing to learn. She often saw instances of recognition for Brushwood, a rewarding experience.

We always have a-ha moments, and you can just read it in his face, Heberling said.

After learning so much from his high school educators, Brushwood plans to help future high-schoolers have their own epiphanies.

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Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh is inviting its guests to connect with their mind, body and soul during an immersive and relaxing Yoga experience in support of Global Wellness Day on June 11.



Foe the international day focused on raising awareness on the importance of living well, both physically and spiritually, the hotel has partnered with ORIGIN, Saudi Arabias first athleisure brand, to provide guests with two dedicated Hatha Yoga sessions, for males and females at The Spa.



The classes will be held by the Hotels GWD Ambassador and professional Saudi trainer Rawaa Qanaq, a certified Yoga & Pilates teacher. Practicing yoga since 2018, Rawaas classes are spiritual and inspirational, delivering transformative wellbeing experiences.



Guests will begin their experience with simple stretches to deepen breathing and ease the nervous system and will conclude with Shavasana, a yoga pose for deep relaxation.



Having found their zen, guests will then head to The Grill and immerse in a delicious and colourful healthy buffet, including salmon bites, salads, crudites, fruits, smoothies and fresh juices, prepared by Executive Chef Stefano Andreoli and his talented culinary team.  TradeArabia News Service
RACINE  During the toughest days, Theron Hilbert repeated a sentence to herself: The universe gives its hardest battles to its strongest soldiers.

The phrase kept Hilbert afloat during a couple of years that included moving homes, poor grades, a school suspension and mental health challenges.

Thats the only thing that got me through eighth grade and freshman year, Hilbert said.

After those difficult years, Hilbert turned things around thanks to familial support and a more diligent approach to school. She joined about 65 classmates at graduation last week at Walden III High School, 2340 Mohr Ave.

Im feeling pretty accomplished, Hilbert said. Im stronger than I think. I wanted to give up a lot.

After a turbulent freshman year, Hilbert said she made an agreement with her parents. In order to stay at Walden, which she began attending in sixth grade, Hilbert had to significantly improve her grades and become involved in extracurriculars. Through hard work and encouragement from teachers and family, Hilbert upheld her end of the bargain.

Hilbert, who plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall, will miss the close-knit environment at Walden.

All the teachers have known me since I was 11 years old, so saying goodbye to them is really emotional, Hilbert said. Saying goodbye to all of my peers is really emotional.

Jennifer Bowe was one of those teachers. She taught Hilbert in Spanish for four years and home group for three years.

As a freshman, Hilbert appeared to have the weight of the world on her shoulders, Bowe said. But you always knew that she had a lot of substance, that there was a lot of potential and that she was very bright  I knew that she was going to be a completely different person her senior year if she made the choice to do that.

Indeed, Hilbert said senior year was her favorite time at school. In addition to getting accepted to college, she helped open a senior lounge and hosted an unofficial homecoming.

Heading off to her top college choice and being involved in activities are far different than the trajectory she was on after ninth grade.

Freshman year, I didnt really care, Hilbert said. I was just like, Ill graduate one day, itll be fine. Now, as a senior, it is a lot different than what younger me expected.

Hilbert said the main reason for her turnaround involved her taking an active role in her decisions.

Other people can support you, but you have to be the one to get up and do it and make yourself better, Hilbert said.

In addition to Hilberts self-determination, Bowe credited her parents for their guidance.

Hilberts time in high school included more than a year of remote schooling as a sophomore and junior because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but she kept working hard.

By the time she came back senior year, she was a leader, Bowe said.

As a student, Bowe said Hilbert often makes meaningful contributions in class.

She processes the questions, gives a thoughtful and honest answer, Bowe said. She does what shes asked to do. She contributes, and shes a deep thinker.

Hilbert is also outgoing and humorous.

She makes me laugh, Bowe said.

Yeah, Im hilarious, Hilbert wryly replied.

Added Bowe: Shes very direct. What you see is what you get.

After receiving her diploma, what Hilbert saw was the result of years of work and maturation.

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After years of discussion, a dozen public hearings and hundreds of comments from the public, the state agriculture board was poised to vote on the first update to Wisconsins farm siting rules since they were crafted nearly 14 years ago.

However, a vote on the controversial rules  which aimed to give local governments more control over farm setbacks but drew the ire of Wisconsins largest farm groups  was unexpectedly tabled by the states former agriculture secretary as part of an ultimately failed attempt to garner some last-minute job security. The vote was canceled less than a week before it was scheduled to occur.

Its disgusting is what it is, and devastating for a lot of people, said Harry Pulliam, who owns a hardwood tree farm near New Glarus. There were hundreds of people who spoke in support of these proposed rules  to not even take a vote is a serious slap in the face.

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection board will discuss the farm siting rules during its meeting Thursday, but they are not expected to hold a vote before the proposals statement of scope expires in February, meaning any changes to ATCP 51 are likely to be shelved.

We do not expect these proposed changes to move forward any further in the rule-making process, DATCP spokeswoman Grace Atherton said.

Sara Walling, administrator of DATCPs division of Agricultural Resource Management, said she anticipates staff will revisit the matter next year, but doing so restarts a 30-month rule-making process and redrafted updates to the states farm siting rules likely wont come before the board for several years.

I would anticipate that we will pick it up again sometime in 2020, Walling said. As you can imagine were not super ambitious with getting that going for a number of reasons, because we certainly hit a bit of a headwind on some of the main points of our rule draft that people had the most heartburn over.

Walling added that DATCPs staffer most familiar with the states farm siting rule has taken a new position, so filling that role would have to take place first.

How we got here

Adopted in 2006, the rule provides local governments with siting permit regulations for most new or expanding livestock facilities, including property setbacks, odor control, nutrient and runoff management and waste storage facility and livestock structure requirements.

Local counties or townships do not have to require permits, but if they opt to, the state siting law provides the framework. More than 130 local governments have implemented the standards.

The siting rule must be reviewed every four years and, after the 2014 review, a statement of scope was drafted and signed in December 2015.

The final draft of updated siting rules included several proposed changes, including increased setbacks from property lines for livestock and manure structures, required odor management plans and rules to put more of the financial burden of the permitting process on the applicant, rather than the local entity.

Under current rules, manure storage facilities must be up to 350 feet from a property line or public right of way, while livestock structures have a setback ranging from 100 to 200 feet.

Proposed rules would have increased setbacks to a range of 350 feet to more than 1,000 feet for both manure storage facilities and livestock facilities.

Kara OConnor, government relations director with the Wisconsin Farmers Union, in a November letter urged the DATCP board to approve the proposed update to Wisconsins farm siting rules, which she described as out of date by todays farm sizes.

The rule was written 13 years ago with 1,000-2,000 animal units in mind, she said in the letter. The U.S. is now seeing farms being built with 30,000 or more cows. Our rules are not designed to accommodate that, and thats a problem.

Helpful or harmful?

Along with the Wisconsin Farmers Union, some rural landowners and state environmental groups have applauded the proposed siting updates as long overdue and necessary to protect waterways and property owners rights.

Lisa Doerr, who farms 80 acres of commercial forage in the town of Laketown in northern Polk County, said she was a strong proponent of updated rules, especially considering a large-scale hog operation being planned near her property.

Its not odor. Its hydrogen sulfide, its methane, its air pollution, Doerr said. When youre out here and you have some developer talking about a $20 million hog facility, with 26,000 hogs in it, 100 feet from the neighbors  thats very real.

DATCP has said the proposed rule changes are expected to have little impact on existing farms statewide, affecting fewer than 1% of livestock operations in the state.

However, opponents accused DATCP of ignoring input from farmers while crafting the rules and argued the changes would harm the states already reeling farm industry.

In September, more than 10 of the states largest agricultural groups  including the Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin Dairy Alliance, Wisconsin Farm Bureau and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce  signed a joint statement in opposition to the rules, arguing they would cause further harm to Wisconsins embattled farm industry.

You had so many public ag groups say, Dont do this, dont move this forward, we need to go back, we need to renegotiate, were pretty far apart, said Cindy Leitner, president of the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance, which is made up of large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Why did it keep moving forward?

In October, a final draft of the rule updates included significant setback reductions for some structures. However, a letter sent the following month to DATCP signed by 20 agriculture groups argued the rules still were unworkable and requested they be rejected.

Scott Manley, executive vice president of government relations with WMC, the states largest business group, argued the proposal failed to meet a Wisconsin statute that requires rules to be practicable and workable, cost-effective and designed to promote the growth and viability of agriculture in the state.

While regulations are rarely seen as good for business, Manley said agriculture groups are more than willing to come to the table. He added that the proposal before the DATCP board went too far.

The idea that making unworkable changes that would threaten the viability of farms that are already regulated is evidence that nobody is willing to tolerate any regulation is laughable, Manley said.

An uphill battle

Even if approved by the DATCP board, farm siting rules need to be approved by the governor and Legislature to take effect.

In July, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, sent a letter to then-Agriculture Secretary Brad Pfaff arguing the proposed rules would cause a chilling effect on farms.

Vos and Fitzgerald said in the letter DATCP was creating a solution in search of a problem and noted that, as written, proposed updates would likely be rejected in committee and sent back to the department.

State Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, lambasted DATCP in a September statement and said he would seek to block the proposed rules if necessary.

On Nov. 1, Fitzgerald told Democratic Gov. Tony Evers that Pfaff, who was appointed by the governor earlier this year, did not have enough support among GOP lawmakers to be confirmed by the Senate. Hours later, Pfaff announced the boards vote on ATCP 51 had been postponed.

DATCPs farm siting rules, as well as Pfaffs July criticism of the Legislatures budget committee for failing to release funds for mental health assistance to farmers and their families, were cited by Republicans who voted against Pfaffs nomination.

After the vote to fire Pfaff, Evers acknowledged that the DATCP board suspended the farm siting vote in an effort to appease GOP senators.

While the siting rules became part of the latest partisan clash between Evers and Republican lawmakers, who hold the majority of the Legislature, Pulliam argued the matter should be nonpartisan.

It doesnt matter whether you have an R or a D on your license plate, he said. This is a public health issue. Its a property values issue.

But Walling said siting, specifically telling someone where a facility can or cannot be located, always comes with a level of controversy or political opinion.

While its uncertain when proposed revisions to the rule will come back before the board, or what they will entail, Walling said the last several years of input from landowners, agricultural groups and environmental advocates will be taken into account.

I can promise that the department will take each one of those comments that were received and carry those with us forward in whatever direction we decide to take with livestock siting in the next year or two, Walling said.

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1. Yes. Tying up the courts and filling jails over small amounts of pot is unacceptable.

2. Yes. As long as there are exceptions for connection to felony charges, its a good idea.

3. No. Taking away law enforcements options is wrong. Police should have some discretion.

4. No. An ordinance that conflicts with state law is wrong and shouldnt be adopted.

5. Unsure. It seems to make sense in some ways, but it could prove problematic.

Vote

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48-year-old Amanatullah Khan grew in popularity after he consistently spoke for the Muslim community and has been in the eye of the storm throughout his tenure as a lawmaker, being regularly targetted by the opposition.

Muhammad Raafi | TwoCircles.net

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NEW DELHI  On May 13, hours after protesting against an anti-encroachment drive in south Delhis Madanpur Khadar, Delhi police arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan. Three days earlier, he had stopped demolitions at Shaheen Bagh and was booked under an FIR. Khan believed these demolitions were part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys communal politics.

Two-time MLA, Khan, 48, lives in Jamia Nagar and won the Okhla assembly constituency by 71,000 votes. Born in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut, he represents the Okhla constituency in the sixth Delhi Legislative Assembly. In the 2015 Delhi election, Amanatullah defeated the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) Braham Singh by a massive margin of over 60,000 votes.

Before joining the AAP, Khan had contested the 2013 Delhi election, unsuccessfully, on a Lok Jan Shakti Party ticket.

Khan grew in popularity after he consistently spoke for the Muslim community and has been in the eye of the storm throughout his tenure as a lawmaker, being regularly targetted by the opposition. During the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests, BJPs Delhi unit wrote to the Delhi Police and filed a complaint against Khan for allegedly inciting people during the protests. Several reports claimed that numerous AAP leaders had also written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for Amanatullah Khans removal from party ranks.

The Delhi Police arrested Khan in July 2016 after a woman alleged that the MLA threatened to kill her when she visited his house with a complaint about power cuts. Months later, he was again arrested over a complaint of sexual harassment by his brother-in-laws wife. He has also been questioned over an alleged recruitment scam in the Delhi Waqf Board by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

In May 2017, Khan was suspended from the partys basic membership for attacking Kumar Vishwas after he was forced to resign from AAPs political affairs committee to make room for Vishwas. Khan accused Vishwas of trying to doctor a split in the AAP at the behest of the BJP. On 20 February 2018, a case was filed against Khan and fellow legislator Prakash Jarwal for assaulting Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash.

As per Delhi Police Khan has 18 FIRs lodged against him, most of them for obstructing public servants in their duty, and for intimidation, and causing enmity and hurt. A history sheet prepared by police earlier this year shows he has been either acquitted or discharged in 10 of these 18 cases.

A businessman turned politician, he ascended as a minority leader in Okhla, leading to an interest in politics. After losing his first election in 2013 on LJP, Khan shifted to AAP in 2015. In AAP, Khans presence has led to a rift between senior party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, and AAP founding member Kumar Vishwas.

In 2017, Khan called Vishwas a BJP agent who was trying to split the party. Speaking to The Indian Express at the time, he said: This person (Vishwas) invited (NSA) Ajit Doval and RSS workers for his birthday party. How is it that he did not think of AAP MLAs and volunteers then at a time when police, directed by the BJP, was arresting us and had launched a witch-hunt? Now he is talking about the greater good of the party I still say he is an agent of the BJP and is trying to break the party.

In what was seen as a bid to placate Vishwas, Khan was made to step down from AAPs political affairs committee and was later suspended. His suspension was revoked a few months later.

Khan is now firmly established as a senior leader and a prominent Muslim face in the AAP after five years. The protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Registration Commission in Shaheen Bagh, which comes within his assembly constituency and is close to where he resides, in late 2019 and early 2020 offered Khan the platform he needed to elevate his profile.

Even while the AAP formally distanced itself from the protests, Khan not only supported them but also often participated in them.

During the protests at Madanpur Khadar Khan told reporters that he stood for everyone, not only Muslims and that he was not afraid to go to jail.

Madanpur Khadar is an unofficially established regularised colony. The Delhi government is in charge of everything here, including building roads and maintaining sewers. The BJP and MCD are merely here to distribute notifications and collect money from the public, he said.

He said that people claim that I am pro-Muslim and work for Muslims, but that is not the case. We have a diverse population in Khadar, and the majority of voters favour the BJP. They (the cops) claim that I am breaching the law. Is protesting a crime? I dont want to wreak havoc on the law and order situation. I am demonstrating in a nonviolent manner.

We have never harassed impoverished people, Khan remarked, accusing the BJP of extortion. Everyone is terrified, including my family, because they will either have to pay large sums of money to preserve their homes or face bulldozer punishment, he said.

In the midst of everything, he claimed he couldnt stay away. I go to work every day thinking that I cant sit at home while my neighbourhood is decimated and my people lose their houses and livelihood.

Muhammad Raafi is a journalist based in New Delhi. He covers politics and human rights. He tweets at @MohammadRaafi
BERTRAND  The community of Bertrand is rallying around a local family after two siblings were involved in a car crash.

On May 25, Carson Hansen, 15, and Lilly Hansen, 6, were on their way to vacation bible school near Smithfield when they were involved in a car-semitrailer crash near the intersection of Highway 23 and Road 434, one mile east of Smithfield. Both were transported to CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney.

Lilly sustained a broken femur and has since been released from the hospital. Carson suffered a head injury, including a skull fracture and facial trauma. He was transferred from Kearney to Childrens Hospital in Denver.

Pretty & Fabulous Boutique in Bertrand has organized a T-shirt fundraiser to help the Hansens with medical and other bills. T-shirts can be purchased at prettyandfab.com/collections/carson-lilly-fundraiser. The fundraiser will be open until June 12.

The Bertrand Community School Class of 2025 will be hosting a baked potato bar and silent auction fundraiser for the Hansens from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Bertrand Community Building.

Funds will be disbursed through the Bertrand Lions Foundation for the incurring bills. Tax deductible checks can be made payable to the Bertrand Lions Foundation.

A GoFundMe page also has been established.
LEXINGTON  Avamere at Lexington, an assisted living facility, will be closing July 31 after the property was sold to a limited liability company from Roswell, New Mexico.

The announcement was made June 1. It isn't immediately clear how many residents or staff the closure affects.

Avamere Communities oversees the management of the building, and was notified by ownership of the closure as Chevalier Capital sold the property, said a news release from Thomas Cloutier, Chief Marketing Officer with Arete Living.

Avamere at Lexington was proactive in assisting employees and residents through this transition, assisting them in finding new employment and homes, said the news release.

Avamere Communities president Sarah Silva thanked employees for their dedication to the residents.

Your work directly impacts lives, and I extend my heartfelt thanks for your selfless service. To our residents, thank you for choosing Avamere as your home. Our team has loved getting to know you and serving you, she said in the news release.

According to Dawson County real estate records, the sale of the Avamere property took place on Monday, May 23. It was sold to United Partners LLC, of New Mexico, which is registered to Narendra Mistry, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State.

Attempts to reach Mistry about his plans for the location were unsuccessful.

According to the Roswell Daily Record, Mistry is a Roswell businessman with 28 years in the hospitality industry. In March 14, 2020, he purchased a former Avamere facility in Roswell with the intent of turning it into a hotel.
The Onalaska Lions Club has named the yard of Pat Mahin, 1006 Quincy St., is this weeks Onalaska Club Yard of the Week. The Lions will donate $25 in the name of the award recipient to the Wisconsin Lions Foundation.

The Lions Club members rely on nominations, so if you know of a yard you would like to nominate, please send a letter with the name and address of the residents to: Onalaska Lions, P.O. Box 212, Onalaska, WI 54650 or visit the Lions website (e-clubhouse.org/sites/onalaskawi).

People may also enter them on the clubs Facebook page. Only yards in the city of Onalaska are eligible for this award.

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The Kickapoo Valley Reserve has become a destination within the Driftless area. Nearly 20,000 people come through the visitor center building annually and over 5,000 school-age children attend educational programs.

Current educational exhibits are nearly 20 years old. Updating exhibits will amplify their educational value so that the story of the KVRs unique environmental, historical, and cultural stories can be related in an interactive and engaging manner.

The upgraded exhibit space will ensure the KVR continues to support the local economy by attracting large numbers of visitors to the area and instilling in them heightened appreciation for our local resources. In part, with the support of a $10,000 grant from Wisconsin Humanities, the exhibits will be designed to have more in-depth, interactive and changeable displays.

Over the last two years KVR staff, the Ho-Chunk Nation and many volunteers have been working closely with a design team to develop content for the newly designed exhibit space.

The exhibits at the visitor center will be under construction and closed to the public throughout the 2022 summer season, with the project slated for completion and grand reopening in September.

The reserve has a unique management structure, where a state entity jointly manages public land with a sovereign tribe.

Through a federally- and state-recognized Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Joint Management Plan, the reserve is made up of 7,400 acres of state-owned land and 1,200 acres held in trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the Ho-Chunk Nation. The land in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve shall be protected, preserved, and enhanced so that its unique environmental, scenic, and cultural features provide opportunities for the use and enjoyment of visitors to the reserve.

The reserve is promoted as a unique example of the Driftless Area Ecoregion and as a destination for low-impact tourism and education.

Wisconsin Humanities supports projects that strengthen the roots of community life through educational and cultural programs that inspire civic participation and individual imagination. Funded in part by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and its A More Perfect Union initiative and the state of Wisconsin. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Additional information on this project can be found at: http://kickapoovalley.wi.gov/About-Us

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Pro-Life Wisconsin, a Christian-based organization, opposes abortion in every case, even when it is not politically correct, per their website. Legislative Director Matt Sande says the group considers any legal or medical exception a loophole, and it favors doctors providing equal care to the pregnant person and fetus  even if it is nonviable.

But The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says induced abortion is an essential component of womens health care. And a recent fact-check by Reuters ruled the statement Abortion is never medically necessary to save a womans life as false.

Even the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which lists five doctors from Wisconsin as members, acknowledges that when extreme life-threatening emergencies arise, premature delivery may be indicated. But unlike in an abortion, the group said, every reasonable attempt to save the babys life would also be a part of our medical intervention.

Dr. Abigail Cutler, an obstetrician and gynecologist who practices in Wisconsin, and Dr. Douglas Laube, a Madison physician who is the former president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, describe myriad circumstances in which an abortion might be necessary to prevent disease or death.

Laube and Cutler note that pregnancy can make any underlying condition worse, such as chronic kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, connective tissue disorders, or recent heart attack, stroke or brain bleeds.

There is a tremendous physiologic burden on the pregnant woman, Laube says. This oftentimes begins very early in pregnancy. Any condition which can be made worse by pregnancy is a potential threat to the life of the mother, he says.

Cutler says risky medical conditions can also arise during pregnancy. And the point of no return  the moment at which a physician must intervene so as to prevent death  isnt always so clear.

Generally speaking, the line at which point, you know, a patient is imminently about to lose her life, sometimes its more obvious than others, she says.

One potentially deadly complication that worries many OB-GYNs, Cutler says, is preterm premature rupture of membranes. In this scenario, the water breaks prior to fetal viability. That can lead to a fatal sepsis infection or dangerous hemorrhaging for the patient  but not immediately.

Cutler says physicians must decide how far along on that spectrum a patient must be before you, as a physician, say, Im worried that if we dont end this pregnancy now that she could die from sepsis, or that she will lose too much blood bleeding out and we wont be able to resuscitate her,  she says.

Physicians practicing under those circumstances will face an untenable choice over whether to perform a life-saving abortion that could put them at risk of criminal prosecution.

Who decides that? How many people must agree? How much time do you have to make that decision? How critically ill or on the threshold of death does the patient have to be? Cutler asks.

And she says doctors will have to ask themselves, Do I risk facing prison time and thousands of dollars to intervene with what I think is my best medical judgment? Or do I hold off doing what my medical judgment and experience and training is telling me to do to ensure that what I do will be considered legal? And then, what if she dies because I didnt act? Or what if she dies because I didnt act quickly enough?

Nearly all deaths under those circumstances, Laube says, would be preventable, adding, Its more politics than it is medicine at this point.

And if people are forced to carry unwanted or risky pregnancies to term? They face severe injury or death during or shortly after birth. Hundreds of women in Wisconsin experience one or more severe maternal morbidities  which the Department of Health Services calls near misses with death  each year. At least 25 women die annually during or within one year of pregnancy, DHS reports.

For Black women, the risks are far higher. Compared to their white counterparts, non-Hispanic Black women in Wisconsin are five times more likely to die during or shortly after pregnancy.

Adds Cutler: I think the laws need to make room and trust physicians, with all their medical training and expertise, to have their patients best interests at heart, and to know what the appropriate interventions are to ensure that a patient gets the care that they need.

Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on government integrity and quality of life issues. For more visit wisconsinwatch.org.

The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

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While this substantial Italianate style residence at 236-238 S.10th St. is known as the Giles R. and Jeanette W. Montague home (the Montagues are pictured here in front of their home), it was built in 1875 by Canadian-born Ebenezer V. White and his American-born wife, Lottie.

White started the White-Freeman flour mill in La Crosse that became known as the Listman Mill.

Successor owners of the residence were early Yankee settlers Giles R. and Jeanette W. Montague. Jeanette was active in community organizations and was founder of the Ladies Circle of the First Congregational Church, as well as active in the work of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Giles was involved in several business activities associated with a town in its infancy  surveying, real estate and insurance. In 1866, Giles began building and investing in manufacturing enterprises but was best known for the La Crosse Cracker and Candy Company.

After the Montagues deaths, their son and daughter-in-law Wallace R. and Winnifred Montague took over the business interests as well as the home, although the house remained vacant. In 1923 Winifred, by this time a widow, sold it to La Crosse attorney Frank Winter and his second wife Eglena in 1924. The Winters divided it up into apartments the following year and it has operated as a rental property ever since.

Hear what Dr. Les Crocker, emeritus professor of Art History at UW-L, has to say about the Montague home and other homes on this new video about historical residential La Crosse architecture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCfyxOSdL_A from the La Crosse Public Library Archives.

Anyone with more information about this photo or wishing to donate photos of the Coulee Region may contact the La Crosse Public Library Archives at 608-789-7136 or via email at archives@lacrosselibrary.org.

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About 50 abortion rights supporters stood on the bridge over the Wisconsin River into Sauk City on a sunny Saturday morning in mid-May.

They held signs reading CHOICE and PROTECT ROE v. WADE and cheered when passing cars honked in support.

Jennie Klecker brought three generations of her family out on the bridge for the demonstration: her mother and her daughter and niece, in the sixth and ninth grades.

Im here for them, she says, gesturing to the girls. They shouldnt be forced to be mothers. These are human rights.

A local group, Indivisible Sauk Prairie, organized the bridge demonstration. Across the state and country that Saturday, thousands gathered to protest in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization that is expected to overturn the 49-year-old precedent guaranteeing a constitutional right to an abortion.

A recent Marquette University Law School poll found 69% of people nationwide oppose overturning the landmark decision. A Marquette poll from last year found 61% of Wisconsin residents support the right to an abortion in all or most cases.

While the Supreme Courts final decision seems nearly certain to reverse federal protections for abortion rights, its impact on Wisconsin is far from clear. Observers agree that the state will see a legal battle over whether Wisconsin reverts back to a law from 1849  a near-total ban on abortion passed 71 years before women had the right to vote.

That law makes it a Class H felony for anyone other than the mother to intentionally (destroy) the life of an unborn child. The maximum penalty is six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The law provides an apparent exception for medically necessary abortions  referred to by an antiquated term therapeutic abortion  to save the life of the mother.

But what would constitute a legally allowable abortion? That is a daunting question for physicians across Wisconsin  not just those who specialize in providing abortion care  as they could soon face criminal prosecution for providing what they believe is life-saving care.

That uncertainty alone is going to likely severely limit, if not completely cut off, all abortion access in Wisconsin, says Dr. Abigail Cutler, an obstetrician and gynecologist who practices in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association did not respond to email and phone messages asking how overturning Roe would affect patients ability to get medically necessary abortions at hospitals.

In an interview, Attorney General Josh Kaul says the 173-year-old abortion ban may be unenforceable under a legal doctrine which holds that a long-unenforced law essentially becomes invalid. Kaul has vowed not to enforce that draconian law if Roe falls.

Wisconsin has multiple abortion laws passed after the 1973 Roe decision, including several passed under former Republican Gov. Scott Walker. One could make an argument, Kaul says, that these statutes  which are currently enforced, as opposed to the 19th century ban  could imply that the right to an abortion remains intact in Wisconsin.

We are in a process right now of evaluating what the different legal options are in the state, Kaul says. But who files those or what the exact arguments raised are, I cant say.

Wisconsin law hostile to abortion rights

Wisconsins abortion laws are already considered restrictive.

Over the previous decade, under Walker, Wisconsins GOP majority in the Legislature passed a series of restrictions that turned the states landscape from leans hostile to hostile to abortion rights, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which researches sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Today, Wisconsin has only four clinics providing elective abortion procedures: two in Milwaukee, one in Madison and one in Sheboygan. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin operates three of the four clinics, and Affiliated Medical Services operates one of the Milwaukee locations.

Over the past 45 years, the number of Wisconsin abortions has declined significantly. In 1976, the state Department of Health Services reported 14,243 induced abortions, rising to a high of 21,754 in 1980. By 2020, that number had dropped to 6,430.

University of Wisconsin-Madisons Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE) says Wisconsin already restricts many aspects of abortion, including banning government-funded insurance coverage, limiting availability through family planning programs, requiring mandatory counseling, ultrasounds and waiting periods for medication and surgical abortions and gestational limits, among other restrictions.

For example, Wisconsin law only allows licensed physicians to perform abortions, even though other medical professionals including nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants can and do provide safe abortions in other states.

In Wisconsin, doctors must provide counseling and obtain spoken consent, both in person, at least 24 hours before administering care. In practice, that can put patients beyond the 20-week gestational limit.

None of these restrictions are evidence-based, says CORE director Jenny Higgins. Theres no medical reason for any of these restrictions.

Early challenge to law

In 1970, just three years prior to Roe v. Wade, a panel of federal judges in the Eastern District of Wisconsin decided a case called Babbitz v. McCann. A physician sought an injunction against the Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann, arguing that the abortion statute was unconstitutional.

The court agreed, holding that under the Ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a woman has the basic right  to decide whether she should carry or reject an embryo which has not yet quickened or started to move.

According to UW associate law professor Miriam Seifter, the judges found a right to privacy based on precedents dating back to the late 19th century. But the impact of that decision is complicated, Seifter says. As a federal district court decision, its not formally binding. Instead, it serves as persuasive authority  and may seem less persuasive depending on the Supreme Courts eventual ruling in Dobbs.

In other words, although the judges in 1970 found a federal constitutional right to abortion in Wisconsin, courts today are not required to follow that ruling.

Theres a tangled series of abortion-related laws in Wisconsin, Seifter added. Most likely some court will need to figure out whether those statutes are enforceable or compatible (and) how to read them together.

And any challenge filed in state court would likely end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, currently controlled by a 4-3 conservative majority. Justice Brian Hagedorn, sometimes deemed a swing voter, was endorsed by two Wisconsin anti-abortion groups.

Post-Roe agenda unclear

Meanwhile, Wisconsins Republican legislative leadership remains mum on any post-Roe plans.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg  as well as ardent abortion opponent Sen. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere  did not respond to Wisconsin Watchs emailed questions about their plans. Vos staff shared a prepared statement that read, in part, Ive always been proudly pro-life. If this is the final ruling, it will empower states to make their own decisions.

Wisconsin Democrats have tried and failed to shore up abortion rights, and at this point, any attempts to pass new legislation would be largely symbolic.

Two prominent anti-abortion groups in Wisconsin celebrated the possible end to Roe, but they have separate visions for the future.

Wisconsin Right to Life, a non-religious organization, supports exceptions that allow for medically necessary abortions, legislative director Gracie Skogman says. However, the group opposes an exception for rape or incest  which also is not in the 1849 law.

Our position has always been to support women who are in their utmost need, and when we think about the heartbreaking situation of rape, that is the utmost violence against women, she says. But an abortion only continues that cycle of violence.

Pro-Life Wisconsin, a Christian-based organization, opposes abortion in every case, even when it is not politically correct, per their website. Legislative Director Matt Sande says the group considers any legal or medical exception a loophole and favors doctors providing equal care to the pregnant person and fetus  even if it is nonviable.

He argues that removing a medical exception will not prevent people from obtaining life-saving treatment for ectopic pregnancies  which involves removing a non-viable embryo from the fallopian tubes  because legally such operations are not considered abortions.

Pro-Life Wisconsin also opposes contraception, but Sande says the group has no plans to push for a legislative ban on contraception.

Who would enforce the law?

In the interim, while court battlelines form, access to abortions will certainly diminish.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will pause providing abortions until theres clarification from the court of competent jurisdiction, declaring that (1849) law is not enforceable, says Mike Murray, vice president of governmental relations for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, the largest provider of elective abortion care.

Were physicians to continue providing abortions in any of the four clinics  or in any other setting  enforcement of laws prohibiting abortion would lie with prosecutors.

So long as Kaul remains in office, the Wisconsin Department of Justice will not investigate abortions, he says. But the Democrat is facing re-election in November. Two of his Republican challengers, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney and former lawmaker Adam Jarchow, have both tweeted support for a decision overturning Roe. Toney also criticized Kauls refusal to enforce the old law.

Local prosecutors in Dane, Milwaukee and Sheboygan counties  which currently have abortion clinics  could choose to pursue charges against providers if abortions continued.

None of these district attorneys  Democrats Ismael Ozanne and John Chisholm and Republican Joel Urmanski  returned multiple emails and phone calls asking if they would prosecute physicians providing abortions if Roe is overturned. However, in 2020, Chisholm signed an open letter announcing he would not prosecute anti-abortion laws.

The future of abortion rights in Wisconsin, then, likely lies at the ballot box, in statewide and local elections for governor, attorney general, Supreme Court, state Legislature and district attorney.

Its scary, says Jennie Klecker, out on the Sauk City bridge. Kleckers life was saved by removing an ectopic pregnancy that occurred between the births of two of her children. And some of these laws  she says, her voice drowned out as honks from passing cars sound off in support of abortion rights.

Im here for their future. Im here for my future and (the future of) women in general.

Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on government integrity and quality of life issues. For more visit wisconsinwatch.org.

The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  In a time of agonizing over other things, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol  and democracy itself  returns in sharp focus as a special House committee opens hearings this week on the insurrection and Donald Trumps part in it. Will Americans care?

The committees aggressive investigation is producing a spool of plot lines that together will tell the tale of a violent uprising fueled by the venom and lies of a defeated president.

But Americans are processing the nightmare of the slaughter of children in Texas, the racist murders in Buffalo, New York, and the other numbingly repeated scenes of carnage in the United States.

They're contending with what feels like highway robbery at the gas pump, nagged by a virus the world can't shake and split into two hostile camps over politics and culture  the twin pillars of the nation's very foundation.

And they've already been through the wringer on all things Trump.

Beginning in prime time on Thursday, the committee is setting out to establish the historical record of an event damaging not only to a community or individual families but to the collective idea of democracy itself.

After more than 100 subpoenas, 1,000 interviews and 100,000 documents, the committee promises to tell a story for the ages.

Dozens of the insurrectionists have been brought to justice. But the committee's goal is larger: Who in a position of power should also be held to account?

There are so many layers of inquiry. Did Vice President Mike Pence refuse to leave the besieged Capitol because he suspected the Secret Service at the behest of Trump was trying to take him away to stop him from certifying Joe Biden's victory? Did Trump flush incriminating papers down the White House toilet?

One aim: to establish whether Trump's acts are criminal, as one judge has mused they may be, and whether that might mean prosecution of an ex-president.

More broadly, the effort addresses who might be punished in the large circle of Trump enablers. Some of them are lawmakers who sided with his effort to overturn an honest election only to huddle in fear with everyone else in a Capitol hideout when the rioters swarmed the Capitol in service of that goal.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat on the committee, set high expectations as the panel tries to renew interest in machinations that are nearly 18 months in the rearview mirror.

The hazards in that mirror are closer than they appear, as committee members see it.

The hearings will tell a story that will really blow the roof off the House," Raskin said in April. Because it is a story of the most heinous and dastardly political offense ever organized by a president and his followers and his entourage in the history of the United States.

That offense? An inside coup coupled with a violent attack by neo-fascists," he said.

Trump is not expected at any of the hearings, but his words and actions will hang heavy over the proceedings as lawmakers look to place him at the center of the chaos. It seems highly plausible he will find a way to rail against them that does not involve being under oath.

The panel, free from the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt standard, is likely to try to show that the riot was not a spontaneous gathering but part of a broader conspiracy.

Yet much is already known because the attack played out on TV and Trump exhorted supporters to fight like hell in shouts for the world to hear.

In quieter times, the hearings would have a stronger hold on public attention, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. But, as is, they will be competing for attention with topics with greater immediate relevance in our lives."

Hungry babies lacking formula. Soaring prices. Rising COVID-19 hospitalization among the vaccinated. The threat that Russia's Ukraine invasion will escalate to something nuclear. Monkeypox.

If the hearings are to do anything other than reinforce our existing political biases," Jamieson said, "they will have to reveal previously covered-up goings-on that threatened something that Democrats, independents and most Republicans can agree should be sacrosanct.

Seven Democrats and two Republicans make up the panel. Among them is Rep. Liz Cheney, the deeply conservative but fiercely independent Wyoming lawmaker who is practically alone in the GOP in assailing Trump while also seeking reelection to Congress.

Once an embodiment of the Republican establishment, she is now a renegade in a new order dominated by Trump, who wants her unseated in her primary in August.

Dartmouth College historian Matthew Delmont said Jan. 6 cast such an ominous shadow that he expects Americans, for all of their preoccupations, to be drawn to the inquiry.

They want to understand how our democracy reached this precipice, he said.

Jan. 6 shares certain distinctions with other traumas of history. As with 9/11, you can shorthand the date and people know. Like Watergate, it speaks to corrupt acts in the highest office. The attack brought so much visceral shock that many people remember where they were and what they were doing when they saw it.

To the far right, the historical analogy is the Boston Tea Party, with liberals, Democrats and the Washington establishment as the redcoats.

Trump-friendly Republicans sanitized what happened that day, once the shock that nearly all felt on Jan. 6 subsided. In measurements of public opinion, Republican voters in the main said they believe the 2020 election was rigged, when by all measures  the courts, nonpartisan and even Republican state officials, and the Trump administration's own election monitors  the election was purely fair.

Trump won the 2016 election with a minority of voters, lost the House to the Democrats in 2018 and lost in 2020 by a decisive margin  not a glowing electoral record.

Still he holds sway over his party, thanks to supporters whose loyalty seems immovable. They won't be easily dislodged by whatever a congressional committee reveals.

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

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A retired Juneau County judge who was gunned down in his home Friday morning had sentenced his alleged killer to six years in prison for armed burglary and other weapons charges in 2005, online court records show.

Douglas K. Uhde, 56, shot and killed John Roemer, 68, after entering the judges home in the town of Lisbon around 6:30 a.m., the state Department of Justice said in a statement Saturday.

Law enforcement officers tried to negotiate with Uhde before entering the residence around 10:15 a.m., the DOJ said. In the home, they found Roemer dead and zip-tied to a chair and Uhde in the basement with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Uhde was taken to the hospital and remains in critical condition, the DOJ said.

Investigators have said Uhde planned to target other government officials and found a list in his vehicle that included Roemer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, said the official who was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly.

The 56-year-old has an extensive criminal and prison record spanning at least two decades.

In 2005, Uhde was convicted in Adams County Circuit Court of burglary while armed and other weapons offenses, including possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle.

Roemer was not the judge at the time the case was initially tried in 2002 but did preside over the withdrawal of Uhdes no contest plea and subsequent reconviction after a court of appeals reversed his earlier conviction, sentencing him to six years in prison and nine years of extended supervision.

Uhde has later convictions for escape/criminal arrest, fleeing an officer, driving a stolen vehicle and obstructing police.

Record of appeals by Douglas Uhde Appeals filed by Douglas K. Uhde, who police say shot and killed retired Juneau County Circuit Court Judge John Roemer in his home Friday morn

His 2005 conviction came at the end of a lengthy series of court fights in the case, which began with an incident in August 2001. After pleading no contest in 2002, Uhde pursued an appeal and succeeded in withdrawing his plea, according to online court records.

After his attorney withdrew from the case, Uhde appears to have represented himself, was reconvicted and appealed again.

For his subsequent offenses, Uhde was sentenced  by other judges  first to 9 months in jail for the escape in 2007, and then seven years in prison and four years of extended supervision for fleeing police and driving a vehicle without the owners permission in 2008.

According to court records, the escape conviction came after Uhde walked away from a job site in Baraboo while an inmate at the Fox Lake Correctional Institution. He pleaded no contest in Dodge County and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He appealed the conviction because the job site was in Sauk County, but the appeal was denied.

After Uhde escaped, a truck owned by Easter Seals was reported stolen in Wisconsin Dells. Rome police found a salt spreader and other items that had been in the truck 10 days later.

Uhdes former girlfriend told police she was afraid Uhde might come to her house. She received three phones calls from him the next day, according to court records. Uhde told her he was driving a newer pickup truck. Police tracked the call to a pay phone and put the truck under surveillance.

Two days later, a woman spotted Uhde standing in his ex-girlfriends yard. Later that night, police saw a truck fitting the description of the one Uhde was driving outside the ex-girlfriends home and where she worked.

When police got closer, the truck drove away. Following a high-speed chase, Uhde drove the truck into a ditch and field, causing it to burst into flames. Officers found Uhde hiding near a log after he was tracked by a police K9.

Records show Uhde was released on community supervision in 2015, but was returned to prison in 2019. He was released from prison on April 14, 2020, and was under community supervision at the time of the shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A Japanese man has become the oldest person to complete a solo, non-stop sailing trip across the Pacific Ocean.

Eighty-three-year-old Kenichi Horie returned to his home port off Japans western coast on Saturday. His trans-Pacific trip began in San Francisco in late March. It took 69 days to complete.

Horie spent the night aboard his 6-meter-long sailboat before he was welcomed back Sunday by community members and supporters at the port of Shin Nishinomiya.

Upon arrival, Horie took off his hat and waved to the crowd from his boat. Later, he met with supporters and was presented with flowers. Thank you for waiting! Horie said.

He had carried a supply of medicine in case he got sick. But he said the only things he used during his more than two months at sea were eye drops and Band-Aids.

That shows how healthy I am, Horie said. Im still in the middle of my youth.

Horie added that it felt like the trip had burned all my body and soul. But he said he is still ready for more exciting experiences. I will keep up my work to be a late bloomer."

Horie told reporters that setting the record for the oldest person to complete the trip was a dream come true. He said it brought happiness "to have been able to make a challenge as a real goal and safely achieve it, instead of just holding onto it as a dream.

I want to be a challenger as long as I live, Horie added.

It 1962, he became the first person in the world to sail a solo non-stop trip across the Pacific from Japan to San Francisco. Sixty years later, he traveled the opposite path.

Soon after leaving San Francisco, Horie faced stormy weather. But conditions improved after that and he was able to reach Hawaii sooner than expected in mid-April.

Horie said he had struggled toward the end of his trip with pushback from some strong waves. In an internet report Friday, he said he felt close to success, but was exhausted.

Horie has completed several long-distance solo trips. In 1974, he sailed solo around the world. His latest success was the first trip since 2008, when he traveled solo on a wave-powered boat from Hawaii to Japans Kii Strait.

Despite sailing on his own, technology helped him keep in touch with family members and others throughout the trip. I imagine my next voyage would be even more fun, he said.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story



solo  adj. done alone by one person

Band-Aid  n. a brand name for a small piece of cloth or plastic that sticks to the skin to cover and protect small wounds

soul  n. the part of a person that is not their body and which some people believe continues to exist after death

late bloomer  n. someone who becomes good at something at an older age in life

challenge  adj. a difficult task or problem; something that is hard to do

achieve  v. to get by means of hard work

exhausted  adj. extremely tired

voyage  n. a long trip, especially by ship
Several Muslim-majority countries have protested comments made by top officials of Indias governing party. They accused the party officials of making insulting statements about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

At least five Arab nations have entered official protests to Indian diplomats. Neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan also reacted strongly to the comments made by two officials from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

On social media, some Muslims have called for a boycott of Indian goods. And in parts of India, it has also led to protests against Modis ruling party.

Increasing violence against Muslims

Over the years, Indian Muslims have often been targeted for things such as their food, clothing and inter-religious marriages. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that attacks against Indian Muslims could increase.

Rights groups have also accused Modis governing party of ignoring and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims.

Modis party denies the accusations, but Indias Muslims say attacks against them and their religion have increased sharply.

The anger has been growing since last week, after the two BJP officials made comments that were seen as insulting Islams Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha.

Modis party took no action against the officials until Sunday. That is when several Arab nations, starting with Qatar and Kuwait, called their Indian ambassadors to protest. Saudi Arabia and Iran also added their voices to the protest.

The BJP suspended the officials and said it strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities. Indias embassies in Qatar and Kuwait released a statement saying the views expressed about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam were not those of the Indian government and were made by fringe elements.

Qatars Foreign Ministry, however, said it expected a public apology from the Indian government. And Kuwait warned that if the comments go unpunished, India would see an increase of extremism and hatred.

The Grand Mufti of Oman called the action of Modis party toward Islam a form of war. And Egypts Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni worlds top center of religious learning, described the remarks as real terrorism (that) can plunge the entire world into severe crises and deadly wars.

Modis party also faced anger from some of its own supporters, but it was for a different reason. Many Hindu nationalists wrote on social media that the government was giving in to international pressure.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a statement: "These insults come in the context of the increasing intensity in hatred and insults to Islam in India and the systematic harassment of Muslims."

The 57-member organization noted bans on head coverings in classrooms in some Indian states and the destruction of Muslim property as examples of the Indian government's unfair treatment of Muslims.

More recently, religious tensions increased after Hindus went to court in northern Varanasi city to seek permission to pray at a 17th-century Muslim religious center. They argued that the mosque was built on the ruins of an old Hindu temple.

I'm Dorothy Gundy.

Hai Do adpated this story for Learning English based on Associated Press and Reuters news reports.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

prophet - n. a member of some religions who delivers messages that are believed to have come from God.

view - n. an opinion or way of thinking about something

fringe - n. a group with extreme views

plunge - v. drop suddenly

context - n. the situation in which something happens

harassment - n. act of repeatedly attack or bother (someone)

mosque - n. a building used for Muslim religious services

temple - n. a Buddhist/Hindu/Jewish/Mormon building for worship
The United Nations confirmed earlier this month that it had accepted a request from Turkey to change the countrys official name.

Now, its name is "Turkiye."

Stephane Dujarric is a spokesman for the U.N. secretary general. He said that the change was in effect from the moment they received the request letter. The information came from the Turkish news organization Anadolu Agency.

Turkiye is how the countrys name is pronounced in Turkish. The move is seen as part of a push by Turkey to separate itself from the turkey bird and some undesirable meanings related with it.

In December, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered the use of Turkiye to better represent Turkish culture and values. The order included a demand that Made in Turkiye be used instead of Made in Turkey on exported products. Turkish government agencies began using Turkiye in official documents.

Earlier this year, the government released a video as part of its efforts to change its name in English. The video shows visitors from around the world saying Hello Turkiye at famous places. Government officials said they began the campaign to promote more effectively the use of Turkiye as the countrys national and international name on international platforms.

It is not clear whether the name will become widely used internationally. In 2016, the Czech Republic officially registered its shortened name, Czechia. While some international organizations use the name, many still refer to the country as the Czech Republic.

Turkeys English-language state broadcaster TRT World has started using the name Turkiye. But sometimes journalists will accidentally say the word Turkey as they get used to the change.

TRT World explained the decision in an article earlier this year. They said that searching for Turkey online brings up other results related to the turkey, a large bird native to North America. The network added that in the Cambridge Dictionary, turkey is defined as something that fails badly or a stupid or silly person.

TRT World argued that Turks prefer their country to be called Turkiye, in keeping with the countrys aims of determining how others should identify it.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English based on a report from the Associated Press.

Words in This Story

promote  v. to help something to grow or develop

platform  n. a means or opportunity to communicate ideas or information to a group of people


Alexandr Wang, the tech entrepreneur and CEO founder of Scale AI, has recently made global headlines for becoming the worlds youngest self-made billionaire. He is 25 years old.



So who exactly is the young Asian-American billionaire and how did he make his fortune? We take a closer look.



He started his company after dropping out of college

Wang began studying for his BS in Mathematics and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (aka MIT). In the summer after completing his first-year year at the prestigious New England university, he started Scale with fellow young tech whizz Lucy Guo.

According to Forbes, the two co-founders met while both working at question and answer platform Quora. The entrepreneurial duo started the venture with investment from US start-up accelerator Y Combinator.

On starting Scale, Wang recounted to Forbes, I told my parents it was just going to be a thing I did for the summer  Obviously, I never went back to school.



Hes now worth US$1 billion

Last year Wangs company received investment funding of some US$350 million. This financial backing, coupled with the fact that Scale is already enjoying US$100 million in revenue, valued the young entrepreneurs company at a massive US$7.3 billion.

TransformX is officially LIVE! It's not too late to join: https://t.co/UoxXT90vq4 pic.twitter.com/TX62gMBvpV  Alexandr Wang (@alexandr_wang) October 6, 2021



Thanks to his one per cent stake in the company, Forbes has therefore estimated that his net worth is now US$1 billion. Not too bad for a 25-year-old. In fact, at the time of writing he was ranked 2,534th on the Forbes list of world billionaires.



He comes from a scientific family

The young billionaires technological and scientific prowess is perhaps in part due to his family background. Growing up in New Mexico, Wangs parents were both physicists who worked on projects for the American military, according to Prestige.

Clearly inheriting a strong intellect himself, Wang would regularly compete in maths and coding competitions at school. By the age of 17, when most high school students are likely prepping for their journey towards university and beyond, Wang was coding full time for Quora.

The New Youngest Self-Made Billionaire In The World Is A 25-Year-Old College Dropout https://t.co/hXnsWHArTk pic.twitter.com/c7RHZWving  Forbes (@Forbes) May 27, 2022



He was previously featured on Forbes

Before achieving the noteworthy distinction of being the youngest self-made billionaire on the planet, Wang had already been name checked in Forbes 2018 30 under 30 list. The annual list showcases the most remarkable up-and-coming young entrepreneurs, stars, thought leaders and bright minds across a range of different industries and spheres.

Wang and his Scale co-founder Lucy Guo, were included in the esteemed list in the Enterprise Technology category.



His companys technology is used by more than 300 companies

As per Scales about page on their company website, the organisation aims to accelerate the development of AI applications.

According to Fortune magazine, Scale AI helps businesses deal with the data preparation needed to train AI systems. As the largest company in the sector, its usefulness spans multiple industries, from government and self-driving cars, to mapping, robotics, virtual reality and the military.



Scale is currently donating its technology for free to help analyse satellite images of the impact of Russian attacks and military campaigns in Ukraine.

As Wang told Forbes, Every industry is sitting on huge amounts of data  [Scales] goal is to help them unlock the potential of the data and supercharge their businesses with AI.



So successful and valuable is Scales technology, that its impressive service has been employed by more than 300 companies and organisations. Some of the big names utilising Wangs companys technology include General Motors, PayPal, Toyota, SAP, Lyft and the American military.

Note: This story was originally published on SCMP and has been republished on this website.
The annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association was held from May 21 to 25 in New Orleans and attracted participants from around the world, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in psychiatry. The conference highlighted recent advances in the prevention, detection, and treatment of psychiatric conditions.

In one presentation, Kiara Alvarez, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues provided recommendations for addressing structural racism in youth suicide prevention.

After evaluating the impact of structural racism within mental health services, the education system, and the justice system, the researchers provided recommendations to address structural racism in suicide prevention. Recommendations included promoting solutions at multiple levels, starting with supporting policies that promote racial and economic equity, increasing the focus on suicide prevention practices that will benefit all youth, and finding ways to separate a mental health crisis response from school discipline and law enforcement systems.

"Clinicians are key to the suicide prevention continuum, in systems ranging from primary care to specialty mental health care to emergency care and in many other settings. They have an important role to play in their direct interactions with patients, in their advocacy for how the systems they work within respond to patients, and in how they collaborate with communities," Alvarez said. "It's important for clinicians to know that asking about suicide does not cause someone to have suicidal thoughts. In fact, the opposite is true, and open conversations about suicide help youth know that there are people who care and want to help. From there, to specifically address how structural racism impacts suicide prevention, clinicians can promote suicide prevention and intervention practices that are person-centered, culturally responsive, and focus on building strengths and resources for youth."

In a related presentation, Margarita Alegria, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues provided insight into two types of investments that could amplify the impact of the 2022 federal Community Mental Health Services Block Grants (which have provided $1.6 billion in funding), including evidence-based policies that address unmet social needs (i.e., universal school meals and child savings accounts) and mental health prevention programs designed by and for communities of color.

The presenters offered details on interventions with sound evidence for improving mental health (i.e., decreasing or preventing clinical symptoms) or mental health-related outcomes (i.e., increasing quality of life or mental health literacy) among people of color in the United States. These goals can be met within five years by addressing social determinants of health or changing the context so as to make the healthy choice the easy choice. The presenters described the interventions and summarized the evidence of their impact on mental health and mental health-related outcomes.

For children and adolescents, the interventions include universal school meal programs, child savings accounts, comprehensive behavioral health models, and workforce support for recreational afterschool programs. For adults, examples include the Housing First model, individual placement and support for employment, earned income tax credits, mental health literacy campaigns, and community-led programs for mental health prevention offered by paraprofessionals.

"For older adults, [the interventions] highlight expansion of green and blue spaces (i.e., greening vacant urban land), senior centers offering health promotion activities, dual exercise and psychosocial programs for disability prevention (Positive Minds-Strong Bodies), and peer-led programs for managing chronic mental health conditions," Alegria said.

Gaelle Rached, M.D., of Northwestern University in Chicago, and colleagues found that Lebanese expatriates are negatively affected by traumatic events happening in Lebanon, months after the traumatic incident, no matter how long they have been away from their country.

The researchers presented the results of a survey conducted via social media seven months after the explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020, to investigate the mental health repercussions of the explosion on Lebanese expatriates. A total of 1,117 participants completed the survey; 447 participants were excluded because they were not Lebanese or they were still living in Lebanon at the time of the blast. On the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, a 20-item self-reporting questionnaire commonly used in disaster medicine screening for anxiety and depression, 41.2 percent of the participants had scores higher than the threshold. Only the 268 participants who experienced the blast firsthand or whose close family or loved ones suffered physical damage from the blast completed the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening tool, and 57.5 percent were found to exhibit PTSD-related symptoms.

"Expats are already under stressful living conditions. Little is known about expats' mental health, let alone in the context of traumatic events in their home country," Rached said. "We need to provide additional support to this population especially if their home country is going through a traumatic event."

Aaron I. Esagoff, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues identified structural brain changes among individuals participating in mixed martial arts (MMA). Structural brain changes were found to be dependent on the number of sparring sessions.

Using a cross-sectional analysis that included adjusted multivariate regression analyses, the authors examined the effects of customary sparring practice rounds per week on white matter and a limited number of regional brain volumes measured by single magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, race, professional fights, total intracranial volume, and type of MRI scanner. The researchers found that the number of customary sparring practice rounds per week was significantly associated with increased white matter hyperintensity volume and bilateral caudate volume.

"The take home message is that, from our preliminary study, sparring practice in MMA fighters may have a double-edged sword effect on the brain, as we have associated sparring practice with larger caudate volume but also potential white matter damage," Esagoff said. "However, we also conclude that more research is needed to further investigate the impacts of sparring practice in MMA fighters and our findings need to be replicated."

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
GUANGZHOU, China (AP)  The dragon boat tradition returned in parts of China on Friday for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic in late 2019, as restrictions are lifted along with a major drop in COVID-19 cases.

The historic Lychee Bay scenic area in the southern Chinese manufacturing hub of Guangzhou staged boat displays and other scaled-back celebrations to mark the holiday commemorating the death more than 2,200 years ago of revered poet and government minister Qu Yuan.

Restrictions on the length of events and the size of crowds remained in place but did little to dampen the mood.

Along with the displays and traditional boat races  featuring teams of up to a dozen or more paddlers but which were not held in Guangzhou this year due to pandemic measures  the holiday is marked by community gatherings and the enthusiastic consumption of steamed rice dumplings cooked with meat, peanuts and other ingredients and wrapped in green leaves bound with string.

China recorded just 74 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and restrictions have been eased in cities such as Shanghai, which had been under strict lockdown for more than two months.

While travel restrictions, testing requirements, quarantines and mask mandates remain, the country is gradually emerging from its hardline zero-COVID" policy that has throttled the domestic economy and severely constricted global supply chains.

Guangzhou native June He said it was a relief to finally be able to enjoy the festival again after the cancellations of the previous two years.

I feel particularly excited and happy, said He, who was among the spectators watching the crews from Pantang village paddle the carefully-decorated boats as long as 38 meters (125 feet).

Wang Haoran, a tourist from Inner Mongolia in China's far north, said he'd only ever experienced the festival through books and television.

I wasnt able to get a sense of the magnificence of the event," Wang said.

The dragon boat tradition dates back 500 years, and residents a century ago began displaying the boats as works of folk art and craftmanship.

The dragon boat tradition dates back 500 years in Pantang, and residents a century ago began displaying the boats as works of folk art and craftmanship, said Liu Yongzhou, head of the dragon boat association from one of the villages districts.

The return of dragon boat festivities also delighted small businesses in the area.

Its good for various parties, including tourists. There will be lively scenes here again, said Ji Tuhui, the owner of a small bakery selling traditional Cantonese pastries.

While business has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, Friday's dragon boat performance brought tourists and their spending money, Ji said.

Liu called the event an unforgettable experience.

This year, to meet the requirements of epidemic prevention, we minimized the event," he said. "But its OK  we were able to hold this event under such strict conditions.

Associated Press video producer Caroline Chen contributed to this report.

This story corrects the attribution of the final quote and the spelling of Pantang village.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A small study delivers startling results on the power of a new immunotherapy treatment against rectal cancer: The drug triggered remission in all the patients who got it.

All of them had mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd) locally advanced rectal cancer and were given dostarlimab  an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody  every three weeks for six months as a first-line treatment.

It was to be followed by standard chemo-radiation and surgery, but patients who went into remission could skip those follow-up treatments.

After at least six months of follow-up, all 14 patients achieved remission  with no evidence of tumors on medical scans and tests, digital rectal exam or biopsy.

To date, none of the patients have required chemo-radiation or surgery, and no cases of progression or recurrence have occurred during follow-up, which is as long as 25 months in some patients.

No serious side effects have surfaced either, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) study published June 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, in Chicago.

"Since MMRd colorectal cancer is responsive to PD-1 blockade in the metastatic setting, we hypothesized that locally advanced mismatch repair-deficient rectal cancer is sensitive to checkpoint blockade and may alter the requirements for chemo-radiotherapy and surgery, or eliminate the need for additional treatments altogether," explained study co-leader Dr. Andrea Cercek. She is co-director of MSK's Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer.

"Surgery and radiation have permanent effects on fertility, sexual health, bowel and bladder function," Cercek added in an MSK news release. "The implications for quality of life are substantial, especially in those where standard treatment would impact childbearing potential. As the incidence of rectal cancer is rising in young adults, this approach can have a major impact."

For Sascha Roth, the new drug was a godsend.

In 2019, Roth, who was 38 at the time, noticed some rectal bleeding. After doing a biopsy, her doctor delivered the bad news.

"I completely melted down," the Maryland resident told The New York Times.

Set to start chemotherapy at Georgetown University, a friend had insisted Roth first see Dr. Philip Paty at Memorial Sloan Kettering, in New York City. It turned out that Roth was eligible to enter the clinical trial of the new immunotherapy. If she had started chemotherapy, she would not have been, the Times reported.

Because her hopes of remission were not high, Roth had planned to move to New York for radiation, chemotherapy and possibly surgery after the trial ended. To preserve her fertility, she had her ovaries removed and put back under her ribs.

After the trial ended, Cercek gave her the good news.

"We looked at your scans," she told the Times. "There is absolutely no cancer."

Two years later, she still has no trace of cancer.

"While longer follow-up is needed to assess response duration, this is practice-changing for patients with MMRd locally advanced rectal cancer," said study co-leader Dr. Luis Diaz Jr., head of the division of solid tumor oncology at MSK.

Dr. Alan Venook, a colorectal cancer specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved with the study, said he thought this finding was a first.

A complete remission in every single patient is "unheard-of," he told the Times.

More information

There's more on rectal cancer at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

SOURCE: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, news release, June 5, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
As of March, 11 of the 14 approved Big Ideas projects were still active and most had only used a fraction of the money they asked for at the jump, due to a variety of COVID-19 related roadblocks, district administration said.
It was the excuses that bothered him most, then-Circuit Judge John Roemer told the man who, police say, would go to Roemers rural Juneau County home more than 15 years later and shoot him to death.

You have a great deal to offer, Roemer told Douglas K. Uhde at a Nov. 10, 2005, sentencing hearing. Your personality is strong because youre gregarious, youre outgoing, but theres something about your character where you just cant admit that you screwed up, and that might be the rest of your life that youll never be able to admit that you just made a mistake.

There was little in the 58-page transcript of the hearing that would point to any specific reason Uhde, 56, would allegedly later target Roemer before turning the gun on himself. Investigators have said he planned to target other government officials as well. A list found in his vehicle Friday included Roemer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, an official who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation told The Associated Press.

But it seems from court and Department of Corrections records that Roemers words were prophetic. In the years to come, Uhde would escape from the medium-security prison where he was serving his sentence and file appeals and court challenges disputing some of the charges for which he was convicted after he was caught.

That echoed the approach he took in Roemers courtroom that November day, when, acting as his own attorney, he simultaneously pleaded guilty to a 2001 armed burglary and suggested he didnt do it, while arguing that evidence in his case had been destroyed by investigators, preventing him from mounting a good defense.

Yes, I did plead guilty to the charge, but did I actually commit this crime, just as I stated to the Court, because a person went to the crime, is that actually a crime committed? That answer has to be no, he told Roemer.

Roemer sentenced him to six years in prison and nine years of extended supervision, or more than the five years in prison and seven and a half years of supervision Uhde and prosecutors had settled on as part of the plea agreement.

The state Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting at the 68-year-old Roemers home at W6128 Woodland Hills Road in the town of Lisbon, did not respond to requests for comment Monday on the investigation into Uhde, who most recently lived in Michigan and as of Saturday was in a hospital in critical condition.

In the Adams County case, Uhde was charged with armed burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a short-barreled shotgun and possession of a firearm by a felon for burglarizing a vacant vacation home in the town of Quincy on the night of Aug. 20, 2001, according to a criminal complaint.

Plenty of trouble

Uhde was already a convicted felon in Texas, where he had a 1986 case for forgery and a 1996 case for escaping from custody. He also has a juvenile record and a 1986 attempted burglary conviction from Michigan, according to the transcripts of his sentencing hearing before Roemer.

He pleaded no contest in the Adams County burglary case in January of 2002, online court records show. But he had his conviction vacated in October 2004 after an appeals court found  and prosecutors ultimately admitted  that the trial court had misstated elements of the burglary charge. The next year he pleaded guilty again before the new judge in the case, Roemer.

DOC and court records show Uhde was in jail or prison in Wisconsin roughly from August 2001 to March 27, 2006, when he walked away from an inmate work assignment at Circus World in Baraboo that was being conducted through the Fox Lake Correctional Institution, where he was incarcerated.

A report by the Adams County Sheriffs Office alleges he turned up a little more than two weeks later in the Friendship and Wisconsin Rapids area, where he broke into a car and stole a wallet, stole license plates off another car and tried to break into his former girlfriends home.

Police caught him on April 17, 2006, after a chase that ended when he crashed his stolen pickup truck, according to a criminal complaint in Adams County. Another filed around the same time in Dodge County, where the prison is, says that when asked why he decided to escape, the defendant replied that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.

He just couldnt go back to the institution, the complaint says. The defendant also described how he walked away, saying he left about 1:00 pm, walked down a sidewalk, crossed over train tracks, entered a Walmart, called a friend ... and she came and picked him up.

Attempts to reach victims named in the police reports and Uhdes former girlfriend were not successful. A man who answered the door at the Friendship home where the girlfriend used to live said she hadnt lived there for years.

Nowhere to run

Uhde pleaded no contest to the escape charge in Dodge County in January 2007 and was found guilty by a jury of fleeing police and other charges in Adams County in 2008.

Appeals courts in 2009 and again in 2011 rejected Uhdes petitions for a new trial in the Adams County case, saying hed not proven that the state had denied him access to relevant evidence or that prosecutors had engaged in misconduct.

At the 2005 sentencing hearing, Roemer said Uhde was bright and articulate but had largely squandered his talents.

What have you done really? he said. Nothing. Youre 40 years old and what do you have? Well, you have a GED. Youve got a year of post-automotive, but you have nothing to your name. ... If you are Catholic faith, or whatever faith your are, you have squandered your talents, and thats a sin because God has given you so much, and to be quite frank, youve done so little with your talents.

Juneau County Star-Times reporter John Gittings and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A man was arrested for stealing a car with a person with disabilities inside on Sunday afternoon, Madison police reported.

Jeremy J. Imhoff, 43, faces tentative charges of false imprisonment, first offense operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle without the owners consent, officer Ryan Kimberley said in a statement.

Shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday, Imhoff got into the vehicle in the 4700 block of East Washington Avenue when the caregiver went inside to get food, leaving the person with disabilities inside the car with the engine running, Kimberley said.

When the caregiver came back outside, the car and the passenger were gone, Kimberley said.

About 45 minutes later, the stolen auto was located by Shorewood Hills Police Chief Jeff Pharo on University Avenue, who followed it while waiting for backup. Ultimately, the stolen vehicle pulled into the University Hospital emergency room entrance area, where Imhoff was taken into custody, Kimberley said.

The passenger was unharmed and was checked out by emergency room staff, Kimberley said.

During the incident, Imhoff told the person to get out of the car, but they couldnt due to their disability, and the victim persuaded the suspect to go to the hospital, Kimberley said.

Police asked that anyone with information on the incident contact them at 608-255-2345. Tipsters may remain anonymous by contacting Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or P3Tips.com. Individuals contacting Crime Stoppers can receive a reward of up to $1,000 for tips that lead to an arrest.

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A man wanted on warrants and two others were arrested and marijuana and guns were seized in an incident Saturday in Janesville, police reported.

At about 9:10 p.m. Saturday, Janesville officers were investigating a complaint in the 200 block of South Jackson Street when they saw Anton May run inside a residence. May had active warrants for three counts of manufacture/delivery of cocaine, five counts of bail jumping, possession with intent to delivery THC, and felon in possession of a firearm, Sgt. Robert Perkins II said in a statement.

Police entered the apartment and found May hiding in a closet. Officers saw marijuana on a table and a search warrant was executed at the residence, resulting in the seizure of several firearms, Perkins said.

Police said that:

May, 42, of Janesville, was out on bond for Manufacture/Delivery of Cocaine, bail jumping, possession with intent to deliver THC, and felon in possession of a firearm. He now faces tentative charges of felon in Possession of a Firearm, Obstructing/Resisting an Officer, and four counts of Felony Bail jumping.

Aikisha Tyler, of Janesville, was arrested on tentative charges of Harboring/Aiding a Felon and obstructing/Resisting an Officer.

Jeffrey Mahalick, who is from Illinois, was arrested on tentative charges of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Obstructing/Resisting an Officer, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

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In May 2021, a group of Madison School District educators, students and community members pitched their big ideas to spend $9 million in federal funds. As of March, just $403,530 of that money had been spent, and time is ticking to use the remaining funds, which have shrunk to $2.5 million.

Superintendent Carlton Jenkins launched the Big Ideas Campaign, an effort to crowd source ideas for how to spend $9 million, in early 2021 and encouraged the community to bring share their big-ticket education-focused ideas. Dozens of groups submitted proposals, and the administration moved forward with 14.

The money for the projects is part of a nearly $2.4 billion federal grant school districts across Wisconsin are scheduled to receive in three installments, known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, funds. The money is meant to mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 on K-12 education.

Of that $2.4 billion, the Madison School District is scheduled to receive $66.7 million, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Federal guidelines require school districts use the money before September 2024, with different expiration dates corresponding with each payout.

Big Ideas funding East High School barber shop apprenticeship program Funding requested in May 2021  $49,000

Spent as of March 2022  $11,345 Pursuit of Sunshine, West High School gardening club Funding requested in May 2021  $28,000

Spent as of March 2022  $6,629 Youth Action Teams, district-wide training for students to advocate for themselves and their classmates Funding requested in May 2021  $98,320

Spent as of March 2022  $5,810 Akira Recording Studio, Toki Middle School Funding requested in May 2021  $170,145

Spent as of March 2022  $90,742 ALL+In Microschool Funding requested in May 2021  $720,000

Spent as of March 2022  $24,848 Black Girl Magic, elementary schools and East High feeder schools Funding requested in May 2021  $145,085

Program cut prior to March 2022 Mission Possible, districtwide use of robot technology to support learning for home-bound students Funding requested in May 2021  $159,469

Spent as of March 2022  $59,394 Parent Liaisons, Mendota Community Elementary School Funding requested in May 2021  $25,000

Spent as of March 2022  $6,568 Project Based Learning, Shabazz High School Funding requested in May 2021  $153,000

Spent as of March 2022  $26,800 Teen-zine, Memorial High School and districtwide high schools Program cut before funds were allocated MTI CENTRS  Justified Anger, professional development in anti-racist teaching Funding requested in May 2021  $450,000

Spent as of March 2022  $88,798 Student Leadership in Anti-Racist Teaching & Civic Action, Sandburg Elementary Funding requested in May 2021  $125,375

Spent as of March 2022  $53,430 Transformative Justice, Thoreau Elementary Funding requested in May  $35,000

Spent as of March 2022  $29,166 Madison School District Coalition for leading anti-racist schools Funding requested in May 2021  $64,568 Program cut prior to March 2022 Total: $2,222,962 allocated for programs in the 2021-22 budget; $403,530 spent as of March 2022

11 projects active

As of March, 11 of the 14 approved Big Ideas projects were still active and most had only used a fraction of the money they asked for, due to a variety of COVID-19-related roadblocks, district officials said.

Finding people to help with new projects was a challenge; supply chain shortages made construction projects difficult; district employees set to lead the projects were pulled away to substitute as their colleagues fell ill; and certain (Madison School District) processes and parameters made moving quickly and nimbly a challenge, according to information shared with the School Board, though details regarding those processes and parameters werent provided.

The district repurposed $4 million of the initial $9 million earmarked for Big Ideas for another project, called Reimagine Our Schools + Classrooms. As of March, $3.1 million was spent on: furniture ($2 million); building projects such as playgrounds and WiFi extensions ($695,000); supplies and resources such as curriculum materials, books and apparel ($289,000); musical instruments ($70,000); and technology ($35,000) for the Reimagine project. The remaining $900,000 is slated for the coming school year.

Roughly $5 million was left for Big Ideas projects after the $4 million reallocation. Once $403,530 was spent on Big Ideas in its first year, the district chose to again reduce the programs scope  with roughly $2.1 million to be allocated toward Big Ideas projects in the coming year.

The district plans to put the other $2.5 million back into the districts ESSER budget, but district spokesperson Tim LeMonds did not provide specifics on how those funds would be spent nor was that information available in the districts 2022-23 preliminary budget at the start of June.

Most of the Big Ideas projects pitched by educators, students and community members focused on facilitating a connection between a school and its surrounding community, and giving students more agency over their education. A number of the project coordinators, who are required to check in regularly with a district team to provide updates on their progress and submit updates to the School Board, have reported positive effects of their work on student learning.

Coordinators hope to continue the work theyve started, but the district plans to halt ESSER funding for Big Ideas projects in June 2023.

Project-Based Learning Brian Counselman, head of Shabazz High School's Project-Based Learning Big Idea said he and staff were searching for a way to re-engage students with their school and in-person learning after a year of online-only instruction. Project-based learning is a great umbrella that incorporates experiential learning, service learning and all of these things we find to be really valuable for students, to get them out and doing real things, which felt like a great counter to the virtual world, he said. Shabazz students have taken roughly 115 field trips during the 2021-22 school year associated with Project Based learning during a two hour block of time in the afternoon called the Learning Lab, which Counselman characterized as an opportunity for students to learn real-life skills, sometimes outside of the school. Learning Lab opportunities are connected with school-based curriculum and can include community partnerships, where students get to work on projects outside of the school building, from restorative work with the Dane County Land and Water Resources Department to exploring jazz with Cafe Coda owner Hanah Jon Taylor. Students walk away with multiple forms of credit. For example, science credit can be given to students who participate in water testing and restoration projects, art credit can be given to students who work on jazz compositions, and English credit can be tied into those through essays about the projects. Were used to school feeling more school-y, Counselman said, and noted that theres been a bit of a learning curve in regard to using the funds and for staff to figure out how to organize transportation and community partnerships for the field trips. The district reimburses staff once they submit expense reports to the administration. Shabazz staff had also planned construction of some facilities and spaces around the school such as outdoor classrooms with greenhouses, community gardens and a shed, which is a larger fraction of the cost estimate they requested initially. There have been challenges getting the wheels turning and gaining approval for the construction projects. Weve been told that this summer, well be clearing some of those hurdles and getting some of those outdoor classroom spaces built, he said. Were hoping that with this opportunity to have some additional funds, we can build facilities that are even more sustainable.

Equity, antiracism

A number of the initiatives focus on helping teachers become more inclusive and equitable, such as Transformative Justice at Thoreau Elementary, led by Principal Dan Davidson and school social worker Laura Glaub; Student Leadership in antiracist Teaching and Civic Action at Sandburg Elementary, led by librarian Warren Schwab and instructional resource teacher Ashley Painter; and districtwide MTI CENTRS Justified Anger, led by Kerry Motoviloff.

The Thoreau and Sandburg projects have a multi-pronged focus, providing students with more agency over their learning and to facilitating community involvement in the schools.

At Sandburg, teachers identified student leaders, based on criteria that varied from advanced learners to students who consistently ask questions and those with social capital among their classmates, with the goal of fostering those students leadership skills.

Forty students, the majority of whom are fourth- and fifth-grade students of color, and their parents attended a summer institute to support their development as student leaders.

What happened then is you had students with social capital and their teachers and about four or five classmates per class that meet with teachers in the summer and theyre starting to think about, What do we value? What kind of classroom community do we want? How are we going to build relationships? Painter said.

During the school year, four or five of the student leaders who took part in the summer institute met weekly with their classroom teacher to weigh in on curriculum and decisions that would affect the classroom. The result, Painter said, was a collaborative environment that facilitated both student engagement and teacher satisfaction, and led to lower staff turnover at Sandburg during the 2021-22 school year compared with other district schools.

Program funds were used for curriculum and to provide a stipend to students and parents for the summer institute, and to pay teachers for their professional development time in the summer, as well as for substitute teachers who covered classes while the teacher met weekly with student leaders during the school year.

We had hoped to pull in a lot more community partners and have parents here on a regular basis and students to continue to consult outside of school hours, Schwab said, and noted that the project has room to grow. We hope to continue the program, to utilize the budget and continue to elevate student learning.

MTI CENTRS Justified Anger project began about five years ago, in response to a request from teachers for professional development training and support specifically on how to be antiracist in their classrooms.

Funding from Big Ideas allowed MTI and Motoviloff to partner with area organizations such as the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development to develop antiracist curriculum and to expand the programs reach to 500 Madison teachers who each participated in 18 hours of professional development on the subject.

At Thoreau, fifth-grader DeLontae Shaw brought his Big Idea to the attention of Davidson and Glaub  to gain more community representation including mentors and support staff of color, and to develop a partnership with Urban Triage to support home visits, project-based learning and field trips to support student learning.

Weve gotten a lot of qualitative feedback from school families. Our Black families feel more heard and seen, Glaub said. They feel like they actually have partners within the school. They dont feel isolated or separate, and they feel like they have access to community resources that they need.

Glaub said habitual truancy is also down at Thoreau this year as a result of the project  students want to come to school because they feel like they belong. The elementary schools average attendance for the 2021-22 school year was about 86.3%, compared with 80% districtwide, Glaub said, and Thoreaus average attendance for Black students during the 2021-22 school year was around 78.3% compared with 60% districtwide.

The majority of the money spent was for the community partnership, field trip transportation, and paying high school students a stipend through the mentorship part of the program, as well as educators who went beyond the regular school day to support the project.

Mission Possible Anna Beth Cliff worked with a lot of homebound students before the pandemic. When COVID-19 hit, she and her department decided to explore how technology used for online-only learning could benefit students who are permanently homebound or temporarily homebound due to surgery or illness. Cliff, a program support teacher for assistive technology under department of student services, enlisted the help of robots that look like an iPad atop a Segway to act as stand-ins for homebound students in the classroom. Homebound students are able to manipulate the robots -- moving them around the classroom to interact with their peers and teachers. Seven robots were used during the 2021-22 school year. Their ability to socialize with peers was nonexistent when they had a homebound teacher, just that piece and that feeling of being a part of a team and a community has been a game changer for a lot of our families and a lot of our students, Cliff said. Students have gone from doing an alternative curriculum to learning the same curriculum as their peers. This has really changed the game for our students, to be included in the classroom. Were seeing less lagging skills when theyre returning to school post health issues, Cliff said. Through the program, 87% of homebound students are able to participate in classrooms using the robots, Cliff said. Cliff and her team allocated funds for staff support and robot purchases in their initial estimate. Next year, they plan to have a dedicated staff person to focus on technology upkeep for the project. I was subbing some this school year and wasnt able to fully get to everything I wanted to. ...Theres still so much more I think we can do with this project," she said. "A lot of us have been pulled in many directions within our roles in the district for other subbing needs.

ESSER specifics

The district is scheduled to receive $66.7 million in ESSER funds in three payment installments, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The district received $5.3 million in the first installment, or ESSER I, and $4.9 million had been exhausted by the end of the 2020-21 school year, according to information obtained in April through an open records request submitted by the Wisconsin State Journal to the district in January.

LeMonds said the district plans to spend the remaining funds by the end of the current fiscal year, which is in line with federal guidelines requiring ESSER I funds to be spent before Sept. 30.

The district is scheduled to receive $18.9 million in ESSER II funds. As of June 1, roughly $8.6 million of those funds had either been spent or allocated through open purchase orders; federal guidelines require ESSER II funds to be spent before Sept. 30, 2023, according to DPI.

The district is scheduled to receive $42.5 million through the ESSER III, according to DPI, funds that must be used by Sept. 30, 2024.

Guidelines dictate the types of expenses ESSER funds can cover. ESSER II funds, for example, are to mitigate learning loss, restore and maintain high-quality learning environments, and to keep elementary and secondary schools open as safely as possible, while ESSER I funds were meant to relieve costs accrued when schools pivoted from in-person to online learning in March 2020, due to the pandemic.

Additional planned ESSER expenditures by the Madison School District include expansion of programs to address mental health needs, increase summer school efforts to address learning loss, enhance virtual learning infrastructure, expand wireless online connectivity for students, develop innovative learning spaces and address classroom redesign needs. The federal grant program requires districts to document their use of the funds.

A halt in funding

The district funded Big Ideas projects with money from ESSER II specifically, which expires in 2023  a deadline DPI said will not be extended.

Anna Beth Cliff, project head of Mission Possible, said funds from the Big Ideas Campaign were meant to help get the learning assistance program off the ground. Its her hope that funding for the project will be integrated into the districts existing budget.

Students are going to continue to need an alternative access to school because many of these students that were supporting will never be at school due to their condition and the risk to their health, Cliff said.

MTI CENTRS plans to create a sustainability plan for its project in the coming year to explore how to continue to fund antiracist professional development for teachers, Motoviloff said.

LeMonds said all recipients of funds through the Big Ideas Campaign were notified at the start of the program that funding would end in 2023.

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Renewable energy advocates are again asking Wisconsin regulators to bless a financing mechanism that could expand access to solar energy.

This time a former renewable energy advocate could cast the deciding vote.

Two groups  Vote Solar and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association  last week filed petitions asking the Public Service Commission to declare that third-party financing is legal under state law.

Vote Solar, a nonprofit advocacy group based in California, says it is seeking affirmation on behalf of Wisconsin members who want to install third-party-financed systems on their homes, businesses and places of worship.

MREA, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit advocacy and job training organization, and some of its members intend to provide third-party financing but have held off because of the overhanging threat of PSC investigations and enforcement proceedings.

The group says one members project was put on hold when a utility representative told the would-be customer that third-party financing is prohibited by the PSC.

The current petitions come as the PSC, Legislature and court system have each declined to provide clarity on the law.

While contract details vary, third-party ownership is a financing mechanism that could make solar energy available to more people, including residents who cant afford the upfront costs and local governments, schools and nonprofits that cant benefit from federal tax credits.

Wisconsin law says that public utilities are subject to regulation by the PSC, but the definition of a public utility is ambiguous: any entity providing heat, light, water or power ... to or for the public.

Renewable energy advocates say its clear that a company financing a customer-hosted system is not a public utility, but informal documents and the commissions past refusals to rule on the issue have created regulatory ambiguity.

The groups say its time for the commission to resolve a decade of uncertainty and stop considering agreements on a case-by-case basis, which they say amounts to an effective ban since third-party providers have to absorb the costs of litigation unlike monopoly utilities, which pass them on to ratepayers.

Distributed energy resources (DERs) can include solar panels, batteries, thermal storage or smart power controllers that operate behind the meter  or on the customers property. Future applications could also include smart thermostats and electric vehicle chargers.

Dane County town sues regulators over Cambridge solar plant approval 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.

Although they can supply power to the grid, MREA argues they are more akin to appliances than utility-scale power systems, though they can also benefit other utility customers by reducing energy and transmission costs as well as wear on equipment.

MREA points out the physical equipment is the same, as is the reduction in use of utility power, regardless of how its paid for.

There is no difference to the public, the utility company, or the grid between customers who own DERs outright and those who utilize third-party financing, the group wrote.

Renew Wisconsin says the lack of legal clarity creates an unjustifiable restriction on peoples rights to supply themselves with clean energy produced on their own property and that its past time for the PSC to clear the path.

Homeowners associations hinder solar deployment, despite Wisconsin law Wisconsin law says homeowner associations cant restrict peoples rights to install solar panels on their property. Many do it anyway.

Swing vote in play

Previous commissions have rejected similar petitions for rulings on the question of third-party financing, with conservative appointees arguing that is the Legislatures job.

MREA last year sued the commission, arguing it had overstepped its authority by effectively preventing third-party-financing agreements. The case was dismissed, but in its petition MREA points out that the commission itself has told the court that a declaratory ruling is the appropriate process for deciding public utility status.

Earlier this year, the commission did consider a petition from Eagle Point Solar, an Iowa company whose agreement to install solar panels for the city of Milwaukee was blocked by We Energies.

But the commission deadlocked, with Chair Rebecca Valcq agreeing the practice was purely financial and Commissioner Ellen Nowak siding with the utility.

Commissioner Tyler Huebner abstained because of his involvement with that case prior to joining the commission. But neither of the new petitions are covered by his recusal agreement, meaning he could cast the deciding vote this time.

Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, whose bill to clarify the legality of third-party financing died last year without a floor vote, urged the PSC to act within their broadly endowed powers to approve the petitions.

Its long past time we recognize that a financing arrangement for a homeowner, church, farm or small business does not infringe on the regulated monopoly utility model, Cowles wrote. You can finance anything from a new water heater to energy efficient windows to help reduce your energy consumption, and theres no reason you shouldnt be able to do the same to generate your own electricity.

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Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette said Monday that he plans to travel to Africa just as the primary campaign season kicks into high gear, banking that his name recognition is so strong he can afford to leave the country with his job on the line.

La Follette told The Associated Press that he plans to leave on a trip to Kenya and Zimbabwe on Sunday and doesnt plan to return to Wisconsin until early July. The 81-year-old Democrat said he booked the trip two years ago but had to postpone it due to the COVID-19 pandemic and doesnt want to lose his down payment.

The trip comes as La Follette faces a challenge within his own party for his job and with Republicans targeting his office.

Its probably not the best time, but I had no choice unless I had to forfeit the payment I made for it, he said. So I decided that life has to go on.

The stakes are high for the sleepy office because Republicans want to shift election oversight from the state elections commission to the secretary of state, following the model of more than 30 other states. Democrats fear that could allow Republicans to improperly influence certification of Wisconsin elections, particularly the 2024 presidential contest.

Worried that La Follette may lack the energy to compete, Dane County Democratic Party chair Alexia Sabor is challenging La Follette for the partys nomination.

La Follette plans to stay in small lodges with a group of 10 to 15 people and spend his days on excursions looking at wildlife. Earlier this year, he said he was so scared of contracting the coronavirus he didnt know how he would circulate his nomination papers across Wisconsin, although he ultimately did manage to secure the 2,000 signatures he needed to get on the ballot. He said he now feels the pandemic has subsided enough that its safe to travel overseas.

Ill wear my double mask and shield on the airplane, he said.

La Follette  a distant relative of Fighting Bob La Follette, a progressive governor and 1924 presidential candidate  was first elected secretary of state in 1974. After a failed try for lieutenant governor in 1978, he regained the office in 1982, ousting Democratic incumbent Vel Phillips in a primary, and has won reelection nine times.

The Wisconsin primaries are Aug. 9. State Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, Jay Schroeder and Justin Schmidtka are running in a three-way Republican primary.

La Follette said hes not particularly worried about not being able to campaign in the crucial weeks leading up to the primary. The lodges have internet service so he can stay in touch, he said, and hes confident that voters already know plenty about him.

Im sure my opponent will try to make hay out of it, but its not like Im an unknown candidate, he said.

People know who am I. The issues are simple. Who has the best chance of winning in November? I am that candidate. If my opponent tries to drag out any other issues like Im too old or Im in Africa, that doesnt make any difference. The issue is the same. Who has the best chance to beat the Republican?

Sabor accused La Follette of disengaging with voters.

This trip demonstrates the same disrespect for voters that Doug has shown for taxpayers his entire 40-plus years in public office, she said in a text her campaign consultant, Sachin Chedda, forwarded to the AP. He couldnt go out and get signatures but he can go on safari?
Wisconsin Democrats are challenging the paperwork Donald Trump's preferred candidate for governor filed to get on the ballot in the GOP primary on technical grounds.

The state Democratic Party said Sunday that construction company co-owner Tim Michels' failed to include his correct mailing address on the nominating forms, making thousands of signatures invalid. But Michels' campaign dismissed the complaint as frivolous.

"This challenge shows that Donald Trump's endorsed candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary, Tim Michels, only has 345 valid signatures to get on the ballot," state Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler said. The state requires 2,000 signatures to run for governor.

Michels' campaign acknowledged that some of the nominating forms list his physical address in the village of Chenequa instead of his official mailing address that is in the nearby town of Hartland, but it said all of the forms include the campaign's post office box mailing address.

"Tony Evers and his insider allies are feverishly working to keep me from beating him in November," Michels said in a statement. "It comes as no surprise that they launched a frivolous complaint in an attempt to keep me off the ballot, just days after I was endorsed by President Trump. They will not succeed."

Michels, who joined the race late in April, faces former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, state Rep. Tim Ramthun and business consultant Kevin Nicholson in the contested Aug. 9 GOP primary. The winner of that race will take on Democratic incumbent Evers.

The state's bipartisan elections commission will consider the challenge to Michels' candidacy at its meeting on Friday.
Republican state lawmakers may soon decide which among the scores of potential amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution will have any shot of making it to a voter referendum. It's a tactic that can get politically divisive policies around Democratic Gov. Tom Wolfs much-used veto pen. The comparatively large number of proposals pending in the General Assembly address topics that range from voting rights to abortion and real estate taxes. House and Senate Republicans have introduced a slew of potential amendments. They've been emboldened by their success last year in persuading voters to narrowly approve limits on a governors powers during emergencies.
The United States on Monday filed its fourth labor complaint about purourted violations of union organizing rights in Mexico.

The complaint was filed under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade pact, which requires that Mexico enforce a law that says employees are allowed to freely choose the union that represents them. For decades, undemocratic, pro-company unions kept wages in Mexico low by reaching behind-the-scenes deals with employers.

The U.S. Trade Representative's Office said the latest complaint involves a union representation fight at a car parts factory in northern Mexico.

The complaint says the United States found credible evidence that workers at the Teksid Hierro automotive parts plant were being denied the right to freely choose which union will represent them.

Calls to Teksid went unanswered Monday.

The foundry plant is in Frontera, a town near the city of Monclova in the northern border state of Coahuila. There is a drive by the Mexican mine and steel workers' union  one of the country's most combative  to replace an old-guard union at the plant.

The three previous U.S. labor complaints filed against Mexico under the trade pact also involved efforts to replace old-guard unions. Those complaints alleged unfair tactics were used by old-guard union to stave off independent labor groups, which eventually won the organizing battles.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

(THE CONVERSATION) Every person alive on the planet today is descended from people who lived as hunter-gatherers in Africa.

The continent is the cradle of human origins and ingenuity, and with each new fossil and archaeological discovery, we learn more about our shared African past. Such research tends to focus on when our species, Homo sapiens, spread out to other landmasses 80,000-60,000 years ago. But what happened in Africa after that, and why dont we know more about the people who remained?

Our 2022 study, conducted by an interdisciplinary team of 44 researchers based in 12 countries, helps answer these questions. By sequencing and analyzing ancient DNA (aDNA) from people who lived as long ago as 18,000 years, we roughly doubled the age of sequenced aDNA from sub-Saharan Africa. And this genetic information helps anthropologistslikeus understand more about how modern humans were moving and mingling in Africa long ago.

Tracing our human past in Africa

What caused this shift, known as the Later Stone Age transition, has been a longstanding archaeological mystery. Why would certain tools and behaviors, which up until that point had appeared in a piecemeal way across Africa, suddenly become widespread? Did it have something to do with changes in the number of people, or how they interacted?

The challenge of accessing the deep past

Archaeologists reconstruct human behavior in the past mainly through things people left behind  remains of their meals, tools, ornaments and sometimes even their bodies. These records may accumulate over thousands of years, creating views of daily livelihoods that are really averages over long periods of time. However, its hard to study ancient demography, or how populations changed, from the archaeological record alone.

This is where DNA can help. When combined with evidence from archaeology, linguistics and oral and written history, scientists can piece together how people moved and interacted based on which groups share genetic similarities.

Using present-day DNA to reconstruct ancient genetic landscapes is like reading a letter that was left out in the rain: some words are there but blurred, and some are gone completely. Researchers need ancient DNA from archaeological human remains to explore human diversity in different places and times and to understand what factors shaped it.

Unfortunately, aDNA from Africa is particularly hard to recover because the continent straddles the equator and heat and humidity degrade DNA. While the oldest aDNA from Eurasia is roughly 400,000 years old, all sequences from sub-Saharan Africa to date have been younger than around 9,000 years.

Breaking the tropical ceiling

Because each person carries genetic legacies inherited from generations of their ancestors, our team was able to use DNA from individuals who lived between 18,000-400 years ago to explore how people interacted as far back as the last 80,000-50,000 years. This allowed us, for the first time, to test whether demographic change played a role in the Later Stone Age transition.

Our team sequenced aDNA from six individuals buried in what are now Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. We compared these sequences to previously studied aDNA from 28 individuals buried at sites stretching from Cameroon to Ethiopia and down to South Africa. We also generated new and improved DNA data for 15 of these people, trying to extract as much information as possible from the small handful of ancient African individuals whose DNA is preserved well enough to study.

This created the largest genetic dataset so far for studying the population history of ancient African foragers  people who hunted, gathered or fished. We used it to explore population structures that existed prior to the sweeping changes of the past few thousand years.

DNA weighs in on a longstanding debate

We found that people did in fact change how they moved and interacted around the Later Stone Age transition.

Despite being separated by thousands of miles and years, all the ancient individuals in this study were descended from the same three populations related to ancient and present-day eastern, southern and central Africans. The presence of eastern African ancestry as far south as Zambia, and southern African ancestry as far north as Kenya, indicates that people were moving long distances and having children with people located far away from where they were born. The only way this population structure could have emerged is if people were moving long distances over many millennia.

Additionally, our research showed that almost all ancient eastern Africans shared an unexpectedly high number of genetic variations with hunter-gatherers who today live in central African rainforests, making ancient eastern Africa truly a genetic melting pot. We could tell that this mixing and moving happened after about 50,000 years ago, when there was a major split in central African forager populations.

We also noted that the individuals in our study were genetically most like only their closest geographic neighbors. This tells us that after around 20,000 years ago, the foragers in some African regions were almost exclusively finding their partners locally. This practice must have been extremely strong and persisted for a very long time, as our results show that some groups remained genetically independent of their neighbors over several thousand years. It was especially clear in Malawi and Zambia, where the only close relationships we detected were between people buried around the same time at the same sites.

We dont know why people began living locally again. Changing environments as the last Ice Age peaked and waned between about 26,000-11,500 years ago may have made it more economical to forage closer to home, or perhaps elaborate exchange networks reduced the need for people to travel with objects.

Alternatively, new group identities may have emerged, restructuring marriage rules. If so, we would expect to see artifacts and other traditions like rock art diversify, with specific types clumped into different regions. Indeed, this is exactly what archaeologists find  a trend known as regionalization. Now we know that this phenomenon not only affected cultural traditions, but also the flow of genes.

New data, new questions

As always, aDNA research raises as many questions as answers. Finding central African ancestry throughout eastern and southern Africa prompts anthropologists to reconsider how interconnected these regions were in the distant past. This is important because central Africa has remained archaeologically understudied, in part because of political, economic and logistical challenges that make research there difficult.

Additionally, while genetic evidence supports a major demographic transition in Africa after 50,000 years ago, we still dont know the key drivers. Determining what triggered the Later Stone Age transition will require closer examination of regional environmental, archaeological and genetic records to understand how this process unfolded across sub-Saharan Africa.

Finally, this study is a stark reminder that researchers still have much to learn from ancient individuals and artifacts held in African museums, and highlights the critical role of the curators who steward these collections. While some human remains in this study were recovered within the past decade, others have been in museums for a half-century.

Even though technological advances are pushing back the time limits for aDNA, it is important to remember that scientists have only just begun to understand human diversity in Africa, past and present.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/ancient-dna-helps-reveal-social-changes-in-africa-50-000-years-ago-that-shaped-the-human-story-175436.

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(THE CONVERSATION) Millions of Americans enjoy observing and photographing wildlife near their homes or on trips. But when people get too close to wild animals, they risk serious injury or even death. It happens regularly, despite the threat of jail time and thousands of dollars in fines.

These four articles from The Conversations archive offer insights into how wild animals view humans and how our presence affects nearby animals and birds  plus a scientists perspective on whats wrong with wildlife selfies.

1. Theyre just not that into you

In some parts of North America, wild animals that once were hunted to near-extinction have rebounded in recent decades. Wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, beavers and black bears are examples of wild species that have returned to large swaths of their pre-settlement ranges. As human development expands, people and animals are finding themselves in close quarters.

How do the animals react? Conservation researcher Kathy Zeller and her colleagues radio-collared black bears in central and western Massachusetts and found that the bears avoided populated areas, except when their natural food sources were less abundant in spring and fall. During those lean seasons, the bears would visit food sources in developed areas, such as bird feeders and garbage cans  but they foraged at night, contrary to their usual habits, to avoid contact with humans.

Wild animals are increasing their nocturnal activity in response to development and other human activities, such as hiking, biking and farming, Zeller reports. And people who are scared of bears may be comforted to know that most of the time, black bears are just as scared of them.

2. Wild animals turn up in unexpected places

When a recovering species shows up on its old turf or in its former waters, humans arent always happy to make room for it. Ecologist Veronica Frans studied sea lions in New Zealand, a formerly endangered species that moves inland from the coast to breed, often showing up on local roads or in backyards.

Frans and her colleagues created a database that they used to find and map potential breeding grounds for sea lions all over the New Zealand mainland. They also identified potential challenges for the animals, such as roads and fences that could block their inland movement.

When wild species enter new areas, they inevitably will have to adapt, and often will have new kinds of interactions with humans, Frans writes. I believe that when communities understand the changes and are involved in planning for them, they can prepare for the unexpected, with coexistence in mind.

3. Your presence has a big impact

How close to wildlife is too close? Guidelines vary, but as a starting point, the U.S. National Park Service recommends staying at least 25 yards (23 meters) away from wild animals, and 100 yards (91 meters) from predators such as bears or wolves.

Animals may flee from nearby people, decrease the time they feed and abandon nests or dens, they report. Other effects are harder to see, but can have serious consequences for animals health and survival. Wild animals that detect humans can experience physiological changes, such as increased heart rates and elevated levels of stress hormones.

The scholars review found that the distance at which human presence starts to affect wildlife varies by species, although large animals generally need more distance. Small mammals and birds may change their behavior when people come within 300 feet (91 meters), while large mammals like elk and moose can be affected by humans up to 3,300 feet (1,006 meters) away  more than half a mile.

4. Dont take wildlife selfies, even if youre a scientist

There are stories from around the world of people dying in the act of taking selfies. Some involve wildlife, such as a traveler in India who was mauled by an injured bear in 2018 when he stopped to photograph himself with the animal.

Tourists are often the culprits, but theyre not alone. As ocean scientist Christine Ward-Paige explains, scientists who have special permission to handle wild animals as part of their field research sometimes use this opportunity to take personal photos with their subjects.

I have witnessed the making of many researcher-animal selfies, including photos with restrained animals during scientific study, Ward-Paige recounts. In most cases, the animal was only held for an extra fraction of a second while vigilant researchers simply glanced up and smiled for the camera already pointing in their direction.

But some incidents have been more intrusive. In one instance, researchers had tied a large shark to a boat with ropes across its tail and gills so that they could measure, biopsy and tag it. Then they kept it restrained for an extra 10 minutes while the scientists took turns hugging it for photos.

In Ward-Paiges view, legitimizing wildlife selfies in this way encourages people who dont have scientific training or understand animal behavior to think that taking them is OK. That undercuts warnings from agencies like the National Park Service and puts both people and animals in danger.

Instead, she urges fellow scientists to work to show the vulnerability of our animal subjects more clearly and help guide the public to observe wildlife safely and responsibly.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/making-room-for-wildlife-4-essential-reads-184411.

Licenced as Creative Commons - attribution, no derivatives.

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JEROME  High school juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to tour more than six different industries, thanks to a new leadership program started by the chamber of commerce.

I said to the students, Do you know if you need a medical degree to work in a hospital? explained Cheryl Viola, executive director of Jerome Chamber of Commerce. What do you think their answers were? Most of the students said, Yes.

Students were unaware that hospitals need electricians, plumbers, human resources personnel and more, Viola said.

As part of the Leadership Jerome program, students will learn about jobs in manufacturing, city government, health care, entrepreneurship, trades and agriculture.

Members of the business community learned about the leadership program and other efforts to increase the workforce during Business Plus second quarterly meeting Thursday at the Mountain View Barn.

Staff from the College of Southern Idaho Workforce Development Program, Idaho Department of Labor South Central Region, and Idaho Workforce Development presented on internships, hiring fairs, and leadership opportunities.

The pandemic has led us all to reflect, Janet Pretti, senior director of CSIs workforce and economic development, said. What we do is necessary but not adequate.

Pretti said CSI has increased the number of hiring fairs and youth camps to support the workforce.

Local employers have been struggling for the past year to fill open positions, even after offering increased wages.

Childcare is one barrier that has become more difficult, Pretti said. Women represent 50% of the total workforce but only 28% of the manufacturing workforce. A lack of affordable and quality healthcare combined with late shifts make it harder for women to enter the field.

CSI provides trainings to more than 300 companies and 3,500 individuals each year, Pretti said.

This summer the college will be offering multiple youth career summer camps including entrepreneurial exploration, food processing career exploration, and introduction to cybercore.

Some of the camps are available to kids as young as 12, said Alex Wolford, CSI Industry Program manager.

Another opportunity that will begin this fall is the School to Registered Apprenticeship Program for Jerome High School juniors. Students will work in a paid position the summer between their junior and senior years and over school breaks.

Oscar Escobedo, workforce consultant with the Idaho Department of Labor, presented on Idaho Launch, a program that offers tuition assistance for training programs.

Qualified individuals can receive up to 90% tuition assistance for training and education programs offered by multiple local and online institutions.

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BEIJING, June 6 -- "Recently, Canadian military aircraft have stepped up close-in reconnaissance and provocations against China under the pretext of implementing the United Nations Security Council Resolutions", said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, on June 6, 2022, when asked by the press to comment on Canadian Defense Ministrys statement on the recent encounters between military aircraft of the two countries.

According to the reporter, the Canadian Defense Ministry recently issued a statement saying that Chinese military aircraft have repeatedly "buzzed" Canadian military aircraft flying in a UN-sanctioned mission imposed against the DPRK in international airspace, and called the behaviour of the Chinese side "unprofessional" and "risky".

"Recently, Canadian military aircraft have stepped up close-in reconnaissance and provocations against China under the pretext of implementing the United Nations Security Council Resolutions," said Wu. He pointed out that Canadian military aircraft's behaviour has jeopardized China's national security and endangered the safety of front-line personnel of both sides, and the Chinese side is firmly opposed to it.

In response to the Canadian military aircrafts provocative acts and unfriendly and unprofessional operations, the Chinese military took reasonable, effective, safe and professional actions in time, and meanwhile, China has made solemn representations to the Canadian side through diplomatic channels, Wu said.

Wu ended his comment by stressing that the Chinese military urged that the Canadian side should acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, strictly discipline its front-line troops and must not conduct any risky and provocative acts, otherwise, should bear all serious consequences arising therefrom.
A crewless robotic boat that had tried to retrace the 1620 sea voyage of the Mayflower has finally reached the shores of North America  this time in Canada instead of the Massachusetts coast where its namesake landed more than 400 years ago.

The sleek autonomous trimaran docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Sunday, after more than five weeks crossing the Atlantic Ocean from England, according to tech company IBM, which helped build it.

Piloted by artificial intelligence technology, the 50-foot (15-meter) Mayflower Autonomous Ship didn't have a captain, navigator or any humans on board  though it might have helped to have a mechanic.

The technology that makes up the autonomous system worked perfectly, flawlessly, said Rob High, an IBM computing executive involved in the project. Mechanically, we did run into problems.

Its first attempt at the trans-Atlantic crossing to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in June 2021 was beset by technical glitches, forcing the boat to return to its home port of Plymouth, England.

It set off again from England nearly a year later on April 27, bound for Virginia  but a generator problem diverted it to Portugal's Azores islands, where a team member flew in to perform emergency repairs. More troubles on the open sea came in late May when the U.S.-bound boat developed a problem with the charging circuit for the generator's starter batteries.

AI software is getting better at helping self-driving machines understand their surroundings and pilot themselves, but most robots can't heal themselves when the hardware goes awry.

Nonprofit marine research organization ProMare, which worked with IBM to build the ship, switched to a back-up navigation computer on May 30 and charted a course to Halifax  which was closer than any U.S. destination. The boat's webcam on Sunday morning showed it being towed by a larger boat as the Halifax skyline neared  a safety requirement under international maritime rules, IBM said.

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

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP)  A candidate in a runoff for mayor of Georgias third-largest city is announcing a plan to redevelop a site where a long-vacant mall stood until 2020.

Steven Kendrick of Augusta made the announcement last week, with several Augusta commissioners.

The redevelopment plan for the Regency Mall's site would include 1,000 two-bedroom apartments, a K-12 school, a 300-seat performing arts center, a restaurant, a grocery store and a fitness center, news outlets report.

The growth and revitalization of South Augusta is just beginning, Kendrick told local news outlets as he unveiled plans for what would be called Cardinal Town Square.

Kendrick, the former Richmond County tax commissioner, is in a June 21 runoff with Garnett Johnson for mayor of the consolidated city-county. The third-place finisher endorsed Johnson last week. Kendrick and Johnson each received about 39% of the vote on May 24.

An architect who helped draw plans told WRDW-TV the redevelopment would cost $100 million to $175 million.

What was once a major retail draw sat vacant for nearly two decades before demolition began in 2020. Neighboring business owners say they've seen the area decline during the period. Most of the Augusta area's suburban growth has occurred in Columbia County during the period.

Many ideas have been floated to reuse the land, but Kendrick said this one is backed by the property owners.

I realize there may be skepticism, but this opportunity is different and the actual plans have been submitted to Augusta planning and development for approval of this transformational project from work done from local architects and engineers," he said.

For now, Kendrick said private money will pay for the redevelopment. But Kendrick is also chair of the Augusta Economic Development Authority. He said the authority has not been asked about bonds to finance the project.

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

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A Marion man faces assault and drug charges and a woman reported she had been stabbed, authorities said on Monday.

Detective Burlin Ballew of the McDowell County Sheriffs Office charged 60-year-old Russell Floyd Freshour of Marion with felonious assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

Detective Chris Taylor charged Freshour with felonious possession with the intent to manufacture sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled Substance and felonious possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.

He was held a $30,000 secured bond.

On May 24, deputies met with a female victim at McDowell Mission Hospital. She had sustained stab wounds to her chest and reported Freshour was the suspect.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Freshours residence and located him hiding in the woods. He was arrested without incident. The search of his residence turned up a knife believed to be used in the stabbing and methamphetamine, according to the news release.

Great job by our deputies and detectives on this case. Their swift action and investigation brought a bad situation to an end quickly with an arrest. said Sheriff Ricky Buchanan.

A search of the N.C. Department of Public Safety website showed Freshour has one previous felony drug conviction and one misdemeanor conviction.
Two military personnel flying a military jet during a drill died Sunday after the aircraft crashed in the northern town of Ramtha near the border with Syria, the Jordanian army said in a statement citing a technical malfunction.

The pilots are identified as Maj. Bilal al-Shoufein and Cpt. Baha Abu Ghanmi.

The mishap took place at 9:00 a.m. local time in the northern town of Ramtha, in empty land, the statement added. The aircraft was built by Germanys GROB Aircraft Co.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, announced Sunday plans to acquire a 23.97% stake in Capital Bank Group, one of the largest banking group in Jordan, Iraq and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The operation, according to the fund, will cost $185 million. The deal, the $600 billion state fund also added in a statement, aims to increase the banking groups total shareholder equity to around $846 million, bolstering its ability to execute its strategy and expand its business.

The statement also indicated that the ideal is in line with PIFs strategy to explore new investment opportunities in the MENA region. Saudi Arabia under its 2030 vision is willing to invest in the region and around the world.

Jordan, according to some sources who spoke to Reuters last month, is among mostly regional countries that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is planning to visit soon. He is expected to discuss regional and international issues and ink energy and trade agreements, the agency added.
The exceptional ECOWAS and UEMOA Summits held on Saturday, June 4 in Accra, did not result in any progress for Guinea, Burkina Faso or Mali. The expected decisions have been postponed until July 3. Bamako was hoping for a possible lifting of the economic and financial sanctions that have been imposed on Mali since the beginning of January.

In its final communique, ECOWAS said it would maintain its sanctions and continue dialogue with the transitional Malian authorities, a slap in the face for Malian authorities who have not yet reacted officially, and the promise of a new period of tension.

The Malian authorities were already preparing for a lifting of the embargo. Instructions had even been given, according to several documents from the Malian Ministry of the Economy, for the mobilization of customs personnel at the borders.

And for good reason. According to diplomatic sources, Bamako had agreed to reduce its proposal for a two-year extension of the transition. To how many precisely? Sixteen? Eighteen? Twenty months? The sources keep it vague but not enough to convince the most determined heads of state of ECOWAS, including Niger and several English-speaking countries such as Ghana, the Gambia and, to a lesser extent, Nigeria.

For Malians, who had hoped for a lifting or easing of the sanctions against them, this new failure is synonymous with disappointment, frustration and even anger, which will surely polarize Malian society even further. For the supporters of the transitional authorities, ECOWAS is incapable of listening to the suffering of the people and responding to their aspirations. Their opponents, on the other hand, blame the military coup-makers and their desire to hold on to power instead of letting Malians quickly choose their leaders through democratic elections.
A decision of the Constitutional Council on the evening of Friday, June 3, dismissed Ousmane Sonko and others. The latter were asking for the cancellation of an order of the minister in charge of elections which, last Tuesday, declared inadmissible the list of titular candidates registered on the national list. The ruling coalition Benno bokk Yakar whose list of alternates was also declared inadmissible takes note and asks everyone to accept this decision.

The qualifiers used by the opposition, grouped within the coalition Yewi askan wi, are numerous to decry the decision of the Constitutional Council. It is a surprising, iniquitous decision, which today raises the ire of all Senegalese people because no one can understand that the Constitutional Council follows the Minister of the Interior who is a partisan minister, a minister of the camp of the President of the Republic Macky Sall, whose only purpose since then is to remove some leaders of the opposition, criticizes Dethie Fall, in seventh position on the national list, excluded from the legislative elections, and representative of the coalition.

The ruling coalition did not win the case either. It asked for the confirmation of its list of substitutes, which was also rejected by the Minister of the Interior. We must all accept the decision of the Constitutional Council and allow the Senegalese to go to the elections under the best conditions. It is a pity that the two largest coalitions are sanctioned, but that is also democracy, said Benoit Sambou, who invited everyone to be reasonable.

Opposition leaders, who have not yet spoken out on this matter, are working together to determine what to do about this final decision of the Constitutional Council. That said, they had anticipated this by announcing a demonstration on Wednesday, June 8 in Dakar.
The next presidential election in Angola, which will oppose the outgoing Head of State Joao Lourenco to the leader of a unified opposition to beat him, has been set for August 24, the presidency announced in a statement.

The President of the Republic is calling general elections for the election of the President of the Republic and members of the National Assembly and sets the date for August 24, 2022, it said.

Opposition leader and candidate Adalberto Costa Jr. told reporters this week he had doubts about the election.

The Angolan government has already demonstrated that it does not have the will to organize a transparent act, said the president of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita).

Mr. Lourenco succeeded in 2017 to Jose Eduardo dos Santos, absolute master of the country for 38 years, accused of having largely misappropriated national resources by favoring his family and his relatives.

Angola, with a population of 33 million, is rich in oil but a large part of its population lives below the poverty line.

Since coming to power, Mr. Lourenco, a former defense minister of Mr. dos Santos, has launched a campaign to recover the billions allegedly embezzled during the reign of his predecessor, whose relatives accuse him of a witch hunt.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The most commonly reported feeling after an abortion isn't pain. It's relief. That's according to numerous studies.

But there's an assumption that abortions cause trauma, when the reality is they can be a way of resolving stress for those who don't want to be pregnant. Both experts and research have supported that the procedure itself doesn't increase one's risk for negative mental health outcomes. Rather, it's the trauma of being denied one that doesa widely-studied phenomenon that is rarely talked about.

"For many people, abortion is a positive part of their life that allows them to do things like get away from an abusive partner or have the life and kids they have now," says Gretchen Ely, a professor of social work at the University of Tennessee. "They're able to direct themselves in a way that would cause less distress across the course of their life when they have the choice to get an abortion."

Yet misconceptions continue to feed into the arguments in support of measures like mandated counseling, waiting periods and now, the Supreme Court's potential overturning of Roe vs. Wade, which would allow states to make abortion illegal. But experts in sexual and mental health warn if this legislation takes effect, it wouldn't minimize trauma and suffering. And it could exacerbate it.

"Before these measures, even if people were scared, we could talk to them and support them," says Bhavik Kumar, a Texas-based provider at Planned Parenthood Center for Choice. "But now, I'm hearing new concerns about, 'Where am I supposed to go?' 'When is the soonest I can be seen?'"

"It's that uncertaintythe unknown of something so time-sensitivethat triggers so much of the abortion trauma. And typically as providers, we could help them through some of that. But with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it becomes a lot harder for us to prevent and address these mental health risks," Kumar says.

Being denied an abortion leads to mental health problems

Despite widespread assumptions that people who get abortions are consumed by guilt, regret and even depression, research shows the stakes are higher for those denied an abortion.

In a study conducted over the course of 10 years, researchers tracked the experiences of women who received abortions and those who had been denied due to gestational age limits. They found that having an abortion did not increase one's risk for anxiety, depression or PTSD.

"We found very clearly that people who were denied an abortion were at risk for short-term and elevated levels of stress, anxiety, low self esteem and lower life satisfaction," explains Antonia Biggs, a social psychologist who led the mental health analyses on the hallmark Turnaway study.

Yet some have criticized the methodology of this study. Michael New, a research associate of political science and social research at the Catholic University of America, notes the study tracked participants' responses over a five-year period, which he argues is not long enough, stating feelings of regret can manifest "even years after an abortion has taken place."

New points to a meta-analysis done by Dr. Priscilla Coleman found a casual link between abortion and suicidality and drug use. However, opponents have criticized that conclusion, saying it didn't take into account mental health problems before the abortion.

And additional research has also supported that post-abortion mental health is more strongly associated with outside factors that aren't unique to the abortion itself. Those include low social support, personality factors like low self esteem and a prior history of mental health problems. And according to a recent UC San Francisco study over 95% of women reported that abortion was the right decision for them.

According to Amanda Fialk, a licensed clinical social worker and chief clinical officer at The Dorm, these studies are often overshadowed by the commonly-held belief that abortion causes mental instability.

"When things aren't accurately spoken about in social environments or in the home, stories get made up about what the abortion procedure is, what it isn't, and a very false narrative is perpetuated," explains Fialk. "However, people need to know that having high barriers to an abortion has far worse impacts on one's mental health. What we know is those who are denied abortions have decreased life satisfaction compared to those who are able to access a safe abortion."

So far, the consequences of these misconceptions can be seen in Texas, where one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country has banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. In the last year, Kumar, who works in Houston, says he's already witnessed the beginning of a "devastating impact."

"When I'm providing care, there's typically little trauma in those who access care, but there's much more trauma, stress, concern, and anxiety for those who are denied one because there's so much uncertainty," Kumar says.

The cost of overturning Roe vs. Wade

Regardless of age, beliefs or relationship status, finding out you're pregnant when you don't want to be is traumatic.

According to the American Psychological Association, experiencing unwanted pregnancies can lead to mental health ramifications, such as lower self-esteem and higher levels of anxiety. Along with physical and psychological symptoms, women seeking abortions also tend to bear the brunt of misogynist criticisms.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, experts predict people will have to worry about finding childcare during mandatory waiting periods, taking time off for work, and affording lodging and travel expensesthat is, if they're able to secure an appointment.

These laws also add onto the existing structural stigma that abortion is immoral, shameful and something that shouldn't be talked about. This can lead people to internalize these beliefs, and resulting in psychological distress and social isolation, experts warn.

"I've had young clients call the overturning of Roe v. Wade terrifying and out-of-control," says Fialk. "Because of these narratives, many feel like they're losing their autonomy, their sense of self-determination and feel helpless and devalued as merely a vessel breeding a fetus, and not an actual human being."

What should abortion be like?

Even with all the recent talk about abortions, we often forget what the process should look like.

Experts say it doesn't take much; all it involves is access to a provider who respects your decision, confidentiality and autonomyjust like any other medical procedure.

"You want to be informed. You want to be respected. And you don't want to be judged," says Biggs. "People want to have a choice to have a simple procedure in a discreet manner, and expedient care is crucial. Having care close to you, having it covered by insurancethese are things we'd want for proper abortion care."

Kumar adds that it's his priority to provide his patients with as much control and autonomy over their bodies and their futures.

"The most important thing for me is asking (patients) what can make this experience better? Do they need music? Do they want the lights off? It's whatever we can do as providers to give them as much control as we can safely allow to the best of our abilities," he says.

Experts in mental health say these simple measures can prevent the physical risks of a self-managed abortion, as well as the various stressors of an unwanted pregnancy.

"When people know they don't want to be pregnant, the part that upsets them is worrying about terminating the pregnancy to go on with their life course," Ely says. "So making it comfortable, safe and easy is really the best solution to prevent mental health risks and to alleviate existing negative situations."

2022 USA Today. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Babies born to mothers who suffered COVID-19 disease during pregnancy seem to exhibit differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 6 weeks, according to a preliminary analysis presented in the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry.

Project Leader Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola said: "Not all babies born to mothers infected with COVID show neurodevelopmental differences, but our data shows that their risk is increased in comparison to those not exposed to COVID in the womb. We need a bigger study to confirm the exact extent of the difference."

Researchers found that babies born to mothers who had been infected show greater difficulties in relaxing and adapting their bodies when they are being held, when compared to infants from non-infected mothers, especially when infection took place in late pregnancy. Moreover, infants born from infected mothers tend to show greater difficulty in controlling head and shoulder movement. These alterations suggest a possible COVID-19 effect on motor function (movement control).

The results come from an initial evaluation of the Spanish COGESTCOV-19 project, which followed the course of pregnancy and baby development in mothers infected with COVID-19. The researchers are presenting the data on pregnancy and post-natal assessment at 6 weeks after birth, but the project will continue to see if there are longer-term effects. The group will monitor infant language and motor development between 18 and 42 months old.

The initial evaluation compared babies born to 21 COVID positive pregnant women and their babies, with 21 healthy controls attending the Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital in Santander, Spain. The mothers underwent a series of tests during and after pregnancy. These included hormonal and other biochemical tests (measuring such things as cortisol levels, immunological response, etc.) salivary tests, movement responses, and psychological questionnaires. All analyses were adjusted for infant age, sex, and other factors.

The post-natal tests included the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), which measures the baby's movement and behavior.

Researcher Ms. Agueda Castro Quintas (University of Barcelona, Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health), said: "We found that certain elements of the NBAS measurement were changed in 6-week-old infants who had been exposed to the SARS-COV-2 virus. Effectively they react slightly differently to being held, or cuddled.

"We have been especially sensitive in how we have conducted these tests. Each mother and baby was closely examined by clinicians with expert training in the field and in the tests.

"We need to note that these are preliminary result, but this is part of a project following a larger sample of 100 mothers and their babies. They have also been monitored during pregnancy, and after birth. We also plan to compare these mothers and babies with data from another similar project (the epi-project) which looks at the effect of stress and genetics on a child's neurodevelopment. This is an ongoing project, and we are at an early stage. We found that babies whose mothers had been exposed to COVID did show neurological effects at six weeks, but we don't know if these effects will result in any longer-term issues, longer term observation may help us understand this. "

Co-researcher Nerea San Martin Gonzalez said: "Of course, in babies who are so young there are several things we just can't measure, such as language skills or cognition. We also need to be aware that this is a comparatively small sample, so we are repeating the work, and we will follow this up over a longer period. We need a bigger sample to determine the role of infection on offspring's neurodevelopmental alterations and the contribution of other environmental factors In the meantime, we need to stress the importance of medical monitoring to facilitate a healthy pregnancy, discussing any concerns with your doctor wherever necessary."

Project leader Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola said: "This is the right moment to establish international collaborations that would permit us to assess long-term neurodevelopment in children born during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research in this field is vital in understanding and preventing possible neurological problems and mental health vulnerabilities in those children in the coming years."

In an independent comment, Dr. Livio Provenzi (University of Pavia, Italy), who was not involved with this work, said: "There is a great need to study both direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of parents and infants. Pregnancy is a period of life which shapes much of our subsequent development, and exposure to adversity in pregnancy can leave long-lasting biological footprints. These findings from Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola's group reinforces evidence of epigenetic alterations in in infants born from mothers exposed to pandemic-related stress during pregnancy. It shows we need more large scale, international research to allow us to understand the developmental effects of this health emergency, and to deliver better quality of care to parents and infants."

Explore further Babies born during pandemic's first year score slightly lower on a developmental screening test

Provided by European Psychiatric Association
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Gun-related deaths have overtaken auto accidents as the leading cause of death of children in the United States, The New England Journal of Medicine reported in May.

The 45,222 firearm-related deaths in 2020"a new peak," according to NEJMwas a 13.5% increase from 2019, and is largely attributed to an increase in homicides rather than suicides. Of the deaths, 10% were children ages 1 to 19, making 2020 the first year that firearms were more deadly for children than auto accidents.

In light of the recent string of mass shootings in the United States, including the horrifying murders of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in May, it may be tempting to attribute this development to mass shootings. But Northeastern researchers say that doing so is a misunderstanding of the real risks involved with gun violence in the United States.

The general increase in gun deaths between 2019 and 2020 is somewhat of a mystery.

"In general, 2020 was sort of an unprecedented year for increases in homicides, particularly firearm homicides," says Matthew Miller, professor at Northeastern's Bouve College of Health Sciences.

But, he says, "Nobody knows why."

There are many theories that could explain the increase in overall gun deaths, including shifts in policing after the George Floyd murder, or increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is no definitive explanation for it, Miller saysand strangely, crime didn't rise.

"It's not that we have a crime problem over the last year or so, it's a lethal violence problem," Miller says.

Auto deaths, on the other hand, have been trending down since the mid-20th century, making the overlap with firearm deaths almost an inevitability. Miller calls the drop in auto deaths "a huge public health success story."

Over the past half century, he says, data from car crashes in the United States has been used to determine trends and eliminate risks. For example, over the years, trees on the side of the highway have been replaced with ditches. Cars are now manufactured with safety measures in place, and as older models are taken off the road, driving becomes less deadly, Miller says.

The same can't be said of the country's rate of gun deaths, which trumps that of any other high-income country, Miller says. The United States is comparable to those countries when it comes to crime, Miller says, and even when it comes to violence. The difference, though, is that the tools that are used in the United States are more deadly.

"When we're violent, it's easy for us to reach for guns," he says. "And so it's easier for people to die."

In addition, school shootings are far more common in the United States than other high-income countries, Miller says.

And yet, according to James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University and an international expert on mass murder, the risk of school shootings in the United States is vastly overstated relative to other forms of gun violence.

"The average number of children who are killed at school by guns in an average year is about seven," he says.

If this figure seems low, it may be because of the media's inflated response to mass shootings, which Fox says can mislead the public about how gun violence usually happens. While the media might call mass shootings an "epidemic," Fox says deaths from mass shootings actually form "a small fraction of all the gun homicides in this country."

The confusion is in part due to the varying definitions of mass shootings. On June 3, The Washington Post published an article titled "Mass shootings in 2022: US sees more than 200 so far"here, "mass shooting" is defined as four people or more shot. On the same day, the New York Times published "At Least 18 Mass Shootings Have Happened in the U.S. So Far This Year," defining a mass shooting as an incident where "at least three people" were killed.

Citing hundreds of mass shootings per year obscures how few of those who die from guns are dying in mass shootings, Fox says. According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, of the 233 mass shootings this year, 89 resulted in zero deaths, and 90 resulted in one death. The same dataset shows that the 261 deaths from mass shootings this year form a mere 1.42% of the 18,320 gun deaths in 2022. Moreover, Fox says, the public mass shootings that receive the most media attention are also a minority of the cases of mass shootings, which include domestic shootings and gang violence.

"People get confused and think it's an epidemic," Fox says. "It's not."

Rather, he says, "A large share of [shootings] are gang shootings, shootings over drug trafficking, shootings in the family," Fox says, "not public places."

To support this, he notes that the statistic about child deaths in the U.S. includes teens aged 15 to 19, who accounted for 83% of the child deaths in 2020.

Despite the truth about gun violence, though, "there tends to be inflated coverage," around school shootings, and this can influence how the public perceives risk, says Susan Mello, an assistant professor of communication studies at Northeastern.

"If you put it on an objective spectrum of what actually are risks to society, these school shootings are low," Mello says.

But public perceptions of risk don't always match reality. For example, the public's perception of the risks of driving is "astronomically low compared to what they actually are," Mello says. "Because it's become such an integrated part of our lives, we're desensitized to the actual objective risk. We've just come to accept it as part of our life, unfortunately."

Still, "It would be a mistake to say that guns aren't a huge risk," Mello says, citing the risk of having a gun in the home. "The percentage of kids who are in households in the United States where there are guns that are not locked up is horrifying," she says.

This misunderstanding of gun risks means that measures that are taken or proposed after a well publicized school shooting may actually be counterproductive. For example, Miller says that gun purchases actually go up after school shootings, something that is more likely to put families in danger rather than protecting them. Proposed measures like arming teachers and locking classrooms from the inside also add risk, Fox says. Moreover, he says, school shooting drills can actually traumatize children, and he recommends simply talking to children.

Instead, Miller would like to see guns become much more difficult to acquire, by raising the age of purchasing, starting buyback programs, and banning assault weapons altogether.

"Then you'd see a big decline in suicide rates, and you'd see a decline in murder rates," he says.

For his part, Fox says universal background checks will help reduce general gun violence. While this won't solve the problem of mass shootingsmost public mass shooters, he says, obtain their guns legallyit would help stem the tide of more common gun violence.

Unfortunately, neither Fox nor Miller is optimistic that big measures can be taken in the current political climate.

"The fact of the matter is that we have about 350 million guns in the country, and there's no quick fix for that," Fox says.

Explore further Research team uncovers changes in the people and places impacted by interpersonal firearm violence following COVID-19

More information: Jason E. Goldstick et al, Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States, New England Journal of Medicine (2022). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Jason E. Goldstick et al, Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States,(2022). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2201761
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The U.S. has officially kicked off the third summer of the pandemic with a sixth wave of COVID-19 cases.

Compared to previous surges, health experts say this one looks more like a swell.

The rise in reported cases seen in the Northeast in recent weeks appears to have peaked but upward trends continue in at least 21 states, according to a U.S. TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. Health experts say cases are likely higher due to underreported home tests.

Although cases are rising, health experts say hospitalizations are remaining in check. The U.S. is reporting about 350 deaths per day based on a 7-day average, which is more than a hundred deaths less than this time last summer, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

"We're only about 10 to 15 cases higher than what we were a year ago as far as hospitalizations and there are fewer patients requiring ICU care, which is encouraging," said Dr. Adia Ross, chief medical officer of Durham Regional Hospital. "Even though cases are up, the hospitalizations are not as high as they have been."

Here's what else is different going into the third pandemic summer:

Those who avoided COVID are getting it for the first time

If it feels like everyone in your circle is getting sick, you're not wrong.

COVID-19 is everywhere and many who successfully avoided the virus are getting it for the first time this summer, said Dr. Stuart Ray, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University.

After more than two years adhering to preventative measures, health experts say pandemic fatigue has set in, with more people attending social gatherings and traveling without wearing a mask.

"When you lower your guard at a time when the rates are high, you're pretty likely to encounter someone who is positive," Ray said.

Public health officials have been warning of high case rates in recent months but that hasn't appeared to impact people's behavior, which experts say is driving cases higher.

"The reason why it doesn't feel as urgent to people is because everyone knows someone who has had COVID or has had it themselves. And in people who are immunized, most cases are relatively mild," said Dr. Paul Sax, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

But for every person who has a mild case of COVID-19, somewhere in the chain of transmission is someone who may have developed severe disease.

"The problem is that there's so much COVID out there that the people who are most vulnerable are still getting quite sick," Sax said.

Most report mild disease, but not everyone is so lucky

Compared to previous waves, experts say the average American can expect a mild bout of COVID-19 if they're infected with the virus this summer, as most people are immunized through vaccination, previous infection or both.

People can expect some of the same symptoms from Omicron as previous coronavirus variants, such as fever and fatigue. But some distinctive COVID-19 symptoms are becoming less common, health experts say, including coughing and a loss of taste or smell.

Despite, these anecdotal differences, Sax said physicians should still be on guard for the common signs of COVID-19.

"Symptoms (may) vary from variant to variant," Sax said. "But these generalizations are not enough to make that much of a difference clinically."

Those who are unvaccinated are still more likely to develop severe disease compared to the vaccinated, experts say. But the majority of hospitalizations are occurring among the elderly, those who are immunocompromised or patients with underlying conditions, with a "smattering of people who are unvaccinated," Ray said.

"We are no longer naive to this virus either because of vaccination or prior infection or both. The fact that we've seen it before makes the subsequent cases milder," Sax said. "This is not the holy grail herd immunity but it's related to that, meaning the background immunity in the population is making the disease less severe."

People already sick with Omicron are getting it, again

Although many people are at least partly immunized against the virus, reinfections are occurring regardless of vaccination status.

Reinfections are expected as data shows immunity from previous infection and from the vaccines wanes overtime, experts say. But they are surprised people are catching the same variant again.

"Reinfections are not surprising," said Dr. Cameron Wolfe, an associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine and infectious disease specialist at Duke Health. "What has been a little disappointing to me at least is we're starting to see reinfections of people who had Omicron getting Omicron again."

Previously, people were mostly only susceptible to reinfection from a new variant.

While Omicron has remained predominant since the beginning of the year, it has spawned sublineages including BA.2, BA.2.12, and BA.2.12.1. Experts say these subvariants may be different enough to evade immunity from a previous infection, or the immunity derived from Omicron may just not be as protective as other variants.

"It seems immunity generated by Omicron isn't quite as strong as we would have hoped," Wolfe said.

The basics remain the same

Despite the differences from previous pandemic summers, health experts say the basics of COVID-19 haven't changed.

They urge Americans to avoid infection as the long-term consequences of the disease are still unknown. Researchers continue to study post-COVID conditions, commonly known as long COVID.

"I don't think we have enough time and experience to know what the long-term effects of having had COVID," Ray said. "I'm not interested in taking on an unknown risk."

The CDC says post-COVID conditions can include a wide range of ongoing physical and neurological health problems including fatigue, difficulty breathing, joint pain and brain fog. The agency defines "long COVID" as symptoms persisting at least four weeks after infection.

Americans should get vaccinated and wear masks during periods of high transmission to protect those vulnerable to severe disease, experts say.

"There's a significant proportion of the population that are immunocompromised and it's a serious virus to them," Sax said. "What I'm advising people is that they understand the risks of what they're doing and always remember the vulnerable."

(c)2022 USA Today

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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Chadwick Knight weathered a rough bout of COVID-19 back in January 2021 without being hospitalized, but he never bounced back to his former healthy self.

He got winded all the time. He experienced brain fog.

Then, well over a year since catching the coronavirus, the 47-year-old collapsed on his living room floor last month. He was rushed to an emergency room with a new, life-threatening post-COVID complication: a blood clot in an artery going from his heart to his lungs.

"You get sick, and you think you're pretty much better and then you are still having issues. And now, it just seems like more things on top of things, and you don't know what the future holds," said Knight, who lived in metro Atlanta for several years before recently moving to Dothan, Alabama. "It causes you to worry a lot and weighs you down a lot mentally."

Cardiac doctors are reporting a growing number of patients like Knight, who have lingering post-COVID cardiovascular symptoms or new, serious heart conditions. These patients may have a wide range of heart problems, including irregular or racing heartbeat, blood clots, coronary disease and heart failure.

A new large study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 1 in 5 adult COVID survivors under the age of 65 in the United States has experienced at least one health condition that could be considered long COVID. Among those 65 and over, the number is 1 in 4.

Long COVID is the name given to symptoms of a coronavirus infection that linger for more than a month and can include problems in many different organs such as the heart, lungs and kidneys.

The extent of long COVID cardiac symptoms is coming into better focus.

"We've seen, since early on, patients come in with long COVID," said Dr. Jeffrey Marshall, chief of Northside Hospital Cardiovascular Institute. "And the first thing that doctors have to do is decide does this patient have objective heart disease, or do they have this syndrome where they tend to be dizzy when they stand uppeople who have a fast heart rate, fatigue, but they don't have anything structurally wrong with their heart based on our current knowledge?"

In a recent study of the health records of more than 150,000 people who were treated for COVID in Department of Veterans Affairs facilities before Jan. 15, 2021, researchers found that the patients had a "substantial" risk of developing cardiovascular problems for at least a year after a positive test for the virus.

Patients who were hospitalized with COVID faced the highest risk of serious heart or cardiovascular problems, especially those who were treated in the intensive care unit. But risks were elevated even among people who did not have severe cases and were never hospitalized.

Overall, researchers found when comparing those who never had the virus with those who had, in every 1,000 patients, 45 more developed at least one of 20 different heart conditions. That's equal to about 4%. Despite the that low percentage, the numbers can add up: With over 83 million people infected in the U.S., millions could potentially suffer cardiovascular complications.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, a Piedmont Heart Institute cardiologist, said the VA study's strengths are its massive size and rigorous statistical analysis. But he said the study also has limitations: Most of the participants were white men, and the data was collected before most were vaccinated and before the emergence of many variants, including omicron.

Even so, the study's findings have resonated with doctors.

"Any COVID is bad COVID and can have many downstream effectsneurological, cardiovascular," said Singh. "The best way to prevent long COVID is not to get COVID in the first place."

Even before the COVID pandemic, heart disease was the leading cause of death in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year about 659,000 people die of heart diseaseor 1 in 4 deaths.

Doctors have identified several ways COVID can damage heart muscle and heart function. As the body's immune system fights off the virus, the inflammatory process can damage blood vessels and some healthy tissue, including the heart. But often medical tests don't find any obvious signs of heart damage in those who report cardiac symptoms.

One leading theory about long COVID cardiac issues suggests that, for some people experiencing a racing or skipping heartbeat, dizziness or shortness of breath, it may not be a new cardiac problem. Instead, it might be a neurologic one triggered by the virus. COVID can affect the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart and breathing rates, body temperature, digestion and metabolism. When this system malfunctions, so do the processes that it regulates.

That's been the case with Adrienne Levesque, who has grappled with an array of debilitating symptoms since catching COVID for the second time in August 2020. She's had not only brain fog and fatigue but a racing heartbeat even when resting, elevated blood pressure and palpitations. The 49-year-old started seeing a cardiologist in late 2020 at a long COVID clinic and was diagnosed with dysautonomia, a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

Levesque started the Georgia COVID long haulers group on Facebook. "Cardiac issues are huge. There are so many people in the Facebook group having the same things going on," said Levesque.

Doctors encourage former COVID patients who are experiencing irregular heartbeats, dizziness and other problems to discuss these symptoms with their health care providers. Medications and physical therapy can help alleviate some symptoms.

Doctors say there is good news for those patients who don't have damage to their heart: Most of them seem to get better over time.

Marshall of Northside said serious cardiac complicationssuch as myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failureare extremely rare in long COVID patients who don't have anything structurally wrong with their hearts. Far more common, he said, is "irregular heartbeat, dizzy standing up," he said. "Those people over time seem to be getting better."

Dr. Joel Rosenstockmedical director of AbsoluteCare in Buckhead, which now includes the Long COVID Clinic, agrees. He rarely sees serious, life-threatening cardiovascular complications. The majority of his long haulers have what he calls "the softer sides of long COVID."

"It's not soft to them, by any means," he continued. Symptoms, he said, often include "fatigue, people functioning 40% to 60% of their normal energy levels. People who used to go to the gym every day and now they can't go at all. They used to walk 2 miles every day. Now they can barely walk 500 feet. Brain fog is a gigantic problem."

Rosenstock, who develops individualized care plans to manage his patients' symptoms, said his goal is to help every long-haul patient get better, but the recovery can be slow and some people may never return to their former health.

"One of the things I always ask patients is what percent of normal are you? And, oftentimes, they will say 25%," said Rosenstock. "And when they come back weeks later, they may say they are at 40%. We celebrate that improvement."

After getting sick with COVID in October, Ashley Morris, a 42-year-old medical assistant, experienced a constellation of lingering symptoms, including "tachycardia," a medical term for a heartbeat of more than 100 beats per minute without exertion. Morris, who is a practice coordinator at Northside Hospital's Cardiovascular Institute, underwent a battery of tests, including an EKG to rule out blood clots and other heart problems. Her tests showed no measurable damage. She was prescribed an inhaler and a physical therapy program that was tailored for her COVID recovery.

"I'm better but not fully better," she said.

Morris also sees patients who are struggling with some of the same health problems.

"I feel for them, and some are kind of like me. Ever since I had COVID, I have had shortness of breath, and that's one of the biggest complaints I think," she said "Now, if I carry groceries to my car, I have to wait a few minutes in my vehicle to catch my breath."

Morris said she was unvaccinated when she fell ill and plans to get vaccinated soon.

Levesque is also better than she was in the fall of 2020, but said she is far from reaching a complete recovery.

Meanwhile, Knight, who caught the virus before becoming eligible for the vaccine, is now vaccinated and boosted. He is taking blood thinners to prevent any more blood clots and continues to go to a long COVID clinic for help with other lingering problems. He will soon undergo a cardiac catheterization to take a closer look at his heart.

Lately, he worries his condition may be getting worse, not better.

Simply carrying his 15-pound Shih Tzu, Cooper, to the mailbox leaves him exhausted.

"I miss the pre-COVID days when you are living your life and not having any issues. I am hoping I won't get as short of breath. I am hoping no more blood clots and they won't find anything wrong with my heart and I can not be so anxious."

2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Illustrations depict the sample menu items, with sugar warnings, that study participants were shown. Credit: Jennifer Falbe, UC Davis

Do you really want to order a soda with your burger? Just one soda can have more added sugar than the entire daily limit recommended for most adults.

Seeing a warning icon on a restaurant menu may help consumers identify the high amounts of added sugar hidden in menu itemsand it may even convince them to reach for healthier items like water.

Those are the observations recorded in a new University of California, Davis, study. In a national survey sampling more than 1,300 adults, researchers found that added-sugar warnings with icons plus text, or icons only, were effective at getting a "high added sugar" warning message across to people. The survey took place in 2021.

"Excess added sugar in our food supply is a leading driver of Type 2 diabetes, which is predicted to affect about half of all U.S. adults in their lifetime," said the study's lead author, Desiree Sigala, UC Davis postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular Biosciences.

The study, published online in the July issue of the journal Preventive Medicine, is believed to be the first of its kind to design and test the effects of added-sugar warnings for restaurant menus. And while the United States Food and Drug Administration requires large chain restaurants to make some nutrition information available in restaurants, there is currently no requirement for added sugar to be publicly disclosed for restaurant foods, researchers said.

This leaves consumers in the dark about the high levels of added sugar in their meals, which can contribute to negative health outcomes, researchers said. New York City recently sought to address this problem by passing a law requiring added-sugar warnings on prepackaged restaurant menu items. Policymakers across the country are considering similar warnings for added sugar on restaurant menus.

"By exposing the high amount of added sugar in ordinary restaurant foods, these warnings could help consumers make informed decisions," said senior author Jennifer Falbe, UC Davis assistant professor of nutrition and human development in the Department of Human Ecology. "But more importantly, requiring these warnings could incentivize restaurants to offer a wider variety of options that are not loaded with sugar."

The icons, designed by the study team, resemble stop, yield, and "caution" traffic signs.

Warning icons are a simple way to equip consumers with nutrition information and nudge companies to improve the healthfulness of their products, without taking up space on the menu, researchers said.

In the online, randomized study, participants were shown either a control label (a QR code), one of six possible icon-only added sugar warning labels, or one of the icons combined with three text variations: "high in added sugars," "high sugars" and "sugar warning." Each icon contained an exclamation mark or an exclamation mark with a spoon. While icon-plus-text and icon-only labels garnered favorable responses among participants compared to the control labels for the outcomes of perceived effectiveness and knowledge of items' added sugar content, there were no significant differences when comparing icon-only to icon-plus-text labels, researchers said.

According to the researchers, the design of the labels was based on sodium warning labels required by law for New York City and Philadelphia chain restaurant menus.

Furthermore, most participants in the study, or 80%, supported the added-sugar warning labels being used on restaurant menus.

"These promising results support the need to further develop and test restaurant menu added-sugar warning labels by conducting experiments with menu ordering outcomes to determine behavioral effects," Falbe said.

Explore further Average soda fountain serving exceeds daily recommended added sugars

More information: Desiree M. Sigala et al, Perceived effectiveness of added-sugar warning label designs for U.S. restaurant menus: An online randomized controlled trial, Preventive Medicine (2022). Journal information: Preventive Medicine Desiree M. Sigala et al, Perceived effectiveness of added-sugar warning label designs for U.S. restaurant menus: An online randomized controlled trial,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107090
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The massive rise in telehealth during the pandemic couldn't have happened without temporary rules that gave health care providers and their patients more flexibility to connect online or by phoneeven across state lines.

But now, those special interstate licensure rules have expired in most states, and will probably end later this year in the remaining few.

A new study could help guide those who will decide what happens next.

Published in the June issue of Health Affairs by a team from the University of Michigan, it suggests that people in some states will be much more affected than others by restrictions on interstate telehealth.

So will people who live in rural areas of many states.

The researchers hope their findings will help state policymakers design the future of interstate telehealth licensure rules in ways that focus on the patients who could benefit most.

The team from the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation reports data from older adults covered by traditional Medicare, both before and during the first year of the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, state licensure rules limited telehealth to patients who were located in a state where their clinician held a license to practice medicine. Clinicians can seek licensure in multiple states but must meet each state's requirements to achieve and maintain their license.

"Prior to the pandemic, state licensure rules hindered telehealth," says Juan Andino, M.D., M.B.A., the study's first author and a resident in the Department of Urology at Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center. "For example, if I held a license to practice medicine in only Michigan, I could not perform a telehealth visit with a patient in Ohio, even if they only lived 45 minutes away."

During the pandemic, all 50 states allowed out-of-state clinicians to perform telehealth visits with residents of their state. While the proportion of all Medicare telehealth visits that were conducted across state lines stayed roughly the same, the sheer number of interstate telehealth visits rose markedly from before the pandemic to the end of 2020, in sync with the sharp rise in the overall use of telehealth under special pandemic-era rules.

The vast majority of these interstate visits were between a patient and clinician who had an established relationship, and the most common conditions treated were those that benefit from regular E&M visits, including high blood pression, depression and anxiety.

In some states, less than 1% of telehealth visits in 2020 were interstate. But there was great variation between states, with some locations such as Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. seeing interstate visits making up 4% to 9% of all E&M visits conducted via telehealth. States whose residents were more likely to go out of state for in-person care also had higher interstate telehealth care.

Rural residents especially appeared to have taken advantage of interstate healthcare. Of all rural residents included in the study, 18% crossed state borders for in-person care or telehealth. By comparison, only 13% of non-rural residents use interstate healthcare.

In 64% of interstate telehealth visits, the patient and provider were in neighboring statessuch as patients in rural areas of Michigan who saw providers across the border in Wisconsin or Indiana.

The data don't include telehealth visits by patients who were temporarily away from their home addresses because they were traveling or staying at a second homefor instance, "snowbirds" from northern states who spend winter months in warmer states.

"With patients and providers now much more used to telehealth than they were two years ago, and with interstate licensure waivers expired or expected to expire soon, the question of how to design longer-term licensure policies to facilitate interstate telehealth is urgent," says Chad Ellimoottil, M.D., M.S., the study's senior author and director of IHPI's Telehealth Research Incubator lab. "Each state should prioritize this issue based on patterns of care among their residents.

"For residents of the District of Columbia and states such as Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming and New Hampshire, 15% or more of in-person and telehealth outpatient visits occur with a clinician in another state," explains Ellimoottil, who is an assistant professor of urology at Michigan Medicine. "For these areas, finding a permanent solution to the interstate licensure issue is essential. For states like California and Texas, interstate healthcare may be a lower priority because less than 2% of total outpatient care occurs across state lines."

While the new study focused on people with traditional Medicare, Ellimoottil notes that additional analyses of data from people covered by Medicare Advantage, private insurance and Medicaid will be important going forward. Even if state licensure laws allow interstate visits, individual health insurance plans or health systems may not wish to cover or facilitate such visits.

Co-authors Ziwei Zhu, M.S. and Rodney L. Dunn, M.S. are statisticians in the Department of Urology and co-author Mihir Surapaneni is a medical student.

More information: Interstate Telehealth Use By Medicare Beneficiaries Before And After COVID-19 Licensure Waivers, 2017-20, Health Affairs (2022). Journal information: Health Affairs Interstate Telehealth Use By Medicare Beneficiaries Before And After COVID-19 Licensure Waivers, 2017-20,(2022). DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01825
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Host & Microbe (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.05.005

A team of researchers from the Brown Cancer Center, the University of Louisville, Peak Neuromonitoring Associates, the University of Texas and the University of Louisville has found that a metabolite produced by bacteria in the gut promotes neural cell death resulting in cognitive decline in mice. In their paper published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, the group describes their study of the metabolite isoamylamine (IAA) and its impact on cognitive decline.

Prior research has suggested a strong link between gut bacteria and brain health. In this new effort, the researchers looked into the possible impact on the brain of just one metabolite produced by one family of bacteria in the gut, Ruminococcaceae.

They found first that IAA becomes more prevalent in the gut as people age due to the presence of more Ruminococcaceae. Their interest in IAA grew when they learned it could pass through the blood-brain barrier. In order to trace the path of IAA from the gut into the brain to see what impact it might have, they had to develop a new techniquea modification of electrophoresis that allowed for the tracking of DNA mobility shiftswhich they called single-strand gel shift. They next incubated the gene responsible for sensing and responding to aging in mice (S100A8) with IAA. They found the metabolite binds to a promoter region of S100A8, which allowed for expression of the gene, resulting in production of apoptotic bodies, which lead to cell death.

To learn more about what happens when such bindings occur, the researchers fed IAA to young healthy mice and determined that this resulted in a loss of cognitive function. They next blocked production of the metabolite in the guts of older mice and found that it led to improvements in cognitive performance.

They state more research needs to be done to find out if the production of IAA in the human gut biome also results in cognitive decline, and if so, whether blocking its production would prevent cognitive decline as people age.

More information: Yun Teng et al, Gut bacterial isoamylamine promotes age-related cognitive dysfunction by promoting microglial cell death, Cell Host & Microbe (2022). Journal information: Cell Host & Microbe Yun Teng et al, Gut bacterial isoamylamine promotes age-related cognitive dysfunction by promoting microglial cell death,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.05.005

 2022 Science X Network
Credit: Michigan Medicine

According to a 2022 Medscape poll, burnout rates among physicians are steadily increasing. The publication defines burnout as a "long-term, unresolvable job-related stress that leads to exhaustion, cynicism and feelings of detachment."

This mental health concern endemic to medical professionals inspired Sam Schotland, M.A., a second-year medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School and Ph.D. student studying the history of science and medicine at Yale University, to co-author an article entitled, "Obstacles to Physicians' Emotional HealthLessons from History." The piece appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year.

"While the ongoing pandemic has exposed the incredible amount of stress put upon our health care providers, many key obstacles existed pre-pandemic when it comes to improving the mental health of our physicians," he said. "In our paper, we highlight three significant barriers that have historically prevented said improvements and also, suggest some solutions to these pervasive problems."

Schotland and his co-authors, Agnes ArnoldForster, Ph.D., and Jacob D. Moses, Ph.D., define three "historical obstacles" to the well-being of doctors. They include:

Medical exceptionalism, or regarding medicine as an extraordinarily self-sacrificing profession.

Medicalization, or considering physicians who have mental health or substance use problems to be sick or unwell.

Individual responsibility, or believing physicians are personally obliged to maintain their own wellness.

Schotland notes that each of these barriers continues to persist because of longstanding and oftentimes deep-seated societal issues.

"For example, things like social privilege and prestige are often associated with doctors and contribute to the notion of medical exceptionalism," he said. "This, in turn leads to institutional expectations that can ultimately mask harmful practices and policies geared towards physicians. In addition, medicalization continues to persist because of stigmas associated with mental illness and substance abuse. And individual responsibility can lead to stagnant work conditions, as doctors are essentially tasked with helping themselves with no outside help."

Schotland and his peers go on to propose several structural solutions to each obstacle, reinforcing the importance of combatting the "historical tendency to hold physicians personally responsible for tolerating occupational stress."

"We recommend reforms to medical curriculum to empower medical students and house staff to better understand their rights and responsibilities in the clinical environment, ensuring duty hour restrictions and workplace protections, and providing mental health support as a part of the occupational health services of hospitals and other health care facilities," he said. "These types of interventions hold the power to shift responsibility from individual physicians to institutions."

Schotland adds that when health care facilities prioritize physician well-being as highly as they prioritize the patient experience, for example, this can lead to bigger and better things.

"History provides us with a template, as well as a way for thinking through many of these issues. But ultimately, happy doctors make for a better quality of care," he said. "At the end of the day, physicians are workers, who absolutely deserve the same basic rights and adequate working conditions as other professions. By finally reckoning with massive structural problems, policies within health care may finally change. And this can lead to an overall better future for us all."

Explore further The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of home health care workers in Japan
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Metabolism (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.05.003

The primary causes of liver cancer are well known: viral (hepatitis B and C), alcohol and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition in which fat builds up in the liver, resulting in chronic inflammation and damage.

But in a paper published June 3, 2022 in Cell Metabolism, an international team of scientists, led by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, say the etiologies of liver cancer are changingand the prognosis is mixed.

On the plus side, advances in hepatitis B (HBV) vaccinations and greater availability of antiviral therapies have reduced HBV-associated liver cancer. On the negative, alcohol consumption and the prevalence of obesity (another risk factor) are rising dramatically.

"The impact of these changes on global liver cancer burden is not yet clear," said senior author Rohit Loomba, MD, director of hepatology at UC San Diego Health and professor of medicine in the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

One thing that hasn't changed: Liver cancer continues to kill. It is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In 2020, more than 830,000 persons around the world died from the disease, with approximately 30,000 deaths in the United States alone.

Loomba and colleagues used methodology from the Global Burden of Disease Study, an ongoing research collaboration involving more than 3,600 researchers in 145 countries, to survey worldwide incidence of liver cancer, and more specifically, global and regional changes in the causes of liver cancer.

Between 2010 and 2019, the authors found, there was a 27 percent increase in liver cancer cases across the 204 countries surveyed, a 25 percent increase in liver cancer deaths and a 21 percent increase in disability-adjusted life years (DALY), a statistical measure that accounts for the adverse effects of disease apart from death. One DALY is the equivalent loss of one year of full health. In 2019 alone, there were an estimated 12.5 million DALYs due to liver cancer.

Liver cancer prevalence is uneven around the world. In 2019, for example, liver cancer death rates were highest in Asia (including countries like China, Japan, Thailand and Mongolia) and lowest in most of Africa.

The causes of liver cancer varied measurably around the world. Age-standardized death rates (ASDR) due to HBV-associated liver cancer decreased between 2010 and 2019, most likely due to successful vaccination campaigns, antiviral therapies and programs to reduce aflatoxins, a family of fungi-generated toxins found on agricultural crops, such as corn, peanuts and cottonseed.

The only region where the ASDR rose was in the Americas, possibly due to underdiagnoses of liver cancer cases and lack of disease awareness, wrote the authors. HCV-associated cases also declined due to the availability of highly effective oral antiviral therapy, except in the Americas.

NASH was the fastest growing cause of liver cancer deaths globally, especially in the Americas, driven by rapidly rising obesity rates. The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. in 2017 was 42.4 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control, up from 30.5 percent in 2000. Researchers said the incidence of liver cancer due to NASH is projected to increase further in the U.S., Europe and Asia over the next 10 years, tracking with rising rates of obesity.

Alcohol was the second fastest rising cause of liver cancer, again with the highest increase in the Americas. Global alcohol-per-capital consumption was projected to rise further, especially in Western Pacific and Southeast Asia countries.

"In California and particularly in San Diego, cirrhosis due to both NAFLD and alcohol-associated liver disease are rising and are important cause of liver cancer," said Loomba, director of the NAFLD Research Center in the UC San Diego School of Medicine. NAFLD is the acronym for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, an umbrella term for a range of liver conditions affecting people who drink little to no alcohol. Like NASH, it increases the risk of liver cancer.

"We are developing better ways to treat both of these conditions earlier to reduce the burden of disease and trying to better screen those who are at a higher risk of developing liver cancer by offering better and more personalized screening strategies. Early recognition and prompt treatment is needed to improve outcomes."

Explore further Global burden of disease study focuses on liver cancer

More information: Daniel Q. Huang et al, Changing global epidemiology of liver cancer from 2010 to 2019: NASH is the fastest growing cause of liver cancer, Cell Metabolism (2022). Journal information: Cell Metabolism Daniel Q. Huang et al, Changing global epidemiology of liver cancer from 2010 to 2019: NASH is the fastest growing cause of liver cancer,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.05.003
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

As the Food and Drug Administration goes forward with its proposal to ban menthol cigarettes, Rutgers researchers insist the move is a step toward social justice and better health equity in the Black community, where menthol cigarettes have been heavily marketed by tobacco companies.

In a commentary published in JAMA Network Open, researchers at the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies (CTS) said the ban will help prevent young people from starting to smoke and lower national smoking rates, particularly among vulnerable groups.

Indeed, the FDA's proposed product standard cites 26 research studies authored or coauthored by CTS team members.

Cristine Delnevo, director of the center and a professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, and Andrea Villanti, deputy director of CTS and an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, have published multiple studies and were expert reviewers of the FDA's "Scientific Assessment of the Impact of Menthol in Cigarettes."

Delnevo, Villanti, Ollie Ganzan instructor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and a researcher at CTSand Kevin Schrothassociate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and a researcher at CTSdiscuss why the scientific evidence outweighs any industry arguments.

Why should menthol cigarettes concern public health officials?

Delnevo: The FDA's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee concluded that menthol in cigarettes reduced the harshness of smoking and was associated with increased initiation, higher dependence, and lower quit success.

Our study published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research draws attention to the continued availability of menthol cigarettes in the U.S. as a social justice issue. Most Black smokers in the U.S. smoke menthol cigarettes, and extensive research shows that the tobacco industry targeted African American communities with advertising for menthol cigarettes for decades.

Data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey also show that while menthol use declined overall among youth from 2011 to 2018, there was no decline among Black and Hispanic students.

How has the consumption of cigarettes, especially menthol cigarettes, changed over time and why is this important in the context of a ban on menthol cigarettes?

Delnevo: Our study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed cigarette consumption data in the U.S. between 2000 to 2018, and found there was a 46 percent decline in cigarette consumption during this periodbut 85 percent of that decline was attributed to nonmenthol cigarettes. This is a pattern consistent with evidence that menthol cigarettes increase initiation and progression to regular smoking and decreases smoking cessation success.

We also found that the introduction of menthol capsules, a product feature that allows consumers to crush a liquid-filled capsule in the filter, may have slowed the downward trajectory in cigarette consumption. The industry continues to innovate, and policymakers need to be comprehensive in their approach to banning flavors.

Why is it important to ban menthol cigarettes and why has it been difficult to enact a nationwide ban?

Ganz: Research shows that a ban on menthol cigarettes would significantly impact public health and positively impact the African American community. A 2011 study modeling the effects of a menthol ban in the U.S. estimated that 633,252 deaths could have been averted and that one of three of these lives lost would be a Black person. Other vulnerable communities also are at risk if a menthol ban is not implemented. Our study concluded that the inaction on menthol came down to lack of political will.

Will an FDA ban on menthol cigarettes survive tobacco industry lawsuits?

Schroth: Our commentary explains why the FDA has a high probability of prevailing when the tobacco industry inevitably files a lawsuit challenging the FDA's final rule. The 2009 Tobacco Control Act clearly gives the FDA the power to issue a product standard like this and sets parameters for a lawsuit. A product standard must be appropriate for the protection of public health, with two primary considerations: It should help current smokers to stop and contribute to decreasing smoking initiation. A persuasive body of evidence shows that menthol cigarettes contribute to youth initiation and reduced success among people trying to quit. The persuasiveness of this scientific evidence is likely to be the decisive factor in a lawsuit.

Will an FDA ban on menthol cigarettes criminalize menthol cigarettes or lead to an increase in criminal activity, with a disproportionate effect on the African American community?

Schroth: As our commentary recognizes, this question reflects a talking point that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company injected into the public domain. However, the idea that a menthol ban will contribute to criminal activity or violence is not consistent with tobacco control enforcement practices. Companies and manufacturers are the ones that will be affected by enforcement of a menthol cigarette ban, not individuals.

But it appears that FDA is taking this issue seriously. The FDA invites comments from the public on how it can clarify the roles of enforcement authorities and any potential racial and social justice implications of the proposed product standards.

How can we maximize the public health benefit of an FDA menthol cigarette ban?

Delnevo: We need to keep a watchful eye on youth tobacco use behaviors, including use of multiple products, substitution with other products or alternative methods of menthol flavor delivery. We also need to comprehensively evaluate the effects of menthol or flavor bans on tobacco-related health inequities.

Villanti: In a new commentary published in JAMA Network Open, we highlight that the FDA's proposed menthol cigarette ban is a pivotal moment for health equity and suggest a range of activities including:

Raising awareness and countering any misperceptions and disinformation about the goals of flavored tobacco policies Ensuring that policy enforcement focuses on retailers and manufacturers Limiting policy exemptions to prevent loopholes or inequitable implementation Scaling up tobacco cessation resources

Schroth: Individuals and groups should consider contributing to FDA's virtual listening sessions on June 13 and 15 and/or submitting public comments by July 5.

Explore further Study suggests menthol cigarettes increase youth smoking, nicotine addiction

More information: Andrea C. Villanti et al, US Food and Drug Administration Action on Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored CigarsA Pivotal Moment for Health Equity, JAMA Network Open (2022). Andrea C. Villanti et al, US Food and Drug Administration Action on Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored CigarsA Pivotal Moment for Health Equity,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.17150
Magnified and colourized monkeypox virus particles. Since early May, over 550 confirmed cases of human infection with monkeypox virus have been reported in 30 countries. Credit: NIAID, CC BY

With cases reported in a number of countries, human monkeypox infection is generating global interest and concern as an emerging infectious disease threat even in the midst of a slowly relenting COVID-19 pandemic.

What is monkeypox virus?

Monkeypox is a member of a closely related group of viruses in the Orthopoxvirus genus that includes smallpox, cowpox and camelpox. Monkeypox virus was first discovered in the summer of 1958 as a non-lethal, smallpox-like, skin disease of captive monkeys at a research institute in Denmark.

The name monkeypox is a misnomer since terrestrial African rodents (rats and squirrels) serve as the natural reservoir of the virus, while monkeys and other primates are believed to be accidental hosts.

When was monkeypox first reported in humans?

The first-known case of human monkeypox infection was reported from Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, in a nine-month-old boy with a non-fatal smallpox-like illness.

Since then, sporadic human cases have occurred in many Central and West African countries, with infections being more common in children and young adults. In countries where monkeypox is endemic (where it is typically found), recent increases in cases are believed to be related to climate change, deforestation, warfare, increased population mobility and waning herd immunity from smallpox vaccination.

How is monkeypox transmitted?

Transmission occurs through close physical contact with animals or humans, their body fluids, contaminated droplet particles from respiratory secretions or infected skin lesions and indirectly by way of "fomites" (inanimate objects such as bed linens, towels and hard surfaces that may be laden with infectious virus particles).

Animal bites and consumption of animal meat are common modes of transmission in endemic areas. Secondary infections among unvaccinated close contacts occur in about 12.3% household contacts and 3.3% of others.

When was monkeypox first reported in non-African countries?

The first cluster of human monkeypox infections outside of Africa occurred in the United States in 2003. A multi-state outbreak involving 87 children and young adults was attributed to close contact with infected prairie dogs acquired as pets from an animal distributor. The ultimate source of infection was found to be imported Gambian rats that transmitted the infection to the prairie dogs. There were no human deaths, although three children experienced severe illness.

Prior to 2022, several travel-associated cases had been reported in the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore and the U.S. among individuals who had visited Nigeria.

What do we know about the global monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries?

On May 7, 2022, public health authorities in the U.K. were informed of a case of imported human monkeypox infection in a traveler returning from Nigeria. Since then, over 550 confirmed cases of human infection have been reported in the U.K. and 29 other countries. Cases have been exceedingly higher among men who have sex with men, although the virus is not known to be sexually transmitted.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

The clinical manifestations of human monkeypox infection mimic those of smallpox, but are typically much milder. Unlike monkeypox, smallpox is an eradicated disease, has no animal reservoir and does not usually affect the lymph nodes.

Colourized and magnified monkeypox virus particles. Credit: NIAID, CC BY

The incubation period of monkeypox in humans ranges from four to 21 days and is followed by a one- to five-day phase of fevers, chills, sweats, fatigue and enlarged, tender lymph nodes in the neck and groin.

The next phase involves a multi-stage rash that progresses from small skin patches to papules (small bumps on the skin), followed by vesicles (small bumps filled with clear fluid) and then pustules (small bumps filled with pus). These are most prominent on the face, palms and soles of the feet. The pustules resolve by scarring or crusting over in the ensuing two to four weeks.

Exposed people may also develop a sore throat, cough and/or a rash on the mucous membranes of the mouth.

How severe is monkeypox infection?

The disease is usually mild, although severe illness and death can occur. There are two common genetic variants of monkeypox virus: the Central African variant and the West African variant. Mortality rates of 3.6% for the West African variant and 10.6% for the Central African variant have been reported in endemic regions.

However, no deaths have occurred to date in any of the cases reported outside of Africa. All confirmed cases from the 2022 outbreak in the 30 non-endemic countries have been due to the West African variant.

Are there any other public health recommendations for monkeypox?

People who are infected with monkeypox should wear surgical masks, and skin lesions should be covered until they have healed. Personal use items such as towels and sheets should not be shared. Frequently touched surfaces should be regularly disinfected, contaminated clothing should be laundered and contact with household and non-household members should be avoided until the illness has resolved.

Health-care workers should use gloves, gowns and respiratory protection with N95 masks and face shields, and maintain excellent hand hygiene while caring for patients with monkeypox. Hospitalized patients with confirmed or suspected monkeypox should be isolated with precautions for airborne, droplet and contact transmission until they are no longer contagious.

Does smallpox vaccine protect against monkeypox?

Smallpox vaccineadministered either before or after exposure to monkeypoxmay prevent or reduce the effects of human monkeypox infection. However, rare but serious adverse events have been reported from older generation smallpox vaccines. A newer generation, non-replicating, live vaccine is now available and is deemed safe for use in all populations, including those with compromised immune systems.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends pre-exposure prophylaxis (vaccination prior to exposure to the virus) with the newer generation vaccine for laboratory workers performing monkeypox diagnostic testing, as well as for health-care workers administering smallpox vaccine or caring for patients with monkeypox. (Its trade name is Jynneos in the U.S., Imvamune in Canada and Imvanex in Europe.)

In Canada and other developed countries, people born before 1972 were likely vaccinated against smallpox. Although immunity following vaccination tends to wane with age, lifelong immunity appears to be the norm following smallpox vaccination in otherwise healthy individuals, and its cross-protective efficacy against monkeypox is believed to be 85%.

Is monkeypox the next viral pandemic?

The emergence of infectious diseases such as monkeypox in non-endemic areas has created a great deal of anxiety in light of our experience with COVID-19.

Monkeypox had been a neglected tropical disease until the current outbreak in the developed world. But the trajectory of these cases, coupled with the pattern of transmission in Africa, suggests that the virus will not become pandemic.

The basic reproduction number (R0), a measure of viral contagiousness, where R0 equals the number of secondary infections transmitted from a single case in a non-immune population, is 0.6 to 1.0 for the Central African variant, and much lower for the West African variant.

In contrast, the R0 for the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is approximately 10, and the R0 for measles ranges from 11 to 18. The R0 for the West African variant of monkeypox virus may be too low to sustain human-to-human transmission outside of endemic areas.

Explore further EU eyes smallpox vaccine for monkeypox: regulator

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A skin biopsy is often used to diagnose skin cancer and other skin conditions.

It involves the removal of a small amount of skin, which is examined under a microscope. Afterwards, you'll need to look after the biopsy location to make sure it heals properly.

"Your dermatologist will treat the small wound from the skin biopsy during your visit," said dermatologist Dr. Rajiv Nijhawan, an associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

"Continuing to care for your wound once you get home is important because it will help it heal, reduce scarring and decrease chances of infection," he said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release.

Wash your hands before touching your wound. To care for your wound, gently wash the biopsy area with mild soap and water. Rinse thoroughly and gently pat dry with a clean wash cloth.

To keep the wound moist and help it heal faster, apply petroleum jelly from a squeeze tube to the wound. Then cover the wound with an adhesive bandage or sterile gauze and paper tape. Do this daily for as long as your dermatologist recommends.

Do not use topical antibiotics unless advised by your dermatologist because they can cause allergic reactions.

Applying petroleum jelly can also help relieve itching as the wound heals. Itching can also be a sign of an allergic reaction or skin irritation. Cover the wound with a nonstick pad and paper tape instead of an adhesive bandage.

If your wound starts bleeding, apply firm and steady pressure with a sterile gauze pad for 20 minutes. Call your dermatologist's office if your wound is still bleeding after 20 minutes.

If you have pain at the biopsy site, take acetaminophen or place an ice pack over the bandage to relieve swelling.

Reduce scarring by protecting the biopsy site from the sun. Cover it with sun-protective clothing, apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, and stay in the shade when possible.

"If you have any signs of infection such as worsening pain, increased swelling, warmth or fever, contact your dermatologist," Nijhawan said.

Explore further Should you use antibiotic creams on your skin?

More information: For more on skin biopsy, see the For more on skin biopsy, see the U.S. National Library of Medicine

 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. British health officials reported 73 more monkeypox cases on Monday, June 6, 2022, raising the total to more than 300 across the country. Credit: Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP, File

British health officials reported 77 more monkeypox cases on Monday, raising the total to more than 300 across the country. To date, the U.K. has the biggest identified outbreak of the disease beyond Africa, with the vast majority of infections in gay and bisexual men.

Health officials warn that anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, is potentially at risk of catching monkeypox if they are in close contact with a patient, their clothing or their bed sheets.

On Sunday, the World Health Organization said more than two dozen countries that haven't previously identified monkeypox cases reported 780 cases, a more than 200% jump in cases since late May. No monkeypox deaths outside of Africa have yet been identified.

The U.N. health agency said most cases in Europe and elsewhere have been spotted in sexual health clinics and "have involved mainly, but not exclusively, men who have sex with men."

So far this year, there have been more than 1,400 monkeypox cases and 63 deaths in four countries where the disease is endemicCameroon, Central African Republic, Congo and Nigeriaaccording to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genetic sequencing of the virus hasn't yet shown any direct link to the outbreak outside Africa.

WHO said the sudden and unexpected detection of monkeypox in numerous countries "suggests that there might have been undetected transmission for some unknown duration of time followed by recent amplifier events." Last month, a leading adviser to WHO said the outbreak in Europe and beyond was likely spread by sex at two recent raves in Spain and Belgium.

WHO estimated the risk posed by monkeypox to global health was "moderate," saying this was the first time that so many cases and clusters were reported across the world. Until last month, the disease had not been known to cause large epidemics beyond central and west Africa, where it has mostly affected people in rural areas who come into close contact with infected wild animals.

The ongoing outbreak of monkeypox in Europe and elsewhere, including Canada, Australia, Israel and the U.S., marks the first time the disease has been known to spread among people who have no previous travel links to Africa.

U.S. health officials said genetic analysis of recent monkeypox cases suggests there are two distinct strains in the country, raising the possibility that the virus has been circulating undetected for some time. Many of the U.S. cases were caused by the same strain as recent cases in Europe, but a few samples show a different strain, federal health officials said.

Britain's Health Security Agency said last week most cases have been in gay or bisexual men ranging in age from 20 to 49 and that "investigations to date have identified links to gay bars, saunas, and the use of dating apps in the U.K. and abroad."

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

Last week, WHO's top expert on monkeypox, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, said she doubted the disease would trigger a pandemic, but said actions should be taken quickly to curb its spread so it doesn't become entrenched in new areas.

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Graphical abstract. Credit: Current Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.029

A joint research team led by Dr. Xu Huatai from the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has demonstrated the unique design of the neural microcircuit in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH).

Using a mouse model, the researchers applied combinatory approaches to reveal a distinct developmental transition for the neural microcircuit in the VMH. They discovered that the early developmental stage features dense electrical coupling. In contrast, the adult VMH is characterized by sparse chemical synapses as well as prominent neuropeptide transmission. The absence of chemical synapses was further observed in many other hypothalamic nuclei. These findings provide a solid microcircuit basis for a better understanding of hypothalamic functions.

The study was published in Current Biology on June 2.

The hypothalamus is a multinucleated structure and internuclear connections have been extensively investigated. However, the innermost hypothalamic nuclei microcircuits have been less examined.

To fill this gap, the researchers made quadruple whole-cell patch-clamp recordings using hypothalamic slices. They first found a high frequency of electrical coupling between neurons during the early development of the VMH, which decreased gradually afterward. The researchers concluded that the electrical synapses were mediated by connexin 36 (Cx36) since conditional knockout of Cx36 in the VMH significantly reduced electrical coupling.

It had been previously discovered that in the neocortex, electrical synapses were the blueprint for chemical synapses. However, from early development to adulthood, chemical synapses were seldom detected by paired recordings in the VMH, indicating sparse intrinsic synaptic connectivity in the adult VMH. Similarly, in other hypothalamic areas, paired recordings only detected a few electrical synapses but no chemical synapses. These observations reveal sparse chemical connectivity as a generalized feature of the hypothalamic microcircuit.

Paired recordings efficiently detect synaptic connections within a limited range (<200 micrometers). The researchers found that when even one-third of neurons in the range of ~400 micrometers were activated, the peak amplitudes of optogenetic excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were insignificant in comparison to the spontaneous ESPCs of responsive neurons. "This result indicated that there are very few activated neurons in a much broader range with synaptic connections to the recorded cells. Besides, the data from rabies virus tracing further supports the scarceness of chemical synapses in the VMH," said Shao Yinqi, first author of the study.

Having explored the roles of electrical and chemical synapses in the VMH microcircuit, the researchers turned their attention to neuropeptides, which are abundant in the hypothalamus. To explore the potential role of neuropeptides in neuronal communication in the VMH, researchers incubated VMH slices with agonists and found that an analog of dynorphin could hyperpolarize VMH neurons. Such neurons consistently showed hyperpolarization after a short period of high-frequency stimulation of adjacent neurons. However, this hyperpolarization can be blocked by the antagonist of dynorphin receptor KOR (kappa opioid receptor), suggesting an inhibitory role for the neuropeptide dynorphin in local neuronal modulation. The researchers also noted that expression of dynorphin and KOR increased during the developmental period.

"The hyperpolarization effect of the KOR agonist on VMH neurons was much weaker in pups, revealing the more effective role of neuropeptides for local neuronal communication in the VMH during development," said Fan Liu, co-first author of the study.

Explore further Team shows that electrical synapses occur throughout brain, can influence individual nerve cells

More information: Yin-Qi Shao et al, A developmental switch between electrical and neuropeptide communication in the ventromedial hypothalamus, Current Biology (2022). Journal information: Current Biology Yin-Qi Shao et al, A developmental switch between electrical and neuropeptide communication in the ventromedial hypothalamus,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.029
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Doctors from France and Armenia give details of a 58-year-old woman who suffered unexplained severe finger pain for more than 40 years when knitting, in a case report which is being presented at Euroanaesthesia, the annual meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) in Milan, Italy (4-6 June).

The woman, whose pain was also triggered by cold weather, was revealed to have a rare benign tumor under her fingernail. The tumor was successfully removed.

The patient, who was right-handed, attended the pain clinic at the Wigmore Clinic, Yerevan, Armenia in October 2021 with severe shooting/burning pain in her right index finger, which was triggered by knitting.

The finger pain, which was accompanied by pins and needles in her right lower arm and shoulder, also appeared during cold weather.

The woman, who had no history of finger injury, had had this pattern of symptoms for more than 40 years.

She had seen several different specialists and been treated unsuccessfully for other conditions including Reynaud's disease and neuroma.

The woman, who was from Armenia, was examined at the Wigmore Clinic by a multidisciplinary collaborative French-Armenian team, organized by the Hospices Civils de Lyon, the second largest French university hospital. The Hospices Civils de Lyon is one of three French university hospitals providing medical training in Armenia as part of a medical program set up by the French government following the 2020 Artsakh war.

The multidisciplinary team included a pain specialist, hand surgeon, physiotherapist, bone and joint infection disease specialist, microbiologist, neurologist and radiologist.

A physical examination revealed that putting pressure on her nail, stroking the edge of her nail, applying ice to her hand and holding her hand downwards all produced the same pattern of pain as knitting.

Raising and holding up her arm provided almost instant pain relief.

Tests showed she had normal levels of pain sensitivity.

A small section of the nail on her right index finger was slightly bulbous, darker than the surrounding nail and faintly purple.

This deformity, in combination with a slight scalloping of surface of the bone under the nail (revealed by X-ray) and a small, dense mass with no blood vessels inside, along with an adjacent bone defect (both revealed by ultrasound), suggested the patient had a glomus tumor.

Glomus tumors are rare, normally benign soft tissue tumors. More common in middle-aged women than in other groups, they account for around 2% of all soft tissue tumors.

The majority (75%) are found under a fingernail or toenail. They can develop in any part of the body, however, and have been found on the penis and inside the stomach. Normally benign, they can, in rare cases, become malignant and spread to multiple sites throughout the body.

Examination of the growth under the woman's nail, after removal in a 30-minute operation in late October 2021, confirmed it to be a benign glomus tumor, 5 mm in size.

The operation took place in the Hand Surgery Department of the National Burn Centre in Yerevan and was performed by an Armenian team.

"Glomus tumors are uncommon, and while hand and plastic surgeons are familiar with them, they may present a puzzle for other specialists," says pain specialist and anesthesiologist Dr. Mikhail Dziadzko, of the Department of Anaesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Hopital de la Croix Rousse, Lyon, who was part of the French-Armenian multi-disciplinary team.

"This patient had a 5 mm tumor which had been growing slowly for more than 40 years. Her quality of life was affected not only by painful sensations during particular gestures and cold weather, but also by constant anticipation of the pain and frustration over the inability to solve the problem over the decades.

"A surgeon was able to remove the tumor in 30-minute procedure using local anesthesia. No particular care was required after surgery, other than standard painkillers such as paracetamol and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which were prescribed for a short period of time.

"There were no complications of surgery and the patient's recovery was uneventful. When seen at a follow-up appointment three months after her operation, she said she no longer had any pain in her finger.

"She was able to return to her hobbyknittingand almost forget these 40 years of suffering."

Dr. Dziadzko adds, "The origin of a patient's pain isn't always clear. However, in a puzzling situation, a multidisciplinary approach involving different specialists, such as anesthesiologists, radiologists and surgeons, will almost always help find a solution."

Explore further Does body mass index impact pain in individuals with hand osteoarthritis?

Provided by The European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC)
In Chris Alvesheres show, Swell, a cup can be anything but drab or boring. The ceramic artists cups, vases, jars and a pedestal of 26 baby jars are colorful, with shapes that allude to toys or furniture.

A self-described nostalgic person, he began brightening his palette several years ago and fell in love with color combinations.

IF YOU GO Chris Alvesheres exhibition, Swell, is on view at the Clay Studio of Missoula through the end of the month. Hours are Monday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 12-3 p.m.

There are at least 40 different colors in the show by his estimate. Some that appear to be similar are slightly different up close. One friendly looking jar is adorned with primary colors, same as the shirt he was wearing in the gallery. One wall has a custom-built blue and teal shelving unit with 24 monochrome cups that corresponds to a Crayola crayon box; arrayed from greens to blues to yellows to oranges to purple and white.

Its important that things are utilitarian for me, but not in the sense of dishwasher-daily ware, he said.

See his teapots, which boast a delightful, slightly retro and somewhat futuristic shape and matte-like finish. Each might have separate colors for the body, the handle, the spout, lid and foot.

Swell, is Alvesheres exit show, signaling the end of his two-year residency at the Clay Studio of Missoula. The title references the common shape of many of his works, and the pandemic and the saying, things are swell.

During that time, hes been exploring porcelain vessels with colored finishes, a new direction for him that earned national recognition just before this show opened.

He was selected by Ceramics Monthly for its 2022 Emerging Artists competition, published in the May issue. He is one of 24 picked from 599 entries. According to the editors note, the finalists fuse skillful material handling, individualized approaches, and focused ideas into powerful utilitarian and sculptural objects. The artists probe the parameters of existing traditions, as well as investigate and experiment to push the limits of what ceramic materials can do.

Coming to Montana

Alveshere got his BFA in art education and BA in ceramics from Minnesota State University in Moorhead. He taught in Minnesota and North Dakota. He decided to go back to school for his MFA at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.

During his final semester, COVID shut everything down. He completed his thesis but was never able to exhibit it. Instead of pursuing new teaching jobs during the pandemic, he applied for residencies and landed in Missoula. This is his first solo exhibition here and finally a chance to set up the colored porcelain cups in person, complete with colored acrylic displays with rounded corners and painted washers to resemble playground equipment, he said.

When he was an undergraduate, he was working with wood and soda firing, with a traditional palette of browns. He tried getting more color and worked with material scientists in his grad program.

Particular tints might be matched to his Vans shoes; he likes primaries from his time as an art teacher, or the orange from the Nickelodeon splat or the colors of push-pops. He makes speckled or marbled forms, which can lend a vivid strawberry milk effect, as he pointed out in one piece. In a double-bellied lidded jar, a minimalist primary stripe corresponds to the speckles in that section. (It sits atop a custom-made colored pedestal.)

He saves colored scraps and trimmings so he can reuse them, for environmental, financial and aesthetic reasons. He pointed to two somewhat similar, stone-like blue shades that he couldnt match again. Theyre really just two weeks worth of trimmings that I blended together, he said.

Cheery shapes

The inspiration forms come from thrift store goods, macaroons and things that might be relatable to the viewer or collector. He keeps a pile of wooden Playskool toys in his studio: Crib toys, ones that might have little balls kicking around in them; mid-century modern furniture.

He likes to keep it diverse, and makes them on the wheel, with molds or slabs so that work stays fresh and interesting for me in the studio.

Inspired by the Clay Studios proximity to the tracks, he made a series of ewers on rails. The pot and spout are where you expect. But they sit on a little set of rails that bears the handle. When you need to pour some oil or vinegar, the whole set lifts off.

I wanted to make these like colorblock composition, sort of like utilitarian sculpture, he said.

The construction process for, say, a porcelain cup, is like assembling Play-Doh parts. He starts with the white clay body; then tints it; then throws a cup on the wheel. Then hell work on a ping-pong ball size piece in a different color. Hell throw a little pot, essentially, he said, and then that becomes the foot.

A fan of cocktails, he produced wide-rimmed cups for margaritas or a long-fluted neck, or wide-rimmed, low-rider coffee cups. They might not have handles, though. In their place are one of his signature decorative elements: little round knobs that appear on the vessels, one or two or four at a time.

After moving to Missoula, he began experimenting with chocolates and candies, which left him with silicone molds. Some of his clay pieces now bear nodes the size of a morsels mold from Michaels, a Skittle, a gummy Lifesaver, a silicone ice cube tray.

Some of the cups were made with a 3D printer. He likes sketching out ideas with the Procreate app on an iPad; these can later be transformed via a printer into molds for slip-casting. (These cups have similar, whimsical shapes, but blended color surfaces, not unlike tie-dye.) He made a Laser Ray Gun Vase. He also likes sketching on the iPad, since he can scrap one part of a design with ease.

The modular way of building in varied colors can lead to endless color and shape combinations.

Its always evolving and always changing, he said. Flipping a pot over, and mixing and matching elements and suddenly, this is a whole new piece.

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Nicolas Espinosas hopes for his 11-year-old daughter, Julia, are basic and profound: He wants her to stay alive and perhaps be able to eat normally someday.

And she might, if she can get three organs transplanted  and if the U.S. immigration system doesnt get in the way.

In a case that reflects the significant and often-heartbreaking failures in how the U.S. welcomes newcomers to the country, the Espinosas are confronting not just the nations complicated and expensive health care maze, but an immigration system that Congress has not reformed for decades. Despite calls for coherent reform, immigration policy has been largely set through scattershot legislation and whipsawing administrative actions, often modified by the courts.

That chaotic reality is threatening an American girls life.

Julia was born in Miami when her parents were attending college on student visas. She had a birth defect called volvulus, a twisted small intestine, and doctors saved her as a baby by removing most of the organ. Never able to eat normally, Julia has survived by getting carefully crafted daily infusions of nutrients through an intravenous port in her chest, Espinosa said.

Its extremely expensive and specialized care that Espinosa said Julia could not get in his home country of Ecuador, where they had planned to return. Instead, the family moved to Seattle 10 years ago to be near Seattle Childrens Hospital, where specialists can manage Julias nutritional needs well. Still, getting nutrition through infusions is not something the human body was designed for, and it has done damage to her internal organs. She is on transplant lists for the small intestine she lost at birth, and to replace her deteriorating liver and pancreas.

Their daughters health circumstances would be challenging enough, but Espinosa and his wife, Maria Saenz, face an additional struggle  an ongoing battle with immigration authorities to stay and work in the U.S. legally.

For the second time in three years, Espinosa faces the prospect of losing permission to work, which would cost him not only his job providing tech support at a software company, but also his health insurance. Without health insurance, his daughter would lose her eligibility for transplants.

We are relying on the current health insurance to keep her on the transplant list, Espinosa said. If I cannot keep my health insurance, then my daughter might not be eligible for a transplant.

Espinosa is acutely aware of his precarious position, and acted early to renew his immigration status, known as medical deferred action. Its a category in which the government says it will defer trying to deport someone so they can deal with a severe illness. People who have action deferred can also apply for a work permit. Espinosa applied to renew his deferred action in November, even though his current deferment was good until the end of July.

He heard nothing back from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, however, until just recently, and the approval came only after inquiries to the agency from members of Congress and a reporter.

The family still cant rest easy, though. Espinosas application for a new work permit has not yet been approved. He can still lose his job and insurance at the end of July if the new permit is not granted in time, which is far from a certainty.

A spokesperson for Seattle Childrens Hospital indicated officials there would work with the Espinosas to care for Julia if there is a lapse in her insurance, though her place in line on the transplant lists might have to be put on hold, leaving Espinosa to scramble for backup options like Medicaid.

Even with the remaining uncertainty  a long gap in coverage could still prove catastrophic  Espinosa said he is much more hopeful than he was just a week earlier, since work permits generally are granted with deferred action status. And uncertainty is something Espinosa has gotten used to in a country where there seems to be no rational system to deal with migrant families facing health crises.

The problem is that there is no legal framework behind what I have, Espinosa said. Deferred action is not a visa, its just a decision from the government not to deport.

If doctors can keep Julia alive, the family will face the same frightening prospect of losing legal status when this new deferral ends in two years.

Exactly how many other families face similar circumstances is not clear. Katie Tichacek, a spokesperson for the citizenship agency, would not provide data showing how often such cases arise, and no statistics are publicly available. Data obtained by WBUR after Massachusetts lawmakers asked for it in 2020 said that there were more than 700 requests nationwide for deferred action for medical reasons in 2018 and that fewer than half were approved. Those numbers plummeted in 2019.

That was when Julia faced the first immigration-related threat to her life. At the time, the Trump administration suspended all medical deferred action. Facing lawsuits and a public outcry, the administration relented, but Espinosa couldnt work legally for a year and a half. Working off the books could have put him in further jeopardy. He said they survived on mercy and family support from relatives in Ecuador.

It hasnt been a life of gloom and doom, though. The family has managed Julias condition so that she goes to school when there are no pandemic restrictions, they travel, and she pursues her interests. Aside from being unable to survive by eating, shes like any other girl.

Weve tried to live 100%, because weve been lucky to have Julia so far, Espinosa said. Weve been always told that she might not make it. It was originally the first month of her life, then it was the first year, and then its two years, and then the next whatever period.

Theyve beaten the odds by doing anything and everything that is in their control. What isnt in their control is the federal bureaucracy. Were here still, but, yeah, we have to fight immigration, Espinosa said.

Even some of the things that are in their control, like choosing where to live to give Julia the best shot, can be problematic. Espinosa said some other states and regions of the country tend to have greater availability of organs. While Julia remains stable, staying where they are makes the most sense. The calculus would change if the deterioration of Julias liver were to accelerate.

If that is the case, then we have to contemplate how are we going to be treated in these other states, Espinosa said. Like for example, getting a simple thing like your drivers license, its not that simple when you have deferred action.

Mahsa Khanbabai, a board member for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the problem that Espinosa and other people in obvious need face is that Citizenship and Immigration Services is overwhelmed. An increasingly centralized and underfunded bureaucracy is not up to the task. This is a very good example of a broken system, Khanbabai said, noting that many more people are in less dramatic but similar situations. Theres just a lot of heartbreak that could easily be fixed with immigration reform.

Tichacek said in a statement that the agency does not comment on specific cases but that it is committed to promoting policies and procedures that protect those most vulnerable and is working hard to rebuild trust with immigrants and expand access to vital immigration services.

Espinosa is all too aware that even with media attention, legal assistance, and help from lawmakers, his family could still fall through the cracks. He doesnt know what could happen then, but he will use whatever tools he can to save his child.

I dont know what Ill need, and Ill do whatever it takes, he said.

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.

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MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A small study delivers startling results on the power of a new immunotherapy treatment against rectal cancer: The drug triggered remission in all the patients who got it.

All of them had mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd) locally advanced rectal cancer and were given dostarlimab  an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody  every three weeks for six months as a first-line treatment.

It was to be followed by standard chemo-radiation and surgery, but patients who went into remission could skip those follow-up treatments.

After at least six months of follow-up, all 14 patients achieved remission  with no evidence of tumors on medical scans and tests, digital rectal exam or biopsy.

To date, none of the patients have required chemo-radiation or surgery, and no cases of progression or recurrence have occurred during follow-up, which is as long as 25 months in some patients.

No serious side effects have surfaced either, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) study published June 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, in Chicago.

"Since MMRd colorectal cancer is responsive to PD-1 blockade in the metastatic setting, we hypothesized that locally advanced mismatch repair-deficient rectal cancer is sensitive to checkpoint blockade and may alter the requirements for chemo-radiotherapy and surgery, or eliminate the need for additional treatments altogether," explained study co-leader Dr. Andrea Cercek. She is co-director of MSK's Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer.

"Surgery and radiation have permanent effects on fertility, sexual health, bowel and bladder function," Cercek added in an MSK news release. "The implications for quality of life are substantial, especially in those where standard treatment would impact childbearing potential. As the incidence of rectal cancer is rising in young adults, this approach can have a major impact."

For Sascha Roth, the new drug was a godsend.

In 2019, Roth, who was 38 at the time, noticed some rectal bleeding. After doing a biopsy, her doctor delivered the bad news.

"I completely melted down," the Maryland resident told The New York Times.

Set to start chemotherapy at Georgetown University, a friend had insisted Roth first see Dr. Philip Paty at Memorial Sloan Kettering, in New York City. It turned out that Roth was eligible to enter the clinical trial of the new immunotherapy. If she had started chemotherapy, she would not have been, the Times reported.

Because her hopes of remission were not high, Roth had planned to move to New York for radiation, chemotherapy and possibly surgery after the trial ended. To preserve her fertility, she had her ovaries removed and put back under her ribs.

After the trial ended, Cercek gave her the good news.

"We looked at your scans," she told the Times. "There is absolutely no cancer."

Two years later, she still has no trace of cancer.

"While longer follow-up is needed to assess response duration, this is practice-changing for patients with MMRd locally advanced rectal cancer," said study co-leader Dr. Luis Diaz Jr., head of the division of solid tumor oncology at MSK.

Dr. Alan Venook, a colorectal cancer specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved with the study, said he thought this finding was a first.

A complete remission in every single patient is "unheard-of," he told the Times.

More information

There's more on rectal cancer at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

SOURCE: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, news release, June 5, 2022

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China willing to help Pacific island countries to prosper, Chinese FM says after 8-nation tour

Xinhua) 08:30, June 06, 2022

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday that China is willing to help Pacific island nations to speed up development and revitalization after wrapping up his tour of eight island countries.

Under the turbulent international situation coupled with the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and weak economic recovery, Pacific island countries are faced with more risks and challenges, Wang said, adding that his visit was intended to enhance friendship, discuss cooperation, confront challenges, seek joint development, and create a future together with the island countries.

"This trip is a trip of peace, cooperation, and friendship," he said.

Wang said his tour covered all of the 10 Pacific island countries having diplomatic relations with China, and that he has, during the tour, held extensive, in-depth communication and exchanges with 17 leaders and more than 30 ministerial officials from the island countries.

For years, Pacific island countries are often been easily forgotten by the international community, or even marginalized, due to their weak national strength and voice, Wang said, adding that China is also a developing country and thus can better understand the situation, needs and concerns of small and medium-sized countries.

Wang expressed willingness to join hands with Pacific island countries to move forward with more solidarity, support each other with more determination, and conduct mutually beneficial cooperation with more pragmatism, so as to contribute to a closer community with a shared future between China and the island countries.

China and Pacific island countries, both developing countries, share extensive consensuses, similar concerns and common missions, he said. China's policy toward the island countries is to constantly advance their comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development.

The concrete content of China's policy toward the island countries can be summarized as "four upholdings" -- the upholding of equal treatment, mutual respect, win-win cooperation, and openness and inclusiveness.

China's cooperation with the island countries does not target any other countries and will not be disrupted by any other states, Wang said.

China always adopts an open approach to engaging with any developed countries willing to conduct tripartite or multilateral cooperation in the island countries, so as to achieve multi-win and win-win results.

Kiribati's President Taneti Maamau stressed that island countries have the right to choose their own partners and expect China to play a bigger role in helping them promote development.

The island countries appreciate China's efforts to uphold justice in the international arena for the legitimate rights and interests of the island countries and to speak out for them in global affairs, such as climate change response.

China will forever remain a trustworthy strategic partner of the island countries, Wang stressed.

Regarding the next priority for China's cooperation with Pacific island countries, he said new and extensive consensuses have been reached to deepen pragmatic cooperation.

Firstly, both sides will work together to tackle climate change, which is the most pressing challenge facing the island countries.

Secondly, efforts will be made to help island countries promote diversified development, which is an inevitable course for them to achieve modernization.

Thirdly, both sides should join hands and do a good job of blue economy, which is key to the sustainable development of the island countries.

Fourthly, the cooperation should facilitate the expansion of emerging industries such as digital economy, which will be a growth point for the island countries' economy in the future.

Wang reiterated that China's cooperation with Pacific island countries is open, transparent and aboveboard.

In the cooperation there are no political strings attached and no imposition on others. The cooperation neither targets any third party nor seeks so-called "sphere of influence", Wang said, stressing that it can withstand the test of time and history.

He said China is ready to help and support Pacific island countries in their historical mission of accelerating development and achieving rejuvenation.

The second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which was held in Fiji on May 30, was the first of its kind held in a Pacific island country since the establishment of the mechanism in 2021.

All parties to the meeting spoke positively of the mutually beneficial cooperation with China as well as China's contribution to safeguarding the region's peace and stability and boosting its development and prosperity.

New consensuses were reached at the meeting, after which China released its Position Paper on Mutual Respect and Common Development with Pacific Island Countries, listing 15 principle proposals and 24 specific measures highly valued by the island countries, Wang said.

He noted that China's cooperation with Pacific island countries has been proceeding with bilateral cooperation as the main channel, and meanwhile with island countries-desired collective dialogue via foreign ministers' meeting in order to broaden communication and coordination to form greater synergy.

China also attaches importance to communicating with the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional organizations, Wang said, and foresaw a vibrant situation of "two-wheel driving" for China's relations with Pacific island countries with bilateral cooperation as the main channel and multilateral cooperation as the new platform.

China has no intention of scrambling for influence with any other countries and no interest in geopolitical rivalry, Wang said, adding that China respects the relations of Pacific island countries with other countries and the existing traditional bond of Australia and New Zealand with Pacific island countries.

China has launched productive tripartite cooperation with Australia and New Zealand in the island countries, which has been supported and welcomed by the island partners.

Pacific island countries, Wang said, are located in the southward extension of the Belt and Road and are important partners in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation.

China has signed the memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road cooperation with all of the 10 Pacific island countries with diplomatic ties, and inked BRI cooperation plans with Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, Wang said.

During Wang's tour, China also signed an implementation plan on Belt and Road cooperation with Kiribati, and achieved the outcomes of 52 bilateral cooperation deals with the island countries, which cover 15 areas including climate change response, fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster prevention and mitigation, green development, healthcare and tourism.

Wang said China announced to build platforms of cooperation with Pacific island countries at the foreign ministers' meeting last year, i.e. the Climate Change Cooperation Center, the Poverty Reduction and Development Cooperation Center, and the Reserve of Emergency Supplies.

The Reserve of Emergency Supplies has facilitated Tonga's reconstruction after being hit by volcanic eruptions in January this year and has helped the island countries fight against the pandemic.

At this year's foreign ministers' meeting, China unveiled the platforms of the China-Pacific Island Countries Demonstration Center for Agricultural Cooperation, Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Cooperation Center, and Juncao Technology Demonstration Center, to which the island countries have warmly responded. They also expressed willingness to actively participate in the platforms.

The six new cooperation platforms are tailored to meet the needs and conditions of the island countries. China is ready to mobilize more resources within this framework to conduct personnel training and launch demonstration projects in Pacific island countries to benefit their people.

Wang visited the Pacific island countries of the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, as well as Timor-Leste.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with advanced cancer often suffer crippling fatigue, but there has been little in the way of relief for them as they battle their disease.

Now, a new investigation may have landed on a surprising solution -- a dummy pill that contains no medication of any kind.

"Cancer-related fatigue is the most frequent and debilitating symptom experienced by advanced cancer patients," explained study author Dr. Sriram Yennu.

In fact, between 60% and 90% of patients end up waylaid by persistent fatigue, noted Yennu, a professor of palliative, rehabilitation and integrative medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Encouraging patients to engage in physical activity is the usual go-to treatment. But many patients simply aren't strong enough to manage it, he added. And those who do typically experience only a "very modest benefit."

So Yennu and his colleagues decided to test the effects of a dummy medication, or placebo.

The concept is rooted in the so-called placebo effect. It's a real-world dynamic that the U.S. Center for Complementary and Integrative Health defines as a "beneficial health outcome resulting from a person's anticipation that an intervention will help," even absent any active medication.

Indeed, in an earlier investigation Yennu's team found that when patients were simply offered a placebo, more than half (56%) did experience significant fatigue relief.

This time around, however, they decided to go a couple of steps further.

A total of 90 participating patients were told in advance that the twice-daily "fatigue pill" they were being offered contained no actual medicine. In other words, no patient embarked on a dummy pill regimen without explicitly knowing that was the case.

Half were told to take the pills, and the other half were given no treatment of any kind for one week, meaning neither an actual medication nor a dummy pill.

The result: After the first week, those who had been randomly assigned to openly receive a dummy pill experienced significant fatigue relief, considerably more than those enrolled in the one-week long, treatment-free group.

From this point, patients from both groups were given the dummy pills. The team then checked back with all participants a month after the study launch.

The finding: Significant fatigue relief was seen across the board, with no difference between those who had taken dummy pills for a full month and those who had taken it for three weeks.

Yennu said more research will be necessary before deciding to routinely include placebo treatment as standard care for cancer patients.

But at the same time, he pointed out that placebos might actually offer benefits for other ailments.

Yennu and his colleagues presented their findings this week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, in Chicago. Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Corinne Leach, a senior principal scientist in behavioral research with the American Cancer Society, described the finding as "interesting," and acknowledged that the amount of relief seen in the study "was statistically and meaningfully significant."

But Leach, who wasn't part of the study, also cautioned that the finding "warrants further investigation with a larger sample," to specifically compare the amount of fatigue relief gained via dummy pills with the amount of relief gained from standard treatments, such as physical activity and/or psychological interventions.

More information

There's more on cancer-associated fatigue and weakness at the American Cancer Society.

SOURCES: Sriram Yennu, MD, professor, palliative, rehabilitation, and integrative medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; Corinne Leach, PhD, MPH, MS, senior principal scientist, behavioral research, American Cancer Society; American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, June 3-7, 2022, Chicago

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MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Here's a simple weapon to employ against the opioid epidemic: New research finds that placing time limits on prescriptions for highly addictive narcotic painkillers may reduce the risk of misuse.

In 2019, 1% of opioid prescriptions from U.S. dentists and surgeons were filled more than 30 days after being issued, long after the acute pain meant to be treated by the prescriptions should have subsided, the University of Michigan research team found.

Generalized to all surgical and opioid prescriptions in the United States, that percentage would translate into more than 260,000 opioid prescriptions a year that are filled more than a month after being written, according to the study published online recently in JAMA Network Open.

"Our findings suggest that some patients use opioids from surgeons and dentists for a reason or during a time frame other than intended by the prescriber," said lead study author Dr. Kao-Ping Chua. He is a pediatrician and member of the university's Child Health Evaluation and Research Center and Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.

"These are both forms of prescription opioid misuse, which in turn is a strong risk factor for opioid overdose," Chua explained in a university news release.

State laws on expiration periods for controlled substance prescriptions may be partly to blame, according to the researchers.

In 2019, 18 states permitted prescriptions for Schedule II opioids and other controlled substances  those with the highest risk of misuse  to be filled up to six months after writing, and another eight states allowed these drugs to be dispensed up to a year after the prescription.

"It's perplexing that states would allow controlled substance prescriptions to be filled so long after they are written," Chua said.

Tighter state laws could help prevent or reduce opioid abuse associated with delayed filling of prescriptions, he suggested.

The researchers pointed to Minnesota, which had a sharp drop in delayed dispensing after it introduced a law in July 2019 that prohibited opioid dispensing more than 30 days after a prescription was written.

Another option is for prescribers to include instructions on the prescription not to dispense opioids after a certain amount of time, the study authors said.

More information

There's more on prescription opioids at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

SOURCE: University of Michigan, news release, June 1, 2022

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MONDAY, June 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- New research points to a compelling interplay between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and depression.

IBD includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In addition to the physical pain that these illnesses can inflict upon sufferers, the new study showed that patients face a significantly increased risk of depression.

Interestingly, the investigators also found that IBD-free siblings of people with the disorder were more likely to develop depression. People with IBD were nine times more likely to develop depression than the general population, while their siblings who did not have IBD were nearly two times more likely to develop the mood disorder.

At the same time, people with depression were two times more likely to develop IBD, and their siblings without depression were more than 1.5 times more likely to develop IBD, according to the study recently published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

"This research reveals a clinical overlap between both conditions, and is the first study to investigate the two-way association between IBD and depression in siblings," said co-lead author Dr. Bing Zhang. He is a gastroenterologist at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.

"The finding that people with IBD are more prone to depression makes sense because IBD causes constant gastrointestinal symptoms that can be very disruptive to a patient's life," Zhang said in a university news release. "And the elevated depression risk among siblings of IBD patients may reflect caregiver fatigue if the siblings have a role in caring for the patient."

Environmental stressors, the gut microbiome and genetics are among the many factors that may play a role in the two-way link between IBD and depression, according to Zhang.

He did note that the team was surprised to find that people with depression are prone to IBD, and said that may have to do with what's called the gut-brain axis, the connection between the gastrointestinal system and the central nervous system, which consists of the spinal cord and the brain.

For example, inflammation of the brain, which plays a role in depression, may be linked to the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, a hallmark of IBD, Zhang explained.

About 1.6 million Americans have IBD and more than 16 million have depression.

More information

There's more on IBD and mental health at Crohn's and Colitis Canada.





SOURCE: University of Southern California, news release, June 2, 2022

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Editor's note: This story previously reported Ryker Webb as 4-years-old. Per an update on the Lincoln County Sheriffs Facebook page, Webb is 3-years-old.

Searchers found a missing child on Sunday morning in Sanders County after an extensive effort that stretched the weekend.

Ryker Webb, age 3, was missing for roughly 48 hours after disappearing from his family's yard, Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short said in an interview with the Missoulian.

He was reported missing to the sheriff's office on Friday afternoon at 4:53 p.m. A concerned neighbor called 911 and said Webb might have gone missing in the Bull Lake area, south of Troy, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff's office.

He was last seen Friday afternoon playing with a family dog in the yard outside of his home near mile marker 18 along Highway 56 on the eastside of Bull Lake.

Short said the neighbor called it in while Webbs family were out looking for him.

Law enforcement and David Thompson Search and Rescue responded. They determined Webb had already been missing for over two hours.

An initial clothing description given to law enforcement proved to be inaccurate  it was unknown what Webb was wearing, the post stated.

Search managers deployed ground crews and ATV riders, along with several drones, dog teams and a boat unit on the lake. On Saturday, two Montana National Guard helicopters joined search efforts and drones from Flathead County and the Spokane Police Department responded along with more dog teams.

Dense vegetation, rain and poor visibility made search conditions difficult, the post stated.

A red alert was sent out to neighbors notifying them to search their own properties and structures. A missing person report was also disseminated nationwide.

On Sunday, about 53 search personnel were out looking for Webb when law enforcement was notified he was located.

Deputies responded to Pine Ridge Road off South Fork Bull River Road in Sanders County. According to the post, Webb was in good spirits and healthy when deputies found him, but he was hungry, thirsty and cold.

Short estimated Webb was found about 2.3 miles away from where he went missing from. He found refuge in a log cabin shed. Short thinks the thunderstorm that set in Friday evening prompted the 3-year-old to seek shelter.

Short was able to ask Webb simple questions about what happened, and determined Webb wasnt with anyone while he was missing.

Roughly 12 agencies responded including: the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, David Thompson Search and Rescue, Bull Lake Volunteer Fire Department and Bull Lake Volunteer Ambulance, Flathead County Search and Rescue, the Flathead County Sheriffs Office, the Spokane Police Department, the Bonner County Sheriffs Office, North Valley Search and Rescue, Two Bear Air, the Montana Air National Guard, Libby Volunteer Fire Department and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Several outdoorsmen and families also assisted in the search.

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Everybody knows Missoula is in a housing emergency that is becoming a generational crisis for young people. Housing scarcity creates numerous problems: It grants investors more incentive to gobble up homes; it drives up the rents; it gives bad landlords too much leverage; it increases the likelihood of housing discrimination; it magnifies the effects of evictions; it pushes gentrification across the entire community.

Housing scarcity gives big developers much more power over local governance and diminishes the opportunity and capacity of small-time builders to get a foothold.

The 2020 Expo Parkway rezone and development agreement offers 200 more residential units on top of the current zonings allowance for about 500). The addition grants the developer financial space to increase the larger multi-unit buildings to four stories which increases green-spaceand adds elevators which makes most of those units more accessible for people with physical challenges.

Compared to the resistance to development in core neighborhoods we have seen previously in Missoula, the scope and depth of the Grant Creek residents expressions of wealth and power, via hired-gun attorney letters, hired-gun engineering firm opinions, special interest group Wildfire Risk Task Force reports, is absolutely breath-taking. From a certain viewpoint one may be led to believe that Grant Creek residents are essentially trying to buy their way out of shouldering a fair share of addressing Missoula housing emergency.

The Montana Department of Transportation already had recently added Grant Creek departure lanes at I-90 that were not warranted at the time (but ironically had been GC residents cause for many years). So that was the infrastructure before this added housing. Also, somewhat different from those other drainages, a scan of Google Earth shows there are 3 or 4 potential gravel routes out of GC that could augment an evacuation in case of emergency. We manage to routinely evacuate 25k people from UM on game day.

But the elephant in the room is that most of Grant Creek's existing housing, which is spread northwards, does not provide the necessary value intensity to pay for its own municipal services or long-term infrastructure upkeep. Grant Creek is, in effect, asking the rest of the community to subsidize a low-density lifestyle in perpetuity. Adding 200 units will help correct that imbalance.

As Grant Creek already got its longed-for right turn pocket onto I-90, and the rezone in itself would mean only 300 new residents at the bottom of the drainage (about 200 additional units times 1.5-person average household size), the real and important question surrounding development in Missoula is, are we experiencing a housing crisis, especially imposed on the working class? If so, is it exhibiting the effect of a generational crisis? And if so, are all neighborhoods fairly sharing the burden of additional housing?

I submit that an unfolding generational crisis is THE serious issue. And is a critical discussion point regarding any development proposals such as this. Missoulas center of gravity has been shifting west, so is this not part of the urban core? Only three miles to the Orange Street exit, there is a bike/pedestrian trail planned to parallel the interstate and business interests are constantly pushing for a Coal Mine Road interstate exit.

What is missing in Grant Creek (other than more working-class citizens) that would complement this development? Mixed-use small retail, banking and services in the immediate vicinity north of I-90.

Yes, we live in a valley; and yes, we can find ways to share it.

Sarah McClain, organizer, Western Montana Democratic Socialists of America.

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Jun. 4A new Alaska business-aligned coalition says it's launched a six-figure advertising campaign to defeat a major proposed road that members fear could damage and disrupt fish and wildlife in the Susitna Valley, northwest of Anchorage.

The road's proponents, including Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the state agency advancing the project, say they're still gathering information and are analyzing the West Susitna Access Road's benefits in potential jobs and state revenue compared to costs to fish, wildlife and tourism.

But members of the Alaska Range Alliance aren't waiting for the results of that analysis to launch their $200,000 campaign, with the mission of blocking the $350 million project before it starts.

"The goal is absolutely to kill it. There's no question that none of us want a road out there," said alliance board member Steve Perrins, who runs the "rustic-luxury" Rainy Pass Lodge in the Susitna Valley backcountry  which he says is roughly 8 miles from where the proposed road would end. "We want this done and over, quick."

The 100-mile project would run through fish and wildlife habitat to an area that's attractive to mining companies, in the foothills of the Alaska Range west of the Susitna River. So far, there's no official guarantee of public access.

Dunleavy has backed the road project. But alliance members say their campaign, at least for now, is targeting the state agency advancing the plan, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, or AIDEA.

AIDEA last month applied for a key Clean Water Act permit for the road, and the agency has previously been a target for environmental and conservation groups. Those groups have criticized the agency for pursuing what they deem to be marginal resource extraction projects in areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the alliance, in its campaign announcement this week, called the Susitna road project an "AIDEA dumpster fire."

Story continues

[As federal permit review starts on road into West Susitna backcountry, public access remains priority]

Political leaders tend to be pro-development in the deeply conservative Matanuska-Susitna Borough, where the new road project would be located, and the local assembly has endorsed AIDEA's permitting process.

At least one business along the route, Skwentna Roadhouse, supports the proposal, and it has a lobbyist on a $55,000 contract whose work includes pushing the project.

But the borough assembly has also heard testimony from dozens of people opposed to the road, and its critics include some conservative business owners like Perrins, who is otherwise aligned with Dunleavy and once appeared in a campaign ad aimed at boosting Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan.

"We're businessmen that have to be able to bob and weave with things," said Perrins, who stars in the new TV ads opposing the road. "These mining companies will totally run you over."

Alan Weitzner, AIDEA's executive director, said the alliance's campaign itself will boost public awareness of the proposed development, "which I think is a good thing."

But in a phone interview, he disputed one argument made in the alliance's television ads: that AIDEA is trying to keep its plans for the road a secret.

"At every phase AIDEA's been involved in the road development, it has had public engagement," Weitzner said. "We are trying to make sure that there's awareness out there, and if there are ways we can be better about it, I'm interested in trying to understand how we can do that."

Conservation groups have previously announced their opposition to the West Susitna proposal. But the broadening of their coalition, to include conservatives and businessmen, is starting to echo the debate over the Pebble prospect in Southwest Alaska.

Indigenous activists, commercial fishing groups and wealthy lodge owners and clients banded together to wage that largely successful fight against the huge mine proposed in the headwaters of Bristol Bay, which hosts one of the world's largest salmon fisheries.

The Alaska Range Alliance, which launched its slick television, radio and digital ads this week, includes multiple veterans of the Pebble debate. Anders Gustafson, who led a key group opposed to Pebble, is the alliance's executive director.

Scott Kendall, a longtime attorney for Pebble opponents, is the alliance's legal counsel.

Other board members include fisherman and retired labor leader Vince Beltrami, the former owner of an Anchorage snowmachine dealership and Mike Overcast, a co-owner of Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. The lodge owners said they've raised money from both businesses and some of their customers.

Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, also co-owned by Olympic medal-winning skier Tommy Moe, sells heli-skiing and king salmon fishing trips in the area that would be traversed by the road. In a phone interview from the lodge, Overcast said his opposition is about protecting the region's salmon habitat, which draws tourists to Alaska from around the world.

"I'm not a political person, and I'm not interested in being in politics," Overcast said. "But when something comes so close to you, you don't have a choice to react."

As of February, AIDEA had spent roughly $625,000 developing the road proposal, with $8.5 million budgeted by the Legislature at Dunleavy's request.

The governor's office also recently hired a consulting firm, McKinley Research, to compare the economic impact of Susitna Valley tourism businesses with the potential value of development in the Yentna Mining District, where the road would end. The Clean Water Act permitting process, Weitzner said, should help draw out more information about the road's potential impacts.

"What we have seen with road development and access is when you're able to initiate and get the permitting in process, it becomes a little more real for the parties that would be investing resources and leading to that economic development," he said. "The permitting lets it prove out what that economic process and benefit can be. We're asking to give us that opportunity."

Perrins said he's worried the results of the economic analysis are a forgone conclusion, citing McKinley Research's work for the mining industry and the fact that one of the first questions he saw as part of the study was about potential benefits from the road.

"That doesn't sound nonpartisan to me," he said.
Next fiscal years proposed budget for the city of Morganton shows only two rate increases, with the tax rates remaining the same.

City Manager Sally Sandy will present her proposed $82.1 million budget for 2022-23 at Monday nights city council meeting, with the council expected to set a special meeting for June 20 to vote on the budget.

In total, the budget comes in around $4.4 million less than the current fiscal years budget.

City customers are looking at seeing their property tax rates hold at 57 cents per $100 of property value. The special downtown tax rate would remain at 14 cents per $100 of property value if the budget is approved.

Water and wastewater customers would see slight rate increases, but for residents in city limits, those increases wouldnt amount to more than a combined $12 per year for 5,000 gallons of use for each service. Customers outside of city limits would feel the effects of the rate increase a little more, with the combined annual cost for both rates coming out to around $23.

To break that down, the budget would see volume charges for the citys water rate increase by 4%. Thats about 25 cents per month for customers in city limits and 50 cents per month for customers outside of city limits. Those rates assume the customer is using 5,000 gallons per month, the proposed budget said.

Volume charges for the citys wastewater rate also would increase by 4%, or about 70 cents per month for customers in city limits and about $1.40 per month for customers outside of city limits. Again, the monthly amount assumes customers are using about 5,000 gallons per month, according to the proposed budget.

While those utilities are seeing rate increases, Sandy has recommended a 5.5% rate decrease for electric customers, which translates to savings of about $60 per year for residential households, and anywhere from $1,300 to $15,000 in annual savings for commercial customers, according to the proposed budget.

Electric, water and wastewater rate changes all would become effective Aug. 1.

Those still plugged into CoMPAS cable might be glad to hear there is no proposed rate increase for television service in the budget.

Internet customers still using the 10 mbps internet speed will find themselves having to upgrade to 50 mbps, which has a rate of $49.95 per month, if the budget is approved as submitted. Sandy said in the budget summary that a national consultant has recommended consolidating internet speed offerings to stay competitive. The change would go into effect in the August billing cycle.

Residential phone customers would see a $3 per month rate drop starting Aug. 1 under the proposed budget.

Sandy has proposed a 4% cost-of-living adjustment for all full-time city employees, which would become effective July 2. The proposed budget also includes a 2% merit increase for eligible, full-time employees that became effective in February. The citys rate for part-time employees would be increased to $10 per hour under the budget.

The city is expecting a growth in sales tax revenue, and Sandy wrote in her budget that conservative projections are estimating that it will generate more than $6 million for the general fund.

Projects on the table for the general fund this year include buying a new Knuckleboom for the citys streets department, a new fire truck, a masterplan for CoMMA and a new comprehensive plan to replace Mission 2030. Also included is the first phase of improvements and stream restoration at Bethel Park, which the city has received $443,914 in grant funding to pair with $393,897 of local funds.

Sandys budget still will support $125,000 for downtown restaurant recruitment and $120,000 to support street construction for new housing developments.

In the water fund, the biggest chunk of change is dedicated to the sedimentation upgrade at the water treatment plant. That project will require $4.16 million, and staff are looking for grants and low interest loans to fund it.

For the wastewater fund, the city is looking to upgrade and expand the Silver Creek pump station. That has a budget of $5.31 million, and city staff also are looking for grants and low interest loans to fund this project.

This budget includes dollars the city received through the American Rescue Plan Act. The city has selected three priorities for the funding:

A sludge system upgrade at the wastewater plant ($305,000).

Purchase and installation of an equipment wash station at the garage services facility ($530,000).

Resurfacing city streets ($800,000).

The city previously has appointed $1.7 million of the funding for sewer upgrades along N.C. 181. With those funding commitments, the city still has about $1.5 million in federal ARPA funds that must be committed by December 2024. The funds have to be spent by December 2026.

Also on the agenda Monday night are:

A budget amendment to recognize an insurance reimbursement for the sanitation department.

A grant application for the Bethel Park stream restoration project.

An amendment to the solid waste management ordinance.

A public hearing for the community development block grant action plan, its approval and a budget ordinance and administration contract.

The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Morganton City Hall.

Chrissy Murphy is a staff writer and can be reached at cmurphy@morganton.com or at 828-432-8941. Follow @cmurphyMNH on Twitter.

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The North Carolina Department of Labor recognized local employers and employees at the agencys annual safety awards banquet April 19 at the Morganton Community House. The awards honor outstanding on-the-job safety achievements of each recipient during 2021. Recipients recognized are in Morganton and surrounding counties.

North Carolinas employers and employees show us the true importance of a strong commitment to safety and health each and every day, said Josh Dobson, North Carolina labor commissioner. North Carolinas injury and illness rate remains at an historic low. These businesses dedication to safety is the reason why North Carolina is one of the safest states in which to work, and they deserve this distinguished recognition.

Dobson served as keynote speaker at the banquet hosted by the Burke County Chamber of Commerce and presented by Wilkie Construction Co. Southeast LLC.

Award recipients met stringent requirements to receive recognition. Under program rules, companies must have been free of fatal accidents at the site for which the award is given to be eligible. The gold award criteria are based on a DART rate that is at least 50% below the statewide rate for its industry. The rate includes cases of days away from work, restricted activity or job transfer. The silver award is based only on cases with days away from work. They are recorded when the worker misses at least one full day of work, not including the day of the injury. The applicant must attain an incidence rate for cases with days away from work that is at least 50% below the rate for its industry.

The following employers received Silver Awards, meaning that the rate of days from work must be at least 50% below the industry average:

First Year:

Bernhardt Furniture Co., Plant No. 6

City of Morganton, Electric Department

City of Morganton, Sanitation

Kincaid Upholstery, LA-Z-BOY Casegoods Division

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Resources, J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center

Saft America Inc.

Town of Drexel

Second Consecutive Year:

Bernhardt Furniture Co., Plant No. 7

Bernhardt Furniture Co., Residential Casegoods

The following employers received Gold Awards, meaning that the rate of days away from work, job transfer or restriction must be at least 50% below the industry average:

First Year:

American Roller Bearing Co., Grinding Department

Bernhardt Furniture Co., Plant No. 4

Chandler Concrete Co. Inc, Boone Plant No. 501

City of Morganton, Water Distribution and Collection

Town of Granite Falls, Fire Department

Town of Granite Falls, Police Department

Town of Granite Falls, Public Utilities

Town of Granite Falls, Public Works

Town of Granite Falls, Recreation Department

Town of Granite Falls

Town of Valdese, Police Department

Vannoy Construction, James R. Vannoy & Sons Construction

Vulcan Construction Materials LP, Mideast DivisionAvery Sales Yard

Vulcan Construction Materials LP, Mideast DivisionBoone Quarry

Vulcan Construction Materials LP, Mideast DivisionLenoir Quarry

Vulcan Construction Materials LP, Mideast DivisionMorganton Quarry

Vulcan Construction Materials LP, Mideast DivisionSpruce Pine

Second Consecutive Year:

American Roller Bearing Co., Inspection Department

City of Morganton, Municipal Auditorium

Third Consecutive Year:

Bernhardt Furniture Co., Outlet Store

Caldwell UNC Health Care

DHHS Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Boone Unit

Dodge Mechanical Power Transmission Co. Inc.

Fourth Consecutive Year:

Bernhardt Furniture Co., Manufacturing Services

Town of Valdese, Public Works Department

Fifth Consecutive Year:

Town of Valdese, Water Department

Sixth Consecutive Year:

Town of Valdese, Wastewater Department

Seventh Consecutive Year:

American Roller Bearing Co., Heat Treat/Quality Control Department

Town of Valdese, Fire Department

Eighth Consecutive Year:

American Roller Bearing Co., Shipping/Assembly Department

Chandler Concrete Co., Blowing Rock Plant No. 502

City of Morganton, Community House and Mainstreet Office

City of Morganton, Development and Design

McDowell County, Emergency Management/911

Ninth Consecutive Year:

City of Morganton, Administrative Departments

Watauga Opportunities Inc.

11th Consecutive Year:

American Roller Bearing Co., Administrative Department

Bernhardt Furniture Co., Corporate Office

Town of Valdese, Community Affairs Department

15th Consecutive Year:

R.H. Loven Co., Pineola Plant

19th Consecutive Year:

Chandler Concrete Co., Jefferson Plant No. 504

Chandler Concrete Co., No. 505

34th Consecutive Year:

Town of Valdese, Administrative Department

For more information on the Safety Awards Program, contact 919-707-7855 or meredith.watson@labor.nc.gov.
The focus in the labor market over the past year has been about the labor shortage. All workers who left their jobs during the COVID-19 recession have not returned as the economy has improved. This situation has left many businesses short of help.

One of the reasons for the shortage is that many workers have moved on to other jobs that pay better. So, theres not only been a labor shortage, but also a labor reallocation.

Economists agree the reallocation of workers will continue in the future, and likely at a faster pace. The reason is the fast development of new technology impacting how work tasks are accomplished.

The big questions are, how will this technology change the labor market, what kinds of jobs will expand and what kinds will shrink, and does North Carolina have the training programs ready to facilitate the shift in jobs?

Technology has been changing the labor market for decades. The technology of tractors and harvesters took the place of thousands of farmers who moved to the city to work in factories a century ago. Later, new automation in factories pushed many workers to the service sector after World War II.

Today, technology is rapidly expanding. Any task that is done over and over in the same way can be accomplished by a machine. But the scope of what machines can do is growing. Artificial intelligence  which is based on replicating human decision-making  is allowing machines to do tasks never before contemplated, like driving, cleaning and reading data and charts.

Futurists expect the emerging technologies will replace many jobs in hospitality and leisure, manufacturing, sales and even personal services. At the same time, there will be growth in jobs in sectors like information technology, the sciences  particularly engineering, computers and life sciencesas well as health care and financial and business services. In summary, there will be greater needs for workers who think and solve problems and less need for workers who perform repetitive and physical tasks.

I call this coming change in jobs the great job shift, and I and many other economists think it will be a big feature of our economy in upcoming decades. Workers entering the labor force will obviously want to be aware of both increasing jobs and decreasing jobs. Perhaps more importantly, we want to make sure there are retraining programs ready for those existing workers who need to change occupations.

North Carolina has highly respected public universities and community colleges that are ready to help train new workers and retrain existing workers for future occupations. However, existing workers who are older and have families to support dont have two to four years to learn new skills.

Therefore, North Carolina also needs educational programs available to rapidly re-skill existing workers, programs that take months to finish rather than years. The state also needs an expansion of apprenticeship programs, where an individual learns new skills on-the-job. Recently, North Carolina expanded funding of apprenticeships.

Sometimes workers who lose jobs can find new jobs in other regions of the state, but they dont have the funds to relocate. The state could consider establishment of a relocation fund for workers who have found jobs in other regions but who have financial constraints on making the move.

Through its NC Works Centers, North Carolina has served as a clearinghouse for businesses seeking workers and individuals needing jobs. The state may want to consider expanding use of this information in two ways. One would be to actively suggest matches between businesses and workers. Second would be to use the information on the kinds of jobs workers lost and the types of jobs that need filling to inform educational institutions of skills in demand.

Unfortunately, sometimes job shifts occur on a large scale, as when an entire company shuts down. Such large-scale closures can be devastating to local communities. North Carolina could think about establishing a rapid work response unit to assist displaced workers and communities when large business closures occur. The unit would have two responsibilities  making sure short-term assistance for necessities quickly reaches impacted households, and helping put displaced workers on the path to re-skilling and re-employment.

Economies constantly change over time, as new inventions and innovations occur. In most cases these changes improve our lives, but there can be problems for some workers in changing from outdated jobs to new jobs. These changes will continue in the future, but probably at a faster pace. Do we have systems and programs in place so everyone benefits and no one is left behind? You decide.

Mike Walden is a Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus at North Carolina State University.
Miss Montana will be flying into Butte this week and the folks at Bert Mooney Airport, the Butte Civil Air Patrol and others hope hundreds come out to see her.

She wont be the only attraction at the second annual Butte Wings & Wheels, an all-day event Saturday to showcase the airport, Air Patrol, local aerospace clubs and businesses at Bert Mooney, but shell be one of the biggest.

The famous C-47 aircraft was restored in one year so it could take part in a 2019 flight commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day, then flew on to the 70th remembrance of the Berlin Airlift before returning to her home in Missoula.

Shes scheduled to fly into Bert Mooney sometime Friday afternoon, and on Saturday, anyone who drives in or flies in can check her out and other military aircrafts expected to show.

They include a Huey helicopter, a C-130 Hercules turboprop military transport plane and a Black Hawk helicopter. There will be private aircraft, too, and lots of cars and trucks will be on display as part of a Show-n-Shine automobile show.

Things kick off at 7 p.m. Friday when, in a hangar with Miss Montana present, the documentary film Return to the Big Skies: Miss Montana to Normandy and Beyond will be shown. For $5 per person or $15 per family, people can watch the one-hour film about the restoration and flight of the World War II plane, based now at the Museum of Mountain Flying.

The Miss Montana was used to transport troops and cargo stateside during WWII and it was the plane that made an ill-fated drop of smokejumpers during the Mann Gulch Fire in 1949 along the Missouri River near Helena. Thirteen firefighters died in the wildfire.

A fundraiser pancake breakfast will start at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and run through 10:30 a.m., with proceeds to benefit the Butte Squadron Civil Air Patrol, but admission to the all-day event is free.

It will include aircraft displays, tours, flight simulators, food vendors and trucks, and attendees can learn what businesses, clubs and organizations at the airport do. They include Life Flight, 15-90 Search and Rescue and Butte Aviation.

Come see everything Butte, Montanas airport has to offer! is how a promotional poster puts it.

People who want to take part in the car and truck show can register at the gate with no fee, and people can vote for their top car or truck and their favorite aircraft with the Peoples Choice awards set for 3 p.m.

Sometime between 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 p.m., smokejumpers plan to parachute from the Miss Montana.

Walt McIntosh, who is aerospace education officer and pilot for the Butte Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, said about 400 people attended last years event and hes hoping more come this weekend.

Nationally, the Civil Air Patrol was founded in late 1941 to mobilize civilian aviation resources for national defense purposes. It has evolved into a premier public service organization and cadet program that has contributed to aviation careers of hundreds of young adults, both civilian and military.

The Butte squadron is able to raise a little money at the event and educate the public about all the things its members do. Like others, the squadron focuses on aerospace education, cadet programs and emergency services.

It is not just for people who are going into the military, McIntosh said.

And the event, he said, hopes to draw attention to the positive impact the entire airport has for Butte-Silver Bow.

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Mad Dog and mad dog

Officers responded to a complaint at around 1 p.m. Wednesday about a theft of a bottle of Mad Dog 20/20 at Town Pump, 531 S. Montana St. According to employees, Bruce Edwin Blair, 63, of Butte took the alcoholic beverage into the bathroom but did not pay for it. When an officer entered the bathroom. Blair was reportedly in one of the stalls and the bottle lay shattered on the floor. Blair was arrested for his sixth offense of misdemeanor shoplifting.

The following day at about 2:30 p.m., a customer at the same Town Pump came out of the store to find his truck window was busted. The man called the police to file a report. When officers arrived, they looked at video supplied by the stores cameras. Turns out the window breaker was the mans dog, who must have been mad at being left alone.

Recent standoff

Levi Gene Jensen, 42, of Butte was identified as the man involved in the recent standoff.

On Wednesday night, patrol officers were called to a domestic incident in the 4800 block of South Utah Street. Jensen was allegedly armed with several knives and had barricaded himself inside the residence. It was also believed he had a handgun.

He was jailed for felony partner or family member assault, along with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault, which reportedly occurred earlier in the day.

Felony warrants

Zachary Ryan Zent, 29, of Butte was arrested in the 2100 block of Yale Avenue Thursday morning. Zent had a felony warrant out for his arrest out Gallatin County.

Taralynne Rae Ross-Atkinson, 32, of Butte was arrested at around 4 p.m. Wednesday on Meadowlark Lane by a trooper with the Montana Highway Patrol. The woman had a $20,000 felony warrant out for her arrest out of Missoula County.

Booked and released

At around noon Thursday, Lisa Deann Markwell, 28, of Butte was brought over from Butte City Court to the Butte Detention Center. She was booked and released for a misdemeanor privacy in communication offense.

Early Thursday afternoon, Danielle Lynne Kichnet, 36, of Butte was brought over from Butte City Court to the Butte Detention Center. She was booked and released on two counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.

Wednesday/Thursday crimes

 A Honda generator was stolen Wednesday from a food truck in the 300 block of West Mercury Street.

A juvenile was reportedly throwing rocks in the 3500 block of Whiteway Wednesday and broke a window.

On Wednesday, a previous tenant staying at Eddys Motel left a prescription bottle of medication.

Its a wee bit early but someone on the 300 block of West Daly Street was lighting fireworks Wednesday night. A neighbor called to complain.

At around 9 a.m. Thursday, a stolen 2013 Ford F-150 was recovered in the 3400 block of Elizabeth Warren.

Just after 5 p.m. Thursday, an employee at Goodwill Store, 3703 Harrison Ave., called to say there was a man crying in their store. His parents came and picked him up.

Two men were yelling at each other at around 9 p.m. Thursday in the Butte Civic Center parking lot. They told officers they did not need their assistance and the two went their separate ways.

Just before 11 p.m. Thursday, an obnoxious customer at The Acoma, 60 E. Broadway St., was asked to leave. Apparently, this guy wanted to have the last word, so he started banging on the windows. When police arrived, the annoying patron was nowhere to be seen.

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Shortly after celebrating the 50 year anniversary of Montanas Constitution, a proposed ballot measure appears to be an attempt to cast it aside. Backers of I-191 seek voter approval to designate the Gallatin and Madison River watersheds as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW), a protected status only found in national parks and wilderness. In doing so, I-191 circumvents the economic protections afforded to Montanans by our Constitution and sets a dangerous precedent for the future.

While legislative bodies have authority to levy taxes and appropriate new spending, regulators can also spend taxpayer dollars by imposing regulations that cost property owners dearly to comply with. Montanas Constitution accounts for this by guaranteeing property owners the due process of law in regulatory proceedings and just compensation before a regulatory taking when government actions result in the owners property interest being taken or damaged.

Thanks to these important protections, Montana state agencies have rigorous processes in place to afford due process and ensure policy decisions are constitutionally and economically sound. For instance, the law requires all state agencies to conduct a thorough assessment of how each regulation impacts property owners prior to implementation.

I-191 bypasses constitutional protections to impose the will of a well-connected Bozeman based law firm backing the proposal. The proposal has already been twice rejected by the state Board of Environmental Review (BER), which concluded that it would result in a significant regulatory taking, not to mention be practically and economically unfeasible. Attorney General Austin Knudsen echoed BERs findings when he found I-191 legally insufficient, saying the proposal unquestionably causes a regulatory taking without providing just compensation. After failing to convince regulators to approve their proposal, I-191 backers are now betting they can convince voters to do their bidding.

Montanans can only guess at the consequences to the state if I-191 passes. Unlike when this proposal was previously submitted to regulators, this time there will be no environmental impact statement, no social or economic impact review and no state or local government consultation. If the 2007 impact statement from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is any guide, Montanans can expect I-191 to destroy economic activity in Gallatin County. DEQ estimated the proposal would reduce the residential development allowed in Big Sky by 89% and commercial development by 99%. Local jobs in construction, real estate, transportation, and local government would be lost. Affordable workforce housing projects, so desperately needed, would be shut down.

A vast coalition of groups has lined up to oppose I-19I, again predicting detrimental effects to the local economy, property owners and environmental restoration. Another common theme brought up by many is the harm done to the robust collaborative process currently in place with the regulating agencies. Numerous local outdoor and conservation groups have worked tirelessly for years collaborating with these agencies on river access and restoration projects. Now they worry these projects will be destroyed by I-191, science and local input be damned.

The precedent set by I-191 could open pandoras box for harmful regulations imposed by controversial activist groups with out of state big-money backing. Any radical group with enough money to influence voters might simply choose to sidestep normal regulatory procedure to impose costly regulations via the initiative process, depriving Montanans of the economic protections owed to them by our Constitution.

The Montana Constitutions guaranteed economic protections are foundational to our way of life, shielding Montanans from radical, big-moneyed influences and ensuring local collaboration around state policy decisions. By circumventing Montanas Constitution, I-191 erodes these important economic protections. If anything, we should be adding more emphasis on the economic and societal impacts of regulations, not less.

Kendall Cotton is president and CEO of the Frontier Institute, a think tank dedicated to breaking down government barriers so all Montanans can thrive.

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Sheesh. Our Superintendent of Public Instruction is impossible to follow. The current hullaballoo over minimum school standards illustrates the ways.

First, Elsie Arntzen has trouble making sense. Her position on school counselors, for instance. The states current standard is one counselor for every 400 students. Its clearly not enough. The task force Arntzen convened to review the standards unanimously recommended a 1:300 ratiostill not enough, but better. Elsies response? Eliminate the ratio entirely.

Counselors are alarmed. With six school shooting incidents in America last month alone, hypervigilance is high. Montanas child suicide rates are twice the national average. And attending to students mental health is only a fraction of what counselors do! Hundreds of Montanans have pleaded with Arntzen not to worsen the situation by eliminating a minimum expectation for caseloads.

Arntzen expresses sympathy for all that counselors have on their paper plate. But eliminating the requirement, she insists, will free up schools to do more. Thats nonsensical. Schools are already free to do more and many do. Not to set a minimum expectation for access to counselors jeopardizes kids and denies some the equal educational opportunity our constitution guarantees.

Second, the Superintendent prefers fanning flames  or inflaming fans  to addressing issues. Defending her recommendations, she bounces from wedge issue to wedge issue like a child at a trampoline park. Local control gives her the biggest bounce. The state has no business telling local schools what to do, she preaches. But by her deeds shall ye know her. When the issue is masks or overruling a school districts enrollment policy or adding graduation requirements, shes had no problem with the state trumping local druthers.

Another good bounce? Concerned parents. Youre being silenced, Arntzen continually tells parents, pointing to such weighty grievances as the 3-minute limitation on public comment imposed by this school board or that. But she knows full well that imposing time limits is typical at public meetings. She served without objection for 12 years on legislative committees that sometimes limit comment to merely introducing yourself and saying Me too. Just last month, her own Negotiated Rule-Making Committee accorded the public only 30 seconds to persuade them the Superintendents recommendations would weaken important school programs.

Finally, the Superintendent disserves the very people shes asked to serve her. Folks on her School Quality Task Force dedicated long hours to making the initial recommendations on minimum standards. Arntzen didnt even extend them the courtesy of prior review of her contrary recommendations. After the fact, she had the awkwardacity to assure them, plain facts notwithstanding, her recommendations were in alignment with theirs.

It gets worse. Her recommendations now go to her Negotiated Rule-Making Committee. Its members too, have expressed concern about the negative impacts eliminating minimum expectations for counselors, library media professionals, and middle school electives will have on quality and equality of opportunity in Montanas schools.

Unfortunately, as Elsie well knows, the committee operates on the consensus model. All members must agree on alternative recommendations or only her recommendations will go to the Board of Public Education. Elsie has placed two of her employees on the committee as voting members. Not surprisingly, their positions are not in alignment with the majority of other members. Sheesh.

The changes Arntzen is advancing are neither trivial nor temporary. These new rules will likely be in effect for at least a decade. Arntzen recommends eliminating any staffing ratio for school counselors and library/media specialists  one of each per district will suffice!  and eliminating the requirement for music, art, world languages and career/technical education as discrete electives at the middle school level.

The need for counselors is a no-brainer. In todays multi-media tsunami, so is the need for professionals trained to help kids access and evaluate information. And without professionally taught middle school programs in the arts, languages, and workforce disciplines, sparks that light life-changing passions never ignite.

I hate to be so critical of someone who could be living the dream and instead chose public service. But minimal expectations for Montanas public schools ensure that all Montana children have the basics they need to thrive. Being hard to follow is Elsies challenge. Staying afloat in her wake will be theirs.

Mary Sheehy Moe retired as Deputy Commissioner of Higher Education in 2010. Since then she has been a school board trustee, a state senator, and a city commissioner in Great Falls. She writes from Missoula.

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WAPELLO  A number of projects, including a sanitary sewer lining project, a possible decision on street paving work in the city this summer and the possible vacating of a portion of Spring Street, were scheduled for action by the Wapello City Council during its meeting on Thursday.

However, for various reasons, instead of deciding to move forward with any of the proposals, the City Council agreed to postpone any action and tabled all three.

The decision to table action on the sewer lining project was taken after a public hearing was held.

City Clerk Mike Delzell said a bid opening had been held earlier in the day, and only one bid was received. According to Delzell, the bid was about four times the estimated cost, which Mayor Shawn Maine later indicated was around $100,000.

Delzell recommended later in the meeting to table any action, which will give him time to talk to the project engineer on possible revisions or other project changes.

Meanwhile, Delzell also reported he was continuing to have difficulty getting bids for some portions of the street repair work the city is planning for this summer.

Delzell said he obtained some bids for seal coating only but none for tearing up streets, rebuilding them and then seal coating. Delzell also said he had dropped the rebuilding proposal for a section of 6th Street because a camera inspection of a sewer line under that section showed it needed to be repaired.

Delzell said the street rebuilding should be delayed until the sewer line was repaired, otherwise the proposed street work would be damaged.

While discussing the street work, council member Brett Shafer offered his opinion on the street resurfacing.

I personally want to see asphalt and dont want to spend a dime on seal coating, he said.

After hearing council member Charles Wagg agree with Shafer, Maine said asphalt should be considered for the citys major roadways but suggested some lesser-traveled streets could probably still be seal-coated.

Fire Chief Damon Moore also suggested the city investigate the process Louisa County officials used a few years ago on K Avenue. Officials acknowledged that process, which incorporated steel slag as an aggregate in a hot asphalt mix, seemed to have worked well on that roadway.

The council is expected to continue the discussion at its next meeting.

The council also tabled action on vacating a section of Spring Street. Officials indicated an adjacent property owner wanted to acquire the city property as a site to build a garage.

Some of the city officials indicated they were not in favor of selling city property.

Maine said he would talk with the interested owner to determine how much area they may wish to acquire.

In final action, the council approved a tax abatement for T&S Investments and another for Jeffery Scott and Tracy Sue Jones.

The council also approved a transfer of $7,675 from both the water and sewer funds to Debt Service to cover a general obligation bond payment.

A cigarette/tobacco permit for the new Family Dollar store was also approved by the council.

In his report to the council, Maine said brick repair work was moving forward on three downtown buildings owned by Dean Jensen, Letts. Maine said he would request Jensen to attend a future City Council meeting to advise city officials of his future plans for the buildings.

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MUSCATINE COUNTY  Nearly 200 acres of combined wetland, timber, oak savanna and sand prairie in Muscatine County have been acquired recently by Bur Oak Land Trust, an Iowa City-based program focused on conservation.

The land, now called the Corriell Nature preserve, is located on the Cedar River and was donated to the trust in early March by Wayne and Patricia Corriell of Atalissa after portions of the former grazing land were perpetually flooded. The trust, with support from its AmeriCorps land stewardship program, plans to survey the land for wildlife to catalogue which species live there before starting restoration work. The preserve will be open to the public on a limited basis through educational events and guided tours later this year.

They just wanted to make sure it was not developed  turned into crop ground, trust executive director Jason Taylor said. They knew it was kind of special. We started working with them and gave them some options.

Taylor explained the land is part of a century farm. He says it means a lot to the Corriells to make sure the family legacy lives on.

He said the property contains three of some of the most interesting biodiverse and endangered habitats in Iowa. It is next to the Cedar River, so moisture drains from the land quickly, leaving a subset of prairies rarely found in Iowa.

It is very rare to find sand prairie in Iowa anymore because so much of it has been developed for housing as well as crops," he said.

The land is also surrounded by a wetland complex. He said a stream comes off the Cedar River and wraps around the property. Taylor described several beaver dams which has created the wetland.

He said the land is full of such animals as mussels and migratory birds, and many wetland plants. Taylor also said there are plenty of animals along the beaver dams including snakes, turtles, and other creatures.

There is also a third habitat in between the wet and dry lands, which has allowed for the growth of large oak trees. He said each of the habitats has its own ecosystem.

I think its a good thing, Wayne Corriell said. I think protecting land for plants and animals is a priority. As they get crowded out of other spaces, this can be a haven.

The Bur Oak Trusts goal is to find land in its native state and work with landowners to protect that land.

There is so little land in Iowa for native species to grow on, Taylor said. At this point about 80 percent of land in Iowa is used for some sort of agriculture. That is not habitat for most of Iowas species. We try to find those hidden gems that are still in a native state and work with them to protect it and also we work to manage the property.

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FRUITLAND  After being delayed for longer than anticipated, the Fruitland Community Lions Club was happy to announce that it is finally ready to reveal its All Veterans Memorial to the public.

The All Veterans Memorial will hold its dedication at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at the Fruitland Community Center, 104 Sand Run Road.

Were thrilled to have the finished monument, Janina Hawley, the projects chairwoman, said.

Hawley recalled how much enthusiasm the memorial built up when the idea for it was first announced in 2018, receiving plenty of support from the start.

Our fundraising campaign began in earnest in September 2019. By August 2020, we had enough funds to place the order for the black granite walls of the memorial, Hawley explained. Five months later, the granite was received at the quarry and on June 1 of 2021, we gave them 171 veteran names to engrave onto the granite.

Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the various supply issues caused by the pandemic and the protocols that were put into place because of the pandemic, the engraving process was slowed much more than the Fruitland Lions Club could have ever anticipated.

Even though our granite had arrived from overseas, other supply issues shut down the engraving process completely, Hawley continued. Engraving orders began to stack up, and our monument completion date was pushed back.

Although this was a setback for the memorial, the Lions Club was still able to move forward on it somewhat. By August 2021, all of the cement, lighting and landscaping needed for the memorial was completed. With the rest of the project done, the Lions Club was forced to continue waiting until engraving on the monument finally began in early 2022.

According to Hawley, the completed monument officially arrived in Muscatine on June 2. Not wanting to wait another moment longer than necessary, the Lions Club then announced the long-awaited dedication that same day.

During the dedication, the VFW/Legion Honor Guard will give a salute. The Louisa-Muscatine Color of Jazz Choir will also provide music at the event. Following the dedication, a light meal will be served. This meal will be free, however guests may give a free-will donation to the Lions Club if they wish.

Guests who plan on attending the memorials dedication are asked to bring lawn chairs with them as seating will be limited. For the veterans or their families who have names on the monument, they will be given an alphabetical listing as well as a grid map so that they can find their names on the wall.

Weve received questions from a few veteran families during the long wait, but overall the community has been very patient and understanding, Hawley said. A few members of the Lions have seen final proof sketches from the quarry, and we think everyone will be seeing an awesome, beautiful monument unveiled on June 12th.

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WAPELLO  Two projects involving the Louisa County Secondary Roads Department were the primary focus of action during Tuesdays regular meeting of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.

The board approved a $69,845 contract with SulzCo, Muscatine, for a culvert project on Louisa County X61. County Engineer Adam Shutt had initially reported on the bidding for the project during the boards May 17 meeting.

Five contractors had been contacted about the project, but only SulzCo submitted a bid, Shutt reported at that meeting.

The companys bid of $80,503 was higher than the initial engineering estimate of $65,000, with the higher project bid apparently because of pipe, concrete and other costs all showing increases.

Shutt had also said at the May 17 meeting he planned to negotiate a reduction in the companys portion of the project and use county staff to complete some of the work.

He confirmed taking that action during Tuesdays meeting, adding that was the reason for a contract price lower than the original bid.

The project could begin around the end of July, Shutt said.

The supervisors also approved a resolution authorizing Shutt to sign a contract for a planned trail development project on 145th Street/Springer Avenue and County Road X17 between Columbus Junction and Columbus City.

This $259,258 project has been in development for several years. However, Shutt said a wrinkle, which he only recently learned about, was added several years ago to a grant program that will provide around $133,000 in support.

The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) is now a pass-through grant, meaning the cost must first be paid before a reimbursement can be made.

Shutt said that would mean the secondary roads budget would need to be amended to cover the additional spending. In addition to the grant funding, Columbus Junction has earmarked $100,000 from its Roundy Fund, and Louisa County is paying for around $17,000 in curve improvements on County Road X17. Columbus Junction is spearheading an effort to obtain funding from other local sponsors for the remaining costs.

In other action during the supervisors meeting, the board approved a fireworks permit for the Grandview Community Club and received the monthly department update from mental health/disabilities (MHD) director Bobbie Wulf.

In her update, Wulf reported on legislation, including the failure of a proposal to increase the allowable balance in the local county fund used for mental health expenses from 5% to 10%. Wulf indicated that could put Iowas regional mental/brain health consortiums, including the local Southeast Iowa LINK (SEIL), under financial pressure.

Wulf and several other SEIL representatives, brain health providers and others also participated in a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Relaunch Meeting following the supervisors meeting.

Lee County MHD Director and SEIL CEO Ryanne Wood began the meeting using a Power Point presentation to explain the core services available through SEIL. Among those services are a 24-hour crisis line, crisis assessment, crisis stabilization residential services and access centers in Ottumwa and Iowa City that provide several services.

Meanwhile, a mobile crisis response service and crisis stabilization community based services are still needed, Wood explained.

Henry County MHD Director Sarah Berndt then explained CITs and their potential for de-escalating crisis situations. Although Louisa County formerly had a CIT, COVID caused the group to shut down, and currently only Des Moines and Washington counties have active CITs.

Berndt said the goal would be to eventually get CITs in all eight SEIL counties.

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Eldridge Police conducting an on-going drug investigation arrested a woman early Saturday for allegedly peddling marijuana out of her garage.

Teisha Marie Jacobi, 40, is charged with four counts of child endangerment as well as one count each of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, conspiracy to sell marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of Iowas drug tax stamp law.

According to a news release from Eldridge Police Chief Joe Sisler, at 6 a.m. Saturday officers served a search warrant at a home in the 200 block of West Central Drive.

Officers found four children under the age of 18 in the home.

In the common garage officers seized 424 grams of marijuana as well as numerous items of drug paraphernalia.

According to the arrest affidavit, in a post-Miranda interview Jacobi admitted to holding and selling the drugs from her home with another person.

Jacobi was released Saturday from the Scott County Jail after posting bond through a bonding company.

Scott County District Court electronic records did not indicate Saturday that Jacobi had yet made a first appearance on the charges.

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Amazon is on somewhat of a hiring spree in South Africa, with the international retail giant advertising over 300 available positions in the country.

The positions include job functions relating to software development, customer support, technical product management, and international compliance.

Amazon also appears to be increasing its efforts to air video content from Africa and is looking to hire a head of public relations and creative producers for Prime Video Africa.

We attended AFRIFF in November and announced that we are open for business for local content production and licensing in Africa; we are investing in the region, it told MyBroadband.

AFRIFF is the African International Film Festival, and shortly afterwards, Amazon signed a multi-year licence agreement with Inkblot Studios  a Nigeria-based production company.

It also signed an agreement with another Nigeria-based production company  Anthill Studios.

One of the standout  and newer  positions advertised on Amazons job portal is an international compliance specialist role.

The job requires five or more years of experience in international compliance laws or an LLB degree with at least two years of working experience.

Multiple customer services roles are also available for its German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish support channels.

The table below summarises some of the latest positions available at Amazon in South Africa. The number of open posts per category is provided in brackets. You can view the list of job opportunities here.

Now read: Former MTN boss joins insurance industry
DETROIT (AP)  Elon Musk is threatening to walk away from his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts.

Lawyers for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the threat in a letter to Twitter dated Monday. That letter was included in a filing from Twitter with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The letter says Musk has repeatedly asked for the information since May 9, about a month after his offer to buy the company, so he could evaluate how many of the company's 229 million accounts are fake.

Shares of Twitter Inc. tumbled more than 5% at the opening bell Monday.

A message was left early Monday seeking comment from Twitter.

The lawyers say in the letter that Twitter has offered only to provide details about the company's testing methods. But they contend that's "tantamount to refusing Mr. Musk's data requests." Musk wants data so he can do his own verification of what he says are Twitter's lax methodologies.

The lawyers say that based on Twitter's latest correspondence, Musk believes the company is resisting and thwarting his information rights under the April merger agreement.

"This is a clear material breach of Twitter's obligations under the merger agreement and Mr. Musk reserves all rights resulting therefrom, including his right not to consummate the transaction and his right to terminate the merger agreement," the letter says.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said the company has consistently estimated that fewer than 5% of Twitter accounts are fake. Twitter has disclosed its bot estimates to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.

The bot problem also reflects a longtime fixation for Musk, one of Twitter's most active celebrity users, whose name and likeness are often mimicked by fake accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams. Musk appears to think such bots are also a problem for most other Twitter users, as well as advertisers who take out ads on the platform based on how many real people they expect to reach.

Experts have said Musk can't unilaterally place the deal on hold, although that hasn't stopped him from acting as though he can. If he walks away, he could be on the hook for a $1 billion breakup fee.

The Twitter sale agreement allows Musk to get out of the deal if there is a "material adverse effect" caused by the company. It defines that as a change that negatively affects Twitter's business or financial conditions.

In the letter, Musk attorney Mike Ringler points to a spat over a June 1 letter from Twitter in which the company said its information obligations are limited to facilitating the closing of the sale. It says Twitter is obligated to provide data for any reasonable business purpose needed to complete the deal.

Twitter also has to cooperate with Musk's effort to get the financing for the deal, including providing information that's "reasonably requested" by Musk, the letter states.

The letter contends that Musk is not required to explain his rationale for requesting data or submit to "new conditions the company has attempted to impose on his contractual right to the requested data."

It alleges that Musk is entitled to the data about the core of Twitter's business model so he can prepare the transition to his ownership.

O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

***
Relocating Highway 37 to Napa County to spare the roadway from predicted sea level rise remains an option, though how viable a one has yet to be determined.

Highway 37 stretches for 21 miles through Solano, Sonoma and Marin counties to link Vallejo and Novato. A University of California, Davis report concluded much of the road could be underwater by 2088.

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Last week, the State Route 37 Policy Committee heard the latest set of options for a potential, major project that is only in the planning stages, with no construction dates yet being mentioned. Making it a reality would require billions of dollars.

One idea is to simply rebuild the highway along the present route near San Pablo Bay, but elevated on a causeway. That would be the status quo alignment and keep Highway 37 outside of Napa County.

The challenge is we have a lot of people interested in preserving a very sensitive ecosystem where the alignment currently is, Napa Valley Transportation Authority Executive Director Kate Miller said on Monday.

Highway 37 skirts San Pablo Bay to the south and passes over the Napa-Sonoma wetlands. This marshy, tidal area is along the Pacific Flyway for birds and is home to rare creatures such as the salt marsh harvest mouse.

An option is to relocate Highway 37 to the present-day routes for Highway 12 through Jameson Canyon, Highways 29/12 over the Napa River and Highway 12 into Sonoma County. This would be a different way to link Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 101.

The idea has flaws, such as a longer driving distance between Solano and Marin counties, said Christopher Caputo of Caltrans. That would come at a time the state wants to reduce vehicle miles traveled.

But the option is worth keeping on the table because the state owns the corridor and the route is a retreat to the uplands outside of areas threatened by sea level rise, Caputo said.

Another option is to relocate Highway 37 along Highway 29 through American Canyon and then on a new road through south Napa County wetlands and the Carneros region. That would get the route farther away from San Pablo Bay.

American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia noted this would mean more vehicles going through his city on Highway 29. About 50,000 vehicles already do so daily and he doesnt want to see this total doubled.

Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos in an email Monday addressed the possibility of a Napa County route for Highway 37.

"We paint with broad brush strokes to cover all possibilities with no commitments," Ramos said. "That said, the ultimate Highway 37 alignment will be determined by infrastructure capacity and public input."

Given the lack of existing capacity on Highway 29, adding more vehicles through American Canyon as part of a realignment is infeasible, Ramos said. She expressed confidence Napa County residents would oppose the idea.

Relocating the highway to Napa County may not make a lot of financial sense, Miller said. The least expensive option is to keep Highway 37 on its current route, she said.

Still another alternative would relocate Highway 37 to the south away from Napa County and have it span San Pablo Bay on a bridge. That would provide the most direct route.

Caltrans looked at replacing Highway 37 with ferries, but rejected the idea. It decided ferries should be used only to complement a rebuilt or relocated highway.

A proposed toll for the 9-mile-plus Highway 37 section between Mare Island and Sears Point could help raise money to help build the project. State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, has introduced legislation that would establish the State Route 37 Toll Authority.

Changing a state toll-free road into a toll road has never been done in California, a Senate bill analysis said. Toll lanes have been added to freeways, but as additional lanes next to non-toll lanes. Highway 37 would be all-toll lanes.

The bill intends the toll to be set at the level of the trans-bay bridges, which is presently $7. An overriding provision requires the toll to be set at whatever level is needed to repay bonds issued for the projects, the analysis said.

Carpoolers and vanpoolers would receive a 50% discount and low-income drivers living in Napa, Marin, Solano and Sonoma counties a discount between 25% and 50%.

Meanwhile, Caltrans will do an interim project to address Highway 37 traffic congestion that could begin construction in 2025-26. This would involve adding a lane or lanes between Mare Island and Sears Point and adding bus transit.

The $430 million project could reduce the average eastbound rush-hour evening commute for the 21 miles from 100 minutes to 26 minutes and the average westbound morning commute from 60 minutes to 30 minutes, said Kevin Chen of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

You can reach Barry Eberling at 707-256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com

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As a third year of drought continues, California officialdom is increasing pressure for more water conservation.

Last week, the state Water Resources Control Board imposed a statewide ban on watering of non-functional turf, such as grass around commercial buildings, and directed local water agencies to implement water use restrictions.

California is facing a drought crisis and every local water agency and Californian needs to step up on conservation efforts, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a supportive statement.

Despite the official ballyhoo, last weeks actions were tepid at best, stopping well short of the mandatory reductions that Newsoms predecessor, Jerry Brown, imposed during a previous drought.

It appears that Newsom, running for re-election, does not want to be the guy who tells Californians they cant water their lawns as much as they would like. Hed rather leave it to local water officials to crack down.

However, no matter how they are framed, the new directives are highly unlikely to have more than a marginal impact on Californias increasingly dire water shortage for the simple reason that residential use is a relatively tiny factor in the water equation. Californias largest-in-the-nation agricultural industry is by far the largest user of developed and managed water supplies.

The larger question is whether the state is doing anything to confront the longer-term gap between water supply and water demand as climate change alters precipitation patterns. Conservation will help, particularly more efficient use of agricultural water, but we need more storage, such as the long-delayed Sites Reservoir, to take advantage of wet years.

Newsoms latest budget proposal claims to make big investments in improving water security, but most of the money would go to small-scale projects that tinker on the margins. It proposes just a half-billion additional dollars for water storage while dumping several billion more dollars into the states ill-conceived and ill-managed bullet train project.

If were serious about dealing with semi-permanent drought conditions, the most important  and the most controversial  step would be to reconsider how limited supplies are allocated among agriculture, urban users and flows needed to support endangered species such as salmon.

By necessity, such a comprehensive approach  more or less starting with a clean sheet of paper  would require a fresh look at the states bewilderingly complex water rights.

Those who hold such rights consider them to be sacrosanct. But drought is so severe that even senior rights holders are feeling the pinch, as CalMatters writer Rachel Becker details in a recent article on droughts impacts in the Sacramento Valley.

Reconsideration of water rights seems to be gaining momentum in water policy circles.

A water policy paper issued by the state Senate leadership this month proposes that the state purchase rights from agricultural holders to provide more water for habitat improvement as part of a $7.5 billion plan to build a climate resilient water system.

As the state water board was pushing for more conservation last week, a coalition of Indian tribes and environmental groups demanded that it become more aggressive about enforcing water quality standards in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and restructure water rights as necessary to implement these standards.

The demand cites the history of white settlers appropriating water supplies from native peoples in the 19th century and suggests that water rights can be reconfigured under the state constitutions provision that only reasonable use of water is legal.

The water board had been considering such direct action, but put it on hold while the Newsom administration has attempted to forge so-called voluntary agreements that would divert more water from agriculture to enhance river flows.

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.
Turkey has asked and been granted a name change at the United Nations. Officially, it is Turkiye, a name that, according to BBC reports, is felt to more accurately represent the culture of the country, including the way the name is pronounced within the country  and also does not suggest the key element of the American holiday feast.

GOREME, Turkiye  This is probably as close as it gets to the lunar surface, an "unearthly" setting worthy of anything that Spielberg or Lucas ever brought to the big screen.

We are in central Turkiye, in the region known as Cappadocia where Mother Nature has created a vast wonderland of conical "rock towers" that form a bizarre skyline. Some formations look like huge tents, others like space rockets about to be launched, and still others like Whirling Dervishes, those mysterious dancers who spin themselves like tops for up to an hour and actually come from this region.

It took millions of years to form this spectacular and eerie landscape, and it all began with three volcanoes perched atop the three highest peaks. Numerous eruptions as far back as 10 million years ago covered the area in ashes, which hardened into a soft, porous rock called tuff. Over the centuries, high winds and water eroded the tuff into the freestanding cones, domes and other geological freaks of nature that we see today.

Perhaps the most outlandish formations appear where boulders seem to balance precariously at the very tips of the rocks. The hat-like boulders, along with adding yet another distinct touch to this strange land, also protect the soft platforms underneath from erosion.

Cappadocian legend has it that fairies or angels carried the huge rocks to the top, and these structures are now commonly referred to as "fairy chimneys."

But it is fact, not legend, that the first settlers, among them the Hittites, created shelter out of these formations by hollowing out the soft rock, and the Byzantine Christians were using them as hideouts back in the first century when they were fleeing the Romans.

The Christians also carved a large religious community out of these rocks and it is perhaps the most amazing attraction of this amazing land. It is known locally as the open-air museum and is situated on the outskirts of the village of Goreme.

There were once 356 churches in this monastic complex, one for each day of the year. About 30 are still open to the public. It is a staggering sight to come upon from the narrow roadway, and takes the better part of a day to explore.

In addition to the natural oddities on the surface of Cappadocia, what lies beneath the soil is just as intriguing, although man-made.

A few miles away from the open-air museum, where the land flattens, more than 50 cities have been discovered that were dug directly out of the stony underground. The Hittites are believed to have dug the first levels, while the Byzantines added the lower levels as hiding places during times of war.

The underground cities contained chapels, schools, communal kitchens, wineries, wells and ventilation shafts, which were often sealed when discovered by invading armies.

We stayed in Goreme in the heart of the Cappadocia region. It's a picturesque village with wall-to-wall tourist shops and restaurants in roughly a four-block area.

Nearby were the villages of Zelve, Avanos and Urgup for a nice change of pace. Each had its own charm, but we preferred Avanos because it looked more real than touristy.

There are still more than 1,000 so-called "cave dwellers" in Cappadocia today, tourism officials are quick to point out, but the majority are shop owners who sell rugs and trinkets by day and retreat to their real homes after dark.

There are also a large number of rock caves converted into hotels, almost 40 of them in Goreme alone. But you would have to look long and hard to actually find some full-time cave-dwellers.

To Istanbul

Leaving Cappadocia, we drove back to Ankara and visited some of its attractions, including the famed Ataturk Mausoleum, before boarding the train back to Istanbul, which to me is one of the most underrated cities in the world.

Straddling the continents of both Europe and Asia, Istanbul's main tourist attractions continue to be the great palaces of the Ottoman sultans, the Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent, the vast marketplace known as the Covered Bazaar with its more than 4,000 shops, the colorful and aromatically intoxicating Spice Market, the Hagia Sophia Museum and, of course, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) with its distinctive six minarets.

But Istanbul is much more. It is a boat ride down the Bosphorus between the two continents, hopping off and having a fresh fish lunch. It is walking through any of the six or seven downtown areas (there is no one central core) and waiting for the next surprise. It is visiting one of the colorful residential-business areas underneath one of the bridges, and never knowing it was even there.

The ruins of Ephesus

From Istanbul, we flew to Izmir on the Aegean Coast to visit Turkiye's No. 1 tourist attraction, the awesome ruins of Ephesus. "Is there any city larger than this?" wrote Saint John the Evangelist, who, it is said, came to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary after Jesus had been crucified.

At the time, Ephesus was the second biggest city in the Mediterranean, surpassed only by Alexandria. By the fifth century A.D., however, silt had completely filled the harbor, and disease and pillage turned Ephesus into a ghost town.

But during the last half-century, archaeological teams have been at work uncovering this once-great city of 300,000 people, beginning with the well-preserved 25,000-seat theater, the remnants of an avenue of pure marble and, the star of this restoration project, the majestic library (second century A.D.) which is still intact.

On a nearby hill (Mount Nightingale) is a small home where Christians believe the Virgin Mary spent the last days of her life. Today, it is a pilgrimage site sanctioned by the Vatican and visited by Christians from all over the world.

We left Ephesus and returned to Istanbul for a final night and an evening stroll. We walked by the legendary Pera Palas Hotel, once the overnight stop for the Orient Express, and where Agatha Christie wrote many of her mysteries in Room 411.

I wondered what motivated Agatha to write such great mysteries in that hotel. I also wondered why Turkiye remains such a mystery to North Americans.

Dominick Merle is co-founder of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Assn. Email him at dmerle@videotron.ca.
CSTO Committee of Secretaries to meet in Yerevan

Russia considers Israeli strikes on Syrian territory unacceptable

Report: Key Indicators for Execution of State Budget of Armenia for 2021

North Korea spends $1,221 a minute on nuclear program, analysts estimate

Armenia bloc MP: Let's gather in Vardanyan Park on Italy Street

Three earthquakes hit Iran's Kish Island this morning

Swiss airspace closes due to technical failure

Conference held in occupied Armenian Shushi to mark anniversary of so-called 'Shushi Declaration'

Armenia FM and Bulgarian NA Speaker discuss possibilities for deepening relations between two countries

Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan leaves for Russia

Russia President to meet with Armenia President at SPIEF

SPIEF kicks off in St. Petersburg

Armen Avetisyan appointed as new General Director of Viva-MTS

Armenian parliament discusses execution of 2021 state budget

Global oil prices rise slightly

Russia calls on Turkey to peacefully resolve situation in Syria

Canada and Denmark settle territorial dispute

WhatsApp makes it easier to switch from Android to iPhone

Astronomers make most detailed map of Moon

Company to pay $2,000 to volunteers to release 100 cockroaches into their home

Hungary objects to introduction of global minimum tax in EU

Resistance Movement members remove their tents from France Square

Some European plants shut down due to skyrocketing global energy prices

Erdogan: Turkey must defend its interests in space

European leaders visit Israel hoping to reduce dependence on Russian gas

Resistance movement to hold information march on Thursday and a rally on Saturday

Resistance movement holds procession in Yerevan

Slovak PM calls on Scholz to support Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova as EU candidates

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan participates in Resistance movement rally

German howitzers soon to be delivered to Ukraine

Resistance Movement rally starts in Yerevan

Turkey President meets with Russian Deputy Prime Minister

Media revealed some details of opening of Armenian-Azerbaijani roads

HYECoin, Inc. invites conversation among venture capitalist firms open to funding startup tech and crypto projects

Three times vaccinated Lithuanian PM tests positive for Covid-19

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Bulgaria discuss cooperation

Austria to allocate 28 billion to compensate population for increased costs

Dollar rises after long decline, euro continues to depreciate in Armenia

Georgia prosecuting cartographers because of whom David Gareja monastery was to pass to Azerbaijan

AraratBank Brings Apple Pay to Customers

Moldova decides to analyze pros and cons of participation in CIS

Court allows Armenia ex-deputy premier and now lawmaker Armen Gevorgyan to head for Strasbourg

2 people convicted in connection with 9 November 2020 night riots in Yerevan

South Korea, US and Japan to conduct missile defense exercises in August in Hawaii

Euronews: Forget France, as Armenia is hub of winemaking history

Armenian village Norabak deprived of water supply after Azerbaijani invasion

Armenia to join CIS agreement on use of military satellite communication systems

Biden extends US sanctions regime against North Korea for another year

Armenia FM, Bulgaria President discuss prospects for development of bilateral relations

Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh to become venue for Azerbaijan conference on cooperation with Turkey

Premier meets with Father Emir of Qatar, presents him Order of Friendship of Armenia

State council for protection of cultural heritage of Karabakhs occupied territories holds first meeting

Premier, Qatar Business Council members discuss implementation of investment programs in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan, former-deputy PM and now MP Gevorgyan trial to reconvene

Armenia PM meets with Qatar FM

David Babayan: Artsakh, Armenia are in difficult situation

Driver of car that went onto tents at France Square in downtown Yerevan is apprehended

Armenia FM meets with Bulgaria President

Azerbaijan Security Council chief: Armenia opposition protesting against peace talks will not achieve its goal

Armenia-France cooperation in defense sector is discussed

Draft statement on Armenia-Azerbaijan, Armenia-Turkey relations not put on legislature agenda

Armenia PM to Al Jazeera: We are currently in process of constructing very strategic highway

Armenia premier to Al Jazeera: Wording about corridor is unacceptable, red line for us

Armenias Pashinyan to Al Jazeera: It is our duty not to betray any of our partners

World gold prices going down

Armenia PM to Al Jazeera: 9 November 2020 statement does not address Karabakh issue

Shootout occurs on Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border

Armenia parliament convenes last 4-day sitting of current session

Newspaper: What tactics has Armenia opposition developed?

Newspaper: US embassy urges Armenia authorities to respect human rights

World oil prices dropping

Armenia opposition MP: Car drove onto tent where there were people at France Square

Explosion at sodium bicarbonate plant in Iran: More than 100 casualties

German finance minister does not rule out risk of stagflation

Russian Ambassador: EU wants to seize initiative on normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations from Russia

Macron: Defense industry cooperation in European Union must be strengthened

Erdogan to declare at NATO summit that Turkey will not compromise on Sweden and Finland

Deputy PM of Armenia: Peoples of Armenia and Russia are connected by numerous deep threads

Expert names reason for dollar devaluation in Armenia and assess its impact on activities of business entities

In Armenia number of marriages is decreasing, while number of divorces is increasing

Finnish parliament speaker: Finland, Sweden, and Norway should consider joint air defense control

Justin Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19 for second time

Georgia PM rules out sanctions against Russia

Azerbaijani authorities send another group of foreign diplomats to occupied Shushi

Armenia Defense Minister familiarizes himself with progress of summer draft

Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker offers Slovakia to 'take advantage of Zangezur corridor'

Israel calls on its citizens to leave Istanbul

Ombudsman: Destiny of Shahumyan region is bright example of any perspective of Artsakh's status within Azerbaijan

Armenia Opposition: Tomorrow we will introduce program that will give new impetus to Resistance movement

Converse Bank and Cityzen announce their new partnership

Bulgarian Foreign Minister resigns

Stay with the light, we will meet soon  12-year-old Alex Gevorgyan presents his Lus A debut album

Sweden names condition for lifting arms embargo on Turkey

Artsakh legislature speaker is in France

UN calls for easing sanctions on North Korea to combat Covid

Armenia ruling force MP comments on reports on beating, taking large sum of money from common-law wife

Central Bank chief: Inflation in Armenia was 9% as of May

Dollar, euro fall in Armenia

Lukashenko announces need to reform the KGB

FM: Azerbaijan will continue efforts to ensure peace, stability in region
Washington claims that the purpose of the eight missile launches carried out by the US and South Korean militaries was to demonstrate readiness for a joint response to crises. The corresponding statement is contained in a statement released on Sunday by the Indo-Pacific Command of the US Armed Forces.

US and South Korean forces conducted joint exercises with launches to demonstrate the ability to quickly respond to crisis situations, the document says.

During the exercise, one US Army missile and seven Republic of Korea missiles were used. Missile launches were carried out from the northeastern part of South Korea in the direction of the Sea of Japan after proper notifications were made for security purposes at sea and in the airspace, the representatives of the command specified.

The statement noted that Washington and Seoul remain committed to maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and the US commitment to the defense of the ROK remains unwavering.

Earlier, the Yonhap news agency, citing the Committee of Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea, reported that the United States and South Korea carried out test missile launches in response to North Korean tests. North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Sunday, according to the South Korean military.
On June 4, the professional development program for municipal authorities "Effectively Managing Communities in Armenia" by the Matena International School was launched in Dilijan. Around two dozen mayors, municipal executives and local councilors from 15 communities of Armenia participated in the program. The program, which aimed to significantly develop the professional and leadership skills of municipal leaders, was jointly developed by Matena and SKOLKOVO schools. During the first module, the participants will be provided with comprehensive knowledge about modern municipal management, the role of a community leader, team management skills in complex situations, methods of strategic decision-making, key success factors, skills of building an effective team and managing it, peculiarities of external and internal communication and other important skills.

The next two modules of the program will be held in July and August, respectively, in Yerevan and in Moscow (SKOLKOVO School of Management). "The consolidation of communities has led to serious changes in terms of control and implementation of the community development programs. Thus, the goal of this program is to bring the best world experience to Armenia so that community leaders and the council members have the opportunity to gain new knowledge. The successfulness of a nation depends on the quality of its managers; and the development of communities is fundamental for the development of a country," said Ruben Vardanyan, Co-Founder of Matena International School, Founding Partner of UWC Dilijan International School and the SKOLKOVO School of Management. One of the exceptional components of the program is the co-financing of the best individual projects. Those community leaders, who come up with the best community development projects at the end of the program, will be co-financed by Matena for the implementation of their projects.

"It would be very hard to find an educational program of comparable level for community leaders in any management school in the world, moreover, a program that, in addition to transferring international best practices, is specifically designed and best considers the local governance peculiarities of Armenia. It is important that the participants of the program will not only learn, but will also act, because, at the end of the program, based on the knowledge and skills they have acquired, they will submit projects on effectively managing their communities, the best of which will be co-financed by Matena," said the Co-Founder and CEO of Matena Ruben Hayrapetyan.

"The research on the competencies of public managers clearly demonstrated that there is a great demand for new knowledge on the development of team and territorial management skills. We see a high interest among the audience. We hope that the program in this format will help to solve the most acute problems and satisfy the demand of municipal authorities," said Marina Veldanova, Professor of Business Practice, and Director of the Healthcare Development Centre of the SKOLKOVO School of Management.
YEREVAN.  The President of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA) on Monday received the delegation led by the speaker of the Mazhilis of Kazakhstan that arrived in Armenia within the framework of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council.

Welcoming his colleague, Alen Simonyan thanked him for being in Armenia on the crucial days for Kazakhstan. Yesterday was the Referendum Day of the constitutional reforms in your country, and after that important event leaving for Yerevan is appreciated, the Head of Parliament noted, the NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Touching upon the regional issues, the RA NA President mentioned that Armenia is faithful to the agenda of peace and stability. He stressed that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) issue continues being of vital significance for Armenia, and it is not a territorial dispute at all, as the leadership of Baku presents it, but it is an issue of the rights of the local Armenian population. Alen Simonyan asked his Kazakh colleague, Yerlan Koshanov, to have his contribution to resolving the humanitarian and peaceful issues regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

The sides positively assessed the level of the Armenian-Kazakh multilateral relations based on the traditional friendship and mutual understanding. They underlined the special role of the legislative bodies of Armenia and Kazakhstan, taking into consideration the fact that the Armenian-Kazakh political relations continue developing with growing rates. Both sides highlighted the cooperation on the international arena and active participation in the international organizations.

Thanking his colleague for the reception, the Speaker of the Mazhilis noted that he had his military service in Armenia during the years of the Soviet Union, adding that he returned to his native places. Here everything is familiar to him, and he will never forget Mount Ararat. Yerlan Koshanov presented the referendum on constitutional amendments in Kazakhstan, stating that it was a step towards democracy. He thanked for the observation mission sent by Armenia to the constitutional referendum. The Speaker of the Mazhilis expressed satisfaction that after being elected his first interstate visit was Armenia.

The Kazakh colleague underlined that the participation of Armenia and Kazakhstan in the Eurasian integration process opens new opportunities for trade and economic cooperation, recording that todays indicators do not reflect the real opportunities; furthermore, there are mutually accepted projects both in Armenia and Kazakhstan, which can be mutually beneficially carried out.

Yerlan Koshanov invited Alen Simonyan to pay an official visit to Kazakhstan.

The sides spoke about the need to reach substantive agreements to which they will refer after todays CSTO PA meeting.

At the end of the meeting, the NA President Alen Simonyan and the Kazakh delegates took a tour in the NA building and were in the session hall.
The leadership of the radical Taliban movement, which seized power in Afghanistan, condemned the statements of the representative of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nipur Sharma in India, regarded in Muslim countries as insulting towards the Prophet Muhammad.

According to Deputy Minister of Culture and Information in the provisional Cabinet formed by the radicals, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [IEA, the name of the state used by the Taliban] strongly condemns the insulting words expressed by the official of the Indian party against the Prophet Muhammad.

He also urged the government of India not to allow fanatics to offend the feelings of Muslims and their religion.

Sharma has appeared on Indian TV in televised debates and, in the context of discussing some incidents in the country, made a number of statements about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad that turned out to be offensive to Muslims. According to the Indian television channel NDTV, the leadership of the BJP suspended Sharma's membership in the party, excluding her from the main membership.

A number of Muslim countries and organizations condemned the statements of the BJP representative, Iran, Qatar and Kuwait handed protest notes to Indian ambassadors on this issue.
YEREVAN.  President Alen Simonyan of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA) on Monday received the delegation led by the speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, being in Armenia within the framework of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council meeting.

After the private talk they joined the enlarged meeting. The sides congratulated each other on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of signing the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation.

Both parties recorded the need of holding events designed at decent level corresponding to the allied character of the Armenian-Russian relations.

Ideas were exchanged over the Armenian-Russian interstate, allied cooperation. The cooperation, the persistent improvement legal-contractual wide base in the military-political and military-technical fields, the successful partnership in the trade-economic, inter-regional and humanitarian spheres were especially highlighted.

During the talk the parliamentary bilateral format was observed as a very important component of the strategic relations, which promotes the jointly active and constructive work.

The RA NA President reminded his colleague that the Armenian side designs to publish the collection of documents Armenia-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation 1992-2021.

To Vyacheslav Volodins conviction, the inter-parliamentary format is the best platform for joint legislative regulation of a number of spheres, including the fight against terrorism. The Speaker of the RF FA State Duma expressed satisfaction that after the pandemic, there an opportunity was given to say farewell to online contacts and meet in the traditional way and discuss issues of mutual interest.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the level of Armenian-Russian cooperation in the CIS Inter-parliamentary, the CSTO and BSEC Parliamentary Assemblies and other international platforms.

The already traditional practice of holding regular joint meetings of the profile Standing Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the State Duma of the Federal Assembly and the Standing Committees of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation was highlighted.

The colleagues discussed some details of todays meeting of the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, expressing hope that the meeting of the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly will have its contribution and give a new impetus to the prospects of expanding cooperation within the framework of the Parliamentary Assembly.

At the end of the meeting, Alen Simonyan noted that he is waiting for Vyacheslav Volodin on an official visit to Armenia.
The European Union (EU) has replaced Russia as the lead player in international efforts to broker peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, an EU official claimed, RFE/RLs Armenian Service reported.

The official, who did not want to be identified, also confirmed that the EU will not work with Russia on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict or sponsoring confidence-building measures for that purpose.

There is no movement between the EU and Russia on this and no intention to engage with Russia on this, he told RFE/RLs Armenian Service.

Russia might have stopped the [2020] war between the two parties, but it is clear that the follow-up is taking place here in Brussels and not in Moscow. The reason why they [the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan] came to Brussels so quickly is a sign of this, added the official.

The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, has hosted three trilateral meetings with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the last five months.

After the most recent meeting held in Brussels on May 22, Michel said Pashinyan and Aliyev agreed to advance discussions on a peace treaty and press ahead with the demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and opening of transport links between the two nations.

Russia has denounced the EUs mediation efforts, saying that they are part of the Wests attempts to hijack Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks and use the Karabakh conflict in its standoff with Moscow over Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov charged in April that the West is now ready to sacrifice interests of the Armenian side in the intensifying geopolitical conflict. He said the United States and France stopped cooperating with Russia within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, co-headed by the three nations, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The EU official noted in this regard that the joint mediation format established by Moscow, Paris and Washington nearly three decades ago is not valid any longer.

The official said that both Yerevan and Baku are now very scared of Moscow because of the war in Ukraine. They are very aware that they can be next, he claimed.

Pashinyan and Aliyev briefed Russian President Vladimir on the results of their May 22 talks in separate phone calls earlier this week. The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers assured Lavrov earlier that their governments remain committed to Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements brokered by Putin during and after the 2020 war in Karabakh.

The also agreements commit the two sides to demarcating their border and opening it to commerce, travel and cargo shipments. They stipulate that Russian troops will ensure the safety of a road and railway that should connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenias Syunik region.

The EU official revealed that the EU hopes to gradually change this in the future. But there is no doubt that this is a long shot, cautioned the official.

A Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani commission dealing with practical modalities of the planned transport links was due to meet in Moscow on Friday for the first time in almost six months. Armenian and Azerbaijani officials are also expected to travel to the Russian capital later this month for further talks on the border demarcation.

Putin and Pashinyan reaffirmed Russias key role in the Karabakh peace efforts in a joint declaration issued after their talks held outside Moscow on April 19.

The EU official also said that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and the security of its population will be on the agenda of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.

It is inevitable that this will be on the table at some point but they are not there yet, explained the official. This is a topic for the later stage as it will be the most difficult issue. There is no point in frontloading this issue right now.

Reacting to Michels comments made after the May 22 summit, Karabakhs ethnic Armenian leaders accused the head of the EUs main decision-making body of signaling support for Azerbaijani control over the disputed territory. One of them said on Tuesday that the EU is unfit to be the lead player in brokering a peaceful settlement.

A spokesman for Michel said afterwards that his comments should not be interpreted as favoring a predetermined outcome of discussions on Karabakhs future.
Moscow and Ankara are interested in solving the problems that arise in the world in the field of food security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference on topical issues on the international agenda, TASS reports.

Our presidents [Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan], clearly outlining their approaches, respect each others positions and instead of making issues on which positions differ, make them the subject of disagreements, they try to take into account the concerns, Moscow - Ankara, Ankara - Moscow. In general, in this vein, a recent telephone conversation took place regarding the problems that have been created over the past two years by the West in the field of food security and which, of course, have become aggravated due to thoughtless sanctions, which the West first introduced, and then began to think, how these sanctions will affect food supplies to various regions of the world, Lavrov said.

Yes, we are interested in solving these problems with Turkey, the minister said.

Lavrov noted that Putin had recently outlined the possibility of unblocking food supplies.

The President, in his recent interview, detailed how food supplies can be unblocked both from the Black Sea ports, which are mined by Ukrainians, and from the ports of the Sea of Azov, which are already controlled by Russia and which have been cleared, and from which there are also reliable routes through the Kerch Strait to the Strait Bosporus and the Dardanelles, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hosted the participants of the sitting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, chaired by Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and Speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the press service of Armenian government informed News.am.

President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan and CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas also took part in the meeting.

Welcoming the participants of the meeting, the Prime Minister noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the CSTO, which is a remarkable event. "We have mentioned many times that this is a good opportunity to sum up the results, analyze our achievements, shortcomings, steps, how we can make our organization more effective. In this context, of course, the role of the Council of the Parliamentary Assembly cannot be overestimated, as the CSTO is in fact the political platform where all these issues should be discussed.

I think the parliamentary format creates wider opportunities for that. The last time we met in this format was in 2019, since then there have been many big changes in the world related to coronavirus, besides the situation in our region, in general in the world is quite tense. I think this is a very powerful platform to share our vision for the future, to try to make the CSTO mechanisms more effective in responding to crisis situations.

This is one of the topics that is very important both for our country and the organization in general. As the presiding country, we consider this issue one of the priorities of our presidency and I hope we will be able to come to concrete decisions on this issue," Nikol Pashinyan said.

Vyacheslav Volodin thanked the Prime Minister for the warm reception, noting that the meeting of the Council provides an opportunity to work out decisions and develop relations between countries. "The Assembly allows harmonizing the legislations, to develop model laws. When we talk about the harmonization of legislation, first of all it refers to terrorism, the fight against extremism, military-political cooperation, the activities of peacekeeping forces and other issues," Volodin said, adding that the works of the Council session usually start from the discussion of the priorities of the CSTO presiding country.

Afterwards, the participants of the sitting exchanged views on the development of CSTO mechanisms, the situation in the South Caucasus and the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Nikol Pashinyan referred to the activities of the Delimitation and Border Security Commission between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the unblocking of regional infrastructure, and the steps taken to return Armenian prisoners of war, hostages and other civilians still held in Azerbaijan. In connection with the latter, the Prime Minister attached importance to the support of the international community, the statement reads.
The rally of the Resistance Movement on France Square has ended.

Ishkhan Saghatelyan, deputy from the "Armenia" bloc, presented the program of action for tomorrow, 7 June.

"We invite everyone to France Square tomorrow from 10 am. Everyone who has been injured these days, who has been apprehended, we invite the families of those. Be here at 10 am. From there we will march to the EU delegation, where we will clearly present the violence that has taken place in our country these days and demand an evaluation. Otherwise, we will state that by these double standards, by their silence they are promoting a dictatorship in our country. We won't let that happen," Saghatelyan said.

He said that the Resistance Movement will also require a meeting with accredited ambassadors to present the situation and the demands, priorities and principles.

There will be several actions throughout the day. There will not be a rally tomorrow. But there will be a cultural program in the evening in France Square.
After structural changes in Armenian Defense Ministry, we will have a new model, according to which the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces will be the First Deputy Defense Minister, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan said in an interview to the Public Television.

"Certain changes are taking place in the army management, these are not fundamental changes, in any case the Armed Forces will only deal with the defense of the country, combat training. Purchasing, maintenance, provisioning: all of that will be handled by departments. That is, starting with logistics support, everything will be done not by the military. A lot of things will be delegated," he said.

The minister also said that this law had been circulating in the government for a long time and would soon be submitted to the National Assembly.

Asked if the law is the reason we still don't have a chief of general staff, the minister said that's not the reason. "The reason is to make the right decision, of course. But he, the Acting Chief of the General Staff, is fully performing his duties today," he said, adding that he doesn't see any problem with that.

Answering the question about the army's morale, Suren Papikyan said it's naturally difficult to recover after the war, but the morale is quite high. "And in this direction, we have work to do: secure the rear of the army, trust the army... The army is waiting for support, it's about moral support. And we have to go that way, the link between society and the army should always work."

Responding to a question about the conscription, the minister mentioned that the next conscription will take place from June 13 to July 31. "All of our conscripts will go through the educational process, after which they will be transferred to military units."
At the moment a huge amount of work is carried out on the arrangement of the border, this work is under my direct supervision, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan said in an interview with the Public Television.

"Now we are building roads with about 13 companies, mainly road construction companies. These are the roads that lead to the front line. We face the task of fully providing both the road network and the front line in the summer period. In parallel, engineering work is being carried out on the front line," he said, assuring that the state of the border equipment, which was before the war, "will change by the end of the year."

Speaking about the situation on the border, the minister noted that there is some tension on the border, although there are times when Azerbaijan spreads misinformation about ceasefire violations by the Armenian Armed Forces.

"As a rule, the Armenian Armed Forces prevent the violation of the ceasefire by silencing the enemy. That is, when there is an exchange of fire, it is not on our initiative. And I hope that the representatives of the armed forces of the neighboring country will act in the same way and we will be able to ensure the current peaceful situation and achieve lasting peace," he said.

"I cannot make such assessments now; in any case, Armenian armed forces must be ready to secure our borders. At this stage, we see no danger," Suren Papikyan said.
Singapore, June 6 (ANI/PR Newswire): OnRobot, the world leader in hardware and software solutions for collaborative applications, has launched OnRobot Palletizer, a complete collaborative palletizing solution designed to take the physical and financial pain out of palletizing processes. OnRobot Palletizer extends OnRobot's application-first approach to collaborative automation by letting users choose a palletizing system that works for their specific application needs thanks to its space-saving footprint, and ability to handle many different types of boxes, packages, patterns, pallets and stacking heights. Compatible with collaborative robot and light industrial robots from the Doosan, FANUC, OMRON, Techman and Universal Robots brands, the OnRobot Palletizer is available as a complete out-of-the-box system or as individual components to create a mix-and-match solution. The OnRobot Palletizer includes four new hardware and software products: - OnRobot Palletizing, intuitive palletizing software that guides users through the entire deployment from start to finish via a single intelligent interface for all components. It's also a true time-saver designed to slash overall project costs. Once the physical hardware is in place and secured, the end-user or integrator simply opens OnRobot Palletizing to receive step-by-step guidance through the process of setting up a palletizing application. Designed to reduce deployment time by eliminating complexity, the software enables even inexperienced end-users to deploy the system in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional programming interfaces. For example, using OnRobot Palletizing, an inexperienced end-user can set up a full palletizing application in a day, versus 12 or more days using conventional programming software. Redeployment is even faster, with that same inexperienced end-user reprogramming the cell for a different palletizing application in just half a day. Palletizing application deployment guidance is also available on the free Learn OnRobot e-learning platform. - The OnRobot 2FGP20, a powerful, versatile, electric palletizing gripper with a 20 kg payload and customizable arms that can handle standard cardboard boxes as well as open boxes and shelf-ready products while also handling slip sheets without changing the gripper or requiring additional handling; no external air supply required. - The OnRobot Lift100, a robust elevator with a total payload of 100 kg that provides a 7th axis for cobot and lightweight industrial robot brands; TUV-certified stop-functionality facilitates safe and effective collaborative deployments; provides safe and precise positioning even at high speeds. - The OnRobot Pallet Station, durable floor-mounted pallet fixtures designed to ensure consistent positioning; each comes with a built-in sensor for detecting pallet presence. "Small and midsized companies need palletizing automation that is easy to use, fast to deploy and affordable - even if the application changes over time," says Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. "OnRobot Palletizer combines fast deployment times with a small footprint and the best price point in the market - all using our application-focused approach that gives customers much more flexibility than traditional approaches. OnRobot Palletizer can be deployed out-of-the-box and with minimal disruption to existing factory and warehouse layouts." Manual palletizing is a labor intensive, repetitive and unergonomic task, which makes it an ideal candidate for automation. Palletizing automation increases productivity and throughput and improves quality and ergonomics. "By making affordable collaborative automation available to companies of all sizes and technology skill levels, OnRobot is breaking down the global barriers to adoption while building a unique 'One Stop Shop' designed to meet all the automation and business requirements of manufacturing and warehouse companies," says Iversen. "OnRobot Palletizer is a powerful addition to our rapidly expanding portfolio of hardware and software solutions for collaborative applications." OnRobot Palletizing software "significantly reduces the set-up time needed to have the application running," says Adrian Perez Martinez, CTO and Co-Founder at Neobotik, an automation integrator based in Huelva, Spain, one of the sites where OnRobot Palletizer was tested prior to launch. "It is so easy to install all the hardware and software when doing the initial set up of the cell. And the graphical user interface makes it possible even for non-expert programmers to program a full palletizer solution." OnRobot Palletizer has three main advantages over existing palletizing automation, explains Martinez: "It's fast to deploy. It has an easy-to-use programming interface. And the gripper weight is optimal, making the solution ideal for a wide range of collaborative palletizing applications, including in industries such as food and beverage, where there is a high flow of open boxes ready to be palletized and gripping the boxes using a traditional vacuum gripper is not possible." Press Kit: Download images and video here. OnRobot OnRobot is the world's leading provider of hardware and software solutions for collaborative applications. OnRobot has developed flexible, all-electric finger, vacuum, magnetic, soft grippers and the award-winning Gecko gripping technology in addition to force/torque sensors, a 2.5D vision system, a horizontal 7th axis, screwdriver, sander kits and tool changers. All offerings are based on the same 'One System, Zero Complexity' platform, providing a unified interfacing and customer experience. Data analytics and remote monitoring is available across all OnRobot tools and leading cobot or light industrial robot brands with WebLytics software. Supported by the free, Learn OnRobot e-learning platform, OnRobot makes it easy to deploy collaborative automation on tasks such as packaging, quality control, materials handling, machine tending, palletizing, assembly, and surface finishing. Headquartered in Odense, Denmark, OnRobot also has offices in Dallas, Soest (Germany), Barcelona, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and Budapest. www.onrobot.com This story is provided by PR Newswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire)
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI/NewsVoir): India's premier indigenous security and surveillance product manufacturing company, PRAMA India organized its Pan India Roadshows with its second event recently in New Delhi. The 'PRAMA Excellence Meet' roadshow event was inaugurated by the lighting of the lamp ceremony in the auspicious presence of Chief Guest Dr Vikram Singh, Former Director-General of Police - Uttar Pradesh and Chancellor of Noida International University. There were other leading dignitaries present at the event including Guest of Honour Dr Firoz Zia Hussain, Chief Security Officer, Delhivery. The event created an impact among the security industry professionals in New Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). In his inspiring speech Chief Guest Dr Vikram Singh said, "Those who respect and inculcate their parents blessings in their life, they are blessed to launch the successful enterprise like PRAMA. He emphasized on the importance of values in the current corporate world." This was part of PRAMA's second leg of 'PRAMA Excellence Meet' after the event in Ahmedabad. The event is being planned to bring high quality, security and surveillance products as well as the latest tech-innovations closer to potential consumers and end-users while creating brand awareness. In his keynote address, Ashish P. Dhakan, MD & CEO, PRAMA India Pvt. Ltd. said, "PRAMA Excellence Meet is organized to engage, enable and empower the partners' community. It is enabling a convergence of all the security professionals, dealers and distributors community associated with PRAMA. We are happy to offer our indigenously manufactured products and solutions to the people." He further added, "This event brings back the cherished memories and nostalgia of my formative years as an entrepreneur. At PRAMA we are embarking on a new journey to build brand, launch new products and develop new solutions while creating new milestones and setting new benchmarks. We will strive for the organic growth and expansion of the brand at pan-India level. This event is showcasing latest technologies, products and solutions. We hope that this initiative will help the PRAMA ecosystem partners to grow their business." "Today being a security professional and entrepreneur, one has to think about the fast-changing dynamics of the Indian security market instantaneously and apply appropriate strategies for the future roadmap. This is the crux of my entrepreneurial experience. The different phases of growth require different strategies," said Ashish P. Dhakan. "While moving forward with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, we at PRAMA India are working diligently to realise the dream of a self-reliant India into reality. As the industry moves to new technology frontiers, there is a need to focus on indigenous security product manufacturing. These security systems are helping to resolve the physical security challenges in the private, government and commercial segments," said Ashish Dhakan. A presentation on the theme 'The relevance of PRAMA in Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission' was given by AL Narasimhan, Vice President, Strategic Business Alliances, PRAMA India Pvt Ltd. The exciting glimpses of PRAMA product portfolio theme were presented by Himanshu Jain, Assistant Vice President, Projects, PRAMA India. An elaborate presentation on the 'Key security Trends in the Indian Security Market' was given by Gagan Lamba, Vice President, Enterprise Business, PRAMA India. The theme 'Social Media training for dealer business enhancement' was presented by Kushal Chaturvedi on behalf of PRAMA India. Rajesh Palkar, Vice President, Government and Consultant Business, PRAMA India, gave a detailed presentation on (GEM) Government e-market place. The next presentation was on PRAMA IRMS Solutions, it was presented by Ankur Panchal, Product Head - Alarm and Inspection Solutions, PRAMA India. The final presentation was given by Vinay Mishra, Senior Vice President, PRAMA India on the theme "The Indigenous Vertical Solutions by PRAMA". This event had product demo kiosks to give glimpses of a wide range of products and solutions. There was an exciting line-up of fringe programs at the event venue, including Quiz Show with exciting prizes. The key highlights were exclusive networking meet and awards ceremonies for distributors and integrators. The event was successful due to an overwhelming response from the security professional community in the NCR region. 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], June 6 (ANI/SRV): Our environment offers a precious habitat for life on earth. Yet, our most abundant resources are fast depleting, leading to scarcity of the most basic units of life, like fresh air, water, and natural resources. This World Environment Day, Select CITYWALK uses the medium of art and thematic decor to conduct a social experiment, unveiling to us the stark reality of a reeling world, where our basic resources will soon be luxury. Inviting visitors to walk through a sensorial experience that uses multiple mediums from visual and auditory to engaging and interacting, this is an attempt to remind us of the precious nature of the ecosystem our species currently inhabits. The exclusive Environment Day decor in the Central Atrium of Select CITYWALK from the 30th of May, till the 7th of June 2022 showcases four interpretations of our planet impacted by the effect of climate change on Earth, including plant and animal life that has suffered immensely owing to the greed and selfishness of man. Each installation, portrays the Earth, affected by the many contentions that human action, rapid industrialization and neglect have caused. The beautiful blue-green planet is shown turning into a gasping mass with the overuse of plastic while another installation shows us how the colorful hues of nature are turning black with pollution rampant across our seas and skies. A third portrays the gold and silver of days and nights becoming a fiery red with global warming and the fourth shows the greens and blues of enriched lands and open skies turning into rust with the endless culling of trees and killing of animals. There is also a special pop-up format showcasing multiple medium art installations celebrating all those privileges we currently take for granted in life, from clean air, and freshwater to animals, plants, and birds. The week-long activity attempts to engage with audiences and underlines the critical need for course correction for the continuity of life on the planet. Featuring items like A Glass of Clean Water, or A Jar of Fresh Air, it also features auditory recordings of the sounds of nature and the chirping of birds. There is also an installation featuring endangered animal species which will soon go extinct if urgent action is not taken to save them. #ActNow is the clarion call Select CITYWALK has adopted, which is what we must do when the reality of this year's theme for the World Environment Day #OnlyOneEarth sinks in, serving as a reminder of the necessity to live in harmony with nature. As an initiative of this global day, this is a community project encouraging us to make sustainable choices within our beloved ecosystem! Commenting on the art exhibition, Gitanjali Singh, Vice President - Marketing, Select Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. says, "We have used art as a medium to encourage dialogue and engage with our visitors. The aim of this art exhibit and decor is to underline the urgent need for all of us to step up as a community to preserve nature. Through our social experiment, our endeavor is to help people realize that our natural resources are a luxury too, so we should take care of them much like our prized possessions." It has been presumed that nature will be intact forever like it has nurtured us so far, hence it's been taken for granted. Select CITYWALK's Luxury Art Exhibit provokes the outlook toward preserving the environment before it becomes a luxury for all of us that no one can pay for. Select CITYWALK is India's most admired, upscale, and responsible shopping centre. Select CITYWALK has carved out a niche for itself in the retail revolution for India's discerning shoppers over the last 14 years.The premier shopping centre has revolutionized the shopping scene in Delhi NCR by establishing a new lifestyle and shopping milestones for its customers. The majority of international brands have launched or made their Indian debut through Select CITYWALK. More than 192 renowned Indian and international brands, including Ted Baker, Skechers, Dior, Bateel, Muji, Chanel, Good Earth, Kiehl's, Decathlon, Zara, H&M, Bath & Body Works, L'affaire, Onitsuka Tiger, Fabindia, Nineteen 78, Soultree and many others, are housed in the shopping centre. The shopping centre, ISO certified, audited, and committed, is a leader in environmental administration, with zero waste and water discharge. Reach out as follows for deliveries and other contactless services - * Digital Catalogue Shopping - WhatsApp: 96 5421 5421 * Delivery - T: 96 5421 5421; WhatsApp: 96 5433 9951 * Personal Shopper - T: 99 9990 0112 * Curbside Pickup - T: 4211 4200 This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 6 (ANI/NewsVoir): Bharat Fritz Werner Group announces the launch of India's first commercially available Laser-Directed-Energy-Deposition (L-DED) machines with Hybrid and Robotic configurations - The Photon 1000H and the Photon 1000R - powered by the Meltio. BFW's 60 years of expertise in machine tools gives it the capability and infrastructure to develop and manufacture a complete end to end range of Additive Manufacturing solutions (Photon Platform) to exacting specifications and reliability. The photon platform includes the world's largest and fastest L-DED game changer Photon 4000G which was announced in April 2022, now the Photon 1000H and Photon 1000R hybrid and robotic configurations. The entire product range of Photon platform is among the most commercially attractive yet highly capable technologies with strong validation in academia and industrial applications for aerospace, Defence, Medical, Die and Mold, Energy segments. BFW also prides itself in its capability, commitment, and track record to provide world class customer support for installation, commissioning, training, and expert consultancy to any customer within India and worldwide. The formal launch ceremony for the Photon 1000 series took place in Bangalore at BFW/M2NxT headquarters on June 1, 2022, at the hands of Dr Ashwathnarayan C. N, Minister for Higher Education, IT &BT, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Dr V.K.Saraswat, Member Niti Ayog, was the Guest of Honor and the event was felicitated by T.R. Parasuraman, President and whole-time Director, Toyota Industries Engine India, Dr S. Devarajan, Sr V.P. TVS Motor Company, Jaspreet Sidhu, CEO, National Centre for Additive Manufacturing, Brian Mathews, Chief Technology Officer, Meltio, Spain and several senior government/industry officials and experts. During his address, Dr Ashwathnarayan C N, Minister of Higher Education, IT, BT, Science and Technology and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, said that the Karnataka Government is aiming to make the state - the national capital for additive manufacturing, which is a USD 35 billion market globally and Karnataka is targeting to be at least USD 1 billion market. He congratulated BFW and promised all support from the government for the future endeavors of the company. Minister assured that the government is ready to collaborate with BFW for establishing a center of excellence in additive technology. Robotics, IoT, He said that the State government is committed to working closely with the government and promised all support for research and development of modern technologies. Stating that skill development is the government's topmost priority he said that the state will have a huge manpower bank and will be the supplier of skilled manpower to the world. The government is aiming to make the future generation job-ready, productive, and familiar with the best practices in the industry. He said that the industry can look up to the institutions in Karnataka for all their skilled manpower requirements. The engineering curriculum of Karnataka is upgraded and is on par with IITs and all undergraduate courses are aligned with the national skill development program embedding technology in their curriculum. Congratulating BFW for the launch of the Photon 1000H and the Photon 1000R Dr V. K. Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog and Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, said that today we have shown the world that we are capable of manufacturing such sophisticated machines for which we would have had to depend on imports a few years back. Additive manufacturing uses data computer-aided-design software or 3D object scanners to direct hardware to deposit material, layer upon layer, in precise geometric shapes. Additive manufacturing's ability to generate almost any 3-D shape allows designers the freedom to create parts that perform better or cost less than conventional alternatives. Additive manufacturing can simplify the maintenance and support of products in the field, reducing the need for spare-parts inventories by enabling on-demand production of items from digital files. According to him additive manufacturing can change the fundamentals of manufacturing, and hence needed to be adapted rapidly. The Photon 1000 series are available immediately, and boast, among many other advantages: Photon 1000H: Fully integrated L-DED head from Meltio into any BFW CNC machine platform Photon 1000R: Fully integrated L-DED head from Meltio onto any industrial grade robotic system. Industry first co-axial feed dual-deposition head from Meltio - for Powder & Wire deposition Dual wire and hot wire deposition are available optionally 3-axis, 5-axis and 7-axis deposition configurations are available Standard offering is with "open atmosphere" and inert gas shielding Inert atmosphere chambers as well as customized chambers are available optionally Printing small, medium, and large parts in the Photon 1000 machines will be significantly more economical than other similar L-DED machines currently offered by overseas manufacturers. Such compelling economic business cases bring game changing opportunities, competitive advantages, and technical capability to potential users for freeform fabrication, hybrid manufacturing and repair applications for the aerospace, defence, oil and gas, power, mining, and heavy industries. BFW has already installed Photon 1000H and Photon 1000R machines in its Dr Abdul Kalam Centre of Excellence in Bangalore for contract manufacturing, R&D, alloy development, as well as to market & support the machines in India and globally. "BFW and m2nxt have introduced market disruptive high technology products for the last six decades. Photon 1000 machine series is one more such product line which will not only bring technology differentiators but would be the First IoT enabled Smart AM machine," adds Ravi Raghavan, MD BFW. The fact that this world leading metal AM machine is being manufactured entirely in India is a testament to the Indian Government's "Make in India" initiative and will address very commercially attractive applications in the Defence/Space/Aerospace/Heavy Industries/Energy/Academia and advanced R&D sectors. BFW specializes in cutting edge advanced manufacturing technology platforms, with more than 50,000 machines and systems installed worldwide. BFW sensed the industry need and opportunity for cost effective and large format metal additive manufacturing in the Laser-Powder & Laser-Wire Directed Energy Deposition (DED) segment. It entered the DED metal AM industry in September 2021 with a mission to industrialise additive technology and has a very Technology driven Global team to drive this business. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], June 6 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Vadodara-based IT & web development firm, Webmedia Experts completes 13 years in the Information Technology industry. Since its establishment in 2009, the company has worked with multiple SMEs and educational institutions to transform them with digitization & automation technology. Its main aim is to promote business efficiency through its products & services with an emphasis on the education industry. The company is headed by its two co-founders, Amarjeet Singh and his wife Minakshi Singh. "Our goal is to help education institutes in India come at par with the efficiency of global institutions," says Webmedia Experts Co-Founder & CEO, Amarjeet Singh. Webmedia Experts has three other branches in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and is now looking to expand its operations in other parts of the country. "Our research team is currently working on effective AI incorporation in the education technologies that we offer," said co-founder Minakshi Singh while talking about the future of the company. The company also has plans to create an NGO to promote poor but talented students across the country. Apart from automation software for schools (SWEEDU), Webmedia Experts also offers web development services to Indian & International clients, productivity software for gyms & health clubs (VFitnessClub), and account & billing software for retailers and wholesalers across India. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 6 (ANI/NewsVoir): 'Jaipur Bikers', a bikers' and wildlife enthusiast group from Jaipur extended their support to World Animal Protection to spread awareness on the plight of elephants used as attractions for tourism in Jaipur. The elephants in Amer fort are part of the tourism attraction package that subjects these wild animals to live in unnatural conditions and bear a life of suffering. "Elephants and other animals are used as commodities for commercial prospects in many places like Amer Fort in Jaipur. We take this initiative of "No Pride in Elephant Ride" to bring awareness among key stakeholders to help us in ending their suffering and relocating them to appropriate sanctuaries," said Gajender Kumar Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection, India. The world is not the same post pandemic. The tourism industry was one of the most impacted industries leaving mahouts and owners of these wild animals struggling to arrange appropriate space, food and other amenities in extraordinary circumstances. "An adult elephant needs about 200 kg of daily food in such demanding times when it is difficult for human survival and we see this as a window to emphasise the concept of 'bring back better' embracing a humane model of tourism to improve the lives of the captive elephants. We have been in discussions with the government of Rajasthan to start a feasibility study to find alternative solutions to ensure welfare of elephants and mahouts is safeguarded," said Gajender K Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection, India. This event aimed to bring awareness and garner support for this initiative and strengthen the voice with more support. The event was flagged off by IPS Shri. Kanhaiya Lal Bairwa, Ex DG Home Guards and Civil Defence and Gajender K Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection, India on the World Environment Day in Jaipur. The Rally was flagged off from Patrika Gate on June 5th 2022, rallying through Jawahar Circle to JLN Marg to Gandhi Circle culminating at Jawahar Circle. We urge all to join us in this campaign and help us break this chain of demand and supply to enable relocation and rehabilitation of these wild creatures, gifting them a deserving life free of silent suffering. #noprideinelephantride. For more information please do visit - World Animal Protection and www.worldanimalprotection.org.in/our-work This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday said it has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 49 lakh on Bassein Catholic Co-operative Bank Ltd, Vasai for non-compliance with its directions. The RBI issued an order in this regard on June 2, 2022. The central bank has imposed the penalty for non-compliance with the directions issued by it on "Income Recognition, Asset Classification, Provisioning and Other Related Matters' (IRAC norms)". This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI conferred under section 47 A (1) (c) read with sections 46 (4) (i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act), taking into account the failure of the bank to adhere to the aforesaid directions issued by RBI, a central bank statement said. This action is based on deficiency in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers, it said. The statutory inspection of the bank conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2019, the Inspection Report pertaining thereto and examination of all related correspondence revealed, inter alia, that in non-compliance with the aforesaid directions issued by RBI. The bank in certain instances (i) had upgraded/ regularised loan accounts of borrowers without recovering overdue amounts and (ii) had not classified existing non-performing loan accounts of borrowers as NPAs, on restructuring. In furtherance to the same, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why a penalty should not be imposed for contravention of the RBI directions. After considering the bank's reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI came to the conclusion that the charge of non-compliance with the aforesaid RBI directions was substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty, the statement said. (ANI)
An audience member asked the group what they imagined their characters would be doing now at the close of a Scrubs reunion panel at the ATX TV Festival on Sunday. "You're asking me to write the reboot right in front of your eyes!", exclaimed series creator Bill Lawrence, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes, and Neil Flynn were the show's core cast and Lawrence shared some of their favourite moments from the NBC/ABC comedy's run from 2001 to 2010. Because the actors and creators have remained close in the decade after the series ended. Braff and Faison even host a retrospective podcast called Fake Doctors, 'Real Friends' talk of an on-screen reunion or sequel was inevitable. "We're gonna do it, you guys know," Lawrence said. Though it should be noted that there's no formal arrangement of any kind. The Ted Lasso co-creator added that "If you ever have an excuse to work with people you want to spend time with anyway, run to it." Nonetheless, with everyone on stage having very busy careers, the 10th season of Scrubs is unlikely to happen very soon. "We all want to work together again, but it wouldn't be a full season," Faison remarked, "Maybe a movie, something we could do in two months." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 'Sacred Heart' crew also noted how Scrubs was an early adopter of combining drama and comedy, beginning with the show's fourth episode, "My Old Lady," which was carried on broadcast networks at the time. Three patients are treated by young doctors John Dorian (Braff), Elliot Reid (Chalke), and Chris Turk (Faison) in the episode, and all three die. When Lawrence pitched the concept to NBC, the network questioned if all three patients had to die. "I suggested that this was not me [forecasting one of the show's defining components], but just being a smartass. 'If we turn down the lights and play an indie song, it may work,'" Lawrence added. (ANI)
The actor was living her best life on an island in Indonesia and her pictures are a testimony to that! Parineeti recently shared a bunch of pictures from her recent trip looking mesmerizing.

Chopra, who is a certified Scuba diving instructor often enjoys her vacations by the ocean. On her Indonesian adventure trip this time, she was accompanied by her younger brother and a bunch of friends.

Giving her fans a glimpse of the vacation, Parineeti shared a picture on social media and wrote, "You can convince me to stay on the boat ONLY to take a picture. Otherwiseeeee (swimming and fish emojis) #ScubaDiving #Indonesia".

The 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar' actor has also shared some videos and photos of the scenic beauty there.

Previously, Parineeti had also posted a string of pictures with her brother and friends in scuba diving costumes.

However, her fans were concerned when they came across a video shared by the actor herself where she is showing bruise marks on her legs. Parineeti, in the video, mentioned how scuba diving in the ocean can sometimes take a toll on the body, making legs bruised.

On the work front, Chopra will next be seen in Sooraj Barjatya's 'Unchai'. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani and Anupam Kher. (ANI)
Meanwhile, the Covid positivity rate has slightly dropped to 1.91 per cent and the number of active cases stands at 1,422.

With 388 patients recovering in the last 24 hours, the total number of recoveries has gone to 18,81,096. The number of patients being treated in home isolation stands at 1,016.

With new Covid cases, the total caseload of the city has jumped to 19,08,730, while the death toll continues at 26,212.

The number of Covid containment zones stand at 251 in the city.

A total of 17,917 new tests -- 11,924 RT-PCR and 5,993 Rapid Antigen - were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 3,86,23,875, while 31,073 vaccines were administered - 3,438 first doses, 11,265 second doses, and 16,370 precaution doses.

The total number of cumulative beneficiaries vaccinated so far stands at 3,43,43,517, according to the health bulletin.

--IANS avr/vd

( 195 Words)

2022-06-05-23:14:02 (IANS)
Soon after the BJP on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma and leader Naveen Kumar Jindal over their derogatory religious comments, TRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao demanded it suspend its Telangana chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar. "If the BJP truly respects all religions equally, should you also not suspend the Telangana BJP chief who made an open public statement wanting to dig up all the mosques & impose a ban on Urdu?" tweeted Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader. "Why this selective treatment Nadd Ji? Any clarification?," KTR asked BJP President J.P. Nadda. Bandi Sanjay, who is also a Member of Parliament, has made controversial statements in recent days. Alleging that Muslim rulers in Telangana demolished several temples and built mosques over them, he demanded digging at all mosques, saying there was a possibility of finding Shiva Lingams underneath. The BJP MP also stated that if the BJP comes to power in Telangana, it will abolish all madrasas, do away with reservation for Muslims and remove Urdu as the second official language. Meanwhile, another TRS leader Krishank Manne said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP have put India to shame. "If only the BJP could hear its own Indians, India wouldn't have to be threatened by Arab. Narendra Modi ji, you should have done this before Arab said boycott India. You and your BJP have put India to Shame Mr. Prime Minister. Late (Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji would be feeling ashamed of you," tweeted Krishank, who is social media convenor of TRS. The TRS leader also said that in Indian history, no country ever asked India to apologise. He wrote that because of Narendra Modi and BJP, Qatar is asking the government of India to apologise for the statements. "History will remember this day on how BJP has put India to shame," he said. --IANS ms/vd ( 316 Words) 2022-06-05-19:32:02 (IANS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that "reduce, reuse, and recycle" are the concepts woven into our life and the circular economy has been an integral part of our culture and lifestyle. The Prime Minister was speaking after virtually launching a global initiative 'Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement'. The launch will initiate 'LiFE Global Call for Papers' inviting ideas and suggestions from academics, universities, and research institutions to influence and persuade individuals, communities and organisations across the world to adopt an environment-conscious lifestyle. Addressing the gathering, he said that today is an apt day for the launch of the global initiative 'Lifestyle for the Environment - LiFE Movement' as he stressed the need of the hour to solve the challenge faced by our planet using human-centric, collective efforts and robust action that further sustainable development. The Prime Minister reminded the gathering that this global initiative was proposed by him at COP-26 last year. "The vision of LiFE is to live a lifestyle that is in tune with our planet and does not harm it. And those who live such a lifestyle are called 'Pro-Planet People'. Mission LiFE borrows from the past, operates in the present, and focuses on the future. Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the concepts woven into our life. The Circular Economy has been an integral part of our culture and lifestyle," he said. He noted that thanks to 1.3 billion Indians in the country, he was able to do many good things for the environment in our country. "India's forest cover is increasing and so is the population of lions, tigers, leopards, elephants and rhinos. India's commitment to reach 40 per cent of installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuel-based sources has been achieved, nine years ahead of schedule. The target of 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol has been achieved five months ahead of the November 2022 target. This is a major accomplishment given that blending was hardly 1.5 per cent in 2013-14 and five per cent in 2019-20," he said. He also mentioned that renewable energy has a priority focus in the government. "Way ahead is all about innovation and openness. When technology and tradition mix, the vision of life will be taken further," he said. The Prime Minister recalled that Mahatma Gandhi talked about a zero-carbon lifestyle. "In our daily life choices, let us pick the most sustainable options," he said and urged the gathering to follow the principle of reuse, reduce, and recycle. "Our planet is one but our efforts have to be many - One earth, many efforts. India stands ready to support any effort for a better environment and to further global wellness. Our track record speaks for itself," he added. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-Chairman Bill Gates, who also participated in the programme, said: "I congratulate Prime Minister Modi for taking a lead on this global initiative of citizen action to promote pro-climate behaviours. Together we can build a green industrial revolution. The necessity for collective global action to address climate change has never been greater and India's role and leadership are crucial in ensuring that we reach our climate goals." World Bank President David Malpass recalled the words of Indian scriptures on the centrality of the environment in the Indian ethos. He remembered seeing this urgency while working with the Prime Minister on Civil Service capacity building in Gujarat in 2019. He also praised India's local initiatives like POSHAN, ASHA, and Swachh Bharat people helping in financial inclusion and localising the initiative. The idea of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow last year. The idea promotes an environment-conscious lifestyle that focuses on 'mindful and deliberate utilisation' instead of 'mindless and destructive consumption.' --IANS ssb/kvd ( 647 Words) 2022-06-05-20:39:29 (IANS)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached Dehradun on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday to take stock of relief operation pertaining to the bus accident of pilgrims from Panna dist in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district. The accident claimed the lives of 25 pilgrims travelling in the bus after it fell into a gorge near Damta in Uttarkashi district on Sunday. Chouhan, after his arrival in the hill state, held a meeting with the officials and took stock of the situation. Speaking to ANI after the meeting, Chouhan said that he would visit the hospital to meet the injured ones in the accident. "I am with the officials of Uttarakhand in the Disaster Control room. I have taken stock of the situation from the place of the accident. The DM, SP, DIG, SDRF and NDRF teams are present at the site. Apart from two mortal remains, the rest of them have been located. 19 of them have been lifted to the road. The operation to bring five more bodies is underway, which hopefully would be done in the night," he said. "Search operation for the two people is underway. Four injured have been admitted to the hospital. I will visit the hospital to meet them," the Chief Minister added. Giving details of the meeting with the officials in Dehradun, Chouhan said that discussions were held regarding conducting the postmortem of the deceased ones. "Discussions were held on doing the postmortem of the dead ones. It has been decided that they would be brought to Dehradun for the postmortem. We are contacting the relatives. We will make arrangements to transport them according to the wishes of the relatives. We are working on both road and air mode of transport," he said. Earlier on Sunday, Chouhan announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured in the bus accident of pilgrims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident in Uttarakhand. (ANI)
Even before Hyderabad could overcome the shock of a gang rape of a teenage girl, the city was jolted by alleged sexual assault on two more minor girls. The incidents took place on May 30-31 but came to light on Sunday after police announced the details. In one of the cases, two men sexually assaulted the victim. According to police, a cab driver and his friend committed the rape after taking the girl to their house at Kondurg village in Rangareddy district on the outskirts of Hyderabad. In the early hours of June 1, police received a complaint from a woman that her sister's daughter was missing from the evening of May 31 from her house in Sultan Shahi area in the old city. Police said around 5 a.m., patrolling personnel found her in the same area. She was brought to Moghalpura Police Station and sent to Bharosa Centre, where woman police officials recorded her statement. The victim told police that she had left her aunt's house for a walk to her parents' house. Around 8 p.m. when she was standing near Pahadi Shareef Kaman and wanted to go to Shaheen Nagar, a cab driver lured her by offering to drop at her house. Cab driver Shaik Kaleem Ali (36), however, picked up his friend Luqman Ahemed Yazdani (36) enroute. They took the girl to Luqman's house in Kondurg village, where they sexually assaulted her. After committing the crime, Kaleem took the victim in his cab and dropped her in the Sultan Shahi area. Based on the victim's statement, police arrested the accused and sent them to judicial custody. They have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 366 (A), 376 (2) (n), 376 DB, 376 AB r/w 34 IPC and section 5 (g) (m) r/w 6 and 9 (m) of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. In the second incident, a man raped a minor girl on May 30. The girl, who works as a sales person at a cloth store near Charminar, was returning home when the accused lured her and took her to his house in Langar Houz area and sexually assaulted her. The next day he dropped her at the shop. On Sunday when the girl complained of stomach pain and her mother enquired about it, she revealed the entire incident. The victim's mother approached Kalapathar Police Station and lodged a complaint against Mohammed Sufiyan (21). Police booked the accused for kidnapping and rape under section 363 and 376 (2) (n) IPC and Section 5 (1) r/w 6 (1) and (2) of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Police were on the lookout for the accused. The two incidents came to light a week after the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in posh Jubilee Hills area in a car. Son of the leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is among three juveniles and two majors were booked for the crime which was committed on May 28 but came to light last Friday. --IANS ms/vd ( 515 Words) 2022-06-05-23:12:04 (IANS)
With the number of COVID cases witnessing a sudden spike in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, the health officials in the city have cautioned the people to wear masks and follow COVID guidelines. The city has reported 36 cases in the last three days. According to the bulletin that was released, 11 persons tested positive on Saturday while 13 tested positive on Friday and 12 on Thursday. Nearly 6 per cent of the total number of COVID samples being tested daily are found to be positive. The active cases in the city stand at 58. Speaking to ANI on the issue on Sunday, Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr BS Setiya raised concerns over the spike in cases. "This is a matter of concern. We need to be alert. The people should follow the COVID guidelines. It was advised in Maharashtra to wear mask as the number of cases are increasing there also. There are some patients with comorbidities who are admitted to the hospital. Most of the patients are in the home isolation," he said. Meanwhile, The COVID-19 cases in India have crossed the 4,000-mark for the second time in the past four days on Sunday, as the country logged 4,270 fresh infections in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry. On Friday, after nearly three months, the daily tally of COVID-19 cases in India had crossed the 4,000-mark with the country recording 4,041 fresh infections. However, the country reported a marginal dip yesterday with 3,962 new COVID cases. With this, India's active COVID caseload stands at 24,052, constituting 1.03 per cent of the country's total positive cases. The daily positivity rate of 1.03 per cent was observed in the last 24 hours, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded to be 0.84 per cent, the health ministry informed today. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at the residence of Delhi's Health and Home Minister Satyendar Jain in connection with hawala transactions related to a Kolkata-based company. The move comes days after the central probe agency arrested Jain on May 30. Jain will be under the custody of ED till June 9. Jain was arrested after the ED in April this year attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore owned by companies named Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in connection with disproportionate asset and money laundering case registered Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, and others. The ED had registered a criminal case against the AAP leader based on this FIR which was lodged by the CBI in which it had been alleged that Jain could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he was a shareholder. Jain had reportedly floated or bought several shell companies in Delhi. He also laundered black money worth Rs 16.39 crore through 54 shell companies of three hawala operators of Kolkata. Jain owned a large number of shares in companies named Prayas, Indo, and Akinchan. However, after becoming Minister in Kejriwal's government, all his shares were transferred to his wife in 2015, as per reports. These companies used to transfer cash payments to their Kolkata counterparts and later under the ruse of buying shares, would route back the money to Jain by employing legal means. The companies have reportedly laundered money to the tune of Rs 16.39 crores from 2010 to 2014 to Satyendra Jain. As per government sources, when prosecuted by the I-T Department, Jain surrendered black money in form of cash of Rs 16.39 crore under Income Disclosure Scheme (IDS) 2016 on Benami names of Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain. In November 2019, the Home Ministry approved the prosecution of Delhi minister Satyendra Jain in cases related to disproportionate assets and money laundering. Besides, Home and Health, Jain holds Power and PWD, among other portfolios, in the AAP-led Delhi government. The Delhi High court on Saturday stayed the order of a special court allowing Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain to have counsel during the interrogation by the ED. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed an FIR against Jain in a money laundering case on August 25, 2017. (ANI)
A total of 26 persons have been confirmed dead after a bus carrying pilgrims from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh fell into a gorge near Damta in Uttarkashi district on June 5, officials said on Monday informing that search and rescue operations have concluded. "A total of 26 people died in the accident, and 4 are injured. The injured have been sent to Higher Centre for their treatment," police said. The bus carrying 30 people, including 28 pilgrims was on its way to Yamunotri Dham in Uttarkashi when it fell into a gorge. Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) along with district administration rushed to the site to conduct rescue and relief operations. The Prime Minister expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. Governor Lt General Gurmeet Singh (Seni) has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his grief at the loss of lives in the accident and spoken to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived in Dehradun to take stock of relief operations. He also held a meeting with officials on the situation. The chief minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those who died in the bus mishap and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the incident and reached the disaster control room at the Secretariat to take stock of the relief and rescue operations. The chief minister has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.(ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday informed that Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft has been arranged to take the bodies of pilgrims killed in the bus accident in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district to Madhya Pradesh. The deceased pilgrims hailed from Madhya Pradesh's Panna district. Speaking with ANI, Chouhan said that the bodies will be sent to MP's Khajuraho from Uttarakhand's Dehradun after postmortem. Whereafter, teams of the Madhya Pradesh government will take them to four different villages in the state. "We have asked for IAF aircraft to carry the bodies. The aircraft will arrive in Dehradun by 2 pm. The bodies will be sent to Khajuraho, our teams will be ready there and will take the bodies to four different villages," he said while adding that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has made the arrangements for IAF aircraft. Chouhan further informed that all the bodies were recovered last night, and their post mortem was done too. "Bodies will reach Dehradun at about 10 am today and will be sent to Khajuraho after embalming; will try that their cremation is done today," he added. The MP Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister and Home Minister for the continuous support from the Centre. Chouhan has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured along with free treatment to the four critically injured including the driver. "Rs 5 lakh to the deceased's families, Rs 50,000 and free treatment to the four critically injured including the driver, who told us that accident happened after the steering wheel failed. The remaining three tourists are from MP, trying to save their lives," he said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Shivraj Singh Chouhan have reached the site of the incident in Nainbagh and extended their condolences to Krishna Bihari Dwivedi, a relative of Ramsji and Banke Bihari, who died in the bus accident. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand CM said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also sent the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team for rescue work. "All bodies have been recovered and sent to Dehradun...After the process is complete we will send them...(bodies to Khajuraho, MP)," he added. Dhami has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. After the search and rescue operations concluded, the officials on Monday said that as many as 26 persons have been confirmed dead while four are critically injured. The bus carrying 30 people, including 28 pilgrims was on its way to Yamunotri Dham in Uttarkashi when it fell into a gorge. Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) along with district administration rushed to the site to conduct rescue and relief operations. The Prime Minister expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. (ANI)
President Ram Nath Kovind attended a special joint session of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Monday. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Akhilesh Yadav were also present at the special session. President Kovind is on a four-day visit to Uttar Pradesh from June 3. Earlier on Sunday, the President addressed the 90th year celebrations of the Merchants Chamber of Uttar Pradesh at Kanpur. "The objective of any business organization should not only be to work for the benefit of its members but it should also become a participant in the all-around development of the society and country," he said during the event. President Kovind also participated in the centenary celebrations of the Gita Press at Gorakhpur on Saturday. Speaking at the event, he noted that the intention behind the establishment of Gita Press was to make available Gita in pure form with the right meaning and at a low price to the masses which were not easily available at that time. The President also noted that of the 1850 current publications of Gita Press, about 760 publications are in Sanskrit and Hindi but the remaining publications are in other languages such as Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Kannada, Assamese, Malayalam, Nepali, Urdu, Punjabi and English. He said that this reflects the unity in diversity of our Indian culture. "The religious and spiritual base in Indian culture is the same from east to west and from north to south." Pointing to the Gita Press's plan for setting up its branches abroad, the President expressed hope that through this expansion, the whole world would benefit from the culture and philosophy of India. He urged Gita Press to enhance its relations with the Indian diaspora living abroad, as they are the messengers of Indian culture, who connect the world with our country. Earlier on Friday, the President visited his native village - Paraunkh in Kanpur Dehat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also accompanied President during the visit to his native village. (ANI)
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav has filed an application at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ranchi seeking the release of his passport for renewal as he has to go abroad for a kidney transplant. "Lalu Yadav will go abroad, most likely to Singapore, for a kidney transplant. Process for an appointment with the doctor over there is underway. Meanwhile, the application has been filed in court so that passport can be renewed. The renewed passport will be submitted again to the court," Prabhat Kumar, Yadav's lawyer told ANI. "When the date of an appointment gets fixed, a fresh plea will be filed in all five cases he is convicted seeking permission for foreign travel. The application was filed on May 31. The next hearing has been fixed for June 10," he said. Meanwhile, Yadav has to appear physically before the special MP MLA court in Palamu related to the violation of the model code of conduct in Garhwa district in 2009. He will reach Palamu by Monday evening. In February, a special CBI court in Ranchi had held RJD chief Lalu Prasad guilty of fraudulent withdrawals from Doranda Treasury in connection with the fifth fodder scam. However, Lalu was granted bail in the Rs 139.35-crore illegal withdrawal from Doranda Treasury by the Jharkhand High Court in April. "He has been granted bail on the uniform yardstick of half custody and health issues, he will be released soon. He will have to deposit Rs 1 lakh surety amount and Rs 10 lakh as fine," his lawyer had said. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Governor Gurmit Singh on Monday said that reason behind the bus accident that claimed 26 lives in the state will be inquired, and lessons will be taken from the incident as the safety of pilgrims is the priority of the state government. Singh made his statement after a short meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his office. The Governor also assured of adopting a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to avoid such kinds of road accidents. "Lesson will be taken from the accident. We will check minutely about the reason behind the incident and a robust SOP will be prepared. This will define our responsibility so that similar incidents do not occur in future as the safety of pilgrims is the most important part for us. It is a very sad incident," Singh told ANI after meeting Amit Shah. The family members of those who lost their lives in the accident will be helped in all ways, added Singh when asked if kin of the deceased and victims will be taken care of. "This is our priority to keep the safety of pilgrims. Almost 16.5 lakh pilgrims have already come on Chaar Dhaam Yatra. A record will be broken this year certainly." Twenty-six people were killed and four others injured after the bus carrying pilgrims from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh fell into a deep gorge en route to the Yamunotri temple in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on Sunday, according to officials. Besides the driver and the helper, there were 28 passengers on board. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with state minister Bijendra Pratap Singh, Director General of Police Sudhir Saxena and other senior officials had left for Dehradun on Sunday night. The MP Home Department had also issued a list of 28 passengers from Panna who were travelling in the ill-fated bus. After reaching Uttarakhand, Chouhan met the injured persons and reviewed the arrangements for their treatment. The CM had on Sunday announced that Rs 5 lakh will be given to the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured persons. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh to the kin of those killed in the bus accident and Rs 50,000 to the injured persons. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party national president Jagat Prakash Nadda will arrive in West Bengal on June 7 evening and hold several meetings there on June 8 and 9. The BJP president will arrive in the capital city of Kolkata on June 7 evening, sources said on Monday. During his two-day visit to the state, Nadda will be holding several important closed-door meetings with party leaders. Several leaders have deserted the BJP recently. Former Union Minister Babul Supriyo has moved from BJP to arch-rival TMC and is currently the member of the Legislative Assembly from Ballygunge. Barrackpore Lok Sabha MP of the BJP Arjun Singh also went back to the Trinamool Congress expressing his displeasure over the way the state was being handled by the BJP leadership. On June 8, JP Nadda will visit and address a couple of programs from the Chuchura and Chandannagar areas of West Bengal. In the afternoon of that day, the BJP president will address the state executive meeting and hold meetings with the party's state leadership. On June 9, the BJP president will visit Belur Math and hold meetings with the party's MPs and MLAs and state office bearers and also hold a Karyakarta Sammelan followed by a Nagrik Sammelan meeting in the capital city of Kolkata. Nadda, who held multiple visits to the state last year during West Bengal assembly elections, which was bitterly fought between the BJP and the TMC, last visited the state to stand with the Karyakartas in the wake of the post-poll violence last year. The BJP has appointed a new state president with Dilip Ghosh being replaced by Sukanta Majumdar recently. Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also visited the state where he held a meeting with the party's leadership. In May 2021, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has returned to power for the third term with a landslide win in West Bengal. The ruling party won 213 seats with 48 per cent vote share while the BJP could win just 77 with 38 per cent vote share. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed its displeasure at some companies continuing illegal mining of minerals in Odisha without obtaining forest clearance (FCs) from authorities under the garb of "status quo" orders. A vacation Bench of Justices MR Shah and Aniruddha Bose asked the Orissa High Court to dispose of these matters in six months. The top court took strong note that the mining companies, which have not been granted FCs by the Centre and other authorities, are continuing with the "illegal excavation" of minerals on grounds that the High Court has passed the status quo orders with regard to the dispute. It was hearing the appeal of M/s Balasore Alloys Limited of Odisha challenging the High Court order by which it had refused to continue with the status quo order favouring the firm. The apex court while hearing the matter observed, "Anything which has been excavated without the forest clearance is illegal. You cannot be permitted to continue with the excavation or extraction of minerals without the forest clearance. It is unfortunate that High Courts are passing such orders of status quo and permitting continuance of mining work." In its order, the Bench said, "It is not in dispute that the petitioner is not having the forest clearance at this stage. Merely because the application for forest clearance is pending cannot be treated as having obtained the forest clearance permitting the petitioner to carry on the mining activities." It allowed the petitioner to withdraw its plea from the Supreme Court and directed the Orissa High Court to decide and dispose of all such pending matters, where the order of status quo is continuing for a long period of time and the mining activities have been continued under the order of status quo, within a period of six months from today without fail. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited as many as 47 BJP corporators of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), along with office bearers of the Hyderabad unit and other senior leaders, to meet him in Delhi on Tuesday. This is the first time, during his tenure as a Prime Minister, that Modi has called for such an informal interaction. In a conversation with ANI on Monday, Prakash Reddy, BJP leader and a spokesperson said, "Our corporators and office bearers have been asked to meet the Prime Minister on Tuesday. He invited us all during his recent visit to ISB, Hyderabad. Due to heavy rains here, we were unable to him back then. PM has invited us once again to meet him." "We all will reach Delhi at 10 am tomorrow. PM Modi will hoist a tea meeting. It is only a courtesy visit. PM Modi will motivate us to work for the party. Keeping that spirit, we will meet the Prime Minister," he said. GHMC corporator of Musheerabad, Supriya Goud, said to ANI, "I am glad that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited corporators of GHMC, along with office bearers of the Hyderabad unit and other senior leaders, to meet him in Delhi. Recently, we received a call to meet him. We will highlight the problems faced in our corporation." This development comes just months before the Telangana Assembly elections which are slated to be held next year. In the Hyderabad Municipal Elections held in 2020, the BJP won 48 seats while AIMIM won 44. The TRS had won 56. (ANI)
The ambitious bullet train project will be completed on time, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told ANI while reviewing work on the project at the Surat-Navsari section today. He said, "The work of bullet train is going very well. About 60 km of pillar work has been completed. Simultaneous work is going on in 150 kms. Work is going on on all the bridges and stations simultaneously. The first section is from Surat to Bilimora with a target of 2026 and is progressing very fast. The bullet train will run at full speed on the scheduled time." On being asked about the progress of the project in Maharashtra, the Railway Minister said, "According to our Prime Minister, it takes everyone's effort to do any big work. I request the people of Maharashtra to make your efforts. Mumbai also needs a bullet train as much as Ahmedabad. There should be no politics in this project." The Railway Minister further emphasised the employment opportunities that will be generated through the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. "About 1 lakh people have got employment in this project. This includes people doing all kinds of work. For the last two years, the Prime Minister has emphasized on working on a capital investment-based growth strategy. It is the result of that that employment is being created on such a large scale," said Vaishnaw. It is worth noting that more than 98 per cent of the land acquisition work has been completed in Gujarat, 100 per cent in Dadar Nagar Haveli and 71 per cent in the state of Maharashtra for the bullet train corridor of about 508 km. In this, the work of casting and erection of piles, foundations, piers, pier caps and girders in various parts for stations in the 352 km corridor passing through 8 districts of Gujarat is also going on at a fast pace. The fast pace of this project can be gauged from the fact that one of the important milestones of this project is the Bullet Train, Metro, BRT and Passenger Terminal Hub integrating two Indian Railway stations at Sabarmati which is expected to be completed by August 2022. (ANI)
In wake of the recent civilian killings in the Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that some elements are attempting to create instability as they can't digest the robust economy and tourism here. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sinha said, "People of Jammu and Kashmir understand the current situation in the Kashmir Valley. When the lamp is about to go off, its flame flares more. Administration and security forces are maintaining constant vigilance." "Some elements on the other side are attempting to create instability, they can't digest the robust economy and tourism here," Manoj Sinha said. After a rise in attacks on minorities in Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha recently ordered the officials to post selected government employees and other members from minority communities in Kashmir at secure locations by June 6. The development comes as Kashmiri Hindu government employees have been protesting against the killing of a Hindu woman teacher Rajni Bala who was shot dead by terrorists in Kashmir's Kulgam district on May 31. Last month, two civilians, including Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat and three off-duty policemen, were killed in the valley by terrorists. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other top officials on the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh also participated in the meeting. (ANI)
"#SoporeEncounterUpdate: 01 #Pakistani #terrorist affiliated with proscribed #terror outfit LeT killed. #Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition recovered. 2 FTs and one local terrorist escaped from cordon. Search going on. Further details shall follow: IGP Kashmir," tweeted the Kashmir Zone Police on Monday.

As per the documents recovered from the killed Pakistani terrorist, he has been identified as Hanzalla of Lahore, Pakistan.

"As per the documents recovered from the killed #Pakistani #terrorist, he has been identified as Hanzalla of #Lahore, #Pakistan. One AK rifle, 05 magazines along with ammunition has been recovered. Further details shall follow: IGP Kashmir @JmuKmrPolice," tweeted the Kashmir Zone Police.

An encounter has broken out between security forces and unidentified terrorists in the Panipora forest area of Zaloora area in Sopore on Monday.

Earlier, a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) 'commander' was killed in an overnight encounter in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, the Jammu and Kashmir police said on June 4. (ANI)
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the "massacre" that is happening with Kashmiri Pandits is not right and the Centre should take steps to ensure the security of people in the Union Territory. Talking to reporters today before his address in Gujarat, Kejriwal said, "The massacre that is happening with Kashmiri Pandits is not right. In the last 30 years, Kashmiri Pandits had to migrate twice and both happened when BJP was in power. I would appeal to the government that take whatever step needs to be taken and provide them security." Kejriwal on Sunday lashed out at the Centre over the killing of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir and said that Kashmiri Pandits were being "forced" to leave their homes, while asserting that "BJP can't handle Kashmir". Addressing the Aam Aadmi Party's Jan Aakrosh Rally at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Kejriwal said, "Kashmir was ours, belongs to us and will remain ours. Kashmiri Pandits were being forced to leave their homes, a repeat of what happened in the 1990s." "Whenever there is a murder in Kashmir, it comes in the media: 'Home Minister called a meeting..' Too many meetings are being held while people are dying. Now, India needs action. People want action to be taken by the government. Tell the plan to the country," he said. The AAP National Convenor said, "The truth is that BJP can't handle Kashmir. When they (Kashmiri Pandits) protest against the targeted killings, the present BJP government in Kashmir does not allow them to protest. If the government behaves like this, the suffering of the people becomes double." "BJP government has failed in this. The era of 1990 has come again. They (Centre) don't have any plans. Whenever there is a murder in the valley, news comes that the Home Minister has called a high-level meeting. Enough of these meetings! Now, we need action. Kashmir wants action!" he said. After a rise in attacks on minorities in Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha earlier this week ordered the officials to post selected government employees and other members from minority communities in Kashmir at secure locations by June 6. The development comes as Kashmiri Hindu government employees have been protesting against the killing of a Hindu woman teacher Rajni Bala, who was shot dead by terrorists in Kashmir's Kulgam district on May 31. Last month, two civilians -- including Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat -- and three off-duty policemen were killed in Kashmir by terrorists. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other top officials on security in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lay the foundation stone for Rs 15,000 crore Bengaluru Suburban Rail project on June 20. The Chief Minister, in his address after inaugurating the new building of Government Higher Primary School in Govindaraj Nagar constituency, said, "Bengaluru would be developed into a mega city with all international level amenities." He also said, "An efficient team of Ministers and legislators is working with me for the development of Bengaluru. A Best Bengaluru would be built with the most modern amenities." Referring to his government's vision of building New Karnataka for New India, Bommai further said, Bengaluru should be an international city. In this regard, Rs 6,000 crore has been allocated for infrastructure projects under the Nagarothanan Yojana. Plans have been drawn up for developing major storm water drains at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore, Metro, Suburban Rail, 12 Signal-free corridors and other projects are being taken up. (ANI)
Nadda will conduct the inauguration ceremony from Gorakhpur, starting with the district office in the city, while virtually inaugurating the other district offices of Baghpat, Aligarh, Raibareli, Jaunpur, Siddharth Nagar and others, sources told ANI.

BJP president Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and the State President will be present at the event on June 10.

Prior to this inauguration event, Nadda will arrive in West Bengal on June 7 evening and hold several meetings there on June 8 and 9.

The BJP president will arrive in the capital city of Kolkata on June 7 evening, sources said on Monday. During his two-day visit to the state, Nadda will be holding several important closed-door meetings with party leaders.

On June 8, Nadda will visit and address a couple of programs from the Chuchura and Chandannagar areas of West Bengal. In the afternoon of that day, the BJP president will address the state executive meeting and hold meetings with the party's state leadership.

On June 9, the BJP president will visit Belur Math and hold meetings with the party's MPs and MLAs and state office bearers and also hold a Karyakarta Sammelan followed by a Nagrik Sammelan meeting in the capital city of Kolkata. (ANI)
A man who allegedly duped a Gurugram resident of Rs 7.30 lakh by promising a job in the Police Department and even sent him a fake email from a Haryana government department has been arrested, police said on Monday. The arrested accused has been identified as Sudhir Chauhan, 31, a B-tech student and a resident of Haryana's Rewari district. The police have also recovered Rs 40,000 from his possession. Chauhan, along with his two associates, had cheated a Gurugram district resident Aashish Kimar with the Police Department job promise in 2019. In his complaint, he told the police that Chauhan and his associate had taken Rs 7.30 lakh but neither did he get a job and nor did they return the money. A case under relevant sections of the IPC was registered against the accused at the Cyber crime police station of Gurugram in 2019 and the accused was nabbed on May 31 from Delhi and produced before a court on June 1. Further investigation is underway. "During interrogation, we came to know that the accused had duped several people with the same modus operandi along with his associates and his family has expelled him from the house. After committing the crime, he was involved in the farmer's agitation at the Kundli border to avoid police arresting him," ACP, Cyber Crime, Indivar said. He urged the people to beware of such fake job rackets as they cannot purchase jobs with money. --IANS str/vd ( 260 Words) 2022-06-06-19:06:03 (IANS)
At a time when the West Bengal unit of the BJP is going through a series of crisis following internal squabbles and exodus of senior leaders, the party's national president, J.P. Nadda will be on a two-day visit to the state on Wednesday and Thursday. Nadda will be landing at Kolkata airport on June 7, 2022 at around 9 p.m. and spend the night in the city. On the next two days, he will have a packed schedule in Kolkata and the districts after which he will be going back to New Delhi on late Thursday evening. State BJP sources said that many programmes that Nadda will attend, the most crucial will be that of the state committee meeting of the BJP, where he will direct the state functionaries on the party's course of actions in the backdrop of the West Bengal panchayat polls in 2023 and the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Apart from that he is also scheduled to have a close-door meeting with all elected MPs, MLAs and top state committee leaders in the state. State BJP sources said that in that meeting, Nadda is expected to throw some light on how to arrest the exodus of the senior leaders especially elected MPs and MLAs from the party. BJP's key state functionaries like Babul Supriyo, Arjun Singh and Joy Prakash Majumdar have switched over to the Trinamool in the recent past. The meeting is extremely crucial keeping in mind the forthcoming presidential polls, where there are apprehensions of cross-voting by a section of the BJP legislators, who are perceived to be maintaining contact with the Trinamool Congress leadership. This will be the first state committee meeting of the party since the time the new committee was formed. The state unit of the BJP wanted someone like their national president or the union home minister, Amit Shah to be present. On June 9, 2022 before leaving for New Delhi, Nadda is also supposed to attend a citizen's convention in Kolkata, where he will address acclaimed persons from various fields as well as members of the civil society. --IANS src/skp/ ( 362 Words) 2022-06-06-19:08:02 (IANS)
Sources close to Lalu Prasad Yadav said that he wanted to go to Singapore for his kidney transplant, but his passport was seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation due to the cases related to fodder scam.

The RJD chief is suffering from multiple diseases including severe infections in his kidneys and lungs. He also has complications related to blood pressure as well.

He recently met BJP Rajya Sabha member R.K. Sinha who underwent a kidney transplant in Singapore. Hence, he also wants to go to Singapore and consult doctors.

Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad Yadav went to Jharkhand's Palamau on Monday afternoon to appear before a MLA-MLC court in a hearing of a 2009 case of the violation of model code of conduct. A case in this regard was registered in Garhwa during the Assembly election campaign.

Lalu Prasad will appear before the court of Justice Satish Kumar Munda on June 8.

--IANS ajk/vd

( 197 Words)

2022-06-06-19:28:02 (IANS)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on visit to Slovakia and the Czech Republic from June 2 to 6 to impart further momentum to bilateral relations with the two Central European countries, began his engagements in Prague by meeting a delegation of Czech members of European Parliament (MEPs). Jaishankar also held discussions on India's ties with EU and the Czech Republic, the Indo-Pacific, food and energy security and digital cooperation. "Began my engagements in Prague by meeting a delegation of Czech MEPs. A good discussion on India's ties with EU and the Czech Republic, the Indo-Pacific, food and energy security and digital cooperation," tweeted S Jaishankar. During his visit to the Czech Republic, Jaishankar will hold discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavsky. The discussions will provide an opportunity for a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation. The Czech Republic will be taking over the EU Presidency from July 1, 2022. In addition to meeting the political leadership, Jaishankar will also interact with a cross-section of the diaspora, including Indian students in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, India has said Europe must not see crude oil imports from Russia from a political lens. Speaking at Globsec 2022 Bratislava forum, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "We don't send people to buy Russian oil, we send people to buy oil in the market, buy the best oil." He also rubbished reports of trans-shipment of Russian fuel from India."Understand the oil market, there is an enormous shortage of oil, there is a physical shortage of oil, access to oil is difficult, a country like India would be crazy to get the oil from somebody else and sell to somebody else, this is nonsense," Jaishankar said. "Europe has to grow up out of the mindset that Europe's problems are the world's problem but the world's problems are not Europe's problem, it is you it's yours, it is me it's ours," he added. The External Affairs Minister also defended and justified the recent move to curtail wheat exports. He said Indian wheat was stocked and it was used for speculative trading. (ANI)
Weeks ahead of its Foreign Minister's India visit, Tehran has summoned the Indian envoy to its Foreign Ministry over the comments of now expelled and suspended BJP leaders on Prophet Mohammad. Prior to Iran, Qatar and Kuwait had also summoned Ambassadors of India and handed over them protest notes. The Indian Embassy in Qatar had already issued a statement, saying that the "Ambassador had a meeting in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality. Ambassador conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements". The Qatar government, in a statement, said: "State of Qatar welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party's official from practicing his activities in the party due to his remarks that angered all Muslims around the world." Noting that Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks by the Indian government of India, it pointed out "that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment, constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate". --IANS miz/vd ( 237 Words) 2022-06-05-22:58:03 (IANS)
At least 50 people including women and children were killed and others injured after gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Nigeria's Ondo state during mass on Sunday, according to media reports. Daily Sabah reported that the attack took place in Owo, a town in Ondo state, as many worshippers gathered at the church during the morning mass on Sunday. According to the agency, the gunmen first detonated explosives near the church altar before firing at the worshippers and killing scores of them on the spot. The official said it is difficult to put a number to the casualties, as security operatives rushed to the scene to rescue worshippers. He said injured victims were rushed to a government-run hospital in Owo town, Xinhua News Agency. Ondu state governor Arakunrin Akeredolu confirmed the attack in the statement. The governor said he is "deeply saddened by the attack and killing of innocent people of Owo, worshipping at the St. Francis Catholic Church, today." Akeredolu urged the locals to "remain calm and vigilant" as security forces are deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to the town. President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack as a "dastardly act." As of Sunday night, there had been no claim of responsibility and the motive for the massacre was unclear. Officials were still assessing the toll of the attack on Sunday, The New York Times reported. Police said in a statement on Sunday evening said that the mass was taking place around 11:30 am, when the gunmen shot at worshipers from outside the church while other gunmen targeted people inside the building. (ANI)
The voter turnout was 67.5 per cent, according to the poll.

In total, 350,000 citizens were interviewed by the institute across the country upon request from the Kazakh news agency.

In early May, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree that scheduled the referendum on constitutional amendments for June 5. The amendments based on citizens' requests aim to create a legal framework for Kazakhstan's transition from a super-presidential model to a presidential republic, strengthening the role of the country's parliament.

In late May, former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced his intention to support the proposal to exclude provisions on his special status from the country's constitution during the upcoming referendum. (ANI/Sputnik)
In response to North Korea's latest missile launches, South Korea and the United States test-fired eight missiles on Sunday, according to Yonhap news agency. Yonhap said citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Monday morning that the missiles were test-fired "at various targets." "The South Korea-US combined firing of the ground-to-ground missiles demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces," the news agency cited JCS statement. "Our military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns," it added. Seoul officials have warned that Pyongyang's military provocations will be met with "corresponding" reactions. Shortly after the North's launch of three ballistic missiles, including an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on May 25, the South and the US conducted combined missile launches in their first such joint move since 2017, the media report stated. Yesterday Pyongyang test-fired a total of eight short-range ballistic missiles. Earlier, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that his country will continue to boost its nuclear potential. Over 10 years in power, the North Korean leader has conducted more than 100 missile launches, including intercontinental launches, and four nuclear tests. During his 10-year tenure, his father Kim Jong Il carried out 16 missile launches and two nuclear tests, Sputnik News Agency reported. Meanwhile, leaders during the QUAD summit in Tokyo last month, had condemned North Korea's "destabilizing" ballistic missile launches and called on the international community to abide by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. "We condemn North Korea's destabilizing ballistic missile development and launches, including multiple intercontinental ballistic missile tests, in violation of UNSCRs, and call on the international community to fully implement these resolutions. We urge North Korea to abide by all of its obligations under the UNSCRs, refrain from provocations, and engage in substantive dialogue," said the joint statement by QUAD Leader following the summit that was hosted by Japan in Tokyo. (ANI)